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. DUBLIN, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Cholera Forecast for selected Asian Markets 2017-2027" report to their offering. Cholera is a bacterial disease caused by infection from Vibrio cholerae species (O1, O139), usually spread through contaminated water. Cholera causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration. Left untreated, cholera can be fatal in a matter of hours, even in previously healthy people. This report provides the current incidence population for Cholera for Selected Asian Markets (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam) split by gender and 5-year age cohort. Along with the current incidence, the report also contains a disease overview of the risk factors, disease diagnosis and prognosis along with specific variations by geography and ethnicity. Providing a value-added level of insight from the analysis team, several of the main symptoms of Cholera have been quantified and presented alongside the overall incidence figures. These sub-populations within the main disease are also included at a country level across the 10-year forecast snapshot. Risk factors for contracting cholera relate mostly to contaminated water and sanitation. The disease shows marked seasonality in developing nations, and outbreaks can occur during natural disasters (tsunamis) and complex emergencies (generally affecting the water supply / sanitation infrastructure). This report is built using data and information sourced from the proprietary patient segmentation database. To generate accurate patient population estimates, the database utilises a combination of several world class sources that deliver the most up to date information from patient registries, clinical trials and epidemiology studies. All of the sources used to generate the data and analysis have been identified in the report. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Cause of the Disease 3. Risk Factors & Prevention 4. Diagnosis of the Disease 5. Variation by Geography 6. Disease Prognosis & Clinical Course 7. Methodology for quantification of patient numbers 8. Top-line estimated incidence for Cholera 9. Cholera in Vietnam 10. Abbreviations used in the report 11. Patient-Based Offering 12. Online Pricing Data and Platforms 13. References 14. Appendix For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/fdr6rd/cholera_forecast 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 Industry bellwethers attend annual gathering; mobile measurement pioneer releases landmark Unified Audience Platform, a suite of products serving the comprehensive needs of the app ecosystem. SANDPOINT, Idaho, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kochava (www.kochava.com), the leading provider of app analytics, attribution and optimization for connected devices, begins their fourth annual Kochava Mobile Summit today through February 17 and announces the release of the Unified Audience Platform, an all-encompassing toolset giving marketers real-time curation of their campaigns with unparalleled granularity and data fidelity. "Beyond the riggers managing their campaigns for top performance, marketers are faced with a fragmented and crowded ecosystem when choosing technology providers to support their teams. With the release of our Unified Audience Platform, we have streamlined all aspects of the process, offering deeply integrated, end-to-end campaign management solutions in one place," said Charles Manning, CEO of Kochava. New product pipeline and ad transparency The Unified Audience Platform (UAP) from Kochava offers marketers the most comprehensive and flexible platform for digital campaign management available in the marketplace. It eliminates the inefficiencies, stability concerns and complexity of mining disparate companies for the various tools necessary to execute and manage campaigns, including precise analysis of ad spend and engagement, all in one location, with one SDK. The Unified Audience Platform puts marketers first The UAP is the only tool in the ad tech space that hosts all the necessary elements to Plan, Target, Measure, Activate and Optimize for holistic campaign management. Plan using the UAP's Media Guide, a one-stop shop to research mobile marketing partners, essentially a "Yelp for mobile advertising." Kochava marketers can research, filter and access more than 2,700 network and publisher integrations by any desired criteria. Target using the Kochava Collective, the world's largest mobile data marketplace, providing marketers with access to over 700 million unique device IDs and enabling them to extend their reach in targeting their ideal audience across a mix of high-performing media partners. Measure with the industry's most robust set of tools benchmarked by our industry-leading multi-dimensional Analytics to dictate all campaign-based decisions. Omnichannel views and customized filters are made simple thanks to the new Kochava Web SDK which tracks every click across platforms and devices. Pinpoint ROI and make confident decisions with the previously released True LTV and Ad Cost products. Marketers Activate their data by setting up real-time campaign performance notifications and bringing critical metrics to decision makers with Alerting. Optimize by using Traffic Verifier and the What if? tool. The Kochava data science team has been identifying fraud since 2015. Now, marketers can better protect and control their traffic with Traffic Verifier, a real-time fraud abatement tool that combats ad fraud tactics such as click stuffing and ad stacking. The What if? tool allows marketers to replay historic campaign data and media traffic in a virtual time machine to understand the impact of adjusting attribution settings or changes to their media mix to maximize their future media spend. New offices, new partners Bucking industry trends with five years of profitable operation, Kochava has become the reliable standard in measurement, utilized by the largest digital advertisers across all industry verticals. The continued success of their platform has led to expansion of their operations and personnel at their headquarters in Sandpoint, Idaho and internationally in China and Ireland last year, adding to their existing offices in Singapore, South Korea and France. The company has sustained 300% annual growth allowing for aggressive investment in product development that solves and simplifies the most vexing challenges marketers face in today's interconnected, cross-device, multi-channel world. About Kochava Kochava (www.kochava.com) offers a unique, holistic and unbiased analytics platform to plan, target, measure, activate and optimize media spend. The Kochava platform for mobile and connected devices combines potent features and global coverage with thousands of network and publisher integrations, allowing marketers to target audiences and measure campaign performance with precision. Real-time customizable visualizations give users fluid access to a full spectrum of data points, providing robust segmentation capabilities and real-time actionability. Yielding the most powerful tools in the ecosystem, Kochava is chosen by brands across industry verticals to measure the largest and most sophisticated ad campaigns. Follow Kochava on social media: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Media Contact: Jeremy Grimm, Director of Communications and PR +1-208-946-9944 jgrimm@kochava.com Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458978/Kochava_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.kochava.com SOURCE Kochava Rapidly develop Lightning headsets for iPhone, iPad and iPod, to deliver user experiences not possible with legacy analog headsets BEAVERTON, Oregon, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Avnera Corporation, a leading supplier of Analog System on Chips (ASoC) for smart devices, announced today the availability of the LightX platform that is the basis for Apple's second generation MFi Lightning Audio Module (LAM2). The Avnera LightX platform sets new standards in the industry with the lowest power consumption and the smallest size for smart Lightning headsets. This is made possible by Avnera's AV3425, the first single chip Analog SoC for smart Lightning headsets. "The Lightning connector on iPhone, iPad and iPod has opened the opportunity for a new category of smart headsets which offers user experiences not previously possible with the analog 3.5mm connector," said Manpreet Khaira, CEO of Avnera Corporation. "The LightX platform will enable brands to develop highly disruptive headsets by combining IP developed by brands with Avnera breakthroughs in low power analog audio circuits and digital signal processing technologies." "Previous solutions for developing smart Lightning headsets have resulted in headsets with much larger form factors and significantly higher power consumption than headsets with the legacy analog connector," said Khaira. "Avnera's new LightX platform offers not only the first complete system solution but also the first no-compromises solution for smart Lightning headsets." No-compromises Lightning solution Avnera's single chip ASoC allows the highest level of integration for a smart Lightning headset thereby enabling headset form factors consistent in size with typical analog headsets. The LightX platform also introduces for the first time Avnera's patent pending low power analog audio circuit technology that significantly reduces the power consumption of the Lightning headsets versus any existing solution. Complete system solution for smart Lightning headsets The LightX platform provides a complete system solution covering not just the smart headset but also the iOS App. On the headset side, a powerful SDK provides innovative smart features many of which will be first to the consumer headset market. For example: a new method of "Adaptive Noise Cancelation" allows significantly more cancelation than fixed noise cancelation solutions used by consumer headsets today by automatically calibrating to each users specific fit and to the environment and "Smart Muting" which automatically mutes the user's voice mics when the user is not speaking thereby minimizing the amount of noise disruption, especially during conference calls. The platform includes a complete array of development tools to allow brands to develop and implement their own IP, especially features requiring signal processing for audio, voice, speech and sensor capabilities. "We are amazed by the compelling features that our headset partners are developing on the platform," said Khaira. "Some of these innovations are built into the headsets' companion iOS Apps, which allow a manufacturer to provide firmware upgrades, release new features and enhance the functionality of the headset after launch, a benefit not possible with analog headsets. We have worked hard to provide a framework to greatly accelerate and simplify the app development process." MFi licensees can get access to the LightX platform and LAM2 by emailing mfisupport@avnera.com. More information about the MFi program can be found at https://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi. About Avnera Corporation Avnera is a venture-backed fabless semiconductor company based in Beaverton, Oregon. Since 2004, Avnera has been designing Analog System-on-Chips, integrating breakthrough low-power analog circuits. As pioneers of Analog System on Chip (ASoC) technology, Avnera works closely with partners to transform markets. Over the last decade, Avnera delivered circuit and system innovations that have set a new bar in minimizing power consumption and footprint sizes. Avnera is funded by Altien Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Best Buy, DAG Ventures, Intel Capital, JAFCO Ventures, Onkyo, Panasonic Venture Group, Polycom and Redpoint Ventures. More information is available at www.avnera.com. Avnera is a trademark of Avnera Corporation. Contacts Sam Levin sam.levin@avnera.com +1-415-827-3870 Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468100/Avnera_Corporation___Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.avnera.com SOURCE Avnera Corporation Solution supports SWIFT, Target2, SEPA Credit Transfers and Direct Debits and provides base for transformation program LONDON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dovetail, the provider of best-in-class payments and liquidity management solutions, has today announced that Bank of Cyprus has selected the Dovetail Payment Solution to equip the bank with payment hub functionality covering SWIFT, Target2, SEPA Credit Transfer and Direct Debits. The project will provide the payments foundation for its on-going digital transformation program. Commenting on the news Dr.Andreas Stylianou, Manager Organization and Change, from the Bank of Cyprus said: "Payments are the life blood of our business. We needed a modern, proven payments solution that could address not only our immediate needs, but also our future payment initiatives. We selected Dovetail as a best-in-class solution. Their implementation processes and team made them uniquely qualified." "We are really excited that Bank of Cyprus has chosen Dovetail's award-winning solution as a core element of their digital payments transformation. It enables the bank to make a step change in their payments business, by providing an efficient, technologically advanced solution that is easy to integrate with their existing systems and gives the flexibility and agility that the bank was looking for in enhancing their customer offerings without compromising their operational excellence", said Martin Coen, CEO. About Dovetail Dovetail provides best-in-class payments and liquidity management solutions that enable banks to simplify their infrastructure and deliver effective digital transformation. All solutions, based on a single real-time architecture, are available on premise or in the cloud, scalable up and down, across functional and volume needs and offer unrivalled customer and segment personalization. The choice of solution provides flexibility for a bank in setting the pace of its modernization, addressing point needs or replacing multiple legacy systems. Leveraging the continuing investment from Dovetail and its world-leading client base, banks can rapidly achieve a measurable return on investment, increase strategic agility and operational excellence, optimize total cost of ownership and ensure regulatory compliance. For more information on Dovetail, please visit our website, www.dovetailsystems.com. Press Contact Trevor LaFleche Vice President, Global Product Marketing and Analyst Relations +44 20 7652 7788 trevor.lafleche@dovetailsystems.com Related Links http://www.dovetailsystems.com SOURCE Dovetail MORGES, Switzerland, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Biosensors International Group, Ltd. ("Biosensors" or the "Company"), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative medical devices, announced today the enrollment of the first patient in LEADERS FREE II, its new BioFreedom Pivotal Study, conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), which will include sites in the United States, Canada, Denmark, France Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The BioFreedom drug-coated stent (DCS) has been implanted to date in over 150,000 patients in more than 40 countries outside the United States. The initiation of LEADERS FREE II marks a key milestone on the path towards obtaining FDA approval for the BioFreedom DCS. Similar to LEADERS FREE, the therapeutic focus of this new US pivotal IDE trial is on patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) who receive an ultra-short dual anti-platelet drug regimen of only 1 month. Professor Keith Oldroyd performed the first LEADERS FREE II implant earlier this week at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland and stated: "We are excited to participate in the European arm of the BioFreedom DCS US Pivotal IDE study and further contribute to building the HBR patient experience for potential expansion of the availability of BioFreedom to American patients." The study is conducted under the leadership of Dr. Mitchell W. Krucoff from Duke University, NC, USA, as Principal Investigator and Dr. Philip Urban from La Tour hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, who is the co-Principal Investigator in Europe. The chairman of the Executive Physician Committee is Dr. Marty Leon, Columbia University, New York. Dr. Urban commented: "The results of the LEADERS FREE trial underscore the need to improve treatment of patients at high bleeding risk throughout the world. With the development of the BioFreedom stent, Biosensors has successfully addressed an unmet need for a patient population that had been very largely overlooked." About BioFreedom BioFreedom represents the latest development in Biosensors' stent technology, featuring a unique micro-structured abluminal surface which permits the controlled release of BA9 using neither a polymer nor a carrier. BA9 is a highly lipophilic anti-restenotic drug developed by Biosensors specifically for use with stents and is the world's first polymer-free active stent releasing BA9. For more information, please visit http://www.biosensors.com. Contact: Fred Hrkac Biosensors Ltd., Morges, Switzerland f.hrkac@biosensors.com +41-79-360-7991 SOURCE BioFreedom STOCKHOLM, Feb 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The new office map from Catella shows the positive economic situation of the German office market at 76 locations. While prime rents have increased almost everywhere, the attractiveness of prime objects can be seen in the continuously decreasing yields from first tier to fourth tier. "The strongest increase of rents in the German office market is found in second-tier locations, with an increase of 5.3% compared to last year, followed by the first tier. Frankfurt is currently the frontrunner for rents, with EUR 39.00 /square metre. For the first time ever, the EUR 10.00 /square metre level for prime rents was exceeded in the fourth tier, with EUR 10.25 /square metre (compared to EUR 9.98/square metre at the end of 2015), which shows the sound economic situation in all regions," says Dr. Thomas Beyerle, Head of Group Research at Catella. With an average prime yield of 3.67% (down 53 basis points compared to 2015), the first-tier category fell below the 4% level for the first time. The average yield difference between first-tier and second-tier locations (currently 179 basis points) became even larger in 2016, and is evident in the high valuation of first-tier properties. "On the other hand, investors are proceeding with a more balanced understanding of the risk-to-yield ratio and are relying on a sustainable cash flow, with Munich as the frontrunner at 3.3%," says Dr. Thomas Beyerle. When analysing the differences between location categories from first to fourth tier from a strictly geographical perspective, it becomes clear that average yields of between 3.67% (first tier) and 7.02% (fourth tier) are in accordance with the course of the yield-risk profile for 2017. At third- and fourth-tier locations, however, no outstanding investment activities can be found, despite attractive yields and many market studies, according to analysts. "We expect a large increase in the number of transactions in this segment in the coming months. The increasing desire of owners to exit is up against certain yield attractiveness for investors," according to Beyerle. The complete Catella map "Investment location Germany 2017, Office rents and yields" is now available at catella.com/research. For more information, please contact: Dr. Thomas Beyerle Head of Group Research Tel: +49-69-310-19-30-220 E-mail: thomas.beyerle@catella.de Press contact: Ann Charlotte Svensson Head of Group Communications Tel: +46-8-463-32-55, +46-72-510-11-61 E-mail: anncharlotte.svensson@catella.se This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/catella---corporate-finance/r/catella--german-office-markets-continue-to-impress-in-2017,c2189051 The following files are available for download: http://mb.cision.com/Main/6412/2189051/629285.pdf Press release http://news.cision.com/catella---corporate-finance/i/thomas-beyerle-catella-june-2016,c2076867 Thomas Beyerle Catella June 2016 http://mb.cision.com/Public/6412/2189051/95d6834a5f5cdf18.pdf Catella Office Map Germany 2017 SOURCE Catella - Corporate Finance PARIS, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Christiane Bergevin is the first North-American Member to join the Supervisory Board of RATP Dev RATP Dev is delighted to announce that Christiane Bergevin has joined its Supervisory Board since January 1st, 2017. Christiane has held a number of executive positions. She was President of SNC-Lavalin Capital, and Executive Vice-President, Partnerships and Business Development for Desjardins Group, before launching her own consultancy firm in 2016. During her tenure with Desjardins - the largest financial coop in Canada- she oversaw investments totaling more than 2 billion USD through acquisitions and partnerships in Canada, the United States and Europe. Christiane previously led the growth and operations of the financial advisory and engineering subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin, one of the world's largest engineering and construction groups. As part of this role, she was co-financial advisor for the award-winning financing deal for the Canada Line light rail system in Vancouver, built as a public-private partnership. She is the first Vice-Chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Canada, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Montreal Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Christiane is a former director of CDPQ and BDC, as well as the listed companies Talisman Energy and Fiera Capital. "Christiane Bergevin's expertise in finance and development strategies, her understanding of the transport industry and infrastructure projects, her in-depth knowledge of North America and her international background are valuable assets that will drive the growth of our group," stated Laurence Batlle, Chief Executive Officer of RATP Dev. "We are honored that she is joining RATP Dev's Supervisory Board." The Supervisory Board of RATP Dev now has eight members, including four independent ones and four women. It is chaired by Elisabeth Borne, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Office of RATP group. NOTES FOR EDITORS : RATP group With 14 million passengers every day worldwide, RATP group is the fifth largest urban transport operator in the world. The multimodal network operated by RATP in the Paris region, with its 14 metro lines (including two driverless lines), two regional express network (RER) lines, seven tramway lines, 350 bus lines and shuttle services catering to the region's two international airports, is the largest of its kind in the world to be managed by a single company. RATP Dev RATP Dev is RATP group subsidiary set up in 2002 to export the Group's operation and maintenance knowhow outside the historic network operated by RATP in the Paris region. RATP Dev now operates in 15 countries on four continents (United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, China, South Korea, the Philippines, the USA and Brazil). In 2015 RATP Dev generated revenue of more than 1.1 billion euros. CONTACTS: RATP group's press department T +33-1-58-78-37-37 http://www.ratp.fr servicedepresse@ratp.fr SOURCE RATP Dev OEMs Should Focus on Services That Bring Improved Safety and Security BOSTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent survey from the In-Vehicle UX (IVX) group at Strategy Analytics (Report Link) has assessed consumer interest in telematics and remote vehicle management services. While consumer interest remains strong for services which provide immediate help in time-sensitive emergency situations (such as one-touch access to emergency services or stolen vehicle assistance), fewer respondents are interested in remote horn/light functions and remote start. However, willingness to pay for such services remained high across all regions surveyed. Surveying consumers in the US, the UK and China, Strategy Analytics has found that interest in telematics and remote vehicle management system is not necessarily higher in premium vehicle owners compared to other classes. Though premium vehicle owners in all three regions exhibited higher interest in remote horn / light functions than owners of other vehicle classes, mid-range vehicle owners in the US showed the highest interest in several tracked services, including stolen vehicle assistance, automatic crash notification, remote diagnostics, remote start, and teen driving alerts. Click here for report: http://sa-link.cc/1jl Derek Viita Senior Analyst and report author commented, "Willingness to pay a monthly fee for a package including all of the telematics services described in the survey declined in the US from 2015 to 2016, but overall willingness to pay across all regions remained quite high. More than 50% of respondents were willing to pay at price points below $20 per month in the US." Chris Schreiner, Director IVX, added, "With high consumer interest levels and willingness to pay, OEMs should keep putting efforts on introducing telematics services that would bring improved safety and security." About Strategy Analytics Strategy Analytics, Inc. provides the competitive edge with advisory services, consulting and actionable market intelligence for emerging technology, mobile and wireless, digital consumer and automotive electronics companies. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia, Strategy Analytics delivers insights for enterprise success. www.StrategyAnalytics.com. About In-vehicle UX The In-vehicle UX group forms part of the User Experience Innovation Practice (UXIP) at Strategy Analytics. Focusing on user behaviors, motivations and interests within in-vehicle, mobile device, connected home and media & services research areas, UXIP helps clients meet consumer needs, develop usable solutions and deliver compelling user experiences. Extensive expertise and highly experienced in large-scale survey work, in-depth interviews, focus groups and observational sessions, UXIP's research methodology allows strategic user-centric analysis on the potential for new technologies that would otherwise be unavailable. Providing actionable insight, go-to-market strategies and business recommendations, UXIP is a leading supplier of consumer knowledge to the technology industry. Click here for more information. Press Contacts US Contact: Derek Viita, +1 617 614 0772, dviita@strategyanalytics.com European Contact: Diane O'Neill, +44(0) 1908 423 669, doneill@strategyanalytics.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130207/NE56457LOGO-b Related Links http://www.strategyanalytics.com SOURCE Strategy Analytics SEOUL, South Korea, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Keeping abreast of the latest trends in scholarly publication is necessary for researchers, especially ESL authors. Therefore, Editage recently conducted eight workshops on 'Trends in Academic Journal Publishing & Research Integrity' at reputed South Korean institutions, including universities and hospitals. In total, over 500 doctors, researchers, journal editors, as well as university and hospital administrators attended these workshops. The eight workshops were conducted over 6 days, with one each at the following institutions: Chosun University College of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Sookmyung Women's University, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Korea Association of Medical Journal Editors, Asan Medical Center, and Soonchunhyang Hospital. One workshop was also conducted for the Korea Association of Medical Journal Editors. They were delivered by Dr. Elizabeth Wager, an academic publication trainer who has given training on behalf of Editage Insights for over five years. As an independent consultant, Dr. Wager has trained doctors, journal editors, and medical writers on six continents. She was Chair of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) between 2009 and 2012 and is a member of the ethics committees for the BMJ and the World Association of Medical Editors; she is therefore an internationally recognized authority on ethical publication practices. Dr. Wager observes, "The rules and conventions of scientific publishing are complex and changing. it can be difficult for researchers to keep up-to-date. I am delighted that Editage provides opportunities for so many doctors, scientists, and journal editors around the world to take part in these workshops and discuss best practice. In order to publish their work effectively in international journals, researchers not only need to ensure their articles are in correct English but also that they have followed current guidelines and journal requirements." Dr. Wager conducted similar workshops organized by Editage in Japan in late 2016. Prioritizing educational outreach activities for ESL authors shows that Editage is undeterred in its mission to empower the Asian research community. About Editage Founded in 2002, Editage (a division of Cactus Communications) is a fully integrated, global scholarly communications company with offices in Japan, South Korea, India, China, and the United States. Employing a global workforce of over 500, Editage has served 179,398 authors and has edited 690,240 papers across 1,200 disciplines to date. Editage aims to help scholars break through the confines of geography and language, bridge the gap between authors and peer-reviewed journals, and accelerate the process of publishing high-quality research. Apart from working with individual researchers, Editage partners with publishers, journals, academic societies, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to assist them in creating compelling, high-quality scientific publications. Editage is also dedicated to author education through its comprehensive author resources site Editage Insights. Please visit http://www.editage.co.kr to learn more. Media contact: Hridey Manghwani Manager, Public Relations, Editage Phone: +1(877)334-8243 Email: PR@cactusglobal.com Related Links http://www.editage.co.kr SOURCE Cactus Communications BOSTON and LONDON, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Emergn, a digital business consultancy and professional services firm, today announced the launch of their Online Course and work-based Certification in product management. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468352/Product_management_skills_Emergn.jpg ) Emergn's VFQ Product Management Pathway has been applied by some of the world's most iconic companies. The Pathway helps teach a group of learners all of the major concepts of how to research and design value propositions around the needs of customers and users. The approach then helps the learners build their product iteratively to validate assumptions, and ensure that it truly meets the needs of users and creates value. Following the success of their Enterprise Pathway, Emergn decided to make the experience, knowledge and teachings available to a broader market through an online learning platform. The Economist recently went through this supported version of the course. Denise Law, Community Editor at The Economist said: "I learned a lot in only six weeks. I was particularly impressed with the activity-based nature of the course, which in my view is the best way to learn. I was able to quickly apply what I learned in my daily job and better understand how to work with product managers, developers and UX designers." Alex Adamopoulos, Chief Executive Officer, Emergn, said, "Our customers told us that they want to have product managers who can do their job really well, and for their capability to be validated. Emergn needed a way to scale to meet a growing population of Product Managers, and that's why we built the work-based Certification and validation process. Bringing it online allows us to support our customers at scale." The course was built under the Value, Flow, Quality (VFQ) brand of Emergn, and was developed for enterprises and individuals to learn and implement the skills required to be a successful product manager. VFQ has been used over the years to support large-scale Agile Transformations for Enterprises and uses a Learning by Doing approach to make things immediately practical. The Product Management Course also implements a work-based approach that means people get to learn with products and services they are currently working on. Elliot Antrobus-Holder, Group Head of Digital Product for TUI said, "VFQ is an education program. Not just a training course. It drives cultural change whilst we learn." Adamopoulos, continued, "The product manager is critical in getting new and improved products to market. They hold a deep understanding of the customer, the technology and the business, and are responsible for bringing innovations to life, and working closely with engineering and development teams." About Emergn Emergn's mission is to improve the way people work. Forever. Emergn a digital business consultancy committed to helping organizations think new. Dream big. And most importantly, act different. Since technological disruption is changing business, Emergn help organizations evolve and adapt in a Bimodal world to not just compete in this next generation of business but decisively win. Emergn is focused on empowering people to continuously deliver better products, services and customer experiences. We equip people with the skills needed to drive more enduring and effective change. Helping them establish new models, new ways of working, and new growth channels. Embedding the capabilities that enable businesses to perform at their peak. Time and time again. Emergn is committed to their clients' change ambitions, supporting them with consulting, delivery and education services which inspire the confidence to transform from the inside out. From the board to the frontline, they work with people across all levels to manage uncertainty and accelerate organizational change. We share a total commitment to clients' change ambitions because they are passionate about the impact they can deliver together. About VFQ VFQ is a comprehensive work-based education and learning program. VFQ is researched from hundreds of books and articles from the fields of Agile, Lean, design thinking, systems thinking, management, product management, software, manufacturing and many other disciplines. It provides a condensed view and critique that considers the latest thinking and also traditional views on many topics. Their philosophy is based on the idea that different people learn in different ways, and that the most impactful learning happens when people learn by doing. By understanding things and then applying those concepts directly in their own work. VFQ has been chosen by the British Computer Society (BCS) to underpin their Agile Practitioner Certification . Press Enquiries: Emily de Vale: emily.devale@emergn.com UK/EMEA +44(0)808-189-2043 SOURCE Emergn PARIS and MILAN, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Electro Power Systems S.A. ("EPS"), a technology pioneer in energy-storage systems and microgrids listed on the French-regulated market Euronext Paris (EPS:FP), announces the commissioning of the new system microgrid connected in Flinders Island, northeast of Tasmania, will start in Q1 2017. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468575/Electro_Power_Systems_Group_Logo.jpg ) EPS, in partnership with Toshiba, realized a hybrid storage system sired to Flinders Island's microgrid for Hydro Tasmania, Australia's largest producer of renewable energy. The utility is developing the "Flinders Island Hybrid Energy Hub" project that aims to increase the use of renewable energy on the island and dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels, which so far have been the only electrical energy source on the island. The project, thanks to the EPS system, which combines renewables and energy storage, is intended to provide up to 65% of the island's annual energy demand, significantly reducing CO 2 emissions and the consumption of diesel fuel by more than 60%. The microgrid has an installed capacity of 3MW that will provide, despite the critical weather conditions to which the island is exposed, stable renewable energy to approximately 900 people and it will be hybridized with 0.5 MWp of solar and 0.5 MWh of storage system manufactured by EPS, combined with 2.0 MVA of generators. The project does also contemplate the integration with wind energy. With the assistance of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Tasmanian Government, the project was developed along the lines of the successful "King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project (KIREIP)", which covers 100% of King Island's power needs from renewable sources. SOURCE Electro Power Systems (EPS) TORONTO, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fleet Complete enters Austrian market, advancing its European expansion Fleet Complete, a leading global provider of fleet telematics and mobile workforce technology, is officially announcing its partnership with one of the most prominent European wireless service providers, T-Mobile Austria. Spearheading the IoT product and service innovation, this partnership brings a new portfolio of management solutions to the Austrian market, geared towards connecting businesses with their fleet vehicles, mobile assets and in-field workers. With the new European headquarters in the Netherlands, the T-Mobile Fleet Complete product suite provides business owners and fleet managers the ability to improve productivity, reduce operating costs, make more efficient scheduling and dispatching decisions, and improve the bottom line. "It leverages the combined strength of the two world-class IoT service platforms, dedicated to outstanding customer experience," says Sjors de Kruijf, VP Sales & Marketing for Fleet Complete Europe. "We understand our customers' needs and challenges that are specific to the Dutch, Belgian and Austrian markets, and made sure to partner with the best mobile carrier for the region." "Our goal is to help our customers become even more successful in their business," said Maria Zesch, CCO T-Mobile Austria. "With T-Mobile Fleet Complete we offer an integrated end-to-end platform that is as flexible as our customers' needs. Supported by the network and infrastructure of T-Mobile Austria, this is something that will add great value to our clients, while enabling them to provide better services to their own customer base." Fleet Complete is among the market leaders in North America, servicing more than 8,000 companies worldwide and positioning itself squarely in the industry by forging exclusive partnerships with large telecom giants like Telus in Canada, AT&T in the U.S. and Telstra in Australia. Partnering with T-Mobile Austria brings Fleet Complete clients the reliability of a large mobile carrier with a secure national network and multiple points of distribution, which pair well with Fleet Complete's portfolio of industry leading solutions and personalized customer support. "We are very excited to have T-Mobile as our new business partner in Europe," said Tony Lourakis, CEO of Fleet Complete. "Both of our companies have similar cultures of pursuing the best-in-class customer experience, while helping our clients succeed in their endeavours. I'm convinced this partnership will deliver that benefit to businesses in Austria." About Fleet Complete [ ] Based in Toronto, Fleet Complete is a global IoT provider of mission critical fleet, asset and mobile workforce management solutions. For over sixteen years, Fleet Complete has been providing dispatching, fleet tracking and mobile resource management solutions to more than 8,000 businesses worldwide. The company maintains key distribution partnerships with AT&T in the U.S., TELUS in Canada, Telstra in Australia and T-Mobile in Europe, remaining one of the fastest-growing companies in North America that has won numerous awards for innovation and growth since its inception in 2000 (as Complete Innovations Inc.). For more information, please visit fleetcomplete.com About T-Mobile Austria T-Mobile Austria is the second largest mobile telecommunications provider in Austria with 4.3 million customers and approx. 1,300 employees. The brands T-Mobile and tele.ring address various target groups - starting from smartphone consumers to sole proprietorships and even large enterprises. As a part of the Deutsche Telekom group T-Mobile benefits from the innovative capacity and the financial stability of the group, one of the biggest global player in the telecommunications market. In the fiscal year 2015, the group reported a turnover of 69.2 billion Euros. T-Mobile Austria serves amongst other functions as machine-to-machine communication (M2M) expert for the Deutsche Telekom group. For its business customers T-Mobile offers a wide range of cloud based solutions. David Prusinski, EVP, Sales and Marketing, Fleet Complete, david.prusinski@fleetcomplete.com, marketing@fleetcomplete.com; Sjors de Kruijf, VP, Sales and Marketing, Fleet Complete Europe, sjors.dekruijf@fleetcomplete.com; T-Mobile Austria GmbH, Lev Ratner, PR Manager Products, lev.ratner@t-mobile.at SOURCE Fleet Complete LONDON, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The current gin revival in markets like the UK and Spain conceals a complex and fragmented global picture where overall consumption is still falling, according to the Global Gin Insights joint report from just-drinks and the IWSR featuring the latest full-year data available. Although sales rose 2.5% to about 52m cases in 2015, global gin consumption is likely to fall over the 2016-21 period, the report says, thanks to continued volume declines in three key markets: the Philippines, the US and India. However, these markets are mainly focused on the lower price levels, and their losses will be largely offset by gains of more than 1m cases for premium and super-premium gins over the same timescale. And even in the US, where sales are likely to dip below 9m cases by 2021, consumption falls will disproportionately impact standard and value gins, giving hope to those further up the value chain. Meanwhile, the category is on fire in Spain, the UK and a number of smaller markets. Spain is predicted to break through the 5m-case barrier by 2021, while the UK will counteract essentially static volumes with sizeable value gains. The list of smaller but highly promising markets includes travel retail, Germany, France, Portugal and Turkey, while there are also likely to be value gains in Japan, Italy, Canada and South Africa. "Gin's current boom can be attributed to a number of factors: generational shifts in consumption habits, a new-found quest for 'authenticity', plus a revolution in the way that the spirit - and the gin and tonic especially - is presented," the report notes. "Gin provides a counterpoint to vodka as growth for the latter slows, displaying an authentic image not enjoyed by most flavoured vodkas, and a distinctive character and flavour lacking in most mainstream vodka brands." However, the report warns that the "mind-boggling" number of new gin brands launched over the past decade will lead to an inevitable shake-out, with only the strong surviving in an immensely crowded market. "In order to survive and thrive, new gin brands will have to have one or more of the following: sizeable funds to invest; distinctive branding or flavour profile; a strong local following," the report says. Global Gin Insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends, published in September 2016, can be purchased via the just-drinks research store. About just-drinks.com just-drinks.com is the online news, insight and research portal for the global drinks industry. Our editorial team includes contributors from around the world, while our commentators comprise experts in their respective fields of beer, bottled water, soft drinks, spirits (both brown and white) and wine. Under the direction of managing editor Olly Wehring, we offer an impartial voice and are driven by our passion for the drinks industry. About The IWSR The IWSR is the leading source of data and analysis on the alcoholic beverage market. The IWSR's database, essential to the industry, quantifies the global market of wine, spirits, beer and RTDs by volume and value, and provides insight into short- and long-term trends. IWSR statistics are used by all of the largest multinational wine and spirits companies, as well as many more local companies. The IWSR's unique methodology allows them to get closer to what is actually consumed and better understand how markets work. The IWSR conducts face-to- face interviews with 1,500 companies in 118 countries each year, with further input from 350 companies. The IWSR tracks overall consumption and trends at brand, quality and category level. For further information and images please contact James Lawley, Public Relations at Aroq Limited on +44(0)1527-573-606, email james.lawley@aroq.com SOURCE just-drinks and The IWSR LONDON and TAIPEI, Taiwan, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- iTrinegy, market leaders in mitigating risk associated with application performance over networks, announced today it has reached a Value Added Reseller agreement with Taiwan's WeiTech Communication for its networked application risk management (virtual test network and network profiling) solutions. The agreement is effective immediately and covers WeiTech's Taiwan service territory. All application deployments carry significant potential risk. The consequences of failure can include: High Remediation Costs, Loss of Revenue, Brand Reputation and even Injury or Death for military and blue light services. Therefore, it is imperative that organizations effectively predict and manage the risks associated with application performance over networks. "We see WeiTech, with their strong track record with IT network solutions and related services, as the perfect trusted partner to deliver our AppRM solutions to prospects and customers in the region," said Graham Wood, Director of iTrinegy. "We're looking forward to working with them." Under terms of the agreement, WeiTech will be iTrinegy's official representative for customers in Taiwan. The New Taipei City based company will be charged with promoting iTrinegy's AppRM solutions into the territory. WeiTech has been operating in Taiwan for over seven years and is well known by Taiwan's telecommunications and IT industry professionals. WeiTech represents a number of complementary software companies and also delivers value-added services directly to its customers. "We're pleased to be working with the recognized leader of network emulation for application testing and see great opportunities for these products in Taiwan," added Daniel Tseng, vice president of sales and Marketing at WeiTech. Visitors to the forthcoming Smart City Expo, Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taipei (21st to 24th February, 2017) will be able to see the iTrinegy product range on the WeiTech stand (# K203). About iTrinegy iTrinegy is a world leader in Networked Application Risk Management and is trusted by governments, military organizations and enterprises across the globe including Alcatel, Aviva, BT, Boeing, Cisco, Fidelity Worldwide Investments, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, National Australia Bank, Raytheon, Thomson Reuters, Salesforce and Starbucks. Our unrivalled pedigree in safeguarding networked application performance ensures business-critical services are successfully delivered over all types of networks. www.itrinegy.com About WeiTech Communication WeiTech is one of Taiwan's leading telecommunication solution providers. With the constant evolution of cellular, IT, media convergence, wireless broadband, cloud computing and IoT technologies, WeiTech has taken a leadership role in providing its customers with the world's leading solutions, together with comprehensive professional integration and technical services. WeiTech's focus is on long-term partnerships with its customers which are built through trust, strong market awareness, and adding real value to its partners' solutions. www.weitech.com.tw Contact: Phil Bull Marketing Manager, iTrinegy +44-1799-252-200 +44(0)7909-990617 phil.bull@itrinegy.com Daniel Tseng Vice President of Sales & Marketing, WeiTech +886-922-441968 daniel.tseng@weitech.com.tw SOURCE iTrinegy and WeiTech Communication BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Made in Azerbaijan" products will be showcased at "Gulfood 2017" by the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) with the support of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/467903/Made_in_Azerbaijan.jpg ) As first time participants at the region's leading food exhibition, "Gulfood 2017", taking place from 26 February to 2 March 2017, companies of Azerbaijan welcome guests with a warm gesture of hospitality in the Dubai World Trade Centre. Guests will enjoy a range of traditional Azerbaijani specialties and delicacies such as fruits, tea, honey, confectionaries and other products produced in Azerbaijan at our stand. Please visit "Made in Azerbaijan" stand in Hall 9. For more information, please visit: http://www.azpromo.az About AZPROMO Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) is a joint public-private-initiative established by the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan in 2003 with the aim to contribute to the economic development through attracting foreign investments in the non-oil sectors of the economy and stimulating expansion of the country's exports of non-oil goods to overseas markets. AZPROMO is a unique body in Azerbaijan that operates as a "one-stop-shop" for assisting and advising foreign-based companies interested in investigating and utilizing investment opportunities in Azerbaijan. AZPROMO is a devoted partner for companies established in Azerbaijan looking to enter foreign markets. Our knowledge of foreign markets and applicable trade regulations along with a wide network of foreign representations and partners offer great opportunities for companies to expand their export capacities. Media Contact: Sevda Jafarova Phone Number: +00994125980147 Email: pr@azpromo.az SOURCE Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) Deal Strengthens Capabilities in Fast-Growing IT Market MADRID, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), global leader in innovative workforce solutions, today announced signing a purchase agreement with Ciber, Inc. (NYSE: CBR), a leading global information technology consulting, services and outsourcing company, to acquire its business in Spain. The acquisition further strengthens ManpowerGroup Spain's capacity to deliver best-in-class IT staffing solutions, and complements the organic growth of its Experis brand, the professional resourcing and project-based workforce solutions arm of the company. The transaction is expected to close by the end of February, when Ciber's business and employees will transfer to ManpowerGroup. The deal builds on ManpowerGroup's already well-established business in Spain. Started in 1988, ManpowerGroup Spain today offers diversified workforce solutions across five brands Manpower, Experis, ManpowerGroup Solutions, Futurskill and Right Management. With 120 locations and more than 600 employees, ManpowerGroup Spain helps over 69,000 individuals find work every year, offering clients a broad range of staffing, development and workforce management solutions. "As our clients continue to invest in and upgrade their technology platforms, this acquisition will help us meet the fast-growing demand for IT support and provide the solutions they need," said Raul Grijalba, Executive President, ManpowerGroup Spain. "Ciber Spain's deep industry knowledge and expertise are a natural fit within the ManpowerGroup family, and will help us continue to shift our business mix towards higher-value services for both clients and candidates." "The sale of Ciber Spain reflects continued execution against our plans to simplify our geographic footprint and focus our portfolio of offerings," said Ciber President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Boustridge. "As a strategic buyer with local operations, we believe Manpower/Experis will provide a seamless transition and great continuity and service for our Spanish customers and employees." About ManpowerGroup ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) is the world's workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for nearly 70 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands Manpower, Experis, Right Management and ManpowerGroup Solutions we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2016, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the sixth consecutive year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup.com. About Ciber, Inc. Ciber partners with organizations to develop technology strategies and solutions that deliver tangible business value. Founded in 1974, the company trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CBR). For more information, visit www.ciber.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus and our blog . ManpowerGroup Inc.'s Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements related to ManpowerGroup, and the potential benefits of the acquisition, including statements regarding timing of closing and results of the proposed transaction. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements due to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: ManpowerGroup's ability to successfully integrate Ciber Spain; execution of plans and strategies; the inability to successfully complete the transaction, and other important factors that could cause results of the acquisition and related transactions to differ materially from the forward-looking statements detailed in ManpowerGroup's public filings with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. ManpowerGroup disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements in this release, except as required by law. Ciber, Inc.'s Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to Ciber's operations, results of operations and other matters that are based on Ciber's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Words, such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "may," "opportunity," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "should," and "will" and similar expressions, are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. For a more detailed discussion of these risks, see the information under the "Risk Factors" heading in Ciber's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and Ciber's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2016, and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other than as required by law, Ciber undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110330/CG73938LOGO-a Related Links http://www.manpowergroup.com SOURCE ManpowerGroup; Ciber, Inc. MEGGEN, Switzerland, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MDM GROUP AG's IPO will now take place in the second quarter of 2017 and not at the end of the year. The company aims to generate fresh capital by going public, which will allow it to invest additional funds in merchandise trading. Private investors will also be able to easily benefit from the company's business model. High revenues are generated in the retail sector in Germany every year. Gross profit margins are particularly interesting for investors.They often take profits on an average of 30 percent. MDM GROUP AG operates in this market segment. Specifically, the group mostly trades in textiles, remainders, specialty items, and merchandise from insolvency proceedings. MDM GROUP AG has already achieved high profits in this segment. In the international retail segment, the company's revenues have grown by around 400 percent just in the last two years. The company can already achieve profits by making favourable purchases. The merchandises, such as textiles, remainders, specialty items, and goods from insolvency proceedings from many top manufacturers are bought in at very favourable conditions. Due to the high purchasing volumes savings of up to 90 percent compared to the regular wholesale price are customary. In addition to low purchase prices for goods, in 2017 the company is also planning to purchase two top textile brands which will extend its product offerings even further and will also allow the group to influence market-prices directly. Thanks to its unique distribution network, the company is able to resell the purchased goods in a short period of time. In this regard, the group works together with a large number of online distribution partners and can thus always select the most efficient marketing channel for the products. This allows the company not only to realize a quick turn over of goods, but also to realize a maximum amount of sales revenues. The MDM GROUP purchases and sells goods every month, thus turning over the invested amounts several times. Profits can be realized with every transaction. The company does not receive investments from bank loans, but via subordinated loans. Private investors can lend money to the company and receive interests in return. The interests are fixed and agreed in advance and currently total nine percent according to the company's information. Interests up to 20 percent are even possible for special programs. Contact: MDM Group AG Frau Ozlem Utanc Rutliweg 3 6045 Meggen Schweiz ozlem@mdmgroup.ch www.mdmgroup.ch SOURCE MDM Group AG ALBANY, New York, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Military personal protective equipment is an important part of military gear that is used for protecting troops. It includes protective body armor, garment ensembles, footwear covers, gloves, and helmets among others items. Military personal protective equipment is specifically designed to protect military personnel from chemical and biological hazards during a combat situation. According to the research report, the global military personal protective equipment market was valued at US$11.23 bn in 2015 and is expected to reach US$19.09 bn by the end of 2024. The market is projected to progress at a CAGR of 6.1% between 2016 and 2024. Body Armor Segment Emerges as Leading Product in Global Market The types of products available in the global market are body armor (IBA), advanced combat helmet (ACH), improved outer tactical vest (IOTV), pelvic protection systems (PPS), life safety jackets, military combat eye protection (MCEP), and others. Out of all the products, the body armor product segment is expected to make a significant contribution to the global market. The segment is slated to acquire a share of 33.1% by the end of 2024. For more information, get a PDF Sample at http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19655 In terms of geography, the global market is fragmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Saudi Arabia, and Latin America. The report indicates that North America is likely to dominate the global market with Asia Pacific following closely. The North America military personal protective equipment market is estimated to acquire a share of 24.4% by the end of 2024. Persistent Conflicts Keep Demand of Military Personal Protective Equipment High The highly volatile situation amongst countries in the Middle East, India, and Iraq is the key growth driver for the global military personal protective equipment market. The increasing role of ground troops in combat has augmented the demand for military personal protective equipment in the recent past. The ongoing wars and conflicts have been boosting the uptake of this equipment to ensure safety of the troops. The report states that wars in Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Iraq have collectively kept the demand for protective gear at an all-time high through the past decade. The report also highlights the fact that the growing need for advanced equipment to ensure the safety of troops has also benefited the global market. Furthermore, growing number of government initiatives to increasing expenditure on advanced equipment through several are also expected to drive the global market. Fast pace of developments in countries such as Pakistan, India, and Brazil are also expected to fuel the growth of this market. The increasing tensions between countries such as India and Pakistan among others is another factor propelling the uptake of military personal protective equipment. Browse Press Release: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/military-personal-protective-equipment-market.htm Cuts to Defense Budgets to Hamper Growth The only drawback for the global military personal protective equipment market is the defense budget cuts made by developed countries such as the U.K. and the U.S. Countries such as Germany and Canada along with the U.S. and the U.K. are likely to make major changes to defense budgets. Furthermore, their strict arms allocation policies are also expected to cast a negative spell on the global market. The top three leading players in the global military personal protective equipment market held a share of 52.2% in the overall market in 2015. These players are determined to bring in product innovation to rise above the stiff competition in the global market. Furthermore, several companies are also emphasizing on achieving technological advancements to cater to the demands of clients. This review is based on Transparency Market Research's report, titled "Military Personal Protective Equipment Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024" The segments covered in the Military Personal Protective Equipment market are as follows: Global Military Personal Protective Equipment Market: By Product Type Body Armor (IBA) Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) Pelvic Protection Systems (PPS) Life Safety Jackets Military Combat Eye Protection (MCEP) Others Global Military Personal Protective Equipment Market: By Application Army Air Force Navy Others Global Military Personal Protective Equipment Market: By Geography North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe U.K. Germany France Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific India China Japan Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Rest of Latin America Middle East and Africa Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Rest of Middle East and Africa Recent Research Reports by TMR: Advanced Combat Helmet Market: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/advanced-combat-helmet-market.html Sports Gun Market: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sports-gun-market.html About Us 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. TMR's 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, TMR's syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement. US Office 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 Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Transparencymarketresearch SOURCE Transparency Market Research -- Anti-emetic products covered under expanded agreements include ALOXI and AKYNZEO -- Both are prophylactic agents for the treatment of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting -- Exclusive agreements cover marketing, sales and distribution SINGAPORE, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mundipharma and Helsinn Group have expanded their collaboration, signing amendments to licensing and distribution agreements for anti-emetic prophylactic agents ALOXI and AKYNZEO to cover a host of additional markets. Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is one of the most common side effects of cancer chemotherapy. The prevention of CINV has been refined in the major international antiemetic guidelines over the past several decades and the combination of antiemetic agents with different mechanisms of actions are now recommended for the prevention of CINV. ALOXI (palonosetron) is a 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist indicated as single agent for the prevention of CINV.1 AKYNZEO is the first fixed combination oral agent targeting two critical signalling pathways associated with CINV by combining palonosetron with netupitant, the new highly selective NK 1 receptor antagonist, in a single capsule2. Under the terms of the arrangement, Mundipharma has acquired all the rights for marketing, promotion, distribution and sales of ALOXI and AKYNZEO for an additional 30 countries in Africa as well as Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia. Additionally, Mundipharma has also secured the rights for AKYNZEO for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. The expanded partnership continues the strengthening of Mundipharma's oncology portfolio and its anti-emetic treatment offering, building on exclusive licensing and distribution agreements for Helsinn's anti-emetic franchise in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Raman Singh, President, Mundipharma Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa said: "This is an important extension of our oncology portfolio, offering relief to patients suffering the side effects of chemotherapy and represents further progress of our efforts to address unmet patient needs in emerging healthcare markets." Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, commented: "Helsinn and Mundipharma have an effective, longstanding partnership and Mundipharma successfully markets, promotes and distributes a number of our products across a range of territories. We're delighted to be able to extend this relationship through this comprehensive agreement which will bring these two key anti-emetic products to more patients in these fast-growing territories." Helsinn Group will retain all international development responsibility, as well as clinical development activities. The company will continue to manufacture and supply ALOXI and AKYNZEO for commercial use. : ALOXI, AKYNZEO are Registered Trademarks. About ALOXI (palonosetron hydrochloride) ALOXI (palonosetron hydrochloride) is a second generation 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonist, developed for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients with cancer, with a long half-life of 40 hours. ALOXI has been developed by the Helsinn Group in Switzerland and today it is marketed as Aloxi, Onicit and Paloxi in more than 50 countries worldwide. ALOXI i.v. is approved (e.g. in EU) in adults for the: Prevention of acute nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy Prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy For more information about ALOXI, please visit the website: www.aloxi.com About AKYNZEO (netupitant/palonosetron) AKYNZEO is an oral, fixed combination of an NK 1 receptor antagonist, netupitant, and the pharmacologically and clinically different 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist, palonosetron, in a single capsule, that targets at the same time two critical signalling pathways associated with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).2 AKYNZEO is indicated (e.g. in EU) in adults for the: Prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic cisplatinbased cancer chemotherapy. Prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy. About the Helsinn Group Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed cancer care products and a broad development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality. The Group works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements and has expertise in research, development, manufacture and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products for cancer, pain and inflammation and gastroenterology. In 2016, Helsinn created the Helsinn Investment Fund to support early-stage investment opportunities in areas of unmet patient need. The company is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Ireland and the US, a representative office in China as well as a product presence in about 90 countries globally. For more information, please visit www.helsinn.com About Mundipharma Mundipharma's independent associated companies are privately owned entities covering the world's pharmaceutical markets. Mundipharma is a prime example of a company that consistently delivers high quality products while standing by the values that represent the company. Our mission is to alleviate the suffering of patients and to substantially improve their quality of life. Mundipharma is dedicated to bringing to patients with severe and debilitating diseases the benefit of novel treatment options in fields such as pain, oncology, oncology supportive care, ophthalmology, respiratory disease and consumer healthcare. For more information please visit: www.mundipharma.com.sg References 1. ALOXI Approved Product Information available at: http://www.hsa.gov.sg/content/hsa/en/Health_Products_Regulation/Western_Medicines/New_Drug_Approvals/2015/May.html#Aloxi 2. AKYNZEO Approved Product Information available at: http://www.hsa.gov.sg/content/hsa/en/Health_Products_Regulation/Western_Medicines/New_Drug_Approvals/2016/June.html#Akynzeo Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150302/8521501264LOGO Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170215/8521700842LOGO Related Links http://www.mundipharma.com.sg SOURCE Mundipharma AMSTERDAM, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- myTomorrows announces that Ashley Vinson, former Head of Brand Strategy at Twitter, joins the company as Chief Marketing Officer. Robert-Jan Sips, who previously led IBM's European Centers for Advanced Studies, has been appointed Chief Technology Officer. Supporting the company's marketplace vision, Ashley and Robert-Jan will lead the expansion of myTomorrows' ongoing mission to connect physicians and their patients to manufacturers of promising drugs. Ashley Vinson said: "During my three years at Twitter, I developed a passion for working with technology in its most noble role: to empower people to do and achieve things they otherwise would not be able to. myTomorrows provides a platform and infrastructure that gives physicians and patients access to information, tools, and options traditionally unavailable to the common patient. I am excited to be part of a team and company whose mission is to innovate and improve a critical area for society." Robert-Jan Sips said: "I strongly believe in a world where technology's impact should make the lives of all people better. myTomorrows gives me the opportunity to combine both technology and the ability to improve lives by creating an intelligent platform which empowers physicians and patients to understand and gain access to potential treatment options, when all regular means are exhausted. I feel honored to be part of this mission." Robert Kraal COO commented: "As myTomorrows continues to rapidly expand the product and country matrix across continents, we are investing in top talent to continue to help us improve how access to investigational drugs works today. Ashley and Robert-Jan are strong additions to our already tech-savvy team; their experience in innovative fields - from effective social communication to artificial intelligence will greatly contribute to our efforts to help physicians and their patients." In January 2017, myTomorrows announced a 10 million growth funding round to drive global expansion, invest in talent, and extend collaborations with drug manufacturers. About myTomorrows myTomorrows provides tools for physicians and their patients to navigate global early access programs, including 300,000+ clinical trials. Facilitating access to a growing number of investigational drugs, myTomorrows streamlines local approval and creates transparency about cost-related issues in the country of treatment. http://www.mytomorrows.com/ SOURCE myTomorrows NEW DELHI, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Finance Act 2015 had proposed to amend the test of residence for foreign companies to provide that a company would be treated as resident in India if its place of effective management in the previous year is in India. Earlier, section 6 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (the Act) referred that, a company is considered to be an Indian resident company, only if it is incorporated in India or the control and management of its affairs is situated wholly in India. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468430/PoEM_Tax_India_Infographic.jpg ) As per the amendment, a company shall be considered an Indian resident company if: - It is incorporated in India; or - Place of effective management, in that year, is in India. "Place of effective management" has been defined to mean a place where key management and commercial decisions that are necessary for the conduct of the business of an entity as a whole are, in substance, made. In the recent budget 2017 announced on February 01, 2017, Government said it aims to target the shell companies that are created to evade taxes through the place of effective management (POEM) rules, but excluded firms with an annual turnover of less than Rs 500 million from its purview. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) made public the long-pending "guiding principles" to determine place of effective management of a company, which have been effective April 1, 2016. The PoEM rules with an aim to assess the tax liability was to come into effect in the current fiscal. The final guidelines have now been issued. The main objective of introducing PoEM, was to ensure that the companies incorporated outside India, but controlled and managed from India do not escape taxation in India. It also brings in the concept of residency of corporates in line with internationally-accepted principles said Neeraj Bhagat, founder of Neeraj Bhagat & Co, an Indian Chartered Accountancy firm serving various MNC'S from across the globe . "The final guidelines on POEM contain some unique features. Active Business Outside India (ABOI) test has been provided so as not to cover companies outside India which are engaged in active business," CBDT said in a statement. The guidelines prescribed to determine PoEM of a non-resident is indeed welcome as it ushers in certainty for foreign investors in terms of applicability and the procedure to be followed by the revenue authorities. The final guidelines address some of the issues highlighted by the stakeholders, such as determination of PoEM in case of back-office/support services, existence of PE, meaning of certain terms, methods used in the active/passive business tests, shareholders activity, etc. Tax payers likely to be affected by PoEM Foreign companies having Indian branches Foreign subsidiaries of Indian parents Foreign company having global reporting structure with an India connection connection Regional headquarters Activities likely to trigger PoEM Board meeting in India Decisions taken by a Director, Executive Committee, Key Management Personnel in India Delegation of authority from India Delegation of authority from Regional roles e.g. Group CEOs / CFOs sitting in India and approving decisions for foreign affiliates and approving decisions for foreign affiliates Functions carried on in India e.g. Global Procurement Cell of foreign companies Draft PoEM guidelines: The place of effective management of a company conducting active business outside India shall be considered to be outside if majority of board of directors meetings of the company are held outside India or it its assets, employees, income, and employee expenses are from outside India. For a company whose directors are not involved in decision making and such decision making powers are exercised by a holding company or a person resident of India, then the company is considered as a resident under the place of effective management rules. For determining whether a company is active outside India , the average of past 3 years data are taken into consideration. , the average of past 3 years data are taken into consideration. In case if a company's board delegates its powers to a committee, then the location where the members of the committee formulating the key decisions is considered as the place of effective management of the company. In case of use of technology such as telephone or video conferencing by the board members in conducting meetings, the location of head-office is considered as place of effective management. It is not necessary for the person taking decisions to be physically present at a particular location. Further, Support function is an important part of the business, but is not the decisive part of the conduct of business and hence presence of support function in India shall not tantamount to effective management in India. Also, the concept of separate legal entity shall prevail and the corporate veil shall not be lifted. A permanent establishment (PE) of a foreign company is a separate legal entity and shall not be considered as place of effective management of the foreign company in India. It is imperative to note that having a PE in India is vastly different from having PoEM in India, since having a PE shall mean the income related to the PE is taxable in India; however having PoEM in India means that the worldwide income of the foreign company is taxable in India. However, overseas-incorporated entities held to have PoEM in India would face some of the following challenges: Tax rate to be applied on computed income Applicability of minimum alternate tax (MAT) provisions, given foreign companies are outside the ambit of MAT (in the absence of Permanent Establishment in India ) ) Applicability of Dividend Distribution Tax on payments made by such companies to overseas group entities Set-off of claims for foreign taxes paid by such companies Applicability of transfer pricing provisions versus specified domestic transactions Consequential withholding tax implications About the author: Neeraj Bhagat is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) since 1997. He is also an Associate member of Association of International Accountants, United Kingdom. He is founder of Neeraj Bhagat & Co, an Indian Chartered Accountancy firm serving various MNC'S from across the globe. Neeraj Bhagat & Co. has its offices at New Delhi, Gurgaon and Mumbai. They are part of Allinial Global Accounting Association which is one of the World's Top 10 in accounting associations. For more information please log on to: http://www.neerajbhagat.com or email neeraj@neerajbhagat.com SOURCE Neeraj Bhagat & Co DUBLIN, Feb 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Research Report on China's Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Industry, 2017-2021" report to their offering. The PVC market experienced rebound for three months from March to May in 2015. Up to the middle May, the average price of East China SG-5 rebounded to 5,920 CNY/ton increasing by 970 CNY/ton compared to the early 2015 due to the demand recovery, high prices of calcium carbide as major raw materials and declining supply of centralized maintenance of PVC enterprises. With the slump economic situation, demand and declining crude oil prices, PVC prices presented a trend of sharp decline from the middle May up to the end of 2015, breaking the record as the lowest for many consecutive years by average price. The PVC industry is growing in the global position from the original pure importer to net exporter. Particularly, China implemented anti-dumping towards imported PVC from 2003, and calcium carbide method PVC developed rapidly. By the end of 2006, China became the world's leading manufacturer of PVC surpassing the U.S.A. in terms of the production capacity and output volume. In recent years, the overall export volume of PVC experienced a steady rise in China. PVC transferred from a net import volume of 1 million tons in 2010 to a net export volume of 500,000 tons in 2015. With the improvement in economy and urbanization, the demand for PVC is expected to rise continuously from 2017 to 2021 in China. Through this report, readers can acquire the following information: - Development Environment of PVC Industry in China - Supply and Demand in China PVC Manufacturing Industry - Import and Export of PVC in China - Operation Status of Major PVC Manufacturers in China - Market Competition of China PVC Industry - Major Driving Forces and Market Opportunities in China PVC Industry - Analysis on Price Trend of PVC in China - Risks and Challenges Faced by China PVC Industry - Forecast on Development of PVC Industry in China Companies Mentioned - China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Qilu Branch) - Haohua Yuhang Chemical Co., Ltd. - Henan Shenma Chlorine Alkali Development Co., Ltd. - Inner Mongolia Elion Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. - Shaanxi Beiyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. - Shandong Xinfa Chemical Co., Ltd. - Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co., Ltd. - Tianjin Dagu Chemical Co., Ltd. - Xinjiang Tianye Co., Ltd. - Xinjiang Zhongtai Chemical Co., Ltd. For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/p496vm/research_report 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 BASEL, Switzerland, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Strekin AG, a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced today the presentation of new preclinical data and an update on Strekin's Phase 2 clinical development program for STR001 in the treatment of hearing loss at the Association for Research in Otolaryngology Conference (ARO), Baltimore, USA. STR001-201 is a Phase 2 clinical trial of STR001 intratympanic injection for the treatment of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL) caused by Cochlear Implantation (CI) surgery. An undesired outcome of CI is the loss of residual low-frequency hearing due to electrode insertion. STR001-201 is an international, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of STR001-IT in 110 patients undergoing CI. As of 10 Feb 2017, the STR001-201 trial has enrolled 50 patients in four countries. STR001-IT treatment has been very well tolerated with no adverse events of concern identified. Top-line clinical trial results are expected in the 4th quarter of 2017. In a poster presentation (#PS792) entitled "Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor -gamma and -alpha agonists protect auditory hair cells from gentamicin-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis", researchers observed that the PPAR agonist pioglitazone, the active ingredient in STR001, was highly effective in preventing damage to sensory hair cells of the inner ear. The research was led by Daniel Bodmer, MD, PhD, and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery at the University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Bodmer's analysis was performed in a model in hearing research in which the organ of Corti, the structure containing auditory hair and sensory cells, was studied in tissue culture. Treatment of cultures with gentamicin, an antibiotic that leads to hearing loss in humans, caused loss of hair cells which was almost completely prevented by STR001. Further analysis showed that gentamicin induced oxygen free radicals, promoted lipid oxidation, and activated the cell death pathway (apoptosis) in hair cells, all of which were prevented by STR001. In a second presentation (PS159) entitled "Intra-tympanic Administration of Pioglitazone, a Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Agonist, Protects from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss" Dr. Anna-Rita Fetoni and her colleagues from the Catholic University of Rome, showed that a single intratympanic injection of STR001-IT was highly effective in a rodent model of noise-induced hearing loss. STR001 promted complete recovery of hearing when given shortly afer noise. Recovery was accompanied by a strong reduction in markers of oxidative stress in auditory hair cells. Delayed STR001 treatment to 48h after noise promoted partial recovery, which has not, to our knowledge, been shown for other drugs. These data, together with the data from Dr. Bodmer's group, suggest that STR001 has the potential to be a new and differentiated therapy for many types of hearing loss through favorable effects on multiple pathways. About Strekin Strekin is a privately held clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Basel, Switzerland. Strekin is led by an experienced team in research and clinical development. Strekin has secured funding to complete the Phase 2 study of STR001 and to pursue further development with the support of investors and partners. About Hearing Loss According to the World Health Organization, 642 million people around the world including 181 million children suffer from disabling hearing loss. Daily activities that most people take for granted, like having a conversation, enjoying music, and advancing in the workplace, are difficult or impossible for individuals suffering from hearing loss. With no approved pharmaceutical therapies available today, there is urgency to develop effective treatments. Alexander Bausch CEO, Strekin AG Email: Alexander.Bausch@strekin.com Tel: +41-6163-32971 SOURCE Strekin AG NORWICH, England, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SmokShop.com are one of the largest retailers of electronic cigarettes in the UK and recently carried out a survey to determine what the average 'vaper' looks like. A number of questions were asked and the results were surprising. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468429/SmokShop_Logo.jpg ) If you look at the marketing for most vape companies you will notice that the target audience is mainly male, and somewhere between the mid-20s and early 30s. The emphasis seems to be on hip, urban street culture and most images are of men represented by the younger generation. So, the data collected by SmokShop from a random group of 500 customers was expected to back this up. But as it turns out the average vaper isn't what you would expect. This is the first time SmokShop have conducted a survey like this and the results have opened up some interesting discussion on marketing and advertising strategies. THE SURVEY The survey aimed to highlight what the typical vaper looks like, and took into account, age, sex, and reasons for vaping. The data below highlights the results: Vapers under 30: 15.5% Vapers over 40: 66.6% Vapers over 50: 39.3% Vapers over 60: 15.7% Vapers over 70: 1.6% Vapers that have quit smoking altogether since vaping: 83.5% Vapers that want to quit vaping: 13.2% Male vapers: 76% Female vapers: 24% WHAT DO THE RESULTS SHOW? The most surprising statistic is the fact that over 66% of vapers in the survey are over 40, with nearly 40% over 50 and a mere 15.5% being under 30. This means the typical vaper doesn't look like the public image at all. Granted, some vape shops may be hang outs for the stereotypical vaper, but the majority of vapers seem to be ex-smokers from the older generation ordering e cigarettes online, and using vaping as a substitute for smoking. The debate continues about the safety of e cigarettes, but a study carried out in 2015 by the NHS found that e cigarettes are 95% safer than tobacco. So, the fact that the older generation are switching to e cigarettes can only benefit the NHS in years to come, as theoretically, there should be less smoking related illnesses. With all the negative reports about e cigarettes, this new finding can be seen as a positive which will hopefully benefit the future of our nation's health and economy. Media Contact: Steve Ceaton, Email: steve@bamboonine.co.uk Tel: +44-1273-022-798 Address: 51 Upper North Street, Brighton, BN1 3FH SOURCE SmokShop.com BYDGOSZCZ, Poland, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 2016 - a record year for the tyre industry in Europe According to ETRMA, last year turned out to be lucky for the tyre industry. Sales of tyres for passenger cars, SUVs and light commercial vehicles increased by an average of 2%, confirming an upward trend from 2015. Despite the weaker second half of the year, sales of tires for motorcycles and scooters has increased by 4% at the end of the 2016, compared to 2015. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468052/Oponeo_Logo.jpg ) Apparently, an increase in the number of newly registered cars, which was up 6.8%, highly influenced the sales performance. ETRMA's report indicates that the increase in sales of tyres for passenger cars was reported in the UK, Poland and the Czech Republic. In Spain and Italy, sales remained at the same level. On the main strategic foreign markets for OPONEO sales increased or remained at the same level, which certainly is a signal for further expansion. - The upward trend influenced the entire automotive industry. This is confirmed by the record high sales in the history of OPONEO.PL S.A. of over 2 million tires in 2016 - informs Monika Siarkowska, PR & IR Manager of the company. Europe 2016 - constant insufficiency The European Commission says that still only 15% of Europeans actively use online shopping, and only 8% of small and medium-sized enterprises decide to broaden the scope of their activities, by providing a sales channel for foreign customers. Despite not very satisfactory statistics, consumer interest in online shopping increases every year by an average of 22%, and companies are more and more interested in selling their goods online on other European markets. Experts predict that in 2018, the value of e-commerce in Europe will amount to over 660 billion euros. - The largest foreign sales for the OPONEO's Group were in Italy and the United Kingdom, but the most dynamic growth was reported on our youngest markets; on the Slovak market, the Czech Republic and Belgium - said Ernest Pujszo, Foreign e-comerce Project Manager from OPONEO.PL. One of the major factors, which will influence the dynamics of the e-commerce development is a cross boarder sale. According to experts, the most important players on the global market of cross boarder are currently China, UK, Germany and the US. Predicted growth in 2017 is supposed to amount to 29%. OPONEO.PL S.A. is a company listed on Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2007. The company has vast experience in online tyre sale and runs over 20 foreign shops. OPONEO also provides Europe's largest database of opinions and expert information related to the topics of quality, condition and usage of car tyres. The company has a modern logistic centre which allows to send daily even up 35 000 tyres to individual customers. http://www.oponeo.co.uk SOURCE OPONEO.PL S.A. MILAN, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Clinical Studies have Demonstrated that Tirosint-sol may Overcome Some of the Limitations of Levothyroxine Tablets IBSA announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tirosint-SOL (levothyroxine sodium oral solution), a liquid form of levothyroxine for the following two conditions: hypothyroidism and TSH suppression in the management of some thyroid cancers. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/466766/IBSA_Institut_Biochimique_SA_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/466765/IBSA_Institut_Biochimique_SA.jpg ) Levothyroxine, the synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine, is used in all cases of thyroid deficiency. It is on the list of the World Health Organisation's essential medicines, and is among the most effective, safe, basic and one of the three most widely prescribed medications in the world, as well as the second most prescribed in the United States. It is also used in the treatment of children in cases of congenital hypothyroidism, and it is important to evaluate whether it may be required in pregnancy, as thyroid hormone deficiency can cause miscarriage and adversely affect a child's neurological development. "Liquid levothyroxine was developed by IBSA, an Italian-Swiss company and is available in the Italian market since 2012, notes Arturo Licenziati, President IBSA SA. Italian endocrinologists determined the success of the medication through proposing and implementing clinical trials which, within only a few years, were published in a large number of international scientific journals. The FDA approval of Tirosint-SOL (levothyroxine sodium oral solution) for the US market opens up very interesting opportunities for our company: a market of 18 million patients, estimated at 2 billion dollars to 105 million prescriptions. It will be available on the American market within 6 months." "Hypothyroidism, explains Leonard Wartofsky, MD, MACP, Past President of the American Thyroid Association, is widespread in the United States: it is estimated to affect at least 6% of the population and the most frequent cause is chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. The disease, if not identified and properly treated, is associated with a greater cardiovascular risk, infertility and complications in pregnancy and of the foetus. Thyroxine was identified in 1914 at the Mayo Clinic by Edward Calvin Kendall, as extracted from porcine thyroid, and was made available in the United States from 1927. It only became available in the synthetic form, which ensures a precise measure of the hormone, in 1950. The synthetic form, traditionally produced in tablets, has now undergone a major innovation after 70 years with the development of the liquid form. The precise observance of the recommended dose of levothyroxine is essential to health. The absorption of levothyroxine by the body is affected by interference from gastritis, coeliac disease, lactose intolerance and the intake of certain foods such as coffee and medications such as commonly taken antacids." "The development of a preparation, which allows these restrictions to be overcome and enables the achievement of the target (TSH) within the established limits, has long been the IBSA's target," adds Licenziati. Clinical trials in Italy have demonstrated that with liquid levothyroxine, the requirement of waiting an hour before eating breakfast may be avoided. Many frequently used medications, such as antacids or proton pump inhibitors, do not appear to interfere with absorption of the liquid preparation. And this preparation is certain to enjoy popularity with its application for the treatment ofpatients who cannot swallow or who are fed by tube, or for children with hypothyroidism. For more information: http://ibsa-international.com/ SOURCE IBSA Institut Biochimique SA DAVOS, Switzerland and ABU DHABI, UAE, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil and Arjen Radder discuss the future of healthcare at the World Government Summit "The Healthcare industry is poised for significant change and the disruption will be caused by companies outside of the healthcare industry," according to the panel of experts that discussed the 'Future of Healthcare' at the World Government Summit in Dubai. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468405/VPS_Healthcare.jpg ) The panelists in the discussion were Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Founder & Managing Director of VPS Healthcare; Dr. Arjen Radder, CEO, Phillips - Middle East and Turkey; and the moderator of the session was Dr. Andy Poh, Advisor - Healthcare Strategy and Policy Department, Dubai PMO. Noting significant transformations affecting the world, the panel was tasked to find answers about the emerging technologies that would impact the way of healthcare delivery in the future. As almost every expert agrees, data is the new oil, said Dr. Shamsheer said." It's the new currency and healthcare industry is already moving towards a more sustainable, accessible and affordable delivery model. "Given the pace of change, the advancement in healthcare in the next 10 years would be more than what the world has witnessed in the last 100 years," he added. With the advancements in technology, it is imperative that digital health records be standardized and the interoperability of data is going to play a major role in the future of healthcare delivery. "We are witnessing the globalization of healthcare. One big change in the healthcare industry has been the integration of IT, which has enabled us to analyze multiple data points," said Arjen Radder. As an example, w at Philips, recently introduced a bio-sensor that could measure 8 different vital signs on a person's chest. Digitization continues to be at the heart of change in healthcare delivery and has led to the introduction of complex technical systems across the globe. "Privacy is going to be a big issue because of cyber security. We need to encrypt data. As we know, a single stolen EHR is valued at 100 times that of a stolen credit card, so we need to be careful about online security," said Dr. Shamsheer. The connectedness and the focus patient-centric care, means that value in healthcare will be intrinsically linked to value-based medicine. The future of healthcare will focus more towards personalized and democratized medical care. "We are building an environment where personalized medicine will take center stage - what works for you won't work for me. Cancer in the UAE is different than for other people in other parts of the world. This is where we will use genetic testing with outcome-based measures to prove this hypothesis. added Dr. Shamsheer. "Hospitals & clinics are becoming increasingly aware of the pivotal role of hospitality & service culture in the patient experience and new business payment models need to be introduced in the healthcare industry. According to a recent research, 80% of the total medical care cost is spent in diagnosis whereas only 3% is spent on prevention in Europe. "There is something wrong in where the money sits. As companies, we need to have more appetite for risk. From a regulator perspective, they need to find more innovative and future-ready ways to reallocate the money. We know that cost can be reduced by data and connectivity. However, we must appreciate that different values associated with care in some of the poorer countries than it is in places like the UAE," said Dr. Shamsheer. "Wellness involves prevention and patient-driven care. A Phillips survey found that the age of the heart is 22% higher than the actual age for men, but only 3% higher in women. Personal health data can encourage people to focus on wellness, which is going to be the key for sustainability of healthcare systems of the future," added Dr. Radder. SOURCE VPS Healthcare DULUTH, Ga., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to Atlanta's recognition as a 'world city' and significant global impact upon commerce, research, technology and education, Kumon, the world's largest after-school math and reading program, established its Southeast presence with the opening of a branch office in Duluth, Georgia back in 1997. This past month, the Atlanta Branch of Kumon North America celebrated its 20th year of bringing academic enrichment to thousands of children in communities across four states in the region. "We are extremely proud to have served Greater Atlanta and the surrounding Southeast region for the past 20 years and are appreciative of the reception that Kumon has received in these communities," says Anita Scales, Atlanta branch manager for Kumon North America. "Kumon's mission is to provide as many children as possible with an academic advantage and love for learning. We wouldn't be able to do that without the support we've received from communities across our branch." The branch office supports the franchise operations of 82 Kumon learning centers throughout Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The after-school math and reading centers in these areas currently provide nearly 14,000 local children in preschool through high school with the skills needed to compete in today's world. Kumon unlocks the potential of children, so they can achieve more on their own. It goes beyond tutoring by actively developing critical thinking skills as children progress independently through a carefully crafted and individualized math and reading curriculum. Through daily practice and mastery of materials, students increase confidence, improve concentration, and develop better study skills. Discover how Kumon accelerates the learning for children. About Kumon Math & Reading Centers: Kumon is an after-school math and reading enrichment program that unlocks the potential of children, so they can achieve more on their own. As a comprehensive program, Kumon serves children in preschool through high school. Founded in Japan in 1958, the learning method uses an individualized approach that helps children develop a solid command of math and reading skills. Through daily practice and mastery of materials, students increase confidence, improve concentration, and develop better study skills. Kumon has over four million students enrolled in nearly 25,000 learning centers in 49 countries and regions. SOURCE Kumon North America Related Links http://www.kumon.com DUBLIN, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Cholera Forecast for selected Asian Markets 2017-2027" report to their offering. Cholera is a bacterial disease caused by infection from Vibrio cholerae species (O1, O139), usually spread through contaminated water. Cholera causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration. Left untreated, cholera can be fatal in a matter of hours, even in previously healthy people. This report provides the current incidence population for Cholera for Selected Asian Markets (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam) split by gender and 5-year age cohort. Along with the current incidence, the report also contains a disease overview of the risk factors, disease diagnosis and prognosis along with specific variations by geography and ethnicity. Providing a value-added level of insight from the analysis team, several of the main symptoms of Cholera have been quantified and presented alongside the overall incidence figures. These sub-populations within the main disease are also included at a country level across the 10-year forecast snapshot. Risk factors for contracting cholera relate mostly to contaminated water and sanitation. The disease shows marked seasonality in developing nations, and outbreaks can occur during natural disasters (tsunamis) and complex emergencies (generally affecting the water supply / sanitation infrastructure). This report is built using data and information sourced from the proprietary patient segmentation database. To generate accurate patient population estimates, the database utilises a combination of several world class sources that deliver the most up to date information from patient registries, clinical trials and epidemiology studies. All of the sources used to generate the data and analysis have been identified in the report. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Cause of the Disease 3. Risk Factors & Prevention 4. Diagnosis of the Disease 5. Variation by Geography 6. Disease Prognosis & Clinical Course 7. Methodology for quantification of patient numbers 8. Top-line estimated incidence for Cholera 9. Cholera in Vietnam 10. Abbreviations used in the report 11. Patient-Based Offering 12. Online Pricing Data and Platforms 13. References 14. Appendix For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/fdr6rd/cholera_forecast Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] 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 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP today launched a campaign against the "age tax," a proposed unfair penalty on older adults that would line the pockets of big insurance companies, allowing them to charge older Americans over $3,000 more than they currently pay per year. AARP launched a new series of advertising that will also appear in numerous Congressional districts when members of Congress return home for President's Day week. AARP Age Tax Ad "AARP urges Congress and the administration to reject the proposed 'age tax' bill," said AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond. "This so called "age rating" proposal is Washington speak for an unfair tax increase that only helps insurance companies. AARP will fight to hold our elected officials accountable for taxing older American families with a burden they don't deserve and can't afford." In its current form, the age tax legislation, HR 708, would penalize middle class American families by changing current law to allow health insurance companies to charge older Americans up to five times more in insurance premiums than other people, a large increase from current law which already allows companies to charge three times more. This proposal would have a severe impact on Americans aged 50-64 who have not yet become eligible for Medicare, and who may also have children under age 26 on their health insurance plans. A report released by AARP's Public Policy Institute, Impact of Changing the Age Rating Limit for Health Insurance Premiums, also more specifically shows that changing the 3:1 limit on age rating to 5:1 would significantly raise premiums by as much as $3200 for older adults. AARP's latest efforts come in addition to their continued advocacy of members of Congress and the Trump administration about the age tax. AARP continues to meet with members of Congress and urge them to oppose the age tax, laying out in detail the negative impact in letters this month and in December. The ads also come as an addition to AARP's Medicare campaign, which takes on "premium support," a proposal that would harm Medicare beneficiaries by turning the successful program into a private voucher program. About AARP AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into 'Real Possibilities' by changing the way America defines aging. With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment. AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @aarp and our CEO @JoAnn_Jenkins on Twitter. SOURCE AARP Related Links http://www.aarp.org "This special day is so important to bring awareness and support among our state legislators to make suicide prevention and mental health promotion a priority. As a survivor of the suicide death of my son, I know that the more knowledge there is, the more we can reduce the suicide losses in Vermont," said Linda Livendale , chair of the AFSP Vermont chapter. Ms. Livendale lives with her husband in Barre Town, VT and has a daughter and son-in-law of Essex Junction, Vermont. This is the third time AFSP is participating in a State Capitol Day in Vermont. The event in Montpelier is part of a larger advocacy day along with the Vermont Suicide Prevention Center, Representative Anne B. Donahue, the Vermont Department of Mental Health and the Vermont Suicide Prevention Coalition. Ms. Livendale is part of a larger national movement of AFSP volunteer advocates who will be visiting 35 state capitols across the United States in spring 2017 to bring best practices in suicide prevention to state legislators. Suicide in Vermont Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15-34 in Vermont, and the fourth leading cause of death for people aged 35-54. Over six times as many people in Vermont die by suicide than by homicide. On average one person dies by suicide every four days in the state. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. AFSP celebrates 30 years of service to the suicide prevention movement. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links http://www.afsp.org MORTSEL, Belgium, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Imaging IT system fragmentation risks suboptimal patient care and system vulnerability in most healthcare organizations Hospitals have to protect themselves, their network, all digital devices and most importantly, their patients from unassociated information Agfa HealthCare announces today it will host a Lunch and Learn session at HIMSS17 (@HIMSS17) on Tuesday, February 21 from 1:00 and 2:00 pm in Room 203C. The session will focus on the pandemic issues of image management and the risks in security and patient care. Industry leader Ross Koppel, Ph.D., FACMI, University of Pennsylvania will present findings with Cheryl Petersilge, M.D., medical director of Integrated Content and Enterprise Imaging at Cleveland Clinic; Ann O'Brien, M.S.N, R.N., national director of Clinical Informatics at Kaiser Permanente, and Kim Garriott, principal consultant at Logicalis participating in a panel discussion. Security in healthcare is one of the hot topics at this year's HIMSS as healthcare organizations' vulnerability has advanced to the top of many industry executives' to-do lists. Fragmentation of imaging systems is found in most healthcare organizations, and it makes them vulnerable both clinically and operationally. Healthcare providers recognize that data security is of vital importance to their business. "Security is not just protecting the data - it is a patient care issue. As hospitals and health systems add imaging technologies they increase potential exposure to risk of security breach aside from impairing optimal patient care. They must protect themselves, their networks, their devices and - importantly - their patients," says Frank Pecaitis, Senior Vice President, Sales at Agfa HealthCare North America. "With this Lunch and Learn session at HIMSS, we want to bring awareness to these issues by reviewing the findings of a research study and conducting a panel discussion with leading industry experts. This is a deliberate effort to demonstrate Agfa HealthCare's commitment to the industry by creating a culture of security and improving the delivery of patient care while continually aligning our technology investments to that end." To reserve your place at this Lunch & Learn session click here. To discuss Agfa HealthCare's enterprise imaging technology at HIMSS17, please visit Booth #1761. For an image, courtesy of Agfa HealthCare, click here About Agfa HealthCare Agfa HealthCare, present in one hospital out of two, is a leading provider of eHealth & Digital Imaging solutions. Care organizations in over 100 countries rely on Agfa HealthCare to optimize their efficiency and improve patient care. Miriam Ladin Director, Marketing Communications, Americas T +1-401-604-2203 [email protected] SOURCE Agfa HealthCare MIAMI, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With greater awareness of the LatAm market intelligence insights developed by Americas Market Intelligence (AMI), its team members have been selected to offer their data and analyses about the region in a range of events. Recently, Lindsay Lehrsenior director of AMI's payments practicewas a panelist at the LatAm Mobile Summit, held in San Francisco in late January 2017, where she spoke about the use of mobile money in Peru. Today she's speaking at the NACS (National Association for Convenience and Petroleum Retailing) Leadership Forum in Miami, followed by serving as a panelist at the 2017 LatAm Payments Lab on February 16, also in Miami. AMI Managing Director John Price recently spoke at WorldCity's 2017 Global Economic Outlook on January 27, covering globalization, the outlook for Latin America in 2017 and brand relationships with consumers. He's also set to share a forecast about Andean markets at Bonds, Loans & Derivatives (Andes) on February 28th in Bogota, followed by Con-Expo (one of the world's largest construction industry conferences) on March 8 in Las Vegas and the Descartes Evolution Global User and Partner Conference in West Palm Beach on March 28, where Price will discuss the impact of President Trump's proposed border tax policies on global supply chain structure. Guillaume Corpartleader of the healthcare practice at AMIrecently spoke at Dispositivos Medicos America Latina and is set to participate in more LatAm healthcare industry events this year. "We're honored that our work is being recognized so as to lead to these speaking opportunities," says Price. "But what we really enjoy is stripping away the myths and misconceptions surrounding Latin America in so many areas to help companies and professionals gain real insights into the region, often surprising them in the process." About Americas Market Intelligence Americas Market Intelligence (AMI) is the premier market intelligence company for Latin America, providing powerful market research and competitive intelligence-driven insights for companies to succeed in a wide range of verticals in the region, including payments, healthcare, logistics, resources/infrastructure, Cuba, consumers and more. Its customized research reports deliver data-based clarity and granular strategic direction based on expert sourcing. Media Contact: Abel Delgado, Director of Digital Marketing [email protected] Related Links AMI presentations This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Americas Market Intelligence Related Links http://americasmi.com NEW YORK and PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MongoDB, the database for giant ideas, today announced details for the fourth annual MongoDB World, the largest global gathering of the MongoDB community. More than 3,000 developers are expected at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on June 20-21. This is the first year the event will be held outside New York. Highlights include: Announcements detailing the latest release of the MongoDB database as well as new features for MongoDB Atlas, the company's hosted cloud service Keynote speakers including Eliot Horowitz , Co-founder and CTO, MongoDB; Jane McGonigal , PhD, Game Designer; and Matt Parker , Standup Mathematician , Co-founder and CTO, MongoDB; , PhD, Game Designer; and , Standup Mathematician Presentations from numerous customers including United Airlines, HSBC, Cisco and eBay MongoDB World 2017 will feature a record number of breakout sessions as well as jumpstarts, community events, a partner summit and a startup showcase. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to technical sessions from MongoDB engineers and customers like Gexa Energy, Remediant, Aon Hewitt, Merrill Corp, Thermo Fisher and Vonage, about a range of topics including server intervals, microservices, containers, artificial intelligence, analytics and more. "MongoDB has long known the strategic role developers play in driving innovation to give businesses a competitive advantage," said Eliot Horowitz, CTO and Co-Founder, MongoDB. "Now in its fourth year, MongoDB World is designed to help the developer community collaborate with peers from the biggest companies to emerging startups. It is the destination to learn how MongoDB helps to deliver on giant ideas, and the place to be for early access to the exciting new products we have in store." Featured Keynotes & Customer Presentations This year's conference features keynotes, panels and hands-on events designed to educate and entertain developers on industry trends, best practices, and upcoming releases. Keynotes include: Jane McGonigal , PhD, Game Designer , PhD, Game Designer Matt Parker , Standup Mathematician , Standup Mathematician Chris Re, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science at Stanford University Dev Ittycheria, President and CEO, MongoDB Eliot Horowitz , Co-founder and CTO, MongoDB MongoDB World Super Early Bird Registration Now Open - Discount Code "Chicago" MongoDB World is a two-day event to be held June 20-21 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Over 3,000 attendees will network with developers, IT professionals and tech evangelists who are building modern applications, interact with MongoDB engineering experts, and learn about the newest features available from MongoDB. New this year, childcare will be available onsite. Until March 3, registrants can access a 25 percent discount off of the on-site registration price using the special discount code, "Chicago". Groups of three or more can get an additional 25 percent off of tickets. To register for MongoDB World 2017, please visit: https://www.mongodb.com/world17 Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information please visit: https://www.mongodb.com/world17/sponsors What Attendees Have Said "I'm excited to see what amazing things others are doing with MongoDB and get insights from the people who build MongoDB. This will help me think of new ways to use MongoDB at my company, and to give us a competitive advantage." - Michael Grayson, Sr. Oracle/MongoDB/MySQL Database Administrator, Paychex "I'm looking forward to expanding on my MongoDB experience and discovering new opportunities to leverage MongoDB for data science and product development teams at large, data driven corporations." - Jennifer Shin, Founder & Chief Data Scientist, 8 Path Solutions & Sr. Principal Data Scientist, Nielsen, MongoDB World 2016 Female Innovator MongoDB Innovation Awards The fourth annual Innovation Awards recognize the most innovative work in the industry. Winners will be given two tickets to the conference and MongoDB Atlas credits. Past winners include Barclays, China Eastern Airlines, cMapIT, Comcast, Expedia.com, NOW TV, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Practice Fusion and UPS i-Parcel. The deadline to submit is March 15. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges and notified in April. To submit a nomination, please visit: https://www.mongodb.com/world17/innovation-awards. Changing the Ratio & Bridging Diversity Gaps As part of the company's commitment to changing the gender ratio in technology, MongoDB will host the Female Innovators program for the second year to make MongoDB World more accessible for women in technology. Accepted nominees get a complimentary full conference pass and have access to additional events on site. To apply, please visit: https://www.mongodb.com/world17/female-innovators. To further help break down the barriers that prevent underrepresented groups in technology from attending MongoDB's conferences, the company is also offering Diversity Scholarships. Recipients receive complimentary admission to MongoDB World, a pre-conference workshop, a certification voucher, mentorship, and more. Visit https://www.mongodb.com/mongodb-diversity-scholarship to apply. Lastly, for the third year in a row MongoDB World will feature a Women and Trans Coders Lounge, an inclusive area designed for users to learn and socialize with other women and trans professionals in technology. About MongoDB By offering the best of traditional databases as well as the flexibility, scale and performance today's applications require, we let innovators deploy apps as big as they can possibly dream. From startups to enterprises, for the modern and the mission-critical, MongoDB is the database for giant ideas. For more information, visit www.mongodb.com. Press Contacts MongoDB, North America 1-866-237-8815 x7186 [email protected] MongoDB, International +44 870 495 8023 x7804 [email protected] SOURCE MongoDB Related Links http://mongodb.com NorthWestern Energy announced that thousands of customers who have been under-billed for their energy usage are now receiving abnormally high bills to make up the difference, which has sparked an online petition that received 474 signatures as of Tuesday evening. About 2,300 customers in Townsend, Radersburg, Toston and White Sulphur Springs, along with some in Helena and East Helena, were affected by the high bills, the company announced in a statement Tuesday. In January 2016, NorthWestern experienced technical issues with meter reading equipment in some areas of its Helena Division, the statement says. As a result, some customers received January bills based on estimates rather than actual meter reads. The estimates were based on usage levels in the same time period a year earlier, which was significantly warmer than that same period in 2017. Bills received in February are based on actual meter reads and reflect true energy consumption and often include greater charges due to increased energy usage, the statement says. NorthWestern Energy apologizes for the impact this equipment failure had on customer bills, the statement says. We also work to avoid estimating energy usage whenever possible. We are working to provide proactive communications when we have equipment failures that affect customers in the future. While the online petition was created to protest NorthWesterns outrageous hikes, the statement from the company says its electric and natural gas rates have not risen significantly in recent months. The Fair Utilities for Montana petition can be found at ipetitions.com, and organizers say they are reaching out to multiple government officials and media outlets. The goal of this petition will be to ensure fair and reasonable utilities for Montana, the petition says. Whether it be regulating Northwestern pricing or changing providers, we deserve a fair rate. NorthWesterns rates are reviewed and approved by the Montana Public Service Commission. Customers can discuss their statement with NorthWestern Energy by calling 888-467-2669, or by visiting with a customer associate at the Helena Customer Service Office at 1313 N. Last Chance Gulch. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Customers who are worried about their ability to pay high winter bills are encouraged to contact the company right away. Options ranging from individual payment installment plans to information on how to access emergency bill assistance through federal, state and nonprofit sources are available. SANDPOINT, Idaho, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kochava (www.kochava.com), the leading provider of app analytics, attribution and optimization for connected devices, begins their fourth annual Kochava Mobile Summit today through February 17 and announces the release of the Unified Audience Platform, an all-encompassing toolset giving marketers real-time curation of their campaigns with unparalleled granularity and data fidelity. "Beyond the riggers managing their campaigns for top performance, marketers are faced with a fragmented and crowded ecosystem when choosing technology providers to support their teams. With the release of our Unified Audience Platform, we have streamlined all aspects of the process, offering deeply integrated, end-to-end campaign management solutions in one place," said Charles Manning, CEO of Kochava. New product pipeline and ad transparency The Unified Audience Platform (UAP) from Kochava offers marketers the most comprehensive and flexible platform for digital campaign management available in the marketplace. It eliminates the inefficiencies, stability concerns and complexity of mining disparate companies for the various tools necessary to execute and manage campaigns, including precise analysis of ad spend and engagement, all in one location, with one SDK. The Unified Audience Platform puts marketers first The UAP is the only tool in the ad tech space that hosts all the necessary elements to Plan, Target, Measure, Activate and Optimize for holistic campaign management. Plan using the UAP's Media Guide, a one-stop shop to research mobile marketing partners, essentially a "Yelp for mobile advertising." Kochava marketers can research, filter and access more than 2,700 network and publisher integrations by any desired criteria. Target using the Kochava Collective, the world's largest mobile data marketplace, providing marketers with access to over 700 million unique device IDs and enabling them to extend their reach in targeting their ideal audience across a mix of high-performing media partners. Measure with the industry's most robust set of tools benchmarked by our industry-leading multi-dimensional Analytics to dictate all campaign-based decisions. Omnichannel views and customized filters are made simple thanks to the new Kochava Web SDK which tracks every click across platforms and devices. Pinpoint ROI and make confident decisions with the previously released True LTV and Ad Cost products. Marketers Activate their data by setting up real-time campaign performance notifications and bringing critical metrics to decision makers with Alerting. Optimize by using Traffic Verifier and the What if? tool. The Kochava data science team has been identifying fraud since 2015. Now, marketers can better protect and control their traffic with Traffic Verifier, a real-time fraud abatement tool that combats ad fraud tactics such as click stuffing and ad stacking. The What if? tool allows marketers to replay historic campaign data and media traffic in a virtual time machine to understand the impact of adjusting attribution settings or changes to their media mix to maximize their future media spend. New offices, new partners Bucking industry trends with five years of profitable operation, Kochava has become the reliable standard in measurement, utilized by the largest digital advertisers across all industry verticals. The continued success of their platform has led to expansion of their operations and personnel at their headquarters in Sandpoint, Idaho and internationally in China and Ireland last year, adding to their existing offices in Singapore, South Korea and France. The company has sustained 300% annual growth allowing for aggressive investment in product development that solves and simplifies the most vexing challenges marketers face in today's interconnected, cross-device, multi-channel world. About Kochava Kochava (www.kochava.com) offers a unique, holistic and unbiased analytics platform to plan, target, measure, activate and optimize media spend. The Kochava platform for mobile and connected devices combines potent features and global coverage with thousands of network and publisher integrations, allowing marketers to target audiences and measure campaign performance with precision. Real-time customizable visualizations give users fluid access to a full spectrum of data points, providing robust segmentation capabilities and real-time actionability. Yielding the most powerful tools in the ecosystem, Kochava is chosen by brands across industry verticals to measure the largest and most sophisticated ad campaigns. Follow Kochava on social media: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Media Contact: Jeremy Grimm, Director of Communications and PR +1-208-946-9944 [email protected] SOURCE Kochava Related Links http://www.kochava.com PHOENIX, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizona School of Real Estate & Business (ASREB), a division of the Hondros Education Group, announced today it is teaming up with Arizona Academy of Real Estate (AARE) in a partnership that will unify real estate education in Arizona. The Phoenix-based schools will pool their talents to represent the largest real estate program in the state. ASREB has established a plan to smoothly transition employees, students and the real estate industry by April 30, all staff will be one team and all classes will be one program under the ASREB brand. "We are excited by the opportunity to join forces with the Arizona Academy," said Kevin McClure, president, ASREB. "We believe that by combining schools, we can better serve the consistent growth in the Arizona real estate industry and provide more value for those who are a part of it." The reimagined institution sets out to achieve a new, higher standard of real estate education in the state. The strategic foundation of the partnership is the fact that together, these Arizona real estate education institutions will provide additional resources to professionals and students alike. "At AARE, our goal has always been to help build a solid foundation for our industry through quality education," said Debra Prevost, president, AARE. "I'm excited that this partnership with ASREB will help us do that even better and I look forward to what the future holds." Prevost will continue to serve the school in an advisory capacity. The combined institution will offer students and professionals the benefit of a wider access to leading real estate education programs, industry experts and tools that are designed to stay a step ahead of an ever-changing real estate market. In addition, the schools will also benefit from the transition of the AARE career partner program, which gives students expanded visibility to agencies who are actively recruiting new agents. Ms. Prevost will be a consultant in this transition. "We have been watching the Arizona Academy of Real Estate with keen interest since we purchased ASREB in 2013," said John Hondros, chief executive officer, Hondros Education Group. "The Arizona real estate market is booming and the Phoenix metro is forecast to be the number one housing market in the U.S. Combining these two great schools will allow us to meet the increasing demand for well-trained real estate professionals." AARE has been supporting students in the real estate and lending industries since 2005, in Peoria, Scottsdale, Phoenix and Mesa locations. About Hondros Education Group Hondros Education Group consists of leading real estate education companies that focus on classroom and online delivery as well as exam prep and textbooks. Hondros College of Business, Hondros Learning, CompuCram and the Arizona School of Real Estate & Business offer real-world career training to the adult learner through an engaging and highly relevant educational experience. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Hondros Education Group has been offering local classroom and national online professional education for over 40 years. For more information, visit www.hondroseducationgroup.com. About Arizona School of Real Estate & Business The Arizona School of Real Estate & Business offers quality license education for real estate, mortgage, home inspection, appraisal and insurance as well as non-license industry programs. Over 300 extensive continuing education courses are offered each month along with professional development education and events. The school has enjoyed both local and national recognition as an industry leader for over 45 years educating hundreds of thousands of students. The school also supports a leading industry publication featuring national and local expert writers and columnists. Classroom courses are offered in Scottsdale, Gilbert, Glendale/Peoria and Prescott, as well as on-line renewal tailored for Arizona licenses. SOURCE Hondros Education Group Related Links http://www.hondros.com SAN FRANCISCO, CINCINNATI and BANGALORE, India, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascendum Solutions, a leading provider of information technology solutions and services, today announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Sourcebits Inc., a digital innovation and customer experience company. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017. Kris Nair, President and CEO of Ascendum Sourcebits is a well-regarded digital strategy, design, implementation, marketing and lifecycle-management firm with offices in San Francisco, London and Bangalore, delivering transformative digital solutions to major global brands in retail, financial services, wellness, travel and technology sectors. Recognized as a "Cool Vendor" by Gartner, Sourcebits has created world-class products for over 400 clients across North America, Europe and Asia resulting in 700M+ app downloads. "Today, enterprises are in a race to drive growth through digital transformation and deliver seamless, consistent and personalized experiences to their customers, employees and partners," said Kris Nair, President and CEO at Ascendum Solutions. "Sourcebits' outstanding capabilities around UI/UX design, innovation and digital technologies, combined with our market reach, customer base and experience, will ensure that our combined team will help our customers achieve their digital transformation goals in a timely effective manner and be leaders in their industry." Nair said that "Sourcebits' acquisition will further bolster Ascendum's Digital Business that offers digital strategy services, analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) and Cloud solutions to its clients worldwide. Ascendum's global presence will enable Sourcebits to work with enterprise clients to drive innovation, develop insights and deliver outstanding products and services. The combined technology and expertise will also drive further investments in core IP that deliver scalable mobile and commerce apps." "We are excited about this agreement and look forward to working with Ascendum to be the leading digital transformation provider and a trusted partner for digital innovation," said Munish Gupta, Managing Director at Sourcebits. Download the Ascendum Corporate Brochure ABOUT ASCENDUM SOLUTIONS: Ascendum Solutions provides innovative technology solutions, consulting and knowledge processing solutions to clients by leveraging industry expertise, global scale and technology excellence. Ascendum's success is based on its business and technology expertise, strategic partnerships and deep industry experience, which allow companies to innovate and succeed. Its delivery capabilities are driven by state-of-the-art delivery centers across the world and supported by modernized business processes. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ascendum has sales and support offices in Hamilton and Blue Ash, OH and New York, NY with offshore delivery centers located in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, India. Ascendum is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Vora Ventures Group, a Cincinnati-based, private equity group that specializes in building innovative IT companies worldwide. Visit us at www.ascendum.com or join the conversation on LinkedIn. ABOUT SOURCEBITS: Sourcebits is a digital innovation, UX and technology company with experts in the fields of customer experience design, development and marketing services. Sourcebits designs, builds and manages enterprise mobile applications and creates additional value by building engaging omnichannel customer experiences. For more information, please visit www.sourcebits.com. Contact: Paul Anthony, Marketing Director, 513.285.8385 SOURCE Ascendum Related Links http://www.ascendum.com ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association of American Educators (AAE), the largest national, non-union teachers' association, and eight of its California member educators filed a lawsuit last week against the California Teachers Association challenging the constitutionality of California's "agency shop" law. "Agency shop" arrangements violate educators' First Amendment guarantee to free speech and free association by forcing public school teachers to support powerful teachers' union efforts to advance their political agenda through collective bargaining. The lawsuit, Yohn v. California Teachers Association, asks the courts to respect the teachers' First Amendment right to choose without fear or coercion whether or not to join or fund a labor union. The hundreds of dollars non-members are forced to pay to the union as a condition of employment in California schools is a clear violation of educators First Amendment rights, since the unions used those coerced payments to advance their policy agenda when bargaining with the government. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of AAE and eight California public school teachers by The Center for Individual Rights (CIR), the same non-profit public interest law firm that represented Rebecca Friedrichs and other California teachers in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, which was heard by the United States Supreme Court last year. That lawsuit ended in a tied, non-binding opinion following the sudden passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, leaving the matter unresolved, but drawing significant attention to this important issue. Following the case filing, AAE Chairman and President Gary Beckner issued the following statement: "This is an historic moment for the Association of American Educators and freedom of choice for educators in California and beyond. Founded as alternative to the partisan politics and collective bargaining of the teacher labor unions, AAE has provided a professional option for teachers seeking a voice that puts students first for over two decades. This lawsuit is a monumental next step for those educators seeking true freedom of association. Our member educators have been vocal about the injustices of agency shop laws for years. Teachers are diverse individuals who deserve the right to select an association that matches their budget and beliefs. For far too long, the political activity of the teachers' unions has been prioritized over the rights of universally-respected professionals. AAE was proud to rally our members for this worthy cause. Mr. Ryan Yohn and the other longtime AAE member plaintiffs are champions for the rights of all California educators. We are honored to stand together and we look forward to this case progressing in the months ahead." To schedule an interview with AAE to discuss AAE's role in Yohn v. CTA and AAE's commitment to each educator's right to choose their professional association, please email [email protected]. Ryan Yohn et al. v. California Teachers Association et al., was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division. https://www.cir-usa.org/legal_docs/yohn_v_cta_complaint.pdf About the Association of American Educators (AAE) The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the largest national, non-union, professional educators' organization dedicated to fostering the transformation of the teaching profession by empowering and supporting our community of professionals for the benefit of our students and the nation. AAE envisions a teaching profession that is student-oriented, well-respected, and personally fulfilling. Membership is $16.50 per month which includes $2 million professional liability insurance, employment rights coverage, professional development resources as well as a host of other benefits. Visit www.aaeteachers.org for further information. About The Center for Individual Rights (CIR) The Center for Individual Rights (CIR) is a nonprofit public interest law firm that defends individual rights, with particular emphasis on civil rights and free speech. CIR provides free legal representation to deserving clients whose individual rights are threatened. Learn more about CIR's work at www.cir-usa.org. SOURCE Association of American Educators Related Links http://www.aaeteachers.org "We wanted to create a new design as a tribute to our classic bouncer from 1961," said Jakobson. "We are so happy that so many families love our bouncer. We wanted to create a soft and contemporary look and feel that suits the style and personality of our consumers in colors that work for many lifestyles." Bouncer Bliss will be available in two new looks luxurious, quilted cotton in four lavish colors, and a lightweight, soft mesh in three fresh, modern colors. The gentle rocking creates a sense of bliss and tranquility, not just at the beginning of a baby's life, but later on as well. The BabyBjorn team believes that a baby who gets a safe, secure start feels the benefits for a long time to come. The soft and natural rocking, completely powered by the baby, requires no batteries or cords. This encourages babies' interaction with their sense of balance and motor skills, by rocking in response to their own movements. Avoiding bouncers that rely on battery-powered stimulation will also decrease the chance of babies developing a dependency on movement for sleep. "Many families we meet see the bouncer as a lifesaver," said Bjorn Engstrom, vice president at BabyBjorn. "In my family, we bring it everywhere around the house to different rooms, and when we travel or visit our friends." Additional features and benefits of Bouncer Bliss: It is portable when folded flat. It has a sleek design with three easy-to-adjust positions, and has a removable, washable fabric. Offers proper support for baby's back, neck and head. Can be used from day one up to 24 months of age. Free from health-hazardous substances and approved according to Oeko-Tex Standard 100, class I for baby products. Accessories: Toy for Bouncer to double the fun. Recommended retail price (RRP): Bouncer Bliss, Cotton: $239.95 ; Bouncer Bliss, Mesh: $259.95 BabyBjorn AB is a Swedish, family-owned company that develops, markets and distributes innovative products for children aged 0-3 years. Its turnover for the 20152016 financial year was SEK 582 million. Ninety-five per cent of its sales consisted of exports to fifty different countries. The company was founded in 1961 and employs around 100 people. More information is available on our website: www.babybjorn.com SOURCE BabyBjorn Related Links http://www.babybjorn.com SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/-- BaseVenture announced today that it earned the "Highly Commended" honor at the HFM US Technology Awards in the "Best FinTech Solution for Hedge Funds" award. This designation was given to BaseVenture at the annual HFM US Technology Awards held in New York City on February 13, 2017. Reflecting on the commendation, John Pizzi, CEO of BaseVenture, said "We are thrilled and honored by this important recognition. The HFM Technology Awards are one of the preeminent awards in the alternative investment industry, and to be given this recognition less than a year after having debuted our FundManager.io product is quite an honor. We are very proud of the work that we are doing on behalf of our fund administrator clients to simplify how private funds are administered and managed." BaseVenture's flagship product FundManager.io is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that connects fund administrators, fund managers and investors with features such as digital reporting, CRM, document management, and key process automation. FundManager.io helps fund administrators improve the quality of service to their clients and investors, increases their efficiency and margins, and helps them better tackle compliance and regulatory challenges. The HFM Technology Awards recognize and reward hedge fund technology providers as well as firms with technology heavy solutions and products that have demonstrated exceptional customer service and innovative product development over the past 12 months. HFM is an information and membership networking group providing services for the Hedge Fund Management Community. Learn more about BaseVenture at www.baseventure.com About BaseVenture BaseVenture is a Software-as-a-Service platform that simplifies how private funds (hedge fund, private equity, real estate, and venture capital) are administered and managed. Fund administrators and fund managers that use our "FundManager.io" platform stop worrying about their operations and have more time to focus on driving growth for their investors. Learn more at www.baseventure.com. SOURCE BaseVenture Related Links https://www.baseventure.com TSX, NYSE: BXE CALGARY, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Bellatrix Exploration Ltd. ("Bellatrix" or the "Company") (TSX, NYSE: BXE) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Brent Eshleman as the new President & Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors of Bellatrix, effective immediately. As previously announced on November 25, 2016, Brent Eshleman was appointed Interim President & Chief Executive Officer of the Company and today's announcement completes the formal leadership transition as part of the Company's succession planning efforts. Mr. Eshleman joined Bellatrix as Executive Vice President in July 2012 and was subsequently named Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company in September 2014. Mr. Eshleman is a seasoned industry leader with over 30 years of oil and gas industry experience and a professional engineer by trade. In connection with Mr. Eshleman's appointment, Mr. Raymond Smith, has retired from his role as President & Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Mr. Smith was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of True Energy Inc. (Bellatrix's predecessor company) on January 26, 2009 and has led the growth and development of Bellatrix over the past eight years. Mr. Smith has also retired from Bellatrix's Board of Directors. "Mr. Smith led the transition of True Energy into a growth oriented Company in 2009 and was instrumental in repositioning Bellatrix's asset base and geographic focus in west central Alberta. Under his stewardship, the Company has managed through several commodity price cycles and periods of market volatility. On behalf of the Board of Directors and management I wish to thank Mr. Smith for his years of leadership and dedication, and wish him the best in his future endeavors," said W.C. (Mickey) Dunn, Chairman of the Board. Bellatrix Exploration Ltd. is a Western Canadian based growth oriented oil and gas company engaged in the exploration for, and the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas reserves in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Common shares of Bellatrix trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BXE. SOURCE Bellatrix Exploration Ltd. Related Links www.bellatrixexploration.com BOSTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BERG LLC, a biopharmaceutical company uncovering health solutions through a data-driven, biological research approach, today announced that it has initiated a Phase I/II monotherapy clinical trial for its drug candidate BPM 31510-IV for the potential treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. The compound was guided in development by BERG's unique AI-based Interrogative Biology platform that combines patient biology and artificial intelligence-based analytics to better understand the differences between healthy and disease environments. "Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest and most insidious forms of cancer and we are working to make a much-needed difference in the lives of patients with glioblastoma to improve survival, and quality of life," said Niven R. Narain, BERG Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of BERG. "The initiation of this Phase I/II trial marks the continued advancement of BPM 31510-IV, and further demonstrates BERG's Interrogative Biology platform." Currently, there are minimal treatment options for patients with GBM and with the five-year relative survival rate at only 5.1 percent new treatment strategies are urgently needed (National Brain Tumor Society). Standard of care treatment options are limited, often resulting in recurrence of the disease after multiple lines of therapy. As such, patients with GBM are in critical need of an effective and tolerable treatment option to increase rates of survival and quality of life. The Phase I/II open-label, non-randomized clinical trial is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of BPM 31510-IV in subjects with glioblastoma multiforme that has recurred on a bevacizumab-containing regimen. Secondary outcome measures are to characterize the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of BPM31510-IV in subjects with glioblastoma multiforme that has recurred on a bevacizumab-containing regimen. The trial is initially being conducted at the Stanford University School of Medicine by principal investigators Dr. Seema Nagpal and Dr. Lawrence Recht. BPM 31510-IV was previously demonstrated to be safe in patients in a Phase I clinical trial in solid tumors. Additionally, preclinical studies conducted by BERG, the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine suggest the therapeutic efficacy of BPM 31510-IV as single agent in GBM. These studies also demonstrate the possible beneficial effect of BPM 31510-IV in combination with temozolamide (TMZ), the existing standard of care for GBM. In pre-clinical models, pretreatment with BPM 31510-IV followed by TMZ showed reduced cancer cell proliferation when compared to monotherapy. For more detail regarding this trial, please visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03020602 About BPM 31510-IV BPM 31510-IV has the potential to slow or stop cancer cell growth by reversing the compromised metabolism of cancer cells, which is hypothesized to be a fundamental driver of many different types of cancer. BERG has also initiated a Phase II clinical trial for BPM 31510-IV in advanced pancreatic cancer in combination with a common cancer drug, among other ongoing and planned trials for BPM31510-IV in various oncological indications. About Glioblastoma Multiforme According to the National Brain Tumor Society, glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and deadliest of malignant primary brain tumors in adults. GBM accounts for 45% of all brain cancers, with nearly 11,000 men, women, and children diagnosed each year. About BERG BERG is a clinical-stage company disrupting and redefining the approach to drug discovery, research and development through its Interrogative Biology platform. Its platform identifies therapies and biomarkers by applying algorithm and probability based artificial intelligence to analyze large numbers of patients' genotypic, phenotypic and other characteristics. BERG believes this allows the company to better understand patients' disease profiles and consequently to reveal molecular signatures that guide and accelerate product candidate selection and development. By identifying biomarkers and patient characteristics that are unique to disease states, BERG is able to identify novel therapeutic product candidates and develop companion diagnostics to enhance specificity in its drug development process. BERG has leveraged its Interrogative Biology platform to develop a robust pipeline of therapeutic product candidates and diagnostics in cancer, diabetes and neurology. For additional information, please visit www.BERGhealth.com. SOURCE BERG Related Links http://www.BERGhealth.com VALENCIA, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bioness, Inc., the leading provider of cutting-edge, clinically supported rehabilitation therapies, today announced it will feature its full suite of innovative technologies at the American Physical Therapy Association's (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) from February 16-18 in San Antonio, TX. Bioness clinical solutions are focused on helping clinicians improve outcomes in the value-based economy. Attendees will have the chance to experience Bioness implantable and external neuromodulation systems, robotic systems and software based therapy programs at booths #1319 and #1261. Innovative solutions debuting at APTA-CSM include: L300 Go System with augmented reality product experience System with augmented reality product experience BITS Bedside Vector Gait and Safety System with Intuitive Body Weight Support "We are expanding our leadership position in rehabilitation by introducing several groundbreaking technologies at APTA-CSM," said Todd Cushman, President and CEO of Bioness. "The most notable innovation is the L300 Go which is the first commercial FES technology to incorporate 3D motion detection and multi-channel stimulation to improve patient mobility and enhance treatment efficiency. With the addition of L300 Go, BITS Bedside and Vector with Intuitive Body Weight Support, we have enhanced our position as the technological leader in rehabilitation so that we can expand therapeutic interventions and further help the patients we serve. We look forward to sharing these new innovations and our new augmented reality experience with the APTA-CSM attendees." Bioness has been an industry leader supporting the efforts of skilled acute, inpatient and outpatient practices for more than a decade. At this year's APTA-CSM meeting, Bioness is pleased to introduce four clinical innovations as well as showcase the Bioness Technology Exhibit. L300 Go System The recently FDA cleared L300 Go System is the first functional electrical stimulation (FES) device to provide 3D motion detection of gait events using a 3-axis gyroscope and accelerometer technology. Patients facing mobility challenges due to neurological injury or disease, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, have less control over their lower extremity muscles which increases fall risk and reduces social participation. By monitoring patient movement in all three planes of motion and deploying stimulation to provide ankle dorsiflexion and knee flexion or extension precisely when needed during the gait cycle, Bioness is further improving therapist efficiency in detecting a gait event. The L300 Go now includes the myBioness mobile iOS application to keep home users engaged in the rehabilitation process and motivated to meet recovery goals. For the first time, CSM attendees will be able to experience an augmented reality demonstration of the new L300 Go and its advancements, and learn more about how the device can improve hemiparetic gait. BITS Bedside Most rehabilitation activities are designed to be performed from a standing position, however, many rehab patients are confined to their beds for medical reasons. To help tackle this challenge, Bioness will be unveiling BITS Bedside, a new clinical solution that will allow clinicians to engage rehab patients that are unable to leave their bed or controlled rehabilitation space. Clinicians can challenge patients with physical and cognitive programs and assessments. The new technology also provides the ability to track and document progress, with the goal of keeping patients engaged during this important phase of care. Vector Gait and Safety System with Intuitive Body Weight Support The Vector System with Intuitive Body Weight Support is Simply Smarter. Intuitive Body Weight Support is a revolutionary innovation that allows patients to further the real-world experience in the clinic to properly prepare them for the community. Clinicians maintain unparalleled safety and product for their patients while permitting an unparalleled level of activity and interaction. The Vector Gait and Safety System is designed to improve patient mobility and functional independence while increasing patient and clinician safety. Parameters are based on patient ability or activity which helps gain confidence and allows clinicians to get more creative and aggressive during treatment. In addition, clinicians can run, record and document standardized tests to measure patient outcomes within the Vector software interface. StimRouter Neuromodulation System for Chronic Peripheral Pain With an estimated 100 million people suffering from chronic pain, contributing more than $280 billion in annual costs to the U.S. healthcare system, there's never been a greater need for innovative pain management options.[1] Specific to rehabilitation, shoulder pain is a common disability resulting from a central nervous system trauma (e.g. stroke). This pain traditionally originates at the axillary nerve, a peripheral nerve in the upper arm, and has been reported to occur in up to 85% of stroke survivors.[2] StimRouter is designed to target pain at the point of origin, minimize long-term healthcare costs and may provide pain relief when other treatments such as medications and injections have limited effect.[3] Experience Bioness First Hand Visit Bioness at APTA-CSM at booths #1319 and #1261. Be among the first to experience Bioness solutions in gait training, pain management and software therapy programs. About Bioness, Inc. Bioness is the leading provider of innovative technologies helping people regain mobility and independence. Bioness solutions include implantable and external neuromodulation 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. Currently, Bioness offers six medical devices within its commercial portfolio which are distributed and sold on five continents and in over 25 countries worldwide. Bioness innovations have been implemented in the most prestigious and well-respected institutions around the globe with 17 of the top 20 rehabilitation hospitals in the United States currently using one or more Bioness solution. Bioness has a singular focus on aiding large, underserved customer groups with innovative, evidence-based solutions and we will continue to develop and make commercially available new products that address the growing and changing needs of our customers. 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 Bioness, BITS, H200, L300, L300 Plus, L300 Go, StimRouter and Vector Gait and Safety System are trademarks of Bioness, Inc. | www.bioness.com | Rx Only for applicable products. [1] Institute of Medicine (US). Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education and Research. 2011. The National Academies. [2] Van Ouwenaller, C. et al. 1986. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 67, 2326. [3] Deer T, et al. 2016. Neuromodulation. 19:91-100. SOURCE Bioness, Inc. BOSTON and PARIS, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PathMaker Neurosystems Inc. ("PathMaker"), a clinical-stage neuromodulation company developing non-invasive systems for the treatment of patients with neuromotor disorders, announced today that Bpifrance has awarded the Company an initial grant in support of the development of the Company's first product, MyoRegulatorTM, the first non-invasive neuromodulation device intended for the treatment of patients suffering from neuromotor spasticity. Through the Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir (PIA-1) program offered by Bpifrance, this prestigious grant provides support for the initiation of PathMaker's clinical development program in France. The company is collaborating with leading researchers and clinicians at the world renowned Brain and Spine Institute (Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Epiniere ICM) at the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, which will be the site of a European clinical trial for MyoRegulator. "We are truly pleased to have received this support from Bpifrance," said Nader Yaghoubi, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of PathMaker Neurosystems. "After comprehensive review of our company and technology, Bpifrance is demonstrating confidence in our efforts and we are thankful for the support and validation from this leading institution." PathMaker's recent award from Bpifrance comes shortly after the Company's receipt of the Innovation Prize 2016 in an international competition that honors the world's most innovative startups and the best academic research groups that are "developing cutting edge technologies in the field of life sciences." About PathMaker Neurosystems Inc. PathMaker Neurosystems is a clinical-stage neuromodulation company developing non-invasive systems based on the proprietary PathMaker Coordinated Multi-site Neurostimulation technology. With offices in Boston (US) and Paris (France), PathMaker is moving forward on a trans-Atlantic strategy to rapidly bring to market entirely novel, breakthrough approaches to non-invasively treating neuromotor disorders. More than 48 million patients in the US, Europe and China suffer disabilities due to stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders. At PathMaker, we are opening up a new era of non-invasive neurotherapy for patients suffering from chronic neuromotor conditions. For more information, please visit the company website at www.pmneuro.com. About Bpifrance Bpifrance, a subsidiary of the Caisse des Depots (French Consignments and Loans Fund) and the French State, a trusted partner of entrepreneurs, supports companies from start-up to stock exchange listing, with credit, collateral and equity. Bpifrance also provides support services and enhanced support for innovation, acquisitions and exports, in partnership with Business France. Bpifrance offers companies a continuum of funding at each key stage of their development and an offer adapted to regional specificities. With 47 regional offices (90% of its decisions are taken at the regional level) Bpifrance is a tool of economic competitiveness for entrepreneurs. Bpifrance supports public policies pursued by the French State and by Regional Councils to meet three objectives: support the growth of businesses prepare future competitiveness contribute to the development of a favourable ecosystem for entrepreneurship. With Bpifrance, companies benefit from an influential, available and effective intermediary to meet all their needs in terms of finance, innovation and investment. For further information, please visit: www.bpifrance.fr http://investissementsdavenir.bpifrance.fr/ Twitter: bpifrance. SOURCE PathMaker Neurosystems Inc. Related Links http://www.pmneuro.com (All amounts in US$ unless otherwise specified) VANCOUVER, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone" or the "Company") (TSX: CS) today announced its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2016. For the three months ended December 31, 2016, operating cash flow before changes in working capital1 was $75.0 million or $0.20 per share, with a net loss of $182.4 million and adjusted net income of $30.7 million or $0.08 per share after adjusting for certain non-cash and non-recurring charges. Copper production totalled 29,900 tonnes (28,800 tonnes of payable copper) at a C1 cash cost1 of $1.26 per payable pound produced with copper sales of 29,600 tonnes at a C1 cash cost1 of $1.24 per payable pound sold. For the full year ended December 31, 2016, operating cash flow before changes in working capital1 was $156.9 million or $0.41 per share, with a net loss of $197.4 million and adjusted net income of $29.4 million or $0.08 per share after adjusting for certain non-cash and non-recurring charges. Copper production totalled 114,600 tonnes (110,700 tonnes of payable copper) at a C1 cash cost1 of $1.44 per payable pound produced with copper sales of 110,500 tonnes at a C1 cash cost1 of $1.53 per payable pound sold. Capstone will hold a conference call and webcast on Thursday, February 16, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time (8:30 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss these results; call-in details and information on associated slides are provided at the end of this release. This release should be read in conjunction with Capstone's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2016, which are available on Capstone's website at http://capstonemining.com/investors/financial-reporting/default.aspx and on SEDAR. An updated corporate presentation, including results to December 31, 2016, and 2016 year-end webcast slides will also be available at http://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. Overview Q4 2016 Q4 2015 2016 2015 Revenue ($ millions) 163.0 92.1 529.4 420.5 Copper produced (tonnes) 29,853 25,691 114,583 92,577 Payable copper produced (tonnes) 28,828 24,781 110,663 89,341 C1 cash cost per payable pound produced1 ($/lb) 1.26 1.81 1.44 1.99 All-in cost per payable pound produced1 ($/lb) 1.77 2.67 1.88 2.88 Fully-loaded all-in cost per payable pound produced1 ($/lb) 1.85 2.67 1.98 2.85 Copper sold (tonnes) 29,558 22,322 110,450 87,521 Realized copper price per pound sold ($/lb)* 2.48 2.05 2.27 2.35 Adjusted realized copper price per pound sold ($/lb) ** 2.35 2.26 2.28 2.43 C1 cash cost per payable pound sold1 ($/lb) 1.24 1.82 1.53 2.00 All-in cost per payable pound sold1 ($/lb) 1.74 2.78 1.97 2.92 Fully-loaded all-in cost per payable pound sold1 ($/lb) 1.82 2.78 2.07 2.89 Net loss ($ millions) (182.4) (19.5) (197.4) (251.5) Net loss attributable to shareholders ($ millions) (125.4) (19.3) (140.0) (202.7) Net loss attributable to shareholders per common share ($) (0.33) (0.05) (0.37) (0.53) Adjusted net income (loss)1 ($ millions) 30.7 (8.0) 29.4 (31.9) Adjusted net income (loss)1 attributable to shareholders ($ millions) 30.9 (7.8) 30.0 (30.4) Adjusted net income (loss)1attributable to shareholders per common share ($) 0.08 (0.02) 0.08 (0.08) Operating cash flow before changes in working capital1 ($ millions) 75.0 12.5 156.9 60.0 Operating cash flow before changes in working capital per common share1 ($) 0.20 0.03 0.41 0.16 Cash and cash equivalents ($ millions) 130.4 101.6 130.4 101.6 Net debt1 ($ millions) 198.6 247.9 198.6 247.9 * Q4 2016 includes a negative provisional pricing adjustment of $0.1 million (2015 negative $4.2 million) related to prior shipments, equivalent to $0.00 per pound (2015 $(0.09) per pound) of copper sold during the quarter. YTD includes a negative provisional pricing adjustment of $12.7 million (2015 negative $25.8 million) related to prior shipments, equivalent to $(0.05) per pound (2015 $(0.13) per pound) of copper sold during the year. ** Q4 2016 adjusted realized copper price includes the provisional pricing adjustments noted above and realized loss of $8.5 million (2015 gain $10.1 million) equivalent to $(0.13) per pound (2015 gain - $0.21 per pound) related to copper derivative contracts exercised during the quarter. YTD includes a realized gain of $3.3 million (2015 $15.9 million) equivalent to $0.01 per pound (2015 - $0.08 per pound) related to copper derivative contracts exercised during the year. "Our strong operating performance in 2016 exceeded guidance, setting records at Pinto Valley, Minto and for Capstone as a whole," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO of Capstone. "All three of our mines generated positive net earnings, with throughput success at Pinto Valley and processing of high grade Minto North ore being key drivers in 2016." "Despite a challenging copper price environment for most of the year, we generated operating cash flow of $156.9 million, allowing us to reduce our debt by $40 million," continued Mr. Pylot. "We anticipate taking full advantage of additional free cash flow to further reduce our debt over the coming quarters." "Our year end results included a non-cash write-down of our Santo Domingo project based on lower forecast iron prices," continued Mr. Pylot. "The project does however, continue to have considerable optionality in a rising market." Financial and Production Highlights for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2016 Net loss of $182.4 million included: Income from mining operations of $55.8 million , Realized copper price of $2.48 per pound Production costs included a $2.0 million non-cash charge related to the write-down of inventory (primarily supplies) at the Pinto Valley, Minto and Cozamin mines, A non-cash impairment charge of $189.2 million related to mineral property, plant and equipment at Santo Domingo , A commodity derivative loss of $29.9 million , comprising a realized loss of $8.5 million and unrealized losses of $21.4 million , An income tax expense of $1.9 million . included: Operating cash flow before changes in working capital 1 was $75.0 million or $0.20 per share. was or per share. Working capital increased to $171.1 million at December 31, 2016 (which included $130.4 million of cash and cash equivalents) from $162.4 million at December 31, 2015 . (which included of cash and cash equivalents) from at . Produced a total of 28,828 tonnes of payable copper at an estimated C1 cash cost 1 of $1.26 per pound of payable copper produced and fully-loaded all-in cost 1 of $1.85 per pound of payable pound copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and fully-loaded all-in cost of per pound of payable pound copper produced. Revenue of $163.0 million generated primarily from the sale of 29,557 tonnes of payable copper. Financial and Production Highlights for the Year Ended December 31, 2016 Net loss of $197.4 million included: Earnings from mining operations of $87.7 million , Realized copper price of $2.27 per pound Production costs included a $3.4 million non-cash charge related to the write-down of inventory at the Pinto Valley, Minto and Cozamin Mines, A non-cash impairment charge of $189.2 million related to the Santo Domingo property, A commodity derivative loss of $25.6 million , comprising a realized gain of $3.3 million combined with an unrealized loss of $28.9 million , An income tax expense of $9.4 million . included: Operating cash flow before changes in working capital 1 of $156.9 million or $0.41 per common share. of or per common share. Working capital increased $8.7 million to $171.1 million at December 31, 2016 (which included $130.4 million of cash and cash equivalents) from $162.4 million at December 31, 2015 . to $171.1 million at (which included of cash and cash equivalents) from at . Production of 110,663 tonnes of payable copper at a C1 cash cost 1 of $1.44 per pound of payable copper produced and fully-loaded all-in cost 1 of $1.98 per pound of payable pound copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and fully-loaded all-in cost of per pound of payable pound copper produced. Revenue of $529.4 million generated primarily from the sale of 110,450 tonnes of copper. Production and Additional Highlights Pinto Valley Mine: Produced 17,051 tonnes of copper during Q4 2016 at a C1 cash cost 1 of $1.70 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost 1 of $2.06 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per pound of payable copper produced. Produced 68,850 tonnes of copper during 2016 at a C1 cash cost 1 of $1.61 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost 1 of $1.95 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per pound of payable copper produced. Copper production at Pinto Valley exceeded expectations, with mill throughput and head grade above plan for the quarter and year. Throughput averaged 56,800 tonnes per day ("tpd") and 56,200 tpd for the fourth quarter and full year, respectively. The operation continued to demonstrate the mine's potential, achieving a new daily throughput record of over 64,000 tpd in December. Cozamin Mine: Produced 4,001 tonnes of copper during Q4 2016 at a C1 cash cost 1 of $1.40 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost 1 of $2.06 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per pound of payable copper produced. Produced 14,307 tonnes of copper during 2016 at a C1 cash cost 1 of $1.48 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost 1 of $1.88 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per pound of payable copper produced. During 2016, Cozamin experienced a mine development shortfall resulting in lower production, however, during the second half of the year Cozamin conducted a management reorganization and a number of additional processes were implemented to improve the development rates. Development rates continued to improve through the second half of the year (7,725 meters H2 2016 vs. 5,880 meters H1 2016). During Q4 2016, Cozamin achieved the revised target production due to a better than planned average head grade of 1.63% copper offset by lower than planned mill throughput. Minto Mine: Produced 8,801 tonnes of copper during Q4 2016 at a C1 cash cost 1 of $0.33 per pound of payable copper produced, which included $0.11 per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during Q4 2016 to $0.22 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost 1 of $0.43 per payable pound of copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced, which included per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during Q4 2016 to per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per payable pound of copper produced. Produced 31,426 tonnes of copper during 2016 at a C1 cash cost 1 of $1.03 per pound of payable copper produced, which included $0.03 per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during 2016 to $1.00 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost 1 of $1.12 per payable pound of copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced, which included per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during 2016 to per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per payable pound of copper produced. Copper production for the quarter met expectations while full year throughput, grade and recoveries all exceeded plan. In the fourth quarter the mill processed stockpiles, supplemented by underground mining. Produced 39,506 ounces of gold contained in copper concentrate, and 11,675 ounces of gold contained in gold concentrate, for a total of 51,181 ounces produced during 2016. Under the terms of the Precious Metal Stream Agreement with Silver Wheaton, Capstone receives market rates for 50% of gold produced in excess of 30,000 ounces in a twelve-month period. We exceeded this threshold during Q4 and as a result Capstone is entitled to sell 8,320 ounces of gold at market rates. 5,100 of these ounces were sold in Q4 2016 and the remaining 3,220 ounces are expected to be sold in H1 2017. Additional highlights: On January 13, 2017 a second repayment of $20.0 million was made on the RCF, reducing the outstanding balance to $308.9 million . At the same time, Capstone chose to permanently reduce the credit available under the RCF from $420 million to $400 million . This payment was in addition to a $20.0 million payment and permanent credit reduction made in Q4 2016. The combination of this lower commitment and the strong debt coverage ratio at December 31, 2016 resulted in the Company achieving the second lowest tier on the RCF pricing grid with interest rates of LIBOR plus 2.75% and stand-by fees of 0.6188%. This will result in annualized savings of almost $1.5 million per year in interest and stand-by fees. a second repayment of was made on the RCF, reducing the outstanding balance to . At the same time, Capstone chose to permanently reduce the credit available under the RCF from . This payment was in addition to a payment and permanent credit reduction made in Q4 2016. The combination of this lower commitment and the strong debt coverage ratio at resulted in the Company achieving the second lowest tier on the RCF pricing grid with interest rates of LIBOR plus 2.75% and stand-by fees of 0.6188%. This will result in annualized savings of almost per year in interest and stand-by fees. As a result of the decline in long term iron ore prices during 2016, Capstone recorded an impairment on the Santo Domingo development Copper/Iron project of $189.2 million during Q4 2016. Operating Outlook Capstone's 2017 production guidance is for 94,000 tonnes (5%) of copper at a C1 Cash Cost1 of $1.60 to $1.70, All-In Cost1 of $2.15 to $2.25 and Fully-Loaded All-In Cost1 of $2.20 to $2.30, per pound of payable copper produced net of by-product and selling costs. Capital Outlook Capstone's 2017 capital expenditures are expected to be $67 million, with $35 million for sustaining capital at Pinto Valley and Cozamin, $2 million related to PV3 permitting activities and $30 million for capitalized stripping at Pinto Valley. An additional $10 million is budgeted for both brownfield and greenfield exploration, however as exploration activities are discretionary they will be aligned with prevailing market conditions, financing capacity and corporate priorities. Conference Call and Webcast Details Date: Thursday, February 16, 2017 Time: 11:30 am Eastern Time (8:30 am Pacific Time) Dial in: North America: 1-888-390-0546, International: +416-764-8688 Webcast: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1323771&s=1&k=AFC597F521C716D97270B033FC966280 Replay: North America: 1-888-390-0541, International: +416-764-8677 Replay Passcode: 063291# The conference call replay will be available until Thursday, February 23, 2017. The conference call audio and transcript will be available on Capstone's website within 48 hours of the call at http://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. About Capstone Mining Corp. Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our three producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US, the Cozamin copper-silver mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico and the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada. In addition, Capstone has two development projects; the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo project in Region III, Chile, in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, and the 100% owned Kutcho copper-zinc project in British Columbia, Canada, as well as exploration properties in Chile and US. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at www.capstonemining.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This document may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect Company management's expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, success of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "outlook", "guidance", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this document, certain forward-looking statements are identified by words including "guidance", "may", "future", "expected", "intends" and "estimates". By their very nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks related to actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of mineral resources; possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; accidents; assumptions related to geotechnical conditions of tailings facilities; dependence on key personnel; labour pool constraints; labour disputes; availability of infrastructure required for the development of mining projects; delays or inability to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals for mining operations or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; counterparty risks associated with sales of our metals; increased operating and capital costs; operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation; impact of climatic conditions on our Pinto Valley, Cozamin and Minto operations; compliance with debt covenants, and other risks of the mining industry as well as those factors detailed from time to time in the Company's interim and annual financial statements and management's discussion and analysis of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company provides no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. National Instrument 43-101 Compliance Unless otherwise indicated, Capstone has prepared the technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") based on information contained in the technical reports, news releases and MD&A's (collectively the "Disclosure Documents") available under Capstone Mining Corp.'s company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Each Disclosure Document was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). Readers are encouraged to review the full text of the Disclosure Documents which qualifies the Technical Information. Readers are advised that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Disclosure Documents are each intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. The Technical Information is subject to the assumptions and qualifications contained in the Disclosure Documents. The technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). The disclosure of the Technical Information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Gregg Bush, P. Eng., Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Technical Information related to mineral exploration activities has been reviewed and approved by Brad Mercer, P. Geol., Senior Vice President, Exploration. Both are Qualified Persons under NI 43-101. Alternative Performance Measures The items marked with a "1" are alternative performance measures and readers should refer to Alternative Performance Measures in the Company's Consolidated Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2016 as filed on SEDAR and as available on the Company's website. Cautionary Note to United States Investors This news release contains disclosure that has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of US securities laws. Without limiting the foregoing, this news release may refer to technical reports that use the terms "indicated" and "inferred" resources. US investors are cautioned that, while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, the SEC does not recognize them. Under US standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of indicated resources will ever be converted into reserves. US investors should also understand that "inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "inferred resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, US investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legally or economically. Accordingly, information concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources contained in this news release may not be comparable to information made public by US companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. 1. This is an alternative performance measure; please see "Alternative Performance Measures" at the end of this release. SOURCE Capstone Mining Corp. Related Links www.capstonemining.com THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CB&I (NYSE: CBI) today announced it has been awarded a contract by Dongguan Grand Resource Science & Technology Co. Ltd. for the license and engineering design of a grassroots propane dehydrogenation unit to be built in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China. The unit will use CB&I's CATOFIN catalytic dehydrogenation technology and Clariant's tailor-made CATOFIN catalyst to produce 600,000 metric tons per year of propylene. This unit has been optimized to reduce equipment piece-count and lower propane consumption, resulting in low investment and operating costs. "CB&I is pleased to have been selected by Dongguan Grand Resource to provide the CATOFIN technology license for this new petrochemical facility in China," said Philip K. Asherman, CB&I's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our CATOFIN technology continues to demonstrate low cost of production while providing proven reliability and flexibility to our customers." About CB&I CB&I (NYSE:CBI) is a leading provider of technology and infrastructure for the energy industry. With over 125 years of experience and the expertise of more than 40,000 employees, CB&I provides reliable solutions to our customers around the world while maintaining a relentless focus on safety and an uncompromising standard of quality. For more information, visit www.CBI.com. CATOFIN is a registered trademark of Clariant. Important Information For Investors And Shareholders Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding CB&I and represents our expectations and beliefs concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. When considering any statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or use or contain words, terms, phrases or expressions such as "achieve," "forecast," "plan," "propose," "strategy," "envision," "hope," "will," "continue," "potential," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "predict," "intend," "should," "could," "may," "might" or similar forward-looking statements, we refer you to the cautionary statements concerning risk factors and "Forward-Looking Statements" described under "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of our Annual Report filed on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2015, and any updates to those risk factors or "Forward-Looking Statements" included in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, which cautionary statements are incorporated herein by reference. Investors: Scott Lamb, +1 832 513 1068, [email protected] Media: Gentry Brann, +1 832 513 1031, [email protected] SOURCE CB&I Related Links http://www.cbi.com SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cepheid today announced that it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Xpert Xpress Flu and Xpert Xpress Flu/RSV. Both tests deliver reference-quality molecular results in as little as twenty minutes. The tests are Cepheid's first Xpress branded products all of which are expected to deliver results in 30 minutes or less.1 "For too long, clinicians have been asked to treat suspected cases of influenza empirically, since gold-standard RT-PCR based tests took too long to process in the critical first 24 hours of symptom onset," said David H. Persing, M.D., Ph.D., Cepheid's Chief Medical and Technology Officer. "With the arrival of fast molecular tests like Xpert Xpress Flu and Xpert Xpress Flu/RSV, patients and their healthcare providers can now expect an accurate diagnosis and have access to targeted therapies substantially more quickly. Unnecessary treatment with antimicrobial agents can also be avoided. This supports clinical efforts to improve the patient experience, and further streamlines workflow in the laboratory which can be particularly challenging in the midst of a busy respiratory virus season." Upper respiratory infections are among the most common reasons for outpatient visits in the United States and worldwide.2,3 Early symptoms for a wide variety of viral and bacterial respiratory infections are often clinically indistinguishable, yet treatment is different depending on the cause of infection, highlighting the importance of accurate diagnostic tests like Xpert Xpress Flu and Xpert Xpress Flu/RSV. With this development, hospitals and clinics can reliably diagnose influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in 30 minutes or less. Xpert Xpress Flu/RSV and Xpert Xpress Flu are twice as fast as their predecessor, Xpert Flu/RSV XC, but have comparable performance characteristics. The new tests feature and share a novel design, which employs multiple targets for each virus. The built-in redundancy results in both high sensitivity and specificity, and reduces the impact of seasonal genomic drift in these viruses that has historically been a problem with molecular tests. About Cepheid Based in Sunnyvale, Calif., Cepheid is a leading molecular diagnostics company that is dedicated to improving healthcare by developing, manufacturing, and marketing accurate yet easy-to-use molecular systems and tests. By automating highly complex and time-consuming manual procedures, the company's solutions deliver a better way for institutions of any size to perform sophisticated genetic testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases. Through its strong molecular biology capabilities, the company is focusing on those applications where accurate, rapid, and actionable test results are needed most, such as managing infectious diseases and cancer. For more information, visit www.cepheid.com. About GeneXpert Systems With more than 11,000 systems in 182 countries, the GeneXpert System is the world's most popular molecular diagnostics' system. The GeneXpert System's modular configuration means that the system is the most scalable available, offering the ability to perform from one to eighty Xpert tests at the same time. As a result, the GeneXpert System meets the throughput requirements of customers of all sizes - from lower volume point-of-care settings to higher volume reference laboratories enabling accurate, fast and cost effective test results. About Xpert and Xpert Xpress Tests GeneXpert Systems run proprietary Xpert test cartridges. The Xpert test menu spans healthcare-associated infections, sexual health, critical infectious disease, and oncology, and today offers 24 tests outside the US, and 23 tests in the US. The Xpert Xpress tests offer the same quality and accuracy of other Xpert tests, with the added benefit of test results in 30 minutes or less. More information on the GeneXpert System and the Xpert tests is available on our website at www.cepheid.com. References: Results from negative specimens are reported in approximately 30 minutes. When running in a Flu only or an RSV only reporting mode, positive results can be reported in soon as 20 minutes. "Upper Respiratory Tract Infection" Medscape. Menegetti et al; June 2016 (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/302460-overview) http://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/us-surveillance.html For Cepheid Media Inquiries: Darwa Peterson +1 408-400-4324 [email protected] SOURCE Cepheid Related Links http://www.cepheid.com CHICAGO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past few months many Chime families have become more involved in their communities: attending marches, joining activist groups, even running for political office. And we know that these things are hard to do with the kids in tow. To support families and communities who are engaging in positive activism, Chime is donating $25 plus 10% of the total transaction to the ACLU for every new family who books a sitter with Chime in February. On-Demand Babysitting Service, HelloChime.com "Many families are telling us that booking Chime babysitters has made it easier to get involved," says Chime Chief Marketing Officer Kriston Rucker. "We believe in the power of coming together as a community, and we want to support parents who are finding the time to make a difference." "Getting involved in my community has become more important than ever," says Chicago-area parent, Louisa Fitzgerald. "Chime has given me the flexibility to find a trustworthy babysitter on relatively short notice. Over the last few weeks I was able to attend a march and a meet and greet with local political candidates. Since learning about the ACLU donation, it feels good knowing Chime is aligned with my values. Continuing to book a sitter through Chime is helping me personally and contributing to a greater cause." To make a booking, visit www.hellochime.com/aclu. First time users will receive $50 in credits (covering around 3 hours of babysitting) and Chime will donate $25 and 10% of the babysitting transaction to the ACLU. To share on social media, use #chimeinforchange. About Sittercity.com /Chime Sittercity is the pioneer in online child care. Sittercity has thousands of sitters and parents joining the site daily and the site has connected millions of families with caregivers nationwide over the past 15 years. Sittercity's on-demand babysitting service, Chime, launched in October 2015 and is available in Boston, Chicago, NYC and Washington, DC with more cities on the way. With Chime, parents are able to instantly book a select group of pre-screened and thoroughly vetted sitters. Learn more at hellochime.com. Media Contacts: Beyond PR Group Beth Feldman | [email protected] | (917) 797-8054 Lisa Hanlon | [email protected] | 914-954-1553 SOURCE Sittercity DUBLIN, Feb 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "China Infant Milk Powder Industry Overview, 2017-2021" report to their offering. There are fierce competitions within China's infant milk powder industry. Many manufacturers use low-quality materials or add illegal ingredients to reduce costs, frequently causing safety events in the industry. To solve these problems, Chinese government is increasingly reinforcing regulations on the infant milk powder industry. For example, the new Food Safety Law and the Administrative Measures for the Registration of the Formulas of Infant Formula Milk Powder officially regulated the registration process in the infant milk powder industry and raised the barrier to entry of the industry. However, problems in the industry are difficult to be completely solved. The output of infant milk powder fluctuated between 2011 and 2015 due to overcapacity in the industry and stricter policies. It dropped slightly in 2011 and 2012 before rising to over 500,000 tons in 2013. It decreased again in 2014 and 2015, ending with less than 500,000 tons in 2015. As China's economy grows, more Chinese women are joining the workforce, leading to a continuous decline in the rate of breastfeeding of 6-month-old infants in China. For example, the rate decreased from 67% in 1998 to 49% in 2004 and then to 27.8% in 2015. This is far below the world average (of 38%). Since Chinese government implemented the family planning policy more than three decades ago, China's birth rate has been declining. It remains at around 1.2% in recent years. During around 1985-1990, China's birth rate slightly rose and once peaked at 2.33% in 1987. As people born during this period begin to raise children, China will see another peak in the birth rate. From 2013, the Chinese government began to loosen the family planning Policy. Article 18 of the new Family Planning Law, which became effective on January 1, 2016, states that the government encourages couples to have two children. The loosening of the family planning policy is conductive to the birth rate. More demand comes with more newborns each year for infant milk powder. China imports large quantities of infant milk powder each year due to unstable quality control over domestic milk powder and its high prices. In 2015, China imported 175,972 tons, or USD 2,471 million of infant formula milk powder, increasing by 45% YOY and 59.5% YOY. The major import source is European Union which accounted for more than half of the total. The remarkable increase in the volume of China's imported infant milk powder is firstly related to Chinese consumers' lack of confidence in domestic milk powder. Secondly, the rise of overseas shopping, especially cross-border shopping, makes it more convenient for consumers to purchase foreign milk powder. Thirdly, the general price of imported milk powder which is lower than that of domestic milk powder of the similar quality contributes to the sales of imported infant milk powder to some extent. It is estimated that during 2017 to 2021, with the increasing number of newborns per year and the decreasing breastfeeding rate, Chinese market demand for infant formula milk powder will rise year by year, and so will the annual import of infant formula milk powder. Readers Can Obtain the Following Information or More Through This Report: - Development Environment of China's Infant Milk Powder Industry - Supply and Demand of Infant Milk Powder in China - Market Competition of Infant Milk Powder in China - Import and Export of Infant Milk Powder in China - Major Infant Milk Powder Manufacturers in China and Their Operations - Major Driving Forces and Market Opportunities in China's Infant Milk Powder Industry - Risks and Challenges in China's Infant Milk Powder Industry - Forecast on Market Size of China's Infant Milk Powder Companies Mentioned - BIOSTIME International Holdings Limited - Beingmate Infant Food Co., Ltd. - Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Company Limited - Synutra International Inc. - Yashili International Holdings Ltd. For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/jzbp8j/china_infant_milk Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] 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 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com WILTON MANORS, Fla., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Wilton Manors' Leisure Services Department has expanded its class offerings even further! Four new classes have been added to the roster: Imagination Mornings for children ages 18 months to 4 years old; Elements N' Motion, a Chicago-Style Stepping class for adults of all ages; Adult Creative Coloring Club; and Beginner Crochet for ages 14 and older. During Imagination Mornings, children are encouraged to explore and further develop their imaginations with their parents through storytelling, arts and crafts and music. This serves as a motivational experience for children, and they develop problem solving abilities, group cooperation and motor skills. "We are excited to be adding these classes to our already diverse roster," said Scott Holloway, program and facilities supervisor at the Wilton Manors Leisure Services Department. "We wanted to offer a fun and engaging activity for both parent and child while also providing social activities for adults." Imagination Mornings will be held on Thursdays from 10 a.m.-10:45 a.m. at Richardson Historic Park (1937 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors). The cost is $20 per month and pre-registration is required as class space is limited to 12 participants. Parents must also be present. In addition to Imagination Mornings, Elements N' Motion, a Chicago-Style Stepping dance class has also been introduced. Chicago-Style Stepping is an urban dance that originated in the Windy City and continues to evolve from its roots in swing dance. The class will be taught by Maurice "Smoke" Dixon, who has more than 13 years of dance instruction. "Maurice Dixon has won first place in a variety of national dance competitions, and we are thrilled that he wants to share his talents with us right here in Wilton Manors," Holloway said. Elements N' Motion begins Wednesday, February 8, 2017 and continues every Wednesday thereafter from 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m. The first class is free; each class thereafter is $10. Classes will be held at Island City Park Preserve (823 NE 28th St., Wilton Manors). Island City's Adult Creative Coloring Club encourages Wilton Manors residents to visualize outside the lines and aims to provide a relaxing and stress-free experience. In Beginner Crochet, students will learn basic stitches and color changes as well as pattern reading. The Adult Creative Coloring Club will be held Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Hagen Park Community Center (2020 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors). The cost is free for Wilton Manors residents and $2 for non-residents. Crayons and colored pencils will be provided, and you can either bring your own coloring book or purchase one there for $5. Beginner Crochet will begin Thursday, March 2, 2017 and continues every Thursday thereafter from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $50 per student (per five-week session) and includes practice yearn and hooks. Classes will be held at Hagen Park (2020 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors). For additional information or to register, contact the Wilton Manors Leisure Services Department at (954) 390-2130 or visit wiltonmanors.com. ABOUT THE CITY OF WILTON MANORS Wilton Manors was laid out in 1925 by Edward John "Ned" Willingham, a land developer from Georgia, as an upscale residential community. It was recognized as a Village in 1947 and incorporated as a City in 1953. Today, the City of Wilton Manors offers all the benefits of a big city from shopping to hip restaurants and bars, a burgeoning arts community and tons of community events, yet still maintains a cozy, community-feeling offering miles of natural waterways perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding and other outdoor activities. Recently named the "Second Gayest City" in the United States, the City of Wilton Manors celebrates a diverse population of approximately 12,000 residents. To learn more about the live, work and play opportunities in Wilton Manors, call (954) 390-2100 or visit www.wiltonmanors.com. CONTACT: Laurie Menekou Ernest-Jones, (954) 732-0754 (or) [email protected] SOURCE City of Wilton Manors Related Links http://www.wiltonmanors.com DALLAS, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 9, 2017, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that the lessee of a property did not have standing to appeal the actual value and assessment of its leasehold interest in a property (Traer Creek-EXWMT LLC v. Eagle County, CO Board of Equalization, Court of Appeals No. 16CA0723). The Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court's ruling, which determined that a leasehold interest does not provide statutory or common law standing to appeal a property tax assessment. The District Court walked through the statutory requirements of filing an appeal and determined that the "fee interest owner" is the only party that is required to be sent a notice of value on assessment and thus is the only party that has the right to appeal that proposed assessment. The second argument made regarding common law standing was also disregarded, as the Court ruled that it may not disregard the statutory limitations by looking at common law standing. Note that this case does not address whether the lessor's appeal rights may be transferred to the lessee via the lease instrument. As a result of this decision, commercial tenants may be required to appeal property taxes that they are responsible for under their lease only as an authorized "agent" of the property owner. Having that right expressly granted to them in the lease might be a best practice for tenants in Colorado commercial properties going forward, particularly if they lease the entire premises and have all of the resulting taxes passed on to them. About Ryan Ryan is an award-winning global tax services firm, with the largest indirect and property tax practices in North America and the seventh largest corporate tax practice in the United States. With global headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the Firm provides a comprehensive range of state, local, federal, and international tax advisory and consulting services on a multi-jurisdictional basis, including audit defense, tax recovery, credits and incentives, tax process improvement and automation, tax appeals, tax compliance, and strategic planning. Ryan is a five-time recipient of the International Service Excellence Award from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) for its commitment to world-class client service. Empowered by the dynamic myRyan work environment, which is widely recognized as the most innovative in the tax services industry, Ryan's multi-disciplinary team of more than 2,100 professionals and associates serves over 12,000 clients in more than 40 countries, including many of the world's most prominent Global 5000 companies. More information about Ryan can be found at ryan.com. TECHNICAL INFORMATION CONTACTS: Michael Allen Principal Ryan 703.746.0022 [email protected] Matthew Poling Principal Ryan 303.222.1845 [email protected] SOURCE Ryan Related Links http://www.ryan.com NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Synopsis In real terms, the Omani construction industry registered an average annual growth rate of 9.4% during the review period (20122016). This growth was supported by the government's Eighth Five-Year Development Plan 20102015. The country's construction industry will continue to expand in real terms over the forecast period (20172021). Despite low oil prices, the government is focusing on the development of transport infrastructure, energy and utilities facilities, and affordable housing. Government investments in sea ports, railway lines, airports and special economic zones under the Ninth Five-Year Development Plan 20162020 and the Oman Vision 2020 are expected to drive growth in the industry over the forecast period. The government is focusing on the development of energy and renewable energy power plants across the country under Oman's National Energy Strategy 2040, with the aim of meeting rising electricity demand with low greenhouse gas emissions. Accordingly, the government is planning to produce 25.0% of total electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020. Summary Timetric's Construction in Oman, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2021 report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the Omani construction industry, including: - The Omani construction industry's growth prospects by market, project type and construction activity - Analysis of equipment, material and service costs for each project type in Oman - Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the Omani construction industry - Profiles of the leading operators in the Omani construction industry - Data highlights of the largest construction projects in Oman Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in Oman. It provides: - Historical (2012-2016) and forecast (2017-2021) valuations of the construction industry in Oman using construction output and value-add methods - Segmentation by sector (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, energy and utilities, institutional and residential) and by project type - Breakdown of values within each project type, by type of activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) and by type of cost (materials, equipment and services) - Analysis of key construction industry issues, including regulation, cost management, funding and pricing - Detailed profiles of the leading construction companies in Oman Reasons To Buy - Identify and evaluate market opportunities using Timetric's standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies. - Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts. - Understand the latest industry and market trends. - Formulate and validate strategy using Timetric's critical and actionable insight. - Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures. - Evaluate competitive risk and success factors. Key Highlights - The government's focus on railways is expected to drive growth in the infrastructure construction market over the forecast period. Under Oman's Ninth Five-year Development Plan 20162020, the government is planning to invest OMR5.06.0 billion (US$13.015.6 billion) to construct a 2,135km rail network by 2020. - The development of affordable housing in the country under the government's Vision 2020 program is expected to drive growth in the residential construction market over the forecast period. Under Vision 2020, the government is planning to spend OMR80.0 million (US$207.7 million) annually to ease the affordable housing deficit. - The government is focusing on developing water infrastructure with the aim of expanding and reinforcing water distribution and transmission systems. Under the National Water Sector Master Plan it plans to invest OMR2.5 billion (US$6.5 billion) to increase the total length of the water distribution network. - With the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the government is focusing on developing renewable energy infrastructure. Accordingly, it plans to build 1.0GW of solar power plants as a public-private partnership for an investment of OMR769.0 million (US$2.0 billion) in Duqm by 2020. - The government aims to attract foreign manufacturers in an effort to diversify the country's economy and reduce reliance on oil and natural gas. Accordingly, in May 2016, it signed an agreement with China to build the China-Omani industrial park in Duqm, on an area of 1,172ha, by 2022. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04685474-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com EAGAN, Minn., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ConvergeOne, a leading global provider of modern communications and data solutions, was named a winner of a 2017 IBM Beacon Award for Outstanding Analytics Platform Solution. This honor is awarded to select IBM Business Partners that deliver outstanding solutions across IBM's broad product and service portfolio to drive business value for customers. The 2017 awards recognize achievements across a wide-range of growing solution areas, including cloud and Watson IoT, all of which are helping clients thrive in the cognitive era. "ConvergeOne, Inc. is honored to accept this Beacon Award for Outstanding Analytics Platform Solution in cooperation with our customer and partner Allegiant Airlines. Without their thirst for innovation and IBM's amazing portfolio this would not be possible," says Erik Cline, Vice President, ConvergeOne, Inc. "We look forward to continuing our work on interesting projects in this space that will benefit our entire customer set." The Beacon Awards are an integral part of IBM's Business Partner recognition program. Announced at the IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, the winners are selected by a panel of expert judges consisting of IBM executives, industry analysts and members of the press. The awards are given to Business Partners around the world who have demonstrated business excellence in delivering IBM-based solutions to clients to drive transformation and business growth. This year's awards recognized Business Partner achievements across 19 award categories encompassing a wide-range of solution areas, including analytics, collaboration, cloud, commerce, cognitive, Watson IoT and security. "By delivering innovative solutions to drive business value, Beacon Award winners help transform the way their clients and industries do business," said Marc Dupaquier, general manager, IBM Global Business Partners. "We'd like to congratulate ConvergeOne, Inc. on winning the Beacon Award for Outstanding Analytics Platform Solution and delivering exceptional client satisfaction and results." For more information about the IBM Beacon Awards, including details on the winners and finalists, please visit: https://www-304.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/pw_com_prb_beacon. To learn more about IBM PartnerWorld, a comprehensive program that offers marketing and sales resources, training, certification and technical support to help create new revenue and market opportunities for IBM Business Partners, visit http://www.ibm.com/partnerworld. About ConvergeOne, Inc. Founded in July 2005, ConvergeOne is a leading provider of custom information, communications and data technology solutions and services for any environment, regardless of existing vendors or systems. The company offers best-in-class solutions in customer experience, collaboration, contact center, cloud, enterprise computing, data center and virtualization, enterprise networking, and security. Through its best-of-breed Professional Services, ConvergeOne can facilitate everything from system design and installment to application development and infrastructure. Its industry-leading Managed Services experts provide ongoing support for contact centers, collaboration, data centers, networking, and security. With the ability to enable and support cloud services at any level, ConvergeOne has achieved a new, elevated level of partnership with its clients, and has gained a significant competitive advantage over other managed service and support organizations across the U.S. The company has earned more than 1,700 industry certifications and has strategic partnerships with more than 100 global industry leaders, including Avaya, Cisco, IBM, Interactive Intelligence, and Microsoft. Headquartered in Eagan, Minn., ConvergeOne maintains more than 30 offices, 3 Network Operating Centers and more than 1,350 employees nationwide. ConvergeOne joined the Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. portfolio in June 2014. Clearlake is a private investment firm with a sector-focused approach. The firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake's operational and strategic expertise. The firm's core target sectors include industrials, energy and power; technology, communications, and business services; and consumer products and services. Media Contact: Annette DeCicco 909.240.2775 [email protected] SOURCE ConvergeOne NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Convergex, an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider, announced today that it recently hired Robin Strong as Managing Director. Mr. Strong is based out of Convergex's London-based brokerage and will be responsible for expanding the firm's broad range of commission management, research payment and outsourcing services to buy and sell-side investment firms on a global basis. A 25-year financial industry veteran, Mr. Strong's responsibilities include delivering Westminster Research Associate's unbundling and MiFID II compliant solutions to its growing European client-base. Prior to joining Convergex, Mr. Strong founded The Investment Data Utility and previously worked at Linedata, where he was responsible for business development and client adoption strategies across the EMEA region. Mr. Strong started his career at Salomon Brothers in London and has also held senior positions at Fidessa, Charles River Development, Citadel Associates and Asset Control. "Robin is a welcome addition to Convergex's experienced European sales team as his vast background and financial industry experience complements the firm's commitment to expanding its global team with the goal of providing more solutions and opportunities to our client-base," said Philip Gough, CEO of Convergex Limited, Convergex's London-based brokerage. Westminster Research Associates is also preparing for reforms outlined in the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) which are currently expected to go into effect on January 3, 2018. One of the key delegated directives requires firms to manage payments for research through Research Payment Accounts (RPAs) or to pay for the research directly. Westminster is preparing to work with RPA software providers and to offer a complete RPA solution on a global basis. Mr. Strong will also play an integral role as Westminster expands its platform to allow investment managers to physically aggregate CSA credits within an RPA structure and provide compliant payment solutions to over 7,000 different research providers. "Westminster's structure provides investment managers with the flexibility to seek best execution through a network of over 250 executing broker-dealers while crediting the research portion of their trade to a centralized account, helping money managers streamline their CSA administration and management," said Chris Tiscornia, President and CEO of Westminster Research Associates. Westminster is a FINRA registered broker-dealer specializing in providing investment research and commission management solutions to the institutional investment community. The flexible commission management solution allows investment managers to execute through top-tier institutional execution desks, while consolidating all of the administrative, servicing and reporting functions of their research business with one firm. About Convergex Convergex is an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider that takes on the industry's toughest challenges, from complicated trades to complex businesses. With clients' interests as the top priority, Convergex delivers comprehensive solutions that span global high-touch and electronic trading, options technologies, prime brokerage, clearing, commission management and beyond. Headquartered in New York with a presence in several other locations including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Orlando, San Francisco and London, the company serves nearly 3,000 clients accessing over 100 global market centers. Important Information Convergex is an agency-focused global brokerage and trading related services provider. In the U.S., Convergex offers products and services through Convergex Execution Solutions LLC (member NYSE/FINRA/NFA/SIPC), of which Convergex Prime Services and Options Trading and Technology are divisions; Westminster Research Associates LLC (member FINRA/SIPC); and Convergex Solutions LLC, of which Jaywalk and LDB are divisions. In London, Convergex operates through Convergex Limited, which is incorporated in England and Wales (registered with company number 06262150). Convergex Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom. Westminster Research Associates LLC is regulated in the United States by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Westminster provides services in Australia pursuant to an exemption from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services license under the Corporations Act 2001 (ASIC Class Order [CO 03/1100]). Convergex provides brokerage services primarily on an agency basis, but may operate in a riskless principal and/or net trading capacity, and in connection with certain ETF or ADR transactions, may act as principal or engage in hedging strategies. Convergex does not engage in market making or investment banking activities. The material, data and information (collectively "Convergex Information") that is available from Convergex is intended for institutional investor use only; is for informational purposes only; is subject to change at any time; is not intended to provide tax, legal or investment advice; and does not constitute a solicitation or offer to purchase or sell securities. Convergex Information is believed to be reliable, but Convergex does not warrant its completeness or accuracy and Convergex assumes no duty to update such information. Clients should read their account agreement(s) and documentation with Convergex carefully as those documents contain important information and disclosures about the products or services covered thereby. Convergex is not responsible for third-party information or services, including market data from the exchanges. (Rev. 01/03/17) 2017 Convergex Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Contact: Lynda Caravello [email protected] 212.468.7713 SOURCE Convergex WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Agents USA and Texas A&M's Bush School of Government and Public Service (TAMU) today convened a multi-sectoral array of leaders to identify and discuss strategies for responding to evolving pandemic health threats. Current and former leaders from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) joined partners from the private and NGO sectors to discuss pandemic response strategies for 2017 and beyond. Clinical "Pandemic disease is increasingly a national security threat and effective pandemic disease response planning is a critical requirement for developed and developing nations alike. Our experience fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone shows that multi-sectoral partnership is a key ingredient for pandemic disease fighting success," said Crown Agents CEO Lawrence Michel. "Thanks to the diverse group of leaders who participated today, the strategies we discussed reflect the best possible thought leadership on this issue." Pandemic health threats are a national security risk for the United States and countries around the world, as the National Intelligence Council noted in their January 2017 Global Trends Report. Ebola, Zika, and Avian Influenza, and emerging infectious disease remain a global public health threat and can arrive in the U.S. within hours. "With global pandemic threats, it's a question of 'when', not 'if'," said Andrew Natsios, former USAID Administrator and current Director of the Scowcroft Institute at Texas A&M. "The best way to prevent a pandemic in the U.S. is to stop it overseas, so the strategies shared today speak directly to America's national security interests." Today's conference builds on momentum generated by TAMU's 2nd Annual Global Pandemic Policy Summit held in College Station, Texas in October 2016 and will connect to the 3rd Annual Summit being held in October, 2017 as well. The 2016 conference, led by TAMU's Global Pandemic Policy Program, identified a number of strategic recommendations for pandemic response, including deepening the data link between animal and human health, improving cultural competency to drive effective in-country response, and increasing collaboration between government, private sector, and academia. In the months ahead, Crown Agents USA, TAMU and their strategic partners will continue to build a unified international pandemic disease planning strategy. "Government, industry, and civil society have specific responsibilities in a pandemic, but we share a common human interest in effective pandemic response and planning," said Dr. Gerald Parker, Senior Fellow at TAMU's Bush School of Government and Public Service. "At the end of the day, that's why this conference matters and why it's so encouraging that so many leaders chose to participate." Contact-Crown Agents USA: Mr. Brendon Miller Phone: 202-230-6413 Email: [email protected] Contact-Texas A&M: Dr. Gerald Parker Phone: 979-436-0670: Email: [email protected] SOURCE Crown Agents USA PROVIDENCE, R.I. and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberScout (formerly IDT911) announced today that the company has been certified as compliant with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework, which provides a mechanism for transatlantic exchanges of personal data for commercial purposes between the European Union and the United States. CyberScout is the first leading international cyber and data breach remediation company to comply with the Privacy Shield Framework. When large, global companies have data breaches that involve multi-national customer data, CyberScout provides a holistic approach to remediation with seamless international response and data center services. Said CyberScout CEO Matt Cullina: "As an international organization, CyberScout has gone beyond the business-centric approach to privacy in the U.S., and embraced the more rigorous, consumer-centric EU standards for the treatment and transfer of personal data. Our participation in the Privacy Shield program is just the latest demonstration of our serious and longstanding commitment to protecting consumer privacy by adopting global best practices." Through compliance with the Privacy Shield framework, CyberScout's privacy practices align with the European Union data protection requirements for transfers of personal information. While Privacy Shield accreditation addresses the protection of European citizen data, CyberScout will apply the same high standards to the treatment and protection of U.S. and Canadian consumer information, also. The compliance process is rigorous. Companies that commit to Privacy Shield must adhere to seven principles that relate to privacy policies, consent mechanisms, data transfer agreements, security measures, limitations on the use of data, mechanisms to correct data, and complaint resolution. CyberScout's privacy statement can be found on the CyberScout website here. "CyberScout's Privacy Shield program participation assures our clients in the U.S., Canada, Europe and beyond that their customers' personal and private information is never at risk of being used in ways they had not considered," said Global Privacy Officer Eduard Goodman. "The consumer, citizen or data subject stays in control of how their information can be used." The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect in 2018, which will prompt still more stringent privacy compliance within and outside of Europe. By adopting the tighter standards encapsulated in the Privacy Shield program now, CyberScout has moved toward global operational compliance with pending EU standards. CyberScout's services are available to millions of consumers through leading insurance and financial companies as well as employers, including 16 of the top 20 U.S. property and casualty insurance carriers, and six of the top seven Canadian insurers. In a perilous cyber world, CyberScout sets the gold standard for identity and data defense services. In annual customer surveys, CyberScout earns 99% satisfaction ratings, year after year. CyberScout has offices and operation centers in Providence, Rhode Island, Phoenix, Arizona, Montreal, Canada, and Galway, Ireland. About CyberScout As the industry leader for over 13 years, CyberScout has been setting the gold standard for identity and data defense services from proactive protection and education to successful resolution. Formerly IDT911, CyberScout combines boots-on-the-ground experience with high-touch personal service to help commercial clients and individuals minimize risk and maximize recovery. To learn more, visit www.cyberscout.com. Media Contact David Heffernan SHIFT Communications [email protected] SOURCE CyberScout Related Links http://www.cyberscout.com Escapism is illustrated beautifully in Weber's photographs, where the jewelry reflects a captivating way of life that gives the campaign its natural warmth and playful appeal. The very definition of American style and elegance honors the David Yurman legacy of creating memorable, iconic imagery using the world's top models and most stunning locations. "It is never about a piece of jewelry," says Sybil Yurman. "It is about a lifestyle that in many ways mirror how David and I live in terms of our artistic sensibilities, our dedication to craft and our belief that imagery should reflect the beauty and authenticity in everyday moments." Natalia and Taylor both represent the natural confidence of the David Yurman woman, while the lush surroundings depict the spirit of relaxed informality. The campaign features new collections such as Continuance, Paveflex, and Solari that each represents the essence of the David Yurman brand in contemporary new ways. Jewelry is worn casually illustrating a freedom and irreverence intent on self-expression and individual style. "It was such an amazing experience working with the David Yurman family and Bruce Weber," says Taylor Hill. "I can't wait to see the campaign come out and I'm looking forward to the future with them." ABOUT DAVID YURMAN: David Yurman is the premier American luxury jewelry brand with a mission to share in life's exceptional moments. Founded by two artists, David and Sybil Yurman, in New York in 1980, artistic inspiration, craftsmanship and unconventional yet elegant designs are at the core of the brand. The marriage of David's background in sculpture with Sybil's natural understanding of color and art yields signature jewelry designs; diamond, pearl, and gemstone jewelry and Swiss-crafted timepieces that are renowned for capturing the essence of relaxed American luxury. David Yurman collections are available at 47 retail and concession locations throughout the United States, Canada, France and at over 350 locations worldwide, through their exclusive authorized fine jewelry and timepiece network of retailers. Media Contact: Jennifer Noel [email protected] SOURCE David Yurman SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Deseret Digital Media (DDM) today announced that BrandForge, DDM's native advertising and content studio for local media companies, has entered into an agreement with the Local Media Consortium (LMC), a strategic partnership of leading local media companies. Through this partnership, BrandForge and the LMC will provide Consortium members and their more than 1,700 local media outlets across the United States with new tools to launch, scale and expand revenue from native advertising projects for their content marketing clients. "BrandForge's services fit extremely well with our core value, which is to provide our members with the highest-quality partnerships and resources to efficiently grow their digital reach," said Rusty Coats, executive director of the LMC. "Through this partnership, our members many of whom have small, local staffs will be able to tap BrandForge's global expertise to further expand their mobile-ready native advertising services and revenues, without the need for new hires or overhead." Coats adds that more than half of the Consortium members' content is now viewed on mobile devices. BrandForge was selected as an LMC partner following an extensive vetting process by Consortium members. The LMC selects the highest-quality service providers that mesh well with its members' needs. BrandForge joins the likes of Google, Yahoo! and Monster.com as approved LMC partners. "The LMC plays a powerful role in supporting the sustainability of local media, and BrandForge adds to this portfolio by empowering local media to better access the power of mobile-ready advertising revenue," said Matt Sanders, Senior Director and General Manager of Deseret Digital Media. "We are pleased to join the ranks of a select group of LMC business-to-business service providers, and we look forward to working with Consortium members and their marketing customers to help them garner results." Native advertising is a powerful new income source for local newspaper groups and other regional media companies in a rapidly changing industry. BrandForge (BrandForge.com) helps local newspaper groups and other small- and mid-sized publishers launch and scale native advertising projects for local content marketing clients, enabling these publishers to tap a revenue source previously out of reach for many local media operators. BrandForge consultants and content specialists help media clients develop their local product and pricing, and train them to secure content marketing clients, then create tailored sponsored content to publish, promote and monetize on their sites. BrandForge's end-to-end system for producing highly engaging sponsored content also enables media companies to maintain a strict, ethical wall between advertising and editorial staff. ABOUT DESERET DIGITAL MEDIA Deseret Digital Media is Utah's largest digital media company, reaching more than 20 million monthly unique visitors and more than 100 million global social follows, generating over one billion monthly ad impressions. The company operates the online properties of Utah's NBC affiliate, KSL, including KSL.com, the network's breaking news site, and KSL Marketplace, the only classifieds hub in the U.S. which locally outperforms national online classifieds competitors. Deseret Digital Media also operates DeseretNews.com and National.DeseretNews.com, the regional and national online editions of the Deseret News, Utah's first news organization and longest continuously operating business. The company also owns the FamilyShare Network, a global content platform in multiple languages offering practical advice for families, and Utah.com, the state's no. 1 travel and tourism clearinghouse. Deseret Digital Media also offers business-to-business services through BrandForge, its native advertising and content studio for local media organizations. ABOUT BRANDFORGE BrandForge (BrandForge.com) was initially created in 2013 to manage native advertising operations for Deseret Digital Media, its parent company and Utah's largest digital media company. It now provides native advertising and content services to a variety of outside partners. Today, BrandForge serves 30 clients representing more than 60 individual media organizations. For more information, visit http://solutions.deseretdigital.com/brandforge.html. ABOUT THE LOCAL MEDIA CONSORTIUM: The Local Media Consortium is a strategic partnership of leading local media companies focused on increasing member companies' share of digital revenue and audience by pursuing new relationships with a variety of technology companies and service providers. The LMC was founded in 2013 to address the needs of advertisers seeking to reach high-quality audiences on brand safe local digital properties at scale. In addition, the LMC provides members with access to leading technology and content solutions by fostering key partnerships with companies including Google, Monster, Yahoo and others. The LMC membership encompasses more than 75 local media companies in top markets across the United States and Puerto Rico, and includes more than 1,700 publications. The LMC audience footprint currently spans 155 million unique monthly visitors and its member companies serve more than four billion page views to readers. More information is available at www.localmediaconsortium.com. For further information, contact: Thatcher+Co Christina Gillham, 917-825-6990 [email protected] SOURCE Deseret Digital Media DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Board of Trustees has named Dr. P. Barry Butler, Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of Iowa (UI), as the sixth president of the world's leading institution of higher education focusing on aviation, aerospace and research. During a meeting Feb. 14 at the university's headquarters in Daytona Beach, the Board unanimously appointed Dr. Butler to the position after he received across-the-board support from the Presidential Search Committee that included trustees, faculty, staff and student representatives and delegates from the university's Daytona Beach, Prescott, Ariz., and Worldwide campuses. "It is important to note that Dr. Butler received 100 percent endorsement from everyone involved in this search. From the members of the Presidential Search Committee and the Faculty Advisory Committee all of the way through the short list to the final approval of the Board of Trustees, there was one name that consistently rose to the top. And that was Dr. Butler," said Mori Hosseini, Chairman of the university's Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Presidential Search Committee. Dr. Butler will assume his position as president on March 13. "I'm thrilled to be named Embry-Riddle's next president and look forward to building upon the outstanding global reputation of the university," said Dr. Butler. "The energy and passion of the faculty, students, staff and Board members I've met throughout the interview process made it clear I'm joining a very special institution." Dr. Butler joined the University of Iowa faculty in 1984 as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and progressed to the rank of professor. Other positions held by Dr. Butler at UI include Department Executive Officer of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Interim Dean and Dean of Engineering. As provost at UI, Dr. Butler has been responsible for more than 100 academic programs in the university's 11 colleges. While he was dean, the College of Engineering experienced record growth in undergraduate enrollment, external research funding and private support for faculty development, programmatic initiatives, facility improvements and student scholarships. To read the full news release, please go to news.erau.edu. For more on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, go to erau.edu. Media Contacts: - Melanie Hanns, Director of Media Relations; (386) 226-7538; [email protected] - James Roddey, Director of Communications; Office: (386) 226-6198; [email protected] SOURCE Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Related Links http://www.erau.edu Duo Principal Security Strategist Wendy Nather presented Merrill and Coberley with the Industry and Academic Awards, respectively, at a special ceremony held last night in front of a capacity crowd of 500 infosecurity industry luminaries, leaders and reporters during the 2017 RSA Conference. Both women received registration and travel accommodations to the conference and a $2,500 stipend. "We hope to inspire the next generation of leaders in security by raising the visibility of women whose work has lifted our community," said Dug Song, Duo Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer. "Whitney's achievements at the intersection of security, privacy, and law benefit us all, helping to set the bar for how our industry should protect the rights of users, and educating the community to such issues via her Crypto & Privacy Village at DEFCON." "Katelyn has been a tireless champion and organizer of a security community in Michigan that is inclusive and welcoming," continued Song. "We celebrate them not only for the impact they've had in their respective areas, but for their dedication to the success of those around them." Women in Security Awards winners are chosen by a panel of information security leaders including Song, Nather, Jon Oberheide, Duo Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer; Parisa Tabriz, Google Princess of Security; Scotland Symons, Microsoft Senior Security Architect and Rachel Sitarz, Cyber Inform CEO. Selection criteria is based on: Significant contributions to the fields of information security and privacy Exceptional knowledge, leadership and professionalism in technical, academic or commercial industries Community involvement Providing mentorship, and encouraging the empowerment and success of women in the security industry and related causes The Winners Industry Award: Whitney Merrill, Federal Trade Commission attorney, called in her nomination, "a force to be reckoned with," leads the charge at the intersection of information security and law and is widely regarded as a leader in the protection of individual rights and privacy. Starting her career as a summer intern at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), she went on to co-found the Crypto & Privacy Village, a staple at numerous security conferences. At the FTC, Merrill works on a number of consumer protection issues involving false advertising, deception, privacy and data security. Merrill's extensive research on data mining with Android APIs was published in the Network & Distributed System Security (NDSS) symposium, among other notable academic projects. She received her Masters in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. During her time at UIUC, Whitney was an Illinois Cyber Security Scholar and a member of the Illinois Security Lab. Academic Award: Katelyn Coberley, EMU student, was described in her nomination as, "the lifeblood of the Information Assurance program at Eastern Michigan University." Coberley was a digital leader and on-campus advocate for technology education, and one of the cofounders of the Women in Information Assurance program at EMU, which promotes cybersecurity awareness, education, training and professional development. She also led initiatives such as Digital Divas, a conference that attracts more than 500 female students annually to explore different fields in technology, and was an active member of EMU's Cyber Collegiate Defense Competition team. Coperley graduated magna cum laude with honors from EMU in December 2016 and is widely considered a rising star by her peers. Past honorees include Parisa Tabriz, Chrome Security Manager at Google; Rachel Sitarz, Graduate Assistant at Purdue University; Scotland Symons, Senior Security Architect at Microsoft and Jennifer Granick, Director of Civil Liberties at Stanford's Center for Internet and Society. Nominations for the 2018 Duo Security Women in Security Awards will open in September 2017. For more information, please visit www.women-in-security.com. About Duo Security Duo Security is a cloud-based Trusted Access provider protecting thousands of the world's largest and fastest-growing companies and organizations, including Dresser-Rand Group, Etsy, NASA, Facebook, K-Swiss, Paramount Pictures, Random House, SuddenLink, Toyota, Twitter, Yelp, Zillow and more. Duo Security's innovative and easy-to-use technology can be quickly deployed to protect users, data and applications from breaches, credential theft and account takeover. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company also has offices in San Mateo, California; Austin, Texas and London. Duo Security is backed by Benchmark, Google Ventures, Radar Partners, Redpoint Ventures and True Ventures. Try it for free at www.duo.com. SOURCE Duo Security Related Links http://www.duo.com COSTA MESA, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Successfully managing fraud happens when companies stay ahead of fast-paced threats. Experian helps businesses across the globe with this reason in mind. Our recently released fraud and identity platform, CrossCore won New Security Product or Service and Security Product Management / Development Team of the Year awards at the 13th Annual Info Security Products Guide's 2017 Global Excellence Awards. "We are proud to be recognized for helping organizations catch fraud faster while making it safe for consumers to go about their daily routine. This is what inspires Experian to create innovative fraud and identity solutions that benefit consumers, companies and the entire industry," said Steve Platt, global executive vice president, Fraud and Identity, Experian. "For the first time, companies can use an open platform CrossCore to manage their entire fraud and identity portfolio, keep up with the speed of fraud, and deliver a great customer experience." The Info Security Products Guide's 2017 Global Excellence Awards are the security industry's premier global excellence awards program, honoring achievements in every facet of security and information technology. These prestigious awards recognize security and IT vendors with advanced, ground-breaking products and solutions that are helping set the bar higher in all areas of security and technologies. Experian connects new and existing fraud and identity systems in one central place. The plug-and-play capability blends disparate products and services through a common access point, enabling a layered approach to managing risks. CrossCore has a powerful workflow and strategy design capabilities that allow fraud and compliance teams to rapidly create and adapt based on evolving threats and business needs. This has been a game changer, allowing organizations to better control risk exposure while providing a safer and more enjoyable experience for customers. Learn more about how sharing fraud technology can help your business. About Info Security Products Guide Awards SVUS (Silicon Valley United States) Awards are conferred in 10 annual award programs: The Info Security PG's Global Excellence Awards, The IT Industry's Hot Companies and Best Products Awards, The Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards, and Consumer World Awards, CEO World Awards, Customer Sales and Service World Awards, The Globee Fastest Growing Private Companies Awards, Women World Awards, PR World Awards, and Pillar Great Employers World Awards. These premier awards honor organizations of all types and sizes from all over the world including the people, products, performance, PR and marketing. To learn more, visit http://www.svusawards.com/. About Experian Experian is the world's leading global information services company. During life's big moments from buying a home or a car, to sending a child to college, to growing a business by connecting with new customers we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organizations to prevent identity fraud and crime. We have 17,000 people operating across 37 countries and every day we're investing in new technologies, talented people and innovation to help all our clients maximize every opportunity. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Learn more at www.experianplc.com or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the company. Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Contacts: Kristie Galvani Matt Tatham Rubenstein Public Relations Experian Public Relations 1 212 805 3005 1 917 446 7227 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Experian Related Links http://www.experian.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The March 24 all-day conference "The Israel Lobby and American Policy" at the National Press Club will feature the following speakers: Wajahat Ali is a journalist, writer, lawyer, award-winning playwright, TV host, and consultant. Ali will discuss the intersection of pro-Israel organizations and donors and Islamophobia he uncovered as the lead author and researcher of the report "Fear, Inc: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America." Hanan Ashrawi is a long-time Palestinian legislator, analyst and political leader. She will discuss the Israel lobby and the "peace process" from a Palestinian perspective. Katherine Franke is the Sulzbacher Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, and is on the Executive Committee of Columbia's Center for Palestine Studies. She also sits on the steering committee of the Academic Advisory Council of Jewish Voice for Peace, and chairs the Board of Directors of the Center for Constitutional Rights, based in New York City. Franke will review recent legislation that threatens the First Amendment rights of Palestinian solidarity activists in the U.S. and the legal challenges thereto. Eric Margolis is an award-winning, internationally syndicated columnist and will present a discussion titled "Looking forward, why does Israel need U.S. aid?" John Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science and the co-director of the Program on International Security Policy at the University of Chicago. He will review what has changed in the decade since the book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy was published and what the new administration could do differently in the future that would better serve broader American interests. Jim Moran is a former U.S. Representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district in Northern Virginia, including the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria, all of Arlington County, and a portion of Fairfax County. Moran will discuss "What it takes to beat the lobby" in Congress. Ilan Pappe is Professor of History and Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK. He will discuss the utility of viewing Israel-Palestine through the lens of settler-colonialism. Nick Rahall is a grandson of Lebanese immigrants and represented West Virginia in the U.S. Congress from 1977 to 2015. Rahall will advise on "How to support the members of Congress who are beginning to listen to all their constituents" on Middle East policy issues. Jack Shaheen is an acclaimed author and media critic. He will discuss strategies he used to successfully push back against harmful Hollywood stereotypes about Arabs and Muslims and the work new generations must now take on. Grant Smith is the director of the Washington, DC-based Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep) and the author of six books about the Israel lobby. He will discuss a series of stunningbut underreportedpolls revealing true American attitudes about U.S. aid to Israel and other top AIPAC programs. View more information at the conference website and register online at IsraelLobbyAndAmericanPolicy.org Attendees receive lunch, beverage ticket for the post-conference reception, and a complimentary DVD of the 2016 conference "Israel's Influence: Good or Bad for America?" During the month of February, a limited-quantity of $85 tickets are available. Purchasers of two (2) or more tickets can receive a complimentary three-DVD set of the conference series. The Israel Lobby and American Policy conference is solely sponsored by the American Educational Trust, publisher of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, and the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep). SOURCE Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- If you joined the U.S. armed forces after 2006 or will do so before the end of 2017, the Investor Protection Trust (IPT) and Investor Protection Institute (IPI) have some important information you need to see about your financial future. Also designed to serve any other current or former member of the U.S. military, the updated edition of the Kiplinger's Financial Field Manual: A Personal Finance Guide For Military Families is a personal finance guide made possible by the Investor Protection Trust and the Investor Protection Institute and a number of state securities agencies. The Financial Field Manual is being released in anticipation of Military Saves Week, February 27-March 4, 2017. What's new in the update to the Financial Field Manual? Men and women who join the armed forces between 2006 and the end of next year will face a new challenge: Whether to stick with the retirement system that's been in place for decades or choose a new, blended plan that includes both a pension and contributions to the government's Thrift Savings Plan. Those who enlist in 2018 and later years will automatically go into the blended system. To help those who must make the choice, the Investor Protection Trust and Investor Protection Institute are now making available the completely updated edition of Kiplinger's Financial Field Manual: A Personal Finance Guide For Military Families. The popular guide, including a special section about the new retirement plan, will be distributed free. Available online at http://www.investorprotection.org/learn-about-investing/?fa=military, the Financial Field Manual also helps military members and their families make the most of the special financial benefits open to them, including tax breaks, low-cost investments, legal protections, education opportunities and insurance programs. "The latest edition of the Financial Field Manual is a powerful weapon in the fight for financial security for the men and women who serve in the military," said Knight A. Kiplinger, editor in chief, Kiplinger's Personal Finance and Kiplinger.com. "We know they confront unique, often complex financial challenges. We want to help make sure they take advantage of the valuable benefits and investing opportunities available to them." Don Blandin, president and CEO of Investor Protection Trust and the Investor Protection Institute, called attention to the Field Manual's warnings about financial fraud. "While members of the military have access to some very valuable benefits, they also find themselves singled out by unscrupulous swindlers who target and then prey on active and retired military personnel. Our step-by-step guide makes it very clear what military families should doand what they should avoid." The Financial Field Manual is authored by long-time Kiplinger's Personal Finance columnist and Contributing Editor Kim Lankford, who also has years of pertinent first-hand experience as a military spouse. "As a military family for 21 years, we had access to special programs and benefits that financial publications rarely write about. I'm happy to share the strategies and resources that helped us make the most of these opportunities to build financial security, prepare for three deployments, and make the transition to civilian life. And it's especially timely now that servicemembers have to make important decisions about the new retirement program." The following topics are covered in-depth by the manual: Investing In Your Future: Make the Most of Special Savings Plans and New Rules (page 1) (page 1) Your Military Benefits: Discover all the Advantages and Protections to Which You're Entitled (page 5) (page 5) Before and After Deployment: Take Smart Steps to Protect Your Family and Your Finances (page 8) (page 8) Buying and Selling a Home: Benefit From Special Perks and Resources to Ease Military Moves (page 11) (page 11) Financial Fraud Watch: Protect Yourself From Scams That Target Service members (page 13) (page 13) Leaving the Military: Plan A Smooth Return to Civilian Life With This Checklist (page 15) (page 15) Financial Resources for Military Families (page 17) ABOUT THE GROUPS The Investor Protection Trust is a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education. More than half of all Americans are now invested in the securities markets, making investor education and protection vitally important. Since 1993 the Investor Protection Trust has worked with the states and at the national level to provide the independent, objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions. The Investor Protection Trust strives to keep all Americans on the right money track. Become a fan of IPT on Facebook or investorprotection.org and follow IPT on Twitter and LinkedIn. The Investor Protection Institute is an independent nonprofit organization that advances investor protection by conducting and supporting unbiased research and groundbreaking education programs. IPI carries out its mission through investor education, protection and research programs delivered at both the national and grassroots level in collaboration with state securities regulators and other strategic partners. IPI is dedicated to providing innovative investor-protection programs that will make a meaningful difference in the financial lives of Americans in all walks of life and at all levels of sophistication about financial matters. Become a fan of IPI on Facebook or iInvest.org and follow IPI on Twitter and YouTube. For nine decades, the Kiplinger organization has led the way in personal finance and business forecasting. Founded in 1920 by W.M. Kiplinger, the company developed one of the nation's first successful newsletters in modern times. The Kiplinger Letter, launched in 1923, remains the longest continuously published newsletter in the United States. In 1947, Kiplinger created the nation's first personal finance magazine. Kiplinger.com is the fastest growing Web site in the personal finance space. Located in the heart of our nation's capital, the Kiplinger editors remain dedicated to delivering sound, unbiased advice for your family and your business in clear, concise language. Become a fan of Kiplinger on Facebook or Kiplinger.com and follow Kiplinger on Twitter, LinkedIn and Tumblr. SOURCE Investor Protection Trust and Investor Protection Institute, Washington, D.C. SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 21-23, 2017, global leaders in the footwear industry will convene at FN PLATFORM in Las Vegas. A subsidiary of UBM Fashion Group, the international showcase is the pillar in branded footwear featuring men's, women's, junior's and children's footwear brands from more than 20 countries. Always an exciting three days for the industry, this year FN PLATFORM unveiled a few new highlights and happenings. "We want all show attendees to have a first-class experience," said Leslie Gallin, President of Footwear at UBM Fashion. "Our show floor lounges offer an elevated comfortable space to re-energize or meet with friends and colleagues. We also put a focus on the food selection and cocktail offerings as well as special enhancements like foot massages or hair and makeup retouching. This adds to the overall experience for the buyers, all under one roof. NEW YEAR, NEW LOUNGES Broken into six distinct lifestyle neighborhoods Black Diamond ,Cosmo, Camp, Bond, IN Play, and Zen FN PLATFORM attendees can enjoy four beautifully appointed lounges featuring food and beverages throughout the show floor. Newly redecorated Camp/Bond, Cosmo, IN Play and Zen lounges will feature a complete refresh to provide a more modern aesthetic and streamlined look and feel. STARS HIT SIN CITY BERLIN , most renowned for 'Take My Breath Away' will perform at FN PLATFORM's bi-annual Opening Night Concert. February 21, 2017 from 6pm to 7pm at the FN Cafe, on the show floor. , most renowned for 'Take My Breath Away' will perform at FN PLATFORM's bi-annual Opening Night Concert. from at the FN Cafe, on the show floor. Actress and singer, Kiersey Clemmons ( Dope, Transparent, Extant) will make an appearance at the Coolway booth on Wednesday, February 22 nd from 1pm to 3pm . Booth #80693, LVCC South Hall. will make an appearance at the Coolway booth on from . Booth #80693, LVCC South Hall. Taryn Rose , the originator for luxury comfort shoes for women, will relaunch her brand for Fall/Winter 2017. Meet and greet with the pioneer on Tuesday, February 21 st and Wednesday, February 22 nd from 10am to 4pm . Booth #80601, LVCC South Hall, Level 1. TRUMP & POLITICS & Dov Charney! It's been a 'squirrely' year in business and politics. Join some of the industry's leading voices as they speak about hot topics, such as the Trump administration's effect on the fashion business, in the seminar 'Looking Forward'. Tuesday, February 21 st from 10:30am to 11:30am , S229, LVCC South Hall. from , S229, LVCC South Hall. SPEAKERS: Dov Charney (former CEO of American Apparel and Founder of Los Angeles Apparel), Mark Burnstein (President, NGS Software), Erik D. Smithweiss (Partner, GDLSK LLP), Vincent Iacopella (EVP, Alba Group). THE FUTURE IS 3-D PENSOLE Academy will host its bi-annual competition, but this time to find the shoe industry's best emerging 3D designers, who will showcase the use of 3D technology and personalization for footwear. Booth #82500, LVCC South Hall, Level 1. FRENCH CONNECTION For the first time outside of Paris's Premiere Classe, FN PLATFORM will introduce a French Pavilion. Under the guidance of ADC, 10 brands from France will be heading to Las Vegas . Brands include: Elodie Bruno , Gordana Dimitrijevic , Maison Jour Ferie, Le Flow Paris , Pairs in Paris , among others. Booth #80623, LVCC South Hall, Level 1. FRINGE BENEFITS Daily foot massages by Foot Petals inside FN PLATFORM's ZEN Lounge. Daily Hair and Makeup touch ups by Mobile Beauty inside the COSMO Lounge. Build-A-Bear: In partnership with Esquire Footwear, its footwear licensee, Build-A-Bear Workshop is coming to FN PLATFORM. Any bears remaining after the event will be donated to a local chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. FN PLATFORM continues to be where buyers and sellers converge to shop and shape the industry. In just six years, FN PLATFORM has grown from 100 exhibitors to over 1,600 exhibiting brands, representing over 30 countries across 200,000+ square feet. For additional information, please visit www.ubmfashion.com/shows/fn-platform. About FN PLATFORM Launched in February 2010 under the direction of UBM Fashion Group, President of Footwear Leslie Gallin, FN PLATFORM is North America's most influential footwear business forum - where the leaders and innovators converge to shape the industry, shop and sell shoes. Connecting the global fashion community at a single gathering, FN PLATFORM showcases the full spectrum of branded footwear for men, women, juniors and children, across all categories, price points and trends. The carefully curated selections of established and emerging brands segmented into easy-to-navigate lifestyle neighborhoods offer attendees a comprehensive one-stop shop opportunity that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. For more information, please visit www.ubmfashion.com/shows/fn-platform. About UBM Americas UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc, delivers events and marketing services in the fashion, technology, licensing, advanced manufacturing, automotive and powersports, healthcare, veterinary and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Through a range of aligned interactive environments, both physical and digital, UBM Americas increases business effectiveness for customers and audiences through meaningful experiences, knowledge and connections. The division also includes UBM Brazil's market leading events in construction, cargo transportation, logistics & international trade, and agricultural production; and UBM Mexico's, construction, advanced manufacturing and hospitality services shows. For more information, visit: www.ubmamericas.com. SOURCE FN PLATFORM Montanas apprentice hunter program could expand to include those over the age of 18. Sen. Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell, brought Senate Bill 218 to the Senate Fish and Game Committee Tuesday. The bill makes some needed clarifications to the apprentice hunter bill he carried last session while also expanding the program to eligible adults. In 2015 the program created a $5 apprentice hunting certificate for hunters from 10 to 18 years old to use with a designated mentor. The mentor must be 21 years old and related by blood, marriage, adoption or be the apprentices legal guardian. A parent or legal guardian can also designate a non-family member as a mentor. Apprentice hunters can hunt for two seasons before needing to complete hunter safety. The bill creating the program divided conservation groups for not requiring apprentice hunters to first complete hunter safety, and lowering the hunter minimum age to 10. The bill eventually went into law amended to a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks licensing bill and received generally positive feedback the last two seasons. On Tuesday, Blasdel marveled at the popularity of the program. Projected to attract 1,350 hunters in its first year, more than 3,700 young hunters seized the opportunity in 2015 and nearly 4,600 last year, he said. SB218 makes some needed clarifications, he said, that reflect the original bills intent. First and in response to some initial confusion, it clarifies that hunters under 12 who complete hunter safety are not rendered ineligible from becoming apprentices. The move encourages those young hunters to enroll in hunter safety, Blasdel said. Second, the bill clarifies that black bear, mountain lion and wolf license are not included in the apprentice hunter program. All special-draw licenses are also excluded. Deer, turkey, upland and migratory birds, plus elk for those 15 and older can be hunted by apprentices. The programs biggest evolution under SB218 would allow those adults who would be required to complete hunter safety to become apprentices. The law currently says those born after Jan. 1, 1985, must complete hunter safety to obtain a hunting license. The bill has been so successful and opened so many doors, what Id like to do is open this up for hunters from 18 to 32, Blasdel said. Hunters in this age category would follow the same rules, but the mentor can simply be someone over 21 years of age, rather than a relative, he added. SB218 saw unanimous support from those testifying. The bills clarifying language makes perfect sense and expanding the ages addresses Montanas changing demographics, said Mac Minard, executive director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. While the Montana Wildlife Federation initially opposed the apprentice program, MWFs Ben Lamb told the committee that SB218 has appropriate sideboards and is a good step forward for a program starting to see success. While some members still have serious concerns, this bill is a good bill, he said. Blasdel closed on his bill noting that hunting tends to drop off at age 18. SB218 is an, opportunity to open the door to a few more people and clarify the law as is, he said. The committee did not take immediate action on the bill. ASHBURN, Va., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Fornetix announced an OEM Agreement with Thales, integrating the nShield HSM with Fornetix Key Orchestration. The Key Orchestration Appliance is now commercially available, tightly integrating the nShield HSM directly in the Key Orchestration Appliance. The Key Orchestration Appliance delivers the unprecedented key management scale and automation capabilities of Key Orchestration in a highly-secured FIPS 140-2 Level 3 appliance. "The integration of the nShield HSM with Key Orchestration software and hardware will allow customers to operate at the highest level of physical based security," said Peter Galvin, VP of Strategy at Thales e-Security. "We are pleased that Fornetix selected the industry leading nShield HSM to integrate with their Key Orchestration Appliance to provide high assurance KMIP compliant key management. "The Fornetix Team is very excited to be able to announce our OEM Agreement with Thales at RSA 2017," said Jack Wright, COO and Acting CEO of Fornetix. "In 2015 and 2016, and now in 2017, Key Orchestration has demonstrated a high level of compliance with the full spectrum of KMIP functionality. This commercial release of the Key Orchestration Appliance with the nShield KMIP compliant HSM is the culmination of many years' worth of dedicated effort to bring a higher level of cybersecurity to all legitimate enterprises at this critical time when cybersecurity is so much in question." "The Fornetix team has focused consistently on standards-based encryption and encryption key management as a way to make encryption more affordable, as well as more secure and easier to manage," said Chuck White, CTO of Fornetix. "This fully integrated FIPS 140-2 Level 3 Appliance is a dramatic demonstration of the commercial power being made available by the OASIS KMIP standard." Jack Wright continued, "Our standards-based mission has been greatly assisted by the Key Management Interoperability Protocol as it has evolved over the years through KMIP 1.0 through 1.4. In addition, Key Orchestration has been built using the powerful KMIP foundational software developed and provided by Cryptsoft." Fornetix will be in the OASIS booth and independently exhibiting at the 2017 RSA Conference, South Expo booth # 2743, on February 13th through 17th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. "Our Mission is to protect and serve," said Jack Wright. About Fornetix Fornetix is an advanced encryption/key management software company based in Northern Virginia. We are a Team of 70 cybersecurity and business experts that are Mission Driven to reverse the tide of eroding cybersecurity. From core to edge and beyond, Fornetix reduces costs, improves security, and removes the operational complexities by automating and optimizing enterprise encryption key management services. For more information about Fornetix, visit: https://www.fornetix.com/. Our solution is Key OrchestrationDon't Just Manage Encryption. Orchestrate it! SOURCE Fornetix Related Links http://www.fornetix.com Paying homage to the year of the first overwater bungalow, the 50 th Anniversary Package includes a 1,967 resort credit, which is applied to stays of six or more consecutive nights, and can be used by guests on resort charges such as dining , activities and spa experiences. Additionally, guests booking this package will receive a "Make Your Own Mai Tai" kit, allowing them to further celebrate this occasion with French Polynesia's most famous cocktail. "This is a historic occasion, and we're celebrating the overwater bungalow all year long with this special resort credit," said Maria Jagla, general manager of Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora. "These unique accommodations have a come a long way since 1967, and we're proud to offer the ultimate version, full of luxury and comfort, here at Four Seasons." The first overwater bungalow was built by the famed "Bali Hai Boys" on the French Polynesian island of Raiatea in 1967. This sought-after design has since been replicated around the world, though Bora Bora is most known as the luxury destination of choice for these accommodations. Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora offers 100 overwater bungalow suites (15 with private plunge pools), ranging in size from 1,120 2,228 square feet (104 207 square meters.) Each designed with traditional thatched roofs, indigenous Polynesian artwork, modern flair and privacy in mind. The Resort also offers seven inclusive beachfront villa estates, while dining options include a vast selection of creative culinary experiences, from Polynesian to French to South Pacific fusion. A full-service spa offers the perfect combination of relaxation and exhilaration, while an abundance of active adventure options await. The Resort has recently introduced offering private jet charters from Los Angeles to Bora Bora. In partnership with Aircraft Logix, this new service provides non-stop flights from the executive terminals of Los Angeles area airports (including LAX, VNY and others) bypassing the hassles of commercial air travel, and boarding directly onto a Gulfstream G550 or other large cabin aircraft private charter. Guests have the year-round option of an exclusive private charter (one party of up to 12 guests), or a shared private charter (with other Four Seasons guests) over select dates throughout 2017, including a Spring Break charter April 13-20, a Festive charter in December and other lifestyle-oriented charters centered around romance, culinary experiences and wellness. Both private and shared charter options are offered with select accommodations and activities, providing a truly personalized experience. The charter shuttle service is provided as a complimentary value added consideration, exclusively for guests of Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora. For more information or Resort reservations, please visit www.fourseasons.com/borabora, call (800) 819-5053 or contact your travel professional (chain code FS.) SOURCE Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora GOLDEN, Colo., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Minerals Company (NYSE MKT: AUMN; TSX: AUM) ("Golden Minerals", "Golden" or "the Company") is pleased to announce positive results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for its Santa Maria silver and gold project located near Santa Barbara in Chihuahua State, Mexico. The PEA presents a base case assessment of developing Santa Maria's mineral resource and incorporates the results of an updated National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") compliant mineral resource estimate dated as of February 15, 2017. PEA Highlights Post-tax net present value ("NPV") of $6.4 million and pre-tax internal rate of return of 84 percent at an 8 percent discount rate and pre-tax internal rate of return of 84 percent at an 8 percent discount rate Total capital requirements of $1.2 million (initial capital $1.0 million , sustaining capital $0.2 million ) (initial capital , sustaining capital ) Pre-production development time 10 to 11 months Life of mine ("LOM") 3.2 years Payback in month 16 LOM free cash flow $8.5 million LOM silver production 2.1 Moz; LOM gold production 7.2 koz LOM average silver grade 332 grams per tonne ("gpt"); average gold grade 1.28 gpt LOM cash cost of $12 per Ag oz (net of Au credits) Note: PEA parameters assume prices of $1,222/oz gold, $17.30/oz silver and a discount rate of eight percent. Values above are approximate. All $ values in $US. Warren Rehn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Minerals, commented, "We are pleased with the results of this independently-prepared PEA, as it presents a low cost and profitable operation at current metals prices. If we go ahead with the project, production at Santa Maria would mark Golden's re-emergence as a producer of close to one million silver equivalent ounces annually, with the potential to move the company to positive net cash flow. We believe there is also excellent potential for expansion of the project which could lead to continued production beyond the initial three-year period considered in the PEA." Next Steps Golden will continue work related to optimizing operating plans for the project and obtaining permits for the potential mining operation as considered in the current PEA. Permit applications have been submitted and are pending comment and acceptance. Golden is also developing plans for additional exploration work to expand the resource. Mining Operations The PEA contemplates a 38-month underground mining operation initially utilizing pre-existing underground development at a mine production rate of 200 tons per day using a combination of cut and fill, shrinkage and other mining techniques, and custom milling at a local third-party flotation mill. As Golden Minerals already owns the mining equipment required to complete this project, the out of pocket capital costs for start-up are expected to be low. Key parameters of the PEA are as follows. Description Unit Cost ($/t-milled) Total Value ($M) Net Smelter Return $148.56 $34.3 Land Acquisition -$4.48 -$1.0 Net Revenue $144.08 $33.3 Operating Costs Mining $55.13 $12.7 Processing $40.00 $9.2 G&A $1.34 $0.3 Lease $0.84 $0.2 Operating Costs $97.31 $22.5 Operating Margin $46.77 $10.8 Capital Costs Mining - $0.4 Infrastructure - $0.5 Owner Costs - $0.3 Capital Costs - $1.2 Estimate of Tax Federal Tax 1 - $0.0 Special Mining Tax - -$0.9 Precious Metals Tax - -$0.2 Estimate of Tax - -$0.9 Cash Flow - $8.5 NPV 8% - $6.4 IRR - 84% Payback (months) - 16 1 Assumes Company uses existing Net Operating Loss carry forward General Assumptions Description Units Value Market Prices Gold $/oz $1,222 Silver $/oz $17.30 Taxes Federal Tax* % 30.0% Special Mining Tax % 7.5% Precious Metals Tax % 0.5% Financial Discount Rate % 8.0% *Not applied due to the assumption that existing Net Operating Losses would be utilized. Process Summary Description Units Value Concentrate (dry) kt 15 Payable Metal Recoveries Sulfide Gold % 80% Silver % 90% Transition Gold % 58% Silver % 75% Recovered Metals Sulfide Gold koz 6.0 Silver koz 1,635 Transition Gold koz 1.2 Silver koz 488 Capital and Operating Costs Operating Cost Estimate Summary Description LOM Unit Cost Cost ($M) ($/t-milled) Mining $12.7 $55.13 Processing $9.2 $40.00 G&A $0.3 $1.34 Lease $0.2 $0.84 Total (LOM Cash Cost) $22.5 $97.31 Sustaining Capital $0.2 Capital Cost Estimate Summary Description Initial Sustaining Total Capital ($M) Capital ($M) Capital ($M) Mining $0.4 $0.0 $0.4 Infrastructure $0.5 $0.0 $0.5 Owner's Costs $0.1 $0.2 $0.3 Total $1.0 $0.2 $1.2 Metals Price Sensitivity Metal High Base Low Au $1,300 $1,222 $1,144 Ag $20.00 $17.30 $14.60 NPV 8%* $11,304 $6,438 $1,974 IRR 121% 84% 37% *NPV in Thousands NPV (8 %) Project Sensitivity ($000) % of Base Case 90% 100% 110% NSR Revenue $3,870 $6,438 $9,007 Opex $8,165 $6,438 $4,711 Capex $6,548 $6,438 $6,328 Santa Maria Mineral Resource Estimate Dated February 15, 2017 In conjunction with the PEA, the independent firm of Tetra Tech prepared an updated NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate. The new estimate incorporates results of 24 additional underground drill holes and 460 channel samples from drifts and the trial mining face. The underground drilling and channel sampling has allowed for a more than doubling of indicated resources since the previous April 2015 mineral resource estimate. Indicated and Inferred mineral resource estimates as of February 15, 2017 for Santa Maria are shown as follows: Classification Cutoff Grade Tonnes Ag g/t Au g/t AgEq g/t Ag toz Au toz AgEq toz Dilution% Recovered AgEq g/t (M) (k) (M) Indicated 175 180,000 304 1.4 404 1.73 8.1 2.31 10% Inferred 175 160,000 321 0.9 387 1.64 4.7 1.98 18% Notes: (1) Mineral resources are reported as diluted Tonnes and grade; (2) Cutoff grade and Ag equivalent calculated using metal prices of $17.3 and $1,222 per troy ounce of Ag and Au, respectively, with a ratio of 70.6:1, the three year trailing average as of the end of December 2016; (3) Cutoff applied to diluted Ag equivalent blocks grades using recoveries of 90% and 80% Ag and Au, respectively; (4) Reported indicated mineral resources are equivalent to mineralized material under SEC Industry Guide 7, inferred mineral resource is not a recognized category under SEC Industry Guide 7; and (5) Columns may not total due to rounding. An NI 43-101-compliant technical report will be filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and made available on the Golden Minerals website within 45 days. Property Title and Ownership Golden has the right to acquire the Santa Maria property under an option agreement that requires approximately $0.9 million more in payments in order to acquire 100 percent of the property. Minimum payments of $0.1 million are due every April and October, and Golden has already advanced the minimum payments for 2017 to the property owner. In addition, until Golden has paid the remaining $0.9 million due under the option agreement, the property owners have the right to 50 percent of any net profits from mining activities at the property, after reimbursement of all costs incurred by Golden since April 2015, to the extent that such net profit payments exceed the minimum payments. PEA Information The discounted cash flows in the PEA are provided post-tax and are prepared in compliance with National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Tetra Tech is an independent engineering firm that served as principal author of the PEA prepared on behalf of the Company. Geoff Elson, PG is the independent Qualified Person from Tetra Tech who reviewed and approved the portions of this press release regarding mineral resources. Mark Horan, P.Eng of Tetra Tech is the independent Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the portions of this press release regarding the results of the PEA. Dr. Deepak Malhotra of Resource Development Inc. is the independent Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the metallurgical recoveries. The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. Standalone economics have not been undertaken for the indicated resources and as such no reserves have been estimated for the Project. There is no certainty that the economic results described in the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. About Golden Minerals Golden Minerals is a Delaware corporation based in Golden, Colorado. The Company is primarily focused on acquiring and advancing mining properties in Mexico with emphasis on areas near its Velardena processing plants. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources This press release uses the terms "mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" which are defined in, and required to be disclosed by NI 43-101. We advise U.S. investors that these terms are not recognized by the SEC. The estimation of measured resources and indicated resources involves greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic feasibility than the estimation of proven and probable reserves. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves, and U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that mineral resources will be converted into reserves. The estimation of inferred resources involves far greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic viability than the estimation of other categories of resources. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that estimates of inferred mineral resources exist, are economically mineable, or will be upgraded into measured or indicated mineral resources. Cautionary Statement regarding Mineralized Material "Mineralized material" as used in this press release, although permissible under the SEC's Industry Guide 7, does not indicate "reserves" by SEC standards. We cannot be certain that any deposits at the Santa Maria project will ever be confirmed or converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves". Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the disclosed mineralized material estimates will ever be confirmed or converted into reserves or that mineralized material can be economically or legally extracted. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the Santa Maria PEA results (including cost estimates, development timing, expected cash flow and life of mine and production expectations), estimates of mineral resources for the Santa Maria project, and other expectations regarding the Santa Maria project, including operating and exploration plans, cost expectations and title and ownership matters. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including: the reasonability of the economic assumptions at the basis of the PEA, changes in interpretations of geological, geostatistical, metallurgical, mining or processing information and interpretations of the information resulting from future exploration, analysis or mining and processing experience; new information from drilling programs or other exploration or analysis; unexpected variations in mineral grades, types and metallurgy; fluctuations in silver and gold metal prices; failure of mined material or veins mined to meet expectations; increases in costs and declines in general economic conditions; and changes in political conditions, in tax, royalty, environmental and other laws in Mexico, and financial market conditions. Golden Minerals assumes no obligation to update this information. Additional risks relating to Golden Minerals may be found in the periodic and current reports filed with the SEC by Golden Minerals, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. For additional information please visit http://www.goldenminerals.com/ or contact: Golden Minerals Company Karen Winkler Director of Investor Relations (303) 839-5060 [email protected] SOURCE Golden Minerals Company Related Links http://www.goldenminerals.com GREENWICH, Conn., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gramercy Funds Management LLC ("Gramercy"), a $5.8 billion dedicated emerging markets investment manager, today announced the appointment of Bradshaw McKee to the position of Managing Director, Capital Solutions and Distressed Portfolio Manager. Mr. McKee has over 24 years of distressed and structured credit experience in emerging markets. He most recently co-headed emerging markets structured credit trading at Deutsche Bank, and during his career has held numerous senior emerging market banking and trading positions at Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan in the US and Latin America. Mr. McKee will report to Robert Koenigsberger, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer. Mr. McKee will be a part of Gramercy's Alternatives Portfolio Management team and will expand Gramercy's Capital Solutions team and effort, which develops financing solutions that assist companies in emerging markets and provide compelling potential returns for Gramercy's investors. Over the last 18 months, Gramercy has raised approximately $1B of long-term capital in part to pursue private credit opportunities within emerging markets, including opportunities identified by the Capital Solutions team. The addition of Mr. McKee reflects Gramercy's strong commitment to being the leader in this growing sector within emerging markets credit. Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Koenigsberger said, "Gramercy has always been devoted to bringing our clients a level of emerging markets investment expertise they cannot find elsewhere. Brad's experience allows us to broaden the spectrum of investment opportunities we deploy in our portfolios, utilizing our entire integrated credit platform, for the benefit of our investors. He expands our Capital Solutions team, which is seeing excellent opportunities, especially in markets where traditional sources of credit have been disrupted or displaced." "I am excited to be joining a team that shares my passion for emerging markets investing," said Mr. McKee. "Gramercy offers a unique platform in today's market to take advantage of the structured credit and distressed space. Gramercy's team is a thought leader in emerging markets and has an ambitious vision for the future. I look forward to being part of the Gramercy team and capitalizing on credit opportunities on behalf of our investors." Prior to joining Gramercy, Mr. McKee was Managing Director, Global Co-Head of Emerging Markets Structured Credit Trading at Deutsche Bank. As Senior Trader of the Emerging Markets Corporate Credit Principal Desk in Latin America and CEEMEA, he was responsible for over $2B of risk across distressed and high yield corporate bonds and loan investments, direct lending and non-performing loan portfolios. He also served as a member of Deutsche Bank's Emerging Markets Executive Committee, Emerging Markets Reputational Committee and Global Markets Americas Management Committee. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. McKee spent thirteen years at JPMorgan in various banking and distressed trading roles while working from Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and New York. He earned his MBA from Columbia Business School and his B.A. from Middlebury College. About Gramercy: Gramercy is a $5.8 billion dedicated emerging markets investment manager based in Greenwich, CT with offices in London, Hong Kong, and Mexico City, and a presence in Lima and Buenos Aires. The firm, founded in 1998, seeks to provide investors with superior risk-adjusted returns through a comprehensive approach to emerging markets, supported by a transparent and robust institutional platform. Gramercy offers both alternative and long-only strategies across all emerging markets asset classes including USD debt, local currency debt, high yield corporate debt, distressed debt, equity, private equity and special situations. www.gramercy.com For Further Information Contact: Investors: Stephen A. LaVersa Gramercy 203-552-1923 [email protected] Media: Steve Bruce / John Stavinga ASC Advisors 203-992-1230 [email protected] / [email protected] SOURCE Gramercy Funds Management LLC Related Links http://www.gramercy.com BONITA SPRINGS, Florida, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida-based GreenSafe Worldwide LLC launched today as a global distribution platform for leading North American companies with an initial focus on companies serving the legal cannabis industry. The company will market a select group of high quality products in order to help companies generate increased revenue and heightened visibility. GreenSafe Worldwide is launching with an exclusive contract with a Plant Nutrient Enhancer called Hydroponic Moonshine for which it has sole distribution rights in North America, Central America and South America. Moonshine is a brewed plant bio stimulant that promotes impressive plant growth, health and terpene production in a variety of ways. It is suitable for use with any growing medium, soil, hydro system and NFT. "Hydroponic Moonshine's popularity throughout the UK and Europe is soaring as a result of its impressive ability to promote plant growth and health. More than 200 retailers and distributors are already set up to market the product and demand is keen with current sales already exceeding $2 million. We're projecting that sales of Hydroponic Moonshine will exceed $20 million by 2020. Growers who use Moonshine are noticing exceptional crop quality and yields," said Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Chadwick. Benefits of Hydroponic Moonshine include its ability to dramatically increase THC and CBD levels and intensity while substantially increasing root strength and plant vitality, thus increasing product yields and volume by 10% or more. Research and development data confirms a reduction in need of fertilizer or micro/macro nutrients up to 33 percent. GreenSafe Worldwide is currently accepting inquiries from leading companies interested in increasing sales and distribution worldwide and will accept a small group of companies with which to work. In order to vet companies, the management team will be traveling to 10 industry conferences throughout the United States in 2017. In addition to CEO Scott T. Chadwick, the team is led by: Chief Financial Officer Robert V. Rudman, CPA; Director of Business Development Reed Morgan; Production Director Paul Footitt; and Application & Distribution Director Gary Reid. For additional information or to set up an appointment, please call +1-239-220-0240 or email [email protected]. Media Contact: Charlotte Luer +1-239-404-6785 SOURCE GreenSafe Worldwide LLC DENVER, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GroovyTek, an education-based company providing hour-long in-home personal technology training sessions, recently announced the launch of its services to the Valley of the Sun. GroovyTek works side by side with their clients to empower them to take control of their personal technology on their own terms. The company's trainers assist customers with their smartphones, tablets, computers and other devices covering a wide array of services and topics from security to social media. "We created GroovyTek because we believe that people over forty years old are being mistreated by the technology industry," said Matt Munro, co-founder of GroovyTek. "Everyone deserves to stay connected and understand the technology that's available to them. We take a personalized approach to helping our customers become confident navigating their devices in a patient and respectful way." The company, which is headquartered and has an established customer base in Denver, was created to serve clients and to help navigate the roads of technology independently. GroovyTek is committed to working one-on-one with customers to overcome technological obstacles that may arise while also empowering them to learn more. "At GroovyTek, we use a unique, personalized problem solving technique called the Groovy Method to cultivate working solutions," added Alex Rodas, co-founder of GroovyTek. "Our trainers are passionate and empathetic cultivators who live to help folks achieve those "light-bulb" or "a-ha" moments" in regards to their personal devices." Popular GroovyTek services include smartphone assistance on how to navigate features such as texting, video chatting, using the camera, organizing photos, sending email, managing contacts and keeping track of important appointments and events. In addition, GroovyTek's trainers can help customers stay in touch with friends and family through social media, understand the newest software updates and browse the Internet safely. Additional services include: storage, backup and synching, music downloads and exploring the cloud, apps and downloads. Those interested in scheduling a session can visit the website or call (602) 638-5400. About GroovyTek GroovyTek launched in 2016 as an education-based company that offers one-on-one, in-home personal technology training sessions for smartphones, tablets and computers. Built upon a personalized problem solving technique known as the Groovy Method, GroovyTek trainers serve clients patiently in one-hour sessions and help empower them to grasp personal technology in relatable, understandable terms. GroovyTek was created to serve clients and help them navigate the roads of technology independently. For more information about GroovyTek, visit www.GroovyTek.com or call and schedule an appointment at (602) 638-5400 for Arizona and (303) 317-2800 for Colorado. Follow GroovyTek on Facebook, Twitter and Vimeo. SOURCE GroovyTek Related Links http://www.GroovyTek.com VIENNA, Va., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hair Cuttery, the largest family-owned and operated chain of hair salons in the country, is proud to announce that it will be donating 76,942 free haircut certificates to the homeless. In just two days from February 6 7, patrons visited one of Hair Cuttery's nearly 1,000 salons to participate in this get-one, give-one campaign. The haircut certificates, estimated at $21 each and totaling more than $1.6 million in retail value, will benefit the homeless across the nation. The free haircut certificates will be donated locally to a homeless adult or child in the neighborhoods of all Hair Cuttery's salon locations and will be distributed through partnerships with resident shelters and community organizations. "Our Share-A-Haircut program reaches tens of thousands across the country, and our guests are thrilled about getting involved," said Dennis Ratner, Founder and CEO of Hair Cuttery. "It is a simple gesture that goes such a long way and helps to return a smile back to the faces of adults and children who deserve it." The Miami Rescue Mission is among the organizations that will distribute Hair Cuttery's free haircut certificates to its patrons. Community Development Associate Lian Marcos added, "A haircut has the power to make a person feel confident about their appearance. At the Miami Rescue Mission, we believe that when a homeless person feels good about himself, he is in a better position to make other changes in his life such as finding work, training and recovery." Since 1999, the Share-A-Haircut program has donated more than 2.08 million free haircut certificates valued at more than $34 million. Hair Cuttery has an established history of charitable giving, supporting a range of local and national causes, St. Baldrick's Foundation, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, OneOrlando, Girls on the Run and The National Network to End Domestic Violence. About Hair Cuttery Hair Cuttery is the largest family-owned and operated chain of hair salons in the country, with nearly 1,000 company-owned locations on the East Coast, New England and the Midwest. A full-service, value-priced salon, Hair Cuttery offers a full complement of cuts and styling, coloring, waxing and texturizing services with no appointment necessary, as well as a full line of professional hair care products. Hair Cuttery is committed to delivering a delightful client experience through WOW Service including a Smile Back Guarantee. Hair Cuttery is a division of Ratner Companies, based in Vienna, VA. www.haircuttery.com MEDIA CONTACTS: Emily Noto TBC for Hair Cuttery 410-986-1209 [email protected] Amy Hudzik Ratner Companies 703-269-5175 [email protected] SOURCE Hair Cuttery Related Links http://www.haircuttery.com AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past 20 years, Hartville Pet Insurance GroupSM has provided insurance for more than 400,000 dogs and cats. That's a lot of tail wagging and purring compared to its humble beginnings. Now based in Akron, Ohio, the company will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. The second oldest pet health insurance provider in the U.S., Hartville is an industry leader and has played witness to many milestones along the way. The company was originally founded in North Canton, Ohio in 1997. In the early days, Hartville operated under various names, including PetsHealth Care Plan. In the mid-2000s Hartville made moves that had a significant impact on the business. In 2005, Dennis Rushovich was tapped to lead the company. The very next year, as part of a strategic partnership with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Hartville introduced its most recognizable and impactful brand, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance. "It's been an impressive 20 years for the entire Hartville family. We've not only created a financially strong business, but one that truly helps people and their pets," said Rushovich. "Knowing that what we do can have such a huge impact is very rewarding. Pet health insurance is often the difference for people faced with very difficult financial decisions that affect their four-legged friend's life." Hartville also played a key role in the creation of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) in 2007. Rushovich was one of the organization's founding members and served as past President. In 2013, Hartville became a member of Crum & Forster. Together, the financial strength and shared core values of the companies further established Hartville as a leading pet insurance provider poised for continued growth. Hartville's ASPCA Pet Health Insurance is the largest of the brands in the Pet Insurance Division of Crum & Forster. The company moved to Akron, Ohio, in July 2015, after nearly 10 years in nearby Canton. The 26,000-square-foot office houses a state-of-the-art call center, a data center, a cafeteria named the "chow room" and an outdoor play area for dogs. In fact, one of the perks of working at Hartville is bringing your dog to work every day. Growth throughout the years has been steady. In 2006 the company had fewer than 50 employees. Today, Hartville employs more than 150 people. Just last year the company made significant updates to its product offerings when Complete CoverageSM was launched in October. The product features simple reimbursement, based on a percentage of the covered veterinary bill, and has coverage for accidents, injuries, illnesses and more. For more information, please visit www.hartvillegroup.com or www.aspcapetinsurance.com or call 1-888-716-1203. About Hartville Pet Insurance GroupSM Hartville Pet Insurance Group is one of the oldest and largest pet health insurance providers in the United States. The pet health insurance plans are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company and administered by Fairmont Specialty Insurance Agency (FSIA Insurance Agency in CA), a Crum & Forster company. Hartville Pet Insurance Group markets plans to consumers through veterinary practices, to employers and associations, and direct to consumers in a variety of online and offline channels. More information can be found at www.hartvillegroup.com. ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, one of the most popular pet insurance programs in the U.S., is offered by Hartville Pet Insurance Group through its licensed agency. The ASPCA is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance. Through a licensing agreement, the ASPCA receives a royalty fee that is in exchange for use of the ASPCA's marks and is not a charitable contribution. More information on ASPCA Pet Health Insurance can be found online at www.aspcapetinsurance.com. Hartville Pet Insurance Group is a trademark of United States Fire Insurance Company. United States Fire Insurance Company and Fairmont Specialty Insurance Agency may be individually or collectively referred to as Hartville Pet Insurance Group or Hartville. C&F and Crum & Forster are registered trademarks of United States Fire Insurance Company. Crum & Forster Company is comprised of leading and well-established property and casualty business units. Media Contact: Travis Reynolds, Director, Media Relations [email protected] (234) 231-1830 SOURCE Hartville Pet Insurance Group Related Links http://www.hartvillegroup.com DENVER, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hubble by insightsoftware.com today announced the beginning of Hubble's expansion into the SAP environment, extending its CPM suite capabilities beyond Oracle and JD Edwards Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. Community Coffee Company LLC, the largest family-owned and operated retail coffee brand in America, will begin implementing Hubble's solutions with all-new SAP integration. Late last year, Hubble's parent company insightsoftware.com, acquired Antivia, a business intelligence software company to enhance its portfolio of services, with plans to expand into the SAP ERP markets. Hubble will be providing Community Coffee Company with its full CPM suite of real-time capabilities, including reporting, analytics, planning and data visualization. Hubble for SAP provides modern user experience, automation and technology so enterprises can reduce waste and improve business performance and growth. This is reflected by the almost 1,000 other customers insightsoftware.com serves today. Hubble offers an affordable alternative to other more expensive SAP ERP upgrade options. Community Coffee Company chose Hubble amidst competitors who currently have existing SAP solutions, citing Hubble's commitment to customer satisfaction and ease of use as deciding factors. "In searching for a solution for our financial reporting and planning needs, we have selected a tool that will increase efficiencies not only within our Accounting and Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) teams, but over time benefit our entire organization," said Annette Vaccaro, Senior Vice President, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer at Community Coffee Company. "Hubble's reputation of being reliable and providing professional, real-time analytics preceded them. We're excited about this project and look forward to the results." Hubble is currently developing and customizing its SAP integration with solutions based on Community Coffee Company's needs. Development will be in a phased approach, with the first phase focused on efficiencies within the Finance & Accounting areas. "With Hubble, our customers experience the industry's fastest time to value," said Paul Yarwood, CEO of Hubble. "We saw SAP integration as an important next step to expand on our success and into adjacent markets. Most other BI and CPM offerings require datamarts or data warehouses; Hubble is the only real-time integrated reporting, analytics and planning CPM suite purpose built for your ERP allowing businesses to focus on growth and not data management. We're thrilled to be partnering with one of the most respected coffee companies in the U.S. to launch Hubble for SAP." insightsoftware.com was advised by Sparkhound for this partnership. For more information on Hubble's SAP integration, read more here. About Hubble by insightsoftware.com Hubble is an integrated suite of performance management apps from insightsoftware.com. It offers reporting, analytics and planning in a single real-time solution that fully understands your ERP. Hubble integrates your critical business systems so users at all levels have access to live data-extraordinarily fast. With this type of visibility, everyone can easily understand, manage and predict the business. About Community Coffee Company Now in its 97th year, Community Coffee Company houses the largest family-owned and operated retail coffee brand in America, and four generations of the Saurage family have operated the company since its inception. Founded in 1919, Community Coffee Company is an importer, roaster and distributor of the highest-quality premium coffees and teas, using only 100% Arabica coffee beans. For additional information, visit CommunityCoffee.com or find the brand on Facebook and Twitter. Contacts Amy Hall Senior Marketing Manager insightsoftware.com, Inc. [email protected] Dan Sorensen Method Communications [email protected] 801.891.2595 SOURCE Hubble Related Links http://www.gohubble.com FLEMINGTON, N.J. and MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunterdon Medical Center, a 178-bed non-profit community hospital, and Christie Medical Holdings, Inc., a global leader in portable vein finders, today announced that use of the Christie VeinViewer Vision2 is helping to improve the level of care provided to their patients. Nurse Cindy Krivoshik BSN, RN, CCRN uses the VeinViewer to assess the best vein for placing an IV catheter VeinViewer Vision2 at Hunterdon - By using VeinViewer during an IV start, she can confirm that the IV is patent "A key goal for implementation of VeinViewer systems was to decrease the number of central lines placed in favor of less invasive peripheral IVs," states Marian Racco, MSN, RN, CCRN, ICU Clinical Coordinator. "Over the past year, we achieved our goal to reduce central line placements. Our central line utilization has been at or below the NHSN 50th percentile since June of 2016! We feel this is best for the patient, potentially reducing their exposure to risk and increasing their overall satisfaction. We evaluated our options, and VeinViewer provided everything we needed." Studies show that on average it requires 2.4 painful sticks to place an IV catheter. Nurses providing care may have previously had no choice but to stick patients multiple times in order to deliver necessary treatment. The Christie VeinViewer system is the first and only device to use harmless near-infrared light to detect a patient's veins and then immediately project a high definition image of the veins directly on the patient's skin. With VeinViewer, nurses can quickly find more options for accessing a patient's veins for blood draws or to place a peripheral IV catheter. A more thorough assessment with VeinViewer, means Hunterdon Medical Center patients may avoid multiple needle sticks and possible future complications sometimes associated with IV access. "One of our staff nurses, Lisbeth Lella, BSN, RN, asked for us to look at technology that would assist with peripheral IV catheter placement because our ICU patient population is typically very difficult to find a vein. We chose the VeinViewer system because it is easy to use and has saved our patients from multiple sticks. It has really helped us with placing peripheral IV catheters and the nurses love it. In fact, one of our nurses stated that she feels the VeinViewer is the best purchase we ever made for the ICU," said Janice Wagner, BSN, RN, CCRN, Director of Intensive Care and Respiratory Therapy. "One of our goals is to keep pace and offer the newest trends in medicine to our community. VeinViewer helps us do just that." George Pinho, Christie's president, said, "We are very pleased that VeinViewer fits into Hunterdon Medical Center's patient care goals. VeinViewer is the only device of its kind that has been shown through clinical studies to increase both first-stick success and patient satisfaction by up to 100 percent while reducing PICC lines placed due to difficult venous access by over 30 percent." The Infusion Nurses Society, an organization dedicated to setting the standards for infusion therapy, recommends the use of vein visualization technology such as the VeinViewer system - for patients with difficult or poor venous access. About Hunterdon Healthcare and Hunterdon Medical Center The Hunterdon Healthcare System is a non-profit health care organization in Flemington, NJ committed to providing a full range of quality services that respond to the needs of the community. Hunterdon Medical Center treats over 8,600 inpatients annually, with 33,000 Emergency Department visits and over 292,000 outpatient visits per year. The 178-bed teaching hospital provides a full range of preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic inpatient and outpatient hospital and community health services. About Christie Medical Holdings, Inc. Christie Medical Holdings Inc. is a global company based in Memphis, Tenn., that discovers, develops and commercializes medical technologies. The company's market-leading product, VeinViewer system, is a mobile vascular imaging system that allows health care providers to clearly see accessible vasculature as a real time HD image, directly on the surface of the skin. Christie Medical Holdings Inc. is owned by Christie Digital Systems Inc., a global visual technologies company and a subsidiary of Ushio Inc., Japan. For more information on Christie Digital Systems or Christie Medical Holdings, visit ww w.christiemed.com . Media contacts: Kathleen Seelig, MA Corporate Director of Public Relations and Marketing Hunterdon Medical Center 2100 Wescott Drive Flemington, NJ 08822 Phone: 908-788-6515 [email protected] John Swinimer Christie Public Relations 3175 Lenox Park Blvd. Memphis, TN 38115 Phone 519.744.8005 x 7124 [email protected] Follow us on Twitter @veinviewer Facebook: VeinViewer DLP is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments. SOURCE Christie Medical Holdings, Inc. Montanas economy and workforce have remained strong over the last two years thanks to highly skilled employees, partnerships with the private and public sectors, and expanded training opportunities in our two-year colleges. Our state has a healthy employment rate that continues to be bolstered by diverse industries. It is a good time to be a member of the labor force under the Big Sky. But as our states workforce continues to age and retire, the legislature needs to seriously consider opportunities that will strengthen apprenticeship programs and train the next generation of Montanans. The biggest roadblock to businesses growth is often a shortage of skilled, trained workers. The problem will only get worse for Montana, unless we act now. Thats why I have partnered with Governor Bullock to carry legislation that will grow apprenticeships and provide Montanans with a paycheck, all while building a talented workforce for businesses across the state. My proposed legislation, House Bill 308, will provide Main Street Montana businesses with tax credits to strengthen apprenticeship opportunities throughout Montana. House Bill 308 provides for a $1,000 employer tax credit for every apprentice hired and provided on-the-job training through the Montana Registered Apprenticeship program. For every veteran hired, the incentive doubles to $2,000. Administered by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, the Montana Registered Apprenticeship program has collaborated with businesses to implement customized training curriculum. Since 2000, the Montana Registered Apprenticeship program has overseen more than 7,000 apprentices in 53 of our 56 counties. Apprentices who successfully completed their program earned average wages of $59,600 in 2015. Over the last five years, the program has graduated an average of 164 apprentices per year. On average, apprentices complete their programs in 42 months. These time-honored training models are receiving more attention from both the private and public sectors to build talent pipelines for Montana businesses, especially through partnerships with the Montana Registered Apprenticeship program. For those who are looking to enter the workforce immediately following high school or who are seeking a change in their career, apprenticeships open new doors. They allow businesses to grow and expand their operations. Apprentices learn new skills and begin contributing back to Montanas economy immediately. Simply put, these skills are the cornerstone of business growth for Montana. As businesses look at various avenues to hire qualified workers, apprenticeships continue to yield benefits for industries across the state. It is the job of the legislature to serve, support and collaborate with the private sector to meet the needs of growing businesses and of a strong labor force. I hope the legislature will stand firmly behind Governor Bullock and I as we put into action what we were elected to do: create good-paying jobs for Montanans and grow Main Street Montana businesses. Lets not let this be another missed opportunity. Rep. Casey Schreiner, D-Great Falls, represents House District 26 in the Montana Legislature. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468449/IDEA_Pharma_Geoff_Birkett.jpg ) With over 30 years of strategic and operational experience in pharma, Geoff brings to IDEA a huge depth of knowledge across launch and in line growth brands, as well as early development products. He also brings a disruptive creative energy that has been key to his success in the industry. Geoff launched many successful, market leading brands as a senior leader with Lilly, Lundbeck and AstraZeneca, where he held Executive/ President roles in UK/ US/ Germany/ S Africa and Global businesses. He was responsible for one of AZ's biggest ever blockbusters, Seroquel. He has worked as a senior leader in Biotech in recent years, specializing in CNS/ Pain/ Addiction. "I'm excited to join IDEA Pharma at this time. IDEA have a proven track record of designing the best path to market strategies. It's not cookie cutter, it's clever, based on superior insight. Mike has assembled a great team - I look forward to working with them to take IDEA to the next level." "Pharma is exploding with possibility, and the need to disrupt traditional management consultancy has never been greater," added Mike Rea, CEO. "I am so excited that our approach - senior talent who have deep hands-on experience, working directly with our clients - is attracting superstars like Geoff. Wanting to make a meaningful difference is a deep part of our ethos, and I know Geoff will look to improve on that success, making sure meaningful medicines continue to reach patients." About IDEA Pharma: Through knowledge, insight and uncommon creativity, we unlock the potential of every molecule, inspiring and empowering the pharma industry to deliver medicines that make a difference. We work with clients early in the lifecycle at proof of concept, crafting a compelling product story and building a world-class strategy that helps every molecule reach its potential. It's what we do best. And there's nobody that does it quite like us. For further information, please visit our website or join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Past Accomplishments Include: Path to Market Design for 7 of the top 10 (projected) oncology products by 2020 // Positioned 3 of 11 products Reuters called 2015 Blockbusters, including the Top 2 // Path to Market Design for 5 NMEs that were FDA approved in 2015 For further information, please contact: Jess Spataro Manager, Marketing, Brand & Communications IDEA Pharma Tel: +1-212-929-7953 Email: [email protected] SOURCE IDEA Pharma WAPAKONETA, Ohio, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Independents Fiber Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of Com Net Inc ("CNI-Independents") has added 240 route miles totaling 3,551 fiber miles under its turn-key management. These additional facilities are primarily located in Warren and Butler counties with portions reaching into Montgomery, Hamilton and Greene counties. Tim Berelsman, CEO of CNI-Independents Fiber Network stated, "These facilities complement our existing facilities in Montgomery, Warren, Greene and Clinton counties. They also provide a much needed presence in Butler and northern Hamilton counties." Berelsman went on to say, "At Independents Fiber Network, we are fully committed to increasing the reach of our Ethernet fiber, which includes continuing to invest in markets where we see demand for our high performance networking solutions." Nathan Zehringer, Transport Manager for Independents Fiber Network, added, "Initially we will be integrating a portion of the route into our core backhaul network to bring our route through Dayton, Ohio, while adding additional protection to our Lebanon, Ohio Point-of-Presence (PoP). We will utilize this fiber network to continue expanding our network in this region. This expansion allows us to improve our current services as well as provide various physical paths that allow for more redundancy." About Independents Fiber Network: Independents Fiber Network was established in 2003 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNI. Independents Fiber Network is an Ohio-based company that brings high performance, high capacity Ethernet-over-Fiber solutions including voice, video, and data services to better serve our customers. By operating a fiber optic backhaul network dedicated to serving rural and underserved communities in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana, Independents delivers connectivity you can count on for mission critical operations ensuring business continuity and access when you need it most. For more information, please visit Independents Fiber Network's website at www.ifnetwork.biz call us toll-free at (800) 634-4032. Independents Fiber Network 13888 County Rd. 25A Wapakoneta, OH 45895 P: 419-739-3100 F: 419-739-3154 www.ifnetwork.biz For Additional Information, Contact: Kathy Reinsel, Marketing Manager 13888 County Road 25A Wapakoneta, OH 45895 [email protected] 419-739-3114 SOURCE Independents Fiber Network Related Links http://www.ifnetwork.biz LONDON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indian Influenza market has reported a remarkable growth in recent years, and is presenting ample opportunities to the industry's players. With increasing pandemic as well as seasonal outbreak and rising awareness among people about these vaccines, the Indian influenza vaccine market is poised to scale newer acmes. Moreover, increasing disposable income, increasing incidences of influenza, introduction of new vaccines, entry of new players, and rising R&D investments are set to further boost the market's growth. Owing to such factors, the Indian influenza market is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period (2015-2020). In the report "IIndian Influenza Market By Product Type (Vaxigrip, Influvac)-Forecast 2020", RNCOS analysts have endeavoured to address the current scenario of Indian influenza industry, factors favouring growth of the market, and the major roadblocks restraining the influenza vaccines market. Additionally, the report includes the study of opportunities, which are available in the Indian influenza market. Furthermore, the report covers detailed description of the current scenario of the Indian influenza vaccine market, and its future forecast till 2020. Indian Influenza Vaccines market is analyzed in both volumes in doses, and value in US$ for the period from 2015 through to 2020. The report also provides detailed bifurcation of Indian influenza market on the basis of product type, such as Vaxigrip, Influvac, and others. The report also provides the potential market for influenza vaccines. Moreover, the report highlights the mergers and acquisitions that have taken place in the Indian influenza market. Pricing analysis along with the regulatory scenario governing the Indian influenza market has also been mentioned in the report. Furthermore, the report provides the details about the distribution channel for influenza vaccines in the Indian industry. The latter half of the report provides competitive landscape including the market share of key players, such as Cipla Ltd., Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute of India, Abbott, Lupin Ltd, and others. A brief business overview and financial information about each of these players has been provided in the report, along with the company overviews and financial revenues of the key participants to develop their positions in the global market. The recent development and strength-weakness analysis of every player has also been presented to assist the investors in developing an understanding of the strategies of major players. Overall, the research contains exhaustive information that will help clients in formulating market strategies and assessing opportunity areas in the Indian Influenza market. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4699249/ 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 SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Composer, arranger, and pianist Giorgi Mikadze brings an international groove to 18th Street Arts Center's Make Jazz Fellowship. Born in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, Mikadze is in residence at 18th Street Arts Center from January 5 - March 30, 2017. The new body of work he will develop during his time in Southern California explores the microtonalities of traditional Georgian folk music, combining it with jazz and hip-hop to achieve innovative new sounds. He will perform his new compositions in a free public concert at the Edye @ the Broad Stage in Santa Monica on Sunday, March 19, 2017. Courtesy Giorgi Mikadze 18th Street Arts Center hosts its Make Jazz Fellowship annually with support from the Herb Alpert Foundation. This award to honor and support jazz artists is awarded to an emerging jazz composer, and includes a three-month, fully funded residency and a culminating performance, as well as opportunities to lead master classes. This opportunity offers critical support for the artistic evolution of young Jazz artists who are establishing future directions for this unique American art form. During his residency, Giorgi Mikadze will continue his ongoing exploration of the microtonalities of traditional Georgian folk music and integrate those structures into new musical motifs, often mixing with Jazz, Funk, Fusion, R&B, African tribal music and hip-hop grooves. Mikadze will also demonstrate his innovative compositional process with aspiring musicians through a series of master classes with composition students in the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology, and with high school musicians in LAUSD schools through the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance. Giorgi Mikadze will present the new body of work in a culminating performance at the Edye Second Space at the Broad Stage, titled Georgian MicroJamZ. This live concert is free to the public and will take place on Sunday March 19th, at 7pm. Mikadze will be accompanied by musicians trained in microtonal music and Jazz forms, including Berklee College of Music professor and noted guitarist Dave Fiuczynski, rising star bassist Mono Neon, and drummer Sean "Chopz" Wright. The event is free but space is limited. Reserve tickets here: https://20170319.eventbrite.com LINKS: Artist bio: http://18thstreet.org/artists/giorgi-mikadze Free ticket reservations: https://20170319.eventbrite.com 18TH STREET ARTS CENTER is the largest artist residency program in Southern California. Additional information about 18th Street Arts Center's programming and artists can be found at 18thstreet.org Media Contact: Susan Yank 310 453 4347 [email protected] SOURCE 18th Street Arts Center Related Links http://18thstreet.org HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP today announced the appointment of Joanne Grossi to the position of Volunteer State President for AARP Pennsylvania. In her new role, Grossi will help shape AARP's strategic priorities, build community partnerships with key decision makers and serve as AARP's principal volunteer spokesperson in Pennsylvania. Joanne Grossi brings more than 30 years' experience in public health, public policy and legislative affairs to her new position. Most recently, she served as a Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where she worked with federal, state and local officials in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia on a wide range of health and social services issues. "Joanne Grossi is one of Pennsylvania's leading experts on healthcare policy issues at the state and federal levels," said AARP Pennsylvania State Director Bill Johnston-Walsh. "As AARP Pennsylvania State President, her contributions will help improve the lives of 1.8 million AARP members and the 50+ community across the commonwealth." "I have known and worked with Joanne Grossi for nearly a decade. She brings to AARP an impressive track record of public service and leadership talents and skills that will deepen our ability to fight for and equip all Pennsylvanians as they age," said AARP Regional Vice President Rawle Andrews. "Throughout her career, she has demonstrated the ability to help accelerate the progress of what is working well and to disrupt what needs changing. We are fortunate to have her on the team." Grossi also has strong ties to Pennsylvania state government. She served as the first Director of the Office of Women's Services in the Department of Public Welfare (now the Department of Human Services), and as a Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in the Pennsylvania Department of Health, both under former Governor Ed Rendell. "Joanne Grossi is a terrific advocate who understands the intricacies of public health policy on the federal, state and local level," said former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. "She will be a real asset to AARP and will use her new role to tirelessly fight to protect the health and well-being of Pennsylvanians." "I've worked with Joanne Grossi throughout her tenure in state government, and I know her to be an effective voice who has built strong relationships with both elected officials and community-based organizations to address the health care needs of Pennsylvanians," said State Representative Gene DiGirolamo (R-18), Chairman of the PA House of Representatives Human Services Committee. "Her knowledge base and compassion for the well-being of state residents will be a tremendous benefit not just to older adults but all Pennsylvanians." Prior to joining state government, Grossi served 13 years as a Senior Technical Advisor in the Bureau of Global Health at the United States Agency for International Development, where she oversaw international health programs in developing countries. Earlier in her career, she worked on the staffs of Pennsylvania Congressman Peter Kostmayer and Ambassador Millicent Fenwick at the American Embassy in Rome, Italy. Grossi earned a master's degree in International Public Policy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and completed additional graduate education at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene. She also holds a BA degree in Journalism from Temple University. Grossi currently lives in Philadelphia, where she also serves as a caregiver for her father. Follow Joanne Grossi on Twitter @AARPPAPrez. About AARP AARP has 1.8 million members in Pennsylvania. Follow AARP Pennsylvania on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AARPPA and on Twitter @AARPPA. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into 'Real Possibilities' by changing the way America defines aging. With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment. AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @aarp and our CEO @JoAnn_Jenkins on Twitter. CONTACT: Steve Gardner, AARP PA (717) 237-6481 or [email protected] Or Jacklyn Isasi, AARP PA (267) 825-9928 or [email protected] SOURCE AARP Pennsylvania Related Links http://www.aarp.org PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Governmental and corporate attorney Kevin Greenberg has joined global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP in the firm's Philadelphia office. Mr. Greenberg is a shareholder in the firm's Government Law & Policy, Corporate, and Real Estate practices. He is known for his successful representation of Pennsylvania elected officials and private-sector clients in the crossover between the commercial and government sectors, including casino land use and licensing disputes before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, development deals, and public-private partnerships. "I am thrilled to join this firm, with such well-respected team of practitioners in government law and policy, as well as in corporate and securities, emerging technology, and real estate matters. This is a great fit for my expectations as a professional and for what I want to accomplish for my clients and a platform that will allow me to continue to find opportunities that benefit the people of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth," Mr. Greenberg said. "Greenberg Traurig has a world-class government law team and I look forward to adding some more Pennsylvania flavor to the mix." In addition to his work with and in connection with governments, at Greenberg Traurig, Mr. Greenberg's practice will also focus on corporate & securities, real estate, and emerging companies. He was previously a shareholder at Flaster/Greenberg, PC since 2007. From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Greenberg served as a lawyer for the City of Philadelphia, rising to become a Chief Deputy City Solicitor, and before that he was General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs for a provider of cloud-based healthcare management and care coordination software. "Kevin has a passion for serving others and has always been a highly regarded community leader and a first-rate lawyer. We are thrilled to add him to our roster in the Philadelphia office," said Michael L. Lehr, Regional Operating Shareholder and Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurig's Philadelphia office. Beyond his legal work, Mr. Greenberg is active in the community in a wide range of business and charitable endeavors, including service as a Director of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group, and as a Member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Small Business Board and Legislation Committee. Mr. Greenberg was honored to be appointed to the transition committees for Governor Tom Wolf, President Barack Obama, Mayor John Street, and Governor Ed Rendell and has previously served as a director and audit committee chair for the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation, as President and Director of the Fairmount Civic Association, and as a member of the Philadelphia Wireless Executive Committee. Mr. Greenberg received a J.D., cum laude, in 1998 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he was senior editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. He was a Law Clerk for the Hon. Robert S. Gawthrop, III, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania from 1998 to 1999. In 1993, he received a B.A., cum laude, in astronomy and history from Williams College. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before two federal courts. About Greenberg Traurig's Philadelphia Office Founded in 1997, Greenberg Traurig's Philadelphia office is now home to approximately 35 attorneys and 12 practices including Business Reorganization & Financial Restructuring, Corporate & Securities, Emerging Technology, Environmental, Government Law & Policy, Business Immigration & Compliance, Investment Regulation, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Public Finance, Real Estate, and Tax. The Philadelphia office represents clients in the manufacturing, health care, real estate, energy, financial, and insurance industries, state and local governments, professional service, and energy firms, and individuals. About Greenberg Traurig's Government Law & Policy Practice Greenberg Traurig's Government Law & Policy Practice combines the capabilities of its Federal Practice in Washington D.C. with its state and local practices across the country. The firm's national team of governmental affairs professionals and attorneys spans major political and commercial capitals throughout the United States, including: Albany, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C. Most recently, Greenberg Traurig was named "Law Firm of the Year" for Government Relations by the U.S. News-Best Lawyers 2014 edition of Best Law Firms. The practice also received the most first-tier Government Relations rankings in the U.S. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. A single firm worldwide, GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the second largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2016, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law. Media Contact: Lourdes Brezo Martinez, [email protected], 212.801.2131. SOURCE Greenberg Traurig, LLP Related Links http://www.gtlaw.com ARDEN HILLS, Minn., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Land O'Lakes, Inc. announced today that Jason Weller, former chief of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will join the organization as a senior director of sustainability on Feb. 27, 2017. Jason will join the Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN business unit, created in the second half of 2016, where he will lead the team developing the conservation portfolio of tools for the cooperative's member-owners. Jason will report to Matt Carstens, senior vice president for Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN. "Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN is driving bold action around the complex issues of conservation and productivity while protecting and preserving our natural resources all essential to the future of food and agriculture," Carstens stated. "We continue to build a team to push boundaries and tackle these challenges head on, and I am proud to announce that Jason will be joining our team leading some of our most critical sustainability and conservation efforts." As the Chief of the nation's largest working lands conservation organization, Jason led a staff of 10,500 NRCS employees across the country working one-one-one with farmers and ranchers to deliver assistance to protect and improve the quality of their operations' natural resources. While at NRCS, Jason led the effort to significantly expand the agency's partnerships with public and private organizationsincluding agricultural retailers, agricultural supply chain companies and food companiesto provide innovative and effective services for agricultural producers. Prior to serving as NRCS Chief, Jason held various agriculture and natural resource conservation leadership positions, including on the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture where he provided oversight and crafted legislation to fund USDA programs and activities, on the U.S. House Budget Committee where he helped construct the annual congressional budget for agriculture, environment and energy programs, and in the White House Office of Management and Budget where he assisted with the development and implementation of the President's budget for USDA conservation programs. Jason earned a bachelor's degree from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and a master of public policy degree from the University of Michigan. About Land O'Lakes, Inc. Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's premier agribusiness and food companies, is a member-owned cooperative with industry-leading operations that span the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. With 2015 annual sales of $13 billion, Land O'Lakes is one of the nation's largest cooperatives, ranking 215 on the Fortune 500. Building on a legacy of more than 95 years of operation, Land O'Lakes today operates some of the most respected brands in agribusiness and food production including LAND O LAKES Dairy Foods, Purina Animal Nutrition, WinField United and Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN. The company does business in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Land O'Lakes, Inc. corporate headquarters are located in Arden Hills, Minn. SOURCE Land O'Lakes, Inc. Related Links http://www.landolakesinc.com CAPE CORAL, Fla., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Legacy Education Alliance, Inc. today announced the Company is coordinating a team to participate in the upcoming Walk For Wishes 5K Walk/Run. This family-friendly event powered by Wish families, volunteers, donors and friends, will take place on Saturday, February 25, 2017 with all funds raised to benefit Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. "Our mission as a company is to help people create a legacy," stated Anthony Humpage, CEO of Legacy Education Alliance. "Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its powerful wish-granting work. By partnering with Make-A-Wish, we can help even more wishes come true for children and their families in southern Florida." Last year, more than $95,000 was raised at the event, granting the incredible wishes of 19 children facing life-threatening medical conditions in Southwest Florida. The goal this year is to raise $135,000. The Legacy Education Alliance team is busy limbering up and gathering donations for this feel-good morning of fun and fitness. All the funds raised will support the Make-A-Wish mission to grant the wish of every eligible child who has been diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition. Legacy Education Alliance invites you to join their team or make a donation today by visiting its Walk-For-Wishes Event page here. About Legacy Education Alliance, Inc.: Legacy Education Alliance, Inc. (LEAI) is a leading provider of educational training seminars, conferences and services. Founded in 1992, LEAI is a global company dedicated to providing quality financial education in the areas of real estate investing, financial instruments and personal finance with headquarters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Visit the Legacy Education Alliance website to learn more. About Make-A-Wish: Make-A-Wish grants the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition, on average, every 38 minutes in the United States and its territories alone. Since 1980, they have enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its powerful wish-granting work. Their work has a life-changing impact on children, their families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities. The Southern Florida chapter was started in 1983 and has granted over 10,000 wishes since its inception with over 539 wishes granted in fiscal 2016 alone! To learn about their inspiring work, please visit them here. SOURCE Legacy Education Alliance, Inc. Related Links http://www.legacyeducationalliance.com LONDON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Timetric's 'Life Insurance in Japan, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the Japanese life insurance segment, and a comparison of the Japanese insurance industry with its regional counterparts. It provides key performance indicators such as written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, total assets, total investment income and retentions during the review period (20112015) and forecast period (20152020). The report also analyzes distribution channels operating in the segment, gives a comprehensive overview of the Japanese economy and demographics, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country. The report brings together Timetric's research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations, and recent changes in the regulatory structure. Summary Timetric's 'Life Insurance in Japan, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Japanese life insurance segment, including: - An overview of the Japanese life insurance segment - The Japanese life insurance segment's growth prospects by category - A comprehensive overview of the Japanese economy and demographics - A comparison of the Japanese life insurance segment with its regional counterparts - The various distribution channels in the Japanese life insurance segment - Details of the competitive landscape in the life insurance segment in Japan - Details of regulatory policy applicable to the Japanese insurance industry Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the life insurance segment in Japan: - It provides historical values for the Japanese life insurance segment for the report's 20112015 review period, and projected figures for the 20152020 forecast period. - It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Japanese life insurance segment, and market forecasts to 2020. - It provides a comparison of the Japanese life insurance segment with its regional counterparts. - It analyzes the various distribution channels for life insurance products in Japan. - It profiles the top life insurance companies in Japan and outlines the key regulations affecting them. Reasons To Buy - Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Japanese life insurance segment, and each category within it. - Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Japanese life insurance segment. - Assess the competitive dynamics in the life insurance segment. - Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories. - Gain insights into key regulations governing the Japanese insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future. Key Highlights - In 2015, Japan's life insurance segment was the second-largest globally after the US, and accounted for 10.2% of the global direct written premium. - Japan's population is contracting due to a declining birth rate. - As of 2015, there were 38 insurers operating in the Japanese life segment. It is regulated by the Financial Services Agency. - During the review period the life segment was driven by demand for traditional products. Individual life accounted for 68.3% of the segment's direct written premium in 2015. - The Japanese life insurance segment is mature and highly competitive. A lack of growth opportunities in the domestic market prompted insurers to expand outside Japan. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/1029534/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Senate confirmed on Tuesday President Donald Trump's nomination of Linda E. McMahon as the 25th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. "Small businesses are the engine of our national economy," McMahon said upon her confirmation. "I will work to revitalize a spirit of entrepreneurship in America. Small businesses want to feel they can take a risk on an expansion or a new hire without fearing onerous new regulations or unexpected taxes, fees and fines that will make such growth unaffordable. We want to renew optimism in our economy." "I want to thank President Trump for this opportunity to join his Administration and to advocate for our nation's small business owners and entrepreneurs," McMahon said. "I would also like to express my appreciation to Joe Loddo for his leadership as Acting Administrator during this transition, along with everyone at the SBA for the hard work they are doing to support America's small businesses." In testimony on January 24 before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, McMahon discussed her hands-on experience managing and helping to grow small businesses. "As an entrepreneur myself, I have shared the experiences of our nation's small business owners. My husband and I built our business from scratch. We started out sharing a desk. Over decades of hard work and strategic growth, we built it into a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees. I am proud of our success I know every bit of the hard work it took to create that success." "I believe in leadership by example. As a CEO, I never expect employees to do anything I am not willing to do myself. I believe in setting expectations and holding people accountable, but trusting them to do the job for which they were hired. I look forward to working with the SBA staff. I am eager to learn from their experience and expertise. I will listen, and their ideas, concerns and recommendations will be taken seriously." As Administrator of the SBA, McMahon will direct a federal agency with more than 2,000 full-time employees, with a leading role in helping small business owners and entrepreneurs secure financing, technical assistance and training, and federal contracts. SBA also plays a leading role in disaster recovery by making low interest loans. McMahon is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Women's Leadership LIVE, as well as the co-founder and former CEO of WWE. She was the Republican nominee to represent Connecticut in the U.S. Senate in 2010 and 2012. McMahon is an advocate for small business and continues to promote entrepreneurship, particularly among women. McMahon is a graduate of East Carolina University. She and her husband, Vince, have two adult children and six grandchildren. Link to McMahon's Statement to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: http://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=B60A5A7D-A28A-497A-A834-456E7108AE01 About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012, has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. Release Number: 17-08 Contact: Terry Sutherland (202) 205-6919 Internet Address: http://www.sba.gov/news SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration Related Links http://www.sba.gov What will happen when China stops loaning America money for its debt? How much buying power will my dollar have when China and Mexico stop exporting goods to America? How much will food cost when immigrants can no longer harvest American crops? Who will do the service jobs immigrants are not too proud to do? It is easy to see that it is a world economy. Its not a race, America needs to be equal not first. An isolated America will perish alone and silent if it becomes an isolationist society. America is stronger when it participates in world trade and NATO. In the words on a Montana highway sign dont fence me in, President Trump. America cannot export its goods if other countries will not accept American goods. Lifes highway is a two-way street, and so it the economy. Is it that hard to figure out? Doug Purcell Townsend BRIDGEWATER, N.J., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Linde LNG specialists will discuss the company's extensive array of LNG services for remote asphalt production at the Rocky Mountain Asphalt Conference and Equipment Show. The conference will be held at the Crown Plaza Airport Conference Center in Denver, Colorado, February 22-24, 2017, booth #70. "Natural gas is the fuel of choice for most asphalt producers to generate power and heat," said Leslie Waller, Head of Chemistry, Energy and Environmental for Linde Americas. "However, in remote locations where pipeline natural gas is not available, asphalt producers must rely on portable fuel supply. And in these situations, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is often the desirable alternative to propane, diesel, fuel oil #6, and even used motor oil because natural gas burns hotter, has lower emissions and is the lowest cost alternative." Conference attendees are invited to visit the Linde booth (#70) to meet with Linde LNG supply experts who will detail the company's capabilities and experience in delivering a reliable supply of LNG to serve remote asphalt production facilities, creating a virtual natural gas pipeline. Linde owns an expanding fleet of temporary, mobile equipment which has been designed, engineered, constructed, and operated to meet the rigors of the asphalt and aggregates industry. Linde engineers are constantly improving this equipment based on their years of field experience and feedback from customers. With varying amounts of storage and vaporization capacities, the Linde LNG fleet is flexible enough to be used in a variety of applications. "When you work with the Linde LNG team, you receive world-class support in the form of project management, specialized technicians and operators, and safety training," said Evelyn Fairman, Application Sales Engineer. "Our LNG service technicians are highly trained in all applications of natural gas and LNG. We install, start, operate, shut down, and move the LNG equipment safely while ensuring process stability." Linde delivers a comprehensive and customized approach to high-quality LNG fuel supply. When you choose Linde for LNG, you partner with a global leader in cryogenic liquids and engineering company with the capability to meet the full set of customer needs. Leverage our expertise for a custom approach to a high-quality "green" fuel program. For more information, contact Linde at http://gas.lindeus.com/linde-oil-and-gas-contact-us-page, or call 1-888-964-5642. Linde North America is a member of The Linde Group, a world-leading gases and engineering company. In the 2015 financial year, The Linde Group generated revenue of USD19.7 bn (EUR 17.944 bn), making it one of the leading gases and engineering companies in the world, with approximately 65,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards long-term profitable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. The company is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, see The Linde Group online at www.linde.com SOURCE Linde North America, Inc. Related Links http://www.linde.com MIAMI, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The MIB Agents' F.A.C.T.O.R. Osteosarcoma Conference will be held at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables starting February 24th February 25th. Raymond Rodriguez Torres, Chairman of the Live Like Bella will be addressing the attendees On Friday, February 24th at noon to discuss the collaboration between Live Like Bella and MIB Agents for osteosarcoma patients. F.A.C.T.O.R. (Funding, Awareness, Collaboration, Trials, Osteosarcoma, Research) Additional key speakers include expert osteosarcoma physicians and researchers, as well as patients and advocates. Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer, affecting 3% of children battling cancer. The objective of F.A.C.T.O.R. is to bring forth collaboration from the doctors, researchers, families, and nonprofits to improve the outcomes for osteosarcoma patients. For more information about the event, please visit www.MIBAgents.org and for information on the Live Like Bella Foundation, please visit www.LiveLikeBella.org. ABOUT LIVE LIKE BELLA FOUNDATION The Foundation was founded in June 2013 in memory of Bella Rodriguez-Torres, who passed away at the young age of 10 from Rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. In her six-year battle she inspired millions to #LiveLikeBella. The foundation's mission is dedicated to finding a cure for pediatric cancer by funding innovative pediatric cancer research, provide support to families with children in treatment and assist families who have lost a child to cancer with funeral expenses. For more information visit www.LiveLikeBella.org. SOURCE Live Like Bella Related Links http://www.livelikebella.org SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental Who's Who recognizes Lori Krafft as a Pinnacle Professional Member in recognition of her contributions to the field of Graphic Design. A 20-year veteran of the graphic arts industry, Krafft is currently the owner of Jawco Graphics, a full-service design firm in California's San Gabriel Valley. "For over 30 years, [Jawco Graphics] has been in the printing industry combining an experienced, professional staff with quality customer service to consistently deliver a superior printed project," the firm's website states. "We have recently optimized our facility to enhance quality and timeliness of all our printed materials." Jawco Graphic's client list includes the likes of brands such as Arrowhead, Perrier, Toyota and even Disney. "From design to print, pre-press to finished product, we produce a wide range of quality products including letterheads, envelopes, line cards, catalog sheets, brochures, booklets, posters, price lists, pads and other professional stationary," according to the firm's website. Krafft touts the firm's printing in cover stock, carbonless stock, labels, vinyl, poly and cloth as its specialties. "What separates Jawco Graphics from other companies is that [we] do not sell direct to the public," she said. "However, the majority of what [we] print is uniquely tailored to clients and their needs." Prior to taking on her current role, Krafft earned her cosmetology license. She then worked two separate accounting positions before joining Jawco Graphics. Krafft is also a member of the Printing Institute of America and the Santa Fe Springs Chamber of Commerce. Krafft dedicates this recognition to her husband, Michael. For more information on Jawco Graphics, visit http://jawcoinc.com/ Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Costa decided to host the event after traveling with another IFAW board member, Greg Mertz; his partner, Bruce Roberts; and IFAW President and CEO Azzedine Downes on a trip to Zimbabwe where they visited the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN). "I was struck by the similarities between ZEN's motto: 'Respect the individual, see, sense, save - one by one' and IFAW's motto: 'Transforming wildlife conservation, one animal at a time,'" said Costa. ZEN founder, Roxy Danckwerts delighted the crowd at the event with her stories of the orphan elephants in Zimbabwe she is striving to give a second chance. "It is these organizations' commitment to individual well-being, for both humans and elephants, along with the commitment of such dedicated activists as attended our event last week, that give me hope that together, we really can make a difference and build a better world for animals and people," Costa concluded. Dining on the finest vegan cuisine from Crossroads Kitchens, guests promoted the event through the slogans, #PoachPearsNotAnimals and #IvoryIsWhack, social tags that focus on the epidemic of poaching which is often the reason young elephants become orphans. Elephant calves typically stay with their mothers well into their teen years. If an elephant mother is killed, young calves (four years or less) typically do not survive without intervention. Wildlife rehabilitators like ZEN attempt to care for the animals until they are old enough to survive in the wild and perhaps to bond with other wild elephants. "It was an honor to visit the Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery," said Downes. "These animals are suffering due to human actions. So it is our duty to rescue them, and when they can be released to the wild, we must ensure that the land is conserved for them. Putting those things together is the IFAW way." About IFAW Founded in 1969, IFAW rescues and protects animals around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Photos are available at www.ifawimages.com SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare Related Links http://www.ifaw.org SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Physicians have long complained about the growing burden of government regulation, especially its effect of reducing time spent with patients. A 2016 study by Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Medical Group Management Association found that physicians and their staff spend between 6 and 12 hours per week processing and reporting quality metrics to the government at a cost of $15.4 billion a year. MACRA Measures & Insights by Health Catalyst is an opportunity analysis application which allows organizations to measure their historical performance against MACRA-MIPS measures leading to more meaningful decisions around risk and outcomes. Analyze groups, specialties and providers to determine potential performance on quality measures for any payer. Provides the ability to compare measures across payers to better align the organization strategically. As a recent Health Catalyst/Peer60 survey confirms, that burden is expected to significantly worsen in 2017 and beyond as physicians struggle to report quality metrics for the Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) the federal law that changes the way Medicare pays doctors. Commercial health insurers are expected to follow the government's lead with similar programs of their own. Passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress, MACRA requires physicians who participate in its financial incentives to report on a subset of 271 quality measures. In complex organizations, successfully achieving performance targets and submitting accurately for MACRA incentives will require integrating multiple measures across financial, regulatory and quality departments. To help identify and align healthcare organizations' selection of the MACRA quality measures, Health Catalyst today announced the release of MACRA Measures & Insights. Built on an industry-leading data and analytics platform integrating over 120 data sources including claims and all major EMRs, the new application helps healthcare organizations track and monitor all MACRA measures across multiple departments. Moreover, with MACRA Measures & Insights, organizations for the first time can quickly spot areas where their physicians are performing best, and therefor which quality measures to report to Medicare to maximize payment under MACRA. "Healthcare organizations expend significant human resources to compile, interpret, keep up with and understand the impact of regulatory compliance measures, and this problem will only get worse under MACRA," said Dale Sanders, Executive Vice President of Development for Health Catalyst. "MACRA Measures & Insights will significantly reduce that burden while making it easier to maximize Medicare reimbursement and to monitor performance against measures year over year." Dorian DiNardo, PMP, Health Catalyst Vice President and Product Line Manager for Operations and Performance Management, added, "The nice thing about the Health Catalyst platform is, it contains virtually all of the granular data in a healthcare system, including claims and other external data, so we can quickly combine that data to support effectively any reporting or analytics requirement, including MACRA and any changes that might come along in the future." Identify Measures to Optimize At-Risk Contracting More than assisting with regulatory compliance, MACRA Measures & Insights also enables healthcare provider organizations to tactically and strategically identify the optimal measures to include within multi-year value-based care contracts with commercial payers. By aligning contractual success measures with an organization's strongest areas of performance, the application helps to maximize payments in risk-based contracts. MACRA Measures & Insights also enables organizations to easily add measures from multiple payers' contracts. Conversely, health plans can use the application to identify populations of patients that are appropriate for sharing risk with their provider partners. Survey: compiling quality measures is health systems' biggest MACRA worry The heavy lifting required to track and compile MACRA measures for reporting to Medicare is top of mind for healthcare executives, according to a Health Catalyst/Peer60 survey conducted in late 2016. When asked which MACRA-related activities "pose the greatest difficulties for healthcare organizations," 74 out of the 187 respondents (40%) ranked "compiling metrics for regulatory reporting" as the biggest challenge. The next biggest headache identified by survey respondents (18%) was "adjusting to greater coordination between providers and patients." Only about a third of healthcare organizations were prepared to tackle MACRA's reporting challenges as of late last year, according to the survey. Just 35 percent of respondents answered affirmatively when asked whether they "have a strategy and are well on [their] way to being ready" for upcoming MACRA reporting. Ready or not, most do expect to participate in the program, with only 5 percent of those surveyed planning to opt out of MACRA entirely. The online survey reflects the opinions of 187 U.S. healthcare executives and senior leaders who work at organizations ranging from the nation's largest urban academic medical centers and integrated delivery networks to critical access hospitals and large physician groups. Deeper dive into MACRA Measures & Insights Powered by the Health Catalyst Analytics Platform, MACRA Measures & Insights enables organizations to gain deep insight into performance measures at virtually any degree of detail required for measurement and performance improvement. The application delivers a variety of filtering views to drill down quickly into multiple dimensions for quick decision making at the level of: Specialty Group Individual provider Domain Individual measure Diagnosis group Data quality Several additional dimensions, such as payer or contract MACRA Measures & Insights also reveals performance scores in three initial MIPS performance quadrants, with more to come: Quality Clinical practice improvement activities (if scores available) Advancing care information (if scores available) The application includes measure calculations validated to be using the correct data (per CMS guidelines) to meet MACRA requirements. It also displays benchmarks for easy comparison. An alignment tab compares quality measures already at-risk with other payers to the MACRA measures, helping to prioritize those best suited for risk in the Quality Payment Program. Explore MACRA Measures & Insights in Live Webinar, Feb. 16 For a detailed look at the new application, join the Health Catalyst product development team for a live MACRA Measures & Insights Product Webinar on Thursday, February 16, 2017, 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST. Attendees will be able to view a live demo of the application and participate in a live question and answer session. Register for the webinar here. MACRA Measures & Insights Data Sheet Take a deeper dive into the solution by downloading the product data sheet here . Demo MACRA Measures & Insights at HIMSS17 in Orlando Health Catalyst will demonstrate MACRA Measures & Insights at the 2017 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Feb. 20-23. Visit booth #5173 or schedule a meeting to ensure the right people are available to meet with you. About Health Catalyst Health Catalyst is a next-generation data, analytics, and decision support company committed to being a catalyst for massive, sustained improvements in healthcare outcomes. We are the leaders in a new era of advanced predictive analytics for population health and value-based care with a suite of machine learning-driven solutions, decades of outcomes-improvement expertise, and an unparalleled ability to integrate data from across the healthcare ecosystem. Our proven data warehousing and analytics platform helps improve quality, add efficiency and lower costs in support of more than 85 million patients for organizations ranging from the largest US health system to forward-thinking physician practices. Our technology and professional services can help you keep patients engaged and healthy in their homes and workplaces, and we can help you optimize care delivery to those patients when it becomes necessary. We are grateful to be recognized by Fortune, Gallup, Glassdoor, Modern Healthcare and a host of others as a Best Place to Work in technology and healthcare. Visit www.healthcatalyst.com, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Media Contact: Todd Stein Amendola Communications 916-346-4213 [email protected] SOURCE Health Catalyst Related Links http://www.healthcatalyst.com MADRID, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), global leader in innovative workforce solutions, today announced signing a purchase agreement with Ciber, Inc. (NYSE: CBR), a leading global information technology consulting, services and outsourcing company, to acquire its business in Spain. The acquisition further strengthens ManpowerGroup Spain's capacity to deliver best-in-class IT staffing solutions, and complements the organic growth of its Experis brand, the professional resourcing and project-based workforce solutions arm of the company. The transaction is expected to close by the end of February, when Ciber's business and employees will transfer to ManpowerGroup. The deal builds on ManpowerGroup's already well-established business in Spain. Started in 1988, ManpowerGroup Spain today offers diversified workforce solutions across five brands Manpower, Experis, ManpowerGroup Solutions, Futurskill and Right Management. With 120 locations and more than 600 employees, ManpowerGroup Spain helps over 69,000 individuals find work every year, offering clients a broad range of staffing, development and workforce management solutions. "As our clients continue to invest in and upgrade their technology platforms, this acquisition will help us meet the fast-growing demand for IT support and provide the solutions they need," said Raul Grijalba, Executive President, ManpowerGroup Spain. "Ciber Spain's deep industry knowledge and expertise are a natural fit within the ManpowerGroup family, and will help us continue to shift our business mix towards higher-value services for both clients and candidates." "The sale of Ciber Spain reflects continued execution against our plans to simplify our geographic footprint and focus our portfolio of offerings," said Ciber President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Boustridge. "As a strategic buyer with local operations, we believe Manpower/Experis will provide a seamless transition and great continuity and service for our Spanish customers and employees." About ManpowerGroup ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) is the world's workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for nearly 70 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands Manpower, Experis, Right Management and ManpowerGroup Solutions we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2016, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the sixth consecutive year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup.com. About Ciber, Inc. Ciber partners with organizations to develop technology strategies and solutions that deliver tangible business value. Founded in 1974, the company trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CBR). For more information, visit www.ciber.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google Plus and our blog . ManpowerGroup Inc.'s Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements related to ManpowerGroup, and the potential benefits of the acquisition, including statements regarding timing of closing and results of the proposed transaction. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements due to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: ManpowerGroup's ability to successfully integrate Ciber Spain; execution of plans and strategies; the inability to successfully complete the transaction, and other important factors that could cause results of the acquisition and related transactions to differ materially from the forward-looking statements detailed in ManpowerGroup's public filings with the SEC, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. ManpowerGroup disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking or other statements in this release, except as required by law. Ciber, Inc.'s Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to Ciber's operations, results of operations and other matters that are based on Ciber's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Words, such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "may," "opportunity," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "should," and "will" and similar expressions, are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. For a more detailed discussion of these risks, see the information under the "Risk Factors" heading in Ciber's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and Ciber's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2016, and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other than as required by law, Ciber undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. SOURCE ManpowerGroup; Ciber, Inc. Related Links http://www.manpowergroup.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has contracted with GED Testing Service to begin offering the GED test program to residents seeking a second chance at earning their high school credential. The GED program was completely redesigned in 2014 to help adult learners be better prepared for college or entry into vocational or career training programs and the opportunity for better paying jobs. Until this past month, the new GED test program had not been available in Massachusetts for the last three years. Now, the state's adults will be able to take full advantage of the program's unique benefits and can join the ranks of new GED program graduates that are entering and succeeding in postsecondary programs at unprecedented rates. "The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is pleased to have added the GED test to the assessment options available to Massachusetts adults seeking the high school equivalency credential," said Tom Mechem, State Administrator & Chief Examiner of High School Equivalency for the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. "We feel the GED testing process provides a robust computer-based assessment along with excellent academic supports for testers and teachers, while enhancing the chances that successful candidates will be truly college and career ready." Key benefits of Massachusetts's new GED test program include: GEDWorks . A program backed by some of the country's most recognizable brands including Walmart, Taco Bell, KFC, and Southeastern Grocers. This program provides employees (and in the case of Walmart, benefits-eligible family members) with everything they need to study for and earn a GED credential at no cost. . A program backed by some of the country's most recognizable brands including Walmart, Taco Bell, KFC, and Southeastern Grocers. This program provides employees (and in the case of Walmart, benefits-eligible family members) with everything they need to study for and earn a GED credential at no cost. Additional College Ready and + Credit score. A set of American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations that colleges and community college systems around the country allow students to bypass placement exams, skip non-credit remedial courses and even award college credit based on achieving the + Credit score. A set of American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations that colleges and community college systems around the country allow students to bypass placement exams, skip non-credit remedial courses and even award college credit based on achieving the + Credit score. A comprehensive and mobile-friendly website that provides tools to help a student completely navigate the GED test preparation and testing process including linking students to convenient adult education programs. It also includes free features like PathSource, a tool that helps students match their interests to potential careers and to then explore those careers through thousands of online videos and even provides access to jobs trends and salary data. that provides tools to help a student completely navigate the GED test preparation and testing process including linking students to convenient adult education programs. It also includes free features like PathSource, a tool that helps students match their interests to potential careers and to then explore those careers through thousands of online videos and even provides access to jobs trends and salary data. Flexible testing and near immediate results . Students have access to convenient testing appointments throughout each week and have complete control over which tests they take and how many tests they choose to take during each appointment. More than 90% of scores are received within just a couple hours of testing. . Students have access to convenient testing appointments throughout each week and have complete control over which tests they take and how many tests they choose to take during each appointment. More than 90% of scores are received within just a couple hours of testing. Better student outcomes. GED Testing Service research shows that graduates of the new program are more satisfied with the jobs they enter after earning a credential. Additionally, GED graduates are now more likely to succeed in college certificate and degree programs. Grads are entering these programs at higher rates, are enrolling more quickly than in the past, and they are highly likely (93%) to re-enroll from semester to semester. "Students can now take charge of their future by utilizing the unique tools and features of the program," said CT Turner, Senior Director of State Accounts for GED Testing Service. "The GED program can help them prepare for a job, or transition into a college certificate or degree program, and it carries a name recognized by employers and colleges." To help students prepare for the newly-available GED exam Massachusetts residents can take discounted GED Ready subject practice tests, now through March 15. GED Ready practice tests are highly predictive of test performance. They contain questions that closely resemble real GED test questions, and they also provide students detailed feedback about areas they excel in and areas that require additional study time before sitting for the GED test. For more information about the promotion visit: gedtestingservice.com/educators/magedreadypromo. To get started preparing for, or to take the GED test, visit GED.com. For more information about : GEDWorks visit: GEDtestingservice.com/educators/gedworks-media-kit GED Score Levels visit: GEDtestingservice.com/educators/score-changes About the GED Program The GED test has opened doors to better jobs and college programs for more than 20 million graduates since 1942. The GED test is accepted by virtually all of U.S. colleges and employers. The goal of the GED program that launched in January, 2014 is to better prepare adult learners for today's jobs and for entry into career and college training programs. The GED test has one score level that is used to certify high school equivalency. It also utilizes higher score levels (College Ready and College Ready + Credit) to certify readiness for career and college programs, and may even lead to students bypassing college placement exams or earning college credit by GED examination. GED Testing Service is a joint venture of Pearson and the American Council on Education. SOURCE GED Testing Service Related Links http://gedtestingservice.com/ HOUSTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mattress Firm, the nation's largest specialty bedding retailer, today announced that Sicily Dickenson has been hired as the Company's chief marketing officer (CMO). "We are thrilled to have Sicily join our team as we move into the next chapter of our story," said Ken Murphy, president and chief executive officer of Mattress Firm. "Her extensive business expertise and marketing leadership will help us refine our marketing approach to create smarter consumer connections and fulfill our mission to help our customers get a better night's sleep." Dickenson brings more than 13 years of experience in digital marketing, marketing communications, creative services and brand marketing. Prior to joining Mattress Firm, Dickenson was the CMO and senior vice president of marketing and customer experience for NRG Energy, Inc., where she developed and maintained a brand strategy for the NRG portfolio of brands. Before that she served in a number of marketing leadership positions for Reliant Energy. Dickenson will lead the marketing teams at Mattress Firm with a focus on building a differentiated brand through customer-centric initiatives that create a meaningful connection with people and bring the best night's sleep possible to Mattress Firm customers. "Mattress Firm's commitment to excellence is powerful and I am energized to bolster existing marketing efforts through additional touchpoints that allow us to connect with our customers," said Dickenson. "The industry is experiencing unprecedented levels of innovation and growth, and we are thrilled be part of it." "The growth and development of our leadership team is indicative of the momentum our company is experiencing," said Murphy. "Sicily is the right person to advance our marketing efforts as we continue to meet the needs of our customers in an age when they are more engaged and connected than ever before." About Mattress Firm With more than 3,600 company-operated and franchised stores across 49 states, Mattress Firm has the largest geographic footprint in the United States among multi-brand mattress retailers. Founded in 1986, Houston-based Mattress Firm is the nation's first border-to-border, coast-to-coast specialty bedding retailer with over $3.5 billion in pro forma sales in the last twelve months. In 2016, Mattress Firm was acquired by Steinhoff International Holdings. The company, through its brands including Mattress Firm, Sleepy's and Sleep Train, offers a broad selection of both traditional and specialty mattresses, bedding accessories and other related products from leading manufacturers, including Sealy, Tempur-Pedic, Serta, Simmons, Stearns & Foster, and Hampton & Rhodes. Mattress Firm guarantees price, comfort and service with the ultimate goal of ensuring that customers Save Money. Sleep Happy. Mattress Firm was named Furniture Today's "Top Bedding Retailer" in 2013 and a "Top Workplace" by the Houston Chronicle in 2011, 2012 and 2013. More information is available at mattressfirm.com, or on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. SOURCE Mattress Firm Related Links http://www.mattressfirm.com "The recent article by Veja really highlights the vital need for our products in the lives of those suffering from conditions like Alzheimer's Disease," said Medical Marijuana Inc. CEO, Dr. Stuart Titus. "Slowly but surely, because of wide reaching articles like this, the world is beginning to realize the benefits of CBD hemp oil products on diseases and disabilities that are oftentimes uncured. We applaud the nation of Brazil, and their health authority in taking proactive measures to see that our products get to those that need it most. Our company looks forward to continue in our efforts with Brazil, and around the world to ensure that those who continue to suffer are brought the relief they so desperately deserve." "Recent studies on Alzheimer's from Stanford University researchers shows that Alzheimer's is caused by an Endogenous Cannabinoid Deficiency - and this, along with the wonderful work from Dr. David Schubert of the San Diego based Salk Institute, bodes quite well for the future of cannabinoid therapeutics to treat this terrible condition," added Dr. Titus. "A new study led by investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine has implicated the blocking of endocannabinoids signaling substances that are the brain's internal versions of the psychoactive chemicals in marijuana and hashish in the early pathology of Alzheimer's disease." The article also discusses recent research by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies indicating the apparent effectiveness of cannabinoids and their ability to reduce brain inflammation. This shows the potential benefits of RSHO on international patients suffering from diseases and disorders like Parkinson's disease and forms of epilepsy. You can view the full story HERE. About HempMeds Brasil HempMeds Brasil currently has three cannabis products approved for importation into Brazil as a prescription medication. The company had the first-ever cannabis product allowed for import into Brazil and its products are currently subsidized by the Brazilian government, under their health care system. As of 2015, ANVISA has allowed cannabidiol treatments for any medical condition a doctor sees could help the patient. HempMeds Brasil has had doctor prescriptions for Epilepsy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Cancer, Autism, Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Pain to date and is working on additional approvals for multiple indications. About Medical Marijuana, Inc. Our mission is to be the premier cannabis and hemp industry innovators, leveraging our team of professionals to source, evaluate and purchase value-added companies and products, while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. We strive to create awareness within our industry, develop environmentally-friendly, economically sustainable businesses, while increasing shareholder value. For details on Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s portfolio and investment companies, visit www.medicalmarijuanainc.com . To see Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s video statement, click here. Shareholders are also encouraged to visit the Medical Marijuana, Inc. Shop for discounted products. FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER AND DISCLOSURES This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties. The statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. The Company does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act. The Company does sell and distribute hemp-based products. Public Relations Contact: Andrew Hard Chief Executive Officer CMW Media P. 888-829- 0070 [email protected] www.cmwmedia.com SOURCE Medical Marijuana, Inc. Related Links http://www.medicalmarijuanainc.com CYPRESS, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) received the fifth annual Driving Engagement Award for the most buzz-worthy social media campaign of 2016. The Chicago Auto Show and Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) recognized Mitsubishi's "Kids Talk Safety" campaign where kids used their imaginations to describe some of the more complex safety features in the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander in their own words. The award was presented in Chicago during the Chicago Auto Show. The "Kids Talk Safety" campaign targeted in-market buyers and young families looking for a safe vehicle with integrated technology. The campaign contains a series of videos with kids explaining complicated safety features such as Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Mitigation. "We challenged our social media team to come up with an unexpected campaign that touted the safety features in the 2017 Outlander in an engaging way that broke through the clutter in the social world," said Francine Harsini, senior director, marketing at Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. "We accepted the challenge and developed a concept around families and kids with their active imaginations," said Kimberly Ito, advertising manager at MMNA. "The social engagement was so effective that our public relations team brought the campaign to life at the Los Angeles Auto Show for some guerrilla PR. Our dealers also leveraged the concept through showroom safety themed coloring books and vehicle window clings." Auto buyers regularly look to social channels when researching a car purchase, and they are especially interested in safety information. With "Kids Talk Safety," Mitsubishi showcased the 2017 Outlander as the forefront in safety and technology. "Mitsubishi Motors is known for its safety, but we were confronted with finding a different way of explaining a topic that can often be full of complicated jargon. So we looked at what families care about most when it comes to safety the kids," said Grant Holland, chief creative officer at Omelet. "They have the ability to break down complicated features in the 2017 Outlander into simple, relatable terms. This campaign was designed to give our smallest passengers a big voice, but it was their imagination and their illustrations that everyone had the most fun with." The campaign was an overwhelming success. It reached over half a million people organically and garnered an engagement rate three times higher than any previous campaign. Due to the tremendous response the campaign received from consumers and dealers alike, Mitsubishi turned the social media content into a national ad campaign. The "Kids Talk Safety" television spots are currently airing nationally. About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all research and development, marketing, and sales for Mitsubishi Motors in the United States. MMNA sells sedans and crossovers/SUVs through a network of approximately 360 dealers. MMNA is leading the way in the development of highly efficient, affordably priced new gasoline-powered automobiles while using its industry-leading knowledge in battery electric vehicles to develop future EV and PHEV models. 2017 marks the 100th year of Mitsubishi producing cars. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com. About the Chicago Auto Show The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America, spanning more than 1 million square feet of production, concept, and exotic vehicle exhibit space. In addition to hosting multiple world and North American vehicle debuts, the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity raises more than $2.5 million annually for 18 vital Chicago organizations in a single night. The 2017 public show will be Feb. 11-20. For more information, visit www.ChicagoAutoShow.com or www.Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow. About the Chicago Automobile Trade Association Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is one of the nation's largest metropolitan dealer organizations. It is comprised of more than 420 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 20,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world-famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information please visit www.CATA.info. SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Related Links http://www.mitsubishicars.com In a two-day budget presentation, attorneys from the Office of the State Public Defender gave frustrated testimony, with some saying they were so overburdened they fear losing their license. Chief Public Defender Bill Hooks presented the agencys budget challenges, including high staff turnover and an increasing caseload, to the Judicial Branch, Law Enforcement and Justice subcommittee on Monday and Tuesday. The 2015 Legislature made the rare decision to approve the OPD budget for one time only. Now OPD officials are responsible for explaining why the committee should build back each section of their budget for the next biennium, which will essentially be built from scratch. Over the interim, OPD created a mitigation plan to address a $3.5 million shortfall and improve future efficiency. The Legislature also created a task force to study OPD and draft reform legislation. Several of those bills, including one to hire an agency director to oversee the reform, are making their way to the governor. Even with the mitigation plan, which took measures such as eliminating contract attorneys in certain regions and implementing a hiring freeze, attorneys said their caseload is too high to adequately provide the competent and effective representation that's required. Some attorneys said the mitigation plan didnt solve anything and asked the committee for resources to run an efficient agency while giving clients quality representation. Alisha Backus, a public defender in the Kalispell office, said shes required to take all types of cases even though she only has a year and a half of experience. Right now, shes the lead counsel on a deliberate homicide case. Because the agency eliminated contract attorneys to save money, Backus is required to practice in five courts. She often spends six hours driving from Kalispell to Eureka and Libby to represent her clients. Her caseload averages twice the recommended amount, and she works every weekend to make sure she provides required representation, although she said its often the bare minimum. Im terrified everyday that I go to work that Im going to lose my license, Backus said. My stress is through the roof. Nicole Gallagher, an attorney in Billings, said her office is down five or six attorneys. The Bar recommends attorneys handle 150 felony cases per year, which Gallagher said shell easily surpass. Because of the hiring freeze in the mitigation plan, Gallagher said shes not able to manage her caseload and is also worried about losing her license. If Im not giving competent and effective representation, that is a license issue, she said. Its frustrating that were discussing budget cuts to our office when its abundantly clear the criminal justice system is growing. Attorneys also came to the committee to emphasize the importance of their work and the benefit of employing social workers to help attorneys navigate issues such as a homeless client or a child who might testify against a parent. Rachel Wanderscheid said shes been in the Helena OPD office for three months, but has struggled to help clients with issues beyond the legal system. Because attorneys often function as social workers without professional training, Wanderscheid said attorneys leave OPD for private practice. Thats because of the emotional level of this work that doesnt exist in other types of law, she said. I dont want to be that type of person. The committee has the option to approve the governors request for approximately $67 million, modify his proposal, or start over and do something unique. While agencies across the board were asked to submit a 5 percent budget reduction plan as a starting point, no other action has been taken by the committee. Executive action is scheduled for Thursday and Friday. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Meeting Professionals International Northern California Chapter [MPINCC], the largest chapter of MPI which is a global organization of the meetings industry, announced today its speakers and schedule for its Annual Conference and Expo (ACE). Hosted at Moscone North on March 9th 2017, this year's poignant and trending keynote will focus on safety and security with speakers Clarence Izzard, CPP, PSP, Area Director, Global Safety & Security, Marriott International; and Jonathan Wackrow, Executive Director, RANE | Risk Assistance Network and Exchange, both considered event security experts. "Over many years, ACE has developed into the leading regional industry conference of its kind," said Marilee A. Sonneman, CMP, DMCP, 2016-17 MPINCC President. "The outstanding value of the education alone, with top-tier speakers addressing of-the-moment topics, is unprecedented. The open trade show floor, free of required appointments, delivers exceptional networking opportunities. And all of this strategically takes place in one day, so delegates can maximize their investment in education and engagement with minimal time." In addition to the timely keynote topic, this year's event will feature 20 additional educational workshops and informal discussion groups on topics such as technology and legal trends and event design by industry experts as well as a trade show, a reception with prizes for meeting planner attendees, and 'Innovation Alley,' which will showcase new and innovative technology products by young companies at a deeply discounted exhibitor rate including an award for most innovative product. Based on last year's attendance, more than 400 planners are expected, with a total attendance of 1,200+ meeting and event professionals and exhibitors. To register, planners, event and meeting professionals can go to www.mpincc.org and click on the link to the ACE event webpage to register as an attendee or an exhibitor. Attendance fees range from $55-$60 for students and early-bird registration for members [expiring February 23rd] to $145 for non-member planners. Pricing also varies for suppliers and dates of purchase. All pricing details can be found here. About MPI and MPINCC: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the world's largest meeting and event industry association. Founded in 1972, the organization provides innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and acts as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry. MPI has a global community of 60,000 meeting and event professionals including more than 17,000 engaged members and its Plan Your Meetings audience. It has more than 90 chapters and clubs in 24 countries. The world's largest chapter, the Northern California Chapter has grown since its founding in 1978 to nearly 1,000 members. "Our Mission: To provide MPI members, chapters and the global meeting and event community with innovative and relevant education, networking opportunities and business exchanges, and to act as a prominent voice for the promotion and growth of the industry." SOURCE Meeting Professionals International Northern California Chapter (MPINCC) Related Links http://www.mpincc.org NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- M&T Bank and Rutgers Business School have launched a new partnership for the second annual Rutgers Business School New Jersey County College Case Competition, with M&T serving as the presenting sponsor of this year's competition. In addition to financial support for the competition, M&T will offer their bankers as advisers to participating community college students throughout New Jersey. Established by Rutgers Business School in 2016, the competition requires students to analyze a real-life business case and present their findings and recommendations to a panel of Rutgers Business School judges. "Rutgers has one of the nation's leading business schools, particularly in placing graduates in the workforce, and we see benefits to building a long-term relationship with the university as we continue to grow our business in New Jersey," said M&T Bank Area Executive Paula Mandell. "Working with Rutgers Business School on this case competition is a great start, allowing our bankers to offer professional assistance to community college students interested in pursuing business degrees and careers." "We look forward to developing a strong strategic partnership with M&T Bank and working together to train students of every background to become tomorrow's business leaders," said Lei Lei, dean of Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick. Robert Kurland, associate dean of undergraduate programs at Rutgers Business School-Newark, added: "With the support of M&T Bank, we are able to extend an invitation to additional county colleges which allows more students the opportunity to gain real-world business experience and showcases some of the best future business leaders in New Jersey." Students will begin working on the business case in March, with the competition culminating in a day-long event at the RBS Newark campus on April 7. Participating community colleges include: Bergen County College College County College of Morris Essex County College Hudson County Community College Middlesex County College Ocean County College Passaic County Community College Sussex County Community College Union County College M&T Bank operates more than 90 branches in New Jersey and ranks among the state's largest lenders to small business, middle market and commercial real estate customers. The bank earned a 2016 SBA Gold Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration Newark District for its lending to small businesses in New Jersey. About M&T Bank Corporation M&T is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank. About Rutgers Business School Rutgers Business School - Newark and New Brunswick is an integral part of one of the nation's oldest, largest, and most distinguished institutions of higher learning: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey founded in 1766. Today, Rutgers Business School is educating more than 7,500 undergraduate and graduate students at two main campuses in New Jersey as well as satellite locations in Jersey City, Madison and Singapore. Steeped in academic excellence, with a distinguished faculty and more than 40,000 successful alumni, Rutgers Business School is highly ranked by the Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. For additional information, visit business.rutgers.edu. Member FDIC. SOURCE M&T Bank Related Links http://www.mtb.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US) held a press conference to share details of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) terrorist training bases in Iran. Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the NCRI-US, explained that the intelligence had come from the NCRI's main constituent group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK), which had previously exposed key information about Iran's nuclear weapon program. Click here to watch the press conference. The unearthed information concerning the training facilities indicates a rise of recruitment of foreign nationals, an expansion that has been explicitly endorsed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Currently, the Quds Force, an operation division of the IRGC, is designated by the US Government under executive order 13224 as an entity engaged in terrorism, but the IRGC itself is not. The NCRI pointed out that there is no distinction between the IRGC and the Quds Force, either in organization and operations, the Iranian constitution or national budget. Jafarzadeh showed maps and details, including commanders' names, of 14 terrorist training centers in Iran. The main headquarter, known as Imam Ali Garrison, is where terrorist training is provided to foreign nationals. He also included specifics on the types of training given to the mercenaries from around the world. The conference emphasized the IRGC's deep involvement in each of the "three pillars" upon which the regime's power rests: the suppression of dissent inside Iran, the export of its Islamic revolution through terrorism and regional military operations, and the amplification of the Iranian military threat through the pursuit of WMDs. IRGC's connection to the international terrorist network was also discussed. Trainees were "dispatched to various countries in the Persian Gulf area, Asia, Africa, and Latin America." The NCRI said measures like designating the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) would decrease the likelihood of similar incidents in the West, and would strike a blow against the Iranian theocracy. In his written statement, Jafarzadeh concluded: "If the day comes when the Tehran regime stops its export of terrorism and religious fascism; and if it reins in the Revolutionary Guards Corps, mandating it only to protect Iran from within Iran's borders; and if it lets go of its hostility towards the United States and drops its 'anti-imperialist' slogans, that day the mullahs' regime will collapse." Contact: NCRI-US, 202-747-7847 SOURCE National Council of Resistance of Iran-U.S. Representative Office (NCRI-US) IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Neudesic, a nationally recognized business and technology consulting firm, today celebrated its 15th anniversary. Over the past 15 years, Neudesic has been focused on helping clients leverage digital technologies to improve operational performance, deliver their products and services more efficiently, and grow their businesses. Neudesic has broadened its focus, leveraging a wide array of leading cloud and emerging technologies to position itself as an industry leader in driving enterprise digital evolution. Neudesic has worked with hundreds of global enterprise clients, covering industries such as financial services, utilities, hospitality, gaming, transportation, logistics, and energy. Neudesic's diverse client base has fueled a flexible and creative company culture - hiring and training exceptional thought leaders, paired with a collaborative environment and the best technology, enabling transformative results for clients worldwide. "Neudesic was founded based on the vision that technology is the key driving force, enabling enterprises to compete effectively and create compelling outcomes for their employees and clients," said Tim Marshall, CTO and co-founder. "Our business and technical expertise, world class talent, and leading technology alliances position us as the partner of choice to successfully drive our clients' digital evolution." "We owe our success to having passionate people and innovative clients," adds Marshall, "and sincerely thank them for the last 15 years." About Neudesic Neudesic is the trusted technology partner in business innovation, delivering impactful business results to clients through digital modernization and evolution. Our consultants bring business and technology expertise together, offering a wide range of cloud and data-driven solutions, including: custom application development, comprehensive managed services, and business software products. Founded in 2002, Neudesic is a privately held company headquartered in Irvine, California, and is celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2017. For more information, or to consult with Neudesic to explore enterprise digital evolution, visit www.neudesic.com. Media Contact: Mike Graff Senior Marketing Manager, Solutions Neudesic (949) 754-4599 [email protected] SOURCE Neudesic Related Links http://www.neudesic.com CARSON, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- New Age Electronics, a leading distributor of consumer electronics and gaming products and services and a division of SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), announced today that it has signed an agreement with RAYCOP, a leading consumer health product manufacturer, to distribute its top-selling allergen vacuums to the North American retail channel. The agreement expands New Age Electronics' home appliance offering and makes the RAYCOP RS2 and RAYCOP LITE products available to its network of retail customers. In Canada, RAYCOP is available through SYNNEX Canada Limited's consumer electronics group. In addition, the agreement has applications in the commercial channel in areas such as hospitality in both the US and Canada. "We are pleased to bring Japan's leading line of allergen vacuums to North America through our agreement with RAYCOP," said Fred Towns, President, New Age Electronics. "RAYCOP's products ultimately help people lead healthier lives by creating a cleaner home environment, eliminating allergens, and providing an overall improved quality of life. The agreement allows retailers to add a new alternative to regular vacuums that meets the needs of consumers looking to buy high-quality cleaning products for the home." RAYCOP combines leading technology and innovative design, delivering a unique product set that easily integrates into the consumer lifestyle. The product line is especially relevant to the millions of adults and children susceptible to common allergies and other respiratory disorders. RAYCOP allergen vacuums use patented RayClean Technology to remove allergens from fabric surfaces three times more effectively than other brand-leading vacuums. With a dual-filtration system incorporating a high-efficiency particulate air filter, ultraviolet light, optimized suction and pulsating pads, RAYCOP eliminates most common bacteria and viruses, as well as pollen and allergens produced by dust mites. "Our team is excited to work with New Age Electronics to significantly expand our global footprint while making RAYCOP products more widely available to North American consumers," said Hirobumi Suzuki, CEO, RAYCOP North America. "Following the momentous success among our Asian customer base, we are confident that people across the US and Canada especially those who suffer from allergies will find great value in making their homes cleaner and healthier with the RAYCOP product line." New Age Electronics' agreement with RAYCOP comes in addition to the manufacturer's relationship with SYNNEX Infotec Japan, which began in 2011. To learn more about RAYCOP through New Age Electronics, call (800) 947-5974, email [email protected], or visit www.newageelectronics.com. Interested Canadian retailers can contact SYNNEX Canada's consumer electronics group by calling 514-745-1690 ext. 508919 or emailing [email protected]. About New Age Electronics New Age Electronics, a division of SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), is a sales and supply chain solutions innovator that provides consumer technology (CT) manufacturers with a broad offering of logistics, distribution and remanufactured services. Extensive experience in the CT industry and a customer-centric approach has made New Age Electronics the provider of choice. New Age Electronics distinguishes itself with efficient operations and relentless focus on customer satisfaction. Founded in 1988, New Age Electronics is headquartered in Carson, California. For more information about New Age Electronics, call (310) 549-0000, toll-free (888) 234-0300 or visit the company's website at www.synnex.com/nae. About SYNNEX Corporation SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), a Fortune 500 corporation and a leading business process services company, provides a comprehensive range of distribution, logistics and integration services for the technology industry, as well as outsourced services focused on customer engagement strategy to a broad range of enterprises. SYNNEX distributes a broad range of information technology systems and products and also provides systems design and integration solutions. Concentrix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SYNNEX Corporation, offers a portfolio of strategic solutions and end-to-end business services around customer engagement strategy, process optimization, technology innovation, front and back-office automation and business transformation to clients in ten identified industry verticals. Founded in 1980, SYNNEX Corporation operates in numerous countries throughout North and South America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Additional information about SYNNEX may be found online at www.synnex.com . About RAYCOP Founded in 2005, RAYCOP is a leading consumer health product manufacturer focused on improving consumer's quality of life with innovative products that help people breathe and sleep better. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, RAYCOP has more than 500 employees and is the number one selling home allergen vacuum in Japan with more than four million units sold to date. RAYCOP products are currently sold in many countries around the world and in 2016, RAYCOP strengthened its global presence with the addition of a North American headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. RAYCOP is widely recognized as the premium brand and pioneer of allergen cleaning devices. To learn more, please visit www.raycop.com. Safe Harbor Statement Statements in this release that are forward-looking, such as product features and capabilities and the success of the collaboration, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance that may be suggested in this release. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release. Copyright 2017 SYNNEX Corporation. All rights reserved. SYNNEX, the SYNNEX Logo, CONCENTRIX, NEW AGE ELECTRONICS, the NEW AGE ELECTRONICS Logo, and all other SYNNEX company, product and services names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of SYNNEX Corporation. SYNNEX, the SYNNEX Logo, CONCENTRIX, NEW AGE ELECTRONICS and the NEW AGE ELECTRONICS LOGO Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Other names and marks are the property of their respective owners. SNX-G SOURCE SYNNEX Corporation Related Links http://www.synnex.com The workshops will be held on February 16, 2017 from 9:00 A.M. -12:00 P.M. at the Adolphus Hotel located at 1321 Commerce Street Dallas, TX 75202 and from 9:00 A.M. -12:00 P.M. at the Houston Club, One Shell Plaza, 910 Louisiana Street, Suite 4900, Houston, TX 77002. "I am very excited to host this Latino Focus Event about the new millennial generation of Latinos. I hope that people will learn how to market to this important generation and how we can help them achieve their dream of homeownership," said Arvielo. The events will provide opportunities for attendees to learn about needs specific to millennial Hispanic consumers and hear from guest speakers. In Dallas, Robert Deleon, a Real Estate Agent and member of the Board of Directors for National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), will address marketing to this new generation of Latinos, specifically culturally keen social media and traditional marketing tactics. In Houston, Mark Dimas, a Real Estate Agent with 14 years of experience, will take the stage to share successful marketing strategies and address the pain points of the Latino homebuyer. In 2013, New American Funding formed the Latino Focus Committee. The in-house group develops services to enhance the quality of the lending experience among Hispanic consumers and aims to enrich the Hispanic community through homeownership. This event is produced in collaboration with Freddie Mac and Radian. More information can be found at http://www.latinofocus.com. About New American Funding New American Funding is a Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae Direct Seller/Servicer, FHA Direct Endorsement and VA Automatic mortgage lender. The company is licensed in 48 states, has 130+ branch locations, and offers a variety of home loan options, including: Conventional, FHA, Cash Out, Fixed Rate and Adjustable Rate Mortgages, VA, HARP 2.0, Jumbo, and Reverse Mortgages. RELATED LINKS http://latinofocus.com/ http://www.newamericanagent.com/ https://www.facebook.com/LatinoFocus/ https://twitter.com/newamericanteam SOURCE New American Funding Related Links http://www.newamericanfunding.com Conducted by HIMSS Analytics on behalf of Philips and announced at the 2017 Annual HIMSS Conference and Exhibition , the survey of 120 healthcare IT leaders sought to determine how health leaders are prioritizing technology investments in an industry shift to value-based care. Of the 120 respondents, 84 percent represent either standalone hospitals or integrated delivery networks (IDNs), 55 percent identify as C-level executives, and 26.7 percent is comprised of IT directors. "The shift to value-based care and population health management is critical to improving patient outcomes, and integrated solutions can connect care across the health continuum to provide powerful actionable insights to enable this transformation," said Carla Kriwet, Chief Business Leader, Connected Care and Health Informatics, Philips. "These survey results demonstrate the desire for fully integrated, cost-effective and operationally effective solutions, which our customers have proven can add tremendous value and improve outcomes at every point of care." As healthcare moves toward a value-based model, population health initiatives become increasingly important. Three-quarters of respondents already have population health programs in acute care, and nearly two-thirds of respondents in both readmissions and patient education. Additionally, there were increases in program implementation since last year within home monitoring devices and aging well or elderly care programs as well as notable plans for future implementations, with priorities in mobile wellness monitoring devices (58.3 percent), home monitoring devices (45.8 percent), and aging well or elderly care programs (42.5 percent). Key Survey Findings: While care coordination remains a challenge overall in population health management efforts (19.2 percent), financial investment (20.8 percent) and patient engagement and adherence (20.0 percent) are considered the biggest population health challenges in 2017. Cloud-based technology is currently being used primarily for health information exchange (48.3 percent), followed by clinical data storage (34.2 percent). Health organizations plan to prioritize cloud-based technology on managed application deployment (40.8 percent) and big data analytics support (40.8 percent). Community diagnostic imaging centers (68 percent), ambulatory surgery centers (61 percent) and urgent care (60 percent) have seen the highest increases in the deployment of IT systems, compared to physician's offices in 2016. Philips is committed to providing a fully integrated suite of advanced technologies and intelligent software, solutions and services in a highly secure, cloud-based ecosystem, to deliver the data and analytics needed to make better informed, more efficient and effective value-based care decisions, from the hospital into home. Philips will showcase the breadth of its personal and population health offerings and acute healthcare informatics solutions, fully integrated in a highly secure, cloud-based ecosystem in booth #2105 at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) 2017 Annual Meeting and Exhibition. For more information on Philips' presence at (HIMSS), please visit www.philips/himss and follow @PhilipsLiveFrom for #HIMSS17 updates throughout the event. For further information, please contact: Kathy O'Reilly Philips Group Communications Tel.: +1 978-659-2638 E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @kathyoreilly About Royal Philips Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2015 sales of EUR 16.8 billion and employs approximately 70,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter. About HIMSS Analytics HIMSS Analytics is a global healthcare IT market intelligence, research and standards organization assisting clientele in both healthcare delivery and healthcare technology solutions business development to make lasting improvements in efficiency and performance. HIMSS Analytics offers a wide array of market insight and research solutions custom-created to meet clientele business objectives. Offering a full spectrum of research services from general market understanding and opportunities, to finding ways to improve business effectiveness, HIMSS Analytics' team of experienced analysts and thought leaders guide clients through the fast-paced, highly competitive health IT market to better performance. SOURCE Royal Philips NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Synopsis Timetric's 'Non-Life Insurance in Saudi Arabia, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment, and a comparison of the Saudi Arabian insurance industry with its regional counterparts. It provides values for key performance indicators such as written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, combined ratio, total assets, total investment income and retentions during the review period (20112015) and forecast period (20152020). The report also analyzes distribution channels operating in the segment, gives a comprehensive overview of the Saudi Arabian economy and demographics, explains the various types of natural and man-made hazards and their impact on the Saudi Arabian insurance industry, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country. The report brings together Timetric's research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations, and recent changes in the regulatory structure. Summary Timetric's 'Non-Life Insurance in Saudi Arabia, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment, including: - The Saudi Arabian non-life segment's detailed outlook by product category - A comprehensive overview of the Saudi Arabian economy and demographics - A comparison of the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment with its regional counterparts - The various distribution channels in the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment - Detailed analysis of natural and man-made hazards and their impact on the Saudi Arabian insurance industry - Details of the competitive landscape in the non-life insurance segment in Saudi Arabia - Details of regulatory policy applicable to the Saudi Arabian insurance industry Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the non-life insurance segment in Saudi Arabia: - It provides historical values for the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment for the report's 20112015 review period, and projected figures for the 20152020 forecast period. - It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment, and market forecasts to 2020. - It provides a comparison of the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment with its regional counterparts. - It analyzes the various distribution channels for non-life insurance products in Saudi Arabia. - It analyzes various natural and man-made hazards and their impact on the Saudi Arabian insurance industry. - It profiles the top non-life insurance companies in Saudi Arabia, and outlines the key regulations affecting them. Reasons To Buy - Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment, and each category within it. - Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Saudi Arabian non-life insurance segment. - Assess the competitive dynamics in the non-life insurance segment. - Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories. - Gain insights into key regulations governing the Saudi Arabian insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future. Key Highlights - In December 2016, the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority instructed motor insurers to introduce a no-claims discount provision for individual customers when renewing motor insurance policies. - The penetration rate of non-life insurance segment was 0.7% in 2015, and is expected to reach 1.0% in 2020. - Motor insurance was the largest non-life category, accounting for 65.4% of the segment's direct written premium in 2015. - According to new regulations, hospitals are required to bill treatment expenses to the insurance provider of the person responsible for the accident. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p03260671-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com SEATTLE, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) announced today plans to open a Nordstrom Rack in Manhattan at The Durst Organization's 855 6th Avenue. The approximately 46,500-square-foot store is scheduled to open in fall 2017. Nordstrom Rack will occupy the first three floors of the newly constructed office/residential tower. The location is on the corner of 31st Street, two blocks from Herald Square. "We are thrilled to announce a second Nordstrom Rack store in Manhattan," said Karen McKibbin, president of Nordstrom Rack. "Having a store near Herald Square one of the most iconic shopping destinations in the world is very exciting for us, and we look forward to offering visitors and residents of New York an additional location to shop with us." This will be the 2nd Nordstrom Rack store in Manhattan. The company has also announced plans to open a Manhattan flagship Nordstrom store in 2019. "We are proud to welcome Nordstrom Rack to 855 Sixth Avenue," said Jonathan (Jody) Durst, President of The Durst Organization. "With 375 rental units, 150,000 square feet of office space and now 46,500 square feet of retail, the building is a perfect reflection of the diversity, energy and connectivity of the NoMad neighborhood. We look forward to many years of success with Nordstrom Rack at 855." The Durst Organization was represented in-house by Eric Engelhardt, Rocco Romeo, Lindsey Ravesloot and Meghan Duffany and by Ross Berkowitz, Robert Futterman and Peter Whitenack of Robert K. Futterman & Associates, LLC. Nordstrom, Inc, was represented by Stephen Stephanou and Thibaud Veil of Crown Retail Services, LLC Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of Nordstrom, Inc., offering customers a wide selection of on-trend apparel, accessories and shoes at an everyday savings of 30-70 percent off regular prices. Nordstrom Rack merchandise, available at Rack stores and at Nordstromrack.com, comes from Nordstrom stores, Nordstrom.com as well as specially purchased items from many of the top brands available at Nordstrom. The Rack is designed to provide the ultimate treasure hunt to style-savvy customers. About Nordstrom Nordstrom, Inc. is a leading fashion specialty retailer based in the U.S. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 349 stores in 40 states, including 123 full-line stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico; 215 Nordstrom Rack stores; two Jeffrey boutiques; and two clearance stores. Additionally, customers are served online through Nordstrom.com, Nordstromrack.com and HauteLook. The company also owns Trunk Club, a personalized clothing service serving customers online at TrunkClub.com and its seven clubhouses. Nordstrom, Inc.'s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN. About The Durst Organization The Durst Organization, founded in 1915 by Joseph Durst, is the owner, manager and builder of 13 million square feet of premiere Manhattan office towers and 1,950 residential rental units with 3,400 in development. The Durst Organization is recognized as a world leader in the development of high-performance and environmentally advanced commercial and residential buildings. www.durst.org MEDIA CONTACTS: Jessica Canfield Nordstrom, Inc. (206) 303-4250 [email protected] Jordan Barowitz The Durst Organization (212) 257-6605 [email protected] SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc. Related Links http://www.nordstrom.com NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OnlineSchoolsCenter.com has recently released their list of the Top Online Schools for Master in Sex Therapy and Marriage/Family Counseling, a comprehensive index of the finest available distance education programs in America pertaining to this field of study. You may view the list, along with a description of the benefits of each institution, by clicking the link below: http://www.onlineschoolscenter.com/top-online-schools-master-sex-therapy-marriagefamily-counseling/ These areas of the counseling profession require integrity, honesty, and sincere communication, perhaps even more so than any other area within the discipline, as they address some of the most sensitive issues within human relationships. Many couples and families have been saved by these specialized therapists, who are capable of mediating and negotiating highly difficult and emotionally charged scenarios. The family dynamic is changing drastically due in large part to the introduction of newer technologies, and a degree in Sex Therapy or Marriage and Family Counseling gives graduate students all of the most relevant theories and techniques available in dealing with these changes. These Top Online Schools for Master in Sex Therapy and Marriage/Family Counseling represent some of the finest distance education colleges and universities in the country. Many have been recognized for consecutive years on end for fabulous curricula, resources, and faculty members. Students at any one of these fine academic institutions receive access to state-of-the-art technologies, and personalized advising to assist them throughout their challenging coursework. Classes are in-depth, and sharpen current skills while also implementing new ones. According to lead researcher and writer, Rowan Jones, "This is an incredibly fascinating area of study that concerns issues under which many families suffer. Students in any one of these programs receives a thorough education that prepares them for deeply fulfilling careers." Below we have listed the schools that have made the Top Online Schools for Master in Sex Therapy and Marriage/Family Counseling: Capella University Minneapolis, MN Walden University Minneapolis, MN Northcentral University Scottsdale, AZ Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Amridge University Montgomery, AL Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ California Southern University Costa Mesa, CA Messiah College Mechanicsburg, PA Touro University Worldwide Vallejo, CA Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Palo Alto University Palo Alto, CA University of the Rockies Colorado Springs, CO Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KY Eisner Institute for Professional Studies Encino, CA Concordia University Online Mequon, WI These Top Online Schools for Master in Sex Therapy and Marriage/Family Counseling were chosen for several factors that put them ahead of other online graduate programs, due to the: nature of the coursework, degree of thoroughness and complexity of the curriculum, 100% online availability, sufficient financial aid availability, and an education that give students more than just classroom experience. OnlineSchoolsCenter.com is an online web publication that is committed to enhancing the information available to students when choosing an academic institution. The editors of OnlineSchoolsCenter.com collect the most important and relevant data about colleges, universities, and campus facilities from various highly respected sources and offer them in a simple format that is easy to understand. In developing this list, OnlineSchoolsCenter.com, chose not to list the schools in an ordered way, but instead highlighted fifteen of the very best programs, all of which have their own unique strengths. Contact: Rowan Jones Researcher/Writer OnlineSchoolsCenter.com Email: [email protected] Cell: (931) 636-4286 SOURCE OnlineSchoolsCenter.com Related Links http://www.onlineschoolscenter.com HELENA A federal judge has pushed back the murder trial of a Montana woman accused of killing a 13-month-old girl and putting her body in dumpster on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Janelle Red Dog's trial had been scheduled for Feb. 27. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Brian Morris re-set it for May 22 in Great Falls. Morris wrote in his order the delay is necessary to give Red Dog's public defender enough time to prepare. Red Dog is charged with first- and second-degree murder for the April 2016 death of Kenzley Olson. She has pleaded not guilty and faces a potential sentence of life in prison if she is convicted. Red Dog had been caring for Kenzley for about two weeks after the girl's mother dropped her off and failed to return. PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Palo Alto University's (PAU) Master of Arts in Counseling programs in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and in Clinical Mental Health Counseling were awarded 8 years of accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP accreditation is recognition that the programs' quality meets the national standards set by the counseling profession and is among the highest commendation that an academic program can receive in the counseling field. These accreditation decisions were based on the CACREP's Board's extensive review of the self-study documents submitted by PAU, the visiting team's report, and PAU's response to the visiting team's report. The Counseling department was further accredited by CACREP to deliver its two emphases in both a Residential Hybrid and a Distance Learning (online) with Limited Residency format. Palo Alto University is now the only university with a CACREP accredited online masters program located west of the Rockies and is one of only eight CACREP accredited residential programs with these emphases in California. Alumnus Sharlisa Byrd, Community Involvement Specialist and MFTi, stated: "Palo Alto University is like coming home. Home is not only a physical place, but a place of purpose and growth, that connects and creates relationships. The M.A. Counseling program allowed me to be both powerful and vulnerable. I was provided with the tools to be able to use myself as a producer of healing, hope and transformation. Now it is my turn to open doors to welcome others home." The Master Degree Program in PAU is under the excellent Leadership of Dr. William Snow who received the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES) in December 2016. The award is testament to the high quality support and commitment of Dr. Snow, and was the result of many professors and students submitting sincere and heartfelt nominations and letters on his behalf. Dr. Snow will be presenting his thoughts on "The Importance of Mentorship in Leaders". Please come and join us. March 7th , 5:30 to 6:15pm , Room C15a, PAU's Los Altos Campus, 5150 El Camino, Los Altos , CA. About Palo Alto University Palo Alto University (PAU) was founded in 1975 and is dedicated to education with an emphasis in the behavioral and social sciences. Offering bachelor, master and doctorate degrees, PAU's mission is to improve lives, with an emphasis on diverse cultures and serving the community. M.A. Counseling (MFT/LPCC). This program prepares students to pursue a license as a mental health counselor or marriage and family therapist and with two areas of emphasis; Marriage, Family, and Child emphasis fulfills all requirements for MFT licensure in the State of California and similar licenses in many other states, and Clinical Mental Health emphasis fulfills all requirements for LPCC licensure in California and many other U.S. states and territories. Contact: Helena Ting, VP of Community Development, [email protected] SOURCE Palo Alto University Whether your idea of Spring Break involves exploring a Caribbean island, bar-hopping between sets in the live music capital of Austin, or joining spring breakers at a classic Florida beach bash, the travel experts at Cheapflights.com , the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, have you covered. Split into five sections with the best deals for travel from each region of the country, Cheapflights' Spring Break 2017: Where to go for airfare that's still low highlights 25 student-friendly spots that also have wallet-friendly flight prices, even if you are booking now. For a sampling of fun and affordable spots, read on: Traveling From Northeast Savannah, Georgia Haunted mansions (well, purportedly haunted), Instagram-worthy architecture, ultra-friendly locals and a charming, leafy Historic District make Savannah a good choice when it comes to where to spend your Spring Break time. Get your fill of sun at the nearby beaches and food and fun along the Riverwalk. Haunted mansions (well, purportedly haunted), Instagram-worthy architecture, ultra-friendly locals and a charming, leafy Historic District make a good choice when it comes to where to spend your Spring Break time. Get your fill of sun at the nearby beaches and food and fun along the Riverwalk. Palm Springs, California Much more than just a golfing hot spot, Palm Springs is a warm weather oasis, both literally and figuratively. The resort town boasts plenty of outdoor fun, with great hiking, as well as horseback and ATV tours. And, for indoor fun, there are plenty of chances to shop, eat and bar or casino hop your way through the laid-back, friendly city. Traveling From Southeast Nassau, Bahamas You can easily put beach hopping at the top of your Spring Break to-do list with a quick flight to Nassau . In addition to soaking up the sun or splashing around in turquoise water, get into the island mindset at an open air bar, where you can sip daiquiris (the drinking age is 18) and enjoy incredible fresh and affordable seafood. Don't forget to make time to shop the duty-free shops on Bay Street or pick up souvenirs and local handicrafts from the lively Nassau Straw Market. You can easily put beach hopping at the top of your Spring Break to-do list with a quick flight to . In addition to soaking up the sun or splashing around in turquoise water, get into the island mindset at an open air bar, where you can sip daiquiris (the drinking age is 18) and enjoy incredible fresh and affordable seafood. Don't forget to make time to shop the duty-free shops on Bay Street or pick up souvenirs and local handicrafts from the lively Nassau Straw Market. Ft. Walton, Florida Sometimes you want a beach vacation with a lot of action, and sometimes you just want a stretch of warm sand to yourself for a while. Fort Walton is ideal for those who want a bit of both. Located an hour and a half from Spring Break central, Panama City Beach , Fort Walton gives you the best of the Florida sun and sand and puts you in the orbit of the full social scene. How close to the chaos you want to go is up to you Traveling From West Vancouver, BC , Canada Nature-lovers and outdoor enthusiasts will want to consider a trip to Vancouver for Spring Break. You can ski, hike, snowboard and mountain bike all in a few days if you want. There's also great food, a good bar scene (available to those 19 and over), laid-back locals and a convivial vibe that makes even first-time visitors feel right at home. (The U.S.-friendly exchange rate might make it feel even better than home.) Nature-lovers and outdoor enthusiasts will want to consider a trip to for Spring Break. You can ski, hike, snowboard and mountain bike all in a few days if you want. There's also great food, a good bar scene (available to those 19 and over), laid-back locals and a convivial vibe that makes even first-time visitors feel right at home. (The U.S.-friendly exchange rate might make it feel even better than home.) Reno, Nevada If you've never thought about visiting Reno , make this Spring Break the year you do it. Probably most well known as a gambling spot, Reno is also home to many ski resorts, bars, restaurants and chances to shop until you drop. Traveling From Midwest Niagara Falls Niagara Falls , no matter which side you're looking at (American or Canadian), are always an epic sight. But the area is also filled with other things to see and do. If you're feeling lucky, you can check out the Niagara Fallsview Casino, sample some wine at one of the surrounding wineries like Inniskillin, take in the views from the Skylon Tower Observation Deck, or ride the Clifton Hill SkyWheel, one of the best ways to view the Falls . Stay on the Canada side for better buying power and to take advantage of the lower drinking age. , no matter which side you're looking at (American or Canadian), are always an epic sight. But the area is also filled with other things to see and do. If you're feeling lucky, you can check out the Niagara Fallsview Casino, sample some wine at one of the surrounding wineries like Inniskillin, take in the views from the Skylon Tower Observation Deck, or ride the Clifton Hill SkyWheel, one of the best ways to view . Stay on the side for better buying power and to take advantage of the lower drinking age. Montreal, Quebec Get a taste of Europe without leaving North America with a Spring Break trip to Montreal . You'll definitely want to spend some time exploring Old Montreal, browsing cute shops and cafes and feeling like you made a pit stop in Paris . Other Montreal must-dos include browsing the massive Jean-Talon Market , getting the most of your strong U.S. dollar by shopping Sainte Catherine Street (one of North America's longest shopping arteries) and diving into a plate of poutine, washed down with a local beer, before trying your luck at the casino. Traveling From Southwest Phoenix, Arizona While Phoenix may not be the first place you think of when you think Spring Break, it has a lot to offer last-minute travelers. Phoenix is a diverse destination, home to desert, mountains and more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Hike your way to the top of Camelback Mountain, try one of the 50 miles of trails in South Mountain Park and Preserve or catch a baseball game. The Cactus League spring training season kicks off at the end of February, with games scheduled throughout March for 15 MLB teams. Not a baseball fan? No problem. March is one of the busiest months of the year in Phoenix , with festivals and events like the Arizona Renaissance Festival, theArizona Wild West Festival and the Good Life Festival, which includes music from national and local acts, among many others. While Phoenix may not be the first place you think of when you think Spring Break, it has a lot to offer last-minute travelers. is a diverse destination, home to desert, mountains and more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Hike your way to the top of Camelback Mountain, try one of the 50 miles of trails in South Mountain Park and Preserve or catch a baseball game. The Cactus League spring training season kicks off at the end of February, with games scheduled throughout March for 15 MLB teams. Not a baseball fan? No problem. March is one of the busiest months of the year in , with festivals and events like the Arizona Renaissance Festival, theArizona Wild West Festival and the Good Life Festival, which includes music from national and local acts, among many others. Nashville, Tennessee If you're into live music, Music City is, of course, an ideal destination. And with a number of honky tonks, dive bars and barbecue joints downtown within walking distance of each other, Nashville is the perfect place for an alternative spring break. If none of those options fit the bill, we have plenty more suggestions. For those in the Northeast, these include non-stop New York City, the three-pronged party zone that is Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Palm Beach, and exchange-rate-friendly Toronto, Canada. For students traveling from the Southeast, choose from sunny Puerto Rico, the beach party mecca of Daytona Beach or swinging New Orleans. Westerners have their pick of laid-back Los Angeles, hipster-centric Portland, Oregon, and Salt Lake City's proximity to national parks and mountains. Midwesterners sick of the snow can find sunnier skies in Denver, Las Vegas and Clearwater/Tampa. Folks in the Southwest can head north to Chicago for its notable food and cocktail scene, Austin for live music bar crawls and Myrtle Beach for affordable, beachside fun. To get the full list, check out Cheapflights.com's Spring Break 2017: Where to go for airfare that's still low at www.cheapflights.com/news/spring-break-vacations. About Cheapflights.com, part of the Momondo Group Founded in 1996, Cheapflights is a leading global flight comparison and deals publishing platform. It is now a market leader in the UK, U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand generating over $3 billion in global downstream revenue for its partners as it expands into numerous other territories. More than 120 million users visit its websites and apps each year, receiving more than two billion search results a month from across 900,000 routes. The 10 million strong opt-in subscribers to the Cheapflights newsletter receive the best deals from over 120 travel businesses for whom it has driven more than $65 million in revenue this year. Together, the Cheapflights platforms generate enough bookings for its partners to fill a Boeing 747 every five minutes. In 2011, Cheapflights became part of the privately owned online travel search and inspiration network, Momondo Group. Follow us on: Twitter: twitter.com/cheapflights Facebook: facebook.com/cheapflights Instagram: instagram.com/cheapflights Pinterest: pinterest.com/cheapflights SOURCE Cheapflights.com Related Links http://www.cheapflights.com KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PerfectServe is listed as a representative vendor in Gartner's Market Guide for Clinical Communication and Collaboration. PerfectServe's flagship solution, PerfectServe Synchrony, is healthcare's most comprehensive integrated system of secure, patient-centric communication services, featuring Dynamic Intelligent Routing, which automatically identifies and provides immediate connection to the right care team member for any given clinical situation at every moment in time. Gartner's Market Guide clearly defines the clinical communication and collaboration (CC&C) market: "CC&C systems are used to coordinate activities with clinicians and staff, share patient information (such as text, documents, telemetry, images and video) to reduce response times, improve care transitions and patient throughput, and reduce discharge times. CC&C systems can contribute to improved patient safety, outcomes, satisfaction and retention." "The Gartner Market Guide helps health IT buyers keep up with the latest direction and developments in functional capabilities, compliance and multiple types of clinical communication and collaboration solutions that have matured over the years," said Terry Edwards, President and CEO of PerfectServe. "PerfectServe will continue its trajectory of evolving product innovation of its enterprise, next-generation offering in acute care to transcend geographic and organizational barriers. Our goal is to drive collaboration among all stakeholdersincluding the patientacross all care settings." Gartner's Market Guide states, "Clinical communication and collaboration platforms can improve care quality, care team effectiveness and the patient experience. Healthcare provider CIOs and clinical leadership should use this guide to see where this market is heading and identify vendor exemplars." Key findings in the report reveal: Clinical communication and collaboration (CC&C) systems have gained traction due to the increased use of mobile devices at the point of care and an industry focus on care quality, care coordination and the patient experience. Healthcare provider CIOs and clinical leadership have begun to deploy CC&C platforms more widely in an effort to better coordinate care, improve outcomes and avoid readmission penalties. CC&C will become a critical point-of-care system as the healthcare provider transforms into a real-time health system (RTHS). RTHS solutions such as CC&C, interactive patient care, alarms and notification platforms are increasingly assuming nurse call responsibilities. Gartner, Market Guide for Clinical Communication and Collaboration, 15 November 2016 Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About PerfectServe PerfectServe Synchrony is healthcare's most comprehensive and secure care team collaboration platform. The platform is unique in its ability to improve communication process accuracy and reliability via its proprietary Dynamic Intelligent Routing capability, which automatically identifies and provides immediate connection to the right care team member for any given clinical situation at every moment in time. More than 400,000 clinician users, including more than 70,000 physicians, in forward-looking organizations across the U.S. rely on PerfectServe to help them speed time to treatment, expedite care transitions, enhance the patient experience and reduce HIPAA compliance risk. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, with offices in Alpharetta, Georgia, and Chicago, PerfectServe has helped clinicians provide better care since 2000. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and subscribe to our blog. Media Contact: PerfectServe Contact: Angela Jenkins Heather Dorsett, MBA Agency Ten22 Director, Content Strategy and Marketing 720.859.6930 855.871.7299 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE PerfectServe Related Links http://www.perfectserve.com ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Phire Group, an independent branding and creative agency, announced today that Youth Arts Alliance! has been chosen as the first winner of their BonPhire initiative. Launched in fall 2016, BonPhire aims to empower one Michigan-based nonprofit per year by offering a full suite of marketing and creative expertise, free of charge, to strengthen their impact across the communities they serve and beyond. Youth Arts Alliance! (YAA!) is a tri-county art collaborative in Southeast Michigan. Led by Founding Director Heather Martin, LLMSW, YAA! brings visual arts, creative writing and theater workshops to approximately 100 youth in the juvenile justice system each week. Martin leads 15 community artists and a dozen volunteers to serve youth living in the Jackson County Youth Center in Jackson, Washtenaw County Youth Center in Ann Arbor and Monroe County Youth Center in Monroe, Michigan. Martin plans to expand YAA! to more counties in the near future. "Youth Arts Alliance! is honored to receive the BonPhire award. Our community's young people have incredible, creative talents. With the help of local artists, they're discovering more opportunities to express themselves every day. Many seek to shift the narrative we carry about youth who are impacted by the juvenile justice system. Phire Group is providing an invaluable resource that will raise young peoples' voices and ideas to a larger audience," said Martin. Chosen for its strong commitment to inspiring creativity and positive futures for young community members, Youth Arts Alliance! will receive 200 agency hours, approximately a $30,000 value, toward the discovery, creative and planning phase. Phire Group will also offer full support and training for Martin to implement the new brand, website and marketing strategy, expected to launch in summer 2017. Phire Group is committed to being an active community member and helping Michigan-based nonprofits thrive. In addition to naming a BonPhire winner, Phire Group will also provide $1,000 to each of the top finalists, The Brides Project and Starfish Family Services. The initiative will be open again for applications in fall 2017. "In our inaugural year of this initiative, we were overwhelmed and humbled by the submissions and the great works happening throughout the state. We did not anticipate how difficult it would be to select just one. We truly look forward to working with the Youth Arts Alliance!, but I frankly wish we could work with everyone who submitted. They are all so worthy and deserving," said Jim Hume, owner and principal, Phire Group. About Youth Arts Alliance! Youth Arts Alliance! (YAA!) provides creative arts workshops inside juvenile detention and residential treatment facilities in Southeast Michigan. The creative spaces YAA! facilitates incredible impact through taking positive, artistic risks while exploring the issues that have brought youth into the Juvenile Justice system. Learn more at youthartsalliance.com. About Phire Group Phire Group is an award-winning, independent Branding and Creative Agency that ignites partner organizations through complete research and brand strategy, breakthrough creative, and comprehensive digital and traditional capabilities. Phire Group plans, creates, manages and measures the complete marketing ecosystem, turning prospects into customers, customers into believers and believers into their partners' greatest marketing opportunity. Additional information is available at phiregroup.com. SOURCE Phire Group NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Portable gas chromatograph market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2%" The portable gas chromatograph market is projected to reach USD 1.71 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2016 to 2026. Rise in government investments for chromatography technologies and the increasing number of conferences are helping to provide updates and create awareness about gas chromatography techniques, which are the major factors driving the portable gas chromatograph market. However factors such as, the high cost of equipment, and need for skilled professionals to operate field gas chromatograms, are expected to restrain the portable gas chromatograph market. "Autosamplers segment to register highest growth in the portable gas chromatograph market" An autosampler is an instrument that facilitates automatic introduction of samples into an inlet. Though manual filling is possible, auto samplers provide better reproducibility and save time. With the increasing use of process integrated gas chromatographs, the demand for autosamplers is increasing globally. "Environmental biosciences segment to register highest growth in the portable gas chromatograph market" The environmental biosciences industry is the third largest consumer of field gas chromatographs. Increasing government concerns for environmental safety across the globe is driving the portable gas chromatograph market in the environmental biosciences industry. The oil & gas industry is the largest consumer in the portable gas chromatograph market. "The portable gas chromatograph market in the Asia-Pacific region is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period" The Asia-Pacific region portable gas chromatograph market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2016 to 2026. Growth in this market is mainly attributed to the increasing awareness of portable gas chromatograph technologies. India and South Korea in the Asia-Pacific region, are the two major countries which are expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. BREAKDOWN OF PROFILE OF PRIMARY PARTICIPANTS: - By Company Type: Tier 1 - 45 %, Tier 2 - 22%, and Tier 3 - 33% - By Designation: C Level - 50%, Director Level - 10%, and Others - 40% - By Region: Europe - 33%, North America - 17%, , Asia-Pacific - 17%, Middle East & Africa - 25%, and Latin America 8%. Major companies profiled in this report are, Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Siemens AG (Germany), Elster Group GmbH. (Germany), SRI Instruments (U.S.), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Thermo Fisher Scientific (U.S.), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), and PerkinElmer, Inc. (U.S.). Research Coverage: This report offers an overview of the market trends, drivers, and barriers with respect to the portable gas chromatograph market. It also provides a detailed overview of the market across five regions, namely, Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. The report categorizes the portable gas chromatograph market on the basis of instruments, accessories & consumables, end-use industries, and regions. A detailed analysis of the leading players, along with the key growth strategies adopted by them is also covered in the global report. Reasons to Buy the Report: This report covers the following key aspects: - The market size by 2026, and the growth rate from 2016 to 2026 - The key market trends - The factors expected to drive the growth of the market - The barriers that impact market growth - The key players in this market - The global portable gas chromatograph market report covers key regions such as, North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America including major countries in these regions such as the U.S., China, South Korea, India, and Germany. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04684217-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com RESTON, Va., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- PrecyseTech Corporation ("PrecyseTech") announced today an expanded business relationship with Agylytyx, including using the Agylytyx SaaS-based Generator to offer users new, advanced, powerful visualization options. Agylytyx is an SAP Preferred Partner, enabling PrecysTech's proven Industrial IOT ('IIOT') asset tracking and management systems and cloud-based inPALMsm SaaS solutions to seamlessly integrate with users' ERP/SAP systems via Agylytyx. McKinsey studies estimate today's IoT revolution will generate $11 trillion economic value by 2025, and notes interoperability will be critically important, accounting for 40 to 60 percent of the total. The Agylytyx platform and technology provides real time access and analytics to enterprise ERP systems, significantly expanding the reach of Precystech's current asset management and analytics solutions, moving beyond traditional sensor data, providing insights and analytics on the relationship between often isolated 'islands of information' within enterprises. "PrecyseTech's upcoming inPALMSM portfolio of secure cloud-based asset management applications and analytics is market leading and provides users with a portfolio of exciting new business management tools. For example, applying Agylytyx's financial analytics helps users process and analyze data to improve efficiency and profitability. These new business management tools are positioning PrecyseTech to address today's IoT market revolution," said Paul B. Silverman, PrecyseTech President and CEO. "Our users can expect to see exciting new inPALMsm asset management and embedded and cloud- based predictive analytics offerings in coming months," said Silverman. The initial inPALMsm v.1 SaaS offering is scheduled for beta release on March 1st. The inPALMsm v.2 offering, including the Predictive Analytics and Metrics Module ("PAMM"), will be released for user beta tests on March 21st. "We are committed to making the inPALMsm management and analytics portfolio the very best secure cloud based asset management and analytic offering available anywhere," said Rahul Argade, Agylytyx CTO. "We are dedicating a talented team to ensure we meet the PrecyseTech's ambitious objectives to secure a leadership position creating enhanced asset management and analytics solutions for global Fortune 1000 users," said Argade. Mr. Argade is also serving as Acting Director- of the inPALMsm Software and Analytics Product Management group within PrecyseTech. About PrecyseTech PrecyseTech is a leading pioneer of Industrial IoT (IIoT) Systems providing end-to end management of high-value physical assets and personnel. PrecyseTech's proprietary technology provides reliable performance in harsh, indoor and outdoor environments, with affordable, 'micro-beacon' infrastructure and long battery life. PrecyseTech's upcoming cloud-based inPALMsm portfolio of SaaS IIoT applications linked to PrecyseTech remote 'Smart Agents" enable enterprises to track real time status of critical remote assets including people, vehicles, and equipment, provide users with a powerful suite of new SaaS tools to improve productivity, cost performance, and worker safety. Besides typical IIoT management functions, e.g., identification, location, telemetry, and M2M, PrecyseTech Smart Agents support additional features using proprietary patented technologies. PrecyseTech's solutions also employ proven proprietary bi-directional air protocol that incorporate the PrecyseTech proprietary Local Positioning System for harsh and indoor environment and Assisted GPS (A-GPS) for outdoor into a single Smart Agent. PrecyseTech solutions address applications in airports, water facility contracting, logistics, energy, vehicle distribution and border patrol, industrial manufacturing and other hazardous and non-hazardous heavy industries. For more information, please visit our website at www.PrecyseTech.com. About Agylytyx Agylytyx provides cloud-based enterprise business analytic software solutions. The company's flagship product, the Agylytyx Generator, frees up analyst time and results in better enterprise decision making. The Agylytyx Autosense product monitors existing data streams to assist in developing proactive strategies for investment decisions. Agylytyx Autosense uses collective inferencing and artificial intelligence to assess alternative investments and empirically determine which are more likely to succeed. It can also detect and alert to different financial conditions before they emerge. The Agylytyx Optimizer helps companies choose the combinations of funding levels and projects that return the most benefit for their investment. The Agylytyx Optimizer functions in an atmosphere of uncertainty, project dependencies and strategy pre-requisites to identify the set of the investments that represents the highest possible "bang for the buck" within given parameters. Agylytyx is based in Sunnyvale, California, and has locations in Philadelphia and Chicago, IL. For more information about Agylytyx visit www.agylytyx.com or contact Scott Gripenstraw; [email protected]; Tel :(408) 498-5840. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements above, in press releases and PrecyseTech officials' oral statements are "Forward-Looking Statements" (FLS) according to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). FLS include statements predictive in nature, depending upon or referring to future events / conditions, including words like "believes," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "expects," and similar expressions. Statements concerning future financial performance (revenues, earnings, and growth rates), ongoing business strategies / prospects, and future actions, which may be provided by management, are also FLS as defined by the Act. The actual and any future results, performance or achievements of the Company, expressed or implied, may be materially different and vary significantly for different reporting periods due to FLS that involve known and unknown risks and other factors. Management believes that the assumptions made and expectations reflected in the FLS are reasonable. There is no assurance that the underlying assumptions will prove to be correct and the actual future results may be different from expectations expressed above. These statements are not guarantees of future performance. Contact Mitra Setayesh Telephone 703.286.5675 Cell 703.598.9696 Email [email protected] Website www.PrecyseTech.com SOURCE PrecyseTech Corporation Related Links https://www.precysetech.com WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Charles E. Schmidt, the National Commander of The American Legion, the nation's largest Veterans organization, will discuss ways that the Trump Administration and Congress can improve the delivery of benefits to the country's more than 20 million veterans at a National Press Club Newsmaker news conference, 10 a.m., Wed., Feb. 22 in the club's Bloomberg Room. Later that day Schmidt will testify before a joint session of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs. He also is expected to meet with the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin during his visit to Washington. Schmidt, who represents 2.2 million Legionnaires from more than 13,000 posts worldwide, also will discuss the need to preserve and improve the Department of Veterans Affairs, including VA hospitals. The American Legion has opposed attempts to privatize the work of the Department. Additionally, he will propose ways to modernize an archaic veterans appeals process, and strengthen national security, among other topics. Schmidt, a retired Air Force officer and Vietnam War veteran, was elected to lead the Indianapolis-headquartered American Legion in September 2016. The National Press Club is located on the 13th Floor of the National Press Building at 529 14th St., NW, Washington, D.C. This news conference is open to credentialed media and NPC members, free of charge. No advance registration is required. Contact: Tony Gallo, NPC Newsmakers 202-544-6973, [email protected] Headliners Team Co-Chairs Betsy Fischer-Martin [email protected], Lisa Matthews [email protected] and Jamie Horwitz, NPC Newsmakers Chair, [email protected] SOURCE National Press Club NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform EXPERT ALERTS Changing Definition of 'Criminal Alien' EXPERT ROUNDUPS Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch Immigration Reform Future of Obamacare Trump Presidency Predictions MEDIA JOBS Reporter MarketWatch Reporter The Bond Buyer Reporter, Industrials The Wall Street Journal OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES 10 Steps to Take Your Blog Audience From Fling to Long-Term Commitment 9 Design Hacks for Bloggers Who Aren't Designers Blog Profiles: Over-40 Blogs ------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPERT ALERTS: Changing Definition of 'Criminal Alien' Cecilia Menjivar Foundation Distinguished Professor of Sociology University of Kansas Menjivar, who leads the KU Center for Migration Studies, can discuss the changing definition of "criminal alien" and what the shift in policy will likely mean for deportations and number of people detained in immigration-related cases: "The definition goes pretty far and wide -- much broader than past administrations. We have seen already that with each expansion of this category -- such as new crimes added to the list of deportable offenses -- there is a sharp increase in deportations, but also and very importantly, in detentions. Private prisons are expanding rapidly and most of the people they house are immigrants, so a broadening of the category of 'criminal alien' has the direct effect of sending more immigrants to detention." Menjivar's broad research focuses on U.S.-bound migration from Central America and how the laws and the legal context that receive immigrants influence their lives and trajectories in America. She has also co-authored recent research on how media portrayals drive perception of immigration policy and issues that migrants returning to Mexico face. Contact: George Diepenbrock, [email protected] EXPERT ROUNDUPS: We've recently compiled several expert roundups related to the Trump presidency that you might find useful in your reporting: Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch (19 experts): http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-experts-available-on-supreme-court-executive-orders-more-300404336.html Immigration Reform (22 experts): http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-experts-available-on-isis-immigration-reform-more-300400624.html Future of Obamacare (21 experts): http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-experts-available-on-future-of-obamacare-president-obamas-legacy-more-300389412.html Trump Presidency Predictions (125 experts): http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-expert-roundup-trump-presidency-300370613.html **************** MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Reporter MarketWatch Reporter The Bond Buyer Reporter, Industrials The Wall Street Journal ***************** OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line. 10 STEPS TO TAKE YOUR BLOG AUDIENCE FROM FLING TO LONG-TERM COMMITMENT. The blogging game can look a lot like dating: You put your best self out there into a world of unknowns. It can feel exciting and scary. It also can feel a bit lonely. But, once you find your confidence and a formula that works, the relationship can quickly move from infatuation to true love. If you want to build a meaningful long-term relationship with your blog audience, consider these 10 fundamentals and you'll be off to a great start: http://bit.ly/2kKiHqx 9 DESIGN HACKS FOR BLOGGERS WHO AREN'T DESIGNERS. As a blogger, producing regular content is a necessity if you want to maintain a lasting relationship with your audience. Your consistent voice -- whether it's via a blog post or social share -- is instrumental to keeping your blogger brand current, memorable, and engaging. But with so many people creating content on the web, how can you cut through the noise? What's the X-factor to set you apart? The short answer: the ability to support your writing with a positive visual experience: http://bit.ly/2ljHcxY BLOG PROFILES: OVER-40 BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team selects an industry or subject and a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the conversation. This week, they look at blogs for people over age 40: http://bit.ly/2lPn7gO **************** PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. SOURCE ProfNet Related Links http://www.profnet.com When choosing a shake, look for an option such as Premier Protein Shakes, which can help provide fuel to make the day yours with sweet and savory recipes from cinnamon rolls and bread pudding to soups and twice-baked potatoes. Each single-serve, 160-calorie shake is packed with 30 grams of protein, is low in fat and contains just 1 gram of sugar. Explore more energy-boosting recipes plus nutrition facts and tips at PremierProtein.com or Facebook.com/PremierProtein. Old-Fashioned Caramel Cinnamon Rolls Servings: 9 Rolls: 1 cup Premier Protein Caramel Shake 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) yeast 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided, plus additional for greasing bowl and pan 1/4 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading and rolling 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon Glaze: 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 tablespoon Premier Protein Caramel Shake Heat protein shake in microwave or on stove to about 110 F, or warm to touch but not boiling. In medium bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm protein shake and stir to combine. Let sit 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 cup sugar, salt and egg, and mix until well combined. Gradually add flour, stirring after each addition. Once dough is no longer too sticky to handle, turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 3-5 minutes to make moderately soft dough. Shape dough into ball. Place dough in lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover and let rise in warm place until size has doubled (about 1 hour). Punch dough down, cover and let rise 1 additional hour. Punch dough down. Grease 8-by-8-inch glass or metal baking dish and set aside. In separate bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Using pastry brush, brush about 1 1/2 tablespoons of remaining butter evenly over dough. Sprinkle 2/3 of cinnamon sugar mixture over dough. Using pizza cutter or knife, cut dough into nine even 12-inch strips. Roll each strip tightly, sealing ends by pressing into dough. Arrange rolls in prepared pan. Pour remaining butter over buns then sprinkle remaining cinnamon and sugar on top. Let rise uncovered 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 F. Bake rolls 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned. While rolls cool slightly, prepare glaze. In small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and protein shake until smooth. Drizzle rolls with glaze. Serve warm. Orange and Vanilla Butternut Squash Soup Servings: 4 2 pounds (about 4 cups) butternut squash, peeled and cubed 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 1/8 teaspoon cardamom 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1 1/2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only 2 tablespoons medium or dry sherry 1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 1/2 cup Premier Protein Vanilla Shake 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Heat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheet with foil. In large bowl, toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cardamom and nutmeg. Place on baking sheet and roast 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Meanwhile, in 3-quart pot over medium-high heat, heat remaining olive oil. Add leeks, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 minutes, stirring often, until caramelized. Remove squash from oven and add to leeks. Stir in sherry and broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Remove from heat and blend to desired consistency using immersion or standard blender. Reheat if desired. Stir in orange zest, protein shake, remaining salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Twice-Baked Sweet and Savory Potatoes Servings: 4 2 medium sweet potatoes 2 slices thick-cut bacon 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots 1/2 cup Premier Protein Vanilla Shake 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/16 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cumin cayenne pepper, to taste 1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided Heat oven to 400 F. Prick potatoes with fork and bake 45-60 minutes. During last 15 minutes, cook bacon in small pan until crispy. Drain all but 1 teaspoon of fat and cook shallots over low heat until caramelized, about 5 minutes. When potatoes are soft and cooked, remove from oven and carefully cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out soft flesh, keeping outside shell intact. In bowl, mash potato flesh with cooked shallots, protein shake, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne and 2 tablespoons cheese. Fill empty potato shells with mixture. Top with remaining cheese and crumbled bacon. Bake 10 minutes, or until potatoes are hot. Turn on broiler and cook, watching carefully, until cheese is lightly browned. Serve immediately. Double Chocolate Breakfast Bread Pudding Servings: 4 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 Premier Protein Chocolate Shake 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg 1 teaspoon butter 6 cups (about 6 slices) soft white or whole-wheat bread cubes 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar Heat oven to 350 F. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and protein shake, followed by cinnamon or nutmeg. Grease 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish with butter. Add bread cubes. Pour egg mixture over bread. Mix gently to coat. Sprinkle in chocolate chips. Bake uncovered 20 minutes, or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm. Michael French [email protected] 1-888-824-3337 editors.familyfeatures.com About Family Features Editorial Syndicate Established in 1974, Family Features is a leading provider of free food and lifestyle content for print and online publications. Our articles, photos, videos and web content solutions save you time, money and help create advertising opportunities. Registration is fast and free with absolutely no obligation. Visit editors.familyfeatures.com for more information. SOURCE Family Features Editorial Syndicate Related Links http://PremierProtein.com "For 120 years, National PTA has encouraged families to get more involved in their child's education, as it is proven to have a positive impact on student success," said Laura Bay, president of National PTA. " PTA Take Your Family to School Week shines a light on the significance of family engagement and provides families with an opportunity to visit their child's school, meet school staff and inspire them to stay involved in their child's education." Studies demonstrate that students with involved families attend school more often, earn higher grades, have higher graduation rates, have better social skills and show improved behavior. Family engagement also helps children navigate the challenges of growing up, such as bullying and online safety and responsibility. This year, PTA Take Your Family to School Week incorporates the theme, "Celebrating the Changing Faces of Families" to honor the diversity of families and students across the country. "Our nation's children and families have many different talents, backgrounds, opportunities and challenges. It is critical that we recognize and celebrate the diversity of our school communities and ensure all families feel welcomed and supported," said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. "PTA is committed to helping school communities embrace diversity and inclusion, making sure the perspectives and needs of all families and students are represented, and empowering all families to support their children's success." For more information on PTA Take Your Family to School Week, visit PTA.org/TYFTSW. About National PTA National PTA comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth. SOURCE National PTA Related Links http://www.pta.org WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. today issued the following statement: "Andrew Puzder's decision to withdraw his nomination to be Secretary of Labor is a victory for working people everywhere. "As a restaurant executive, Mr. Puzder has been a vocal critic of the wage and labor regulations he would have been in charge of enforcing as Labor secretary. The fast-food restaurant chains Mr. Puzder oversees have had more federal discrimination lawsuits brought against them during his tenure than any other major restaurant chain, and they have been repeatedly found guilty by the Labor Department of violating overtime and safety laws. "President Trump needs to consider his next selection for Secretary of Labor very thoughtfully and nominate someone who will fight to protect workers from discrimination and believes that all employees are entitled to fair wages and safe workplaces." The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia. For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees Related Links http://www.afge.org PARIS, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced the results of real-world use data[1] showing that people who scan more frequently using Abbotts FreeStyle Libre system spend less time in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) while having improved average glucose levels. According to the data, more than 50,000 people with diabetes using the FreeStyle Libre system checked their glucose levels an average of 16 times per daywhich is three times more than the minimum recommended U.S.[2] and European[3] guidelines for testing with the traditional fingerstick technique. The data show that higher rates of scanning with the FreeStyle Libre system were found to be strongly associated with improved glucose control. "There is now substantial evidence from both real-world usage and clinical studies that reaffirms the powerful impact of FreeStyle Libre," said Jared Watkin, senior vice president, Diabetes Care, Abbott. "FreeStyle Libre is changing how diabetes has been managed for decades, with one simple swipe. Most importantly, we're doing that by empowering patients with the information that they need to take action themselves, helping people living with diabetes live fuller, healthier lives." Abbotts FreeStyle Libre system consists of a small, round sensor worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, which measures glucose every minute in interstitial fluid through a small filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. A reader is scanned over the sensor to get a glucose result painlessly[4] in less than one second. The real-world data findings were presented today at the Advanced Technologies and Treatment for Diabetes (ATTD) congress in Paris. The data show a strong link between real-world use of FreeStyle Libre system and glucose control. The full data set was generated from 50,831 readers, which were used to scan 279,446 sensors. This constituted 409.4 million glucose measurements, 86.4 million monitoring hours and 63.8 million scans representing more than 50,000 FreeStyle Libre users across the Europe region. Key findings of the real-world data of the FreeStyle Libre system: More scanning: Users checked their glucose levels an average of 16.3 scans per day Users checked their glucose levels an average of 16.3 scans per day Across the spectrum of scan rates seen in the population, the following trends were observed as scan rates increased: Improved HbA1c: Average glucose level decreased as scan rate increased with estimated HbA1c decreasing from 8.0 to 6.7 percent Reduction in hypoglycemia : Time spent below glucose levels of 70, 55 and 45 mg/dL decreased by 15 percent, 40 percent and 49 percent Reduction in hyperglycemia : Time above 180 mg/dL decreased from 10.5 to 5.9 hours per day Increased time in range: Time in glucose range (70-180 mg/dL) increased from 12.0 to 16.8 hours per day Empowering Patients with Actionable Information According to a published report in Patient Preference and Adherence[5] people test with traditional self-monitoring methods (pricking a finger with a lancet to get a blood sample) less than three times per day, which falls short of U.S.[2] and European[3] guidelines that recommend four to eight self-tests per day. People with diabetes cite the biggest obstacle to more frequent monitoring is the pain and hassle of routine fingersticks[5]. But when people with diabetes don't have a clear picture of their glucose levels from regular monitoring, complications such as hypoglycemia can become life-threatening and require hospitalization, which can lead to a significant increase in healthcare costs. Abbott's FreeStyle Libre system, which was introduced in Europe in 2014, removes the need for routine fingersticks[6],[7] and the pain and hassles that come along with them[8]. In addition, FreeStyle Libre system is factory calibratedmeaning that it does not require a fingerstick test for calibration (a test requiring a blood sample to reset a system's accuracy) unlike other continuous glucose monitoring systems, which require two or more fingersticks per day to remain accurate. "My experience with FreeStyle Libre through daily clinical practice and research studies has been very positive," says Ramzi Ajjan, M.D., University of Leeds, U.K. "Patients report that the system helped them gain a better understanding of their glycaemia by enabling multiple daily glucose checks discreetly and conveniently. The system's painless nature of glucose testing are praised by patients with one commenting to me, 'you saved my fingers.' The real-world data further confirms that patients are checking glucose more frequently, up to 16 times per day on average, which is cumbersome to maintain with the conventional fingerstick method. With comprehensive glucose data, patients now have access to more meaningful information key for optimizing their glycaemia control." Real-World Usage Supports Randomized Controlled Data of FreeStyle Libre The new real-world data presented at ATTD further support the conclusions of the randomized controlled clinical studies conducted by Abbott with the FreeStyle Libre system including the IMPACT study[9] published in The Lancet in September 2016. Key findings of the IMPACT trial included (FreeStyle Libre users versus traditional SMBG): Glucose monitoring increased to an average of 15 scans per day 38 percent reduction in time spent in hypoglycemia (<70 mg/dl) 50 percent reduction in serious hypoglycemia (<55 mg/dl) 40 percent reduction in time spent in nocturnal hypoglycemia at night ( 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. ) ) No increase in HbA1c at six months In 2014, Abbott launched the FreeStyle Libre system in several countries in Europe. Currently, FreeStyle Libre system is available in more than 30 countries around the globe and is being used by more than 250,000 people living with diabetes. In the U.S., the FreeStyle Libre system is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration[10]. About the Data De-identified data was collected over a period of 18 months when FreeStyle Libre readers were connected to the PC-based software with an active internet connection. All information was aggregated. No personal data was utilized or shared. About Abbotts FreeStyle Libre System Abbotts FreeStyle Libre system consists of a small, round sensorapproximately the size of two stacked U.S. quartersworn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, which measures glucose every minute in interstitial fluid through a small (5mm long, 0.4mm wide) filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. A reader is scanned over the sensor to get a glucose result painlessly[4] in less than one second. Each scan displays a real-time glucose result, a historical trend and the direction the glucose is heading. The FreeStyle Libre system generates an Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP) that provides a visual snapshot of glucose levels, trends and patterns over time. About Abbott: At Abbott, we're committed to helping people live their best possible life through the power of health. For more than 125 years, we've brought new products and technologies to the world -- in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals -- that create more possibilities for more people at all stages of life. Today, 94,000 of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we serve. Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @FreeStyleDiabet, @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal. [1] Data on file. Dunn T, Xu Y, Hayter G; Evidence of a Strong Association Between Frequency of Flash Glucose Monitoring and Glucose Control Measures During Real-World Usage [2] American Diabetes Association Diabetes Care 2017 Jan; 40(Supplement 1): S48-S56. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc17-S009; http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/40/Supplement_1/S48 [3] Schnell O, Alwai H, Battelino T, et al. Consensus statement on self-monitoring of blood glucose in diabetes. A European perspective. Diabetes, Stoffwechsel und Herz, Band 18, 4/2009:3-7 [4] Data on file. Based on a user study, 100% of patients agree that there is no pain when they check their glucose readings by scanning the FreeStyle Libre sensor. [5] Ong, W.M.; Chua, S.S.; Ng, C.J. (2014) Barriers and facilitators to self-monitoring of blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes using insulin: a qualitative study. Patient Preference and Adherence, 8. pp. 237-246. [6] A finger prick test using a blood glucose meter is required during times of rapidly changing glucose levels when interstitial fluid glucose levels may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels or if hypoglycaemia or impending hypoglycaemia is reported by the system or when symptoms do not match the system readings. [7] Bailey, Bode, Christiansen, Klaff, and Alva, (2015). The Performance and Usability of a Factory-Calibrated Flash Glucose Monitoring System Diabetes Tech Thearputics 17(11), 787-793.DOI: 10.1089/dia.2014.0378 [8] Wagner J, Malachoff C, Abbott G. Invasiveness as a barrier to self-monitoring of blood glucose in diabetes. Diabetes Technolo Ther. 2005; 7(4):612-619. [9] Bolinder J, Antuna R, Geelhoed-Duijvestijn P, Kroger J, Weitgasser R. Novel glucose-sensing technology and hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes: a multicentre, non-masked, randomised controlled trial [published online September 12, 2016]. Lancet. 2016 [10] Pending FDA approval. Not available for sale in the United States SOURCE Abbott Related Links http://www.abbott.com FALLS CHURCH, Va., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Remine is pleased to announce that it has signed license agreements with Alaska MLS (AKMLS), and Greater El Paso Association of Realtors (GEPAR), for the El Paso region of Texas. AKMLS and GEPAR increase Remine's user count to beyond 100,000 Realtors. AKMLS, GEPAR, Realcomp, and Bright MLS will be the first MLSs to bring intuitive big data visualizations, heat maps, and the industry's most sought after lead generation platform to their agents. "The first time we saw Remine we knew we had to have it. It's the most powerful front-end tool we have ever seen in the industry," said Mike Smith, CEO of AKMLS. "We are so pleased that Alaska will be Remine's very first deployment." Jason Sanchez of GEPAR said, "The big data movement is finally hitting our real estate technology space. Unlike other vendors in the space offering predictive analytics as a premium product to a few, we are offering this next generation of technology to all our Brokers and their Agents included in their membership." Remine is designed for agents. It is delivered exclusively through a license to the MLS, and all dues-paying agents within an MLS can access the platform through a single sign-on authentication. "The Remine team is made up of former agents, and we knew we wanted to be core MLS functionality when we created the product," said Leo Pareja, CEO of Remine. "Remine is all about empowering the agent with better intelligence, and more leads." About AKMLS Alaska MLS is a progressive, broker owned MLS, serving over 2,000 real estate professionals in Alaska for 60 years, by providing a full range of MLS technology services, retail stores, and an extensive array of forms. We strive to equip our members with the right tools at the right time, so they may exceed the expectations of the consumer. AlaskaRealEstate.com About GEPAR The Greater El Paso Association of REALTORS has been established for over 100 years and is one of the larger board of REALTORS in Texas. They uphold the highest professional standards, place an emphasis on education, technology services and fight to protect private property rights for the betterment of their community. To learn more visit ElPasoRealtor.com. About Remine Remine is a privately held big data company that delivers predictive analytics and big data visualizations to real estate professionals exclusively through their MLS. We analyze property records, transactional history and consumer data to determine someone's propensity to buy or sell a home. Our user interface utilizes heat maps and other visualizations to help real estate professionals extract intelligence, identify new leads and win more business. To learn more about Remine, visit Remine.com or call 855-217-0171. SOURCE Remine Related Links http://Remine.com DUBLIN, Feb 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Research Report on China's Graphene Industry, 2017-2021" report to their offering. In China, graphene materials are generic names of graphene with no more than 10 layers of carbon atoms and relevant derivatives. In contrast, graphene materials with more than 10 layers of carbon atoms generally belong to graphite for the loss of high graphene performance. Many countries including Europe, the U.S.A. and Japan issued a series of policies supporting the development of the graphene industry. Transnational companies pay attention to the graphene market for the promotion of R&D together with application of graphene such as Dow Chemical Company, Samsung, IBM, General Motors, Xerox, Bayer and BASF. The graphene industry started due to the cost reduction and expanded downstream application in China. In recent years, the production costs decreased to 10% in 2016 of that in 2011 with the improvement of graphene processing technics. Graphene realizes the industrialized application in multiple fields such as energy storage materials, sensors, touch devices, conductive ink pastes and composite materials and is ready for mass volume. Meanwhile, graphene is sold for profits in some products of multiple front applications to be broke through such as lithium batteries conductive paste, heat conduction film, composite materials and flexible displays. According to market research, graphene manufacturers are generally medium and small scale enterprises mainly at the downstream of the industry chain. Meanwhile, the market is at its infancy while the development is rapid. Graphene enterprises released some products in fields such as touch screens, graphene lithium ion batteries and functional coatings to promote the development of this industry. For example, mass production of graphene is achieved in energy storage material fields including conductive agents and flexible displays. Meanwhile, graphene conductive agents are mainly applied in 3C and power battery field for higher charging speed of lithium iron phosphate battery. Large-scale application of graphene films developed by 2D Carbon is achieved in flexible touch screens with the sales revenue of more than CNY 10 million in 2015. Through this report, readers can acquire the following information: - Support Polices of Chinese Government on the Graphene Industry - Major Manufacturing Methods of Graphene in China - Forecast on Supply and Demand in China Graphene Industry - Major Downstream Application of Graphene Industry - Major Manufacturers of Graphene in China, 2013-2016 - Competition Status of Graphene Industry in China - Major Driving Forces and Market Opportunities in China Graphene Industry - Risks and Challenges in China Graphene Industry - Development Trend of China Graphene Industry, 2017-2021 Companies Mentioned - 2D Carbon (Changzhou) Tech Co., Ltd. - Beijing Graphene Holdings Co., Ltd. - Leaguer Stock Co., Ltd. - Qingdao Haoxin New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. - Qingdao Hua Gao Ink Polytron Technologies Inc - Qitaihe Baotailong Graphene Material Co., Ltd. - Shenzhen Beiterui New Energy Resources Material Co., Ltd. - The Sixth Element (Changzhou) Materials Technology Co., Ltd. - Xiamen G-CVD Graphene Technology Co., Ltd. - Xiamen Knano Graphene Technology Corporation Limited - Zhenjiang Browah Technology Co., Ltd. For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ss7w7s/research_report Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] 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 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Retarus is again bringing its global cloud messaging portfolio to HIMSS. The 2017 HIMSS Conference & Exhibition, from February 19-23, 2017 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, will feature over 40,000 health IT professionals, clinicians, executives and vendors from around the world. At booth #5494, Retarus will highlight the strong intersection between healthcare and cloud messaging, solving interoperability challenges, workflow management, and compliance and regulatory concerns. Retarus Exhibits at the 2017 HIMSS Conference Electronic health records, payer-provider, and ePHI, all require secure and modern communications infrastructure that reliably covers all business processes. In today's climate of strict regulation, significant changes to compliance directives have made automation and communication solutions essential, which pushes organizations to update and automate their critical business workflows. With Retarus' cloud messaging services, these processes are optimized to improve delivery and reliability through innovative technology and direct integration into healthcare systems. "We are delighted to be attending the HIMSS again. Retarus is excited to bring innovative cloud messaging services to healthcare organizations, which require solutions that are highly secure, extremely reliable, and HIPAA compliant," said Steve MacDiarmid, President & CEO, retarus Inc. "At HIMSS, we look forward to connecting with organizations that are eager to incorporate seamless messaging solutions into their businesses." Stop by booth #5494 to talk to one of Retarus' messaging experts about products and services or about the future of enterprise solutions in healthcare. Retarus will be raffling a special giveaway; participants are encouraged to stop by the booth in order to enter the draw. If you would like to set up an individualized time to meet, please contact [email protected]. Retarus looks forward to seeing you there. About Retarus Retarus is a leading global provider of professional messaging solutions, offering services for electronic corporate communications since 1992. Retarus' vision is to create the perfect network for the global economy. Therein, Retarus manages the safe and efficient flow of information for enterprises around the world. Retarus' solutions optimize business process communications, ensuring business continuity and highest levels of security and performance. Industry leaders of Fortune 500 companies in Banking, Finance and Health Care in addition to Adidas, Bayer, Continental, DHL, Honda, Puma, and Sony, etc. rely on Retarus' messaging services to exchange mission-critical business documents. More information: www.retarus.com. About HIMSS North America HIMSS North America, a business unit within HIMSS, positively transforms health and healthcare through the best use of information technology in the United States and Canada. As a cause-based non-profit, HIMSS North America provides thought leadership, community building, professional development, public policy, and events. HIMSS North America represents 64,000 individual members, 640 corporate members, and over 450 non-profit organizations. Thousands of volunteers work with HIMSS to improve the quality, cost-effectiveness, access, and value of healthcare through IT. Major initiatives within HIMSS North America include the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, National Health IT Week, HIMSS Innovation Center, HIMSS Interoperability Showcases, HIMSS Health IT Value Suite, and ConCert by HIMSS. Contact for journalists Tim Armstrong retarus Inc. +1 201 268-5917 [email protected] This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com. SOURCE retarus Inc. ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Riskalyze today unveiled a lineup of new products and services aimed at revolutionizing client engagement, portfolio construction and account automation for advisors. In the kickoff keynote at the T3 Advisor Conference, Riskalyze CEO Aaron Klein announced the following new products: Riskalyze Premier , a new service tier designed to supercharge client engagement and dramatically increase practice efficiency. , a new service tier designed to supercharge client engagement and dramatically increase practice efficiency. The Next-Generation Autopilot Platform , a multi-custodial automated account platform that allows any advisor to deliver both deep personalization and scalable automation for all of their client accounts using One-Click Fiduciary technology. , a multi-custodial automated account platform that allows any advisor to deliver both deep personalization and scalable automation for all of their client accounts using One-Click Fiduciary technology. Autopilot Partner Store , a marketplace that puts models, strategies and research from some of the industry's best asset managers, strategists and research firms just a click away from over 19,000 advisors. , a marketplace that puts models, strategies and research from some of the industry's best asset managers, strategists and research firms just a click away from over 19,000 advisors. Risk Number Models, a series of eight model strategies built from the funds of Riskalyze's key asset management partners. "Our steadfast commitment to advisors is to keep equipping them to turn their clients into fearless investors," said Mike McDaniel, co-founder and Chief Investment Officer at Riskalyze. "Advisors will be able to supercharge engagement with clients every day in Riskalyze Premier and powerfully automate their accounts with the next-generation Autopilot platform." Riskalyze Premier Unlocks Five Powerful New Features for Client Engagement and Practice Efficiency Riskalyze's brand new service tier includes all the same benefits of Riskalyze Pro, and five new features designed to supercharge client engagement, increase practice efficiency and nurture client relationships. Client Dashboard: give clients a Risk Number-centric view of their wealth Retirement Plans: deliver the Risk Number to hundreds of plan participants with a click Account Opening: filling out custodial paperwork just got easier Asset Sync: sync in outside assets from thousands of institutions Data Sharing: share clients and portfolios across advisors, and centralize control of data Riskalyze Premier is available now for all Solo and Team customers, and starts at $245/month per user. Advisors can upgrade from inside their Riskalyze accounts, or call 1-855-RISKALYZE. The "Self-Driving Car" of Advisor Platforms: Autopilot Delivers Seamless Automation with One-Click Fiduciary Technology Across Multiple Custodians Riskalyze's Autopilot platform has evolved from a standalone product to an automated account platform that will be easily accessible to every Riskalyze Pro and Premier user. At the heart of the next-generation Autopilot platform is One-Click Fiduciary technology that allows advisors to achieve both automation and personalization for the unique challenges their clients face. Advisors can build model portfolios out of any blend of mutual funds, ETFs or stocks, assign models to client accounts and automatically generate trades across multiple custodians. When advisors change the models, Autopilot will sift through hundreds of accounts to make it simple to implement those changes across their book of business. Any account at six different custodians can be instantly put on Autopilot. In addition, Riskalyze is launching the Autopilot Partner Store, which will put a wide variety of third party research, strategies and models just a click away from 19,000 advisors. Advisors can choose the asset management partners that best fit their clients, and all models will instantly update when those partners publish changes. AlphaDroid, Cambria, CLS Investments, First Trust, Longboard Asset Management, Morningstar Managed Portfolios, New York Life Mainstay Investments, SEI Investments, Stadion Money Management, State Street Global Advisors and Swan Global Investments are all joining the Autopilot Partner Store as key research, model strategist and asset management partners with unique value propositions for advisors. These partners are excited about bringing their unique advantages to the platform. "We are excited to offer Morningstar Managed PortfoliosSM on the Riskalyze Autopilot Partner Store," said Matthew Radgowski, Chief Operating Officer at Morningstar Investment Management LLC. "Our managed portfolio services offer advisors access to institutionally managed investments that employ our valuation-driven, contrarian approach to asset allocation, as well as manager and investment research by our global team." Some of these partners provide their research at no additional charge; others provide it for an additional basis point fee, and others provide it for a monthly subscription fee. Advisors can choose from the asset managers that are the best fit for their clients, and as those partners update their research, advisors can click to take advantage of their latest work. "The powerful and automated account management tools at the heart of Autopilot form the nucleus of the industry's first 'self-driving car' of advisory platforms," said Aaron Klein, CEO at Riskalyze. "Riskalyze replaced the advisor's yellow legal pad for making investment decisions, and now Autopilot replaces the manual work of implementing those decisions." Putting accounts on Autopilot will be just a click away for every Riskalyze customer in May; enterprise customers can start implementation today. Pricing for customers with a Riskalyze license starts at 15 basis points, and drops to 10 basis points after a few million dollars on Autopilot. Risk Number Models Deliver a Great Starting Point for Advisor-Built Portfolios In addition, Riskalyze is launching Risk Number Models, a series of eight models created from the funds of Riskalyze's key asset management partners. These models are built using objective criteria such as Sharpe ratios, portfolio Risk Number and internal expenses, and represent the best research from Riskalyze's internal investment team. "Thousands of advisors have put the Risk Number at the center of the client engagement model, and they've consistently asked for our investment team to go deeper into our viewpoints on model portfolios," added McDaniel. "We believe in the advisor as fiduciary decision maker, and this research will equip them with a great starting point for building their own models." For more information about Riskalyze, or to learn more about Riskalyze Premier and Autopilot, please contact [email protected]. About Riskalyze Riskalyze is the company that invented the Risk Number, which powers the world's first Risk Alignment Platform, empowers advisors to automate client accounts with Autopilot, and enables compliance teams to spot issues, develop real-time visibility and navigate changing fiduciary rules with Compliance Cloud. Advisors, broker-dealers, RIAs, asset managers, custodians and clearing firms use Riskalyze to empower the world to invest fearlessly. To learn more, visit www.riskalyze.com. SOURCE Riskalyze Related Links http://www.riskalyze.com NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Have you ever wondered what a child's idea might look like if it was turned into a theatrical creation, a Hollywood pitch, a short story book, a candy, or even a Minecraft world? "In your wildest dreams you could not imagine that such things would happen to you!" says Willy Wonka in Roald Dahl's global bestseller, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is now a new Broadway musical, "Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which begins performances March 28, 2017, at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre in New York City. This year, for the first time since Charlie Bucket won the prize of a lifetime, Mr. Wonka is looking for children from across the United States who will become 5 NEW lucky golden ticket winners! On March 1st the Roald Dahl Literary Estate, Penguin Young Readers, and Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, in conjunction with Langley Park Productions and Neal Street Productions, will kick off Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge starring Willy Wonka himself. This imagination contest asks kids and their teachers not to imagine small, but to IMAGINORMOUS as Willy Wonka embarks on a new hunt for story ideas from children across the U.S. Five NEW Golden Ticket Winners must be found and will be rewarded beyond their wildest imaginations. Not only will winners have the opportunity to see the new Broadway musical "Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and even win an incredible family trip for four to the UK sponsored by Norwegian Air, but Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge will grant the five Golden Ticket winners a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to "wonka-fy" their story ideas in one of the following 5 spectacular ways: 1. Theatrical Creation "Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" on Broadway will turn one winning story idea into a marvelous, theatrical creation. 2. A Hollywood Pitch One winner and his or her family will fly out to Hollywood, courtesy of Mr. Wonka, and pitch their story idea to a major Hollywood Executive at Warner Bros. Animation! 3. An Immersive Minecraft World A team of Minecraft builders will transform and reimagine the winning story idea into a playable Minecraft experience for the winner and the world to enjoy. 4. Become an Author The New York Times bestselling, award winning author Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark and Grimm, The Inquisitors Tale, The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to be a Jedi?), will work with one story winner to turn their idea into their very own short story book! 5. A Candy Creation Following in Willy Wonka's footsteps and with the help of Dylan's Candy Bar, one winner's idea will be turned into a magical, edible creation a 3D-printed piece of candy! Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge is all about inspiring imaginative story ideas in children 5 to 12 years of age, and marks a major investment from the Roald Dahl Literary Estate in the future of children's imaginations here in the U.S. The Estate is also partnering with Penguin Young Readers to create Wonka-approved teaching resources to align with the U.S. curriculum (www.imaginormouschallenge.com/teachers). Teachers will also have the chance to win a Roald Dahl library for their schools and other educational materials from key stationery sponsor Post-it Brand. All it takes is 100 words to enter! Go to www.imaginormouschallenge.com to find out more and get ready to enter from March 1st through May 31st! Visit www.imaginormouschallenge.com/rules for all terms and conditions. RDNL 2017 SOURCE Roald Dahl Literary Estate CHICAGO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), a leading distributor and value-added processor of industrial metals, announced today that it acquired Guy Metals, Inc., a privately-owned metal service center company located in Hammond, Wisconsin. Guy Metals processes stainless and nickel alloy products including its trademarked "Pit Free Dairy" and "Super4" finishes used in food, dairy, pharmaceutical, and beverage applications. The Company employs 70 people and has annual revenue of approximately $35 million. Consistent with the recent Laserflex acquisition, Guy Metals bolsters Ryerson's value-added processing capabilities to provide additional services to its customers. "As Ryerson advances through its 175th year in business as an industry leader and iconic industrial brand, we are delighted to welcome Guy Metals to our company. Guy Metals has built a hard-earned and well-deserved reputation as an innovator in stainless steel processing and finishing," said Eddie Lehner, Ryerson's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The acquisition of Guy Metals adds a valuable dimension to our strategic objective of further strengthening our stainless steel franchise through the offering of a unique portfolio of highly differentiated value-added products that can scale across our footprint while meaningfully enhancing the customer experience." Mike Burbach, Ryerson's President, North-West Region added, "Guy Metals is an outstanding company known for top quality products and innovative finishes for the stainless steel industry that complement Ryerson's extensive stainless offering. We are excited to have the Guy Metals team join the Ryerson family." Guy Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of Guy Metals, stated, "The Guy Metals team is excited to join Ryerson and expand our unique service offerings. We look forward to growing our brand with the Ryerson team and their extensive global network." About Ryerson Ryerson is a leading distributor and value-added processor of industrial metals, with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. Founded in 1842, Ryerson employs around 3,500 employees in approximately 100 locations. Visit Ryerson at www.ryerson.com. SOURCE Ryerson Holding Corporation Related Links http://www.ryerson.com BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a report published today in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, (Safety and efficacy of PfSPZ Vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum via direct venous inoculation in healthy malaria-exposed Malian adults: a randomised, double-blind trial) investigators reported that Sanaria PfSPZ Vaccine protected against natural infections of Plasmodium falciparum, the leading cause of malaria deaths and that protection was sustained for the 24 weeks of the study in an area of intense malaria transmission. The study was conducted in Doneguebougou, Mali and was led by Dr. Mahamadou Sissoko of the Malaria Research and Training Center at the University of Science, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali and by Dr. Sara Healy of the Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology (LMIV) of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. In the Mali study, five doses of PfSPZ Vaccine were administered to 44 subjects and saltwater placebo was given to 44 subjects. Volunteers were followed for six months through the subsequent rainy season to determine the presence of malaria parasites in the blood. While a staggering 93% of the placebo group had one or more infections, only 66% of the vaccinated subjects acquired an infection and in those vaccinated subjects who became infected, the time to infection was delayed. This represents 48% protective efficacy by time-to-event analysis and 29% efficacy by proportional analysis. There were no differences in adverse events between the vaccinated group and the placebo group. Sanaria CEO, Stephen L. Hoffman, MD said, "These are extremely encouraging results as we have seen significant protection with a dosage regimen that we know to be sub-optimal. We are now building on the protective efficacy seen in this first, landmark study of efficacy of PfSPZ Vaccine in Africa in current clinical trials of PfSPZ Vaccine underway in Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Germany, the U.S., and of course in Mali. We feel that we are moving rapidly toward establishing a dosage regimen that will provide the high level protection needed by the billions of people at risk every day from this lethal disease." PfSPZ Vaccine is composed of live, radiation-attenuated purified, cryopreserved malaria parasites, which are administered in a 0.5 mL injection rapid direct venous inoculation. African children are hardest hit by malaria. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2015 malaria caused 214M clinical episodes and 438,000 deaths worldwide; others have estimated up to 730,500 malaria deaths in 2015. This enormous morbidity and mortality occurs despite investment of billions of dollars in malaria control efforts. Malaria is also a concern for tourists, diplomats, business travelers, aid workers, industrial workers, and military personnel worldwide. Professor Ogobara Doumbo, MD, PhD, Director of the Malaria Research Training Center at the University of Bamako, Mali, said, "Many of us living in countries where people's lives are devastated by malaria have been waiting decades for a highly effective malaria vaccine. Over the past decade we have studied many experimental malaria vaccines in Mali. This is by far the best result we have ever obtained. We are excited and encouraged by these new results, and are proud to have hosted the first field efficacy trial of PfSPZ Vaccine in Africa here in Mali, and are expectantly awaiting the results of our second study." "These important results provide the evidence that protection against infection, not just disease, can be sustained for at least half a year. This is clearly a cornerstone for us to finally hone in on a PfSPZ Vaccine regimen that will provide high level, lasting protection to people living in malaria affected areas," said Professor Marcel Tanner, President of the Swiss Academy of Sciences and Director Emeritus, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute. "Such a vaccine is an essential tool to achieve elimination. We are excited about current and all planned future clinical trials of PfSPZ Vaccine that now stretch across Africa from Tanzania in the East to Equatorial Guinea in the West." About Sanaria Inc.: Sanaria's mission is to commercialize whole-parasite malaria vaccines that confer high level, long-lasting protection against malaria, and use these vaccines to prevent malaria in individuals and eliminate malaria from entire regions. Sanaria (http://www.sanaria.com) is based in Rockville, Maryland. This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results or achievements expressed or implied by the statements made. Such statements include the availability of an effective vaccine, the expectations for eliminating malaria, and beliefs concerning the suitability of a successful vaccine. These forward-looking statements are further qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, the Company's ability to raise sufficient funds, the regulatory approval process, clinical trials results, the Company's patent portfolio, dependence on key personnel and other risks associated with vaccine development. For further information contact Alexander Hoffman, [email protected], 301-339-0092. SOURCE Sanaria Inc. Related Links http://www.sanaria.com The campaign is utilizing display advertising, retargeting, and paid search among the tools to reach meeting and event planners. In addition, a call to action landing page has been created at http://meetings.santaclara.org/ and incentives are being offered to planners who engage in the campaign. Round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, and more are being offered to qualified planners. TAINAN, Taiwan, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ScinoPharm Taiwan, Ltd (TWSE: 1789), an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and formulation specialty company, announced unaudited financial results for its fiscal year 2016. The consolidated revenue was NT$4.031 billion (US$125 million), after-tax net profits were NT$659 million (US$20.4 million). The after-tax earnings per share was NT$0.87 (US$0.027). In 2016, overall revenue increased by 2% compared to 2015 primarily as a result of the sales boost of generic APIs, including an increased market share of Gemcitabine combined with more flexible strategies, increased shipments of Paclitaxel, as well as greater customer needs of Entecavir (HBV) and Riluzole (ALS) in anticipation for commercial launch. In terms of contract research services (CRO), several customers have achieved favorable clinical results in their Phase III trials, suggesting an increased shipment volumes and revenues. Meanwhile, revenue from contract manufacturing services (CMO) suffered a sharp reduction due to lower order volume of anti-depressants and anti-obesity drugs, but the overall performance of 2016 has been promising. Increased profit is evident in an overall gross profit margin of 45%; this is a result of a favorable blend of products and clients, especially with increased sales volume of higher profit oncology products and CRO projects. The strategic entry of oncology API Gemcitabine also contributed strongly in the company's gross margin increase. ScinoPharm also demonstrated profitability improvement by tighter cost control, process optimization, and enhanced management efficiency. ScinoPharm continues to pursue strategic alliances in order to enhance its position as a developer and manufacturer of innovative products with high added value. Currently, two ANDA submissions have been filed: an oncology injectable drug jointly developed with U.S.-based SAGENT Pharmaceuticals, and ScinoPharm-developed Fondaparinux. Product partnerships based on co-development and profit-sharing models have been established for eleven products. Furthermore, ScinoPharm is currently negotiating with major international companies for exclusive distribution rights in Europe and the U.S for the drug products indicated for cancer, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, etc. To this end, investments were made to enable a GMP-compliant manufacturing plant for injectable products. The injectable plant is being positioned to prepare its first registration batch this year, file ANDA submission by the end of 2018, and expect a USFDA on-site inspection in 2019. The Changshu site in Jiangsu, China, initiated full-scale operations, contributing to ScinoPharm's overall revenues. In efforts to expand the existing CRAM business operations, the company is focusing on mid- to late-phase projects. The current portfolio includes agents in the indications of oncology, anti-hypertension, diabetes, and other therapeutics. The Changshu site is also seeking large-volume generic APIs and intermediates to increase production utilization and is exploring partnerships with generic formulation firms to maximize market share in China via joint development and registration. Oncology products continue to be the mainstay of the company's portfolio. The three primary products in the last year include Paclitaxel for ovarian, lung, and breast cancer, Irinotecan for colorectal cancer, and Gemcitabine for small cell lung and breast cancer. These three products retained ScinoPharm's market share dominance worldwide, which reaffirms the company position as a global leader in oncology product supply. ScinoPharm's regulatory presence in oncology is demonstrated and strengthened by the number of completed drug master files (DMF): The Company has applied for 733 DMFs worldwide, including 55 in the US. Of the 55 US DMFs, 32 are for oncology products. This is an unparalleled number of total DMFs among the independent global providers of APIs and proof of the company's persistent efforts in oncology products. To date, ScinoPharm has developed 72 generic APIs, including 25 marketed products. Numerous others are awaiting the subsequent expiration of active patents. In 2017, ScinoPharm anticipates launching 2 APIs for generic, 1 API for CMO project, and 1 co-developed generic injectable drug, primarily in the US and European markets. These drugs are for the indications of polyuria, benign prostatic hyperplasia, infections, and oncology. About ScinoPharm ScinoPharm Taiwan, Ltd. is a leading process R&D and API manufacturing service provider to the global pharmaceutical industry. With research and manufacturing facilities in both Taiwan and mainland China, ScinoPharm offers a wide portfolio of services ranging from custom synthesis for early phase pharmaceutical activities for brand companies as well as APIs for the generic industry. The Company also is aggressively pursuing a vertically integrated, one-stop-shopping service for drug product customers by expanding into the field of sterile oncology injectable formulations. For more information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.scinopharm.com SOURCE ScinoPharm Taiwan, Ltd. Related Links http://www.scinopharm.com GLENDALE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ServiceTitan, the No. 1 enterprise software for residential HVAC, plumbing and electrical service businesses in the U.S., today announced it has partnered with Customer Lobby, a company that helps businesses generate more repeat customers and online reviews. It is seven times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one, and this integration will enable home service businesses to automate communication with past customers and retain them. "The integration of Customer Lobby with ServiceTitan helps home services businesses leverage their customer data to better communicate with past customers," says Ted Paff, CEO of Customer Lobby. "Together, we help our customers take retention marketing to the next level, resulting in increased repeat business and more online reviews." ServiceTitan is a powerful platform combining call booking, scheduling, dispatch, mobile field services, invoicing, payroll, accounting and reporting. Through this integration with Customer Lobby, home service businesses can now easily combine the two platforms. Integration of the two platforms takes just a few minutes, and once completed, ServiceTitan immediately starts sending data to Customer Lobby to analyze and create a unique customer retention program. The program also: Predicts when customers are most likely to need service through the Direct Connect app within Customer Lobby Automatically sends customers business branded, personalized postcards reminding them it's time for service Emails customers at the optimal time to reinforce the postcard reminder Another significant advantage is that the integration also enables businesses to automatically ask customers for reviews once they've transacted business. This results in more reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook and across the web. Reviews are a top five search ranking factor for local businesses, according to a Search Engine Watch study from 2016. "World-class home services businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada use ServiceTitan to improve sales, streamline operations and keep customers happy," said Ara Mahdessian, CEO of ServiceTitan. "With the integration of Customer Lobby software, these businesses can provide a truly compelling experience for their customers. That great experience directly translates into customer retention." About ServiceTitan ServiceTitan is a mobile, cloud-based software platform that helps home service companies streamline operations, improve customer service, and grow their business. ServiceTitan's end-to-end solution for the multi-billion dollar residential home service industry includes CRM, intelligent dispatch, comprehensive reporting, marketing management tools, mobile solution for field techs, and QuickBooks integration. ServiceTitan brings a fully operational modern SaaS infrastructure to an industry traditionally underserved by software. ServiceTitan is the preferred software for hundreds of the world's most successful plumbing, HVAC, and electrical companies. For more information about ServiceTitan, visit www.ServiceTitan.com. About Customer Lobby Founded in 2007, Customer Lobby enables businesses to get more repeat business and build their online reputation. By integrating with a business' invoicing system, Customer Lobby automates the collection of customer reviews from customers by communicating with them after they complete a transaction. Then, using the business' data, it predicts which past customers will need that business' services soon. It also creates and sends a multi-part customized campaign using postcards and emails. Customer Lobby also tracks when customers come back for a transaction, providing robust ROI reports every time. For more information about Customer Lobby, visit www.CustomerLobby.com. Media Contact: Heather Ripley Ripley PR 865-977-1973 [email protected] SOURCE ServiceTitan Related Links https://servicetitan.com Sofar Sounds recognizes the pitfalls of massive, commercialized performances, and wants to provide authentic experiences that are all about the music. According to their site, Sofar Sounds, "Is a global network of artists, hosts, and guests, all with the goal of bringing the magic back to live music." At each event, or "Sofar", you'll experience pure music, without any of the excess at big events. No openers or headliners, no chatting from the crowds, no texting or Snapping. Guests are chosen by a raffle and invited to secret gigs. The venue location is unknown until the day before and the lineup is a mystery right up to the start of the show. It's a perfect way to create a close, intimate environment, with both the artists and the audience paying mutual respect. If you're looking for a secret show in LA, you could end up at Real Office Centers' own Santa Monica office. Sara Mengesha, Assistant Director of Sofar Sounds Los Angeles, has had great experiences using ROC's building space to host private shows. "Everyone on the team is AMAZING! Erica, Elden, and the entire crew are so attentive & supportive. They know what we need even before we ask and go above and beyond to make each event special and memorable. Whether we're hosting shows outside on the patio or inside and need to move all the furniture, they are there to support us in any way. Sofar Sounds is about bringing communities together over a common passion for music and the ROC team and members are a community that we're happy to be a part of," Mengesha says. Sofar Sounds is currently active in over 300 cities worldwide. You might be in Dallas, sitting in a living room ten feet from Leon Bridges, or discovering your favorite new artist in a basement in Cluj-Napoca; Sofar Sounds embraces the magic of mystery, but you can always expect a unique, unforgettable experience at one of their shows. If you want to join their global community as a guest, artist, or host, or are seeking more information, check out their website! Leon Bridges performance: https://www.youtube.com/embed/9H3BzKhSHgY Real Office Centers, an executive suite company, provides professional support services, educational events, and a stimulating environment to help your company grow. Contact: [email protected] Image info: Sofar Gran Canaria Photo By: Nacho Gonzalez SOURCE Real Office Centers Related Links http://realofficecenters.com The biggest leap forward for hobbyist birders since binoculars, Song Sleuth's technological backbone is based on Wildlife Acoustics' decade-long development of algorithms for wildlife study. Its software is similar in concept to what is used in speech recognition software, but specifically tailored to the unique acoustical characteristics of bird songs. "By pairing sophisticated algorithms and our proprietary software, Song Sleuth delivers unprecedented accuracy in bird song identification," said Ian Agranat, Wildlife Acoustics founder. Wildlife Acoustics is the leading provider of bioacoustics monitoring systems for scientists, researchers, and government agencies worldwide. Bioacoustics is an emerging field of research that combines biology and acoustic data to gain insights into the natural world. Wildlife Acoustics was founded by Agranat in 2005 with the invention of an "audio birdsong detective" about the size of a pair of binoculars, known as the original "Song Sleuth." In addition to being remarkably more affordable, the 2017 Song Sleuth app is both more powerful and more accurate. It is also more elegant, thanks to the contributions of Sibley, who's knowledge and passion for birding have helped create a true learning tool for birders of all levels. "Song Sleuth is one of many tools that can help identify a bird, but its true benefit is helping people become better birders by familiarizing them with known birdsongs in a logical, familiar way," said David Sibley. In addition to the bird song identification software, Song Sleuth includes The David Sibley Bird Reference. Users can access The David Sibley Bird Reference at any time in the app and view Sibley's beautiful illustrations and detailed descriptions. The Reference also includes range maps and charts developed exclusively for Song Sleuth that show the likelihood of a bird's presence in the user's area at any given time of year. To identify a nearby bird's song, users need to only push the record button in "Record and ID" mode. The app begins recording a few seconds prior to initial recording and a visual representation of the frequencies and timing of the bird's song are depicted in a real-time spectrogram on the screen. Once users have completed recording the bird's song by tapping the record button again, the app immediately reveals the three most probable birds in the "Likely Matches" screen. Here users have a myriad of options to help them make the final identification of the bird including playing example recordings of the likely matches, using The David Sibley Bird Reference, and comparing spectrograms of the example recordings with the user's side-by-side. Once the correct bird has been determined, users can label the geotagged recording with the correct species, include custom notes, download the audio file or share the recording with fellow birders via email or Messages. Song Sleuth will be available on the App Store on Wednesday, February 15, for $9.99. An Android version will be available for the fall migration. ABOUT DAVID SIBLEY David Sibley is the iconic self-taught bird illustrator and foremost authority on North American birds. His seminal work, "The Sibley Guide to Birds," (2000) made him a fixture in the birding world and includes 6,600 of his beautiful and detailed watercolor illustrations. Learn more at www.sibleyguides.com. ABOUT WILDLIFE ACOUSTICS Wildlife Acoustics, Inc., (www.wildlifeacoustics.com) is the leading provider of bioacoustics monitoring systems for scientists, researchers, and government agencies worldwide. Founded by Boston's technology success story Ian Agranat, Wildlife Acoustics creates groundbreaking and affordable hardware and software tools for biologists and researchers who monitor a multitude of wildlife, including but not limited to birds, bats, frogs, insects and marine life, through bioacoustics; an emerging field of research that combines biology and acoustic data to gain insights into the natural world. SOURCE Wildlife Acoustics Related Links http://www.wildlifeacoustics.com By combining all the U.S. product development and manufacturing capabilities under one roof, the new facility will help sonnen capitalize on its expertise in new product innovation for homeowners, utilities and new business channels and enable the company to quickly ramp up production capacity, ultimately making energy storage more affordable. "sonnen U.S. has experienced exponential sales growth over the past year, making the sonnen InnovationHub a smart investment to capitalize upon the immense potential of the North American energy storage market," said Christoph Ostermann, sonnen Group CEO. "We expect that linking our U.S. manufacturing and R&D teams in one facility will increase the rate of product innovation, and enable us to better adapt to the future needs of the high-growth U.S. residential energy storage market." Globally sonnen is building the future of energy by creating the smartest and most efficient smart energy management system. By installing a proven, intelligent network of over 16,000 battery storage systems, the company is leading the way in products and services that are changing the energy landscape. From backup power and solar self-consumption for individual homes to the formation of a virtual clean energy power plant through the aggregation of multiple systems, sonnen is increasing the resiliency of the utility grid and providing customers with an alternative to conventional power sources. "The U.S. market represents significant opportunity for sonnen as we look to expand and encourage energy independence globally," said Blake Richetta, Vice President of Sales for sonnen North America. "We're seeing a rapidly growing number of homeowners interested in achieving energy independence, and a large portion of those are seeking smart storage and software capabilities for better efficiency and management of their renewable energy output." Amidst political uncertainty in the U.S. and abroad, sonnen's move to a central InnovationHub represents a significant opportunity for the company to contribute to the creation of American manufacturing and electrical and mechanical engineering jobs. sonnen has already begun renovations to the existing facility, creating a custom-designed state-of-the-art facility. The sonnen InnovationHub will bring new clean tech jobs to the Southeast and a sonnen presence to the East Coast, complementing the company's office in Los Angeles, CA. "It's gratifying and exciting for us when an innovative technology company like sonnen expands their footprint in Georgia," said Costas Simoglou, Director of the Georgia Department of Economic Development's Center of Innovation for Energy Technology. "The sonnen InnovationHub is another success story that puts solar energy storage, a very critical part of the solar energy ecosystem, in the spotlight. Our goal is to offer up the state's economic development assets and provide the resources required to build an environment that puts Georgia at the forefront of the clean energy industry. I look forward to continue working with sonnen as they grow their manufacturing, R&D and engineering teams here in Atlanta." sonnen currently develops and manufactures the sonnenBatterie smart energy management systems in Germany, Atlanta and California. Through its sonnenCommunity, energy independent homeowners throughout Europe can produce, store and share their own electricity. sonnen's latest developments, the sonnenFlat-Box, which connects non-solar customers to the sonnenCommunity and grid services, and the sonnenFlat tariff, which provides community members with energy at $0 for 10 years, are changing the way energy is used. These products represent the next steps in virtual power plants whereby thousands of sonnenBatteries are aggregated into one large storage pool that provides both clean energy to customers and balancing energy for the powergrid in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. About sonnen At sonnen, we believe clean, affordable, and reliable energy for all is one of the greatest challenges of our time. With 16,000 sonnenBatterie systems installed worldwide, sonnen is a proven global leader in intelligent energy management solutions that provide greater energy control for residential and commercial customers through increased solar self-consumption, reduced peak energy usage and reliable backup power during outages contributing to a cleaner and more reliable energy future. sonnen has won several awards for its energy innovations and sonnenBatterie products, including the including Fast Company's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Energy, the 2017 Zayed Energy Innovation Award, MIT's Technology Review's 50 Smartest Companies in 2016, Global Cleantech 100 for 2015-2017, Greentech Media's 2016 Grid Edge Award for innovation, and Cleantech's 2015 Company of the Year Award in both Israel and Europe. SOURCE sonnen, Inc. Related Links http://www.sonnen-batterie.com About Spotlight Innovation Inc. Spotlight Innovation Inc. (OTCQB: STLT) identifies and acquires rights to innovative, proprietary technologies designed to address unmet medical needs, with an emphasis on rare, emerging and neglected diseases. To find and evaluate unique opportunities, we leverage our extensive relationships with leading scientists, academic institutions and other sources. We provide value-added development capability to accelerate development progress. When scientifically significant benchmarks have been achieved, we will endeavor to partner with proven market leaders via sale, out-license or strategic alliance. For more information, visit www.spotlightinnovation.com or follow us on www.twitter.com/spotlightinno. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements herein include statements regarding Spotlight Innovation's efforts to develop and commercialize its various technologies, and to achieve its stated benchmarks. Actual outcomes and actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties, such as: the inability to finance the planned development of the technologies; the inability to hire appropriate staff to develop the technologies; unforeseen technical difficulties in developing the technologies; the inability to obtain regulatory approval for human use; competitors' therapies proving to be more effective, cheaper or otherwise more preferable; or, the inability to market a product. All of which could, among other things, delay or prevent product release, as well as other factors expressed from time to time in Spotlight Innovation's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As a result, this press release should be read in conjunction with Spotlight Innovation's periodic filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date of this press release and Spotlight Innovation undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Source: Spotlight Innovation Inc. SOURCE Spotlight Innovation Inc. Related Links http://spotlightinnovation.com PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Systech International, a global technology solutions leader and innovator in serialization for the pharmaceutical industry, is proud to be a Technology Spotlight sponsor for the 9th Annual Pharma Packaging and Labeling East Coast 2017 Expo, from February 22-23, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. There, Jim Sinisgalli, Director of Product Management and Brand Protection, will present, 'Creating Value Beyond SerializationProtecting Your Brand, Consumer Trust, and Revenue' on Thursday the 23rd at 12:30 PM EST. The objective of the global serialization mandates, including the U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) and the E.U. Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD), is to protect the pharmaceutical supply chain. During his Technology Spotlight, Sinisgalli will speak to the necessity of serialization within this segment, along with its shortcomings as a single solution for brand protection. He states, "Serialization alone does not protect your brand. Implementing an anti-counterfeiting technology in addition to or in place of a serialization solution protects consumers and also addresses gaps in the supply chain." Attendees can learn more about Systech's UniSecure anti-counterfeiting solution, the only authentication solution on the market that is non-intrusive, covert, and scalableall while enabling brand protection anytime, anywhere. UniSecure can be deployed with no change in manufacturing processes or packaging designs in as little as two weeks. It can be integrated into a serialized production environment or operate fully on its own, with traceability provisioning for non-serialized applications. Because it is cloud-based, UniSecure allows for unique item level verification through the use of a mobile device. In addition to Mr. Sinisgalli's presentation, representatives from Systech will be available at Table #14 to advise supply chain, operations, and brand protection professionals regarding actionable serialization strategies for their companies to meet future compliance deadlines, as well as opportunities to protect their brands from counterfeiters. About UniSecure Systech UniSecure is targeted to brand protection professionals who are concerned with the growing problems and financial losses suffered from counterfeiting and diversion of their products. It works by deriving a unique digital signature from an existing 1D or 2D bar/QR code that is printed on an item or its package. Systech detects unique printed patterns in the barcodes with high-definition cameras and creates an inherently covert product identifier, or digital fingerprint. With the solution requiring only cameras, software, and a mobile app, it is easy to implement, cost-effective, and provides a non-additive barrier to counterfeiters without disruption to the packaging line. About Systech International Systech, a global leader in product verification and brand protection, is re-defining the future of authentication. As the innovator of serialization, Systech is trusted by top pharmaceutical companies worldwide to ensure regulatory compliance, mitigate risk, ensure supply chain integrity, and drive efficiency. Beyond compliance, the company is leading the charge to protect global brandsfor consumer packaged goods, food & beverage, health & beauty, pharmaceutical, and contract manufacturing companies. Its best practices and award-winning technologies are guiding Product and Brand Protection Officers in their quest to improve patient/consumer safety, increase engagement, decrease counterfeiting, avoid diversion, and reduce harm to coveted brands. For more information visit www.systechone.com. SYSTECH CONTACT Erin Dunkel Vice President, Marketing +1 (610) 761-8960 [email protected] SOURCE Systech International Related Links http://systechone.com Mr . Nopparat Maythaveekhulchai , President of TCEB revealed that, "As one of Thailand's key economic growth drivers - generating income and dispersing revenue to local communities - Domestic MICE also serves as an efficient mechanism for contributing to the country's development. This is in line with the Government's policies to encourage the public, private and people sectors to arrange meetings and seminars within Thailand. During the 2016 fiscal year, Thailand welcomed a total of 28.85 million Domestic MICE travellers, earning the Thai economy a total of 73 billion baht. 2017 will also set another milestone for the Domestic MICE market as TCEB has outlined 4 key strategic projects to help drive the sector, including: The ongoing "Meetings in Thailand " campaign that focuses D-MICE activities in the 5 MICE Cities ( Bangkok , Pattaya, Chiang Mai , Phuket , and Khon Kaen ), and high potential areas within 300 kilometers of the cities. In addition, the promotion of the domestic exhibition industry ( D-Exhibition ) helps "invent" new trade exhibitions, "upgrade" local exhibitions to meet standards of regional exhibitions, and "clone" successful shows to other regions of the country; The "Meeting in Thailand , Following Royal Initiatives" program supports and promotes the organizing of MICE activities at Royal Initiatives Projects and in the ir vicinit ies ; The domestic market development campaign through destination promotion creates marketing opportunities through TCEB's database of domestic MICE venues, products and services at www.dmiceplanner.com, a comprehensive tool for organizers to plan D-MICE events; and The promotion of domestic MICE activities in Special Economic Zones, and high potential cities for target customers from Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries . The "Meeting in Thailand, Following Royal Initiatives" program is a collaborative synergy between TCEB and the Royal Initiative Discovery (Pid Thong Lang Phra) Foundation (R.I.D.). Established in 2013, the programme offers endless opportunities for domestic MICE travellers to discover novel ways to learn more about the late King Bhumibol's sustainable development philosophy. This year, Nan Province has been identified as one of the high potential cities to welcome MICE travellers from across the country. With direct flights from Don Muang and Chiang Mai airports, high standard facilities that can host 50-500 delegates, and ample choice of accommodation from major hotels of up to 300 rooms, in addition to boutique venues suitable for exclusive events. Nan also has plenty of options for a wide range of group activities such as team building, CSR, history and culture, as well as green and environment conservation, all in line with TCEB's themes for each cluster. Mr. Nopparat added that, "To introduce Nan Province as the Incentive MICE City, we're bringing together members of the media to experience a new destination that's suitable for meetings and seminars, as well as corporate incentive travel activities. Our programmes include the Pid Thong Lang Phra Royal Project at Ban Nam Pak, Tha Wang Pha district, a model project where the late King Bhumibol had encouraged effective water resource management through the improvement of check dams and irrigation systems by the community, which had suffered from severe deforestation. The success of the project helped set the example for such developments in Udonthani, Kalasin, Uthaithani, and Petchaburi provinces. The Ban Nam Pak Royal Project can accommodate domestic MICE groups of up to 50 delegates, with two types of accommodation including tents and home stays. D-MICE travellers can also enjoy a field trip to experience the livelihood of the community that has implemented the irrigation improvement for agriculture, and CSR activities such as building check dams with the local community or planting trees." The Phufa Pattana Development Centre - Nan Province, the Royal Project initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Chakri Sririndhorn to help develop the livelihood of highland communities, provides an opportunity for MICE travellers to explore the 15-rai oolong tea plantation, the 10-rai demonstration centre for upland rice, and rice terraces. The Centre has 17 suites for MICE travellers, and a meeting room for up to 120 delegates. Moreover, the Ban Nam Kian Community Learning Centre, Phu Piang district also showcases a self-sufficient community that uses home-grown and wild herbs to develop health products, reducing the need for the use of chemicals, and minimizing household expenses. In terms of tourist attractions, Nan boasts natural beauty and rich cultural heritage from sites including Khun Satan National Park, National Museum of Nan, Natural Rocksalt Pond, Phra Borm That Chae Haeng, Phra That Khao Noi, and Sri Nan National Park. "Combined with its strategic vision and effective plans, TCEB is confident that the Domestic MICE campaign will be able to achieve its overall target of 54 billion baht revenue, from a total of 26 million domestic MICE travellers in 2017. Alongside this, TCEB has put in place a roadmap for the Meetings in Thailand: The Royal Inspiration plan to promote the Royal Trail Inspirations for D-MICE which include 1) Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang, Fang district, Chiang Mai; 2) Doi Tung Development Project, Chiang Rai; 3) The Phu Phan Royal Initiated Development Study Centre and Phu Phan Ratchaniwet Palace, Sakon Nakhon; 4) Suan Song Saen, Doi Pui Research Station, Chiang Mai; 5) The Bhumirak Dhamachart Project, the Royal Nature Conservative Centre, Nakhon Nayok; 6) The Pid Thong Lang Phra Royal Project at Ban Nam Pak, Nan; 7) The Chang Hua Man Royal Project, Petchaburi; 8) Doi Inthanon Royal Project; and 9) The Pak Phanang Basin Area Development Project Under Royal Initiatives, Nakhon Si Thammarat," Mr. Nopparat concluded. For further information, please contact: Corporate Communications Division, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) Ms Arisara Thanuplang Tel: + 662 694 6095 Email: [email protected] Ms Titiwanlaya Thaimongkolrat Tel: + 662 694 6103 Email: [email protected] Ms Kwanchanok Otton Tel: + 662 694 6096 Email: [email protected] Ms Paniyada Mulalin Tel: + 662 694 6091 Email: [email protected] a publicist Tel: +66 2101 6860 Ms.Arpaporn (A) Tel: +6689 788 4868 Ms.Thittaya (Jang) Tel: +6683 668 1112 Mr.Sorasak (Earth) Tel: +6689 406 5544 SOURCE Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) Related Links http://www.tceb.or.th The award for 2016 Texas Realtor of the Year, the Texas Association of Realtors' most prestigious award, was presented to Dave Dalzell of Dalzell REALTORS in Abilene. This title is bestowed annually to a member who has made outstanding contributions to the industry through involvement in his or her national, state and local Realtor organizations during their career. The Texas Realtor Hero Award, which recognizes a Realtor who has demonstrated outstanding community service related to promoting and advancing homeownership, was awarded to Steve Crorey of Sierra Homes in Austin. A longtime advocate of expanding homeownership affordability for all Central Texans, Crorey dedicates much of his time to supporting community initiatives through the Austin Board of Realtors Foundation. The Tom D. Morton Association Executive of the Year award was presented to Mary Leidy, chief executive officer of the Collin County Association of Realtors. Awarded only to Realtor association leaders with a long track record of service to their local association and a high level respect among industry peers, the Tom D. Morton award was bestowed to Leidy for her extensive Realtor association leadership at the local, state and national levels. Scott Caballero of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty in San Antonio was named the 2016 Educator of the Year. An instructor for the Graduate REALTOR Institute, Caballero regularly leads education courses for the Council of Residential Specialists, Certified Real Estate Brokerage Managers, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, and Young Professionals Network. Coy Garrett of Coy E. Garrett & Associates in Arlington received the 2016 William C. Jennings Award for the outstanding commercial real estate transaction of the year. Garrett recently spearheaded the largest and most expensive redevelopment of industrial and commercial property in Arlington's history, anticipated to bring more than 2,000 new jobs to the area. The 2016 Texas Real Estate Awards also honored local Realtor associations that have launched innovative programs and educational courses over the last year that keep Texas Realtors up to date with the latest legal, business marketing and industry trends. The Austin Board of Realtors, Collin County Association of Realtors, Houston Association of Realtors, MetroTex Association of Realtors and San Antonio Board of Realtors were each recognized as part of the Texas Association of Realtors' 2016 Education Awards category. Finally, Omega Tau Rho, the honorable fraternity for the National Association of Realtors, inducted 26 members in 2016. Omega Tau Rho recognizes Realtors and others associated with the Realtor organization who have made outstanding contributions to the U.S. real estate industry throughout their career. About the Texas Association of REALTORS With more than 110,000 members, the Texas Association of REALTORS is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. We advocate on behalf of Texas REALTORS and private-property owners to keep homeownership affordable, protect private-property rights, and promote public policies that benefit homeowners. Visit TexasRealEstate.com to learn more. CONTACT: Danielle Urban Pierpont Communications 512-448-4950 [email protected] SOURCE Texas Association of Realtors Related Links https://www.texasrealestate.com/ NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, WE Day, a series of life-changing stadium-sized events that take place around the world to celebrate the power of community service, announced its expansion to the tri-state area this spring. The first-ever WE Day event in New York, WE Day New York Welcome, will take place on April 6, 2017 at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. Alongside partners, led by Co-Title Sponsors The Allstate Foundation, Unilever, Walgreens and Microsoft, WE Day New York Welcome will unite more than 6,000 students and educators, alongside inspirational speakers and world-renowned performers, to celebrate their commitment to taking action on issues in their own backyard and global causes that they care about. WE Day events bring people together, filling stadiums around the globe to experience the greatest classroom in the world for a full-day, live event. People can't buy a ticket to WE Dayit is free of charge to the thousands of students and educators in attendance who earn their entry through service, by taking action on one local and one global cause of their choice. "When young people are given the tools, resources and inspiration to take action on issues they care about, they have the confidence and power to change the world," said Craig Kielburger, co-founder of WE. "Thanks to the support of our Co-Title Sponsors, The Allstate Foundation, Unilever, Walgreens and Microsoft, WE is excited to bring WE Day to New York and celebrate the incredible actions that students from across the tri-state area are taking to make a difference not only in their own communities, but across the country and around the world." Organizations that give back to their communities help empower young people and support them on their journey to create impactful action and become lifelong world-changers. The continued commitment and contributions from these partners has aided in expanding the reach of WE programs both at home and overseasoffering support, resources and inspiration for young people to become leaders of tomorrow. The Allstate Foundation emboldens future generations with the strength, confidence and skills to rise up as leaders and realize their full potentialand aims to show the world that good starts young. Unilever is committed to creating a bright future for tomorrow's leaders by championing the power of collective actionbecause together we can take small actions that create a big difference. Walgreens community development efforts focus on a variety of areas including allowing young people the opportunity to reach their full potential wherever they are in the world. Microsoft is proud to empower young peoplein New York and around the world with the resources, skills, and inspiration they need to create a more inclusive world. WE Day is part of WEan organization that brings people together and gives them the tools to change the world locally and globally, achieving transformative outcomes for themselves and others. WE Day engages students of all socioeconomic backgrounds through WE Schools, a yearlong educational program that provides schools and community groups with educational resources and student-led campaigns designed to enhance a school's existing social initiatives or spark new ones. WE Schools encourages students to further their curricular learning and develop life skills for success. Young people are challenged to research and make an impact on at least one local and one global issue, supported with curricular resources, service campaigns and mentorship programs to help them become change-makers. In a 2015 study, current and former WE Schools participants were 2.5 times more likely to have a long term commitment to a social cause, 2.3 times more likely to use their professional skills to solve social problems and 1.2 times more likely to report that they had voted in the prior election than their non-participant peers. A global movement of 2.4 million young people strong, youth involved in the WE Movement have raised $79 million for more than 6,500 local and global organizations, volunteered 27.6 million hours for local and global causes and collected over 9.8 million pounds of food through service learning programs and campaigns. Anyone can find their place with WE and commit to making a change in the world. The first step is to take the WE Pledge at WE.org. By taking the pledge, participants are joining the WE Community and making a commitment to live WE every day. For every pledge taken on WE.org, $10 will be donated to local and global programs. WE Day NY Welcome will be followed in the evening by WE Day NY Welcome: Friends & Family, made possible by generous partners, including, Co-Title Sponsors, The Allstate Foundation, Unilever, Walgreens, and Microsoft. The evening show will provide a unique opportunity for friends, families and community partners come together for a special WE Day experience. Bringing together inspirational speakers and world leaders to share their stories of positive change, WE Day NY Welcome: Friends & Family aims to empower individuals of all ages to come together with their families and friends to make a difference in their communities and around the world. The initial lineup of speakers and performers for WE Day New York Welcome and WE Day NY Welcome: Friends & Family will be released on March 14, 2017. Stay connected on the latest news and updates on WE Day: #WEDay Facebook @WEMovement Twitter @WEMovement Instagram @WEMovement Visit our Media Centre About WE Day WE Day is part of WEan organization that brings people together and gives them the tools to change the world. A unique family of organizations, WE is made up of WE Charity, empowering change with resources that create sustainable impact, and ME to WE, a social enterprise that creates socially conscious products and experiences that allow people to do good through their everyday choices. The celebration of that change happens at WE Dayinspiring stadium-sized life-changing events that take place around the world. You can't buy a ticket to WE Dayyoung people earn their entry by taking action on one local and one global cause. WE Day unites world-renowned speakers, presenters and award-winning performers with thousands of young people and families to celebrate and inspire another year of incredible change. This year alone over 200,000 young people will come together in 16 stadium gatherings across the U.S., Canada, and U.K. to take part in this unprecedented educational initiative. A global movement of 2.4 million young people strong, youth involved with WE have raised $62 million for more than 2,400 local and global organizations, volunteered 19.9 million hours for local and global causes and collected over 7.6 million pounds of food through service learning programs and campaigns. WE was founded more than 20 years ago by humanitarians, activists and social entrepreneurs, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger. Learn more at WE.org. About The Allstate Foundation www.AllstateFoundation.org/GoodStartsYoung About Unilever www.unileverusa.com About Walgreens www.walgreens.com About Microsoft www.Microsoft.com For more information on WE Day or to request an interview, please contact: Camila Ossa Associate Director, Public Relations, WE Day 1-416-885-5522 [email protected] Kendra Thompson Associate Director, Public Relations, WE Day 1-647-607-9564 [email protected] SOURCE WE Day Related Links https://www.we.org DECATUR -- The stereotype of the most common heart attack recipient for years was the overworked executive. He was the Type A personality -- the highly driven, overworked, short-fused corporate chiefs. Its still common for those who work long hours to hear: Youre going to give yourself a heart attack. But the reality is heart disease is a danger for everyone -- its the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women, and for blacks, whites and Hispanics. And, in fact, women and blacks are more likely to die from heart disease than white men. Its really groups that are oppressed that have higher rates of heart disease, said Jo Carter, an associate professor of nursing at Millikin University. John Blakeman, lecturer of nursing at Millikin, said a study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1999 began to shed light that not only were the rates of heart disease in women and blacks just as high as they were in white men, but that their symptoms were treated differently by doctors than with white men. It was found that African-American women had some of the poorest outcomes, Blakeman said. They werent worked up, diagnostic tests that should have been done werent done, and interventions like stents and life vests happened a lot less often. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, women are five percent more likely to die within a year of a first recognized heart attack, and five to seven percent more likely than men to be diagnosed with heart failure within five years. A lot of times we tend to forget that women are not immune by any stretch of the imagination to cardiovascular disease, and there are probably more complexities that impact women more than men," Blakeman said. In recent years the American Heart Association has focused on heart disease in women with its Go Red For Women campaign. Feb. 3 was National Wear Red Day, during which people were encouraged to wear red to raise awareness of heart disease in women. Yvonne Carry, a cardiac nurse with HSHS St. Marys Hospital, said events like National Wear Red Day have increased awareness of heart health for women, but there are still not enough who avoid the risk factors. The information is out there -- it comes down to who wants to be aware, Carry said. There are a lot of women out there in denial. Symptoms among men and women can vary. Though women can experience some of the same symptoms as men -- arm pain, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath -- Carry said women are more likely get shoulder, neck and jaw pain, as well as epigastric pain that feels like indigestion. February is heart month, and also coincides with Black History Month. Last week Millikin held a seminar called: African Americans and Cardiovascular Disease, Unconscious vs. Conscious Bias. Blakeman and Carter, associate professor of nursing, discussed some of the factors for why 48 percent of black women and 44 percent of black men experience some form of cardiovascular disease, and why blacks often have some of the poorest cardiovascular outcomes. For a time, it was thought genetics played the largest role in why blacks had a higher rate of heart disease, but Blakeman said more and more evidence is proving that false. When we look at genetics, theres more variation between individuals within an ethnicity than there is between ethnicities, Blakeman said. The reasons, it turns out, are more environmental. High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and an inactive lifestyle are all risk factors that are higher among blacks. Because a larger percentage of blacks live in poverty than other ethnic groups, theyre often more exposed to prolonged stress than other groups. Its along the same thinking as the old Type A personality theory that too much stress wasnt good for the heart. But stress of where someones next meal is coming or how theyre going to keep the electricity on is often more prolonged and less easily relieved than work stress. Its known as the Weathering Hypothesis. We see the onset of high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke comes a full decade sooner in those with significant social and environmental risk stressors over the course of their lives, Blakeman said. Carter said people living in economically depressed areas are less likely to want to take a walk and have less access to exercise facilities and healthy food. When you live in an area where there might be convenience stores, but not grocery stores, and you dont have transportation, youre less likely to eat food thats good for you, Carter said. Theres also the issue of the black populations relationship with the healthcare community -- There are many black Americans who dont trust health care because they werent treated very well for a long period of time, Carter said. Blakeman said for many years doctors considered the high rates of heart disease in blacks not their problem. I think their thought process was as long as they were telling their patients to lose weight, exercise and stop smoking, theyd done what they needed to do, Blakeman said. A 2011 study by the American College of Cardiologys Coalition to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes showed that the animosity toward the healthcare industry in the black community may be justified. The study revealed racial and ethnic care disparities were only recognized by one in three cardiologists, with even fewer feeling there were any issues in their practice. Another study showed that when it comes to defect-free care for heart patients -- correct medications, diagnostics and treatment plans -- the rates for blacks and women were lower than for whites. Blakeman said doctors are going to have to start recognizing the problem, whether its in women or the black population, before there are any improvements in outcome. Theres a lot of opportunity for them to be more open-minded and to dig into these issues a little more and figure out some strategies the whole healthcare team can change and improve on, Blakeman said. DALLAS, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Love may be in the air this season, as Hotels.com reveals the celebrities we'd most love to jet off and spend a vacation with. Tom Hanks and Jennifer Aniston are officially the nation's most desired travel buddies, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Sin City is the place we'd most want to take our favorite stars, but it seems we're more interested in shopping than showing off. Over a third admitted they'd rather be taken on an all-expenses-paid shopping spree (34%), than attend awards events (29%) or go on a private jet (29%) with a celeb pal. We'd have no selfie shame though, as over a quarter of us (28%) would demand constant selfies! Hang out with Hanks Beloved actor Tom Hanks (32%) was named the top male celebrity travel companion in the Hotels.com survey, but we'd also love to vacation with George Clooney (24%), Denzel Washington (22%), Morgan Freeman (21%) and Justin Timberlake (19%). The Real Friends Experience The nation's sweetheart Jennifer Aniston (29%) topped the female travel buddy chart, with many probably hoping she'd take them to her usual Cabo San Lucas hangouts. Travelers would also love to check-in to a vacay hotspot with Jennifer Lopez (20%), Ellen DeGeneres (19%), Selena Gomez (14%) and Beyonce (13%). Top 5 FEMALE celebrities to spend a vacation with Top 5 MALE celebrities to spend a vacation with 1. Jennifer Aniston 29% 1. Tom Hanks 32% 2. Jennifer Lopez 20% 2. George Clooney 24% 3. Ellen DeGeneres - 19% 3. Denzel Washington 22% 4. Selena Gomez 14% 4. Morgan Freeman 21% 5. Beyonce 13% 5. Justin Timberlake 19% Keeping away from the Kardashians While the Kardashians appear to be on a constant vacation, it seems not many Americans actually want to tag along with them. Politics aside, after Trump and Clinton, the Kardashians (36%) and Kanye West (38%) were revealed as the least popular travel companions. Catch the Award Nominees With the awards season underway, travelers can also keep an eye out for their favorite nominees. Ryan Gosling (12%) and Denzel Washington (22%), nominated for awards, made the list of top celebrities to spend a vacation with. If you're planning to catch your favorite celebs on the red carpet in person, here are some hotel suggestions to help create the ultimate celebrity vacation in Los Angeles, Viceroy L'Ermitage, Sunset Tower Hotel and The Hollywood Roosevelt. Bright Lights and Beaches We'd most like to whisk our favorite celebrity away for a week of fun in Las Vegas (27%), but many Americans also dream of flying abroad. A quarter want to experience the culture of Paris (27%) and London (24%) with their beloved celebrity, or relax on the exotic beaches of The Caribbean (24%) or Greece (23%). Celeb Hot Spots Hotels.com knows everything about the best hotels around the world and has hundreds of thousands of properties to choose from. With Hotels.com Rewards you unlock instant savings now, and after staying 10 nights you get one free* to use later, so surely the best place to spend it would be where your favorite celeb is likely to be. It's no surprise that if you want to celeb spot you need to head to Hollywood, as half of Americans named Los Angeles (49%) the number one hotspot for celeb spying. But flying off to France could also increase your chances of bumping into your favorite star. The top five celeb hotspots according to the survey are: Notes to Editor *8,400 adults from 28 countries were polled by One Poll , commissioned by Hotels.com in October 2016 , commissioned by Hotels.com in * Free night does not include taxes and fees. The value of the free night is based on the average value of all 10 nights collected." About Hotels.com Hotels.com L.P. operates Hotels.com, a leading online accommodation booking website with properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals. 2017 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, Hotels.com Rewards and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST# 2083949-50 Media Contact: Alex Lee Hill+Knowlton Strategies Phone: (214) 613-0025 Email: [email protected] @hkstrategies Taylor L. Cole, APR Hotels.com North America Phone: (469) 335-8442 Email: [email protected] @TravelwithTLC SOURCE Hotels.com Related Links http://www.hotels.com NEW YORK, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A recently launched free App called "Swing" -- which sends drink specials and loyalty rewards directly to customers' phones who are inside participating bars - is spreading fast through the New York bar scene (in App Store, search for "Swing Apps"). Already in 30 great Manhattan bars and adding additional venues every week, Swing gives bars a simple way to send onsite customers real-time messages, for example, "Buy 1, get one FREE mixed drinks," "$3 Beers" or "$5 You Call It!" Or, if a bar owner wants to kick up the intensity and influence the crowd, they can Swing their customers into action by sending out a spontaneous "flash sale" offer like "2 for one Fireball or Jamison Shots for the next 20 minutes!" Swing users can't get enough of this new app because unlike other bar apps, Swing rewards you with free drinks and discounts just for hanging out. For example, let's say "Tonic East" is your go-to local bar: After you clock 10 hours there (which would be easy to do after a few visits), you'll automatically receive a notification letting you know that you've earned "1 Free drink - anything you want!", which you can redeem anytime. Maybe "Phebes" is your local watering hole: Spend 50 hours there and get 20% off your next tab." Amy Ridge, Swing's Co-founder and an avid bargoer herself, does a great job explaining why Swing is so valuable for customers: "It's your frequent flyer card for the bars," Amy says with a contagious smile. "If you enjoy going out in New York, and earning rewards for being a loyal customer, then Swing is your "must-have App." Swing's "secret sauce" is the beacon technology it uses which, via Bluetooth connections, logs each customer's time inside the bar without requiring any "check-in." In this mobile-obsessed world where everyone's glued to their phones, this is a win-win for Swing's participating bars and their customers: the bars have a free and easy way to communicate with their customers at their "point of purchase" (when they are inside their venues) and bar patrons receive exclusive drink specials and rewards when it matters to them most (when they are contemplating what drink to order). Over the next 12 months, Swing will be expanding to 500 bars throughout Manhattan, all 5 Burroughs and Hoboken. Then the New York-based Startup plans to roll out Swing nationwide. "The feedback has been absolutely phenomenal," adds Ridge, "because Swing gives users something to love each time they visit a bar." And then, as if she can't resist, Amy launches both arms in the air with a big grin on her face: "I mean c'mon," she says, "Everyone loves to Swing!" Swing by Swing Applications is available on the App store for Free (If searching in App Store, search for "Swing Apps"). iTunes Download Link (Free; iOS 9.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/swing-apps/id1185196781?ls=1&mt=8 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SwingApplications Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swingapplicationsnyc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/swingappnyc Email: [email protected] To learn more, please visit their website: http://www.swingapplications.com/ PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12619250 SOURCE Swing Applications Related Links http://www.swingapplications.com/ The conference, referred to as the Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) , is one of the largest annual Physical Therapy Conferences in the nation, and will be held in San Antonio, TX, from February 15 18, 2017. Ahead of the conference, USAHS Associate Professor of Neuromuscular and Neuroscience, Kristen M. Johnson, PT, EdD, MS, NCS, taught a course titled, "Moving Forward from IV STEP: Application of Key Themes." The focus of the course guided participants through goals to foster, guide and effect physical therapy practice over the next decade, with an emphasis on prediction, participation, plasticity and prevention. USAHS alumni and faculty are invited to the annual university social on Thursday, Feb. 16, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio. Alumni may RSVP at usa.edu. In addition, conference attendees who visit USAHS's CSM booth (#606) can enter to receive a voucher toward Continuing Professional Education courses. The following research posters will be presented at the conference by USAHS experts and alumni: Medication Safety: Using the Beers Criteria in Geriatric Physical Therapist Practice Presented by Kenneth Miller , PT, DPT, CEEAA (Section: Academy of Geriatric PT/Home Health Section) A Case Study Reviewing the Presentation of Spinal Accessory Nerve Palsy in a Workman's Comp Case Presented by Jennifer Junkin , PT, DPT, OCS, MTC; Margaret Wicinski , PT DPT MTC PCC (Section: Orthopaedics) Preventing Readmission With COPD: Transitioning from Acute to Home Care Presented by Rebecca Crouch , PT, DPT, CCS, Ellen Hillegass , PT, PhD, CCS, FAPTA, Kenneth Miller , PT, DPT, CEEAA (Section: Home Health Section) Use of an Instrumented Walkway System to Enhance Comprehension and Application of Normal and Abnormal Gait Parameters among Graduate Students Enrolled in an Accelerated Physical Therapy Curriculum Presented by Anna Edwards , PT, DPT, MA, MBA and Steve Laslovich , PT, DPT, CPed (Section: Education) Step-by-Step Stair Training in a Patient with Chronic Stroke: A Case Report Presented by Kaylee Garrett , DPT (Section: Neurology (Stroke SIG)) The Effects of Vestibular Rehabilitation After Bilateral Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence: A Case Report Presented by Kristen M. Johnson, PT, EdD, MS, NCS (Section: Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy-Vesibular Special Interest Group) Evidence-Based, Complex Physical Therapy Interventions For A 24-Year Old Military Service Member Following A Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Presented by Kristen M. Johnson, PT, EdD, MS, NCS (Section: Federal Physical Therapy) LAMP Catalyst Talks: Leadership Lessons from the Front Lines of Physical Therapy Presented by Emily Becker , PT, John Corcoran , PT, DPT, MS, Cert. MDT, Anna Edwards , PT, MA, MBA, Aaron Embry , PT, DPT, MSCR, Deborah Kucera , PT, Amy Lafko , PT, MS, MBA, Debora Miller , PT, MBA, FACHE, Beth Sarfaty , PT, MBA (Section: Section on Health Policy & Administration) Preventing Re-admission with Heart Failure: Transitioning from Acute to Home Care Presented by Rebecca Crouch , PT, DPT, CCS, Ellen Hillegass , PT, PhD, CCS, FAPTA, Kenneth Miller , PT, DPT, CEEAA (Section: Home Health Section) Effects Of Manual Therapy And Dry Needling Techniques For Managing Hypertonicity In The Male Pelvic Floor: A Case Report Presented by Amy Porter , PT (Section: Women's Health) Experiential Learning Enhances Physical Therapist Student Confidence In Neurological Patient Management Across The Lifespan Presented by Kristen Barta, PT, DPT, NC, Megan Flores, PT, MPT, PCS and Anna Edwards , PT, DPT, MA, MBA (Section: Education) The Effects Of Closed Kinetic Chain And Endurance Exercises On Reducing Pain In A Child With Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Case Report Presented by Megan Flores, PT, MPT, PCS and Linda Duong (Section: Pediatrics) Using Measures of Center of Mass Estimated and Center of Pressure During Gait in the Design of a Rocker Sole Modification for an Individual with Functional Ankle Mobility Limitation Presented by Steve Laslovich , PT, DPT, CPed, Anna Edwards , PT, DPT, MA, MBA (Section: Orthopaedics: Foot/Ankle) The Use of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Boxing Sequences to Combat the Progression of Parkinson's Disease: A Case Report Presented Kristen M. Johnson, PT, EdD, MS, NCS (Section: Neurology) Effect of Free Swing Gait Training on Back Pain in a Patient with Bilateral Amputation: A Case Report Presented by Cassie Duff and Megan Flores, PT, MPT, PCS (Section: Orthopaedics) The Effects of Physical Therapy and Transcranial Low-Level Laser Therapy in Post-Concussion Syndrome: A Case Study Presented by Michelle Sawtelle, PT, NCS (Section: Neurology) Examining The Therapeutic Benefits Of Amplitude-Oriented Exercise In Myoclonic Epilepsy Ragged- Red Fiber Syndrome: A Case Study Presented by Kristen Barta, PT, DPT, NC (Section: Neurology) Physical therapists improve and restore mobility in patient's lives, reducing and managing pain, often without the need for expensive surgery or long-term use of prescription medications. This year's CSM conference is expected to bring more than 11,000 of the brightest and most innovative physical therapy professionals in the nation together for four days of educational programming, alumni events, expert presentations and networking opportunities. The conference also features an exhibit hall with hundreds of exhibitors, demonstrating the latest equipment, products and technologies used by physical therapy professionals to help people regain and maintain mobility and lead active and healthy lives. To schedule an interview with a USAHS faculty member or for more information on one of the research presentations outlined, please contact Rachael Lighty at [email protected]or 410.218.6055. For more information and to RSVP to USAHS' CSM booth, please visit: apply.usa.edu/csm2017/. About University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) is a graduate institution that offers degree programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, education and health science, as well as continuing education programs. Founded in 1979, USAHS has locations in San Marcos, California; St. Augustine, Florida; Austin, Texas; and Miami, Florida. USAHS is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission. USAHS is one of more than 70 institutions in 25 countries that comprise the Laureate International Universities network. For more information about USAHS visit www.usa.edu. SOURCE University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Related Links http://www.usa.edu PITTSBURGH, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) has selected its Wichita Falls plant to be the site of a new jumbo magnetron sputtered vacuum deposition (MSVD) glass coater, expected to be the largest of its kind in North America. Groundbreaking is slated for April. Sand and raw materials are melted to create glass at Vitro Architectural Glass's Wichita Falls, Texas plant, which is to be the site of the company's new jumbo magnetron sputtered vacuum deposition (MSVD) glass coater. The $55 million investment, which Vitro Glass first announced when it acquired PPG's former flat glass business last fall, includes construction of a new 200,000-square-foot building and several ancillary projects. Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) has selected its Wichita Falls, Texas plant to be the site of a new jumbo magnetron sputtered vacuum deposition (MSVD) glass coater, expected to be the largest of its kind in North America. Groundbreaking is slated for April. The facility's MSVD coater for conventionally sized glass is pictured above. The jumbo coater will enable Vitro Glass to produce high-performing, energy-efficient low-emissivity (low-e) glasses in the larger sizes desired by today's building designers. The $55 million investment, which Vitro Glass first announced when it acquired PPG's former flat glass business last fall, will enable the Monterrey, Mexico-based manufacturer to produce high-performing, energy-efficient low-emissivity (low-e) glasses in the larger sizes desired by today's building designers. "Current architectural trends favor the use of oversized glass on many office, commercial and multi-story residential projects, which requires glass sizes over 12 feet tall that our existing coater cannot accommodate," said Bill Haley, Wichita Falls plant manager, Vitro Architectural Glass. "The new equipment will enable us to cost-efficiently coat jumbo-sized glass, which will further increase demand for our products." Dick Beuke, president, Vitro Architectural Glass, said the coater will strengthen Vitro Glass's position as an industry leader, innovator and architect resource. "As building codes become more stringent and building designs more complex, architects and building designers are driving glass manufacturers to provide higher-performing products, greater cost efficiencies and increased technical support. This new machinery, along with our expanded sales and service staff, positions us to meet those demands." In addition to the MSVD coater, which applies ultra-thin layers of metal to glass to help it deflect heat without reducing transparency, the $55 million price tag includes construction of a new 200,000-square-foot building and several ancillary projects. The Wichita Falls Economic Development Corp. approved a $3 million incentive package in mid-January to provide local support for the project. The coater will expand the number of jobs for one of the city's largest employers and create new work for local contractors when the building is constructed. Vitro Glass considered all four of its U.S. manufacturing facilities as sites for the new coater before selecting Wichita Falls. The company also has operations in Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Fresno, California and Salem, Oregon. For more information about Vitro Glass, visit www.vitroglazings.com or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457). About Vitro Architectural Glass Vitro Architectural Glass, part of Vitro, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV:VITROA), is a new organization created from Vitro's acquisition of PPG's flat glass business unit. Now the largest company of its kind in the Americas, Vitro Architectural Glass manufactures industry-leading brands such as Solarban, Sungate and Starphire Ultra-Clear glasses at U.S. plants in Carlisle, Pennsylvania; Fresno, California; Salem, Oregon; and Wichita Falls, Texas. The company also operates one of the world's largest glass research and development facilities in Pittsburgh and four residential glass fabrication plants in Canada. For more information, please visit www.vitroglazings.com. Starphire Ultra-Clear is a trademark and Solarban and Sungate are registered trademarks owned by Vitro. The PPG Logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc. SOURCE Vitro Architectural Glass Related Links http://www.vitroglazings.com SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- (RSA Conference) Webroot, the market leader in next-generation endpoint and network security and threat intelligence, took top honors in the Best Customer Service Category at the SC Awards Dinner and Presentation. The results were announced at RSA Conference 2017 during the SC Awards Dinner and Presentation in San Francisco. Named for Best Customer Service, Webroot has a highly skilled and globally based Technical Support team, offering 24/7 support around the world. "At Webroot, we utilize a follow-the-sun approach with customer service support staff in Australia, the United Kingdom, and North America," said Amy Wiley, vice president of engineering services at Webroot. "It is an honor to be recognized by the SC Awards as a leader in providing exceptional customer service solutions crucial to protecting our customers against the many threats launched by today's savvy cybercriminals." The mission of the SC Awards is to honor the achievements of companies and information security professionals striving to safeguard businesses, their customers and critical data in North America. Competitors are voted on by two panels of judges comprised of a range of cybersecurity industry luminaries from current and former CISOs to vendor-neutral consultants or analysts to educators from academic institutions all members of SC Media's audience. After the averages for each category were tallied, finalists and winners were selected. About Webroot Webroot delivers next-generation endpoint security, threat intelligence services, and anomaly detection solutions to protect businesses and individuals around the globe. Our smarter approach harnesses the power of cloud-based collective threat intelligence derived from millions of real-world devices to stop threats in real time and help secure the connected world. Our award-winning SecureAnywhere endpoint solutions, BrightCloud Threat Intelligence Services, and FlowScape solution protect tens of millions of devices across businesses, home users and the Internet of Things. Trusted and integrated by market-leading companies, including Cisco, F5 Networks, Aruba, Palo Alto Networks, A10 Networks, and more. Webroot is headquartered in Colorado and operates globally across North America, Europe, and Asia. Discover Smarter Cybersecurity solutions at www.webroot.com. Follow Webroot: Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook SOURCE Webroot Related Links http://www.webroot.com PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship has had a demonstrable impact on both Ohio classrooms and the future pipeline of STEM (science-technology-engineering, math) teachers in the state, according to new data provided by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. The outcomes of the program was shared with the presidents of Ohio partner universities who worked with the Woodrow Wilson Foundation to create and lead the Teaching Fellowship program in the state. Originally announced in 2010, the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship program has been a collaboration of John Carroll University, The Ohio State University, Ohio University, the University of Akron, the University of Cincinnati, the University of Dayton, and the University of Toledo, dozens of K-12 school districts, and the Woodrow Wilson Foundation to recruit, prepare, and support STEM teachers for Ohio's high-need secondary schools. "In coming to Ohio, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation set out to attract, prepare, and support talented and committed individuals to teach in high-need Ohio schools," Woodrow Wilson Foundation President Arthur Levine said. "Today, we see those Ohio Teaching Fellows leading urban and rural classrooms across the state, providing students in Ohio's traditional public schools and charter schools with the excellent STEM educations they need to succeed in our digital, information economy." More than 300 aspiring educators have been named Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellows since the program's launch. Many Ohio Teaching Fellows came directly right after earning their undergraduate degrees, while others joined after serving in the armed forces or after successful careers in the private sector. Some with Ph.D.s became Teaching Fellows. Approximately 60 percent of Ohio Teaching Fellows are women, while 40 percent are men. The Woodrow Wilson Foundation's comprehensive report on the Ohio Teaching Fellows program can be found at woodrow.org/news/publications/ After completing the program, Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows have assumed teaching jobs at more than 100 school districts and charter schools across the state. More than 40 percent of all Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellows are now teaching in Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, Akron, Canton, Parma, Lorraine, and Hamilton public schools the state's largest public school districts. Each year, nearly 95 percent of Teaching Fellows accept teaching positions in Ohio's public schools. "Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows are committed to teaching in Ohio's high-need schools and are making careers of being just the sort of teachers our children need and deserve," Levine said. "When we began, we set out to build a program that would reflect Ohio, its needs, and its students," Levine continued. "Working with our partners, we created a robust pipeline of excellent STEM teachers, all committed to the success of Ohio's children. For decades to come, Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellows will have a real impact on the state's schools and overall success. We are proud to have been a part of this important effort." The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship program was funded through the generosity of a number of organizations including Choose Ohio First, Cleveland Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, GAR Foundation, Battelle Memorial Institute, and the Battelle Fund at the Columbus Foundation. The Teaching Fellowship offers rigorous pedagogical preparation, extensive clinical immersion in secondary classrooms, and ongoing mentoring. In addition to Ohio, the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship is offered in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, and New Jersey. The Woodrow Wilson Foundation will be working with its university partners to ensure the program is continued through the "Ohio Model" for teacher preparation based on the program. The model is expected to be taken up during the 2017 legislative session. About the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation Founded in 1945, the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (www.woodrow.org) identifies and develops the nation's best minds to meet its most critical challenges. The Foundation supports its Fellows as the next generation of leaders shaping American society. CONTACT: Patrick Riccards [email protected] | (703) 298-8283 SOURCE Woodrow Wilson Foundation Related Links http://woodrow.org State Police say a Decatur woman was airlifted to hospital Wednesday morning when her pickup truck crashed and rolled over multiple times on Interstate 72 in rural Piatt County. Written reports say Erica Clark, 24, had been eastbound when the accident happened at 9:41 a.m, triggered by one of the truck's real tires sustaining damage. The truck finished up lying on its roof in the roadway. Police say Clark was wearing a seat belt and the circumstances of the crash remain under investigation. Eastbound lanes were closed from roughly 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m., according to the Illinois State Police. This story will be updated. DECATUR Antonio T. Andrews, a 28-year-old Decatur man, is facing four felony counts, after he allegedly crashed his car into another vehicle, causing a 23-year-old front seat passenger to suffer life-threatening injuries including bleeding and bruising of her brain, broken ribs and a fractured pelvis. Andrews fled the scene after the collision, which occurred at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Illinois 48 at about 1:40 p.m. Feb. 4. Police found him in the nearby County Market store. He was subsequently arrested and booked into the Macon County Jail, where he is being held on $30,000 bond. The driver of a red Oldsmobile carrying the injured passenger told police she was turning south onto Illinois 48 from Grand on a green arrow when a green Pontiac hit her at a high rate of speed in the intersection, said an affidavit by Decatur patrol officer Larry Brooks. Witnesses said the Pontiac, later identified as the vehicle driven by Andrews, was traveling east on Grand, when it approached the intersection with a red light. The Pontiac disobeyed the red light for eastbound traffic and ran into the red-colored Oldsmobile, witnesses told police. At the time of his arrest, Andrews was wanted by police on a warrant for a pending Sangamon County case of deceptive practices/bad check. He was also on probation for felony convictions in two 2015 Macon County cases: possession of a stolen vehicle and deceptive practices/bad check. When police first contacted Andrews in the store, he said he did not know what happened and that he did not know who was driving. When an officer informed him that his front seat passenger, who had also fled from the scene, reported that Andrews was the driver, he then changed his story, admitting that he was the driver of the Pontiac. He admitted to police that he knew that the license plates did not belong to the Pontiac. Police discovered that Andrews, who said he recently bought the Pontiac, did not have a driver's license or auto insurance. As Andrews was interviewed by police, he spoke with a very slurred speech, had glossy eyes and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, and swayed from front to back. A preliminary breath test administered at Decatur Memorial Hospital showed his blood alcohol content at 0.117 percent, nearly 50 percent above the legal limit of 0.08 percent for a driver. Andrews was arraigned Tuesday on two counts of aggravated DUI alcohol and two counts of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury, in addition to several traffic citations. He is due in court March 1 for his preliminary hearing. New Delhi, Feb 10 : The BSF on Friday said trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav was moved to another battalion in Jammu and Kashmir to face a departmental enquiry after his video over "sub-standard" food caused an uproar. "Before the controversy over Yadav's video on social media, he was posted at the 29th battalion. He was shifted to another battalion in Samba for a fair probe. He is not under arrest," BSF spokesman Subhendu Bhardwaj said. The trooper faces charges of indiscipline, including uploading the social media post, and other charges, the official said. Yadav had on January 9 posted several videos on Facebook showing visuals of poor quality food provided to Border Security Force troopers on the India-Pakistan border. He alleged that BSF officers siphoned off food provided by the government. Yadav also expressed apprehension that his seniors may take action against him for exposing the condition of soldiers on the border. The BSF reaction followed a Delhi High Court order directing it to allow Yadav's wife Sharmila to meet him over the weekend. Sharmila on Thursday filed a habeas corpus plea in the High Court demanding to know his whereabouts. Earlier, the BSF said Yadav's plea under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme was rejected as an inquiry was pending against him. Ranchi, Feb 11 : With barely days left for a global summit here, Jharkhand is spending over Rs 150 crore on branding and face-lift before rolling out the red carpet for potential investors, an official said. The Momentum Jharkhand Global Investors Summit kicks off on February 16 and the Raghubar Das government is branding it big. They have hired chartered flights to ferry in businessmen and industrialists from Kolkata to Ranchi and have tied-up with the Air India and Alliance Air. "Jharkhand was nominated as a partner to CII, and other business association and allocated Rs 30 crore," the official told IANS. "The state cabinet gave its approval of Rs 40 crore for advertisement in news channels, newspapers," the official added. The cost to be incurred by the CII on the chartered flights is estimated to be around Rs two crore. The industry body urged the government to make arrangements of these flights keeping in mind the increase in the number of delegates expected to participate in the programme. A total of 150 rooms were booked in posh hotels here including 90 in Radisson Blu, 35 in Capitol Hill and remaining in other hotels. It is expected that more than 6,000 delegates would be participating in the event. It is estimated that around Rs one crore would be spent on hotel bills of visitors. To make sure that the stay of these high profile people was worth remembering the state government has also decided to spend lavishly on their food. An exorbitant Rs 4,000 per plate of food has been planned. To ferry the visitors to and fro Khelgaon to their respective hotels the government has also hired 150 taxis for which an additional expenditure of Rs 15-20 lakh would be meted out. Security which would be a prime concern during these two-day mega event would be taken care of by 4,700 jawans and officials of Jharkhand Police. It is expected that Rs 1.50 crore would be spent for providing food at least three times on two days for those in-charge for security. To erect the infrastructure required for holding the event another Rs 25 crore is slated. Around Rs 10 crore would be spent on beautifying the city with flowers. The opposition is against the huge expense although it says it is not against the investor submit, "there are few issues like... past MoU hardly translating into reality". "Land is a big issue the plants will not come up on air," Jharkhand Congress general secretary Alok Dubey told IANS. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has said that only those MoUs would be signed which will translate on ground. Mumbai, Feb 12 : Actor Rana Daggubati has praised his "Ghazi" co-actor Atul Kulkarni and says that without him, the film would have been incomplete. Rana on Sunday morning took to Twitter to compliment Atul and also said that he has been a "solid pillar of strength" to the "Baahubali" star. "Sir you have been in every which way been a solid pillar of strength to 'The Ghazi Attack'. 'Ghazi' wouldn't have been complete without you," Rana tweeted. The forthcoming Telugu-Hindi bilingual drama, which is slated for release on February 17, is based on the mysterious sinking of PNS Ghazi submarine during the 1971 war between India and Pakistan. Rana plays Lt. Commander Arjun Varma in the movie. Directed by debutant Sankalp, it also features Taapsee Pannu and Kay Kay Menon. The film is partially based on the book "Blue Fish", penned by the director himself. The story is about an executive naval officer of the Indian submarine S21 and his team who remain underwater for 18 days. The film also stars late actor Om Puri in a pivotal role. Srinagar, Feb 13 : The Indian Army on Monday paid tributes to the two soldiers killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Sunday. A Defence Ministry statement issued here said: "It called for raw courage to approach a house where the terrorists were confirmed to be hiding -- even more so when the response had to be very guarded given the fact that they held a hostage in that house." "Lance Naik Bhandoriya Gopal Singh and Sepoy Raghubeer Singh epitomised just that form of selfless courage as they were the leading buddy pair of the team that launched an operation in Frisal village yesterday (Sunday) during which four terrorists were eliminated," the statement said. In a solemn ceremony, the Army paid homage to the gallant soldiers at Badami Bagh Cantonment here. Major General K.K. Pant, Chief of Staff, Chinar Corps, laid wreaths on behalf of the Corps Commander and all ranks of the Corps. Tributes were also paid by officials from civil administration and other security agencies that included the Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Inspector General Police and Joint Director IB. According to the army statement, Lance Naik B. Gopal, 33, hailed frome Gokulchand Chali Chamanpura village in Ahmedabad district, Gujarat, and served in the army for 14 years. He is survived by his wife B. Hemavati. Sepoy Raghubeer Singh was only 31 years old and had served for 13 years, the army said. He belonged to Makholi village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, and is survived by his wife Rekha and a six-year-old son. "The army salutes the sacrifice of the martyrs and stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and it will forever remain the army's responsibility to ensure they lead a life of dignity and pride," the army statement said. The mortal remains of the soldiers are being taken to their native places for the last rites. New Delhi, Feb 13 : Taiwan seeks to have mutually beneficial ties with India and wants to take part in flagship initiatives like Smart Cities project and Make in India programme, a visiting Taiwanese parliamentarian said on Monday. "Just as we have mutually beneficial ties with Japan and China, why not with India," Kuan Bi-Ling, who is leading a Taiwanese delegation to India comprising three women parliamentarians and members from the academy, business and computer sectors, told media persons here. The three parliamentarians are all members of the Taiwanese parliament's Taiwan-India Friendship Association. Kuan asserted that Taiwan was an independent country despite China not recognising it under its One China policy. "Over the course of facing many obstacles because of the One China policy, we have developed relations with other countries," she stated. "We have a pragmatic approach to developing diplomatic ties with other countries." Kuan said India and Taiwan should have substantive ties in terms of economy, politics and national security. "Taiwan and India should engage in more partnerships. Taiwan attaches great importance to its allies," she said. She said that during the course of their visit, the delegation members would try to explain to Indian parliamentarians Taiwan's new foreign policy called New Southbound Policy. Under the New Southbound Policy, adopted last year, Taiwan is aiming to engage more closely with six South Asian nations, including India, the 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Australia and New Zealand. Stating that over the past many years, Taiwan has developed a number of smart cities, Kuan said that "we hope we can be part of India's Smart Cities initiative". "Through this visit we would like to familiarise Taiwanese companies with the Make in India initiative," she said. "Also the many success stories of the Taiwanese companies already present in India should be made known." Earlier on Monday, the delegation members undertook a tour of the Parliament House complex here. Kolkata, Feb 13 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is set to formally launch Kalimpong as a new district on Tuesday, said three more districts will be created in the state in the coming days. Banerjee, who is on her second trip to the hills this year, said Burdwan district's Asansol and West Midnapore district's Jhargram sub-division would become separate districts by April. "I am in the hills because Kalimpong is becoming a new district. In April, Jhargram and Asansol will become districts," she said. The Trinamool Congress supremo also said there were plans to upgrade the Sundarbans, world's biggest mangrove delta, into a separate district. "After the work for the creation of these three districts is over, Sundarbans will also become a district," Banerjee said. Sundarbans, home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, comprises areas in both India and Bangladesh. The Indian part of the Sundarbans runs through North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts. New Delhi, Feb 14 : In a major setback for AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala, who was aspiring to be the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, the Supreme Court on Tuesday restored her conviction in a disproportionate assets case. Restoring the judgment of the trial court convicting and sentencing her and her two relatives - V.N. Sudhakaran and Elavarasi, a bench of Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Amitava Roy set aside a Karnataka High Court order acquitting the three and late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. The immediate fallout of the top court verdict is that Sasikala is out of the electoral field for 10 years - four years when would be in incarceration and six years of disqualification under the Representation of Peoples Act after her release. Restoring the trial court judgment "in full, including consequent directions", Justice Ghose said that Sasikala and two others would surrender to the trial court, which will take immediate steps for them to serve their remaining sentence. The court directed the three to "immediately" surrender before the trial court. The trial court had sentenced Sasikala to four years of jail term and imposed a fine of Rs 10 crore. The trial court verdict convicting late Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and two others had come on September 27, 2014. Justice Roy, in a concurring judgment, expressed deep concern over the "escalating menace of corruption in society". The top court verdict has come on an appeal of the Karnataka government that had challenged the May 11, 2015, state High Court verdict acquitting Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and the two in a disproportionate assets case. The four were convicted by the trial court for amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during her first term as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996. Gurugram, Feb 14 : Aiming to assist the Haryana Police in improving road safety, India's leading passenger vehicle manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) on Tuesday presented 15 new vehicles to them. The vehicles, presented under MSIL's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, include 11 Ertigas, 2 Ertigas with interceptors, and 2 EECO ambulances to be used for patrolling, surveillance and addressing medical emergencies on highways and expressways. Customized to meet all the Traffic Police requirements, the vehicles were presented to Gurugram Commissioner of Police Sandeep Khirwar by MSIL Executive Director C.S. Raju. On the occasion, Khirwar said that MSIL initiative is really a CSR for people and its friendly step will definitely help the police to fight against crime and criminals in a better way. Gurugram's Joint Commissioner of Police Shibash Kabiraj said that on 135-km Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, the police will require 33 patrolling vehicles and MSIL cooperation will help in fighting against criminals. South Range (Traffic) Inspector General of Police Mamta Singh said that five police stations will be established along the KMP Expressway, covering five districts of Haryana. Presenting these vehicles, Raju said: "We at Maruti Suzuki are committed to promote road safety in the country. Together with Haryana Police, we intend to reduce road accidents in Haryana." He said, "We have set up Maruti Driving Schools, Institute of Driving Training and Research, and Road Safety Knowledge Centres in the state to promote safe driving." DECATUR Dove Inc. was among dozens of providers across Illinois that were not told for months that their domestic violence funding had been cut, Executive Director Christine Gregory confirmed Tuesday. The agency's board of directors voted last week to join a lawsuit against the state in an attempt to collect payment for contracts connected to multiple programs, including domestic violence. The lawsuit, filed in St. Clair County earlier this month, is spearheaded by the Pay Now Illinois Coalition, a group of human and social service agencies and companies. It's not as if we were expecting something that we did not have a contract for, Gregory said. We have contracts with the state that say we were going to be paid this money. In the case of domestic violence contracts, Dove had already received some money, which it later learned represented the federal portion of its agreements. Late last year, Dove and other agencies learned the state's part of the funding was not included in the six-month budget that took effect July 1. We were given contracts and money was starting to be received, Gregory said. There was nothing to indicate that anything was amiss until there was. The state is now $203,000 behind in payments for Dove's domestic violence programs. For the fiscal year, the state has pledged $692,000 through various contracts, she said. No one knows or is saying why approximately $9 million in state funding for 62 programs that provide shelter, counseling and advocacy for victims of domestic abuse was left out of the stopgap budget. When providers finally learned they were left empty-handed, they scrambled to make up the lost money by slashing jobs and salaries and expanding client waiting lists. Although there is no indication officials intended to slice funding for the domestic violence programs, the money won't easily be restored in the state's precarious economic situation. Illinois has operated without a spending plan since July 2015 because of bickering between first-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control the Legislature. Rauner will deliver a budget address Wednesday to the General Assembly. Dove Inc.'s domestic violence programs serve Macon, DeWitt, Moultrie, Shelby and part of Piatt counties. In addition to a shelter that can hold up to 33 individuals, the agency provides a 24-hour hotline, legal advocacy, assistance with emergency orders of protection, life skills programming, parenting classes and groups for both parents and children. Those efforts reached a total of 754 people in the last fiscal year, Gregory said. Really, when this comes down to it, we're talking about people's lives, Gregory said. Our services are vitally important to the people of this community. Dove has implemented a hiring freeze and is considering other options, Gregory said. The agency has also been in contact with its state representatives, as Gregory encouraged anyone who is concerned to do. Don't accept the excuse 'It's the other guy,' she said. At this point, it's all of us in this boat together, and the boat is sinking. It wasn't until Dec. 16 just two weeks before the temporary budget expired that Human Services Secretary James Dimas sent a letter to all providers alerting them that the money had been left out. The program was fully funded in 2015-2016, at $18.6 million, money that was tapped out by late summer. In his letter, Dimas acknowledged "some confusion" about funding in the latest spending plan and promised that it would be fully paid when available. Dimas offered no explanation for the delayed announcement, and spokeswoman Meghan Powers declined to answer questions about the late notice. Experienced state vendors know they sign state contracts that make payment dependent on legislative approval. But domestic violence program providers say they submitted budgets to DHS for review and, in some cases, had to amend them before getting DHS contract approval last spring. Without notice that there wasn't money forthcoming, "they've already spent that money and they're struggling," said Vickie Smith, executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Of the 62 domestic violence sites that receive state funding, 39 also receive federal money because they provide 24-hour shelters, Smith said. That amounts to about two months' worth of operations. Some agencies are zealously fundraising, although Gretchen Vapnar, executive director of Community Crisis Center in Elgin, lamented, "Most of our donors have already paid their taxes." At the Center for Domestic Peace in Chicago, which provides counseling to offenders, program manager Mike Feinerman said the agency's highest-paid employees agreed to take a 5 to 10 percent cut in salary after receiving the DHS news. Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago, a Democratic budget negotiator, saw his House-approved January plan to provide emergency funding of $6.6 million die in the Senate. The state lacks a "consistent message" to vendors and their financial support, he said. "They had contracts to do the work and were instructed to proceed and had the rug pulled out from under them," Harris said. Smith said she wasn't aware on June 30 when the temporary budget was approved, hours before it was to take effect, that the 800-page document had no domestic violence support. "I don't care how it came down," she said. "We need to fix it." Ranchi, Feb 14 : Leader of Opposition and Executive President of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Hemant Soren on Tuesday slammed the Global Investor Summit (GIS) beginning from February 16 and called it "Garib Intimidation Summit". "It's not Global Investor Summit (GIS) rather it is Garib Intimidation Summit. This means state government is spending hundreds of crores of rupees to intimidate tribal, indigenous and minority people. The correct word will be if the state government spends the money for land grabbers," Soren said in a press conference here. "The present government wants the people to understand that it is in the hands of these capitalists. Government will stand with capitalists when poor people's land will be grabbed by these investors," he added. The leader also questioned the state government's move to acquire land itself and sell it to investors. "The state government will now acquire land and sell them to investors, who will be free to sell the land after earning a profit." Soren also took a dig at the state government's plan to sell liquor. "The officials and police have been told to find liquor shops in urban and rural areas. The priority of the state government is to ensure that poor and tribal people get liquor." "The state government's demon face will reflect if one goes through the amendments made in land acts, industrial policies, liquor policy and allocating land to investors," he said adding the slogan: "Will buy land sell liquor, see Raghubar Das government's development." "The Prime Minister has appreciated liquor ban in Bihar and in Jharkhand... BJP government will now sell liquor," Soren said. Washington, Feb 14 : Hillary Clinton celebrated the resignation of Donald Trump's National Security adviser Michael Flynn, by reminding him of "the real consequences of fake news". Michael Flynn quit following reports that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia, Fox News reported on Tuesday. Clinton retweeted a post from longtime confidante Phillipe Reines on Monday night, where he suggested Flynn and his son, who spread the discredited "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory on the social media, get jobs at Domino's. Reines, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, tweeted: "Dear Mike Flynn & Mike Flynn Jr... What goes around COMETS around. And given your pizza obsession...", with a link to the Dominos Pizza career page. Clinton responded with her own tweet: "Philippe's got his own way of saying things, but he has a point about the real consequences of fake news..." Reines, according to reports, appeared to be referencing a fake news story that emerged during the 2016 presidential election campaign, which accused Clinton and her campaign chief John Podesta of running a child sex ring out of a Washington D.C. pizza shop. The "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory was tweeted by Flynn's son, Michael Flynn Jr, last December. At the time he was working for his father in the transition team. The social media posts came after Flynn stepped down from his position as National Security Adviser in the Trump administration just 24 days after the new President's inauguration. In his resignation letter, Flynn said he gave Vice President Mike Pence and others "incomplete information" about his calls with Russia's Ambassador to the US. Flynn made numerous phone calls to the Russian Ambassador to the US before Trump took office, and later hinted he may have gone against diplomatic protocol by discussing the rollback of sanctions. Retired General Keith Kellogg will take over as acting National Security Adviser. Bengaluru, Feb 14 : The Indian Air Force on Tuesday received the first of the three indigenously developed Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&C) 'Netra' at the Aero India show here in the presence Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has designed and developed the warning system, which is mounted on the Brazilian Embraer-145 modified jet. AWE&C are capable of tracking multiple aerial targets over 200 km range. S. Christopher, Chairman, DRDO, and Secretary Department of Defence R&D, and G. Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, were present on the occasion. In addition, India is to build six more next-generation Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), with 300-km range, on the Airbus platform for an estimated Rs 20,000 crore ($3 billion). The IAF is already using the Israeli Phalcon AWACS on the Russian IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft to detect aerial threats from jets or missiles even from targets 400 km away. Bhubaneswar, Feb 14 : Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday alleged that the District Collectors and Superintendents of Police (SPs) in Odisha are acting as General Secretaries of the ruling BJD in the ongoing panchayat elections. He urged the State Election Commission (SEC) to ensure free and fair poll in the next four phases of the panchayat polls. "The SEC should instruct the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to ensure free and fair elections in the state. The officials are bound to comply to the order of the SEC as per the Constitution," said the Minister. The Bharatiya Janata Party also lodged a complaint with the SEC on Tuesday. "We have requested the commission to use its constitutional powers and exercise control over the government officials who are involved in election management and direct them to act accordingly to ensure free, fair and impartial elections in the state," said Odisha BJP Vice President Sameer Mohanty. However, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) rubbished the allegations of the opposition party. "The BJP leaders, be it the Union Minister or any other leader, should ask themselves if they are giving responsible statements or not. If he has any evidence about any poll-related discrepancies, he should give it to the SEC," said BJD spokesperson Shashi Bhusan Behera. While the first phase of the panchayat polls was held on February 13, the next phases will be held on February 15, 17, 19 and 21. Washington, Feb 15 : US President Donald Trump asked for National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's resignation because he had lost confidence in him after revelations regarding his contacts with Russia prior to the inauguration, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Tuesday. In his daily press briefing, Spicer denied that Flynn's departure was due to a "legal" issue regarding his conversations with Russia's Ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, the content of which he lied about to Vice President Mike Pence and other top government officials, EFE news reported. The President's spokesman said that Trump was informed weeks ago that Flynn had not told the truth about his contacts with Kislyak and, after evaluating the matter, his confidence in the former general "eroded" to the point where he felt that "he had to make a change". To date, it had not been clear whether Trump was aware that the Department of Justice had warned the White House in late January that Flynn could be in a compromising position as a result of the contradictions over his contact with the Russian envoy, perhaps even finding himself to be vulnerable to blackmail by the Kremlin. But on Tuesday Spicer said that Trump was indeed aware of the situation from the start and, although he concluded with his legal team that Flynn had not violated the law, he ultimately decided to ask for his resignation due to a "matter of trust". Nevertheless, the spokesman said several times that Flynn said nothing improper or illegal in his calls with Kislyak, adding that "the President had no problem with the fact that he acted in accord to what his job was to be doing". Spicer's version contrasts with the one related by one of Trump's closest advisers, Kellyanne Conway, who on Monday, hours before the announcement of the resignation, said that Flynn had the President's "full confidence" and on Tuesday remarked that the former adviser had tendered his resignation voluntarily. Flynn, a decorated general who advised Trump on foreign policy during the election campaign, held conversations with Kislyak during the transition period prior to the mogul's inauguration and even before the November 8 election. Some of those telephone calls were intercepted by the US intelligence services and, according to the transcripts, Flynn and the Russian Ambassador spoke about the sanctions on the Kremlin that former President Barack Obama imposed before leaving the White House in reprisal for alleged Russian interference in the US election. While the rumours about the content of those calls were making the rounds in Washington, Flynn assured Pence and other top government officials that he had not discussed the sanctions with Kislyak. Flynn resigned on Monday evening, writing in his resignation letter that he "inadvertently briefed the Vice President-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador". On Tuesday, Spicer categorically denied that Trump had instructed Flynn to discuss the sanctions with the Russian envoy. Seoul, Feb 15 : The South Korean government on Wednesday convened an urgent meeting among its top defence and intelligence officials to discuss the alleged assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother, a media report said. Media reported Kim Jong-nam's death in Malaysia. He is elder to the North Korean leader, Efe news reported. The 45-year-old eldest son of late Dictator Kim Jong-il, died on Monday, according to intelligence sources cited by Yonhap news agency, although Seoul has not yet officially confirmed the news. Malaysian police on Tuesday reported the death of a North Korean citizen named Kim Chol, who was born in 1970, after being transferred to a hospital by ambulance from Kuala Lumpur Airport. At the moment they are trying to confirm the identity of the deceased as well as to determine the causes of his death. Hwang Kyo-ahn, the Prime Minister and acting President of South Korea, will analyze on Wednesday the existing information together with the Defence, Foreign and Unification ministers, according to government sources. Sources cited by South Korea's KBS broadcaster and TV Chosun said that Kim's death came after he was attacked with poisoned needles or with a toxic aerosol - according to different versions - by two women at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, adding that the suspects fled by taxi. South Korean analysts point out that this could be a murder orchestrated by the Kim Jong-un regime to get rid of an uncomfortable figure and possible rival to power, a scenario that has already been speculated on several occasions since the rise of the young dictator. Kim Jong-nam had been considered best placed to replace his father as the head of the North Korean regime until he fell out of favour at the turn of the century, and since then it is believed that he resided mainly between Hong Kong, Macao and Beijing without holding any official position in the North Korean regime. The eldest son of the former dictator definitely lost his father's backing in 2001 when he was detained at Tokyo airport with a false Dominican passport, which he was allegedly using to enter Japan for a visit of Disneyland, near Tokyo. Born to the dictator Kim Jong-il and his first mistress, actress Song Hye-rim, Kim Jong-nam has attracted attention in recent years with his criticism against the North Korean regime's policies and its succession system through correspondence with a Japanese journalist and in statements to a television station of the same country. New Delhi, Feb 15 : The wife of BSF trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that she had met her husband and was convinced that he was safe. Yadav, whose social media video clip on "substandard food" triggered an uproar, got to meet his wife at the battalion in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba area where he was posted, she told the court. A division bench of Justice G.S. Sistani and Justice Vinod Goel subsequently disposed of Sharmila Devi's habeas corpus plea to find her "missing husband". Appearing for the Border Security Force, advocate Gaurang Kanth told the court that Yadav purchased a new mobile phone and there was "no restriction" on him from talking to his family. The BSF had taken away Yadav's personal mobile phone that he had used to upload the videos and said it was part of the investigations. After the High Court's direction on February 10, the BSF allowed Yadav's wife to meet him and also to stay overnight for two days. Sharmila Devi filed a habeas corpus plea after she and other family members failed to contact the BSF trooper for three days. At that point she said that she last spoke to him on February 7, when he told her that he was being taken to an unknown location. The BSF had told the court that Yadav was "not missing" but just transferred to another battalion and his wife's apprehension was "baseless and unfounded". In January, Yadav posted a video clip on social media complaining about the quality of food served to BSF personnel and accused unnamed officers of illegally selling food supplies meant for troopers. The family earlier alleged that the trooper was being "threatened and tortured mentally". After Yadav's video went viral, the Prime Minister's Office and the Home Ministry sought details on the incident from the BSF. The trooper faces an inquiry on various charges, including indiscipline. His plea for voluntary retirement was also rejected by the authorities. New Delhi/Chennai, Feb 15 : AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala on Wednesday headed for Bengaluru as the Supreme Court rejected her plea seeking more time to surrender after it upheld her conviction in a disproportionate assets case. Sasikala left Chennai for Bengaluru by road following the Supreme Court decision. Earlier, in New Delhi, a bench headed by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose declined the plea by senior counsel K.T.S. Tulsi in the court. Tulsi said that Sasikala wanted some time to surrender as she has to manage her affairs. However, the bench made it clear that it would not consider the plea. Prior to leaving for Bengaluru, Sasikala went to her mentor and former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's memorial at the Marina Beach in Chennai and paid homage. The apex court on Tuesday upheld a trial court verdict holding Sasikala and two of her relatives guilty of amassing disproportionate assets had directed her to surrender to the trial court forthwith to undergo her remaining sentence. She was convicted by the trial court to four years jail term and a fine of Rs 10 crore in a corruption case. Beijing, Feb 15 : Brexit would not impact China-UK relations, said a visiting British minister, describing bilateral ties as entering a golden era. UK Minister for Asia and the Pacific Alok Sharma said on Tuesday that leaving the European Union presented Britain with many opportunities when it comes to other friends such as China, Xinhua news agency reported. "We have the opportunity to start dialogue and talk to China about what our trade relations might look like once we have left the European Union," the India-born British politician said after unveiling an expanded UK Visa Application Centre in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province. Fuzhou is the second leg of Sharma's four-stop China visit. His delegation, which contains UK healthcare and life science business leaders, will be visiting Xiamen city on Wednesday. Sharma reassured Chinese investors that Britain is a good place to do business and remains "very much open for business". "We have seen growth forecasts for Britain upgraded. We have seen a lot investment across the world flowing into UK, particularly from Asia and China," he said. The minister has also said there was a wealth of investment and export opportunities for Britain across southern China. He particularly highlighted room for cooperation in health and education. Mumbai, Feb 15 : Actor Rana Daggubati, who has written a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee drawing attention to the need to acknowledge the country's unsung heroes, says civilians need to know about tales of bravery. Rana's forthcoming film "The Ghazi Attack" features him as Lieutenant Commander Arjun Varma, who was part of a mission conducted by the Indian Navy against the Pakistani naval force in 1971. Varma is said to have remained underwater for 18 days during the war. During the course of working on the film, Rana met some real navy officers who were on board. Hearing their experiences moved the actor to write a letter to the President. Talking about it, Rana said in a statement: "Post 'Ghazi', a civilian like me has understood a lot about victorious battles that have been fought by all our armed forces on the borders so as to keep us safe." "As a civilian I did not know about these victorious tales and like me there are many others who did not know much about it. To us, it's a letter to acknowledge these heroes and make sure we know more about these unsung heroes and their tales of victory." His movie rekindles the mystery of what caused the sinking of the PNS Ghazi. It also features Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Panu and late veteran actor Om Puri . Constellation will seek extensions for its operating license for the Clinton Power Station until 2047 and two reactors at the Dresden Generating Station in Morris until 2049 and 2051. Srinagar, Feb 15 : The Indian Army on Wednesday paid homage to the four soldiers who were killed in operations against militants in the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday. The commander of the Chinar Corps, Lieutenant General J.S. Sandhu, paid tributes to Major Satish Dahiya, Rifleman Ravi Kumar, Paratrooper Dharmender Kumar and Gunner Astosh Kumar at a solemn ceremony in Badamibagh cantonment here. Major Dahiya, 31, led the army operation in Handwara town in which three terrorists were killed. "The operation dealt a major blow to the terror network in north Kashmir," a Defence Ministry statement said. The official, survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter, hailed from Mahendergarh in Haryana. Dahiya had been part of several counter terrorism operations and was also awarded for gallantry earlier. Rifleman Kumar, 33, hailed from Samba district in Jammu and Kashmir. He was part of another operation in Hajin town on Tuesday in which one terrorist was killed. He is survived by his wife and a three-year-old daughter. Paratrooper Dharmender Kumar from Nainital in Uttarakhand was also part of the same operation, the statement said. "The young paratrooper, who defied his 26 years of age and established himself amongst his comrades as a spirited and daring soldier, is survived by his parents. Patriotism and sense of sacrifice ran in the blood of gunner Astosh Kumar whose father Hava Lal Sahib had also laid down his life during the Kargil war in 1999," the statement said. His father's death only strengthened Kumar's resolve to join the army at the age of 19. He is survived by his mother Shila Devi. The mortal remains of the dead will be taken to their native places for their last rites. "The army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and remains committed to their dignity and well being," it said. Bengaluru, Feb 15 : Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Bengaluru-based Dynamatic Technologies Ltd. (DTL) on Wednesday signed an agreement to manufacture mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in India. The agreement will allow the transfer of technology and production capabilities from IAI to DTL to produce mini UAVs as per the Indian requirements under the Make in India initiative. The agreement was signed at the ongoing Aero India here. IAI is Israel's largest aerospace and defence company and prime manufacturer of missiles, drones, satellites, weapon systems and munitions, unmanned and robotic systems and radars, among others. India is one of IAI's major customers. Speaking on the occasion, IAI's Military Aircraft Group General Manager Shaul Shahar said: "India is one of IAI's main strategic customers... our intention is to transfer a significant part of our UAV activity to India in the near future, in accordance with the 'Make in India' policy. We will jointly offer best-of-breed solutions for India." "Our company already manufactures major complex assemblies for global OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and we have already built a robust supply-chain ecosystem in India," said Udayant Malhoutra, CEO and Managing Director, DTL. "This is the foundation upon which the industrialisation of world-class UAVs will be developed," he added. DTL builds high-precision systems and sub-systems for aerospace, automotive, hydraulics, and homeland security and defence sectors. The company also manufactures complex assemblies for aviation majors like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Airbus, Boeing and Bell helicopters. Beijing, Feb 15 : India is "playing with fire" and will suffer by using Taiwan to challenge China, an influential Chinese daily warned on Wednesday. An editorial in the state-run Global Times slammed New Delhi for inviting a delegation from Taiwan. "At a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over Taiwan, India stands out as a provocateur," the daily said. "A female 'parliamentary' delegation from Taiwan, at the invitation of India, began a visit to the country on Monday, the first such visit since the Tsai Ing-wen administration took office. High-level visits between India and Taiwan are not very frequent, so why did India invite the Taiwan delegation to visit at this time? "By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire. To India, the island can not only help realise some of India's development goals, but also, strategically, check the mainland." China claims Taiwan, a self-ruled island since 1949 when the Communists ousted mainland ruler Chiang Kai-shek, who fled here. China has vowed to unite Taiwan with the mainland one day. Most countries, including India, have no diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Ties between Beijing and Taipei soured after Taiwan last year elected new President Tsai Ing-wen, who advocates independence. "Some Indians view the Taiwan question as an Achilles' Heel of the mainland. They have long wanted to use the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China," the paper said. It said the Modi government was using Taiwan card because India was against Chinese-funded economic corridor, which passes through Pakistan-controlled Kashmir claimed by New Delhi as its own. "With the advancement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, India's strategic suspicions about China have been growing. It stubbornly misinterprets the flagship project of the One Belt, One Road Initiative that will benefit countries along the route including India. "As the corridor passes through the disputed Kashmir, some Indian strategists have advised the Modi government to play the Taiwan card, using the commitment of the 'One-China' policy as leverage in exchange for China's endorsement of 'One India'. "Growing Taiwanese investment in India, including steel, telecom and IT, are important to Modi's 'Make in India' campaign. Although the mainland is a major trading partner of India, political discord ... make economic cooperation between the two difficult. "Tsai is exploiting India's vigilance and strategic suspicions against China," it said, adding that Taiwan's new President viewed India as a key country in her "new southbound policy", it said. The newspaper asked India to "be wary of Tsai's political intentions and avoid being used to confront the mainland". Ranchi, Feb 15 : Security has been beefed up here from Wednesday for the next three days in view of the two-day Global Investors Submit (GIS) beginning from Thursday. "Several administrative decisions have been taken considering the GIS. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in the city so that dharnas or demonstrations do not happen. The traffic rules have been changed and buses for long distance will not ply from the existing Khadgada bus stand. A temporary bus stand has been made near BIT roundabout of Ranchi," a district administration source told IANS. Jharkhand is holding the Global Investors Summit for the first time. According to government officials, top industrialists like Ratan Tata, Kumarmangalam Birla and Gautam Adani, among others, will participate in the investors meet. While central ministers like Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari will participate in the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the investors meet through video conference on Thursday. More than 5,000 security personnel have been deployed in Ranchi. Jharkhand has made special arrangements for the top-notch industrialists some of whom have been accorded state guest-level honour. The government has spent more than Rs 150 crore to give Ranchi a facelift and for branding of the event. Bengaluru, Feb 15 : The DRDO on Wednesday said it will develop a new version of the Naval Light Combat Aircraft, which is likely to fly by the end of 2020. At a press conference here, Director of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) C.D. Balaji said they were aware of the shortcomings of the naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), adding that a new version was being worked upon. The ADA is the nodal agency for the design and development of LCA. "The overweight aircraft is the Mark 1. We will work on Mark 2 aircraft, which will have enhanced thrust engine. It will meet the requirements of the take-off," Balaji added. He said the lessons on the arrestor gear and a catapult launch that would be emphasised upon for the next version, were learned. "We are re-configuring this aircraft, the preliminary design is complete, the detailed design will take 18-20 months. By the end of 2020, the revised configuration should fly," he said. According to sources, the Navy wanted a twin-engine aircraft, but they were told that developing it would take longer. Naval Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba had said in December 2016, that the LCA was "not up to the mark yet", due to which they were searching for another fighter aircraft for carrier operations within the next five years. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said the Indian Navy would continue to fund development of the naval variant of Tejas. Kohima, Feb 15 : The agitating tribal groups in Nagaland on Wednesday served a fresh ultimatum to Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang to resign or face further protests over his decision to conduct civic bodies elections with 33 per cent reservation for women. In a related development, legislators of the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) are in a huddle to discuss the "change of guard" in the wake of the prevailing law and order situation in the state. The Nagaland crisis was on since January, after the NPF-led government decided to hold local body elections in 12 towns across the state. The government later declared the civic elections as "null" and "void". Three persons were killed and many injured following clashes between police and the public, who were opposing the civic polls. On Tuesday night, the legislators also met at the official residence of Zeliang and deliberated on their plan of action if the agitating groups -- Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) -- further intensified their agitation. "There is a possibility of change of guard, if the tense situation in the state refuses to subside. Some of the NPF legislators have put in their signature to replace Zeliang with NPF President Sharhozelie Liezietsu," a NPF legislator, who wished not to be quoted, told IANS. When IANS tried to contact Zeliang and Liezietsu for their comment, they did not pick up their phones. In the 60-member house, the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland coalition government, which comprises 48 NPF legislators, including suspended legislator Imkong Imchen, four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and eight independents. "We are giving him (Zeliang) another three days time to resign gracefully. We hope that he accede to the demand of the people," NTAC Convener, K.T. Velie told IANS. "We are bothered who is going to replace Zeliang as Chief Minister since the NTAC and JCC are apolitical groups. We cannot allow a person who has blood stains on his hands and betrayed the people and the church to lead our state," Velie said. He said the JCC and NTAC have also resolved that all apex tribe bodies should call their respective legislators to withdraw their support to Zeliang on or before February 17, failing which the tribe bodies would debar those candidates from entering within their jurisdiction in the next election. In fact, NPF legislator Neiphrezo Keditsu had resigned as Chairman of Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation Limited on moral grounds since one of the persons killed in the Dimapur police firing was from his village. Meanwhile, normal life remained paralysed as the indefinite shutdown sponsored by the tribal bodies entered the third day on Wednesday after Zeliang refused to accede to their demand and step down. Their three-day ultimatum in this regard ended on February 10. The state secretariat, state and central government offices, banks, educational institutions, shops and other businesses remained closed. National Highway-2, which connects the main commercial town of Dimapur with the poll-bound state of Manipur, was also affected. Volunteers were seen picketing the road to prevent traffic movement and the government employees from attending their official duties, even as security forces were seen patrolling the roads to thwart any untoward incident. Former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is also the lone Lok Sabha member from Nagaland, briefed National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about the current situation with regard to the civic bodies elections. Nagaland BJP legislators have appealed to the agitating tribal groups to come to the negotiating table with the government and resolve the matter amicably at the earliest in the spirit of understanding and forgiveness. Kabul, Feb 15 : At least nine drug traffickers have been detained by Afghan law enforcement agencies within a week, as the war-ravaged country struggled to combat narcotics, authorities said on Wednesday. "The counter narcotics police have captured the traffickers in Kabul, Nangarhar, Ghor and Nimroz provinces," Xinhua news agency reported. They also seized about 29 kg heroin, over 220 kg opium, and 810 kg hashish over the period. The police also confiscated four vehicles and six mobile phones. Much of the world's opium poppy is cultivated in militancy-hit Afghanistan, particularly in western and southern parts of the country, where government security forces have little presence. Beijing, Feb 15 : China on Wednesday lodged a protest over an ongoing visit by Taiwanese MPs to New Delhi and asked India to honour its commitment to "One China policy". Beijing also warned New Delhi to be cautious in dealing with Taiwan. "China has urged India to honour its commitment to the One China policy and cautiously handle issues regarding Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shunag said. India has a commitment on issues regarding Taiwan, Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which it has vowed to reunite some day. India is among the countries that have no diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island. "China has always been opposed to any official contact between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China," the spokesperson said. Three Taiwanese lawmakers are on a visit to India. "We hope India respects and understands China's core concerns, sticks to the One China policy and properly handles issues regarding Taiwan in a bid to maintain healthy and stable growth of China-India relations." Chennai, Feb 15 : The police on Wednesday registered FIRs against AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala and legislature party leader Edapadi K. Palanisamy after a party legislator accused them of abduction. The party has denied the claim. S.S. Saravanan, a legislator from Madurai South constituency, filed an abduction complaint against Sasikala and Public Works Minister Palanisamy, who was elected leader of the AIADMK legislature wing in place of Sasikala. Saravanan landed up at acting Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's residence here on Monday and told the media that he scaled a wall at the resort in Koovathur, 90 km from here, and jumped down to escape. He said he had to disguise himself to get away from the resort where he alleged he was held against his wishes. After Saravanan's complaint, hundreds of police personnel on Wednesday reached the resort, where a large number of AIADMK MLAs supporting Sasikala are housed. "Saravanan's complaint is totally false. He himself had told police a couple of days back that he is staying at the resort on his own will. The police had come here to enquire and submit a report to the Madras High Court," Inbadurai, AIADMK lawmaker, told reporters. While the media is not allowed inside the resort, legislators come out in turns and parrot the standard statement. The legislators at the resort have switched off their phone lines and some do not answer the calls or cut the call if it is from the media. Saravanan too has switched off his phone and attempts by IANS to reach him went in vain. Sasikala supporters insist that the MLAs backing her faction against Panneerselvam are at the resort on their free will. Many of the legislators made the same point to the media on Wednesday. One of the legislators, Thenarasu, told the media that the legislators would vacate the resort once the Tamil Nadu Governor invited their leader to form a government. He said the legislators could also vacate the resort if Palanisamy told them to do so. Thenarasu said the police made some enquiries and left. But others at the site said they were still massed outside the complex. Sasikala, who remains the AIADMK General Secretary, earlier left for Bengaluru by road to surrender, a day after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction for corruption. Also held guilty were the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and two of Sasikala's relatives. Bengaluru, Feb 15 : AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala, held guilty for corruption, arrived at the Central Jail here on Wednesday to surrender, an official. "Sasikala arrived in the jail premises with her relatives Elavarasi and V.N. Sudhakaran from Chennai," the official told IANS. She will formally surrender before a trial court set up in the prison complex. Lahore, Feb 15 : Authorities in Pakistan have formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe Monday's suicide blast here that killed more than a dozen people. The police also arrested at least 43 suspects, mostly Afghan nationals, media reported on Wednesday. "The JIT is comprised of officials from the CID, ISI, IB and police. The team will review statements of the injured and eyewitnesses and examine CCTV footages," Pakistan Today reported. Meanwhile, the Pakistan police conducted search operations and arrested 43 people including Afghan nationals on Tuesday. "The officers conducted raids in various areas in a search operation for the Lahore blast suspect's accomplice and detained 40 Afghanis," the report said. Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police has also shifted the van of a private news channel to the police station for further investigation. The forensic official said that various parts of the human body were recovered from the blast spot however, it is difficult to identify the terrorist from them, it said. The blast which killed at least 13 people, including six police officers -- occurred on the busy Mall Road and apparently targeted the police. A Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar had claimed responsibility for the attack. London, Feb 15 : A majority of police forces in England and Wales saw record levels of hate crimes in the first full three months following June 2016 EU referendum, according to new analysis. In some areas, the number of incidents jumped by more than 50 per cent. The fresh data compiled by the Press Association comes from official statistics which include detailed figures for five core crimes which are deemed to be racially or religiously aggravated, ranging from assaults through to criminal damage. Following the vote to leave the EU, 75 per cent of constabularies recorded the highest reports of racially or religiously aggravated crimes since figures were first collected in 2012, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday. In the three months to September 2016, 33 of the 44 forces in England and Wales saw their highest levels of hate crimes since comparable records began in 2012. Three forces -- the Metropolitan Police (3,356), Greater Manchester (1,033) and West Yorkshire (1,013) -- recorded more than 1,000 hate crimes each over the period. Only four constabularies reported a decrease. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the findings suggested a small number of people used the Brexit vote "to legitimise inexcusable racism and prejudice", while the charity Victim Support said that more was needed to be done to encourage victims to come forward. Provisional figures on hate crimes published by the Home Office in October 2016 suggested that offences in July 2016 were 41 per cent higher than in July 2015. EHRC Chairman David Isaac said it "must be sensible to prepare for any possible spikes" in hate crime once Brexit negotiations begin. "The vast majority of people who voted to leave the European Union did so because they believed it was best for Britain and not because they are intolerant of others. It is clear, however, that a small minority of people used the Brexit vote to legitimise inexcusable racism and prejudice." "We cannot allow such intolerable acts of hate to be condoned or repeated. 'The triggering of Article 50 is the next major milestone and we must do all we can to discourage hate attacks and to support people who feel at risk." However, UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Paul Nuttall has said that such incidents have been "overblown" in an attempt to "rubbish Brexit". Lucy Hastings, Director at Victim Support, said: "Hate crime has no place in our society and every victim of this crime is one too many. We believe that more needs to be done to further encourage reporting." "This includes making third-party hate crime units more accessible to the public," she said. The figures for hate crimes were compiled from open data published by every police force in England and Wales. Comparable data was not available for Scotland and Northern Ireland. New Delhi, Feb 15 : INS Viraat -- the world's oldest aircraft carrier in active service -- will be decommissioned on March 6 with a ceremonial send-off in Mumbai, informed sources said on Wednesday. The ship's name is entered in the Guinness World Records for being the oldest serving warship. The decommissioning ceremony will be attended, among other dignitaries, by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The gala event will see the lowering and wrap-up of the naval flag installed on the warship at sunset, marking an end to a long sea odyssey lasting 55 years, including 30 years in the Indian Navy. A decision on the warship's future has not been taken yet, the sources said. Talks are on with the Andhra Pradesh government which has expressed interest in taking in the ship. Referred to as the 'Grand Old Lady' in the naval community, Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom as 'HMS Hermes'. It was decommissioned in 1984 and subsequently commissioned in the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987. Aircraft like Sea Harriers, White Tigers, Seaking 42B, Seaking 42C and Chetak helicopters have been operated from the warship. The Sea Harrier fleet was recently decommissioned in Goa in May 2016. Under the Indian Navy, aircraft have clocked more than 22,034 hours of flying from INS Viraat's decks. The ship spent nearly 2,250 days at sea, sailing 5,88,288 nautical miles, thereby implying that Viraat has been at sea for over six years and sailed around the globe about 27 times. The warship played a major role in Operation Jupiter in 1989, a mission of the Indian Peace Keeping Force operations in Sri Lanka and Operation Vijay in 1999 during the Kargil War. As HMS Hermes, it was the flagship of the Royal Navy during the Falklands campaign in 1982. The last operational deployment of the ship was for participation in the International Fleet Review (IFR-2016) at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. (Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in) Kathmandu, Feb 15 : In view of the various power projects being developed in Nepal, India and the Himalayan nation have agreed to lay down new cross-border transmission lines. In this regard, laying of new Butwal (Nepal)-Gorakhpur (India) and Lumki (Nepal)-Bareilly (India) transmission lines and setting up of new 400kV sub-stations at Dhalkebar, Butwal and Hetauda -- all in Nepal -- were discussed during the fourth meeting of the Indo-Nepal Joint Working Group and Joint India-Nepal Steering Committee (JSC) on Power Cooperation that concluded here on Tuesday. "While the modality of construction and funding would be deliberated in the Joint Technical Team, the Indian side expressed its readiness to consider new LOCs for construction of infrastructure on the Nepali side," an Indian embassy statement in Kathmandu read. Among other decisions made at the bilateral meeting was India's readiness to impart training for Nepali engineers in operational and commercial issues. The Power Grid Corporation of India expressed readiness to design special training courses to meet the requirements of the Nepali side. Discussing the progress of various India-funded hydropower projects in Nepal, concern was expressed regarding delays in acquisition of forest land for Arun-III (900MW) and Upper Karnali (900MW) projects, which have led to delays in works and economic viability of the projects. Nepal conveyed that these issues would be resolved within two months. Nepal also expressed interest in acquisition of LED bulbs, for which the concerned Indian agency would provide required information. It was mentioned that so far India has installed more than 210 million LED bulbs, which have significantly enhanced power efficiency and reduced cost. India plans to install 770 million LED bulbs in a few years, and the Indian agency has gained considerable experience in this area. During the meeting, the Indian side conveyed that the new guidelines issued by India on cross-border trade of electricity is fair and liberal and covers all elements of Power Trade Agreement. "The guidelines provides a lot of comfort and certainty to power developers interested in exporting electricity to India. The Nepali side appreciated the issuance of the guidelines," said the statement. In the meeting, Nepal side conveyed its deep appreciation for the efforts by India to supply enhanced quantities of electricity to Nepal that made several parts of the country, including Kathmandu, free of load-shedding this winter. The current import of 380MW of power from India has been possible on account of the installation of additional transformer at Muzaffarpur by the Indian side, as also by technical improvements at Tanakpur at Nepal's request. With the commissioning of two new lines -- Raxaul-Parwanipur and Kataiya-Kusaha, the installed capacity for export of power to Nepal will increase by another 100MW to 120MW by the end of February 2017. Further, with the completion of 220kV substation at Dhalkebar, the installed capacity will increase to almost 700MW by the middle of 2017. India conveyed its willingness to supply additional electricity to Nepal, the embassy said. On the existing and new transmission lines, the quantity and price of these supplies will be decided by the agencies concerned on the two sides. The Indian side also agreed to extend technical assistance for improvement of existing infrastructure, so that the era of load-shedding can end in Nepal for good. New Delhi, Feb 15 : The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) on Wednesday said the number of private sector subscribers of New Pension Scheme (NPS) saw a 60 per cent increase during the April 2016 to January 2017 period due to exemptions provided in the earlier Budget. "Private sector subscribers have gone up by 60 per cent till January in 2016-17. We are currently at 8.82 lakh NPS subscribers in the private sector. We expect the figure to reach 10 lakh by March 31," PFRDA Chairman Hemant Contractor said here. Contractor was speaking on the sidelines of the full-day programme to train the trainers of the IL&FS Skill Development Corporation on NPS. This agency has been recently hired by the regulator to train its intermediaries on NPS and Atal Pension Yojana. In Budget 2016, the government had given additional tax exemption up to Rs 50,000 for contribution to NPS apart from the Rs 1.5 lakh ceiling provided under Section 80C. The total corpus of NPS currently stands at Rs 1.66 crore with more than 1.47 crore subscribers, which includes central and state government employees for whom the subscription is mandatory. In the Budget 2017-18, government has announced another sop and allowed tax-free partial withdrawal of 25 per cent of employee's contribution. "... it has been proposed to provide exemption on partial withdrawals not exceeding 25 per cent of the employee's contribution in accordance with the terms and conditions specified under the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 2013," the Finance Ministry said earlier. The benefit would be effective on partial withdrawals made after April 1. "This will be another attractive feature. In emergency if we have to withdraw then why should it be taxed. Partial withdrawl has been given as relaxation. I am expecting major boost in terms of the NPS subscribers in 2017-18 as well," he said. "But I would like to keep the growth target at 40 per cent as to grow even 40 per cent on a larger base is not easy for 2017-18," he added. Business correspondents through the banks, cooperative banks, regional rural banks, post offices, private and public sector banks will all be contributing towards an increase in the number of NPS subscribers, Contractor said. The NPS is a voluntary contribution retirement scheme. It enables systematic savings during the subscriber's working life and aims to find a sustainable solution to provide enough retirement income to every Indian citizen. New Delhi, Feb 15 : After China protested against the visit of a Taiwanese delegation, including parliamentarians, to India, New Delhi on Wednesday said no political meaning should be read into this. "We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. "Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes," he said. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them." China on Wednesday lodged a protest over the visit by the Taiwanese delegation and asked India to honour its commitment to the "One China policy". Beijing also warned New Delhi to be cautious in dealing with Taiwan. "China has urged India to honour its commitment to the One China policy and cautiously handle issues regarding Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shunag said. India has a commitment on issues regarding Taiwan, Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which it has vowed to reunite some day. India is among the countries that have no diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island. "China has always been opposed to any official contact between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China," the spokesperson said. The three-day visit of the Taiwanese delegation, comprising three women parliamentarians, and members from the academic, business and computer sectors, concludes on Wednesday. The three parliamentarians are all members of the Taiwanese parliament's Taiwan-India Friendship Association. New Delhi, Feb 15 : With US President Donald Trump's talk of making Mexico pay for a wall he plans to build along the border, deporting undocumented immigrants and revisiting the Nafta, the Latin American nation's Ambassador to India Melba Pria on Wednesday said that one specific administration in Washington cannot change the relationship between the two North American countries. "The reality is Mexico and the US are neighbours," Pria said in an interaction with the media here. "The relationship is very comprehensive and complicated and one specific administration cannot change it," she said. After assuming office in January, Trump has kept to his campaign promise of making Mexico pay for building a wall along the border with the US to check illegal immigration and deporting undocumented immigrants from the southern neighbour. He has also faulted the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) as being biased in favour of Mexico and has talked of revisiting the accord. In the light of all these, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has since cancelled a scheduled visit to Washington. "The Mexican President cancelled the visit to the US because the tone was not conducive for a dialogue," Ambassador Pria said. She said that since the signing of the Nafta in 1994 by Canada, Mexico and the US, an economy of $19 trillion has been created. "We do trade of $1 million per minute with the US or $1.4 billion per day." Stating that Mexico not only did trade with the US but also produced together with its northern neighbour, Pria said that "parts of a car move eight times across the border" in the process of manufacturing. "We do trade of $92 billion with Texas alone per year." According to the Ambassador, Mexico was part of the solution and not the problem and Mexican migrants contribute 8 per cent to the US GDP. She said of the Mexican community of over 34 million in the US, two-thirds were born in the US. "These are not numbers. These are human stories," she stated. The Ambassador said that Mexico's strategy was to negotiate with the US by respecting the sovereignty and laws of the two nations. "We do not believe in doing 'you lose' deals," she said. As for building a wall along the US-Mexico border, Pria said the border should be secure but the cost for constructing the wall should be spent on building hospitals, schools and infrastructure. "The wall will threaten as many as 111 species," she added. Beijing, Feb 15 : In a sign of Beijing's increasing naval power, China will launch towards the end of this year its first indigenous-built aircraft carrier, which it plans to induct in the PLA Navy by 2020. This will be China's second aircraft carrier after Liaoning, a refitted ship bought from Ukraine in 1998. China's second aircraft carrier is scheduled to be launched later this year and is expected to enter the service by 2020, Xu Guangyu, a retired Chinese military officer and consultant to the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, said in an interview with Beijing Media Network. Beijing has been constantly building up its navy and is growing more assertive at seas. Liaoning has already sailed into the disputed waters of the South China Sea and East China Sea. It also entered the Taiwan Strait recently, prompting Taipei to scramble jets. China's first home-made aircraft carrier, designed to be a base for fighter jets and helicopters, is now near completion, People's Daily reported. The aircraft carrier is the first of the Type 001A class, and represents an important step in advancing China's naval power. Earlier in October 2016, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian had said the aircraft carrier was being built as planned and most of its major construction and design work was completed. Yin Zhuo, a Chinese naval expert, also confirmed in a CCTV interview that China's first home-made aircraft carrier is expected to be launched in water in early 2017. There is still a large amount of work to do at the carrier's outfitting stage after its launching. It will take about one-to-two years to carry out functional debugging for its devices as well as weapons and equipment. The new aircraft carrier could begin its sea trial by early 2019, Xu said. Xu also said that Chinese carrier pilots are also under training, with an expectation of forming two aviation units. New Delhi/Patna, Feb 15 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongman Mohammad Shahabuddin be shifted from Bihar's Siwan jail to Tihar jail here on the plea of the widow of slain Siwan journalist Rajdeo Ranjan. Asha Ranjan has termed the apex court order a victory for her. Her husband was allegedly ordered killed by Shahabuddin last year. Asha Ranjan had urged that Shahabuddin be shifted to Tihar to ensure a free and fair trial in the case. Directing the Bihar government to transfer Shahabuddin to Tihar Jail, the bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy said it should be done in a week's time. Shahabuddin is facing trial in 45 cases. The top court had sent him back to jail on September 30, 2016, as it reversed a September 7, 2016, Patna High court order granting him bail. The bench said the authorities escorting Shahabuddin to Tihar should "strictly follow the rules applicable to the transit prisoners and no special privilege shall be extended" to him. The bench also said that the trial in pending cases should be "conducted by video conferencing by the concerned trial court". The bench in its order noted that in certain cases the Patna High Court had granted stay, and requested the High Court to dispose of the said matters within four months. The court's order came on a plea by Asha Ranjan whose journalist husband Rajdeo Ranjan, - the Siwan bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan - was shot dead in May last year allegedly at the instance of Shahabuddin for exposing his activities in Siwan jail, and another plea by Chandrakeshwar Prasad whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents by the henchmen of the RJD strongman. The plea for shifting Shahabuddin to Delhi was backed by the Bihar government which had on November 29 last year told the top court that it was not averse to it, including transfer of trial in 45 cases. The court rejected as "unacceptable" the argument advanced on his behalf that the top court in exercise of its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution cannot transfer Shahabuddin to any other jail in another state. The court said it is the "obligation and duty of this Court to ensure free and fair trial". The court also said the matter relating to the plea for registration of FIR against RJD president Lalu Prasad's son Tej Pratap Yadav, who is Health Minster in Bihar, and Siwan Superintendent of Police would be heard on April 21, 2017. Police have already arrested Upender Singh, an aide of Shahabuddin, in connection with Rajdeo Ranjan's killing. Singh is known as a sharpshooter of Shahabuddin. Police in Siwan have said that Ranjan's killing was part of a pre-planned conspiracy. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the murder. Chandrakeshwar Prasad, father of three brothers allegedly killed at the instance of Shahabuddin, voiced his happiness at the development. "Now, we will live here without any fear and hope to get justice," Prasad, who along with his wife Kalavati Devi has been living at their house in Siwan town despite threats, told IANS over telephone. He also said that at last Siwan will be "free from Shahabuddin's terror". "Shahabuddin's presence in Siwan jail for years was enough to create terror among people. We have been demanding for long to shift him from Siwan jail to Tihar jail in Delhi for free trial to ensure justice to us." Both Prasad and his wife said they had faith in the justice of the Supreme Court. "After God, we have our hopes pinned on the apex court for justice," they said. Asha Ranjan said: "Shahabuddin's shifting from Siwan to Tihar jail in Delhi will provide us a sense of relief and peace. There will be no fear or threat." Asha, a contractual teacher in a government-run school in Siwan, said she had appealed to the apex court to shift Shahabuddin from Siwan to Tihar jail last year. New Delhi, Feb 15 : More than 3,000 exhibitors, including 900 permanent marts from all over the country, will be showcasing products in 14 different categories at the 43rd edition of world's largest handicrafts and gifts fair that opens here on Thursday. Recognised by the Limca Book of World Records as "the world's largest congregation of handicrafts exhibitors under one roof," Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF)- Delhi Fair Spring 2017 will be held at at India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida Expressway. Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) is the organiser of the fair and a nodal agency for promotion and development of handicraft exports from the country. The fair will be held from February 16 - 20, spread over an area of 1,97,000 sq. metres, informed Executive Director, EPCH, Rakesh Kumar. "The IHGF- Delhi fair has made significant contribution to the handicrafts trade from India. It has not only enabled Indian exporters to participate in the show in large numbers and secure orders but has also enabled foreign buyers to source their requirements from India at one place, one time and under one roof," said Kumar. Over 6,500 foreign buyers from more than 80 countries, buying agents based in India and domestic retail volume buyers are expected to visit the mega fair to source their requirements. Dinesh Kumar, Chairman, EPCH said that despite the fact that USA and Europe have been major buyers of India, the focus of EPCH is now on new emerging markets in hitherto unexplored and under-explored regions like Latin America, Central Asia (CIS), Africa and South East Asia. One of the main highlights of the show will be a thematic display of products from North Eastern Region and Jodhpur Mega cluster. A theme pavilion on wooden handicrafts items produced from legally procured wood and certified under Vriksh (an indigenous Indian Timber Legality assessment and Verification scheme) will also be setup to showcase the best of wooden handicrafts items. New Delhi, Feb 15 : The Election Commission (EC) has written to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab seeking compliance report from each assembly constituency of the state on the security of the electronic voting machines (EVMs). In a letter dated February 14, the commission also instructed for strict compliance of its instructions "in letter and spirit". The EC has reiterated that barring natural calamity, the Returning Officer (RO) or any other officer will not enter the inner perimeter of the strongroom where the EVMs have been kept without the prior permission of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) through the District Election Officers (DEOs). It has also instructed to bar, by raising barricades, any human or vehicular movement in the 20-foot periphery of the strongroom building. Polling in the state was held on February 4. The counting of votes will be done, with other states, on March 11 and results declared the same day. The EC had already instructed to put double locks on the strongrooms and the keys to be kept by the Returning Officer and the District Electoral Officer (DEO). It had instructed a two-layered security of the strongroom buildings, with inner periphery guarded by central paramilitary forces (CPF) and the outer security ring to be formed by the state armed police. In the constituency-wise compliance report it has sought from the CEO of Punjab, the EC has asked whether all this is being done, apart from ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the strongroom premises and allowing candidates' representatives to keep a close watch on the strongroom entrance. On Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) approached the poll panel in Delhi and alleged breach of security at the strongrooms. It sought strict security of strongrooms. The party earlier moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this connection. The AAP delegation led by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia urged the EC to act against the officials involved in the alleged security breach at strongrooms. "We highlighted major lapses in the security of EVMs seen across Punjab and also criminal negligence on the part of Returning Officers in handling the security of EVMs kept in strongrooms," Sisodia said after meeting the EC. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Monday accused state officials of trying to move EVMs from a strongroom in Punjab. Officials, however, denied the charge. The memorandum submitted to the CEC read that on February 6, the Returning Officer of Gill constituency entered the premises of strongroom unaccompanied either by candidates or their representatives. Another similar incident took place on Monday where the Returning Officer of Nabha constituency in Patiala allowed four people to enter the storage campus on the pretext of collecting certain documents. "Instead, they moved some EVMs kept in steel boxes," it said. "The lackadaisical approach with which the Returning Officers in Punjab are following the instruction of May 5, 2015, notification -- which lists out instructions regarding the storage and safety of EVMs -- it merits your urgent attention," the AAP memorandum said. Moscow, Feb 15 : Russia does not return its territories, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said in response to the White House statement that US President Trump was expecting Moscow to return Crimea to Kiev. "We do not return our territories. Crimea is Russian territory," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, reaffirming Moscow's long-standing position that the issue is permanently closed. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that Trump expected Russia to "return Crimea" to Ukraine. "President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea," Spicer said at a daily news briefing. "At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his country's sovereignty over the peninsula could not be discussed as "Russia does not discuss issues related to its territory with foreign partners", reported Sputnik. According to him, the issue of Crimea had not even been raised in the phone call between Trump and President Vladimir Putin on January 28. The spokesman said Moscow expected the issue to be discussed calmly and in a constructive way once relations with Washington were more positive. He said Putin would patiently explain to the US the so-called coup in Ukraine, which led Crimean citizens to apply for admission into Russia. Crimea re-joined Russia after a 2014 referendum, when almost 97 per cent of the region's population voted for the reunification. The referendum was not accepted by Kiev or by the international community. During the election campaign, according to the report, Trump claimed he would "consider" recognising Crimea as part of Russia following the referendum in the peninsula, adding that the Crimeans wanted to live in Russia. The US President has repeatedly advocated establishing a political dialogue with Moscow, particularly in regard to the fight against terrorism, and expressed readiness to build positive relations with Russia. Moscow has long been promoting the idea of fruitful cooperation with Washington. New Delhi, Feb 15 : After Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mexico last year, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is likely to visit India next year, the Latin American nation's Ambassador here Melba Pria said on Wednesday. "After Prime Minister Modi's visit to Mexico in June 2016, this year a Mexican parliamentary group will visit India," Pria said during an interaction with the media here. "The Mexican President is expected to visit India in 2018," she said. Stating that Mexico-India relations have been good and friendly for many years now, she said that bilateral trade stood at $6 billion. "Mexico is the first destination of Indian investments in Latin America," Pria said. "Mexico is the largest investor from Latin America in India. Last year, we surpassed Brazil." The Ambassador said that Mexico and India were cooperating in a number of areas, including water technology and in space research through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "Tourism is flourishing on both sides," she stated. Regarding Mexico's stand on India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in view of China blocking it, Pria said that it was her country that put India's attempt back on track. "For Mexico, India's membership in the NSG is important," she said. As for Mexico's position on UN Security Council reforms, she said "we do not want more permanent members" but more non-permanent members. Mexico is among a group of countries called Uniting for Consensus (UfC) that backed a resolution against expansion of the UNSC permanent members seats. The others are Canada, Italy, Colombia, Pakistan, Argentina, Costa Rica, Malta, South Korea, San Marino, Spain and Turkey. The UfC resolution opposed the push by the G4 countries -- India, Brazil, Germany and Japan -- to reform the UN's apex body. Pria, however, clarified that Mexico's position on this issue has "nothing to do with India's view of UNSC reforms but it is our view of the UNSC". New Delhi, Feb 15 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday referred to a Constitution Bench a batch of petitions filed by Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal-led government over conflict with the Centre over the powers to administer the national capital. Referring the matter for adjudication to the Constitution Bench, a bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice R.K. Agrawal said the issue involved important question of law and the Constitution. Not framing the questions to be adjudicated by the Constitution Bench, the court asked the Centre and the Kejriwal government to argue their respective cases before the larger bench. The Delhi government, through a clutch of petitions, has challenged a Delhi High Court verdict that upheld the primacy of the Lt. Governor in the governance of the national capital. The Delhi government's counsel told the bench that they will mention the matter before Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar for early setting up of the Constitution Bench because governance of Delhi was impeded due to the conflict over its powers. In the course of the hearing spread over more than a month, the Kejriwal government told the apex court that the Indian Constitution has given face and identity to the Delhi government which is accountable and the Centre could not have a de facto control over the national capital's administration. The Delhi government contended that it cannott be treated subservient to an overriding authority of the Lt. Governor, who was sworn in under the Constitution. The hearing also saw the court favouring a balance in the exercise of powers by the Delhi government and the Lt. Governor for good governance. Delhi was given an assembly and an elected government through Article 239 (AA) incorporated in the Constitution by the 69th amendment in 1991. Guwahati, Feb 15 : The Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Assam is now exporting its high quality wax to Indonesia and Dominican Republic, said a NRL spokesman on Wednesday. A 40-tonne export consignment of Fully Refined Paraffin Wax (FRPW) was flagged off to the two countries from NRL's Marketing Terminal on Wednesday, he said. "With this, total exports of Paraffin Wax from NRL's wax plant stands at 2,172 tonnes," the spokesman said. NRL had earlier exported its wax to eight countries -- Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Thailand, Hong Kong (China) and Brazil. The company is also exploring opportunities of exporting wax to a few other countries in the near future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated NRL's wax plant to the nation on February 5 last year. The 50,000-tonne plant was commissioned in March 2015 at a cost of Rs 676 crore and it is the country's largest wax producing unit with indigenous technology developed by the Indian Institute of Petroleum-Dehradun, Engineers India Ltd and the NRL. "Since the commissioning of the wax plant, the NRL has emerged as the largest manufacturer and marketer of wax in the country," the spokesman added. New Delhi, Feb 15 : Continuing with the revival in exports for the fifth month in a row, Indian merchandise shipments overseas at $20.20 billion in January 2017 registered an uptick of 4.32 per cent over the $21.20 billion exported in January 2015, official data showed on Wednesday. Imports during the month in consideration at $31.96 billion also marked an increase of 10.70 per cent over the $28.87 billion worth of imports in January last year. Consequently, the trade deficit in January was higher at $9.84 billion, as compared to the deficit of $7.67 billion during same month of 2016. "The growth in exports is positive for USA (2.63 per cent), EU (5.47 per cent) and Japan (13.43 per cent), but China has exhibited negative growth of (-1.51 per cent) for November 2016 over the corresponding period of previous year as per latest WTO statistics," a Commerce Ministry release here said. Chennai, Feb 15 : Tamil Nadu acting Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and the Chief Minister-aspirant, Public Works Minister Edapadi K. Palanisamy, are to call on Tamil Nadu Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao. According to an official in Raj Bhavan, Rao will meet Palanisamy at 7.30 p.m. The Governor will meet Panneerselvam at 8.30 p.m. Each can take nine other persons along with them, the official added. Palanisamy, who was elected as AIADMK's leader of legislature party, is expected to stress upon Rao to invite him to form the government. Raigad (Maharashtra), Feb 15 : In a case of 'strange bedfellows', sworn political rivals, Congress and ruling ally Shiv Sena, have tied up for the upcoming Raigad Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections here on Wednesday. The alliance has been forged at the local level. Neither Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray nor Maharashtra Congress President Ashok Chavan were involved, leaders of both parties in Raigad have maintained. People rubbed their eyes in disbelief as posters and banners with names of local candidates, bearing large images of the late Shiv Sena founder-supremo Bal Thackeray and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and other leaders were put up soliciting votes for the 'Indian National Congress-Shiv Sena'. The partnerships have been worked out in Alibaug, Pen and Karjat for the February 21 elections. However, the Congress state leadership has frowned at the unexpected development - and sought a report from the district party leadership. "We have asked for information on this. The local unit has done it independently without permission from the party leadership and we are looking into it," a grim MPCC spokesperson Sachin Sawant told IANS. The Bharatiya Janata Party criticized the move. Its spokesperson Madhav Bhandari reiterated his earlier statement of a 'match-fixing' between the Congress-Shiv Sena in the state civic polls. Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam has strongly refuted the BJP allegations of a 'match-fixing', while Thackeray has continued his no-holds barred campaign against partner BJP as elections for the first phase are scheduled on Thursday. All the major parties - BJP, SS, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena - are fighting the civic polls - described as 'mini-assembly elections' independently. Besides, candidates from parties headquartered in other states like Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, scores of local and regional parties are also in the fray. Bengaluru/Chennai, Feb 15 : AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala, held guilty for corruption, on Wednesday returned to the Bengaluru jail as the battle for supremacy in the AIADMK continued in Tamil Nadu. Sasikala, 59, was sent to a women's cell in the Central Jail soon after she reached Bengaluru in a convoy of cars from Chennai after her plea for more time to surrender was rejected by the Supreme Court. A prison official told journalists that the long-time confidante of the late J. Jayalalithaa, who was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu when she passed away on December 5, is expected to make candles in jail. Sasikala surrendered to the trial court set up in the prison along with her sister-in-law Elavarasi and nephew V.N. Sudhakaran, all of whom were held guilty along with the late Jayalalithaa by the apex court on Tuesday of having assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. All four were lodged in the same prison for three weeks from September 27, 2014 after the trial court sentenced them. They later got bail from the Karnataka High Court. Even at the prison, where police and AIADMK activists scuffled, Sasikala sought more time to serve the jail term but the judge rejected her request and told her to undergo a health check-up. The trial court was set up in the jail complex because the civil court complex in Bengaluru is in a congested area and could have faced law and order issues due to the high-profile nature of the case. In Chennai, Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao prepared to invite acting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam as well as pro-Sasikala AIADMK leader E. Palanisamy to find out who has majority support among party MLAs. Before leaving Chennai, Sasikala visited the Marina Beach memorial of Jayalalithaa. Hitting the floor thrice with her right hand, she pledged to return to politics after defeating the "betrayers" in the AIADMK. She later went to AIADMK founder late M.G.Ramachandran's house at Ramavaram and paid her respects before his picture and also meditated for some time. At both places, hundreds of supporters gathered, most of them looking grim. Once the Supreme Court held Sasikala guilty of corruption on Tuesday, the MLAs backing Sasikala and housed in a guest house near here elected Palanisamy as their new legislature party leader. On Wednesday, Panneerselvam aides claimed he had the support of some 40 of the 135 AIADMK legislators but Palanisamy said he had adequate legislative backing to form a government. Earlier, police registered a FIR against Sasikala and Palanisamy after AIADMK MLA S.S. Saravanan accused them of abducting him. The party denied the charge. Saravanan, a legislator from Madurai South constituency, filed the abduction complaint against Sasikala and Public Works Minister Palanisamy. Saravanan told the media on Monday that he scaled a wall at the resort in Koovathur, 90 km from here, and jumped down to escape. After his complaint, hundreds of police personnel in riot gear reached the resort on Wednesday. "Saravanan's complaint is totally false. He himself had told police a couple of days back that he is staying at the resort on his own will," an AIADMK MLA, Inbadurai, told reporters. The legislators at the resort have switched off their phone lines and some do not answer the calls or cut the call if it is from the media. They said they could vacate the resort if Palanisamy told them to do so or if he was called to form a government. New Delhi, Feb 15 : On his way back from addressing a political rally in Kannauj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to the four soldiers who were killed in operations against militants in the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday. The Prime Minister laid wreaths at the mortal remains of the soldiers at a ceremony held at Palam IAF Terminal of Delhi airport. Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat was also present on the occasion. Four soldiers and as many militants were killed on Tuesday in two separate gunfights in the Kashmir Valley. In the coffee shop where I am typing, the Band is playing over the speakers (first Atlantic City, then The Weight). On the wall across from me, there is a framed piece of muslin sackcloth printed with the words Cafe de El Salvador. Baristas hand out wooden chips for customers to deposit in one of four jars, casting votes for which charity theyd have the shop donate money to this month; choices include a food bank and a center for mentally ill adults. Near the ceiling, there is a strip of black paint on which is chalked this quotation: There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America. William J. Clinton. This coffee shop is called Blue State Coffee. Independent coffee shops everywhere tend to have a liberal vibe, but Blue State, which began in 2004 with the location where I sit in New Haven, Conn., and has expanded to eight branches in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, makes its politics explicit. Conservatives can drink here, of course, but while their money is welcome, their politics are not. Blue State Coffee is a prime example of the politicization of commerce. Where once upon a time profit-minded entrepreneurs were terrified of being identified with one political camp or another, thus alienating potential customers from rival camps, today, theyre embracing partisanship as a strategy. What they lose in mass appeal, they seem to think, they gain in fierce loyalty. We saw this gamble two weeks ago, when, in response to President Trumps travel bans applying to seven Muslim-majority countries, Starbucks pledged to hire 10,000 refugees over the next 10 years. There was nothing subtle about CEO Howard Schultzs move; in his letter announcing the plan, Schultz praised trade with Mexico and seemed to express support for the Affordable Care Act. In effect, Schultz was saying that Starbucks had joined the resistance. The same week, Uber canceled surge pricing on rides to JFK Airport in New York City, a move that seemed to undercut a strike called by taxi drivers to protest the detention of foreigners denied entry to the U.S. Sensing an opportunity to stake out turf to Ubers left, rival car-share company Lyft announced a $1 million contribution to the American Civil Liberties Union. But Uber wouldnt let that stand. Faced with numerous deletions of its app, and a vente-sized cup of bad publicity, the company announced a $3 million legal fund for immigrant drivers. It also asked Trump to cancel his temporary travel ban. Commerce has, of course, always been political. Businesspeople, more often than not conservatives, have networked and lobbied to fight government regulation, unions and other perceived evils. But the politics used to be conducted on the down-low. The National Prayer Breakfast, for example, began in 1953 as the bipartisan, public face of Methodist minister Abraham Vereides right-wing activism. (He got his start organizing businessmens opposition to the New Deal.) The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was organized by President Taft to fight the labor movement, but then went through a long period of bipartisanship before returning in recent years, under CEO Tom Donohue, to an open allegiance with Republican business interests. All of this was largely invisible to most consumers. Now it sometimes seems as if every company in the strip mall has a political brand. I instinctively recoil every time I drive by the Hobby Lobby near me I cant disassociate it from its evangelical owners successful Supreme Court fight, in 2014, to deny employees coverage for contraception in their healthcare plans. The new Chick-fil-A off Exit 9? Right wing, by virtue of its owners anti-gay political donations. If I am going to be stuck in traffic, Id always rather be stuck behind a Subaru, because at least I can assume Im near likeminded folk Subaru being an early, aggressive seeker of lesbian customers. Later that night, Ill console myself with a movie from gay-friendly Disney and a pint of ice cream from the reliably liberal Ben and Jerrys. (Sometimes too reliable they got suckered by the scientifically suspect anti-GMO panic). Then Ill brush the sugar off with environmentally friendly Toms of Maine toothpaste. Which also will scrub off the stains from my Blue State coffee. And so the circle of virtue is complete. Self-satisfied as my shopping choices make me, I am not sure they are good for the country, even if they are better for the planet. Third places like coffee shops to use sociologist Ray Oldenburgs term for places that are neither home nor work are crucial for organizing social movements. But they also should function as sites of unexpected conversation, the kind that might change our lives as when we meet our soulmate over an extra-hot non-fat mocha or, perhaps, our political views. As a progressive, I am cheered by what the Starbucks and Lyft cases tell us about the country: that people who agree with me have buying power, and thus clout. But if conservatives avoid Starbucks, then something is lost for me, anyway. And maybe Im losing something by never patronizing Hobby Lobby. Im not sure what they sell, but there are no doubt some mighty fine people buying it. New Delhi, Feb 15 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday attached properties worth Rs 17.17 crore of Nagpur-based company Central Collieries and its Director Govinddas Daga in its ongoing probe in the coal block scam case. "We attached both movable and immovable properties of Daga and Central Collieries Company Ltd under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act," an ED official said. Taking congnisance of the existing FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Directorate in August 2014 had filed a fresh case against Daga and the Central Collieries. Investigators said that Daga entered into a criminal conspiracy with unidentified public servants and submitted false information to the Coal Ministry while applying for Takli-Jena Bellora Coal Block in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra in the guise of captive power plant-cum-washery. Daga and the Central Collieries later started selling the coal in open market to traders, which was against the policy of allocation of coal blocks. The agency on Tuesday also attached properties worth Rs 78.25 crore of Nagpur-based B.S. Ispat Limited in the coal block allocation case. Kolkata, Feb 15 : West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Wednesday drew attention to the decline in interest among students to study Science. "Gradually, the interest in studying science is declining. I am astounded to hear that in many schools and colleges, Economics as a subject is being discontinued. We are not getting teachers in science," Chatterjee said here at an event. He said an effort has to be made to generate interest in pursuing Science. "Due to the dearth of students in Science, the inclination is towards studying Commerce and when the interest in commerce dwindles, it switches to Arts. We cannot let that happen," Chatterjee said. Kohima, Feb 15 : The ruling Naga People's Front on Wednesday accused some government employees of funding the indefinite shutdown imposed by the tribal groups across Nagaland over Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang decision to conduct the civic elections with 33 per cent reservation for women. The Nagaland crisis has been on since January, after the NPF-led government decided to hold local body elections in 12 towns across the state. The government later declared the civic elections as "null" and "void". Three persons were killed and many injured following clashes between police and the public, who were opposing the civic polls. "It has been confirmed that some of the government servants are even funding the agitation which is unbecoming of government employees," NPF, Central (Media and press Bureau, said in a statement. The statement said the party was observing and recording the involvement of government servants who are participating and contributing money, materials and other logistical support to wage war against the government. The move came as agitating tribal groups in Nagaland on Wednesday served a fresh ultimatum to Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang to resign or face further protests over his decision to conduct civic bodies elections with 33 per cent reservation for women. In a related development, legislators of the ruling Naga People's Front (NPF) are in a huddle to discuss the "change of guard" in the wake of the prevailing law and order situation in the state. On Tuesday night, the legislators also met at the official residence of Zeliang and deliberated on their plan of action if the agitating groups -- Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC) and Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) -- further intensified their agitation. "There is a possibility of change of guard, if the tense situation in the state refuses to subside. Some of the NPF legislators have put in their signature to replace Zeliang with NPF President Shurhozelie Liezietsu," a NPF legislator, who wished not to be quoted, told IANS. When IANS tried to contact Zeliang and Liezietsu for their comment, they did not pick up their phones. In the 60-member house, the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland coalition government, which comprises 48 NPF legislators, including suspended legislator Imkong Imchen, four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and eight independents. "We are giving him (Zeliang) another three days time to resign gracefully. We hope that he accedes to the demand of the people," NTAC Convener, K.T. Velie told IANS. "We are not bothered who is going to replace Zeliang as Chief Minister since the NTAC and JCC are apolitical groups. We cannot allow a person who has blood stains on his hands and betrayed the people and the church to lead our state," Velie said. He said the JCC and NTAC have also resolved that all apex tribe bodies should call their respective legislators to withdraw their support to Zeliang on or before February 17, failing which the tribe bodies would debar those candidates from entering within their jurisdiction in the next election. In fact, NPF legislator Neiphrezo Keditsu had resigned as Chairman of Nagaland State Mineral Development Corporation Limited on moral grounds since one of the persons killed in the Dimapur police firing was from his village. Meanwhile, normal life remained paralysed as the indefinite shutdown sponsored by the tribal bodies entered the third day on Wednesday after Zeliang refused to accede to their demand and step down. Their three-day ultimatum in this regard ended on February 10. Former Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is also the lone Lok Sabha member from Nagaland, briefed National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about the current situation with regard to the civic bodies elections. Gwalior, Feb 15 : A youth of Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior city -- who was reported missing for the last three months -- is suspected to have crossed the border and is getting training at an Inter Services Intelligence camp in Pakistan, informed sources said on Wednesday. Madhav Nagar resident Sunita Khushwaha told media on Wednesday that her son Vishal, who went missing three months ago, called up two days ago and said he was undergoing Army training in "Gangasagar area of Rajasthan", which seemed a suspect claim. She said Vishal sounded anxious and after brief conversation between the two, the phone was disconnected. Thereafter, she could not contact him. Neither did he call again. The sources said Vishal was known to at least one of the 11 persons arrested in Madhya Pradesh on charge of spying for the ISI since both lived in the same neighbourhood in the city. It led to suspicion about Vishal undergoing training at the ISI camp in Pakistan. Gwalior Superintendent of Police Ashish told IANS that Vishal's mother had complained to Madhav Nagar police station on Wednesday. He said police were probing the whereabouts of Vishal, who was last seen in Thatipur area. Mumbai, Feb 15 : Packaging and processing major Tetra Pak has tied up with Mumbai's famed 'dabbawalas' or lunch box carriers for a unique initiative -- Cartons Le Aao, Classroom Banao -- to fund education efforts from recycled tetrapak cartons, an official said here on Wednesday. Under the initiative, part of ongoing 'Go Green with Tetra Pak' campaign, plans are afoot to recycle over 800,000 cartons, which will fund 200 school desks this year. It was launched by Urban Development Principal Secretary Manisha Mhaiskar. The six-week multi-city effort commencing in Mumbai will be implemented in collaboration with Reliance Fresh's CEO Damodar Mall, Sahakari Bhandar, NGO RUR Greenlife's founder Monisha Narke and Tetra Pak's Jaideep Gokhale. Special bins to collect used cartons will be placed at 42 Reliance Fresh and Sahakari Bhandar stores, and the cartons will be recycled into school desks for underprivileged schoolchildren. The Mumbai dabbawalas will spread the message through their daily lunch boxes supplies to Mumbaikars, urging them to recycle their used tetrapak cartons for this initiative, said their President Arjun Sawant. Tetrapak cartons are paper-based and can be recycled to make articles like desks, notepads, exam pads and even house roofs. New Delhi, Feb 15 : The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposed amendment to the Statistics Act that will enable the central government to collect data, including demographics, in Jammu and Kashmir as the existing law didn't apply to the state that has its own Constitution. The proposed bill was approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here and would now be introduced in Parliament, according to an official statement. It extends the jurisdiction of the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, to Jammu and Kashmir on statistics on economics, demographic, social, scientific and environmental aspects. The state has its own Jammu and Kashmir Collection of Statistics Act, 2010, which is almost a replica of the central legislation. But the state act did not allow jurisdiction to be exercised by the central government in Jammu and Kashmir and did not extend to statistical subjects falling in the Union List of the Consitution. Data from the state was currently being captured through the National Statistical Survey Organisation. This, the statement said, had created a "legislative vacuum". "The amendment is intended to address this vacuum," it said. The Jammu and Kashmir legislature has powers to enact laws on statistics that falls under the Concurrent List and residuary powers reserved for the state under the Constitution. The proposed amendment will also provide for appointing a nodal officer at the Centre and in each state and Union Territory to effectively coordinate data collection activities and provide consultation to government departments for avoiding unnecessary duplication, the statement said. The move is intended to help improve the country's statistical data collection. Kuala Lumpur/Seoul, Feb 15 : A female suspect has been arrested in Malaysia in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Malaysian police said the woman was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport where Kim Jong-nam was targeted in an apparent poisoning on Monday. The arrest was made around at 8.20 a.m. (local time), the statement said adding that the suspect, identified from CCTV footage taken at the airport, was alone at the time of her detention. The woman, a 28-year-old named Doan Thi Huong, was in possession of a Vietnamese passport, Malay Mail Online reported. Investigators were awaiting the results of an autopsy on the body, believed to be of Kim Jong-nam. Kim is believed to have been poisoned, South Korea's National Assembly Intelligence Committee Chairman Lee Cheol Woo told a press briefing. Lee did not say how Kim was poisoned or how South Korea obtained the information. Kim was boarding a flight to the island of Macau, a Chinese territory, to visit his family when he was attacked, Lee said. South Korea's Unification Ministry said it was working with Malaysian authorities, while the country's acting President and Prime Minister discussed the death at a National Security Council meeting. Meanwhile, North Korean embassy officials and North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol were seen entering the mortuary at Kuala Lumpur Hospital where the body, believed to be of Kim Jong-Nam, was sent for autopsy, reported the Sun. Islamabad, Feb 15 : The Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday resumed the Panamagate case hearing, involving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his children, after a span of two weeks. The hearing was adjourned due to unavailability of Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed on health grounds. The case is about alleged illegal money laundering by Sharif in 1990s, when he twice served as Prime Minister, to purchase assets in London. The assets surfaced when Panama papers showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. Salman Akram Raja, counsel of Sharif's children, resumed his arguments and said that the record of the Sharif family's 40 to 45 years old business dealings could not be produced as "it was lost during the 1999 martial law", the Dawn reported. "I will only argue this case based on the evidence present," said Raja, who represented Hassan and Hussain Nawaz. Counsel said that the available record has been provided in the court. He also said that it has been proved that London flats were not owned by the Prime Minister neither by the Sharif family in year 1999. "There is no charge against the Prime Minister, so there is no charge against his children either," he continued. Raja argued that the flats in London were bought by the Al Thani family between 1993 and 1996. Raja said the Sharif family has ties with more Qatari royal families than one but he cannot disclose their names before the court due to certain reasons. "The Sharif family did not own the flats in 1999, as Hussain Nawaz was given the bearer certificate to the flats by the Al Thani family," Raja argued. He added that the shares for the flats were given to Minerva Financial Services in 2006. Upon hearing this argument, Justice Azmat Saeed asked counsel to provide a paper trail for these transactions, and said, "You have been moving from one point to the other since the beginning, but have failed to provide any evidence in this regard." During the break in then hearing, Pakistan Tehreek Insaf party's representative Fawad Chaudhry expressed the view that Sharif family did not answer a simple question, and added that the Sharif family referred to documents harking back to 1980s but failed to present those documents. The apex court has adjourned the hearing till Thursday and Salman Akram Raja would be continuing his arguments to justify the money trail of Sharif family. New Delhi, Feb 15 : In a stern message, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the army operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir will continue and warned locals against supporting militants. "Our aim is to bring peace and tranquility in the Kashmir Valley. These terrorists have now entered villages and we are conducting operations against them. We find the local population is somehow not supporting security forces' action," General Rawat told the media here after paying homage to four Army personnel, including a Major, killed in two gunfights in Kashmir on Tuesday. Speaking on the high casualties among the security forces in anti-terrorist operations, the Chief of Army Staff said: "Our aim has been to conduct operations in a way that don't endanger the civilians. However, sometimes locals prevent us from conducting military operations - at times even supporting terrorists to escape." "It leads to higher casualties among the security forces," he added. Warning locals against supporting militants, General Rawat said: "We will request locals in Kashmir that people who have picked up arms -- and these are local boys -- and if they want to continue with acts of terrorism by displaying flags of the Islamic State and Pakistan, we will treat them as anti-national elements and go after them." "They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. And our relentless operations will continue," the Army chief added. Four soldiers and as many militants were killed in two gunfights in the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday. New Delhi, Feb 15 : Continuing with the revival in exports for the fifth month in a row, Indian merchandise shipments overseas at $22.12 billion in January 2017 registered an uptick of 4.32 per cent over the $21.20 billion exported in January 2015, official data showed on Wednesday. Imports during the month in consideration at $31.96 billion also marked an increase of 10.70 per cent over the $28.87 billion worth of imports in January last year. Consequently, the trade deficit in January was higher at $9.84 billion, as compared to the deficit of $7.67 billion during same month of 2016. "The growth in exports is positive for USA (2.63 per cent), EU (5.47 per cent) and Japan (13.43 per cent), but China has exhibited negative growth of (-1.51 per cent) for November 2016 over the corresponding period of previous year as per latest WTO statistics," a Commerce Ministry release here said. Cumulatively for the April-January period, exports rose marginally by 1.09 per cent in dollar terms at $220.9 billion, as against exports of $218.5 billion over the same period last year. "Non-petroleum exports in January 2017 were valued at $19.42 billion against $19.11 billion in January 2016, an increase of 1.6 per cent," a statement here said Cumulative imports for April-January were worth more than $307.3 billion, which was a 5.81 per cent fall from the over $326.3 billion worth imports recorded for the same period of the previous fiscal. With global oil prices climbing back to nearly $55 a barrel, India's oil imports during January were valued at $8.14 billion, which was a massive 61.07 per cent jump over oil imports valued at $5.05 billion in the corresponding month of 2016. Non-oil imports in January were static, increasing by 0.01 per cent to $23.82 billion, from $23.81 billion in the same month of last year. The merchandise trade deficit cumulatively for April-January, however, declined by 19.82 per cent to $86.39 billion, as against $107.7 billion in the same period of 2015-16. As per Reserve Bank of India data on Wednesday, services exports during December 2016 were valued at $13.80 billion, while imports stood at 8.29 billion, resulting in a positive trade balance of $5.5 billion. Taking merchandise and services together, overall trade deficit for April-January is estimated at $38.07 billion, which is an impressive 29.7 per cent fall from the level of $54.19 billion during the same period last year. Bangalore, Feb 15 : Global aerospace major Boeing on Wednesday said that it saw a high potential for air travel growth in India during 2017. "The major factors we watch - the exchange rate, fuel price and the profitability of the airlines - are all still favourable and we remain confident in the strong growth of India's commercial aviation sector," said Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We see the potential for travel growth in 2017 to continue to be high in India and we expect more than 100 million passengers to fly domestically this year," Keskar spoke during a briefing organised by Boeing at the 2017 Aero India Airshow in Bangalore. According to Keskar, Boeing continues to provide the airlines in India with the most fuel efficient and capable airplanes in every market segment. "We look forward to delivering several more 787 Dreamliners to Air India this year and the 737 MAX to SpiceJet and Jet Airways in 2018," Keskar said. Earlier, Boeing's 2016 India Current Market Outlook (CMO), had shown that the country's airlines would require 1,850 new airplanes, valued at $265 billion over the next 20 years. As per the 2016 India CMO, single-aisle airplanes such as the Next-Generation 737 and 737 MAX will continue to account for the largest share of new deliveries, while wide-body airplanes such as the 787 Dreamliner and the 777 family, will make up for the remainder of demand. Bengaluru, Feb 15 : Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Wednesday flew a Rafale fighter jet at Aero India. The Skill Development Minister, who holds a commercial pilot licence, flew for around 35 minutes, and said he reached 8G. "It's a great machine it's going to empower IAF. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a right decision in inducting such a great machine," Rudy said after flying the machine at Aero India 2017. "I have been flying other aircrafts too. I've flown in Su-30. This is a different machine. We reached up to 8G and I am not at all tired," he said. India and France signed an inter-government agreement for purchase of 36 Rafale fighters off-shelf on September 23 this year. This was after a long negotiation between the two countries over the price and other aspects of the deal which was agreed upon during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France in April, 2015. The deliveries of the aircraft will start in September, 2019 and be completed in April, 2022 according to the defence ministry. The procurement includes a provision for offsets of 50 per cent of the value of the Aircraft and Weapons Package, excluding the value of Performance Based Logistics and Simulator Annual Maintenance, which will be discharged by the vendors through purchase of eligible products supplied by Indian firms. New Delhi, Feb 15 : The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in collaboration with two US agencies on Wednesday announced the launch of a survey that would rate the energy efficiency and commuter-friendliness of the rapid mass transporter in the capital. The survey result will enable the DMRC for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification -- a globally accepted green building programme that recognizes the best-in-class building strategies and practices. The two US agencies participating in the rating are US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI) -- the leading agencies in rating eco-friendly infrastructure. The survey was announced at the Delhi Metro's corporate headquarters, 'Metro Bhawan', which has already been constructed as a green building. The Delhi Metro has now become the first metro transit system in the world to pursue the criteria laid down under LEED. It would also set benchmarks for efficiencies according to which metro systems in other state will be rated in future. The performance of the metro stations will be measured across five categories -- energy, water, waste, transportation and human experience. 'LEED for Transit' is the result of an agreement, which was signed between DMRC, USGBC and GBCI in October 2015, to develop a green rating exclusively for transit stations. Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant, who was present at the launch, said: "The contribution of Delhi Metro has been unique in creating a sustainable mass transportation system in the capital." "The DMRC has taken the lead in this regard and India will see the emergence of many new metro systems which will not only solve the transportation requirements but will also be energy efficient," Kant said. New Delhi, Feb 15 : In a major expansion drive, national passenger carrier Air India on Wednesday said it plans to add six new international destinations to its network in 2017. "We are going to add six more international spots this year," said Ashwani Lohani, Chairman and Managing Director, Air India. "This year we are going to connect Delhi with Tel Aviv and Delhi with Washington," Lohani said at the travel trade show -- SATTE 2017 -- which is being organised by UBM India at Pragati Maidan here from February 15 to 17. According to Lohani, the airline is looking at connecting New Delhi with Stockholm or Copenhagen, Mumbai with Franfurt, and Mumbai with either Nairobi or Johanessburg. Last year, the airline added four new international destinations including New Delhi-San Francisco, Delhi-Vienna, Delhi-Madrid and Ahmedabad-London. On the regional aviation front, Lohani disclosed that the airline will start the country's "first necklace flight". The unique flight will start from Kolkata in the morning hours onwards to Raipur from where it will head towards Indore and then to Ahmedabad and subsequently Jaipur. It will finally terminate operations in New Delhi in the evening. "This is not the only thing we are doing. We are going to base an aircraft in Jaipur and connect Jaipur with Bikaner, Jaipur with Jaiselmer, Jaipur with Jodhpur and so on," Lohani revealed. "We are also going to add Airbus 320s to our fleet. Will be adding more flights between the tier I cities." Besides, the national passenger carrier plans to add more turboprop aircraft in its fleet. Currently, Air India has 10 turboprops which operate on regional routes. "We will be adding another 40 (aircraft) in the next 2-3 years. By the end of this year, it will become 25 (aircraft) which will fly to various tier II and tier III cities," Lohani added. Lucknow/New Delhi : Lucknow/New Delhi Feb 15 (IANS) The second phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections saw 65.5 per cent voting across 67 seats on Wednesday, the Election Commission said. "The polling was 65.5 per cent till 5 p.m. and was continuing," Deputy Election Commissioner Vijay Dev told reporters in New Delhi. Officials said that maximum voting was reported from Saharanpur and Lakhimpur Kheri. Saharanpur saw 72 per cent polling, Bijnore 67 per cent, Rampur 62, Sambhal 64, Moradabad 65, Amroha 69.50, Budayun 62, Bareilly 65, Pilibhit 65, Shahjahanpur 62 and Lakhimpur Kheri 66 per centage voting, the poll officials said. He said that Election Commission had made cash seizure of Rs 16.5 crore, liquor worth Rs 9 crore and drugs worth Rs 1.1 crore. The official said gold and silver have also been seized. Barring some places where Electronic Voting Machines developed some snags, polling was smooth and peaceful in most of the 67 assembly constituencies across 11 districts. Polling began on Wednesday morning amid tight security at 7 a.m. Long queues of women, differently-abled and elderly voters were seen in most parts outside the poll booths. In the 2012 assembly polls, the average polling in these constituencies was 64 per cent. A total of 721 candidates were in the fray. Aligarh, Feb 15 : A three-member team from the US Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday visited the Aligarh Muslim University and discussed academic collaboration and cooperation between AMU and various US universities, apart from exchange of faculty and students. Minister Counsellor Ivan Boelelheide, who led the team, said his country would like to ensure cooperation in academics and research between US varsities and AMU in various fields. AMU Vice Chancellor Lt. General Zameeruddin Shah (Retd) said cooperation among universities in the US and India for higher academic and research pursuits was the need of the hour. He said it will facilitate stronger ties between the two countries. New Delhi, Feb 15 : The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the establishment of Food Legumes Research Platform (FLRP) at Amlaha in Madhya Pradesh. The research platform will be established with satellite hubs in West Bengal (for pulses) and Rajasthan (for natural resource management) by the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA). The Madhya Pradesh government will provide 71 hectares (or 175.42 acre) of land at Amlaha Farm for the project on rent of Re 1 per acre per year for 30 years on lease. The Cabinet also gave 'in principle' approval for conferring on FLRP an international status as contemplated in Clause 3 of the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act, 1947, an official release said. "The establishment of FLRP will enable India to harness the best of international science in meeting the emerging food security challenges. A major international R&D institution will make India an even bigger centre for agricultural research in the world and this in turn, will attract further research and development investment in the country," the release said. "ICARDA will carry out research through a multi-disciplinary team of scientists for enhancing productivity of crops range-land and livestock. This platform will contribute significantly towards reducing poverty, improving food security, improving nutrition and health, and sustaining the natural resource base," it added. It said that the research output would benefit farmers of all regions, whether big, small or marginal. Established in 1977, the ICARDA's founding mandate is to promote agricultural development in the dry areas of developing countries. Dry areas cover 41 per cent of the world's land area and are home to one-third of the global population. The dry areas face challenges such as rapid population growth, frequent droughts, high climatic variability, land degradation and poverty. Bhopal, Feb 15 : Druv Saxena, who was arrested on the charge of spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, tapped the phones of prominent people on the bidding of a national-level office-bearer of the BJP, Congress Madhya Pradesh unit chief Arun Yadav said on Wednesday. He said he had written to the state Director General of Police to demand a probe into the role of the said Bharatiya Janata Party leader, adding that Saxena and this leader had been meeting in the past. Yadav said a probe should be conducted into the political links of the arrested person as well as how much he was paid for tapping phones. State Congress unit Chief Spokesperson K.K. Mishra released pictures of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha website that allegedly described Dhruv Saxena as coordinator of the IT Cell of Bhopal unit of the outfit. He demanded a detailed probe into the matter. State Bharatiya Janata Party's Media Cell leader Lokendra Prashar said the party had already issued a list of authorised office-bearers of its organisation. "I don't know from where the Congress has got this fake list," he said. New Delhi, Feb 15 : India's Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar will pay a two-day visit to Bangladesh from February 23, during which he will review bilateral ties with his Bangladeshi counterpart Md. Shahidul Haque, a senior official said on Wednesday. "Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar's visit to Dhaka comes following an invitation by Haque. The two Foreign Secretaries will review areas of cooperation between the two countries, including high-level visits," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Swarup said Jaishankar is expected to call on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the visit. It remains to be seen whether the dates for Sheikh Hasina's much pending visit to India are finalised during Jaishankar's visit. Washington, Feb 16 : US President Donald Trump on Wednesday blamed what he called the "fake media" and "illegal" leaks for the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who had lied to top government officials about his contacts with Russia. At a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said that the media had treated Flynn "very unfairly". Trump has asked for Flynn's resignation because he had lost confidence in him after revelations the National Security Adviser had lied about his conversations with Russian officials, EFE news quoted the White House as saying. In response to a reporter's question at the press conference, Trump called Flynn a "wonderful man", adding that he had been treated very unfairly by the media. The President also said that the brouhaha over Flynn's resignation is an attempt to "cover up for (the) terrible loss" suffered by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election. These were the first comments Trump had made about Flynn's resignation, which was announced on Monday and which has erupted into a big crisis for his administration. Flynn lied to Vice President Mike Pence and other top officials about his contacts with Russia's Ambassador to Washington Sergey Kislyak with whom he spoke prior to Trump's inauguration about the US sanctions on the Kremlin that former President Barack Obama imposed before he left the White House in retaliation for Moscow's interference in the US election. Trump decided to ask Flynn to resign because he had lost confidence in him after it emerged that the former army general had lied. Ryan Parker nails together boards as he works on a playhouse that will be raffled off to benefit Operation Finally Home. By investing in our communities and the people that we serve, we are hopeful that we can make impactful, long-lasting changes for better health outcomes," said Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, Interim Health Officer of Los Angeles County. Childrens Bureau was awarded $880,000 from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health with funding from the California Department of Public Health and the United States Department of Agriculture. The grant will support the Champions for Change - Healthy Communities Initiative, which aims to reduce the prevalence of obesity among low-income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education eligible populations by providing nutrition education, physical activity promotion, and working to create healthier environments for low-income individuals and families where they live, learn, work, play, pray, and shop. Key efforts under the initiative include teaching fundamental skills such as cooking, reading food labels, shopping on a budget, growing fruits and vegetables, and introducing low-cost and fun ways to be physically active. In addition, champions in communities throughout the County will be identified to help improve access to healthier foods and increase opportunities to be physically active in a variety of settings, including early childcare centers, schools, faith-based organizations, corner stores, parks, worksites, and cities. Childrens Bureau is pleased to be a part of this County-wide initiative, as we are uniquely positioned to reach children and families in University Park, Jefferson Park, and West Adams, explained Giovanna A. Lipow, Project Coordinator at Childrens Bureau. We are working toward making notable changes in grocery stores to make healthier foods more affordable and available as well as identify ways to integrate physical activity into the day to improve the overall health for families in our service area. According to the LA County: A Cities and Communities Health Report, obesity-related chronic illnesses continue to rank among the top ten leading causes of premature death, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. While the obesity epidemic continues to impact virtually all population groups, about 29.0% of children in grades 5, 7, and 9 and 32.7% of adults in are obese. For Latinos the situation is much worse with 31.6% of obesity rates for Latinos in Los Angeles County. Reducing obesity is a priority of Public Health and a key objective of the Champions for Change - Healthy Communities Initiative, said Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, Interim Health Officer of Los Angeles County. By investing in our communities and the people that we serve, we are hopeful that we can make impactful, long-lasting changes for better health outcomes. ABOUT CHILDRENS BUREAU Since 1904, Children's Bureau (http://www.all4kids.org) has been a nonprofit leader in the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. More than 30,000 children and families are helped each year throughout Southern California with services that include school readiness, parenting classes, family resource centers, support groups, mental health counseling, foster care and adoption. Childrens Bureau is one of the largest investors in child abuse prevention in the country and is developing a national model to transform an entire at-risk community through its Magnolia Community Initiative. ACTS, enterprise technology solution provider and ISV, today announced it has attained a Gold Competency in Data Platform, demonstrating a best-in-class ability and commitment to meet Microsoft Corp. customers evolving needs. This marks the ninth Gold competency achieved by ACTS, distinguishing itself within the top one percent of Microsofts partner ecosystem. The Microsoft Gold Competency signifies to the market that a company has demonstrated the highest level of skill and achievement within a given technology specialization. Microsoft competencies are designed to help differentiate a partners specific technology capabilities, helping customers find solution providers quickly and easily. Each competency has a unique set of requirements and benefits, formulated to represent the specific skills and services that partners bring to the industry. ACTS aims to deliver solutions which enable customers to accelerate their business success on a leading technology platform, says CEO James Farhat. By achieving a portfolio of competencies we are able to provide our clients a deeper level of expertise and consistent capabilities on the latest Microsoft technology. Equipped with exclusive training and the latest software and support, ACTS provides their customers with solutions using the Microsoft suite and ACTS products that have been tailored to enhance MS solutions using cost-effective, flexible and high-performance applications. Microsoft Competencies are awarded to Partners who have been successfully tested on their levels of technology expertise. Gold Competencies designate certified professionals uniquely to one Microsoft competency, ensuring a certain level of staffing capacity. Partners are required to submit customer references, demonstrating successful projects, past technology and sales assessments. In addition, Partners implement a yearly customer satisfaction study, and for many competencies, meet a revenue commitment. The Microsoft Partner Network helps partners strengthen their capabilities to showcase leadership in the marketplace in the latest technologies, to better serve customers and to easily connect with one of the most active, diverse networks in the world. ACTS is a Florida-based ISV and technology solution provider working with businesses to leverage cloud technology for competitive advantage and market share growth. With work grounded in a business outcome methodology, ACTS has been helping clients for more than 15 years. As a Microsoft multi-Gold Competency Partner, ACTS delivers customized solutions to businesses to help increase productivity and enhance efficiency using best practices. We will be expanding staff in Carlsbad as we enter a new phase in our accelerated growth." Carlsbad based ACD, a leading claims technology, decision support, advisory and service network aggregator to the property and casualty industry today announced the opening of its new corporate headquarters in Carlsbad, California. ACD is experiencing rapid growth after ending a year which again saw the company being named for the sixth time to Inc. 5000s Americas Fastest-Growing Private Companies list and honored as one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazine. Our company has experienced amazing growth and weve quickly outgrown our current facility. Im very excited for our move into the new headquarters which will enable us to add even more great team members, stated Brian Bray, Vice President of Operations. We will be expanding staff in Carlsbad as we enter a new phase in our accelerated growth. The additional space will allow for further innovation and expansion of our technology R&D programs centered on future-based software solutions for the property & casualty industry. Were looking forward to making 2017 a great year for our clients as we continue on our mission to be the company of choice for insurers who want a modern solution that drives their success, added Bray. ABOUT ACD In an era of connectivity and rapid change, ACD's AutoLink claims workflow platform is a market leader in innovation that connects and unifies a fragmented auto insurance claims industry with digitally empowered solutions. ACD, an award-winning company, has been ranked four years on Deloitte's Technology Fast-500 of North America and six times on the INC. 5000. ACD's technology and claims service group has processed over $3B in claims, smoothing the way for insurers and their customers. ACD is a leading technology firm located in Carlsbad. For more information visit ACD http://www.acdcorp.com This year marks the 25th anniversary of law firm Levine & Gilbert, a leading litigation team based in New York City. Levine & Gilbert is committed to achieving outstanding results for its clients utilizing thorough investigation, intense preparation and aggressive representation. Richard A. Gilbert has himself completed 31 years of practice in the New York City area. Since 1986 Mr. Gilbert and law partner Harvey Levine have successfully litigated numerous multi-million dollar settlements in areas including Motor Vehicle accidents, Medical Malpractice, Wrongful Death, Construction/Labor Law and False arrest cases. Over the last sixty days alone the team has concluded a $1.45 Million Settlement in Bronx County for wrongful death, a $1 Million Settlement for premises liability in Kings County, a $700,000 Settlement in Onondaga County for premises liability and a $500,000 Settlement for assault in Federal District Court. A devoted and passionate advocate, Richard A. Gilbert has worked to expand the rights of city employees who have sustained injuries on the job. An active member of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers, Mr. Gilbert has also been voted by his colleagues as being among the top 5% of plaintiffs personal injury lawyers in the New York Metro area, as recognized by rating service SuperLawyers. Richard A. Gilbert is a graduate of SUNY Albany and earned his law degree at Yeshiva Universitys Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Digital marketing agency Vizion Interactive announced today that following a competitive agency review, they have been chosen as Search Agency of Record for Perennials and Sutherland, LLC. This announcement came as an exciting addition to Vizions proud family of clients. Vizion will develop a strategic search engine optimization plan for Perennials with goals of increasing their overall web presence, driving more qualified leads and sales, and increasing ROI. Vizion Interactive CEO and President Mark Jackson said this about the new partnership, Perennials and Sutherland has been a leader in its field, for some time, yet had not yet taken the steps necessary to drive its presence via organic search. By working with the team at Perennials, understanding their sales process and historic conversions rates, we were able to crunch the numbers to establish a clear path forward. Our team of experts has clearly defined a project scope for this effort and were able to, with a reasonable level of certainty, visualize a significant positive ROI for the investment that Perennials will be putting forth into this effort. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with them, and look forward to reporting positive results in the near future. The Perennials and Sutherland group of companies are acknowledged leaders in the international design industry. The company excels at collaborating with leading designers to produce the finest luxury furniture, fabrics and accessories. David Sutherland Showrooms are exclusive to the trade and represent the finest in home furnishings, fabrics and accessories, along with the company's signature Perennials and Sutherland brands. Vizion brings a sound methodology to increasing organic traffic and a measureable way to quantify results, said Allen Evans, Director of Marketing, Perennials and Sutherland, LLC. Im excited to partner with Vizion once again and begin driving more qualified traffic that will increase the size of our digital footprint, increase the quantity and quality of our KPIs and conversion events, and ultimately lead to more sales activity. About Vizion Vizion Interactive is a Google Premier Partner and leading digital marketing services agency, bringing the process and tools that you might expect from the largest agencies, the specialized skills and knowledge of a boutique, and the care and attention of an independent contractor. Vizion Interactive provides a wide array of digital marketing services to B2B, B2C, franchise, and ecommerce clients including SEO, PPC, SMM, UX, CRO and Enterprise Analytics and Reporting. Contact Kristien Matelski 888.484.9466 Kristien.Matelski(at)VizionInteractive.com About Perennials and Sutherland, LLC The Perennials and Sutherland, LLC companies are icons and acknowledged leaders in the international design industry. CEO David Sutherland and President Ann Sutherland share an ingenious talent for curating the finest interior and exterior collections of luxury furniture, fabrics, rugs and accessories. Based in Dallas, Texas, the company is comprised of Sutherland Furniture, Perennials Luxury Performance Fabrics and David Sutherland Showrooms. Perennials Fabrics is recognized by interior designers and high-end retail customers as the leader in luxury performance fabrics. Perennials Fabrics and Perennials Luxury Performance Rugs combine the look and feel of high-quality, natural materials with the superior performance properties of their genuine 100% solution-dyed acrylic fiber technology. View the full collections at perennialsfabrics.com. Sutherland Furniture is a world leader in luxury outdoor furniture for modern lifestyles. The company has created the preeminent furniture brand through partnerships with the world's leading designers, along with utilizing the highest quality materials. View the full collections at sutherlandfurniture.com. David Sutherland Showrooms are full-service, multi-line showrooms which serve the professional design market in showrooms and studios across the United States. For more information and locations, visit davidsutherlandshowroom.com. Contact Allison Francis Public Relations Manager Perennials and Sutherland, LLC. 1600 Viceroy Suite 500 Dallas, TX 75235 Tele: 214-389-4277 Cell: 319-572-2145 sutherlandfurniture.com perennialsfabrics.com davidsutherlandshowroom.com Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC), the newly formed nonprofit organization dedicated to safeguarding informed consent in vaccination, has announced open registration for its Inaugural Meeting and Luncheon. Doctors, scientists, attorneys and educators will join dedicated parents and distinguished groups in the community to discuss vaccination safety issues and the need to preserve informed consent for all medical procedures, including vaccination. This public meeting, hosted by PIC, will take place at the Hilton Hotel in Costa Mesa, CA on March 12, 2017. Candace Lightner of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), public health researcher Gary Goldman, Ph.D., immunologist Tetyana Obukhanych, Ph.D., and pediatrician Paul Thomas, M.D., are among the extensive and distinguished lineup of speakers. PIC is a nonprofit organization that was formed after the passing of CA SB277, a law that mandates all children be vaccinated on the same schedule in order to attend both public and private schooleffectively eliminating informed consent for vaccination. PIC asserts that mandating vaccines is unethical and threatens public health and safety because the science is not settled. Vaccine mandates endanger public health, said Dr. Shira Miller, PIC founder and president. "A growing number of physicians, scientists, attorneys, and other community leaders are advocating for scientific integrity, and the right to informed consent for all medical. We are pleased to provide a much-needed platform for education on infectious disease, the immune system and informed consent. Vaccine injury is under recognized and poorly publicized. Despite the estimate that less than 10 percent of injuries are ever reported, the government has awarded $3.2 billion to victims of vaccine injury through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Vaccine makers and physicians have been indemnified from liability for vaccine injuries since 1986. Physicians for Informed Consent is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt resource for doctors and parents who seek to preserve informed consent and limit government involvement in medical decision-making. PIC works to eliminate mandatory vaccination laws in California and throughout the United States. To view the entire Inaugural Meeting & Luncheon schedule and to register for the event, visit physiciansforinformedconsent.org. The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners is excited to announce its launch of a new website, knowyourpainmeds.com, designed to assist Nevada consumers in understanding the impact of using opioid-based medications. The website, http://www.knowyourpainmeds.com, also serves as a portal for consumers to file a complaint if they feel their medical provider is not prescribing medications appropriately. The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners understands the impact of the opioid epidemic and the tragic effect on the citizens of Nevada. We feel that the launch of this new informational tool clearly demonstrates the Boards commitment to creating awareness and our efforts to address this problem, said Edward O. Cousineau, J. D., Executive Director. Opioids killed more than 28,000 people in the U.S. in 2014, more than any other year on record, and at least half of those deaths were attributed to prescription pills, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Closer to home the CDC reports that Clark County has a mortality from drug overdoses and opioid poisonings that were 50 and 70 percent higher than comparable national rates, respectively, from 2012 to 2014. The objective in developing http://www.knowyourpainmeds.com is to increase awareness of opioid medications and the potential health impacts when these powerful medications are prescribed. The site provides information on Nevadas Prescription Monitoring Program, opioid antagonists (medications that can counteract an opioid overdose) and alternatives to opioids for sufferers of chronic pain. The Medical Board worked with the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy, Nevada State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, Nevada State Board of Nursing and Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners to develop the site. The launch is being supported by social media along with radio and television advertisements. All healthcare providers who prescribe controlled substances and medications are required to be licensed by a State of Nevada licensing board. These licensing boards are empowered to protect Nevada citizens. If you feel that your medical provider is not acting appropriately relative to the prescribing of medications, you can file a complaint through http://www.knowyourpainmeds.com. The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners serves the state of Nevada by ensuring that only well-qualified, competent physicians, physician assistants, respiratory therapists and perfusionists receive licenses to practice in Nevada. The Board responds with expediency to complaints against our licensees by conducting fair, complete investigations that result in appropriate action. In all Board activities, the Board will place the interests of the public before the interests of the medical profession and encourage public input and involvement to help educate the public as we improve the quality of medical practice in Nevada. http://www.facebook.com/knowyourpainmeds/ Florida Business Consulting How we manage the 1440 minutes in each day differentiates the successful from the unsuccessful. How we manage the 1440 minutes in each day differentiates the successful from the unsuccessful. We all have the same amount of time, but how we choose to use it is crucial, said CEO at Florida Business Consulting Eric Martin. Florida Business Consulting argues that unsuccessful people are guilty of procrastination, which is the kryptonite to productivity. During the 2-hour workshop, Mr Martin shared his best time management hacks, which are listed below: 1. Complete the most important tasks first Mr Martin argues that completing the most important tasks first is the golden rule of time management. The sense of accomplishment after completing such important tasks is a huge boost to morale and spurs productivity. During the workshop, Mr Martin urged the firms employees to identify the two or three tasks that are the most crucial to complete, and set about doing those first. 2. Learn to say no Florida Business Consulting believes that people would be able to use their time more efficiently if they learned to say no. People spread themselves too thin, and end up trying to multi-task and therefore being ineffective, said Mr Martin. The entrepreneur urges people to stop taking on too much and trying to juggle multiple tasks at once. 3. Give each task total focus and attention Living in a digital world, there are constant distractions from notifications. Florida Business Consulting argues that people fail to give each task their full focus and attention. Mr Martin encouraged the firms employees to put their phone out of reach, close browser windows and concentrate entirely on the task at hand. 4. Get an early start There is a well-known phrase; the early bird catches the worm, and Mr Martin supports that philosophy. Getting up even one hour earlier can have a dramatic impact on productivity claims Florida Business Consulting. 5. Dont use a to-do list There are conflicting reports about the effectiveness of a to-do list. Florida Business Consulting believes that while a to-do list can be useful to help remember tasks and act as a visual reminder, if its too long it can be overwhelming, and subsequently lead to procrastination. 6. Give each task a time limit Having a time constraint is pivotal. Setting a limit for each task will push people to focus and be more efficient. About Florida Business Consulting: http://www.floridabusinessconsulting.net/about.html Florida Business Consulting is focusing on productivity this quarter, and Mr Martin is hopeful that the time management workshop will drive productivity levels to a new high. Based in Miami, Florida Business Consulting specializes in bringing brands and consumers closer together through face-to-face marketing. Working on their clients' behalf, the firm conducts thorough market research to pinpoint the most promising markets for their clients' brands. Then, after identifying key consumer groups, the business delivers their clients' campaigns directly to consumers, opening up the opportunity for one-on-one communication. The firm frequently host educational and motivational workshops and seminars to help their employees expand their knowledge and skill-set. ### SOURCE: http://www.success.com/article/9-ways-to-stop-procrastinating-and-get-things-done For more information Follow the company on Twitter @FloridaBizC and 'Like' them on Facebook. Sheikh Muhammed Musallami, from Saudi Arabia, has decided to go ahead with plans to build a water bottling plant in Artavaz, a village in Armenias Kotayk Province. In 2012, Armenias Ministry of Nature Protection granted, A&M Rare, Ltd, water usage rights. That permit expired in 2015, so the company had to file another application to use the fresh water and mineral springs of the Ulashik River basin. That application is now being reviewed by the ministry. The ministry allowed Hetq to look at the project documents. Accordingly, water will be taken from two springs for a total of 4.6 liters per second. Some background information is in order. In 2010, the Armenian government allocated 96 hectares delineated as public domain lands to the company. Property belonging to 126 of the 150 families living in Artavaz were seized, along with lands belonging to seven families in the nearby village of Pyunik. In 2011, the Armenian government allocated another 148 hectares of forest land to A&M Rare, founded by A&M Investment, a company registered in Luxembourg. At the time, the executive director of A&M Rare was Aram Abrahamyan; son of Republican Party MP Gagik Abrahamyan, who, in turn, is the brother of Ara Abrahamyan, president of the Union of Armenians in Russia and a wealthy entrepreneur to boot. However, according to the state corporate registry of Armenias justice ministry, Abrahamyan ceased serving as director in 2013. He was replaced by Amin Jafar Jazaeri, a Saudi citizen. Hetq has yet to ascertain the names of Musallamis new partners. He has evidently found some in Armenia and has relaunched efforts designed to get the bottling plant plan up and running. The original investment plan was presented to the Armenian government by Swiss Rare S.A. Sheikh Muhammed Musallami is president of the Swiss company. In the project file, there was a bulletin, dated September 24, 2016, penned by A. Avagyan, chief of the Hrazdan Water Committee addressed to Vahan Davtyan, who heads the environmental ministrys water management service. Avagyan writes that construction work restarted in May 2016. The dispatch also contains photos (below) of catchment systems being installed. Eventually, the water will be sent to the bottling plant via pipes. Artavaz Mayor Rem Hovhannisyan says that 6-7 water catchment units have already been installed and pipes laid. This year they will finish building (the factory-KA). Much work has been done. They worked six months till the rains came, said Hovhannisyan. Today, a public hearing on the project was scheduled at the environmental ministry. It seems it never took place because no objections or opinions were presented in writing. When Hetq asked how could the company install catchments and pipes without having received a water usage permit, ministry staffers gave conflicting answers. Since the company doesnt have a water usage permit, it has no permission to conduct any activities, said Vahan Davtyan, who heads the ministrys water management service. But it has the right to carry out construction work on its land, added Sevak Matilyan, temporary manager of the ministrys water usage permit division. Hetq then specifically asked if the company has the right to install catchment systems. Matilyan answered with a question of his own, It has no right to use water. To what extent can installing catchment systems be regarded as using water? He added, The company has a right to lay pipes on its property, but not water pipes. According to Armenias Water Code, water usage implies taking water from the countrys water resources, including the utilization of fresh water or decreasing water supplies by other means, collecting water, impeding or diverting the flow of water, spilling pollutants into the water, as well as modifying the banks, flows, bottoms of water resources or their characteristics. Surely, building catchments all over the area will do just this. At the hearing, A&M Rare was represented by Armen Ter-Tachatyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Converse Bank. He said he serves as the director of the companys foreign legal affairs office. Also representing the company were attorney Nvard Manoukyan and Artashes Aghinyan, a hydro-geologist. A new pipe has been installed and the entire network has been rebuilt. The old catchment was substandard, not corresponding to potable water, so a new one has been built according to European standards. Bottling is the aim. The flow of the river will not change. The river will flow as before, Aghinyan claimed. Ter-Tachatyan tried to convince us that work on the catchment units had started when the companys first water usage permit was in force. But, as weve noted above, A. Avagyan, head of the Hrazdan Water Committee, in his dispatch says that work to install the catchments started in May 2016, when the water usage permit had already expired. P.S. 25 Artavaz residents have filed suits with the European Court of Human Rights, asking that their property rights be restored. Attorney Mariam Ghoulyan, who represents the residents, says that the cases are in the process of being reviewed. The Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and Innovation Partnership (IPart) have received funding from the U.S. Small Business Administrations (SBA) Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program to support programs for innovative, technology-driven small businesses. Were excited about partnering with these organizations to help entrepreneurs around the country learn about and compete for SBIR/STTR awards, said John Williams, SBA Director of Innovation. The main goal of FAST is to provide more boots on the ground in local communities through our partner organizations to increase awareness about SBIR/STTRs early stage funding and level the playing field for entrepreneurs, especially those in underrepresented communities. We are pleased to be working closely with Innovation Partnership to offer the services and support that technology entrepreneurs need to bring their products to market, said Nancy Crickman, Director of the Pennsylvania SBDC Environmental, Technology, and Energy Programs. From the origination of IPart in 2002 to today, the SBDCs have played an integral role in assisting tech-based entrepreneurs and SBIR/STTR clients with vital business and proposal preparation counseling to receive the benefits of the IPart programs, said Kelly Wylam, Director of the Innovation Partnership. We are excited to be working even more closely with our SBDC tech consultants to broaden their experience and knowledge in specifically helping PAs SBIR/STTR federal applicants, she added. FAST is designed to stimulate economic development with outreach and technical assistance to science and technology-driven small businesses, with a particular emphasis on socially and economically disadvantaged firms, helping them to compete in federally-funded research and development through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. The Pennsylvania SBDC is a founding partner of IPart, a consortium of economic development and business assistance organizations located throughout Pennsylvania. IPart is a statewide collaborative between 12 economic development organizations and institutions of higher education and an initiative of the Pennsylvanias Department of Community & Economic Development and Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority. The SBDCs support the innovation economy of Pennsylvania by providing technology-based businesses and all entrepreneurs with individual consultation, comprehensive education, and research and information necessary to help their businesses start, grow, and prosper. IPart offers assistance to technology-driven companies in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in preparing high quality SBIR/STTR grant proposals for submission to federal funding agencies. Services to accepted participants include pre-proposal technical reviews by professional reviewers and micro grants and vouchers to help offset the cost of the preparation of the final proposal. Since IParts origination, 168 SBDC clients have utilized its beneficial SBIR/STTR pre-proposal technical reviews, resulting in SBDC clients being awarded close to $7M in federal awards. Businesses throughout the Commonwealth can access SBDC technology consulting services through all 18 centers in the Pennsylvania SBDC network. Services are delivered by a team of professional staff, who has access to market research tools and university assets such as laboratories, libraries and accelerator facilities. The SBDC Tech Team provides vital assistance to technology entrepreneurs at various stages of their commercialization process including: Assessing market potential Assisting with the development of a business and/or commercialization plan Helping companies build their management and technical teams Providing professional connections Assisting with product development planning Finding funding opportunities to further technical concepts Accessing Innovation Partnership pre-proposal services Understanding SBIR/STTR funding opportunities Small business owners interested in receiving technology assistance can contact their local SBDC by visiting http://pasbdc.org/centers. About Innovation Partnership (IPart) IPart is a consortium of economic development and business assistance organizations located throughout Pennsylvania. Under the IPart umbrella, the partners comprise a single SBIR/STTR federal funding assistance program for the entire state. Services available to business include pre-proposal assistance, financial support for grant preparation, financial support for travel and training, and outreach seminars. To learn more about IPart, visit http://www.innovationpartnership.net. About the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) The Pennsylvania SBDC network is the only statewide, nationally accredited program that provides high quality one-on-one consulting, training and information resources to empower new and existing businesses. SBDC consultants work with entrepreneurs in confidential, individualized sessions to help them with a range of business issues including testing a new business proposition, shaping a business plan, investigating funding opportunities, and much more. The SBDC program is a public/private partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and 18 universities and colleges across the Commonwealth. For more information on the Pennsylvania SBDC services and impact, please visit http://www.pasbdc.org. The results for the January 2017 National Dental Hygiene Certification Board Exam (NDHCB) are in! The Canadian Academy of Dental Health and Community Sciences (CADH) are extremely proud to announce that ALL recent graduates of the dental hygiene program passed the exam. CADH as an institution had a 100% pass rate, the highest in the country, including all private and public sector dental hygiene educators. CADH would like to extend a sincere congratulations and thanks to Indu Dhir, the Program Director, and her dedicated and hard-working faculty; as well as the dental hygiene graduates on this outstanding achievement. CADH is a leading Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting college based in Mississauga, Ontario. The college has been providing Dental training for almost 20 years. The next Dental Hygiene program starts on April 24, 2017 and the next Dental Assisting program starts on June 19, 2017. Space is limited so early registration is advisable. For more information please visit http://www.cadh.ca. Providing Quality Training for a Safer Tomorrow" The Delaware Valley Safety Council seeks to provide world-class safety training to contractors and employees working in industrial facilities in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. DVSC continually adds best-in-class training programs to meet the safety-training needs of diverse industrial environments. DVSCs ultimate goal is to have every worker return home safely from work every day. DVSC is proud to announce the addition of our latest course, Fire Extinguishers in the Workplace. The 90 minute class is taught by John Hoffman, a fire and emergency services professional for more than 40 years. As a long time fire chief, Mr. Hoffman has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry that is simply unmatched. The course, designed for general employees across all working environments under OSHA law 29CFR1910.157, helps students distinguish the different types of fires, the different types of fire extinguishers and of course, how to use them. The course leaves students with the practical skill of operating a fire extinguisher, necessary in any workplace, and concludes with the use of an actual fire simulator and an associated fire extinguisher with the BullsEye Extinguisher System! At only $53 a person, this course teaches students the required skills useful in any workplace fire scenario that can help prevent or limit the damage done by any potential fire. The Delaware Valley Safety Council holds these two courses at our facilities in Swedesboro, NJ for Friday morning sessions as well as on-site training. To register for Fire Extinguishers in the Workplace, or to gain more information please visit our website at http://dvsconline.org/public/fire-extinguisher-training/ and always remember to think and stay safe! The Delaware Valley Safety Council 510 Heron Drive, Suite 210 Swedesboro, NJ 08085 Whitney Wharf Timber Pedestrian Bridge (York Bridge Concepts) York Bridge Concepts, the builders of the structure, are craftsmen who have constructed a bridge for the citizens of Hingham to be proud of. A gathering of prominent Town officials recently celebrated at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the long-awaited Hingham Harbor Timber Pedestrian Bridge, a concept that has been fundamental in the development of the highly anticipated community project. Decero Designed and fully ADA compliant, the York Timber Pedestrian Bridge spans 89 feet long by 12 feet wide. With an H5 capacity, the wood crossing enhances the wharf feel, floating over the water with ease - adding aesthetic allure and charm to the grant-funded project. A safe stroll from the bathing beach, boat ramp & Town Pier area to Veterans Memorial Park, pedestrians can now relish in the expansive exterior as they walk to Hingham Maritime Center at Barnes Wharf. The towns goal of creating a waterfront park and transforming Hingham Harbor into a destination was appreciated and supported by Lt. Governor Karyn Polito in her recent visit to the developed site. As part of her delegations stop in the area, Town Project Engineer Roger Fernandes enthusiastically conveyed, Our community [recently] celebrated the completion of the Whitney Wharf Pedestrian Bridge. The bridge had been a long-envisioned ambition of ours and the Town is pleased to see this goal become reality. We want to thank the YBC crews and their overall team for the excellent job they did if we have another opportunity like this, we would be delighted to work with your firm again. YBC is a great team! The long awaited sea-crossing bridge features uniquely designed ramps, decks and enclosures a superior state of the art design that now offers an alternative safe passage with relaxing vantage points of the breathtaking water views. As part of the second phase of the Hingham Harbor Walk, visitors and residents can now access local businesses, integrating the citys requirements and ensuring the protection of the waters. Combining the Towns vision for the Hingham Harbor Marina, York Bridge Concepts was successful in bringing the citys ten-year concept to reality. Throughout the Decero Design process, the unique nautical YBC Proprietary Coating was developed to mimic a weathered look on the bridge and deck. The York Timber Structure combines masterfully with the overall design and look of the Hingham Harbor Marina with a blended color palette that merges seamlessly into the landscape. William S. Reardon of the Hingham Journal states, York Bridge Concepts, the builders of the structure, are craftsmen who have constructed a bridge for the citizens of Hingham to be proud of. About York Bridge Concepts York Bridge Concepts, Inc. (YBC) is the nation's largest on-site timber vehicular bridge builder. YBC works with industry-leading owners and developers on prestigious projects throughout the U.S. and internationally, creating more than just a solution for crossing lakes, streams, creeks, wetlands or ravines. In this competitive real estate market, developers who want to ensure that their project stands apart from the competition use York Bridges to add value and create a feeling of exclusivity, warmth, and quality for their customers. Based in Lutz, Florida, with 32 years of experience, YBC has become well-known for their expertise and cutting-edge innovation in the Longevity and Architectural beauty of timber bridge design. For more information, contact Gil York at (800) 226-4178 ext. 109 or visit http://www.ybc.com. Nearby Now, a mobile-enabled cloud platform helping local businesses improve local rankings everywhere they service, today announced a new integration with ServiceTitan, the #1 enterprise software for residential plumbing, HVAC, and electrical contractors. Home services businesses share a fundamental marketing challenge with other local businesses, which is building lasting organic website rankings, not only for the city where their office is located, but for every single city they serve as well. Nearby Now makes it easy to create rich, relevant, and local content in the form of check-ins describing every job and reviews from customers at a 40% rate, and present the acquired content right on a local business own website to help them rank better, everywhere. With the new Nearby Now and ServiceTitan integration, completing a job in ServiceTitan will create a rich, local checkin and request a review of the service. Every job will create content to help residential contractors rank higher in the cities that matters most, driving more traffic and more leads to their website, and boosting their engaging content on Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Angie's List and more. Whats more, Nearby Nows white label capabilities enable local businesses and their regional or national parent organizations to completely rebrand Nearby Now as their own. "This is the easiest way to improve site rankings at the local level in every city you serve," said Billy Coover, CEO and co-founder of Nearby Now. "Now clients that use ServiceTitan can get all the benefits of Nearby Now without any additional effort." Helping residential contractors grow their business is one of our main focuses at ServiceTitan, says Ara Mahdessian, CEO and co-founder of ServiceTitan. Acquiring more reviews and getting discovered online is a key part of the process, and we are excited to partner with Nearby Now to provide our customers with a solution. Lawrence Snow of Valley Plumbing, an early user of this integration, says, "We saw the power of this integration early on, and it is already working well for us. The integration has allowed us to completely automate our customer review acquisitions and get a much higher response rate than we had before, and we are using the great content to drive leads to our own website." The integration is available now on ServiceTitan Marketplace, the first-of-its-kind to connect the home services industry. For more information on the integration, visit https://marketplace.servicetitan.com/partners/reputation-management/nearby-now/. About Nearby Now Nearby Now's unique solution enables local business to boost rankings across their entire service areas powered by an industry-leading 40% review response rate. Nearby Now is all about delivering value directly to the client -- better rankings for their own site, more reviews for their business, lasting organic ranking value, a better online reputation, and ultimately more leads and more business. Founded in 2011, Nearby Now is a privately held company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Our team is distributed across the US, and our current clients hail from the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. For more information, visit https://www.nearbynow.co. About ServiceTitan ServiceTitan is a mobile, cloud-based software platform that helps home service companies streamline operations, improve customer service, and grow their business. ServiceTitans end-to-end solution for the multi-billion dollar residential home service industry includes CRM, intelligent dispatch, comprehensive reporting, marketing management tools, mobile connectivity for field techs, and Quickbooks integration. ServiceTitan brings a fully operational modern SaaS infrastructure to an industry traditionally underserved by software. ServiceTitan is the preferred software for hundreds of the worlds most successful plumbing, HVAC, and electrical companies in the U.S. and Canada. For more information about ServiceTitan, visit http://www.ServiceTitan.com. Christy Connell extracts artifacts from Cave 12 On her hands and knees, 23-year-old Liberty University graduate student Christy Connell slowly crawled for hours through a narrow cave on the cliffs west of Qumran, near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea in Israel, over a two-week span in January. In the smallest parts of the cave it was so narrow I had to crawl on my stomach, Connell said. It was pitch black. I couldnt see anything in front of me. I was crawling over pieces of animal bones and gravel. Connell, who is pursuing her Master of Arts in History, was part of a team of six Liberty faculty members and students, led by distinguished research professor Dr. Randall Price, who assisted in discovering evidence that shows Dead Sea scrolls were stored there. While no physical scrolls were found, fragments of storage jars, scroll wrappings, string, and a piece of worked leather that was a part of a scroll were all found inside of the cave. This marks the first discovery related to the Dead Sea scrolls in 60 years. The finding of pottery and numerous flint blades, arrowheads, and a decorated stamp seal made of carnelian (a semi-precious stone) also revealed that the cave, known as Cave 12, was used in the Chalcolithic and the Neolithic periods, according to a news releasefrom Hebrew University. Connell said after working for Price at Liberty, she has always kept an ear to the ground about potential archeological digs, especially in Israel. When she learned about the December trip, Connell said she made sure to ask Price if she could go. When I was there, we had found things that had indicated there were scrolls in the cave. Its just really amazing to be a part of history, especially something that Ive studied for so many years. School of Communications & Creative Arts associate professor Eva Palmer was also on the trip. Palmer, who teaches studio art, said she had been to Israel before, but had dreamed of exploring the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. "I was facinated with the caves," Palmer said. "We would always drive by them on the highway, and I wanted the chance to see them up close." To be at the same site of this discovery was a special experience, she said. "We were so excited to hear that they had found shards of the storage pots," she said. "This is actual evidence of the Bible and what we believe." The group left on Dec. 28 for the 15-day trip, but Price said it wasnt until they returned to the United States that they learned the true significance of their findings. I got a text that the team had found something which turned out to be a piece of leather that held the scrolls together, Price said. They told me I needed to get back out there. He then returned to Israel in January, during the first week of the spring semester, along with junior Biblical Studies major Casey Olson, who documented the finds through her camera lens. Olson was the only team member from the first trip to return to the site with Price. The two were there for an additional week and a half until the dig concluded on Jan. 30. The dig was the first discovery by the Operation Scroll team, a joint effort by Hebrew University, the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, to protect historical artifacts from thieves. Cave 12 was first discovered in 2006 by Price, who worked for several years to secure permission to extract the cave, along with Dr. Oren Gutfeld and his assistant Ahiad Ovadi, both of the Hebrew Universitys Institute of Archaeology. While experts have known about the cave for several years, this dig was the first detailed look at the contents inside. It is one of 12 caves that have been found to have housed scrolls at one time. I knew the cave had potential, said Price, who has been busy this week doing interviews with National Geographic, CBS News, and other major media outlets. This is only the beginning of our search for more scrolls. Undoubtedly, they are out there, and we know of some 300 caves in the area. Our team is planning to return to excavate other caves in the near future. Price said he was excited to be able to take faculty and students along on the dig to not only learn about field work, but to be part of the extraction of artifacts. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, Price said. Now that we were successful, it means there are new opportunities for us to get in there and continue to study these caves. The goal is to find scrolls. Price is also curator of the Liberty Biblical Musem, located at the terrace level of the Jerry Falwell Library. The museum has thousands of artifacts from the Holy Land dating from 4,000 B.C. to the 6th Century A.D. Special exhibits include a replica of the Dead Sea s5crolls. For more information, including hours of operation, call (434) 592-3249. About Liberty University Liberty University, founded in 1971, is the largest private, nonprofit university in the nation, the largest university in Virginia, and the largest Christian university in the world. Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains on more than 7,000 acres in Lynchburg, Va., Liberty offers more than 500 unique programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level. More than 250 programs are offered online. Libertys mission is to train Champions for Christ with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting tomorrows world. Pariveda Solutions, a leading technology and management consulting firm, is proud to announce that it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) DevOps Competency within the AWS Partner Competency Program. This competency recognizes members of the AWS Partner Network (APN) who provide solutions to, or have deep experience working with businesses to help them implement continuous integration and continuous delivery practices or helping them automate infrastructure provisioning and management with configuration management tools on AWS. As an APN Premier Consulting Partner, Pariveda continues to leverage their certified technical consultants and expertise in AWS project implementation for clients. Pariveda's recognition of the DevOps competency with AWS showcases our desire to help clients continually update and improve the necessary automation in a complex business. Parivedas DevOps capabilities span multiple industries and give clients the capabilities to improve and update quickly as their business demands it. DevOps solutions are helping Parivedas clients interact with their customers as new updates are more easily deployed improving the customers experience. DevOps is the new realm of possibility for many clients as they seek to improve relations with their customers, said Dbrav Dunkley, Managing Vice President of Pariveda Solutions. We are proud to be recognized for our expertise in this area as we continue to grow our capabilities we provide clients. "We are proud to have achieved the AWS DevOps Competency by helping clients envision and implement DevOps solutions and practices," said Christopher Paul, Vice President Alliances for Pariveda Solutions. "AWS provides us with the tools necessary to solve the complex challenges of our clients and is an essential element of our cloud strategy." About Pariveda Solutions Pariveda Solutions, Inc. is a leading management consulting firm specializing in improving our clients' performance. We are complex problem solvers who provide strategic consulting services and custom application development solutions to meet the needs of our clients. Talk with us: cloud(at)parivedasolutions.com to engage one of nine locations across the U.S. Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Pariveda Solutions and The Business of IT are trademarks of Pariveda Solutions, Inc., Dallas, Texas, USA. Daisy Intelligence Corporations inaugural hackathon, held on January 28-29, 2017 at the University of Torontos Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, showcased the power of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and GPU-accelerated computing. The hackathon also exposed engineering and computer science students to the exciting field of modern A.I. The event was sponsored by NVIDIA, a world-leading GPU hardware manufacturer, and Cogeco Peer 1, a tier-1 data centre company. For 24 hours, students gathered in the Bahen Centre for Information Technology to develop the ultimate tic-tac-toe playing bot, executed on GPU hardware with five seconds of analysis to decide each move. The students were given the opportunity to pre-train their bots prior to the head-to-head double elimination tournament. We decided to task the students to develop a bot for ultimate tic-tac-toe because this represents a miniature version of the A.I. problem that Daisy Intelligence solves for its corporate retail clients: in a defined, time-constrained environment, make weekly/daily decisions that the clients will execute to maximize profitability, said Gary Saarenvirta, CEO of Daisy Intelligence. In the context of the hackathon, this means creating a program that within five seconds, decides moves it will make that will lead to a win. Similar to real-world retail, ultimate tic-tac-toe environments have practically infinite decision possibilities therefore it is not possible for a human mind or even a traditional computer approach to find the optimal strategy. A.I. combined with parallel computing can search more of the decision space than the human mind and would be expected to win every time. A total of 34 student teams registered for the hackathon. Almost all teams created a rules-based deterministic strategy executing in serial. The head-to-head tournament began with early rounds as best of three games with penalties for invalid moves or moves that exceeded the five-second decision limit. If a team made too many invalid or time exceeding moves in a single game, that game would be given to the opponent. Later round games were a best of eight with a draw being broken by number of squares won. The hands-on challenges offered by the Daisy Intelligence Hackathon stimulated creativity and rapid problem solving which are essential skills for our students to develop, said Professor Deepa Kundur, Chair of the Engineering Science program at the University of Toronto. Our programs promote technical excellence broadly and opportunities such as these provide fertile ground for students to learn to innovate under pressure. The winning team, Team 0.004184, was the one team who developed a deterministic strategy combined with a tree search similar to an A.I. approach. This team did not lose a single match, let alone a game, in winning the tournament. The other teams used deterministic logic with different heuristics. An analysis of the strategies from the submissions prove that a search strategy does better than a deterministic rules-based approach in all instances. Daisys engineering team developed a bot to test the hackathon environment and played the tournament winner in a best of eight match with one second to execute each move. Daisys parallel random tree search algorithm was allowed to search a maximum of 500 milliseconds. Longer search times were also tested, and Daisy won all those matches 8-0 versus the tournament winner. We were surprised by what the students were able to accomplish in the allotted time. We didnt expect every team to come up with a GPU-enabled parallel software strategy, said Saarenvirta. This hackathon is a great example of how even a rudimentary parallel A.I. method can defeat a human developed rules-based strategy every time. If we extrapolate this to the business world, A.I. and parallel computing can develop business strategies and tactics better than the best human brains. Not only do we expect financial benefits to the business space as A.I. grows its scope of influence, we also expect A.I. will eliminate much of the repetitive, quantitative and boring tasks that are part of todays jobs. About Daisy Intelligence Daisy Intelligence is an artificial intelligence software-as-a-service company that analyzes very large quantities of our clients transaction and operational data in order to make automated operational decision recommendations which our clients can immediately action to improve their business. Using our proprietary mathematical solutions and the Daisy A.I. based simulation platform, Daisy Intelligence analyzes 100% of the tradeoffs inherent in any complex business question and provides weekly, specific recommendations to help our corporate clients grow total sales, improve margins, reduce fraud and delight customers. http://www.daisyintelligence.com About University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering The University of Torontos Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering is Canadas premier engineering school and among best in the world. Our diverse community includes more than 5,400 undergraduates, 2,300 graduate students, 260 academic staff and nearly 50,000 alumni. Through innovations in engineering education, we prepare the next generation of global engineering leaders with strong technical foundations and professional competencies in multidisciplinary research, teamwork, leadership and entrepreneurship. Our faculty members are international leaders in research who collaborate across disciplines to address key global challenges, from new diagnostics and treatments for human diseases to wearable technology, smart cities and renewable energy. For more information, contact: Gary Saarenvirta CEO, Daisy Intelligence Corporation gsaarenvirta (at) daisyintel.com 905.642.2629 ext. 221 Christina Heidorn External Relations Officer, Division of Engineering Science Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto engsci (at) ecf.utoronto.ca 416.978.8634 Chief of Staff Jim Britt and Son Eric "The medal is earned when an individual distinguishes himself by heroic or meritorious achievement..." LifeCenters Development Groups Chief of Staff, Jim Britt, spent over 12 years in the US Navy as a Deep Sea Diver, leaving military service as a Chief Petty Officer. His son, Eric Britt, has been serving in the navy for the last 10 years and has earned the high honor of being named Sailor of the Year (SOY) at his command. Eric was then selected from among over 44,000 military personnel from 190 commands as one of 6 finalists for SOY of the Atlantic Fleet, in the seagoing aviation community. Since joining the navy in 2006 he has trained for and become an expert in Aviation Electronics (AE). Today 1st Class Petty Officer Eric Britt has oversight of maintenance on MH-60 Knighthawk helicopters at Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26 (HSC-26) in Norfolk, Virginia. The Knighthawks are the Navys version of the Armys Black Hawk and are used in support of combat operations and fleet support services around the world. While Petty Officer Britt was not ultimately selected as the SOY for the Atlantic Fleet the distinction of being a finalist reflects the commitment to excellence he displays every day; the navy calls that, sustained superior performance. Only 1 in 7500 sailors qualify for this honor and it is an accomplishment that will follow him for the remainder of his career. During the ceremony Eric was awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal by Admiral Bruce Lindsey, Commander of Naval Air Atlantic Forces. The medal is earned when an individual distinguishes himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service. To merit this award, the acts or services must be accomplished or performed in a manner above that normally expected and sufficient to distinguish the individual above those performing similar services. LifeCenters salutes AE1(AW) Eric Britt and extends a well-deserved Thank You for his exemplary service to our country. Sustained superior performance is something the LifeCenters team is well familiar with and it seems to run in the family. Excess is a crossover CDM song that blends the best of EDM and Caribbean sounds including Soca elements. With Carnival season in full swing and the Ultimate Rejects having the #1 Carnival song in Trinidad & Tobago with Full Extreme, all eyes have been on what will they do next. They surprised the crowd with a curve ball on their follow up release Excess that sees them partner with Los Angeles based DJ/Producer X-Change. Excess is a crossover CDM (Caribbean Dance Music) song that blends the best of EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and Caribbean sounds including Soca elements. The result is a pop-infused dance song that will have you out of your chair, dancing. Featuring vocals from Ultimate Rejects member MX Prime, the song will leave you just saying yes. The Ultimate Rejects have been busy this year in Trinidad & Tobago performing up to 18 shows a weekend recently. Their song Full Extreme has become somewhat of a national anthem for Trinidad & Tobago during the 2017 Carnival season. Mx Prime said What can I say, amidst all the madness we've found ways to record and this song was made with the ladies in mind. Excess amount of love! The Ultimate Rejects and X-Change have teamed up in the past on Thunderstorm a high-energy festival track. This time the tempo may have changed but the high energy and infectious nature of their work have not. X-Change said Making this song felt so natural with Johann and myself sending some concepts back and forth and then getting in the studio to record the vocals when I landed in Trinidad for Carnival. Listen to the Ultimate Rejects & X-Change, Excess here: https://lnk.to/excess For booking information please contact Nikesha Ali 1-868-325-7177 nikesha(dot)ali(at)gmail(dot)com Have you noticed that there is no alliance to counter the threat posed by Austria-Hungary? Why ever not? It only ceased to exist in 1918, and Austria is still there maintaining a grandiose capital in Vienna. Who knows when there might be a resurgence of Habsburg power? To me, such an alliance makes just as much sense today as NATO does in the Year of Grace 2017. Now, unlike most modern NATO enthusiasts, I go back a long way with this organisation. In the mid-1980s it was as fashionable in British politics and media to favour nuclear disarmament as it is now to despise and fear Russia. And it was as unfashionable then to back NATO, is it is now to point out that Russia doesn't actually threaten us. I was right then. I think I'm right now. When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do? Almost everyone I met or knew back then was against the installation of American cruise missiles in Britain, and of Pershing-2 missiles in Germany. The BBC and much of the press gave vast and sympathetic coverage to the Greenham Common Peace Camp, a ramshackle township of mainly female leftists which sought to prevent the deployment of cruise missiles at the airfield there. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, which had until then been a dusty relic of the 1950s, revived. Joan Ruddock became a major figure, as did Monsignor Bruce Kent, never off the TV. I thought the Greenham Common peace camp was a disgrace and a folly. I supported deployment of cruise missiles there. I thought they were an essential counterweight to the SS-20 'Pioneer' rockets being installed in Eastern Europe at the time by the USSR. While all my Oxford neighbours had No Cruise stickers on their cars and houses, I actually persuaded a friend at NATO HQ in Brussels to send me some rare NATO bumper stickers to put on my car. I believed then, as I believe now, that without a European-based nuclear counterweight to the SS-20s, deterrence would falter and the huge conventional power of Soviet forces then in Germany would compel Western Europe to fall under Moscows influence. I believe the failure of the (Soviet-backed) campaign to prevent cruise installation was the beginning of the end of Soviet power. And I rejoiced to see NATOs victory. So I was astonished, after Soviet Power had gone the way of the Habsburgs, to find that the defensive alliance, created in response to the Soviet Threat, was not only still in existence, but also expanding. The only result was to irritate Moscow, which had, in the years since the collapse of the USSR, made absolutely no significant threat to those states formerly in its power which had become independent. Find me any evidence of such a threat, if you can. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland had cast off Soviet influence in 1989, along with East Germany and Romania. I was there. I saw it happen. I rejoiced at it. The Baltic states cast off Soviet power in 1991. Likewise, I was there, I saw it happen. I rejoiced at it. Name me, if you can, any event of any importance between 1989 and 1999 (when these capitals became NATO capitals) which gave Prague, Budapest or Warsaw the slightest reason to suspect that a revanchist Moscow sought to reconquer them. Likewise, name me, if you can, any reason for Sofia, Bucharest, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius or Bratislava to fear a Russian reconquest between 1991 and 2004, the years these capitals became NATO capitals. The point about the original, proper, sensible NATO was that it was a *reaction* to the clear and obvious actions of the USSR, which had in a series of rigged elections and coups detat turned all the states in what was to become the Warsaw Pact into Communist dictatorships. NATOs foundation in 1949 was a defensive response to a palpable aggression, perhaps most miserably shown in the putsch which destroyed the last vestiges of liberty in Prague in 1948. It made no boasts of plans to roll back Soviet power. It had none, and indeed sat and did nothing when the USSR crushed risings in Poland , East Germany, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, and when it built the Berlin Wall, Nothing. It was a defensive alliance. It said, credibly, Take one step further, and we will fight. Then, its famous Article Five was entirely believable. It was guaranteed by large US, German and British forces stationed permanently in the path of any further Western advance, crucially backed up by a clear threat of nuclear war (renewed and restated by the arrival of cruise missiles at Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth). These forces were dismantled after 1989 because there was clearly no more need for them. But, while it was easy to disband one of the biggest armies ever assembled on earth, it proved much harder to get rid of a few hundred bureaucrats in Zaventem, in the suburbs of Brussels. They are still there. Why? Although NATO no longer had any serious forces, it became noisier and noisier, in the way of empty vessels, and accrued more and more members. I will be turning in a future blog to Peter Conradis interesting new book Who Lost Russia?, but I will just mention here that he says there were major political lobbies in the USA for NATO expansion, which do not seem to have been entirely unconnected to weapons manufacturers hoping to sell their wares to the new members. But I am getting ahead of myself. The new NATO (unlike the proper version I recall and defended against modish criticism) had almost no muscle at all. It had and has no serious conventional military bulk to deter a conventional war and provide a series of tripwires between tension and a nuclear exchange. It really has nothing but British, French and American H-bombs, which it does not actually control. Its promise to stand by any member if attacked, once credible because of the compactness of the organisation and its acceptance of the status quo, is now totally incredible. No US President will actually sacrifice Chicago for Bucharest or Riga or even Warsaw. No French president will sacrifice Paris for Tallinn. No British prime minister will sacrifice London for Vilnius. the danger is that irresponsible, demagogic governments in these states (not impossible to imagine) might think that the pledge is genuine, and act accordingly -as Poland acted in 1939, after the worthless, empty, lying Anglo-French guarantee. Whoever benefited from that heroic piece of idealism and crazy courage, it certainly wasn't Poland, which to all intents and purposes disappeared from the map soon afterwards, amid hideous terror and slaughter. So the NATO promise ti the new NATO states, (in the long history of grandiose, stupid guarantees made by this country when it had no intention of keeping them) is actively destabilising. Let me provide a sort of example: The absurd 2008 war which Georgia started against Russia (Yes it did, do your homework, the EUs independent Tagliavini report clearly concluded that Georgia started it) . Here we have a small, powerless country close to Russia , led by an immature and romantic figure who had come to power in a mob putsch, thinking that he could gain an advantage over Russia by dragging the NATO powers into a conflict with Moscow. Luckily for us, good sense prevailed. Moscow responded, counter-attacked and then withdrew. The Western powers were too sensible to be dragged in, though I seem to remember a certain Tory leader grandstanding a bit. But it could very easily have been otherwise, and had Georgia been (as it sought to be and as some people had seriously suggested ) a NATO member, we could actually have seen a shooting war between US and Russian troops in the Caucasus. Maybe you fancy that. If so, I recommend a cold compress, a darkened room, a trip to a war cemetery and (if that doesnt calm you down) a visit to a hospital for war-wounded civilians and soldiers, anywhere (there are plenty to choose from in this idealistic age). I am (as anyone who covered the fall of the USSR must be) sympathetic to the nations and people who emerged blinking from the Soviet prison-house after 1989 and 1991. For many months of 1991 I actually hated the company of Russians because of what I had seen the Soviet Army do in Vilnius. I had rejoiced at the fall of the hammer and sickle in Bucharest, Prague and Budapest, and run, with the defiant crowds, from the People s Police during anti-Communist demonstrations in East Berlin. But I absolutely cannot see how rebuilding NATO helps to keep these nations safe or free. I share the view of Professor Richard Sakwa, which is that the rebuilt NATO has fed and stoked the very fear from which it claims to guard its new members. Russia has legitimate concerns. It has plenty of recent experience of being invaded, including the starvation siege of Leningrad, now St Petersburg. This city is just 84 miles from Narva, the border town at the eastern edge of NATO Estonia. Look it up on a map . How would Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, feel if the West Midlands declared independence from the UK, and soon afterwards there were Russian troops stationed in, say, Coventry, which is as far from London as Narva is from St Petersburg? Not happy, Id guess. Russias sensitivity about hostile armies on its borders is not some sort of pathology, but a perfectly reasonable position. If we continue to treat it with contempt, we will make trouble where no trouble was, and live to regret it. And for what reason? What do we gain from this? We, who massage our defence expenditure by cramming the intelligence budget and some pensions into it, to look as if we are spending substantially on defence when in fact we are letting our conventional forces fall apart with poverty and neglect. Why did NATOs pen-pushers not go home, when its soldiers did? Its a question worth asking over and over again. Gowrie, IA "I am very optimistic for this next year and beyond in Gowrie. We keep coming out of these Strategic Planning meetings stronger and even more focused than before. Phillip Deastro, GDC President Past News Releases RSS Gowrie Development Commission... Everyone in Gowrie, Iowa knows that there is Go in Gowrie but taking that message beyond the communitys city limits is an important part of the strategic planning by the Gowrie Development Commission (GDC). To begin the session, led by Jerry Chizek from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the group reviewed progress from last years plan. As the second largest city in Webster County, Iowa, Gowrie has made strides over the last year in defining important development issues that include housing, quality of life, image of the community and increasing the membership of the commission to assist in promoting the community and agenda. Phillip DeCastro, GDC President and owner of The Drill Barbershop commented, I will say that I am very happy with the turnout. Not only quantity of people, but quantity of representation of the local groups, organizations, and community members outside of the City Council and Gowrie Development Commission members. I am very optimistic for this next year and beyond in Gowrie. We keep coming out of these Strategic Planning meetings stronger and even more focused than before. Housing development plays an important part in the growth of the community. Incorporating the building trade program from Southeast Valley Schools and a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) project for new homes and downtown commercial construction was identified as a giant step forward over the last year. Another component of this planning session included a vision of the future of Gowrie. What does that community look like? Telling the story about the quality of life that residents experience in the community is an important factor that young families are looking for along with great career opportunities. With Webster County and the surrounding region experiencing several corporations and businesses expanding and hiring, the community provides many of the amenities that are attractive to families moving to fill these jobs. Excellent school system, new downtown development and housing, healthcare facilities and a very safe community are all identified in the planning as positive assets to promote. "I walked out of this Strategic Planning Meeting with a strong appreciation for what makes Gowrie great and the importance of identifying what it will take to not just maintain our community, but to allow it to flourish." - Mindy Swieter, GDC Vice-President from Security Savings Bank. The strategic planning summary is available for viewing at http://www.gowrie.org/about-gdc. Gowrie, Iowa is located in Webster County, Iowa. The Gowrie Development Commission provides information on the community through http://www.gowrie.org via email at gowrie(at)wccta(dot)net and on Facebook and Twitter. The Gowrie City Clerk is located at 1206 Market Street, Gowrie, Ia 50543, and can be contacted by phone at 515-352-3999 or email at gowclerk(at)wccta(dot)net. #ThisIsFortDodge Dr. E. Michael Harrington, Music Business Chair at SAE Institute Nashville and musicology expert. This case could help establish a dangerous precedent when any potential plaintiff does not have to show actual copying of melody, harmony, rhythm or lyrics, as has always been the case... SAE Institute Nashville Music Business Program Chairperson, Dr. E. Michael Harrington, will share his expertise as a panelist at the Blurred v. Bright: The Changing Analysis of Copyright Infringement in Music Conference, convening March 23, 2017, at The University of Colorado Law School. The event is organized by Silicon Flatirons and will focus on the Blurred Lines case, in which Marvin Gayes estate won a multi-million dollar judgment against songwriters and recording artists Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke for copyright infringement. Dr. Harrington is a nationally recognized expert in the area of copyright law in music. His expert opinion on the infamous Blurred Lines verdict has been sought out and shared by several media outlets. This case could help establish a dangerous precedent when any potential plaintiff does not have to show actual copying of melody, harmony, rhythm or lyrics, as has always been the case up until now, but only a vague and subjective reminds me of claim, says Harrington. No stranger to lending his expertise as a musicology expert witness in several high profile copyright infringement cases, Dr. Harrington will share his expert views on a panel session Artistic Impact, which will no doubt be a lively discussion considering his strong opinion on the verdict and his support of the plaintiffs. The Blurred Lines decision is the worst music copyright infringement decision ever because not only was no copyrightable expression copied, but no expression was copied. It is the first case in which a defendant was found guilty in which no melody was copied, no harmony was copied, no lyrics were copied, no rhythmic expression was copied and no sampling occurred, says Harrington. Both songs are in the same style, similar tempo and feel, and feature similar partying sounds. But similarity or reminds me of or you can sing this melody to that other song, which isnt technically true, does not make for an intelligent standard. Dr. Harrington says there has been a tremendous increase in demand for his expertise in copyright issues from potential plaintiffs. I have seen my work as an expert witness get much busier as I am contacted by more potential plaintiffs now than ever. Most of these plaintiffs feel more emboldened now due to the new, lower and Blurred Lines of musical evidence." Dr. Harringtons expert opinion on the Blurred Lines verdict has been shared with many media outlets including USA Today, ABC News, Daily Mail, WSMV NBC 4 Nashville, Bloomberg Podcast, Malay Mail Online. Dr. E. Michael Harrington, CEO of E. Michael Music, has shared his plethora of experience as a consultant and expert witness on many copyright issues involving Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, the Dixie Chicks, director Steven Spielberg, and many others. About SAE Institute SAE Institute provides aspiring creative media professionals with a foundation of practical theory and valuable hands-on training in their chosen areas of concentration. Under the guidance of industry-experienced faculty, students gain the essential experience they need for entry-level jobs in the creative media industry. Students are supported in their job searches by SAE Institutes international network of alumni, many of whom are leaders in the music, film, game arts, and live performance arenas. SAE Institute offers programs in Audio Technology in seven US campuses, along with a Music Business program at select locations, all fully accredited and focused on preparing students for employment upon graduation. Bachelors Degree programs in Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Filmmaking, Game Art & Design, Interactive Audio, and Sound Arts are available at SAE Institute San Jose and SAE Expression College in the San Francisco Bay Area, formerly Expression College. SAE Institute Group, Inc. is a part of Navitas LTD. Learn more at usa.sae.edu. About Navitas Navitas is an Australian global education leader, providing pre-university and university programs, English language courses, migrant education and settlement services, creative media education, student recruitment, professional development, and corporate training services to more than 80,000 students across a network of over 120 colleges and campuses in 31 countries. Learn more at Navitas.com. On January 31, 2017 Georgetown Home Care (GHC) promoted its Managing Director, Jessica Salgado, to Chief Operating Officer. Mrs. Salgado was the companys first hire, bringing her background in business and sales to the senior home care world. In her time with Georgetown Home Care, she has drastically streamlined the way the company communicates with its caregiver staff and clients, as well as refined the day to day operational strategies to secure continued company growth. "Jessica has been an invaluable and integral part of our growth and our story, said John Bradshaw, President of Georgetown Home Care. She is an innovative leader who cares as much about our employees as she does our clients. We are thrilled that she has accepted this new role as we continue to grow." Mrs. Salgado received an International Business degree from Georgetown University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Professional Studies in Public Relations at Georgetown University. She previously worked in sales with Grainger. Georgetown Home Care is a family owned and operated home care company serving the greater Washington DC area. GHCs focus is to keep its clients at home, where their hearts are, and to help them maintain their independence, freedom and connections with friends and family. The companys website http://www.georgetownhomecare.com contains more information. ### The Quirks West Event is a great avenue for Civicom Marketing Research Services to engage with clients in sharing the latest in research innovation. The Quirks Event was launched in 2015 and has since become one of the most anticipated and well-attended events in the industry. The interactive expo brings together more than a thousand attendees from marketing research suppliers, to corporate researchers, to clients with over 90+ exhibitors. It empowers industry professionals to showcase their products and services as well as connect with peers and industry verticals in a practical and enriching environment. The theme is Big Ideas, Real-World Solutions. The Quirks Event West 2017 will hold over 70 learning sessions featuring a diverse line-up of guests speaking on the latest trends and techniques in research innovation, data security, and questionnaire design, with real-world case studies, demonstrations, and interactive workshops. By being part of this years expo, Civicom Marketing Research Services looks forward to engaging with industry peers and extending its reach to industry verticals, showcasing its wide-ranging portfolio of telephone and web-enabled solutions that fit the needs of emerging trends in marketing research. About Quirks Media Quirks Media started out as a means for marketing research providers to promote their products and services. The company has been doing so for nearly three decades. This is still its main thrust today through Quirks Marketing Research Review, an industry publication covering the full realm of marketing research interests. Also published by Quirks is the Quirks Researcher SourceBook, a specialty directory of research providers, which lists over 7,100 companies worldwide. About Civicom Marketing Research Services Civicom Marketing Research Services offers many options to enhance the research process for marketing research professionals. Civicom is the global leader in facilitating telephone and web-enabled IDIs and Focus Groups using Civicom CyberFacility. Civicom also offers Civicom Chatterbox, an asynchronous research platform for online communities and bulletin boards, plus the Civicom ThoughtLight Mobile Insights App, a qualitative mobile tool for collecting richer in-the-moment insights, and offering geolocation plus off line accessibility for places where there is no data connection. Civicom ThoughtLight works with both iOS and Android and is a useful tool for shopper insights, audio diaries and patient journeys. Civicom operates in over 96 countries and offers extensive translation services for marketing researchers, as well as transcription services through TranscriptionWing, and respondent recruiting through CiviSelect. All of these services are available in Spanish, as well as English, and multiple other languages. Civicom Marketing Research Services continues to be at the forefront of innovation and new strategies in marketing research, actively participating in various conferences and networks that engage in developing new techniques with the latest technologies globally. Civicom Marketing Research chooses to be as dynamic as it is innovative; always listening to and acting on clients ideas and requests as they see fit. This kind of relationship has paved the way for the development and rollout of new services. Civicom is known among its clients for dedication to service quality and for the companys motto Your Project Success Is Our Number One Priority. Civicom Marketing Research Services chooses to be as dynamic as it is innovative; always listening to and acting on clients ideas and requests as they see fit. This kind of relationship has paved the way for the development and rollout of new services. To learn more, email Civicom at inquire(at)civi(dot)com or call +1-203-413-2423. VisualSP has invited Microsoft's Bill Baer to explain the benefits of SharePoint Server 2016, the investments Microsoft has made to improve SharePoint, and why a migration might make sense for an organization. The webinar, titled SharePoint Server 2016: What's in it for Me? will be held February 22, 2017, 12:00 1:00pm EST. During this extensive introduction to SharePoint Server 2016, attendees will learn about the improvements Microsoft has made in: Infrastructure Compliance User Experience Bill will discuss how Microsoft brought innovation from SharePoint Online experiences to the 2016 on-premises server environment. He also discusses the introduction of MinRole to server farm topology, which enables a role-based installation. Baer is also expected to talk about patching without downtime. During the presentation, he'll provide a walkthrough of the hybrid SharePoint experience. He is a Senior Technical Product Manager and Microsoft Certified Master for SharePoint in the SharePoint product group at Microsoft. He was previously a Hewlett-Packard Technology Solutions Group MVP, with a background in infrastructure engineering and enterprise deployments of SharePoint Products and Technologies. VisualSP is inviting all interested parties to this informative live event to find out "What's in it for me?". The company develops contextual, on-demand SharePoint training and help system for on-premises versions, starting with SharePoint 2007. Recently, VisualSP released its cloud training solution for Office 365, which provides guidance for all apps in the suite, including SharePoint Online. To learn more about the Training for Office 365 product, visit visualsp.com. Webinar: SharePoint Server 216: What's in it for Me? Date: 2/22/17 Time: 12:00 1:00 PM EST Register: Save your seat ***** VisualSP has been a leader in e-learning/performance support integration with SharePoint since 2004. The company introduced its on-demand, inline Help System for SharePoint to assist end users in developing mastery over common SharePoint tasks. In 2016, VisualSP expanded its technology solutions to online Microsoft products. The company is led by Microsoft MVP and MCT Asif Rehmani. To learn more, visit http://www.visualsp.com. Michele Rist, Pennsylvania Manager I am excited to watch each of our managers and their teams grow, and to help them achieve their personal and professional goals. Title Alliance Ltd, an ESOP company specializing in title joint ventures, announced today that they have appointed Michele Rist as Pennsylvania State Manager for Title Alliance and their affiliates. Rist was promoted to Corporate Trainer in November of 2015 and will celebrate her 20th anniversary with the company in May. Rist is a long time member of the Title Alliance family. She graduated from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill with a degree in Economics. Her career began in their Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania operation in 1997 as a Sales Associate. From that position, she was promoted to Regional Sales Director and ultimately to District Manager, overseeing 12 of Title Alliances joint ventured operations. In this position, Rist was responsible for overseeing daily operations, measuring key performance indicators and assisting with sales initiatives and closing coverage. Rist then was promoted to V.P. of Title Alliance where her focus was on selling joint ventures. In 2006 Rist became the Director of Sales & Operations for one of Title Alliances lender based joint venture affiliates. In 2010 Rist moved to manage and launch the T.A. of Limerick operation in Limerick PA until her promotion to Corporate Trainer in November of 2015. As Corporate Trainer, Rist worked alongside of Training Director Erika OBrien Mason to create an onboarding experience for new team members. She emphasized what sets Title Alliance apart from the competition and worked to assure that they received a warm welcome to the Title Alliance Family. Rist developed and facilitated the initial contact program with each new employee where she reviewed and covered an introduction to the Title Alliance culture and other housekeeping items. Michele is an incredible asset for our company, says Jim Campbell, CEO for Title Alliance. Her experience in multiple facets of the business make her a strong mentor and leader. He concludes, Michele will work with each of our managers to provide mentorship, guidance and empowerment so that they can really own their joint ventures. I am excited to see how our flagship region, Pennsylvania, grows. I thought long and hard about the opportunity before accepting, says Rist. It was important to me to make certain that I fully understood the expectations of the position and the company goals. She continues, Having sat in a desk running my own joint venture, I understand the pressures that the teams experience on a daily basis and I am able to relate to them on a very different level. I am excited to watch each of our managers and their teams grow, and to help them achieve their personal and professional goals. Title Alliance, Ltd, an ESOP Company is located in Media, PA and has been creating RESPA compliant title joint ventures since 1983 with lenders, mortgage bankers, realtors, builders and credit unions. Their roots date back to 1948 when their first agency, which is still in existence today, was formed. For more information or to find out how a Title Alliance's partnership or title management skills could benefit you visit them online or contact Lindsay Smith at 800-220-3901 x 165. ODU-MAC PORTFOLIO ODU, a worldwide leader in designing and manufacturing high performance connectors, is promoting to the US market its advanced modular hybrid connector solutions designed for high reliability rugged test platforms. The ODU-MAC Portfolio includes: ODU-MAC White-Line that offers manual mating up to 100,000 mating cycles, ODU-MAC Blue-Line - manual mating up to 10,000 mating cycles and ODU-MAC Silver-Line a docking connector that provides more than 100,000 mating cycles for automatic test platforms. Additional features of this product portfolio include: easy and ergonomic mating with unique spindle lock, 34 different modules with high speed, USB, Ethernet, signal, high voltage, high power, high current, fiber optic, coax, pneumatic or hydraulic connections, large variety of housings, cable entries, bulkhead and docking solutions and low mating and demating forces. ODU-MAC Portfolio is ideal for applications such as: Test & Measurement, industrial, medical imaging, rugged environments, high vibration, mobile testing, portable testing, configurable testing, and scalable testing. ODU-USA is vertically integrated and provides in-house molding and custom connector capabilities, cable assembly integrated solutions, competitive lead time, rapid prototyping and product development, local one-on-one engineering support, factory direct. For additional product information go to: http://www.odu-usa.com/products-solutions/odu-mac-modular-connectors.html ODU Group: global representation with perfect connections The ODU Group is one of the worlds leading suppliers of connector systems, employing 1,650 people around the world. In addition to its company headquarters in Muhldorf am Inn (Germany), ODU also has an international production and distribution network throughout Europe, North America and Asia. ODU combines all relevant areas of expertise and key technologies including design and development, machine tool and special machine construction, injection, stamping, turning, surface technology, assembly and cable assembly. The ODU Group sells its products globally through its eight subsidiaries in Denmark, England, France, Italy, Sweden, the US, China and Japan, as well as through numerous international sales partners. ODU connectors ensure a reliable transmission of power, signals, data and media for a variety of demanding applications including medical technology, military and security, eMobility, energy, industrial electronics, and measurement and testing. For press inquiries, please contact: Dana Stoica - Head of Marketing, North America Phone +1 (805) 484-0540 Fax: +1 (805) 484-7458 Email: dana.stoica(at)odu-usa(dot)com Andrews Federal, a $1.4 billion credit union, headquartered in Suitland, Maryland, is currently looking to hire Remote Call Center Agents across the United States. The position is ideal for self-motivated individuals who enjoy member service and the benefits of working remotely. Experience in the credit union industry is preferred. Minimum Qualifications: Proficient in English - bilingual English/Spanish a plus 1-2 years of experience with Episys 1 year of experience in a call center, or financial institution, providing member service High Speed Internet connection (minimum 5 mbps) A hard wired connection from company -provided laptop to your cable modem. NOTE: Wireless Connections are NOT allowed (e.g. Wi-Fi) Our membership is growing, and to continue providing the exceptional level of service to our members, we are looking for qualified candidates all across the country, said Andrews Federals Kristal Wiggins, Senior Human Resources Generalist. Andrews Federal offers a wide range of benefits including competitive and comprehensive health plan, annual bonus for eligible staff, 401(k) match up to 6%, education and training opportunities, flexible work schedules, financial employee resources, and more. Anyone interested in this excellent opportunity can learn more and apply at http://www.andrewsfcu.org. Simply click on the Careers link at the bottom of the page, and view the Remote Telephone Sales & Service Representative job description for complete details. About Andrews Federal Credit Union Andrews Federal Credit Union was founded in 1948 to serve the needs of military and civilian personnel by providing a vast array of financial products and services. With over $1.4 billion in assets, Andrews Federal has grown to serve more than 119,000 members in the District of Columbia, Joint Base Andrews (MD), Springfield, Virginia (VA), Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ), and military installations in central Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In addition, the Credit Union serves as a financial partner with many select employee groups in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and New Jersey. To learn more about Andrews Federal Credit Union and its community involvement, or to become a member, call 800.487.5500 or visit http://www.andrewsfcu.org. In October 2016, more than 7,000 Novant Health team members pledged $1.13 million to their local communities through the Novant Health team member giving campaign, Giving. Serving. Together. The campaign provides an opportunity for Novant Health team members across all Novant Health markets covering a four-state area to join together to make a difference where they work and live. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the support of our communities in order to advance health care to the next level, said Kim Henderson, senior vice president of Novant Health foundation and social responsibility. But how could we ask others to support our mission if we dont do it ourselves? This team member giving campaign demonstrates to our communities that our mission and our organization matter, and that our team members are invested in the work we do. Team members pledged money to their local Novant Health foundation and local community agencies to impact the lives of those who live in their communities, as well as improve the overall health of their communities. Team member pledges support: Employee assistance funds Services at free clinics New technology and updated equipment Patient programming New facilities to better serve patients Assistance for people in need of shelter, food, clothing and personal care Research funding Giving. Serving. Together. participation increased 4 percent from 2015. About Novant Health Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Named in 2016 by Beckers Hospital Review as one of the nations 150 best places to work in healthcare, Novant Health consists of more than 1,380 physicians and nearly 24,000 employees and provides care at 530 locations, including 14 medical centers and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the health system serves more than 4 million patients annually and in 2015 provided more than $706 million in community benefit, including charity care and services. Diversity MBA has recognized the organization as one of the 50 best places for women and managers of diverse background to work and SK&A ranks Novant Health among the top 25 integrated health systems in the nation. Novant Health provides care in Virginia under the joint operating company, Novant Health UVA Health System. For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook. ### Workarea platform admin Our goal with Workarea is to empower growing digital commerce teams who need commerce, content management and data-driven insights in a single platform. Today, WebLinc, the modern provider of commerce and operations management systems, has announced the Workarea Commerce Platform and the launch of its new site at http://www.workarea.com. Formerly called the WebLinc Commerce Platform, Workarea is the only digital commerce platform built on a modern tech stack uniting commerce, content and insights in one application. Our goal with Workarea is to empower growing digital commerce teams who need commerce, content management and data-driven insights in a single platform, explained Darren C. Hill, CEO and co-founder of WebLinc. The efficiencies and flexibility Workarea provides retailers and merchants comes from more than two decades of direct experience working and learning from retailers. This product name change highlights our purposeful evolution and deep understanding of how productive and efficient online retailers can be when they have total control of modern commerce systems. Workarea brings an enhanced interface and intuitive workflows to retailers, brands and merchants. A cloud product by WebLinc, Workarea was designed to meet the demand of digital commerce teams to collaborate, execute and perform with confidence. Embracing modern technologies including Ruby on Rails and MongoDB, the Workarea platform is tailored for team performance so that teams can build revenue-generating online shopping experiences from first click to fulfillment. Key product updates to the unified platform: Commerce: Confidently run mobile-first multisite storefronts, product and catalog management, inventory and pricing, promotions and discounts, order management, and customer service Content: Quickly manage responsive content blocks, image assets, video, blog posts, pages and more within an easy-to-use interface built for today's retail marketer. Site Planner tool allows for all assets to be planned, previewed and staged automatically for release, significantly increasing the agility and impact of existing ecommerce teams. Insights: Discover untapped revenue opportunities through real-time, commerce-tailored, inline analytics that generate insights into a retailers marketing and merchandising efforts. Workarea unleashes the promise of big data for lean teams without dedicated analysts. Today, Workarea is the SaaS platform of choice for growing mid to enterprise-level online retailers and merchants such as Sanrio/Hello Kitty, Do it Best Corp., U.S. Polo Assn., Woodcraft, Costume SuperCenter, Lime Crime, Rachel Roy, and many others. Retailers and merchants looking for creative freedom and flexibility on a modern, unified platform are encouraged to schedule a demo of Workarea at workarea.com. About WebLinc WebLinc helps great retailers sell more. WebLinc develops modern, digital commerce technologies for growing ecommerce-focused teams. The founder-led company is based in Philadelphia with satellite offices in New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto. WebLincs cloud products, Workarea and Orderbot, power commerce sites for dynamic, high-growth retailers including Sanrio/Hello Kitty, Urban Outfitters, Inc.s brands Terrain and BHLDN, U.S. Polo Assn., Do it Best Corp., Woodcraft, Rachel Roy, and others. To learn more, visit http://www.weblinc.com. Have you ever thought how emerging technologies will affect agriculture in the long run to optimize management and profitability? We have seen the implementation of robotic milking machines, brushes for added cow comfort, and automatic calf feeders on dairy farms across the country and world. But, imagine a data system that monitors your cows activities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from lameness and estrous detection to dry matter intake (DMI). With a new technology that recognizes each cow in the barn, this dairy farmers dream becomes a reality. During the California State Holstein Convention in January, Robin Johnston, co-owner of the cow facial recognition system, explained how his companys technology works. In addition, he described how the system is operating on Maddox Dairy. Cainthus is the technology company that created the cow facial recognition system that monitors cattle via cameras located on the roof of the barn. The data is then sent to a server on the farm. The main goals are to utilize the data to maximize production and limit stress levels on the cows. There are many uses for the artificial intelligence system that can be customized for the dairy farms needs. For example, the system detected that the cows at Maddox Dairy are eating three to four hours a day. Steve Maddox commented on how he has already adjusted his herds feed rations and dairy tour routes based on this information. In addition, limiting pen moves for cattle helps keep feed intake consistent across the herd. Maddox Dairy installed the system in the fall of 2016 and sees the system as a success. Currently, the technology has only been developed for Holsteins, but Jerseys are next. The Holstein cows are differentiated from one another by the computer memorizing coat pattern and the markings on their face. Facial recognition for Jerseys in the future may use head shape or ear tag position. This system is just one example of hundreds of new tools that dairy farms are using to adapt to this technological era and ultimately improve their operations. Elise Regusci grew up on her family's farm in Modesto, Calif. Regusci attends Cal Poly University, majoring in dairy science with an agricultural communication minor. On campus, she is the Los Lecheros Dairy Club Ag Council representative and a member of the Cal Poly dairy judging team. Regusci is the current Brown Swiss Youth Ambassador and will be the 2017 Hoard's Dairyman summer editorial intern. Marvin Krislov, president of Oberlin College since 2007, has been unanimously elected the eighth president of Pace University, announced Mark M. Besca 81, chairman of the Board of Trustees. Krislov will begin his duties as president of Pace on August 1, 2017. Krislov, 56, will succeed Stephen J. Friedman, 78, who announced in February 2016 that he planned to step down after 13 years with Pace, including the last 10 as president. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I am pleased to welcome Marvin Krislov as the next president of Pace, said Besca. Pace plays an essential role in the realization of individual dreams of achievement. Our mission is voiced in the motto, Opportunitas, and Marvin embodies it. He is the ideal person to lead Pace into a new era of growth and build on the renewal and revitalization that Pace has experienced under Steve Friedman. Marvin has demonstrated throughout his career the strong, effective, enlightened, and passionate leadership to propel Pace to a new level of impact and stature. Krislov said, I am honored to be chosen to lead Pace University during this exciting period of growth and revitalization as the University advances its position as one of the nations foremost institutions in fostering the leaders of tomorrow. Paces commitment to access and pathways to success for students inspires me. I look forward to joining a community of scholars and leaders who are dedicated to academic excellence and who have such a powerful impact on so many lives. Krislovs selection follows a process that began last March and was led by a 15-member search committee representing trustees, faculty, administrators, alumni, benefactors, and students. The committee spent thousands of hours vetting candidates nominated from across the Pace Community and around the country. The search committee chair, Richard F. Zannino 84, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees, said, Marvin was the committees first and unanimous choice among the many highly qualified candidates we interviewed during our search process. Our goal was to identify a leader who had an abiding affinity for Paces mission of Opportunitas and could further accelerate the remarkable progress and momentum achieved under Steve Friedman. In Marvin, we have found that leader. Zannino stressed the importance of the University community to the search, From the nominations phase through the final stages of this process, this great community showed its enthusiasm for Pace and for the future of the University. The Board and the search committee were buoyed by that interest and passion. It not only helped attract a superb pool of candidates from across the country, but also helped make clear to Marvin the exciting potential of Pace. Krislov comes to Pace after a transformational 10 years leading Oberlin. During his leadership, Oberlin became more inclusive, strengthened its academic programs, improved student outcomes, created new career opportunities for faculty and staff, expanded fundraising and alumni participation, and improved its campus facilities. As a result of Krislovs leadership and vision, Oberlin: Created the Oberlin Access Initiative, which removed the loan burden for hundreds of Pell Grant-eligible students, making the college more inclusive and diverse while enrolling greater numbers of highly qualified low-income, first-generation students. Doubled external grants earned by faculty in the sciences. Secured external funding to expand and strengthen programs that integrate arts and science faculty, conservatory faculty and the art museum, and the arts and technology. Initiated a new era of environmental action and sustainability, including the creation of the Green Arts District. Constructed a new jazz studies building, a new stadium complex, and a new natural gas power plant to replace a coal-fired facility. Acquired and converted the historic Apollo Theatre in downtown Oberlin into a cinema and cinema studies complex, and brought the Toni Morrison Society headquarters to campus. Krislov also has led the most successful comprehensive fundraising campaign in Oberlins history. Its $250 million target was achieved 18 months ahead of schedule, raising a total of $318 million, and dramatically boosting alumni participation. Pace Professor Nancy Reagin, PhD, commented, Im very pleased to welcome Marvin Krislov to Pace as our next president. Marvin is enthusiastic about Paces mission and unique strengths, and he has the skills and accomplishments that we need at this moment in our history. Hell provide effective, collaborative leadership for our community; I am also confident that hell approach all challenges with good judgment and good humor. While serving as president of Oberlin, Krislov has continued to teach and be active in public service. He has taught advanced courses every semester on aspects of law and public policy. In November 2009, he was appointed to the advisory board of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Through his writings, speeches and public appearances, and his service to the NEH, Krislov has raised Oberlins international and national profile. Prior to Oberlin, Krislov was at the University of Michigan, where he had served as vice president and general counsel since 1998. During his tenure there, he led the University of Michigans legal defense of admission policies that recognize the importance of student diversity, which prevailed in a major 2003 Supreme Court decision. Krislov served in the U.S. Department of Labor as acting solicitor from 19971998 and for two years before that as deputy solicitor of national operations. He took the position in the department after serving as associate counsel in the Office of Counsel to the President. Krislov earned a bachelors degree, summa cum laude, from Yale University in 1982, and was named a Rhodes Scholar. He earned masters degrees at the University of Oxford and Yale, and in 1988 earned a juris doctor degree from Yale Law School, where he was editor of the Yale Law Journal. More information on Krislov is available at http://www.pace.edu/presidential-search. Pace Progress Real-world education: Through the Pace Path, the University gives students a real-world education with an integrated combination of strong academics, dedicated mentors, internships, and a customized four-year growth plan for each student. Pace University ranks first in New Yorkand second in the nationat catapulting students from the bottom fifth of income distribution into the top fifth. A 2017 study by the Equality of Opportunity Project ranking Top Colleges by Mobility finds that Pace graduates are out-earning their parents and peers, bucking a nationwide trend for Millennials. Market-ready graduates: 95% of Pace undergraduates who use Career Services are employed within six months of graduation. Expert faculty: 90% of Pace faculty hold doctoral or terminal degrees, and 276 new, full-time faculty have been hired in the last 10 years. Research growth: In 2015, Pace faculty secured 86 public and private grants totaling $7.4 million, including from the National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others. National reputation: Princeton Review ranks Pace as one of the best colleges in the Northeast, U.S. News & World Report ranks the environmental law program #3 in the country, and The Hollywood Reporter ranks the undergraduate and graduate performing arts programs among the 25 best in the world. Stronger campuses: Multi-million dollar investments are expanding and enhancing the student experience infrastructure of the Lower Manhattan and Westchester County campuses. About Pace University: Since 1906, Pace has educated thinking professionals by providing high quality education for the professions on a firm base of liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area. A private university, Pace has campuses in Lower Manhattan and Westchester County, NY, enrolling nearly 13,000 students in bachelors, masters, and doctoral programs in its Lubin School of Business, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Professions, School of Education, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. http://www.pace.edu. ### Contact: Scott Trent, strent(at)pace(dot)edu, 212-346-1152 Royce Sharf and Pat Murphy The addition of this group will support and enhance our local business as well as provide more opportunities for us to serve clients nationally and internationally. Savills Studley, the leading commercial real estate firm specializing in tenant representation, announced today it has acquired Cresa Orange County. The acquisition dramatically increases the companys presence in the region and underscores Savills Studleys ongoing initiative to expand its conflict-free platform across North America. Savills Studley has had an office in Orange County since 1987, founded by Executive Vice President Royce Sharf. He, along with Pat Murphy, former Managing Principal of Cresa Orange County will co-manage the expanded operation. Between the two offices, there will be a total headcount of 56, making Savills Studley the largest tenant advisory group in the region. This talented team has an extensive background in tenant representation, complementing our already formidable presence in Orange County. The depth of resources available to clients will be significantly enhanced by combining the expertise and reach of both offices, said Mark Sullivan, Executive Vice President, Director and Regional Manager of Savills Studley. Savills Studleys existing Irvine office and the former Cresa Newport Beach office will consolidate into a new, single workplace midyear. Together, the group will continue to provide tenant representation, transaction management, project administration and workplace solutions to occupiers across all industries, with a particular emphasis on the aerospace, technology and professional services sectors. Additionally, there will be an enhanced focus on industrial services and the Inland Empire, where the company already has a presence. Both of our firms focus exclusively on representing tenants and by combining forces we are uniquely positioned to take the conflict-free platform to the next level, said Sharf. I have always viewed the Cresa Orange County office as highly respected competitors and look forward to working with them as highly regarded colleagues, leveraging that synergy to the benefit of our clients, he added. Sharf and Murphy have known each other for 30 years. Savills Studley has recently acquired a number of other firms specializing in tenant representation including offices in North Carolina and Seattle in 2016 and San Jose, Palo Alto, Austin and Toronto in 2015. The firm also hired several top-performing teams in New York, Dallas, Phoenix and Denver earlier this year. This acquisition further demonstrates our dedication to continuing to invest in west coast hubs, following our Silicon Valley expansion two years ago, said Savills Studley President Michael Colacino. The addition of this group will support and enhance our local business as well as provide more opportunities for us to serve clients nationally and internationally. About Savills Studley Savills Studley is the leading commercial real estate services firm specializing in tenant representation. Founded in 1954, the firm pioneered the conflict-free business model of representing only tenants in their commercial real estate transactions. Today, supported by high quality market research and in-depth analysis, Savills Studley provides strategic real estate solutions to organizations across all industries. The firms comprehensive commercial real estate platform includes brokerage, project management, capital markets, consulting and corporate services. With 29 offices in the U.S. and Canada, and a heritage of innovation, Savills Studley is well known for tenacious client advocacy and exceptional service. The firm is part of London-headquartered Savills plc, the premier global real estate service provider with over 30,000 professionals and over 700 locations around the world. Savills plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SVS.L). For more information, please visit http://www.savills-studley.com and follow us on Twitter @SavillsStudley and LinkedIn. We introduced the Romarita with its signature salted rim and special shaker more than 20 years ago, and its still a fan favorite deserving of its own special week-long celebration Romacorp, Inc., the parent company of Tony Romas, is taking National Margarita Day to the next level with its week-long celebration of its signature Romarita, culminating with National Romarita Day on February 22nd. The perfect complement to its world-famous ribs, Tony Romas signature line of Romaritas gives fans a real reason to celebrate with a unique twist on the classic margarita. Participating Tony Romas USA locations will offer the Classic Romarita for just $5 between Feb. 15 and 21, with an option to get a little spicy and try the new Cucumber Chili Romarita for just $6.66 a devilishly good deal! Fans can then salt the rim of their week and get over hump day by visiting their favorite Tony Romas on Wednesday, February 22nd to enjoy the Classic Romarita for just $2.22. Not only is the Romarita the signature cocktail of Tony Romas, its the perfect complement to any of our world-famous dishes, from our Baby Back Ribs to our Kickin Shrimp, Onion Loaf and more, said Jim Rogers Chief Marketing Officer for Romacorp, Inc. We introduced the Romarita with its signature salted rim and special shaker more than 20 years ago, and its still a fan favorite deserving of its own special week-long celebration. While many people believe the margarita originated in Mexico, the exact origin and inventor of the margarita is unknown. Many stories say it was first popularized in San Diego about 70 years ago. However, in the 1990s, Tony Romas decided to put its own unique stamp on the traditional drink with the introduction of the popular Romarita. Featuring Sauza Gold tequila and Cointreau, the Classic Romarita is refreshing and tasty in a uniquely satisfying way. Tony Romas fans will also want to spice up their taste buds by trying the devilishly delicious Cucumber Chili Romarita, a new limited-time twist on the Classic Romarita featuring Sauza cucumber chili tequila, Cointreau and agave syrup. Sauza Gold tequila has tantalizing notes of sweet caramel and cooked agave that complement the tangy flavors of Cointreau and provide the perfect balance for our Classic Romarita, said Chef Bob Gallagher, Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage. The Classic Romarita and the Cucumber Chili Romarita are the perfect match to our limited-time Turn Up the Heat menu, and a great way for fans everywhere to celebrate our world-famous Romarita. About Romacorp, Inc. Romacorp, Inc., is the parent company of Tony Roma's restaurants, the world's largest casual dining concept specializing in ribs. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Romacorp, Inc. has more than 150 restaurant locations in more than 30 countries and is one of the most globally recognizable names in the industry. The first Tony Roma's restaurant opened 45 years ago in North Miami, Florida. Tony Roma's is proud to partner with the Make-A-Wish Foundation (http://www.cnfl.wish.org), one of the world's leading children's charities, in an effort to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses across Central and Northern Florida. For more information about Romacorp, Inc. and Tony Roma's, visit http://www.tonyromas.com. Please visit http://www.tonyromasfranchise.com or call (866) 981-0586 for information about Tony Roma's franchising opportunities. We have a longstanding relationship with Professional Education at the University of Utah, and they trust the quality of the education as well as the value we provide their students. Career Step, an online provider of career-focused education and professional training, has partnered with the University of Utah to address a shortage of qualified pharmacy technicians within the universitys health care system. The university will offer tuition-paid Career Step training to current employees interested in becoming pharmacy technicians with the end goal of hiring them upon graduation. We are very excited to be able to bring the University of Utah Pharmacy Department this program, which will grow and develop their employees and contribute to the overall health and success of the entire hospital system, said Dr. Denis Petersen, Director, Professional Education at the University of Utah. Professional Education Pharmacy Tech certificate holders will have the skills needed to excel in entry and mid-level jobs in many different departments in the system. The partnership, which launched Feb. 1, involves Career Step and three groups within the renowned medical university: Professional Education at the University of Utah, University of Utah Health Care Human Resources Department and the University of Utah College of Pharmacy. Through this program, the University of Utah will cover tuition for current employees and provide program participants with opportunities to fulfill the required externship within the University of Utah Health Care system. Once graduated, the students will have jobs waiting for them within the system; the university hopes to fill 60 positions by the end of 2017. The partnership boosts Career Steps existing relationship with the universitys Professional Education department, which already offers six Career Step courses, including the recently augmented Pharmacy Technician program. We have a longstanding relationship with Professional Education at the University of Utah, and they trust the quality of the education as well as the value we provide their students, said Ryan Ewer, Career Step Vice President of Academic Partnerships. When we showed them the updated Pharmacy Technician program, they said it exceeded their expectations. Their initiative to pay for employees to train with the program speaks to its quality, and we look forward to helping the students thrive as they prepare for their exciting new careers. Career Step enhanced its Pharmacy Technician program earlier this year to meet the accreditation requirements of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). This involved adding 115 hours of new curriculum and a mandatory 200-hour externship. The course can be completed in as little as six months with full-time study; students have up to 12 months to finish the program. Upon graduation, students receive a voucher to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. The University of Utah is not alone in facing a shortage of qualified pharmacy technicians. According to reports from the U.S. Department of Labors Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to grow by 9 percent from 2014 to 2024. Although this tuition-paid partnership is exclusive to University of Utah employees, anyone can take the Career Step Pharmacy Technician course through the universitys Professional Education department. To learn more about Career Steps Pharmacy Technician program and other courses offered through the University of Utah, please visit https://continue.utah.edu/proed/academy/certificate/pharmacy-technician-training-certificate or contact the University of Utah Professional Education Department at proed(at)continue.utah.edu or 801-585-1780. About Career Step Career Step is an online provider of career-focused education and professional training. The company has trained over 100,000 students for new careers as well as more than 100,000 healthcare professionals through its various continuing education courses. More than 150 colleges and universities nationwide have partnered with Career Step, and the company provides training for several of the largest and most respected healthcare employers in the nation. Career Step is committed to helping students and practicing healthcare professionals alike gain the skills they need to be successful in the workplaceimproving lives, advancing careers and driving business results through education. More information can be found at http://www.careerstep.com or 1-800-246-7836. New Space Business Plan Competition The Center for Space Commerce & Finance (CSCF), in collaboration with BoomStartup and the Heinlein Prize Trust, will sponsor a shark tank style startup business competition, as the first in a series of regional events leading up to the 2017 NewSpace Business Plan Competition. Salt Lake Citys Business Model Canvas Competition will be a unique program, held in conjunction with local accelerator, BoomStartup. The competition will be held from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on March 8th, at Impact Hub Salt Lake, a high-tech incubator in downtown Salt Lake City. Each business will have 15 minutes to present their business model canvas and answer questions before a panel of judges. The winner of the Salt Lake City regional event will receive a $2,500 cash prize, courtesy of the Heinlein Prize Trust. The winner will also be guaranteed the opportunity to compete at the national NewSpace Business Plan Competition, to be held at the New Worlds Institute Conference in Austin, TX on November 10-11, 2017. This competition will use a unique Business Model Canvas format for deliverables and contestants are encouraged to read the details of the submission process carefully. The competition is intended to simulate the real world process of entrepreneurs soliciting start up funds from early stage investors and venture capital firms. The judges function as venture capital investors deciding on which business venture they would most likely fund. The quality of the companys value proposition, the strength of the Business Model Canvas deliverable, and the clarity and persuasiveness of the oral presentation, all influence the judges decisions. All space startup companies in the Salt Lake City area, or anywhere within the Western United States are encouraged to learn about our application process: http://newspacebpc.com/regional-competitions/ Interested investors, media, students, and anyone who would like to be in the audience, are encouraged to RSVP : https://www.meetup.com/BoomStartup/events/237512918/. To learn more about this and upcoming competitions across the world, sign up for the NewSpace Business Plan Competition newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bF4MBj. About NewSpace Business Plan Competition Originally started as a project of the Space Frontier Foundation in 2006, the NewSpace BPC has awarded over $300,000 in cash prizes to space-enabling startups. Now a product of the Center for Space Commerce and Finance, the NewSpace BPC is expanding its reach, hosting regional competitions and raising investor awareness towards space-related startups. Chosen competitors attend a private, 2-day, Boot Camp session, and make a final pitch to investors at the annual New Worlds Conference where a winner is announced. For more information visit http://www.NewSpaceBPC.com. Subscribe to our updates by clicking here: http://eepurl.com/bF4MBj About BoomStartup BoomStartup is a lean startup accelerator and mentorship-driven seed-stage investment program for technology-based startups, and a founding member of the Global Accelerator Network (GAN). Founded in 2010, BoomStartup is consistently recognized as a nationally ranked accelerator program and has helped raise over $30 million in capital for its companies. BoomStartup's SpaceTech accelerator is designed to bring new aerospace and space-scalable business startups to market. Get started at http://boomstartup.com/ About the Heinlein Prize Trust The Heinlein Prize Trust honors the memory of Robert A. Heinlein, a renowned American author. The purpose of the Heinlein Prize is to encourage and reward progress in commercial space activities that advances Robert and his wife Virginias dream of humanitys future in space. Efforts include: The Heinlein Prize for Accomplishments in Commercial Space Activities, The Microgravity Research Competition, The Heinlein Commercial Space Activity Prize, and The Flight Into the Future international contests. Find out more here http://www.heinleinprize.com The International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP) Second Annual National Conference, The Diversity Gap: From Obstacles to Opportunities has added another reason to attend this prestigious event. The ICMCP Voice joins the first-ever Cybersecurity Minority of the Year Awards elevating the national dialogue on attracting and developing minority cybersecurity practitioners. The ICMCP Voice competition, to be held at the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, March 14, during the National Conference, will provide a venue for chosen ICMCP members to compete for one-on-one interviews with Hiring Managers from one of three sponsoring companies. Participant Criteria 1. Must be a member of ICMCP: Not a member? Click here to join! 2. Must be registered for the ICMCP National Conference (March 15-16 at the Washington Plaza): NOT registered? Click here to register! 3. Must be present on Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Process for Applying The deadline for participant applications to the ICMCP Voice is 5 pm EST on February 24, 2017. To register, go to https://conference.icmcp.org/the-voice-registration.html. The National Conference will also launch the first-ever Cybersecurity Minority of the Year Awards in the following categories: Minority-Owned Cybersecurity Company of the Year Minority CISO of the Year Minority Practitioner of the Year Minority Educator of the Year For award criteria and nomination forms, please visit https://icmcp.org/icmcp-awards-nomination-forms/ or contact kate.shackford(at)icmcp(dot)org for more details. The award nomination deadline has been extended to 5 PM EST on Friday, February 24, 2017. ICMCP is the leading voice and destination for issues related to cybersecurity career and industry developments impacting minority cybersecurity professionals, says Aric K. Perminter, President at ICMCP. Whether you are pursuing a new career path, exploring professional development opportunities or searching to fill cybersecurity gaps within your company, the ICMCP National Conference is the place to make it happen! To view the full ICMCP National Conference program, visit https://conference.icmcp.org/. The ICMCP National Conference is sponsored by Lynx Technology Partners, Conventus Corporation, ADP, Rapid 7, Carnegie Mellon University, Earnst & Young, ISC 2, Symantec, Tenable, Cybervista, IBM, Cloud Security Alliance, Cybereason, HumanTouch, Prevalent and The Santa Fe Group. ### About ICMCP The International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It began official operations in September 2014 and is organized exclusively for charitable purposes, to provide members with educational/technical scholarships, mentoring opportunities, professional development and networking opportunities. For more information or to become a sponsor, please visit https://icmcp.org, follow @ICMCP_ORG on Twitter or visit the ICMCP LinkedIn page. This week, an innovative new Bar Preparation Company, Fortnight Bar Prep, launched its website and its new bar review tool, BarSiege . This review tool consists of a day-to-day outline of how and what to prepare - through the final two weeks before the bar exam. Providing a proven approach to help refine focus, improve memorization and avoid burn-out over the final two weeks of bar exam preparation, BarSiege shows students how to master the final two-weeks before any of the 50 states bar exams, as well as the multi-state and uniform exams. BarSiege acts as the final supplement for all previous review courses and supplies the tools necessary for students to study smarter, not harder when preparing over the final two weeks. It keeps those studying for the bar laser focused and helps them avoid spending too much time trying to figure out what to study, for how long, or how many questions to practice. Simply put: to be successful, students just have to follow the schedule. BarSiege was created by a team of lawyers with over 15 years of experience who found that traditional bar review courses were expensive, overwhelming, and didnt provide students with a road-map of how and what to study during the final weeks leading up to the bar exam. With hour-by-hour instruction, BarSiege is an inexpensive, but effective daily schedule that helps students avoid the stress of cramming over the last two weeks. BarSiege incorporates all topics tested on the bar exam, improving memorization in a broad range of subject matter and offering peace of mind that they are not ignoring any area of the law. Students following the schedule are required to write essays, issue spot essays, and answer multiple choice practice questions, DAILY. BarSiege has been successfully used by students for years and has been proven to prepare students with the competency, confidence, and momentum they need to pass their final exam. BarSiege is available for every examination in the United States, including the District of Columbia for only $24.99. To learn more about Fortnight Bar Prep or to purchase the BarSiege Schedule, visit http://www.fortnightbarprep.com. OneLogin, the identity management provider bringing speed and integrity to the modern enterprise, today announced an integration partnership with Sumo Logics cloud-native machine data analytics service. Through the new partnership, users will be able to use OneLogins enterprise-grade identity and access management solution to enforce login policies across their entire application portfolio, while streaming events to Sumo Logics continuous intelligence service to monitor and visualize user activity and trends over time. The integration will extend Sumo Logic's visibility into logins for laptops (Windows and Macs), SaaS applications, and SAML-enabled Desktop apps. Sumo Logic is a leader in helping enterprises collect and analyze security data across their entire application environment, said Tim Gunderson, vice president of business development, OneLogin. Together, we are in position to give customers real-time, continuous intelligence into user behavior analytics to help modern enterprises better build, run and secure their entire organization. By gaining real-time visibility into user behavior, customers will be better able to understand how security threats could have started within a company, especially when it comes to phishing attacks, which are often the first step in a security breach. The integration will also allow customers to better respond to attacks in progress, as OneLogins event stream to Sumo Logic is significantly faster than a polling integration. Our joint customers use OneLogins leading identity and access management solution as a control plane for accessing cloud based applications and platforms. Combining this critical access and user behavior data with Sumo Logics advanced security analytics solution, provides unparalleled visibility and control for to both Sumo Logic and OneLogin customers, said Randy Streu, vice president of of business development, Sumo Logic. Sumo Logics analytics platform used in combination with OneLogin event streaming equips customers with real-time actionable insights critical to securing their data across users, applications and devices. To encourage customers to try the integration, OneLogin and Sumo Logic will each be offering complimentary versions of their product for their respective customers. The OneLogin for Sumo Logic Plan will include free single sign-on and directory integration to provide customers with secure access to Sumo Logic through SAML SSO and multi-factor authentication while eliminating the need for passwords. The free Sumo Logic for OneLogin Plan will include a free out-of-the-box dashboard for customers with an existing OneLogin account, which will allow users to see OneLogin event data, from logins to application sign-ins. This intel can help OneLogin customers monitor, track and audit data to identify and quickly resolve potential security threats. Resources: Blog Post: OneLogin Integrates with Sumo Logic for enhanced visibility and threat detection OneLogin for Sumo Logic Page: Sumo Logic Single Sign On (SSO) OneLogin App for Sumo Logic: The Sumo Logic App for OneLogin About Sumo Logic Sumo Logic is a secure, cloud-native, machine data analytics service, delivering real-time, continuous intelligence from structured, semi-structured and unstructured data across the entire application lifecycle and stack. More than 1,000 customers around the globe rely on Sumo Logic for the analytics and insights to build, run and secure their modern applications and cloud infrastructures. With Sumo Logic, customers gain a multi-tenant, service-model advantage to accelerate their shift to continuous innovation, increasing competitive advantage, business value and growth. Founded in 2010, Sumo Logic is a privately held company based in Redwood City, CA and is backed by Accel Partners, DFJ, Greylock Partners, IVP, Sequoia Capital and Sutter Hill Ventures. For more information, visit http://www.sumologic.com. About OneLogin, Inc. OneLogin brings speed and integrity to the modern enterprise with an award-winning single sign-on (SSO) and cloud identity and access (IAM) management platform. Our portfolio of solutions secures connections across all users, all devices, and every application, helping enterprises drive new levels of business integrity, operational velocity, and team efficiency across all their cloud and on-premise applications. The choice for innovators of all sizes such as Conde Nast, Pinterest and Steelcase, OneLogin manages and secures millions of identities around the globe. We are headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information, visit http://www.onelogin.com. Susan Houghton promoted to Brooks International's Director of Organizational Development Im very happy to announce the promotions of our Brooks International employees. All of these individuals have made such a positive impact on our organization and we are looking forward to all of their future contributions. Brooks International (http://brooksint.com) recently announced several staff promotions. Kevin Belovsky was promoted to Director of Assessment Quality and Susan Houghton will now be Director of Organizational Development as part of the Brooks leadership team. In the corporate office, Caryn Stumpfl was promoted to Director of Marketing and Communications, also a part of the Brooks leadership team, and Sophia Damasceno will move up as the Marketing and Communications Specialist. Morgan Baker, previous Corporate Operations Administrator has been promoted to the Corporate Operations Manager. The Director of Assessment Quality is a key role within Brooks International. Belovsky (pictured) will provide executive support to Executive Analysts, Account Directors and Managers in the Brooks International Operations Department in the consistent delivery of Assessments and superior client satisfaction. In her new role, Houghton (pictured) will lead and deliver transformational change, bringing executive teams and individuals in alignment with a prescribed outcome. She will conduct organizational development diagnostics such as structured interviews with client executive teams and extracting gaps in expectations. Stumpfl, as the Director of Marketing and Communications, is now responsible for developing and managing the companys annual strategic marketing and communications plans to support the Brooks International mission, goals and objectives. As the Marketing and Communications Specialist, Damasceno will be maintaining the corporate website and social media pages while executing the companys corporate brand strategy and communications program. In Bakers new role as Corporate Operations Manager, he will be responsible for managing all key meetings, from making all arrangements with off-site facilities and working with vendors to all communication and action items. Im very happy to announce the promotions of our Brooks International employees. All of these individuals have made such a positive impact on our organization and we are looking forward to all of their future contributions, said Brooks International Chief Executive Officer Lui Damasceno. For more information, visit http://brooksint.com or call 561.214.8800. ABOUT BROOKS INTERNATIONAL: With corporate headquarters in West Palm Beach, Fla., and sister companies in Toronto, Canada, and London, U.K., Brooks International delivers significantly enhanced profits and predictable business performance to our CEO clients. We partner with industry leading Fortune 500 clients to deliver Execution Excellence, including substantial and sustainable organizational, operational and financial improvements. Visit http://www.brooksint.com, call 561.214.8800 or connect with Brooks International on Facebook or LinkedIn for details. 3dcart is pleased to exhibit at the Miami Small Business Expo. 3dcart is dedicated to serving the small business market with our all-in-one e-commerce solution. 3dcart will exhibit at the Miami Small Business Expo, a day-long conference and trade show, which travels throughout the countrys top cities for small business, brings together industry thought leaders and experts in a hands-on environment that features more than 20+ free business critical workshops and programs along with 100+ interactive booths, demos and brand exhibits. Headlining the event is Bill Walsh, Founder and CEO of Powerteam International with his presentation The 7 Keys to Build a 7-Figure Business in the Inspiration 2020 Showcase Theater. Start-ups and business owners can take advantage of free admission and educational workshops covering online/social media marketing, employee benefit plans, credit and financing, strategies for increasing revenue and team productivity, mentoring, cloud technologies, retirement plans, and more. Small Business Expo expects to have more than 4,000+ registered attendees from across the Miami metropolitan area shopping for business resources, developing business leads, gaining new insights, and networking with peers. Experts tell us that more and more Miami residents are wanting to take the entrepreneurial leap, says event founder Zachary Lezberg, but that the biggest barrier to starting a new business is that people dont think they can he adds, With the program weve put together, we believe our attendees will feel more empowered by the end of the day. 3dcart is pleased to exhibit at the Miami Small Business Expo. 3dcart is dedicated to serving the small business market with our all-in-one e-commerce solution, states Gonzalo Gil, 3dcart CEO. This years Titanium Sponsor: Powerteam International will be joined by Platinum Sponsor: Emerge Anywhere - Office Space Services; and Silver Sponsors: Advance Local, CT Corporation, Host.net, Niche Builders, Rand Internet Marketing, SignOnTheGo, VEDC and ZipLocal. The Miami Small Business Expo will take place at the Miami Convention Center | Riverfront Exhibition Hall 400 SE Second Avenue, Miami, FL 33131 from 9:00 am until 5:00pm. 3dcart will be located at Exhibitor Booth #512. For media inquiries, or complimentary press passes please contact: Alyse Abbe, 212-651-0679, alyse(at)theshowproducers(dot)com. About 3dcart 3dcart (http://www.3dcart.com), located in Tamarac, Florida, is an All-in-One eCommerce solution for retailers to build, promote and grow their online stores. 3dcart's services include the best Technical Support in the industry, 100+ Mobile-Ready Themes featuring the latest technology, order management software, blog, email marketing tools and more. Since 1997, the company has been a leader in the eCommerce market, building online stores for businesses of all sizes. Today, 3dcart supports over 17,000 retailers, is Visa PCI Certified and a Google Partner. About Small Business Expo Small Business Expo is the nations largest small business networking and learning event, and an Inc. 5000 company. Every year, over 100,000 small business professionals and entrepreneurs across the country attend the Small Business Expo in 18 major US Markets to take their business to the next level. The shows owner, Film, Stage & ShowBiz Expo LLC. was founded in 2008 by Zachary Lezberg. The companys headquarters are located at 555 8th AVE Suite 909 New York, NY 10018. For more information, visit http://www.thesmallbusinessexpo.com, call (212) 404-2345, or email: info(at)thesmallbusinessexpo(dot)com . I am person who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically gay. Deal with it. I am person who is uncompromisingly black and unapologetically gay. Deal with it. Alvin McEwen [image: 652353 origin 1]Published by BANG Showbiz English Wes Bentley has thanked Robert Downey Jr. for saving him from drug addiction. The Yellowstone a... 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SelfHelpWorks Cognitive Interventions Our solution is exactly what employers are looking for in today's expensive healthcare climate, and brokers are perfectly positioned to deliver the good news Rising healthcare costs and the latest hike in insurance premiums are squeezing employers, prompting organizations to search for solutions while creating an uncertain climate for benefits brokers. In response, SelfHelpWorks is now partnering with brokers to offer employers a unique cost-cutting solution that is missing from most corporate wellness programs. This gives brokers an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by helping their clients solve an immediate problem. SelfHelpWorks is Americas leading provider of video-based lifestyle and disease management programs. Over the past 15 years it has developed a suite of user-friendly online interventions to help employees eliminate unhealthy, tough-to-break habits that are not effectively addressed by standard wellness programming. The SelfHelpWorks cognitive behavioral training methodology is unique, the results are staggering, and experts consider the interventions the missing link in most wellness programs. By partnering with SelfHelpWorks, benefits brokers have the opportunity to offer their clients a unique benefit that improves workforce health and productivity, reduces absenteeism, and drives down health claims costs. In return, the broker gains a valuable competitive edge for retaining clients, attracting new business and generating more revenue. "SelfHelpWorks is the only suite of video-based cognitive behavioral training programs to target all the major health risks that drive costly chronic diseases, said SelfHelpWorks founder, Lou Ryan. Our interventions are unmatched when it comes to helping employees overcome tough issues like tobacco addiction, obesity, chronic stress, diabetes, or alcohol abuse. They are the most cost-effective method for creating a healthier workforce, which in turn leads to higher productivity and lower healthcare costs. Our solution is exactly what employers are looking for in today's expensive healthcare climate, and brokers are perfectly positioned to deliver the good news." By partnering with individual brokers, SelfHelpWorks intends to create a connection that will truly benefit todays employers. SelfHelpWorks will be showcasing its wellness solution and broker partnering opportunity at the upcoming Orange County Association of Health Underwriters (OCAHU) Business Development Summit in Costa Mesa, CA on February 21st. "It's important to let brokers know that they still have the power to keep their clients happy, even in todays seemingly adverse climate. Partnering with us allows them to gain a strong competitive advantage and take a leap in the right direction," Ryan said. For more information on SelfHelpWorks, their philosophy, and their methodology, the website demo tour is a good place to start. ABOUT SELFHELPWORKS, INC. SelfHelpWorks is the leading provider of online video-based lifestyle and disease management interventions for reducing population health risk. The interventions produce sustained behavior change using an evidence-based cognitive behavioral training approach derived from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). They target important issues such as obesity and unhealthy eating, tobacco addiction, diabetes, chronic stress, alcohol abuse and inactivity. The interventions are primarily offered by corporations interested in improving employee health and productivity, and by top tier value-based health and wellness providers. Users can access them privately and conveniently 24/7 via computer, tablet or smartphone. Neils breadth of experience in growing startups and mid-size software companies will be an invaluable asset as we innovate and modernize the way developers, retailers and brands approach commerce, said Sara Hicks, co-founder & CEO, Reaction Commerce Reaction Commerce, the first completely open and real-time commerce platform for modern retailers, today announced that Neil Patil has been named Chief Operating Officer. Neil will report directly to Sara Hicks, co-founder and CEO of Reaction. As COO, Neil will work closely with Sara to oversee the companys day-to-day operations and assume responsibility for the sales, marketing, client success, product management and business development teams. Neil is a tech industry veteran who, like Reaction Commerce, holds quality and collaboration in the highest regard, said Sara. Neils breadth of experience in growing startups and mid-size software companies will be an invaluable asset as we innovate and modernize the way developers, retailers and brands approach commerce. With an extensive background in retail and ecommerce, Neil brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in all areas of management, including sales, product management, marketing, customer lifecycle optimization, and organizational planning and scaling. Prior to joining Reaction, Neil was president of Fluids software group, where he led overall strategy, operations and development of the companys software products. He was responsible for managing and growing the companys overall SaaS business of digital retail solutions, which resulted in exponential subscription revenue and customer base growth. He also led the creation of the world's first artificial intelligence-based platform (Fluid XPS - Expert Personal Shopper) for brands to communicate with and present personalized content to consumers. Fluid XPS was recently acquired by IBM. Before Fluid, Neil held numerous top marketing and product strategy roles at public and private companies, including Brio Software, Activant Solutions (merged with Epicor), Oracle and Overtone (acquired by Kana, now Verint). Retailers and brands are saddled with ecommerce platforms that were built before the iPhone and Facebook, said Neil. Thats why I jumped at the opportunity to join Reaction Commerce. Im looking forward to helping our customers realize what theyve been chasing after: a modern, open platform capable of easing daily operations, achieving real-time performance and delivering unique personalization experiences. About Reaction Commerce Reaction Commerce is a modern and open commerce platform built for the scale and simplicity required by todays business owners, designers, and developers. Reaction is the first intelligent and easily customizable cloud solution to provide real-time merchandising, pricing and promotions, and live monitoring of conversions. The full-stack platform is internationalized and localized, architected for shops and marketplaces, and is the largest JavaScript commerce project on GitHub, with developer interest growing more than 232 percent year over year. Their managed cloud solution has now seen over 14,000 signups. Reaction Commerce is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. For more information, visit reactioncommerce.com or email hello(at)reactioncommerce(dot)com. As weve continued to expand globally, weve seen significant growth and demand for our products in Continental Europe and we intend to continue our investment in the region Freshdesk, the leading provider of cloud-based customer engagement software, today announced the opening of a new European data center in Frankfurt, Germany. The Frankfurt data center will backup data in Germany, adding an extra level of security as Freshdesk's customer base continues to grow within Europe. Customer data security is exceptionally important to Freshdesk, said Arun Mani, Managing Director Continental Europe at Freshdesk. After opening our office in Berlin last year, we prioritized getting the data center up and running so that we can provide the level of protection our local customers need. The new data center, ISO 27001 certified, allows for both local and global Freshdesk customers with a European presence to host their data in Europe. Freshdesk products are already localized for multiple European markets so customers can use the SaaS products in the language they are most comfortable. Customers are also able to manage billing in Euros, making billing seamless and easy to manage in the local currency. Freshdesk opened their Berlin office in June of 2016, led by Mani. The team has quickly grown to 15 team members in order to support the needs of customers in Continental Europe. The company now has 100,000 customers and five offices across the world. As weve continued to expand globally, weve seen significant growth and demand for our products in Continental Europe and we intend to continue our investment in the region. continued Mani. The SaaS company will be a main sponsor at this years CCW Conference & Trade Show for Customer Service and Contact Centre where a range of products and product developments will be presented. Leading up to CCW, Freshdesk will host its second Customer Happiness Tour in Berlin on Monday, February 20 with speakers from Berlin School of Digital Business, celexon, idealo, Perdoo and Ringier AG. To register for this event, please visit: http://customerhappinesstour.com/events/2017/berlin/20-feb/ To learn more about Freshdesk or start a free trial, please visit: http://www.freshdesk.com About Freshdesk Freshdesk Inc. is the leading provider of cloud-based customer engagement software. Freshdesks suite of products include the flagship product, Freshdesk, which allows organizations to support customers through email, phone, websites, forums, and social media; Freshservice, a cloud-based service desk and IT service management solution; Hotline.io, an in-app support and engagement platform for mobile-first businesses; and Freshsales, a CRM solution and sales system for high-velocity sales teams. With powerful features, an intuitive interface and a freemium pricing model, Freshdesks products are widely used by teams and companies of all sizes, from SMB to enterprise. Based in San Bruno, California, with offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia and India, Freshdesk is backed by Accel, Tiger Global Management, CapitalG and Sequoia Capital India. The company has over 100,000 customers around the world including 3M, Honda, Bridgestone, Hugo Boss, Schneider Electric, Toshiba and Cisco. For more information, visit http://freshdesk.com. IXIASOFT ...DITA is shifting from technical writers to a much wider audience such as engineers, SMEs ... said Eric Bergeron, IXIASOFT CEO. The DITA CMS web platform is ... using the companys full knowledge to optimize technical documentation quality... IXIASOFT, a global leader in the Component Content Management Systems (CCMS) marketplace, announced today the availability of a new, intuitive web platform which extends the reach of DITA CMS to non-technical writers. Integrating these users into the documentation process and fully leveraging their knowledge will result in increased content accuracy and overall team productivity. By using the DITA CMSs new web platform, organizations will: Facilitate the contribution of content: content contributors will find it easy to provide content through a very intuitive web interface Streamline the review process: documentation review processes often require many back and forth between users and are not performed in the context of a controlled environment. The new web platform will make it easy to track changes which is imperative within regulated industries. Optimizing user experience was a key driver when designing the new IXIASOFT DITA CMS web platform. It truly connects employees together and enables them to easily engage in the documentation process. Gaz Metro has many contributors that need to be included in the documentation process. These people fall into a number of categories including trainers, firefighters and engineers. One thing they all have in common: they dont know DITA and never will! They really need a tool that is easy to use and intuitive said Raymond Bissonnette, Senior Advisor, Learning & Training. We are currently testing IXIASOFTs new web platform which we believe fits the bill! From what weve seen so far: its a slick product and will be a valuable addition to our toolchain. The DITA CMS web platform offers: Microsoft Word-like experience intuitive interface allowing anyone to easily create and edit content, track changes, add comments and manage images No DITA knowledge required DITA complexity is hidden from the users User-friendly interface easy-to-use web platform for optimized collaboration between technical writers and SMEs/engineers/reviewers Studies have shown that DITA is shifting from technical writers to a much wider audience such as engineers, support teams, SMEs and reviewers said Eric Bergeron, CEO of IXIASOFT. The DITA CMS web platform is all about using the companys full knowledge to optimize technical documentation quality, in an easy and efficient way. About IXIASOFT: Founded in 1998, IXIASOFT is a trusted global leader in the XML content management software industry. Its signature product DITA CMS is an award winning, end-to-end component content management solution (CCMS) that has been deployed by industry leaders such as SAP, Qualcomm, Ericsson, AMD and BlackBerry. From authoring to reviewing, localizing and publishing, DITA CMS provides all the tools required for large, global organizations to support their entire DITA documentation process. IXIASOFT is also the developer of TEXTML Server, a native XML database and powerful search engine. IXIASOFT solutions are accessed by thousands of users worldwide in various vertical markets such as software, hi-tech, newspaper, and medical device manufacturing. For more information, please visit ixiasoft.com or connect with IXIASOFT on Twitter and LinkedIn. Already a DITA CMS user? Join the IXIASOFT DITA CMS User Group on LinkedIn. "AJMC is proud to once again host the ACO & Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition Meeting ." - Dr. Jeff Prescott The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), the No. 1 ranked journal in managed care by Google Scholar, will host its spring ACO & Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition Meeting on May 4-5, 2017, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The meeting will once again focus on some of the most relevant issues impacting managed care. In making this announcement, Senior Vice President of Managed Markets, Jeff Prescott, PharmD said AJMC is proud to once again host the ACO & Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition Meeting which topics on the forefront of accountable care and some of the most pressing issues facing managed care professionals are shared and discussed. In this ever-changing political environment, it is imperative we stay up-to-date and engage with practice and business leaders in order to create proactive and effective health care strategies. The coalition chair, Anthony Slonim, MD, DrPH, CPE, FACPE, president and chief executive officer of Renown Health, will moderate the event. Every year AJMC is committed to improving and strengthening the agenda which includes panel discussions on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal [or remodel] and its expected impact. Other topics to be shared will include cyber and data security, public-private partnerships, conceptual framework for addressing social determinants of health. The coalitions goals include gathering experts who handle everyday best practices and strategies for care management and gain an understanding in developing successful ACOs. Additionally, this meeting will identify key components of transition-of-care programs in regards to patient and physician engagement and protocol development. About The American Journal of Managed Care: The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) is a peer-reviewed, MEDLINE-indexed journal that keeps readers on the forefront of health policy by publishing research relevant to industry decision makers as they work to promote the efficient delivery of high-quality care. AJMC.com is the essential website for managed care professionals, distributing industry updates daily to leading stakeholders. Other titles in the AJMC family include The American Journal of Accountable Care, and two evidence-based series Evidence-Based Oncology and Evidence-Based Diabetes Management. These comprehensive offerings bring together stakeholder views from payers, providers, policymakers and other industry leaders in managed care. To order reprints of articles appearing in AJMC publications, please contact Dr. Jeff Prescott at (609) 716-7777, x331. This year's winner of the Valentine's Give-a-way is Karl Wabrowetz and his wife, Darcy. Thank you SelfLube so much for the Valentine's Day roses. My wife absolutely loved them! For customer appreciation, leading U.S. manufacturer of mold and die components, SelfLube, invites its customers every year to participate in its Valentine's Give-A-Way. This year's winner is, Karl Wabrowetz, Visual Manufacturing Administrator of BTM Company, LLC located in Marysville, MI. Lucky in contest and lucky in love, Karl had his winning roses delivered to his wife, Darcy of 28 years. "Thank you SelfLube so much for the Valentine's Day roses. My wife absolutely loved them. When she got them, she assumed one dozen, but quickly realized that it was too big for that," explains Karl. "They now sit on our kitchen table where we will enjoy them. You guys are great." SelfLube would like to thank those who participated in this year's give-a-way. The business and relationships that have been built are greatly appreciated. "The Valentine's Give-a-way is something our team looks forward to every year and our customers enjoy it as well," says Jordan Fifelski, SelfLube Marketing Specialist. Those who sign up can either have the roses sent to themselves or they can have them delivered to someone of their choice. "Everyone is very enthusiastic to sign up and this is one more way for us to show appreciation for the relationships we build with our customers. It is these types of things along with our customer service and quality components that keeps customers coming back." SelfLube is an ISO 9001:2008 registered company with a record of eight straight years of annual audits with zero non-conformances. The company sells mold and die components directly to shops throughout North America that are used in molds, dies and special machines. Its product line consists well over 10,000 part numbers and includes wear plates, wear strips, bushings, gibs, trunnion lifter slides and many other related items. SelfLube would like to thank its customers again for participating in this year's give-a-way. Netelligent recognized four straight years as a CRN MSP500 awardee By anticipating the technology needs of our clients, our engineers design and implement the best possible hybrid solutions backed with the best services, shares Aaron Stone, CEO and president, Netelligent Corporation. Netelligent Corporation, a technology solutions company, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Netelligent to its 2017 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Elite 150 category. This annual list recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services. Their offerings help companies navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of IT, improve operational efficiencies, and maximize their return on IT investments. In todays fast-paced business environments, MSPs play an important role in helping companies leverage new technologies without straining their budgets or losing focus on their core business. CRNs MSP 500 list shines a light on the most forward-thinking and innovative of these key organizations. The list is divided into three categories: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB market; the MSP Elite 150, recognizing large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on-premise and off-premise services; and the Managed Security 100, recognizing MSPs focused primarily on off-premise, cloud-based security services. Netelligent provides clients with hybrid IT solutions that best fit their business needs. Through a Netelligent Innovative Session (NIS), Netelligent defines a strategic IT transformation solution for their clients and takes a neutral approach to develop customized and optimized IT solutions. Netelligents IaaS, DRaaS, HCS, DaaS solutions are Cisco certified. Additional certifications include, Cisco Master Unified Communications, Cisco Master Managed Services, Cylance, SimpliVity, Nimble Storage, VMware and Riverbed. Managed service providers play an increasingly important role in the day-to-day operations of businesses across North America, said Robert Faletra, CEO of The Channel Company. MSPs help organizations streamline their spending, effectively allocate limited resources, and benefit from advanced expertise in the latest technologies. We congratulate the service providers on CRNs 2017 MSP500 list, who have continually succeeded in meeting their customers changing needs and help them get the most out of their IT investments. By anticipating the technology needs of our clients, our engineers design and implement the best possible hybrid solutions backed with the best services, shares Aaron Stone, CEO and president, Netelligent Corporation. Our key differentiator in the MSP market is our unique ability to engage clients through an indepth investigation and analysis that strategically transforms and optimizes their business with customized hybrid IT solutions. We are pleased and honored to have this honor bestowed upon Netelligent for the fourth year in a row. The MSP500 list will be featured in the February 2017 issue of CRN and online at http://www.CRN.com/msp500. Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook About Netelligent Netelligent Corporation is a technology solutions company. Netelligent provides companies with the basic technologies they need to run their business (phone system, servers/virtualization, disaster recovery, security, networking, and video). Our mission is to help elevate business above technology. We take a neutral approach in helping to determine what IT consumption model best benefits each clients organization (on-premises, managed, or cloud services). Founded in 2003, Netelligent is headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri and two data centers located in Denver and St. Louis. Netelligent is a Cisco Gold Partner and SOC II Certified. Additional information about Netelligent can be found on their website http://www.netelligent.com. Copyright 2017. The Channel Company, LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Moran Family of Brands, one of the nations leading franchises of general automotive repair, transmission repair and auto accessories, has recently been recognized by some of the top ranking systems in the franchising industry. Mr. Transmission/Milex Complete Auto Care was ranked in Entrepreneur Magazines Franchise 500, the worlds first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Recognized by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500 places Mr. Transmission/Milex as #474 for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate, and brand power. We spend months gathering and crunching data in order to produce the Franchise 500 ranking. Were proud of the result and the way it continues to be a resource for the franchise community, said Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur. Like every industry, franchising is ever-evolving and must smartly react to new technologies and consumer demands. We know it takes a lot to stay competitive, and are excited to celebrate those that do it best. Over its 38 years in existence, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for entrepreneurs. Mr. Transmission/Milexs position on the ranking reinforces its strength in the industry. In order to reflect the evolving business world at large, we at Entrepreneur continue to evolve our annual ranking, too, said Ryan Shea, president of Entrepreneur. Weve developed new ways to measure and analyze our collected data as new critical data points come into play. We take into account pertinent factors such as social media presence and financing availability, which have become increasingly important in todays economy. The result is a more complete and relevant Franchise 500 that can serve as a valuable resource for our readers. To view Mr. Transmission/Milex in the full ranking, visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February issue of Entrepreneur available now on newsstands. Moran Family of Brands was #55 in the FranchiseRankings.com list of Best Franchise Opportunities for February 2017. FranchiseRankings.com is the leading provider of reviews and ratings on franchise opportunities. The site uses an independent research team to conduct in-depth analysis of the performance of each franchise. The rankings identify the key strengths and competitive advantages of the leading franchises across a variety of industries. Mr. Transmission/Milex was listed #93 on the Franchise Gator Top 100 franchise rankings of 2017. The annual ranking of top franchise opportunities is based on factors such as financial stability, growth, transparency, continuity and sustainability. Franchise Gator created the Top 100 list to recognize the best up and coming franchise opportunities with strong growth potential that are also an affordable investment for the average franchise buyer. We are very proud of the recognition Moran has received in the franchising space to begin 2017, said Peter Baldine, President of Moran Family of Brands. It is a tremendous validation of the growth and success of the brand and the performance of our outstanding franchisees. ### About Moran Family of Brands: Moran Family of Brands is one of the nations leading franchisors of general automotive repair, transmission repair and automotive accessory centers. Based in Midlothian, Illinois, Moran Family of Brands provides specialty products and services in virtually every aspect of the automotive aftermarket through four individual brands and a total of more than 120 franchise locations nationwide including: Mr. Transmission, The Professionals; Alta Mere The Automotive Outfitters; and Milex Complete Auto Care centers and SmartView Window Solutions. For more information on Moran Family of Brands visit http://www.moranfamilyofbrands.com. Tabitha Croscut Devine Millimet, a regional business and litigation law firm, announced today that Tabitha Croscut has joined the firm as a shareholder and chair of the firms ESOP Team. Tabitha is nationally known in the area of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) utilized most predominantly as liquidity and ownership succession strategies for business owners. We are very excited to have Tabitha join Devine Millimet because she brings a combination of expertise, depth of experience, and national reach that will expand the firms existing ESOP and ERISA practices, said Steve Cohen, chairman of the Devine Millimet M&A Team. Her wealth of experience and network of relationships in the industry at the local, regional, and national level make her an excellent fit for Devine Millimet, and the firms M&A platform will benefit both her existing and prospective clients. Tabithas current clients include large and small ESOP companies like Harpoon Brewery in Boston, Mass., and Gardners Supply in Burlington, Vt. Tabitha serves as counsel in a variety of capacities. She helps to guide companies in structuring and implementing ESOP transition plans, as ongoing general counsel to operating ESOP-owned companies, and also advises internal and external trustees regarding the acquisition of shares and their fiduciary responsibilities as trustees. Devine Millimet is deeply rooted in New England and has a stellar reputation, and Im excited to be part of their experienced team, said Croscut. Ownership transition and succession planning are important and growing facets in todays business landscape. I look forward to providing more extensive capacity and support for these services at Devine Millimet to guide clients through the nuances and complexities of the ESOP process. Tabitha frequently speaks at ESOP conferences throughout the U.S. and is a thought leader on ESOPs. As an ownership transition advisor she develops planning and liquidity strategies that help keep companies local. She is a past president and current director for the Vermont Employee Ownership Center. She is also an active member of The ESOP Association and the National Center for Employee Ownership, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Employee Ownership Foundation. A magna cum laude graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law, Croscut is admitted to practice law in New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and New York. Tabitha can be reached at (603) 695-8542 or at tcroscut(at)devinemillimet.com. About Devine Millimet Devine Millimet & Branch is one of the largest and most active business and litigation law firms in the region, serving its clients and communities since 1947. At the firms historic headquarters in Manchester, NH- and with regional offices in Concord, NH, Portsmouth, NH, Boston, MA, and Burlington, VT- Devine Millimets professional staff provides counsel to individuals, businesses, and nonprofits in nearly every industry. In addition to its award-winning legal services, Devine Millimet also provides strategic consulting, lobbying, public finance services, and crisis management counsel as part of its government regulation practice and Devine Strategies strategic consulting group. For more information, visit http://www.devinemillimet.com. Eisenhower Fellowships (EF) has selected 26 global leaders from government, business and civil society to embark on a seven-week fellowship in the U.S., engaging in a transformative exchange of knowledge and ideas with the leading minds in their fields. These Fellows, representing 23 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania, will participate in EFs spring Global Program from April 3 to May 19, 2017. General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), chairman of Eisenhower Fellowships, said these mid-career leaders advance the mission of the premier 63-year-old fellowship program to enhance international understanding and promote peaceful dialogue. These impressive men and women will serve as outstanding international ambassadors as they travel around the United States and take their place in the Eisenhower Fellowships global network of influential leaders, said General Powell. Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, vice-chair of EFs Board of Trustees, said this springs Fellows are innovative leaders who apply multi-disciplinary approaches to problem-solving and seek collaboration across geographic borders. They are diverse, they are dynamic and they are doers, Whitman said. We are delighted to help them acquire new perspectives that will allow them to leave their mark on society. George de Lama, president of Eisenhower Fellowships, noted that these Fellows will come to the U.S. at an uncertain time around the world when American engagement with the international community is more important than ever. These ascendant leaders will connect with Americans from all fields in a thoughtful, substantive exchange that will help build bridges and tear down walls, de Lama said. The 2017 Global Fellows are thought leaders in agricultural policy, education, health, entrepreneurship, communications, artificial intelligence, music and arts education, immigrant integration and public services. The 2017 Global Fellows are: Cecilia Aversa | Argentina International Cooperation Advisor, Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation Sue-Ern Tan | Australia Manager, Access, Shell QGC Daniela Mendez | Brazil Country Manager, IE Business School Chen Dali | China Director, Division of American and Oceanic Affairs, Ministry of Education Jamie Lin | Chinese Taipei Founding Partner, AppWorks Jonathan Malagon | Colombia Vice President of Economic and Technical Affairs, Colombian Banking Association Natalia Ponce de Leon | Colombia President, Natalia Ponce de Leon Foundation Harri Ketamo | Finland Chairman of the Board, Headai Ltd. Katharina Kurz | Germany Managing Director, Braukunst Berlin GmbH (BRLO) Moses Tia | Ghana Executive Director, Savannah Young Farmers Network Sangeetha Madhu | India Director, Chennai Institute of Learning and Development Swati Sharma | India Special Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, New Delhi Teguh Dartanto | Indonesia Director, Undergraduate Program in Economics, University of Indonesia Benedetta Berti | Israel/Italy Fellow, Institute for National Security Studies Kyungsang Yu | Korea Vice President of Global Strategy, SK Planet Anita Ahmad | Malaysia Senior Vice President, Community Development, Hasanah Foundation Fatima Mohammed | Nigeria Founder, LikeMinds Project Jawad Khawaja | Pakistan Joint Secretary, Establishment Division, Government of Pakistan Richard Gakuba | Rwanda Founder and Director, Health Systems Innovations Diana Mpyisi | Rwanda Founder and Director, Blue Oceans Subramaniam Eassuweran | Sri Lanka Deputy Chairman, Eswaran Brothers Exports Chevaan Daniel | Sri Lanka Group Director, The Capital Maharaja Organization Fredrik Bruhn | Sweden CEO, Unibap Dolorosa Gitagno | Tanzania Regional Manager, Pathfinder International Selim Dundar | Turkey Attorney/Partner, Dundar Sir Law Office Thanh Bui | Vietnam Managing Director, SOUL Corporation EF brings together innovative leaders from across geographies and sectors, visionaries who tackle big challenges to better the world around them. Since 1953, nearly 2,000 mid-career leaders from 55 countries have benefited from the unique, customized experience of an Eisenhower Fellowship. Successful candidates for EF programs are exceptional leaders, around 32-45 years old, eager to advance their personal and professional growth. They commit to lifelong engagement with the organization and its nearly 1,500 active Fellows around the world. Fellows apply what they learn from their peers and in their meetings with experts in their respective fields to maximize their potential and produce sustained impact through their fellowship experience and collaboration within the EF global network. ### Eisenhower Fellowships identifies, empowers and connects innovative leaders through a transformative fellowship experience and lifelong engagement in a global network of dynamic change agents committed to creating a world more peaceful, prosperous and just. CONTACT: Jane Grabias Director, Fellowship Programs Eisenhower Fellowships jgrabias(at)efworld(dot)org +1-215-965-1738 Austal USA proudly hosted the christening of the nations 16th littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Tulsa, here Saturday, Feb. 11. Tulsa (LCS 16) is the sixth LCS in Austals 11-ship contract, worth over $3.5 billion. With its shallow draft of 14 feet, the Austal-built Independence-variant LCS is an advanced high-speed and agile 419-foot aluminum trimaran combat ship that combines superior seakeeping, endurance and speed with the volume and payload capacity needed to support emerging missions. We are proud to provide an awesome combat ship to our nations incredible sailors. One that will honor the great city of Tulsa as she defends our nation around the globe, said Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle. Were equally excited to share this celebration with an amazing patriot in Kathy Taylor who has served veterans and active duty military in so many ways, and now infuses her spirit as the sponsor into this incredible ship and her crew. Taylor was Tulsas 38th mayor and is currently Chief of Economic Development for Tulsas sitting Mayor, G.T. Bynum. Her administration hired the first veterans liaison in the Mayors office, helped establish the first veterans court in the nation, formed the Tulsa Veterans Advisory Council and worked with local colleges to increase veteran enrollment and completion of college. In 2006, Taylor visited all branches of the United States Armed Forces as a member of the U.S. Department of Defense civilian task force traveling throughout the Middle East. She later partnered with Tulsas 211 Service Helpline to improve communication about services and benefits available to active duty military and veterans. Traditionally, the christening of a ship is where the ship's sponsor blesses the ship by breaking the bottle of champagne on the bow of the ship and ceremonially gives the ship its name. The roll of sponsorship represents a lifelong relationship with the ship and her crew. The future USS Tulsa (LCS 16) will launch in mid-March and is scheduled for delivery in 2018. She has a maximum speed of more than 40 knots, a voluminous 28,000 square foot mission bay, and a flight deck capable of simultaneously holding two H-60 helicopters. Austals LCS program is maturing fast with five ships delivered and six ships under construction. Omaha (LCS 12) will conduct builders sea trials later next month. Manchester (LCS 14) is also preparing for trials. Final assembly is well underway on Charleston (LCS 18) and modules for Cincinnati (LCS 20) and Kansas City (LCS 22) are under construction in Austals module manufacturing facility. The company has also been contracted by the U.S. Navy to build 12 Expeditionary Fast Transport ships (EPF). Of the 12 ships included in the $1.9 billion multi-ship contract, seven have been delivered. -ENDS- About Austal Austal is a global defense prime contractor and a designer and manufacturer of defense and commercial ships. For more than 27 years Austal has been a leader in the design, construction and maintenance of revolutionary ships for governments, navies and ferry operators around the world. More than 255 vessels have been delivered in that time. Ships Defense vessels designed and built by Austal include multi-mission combatants, such as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the United States Navy and military high-speed vessels for transport and humanitarian relief, such as the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ships for the U.S. Navy and High Speed Support Vessel (HSSV) for the Royal Navy of Oman. Austal also designs, constructs, integrates and maintains an extensive range of patrol and auxiliary vessels for government agencies globally, including the Cape Class Patrol Boat Program for Australian Border Force. Defense vessels are designed and constructed in Mobile, Alabama and in Henderson, Western Australia. Austal has been at the forefront of the high-speed ferry market since the early days of the industry. Our market leading designs of high performance aluminum vessels have long been at the heart of Austals research and development. Today, commercial ship construction is centered on our shipyard in Balamban, Philippines. Systems Austal has expertise in integrating complex systems into its ships, including ride control, ship management, and communication, sensors and weapon systems. Support Austal provides a wide range of support services, including through life support, integrated logistics support, vessel sustainment and systems support. These services are delivered through our global support network in the USA, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East together with partner shipyards worldwide. ENDS Follow Austal USA on: Flickr | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Further Information: Austal USA Press uspress(at)austalusa(dot)com (251) 445-5911 There are plenty of tasty opportunities for visitors in Westchester County this March. With over 100 Westchester restaurants participating, Hudson Valley Restaurant Week offers diners every cuisine imaginable, said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. The County is also thrilled to be participating in New Yorks MapleFest this spring. Bring the whole family for a pancake breakfast and discover how Maple Syrup is made right here in Westchester. Fit for Foodies The most popular foodie event is back. Spring Hudson Valley Restaurant Week takes place March 6th 19th. Over 100 Westchester County restaurants will be participating in HVRW from classic favorites to brand new spots. Participating restaurants offer a three-course, prix fixe dinner menu for $32.95 per person (plus tax, beverage and gratuity) and may offer a three-course lunch menu for $22.95 per person (plus tax, beverage and gratuity). For more information on Spring Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, visit https://www.valleytable.com/hvrw. A Sweet Spring Celebrate New York's Maple Fest Weekend March 18-19 and 25-26. Visit White Oak Farm, the only commercial producer in Westchester County and the closest sugar house to New York City offering visitors tours of the beautiful sugar house and the opportunity to learn how maple syrup is made. No registration necessary for tours. Complete your sweet experience by enjoying a delicious pancake breakfast at Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center, which is just up the road from White Oak Farm. Advanced registration is required for Pancake Breakfast. Visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/128237 to purchase pancake tickets. Stay and Play Enjoy spectacular views at The Inn on The Hudson. Through February 28th, winter rates are 20 percent off. For more information visit, http://www.innonthehudson.com/ At The Ritz-Carlton New York, Westchester, luxury hotel packages allow visitors to experience everything that makes the hotel unique. The Ritz Carlton has several special offers this spring including the Reconnect Package and the Discover With You Package. Visit http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/new-york/westchester/offers for more information. The Westchester Marriott is offering many opportunities for rest and relaxation. Visit their spa or enjoy delicious dining at Ruths Chris Steak House. Find out more information at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-deals/nycwe-westchester-marriott/ Crabtrees Kittle House offers The Lovers Stay at the Cozy Inn all February long. Enjoy a four course or six course chefs tasting menu and a night at the historic inn. Pricing and more information is available by visiting http://www.kittlehouse.com/lovers-special/ For the latest events and happenings in Westchester, log onto http://www.visitwestchesterny.com, like us on Facebook (facebook.com/westchestercountytourism), follow us on Twitter @westchestertour or call 1-800-833-9282. View our new insta travel guide by visiting: https://www.instagram.com/visitwestchesterny/ To view the Westchester County Destination Guide, please visit http://bit.ly/2cCFErf About Westchester County Tourism & Film Tourism & Film is Westchester Countys official destination marketing organization. Its mission is to generate economic benefits by enhancing the image and promoting Westchester County as a premier business and leisure destination in the Hudson Valley region. The Tourism & Film Office in Westchester County is a division within County Executive Robert P. Astorinos Office of Economic Development. Penn Community Bank is proud to introduce a new program to bring no-cost financial literacy programs and convenient banking services to local businesses and schools while supporting Bucks County nonprofit organizations. Workplace Connections is a bank-at-work program that brings more benefits, including free financial educational workshops, to area employers and their employees. In addition, for every employee who signs up through Workplace Connections, Penn Community Bank will donate $10 to one of five area nonprofits: the Bucks County Opportunity Council, Bucks County SPCA, Central Bucks Family YMCA, Family Service Association of Bucks County, or Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County. This is just one more way that Penn Community Bank demonstrates its commitment to serving the local community. One of our key initiatives here at Penn Community Bank is to foster and strengthen partnerships with local businesses and community organizations, said President and CEO Jeane M. Coyle. Workplace Connections enables us to offer great benefits to the employers who are driving our local economy while also supporting the nonprofit organizations that strengthen our communities. As part of Workplace Connections, Penn Community Banks financial experts will visit area employers to provide on-site financial literacy workshops and promote direct deposit enrollment, which can help reduce payroll administration costs. The bank will provide custom promotional materials and an orientation for new employees. Employers that participate in Workplace Connections also will be eligible for the Small Business Spotlight, which highlights a participating local business at Penn Community Banks branch offices. Anyone who opens a new free checking account as part of Workplace Connections will get a cash bonus deposited into the account. Paychecks can be deposited directly and enrollment can be completed on-site at work no need to make a special trip to the bank. As a local, independent mutual financial institution, Penn Community Bank exists to serve our community, said Jacob A. Iampietro, Senior Vice President and Director of Retail Banking. We know that giving back matters. Workplace Connections is a way for us to help workers increase their financial wellness while also supporting the missions of the nonprofits that focus on making Bucks County a great place to live, work and play. To learn more and to find out how the program can benefit your workplace, contact WorkplaceConnections(at)penncommunitybank(dot)com. About Penn Community Bank: Penn Community Bank holds more than $1.8 billion in assets and employs more than 300 people at 22 bank branches and two administrative centers throughout Bucks County, Pennsylvania. As an independent, mutual financial institution, Penn Community Bank is not publicly traded and operates with its long-term mission in mind: to help businesses grow and prosper, to support individuals and families throughout their lifetimes, to strengthen the local economy, and to partner with local organizations to act as a catalyst for positive growth in every market it serves. # # # We are at a critical point in time for sexual and reproductive health and rights globally The United Nations Foundation today announced a fellowship to Guatemala for a select group of journalists who write for U.S.-based outlets to focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights during the week of March 27th, 2017. In close coordination with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), international and local non-government organizations, government ministries and other partners with in-country expertise, the fellowship will offer unparalleled opportunities to learn directly from community health workers, reproductive health experts, and officials from the Ministry of Health and the United Nations. Participating journalists will observe family planning service delivery, comprehensive sexuality education, gender-based violence prevention and response, and initiatives to prevent unintended adolescent pregnancy and support maternal and child health. Journalists will also have the opportunity hear directly from girls, women and their families. In Guatemala specifically, there have been incredible efforts to address the health and rights of girls and women, particularly for indigenous peoples that tend to be the most marginalized. While there has been progress, the impacts of the Zika virus have cast a new light on long existing inequalities related to access to critical sexual and reproductive health services, education and protection from violence. Guatemala continues to have one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in Latin America with severe implications for girls and womens ability to plan their futures and thrive. We are at a critical point in time for sexual and reproductive health and rights globally. Traveling with the UN Foundation to Guatemala will allow journalists to explore these dynamics first-hand, and to meet the girls, women, families, community health workers, and UN experts who are striving for change, said Seema Jalan, Executive Director of the UN Foundations Universal Access Project. This fellowship is intended for journalists who write for U.S. outlets and do not have regular access to key experts in Guatemala, but are interested in sexual and reproductive health and rights globally, gender equality, international development, and the work of the United Nations. The application deadline is March 1, 2017. To apply, click here. For more information please contact sjiwani(at)unfoundation(dot)org. ### About the United Nations Foundation The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the worlds most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual donors. Learn more at: http://www.unfoundation.org. The Childrens Place has helped so many young people in our area overcome child abuse and begin the healing process, and our goal is to ensure they can continue providing these crucial services Cindi Heal & Associates, an Anchorage area firm offering asset protection services and financial planning assistance to families and business owners in the Matanuska Valley region, is announcing a joint charity event in conjunction with The Childrens Place to raise funds and support for victims of child abuse. Alaska currently ranks the highest in the nation for substantiated child abuse cases. Since 1999, The Childrens Place has helped improve outcomes for area children by working with government agencies, law enforcement, and area volunteers to build a safe and nurturing facility that provides a central location for the case work, evaluation, and treatment of children victimized by child abuse. The Childrens Place has helped many young people in our area overcome child abuse and begin the healing process, and our goal is to ensure they can continue providing these crucial services, says Cindi Heal, founder and acting director of Cindi Heal & Associates. With the help of her professional team, Heal is making connections with nearby families, civic leaders, and business owners over social media and email to help galvanize support for The Childrens Place. Further efforts to generate support for the ongoing charity drive will include a full length feature article scheduled for publication in Our Hometown, a local interest webzine hosted by Cindi Heal & Associates: http://cindiheal.com/magazines/. Cindi Heal & Associates is one of the newest members of Agents of Change, a nationwide charity support network. As part of this membership, Heal and her team plan to work with and support new charitable organizations in the Anchorage area on a semi-annual basis. Readers that want to help provide for local victims of child abuse are invited by The Childrens Place and the Cindi Heal & Associates team to follow this link and take action in support of the charity event: http://cindiheal.com/causes/place-heard-place-helped/. Additional information on future charitable organizations and nonprofit agencies sponsored by Cindi Heal & Associates will be provided on the agencys permanent Community Causes listing: http://cindiheal.com/community/. About Cindi Heal & Associates As a Personal Finance Representative in Palmer, agency owner Cindi Heal knows many local families. Her knowledge and understanding of the people in her community ensures that clients of Cindi Heal & Associates are provided with an outstanding level of service. Cindi and her team look forward to helping families protect the things that are most important - family, home, car and more. Cindi Heal & Associates also offers clients a preparation strategy for achieving their financial goals. To contact an expert at Cindi Heal & Associates, visit http://cindiheal.com/ or call (907) 746-0505. US Cyber Vault Unveils Future of Managed Cybersecurity Services at HIMSS 2017 As weve seen time and again in the healthcare world, the cost of cyberattacks are just too great to ignore. Our new managed security services unburden IT teams to ensure their data is secure. US Cyber Vault, the proven cybersecurity leader helping companies protect, detect, and respond to cyberattacks, today announced its new managed security services that secure companies sensitive customer data and intellectual property in advance of HIMSS, the largest U.S. healthcare IT event, taking place February 19-23. Usually, something has to break before you realize you have a problem, said Robert E. LaMear IV, Founder & CEO, US Cyber Vault. However, as weve seen time and again in the healthcare world, the cost of cyberattacks are just too great to ignore. Our new managed security services powered by our next-generation infrastructure and seasoned counterintelligence agents unburden IT teams to ensure their data is secure. Companies Save 90% on Cybersecurity Costs with US Cyber Vault Managed Services Technology companies are under significant market pressure to innovate quickly, often at the expense of cybersecurity. Securing sufficient funding and talent resources remains an issue. A recent study of Chief Information Security Officers found 80 percent of companies still have inadequate cybersecurity funding, while 51 percent cannot cite a dearth of available cybersecurity professionals. Bureau of Labor statistics estimate 2 million cybersecurity jobs will remain unfilled by 2019. US Cyber Vaults managed security services deliver security operations center, analyst, counterintelligence and incident response capabilities rapidly, enabling companies to save up to 90 percent on traditional cybersecurity costs. 24/7 Security Operations Center: Extend existing SOC engineers and analysts with US Cyber Vaults software, runbooks, and dashboards. Security Analysis: Augment existing IT security analyst teams and scale resources quickly and easily to analyze threats in real time. Cyber Counterintelligence: Investigate cyber war attacker techniques, tactics, and procedures (TTPs) to identify hackers, stop existing attacks, and prevent future attacks. Rapid Incident Response: Build up incident response teams (IRT) by filling skills or personnel gaps in forensics, exploit analysis, or threat containment and removal. To learn more, visit the US Cyber Vault website. US Cyber Vault at HIMSS US Cyber Vault is a leading sponsor of the Cyber Security Command Center at HIMSS 2017 in Orlando, FL - Feb 19-23 both in the Cybersecurity Command Center at Kiosk #376-13 and in the flagship booth 487 right next to the Command Center. Event activities include: A session led by Edmund Cronin, VP of Business Development, CyberThreat Team: 5 Steps to Create Your Healthcare Cybersecurity Dream Team at 11:30am ET on Wednesday, February 22 at booth #376. An exclusive VIP Vault lounge, where attendees can meet the US Cyber Vault executive team in a sophisticated atmosphere. Space is limited. Drawing to win The Crown Jewels: a blue topaz necklace, earrings and ring set, held at 1pm ET on Wednesday, February 22 at booth #487. US Cyber Vault will also recap the lessons learned and bring clarity to the cybersecurity news coming from the event to help you navigate a post-HIMSS world. Register now for an exclusive webinar at 11am ET on Thursday, March 9. About US Cyber Vault US Cyber Vault brings the cybersecurity industrys most seasoned counterintelligence agents and next-generation infrastructure to provide a 24/7 secure managed service that protects, detects, and responds to cyberthreats to secure your data. To learn more, visit http://www.uscybervault.com. US Cyber Vault Media Contact Heather Newman Vice President, Business Development US Cyber Vault Email: heather.newman(at)uscybervault(dot)com Tel: 314-300-6000 All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners. Weve been serving the Florida community for several years now and feel the same we way we did when we opened up. We are a 'local first' glass repair service in West Palm Beach February 18, 2017. West Palm Beach, Florida Express Glass and Board Up, glass repair professionals serving West Palm Beach and all of Palm Beach County at http://www.expressglassfl.com/fort-lauderdale-glass-window-repair/, is proud to announce a new blog post. As wedding season approaches, the company has renewed a commitment to being the best in glass repair and replacement services for the Florida area. Weve been serving the Florida community for several years now and feel the same we way we did when we opened up. We are a 'local first' glass repair service in West Palm Beach, explained Yani Santos, general manager of Express Glass. Our new pledge is to continue offering the best glass repair service for West Palm Beach. Our new blog post reflects this renewed vow as a 'local first' small business in the county. To read the new blog post for a commitment to glass repair please go to: http://www.expressglassfl.com/blog/business-glass-repair/west-palm-beach-business-glass-repair-keepin-local/. For more information about glass repair services, visit http://www.expressglassfl.com/glass-repair/. Details for residential and commercial glass repair as well as 24/7 emergency glass repair can be reviewed, whether city-specific or not. Express Glass Vows To Offer the Best in Glass Repair for West Palm Beach Weddings in West Palm Beach can be a popular choice for young couples. Lovely beaches and the mildly tropical weather can add to the dream scenario a bride and groom desire. While a happy couple makes plans, the wedding planner and supporting staff may be committed to offering the best experience. Providing a ceremony to remember can take hours of pre-planning and organization. If a venue requires sprucing up prior to the nuptials, it could include checking all patio doors and windows for cracked or broken glass. At that moment, the commitment to a perfect wedding day may be extended to a top glass repair service. Express Glass, an expert glass repair service in West Palm Beach has recently announced a renewed commitment to the affluent Florida community of West Palm Beach. Since opening, the business has made it a priority to offer the best in glass repair for all occasions. To avoid the danger of broken window and patio glass at a wedding, a quick inspection from an expert glass repair technician can help. Checking sliding glass doors for a smooth glide and stable glass can help ensure the safety of wedding guests. If a reception becomes too lively and glass is shattered before the last dance, 24/7 emergency glass repair can be provided as well. West Palm Beach brides and the surrounding community can rely on Express Glass, a dedicated glass repair service, to be around for the long run. The new blog post articulates this "local first" philosophy. About Express Glass and Board Up Express Glass and Board Up Service Inc. is a family owned and operated glass repair business with more than 20 years of experience. Their professional technicians and the large variety of inventory make Express Glass the top glass repair service. If customers are looking for West Palm Beach glass repair or Ft. Lauderdale glass repair as well as glass repair in Delray Beach or West Palm Beach glass repair, please reach out to the company for a free estimate. If customers need a 24/7 Sliding Glass Door repair service in Ft. Lauderdale or Boca Raton or Miramar, technicians are standing by. The company specializes in sliding glass door repair and window glass repair; technicians will handle any glass replacement situation efficiently. Home or business glass repair is the company's main priority. Express Glass Repair and Board up http://www.expressglassfl.com/ Rathje & Woodward, LLC On January 27, 2017, a three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin permanently blocked the state's redistricting plan that denies voters the ability to elect lawmakers of the political party of their choosing, to the legislature. (Case: 3:15-cv-00421-bbc). This ruling by the court ensures that new, constitutional maps will be in place for the next state legislative elections. Whitford v. Gill is the first case in 30 years that allowed a partisan gerrymander challenge to go to trial. The case was tried in May 2016, and on November 21, 2016 the court issued an opinion and order holding the 2011 Wisconsin redistricting plan to be an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The courts subsequent ruling on January 27, 2017, enjoins the state from holding elections under the 2011 redistricting plan, and gives the state until November 1, 2017, to enact a redistricting plan that meets all constitutional and other legal requirements. The state will now decide whether to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. According to court documents, lead plaintiff Bill Whitford and the other 11 plaintiffs in the case are represented by Douglas M. Poland of Rathje & Woodward, LLC's Madison, Wisconsin office, along with co-counsel at the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) in Chicago and Washington, D.C.; Peter G. Earle; Michele L. Odorizzi of Mayer Brown; and Nicholas O. Stephanopoulos of the University of Chicago Law School. Should Whitford v. Gill reach the Supreme Court, it will provide the nations highest court the opportunity to set a legal standard on partisan gerrymandering for the first time. Doug Poland of Rathje & Woodward, LLC, who served as co-lead trial counsel, released the following statement: The November 1, 2017 deadline means the legislature has plenty of time to hold hearings with broad participation from Wisconsin citizens. There is no excuse for limiting participation by all interested parties to draw a fair map in an open and transparent process. The time for cloaking the process in secrecy has ended. The plaintiffs, their lawyers, and all of Wisconsin, are watching. CLC Director of Voting Rights and Redistricting Gerry Hebert, also co-lead trial counsel, released the following statement: This is truly another monumental victory for the plaintiffs in this case and for all Wisconsin Voters. Today, the court made a clear statement that holding yet another unconstitutional election under Act 43 would cause significant harm to the voters. The Wisconsin legislature has continuously demonstrated a disregard for the rights of the voters and an inability to craft a fair, legal redistricting plan. In drawing a new plan, the legislature must put voters first, not partisan politics. Rest assured that our plaintiffs will continue to be involved in this process, monitoring the legislatures actions and assuring that the new plan meets all the legal requirements. Bill Whitford, the lead plaintiff in the case, released the following statement: Im very pleased with this decision. Today is a good day for Wisconsin voters, and another step in the journey of ensuring that our voices are heard. Now, we will be keeping a watchful eye on the state legislature as they draw the new maps and I ask them, for the sake of our democracy, to put partisan politics aside and the interests of all voters first. Dale Schultz, former Senate Majority Leader, released the following statement: Wisconsin citizens deserve clarity, and potential candidates need to know what districts they would be running in, said former Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center), who co-chairs the Fair Elections Project. The court is making the right decision to implement their verdict, and we are pleased that Wisconsin is on its way to having honest elections. I hope the Legislature chooses to conduct this new map-drawing process in an open, transparent manner, heeding the concerns of multiple federal panels. Sachin Chheda, Director of the Fair Elections Project, released the following statement: Yet again, the federal courts have ruled clearly - Wisconsins district maps are an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander, they violate the rights of millions of Wisconsin citizens, and its time to move ahead and draw new maps, said Sachin Chheda, Director of the Fair Elections Project, which helped organize the lawsuit. This is a victory for democracy and we look forward to a process to draw these maps that engage the community and invite public participation. About Rathje & Woodward, LLC: The law firm of Rathje & Woodward, LLC was founded in 1938. The firm is committed to providing top quality legal services to businesses and individuals throughout the Midwest and nationwide. Rathje & Woodward, LLC has office locations in Wheaton, Illinois and Madison, Wisconsin. The experienced attorneys handle a broad variety of litigation, real estate matters, business employment, municipal, and general counsel engagements. For more information about Rathje & Woodward, LLCs specific practice areas and attorneys, or to discuss your legal matter, call 630-668-8500 or visit http://www.rathjewoodward.com. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Home Regional News East Cookies What are cookies ? How do we use cookies? How to control cookies? Managing cookies in your browser see what cookies you have got and delete them on an individual basis block third party cookies block cookies from particular sites block all cookies from being set delete all cookies when you close your browser X A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. 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A mother turns her sons bedtime ritual into a picture-book story and sends the manuscript to a single publishing house, where its plucked from the slush pile by an editor who signs up the book, and it becomes a bestseller. This was the serendipitous publishing path of Sherri Duskey Rinkers Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, released by Chronicle in 2011. Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, the book reveals cheerful construction vehicles wrapping up their busy day and settling down to sleep. Now, these big machines rev up again and get some help from a new crew of vehicles in Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, out this month from Chronicle with a 250,000-copy first printing. The concept for Goodnight, Goodnight, which has sold 1.3 million copies and spawned a handful of novelty spin-offs and a newly published board book edition, was quite literally homegrown. Rinker, who worked as a graphic designer when her sons, now 11 and 16, were younger, recalled that she was always exhausted when her kids bedtime rolled around, and her second son did not make the nightly routine easy. At the age of two, he was obsessed with trucks, and only wanted to read books about them and talk about them, and even mentioned them in his goodnight prayers, said the author. By the time we were done, he was wired and not at all sleepy. And one night I got this idea, and I told him that even dump trucks and bulldozers have to sleep at night, and we got into the habit of talking about trucks finishing their last tasks of the day and falling asleepand that worked! One night, after Rinker tucked in her sons and settled into that place between being awake and asleep, that bedtime ritual took on a new life for her. I suddenly shot up in bed, and thought, Oh my goshthis could be a book! and I immediately jotted down the title, she said. And images of the construction vehicles popped into my head, and I immediately sketched them. After completing the manuscript for Goodnight, Goodnight, Rinker submitted her story to Chronicle, inspired, she said, by the Chronicle books that were on my kids bookshelves, which had a high production quality that I, as a graphic designer, found very appealing. I also made a list of other publishers Id send the book to when Chronicle said no, since I thought there was not a chance Id get an offer. Happily, she was wrong. At an editorial meeting in fall 2009, Mary Colgan, then a Chronicle editor, discovered Rinkers script in a stack of unagented submissions, and asked her colleague, Melissa Manlove, if she thought the story might be something. The answer was yes, and Colgan acquired the book. She then approached Tom Lichtenheld (who had illustrated Amy Krouse Rosenthals 2009 Duck! Rabbit! for Chronicle) about illustrating Goodnight, Goodnight. Rolling Out the Big Machines Lichtenheld, who has never lost his boyhood interest in drawing trucks, signed on without hesitation. I like drawing vehiclesIm attracted to anything with wheels, he explained. I was grateful to Chronicle for making the leap to ask me, since my work on Duck! Rabbit! was so very different. I hadnt done a book for a pre-K audience before, and this one sounded like fun, so I jumped right on it. In preparation for creating the art, Lichtenheld first photographed various construction sites, a process he found inspiring. I came to realize there is a certain beauty to construction sites, especially at sunset and at night, he said. They have a beautiful lighting to them. And I came across a sketch by a Disney background artist that made me aware that cities glow from beneath in the dark, and appear to float at night. I was really taken with that aesthetic. To create the pictures for Goodnight, Goodnight, Lichtenheld drew on dark paper with opaque crayons rather than using the more traditional dark medium on white paper. That process gave the book its glow, he explained. I also decided the art should have a gritty feel, so I played around with textured paper. The style evolved from experimenting, and I realized, looking at lots of pictures, that construction vehicles from the 1940s and 50s are much more interesting than modern ones, so I gave the vehicles a more classic style. Rinker and Lichtenheld, who also collaborated on 2013s Steam Train, Dream Train for Chronicle, were cautious about doing a Goodnight, Goodnight sequel, and deliberated for quite some time before deciding to create Mighty, Mighty Construction Site. We did not want to do a sequel for the sake of doing a sequel, Rinker said. Tom and I explored some story ideas, and then I thought about having a new crew of construction vehicles join up with the original crew. That premise really came from being a parent, and watching my kids in playgroup or at school, playing with trucks and building things. I realized that is a group activity, and a team effortand so the idea for the second book developed organically from that. The process of creating Mighty, Mighty was far more collaborative than that of its predecessor. Rinker and Lichtenheld, who live close to each other in suburban Chicago, met frequently at a local coffee shop to work on the book. Wed get together, and I sketched while Sherri wrote, the illustrator recalled. We were happy to find a new idea that we were both excited about. I think the most fun part of collaborating on a project is when youre just starting out, and know that anything is possible. That is such a creative and pure part of the book process. Senior editor Manlove, who acquired and edited Steam Train and Mighty, Mighty after Colgan left Chronicle, praised the collaborators for their commitment to their workand to their audience. Sherri and Tom care deeply about the quality of their books, and really try to honor the lives of children, she said. They envisioned their new book as a kind of parallel to a childs play date, suggesting kids can build bigger and more imaginative worlds when they put their imaginations together. The collaborators and their editor are noncommittal when asked if a third Construction Site book might be in the cards. There are some ideas floating out there, and I believe in never saying never, Rinker said. We are hoping for another book, Manlove added, but it matters to all of us that each project have its own self and its own reason for being. So were taking it one step at a time. Mighty, Mighty Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illus. by Tom Lichtenheld. Chronicle, $16.99 Feb. ISBN 978-1-4521-5216-5 Legendary author Roald Dahl (19161990) was, very literally, an idea man. He was forever jotting noteskernels and tidbits that might one day grow into a story. To celebrate that creative process, on March 1, the Roald Dahl Literary Estate, Penguin Young Readers, and Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, alongside Langley Park Productions and Neal Street Productions, are kicking off Roald Dahls Imaginormous Challenge, an idea contest that encourages U.S. kids and their teachers not to imagine small, but imaginormous, and come up with their most inventive story ideas. Chocolatier Willy Wonka, featured in Dahls 1964 classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its subsequent film adaptations, as well as the new Broadway musical, leads the Challenge as he seeks five new golden ticket winners from among the contest submissions. Luke Kelly, managing director of the Roald Dahl Literary Estate, and Dahls grandson, explained what sparked the Challenge. Much was written during last years centennial celebrations for my grandfather on how his stories came about, Kelly said. He had a number of Ideas Books in which he would write down the countless ideas that came to him. He would never let an idea get away. He once said that he wouldnt pounce on an idea, but instead wait until the right moment to grab it and start sharpening his pencils. Often, Kelly noted, those ideas would take years to grow into the stories that we recognize and love today. At the Estate, he said, we felt that this approach to creativity could be harnessed to excite children across the U.S.: that no matter how small their story idea, they have the potential to turn it into something extraordinaryjust like the seeds of my grandfathers ideas. And so the Imaginormous Challenge was born. We work very closely with the Estate, said Jed Bennett, senior director, preschool and young readers marketing at Penguin Young Readers, and one thing we are always talking about is how we can elevate Dahls name and brand in the U.S. so that schoolchildren will know about the wonderful books he created. And, like Kelly, Bennett believes that Dahls creative methods are inspirational, a window for readers into his fictional world. We are fascinated with his process, Bennett said. He jotted two or three words, or two or three sentences, or a drawing in his notebook. Many times these brief thoughts and doodles turned into the great stories we know and love now. The initial idea for the contest was raised during a routine brainstorming session at Penguin Young Readers: Wouldnt it be great to share with kids that you dont just sit down and write a novelit all starts with an idea. The Challenge is patterned after the great contest in Dahls Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in which five lucky children who find a golden ticket wrapped inside a Wonka candy bar win a tour of Willy Wonkas chocolate factory. In the Imaginormous update, Mr. Wonka is looking to award five new golden tickets, and, with the help of his friends and advisorsthe Challenge partnerswill select the five ticket recipients from among those children who submit story ideas. The five grand prize winners will receive a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Wonka-fy their story idea in a very big way: A Theatrical Creation: The team behind the Broadway musical Roald Dahls Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which begins performances March 28 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, will turn one winning story idea into a theatrical creation. A Hollywood Pitch: One winner and their family will be flown to Hollywood to pitch their story idea to an executive at Warner Bros. Animation. An Immersive Minecraft World: A team of Minecraft gaming engineers will reimagine a winning story idea as a playable Minecraft experience. Become an Author: Author Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark and Grimm; The Inquisitors Tale) will pair up with one winner to develop their story idea into a short book. A Candy Creation: One winners idea will be turned into an edible creationa 3-D printed piece of candywith the help of the team at Dylans Candy Bar, the famous confectionary shop (which also sells candy-inspired lifestyle products) whose flagship store is in New York City. Roald Dahls Imaginormous Challenge is open to children ages five-to-12 in the U.S. Contestants may submit their story ideasno more than 100 wordsbetween March 1 and May 31, 2017. Complete rules can be found here. And 2017 is only the initial year of the Challenge, which is planned to be an annual contest, though specific prizes or partners may change in the future. The Imaginormous Challenge isnt just a one-off program, Kelly said. This is being devised as an annual Challenge for U.S. schoolchildren, and our goal by 2020 is to have inspired one million new story ideas. Our central vision at the Estate is that one day, every child will unleash the extraordinary power of their imaginations through Roald Dahls stories. According to Bennett, Penguin Young Readers will do the lions share of the judging for contest entries, employing teams from editorial, marketing, and sales. We have editors that have a keen eye and know what to look for in a good story, he said. This judging process gives the contest an air of legitimacy because the entries are essentially being reviewed by an editorial board. The submitted entries will be whittled down to roughly 1020 finalists per prize category, and then Penguin will work with the participating partners for each prize to select the five final winners who will receive Mr. Wonkas tickets. Author Gidwitz is enthusiastic about playing his part in the Challenge. Roald Dahl is my favorite author to this day, he said. I always tell kids that when they ask me, and its true, that Ive read Matilda 13 times and The BFG nine times. When Penguin asked me about this contest I said Ill participate in every event youve got! As for what he might look for in a winner, Gidwitz said he wants to keep an open mind. I will not have any preconceived notions about what is good, he said. If you had told me about a story where all the action takes place in a chocolate factory with a crazy chocolate maker, I would have been mighty skeptical. So Im not going into this with any notion about what a good story is. But if it makes me laugh and has good suspense, something like that could be a winner. Gidwitz has experience workshopping ideas with kids and believes that working with his prize winner will take a similar tack. Ill help them put some meat on the bones of their idea and then get their story out to the world, he said. He imagines there will be no shortage of entries, especially with such an impressive list of prizes. When I saw some of these prizes, like a Hollywood movie pitch, maybe Ill be submitting some of my own stories under a pseudonym, maybe Timmy Adam Gidwitz, age 10, he joked. Though plans are still in the works, Bennett anticipates announcing the five Challenge winners on June 14. The winning children will be visiting New York City August 46, where they will see the musical Roald Dahls Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and go on a tour of places mentioned in Dahls books, as well as sites that Dahl frequented in the city. From August 710, the winners will travel to London (sponsored by Norwegian Air) and the nearby Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, located in the authors home village of Great Missenden, among other things. In addition to the story idea submissions from young readers, the Challenge contains key components to involve educators and parents in the fun. The Roald Dahl Literary Estate is teaming with Scholastic on a national campaign that will provide print materials to 160,000 teachers and four million classrooms, as well as provide digital outreach to 12 million parents, teachers, and children. The Estate will also partner with Penguin Young Readers to create teaching resources that align with the U.S. curriculum. Everything is planted firmly and soundly in Dahls backlist, which will be woven throughout all our Challenge materials, Bennett said. Additionally, Post-It, another key sponsor for the Challenge, is giving teachers the opportunity to win Post-It Brand educational materials, and teachers can also enter to win a Roald Dahl library of books valued at $500 from Penguin Young Readers. We take pride in breathing new life into books published 30, 40, 50, years ago, Bennett noted of his companys ongoing support of Dahl. Its an honor to be the steward of these stories for the next generation. And with a contest like thisto see your invention come to life as a candy from Dylans Candy Bar or as a Broadway performancethose are experiences money cant buy. Its pure imagination in the words of Willy Wonka. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Europa Editions and Other Press are taking three independent booksellers to the Turin International Book Fair. Last year, Europa sent bookseller Ariana Paliobagis from Country Bookshelf in Bozeman, Mont. to the Frankfurt Book Fair. Now, the publisher is collaborating with Other Press to send three independent booksellers to the Turin International Book Fair (May 18-22). We think it is a great way to give booksellers the opportunity to experience a foreign book fair first-hand, to take in the culture and, hopefully, reinforce their commitment to selling literature in translation and from abroad, Sophia Franchi, coordinator of the program, told PW. Dubbed the International Bookfair Scholarship (IBS), the program which is also being run in partnership with Europas Italian publishing partner Edizioni E/O will cover all expenses associated with attending the Turin Book Fair. In addition, the booksellers will be invited to participate in panels, networking, and curate a part of a 345 sq.-ft. pop-up American style independent bookstore that will be part of the show floor. Well have Europa and Other books for sale, said Franchi, and the booksellers will be invited to put their own mark on the store as well. Scholarship recipients will be chosen based on applicants supporting statements about their interest in selling and engaging with international literature and the ideas they have for bringing international literature to the attention of more readers. Applications are being accepted until March 1 and can be made by visiting www.internationalbookfairscholarship.com. According to Franchi, more than 50 booksellers have applied so far. This article has been updated. James C. Jim Parker, a longtime Ingram Book Company employee who retired in 2002 as senior executive vice president, died of cancer on February 12 in Columbia, Tenn. He was 77. After graduating from the University of Alabama, Parker served a stint as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army before beginning a brief career in academia. In 1974, Parker began to work for Ingram Industries in Nashville as a warehouse worker; by his retirement in 2002, he had been named a senior executive v-p at the company. Parker's work at the company included assisting in the development of books on tape and audiobooks. Parker is survived by his wife, Carese; his children Stewart and Andrew; daughters-in-law Sara and Kristin; and others including siblings and grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, February 16, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Columbia, Tenn. Military honors will be provided by the United States Army Honor Guard. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has appointed Jack J. Lynch, Jr. as CEO, president, and a member of the board of directors. Lynch succeeds Linda Zecher, who resigned as CEO in September after five years at the company. Lynch has a long history in the educational and technology fields. He is currently CEO of Renaissance Learning, which operates in the K-12 learning analytics space. Lynchs background includes being the founding CEO of bigchalk.com, an education network serving 40,000 schools, and serving as president and CEO of the Pearson Technology Group. Prior to joining Renaissance, Lynch was a member of the executive board of Wolters Kluwer. Commenting on Lynchs appointment, Lawrence Fish, chairman of the HMH board, said Lynch brings an uncommon set of K-12 education and technology experience along with an outstanding track record generating exceptional returns for investors. He is the right leader at the right time as HMH and the education industry continue to transform and evolve. Indeed, Lynch will have his challenges. HMH, like many educational publishing companies, has struggled with the slow and often rocky transition to greater use of digital materials in schools. For the first nine months of 2016, HMH had a loss of $103 million, compared to a loss of $36 million in the same period in 2015. The company will report results for the full year next week. HMH is exceptionally well positioned to lead the education industry in the rapid transition to digital and highly personalized learning experiences, Lynch said in a statement. Educators today are seeking solutions from companies they can trust to improve student outcomes, and HMH is well positioned to meet that need. Lynch will join HMH in the next few weeks after he wraps up his duties at Renaissance Until he moves to the company. L. Gordon Crovitz, a member of the HMH board, will continue to serve as interim CEO. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. NEW YORK (AP) President Donald Trump's first weeks in office have spawned anxiety and arguments at workplaces, forcing some owners to protect peace and productivity. BetterWorks CEO Kris Duggan has noticed a drop in productivity at his Redwood, Calif., software firm, with staffers distracted and having less energy as some of their focus has shifted to politics. "They're wound up, thinking about what march they're going to," he said. Duggan said he's aware employees aren't getting much rest on weekends. Instead of decompressing, they spend time on social media, sharing content that makes them uneasy. While divided feelings over Trump's policies and personality affected workplaces before the election, owners say there now are more discussions that can turn disruptive. Plenty of workplaces haven't had issues or say their employees feel reassured by the new president; others say staffers have been subdued and distracted. Human resources consultant David Lewis said he has been getting calls from small businesses asking how to handle discord among staffers and keep them working constructively. "People have stopped working with each other in the same way. They've changed their opinions of their co-workers," said Lewis, CEO of Operations Inc., based in Norwalk, Conn. "Clients have seen, in some situations, open arguments." At his own business, Lewis sent a message to staff saying the firm has a positive culture with employees working together, but acknowledging political passions could hurt that culture and create an atmosphere that would make people not want to work there. He asked staff members to think about each other's feelings and the company's well-being before any political conversations. He also asked that such conversations "be carefully considered in advance and handled with the utmost level of sensitivity and care." Some companies see staffers happier. The five employees at MasterMind, Stephen Twomey's website design and marketing company in Traverse City, Mich., have been upbeat since the inauguration. "Knowing that we have a president who puts the safety of Americans at the forefront of their policy lets them rest safer," he said. After the Trump administration's travel restrictions were issued, staffers at Lou Hoffman's marketing company in San Jose, Calif., started worrying about a co-worker who's applying for a green card. The staff has kept working, he said, but their morale has been affected. "I do see more worried faces," Hoffman said. "It's a combination of unsettling and disturbing, and a feeling among the staff of, 'Why does it have to come to this?'" Owners who see a change in morale or productivity shouldn't try to ban political conversation, said Midge Seltzer, president of EngagePEO, a human resources provider based in Hollywood, Fla. She said a better approach is to remind everyone why they're there to conduct company operations. Owners shouldn't get involved in political discussions, Seltzer said. "They should be leading by example," she said. "They need to stay neutral." Dont give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Keep these, the homeless, tempest-tossed far away from here. I refuse to lift my lamp beside the golden door! Have we broadcast this message before in our history as we seem to be doing now to Syrian refugees? The historical record appears to be yes. Once upon a time, there were large numbers of refugees desperate to get out of where they were. Many sensed full well what their fate would be if they were trapped. They lined up in droves at U.S. embassies and consulates begging to be let in to America. But, those embassies and consulates were ordered to delay, delay, delay their visas. Why? 1. Many claimed they included infiltrators intent on spreading violent mayhem in the U.S. and it was too hard to sort out who was a legitimate refugee and who wasnt. And, it was also argued that those who did get to come legitimately would have received warnings that if they didnt cooperate with the authorities back home that their own parents and close relatives would be taken out and shot. 2. Quite a few believed that these refugees were part of a global conspiracy to take control of the U.S. from the inside. It was said that thanks to our lax immigration regulations, many would get in who hated our institutions and wanted to overthrow them. 3. Others feared that these refugees were out to steal jobs from good patriotic Americans. One of the main publicists for these advocates said he simply wanted our own fine boys and lovely girls to have all the jobs in this wonderful country. 4. At least 60 anti-alien proposals were submitted to the 76th Congress to keep these refugees out and one included a provision for any who had managed to get in that they should be forthwith deported. These bills were supported by the American Legion, the DAR, and a fair number of Christian and nationalist organizations. Polls showed that fewer than 5 percent of Americans believed these refugees should be encouraged to come here. Efforts to pass a bill to let in 10,000 refugee children failed to get sufficient support. 5. Certain elected officials argued that the refugees were not Christians and thus not wanted here. As a result, very few were able to get here. Who were they? Jews trying to escape the Nazis. Who do we as a nation want to be: with the sheep or the goats at the end of time? Will any of the desperate Syrian refugees be able to say: "I was a stranger and you invited me in?" The Augustana Symphonic Band will start its first tour of Spain on Friday, presenting five concerts near Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia. Led by James Lambrecht, director of bands and co-chair of the music department, the 53-member band has a tradition of touring across the country and around the world that goes back decades, according to the college. 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 Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" is Londons longest-running comedy and features three actors who perform all of Shakespeares 37 plays in about 90 minutes. Students at St. Ambrose University will perform the wild, wacky compendium at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday. It features actors Max Moline, Jackson Green and Jordon Webster Moore, directed by Brent Tubbs, a Quad-City native who performed in the original touring production. Mr. Tubbs joined the Reduced Shakespeare Company in 2005 and toured around the world, including places such as Holland and Belgium, to perform in the production, according to an SAU release. Four years ago, Mr. Tubbs moved back to the Quad-Cities and performs locally. He most recently was in "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)" at the QC Theatre Workshop. The SAU comedy is one of three Shakespearean productions being staged this year on the Davenport campus, 518 W. Locust St. It follows a fall production of "The Tempest" and precedes the spring production "Richard III," which will be performed April 21-23. Shakespeare (1564-1616) and his works are the subject of St. Ambrose Universitys academic project theme during this school year. Throughout the year, lectures, performances and classes have focused on Shakespeare, in honor of 2016 being the 400th anniversary year of the Bards death. Daniel Rairdin-Hale, SAU associate professor and theater department chair, described the current production as a "mashing of all of Shakespeares comedies, histories and tragedies into a comedic, high-energy romp." If you know Shakespeares plays, you will really find this funny. If you dont know Shakespeares plays, you will still find it really funny and you might learn a little bit about Shakespeare, too, Mr. Rairdin-Hale said in a recent release. Tickets are $11 for adults, $9 for faculty/staff/senior citizens, $8 for non-SAU students, $8 for groups, and free for SAU students with a university ID. The show contains adult content. CHICAGO (AP) Chicago Public Schools filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the governor and state education officials, claiming the way Illinois funds its schools violates the civil rights of the predominantly-minority student population in the nation's third-largest school district. The complaint, filed on behalf of black and Hispanic families who say Chicago's schools are underfunded, seeks to have a Cook County judge declare the funding system unlawful. The lawsuit cites the landmark Brown v. Board of Education civil rights case. It argues Illinois essentially has one way of funding Chicago schools, where 90 percent of the students are Hispanic and black, and another for the other districts statewide, which are predominantly white. Chicago officials also argue the district is penalized since it's the only one in Illinois where local taxpayers, not the state, help pick up teacher pension costs. The lawsuit contends that when all state funding is factored in, Chicago students receive 15 percent of Illinois' education spending while having nearly 20 percent of the state's students. "Chicago students, who are overwhelmingly students of color, are learning in a separate but unequal system," Schools CEO Forrest Claypool said in a statement. "The message from the state is that their educations matter less than children in the rest of Illinois, and that is both morally and legally indefensible." A statement from Gov. Bruce Rauner's office said state officials were reviewing the lawsuit. Such school funding lawsuits aren't unusual. Similar lawsuits have been filed in nearly every U.S. state, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. While states have often lost, legislative changes have varied. Illinois disperses money to schools through a complex calculation that provides per-student funding that even state officials acknowledge is insufficient, causing school districts to rely heavily on local property tax revenues. There's wide consensus that the 1997 formula is unfair with a wide spending gap between low and high poverty districts, like Chicago. But there's little agreement on how to overhaul it and the nearly two-year state budget impasse has overshadowed other issues at the Capitol. When asked about the lawsuit, Rauner's office issued a statement from Secretary of Education Beth Purvis. She noted the work of a bipartisan task force on school funding and said she hopes "CPS will be a partner in that endeavor." Chicago' school system faces other serious financial problems. Credit rating agencies have placed the district at "junk status." The nearly 400,000-student district recently instituted a spending freeze, program cuts and furlough days because the roughly $5.4 billion budget was contingent upon $215 million in pension relief from the state. Rauner, who's accused the district of years of fiscal mismanagement, vetoed it. State officials have also said that Chicago received hundreds of millions of dollars in block grants that other districts aren't eligible for. Along with Rauner, the lawsuit names State Board of Education officials and Comptroller Susana Mendoza, whose office controls Illinois' checkbook. CHICAGO (AP) A Cook County judge on Wednesday set aside the convictions of four Chicago men who were imprisoned for years for their alleged involvement in 1995 double murder during an auto dealership robbery. Prosecutors in July dropped the charges against Charles Johnson and Larod Styles, but then State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said they would be retried. Both men were freed on bail. Alvarez's replacement, Kim Foxx, decided not to retry the men, saying in a statement Wednesday her office would not be able to sustain its burden of proof if the cases were retried. "There were times I felt like it was too much for me to bear, he was like, 'Man, it's going to be all right, you're going to make it,'" Styles said after the judge's decision. Johnson and Styles were sentenced to life in prison for the 1995 murders of Yousef Ali and Khalid Ibrahim during a robbery of the victims' car dealership. The men were granted new trials in light of fingerprint evidence their attorneys say points to another culprit. Lawshawn Ezell, who was convicted of armed robbery, completed his 20-year prison sentence. Troshawn McCoy, who has nearly finished serving his 55-year prison sentence, remained behind bars awaiting a hearing on his petition for a new trial. Johnson, a Cola-Cola deliveryman, signed a confession saying he planned to steal cars for parts to sell on the black market. Johnson, 39, now claims Chicago Police detectives pressured him into confessing. Styles, like Johnson a teenager at the time, also confessed. Johnson's lawyers argued he signed the confession only after he was told it was a routine document that would lead to his release. Lawyers from several firms, the University of Chicago and Northwestern University's Center for Wrongful Convictions worked for years to overturn the convictions. Lawyers say a fingerprint lifted from dealership price sticker peeled from a stolen vehicle and discarded in the lot matched a convicted drug dealer who lived just a block from where the vehicle was ditched. CHICAGO (AP) Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush says the Justice Department should re-open the case of the Emmett Till lynching now that a key witness has been quoted as saying she lied about what the black teen said and did before he was murdered in Mississippi. A new book by author and historian Timothy B. Tyson says Carolyn Donham told him a decade ago she wasn't telling the truth with her claims of sexual advances by the 14-year-old Chicago boy. In August 1955, Till was kidnapped, tortured, shot, mutilated. Donham's first husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, were acquitted of the murder, but both later claimed responsibility. The Justice Department in 2007 determined the Till case did not warrant federal prosecution due to the statute of limitations on any potential federal crimes. Rush said Tuesday the department's decision should be reevaluated. GENESEO A development agreement for a 44-lot phase-one Mel Foster subdivision on the north edge of Geneseo will move forward despite animated arguments against it from five people Tuesday. The council voted 7-1 to approve the agreement with Maple Leaf Farms, removing a sunset clause for a final turn-lane payment from the park district and continue negotiations with the Illinois Department of Transportation on the state-mandated turn lane. John Loucks said he wondered why the issue was coming up again since residents voted down bonds for the turn-lane project in 2010. Darrell Strohman said it amounted to subsidizing one individual. Greg Ryner said Geneseo needed work on existing streets, sewers and sidewalks. Carl Smith said a vote of the people used to stand for something. This is not right, he said. Two council members Alds. Bob Wachtel, 2nd Ward and Sue Garlick, 1st Ward -- said they had voted against the turn lane seven years ago but changed their minds now. Six taxing districts are participating with the city, and their boards voted to devote future tax revenue to the turn lane, reducing the citys cost to $40,000 for a $400,000 project. Ald. Wachtel said he knew the city needed houses at that time, but the funding then was a total mess. Sue Garlick said she had voted no before, but now she cant take her constituents exact words but instead has to take all the information Im given and weigh it. Making the motion to approve the agreement, Ald. Martin Rothschild, 3rd Ward, said there wasnt one business, school or church in town that cannot use more people. Other people would like to have our quality of life, he said. He said overall, comments hes heard from residents are five to one in favor of the subdivision. I made my motion and stand by it and proudly stand by it, he said. Ald. Brenda Johnson, 3rd Ward, said some of the people who built new homes in Weber Estates might have chosen the new subdivision had it been available and there are now 18 students attending Geneseo schools from there. A detractor said those were existing Geneseo families and not new ones, but Ald. Paula Simosky, 1st Ward, said she knows from experience that people move to town from outer subdivisions. Young families get tired of doing the whole Wolf Road thing, she said. The matter will return to the council after bids are obtained and the turn lane project has a ceiling of $450,000. If bids are higher, the project will automatically come back to the council. City administrator Lisa Kotter urged the opponents to contact her and get answers to their questions, noting she has already met privately with a number of people. Certainly more than not, people have a better understanding when they come in. Its certainly not a perfect science, she added. The council also approved the low bid of $655,093 from Walter D. Laud of East Moline for the water/sewer project of First Street and Oakwood Avenue to alleviate flooding. The construction estimate had been $722,000. Completion date is late August. Most of the funding will come from the water and sewer budget; the rest will come from the general fund. Ald. James Roodhouse remarked on what a good project it was. I just hope people see that we are moving forward. Were not just talking about it, were moving forward and getting things done, said Ald. Rothschild. MOLINE Aldermen at Tuesday's city council meeting approved releasing city funds in order to receive up to $2,624,000 in federal money from the Illinois Department of Transportation. The federal pot is available for three resurfacing projects: 12th Avenue from 34th to 53rd streets, River Drive from 23rd to 34th streets, and 16th Street from John Deere Road to 52nd Avenue. To receive the money, the city must provide a 20 percent match and has $656,000 in motor fuel tax money from which to draw. The approval was unanimous. The council also unanimously approved these measures: A $1,434,885 pavement patching contract with Centennial Contractors. A $193,450 contract with Tri-City Blacktop Inc. for street seal coating. A $162,475 contract with Precision Pavement Markings Inc. for making pavement markings on city streets. A $123,760 contract with Walter D. Laud for replacement of inlets and catch basins. The purchase of parking management systems for the parking lots at The Q the Quad-Cities' multi-modal passenger rail station and business development. The systems will cost about $200,000 total. In other council business: First reading for a development and economic incentive agreement between Moline and SPA Development LLC. It will assist the company as it remodels the interior and exterior of the new location of Duckys Formal Wear and Little Black Dress, 1721 5th Ave. The project is expected to cost about $536,157. City assistance through the agreement includes providing a tax-increment-financing district rebate of up to $80,423.55. First reading is a measure's usual introduction to city council, paving the way for final action. Two closed sessions. No action was taken after either. The first lasted from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. During it, aldermen heard from the attorney assisting them in an investigation into accusations of employee misconduct. The city council announced the investigation in late September. The allegations have been described as theft and whistle-blower violations related to inaccurate time reporting in the pay system. Other details of the alleged wrongdoing, how many employees are suspected of involvement, and when and how it was brought to the city's attention have yet to be released. The aldermen have hired Lane & Waterman LLP as independent legal counsel for the investigation, and the firm has been reviewing the allegations. Ald. Mike Wendt, 3rd Ward, said the review of the report was not yet done, and another closed session would be scheduled to continue going through its contents. The second executive session was after the regular council session and pertained to matters involving employees and property acquisition. Acting as committee of the whole, the aldermen also gave initial approval to the final ordinances that will create the Avenue of the Cities/27th Street business district plan. Dolan Commons LLC is planning a mixed-use development in the area. Through the business district and other measures, Moline would provide nearly $2 million in property tax and sales tax incentives to Dolan spread out over about 20 years and drawn from increases brought about by the improvements at the development. The committee also approved these measures: An $82,695 contract with Needham Excavating Inc., to carry out maintenance on the 16th Street Ditch. An $96,700 agreement with Freehill Asphalt Inc. to do joint and crack sealing for 2017. Anything approved at committee of the whole usually must receive final approval at a future city council meeting. MOLINE Over lunch Tuesday, three state legislators talked with Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce members about economic development once Illinois finally gets a budget. State Reps. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, and Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, and state Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Rock Island, took questions from local elected officials and business leaders. They talked of the importance of monetary award program grants for students, infrastructure investment and economic development. But the conversation often veered to the lengthy budget stalemate. "Nothing can really happen without a budget being passed," said panel moderator Henry Marquard, the Chamber's director of government affairs. The legislators agreed. "The budget has to be top priority," Rep. Halpin said. "It's the one thing preventing us from doing anything else at the moment." That elephant in the room aside, Mr. Marquard lauded the cooperation chamber members get when they ask area legislators for help with issues important to chamber priorities. He cited last year's Future Energy Jobs Bill that saved hundreds of jobs at Exelon's Quad City Nuclear Generating plant near Cordova. The bill, cosponsored by Sen. Anderson, passed Dec. 1 after months of negotiations and much input from chamber members. "We do need your input. We need your activity," Mr. Marquard told chamber members. "We appreciate you being here and encourage you to continue to be engaged in the future." The state budget impasse creates uncertainty about most everything else, with senate negotiations ongoing. Sen. Anderson explained why his party last week turned down efforts by Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, to pass portions of a budget compromise in four separate votes. "Our position, which I totally agree with, we can't vote on these bills because we're not done negotiating," Sen. Anderson said. "Negotiations aren't done until both sides agree that we're done. ... As a caucus we agreed, we're not going to vote for these bills." All three lawmakers want MAP grants to survive the budget battle. "Everybody thinks for the most part that MAP grants are absolutely vital, not only to students but to communities," Sen. Anderson said. "A lot of people don't understand what kind of economic activity those MAP grants create, especially in a district like ours." "I agree, and I think it's time for those of us who run for office, that we run on a campaign that education comes first," added Rep. McCombie. "Why is education not funded first in our budget?" she said. "And then go back into the rest of it." Rep. Halpin said he expects MAP grants will be in the final budget agreement. "As Sen. Anderson said, I don't think there's any opposition to the program itself," Rep. Halpin said. "The resistance has just been: there's no budget. We're trying to not tackle these things piecemeal if we can avoid it, and it's just one of those programs that's caught in the middle." Rock Island County board member Drue Mielke, R-Coal Valley, asked about a House bill that would increase the share of state income tax disbursed to municipalities and counties. On Monday, the county board's Governance, Health and Administration Committee discussed lobbying for the bill introduced last month as an avenue to increase revenues. "I think it's a wonderful thing for municipalities to get additional funds," Rep. McCombie said. "My only question, just like everything else, is how are we going to pay for it? "As a former mayor of Savanna, I would love to see that happen," she said. "What are we going to be taking it from?" Rep. Halpin said the bill is fair and he voted to pass it out of the Cities and Villages Committee last week. By 2020, the bill would increase local government's share of the income tax from 8 to 10 percent the same percentage awarded before the state income tax rate was raised to 5 percent in in 2011. The rate was lowered to 3.75 percent in 2015. "Cities and villages understood that the increase was generally to benefit the state, because the state wasn't paying its bills," Rep. Halpin said of the 2011 tax increase. "So they agreed to lower that to 8 percent. Now that that income tax increase has expired, the cities and villages are now paying for less revenue coming into the state, and they're only getting that 8 percent. "To me, it's not a question of how do we pay for it," he said. "This is essentially the cities' and villages' funds that they agreed to take a hit on in order to help the state out. We have to keep that bargain." Police in western India have arrested nine people as they investigate the collapse of a newly repaired 143-year-old suspension bridge. The collapse Sunday evening in Gujarat state plunged hundreds of people into a river, killing at least 134. As families mourned the dead, attention turned to why the bridge, built during British colonialism, had collapsed and who might be responsible. Security video showed hundreds of people clinging to the broken structure and trying to make their way to safety. The pedestrian bridge had reopened just four days earlier after more than six months of repairs. Officials said it was overloaded with people drawn to the attraction during the Hindu festival season. Go To The Polls And Pull The Lever We hope everyone turns out to pull the lever next Tuesday (Nov. 8). Actually, new voters wont know what we are talking about, as the... Letters To The Editor Street Closure Dangers Neighbors, Friends, Citizens of NYC/QUEENS: Many may not know that NYC has decided to close off miles of streets to cars in... G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now! WITH the expansion of highway networks and introduction of heavier lorries, wagonload rail has been under sustained pressure for decades. For Swiss rail freight operator SBB Cargo, however, it is a fixed part of their strategic plan and ripe for improvement. A new system for wagonload traffic, dubbed WLV 2017, is now in operation in Switzerland. It offers collection and delivery up to three times a day instead of just once, with a booking system for customers that provides fixed slots at fixed times - they can simply look at the timetable to find out what time and where trains are offered, then book. The aim is to bring wagonload services up-to-date so they are faster, more efficient and more punctual in order to meet the needs of modern logistics systems. And SBB Cargo is embracing the system following a major change in the Swiss timetable on December 11 2016, when the 57km Gotthard Base Tunnel began full operations after 17 years of construction. Under the new system, freight wagons are handled on a 24-hour rota in three shifts at the major shunting yards such as the main yard at Limmattal near Zurich, Lausanne and also Ticino, where there is a growing market. These phases are timed to avoid conflicts with peak passenger services, and mean that same-day delivery can be offered. It also means the load on locomotives can be optimised, leading to greater efficiency and a higher return on investment. And it means shift work for the train drivers, so fewer need to be employed. This is still a topic for SBB Cargo, which made a loss of SFr 22 million ($US 21.7m) in 2015, but is looking forward to a better result for 2016 thanks to cost-cutting measures. Rail is very important for Switzerland, and we are aiming to offer a modern service, says SBB Cargo CEO Mr Nicolas Perrin. We have a huge advantage over road, which is very traffic-dependent, as we can make plans according to a fixed schedule. SBB Cargo carries 205,000 tonnes of freight per day, 25% of all goods transported in Switzerland. This makes it the biggest single carrier in a market that is hotly contested by the rail and road sectors. A 25% market share is extremely high, Perrin says. To increase this will be hard, but we certainly dont want to lose any clients. At the same time, Perrin emphasises the importance of cooperation. Partnership between road and rail for large quantities of freight is essential, and weve been working together with our customers for some time to develop this concept, he says. There are 30 top customers among SBB Cargos list of around 1000 clients, including the road haulage company Planzer, and the Migros and Coop supermarket chains. There is also the Feldschlosschen brewery which has used combined transport throughout its 140-year history. It needs both sides to develop a system and make it work, Perrin continues. The cement manufacturer Holcim is one of our big customers, and their products naturally belong to rail not road. Its up to us to work with them to find solutions. International wagonload traffic offers a certain amount of scope as well. For example, the X-Rail alliance of six rail companies, which is slowly making progress, he points out. Were thinking what we can do; the problem is the infrastructure in other countries. We already have intermodal customers and are talking with potential new ones, but its a huge change for companies that have never used intermodal services and it needs time. We have a new terminal in Ticino which is really good, so were well-placed. And its encouraging that were attracting more road haulage companies. Strong franc One of the factors promoting the development of WLV 2017 was the economic situation in Switzerland, which is still battling the effects of a strong Swiss franc. With the decline in heavy industry and the resultant loss of business, we decided to target a third sector, including services and consumer products, which meant we had to adapt to the higher speed of service and greater productivity demanded by the logistics sectors, Perrin explains. The real pioneer for this is Green Cargo in Sweden. Also important is the technical side. The freight wagon is the most important link in the chain between the customer and the operator. Basically, its a dumb metal box with low engineering, and if were going to meet the needs of modern logistics it has to be quieter and faster with more automatic functions, Perrin says. He says the situation is changing with the development of asset intelligence. Included in the programme is the use of mobile devices, automatic operating in shunting yards, automatic brake testing, predictive maintenance, automatic coupling and wayside technology. SBB Cargo also introduced a project in November to fit all of its wagons with RFID tags over the next two years. Were working on all of these aspects, and were confident that itll bring a lot of benefit in the future. SBB Cargo is part of the Technical Innovation Circle for Rail Freight Transport (TIS), a multi-sector organisation set up to devise ways of applying existing innovations and standardising the rail freight sector for greater compatibility. To this end the Swiss operator is launching the 5L demonstrator train in a four-year project. The first four wagons of the train are being equipped with automatic coupling systems, new bogies, measures for noise reduction, braking systems, wheelsets and telematics applications, trials are due to start this spring. SBB Cargos plans for dragging its wagonload sector into the 21st century are enviable, but whether other countries are likely to follow suit is a moot point, according to Perrin. France and Italy have put wagonload traffic on the backburner, and in any case, it is understood that any route under 1000km is not economic. It is also a question of topography: Switzerland is a small, mountainous country with a well-developed, heavily-used railway system, and the solutions it develops are not necessarily applicable in larger countries with less challenging geography. But Perrin is reasonably sanguine: With our intelligent freight wagons, we hope that other railway companies will jump on the bandwagon, he says. After all, digitalisation offers a huge chance of boosting both customer communications and automated operating systems, and our sector would be well-advised to take it up. Illinois Department of Transportation awarded Siemens a $US 228m contract in 2014 to supply 32 of the 200km/h diesel-electric locomotives for use on Amtrak services in the states of Illinois, California, Michigan, Missouri and Washington. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has ordered eight locomotives as part of its $US 800m federally-funded Cascades High-Speed Rail Program. The locomotive being used for testing is destined for Illinois, and the first SC-44 for Washington is due to arrive in the Pacific Northwest in early April. WSDOT says these locomotives will receive a Cascades inspired livery. The delivery of new traction and other improvements will enable WSDOT to introduce two additional daily Cascades services between Seattle and Portland in the autumn. Production of the SC-44s is being carried out at Siemens plant in Sacramento, California. The four-axle ac traction Charger is the first locomotive to be equipped with Cummins' QSK 95 power unit. The 95-litre 16 cylinder engine is rated at 3.28MW and is equipped with Cummins' Modular Common Rail Fuel System (MCRS) with quad-turbocharging. The QSK95 is also equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust aftertreatment, enabling it to meet US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 emissions standards. Canadian Pacific has promoted John Brooks to senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, responsible for business units and sales and marketing staff based throughout North America. He reports to Keith Creel, CP president and chief executive officer. Reporting directly to Brooks will be Tommy Browning, vice-president of sales and marketing, Merchandise and Bulk, and Jonathan Wahba, vice-president of sales and marketing, Intermodal and Grain. Brooks was vice-president of marketing at the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern prior to it being acquired by CP in 2007. He began his career in railroading more than 20 years ago with Union Pacific and later helped start I&M Rail Link, which was purchased by the DM&E in 2002. He has held senior responsibilities in all lines of business including coal, chemicals, merchandise products, grain and intermodal. Browning started his rail career with Illinois Central in 1989 and has held a number of senior marketing and operations-related roles in his nearly three decades in the industry. Since joining CP in 2013, Browning has played an integral role in enhancing CPs merchandise and bulk portfolios while building relationships with key customers. Wahba, who was most recently chief operating officer at Kriska Transportation Group, has also held leadership positions at Schneider National, Canadian National and Midland Transport. His extensive experience in trucking and rail will support CPs intermodal business. Late on Feb. 14, CSX Corp. announced it plans to hold a special shareholder meeting on Feb. 16 after discussions for E. Hunter Harrison to take over the reins as the next CEO appear to have hit an impasse. Cowen and Company Managing Director and Railway Age Wall Street Contributing Editor Jason Seidl weighs in: CSX wants to know what investors think. Management and the Board of Directors are receptive to Hunter Harrison becoming the next CEO, but the costs and stipulated conditions seem steep as they stand today. We think this is likely a classic move by [activist hedge fund] Mantle Ridge LP and Harrison to ask for more than they think they can get up front, with the expectation that the final agreement will be more equitable. CSX revealed that it has made numerous proposals for Harrison to join CSX as CEO, but it seems as if the offers were not enough. The main sticking points appear to be the size and terms of Harrisons compensation package, medical pre-screening (he has had health issues the past few years), the timing of payment, repayment of fees incurred by Mantle Ridge, designation of numerous board members, selection of compensation committee chairs, and a change to the bylaws to extend the age limit for a board member. At the meeting, shareholders will be asked to approve the compensation package proposed by Harrison and, if he is hired, the corporate governance changes proposed by Harrison and Mantle Ridge. Hence, it is entirely possible for shareholders to approve his hiring and pay package but reject the changes to the companys corporate governance. CSX has taken a stance not to recommend shareholders vote for or against either proposal, but it appears to us from the language in the press release that while CSX thinks Harrison becoming CEO is a long term positive for the business, current management and the Board feel that Harrisons/[Mantle Ridge CEO Paul] Hilals demands are excessive. Top CSX shareholders include Vanguard, Capital Research, State Street, Blackrock, Wellington, Fidelity, Nomura, Lazard, Janus and Dimensional Fund Advisors. Collectively, these top ten investors own just over one-third of the company. The proverbial ball is now in the court of CSX shareholders. Discussion of Harrison coming to CSX has provided the company with over $10 billion in market capitalization, so it is hard to fathom that shareholders will squabble with the compensation package even if the current CSX board finds it excessive. However, it is entirely possible for them to vote against the changes in corporate governance. This would place the ball back in Harrisons hands, which could prove interesting as CSX appears the best fit for him at this stage, given that management is somewhat receptive. National certification testing of Amtraks new Charger locomotive is being conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation. The WSDOT said that the Siemens SC-44 Charger units are testing on the Amtrak Cascades corridor throughout February. If all goes well they are scheduled to enter regular service later this year. The WSDOT has ordered eight of the 4,400-horsepower locomotives, which are being assembled by Siemens in Sacramento. Siemens is headquartered in Germany. Washington, along with Illinois, California, Michigan and Missouri jointly developed specifications for the Charger. Washington operates the Cascades Corridor service with the Oregon Department of Transportation. Floridas privately-run Brightline passenger service has been testing the first of an order of five Charger trainsets delivered in January. Hauling a Cascades trainset sans passengers, the Chargers will transit various sections of the existing Vancouver, British Columbia to Eugene, Oregon corridor. Amtrak and Siemens staff will test and monitor how the locomotive performs. The agency added that because its eight locomotives are under construction in California, an Illinois unit has been deployed for testing. The WSDOT units are slated to arrive in April. The Charger was previously tested at the AARs facility in Colorado. The new locomotive is part of WSDOTs $800 million federally funded Cascades High-Speed Rail program. The added motive power and other improvements will enable the WSDOT to add two more daily Amtrak Cascades roundtrips between Seattle and Portland beginning in the fall. Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK As countries of the Asia-Pacific develop policies to regulate large maritime zones of jurisdiction, the importance of coast guards as instruments of state policy has become increasingly important as a means of enforcing national maritime laws. Although the topic of coast guards has been dominated as of late by China's massive coast guard expansion and its role in territorial disputes, the operations of smaller coast guards, such as the Taiwan Coast Guard Administration (CGA),[1] have received comparatively little attention. This article attempts to highlight the roles, force structure, and effectiveness of operations of the CGA. The modern CGA was founded in 2000 with the integration of Taiwan's Coast Guard Command and the Maritime Police and Customs into one civilian law enforcement agency. Like the United States Coast Guard, the CGA serves homeland security functions during peacetime and national defense missions during wartime. The CGA is under the administration of the Executive Yuan. The top three missions of the CGA are: 1) the regulation of coastal zones under national jurisdiction, 2) the inspection of cargo entering and exiting ports, and 3) the investigation and seizure of smuggling operations and illegal vessels or people entering or exiting the country. Other missions include search and rescue, intelligence gathering, and support for maritime research and development. The CGA is organized functionally across two directorates: a Maritime Patrol Directorate General (MPDG) (), responsible for far seas operations and patrols, and a Coastal Patrol Directorate General (CPDG) (), which patrols coastal waters, rivers, ports and bays. The CGA is organized regionally into Northern, Central, Southern and Eastern sectors, which cover the island of Taiwan proper (1,130 miles of coastline), as well as the waters surrounding the islands of Kinmen, Lienchiang (composed of Nangan and Dongying townships), Penghu, Pratas, and Taiping Island in the South China Sea. The total maritime area under Taiwanese jurisdiction covers over 335,000 square miles of exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters. According to CGA statistics, by the end of 2015 ( PDF ), the CGA had 13,061 personnel dispersed among the two directorate fleets. The MPDG is the CGA's blue water fleet that must cover far sea maritime areas. Therefore, the MPDG has many of CGA's largest cutters, such as the 3,000-ton Yilan class (CG-128) and Kaohsiung class (CG-128), both outfitted with helicopter landing pads and auto-cannons. The MPDG executes its mission with only 20 percent of total CGA personnelabout 2,550 officers. The bulk of the CGA is concentrated in the CPDG, with 10,222 personnel stationed across 13 patrol areas (), and dozens of brigades () and corps () units. The total size of the CGA fleet is around 140 patrol and coastal vessels and is eight years into a 37 vessel, 24 billion NTD (US$ 782 million) shipbuilding program which will reportedly add 17,000 tons of capacity. When completed, the CGA will boast a total fleet size of 36,000 tons and 173 vessels. Illegal fishing within Taiwan-administered waters is an area of increasing emphasis for Taiwan's Coast Guard. Illegal fishing within Taiwan-administered watersin particular cracking down on illegal fishing activities from the People's Republic China (PRC) (as is happening in other parts of East Asia)is an area of increasing emphasis for the CGA. These waters include Taiwan proper as well as the islands of Kinmen, Lienchiang, Penghu, and Pratasterritory claimed by the PRC but which the PRC does not actively contest. The only territory that Taiwan administers that could be considered contested is Taiping Island in the South China Sea, which is claimed by the PRC, the Philippines, and Vietnam. In other words, the illegal fishing that the CGA is attempting to neutralize appears to be occurring in largely uncontested maritime zonesthe jurisdiction and laws over which are tacitly accepted by the PRC. Starting in March 2012, the CGA initiated an aggressive campaign against illegal fisherman from the PRC called the Clear Ocean Program (), which increased the number of investigations (), expulsions and fines for fishing violations occurring within Taiwan-administered waters. The program appears to have been effective, as the number of illegal fishing inspections has gradually decreased over the past few years. In 2015, for example, only 2,120 ships were inspected, of which 96 percent (2,035) were expelled () and 4 percent (85) were detained (). This represented a decrease from an average of 5,110 inspections over the previous five years, according to CGA statistics. Most of the vessel detentions occurred near Kinmen, Lienchiang and Pratas islands, areas where 90 percent of fish stock has been depleted over the past 30 years. Of the illegal fishing vessels inspected over the past five years, almost half (47.1 percent) were interdicted in waters off of Taiwan proper. The other half (43.5 percent) occurred off of Kinmen and the waters surrounding Lienchiang Countyislands located only a few miles from mainland China. The other 10 percent occurred off Pratas and Taiping Island. The size of vessels inspected range from 5-200 tons, with 100-200 ton vessels ranking first among all vessels seized in the past five years. 96.8 percent of these vessels came from the PRC, according to official CGA statistics. Furthermore, between 2012 and 2015, fines against fishermen from the PRC increased substantially and peaked at 275 vessels in 2014, with fines averaging 175,100 NTD per vessel. The heavy fines and aggressive patrols seemingly had a deterrent effect, as only 78 vessels were fined in 2015. The PRC is not the only country against which the CGA has stepped up operations. The CGA on occasion seeks to protect Taiwanese fishing and, in some cases, activists' interests near the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands. In the course of protecting a flotilla of Taiwanese activists attempting to assert sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands in 2012, the CGA reportedly bumped into Japanese Coast Guard vessels that were attempting to apprehend the activists. The CGA has also gotten into numerous skirmishes with Philippine Coast Guard and fishing vessels in the past. However, among illegal foreign activities in Taiwan-administered waters, Chinese fisherman represent the primary challenge to CGA authority and will likely remain so in the near future. Finally, one mission of the CGA that has received relatively little attention is its jurisdiction over the disputed Taiping Island within the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. In January 2000, the CGA replaced the Taiwan Marine Corps station in Taiping Island (with stations on Pratas and Kinmen Islands following suit), marking an important shift in administrative control from military to civilian personnel. The CGA also oversees biannual live-fire and search and rescue drills with the Taiwan Navy off Taiping and Pratas Islands to enhance interoperability and defense capabilities between the two services. The shift in command to the CGA reflects an understanding on the part of Taiwanese leaders that the South China Sea should be demilitarized. The main point: The CGA is an increasingly effective constabulary force facilitating the protection and regulation of Taiwanese maritime rights and interests in the East and South China Sea. Note Lyle J. Morris is a policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, where he focuses on Asia-Pacific security issues. The author would like to thank Logan Ma and Arthur Chan for research assistance for this article. This commentary originally appeared in Global Taiwan Brief on February 15, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Costa Rica will switch off analogue TV by the end of the year, while Brazil and Ecuadors switchovers are scheduled for 2018. Mexico will remain for at least another year as the only Latin American country to have switched off analogue TV, according to ANTV, Colombias TV authority . Costa Rica will be the second territory in the region to complete TV digitalisation, as its switch-off is scheduled for December 2017.Ecuador was supposed to be the second Latin American country to complete the digital switchover, but the Government announced a postponement in January.Brazil is on track to meet its deadline and is preparing to switch off analogue TV for Sao Paulos 12 million inhabitants by the end of March.According to ANTV, Argentina and Colombia will be next, as the digitalisation process is expected to conclude by August and December 2019, respectively.Chile and Paraguay have scheduled the switch-off for 2020 and Perus is set for 2025.Deadlines are difficult to predict for the rest of the Latin American countries, in which the process has not been fully scheduled. Some, like El Salvador, were forced to rethink their DTT plan and start from scratch. 9 Story Media Group has landed a major coup in a licensing deal with Discovery Kids Latin America for its childrens series Nature Cat. Aimed at children three to eight-year-olds, Nature Cat helps children relate to and engage with the natural world. Nature Cat cant wait to get outside for a day of nature excursions and bravery, but theres one problem: hes a house cat with no instincts for nature. With the help of his animal friends, Nature Cat embarks on action-packed adventures that include exciting missions full of investigation, aha discovery moments and humour, all while inspiring children to go outside and play.Created by the creative team at Spiffy Pictures and co-produced by Spiffy Pictures and WTTW Chicago, 9 Story handles international distribution and consumer products outside of the US, while HiHat Media handles brand licensing within the US. The series was nominated for a 2016 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in an Animation Program as well as a Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming. Nature Cat already runs on PBS KIDS in the US and on Family CHRGD in Canada. Internationally, the series has been previously licensed to SVT (Sweden), TG4 (Ireland), SIC (Portugal), Canal Panda (Spain), AMC Networks (Spain), Nick Jr (Italy) via Funwood Media, Cineplex (Thailand), Discovery Asia (Indian Subcontinent), Mediacorp (Singapore), E Junior (Middle East), and Hop TV (Israel).Discovery Kids also airs 9 Storys Wild Kratts and Peg + Cat Former Crimean Vice-Prime Minister suspected of taking bribe MOSCOW, February 15 (RAPSI) A criminal case has been launched against a former Vice-Prime Minister of Crimea on suspicion of taking a large-scale bribe, the Investigative Committees Main Department in Crimea announced on Wednesday. Investigators claim that the arrested official is suspected of receiving a part of a 27-million-ruble ($467,600) bribe through an intermediary. Reportedly, the suspect is former Crimean Vice-Prime Minister Oleg Kazurin who was resigned in late December 2016. According to investigators, between August and December 2016, the suspect received money for protection during selection of a government contractor which would be involved in housing construction in Crimea. A criminal case was also opened against an intermediary who is suspected of mediation in bribery. He is under travel restrictions. The New York Times, February 14, 2017 By Zahra Nader and Rod Nordland KABUL, Afghanistan An armed mob that included relatives of a young woman who had eloped with her lover stormed a police station holding the couple in eastern Afghanistan over the weekend, then dragged the lovers off and killed them, officials and witnesses said. The mob wounded three police officers, one of them seriously, the officials and witnesses said Sunday and Monday in providing accounts of the couples violent deaths, often called honor killings. The woman, Fatiha, 18, was described as having been married against her will and eloping instead with a young man, Hedayatullah, believed to be in his early 20s, from a neighboring village in Wama District of Nuristan Province. But on Saturday the police caught and arrested the couple on suspicion of adultery. Within hours an armed mob formed at the police station, led by Fatihas husband and his family, but also including her brothers and cousins, the officials and witnesses said. The authorities said there were only 30 police officers at the station facing a mob of 250 to 300 heavily armed men. If police had fired bullets at the people, a massacre could have happened, said Hafiz Abdul Qayoom, the governor of Nuristan, claiming the police had no option but to surrender the couple to the mob, especially after three officers had suffered gunshot wounds from the angry crowd. Enayatullah, the district governor in Wama, who like many Afghans uses only one name, said the couple were apparently killed soon after they had been taken out of the police station. We asked for additional police, but the road to the district was closed due to snow, he said. If the police had resisted more, a disaster would have taken place. Salam Khan, 22, a witness from Fatihas village, Sar-i-Pul, said he saw what had happened to the couple after the police surrendered them. Some of Fatihas relatives, her cousins, were beating her with their fists and saying, Why did you do this? Then her older brother got angry and shot her with a hunting rifle and her younger brother shot her with an AK-47. I dont know how many bullets they fired, Mr. Khan said, speaking by telephone from the remote village. The man described by officials and witnesses as the womans husband, who was not identified, shot and killed Hedayatullah, with whom she had eloped, according to Mr. Khan. Farkhunda was killed by a mob in Kabul in March 2015. She was accused of burning the Quran. She was beaten, run over by car, and burned to death. Farkhunda was killed by a mob in Kabul in March 2015. She was accused of burning the Quran. She was beaten, run over by car, and burned to death. Hedayatullah was described as a member of the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistans paramilitary intelligence service, who was stationed in the village. It is common in many parts of rural Afghanistan for fathers to marry off their daughters without the daughters consent, even though both Afghan civil law and Islamic Shariah law require such consent. The authorities, however, often side with the families, and honor killings in cases where the girl refuses the marriage are common, although rarely publicized. The Nuristan case recalled a 2014 case in which a young couple from Bamian Province eloped to escape an arranged marriage, but last year fled to asylum in the United States to escape family retribution. Such cases happen a lot in Nuristan, but they dont come into the media, said Hawa Alam Nuristani, a member of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission from Nuristan. This case came to attention because of the notoriety surrounding it and what Ms. Nuristani said was a high bride price paid to the girls father, reputedly 30 goats and seven cows. In such cases when something goes wrong, people do not know other ways except killing, and women are not aware of their rights, Ms. Nuristani said. Governor Qayoom said he was sending a delegation to the district to investigate the crime. People there are ignorant, just like what people did in Kabul with Farkhunda, he said. He was referring to a 2016 killing in which a female Islamic scholar was lynched by a mob over false rumors that she had burned a Quran. As of Monday in the Nuristan case, no one had been charged or arrested in the fatal shootings of the couple or the shootings of the police officers. Governor Qayoom said there had been reports of several recent cases of elopements in the district, so villagers were on the lookout for unaccompanied women. Saeedullah Payendazai Kamparwal, the chairman of the Nuristan provincial council and a native of Wama District, said Fatihas plan had been to climb the mountain above her house to a road on the other side, where Hedayatullah was awaiting her. Two young boys were suspicious after seeing her on her own, however, and they alerted police officers. The Afghan police typically consider an unmarried couple alone together to be guilty of adultery or attempted adultery, and the couple were presumably arrested for that. They claimed to be married but the police could tell they were from different districts and therefore did not believe them, according to Mr. Kamparwals account. Once word reached the families of the woman and her husband that she was being held, they formed the mob that stormed the police station, according to the authorities. People said to the police, Hand them over to us or we will raid the offices and break off relations with the government, Mr. Kamparwal said. The district is in a pro-government part of a province where the Taliban also have some control. Saheb Dad Hamdard, the head of the Nuristan Journalists Shura, or council, cast doubt on claims that such large numbers of people had attacked the police station. How can anyone believe that 250 to 300 people attacked? Wama District in total has four villages. Where would 300 people come from? he said. And where did they get arms? Theres no armed group in the village. Mr. Hamdard suggested that the authorities had acquiesced in turning the couple over to the families. Others, however, said that in such rural areas of Nuristan Province, people are often heavily armed. Given the Democratic Partys success in capturing the Presidency in 2008 and 2012, the results of the 2016 election left many election forecasters in disbelief. Had the razor-thin margins of victory in Wisconsin (.8 percent), Michigan (.3 percent) and Pennsylvania (1.2 percent) gone the other way, the Democratic Party would have maintained control of the White House. Given these numbers, understanding the 2016 election will involve splitting hairs. Here we analyze two: Rust Belt voters and black voters. In 2016, many current and former union-affiliated Rust Belt voters, amid declining labor union influence, flipped to the Republican Party, while both the Democratic Party victory margin and turnout among black voters fellbut why? These two factions have previously and will likely continue to share economic policy viewpoints. Like other factions, they use their size to push candidates to voice their concerns in their policies and have the most to lose if their candidate is not victorious; yet, the economic policies now likely under consideration may in fact harm these groups. Given their shared incentives, why did the coalition weaken? It may be driven in part by a diminished organizational capacity among them to whip their respective votes. First, the institutional mechanisms that empower organized labor in Rust Belt states, and black Americans nationwide, to assemble voting blocs historically relied in part upon union and black church membership. For an example, President George W. Bushs Faith-Based Initiatives, which provided federal funding to support the social services work of religious organizations, combined with the Bush campaigns outreach to African American voters and endorsements from leading black pastors, was credited for a 2-percentage point increase in his share of the black vote before his re-election in 2004. The number of unionized workers, both private and public, has steadily decreased over the last several decades: membership has fallen by almost one-half from the early 1980s to 2015. Likewise, the nations black churchgoers appear to be thinning. A 2009 Pew study revealed a significant increase in the number of African Americans who identify as having no religious affiliation. While only 7 percent of black Americas civil rights generation identified as having no religious affiliation, 19 percent of black millennials now do. Absent a new organizing frame, these trends in declining membership potentially weaken the political power of organized labor and blacks. Second, both factions now have considerable historical distance from the landmark policy reforms that galvanized them. Within labor, reforms during the New Deal raised wages and gave workers protections, showing the value of union membership and political loyalty. Black Americans likewise experienced civil rights gains, employment discrimination protection, and expanded access to the nations social safety net via the Great Society. Today, these factions are both 50 or more years removed from the moment when they benefited from large-scale reforms. Spatial distance may make the heart grow fonder, but temporal distance can dampen memories, and may further complicate mobilization. Voters across these factions share many of the concerns of their parents and grandparents, including both economic security and physical health and safety. Seemingly current issues such as police misconduct have been grappled with for decades, and more often occur within minority communities disconnected from economic opportunity and political clout. Meanwhile, rising white mortality across the U.S. is driven largely by deaths from drug and alcohol use and suicide, with many of these households also facing rising economic insecurity without the requisite education and labor market skills to respond. Lacking the same organizational framework, current and former union-affiliated Rust Belt state voters, and black voters, may increasingly approach the political process as individuals, eroding their collective influence. This also challenges policymakers who try to create policy that responds to technological changes that favor workers with higher education, and helps workers better protect against and prepare for economic risk and change. Todays policy choices, including opaque-sounding proposals to block grant Medicaid and food stamps, could have far reaching consequences for these factions. Some analyses of policy proposals for the incoming Administration suggest that income support and health programs would likely face severe budget and benefit cuts. This was largely the case for the 1996 welfare reform that block granted assistance for the poor, according to some. The consequences of block granting might seem immediately clearer for black Americans nationally, given that roughly 1 in 4 lie below the poverty line, but the Rust Belt labor faction would get hit, too: Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania experienced double-digit increases in poverty since the 1980s thanks in part to the decline of manufacturing and textile-based employment. While many Rust Belt workers are still employed, they are oftentimes stuck in jobs that pay less and provide fewer benefits. For both factions, important policy choices lie ahead on health, poverty, and reforms to education and workforce training programs. Looking back, Thomas Jeffersons Democratic-Republican Party defeated John Adams and the Federalists in 1800 by successfully uniting the support of plantation owners in the slave-holding South and small farming families of the free North. Today, it is unclear how the current and former labor and the black voter factions will politically mobilize, but it seems that neither past (unions and churches) nor current (data-driven voter databases) mechanisms will prove sufficient on their own. What does seem clear is that the issues themselvessecurity, both in terms of the economy as well as day-to-day health and safetyhave resonance with both groups. More work should be done to understand how changing institutions and a changing economy impact these two factions. 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Holocaust survivors light candles at the International Monument to the Victims of Fascism, after a ceremony marking the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in Oswiecim, Poland. More than a million people about 90 percent of them Jews died at Auschwitz. Jan. 27, the day the camp was liberated, is now commemorated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. PHOTO BY CZAREK SOKOLOWSKI/ASSOCIATED PRESS , The last thing the mother and child expected to find upon their arrival was this same pitbull lying on the roadway with two, clean small holes in his body, according to the Athens-Clarke County police report. Many couples are fortunate enough to live in the same city and go to the same school. Their Thanks to the flaws in the way it is implementing dynamic pricing, the Indian Railways is losing its premium travel base faster than ever before, say RailYatri's Manish Rathi and Kapil Raizada. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com On December 20, Suraj Rastogi, a RailYatri user, went looking for a train ticket for a journey between Guwahati and Pune. The only option was a Suvidha train with 45 seats on AC III class. The price tag? Rs 6,590 for a 52-hour journey. A three-hour flight option, for the same day, was available for Rs 4,790. We at RailYatri -- based on our data analysis and traveller surveys -- now fear that the Indian Railways (IR) is losing its premium travel base faster than ever before. Much of the blame falls on the pricing schemes implemented in the last few years. Historically, Shatabdi, Rajdhani and Duronto are among the premier trains, catering to travellers willing to pay for added comfort, reliability, and timeliness. These premier train passengers have already seen fares increase by nearly 70 per cent in the last few years (without taking dynamic pricing into consideration). Our findings show that premier travellers understand the rationale behind dynamic pricing. The issue is with implementation. We can't blame them, because the existing slab-pricing implementation is indifferent/not adaptable to the ground reality. It may be called dynamic pricing, but there is nothing dynamic in it. A good dynamic pricing implementation should encourage demand when it is needed and increase the value of the service when the demand is higher. Dynamic pricing has made trains 15 per cent more expensive than airlines The emerging rule is higher the class, lower the distance travelled. Long distance (above 1,000 km) premium travellers are increasingly opting for air travel over trains. Even at the same costs, flights provide added advantages, with simpler booking processes, shorter travel hours, no wait-lists and lesser delays. Our research indicates that 8-12 per cent of travellers migrated from trains with dynamic fares. The percentage is similar to the number of wait-listed travellers. This implies these trains are now running at less than full capacity. With January to March being a relatively lean season, the demand is expected to drop further. Migration of the last-minute/mid-distance traveler If flights are taking away premium long distance travellers, buses provide alternative options for distances less than 1,000 km. The biggest selling proposition of bus travel is its near guaranteed supply. It is possible to walk to a counter and book a bus ticket for immediate travel. While the flat-bed sleeper bus replicates the train experience, the improvement of road networks has reduced travel time, too. Wait-list in non-premium trains has increased At least 48 trains ply between Kanpur and New Delhi. However, it is not unusual to see Shatabdi with 500 seats vacant even as all other trains have longer wait-lists. This shows the market is highly price-sensitive and some premium traffic has spilled over to other trains. Unless addressed, the demand for subsidised classes will continue to increase. This being the segment that is contributing to losses, the question remains about the Railway's ability to attract profitable customers. Loss of pricing power There is growing convergence of pricing across trains, buses and flights. For the first time in the Railways' history, fare determination is being driven by market forces. The Railways is used to determining its own fares, but those days are coming to an end. Players who cannot work within market-determined pricing will be punished by consumers, who will simply stay away. The way forward We understand the need to serve budget travellers even if they contribute to losses. However, for economic viability it is equally important for IR to retain its once profitable loyal customer base. Here are a few suggestions: i) Overhaul dynamic fares -- pricing is science; ii) IR needs to stop spreading itself thin. Selling secondary items such as rooms, taxis, etc while bleeding the customer base does not make sense; iii) Revisit quotas. Quotas take away seats from the market and create uncertainty for the traveller, who then looks for other options. Manish Rathi is CEO and co-founder, RailYatri.in. Kapil Raizada is co-founder, RailYatri.in. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar says global aircraft makers will have to get approval from their own governments to transfer technology and build jets in India. Alnoor Peermohamed reports from the Aero India show. IMAGE: Indian Air Force Commandoes exit a Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules after its induction ceremony at Hindan Air Force Station in Uttar Pradesh. Lockheed Martin has offered to transfer its Fort Worth, Texas, production line to India and make the latest Block-70 of F-16 fighters. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters. Trump govt taking fresh look at F16 sale to India: Lockheed India has mandated that global aircraft makers such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing get approvals of their governments to transfer technology and build jets with a local partner in India, if they are to bid for the country's single-engine fighter requirement. "The product which I want to buy, I want it to be made in India. Export to a third nation is an additional bonus. If someone wants to shift a facility to India it's their choice, or they wants to assemble a new one. I am no way concerned with it," said Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar after inaugurating the biennial Aero India show on Tuesday. "If they're proposing something, their government has to give them in-principle approval so that they can quote it to me. If something is not given or someone has not given it to them, then they cannot give a quote to me," he said, but did not clarify whether a request for proposal has been issued. Parrikar was responding to queries on US President Donald Trump's push for Make in America, to revive US manufacturing and generate local jobs. In October, India floated a request for information to global jet makers to partner with Indian companies and jointly bid to sell single-engine fighters for the Indian Air Force. The contest is different from the 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft, which was finalised with a 36-plane order from France's Rafale, which will begin delivery from September 2019. Lockheed Martin has offered to transfer its Fort Worth production line to India and make the latest Block-70 of F-16 fighters. Saab, which makes the Gripen fighter, has not only offered to help with Mark-1 and Mark-2 of India's light combat aircraft Tejas, but also co-develop the advanced medium combat aircraft, which the Defence Research and Development Organisation plans to develop. Independently, the Indian Navy has floated a tender to supply and produce 57 twin-engine carrier-borne fighters, for which Boeing has expressed interest to participate with its F-18 twin-engine planes. It opted to buy from the global market after it publicly rejected the navy version of the Tejas, saying it was overweight and would not meet its requirements. Parrikar also reiterated the country's stand that 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence in select areas would be allowed only to bridge technology gaps, than a blanket approval. "Suppose someone comes to manufacture engines, which we don't have technology in, I will definitely consider it. 100 per cent FDI in areas where I do not have any expertise, I will definitely consider it. What's the point of getting stuck and continuing to import?" he said. IMAGE: Tejas, India's first locally-built Light Combat Aircraft, before its induction into the IAF at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Airport in Bengaluru in 2016. The Tejas fighter has been powered by the GE-404 engine since its development. Photograph: Abhishek N Chinnappa/Reuters . GE requires a US government approval to collaborate on military programmes before its Bengaluru team can work on the jet engine programme. Raghu Krishnan reports. General Electric (GE) has delivered two qualified 414 engines to be tested on the planned home-grown Tejas Mk-2 single engine fighter and is looking to collaborate with India to build engines for the proposed advanced medium-combat aircraft. The Tejas fighter has been powered by the GE-404 engine since its development and the Indian Air Force plans to induct over 120 planes with the same engine. So far, India has ordered around 100 engines for the fighter from GE and plans to buy more engines in the coming years. The single engine fighter being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), a DRDO unit, will undergo an upgrade with more features that requires a more powerful engine and GE has been tasked to supply its GE-414 engine. "The first two engines are for flight test. They are ready to go as and when the plane is ready. We are committed to deliver six more engines," said Mark Pearson, who leads the military engine programme for GE. Pearson is betting on the over 700 engineers who work on design and take charge of manufacturing parts of GE's commercial aero engines, at its India centre in Bengaluru, to push for local co-development of the engine for AMCA, which ADA is developing. India has begun preliminary design work on the stealth aircraft, but has not launched a programme officially. GE is looking to partner with ADA, but it also requires a US government approval to collaborate on military programmes before its Bengaluru team can work on the jet engine programme. The Bengaluru team has worked on the GE-9D engine that powers the Boeing 777 planes and the engine that powers the A380 aircraft. It is also developing the 9X, which the local team in India is collaborating on for the replacement engine of Boeing 777-9D. "The foundation is already here built over 17 years," said Pearson. GE, which has a manufacturing facility in Pune whose 40 per cent contribution is engine components, says it could meet the mandated 50 per cent requirement of local production for defence contracts within India. "We can deliver on our commitments as and when we see more orders," said Alok Nanda, general manager, (India engineering operations) at GE. Amid Donald Trump's expected action against employment visas, India's bellwether IT firms reveal they have been preparing for this eventuality for years. Monali Sarkar surveys the Indian IT landscape. IMAGE: cancelled US visa at the Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Virginia,February 6, 2017. Photograph published only for representational purposes. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters While the threat of an overhaul of the H-1B work-visa programme has become more pronounced since Donald Trump was sworn in as the president of the United States on January 20, the biggest names in India's information technology sector have been preparing for this for a long time. Under pressures of profitability, threat of lawsuits (Oracle has been sued for discriminatory hiring practices against White, Hispanic and African Americans in favour of Asians, particularly 'Asian Indians'), and hurting stock prices (TCS shares fell 4.47%, Infosys' 2% and Wipro's 1.62% on January 31 on the back of H-1B rumours) all of the top IT firms have revealed how they have been bracing themselves for a tightening of the employment laws for years. >IMAGE: Data compiled by MyVisaJobs.com based on 647,852 Labour Condition Applications filed by 64,381 US employers in fiscal year 2016. The number of LCA includes new, renewed, transferred and cap-exempt LCA. Graphic: Satish Bodas/Rediff.com TCS Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest IT outsourcing company, had begun tightening its use of the H-1B visa much before Trump's election, N Chandrasekaran, the company's outgoing CEO and Tata Sons' chairman-designate, revealed while announcing the company's Q3 results last month. The company, Chandrasekharan said, had applied for only 4,000 new US visas in 2016, as against 14,000 in 2015; it was granted only around 1,300. TCS, Chandrasekaran added, had been addressing the commentary about the increase in the visa fee as well as the visa numbers 'very proactively.' 'In terms of the number of visas that we will get,' he elaborated, 'we decided more than a year ago that we have to operate in a visa-constraint regime. We are able to successfully execute (our orders) by making changes to our business model. So, we believe that we are preparing ourselves well to handle the headwind should it arise.' According to a December note prepared by Investec Securities, an increase in minimum annual wage to $110,000 for H-1B workers may hurt TCS' gross margin by 230 basis points. Infosys As early as April 2016, Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka had told Business Standard, 'It's the year of presidential elections in the US, and we continue to be influenced in the near term by the visa situation. Our view is to become independent of visas and hire locally.' 'I am a local hire in the US and we have thousands of people hired locally working in the US, Europe, Australia and other places. Our effort is to get independent of this visa as much as possible and I believe it's possible to achieve that. We believe this idea of a location independent experience of delivery is something in our reach because of technology.' The company is setting up 'region-specific hubs' to hire freshers and experienced young professionals in the US and Europe to combat growing anti-immigration policies of local governments. Ravi Kumar S, who has been elevated as Infosys' deputy chief operating officer, recently told investors, '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.' Infosys Co-founder N R Narayana Murthy also spoke about this recently. 'They (Indian software companies) must recruit American residents in the US, Canadians in Canada, British people in Britain etc. That's the only way, we can become a true multinational company and in order to do that, we should stop using H1-B visas and sending a large number of Indians to those countries to deliver services,' he told NDTV. If Trump does issue an executive order restricting the use of H-1B, Murthy said, 'we should look at it more as an opportunity for Indian companies to become more multi-cultural than we have been, rather than looking at it as a lacuna.' According to a December note prepared by Investec Securities, an increase in minimum annual wage to $110,000 for H-1B workers may hurt Infosys' gross margin by 170 bps. Wipro Wipro CEO Abidali Z Neemuchwala told NDTV at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos last month that the company had been preparing for the H-1B headwinds for a while by hiring locally and investing in delivery and innovation centres in the US. Noting that Wipro has been associated with many US schools and universities to boost its local hiring, he said, 'We could have hired more (in the US) if got STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educated campus recruits in the US.' But he added, 'Wipro as part of the Indian IT industry, spearheaded by Nasscom, is participating in representing what we believe is a fair opportunity to compete in any market. We will continue to pursue that.' Neemuchwala expressed confidence that the Indian IT industry could handle this challenge. 'I have been with this industry for 25 years. We had different challenges across these 25 years. Every challenge has brought an opportunity. Indian IT industry has been very agile in terms of being able to evolve into something completely different and new,' he told NDTV. 'This is the time for great transformation for the industry,' he said. Wipro HR head Saurabh Govil told The Times of India, 'The focus the industry had on hiring will shift into re-skilling. The entire industry is hiring fewer freshers. Given the macro environment, people are hiring more onsite. Jobs at the bottom of the pyramid are getting automated.' Cognizant Cognizant, which has about 70 to 75 per cent of its over 200,000 workforce based out of India, said it hired over 4,000 US citizens and residents in 2016 and that it is planning to 'significantly increase' the size of its US workforce in the coming years. 'As you know, there has been considerable discussion recently on the topic of skilled immigration in the US. This has been an ongoing discussion for many years,' the Press Trust of India quoted Cognizant President Rajeev Mehta as saying. 'The plan we have announced (for ramping up digital services offering) will require us to continue to build our team in the US and in other geographies around the world where we operate,' Mehta added. 'Consistent with this need, we continue to focus on taking steps to ensure that we have access to a robust supply of talent in the US.' The company has built a network of over 20 US-based delivery centres and plans to add additional capacity in 2017. The US accounts for a significant chunk of the global IT spending. For Cognizant, North America contributed over 78 per cent of its December quarter revenues. HCL HCL Technologies, India's fourth largest software exporter, too said it already had 'stepped up' efforts in the US for campus and entry-level hires. 'We have really looked at our current base of employees and looked at how local hiring can be ramped up... We are stepping up our campus and entry -- level hiring in the US to support some of the growth that we will see in coming quarters,' HCL Technologies President and CEO C Vijayakumar told the media last month. HCL, he noted, has been applying for 'less than 1,000 visas a year' on an average over the past 3 to 4 years. 'It has been coming down. Our strategy has been in all IT outsourcing deals, we re-badge a lot of people from our clients and we hire people from local geographies. So, that's why we have a very high percentage of our employees in the US who are local hires.' Without disclosing the exact figure, Vijayakumar said HCL currently recruits over 55 per cent local employees in the US. The second-longest serving chairman introduced quite a few measures for the primary market and implemented a new corporate governance framework. UK Sinhas six-year term as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the second longest after that of DR Mehta, ends in two weeks, bringing down the curtains on a tenure during which the 1976-batch Indian Administrative Services officer from the Bihar cadre administered many significant changes in the securities market. Some of Sinhas big measures since he took charge on February 18, 2011, are implementing the minimum public shareholding norms for private and government entities; introducing the new corporate governance framework derived from the Companies Act, 2013; implementing Takeover Code regulations to increase the open offer trigger and size; overseeing the merger between Sebi and erstwhile commodities regulator Forward Markets Commission (FMC); and steps to boost the primary market like shortening the listing timeframe and changing the allotment process to accommodate more retail investors. Some of the reforms to Sinhas credit include implementing uniform know-your-customer rules for the entire securities market, setting up a sprawling campus for Sebis educational arm NISM on the outskirts of Mumbai, and ushering in a new regime for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and alternative investment funds (AIFs). During Sinhas tenure, the government allowed Sebi to conduct search and seizure operations and also empowered it to issue disgorgement orders. Unlike his predecessor CB Bhave, Sinhas tenure lacked any abrupt action such as turf wars with others regulator or overnight changes to the mutual fund commission structure; however, it had its own share of controversies. The first one erupted within days of Sinha assuming office when a public interest litigation was filed challenging his appointment, alleging irregularities. The PIL was dismissed by the Supreme Court after nearly four years. Another controversy emerged when Sebis former wholetime member KM Abraham shot off a letter to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2011 alleging he was under pressure from Sinha to favour the Multi Commodity Exchange and corporate houses like Reliance and Sahara. Sinha stood his ground on implementing the minimum public shareholding norms and Sebi not only stuck to the deadline for meeting them but also acted against 105 companies, including those from the Tata, Adani and Essar groups. Sebi with equal rigour made the government dilute at least 10 per cent stake in all listed public sector undertakings. The move helped deepen the Indian capital market and improve price discovery. Sinha also had to oversee the tricky merger between Sebi and FMC, which was triggered by a Rs 5,600 crore scam at National Spot Exchange Ltd. The merger involved issuing new regulations and bringing commodity market intermediaries and FMC employees under Sebis fold. The FPI regulations were hailed by most market participants. Incidentally, Sinha was the chairman of a government committee set up in 2010 to ease norms for overseas investors. This experience proved handy at Sebi. Similarly, the AIF regulations provided a boost to the venture capital industry and helped many startups. Sebi introduced many new measures for the primary market during Sinhas tenure. To reduce opening-day volatility and to curb manipulation, the regulator brought in circuit filters for listing day. It also changed the allotment process in initial public offers (IPOs) to ensure allotment to as many retail applications as possible. It shortened the time between an IPO closing and listing to six days and made large-scale changes to the buyback and delisting framework. Another highlight of Sinhas term was implementing the new corporate governance framework, which empowered minority investors by providing them equitable treatment and brought greater transparency in board-level activities and related-party transactions. It also had provisions to ensure promoters did not have their way at the cost of ordinary shareholders. In fact, the provisions were so stringent that some corporate titans raised their voices against them, forcing the government and Sebi to dilute a few rules. To address the capital-raising needs of new-age technology companies, Sebi introduced a separate listing platform meant for startups. The norms for listing on this platform were far more relaxed than those on the main exchanges. Despite Sebis efforts, the concept failed to take off in a meaningful way. Similarly, other new instruments such as municipal bonds, real estate investment trusts (Reits) and infrastructure investment trusts (InViTs) also have not made much headway. Another area where Sebi faced difficulties was over illicit money collection schemes, the so-called collective investment schemes (CIS). Changes to the Sebi Act brought CIS regulations under the regulators fold, but Sebi faced challenges in cracking down against Ponzi schemes like Sharada and Rose Valley. In its defence, Sebi said the operators of these schemes exploited the regulatory arbitrage between state and central laws. Sebi has also delayed passing an order in an alleged insider trading case against Reliance Industries. Sebi and Reliance Industries were at odds for not settling the matter under a consent mechanism. Reliance Industries had moved the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on Sebis decision not to allow the consent settlement. The SAT ruled in Sebis favour in 2014. The regulator, however, is yet to issue a final order in the matter. Sebi had to face flak often from the SAT for its quality of work, however, the regulators success rate before the tribunal improved significantly during Sinhas tenure. Trump's foreign policy juggernaut has shelved the 'Deep State' and 'Axis of Evil'. But where is India, asks Rajeev Srinivasan. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com I suggested a couple of years ago that the American #DeepState had invented a new Axis of Evil, a trio of enemies: Putin, Abe and Modi, in an updated version of the earlier axis of evil which was Iran, Iraq and North Korea. It certainly looked like the Obama administration was doing its damnedest to harass and intimidate all three: Encouraging Georgian and Ukrainian aggression towards Russia, humiliating Modi for a dozen years with a supercilious visa ban, and bullying Japan when it attempted to rid itself of the outdated pacifist Article 9 in its United States-imposed constitution. It was only to be expected that President Trump would reverse this stance, because he and his close aides such as Steve Bannon stressed repeatedly that America's foes were, instead, China and Islamist terrorism. And sure enough, a month into his term, Trump and his main aides have shown that they are positive towards Russia; and Shinzo Abe's recent visit to Trump's ranch in Florida apparently ended with smiles all around. So, if my theory is correct, the next outreach should be to India, the remaining member of the Axis. Unfortunately, India seems to be taking a decidedly cool approach to Trump, sort of a wait and see. Perhaps it is because of the trauma of demonetisation followed by the preoccupation with state elections. However, I am concerned about the plausible alternative: That Modi is trying to curry favor with the Leftie 'intellectuals' and media who -- blindly following in the footsteps of their American counterparts -- simply loathe Trump. If that is the case, then India is letting a foreign policy opportunity slip through its fingers while the more alert are quickly getting their cards on the table. As I write this, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is about to arrive in the US, and the noises from the Trump administration have been decidedly friendly. (Compare to Obama's parting shots: He abstained in the Security Council in a resolution condemning Israel, and pretty much his very last act in office was to allocate $122 million to the Palestinians.) If Trump is indeed worried about China and Islamist terrorism, then India is one of the parties most affected by both. Further, Pakistan, which has had a bit of a riot act read to it apparently by the Trump cabinet, is clearly another factor that should draw the US and India closer. But there has apparently been little initiative on the part of the Indian foreign affairs mandarins to present the case: Perhaps they have been sidetracked by the H1-B issue, too. I do wish they'd get their act in gear, or risk being deemed irrelevant in the Trump world-view. Besides, the #DeepState is only bending, but it is not beaten. They are fighting back because they have the intelligence establishment as well as much of the bureaucracy on their side. The spectacular setback to Trump due to the resignation of his national security advisor General Mike Flynn on the very question of covert ties to Russia shows this. The fond hopes expressed by some in the media that a path is now open to impeach Trump on the same issue shows how they will fight back. There is reason to believe that Trump is involved in a Huntingtonian clash of civilisations, wherein the Russians, as fellow-white-Christians, must naturally be an ally to the West, as contrasted with Muslims and Chinese. This may explain part of his eagerness to arrive at a detente with Russia, lest it be tempted to move further into the Chinese dhritarashtra alinganam. In China's case, too, Trump's perspective has been ups and downs. The bonhomie shown by Trump towards Abe, and his ringing declaration that the US would stand by Japan over, for example, the Senkakus, which the Chinese are nibbling at, was, for all intents and purposes, an unambiguous statement of support. On the other hand, there was disappointment as well. There was a good start wherein Trump's phone call with the president of Taiwan suggested that he was not particularly bothered about China's easily ruffled feathers, or their political theatre. It is not even clear why anybody should be that bothered -- other than China -- whether there was 'One China' or three. I read in the Financial Times that this is standard Chinese strategy: Declare something is non-negotiable, and repeat it until everybody else falls in line. And Trump, to begin with, did act like he got this. Thus, the consternation over the abrupt U-turn after a call with Chinese strongman Xi. Why is Trump toeing the Chinese line? What was the quid pro quo? Or did Trump just wake up and smell the roses and wonder if China is just too big to beat? Before that happens, and Trump attempts (of course, it will be futile) to accommodate China, it is important for India to get its act in gear and reach out to Trump. India offers a lot in terms of containing China, its geostrategic position dominating the Indian Ocean, and its front-line status in the war on terror. The #DeepState still intends to punish India. The recent publication of an absurdly Hinduphobic report by a Pakistani working for the USCIRF, a quasi-governmental body that is mostly concerned about large-scale conversion of Hindus and others, is an indicator of the fact that the beast has been defanged, but is by no means dead. A large Trump constituency, Southern rednecks, may be highly supportive of the execrable USCIRF. Acknowledging that the hostile conduct of locals was causing higher casualties in the Kashmir valley, Army chief Bipin Rawat has warned those attacking security forces during anti-terrorism operations of "tough action". The stern message from Rawat came a day after three soldiers faced heavy stone-pelting at Parray Mohalla of Bandipore in north Kashmir when they were about to launch an operation against terrorists holed up there. Alerted by the stone-pelters, the militants got an opportunity to fire hand grenades and empty a few magazines from AK-rifles into the advancing troopers, leaving three jawans dead and some others, including a Commanding officer of CRPF, injured. One terrorist managed to flee the area. General Rawat said security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were facing higher casualties due to the manner in which the local population was preventing them from conducting the operations and "at times even supporting the terrorists to escape". "We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism, displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. "They may survive today, but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue," the Army Chief told media persons in New Delhi, sending out a stern message to those who support terrorists. Rawat's assertion came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he paid last respects in New Delhi to three of the four soldiers, including a major, who were killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir on Tuesday. The Army chief said if "they do not relent and create hurdle in our operations, then we will take tough action." The Prime Minister, in a tweet, said, "Paid tributes to the brave men who lost their lives fighting terrorists in J&K. India will always remember their valour & sacrifice." General Rawat said those supporting terror activities are being given an opportunity to join the national mainstream but, if they continue with their acts, security forces will come down hard on them. "We are giving them an opportunity, should they want to continue to (do what they are doing now) then, we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures. And that is the way to continue," he said . Four terrorists were gunned down in two separate encounters on Tuesday. Four army personnel, including a Major, were also killed in the encounters at Handwara and Bandipora. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo Inderjit Singh Reyat, the only person convicted in the 1985 Air India bombing, has been released from a halfway house and is now free to live where he chooses, according to a new decision from the Parole Board of Canada. Parole board spokesman Patrick Storey said that Reyat's parole officer assessed those with whom he will live "to ensure they will not have a negative influence on him." The parole board's notes said, "Your case management team reports that since your release to the community, you have been abiding by all the conditions of your release. There has been no evidence of communication with any negative associates who may hold extremist views or be involved to political activity. There have been no police concerns since your release. And the High Risk Target Team is supportive of the removal of your residency condition. You have been participating in ongoing counselling to address cognitive distortions and violent behaviour. You have been described as higly accountable for your activities and your whereabouts." (Read the full document HERE) Reyat had been serving a seven-year sentence after being convicted of perjury in 2010 for repeatedly lying during his testimony at a trial into the bombing deaths of 331 people. The parole board said that resulted in his co-accused not being convicted in Canada's worst mass murder. In January 2016, Reyat was given statutory release after serving two-thirds of his sentence and was expected to be closely monitored at a halfway house at an undisclosed location for another 18 months. Reyat was convicted of making bombs that were stuffed into luggage and planted on two planes leaving Vancouver. One bomb tore apart Air India Flight 182 as it neared the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people aboard, including entire families. The second exploded at Japans Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers as they transferred cargo to another Air India plane. The blasts followed a crackdown on Sikhs fighting for an independent homeland, and those behind it were allegedly seeking revenge for the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by Indian troops. China has lodged a protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation and asked it to deal "prudently" with Taiwan-related matters but New Delhi on Wednesday dismissed the issue saying no "political meanings" should be read into such trips. Briefing the reporters in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, "China lodged representations with India" over the Taiwan parliamentary delegation's visit to New Delhi. "We hope that India would understand and respect China's core concerns and stick to the 'One-China' principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations," Geng said. The remarks evoked a prompt reaction from New Delhi, where External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them." A three-member women's parliamentary delegation from Taiwan visited India earlier this week amidst signals of increasing engagement between the two sides. Taiwan currently has Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre located in New Delhi. India's office in Taiwan is called India-Taipei Association. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which have diplomatic relations with it. China has been objecting to such visits to India, maintaining that countries that have diplomatic relations with it should fulfil their commitment to the 'One China' policy. Elaborating further on China's stand on Taiwanese Parliamentary delegation to India, Geng said, "those who are visiting India are so-called legislators from Taiwan" and Beijing is opposed to any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries with whom China has diplomatic relations. "The reason why China lodged the representation is because that we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the 'One China' principle," he said. "So by making our representation we are urging the Indian side to stick to the 'One China' principle and take concrete actions for steady development of China-India relations," he said. He also declined to answer a question about when the protest was lodged with India, saying that "not all the information about diplomatic activities are open to the public". "All I can tell is China has lodged diplomatic representation with India," he said. Geng said that "the Indian side has made commitment on the Taiwan-related issues." The Defence Research and Development Organisation has said that the extended range version of the BrahMos missile of 450 km is likely to be tested on March 10. Responding to a question whether the Russia has agreed to enhancement of the range to 450 km and when it will be tested, DRDO Chief S Christopher said on the sidelines of the Aero India 2017 in Bengaluru, "Yes... March 10 is the tentative date." He said that another version of BrahMos with a range of about 800 km was under development and it will take about two-and-a-half years for it to get tested. BrahMos is a joint venture with Russia. The government on December 16 last had said that India and Russia have agreed to extend the range of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles beyond the current 300 km, with the country joining the elite Missile Technology Control Regime. Membership of the MTCR, a key anti-proliferation grouping, helps India procure high-end missile technology and surveillance systems by leading manufacturers, which are allowed to be accessed by only MTCR member countries. The aim of the MTCR is to restrict the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogramme payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction. In its first entry into any multilateral export control regime, India joined the MTCR in June last as a full member. China, which had stonewalled India's entry into the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group at the Seoul plenary in June, is not a member of the 34-nation MTCR. The space agency launched 104 satellites, breaking the previous record of 37 by Russia. Space agency Indian Space Research Organisation on Wednesday scripted history by successfully launching 104 satellites, including India's weather observation Cartosat-2 Series, in a single mission onboard its dependable Polar rocket from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Bettering Russian space agency's feat of launching 37 satellites in a single mission in 2014, Indian Space Research Organisation injected the Cartosat-2 Series satellite and 103 nano satellites into precise orbit after a textbook lift-off from Sriharikota spaceport, about 100 km from Chennai. The previous highest number of satellites launched by ISRO in one mission was 20 in June 2015, the agency said. Cartosat-2 Series satellite, a remote sensing spacecraft with a five-year life span, would send images that would be utilised in coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, distribution of water, creation of land use maps among others, ISRO said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO for the successful launch, saying, "This remarkable feat by @isro is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India salutes our scientists." Break-up of the satellites >> Cartosat-2 Satellite - India >> 88 Dove satellites - USA >> 8 Lemur satellites USA >> BGUSat Israel >> 1 Al-Farabi Kazakhstan >> PEASSS The Netherlands >> 2 DIDO Switzerland >> 1 Nayif - UAE The complex mission has once again proved ISRO's capabilities in undertaking commercial launches with the PSLV achieving its 38th consecutive success. So far, ISRO has launched 226 satellites, including 179 belonging to foreign countries. At the end of the 23-hour countdown, the shortest so far by ISRO, the agency's trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, on its 39th flight, blasted off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 9:28 am and soared into clear skies. ISRO said it was able to reduce the countdown time, which normally varies upto 52 hours, as the preparations were completed in a shorter span. After a flawless flight, the rocket first orbited 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series satellite followed by the co-passengers, ISRO's INS-1A and INS-1B, 96 other nano satellites belonging to two US companies, and one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Switzerland and UAE. The satellites were placed in the polar Sun Synchronous Orbit in a gap of about 30 minutes during a series of separations. A beaming ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar announced that "All 104 satellites successfully placed in orbit. My hearty congratulations to the entire ISRO team for the wonderful job they have done." Kiran Kumar said 77 of the satellites have already started communicating with the earth stations after the launch. He said that the mission was about maximising ISRO's returns and improving its capabilities. "Through PSLV, we are trying to capture a particular segment of (space launch market)," he told the post-launch media conference. Replying to a question, he said that US firms approach ISRO for launch of smaller satellites as the frequency of PSLV launches was more by India. Project Director B Jayakumar said that ISRO had lived up to the expectation of customers. "It was a very good learning experience for us. We have launched 226 satellites out of which 179 are from foreign nations." With a total payload of 1378 kgs, ISRO opted for the most powerful XL variant of the PSLV for the 16th time in Wednesday's mission. It had earlier been used in the 'Chandrayaan' and the Mars Orbiter Mission among others. The nano-satellites belonging to international customers were launched as part of their arrangement with the Antrix Corporation Ltd (ANTRIX) the commercial arm of the ISRO. CARTOSAT-2 Series satellite was similar to the earlier four satellites in the Series. INS (ISRO Nano Satellite) 1A and 1B carry a total of four different payloads from Space Applications Centre (SAC) and Laboratory for Electro Optics Systems (LEOS) of ISRO for conducting various experiments. Photographs: PTI Photo Loyalists of Chief Minister O Panneerselvam may be rejoicing at All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief V K Sasikala's conviction in a corruption case but are caught in a dilemma over the legacy of late party supremo J Jayalalithaa since she has been indicted by the Supreme Court as well. The loyalists, however, went on to maintain on Wednesday that the former chief minister was a victim of wrong doings by others. With the AIADMK criticising the celebration by supporters of Pannerselvam and questioning whether they were rejoicing the verdict in the case in which Jayalalithaa was also indicted, the rebels contended that her name was misused by others for which she cannot be faulted. "I defend my leader late Jayalalithaa. She was a charismatic leader. We had worked with her for many years. We knew her very well. She had always worked only for the people's welfare," veteran AIADMK leader and former minister, S Semmalai said. Asked about the verdict indicting Jayalalithaa, he declined to be drawn into the nitty-gritty of the verdict, stating that he was yet to fully go into it, even while standing behind 'Amma'. "Jayalalithaa was a leader with the pure heart of a child, who could do no wrongs, and she had always been interested only in helping people," Semmalai, also a sitting MLA from Mettur constituency said. On the conviction of Sasikala and others, he said "Amma cannot be held responsible for the wrongs committed by some others who had used her name." Semmalai had been the Health and Education Minister during the 2001-06 AIADMK regime. He was also the Deputy Leader of AIADMK Parliamentary Party, in the 15th Lok Sabha. Former MLA and another Panneerselvam follower, R M Babu Murugavel said, "Jayalalithaa was a victim. The verdict has strengthened our conviction that late chief minister was made a scapegoat (in the case)." Babu, who was recently expelled from the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam said there was "no point" blaming Amma. He said that Jayalalithaa was focussed only on good governance. He asserted that the alleged wrong doings of others cannot be let to cloud "Amma's reputation." Panneerselvam has not commented on the verdict so far even while appealing to AIADMK MLAs to sink differences and support him for continuance of "Amma's government" led by him. The apex court had on Tuesday restored a lower court order convicting Sasikala and two others, while abating charges against Jayalalithaa due to her demise. Stunned by the body blow dealt to Sasikala's hopes of becoming the chief minister due to the order, her supporters sought to turn the tables against Panneerselvam pointing to the celebrations and distribution of sweets in some places. They accused Panneerselvam supporters of celebrating a verdict which they said also went against Jayalalithaa. Seeking to capitalise on the impasse, Pattali Makkal Katchi founder chief S Ramadoss sought to know why Panneerselvam was maintaining silence on the verdict. "Is it not the attribute of a good chief minister to welcome the verdict against corruption?" he asked. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam working president M K Stalin had on Tuesday said that when the trial court gave its verdict in 2014, AIADMK men had labelled it as a result of conspiracy by his party. "All those who were against the trial court verdict are today distributing sweets," he had said. Before the situation in the Naxal-affected areas got out of hand, the Raman Singh government intervened to calm tempers between the police and human rights activists. R Krishna Das reports. Last month, Chief Minister Raman Singh was on a visit to Jagdalpur, the divisional headquarters of restive Bastar. As his cavalcade entered the main road of the city, a poster put up by a vigilante group called the Samajik Ekta Manch (also called Action Group for National Integrity or AGNI) drew his attention: 'Stop supporting the rights activists.' Singh, a doctor by training, was scheduled to meet noted human rights activist, academic and researcher Bela Bhatia during his visit. A few days earlier, she had been intimidated and served an ultimatum by a mob, led allegedly by members of AGNI, to vacate her rented house at Parpa, a village on the fringes of Jagdalpur, within 24 hours and leave Bastar for good. Those who had put up the poster did not want the three-time chief minister to go soft on Bhatia, a PhD from Cambridge, and others who have consistently pointed out atrocities committed by the police in the Naxalite-infested zone. Singh stayed the course. S R P Kalluri, the controversial inspector general of police for Bastar, was moved to Raipur where he was attached to the headquarters. AGNI, along with another vigilante group called the Bastar Vikas Sangharsh Samiti, was proscribed. Dr Bhatia has moved to Jagdalpur where she has been provided accommodation and security by the Chhattisgarh government. Dr Bhatia is among several human rights activists in the region who have been hounded by unfriendly mobs in the conflict zone. Their crime was that they raised their voice against cases of police atrocities against the Adivasis. Last year, journalist Malini Subramaniam, lawyers Shalini Gera and Isha Khandelwal, and Aam Aadmi Party leader Soni Sori were not only intimidated and physically attacked but were also driven out of Bastar by vigilante groups. Academic and activist Nandini Sundar too had to face their wrath. On November 1, a first information report, or FIR, was lodged in the Peddagalur village of Bijapur district that policemen had raped Adivasi women in large numbers in November 2015 in Bastar, following an enquiry by the Women against Sexual Violence & State Repression. The National Human Rights Commission last month endorsed that at least 16 women had been sexually assaulted. Dr Bhatia came in AGNI's crosshairs after she accompanied the National Human Rights Commission team in the region to record the statements of the assault survivors who had filed FIRs against the police personnel. The Raman Singh government, which will seek re-election next year, was aware that the attack on Dr Bhatia could snowball into a serious affair, and hence it swiftly took action. The government in the state remains more or less unchallenged. With a weak Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party government has never come across any serious political crisis in the last 13 years. With a slew of welfare measures and fiscal prudence aimed at delivering to the poor, Dr Singh's popularity graph has remained intact. The only blemish is that the relationship between the police and vigilantes on one side and activists on the other has touched a new low in Chhattisgarh. While activists say the vigilantes, propped up by the police, are silent on the atrocities committed by the State, the vigilantes, in turn, say the activists are sympathetic towards the Left-wing extremists and ignore their misdemeanours. The situation was not so hostile three years ago. Soon after Kalluri took over as IGP in Bastar in June 2014, the police-activist confrontation in Bastar reached a new pitch. The activists have been openly blaming him for backing AGNI. In its no-holds-barred fight with the extremists, the Chhattisgarh police have tried to take the people along. In the middle of the last decade, they had mobilised an armed militia, which was called Salwa Judum and comprised the local youth, and deployed in the Naxalite-affected areas. In 2011, the Supreme Court found it illegal and unConstitutional and accordingly ordered it to be disbanded. The vigilante groups were not armed, but didn't shy away from intimidating those who did not agree with their narrative of the Naxal-police conflict. The 'withdrawal' of Kalluri from Bastar is a major development that underlines the Raman Singh government's acknowledgement that all was not well with the way things were being done in Bastar. Or else, it wouldn't have removed him. That is because the operations against the Naxalite extremists have reached a decisive junction. Though he was under the scanner of the rights activists, the credit for pushing the Naxalites to the back foot must go to Kalluri. No major bloodbath by rebels has been reported from Bastar in the past year-and-a-half. Removing him at this crucial juncture shows that the government wanted to put a lid on the confrontation with activists at all costs. Kalluri had vowed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make Bastar Naxalite free before the next state polls in November 2018. He was pulling all the strings to achieve that target. In his view, nothing short of a serious war was going on in Bastar and it had to be won. But the intolerance of the police against critics has opened a new front in the region. The police claim the activists support the extremists. Anyone against the police or raising his voice in support of the tribes runs the risk of being dubbed a Naxal sympathiser. Kalluri has allegedly never taken gently to any interference from 'outsiders' in his efforts to ensure 'law and order' in the region. In this, he received unwavering support from the vigilantes. AGNI National Convener Anand Mohan Mishra says activists from 'outside' are complicating the issue. "The activists talk about police atrocities, but never say a word when Naxalites brutally kill security personnel and poor villagers," he says, adding that there cannot be two standards for human rights violation. To be fair, the activists have never convincingly countered this allegation, which has widened the rift. When Dr Bhatia met Chief Minister Singh, she submitted a letter and appealed to him to ensure the 'observation of the rule of law by all State institutions including the police.' The Opposition parties have come out in support of the activists. Chhattisgarh's Leader of the Oopposition, T S Singhdeo of the Congress, says the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state are subverting democratic institutions and the rule of law. The chief minister finally realised that the confrontation between activists and the police was not wise. 'Freedom of speech is a fundamental right and its violation is a serious issue,' Dr Singh said in Jagdalpur, giving a clear indication that the security forces were not on the right track. The removal of Kalluri and the ban on the two vigilante groups followed. Mishra in a statement on February 9, said in the given circumstances, without any specific reason, AGNI has been dissolved with immediate effect. Had the actions come earlier, Bastar would not have been aflame with police-activist conflict. IMAGE: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh pays homage at the Amar Jawan Smarak in Jagadalapur. Photograph: Kined courtesy Raman Singh/Twitter The environment ministry has suggested "blacklisting" of a BBC producer for "grossly erroneous" reporting after its documentary projected the government's anti-poaching strategy at Kaziranga Tiger reserve as "shoot-to-kill" policy. An Office Memorandum issued by National Tiger Conservation Authority has taken strong objection to the documentary for portraying India's wildlife conservation efforts at the reserve in "negative" light. BBC News South Asia Bureau and the producer of the documentary -- 'Killing For Conservation'-- Justin Rowlatt has been issued a showcause notice asking them as to why their permissions should not be revoked. The documentary examines the government's anti-poaching policy and seeks to find if the communities in the areas near the reserve have been affected. The NTCA in its showcase has also asked the documentary to be removed from online portals with immediate effect and directed the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom to take action. "As per (powers) vested by section 38 0(k) of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, this authority hearby directs the BBC News South Asia Bureau and Justin Rowlatt to showcause as to why their permissions should not be revoked for violating clauses of the no-objection and clearances given by this authority within seven days," the OM said. If the BBC fails to comply, its filming permission in all the tiger reserves of the country stand revoked, it said. "Further, the said documentary uploaded on various online portals be removed with immediate effect by parties concerned. The Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom is requested to take action as appropriate in the matter," the OM said, adding it was a "breach of trust" by the producer. A BBC spoksperson, when contacted said the film makes clear the successes achieved by India's conservation policies in preserving the country's most iconic wildlife. "However, the film also expressly set out to explore the challenges of India's conservation drive and during production it became clear that one of those challenges was the impact on communities living next to the park. "Our audiences expect us to bring them the full picture, while adhering to our editorial standards and this piece is no different," the spokesperson said in a statement. The statement further said, "The issues raised in the film are part of an important international debate on the appropriate way to combat poaching. We did approach the relevant government authorities to make sure their position was fully reflected but they declined to take part." The NTCA, which comes under the Environment Ministry, said the producer, with "scant" understanding of laws of place, has used "spasmodic" event as an umbrella to judge a gamut of conservation efforts that go into safeguarding "our wildlife heritage". "The immunity provided to the forest officials under section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been constructed as a 'shoot-to-kill' policy," it said. The NTCA found the producer guilty of "dishonouring" the undertaking provided and not working constructively with the government which resulted in portraying the conservation efforts in India in "extremely negative light". It also said the documentary "deviated" from original programme submitted to the Ministry of External Affairs, giving a "false" synopsis with the "surreptitious mal-intent" of obtaining permission from relevant authorities. It said it is not incorrect to assume that portrayal of wildlife conservation in India by Rowlatt and his production house shall provide a "fillip" to wildlife offences especially poaching. "It is suggested that the said producer Justin Rowlatt be blacklisted and the BBC be given a warning to adhere to clauses provided in clearances and approvals of government," it said. An Onalaska angler caught with more than 2,500 panfish will have to pay more than $4,800 and surrender his fishing license for exceeding Wisconsin game limits. Stanley Paalksnis, 74, could have been fined more than $24,000, although prosecutors requested just over $10,000 in exchange for his plea of no contest to four non-criminal citations. Paalksnis will also lose the 15-foot boat, motor, trailer and two freezers seized during a search of his home on Nov. 4, 2015, after Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wardens watched him keep 47 bluegills on Lake Onalaska. The daily limit is 25. In his house, authorities found 2,066 bluegills, 418 perch and 88 crappies, according to reports. The possession limits are 50 for each species. Paalksnis told a warden that he had been selling bags of fish in Chicago for about 20 years, according to the reports. La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke cited Paalksniss history of game violations and stated disregard for law enforcement. Paalksnis was cited eight times, and twice lost his license between 1989 and 2011. According to police reports, Paalksnis was uncooperative and vulgar when talking to the warden supervisor, telling him if he was younger he would beat him up. I hate game wardens, Paalksnis said. The only thing I hate more than game wardens is (racial slur for African-Americans). Hes basically ignored the law for years, Gruenke said. He seems to be a belligerent, angry person who doesnt want anyone to tell him what to do. Attorney Todd Schroeder said his client lives on Social Security benefits and can no longer indulge his passion for hunting because of health problems. At his age, the meaning he finds in life is catching fish, Schroeder said. Schroeder objected to the confiscation of Paalksniss property and requested a three-year suspension of his fishing license. Judge Elliott Levine revoked Paalksniss license for 12 years, the maximum period allowed, noting that limits are in place to assure everyone equal rights to limited natural resources. Hes lost his right to fish, Levine said. Hell have to find another hobby. DNR Warden Dale Hochhausen said he plans to donate the frozen fish to a food pantry or soup kitchen. They wont go to waste, he said. Hell have to find another hobby. Judge Elliott Levine, after imposing a 12-year revocation of Stanley Paalksniss fishing license. HOLMEN None of the female students, teachers or staff at Holmen High School left empty-handed this Valentines Day. Holmen Senior Zack Peterson handed out more than 625 long-stemmed roses Tuesday morning at the high school as the female students were called to the schools large group room one grade at a time. The sweet gesture was met with screams of glee and hugs from his female classmates as each received her rose. This was such a complete surprise, senior Lily King said. Its kind of a great feeling. Peterson said he came up with the idea as a pick-me-up for students. He said students were still grieving the death last year of sophomore Kevin Romanowski, and Peterson thought the gesture would be a simple way to help raise spirits and make sure that none of the girls felt left out on Valentines Day. King said Petersons surprise was one of the sweetest things anyone could do. Her boyfriend lives more than three hours away, so she wont be able to see him to celebrate the romantic holiday, and this was a great way to feel included. Its just nice to know that somebody cares, fellow senior Vanessa Clark said. It is such a super sweet surprise. The gift set Zack back about $450 after he ordered the roses in bulk from Ecuador through Sams Club. He said he liked giving out flowers and that the reaction on peoples faces was awesome especially after being very nervous before everyone started lining up. The school needs a pick-me-up, he said. It is an easy way to help people feel happy. Sophomore Alizabeth Mahlum said she needed her spirits lifted this week. It was her uncles birthday, and Valentines Day is always a somber reminder her uncle died a few years ago. I was really surprised, she said. It wasnt a good day for me and now things have been turned around. Even Zacks sister Abigail, a sophomore, was taken by the surprise. The family used air fresheners to mask the scent of the hundreds of roses over the weekend as Zack spent more than eight hours trimming, cleaning and arranging the flowers. Abigail said she was happy her brother did this for her classmates and glad they appreciated the gesture. The two of them get along pretty well, and she was impressed at how hard he worked to keep the flowers surprise for everyone, including her. A lot of girls left in tears, they were so happy, she said. It is great there are people like him in this world. 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. Bahrain: Fears of further violent crackdown on uprising anniversary Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 14 February 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Bahrain: Fears of further violent crackdown on uprising anniversary, 14 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a41be54.html [accessed 6 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. Authorities in Bahrain must refrain from using excessive force against protesters, Amnesty International urged as mass protests are under way on 14 February, to mark the sixth anniversary of the 2011 uprising. Bahrain is on the verge of a human rights crisis, as recent weeks have seen a pattern of increased repression, characterized by violence against protesters, executions, arbitrary detentions and a crackdown on freedom of expression. "Bahrain is at a tipping point. The first two months of 2017 alone saw an alarming upsurge in arbitrary and abusive force by security forces as well as the first executions since the uprising in 2011," said Lynn Maalouf, Deputy Director at Amnesty International's Beirut regional office. "The authorities must rein in the security forces, respect the rights to peaceful assembly, association and expression, and stop executions, otherwise a full blown human rights crisis risks breaking out." On the evening of 12 February, hundreds of protesters took to the streets throughout several villages, in protest against the authorities' not allowing the performance of religious funeral rituals for three men who were killed by coast guard forces on 9 February after they escaped from Jaw prison on 1 January. Bahraini Shi'a religious figures had called for mass rallies in protest. Some protests remained peaceful, while others turned violent. Amnesty International obtained reports and photos of injuries caused by birdshot on the back, ear, foot and leg of protesters. In Sitra, a large armoured vehicle was filmed driving towards protesters, appearing to fire tear gas at body height, causing injuries. The vehicle was then bombed, with the group Al-Muqawama Liwehdat al-I'lam al-Harbi claiming responsibility for it. The Bahraini authorities have not responded publicly to this attack. On 15 January 2017, three men were executed in Bahrain after nearly a seven-year hiatus and after a grossly unfair trial. In response, protests erupted in 20 villages across the country, a number of which turned violent, seeing government armored vehicles charging at protesters and almost running them over, as well as government forces using tear gas and shotguns to fire birdshot directly at protesters. Tension has since continued rising, with scores of people arrested after 15 January, including Munir Mshaima, the brother of Sami Mshaima, one of the three men executed. He was arrested immediately after his brother's funeral, accused of "insulting the King" during the proceedings. He was released the following day. Amnesty International saw video footage of armed men wearing black balaclavas firing Benelli semi-automatic shotguns during clashes in Duraz on 26 January. It is unclear whether they were firing live ammunition or less-lethal riot control ammunition.Additional masked men were seen carrying drawn semi-automatic handguns, as well as one carrying an MP-7 Personal Defense Weapon. In some instances, protesters also resorted to violence against the security forces, throwing Molotov cocktails and burning tyres, injuring at least two police officers. According to the Ministry of Interior, two police officers have also been killed. One police officer was shot in Bani Jamra on 14 January and later died from his injuries, while an off-duty police officer was shot and killed by armed men in Bilad al-Qadem on 29 January. More protests erupted on 29 January seeing thousands of people peacefully protesting the following day's trial of Sheikh Issa Qassem, the spiritual leader of the Al Wefaq opposition party, which was dissolved in July2016. "For six years, the Bahraini government has been claiming that it has taken meaningful steps towards reform and upholding its human rights obligations, including by prosecuting those who were responsible for the violations that took place during the 2011 uprising. But the past few weeks have seen a very concerning renewed pattern of violations, including arbitrary detention and torture, facilitated by a continuing climate of impunity", said Lynn Maalouf. Despite these claims, the Bahraini government has cracked down over the past six years on freedom of expression, by increasing arbitrary restrictions on the media, banning protests in Manama and imprisoning those who voice their opinion. In 2016, for example, prominent human rights defender Nabeel Rajab was yet again imprisoned, the main opposition party Al Wefaq was dissolved and its spiritual leader, Sheikh Issa Qassem's nationality arbitrarily revoked and its Secretary General Sheikh Ali Salman given a nine-year prison sentence for peacefully stating his party's goal of pursuing power in Bahrain, to achieve the reform demands of the 2011 uprising and to hold those responsible for human rights violations to account. On 16 January the Ministry of Information issued an order suspending the online edition of Al-Wasat, an independent newspaper, due to its "repeated broadcastings inciting to discord in society and the spirit of sedition, disruption of national unity that affects public peace." The Ministry of Information reinstated the online edition of Al-Wasat on 19 January. Also, the government of Bahrain continues to detain Dr Ali al-Ekri and 11 opposition activists including Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and Hassan Mshaima and, who were arrested for peacefully opposing the government during the 2011 uprising. Many of those detained have alleged they were tortured during their interrogations. They described being beaten, forced to stand for extended periods of time and being threatened with rape by officers of the National Security Agency. "Dr Ali al-Ekri and the 11 opposition activists are all prisoners of conscience who remain behind bars because of their peaceful involvement in the uprising - the Bahraini authorities must release them immediately and unconditionally". Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Guinea-Bissau: Sustaining economic growth requires political stability, says UN envoy Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 14 February 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Guinea-Bissau: Sustaining economic growth requires political stability, says UN envoy, 14 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a41c5a40c.html [accessed 6 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. 14 February 2017 - In the face of continued political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, a more sustained and well-coordinated approach is required to sustain economic gains, said the United Nations envoy for the country, calling for "faithful" implementation of a regionally-brokered road-map. "Any breakthrough in the political dialogue would remain short-lived if the structural causes of the instability are not addressed," Modibo Toure, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Guinea Bissau, told the UN Security Council today. "It will therefore be critical for national actors to implement the provisions in the Conakry Agreement related to the review of the Constitution in order to clarify the provisions that have given rise to inter-institutional conflicts in the past," he added in his briefing, parts of which were in French. The Conakry Agreement was signed in October last year following talks between political leaders, civil society and religious leaders of Guinea-Bissau. The talks were hosted by the regional bloc Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS) in Guinea's capital Conakry. However, the implementation of the Agreement and the ECOWAS roadmap has been challenging, Mr. Toure outlined. Urging authorities of Guinea-Bissau to focus on revising the electoral law and the laws governing political parties, as envisaged in the Conakry Agreement, in preparation for legislative elections scheduled in 2018, the UN official also underlined that "at the same time, it is important not to lose sight of the critical reforms in the judicial, human rights, security and economic sectors." Despite political crisis, country's economic performance has been remarkable Further in the briefing, Mr. Toure highlighted that the national economy was estimated to have expanded by five per cent in 2016, on the back of very good cashew harvests and favourable terms of trade. The growth last year follows favourable growth rates in 2015 and 2014. He, however, added that sustaining the economic growth would require stability. Furthermore, the Government successfully paid salary arrears of several months particularly in the health and education sectors. There was also progress in fostering national reconciliation and social cohesion, as evidenced in a recent symposium organized at the premises of the National Assembly and attended by the country's President. Mr. Toure also pointed out that in the absence of a fully functioning Government, the UN and international financial institutions must continue to coordinate efforts towards mitigating risks, reducing socioeconomic vulnerabilities, including through business for peace initiatives. In pursuit of this objective, he said that the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), that he heads, is currently working to take forward a partnership initiative with the UNCT, the World Bank, and other interested bilateral and multilateral partners to effectively strengthen local resilience and promote peace in Guinea-Bissau, in line with relevant the Security Council resolution on a more integrated political, security and developmental approach to sustaining peace. Reported killings in DR Congo town could amount to serious rights violations - UN rights arm Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 14 February 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Reported killings in DR Congo town could amount to serious rights violations - UN rights arm, 14 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a41c8440d.html [accessed 6 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. 14 February 2017 - At least 101 people are reported to have been killed by soldiers in clashes between military forces and members of the Kamuina Nsapu militia in central Democratic Republic of the Congo over the last five days, the United Nations human rights wing has said. Some 39 individuals among those killed in the violence between 9-13 February were women, caught in the shooting, when Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) soldiers opened fire indiscriminately with machine guns when they saw militia fighters, Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told the media at the bi-weekly news briefing at the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG), citing information received from several sources. The militia members where reportedly armed mainly with machetes and spears. We are deeply concerned at the reported high number of deaths, which if confirmed would suggest excessive and disproportionate use of force by the soldiers, said Ms. Throssell, noting that the UN Joint Human Rights Office is seeking to verify the exact number of victims. Calling on call on the FARDC soldiers to abide by standards under national law and international human rights law in their responses and urged the military commanders to reinforce this message with their troops, she added: In particular to exercise restraint and to use force only when necessary and proportionate to the threat, to minimize damage and injury and to respect and preserve human lives. According to OHCHR, this latest violence said to have occurred in and around the town of Tshimbulu in DR Congo's Kasai Central Province follows atrocities committed by both sides it has documented since August last year, when a customary chief (after whom the Kamuina Nsapu militia is named) was killed by the armed forces. VIDEO: OHCHR calls on the FARDC soldiers to "abide by acceptable standards of national law and international human rights law" in their operations. Credit: UN News Calling on the authorities for a full and independent investigation into the latest violence, the UN human rights office offered its support to investigations into others allegations of serious human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of the ongoing conflict in Kasai Central Province by the FARDC and the militia. Given the ongoing violence, we also reiterate our call for increased efforts to find durable solutions to conflicts with customary chiefs in Kasai Central Province, said Ms. Throssell. Ukraine: UN warns of civilian casualties in 'face to face' fighting in country's east Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 14 February 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Ukraine: UN warns of civilian casualties in 'face to face' fighting in country's east, 14 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a41cd940d.html [accessed 6 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. 14 February 2017 - Intensified fighting between Government and non-Government forces near densely populated areas in eastern Ukraine is endangering civilians, the senior United Nations humanitarian representative in the country told reporters in Geneva today. "The situation in eastern Ukraine is actually quite serious, you will be aware that between 21 January and 3 February the fighting intensity increased," said Neal Walker, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, citing frequent violations of the ceasefire and fighting near the towns of Avdiivka, Yasynuvata, Makiivka and Donetsk. "There was extremely intense fighting from the 29th until the 3rd of February," Mr. Walker recalled, noting that that the number of ceasefire violations exceeded 30,000 in a week or so, compared to less than 30,000 over the course of a month. The conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in March 2014. A ceasefire was eventually negotiated in Minsk, Belarus, in February 2015 but there have been frequent violations. The latest truce began on 23 December last year. "The approximation of fighting forces, armed separatists in the east and Government troops, the distance separating them has narrowed, has narrowed incredibly," Mr. Walker said. "And they are now face to face. You also have an increased presence of heavy weapons directly in violation of the Minsk accord." Mr. Walker also mentioned that the humanitarian situation is quite critical. "Let's not forget temperatures in the past weeks have been between 10 and 20 below zero centigrade," he said. VIDEO: UN relief official in Ukraine warns of critical humanitarian situation and calls for further civilian protection, as ceasefire violations peaks in the country. Credit: UN News The UN Resident Coordinator also warned about environmental damage to critical civilian infrastructure due to shelling. "We have for instance a phenol chemical plant which has enormous potential to do severe environmental damage if the shelling is continued and it is damaged further," he said. "There are probably between 800,000 and one million IDPs (internally displaced persons) in government controlled areas of Ukraine," Mr. Walker estimated. "We estimate another 200,000 have actually returned to non-government controlled areas from government controlled areas," he added. Since the beginning of the conflict, around 10,000 people have been killed in the violence, with civilian deaths on the rise. RSF calls for release of six journalists held for "false information" Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 14 February 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF calls for release of six journalists held for "false information", 14 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a41d514.html [accessed 6 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) is stunned and dismayed to learn that six mostly very senior journalists have been detained since 12 February for reporting that bonuses were paid to members of the army's special forces who staged a mutiny in the southeastern town of Adiake. The six journalists, who include three newspaper publishers and an editor, are being held in cells at the gendarmerie's Agban barracks in the Abidjan district of Williamsville. RSF is very worried by their detention, especially as media offences are decriminalized in Cote d'Ivoire. The six detainees are Coulibaly Vamara, publisher of Soir Info and L'Inter; Yacouba Gbane, publisher of Le Temps; Bamba Franck Mamadou, publisher of Notre Voie; Hamadou Ziao, L'Inter's editor; Ferdinand Bailly of Le Temps; and Jean Bedel Gnago, Soir Info's correspondent in Aboisso (a town near Adiake). They are all charged with "publishing false news" and "inciting army personnel to insubordination and rebellion" in articles published on 10 and 11 February about payment of bonuses to the Adiake-based special forces who staged a mutiny for more pay on 7-8 February. The government issued a statement denying the reports. "We call on the Ivorian authorities to respect their own laws and to release these six journalists at once," RSF editor-in-chief Virginie Dangles said. "As media offences are decriminalized in Cote d'Ivoire, journalists should not be jailed, regardless of what they report in their articles. Legal recourse is available if what they write is considered preposterous or defamatory." Gbane and Bailly were questioned for eight hours on 11 February at the gendarmerie's department of investigations on prosecutor-general Richard Christophe Adou's orders, and were asked to name their sources within the special forces and defence ministry. The other journalists were summoned for questioning the next day. If convicted on these charges, they face the possibility of jail terms of one to five years and fines of 300,000 to 3 million CFA francs. RSF points out that article 68 of Cote d'Ivoire's press law clearly states that "the penalty of imprisonment is excluded for press offences." Only the National Press Council (CNP), which regulates the media, has the power to impose penalties on journalists for violations. This is the third time since Alassane Ouattara became president that journalists have been arbitrarily detained for media offences. Three Notre Voie journalists - publisher Cesar Etou, assistant editor Didier Depri and chief political correspondent Boga Sivori - were arrested in November 2011 and were held for 13 days before being tried and acquitted. Kazakh editor's arrest aims to silence opposition paper Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 14 February 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Kazakh editor's arrest aims to silence opposition paper, 14 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a41deb4.html [accessed 6 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) is appalled by the way gendarmes handcuffed and tortured newspaper reporter Robert Avotor when he tried to cover a land dispute in a Lome suburb on 7 February. The gendarmes arrested Avotor after first ordering him to leave the scene of the dispute in the western suburb Akato-Viepe, although he was wearing a press vest and had his press card. He works for the biweekly L'Alternative. After handcuffing and torturing him for more than two hours, the gendarmes took him to the gendarmerie base in Sagbado, where they deleted the photos in his camera and mobile phone and then released him. "We strongly condemn the violent and degrading way this journalist was treated and we call for an investigation so that those responsible are punished," RSF editor-in-chief Virginie Dangles. "We also remind the authorities that journalists must be free to cover events in the field." The Togolese Media Observatory (OTM), Togo Independent Journalists Union (UJIT) and National Press Owners Council (CONAPP) also condemned the violence in a joint statement. Their statement urged "the ministry of security to take the appropriate measures against those responsible for this highly reprehensible act, which jeopardizes the good working relations that the security forces and media professionals are trying to establish." Togo is ranked 88th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Bangladesh: Stop Persecuting Unions, Garment Workers Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 15 February 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Bangladesh: Stop Persecuting Unions, Garment Workers, 15 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a45de64.html [accessed 6 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. Dozens of garment workers and labor leaders are facing unfair or apparently fabricated criminal cases in Bangladesh after wage strikes in December 2016, Human Rights Watch said today. Arbitrary arrests by the Bangladesh police are growing with each passing day nine more union organizers were arrested on February 10, taking the number of known arrests to 34. The Bangladesh authorities should immediately release those still in detention and drop all politically motivated charges. Global brands and donors attending the February 25, 2017 Dhaka Apparel Summit hosted by the country's garment export association should call on the government to stop all persecution of union leaders and protect workers' freedom of association. "Targeting labor activists and intimidating workers instead of addressing their wage grievances tarnishes Bangladesh's reputation and makes a mockery of government and industry claims that they are committed to protecting worker's rights," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Global garment brands sourcing from Bangladesh and aid donors should press the government to stop persecuting workers and labor rights activists." Thousands of garment workers outside Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, participated in wage strikes between December 11 and 19. They came from an estimated 20 factories that supply global brands based in the Ashulia industrial area. According to information by local groups and official information, the vast majority were from factories that had no unions. The national union federations deny they had any role in or prior knowledge about these strikes. But the Bangladesh authorities used these strikes as a justification to arrest national union federation leaders and labor activists for "leading" and "planning" the strikes. Workers say that strikes are often the only means for them to raise their grievances, in part because the government and local employers retaliate against union organizers and workers trying to organize. As a result, workers are unable to bargain collectively with employers and use formal channels for addressing grievances. The workers coalesced behind a demand for a monthly minimum wage increase from 5,300 takas (US$67) to 15,000 ($187) or 16,000 ($200). In 2016, the Fair Labor Association found that the purchasing power of a Bangladesh factory worker's average compensation was below the World Bank poverty line. Both the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers Export Association (BGMEA) and the government rejected a wage review. The export association closed about 60 Ashulia factories for several days, effectively locking out thousands of workers and ending the strikes. In early January 2017, about 20 global brands sourcing from Bangladesh, including H&M, Inditex, Gap, C&A, Next, and Primark, wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina supporting a wage review and expressing their concerns that union leaders and worker advocates were targeted. Rights groups have information about 10 criminal complaints filed in December 2016, implicating about 150 named workers and over 1,600 "unknown" people for crimes, including property destruction at the factories, during the strikes. Union leaders and organizers have also now been questioned or arrested in relation to older cases. These groups are aware of 34 people who were arrested, most of them union leaders. In addition, a journalist from the ETV, a local news channel, was arrested for reporting about the strikes. A news report from early January suggests the numbers are higher, stating the police had arrested at least 44 people and were identifying another 159 suspects. The police have not provided a full list of all those arrested and where they are being held. Based on interviews with rights groups, lawyers, and workers, and police records, Human Rights Watch found the circumstances of many of the arrests following the Ashulia strikes point to politically motivated abuse of police powers to retaliate against labor organizers rather than credible allegations of crimes. Some of the police abuse tactics in the aftermath of the Ashulia strikes mirror those previously used by authorities in other related and unrelated human rights matters. These include: Arrests based on vague or repealed offenses from the draconian Special Powers Act, 1974; The use of criminal complaints against large numbers of "unknown" people allowing the police to threaten virtually anyone with arrest, to repeatedly re-arrest detainees even though they are not the named accused in the cases, and to thwart bail; The misuse of powers of "arrest without warrant" in violation of Bangladesh High Court directives, effectively making pretrial detention itself a form of punishment; Violations of procedural safeguards aimed at counteracting forced confessions through torture, or cruel, inhuman, and other degrading treatment; Threats by police to kill two detainees and claim they were killed in "crossfire" in a shootout with police, and a death threat to an official from the Bangladesh Independent Garments Union Federation; Harassment and intimidation of labor activists and workers in the name of "investigations"; The arrest of a journalist under the vague section 57 of the Information and Communication Technology Act, 2015. The Bangladesh authorities should stop pressing these criminal cases and hold any police officers who used forced disappearances, torture, death threats, and other abusive police practices after the Ashulia strikes accountable, Human Rights Watch said. According to a news report, the National Revenue Board has also written to banks requesting all account-related information dating from July 1, 2009 for six union leaders and some of their spouses. "The Bangladeshi authorities seem determined to intimidate labor leaders and workers with the constant threat of arbitrary arrests to fill up the 'unknown' tally of alleged troublemakers," Robertson said. "A familiar pattern of criminal cases being used against rights activists is unfolding after the Ashulia strikes." Based on information from workers, local labor rights groups, and newspaper reports, some Ashulia factories have also retaliated against an estimated 1,500 workers by indiscriminately firing or suspending them. Donors and brands sourcing from Bangladesh have the responsibility to respect and protect workers' rights, Human Rights Watch said. They should call for an end to all harassment of labor leaders, workers, and journalists, including by ending the false criminal cases. Brands sourcing from Bangladesh should make binding agreements with local and global unions to protect freedom of association, modeled on the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, an enforceable agreement between workers and brands with a dispute resolution mechanism. Voluntary commitments in brands' codes of conduct are ineffective to counter factory retaliation against unions. In the interim, brands should ensure their suppliers develop corrective action plans with worker representatives, including the option of reinstating fired workers and negotiating collective bargaining agreements to resolve wage disputes. For details about the strikes and the aftermath, please see below. The Bangladesh Garment Industry The Bangladesh garment industry employs about 4 million workers and generates exports worth about US$25 billion. But the country's dismal labor rights record is marked by persistent abuses including a lack of periodic wage reviews, wage theft, management thwarting unionization in factories, and poor fire and building safety. The 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse, which killed more than 1,100 workers and injured another 2,000, forced the Bangladesh government, global brands, and factories to take steps to address fire and building safety, leading to some improvements. In 2016, the Fair Labor Association found that for the factories it assessed in Bangladesh, the purchasing power of average compensation fell below the World Bank poverty line compared with other big apparel producers like China and Vietnam, where average compensation is 2.5 times the poverty line. In the aftermath of the Ashulia strikes, Human Rights Watch conducted interviews with 32 workers, residents, and passersby in Ashulia. Human Rights Watch also interviewed union leaders, rights groups, and legal experts in Bangladesh, and reviewed police and other official documents and news reports. The interviews were conducted with informed consent and all names have been withheld to protect them. The Ashulia Strikes A wildcat strike started in Windy Apparel Ltd., which has no union, on December 11, 2016. Between December 11 and 19, workers from other factories joined the strike for various reasons. For example, in addition to seeking better wages, workers from one factory with about 400 workers told Human Rights Watch that they joined the strikes because they were also aggrieved by sexual threats and abusive taunts by a supervisor and the recent firing of a worker who was trying to form a union. Some workers from other factories told Human Rights Watch they joined the strikes when their factory owners or managers promised a wage increase if other factories did the same. In some instances, workers said supervisors and other mid-level factory management encouraged them to strike because they believed they would also receive a pay increase if workers' demands were successful. During this period, high-level government officials convened multiple rounds of discussions with some factory owners and national federation union leaders about the strikes. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers Export Association (BGMEA) refused workers' demands for a wage review, contending that the government could not order one until 2018, that is, until five years after the previous wage review, and the government agreed. However, labor law experts told Human Rights Watch that the government can order a wage review at any time under section 140A of the Bangladesh Labour Act 2006. Labor rights groups told Human Rights Watch that in these meetings government officials ordered union federation leaders to compel workers to return to factories, disregarding the union leaders' explanations that they had no power over workers in Ashulia's striking factories because a vast majority of them have no unions. The strikes were ended by the December 20 factory shut down by the BGMEA. Meanwhile, Donglian Fashion (BD) Ltd., one of the few Ashulia factories that has a registered union and whose workers did not join the spontaneous strike, resolved the wage dispute in January through a collective bargaining process that had started in November. The final agreement lays down the percentage of annual wage increase for workers, rules governing attendance bonus, and a grievance redress procedure. Disappearance and "Arrest" Technique Based on information from lawyers, labor rights groups, and other credible sources, many union leaders vanished. More than 24 hours later, police brought them before a court; at no times before did the police acknowledge or provide any information about their formal arrest or legal detention: Shoumitro Kumar Das, president, Garment Sromik Front Regional Committee; Ahmed Jibon, general secretary, Garment Sromik Front; Al Kamran, president, Shwadhin Bangla Garment Sromik Federation Savar-Ashulia-Dhamrai Regional Committee; Shakil Ahmed, general secretary, Shwadhin Bangla Garment Sromik Federation Regional Committee; Shamim Khan, president, Bangladesh Trinomul Garment Sromik-Kormochari Federation; Mizanur Rahman, Textile Workers Federation; Mohammed Ibrahim, coordinator, Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity; Rafiqul Islam Sujon, president, Garment and Industry Sromik Federation; Jahangir, president, Designer Jeans Ltd. factory union; Nazmul Huda, journalist. Following a meeting with the industrial police on the morning of December 21 in an Ashulia theme park, seven union leaders vanished. Their phones were switched off and calls from relatives and colleagues to various police departments yielded no information about them. Plainclothes policemen went to Jahangir's home late that night and took him away, promising his wife that he would return in 30 minutes. He did not return and was unreachable. Police did not inform his family about his whereabouts. On the night of December 22, the police produced the eight labor leaders in court. Because contact with those in detention is limited, details of their detention conditions are patchy. Lawyers said at least four of them Kamran, Ahmed, Rahman, and Ibrahim reported being blindfolded and detained in an undisclosed location by the detective branch; one was beaten, and another was threatened with being "cross-fired" (being killed in a staged exchange of fire with the police). Before the detainees had access to lawyers or were produced in court, the police recorded in Complaint No. 30/524, filed on December 22, that the eight union leaders had "confessed" to instigating the strike by conducting secret meetings, distributing leaflets, and providing economic support. On December 23, police called Huda, the journalist, invited him to a news conference, and when he arrived, forced him into a police vehicle, beat him, and drove him around Dhaka until around 4 a.m., threatening him with a "cross-fire" killing. He was produced in court the following day. Ahmed Jibon also vanished following a detective branch police phone call asking him to meet with them on the morning of December 27, and was untraceable until he was produced in court the following morning. Use of the Repressive Special Powers Act The draconian Special Powers Act violates the accused's rights to due process and other international human rights standards. A leading criminal law expert told Human Rights Watch that these cases are the first time these offenses have been used against garment workers and union organizers. He also said that these are usually triable by a special tribunal, making it harder for regular criminal courts to grant pretrial bail. The police accused some labor leaders of "sabotage" an offense so vaguely defined that it can be abused to criminalize any exercise of workers' freedom of association. For example, a person commits the offense of sabotage if he or she does any act "with intent to impair the efficiency or impede the working of, or to cause damage to[a] factory." The police have similarly filed spurious criminal complaints against nine labor leaders for committing "prejudicial acts," an offense that has been repealed. The Shomajtontrik Sromik Front, a national union federation, challenged the use of the repealed offense in January 2017 in the Bangladesh High Court, which ruled it unlawful and ordered the magistrate's court to release a leader of the union, Ahmed Jibon, on bail. According to a leading criminal law expert who spoke with Human Rights Watch, the police violated Bangladesh Supreme Court rulings in their application of the Special Powers Act, where the court clearly held that even where there is damage to private property, the Special Powers Act offenses cannot be used since it does not constitute a security related offense against the state. Rights groups have repeatedly called for full repeal of the act. Abusing the Threat of Arrest and Re-Arrest The police intimidated labor leaders and workers by registering criminal complaints against "unknown" persons, allowing them to misuse the threat of arrest against anyone. Human Rights Watch has documented previous and routine use of this technique. The open-ended complaints against over 1,600 "unknown" people for committing crimes during the Ashulia strikes have been abused to implicate union leaders, some of whom have been arrested in as many as nine cases each. Most recently, the police rearrested Jibon, soon after a magistrate's court released him on bail. Police arrested three more labor leaders Asadur Zaman, Golam Arif, and Ronju from the Bangladesh Independent Garment Union Federation (BIGUF) soon after the Ashulia strikes and implicated them in old cases from January 2015 unrelated to the strikes. These were filed in Gazipur during the 2015 nationwide blockade called by a 20-party alliance led by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. None of them had been accused or previously questioned in relation to those cases. Nine more labor organizers were similarly arrested on February 10, in relation to case from August 2016, accused of obstructing police work, and released on bail on February 13. Trumped Up, Vague Allegations Nine of the complaints were filed by factories against some known and many "unknown" persons, each alleging a variety of crimes. A leading criminal law expert who has reviewed these complaints told Human Rights Watch that most allegations are vague and appeared as if the "FIRs [police first information reports] were prepared at the instruction of the same person. Police just copied them by changing the names." Where allegations specifically detailed property damage, such as destruction of factory doors, windows, and machinery, there is no corroborating information. None of the workers Human Rights Watch was able to interview in a few of these factories and who had resumed work inside these factories said they had seen any freshly replaced machinery or fixtures, or recently damaged machinery or fixtures awaiting repairs. Local residents said they did not witness any looting or violence. On the contrary, they said the areas were teeming with police, who had put up barricades. In one case, the factory alleged in its complaint that workers made an "irrational demand" on December 14, 2016, then disrupted work by going on strike. Workers told Human Rights Watch that a fire alarm went off that day, and management told workers to leave. Some who tried to return were told they did not need to. Workers also said that mid-level factory management and supervisors had encouraged them to leave the factory and join the strike telling the workers that if they joined the strikes, the managers' salaries would increase too. The same factory manager alleged in his complaint that some workers turned violent at about 8:45 a.m. on December 20, allegedly breaking machinery and damaging glass doors and windows worth 1 million takas (US$12,492). However, workers told Human Rights Watch that on the evening of December 19, supervisors had instructed at least some of the workers to arrive late the following morning. By the time these workers arrived, the gates were closed and they were told the factory was indefinitely closed. In another case, a factory official filed a complaint alleging that at around 8:45 a.m. on December 19, 15 named workers and 40 to 50 unknown people damaged machinery, doors, and windows worth 300,000 takas (roughly US$3,770) and looted garments worth 200,000 takas (roughly $2,515) after beating and threatening factory officials. They also alleged that the workers they named colluded with 40 to 50 unknown others and rioted on the street outside the factory, destroying vehicles. They said this forced the factory to close down for a few days. Factory workers told Human Rights Watch that on December 19, officials announced through loudspeakers that the factory was closing and ordered workers to go home. The workers complied and left and said they saw no evidence of violence on the way out. And despite allegations of extensive damage, the workers who resumed work inside the factory after it re-opened said they did not see any freshly repaired or installed fixtures, or damaged fixtures, or hear about any such damages. Police Harassment of Labor Activists and Death Threats to BIGUF Leader Starting in mid-December, the Solidarity Center, which works closely with workers and unions, documented instances in which 14 national union federations were either forced by police to shut their offices in Ashulia, Gazipur, and Chittagong, or closed them because of police harassment. According to a written incident report by the Bangladesh Independent Garment Union Federation (BIGUF) on January 20, two plainclothes policemen interrupted an ILO-sponsored health and safety training program organized in BIGUF's Gazipur office, demanding to meet with two BIGUF organizers. More uniformed police officers entered the premises, gathered all BIGUF staff and program participants in the seminar room, noted down their personal details, and warned that they should not participate in BIGUF's activities. According to BIGUF, one of the policemen also threatened Rashedul Alam Raju, the union federation vice-president, who was not in the room, saying that he would be caught and drowned in drain water. Human Rights Watch has reported on a recurring pattern of such harassment in the past. In 2010, the police detained and harassed activists from the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity (BCWS). Aminul Islam, one of the detainees, told other rights groups that the police had tortured and threatened to kill him. In April 2012, Aminul vanished and was subsequently found murdered with torture marks under circumstances that raise concerns of involvement by Bangladeshi security forces. Till today, the police investigation has failed to find suspects, and officials have not responded to a call by international rights groups and aid donors for an independent investigation. Retaliatory Firing, Black-Listing of Factory Workers According to information from rights groups and news reports, factory managers dismissed or suspended an estimated 1,500 workers in Ashulia after the strikes. Some workers told Human Rights Watch that their factory managers promised to send them a show-cause notice back in their homes in the village but had received no further information. Other workers said that factory officials or supervisors told them on the phone that they should not come to the factory because they would be arrested, without offering any further explanation. A third group said that factory officials gave them a show-cause notice, in standard format, with seven days to respond to allegations that they participated in or instigated violent strikes. Human Rights Watch has seen some of these notices. None was tailored to an individual worker, specifying clearly how they were implicated in the strikes, but included broad, vague allegations addressed to a group of workers. These retaliatory dismissals and suspensions appear indiscriminate, Human Rights Watch said. Factory management also opportunistically dismissed workers perceived as "unproductive" or "trouble-makers." A pregnant worker said that she was dismissed even though she did not participate in any strikes because of her pregnancy. A male worker who was on sick leave said he was dismissed, and a female worker said she believed she was targeted because she had complained of sexual harassment at the workplace. One worker who was fired said he was finding it impossible to find employment in other factories: My life has been seriously affectedI tried for a job in several factories after the incident. In January, I joined Envoy Group and worked for about half an hour. But an official came and said he cannot appoint me, without giving any explanation. Later a security guard told me our photos were emailed to other factories and that's how they identified me. I am thinking of leaving the Ashulia area, but I don't know if I will get a job in other areas. I have to pay my bills here house rent and other things before I leave. Union-Busting Government information from August 2016 shows that only 23 factories in Ashulia had registered unions. Human Rights Watch documented numerous examples of factory officials thwarting union formation in Ashulia's factories. Union busting has been an unchecked labor rights risk in global apparel brands' supply chains in Bangladesh. One union federation leader said that "participation committees" employer-worker committees under the Bangladesh Labour Act had begun to subtly replace factory unions. A few workers from various Ashulia factories said their factory managers did not allow "unions" but allowed workers to vote for representatives to these committees. The Solidarity Center told Human Rights Watch that participation committees either exist only on paper or are dominated by employers and do not represent worker interests. A union office holder from a factory said: "Our factory union got the registration three months ago. When the owner became aware of this, he terminated 74 workers including the union presidentNow I got dismissed along with 150 others, though I had no role in the recent protest." In another case, workers had attempted to form a union in their factory three times, only to face factory retaliation. Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Kazakhstan: Editor-in-chief in pre-trial detention must be immediately released Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 15 February 2017 Cite as Article 19, Kazakhstan: Editor-in-chief in pre-trial detention must be immediately released, 15 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a462d54.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. On 11 February, Zhanbolat Mamay, editor-in chief of Sayasi Kalam Tribuna, an independent newspaper known for its reporting on politically sensitive topics, was arrested on money laundering charges and sentenced to two months pre-trial detention. ARTICLE 19 believes the charges to be politically motivated and calls upon the Kazakh authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mamay. "This arrest aims to silence Mamay, a critic of the Kazakh authorities, while seeking to intimidate anyone else considering expressing their discontent with state policy", said Katie Morris, Head of the Europe and Central Asia Programme at ARTICLE 19. "Mamay was well known for his opposition to proposed land reforms in Kazakhstan. His arrest is yet another blatant attack on freedom of expression, and leaves very few independent papers left who can criticize or hold the government to account," she added. On February 10 Zhanbolat Mamay was detained by officers of the National Bureau to Combat Corruption following searches of his house and the newspaper's offices. Next day, the Medeu district court of Almaty ordered Mamay to be held in a pre-trial detention facility for two months as a measure of restraint. He is accused of using his newspaper to launder funds allegedly stolen from BTA Bank in 2005 - 2009, by Mukhtar Ablyazov, a Kazakh oligarch, in exile since 2009, known for his political opposition to the Kazakh government. Ablyazov has yet to be sentenced formally on these charges. Mamay been charged under Article 193 (3b) of the old Criminal Code of Kazakhstan, "Legalization of Monetary Funds or Other Property Obtained Illegally" (money laundering), punishable by deprivation of liberty of up to seven years. Mamay has released a public statement denying these charges and calling the case "politically motivated", with the aim of closing his newspaper. Meanwhile, Ablyazov has posted on Facebook describing the charges as "absurd" and denying any ties with Mamay. A significant inconsistency in the charges is that Mamay only became head of the newspaper in 2012 - that is, three years after the funds were allegedly stolen, suggesting it would have been difficult for him to have used the newspaper for money laundering purposes during the time indicated by the Kazakh authorities. Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19 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 Niang v. Gonzalez Publisher United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Publication Date 12 June 2007 Citation / Document Symbol 492 F.3d 505 Cite as Niang v. Gonzalez, 492 F.3d 505, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 12 June 2007, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,USA_CA_4,58a46a774.html [accessed 6 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. 492 F.3d 505 (2007) Mame Fatou NIANG, Petitioner, v. Alberto R. GONZALES, Respondent. No. 06-1470. United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. Argued: March 14, 2007. Decided: June 12, 2007. *506 ARGUED: Peter Nyoh, Enow & Patcha, Silver Spring, Maryland, for Petitioner. Kristin Kay Edison, United States Department of Justice, Office of Immigration Litigation, Washington, D.C., for Respondent. ON BRIEF: Kell Enow, Enow & Patcha, Silver Spring, Maryland, for Petitioner. Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, M. Jocelyn Lopez Wright, Assistant Director, United *507 States Department of Justice, Office of Immigration Litigation, Washington, D.C., for Respondent. Before NIEMEYER and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges, and T.S. ELLIS, III, Senior United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, sitting by designation. Affirmed by published opinion. Senior Judge ELLIS wrote the majority opinion, in which Judge NIEMEYER joined. Judge WILLIAMS wrote an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. OPINION ELLIS, Senior District Judge: This is an appeal from a final order of removal of the Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA"), denying petitioner's application for withholding of removal because (i) she failed to establish a "clear probability" of persecution and (ii) she could not assert a claim based on a fear that her five-year old U.S. citizen daughter would be subjected to female genital mutilation ("FGM")[1] if petitioner were removed to Senegal and her daughter accompanied her. We affirm on the record presented. I. Petitioner, Mame Fatou Niang ("Niang"), is a native and citizen of Senegal. In August 2000, she was admitted to the United States as a non-immigrant visitor authorized to remain in the U.S. until November 8, 2000. Soon after her arrival in the U.S., Niang became romantically involved with Papa Samba Ane ("Ane"), a Senegalese native who has nearly completed the process of adjusting his status in the U.S. On July 8, 2001, Niang gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter named Fatime Ane ("Fatime"). Two years later, on February 11, 2003, Niang gave birth to the couple's second child, a son named Mohamed Ane ("Mohamed"). Several months after the birth of Mohamed, in August 2003, Niang filed an asylum application with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"), seeking relief from removal based on her religion and her membership in a particular social group. In an affidavit appended to her application, Niang stated that she is from northern Senegal and is a member of the Toucouleur ethnic group, a group that, as she put it, practices FGM at "an alarming[ly] high rate." J.A. 87.[2] Indeed, Niang stated she was subjected to FGM at a young age, causing her to suffer long-lasting health and psychological problems. Niang further stated that Fatime's paternal grandparents have been requesting, in "intimidating and threatening letters," that Niang take Fatime to Senegal to undergo FGM.[3] Moreover, Niang stated Ane is "indifferent" *508 to his parents' request and "[t]his indifference . . . means [Ane] tacitly accept[s] their request." J.A. 88-89. As a result of Ane's indifference and his parents' request, Niang stated she feared that if she were removed to Senegal, her daughter would be forced to undergo FGM there. J.A. 87. On October 28, 2003, DHS charged Niang with removability, pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(1)(B), for remaining in the U.S. beyond the time permitted by her non-immigrant visa. In response to this charge, Niang, represented by counsel, appeared before an Immigration Judge ("IJ") and admitted the charges against her, conceded removability, but sought relief from removal in the form of asylum, withholding of removal, protection under the Convention Against Torture ("CAT"), or, alternatively, voluntary departure. At a December 7, 2004 hearing on her various requests for relief from removal, Niang testified that she is a citizen of Senegal and a member of both the Mandingo and Toucouleur tribes and that while in the U.S. she gave birth to Fatime and Mohamed, who, at the time of the hearing, were 3 years old and 22 months old, respectively. Initially, Niang testified that Ane lives with her, but later testified that Ane does not live with her, but that "he's around sometimes." J.A. 44, 54. She further testified that the Toucouleur tribe is "traditionalist" and continues to practice FGM and that although the Senegalese government has made FGM illegal, "people continue to practice excision in hiding" and she "saw many violations of that law." J.A. 42. She also testified that in 2002 she read a letter from Fatime's paternal grandfather asking that Fatime be sent to Senegal to undergo FGM and learned that Ane "agrees with his family." J.A. 45. Niang's asylum application was, in part, prompted by this letter. In support of her application and testimony, Niang submitted (i) medical documents indicating that she had been subjected to FGM and that in December 2000, she suffered from fibroids; (ii) her Senegal passport and her children's birth certificates; (iii) the June 12, 2002 letter, purportedly from Ane's father; and (iv) a U.S. Department of State report concerning FGM in Senegal, released June 1, 2001. This report states, inter alia, (a) that studies estimate between 5% and 20% of the female population has been subjected to FGM; (b) that up to 88% of "females among the minority Halpularen (Peul and Toucouleur) in rural areas of eastern and southern Senegal practice FGM;" and (c) that in January 1999, the Senegalese government made FGM illegal, but there have been no convictions as of the 2001 report. J.A. 112-15. The government also submitted documentary evidence, namely the 2003 Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Senegal, prepared by the U.S. Department of State and released on February 25, 2004. This report states, inter alia, (a) that FGM is not practiced by the Wolof, the largest ethnic group, constituting 43% of the Senegalese population; (b) that one of the most extreme forms of FGM is sometimes practiced by the Toucouleur, particularly in rural areas; *509 (c) that FGM is most prevalent in eastern Senegal; (d) that FGM is a criminal offense, carrying a jail term of 6 months to 5 years for those practicing FGM or ordering that it be carried out. As of the 2003 report, trials in a 2002 and a 2001 case were still pending; (e) that the government has established programs to educate women about the dangers of FGM and there are national and local government action plans against FGM; and (f) that since 1997, 1,031 villages, including 13 in northern Senegal, have prohibited FGM, constituting over 20% of the villages that had previously practiced FGM. J.A. 64-75. Following this hearing, the IJ denied all of Niang's applications for relief and ordered her removed to Senegal. Specifically, the IJ found Niang's asylum application untimely, as it was filed more than three years after her arrival in the U.S. The IJ also found that circumstances did not warrant tolling. Despite this finding, the IJ went on to address the substance of Niang's asylum claim and found it meritless because Niang had not established that she would be persecuted on the basis of any protected ground if removed to Senegal, nor had she established any valid derivative claim given that her daughter, a U.S. citizen, was entitled to remain in the U.S.[4] The IJ also denied Niang's claim for withholding of removal based on a fear of persecution for the same reasons, noting correctly that this result follows from the fact that the standard applicable to a withholding claim is more rigorous than the standard applicable to an asylum claim. See Camara v. Ashcroft, 378 F.3d 361, 367 (4th Cir.2004). The IJ further concluded that Niang's CAT claim failed and that she was ineligible for voluntary departure. Niang appealed the IJ's decision to the BIA, which affirmed the IJ's factual findings and specifically concurred with the IJ's conclusions that Niang's asylum application was untimely and that Niang had failed to demonstrate either past persecution or a clear probability of future persecution. Niang now appeals only two aspects of the BIA's decision, thereby presenting two questions for review: (i) whether Niang can assert a claim for withholding of removal based on the psychological harm she will suffer if her daughter accompanies her to Senegal and is there subjected to FGM; and (ii) whether Niang can assert a "derivative" claim for withholding of removal based on the alleged persecution her *510 daughter will face if she accompanies Niang to Senegal and is there subjected to FGM[5] II. At the outset, it is important to note that FGM a barbaric practice unbecoming of a civilized society is prohibited by law in this and many other countries, including Senegal.[6] Accordingly, we and our sister circuits have appropriately recognized that FGM constitutes "persecution" within the meaning of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA"), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and thus the threat of FGM may serve as a basis for asylum or withholding of removal claims. See Barry v. Gonzales, 445 F.3d 741, 745 (4th Cir.2006). This settled principle is not at issue here. Instead, the essential question presented in this appeal is whether the record in this case compels reversal of the BIA's determination that Niang is not eligible for withholding of removal on the grounds she asserts. The question is appropriately framed in this fashion because an alien asserting a claim for withholding of removal on persecution grounds must show "that it is more likely than not that her life or freedom would be threatened in the proposed country of removal because of her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." Haoua, 472 F.3d at 232.[7] More precisely, an applicant for withholding bears the burden of demonstrating a "clear probability" that she will face persecution in the country of removal. Rusu v. INS, 296 F.3d 316, 324 n. 13 (4th Cir.2002) (citing INS v. Stevic, 467 U.S. 407, 430, 104 S. Ct. 2489, 81 L. Ed. 2d 321 (1984)); see 8 C.F.R. 1208.16. It follows from these principles that where, as here, the BIA has found that the petitioner has not met this burden, we will affirm the BIA's determination if it is supported by substantial evidence on the record considered as a whole. INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 481, 112 S. Ct. 812, 117 L. Ed. 2d 38 (1992). Thus, the IJ's or the BIA's factual *511 findings[8] are "conclusive unless the evidence before the BIA was such that any reasonable adjudicator would have been compelled to conclude to the contrary." Haoua, 472 F.3d at 231 (emphasis added). And significantly, where the "record [] plausibly could support two results: the one the IJ chose and the one [the petitioner] advances," reversal is only appropriate where the court "find[s] that the evidence not only supports [the opposite] conclusion, but compels it." Balogun v. Ashcroft, 374 F.3d 492 (7th Cir.2004) (emphasis added) (citing Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. at 481 n. 1, 112 S. Ct. 812). In sum then, the specific questions presented, distilled to their essence, are whether the record compels reversal of the BIA's determinations (i) that Niang cannot assert a claim for withholding of removal based on the psychological harm she will suffer if her daughter accompanies her to Senegal and is there subjected to FGM; and (ii) that Niang cannot assert a "derivative" claim for withholding of removal based on the alleged persecution her daughter will face if she accompanies Niang to Senegal and is there subjected to FGM. A. Niang's first claim for withholding of removal focuses on the psychological harm she claims she will suffer if her daughter accompanies her to Senegal and is there subjected to FGM. This claim fails as a matter of law because it is well-established that "[p]ersecution involves the infliction or threat of death, torture, or injury to one's person or freedom." Li v. Gonzales, 405 F.3d 171, 177 (4th Cir.2005) (emphasis added). This settled principle is firmly anchored in the statutory language stating that withholding of removal is warranted where "the alien's life or freedom would be threatened . . ." on the basis of a protected ground. 8 U.S.C. 1231(b)(3)(A) (emphasis added). Thus, to establish a claim for withholding an applicant cannot rely solely on psychological harm or a threat of such harm to others, but must also establish injury or a threat of injury to the applicant's person or freedom.[9]See Osigwe v. Ashcroft, 77 Fed.Appx. 235 (5th Cir.2003) (finding petitioners could not establish an asylum claim "based solely on their daughter's risk of being subject to FGM if she is returned to Nigeria").[10] The record reflects that Niang has not met this requirement. *512 Niang hopes to avoid this conclusion by relying on Abay v. Ashcroft, 368 F.3d 634 (6th Cir.2004). There, the Sixth Circuit, relying on BIA decisions suggesting a "governing principle" in favor of granting parents refugee status where their child faces physical torture, held that an alien mother was eligible for asylum, in her own right, based upon her fear that her minor daughter, also an asylum applicant, would be forced to undergo FGM if the daughter were removed. Id. at 642. Significantly, Abay is the only federal decision permitting a parent to seek relief, in her own right, based solely on the psychological suffering she will endure if her daughter will be subjected to FGM upon removal. We do not find Abay persuasive here, both because it is factually distinguishable and because psychological harm, without any accompanying physical harm, does not constitute "persecution." First, Abay is clearly distinguishable because, unlike the asylum applicant in Abay, Niang's daughter is a U.S. citizen; accordingly, there is no clear probability that Niang's daughter will be subjected to FGM as she could remain in the U.S., albeit without Niang, and avoid any potential persecution. Second, Abay is unpersuasive because its holding is an unwarranted expansion of the statutory definition of persecution. See 8 U.S.C. 1231(b)(3)(A); Li v. Gonzales, 405 F.3d at 177. In sum then, because "persecution" cannot be based on a fear of psychological harm alone, Niang's withholding claim fails as a matter of law because it focuses solely on the psychological harm she claims she will suffer if her daughter accompanies her to Senegal and is there subjected to FGM. Accordingly, we affirm the BIA's determination in this respect. B. Niang also asserts a "derivative" claim for withholding of removal based on the alleged persecution her daughter will face if she accompanies Niang to Senegal and is there subjected to FGM. While Niang concedes that the INA does not provide for a "derivative" withholding of removal claim,[11] she argues that we should *513 nonetheless recognize a derivative claim in this case because of the barbaric nature of FGM. While we have not previously addressed whether such a claim may be asserted, other circuits have done so and declined to recognize this derivative claim. Oforji v. Ashcroft, 354 F.3d 609, 618 (7th Cir.2003) (holding that "[A]n alien parent who has no legal standing to remain in the United States may not establish a derivative claim for asylum by pointing to potential hardship to the alien's United States citizen child in the event of the alien's deportation."); Olowo v. Ashcroft, 368 F.3d 692 (7th Cir.2004) (same); Axmed v. United States AG, 145 Fed.Appx. 669, 675 (11th Cir.2005) (upholding BIA's decision to deny motion to reopen asylum application, sought because petitioner feared that if she were removed her U.S. citizen daughter would join her and be subjected to FGM, agreeing with circuits declining to find a derivative claim where petitioner's daughter is a U.S. citizen because "asylum is only available to aliens who are personally at risk"). The INA compels this result because the statutory text is clear to establish eligibility for withholding of removal the alien must demonstrate that "the alien's life or freedom would be threatened" in the country of removal. 8 U.S.C. 1231(b)(3) (emphasis added). Thus, the statute permitting withholding of removal does not encompass derivative withholding claims, that is, claims for withholding of removal based on persecution to another person; instead, an alien seeking withholding of removal must establish that they will suffer harm if removed. The one exception to this general rule is provided by 1229b, which provides that the Attorney General may cancel removal of an alien if the alien (i) has been physically present in the U.S. for ten years or more before seeking cancellation of removal; (ii) has been of good moral character during such period; (iii) has not been convicted of certain statutory offenses; and (iv) "establishes that removal would result in exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to the alien's spouse, parent, or child, who is a citizen of the United States." Thus, the INA provides that hardship to U.S. citizen children may be a basis for cancellation of removal in certain specific circumstances not present here. Indeed, Niang's counsel conceded at oral argument that Niang is not entitled to relief under 1229b, presumably because she cannot satisfy the ten year physical presence requirement. As 1229b does not apply here, Niang may be entitled to relief from removal only if she satisfies the standard set forth in 1231, that is, by demonstrating that she will suffer persecution if removed to Senegal. See 8 U.S.C. 1231(b)(3) (requiring that "the alien's life or freedom would be threatened" in the country of removal) (emphasis added). She has not done so on this record, choosing instead to rely on the alleged persecution her daughter will face if the daughter accompanies Niang to Senegal. Where, as here, an alien is not eligible for relief under 1229b, there is simply no statutory or regulatory authority for her to claim withholding of removal based on threatened hardship to her U.S. citizen minor daughter.[12] As Congress has not provided for such a derivative withholding claim, we will not judicially amend the statute to create one. *514 We are, of course, mindful that the result reached here presents Niang with a heart-wrenching dilemma: either allow Fatime to remain in the U.S. with her father but without her mother, or take Fatime to Senegal where Niang fears Fatime will be forced to undergo FGM. The tragic nature of this choice is undeniable, but it does not warrant that we recognize a derivative claim where Congress has not seen fit to provide for it.[13]See Oforji, 354 F.3d at 618 (recognizing the difficult choice faced by petitioner, but explaining that "Congress has foreseen such difficult choices, but has opted to leave the choice with the illegal immigrant, not the courts"). Accordingly, consistent with the other circuits that have considered this question, we conclude that Niang may not assert a derivative claim for withholding of removal based on the potential persecution of her U.S. citizen daughter if Niang is removed to Senegal and her daughter accompanies her.[14]See Oforji, 354 F.3d 609; Olowo, 368 F.3d 692; Axmed, 145 Fed. Appx. 669. For the foregoing reasons, we dismiss the petition for review and affirm the BIA's decision. We do so reluctantly because we recognize that removal places Niang on the horns of a terrible dilemma. While it is entirely reasonable to believe that the law ideally should not present mothers with such dilemmas, the existing law does. Thus, the state of the law and the contents of this record require that we affirm the BIA. AFFIRMED WILLIAMS, Circuit Judge, concurring in part and dissenting in part: I concur in the majority's analysis of Niang's derivative claim of withholding of removal based on harm to her daughter.[1] I disagree, however, with the majority's disposition of Niang's claim of with-holding based on the psychological harm Niang claims she will suffer if she is removed to *515 Senegal and forced to subject her daughter to female genital mutilation (FGM). For the reasons that follow, I believe that the majority, by independently creating a per se rule that psychological harm alone cannot constitute persecution, without considering the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)'s interpretation of the term "persecution" and without remanding the case for the BIA to address the issue in the first instance, oversteps its bounds and fails to afford appropriate deference to the BIA. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent. I. A. Although the majority opinion purports to apply the substantial evidence standard, it in fact conducts a de novo inquiry into the meaning of the term "persecution" in 8 C.F.R. 208.16 (West 2007). From this de novo inquiry, the majority derives a broad and potentially far-reaching legal precedent that "psychological harm, without any accompanying physical harm, does not constitute `persecution'." Ante at 512. This holding stands in tension with the BIA's decision in In re C-Y-Z, 21 I. & N. Dec. 915 (BIA 1997) (en banc), which held that an applicant for asylum and withholding of removal could establish persecution by virtue of his wife's forced sterilization. Neither the statute nor its implementing regulations define "persecution," and the majority, by (1) ignoring the BIA's interpretation of the term "persecution" in In re C-Y-Z and (2) independently establishing such a broad precedent without remanding for the BIA to consider the question in the first instance, fails to afford appropriate deference to the agency. Although we review de novo questions of law determined by the BIA, Blanco de Belbruno v. Ashcroft, 362 F.3d 272, 278 (4th Cir.2004), we must afford appropriate deference to the BIA's interpretation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA or "the Act") and any attendant regulations, Christensen v. Harris County, 529 U.S. 576, 586-88, 120 S. Ct. 1655, 146 L. Ed. 2d 621 (2000) (stating that Chevron deference should be afforded to an agency's interpretation of an ambiguous statute and Auer deference to an agency's interpretation of its own regulation). Because the BIA adopted, affirmed, and supplemented the Immigration Judge (IJ)'s decision, "we review the decision of the IJ as supplemented by the BIA." Chen v. Gonzales, 417 F.3d 268, 271 (2d Cir.2005).[2] Under Chevron, a court reviewing an agency's construction of the statute it administers must first determine "whether Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at issue." Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842, 104 S. Ct. 2778, 81 L. Ed. 2d 694 (1984). "If the intent of Congress is clear, that is the end of the matter; for the court, as well as the agency, must give effect to the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress." Id. at 842-43, 104 S. Ct. 2778. If, however, "the statute is silent or ambiguous with respect to the specific issue, the question for the court is whether the agency's answer is based on a permissible construction of the statute." Id. at 843, 104 S. Ct. 2778. Pursuant to Auer, an agency's interpretation of its own regulations is "controlling unless *516 plainly erroneous or inconsistent with the regulation." Auer v. Robbins, 519 U.S. 452, 461, 117 S. Ct. 905, 137 L. Ed. 2d 79 (1997) (internal quotation marks omitted). The majority does not suggest that the term "persecution," which both the INA and its implementing regulations leave undefined, is unambiguous. Nevertheless, the majority declines to afford deference to, or even address, the BIA's interpretation of the term. The BIA, however, has not interpreted "persecution" to require a physical assault. To the contrary, in In re C-Y-Z, the Board, sitting en banc, held that an applicant for asylum and withholding of removal could establish persecution by virtue of his wife's forced sterilization. The Board reversed the IJ's determination that the applicant was "in effect . . . seek[ing] to ride on his wife's coattails" and had not himself been persecuted. Id. at 916. Board Member Rosenberg wrote a separate concurring opinion noting that it is not unusual in asylum cases for an applicant to demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution "although the harm experienced was not by him, but by a family member," and that "it . . . constitutes persecution for the asylum applicant to witness or experience the persecution of family members." Id. at 926 (Rosenberg, concurring). Also, we have previously stated that torture may constitute persecution. See Li v. Gonzales, 405 F.3d 171, 177 (4th Cir.2005) (stating that "[p]ersecution involves the infliction or threat of death, torture, or injury to one's person or freedom" (internal quotation marks omitted)). The majority, however, does not consider legal and non-legal definitions of "torture," which indicate that torture may be purely mental. The United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), defines "torture" as involving an "act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person. . . ." CAT, Article 1 (emphasis added). Section 2340 of Title 18, which implements the CAT, provides that "`torture' means an act committed by a person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his custody or physical control." 18 U.S.C.A. 2340(1) (West 2000 & Supp.2006) (emphasis added). Similarly, dictionary definitions of "torture" include anguish "of body or mind." See, e.g., Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 1320 (11th ed.2004). Prior to 1965, the INA authorized the Attorney General "to with-hold the deportation of any alien within the United States to any country in which in his opinion the alien would be subject to physical persecution. . . ." Pub.L. No. 82-414, 66 Stat. 163, 214 (1952) (codified at INA 243(h), 8 U.S.C.A. 1253(h)) (emphasis added). In 1965, Congress amended INA 243(h) "by striking out `physical persecution' and inserting in lieu thereof `persecution on account of race, religion, or political opinion.'" An Act to Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act, Pub.L. No. 89-236, 79 Stat. 911, 913 (1965). Thus, it appears that when Congress has intended to restrict the availability of withholding of removal only to aliens who face persecution that is physical in nature, it has done so explicitly. Accordingly, I believe that the majority has established an interpretation of "persecution" that the BIA might well consider too narrow. The majority's expansive holding is in tension with, and makes no attempt to distinguish, the most analogous BIA decision available, In re C-Y-Z. This conflict has occurred because the majority, rather than reviewing an interpretation of *517 "persecution" advanced by the IJ or BIA, has independently established a judicial interpretation of the term that is unnecessary for the resolution of this case. Neither the IJ nor the BIA purported to base its decision on the interpretation of "persecution" established by the majority. Because the BIA did not address whether the psychological harm Niang alleged could constitute "persecution" within the meaning of 8 C.F.R. 208.16, I believe that we are required to remand Niang's claim to the BIA for the agency to address the issue in the first instance. See INS v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12, 16, 123 S. Ct. 353, 154 L. Ed. 2d 272 (2002) (per curiam) ("A court of appeals is not generally empowered to conduct a de novo inquiry into the matter being reviewed and to reach its own conclusions based on such an inquiry. . . . Rather, the proper course, except in rare circumstances, is to remand to the agency for additional investigation or explanation." (internal quotation marks omitted)); SEC v. Chenery Corp., 318 U.S. 80, 95, 63 S. Ct. 454, 87 L. Ed. 626 (1943) (holding that "an administrative order cannot be upheld unless the grounds upon which the agency acted in exercising its powers were those upon which its action can be sustained"). B. The IJ premised his ineligibility determination on the finding that Niang "ha[d] not shown that anything would happen to her because of the action that may be performed against her daughter," and therefore "ha[d] not made a case for herself in regards to persecution." (J.A. at 25.) In concluding that Niang had not shown anything would happen to her, the IJ did not address the evidence in the record that Niang would be prevented from protecting her daughter from FGM, an experience that would cause Niang severe mental suffering that she claimed would compound the psychological harm she had already suffered from enduring FGM as a young girl. The IJ also did not address evidence demonstrating the child's relatives' readiness to employ "mystical and social means [of making Niang] regret" her resistance to subjecting her daughter to FGM. (J.A. at 106.) Niang described the Toucouleur ethnic group, to which she belongs, as "very traditional or traditionalist." (J.A. at 41.) She explained that, for a Toucouleur girl, FGM represents an essential initiation ceremony, and although the government has made the practice illegal, "family . . . has more weight than the laws," and she saw many violations during her time in Senegal. (J.A. at 42.) Niang testified that, as a result, she will have no means of protecting her daughter in Senegal, where she will have "no power" and "wouldn't have any choice" in whether her daughter was subjected to FGM. (J.A. at 50.) Niang also supplied a letter from her daughter's paternal grandparents urging the child's father, Papa Samba Ane, to bring the child to Senegal for FGM. Niang testified that Ane "agrees with his family" and wants his daughter to undergo FGM. (J.A. at 45.) Niang's parents also believe that Niang "ha[s] no right to refuse to have the child circumcised," and that, if she refuses to subject her daughter to FGM, "it will be a shame on them and they will be a target for insults from other members of the society." (J.A. at 89.)[3] *518 Niang further claimed that this mental suffering would be compounded by the lasting effects of the FGM that was performed on Niang as a child. When Niang was seven years old, her parents took her to a family circumciser for "excision," which the World Health Organization classifies as "Type II" FGM. This form of FGM involves "the excision (removal) of the clitoral hood with or without removal of all or part of the clitoris." (J.A. at 112.)[4] Niang's affidavit provided that, as a result of this abuse, she "developed health complications ranging from vaginal infections [to] difficulty [in] conceiv[ing] to vaginal bleeding." (J.A. at 88.) A doctor in Gabon diagnosed Niang with primary sterility and informed her that she would be unable to have children. Nevertheless, Niang, "fought all [her] life to have children." (J.A. at 48.) She was fortunate to have the benefit of the excellent gynecological and obstetrical assistance available in the United States, and, in 2001, at age 37, she gave birth to her daughter. In 2003, when Niang was 39, her son was born. Niang had difficult pregnancies with both children. During her first pregnancy, she experienced fibroids and bleeding and had an exam that was monitored as an emergency because she had a condition known as placenta previa.[5] Medical records submitted with her application also reveal that she required a Cesarean section to deliver her second child.[6] Niang also asserted that her psychological development was "considerably hampered," *519 (J.A. at 88), by the physical trauma that she experienced as a young girl. She stated that "[t]he pains that I went through and the blood that was shed on [the day she was mutilated] keeps on revisiting me up until today." (J.A. at 88.) While in Senegal, Niang "witnessed young girls and at times women die due to complication[s]" resulting from FGM. (J.A. at 90.) She opposed excision, and because of this resistance, became estranged from her parents, who "considered [her] as a rebel against established rules and customs of the Toucouleur society." (J.A. at 88.) The IJ recognized that Niang had been a victim of FGM and did not make an adverse credibility finding or otherwise indicate that he disbelieved Niang. And, as Niang asserts, no reasonable fact-finder could deny that a devoted mother who continues to experience health and psychological problems as a result of FGM would experience severe mental suffering if she were forced to allow her daughter to suffer the same type of persecution. The IJ's finding that Niang "ha[d] not shown that anything would happen to her because of the action that may be performed against her daughter," (J.A. at 25), is irreconcilable with the record, which reveals that Niang would experience considerable mental suffering if her relatives prevented her from sparing her daughter the same persecution she endured as a child. Thus, I believe the record compels the conclusion that Niang would suffer an actual and concrete psychological harm if she were prevented from protecting her daughter from FGM. Accordingly, the IJ's conclusion that she would be unaffected is not supported by substantial evidence. Finally, I note that, after finding that nothing would happen to Niang as a result of her daughter's persecution, the IJ reached another conclusion. The IJ found that, "[a]dditionally, there's no showing that the daughter would have to go back to Senegal," because the father, Ane, "seemingly [wa]s getting ready to be able to adjust his status through his employment," and Niang could allow the children to remain with him. (J.A. at 25.) That the child would not have to return to Senegal to live, however, does not resolve the issue of whether the child would be sent to Senegal to undergo FGM. The IJ noted that although Niang feared that Ane would acquiesce and see that his daughter suffered FGM, Ane had not previously made any effort to take the child to Senegal. It is unclear, however, whether the IJ viewed Ane's past indifference as sufficient to support a finding that there was no clear probability Ane would acquiesce to his parent's demands if Niang's opposition were no longer an impediment to sending the child to Senegal.[7] Moreover, the IJ's conclusion that the child would not have to return to Senegal ignores Niang's definitive statement that she would take her children with her to Senegal, where she would be sent if removed. Niang seems to face a Catch-22 either leave her daughter with a father who believes the child should undergo FGM, or take her daughter with her to *520 Senegal, where she will be powerless to prevent her daughter's relatives from subjecting her to FGM. Because the IJ assumed that Niang would be unaffected by her daughter's persecution, the IJ did not consider whether the harm Niang would suffer constituted persecution within the meaning of the INA and its implementing regulations. And, as a result, the IJ did not fully consider whether the harm Niang would suffer was more likely than not to occur. Because the IJ's findings contradict the record and do not take into account all of the evidence submitted by Niang, and because neither the IJ nor the BIA fully considered whether the type of harm Niang alleges can constitute persecution, the best course of action would be to remand to allow the BIA to address these issues. II. In sum, I believe that the majority, by independently establishing a per se rule that psychological harm alone cannot constitute persecution, without considering the BIA's decision in In re C-Y-Z and without remanding the case for the BIA to address the issue in the first instance, oversteps its bounds and fails to afford appropriate deference to the agency. Accordingly, I respectfully dissent. NOTES [1] "FGM" refers to a group of "surgical procedures involving the removal of some or all of the external genitalia, performed primarily on girls and young women in Africa and Asia." Haoua v. Gonzales, 472 F.3d 227, fn. 5 (4th Cir.2007). These barbaric surgical procedures constitute an extreme form of child abuse and are an insult to human dignity and an affront to any civilized people. As we have previously noted, FGM is "[o]ften performed under unsanitary conditions with highly rudimentary instruments" and results in the painful, permanent disfigurement of the female genitalia, and exposes victims to a myriad of serious and potentially life-threatening complications. Id. (listing as possible complications: bleeding, infection, urine retention, stress, shock, psychological trauma, and damage to the urethra and anus). [2] Citations to the "J.A." refer to the joint appendix filed in this appeal. [3] Fatime's maternal grandparents in Senegal do not appear to be a factor in the FGM equation, as Niang reports that they believe a daughter belongs to her father's family and that Niang "has no right to refuse to have the child circumcised." If she does refuse, Niang believes "it will be a shame on [Niang's family] and they will be a target for insults from other members of society." J.A. 89. [4] The IJ noted that Niang was not eligible for a grant of humanitarian asylum because the fact that she was subjected to FGM thirty-three years ago was not sufficiently compelling under In re Chen, 20 I. & N. Dec. 16 (BIA 1989), which held that an IJ, in his discretion, may grant asylum in the absence of a well-founded fear of future persecution where an applicant suffered past atrocious forms of persecution. See 8 C.F.R. 1208.13(b)(1)(iii)(A) (providing that an applicant who demonstrates "compelling reasons for being unwilling or unable to return to the country arising out of the severity of past persecution," may be granted discretionary asylum absent a well-founded fear of future persecution). While Niang did not appeal this decision, it is worth noting that a humanitarian grant of asylum may be warranted in circumstances where a mother, who has been subjected to FGM, fears her daughter will be subjected to FGM if she accompanies her mother to the country of removal. See Osigwe v. Ashcroft, 77 Fed.Appx. 235, 235 (5th Cir.2003)(remanding to BIA to adjudicate humanitarian asylum claim where applicants claimed their minor daughter, a U.S. citizen, would undergo FGM if they were removed and she accompanied them). [5] Notably, because Niang does not appeal the BIA's decision with respect to her untimely asylum application, her CAT claim, or her claim for voluntary departure, she has waived these issues. United States v. Al-Hamdi, 356 F.3d 564, 571 n. 8 (4th Cir.2004) (stating that issues not raised on appeal are waived). It is worth noting that, even assuming Niang had not waived the timeliness issue with respect to her asylum claim, we lack jurisdiction to review the BIA's decision in this respect. 8 U.S.C. 1158(a)(3); see Balde v. Gonzales, 223 Fed.Appx. 265, 266 (4th Cir. 2007) (finding no jurisdiction to review asylum claim denied as untimely); Lin v. Gonzales, 190 Fed.Appx. 301, 305 (4th Cir.2006) (stating where an alien simply challenges "the timeliness of an alien's asylum application [this] is usually a question of fact . . . [which] courts of appeal will not have jurisdiction to review"). [6] See 18 U.S.C. 116 (making the practice of FGM illegal); Senegal Law No. 99-05 of 29 January 1999 Amending Various Provisions of the Penal Code [Art. 2]; Report of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, General Recommendation No. 14, U.N. GAOR, 45th Sess., Supp. No. 38 & Corr. 1, at 80, P 438, U.N. Doc. A/45/38 (1990); Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, G.A. Res. 104, U.N. GAOR, 48th Sess., Art. 2(a), U.N. Doc. A/48/629 (1993); Traditional or Customary Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Girls, G.A. Res. 128, U.N. GAOR, 56th Sess., Supp. 49 at 2, U.N. Doc. A/RES/56/128 (2001). [7] In particular, 8 U.S.C. 1231(b)(3)(A) provides that the "Attorney General may not remove an alien to a country if the Attorney General decides that the alien's life or freedom would be threatened in that country because of the alien's race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." [8] Because the BIA affirmed the IJ's order and supplemented it, the factual findings and reasoning contained in both decisions are subject to judicial review. See Haoua, 472 F.3d at 230. [9] While the dissenting opinion argues that "[t]his holding stands in tension with the BIA's decision in In re C-Y-Z, 21 I. & N. Dec. 915 (BIA 1997) (en banc)," a review of that decision reveals no such tension. As the dissent points out, C-Y-Z held that a petitioner could apply for asylum on the basis of his spouse's forced sterilization. Importantly, the BIA reached this holding based on "the enactment of section 601(a) of the IIRIRA [defining refugee] and the agreement of the parties that forced sterilization of one spouse on account of a ground protected under the Act is an act of persecution against the other spouse." Id. at 919. Thus, the BIA's holding was not based on, nor did the BIA even discuss, any alleged psychological harm that would be suffered by the petitioner if his spouse was forced to be sterilized. It appears, then, that C-Y-Z stands for the proposition that the BIA permits a petitioner to support his petition by relying on harm to another person only in the limited context of forced sterilizations; it does not stand for the proposition that the BIA permits petitioners to rely on psychological harm, without physical harm, to establish eligibility for withholding of removal under the INA. [10] See also Mengistu v. INS, No. 98-2003, 1999 WL 170091, at *2, 1999 U.S.App. LEXIS 5776, at *6 (4th Cir. March 29, 1999) (affirming BIA's determination where petitioner "[a]lthough she may have been verbally abused, she did not offer any evidence of a particular physical assault or other type of assault that could be characterized as an act which would rise to the level of persecution"); Shoaira v. Ashcroft, 377 F.3d 837, 844 (8th Cir.2004) (holding that petitioner's psychological damages, resulting from the "rough treatment" of government authorities and witnessing her father's arrest, did not rise to the level of persecution, noting "[w]hile mental or emotional injury may in part constitute persecution, persecution is an extreme concept."); but see Mashiri v. Ashcroft, 383 F.3d 1112, 1120 (9th Cir.2004) ("Persecution may be emotional or psychological, as well as physical."). [11] The INA does recognize a derivative asylum claim, thereby granting asylum status to a spouse or child who accompanies an alien who is granted asylum status, even though the spouse or child is not otherwise eligible for asylum. See 8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(3). As Niang conceded at oral argument, this provision is inapplicable here because, even assuming 1158(b)(3) extends to withholding claims, the statutory language does not provide a derivative claim to parents of U.S. citizens. See 8 C.F.R. 207.7(b) (listing parents as ineligible for derivative asylum). This omission may be intended to "prevent wholesale circumvention of the immigration laws by persons who enter the country illegally and promptly have children to avoid deportation." Hernandez-Rivera v. INS, 630 F.2d 1352, 1356 (9th Cir.1980). While such omission may work a hardship on U.S. citizen children, who may be forced to accompany their parents to the country of removal, we and our sister circuits have held that this hardship is countenanced by the INA and not violative of the children's constitutional rights. Gallanosa v. United States, 785 F.2d 116, 120 (4th Cir. 1986). [12] Cf. In re S-L-L, 24 I. & N. Dec. 1, 14 n. 1 (Pauley, concurring) ("While FGM may be a pernicious form of persecution, it is difficult to understand why a fear that it may be performed on another person, albeit one's child, is a ground for asylum, any more than if a parent had a fear that a child would be singled out for persecution on account of political opinion, race, or religion") (emphasis in original). [13] It is worth noting that, in some circumstances, it might be appropriate to remand to the BIA a claim presenting such a Sophie's choice to determine whether it warrants a grant of humanitarian asylum. See Osigwe, 77 Fed.Appx. at 235 (remanding to BIA to adjudicate humanitarian asylum claim where applicants claimed their minor daughter, a U.S. citizen, would undergo FGM if they were removed and she accompanied them). In this case, the IJ considered whether the circumstances warranted humanitarian asylum and decided that they did not. As the humanitarian asylum claim was decided, and as Niang has not appealed that decision, a remand is not appropriate here. [14] Notably, even assuming Niang could assert a derivative claim, the record does not compel reversal as Niang did not establish a "clear probability" that Fatime would be subjected to FGM if Niang is removed. This is so because (i) Fatime is a U.S. citizen, entitled to remain in the U.S., despite her mother's removal; (ii) beyond Niang's testimony, there is no record evidence that Ane favors FGM; (iii) aside from the 2002 letter, purportedly from Ane's father, there is no evidence of "threatening or demanding letters" from Ane's family, as Niang testified she received; (iv) there is no clear record evidence that FGM is practiced by the Toucouleur in northern Senegal; and (v) State Department reports indicate FGM is growing less common and "hardly practiced at all in the most heavily populated urban areas;" thus, Niang might protect Fatime by residing in an urban area. [1] I agree with the majority that we lack jurisdiction to review the BIA's denial of Niang's asylum application as untimely, see INA 208(a)(3), 8 U.S.C.A. 1158(a)(3) (West 2005), and that Niang has waived appeal of her Convention Against Torture (CAT) claim and her claim of voluntary departure, see Edwards v. City of Goldsboro, 178 F.3d 231, 241 n. 6 (4th Cir.1999) (noting that Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 28(a)(9)(A) requires an appellant's opening brief to set forth the appellant's "contentions and the reasons for them" and that failure to comply with the Rule's dictates with respect to a particular claim triggers abandonment of that claim on appeal). [2] The majority opinion correctly states that we review the BIA's administrative findings of fact under the substantial evidence rule. See 8 U.S.C.A. 1252(b)(4)(B) (West 2005); INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 481, 112 S. Ct. 812, 117 L. Ed. 2d 38 (1992) (stating that an appellate court must uphold the BIA's factual findings if they are "supported by reasonable, substantial, and probative evidence on the record considered as a whole" (internal quotation marks omitted)). [3] I am unpersuaded by the Government's contention that Niang has not demonstrated a clear probability that her daughter's relatives would subject her to FGM if the child accompanied Niang to Senegal because the Senegalese government has banned the practice, and, as a result of education and outreach programs, FGM is becoming less prevalent in Senegal. The Government concedes that "[t]he State Department Report of record provided that . . . in general, female genital mutilation was a problem in Senegal." (Appellee's Br. at 22.) Moreover, a State Department Report specifically addressing FGM in Senegal provides that "up to 88 percent of females among the minority Halpularen (Peul and Toucouleur) in rural areas of eastern and southern Senegal practice [FGM]." (J.A. at 112.) This report states that, "[a]lthough the government has been actively seeking to eradicate this practice, we are unaware of any protection in place that might help a woman who wishes to avoid it." (J.A. at 114.) Furthermore, in addition to reports addressing generalized country conditions, Niang presented evidence specifically related to her particular case. Her testimony and corroborating documentation revealed that her daughter's relatives have a strong desire to subject the child to FGM, and that the father agrees with his parents that his daughter should undergo FGM, but has thus far been indifferent to their demands. The Government does not question the reliability of the evidence related to Niang's family, and the IJ's decision does not address the likelihood that the child would suffer FGM in Senegal. [4] Both this court and the BIA have recognized that FGM constitutes persecution within the meaning of the INA and its implementing regulations. See Haoua v. Gonzales, 472 F.3d 227, 231 (4th Cir.2007) ("We have heretofore recognized that FGM constitutes persecution within the meaning of the Act. . . ." (internal quotation marks and alteration omitted)); In re Kasinga, 21 I. & N. Dec. 357, 365 (BIA 1996) (concluding that FGM constitutes persecution within the meaning of the Act). We have previously noted that the practice, which the majority aptly describes as "an extreme form of child abuse . . . [,] an insult to human dignity and an affront to any civilized people," ante at 507 n. 1, is "[o]ften performed under unsanitary conditions with highly rudimentary instruments, . . . is extremely painful, permanently disfigures the female genitalia, and exposes the girl or woman to the risk of serious, potentially life-threatening complications," Haoua, 472 F.3d at 230 n. 5 (internal quotation marks and alteration omitted). [5] Placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta develops in the lower uterine segment, in the zone of dilation, so that it completely or partially covers the cervical os (opening). See Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary 1442 (30th ed.2003). Complete placenta previa creates a risk of blood loss, and may become life threatening. See Shelton v. Univ. of Med. & Dentistry of N.J., 223 F.3d 220, 223 & n. 3 (3d Cir.2000). [6] It is unclear from the record whether Niang's first child was also delivered by a Cesarean section. [7] It is worth noting that, under the regulations governing adjustment of status applications, the departure of an applicant who is not under exclusion, deportation, or removal proceedings shall be deemed an abandonment of the application constituting grounds for termination of any pending application for adjustment of status, unless the applicant was previously granted advance parole by the Service . . ., and was inspected upon returning to the United States. 8 C.F.R. 245.2(a)(4)(ii)(A) (West 2007). Thus, Ane could not freely depart to Senegal while his adjustment of status application was pending. Goswell-Renner v. Holder Publisher United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit Publication Date 7 August 2014 Citation / Document Symbol 762 F.3d 696, 700 Cite as Goswell-Renner v. Holder, 762 F.3d 696, 700 , United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 7 August 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,USA_CA_8,58a46b164.html [accessed 6 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. Myra Goswell-Renner, a citizen of The Gambia, petitions for review of a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissing her appeal from an immigration judge's order that she be removed from the United States. Goswell-Renner argues that the immigration judge erred in finding that she was ineligible for cancellation of removal. She also argues that the Board erred in rejecting her claim for withholding of removal due to her fear of persecution as the mother of daughters at risk of suffering female genital mutilation in The Gambia. We deny the petition. I. Goswell-Renner entered the United States on a non-immigrant student visa in 1990. Several years later, her mother filed a petition for Goswell-Renner to become a resident as an unmarried daughter over the age of twenty-one. That petition was approved in 1998. The next year, Goswell-Renner married. The marriage automatically revoked the approval of her petition, because the petition was premised on her status as an unmarried daughter. Without revealing her marriage, Goswell-Renner applied for adjustment of status to that of lawful permanent resident. Goswell-Renner told the immigration officer who conducted her adjustment interview that she was not married and never had been married. If she had revealed her marriage, then the Department of Homeland Security would have discovered that she was ineligible for adjustment of status. Based on what they knew, however, immigration officials adjusted Goswell-Renner's status in 2004. In July 2010, the Department initiated removal proceedings against Goswell-Renner on the ground that she had procured an immigration benefit (i.e., adjustment of status) by fraud or willful misrepresentation and did not have a valid entry document. After a hearing, an immigration judge concluded that Goswell-Renner was removable because she had given false testimony in the adjustment interview for the purpose of obtaining adjustment of status. Based on Goswell-Renner's false testimony in 2004, the immigration judge also concluded that she was ineligible for cancellation of removal because she had not demonstrated good moral character under the law during the ten-year period preceding her application. The immigration judge ruled that Goswell-Renner's asylum claim was untimely. Goswell-Renner sought withholding of removal on the ground that her United States citizen daughters were at risk of female genital mutilation if Goswell-Renner were removed to The Gambia and the daughters accompanied her. The immigration judge rejected the argument because Goswell-Renner claimed a risk of harm only to her children, not a risk that she herself would be persecuted, and the Board has ruled that an alien may not establish eligibility for withholding based solely on fear that her daughter may be harmed. See In re A-K-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 275 (BIA 2007). The immigration judge concluded in addition that Goswell-Renner showed only a speculative fear that some distant relative or other person would kidnap her daughters and subject them to female genital mutilation. Recounting that Goswell-Renner testified that she and her husband would return to The Gambia with their children and that they oppose the practice, the immigration judge found that Goswell-Renner failed to show a likelihood that she could not protect their daughters. The immigration judge ordered Goswell-Renner removed and granted her an opportunity to depart voluntarily. Goswell-Renner appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the Board affirmed. Goswell-Renner challenged the decision on removal, arguing that her misrepresentations about marital status were not willful, because she did not realize that her marital status was relevant to her eligibility for adjustment of status. The Board saw no clear error in the immigration judge's determination that her claim of ignorance was not credible, "considering her education level, her fluency in English, and the lack of a persuasive explanation for consistently misrepresenting her marital status throughout the adjustment process." On cancellation of removal, the Board agreed with the immigration judge that Goswell-Renner gave false testimony under oath that she was not married and never had been married, and that she was thus precluded from establishing the good moral character required by 8 U.S.C. 1229b(b)(1)(B). The Board also rejected Goswell-Renner's request for withholding of removal based on the risk that her daughters would be subjected to female genital mutilation in The Gambia. The Board agreed with the immigration judge that the fear was "speculative," noting that Goswell-Renner, her sisters, and her mother were not subjected to the procedure. The Board determined that she had not shown a "realistic possibility" that her United States citizen daughters would be harmed by unidentified individuals. The Board also reasoned that Goswell-Renner's fear that her daughters could be persecuted if they were to accompany her to The Gambia is not a basis for Goswell-Renner to obtain relief, because she did "not allege that she herself risks being personally targeted for persecution based on any protected characteristic." Goswell-Renner petitions for review, challenging the decisions on cancellation of removal and withholding of removal. Because the Board affirmed the decision of the immigration judge based on a clear-error standard of review for findings of fact, but also added reasoning of its own, we review the two decisions together. See Krasnopivtsev v. Ashcroft, 382 F.3d 832, 837 (8th Cir.2004). The administrative findings of fact are conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary. 8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(4)(B); INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483-84, 112 S.Ct. 812, 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992). II. A. To be eligible for cancellation of removal, an applicant must demonstrate good moral character for ten years preceding the date that she applied for cancellation of removal. 8 U.S.C. 1229b(b)(1); see Flores v. Holder, 699 F.3d 998, 1004 (8th Cir.2012). A person must not be regarded as one of good moral character if she "has given false testimony for the purpose of obtaining" immigration or naturalization benefits. 8 U.S.C. 1101(f)(6); Kungys v. United States, 485 U.S. 759, 779-80, 108 S.Ct. 1537, 99 L.Ed.2d 839 (1988). There was substantial evidence to support the immigration judge's finding that Goswell-Renner gave false testimony for the purpose of obtaining an immigration benefit. Goswell-Renner is well-educated and speaks English. The agent who conducted her adjustment interview testified that when he asked her if she was married, she replied that she had never been married. Goswell-Renner claims that she did not understand the significance of her failure to reveal her marriage, and that she did not disclose the information because she thought the marriage was over. But the immigration judge reasonably found that she was not credible. Although Goswell-Renner was separated at the time of the interview, she was not divorced or legally separated. And even a mistaken belief that the marriage was over would not explain her failure to acknowledge that she had been married in the past. The immigration judge found that Goswell-Renner lied about her marriage because she understood that her eligibility for adjustment of status depended on her status as the unmarried daughter of her mother. This was a finding that a reasonable adjudicator could reach based on the record as a whole, and we therefore deny Goswell-Renner's petition for review on the issue of cancellation of removal. B. Goswell-Renner argues alternatively that she is eligible for withholding of removal. To establish eligibility for withholding of removal, an alien must show a clear probability that her life or freedom would be threatened on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. 8 U.S.C. 1231(b)(3)(A); Guled v. Mukasey, 515 F.3d 872, 881 (8th Cir.2008). An alien parent claiming fear that her child will be subjected to female genital mutilation upon return to another country might bring a claim for withholding of removal based on two different theories. One is a "derivative" claim in which the alien parent seeks relief based on the likelihood of persecution directed at her child. This court has rejected that theory, holding that "an applicant may not establish a derivative claim for withholding of removal based upon the applicant's child's fear of persecution." Gumaneh v. Mukasey, 535 F.3d 785, 789 (8th Cir.2008). The second theory is that risk that a child would be subjected to female genital mutilation against the alien parent's wishes amounts to "direct" persecution of the alien parent. See Kone v. Holder, 620 F.3d 760, 765 (7th Cir.2010). This court has identified that theory but not addressed whether or in what circumstances it would be sufficient to justify withholding of removal. See Hounmenou v. Holder, 691 F.3d 967, 971-72 (8th Cir.2012). In her petition for review, Goswell-Renner raises a claim of direct persecution, arguing that she herself is likely to be persecuted based on her membership in the particular social group of "mothers of daughters forcibly repatriated to countries where FGM [female genital mutilation] is practiced." To prevail on this claim, Goswell-Renner must show that it was properly presented and exhausted in the administrative proceedings, see Sultani v. Gonzales, 455 F.3d 878, 885 (8th Cir.2006), and that no reasonable adjudicator could agree with the immigration judge and the Board that there is insufficient risk that Goswell-Renner's daughters would be subjected to female genital mutilation if they accompany her to The Gambia. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. at 483-84, 112 S.Ct. 812. An alien seeking withholding of removal must show it is more likely than not that she would be persecuted upon removal. 8 C.F.R. 1208.16(b)(2). On careful review of the administrative record, we conclude that Goswell-Renner did not present a claim of direct persecution to the Board. In her brief to the Board, the title of her argument on withholding of removal referred to "Parent's claim to derivative asylum based on likelihood of children's claim of fear of future persecution via FGM." A.R. 43. She acknowledged that this court in Gumaneh rejected a "derivative" claim for withholding of removal, but argued that the law was not well-settled and asserted that there was controversy "with the Board itself" on "whether a parent has any derivative claim." Id. She concluded by arguing that "[a]lthough the 8th [C]ircuit may have settled law" on the question, the Board should "reconsider the issue of harm to family members not at risk of the procedure itself and consider the derivative harm associated with the [e]ffects upon those ... witnessing harm to one's children." Id. at 45. In light of this brief, it is not surprising that the Board treated Goswell-Renner's appeal as a derivative claim for withholding of removal and rejected it on that basis. Goswell-Renner did not properly raise before the Board a claim of direct persecution against her as a parent of children who might be subjected to harm in The Gambia. To preserve a claim for review in the court of appeals, however, an alien must properly exhaust administrative remedies before the agency. Sultani, 455 F.3d at 884. Because Goswell-Renner failed to do so, we lack jurisdiction to consider a claim of direct persecution for the first time on a petition for review. Id. The Board did not violate Goswell-Renner's due process rights by construing her appeal to raise only a derivative claim for withholding of removal, as that reading was the most straightforward construction of her brief. Oforji v. Ashcroft Publisher United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Publication Date 31 December 2003 Citation / Document Symbol 354 F.3d 609, 61718 Cite as Oforji v. Ashcroft, 354 F.3d 609, 61718, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 31 December 2003, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,USA_CA_7,58a489174.html [accessed 6 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. Doris C. Oforji appeals from an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirming, without opinion, the decision of the Immigration Judge (IJ) denying her application for asylum and withholding of deportation. Oforji argues on appeal that the BIA erred by failing to appropriately weigh and consider the evidence presented; in failing to extend derivative asylum and relief to Oforji on behalf of her United States citizen children; and in issuing an affirmance without opinion. We affirm. I. Oforji is a Nigerian citizen who sought entry into the United States at Chicago on April 4, 1996. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) (now part of the Department of Homeland Security) denied Oforji entry, detained her, and charged her with being an alien seeking to procure entry by fraud or willful misrepresentation, as well as an alien not in possession of a valid immigration document. Oforji's exclusion proceedings commenced on April 4, 1996. After delays, an initial hearing before an IJ was held on August 28, 1997, wherein Oforji admitted that she was an alien not in possession of a valid immigration document at the time of her entry, but denied the fraud and willful misrepresentation charges. She also requested asylum, withholding of deportation, and protection under the Convention Against Torture. At the hearing, Oforji testified that she is a member of the Ogoni Tribe of Nigeria and that the Tribe lived without roads, schools, and potable water. She further stated that due to these poor living conditions, the Ogoni Tribe formed the "Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People" to petition the Nigerian regime of General Sani Abacha for these services. She also claimed that the Abacha regime tortured and arrested, as well as killed members of the Movement, and that she participated in demonstrations against the Abacha administration. She testified that in 1995, the Abacha administration arrested her husband, "Chukwker," at their house for his participation in the Movement. She claims to have fled Nigeria to avoid arrest because she was too "outspoken." However, on cross-examination she admitted that she fled because "the back of the house was, was falling any way." In addition, at the hearing she acknowledged that Abacha has died since she fled, but stated in a conclusory fashion that the government was nevertheless going to persecute her because of "oil." In addition, she claimed without corroboration that the Nigerian government would persecute her because she left the country without a visa and because she was a runaway Ogoni. Finally, Oforji testified at the hearing that if she returned to Nigeria, her two daughters, citizens born in the United States, would undergo female circumcision or female genital mutilation (hereinafter collectively referred to as "FGM"). Oforji testified that she had undergone the procedure and that the Ogoni people required this of all women, with refusal punishable by death. She also testified that she did not have anyone with whom to leave her children in this country in the event she was deported to Nigeria. She admitted on cross-examination that she did not mention the fear that her then-unborn daughter would undergo FGM when asked by the immigration inspector about her political asylum claim. After hearing this testimony, the IJ held that the evidence did not establish that she sought to procure entry by fraud or willful misrepresentation, but found that she was inadmissible on the separate ground of lacking a valid entry document. The IJ then denied Oforji's request for asylum relief primarily on the basis of an adverse credibility finding regarding her testimony, and due to the fact that she had already suffered FGM. Oforji filed a timely notice of appeal with the BIA. Pursuant to statutory streamlining procedures of 8 C.F.R. 3.1(a)(7)(ii)(A)-(B), the BIA issued a written decision on October 7, 2002, affirming without opinion the IJ's decision. Thus, the IJ's decision became the final agency determination for purposes of judicial review. Oforji filed a timely appeal to this court, arguing that the BIA incorrectly denied her claims and that the BIA's streamlined process was invalid. II. A. Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal Because the BIA adopted the IJ's decision, we review the IJ's analysis for substantial evidence. Krouchevski v. Ashcroft, 344 F.3d 670, 673 (7th Cir.2003); see generally Moin v. Ashcroft, 335 F.3d 415, 418 (5th Cir.2003) (explaining why the substantial evidence standard applies to cases in which the INS employs its streamlined procedure). Oforji, as the applicant for asylum, bears the burden of proof to establish asylum eligibility. See 8 C.F.R. 208.13(a) (2002); Dobrican v. INS, 77 F.3d 164, 168 (7th Cir.1996). We reverse in this context only if "no reasonable fact-finder could fail to find" that Oforji had suffered from past persecution or faced future persecution. Georgis v. Ashcroft, 328 F.3d 962, 967-68 (7th Cir. 2003) (citing INS v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 484, 112 S.Ct. 812, 117 L.Ed.2d 38 (1992)). To be eligible for asylum, Oforji is required to establish "refugee" status, i.e., that she is an alien unwilling or unable to return home "because of ... a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42)(A); Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. at 481, 112 S.Ct. 812. She could show this by proving either that she (1) suffered past persecution on account of one of the enumerated categories, creating a rebuttable presumption of future persecution, or (2) has a well-founded fear of future persecution on account of one of the enumerated categories. Yadegar-Sargis v. INS, 297 F.3d 596, 601-02 (7th Cir. 2002); Toptchev v. INS, 295 F.3d 714, 720 (7th Cir.2002). Although "persecution" is not statutorily defined, we have said that it "means more than plain harassment and may arise from actions such as `detention, arrest, interrogation, prosecution, imprisonment, illegal searches, confiscation of property, surveillance, beatings, or torture.'" Tesfu v. Ashcroft, 322 F.3d 477, 481 (7th Cir.2003) (quoting Mitev v. INS, 67 F.3d 1325, 1330 (7th Cir.1995)). Persecution can also include threats of "death, imprisonment, or the infliction of substantial harm or suffering." Sharif v. INS, 87 F.3d 932, 935 (7th Cir.1996). A well-founded fear of future persecution must be both subjectively genuine and objectively reasonable. Mousa v. INS, 223 F.3d 425, 430 (7th Cir.2000). To establish the objective reasonableness of the fear, the alien must show, based upon credible, direct, and specific evidence, that a reasonable person in the same circumstances would fear persecution if returned to the petitioner's native country. Bhatt v. Reno, 172 F.3d 978, 982 (7th Cir.1999). We turn first to the IJ's adverse credibility findings which are entitled to "highly deferential review." Mansour v. INS, 230 F.3d 902, 905 (7th Cir.2000); Efe v. Ashcroft, 293 F.3d 899, 903 (5th Cir. 2002) ("We give great deference to an immigration judge's decisions regarding an alien's credibility."). We require that an adverse credibility finding merely be supported by "specific, cogent reasons" that "bear a legitimate nexus to the finding." Ahmad v. INS, 163 F.3d 457, 461 (citations omitted). Adverse credibility findings are overturned only under "extraordinary circumstances." Pop v. INS, 270 F.3d 527, 531-32 (7th Cir.2001). Here, the IJ found multiple inconsistencies in Oforji's testimony and these "specific, cogent reasons" "bear a legitimate nexus" to the denial of her claim. As an initial matter, Oforji does not dispute the IJ's finding that she presented no evidence such as a membership card or letter from a party representative corroborating that she was in fact a member of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People. Cf. Abdulrahman v. Ashcroft, 330 F.3d 587, 598-99 (3d Cir.2003) (upholding adverse credibility finding based in part on alien's failure to substantiate his generalized testimony by providing documentation of his membership or involvement in a politically active student union). At the hearing, Oforji conceded that she told the immigration inspector on the date of her arrival that she was seeking political asylum solely for economic reasons and that she had not been persecuted in Nigeria. This is inconsistent with her testimony at the hearing that she fled because of her political activity and because the Abacha administration had arrested and killed her husband. To this date, Oforji has failed to explain why she told the immigration inspector that she had never been persecuted in Nigeria. In addition, at the hearing, Oforji testified that she fled because the government had planned to arrest her because she was too "outspoken," but she offered no support for this statement. On cross-examination, consistent with her response to the immigration inspector at the time of her attempted entry to this country, she admitted that she fled the same night of her husband's arrest because the back of her house was falling away. Further, Oforji claimed that the Ogoni Tribe lived in "River State," and suffered from poor roads, schools, and water. However, Oforji acknowledged that her sister also lived in River State, but did not suffer from a lack of water, nor did she have problems with the Abacha administration. Similarly, Oforji also claimed that the Abacha government was persecuting her because of "oil" but failed to offer any facts supporting this conclusion, other than her assertion that she "knew it to be true." Importantly, despite claiming that she fled because of persecution from the Abacha administration, she conceded that Abacha was no longer in power in Nigeria due to his death. Contrary to Oforji's contention, it was her responsibility to ensure that the inspecting immigration authorities had knowledge of her main reasons for seeking asylum in the U.S. See, e.g., Roman v. INS, 233 F.3d 1027, 1034 (7th Cir.2000) (placing burden on asylum applicant to prove eligibility for asylum by proffering sufficient evidence to support her claim). Moreover, in an attempt to bolster the asylum claim, the addition of new factual assertions that were not originally set forth can be viewed as inconsistencies providing substantial evidence that the applicant is not a reliable and truthful witness. See Malek v. INS, 198 F.3d 1016, 1020-21 (7th Cir.2000) (citing "a number of clear inconsistencies" between applicant's application and testimony). Oforji's claim that her statements were made under great stress and without the benefit of counsel not only implies an acknowledgment that her statements were not accurate, but also incorporates protections not required in immigration inspection questioning. The above inconsistencies and gaps in Oforji's claim establish substantial reasons for the IJ to question her credibility and deny her claim for asylum and withholding of deportation.1 See Khano v. INS, 999 F.2d 1203, 1208 (7th Cir.1993). B. Oforji's Claim for Derivative Asylum Under the Convention Against Torture We turn next to Oforji's argument that her United States citizen daughters are likely to suffer FGM in Nigeria if Oforji is deported. Oforji bases this claim of "derivative asylum" or "constructive deportation" (hereinafter used interchangeably) on the United Nations Convention Against Torture as made judicially enforceable through 8 C.F.R. 208.16(c) and 208.18(b)(2). See Castellano-Chacon v. INS, 341 F.3d 533, 551 (6th Cir.2003) (explaining briefly the process by which the non-self executing provisions of the Convention Against Torture became judicially enforceable). The conditions under which an alien may be found eligible for the withholding of removal as a result of the probability of being subjected to torture in the country of removal are set forth in 8 C.F.R. 208.16(c). The regulation states in relevant part that: In considering an application for withholding of removal under the Convention Against Torture, the immigration judge shall first determine whether the alien is more likely than not to be tortured in the country of removal. If the immigration judge determines that the alien is more likely than not to be tortured in the country of removal, the alien is entitled to protection under the Convention Against Torture. Protection under the Convention Against Torture will be granted either in the form of withholding of removal or in the form of deferral of removal. 8 C.F.R. 208.16(c)(4) (emphasis added). We review the BIA's determination against withholding the removal of an alien for substantial evidence. See, e.g., Ambati v. Reno, 233 F.3d 1054, 1059 (7th Cir. 2000). The language of the regulation unambiguously permits withholding of removal due to torture personally suffered by the alien: The burden of proof is on the applicant for withholding of removal under this paragraph to establish that it is more likely than not that he or she would be tortured if removed to the proposed country of removal. The testimony of the applicant, if credible, may be sufficient to sustain the burden of proof without corroboration. 8 C.F.R. 208.16(2) (emphasis added) Oforji has testified that she had already undergone FGM before entering this country, thus there is no chance that she would be personally tortured again by the procedure when sent back to Nigeria.2 The regulation language is confined to the alien-applicant and seemingly forecloses a derivative claim. Nevertheless, Oforji requests this court to "extend derivative asylum" to her based on "new expansions and considerations" reflected in case law such as Nwaokolo v. INS, 314 F.3d 303 (7th Cir.2002), and In re Kasinga, 21 I & N. Dec. 357 (BIA 1996). Oforji bases this request on her claim that "[t]his court has previously recognized that when an alien minor's parent is deported, the minor will have to accompany the parent into exile and is also effectively deported." It is important to understand that claims of constructive deportation are cognizable only if such a claim falls squarely within the narrow holdings of the cases creating the doctrine. A brief review of these cases distinguishes Oforji's circumstances from the narrow ambit required for a claim of constructive deportation. Salameda involved a review of the now amended section 244(a)(1)3 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. 1254(a)(1), which permitted the BIA to suspend deportation in its discretion if the alien proved, inter alia, physical presence in the United States for at least seven years and that deportation would "result in extreme hardship to the alien or to his spouse, parent, or child, who is a citizen of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence." The Salamedas' child, Lancelot, was not a United States citizen, nor was he admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Accordingly, the IJ determined that the above statute precluded consideration of the hardship to Lancelot due to his parents' deportation. Id. However, the Salameda court concluded that since Lancelot was an alien with no legal right to remain in the United States, the deportation of his parents would result in him being "constructively deported" and that this hardship should have been considered by the INS. Id. Significantly, unlike Oforji's children, the minor child in Salameda was not a United States citizen. Yet he was subject to deportation because his parents were being deported. The question raised was whether he was "entitled to ask for relief on his own account." Id. at 451. Since he was not the target of deportation, the order in that case "had the effect of depriving him of the right to request suspension of deportation." Id. The panel majority labeled the failure of the INS to include the minor in his parents' deportation hearing as an "ignoble ploy." Oforji's claim does not fall within the narrow ambit of Salameda. Oforji's two female children potentially subject to FGM are both United States citizens, and thus, unlike the child in Salameda, have the legal right to remain in the United States. Moreover, Salameda involved both parents of the child being deported. Despite having the burden of proof regarding eligibility for withholding of removal under 8 C.F.R. 208.16(2), Oforji has failed to set forth any evidence regarding the existence or whereabouts of the father (or on the additional alternative of having a guardian appointed - a distasteful Solomonic choice) of her United States citizen children.4 The children, as citizens, have an independent right to not be deported, but obviously they are dependent on their mother. So depending on the father's whereabouts, or the appointment of a guardian, they may have an opportunity to not follow their mother to Nigeria. Turning to the remaining cases cited by Oforji, Nwaokolo is inapposite because it presented an alien's appeal from the denial of a petition to reopen removal proceedings. The appellant needed to show to this court "some" likelihood of success on the merits, part of a relatively low standard of review. Nwaokolo, involving an alien mother who had not been subjected to FGM, merely noted that "[i]t is arguable, therefore, that the BIA abused its discretion in denying Ms. Nwaokolo's motion to reopen if it failed to consider the threat that four-year-old Victoria will be subjected to FGM as a direct consequence of the decision to remove her mother." Id. at 308 (citation omitted) (emphasis added). Ms. Nwaokolo, also a native and citizen of Nigeria, legally entered the United States in the early 1980's. Because she accepted a job in violation of the terms of her visa, she was ordered deported but never left after being granted voluntary departure in 1986. She did not appeal, but beginning in 1996 filed several motions to reopen, seeking a stay of deportation. At that point she had three children, including a four-year-old girl who was a United States citizen. Also, she apparently had a continuous presence in the country for more than the prescribed seven-year time period. Given that status, under 8 U.S.C. 1229b(b)(1)(D), she had an opportunity to have her removal cancelled and her status adjusted if she could establish that "removal would result in exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to [her] ... child who is a citizen of the United States..." Because the BIA may have "failed to consider the threat that four-year-old Victoria [would] be subjected to FGM as a direct consequence of the decision to remove her mother," this court concluded that the BIA did not exercise its discretion by considering "all relevant factors" regarding the motion to reopen. See id. Unlike Nwaokolo, Oforji did not first enter the United States legally, nor has she resided in the United States for the required continuous seven-year period. Thus she does not qualify for the "exceptional hardship" claim for her child under 8 U.S.C. 1229b(b)(1)(D). Although the threatened hardship for her children is apparent, there is no statutory or regulatory authority for Oforji to have her own deportation suspended because she fears for her children if they return to Nigeria with her. Of course, as indicated above, as United States citizens they have the right to stay here without her, but that would likely require some form of guardianship - not a Hobson's choice, but a choice no mother wants to make. Given the undesirable consequences of the choice she has to make, Oforji is in effect requesting that we amend the law to allow deportable aliens who have not resided here continuously for seven or ten years to attach derivatively to the right of their citizen children to remain in the United States. Any such amendment is for Congress, not the courts, to consider. Finally, Kasinga is of no avail to Oforji because it involved an applicant who feared that she personally would be subjected to FGM if deported to her native country. Kasinga made specific findings that the alien applicant for asylum had a "well founded fear of persecution," a fear that is obviously not present in Oforji's case since she has already been subjected to FGM. Oforji is correct that the IJ's opinion (adopted by the BIA) does not reflect consideration of the hardship that her deportation would cause in that it could potentially place her children at risk of FGM; however, Oforji cannot identify a legal basis for considering such hardships in the context of this case. As an excludable alien, it is undisputed that Oforji does not qualify for suspension of deportation. In addition, the continuous presence requirement5 for suspension of deportation (which it is undisputed that Oforji does not meet) demonstrates that Congress considered the possibility of hardships to the family members of aliens not meeting the requirements for suspension of deportation, but limited the possibility of suspension to those who remained in the United States continuously for ten years. See 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(1) (2002). Undoubtedly, any separation of a child from its mother is a hardship. However, the question before us is whether this potential hardship to citizen children arising from the mother's deportation should allow an otherwise unqualified mother to append to the children's right to remain in the United States. The answer is no. Our prior cases have suggested that the threat of FGM to a United States citizen child resulting from the alien parents' deportation is a relevant factor to be considered in the context of a motion to reopen an alien's case; however, we now hold that an alien parent who has no legal standing to remain in the United States may not establish a derivative claim for asylum by pointing to potential hardship to the alien's United States citizen child in the event of the alien's deportation. Assuming that the father of Oforji's children is out of the picture (which, as previously stated, cannot be assumed based on the record), Oforji will be faced with the unpleasant dilemma of permitting her citizen children to remain in this country under the supervision of the state of Illinois or an otherwise suitable guardian, or taking her children back to Nigeria to face the potential threat of FGM. Congress has foreseen such difficult choices, but has opted to leave the choice with the illegal immigrant, not the courts. The law is clear that citizen family members of illegal aliens have no cognizable interest in preventing an alien's exclusion and deportation. See, e.g., Garcia v. Boldin, 691 F.2d 1172, 1182-83 (5th Cir.1982); Burrafato v. United States Dept. of State, 523 F.2d 554 (2d Cir.1975), cert. denied, 424 U.S. 910, 96 S.Ct. 1105, 47 L.Ed.2d 313 (1976); Cervantes v. INS, 510 F.2d 89, 91-92 (10th Cir.1975); Swartz v. Rogers, 254 F.2d 338 (D.C.Cir.), cert. denied, 357 U.S. 928 (1958). Under the present law a woman who is otherwise a deportable alien does not have any incentive to bear a child (who automatically becomes a citizen) whose rights to stay are separate from the mother's obligation to depart. C. The BIA's Decision to Affirm Without Opinion the IJ's Decision The final issue raised by Oforji presents two challenges to the BIA's issuance of a decision without an opinion. Her first argument is a facially-based challenge to the regulation permitting an affirmance without opinion, and her second argument challenges the Board's actual decision to affirm without an opinion in her particular case. At issue is the streamlined procedure found at 8 C.F.R. 3.1(e)(4) (Sept. 2002)6, permitting a single Board Member to affirm, without opinion, the results of an IJ's decision when the Board Member determines: that the result was correct; that any errors were harmless or nonmaterial; and that the issue on appeal is not novel, but is squarely controlled by existing Board or federal case precedent or that the factual and legal issues are not substantial enough to warrant a written opinion. This court has upheld the 1999 streamlining procedures as not depriving the court of a basis for judicial review nor as violating due process. See Georgis v. Ashcroft, 328 F.3d 962, 967 (7th Cir.2003). Oforji fails to articulate any legally significant difference between the 1999 streamlining regulations and the current 2002 streamlining regulations under review and we therefore uphold the 2002 streamlining provisions. The Georgis panel suggested that in some cases, the Board's decision to streamline and not publish an opinion may be subject to judicial review. Id. at n. 4. Regardless, this appeal is not such a case since it merely involves Oforji's misapplication of established legal authority. The present opinion demonstrates that the court may simply conduct a full and fair review of the IJ's decision directly without the intervening step of a written BIA decision. Oforji's appeal is fact-dependent and, "[s]ince we review directly the decision of the IJ when a case comes to us from the BIA pursuant to [the streamlining provision], our ability to conduct a full and fair appraisal of the petitioner's case is not compromised, and the petitioner's due process rights are not violated." Id. at 967. III. The decision to deny Oforji's claim for asylum and withholding of removal is supported by substantial evidence. Oforji's claim to derivative asylum under regulations implementing the Convention Against Torture is rejected for lack of legal support. We reject Oforji's facial challenge to the BIA's streamlining provisions, and we reject her challenge to the BIA's decision to streamline because that decision did not harm her in this case. For these and the foregoing reasons, we AFFIRM. POSNER, Circuit Judge, concurring. I join Judge Manion's opinion in the main, though we interpret some of the facts in this confusing record differently. I write separately not to quibble over these differences but to invite congressional attention to a pair of anomalies in the immigration laws. Doris Oforji was turned down for asylum. One of her grounds for seeking it was that she has two young daughters (Nina, 6 years old, and Ingozi, 4) who if they go to Nigeria with her will be subject to a very high risk of undergoing when they reach puberty the procedure that has come to be called "female genital mutilation," although I prefer the older terms "female circumcision" and (in the alternative) "clitoridectomy and infibulation," because they are slightly less loaded and remind us that a related practice, male circumcision, is widespread in this country without being described as mutilation. I do not mean to suggest that I approve of female circumcision, but we should recognize that the cultures that do approve of it don't think that what they are doing is aptly described as "mutilation." But that is an aside; the risk of being forced to undergo the procedure is a recognized ground for asylum in this country. Abankwah v. INS, 185 F.3d 18, 20, 25-26 (2d Cir.1999); In re Kasinga, 21 I. & N. Dec. 357 (BIA 1996). And in the case of a child, especially a small one, the parent will ordinarily be the child's proper representative and therefore authorized to file the asylum claim on the child's behalf. See Gonzalez v. Reno, 212 F.3d 1338 (11th Cir.2000); Guidelines for Children's Asylum Claims INS Policy and Procedural Memorandum from Jack Weiss, Acting Director, Office of International Affairs, to Asylum Officers, Immigration Officers, and Headquarters Coordinators (Asylum and Refugees), Dec. 10, 1998, 1998 WL 34032561(INS). But because Oforji's daughters were born in the United States, they are U.S. citizens, and since U.S. citizens cannot be deported they are ineligible for asylum. And because Oforji does not argue that the children will be circumcised as a way of persecuting her, the risk of their being subjected to that procedure, great as that risk is conceded to be, does not strengthen her claim, and so they will be separated from their mother unless they return to Nigeria with her. Apparently the children have no relatives in the United States with whom they might live (they are also very young to be separated from their mother), for when asked at the immigration hearing, "Well, couldn't you leave your children here if you wanted to return?" she answered: "Who would I leave it for? Who is going to take care of it? Only I survive because when I was little my mother passed on so I know what I went through so how, how can - when in my life my children start going into the 15th year." This is obscure, but the implication is that the children have no relatives living in the United States, at least relatives capable of taking care of two young girls. We know that the father of the older girl is either dead or in Nigeria, where she was conceived. There is nothing in the record about the father of the younger girl. Probably, then, the only condition in which the girls could remain in the United States after their mother returned to Nigeria would be as foster children. That is the same unlovely status they would occupy were they aliens granted asylum while their mother was deported. So although they are citizens they are treated as badly as aliens. Had their mother lived in the United States for at least seven years before deportation proceedings were instituted, however, she could plead hardship to the children as a basis for suspension of deportation. The period has been lengthened to ten years for deportation proceedings - now called "removal" proceedings - begun after April 1, 1997, see Romero-Torres v. Ashcroft, 327 F.3d 887, 888-89 and nn. 3-4 (9th Cir.2003); Jimenez-Angeles v. Ashcroft, 291 F.3d 594, 597 (9th Cir.2002), but it seems that deportation proceedings were begun against Oforji in 1996. However, she hadn't been here for seven years, so she can't obtain a suspension of deportation even under the earlier rule. And so the U.S. citizen children are to suffer severe hardship, either by being returned to Nigeria to face a procedure that we regard as torture or by being separated from their mother and consigned to a foster home, because the mother didn't have the wit to elude the Immigration Service for seven years. The seven-year (now ten-year) rule has only a tenuous relation to the hardship of children whose parent is ordered deported. What is true is that the longer the children have lived in the United States, the greater the hardship to them of being sent back to their parent's native country - one of the unappetizing choices facing these children and a choice made more excruciating the longer they remain here and become acclimated to American ways. But the length of time a child has lived in the United States depends on when she was born as well as on when her parent came to the United States. The parent may have been here for ten years but the child have been born six months ago; or the parent may have been here for nine years but the child have been born eight years ago. The seven-year (or ten-year) rule is irrational viewed as a device for identifying those cases in which the hardship to an alien's children should weigh against forcing her to leave the country. That is one rule that Congress should rethink and another is awarding citizenship to everyone born in the United States (with a few very minor exceptions, such as the children of accredited foreign diplomats and of foreign heads of state on official visits to the U.S., United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S. 649, 693, 18 S.Ct. 456, 42 L.Ed. 890 (1898); United States Citizenship, United States Department of Justice Immigration & Naturalization Service Interpretation Letter, Interpretation 301.1(a)(4)(i), 2001 WL 1333852(INS); 8 C.F.R. 101.3(a)(1), 1101.3(a)(1)), including the children of illegal immigrants whose sole motive in immigrating was to confer U.S. citizenship on their as yet unborn children. This rule, though thought by some compelled by section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment, which provides that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside," and in any event codified in 8 U.S.C. 1401(a), which provides that "the following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth: (a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof," makes no sense. "The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimates that 165,000 babies are born each year in the United States to illegal immigrants and others who come here to give birth so their children will be American citizens." Kelley Bouchard, "An Open-Door Refugee Policy Has Its Critics," Maine Sunday Telegram, June 30, 2002, p. 11A. "Captured fighter Yaser Esam Hamdi is not a U.S. citizen, despite his Louisiana birth, argues the Friends of Immigration Law Enforcement. The group says the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment doesn't mandate the practice of granting `birthright citizenship' to children born on U.S. soil to temporary workers, illegal immigrants and tourists. ... `The situation we have today is absurd,' says the group's director....' For example, there is a huge and growing industry in Asia that arranges tourist visas for pregnant women so they can fly to the United States and give birth to an American. Obviously, this was not the intent of the 14th Amendment; it makes a mockery of citizenship.'" John McCaslin, "Inside the Beltway: Rotund Tourists," Wash. Times, Aug. 27, 2002, p. A7. We should not be encouraging foreigners to come to the United States solely to enable them to confer U.S. citizenship on their future children. But the way to stop that abuse of hospitality is to remove the incentive by changing the rule on citizenship, rather than to subject U.S. citizens to the ugly choice to which the Immigration Service is (legally) subjecting these two girls. A constitutional amendment may be required to change the rule whereby birth in this country automatically confers U.S. citizenship, but I doubt it. Peter H. Schuck & Rogers M. Smith, Citizenship Without Consent: Illegal Aliens in the American Polity 116-17 (1985); Dan Stein & John Bauer, "Interpreting the 14th Amendment: Automatic Citizenship for Children of Illegal Immigrants," 7 Stanford L. & Policy Rev. 127, 130 (1996). The purpose of the rule was to grant citizenship to the recently freed slaves, and the exception for children of foreign diplomats and heads of state shows that Congress does not read the citizenship clause of the Fourteenth Amendment literally. Congress would not be flouting the Constitution if it amended the Immigration and Nationality Act to put an end to the nonsense. On May 5, 2003, H.R. 1567, a bill "To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny citizenship at birth to children born in the United States of parents who are not citizens or permanent resident aliens," was referred to the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims. I hope it passes. Our hands, however, are tied. We cannot amend the statutory provisions on citizenship and asylum. FootNotes 1. Oforji's request for asylum in this context is automatically considered to include a request for withholding of deportation. 8 C.F.R. 208.3(b); INS v. Stevic, 467 U.S. 407, 420 n. 13, 104 S.Ct. 2489, 81 L.Ed.2d 321 (1984). As the standard of proof for withholding of deportation is higher than that needed to establish eligibility for asylum, the failure to sustain the burden of proof for asylum necessarily precludes eligibility for withholding of deportation. See Bradvica v. INS, 128 F.3d 1009, 1014 (7th Cir.1997). 2. It is undisputed that FGM as practiced in Nigeria constitutes "torture" within the meaning of the CAT. See Nwaokolo v. INS, 314 F.3d 303 (7th Cir.2002). 3. The present version of this section, amended effective April 1, 1997, authorizes cancellation of removal upon a showing of, inter alia, exceptional hardship and a minimum of ten years continuous physical presence in the United States. INA 240A(b)(1), 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(1) (2002). It is undisputed that Oforji does not meet the seven-year physical presence requirement, in place at the time her removal proceedings commenced, to qualify for suspension under this law. See infra at 616-17. 4. We may not reverse based on evidence outside of the administrative record. State of New York v. EPA, 133 F.3d 987, 993 (7th Cir.1998). 5. See 8 U.S.C. 1229b(b)(1)(D). 6. The regulations are now found at 8 C.F.R. 1003.1, 1003.2 (2003). Because the parties referred to the 2002 regulations and because the new regulations are either identical or substantially similar to the older versions, we continue to refer to the 2002 regulations. Kone v. Holder Publisher United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Publication Date 31 August 2010 Citation / Document Symbol 620 F.3d 760, 764 Cite as Kone v. Holder, 620 F.3d 760, 764, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 31 August 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,USA_CA_7,58a48a864.html [accessed 6 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. *761 Isuf Kola, Attorney (argued), Kola & Associates, Ltd., Glen Ellyn, IL, for Petitioners. Linda Y. Cheng, Attorney (argued), Department of Justice, Civil Division, Immigration Litigation, Washington, DC, for Respondent. Before MANION and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges, and DARRAH, District Judge.[*] WILLIAMS, Circuit Judge. Lead petitioner Fatoumata Kone ("Kone"), her husband Lasanna Diarra ("Lasanna"), and their oldest daughter Kamissa Diarra ("Kamissa") are natives and citizens of Mali. They entered the United States on August 18, 2001 and remained in the country after the expiration of their visas. Kone and Lasanna then had a second daughter, Mariam, who by virtue of her birth here is a United States citizen. In 2006, Kone, as lead petitioner for her family, filed for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture on the basis that if made to return to Mali, Mariam would be forced to undergo female genital mutilation ("FGM"), a common practice in Mali to which both her mother and sister have already been subjected. An immigration judge denied the application, finding the asylum petition untimely and denying other relief on the grounds that Kone could not make a "derivative" claim based on a threat of persecution to her daughter. The Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA") affirmed the denial of relief, and Kone petitioned this court for review. Because the BIA did not address Kone's claim that FGM of her daughter would constitute direct psychological persecution *762 of her parents, we remand for further consideration. I. BACKGROUND Kone, Lasanna, and Kamissa are natives and citizens of Mali and members of the Bambara ethnic group. Kone and her family entered the United States on August 18, 2001 on nonimmigrant B2 visas and remained in the country after they expired, living first in New York and then Chicago. In November 2004, Kone and Lasanna had a second daughter, Mariam, born a United States citizen. On January 5, 2006, Kone, as lead petitioner, filed an application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture ("CAT").[1] Kone sought asylum based on her fear that if her family were made to return to Mali, Mariam would be forced to undergo FGM just as her sister and mother had. Kone acknowledged that her asylum application had been filed outside of the one-year deadline (at that point it had been over four years), but stated that she had only recently become aware of the fact that she could apply.[2] Kone, Lasanna, and Kamissa were deemed removable and issued Notices to Appear in Immigration Court. On July 10, 2007, a merits hearing was held before an Immigration Judge ("IJ"). At the hearing, Kone testified to the high likelihood that Mariam would be subjected to FGM if brought to Mali, where, she said, all female Bambara tribe members undergo the procedure. Kone's testimony regrettably is backed up by State Department statistics indicating that approximately 95% of all women in Mali have been subjected to FGM. See U.S. Department of State, 2009 Human Rights Report: Mali, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/ hrrpt/2009/af/135964.htm (last visited August 3, 2010). Kone testified that she herself underwent FGM at the age of five, and that it had been performed on her first daughter Kamissa when she was two years old, without Kone's knowledge. Kone explained that a relative snatched Kamissa away while Kone was not home and performed the procedure under primitive conditions without anesthesia. She claimed that while she and her husband oppose FGM, they would not be able to prevent it from being similarly performed on Mariam. Kone stated that even if she and her husband maintained constant vigilance over Mariam, it was likely that she would still be forcibly taken from them so that the procedure could be performed. Kone also testified about the emotional trauma she would feel if FGM were in fact performed on her daughter against her will. The IJ found Kone's testimony to be credible and determined that it was more likely than not that Mariam would be forced to undergo FGM if she were to go to Mali. However, the IJ denied all requested relief in an oral decision at the close of the hearing. The IJ first denied Kone's asylum claim as untimely under Section 208(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA"), which provides for a one-year time limit for asylum applications except for when the alien demonstrates changed or extraordinary circumstances warranting the delay. 8 U.S.C. 1158(a); see also 8 C.F.R. 1208.4(a). The IJ found that while Mariam's birth was a changed circumstance that excused part of the delay in applying for asylum, the application was still untimely because *763 Kone had waited another 14 months after the birth before filing. The IJ next denied Kone's claim for withholding of removal (for which there is no analogous time limit), ruling that Kone could not obtain withholding for herself based on potential hardship to her daughter. Relying on our decisions in Olowo v. Ashcroft, 368 F.3d 692 (7th Cir.2004), and Oforji v. Ashcroft, 354 F.3d 609 (7th Cir.2003), the IJ concluded that a petitioner cannot obtain "derivative" relief based on a fear that a non-petitioner child will undergo FGM. The IJ denied protection under the CAT for the same reasons he denied withholding of removal. Kone appealed to the BIA and made two main arguments. She first argued that if Mariam were to be subjected to FGM in Mali, the anguish that her parents would suffer would constitute direct persecution of her parents under the CAT. Alternatively, Kone advanced a derivative asylum theory, arguing that while Olowo and Oforji foreclose derivative asylum based on the likelihood of FGM to a child in some situations, those cases are distinguishable because they did not involve a situation where both parents were in removal proceedings. In the BIA's written ruling denying Kone's appeal, it concurred with the IJ's ruling that Kone's asylum application was untimely for having failed to file it within a reasonable time of the birth of Mariam. The BIA also agreed with the IJ's denial of withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture. The BIA cited Olowo and Oforji for the proposition that parents cannot establish derivative claims for relief based on potential hardship to their children, and rejected Kone's argument that her situation was distinguishable. The BIA was silent, however, as to Kone's argument that FGM of Mariam against her parents' will could constitute direct persecution of her parents. Kone petitioned this court for review of the BIA's denial of withholding of removal and protection under the CAT.[3] II. ANALYSIS When, like here, the BIA issues its own written analysis instead of summarily adopting that of the IJ, we review the BIA's decision. Chen v. Holder, 604 F.3d 324, 330 (7th Cir.2010). We review the agency's legal conclusions de novo, Atunnise v. Mukasey, 523 F.3d 830, 835 (7th Cir.2008), and factual findings for substantial evidence. Huang v. Mukasey, 525 F.3d 559, 564 (7th Cir.2008). We will disturb factual findings only if the evidence compels a conclusion contrary to that of the BIA. Kedjouti v. Holder, 571 F.3d 718, 721 (7th Cir.2009). While our review is deferential, remand is appropriate when the BIA "overlooks key aspects of an asylum-seeker's claim and might reach a different conclusion after a more complete evaluation of the record." Chen, 604 F.3d at 330; see also Gonzales v. Thomas, 547 U.S. 183, 186, 126 S. Ct. 1613, 164 L. Ed. 2d 358 (2006) (remand to agency is proper course when additional determination or explanation is necessary); I.N.S. v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12, *764 16, 123 S. Ct. 353, 154 L. Ed. 2d 272 (2002) (per curiam) (same). Remand is proper for additional analysis if the BIA "has not adequately explained its result and it seems possible to us that the agency might be compelled to reach the opposite conclusion depending how it evaluates the record after remand." Gomes v. Gonzales, 473 F.3d 746, 752 (7th Cir.2007). We conclude that the BIA overlooked a key aspect of Kone's claim and that a more complete evaluation is necessary. See Chen, 604 F.3d at 330. The BIA effectively only addressed half of Kone's argument: it concluded that Kone could not assert a derivative claim based on potential hardship to her daughter, but failed to address her assertion that FGM of Mariam would also constitute direct persecution of her parents. A. Kone's Derivative Claim The BIA rejected Kone's claim for derivative relief based on a threat of FGM to her daughter, relying on our rulings in Oforji and Olowo.[4] In those cases, the petitioners, both Nigerian women who had undergone FGM, sought asylum and withholding of removal based on their fear their daughters would be subjected to FGM as well if brought to that country. In both cases, we rejected the petitioners' claims, holding that the parents could not make a derivative claim for asylum based on a likelihood of persecution not to themselves, but to their children. See Olowo, 368 F.3d at 701; Oforji, 354 F.3d at 618. In Oforji, we noted that in contrast to the cancellation-of-removal provision set forth in INA 240A(b)(1), 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(1), the statutory scheme for asylum does not permit consideration of hardship to a petitioner's children when determining eligibility. 354 F.3d at 616-17. We ruled that an alien parent "may not establish a derivative claim for asylum by pointing to potential hardship to the alien's United States citizen child in the event of the alien's deportation." Id. at 618. And a year later in Olowo, we again concluded that both the asylum and withholding of removal standards "require an applicant to demonstrate that she herself will be subject to persecution if removed, and do not encompass any consideration of persecution that may be suffered by otherseven family memberswho may be obliged to return with her...." Olowo, 368 F.3d at 701; see also Gumaneh v. Mukasey, 535 F.3d 785, 789 (8th Cir.2008) ("an applicant may not establish a derivative claim for withholding of removal based upon the applicant's child's fear of persecution"); Niang v. Gonzales, 492 F.3d 505, 513 (4th Cir.2007) (same). There is, however, a distinction between the situations in Oforji and Olowo and Kone's situation here. In both Oforji and Olowo, only one parent was in removal proceedings, meaning there was at least the possibility that the other parent could take care of the child in the United States. Cf. Olowo, 368 F.3d at 701 (father was available); Oforji, 354 F.3d at 618 (father may have been available). Here, both parents are in removal proceedings. The BIA somewhat cursorily rejected Kone's attempt to highlight this distinction, noting that because the whereabouts of the petitioner's husband in Oforji were unknown, it was not clear that the children in that *765 case could have stayed with their father. The BIA did not address Olowo, however. On remand, the BIA should do so, in light of Olowo's implication that there may be a claim for constructive deportation when both, not just one, parent is in proceedings. See Olowo, 368 F.3d at 701 ("[W]hen there is a parent who is available to care for the daughters in the United States, they are under no compulsion to leave. Accordingly, the facts here do not support a claim for derivative asylum."); see also Gatimi v. Holder, 606 F.3d 344, 349 (7th Cir.2010) ("Gatimi II") (noting that in Olowo and Oforji, "the children had one parent with legal status and so were not subject to removal."); Benyamin v. Holder, 579 F.3d 970, 977 (9th Cir.2009) (remanding to BIA to consider whether father qualified for derivative asylum based on threat of FGM to daughter, in case where both parents were subject to removal). B. Kone's Claim of Direct Persecution In addition to asserting a derivative claim, Kone also made a separate argument to the BIA: that FGM of Mariam would constitute direct persecution of her parents cognizable under the Convention Against Torture.[5] The BIA did not address this argument in its decision, but should have. Kone's direct-persecution argument finds support in recent case law, both in our circuit and in others. In Gatimi v. Holder, 578 F.3d 611 (7th Cir.2009) ("Gatimi I"), a Kenyan man had defected from a criminal political/religious organization in Kenya and faced retribution for having done so. He sought asylum (along with his wife and daughter as derivative applicants) based on a fear of returning to Kenya where he claimed the persecution could continue. Id. at 613-14. Part of Gatimi's claim was that his wife would be subjected to FGM if returned to Kenya, because the organization compelled wives of defectors to undergo the procedure. Id. We found that this potential harm to Gatimi's wife could "constitute persecution of him." Id. at 617 (emphasis in original). We noted: Genital mutilation of one's wife, unless one happens to be a supporter of the practice, is a way to punish one, and so the menace to Mrs. Gatimi is a legitimate component of Mr. Gatimi's case. To send her back to Kenya to face female genital mutilation would be to enable persecution of him. Id.; see also Gatimi II, 606 F.3d at 348 ("persecution of Mrs. Gatimi can constitute persecution of Mr. Gatimi, and so her fear of persecution is relevant to his (and therefore their) claim for asylum.") (emphasis added). While not directly analogous to the situation before uswe see no evidence in this case indicating that Mariam would be subjected to FGM as a way to "punish" her familythe Gatimi cases are relevant here because they address the concept that genital mutilation of a petitioner's family member can constitute direct, as opposed to derivative, persecution of the petitioner. Kone made this argument on appeal, and the BIA should consider it.[6] Other circuits have also recognized the possibility that the prospect of FGM of one's child can constitute harm to an unwilling parent and similarly remanded to *766 the BIA for further consideration of the issue. In Kone v. Holder, 596 F.3d 141, 143 (2d Cir.2010) (no relation to petitioner in this case), a woman from Cote d'Ivoire sought asylum based on, inter alia, the fear that her daughters would be forcibly subjected to FGM against her wishes were they to go to that country. The Second Circuit remanded the case to the BIA, and indicated that it could consider "whether the mental anguish of a mother who was herself a victim of genital mutilation who faces the choice of seeing her daughter suffer the same fate, or avoiding that outcome by separation from her child" would qualify as sufficient persecution of a petitioner so as to warrant a grant of asylum under 8 C.F.R. 1208.13(b)(1)(iii)(B). Id. at 153. The court recognized, as Kone did in the argument she made to the BIA here, that such a theory is "distinct from a claim of derivative asylum." Id.[7] The Sixth Circuit has similarly indicated that a petitioner can potentially qualify for relief in her own right based on threats of FGM to a child. In Abay v. Ashcroft, 368 F.3d 634, 636 (6th Cir.2004), an Ethiopian mother and daughter sought asylum and withholding of removal based on the fear that the daughter would be subjected to FGM, as her mother had previously been, if they were deported to Ethiopia. Surveying previous BIA decisions, the court found that Abay could demonstrate persecution based on the harm she would suffer by "being forced to witness the pain and suffering of her daughter" if she were subjected to FGM. Id. at 642. The BIA itself has also addressed the possibility. See Matter of Dibba, No. A73 541 857 (BIA Nov. 23, 2001) (mother's argument that being forced to allow FGM of daughter in Gambia would cause her mental suffering was sufficient to reopen case). In light of the precedent we have discussed above, Kone may have a viable claim that FGM of Mariam against her will constitutes direct persecution of her parents. In light of the BIA's silence on the theory, it is "impossible to be confident" that Kone's claim has been "fully understood or analyzed." Chitay-Pirir v. I.N.S., 169 F.3d 1079, 1081 (7th Cir.1999). Remand is appropriate so that the BIA can more fully address Kone's direct-persecution claim in light of the case law we have set forth. See Gonzales, 547 U.S. at 186, 126 S. Ct. 1613; Chen, 604 F.3d at 335; Gomes, 473 F.3d at 752. III. CONCLUSION We GRANT the petition for review, VACATE the BIA's decision, and REMAND for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. NOTES [*] The Honorable John W. Darrah, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, sitting by designation. [1] The United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as implemented by 8 C.F.R. 208.16(c). [2] Because Kone is the lead petitioner, we refer to her alone throughout this opinion unless otherwise necessary. [3] Kone does not appeal the BIA's determination that her asylum application was untimely, recognizing that we lack jurisdiction to review that decision. 8 U.S.C. 1158(a)(3); see Ogayonne v. Mukasey, 530 F.3d 514, 519 (7th Cir.2008). Kone's only argument on appeal regarding the asylum portion of her application is that the agency erred when it did not consider an "independent claim for asylum" from her daughter Kamissa. Kone never raised this argument to the agency, and we cannot entertain it here. 8 U.S.C. 1252(d)(1); see also Ishitiaq v. Holder, 578 F.3d 712, 717-18 (7th Cir.2009). And in any event, Kamissa has never filed a freestanding application for asylum; her application was derivative of her mother's, who filed as lead petitioner on behalf of her family. [4] Kone also argues that she and her daughter are entitled to withholding of removal and protection under the CAT based on their own past persecution. The government correctly points out that Kone did not make this argument to the IJ or the BIA. The IJ found that Kone's claim was based "solely" on a fear of future persecution of her daughter, and Kone did not dispute this in her appeal to the BIA. Kone cannot seek judicial review of issues she did not raise before the BIA. 8 U.S.C. 1252(d)(1); see also Zeqiri v. Mukasey, 529 F.3d 364, 369-70 (7th Cir.2008). [5] It is clear that FGM constitutes persecution under the asylum and withholding of removal standards, and torture under the CAT. See Oforji, 354 F.3d at 615 n. 2; Nwaokolo v. I.N.S., 314 F.3d 303, 308-09 (7th Cir.2002) (stating FGM is a "horrifically brutal procedure"). It is also clear that mental suffering can qualify as torture. See 8 C.F.R. 208.18(a)(1). [6] Both of the Gatimi cases were decided after the BIA issued its decision in this case. [7] Kone made her direct-persecution claim to the BIA for relief under the CAT, not asylum, but the theory is the samethat harm to the child can constitute direct persecution of the parents who are unable to stop it. Kane v. Holder Publisher United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Publication Date 28 August 2009 Citation / Document Symbol 581 F.3d 231, 24042 Cite as Kane v. Holder, 581 F.3d 231, 24042 , United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 28 August 2009, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,USA_CA_5,58a48b634.html [accessed 6 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. *234 Alicia J. Triche, Herbert Todd Nesom, Nesom Law Office, Oakdale, LA, for Kane. David J. Schor, Thomas Ward Hussey, Dir., Aviva Lea Poczter, Emily Anne Radford, Asst. Dir., U.S. Dept. of Justice, OIL, Washington, DC, Trey Lund, U.S. Imm. & Customs Enforcement, Field Office Dir., Attn: Carl Perry, New Orleans, LA, for Holder. Before JONES, Chief Judge, and WIENER and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges. WIENER, Circuit Judge: Petitioner Abou Kane, a native of Senegal unlawfully present in the United States, seeks review of an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals ("the BIA") reversing a decision of the immigration judge ("the IJ") that had granted Kane's application for withholding of removal. The BIA rejected Kane's derivative claims grounded in allegations that his minor U.S. citizen-daughters would be subjected to female genital mutilation ("FGM") when they accompany him and his wife to Senegal. Agreeing with the BIA that, under the current state of the law, Kane's derivative claim for withholding of removal is not cognizable and that we lack jurisdiction to consider his asylum claim, we deny review. I. FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS Kane first entered the United States in 1989, staying for approximately 10 months before leaving for Gabon, where he operated a clothing business. In 1996, Kane illegally re-entered the United States, followed shortly thereafter by his wife, whom he had married two years earlier. They now have five children, including two daughters who are under ten years old and hold birthright citizenship of the United States. In 2006, the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") commenced proceedings against Kane by issuing a Notice to Appear, charging him with removability pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(7)(A)(i)(I). Following a hearing on that charge, the IJ found that Kane's removability had been established by clear and convincing evidence. After Kane declined to specify a country for removal, the IJ designated Kane's native Senegal as the removal country. Kane then filed an application for cancellation of removal, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture ("CAT"). He claimed to be seeking to remain in the United States because his minor daughters would be subjected to FGM if he were removed to Senegal. During a subsequent hearing before the IJ, Kane testified that he, his wife, and his daughters are all members of the Fulani tribe, which practices FGM. Kane stated that, because he would be unable to earn enough money in Senegal to support his family in the United States, his wife and daughters would have to accompany him if he were removed. According to Kane, he would be helpless to prevent members of his tribe from subjecting his minor daughters to FGM once they were in Senegal. As evidence of the risk to his daughters, Kane testified that his relatives recently requested that he bring the girls to Senegal for the express purpose of FGM. When questioned whether he feared for *235 his own safety, Kane replied that his family members and fellow tribesmen would likely humiliate him for opposing FGM, but that he did not believe that he would be beaten or physically tortured for his opposition, insisting that his primary concern was for his young daughters' health and well-being. Kane's wife also testified at the hearing, explaining that, like her mother and sisters, she had been subjected to FGM as a young girl and had suffered serious negative health effects, including FGM-related complications in giving birth. Mrs. Kane testified that the Fulani tribal edict of FGM is so deeply ingrained that, if she and her daughters followed her husband to Senegal, it would only be a matter of time before someonelikely one of her or her husband's relativeswould perform FGM on her daughters, regardless where in Senegal the Kane family might choose to live or how vocal their opposition might be. The IJ granted Kane's application for withholding of removal but dismissed his CAT claim as moot and did not address asylum. Finding that both Kane and his wife were credible witnesses, the IJ concluded that, if Kane were removed to Senegal, members of the Fulani tribe would likely take any steps necessary to ensure that his young daughters were subjected to FGM. The IJ reasoned further that Kane himself would likely suffer persecution for his opposition to FGM if he attempted to prevent tribal elders from subjecting his daughters to the process. Citing humanitarian grounds as an additional basis for granting Kane's request, the IJ explained that "it is, quite frankly, difficult for this Court to expose two young U.S. citizens to this practice, simply because their parents were not of status in this country." The DHS appealed the IJ's decision to the BIA, framing the issue on appeal as whether an alien father may succeed on a derivative withholding claim based on a fear that his minor daughtersboth U.S. citizenswould be subjected to FGM if the father were removed to his native country. The DHS advocated reversal of the IJ's decision on the grounds that (1) the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA") does not authorize derivative claims for withholding of removal, and (2) the practice of FGM was in decline, as evidenced by the Senegalese government's criminalizing FGM and providing for terms of up to five years imprisonment for anyone who either directly commits the offense or orders it committed against a third person. In Kane's brief on appeal to the BIA, he insisted that, although the IJ had correctly granted withholding of removal, he had failed to consider whether Kane is also eligible for asylum in addition to his eligibility for withholding of removal. Kane contended that, if removed to Senegal, he would be subject to persecution (1) as a member of a social group of "parents of minor daughters of the Fulani Tribe who have not had FGM, and who oppose the practice," (2) as a result of his political and religious opposition to FGM, and (3) by having to endure his daughters' FGM. Kane urged that if it deemed the IJ's withholding of removal to be in error, the BIA should not order him removed but should remand the case to the IJ for a determination regarding Kane's claims for asylum and relief under CAT. The BIA reversed the IJ's order and directed that Kane be removed from the United States.[1] In holding that Kane could not establish eligibility for withholding of removal based solely on the *236 fear that his daughters would be forced to undergo FGM in Senegal, the BIA determined, inter alia, that (1) the INA does not authorize derivative claims for withholding of removal, (2) Kane had not established that he himself would be persecuted or tortured as a result of his opposition to the practice of FGM, (3) Kane's daughters, as United States citizens, could remain safely in the United States in the custody of their mother or a guardian ad litem after Kane's removal, and (4) if Kane's daughters did accompany him to Senegal, the family could likely prevent the girls from being subjected to FGM by settling in an area of relative safety. The BIA also declined to remand to the IJ for further consideration, ruling instead that (1) Kane's CAT claim failed because he did not allege that he had been tortured in the past or had a reasonable fear of torture in the future, and (2) Kane had waived any right to seek asylum by failing timely to raise the issue before the IJ. In addition to petitioning this court for review of the BIA's removal decision, Kane asked the BIA to reconsider its rejection of his asylum application as untimely, contending that he had failed to raise the issue of asylum during the proceedings before the IJ because he had mistakenly believed that he was ineligible to do so. Kane insists that the IJ was obligated to inform him that he might be eligible for asylum, and that the failure to do so entitles Kane to apply for asylum now. The BIA denied reconsideration of Kane's asylum claim, and he did not seek review of that denial in his petition to us. II. ANALYSIS A. Standard of Review When the BIA conducts a de novo review of the record evidence and does not adopt any part of the IJ's decision, our review is limited to the BIA's decision.[2] For review of orders of removal under the INA, "the administrative findings of fact are conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude the contrary."[3] We review factual findings to determine if they are supported by substantial evidence in the record.[4] "The substantial evidence standard requires only that the [BIA's] conclusion be based upon the evidence presented and be substantially reasonable."[5] We will reverse the BIA only when the evidence is "so compelling that no reasonable fact finder could fail to find" in favor of the petitioner.[6] "We may not reverse merely because we would have decided the case differently."[7] B. Asylum Before reaching the merits of Kane's petition for review, we must first address any jurisdictional problems that it raises. In his brief to us, Kane claimsas he did to the BIA in his motion for reconsideration that the IJ had a duty under 8 C.F.R. 1240.11(c) to inform him that he was apparently eligible to apply for asylum. According to Kane, the IJ's failure to inform him of his apparent eligibility *237 entitles him to apply for asylum now. In response, the DHS contends that we lack jurisdiction to resolve this issue because Kane did not raise it before the BIA in his direct appeal, and that only matters addressed in that direct appeal are properly before us for review at this time. We have jurisdiction to review a final order of removal.[8] Judicial review of such an order is only available, however, if the applicant has exhausted all administrative remedies of right.[9] Failure to exhaust an issue through administrative proceedings creates a jurisdictional bar, preventing our review of that issue.[10] "An alien fails to exhaust his administrative remedies with respect to an issue when the issue is not raised in the first instance before the BIAeither on direct appeal or in a motion to reopen."[11] "When a petitioner seeks to raise a claim not presented to the BIA and the claim is one that the BIA has adequate mechanisms to address and remedy, the petitioner must raise the issue in a motion to reopen prior to resorting to review by the courts."[12] In Kane's brief on direct appeal to the BIA, he contended that the IJ had correctly granted withholding of removal but had erroneously failed to consider the merits of his asylum claim as well. Kane claimed that he qualifies for asylum because, if removed, he would suffer persecution consisting of (1) emotional and economic suffering resulting from his daughters' being subjected to FGM, and (2) constant harassment from family and tribal members for his religious and political opposition to FGM. Critically, however, Kane failed to raise his "apparent eligibility" argument to the BIA on direct appeal. It was not until Kane filed his motion for reconsideration that he asserted to the BIA that the IJ's failure to inform him of his apparent eligibility for asylum should excuse his tardiness in applying. In the absence of that argument, the BIA ruled that Kane had waived any claim he might have to asylum by not timely raising the issue before the IJ.[13] As Kane's petition for review does not raise the BIA's subsequent denial of reconsideration of his time-barred asylum claim based on "apparent eligibility," however, the only decision properly before us now is the BIA's initial order denying withholding of removal and holding his asylum claim waived.[14]*238 Consequently, we lack jurisdiction to review the merits of Kane's asylum claim.[15] To the extent that Kane seeks review of the BIA's initial holding that he waived his asylum claim, we find no error, particularly in light of the record that was before the BIA at the time of its decision.[16] C. Withholding of Removal To be eligible for withholding of removal, an applicant must demonstrate a "clear probability" that he will be subject to persecution on his return to the country of removal.[17] The applicant may demonstrate such a probability by showing that it is more likely than not that his life or freedom would be threatened by persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.[18] Persecution has been construed to require a showing that "harm or suffering will be inflicted upon [the applicant] in order to punish [him] for possessing a belief or characteristic a persecutor sought to overcome."[19]*239 "Demonstrating such a connection requires the alien to present specific, detailed facts showing a good reason to fear that he or she will be singled out for persecution."[20] In his petition to us, Kane raises several arguments that he had not presented to the BIA on direct appeal. For example, Kane now contends that he has a legal right to serve as his daughters' guardian for medical decisions, irrespective of his immigration status. According to Kane, removal would interfere with his constitutionally protected custodial rights by subjecting his daughters to FGM, thus violating his legal right both to live with his minor children and to control their medical treatment. We have no jurisdiction to review issues raised for the first time in Kane's petition, which the BIA did not have the opportunity to consider in the first instance.[21] As for the remainder of Kane's assertions, we are satisfied that the BIA's decision to deny withholding is supported by substantial evidence. For example, Kane claims that Fulani tribal elders enforcing the practice against his daughters would in effect be persecuting him. In its decision on direct appeal, the BIA conceded that there may be "cases where a person persecutes someone close to an applicant, such as a spouse, parent, child or other relative, with the intended purpose of causing emotional harm to the applicant, but does not directly harm the applicant himself."[22] As the BIA explained, however, "in such a case, the persecution would not be `derivative,' as the applicant himself would be the target of the emotional persecution that arises from physical harm to a loved one."[23] After the BIA reviewed Kane's testimony and all the evidence in the record, it concluded that Kane had failed to demonstrate that he would be the target of such persecution. We see no reversible error in this decision, and note that Kane himself testified that Fulani tribal elders would likely enforce the practice against his daughters only because they believe that their culture compels them to do so and not as a way to persecute Kane for any particular belief or characteristic that he exhibits. In response to Kane's contention that he would be persecuted simply for opposing the practice of FGM, the BIA concluded that he had failed to show that "it is more likely than not that his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his opposition to this practice."[24] In reaching this conclusion, the BIA cited as persuasive Kane's "repeated and specific testimony that he has no fear of any persecution to himself if he were to return to Senegal."[25] The BIA's determination on this point is supported by substantial evidence, particularly considering that Kane himself stated numerous times during his testimony that he did not fear any personal harm *240 other than perhaps humiliation or harassment, neither of which rises to the level of persecution.[26] Further, as we have previously held, the INA does not recognize derivative claims for withholding of removal.[27] Although Kane insists that he is not making a derivative withholding claim, this assertion is inconsistent with his testimony before the IJ.[28] To the extent that Kane does seek withholding based on a fear that his daughters will be subjected to persecution if they accompany him to Senegal, we see no error in the BIA's determination that Kane is not entitled to derivative withholding. The BIA also reasoned that Kane could avoid the risk of his daughters being subjected to FGM altogether by having them remain in the United States, "which they are legally entitled to do, either by staying with the parent who is not currently in removal proceedings, or through the appointment of a guardian to ensure their welfare until such time as they reach majority."[29] The BIA alternatively concluded that, in light of recent efforts by the Senegalese government to frustrate the practice of FGM, "even if [Kane's] children were to accompany him to Senegal, they could avoid FGM by relocating to an area of comparative safety."[30] Although this admittedly presents Kane with a difficult and painful decision, we see no reversible error in the BIA's determination. Other circuits are in accord. Presented with similar facts, the Seventh Circuit held in Oforji v. Ashcroft that an otherwise-removable alien is not entitled to withholding based solely on the possibility that her U.S. citizen-daughter might be subjected to FGM following the alien's removal.[31] In Oforji, the court stated: Although the threatened hardship for her children is apparent, there is no statutory or regulatory authority for [petitioner] to have her own deportation suspended because she fears for her children if they return to Nigeria with her. Of course, . . . as United States citizens [the daughters] have the right to *241 stay here without her, but that would likely require some form of guardianship not a Hobson's choice, but a choice no [parent] wants to make. Given the undesirable consequences of the choice she has to make, [petitioner] is in effect requesting that we amend the law to allow deportable aliens . . . to attach derivatively to the right of their citizen children to remain in the United States. Any such amendment is for Congress, not the courts, to consider.[32] Recognizing that "any separation of a child from its [parent] is a hardship," the court nevertheless framed the legal issue before it as "whether this potential hardship to citizen children arising from the parent's deportation should allow an otherwise unqualified [alien] to append to the children's right to remain in the United States."[33] At least according to the Seventh Circuit, "[t]he answer is no."[34] The Oforji court explained that, although its holding left the illegal immigrant with a painful choice, "Congress has foreseen such difficult choices [and] has opted to leave the choice with the illegal immigrant, not the courts."[35] Taken to their logical conclusions, Kane's contentions essentially suggest that any time an illegal immigrant from a country where FGM is practiced has a female child while present in the United States, he should prevail on a claim for asylum or withholding of removal. If Congress had intended such a broad expansion to our nation's immigration laws, however, it would have expressly provided for this result; it did not. In fact, the INA suggests just the opposite, viz., that Congress did not intend asylum or withholding of removal in such a situation, preferring instead to leave for the illegal immigrant the difficult and painful choice of how to proceed.[36] As the Fourth Circuit stated in *242 Niang, "there is simply no statutory or regulatory authority for [an illegal immigrant] to claim withholding of removal based on threatened hardship to her U.S. citizen minor daughter. As Congress has not provided for such a derivative withholding claim, we will not judicially amend the statute to create one."[37] D. UNHCR Guidance Note After briefing in this matter was complete, Kane filed a letter pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 28(j) to apprise us of a guidance note recently issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (the "UNHCR").[38] The UNHCR guidance note cited by Kane addresses a parent's claim of fear of persecution by virtue of the genital mutilation of his or her female child.[39] Although the UNHCR note is not binding on either this court or the BIA,[40] Kane asserts that it constitutes persuasive new authority in support of his claim, counseling in favor of remand to the BIA. The DHS opposes remand, arguing that the guidance note is not only non-binding, but is also unpersuasive, as it contradicts the express terms of the INA. Moreover, the DHS contends that the guidance note is beyond the scope of our review, which is limited by statute to the evidence in the administrative record. The Supreme Court has explained that, "[g]enerally speaking, a court of appeals should remand a case to an agency for decision of a matter that statutes place primarily in agency hands."[41] Remand might also be appropriate when an intervening change in the law or binding precedent renders an agency's order unsustainable.[42] The UNHCR guidance note at issue, however, is not such a change: It neither constitutes binding precedent nor renders the BIA's order unsustainable.[43] Further, it is doubtful whether this particular guidance note offers persuasive authority, as it appears to contradict the express terms of the INA. Finally, even if we were inclined to remand for consideration of the guidance note, we likely lack the jurisdiction to do so, as 8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(4)(A) expressly instructs us that we may only "decide the petition . . . on the administrative record."[44] We decline to remand. *243 III. CONCLUSION For the foregoing reasons, Kane's petition for review is DENIED. NOTES [1] In re A-K-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 275 (BIA 2007). [2] Girma v. I.N.S., 283 F.3d 664, 665 (5th Cir.2002). [3] 8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(4)(B). [4] Mikhael v. I.N.S., 115 F.3d 299, 302 (5th Cir.1997). [5] Ontunez-Tursios v. Ashcroft, 303 F.3d 341, 350 (5th Cir.2002). [6] I.N.S. v. Elias-Zacarias, 502 U.S. 478, 483-84, 112 S. Ct. 812, 117 L. Ed. 2d 38 (1992). [7] Hassan v. Ashcroft, 388 F.3d 661, 666 (8th Cir.2004). [8] 8 U.S.C. 1252(a), (b). [9] Id. 1252(d)(1). [10] Wang v. Ashcroft, 260 F.3d 448, 452 (5th Cir.2001). [11] Id. at 452-53 (citing Goonsuwan v. Ashcroft, 252 F.3d 383, 388-89 (5th Cir.2001)). [12] Goonsuwan, 252 F.3d at 390. [13] See In re A-K, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 281. In its initial order, the BIA explained the proceedings below in detail: At the time of [Kane's] May 18, 2006, Master Calendar hearing, the Immigration Judge gave him additional time to apply for all forms of relief for which he was eligible and advised him that any application that was not received at the time of the next hearing would be considered abandoned. However, at the time of the next hearing, which was held on July 5, 2006, counsel for [Kane] indicated that he was only applying for withholding of removal under section 241(b)(3) of the Act and protection pursuant to the Convention Against Torture. According to the regulations, "[i]f an application or document is not filed within the time set by the immigration judge, the opportunity to file that application or document shall be deemed waived." We therefore find no basis for a remand for consideration of [Kane's] asylum claim in this matter. Id. (internal citations omitted). [14] This conclusion comports with the statutory text of 8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(6), which contemplates the filing of separate petitions for review following both the BIA's initial order and the resolution of any subsequent motion to reconsider or reopen. See 8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(6) ("When a petitioner seeks review of an order under this section, any review sought of a motion to reopen or reconsider the order shall be consolidated with the review of the order."); see also Stone v. I.N.S., 514 U.S. 386, 394, 115 S. Ct. 1537, 131 L. Ed. 2d 465 (1995) ("By its terms [8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(6)] contemplates two petitions for review and directs the courts to consolidate the matters."). In Stone, the Supreme Court noted that such an interpretation not only is compelled by the statutory text, but also furthers "considerations of administrative and judicial efficiency, as well as fairness to the alien." 514 U.S. at 398, 115 S. Ct. 1537. As the Court explained: The consolidation provision in [ 1252(b)(6)] reflects Congress' understanding that a deportation order is final, and reviewable, when issued. Its finality is not affected by the subsequent filing of a motion to reconsider. The order being final when issued, an alien has 90 days from that date to seek review. The alien, if he chooses, may also seek agency reconsideration of the order and seek review of the disposition upon reconsideration . . . . When the original petition is still before the court, the court shall consolidate the two petitions. Id. at 405-06, 115 S. Ct. 1537 (emphasis added). In Stone, the Court affirmed the circuit court's holding that it lacked jurisdiction to review a petition for review filed more than 90 days after the issuance of the BIA's initial order of removal. Id. Presented with a somewhat analogous situation in the instant case, we lack jurisdiction to consider the BIA's denial of Kane's motion to reconsider because Kane has not petitioned for review of that order. [15] Even if we were to consider the merits of this claim, it is doubtful that Kane would be entitled to relief, for essentially the same reasons we set forth below detailing why he cannot prevail on his claim for withholding of removal. [16] Neither do we perceive error in the BIA's decision that Kane was ineligible for CAT relief, therefore obviating the need for remand to the IJ for further consideration. As the BIA correctly stated in its order, "[t]here is no legal basis for a derivative grant of such protection [when], as here, [Kane] has not alleged any past torture, or fear of future torture, to himself." In re A-K-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 280. [17] Faddoul v. I.N.S., 37 F.3d 185, 188 (5th Cir.1994). [18] Bah v. Ashcroft, 341 F.3d 348, 351 (5th Cir.2003). [19] Faddoul, 37 F.3d at 188. We have previously defined persecution as: The infliction of suffering or harm, under government sanction, upon persons who differ in a way regarded as offensive (e.g., race, religion, political opinion, etc.), in a manner condemned by civilized governments. The harm or suffering need not by physical, but may take other forms, such as the deliberate imposition of severe economic disadvantage or the deprivation of liberty, food, housing, employment or other essentials of life. Eduard v. Ashcroft, 379 F.3d 182, 187 (5th Cir.2004). [20] See Faddoul, 37 F.3d at 188; see also Efe v. Ashcroft, 293 F.3d 899, 906 (5th Cir.2002) (explaining that withholding of removal must meet a higher standard than asylum, which requires only a showing of past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution on one of the five stated grounds). [21] Roy v. Ashcroft, 389 F.3d 132, 138 (5th Cir.2004). [22] In re A-K-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 278. [23] Id. According to the BIA, "[a]utomatically treating harm to a family member as being persecution to others within the family is inconsistent with the derivative asylum provisions, as it would obviate the need for these provisions in many respects." Id. [24] Id. at 280. [25] Id. [26] See Tesfamichael v. Gonzales, 469 F.3d 109, 116 (5th Cir.2006) ("Persecution cannot be based on mere denigration, harassment, and threats."); see also In re S-L-L, 24 I. & N. Dec. 1, 14 n. 1 (Pauley, concurring) ("While FGM may be a pernicious form of persecution, it is difficult to understand why a fear that it may be performed on another person, albeit one's child, is a ground for asylum, any more than if a parent had a fear that a child would be singled out for persecution on account of political opinion, race, or religion.") (emphasis in original). [27] Arif v. Mukasey, 509 F.3d 677, 682 (5th Cir.2007) ("As Petitioner has asserted that she qualifies for withholding of removal based solely on her husband's claim, and there are no derivative benefits associated with a grant of withholding of removal, Petitioner has failed to demonstrate that the BIA erred in denying her request for withholding of removal."). [28] We note, however, that even referring to Kane's application as a "derivative" claim for withholding of removal is somewhat misleading, particularly given that his daughters both U.S. citizenscannot themselves be subject to removal, and are therefore not in need of withholding of removal. [29] In re A-K-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 277. Although not currently the subject of removal proceedings, Mrs. Kane, an illegal immigrant, is potentially subject to removal in the future. As a result, we recognize that the only practical, long-term option available to Kane for leaving his daughters in the United States is through the appointment of a guardian or other legal representative. [30] Id. [31] 354 F.3d 609, 618-19 (5th Cir.2003). Here, the BIA specifically stated that it considered the facts of Kane's case "nearly identical" to those presented in Oforji. [32] Id. at 617. [33] Id. at 617-18. [34] Id. at 618. [35] Id. In Niang v. Gonzales, 492 F.3d 505 (4th Cir.2007), the Fourth Circuit reached a similar result, holding that a Senegalese mother was not entitled to withholding of removal based solely on the fear that her U.S. citizen-daughter might be subjected to FGM upon returning to Senegal. The court explained: We are, of course, mindful that the result reached here presents [petitioner] with a heart-wrenching dilemma: either allow [her daughter] to remain in the U.S. with her father but without her mother, or take [her daughter] to Senegal where [the mother] fears that [her daughter] will be forced to undergo FGM. The tragic nature of this choice is undeniable, but it does not warrant that we recognize a derivative claim where Congress has not seen fit to provide for it. Accordingly, consistent with the other circuits that have considered this question, we conclude that [petitioner] may not assert a derivative claim for withholding of removal based on the potential persecution of her U.S. citizen daughter if [petitioner] is removed to Senegal and her daughter accompanies her. Niang, 492 F.3d at 514 (internal citations omitted). The court further explained that, "[w]hile it is entirely reasonable to believe that the law ideally should not present [parents] with such dilemmas, the existing law does." Id. [36] It is important to differentiate derivative claims for asylum, which are expressly provided for by statute, from Kane's claims that are here under review. Derivative asylum claims typically involve the grant of asylum status to a spouse or minor child (but not a parent) who accompanies an alien already eligible for asylum status, even though the spouse or child might not otherwise be eligible for asylum. See 8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(3). The reverse is presented here: Kane (the parent) seeks asylum or withholding based on the potential hardship that his removal might occasion for his minor children, both of whom hold birthright U.S. citizenship. The difference is significant. In the former, the child's derivative claim flows from the parent's a result that is expressly contemplated, through statute, by the initial grant of asylum. Under the latter framework, however, which is not contemplated by the INA, an illegal immigrant from a country that practices FGM could "create" a right to remain in the United States via asylum or withholding of removal simply by having a female child at any time during the immigrant's presence here. [37] Niang, 492 F.3d at 512. [38] U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Guidance Note on Refugee Claims Relating to Female Genital Mutilation (May 2009). [39] Id. [40] I.N.S. v. Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. 421, 438-39 & n. 22, 107 S. Ct. 1207, 94 L. Ed. 2d 434 (1987). [41] I.N.S. v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12, 16, 123 S. Ct. 353, 154 L. Ed. 2d 272 (2002). [42] See, e.g., Arce-Vences v. Mukasey, 512 F.3d 167, 172-73 (5th Cir.2007) (remanding to the BIA for further consideration in light of an intervening Supreme Court decision). [43] See I.N.S. v. Aguirre-Aguirre, 526 U.S. 415, 427, 119 S. Ct. 1439, 143 L. Ed. 2d 590 (1999) ("The U.N. Handbook may be a useful interpretative aid, but it is not binding on the Attorney General, the BIA, or United States courts."); see also Cardoza-Fonseca, 480 U.S. at 439 n. 22, 107 S. Ct. 1207 ("We do not suggest . . . that the explanation in the U.N. Handbook has the force of law or in any way binds the INS. . . ."). [44] 8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(4)(A) ("[T]he court of appeals shall decide the petition only on the administrative record on which the order of removal is based. . . ."). Cai Luan Chen v. Ashcroft Publisher United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Publication Date 20 August 2004 Citation / Document Symbol 381 F.3d 221, 227 Cite as Cai Luan Chen v. Ashcroft, 381 F.3d 221, 227, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 20 August 2004, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,USA_CA_3,58a48c024.html [accessed 6 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. Cai Luan Chen petitions for review of an order of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) affirming the denial of his application for asylum and withholding of removal. Chen's primary argument is that he is eligible for asylum based on his fiancee's forced abortion at the hands of Chinese government officials. In making this argument, Chen relies on a decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals holding that the spouse of a person who was forced to undergo an abortion or sterilization is deemed under a 1996 amendment to 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42) to have suffered past persecution. Matter of C-Y-Z-, 21 I. & N. Dec. 915 (BIA 1997) (en banc). Chen argues that, while he and his fiancee were never married, they would have married had it not been for China's inflated minimum marriage age requirement, which was instituted as part of the country's oppressive population control program. Chen contends China's refusal to permit him to marry constituted persecution and that therefore the BIA's decision to limit C-Y-Z- to married persons is irrational and arbitrary and must be rejected. We disagree. While limiting C-Y-Z- to married persons may produce undesirable results in some cases, the BIA's interpretation, which contributes to efficient administration and avoids difficult and problematic factual inquiries, is reasonable. We accordingly deny the petition for review. I. Chen and his fiancee, Chen Gui, are both natives and citizens of the People's Republic of China. Chen and Chen Gui started living together at Chen's parents' house in July 1994. At the time, Chen was 19 and Chen Gui was 18. In September 1995, the couple discovered that Chen Gui was pregnant, and they then applied for a marriage license at the local government office without disclosing the pregnancy. However, the office told them that their application could not be approved, since the legal age to marry was 25 for men and 23 for women. Government officials soon became aware of the pregnancy and told Chen Gui that the child would have to be aborted. Chen and Chen Gui delayed compliance with the order, and this prompted a group of local officials to visit the home of Chen's parents. Chen Gui, having been warned of the visit, was not there when the officials arrived, and Chen was accordingly asked to disclose Chen Gui's whereabouts. When Chen refused, the officials started hitting him with "sticks," and Chen fought back with a "plumbing tool." Finally, Chen's parents intervened to end the scuffle. The officials left, warning Chen that he would be arrested if Chen Gui did not report for an abortion in three days. Chen and Chen Gui went into hiding, and Chen left the country shortly thereafter. He entered the United States in April 1996. About two months later, Chen contacted his family and was told that Chen Gui had ultimately been found and had been forced to submit to an abortion in the eighth month of the pregnancy. Chen was also informed that Chen Gui was continuing to live with his parents. The INS initiated removal proceedings against Chen, who subsequently sought asylum under the reasoning of the BIA's decision in C-Y-Z-. The IJ concluded that, although Chen and Chen Gui had never formally married, the case did "fall by analogy within C-Y-Z-, if not by the letter." App. II at 116. However, the BIA reversed on appeal, noting summarily that the decision in C-Y-Z- had "not been extended to include unmarried partners," App. I at 3, and that Chen's "own experiences with the authorities in China [did] not rise to the level of past persecution." Id. Chen then filed this petition for review. II. The respondent in this case (hereinafter "the government") contends that the BIA's interpretation of 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42) as covering the spouses but not the unmarried partners of persons who have been forced to undergo abortions or sterilization is entitled to deference under Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., [1984] USSC 140; 467 U.S. 837, 843-44[1984] USSC 140; , 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984), and should be sustained. Chevron applies when "it appears that Congress delegated authority to the agency generally to make rules carrying the force of law, and that the agency interpretation claiming deference was promulgated in the exercise of that authority." United States v. Mead Corp., [2001] USSC 54; 533 U.S. 218, 226-27[2001] USSC 54; , 121 S.Ct. 2164, 150 L.Ed.2d 292 (2001). If Chevron applies, a court must ask (at what is customarily called step one) "whether Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at issue." Chevron, 467 U.S. at 842[1984] USSC 140; , 104 S.Ct. 2778. "If so, courts, as well as the agency, `must give effect to the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress.'" Household Credit Servs. Inc. v. Pfennig, ___ U.S. ___, ___[2004] USSC 1189; , 124 S.Ct. 1741, 1747, 158 L.Ed.2d 450 (2004) (quoting Chevron, 467 U.S. at 842-43[1984] USSC 140; , 104 S.Ct. 2778). "However, whenever Congress has `explicitly left a gap for the agency to fill,'" a court must proceed to step two, and "the agency's [interpretation] is `given controlling weight unless [it is] arbitrary, capricious, or manifestly contrary to the statute.'" Id. (second brackets in original) (quoting Chevron, 467 U.S. at 843-44[1984] USSC 140; , 104 S.Ct. 2778). The Court has described this test as one of reasonableness. See Chevron, 467 U.S. at 845, 865, 866[1984] USSC 140; , 104 S.Ct. 2778. Here, there is no dispute that "the BIA should be accorded Chevron deference for its interpretations of the immigration laws," Tineo v. Ashcroft, [2003] USCA3 263; 350 F.3d 382, 396 (3d Cir.2003) (citing INS v. Aguirre-Aguirre, 526 U.S. 415, 424[1997] USCA9 2391; , 119 S.Ct. 1439, 143 L.Ed.2d 590 (1999)), and Chen does not contend that 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42) unambiguously covers the unmarried partners of persons who have undergone forced abortions or sterilization. Instead, Chen focuses on step two of the Chevron analysis and argues that the BIA's interpretation of 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42) is arbitrary, capricious, and irrational. III. Before we can address Chen's argument regarding the limited scope that the BIA has given to its decision in C-Y-Z, it is helpful to review that decision and the statute on which it is based. A. Under 8 U.S.C. 1158(b)(1), the Attorney General may grant asylum to an alien who is a "refugee" within the meaning of 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42). In order to establish refugee status under the latter provision, an applicant must generally show that he or she "is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of [the country of such person's nationality or in which such person last habitually resided] because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(42). By regulation, see 8 C.F.R. 1208.13(b)(1), "[a] showing of past persecution gives rise to a rebuttable presumption of a well-founded fear of future persecution." Mulanga v. Ashcroft, [2003] USCA3 252; 349 F.3d 123, 132 (3d Cir.2003). The BIA initially rejected the argument that "implementation of [China's] `one couple, one child' policy in and of itself, even to the extent that involuntary sterilizations may occur, is persecution or creates a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." Matter of Chang, 20 I. & N. Dec. 38, 44 (BIA 1989) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). This holding, however, was superceded several years later by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, Pub.L. No. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009-546 ("IIRIRA"). Section 601 of the IIRIRA amended 1101(a)(42) by adding the following language: [A] person who has been forced to abort a pregnancy or to undergo involuntary sterilization, or who has been persecuted for failure or refusal to undergo such a procedure or for other resistance to a coercive population control program, shall be deemed to have been persecuted on account of political opinion, and a person who has a well founded fear that he or she will be forced to undergo such a procedure or subject to persecution for such failure, refusal, or resistance shall be deemed to have a well founded fear of persecution on account of political opinion. Id. 601, 110 Stat. at 3009-689; see also Matter of X-P-T-, 21 I. & N. Dec. 634 (BIA 1996) (en banc). (For convenience, we will refer to this new provision as "the 1996 amendment to 1101(a)(42)" or simply "the 1996 amendment.") The IIRIRA also imposed a cap of 1,000 persons per fiscal year on the number of aliens who may be granted asylum under the 1996 amendment. 8 U.S.C. 1157(a)(5). Accordingly, aliens found eligible for asylum under this provision are approved only conditionally, subject to an administrative determination that a final grant of asylum would not push the annual total above the statutory cap. See X-P-T-, 21 I. & N. Dec. at 637. Because the number of conditional grants issued per year has exceeded 1,000 for some time, the waiting list now includes more than 7,000 applicants. See News Release, U.S. Department of Justice, EOIR Notifies Persons Eligible for Full Asylum Benefits for Fiscal Year 2003 Based on Coercive Population Control Policies (Sept. 30, 2003), at http://www.usdoj.gov/eoir/press/03/CPCA-sylumRelease0903.pdf. This means that applicants awarded conditional asylum today face a waiting period of at least seven years before becoming eligible for the full benefits of asylum, including the ability to apply for lawful permanent resident status and to obtain the admission to the United States of family members not included in the original asylum application. See id.; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Resistance To Coercive Population Control (CPC) Programs (Oct. 30, 2003), at http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/asylum/cpc.htm. B. In C-Y-Z-, the BIA, sitting en banc, considered the asylum petition of a man who claimed that his wife had been forcibly sterilized. The government conceded that the man was a victim of past persecution as defined by the 1996 amendment to 1101(a)(42), asserting that "past persecution of one spouse can be established by coerced abortion or sterilization of the other spouse." C-Y-Z-, 21 I. & N. Dec. at 917; see also id. at 919 (noting agreement on the proposition that "forced sterilization of one spouse ... is an act of persecution against the other spouse"). The BIA accepted this proposition, but unfortunately, it did not explain the basis for this conclusion. However, two rationales seem possible. The first would proceed on the assumption that the persecution of one spouse by means of a forced abortion or sterilization causes the other spouse to experience intense sympathetic suffering that rises to the level of persecution. Cf. Abay v. Ashcroft, [2004] USCA6 169; 368 F.3d 634, 642 (6th Cir.2004) (suggesting that "mental suffering" resulting from "being forced to witness the pain and suffering of [a] daughter" constitutes persecution) (citing Matter of Dibba, No. A73 541 857 (BIA Nov. 23, 2001)). There is some evidence that this rationale may represent the BIA's thinking in C-Y-Z-. Board Member Rosenberg explained: It is not ... unusual ... that the applicant should be granted asylum although the harm experienced was not by him, but by a family member.... It ... constitutes persecution for the asylum applicant to witness or experience the persecution of family members.... C-Y-Z-, 21 I. & N. Dec. at 926 (Rosenberg, Board Member, concurring). This interpretation would presumably look to the language in the 1996 amendment that refers to persons who are "persecuted for... other resistance to a coercive population control program." See id. at 928 (Filppu, Board Member, concurring in part and dissenting in part) (explicitly noting the possibility that the majority holding rested on the "persecuted for ... other resistance" clause). The suffering felt by the spouse who did not personally undergo the procedure would constitute the "persecut[ion]" to which this language refers, and the other spouse would be deemed to have "resist[ed]" the "coercive population control program," presumably on the assumption that he or she opposed the procedure. This interpretation, however, is not without difficulties. For example, it is not clear why every spouse of a person who undergoes a forced abortion or sterilization should be deemed to have "resist[ed]" the "coercive population control program." What if the spouse who did not personally undergo the procedure sided with the government and favored the abortion or sterilization? The second possible rationale for the C-Y-Z- decision is that performing a forced abortion or sterilization procedure on one spouse constitutes persecution of the other spouse because of the impact on the latter's ability to reproduce and raise children. The Ninth Circuit has suggested this interpretation, stating in Lin v. Ashcroft, [2004] USCA9 48; 356 F.3d 1027, 1041 (9th Cir.2004), that the forced sterilization of a wife could be "imputed" to her husband, "whose reproductive opportunities the law considers to be bound up with those of his wife." See also C-Y-Z-, 21 I. & N. Dec. at 918 ("[T]he husband of a sterilized wife can essentially stand in her shoes and make a bona fide and non-frivolous application for asylum based on problems impacting more intimately on her than on him."); see also id. at 921 n. 2 (Rosenberg, Board Member, concurring) (citing international law regarding "right to procreate" and "right to... found a family"); Matter of Y-T-L-, 23 I. & N. Dec. 601 (BIA 2003) (en banc) (Pauley, Board Member, dissenting) ("I understand our ruling in Matter of C-Y-Z- to be based on the theory that the persecution of one spouse by forced sterilization is imputed to the other"). It takes some effort to reconcile this interpretation with the language of the 1996 amendment, since the phrase "a person who has been forced to abort a pregnancy or to undergo involuntary sterilization" is most naturally read as referring only to a person who has personally undergone one of those procedures. But perhaps it could be argued that the loss of opportunity to have and raise children also constitutes "persecut[ion] for ... other resistance to a coercive population control program." In this case, however, it is not necessary for us to decide whether C-Y-Z-'s interpretation of the 1996 amendment is permissible. If it is not and the 1996 amendment applies only to persons on whom a forced abortion or sterilization procedure has actually been performed, Chen obviously cannot prevail. On the other hand, if C-Y-Z-'s interpretation is permissible (and we assume for the sake of argument that it is), the distinction that the BIA has drawn between married and unmarried couples satisfies step two of Chevron. IV. With the possible bases of the C-Y-Z- decision in mind, we turn to Chen's argument that the BIA's interpretation of the 1996 amendment, by drawing a distinction between married and unmarried couples, "evinces such a lack of rationality as to be arbitrary and capricious." Petitioner Br. at 16-17 (quoting Zhao v. United States DOJ, [2001] USCA2 347; 265 F.3d 83, 95 (2d Cir.2001)). A. As we understand it, C-Y-Z- uses marital status as a rough way of identifying a class of persons whose opportunities for reproduction and child-rearing were seriously impaired or who suffered serious emotional injury as the result of the performance of a forced abortion or sterilization on another person. Of course, this use of marital status as a proxy is undoubtedly both over- and under-inclusive to some extent, but neither over-nor under-inclusiveness is alone sufficient to render the use of a metric like marital status irrational. See Heller v. Doe, [1993] USSC 92; 509 U.S. 312, 321[1993] USSC 92; , 113 S.Ct. 2637, 125 L.Ed.2d 257 (1993) (citation omitted) ("A classification does not fail rational-basis review because it `is not made with mathematical nicety or because in practice it results in some inequality.'"); Dandridge v. Williams, 397 U.S. 471, 485[1970] USSC 108; , 90 S.Ct. 1153, 25 L.Ed.2d 491 (1970); Lofton v. Sec'y of the Dep't of Children & Family Servs., [2004] USCA1 120; 358 F.3d 804, 822-23 (11th Cir.2004) ("The Supreme Court repeatedly has instructed that neither the fact that a classification may be overinclusive or underinclusive nor the fact that a generalization underlying a classification is subject to exceptions renders the classification irrational."). This principle is well illustrated by cases involving immigration laws that attempt "to provide somebut not allfamilies with relief from various immigration restrictions that would otherwise hinder reunification of the family in this country." Fiallo v. Bell, [1977] USSC 64; 430 U.S. 787, 797[1977] USSC 64; , 97 S.Ct. 1473, 52 L.Ed.2d 50 (1977). For example, in Fiallo, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of provisions that excluded illegitimate children and their fathers (but not illegitimate children and their mothers) from special preference immigration status. The Court acknowledged that these provisions could have the effect of "deny[ing] preferential status to parents and children who share strong ties," id. at 798[1977] USSC 64; , 97 S.Ct. 1473, and the Court noted the argument that "the statutory distinction [was] based on an overbroad and outdated stereotype concerning the relationship of unwed fathers and their illegitimate children," id. at 799 n. 9[1977] USSC 64; , 97 S.Ct. 1473. Nevertheless, the Court concluded that the statutory distinction could be viewed as serving two purposes: (1) providing a convenient way to weed out cases in which "close family ties" were lacking and (2) avoiding "problems of proof and the potential for fraudulent visa applications." Id. at 798, 799 n. 8[1977] USSC 64; , 97 S.Ct. 1473; see also Nguyen v. INS, [2001] USSC 51; 533 U.S. 53, 62[2001] USSC 51; , 121 S.Ct. 2053, 150 L.Ed.2d 115 (2001) (finding need for reliable evidentiary verification "that a biological parent-child relationship exists" to be an important government interest justifying disparate treatment of illegitimate children born to citizen mothers and those born to citizen fathers). Likewise, a law requiring aliens who married United States citizens while in removal proceedings to wait outside the country for two years before qualifying as I-130 "immediate relatives" has been found to be rational as a method of deterring sham marriages. Almario v. INS, 872 F.2d 147, 152 (6th Cir.1989); Anetekhai v. INS, [1989] USCA5 1123; 876 F.2d 1218, 1222 (5th Cir.1989) ("Congress logically could have concluded that aliens who are engaged in deportation proceedings are more likely than aliens not so situated to enter into fraudulent marriages as a means of avoiding expulsion from the United States."). Similarly, we may say that the BIA "logically could have concluded that aliens who are [married] are more likely than aliens not so situated" to be severely injured in the ways noted above when their partners are forced to endure forced abortions or sterilization. Indeed, in light of the "crushing caseload" faced by the BIA in recent years, see Dia v. Ashcroft, [2003] USCA3 278; 353 F.3d 228, 235 (3d Cir.2003) (en banc), it was entirely rational for the Board to adopt a position requiring marriage, which can often be proven easily and reliably through objective documentary evidence such as marriage certificates or "household registration booklets." See, e.g., Zhao, 265 F.3d at 87; C-Y-Z-, 21 I. & N. Dec. at 916. By contrast, a rule extending C-Y-Z- to non-spouses would create numerous practical difficulties that the BIA might reasonably have chosen to avoid. For example, in cases in which a male applicant claims to have fathered an illegitimate child who was forcibly aborted by government officials, the problem of proving paternity would be even more acute than those presented in Fiallo and Nguyen. Moreover, the BIA might reasonably have decided that, in general, forced abortions and sterilization procedures tend to have a more severe impact on spouses than on unmarried partners. The BIA might also have been concerned that unmarried asylum-seekers would falsely claim to have had an intimate relationship with a person who suffered a forced abortion or sterilization, and the BIA might have felt that it would be too difficult to distinguish between those unmarried persons who had a truly close relationship with the person who underwent the medical procedure and those unmarried asylum seekers who did not. Chen does not explain why the BIA was irrational in deciding on a bright-line rule for this class of cases, rather than submitting each individual claim to a detailed (and probably inconclusive) psychological analysis concerning the nature of a claimed relationship. For these reasons, we conclude that the BIA's decision not to extend C-Y-Z- to unmarried partners satisfies step two of Chevron. The BIA's interest in promoting administrability and verifiability is sufficient to clear the low hurdle presented by the step two standard, especially in light of the limited number of spots allowed by Congress for asylum claims based on the 1996 amendment. B. Chen argues, however, that even if it is rational not to extend C-Y-Z- to cover all unmarried partners, it is irrational to exclude him and other unmarried persons who wanted and indeed tried to get married but were prevented from doing so by a law that is an integral part of a program of persecution. This argument must be rejected for reasons similar to those already discussed. Chen's situation simply shows that C-Y-Z- is underinclusive with respect to a narrow but sympathetic class, and as noted, a rule is not irrational just because it is underinclusive to some extent. Of course, if the Chinese authorities' refusal to permit Chen and Chen Gui to marry was itself an act of persecution, then Chen suffered past persecution. But although minimum marriage ages of 23 and 25 are contrary to our traditions and international practice, we cannot go so far as to say that enforcement of these laws necessarily amounts to persecution. American constitutional law recognizes marriage as a fundamental right, see Loving v. Virginia, [1967] USSC 168; 388 U.S. 1, 87 S.Ct. 1817, 18 L.Ed.2d 1010 (1967), but all states impose minimum marriage age requirements, and we assume that these laws are constitutional. See Moe v. Dinkins, [1982] USCA2 35; 669 F.2d 67, 68 (2d Cir.1982) (per curiam) (law requiring parental consent for marriage of individuals under 18 deemed constitutional, as a rational means for helping "prevent[] unstable marriages among those lacking the capacity to act in their own best interests"); Maynard v. Hill, [1888] USSC 101; 125 U.S. 190, 205[1888] USSC 101; , 8 S.Ct. 723, 31 L.Ed. 654 (1888) (state legislature may prescribe "the age at which parties may contract to marry"); see also Zablocki v. Redhail, [1978] USSC 12; 434 U.S. 374, 386[1978] USSC 12; , 98 S.Ct. 673, 54 L.Ed.2d 618 (1978) ("[R]easonable regulations that do not significantly interfere with decisions to enter into the marital relationship may legitimately be imposed."); cf. Zablocki, 434 U.S. at 392[1978] USSC 12; , 98 S.Ct. 673 (Stewart, J., concurring) ("A State may not only `significantly interfere with decisions to enter into the marital relationship,' but may in many circumstances absolutely prohibit it.") (footnote and citation omitted). Laws setting reasonable minimum marriage ages are also recognized as legitimate and desirable under international human rights law. It is certainly true that marriage laws in this country set the minimum age for marriage considerably below 23 or 25. Almost all states set 18 as the minimum age to marry without parental consent. Where parental consent is provided, as it apparently was in the case now before us, most states permit marriage at the age of 16. It is also true that the marriage laws of other countries generally set the minimum marriage age at 18 years or less, and it appears probable that no other country sets the minimum as high as does China. A law or practice, however, does not necessarily rise to the level of "persecution" simply because it does not satisfy American constitutional standards or diverges from the pattern followed by other countries. As we have noted, persecution is an "extreme" concept that "does not encompass all treatment that our society regards as unfair, unjust, or even unlawful or unconstitutional." Fatin v. INS, [1993] USCA3 1406; 12 F.3d 1233, 1240 & n. 10 (3d Cir.1993). Here, we cannot say that the BIA was bound to conclude that minimums of 23 and 25 amounted to persecution. Chen and Chen Gui were not permanently barred from marrying, and marriage at the minimum ages in question would not have precluded them from having a long life together or from raising children. See Li v. Ashcroft, [2004] USCA9 62; 356 F.3d 1153, 1164 (9th Cir.2004) (en banc) (Kleinfeld, J., dissenting) ("[T]he higher marriage age does not necessarily restrain people from having the number of children they want.... People can ... still have 2, or 3, or 10 children, if their individual biology and preferences lead them to do so and the government does not forcibly abort their children or sterilize them."). It is perhaps worth noting that the median ages of first marriages for men and women in this country now exceed the minimum age requirements that Chen contends amount to persecution. Although defining the outer boundaries of the concept of "persecution" is hard, we cannot say that requiring a person to wait until reaching the age of 23 or 25 is so far outside the accepted realm of human decency as to constitute persecution. C. We acknowledge that our reasoning may appear to be in tension with that of Ma v. Ashcroft, [2004] USCA9 154; 361 F.3d 553 (9th Cir.2004). In that case, the petitioner Ma and his partner were married in a "traditional" Chinese ceremony in their village. Because Ma was underage, the marriage could not be officially registered with the Chinese government. Ma's partner conceived two months later and went into hiding to avoid detection by the authorities. Ultimately, however, she was found and forced to undergo an abortion, and the couple was fined for "early" pregnancy and marriage. Ma subsequently fled to the United States. When he attempted to apply for asylum under C-Y-Z-, the BIA rejected his claim on the ground that he was not legally married under Chinese law. By this time, however, Ma had actually reached the legal age to marry in China. He therefore applied for and obtained a certificate from the Chinese government indicating that his marriage was considered valid, and he submitted this certificate to the BIA with a motion to reconsider, which the BIA ultimately denied. Ma petitioned for review, and the Ninth Circuit reversed, holding that C-Y-Z-'s interpretation of 1101(a)(42) could not rationally be limited to exclude "husbands whose marriages would be legally recognized, but for China's coercive family planning policies." Ma, 361 F.3d at 561 (emphasis added). Because Ma's marriage had been recognized by the Chinese government by the time of the BIA's decision, it was unnecessary for the Ninth Circuit to reach the question whether the BIA can reasonably refuse to extend C-Y-Z- to cases involving persons whom the Chinese authorities refuse to recognize as married. But assuming that the holding in Ma reaches all persons married in traditional ceremonies that the Chinese government does not sanction, Chen would still not qualify, since he does not claim that he and Chen Gui ever formalized their relationship in that way. Indeed, Chen has never argued that he is actually married in any sense, and in fact he affirmed precisely the opposite in his asylum application. See App. II at 265 (checking box labeled "not married"). Because Ma's express holding applies only to putative husbands and not unmarried partners, it is inapposite here. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that Ma's reasoning could be applied to someone in Chen's shoes. The Ma court reasoned that it is "absurd and wholly unacceptable" to deny asylum to a person based solely on a consequence of a population control policy expressly "deemed by Congress to be oppressive and persecutory." Ma, 361 F.3d at 559. According to Ma, this would "contravene[ ] the purpose and policies of the [IIRIRA] statutory amendment." Id. at 560. In other words, the Ma Court concluded that the BIA's interpretation of 1101(a)(42) failed step two of Chevron because it was clearly contrary to Congress's intent, or, as the Ma Court put it, Congress's "purpose and policies." Id. We must disagree with this analysis because we see no basis for concluding that Congress's intent in amending 1101(a)(42) was to afford relief to every person who is a victim of any rule or practice that forms a part of the Chinese population control program. "The starting point in discerning congressional intent is the existing statutory text...." Lamie v. United States Tr., [2004] USSC 9; 540 U.S. 526, ___[2004] USSC 9; , 124 S.Ct. 1023, 1033[2004] USSC 9; , 157 L.Ed.2d 1024 (2004). The language of the 1996 amendment to 1101(a)(42) has several indications of intent that we think are unmistakable. The first is that proof of "persecution" or "well-founded fear of persecution" is absolutely required to make a successful claim for asylum, just as was the case prior to the amendment. The second point is that, with the exception of forced abortions and sterilizations, the concept of "persecution" is left completely undefined. We infer from Congress's use of this ambiguous term an intent to delegate interpretive authority to the agency, including the ability to decide, within a reasonable range, the precise contours of its meaning. FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., [2000] USSC 24; 529 U.S. 120, 159[2000] USSC 24; , 120 S.Ct. 1291, 146 L.Ed.2d 121 (2000) ("Deference under Chevron to an agency's construction of a statute that it administers is premised on the theory that a statute's ambiguity constitutes an implicit delegation from Congress to the agency to fill in the statutory gaps."). Third, the imposition of a yearly cap clearly reveals an intent to carefully limit the scope of relief made available by the amendment. Against this background, it is hard to see how Ma could have concluded that a rule limiting C-Y-Z- to married couples was contrary to Congress's intent. If Ma meant to say that individuals who suffer under a coercive population program may be eligible for asylum even if their suffering (or feared suffering) is not proved or presumed to rise to the level of persecution, we emphatically disagree. As we have explained, the asylum statute plainly limits relief to cases involving "persecution." That scheme necessarily excludes cases involving lesser harms, even when those harms implicate to some degree the humanitarian interests that animated passage of the asylum statute. Alternatively, it may be that Ma's position was that the BIA's interpretation of the term "persecution" fell outside the acceptable range of meanings within which Congress authorized the agency to choose. However, there is no indication that Congress intended to put limits on the meaning of the term "persecution" beyond those imposed by the normal understanding of the word. Matter of Acosta, 19 I. & N. Dec. 211, at 223 (BIA 1985). ("Congress chose not to define the word `persecution'... because the meaning of the word was understood to be well established by administrative and court precedents."). Of course, with the 1996 amendment, Congress did add the constraint that "persecution" could not be interpreted in a way that would exclude involuntary sterilizations or abortions. But this merely shows that Congress knew how to be very specific regarding what constituted persecution when it wanted to. Furthermore, we find it highly unlikely that Congress could have intended to dramatically broaden the notion of "persecution" with respect to persons suffering under coercive population programs while contemporaneously imposing a yearly cap strictly circumscribing the relief available to them. An examination of the relevant legislative history only confirms our understanding of Congress's intent. We cannot locate any evidence that the legislators who considered the amendment to 1101(a)(42) thought that persons such as Chen would qualify thereunder. To the contrary, it seems that some legislators had reservations about the ease with which "young Chinese single-unmarried-males" might falsely claim eligibility for asylum under the proposed amendment, resulting in a flood of meritless applications. 142 Cong. Rec. S4593 (daily ed. May 2, 1996) (statement of Sen. Simpson). Statements from others suggest that the reference to "persecut[ion]" in the amendment was simply intended to include actions such as "torture" and "sexual abuse" that would qualify as persecution under the prevailing definition of the term. See 142 Cong. Rec. H2634 (daily ed. Mar. 21, 2996) (statement of Rep. Smith). At a more general level, we note that some members of Congress have in the past actually considered-and rejected-the possibility of providing an explicit definition for "persecution" in connection with another portion of the INA. It was reasoned that any such definition would necessarily limit application of the provision to particular, presently foreseeable situations. Persecution, however, has and will continue to take many forms and it is the intention of the committee in recommending this legislation to allow the maximum amount of flexibility possible in its administration. The inclusion of a necessarily limited and rigid definition would be inconsistent with such an intent. H.R. Rep. 95-1452, at 6-7 (1978), reprinted in 1978 U.S.C.C.A.N. 4700, 4705-06; cf. INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca, [1987] USSC 32; 480 U.S. 421, 449[1987] USSC 32; , 107 S.Ct. 1207, 94 L.Ed.2d 434 (1987) ("In enacting the Refugee Act of 1980 Congress sought to give the United States sufficient flexibility to respond to situations involving political or religious dissidents and detainees throughout the world.") (internal quotation omitted). To be sure, we assume that the members of Congress who voted in favor of the 1996 amendment to 1101(a)(42) considered the Chinese population control program as a whole to be objectionable and that they found fault with many specific features of the program. However, the 1996 amendment to 1101(a)(42) is limited in scope. Under that amendment, the worst effects of the Chinese program forced abortions and involuntary sterilization are deemed to constitute "persecution," but the amendment does not provide similar treatment for other adverse effects of the program, such as, to take one example, dismissal from employment for failure to abide by the one-child policy. Even though a person who is fired for violating the policy is a victim of the objectionable Chinese program, such a person cannot prove past persecution simply by establishing the occurrence of and the reason for the dismissal. It is apparent, therefore, that it was not Congress's intent to provide relief for every victim of any feature of the Chinese program. Rather, Congress obviously had the more modest purpose of providing relief for a much more limited class. Especially in light of the rather low yearly cap on the number of asylum applications that may be granted under the 1996 amendment, the BIA's refusal to extend C-Y-Z- may be viewed as furthering this congressional goal. V. A few remaining issues must be addressed. First, Chen suggests that the beatings he suffered at the hands of government officials combine with the forced abortion and the marriage license denial in such a way as to constitute past persecution. They do not. Chen's scuffle with the local officials does not appear to have been serious. For example, the government points out that Chen has never alleged that this altercation resulted in any injuries that required medical treatment. Respondent Br. at 24. Physical abuse similar to this has been held to not constitute persecution. See, e.g., Prasad v. INS, [1995] USCA9 361; 47 F.3d 336, 339 (9th Cir.1995) (no past persecution where petitioner was arrested, hit, kicked, and detained for four to six hours). The BIA found that Chen's experiences with the authorities in China did not rise to the level of persecution, and we cannot say that "any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary." 8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(4)(B). Chen further argues that, even if he did not suffer persecution in the past, he still has a well-founded fear that he would suffer future persecution if he returned to China. He points to several cases and secondary sources generally describing incidents of harsh treatment that Chinese prison officials have inflicted upon political prisoners, including refugees returned to China. See Petitioner Br. at 20-22. This generalized evidence presented by Chen, however, by no means compels the conclusion that the BIA erred in determining that he had not "established a well-founded fear of persecution." App. I at 3; 8 U.S.C. 1252(b)(4)(B). Finally, Chen does not appear to have challenged the rejection of his claim for withholding of removal in the brief accompanying his petition for review. Accordingly, the claim has been waived. See FDIC v. Deglau, [2000] USCA3 49; 207 F.3d 153, 169-70 (3d Cir.2000); Ma, 361 F.3d at 557 n. 5; Qin v. Ashcroft, [2004] USCA1 82; 360 F.3d 302, 305 n. 5 (1st Cir.2004). VI. In sum, assuming that C-Y-Z- permissibly applied the 1996 amendment to spouses, we hold that the BIA's decision not to extend C-Y-Z- to unmarried partners is reasonable and therefore, under step two of Chevron, is entitled to controlling weight. We defer to this interpretation and deny the petition for review. Notes: The Honorable J. Clifford Wallace, Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sitting by designation We note that officially the minimum age for marriage in China appears to be 22 for men and 20 for womenSee Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China, art. 6 (as amended April 28, 2001), available in LEXIS, China-lawinfo Selected PRC Laws file at PRCLEG 1793. It is conceivable, however, that some local variation in these requirements may exist. See United States Department of State, China: Profile of Asylum Claims and Country Conditions (April 14, 1998) ("The minimum age for marriage in China is 22 for males and 20 for females. In some localities the ages are set higher."). For the purposes of this case, we assume the accuracy of Chen's description of the age requirement to which he was subject. The statute provides: "For any fiscal year, not more than a total of 1,000 refugees may be ... granted asylum ... pursuant to a determination under the third sentence of section 101(a)(42) (relating to persecution for resistance to coercive population control methods)." 8 U.S.C. 1157(a)(5) The Sixth Circuit inAbay appeared to agree that the implication of Board Member Rosenberg's concurring opinion in C-Y-Z- was that a "family member may be eligible for asylum based upon the physical harm inflicted upon another family member." See Abay, 368 F.3d at 641. In the case of a forced abortion, conception in violation of the program could constitute the "resistance," and since involuntary sterilization often follows prohibited conception, this same theory might work in that context as well While this argument bears some similarity to a rational-basis Equal Protection Clause argument, it is clear that Chen is not attempting to make a constitutional argument here. Nor does Chen contend that any standard of review more stringent than "rationality" ought to apply Indeed, the marriage relation is used in so many areas of the law (income tax, welfare benefits, property, inheritance, testimonial privilege, etc.) that it would seem absurd to characterize reliance on marital status inC-Y-Z- as arbitrary and capricious. Cf. Montgomery v. Carr, [1996] USCA6 1782; 101 F.3d 1117 (6th Cir.1996) (deeming rational the enforcement of a school anti-nepotism policy against married couples but not cohabitants). The Supreme Court has reversed at least one prior attempt by this Circuit to engage in more searching review of line-drawing exercises by the political branches of government in the area of immigration law. InINS v. Hector, [1986] USSC 221; 479 U.S. 85, 107 S.Ct. 379, 93 L.Ed.2d 326 (1986) (per curiam), the Supreme Court rejected a holding allowing for the possibility of treating nieces as "children" in a hardship analysis if it could be shown that a "parental-type relationship" existed. See id. at 87[1986] USSC 221; , 107 S.Ct. 379. Whether any unfairness to the nieces in such "parental-type relationship[s]" may have resulted did not enter into the Court's calculus; all that mattered was that Congress, in defining "children," had not seen fit to include nieces raised as effective adoptees. See id. at 90-91[1986] USSC 221; , 107 S.Ct. 379. An analogy may be drawn here to the tort of negligent infliction of emotional harm. As explained in Restatement (Second) of Torts 436, recovery under this tort may be available when members of theimmediate family of a victim witness the infliction of harm. Id. 436(3) (emphasis added). "However, where a stranger is involved ... there may be sufficient uncertainty as to the genuineness or seriousness of the emotional disturbance to justify, as a matter of administrative policy, a denial of liability." Id. cmt. h. Here, the BIA may have concluded that, given the difficulty of determining the "genuineness" of emotional harm felt by one upon hearing of harm to his fiancee, the strict limitation of C-Y-Z- to married couples was justified "as a matter of administrative policy." Thatsome applicants could conceivably be able to present such convincing evidence is beside the point. We note that Fiallo did not require any special exception to be carved out for fathers who could prove actual paternity of illegitimate children when they had not adopted or legitimated them. Nor did Almario and Anetekhai provide those who married during removal proceedings an opportunity to present evidence showing that their marriages were not shams. Such rules, like the one adopted by the BIA here, represent pragmatic approaches that make it possible for an overburdened agency to do the work with which it is charged. The government offers an alternative explanation for the BIA's distinction between married and unmarried asylum applicants, noting that "[a] grant of asylum to an applicant present in the United States enables the asylee to have his or her spouse and children admitted to the United States as derivative beneficiaries of the asylee's status." Respondent Br. at 19. Because "the existence of a valid, legal marriage is required before an immigrant visa may be issued," the government concludes that the disparate treatment of married and unmarried applicants is "consistent with the statutory design and the family unification policies underlying the issuance of immigration visas."Id. This argument is not without some merit. However, given the current length of the conditional asylee waiting list, spouses granted conditional status under C-Y-Z- today must wait at least seven years before they can even apply for such a visa on behalf of their spouses. Accordingly, we doubt as a practical matter that the potential eligibility for preferential visas actually operates to hasten the admittance to the United States of spouses directly persecuted under coercive population control programs. See Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, Marriage Laws of the Fifty States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, at http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/Table_Marriage.htm (citing age requirements and pertinent statutes) (hereinafter Marriage Laws of the Fifty States). See Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriages, Dec. 9, 1964, art. 2, 521 U.N.T.S. 231, 234, at http://untreaty.un.org/English/access.asp ("States parties to the present Convention shall take legislative action to specify a minimum age for marriage."). We note, however, that the apparent purpose of the Convention's minimum age requirement (as stated in the preamble) is not population control, but rather the elimination of child marriages and the "betrothal of young girls before the age of puberty." Id. pmbl., 521 U.N.T.S. at 232. See Marriage Laws of the Fifty States, supra note 11. Id. Angela Melchiorre, Right to Education Project,At what age? 15-21 (2d ed.2004) (listing marriage age requirements 156 countries). A few countries, including Algeria, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Togo, and Vietnam, set age requirements above 18 years. Id. See United States Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States 60 (123d ed.2003) (noting that 85.4% of males and 74.0% of females under the age of 25 in the United States have never been married). See, e.g., Ma, 361 F.3d at 559 ("The question presented here is whether husbands, whose marriages are denied recognition by virtue of the population control program that Congress has condemned, may be deprived of eligibility for asylum on the basis of that denial.") (emphasis added); id. at 560 ("BIA's decision to limit asylum eligibility so as to exclude husbands ... contravenes the purpose and policies of the statutory amendment.") (emphasis added); id. at 561 ("Application of the BIA's rule would result in the separation of a husband and wife....") (emphasis added). There is no question that Congress has delegated authority to the BIA generally to "make rules carrying the force of law,"cf. Mead, 533 U.S. at 226-27[2001] USSC 54; , 121 S.Ct. 2164, and that its interpretations of ambiguous statutory terms are entitled to Chevron deference. Aguirre-Aguirre, 526 U.S. at 425[1997] USCA9 2391; , 119 S.Ct. 1439. We note that the opinion inMa never explicitly finds or assumes that the petitioner had actually suffered persecution. For example, the statute extends relief to those who are persecuted "on account of race." 8 U.S.C. 1101(42). The primary purpose of that provision is no doubt to extend aid to certain individuals who suffer the effects of gross racial inequality in their countries of origin. Yet courts routinely deny relief to those who suffer racial discrimination that falls short of "persecution,"see, e.g., Nagoulko v. INS, [2003] USCA9 392; 333 F.3d 1012, 1016-17 (9th Cir.2003), even though it might be said that such denials disserve Congress's broader policy of providing relief to victims of racial injustice. There is at least one statement in the Congressional Record which speaks disparagingly of China's "marriage bans," but that statement is made in reference to permanent restrictions on marriage motivated by a desire to "avoid new births of inferior quality," and not the sort of age-based restrictions at issue in this caseSee 140 Cong. Rec. S327-28 (daily ed. Jan. 28, 1994) (statement of Sen. Helms). In such cases, the amendment would serve to clarify that such actions, if taken in response to resistance to a coercive population control program, should be deemed inflicted "on account of political opinion." See United States Dep't of State, Country Report on Human Rights Practices-2002: China (2003) (noting China's reliance on "education, propaganda, and economic incentives, as well as on more coercive measures such as the threat of job loss or demotion and social compensation fees"). Under the 1996 amendment the reason for the dismissal (failure to comply with the one-child policy) might well qualify as "resistance to a coercive population control program," but the person who was fired would still have to show that dismissal was severe enough to amount to persecution. While we express no opinion on this point, we reiterate that "persecution" is an extreme concept that "does not encompass all treatment that our society regards as unfair, unjust, or even unlawful or unconstitutional."Fatin, 12 F.3d at 1240 & n. 10. Camara v. Holder Publisher United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit Publication Date 26 July 2013 Citation / Document Symbol 725 F.3d 11, 16 Cite as Camara v. Holder, 725 F.3d 11, 16, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 26 July 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,USA_CA_1,58a48d2f4.html [accessed 6 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. Moulaye Abdel Camara of Senegal has been ordered removed to Guinea and has foregone the opportunity for voluntary departure. He petitions for review of a September 28, 2012, decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), which affirmed the decision of an immigration judge (IJ) denying his application for withholding of removal (WOR) and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). Camara was found not to have suffered past persecution and had not established the likelihood of any future personal injury to him rising to the level of persecution. His claim of persecution was based on his future opposition to the possible female genital mutilation (FGM) of his daughters if he took them with him to Guinea. Camara was also found ineligible for relief on the basis of any prospective harm to his daughters. CAT protection was denied because Camara had not established the likelihood of torture at the hands of or with the acquiescence of his home government. Camara makes two arguments in his petition. First, he argues that the IJ and the BIA erred in finding that it would be reasonable for him to relocate internally, away from his family and home village in Guinea, to avoid any personal injury. Second, he argues that both erred in failing to consider whether the threat of forced FGM to his daughters, should they return with him, constituted a threat of direct persecution to him in the form of emotional harm. The first argument fails because the findings of reasonable relocation that Camara questions were supported by substantial evidence. The second fails because Camara's theory of "direct" persecution of him based on the possible risk to his daughters has been foreclosed by the BIA, in a reasonable interpretation of the statute, and by circuit precedent. We deny his petition. I. Camara is a native of Senegal and a citizen of Guinea. He entered the United States on May 1, 1999, as a visitor, with permission to remain for five months. He did not leave. The Department of Homeland Security served Camara with a Notice to Appear almost a decade later, charging that he was removable pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(1)(B) as an alien who remained in the United States beyond September 30, 1999, without authorization. Camara conceded removability, requesting relief in the form of WOR and protection under the CAT. A merits hearing was held before an IJ on July 13, 2011. There, Camara testified that, once he was in the United States, he and his wife had three children. Camara's wife lacked legal residence in the United States, and was pursuing cancellation of removal in another proceeding. Their three children, two girls and a boy, were all United States citizens. Camara testified that, despite the children's legal residence in the United States, he would be forced to take them with him to Guinea if he was removed. He claimed that this would be so even if his wife obtained legal residence in the United States, as well. Camara said no one could provide for the children like him. Camara testified that, if removed to Guinea, he would be subjected to beatings and voodoo at the hands of his family and other members of his tribe. This would be on account of his opposition to his daughters being subjected to FGM. Camara claimed further that he would be subject to such violence even if his daughters remained in the United States, because he had refused to bring them to Guinea. Camara denied that internal relocation would do any good, although he had testified that his persecution would come from his family and his tribe. FGM was a nationwide practice 1 that, although illegal, the Guinean government did nothing to prevent. Wherever Camara might relocate within Guinea, the threat to him would be the same, he said. When asked about relocating to Senegal, Camara seemed to concede that his lack of Senegalese citizenship would be no bar. What made that option infeasible, however, was that he "ha[d] nothing there." The IJ denied Camara's requests for relief. As to WOR, she found that Camara had not been threatened in the past and had not established the probability of future persecution on a protected ground. More specifically, she found that Camara had not shown that his United States citizen daughters would be forced to return with him to Guinea if he was removed. Further, she found that any threat posed by his family and fellow tribes people could be avoided through relocation within Guinea, a course of action that would be reasonable to expect him to follow under the circumstances. As to CAT relief, the IJ found that the hostility Camara feared came from private citizens. Camara had provided no evidence that he would be targeted in any way by a government actor, let alone targeted for persecution. Camara appealed to the BIA, which dismissed the appeal on September 28, 2012. The Board agreed with the IJ that Camara had not established past persecution. It agreed further that Camara had not established the likelihood of future persecution by his family or by members of his tribe. The Board observed that, although Camara had introduced evidence that FGM was widespread in Guinea, that evidence did not establish a threat of harm rising to the level of persecution to him in particular. In addition, the Board agreed with the IJ that the evidence on the record did not support a finding that relocation within Guinea would be unreasonable. Finally, the BIA held that, insofar as Camara's claim was predicated upon a fear of his daughters being subjected to FGM, the Board had already determined in In re A-K-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 275 (BIA 2007), that such a fear is, by itself, not a basis for WOR. As to CAT relief, the Board noted that Camara had not specifically challenged that denial on appeal. And, anyway, it agreed with the IJ that Camara had not established the likelihood of torture by or with the acquiescence of Guinean officials. 2 The Board ordered that Camara be removed. On October 26, 2012, Camara petitioned this court for review of the BIA's decision. II. Where the BIA adopts the IJ's findings, we review the BIA's decision in conjunction with those findings. Romilus v. Ashcroft, 385 F.3d 1, 6 (1st Cir.2004). We review the agency's findings of fact under the substantial evidence standard. Matovu v. Holder, 577 F.3d 383, 386 (1st Cir.2009). "Under this deferential standard, we accept these findings so long as they are grounded in reasonable, substantial, and probative evidence on the record considered as a whole," id. (quoting Sharari v. Gonzales, 407 F.3d 467, 473 (1st Cir.2005)) (internal quotation marks omitted), granting a petition only "if the record compels a conclusion contrary to that reached by the agency," Lopez Perez v. Holder, 587 F.3d 456, 460 (1st Cir.2009). We review the agency's legal conclusions de novo, but afford "substantial deference to the BIA's interpretations of the underlying statutes and regulations according to administrative law principles." Scatambuli v. Holder, 558 F.3d 53, 58 (1st Cir.2009); see also Holder v. Martinez Gutierrez, ___ U.S. ___, 132 S.Ct. 2011, 2017, 182 L.Ed.2d 922 (2012) ("[The BIA's] position prevails if it is a reasonable construction of the statute, whether or not it is the only possible interpretation or even the one a court might think best." (citing Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 843-844 & n. 11, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984))); INS v. Aguirre-Aguirre, 526 U.S. 415, 425, 119 S.Ct. 1439, 143 L.Ed.2d 590 (1999) ("[J]udicial deference to the Executive Branch is especially appropriate in the immigration context...."). To qualify for WOR, "[t]he burden of proof is on the applicant ... to establish that his or her life or freedom would be threatened in the proposed country of removal on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion." 8 C.F.R. 208.16(b); see also 8 U.S.C. 1231(b)(3)(A). An applicant can satisfy this burden by demonstrating past persecution, which gives rise to a rebuttable presumption of a future threat to the applicant's life or freedom, or by showing that it is "more likely than not" that he or she will suffer future persecution on account of one of the protected grounds. 8 C.F.R. 208.16(b)(1)(i), (b)(2); see also Tay-Chan v. Holder, 699 F.3d 107, 111 (1st Cir.2012). Here, substantial evidence supports the determination that Camara faced neither past persecution nor a likelihood of future persecution. Camara argues that, because the practice of FGM within Guinea is "nearly universal," the IJ and in turn the BIA erred in finding that internal relocation had not been shown to be unreasonable. 3 This argument suffers from at least two defects. First, the evidence in the record does not clearly establish that any harm would be inflicted upon the parents who oppose FGM in Guinea, or that it would rise to the level of persecution of those parents. Indeed, the evidence that Camara relies upon here indicates only that "parents who do not have their daughter cut might be considered neglectful." R. Van Rossem & A. Gage, The Effects of Female Genital Mutilation on the Onset of Sexual Activity and Marriage in Guinea, 38 Archive Sexual Behav. 178, 179 (2009) (emphasis added); see also Barsoum v. Holder, 617 F.3d 73, 79 (1st Cir.2010) ("To show persecution, an alien must show more than `unpleasantness, harassment, and even basic suffering.'" (quoting Jorgji v. Mukasey, 514 F.3d 53, 57 (1st Cir. 2008))). Second, the argument assumes, without support, that if Camara is removed, his two daughters would be forced to accompany him to Guinea. Camara also claims that, even if his daughters were not to come to Guinea, he would face persecution for failing to present them for FGM. The IJ reasonably disregarded this claim. As the IJ observed, no law would require Camara's United States citizen daughters to leave this country if Camara were removed. Moreover, at the time of his hearing, Camara conceded that his wife's separate application for cancellation of removal was still under consideration. This court requested a supplemental filing from both parties on the matter, and we have been informed that Camara's wife was granted cancellation as well as permanent residence on October 2, 2012. She may thus lawfully remain in the United States. 4 Camara also argues that the IJ and the BIA erred in failing to consider whether the threat of FGM to his daughters constituted a threat of "direct" persecution 5 to him in the form of psychological injury. Again, this argument suffers from at least two defects. First, it assumes without support that Camara's removal would result in his daughters' accompanying him to Guinea. Second and more fundamental, it relies on a theory of persecution that has been foreclosed by the BIA and this court. In In re A-K-, a FGM case, the BIA held squarely that "allowing an applicant to obtain asylum or withholding of removal through persecution to his child would require granting relief outside the statutory... scheme established by Congress." 24 I. & N. Dec. at 278; see also Negusie v. Holder, 555 U.S. 511, 516, 129 S.Ct. 1159, 173 L.Ed.2d 20 (2009) ("[T]he BIA is entitled to deference in interpreting ambiguous provisions of the [immigration statutory scheme]."). This court has recognized the authority of that holding. See, e.g., Mariko v. Holder, 632 F.3d 1, 8 (1st Cir.2011) (citing In re A-K- and holding scheme does not permit relief for parent on basis of threat of FGM to child); Kechichian v. Mukasey, 535 F.3d 15, 22 (1st Cir.2008) (observing that In re A-K- "foreclose[s]" any claim by a parent of "psychological harm based solely on a child's potential persecution"). Other circuits agree that, in situations parallel to this, fear that a petitioner's children will be subjected, if they accompany the parent, to FGM is not in itself a basis for immigration relief to the petitioner. See, e.g., Kane v. Holder, 581 F.3d 231, 241-43 (5th Cir.2009) (denial of WOR); Gumaneh v. Mukasey, 535 F.3d 785, 788-90 (8th Cir.2008) (denial of WOR); Oforji v. Ashcroft, 354 F.3d 609, 614-18 (7th Cir.2003) (denial of CAT relief). Camara invokes Abay v. Ashcroft, 368 F.3d 634 (6th Cir.2004), as contrary precedent. See id. at 640-42 (affording refugee status to parent based on fear of child being subjected to FGM). Abay preceded In re A-K-, and did not have the benefit of the BIA's reasoning in that case. Indeed, the concurring opinion notes the need to first get guidance from the agency. See id. at 646 (Sutton, J.). Moreover, as this court has noted, Abay "is the `only federal decision' to have reached such a result ... and in any event it does not bind this circuit." Kechichian, 535 F.3d at 22 (quoting Niang v. Gonzales, 492 F.3d 505, 512 (4th Cir.2007)). Camara argues that In re A-K- dealt only with theories of "derivative" persecution, whereas the persecution that he theorizes is "direct." Not so. In re A-K- distinguished claims of "direct" persecution (cognizable under the statutory scheme) from claims of "derivative" persecution (not cognizable). Thus, the BIA explained, in "cases where a person persecutes someone close to an applicant ... with the intended purpose of causing emotional harm to the applicant ... the persecution would not be `derivative,' as the applicant himself would be the target of... emotional persecution." In re A-K-, 24 I. & N. Dec. at 278 (emphasis added). 6 Label aside, the risk of persecution Camara alleges is thus derivative, not direct. The petition is denied. So ordered. FootNotes 1. State Department reports in the record state that somewhere between 96% and 98.6% of women in Guinea are subjected to FGM. 2. The IJ granted Camara a 60-day voluntary departure period, subject to the condition that Camara post a $500 bond. Camara failed to post the bond. The BIA did not reinstate Camara's period of voluntary departure in its final order because Camara had not submitted within 30 days of filing his appeal any proof of having posted the $500 voluntary departure bond. See 8 C.F.R. 1240.26(c)(3)(ii). 3. Camara argues further that the burden is on the Government to establish that relocation would be reasonable, citing In re M-Z-M-R-, 26 I. & N. Dec. 28 (BIA 2012). In that case, however, the applicant had shown past persecution, creating a presumption of risk of future persecution and shifting the burden onto the Government to rebut that presumption by establishing the reasonability of relocation. Id. at 29. By contrast, where, as here, the applicant has not shown past persecution, the burden rests with him or her to establish that relocation would be unreasonable. 8 C.F.R. 208.13(b)(3)(i). 4. On October 24, 2012, Camara's wife filed a petition for her husband to obtain an immigrant visa as an immediate relative (an I-130 petition) under the Immigration and Nationality Act section 204(a), 8 U.S.C. 1154. That petition is still pending. 5. In addition, Camara argues that the IJ and the BIA erred in failing to consider whether the (alleged) threat to his daughters constituted a threat of direct torture to him. As both the IJ and the BIA observed, Camara presented no evidence of prospective government involvement or acquiescence in the harms that he fears, aside from his bare and uncorroborated claim that "[i]f you go to the police to file a complaint or to seek protection, they won't even, you know, look at you." Camara does nothing to challenge those findings here, and so the CAT claim must fail. See also Warui v. Holder, 577 F.3d 55, 58 (1st Cir. 2009) (expressing skepticism concerning cognizability of claims of "derivative" torture under CAT); In re A-K-, 24 I. & N. Dec. 275, 280 (BIA 2007) ("There is no legal basis for a derivative grant of [CAT] protection where, as here, the respondent has not alleged any past torture, or fear of future torture, to himself."). 6. Camara has not alleged that this is a case in which his daughters are at risk of being persecuted as a means of inflicting psychological harm upon him. Nor could he at this stage, having made no such allegation during the administrative stages of the proceeding. See Kandamar v. Gonzales, 464 F.3d 65, 71 (1st Cir.2006) (requiring exhaustion of administrative remedies); 8 U.S.C. 1252(d)(1) (same). Rather, Camara has alleged only that his daughters are at risk of FGM, and that he is in turn at risk of incidental albeit "extreme and grave emotional suffering." Russia: Warnings and forced community liquidations increase Publisher Forum 18 Author Victoria Arnold Publication Date 15 February 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Russia: Warnings and forced community liquidations increase, 15 February 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a4902b4.html [accessed 6 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. Russia's forced dissolution of local communities, literature bans, and "extremism" prosecutions increasingly restrict Jehovah's Witnesses' freedom of religion and belief. On 16 January, their national Administrative Centre in St Petersburg lost its latest legal challenge of a prosecutors' warning threatening it with liquidation. Title United States: Immigration and Nationality Act (last amended February 2013) Publication Date February 2013 Country United States of America Cite as United States: Immigration and Nationality Act (last amended February 2013) [United States of America], February 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58a49c5f4.html [accessed 6 November 2022] Comments This act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (amended to March 2010). Users are advised not to rely soley on this version, and should visit the US Citizenship and Immigration Service website (www.uscis.gov) to access the most current copy of the INA. A longtime Madison chef, who most recently worked as a line cook at Estrellon, is opening a new bakery and restaurant on Monona Drive. Vicente Sacramento, who also worked as a baker at La Brioche, plans to open Monona Bakery and Eatery at 4544 Monona Drive on Friday. "He'a a super guy. I'm stoked for him," said Estrellon owner Tory Miller. "I'm excited he's finally opening his place." The Monona restaurant was supposed to open Wednesday, but Sacramento and his wife and co-owner, Claudia Santos, didn't want to interfere with the "Day Without Immigrants," formerly called "Day Without Latinos," strike on Thursday. So the restaurant will open Friday instead. "We are Latinos, too, and many people close the business, so if we are open maybe it's not good," Sacramento said. A number of local restaurants are expected to close as many employees turn out for the rally. Santos calls the food at Monona Bakery and Eatery "Latino food," because she is from Honduras, and Sacramento is from Mexico. So the menu will have both components. "I'm trying to do something different here," Santos said. She's been looking for Honduran food, but can't find it in Madison. She calls Honduran cuisine similar to Puerto Rican cuisine. "It's Caribbean food." The menu will feature baleadas, a traditional Honduran dish with a thick, flour tortilla and deep-fried beans, scrambled eggs, avocado, cheese and cream; and tostones, or double-fried plantain slices. The Mexican side of the menu will offer tilapia, shrimp and other seafood. Both of them are from coastal areas, she from Atlantida, Honduras, and he from Veracruz, Mexico, Santos pointed out. "I love his food," Santos said about her husband, who will also do the baking. "He makes amazing, amazing desserts." For the past three years, Sacramento has baked at La Brioche. At the same time, in the last year and a half, he's worked at Estrellon. Sacramento was at the former Spanish restaurant La Paella in Fitchburg for 13 years, 10 years as chef. "All my life there," he said. The Monona restaurant will also serve American-style breakfasts, Santos said. Everything at the restaurant will be homemade, she said. "It's our priority to make everything fresh and from scratch." Sacramento owned Emian's bakery in the same Monona Drive location from 2005 to 2008. The location was most recently El Bolillo, where Sacramento worked for a short time. He's put in a new floor, new kitchen, new tables and new chairs. "We changed everything," Sacramento said. Sacramento had an accident in December, falling from the roof of the yet-to-open restaurant, which set back its opening. He's still wearing a neck brace. When Santos moved to Madison in 2006, she found a full-time cleaning job, but applied for a second job at Sacramento's bakery, Emian's. Sacramento wanted to know why Santos was looking for another job when she already had full-time work. She told him that as a single mother she had to work harder to support her two young daughters better, and he said, "Really? You want to leave something better to your daughters? Give time." He told her that her daughters needed her more than she knew. "In that moment I didn't understand," Santos said. But she began to understand what a good person Sacramento was. The couple got married last year, but have been together 11 years. A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017 A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty Tuesday to striking and killing a bicyclist while driving under the influence of drugs. Kevin D. Meister, 36, also pleaded guilty to drug possession related to the Aug. 5 crash that killed Shelton Berel, 33, of Madison, who was struck while riding his bicycle on Lincoln Road in the town of Oregon. Meister also pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor theft, for thefts that occurred while on the job last year. In January, Meister pleaded guilty to bail jumping, for attempting to substitute clean urine for his own urine while taking a drug test for the Dane County Bail Monitoring Program on Aug. 25. Meister entered the pleas about three weeks before he was scheduled to go to trial for Berels death. Prosecutors did not state a maximum sentence that they would seek when Meister is sentenced by Circuit Judge William Hanrahan in about two months. But the homicide by driving under the influence of drugs conviction carries a penalty of up to 40 years of combined prison and extended supervision, and the drug possession conviction carries up to 3 years. Each of the theft charges carries a maximum sentence of nine months in jail, and the bail jumping charge has a six-year maximum sentence. Other charges, such as hit and run causing death, were dismissed but some may be considered by Hanrahan when he sentences Meister. A criminal complaint states that Meister was driving to his job at a landscaping firm when he struck Berel after Meisters truck veered toward the left side of the road. After a description of Meisters truck was broadcast by local media, Meisters sister called 911 to report that it sounded like her brothers truck. Police found Meisters truck with fresh damage. Meister initially told police that he thought he had hit a deer. Lab tests of Meisters blood found that he had cocaine in his body at the time of the crash. The complaint also states that investigators searching Meisters truck after the crash found materials used to cook, inject and smoke drugs in a pocket of the drivers side door. The theft charges stem from landscaping equipment that Meister took from his employer, Glacier Landscaping, and from Sub-Zero Group in Fitchburg, where Glacier did work, according to a criminal complaint. Meister will remain in custody until his sentencing date, which will be set later. An activist in the northeastern Chinese province of Jilin stood trial on for subversion after he wore a T-shirt emblazoned with satirical nicknames for President Xi Jinping, including "Xitler." Kwon Pyong, an ethnic Korean whose name in Mandarin is Quan Ping, stood trial at the Yanbian Intermediate People's Court on , charged with "incitement to subvert state power," his lawyers told RFA. But Kwon's defense team was "fired" by his parents just before the trial, after the authorities had tried to have his lawyers disqualified using bureaucratic means, former defense lawyer Zhang Lei said. Zhang, who was fired along with fellow defense lawyer Liang Xiaojun, said few details of the trial are publicly available, now that his lawyers have been prevented from entering the courtroom. "Back when we went to fill out forms at the court, they were already saying that we needed a letter of introduction from the bureau of justice where our law firms are located," Zhang said. "Without it, we wouldn't be recognized as [Kwon's] instructed lawyers." "Then ... on evening, we got a call from the Yanbian Intermediate People's Court telling us that our client's parents had confirmed that they weren't hiring either myself or Liang," Zhang said. "That's why we don't know what went on during the trial," he said. An employee who answered the phone at the Yanbian Intermediate People's Court on confirmed that the trial had started. "This trial just opened here , but until the facts of the case are clearly established, and there is a clear verdict ... I will have to stick to our unified policy [and not give media interviews]," the official said. 80 social media posts Kwon Pyong's mother, Li Lianhua, also declined to comment when contacted by RFA on . "Please don't call me again, OK?" she said, before hanging up the phone. However, a reliable source told RFA that that the indictment against him is largely based on some 80 posts he made to Facebook and Twitter between 2014 and 2016. These posts "used words, images and video to insult and slander this country's government and the socialist system," the indictment said. Calls to the prosecution officers who wrote the indictment were unsuccessful during office hours on . Meanwhile, Zhang said the court's request for a letter of introduction was illegal in the first place, and that Kwon Pyong's parents were likely placed under huge pressure by the authorities. "They are just using this as an excuse; it's a very clear breach of the law," he said. "They have been working on Kwon Pyong's parents to get them to fire us." Liang agreed. "The authorities are definitely breaking the law by preventing us from attending the trial," he said. Kwon, 28, a graduate of Iowa State University, has previously spoken out online in support of dozens of detained Chinese human rights lawyers, as well as Guangzhou-based rights activist Guo Feixiong. Parents under threat He was detained on Sept. 30 after posting selfies wearing a T-shirt with several satirical nicknames for President Xi, including "Xitler," and "Baozi Xi" in a reference to the president's widely publicized visit to a regular restaurant to eat baozi, or steamed pork buns, with local people. Guangzhou-based rights lawyer Sui Muqing said he wasn't surprised that Kwon's parents had fired the two lawyers. "I don't think this is unusual," Sui said. "Kwon's parents are business people, so they must have received all manner of threats from the authorities." "Anyone who does business in China, or who has any money and doesn't do what the government says can see all of their money disappear in an instant," he said. China's powerful state security police has the power to freeze the bank accounts of anyone considered a threat to "national security," which would include anyone linked to a subversion case. "The aim of the Yanbian authorities has been to ensure that there are no human rights lawyers acting for the defense," Sui said. An online activist who gave only his surname Gong said satirical comments about China's leaders should be covered by freedom of expression. "Kwon Pyong's T-shirt was a form of performance art, and would never be regarded as a crime in a Western democracy," Gong said. "In [those] countries, it's normal to criticize your leaders, and to poke fun at public servants; it happens all the time in a normal country, and nothing bad happens," he said. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Ng Yik-tung and Wong Lok-to for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. This combo shows a file photo (L) taken on May 4, 2001 of a man believed to be Kim Jong Nam, and a file photo (R) of his half-brother, current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The suspected assassination of the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has helped thrust the secretive nation and its secretive first family back into the limelight. Kim Jong Nam died Feb. 13 en route to hospital after being attacked at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the Malaysian capital. Authorities in the U.S. and South Korea suspect that he was poisoned by two women on orders from Pyongyang. Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un are both sons of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who died in late 2011, but they had different mothers. Kim Jong Nam, the elder of the two, whose mother was an actress named Song Hye Rim, said his father kept his parents' relationship secret. Kim Jong Un, the youngest son, was born to another mistress, Ko Yong Hui. Japanese journalist Yoji Gomi, a former Tokyo Shimbun editor, got closer to Kim Jong Nam than most reporters. In 2012 he published the book: "My Father, Kim Jong Il, and I -- Kim Jong Nam's Confessions," based on interviews and about 150 emails he exchanged with Kim Jong Nam for seven years. Gomi recently talked to RFA journalist Jung Min Noh about the man whose apparent assassination has captured the worlds attention. An edited version of the interview translated by Soo Min Jo follows. RFA: What did you think when you heard Kim Jong Nam was dead? YG: I felt shock and pity. RFA: Do you think his half-brother gave an assassination order? YG: Although Kim Jong Uns approval of an assassination is possible, I think it is also possible that the regimes high-ranking officials close to Kim Jong Un may have acted out of loyalty and internal competition. As you know, many of them are getting purged or dismissed, and Kim Jong Nam was still an influential person, so there is a possibility that the people who decided to get rid of Kim Jong Nam were afraid of Kim Jong Un. RFA: While he was one of the only members of the family who criticized the North Korean government and argued for reforms, there are reports that he feared for his son Kim Hansols safety. Do you know if thats true? YG: I heard that Kim Jong Nam was not going to do interviews for a while because of possible situations with Kim Jong Nams son, Hansol, who was attending a university in France. I have been trying to contact him for five years, but I have been unable to connect with him. I have heard that Hansol is still in France. I heard that they got along really well and met often. RFA: According to your research, Kim Jong Nam was viewed as a possible alternative to Kim Jong Ill. What does his death mean to North Koreans who might seek reform? YG: Not only me, but other North Korean defectors whom I met in Japan, said something like this about Kim Jong Nam: North Korea can change. There are people inside of North Korea who think that it is necessary for North Korea to reform and open up. That day will come someday. Now, I feel like these possibilities are gone because Kim Jong Nam lost his life. I feel disappointment and regret. It breaks my heart. A suspect (white shirt) in the murder of Kim Jong-Nam is seen in CCTV footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2, Feb. 13, 2017. Updated at 2:40 p.m. ET on 2017-02-15 Malaysian police said Wednesday they had arrested a woman carrying a Vietnamese passport and were looking for five other suspects in the alleged murder of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. The arrest took place at the budget terminal of Kuala Lumpurs international airport where, two days earlier, a man whom South Korean officials have identified as Kim Jong-Nam died en route to hospital after a woman reportedly attacked him with a chemical spray. On 15 February 2017 at about 0820 hours, the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) arrested a female suspect at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2). She was in a possession of a Socialist Republic of Vietnam travel document, said a statement issued by Malaysian police. The body of the victim was taken early Wednesday to Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, the countrys largest and best-equipped government hospital, where an autopsy was conducted, a police source told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Sepang district police chief Abdul Aziz Ali said the post-mortem on the deceased had been completed but declined to comment on the cause of death. An official close to the investigation told BenarNews that North Korea had requested the Malaysian government to release the victims body without a post-mortem. But we turned down their request, the official familiar with the case said. Another police official said Malaysian police would pursue their investigation and release the body only after a post-mortem and related procedures were completed. "[The] incident happened here so we have to follow the rule of the land," the officer said. Malaysian authorities have not officially confirmed whether Kim Jong-Nam was the man who died in Mondays airport attack. So far, they have identified the victim from his passport as a 46-year-old North Korean man, Kim Chol. The suspect in custody, 28-year-old Doan Thi Huong according to her passport, was positively identified from the CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of her arrest, the statement said. Apart from her, Malaysian authorities were searching for several more suspects, including a female accomplice and four men allegedly connected to the murder, The Star newspaper quoted Deputy Police Inspector-General Noor Rashid Ibrahim as saying. The arrested suspect is to appear on Thursday morning for a remand order at the Shah Alam Magistrates Court in Selangor, according to a police official. Murdered man is Kim Jong-Nam: Seoul On Wednesday, South Korean officials said they had no doubt the victim was the estranged brother of the North Korean leader. Our government is certain that the murdered man is Kim Jong-Nam, said Chung Joon-Hee, a spokesman for Seouls unification ministry that handles inter-Korea affairs. If the murder of Kim Jong-Nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong-Un regime, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the country's acting president, told a meeting of security officials in Seoul. A U.S. government source told Reuters that Washington strongly believed that North Korean agents carried out the assassination. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. A retired military officer allegedly masterminded the killing last month of a prominent Muslim rights attorney and ruling-party advisor in what the Myanmar government has called a politically motivated terrorist act, the Presidents Office said Wednesday. A statement issued by the office of President Htin Kyaw said Aung Win Khaing, a former army lieutenant colonel who retired voluntarily from the military in 2014, orchestrated the assassination of Ko Ni on Jan. 29. Police and the military are on the lookout for Aung Win Khaing, who is on the run, and other possible conspirators, the statement said. Aung Win Khaing is the brother of Aung Win Zaw, who was arrested on Jan. 30 in Kayin state in connection with the murder. Aung Win Zaw told police that Aung Win Khaing promised to pay him 100 million kyats (about U.S. $73,000) to have Ko Ni assassinated and gave him 10 million kyats (U.S. $7,400) upfront. Aung Win Zaw allegedly hired a third man named Kyi Lin to assassinate Ko Ni in exchange for a car. Kyi Lin shot 63-year-old Ko Ni at close range in the back of the head outside Yangons international airport after the attorney had returned with a delegation of government and civic leaders from a trip to Indonesia where they participated in a workshop on interfaith tolerance and reconciliation. He also shot and killed taxi driver Ne Win, who had given chase after the attorney was gunned down. On the day of the murder, Aung Win Khaing called his brother twice and told him to have Ko Ni killed, the governments statement said. The gun used by Kyi Lin to shoot Ko Ni was purchased in October 2016 from a man named Myint Swe in the Umpiem Mai refugee camp in Thailand, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the Myanmar border, according to what Aung Win Zaw told police. The government previously said that the assassination was a politically motivated act meant to destabilize the state. The murder occurred at a time when religious tension between Myanmars Buddhist majority and Muslim minority is running high. A crackdown in Rakhine state by Myanmar security forces on Rohingya Muslims since October has left more than 1,000 dead and forced about 69,000 villagers to flee to safety in neighboring Bangladesh, according to United Nations estimates. Some of the Rohingya who fled have accused Myanmar security forces of extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, and arson during the lockdown. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. A traffic stop for speeding Monday night led to the arrest of three people on felony charges in Grant County, with a drug-sniffing police dog from Illinois helping make the case. The traffic stop happened at about 11:15 p.m. Monday on Highway 11 at Sandy Hook Road in the town of Jamestown, the Sheriff's Office said. Five people were in the vehicle and three were arrested on a variety of charges: Tanner Ervolino, 22, of Waterloo, Iowa, tentatively charged with being a felon in possession of a handgun and possession of a silencer. Lee Shaffer, 31, of Dubuque, Iowa, tentatively charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia and possession of burglary tools. Jay Mess, 26, of Dubuque, tentatively charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia and possession of burglary tools. Jonnie Connolly, 23, of Dubuque, was cited for possession of marijuana, and Sabrina Neff, 22, of Marshalltown, Iowa, was not cited or charged. When the vehicle was stopped, a police dog unit from the Jo Davies County Sheriff's Office in Illinois was requested, and the dog sniffed an odor of drugs from the vehicle. During the search of the vehicle, police found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, marijuana, a loaded handgun and silencer, and a large amount of suspected burglary tools. Chinese authorities in the troubled northwestern region of Xinjiang shot dead three people who reportedly attacked passersby with knives, killing five of them in an incident that sources said was the latest of several in the area. Three people attacked crowds in a residential area of Guma (in Chinese, Pishan) county in the Silk Road region of Hotan (Hetian) on Tuesday, killing five and injuring five others, a government report said. "At 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 14, three thugs started attacking people with knives in a residential compound in Pishan county," the Hotan government said in a brief statement on its official news website on Wednesday. "Within one minute, police from the nearby police station had mobilized, and shot three of the thugs dead at the scene," it said. "The incident led to ... the deaths of five people who died in spite of emergency treatment for their injuries in hospital," the statement said. "Five other injured people were successfully treated." The report said order had been restored with no further signs of unrest. "Investigations are ongoing," it said. Armed police deployed Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exile group World Uyghur Congress said six Uyghurs had been arrested in connection with recent attacks, while the authorities had deployed helicopters and huge numbers of armed police in a security lockdown of the area. "The information we are getting from both direct and indirect sources in the area is that six Uyghurs were arrested after the incident in the Guma county town," Raxit said. "Two other Uyghur youths have also been detained on suspicion of spreading rumors after they posted news of the incident using their phones," he said. Raxit said huge numbers of armed police had been deployed in and around Guma county amid widespread raids on Uyghur households. "There is also an increased military presence on the national highway between Hotan and Kashgar," he said. "They are doing spot checks on Uyghurs, while warning local Han Chinese people to avoid going out if possible." "Everyone can see the helicopters circling overhead," he said. Raxit said the official report of the incident had likely understated the total numbers of dead and injured. String of similar attacks Meanwhile, a local source told RFA that the Guma incident was the latest in a string of similar attacks in the same area in recent days, including an attack in Yengisar (Yingjisha) on Feb. 12 which left two dead and three people injured. Similar attacks had also occurred in Aksu (Akesu) and Qarghiliq (Yecheng), but without casualties, the source said. "The official media has only reported the Pishan county incident, but there were three or four murderous attacks in Kashgar [Kashi] and Hotan in southern Xinjiang," the source said. "These are actions against the government, demonstrating the tension between Uyghurs and Han Chinese," he said. According to the source, the attackers are all prisoners recently released after serving jail terms in connection with ethnic violence in Xinjiang's regional capital, Urumqi, on July 5, 2009. Local residents confirmed that the entire region is under tight security on Wednesday, with armored vehicles and armed police patrolling the streets of Guma and neighboring counties, as well as gas stations and schools. Just lock your door An officer who answered the phone at the Hotan municipal police department on Wednesday, believing an RFA journalist to be a Han Chinese tourist, said everyone should stay in their rooms and refrain from posting online about the incident. "Don't worry, all the hotel doors are locked, and there are lots of police inside," the officer said. "Even if you went to a police station, there would be nobody to help you because they are all so busy." "Just lock your door, and don't go spreading rumors, or you'll feel the force of the law," the officer said. "Just do as you're told and stay in your room, and don't go talking to people or posting stuff on WeChat." "If you do, we'll be able to trace the post, and then we can arrest you," he said. An employee who answered the phone at a hotel in Guma county, however, said business is carrying on as usual. "We are going to work and doing what we have to do ... There are police cars patrolling past the door the whole time, and they [the police] don't sleep," the employee said, adding that there is usually a strong police presence anyway. "We are used to this; we don't feel particularly scared," he said. Reported by Xin Lin for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Goh Fung for the Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has reaffirmed the United States' commitment to NATO ahead of his first meeting with his alliance counterparts. At NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 15, Mattis said the alliance "remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the comments during what he called "a crucial time" for the alliance. (RFE/RL) Supporters of two opposition leaders in Montenegro gathered to protest a move to prosecute them in an alleged pro-Russia plot to overthrow the government. The legislature voted on February 15 to lift the parliamentary immunity and allow criminal prosecutions to go forward against Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service) Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged heavy artillery fire in multiple locations, officials in both countries said, as Russian-appointed officials continued evacuating people from the west bank of the Dnieper River amid a mounting Ukrainian counteroffensive. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Ukraine's national grid operator, meanwhile, said on November 5 that it would increase rolling blackouts in Kyiv and seven other regions as the countrys national grid remained severely damaged by weeks of Russian air strikes. Electricity consumption is rising across Ukraine as the weather turns colder, and energy providers have raced to do repairs, ordering planned power cuts to avoid overloads. Ukraines General Staff said that its troops thwarted Russian attacks a day earlier in the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The military also claimed that Ukrainian air defenses shot down multiple Russian and Iranian drones and two Kalibr cruise missiles. The claim could not be immediately verified. The head of the Vynnytsya region, Serhiy Borzov, said the central region was hit overnight by Russian kamikaze drones. Russian troops have been actively using Iranian drones in recent weeks to attack critical civilian and infrastructure objectives. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the fiercest fighting over the last week had taken place around Bakhmut and Soledar in Donetsk and that Ukrainian forces are holding their positions there and elsewhere. He also spoke of "good gains" in the south, praising infantry and artillery brigades for destroying enemy equipment, Russian manpower. The claims of battlefield success could not be independently verified. Ukrainian forces have been mounting a slow, incremental counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region for weeks now, moving closer to directly threatening the Dnieper River port of Kherson, which was captured early after Russias February invasion. In response, Russian authorities have been evacuating civilians and military troops to the opposite bank of the Dnieper. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russia-installed administration in the Kherson region, announced a 24-hour curfew on November 4, saying it was necessary to defend it from an expected Ukrainian attack. The Russian military said "more than 5,000 civilians" were being evacuated daily to the east bank of the river. And Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 4 called for civilians to be moved out from Kherson. Those who live in Kherson must now be removed from the zone of the most dangerous hostilities, Putin said in remarks broadcast on state television. The civilian population should not suffer from shelling, from the offensive, counteroffensive, and other measures related to military operations. Russias Defense Ministry said on November 5 that troops had repelled Ukrainian attacks in in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions. In the Kherson region, which the Kremlin last month declared had been annexed, authorities reported the heaviest artillery fire in days. Ukrainian officials have likened the departures of Kherson residents to Soviet-style deportations, though its unclear to what extent the departures are forced or voluntary. Russian officials said people were being moved to safety from the path of the Ukrainian advance. Ukraines counteroffensives in Kherson and the northern Kharkiv region have been powered in large part by powerful Western weaponry. On November 4, the U.S. Defense Department announced another $400 million shipment of weapons and other equipment, including refurbished tanks, surface-to-air missiles, new coastal defense boats, and other items. The announcement came around the same time that the U.S. national-security adviser, Jake Sullivan, made an unannounced visit to Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials. At a news conference later, Sullivan sought again to calm Ukrainian jitters about whether U.S. weapons would continue after the upcoming midterm U.S. congressional elections. Polls show that Republicans are poised to take control of one, or possibly both, chambers of Congress, and a small but vocal number of Republicans have voiced misgivings about the amount and duration of U.S. aid for Ukraine. There will be no wavering, Sullivan said at a news conference. Im confident U.S. support for Ukraine will be unwavering and unflinching. Asked about the prospect of peace talks with Russia, Sullivan repeated what U.S. officials have said in the past: "Nothing is discussed about Ukraine without Ukraine." "For me, the main question about these negotiations is what a just peace looks like and how it can be achieved, Sullivan said. If you look at Russian accusations, Russian actions, in particular regarding the annexation of [Ukrainian] territories, it does not really encourage negotiations. With reporting by RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, Reuters, dpa, and AP Congressional leaders said they will investigate growing questions over contacts between Russia and top advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump in the weeks and months before he took office. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on February 14 that he expects the Senate Intelligence Committee will interview Michael Flynn, the White House national security adviser who was pushed out on February 13 over his undisclosed pre-inaugural conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States. The calls for inquiries in Congress came as U.S. media reported that Trump associates and staff had numerous contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the November 8 presidential election, though no evidence of collusion was reported. And it came as the White House conceded that Trump knew for weeks that Flynn, his ousted security adviser, had misled the White House about his contacts with Russia. Flynn was not forced out until news reports came out last week saying he had discussed Russian sanctions with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, undercutting public statements by both Flynn and Vice President Mike Pence that the conversations did not involve sanctions. Flynn: 'No Lines Crossed' Flynn told the Daily Caller on February 14 that "there were no lines crossed" in his conversations with Kislyak. He said they spoke only about the 35 Russian diplomats expelled by the Obama administration on December 29 as part of a final round of sanctions against Russia. That same day, the Obama White House sanctioned Russia's intelligence agencies for their roles in allegedly hacking the U.S. presidential election. "It wasn't about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out," Flynn said. "It was basically: 'Look, I know this happened. We'll review everything.' I never said anything such as, 'We're going to review sanctions,' or anything like that." But Reuters reported that phone transcripts show that Flynn told Kislyak that if Russia did not to respond in kind to the Obama sanctions as it had when sanctions were announced in the past, that could smooth the way toward a broader discussion of improving U.S.-Russian relations once Trump took power. After the U.S. sanctions were announced, Russian President Vladimir Putin took the uncharacteristic step of announcing he would not respond in kind, and instead he invited U.S. diplomats in Moscow to join Christmas celebrations at the Kremlin. The growing questions about Russia's relations with the Trump administration prompted U.S. lawmakers, including some leading Republicans, to call for a deeper inquiry into not just Flynn's actions but broader White House ties to Russia. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump only moved against Flynn because he was attracting to so much news media attention. "The reason they lost faith or trust in General Flynn only last night when they knew for weeks that he had been lying was that it became public," Schiff told MSNBC. FBI Interview The White House confirmed on February 14 that the FBI interviewed Flynn about his conversations with Kislyak as part of its investigation into Russian influence in the U.S. election and the Justice Department notified the White House about discrepancies between Flynn's public and private accounts of the conversations shortly after Trump took office. But White House press secretary Sean Spicer insisted there were no legal problem with Flynn's conversations, but rather the way the matter was handled undermined Trump's and Pence's trust in him as an adviser. WATCH: White House Says 'Unsustainable Situation' Led To Flynn Resignation But the White House explanations satisfied few in Congress. Two leading Senate Republicans, Bob Corker and John Cornyn, agreed with McConnell that the Senate Intelligence Committee should investigate Flynn's contacts with Russia. McCain, a leading Republican voice on foreign relations, said Flynn's resignation raised questions about the administration's intentions toward Putin's Russia. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats called for aggressive independent investigations into the matter and demanded to know how much Trump knew about his aides' Russia ties. U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation of potential criminal violations surrounding the resignation of Flynn. "What I am calling for is an independent investigation with executive authority to pursue potential criminal actions," to be led by newly installed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions or White House lawyers, Schumer said. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and New York Times Two years ago today, the guns were supposed to fall silent. They didn't. In fact, since the Minsk cease-fire went into effect on February 15, 2015, thousands have been killed in fighting in the Donbas. Two years ago, Russian fighters were supposed to begin leaving eastern Ukraine. They haven't. Despite Kremlin claims that its troops were never in the Donbas in the first place, the documentary evidence that they were there -- and still are there -- is overwhelming and undeniable. Two years after the Minsk cease-fire went into effect, Ukraine is no closer to peace than it was when the ink on the agreement dried. And the reason for this is simple. The Minsk agreement was fatally flawed from the outset. It was flawed because it was negotiated, signed, and implemented based on the fiction that Russia was a mediator in a conflict in which it was, in fact, the aggressor and the instigator. It was flawed because it placed impossible demands on Ukraine to implement constitutional reforms with a gun to its head. And it was flawed because it established an internationally recognized political mechanism for the Kremlin to continue meddling in Ukraine's affairs. Two years after Minsk one can still hear ridiculous arguments over whether Moscow or Kyiv is to blame for its failure. But this misses the crucial point that there would never have been a need for a Minsk agreement in the first place if Russia had not effectively invaded Ukraine. Minsk failed because, for the Kremlin, is was never a peace agreement at all.It was a tool to dominate a neighbor. Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page. France says it will not accept meddling by Russia or any other country in its upcoming presidential election, and that it could respond to such interference with "retaliatory measures." The remarks by French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on February 15 come in the wake of what U.S. intelligence officials have described a Kremlin-directed campaign of hacking and public-opinion manipulation that aimed to help President Donald Trump win the 2016 U.S. presidential election. "We will not accept any interference whatsoever in our electoral process, no more from Russia, by the way, than from any other state," Ayrault told parliament. Ayrault said France could respond to such meddling with "retaliatory measures when that is necessary." His warning came after aides to Emmanuel Macron, a pro-Europe candidate in the two-stage presidential election beginning on April 23, accused Moscow of responsibility for cyberattacks targeting the website and e-mail servers of his campaign. The Kremlin on February 15 dismissed the accusation as absurd. Russia also denies it interfered in the U.S election in order to help Trump defeat his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, in the November 8 U.S. election. With France's major parties on the right and left both struggling amid scandals and internal divisions, Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front has emerged as the front-runner to win the first-round vote. But polls now suggest Macron is likely to defeat Le Pen in a second-round runoff. As Macron's status in French opinion polls has been rising, Russian state-run media and pro-Kremlin websites increasingly have been attacking the 39-year-old former economy minister. In January, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that cyberattacks targeting his country had increased dramatically in the past three years and that the presidential votes in April and May could be targeted. Russia has also been blamed for a cyberattack on the German parliament in 2015, with German politicians warning in December that the country's 2017 parliamentary elections are at risk from "outside manipulation" from hackers and others acting for the Russian state. Wolfgang Bosbach, a senior lawmaker from Chancellor Angela Merke's conservative Christian Democratic Union, warned of "influence-peddling through targeted infiltration from outside, with the goal of manipulating facts or opinions" during Germany's election campaign. The warnings in France and Germany come after a U.S. intelligence report released on January 6 concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin "ordered" a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at influencing the U.S. presidential election. Russia denies involvement in cyber-intrusions that resulted in Democratic Party e-mails being hacked and leaked during the U.S. presidential campaign. With reporting by AFP, Reuters, BBC, and The New York Times PODGORICA -- Montenegro's parliament has voted to strip two opposition leaders of immunity over their suspected involvement in what authorities say was a foiled coup meant to undermine the country's bid to join NATO. The two leaders of the pro-Russian Democratic Front, which opposes NATO membership, are suspected of involvement in the alleged October 16 coup attempt that prosecutors say included plans to kill the then-prime minister and seize power. Several hundred opposition supporters have protested outside the parliament building on February 15 as lawmakers from the ruling coalition unanimously approved the motion against Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic. WATCH: Supporters of two opposition leaders in Montenegro gathered to protest a move to prosecute them in an alleged pro-Russia plot to overthrow the government. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service) Prosecutor Milivoje Katnic has accused the two politicians of "establishing a criminal organization" and threatening "the constitutional rule and security of Montenegro." Mandic and Knezevic, who can now be arrested, have dismissed the plot allegations as "fiction." Mandic has made several recent visits to Moscow, where he received support from the Kremlin for his anti-NATO position. He has warned of civil war in Montenegro over the issue of NATO membership. But Markovic's government remains committed to forging ties with the West. Montenegro in October arrested about 20 people -- including two Russian citizens -- in connection with the alleged coup plot. Most of the others arrested in October are pro-Russian citizens of Serbia. The Kremlin has denied involvement, but has actively supported local groups that oppose Montenegro becoming a NATO member. Twenty-four of NATO's 28 members have approved Montenegrin membership, which was endorsed by NATO leaders at a Warsaw summit in July 2016. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on February 14 that it was not clear when the remaining four NATO members will ratify Montenegro's accession protocol. But Stoltenberg said the alliance was "on a good track to have the membership of Montenegro relatively soon." The United States is one of the four countries yet to formally approve Podgorica's NATO bid. Stoltenberg on February 14 said "there has been no sign that the U.S. administration is not supporting the ratification." "It has a strong bipartisan support in the Senate and the [Senate] Foreign Relations Committee has supported it, so I think it is also on a good track in the U.S.," Stoltenberg said. However, U.S. President Donald Trump's description of NATO during the 2016 presidential campaign as an "obsolete" organization and his calls for improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin have worried many in Montenegro that Trump may try to block Podgorica's membership bid. With reporting by AP and AFP The "going to jail if you don't send money" scam was taken to a new level this week, when a scammer claiming to be a Dane County sheriff's official put other fake officials on a conference call to the victim, putting enough pressure on the victim to where the victim's family sent money just in case. The scam was played on an 88-year-old Madison woman, and was reported to police on Monday, Madison police said. It started with "Commander Jeffrey Hook of the Dane County Sheriff's Department" calling the woman, angrily demanding money while eventually putting other high-ranking officials on the line to explain how this came about. "There is a real Jeff Hook at the real Sheriff's Office, and scam artists have used his name in the past to con area residents." The fictitious Hook told the victim deputies had tried to hand deliver a federal subpoena to her, and he had body camera footage to prove it. "The subpoena was left in her mailbox, he said, and when she failed to show, in violation of federal law, she only had a few hours to wire $500 bail if she didn't want to be arrested by U.S. marshals," DeSpain said. The woman told the scammer she needed to wait for a ride to make the transaction, but Hook started yelling at her and transferred her to "U.S. Attorney Bill Humphries," who got "Judge Patricia Windmell" on the conference call as well. "The victim was provided with many details, many of which seemed plausible," DeSpain said. The victim contacted her son and daughter to see what she should do. "The daughter went to the real federal courthouse in Madison and learned there was a Hook at the Sheriff's Office, but she was told it sounded like this was a scam," DeSpain said. "Her son called the number left by 'Hook,'" DeSpain said. "A person answered by saying 'Dane County Dispatch Center.'" The son, who has a criminal justice degree, ended up getting a job offer from 'Commander Hook.' The son and daughter both felt it was a fraud, but just in case it was real, they decided to wire the $500. "An officer later confirmed their intuition and advised them to block any additional calls from 'Commander Hook' or any of his other despicable role-playing associates," DeSpain said. Two separate explosions have killed at least seven people in northwestern Pakistan. A suicide bomber killed five people and injured seven in an attack targeting the administrative headquarters of the Mohmand tribal district in Ghalani Tehsil, officials said. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack. The breakaway faction is based in the Mohmand area -- part of rugged, lawless regions along the Afghan border that have long served as safe havens for local and Al-Qaeda-linked foreign militants. Hospital officials told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that three of those killed were members of the tribal police, known locally as Levies. In a separate attack, two people were killed in the northwestern city of Peshawar when a bomb exploded near a hospital. Local media cited police sources as saying the bomb went off near the Hayatabad Medical Complex in a wealthy neighborhood of Peshawar. No group has immediately claimed responsibility. Pakistan's main opposition leader Imran Khan was due to visit the hospital on February 15, but it was not immediately clear whether he was there at the time of the blast. The attacks come two days after a suicide bombing claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar killed 13 in the eastern city of Lahore on February 13. Pakistan has waged several offensives against Islamic militants in recent years. With reporting by AP and AFP The governor of Russia's northwestern region of Karelia, Aleksandr Khudilainen, has become the fifth regional leader to step down in recent days. Khudilainen told journalists on February 15 that he had submitted his resignation in order to give a candidate to be proposed by President Vladimir Putin time "to show himself in Karelia" before an election in September. The Kremlin said hours later that Putin accepted Khudilainen's resignation and appointed the director of the federal bailiffs service, Artur Parfyonchikov, as acting governor of the region bordering Finland. Khudilainen's resignation comes a day after the governor of the Ryazan region, Oleg Kovalyov, announced about his resignation. On February 13, the Novgorod region's governor, Sergei Mitin, resigned. Last week, the governors of Buryatia and the Perm Krai, Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn and Viktor Basargin, stepped down. The five governors' resignations are widely believed to have been submitted at the request of the Kremlin, which oversees political processes nationwide. Regional elections in September will be the last before a presidential election due to be held in March 2018. Analysts say the Kremlin is seeking to bolster support and increase control ahead of the presidential vote, in which Putin is widely expected to seek a fourth term. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on February 14 that the resignations were part of "a routine rotation process" and called on journalists not to seek hidden motives. With on reporting by RIA, Interfax, and TASS U.S. media are reporting that Russia has deployed a new cruise missile that the United States contends is in violation of an arms control treaty. The AP news agency and The New York Times said Moscow has secretly deployed a ground-launched cruise missile that contravenes the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in southwest Russia. The Times said Russia has two battalions of the missiles, which became operational late last year. The Obama administration previously accused Russia of violating the treaty by testing the missile. The treaty bans ballistic missiles with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the missile program, arguing that the United States is also in breach of the treaty and new missiles are needed to maintain the balance of power.. The alleged treaty violation may arise when U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends his first NATO meeting in Brussels on February 15. The deployment has stirred concern in Congress, where Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain called it a "significant military threat to U.S. forces in Europe and our NATO allies." McCain said the timing of the deployment suggests Putin is "testing" President Donald Trump. Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and New York Times WASHINGTON -- The two top diplomats and top military officers from Russia and the United States are set to meet for the first time since the U.S. officials took office. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on February 16 in Bonn, Germany. Their talks are the highest-level official meeting between U.S. and Russian officials since President Donald Trump was inaugurated on January 20. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova didn't specify what Lavrov and Tillerson would discuss -- saying only that their talks would concern "bilateral relations that were driven into deadlock by the previous [U.S.] administration." A U.S. State Department official told RFE/RL, "We don't have any meetings to preview at this time." General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, also plans to meet his counterpart, Russian General Valery Gerasimov, on February 16 in Baku, Azerbaijan. A statement released by Dunford's office on February 15 said their agenda would focus on "the current state of U.S.-Russian military relations and the importance of consistent and clear military-to-military communication to prevent miscalculation and potential crises." In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on February 15 that the Baku meeting between Dunford and Gerasimov was "important." Stoltenberg said he welcomed attempts by "NATO allies on a bilateral basis" to "develop lines of communications and develop the dialogue with Russia." Stoltenberg also noted that in the last two NATO-Russia Council meetings -- which were aimed at addressing "military transparency, risk reduction" and other military issues between NATO and Russia -- there had been "no direct contact" between Gerasimov and Czech General Petr Pavel, the chairman of NATO's Military Committee. The Military Committee is the senior military authority in NATO and the primary source of military advice to NATO's civilian decision-making bodies -- the North Atlantic Council and the Nuclear Planning Group. With reporting by Mike Eckel in Washington and Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman says Moscow will not discuss the return of Crimea to Ukraine with the United States or any other country. Dmitry Peskov spoke on February 15, a day after White House spokesman Sean Spicer said that U.S. President Donald Trump has "made it very clear" that he expects Russia to "return Crimea" and reduce violence in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin spokesman referred to Crimea as Russian territory, saying that "Russia never discusses issues related to its territories with foreign partners, including the United States." Russia seized control of Crimea in March 2014 after sending in troops and staging a referendum denounced as illegal by the United States and a total of 100 countries in the UN General Assembly. Peskov said that Trump did not raise the issue of Crimea in his January 28 telephone conversation with Putin. He also dismissed a February 14 report in the New York Times that cited current and former U.S. officials as saying members of Trump's campaign and other associates had contacts with Russian intelligence officials in the months before the November 2016 presidential election, claiming it was "not based on any facts." "Let's not believe anonymous information," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. The Kremlin spokesman also responded to U.S. media reports that cited U.S. officials as saying that Russia has deployed cruise missiles in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a 1987 pact between Moscow and Washington. "Russia has been and remains committed to its international commitments, including to the treaty in question," Peskov said. "Nobody has formally accused Russia of violating the treaty," he said. More broadly, Peskov said that it is too early to talk about the "normalization" of ties between Russia and the United States as Trump's administration is still being built. Trump has repeatedly said he hopes relations between the United States and Russia will improve during his administration. Ties have been badly strained by rancor over issues including Russia's interference in Ukraine, its role in the war in Syria, and what U.S. intelligence agencies say was a hacking and propaganda campaign to meddle in the U.S. presidential election with the aim of undermining the United States, discrediting Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton, and helping Trump. With reporting by Interfax, TASS, and Reuters It's not official yet, but the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) appears set to make Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic its candidate for president. The party leadership's decision was announced late on February 14, and the move is expected to be confirmed by the party's general assembly on February 17. "I accepted the candidacy only because I believe it is important for the continuity and stability of Serbia," Vucic told public broadcaster RTS. "There is nothing that I would not do for that cause." Vucic added that he did not rule out the prospect of early parliamentary elections, and said a decision would be forthcoming soon. The SNS statement suggests Vucic will "continue talks" with President and fellow SNS member Tomislav Nikolic in an effort to avoid any split within the party's ranks. Nikolic is regarded by many observers as a hard-liner who has played an undersized role on the Serbian political stage as president. However, he recently made waves by saying in the aftermath of the "promo train" dispute between Belgrade and Pristina that he was ready to go to war "to defend Serbs in Kosovo." The train's planned crossing into Kosovo from Serbia -- plastered with the message "Kosovo is Serbia" -- threatened to further sour relations between the two countries, and Nikolic's statement did nothing to defuse the tension. After a January 15 meeting of his National Security Council, Nikolic told journalists: "We don't want war, but if it is necessary to protect Serbs from being killed, we will send an army to Kosovo. We will send soldiers; we'll all go. I'll go, and it won't be the first time that I go [to defend Serbs]." At the time, his critics interpreted the statement as the opening salvo of a reelection campaign. Yet Nikolic has repeatedly said he won't run again for president without his party's backing. "Defending Serbs outside Serbia" is no longer a winning ticket, it seems. The most recent national poll shows that 73 percent of Serbs would not go to war for Kosovo, with 17 percent undecided and only 10 percent saying they would respond favorably to a call to arms like the one issued by Nikolic. Recent polls also suggest that those most inclined to take up arms identified themselves as supporters of the Serbian Radical Party, while the majority of those who expressed a preference for the peaceful resolution of political problems said they would vote for the governing Progressives, a party founded by former Radical Party members Vucic and Nikolic. It thus appears that Progressive leader Vucic's repeated statements in favor of diplomatic solutions resonate more among the party's supporters. One of Vucic's potential rivals for the presidency is Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj, no doubt adding color to the campaign. Seselj spent 11 years in UN detention while on trial before the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY) for alleged ethnic cleansing. He was acquitted in 2016 on all counts, pending appeal, and returned to Serbia in time for the elections that year, when he led his Radical Party to 23 seats in the national parliament. Seselj has been President Nikolic's most outspoken critic, whereas he has never had a major public dispute with Vucic. He is, however, opposed to Vucic's pro-European policy and is strongly in favor of closer relations with Russia. Another pro-Russian candidate in the looming presidential vote is Bosko Obradovic, the president of the Dveri (Door) party. A former Serbian foreign minister and onetime president of the UN's 67th General Assembly, Vuk Jeremic, is selling himself as a European politician but he is very close to Moscow. In the opposition camp, the only clearly pro-European candidate is former Serbian ombudsman Sasa Jankovic, who made his name fighting corruption and defending the rule of law in Serbia. None of the opposition candidates is currently considered much of a match for Vucic, who is widely expected to secure more that 50 percent of the popular vote, enough for outright victory in the first round. The official start of the Serbian presidential race is set for early March, with the election expected a month later, in April, although no date has been finalized. The Serbian Constitution gives limited powers to the president, and incumbent Nikolic has been seen by many as a marginalized figure in Serbian politics. But with Vucic in office, that could change, in no small part because of his personal clout with the electorate and among the country's international partners. If elected president, Vucic might well seek to maintain his balancing act between Moscow and Brussels. And while he might continue to purchase weapons in Russia or Belarus, he has been assertive in implementing a European agenda. Importantly, he is seen by EU leaders as a reliable partner. But above all, Vucic appears eager to pin his campaign's hopes on an ability to deliver what his Balkan country needs most at the moment: stability. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL ON MY MIND Russian missile deployments in violation of the 1987 INF treaty. Russian aircraft buzzing a U.S. naval destroyer in the Black Sea. A Russian spy ship spotted off the U.S. east coast. More Russian hacking allegations, this time in France. Is it me, or has the Kremlin been hyperactive even by its own high standards? And this doesn't even take into consideration Moscow's behavior in its neighborhood like the escalation in the Donbas, rising tensions with Belarus, and threats from a lawmaker on northern Kazakhstan. There is no doubt that the Kremlin has turned up the temperature of late. The question is, why? Is this a sign of a confident regime that sees things going its way and is ready to push the envelope? Is Vladimir Putin testing the waters to see what he can get away with as the West enters a period of uncertainty? It's unclear and, in either case, it is worrying. IN THE NEWS U.S. media are reporting that Russia has deployed a new cruise missile that the United States contends is in violation of a landmark arms control treaty. The U.S. military said multiple Russian military aircraft buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea last week in "unsafe and unprofessional" maneuvers. They were the first such incidents reported during the Trump administration. Russia denied that they occurred. Congressional leaders said they will investigate growing questions over contacts between Russia and top advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump in the weeks and months before he took office. The White House has said that President Donald Trump fully expects Russia to return control of Crimea to Ukraine. Russia has denied carrying out media and Internet attacks against French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron. Russia's embassy in Ankara has expressed anger about the awarding of the prestigious World Press Photo Award to a photographer who shot an image of an off-duty Turkish policeman assassinating Russia's envoy to Turkey. Former Russian State Duma Deputy Denis Voronenkov, who defected to Ukraine last year, has called Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region "a mistake" and compared present-day Russia with Nazi Germany. Montenegro's prime minister, Dusko Markovic, has told Russia and its allies within Montenegro to stop destabilizing the country as part of their opposition to Podgorica's NATO membership bid. Moldova's pro-Russian President Igor Dodon says he thinks the planned opening of a permanent NATO liaison office in Moldova would amount to a provocation. A court in Moscow has sentenced three men from Russia's volatile North Caucasus region to prison on terrorism charges. NATO defense ministers are expected to discuss defense spending and the fight against terrorism at a Brussels meeting attended for the first time by the new U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis. WHAT I'M READING Flynn And The Russians David Frum, a senior editor at The Atlantic and a speechwriter for former U.S. President George W. Bush, has a piece on why the resignation of Michael Flynn as U.S. National Security Adviser matters. How To Deal With Putin Eugene B. Rumer, Richard Sokolsky, and Andrew S. Weiss have a piece in Foreign Affairs on "the right way to manage relations with Russia." "Its possible to stand up for American interests and principles while pursuing a less volatile relationship with Russia," the authors write. "The Nixon administration sowed mines in a harbor in North Vietnam, a Soviet ally, while seeking detente with Moscow. The Reagan administration aggressively challenged Soviet-backed regimes and groups in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America at the same time as it signed arms control agreements with Moscow." The Kremlin's Nukes Dave Majumdar, defense editor of The National Interest, has a piece looking at Russia's recent nuclear weapons deployments. "The Soviet and Russian military only grudgingly accepted the INF treaty at the end of the Cold War-era hostilities. Now, with permissive leadership in the Kremlin, the Russian forces are resuming their pre-Gorbachev-era nuclear posture," Majumdar writes. Lukashenka The Wily In BNEIntellinews, Mark Galeotti, a senior research fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, looks at Alyaksandr Lukashenka's game of chicken with Putin. "'Batya [Lukashenka] has obviously decided it is time for a bit of a shake-down, that Putin will huff and puff, but ultimately needs to have some allies, and will make a deal to buy one. Or at least rent one, as Lukashenko has made it clear he does not stay bought for long. If he gets away with it, this will be a useful indicator to just how confident the Russians really are behind their facade of cynical bombast," Galeotti writes. The Ghosts Of Revolutions Past Veteran Kremlin-watcher Edward Lucas, author of The New Cold War, has a piece on the Center for European Policy Research's website, "Russia's propaganda machine and the ghosts of revolutions past," that looks at the Kremlin's dilemma in commemorating the centennial of 1917. Be Careful What You Wish For Alexander Clarkson, a lecturer in European studies at Kings College London and the author of the book Fragmented Fatherland: Immigration And Cold War Conflict In The Federal Republic of Germany, 19451980, has a piece in Politico on why Russia and China should fear the end of Pax Americana. Turkish media reports say a new suspect has been detained in connection with the December assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey. Police detained the suspect in Ankara on February 15, the state-run Anadolu news agency cited an unidentified security source as saying. Anadolu said authorities believe the suspect had telephone conversations with Mevlut Mert Altintas, the off-duty policeman who shot Ambassador Andrei Karlov dead at a photo exhibition in Ankara on December 19. The 22-year-old Altintas shouted "Don't forget Aleppo" and other apparent references to Russia's involvement in the Syrian civil war, during the attack. He was later killed by police. Anadolu said the suspect apprehended on February 15 is one of four -- including a police officer -- currently in custody in connection with the investigation. Based on reporting by Anadolu, Yeni Safak, and TASS The U.S. Embassy in Georgia has condemned plans by separatist authorities in South Ossetia for a referendum on a proposed name change for the Russia-backed breakaway region. Along with a presidential election on April 9, the separatists who control South Ossetia plan to hold a plebiscite on a proposal to rename the region the Republic of South Ossetia -- the State of Alania. In a statement on its website on February 14, the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi said the United States would not recognize the results of an "illegitimate" referendum conducted "without the explicit consent" of the Georgian government. "Such provocative actions erode trust and confidence and undermine the Geneva International Discussions," it said -- a reference to talks to ease tension that persists years after Russian forces invaded Georgia in a brief war over South Ossetia in 2008. South Ossetia's separatist leader, Leonid Tibilov, signed a decree on February 6 scheduling the referendum. Georgia considers the proposed name provocative because it echoes the name of a neighboring Russian region that is also populated mainly by ethnic Ossetians, the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, seeming to suggest the two should be unified. Tibilov stopped short of calling for referendum on a merger of South Ossetia and North Ossetia, an idea he floated a few years ago. Russia recognized South Ossetia and another separatist region in Georgia, Abkhazia, as independent countries after the 2008 war. It has kept thousands of troops in the regions, deployments that NATO says violate the EU-brokered deal that ended the fighting. The United States and all but a handful of countries consider South Ossetia or Abkhazia to be parts of Georgia and do not recognize the results of elections held in the two regions. With reporting by civil.ge The pants hems, dress alterations and zipper replacements, along with a daily banter that switches between English and Japanese, are coming to an end at the corner of State and West Dayton streets. Marys Tailoring, a shop founded by Mary Toki and with a customer list that is a demographic and economic cross-section of the city, will close next week after a three-decade run and miles of colorful thread. Mariko Narita, who took over the business following the death in 2012 of her mother, Shoko Narita, has announced that she will close the shop on Feb. 24. Ayumi King, the business chief designer who has worked at Marys for the past 17 years, wants to reopen the business in another Downtown location but has not yet found a suitable site. Ive been emotional as we get to the end, said Narita, 47, who plans to pursue other interests. Ive really enjoyed the relationships with the customers, and I know Ill miss this. The shop is tiny, with just over 200 square feet of space, but has one of the most visible spots on State Street, across from the Overture Center. A red dress and neon sign in the front window advertise the business but most of the windows are covered in a thin, white curtain that shields passers-by from the detailed work being done on the other side of the glass by Narita and King. The interior includes a three-sided mirror, small counter, a pair of dressing rooms, sewing machines made in Sweden, Japan and the U.S., and stacks, piles and racks of clothing, some ready for pickup, others waiting in queue. There are awards from Madison Magazine for best tailor shop, Japanese knick-knacks and a framed photo of Shoko Narita, who had battled cancer for 31 years prior to her death at the age of 71. Bill Cox, who has owned the building since 2000 and has had a neighboring key and trophy business for over 35 years, said he has leased the tailor shop space at 132 State St. for what will be a second location for Red Square Flowers. The floral shop was founded in Fitchburg in 2013 by Alina Poletskova, who then moved the shop to 333 W. Mifflin St. in 2015. Cox said he initially wanted to offer a lease to King but the talks never materialized because King wasnt sure if she wanted to continue the business. That led to an agreement with Poletskova, who plans to open by June, Cox said. Theyve been great (tenants). They always pay their rent, theyre quiet and very good people, Cox said of Marys Tailoring. I felt bad that they initially turned (the lease) down. I gave them every opportunity. King, 60, and her husband, Wilkins King, said had they chose to stay at the current location, they would not have been able to afford the estimated $20,000 to $30,000 in improvements that are needed for the space. Its unclear when and where the Kings will reopen. I prefer Downtown because most customers are from the area, said Ayumi King, who also makes custom-ordered dresses. Many customers are asking me where Im gong to be. The tailor shops roots can be traced to the closing in 1984 of Martins, a mens clothing store at 427 State St., where Mary Toki was the head of the tailoring department. Marys Tailoring was initially located on West Dayton Street before moving to Capitol Square and ultimately to State Street. The Toki name is well known in Madison. Mary Tokis husband, Akira Toki, was a decorated World War II veteran who farmed in the Madison area and later was an active volunteer at the Veterans Hospital. Toki Middle School was named in his honor in 1993. He died at the age of 96 in 2012, and she died two years later. Over the years, Marys Tailoring customers have included state lawmakers, at least one state Supreme Court justice, CEOs, business owners and other Downtown residents. Henry Aschauer, 29, has been a customer for four years and owns Roast Public House and Forage Kitchen, both on State Street. Its a good neighborhood institution, for sure, Aschauer said. The shop has also had a front row to the construction of the Overture Center, the redevelopment of the block across the street, Act 10 protests, Halloween celebrations and Ironman competitions. A boutique hotel is planned a few doors away, while more residents continue to move to Downtown with the construction of more apartment buildings. The closing marks the end of an era and the loss of a piece of retail history on a street in constant flux. Its also the first time the business has had to turn away customers knowing the closing of the shop is nearing. With this kind of business the work is never-ending, Ayumi King said. Thats why its weird that we have to stop. A U.S. citizen wanted in Uzbekistan on suspicion of crimes related to terrorism has been detained in Georgia. Georgia's Interior Ministry said on February 15 that a 39-year-old American citizen, identified only as L.K., was detained at the international airport in the capital of Georgia's Ajara autonomous region, Batumi. The statement said that the U.S. citizen was detained on the request of Interpol's bureau in Tashkent. According to the ministry, the man is wanted in Uzbekistan for alleged terrorism, creation of a criminal group, "saboteur activities," and illegal ammunition possession. The suspect's possible extradition to Uzbekistan is pending, it said. 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. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has told Washington's NATO allies that the United States will "moderate its commitment" to the alliance unless they boost their defense spending. Mattis told NATO defense ministers gathered at NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 15 that U.S. taxpayers could no longer carry "a disproportionate share of the defense of Western values." Mattis told the ministers that if their countries "do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance," each of their capitals "need to show support for our common defense." Earlier on February 15, Mattis said the NATO alliance "remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community." "As President Trump has stated, he had strong support for NATO," Mattis told reporters in Brussels ahead of his meeting with NATO defense ministers -- his first since being sworn in on January 27 as the defense chief in President Donald Trump's cabinet. NATO members have voiced concern about Trump's attitude toward the alliance, which he referred to as "obsolete" during the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign. NATO allies have also expressed concerns about Trump's campaign statements suggesting he may take a softer approach toward Russia than his predecessor. Trump has also criticized NATO members that fail to meet the alliance's defense spending target of 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP). Mattis told reporters on February 15 that it was "a fair demand that all who benefit from the best defense in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom." German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen supported the U.S. position of February 15, telling reporters ahead of the NATO ministers meeting that it was a "question of fairness that we Europeans together also make an effort and the burden [of defense spending] is not too much on the Americans." In 2014, the year Russia seized Crimea and backed separatists in a war that has since killed more than 9,750 people in eastern Ukraine, NATO leaders committed to halt defense spending cuts and move to raise their military budgets to 2 percent of GDP within a decade. Twenty-four of the 28 members have stopped cutting defense spending. Stoltenberg has said the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece, and Estonia are "already meeting the 2 percent target," while Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania are getting close. The ministers said they will also aim to send a clear signal of unity. "I'm absolutely certain that the message of this meeting will be a message of transatlantic unity, of the importance of that we stand together and protect each other, and a very strong commitment of the United States to NATO," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told journalists before the meeting. The fight against terrorism, in particular against the extremist group Islamic State (IS), was also expected to be high on the agenda during the two-day meeting. The ministers were set to decide to establish a coordination center in Naples, Italy, where intelligence from countries such as Libya, Syria, or Iraq would be analyzed. "This will help us to coordinate information on crises...and help us address terrorism and other challenges stemming from the region," Stoltenberg said. With reporting by Rikard Jozwiak in Brussels, Reuters, AFP, and dpa WASHINGTON -- U.S. House Democrats are pushing forward with legislation to make sure Congress can block any effort President Donald Trump's administration might make to lift sanctions on Russia. The House legislation, introduced on February 15, mirrors a measure put forth a week earlier by Republican and Democrats in the U.S. Senate. The Russia Sanctions Review Act would make it harder for the White House to lift the asset freezes, visa bans, and other measures imposed during Barack Obama's presidency. Those sanctions are aimed at punishing and pressuring Russia for its illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and the Kremlin's support for pro-Russia separatists who are battling Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine. Trump has signaled he wants better ties with Moscow. Revelations about conversations in 2016 between Trump's aides and Russian officials have fueled concern in Congress that Trump may try to lift the sanctions. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives, insisted the measure had bipartisan support. However, there were no Republicans present at a February 15 news conference on the House bill. The U.S. military said on February 14 that multiple Russian military aircraft buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea last week in "unsafe and unprofessional" maneuvers. They were the first such incidents reported during the Trump administration. Russia denied that they occurred. Captain Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for U.S. European Command, cited three separate incidents on February 10 involving Russian aircraft and the USS Porter. Two involved Russian Su-24 jets and a third involved a larger IL-38. "USS Porter queried all aircraft and received no response," Hernandez said. "Such incidents are concerning because they can result in accident or miscalculation." The incidents involving the Su-24 were considered to be "unsafe and unprofessional" by the commanding officer of the Porter because of their high speed and low altitude, while the IL-38 flew at an unusually low altitude, Hernandez said. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said "There were no incidents of any kind on February 10 related to flights by Russian military jets in the Black Sea near the U.S. Navy destroyer Porter." U.S. and European authorities reported several similar encounters with Russian aircraft last year. Based on reporting by Reuters, Washington Free Beacon, and TASS A pioneering Uzbek banker who was widely seen as a political prisoner has been released after serving his 19-year sentence. Relatives of Rustam Usmonov, 69, told RFE/RL on February 15 that he was released on February 13. Kyrgyzstan-born Usmonov became the owner of Uzbekistan's first-ever private bank, Rustambank, in the wake of the 1991 collapse of the communist Soviet Union. He was found guilty of extortion and illegal currency-exchange operations and sentenced to 14 years in prison in 1998. In 2012, his prison term was prolonged by five years for what the authorities said was "bad behavior while in custody." He spent the last five years of his sentence in the infamous Jaslik prison in the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakistan. Relatives and rights groups say Usmonov's imprisonment was politically motivated. In November, organizations including Human Rights Watch and Freedom House called on the government of then-interim President Shavkat Mirziyaev to release him along with several other people they said were "imprisoned on politically motivated charges." Activists have urged Mirziyaev, who was elected to a five-year term in December, to improve what they say is the tightly controlled Central Asian country's atrocious human rights record. When schoolteacher Osman Ulasyar took steps to protect an ancient Buddhist site in Pakistan's northwestern Swat Valley in 2008, he was lucky to escape the brutal retribution of the Tehrik-e Taliban (Pakistani Taliban). The extremist group, in control of much of the region at the time, considered the site to be filled with "symbols of infidels." The militants have since been routed from the area, but Ulasyar's struggle to safeguard local history from thieves and developers continues. WASHINGTON Republican Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois has a safe seat in Congress. So whats he running from? First, supporters of the Affordable Care Act showed up at his office for a previously scheduled meeting with his staff. But the 16 of them were turned away when Roskam staffers discovered they were accompanied by a reporter, the Chicago Tribune reported. Next, Roskam went to the Palatine Township Republican Organizations monthly meeting, billed as open to all. But organizers shut out the general public because of intense interest. With hundreds of protesters massed outside, Roskam left through a back door. Some people chased after his fleeing car. Then, Roskam announced he would hold a telephone town hall meeting instead. I have no plans to have one of these big, sort of circus meetings, he said, informing WGNs Rick Pearson that hes always thought those larger meetings are just not productive. They certainly arent productive for Roskam and his fellow Republicans not now, anyway. An early backlash against the Trump presidency has led to many verbal confrontations between Republican lawmakers and the citizenry. President Trumps face plant since the inauguration most recently the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn over dealings with Russia is only making matters worse. As recent town-hall meetings of GOP Reps. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, Tom McClintock of California, Gus Bilirakis of Florida, Diane Black of Tennessee and others turn into well-publicized tongue lashings, their colleagues are ducking and running. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-New York, canceled a constituent event in Southampton Village scheduled for April. His office told the Southampton Press they feared he would be harassed again by those who rallied at his recent appearance at a Rotary Club. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colorado, was caught on video slipping out of his own community event last month before its scheduled ending time. Coffmans office told KUSA that the he had planned to have a series of one-on-one meetings, not a town-hall event. The result: Scores were still waiting for Coffman in the lobby when he left via an unmarked exit. In California, McClintock left his town-hall meeting with a police escort. Its the first time Ive ever had a police department have to extract me from a town hall, and Ive done well over 100 of them, he told the Los Angeles Times. The scene is reminiscent of the tea party summer of 2009, but the energy is on the other side this time. Now, as then, the victims say the perpetrators are outsiders Chaffetz said those who protested him included paid people from out of state, an echo of Nancy Pelosis claim of astroturfing but now, as then, the anger is real. Trump has become increasingly toxic, with Flynns resignation and other Russia revelations, the travel ban struck down in court, chaos involving Obamacare, attacks on the federal judiciary and a series of bizarre pronouncements on everything from Ivanka Trumps fashion line to Frederick Douglass. The Washington Posts Sean Sullivan and Ed OKeefe found Republican members of Congress increasingly wary of defending Trump. You cant make it up, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said after Trump was seen in Facebook photos making sensitive national security decisions in his Mar-a-Lago Clubs main dining area. Trump canceled an event in Milwaukee because his would-be host, Harley-Davidson, feared protests. The White House just canceled a visit to Ohio that had been scheduled for Thursday. No reason was given, but protests had been planned. Even congressional aides have felt demonstrators wrath. Staffers for Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue and Rep. Jody Hice, all Georgia Republicans, were met by hundreds of protesters last week in Greensboro, Georgia, for what was supposed to be a mobile office hours event to help constituents with bureaucratic matters. And so others are retreating. A Feb. 21 town hall scheduled with Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, at the Fairview City Hall was removed from the hosts website. Fairviews mayor told CNN the session would instead be a low-key gathering. Rep. Chris Collins, R-New York, in response to a question from WGRZ television, declared he wouldnt have a town-hall meeting, because of demonstrators who come and shout you down and heckle you. Then theres Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Ohio, whose office this week edited his Wikipedia entry to remove a recently added line claiming Tiberi has steadfastly refused to hold a town hall meeting to discuss health care reform with his constituents. His office, confirming its role in the Wikipedia editing, said Tiberi is instead offering to meet with the protesters in small groups and in private. Mekong restaurant at 6004 W. Broad St. has gotten another beer award - this time from the folks at Thrillist.com. The West End Vietnamese restaurant with the incredible beer selection was named the "best beer bar in Virginia" by the site. "A true beer bar obsesses over beer and caters to those who do the same. It cares about stuff like clean lines and proper glassware. It generally has a bunch of interesting beers on tap, but doesn't cheapen quality in a chase for sheer quantity." Stroops Heroic Dogs the gourmet hot dog joint from the folks behind the award-winning restaurant Dutch & Company is in the process of rebranding or possibly even closing. The restaurant posted about the changes on its Facebook page Monday, writing: While weve had a blast with the Stroops concept, it just wasnt cuttin the mustard. We are open to accepting emails if you are interested in our space (stroopsrva@gmail.com). But in the meantime, we thought wed change it up. The restaurant wrote that handcrafted heroic dogs will not completely go away, but additions such as sandwiches, pastas ... and prepared meals to go may make their way onto the menu as early as this week or whenever the current inventory sells out. Stroops opened in November 2015 at 2709 E. Marshall St. in Church Hill. *** Ashland residents got a new restaurant last week with the opening of Pie Hole Pizza at 412 England St. The restaurant is from Karen Verdisco, the woman behind Brew American Gastropub, which opened in 2013 in Chesterfield County. At Pie Hole, diners can find Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in a brick oven, plus 24 taps largely dedicated to local craft beer. There are nearly a dozen signature pizzas on the Pie Hole menu, such as spicy chorizo, fig and goat, and pancetta pesto. A few salads, desserts and small plates round out the menu. All pizzas are 12 inches and priced $10-$16. Pie Hole Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. *** It looks like The Crazy Greek has found a new home. The owners recently signed a lease at 5905 W. Broad St. in the former Huynhs Restaurant location, just west of Libbie Avenue. Owners Anna and Perry Pergiotis had a 20-year lease on the original location at 1903 Staples Mill Road, but closed it in October when the lease was up. The original owners of The Crazy Greek took the Staples Mill location back and plan to open The Greek Taverna in that space. *** Speaking of new restaurants, Kabob Place opened this month at 8906 W. Broad St. in the former Crustacean Boil N Grill space in the Golds Gym Plaza. The restaurant serves Middle Eastern and Indian food and is now open for lunch and dinner daily. *** The Hard Shell at 1411 E. Cary St. in Shockoe Slip has reopened after being closed for a five-week full renovation. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The words from White House adviser Stephen Miller during Sundays Face the Nation program, in which he defended President Trumps dreadful executive orders on immigration, were straight out of The Idiots Guide to Authoritarianism: Our opponents, the media and the whole world will soon see, as we begin to take further actions, that the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned. The executives power to implement immigration policy is indeed substantial. But should it be unquestioned? Of course not, especially when the policy runs hard up against constitutional protections. It is a fundamental principle of American democracy that the policies and statements of a president any president should and must be second-guessed by citizens, experts, artists, and, of course, the media. ...Political protest is part of the lifeblood of American democracy, from the Boston Tea Party to the modern-day tea party to the Womens March on Washington last month. Millers comment should have sent a chill down the spines of civil libertarians across the political spectrum. And its not out of tone with what others in the administration are saying. ... Trump strategist Stephen Bannon, for instance, called the media the opposition party. Trump himself tweeted nastily about a judge after a ruling didnt go his way, and he has sought to delegitimize news reporting about his administration by shouting fake news when he reads articles he doesnt agree with. Legislatures in 10 states are contemplating laws aimed at squelching public protests. One law in Indiana would require police to use any means necessary to clear protesters blocking a road. Another in North Dakota site of the Dakota Access pipeline showdown would exonerate any motorist who, while exercising reasonable care, kills or injures a protester who is intentionally obstructing vehicular traffic. A Virginia law would increase the penalty for failing to disperse from a $500 fine to $2,500 and up to a year in jail. A proposed Michigan law which died in the last legislative session but could be reintroduced would authorize fines of $1,000 a day for individuals and $1,500 for unions if they hinder or prevent by mass picketing access to a business or private home.... Of course, protesters shouldnt damage property or interfere with traffic, but laws already exist to penalize such behavior. Making them harsher and imprisoning people for political expression are the actions of a government afraid of its people, not of a mature democratic government. ...Trump and his acolytes need to be reminded of that. A man died after being stabbed in the chest during a fight with another man, who police arrested, Tuesday in South Richmond. David Jones, 40, of the 1400 block of Clarkson Drive, was found in a breezeway of an apartment building in the same block where he lived. Police were called shortly after 6:30 p.m. to the 1400 block of Clarkson Road, off Warwick Road, where a fight had reportedly broken out. Jones was taken to Chippenham Hospital, where he died at 9:36 p.m., police said. Devell L. Carson, 36, of the 2400 block of Whitcomb Street, was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter. Officials in Richmond attributed a delay last week in residential trash collection to an issue with the temporary workers the city has for years relied on to staff refuse trucks. Sharon North, a spokeswoman for the citys Department of Public Works, said the agency that had been providing the workers to the city decided it could no longer do so. Facing a decision of bringing on new employees from a different staffing firm or bringing the temporary employees in-house, the city opted for the latter something temporary employees had pushed for during a half-day strike in the summer of 2015. The delay came into play when the temporary workers were being processed as city employees on Monday of last week, said John Buturla, the citys deputy chief administrative officer for operations. Buturla, addressing the City Council on Monday, apologized for not notifying the public about the delay. We had to take them off the trucks in order to process them, and it snowballed, he said. We should have let citizens know. North characterized the agencys decision as a business one tied to the companys insurance coverage. Because solid waste collection is considered a very dangerous job, she said. North said the city is hiring about 45 employees as refuse collectors who had previously worked for the temp agency, though it will continue to use about 30 temporary employees as well. In the past, officials have said they rely on temporary workers because the work is difficult and its hard for the city to find employees who want to do it and stick with it. "We have been working to better understand the facts of these situations and, importantly, both the intent and impact of these events on members of our community," the provost says. A federal judge on Friday ordered that a Charlottesville man convicted in a $10.5 million bank fraud case be taken into custody. Magistrate Judge David J. Novak made the decision, which was later affirmed by U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson, after a federal prosecutor said the defendant was a flight risk because he had been in negotiations to buy a multi-million-dollar airplane. Michael P. Klekamp, 68, sat down in his chair and shook his head after Novak announced he was revoking the convicts bond. Klekamp pleaded guilty on Dec. 9 to defrauding the Fauquier Bank, causing a $10.5 million loss. He had been released on bond as he awaited sentencing next month in the case, an arrangement that initially raised no objections from federal prosecutors. But David T. Maguire, an assistant U.S. attorney, urged Novak to revoke that bond during Fridays court hearing. Maguire laid out a case in court where Klekamp tried to purchase the aircraft for no more than $4 million using a Washington, D.C. airplane broker. There are new circumstances that scream out that say he is a risk of flight, Maguire said. FBI Special Agent Jane Collins testified that she received an email Feb. 6 from officials at a complaint line that the bureau maintains. That email summarized a complaint from a Washington-based plane broker who told federal law enforcement officials that he had been in contact with Klekamp about him buying the plane, which is located in Dallas, Collins said. Negotiations over the plane had cooled down for a period of time before Klekamp contacted the broker again on Feb. 2, Collins said. A federal probation officer, Diane Moczydlowski, testified that she had received a call from Klekamps wife saying he was distraught and had suicidal thoughts over the possibility of going to prison and worried about his safety while incarcerated. Maguire had argued in court papers that Klekamps attempts to buy the plane amounted to an attempt to obtain property by false pretenses since he had nowhere near $4 million in assets, is unemployed and is likely going to jail over the bank fraud. Maguire told Judge Novak that Klekamps actions constituted wire fraud and demonstrated he was a danger to the community, but the judge rejected those arguments. The federal magistrate was more swayed by Maguires argument that Klekamp might flee if he wasnt taken into custody. Novak asked Klekamps attorney, Paul G. Gill, what his client was planning to do with the aircraft. Why else buy the airplane if not flight? the magistrate asked Gill. Gill explained during the court hearing that his client has long had an interest in airplanes. The defense attorney dismissed as pure folly any notion that securing an aircraft would be the most efficient way to flee authorities. Under questioning by the defense attorneys, federal witnesses acknowledged they had no evidence that Klekamp is a pilot or that he put down any money for the airplane. In court documents, Gill wrote that emails the government relied on for its case indicated he met the airplane broker in Charlottesville in August, months before he first appeared in court. Court records show Klekamp was the president of Capitol Components and Millwork Inc. of Culpeper, which manufactured and distributed building material for mid- to high-end residential and commercial buildings. The company drew money from a secured revolving line of credit at Fauquier Bank. In pleading guilty, Klekamp admitted fraudulently maintaining the credit line by misrepresenting the true financial condition of his company and lying to the bank about the true value of the firms collateral. On Oct. 25, 2015, Klekamp told the bank that there was approximately $17 million of total accounts receivable and inventory to secure the banks $11.5 million credit line, while there was actually no more than $3.4 million of total accounts receivable and inventory. The company was not able to repay the interest or principal amount of the loan, resulting in a loss of approximately $10.5 million as a result of the scheme. Klekamp is expected to be sentenced on March 24 by Hudson. A man who was shot and wounded after opening fire on law enforcement as he charged out of a Greensville County home is now facing a number of a charges, including five counts of attempted capital murder of a police officer, Virginia State Police said Wednesday. Anthony Dangelo Wilkins, 33, of Emporia, also is charged with five counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and two counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. State troopers, Emporia police and Greensville County deputies went to the home Sunday night while looking for a suspect in a shooting in neighboring Emporia. Wilkins, who had a gun in each hand, began firing as he came out the front door and officers returned fire, wounding him, state police said. He was flown to VCU Medical Center, where he is being treated for serious injuries, state police said. A Henrico County man was among 11 arrested as part of a cyber sting in which Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office investigators posed as underage teenage girls on chat websites. Most of the men arrested, unaware that they were communicating with undercover officers, thought they were going to have a sexual encounter with a child, the sheriffs office said. Those swept up in the operation were arrested between October and earlier this month and were charged with indecent liberties and electronic solicitation of a minor, authorities said. They are: Reginal Linwood Johnson, 64, of Henrico; Stephen Lewis Redford, 27, of Amelia County; Howard Daniel Dowden, 32, of Caroline County; Jon-Paul Patterson Snyder, 31, of Caroline; Mohammed Wail Nuri, 20, of Spotsylvania; Thomas Wayne Petry, 28, of Spotsylvania; Michael Wade Miller, 62, of Spotsylvania; Austin Thomas Fowler, 26, of Stafford County; Michael Allen Silver, 20, no fixed address; Gabriel Allen Hester, 33, of Caroline, who also is facing a charge of felony prostitution; and Colin Wade Clayton, 21, of Spotsylvania, who also was charged with possession of marijuana and driving on a revoked license. Nine men showed up at locations in Spotsylvania thinking they were picking up a 13-year-old girl and were arrested on site by investigators, Spotsylvania Capt. Elizabeth Scott said in a Tuesday news conference. Two suspects did not show up to predetermined locations where the stings occurred, and investigators sought warrants to pick them up. The FBI assisted Spotsylvania investigators in arresting Johnson at his Henrico home, said Dee Rybiski, an FBI spokeswoman. He was booked Feb. 7 at the Rappahannock Regional Jail, according to VINELink. Scott did not identify the other suspect who did not show up at the meeting spot. Johnson has been working part-time for the last four months as a custodian picking up trash at Richmond's Grove Christian School, said The Rev. Ken Winter, a senior associate pastor at Grove Church. That's a Southern Baptist church in the city's West End that houses the K-12 religious school. Johnson was employed by a contractor that provides janitorial services for the school, Winter said, adding that the contractor has said Johnson cleared a background check prior to starting work. The pastor said Johnson typically started work around 4:30 p.m. after classes had already ended, and that the church is not aware of any complaints regarding Johnson and the students. "To the best of our knowledge, he never had any contact with children or students at Grove," Winter said. The Spotsylvania operation was paid for using funds awarded by the Virginia State Police. The money pays for overtime, training and equipment, the sheriffs office said. I think we could probably continue doing this and make 11 more arrests, Scott said. And I know that doesnt sit well with parents at home, but thats why its incredibly important to know what sites your children are going onto and whom theyre talking to. By the 2018-19 school year, thousands of Chesterfield County school students will be going to school at a different time. School Board members unanimously signed off Tuesday on a plan pitched last week to alter school start times. All 11 high schools and the majority of elementary schools will see later start times, and class will begin earlier for seven of the 12 middle schools. The change pushes back some of the earliest high school start times in the state, an idea Chesterfield school leaders have tossed around for years. Currently, Chesterfield high schools and some middle schools start earliest, at 7:20 a.m. Then a second group of middle schools and some elementary schools begin class at 8:25 a.m., while bells of the remaining elementary schools ring at 9:15 a.m. Under the approved plan, high schools would start 70 minutes later, at 8:30 a.m. Seven of the countys 12 middle schools would start 50 minutes earlier, at 7:35 a.m., while five others would see virtually no change. Bell starts at elementary schools are broken into three groups, causing 30 of the 38 schools to start later. The plan received a mix of responses from a dozen speakers Tuesday, a slice of the more than 10,000 responses school leaders said they received overall. Teachers, school staff members and parents were mostly split between supporting pushing back high school start times for safety and health reasons and opposing later start times for some elementary schools. Critics pointed to how the change would affect when parents could get to their jobs, and the later hour in which more elementary school students would be learning more rigorous material. This is not a perfect solution, School Board Chairman Javaid Siddiqi said. The target has always been addressing high school start times. ... This is definitely a move in the right direction ... a big step for a belabored conversation. School leaders hope to purchase enough buses over the next 10 years to create a system where all students could start school after 8:30 a.m. Superintendent James Lane said the fact that high schoolers drive more than middle schoolers was one of the biggest reasons why some middle schools are starting earlier and high schools later. With the crash statistics that Ive seen since I came here, that certainly drove a lot of my thinking, Lane said. The approved plan shaves millions off of previous proposals. School Board member John Erbach commended Lane for finding a plan that reduced the cost, one of the biggest causes of school leaders opposition to previous proposals. The lower tab stems mainly from spreading elementary school bus runs over three groups of bell starts, rather than two. The plan also would lengthen the overall time that bus drivers spend on routes. About 30 new buses will be needed, causing about $4.1 million in first-year costs and $1.9 million in annual expenses. About $2.6 million would be needed to purchase the 30 new buses. In the next school year, $500,000 could be put toward improving bus drivers salaries to recruit more drivers, which would become an annual expense. An additional $1.4 million in annual expenses would be needed to operate the extra buses. Chesterfield is one of three localities in Virginia that have high schools starting at 7:20 a.m., Dr. Suzanne Mazzeo of Virginia Commonwealth University recently told school leaders. No other locality in the state starts earlier, the sleep specialist has said. An analysis by the American Academy of Pediatrics helped revive the countys discussion over school start times. That study formally recommended that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., and was based on the growing body of research that shows the benefits of later starts and the risks of early ones. In addition to improved grades, research suggests that teen car crashes and tardiness are reduced with high school start times of 8:30 a.m. or later. Also on Tuesday, five school employees commented on the proposed budget. Three of the speakers pleaded for raises above the 2 percent salary increase Lane has proposed for 7,400 full-time employees. Another employee urged School Board members to not change the benefits of the supplemental retirement program. The United States has long been a leader in medical technology innovation and discovery, and Wisconsin has been a leading state in medical breakthroughs and medical device manufacturing. Unfortunately, we have tax policies, including the medical device tax, that have stifled innovation and job creation, putting our research and technological leadership at risk. Fortunately, lawmakers such as House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, and U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, have long understood the negative consequences of such policies on medical innovation, jobs and the U.S. economy. The U.S. medical device tax, implemented in 2013, is a burdensome 2.3 percent excise tax on medical device manufacturers. Thanks to Speaker Ryan, Kind, Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, and others, this tax was temporarily suspended in late 2015 with strong bipartisan support. The temporary two-year suspension of the tax has given medical technology companies including GE Healthcare and dozens of other large and small medical technology manufacturers in Wisconsin opportunities to redirect their savings into research and development, their employees and communities. According to Jay Hill, general manager of imaging technology for GE Healthcare, his company has been able to grow its servicing hub in Oak Creek and improve its lab in Waukesha, which attracts young people to advanced manufacturing. He attributes this directly to suspension of the medical device tax. The economic and human impact of medical innovation is hard to overstate. The medical device industry is an important and thriving sector in the U.S. economy, creating jobs in all 50 states and representing a sizable portion of the nations economic output. Here in Wisconsin, the medical device industry contributes about $8.9 billion to the states economy and is responsible (directly and indirectly) for more than 48,000 high-quality, well-paying jobs. The industry is proof that fostering innovation can lead to positive outcomes. Yet without permanent repeal of the device tax, uncertainty looms. This tax, if it isnt stopped again, would inhibit life-changing innovations while weakening job creation and economic growth. Research and development require significant capital investments over many years. And that impacts every aspect of a companys innovation cycle, from workforce retention and job creation to employee compensation and benefits, facility expansion and the medical device pipeline itself. There are ripple effects as well, because medical innovation supports collaboration with universities, independent institutions and medical centers. The two-year suspension of the device tax was a good start. Also encouraging is congressional approval of the 21st Century Cures Act, which will improve the innovation ecosystem and accelerate breakthroughs. Full repeal of the device tax is the next logical step. Andrew Joseph Drew Gillespie III, 71, a former Richmond vice mayor, city councilman and accomplished mechanical engineer for Philip Morris USA, died Feb. 7 of cardiac arrest, after battling health problems in recent years. Family members remember him as a Renaissance man and described him in his obituary as an engineer, writer, leader, civic activist, artist, woodworker, chef, athlete, storyteller, speaker, tutor and mentor. He lived in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., during his retirement. My dad never did anything halfway, said Beverly Finnen, one of his three daughters. Whether it was earning 23 patents for his machine designs as a mechanical engineer for Phillip Morris, cheering on his daughters when they competed in school athletics or staying up through the night helping with a school project, Finnen said her father honed in on whatever he was doing and was a patient family man and dedicated community leader. He invested himself in everyone he met, she said. Mr. Gillespie began serving on the Richmond City Council and became vice mayor in 1982, representing the citys 4th District. He ended his political career as a City Council member in 1988 despite pleas by some for him to continue in politics. On the City Council, Mr. Gillespie fought for infrastructure improvements to battle flooding issues at Reedy Creek and adamantly pushed for an increase in police patrols. Im sure (police) are doing the best they can do. What concerns me is that they dont have enough people. Theres only one place to get them (for special assignments), and thats off the beats, Mr. Gillespie was quoted as saying in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in October 1985. If they get down to a bare-bones situation, which I think we are, the beats will go uncovered. A month later, he continued that plea for more officers, referencing a TV news crew being fired upon in Richmond while taping a series on crime. There are people dying every day. ... I guess everybody saw the report on TV when the reporters were actually fired on. It looked like something out of Vietnam, Mr. Gillespie said, as reported by The Times-Dispatch. At one point, in August 1985, he begged for the city manager to please, please make police officers a budgeting priority, The Richmond News Leader reported. Finnen said her father made friends easily and was sometimes long-winded. He opined on a wide range of subjects in news articles, including in a 1986 column in The News Leader in which he discussed his excitement for Cheerwine coming to Richmond. When I talked to Gillespie yesterday, he had not heard the news about Cheerwines arrival in Richmond. He reacted like a man who had just found a $100 bill on the floor of a telephone booth, columnist Steve Clark wrote. Terrific! Mr. Gillespie said to Clark. That means I wont have to smuggle it across the border every time I come back from a visit to Salisbury. Mr. Gillespie graduated from North Carolina State University in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. He worked at Philip Morris until his retirement in 2004. In addition to his daughter, Mr. Gillespie is survived by his wife, Gigi Marie Gillespie; two other daughters, Elizabeth Wetmore and Sarah Levine; a stepdaughter, Emily Laughery; a stepson, Chad Laughery; and nine grandchildren. Virginia gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello apologized Wednesday after video surfaced of the former Democratic congressman comparing President Donald Trumps victory to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The election of Donald Trump was a little bit like, you know, a political and constitutional September 11 for us, if I can be honest, Perriello said in a video circulated on state conservative blog Bearing Drift and other right-leaning news outlets. Perriello made the remark Friday at a campaign event in Nelson County. The nine-second video clip was uploaded to a YouTube account that appears to focus on opposition research against Democratic governors. Perriello, who has said he was inspired to run largely to combat Trump, quickly apologized for the comment. Still, the analogy drew bipartisan condemnation from Republicans and Perriellos Democratic primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam. Those are certainly not the words I would use, and I think the analogy is awful and offensive, Northam said in a written statement from his campaign. However, Donald Trumps first month is proof his policies will hurt Virginias families. From the outrageous Muslim ban to his promise to defund Planned Parenthood and attacks on womens reproductive rights, his administration has been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. The two Democrats had largely avoided criticizing one another, but Northams response Wednesday is another signal the lieutenant governor is prepared to crank up the heat on Perriello. Republican Party of Virginia Chairman John Whitbeck said Perriellos comment shows Democrats have become unhinged, over Trump, and denunciations from GOP gubernatorial contenders came fast and furious. #DopeyTom is at it again. Always putting his foot in his mouth, Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, said on Twitter. This statement could only be made by someone without any perspective grounded in loss and sacrifice for our great nation, distillery owner Denver Riggleman said in a written statement. To compare democratically elected Donald Trumps election to the mass murder of 3,000 Americans by terrorists is absurd, said state Sen. Frank W. Wagner, R-Virginia Beach. Tom Perriellos 9/11 comparison is offensive, Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman and the front-runner in the GOP primary, said on Twitter. His calculated outrage is becoming increasingly outrageous. I apologized for my comment, Perriello tweeted in response to Gillespie. Still waiting on your apology for supporting Trumps immoral and unconstitutional Muslim ban. Perriello, a Charlottesville native who represented the central 5th congressional District for one term before losing his first re-election bid in 2010, joined the Virginia governors race unexpectedly last month after working as a U.S. State Department diplomat under the Obama administration. Perriello has pitched himself as a bold option for progressives who want to make Virginia a firewall against Trump. Northam, a former state senator and pediatric surgeon backed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the Democratic establishment, is running as the steady hand while trying to establish anti-Trump bonafides. A 16-year-old Culpeper youth was charged with failing to keep his vehicle on the right side of the road after he lost control and collided with a Culpeper County school bus Wednesday morning, state police said. According to Sgt. Les Tyler of the Virginia State Police, the teen was driving a 1999 Honda Accord east on Black Hill Road in the Jeffersonton area (State Route 626) when he ran off the road, over-corrected, came back onto the road and struck the bus, which was heading west. The accident involving bus No. 71 occurred around 7 a.m. about one-tenth of a mile west of State Route 229, according to the school system. The driver of the Honda was transported to Fauquier Hospital. The extent of his injuries was not available. The bus driver and the 29 students on board were not injured, Tyler said. No students needed medical attention at the scene, according to the school system. Students were loaded on another bus and taken to school, where they were checked by the nurses and parents were notified. Gov. Scott Walker sent a strong message to young people in his recent budget address, but he left out one important detail. Citing research by the Brookings Institution, the Republican governor urged teenagers to follow three rules for success. Graduate from school, get a job and wait until youre 21 and married to have a child, the governor said. Research shows that those who do so are overwhelmingly more likely to succeed. Hes right. And state Rep. Amanda Stuck, D-Appleton, was wrong to overreact. Stuck demanded the governor apologize to successful single and unmarried parents for his closed-minded remark. Stuck said she became a single parent at 19, then went on to finish school and today is married with two children. As a proud former single mother who has raised children through thick and thin, I am insulted that the governor thinks that only married parents can successfully raise children, she said. The road to success takes many forms, often with twists and turns along the way. Indeed it does. But the governor never said only married couples can succeed as parents. He merely cited extensive studies showing they succeed at much higher rates. Only 2 percent of Americans who earn high school diplomas, get a job and wait until theyre 21 and married to have children fall into poverty, according to Brookings researchers Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill. And close to 75 percent are in the middle class. The governor has proposed spending $1 million in his state budget to publicize these and related statistics, called the Success Sequence. He also wants to incorporate the information into school curriculums. Encouraging young people to study, work and make responsible choices about sex is important. But a strong abstinence message must be coupled with education and access to contraception. Thats where the Republican governor fell short. The same Brookings researchers cite birth control as key to avoiding unwanted pregnancy. Diffusion of birth control has dramatically improved womens academic, professional and financial success, according to Brookings. And 95 percent of unplanned pregnancies occur when birth control isnt used consistently or at all. The governor and his Republican colleagues too often ignore or discourage birth control education and distribution, Stuck correctly noted. He has cut funding to organizations providing health care services for women, she said, and signed legislation repealing comprehensive sex education in our schools. For more young people to succeed, Wisconsin needs tighter families, strong schools and accurate information about sexuality so teens make good decisions about their futures. That will require more than some numbers and a slogan. But sharing a positive message in a powerful way will surely help. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited President Donald Trump in Florida. While the two convened, North Korea launched a missile that landed in the waters between Korea and Japan. The missile presumably was capable of carrying a nuclear payload. Trump emphatically stated his support for Americas Japanese allies. He said the right things. The U.S. and others have been contending with North Koreas nuclear ambitions for many years. The Bush and Obama administrations failed to restrain Pyongyang. Although reports depict a Communist Korea in dire straits, diplomacy with the communists always has been doomed. Deterrence must rely on massive retaliation. A Korean strike must invite Koreas annihilation, the communists need to know. The struggle against ISIS and Islamic terrorism has dominated the Trump administrations opening days. East Asia also is hot. Trump created a stir when he cuddled up to Taiwan. He subsequently reiterated his support for the traditional policy of one China that has typified Sino-American relations through successive presidencies. Ronald Reagan confronted a similar dilemma. American conservatives long have preferred Taiwan to the Mainland, and have been right to. The Republic of China remains superior in every regard to Red China. Old China hands know this. The reputation of Chiang Kai-shek, the Generalissimo, continues to wax while the reputation of Mao Zedong continues to wane. Carol Schall and Mary Townley, one of the two couples who were plaintiffs in the Virginia lawsuit that led to legal gay marriage, visited the Capitol on Tuesday to mark the three-year anniversary of the U.S. District Court ruling. Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen in February 2014 ruled Virginias ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Her ruling was upheld on appeal. The couple, of Chesterfield County, joined lawmakers and Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam for a news conference. That was a historic moment in Virginia when we proclaimed that equality means everyone, and were here today to celebrate that moment, Schall said. On that great day, we won a very simple right. The right to call our families by their legal names. Names matter names like mom and wife make all the difference in the world. Virginians in 2006 approved a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Del. Mark D. Sickles, D-Fairfax, is among lawmakers who have filed legislation to strike that now-unconstitutional language. Republicans who control the General Assembly, however, have not advanced the legislation. Sickles said the cultural norm of 2006 shouldnt forever remain Virginias law. All we need is a vote, he said. We need to get it before the whole House of Delegates and vote yea or nay. Richmonds list of streets that evoke vivid images is impressively long. Consider Monument Avenue, with its stately mansions rising above the statuary and the tree-lined median. Or Riverside Drive, with its bluffs-edge vistas of the James River. Or East Grace Street in Church Hill, with its rows of elegantly understated, antebellum homes. Pope Avenue, which meanders in appealing curves through the northwestern corner of the Bellevue neighborhood in Richmonds North Side, might not spring as readily to mind, but it should. At some point, you might even have done a double take as you drove past it. If youre traveling on Hermitage Road, its easy to spot. A large granite arch rises above it with the word Bellevue chiseled into its crown. Nearly 50 years ago, Rob Snowden, who was studying at Virginia Commonwealth University, made a point to drive under the arch on his way to shop at Azalea Mall. I would drive through the arch because it was cool, Snowden said. In fact, driving under the arch introduced Snowden to Pope Avenue and its attractive mix of Craftsman, Tudor, Colonial and Mediterranean revival-style homes, and he fell in love with the idea of owning a house there. He had to wait a while, but he and his wife, Kathy Snowden, bought a large Craftsman with deep, overhanging eaves on Pope Avenue in 1996. Moving in here was like a goal attained, Snowden said. The arch, it turned out, was a pretty good marketing tool, and it has been for a long time. The Bellevue arch was erected in 1894 to serve as an eye-catching entryway to one of the idyllic suburban communities that Richmond businessman Lewis Ginter and his business partner, John Pope, had planned to develop on farmland that was then in Henrico County. Ginter, Richmonds wealthiest resident, had made his fortune in tobacco, and Pope was his protege, serving as first vice president of Ginters American Tobacco Company as well as playing leadership roles in Ginters other business interests. Ginter molded him into a leading capitalist devoted to Richmonds prosperity, development and image, said Brian Burns, author of Lewis Ginter: Richmonds Gilded Age Icon. Among Ginter and Popes land purchases was the tract that would eventually become a part of todays Bellevue neighborhood. They werent the only ones branching into suburban developments in the late 1800s. Several prominent businessmen bought tracts in northern Henrico, hoping to capitalize on the growing demand for residential communities that didnt have the problems associated with cramped, often unsanitary city conditions. However, the Panic of 1893, which triggered a nationwide economic depression, brought a sudden halt to residential construction, and Ginter and Popes plans for the Bellevue tract as well as others were delayed. They installed the granite arch and laid out roads, including present-day Pope Avenue, but they didnt put individual lots on the market, Burns said. (The granite for the arch probably came from Ginters quarry near the intersection of Lakeside Avenue and Oakwood Lane, he added.) Other serious setbacks followed in the wake of the economic depression. Pope died in 1896 at the age of 39 from a throat infection, and Ginter, grief-stricken by his proteges death, died the following year at the age of 73. Nearly a decade passed before Popes brother, George Pope, laid out half-acre and larger lots for the Bellevue tract and began advertising them as part of the Bellevue Park subdivision. (George Popes plans called for portions of present-day Princeton Road to be a park along the subdivisions northern boundary.) He also named Pope Avenue in honor of his brother. In an ad from 1906, it was called John Pope Avenue, Burns said. It later got abbreviated. Still, the development failed to get traction until Popes sister, who had inherited the land after George Popes death, sold it to two brothers, J. Lee Davis and C.W. Davis, in 1919. The brothers company, Davis Brothers Inc., built homes throughout the city beginning in the 1910s, and they played a major role in Richmonds postwar expansion. In the meantime, construction on another Ginter-and-Pope project, Ginter Park, had begun in earnest in 1906, and it became central Virginias first master-planned, suburban community. In the midst of the citys postwar housing boom, Davis Brothers built houses steadily along Pope Avenue throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s, by which time it was nearly built out. (Today, the street has approximately 25 houses.) Its eclectic aesthetic reflects the eras interest in a variety of architectural styles, including European ones such as Tudor and Mediterranean revivals. Its like a drive through Hollywood, said Joan Peaslee, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway PenFed HomeServices Realty. The streets expansive houses (the largest is 4,091 square feet, according to tax records) along with the large lot sizes (the largest is 1 acre, according to tax records) have proved to be perennially popular among homebuyers. Houses on Pope Avenue dont come on the market often, but when they do, theyre bought instantly, Peaslee said. People like to move up in Bellevue, and Pope Avenue is the street in Bellevue. _______________ Authorities said a man in Washington state typed out a text message about a plan to hire someone to kill his wife and their 4-year-old daughter but it was mistakenly sent to his former boss, not a hit man. Jeffery Scott Lytle, 42, was arrested early last week in Monroe, Washington, on suspicion of planning a murder-for-hire after Snohomish County sheriff's deputies were alerted to a chilling text message sent from Lytle's phone and addressed to someone named "Shayne." But the message, which detailed Lytle's apparent intent to have his family killed, was erroneously sent to his former boss, police said. "Hey Shayne hows it going," Lytle wrote, according to a probable cause statement. "You remember you said that you would help me kill my wife. I'm going to take you up on that offer." It's not clear whether Lytle has an attorney. Lytle wrote in the text message that he would split his wife's life insurance payout, which he said was worth $1 million. If the hit man wanted a bonus, Lytle wrote, he could also kill the 4-year-old girl, whose policy was worth $500,000. "I go to work 5 in the morning," Lytle wrote, according to court records. He reportedly added that his wife "goes to work at 2:00pm so if you can make a robbery gone wrong or make it a accident she works at walmart she gets off at 11:00." "I'll split everything with the insurance 50/50," he said. Lytle was arrested last week and charged with two counts of felony criminal solicitation for the crime of murder in the first degree, according to the court records. Authorities said Lytle first denied communicating with anyone about a plan to kill his wife and child but later admitted that he had written the message as a way to "vent" during an argument he had with his wife about his talking with another woman, according to the court documents. He told investigators that he had saved the message on his phone and that his daughter must have sent it, police said. Lytle also denied knowing anyone named "Shayne," saying it was "just a name" he used when he wanted to "vent," according to the court documents. He told police that he often expresses his frustrations in text messages and then deletes them but had no intention of hurting his wife and daughter. Debbie Willis, a public information officer for the Monroe Police Department, which is investigating the incident, said Tuesday that investigators have not found an insurance policy on anybody in the family. She said they are still waiting to serve a search warrant on Lytle's cellphone. German Ellano, who CBS affiliate KIRO identified as Lytle's roommate, told the news station that the text message could have been a misunderstanding, saying, "He's not going to do something like that." According to the probable cause statement: --- A person is guilty of criminal solicitation when, with intent to promote or facilitate the commission of a crime, he or she offers to give or gives money or other thing of value to another to engage in specific conduct which would constitute such crime or which would establish complicity of such other person in its commission or attempted commission had such crime been attempted or committed. --- It states that Lytle "admits to authoring a text communication to which appears to be to another person with the intent to facilitate the killing of his wife and daughter for financial gain." A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. RICHMOND A state senator spoke out Tuesday against what he said is an obvious conflict of interest as legislation intended to address the cost of higher education continues to stall in the General Assembly. Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, objected when the Senate higher education subcommittee advanced a bill to the full committee with the understanding it would then be referred to Senate Finance, where a half-dozen other proposals related to tuition charges have died. The committee is co-chaired by Sen. Thomas Norment, R-James City, who is on the faculty of the College of William and Mary. Thats an obvious conflict of interest if you have someone whos an employee of an institution who is going to sit in judgment on all these tuition bills, Petersen said after the meeting. Norment did not return a call seeking comment. Meanwhile, Senate-approved legislation to provide consumer protection to student borrowers was rejected by the House Commerce and Labor Committee. The legislation (SB 1053), sponsored by Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, was known as the Student Loan Borrowers Bill of Rights. The bill would have required that student loan providers doing business in Virginia be licensed by the State Corporation Commissions Bureau of Financial Institutions. It was supported by the McAuliffe administration and by student advocacy groups, including Virginia21. Student debt is an issue that transcends politics and must be addressed, Tim Cywinski, Virginia21 communications director, said by email after the vote. He said the group will work with members from both parties to pass similar legislation next year. The bill before the Senate subcommittee (HB 1410), by Del. Dave Albo, R-Fairfax, would require that schools with out-of-state enrollment exceeding 30 percent use a portion of that tuition revenue to lower the cost for in-state students. W&M and the University of Virginia are the targets of the bill. I dont know why its going to Finance, Petersen objected when the panels chairman, Sen. Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax, said the bill was headed to the Finance Committee. Well, its going to Finance when you start messing around with out-of-state numbers, responded Saslaw, who said the General Assembly did not need to micromanage universities. Saslaw also is a member of the Finance Committee, which last month tabled proposals that were intended to put limits on tuition and on the autonomy of governing boards. Among them was a proposal by Petersen (SB 1379) that would have required a portion of budget surpluses to be used to reduce in-state tuition. Also killed in Finance were several bills each by Sens. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, and Glen Sturtevant, R-Richmond, that they had promoted at a news conference at the start of the session. We havent had a single, substantive bill on tuition reform come to the floor not one, Petersen said. Every single one goes to Senate Finance and it dies. RICHMOND While first-term Congressman Tom Garrett, who represents part of the Lynchburg and Roanoke areas, hosted his second online question-and-answer session this week, veteran Rep. Bob Goodlatte hasnt responded to demands from constituents who want to meet him in person, according to an organizer. Pressure on representatives to hold town hall meetings is rising since Republican President Donald Trump took office along with a GOP-controlled Congress, according to news reports nationally. Some elected officials who have held such meetings have faced hostile crowds. A national group called Indivisible, with chapters in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, has led part of the effort. While the 6th Districts Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, and 5th Districts Garrett, R-Buckingham, offer opportunities to communicate online or by phone, some constituents say those options act more as doors than windows. Roanoke Indivisible claims Goodlatte has not scheduled an in-person town hall meeting since 2013. So, we did it for him, reads a Facebook event announcing a town hall the group has scheduled in Vinton on Feb. 22. Roanoke Indivisible has invited Goodlatte and his staff. Goodlattes website, meanwhile, offers a sign-up form for constituents to participate in telephone town halls he holds. Since 2012, Goodlatte has hosted 24 town hall meetings by telephone with nearly 189,000 constituents, an aide said in an email. Besides the Roanoke Indivisible town hall invitation, at least two petitions circulating this week seek town hall-style meetings with Goodlatte. About 100 people visited Goodlattes Lynchburg office Tuesday with Valentines Day cards protesting Trumps and Goodlattes immigration policies as well delivering a 300-signature petition asking for a town hall meeting in Lynchburg, according to organizer Phil Stump. An online petition out of Harrisonburg Indivisible requests Goodlatte hold a meeting by April 8 in Roanoke, Lynchburg or Harrisonburg, and had at least 380 signatures Tuesday evening. Kala Melchiori, a James Madison University assistant professor of psychology, said she started the online petition after repeatedly contacting Goodlattes office about actions by the Trump administration and hearing nothing directly from her congressman. Melchiori left messages with aides asking Goodlatte to appear in person, she said. I dont know if he will ever respond to these requests. It sounds like he hasnt talked directly to his constituents in an open forum like this since 2013, Melchiori said. Its frustrating that he is our representative, yet the lines of communication seem to have a lot of barriers. In response to the online petition, spokeswoman Beth Breeding emailed a statement from Goodlatte. I meet regularly with groups or individuals who have requested appointments, attend community events, and correspond with constituents who have contacted my office via phone, email, postal mail, and social media, Goodlatte said in the statement. In addition, I host telephone town hall calls that allow me to reach thousands of people at once and take questions from callers as they listen. I appreciate the input of all of my constituents, and I am looking at their requests. Roanoke Indivisible members said they have made multiple trips to Goodlattes Roanoke office seeking a meeting with the congressman. Were focused on convincing our representatives that even though they won these districts handily, that doesnt mean they get to ignore their constituents that dont agree with these maximalist policies, said Ivonne Wallace Fuentes, founder of Roanoke Indivisible. We dont believe theres a sweeping mandate. The groups mission is local and defensive, she said. Its working in partnership with two other grass-roots groups, Together We Will, which formed just after the election, and Strong Women Strong America, which organized the womens march in Roanoke last month that drew an estimated 4,000 people. Garrett, meanwhile, held his first Facebook Live town hall Monday night, answering questions compiled from social media posts, emails and phone calls. The decision to host the live broadcasts did not arise from constituent pressure, he said Tuesday. We only started now because we are finally getting our legs under us and getting fully staffed up, Garrett said via text. We have always been hands on. Eight debates and 64,000 miles in one year on one car speak to that. Garrett anticipates hosting at least two live social media meetings per month, he texted Tuesday. His Facebook page was to host another chat Wednesday night. Garretts Facebook Live stream Monday drew participants from every locality in the district, he said. Garrett expects to plan in-person meetings as he swings through the district, which is larger in size than New Jersey. The summer will allow him more time in the 5th District, he said. Roanoke Times staff writer Matt Chittum contributed to this report. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes told jurors he is a patriotic American as he took the witness stand to defend himself against charges in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Rhodes is trying to counter allegations his far-right extremist group planned an armed rebellion to stop the transfer of presidential power. Rhodes began testifying Friday after prosecutors spent weeks laying out their case against him and four others accused of a violent plot to keep Joe Biden out of the White House. Rhodes decision to testify carries will open him to intense cross-examination from prosecutors, who will get a chance to question him when the trial resumes next week. A 44-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after a woman was found dead inside a northwest Roanoke home Monday, according to police. Spokesman Scott Leamon said a neighbor found Tiffany Early Carroll, 43, dead inside her home in the 2600 block of Avalon Avenue at 5:29 p.m. Police did not say how Carroll died, although Leamon said there was no indication at this time a firearm was used. After interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence, police developed Steven Ray Hartman as a suspect. Hartman was in a relationship with Carroll, Leamon said. Police found Hartman in the 1100 block of 16th Street Southeast and arrested him. Hartman was also served with three outstanding warrants from Roanoke County. He was taken to Roanoke City Jail early Tuesday morning, where he remains without bond. Police said Hartmans residency was in Roanoke County. His commitment paperwork at the jail listed his residency in the Blue Ridge area of Botetourt County. Hartman doesnt appear to have a violent criminal history, according to Virginia court records. He has a lengthy history of larcenies and issuing bad checks. He got out of prison in June 2014, according to court records. In a November 2014 letter to a judge asking to make smaller payments on fines and court fees, he wrote, I just out of prison in June of this year, and Im really doing well and working hard to get my life together. Carrolls death marks the citys third reported homicide this year. Earlier this month, Asia Denay Wade was shot at Shenandoah Village Apartments on 29th Street Northwest. Last month, Michael Lee Nance was shot on Staunton Avenue Northwest. Roanoke ended last year with 12 reported homicides. Most neighbors in the area of Avalon Avenue said they didnt know Carroll and just saw her coming and going from her duplex. The Greater Grandview Area Neighborhood group gathered for its regular meeting Tuesday night at the Northminster Presbyterian Church just a block from Carrolls home. Bert Boyd, the groups president, said the incident was a reminder of how important it is to be vigilant of neighbors. Lets watch things in our community and our neighbors, and lets not be reluctant to call 911, he told the group. Its not being nosy, its about being concerned about your neighbors and yourself. By Tuesday night, a pink heart balloon was stuck in a planter outside of Carrolls home with a message scrawled on it saying rest in peace and she will be missed. Kari Zimmerman worked with Carroll at Vistar Eye Center. She said she wasnt really close to her or knew much about her personal life, but Carroll was always smiling. She was just a joy to be around, Zimmerman said. AngloGold Ashanti mulls 30% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030 AngloGold Ashanti has come up with a new carbon emissions reduction target which seeks to achieve a 30% absolute reduction in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2030, as compared to 2021. This will be achieved through a combination... Lucara Q3 revenue, output drop Lucara Diamond, which wholly owns the Karowe mine in Botswana, realised $49.9 million in revenues in the third quarter of 2022 compared to $72.7 million in the comparative quarter. The revenue includes $46.5 million from the sale of 99,301 carats and... Gemfields to auction 187,775-carat cluster of emeralds Gemfields is set to auction a 187,775-carat cluster of emeralds discovered at its 75%-owned Kagem mine in Zambia in March 2020. Viewing of the Kafubu Cluster commenced on 31 October and bidding will close on 17 November. Tiffany jewellery pieces to highlight Jewels & Jadeite auction in Hong Kong Jewellery pieces by Tiffany & Co, including those by renowned designer Jean Schlumberger, are among the highlights of Bonhams Jewels and Jadeite auction in Hong Kong on November 26, 2022. ALROSA President Andrey Zharkov said during International Diamond Week in Israel (IDWI) that the diamond producer is planning to launch marketing programs promoting Russian-mined diamonds. Zharkov is a guest of honor at the event. Rapaport quoted Zharkov as saying that company will run pilot programs in key markets this year, marking the first time it is engaging in direct marketing of its own. The move by the diamond producer to rename its Arcos Diamonds Israel office into ALROSA Israel was part of that strategy, he said. High-value, competing alternatives have fared better than diamond jewelry over the last decade, he said during International Diamond Week in Israel. We all need to increase our marketing effort. Over the next few years, its one of the strategic goals of the industry to increase demand at the consumer level. The Russian miner is one of seven member companies of the Diamond Producers Association, which is mandated to produce generic marketing on behalf of the industry. Zharkov noted that millennial consumers were looking for assurances regarding the authenticity of their purchases, and therefore responsible sourcing of diamonds is necessary to protect the supply chain from undisclosed synthetic diamonds. That is why ALROSA is participating in the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)s mine to market program, Zharkov reported, which achieves the highest level of authentication and information about the entire life cycle and processing of a diamond, starting from mining the gem and ending in jewelry manufacturing. Zharkov also reiterated ALROSA's plans to increase production by 5 percent to 39 million carats in 2017. Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow Stornoway Diamond Corporation has announced that its production at the Renard diamond project amounted to 448 887 carats during 2016. The average grade was 112 carats per hundred tonnes. The results are significantly better than the company's guidance for 2016, which was 218 400 carats at 97 carats per hundred tonnes. Commercial production at Renard was declared on January 1st, 2017 with a total of 399 162 tonnes of ore processed. The company has managed to sell 38 913 carats of diamonds in 2016 for gross proceeds of US$7.6 million. Matt Manson, Stornoway President and CEO, commented: In 2016 we completed construction of the Renard Diamond Mine ahead of schedule and below budget, achieving commercial production at year end. Our ability to bring the project into production early resulted in significantly higher carat production than planned for the year, and an earlier than expected first sale that gave us unbudgeted pre-production revenue. For 2017 we are being cautious with our diamond price forecasting, due to uncertain market conditions and a reduction in pricing for smaller and certain lower quality items. Our focus in 2017 is the maintenance of our good operating performance and the progressive improvement in the quality of our recoveries as our plant ramp-up continues." In 2017, Stornoway expects to produce 1.7 million carats and sell 1.8 million carats at an average price between US$100 and US$132 per carat. Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow Lucapa Diamond said it recovered a 227 ct diamond at its Lulo project, in Angola. The stone was uncovered from Mining Block 28, which was some 4 km south of Mining Block 8, where the company recovered the 404 ct diamond. The 227 ct diamond, which was type IIa D in colour, was also the seventh diamond larger than 100 ct to be recovered at Lulo. Luapa, which owns the mines together with Endiama and Rosas & Petalas said the 227 ct stone was the biggest diamond recovered to date from the recently installed XRT large-diamond recovery circuit. It is fitting that, within a week of the anniversary of recovering Angolas biggest diamond, we have now recovered Angolas second biggest diamond on record, said Lucapa managing director Stephen Wetherall. We are also delighted to have recovered this spectacular diamond from a new mining area at Lulo which is 4 km from the prolific Mining Block 8 area. This further underlines the potential there is for the remainder of the 50 km stretch of the Caluilo river to continue to produce large valuable alluvial diamonds. Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished Tata Group company Titan's Tanishq jewellery sales reports 15.4% increase in sales in its jewellery business during Q3 2017, with income rising to $489.27 million this year as compared to $ 423.92 million last year. Profits before tax from the segment rose 15.1% during the quarter, from $43.63 last year to $50.247 last year. For the nine-month ended December 2016, the jewellery business recorded a growth of 7.5% growing from $1033.57 in the comparative period of 2015 to $1111.285 last year. Bhaskar Bhat, Managing Director of the company stated that The third quarter was an extremely encouraging quarter for the Company. Despite initial headwinds on account of demonetization, the Company clocked a growth. The festival season was very good for both our jewellery and watches business. Our effort continues therefore to be one of generating demand, through new product introductions and network expansion while retaining our focus on cost control. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished Canadian Pacific has enhanced its sales and marketing team in a move the railroad said will better meet the needs of its current and potential customers. CP named John Brooks senior vice president and chief marketing officer where the railroad said he will apply his two decades worth of experience in a way to be CPs continued and future success. Reporting directly to Brooks will be Tommy Browning, vice president sales and marketing, Merchandise and Bulk and Jonathan Wahba, vice president sales and marketing, Intermodal and Grain. As CP moves into the next phase of its impressive turnaround, it is time to focus on further strengthening our customer base and growing the top line, said Keith Creel, CP president and CEO. We are confident that John and his talented team can leverage our superior operating model, diversify our book of business and deliver for our customers and shareholders. CP said that since joining the railroad in 2013, Browning has played an integral role in enhancing CPs merchandise and bulk portfolios while building relationships with key customers. Wahba has experience in the many markets within the transportation industry including trucking and rail and CP said his experience will support its intermodal business. Better service, more in-depth analysis through Trip Planning and the most disciplined operating team in North America, combined with a strong sales and marketing team positions us well for the future, said Brooks. Jonathan and Tommy have proven track records in this business and I look forward to working closely with them and the rest of the team as we continue to deliver for our customers. During Brooks sales and marketing career he has held senior responsibilities in all lines of business, including coal, chemicals, merchandise products, grain and intermodal. Over the [p]ast four years, we have made operational improvements that have benefited our customers, said Brooks. This is an exciting time to be leading this important function within the company, selling the value of our service. Burlington Coat Factory is reportedly the latest apparel retailer to drop Ivanka Trump products. According to Business Insider, the South Jersey-based discount retailer has stopped selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories on its website. However, its not clear whether Burlington's 563 retail locations have also dropped the line. Burlington Stores, a Fortune 500 company, has 570 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico, according to its website. Several retailers have dropped the first daughter's clothing line in recent weeks, citing poor sales. Earlier, retailer Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD), the parent company of Sears and Kmart, had discontinued online sales of 31 Trump Home items. In early February, Seattle-based department store chain Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) said it will discontinue selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories due to poor sales performance. The move comes amid the ongoing "Grab Your Wallet" campaign by an anti-Trump group that encourages shoppers to boycott products that has ties with President Trump or his family. The anti-Trump group has called for the boycott of more than 70 companies for doing with the Trump family or selling Trump products. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Australian retailer Wesfarmers Ltd. (WES.AX,WFAFF.PK) reported a net profit after tax of A$1.577 billion for the half-year ended 31 December 2016, an increase of 13.2 per cent on the prior corresponding period. Earnings per share increased 12.8 per cent to A$1.40 per share. Operating revenue grew 4.3% to A$34.92 billion from last year. The directors declared an increase of 13.2 per cent in the interim dividend to $1.03 per share. The Group continues to remain generally optimistic in its outlook. Strong momentum and strong market positions provide for a positive outlook for BANZ, Kmart and Officeworks for the second half of the financial year. Coles will continue to focus on delivering a strong customer proposition to support long-term growth in earnings and returns. Wesfarmers announced Rob Scott will be the next Wesfarmers Managing Director, succeeding Richard Goyder who will step down towardsthe end of 2017 after more than 12years in the role. Scott becomes the Group's Deputy Chief Executive Officer effective immediately and will join the Board as Managing Director at the conclusion of the 2017 Annual General Meeting in November. He willmaintain his current role as head of Wesfarmers' Industrials division until 1 July 2017. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Fortress Investment Group (FIG) announced after the bell Tuesday that it has agreed to be acquired by SoftBank Group Corp. for approximately $3.3 billion in cash. Fortress Investment Group gapped open sharply higher Wednesday morning and is now up 1.80 at $8.01 on the highest volume of the year. The stock has soared to a new high for the year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News In another move to dismantle Obama-era regulations, the Senate voted Wednesday to strike down a rule seeking to prevent individuals with mental disorders from purchasing a gun. The Senate voted 57 to 43 in favor of the resolution of disapproval, with four Democrats and Senator Angus King, I-Maine, joining with Republicans to pass the measure. The resolution would eliminate a regulation requiring the Social Security Administration to submit a list of beneficiaries with certain disorders to the national background check system. Earlier this month, the House voted along party lines to approve the resolution, which now heads to President Donald Trump's desk for his signature. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the author of the resolution, argued that the regulation is overly broad. "Under the regulation, the agency is not required to adequately prove that individuals meet the established legal definition of 'mental defective' or even provide due process before revoking their Second Amendment rights," Grassley said. He added, "Today's vote brings us one step closer to reversing this misguided regulation and reaffirming our commitment to guarding the constitutional rights of all Americans." Grassley claimed the regulation unfairly stigmatizes people with disabilities and noted it was opposed by more than 20 disability and civil rights groups. Meanwhile, Democrats argued that the rule was carefully tailored to affect only those with seriously debilitating mental illness and suggested any problems could be fixed without a full repeal. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Signaling a potential shift in longstanding U.S. policy, President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that a two-state solution is not necessary to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump indicated he would support a solution that the two sides can agree upon. "I'm looking at two state and one state. And I like the one that both parties like," Trump said. "I'm very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one." Previous administrations have called for the creation of a Palestinian nation alongside Israel as an important part of the peace process. Responding to a question about the two-state solution, Netanyahu said he was focused on substance rather than labels. Netanyahu reiterated his position that a peace deal would require Palestinians to recognize the Jewish state and for Israel to retain overriding security control over the West Bank. The prime minister's visit to the White House comes as Trump looks to improve relations with Israel, which become strained under President Barack Obama. Trump and Netanyahu signaled common ground on preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and combating the rising tide of radical Islam. However, in a potential area of disagreement, Trump suggested he would like to see Israel hold back on settlement construction. "I'd like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit," Trump told Netanyahu. "We'll work something out, but I would like to see a deal be made." (Photo: Gage Skidmore) For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Political News Saudi aggression warplanes continue heinous strikes against civilians SANA'A, Feb. 14 (SABA) - The US-Saudi aggression warplanes continued to launch airstrikes on several provinces over the past hours, a military official told Saba on Tuesday. In Hodaida province, two people were killed in Saudi airstrikes on the telecommunications corporation office in Hodeida province and a fisherman was killed in Saudi air raid on al-Erj coast in Salif area. The aggression fighter jets launched four strikes on each of Zabid district and Qatabah area of Khukhah district. Two raids were launched on al-Nakhail area of al-Daraihmai district. In Hajjah province, the Saudi aggression warplanes launched 18 air strikes on Medi and Haradh districts, causing serious damage to public and private properties. Meanwhile, six members of a family were killed in a Saudi airstrike on their house in Mokha district Taiz province. The aggression struck twice al-Omari School in Dhubab district. In Mareb province, Saudi fighter jets hit Serwah district eight times, using cluster bombs. The enemy warplanes struck Mukayras district in Baidha province once, and Bayhan district in Shabwa province twice. Meanwhile, three citizens were killed and four others wounded in a Saudi airstrike on al-Demnah area in Baqam district of Sa'ada province. AA/AF Saba Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [14/February/2017] Roundup: 309 airstrikes hit Yemen in five days By Baseema al-Absi SANA'A, Feb. 15 (Saba) At least twenty one civilians were killed, Including three children, and dozens wounded in 309 airstrikes launched by US-backed Saudi aggression warplanes on several Yemeni provinces over the past five days, officials and residents told Saba. In Sana'a province, the aggression warplanes launched ten air strikes on Nehm district and six raids on Belad Alroos area. In Sa'ada province, the aggression launched 33 airstrikes on several districts, targeting civilians and their properties. Eight civilians, including three children, were killed in an airstrike on Haidan district of Sa'ada. Also three children were killed in Sa'ada in an airstrike on Husama residential area in Dhahir district. Also in Sa'ada, the air strikes targeted telecommunication networks. In Jawf province, the aggression warplanes launched two raids on Milhan directorate and al-Maslob district. In Taiz province, the aggression fighter jets waged 68 air raids on large swaths of residential areas, particularly in Mokha coast city. In Mokha, a ten-member family, mostly children, were killed in one of the airstrike. Also in Taiz, the air strikes targeted telecommunication networks. In Mareb province, the aggression warplanes carried out 38 raids on several civilian regions, in which large-scale of farms were damaged. In Hodeidah port city, the aggression launched 48 air strikes on different areas, particularly the port itself, hampering food and medical import supplies. In Hajja province, the aggression warplanes launched 102 airstrikes, particularly on Medi port city and boirder crossing of Haradh. In Mahweet governorate, the aggression fighter jets launched one air strike on AL-Khabt district. In Shabw province, the Saudi aggression launched one air raid on Aselan district. BS-zk Saba Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [15/February/2017] 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 ... Here are 5 takeaways from Kansas' 37-16 win against Oklahoma State The Jayhawks are bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. Kansas just topped Oklahoma State for that pivotal sixth win. Heres the good news. In a few months time, Samoa this year is celebrating 55 years of political Independence. Its an exciting time. Its a milestone thats well worth anticipating. After all, Samoa, relatively tiny compared to her Pacific neighbours, became the first country from hundreds of islands in the vast Pacific Ocean to break free from outside political interference. It was a brave move. One that no doubt would have been done with strong faith and believing in the unseen. We say this because for our forefathers, not having the slightest idea about freedom would have felt like, they really had to believe. They would have had to have a strong conviction. And here we are nearly 55 years later. Happy and free. To be honest, its long period during which even the toughest of foundations could have been easily shaken and destroyed by testing challenges. But the fact Samoa has been able to remain amicably strong during these many years is a testament of her character and the rock-solid foundation upon which her Independence was founded. What would Samoa be like today if we werent independent? Some of us do wonder from time to time. Its not a bad question to ask. Glancing across the ocean at our brothers and sisters in American Samoa and their continuing struggle to break free from the United States, one can only wonder. Mind you, the road to freedom and independence for Samoa was not easy. It was a journey fraught with difficulties, sweat, tears and blood. To appreciate how far we have come, its worth to stop for a moment and look back at some of the defining moments in that journey. Briefly, according to historical account, from the end of World War I until 1962, New Zealand controlled Samoa as a Class C Mandate under trusteeship through the League of Nations. The most significant event at the time was the non-violent Mau movement, which had its beginnings in the early 1900s in Savaii and led by Lauaki Namulauulu Mamoe, an orator chief deposed by Solf. Recalls the Encyclopedia; In 1909, Lauaki was exiled to Saipan and died en route back to Samoa in 1915. By 1918, Samoa had a population of some 38,000 Samoans and 1,500 Europeans. By the late 1920s, the resistance movement against colonial rule had gathered widespread support during the mistreatment of the Samoan people by the New Zealand administration. One of the Mau leaders was Olaf Frederick Nelson, a half Samoan and half Swedish merchant. Nelson was eventually exiled during the late 1920s and early 1930s, but he continued to assist the organization financially and politically. In following the Maus non-violent philosophy, the newly elected leader, High Chief Tupua Tamasese Lealofi, led his fellow uniformed Mau in a peaceful demonstration in downtown Apia on 28 December 1929. The New Zealand police attempted to arrest one of the leaders in the demonstration. When he resisted, a struggle developed between the police and the Mau. The officers began to fire randomly into the crowd and a Lewis machine gun, mounted in preparation for this demonstration, was used to disperse the Mau. Chief Tamasese was shot from behind and killed while trying to bring calm and order to the Mau demonstrators, screaming Peace, Samoa. Ten others died that day and approximately 50 were injured by gunshot wounds and police batons. That day would come to be known in Samoa as Black Saturday. The Mau grew, remaining steadfastly non-violent, and expanded to include a highly influential womens branch. After repeated efforts by the Samoan people, Western Samoa gained independence in 1962 and signed a Friendship Treaty with New Zealand. Samoa was the first country in the Pacific to become independent. Its a day that will live in the history of this country forever, when Samoas flag was raised at the Malae o Tiafau in front of the old Fale Fono. Sadly that old fale fono is no longer there. Parliament has yet to honour its word about building a monument to remember that place. Its sad because that particular place is a remnant of the struggles by our forefathers to secure our freedom and independence. Come to think of it, you would think this government would have valued such an important piece of history by preserving it? Obviously not. The question today is how is freedom maintained in Samoa? We all have different answers. But if you were to judge purely from what has been happening lately, some of the developments have been extremely sad. Freedom of expression and freedom of worship guaranteed by our Constitution are under threat. Whereas the government is insisting with its Media Council designed to intimidate and bring the last bastion of democracy in Samoa under its powerful authority, the government is again amending the Constitution with another bill that will make anyone who is not a Christian feel unwelcomed on these shores. These are sad times. We need to remain alert. Have a peaceful Thursday Samoa, God bless! The appeal against Judge Fepuleai Ameperosa Romas decision to acquit the suspended Director of the National Prosecution Office, Mauga Precious Chang, of traffic related charges will be called for re-mention next Monday. The decision was made by the Supreme Court this week when the matter was called. Kirstin Kruse appeared on behalf of New Zealand-based independent prosecutor for the A.Gs Office, Satiu Simativa Perese. Representing Mauga was the former Attorney General Aumua Ming Leung Wai and Queens Counsel Aaron Perkins. Both counsels were ready to set a hearing date. The Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu suggested that the earliest hearing date is the week commencing 11 July 2017. What about Tuesday 11th of July and if that is not possible then Wednesday 12th of July, he said. But Aumua requested for an earlier hearing date and informed Chief Justice of Mr. Aaron Perkins QCs unavailability. With all due respect Sir, Mr. Perkins will not be available during that time sir, Aumua said. I have been informed by Mr. Perkins that he will not be available from the 5th of June up until the 25th of August. He also informed the Chief Justice that Mr. Pereses estimated of one day hearing is too long as half a day will suffice. But Chief Justice told Aumua that the earliest available dates are the week commencing the 10 July 2017. In terms of the list of available dates before me now I cannot give an earlier date, the earliest is the week commencing the 10th of July. Ms. Kruse told the Court that any other date is suitable for Mr. Perese except for 12 April. I have been told that Mr. Perese is not available on the 12th of April but any other date is suitable for him. Chief Justice then adjourned the matter for re-mention next week. Okay I will adjourn this matter to Monday next week at re-mention at 10am, said His Honour Patu/ This is for counsels to liaise with the registrar whether there can be an earlier date than July. And I think it might be best to not set a fixed hearing date for the matter. The laid-back tropical Pacific islands are becoming like everywhere else in the world with young people constantly in tune with their technological gadgets. Once a place where internet access was very limited or not at all accessible, the Pacific has several service providers with reach from white sandy beaches and lush green mountaintops to fast developing urban settlements. Information and communication technologies (I.C.T.) including the Internet and mobile phones have brought benefits to millions of children, but at the same time I.C.Ts can put children and young people at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse. If we are not trained to equip ourselves with the right tools in communities, our children could be victims of cyber bullying or other related harmful issues. Some people call these cyberbullies; parasites or stalkers either using their real names or having fake profiles on any social media network. Keyboard warriors is how a Polynesian girl in a Facebook group forum described these cyberbullies, who through their relentless tormenting and teasing made her best friend commit suicide. These are some of the realities we face when we log onto the internet. As a step forward to battle cyberbullying in the Pacific, U.N.I.C.E.F. is working with the government of Samoa and Tonga to keep children in Pacific countries safe from cyber related harassment. While launching the Cyber Security Strategy plan 2016 2021, Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Afamasaga Rico Tupai said: Cyber-attacks can negatively impact the prosperity of Samoas economy, and prove to be a hindrance to the success of its private sector. It is a concrete move towards a safer Samoa with an initiative to ensure personal information, privacy and security is safely guarded as a top priority for the Government. U.N.I.C.E.F. is in discussion with the Police and the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development in Samoa to develop standard operating procedures for children in conflict with the law which includes cyber safety measures. In the neighbouring Pacific Island Country of Tonga, U.N.I.C.E.F. supported a workshop initiated by the government and held outreach activities in schools on cyber-bullying in 2014. As a result, the Government of Tonga established a Cyber Committee with membership from the church, youth, and private sector. Last year, U.N.I.C.E.F. supported a technical consultation which led to the government of Tonga endorsing a week in October solely to promote cyber safety. The government launched a website (http://stopthinkconnect.gov.to) as part of the Stop, Think and Connect initiative to address the problems of computer and internet misuse. The new website contains information to help educate people about the benefits of internet usage as well as the dangers of cyber space. At the launch, U.N.I.C.E.F. Pacific Representative Sheldon Yett commended the government, faith based organizations and civil society partners in Tonga for their Combined efforts in putting Tonga at the forefront of its commitment towards nurturing a safe environment for children both online and offline. He said Partnerships likes these continue to raise awareness and engagement around cyber safety with a specific focus on the protection of children. With rapidly growing connectivity, we have a responsibility to ensure that our children understand the role of the internet and social media and respecting one another as good digital citizens. Cyber bullying is becoming more and more common in the Pacific. We are concerned about how children without parental supervision are exposed to harmful comments or indecent content available on the internet, said Mr Yett. We encourage more governments in the Pacific to look at cyber safety issues especially for children and young people. Samoa can be a beautiful place if we work together. Thats the opinion of 43-year-old father from the village of Vailele, Sauni Ioane. Sauni was working to beautify his village when the Village Voice approached him. This is our usual cleanup day to beautify our village, Sauni said. He said cleaning the village is one way to attract tourists to Samoa. To me, it is always good for us to be well-prepared and work together because we never know when tourists or relatives from overseas will visit, he said. The truth is, if we keep our villages clean, our visitors will go back to their home countries with nice stories to tell to their families and friends so that they can all again visit our shores over and over. At Vailele, the village clean up is done every two weeks. To us, we dont want to wait on others to come and do it for us, we work together because we need to keep our village clean, he said. Its something that we all need to do, not just for us but other villages in our country. Sauni said people need to change their mindset about keeping Samoa clean. E le aoaia e le matapia le manaia, he said in Samoan. It translates that he doesnt want to tell people what to do. However, he humbly asks them to change their mindset to change their beliefs upon which they base their views of ourselves and the world were living in. If we believe we can work together for the betterment of our children and their future for tomorrow...then together we can stand. He understands that changing mindset is not easy. I know that changing our beliefs and mindsets is not that easy to do but we have to keep on pushing ourselves. Just let alone a whole range of beliefs based on negative conditions, but we need to work and focus on what is important that is our childrens future. If we lack belief in ourselves our children suffer. Looking back to the old days gives good memories. Personally, in my life, I really appreciate having had the opportunity to share in a wonderful time with matai and taulelea in our village in the past years. Ive grown up in this village and rolling back on my experience of growing up in the village brings back many good memories. This is one of those good memories - working together with all the great people like parents, siblings, relatives, matai and everyone brought me a beautiful melody with a great life lesson. Ive learned a lot from them, of how to work together as one village, one family, one heart and in one soul. How to join hands and minds for the good of everyone, how to support each other and those good old memories from the elders and parents are still alive. That is the lesson that I want my children to grow up with. I believe setting good examples to our children of how to go on in life when they grow older is a must. A young mother of one has told of the struggles of raising a family with only one person working. Twenty-two- year-old Petesa Sianamau from Vaitele says life has become a real struggle especially the cost of living. Hardship due to finances is one of her biggest challenges. To be honest, income poverty is the condition of not having enough income to meet basic needs for food, clothing, as well as family obligations and so forth, she said. This is the worst part of everyday life that I have to face. Petesa says she believes these challenges lead to poor nutrition, fewer learning experiences; instability, lower quality of schools, violence and other social challenges. You see my husband earns $90 during the week with all the expenses and I tell you, it isnt enough. Especially that I have a one year old kid that needs to be fed every time and of course my sons school to pay. Petesa said she does her best to help her family. Every parents main focus is for their children to create a better future and thats the same for me and my husband. For her the struggle started because she did not complete her education. She was pregnant and was forced into marriage. I cant do anything to change the past, she said. It is what it is. All you have to do is feed your kids and try to overcome whatever youre facing. She also had a message for all the young girls of Samoa. She wants them to learn from her experience and finish their school before raising their families. To be honest, I dont want to see my children experience poverty and hardship like we are. I want them to realize that their parents are taking risks just to provide for them and they should be motivated to succeed and lead a better life when they grow up. Petesa is also concerned about a lot of the social problems especially in Vaitele. What saddens me the most is the fact that my poor young children can hear these things and are influenced by these bad people. So usually every evening I make sure they are in bed early. She said Vaitele should consider setting up a Village Council to govern the behaviour of some of the residents who act as if they are from another country. Kim Jong Nam, the outcast half brother of North Korea's leader, told medical workers before he died this week that he had been attacked at a Malaysian airport with a chemical spray, according to Malaysian officials. A look at notable assassinations or attempted assassinations involving poison or chemicals: ALEXANDER LITVINENKO Litvinenko, a former Russian intelligence agent, was given tea laced with a fatal dose of polonium-210 at a London hotel on Nov. 1, 2006. He died three weeks later of "acute radiation syndrome." In January 2016, a British judge said Russian President Vladimir Putin probably approved a plan by Russia's FSB security service to kill Litvinenko, who had become a Britain-based critic of the Kremlin. Litvinenko made a deathbed statement that he was poisoned on orders from Putin. No one has ever stood trial for the killing, which soured Russian-British relations for years. ______ VICTOR YUSHCHENKO Then a Ukrainian presidential candidate, Yushchenko fell ill from a massive dioxin poisoning in September 2004 that knocked him off the campaign trail for weeks and left his face severely pockmarked. Despite the near-fatal illness and several contested runoffs, Yushchenko won the presidency on a wave of popular support that was dubbed the Orange Revolution. In October 2005, the incident was declared to be "an assassination attempt" by Ukraine's Prosecutor General Svyatoslav Piskun. ______ KHALED MASHAAL Agents from Israel's secret intelligence service, Mossad, sprayed a substance believed to be a fentanyl analog into the Hamas leader's ear as he walked down a street in Amman, Jordan, in a botched 1997 assassination attempt. Jordan's King Hussein threatened to hang the captured Mossad agents in a downtown square unless Israel provided an antidote, which it did. Israel's relations with Jordan were shaken by the botched assassination and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to free a number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the agents. After the agents were released, then-Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon declared on Israeli television that Israel would try again. ______ GEORGI MARKOV Markov, a Bulgarian dissident, was waiting for a bus at Waterloo Bridge in London in September 1978 when he was jabbed in the thigh with a poisoned umbrella tip in one of the most sensational assassinations of the Cold War. The journalist and harsh critic of Bulgaria's communist regime died four days later. After his death, British government scientists discovered the umbrella had been used to inject a pinhead-sized pellet of the poison ricin into Markov's leg. Though no one has ever been charged with the killing, many suspected the KGB and Bulgarian secret police of involvement. Tony Hunters research has paved the way for dozens of cancer therapies. On Tuesday, he was recognized with one of the highest honors a scientist can get: A prestigious award, along with a large cash prize. The $500,000 award was announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences as part of its newly established Sjoberg Prize for Cancer Research. The academy is best known for awarding the Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry. Advertisement Hunter, a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, shared the inaugural honor with James Allison at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Allison also received $500,000. A ceremony to celebrate the two scientists has been scheduled for March 31 in Stockholm, Sweden. In a nod to the Nobel Prize ceremony, the king and queen of Sweden are set to participate in the event. The Sjoberg Prize was established by the Sjoberg Foundation last year with a donation of about $223 million from the late Swedish businessman Bengt Sjoberg. Hunter and Allison were chosen for their groundbreaking studies of cellular processes that have led to the development of new and effective cancer drugs, the academy said in an announcement Tuesday. Hunter has received many awards over the years stemming from his groundbreaking discovery in 1979 of a process that contributes to normal cells turning malignant. This process, called tyrosine phosphorylation of protein, laid the foundation for a new class of cancer drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Tyrosine kinases are a class of enzymes that perform tyrosine phosphorylation; at last count 90 genes are known to code for these enzymes. This prolific family has yielded 26 approved drugs for a variety of cancers. These include imatinib, sold under the brand name Gleevec for chronic myeloid leukemia; gefitinib, sold as Iressa for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer; and sunitinib, marketed as Sutent, for renal cell cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Still more are under development. You cant overstate (Hunters) role in cancer research, said Michael Melner, director of the Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry of Cancer program at the American Cancer Society. It was fundamental, beautiful science that opened up this whole area. In 2008, Hunter was dubbed the Kinase King in an article in the Journal of Cell Biology. And in 2015, Hunter and colleagues published a study indicating that another kinase family, protein kinase C, does not promote cancer as originally thought. In fact, it actually suppresses cancer. That explained why no drug developed against the target has ever succeeded in clinical trials. Big payoff Hunters other awards include the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge award in biomedicine; the Royal Medal in the Biological Sciences of the Royal Society; the Wolf Prize in Medicine and the Gairdner International Award. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and the Royal Society of London. Tony Hunter is a world-class researcher and an outstanding colleague and collaborator, said Kristiina Vuori, President of Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. His groundbreaking work has revealed how a change in proteins known as phosphorylation controls cells growth. Several current cancer therapeutics are based on his discoveries. His work will continue to have a significant impact on human health. Jonathan Cooper, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, has collaborated with Hunter on research papers. He described Hunters tyrosine kinase work as providing a unifying theme to explain how several different proteins transformed normal cells into cancerous ones. A number of genes with known cancer-causing mutations, or oncogenes, turned out to work by this mechanism. In addition, a number of growth factors, substances tumors used to grow, also turned about to stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation, Cooper said. For a while, it seemed like every oncogene, every growth factor Im kind of exaggerating was something related to tyrosine kinase, he said. Today, Hunter wears a number of hats. Hes Deputy Director of the Salk Institutes Cancer Center, its Renato Dulbecco Chair in Cancer Research and an American Cancer Society Professor. And he has his own laboratory, with younger researchers he supervises. As a basic research scientist, Hunter focuses on uncovering fundamental biological mechanisms of cancer, while other scientists translate the findings into clinical work that results in new therapies. But it was a federal translational program, President Nixons war on cancer in the early 1970s, that brought Hunter into the field. Hunter was born in 1943 in Ashford, Kent, in the United Kingdom. He had been brought to the Salk Institute as an early-career scientist by cancer researcher Walter Eckhard. I became a cancer biologist not out of a burning desire to cure cancer, but because Walter had just been funded by the new war on cancer, Hunter said. And so without that funding, I dont think I would have gone into cancer research. But after being exposed to the field, Hunter found it fascinating. I was hooked, he said. Looking ahead The war on cancer necessarily included basic research, because scientists and doctors had to admit they just didnt know much about cancer; how it arises, why some forms are more deadly than others, and the best way to treat and prevent cancer. And while vastly more is known about cancer today than when Nixon announced his program, Hunter said theres still much more that we dont know. That means the need for funding basic research continues. Im worried that theres too much emphasis on translation and not enough on pure blue-sky research, Hunter said. In his own lab, Hunter says he likes to give his team that kind of flexibility. For example, a 2016 study on how developing neurons become dependent on oxygen arose from the initiative of one of his researchers. I have an unusual philosophy: I try and recruit good people and tell em to find something interesting to do, Hunter said. That work on neurometabolism came out of a fellow who said, thats what I want to do. The researcher used stem cell technology to produce neurons with mutant mitochondria, the cellular powerplants, and studied how they behaved compared to normal neurons. I think it keeps me young, to have all these people doing something totally different, he said. 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 As San Diego races into a tech-heavy future, business and civic leaders say public buy-in is still necessary to success. If people arent brought in within the organization or the community, then we will have resistance and we wont be able to deploy as much as fast or as broadly, said David Graham, deputy chief operating officer of the city of San Diego. If we forget about people when it comes to smart cities, then we will have forgotten about why we did all this. Graham was a panel member at a local Urban Land Institute breakfast forum Tuesday that touched on robots in hospitals, sensors at recreation centers and perfectly coordinated traffic signals. Advertisement But things are changing so fast that that even those in the know are worried about keeping up. Its harder and harder, particularly for those of us looking into the future, to have a clue whats going to happen, said Nancy Johnson Sanquist, vice president of global strategic planning for Planon, a facility management company. What scares me most is what I dont know. A member of the audience asked if residents movements and personal information will be tracked on city streets. Jason Anderson, president and CEO of Cleantech San Diego, a clean-energy industry group, said people already share personal information online with supermarkets and other retailers to get a few cents off on a product. Graham said such user data information could help manage city assets. As an example, he said park planners could schedule recreational center classes better if they knew that only three people were going to show up at a pilates class or 10 for a weaving class. On the other hand, he acknowledged that sometimes experts plans and customers preferences conflict. That was the case with the confusing bike lane design on Fourth Avenue from Bankers Hill to downtown, said one attendee at the breakfast forum. Panelists at the Urban Land Institute panel were, from left, Nancy Johnson Sanquist, Jason Alexander, David Graham and moderator Heather Foley. (Roger Showley/U-T) In the big picture, the panelists said San Diego local governments are trying out new technologies even as Silicon Valley software engineers attract attention for state-of-the-art products. Anderson said San Diego and Chula Vistas efforts will be showcased at a May smart cities conference in Santa Clara. Anderson said he may be scared by the discourse at the national level, but he said he sleeps better having moved from Texas to California. Were not losing here, were winning here, he said, citing the Golden States global reach and economic power. However, San Diego innovators still need to pay attention to trends around the world. When asked about robots, Sanquist cited a new hospital in Scotland, where robots are deployed to deliver supplies from the basement to upper floors via elevators. Its not a question that robots are necessarily taking over, but that we have to work with robots, she said. Graham said planners and traffic engineers also dont have to fear for their careers because of great quantities of data available. Its just going to be much more data is available to use in a real-time way, Graham said. For example, he said, new sensors in traffic lights will be able to make adjustments automatic rather than wait for a city worker to physically adjust times on red and green lights. Other sensors will make it easier to find parking spaces, he said, and new transportation services, such as bus rapid transit, extended trolley lines and free shuttles will give workers an alternative to driving to work. Business roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley Qualcomm is rolling out a new technology aimed at boosting capacity on increasingly congested Wi-Fi networks in homes and businesses. The San Diego wireless technology giant on Monday announced its latest Wi-Fi chips, which are designed to help handle the wave of connected TVs, security cameras, pet monitors, thermostats and other Internet of Things gadgets forecast to reach the market in the next few years. Advertisement Qualcomm estimates that the average number of Wi-Fi connected devices per four-person household will grow from eight in 2012 to 50 by 2022. The company said its latest Wi-Fi technology delivers four times more capacity than todays top Wi-Fi routers, along with boosting speeds and expanding coverage area. It is taking Wi-Fi to a new level from a user-experience point of view, said Rahul Patel, senior vice president and general manager of connectivity at Qualcomm Technologies. What it is trying to do is prepare the Wi-Fi network, which in many cases is experiencing a lot of congestion, largely because the network is becoming dense and is not able to deal with the amount of traffic. The technology called 802.11ax is the next evolutionary step on the Wi-Fi industrys road map for improvements. Qualcomm is the first company to announce 802.11ax chips. But the 802.11ax standard is still a work in progress. While Patel said Qualcomms new chips could show up in some top-tier routers and Wi-Fi access points late this year, the technology likely wont expand into smartphones, laptops, cars and other gadgets until 2018 or 2019. Wi-Fi was originally designed for local computer networks, replacing the need for Ethernet cables. Over time it has emerged as a popular way for households and businesses to wirelessly connect all kinds of devices, ranging from smartphones to smart TVs. Its use is growing with the rise of the Internet of Things. Wi-Fis role is expanding, said CCS Insights, an industry research firm, in a report this year. Its no longer a simple Internet connectivity method, but is developing to support communications between a wide range of devices. Given Wi-Fis ubiquity and range, it will be hard to resist. As the number of connected Wi-Fi devices grows, Wi-Fi networks need to be able to manage dense data demands and a mix of applications, including video. The challenge is we are going to experience a lot of congestion, Patel said. The frequency bands are unchanging, but people have a lot more going on. Qualcomms 802.11ax chip portfolio taps techniques used in cellular communications to improve Wi-Fi efficiency without the need for more spectrum the airwaves that carry wireless data. Instead of adding lanes of spectrum to get Wi-Fi network traffic flowing, Qualcomm said its better managing Wi-Fi traffic in existing lanes so emails and video can be delivered smoothly. The growing dependence on Wi-Fi hasnt gone unnoticed by broadband service providers. This month, Cox Communications launched Panoramic Wi-Fi in San Diego and other markets. For $10 a month, subscribers get a high-power Wi-Fi router with current generation technology, called 802.11ac. Cox technicians then pinpoint parts of the home where the signal weakens. They then can provide extenders, which plug into the homes coaxial network to expand Wi-Fi signals and eliminate dead zones. There are more devices in the home and theyre doing more things, whether thats gaming or streaming or working from home, said Suzanne Schlundt, vice president of field marketing for Cox. Consumers are really looking at dead zones now. They want the best Wi-Fi experience. RELATED A new malware may turn your homes internet devices into digital soldiers. Business mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com; Twitter:@TechDiego 760-529-4973 Poway Unified School District may have to cut planned spending by $24.5 million over the next two years if Gov. Jerry Brown proceeds with plans to slash a half-billion dollars in education funding across the state. When the governor released his proposed budget in January, it was kind of a shock, said school district spokeswoman Christine Paik. He eliminated over $500 million in guaranteed funding for schools, based on a pessimistic funding proposal. He didnt think enough money would come in through property taxes. The spending cuts would take place in fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19, with the district eliminating $7.5 million from next school years budget, and carving out an additional $17 million the following year. Advertisement That would ultimately bring the 2018-19 budget from more than $384 million to just under $360 million. On Tuesday the board will consider whether to make those aggressive cuts, or to adopt an alternate spending plan that would trim just $5 million in 2017-18 and another $8.3 million in 2018-19. That plan takes into account savings from the current years budget such as unfilled position or unspent funds that could forestall steeper cuts, Paik said. School board President Michelle OConnor-Ratcliff said the board must prepare for steep budget cuts, but said shes hopeful the district can whittle that down in the coming months. We might be down to cutting only a few million out, as opposed to what we were looking at, which was daunting, OConnor-Ratcliff said. Poway isnt the only school district grappling with a possible budget shortfall next year. San Diego Unified School District faces a $124 million deficit in its $1.3 billion budget that could jeopardize school programs and jobs in the states second largest school district. While the Poway board will vote on a budget now, the plan for trimming expenses will take months to develop. Layoffs are possible, but the district would try to reduce spending in other areas before dismissing teachers or other staff, and will try to reduce the impact on students, officials said. We want (the cuts) to be as far from the classroom as possible, OConnor-Ratcliff said. We have a long way to go in discussions with the administrative groups, teachers and all of our classified support employees to come to agreement about where we can trim some fat without losing people. The board must draw up a budget by March, but may revisit it once the governor finalizes his spending plan in May. Paik said district officials believe that education cuts may be less severe once the state budget is finalized. In most cases because the governor tends to be very conservative in budgeting, the May revise tends to be more favorable, she said. Although federal education spending is also uncertain with the election of President Donald Trump and his appointment of public school critic Betsy DeVos as secretary of education, the current budget discussion doesnt account for those changes. The Poway School District hasnt received information on how the new administration may affect its federal funding, and relies more heavily on state money anyway, Paik said. Five years ago, Barbara McQuiston was in line for a top position in the U.S. Defense Department. Today, shes happily selling gluten-free waffles and bread at The Curious Fork. Life, she says, has a wonderful way of working out. McQuiston was a 30-year veteran of the defense and aerospace industries when President Obama nominated her in May 2011 to serve as the nations Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition. But a funny thing happened in her nearly two-year wait for confirmation, which was delayed by the threat of budget sequestration and an election year. The Leucadia resident turned 50 and decided shed rather follow her dreams of going to culinary school and opening a gluten-free restaurant. So she retired. Advertisement For two years I was a lady in waiting and Im a terrible lady in waiting because I like to be busy, McQuiston said. A friend once told me if I wanted to start over, Id better do it in my 50s while I still had the energy and the wherewithal. So I did. In 2013, she withdrew her nomination and enrolled at the San Diego Culinary Institute, and in June 2014, she opened The Curious Fork in Solana Beach. The gluten-free cafe serves breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch, and offers cooking classes two to three nights a week. The Curious Fork owner Barbara McQuiston, right, talks with one of her cutomers, Helen Eckmann. (Bill Wechter / San Diego Union-Tribune) McQuiston recently launched a wholesale business selling gluten-free bakery goods and within the next few months shell open a retail bakery. The name, Curious Fork, comes from McQuistons philosophy on cooking and trying new things. Its something she was forced to do 20 years ago when she, and her now-33-year-old son, were diagnosed with Celiac disease. The more she learned about preparing healthy and alternative foods, the more she fell in love with the idea of owning her own restaurant someday and offering cooking classes to spread that love. People have lost that side of life, making good foods and experimenting with food at home. I want people to think about new food and healthy food and just stay curious, she said. McQuiston said gluten-free food has come a long way over the past decade. But when she opened The Curious Fork, she was so afraid of turning off potential customers, she didnt advertise her business as gluten-free for a full year. As a result, most of her longtime customers arent gluten-intolerant. The cafe serves coffee drinks, egg and waffle dishes, salads, wraps and sandwiches served with baguettes, English muffins, bagels, waffles, popovers, tortillas, challah bread and pastries baked in-house with a mix of non-wheat flours and ingredients. Classes in gluten-free cooking are part of the mix of demonstration and hands-on classes offered on weekday evenings and weekend afternoons at The Curious Fork. The classes are taught by chef and education director Katherine Emmenegger and several other instructors who moved over from The Good News cooking school in Pacific Beach after it closed in June 2015. Classes range from $30 to $60 each and are designed for average, not advanced, cooks. Every Friday morning, The Curious Fork serves as a pickup spot for a subscription farm box program. In keeping with McQuistons desire to encourage experimentation, she always tucks recipes inside the boxes for some of the more unusual items each week like eggplant, rutabagas or bok choy. Because the restaurants baked goods developed by in-house pastry chef Sonja Knowles are so popular, McQuiston is now selling several Curious Fork-brand items to a growing number of wholesale customers including Cardiff Seaside Market, Harvest Ranch Market in Encinitas and Elixir Espresso Bar in Del Mar. Next up is the Curious Fork bakery, which is in the final stages of construction in the space next door to the cafe. McQuiston is also waiting on a liquor license to begin selling wine and gluten-free beer. To help fund the wholesale business and bakery, McQuiston brought in two investment partners: Jeffrey Strauss, who owns nearby Pamplemousse Grille restaurant, and Ken Baca. The rest shes funding with her own savings and sweat equity. Everything costs money so Im doing as much as I can as soon as I can, she said, but its all a labor of love. The Curious Fork Hours: 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays. Plus select hours for evening cooking classes Where: 512 Via de la Valle, Suite 102, Solana Beach. Phone: (858) 876-6386 Online: thecuriousfork.com pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com The National City council recently approved a resolution that, at the request of the mayor, removed all references to being a welcoming city to everyone regardless of immigration status. Advertisement Mayor Ron Morrison changed the language to read that National City would continue to be a community that supports all residents and visitors. It was approved 3 to 2 with Councilwomen Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and Mona Rios opposed. The subject of welcoming city has turned thorny for some municipalities. And such council resolutions are sometimes confused with a more formal immigration stance involving law enforcement that is taken by sanctuary cities. Under the new resolution, National City will continue to be a city that serves its residents and visitors with a constitutional right and due process. But in his rewrite, Morrison removed the sentence: City employees will serve all residents, and city services will be accessible to all residents, regardless of immigration status. During the Feb. 7 City Council meeting, more than 40 speakers urged the council to support the resolution as it was recommended by staff. This included supporting all residents and visitors regardless of immigration status. Numerous cities did not have problems with making this (resolution) their own...so for it to be reconstructed, I just feel that youre not hearing people, Councilwoman Rios told her colleagues. Councilman Albert Mendivil said he trusts the city manager and chief of police to fairly enforce policies and procedure regarding undocumented persons and foreign nationals. A draft resolution with National City support of becoming a welcoming city was presented to the City Council on Jan. 17. It was pushed through with a 3-2 vote with Morrison and Councilman Jerry Cano against it. The original item was a request by Alliance San Diego, a community organization that builds coalitions to promote justice and social change. National City is home to nearly 25,000 immigrants and refuges who represent nearly two out of every five of the citys residents, according to the latest U.S. Census Data. The National City Council voted in December to appoint three regional economic and financial experts to oversee the spending of Proposition D funds. As a stipulation of Prop. D passing, the City Council must appoint an independent committee every five years. That panel will recommend to the City Council whether the tax should remain at a rate of 1 percent, be reduced or terminated. Advertisement Committee members must account for how revenue from the 1 cent sales tax is spent. They are holding their first meeting this week. The tax is estimated to generate more than $10 million a year for the city. Committee members include: (Committee chair) Sarah Waller-Bullock, finance director for the city of La Mesa Haney Hong, president and CEO of the San Diego Taxpayers Association Ray Major, chief economist with the San Diego Association of Governments Q: Why did you decide to participate on the committee? Haney: In my role Im responsible for making sure peers understand whats happening at local city halls and keeping governments accountable. This is the bread and butter of the taxpayers association evaluating the effectiveness of municipal government. Waller-Bullock: I have a 20-year background in governmental finance. Aside from understanding government complexities, I love working in governmental finance in San Diego County because we want to help each other out, were not competitors. Q: How will you use your knowledge and experience on this committee? Haney: We stand for effective public management and good governance. The citizens of National City are smart to make sure that the fail safe (tax) they approved is not a blank check, and the city should not get a blank check. Reporters note: The taxpayers association opposed the original Prop. D tax in 2006 and the extension because there were concerns about the citys operating budget deficit. Major: With my focus on the long-term economic and demographic growth in the San Diego region, I can add a regional perspective to National Citys specific vision and help assess and understand how their plans are aligned with the region as a whole. Q: What are your thoughts about where the city is at financially? What struck you the most? Haney: The folks at City Hall in National City are right to make sure they have the resources to do what it is they need to do. Part of reason we exist is to see how gloom and doom it (the financial forecast) is. Constituents will say they want all sorts of things at the same time not understanding what it costs. There needs to be a balance. Major: Theyre pretty frugal and very focused on being able to provide services for the constituency. They are really running a pretty tight ship from what I can tell by prioritizing their infrastructure needs. They are completely built out and have to do this more creatively with infill. I dont see a lot of fluff or wasted money, I see a small money making ends meet the best way they can. Waller-Bullock: La Mesa and National City are similar in land size and population. We both have very stable tax revenue. La Mesa is built out and dense. In looking to try and develop and redevelopment large parcels of land you have to look at what developers can tear down and redo. National City has the same challenge. When a 17-year-old Olga Ferreira met Edward Braga for the first time in 1938, she said it was his smile that did her in. Advertisement The two met in Massachusetts through Edwards sister Anna, who she would pal around with. At the time Olga was working as a caretaker and companion for a wealthy woman in South Dartmouth. Olga, her daughter Paula Kosmicki and Paulas husband George were among about a dozen people who attended a Valentines themed event, hosted by the Imperial Beach Historical Society at City Hall. The organization holds monthly meetings with different themes. Olga, 97, sat across from Paula recalling the memories she shared with her honey Edward, who died of cancer in August 2013 at the age of 91. Kosmicki, 61, described her father as reserved and her mother as talkative. It was one of those opposites attract things, she said of her parents. And attract each other they did. While courting her, Edward told Olga that he didnt know how to ice skate so she could teach him. She later found out he already knew how to skate. Sweethearts from the beginning, Olga said Edward was her first and only love. He enlisted in the Army in 1943 and served during the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive during WWII. He was in the 12th Armored Division of the 92nd Infantry doing reconnaissance with the Hellcats, and he drove an armored personnel carrier. Olgas name was written across the side of it. During the war the two wrote each other love letters. Edward returned for good in 1946 and the two married the following year. Olga was 27 and Edward was 25. He worked as a civilian at Naval Air Station North Island, and she was employed at the Imperial Beach post office. The two enjoyed vacations together with their daughters Paula and Gail Braga. Olga said they would save up for a two-week family getaway each year during the summer. Their destinations included Yosemite, Seattle at the Worlds Fair, the Grand Canyon, Victoria Island in British Columbia and back home to Massachusetts to spend time with family. The couple also traveled on cruises to Germany, Spain, Australia, Alaska and the Panama canal to name a few. Olga recalled how she and Edward would sit on the back porch each time they wanted to discuss an expensive purchase. They would never buy anything unless they could pay cash for it, Kosmicki said. She said while her father was frugal he was willing to splurge on the right items. One such occasion ended up being when Olga lost the diamond in her engagement ring. Edward, who disliked shopping for anything especially jewelry, didnt give a second thought to replacing the entire ring for Olga, his daughter said. He surprised Olga with it for Christmas. She was totally shocked, Kosmicki said. Olga still lives in the three-bedroom home with wood floors on Evergreen Avenue and Third Street that Edward built for them in 1948. The home sits on two lots with a big yard and many trees. The home he built was what I wanted, she said. Menacing, crudely written signs hung from highway bridges or left with mutilated corpses have delivered the message: Mexicos fastest-growing drug trafficking group, Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, is now in Tijuana and fighting to expand its influence. The groups growing presence coincides with a surge in homicides in Tijuana that started last spring, authorities said, and have continued in these first weeks of the new year, with many of the perpetrators and victims described as low-ranking members of the citys neighborhood drug trade. Drug-related killings accounted for more than 80 percent of Tijuanas 670 homicides in 2015, the highest number in five years, according to the Baja California Attorney Generals Office. A total of 71 homicides last month marked the most violent January in the city since 2010. Advertisement With the participation of Nueva Generacion, the battle for control of Tijuanas neighborhood drug trade and lucrative smuggling routes to the United States has entered a new phase, one that has left the Sinaloa cartel increasingly on the defensive and led to the defections of some of its members, according to law-enforcement officials. Nueva Generacion is the new player in town that is trying to gain control of the Tijuana plaza, said Gary Hill, assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations San Diego office. While the extent of Nueva Generacions physical presence and influence is the subject of some debate, there is consensus about this: The group is now involved in both the street-level sales, narcomenudeo, and cross-border smuggling activities, called trasiego. Daniel de la Rosa, Baja Californias public safety secretary, said Nueva Generacion does not have a significant physical presence in the state, but has focused on forging alliances with members of the Tijuana underworld in a challenge to the Sinaloa cartel, which has been widely acknowledged in recent years as the citys dominant drug trafficking group. Their rivalry preceded the recent recapture of the Sinaloa organizations longtime leader, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. As far as a visible head of Grupo Jalisco Nueva Generacion, we dont have one, de la Rosa said last week. You dont see the presence of their operators, their hit men, criminal logistics. The only thing that weve detected is smuggling, and the protection of their loads heading to the United States, and the importing of cash and weapons from the United States. Changing dynamics For years, Tijuana was known as the domain of the Arellano Felix Organization, and that familys control extended over both the smuggling of drugs to the United States and the local drug trade, authorities said. That supremacy unraveled amid the detentions and deaths of its leaders and challenges from rivals in the drug trade. The final blow came in 2008, when an Arellano former lieutenant, Teodoro Garcia Simental, mounted a bloody challenge to his former bosses, with backing from the Sinaloa cartel. Now, it seems the tables have been turned. To gain control in Tijuana, Nueva Generacion has been recruiting former members of the Arellano Felix Organization and persuading Sinaloa operatives to switch sides, according to one U.S. law-enforcement official. Theyre not just lightly treading through here. Theyre setting up shop and digging in their heels, he said. Authorities said the pressures have prompted the Sinaloa cartels alleged leaders in Baja California brothers Alfonso Arzate and Rene Arzate to flee the state. But even in absentia, the brothers, who are under indictment in San Diego on drug trafficking charges, still have their influence, said Hill from the DEAs San Diego office. A key figure said to have switched his allegiance from the Sinaloa cartel to Nueva Generacion is Arturo Gomez Herrera, better known by his nickname, El Gross. According to Tijuana police, El Gross now leads a criminal cell that has been fighting for control of the drug trade in Tijuanas impoverished Sanchez Taboada neighborhood. Last week, police announced the arrest of a 19-year-old they said was a hit man working for El Gross and connected him to the killings of at least five neighborhood drug dealers. Rise to power Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, often called CJNG, is a relatively new player in Mexico that emerged from a power struggle among drug traffickers in the countrys central region. The group rose to power around 2009 with the decline of the Valencia-Milenio cartel, according to the U.S. State Department. The current leader is said to be 49-year-old Nemesio Oseguera Ramos, El Mencho, a native of Michoacan who has been significantly involved in drug trafficking activities since the 1990s, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Oseguera served nearly three years in a U.S. prison following a 1994 federal conviction of heroin distribution in Californias Northern District. In 2014, he was indicted in U.S. federal court in Washington, D.C. And last April, the U.S. Treasury Department named Oseguera a kingpin, a designation that involves freezing any of his or his groups U.S.-based or U.S.-controlled assets and prohibiting transactions with them. The U.S. State Department is offering up to $5 million for information leading to his capture and conviction. Through extreme violence, corruption and extortion, CJNG has increased its presence in Mexico, engaging in turf battles throughout the country and steadily expanding its territory and control, reads the agencys description of the organization. On both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, law-enforcement authorities and drug experts are watching the group closely. What happens with Nueva Generacion over the next year is going to reshape the landscape of drug trafficking in Mexico, said David Shirk, a professor at the University of San Diego who studies the drug trade and Mexicos justice system. Alejandro Hope, a Mexican analyst and the security and justice editor of the website El Daily Post, expects Nueva Generacion and other cartels to continue fragmenting. The large-scale, vertical, highly visible, highly identifiable cartels that were so prominent between the 1980s and the 2000s are increasingly a thing of the past, Hope said. Thinking about cartels is a misnomer about what is going on in Mexico. The fragmentation that has dominated the Mexican underworld is here to stay. Ten years from now, neither Sinaloa nor Nueva Generacion will exist. Drop in common crimes The rising count of homicides in Tijuana has been in counterpoint to the fall in common crimes there, as well as a sharp drop in kidnappings last year, according to law-enforcement statistics. Police forces in Baja California have worked to reduce corruption and step up training and certification programs and that shows in the results, said Gustavo Fernandez del Leon, president of the Tijuana business group Coparmex. We see a renewed police, we see coordination in fighting common crimes, he said. But even though most of the killings appear to target members of the drug trade, we cannot accept it, Fernandez said. We need to demand that federal authorities intervene with greater efficiency so that this does not continue. State officials said in many of the homicides, the victim and assailant were acquaintances. Theyre street traffickers who know each other. They go to their houses and kill them there, or abduct them and then dump their bodies, said de la Rosa, the Baja California public safety secretary. In some cases, they might have a confrontation in a bar. Jose Maria Gonzalez, Baja Californias deputy attorney general for organized crime, sees a direct connection between the presence of Nueva Generacion and the increased violence. It went up because a third group is in the process of becoming established that previously had not been playing a role in the local drug market, he said. In some cases, the killers have left signs on victims bodies, proclaiming their allegiance to Nueva Generacion and its local offshoot, which calls itself Nueva Generacion Tijuana. But in many instances, those who investigate these crimes are hard-pressed to identify which groups are involved. Were dealing with the lowest level; all they know is that theres a dispute for the local trade, Gonzalez said. When we show them the groups that they may belong to, they dont even know. They just say, This guy came up to me, he asked if I wanted to sell these packets, that I could earn 20 to 30 to 50 pesos for each one. For Tijuana human-rights activist Victor Clark, authorities are too quick to dismiss the crimes as disputes between low-level members of the drug trade. The idea is that these are minor players and its not important. But they fail to explain that they form the base of the structure of drug trafficking organizations, Clark said. This is organized crime, and nothing else. sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com The University of San Diego has announced a plan to enroll at least 35 students from local Catholic high schools each year. Our vision is to set the standard for an engaged, contemporary Catholic university where innovative Changemakers confront humanitys urgent challenges, said USD President James Harris, who was joined by Bishop Robert McElroy on campus Tuesday in announcing the Torero Promise. We want Catholic students from across San Diego to be major contributors to this vision. Under the Torero Promise, local students will be accepted to USD if they achieve at least a 3.7 weighted GPA by the end of their junior year. Student applications still must be reviewed by admissions staff before an acceptance letter is issued. Advertisement The Torero Promise applies to students from the Catholic high schools in the region: Academy of Our Lady of Peace, St. Augustine, Mater Dei, Cathedral Catholic, and Vincent Memorial. The initiative includes a level of financial assistance. USD also announced other initiatives aimed at strengthening Catholic education in the area. The Learning and Teaching Department of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at USD will begin offering a Masters and Credential cohort program for teacher candidates. The Leadership Studies Department in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences is developing a Certificate in Catholic Educational Leadership. In another new initiative, faculty from the SOLES Department of Counseling and Marital and Family Therapy have been working collaboratively with the San Diego Diocesan Office of Schools to develop a proposal for wellness centers in local Catholic Schools. The research-based model will include a continuum of services from universal preventive activities to intensive individualized services for students and their families. The program is designed to be strengths-based and will target Diocesan K-8 schools in the San Diego area serving primarily low-income students. gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 The San Diego Unified School District will not permit immigration raids or similar activities that disrupt campuses, families of students were told in an e-mail from Superintendent Cindy Marten. The purpose of this letter is to assure you that the San Diego Unified School District is committed to preserving the constitutional right of every student to an education, regardless of immigration status, the letter read. Marten wrote that the letter, sent Tuesday, was meant to ease anxiety some members of the community have felt since the election of Donald Trump in November. Advertisement Trump had said during his campaign that he would crack down on illegal immigration, deport people who are in the country illegally and revoke the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, which allows certain unauthorized immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year deferment from deportation In a similar letter to faculty members, Marten directed campus personnel to forward to the districts legal services department any request for student documents received from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If ICE appears on your campus or facility, please refer them to school police, she also wrote. ICE agents should not be permitted on campus unless approved by school police. In an interview Wednesday, Marten said the e-mail to faculty members did not mean school police would confront ICE agents, but rather would work with them to ensure both sides are cooperating and following the law. Its about mutual respect of both agencies, she said. If they (ICE) approach the school and they have business to take care of, we totally respect them. The 2011 law still in place, however, says the Department of Homeland Security considers schools, churches and hospitals off-limit for immigration enforcement, she said. The e-mail to parents comes on the eve of four community forums on immigration planned for Hoover High, San Diego High, Mira Mesa High and Mann Middle School this month. Marten said the letter also went sent this week because students have seen reports of immigration raids on the news in recent days. While unrelated, the news has created some anxiety for families, she said. We know kids cant learn if theyre scared, she said. Andrea Guerrero, executive director of Alliance San Diego, was one of the district parents who received the e-mail and said she appreciated it. I think it addresses peoples concern about protecting our students, she said. In my capacity at Alliance San Diego, one of the things we do is field calls from community members, and calls were getting over the weekend were from parents concerned that ICE would come and raid their school and their child would be in a danger. They wanted to know whether to go to school or not. Guerrero said people have a right to be concerned because the president has not been clear about his plans regarding students. That uncertainty is fueling anxiety and fear in the community, she said. While Trump has not issued an executive order specifically about immigrants in school, there have been at least one report of a student who was detained by immigration authorities. The student, 23-year-old Daniel Ramirez Medina of Seattle, has filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Seattle detained him Feb. 10. Medina, who was born in Mexico and came to the United States at age 7, is registered with the government under DACA. His lawsuit alleging a violation of his constitutional rights is believed to be the first of its kind filed by a DACA student. While there havent been any similar cases reported locally, San Diego Unified is not alone in taking a preemptive stance on the issue. The San Diego Community College District board adopted a resolution last month stating it would follow laws in place to protect student privacy unless the laws are overturned or there is a court order. That resolution said the college board would not allow federal immigration officials on campus without legal authority; act on behalf of federal agencies to enforce immigration laws or aid in deportation, or share student records containing immigration or citizenship status. The California Community College Board of Governors had adopted a similar resolution earlier, and in November leaders of Californias three public college and university systems sent a letter to Trump urging him to preserve DACA. The presidents at CSU San Marcos, University of San Diego and UC San Diego have added their names to a statement expressing their concern and support.for DACA. Chula Vista Elementary, San Diego Unified and Southwestern Community College districts also have adopted resolutions in support of DACA since the election. San Diego Unifieds Board of Education passed a resolution in December affirming its commitment to protecting the rights of all students and their families, regardless of immigrant status. San Diego Unified believes strongly that every student has a civil right to a free public education, and is committed to serving all children, Marten wrote in her letter Tuesday. Marten also wrote that the Family Educational Rights & Protection Act prohibits the release of student records without parental consent, including information that might indicate immigration status, unless mandated by law. San Diego Unified is further committed to maintaining a safe and productive learning environment, she wrote. The district believes that the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is likely to lead to a disruption of the educational setting. Therefore, the district will not permit immigration raids or other activities on campus that disturb the school setting. She also wrote that since 2011, the Department of Homeland Security has considered schools off limits for immigration enforcement. Marten ended her letter urging family members with questions about their legal rights to seek independent counsel or contact the districts Family and Community Engagement Department. gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 This Wednesday Feb. 15, our County Board of Supervisors will vote on whether to authorize a feasibility study recommended by staff on Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). An increasingly popular option throughout California, CCAs (also known as CCEs) provide local residents an alternative to investor-owned utilities and a chance to select a mix of less carbon-intensive electricity at competitive prices. A San Diego County CCA program would be a big step towards a cleaner, healthier future for everyone. Community Choice Aggregation programs came into being in California in 2002 with the passage of AB 117 in the California State Legislature. This Bill created the framework for establishing local, not-for-profit public agencies that would partner with existing utilities to provide additional electricity choices for state residents. Advertisement Californias first CCA, Marin Clean Energy, was established in the Bay Area in 2010 and serves over 175,000 customers. Its electricity mix features solar power, with options of either 50 or 100% clean energy at competitive prices. The states second program, Sonoma Clean Power, offers greener, more local energy sources at lower prices than those of their utility, PGE. Four more CCEs exist across California, and the trend is clear: 26 of 58 counties operate a CCA, are about to begin one, or are actively investigating the possibility. In contrast, investor-owned utilities are publicly traded for-profit entities. In most locations, they operate as de facto monopolies offering customers no choice outside their standard contracts. Of the three state utilities, SDGE is the most expensive for its customers, based on both price per kWh and monthly bills. Marketing itself as a green company, SDGE still burns natural gas to generate the majority of their electricity, which is piped from Texas and New Mexico where widespread fracking often leads to water table contamination and leakage of methane a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. The burning of fossil fuels is the chief driver of climate change, and electricity generation accounts for the largest source of greenhouse gases in the U.S.. Already, our state has seen worsening heat waves, more frequent and prolonged fires, new infectious diseases like West Nile and Zika virus, and reduced availability of healthy food and water from severe, prolonged drought. Children under the age of five, according to the World Health Organization, will suffer the majority of the health impacts from our climate crisis. As physicians, were strongly in favor of doing whatever it takes to prevent this kind of avoidable suffering. In light of these risks and our regions growing commitment to 100% renewable energy, its time to take bold action. Community Choice Aggregation represents a rare win-win for all of San Diegos residents: it will help protect our health, expand choice, and create local jobs- all without increasing customers utility bills. Done at the County level, additional cost efficiencies would be realized compared to piecemeal CCAs by individual cities. The County already purchases its own electricity on the open market without SDGE involvement, saving millions of dollars annually. We are simply asking the Board of Supervisors to investigate whether a CCA could accomplish the same for local citizens and businesses. They vote this Wednesday, Feb. 15; concerned residents are urged to contact their Supervisor (write, call and/or visit!) and encourage their support. If you can attend the meeting, here is the link to the meeting Agenda: https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/cob/bosa.html About the authors: Bruce Bekkar is a s a former gynecologist and obstetrician who now works full time on issues of climate change. Hes the vice chairman of Del Mars sea-level rise committee. Donald Mosier is the former mayor of Del Mar and a professor emeritus in the Department of Immunology & Microbial Science at the Scripps Research Institute. Guest Voices is always open to new points of view. If you have an opinion to put forth in a column on environmental issues, email us at: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com. As conditions on San Diego Countys nearly 2,000 miles of roads continue to deteriorate and maintenance costs rise, supervisors are trying to find a way to repair the backlog of potholes, patches and cracks. Since 2010 the county-owned streets have, on average, fallen from a 71 to 60 on a well-known rating system of road quality a record low. At the same time, revenue from the state gas tax, the primary way to fund road maintenance, has decreased from around $58 million to $51 million while the cost of repairs has increased. Shortfalls in revenue combined with ongoing expenses put the county on track for a $62.2 million shortfall by fiscal 2019. Operations will be $11.9 million short, while surface repairs will have a $50.3 million backlog, a county report shows. Advertisement On Tuesday, supervisors voted unanimously to have county staff find options to pay for the growing gap between backlogged road maintenance, rising costs, and declining funds in order to bring conditions back up to at least a 70 rating in the next five years. Staff was also directed to encourage Sacramento to increase transportation funding. Supervisor Ron Roberts was not at the meeting. Pay now, or pay a lot more later, said Dianne Jacob, chair of the Board of Supervisors. Its a lot more expensive to keep those roads up when they are in a certain condition that waiting until they are in a deteriorating condition. Repairs are more expensive for roads in worse conditions, and range from $80,000 to apply a seal to a mile-long lane in good condition, to $310,000 for a major rehabilitation on a span the same length in poor condition. On the Pavement Condition Index, a standardized measure of road conditions used around the country, 39 percent rate very good, 29 percent are good, 23 percent are poor, and 9 percent rate very poor. As soon as you start slipping, its nearly impossible to catch up, Supervisor Kristin Gaspar said. Supervisor Greg Cox said hed like a long-term plan to emphasize repairs to high-traffic roads over less traveled ones. I hope we can maybe take a look at what the priorities might be as we evaluate this, he said. In 2016 the county began a four-year plan to increase spending on road resurfacing by diverting $18 million of its budget surplus, up from $11 million. The Department of Public Works, a wing of government with about 500 employees and a $245 million budget, also cut the number of road crews, eliminated positions, and downsized its inventory of heavy equipment in order to trim replacement costs. This fiscal year the county will spend $13.4 million on road capital projects, and another $79 million to fill potholes, stripe center lanes, plow snow, and other types of maintenance and operations. The $92.4 million budget is mostly funded by $51 million from the 27.8-cent-per-gallon gas tax, a stream of revenue that has dwindled as the rate has been decreased, while fuel-efficient hybrid and all-electric vehicles have become more popular. Statewide gasoline tax revenues dropped from $5.76 billion in fiscal 2013 to $5.37 billion in 2014, the last year with full data readily available. In July, however, the gas tax rate will increase by 1.9 cents and the revenue collected is expected to increase slightly. The state and federal governments are the major sources of revenue used for road maintenance, but San Diego County also allocates a portion of funds collected from the TRANSNET sales tax. Twitter: @jptstewart joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1841 Two gunmen robbed a Metro PCS cellphone store in San Diegos Serra Mesa neighborhood Tuesday, marking the ninth in a county-wide robbery spree that began in late January, police said. About 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the thieves walked into the cellphone store on Mission Village Drive south of Taft Middle School, police said. The men, each armed with a semi-automatic handgun, made a demand. They left with cellphones and cash, police Officer Billy Hernandez said. Advertisement One of the gunmen was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, about 215 pounds, with a beard. He was wearing a grey hoodie and shorts. The second robber was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and about 180 pounds. He was wearing a grey hoodie and black or gray pants. Both were said to be in their late 20s. From what I can tell this is going to be related to our series, San Diego police Lt. Eric Hays said. The armed men behind the string of robberies targeted other Metro PCS stores on: San Marcos Boulevard near Twin Oak Valley Road in San Marcos on Friday El Cajon Boulevard near Montezuma Road in the College Area on Feb. 8 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard west of Interstate 805 in Clairemont on Feb. 7 Poway Road near Pomerado Road in Poway on Feb. 6 Coronado Avenue near 19th Street in Egger Highlands on Feb. 1 Adams Avenue near John Adams Elementary School in Normal Heights on Jan. 30 El Cajon Boulevard near 42nd Street in Kensington on Jan. 27 Jamacha Road near Sweetwater Road in Spring Valley on Jan. 25 One of the robbers in the series is described as black or Latino, in his 30s, 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall, with a medium to heavy build. The other is said to be black or Latino, 25 to 30 years old, about 6 feet tall, with a thin to medium build. Anyone with information about any of the robberies was asked to call San Diego polices robbery unit at (619) 531-2299 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. PREVIOUS: Metro PCS store robbed in San Marcos Police: Cellphone store marks seventh in spree Police: Duo robs fourth cellphone store at gunpoint Breaking News Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com Phone: (619) 293-1876 Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez UPDATES: 6:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 4:40 p.m. The home invasion robbery suspect killed by a Lemon Grove resident last week was identified Wednesday as a 15-year-old San Diego boy. Derrick Harris Jr. was fatally wounded in a struggle over a handgun he brought to a house on Edding Drive, sheriffs homicide Lt. Kenn Nelson said. Advertisement It took authorities nearly a week to identify Harriss body, using DNA. His family, who live in San Diego, filed a police missing persons report on the teen the day after the shooting, Nelson said. The report made its way to homicide detectives, who thought the boys description was close to that of the unidentified suspect. Detectives obtained a DNA sample from a family member, and the results confirmed the boys identity, Nelson said. Nelson said either Harris or his accomplice, who remains at large, shot Francisco Suarez Jr. 22, at the Lemon Grove home. Suarezs father then grabbed Harris and the gun. It went off as they struggled. The number of times Harris was shot has not been released. There were four bullet holes in the front screen door at the Suarez house and one or two others in a window. Harris died inside the house and the younger Suarez, wounded in his upper torso, called 911 shortly before 2 a.m. He has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. Robbery was apparently the motive, Nelson said, but he would not disclose what the intruders were after. He said investigators have found no connection between the residents and Harris. Detectives are following some leads to identify the accomplice who escaped, but Nelson said the publics help is needed. Were hoping people who knew Derrick know who he hung out with, Nelson said. Anyone with information can call investigators at (858) 974-2321 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. A GoFundMe page created for Harris family on Sunday identified the teen as Derrick Harris-Fanua. They have suffered an unimaginable, unexpected tragedy with the loss of their beloved 15 yr old Son/Brother, Derrick, said a posting on the page. He appeared to use an alias, Foolie Stu, on his Facebook page. The same photo on his page was used on the GoFundMe site. The Right Rev. James R. Mathes is resigning as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. His last day in the post will be July 1, when he will preach and preside over a service at St. Pauls Cathedral in downtown San Diego. Mathes will then cross the country to become associate dean of students and chaplain at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. Although the bishop and his wife, Teresa Terri Mathes, had recently bought and renovated a house in Point Loma, he could not resist returning to his alma mater. When he saw this opportunity, said Hannah Wilder, a diocesan spokeswoman, he jumped at it. Advertisement Mathes, 58, became the local dioceses fourth bishop in 2005. A 1991 Virginia Theological Semninary graduate, he was ordained in 1992 and became an assistant minister at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. His resume also includes stints as rector of St. James the Less in Northfield, Ill., and the Diocese of Chicagos canon to the ordinary that is, the bishops second in command. In San Diego, he succeeded the Right Rev. Gethin Hughes. He inherited a diocese dealing with tumultuous events, local and national. Mathes defused one crisis by reorganizing San Diegos Episcopal Community Services, which had been accused of mismanagement. The other crisis lingered. The 2003 installation of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire led numerous American congregations to sever ties with the Episcopal Church. At least nine left the San Diego diocese. Today, the local diocese includes 43 congregations serving 20,000 people in San Diego, Riverside and Imperial counties, plus Yuma, Ariz. During his time as bishop, Mathes was awarded an honorary doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2008; the Mayor George Moscone Humanitarian Award from San Diegos Nicky Awards in 2014; and a Solidarity Award from the Islamic Center of San Diego in 2016. The bishop and his wife are the parents of two adult children, Lee Mathes and Sarah Mathes. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, right, and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, left. (John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune) The American carnage that President Donald Trump lamented in his inaugural address last month? San Diego hasnt seen anything like it. Advertisement Crediting partnerships with the community, San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said this week the citys crime rate was at its second-lowest level in 47 years. Notably, property crimes had even dipped from the prior year when a spike in San Diego and elsewhere caused authorities across California to prematurely point the finger at Proposition 47, which reduced penalties for several such crimes. The citys 2016 rate of 24.4 crimes per 1,000 residents is where it was in the 1950s and 1960s. Year over year, aggravated assaults, burglaries and thefts are down from 2015 while rapes and robberies are up slightly and auto thefts up significantly. Troublingly, homicides have risen over the past three years to 49 in 2016, but that figure means San Diego still has the lowest homicide rate of the nations 10 largest cities. Zimmerman shared some educated guesses on why crime is down in San Diego, but the truth is its complicated. There are many contributing factors, such as police staffing levels, enforcement priorities, social services reductions, mental health issues and homelessness. Thats why Zimmerman and her Police Departments focus on building bridges via community events, Neighborhood Watches and homeless outreach will pay dividends for years. The jury is still out on Proposition 47, but on both it and crime rates, the long view is best. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: UTOpinion Michael Flynns sudden resignation as national security adviser does not mean the lingering questions about his contacts and Donald Trumps contacts with Russia before Trump became president will go away. House and Senate investigations are certainly appropriate, and White House and national security officials should also make themselves available to the media to explain what they knew and what the president knew and when. But the Trump administrations problems go far beyond Flynn. The administration is off to a chaotic start, with the botched execution of the presidents travel ban the prime example. Every day, rival power blocs leak selected information in attempts to push the president one way or the other, or, as columnist Michael Gerson notes, to display their loyalty. There is little sense of forward momentum. Advertisement The Washington Times Wesley Pruden, a big admirer of the president, suggests what seems like disarray is actually a strategy setting up an administration with forceful personalities who are empowered by Trump to speak their minds. Calling him comfortable with controversy, Pruden compares the presidents unorthodox approach to the styles of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But there is no precedent for a modern presidency operating in such a fashion and succeeding. The example that Pruden could have cited is Bill Clinton. His administration got off to a disorganized start in January 1993, with the highest disapproval ratings for any president since the Gallup poll began 40 years earlier and senior aides squabbling over access to the president and his influential wife, Hillary Clinton. White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty, a former Arkansas utility executive and a friend of Clintons since kindergarten, was in over his head an observation thats also been made about Trumps chief of staff, Reince Preibus. But McClarty and other top officials were also stymied by what The New York Times called Clintons anguished indecisiveness. This led to an extraordinary moment in July 1993, reported by Bob Woodward, in which Clintons dithering over whether and when he should unfold his broad economic plan led Vice President Al Gore to urge him to get with the (expletive) program! The Clinton presidency remained rocky until Leon Panetta, a tough, disciplined former Democratic congressman from Monterey, took over as chief of staff in July 1994 and helped bring coherence to the White House. The Trump administration cannot afford such a long delay before hitting its stride. Its not just public approval the president should worry about. Its the Republican Congress, which is going to be asked by the administration to work together on bold initiatives in health care and financial regulation and to possibly support a reorientation of U.S. alliances and foreign policy. Clinton got nowhere with a Democratic Congress in 1993-94 with his push for broad health reform partly because of doubts about the White Houses competence and agenda, and then he was further weakened by the 1994 Republican Revolution. A similar fate could await Trump if his administration doesnt find its bearings. Donald Trumps decisions have the potential to affect the lives of everyday Americans and many people around the world. It would be reassuring to finally get the sense that these decisions are made after informed deliberation not because the president was looking to make a splash on Twitter. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: UTOpinion Oroville Dam episode points to short-sighted leadership In another glaring example of politics overwhelming common sense, the entire Oroville Dam situation is disgusting. Were letting hundreds of millions of gallons of water (from Oroville and other filled Northern California dams) run into the ocean because of the short-sighted, politically influenced leaders who havent built new dams over the past 30 years despite our doubled population in California since 1980. How many families water needs would that have taken care of in the coming five years? Advertisement 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 Despite being warned of damages at the Oroville Dam in 2005 and with it empty enough to make repairing it easy in the past five years, our leaders didnt repair it. Letting the water run to the ocean wouldnt be so aggravating if it wasnt coupled with our policies limiting desalination plants. My question is, what good are the strengths of California when we run out of water? Tom Isaak El Cajon * * * I couldnt help but notice that Gov. Moonbeam reached out to the Trump administration for assistance with the Oroville Dam. What? What happened to all the citizens of Lollipop Lands outrage and we are going to fight Trump at every turn, we dont need his administration or anything from D.C. We are as big as many countries in the world, well take care of ourselves! Less than a month in office and our liberal leadership is crying for help from Uncle Donald. Lollipop Land spends all its money on illegal immigrants, welfare, environmental enforcement, outlandish state employee salaries and retirement packages. No money for the first disaster of the year? Pathetic. Steven Quinn North Park Police are not at fault in the Alfred Olango shooting Regarding Olangos sister files suit in fatal police shooting (Feb. 14): Let us be real clear about something if you point something that even looks like a gun at a cop, you will die. This is a life-or-death decision that cops have to make in milliseconds and they are going to defend their lives. If anyone is going to die, it is going to be you. If society wants anyone to be cops, we must support their right to defend their lives. The ultimate solution is, of course, to change our culture of violence so that such soul-searing decisions are no longer necessary. Bruce Higgins City Heights All this talking of defending U.S. borders never ends Apparently, certain political parties have chosen to forget/overlook Bill Clintons Jan. 24, 1995, speech to Congress about our huge immigration problem and his plan to enforce our immigration laws vigorously. Check it out on C-SPAN. Twenty-two years ago, but the same problem exists. Not surprising. J.B. Harrington La Mesa Stores dont explain why they add, drop products Regarding Cliff Lindroths letter about Ivanka Trumps fashion line (Brand name dismissal smacks of politics (Feb. 10): Do news stories about stores deleting a brand typically report the numbers justifying that decision? Context would be needed to make those numbers meaningful. I dont see how the writers conclusion that Nordstrom made a political decision is supported. It may reflect consumers spending decisions based on taste, price or politics. Trumps tweet is the problem. Sounds like a parent who argues with a professor if his child doesnt receive the grade the parent wants. Many wonderful people are not able to make a living on their art or business idea. What parents would publicly threaten an individual who did not buy the painting, the book, or the shoes produced by their adult child? And if that parent were a movie character using great power to get his way, he would be the villain. Cindy Schuricht La Mesa It is time for the U.S. to walk away from Afghanistan Regarding the U-Ts report on Afghanistan, we are now informed that the army theatre commander has asked for a few thousand more troops. This new buildup is a sad commentary on the Afghan saga and it adds these few thousand troops to the 8,400 boots on the ground. Lets not kid ourselves, there are many more noncombat troops there for logistic support. What this new addition of troops really means is that Afghanistan cannot support the ongoing effort to get free of the stalemate. Now we understand that Russian intervention complicates the effort. The many months of telling Americans that we will gradually draw down the effort and remove our troop support is not the truth and we should not be held to this overwhelming support for an effort that has all the earmarks of failure and the significant amount of money necessary for victory is just not a sensible and fiscally responsible effort. Time to depart. Rodgers T. Smith El Cajon The pro-life party seems disinclined to protect lives Regarding House GOP dismantles Obama regulation protecting streams from coal mining debris (Feb. 1): Could someone please explain to me how or why a person or political party that claims to be pro-life would vote to OK a measure allowing coal mining debris to be dumped into nearby streams? Doesnt that poison the water, kill fish and possibly make us sick? And, on top of this, the House backed a separate resolution doing away with extended background checks for gun purchases by some Social Security recipients with mental disabilities. So much for pro-life and physical safety. Now, how about financial security: On Feb. 4, we read another directive Trump signed will effectively halt an Obama Labor Department rule that requires brokers to act in a clients best interest rather than seek the highest profits for themselves when providing retirement advice. If they wont be doing this any longer for retirees, how can anyone trust investment brokers? I thought the Apprentice president claimed to represent all of the people. Carole Lombardi Del Cerro Immigrants in the past had to make on their own Ellis Island opened in 1892 and over time 12 million people immigrated into the United States. I dont recall those immigrants getting assistance of any kind (history teachers please correct me if Im wrong about this). They had to work or fight for everything they got. I think this is one of the biggest differences in immigration today. Our government helps them in many ways that we do not for our own citizens. I understand why this rankles many U.S. citizens. I recall my mother telling my father one time, you seem to care more about other people than you do your own family. Our immigration policy today seems similar. Greg Pharis Spring Valley We have heard promises like Trumps in the past As an immigrant from Germany who came to this country in 1957 and whose father fought for Germany and whose mother who lived in Berlin throughout the war, I have a good prospective on someone who promises Only I can fix it. Our current administration, with the Republicans sitting quietly on the sideline, are using the same techniques as in pre-war Germany. Find a group to blame for your economic problems, Mexicans. Create fear, Muslim terrorists. Use false facts, alternative facts and outright lies, discredit the media and any groups with opposing views. When done well and your supporters follow you, no questions asked, we are doomed as a free country. Whats next after the Muslim ban, a Muslim registry and yellow crescent moon for Muslims to wear? Art Schaefer Chula Vista Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook. Youd expect Democrats to raise concerns, but the outrage over former national security adviser Michael Flynn s resignation has been bipartisan to a certain extent. Heres a look at how the GOP is reacting. The resignation came late Monday after The Washington Post and other major news outlets reported on conversations Flynn had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about U.S. sanctions on Russia and the fact that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about the nature of those conversations. The uproar over Flynns actions didnt end with his departure from President Donald Trump s administration. Top Democrats were calling for an investigation even before Flynn resigned. Tuesday Republicans joined in. RELATED: 9 questions Michael Flynn's resignation leaves unanswered Prominent GOP politicians raised questions about who knew what when, and at least one demanded an exhaustive investigation. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) speaks with reporters on the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn at the U.S. Capitol on February 14, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona McCain, chairman of the Senate s armed services committee outright scolded the Trump administration. General Flynns resignation also raises further questions about the Trump administrations intentions toward Vladimir Putins Russia, including statements by the President suggesting moral equivalence between the United States and Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, threats to our NATO allies, and attempted interference in American elections. American policy toward Russia must be made clear and unequivocal: we will honor our commitments to our NATO allies, we will maintain and enhance our deterrent posture in Europe, we will hold Russian violators of human rights accountable for their actions, and we will maintain sanctions on Russia so long as it continues to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-South Carolina Graham wondered whether Flynn acted alone. "I'd like to know, did he just do this as a rogue, General Flynn just decided to call the Russians up one day and say we're gonna have a different view on sanctions don't worry about it, or did it come from somebody else in the White House?" Sen. Roy Blunt , R-Missouri Blunt, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for a thorough investigation. I think we should look into it exhaustively so that at the end of this process, nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned, and shouldnt reach conclusions before you have the information that you need to have to make those conclusions. Other Republicans seemed less concerned, and Trump himself sought to steer attention to White House leaks. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky I just dont think its useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party, Paul told Fox News. Well never even get started with doing the things we need to do like repealing ObamaCare if were spending our whole time having Republicans investigate Republicans. I think it makes no sense." Rep. Devin Nunes , R-Tulare "I want to hear from the FBI as to how this got out," Nunes said. "We don't even know if this is true. We just know this from press reports." President Donald Trump Trump didnt seem as outwardly upset about what Flynn did as much as he was about the contents of his conversations being leaked Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and others such as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, are leaving it up to the Senates Intelligence Committee, which is already investigating possible Russian interference in the election. Do you think theres more to this story? Is the resignation enough? Tell us in the comment below. Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @abbyhamblin ALSO 9 questions Michael Flynn's resignation leaves unanswered Selling a home after a loved one has died can be very stressful. Emotions often run high, especially if surviving family members arent always in agreement as to the next step. Renovation Realty, founded in 2011, is part general contractor and part real estate broker. That combination is often just what people who are trying to liquidate homes of loves ones need a one-stop shop to deal with a home they dont know what do with. The idea behind Renovation Realty is to fix up and update the home to get it sold at the highest possible price. Advertisement Theres no out-of-pocket cost to the homeowner, said Keith Christian, the companys chairman. Renovation Realty pays for the cost of the renovations and is then reimbursed through escrow once the house is sold. The renovation cost is a fixed price, just like any contractor. The advantage is that home buyers will pay market price for a turnkey home. When Theresa Reicherts father, Gilbert Huey died unexpectedly in June 2011, Reichert, as executor of the estate, was left to deal with the Bay Park home where she and her four siblings grew up. I had no idea what to do with it, Reichert said. I knew it needed a lot of work. I didnt know where to start. Her fathers estate attorney eventually suggested Renovation Realty. The team came out to look at her property, which Reicherts parents bought in the mid-1960s, and estimated the as is value at $450,000. That seemed low for a five-bedroom home with pool, so Reichert got a second option. That quote was even lower. Christian suggested a scope of work that included a new kitchen and bathrooms as well as new flooring, windows, landscaping, paint and lighting. That makeover, which started in January 2013, transformed the home, Reichert said. It was amazing to watch. It went from a dark, sad house to open and bright, she said. By April 2013, the renovated property sold for $713,000. Reichert and her siblings ended up making $409,000 instead of the approximately $257,500 if they would have sold the house in its original condition. The renovation cost of $91,000 was taken out of the sales price during escrow. You have a lot of homes out there that havent been touched in 30, 40, 50 years, Christian said. Those homes are not designed for todays style of living and are harder to sell as is. Homes sell quicker and dont fall out of escrow as often if they have been renovated, he said. The first thing Renovation Realtys team addresses are safety issues such as the foundation, the roof, plumbing and electric problems so the home can pass code inspections. Cosmetic upgrades are mostly centered on the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and landscaping. Thats where you get the most bang for you buck, Christian said. The renovations, which usually take from two weeks to one and a half months, average about $60,000 to $70,000 and are designed to appeal to as many buyers as possible. The process starts with a plan for the project from start to finish. Because inherited homes are such a large part of Renovation Realtys business, they have the expertise to help coordinate with estate sales and movers as well as make recommendations for attorneys, accountants and fiduciaries. The companys real estate agents and construction managers then draw up options for the renovations. Construction will start once the client signs a listing agreement. We give recommendations for the scope of the work, Christian said, but the homeowners have the final say. The key, he said, is not to over-renovate. Homeowners tend to fall in love with renovations. This is where it sometimes gets tricky, he said, because people are emotionally attached to the house. We try to guide them, give them the best advice as possible. Its their house, but at the same time we are the experts. That wasnt an issue for Reichert. She and her siblings all agreed with the companys plan. One of the great things about it was that I didnt have to make any decisions, she said. Each renovation is different because the style of the house dictates the design. But the goal is to stay as neutral as possible. Hardwood floors, quartz countertops and new dual-paned windows are usually a safe bet. Christian and his son, Cannon Christian, the companys president, conceived the idea for the Renovation Realty after a deal fell through for a home they wanted to buy and flip. Since its inception, the company has refurbished and sold 260 homes; 120 projects were completed this year. The company has now opened an office in San Francisco. This model works well anywhere, Christian said. Every house is a different story. A Pacific storm thats expected to tap into moisture from the sub-tropics will hit San Diego County on Friday and Saturday and drop 1.5 to 3 of rain at the coast, says the National Weather Service. The winds could gust close to 50 mph in San Diego, and to nearly 40 mph in Oceanside. Usually, the regions mountains and foothills receive the heaviest precipitation from such storms. But forecasters say the coast could record the heaviest precipitation during this system. Advertisement As this storm develops, the typical rainfall pattern of mountain shadowing, with more in the mountains than on the coast, is not expected, the weather service said in an advisory. The weather service also said that, Aquifers below our main stem rivers have filled sufficiently so that the coming rain will likely result in significant flows in all rivers and streams The Santa Margarita, San Diego, Whitewater, Mojave and Tijuana rivers will record significant flows. The faster responding rivers like the San Diego and the Santa Margarita may reach monitor or flood stage early Saturday. Since Oct. 1, San Diego International Airport has recorded 8.05 of rain, which is 1.98 above normal. Oceanside Airport has gotten 10.52, which is 2.88 above normal. Ramona Airport has recorded 15.00, which is 6.35 above normal. Twitter: @grobbins gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com This morning I started thinking about what it is like to live in a popular tourist destination. My hometown of San Pedro, Belize for the last 10 years is the most visited spot in the country of Belize. And before I moved here, I lived in ManhattanNew York City one of the most visited locations in the world. THE popular tourist destination. A city where almost everyone on the planet could list a few of New Yorks most iconic, bucket-list sites. The Empire State Building. The Statue of Liberty. Times Square where I worked for the last few years of my office career. As a New Yorker (who obviously wore all black, was cynical about all things and way too cool for school ), you work hard to minimize your time with or near tourists. You avoid Times Square and all the big attractions like the plague, you roll your eyes (oh tourists!) when you pass by a bustling TGIFriday chain or midtown Macys and you would never eat a hot pretzel from a corner cart. Becauseduh! Thats for tourists! Like Manhattan there are LOTS of great reasons people visit Ambergris Caye. The caye is ridiculously beautiful white sand, the bluest ocean, the barrier reef, the wildlife. There are great restaurants, fun bars and plenty to keep you busy day and night, if thats what you like to do. But a vacation to Belize is so differentso obviously unlike visiting NYC or Paris or Miami and, not as obviously, so different from other Caribbean trips Ive taken. There is a reason that I went to Aruba and Curacao, Grenada and Costa Rica, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and St. Maarten and never thought about relocating there When you arrive on Ambergris Caye, take a walk around town. You are vacationing within a community. Pause for just a second there are kids in uniform going to school, there are street vendors selling fruits or tacos to people on their way to work, there are parades and holidays, there are signs for fundraisers and school parties, talent shows and business openings -it doesnt take too long to see that the community is pretty fantastic. Here the locals dont actively avoid the tourists There are no huge chains no Senor Frogs, no McDonalds or Starbucks. When you drink a Belikin beer after your snorkeling trip, you are just as likely to be sitting next to a San Pedrano as you are another visitor. When you head home after your Belize vacation, I bet that one of the reasons that you want to return is to visit the local friends you met. Despite the growth that the island has seen over the last 5 or 10 years San Pedro still retains this community feel because, wellthis is a living, working, tightly knit community. And its the thing that made me want to visit here againand then againand then to make San Pedro my home. 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It all ends badly, as their idealism masks a remarkable naivete about what it takes to survive a 40-below winter. Subscribe and get unlimited access to our online magazine archive. Subscribe Today Maybe thats another reason Alaska fascinates. It can kill you. Plenty have died there, including pioneers, climbers, and of course the gold miners who came at the turn of the 20th century, succumbing to scurvy, dysentery, malaria, typhoid, bears and wolves, or just plain starvation and frigid weather. In modern times, we have the example of Christopher McCandless, a bright but disturbed young man who imagined he could be set free from the blight of civilization if he could but survive alone on the Alaskan tundra. He couldnt, as youll remember from Into the Wild. Kneeling on the ground, staining my pants blue, guzzling handful after handful of the sweet blueberries, I feel that I could be setting some kind of record, until I learn that grizzlies will consume up to 100,000 in a day. Few of us have that kind of death wish, but many nonetheless want to (safely) experience the magic and wonder of this great northern land. My wife, Estelle, and I had the opportunity to do so this past September, traveling with Princess Cruises, which runs many tours of the region, the best of which are land and sea combinations that start you off (or finish you up, depending on which direction you choose to travel) in Fairbanks, roughly the middle of the state. If you travel southward, as we did, you next go by bus down through Denali National Park and then by train to the ships debarkation point in Whittier. The ship takes you through Prince William Sound into magnificent Glacier Bay, then down the Inside Passage, with stops at Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan, ending in Vancouver or San Francisco. Along the way, we experienced nature, as advertised, including plenty of animals: moose, bear, caribou, wild mountain sheep, ptarmigan, eagles (bald and golden), whales (humpback and killer), seals, porpoises, and more. Then, theres the bigger-than-anywhere-else Alaskan landscape: spectacular glaciers, their fissures gleaming azure; the braided, silt-filled rivers that flow from them; the vast, spongy tundra; and the snow-capped spires of Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley), our nations highest peak. So much, so big! Our starting point is subarctic Fairbanks, which, being in central Alaska, is subject to extreme temperature swings, from minus 40-degree (Fahrenheit) days in winter to 90-degree days in summer. Its also a region where the sun pretty much doesnt quit in summer, but barely shows up for work in winter. As we were there in the waning days of August, there was already a slight chill in the air, foretelling the savagely cold weather to come. (A local brag is that parking spaces downtown need to be outfitted with electric sockets into which to plug the engine warmers required in cold months.) For a sample of what that weather feels like, theres a refrigerated 40 below room at the embarkation point for the Riverboat Discovery stern-wheeler cruises that ply the Chena River for the benefit of tourists like ourselves. We take the cruise, where 23-year-old Captain Madison Binkley somewhat recklessly allows me briefly to take the wheel. I immediately oversteer coming out of a turn, but she expertly talks me back on track. Afterward, I cant resist the temptation of the 40 below experience. You start in an antechamber, like walking into a freezer, then, through another door, you enter a deeper freeze, where the huge thermometer indicates 58 below. Immediately, the inside of my nose starts icing up, and then the cold begins to penetrate my clothes, my skin, my bones. I last about five minutes, but feel the chill for a couple hours afterward. For its land tours, Princess operates its own hotels. We spend the first night at their Fairbanks lodge, along the Chena River, feasting on salmon and crab legs. Wine tasting, too! The next day, were off by bus to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, just inside the fringe of Denali National Park along the Nenana River. In the afternoon, with a group of eight, I ride a helicopter for a hiking expedition up on the tundra, while Estelle goes whitewater rafting on the river with a young guide who playfully asks, Hey, want to get wet? and then, after he promises to fish her out safely if the raft flips, maneuvers them into the frothiest part of the river for a truly wild ride. For us hikers, its a short flight to a ridge at about 4,500 feet, along the way passing a cluster of Dall sheep that look like puffs of cotton clinging to minuscule ledges along the black stone spires. In just a few minutes we reach the tundra, a flat, treeless region where the subsoil is permanently frozen. It looks like a huge meadow set high in the sky all lichens and mosses and low, hardy grasses interspersed with tiny flowering plants and wild berries. The ground is spongy with snowmelt that sits on top of permafrost. Due to its location, the region gets little rain and wind, so theres barely any erosion. Were looking at a vista that is very likely just as it was at the end of the ice age, about 11,500 years ago, says our guide. Its a clear day, and about 80 miles away to the south, we make out the 20,310-foot peak of Denali. All around us are steep, treeless mountains, green valleys, and white glaciers, no visible signs of human habitation in any direction, a top-of-the-world feeling. We start out along a ridge, looking for signs of wildlife slight depressions where sheep have spent the night, bear scat, caribou tracks. We find geodes, petrified wood, caribou antlers. Dont take anything, says the guide, but I cant resist slipping a tiny geode and a sliver of petrified wood into my pocket as reminders that this was not a dream. Descending into a bowl, we come across a patch of mossberries, black in color, bland in flavor then some cranberries. A golden eagle swoops low over a rise nearby. Suddenly we come across wild blueberries. Kneeling on the ground, staining my pants blue, guzzling handful after handful of the sweet berries, I feel that I could be setting some kind of record, until I learn that grizzlies are capable of consuming up to 100,000 blueberries in a day. Some signs of change: warmer-than-normal temperatures have melted a steep section of what had previously been permafrost, causing a mudslide that looks like a man-made excavation which, in a sense, it is. Here and there, we also see fir trees poking up out of the low undergrowth. There are not supposed to be trees of any kind on the tundra, and our guide remarks that about 10 years earlier, when he saw the first invaders pushing through the low undergrowth, he would uproot them as he hiked by, vainly attempting to stop the unstoppable. He pretty soon gave up that battle. The next day, our group of about 15 takes a school bus into Denali Park. With few exceptions, private cars are not allowed. That means less air pollution and fewer people in the park. Anyone whos been to the garbage-strewn traffic jams of Yellowstone knows how important that is. The bus is outfitted for sightseeing with oversized windows. There are also video monitors linked to a telescopic video lens controlled by the driver so you can get closer looks at wildlife along the way. And we do see plenty of animals: caribou (a group of four bulls resting together, each one supporting a huge rack of antlers, the velvet peeling off in loose tatters), a moose, then suddenly a large male grizzly. The bear is cooling off in a stream, mere yards from the road, panting like a dog on a hot day. After several minutes, he clambers to his feet, shakes off, and disappears into the brush. The turnaround point is about 40 miles in, just over a rise, giving way to a view of Denali. The mountain is glorious, and importantly, visible. Denali, which has its own microclimate, is frequently enveloped in clouds even on a sunny day. But here it is! Late afternoon brings another helicopter excursion, this time to a glacier. Stepping off the copter, looking out across the vastness of the ice, the deep blue shade of the pooling meltwater, the immensity of the mountains roaring up around us, I am, for a moment, ecstatic. (The actual world!) The night brings more spectacle, the aurora borealis enhancing the sky in swirling greens, reds, and purples a light show I will never forget. The next day begins with a long bus ride to Princess McKinley lodge, where, thanks to another crisp, clear day, we are treated again to a spectacular view of the mountain this time from the south side. In the afternoon, we head to the nearby one-horse town of Talkeetna, which accommodates tourists and serious mountain climbers with equal affability and a bit of Wild West edginess. (A sign at an ice cream shop warns playfully, Patrons taking more than 3 seconds to choose a flavor will be shot.) From multiple choices of excursions horseback rides, float trips, flightseeing tours Estelle and I choose a jet boat ride that takes us up and around three rivers (the Chilitna, Talkeetna, and Susitna, each one a slightly different shade of silty gray). The water is shallow (hence the need for the jet boat, which only draws about one-and-a-half feet of water), swirling around boulders and logs, forming Rorschach patterns on the surface, challenging the captain. Several bald eagle sightings, including one bird that swoops low, maybe 10 feet over our boat. The boat is glassed in, but Estelle and I step out onto the tiny rear deck for fresh air. Above us, a deep blue cloudless sky and piercing sun. Around us, only rushing water and still woods. The wind blows Estelles hair in her face and she laughs with joy. Damn, she looks good! Forty years of marriage, but I just cant help myself; Im falling in love all over again. A day later, were back in Talkeetna for a small-plane tour up and around the spires of the Alaska Range, ultimately within 500 feet of Denali itself. After the plane ride, a quick stop for lunch and a flight of delicious beers at Denali Brewing Company, and then almost before we can clean our plates, its off to the Alaska Railroad station, just outside of Talkeetna, where railway cars await to take us down to our ship in Whittier. Its raining in Whittier. Its always raining in Whittier, which ranks as one of the top 10 rainiest cities in America. We dash under awnings for the short walk to the Star Princess. Shes one of the larger cruise ships, 951 feet long, 201 feet high, capable of holding 2,600 passengers. To give you an idea of the scale, each week the 150 galley staff bake upwards of 24,000 fresh bread rolls, grind nearly 3,000 pounds of beef for burgers, and serve more than 10,000 slices of pizza. Over the course of the voyage, lets just say we are well fed: crab legs, salmon, steak, shrimp, lamb chops sometimes all of the above. But overindulging is one of the perks of taking a cruise, and who are we to argue? We crowd the forward deck, oohing and aahing as city-building-sized chunks break off the glacier and fall into the sea with cannon-like booms. One day in, we find ourselves anchored in Yakutat Bay, just a few hundred yards from Hubbard Glacier. This massive display of natures power is sooty black and white, with streaks of blue light flaring through the cracks. The leading edge stands 350 feet high and extends another 250 feet below water. We crowd the forward deck, 12 stories high, about midway up the side of the front glacier wall, oohing and aahing as city-building-sized chunks break off (a process known as calving) and fall into the sea with cannon-like booms. These ice chunks are 400 years old, having traveled 76 miles down the valley from the mountains beyond, moving like a very slow river at a pace of just a few feet each day. Two days later, we make Skagway, the first of three stops in small historic Alaskan towns, visiting one per day. While many passengers disembark to roam the streets hunting for deals on hats, sweatshirts, and jewelry, for me, the secret is to sign up for one of the excursions that get you out of town. At each stop, there are numerous options, from flightseeing to rafting to train rides to hikes in the woods. At Skagway, Ive booked a tour to a dogsled camp, which requires a bus ride out of town, transferring to a four-track to navigate a steep logging road that leads to the camp. Up in the high country, we meet and play with sled dogs and are taken for a spin in a (wheeled) sled pulled by a dog team. Running the one-mile circular track is a lark for these canine master-athletes the dogs howl and bark in anticipation of the command mush! seeming to want nothing so much as to run. Theres a somewhat touristy feel to this excursion the way were expertly moved from the dog sled lecture station to the pet-the-puppies kennel to the 10-minute dogsled ride to the gift shop, all in about an hour but what makes it authentic is that these are real working sled dogs. Theyre here, not for our benefit, but to train for their winter in competitive dogsled races like the 1,000-plus-mile Iditarod from Anchorage to Nome, during which they will run at an average pace of 10 to 12 miles per hour for five-hour stretches, followed by five hours of rest, on and off for eight to ten days straight. As the Iditarod race approaches the northern city of Nome, temperatures routinely get down to 40 below or colder, so frostbite is a serious hazard. We learn that its common for sled drivers to be missing a finger or two. The dogs are better protected, thanks to the natural insulation of their coats. In fact, we learn the only part of the sled dog that isnt safe from frostbite is the penis. (Special doggie pants are fitted on the males for the coldest parts of the run.) A day later, in Juneau, Estelle and I take a bus ride out of town, happily skirting the touristy hustle (Closeout Diamond Sale!, $5 T-Shirts!) to go on a short nature hike to Mendenhall Lake, about a mile across, looking at the terminus of the Mendenhall Glacier. About 120 years ago, there was no Mendenhall Lake, only the glacier. Another day at sea and were in Ketchikan, where weve signed up to go salmon fishing. As we walk along the dock to the small fishing boat, the gloomy captain greets us with a warning that this has been the worst fishing season in 40 years. And indeed, out of four boats that go out that morning as part of our group, only three legal salmon are caught none in our boat. Still, even with slack fishing lines, its a beautiful day on the water, with a pod of humpback whales spouting and diving nearby. For the dearth of salmon in the waters, our captain blames fish factories, the mammoth ships of foreign registry that scour the sea floor just beyond our territorial waters for everything and anything they can dredge up. These boats are taking in excessive quantities of herring, he says, which the humpback whales normally feed on in addition to plankton and shrimp-like krill. He theorizes that the whales turn to salmon fingerlings when herring is in short supply, and as a result, the precious salmon population takes a hit. Two days later, were in Vancouver, the end of the line. We spend a day there, and I rent a bicycle to take a ride around Stanley Park, with its terrific views of the harbor. I watch as the Star Princess, fully loaded and replenished, disembarks for the return trip up to Whittier. Across the harbor, the ship is grand. But you dont take the Alaska cruise to experience the ship. You go for the pristine landscape, for the diverse wildlife, and for indelible memories of flying through heaven-scraping mountains, hiking on frozen tundra, watching eagles soar and whales spout and dive, witnessing a glacier slowly melting before the inexorable onslaught of a warming climate, and thrilling to those amazing northern lights the greatest light show on the planet. Steven Slon is editorial director of The Saturday Evening Post. In the last issue, he interviewed artist Mort Kunstler. See more of Laura Griers awe-inspiring travel photography at lauragrier.com. Arlington, VA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/15/2017 -- Advanced Concepts and Technologies International, L.L.C. (ACT I), an industry-leading provider of Total Acquisition Management solutions, was awarded a Task Order under its GSA OASIS Small Business Pool 1 contract to provide the Headquarters Pacific Air Forces (HQ PACAF) Office of the Command Surgeon General (PACAF/SG) with Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) over the next 3 years. ACT I will provide program management of medical technology and modernization planning, programming, management, innovation, and acquisition services at HQ PACAF/SG on Joint Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. "ACT I's direct support of Research & Development activities for the strategic modernization of medical equipment and knowledge transfer in the Pacific Rim will have long-lasting effects. We value this new relationship with HQ PACAF/SG and the opportunity to contribute our expertise to the success of the organization," stated Dr. Leo Sandvig, ACT I Project Manager. HQ PACAF/SG has the responsibility to lead the modernization of aerospace and ground-based expeditionary and in-garrison medical capabilities in PACAF's area of responsibility. HQ PACAF/SG is the focal point for Combat Support modernization strategic planning; Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) and Line of the Air Force (LAF) Program Objective Memorandum (POM) development; planning, programming, research, development, and acquisition (RDA) of aerospace and ground-based expeditionary medical capabilities; and medical modernization management and innovation activities. About ACT I ACT I is an ISO 9001:2008 certified small business delivering mission-critical Total Acquisition Management solutions to customers across the globe. We are retained by the U.S. Department of Defense, Federal Agencies and allied partners to support their most complex programs in the areas of Acquisition Strategy, Program Management, Engineering, Logistics, Financial Management, Security and Cyber, Contract Negotiation Support, and Security Cooperation and Assistance services. ACT I was selected as a prime contractor for the following GSA contracts: OASIS Small Business Pool 1, Professional Services Schedule, and IT Schedule 70. For more information, visit our website at http://www.act-i.com and follow us on Twitter @ACT_I_llc. Huntsville, AL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/15/2017 -- The Isabela province of the Philippines was rampaged by a tsunami in October, 2016. This huge natural calamity resulted in damages amounting to billions of dollars. A few months down the line, the area still struggles with the dire necessity of food, shelter, clothing, and rebuilding. Corky Goe has just launched a crowdfunding campaign via Go Fund Me to raise $1,000,000 for these helpless tsunami victims. Most of the people residing in the province of Isabela can't afford insurance because of their financial limitations. Making things even worse, this area is not covered by the insurance service providers because of the past storms. Corky Goe had left Isabela to return home just before the tsunami hit. By partnering with Pastor Rony Buena-Agua in Isabela and in ministry with other churches, he was involved in several great accomplishments through the power of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Rony represents an association of pastors with The Assembly of God churches that have over three hundred and fifty Pastors. All funds raised by Corky Goe via Go Fund Me will be spent to provide relief to the tsunami victims in Isabela. Pastor Rony and his associates will join hands with him in this initiative. "They will place all donations received where they are needed the most. Many homes, farm buildings, churches and businesses were either completely destroyed, or are in need of much reconstruction to make them whole again," said Corky Goe. Backers making a contribution of $500.00 or more, will receive a tax deductible receipt, upon request, from one of the Assembly of God churches in Isabela. To find out more about the campaign, please visit http://bit.ly/2k8TK80 Atlantic City, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/15/2017 -- Saints and Sinners, the hottest club for lifestyle parties in the Delaware County, PA, area, is celebrating the year's most sinful weekend this February. The club will host not one, but two Mardi Gras parties on February 24 and February 25, 2017. Mardis Gras is the perfect time for long-time sinners and curious newcomers to go wild, and no lifestyle party club near Delaware County, PA, does it better than Saints and Sinners. On Friday, February 24, Saints and Sinners' Philadelphia location (located at 2533 Emery Street), will host a warm-up to their big weekend Mardis Gras bash. The Beads and Bras Party will start at 9 PM and keep going until 3 PM. Gentlemen should come prepared with their stashes of Mardi Gras beads, because the ladies at Saints and Sinners will be ready to collect them. Entry fees for the party at $50 for couples, $5 for single females and $80 for single males. The next night, the party heats up even more with Saints and Sinners Philadelphia's Boobs, Beads & Booze Mardi Gras Party. There will be special prizes for the top three bead collectors. This party will be an official SLS event, meaning that SLS member couples will receive a discounted door price of $50 (SLS couples must put their names on the SLS guest list by 9 PM on Saturday night). Non-member couples pay $70 for entry, single females pay $10 and SLS single females get in for free. Learn more about Saints and Sinners by visiting their website at http://www.saintsandsinnersac.com. About Saints and Sinners Saints and Sinners is the newest Couples' Lifestyle Members' Only Club in Philadelphia, PA. The club offers the best swinger parties where couples will have the most exciting and erotic times of their lives. The club offers free on-site parking with a separate entrance into Saints and Sinners. They also have a bar where they provide all the mixers for the swingers, and have liquor lockers that people can rent to store their alcohol for the next party. Erotic movies are shown throughout the night to get people in the mood for a good time. Food is always provided throughout the night. For more information on how to be a part of the best swinger parties in Atlantic City, visit http://www.saintsandsinnersac.com. [NAIROBI] Harnessing smart and sustainable approaches including planting crop varieties suitable for the right soil types and using emerging technologies could boost food production in Sub-Saharan Africa, a meeting has heard. Experts who spoke at the Yara East Africa Annual Distributors Event held in Kenya last month (20 January) agreed that there are various impediments affecting the agricultural sector in the region and it is time to find workable solutions. James Craske, Yara East Africa country manager, says that African countries could create better yields through better knowledge, providing crop nutrition solutions programmes to farmers while maintaining soil quality and environmental values. Innovation and training will enable smallholder farmers have access to worlds best technologies to achieve food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. Johnston Irungu, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Kenya Vitalis Wafula, regional agronomist at Yara, an organisation that helps farmers increase yields and sustain the environment, points out that for a long time farmers have not been accessing correct information, right input and modern technologies, which would improve harvests. Wafula explains that capacity building and training are needed for agricultural extension officers to deliver correct services and information to farmers. For example, they should advise farmers on the type of fertilisers [to use], how to apply fertilsers on their farms and which crops they should plant depending on the type of soil and climate, Wafula says. He is urging farmers not to depend on the rain alone but dig boreholes to get water for irrigation where water is scarce and try to harvest and store rainwater for future use. According to Wafula, African governments should create proper policies and infrastructure that will make movement of products easy for farmers, and tackle counterfeit products including fertilisers. Johnston Irungu, director of crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Kenya, says that the agricultural sector is key to the overall economic growth and development because it contributes about 25 per cent of the countrysgross domestic products and 75 per cent of industrial raw materials. Innovation and training will enable smallholder farmers have access to worlds best technologies to achieve food security in Sub-Saharan Africa, Irungu tells SciDev.Net. He notes that most smallholders depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, adding that encouraging them to apply best farming practices could help them increase their yields, incomes and eradicate poverty.Irungu is calling for African governments to promote investments and private-public partnerships in agriculture to boost farming The controversial executive order of U.S. President Donald Trump of immigration ban gets several rejections from different groups. Recently, a federal judge in Virginia stands out and impede saying that the order is unconstitutional and issued a ruling. ABC News reported that an injunction was made recently by Judge James Robart extends the temporary restraining order which he issued earlier. Additionally, a federal court in Virginia issued another preliminary injunction on the executive order of President Trump, but applicable only to the state of Virginia. This is to oppose President Donald Trump order of barring people from seven Muslim countries and shut down the refugee program for 120 days. Evidently, Trump's order is said to be his way of making his campaign promise to ban Muslims realized. However, lots of U.S. citizens are obviously affected, the reason why federal estate judges impede the executive order. According to Bloomberg, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema from Alexandria said, "Maximum power does not mean absolute power." Judge Brinkema is one of the judges who blocks the immigration ban and issued court order. The court order ruling states that the President Trump executive order cannot be enforced in Virginia. Judge Brinkema insists that the Trump administration has "no evidence" to justify the order. She argues that even though President Trump holds on to his broad power over immigration, he must also operate under the constitution. Meanwhile, the government explains that the temporary barring of Muslim visitors and immigrants is a must to stop terrorists from entering the country. Brinkema added that the government has no legal evidence other than the executive order released by President Trump. Her ruling is confined only to state residents and institutions only, and will not be applicable nationwide to grant the request of Attorney General Mark Herring. However, even if the scope is small it still interferes the order of the administration to shut U.S. borders to countries connected with terrorism. India has now the world's worst air pollution. They have beaten China in it. Specifically, it is New Delhi, India's capital that has the worst air pollution on Earth. Industrialization, coal-fired power plants, and a low regulation has made the air pollution in India so much worst. Technology Review has reported that there have been 1.1 million deaths recorded last year due to air pollution in India. The country has been tied with China as having deadly air pollution. India's rapid industrialization, too much use of coal for energy, growing population, and an aging populace that is affected by air pollution are the factors why there are many deaths. According to Quartz India, there are as many Chinese people as Indians that are killed annually because of the polluted air. However, China is changing its course unlike India, explained a study conducted by Health Effects Institute in Boston and the Seattle-based Institute of Health Metrics. India's pre-mature death has risen while China's is steadily decreasing. Developed countries like the United States and some European countries have passed strict rules and regulations that control the air pollution in their respective countries. China is now doing the same. There were laws that were passed to remove old vehicles that emit more pollution than the new ones. China has also created more public transportation that will lessen private car use. Scientist said India should move now and do something about its air pollution. Though India is not the sole country that has this problem, air-pollution should be regulated by the government. There are reports that even though industrialization is upping India's GDP, it is being decreased by less work days and more welfare use. Since India is aiming to be more economically independent, it should work on its environmental issues like air pollution first. Indian government should pass laws to stop the increase of deaths. Scientists have found a fossil of a pre-mammalian reptile called Euchambersia therapsid. It has lived in South Africa about 260 million years ago. Apparently, scientists have found the first evidence of the oldest mammal to produce venom. A pre-mammalian reptile named therapsid Euchambersia, which is as big as a dog has been discovered to have a space in it skull for venom storage. The CT scans of its fossils showed anatomical features, designed for venom production. According to Science Daily, this pre-mammalian reptile, the therapsid Euchambersia, has to have venom to protect itself. In order to survive the harsh environment, it is in, it has developed a deep and circular fossa. They were placed behind its canine teeth in the upper jaw. Lethal poisonous cocktail is produced and delivered straight into the mouth through a fine network of bony grooves and canals. About 260 million years ago pre-mammalian reptile therapsid Euchambersia has lived in the Karoo, near Colesberg in South Africa. Mail Online has reported that this pre-mammalian reptile, the therapsid Euchambersia, is not related to snakes at all. There were two fossils that were found in 1932 and in 1966. They were found just a few centimeters apart from each other in the farm Vanwyksfontein. "This is the first evidence of the oldest venomous vertebrate ever found, and what is even more surprising is that it is not of a species that we expected it to be," Dr. Julien Benoit, a researcher at the Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and lead author of the study, said. Snakes are not as old as the Euchambersia. The fossil record of snakes disappeared about 167 million years ago. Unlike the pre-mammalian Euchambersia, it is dated at 260 million years ago. They have existed even before the first snake was born. Scientists get lucky for having an up-close view of the elusive boa (Corallus Cropanii) for the first time. The snake is one of the world's rarest snake breed which researchers are looking for the past 64 years. Express reported that the elusive boa was almost hacked to death when a rural worker has spotted it for the first time. Fortunately, the worker was able to realize that it was the five-foot long snake which the Brazilian research team is looking for. Due to the interest to find the rarest snake in the world, these Brazilian research team spread pictures of the elusive boa to inform the people. The Brazilian research team from the University of Sao Paulo's Museum of Zoology's interest in the elusive boa had the idea of producing warning signs to locals. Their eagerness to find an alive species of the rarest snake finally came true. Their information dissemination with the locals at the Brazil Ribeira Valley communities on not to use their machetes when they come across the snake had been effective. According to Science Magazine, 1953 was the last time when a species of this elusive boa (Cropan boa) was seen. From that on, the snake earned the record of the rarest snake in the world due to its disappearance for more than six decades. For the world's record, the species of elusive boa was only seen just five times. Unluckily, the last elusive boa which was spotted in Brazil's Atlantic Forest south of Sao Paulo was seen dead. As usual, when locals see snakes they will be forced to kill or eat it. This is the reason why scientists could not study such snake species. Cropan's boa is marked as "endangered," and like another boa, this is "non-venomous." Moreover, the elusive boa is a female with a yellowish belly, black diamond patterns on its back and deep sensory pits lining on the lips. Right before the snake was released again into the forest, it carries a small radio tracker for finding and research purposes. Since Canada's glacier and ice caps are melting at a really high speed, it has contributed to the rising of sea levels near arctic the most. Irvine glaciologists at the University of California have found that the melted ices in Canada's Arctic glaciers are what making the sea level rise around the world. Phys has reported that in Queen Elizabeth Islands the percentage of the melted ice caps is super high. It has increased by an astonishing 900 percent from 2005 to 2015. It has increased on an average of three gigatons to 30 gigatons per year, stated in results published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters. "In the past decade, as air temperatures have warmed, surface melt has increased dramatically," said lead author Romain Millan, an Earth system science doctoral student. The team also found that in the last ten years the ice mass has declined. Canada has the second largest part of Arctic ice, covering 23% of it they are after Greenland. According to UCI, the study has provided the long-term analysis for the event. The scientists and researchers even thought that the melting of ice caps in the Arctic was because of the release of water into the sea. That 'fact' was only used until 2005; they debunked it and learned the real reason. The melting of ice was because the glacier surfaces were exposed to warm temperature thus melting it. That is accounted for the 90 percent ice loss. Before it only accounted for 48 percent and the remaining 52 percent was because of calving icebergs from glacier fronts into the ocean. It rose because of the continuous rise of the atmospheric temperature. In the last few years, only some release of water from melted ice caps from few basins were at fault for the rising of sea levels. However, it was the short term increases of ice loss from these little basins that contributed to the higher rise of sea levels, said Millan. Scientists were surprised and alarmed to find extraordinary amounts of banned chemicals in the deepest parts of the ocean, While many things that the deepest part of the oceans are safe from pollutants brought about by humans, a new study shows that this is not so. BBC reports that pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other pollutants were found more than 10 kilometers below sea level in the Mariana Trench. These types of chemicals were actually banned in the 1970s. A team from the University of Newcastle, led by Dr. Alan Jamieson, took the sample from the fatty tissue of a type of crustacean called amphipods. The amphipods look like shrimps and live in the deepest waters found on the planet. Samples for the study were taken from the Mariana Trench and the Kermadec. In the study that was published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, Jamieson said that the levels of pollutants found in the samples were similar to the contamination in Suruga Bay, Japan. That area is known as a very industrial zone and is one of the most polluted places in the northwest area of the Pacific. The Independent UK says that the persistent organic pollutants or POPs has been banned for 40 years. These were used in many products such as electrical insulators and flame retardants. It is estimated that around 35% of the chemicals may have leaked into the open ocean since it was banned. The chemicals may have reached the bottom of the ocean as plastic may have sunk into the sea. Or it may have been consumed by other animals which went down and were eaten by the creatures found at the bottom of the sea. Jamieson says that there is no conclusion yet on what the findings could mean for the wider ecosystem. Further research and study are needed to know what challenges may occur due to the findings. Archaeologists discovered another tomb built for a royal scribe named Khonsu behind the tomb of a high official in Egypt. They found the tomb when they were cleaning the high official's tomb and noticed a hole. They searched the hole and were surprised to see the royal tomb. The discovery was led by Egyptology Professor Jiro Kondo of Waseda University in Tokyo and colleagues. The royal tomb dated about 3,000 years old and beautifully decorated. There is a frieze pattern accented near the ceiling that is typical of the Ramesside period, dated about 1200 B.C. Professor Kondo told Observer that no one knows than unknown tombs that still have beautiful decorations or inscriptions remain undiscovered. He further said that there might be more tombs hidden in this area. Meanwhile, the high official's tomb belongs to Userhat, who was a high official under Amenhotep III, the ninth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. Prof. Kondo also discovered the tomb of Khonsuemheb in this area in December 2013. The T-shaped royal tomb is about 15 feet long from east to west and 18 feet from north to south. On the entrance area, a carved image of four baboons worshipping the solar boat of the god Ra-Atum can be seen. There are hieroglyphics that describe Khonsu as a "true renowned scribe" printed next to the carved images. Khonsu and his wife together with two ram-headed deities in the background are shown worshipping the gods Osiris and Isis, as depicted in the northern part of the eastern wall, according to Fox News. A scribe is a person who is involved in the art of writing. He writes books or documents by hand using hieratics, cuneiform or other scripts. The scribal profession includes copying books and sacred texts and having secretarial and administrative duties. In ancient Egypt, the scribes were considered part of the royal court and they did not pay taxes. They were exempted from the heavy manual labor, too. This profession complemented other professions such as the artisans and painters who decorated relics with scenes, personages or hieroglyphic text. In modern times, this profession evolved to public servants, lawyers, journalists, accountants and typists. If you are single on Valentine's Day, you would be sad to know that a planet and its host star may have a better love story than you. After analyzing 350 hours of Spitzer data, scientists discovered a love story written in the cosmos: According to the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Spitzer Space Telescope was able to detect "heartbeat-like" pulsations in the outer shell of the HAT-P-2 star. These most likely came from a closely orbiting planet. Julien de Wit of the Massachusetts Institute of Technolgy told NASA that they discovered the first example of a planet that seems to have caused a heartbeat-like behavior in its host star. It is just in time for Valentine's Day. It seems that the agency concluded the rare "romance" of the celestial beings can be detected from 370 lightyears away. AJC.com noted that the planet is usually relatively far from its star. However, it comes nearer every 5.6 days and with it comes what is similar to a "kiss" that causes its star to "beat like a heart." However, since the planet and star cannot simply fall in love, the agency offered a less romantic notion. When the gravity is near the star, the planet's gravity hits with a bell-like approach that makes it ring throughout orbit. Still, the planetary system remains a mystery. Co-author Jim Fuller predicted the vibrations to be more quieter than the frequency found by the Spitzer, leading him to believe that he and his team need to study more stars in systems similar to the HAT-P-2 and its planets. These could have stories to tell through their "heartbeats." Study co-author Heather Knutson of the California Institute of Technology also said in a statement, "It's remarkable that this relatively small planet seems to affect the whole star in a way that we can see from far away." The new glass polymer-based metamaterial developed by scientists is capable of cooling objects underneath, by the application of the principles of radiative cooling. It took two years for the researchers of the University of Colorado Boulder to develop it, after the proposal was approved for funding by the U.S. Department of Energy. The material is made up of glass microspheres, silver and a polymer, which helps it to emit infrared radiations and reflect the incident solar radiations at the same time. This not only helps in dissipation of the inherent heat of the object but it also prevents further heating up, which makes it an excellent portable, replaceable and durable cooling device. It does not require electricity or any other source of power. Therefore, the newly developed material can function all day everyday, without needing any human intervention, PhysicsWorld.com reported. The study findings of the research project were published in the Science journal and explain that the glass microsphere-polymer film is so designed that it is completely transparent to all the wavelengths of the solar spectrum. This helps it avoid getting heated up when exposed to the Sun for longer durations. Furthermore, the films has a high infrared emissive behavior in the 8-13 m atmospheric range, which helps it to cool down. However, the key feature that marks its applications in various sectors is its scalability, The Star Online reported. Lead researcher of the study, Ronggui Yang, said, "The key innovation of this work is to produce the designed material at scale using the roll-to-roll process." "When produced at scale, we estimate that the material cost is only $0.50 per m2 (yes, 50 cents per square meter), since it can be produced at 100 square meters per minute," Yang added. This groundbreaking innovation can be used to cool down the heating up of machinery in thermal power plants and other industries. It can thus help avoid the wear and tear of machine parts due to the heat generated during the operation. Furthermore, the rolled up material can be used to cover water pipes, which will help in supplying cool water. It can also be used to cool buildings, greenhouses and solar panels to increase their longevity. The ancient Roman amphitheater in Palmyra was attacked and destroyed by the Islamic State formerly referred to as ISIS/ISIL, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. It released a new video showing the destruction of the famous amphitheater as well as the city's tetrapylon, which is an arrangement of 16 columns marking the city's main crossroads, on Monday. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that they have detected an upsurge in truck movement near the ancient city amid Syrian troops' successful advance on Palmyra. It further stated that this indicates that the IS wants to bring in explosives to deal maximum damage to the remaining architectural relics before they leave. The terrorists blew up the central part of the ancient theater, which is the proscenium. According to Chicago Tribune, the video taken by the drone is released in Moscow. It showed the militants destroying the amphitheater. This latest activity by the Islamic State in the ancient city of Palmyra suggests that the IS wants to destroy the remains of the ancient city's architecture, thus savaging them into rubble before they move away, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Meanwhile, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov hopes that Palmyra together with its invaluable monuments will be freed from terrorists soon. Irina Bokova, the head of UNESCO, disparaged the destructions as a "war crime." The destructions in Palmyra started when the ancient city was captured by the Islamic State in May 2015. They also demolished the Monumental Arch of Palmyra, the Temple of Baalshamin and the Temple of Bel, according to The Washington Post. Palmyra is an ancient Semitic city in Syria, dated back to the Neolithic period. It became the subject of the Roman Empire in the first century AD. The ancient city was wealthy, in which most of the Palmyrenes were renowned merchants. Palmyrenes were a mixture of Arameans, Arabs and Amorites. It was influenced by Greco-Roman culture and built unique art and architecture that had concepts from both eastern and western traditions. The Palmyrenes worshiped Arab gods, Mesopotamian and local deities. Earlier this year, in January, Bolivia was hit by a plague of locusts that decimated the country's agricultural industry. President Evo Morales declares a state of emergency across the nation to combat the plague of locusts. Fox News reports that the swarm of locusts invaded south of the eastern city of Santa Cruz, which is one of Bolivia's wealthiest areas, two weeks ago. The plague spread rapidly and now could reach 18 miles from Bolivia's largest city. The President stated that this was the first time Bolivia had seen locusts. The government has prepared $700,000 in additional funds for fumigation. They are planning to fumigate about 17,000 hectares to prevent the locusts from spreading and endangering the food supply. The local producers are determining where the eggs and locust nymphs were so they could control the initial stages of the plague, according to BBC. It is estimated that over 2,700 acres (4,100 hectares) of corn, beans and sorghum have been devastated by the locusts, according to Bolivia's eastern Agriculture Chamber. The officials are fearful that the plague could reach the region that supplies over 80 percent of Bolivia's food. An extensive fumigation is conducted now to avoid the further devastation of the locusts. The plague of locusts follows an extreme drought in Bolivia. This has caused rationing and conflicts over water use. Locusts belong to the family of Acrididae, which are species of short-horned grasshoppers. The adult locusts are powerful fliers and could travel great distances. They consume most of the green vegetation wherever they settle. It is known that locusts have formed plagues since prehistory way back in the ancient Egypt, in which it was mentioned in the Bible and the Quran. As of today, there are reports that plagues of locusts are invading some parts of the world including Bolivia and Argentina, among others. DARLINGTON, S.C. The Special Victims Unit investigators took Charlene Lynn Hammons, age 43, of Darlington into custody on Wednesday, Feb. 15. She has been charged with second degree sexual exploitation of a minor which carries a penalty upon conviction of two to 10 years imprisonment. On Feb. 13, SVU investigators were notified by Cabarrus County Sheriffs investigators from North Carolina of an alleged sexual assault of a minor that took place in NC that was captured on video. Through a joint investigation, it is alleged that Hammons possessed video of the assault. Hammons was taken into custody at the Darlington County Sheriffs Office without incident. Hammons bond hearing will be at the Darlington County Detention Center today at 4 p.m. This case remains under investigation. FLORENCE, S.C. Students crowded into the gym as sweethearts and groups of friends danced to celebrate their love for each other at the annual Theodore Lester Elementary School Sweetheart Dance on Tuesday. Kinda McInnis has coordinated the dance for a few years, and this year she also acted as DJ for the event. She said that all children at the school, from child development through sixth grade, were invited to the dance. Its mainly to give the kids something to do for Valentines, McInnis said. Principal Janett Williams said that its always been a tradition, at least for 13 years, to have a sweetheart dance, but neither Williams nor McInnis knew exactly when the dance started. For one thing, its so that the kids can celebrate the holiday, Williams said. A lot of parents were concerned that we didnt have Valentines parties, and since today was picture day, we figured todays the perfect day for them to have the Valentines Dance immediately after school. Typically the dance has been an evening event, but this year the school moved it to right after classes dismiss so more students could come. We decided not to do it at night because a lot of people have so much going on, and its hard for some of these kids to come back, McInnis said. McInnis said it was easier to change the time of the dance because people who are regularly car riders can be picked up from school an hour later. Its just to give the kids something to do, let them know that we love them, give them a little outing to let their hair down and dance and have fun, McInnis said. Two second-grade girls, ZaKiya Morris and Braylin Rogers, said their favorite part of the dance was the dancing, but they also said that the giving nature of Valentines Day reminded them of another favorite holiday. The two young girls also had Valentines this year, but said their parents dont know about it. You share and love each other and be loved, Za'Kiya said. Braylin had a similar feeling. My favorite part is when you get to spend time with your family, and you get to share your gifts, and have fun, give love to each other, and spend time with your family, she said. Its just like Thanksgiving. Megan Bolt, a music teacher, and Michele Allen, an art teacher, said that the buzz of the dance surrounded the students all day, especially because it was also picture day. Crazy, Bolt said. I literally pulled one kid over and said, How much sugar have you had today? First of all its picture day, so thats out of the norm, Allen said. Its hard to keep their attention when theyre all excited about things that are in the future. Theyre very talkative, and not on task as much as normal. Allen said she did a special Valentines Day project for her fourth-grade students. She used Japanese notans to teach students about positive and negative space. The ones who did celebrate Valentines Day if they wanted to, they could do Valentines shapes, Allen said. Some of them got it, but some of them even with two demonstrations, well, they were so excited. Bolt said one of the best things that happened to her during the day was hearing sweet comments about love from her students. I had this kindergartener, and he said, Ms. Bolt, since todays Valentines Day, can I give you a kiss on your it was cheek or hand, I dont remember, Bolt said. I was like, Youre 5, yeah. It was so cute. One fifth-grader wanted to impress Bolt with his manly musk that he wore just for the day. He came up to me and said, Smell me, Bolt said. I was like, Oh, you smell good, John. He said Yeah, I wore cologne for the ladies today. He said Im gonna catch me a lady. Miriam Singletarys son, kindergartener Tavaris, ran around the gym with his friends at the dance while Singletary watched. Its kind of amazing, Singletary said. I mean, its amazing just to see him interacting with other kids at the dance, and he really wanted to come, so I allowed him to come. Singletarys son had a Valentine this year, but said hes going to wait a while until he makes his move. Its a special little girl he wanted to dance with, Singletary said. Im like What do you know about dancing with somebody? and he said, I want to dance with her. He said no, hes too young for girlfriends. Hes going to wait until he turns about 17, 18, so I said good job; that sounds great to me. HARTSVILLE, S.C. The Hartsville City Council approved a resolution Tuesday authorizing the city to apply for a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to buy body cameras for police officers. The city will apply for a grant of $11,500 and provide matching funds of $5,750 to purchase the cameras. Police Chief Jerry Thompson said all Hartsville police officers currently wear body cameras on patrol. The new cameras, he said, will be in addition to the cameras the department already has and some will replace some older cameras that are starting to wear out. The council members also approved a resolution for a mutual aid agreement between the city police department and the Darlington County Sheriffs Office. According to the resolution, the sheriffs office requested the agreement. Sheriff Tony Chavis and Chief Thompson were both present for the vote. Im looking to continuing to work with Chief Thompson, Chavis said. The council also voted to apply for a historic preservation grant from the State Historic Preservation Office. The $5,000 grant, which will be matched by an additional $5,000 from the city, will pay for a cultural resources survey of the city. The proposal is based on advice from experienced local historians, according to the resolution. It would ensure an end product that guides future building and development in a manner that leverages Hartsvilles cultural and historical assets. Councilman Johnny Andrews said the project will survey some 1,800 properties citywide. City Manager Natalie Zeigler said the survey could be instrumental in developing historic trails in the city, including an African-American heritage trail. The council also gave final approval to an ordinance to purchase two adjoining pieces of property on Sixth Street for $130,000. The site is where city officials plan to eventually build a public safety complex that would house the police and fire departments. The properties are currently vacant lots. Council members tabled a proposed ordinance aimed at regulating abandoned and derelict nuisance vehicles. The ordinance had been placed on the agenda for first reading. The city currently has an ordinance dealing with abandoned vehicles. But some members had questions about the new ordinance, including questions about enforcement and penalties, how such vehicles are defined and vehicle owners rights. Council members want to get some additional legal advice before moving forward with the measure. Finally, the council presented two proclamations signed by Mayor Mel Pennington. One recognized the month of February as Random Acts of Kindness Month. On hand for that presentation were representatives of the Hartsville Branch of the NAACP, the Hartsville Ministerial Alliance, the African American Heritage Commission and Butler Heritage. Kindness is fundamental to human experience and essential to the success of human relationships, the proclamation reads in in part. Another recognized Ryan White Awareness Day Feb. 17. The proclamation, presented to representatives of Care South, notes that the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program provides a comprehensive system of care that includes primary medical care and essential support services for people living with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured. MARION, S.C. Council members representing Marion County, Mullins, Marion, Nichols and Sellers met two weeks ago with state delegates and officials with the S.C. Disaster Recovery Office and S.C. Department of Commerce to discuss an action plan for $52 million in relief aid. S.C. Sen. Kent Williams organized the meeting, at which program management director J.R. Sanderson and grant administrator Daniel Young shared information about the funding and process of developing an action plan. Williams said the meeting was a chance for local leaders to receive firsthand information about the way the S.C. Disaster Recover Office will assist, the steps that will need to be taken and details about how to apply for the funding. I met with the recovery team last week and they shared this information with me, he said. I wanted the leadership of this county to hear it firsthand how this process works and the priorities they would be focusing on. Williams said those most vulnerable are the focal point, but there is no limit toward helping as many residents as possible while meeting federal guidelines. I think it was a very good meeting, Williams said. Young said the funding will target storm victims with low-to-moderate incomes. What we are trying to do is help those people that cant help themselves get back in their houses, Young said. Right now were trying to get 1,500 people back in their home across the state. Sanderson said the organization will plan, coordinate and execute recovery efforts. The 730-day project is set to help more than 600 homes in Marion County. More than 1,200 were reported affected and 108 with major damage. Officials have until April 21 to come up with an action plan. Case managers will be on the ground in March, but repairs arent expected until October. The good news is we can come and help Marion County, he said. Im saying 600 homes in Marion County specifically. Marion County Administration Tim Harper said he continues to have concerns but appreciates the funding. There are a lot of questions we have to get answered from the state, and we understand that there are going to be some public meetings, and we hope the public will get involved in asking for assistance, he said. Two weeks ago, U.S. Rep. Tom Rice, R-S.C., announced $52 million of South Carolinas $65 million allocation in relief aid has been secured for Marion County to help recover from Hurricane Matthew damages and subsequent flooding in October. The Housing and Urban Development Department has deemed Marion County as the most impacted and distressed area of South Carolina, qualifying 80 percent of the states allocation to the county, he said. CHARLESTON, S.C. Three Florence County residents were among the record 300 young farmers and ranchers from across the state to attended the annual South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference. Olivia and Trae Gaster and Dustin Coleman came to network, become better leaders in their communities and learn how to overcome challenges within the agriculture industry. Ty and Tracy Woodard of Darlington County won the 2017 Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award. The couple was awarded $1,000 and a new Chevy pickup truck both courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company. They also will receive an expense-paid trip to the 2017 AFBF FUSION conference in Pittsburg and an expense-paid trip to compete at the 2018 AFBF annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. The Achievement Award recognizes young farmers and ranchers who derive the majority of their income from an owned agricultural operation and have excelled in their farming or ranching operations while exhibiting superior leadership abilities. Participants are evaluated on a combination of their agricultural operations growth and financial progress, Farm Bureau leadership and leadership outside of Farm Bureau. HARTSVILLE, S.C. The United Way of Hartsville is seeking nominations for Volunteer of the Year to be presented Monday at the 96th annual membership banquet of the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce. The deadline for nominating someone was Friday. The banquet will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a networking social and dinner and program at 6:30 at the Harris E. and Louise H. DeLoach Center at Coker College. Joann DeLong, executive director of United Way, said there are so many people who give of their time in this community that United Way wanted a way to publicly recognize the most deserving. Last year was the first year of presenting this award at the chamber banquet. DeLong said there were eight nominations. That is more than I expected, she said. She hoped those whose nominee didnt win last year would renominate them this year. Last year, DeLong said, she sent the nominations to friends in Utah, New York, New Jersey and other places for judging. The recipient of the first Volunteer of the Year award was Clayton Richardson. We have so many Hartsville heroes, DeLong said. Each one of those nominated was deserving of recognition, she added. Criteria for the award include being at least 18 years of age and being a volunteer within the Hartsville area for a minimum of two years. The nominees may volunteer anywhere and at more than one place. Also they may not receive any wages, but may be reimbursed for mileage and expenses. Banquet sponsorships and tickets are available online. For more information or to purchase tickets over the phone, call the chamber at 843-332-6401. I have learned the hard way not to put my personal life on the Internet. But suffice it to say that, God willing, things should be pretty much back to norm... 3 weeks ago Hyderabad: A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Rameshwar Goud, son of State Excise Minister T. Padmarao, by the Market police for allegedly assaulting a man at Pot Market on February 13.The accused was called by a few shop owners after they got into an altercation with a pickle shop owner named Mohit Rathore during a drive by the civic authorities to demolish encroachments. According to the Market police, the incident took place on the afternoon of February 13 when Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) workers were demolishing an encroachment on the footpath by Mohit. He objected and told the GHMC officials that they should also do the same in front of other shops which have also encroached the footpath, said an official. Rameshwar Goud allegedly assaulted one Satyanarayana, an uncle of the Mohit, who lodged a complaint with the police in the evening later. Mohit was also reportedly roughed up another relative of his named Arvind Rathore and some others who have establishments near his shop. When he objected to the drive, the others told Mohit to mind his own business, and a scuffle followed, added the official.After Mohit lodged a complaint, the police registered a case under Sections 341, 323 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code against Rameshwar Goud, said Market police station inspector M. Mattaiah. He added that the Ministers son is yet to be taken into custody. We use cookies to ensure we provide you with the best user experience. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive cookies from our site. Learn more. Hyderabad: A woman was relieved of her gold chain while she was on her morning walk in the outer periphery of the KBR Park on Tuesday. The incident took place at about 9.30 a.m. . A case has been registered and the police have some clues about the offender, said an official.According to a senior police official, Reshmita was walking ahead of her husband Lokesh Reddy when the chain-snatcher sprang up suddenly and stole her three-tola gold ornament. The incident took place near the Milan Complex close to Road No. 12 at Banjara Hills. That part of the road still does not have CCTV cameras, as the installation work is still in process, said the official.He added that the spot where the incident took place comes under the civic authorities and not the Forest Department, which is in charge of the KBR Park. The official pointed out that there are about 20 policemen posted in pickets at different places in the park every morning between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. and in the evenings between 5.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m., as many VIPs come to the park for walking everyday.Though the Forest Department is supposed to arrange for security, it is minimal, said the senior official. N. Murali, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Banjara Hills division, said that the public is advised to walk in the park when there is police presence in the mornings and evenings everyday. Sales for the four new cruises, which will operate on Insignia, opened today. This makes a total of seven Cuba sailings for Oceania. 'There is tremendous demand from consumers for voyages to Cuba and our inaugural voyages to the island have been a sell-out success,' said Bob Binder, president and ceo. All the cruises and excursions are designed to fully comply with US regulations. 'Panoramic Caribbean,' sailing Nov. 14, is a 10-day voyage offering two days in Havana plus Roatan, Santo Tomas (Guatemala), Harvest Caye, Costa Maya and Nassau. 'Hemingways Hideaways,' Nov. 24, is a week-long cruise visiting Key West, Havana, Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. On Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, Insignia will offer 'Timeless Cuba,' a seven-day trip with two days in Havana, plus Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba. 'Vibrant Vistas,' Dec. 15, is a six-day program visiting Key West, Havana, Cozumel and Great Stirrup Cay. 'Holidays in the Tropics,' sailing Dec. 21, is a 13-day voyage to Key West, Havana (two days), Roatan, Santo Tomas, Harvest Caye, Costa Maya, Cozumel (two days) and Nassau. On-board programming includes expert lecturers and Cuban cuisine. The ship will spice up continental specialties offered at its four open seating gourmet restaurants with an array of authentic Cuban dishes. The lectures will cover Cuban history, art and music. A newly released brochure details the Cuba offerings. In December, Oceania announced its first three Cuba voyages, all aboard Marina, on March 7 (14 days), March 21 (10 days) and March 31 (10 days). Those, too, operate round-trip PortMiami. The 40-room luxury boutique hotel is located less than 10 minutes from the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam in the heart of the trendy 'nine streets' shopping area. The Dylan is situated directly on Keizersgracht canal and is the home of a Michelin-star restaurant, Vinkeles. The 'Linger Longer' package includes a two-night stay in a double room, breakfast, 40 food credit for Bar Brasserie OCCO (one per stay), taxi transfer to or from the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam and a Dutch gift. Rates for the two-night package start at 950 (approximately US$1,002) based on double occupancy. 'Linger Longer' is valid for stays from April 1 to Oct. 1, subject to availability. To save an additional 50, travelers can book at the reduced non-refundable rate starting at 900 per package. To reserve, email [email protected] The Dylan is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. The French line said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Alibaba on Tuesday in Hangzhou to cooperate in the digital area. As with Maersk, CMA CGM is seeking to cooperate with Alibaba to provide online booking services via its OneTouch platform. The proposal under the MoU is to provide a direct online booking platform for Chinese customers shipments from China on the CMA CGM MEX 1 service to the Mediterranean and the BEX service to the Adriatic. On the MEX 1 service customers would be able to book direct on the Alibaba platform for shipments Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo and Yantian with discharge at West Mediterranean base ports as Barcelona and Valencia. For the BEX the proposed load ports Shanghai, Ningbo and Chiwan and discharge in Adriatic base ports such as Rijeka, Koper, Trieste and Venice. Such a service would essentially bypass freight forwarders allowing direct online booking, in common with disruptive developments seen in many other industries in recent years. Germanys largest universal port achieved an uptick in seaborne cargo throughput, reaching a total 138.2m tonnes in the general and bulk cargo segments. Seaborne cargo throughput in the Port of Hamburg again developed upwards with an increase of 0.3%, said Axel Mattern, joint ceo of Port of Hamburg Marketing Stronger general cargo throughput offset a slight downturn in bulk cargo throughput. The Port of Hamburg is also contemplating a positive trend for 2017. The successful development of seaport-hinterland transport by rail was further during the year. Hamburg is further extending its position as Europes leading rail port, said Ingo Egloff, joint ceo of Port of Hamburg Marketing. In 2016, 46.4 million tons of freight (up 1.5%) and 2.4 million teu (up 2.4%) were transported in/out of the port by rail we are delighted about this record result. Now at 46.6%, the proportion of freight transported by rail received a further boost. After an initially modest start at the beginning of the year, container throughput picked up during the last six months, achieving a 1.0% advance over 12 months to 8.9m teu, while at 91.7m tonnes, total containerised cargo volume rose by 1.2%. Other notable results Container traffic with Asia up by 1.3% at 4.7m teu. Container throughput with Chinese ports up by 1.6% to 2.6m teu. Container services on trade routes with North and South America up 2.9% at 1.2m teu. European container trade flat at 2.6m teu Container traffic with Russia up 4.5% to 453,000 teu Although it's hardly unique among the states, Michigan's government has a representation problem. According to the Reflective Democracy Campaign's 2015 In light of that issue, and the greater national discussions of racism that have arisen around Donald Trump's candidacy and presidency, Each installment will focus on a different group of government officials continuing with city council members in this installment. Raquel Castaneda-Lopez: Demystifying politics Detroit city council member Raquel Castaneda-Lopez says she "totally understands" many people of color's feeling of fundamental disconnect from government, because she once shared their perception. "I grew up in a community [Southwest Detroit] where people were rarely reached out to and not many people voted," she says. "I myself didn't really understand our political process and the importance of voting until my mid-20s. I knew it was important, but there was not a conversation at home, nor really in the community, about that." Castaneda-Lopez first dabbled in politics through an internship with former state Rep. Steve Tobocman while she was pursuing her master's degree in social work at the University of Michigan. From there, the political world wouldn't let her go. She was recruited first by state Rep. Rashida Tlaib to serve as Tlaib's campaign manager and then by her own neighbors to run for Detroit city council. Now, she says it's vital to actively encourage more young people of color to understand and engage with what seems like a "foreign system" to many of them. Castaneda-Lopez serves on the board of advisors of the However, Castaneda-Lopez has navigated some challenging racial issues since being sworn in as the first Latina on Detroit's city council in 2013. In Detroit's District 6 she serves a population that's 39 percent black, 39 percent Latino, and 18 percent white. She frequently struggles with constituents' perceptions that she either overly favors Latino communities or doesn't cater to other communities enough. So she's endeavored to focus on programs that positively affect underserved Detroiters of all racial backgrounds. For example, Castaneda-Lopez spearheaded an effort last year to implement a "Whether you're black, white, Latino, man, woman, it doesn't matter: we all want to live in a clean, safe city," Castaneda-Lopez says. "So coming from that as a starting point, how do we build bridges and mobilize?" Lois Richardson: "The pressure is on" Although Lois Richardson has served consecutive terms on Ypsilanti's city council since 2000, she's spent almost as long trying to build bridges between area communities of color through an organization called the Despite its name, the organization welcomes elected officials of any race (and also offers memberships to non-elected officials who support the caucus). Richardson says the strength of the caucus, which last year counted over 100 members, is in numbers. "If we can go walk into a senator's office or walk into the governor's office and say we're representing 300 members, that means a whole lot more than if we walk in and say we're representing 25 members," she says. The caucus has undertaken a variety of initiatives since its inception, but Richardson says the organization's main focal points have always been education and networking. Most recently, the caucus has concentrated its efforts on an annual forum for its members. This year's forum will focus on issues of police-community relationships. Although Richardson notes that Ypsilanti hasn't seen any of the major problems that other communities have experienced with animosity between police and their communities, she says it's still important for her and all local officials to have a dialogue on the topic. "We set the pace and we need to know all that we can know," she says. "We need to be there so that we can go back to our communities and help our people understand ... and work with our own police departments to make things better." Since the inauguration of President Trump, Richardson also sees herself on the front lines of another new struggle. She has strong words for Trump's racially charged rhetoric particularly his assertion that African-Americans are "living in hell," which she describes as "coded language ... straight out of the '30s, '40s, and '50s." "I really think the pressure is on myself and every other black elected official and every black community leader in a way that we haven't experienced in a long time," she says. "If we're going to lead the people, we're the first ones to catch the brunt of it and we've got to be able to stand strong and put forth a united front." Doris Taylor Burks: "I'm a fighter" Pontiac city council member Doris Taylor Burks says she's experienced little racism herself as an African-American holding public office. But with the inauguration of President Trump, she's preparing to take a stand for other minority groups in her community. Burks says she has experienced prejudice in her political career, which included a lengthy stint on the Pontiac Public Library board before she won her city council seat in 2013. But she says that prejudice has usually been directed towards her gender, rather than her race. Burks cites her first two unsuccessful runs for council, against black male candidates Lee Jones and Charlie Harrison III, and notes other cases in which well-qualified women have been defeated by men. "It's going to take more hard work, because women especially have to prove that we are capable of being elected officials," she says. Burks says her biggest point of pride since taking office has been the slow but steady development of downtown Pontiac. Although she doesn't take sole credit, she cites the arrival of But, like Richardson, Burks is battening down the hatches for some kind of fight against the newly minted Trump administration. Having seen the residents in her own neighborhood shift from primarily black when she moved in 31 years ago to primarily Latino today, she says she's particularly concerned about her Latino constituents. She says Trump's "unjust" rhetoric regarding Mexican immigrants is "scary because you never know what's going to come out of his mouth" but she's also ready to resist in whatever way she can. "I'm a fighter," she laughs. "I'm a retired UAW member, so I know how to fight." Next week in the third and final installment of this series, we'll check in with a variety of local elected officials of color, ranging from county commissioners to a district court judge. On August 26, 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent an "official warning" to Contender Farms of Fort Worth, Texas. It informed the owners that She's a Shady Sister, a show horse that participated in the 76th Annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, "was found sore and in violation of the scar rule during a post-show inspection." The document was posted on the USDA website, per what was then the longstanding practice of making this and other inspection-related documents available to the public. "Sore" refers to soring, a practice that inflicts pain on the limbs of a horse for the purpose of accentuating its gait. Chemicals are often used, or weights are placed under the horse's front hooves. These and other soring methods can cause lesions, inflammation, loss of hair and other visible signs described in the Horse Protection Act's Scar Rule. Attorneys Lee and Mike McGartland, the owners of She's a Shady Sister, have had several of their horses disqualified from competition due to allegations of soring. The McGartlands sued the USDA, however, in part because they argued that the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which posted the inspection report and related information online, had violated the federal Privacy Act that governs the dissemination of information about individuals by federal agencies. APHIS then conducted an internal review of its policies concerning posting violations tied to the Horse Protection Act (HPA) and the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), which regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport and by dealers. As a result of the review, the USDA-APHIS earlier this month abruptly removed animal welfare inspection reports from its website. In a flash, the inspection report for She's a Shady Sister and other documents that animal rights organizations rely on to monitor violations were gone. (Some documents, including ones linked to from this article, have been preserved through an organization called The Memory Hole, which has started posting deleted animal welfare documents from USDA-APHIS online.) Tanya Espinosa, a legislative and public affairs specialist at USDA-APHIS, told Seeker, "Based on our commitment to being transparent, remaining responsive to our stakeholders' informational needs, and maintaining the privacy rights of individuals, APHIS is implementing actions to remove documents it posts on APHIS' website involving the HPA and the AWA that contain personal information covered by the Privacy and Freedom of Information Acts or guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding them." She continued, "These documents include inspection reports, research facility annual reports, regulatory correspondence (such as official warnings), lists of regulated entities, and enforcement records that have not received final adjudication." RELATED: Call for Euthanizing Wild Horses Stirs Controversy In addition, Espinosa said that APHIS is reviewing and redacting their lists of licensees and registrants under the AWA, as well as similar lists for USDA-certified horse industry organizations. Animal Rights Groups File Lawsuits In response, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has taken two legal actions against USDA-APHIS so far. The first alleges that USDA-APHIS, in removing the materials from its website, violated a 2009 "agreement to post certain data on its website concerning research on animals." The second alleges intervention in the legal case concerning horse soring. On February 13, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Physicals Committee for Responsible Medicine, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and others filed a complaint against USDA-APHIS, with the goal "to compel the USDA to publicly disclose thousands of records that the agency for years posted on the website of its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service." The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which represents 232 accredited zoos and aquariums worldwide, is not currently involved in any litigation against USDA-APHIS concerning the website scrubbing. But Dan Ashe, president and CEO of AZA, strongly disapproves of the decision to remove online access to USDA inspection reports. "Public disclosure of relevant animal care and welfare information represents our license to operate and is essential for ensuring the public's trust and confidence in our profession, enabling the public to distinguish the best animal care facilities from poorly run breeding farms and roadside zoos and menageries," Ashe said. "AZA urges USDA to reconsider this decision, and believes all legitimate accrediting organizations should join us in this request." Not everyone is unhappy with the USDA-APHIS decision to wipe its website clean of certain animal welfare data. The Cavalry Group, whose stated mission is "protecting and defending animal enterprise," applauds the change in USDA policy. "For the last eight years, USDA has been releasing confidential and un-adjudicated information to animal rights extremists and activist organizations, such as the HSUS and PETA, knowing that the information would be used wrongfully against USDA licensees with the intent to run them out of business," said Cavalry Group President Mindy Patterson. "Empirical data exists evidencing that animal rights groups have used licensees' information to make fraudulent claims and anonymous tips to authorities, and terrorize law abiding American families whose livelihood happens to involve exhibiting, breeding, transporting, or selling animals." Loss for the Public The HSUS argues that the information scrubbed from the USDA-APHIS site provided guidance to consumers about dog breeders they may purchase from, zoos they may visit and horse trainers they may associate with. The research facility annual reports alone revealed trends in animal care and highlighted practices like soring that can cause pain and distress to animals. The HSUS further says that the erased information informed what research areas should be a funding priority in order to remove abused animals from certain facilities or to at least improve their care. Public safety could be at stake too. For example, one of the scrubbed inspection reports essentially mentioned that a feed-the-lions attraction in Nevada put visitors at risk of having a finger bit off by one of the big cats. That operation is still in business, so the problem must have been resolved. Nevertheless, compliance can take time, and having accessible inspection report information may help to educate consumers. RELATED: Trump's Wall Would Block Animals More Than People Many animal rights group members are blaming the Trump administration for the USDA-APHIS website data scrub. Espinosa denied that the Trump team is behind the removals, saying, "In 2016, well before the change of administration, APHIS decided to make adjustments to the posting of regulatory records." It is true that the horse soring litigation was well underway before Trump took office. The HSUS, however, told Seeker that the Obama administration chose not to delete the animal inspection information, and that the Trump administration's transition team leader at the USDA, Brian Klippenstein, has been fighting HSUS for years. Klippenstein is the director of Protect the Harvest, an organization whose stated mission is "to protect your right to hunt, fish, farm, eat meat and own pets." According to HSUS, Protect the Harvest has defended puppy mills, roadside zoos, individuals accused of horse soring and others. It remains to be seen how the legal actions taken by the HSUS, PETA and others will play out. Espinosa did say that the decisions of her agency "are not final." "Adjustments may be made regarding information appropriate for release and posting," she added. Currently, those seeking information about the reports can submit Freedom of Information Act requests, which may or may not be approved. If they are approved, the process can take weeks. In the meantime, PETA has been linking to the deleted animal welfare documents from USDA-APHIS posted by the Memory Hole. The selection currently only represents a fraction of the former documents, but the goal is to repost them all. Top Photo: The horse "Walk Time Charlie" at the 2012 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, Aug 2012. Credit: Randall R. Saxton, Flickr Many see Norway as one of the most utopian modern countries, citing its citizens' happiness, its booming economy, and incredibly low crime rates. Experts have said these low crime rates are a result of the country's progressive take on the justice system, which focuses on rehabilitating its criminals instead of punishing them. Criminals convicted in Norway have a maximum sentence of 21 years, even for acts like treason and mass murder. Norwegian prisons are considered to be the nicest in the world, offering comfortable amenities and relatively low security. They also have effective rehabilitation programs in place that provide former criminals with healthcare, education and even pensions. Do these progressive policies really result in lower crime rates? And if so, what can the U.S. learn from them? Learn More: BBC: Crime and punishment, Norwegian style Washington Post: Norway gave its cops guns. After 1 year, it's taking them away. What did it learn? NY Times: Norway Mass Killer Gets the Maximum: 21 Years War correspondent, statesman, astronomer. Stargazing may not be what Winston Churchill is best remembered for, but a treatise he wrote on extraterrestrial life has revealed his scientific acumen six decades later. Between ruling Britain and helping the Allies win World War II, the British Bulldog was among the first to theorize about other regions of the Universe in which conditions may be conducive to harboring life, it has been revealed. Excerpts from his essay "Are We Alone in the Universe?" were brought to light Wednesday in the science journal Nature. "I am not sufficiently conceited to think that my sun is the only one with a family of planets," Churchill wrote in the document which astrophysicist Mario Livio laid hands upon last year at the US National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Mo. There must be many other planets, he concluded, of "the right size to keep ... water and possibly an atmosphere," and "at the proper distance from their parent sun to maintain a suitable temperature." This later became known as a star's "habitable zone". To qualify, a planet has to orbit its star at a distance far enough so that water does not evaporate in the solar heat, and near enough that it does not freeze beyond the rays' reach. Water is considered an essential requirement for life, however primitive. Churchill first drafted the paper in 1939, when Europe was on the brink of war, and revised it in the late 1950s while visiting his publisher in a village in the south of France, said Livio. As far as could be determined, the work has never been published or subjected to scientific or academic scrutiny. "What is extraordinary is his train of thought, he thinks about the problem like a scientist," Livio told AFP of the find. RELATED: Seeking the Aliens Who Are Looking Right At Us The concept of habitable zones originated in the 1950s, the same decade in which Churchill finished his essay. A war correspondent and soldier turned politician, Churchill was also known for his love of science. He wrote essays and articles in the 1920s and 1930s on topics including evolution, cell biology and fusion power. Later as a politician, he regularly consulted scientists and was the first British prime minister to employ a science adviser, according to Livio. The government under Churchill funded laboratories, telescopes and technology development that spawned many discoveries. Until now, astrophysics was not known to have been one of his fields of scientific interest. "At a time when a number of today's politicians shun science, I find it moving to recall a leader who engaged with it so profoundly," Livio wrote in Nature. The hunt for potentially habitable planets elsewhere in the universe began decades after Churchill's musings on the topic. In 2015, researchers calculated that our Milky Way galaxy alone may be home to billions of planets orbiting in their host stars' so-called "Goldilocks" zone. The Paris-based Extrasolar Planets Encylopaedia has so far compiled a database of over 3,500 planets around other stars, a few dozen in the habitable sweet spot. WATCH VIDEO: 60 Billion Planets Could Harbor Life SEN. LEILA M. DE LIMA'S STATEMENT ON REPORTED MOVE BY SOLGEN TO ACQUIT NAPOLES IN LUY CASE It looks like this administration is bent on taking the side of every high profile crook and scoundrel the past administration was able to jail. I cannot imagine what justification the OSG has come up with this time in order to sabotage the criminal conviction the DOJ has successfully secured in the past administration. The professional career lawyers of the OSG must be cringing at this latest stunt of their Solicitor General. From the "tribune of the people" to the "tribune of convicted criminals", this is probably the lowest point ever that the OSG has reached in its years of existence. Release Napoles, the number one enabler of plunderers in government, and we might as well dissolve our justice system and declare this government a government of criminals, where the innocent are imprisoned and the criminals liberated. Maybe next they will be setting free the convicted drug lords who testified against me. Under these circumstances, it is indeed an honor to be imprisoned under this regime of criminal coddlers. Press Release February 15, 2017 Gatchalian: Tap foot traffic value in LRT, MRT common station project With the LRT-MRT common station project finally set to push through, Senator Win Gatchalian is calling on the government to explore options to generate additional income from the project by maximizing the value of the projected foot traffic through the station. Based on the DOTr estimate of around 500,000 commuters using the station daily, Gatchalian said that the government could make at least PHP 182.5 million per year (Assuming PHP 1 of potential income per pedestrian x 500,000 x 365 days) if it bids out the value of foot traffic to be generated from the government undertaking. "The foot traffic within the station will be an asset of the government because government created it. The income from foot traffic can be used to subsidize the station's expenses, and therefore cut down train fares. This way, we can add even more value to this project for the general public," he said, adding that the foot traffic value can still be included in the contract, which is still under review by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). Gatchalian also urged the government to be more circumspect and forward-thinking in future negotiations for contracts with private investors, especially infrastructure projects that provide basic services to the people. "Government should negotiate better and always look at the maximum benefits that it will get from these partnerships with private businesses. Government should always watch out for what would be most advantageous to the public," said Gatchalian as he grilled officials of the Department of Transportation during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Services concerning the LRT-MRT common station. He bewailed that the government had already lost potential income from the undertaking because of the eight-year setback suffered due to the legal blockade put up by the SM Prime Holdings Incorporated (SMPHI), which was able to obtain in 2014 a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court against the relocation of the common station to the Trinoma mall area. The SMPHI, under a September 2009 memorandum of agreement with the Light Rail Transit Authority, had paid government P200 million for the naming rights to the proposed station and to ensure that the station is located beside SM North EDSA. "Commuters have been suffering for the past 8 years. We have been held hostage by the P200 million that the defunct DOTC accepted from the mall developer. And because of the squabbles between big businesses on where to build the common station, passengers continued to suffer," Gatchalian said. Press Release February 15, 2017 Gatchalian: Send Child Rapists and Drug Lords to Hell "Bringing back the death penalty is the best way to send child rapists and drug lords on the one-way express to Hell," Senator Win Gatchalian said on Wednesday. Gatchalian, however, clarified that his support for the revival of the death penalty extends to only two specific classes of heinous crimes: offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children, and offenses involving large quantities of illegal drugs. "The common link between these two kinds of capital offenses is the irreparable damage that they do to our country. Criminals who wage war against the fundamental values of our society by polluting it with drugs and sexual violence against children cannot be rehabilitated, and they should not be forgiven. Child rapists and drug lords are beyond saving. They must be put to death," said Gatchalian. Despite his strong support for executing child rapists, pornographers, exploiters, and other sexual offenders, Gatchalian said he is open to Senate Majority Leader Tito Sotto's compromise proposal to limit the reimposition of the death penalty to large scale drug offenses. "Limiting the scope of the new death penalty law to cover only offenses involving large quantities of illegal drugs might be the only realistic way to get the bill through the Senate. I will support the compromise if that's the case," said Gatchalian. Gatchalian urged his fellow lawmakers to take notice of the public clamor to revive the death penalty, pointing out that credible private surveys have shown that 4 out of 5 Filipinos support the move to bring back capital punishment. "The Constitution expressly bestows upon Congress the power to impose the death penalty for compelling reasons to punish heinous crimes. The devastating social impact of illegal drugs on our country is certainly compelling enough. As representatives of the People, we must give them the justice they demand," Gatchalian said. Press Release February 15, 2017 HONTIVEROS TO AGUIRRE: EXPLAIN NOW, GET CONFIRMED LATER "He has a lot of explaining to do." This was the statement of Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros to Department of Justice (DoJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre during the latter's scheduled confirmation of his appointment on Wednesday. Hontiveros said that her colleagues in the Commission on Appointments should suspend indefinitely Aguirre's confirmation pending a thorough and satisfactory explanation from the justice secretary regarding several controversies he is allegedly involved with. The senator was referring to the alleged special treatment given by Aguirre to convicted drug lords. Hontiveros also raised the issue of Wally Sombero, the alleged representative of online gaming tycoon and alleged human trafficker, Jack Lam, who left the country under the DoJ chief's watch unmonitored despite a lookout bulletin. She also pointed to Aguirre's controversial meeting with Lam, and the involvement of his men in a P 50 million extortion attempt. Why is the justice secretary giving special privileges to convicted drug traffickers? Did he allowed Wally Sombero to leave the country? Why did the justice secretary put himself in a situation that allowed the likes of Jack Lam to try to bribe him? What is the extent of his knowledge regarding his commissioners' extortion activities? Assuming without conceding that he doesn't know, isn't this outright negligence on his part? These are some of the questions that Aguirre has failed to answer adequately," Hontiveros said. Hontiveros said that the issues lodged against Aguirre are very serious as they undermine the integrity and credibility of the Department of Justice. "They merit no less than the justice secretary's full disclosure and clarification. Until then, I think it is fair for the Committee on Appointments to defer Secretary Aguirre's appointment to highlight the gravity of concern regarding the issues that continue to hound him and pending a thorough explanation from his end," Hontiveros concluded. Press Release February 15, 2017 Sponsorship Speech of Senator Loren Legarda Confirmation of the Ad Interim Appointment of Hon. Vitaliano Napenas Aguirre II as Secretary of the Department of Justice Mr. President, Our appointee today, who was born and raised in Mulanay, Quezon by his parents, Alfaro G. Aguirre and Maria Napenas, has a reputation of being a reserved yet very highly intelligent man, with a sense of probity and integrity--qualities that are important in the performance of his duty in ensuring the effective, efficient and equitable administration of justice. Prior to his years of experience as a successful lawyer, gaining national fame as counsel for the likes of Hubert Jeffrey Webb, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and then Court of Appeals Justice Bienvenido L. Reyes, he was a consistent honor student and graduated as a full scholar at the San Beda College during his high school, college and law school years. Given his humble roots, it comes as no surprise then that defending the poor and the marginalized has always been close to his heart. As a budding litigation lawyer, he began his law practice by defending farmers and fisher folks. A staunch activist since his college days, he was forced to go into hiding after a military tribunal filed a case against him on the alleged crime of Inciting to Sedition after the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. He was a recipient of awards such as Quezon Medalya ng Karangalan, Outstanding Litigator of Lex Talionis Fraternitas in 2015, Distinguished Bedan Award in the field of Law, and Bedan Recognition Award for Private Practice of Law. It is, thus, with honor and privilege that your Chairman endorses and moves for the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of the honorable Vitaliano Napenas Aguirre II as Secretary of the Department of Justice. Thank you. Press Release February 15, 2017 Villanueva pushes for free tech-voc education The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva, tackled on Wednesday a proposed measure providing free access to programs and training of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Villanueva's Senate Bill No. 1318 or the "Tulong Trabaho Act of 2017" is said to democratize the access to technical and vocational training and strengthen the existing TESDA programs to ensure gainful employment. Villanueva, who is a former TESDA director-general, explained this can be guaranteed through establishing a Tulong Trabaho Fund that will ensure financial assistance for the qualified applicants. This fund will be included in the budget of TESDA. "We want to help people find decent jobs, especially those who are financially incapable to enroll in tertiary education, to acquire skills and easily find work. Through this proposal, the needed skills in the market are determined and addressed through skills training. This, in turn, will help reduce jobs-skills mismatch," Villanueva said adding that the measure seeks to rationalize the government's process in giving educational assistance. However, the senator clarified that the financial assistance in the Tulong Trabaho program is geared not solely towards education or finishing a degree, but "gaining training and technical knowledge with a view to a definitive job market or livelihood requirement need." "This bill seeks to ensure that not only high school graduates or those eligible for SUCs will be provided financial assistance, but all Filipinos with potential for gainful and sustainable employment and livelihood," Villanueva shared. The program is open to unemployed Filipinos, high-school graduates, and workers who seek to enhance their respective skills. The senator explained that the Tulong Trabaho bill is consistent and expands the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education or the UniFAST Act of 2015 which is already existing for the purposes of secondary education. "This bill actually opens up the financial assistance to persons other than high school graduates, and can also include persons employed in the informal economy or informal job market. This then opens up the opportunity for them to expand their skill set and improve their present employment situation, as well," Villanueva stressed. Qualified applicants will be accepted based on criteria determined by the Tulong Trabaho Board headed by the Secretary of Labor and Employment. These would include income, level of education, as well as other standards for these training programs. The determination of the programs that will be offered will be based on the Labor Market Intelligence Reports, quantitative data of the NEDA and DOLE, as well as definitive job data to be able to truly meet the demands of the job market. "We want to ensure that through the implementation and institutionalization of this program, our people would have just and fair access to opportunities that will alleviate them from poverty. Through free access to training, more underprivileged people would be empowered to enhance their skills and use these to achieve gainful employment," Villanueva concluded. Fresh from winning voter approval of a $3.5 billion bond measure, BART is looking at asking for another $1.5 billion as part of a bridge-toll increase that could go on Bay Area ballots as early as next year. The idea being pushed by BART and other transit agencies is to raise tolls on the Bay Areas seven state-owned toll bridges thats every one of them except the Golden Gate by $1 to $3. Officials are still haggling over the exact amount, but the upper range would boost the top cost of crossing the bay in a car to $9. The full list of transit projects that would get the money isnt finalized. But BART is already planning to push its way to the front of the line and ask for as much as a third of the toll dollars that the measure would generate. It was just three months ago that BART won a high-stakes campaign to persuade voters in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties to approve Measure RR, a bond issue that will pay for a host of nuts-and-bolts improvements to the nearly five-decade-old system. This next ballot bid would be called Regional Measure 3 and would go before voters in all nine Bay Area counties, probably in 2018. Paul Chinn/The Chronicle Rebuilding our transportation system is similar to maintaining a house its really never done, said Randy Rentschler of the Bay Area Toll Authority, which would have a major say over how the money raised by the new measure would be divvied up. BART says what it needs most is 306 additional railcars. Theres no money in Measure RR to pay for them, and theyll cost a lot of cash $1.6 billion, to be exact. BART hopes $1 billion of that will come from the envisioned toll-increase measure, which would still leave it $600 million short of what it needs for all the cars. That money would have come from sales-tax hikes on the November ballot in San Francisco and Contra Costa counties, but voters there fouled up BARTs plans by rejecting the increases. The 306 new railcars BART hopes to purchase are on top of the 775 already on order as part of the replacement of its aging fleet. Other BART priorities for the toll money include $250 million to modernize train control and traction power systems and $90 million to design a seismic retrofit of the 3.6-mile Berkeley hills tunnel. Also on the list is $120 million to pay for capacity enhancements at the heavily used Embarcadero and Montgomery Street stations in San Francisco. BART would use half the money to install automated sliding glass doors on the platform that would keep riders safely separated from the tracks, and the other half to add elevators, escalators and stairs. None of this can happen until the Legislature gives the OK for Bay Area voters to decide on a bridge-toll increase. State Sen. Jim Beall, D-Santa Clara, is expected to introduce legislation that would do that, according to those following the process. Bealls office declined to comment Tuesday. Bay Area voters last approved a $1 increase on local toll bridges in 2004, to pay for congestion-relief measures. Transit officials have since imposed two $1 toll hikes on their own, for bridge seismic retrofits. Measure RR in November was no easy sell, because BART had to persuade two-thirds of voters to give the thumbs-up to pass it. A toll hike wouldnt be as big a challenge it would require only a cumulative simple majority in the nine Bay Area counties. BART wouldnt be the only transit agency benefiting from the toll hikes. Money probably would also be spent on ferries, express buses, high-occupancy-vehicle lanes and even the new Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco, which has already received $300 million in toll revenue. As for justifying BARTs grab of toll dollars, transportation officials argue that the rail system carries an average of 28,000 people each weekday rush hour nearly twice the number that move in cars over the bay. This is very real congestion relief, which is capacity improvement, said Nick Josefowitz, a BART Board of Directors member from San Francisco who helped lead the campaign for Measure RR. According to BART spokesman Jim Allison, the bond measure that voters approved in November covers a bit less than half the cost of a new, $915 million train control system that will allow 30 trains an hour to travel under the bay, six more than now. But a bit less than half isnt enough which is why BART is extending its hand to voters, again. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Inspectors visited Oroville Dam 14 times since 2008 but never considered the integrity of the hillside that eroded below the emergency spillway, leading to a near catastrophe that forced the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people downstream, state records show. The inspections by the states Division of Safety of Dams repeatedly mentioned the concrete apron, or weir, at the top of the emergency spillway, and often included photographs of it. The structure was stable appearing, and the concrete remains sound, inspectors wrote after their latest visit to the state-run dam in August 2016. But over and over, there is no mention of the expanse of bare earth below, even though environmentalists had raised deep concerns about the emergency spillway not having a paved lining to carry water behind the nations tallest dam to the Feather River. The lack of hillside studies could have been disastrous, given that the spillway was rated to handle water flows of hundreds of thousands of cubic feet per second, but began washing away over the weekend and threatening to undermine the rim of the dam when a comparative trickle washed over it for a matter of hours. The emergency spillway at Oroville was pressed into duty after the main spillway was damaged last week amid rainstorms. It was the first time the emergency spillway was used since the dam 75 miles north of Sacramento was completed in 1968. John Cassidy, an ex-officio member of the U.S. Society on Dams and a retired engineer at Bechtel Corp. who lives in Walnut Creek, said emergency spillways are not where dam designers typically invest limited resources. They usually dont operate, he said. Thats the whole thing: They come into play only when you have a really large flood. The money is spent on the main spillway. Still, he said, alternative spill channels like the one that failed at Lake Oroville should work regardless of how infrequently theyre used. Certainly the area downstream of the crest of the emergency spillway (at Oroville) should be investigated thoroughly, Cassidy said, with operators using the information to decide whether the hillside can sustain storm damage and whether all or part of it it should be paved. Nicholas Sitar, a UC Berkeley professor of civil and environmental engineering, said it appears officials misunderstood what a heavy flow of water would do to the natural slope beneath the emergency spillway. Unfortunately, it wasnt surprising to me that erosion happened at much lower capacities, which has happened in other rock channels, Sitar said. The problem of rock erosion in spillway channels is a known phenomenon. The California Department of Water Resources, which runs the dam, said it had not anticipated that erosion below the emergency spillway would quickly threaten the spillway itself. The slow-moving water found a spot close to the wall, and thats where the erosion started, said Chris Orrock, a spokesman for the agency. It caused erosion that we didnt expect. We werent planning on this. Since (the emergency spillway) had never been used, we didnt know how the water was going to affect the hillside. More than 180,000 people were evacuated Sunday in downstream communities amid fear that scars on the hillside created by erosion would burrow through the hill and under the concrete weir, causing a wall of water to descend upon several communities. The evacuated residents were allowed back into their homes Tuesday after the Department of Water Resources drew down the reservoir to a level well below the lip of the emergency spillway which the agency hopes not to use again this season. At the same time, workers sought to shore up the hillside erosion with rocks brought in by trucks and helicopters. Bill Croyle, the acting director of the agency, said 100,000 cubic feet per second of water was being sent down the damaged main spillway, which was holding together. He said he expected to bring the lake down to 850 feet above sea level by this weekend, or 50 feet below the emergency spillway. While the emergency spillway sends water over bare ground, the hillside was supposed be able to handle a significant flow during a flood, according to the state up to 500,000 cubic feet per second. But over the weekend, only 12,600 cubic feet per second of water poured over the weir at the peak. Within a day, the hillside was in danger. The magnitude and swiftness of the failure at Oroville has prompted engineers and environmental groups to question why the state didnt do more to prevent the problem. The inspection records dating back to 2008 indicate only cursory looks at the concrete spillway lip. Many of the inspection reports say the emergency spillway weir is in good condition or remains in satisfactory condition or remains unchanged from recent inspections. There were concerns about seepage from the reservoir itself, but nothing that went to the point that there was a need to assess surfacing of the auxiliary spillway, said Robert Bea, a professor emeritus and engineering expert at UC Berkeley, who reviewed the latest 14 dam inspection reports. And its not as if the state hadnt been alerted. In 2005, three environmental groups Friends of the River, the Sierra Club and the South Yuba River Citizens League warned state and federal water regulators about the emergency spillway in a 31-page motion filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission during a relicensing review. The groups were concerned that use of the unpaved auxiliary spillway would cause erosion that could lead to a loss of crest control, or failure of the rim of the dam. Thats exactly what almost happened, said Ronald Stork, senior policy director for Friends of the River. No spillway of any kind in the United States should suffer a loss of crest control, said Stork. What was just astonishing to me was how that rock was just eroding away as if it was clay. Sitar said, When they relicensed the structure, they probably looked at the past performance of the (main) spillway and said its doing well. The chances well ever use the auxiliary spillway are low, and theres no need to worry about it. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In the end, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dismissed concerns about the emergency spillway. The emergency spillway meets FERCs engineering guidelines for an emergency spillway, said John Onderdonk, then a senior civil engineer, in a 2006 memorandum. The guidelines specify that during a rare flood event, it is acceptable for the emergency spillway to sustain significant damage. Strengthening the hillside may have been seen as too expensive. Jay Lund, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis, said there may be more cost-effective ways to increase the reservoirs discharge capacity. Auxiliary spillways like the one at Lake Oroville, discharging water into an unpaved hillside, are not the norm. But others exist. The federally run New Melones Dam on the Stanislaus River, which encloses another of Californias biggest reservoirs, has a similar spillway, where water is designed to pour down a bedrock slope once the lake level reaches a certain point. The emergency channel has never been used. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite has many spillways, one of which is unlined and sits on granite. The gated chute is used regularly and has never had a problem, according to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Dan Wade, the agencys director of capital improvements, said there are many factors to consider when designing an unpaved spillway, including the soils potential for erosion, how often it will be used and how much water will run over it. Unlined spillways are not uncommon, Wade said. Judgment calls have to be made by the design engineering team. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Joaquin Palomino contributed to this report. Peter Fimrite and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite @kurtisalexander A customer who posted a Yelp review of a massage parlor in San Franciscos Financial District in December 2012 hinted that the code word is boom boom for a kinky massage that the business didnt advertise over the phone. More than four years later, City Attorney Dennis Herrera sued the alleged covert brothel, otherwise known as Queens Health Center in the 300 block of Kearny Street, for violating an egregious number of local laws and a state law against prostitution. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Herrera contended that the business has been operating as a brothel since at least April 2010, despite a slew of police investigations and city penalties designed to make its owner stop the illicit operations. The suit marked the first time in recent history that the city filed a civil action under a violation of a state antiprostitution law to stop the practice, Herrera said in a statement. This lawsuit sends a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated, Herrera said. It will also deter other would-be brothel owners from exploiting women. The suit, which also names a trustee who owned the property, claims Queens Health Service has since 2010 blatantly advertised its illegal sex services on sites such as backpage.com and Craigslist, depicting scantily clad women in provocative clothing and playing up the ethnicities of the women customers could choose from. In a May 2013 inspection, the city Department of Public Health found 10 masseuses wearing lingerie, and during separate undercover operations, workers offered police officers sex on at least three different occasions, the city attorney said. Queens Health Center also installed security cameras outside the building and a buzzer system for controlled entry to keep investigators away, as well as doorstops inside the massage room to delay inspectors entry, the city attorney said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The owner, Jie Qin Zhou, did not immediately return a call for comment. Herrera in his lawsuit is asking the court to close the business for a year, sell its property at auction and bring penalties against the property and business owner. In the summer of 2016, the Department of Public Health suspended the facilitys massage license for 60 days, but the business reopened and went right back to exploiting women, according to the city attorney. Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michael_bodley Lawyers for a former Oracle America saleswoman accused the Silicon Valley technology giant Tuesday of cheating employees out of millions of dollars by retroactively cutting their sales commission rates, and then deducting the difference from their paychecks, in order to boost company profits. Oracle has systematically stiffed its salesforce of earned commission wages for many years, attorneys said in a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court. The suit seeks over $150 million in damages for more than 1,000 past and present employees over a four-year period. The lead plaintiff, Marcella Johnson, said she started working at Oracles Redwood City headquarters in March 2013, selling software for managing human resources and personnel, and was paid her first commissions in November and December 2013. The company told her she could expect $50,000 to $60,000 in commissions per year, in addition to her base salary of $65,000, her lawyers said. But in early 2014, Johnson said, she was given a new contract with lower commission rates, retroactive to June 2013, and was told she owed Oracle about $20,000 for the higher commissions she had already received. She said the company told her that if she quit, she would face a lawsuit to collect the money. Johnson said she kept working until she had made $20,000 in commissions, then left her job in July 2014. Her suit said Oracles actions violate the employees contracts, California labor laws against wage-payback schemes, and the states ban on unfair business practices. A company spokeswoman, Deborah Hellinger, said, Oracle categorically denies the allegations, and we will vigorously defend against them. The lawsuit acknowledged that Oracles employment contracts authorize the company to reduce commission payments retroactively, and that employees are asked to sign the revised midyear agreements, or re-plans, that lower their past and future commission rates. But the company coerces employees to comply by threatening to cut off their commissions if they refuse to sign the revised contracts within 24 hours, and then makes the reductions even for those who refuse to sign, Johnsons lawyers said. And despite a state law requiring commission contracts to spell out the methods for computing and paying commissions, they said, Oracle refuses to disclose the reasons for the lower rates. You cannot sign your rights away to earned wages, said Xinying Valerian, one of the lawyers who filed the suit. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko American oil and mining companies wont need to report payments to foreign governments, after President Trump on Tuesday signed legislation wiping out a regulation staunchly opposed by the petroleum industry. The legislation, House Joint Resolution 41, eliminated a regulation issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last June that would have forced extractive industries to report payments they make to governments abroad for access to natural resources. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When she started her first vegan food company in 1997, Miyoko Schinner couldnt get anyone to invest in the business, despite its $1 million in annual sales. She closed that company, Now and Zen, in 2003. People werent putting money into food certainly not vegan food, said Schinner. Vegan food was something you had to explain to people. Oh, how things have changed. Just over two years after Schinner founded Miyokos Kitchen, a producer of plant-based cheese, the Fairfax company has received $6 million in funding. The investment will help pay for a much larger Petaluma facility and more efficient equipment that will help it keep up with demand. Its products, like cashew-based Cultured VeganButter and Fresh VeganMozz, are sold across the country in at least 2,000 stores, including Trader Joes, Raleys and Whole Foods. After starting out making 800 rounds of cheese per week, the company now produces 100,000 a month. Schinner expects to hit $10 million in sales this year, and 10 times that in five years. The explosive growth was not part of the original plan. We were going to be a local, artisanal producer like Cowgirl (Creamery), have a retail shop and sell our products in Northern California, said Schinner, also a cookbook author and co-host of the cooking show Vegan Mashup. It didnt work out that way. The new investment also will allow Schinner to add a line of more basic cheeses with the same nutritional value as, for example, a milk-based cheddar cheese. They will cost $5 to $6, as compared to the current price of $10 to $13 for packages of her artisanal vegan cheeses. Shes also about to introduce a smoked mozzarella version. The funding comes from JMK Consumer Growth Partners, joining previous investors like Obvious Ventures, the venture capital firm of Twitter co-founder Evan Williams, which also backs the plant-based companies Urban Remedy and Beyond Meat. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Schinner said that their interest shows how much the market has changed in the 20 years since she started her first food business, a change she attributes largely to Millennials. People are eating foods that align to their mission in life, she said. Its more about conscious eating and the relationship between the food on your plate and the impact it has, not just on your own health. Schinner believes her investors are not just responding to current trends but what they think the future will bring: (Investors are) aware of the greater impacts of food and they realize this is the time to get in on it. Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan Following an executive order from President Trump to minimize the economic burden of the Affordable Care Act, the Internal Revenue Service said it is backtracking on its plan to reject 2016 tax returns that do not indicate whether the taxpayer complied with the acts individual mandate. Supporters of the act, which is known as Obamacare, fear this behind-the-scenes change could undermine enrollment in health insurance. The mandate requires Americans to have a minimum level of health insurance, qualify for one of myriad exemptions or pay a penalty known as the individual shared responsibility payment when they file their return. Taxpayers must indicate on their tax returns whether each person included on the return had insurance for the full year, qualified for an exemption or owed the penalty. Returns that dont provide this information are known as silent. In a Feb. 3 meeting with tax-preparation software companies, the IRS said it would not reject silent returns this filing season, according to Andrew Townsend, tax analyst for software maker TaxAct. The decision, which took effect Feb. 6, was not announced publicly and Townsend said he has not seen it in writing. J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press In an email, the IRS said: In recent years, tax returns silent in that regard were still processed. This year, the IRS put in place system changes that would reject tax returns during processing in instances where the taxpayer didnt provide that information. The recent executive order directed federal agencies to exercise authority and discretion available to them to reduce potential burden. Consistent with that, the IRS has decided to make changes that would continue to allow electronic and paper returns to be accepted for processing in instances where a taxpayer doesnt indicate their coverage status. However, legislative provisions of the ACA law are still in force until changed by the Congress, and taxpayers remain required to follow the law and pay what they may owe. It clarified that processing silent returns means that taxpayer returns are not systemically rejected, but when the IRS has questions about a return, taxpayers may receive follow-up questions and correspondence at a future date. Trumps Jan. 20 executive order told federal agencies to exercise all authority and discretion ... to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision or requirement of the (Affordable Care Act) that would impose a cost, fee, tax, penalty, or regulatory burden on individuals, families and others. Although the IRS move does not eliminate the penalty that would take Congressional action some supporters remain concerned. Its pretty disturbing. It leaves individuals at risk for paying the penalty while at the same time, causing people not to enroll or stay enrolled because they think they are not subject to it, said Edwin Park, vice president of health policy with the Council on Budget and Policy Priorities. Park said this is one of a number of things the administration is doing that we consider to undermine enrollment. For example, the White House ordered federal health officials to stop doing advertising and outreach during the critical last week of open enrollment in health care plans through state and federal marketplaces. That seemed to cause a sudden drop-off in enrollment, he said. National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson said that rejecting silent returns at the time of filing is the least burdensome approach, because the taxpayer would correct the omission immediately. Although the IRS statement said it did not reject silent returns in years past, some software would not allow users to file them. Tax-software companies now must decide what to do about the IRS decision. Townsend said that in years past, if TaxAct users tried to file a silent return, they generally would be prompted to complete the necessary information. TaxAct does not plan to change that as a result of the new IRS guidance, he said. In an email, Intuit spokeswoman Julie Miller said that starting March 2, TurboTax customers can e-file their return without indicating if they had health care coverage last year. On Thursday, Drake Software, which sells to tax professionals, announced an update that will enable taxpayers to elect to file a return with no response to line 61 of Form 1040. This is the line where taxpayers can check a box if everyone in their household had coverage for the full year or enter their shared responsibility payment. If they want to claim an exemption, they leave this line blank and file Form 8965. Drake added that taxpayers who choose this option could receive communication from the IRS, experience delayed refunds, and face subsequent collection activity to recoup the individual shared responsibility payment, if the payment applies to the taxpayers filing scenario. Drake did not return requests for comment. Taxpayers who owe a penalty have it deducted from their refund or add it to their amount due for the year. However, failing to pay it is not a crime. Unlike delinquent taxes, the IRS cannot use liens or levies to try to collect it, although it can add interest to the penalty and deduct it from future-year refunds. Most taxpayers who had health insurance received Form 1095 from their employer, insurance provider or government marketplace that shows which month each family member had coverage. This form is also sent to the IRS. In its report to Congress this year, the IRS Taxpayer Advocate reported that 6.1 million 2015 tax returns reported a penalty averaging $452. An additional 12.2 million tax returns filed Form 8965 with exemptions. People who are not required to file a tax return are not subject to the penalty. The penalty went up each year from 2014 and 2016. It is either a flat amount or a percentage of income, whichever is greater. For 2016, the annual flat rate is $695 for each uninsured adult and $347.50 per child up to $2,085 for a family. The percentage penalty is 2.5 percent of adjusted gross income that exceeds the amount of income that a taxpayer must have before he or she is required to file a tax return. For partial-year coverage, the fee is 1/12th the annual fee for each full month a family member lacked coverage or an exemption. Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender Fremont Police Department / Fremont Police Department A 30-year-old parolee from Fremont shot and killed another man inside a Milpitas parking garage, then fled in a stolen car before he was arrested, police said Tuesday. Stuart Ison Baronngaue, who was wanted at the time for a parole violation from the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office, was arrested Friday night on suspicion of murder, robbery and felony evasion, police said. James Steidl/ST A San Mateo man who orchestrated a Bay Area prostitution ring that trafficked women from overseas to work in makeshift brothels was sentenced to nearly four years in prison Tuesday, federal prosecutors said. Allen Fong, 60, admitted that from August 2006 to July 2014, he ran the day-to-day operations of a series of brothels in San Bruno, San Mateo and Santa Clara, among other places, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California. Sarah Ravani / Sarah Ravani / As two men drove through a residential section of San Franciscos Bayview neighborhood, an occupant of another car opened fire on them, leaving both fighting for their lives, police said Tuesday. The victims one 20, the other 24 were passing through the intersection of Donahue Street and Jerrold Avenue just before 9 p.m. Monday when the double-shooting happened, San Francisco Police Department officials said. Mrs. A, you have to market this, said the high school kids in Leah Aguayos third-period ceramics class. It was 2004, and they were wolfing down her homemade salsa and tortilla chips. Aguayo ignored them and continued rushing about the classroom. Shed been bringing food to class as a reward for good behavior for years. The teenagers persisted: You have to get it into stores so that we can buy it. Before the bell rang, they had named it Mrs. As Famous Salsa Buena. Three weeks later, student Daniel Yang presented a label design of a smiling yellow sun, and three months after that, Mrs. As salsa was on the shelves of her local grocery store outside Santa Cruz. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would be doing this, and its all because of my students, says Aguayo, now in her 36th year teaching high school ceramics in the South Bay. Husband Rafael also taught ceramics for over 30 years, retiring last year to focus on the salsa business full-time with the couples son, Gabriel. Up until then, the Aguayos spent their days teaching and their evenings and weekends making salsa. Its been crazy, Aguayo says. These days, five people make every batch of Mrs. As Famous Salsa Buena: the three Aguayos and two employees. This salsa is so hand-made, I cant even tell you, Aguayo says. They use a robot coup, a high-powered food processor, to pulse the tomatoes, garlic and pickled jalapenos (which give this salsa its signature tang). They taste as they go, adjusting the heat, as necessary. A daily load of 200 bunches of cilantro is sorted by hand, plucked for yellow and brown leaves, and triple-washed. The cilantro goes in at the very end for a final, light blending so that the delicate leaves dont become pulverized. Open a container, and youll see loads of finely chopped cilantro whirling about. And because Mrs. A doesnt like raw onions, her salsas dont contain any. As far she knows, shes the only salsa maker to omit them. In 2015, the couple moved from a shared commercial kitchen into their very own 3,400-square-foot facility. We built out the most beautiful commercial kitchen in Santa Cruz, gushes Aguayo, who finalized the terms of the lease on her 60th birthday. We unplugged the refrigerators from the shared kitchen across the street and rolled them down the street. We never stopped production, she says with pride. Until recently, Mrs. As Famous Salsa Buena came in just two flavors: Traditional hot and medium. The problem was that customers werent noticing them behind the scores of flavors produced by bigger brands. Unable to pay for a more prominent place in the display case, she decided to create three new flavors: salsa verde, pineapple mango and rojo loco, which Aguayo describes as not crazy hot, just crazy good. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle None of this has been easy. Aguayo thought about quitting when a co-packers mishandling spoiled several batches of her salsa. (A co-packer is a company that packages a product, like salsa, on behalf of a client that cant afford its own commercial kitchen.) The fiasco cost her several grocery-store accounts. This is a mans world, she says. Ive had to be the strongest woman to fight through all the market world, the grocery world, the distribution world. She earned a spot in many stores by either sending samples or showing up in person, with a container of salsa and bag of chips and encouraging the buyer or owner to taste it. With no knowledge of how to start a business, she called Cabrillo College, which connected her with business consultant Keith Holtaway. Under his guidance, she researched everything from shelf life to bar codes. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. These days, Aguayo is still figuring out how to stay afloat. She just completed a cookbook that she sells via email or Facebook. She also has begun working with a broker to help her get into more stores, and pays for advertisements on her local radio station These are my little tries to build business, she says. Yet those little tries cost a lot of money. Plus, theres the new kitchen to pay off. She doesnt plan to retire from teaching anytime soon though its not just for the income. I cant leave the kids yet, she explains. I always say: I have a passion for food and a love for teaching. Alissa Merksamer is a freelance writer. Email food@sfchronicle.com Find Mrs. As Famous Salsa Buena at grocery stores throughout the Bay Area, including Safeway, Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl and Andronicos. Visit her website (www.mrsafamous.com) for a complete list of store locations. David Duchovny is a bit of a Hollywood Renaissance man. An actor, director and writer, hes now charting his own path as a musician, currently playing the role of rock n roll frontman at his stop at San Franciscos Social Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 15, during a tour in support of his 2015 debut album Hell or Highwater. Duchovny is very candid about his beginnings as a musician, aware of his limitations. The way he explains it, he started in music to just have fun playing songs he likes, emulating the works of Tom Petty, Neil Young and similar classic rock artists. He never even meant to pursue music professionally until a chance encounter with a musician friends manager encouraged him to consider music seriously. Hed begun in Hollywood as an actor, rising to prominence in the early 90s as FBI agent Fox Mulder in the hit television show The X-Files, a character he returned to for two films and a limited series revival in 2016, and starred in the TV series Californication and Aquarius. Hes also known for being pretty public about his politics. During last years presidential race and after the election of Donald Trump, Duchovny made headlines as an outspoken critic of the president, most recently suggesting that Trumpian politics might inspire a future incarnation of The X-Files. Simon Cornils But when it comes to his music, Duchovny likes to sing about timeless themes like love, addiction and loss. Unlike his television projects, he doesnt find it prudent or productive in the long run to try to tailor his music to current events. Despite all the things I dislike about Trumps persona and presidency, I also hate the fact that all media, all television, all music its all this political discussion all the time, he said. For this reason, Duchovny maintains that his music is separate from his politics. (He also added as an aside: Its hard to rhyme Trump. Its a hard rhyming word.) Duchovnys second album is in the works for 2017, thematically in line with the universal concepts in his first, but with a tougher, more rock n roll edge. Reflecting on how he discovered his musical affinity on set between takes, he opens up about songwriting, performing live and his aspirations as a musician. Q: When did you decide you wanted to be a musician? A: The whole time Ive been an actor, Ive been perplexed by how much downtime you have in your trailer, and by the kind of feeling of helplessness or uselessness that goes on during your workday. So I decided about six years ago that I would try and learn a skill while I was waiting while I was acting. I love music, so I just picked up a guitar and I told myself I was going to start to play it. I did this very tricky thing where I asked producers of whatever I was shooting to make my character a guitar player so that I would have to take lessons and they would have to pay for them. At the end of Californication, I did that Hank Moody started playing guitar. And then my character on Aquarius, Sam Hodiak, was a guitar player, so I got some free lessons out of that the whole time. Q: How did you first start writing music? What did that creative process look like? A: The first batch of songs I wrote never thinking I was going to share them with anybody ... I had no sense that they were going to be heard by a stranger, or that anyone would know what I was talking about. Even though these songs are written in a way that I think are universal, they are at the same time very personal. They were just kind of for me. So theres a real purity to them, I think. I read somewhere that Neil Young, when he first started writing songs, would learn a new chord and write a new song in it. And thats kind of how I started, too. A song like Stars, which is off the album (Hell or Highwater), is something I wrote after I learned B7. Now I just sit and strum some chords, and if I start to hear a melody floating over those chords then Ill start to play with that. Ive got a notebook with little fragments of poems and phrases and ideas, and Ill see what fits. ... There are mystical ways of writing songs, and then there are nuts and bolts ways of writing songs, but I learned that they both get you to the same place. Q: What is it like, getting onstage to perform your music? A: When I go out and perform in front of people as a musician, its not me its a character based on me. Its a performative thing. You have to go out there and bring a certain amount of energy because people want to have a good time. Q: How has performing as a musician changed the way you approach your other projects? A: To sing in public would have been my greatest fear in life, and Im not exaggerating. And the fact that Im doing it and ... Im not afraid to just go out there now it was kind of like a near-death experience. Thats kind of liberating. It can throw away the nerves in many other aspects of ones life. Maybe it makes me less tense, less fearing of failure as an actor. Maybe it makes me more willing to take risks. Im not sure. I guess Im just waiting to see if that happens. Alejandra Salazar is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: asalazar@sfchronicle.com David Duchovny: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15. $26. Social Hall S.F. 1270 Sutter St., S.F. (414) 777-1715. www.socialhallsf.com To watch the lyric video of Hell Or Highwater: https://youtu.be/-W2izQyHiTc President Trumps pick for Labor secretary withdrew his nomination Wednesday, one day before his confirmation hearing was scheduled to begin, after a number of GOP senators expressed doubts about supporting him. Andrew Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants the parent company to Carls Jr., La Salsa, Hardees and other popular fast food chains came under fire after admitting to hiring an undocumented housekeeper and allegations that he physically abused his former wife. The domestic violence allegations resurfaced after senators watched an 1990 episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show that featured Puzders ex-wife discussing the accusations, POLITICO reported. Puzder released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying he was honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity. Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press He added, while I wont be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team. Puzder has also been under scrutiny for his opposition to raising the federal minimum wage and the overtime threshold, as well as taking softer stance than the Trump administration on immigration. At least six GOP senators expressed hesitation toward voting to confirm Puzder for Labor secretary prior to his withdrawal. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told Buzzfeed, You know what my reservations are. Theyre all over the news. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, expressed concerns early on in the nomination process, but said he would make a final decision in the hearing a hearing that wont be happening. The Chronicle has published several stories on Puzders nomination. Here are some links: Low-wage workers in peril Trumps choice for labor secretary outsourced jobs GOP, allies launch defense of Puzder, Trumps Labor pick Trump's pick for labor secretary may have saved a fast-food chain but workers question if he's right for the job Trumps labor secretary pick sued a fast-food rival for implying his burger meat came from a disturbing source Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani Here are some central questions and answers about the damage to the Oroville Dam and the fight to prevent a catastrophe: What is the Oroville Dam? Construction on the Oroville Dam the tallest dam in the country at 770 feet started in 1957 and was completed in 1968, creating what is now the second-biggest reservoir in the state, sitting on the Feather River about 75 miles north of Sacramento in Butte County. The reservoir operated by the state Department of Water Resources can hold 3.5 million acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is the amount needed to cover an acre with a foot of water enough to supply one or two households for a year. What is the reservoir used for? Lake Oroville is the centerpiece of the California State Water Project, which supplies 29 urban and agricultural water agencies. The lake provides flood control and hydroelectric power while releasing water down the Feather River for recreation, wildlife protection and the controlling of salinity levels. How is water released? There are three main points at the Oroville Dam where water can be released downstream. Roughly 14,000 cubic feet of water per second can push through the hydroelectric plant at the base of the dam when operational. The main spillway a concrete chute that is now severely damaged can typically release up to 200,000 cubic feet per second, though the Feather River can handle only about 150,000 cubic feet per second without flooding. The emergency (or auxiliary) spillway was built to accommodate overflow when the lake approaches its brim. But it sends water down a bare hillside, and it was used Saturday for the first time. How did this become a crisis? Two months ago, the reservoir was at about 40 percent of capacity and coming off five years of drought. The wet winter pushed levels up, and last week a series of warm storms barreled through, melting snow and driving lake levels up faster than state officials could send water downstream. On Feb. 7, dam operators noticed that erosion had opened up a crater in the main spillway. Officials pared back releases but had to continue them, causing the crater to grow even as storm runoff pushed the reservoir toward capacity. On Saturday, water started to flow over the emergency spillway for the first time. While there is a concrete apron or weir at the top of the spillway, there is only a hillside below, and the water quickly chewed it up, creating gashes that threatened to extend back to the reservoir. Officials feared the erosion could cause the emergency spillway to fail, sending a catastrophic amount of water downstream, so they evacuated several communities. How were the evacuations handled? More than 180,000 people were urged to flee after the Butte County Sheriffs Office initiated evacuation orders at about 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Authorities initially said the emergency spillway could fail within an hour, but it held. By Monday, with the main spillway dumping out 100,000 cubic feet of water per second, the water level dropped and the flow over the emergency spillway stopped. On Tuesday afternoon, the sheriffs office changed the evacuation order to an evacuation warning, allowing residents to return and businesses to reopen. 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. What happens now? With more winter storms headed toward California starting Wednesday, state officials were hoping to release as much water as possible out of the reservoir down the main spillway, maintaining an outflow of 100,000 cubic feet per second. That would bring the lake level down about 8 feet a day. The goal was to get the lake down to 850 feet above sea level 50 feet below the lip of the emergency spillway by Saturday or Sunday. The new storms were expected to be smaller than last weeks storms, producing a reservoir inflow of less than 100,000 cubic feet per second. At the same time, officials were shoring up the erosion below the emergency spillway with boulders and concrete brought in by trucks and helicopters, though they hoped to altogether avoid using the emergency spillway again. If dam operators can get through the immediate crisis, they still have big challenges ahead keeping the lake level down. There are two months left in the wet season, and the lake must cope with an unusually heavy snowmelt this year. In the long term, the damage to the spillways will be costly, with initial estimates for repairs to the main spillway alone coming in at $100 million to $200 million. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker As downtown Oakland speeds toward an economic transformation, theres a group that wants to ensure that demographic changes in the city arent as rapid. The Greenlining Institute, a social justice organization that fights discriminatory redlining practices and advocates for equal opportunity, recently relocated to downtown Oakland from Berkeley, renovating a former bank building on 14th Street. Its really worrisome when you cant keep people in what are considered centers of opportunity, said Orson Aguilar, the institutes president. Greenlining works to drive economic investments into communities of color to improve job, housing and education opportunities. Its an effort to keep people of color from leaving Oakland, where displacement is eroding the citys proud cultural vigor. Black people were the largest racial group at about 28 percent of the citys population, according to 2010 census data, which showed that nearly a quarter of the black population left the city between 2000 and 2010. Amy Osborne/Special To The Chronicle One of Greenlinings solutions is to push companies to broaden their supplier networks and seek out businesses run by people of color and women. This is an updated approach to erasing redlining, the illegal practice of withholding and refusing services to communities of color. Decades ago, redlining was clearly visible on geographic maps, as banks wouldnt give loans to people who lived in certain neighborhoods. Because of this institutionalized segregation, people of color were excluded from the countrys economic system. The redlining mentality still exists, but since it isnt as deliberate and calculated as it once was, some businesses have to be nudged to consciously expand their networks. And the impending arrival of a tech giant has Greenlining seeing red. We want to make sure that theres opportunity that people of color are part of that narrative and its not the same story that weve seen in San Francisco or throughout the Peninsula where the growth of tech means the decline of people of color and working-class people, Aguilar said. In 2015, Uber, the ride-hailing company, purchased the former Sears building for $123.5 million to be its East Bay headquarters. When the office opens in 2018, Uber is expected to bring some 2,000 to 3,000 workers, and many will inevitably be looking for places to rent or buy, adding a crushing weight to an already strained housing market. How many more businesses, renters and prospective home buyers will be priced out of Oakland? Is it too late to put the brakes on displacement? While Uber has held outreach meetings, saying it will seek to hire people and businesses for maintenance, food services and security work, theres been no explicit commitment to hiring locals for the high-paying tech jobs jobs with the salaries that will allow people to afford to live in Oakland. Company spokespeople could not be reached for comment. Greenlining has been vocal about how Uber can negatively impact Oakland. Soon the companies will be neighbors. We know that those jobs are not going to go to people from Oakland, Aguilar said. Uber wont even disclose its diversity data. A lot of Silicon Valley companies are at least doing that. Thats not the kind of company that should be welcomed in Oakland. The opportunity is there for them to change. Up until now, we havent seen that willingness. 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. Greenlining purchased its building before Uber did. And once Uber made its announcement, Aguilar told me Greenlining was contacted by several brokers who wanted to buy the building at an increased valuation. He said no. More than half of the contractors used to renovate the Greenlining building were local and minority-owned. Two floors have been leased to nonprofits committed to diversity and working with underserved communities. The Post News Group, which publishes the Oakland Post, a black newspaper, has office space in the basement near the bank vault that is now used as a conference room. The project took three years to complete, and cost a total of $10 million to purchase and renovate the building. Usually when you see revitalization, it means people of color being pushed out, Aguilar said. Here, were adding a little bit to Oaklands revitalization by making sure people of color stay here, especially the nonprofits that are serving low-income people and people of color. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr Neil Jacobs / Neil Jacobs / CBS Dont worry if youve lost track of how many vehicles have been designed in hopes that Katherine Heigl can recapture the magic of her five years as Dr. Izzie Stevens on Greys Anatomy. Youre not alone. The latest effort is a watchable but unremarkable legal thriller in which she plays aggressive defense attorney Sadie Ellis, who is trying to prove that an otherwise noble surgeon Billy Brennan (Stephen Pasquale) is innocent of a 16-year-old murder charge. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A shooting near San Franciscos Tenderloin on Wednesday morning sent a 34-year-old driver barreling into two parked cars before slumping over dead with a bullet wound to the head, officials said. The killing happened around 2:15 a.m., when someone opened fire on the driver of a silver sport utility vehicle on Eddy Street near Van Ness Avenue, police said. The driver lost control and slammed into a parked Nissan Versa, which partially toppled a nearby tree, and another vehicle. Police and paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. The city medical examiner was working to identify the victim. Laura Espino, 32, owns the Nissan and was asleep in her apartment just above the scene with her 6-year-old daughter when the killing happened. She said she frequently hears fights and other disturbances outside her home. She and her daughter, however, slept through the early morning commotion. Something like this is sad, but Im not shocked, she said before salvaging important items from her car including a child car seat before it was towed from the scene. What happened is horrible, but Im not fazed anymore. Nick Shahi was working at the nearby Rodeway Inn when the violence erupted. He walked outside shortly after the attack and saw paramedics working on the victim. When I came outside, there was a guy lying in the road bleeding, he said. No suspect has been identified or arrested in the killing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department at (415) 575-4444. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky OROVILLE, Butte County With the threat of catastrophic flooding from Oroville Dam successfully crimped off for the immediate future, the sheriff here lifted his mandatory evacuation order in the early afternoon Tuesday and within minutes, thousands of those who had to flee over the weekend were eagerly streaming back to their homes. Major roads immediately clogged with cars. Cities that had looked like ghost towns began to hum with activity again. Here and there people broke out in happy shouts as they rejoiced in not only having dodged disaster, but also the prospect of life returning to normal. Thank goodness! Excited! So excited, exulted Lori Lange, a 58-year-old Live Oak resident, who was at the Sutter High School shelter in Sutter (Sutter County). I just cant wait to go home. Weve got to go find out what bus we have to take. Lets go! The mandatory evacuation order for the estimated 188,000 affected people in Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties was pulled back to an evacuation warning, clearing residents to return to their homes and businesses at around 1:30 p.m., Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. He said state engineers and work crews had managed to fortify the dams damaged emergency spillway enough with boulders and concrete so that it should withstand the series of storms expected to arrive Wednesday evening. When he ordered the areas residents to evacuate Sunday, there were fears that the failing auxiliary spillway for the rain-swollen reservoir could crumble, sending a potentially deadly wall of water cascading into Oroville, Yuba City and several other towns downstream. But as of Tuesday, those fears were largely allayed, he said. The risks that we faced when we initiated those evacuations have significantly been reduced, Honea said. He cautioned, however, that the evacuation warning in place still means that officials will be closely monitoring the dam situation, and if it becomes dangerous again, people could be ordered to flee once more to safer ground. Residents need to be prepared, to maintain situational awareness, he said. This reduction to an evacuation warning properly balances the need for people to resume their daily lives while at the same time being prepared to deal with future increased threat. Bill Croyle, acting director of the state Department of Water Resources, said the main spillway of the dam also damaged, but not as badly as its emergency counterpart was holding up well as it released a mighty roar of water at 100,000 cubic feet per second. As of noon Tuesday, the inflow into the reservoir was just 19,000 cubic feet per second. Croyle said he believed the combination of the good outflow with the weaker strength of the incoming storms should keep the emergency spillway out of danger in the near future. In the meantime, he said, We are aggressively attacking the erosion concerns that had been identified. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday approved Gov. Jerry Browns requests for federal aid to help with recovery from the spillway damage and evacuations and from destructive January storms. Meanwhile, within minutes of the Butte County sheriffs announcement that they could return home, surging crowds of residents all over the area were rushing for their cars. Many had been fretting over lost income, possibilities of looting while they were gone, and the inconvenience of having to spend a third night on a shelter cot. As the sun sank below the horizon on Tuesday, residents first trickled, then poured, back into Oroville. A man swept rotten lemons off his curb, and the smell of grilled meat permeated the air. Cars whirred into quiet residential streets. The stoplights once again had purpose. Michelle Lee, 46, unloaded suitcases of clothing from her hatchback. On the deck of her green house, a tabby sunned himself, yawning and unimpressed with Lees return. She had evacuated to Roseville to stay with her daughter, and when the order was lifted, she was one of the first back. It feels really good, she said. I was worried about the conditions and the rain. We took clothes and documents and got out of here. Im surprised we got back here so quickly. I missed it. The first order of business for most folks after checking their homes was heading to the Raleys supermarket, which quickly turned into a beehive of gridlocked cars in the parking lot and had checkout counters beeping merrily back to life. Family after family left with cases of soda and bottled water, fresh fruit, bread, flowers and balloons. Rich Hurte, 47, sneaked away while his girlfriend was unpacking and drove to the grocery. He left with a heart-shaped box of chocolates, a dozen red and pink roses and more practical a stick of deodorant. It wasnt what they normally did on Valentines Day, he said. But it would work. Its scary any time an evacuation happens, but we are home now, said Hurte, whod spent two days up at Kelly Ridge, above Oroville. Shes going to be so surprised. She has no idea Im doing this. By late afternoon, most of the areas shelters were closing down, with the notable exception of the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico. There, nearly half of the 1,600 people whod taken refuge decided to stick around another day along with a rabbit named Silver and about 250 dogs, cats, pigs, horses and other evacuated critters. They were wary of hitting the same kind of monumental traffic theyd hit while fleeing Sunday, and some just werent convinced it was entirely safe to go back yet. Its going to rain tomorrow. We might be evacuated again. You never know, said Tia Metcalf, 29, of Oroville. She said even though staying at the shelter has been like a big slumber party with friends, every day sleeping in Chico also means another missed shift at the candy shop where she works which means she doesnt get paid. Its been stressful ... really frustrating, she said. Im worried about all my belongings. I dont have any money. Im broke. Chronicle staff writers Evan Sernoffsky and Jill Tucker contributed to this report. Lizzie Johnson, Sarah Ravani and Kevin Fagan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com and kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @lizziejohnsonnn, @SarRavani and @KevinChron This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BANGOR, Butte County They had arrived as strangers on Sunday and left like family on Tuesday. They had come from Oroville, Palermo and Honcut, small-town residents seeking refuge in an even smaller town on higher ground. And in Bangor, a town so tiny and remote that the Red Cross and Salvation Army never came, the 600 residents welcomed the 200 evacuees with open arms. Without the cots and cups of coffee provided by official shelter organizers, the community pulled together, setting up tents in the 10-acre community park and pulling blue mats from the school across the street. Mennonites from a nearby church had brought blankets, and ranchers had slaughtered their cattle to bring fresh steak. Other neighbors carried over citrus from the trees in their backyards and extra shoes and sweatshirts from their closets. But on Tuesday afternoon, it was clear the red velvet cupcakes volunteers had baked for the childrens Valentines Day party would see no frosting, and the leftover homemade tortillas and beans would have to be packed in to-go containers. And the Lady and Tramp movie night, with popcorn, was canceled. While those at other shelters across the region were jumping for joy, those in Bangor gathered around volunteer Theresa Brown in the town park. I want you to be happy going home, she said, not scared. Fear, however, was still present among the evacuees. They had fled their homes, literally running for their lives. They were still shaken. Its part of living by a dam and in the woods, Brown said later. You get fires, and you get floods. Though I never thought something like this would happen. Yet sometimes, she said, such crises just bring people together. Verna Chadwick, 24, rocked her 10-month-old son to sleep in the community centers cafeteria while her boyfriend loaded up the car. 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. I miss my bed, Chadwick said, rubbing her four-month pregnant belly. My whole left side is bruised from sleeping on the floor. I honestly just want to go home. But she was heading north to another evacuation center in Chico. While the mandatory evacuation was lifted, there was still a warning in effect, and it had Chadwicks father spooked. He wasnt letting family return to Oroville just yet. This place has been nice, she said. Our neighbors were nice, and the food was good. But if I have to leave, I want to go home not to Chico. Others were also apprehensive. Jody Garcia, 50, packed up a silver tent while her familys nine chihuahuas scrambled around her feet. Days before, the evacuation had seemed unreal and scary. There was the rush to reach her hearing-impaired son, and to pack the sport utility vehicle. They had returned to their house in Oroville briefly Tuesday to gather more blankets for the cold night. Now they were going home. Its a relief, but theres still a warning, and we arent out of the red, Garcia said, smoothing a strand of unwashed hair. This place has been like a second home to me. Its a safe haven. We are returning to the unknown. Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @lizziejohnsonnn At 770 feet, the Oroville Dam is the nations highest. At 48 years old, its certainly not the nations newest dam. Its important to keep that fact in mind as crews work around the clock in an attempt to reinforce the dams damaged emergency spillway before the next round of rains begin later this week in Northern California. The Oroville Dam, like many of the dams, levees, seawalls, and other human efforts to contain nature, is a crucial piece of infrastructure that must be maintained and monitored. If only state and national leaders had absorbed that lesson before the current crisis struck. Instead, were stuck with a potentially catastrophic situation. If the head of the spillway crumbles, a 30-foot wall of water could slam down the hillside, into the Feather River, and head straight toward Oroville (Butte County), Marysville (Yuba County) and Yuba City (Sutter County). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is on 24-hour operations at its Oakland regional office, President Trump has approved Gov. Jerry Browns emergency assistance request, and nearly 200,000 local residents were evacuated from their homes. The order was lifted Tuesday, but an evacuation warning still stands. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that Trumps administration has been monitoring the situation and working with state officials. Spicer also said and this is surely true that its an example of why Congress needs to pursue a major infrastructure bill. Congress should have pursued that major infrastructure bill decades ago the fact that it did not is one of the reasons why the countrys aging infrastructure is causing so many everyday difficulties as well as outright disasters like Oroville. There must also be a full investigation into how and why Orovilles spillways were compromised. But for now, it seems that theres quite a bit of blame to go around. For more than a decade, environmental groups have sounded alarms about the possibility of erosion on the hillside, asking for a federal commission to order state officials to reinforce or reconstruct the ungated spillway. State officials have denied reports that they didnt reinforce the spillway because of cost concerns, but one thing is certain the spillway wasnt reinforced. Congress needs to pass a substantial, bipartisan infrastructure bill based on the countrys real needs, not politicians ideologies or pork barrel desires. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other dams, bridges, roads and highways in California that are in need of attention. In response to revelations that environmentalists warned about the troubled spillway more than a decade ago, Brown has said he welcomes more scrutiny. The state needs to prove that its willing to respond to the concerns of interested parties, not just hear them. Maintenance of these public services may be expensive, but our dependence on them is greater than we know. Sometimes we only recognize it in the wake of an unprecedented disaster. It was 1863, Abraham Lincoln was president, and our nation was enduring the most divisive time in history. In that same year, what we now call Caltrain Commuter Rail Service began continuous Peninsula corridor service between San Jose and San Francisco. Our nation is once again enduring a divisive chapter, and much to our surprise, Caltrains strong and stable service is suddenly at stake. On Jan. 26, all 14 members of Californias Republican congressional delegation signed a letter to President Trumps secretary of transportation to act against the recommendation of the Federal Transit Administration. The federal government should, they wrote, deny a federal match of $647 million to electrify our Caltrain system. For nearly two decades, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Bay Area Council, SPUR and other regional business organizations have championed the modernization of Caltrain, which has served our region for 154 years, running 79 miles between Gilroy and San Francisco. With nearly 60 months of consecutive ridership increases, Caltrain is running at 125 percent of ridership capacity. Ridership has grown from 25,000 weekday passenger trips a decade ago to nearly 65,000 daily trips today. In short, it is standing room only in both the morning and evening commutes. Modernizing Caltrain includes safety improvements such as grade separations, longer station platforms to accommodate more train cars and elevated platforms for quicker boardings. A key component is doing away with diesel engines and turning the switch to electric. All together, this $1.98 billion upgrade allows us to almost double Caltrain ridership to 110,000 daily trips. Because 3 of every 5 Caltrain passengers are choice riders, i.e., they own cars but choose rail instead the benefits are enjoyed broadly: Each day, electrification would eliminate 619,000 car miles traveled. Each year, the reduction in polluting greenhouse gases would be the equivalent of removing 40,000 cars from our roads. The economic importance of electrifying Caltrain cannot be overstated. Innovation economy employers calling the Peninsula corridor home contribute 14 percent of our entire states gross domestic product, 52 percent of all patents filed in California and 43 percent of all venture capital investment. Caltrain electrification puts Americans to work, building a system that helps Bay Area residents get to work. Electrifying and modernizing Caltrain creates 9,600 jobs: from power converters and transformers built in Richmond, Va.; the assembly of electric trains in Salt Lake City; the transportation of electric train shells in Humble, Texas; or engineering services in San Mateo. American workers win. So why the last-minute attempt to derail two decades of work? A belief by 14 well-meaning Republican members of Congress that defunding Caltrain will kill high-speed rail, which they view as a boondoggle. As determined in court, and codified by the Legislature, the electrification of Caltrain is a separate and distinct project from high-speed rail. Our plea to Californias Republican congressional delegation is clear dont allow your concerns about high-speed rail to overshadow your support for Californias innovation economy. Its in your power to keep Caltrain, and Silicon Valley, on track. When reporters and television crews arrived at the state Office of Emergency Services outside Sacramento on Monday morning, they found Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom coming out of a briefing on the Oroville Dam emergency. Naturally, they did a short interview with Newsom on his thoughts about the dangers, as well as reports that earlier warnings about the Oroville spillways had been ignored. Lets not wait until something happens to address it, Newsom said. Lets make sure that if there was a report in 2005 or repair in 2013, as was the case here that we make sure those patches are secure and those warnings were heeded. With that, Newsom headed off to an evacuation center in Yolo County. After speaking with Newsom, Mike Luery from Sacramentos KCRA-TV called the governors office to say hed just spoken to Newsom and asked about Gov. Jerry Browns availability. Luery was told that Brown was focused on the emergency and couldnt be distracted. Luery went live at 4 p.m. from the emergency services office, showed tape of Newsoms comments and said Brown was unavailable. Minutes later, Emergency Services officials said Brown was on his way over. After being briefed by agency staffers, the governor gave a news conference saying engineers not politicians should be the ones making assessments. Brown said the reports that Newsom had alluded to were news to him but that stuff happens. And the governor said it all just in time for the 6 oclock news. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate At the recent San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Directors Circle Dinner, everyone coveted the bulb centerpieces lining long tables in Schwab Hall. These beauties fantastical, illuminated biometric sculptures were specially created for the fete by featured artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. But guests were warned: Mitts off! Whereas at luncheons, attendees might win the vase via a number taped under their teacup, at some black-tie soirees, including this one, its considered gauche to whisk away the well-crafted centerpiece. The bulbs are lit by the pulse of 350 heartbeats that this electronic artist recorded in cities around the world, including Donetsk, Ukraine; Lima, Peru; and Basel, Switzerland. We record the heartbeat of people participating in my biometric pieces and reuse their pulse in our installations, explained Lozano-Hemmer. My work is typically large-scale, featured in museums or shows. This is (the) first time Pulse has been created for such an intimate scale. Lozano-Hemmer, whose Pulse Room debuted at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2006 to rave reviews, was hailed like an old friend as a number of guests had met him last year in Mexico City on a Directors Circle art tour one that, many enthused, was the museums best so far. Led by Directors Circle President Patricia Fitzpatrick and dinner chairwoman Kim Morton, the glowing evening featured a McCalls dinner that paid culinary homage (chicken with cheese gorditas in pipian verde sauce; Mexican chocolate mousse; post-dinner churros with tres leches sauce) to Lozano-Hemmers native Mexico City. I know his work and was determined to have something fresh but nonfloral for this dinner. This is an art museum, after all, said Morton, of table decor. Rafael is so energetic, very creative and he puts the fun back in art-making. This annual dinner, more akin to a family gathering, also allows SFMOMA Director Neal Benezra to honor the museums stalwart, deep-pocketed Directors Circle donors. Raising her glass, Morton toasted: There are three facts you need to know about Rafael: He has a degree in physical chemistry. There are five miles of cables underneath each table. And Rafaels parents were nightclub owners, so he knows good art is a party. But dont be fooled his art is also hard-hitting and evocative. Lozano-Hemmer then tooled through what he described as just 5 percent of his work to ensure hed be invited back to SFMOMA. Media art is something thats inevitable: Our war, our economy, our love, our communication its all conducted through globalized networks, he outlined. Its only natural, its only normal, that contemporary artists should use this very same media to reflect poetically or critically on our times. His rapid-fire delivery was also peppered with zingers, such as forgetting to warn guests about his origins: Oh, I shouldve mentioned, Im a Mexican. Im one of the bad hombres. But I live in Canada now. Mexicans there, we call ourselves Chic-Anadians. So Im probably doubly evil in Trumps eyes. He also explained that in addition to the usual suspects (You know, Frida Kahlo, and thats awesome), experimental media art is a long-practiced Latin American tradition. Unknown to many, we have backdrops of experimentation that I assign to myself and my studio, he said. The Bautista poets of the 20s were the first to use broadcast radio for their manifestos. Or that the theory of cybernetics was postulated at the National Institute of Cardiology in Mexico City. Or that the first color TV was patented by Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena. At the talks conclusion, five guests were invited onstage for some real-time technological theater. Placing their hands on a recording device, their hear rates lit up the pulsing tabletop centerpieces and will be included in Lozano-Hemmers future work. Bidding dazzled guests goodnight, Benezra noted that museums are fantastic venues to ask questions, keep conversations going and find the good in each other, no matter your viewpoint. But I think tonight, he enthused, is the most fun Ive ever seen people have at a Directors Circle Dinner! Mod redux: Dapper gallerist Martin Muller recently debuted the 3.0 version of his storied Modernism Inc. gallery with a Gottfried Helnwein exhibition, Red Harvest, at his new 724 Ellis St. location. 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 wont attempt to thumbnail Helnweins always provocative work. But lets just say it was picture perfect for the dark, stormy night of Mullers Tenderloin launch. Muller, a devout Swiss perfectionist, worried he shouldve waited another week, or month, to open as, earlier that day, he was still deep in moving boxes. But the new space, cozy with a dash of edge, is spit-spot and features works by such Muller-repped old pals as Jaques Villegle, Charles Arnoldi and the late Mark Stock. Blue box: Tiffany & Co. unveiled its glamorous new boutique updo with great fanfare, celebrating its 25th anniversary on Union Square and 50th year in San Francisco. Tom Carroll, the companys Northwest vice president, welcomed guests, many draped in the distinct hue of the storied jewelers robin egg blue as the McCalls crew served a cocktail-klatch sourced from nonstaining, white-based edibles and sparkly pale Dom Perignon. Yet most beelined to vitrines shimmering with an array of classic Tiffany designs adorned with sapphires and diamonds and the new Lady Gaga HardWear Collection. Fans of the San Francisco Ballet were out in force, led by Ballet principal dancer Yuan Yuan Tan, whose autograph graces a ballet slipper, currently on display, that will be placed in a new Tiffany time capsule. (Tiffany recently sponsored the Ballet season-opening gala.) Guests delighted in a Blue Box photo booth for prom-style photos, and at nights end were wowed with a special performance by 16-year-old Spencer Barnett, a local teen sensation who, on Feb. 17, was set to debut his Spotify single, Cherry Lips. Catherine Bigelow is The San Francisco Chronicles society correspondent. Email: missbigelow@sfgate.com Instagram: @missbigelow WASHINGTON Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to four current and former U.S. officials. U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time that they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation. But the intercepts alarmed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. At one point last summer, Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clintons emails and would make them public. The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other associates of Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside of the intelligence services, the officials said. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified. The officials said that one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trumps campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the FBI is sifting through as it investigates the links between Trumps associates and the Russian government, as well as the DNC hack, according to federal law enforcement officials. As part of its inquiry, the FBI has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews, the officials said. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FBI declined to comment. Michael S. Schmidt, Mark Mazzetti and Matt Apuzzo are New York Times writers. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate They say Robert Frank changed history with the 83 images that appeared in his stark breakthrough The Americans. But there were a lot more pictures that never made the book, 27,000 of them. Selections from these outtakes will go on display in a unique and free two-week pop-up show that opens Friday, Feb. 17, at UC Berkeley. Its a first in the long history of Frank exhibitions in the Bay Area and intends to showcase the entire breadth of the Swiss masters 70-year career. Robert Frank: Books and Films, 1947-2016, is so comprehensive that it requires two galleries in separate buildings on campus. The Reva and David Logan Gallery for Documentary Photography, at North Gate Hall, will show The Americans, along with the original contact sheet for every image in the book. The Worth Ryder Art Gallery at Kroeber Hall will simultaneously show Franks work from Peru in 1948 and on up through America after The Americans. His work is revolutionary in showing an America that was not seen, but also creating a way of seeing in photography that was new, powerful and charged, says Ken Light, professor of photojournalism at Cals Graduate School of Journalism. I dont know any photographer who hasnt been impacted by The Americans. In the Berkeley show, that impact will be enhanced by a unique hanging procedure for the art. In January, Franks collaborator, Gerhard Steidl, flew in from Frankfurt to measure and design the show for each space. A day later, he flew back to Frankfurt to make prints to fit that design. On Wednesday, Feb. 15, Steidl returned, carrying the prints for the exhibition. This was made easier by the fact that all of the images are on rolls of newsprint, in a variety of sizes, and will not be installed with frames, but instead stapled to the walls. Steidl describes these as paper banners of his photographs. Steidl plans to stay longer than one day this time, to attend Fridays opening and give a lecture at the already sold-out event, Gerhard Steidl: Print is not dead The Beauty of Analogue Media in a Digital World. Among the topics will be the end result of The Americans on newsprint. After the exhibition ends March 3, the work will be removed by students and either destroyed or transformed into collages and hats by the students. All that will remain is a $5 catalog printed on broadsheet, like a 60-page edition of the New York Herald Tribune. Roberts prints have become so valuable now that this is a more democratic way of showing it, which is what he wants, says Light. And at 92, what Robert Frank wants, he gets. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art Robert Frank: Books and Films, 1947-2017: Friday, Feb. 17, through March 3. Free. North Gate Hall and Kroeber Hall, UC Berkeley. https://journalism.berkeley.edu/events San Franciscos state senator is taking another run at extending last call in California by two hours. The bill, which Democrat Scott Wiener plans to introduce Wednesday, would allow bars and restaurants to serve alcohol between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., pending appropriate permits and approval from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Wieners bill is similar to one proposed in 2013 by his predecessor, Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, which failed to get enough votes. Based on the current law, some establishments can stay open until the wee hours of the morning but, no matter what, they must stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m. Wieners bill would give local jurisdictions control over whether their bars and restaurants can extend their last call. This bill is long overdue, Wiener said. Right now in California, we have a one-size-fits-all statewide mandate, regardless if you are a small-town suburb of San Francisco or in downtown L.A. Although Lenos bill did not conjure up enough support a few years ago, Wiener said there has been an increased demand from bars and restaurants looking to rake in a little extra revenue and from younger patrons who want to stay out a little later. Several U.S. cities, including Chicago, New York City and Miami Beach, allow late-night service. But, in California, all bars have had to stop serving alcohol by 2 a.m. since 1935, according to John Carr, public information officer for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Those who support Wieners bill say it will stimulate the states economy and make cities like San Francisco more attractive tourist destinations. It will also help communities decide what is best for them, because what works in the Mission or Union Square areas with a high concentration of bars and restaurants may not work for more residential areas like the Sunset or Richmond districts, said Juliana Bunim, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. At the end of the day, it is about neighborhoods deciding what is best for them, Bunim said. It is not a blanket approach its about bringing back local control. Jamie Zawinski, owner of DNA Lounge, a club that has experienced major financial hardship over the past few months, said being able to extend its hours would significantly help the business. We make almost all of our money selling alcohol, and we sell almost all alcohol between 11:30 and 1:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, he said in an email. Thats only four hours a week! DNA Lounge normally closes by 5 a.m. Based on how a similar proposal was received in the past, Zawinski said he is not optimistic Wieners bill will pass. And those who opposed Lenos bill in 2013 are still not convinced. Michael Scippa, director of public affairs for Alcohol Justice, a San Rafael nonprofit advocacy, research and policy organization, said it is a foolish plan that prioritizes alcohol revenue over public safety. Scippa said that Alcohol Justice takes a lot of credit for killing Lenos bill in 2013 and that the organization will come out with guns blazing for Wieners bill. We just dont need additional hours of business for this substance, he said. Its not like selling coffee and doughnuts. This is a substance which is a class one carcinogenic it takes thousands in California every year and is responsible for horrendous costs in various areas. The San Francisco Police Officers Association, which could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon, registered strong opposition to Lenos proposal in 2013: It would just be more drunks at 4 than there were at 2, Gary Delagnes, president of the association, told The Chronicle in 2013. But Tom Temprano, co-owner of Virgils Sea Room, a Mission District bar, said the legislation would be a boon for the city: We are a world-class city here in S.F., but we really are behind the ball with New York City and Chicago when it comes to really fostering that full nightlife experience. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate It reads like a Bizarro World game of Clue: Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, and Nickelback in a Twitter feud over the gerrymandering of electoral districts. It started when the ex-governor tweeted a link to a Facebook video, along with this: When Congress is less popular than herpes & Nickelback, how do 97% of them get re-elected? Gerrymandering. Which led the music group to tweet back: Big fans. Approval rate this: Batman & Robin. Please leave us out of your future wisdom drops. Danke Shon Herr Governator. Nobody popped up to tweet on behalf of herpes. Hear here We want to make clear in this vote that we dont want to build walls, we want to build bridges. Manfred Weber, a prominent German member of the European Parliament, after the group ratified a trade agreement with Canada. The agreements proponents said the move would help balance the protectionist policies being urged by President Trump. These shoes are made for backtracking Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank took out a full-page ad in the Baltimore Sun , the companys hometown newspaper, to figuratively pull his shoe out of political doo-doo. Plank last week had praised President Trump for his pro-business attitude, calling him a real asset to this country, which drew heavy criticism from three of Under Armours top endorsers: the Warriors Steph Curry , ballerina Misty Copeland and actor Dwayne The Rock Johnson , right. The three are among those alarmed about other Trump policies, such as his travel ban. Compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techchronicle This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The percentage of Californians without health insurance fell to a record low 7.1 percent in 2016, according to estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control on Tuesday. The figure represents just a 1 percentage point drop from 2015, but is down significantly from the 17 percent uninsured rate in 2013, before the Affordable Care Act was implemented. Similarly, the percentage of Americans without health insurance dropped slightly from 9.1 percent in 2015 to 8.8 percent in 2016. The estimates, from the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics, are based on data for the first nine months of 2016 that was collected from about 73,000 people in 38 states. California was the only state among the 38 in the report that showed a significant decrease in its uninsured rate for adults between 18 and 64 dropping from 11 percent to 9 percent. California officials welcomed the news as a sign that structures created by the Affordable Care Act, the federal health care law that expanded health care coverage to roughly 20 million Americans, are working. Covered California is proud to be part of the effort that is helping millions of people get the coverage and care they need, Executive Director Peter Lee said in a statement. California is considered one of the most successful states in expanding health care coverage for its residents under the health care law, which is also known as Obamacare. The state has dramatically expanded its Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, adding nearly 4 million newly eligible low-income people since 2014. Covered California, the insurance exchange through which low-income residents and other individuals can buy insurance using federal subsidies, is growing and expects to hit 1.5 million people in 2017, up from 1.3 million in 2016. The laws expansion of Medicaid and its other provisions such as prohibiting insurers from denying patients coverage because of pre-existing conditions are driving down the uninsured rate, said Cynthia Cox, an associate director at the Kaiser Family Foundation who researches the health laws effect on private insurers and enrollees. Theres no question the (Affordable Care Act) is driving down the uninsured rate, she said. Weve seen the uninsured rate fall every year since the law went into effect. The progress has slowed a bit, in the first couple years there was significant progress and now its more or less plateaued. But its still continuing to fall. President Trump and congressional Republicans are vowing to repeal the law, but they have yet to coalesce around a plan to replace it. On Tuesday, Trump renewed his promise to repeal and replace, saying in a tweet, Obamacare continues to fail. Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Cat__Ho This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When she started her first vegan food company in 1997, Miyoko Schinner couldnt get anyone to invest in the business, despite its $1 million in annual sales. She closed that company, Now and Zen, in 2003. People werent putting money into food certainly not vegan food, said Schinner. Vegan food was something you had to explain to people. Oh, how things have changed. Just over two years after Schinner founded Miyokos Kitchen, a producer of plant-based cheese, the Fairfax company has received $6 million in funding. The investment will help pay for a much larger Petaluma facility and more efficient equipment that will help it keep up with demand. Its products, like cashew-based Cultured VeganButter and Fresh VeganMozz, are sold across the country in at least 2,000 stores, including Trader Joes, Raleys and Whole Foods. After starting out making 800 rounds of cheese per week, the company now produces 100,000 a month. Schinner expects to hit $10 million in sales this year, and 10 times that in five years. The explosive growth was not part of the original plan. We were going to be a local, artisanal producer like Cowgirl (Creamery), have a retail shop and sell our products in Northern California, said Schinner, also a cookbook author and co-host of the cooking show Vegan Mashup. It didnt work out that way. The new investment also will allow Schinner to add a line of more basic cheeses with the same nutritional value as, for example, a milk-based cheddar cheese. They will cost $5 to $6, as compared to the current price of $10 to $13 for packages of her artisanal vegan cheeses. Shes also about to introduce a smoked mozzarella version. The funding comes from JMK Consumer Growth Partners, joining previous investors like Obvious Ventures, the venture capital firm of Twitter co-founder Evan Williams, which also backs the plant-based companies Urban Remedy and Beyond Meat. Schinner said that their interest shows how much the market has changed in the 20 years since she started her first food business, a change she attributes largely to Millennials. People are eating foods that align to their mission in life, she said. Its more about conscious eating and the relationship between the food on your plate and the impact it has, not just on your own health. Schinner believes her investors are not just responding to current trends but what they think the future will bring: (Investors are) aware of the greater impacts of food and they realize this is the time to get in on it. Tara Duggan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tduggan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @taraduggan This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Courtesy / San Mateo County Sheriffs Office / Courtesy / San Mateo County Sheriffs Office Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy / San Mateo County Sheriffs Office / Courtesy / San Mateo County Sheriffs Office Show More Show Less 3 of 3 With a black handgun and a garbage bag to match, a man robbed a Chase Bank in the quiet Peninsula town of Woodside, police said Wednesday. The bandit, wearing a white beanie cap and sunglasses, swept into the Chase Bank in the 2900 block of Woodside Road just before 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriffs Office, the agency investigating the incident. The bank is located off of Interstate 280. California Highway Patrol / California Highway Patrol / A drunk 59-year-old man started yelling and attacking the driver of a bus traveling from Sonoma County to San Francisco International Airport, as he insisted the driver was going the wrong way, police said Tuesday. The tirade culminated when the man, John Wilson of Monte Rio, started punching the driver in the back of his head as he headed southbound on Highway 101, according to the California Highway Patrol. A state appeals court has taken the rare step of reducing the mandatory life prison sentence of a Richmond woman who shot and gravely wounded a man who had just taken part in the beating of her father. Deyanira Cuiriz was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison for attempted voluntary manslaughter, mayhem and shooting at an occupied vehicle. On Tuesday, the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco said her sentence mandated by a 1996 California law was unconstitutionally excessive and shocks the conscience, and lowered it to 12 years. The court noted that Cuirizs sentence was longer than the 25-to-life term for first-degree murder under state law, and said her guilt was at the bottom end of the spectrum for her crimes. The victim had provoked the attack, the shooting was unplanned, and Cuiriz, 19 at the time, had no criminal record, the court said. This is one of those rare instances in which the prescribed penalty does exceed constitutional limits on cruel and unusual punishment, said Justice Stuart Pollak in the 3-0 ruling. He said an appropriate sentence was the 12-year term that the trial judge, Trevor White of Contra Costa County Superior Court, said he would have imposed for attempted manslaughter had it not been for the 1996 law. Cuiriz and her family were celebrating her 19th birthday in August 2012 when two men drove up to her home and confronted her father. She told police she saw her father on the ground with his face bleeding and, when she tried to intervene, the two men pushed her away. She said they told her they were gang members and threatened to return. She got a gun from her boyfriend and fired a shot into their truck, hitting Oscar Barcenas in the spine. The bullet paralyzed him from the neck down. In upholding Cuirizs convictions, the court said she had voluntarily confessed to police without a lawyer present and admitted she had acted partly out of anger. The court said her crimes were serious and dangerous but did not justify a potential life sentence. The crime resulted from a moment of impaired judgment in response to the victims provocation, Pollak said. With the reduced sentence, Cuiriz could be released in 2023 with time off for good behavior in prison. Pollak said most of the jurors had been stunned that their verdict required a sentence of up to life in prison. At Cuirizs January 2015 sentencing hearing, one juror told White, the judge, that they felt betrayed, and another called the mandatory-sentencing law obscene. Robert Derham, a lawyer for Cuiriz, said four jurors attended last weeks appeals court hearing to show their support for his client. The (original) sentence imposed was senseless, it was cruel, and it served no purpose, he said. Attorney General Xavier Becerras office said it was reviewing the ruling and declined further comment. The office could ask the state Supreme Court to review the ruling. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko Read the ruling www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/A144351.PDF This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A 30-year-old woman suspected of vandalizing the Islamic Center of Davis in January was arrested and charged with a hate crime Tuesday after officials said she smashed windows at the mosque, wrapped bacon on the door handles, and slashed bike tires outside. Lauren Kirk-Coehlo of Davis was taken into custody about 11:20 a.m., when Davis police detectives and FBI agents served her with an arrest warrant on charges stemming from the vandalism. Kirk-Coehlo was charged with felony vandalism with a hate-crime enhancement and vandalism to a building occupied by a religious institution with the purpose of intimidating or deterring persons from freely expressing religious beliefs, prosecutors said. Davis Police Chief Darren Pytel denounced the crime during a news conference Tuesday. He said officials suspected Kirk-Coehlo following a review of surveillance video near the center and several tips to law enforcement. The investigation led officials to serve a search warrant Feb. 1 on the 2500 block of Corona Drive in Davis, where officials seized evidence linking Kirk-Coehlo to the crime, he said. People have fear. When people engage in hate crimes, what theyre using is fear to terrorize other people, and its important to stand up and denounce that at every opportunity, Pytel said. The video showed the suspect, believed to be Kirk-Coehlo, arriving at the center on the 500 block of Russell Boulevard about 3:45 a.m. on Jan. 22. She placed raw bacon on the door handles a sign of disrespect because pork is forbidden in Islam smashed six windowpanes and cut through the tires of three bicycles in the mosque parking lot. Repair costs exceeded $7,000, officials said. The defacement came about two months after the Islamic Center of Davis received a threatening letter claiming that then-President-elect Donald Trump was going to cleanse America and make it shine again and will do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews. The letter was also sent to other Islamic centers around the country. There was no evidence released connecting Kirk-Coehlo to the letter. Yolo County Superior Court Judge Samuel McAdam set Kirk-Coehlos bail at $1 million, said District Attorney Jeff Reisig, adding that his office had not prosecuted a case like this in the last 10 years. Kirk-Coehlo faces up to six years in prison if convicted. Monica Miller, a special agent in charge of the FBIs Sacramento field office, said the agency has seen a recent rise in hate crimes. The U.S. Attorneys Office will review the case as it considers filing federal hate-crime charges against Kirk-Coehlo. Our Constitution offers many freedoms, but none gives anyone the right to commit criminal acts in the name of their political, their religious or their ideological beliefs, Miller said. That is not freedom. Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno Burger Boogaloo, a music festival that takes place annually at Oakland's Mosswood Park, has announced the lineup for the 2017 event to again be hosted by film director and artist John Waters. This year's all-ages party, which spans July 1 and 2, features headliners Iggy Pop and Buzzcocks. Other acts include quirky punk act Nobunny, lo-fi Oakland act Shannon & the Clams, and '70s and '80s Los Angeles punk band X. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Seattle resident who first came to the U.S. as a child may have been the first person arrested under President Donald Trump of an immigrant protected by an Obama-era order. Reuters reported Tuesday afternoon that 23-year-old Daniel Ramirez Medina was arrested last week in his father's Seattle home by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. He had no criminal record, according to the report. Ramirez Medina had a work permit and protection from deportation under former President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, established in 2012, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court. The officers gave no reason to Ramirez Medina upon his arrest, other than saying he wasn't born in this country, said Ethan Dettmer, a partner with law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and one of the attorneys representing Ramirez Medina. "We're sincerely hoping that this is a mistake and it's going to be rectified," Dettmer said. Ramirez Medina had been approved twice under DACA, according to the documents. Those protected under the program, often called Dreamers, can have at least temporary rights to work in the U.S. and their status in the program can be useful to help them eventually seek legal status. About 750,000 people in the U.S. are protected under DACA. In a statement issued Tuesday evening, ICE spokesperson Rose Richeson said Ramirez Medina was arrested for his "self-admitted" affiliation with a gang. "ICE officers took Mr. Ramirez into custody based on his admitted gang affiliation and risk to public safety," Richeson said in an emailed statement. Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney for Ramirez Medina, followed soon after with a statement saying otherwise. "Mr. Ramirez unequivocally denies being in a gang," Rosenbaum wrote. "While in custody, he was repeatedly pressured by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to falsely admit affiliation. The statement issued tonight by Ms. Richeson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is inaccurate." Ramirez Medina was being held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma as of Tuesday afternoon. The officers had arrived at the home to arrest Ramirez Medina's father, who was a previously deported felon, according to the ICE statement. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., issued a statement Tuesday evening calling for Ramirez Medina's "immediate" release. "President Trump's deportation force has struck our community and taken one of our own," Jayapal said in the statement. "It's unconscionable that Daniel, who trusted the government and registered under DACA, was picked up and sent to a detention center. Seattle stands with Daniel and we will not back down until he is free." Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and City Councilwoman Lorena Gonzalez also issued a statement Tuesday evening, seeking clarification from ICE on its deportation policy. "Information about the arrest of a DACA recipient last Friday remains scarce and questions remain unanswered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)," the statement read. "More details should be released about what led to this arrest, including whether the detention of a DACA recipient is a shift in immigration policy related to DACA recipients. We have sought these answers from ICE's Seattle Field Office." Ramirez Medina on Monday filed a challenge to his detention -- a writ of habeas corpus -- arguing the arrest was a violation of his constitutional rights. "The agents who arrested and questioned Mr. Ramirez were aware that he was a DACA recipient, yet they informed him that he would be arrested, detained, and deported anyway, because he was not 'born in this country,'" attorneys wrote in the petition, filed in U.S. District Court. A hearing is set for Friday at U.S. District Court in Seattle. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., tweeted about the case Tuesday afternoon: "It's unacceptable #DREAMERS who were brought to U.S. as kids & have grown up, gone to school here are being detained," she wrote. Trump has promised an end to the DACA program, created by executive order, but has only vaguely indicated that he might allow Dreamers to remain in the U.S. after the program is gone. Those who have obtained a work permit through the program have filed personal information with the federal government, including addresses and other information that could be used to find them. Obama had promised to use the information only for issuing work permits and Social Security cards. "But now, maybe Trump could use that information to track us down," said Dulce Siguenza, who works with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and is also protected by DACA, in a recent interview. A regional spokesperson for ICE did not immediately return requests for comment. Earlier Tuesday, the city of Seattle joined a broad coalition of 20 cities in opposition to detention of immigrants without due process. The 20 cities filed an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking that the court uphold constitutional protections for those held in prolonged mandatory immigration detention. The brief was filed in a case asking the court to reaffirm an allowance for a bond hearing every six months for immigrants who are held long-term during deportation proceedings. Seattlepi.com reporter Lynsi Burton contributed to this report. Daniel DeMay covers Seattle culture, business and transportation for seattlepi.com. He can be reached at 206-448-8362 or danieldemay@seattlepi.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Daniel_DeMay. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A lawsuit that has succeeded in blocking President Trumps ban on travel to the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries will proceed in federal courts in Seattle and San Francisco after a judge on Tuesday rejected the Trump administrations request to put part of the case on hold. Trumps Jan. 27 executive order was suspended Feb. 3 by U.S. District Judge James Robart of Seattle in a lawsuit by the states of Washington and Minnesota. A three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Thursday left Robarts ruling in place, saying Trumps order may violate the constitutional rights of immigrants and refugees, and rejecting the Justice Departments argument that courts should not second-guess the president on national security issues. More for you Immigrant communities fearful after raids The Trump administration is considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but its lawyers asked Robart on Monday to delay further proceedings while appeals court judges vote on a request by an unidentified colleague to rehear the case before an 11-judge panel. The judge said Tuesday, however, that there was no basis for a postponement. He cleared the way for further proceedings, which will allow the state to seek information on the motivation for the travel ban. Washington states attorney general, Bob Ferguson, said he was pleased by Robarts decision. Despite President Trumps tweet that he was going to see us in court, the federal government does not seem to be in a hurry to litigate this case, Ferguson said, referring to Trumps initial response to last weeks ruling. The Justice Department declined to comment. The opposing sides are due to present written arguments to the appeals court Thursday on the request for a rehearing, which would require votes by a majority of the courts 25 active judges. The court also wants further briefing by March 29 on disputed issues in the case, in preparation for a hearing and a more-detailed ruling on whether Trumps order should be reinstated while the case proceeds. Trump has also indicated he plans to revise his executive order, possibly to clarify that it was not meant to apply to legal U.S. residents who come from the seven nations: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Ferguson said he would welcome a substantial rewrite. They should have started with a new (different) executive order, the attorney general said. The original one was unconstitutional. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko 1 Trumps taxes: House Republicans have blocked an attempt by Democrats to use an obscure law to obtain President Trumps tax returns from the IRS. Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee tried to frame the issue as a matter of national security. They questioned whether Trump has any investments in Russia, though they offered no proof. The committee has legal authority to obtain confidential tax records. The committee could then vote to make them public. Shunning decades of tradition, Trump has steadfastly refused to release them. 2 LGBT law compromise: North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is proposing what he calls a compromise to repeal an LGBT law that has led to lost business expansions and sporting events. Cooper said Tuesday the proposal does away with House Bill 2, which limits LGBT rights and directs transgender people to use public restrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates. Cooper says the bill would increase penalties for crimes in public bathrooms and tell local governments seeking ordinances covering sexual orientation and gender identity to give legislators 30 days notice before doing so. House Bill 2 critics say action is needed or the state will miss out on NCAA sporting events for years. WASHINGTON President Trump was told in late January that his top national security aide had misled his vice president, three weeks before Trump ousted adviser Michael Flynn amid a swirling public controversy over Flynns contacts with a Russian official, a White House spokesman said Tuesday. Press secretary Sean Spicer said Flynns firing on Monday was prompted by a gradual erosion of that trust and not any concern about the legality of the retired generals calls with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. Spicer said the president withheld judgment on Flynn until after the White House counsels office conducted a review of the legal issues raised by the calls. Flynns ouster appeared to be driven more by the idea that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials than by the content of his discussions with the Russian. This was an act of trust whether or not he misled the vice president was the issue and that was ultimately what led to the president asking for and accepting the resignation of Gen. Flynn, Spicer said. Flynns resignation came after reports that the Justice Department had alerted the White House weeks ago that there were contradictions between Trump officials public accounting of the Russia contacts and what intelligence officials knew to be true based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the U.S. Spicer said White House counsels office reviewed the situation after it was flagged by the Department of Justice, and along with the president, the counsel determined that it did not pose a legal problem. The revelations were another destabilizing blow to an administration that has already suffered a major legal defeat on immigration, botched the implementation of a signature policy and stumbled through a string of embarrassing public relations missteps. White House officials havent said when Trump was told of the Justice Department warning or why Flynn had been allowed to stay on the job with access to a full range of intelligence materials. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a longtime Russia critic, said Congress needs to know what Flynn discussed with the ambassador and why. The idea that he did this on his own without any direction is a good question to ask, Graham added. Pence and others, apparently relying on information from Flynn, had said the national security adviser did not discuss U.S. economic sanctions against Russia with the Russian envoy during the American presidential transition. Flynn later told officials the sanctions may have been discussed, the latest change in his account of his pre-inauguration discussions with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Julie Pace, Eric Tucker and Jill Colvin are Associated Press writers. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) may have lowered the prevalence of divorce in the U.S., according to a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. When the burden of medical bills became too much to bear, some couples divorced in order to separate their joint assets, a phenomenon New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote about in a 2009 column. Following an election that relied on a rhetoric of otherness, walls, and immigration bans, a new Pew Research Center Study finds that Americans express increasingly warm feelings toward other religious groups. Pew asked 4,248 American adults to rate a variety of religious groups on a feeling thermometer, and those surveyed gave nearly every group warmer ratings compared to the same survey conducted in June 2014. Jews and Catholics continue to receive the warmest ratings on a scale of 0 to 100, with scores of 67 and 66 respectively. Muslims received the lowest rating at 48 degrees, but showed an increase from 2014s rating of 40. According to Pews temperature scale, Americans feelings toward Muslims are now neutral, rather than cool. Atheists had a rating of 50, and also showed an increase from 2014s rating of 41. Even in a politically divided nation, the warming trend was displayed across major religious groups, political parties, genders and ages. Nonetheless, ratings given to certain religious groups varied immensely based on who was being asked. The greatest disparity appeared between young adults and older adults. Young adults, aged 18 to 29, expressed the warmest feelings toward Muslims (58), Mormons (54), and atheists (59). While Americans aged 65 and above rated these groups much lower, with rankings of 44, 59, and 44 respectively. Young people also gave Buddhists the highest warmth rating of any other group (66), while those 65 and above rated Protestants and Jews the warmest (75 and 74). Notably, Jews and Christians tended to rate one another warmly, while atheists and evangelical Christians rated each other coldly on both sides. Although both Democrats and Republicans displayed a warming trend, each political group rated religious groups differently. Democrats rate Jews, Catholics, and Buddhists the highest, with Mormons and evangelical Christians at the bottom of the scale. Contrastingly, Republicans rated evangelicals, Catholics, and Jews the warmest, with Muslims and atheists far below the rankings of Democrats, at 39 for Muslims (compared to 56) and 43 for atheists (compared to 57). Additionally, those with higher levels of education typically rated religious groups warmer. In a moment of further optimism, individuals who knew a person from another religious group typically expressed more positive feelings toward that group For example, those who know a Muslim personally gave the group an average rating of 56; those with no personal ties to a Muslim rated the group at 42. Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com. Scott Reskey, 61, is charged with one count of possessing an image of child pornography involving a minor under the age of 12. A search of Reskeys laptop computer revealed more than 45,000 images and more than 200 videos of apparent child pornography, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. CHICAGO A Chicago man was ordered detained in federal custody today for allegedly possessing thousands of photographs and videos of child pornography, the Northern District of Illinois' FBI office is reporting. Reskey was arrested last week at his home on the Northwest Side of Chicago. He appeared in federal court Wednesday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim and was ordered detained in federal custody. The charge against Reskey arose from a federal investigation of an online community that sent and received child pornography via an anonymous website, according to the complaint. The investigation remains ongoing. The complaint was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Michael J. Anderson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The proposal that has been worked on by state Sens. John Cullerton and Christine Radogno would raise taxes without any meaningful pension reform, property tax relief, or promise to put Illinois on a better economic path going forward. It is unfair to all Illinois residents, but unfortunately the states most vulnerable will be hit the hardest. "Springfield doesn't deserve another penny from Illinois families," Tillman said. Gov. Rauner is right that Illinois needs structural reforms to become attractive to job creators and residents. The so-called grand bargain that has been talked about does not do this. Illinois Policy Institute's CEO John Tillman responded to the governor's third budget address saying the proposed budget doesn't touch the state's foundational budget weaknesses. Tax hikes don't work without major policy adjustments. SPRINGFIELD - Governor Rauner's comments Wednesday indicating his willingness to compromise on a "grand bargain" to achieve the state's first budget in 18 months is causing one of the governor's long-standing, most loyal supporters to pause. We know what happens when the state raises taxes without making structural reforms. In 2011, former Gov. Pat Quinn raised taxes without reforming spending. Every household paid thousands of dollars in higher taxes, and the state collected $31 billion in additional revenue. Where did that $31 billion go? It didnt go toward repairing our economy or erasing the backlog of unpaid bills. It did nothing to fund programs for the poor. Most of that money went to highly paid government workers." And what happened to the state during and after that tax increase? Tillman asked. Bloomington, Carbondale, Peoria and the Quad Cities are already in recession, and four more Illinois metro areas are on the brink of economic collapse, according to Moodys Investors Service. Illinois lost a net 300,000 people to other states from 2011 to 2014 due to out-migration, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. During the four years of the full income-tax hike Illinois lost $14 billion in annual adjusted gross income, or AGI, to other states, on net. The out-migration of income cost Illinois $2.7 billion in 2011, $3.9 billion in 2012, $4.2 billion in 2013 and $3.4 billion in 2014. That compares with an average annual loss of $2.2 billion of AGI per year over the 16 years prior to the tax hike. Nearly 20 percent of Illinois homes are deeply underwater on their mortgages, the second-worst in the U.S., according to realtytrac.com Illinois cant weather another tax increase. And the state legislatures insistence on doing nothing and standing in the way of reform make it clearer than ever before that Springfield doesnt deserve another penny from Illinois families. Illinois does not have a tax problem; it has a spending problem. Tillman pointed to a budget the Illinois Policy Institute proposed recently, which, Tillman said, has outlined precisely how the General Assembly can balance the state budget without tax increases, and how the state can enact pension reform that complies with the Illinois Constitution as it is written. "In our 52-page proposal, Budget Solutions 2018, we show what real reform looks like. And our proposal is based on measures that all have been backed legislatively," he said. Weve shown that not only is it possible, but it is also economically necessary. Illinois has reached a point of no return. A balanced budget with spending reform is the bare minimum that our legislators must do if there is to be any hope of turning around our state. Its also the moral thing to do. Its not right to ask Illinois families to send thousands of dollars to Springfield while politicians continue the same antics. Many Springfield insiders have called our budget plan impossible thats because they are used to only doing what is politically possible. Any so-called solution crafted for the 177 politicians in Springfield is not good enough. Illinois must pass a budget that was made for the 12 million Illinoisans. SEATTLE A Seattle-area man who was brought to the U.S. illegally as a child but was protected from deportation under a policy by former President Barack Obama is suing the federal government over his arrest and detention last week. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 23-year-old Daniel Ramirez Medina on Friday at his fathers home. Agents were there to arrest his father and took Ramirez into custody even though he has a work permit under Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, court documents said. ICE spokeswoman Rose Richeson said in a statement that Ramirez told agents he was a gang member, and based on those statements and being a risk to public safety, he was taken into custody. Mark Rosenbaum, one of Ramirezs lawyers, responded that Ramirez unequivocally denies being in a gang and that the statement from Richeson is inaccurate. While in custody, he was repeatedly pressured by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to falsely admit affiliation, Rosenbaum said. Daniel Ramirez Medina/Associated Press Northwest Immigrants Rights Project Legal Director Matt Adams said Ramirez who was brought to the U.S. from Mexico when he was 7 has a job, a young son and no criminal record. Ramirez is being held in Tacoma, Wash. Adams said Ramirez is the first person he knows of with DACA status who has been detained. This appears to be a complete one-off, Adams said. We certainly havent seen this with our other hundreds of clients who have DACA status as well. Attorneys for Ramirez argue that the arrest violates his constitutional rights to live and work in this country without the fear of arrest and deportation so long as he satisfies DACA requirements. Trust in our government depends upon the Executive Branch keeping its word, Rosenbaum, director of Public Counsels Opportunity Under Law Project, said in a statement. Bait and switch sullies the integrity of our nations core values. Recent sweeps by U.S. immigration agents across multiple states have netted some immigrants with no criminal records, a departure from enforcement actions in the last decade. Under the Obama administration, agents focused more narrowly on individuals who posed a security or public safety threat. Lisa Baumann is an Associated Press writer. "Taxpayers are on the hook too easily for inmate legal bills," Governor Rauner said. "In a time when financial resources are tight across state government, there are better uses for the more than $200,000 the state is paying to defend Drew Peterson. This common-sense proposal protects taxpayers." Tuesday, Governor Bruce Rauner announced his support for a bill that would help ease the burden of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) and taxpayers by taking into account an inmates ability to pay for a private attorney. SPRINGFIELD - Almost as frustrating as the thought of lawmakers demanding more of our hard-earned money is the realization of what those funds are spent upon. Like paying for convicted murderer Drew Peterson's defense attorney and investigator fees. A new bill, sponsored by State Rep. Brian Stewart (R-Freeport), would require IDOC to pay for legal fees only if its determined the person cannot afford a private attorney and is eligible for the public defender. If the court appointed a private attorney to represent the defendant because the public defender if not able to take on the case, IDOC will only pay if the inmate is financially unable to do so. "We need to balance an inmates right to an adequate defense with the rights of taxpayers," Rep. Stewart (R-Freeport) said. "While using a public defender is always the department's first option, some communities do not have the capacity to handle a large case like the Drew Peterson murder-for-hire trial. Now taxpayers are on the hook for these legal fees. This bill will make the judge take into account the inmates ability to pay if they choose to assign an outside defense attorney." "Illinois taxpayers are paying for Drew Peterson's plan to have the Will County States Attorney killed," said IDOC Assistant Director Gladyse Taylor. "Illinois law requires the Department pay the nearly $265,000 in legal fees that Peterson raked up in the case. That is in addition to the thousands of dollars in defense fees the Department pays for other offenders who commit crimes while incarcerated. This money could be better spent on programs and services that reduce recidivism and ensure offenders are more prepared to return to society when they leave our custody." The bill is HB 3555. SACRAMENTO President Trump issued major disaster declarations to enable federal funding for California on two fronts to aid with the Oroville Dam spillway damage and mass evacuations and to help the state deal with the widespread effects of Januarys storms. Gov. Jerry Brown had requested the declaration from the president and aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and his requests were being closely watched since he has been openly critical toward Trump, and Trump has criticized the Democrat-controlled state as being out of control. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate On Tuesday, the world was shocked by a strange news story developing in Malaysia. According to reports, two women armed with either "chemical spray" or "poison needles" had ambushed Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the airport in Kuala Lumpur. The 46-year-old was at a shopping area at the airport when he was attacked and died en route to the hospital. Malaysian authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death. Like many members of of the Kim family, there's a shroud of secrecy surrounding Kim Jong Nam. Once thought to be the heir apparent, he'd spent the last 15 or so years out of the country after an embarrassing international incident involving a trip to Tokyo Disneyland. MORE: Malaysia official: N.Korea leader's brother slain at airport Unlike most of the Kim family, however, he has given interviews to foreign media, speaking with Japanese outlets and the Associated Press over the years. Most of interviews affirmed his lack of interest in politics and confirmed his rift with the father over Kim Jong Nam's perceived interest in capitalist societies. For more facts about the secretive son of Kim Jong Il, read up in the gallery above. 1 Congo clash: The U.N. human rights office said Tuesday it is deeply concerned about reports that more than 100 people have been killed in clashes between Congolese soldiers and militia fighters, mainly armed with machetes and spears. Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said there must be an investigation into what happened in the Dibaya area of Kasai-Central province. The militia fighters are accused of destroying buildings and carrying out other acts of violence since their leader, Kamwina Nsapu, was killed in a police operation in August. 2 Syria war: Clashes between two extremist factions in northwestern Syria left dozens of fighters dead on both sides and raised fears of more deadly violence between groups battling President Bashar Assads troops ahead of U.N.-brokered peace talks, activists and insurgents said Tuesday. The fighting between the al Qaeda-led coalition known as the Levant Liberation Committee and the extremist Jund al-Aqsa group left nearly 70 fighters dead in some of the deadliest clashes between insurgents in years. The fighting centered in areas where the central province of Hama and the northwestern province of Idlib meet. BRUSSELS President Trump sent Defense Secretary James Mattis to Brussels to press European allies on Wednesday to do something they have long been reluctant to do: open up their wallets on defense in an era of austerity and budget cuts. The hammer-hard message a warning from Mattis that allies must significantly increase their defense spending if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance was a harsh threat to countries that have been struggling with anemic growth and high unemployment. WASHINGTON President Trump said Wednesday that the United States would no longer insist on a Palestinian state as part of a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians, backing away from a policy that has underpinned the U.S. role in Middle East peacemaking since the Clinton administration. Im looking at two states and one state, Trump said, appearing in a joint news conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I like the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. Trumps comments were a striking departure from decades of diplomatic orthodoxy, and they raised a host of thorny questions about the viability of his position. The Palestinians are highly unlikely to accept anything short of a sovereign state, and a single Israeli state encompassing the Palestinians would either become undemocratic or no longer Jewish, given the faster growth rate of the Arab population. Trump did not address these dynamics, preferring to focus on his confidence that he could produce a breakthrough agreement. I think were going to make a deal, Trump said. It might be a better deal than people in this room understand. Netanyahu embraced Trumps words, saying he preferred to deal with substance rather than labels in negotiating with the Palestinians. He noted that the concept of the two-state solution meant different things to different people in the region. And he said the Palestinians had refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state. Trump did tell Netanyahu to hold back on settlement construction in the West Bank. As with any successful negotiation, both sides will have to make compromises, he said, turning to Netanyahu. You know that, right? Trump and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and senior adviser, have been exploring an approach called the outside-in strategy, enlisting Arab states in the region that already have found common cause with Israel against their mutual enemy Iran to help broker a settlement with the Palestinians. But it is not at all clear that Palestinians would ever accept an arrangement that did not leave them with a state of their own. Until now, Trumps team has largely avoided conversations with Palestinian leaders. But Mike Pompeo, CIA director, met with Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority president, in Ramallah in the West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. Bill Clinton was the first president to endorse a two-state solution, saying in a speech in 2001 that the conflict would never be settled without a sovereign, viable Palestinian state. Peter Baker and Mark Landler are New York Times writers. HASSAN SHAM CAMP, Iraq The United Nations said Wednesday it was temporarily pausing aid operations to neighborhoods in the eastern half of the Iraqi city of Mosul as attacks by the Islamic State continue to inflict heavy civilian casualties there. Lise Grande, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said U.N. agencies made the decision that until security improves, it will be difficult for us to provide assistance. She spoke during a visit to a camp for Iraqis displaced from Mosul on Wednesday. Iraq declared Mosuls eastern half fully liberated last month, and a semblance of normalcy returned to many areas, with schools, shops and restaurants reopening. But some neighborhoods continue to be hit by insurgent attacks. The Islamic State is still firmly in control of western Mosul, across from the Tigris River, which runs through the heart of Iraqs second largest city. Iraqi forces are moving into position ahead of an anticipated assault on Mosuls western half. We have every confidence that the authorities will provide security. As soon as it improves, the United Nations agencies will be there to deliver assistance, Grande said. An Islamic State suicide bomber struck a recently reopened restaurant in eastern Mosul on Friday, killing four people. A clinic in Mosuls Zahra neighborhood said it continues to receive dozens of wounded civilians every day from mortar and Islamic State drone attacks. Thousands of people living in eastern Mosul lack access to drinking water and fuel for cooking and heating. Elsewhere in Iraq on Wednesday, a car bomb killed at least 17 people and wounded 45 others in the capital, Baghdad, according to a police officer and a medical official. Islamic State captured Mosul in the summer of 2014 when it swept across much of northern and central Iraq. The militants have suffered several battlefield defeats since then, but have continued to carry out large attacks in Baghdad and other areas far from the front lines. Bram Janssen is an Associated Press writer. The Santa Fe Police Department generally prefers to make its own law enforcement decisions. On paper, that means leaving federal immigration authorities in the dark on cases involving people who may be in the country illegally, even as President Donald Trump threatens cities' funding if they don't cooperate in fulfilling his campaign promise to cleanse the nation of "criminal illegal aliens." But during the past two-plus years, SFPD has tipped off Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at least three times about suspected undocumented immigrants. Details about the cases highlight difficulties in balancing public safety against remaining true to "sanctuary" policies that, in Santa Fe, were born of cooperation and core values but are now bound to experience some turbulence. For Ronald Ayala-Santos, according to police, a heads-up for the feds took some doing on his part. Since mid-2015, the 20-year-old has admitted to making a false report about "heavily armed men" swarming a Santa Fe neighborhood and phoning in bogus bomb threats that led to the chaotic clearing of the Violet Crown Cinema and the Plaza, police say. Ayala-Santos was indicted on several misdemeanors and a fourth-degree felony charge after police linked him to the Violet Crown incident, court records show. And after the alleged threat on the Plaza in September, he was arrested. But it wasn't until he posted bond, was released from the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center and created yet another bomb scarethis time at the Plaza Cafe Southsidethat city police say they decided to tell ICE that Ayala-Santos may be in the country illegally. "At some point, enough is enough," SFPD Sgt. Craig Ernst says in an interview, emphasizing what he calls Ayala-Santos' ongoing, escalating pattern of behavior and the mayhem his threats have caused. "The agency does have a responsibility to safeguard the community." Ernst did not know whether ICE has pursued him, and the agency did not respond to requests for comment for this story. SFPD told ICE about Ronald Anaya-Santos after he called in several bomb threats. On Jan. 31, prosecutors dropped the case stemming from the incident on the Plaza although the charges could be refiled later. Ernst says detectives followed SFPD policy by running the decision to notify ICE about Ayala-Santos up the chain of command to a high-ranking officer. Still, the case represents a rare but not unheard of practice for a police department that reports to a mayor who has become a prominent figure in the national "sanctuary city" movement. Mayor Javier Gonzales has yet to endorse either of two proposals that would tweak the citys sanctuary policies. "The mayor would be in support of what passed last night, but he is also interested in seeing what Councilor Harris' amendments might be before making a final call," said city spokesman Matt Ross. The citys finance committee on Monday passed a proposal, sponsored by councilors Joseph Maestas and Renee Villarreal, that prohibits city employees from disclosing identifying information of anyone who comes into contact with local authorities. Other provisions would improve language access services and develop policies for police to process special visas for crime victims. Turnout was unusually high for a finance committee hearing, with nearly 200 locals packing council chambers to support the Maestas/Villarreal measure. Business leaders, legal advocates and local officials, including former mayor David Coss, all spoke in support of the proposal. I just ask that you work with us and collaborate to ensure all our children and family feel safe in our schools, said Veronica Garcia, superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools. Santa Feans came out in droves, despite recent changes to the resolution intended to put the city on better legal footing should President Trump make good on his threats to yank federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions. Sponsors recently stripped the term "sanctuary" from earlier drafts. Still, even popular ideas dont pass without controversy. City Councilor Michael Harris on Friday introduced an alternate sanctuary resolution that is significantly shorter than the proposal offered by Villarreal and Maestas. Harris text does not include as many actionable provisions, but does list statistics showing that sanctuary communities have lower crime rates. Another line makes clear Santa Fes commitment to the established rule of law." Meanwhile, Santa Fe County has never embraced the "sanctuary" label, though its policies and practices hew closely to jurisdictions that do, such as the city of Santa Fe. For example, the county jail does not honor so-called "ICE detainer requests," in which the federal agency asks city and county jailers to hold suspected undocumented immigrants beyond when they could otherwise have been released. "The way I look at it, for liability and litigation purposes, I can only hold someone until a release order comes from a [state] judge," says Derek Williams, the jail's new warden. "It's a potential civil rights violation otherwise." In 2012, the county drew a rebuke from ICE for its refusal to cooperate. ICE has backed off since then, according to data gathered by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University in New York. In the federal fiscal year 2012, ICE requested 155 immigration detainers from the Santa Fe County jail. In fiscal 2015, that number had plummeted to just 12. Williams, who began his tenure a month ago, did not know how many of the requests had been granted. Marcela Diaz of the immigrant rights group Somos Un Pueblo Unido says the communities she represents are not hung up on the "sanctuary" label. Strong policies that protect people regardless of immigration status matter more, she says, and both the city and county have those. "And what matters more than that is openness and transparency: knowing that when officers or the jail make a mistakeand everyone doespeople can trust that complaints are taken seriously and they have a safe place for the redress of grievances," Diaz tells SFR. "That's what 'sanctuary' really means." For years, Somos Un Pueblo Unido and other immigrant groups have worked well with city and county officials, she says. But with a relatively new chief at SFPD (Patrick Gallagher took over the post permanently a year ago), a new warden at the jail and the Trump administration promising federal dollars for cooperation in enforcement, there is work to do to maintain the delicate balance in Santa Fe. "We've had good experiences in the past, and I want to believe that these individuals want what our community wants: a sense of belonging and safety," Diaz says. "But when I read a quote from the new police chief saying, 'We're not going to turn anyone over to ICE unless they're a criminal,' well, he just said what Donald Trump said. And we all know that's bullshit." Of course, entering the US without documentation is technically a crime in itselfone Diaz says city and county officials in Santa Fe have largely shielded immigrants from, regardless of status. Learning about Ayala-Santos' case from SFR raised some concerns for Diaz, though she declined to comment in detail without reviewing the entire case file. So did the two other cases in which SFPD has, according to Deputy Chief Mario Salbidrez, cooperated with ICE during the past two-plus years: once after burglary suspect Carlos Navarrete-May told officers in December he was connected to a Mexican drug cartel, and another time when an SFPD officer saw Jorge Serrano-Nevarez at the burning of Zozobra in September 2015. Serrano-Nevarez had been deported after serving federal prison time for property crimes, and the officer called ICE to obtain a warrant for illegal re-entry. The agency issued the warrant, and the officer later arrested him. Carlos Navarrete-May told officers in December he was connected to a Mexican drug cartel. The department's policies prohibit officers from making arrests solely based on a person's immigration statusor from notifying ICE that a criminal suspect is in the country illegally, except in cases involving certain felonies, most of them violent crimes. That doesn't mean ICE won't come looking on its own. In Santa Fe, the federal agency has taken away immigrant residents who lack legal documentation to live here. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement in cities across the country, and an executive order signed during the new president's first week in office seeks deputize local police and sheriffs to assist that effort while withholding federal funds from cities and counties that don't. Diaz says Trump's carrot-and-stick approach may create difficult decisions for officials who have resisted aiding ICE, particularly in cash-strapped times like those New Mexico cities are facing. Santa Fe County Commissioner Robert Anaya said he has never favored embracing the "sanctuary" label because it is a designation without a distinction. Further, he points out that the county's federal funding has come through rigorous request for proposals and grant writing processes. "It would be ludicrous for the president or anyone else to come in and say you won't get this funding anymore when we complied with the terms of those processes," he said. "I would expect there would be all kinds of litigation if they tried to take those dollars back. There would be due process and other issues, but now that you mention it, I guess some of that may be out the window now." SFR staff writer Steven Hsieh contributed to this story. Santa Fe Reporter Joseph Cervantes went to school to become an architect. "You see a building, as an architect, before it's built," he says of his draw to the discipline. "You see people in the building and you see it in use. And it's just in your mind. It's a dream that you then begin to make happen." At age 56three decades on from his life as a professional architecthe looks for all the world like he's still designing, still sketching out a dream that would be the capstone for a political career. It's a long way from then to now; from an architecture student to a presumptive Democratic candidate for governor. In 1983, Cervantes took his bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico and headed west. A few years later, he had a license and a job working for modernist architect Dale Naegle in his studio north of San Diego. Then, though Cervantes admits it was hard to trade in the mild rays of the La Jolla coastline for the baking sun and unrelenting glare of the Chihuahuan Desert, he went home to build elementary schools in the town of Gadsden, south of Las Cruces. The plan was always to come back to New Mexico, he says. Six years of study and a handful of years as a practicing architect left their mark on Cervantes: "I don't do anything without a plan." He was soon headed to law schoola plan born from an attraction to the legal side of getting a building constructedand building a successful 25-year career as an attorney. He served a few years on the Dona Ana County Commission and won stints as a Democratic legislator in both the New Mexico House of Representatives and the state Senate. Now, Cervantes sounds an awful lot like a guy who plans to run for governor. "The most important qualification of a governor is a vision," he tells SFR in an interview between a Senate floor session and late afternoon meetings at the Roundhouse. "An ability to create a vision for our state. And then the second step of being governor is developing a plan to execute that vision." Primary elections for governor are 16 months away, in June 2018. With Gov. Susana Martinez termed out, the field of contenders for the next executive is already starting to unfold. Cervantes is in a good position. He has done well for himself as an attorney. A jury recently granted one of his clients a $165.5-million wrongful death award, a state-record payout of which he'll get a big piece. While the money won't roll in before campaign seasonthe defendant, FedEx, is appealing the decisionalong with other legal victories and real estate investments, it gives Cervantes the kind of freedom needed to wage a lengthy, expensive primary campaign against a significant slate of challengers. Cervantes thinks New Mexico's next governor should focus on what works: natural advantages like the state's border location and its wealth of renewable energy resources. "Those things are never going to change," he says. If it's worth betting on those resources, it's also worth acknowledging when the bet doesn't come in as hoped. For example, Cervantes eventually supported the construction of Spaceport America, but says a $225-million investment in renewable energy programs at New Mexico State University and UNM would have been a smarter play for the state's money. "There's no doubt in my mind that we would have programs at the forefront of those industries without wondering if it was going to pay off." The Maybes The field is by no means set, but these names are often mentioned by the political class as likely candidates for governor in 2018. REPUBLICANS The Maybes The field is by no means set, but these names are often mentioned by the political class as likely candidates for governor in 2018. REPUBLICANS RJ Berry The current Albuquerque mayor has a legislative resume and strong business backing, but will have to work hard to distance himself from Albuquerques beleaguered police department. Theres also the question of whether his vaunted bus rapid transit system will flop or fly. Steve Pearce Representing the 2nd Congressional District, Pearce has proven his statewide appeal to Republican voters by besting Heather Wilson in the 2008 US Senate primary. But he was trounced by Tom Udall in the general election. Pearces office says hell make a decision on a run in the next few months. John Sanchez The current lieutenant governor says hes weighing his options. Sanchez lost to Bill Richardson in 2002, so the party faithful may decide hes had his chance at governor. But Sanchez might be the man Republicans favor to retake the 1st Congressional District seat being vacated by Michelle Lujan Grisham. Democrats Jeff Apodaca If the surname is familiar, it should be. The son of former Gov. Jerry Apodaca is a longtime media executive who says hes strongly considering a run. He currently operates a venture capital consulting firm. It would be his first elected office, though calling him a political outsider would be a stretch. Hector Balderas New Mexicos attorney general has been targeting higher office since winning a state House seat in 2004, then two terms as state auditor and finally AG in 2014. He lost a 2012 bid for the Democratic US Senate nomination to Martin Heinrich. A spokeswoman says Balderas believes a robust primary benefits the Democratic Party. Michelle Lujan Grisham The 1st Congressional District representative is the first one at the party. She used a slick internet video to announce her candidacy for governor in December. The former New Mexico Health Department Secretary and Bernalillo County Commissioner may have winnowed the field by planting her flag early. Javier Gonzales Santa Fes mayor has confirmed hes been talking to people about a potential run. Hes outspoken, progressive and to say Gonzales warms to the spotlight is like saying summer warms to the sun. Alan Webber The co-founder of Fast Company magazine ran an unsuccessful race for the Democratic nomination in 2014. Since then, hes turned his policy attention toward 1NM, a nonprofit focused on innovation and business. He tells SFR hes gauging potential support statewide before deciding on a run. RJ Berry The current Albuquerque mayor has a legislative resume and strong business backing, but will have to work hard to distance himself from Albuquerques beleaguered police department. Theres also the question of whether his vaunted bus rapid transit system will flop or fly. Steve Pearce Representing the 2nd Congressional District, Pearce has proven his statewide appeal to Republican voters by besting Heather Wilson in the 2008 US Senate primary. But he was trounced by Tom Udall in the general election. Pearces office says hell make a decision on a run in the next few months. John Sanchez The current lieutenant governor says hes weighing his options. Sanchez lost to Bill Richardson in 2002, so the party faithful may decide hes had his chance at governor. But Sanchez might be the man Republicans favor to retake the 1st Congressional District seat being vacated by Michelle Lujan Grisham. Democrats Jeff Apodaca If the surname is familiar, it should be. The son of former Gov. Jerry Apodaca is a longtime media executive who says hes strongly considering a run. He currently operates a venture capital consulting firm. It would be his first elected office, though calling him a political outsider would be a stretch. Hector Balderas New Mexicos attorney general has been targeting higher office since winning a state House seat in 2004, then two terms as state auditor and finally AG in 2014. He lost a 2012 bid for the Democratic US Senate nomination to Martin Heinrich. A spokeswoman says Balderas believes a robust primary benefits the Democratic Party. Michelle Lujan Grisham The 1st Congressional District representative is the first one at the party. She used a slick internet video to announce her candidacy for governor in December. The former New Mexico Health Department Secretary and Bernalillo County Commissioner may have winnowed the field by planting her flag early. Javier Gonzales Santa Fes mayor has confirmed hes been talking to people about a potential run. Hes outspoken, progressive and to say Gonzales warms to the spotlight is like saying summer warms to the sun. Alan Webber The co-founder of Fast Company magazine ran an unsuccessful race for the Democratic nomination in 2014. Since then, hes turned his policy attention toward 1NM, a nonprofit focused on innovation and business. He tells SFR hes gauging potential support statewide before deciding on a run. Cervantes' politics are at times progressive, but he's not reflexively liberal. His view of recreational marijuana legalization, for example, seems to be evolving. He was concerned that early adoption would turn the state into a destination for those looking to get high. "I think as we see other states this last year enacting that choice for adults, any reservations I had in the past are being resolved." Still, he says just passing a law legalizing pot could catch New Mexico off guard, leaving employees who test positive for marijuana in workplace drug tests wondering if they'll lose jobs or leaving police uncertain how to properly cite someone who they suspect of being too high to drive. Former colleagues say Cervantes is known for that kind of careful consideration. Dan Foley, a former Republican state representative who frequently sparred with Democrats during his time as House Minority Whip, says, "He's a very cerebral human being and not emotional about issues. He's highly approachable." While Foley says the pair disagreed on plenty of issues, an often pragmatic approach to dealmaking served Cervantes well. "In a body of 112 elected officials where the most dangerous place to be was between a legislator and a camera, Joseph was happy to be in the background working on deals," Foley says. Perhaps because of that legislative experience, Cervantes is slow to criticize governors who have worked hard to convince lawmakersand the publicthat their agenda is worth pursuing. But not having that leadership, Cervantes warns, can lead to a state that's treading water. That's how he sees the last eight yearsslyly including the post-presidential run years of former Gov. Bill Richardson in the figure he cites. Decades as a lawyer and legislator have given Cervantes a deft touch for criticism. An understated delivery lets harsh words wash over you almost before you realize what's been said. Of Gov. Susana Martinez' tenure, he wonders: "Is the most that can be said for the vision of the last six years that we have a state where we don't issue driver's licenses to undocumented citizens?" When asked if US Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham's December entry into the race gave him second thoughts about running, he says, "I thought it was important, since we were just elected this last November, that we show the public a willingness to do the job that we were elected to do for a period of time before starting a run for the next race. I really do believe that the people who elected me to the Senate deserve better than that." It's lining up to be a crowded field for Democrats, with names such as Attorney General Hector Balderas and Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales in the conversation, but there is no one, Cervantes says, whose mere entry into the race could force him out. That is, of course, assuming he decides to get in at all. So much of politics is timing. Talking to Cervantes, you get the feeling that he thinks his time is now. He has a vision, and he's working on that plan. Santa Fe Reporter Step into the room, and youre caught in a centrifuge of whirring fence posts. Dark barriers slide across every wall, changing speed from one surface to the next like an ersatz carnival ride thats about to burst at its bolts. The growl of tires on rocky soil, the hum of the passing barricade and a cacophony of industrial screeches, hisses and roars echo around the room. Between the fence slats, desert landscapes and sun-drenched suburban streets spin past. Its a dizzying vision of the US-Mexico border, as seen from the American side. This is A Very Long Line, an art installation featuring four wall-to-wall video projections and a soundtrack that debuted at Center for Contemporary Arts last April. Its creators are Raven Chacon (Navajo), Cristobal Martinez (mestizo) and Kade L Twist (Cherokee), Southwestern artists who comprise the American Indian arts collective Postcommodity. Starting on March 17, the installation is scheduled to appear at the Whitney Biennial in New York City, one of the world's most influential exhibitions of contemporary art. A documentary film (Through the Repellent Fence) about Postcommodity's work on the border premieres at the Museum of Modern Art's Doc Fortnight film festival this weekend. Peering skyward at Repellent Fence, Postcommoditys 2015 land artwork that traversed the border. The group's recent achievements mark the tail end of a journey that spans a decade. The project that inspired A Very Long Line, a monumental work of land art titled Repellent Fence, culminated in an international effort to subvert the border fence for a brief but remarkable moment. In the process, two cities on either side of the divide forged a powerful new connection. The projects have caused a ripple effect that will soon reach a global stage, at a moment when isolationist sentiment has gripped a large portion of the American electorateand the upper echelons of the federal government. Policies shaped by a new nationalism will likely affect the borderlands more than any other region in the United States. A wall stands between much of the US and Mexico, but the cultural and economic fates of cities on both sides of the line are inextricably tied. The Road Postcommodity's members have spent more hours than they can count roaming a road called International Avenue, an unpaved passage running along the American side of the border. "It's only called that when it's near a city, when it has public access," says Chacon. "Outside of that it doesn't have a name, because it intersects with private land." The trio sees the route's geographically dependent title as an intentional misnomer. "That's a strategic rhetorical move, to project a discourse of diplomacy," says Martinez. "A border is really a barrier, a filter. It's meant to allow certain things to pass while keeping others from passing." This is what Postcommodity does best: cracking into sociopolitical structures to illuminate their intricacies. They explore the gargantuan but often invisible forces of globalization that have defined the 21st centuryand their violent, colonizing effect on Indigenous people and nations. The most trafficked and policed border in the world was an obvious target. Repellent Fence soars above the US-Mexico border fence. The barrier is a patchwork of different styles. There are vertical pylons (shown here), interlinked Xs, and lines of upright and inverted crosses. The collective's expeditions along a stretch of Arizona's border fence started in 2013, in the midst of the Repellent Fence project. Their mission was to install a line of 26 giant helium balloons that spanned the border, forming a visual breach that would spark conversations between communities from both nations. The idea for the project had been evolving since the collective's founding in 2007. Throughout its 10-year history, Postcommodity has staged visual and sonic interventions in art institutions and public spaces across the world. Twist, who now lives in Santa Fe, was working on his MFA at Arizona State University in Tempe when he conceived of Postcommodity with Oklahoma artist Nathan Young (Pawnee/Delaware/Kiowa) and Phoenix artist Steven Yazzie (Navajo/Laguna). One evening, Twist and Yazzie were having a beer in Twist's backyard when they noticed a peculiar ornament in a nearby fig tree. Twist's wife, Andrea R Hanley, had purchased a "scare-eye" balloon to frighten birds away from the tree's fruit. The little yellow globe was emblazoned with several red, black and blue icons that matched the Indigenous iconography of the "open eye." The balloon did little to repel its intended targets, but Yazzie and Twist imagined that this technically useless object with coincidental cultural significance could serve a different purpose. The cyclonic A Very Long Line, at the Center for Contemporary Arts Spector Ripps Project Space in 2016. The installation is set to appear in the Whitney Biennial next month. Yazzie, Young and Twist flew a 10-foot-wide vinyl replica of the balloon at a European artist residency in 2007, and again above the Phoenix skyline in 2008. The eye in the sky became a marker of Indigenous presence, an ephemeral watchtower above the neocolonial landscape more ominously monitored by swarms of drones and invisible digital surveillance networks. It was made to be seen, but also to symbolically viewand confrontthe world around it. Yazzie and Young have both since retired from Postcommodity. Chacon joined the group in 2009, and Martinez became a member a year later. Chacon, an internationally renowned experimental musician from Albuquerque, was drawn to the group because of its emphasis on mediums that weren't typically used by Indigenous artists he saw in art galleries, such as sound and performance art. Martinez, who grew up in Santa Fe and resides in Phoenix, first encountered Postcommodity's work as a PhD student at ASU. "They took these conventions, tore them apart and wove them back together again in a way that was brown, that was Indigenous. That was exciting," says Martinez. The Port From their first conversation about the balloon, Twist and Yazzie dreamed of using it for a border installation. Early on, the collective envisioned a row of balloons running parallel to the fence, but they came to realize that crossing the border was essential to their goal of advancing a conversation. "There was no organizational infrastructure that existed to facilitate a proper dialogue across the border among Indigenous people, mestizos, and non-Indigenous stakeholders and collaborators," says Twist. "We traversed almost the entire span of the Arizona-Sonora border looking for where we could do this," Chacon says. After years of searching, they chose the cities of Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, as the sites for Repellent Fence. The communities touch on the border line, and they have an official port of entry between them that connects their downtowns. "There was a memorandum of understanding between the two cities to support bi-national collaboration around social policy objectives," says Twist. "That's what got us there." Many border cities maintain agreements with communities across the fence, though most of them center on the people and goods that pass through the customs gate. Douglas and Agua Prieta's exceedingly rare social policy accord was a lucky break for a project that initially seemed impossibleat least if the group was going to complete it with government approval. The City of Douglas donated the local airport as a base of operations for the installation of Repellent Fence. In 2012, Postcommodity began to secure grant money for Repellent Fence. Every two weeks, at least one member of the group traveled to Douglas and Agua Prieta to work on the project. The collective began holding community meetings in both towns, in search of ways to leverage municipal power that might push the project over federal hurdles. They connected with Jenea Sanchez and Martina Rendon, Douglas residents who have family on both sides of the border. The Fence Sanchez remembers a time when there was no fenceat least not in her neighborhood. When she was a child living in Agua Prieta, she could see her aunt's house across the border from her yard. "My dad would stand outside and say, 'Okay, go!'" she says. "We would run, and cross illegally to visit my aunt's house. That's how interconnected these communities are." Twist knew Sanchez from Arizona State, where they were both in the MFA program for intermedia. She spent most of her childhood living between Agua Prieta and Douglas. When Postcommodity chose her native cities for Repellent Fence in early 2012, Twist made a trip to Douglas and pitched the project in person. "Honestly, I was concerned about the idea of it crossing the border," Sanchez says. "I just thought in my mind, 'Border Patrol is going to come up with something that is not going to allow this project to go through.'" These days, if Sanchez sent her own children on an impromptu dash to see their family in Agua Prieta, they wouldn't get very far. Between cities, there's an 18-foot steel fence that runs for six miles. Completed in 2012 at a cost of $14.2 million, it replaced a weaker fence that had stood more than 20 years. "I've seen three iterations of the fence in my lifetime," Sanchez tells SFR. "Many of us have grown up with this revamping or reimagining of the border." Outside of town, where Postcommodity conducted its first scouting trips, the border fence is much more porous. Rural sections of the barrier are intended to prevent vehicles from crossing, but people can (and do) easily slip through. The border stretches roughly 2,000 miles, from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The Rio Grande forms a natural divide between Texas and Mexico, but from California to Arizona there's a patchwork of fencing that covers 700 miles of the line. Some of the newest sections were erected by the George W Bush administration, which funded a $4 billion border wall project that ran from 2006 to 2010 and completed 640 miles of fence. Today, US Customs and Border Protection employs over 20,000 agents, and a vast majority work along the US-Mexico border. On their long drives, Postcommodity encountered coyotes (men hired to escort illegal immigrants across the border) with ghillie suits and guns. The Border Patrol often informed them that drug cartels were discussing their presence over the radio waves. In some places, flash floods had completely washed away sections of the barricade. "The kind of totalitarian control that an ideal border seeks is thwarted very easily by Mother Nature," notes Martinez. In order to pull off Repellent Fence, Postcommodity needed to gain some measure of approval from leaders throughout the intricate power structures of the borderlands. Sanchez and her husband Robert Uribe got to work, in Douglas, turning the downtown cafe they own into a base of operations for the project. "We were getting grants, our idea was becoming more focused, and Jenea was helping us set up meetings with major stakeholders," says Twist. "It was all becoming real." The Filter Some things don't pass as easily across the border as others. Crossing can alter the value of money in your pocket, and change your legal status from citizen to alien. A port of entry might open wide for a bus full of people or a carload of artor it might slam shut. The day Rendon met Postcommodity and Sanchez, she'd spent part of her morning at the customs gate. "They have an art walk in Douglas, and she brought her paintings across the border to show them here," says Twist. "She had to deal with the people at the border taking her paintings out and searching them for contraband in front of her kids." Rendon takes painting classes at Agua Prieta's community center, Casa de la Cultura. She lives in Douglas, but many of her family members reside in Agua Prieta, where she spends most of her weekends. When she and Sanchez struck up a conversation at the art walk in spring 2014, they sensed value in uniting their respective networks. Almost immediately, they started planning an art walk that would span both sides of the border, to coincide with the launch of Repellent Fence. The artists at a recent performance at the Center For Contemporary Arts. "I always felt it was going to be possible," Rendon writes in an email. "They already had everything very well planned out, including collaboration by Douglas city officials and the local Mexican consulate. The only thing left was making contact with Agua Prieta officials." Rendon arranged high-level meetings for Postcommodity with the local government in Agua Prieta. Officials in both cities were finally on board with the project, but a barrier still loomed between these small centers of power. Douglas and Agua Prieta are socially and economically intertwined, but legally divided. "A big thing we learned about the wall is that it's economically chauvinistic," Twist notes. "It's a chauvinism towards the way dollars flip in a community." Sanchez chronicles these disparities in her video art. One of her projects demonstrated how residents of Agua Prieta carefully recycle water. Houses in the outskirts of the city don't have plumbing or electricity, a reality that seems foreign to Douglas residents, just a few miles away. Another video captured the painstaking process of crossing from Mexico to the United States for visa holders who bus over ever day. "That's what I knew from her work: the desocialization part, the dehumanization part," says Twist. "There's a bubbling frustration there." Postcommodity crossed the border multiple times a day using their American passports, but a Mexican citizen would need a visa to perform the same feat. Twist says, "Depending on the length of your stay and what your objectives are, a visa could cost $500. So there's a class of society that has visas, and the rest don't." Douglas and Agua Prieta were once tied by a copper mining operation in the region, but that industry dried up in the 1980s. A railroad connecting the cities is long gone. Now there are two primary economic drivers in the region. In Agua Prieta, manufacturing plantsmaquiladorasoffer residents low-paying jobs with long hours. On the American side, the Border Patrol provides career jobs in another otherwise depressed market. "Border security has become its own market system that people are dependent on," says Martinez. It's a push-and-pull dynamic, considering that Douglas deeply relies on Agua Prieta economically. "They contribute 75 percent of sales tax in our city," says Sanchez. "If we disrupt the relationship any further, our city will die. Literally, we will not survive." As political tensions mount between the governments of the United States and Mexico, the value of the peso is declining and fewer residents of Agua Prieta are able to afford shopping trips across the border. Sanchez says about four businesses have closed in downtown Douglas during the past three months. Like many borderland towns, Douglas and Agua Prieta's isolation from larger centers of commerce means that even small fluctuations in either of their economies can force a dramatic impact for both. The Cage Repellent Fence flew from Oct. 9 to 12, 2015, in the midst of the United States presidential primary campaign. On Oct. 10, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Norcross, Georgia. "Every time I say we're going to build a wall, everybody loves me," Trump said to the roaring crowd. "This is going to be a Trump wall, this is going to be a wall that people aren't going over." Repellent Fence was comprised of 26 balloons, each 10 feet in diameter, which flew 50 feet above the earth. The line stretched for two miles, from Douglas, Arizona, to Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. "The fence came to represent a lot of complexity, which is funny because a lot of public discourse is centered around oversimplified cultural models of what it actually is," says Martinez. "There's an economy that's happening at a local level, and then the border becomes a mediator of the global economy." The collective's local alliances were vital to the completion of Repellent Fence. About three months before the project launched, the drug lord El Chapo escaped from a Mexican prison and Border Patrol went on high alert. They closed off the intended site for Repellent Fence, leaving Postcommodity scrambling to find another location. "It turns out the project was only possible in one place," Twist explains. "It had to be on city land, where the Border Patrol didn't have jurisdiction, so they couldn't tell us no." Postcommodity completed the project almost entirely through verbal agreements with local government officials on both sides, though Douglas required that they purchase a $20 million insurance policy. In the last few months before launch, even the Border Patrol had warmed to the idea. The border-spanning art walk and a series of public presentations coincided with Repellent Fence. Sanchez and Rendon arranged for a shuttle to travel between the two cities, with expedited security checks at the port of entry. "For me, it rendered the fence invisible," says Sanchez. "The balloons were a visual reminder of how futile the fence really is. It's a physical barrier that is man-made, and government officials can decide whether to build it higher or tear it down." Repellent Fence has had a lasting impact on Douglas and Agua Prieta. Sanchez and Rendon, the local artists, continue to collaborate on events that engage both communities. Sanchez's husband Uribe, who is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, is now mayor. Inspired by Postcommodity, he ran on a platform of collaboration with communities in Mexico. Despite the successes of Repellent Fence, the piece only conquered the wall for a momentand that fence might get much taller in the coming years. Chacon, Martinez and Twist don't consider themselves activists: They're using art to shine light on complex socioeconomic dynamics, but they aren't presenting solutions. In a two-day shoot on International Avenue in 2016, Postcommodity captured footage of the passing fence from a car. Using images and sounds from the drive, they built the spinning birdcage of A Very Long Line and added a chaotic soundtrack. Stepping into the installation is intended to be a tumultuous sensory experience, mirroring the impact of the border wall itself. "We're prisoners of our own ideas and concepts; we're imprisoned by our own discourse," Martinez says. "That violence is disorienting, and it has a dizzying and unsettling effect. That's precisely the effect the fence has on people along the border, and it radiates outward from there." Santa Fe Reporter ASX-listed conglomerate Wesfarmers today reported strong earnings growth in the first half, bolstered by results in Bunnings Australia and New Zealand, Kmart and Officeworks. The company reported a net profit of A$1.58 billion in the six months to Dec. 31, up 13 percent on the year. Operating revenue was A$34.9 billion, up 4.3 percent on the year. It announced an interim dividend of A$1.03 per share, also a 13 percent increase on the year. Total retail earnings were in line with the prior corresponding period, with very strong results reported for Bunnings Australia and New Zealand (BANZ), Kmart and Officeworks, managing director Richard Goyder said. The continued momentum in these businesses was particularly pleasing and reflects the strong market positions they have each established." BANZ reported earnings growth of 9.8 percent to A$770 million with revenue growth of 8.3 percent. It did not break down specific figures for New Zealand. Goyder said the strong result included store-on-store sales growth of 6.5 percent and a 317 basis point improvement in return on capital to 39 percent. Bunnings, the dominant player in Australia, now has 53 stores and trade centres in New Zealand compared to 301 in Australia. Nine new stores opened between June and December and two were closed. A further 11 are under construction. New Zealand's construction sector is experiencing a boom as demand for building supplies was underpinned by the Canterbury rebuild for several years and is now being supported by the multi-billion dollar pipeline of work needed to address the housing shortage in Auckland. Wesfarmers' Kmart business also fared well, with earnings up 16 percent to A$371 million on revenue growth of 8.9 percent. New Zealand has 19 of the company's 214 Kmart stores. The company said it has commenced a strategic review of its Officeworks division which could include an initial public offering. "Officeworks is well positioned for future growth with a strong competitive position and ongoing initiatives to grow its addressable market," said Goyder. He noted, however, the business will be retained if divestment options do not meet Wesfarmers valuation hurdles. The earnings report comes on the heels of news that Goyder will step down in late 2017. He will be succeeded by Rob Scott, who currently heads the company's industrials division and is now deputy chief executive. Wesfarmers' ASX-listed shares last traded at A$42.13, down 1.6 percent over the past 12 months. 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 Jim Watson, whose personal battle with prostate cancer led him to co-found Caldera Health, has succumbed to the disease but investors are showing confidence in the company's gene testing technology by converting options into shares. Watson, who had been a scientific and management adviser up until the end of 2016, died on Feb. 13, Caldera's chief executive Rob Mitchell has confirmed. Watson co-founded the company with Richard Forster, who had also been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer and died in January 2014. The pair said they had been victims to flaws in the industry standard PSA test for the cancer, which throws up both false positives and negatives, and doesn't distinguish between aggressive cancers and benign strains. In 2012, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended against mass PSA screening because of those uncertainties and the resultant over-diagnosis and unnecessary prostatectomies. Watson, a pioneer of biotechnology in New Zealand, and Forster performed the initial RNA biomarker selection and designed the process that led to Caledra's diagnostic gene signature. The company's clinical study 2B, completed in December, showed that of 252 tissue samples tested using the technology, the overall sensitivity was 97 percent and the specificity was also 97 percent for the diagnosis of prostate cancer, Mitchell said. That compares with sensitivity of 44 percent and specificity of 92 percent for the PSA test. Mitchell said the focus for the next six-to-12 months is to transition the technology from a tissue-based diagnostic test to a non-invasive urine-based test, a simple "pee in a pot" test. To that end, Caldera is developing a prostate cell capture device that enables the cells to be captured from urine. RNA will then be isolated from the captured cells and used for analysis with the patent pending gene signature, Mitchell said. Investors in Caldera include the NZ Venture Investment Fund, the Mercy Ascot Health group, and Stephen Tindalls K1W1 investment company. This week Caldera reported to the Companies Office that 603,125 new shares had been issued, lifting the total on issue by about 5 percent to about 1.3 million. Mitchell said the shares were issued for existing investors who wanted to convert their options and that was a sign of their confidence in the business. (BusinessDesk receives assistance from Callaghan Innovation to cover the commercialisation of innovation.) 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 For Daan Roosegaarde, it was the frustration of being stuck in traffic on a major dual carriageway in the Netherlands that first sparked curiosity about the role roads could play in harnessing energy. "I was sitting in my car and it hit me," he says recalling that moment. "Why do we talk about energy-efficient cars and invest billions into their research and development? Yet roads themselves are rarely ever considered." The Dutch artist was already known for imaginative projects fusing technology and energy. In 2008, he created a dance floor harnessing energy generated from the impact of dancing clubbers to produce electricity. As he sat in a traffic jam, he wondered whether roads could play a similar role. The result was his Glowing Lines project: three light-emitting lines painted along a highway in Oss, southern Netherlands. The 500-metre long lines absorbed light by day and glowed at night for up to eight hours - guiding drivers who may otherwise have relied upon overhead lighting. "Energy is everywhere," says Roosegaarde. "We just need to know how to harvest it." His call is to be heeded. Transport currently accounts for nearly 30% of the world's total energy use and around a quarter of global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Bringing that down will require a range of approaches, including the faster adoption of hydrogen, electricity and natural gas as lower-carbon transport fuels. It also provides new opportunities for innovation. Today, for example, there are three million electric cars on the world's roads. That number is expected to rise to 125 million by 2030, according to industry predictions. NEW DELHI: India and Norway have decided to target innovation projects in companies in the field of renewable energy. "A joint call between the Research Council of Norway and Department of Science and Technology of India was launched during a week-long matchmaking workshop on renewable energy at the Norwegian Embassy. "The call is for $ 1 million, targeting innovation projects in companies collaborating with research institutions in the field of renewable energy," an official statement said. Close to 80 participants from Norway and India had a comprehensive and prosperous discussion on the sector. The representatives also discussed a wide range of topics including energy storage, grid integration, wind power, solar power, smart infrastructure based on artificial intelligence, hydro energy and off-grid solutions. Innovation Norway, the Norwegian Embassy, The Research Council of Norway, Institute of Technology Delhi and Department of Science of Technology co-hosted the workshop. "Our technologies do not exclude each other. I am impressed by the work that has been done India. I think that our products compliment the existing ones and create a basis for creating even better solutions. "The goal must be to use existing resources in the best possible manner and minimize the need for investments going forward," said Jorgen Kildahl, representing Smart Energy Systems. India has set ambitious goals in the field of renewable energy, especially within solar where the plan is to reach 100 GW capacity by 2020. Participants in the workshop emphasised that both countries are positive to future collaboration. The week also witnessed signing of memorandum of collaboration between NCE Smart energy Market Halden and Power Grid, B2B Roundtable with Power Grid and leading Indian Utilities, seminar on Incubation collaboration, site visits to Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited Smart grid Labs, and Indo-Norwegian Workshop on Smart Grid Technologies among others. A Memorandum of Co-operation between Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (Powergrid) and Norwegian Centre of Expertise (NCE) Smart Energy Markets covering cooperation for 15 countries was signed. On the last day of the week, a workshop on Smart Grid Technologies was hosted by India-Smart grid forum which welcomed NCE Smart Energy Markets in Halden to present their solutions to national and state representatives from utility and electricity bodies from Haryana, Kolkata, Delhiand Rajasthan. Joint secretary of the Ministry of Power, A K Verma addressed the audience and in discussion with several business participants from Norway, invited them to further meetings and collaboration, the statement said. Read Also: Modi Extends Greetings On World Radio Day Aero India Set For Flying Start On Tuesday With Over 70 Aircraft ice.jpeg This Feb. 7, 2017 photo released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows foreign nationals being arrested during a targeted enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement aimed at immigration fugitives, re-entrants and at-large criminal aliens. (Charles Reed/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via AP) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In the wake of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in New York City, the attorney general's office is warning immigrant communities about several fraudulent scams, including one where fake ICE agents are demanding money in order to avoid deportation. "It is unconscionable for scam artists to prey on heightened fear in our immigrant communities by pretending to be ICE officers and demanding that families pay up in order to avoid deportation," said Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. "I urge communities to protect themselves by learning about these potential scams - and contacting my office if they suspect fraud. We will continue to use all of the tools at our disposal and bring to justice those who commit fraud against our immigrant communities." Schneiderman said his office has received a number of reports of unsolicited calls or in-person inquiries from fake immigration officials. One immigrant living in Queens was approached by four men dressed as ICE agents and told he was going to be detained unless he gave them all of his money, the attorney general said. Here are some other scams to be aware of: Being approached by fake ICE agents. Official Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will never ask you for money or threaten detainment or deportation if you do not pay them. ICE agents also do not have the authority to enter your household without a warrant signed by a judge. Unsolicited calls from fake officials: One of the most common immigration services scams are unsolicited calls or text messages from someone claiming to be a government official or law enforcement officer that make threats such as deportation. Often times the number on caller ID may look like a legitimate government number. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will never request payment over the phone, so immigrants should be wary of scammers that ask for any sensitive or personal information, demand payment and threaten deportation if you do not comply. Notario fraud: In many Latin American countries a "notario" refers to someone who has the authority to render legal services. Unscrupulous "notaries" who are not attorneys often rely on this misunderstanding to exploit immigrants. They charge immigrants excessive application fees without ever submitting applications to the immigration authorities or may induce deportation by submitting applications for relief for which the immigrant is not eligible for or did not request. Misrepresenting legal credentials: Individuals may falsely claim to be attorneys or wrongly suggest that they are able to appear before the immigration agencies or court. They take advantage of immigrants who will unknowingly pay exorbitant fees for their services. By misrepresenting their qualifications, these individuals can have a detrimental impact on the immigrants with whom they work. For example, immigrants who take advice from and work with these individuals may waive their right to obtain legal residency, be unnecessarily deported, or become subject to civil and/or criminal liability for the filing of false claims. Fraudulent promises to expedite process: This type of fraud concerns individuals who contend that they know employees at immigration offices who can expedite the processing of their clients applications. Accordingly, they request high fees for this special service, but fail to provide it. Misinformation fraud: Under this type of fraud, a provider will typically provide inaccurate or false information to the immigrant concerning his or her eligibility for an adjustment of status under a particular law. In these cases, the immigrant is usually not aware that they have been a victim of fraud until they receive a letter of ineligibility from immigration authorities. The provider knows the immigrant is not entitled to relief, or ineligible, but will file the application with immigration authorities regardless. Immigration affinity fraud: Some providers target immigrants belonging to their same ethnic or racial group. Accordingly, they seek to gain advantage over other providers by claiming to identify with the ethnic, racial, national origin or community-based affiliations of the immigrant group. Unauthorized practice of the law: Individuals may not be licensed to practice law but present themselves as attorneys or immigration law experts capable of providing legal advice and services. To report potential fraud or other issues regarding immigration services, contact the Attorney General's Immigration Services Fraud Unit Hotline at 866-390-2992 or email Civil.Rights@ag.ny.gov. The attorney general's office will never ask for your immigration status or share immigration information with federal authorities if you contact the Immigration Services Fraud Unit Hotline. Last week, ICE arrested two Staten Island men convicted of violent crimes, but Make the Road New York, an immigrant advocacy group, isn't backing down from its claim that five were arrested and that ICE's goal in the arrests is to "tear families apart." One of the first groups to spread information about ICE arrests, Make the Road made the claim over the weekend that five people were arrested here. The New Americans hotline is a toll-free, multi-lingual hotline that provides live assistance in receiving immigration and naturalization information and referrals, regardless of citizenship or documented status, the attorney general said. All calls to the hotline are confidential and anonymous. Call 1-800-566-7636 (toll-free) anytime between 9:00am to 8:00pm Monday through Friday. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A New Dorp man was found with drugs and a knife in his car after cops pulled him over in West Brighton Saturday night, police allege. Christopher Orlando, 23, allegedly had heroin and a gravity knife after cops stopped him for driving through a steady red light on Castleton Avenue at around 8:35 p.m., the criminal complaint said. The two glassine envelopes of heroin were marked "Poison," police said. Orlando's three-year-old son was also in the backseat, police said. The defendant, of Richmond Road, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a controlled substance, the complaint said. Prosecutors allege Francesco (Frank) Baldassarre, seen in this 2010 photo, was slain by his wife, Antoinetta Baldassarre. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Ten years in prison? Fifteen years? Or something in between? Prosecutors have offered a 15-year prison sentence to Antoinetta Baldassarre, the Tompkinsville senior citizen accused of slaying her husband more than two years ago in their home, her lawyer said Wednesday. Baldassarre, 69, didn't formally refuse the offer during a conference in state Supreme Court, St. George, nor did she accept it. Baldassarre has previously told the court she wants to resolve the case by plea, and considers a 10-year prison sentence "sufficient." The case was adjourned to March 16 for further discussions between prosecutors and the defense. If the defendant doesn't plead guilty then, the case will proceed to pretrial hearings. A trial date has not been set. Baldassarre is charged with murder and arson stemming from the Oct. 7, 2014, death of her husband, Francesco (Frank) Baldassarre, 80. Prosecutors accuse the defendant of fatally clubbing her spouse with a crowbar in their home and then trying to burn herself to death the next morning inside a car in her garage. During Wednesday's proceeding, prosecutors and the defense confirmed a recent psychiatric evaluation which found Baldassarre mentally fit to stand trial. Trial fitness means a defendant understand the charges against them and can aid in their defense. A prior exam had deemed Baldassarre not capable of standing trial. She was placed in a secure psychiatric facility for treatment and further evaluation. Sources say it is not uncommon for suspects treated at such centers to ultimately be declared fit for trial. "As I had suspected, Ms. Baldassarre is fit to proceed," Gallucci said outside court. "We're now moving forward with the case." In a bizarre soliloquy last year, Baldassarre had told the court she wanted to arrange a plea deal, but it had to be done "in a very delicate way." "I am not going to trial because if I go to trial I will say things I don't want to say, and if I do, I will have a very short life left, and you will have to put me somewhere where they won't find me," Baldassarre, an Italian immigrant, said then in heavily accented English. Garbed in tan prison scrubs, the pony-tailed defendant did not address the court Wednesday. Assistant District Attorney Tuesday Muller-Mondi is prosecuting the case. NWS C-CAP Staten Island chef Abdallah Farraj with C-CAP Alumna Carlesha Alston. (Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP)) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One Staten Island resident just cooked up the opportunity of a lifetime. Abdallah Farraj, 22, a Port Richmond native and Chef de Partie at Dovetail in Manhattan, took home second place in the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Culinary Competition, hosted by world-renowned chef Daniel Boulud. As his award, Farraj received a one-week stage at Boulud's famous New York City restaurants Cafe Boulud and Daniel. In cooking, a stage is an unpaid internship where a chef works briefly in another chef's kitchen to be exposed to new techniques. In this case, Farraj will have the opportunity to learn from some of the world's finest in French cuisine. Farraj was also one of seven C-CAP alumni to receive the C-CAP/Olesay Scholarship, which awarded him a three-month internship at Restaurante Coque in Madrid. "C-CAP placed me into the industry at a fairly young age, and without them, my career would have taken an entirely different course," said Farraj. "C-CAP's National Career Adviser Christine Lee became my mentor, and her guidance is what made many opportunities -- past and future -- possible." C-CAP is a national non-profit organization that promotes and provides career opportunities in the food service industry for underprivileged youth through culinary arts education and employment. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- PS 29 was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning due to elevated carbon monoxide levels at the school in Castleton Corners, according to the FDNY. School remained in session Wednesday afternoon. "This morning, our school building was evacuated for approximately one hour due to an odor from the HVAC system in the building," Principal Linda Manfredi said in a letter posted on the school website. The city Department of Education said that the school was "temporarily evacuated due to concerns with the boiler. The FDNY immediately responded and cleared the building for re-entry. "We are working diligently to make any necessary repairs and are providing the school with additional supports to ensure students have a safe learning environment." FDNY was called to the school at the corner of Victory Boulevard and Slosson Avenue at 8:41 a.m., said a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS. The cause of the raised CO levels is under investigation, but the boilers were shut down as a precautionary measure and the building was vented, said a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS. The school, which has about 680 students, was evacuated while CO levels were brought down to safe levels, according to the FDNY. Students were spotted going back into the school at about 9:30 a.m. "As we began to relocate our students to an alternate location, FDNY confirmed that it was safe for us to re-enter the building," the principal's letter said. "One bus departed PS 29 for the alternate location. However, the bus was immediately re-routed back to PS 29." Manfredi was in touch with Anna Simione, the principal of St. Teresa School across the street, and the Roman Catholic school principal offered and was prepared to receive the students both during regular hours and for aftercare, said Diana Gatto, a spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic elementary schools. Gatto said that "both principals were in constant contact with each other the entire morning. In fact, the principal of PS 29 called to thank the principal of St. Teresa for her assistance." Con Edison was called in to do an inspection of the boilers, a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS. A patient with a minor injury that was unrelated to the CO was transported to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, the FDNY spokesman said. The FDNY spokesman was unable to provide information about the CO readings. The intersection of Victory Boulevard and Slosson Avenue was blocked off by police during the evacuation. At least four fire trucks were on the scene. 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... 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 It's been a rough stretch for the presidential counselor. She said on MSNBC Monday that Trump had "full confidence" in Flynn, hours before he lost his job. A government ethics panel urged the White House to discipline her for urging Fox News Channel viewers to buy Ivanka Trump's products. CNN said last week that it had turned down a chance to book her on Jake Tapper's Feb. 5 program because she had credibility issues. The White House has banned its officials from appearing on the network. Best Canadian Blog 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 About Kate Why this blog? Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked. This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me." (goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated! Katewerk Art Support SDA I am not a registered charity. I cannot issue tax receipts. Poor Richard's Retirement Economics for the Disinterested Montrose County Trump The Establishment "I enjoyed these poems immensely." - William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist Want lies? Hire a regular consultant. Want truth? Hire an asshole. Weather Shop Click to inquire about rates. Dow Jones What They Say About SDA "Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert "I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick "The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle "Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs "You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella "Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky Intelliweather Seismic Map Comments Policy Read this Best Of SDA Hide The Decline The Bottle Genie (ClimateGate links) You Might Be A Liberal Uncrossing The Line Bob Fife: Knuckledragger A Modest Proposal (NP) Settled Science Series Y2Kyoto Series SDA: Reader Occupation Survey Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop Flakes On A Plane All Your Weather Are Belong To Us Song Of The Sled The Raise A Flag Debacle (Now on Youtube!) (.mwv Video) Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl Trudeaupiate Kleptocrat Jeans Child Labour I Concede Small Dead Feminist Protein Hoser: THK Interview The Werewolf Extinction Dear Laura (VRWC) We Wait Blogging The Oscars Jackson Converts To Islam Just Shut The HELL Up Manipulating Condi Gay Equality Rights Courts and tribunals will have more accurate details about criminals who reoffend while on bail when a new information management system is brought in early next year, the ACT's attorney-general says. The Barr government shot down the ACT opposition's bid for a review into the territory's bail laws in the assembly on Wednesday. ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay. Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said the ACT's bail laws were being constantly finessed and the government would "not fall into the trap of politicising tragedy". "The ACT legislation is fundamentally different from Victoria's. While tragic, the recent events in Melbourne do not automatically call for a review in the ACT," Mr Ramsay said. Open data can be used to track public transport in real time. Credit:Michael Gorey Open data is publicly available information that can be freely used and redistributed by anyone. Barriers to using open data will be examined in coming months by the Canberra Business Chamber. "Open data can create new markers for products and services, enable benchmarking across a range of data sets and economic indicators; provide opportunities to better segment markets; enable decision making to be automated or improved; and can improve transparency," the paper says. "Areas commonly enabled by access to open data include geographic applications followed by meteorological, environmental, economic and business, social and traffic information. "These are all sectors where business and broader society can benefit." Chamber chief executive Robyn Hendry said access to open data was a competitive advantage for Canberra businesses. "What we're trying to find out through the discussion process is what more can we do to grow the Canberra economy," she said. Detectives investigating institutional child sexual abuse in a NSW Catholic school have charged a former Canberra headmaster with making false statements to police and perverting the cause of justice. On Tuesday, Strike Force Georgiana detectives charged former Marist College Canberra principal Brother Christopher Wade, also known as William Henry Wade, with four offences related to statements he made to police in 2014, the Newcastle Herald reported. The Marist Brothers Catholic Order was found to be one of the most notorious for allegations of child sexual abuse. The strike force was formed to investigate child sexual assault offences at the Hamilton Marist Brothers School in Newcastle in the 1960s and 1970s. Do you know more? Email katie.burgess@fairfaxmedia.com.au When the going gets tough, Yassmin Abdel-Magied thinks of the US civil rights movement. She thinks of uprisings in Egypt and her birth country Sudan. People like her parents who fought and still fight for a better life. Ms Abdel-Magied's battle is relentless, often exhausting and deeply personal. Her areas of expertise are gender, race and engineering, but lately, whether she likes it or not, the conversation has turned to her faith: Islam. So when Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie sat alongside her on Monday's Q&A panel and argued Australian Muslims practicing Sharia law should be deported, the 25-year-old youth leader, in her own words, lost her cool. "Since I was 10 years old, we've had discussions about Muslims being different and Muslims being equated to terrorists and so on and so on, and particularly since the election of Donald Trump that kind of stepped up 10 notches, so I'm constantly surrounded - every single place I look, whether it's on telly or in the papers or on my social media feeds - with rhetoric that is super divisive," Ms Abdel-Magied said on Wednesday. New Hawthorn captain Jarryd Roughead is set to play his first AFL game since being declared cancer-free. Roughead, whose melanoma battle forced him to miss the entire 2016 season, has been named in the Hawks' 29-man squad to face Geelong in a pre-season clash in Tasmania on Friday night. Gun recruit Jaeger O'Meara has also been included and could play his first game since late-2014 after a string of injuries. Four-time premiership winner Roughead had a melanoma removed from his lip in 2015 then suffered a recurrence in 2016, a setback that had serious implications for his life, let alone playing career. So who is setting the iron ore price, could it be day traders in China, or is it taxi drivers in Dalian, as some analysts suspect? Take your pick on the role of such speculators but either way the sustained surge in the iron ore price has caught many investors by surprise while giving a second wind to a group of second-tier producers that have been struggling with busted balance sheets and bloated costs to stay afloat for the past few years. Helping to nudge the iron ore price higher was a new round of speculation China will close more of its heavily polluting steel, and other, plants at least in winter, as it struggles to improve air quality. Credit:QILAI SHEN In late trading on Tuesday, BC Iron's share price was ahead 6 per cent at 27.5, as was Tasmanian producer Grange Resources at 25.5 as Mount Gibson rallied 10 per cent to 46.2. Atlas Iron was unable to maintain earlier gains and was steady near the close at 4.7. Among the sector's leaders, Fortescue firmed 1 per cent to $6.93.5, which was still enough to push it to post-GFC highs, as Rio rose 1 per cent to $68.97. BHP eased 11 to $26.34, hampered by the lower oil price. DEXUS Property group chief executive Darren Steinberg has attributed a fall in distributions to investors at the diversified property group on lower revaluations and lumpy trading profits from the property sales. The revaluations were positive, but were up against very strong revaluations that were made in the previous corresponding period. DEXUS Property Group, which is behind the Gateway retail space at Circular Quay, said it was delivering growth in its underlying business. The group reported half year profit of $716 million compared to $797.5 million the previous year. It will distribute 21.71 per security for the six months to December 2016, a 5.8 per cent decrease compared to the previous corresponding period. Sydney Airport has said it "will be endeavouring to meet " the government's timetable and decide by May whether to take up its right to develop a $5 billion airport in western Sydney after posting a 10.3 per cent rise in full-year operating earnings. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose to $1.11 billion in 2016, compared with $1 billion the previous year, in line with the $1.12 billion estimate of 13 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The company, which runs Australia's biggest airport, flagged it expects to pay distributions of 33.5 per stapled security in 2017, up from 31 for 2016, which was in line with analyst forecasts of 33.7. International traffic, the main earnings driver for Sydney Airport, rose by 8.9 percent - the highest rate in 12 years - in 2016 as airlines added capacity. Overall, the airport was used by 41.9 million passengers in the year, up 5.6 per cent from 2015. Fierce competition in the mobile phone market is sending customers into the arms of Telstra's competitors, carving a nasty hole in the telco giant's profits. The slowing growth in customers is aggravating the pressure on the nation's biggest telecom provider, which has seen its traditional mainstay business crunched as Australians are abandoning the fixed-line phone, and is now forced to pay the government-owned NBN Network to access its customers. Telstra's shares dived 4.5 per cent on Thursday after management admitted it was struggling to attract new customers. "There is no doubt the competitive intensity in the market has increased," chief executive Andrew Penn said as he delivered a surprise 12 per cent fall in first-half profit on Thursday. Sitting in the hotel bar the night before the flight to Pyongyang, the painfully sober tour organiser asked whether we had any gifts for the Dear Leader. Well, no what do you get the dead guy who has everything? It was February 2012, and the isolated North Korean state was reeling from the death of its dictator. No matter, our guide said, and proceeded to tell an incredible tale of how in the 1990s a South Korean academic had been friendly to the northern regime for close to two decades before trying to foist an ashtray on Kim Jong-il. It was to be for his use only, the academic stressed, and he wanted to deliver it personally knowing how much the Dear Leader loved to smoke. How honoured he would be to know the ashtray he had taken painstaking care to design would sit on the Dear Leader's desk. The North Koreans were touched but suspicious, the story went, and had it tested. The ashtray was radioactive, at barely detectable levels, and was designed to assassinate him slowly. Real or fantastic, this spy thriller intrigue is the standard level of paranoia for the North Korean regime. They have no doubt been on the receiving end of such attempts, although their own atrocities from a bombing in Yangon to using spies to down a commercial jet and a notorious abduction program are more egregious. While the numbers are not yet in on Australia's latest heatwave summer one of the worst in our history between 1100 and 1500 people will have died from heat stress. That's been the average of recent years. When Treasurer Scott Morrison jovially informed the House of Representatives "Mr Speaker, this is coal. Don't be afraid! Don't be scared! It won't hurt you," he was, according to all reputable scientific and medical studies worldwide, misleading the Parliament. By mid-century, the effects of worldwide burning of coal and oil in heating the climate to new extremes will claim more than 50,000 Australian lives per decade, a toll nearly double that of World War II. And that doesn't include the 12.6 million human lives lost globally every year (a quarter of all deaths), according to the World Health Organisation, from "air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change, and ultraviolet radiation", all of which are a consequence of human use of fossil fuels. The main sources of those toxins are, indisputably, the coal and petrochemical industries. Can anyone tell me why so many advertisements for upmarket loungers feature dogs reclining, jumping or snoozing on them, asks Paul Vincent of Bayview. "The dogs can be aristocratic, aloof or playful. Presumably however the lounges are intended for people but the advertisers obviously prefer to pitch their products at man's best friend. One wonders whether this carries through when the purchaser gets the product home." Gabrielle Bluett (C8 dog at a Spit restaurant) shouldn't venture to the UK suggests Kathleen Molloy of Thornleigh. "Dogs are treated as welcome guests in pubs and restaurants. It is commonplace for these pets to be fed and watered from the dining table and to my horror, patted and cuddled by the wait staff, who then go on to serve your food and pour your drinks." "Gabrielle, if a dog wouldn't finish the remains of the chicken entree perhaps you should consider eating elsewhere," suggests Robert Sharpe of Bronte. "I knew about dysgraphia Tim Ingall (MB BS, PhD (University of Sydney) department of neurology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA), (C8) because it was googleable." Thanks Jeff Marsh of Dulwich Hill. If the moon looks smaller than usual on February 19, it's because it's at its apogee i.e. the furthest away from Earth, advises Dave Horsfall of North Gosford. "I'll bet not even Column 8's mighty powers can prevent that." [C8: Showers/cloud forecast.] I have something of a love-hate relationship with Melbourne. It is by and large a decent place, with a stronger collective sense of society and public amenity than some other big metropolises such as Sydney. Melbourne has, to use the phrase coined by urban theorist and economist Richard Florida, a vibrant "creative class", something which has partly underpinned its recent success. Even so, I think as a city Melbourne has become badly complacent, coasting on a tired major events schedule, an ageing, overburdened public transport network, and misleading labels such as "the world's most liveable city". It's time to accept that Melbourne has, over the past decade, lost much of its coveted liveability and no longer deserve the title. Here are five reasons. Alice Springs town councillor Jacinta Nampijinpa Price drew attention to this obvious fact in a searing Facebook post in January, lambasting "Aboriginal middle-class activists" who want to change the date of Australia Day. She said they "come from privilege themselves" compared to the country's most marginalised people, and accused them of making "an even bigger deal out of this than actually saving the lives of Aboriginal people who are living among us now". It is easier to group "Indigenous Australians" under one catch-all category than to make mental accommodation for a population with big differences between individuals and groups, much as exist among non-Indigenous Australians. It is an affront to Indigenous Australians that their lives are almost always portrayed in mainstream media through a prism of what the Prime Minister called "despondency and deficit" when releasing the 2017 Closing the Gap report . Descriptions of poverty, domestic violence, drunkenness and homelessness may be well-intentioned attempts to draw attention to ongoing problems, but they do not convey the full picture of Aboriginal lives. The focus should be on the future, not the past, Price wrote, "so that the most marginalised Aboriginal people of this country whose first language is usually not English, who do not have access to media, whose lives are affected at alarming rates by family violence can have the same opportunities as those who claim to feel pain because a country celebrates how lucky we are on a date that marks the arrival of the first fleet". The idea of a national day of mourning is anathema to Price. "What do we have to benefit from being in a constant state of mourning? Mourning does not give us freedom, it imprisons us and I have had enough. I bury my family far too regularly and that is all the mourning I can handle." The Closing the Gap strategy is the action plan to overcome Indigenous disadvantage that went with then prime minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the Stolen Generations nine years ago. Its latest report card is cause for yet another round of national hand-wringing. Anguish may be genuinely felt, but it's action that counts. Despite some long-term progress, such as improved reading and numeracy, reduced smoking rates and lower mortality rates, the state and federal governments are on track to miss six of the seven targets set. The gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians on Year 12 attainment looks like being halved by 2020. But the gap is widening in some crucial areas, like deaths caused by cancer, infant mortality and employment. The Prime Minister said "we are not seeing sufficient national progress" on the targets, singling out high rates of suicide and disproportionately high rates of incarceration among Indigenous Australians for attention. Criris point for young doctors. Credit:Peter Braig It is apparent that this is being done to facilitate the imposition of high-density policies unwanted by the broader community (but wanted by developers). Contrary to "addressing the city's housing affordability crisis" the imposition will exacerbate it. As high-density policies were implemented over two decades so did previously stable house prices increase. This also happened in other parts of the world. There is no credible evidence that financial benefits will result from merging the councils currently fighting the proposals in the courts. The KPMG report (partially withheld) advocating amalgamations did not reveal the full extent of assumptions and did not take into account the highly variable conditions applicable to individual councils. The new Premier's announcement does not auger well for the post-Baird era. Tony Recsei Warrawee What have local government amalgamations got to do with addressing the "housing affordability" crisis in Sydney? Seeking to blame local government for decades of failure by state and federal government to make sure there is enough public and private housing available to meet the needs of a growing population is simply dishonest. While the decision to forcibly amalgamate local government in Sydney may not be about Premier Berejiklian "personally", it is most certainly about the property developers who still run government in NSW, and their desire to roll over the top of local residents who should have a big say in the suburbs in which they live, and certainly that their communities have the schools, parks, public transport, health facilities and jobs that ensure a decent quality of life. Colin Hesse Marrickville Gladys Berejiklian has proved that "democracy" is really just another form of corruption. Moreover, her claims that amalgamated councils have claimed to be happy is mischievous as they are all run by Liberal Party administrators. The NSW Liberal Party has just shown how transparent their total disdain for honest public discussion is. Gladys is in for a huge fight! Suzie Gold Castlecrag Before suggesting that council amalgamations are not going ahead in the bush whilst proceeding in the city, I suggest your correspondents (Letters, February 15) take a drive to Gundagai or Tumbarumba and have a quiet chat with the "country folk" there. Actually, it won't be quiet. Bob Guy Cootamundra What a delight to have a strong, intelligent woman as Premier who is prepared to risk her position by standing up for her council amalgamation plan to assist infrastructure and affordable housing for the future. Am I the only resident in Hunters Hill that is prepared to agree with amalgamation? Christine Flannery Hunters Hill Our Premier has said that council mergers in the Sydney area are necessary to address the city's housing affordability crisis and improve development approval times. This is nothing but political spin. Approvals are running at close to double actual dwelling construction levels, so the merging of councils will have little or no effect on housing supply. Housing demand, on the other hand, is being increased by national and international investors who, in many cases, deliberately leave their new apartments empty the apartments are simply a place for investors to park their money and watch their investment appreciate. If our Premier is serious about the housing affordability crisis she should support affordable housing. Marie Clifton-Bassett Castlecrag Stressed-out young doctors need help to keep them safe The tragedy arising from the death of a young doctor to suicide cannot be overstated ("Medicines dark secret cant go on", February 10). There is also no denying the work of a doctor in training occurs in a stressful, complex and ever-changing environment with long hours and understandably high expectations. Surveys of mental health and wellbeing in doctors show levels of psychological distress are nearly double those reported for the general population. How can we address these issues effectively? While medical schools and health services are committed to improving the mental health of students and doctors, respectively, there is often a lack of dedicated, skilled staff to support young medicos. A collaborative and open approach, promoting the importance of physical and mental health in the medical workplace is needed. To succeed, such an approach needs to address not only the scale and nature of the workload but also to provide active support, especially during the challenging transition from medical school to the much higher expectations placed on working doctors. The systematic response we are proposing needs to be incorporated within a whole of career approach starting in medical school and transferring seamlessly into workplace-based support. Medical students and young doctors all need to feel safe when asking for help and to be confident that appropriate assistance will be provided. As professional leaders, we owe it to the current and future generations of doctors to do what is needed to prevent unnecessary psychological distress and premature deaths to suicide. Professor Jane Bleasel and Professor Inam Haq (Co-Directors of the Sydney Medical Program, University of Sydney) Professor Ian Hickie (Professor of Psychiatry, University of Sydney) Stop Carmichael close Westpac accounts Remember the Franklin Dam? Supported by quite a few locals because it would bring jobs, and Tasmania's government under the influence of its powerful Hydro Commission. But powerful protests by people all over Australia led the federal government to step in and the dam was stopped to preserve the wilderness. The Carmichael mine may be this decade's Franklin moment ("Inside the fight to build our biggest coal mine", February 15). This time the stakes the greenhouse gas emissions that coal from Australia's biggest mine could produce are life-threatening to all humanity. This time, both federal and Queensland governments are on the same side, backing the corrupt and fraudulent company Adani. But the money is not 12 international banks have refused to fund this project. Currently, of Australia's Big 4, Westpac, a previous lender to Adani, is the weak link. As in the Franklin campaign, people can be powerful, but those who care must be determined, clever and resilient. "Futile grandstanding," says the Minerals Council. "We will win," says the Australian Conservation Foundation. If you are a Westpac customer, your account could tip the balance. Angela Michaelis Balmain No weather worries In the context of action to mitigate climate change, it is global temperatures and global CO that matter ("What a relief: climate change is just a hoax", February 15). Sydney had a heatwave in January; in other parts of the world it was colder than normal. Average global temperature was 0.2 degrees lower than in January 2016. CO concentrations are virtually the same around the world; CO driven warming averages the same around the world. Australia produces 1.5 per cent of global CO emissions; we have actions to reduce them. But any action we take to reduce them has negligible effect on global concentrations. Occasionally we have heatwaves and bushfires. The answers never change: adapt and be alert, and improve fire alleviation and fire-fighting capabilities. Waving the "global warming worry" flag doesn't help. Businesses are not going to stop their activities, and new ones not come here, because of our weather. But some will, Ross, if corporate tax is too high. Geoff Dunsford Lindfield Dementia challenge I cared for my mother in my home in her final years as she suffered from dementia ("Diagnosis shattered a perfect retirement", February 15). To prepare for the future, much better training will need to be put in place starting with nursing staff in hospitals. Whenever mum was admitted to hospital, many staff were clearly not equipped to deal with a dementia sufferer nor did they have the time to care for them. I am sure other carers out there would have had similar experiences. The training of healthcare workers to deal with dementia needs to be given a priority so sufferers are treated respectfully. Perhaps the best people to train them needs to be people who have had experience caring for them, of which there are many in our community doing just that now. The sufferers certainly need someone to advocate for them, as do most elderly patients. Jennifer Creighton Modanville East Closing the gap Malcolm Turnbull is not very good at gaps ("Report finds little progress on closing the gap", February 15). There is that gap between blacks and whites and between rich and poor but I cannot see much light between big business/banks and the LNP. That is one gap he's got covered. The Indigenous gap is all about education and alcohol. Noel Pearson has the right idea linking welfare to school attendance and Chris Sarra certainly has the right idea once they get to school. Andrea Mason (and Dr Sarra) are excellent appointments to the Indigenous Advisory Council. Those communities that are alcohol free or alcohol restricted are in a vastly healthier state than those that are not, and, naturally, their family life and education improves tremendously. All power to Noel Pearson, Andrea Mason and Dr Sarra. Steve Johnson Elizabeth Beach Bespoke Herald defeats the purpose I am no purist for newspaper delivery having long ago decided the printed version was environmentally unsound (and despite having letterpress as a hobby) ("Play an active part in the future of your newspaper", February 15). I read by subscription on tablet. I want my news with immediacy, but more importantly I want it accurate, well-researched with comments and opinions from trusted writers. I can search the net for other sources, and articles and blogs which interest me, but "trust" is the operative word and in sources, such as Facebook, news is counter intelligence on many levels. A bespoke paper may hold some allure to validate opinions for some, but I expect more from a valued news source. It is why I continue to turn to the SMH each morning. Janice Creenaune Austinmer What joy to read Stokes' column and see we would have the printed version of the Herald for "some years yet", hopefully our lifespan. The rest of the column I found completely incomprehensible. Custom-built Herald. Give us break. At our age it's often hard to choose food for breakfast how on earth could we choose the content of our newspaper. I can't be running to my five-year-old grandson for every bit of technology advice it's already humiliating! Elizabeth Kroon Randwick Hate mail just keeps stacking up Postal stories seem to go on and on, as per Vivienne Pearson's cri de coeur in today's paper ("I no longer rely on Australia Post and I'm not alone," February 15). Here's one to make you weep. Some years ago we were in Germany, north of Hamburg, when, pre-email, I sent an aerogram to Tumbi Umbi on the Central Coast on a Monday. I received a reply on Thursday. Last time I inquired at my local PO about an expected delivery I was told six to nine days were acceptable. Given his immense salary, our Mr Fahour could have delivered it personally ... by bike. Nola Tucker Kiama End of a brief Flynn The resignation of Michael Flynn as President Trump's national security adviser ("Trump adviser quits over Russia talks," February 15) after only a few days in the job creates a companion to the well known phrase "in like Flynn": Out like Flynn. Alan Slade Dover Heights A swarm of Bs With Merona Martin of Meroo Meadow and Peter Pitt of Potts Point lighting the way, I'm hopeful that my son Ben, who nearly qualifies for the full alliterative authorship, will one day grace this page. Senior LNP campaign strategist: "At best, they'll (One Nation) get two seats. I can't see them getting any more. They are not going to preference Labor over us. Our biggest problem is still (the popularity of Annastacia) Palaszczuk." (Although that could be a declining problem given 34 percent of voters in the recent Galaxy poll were "uncommitted" on the issue of preferred premier. Senior LNP Opposition spokesman: "I don't have a clue. It's too complicated and depends on a whole lot of variables." Second Senior LNP Opposition spokesman: "They will have a significant number of seats. It's (ON) drawing its votes from everyone who is fed up with the major political parties.' Federal LNP MP: "Ask the State Party. But good luck. All we know is that they (One Nation) are polling very, very well. That doesn't mean they'll win seats. I'd caution you against jumping to that conclusion." I considered myself cautioned - but at the very least that means experienced heads in the LNP, now running the Opposition and about to embark on a bid to get back into Government, have absolutely no idea of the impact of One Nation at the polls. In fact, if you take the views of those on both sides, One Nation could win anything from two seats to up to 20 seats. So can we believe the polls - which haven't drilled down to the vital preference issue - and what can we say, for sure, about One Nation in Queensland? Firstly, it will be a herculean task for Labor to get back in on a primary vote of 31 per cent, as revealed by Galaxy. Secondly, the ALP's "clever" strategy to change the law to compulsory preferential voting might be the best own-goal ever - and be the reason it loses power at the next poll. Thirdly, the ALP's plan to put One Nation last might also cost it the poll. Fourthly, the LNP will have to fight an internal struggle between those who want to go to the polls hand-in-hand with One Nation, and those who think they should repel them. It should take into account that in 1998, One Nation forced a four percent drop in support for Labor - and an almost 18 percent drop in Coalition support. Having said that, One Nation stole several seats off each party, and optional preferential voting existed. Fifth, the LNP needs to consider that it could very well be in a Coalition government after the next poll, where the share the spoils with One Nation. What's the plan for policy making then? Sixth, almost all strategists in both parties believe that One Nation's preferences will be the key factor in determining who wins Government. But no-one knows whether One Nation will preference against sitting MPs, or hand out How to Vote cards, or even direct their voters where to lodge their preferences. Seventh, the impact of One Nation is not the same across the board - and outside the State's south-east, its support is a growing factor for both parties. It was in rural Queensland that One Nation taught the Nationals a lesson in 1998. Usually, parties do their own polling, drilling down into individual electorates to work out where they are vulnerable. But so far they've been hampered in doing that because of the looming redistribution, which will change several boundaries. So at best, right now, how One Nation will fare is a big guess. But both parties should know this. Pauline Hanson, who is not even running in Queensland, is the politician saying what Queensland voters are thinking. Loading And life has changed since 1998, when One Nation moved into State Parliament. Now, there is a broad acceptance that it is a credible option. It is no longer a far-right wing party espousing far right wing views. The proverb is too often used, but the mythical frog that sits blissfully unaware in slow-boiling water offers the perfect warning to the world about the growing danger from North Korea's nuclear obsession. The problem has simmered for so long punctuated by occasional outbursts of activity that soon calm again people naturally enough assume the threat is being carefully managed and is of little enduring consequence. Such complacency is mistaken. Better to recognise only a little extra heat could quickly transform an irritant into a violent crisis. The challenge is serious for security in a region where Australia has substantial interest, particularly with key trading partners South Korea, Japan and China. It is past time to devote sustained diplomatic resources to finding a solution. A man in Seoul watches a TV news program on North Korea's missile launches. Credit:AP There is undoubtedly a comic aspect to the behaviour of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who with a dynasty of dictators has encouraged a kind of insouciance about the "hermit kingdom". The bizarre reverence for the supreme leader, extravagant displays of synchronised marching and blatant propaganda have made North Korea a global punchline, the vaudeville, yet clumsy, villain. It is healthy to puncture absurdity with satire, yet this should not obscure the regime's deadly intent or the painful burden carried by the North Korean people. The international danger was on startling display last week when North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan. This follows five nuclear explosive tests in the past decade, including two last year. There are also fears North Korea is amassing a stockpile of plutonium and highly enriched uranium. In 2001 John Howard was telling Liberal voters to put One Nation last on their ballots. In 2017 the Liberals are making preference deals with them in WA and ridiculously insisting that they're "more sophisticated" now. Labor senator Penny Wong called shenanigans on this ludicrous claim, arguing that it was the Liberal Party which had changed, but you know what? It's not just the Liberal Party: over the past 25 years Australia as a whole has gotten meaner, dumber and more racist. This was made crystal clear yesterday when the Closing The Gap report on indigenous health, welfare and education was presented to Parliament, announcing to those MPs which could be bothered showing up that the government was currently on track to fail at just about everything, including six of the seven stated targets to improve life expectancy for indigenous folks. The current gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians is 10.6 years for men and 9.5 years for women. Child mortality hasn't improved. Unemployment is still almost 50 per cent. Literacy and numeracy is similarly poor. What were they thinking? On Monday three members of cabinet called a press conference to pressure the Senate to cut the dole. That's right, to cut the dole. At just $13,750 per year plus an $8.80 per fortnight energy allowance, it's already so low the Business Council believes it "presents a barrier to employment and risks entrenching poverty." The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the research arm of the world's richest economies, says Australia's unemployment benefit has reached the point where it may no longer be effective in "enabling someone to look for a suitable job". Even a Coalition-dominated inquiry found a "compelling case" for boosting it. But the three ministers wanted to deny the energy supplement to new entrants on the spurious ground that this would merely remove "carbon tax compensation for a carbon tax that no longer exists". It wouldn't. The Newstart cost of living increase was cut 0.7 per cent when the energy supplement came in to avoid double counting. If the energy supplement went but the cut remained, new entrants to Newstart would be worse off than if the whole thing had never happened. And they wanted to withhold Newstart from newly-unemployed Australians aged 22 to 25, paying them instead the lower $11,375 Youth Allowance. The under 25s would have to wait longer too five weeks instead of the present one. Oceanographer Dr Sunke Schmidtko. Credit:GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research "It's the same reason we keep our sparkling drinks pretty cold," Schmidtko said. But another factor is the growing stratification of ocean waters. Oxygen enters the ocean at its surface, from the atmosphere and from the photosynthetic activity of marine microorganisms. But as that upper layer warms up, the oxygen-rich waters are less likely to mix down into cooler layers of the ocean because the warm waters are less dense and do not sink as readily. "When the upper ocean warms, less water gets down deep, and so the oxygen supply to the deep ocean is shut down or significantly reduced," Schmidtko said. The new study represents a synthesis of literally "millions" of separate ocean measurements over time. The authors then used interpolation techniques for areas of the ocean where they lacked measurements. The resulting study attributes less than 15 per cent of the total oxygen loss to sheer warmer temperatures, which create less solubility. The rest was attributed to other factors, such as a lack of mixing. Matthew Long, an oceanographer from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research who has published on ocean oxygen loss, said he considers the new results "robust" and a "major advance in synthesising observations to examine oxygen trends on a global scale". Long was not involved in the current work, but his research had previously demonstrated that ocean oxygen loss was expected to occur and that it should soon be possible to demonstrate that in the real world through measurements, despite the complexities involved in studying the global ocean and deducing trends about it. That's just what the new study has done. "Natural variations have obscured our ability to definitively detect this signal in observations," Long said in an email. "In this study, however, Schmidtko et al. synthesise all available observations to show a global-scale decline in oxygen that conforms to the patterns we expect from human-driven climate warming. They do not make a definitive attribution statement, but the data are consistent with and strongly suggestive of human-driven warming as a root cause of the oxygen decline. "It is alarming to see this signal begin to emerge clearly in the observational data," he added. "Schmidtko and colleagues' findings should ring yet more alarm bells about the consequences of global warming," added Denis Gilbert, a researcher with the Maurice Lamontagne Institute at Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Quebec, in an accompanying commentary on the study also published in Nature. Because oxygen in the global ocean is not evenly distributed, the 2 per cent overall decline means there is a much larger decline in some areas of the ocean than others. Moreover, the ocean already contains so-called oxygen minimum zones, generally found in the middle depths. The great fear is that their expansion upward, into habitats where fish and other organism thrive, will reduce the available habitat for marine organisms. In shallower waters, meanwhile, the development of ocean "hypoxic" areas, or so-called "dead zones", may also be influenced in part by declining oxygen content overall. On top of all of that, declining ocean oxygen can also worsen global warming in a feedback loop. In or near low oxygen areas of the oceans, micro-organisms tend to produce nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, Gilbert writes. Thus the new study "implies that production rates and efflux to the atmosphere of nitrous oxide ... will probably have increased". The new study underscores once again that some of the most profound consequences of climate change are occurring in the oceans, rather than on land. In recent years, incursions of warm ocean water have caused large die-offs of coral reefs, and in some cases, kelp forests as well. Meanwhile, warmer oceans have also begun to destabilise glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, and as they melt, these glaciers freshen the ocean waters and potentially change the nature of their circulation. When it comes to ocean deoxygenation, as climate change continues, this trend should also increase - studies suggest a loss of up to 7 per cent of the ocean's oxygen by 2100. At the end of the current paper, the researchers are blunt about the consequences of a continuing loss of oceanic oxygen. "Far-reaching implications for marine ecosystems and fisheries can be expected," they write. A One Nation candidate receiving Liberal preferences in the West Australian election once advocated killing Indonesian journalists, and attacked "poofters", Muslims and black people on his now-deactivated Twitter account. Richard Eldridge, a real estate agent contesting an upper house seat in the South Metropolitan region of Perth, called Muslims "little sheet heads", derided gay relationships as "poo games" and advocated taking up arms against "extreme Muslims". Richard Eldridge is running for the West Australian upper house in the southern metropolitan area of Perth. Credit:Facebook In one extraordinary rant about Indonesians in November 2013, Mr Eldridge said we should "Balibo" Indonesian journalists, an apparent reference to the 1975 murder of the Balibo Five group of Australian journalists in Timor. "The only real thing Muslims are good at is multiplying but that is all they need to do history will show," he tweeted. "Let's hunt down some indo reporters and balibo them. What's Suharto up to these days. A fresh parliamentary push on same-sex marriage has become more likely after a cross-party Senate committee reached a broad consensus on refining the government's same-sex marriage legislation. The "unprecedented show of collaboration" paves the way for a marriage equality bill as soon as next month, to be co-sponsored by Labor, the Greens, gay Liberal senator Dean Smith, the NXT and possibly Derryn Hinch. In the report published Wednesday, senators took aim at aspects of the Marriage Act changes proposed by Attorney-General George Brandis ahead of the failed same-sex marriage plebiscite. The exposure draft - the first time an Australian government had outlined its vision for marriage equality - proposed sweeping exemptions to discrimination law for ministers of religion, civil celebrants and religious businesses who did not want to participate in same-sex unions. Labels matter. Note the return of logo mania. It seems like everywhere you look there are Gucci T-shirts and visible Calvin Klein elastic. This bloke tattooed his entire arm with the Louis Vuitton monogram. More meaningfully, shoppers are increasingly interested in reading garment information labels and swing tags. They want specifics. Anna Robertson, right, and a model at her Yevu pop-up shop in Redfern. Credit:James Brickwood In Selfridges London recently, I checked out a collection by British knitwear designer Katie Jones her labels tell you the name of the person who crocheted each piece, and how many were made. Of course, "made in" and "made of" are still the big ones. Are there natural fibres or recycled ones in your new top? Was it made in China, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia or Vietnam? Or Africa? "Made in Ghana" is creating a buzz at the moment. But I didn't stop drinking. It was, without doubt, the hardest thing to stop. Drinking was a huge part of my life. I felt like I couldn't relate to people without it and I felt like I couldn't write without it. And that meant that I couldn't earn money without it. But I promised my wife I'd cut back, and become a responsible drinker. That's why, after our incredibly drunken wedding there's no way on earth someone from a Scottish background like me could marry someone who's half Irish, half Polish without the guests drowning in alcohol I tried my best to knuckle down and get sober. It lasted about four weeks before our honeymoon came off the rails in Versailles, France, because I'd had too much to drink. Again. The cruel irony of that is that we spent another month in Europe reasonably happy, despite that horrible, drunken argument. The even crueller irony is that the night before that fight, in a luxury hotel room overlooking the Versailles Palace, was mathematically the night our first born was made. When she told me she was pregnant, I celebrated by getting drunk. Let's skip ahead Lots of stuff happened between Blake arriving in the world, and my wife announcing she was pregnant with our second little boy. I was still drinking but by then, it was in secret. I'd started hiding booze around the house, and finding excuses to go out to the garage to 'find something I need to get the TV working properly'. For most people, that should be sounding alarm bells. For me, it was just a way to cope. I was working my arse off, trying to help make ends meet and steadfastly refusing to acknowledge I had a drinking problem. Things got steadily worse and worse until one night I got so hammered my wife found me blacked out on the couch at 6 am the next morning. It was (among a few other things that won't be shared here) the final straw. The trust had been broken too many times. I was done and I needed to move out. Five tedious and difficult months later, after I'd tried every conceivable way of putting it off, I did and that's when, despite me feeling like this was the worst time of my entire life, things got even worse. Not dawn yet Without someone beside me to tell me that I was heading out of control, I veered off course faster than a toddler playing Mario Kart. Within a month, I was drinking a bottle of whisky a day. Within three months, I was drinking two bottles of whisky, every day from the moment I woke up to the moment I blacked out. I was working from home, and still able to write but I was spending more on booze than I was on rent. Something had to give and it did. "I need to go to rehab and I don't have enough money to pay for a taxi." One morning, I woke up in the hallway of my house. The only thing I was wearing was vomit. It was 11:00 am and I was three hours late picking my kids up to drop them at daycare and school. I rang my wife to apologise and she made it very clear that I was about to lose any chance of having the kids stay at my house, ever again. I stewed on that for a few hours and steadfastly refused to drink my problems away. By mid-afternoon, I was in very bad shape physically so I rang my best mate Chris, and the conversation went something like this "Hey I need a favour can you come pick me up and drive me to hospital?" " of course! Are you okay? What's wrong?" "I need to go to rehab and I don't have enough money to pay for a taxi." " shit. I'll be there in 10." Rehab is for quitters I rocked up to the emergency department, explained why I was there and that I hadn't had a drink for six hours. I was shaking all over. I was crying. I was in pain. They took me inside, checked me over and left me on a bed. Chris hung around until I sent him home. I didn't want him to see what happened next. It was awful but they kept me under observation for a few hours until they could find me a bed in the rehab unit. I got wheeled down there in a wheelchair, because I literally couldn't walk. I was hallucinating wildly and my limbs simply wouldn't behave themselves at all. I was in desperate trouble. About 10 minutes after I arrived in the rehab unit, I got doped up with more Valium than I thought a human could consume, to stop me from dying. Sudden alcohol withdrawal is potentially deadly and I'd gone from 2.5-litres of whisky a day to nothing. Another stupid move on my part. The next couple of days were a blur. Valium in the morning, then breakfast, followed by Valium and some lunch, more Valium and a movie on the TV before dinner with a Valium chaser. Three days into that cycle, I called my wife and told her I needed to see the kids. "How come you're locked in here, Daddy?" The rehab unit I was in held about 18 to 20 people, some in single rooms, but most of us in shared rooms. I was in there with ice addicts, heroin addicts and other alcoholics most of whom were there because they were facing a choice between this, and jail time. The front doors to the ward were locked 24 hours a day. Once you'd been in the unit for three days, you could ask for a 30-minute walk outside. Other than that, you're locked down good and proper. On my second day in the unit, I learned that it's possible to get to the local pub, down three drinks without raising suspicion from the bar staff, and get back to the hospital within that 30 minute timeframe. I made the sensible choice not to see if that was actually true. During the stint in rehab, my wife was very supportive and when I asked her to, she brought the kids, and a 'picnic lunch', when she came to visit. They arrived at the agreed-upon time and I was out of my mind on Valium. A shambling idiot in front of my kids. My children and my wife had been given a once-over by the nurses to make sure they weren't carrying any contraband. They were ushered into a room with a few chairs and a table with a direct line-of-sight to the nursing station where we could have our little picnic. I looked at my kids. I looked at my wife. And I realised how badly I'd f----- up. My boys were extremely nervous completely understandable considering they were visiting dad in a hospital ward, where every other patient was withdrawing from alcohol, or ice, or heroin Blake even asked me why the doors were locked and had I done something bad? But the heartache in my wife's eyes was the worst. The kids were afraid she was just desperately, horribly sad. I cried myself to sleep that night, and the next, and the one after that. I'd built myself a prison. It was time to escape. My path to (relative) sobriety I'd love to be able to say that was the end of this story but it's not. I fell off the wagon again around Christmas time and shortly after that, spent a very fun evening being driven to hospital to be told my pancreas had shit itself and I had come very close to dying. That brought a lot of things home. I spent five days in a hospital bed, thinking about my kids. I thought about all the times I got drunk while I was supposed to be minding them. I thought about all the times I'd woken up feeling like shit and been an angry, horrible dad to them. I thought about all the times when things could have gone so horribly wrong, because I was too busy drinking to be a father. I hit absolute rock bottom and I'm lucky my boys still love me at all. What I can say is this: I wouldn't have survived if I didn't have my children, my now ex-wife, my family and her family, and my friends to support me. If I could change anything in my past to have made things turn out different, it would be to have been honest with myself, and sought help well before it got to the point where I was going to die. I made you a promise at the start of this that I wasn't going to preach so I won't. Instead, I'll just ask you to ask yourself a very simple question. "Are you being the best dad you can be, or do you need some help?" Help is very, very close at hand. You can call the AA helpline at 1300 222 222 or visit their website to find a meeting near you. You can also call Mensline Australia at 1300 78 99 78 to speak to professional counsellors who specialise in men's issues. These guys also offer anonymous support via live chat. Dr. James Weinstein, a back pain specialist and chief executive of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health System, has some advice for most people with lower back pain: Take two aspirin and don't call me in the morning. On Monday, the American College of Physicians published updated guidelines that say much the same. In making the new recommendations for the treatment of most people with lower back pain, the group is bucking what many doctors do and changing its previous guidelines, which called for medication as first-line therapy. Sore back? Put down the pill and get up and move a little. Credit:iStock Dr Nitin Damle, president of the group's board of regents and a practicing internist, said pills, even over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatories, should not be the first choice. "We need to look at therapies that are nonpharmacological first," he said. "That is a change." The recommendations come as the United States is struggling with an epidemic of opioid addiction that often begins with a simple prescription for ailments like back pain. In recent years, a number of states have enacted measures aimed at curbing prescription painkillers. The problem has also led many doctors around the country to reassess prescribing practices. Forget Carl (Williams) and Tony (Mokbel). The most criminal name in Australia is ... Leon. Law firm Go To Court looked at names from more than 25,000 crimes listed in the website CrimeNet, which collates a database from publicly accessible records, and cross-referenced them with the most popular names in Australia in the past 90 years to produce a list of the top 500 criminal names. Leon was the most criminal name for men, with 3193 Leons out of 100,000 committing a crime, mostly assault. Robin topped the list for women, but not for "Robin Banks" (sorry, that was irresistible), and was the name most associated with fraud offences. Here's the list: Michaela (left) with her daughter Ciara, 7, Rory, 9, and her husband Aran at their Balmain home. Credit:Wolter Peeters "It was incredibly traumatic watching your child pinned down, having feeding tubes put in them. She'd just scream," said Mrs Flanagan, who co-founded the fundraising organisation Neuroblastoma Australia. "Even to have a scan she'd have to be anaesthetised and she'd push away the little mask. It was heartbreaking." CEO and Chief Cancer Officer at the Cancer Institute NSW Professor David Currow. Credit:Gary Compton "Some children go through this when they're toddlers and can talk. They'll say 'Why are you doing this, mummy?' I don't know how you cope with that," she said. The NSW government announced on Wednesday $11.6 million in funding for cancer research through the Cancer Institute NSW, including $1.3 million in grants to investigate new treatments for neuroblastoma, which accounts for one in six of all childhood cancer deaths. Ciara underwent 12 months of treatment for neuroblastoma, including eight bouts of chemotherapy. Credit:Neuroblastoma Australia Overall survival rates have crept up over the last two decades through dedicated research, but death rates among children with high-risk prognoses remain high. Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma, about one in four of all cases, have a mortality rate between 50 and 60 per cent. "While NSW has some of the best cancer outcomes in the world, there is still much to be done to improve cancer survival rates," health minister Brad Hazzard said. "These grants are a vital investment to help researchers discover treatment options for these cancers," he said. Ciara was very lucky, her mother said. The seven-year-old has been in remission since 2011, but uncertainties still abound. "There's a guarded optimism. Most relapses happen in the first two years [after remissions] so I could rest a little easier after that. But you never stop worrying, 'Is it going to come back?'." she said. Ciara's future is more of a mystery than most, potentially harbouring the long-term effects of cancer treatments. Until recently, most children with the more aggressive forms of childhood cancer never made it to adulthood. Few aged out of the paediatric system. Children who survive today are the pioneers who will discover the lingering effects of their treatment. "One doctor told us that when she's older, don't let her put off having children, even if she's very young," Mrs Flanagan said. "No one really knows the long-term effects, but the only outcome we cared about was if we got to keep her. Everything else? We'll take whatever we can get." Cancer Institute NSW Chief Cancer Officer and CEO Professor David Currow said NSW cancer research was in the midst of a revolution of personalised treatment that would better target therapies for individual patients and improve their long-term outcomes. "What we were seeing down the microscope was only part of the picture. Now we're identifying the genetic fingerprint of cancer that will allow us to understand who should be treated with what," Professor Currow said. It's the type of work undertaken by Professor Roger Reddel at the ACRF International Centre, who was also awarded a translational grant of $3.75 million for the Proteome of Human Cancer, which is part of the former US Vice President Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot initiative. "The hope for every new treatment for cancer is that it will be more effective and less toxic than its predecessor. We've seen cancer treatment change dramatically in recent years as we improve outcomes and reduce toxicity," Professor Currow said. The funding awarded to researchers at the Children's Cancer Institute at UNSW for neuroblastoma research includes grants to Dr Daniel Carter and Dr Pei Yan Liu who will test drugs targeting certain genes present in high-risk neuroblastomas that make them resistant to treatment. A separate grant to Dr Orazio Vittorio will work on combining catachin, an antioxidant found in green tea with a sugar based compound, dextran, to target high levels of copper, which plays a key role in the progression and aggressiveness of neuroblastoma. Another $1.3 million will go towards research into treatments for leukemia, including acute myeloid leukemia, which has a five-year survival rate of 24 per cent. Loading The funding - part of the state government's election commitment to allocate $125 million to cancer research between 2015 and 2019 - also includes $4.3 million to explore new treatments for cancers with poor survival rates including pancreatic, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancers. A former bikie gang member who survived an alleged attempt on his life after he left the gang has suddenly disappeared, his friends and family say. Ricky Ciano, 35, who was president of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang's Sydney chapter before he left the club in 2015, hasn't been heard from since he spoke to his wife on Saturday night. Former Rebels bikie gang member Ricky Ciano was last seen alive in Penrith in Sydney's west on February 11. Credit:Facebook Mr Ciano left the bikie fraternity behind to move to the Gold Coast, where most of his family live, for a lifestyle change, friends say. He travelled to Sydney on the weekend to visit his daughter but hasn't been seen since. A man has been electrocuted while working under his house in Sydney's north-west on Wednesday night, police say. Emergency services were called to the house on Campbell Street in Eastwood about 6.30pm to reports that a 46-year-old man was unconscious and lying in the cavity under the single-storey house. The man was still in contact with live wires, and firefighters had to isolate the power to the house before paramedics could safely remove him. He had already died. It was not clear how long the man, who lived at the address, had been under the house before he was discovered. Police from the Ryde Local Area Command set up a crime scene at the house, but believe the man's death was an accident. A gastro outbreak has struck the same major cruise ship for the second time in a fortnight. The Sun Princess was docking in Brisbane on Thursday after dozens of passengers were struck down with norovirus on a two-week cruise to New Zealand. More than 140 passengers on the Sun Princess cruise ship were diagnosed with norovirus. It's understood more than 140 passengers fell ill. ABC digital producer Kathryn Perrott said she and her brother flew home early from Auckland on Sunday after the captain announced an outbreak on the loudspeaker. Even so, QRIC commissioner Ross Barnett refused to rule out the possibility live baiting was continuing, admitting stamping it out would be harder than ever. "I think it would be naive to give categorical assurances that live baiting could not be going on still," he said. "But what I am sure is that the exposure that Four Corners gave to the program has meant that anybody who may be inclined to engage in that sort of activity is going to be more covert and more careful than was the case pre-Four Corners, which makes them more difficult to detect." Animal rights activists, some of whom helped expose live baiting in the first place, said that wasn't good enough and called again for the industry to be shut down. Here is the good, bad and indifferent of what has changed in the past two years. Racing dog deaths Despite dramatic changes in many parts of the industry, racing itself can still a dangerous sport for the animals. In 2016, 67 greyhounds had to be put down trackside as a result of racing injuries a significant increase on the years before the commission. "I think you've always got to think about those numbers in terms of the number of animals who race every week across the year so we get a rate of Injuries and deaths per thousand runners to give it some context," Mr Barnett said. "I think we're racing greyhounds about four days a week so you think of the number of racers, the number of runners, you've just got to put that in context." In his report, Mr MacSporran noted a practisce of declaring a dog suspended for three months rather than euthanised but a QRIC spokeswoman said the organisation could now completely track the animals. In total, QRIC said 285 dogs died or were put down in the seven months since it was established, stressing owners had the right to have any dog humanely put down. That works out to about 40 a month. Adoption Of all the changes made since the MacSporran Report was handed down, this is one of the most dramatic. When the industry was first put under the microscope, the Greyhound Adoption Program was found to be wholly inadequate. It could rehome about 100 dogs a year, just a small fraction of the retired dogs in an industry breeding more than 2000 pups in Queensland alone. According to the QRIC, about 172 dogs were adopted in the six months after the commission was established in July last year, compared to 230 in the whole previous year. "So we're on track to have a significantly better outcome in our first year of operation than was previously the case," Commissioner Ross Barnett said. "So all our efforts to get dogs rehomed, get more of them rehomed, is paying off." GAP coordinator Gail Lane said the facilities in Brisbane and Townsville, which had enjoyed a roughly $50,000 funding injection, were up to the demand. But she admitted trainers faced a four-to-six month wait in Brisbane and three months in Townsville. But Animal Welfare League Queensland president Sue Spencer, whose program had adopted 42 greyhounds in the past six months, said the industry measures weren't enough. "I don't think anything's really changed. The trainers are being prosecuted but they're let off fairly lightly," she said. Breeding and animal tracking The MacSporran report condemned rampant over breeding within the industry and raised serious concerns about Racing Queensland's ability to track the dogs born. Dogs were meant to be tracked as they retired but only 1500 forms had been lodged in 2013 and 2014 and the report found the true number would have been closer to 8500. One of the key recommendations was the updating and publicising of a database tracking animals from birth to death to give a proper indication of how many dogs were being killed. Mr Barnett said public availability of the data and individual logbooks wouldn't be ready until at least mid-year but QRIC assured Fairfax Media birth-to-death tracking was finally possible, just not yet public. In the years previous, 2000 greyhounds a year were being born into the industry and the 30 per cent of pups never named or registered to race were termed "wastage". A QRIC spokeswoman said just 350 greyhounds were whelped in the 7 months after it was established, extrapolating out to about 600 a year. Oversight Queensland Greyhound Racing Industry Commission of Inquiry head Alan MacSporran was particularly critical of the level of the "woefully inadequate" oversight trainers faced before the revelations. Noble's illicit private track for instance, had been operating since 2007, according to court documents. He said the handful of kennel inspections, as low as 31 in 2014 for 750 trainers across the state, must have been a "green light" to live bait with impunity. On that front, the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission has made some progress, roughly doubling the average number of inspections completed in its first six months of operation to between 80 and 90. A dozen trainers were reprimanded for serious welfare breaches, including heatstroke, no access to water, barking muzzles and lack of shelter but few of these resulted in punishments of more than a $200 fine. No extra live baiting charges have been laid. "An outbreak or a repeat of live baiting on any sort of a scale will surely threaten the viability of the code going forward," Mr Barnett said. "I'm sure the people inside that who love it don't want it to occur. "So we hope that if it's going on, people will come forward with that information." Tom Noble walks out of the Ipswich District Court after his sentencing hearing for 15 counts of serious animal cruelty stemming from the greyhound live baiting scandal was adjourned. Credit:Jorge Branco Punishment After months of investigation and hours of interviews with Racing Queensland and police, 37 trainers were charged with 141 offences relating to the scandal. Tom Noble was given a three-year suspended sentence for his role, which is being appealed by the DPP. Of the remaining trainers, at least four have had their charges dismissed while a few others Fairfax Media can reveal he was trialing dogs at his unapproved private track as far back as 2007, according to court documents. Of the 22 trainers banned for life, 13 had their bans rapidly cut to 10 years or less. A few, such as Tracey Kunde, who claimed he and his friends had been made scapegoats, were completely overturned and cleared to race again. Questions remained over the admissibility of the hidden camera footage recorded by Animal Liberation Queensland activists on Noble's property. One judge ruled it in while another ruled it out. Two Queensland tribunal members knocked back attempts to have it declared inadmissible but one declared the critical audio recordings couldn't be relied upon. ALQ president Chay Neal said reforms weren't moving quickly enough. HMD Global, the Finnish company with exclusive rights to make phones with the name Nokia attached to them, may be planning to release an homage to the legendary early-2000s brick phone, the 3310. A recent report from VentureBeat cites sources indicating that, as well as unveiling a pair of new budget Android 7 smartphones, HMD will show off the retro feature phone at Mobile World Congress later this month. The Nokia 3310 has become an internet legend, and it could be coming back. Though it never sold as well as its phenomenally popular forbear, the 3210, the Nokia 3310 has gained an almost mythical reputation over the past 15 years or so thanks to its incredible battery life and stout hardiness compared to the mobile phones of today. While the 3210 laid groundwork by coming pre-installed with games and by being one of the first phones to ditch the gaudy external antenna, the 3310 was a worthy upgrade for many dedicated mobile fans. Adding features we take for granted today such as vibration, screensavers and the ability to compose text messages that go beyond the SMS character limit the 3310 was also significantly lighter and came with four brand new games pre-installed, including the wildly popular Snake II. Career firefighters at the CFA will reap a 19 per cent increase in allowances as part of a package of perks approved by the workplace umpire. Firefighters will receive a $3000 delayed pay increase allowance, relocation costs and an annual $125 sport allowance following a decision by the Fair Work Commission on Friday. The CFA says the pay deal ensures operational staff will not be disadvantaged. Credit:Jessica Shapiro The perks have been included in the union's current 2010 agreement while a long-running dispute over a new agreement continues. The federal government has intervened in the dispute by introducing new legislation which aims to protect the role of volunteers. A van has slammed into a flowerbed outside Crown after its driver appeared to suffer a seizure, onlookers say. Dan, who asked his last name not be printed, said he saw Crown security "going a bit ballistic" after the collision. "The van is up on the flowerbeds and [Crown security] put their van behind it to block it in. Then they started bashing on the windows, and smoke started coming out the bottom of it." Dan said he did not see the start of the incident, and was moved on by police before the man was pulled out of the van. Paramedics at Crown say they are assessing a man, but there are no reports of serious injuries. VicRoads says there are currently westbound delays in the area on Whiteman Street. The dog that gained international fame by guarding a penguin colony on an island off Victoria's south-west coast has died, and there are plans afoot to erect a statue in her honour. Oddball the fluffy, snow-white Maremma dog died last week at the age of 15 or 105 in dog years. "Old Oddball has gone to the big chook run in the sky and will rest in peace," the Middle Island Maremma Project posted to Facebook on Wednesday. About 150 metres offshore from Warrnambool and connected at low tide, Middle Island is home to band of little penguins. Unfortunately marauding foxes had cut the island's population to fewer than 10 birds in 2005. Kathy Bell didn't want to see a sick person in the mirror. Nor did she want others to view her as a cancer patient in need of sympathy. Having been stopped in her tracks by a breast cancer diagnosis in 2015, the Melbourne executive decided to do everything she could to maintain some sense of her normal self. Kathy Bell kept most of her hair during 16 rounds of chemotherapy. Credit:Jason South She ate well, exercised, worked when she had energy, and in a bid to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy, she tried scalp cooling. The technology involved putting her head in a refrigerated cap for up to four hours each time she had chemo. Melburnians flocking to the city for White Night could be forced to confront the city's homelessness crisis, with a "camp out" planned outside the State Library of Victoria. More than 300 people are expected to disrupt the event when they rally against the City of Melbourne's plan for a ban on public camping. Simon Zlatkin will protest the camping ban at the State Library on Saturday. Credit:Wayne Taylor The changes to local law were endorsed by councillors last week, including a communications campaign to discourage people from giving items directly to the homeless. The White Night protest is part of a trend towards political activism by some homeless people in Melbourne, and those connected to the rough-sleeping community. Blogger and author Constance Hall is acutely aware of the irony in loathing the exact medium that created her: the internet. But the paradox doesn't end there, because without the internet the 33-year-old wouldn't have become Australia's highest selling author last year, selling a staggering 150,000 of her book Like a Queen. What is more even remarkable, she doesn't have a book distributor and every single copy was sold online. The mother-of-four only had a couple of thousand Facebook followers in late 2015, when she wrote a hilarious and uncomfortable post about parental sex on her blog The Not So Secret Life of Us. Since then the heavily tattooed 'rock mum' has been thrust kicking and screaming into the international spotlight and now has more than one million fans, which she dubs "Queens". More than $6 million of hydroponic cannabis has been seized and a Vietnamese crime syndicate busted wide open following a string of police raids across Perth's south east. Police believe the hydroponic cannabis set up had the potential to produce $15 million worth of cannabis a year and will allege millions of dollars of electricity was illegally bypassed to power the operation. More than $6 million of hydroponic cannabis has been seized following a string of police raids across Perth. Credit:Rohan Thomson Eleven people in total, most of whom are Vietnamese nationals, have been arrested and charged with a string of drug related offences as part of the police operation. Some of those arrested were based in New South Wales but it will be alleged they were helping run the drug syndicate in Perth. Major advancements in DNA technology have helped convict a man over the sexual assault of a six-year-old Perth girl more than a decade ago. Roland George Stayt, 49, committed the offence in January 2006 at a park in Medina, south of Perth. Advancements in DNA technology has led to Paul Nicholas Sayer being convicted. But it was not until 2014 that Stayt was charged when a review of the case file led to a breakthrough. Using advanced technology systems, police were able to extract a new DNA profile from the victim's clothing which was linked to Stayt. It seems common sense has prevailed after parents at a Perth southern suburbs primary school lashed out at their local council for banning school assemblies at its church hall following a noise complaint from a local resident. St Jerome's Primary School in Munster is a catholic school, with students using the church adjoining its grounds for assemblies and other school activities. But due to persistent complaints from one resident on an adjoining street, Hamelin Drive, the City of Cockburn has banned the use of microphones and amplifiers at the hall. The school's principal, Helen O'Toole, was forced to send a letter to parents explaining the ban, telling them assemblies would be relocated to an undercover area, Radio 6PR reported on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Credit:Bloomberg Mr Manafort added, "It's not like these people wear badges that say, 'I'm a Russian intelligence officer.'" Several of Mr Trump's associates, like Mr Manafort, have done business in Russia, and it is not unusual for American businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business. Paul Manafort has denied any links to Putin. Credit:Bloomberg Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Mr Trump's advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Mr Trump himself. A published report from American intelligence agencies that was made public in January concluded that the Russian government had intervened in the election in part to help Mr Trump, but did not address whether any members of the Trump campaign had participated in the effort. The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael T. Flynn, President Trump's former national security adviser, and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. During those calls, which led to Mr Flynn's resignation on Monday night, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. But the cases are part of the routine electronic surveillance of communications of foreign officials by American intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FBI declined to comment. Two days after the election in November, Sergei A. Ryabkov, the deputy Russian foreign minister, said that "there were contacts" during the campaign between Russian officials and Mr Trump's team. "Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage," Mr Ryabkov said in an interview with the Russian Interfax news agency. The Trump transition team denied Mr Ryabkov's statement. "This is not accurate," Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Mr Trump, said at the time. The National Security Agency, which monitors the communications of foreign intelligence services, initially captured the communications between Mr Trump's associates and Russians as part of routine foreign surveillance. After that, the FBI asked the NSA to collect as much information as possible about the Russian operatives on the phone calls, and to search through troves of previous intercepted communications that had not been analyzed. The FBI has closely examined at least four other people close to Mr Trump, although it is unclear if their calls were intercepted. They are Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign; Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative; and Mr Flynn. All of the men have strongly denied they had any improper contacts with Russian officials. As part of the inquiry, the FBI is also trying to assess the credibility of information contained in a dossier that was given to the bureau last year by a former British intelligence operative. The dossier contained a raft of salacious allegations about connections between Mr Trump, his associates and the Russian government. It also included unsubstantiated claims that the Russians had embarrassing videos that could be used to blackmail Mr Trump. The FBI has spent several months investigating the leads in the dossier, but has yet to confirm any of its most explosive allegations. Senior FBI officials believe that the former British intelligence officer who compiled the dossier, Christopher Steele, has a credible track record, and he briefed FBI investigators last year about how he obtained the information. One American law enforcement official said that FBI agents had made contact with some of Mr Steele's sources. The FBI's investigation into Mr Manafort began last spring as an outgrowth of a criminal investigation into his work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine and for the country's former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych. The investigation has focused on why he was in such close contact with Russian and Ukrainian intelligence officials. The bureau did not have enough evidence to obtain a warrant for a wiretap of Mr Manafort's communications, but it had the NSA closely scrutinise the communications of Ukrainian officials he had met. Jakarta: Jakartans are expected to return to the polls on April 19 to vote in a showdown between the polarising incumbent, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, and former education minister Anies Baswedan after neither candidate won a majority in Wednesday's vote between three gubernatorial candidates. The official result will not be known until early March but according to quick count results, which have proven accurate in the past, Ahok was narrowly leading Anies with 43 per cent of the vote after a peaceful polling day. Jakarta's governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama casts his ballot on Wednesday. Credit:AP The embattled Ahok, who is fighting blasphemy charges that could see him jailed for up to five years, told his supporters the fight was not over yet. "Three to four months ago there was a pollster who said that we could not make 20 per cent - one even said we would only get 10 per cent of the vote - but from the temporary count we are leading at number one," Ahok said. Washington: Southern Africa has been struck by a pestilence so severe farmers have invoked plagues of biblical proportions. Hungry caterpillars called fall armyworms are on the move across the continent from Zambia southward. In early February, South Africa's agricultural department issued a report, noting that for the first time that this unfamiliar pest had been spotted in the country's Limpopo province. A fall armyworm on the damaged corn leaf on a farm north of Pretoria, South Africa. Credit:Bloomberg "Little is known on how this particular pest entered Southern Africa," according to the report. "Since this pest is very new in Africa, very little is known on its long term effects. " It was positively identified as the fall armyworm a few days later. "It has come in like one of the 10 plagues of the Bible," said Ben Freeth, who operates a commercial farm in Zimbabwe, to South Africa's Sunday Times. "It's widespread and seems to be spreading rapidly. It can lay up to 2000 eggs and its life cycle is very quick." Washington: President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb settlement activity but avoided any explicit endorsement of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longstanding bedrock of US Middle East policy. The two leaders met face-to-face for the first time since Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election even as Palestinians urged the White House not to abandon their goal of an independent state. Speaking at a joint news conference, Trump vowed to work toward a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians but said it would require compromise on both sides and it would be up to the parties themselves ultimately to reach an agreement. "I'd like to see you pull back on settlements for a little bit," Trump told Netanyahu. The right-wing Israeli leader later insisted that Jewish settlements were "not the core of the conflict" and made no commitment to reduce settlement building. Washington: President Donald Trump has indicated that he wants to make a splash in space. During his transition, he spoke with historian Douglas Brinkley about John F. Kennedy's famous 1961 vow to go to the moon before the decade was out. Now Trump and his aides may do something very similar: Demand that NASA send astronauts to orbit the moon before the end of Trump's first term - a move that one Trump adviser said would be a clear signal to the Chinese that the US intends to retain dominance in space. NASA already has a plan to launch its new, jumbo Space Launch System rocket with an Orion capsule on top in late 2018, a mission known as EM-1. No one would be aboard. The capsule would orbit the moon and return to Earth, splashing down in the ocean. This is intended as the first test flight of SLS and part of the integration of the new rocket and new capsule. Significantly, the SLS and Orion are both still under construction. According to current plans, a crewed mission, EM-2, would not be launched until several years later under the NASA timeline - certainly not during Trump's current term. That crewed mission would also orbit the moon. A widely-reported, inflammatory news story about a "rioting sex mob" of immigrants assaulting women on New Year's Eve in Frankfurt, Germany, has been exposed as "baseless" after investigation by police. In a humiliating backdown, the German newspaper Bild, which originally reported the claims, has apologised for what it said was a "false report", which was based on the now disputed claims of a pub owner and some of their staff. How the story was reported by Breitbart. On February 6, Bild reported claims that women were attacked by a 50-strong group of "Arabic and North African looking men", at the city's Fressgass nightspot. The group were also said to have stolen drinks and clothing, and thrown bottles and fireworks. The newspaper headlined its story "37 days after New Year's Eve, victims break their silence sex mob in the Fressgass". Another report put the size of the fictional mob of "mostly drunk refugees" at 900. Minutes later, he added, "Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community [NSA and FBI?]. Just like Russia" The New York Times and The Washington Post both reported on the contacts between a Russian diplomat and General Flynn, who resigned as national security adviser on Monday night after acknowledging he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about the discussions. The Times on Wednesday disclosed broader contacts between Russian intelligence officials and people with ties to the Trump campaign and Mr Trump's business empire during and after the campaign. The White House has tried, with little success, to shift the narrative from the nature of those contacts to accusations about the leaking of sensitive information by the intelligence agencies, as well as by the FBI. Mr Trump used a similar strategy during the transition, following disclosures that the intelligence agencies presented him with a dossier containing potentially compromising - but unsubstantiated - information that Russian officials had collected on him during his travels to Russia. On Wednesday, Mr Trump said on Twitter, "The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great!" The president also praised a column by Eli Lake of the Bloomberg View, which criticised the selective leaking of intercepted communications between General Flynn and Russia's ambassador to Washington, Sergei Kislyak. Lake went on to suggest, however, that General Flynn had been sacrificed to protect other officials, potentially including the President himself. Mr Trump, as he has before, rejected allegations that his policy toward Russia was being compromised. "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?" he posted on Twitter. Officials told the Times on Wednesday that one of the Trump campaign advisers they detected speaking to Russians was the President's former campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Manafort told NBC on Wednesday that he didn't think it was possible he had spoken to Russian intelligence officials. "I had no contact knowingly with Russian intelligence officials," he said. "I don't think it's possible I could have even inadvertently had discussions with Russian officials. It's not like they wear badges. The story is not true." Kremlin casts doubt on Times story Russia dismissed the new reports, with the Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, saying that the Times article and one published by CNN were "not based on facts and do not indicate any specific facts, either". The statement from Mr Peskov was foggier than the usual flat denial from the Kremlin, but it followed on the heels of an embarrassing episode. On Friday, Mr Peskov denied outright that Michael Flynn had discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to Washington. But by Monday, of course, retired General Flynn admitted that he had. Unlike the Trump administration, Russian officials never disputed that there were ties between Trump's circle and Russian officials. Two days after the November 8 election, Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, said "there were contacts" during the campaign between Russian officials and Trump's team. Trump transition officials denied that assertion. Mr Peskov did not directly dispute the Times article - or a CNN article that found that "high-level advisers close to then-presidential nominee Donald Trump were in constant communication during the campaign with Russians known to US intelligence" - but he suggested that the truth was hard to discern. "Let's not trust newspaper articles, because it is very difficult to differentiate between what is true and what is fake," Mr Peskov was quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax as saying. "There are references to five sources, but not a single is named." In fact, The Times quoted four current or former intelligence officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information is classified. Los Angeles: A California man accused of buying the assault-style rifles used by a married couple to massacre 14 people at a government office in San Bernardino in 2015 has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, prosecutors said. Enrique Marquez Jr, 25, will plead guilty to conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to attack a community college and commuters on a Southern California freeway, prosecutors said. In this courtroom sketch, Enrique Marquez appears in federal court in Riverside, California in 2015. Credit:AP Marquez, a friend and former neighbour of Farook, has also agreed to plead guilty to making false statements about his purchase of two assault rifles used in the 2015 shooting rampage at the San Bernardino Inland Regional Centre. Marquez was scheduled to enter his pleas, part of an agreement with federal prosecutors, at a hearing on Thursday in US District Court in Los Angeles. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday, February 14th two men was arrested by police in connection with the ongoing home invasion investigation which took place on the evening of December 7th, 2016 at a home in the area of Pelican Keys. During this home invasion, four masked and armed men forced their way into the home of the victim and assaulted him. The suspects then went on to rob the victim of his bank/ credits card. One of the suspects was later caught on the video camera at different automated bank machines using the stolen cards from the victim. This video recording was put on the Police Facebook page requesting the public to help identify the suspect on the video. Due to the help from the community, this suspect was identified, which also led to his arrest and the arrest of a second suspect. Both suspects remain in custody for further investigation. The Police Department encourages the entire community to continue to work alongside and in partnership with them to combat crime on the island. KPSM Press Release PHILIPSBURG: --- The Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman announced on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that the prison director Edward Rohan was asked to go on a leave of absence which will take effect on Monday. The Minister said Rohan agreed to the request and that two persons that are already working within the justice ministry will be the ones to regulate the issues at the prison and to bring the prison back to normal. He further stated that one of the two persons will be dealing with human resources since there are a number of prison workers out on sick leave, while the other person will deal with the technical aspects of the management of the prison. When asked to give reasons why Rohan was asked to go on a leave of absence, the Minister said it was based on all the incidents that have occurred at the prison over the past months and mostly because Rohan went to the media and made certain statements. The Minister also announced that while St. Maarten is looking into building a new prison one of the primary focus right now is to repair the prison as much as possible with limited funds. He said there are doors, locks and other minor things that are not in working conditions and these things can be done by VROMI workers and will not cost a lot of monies. The Minister also assured that his Ministry is doing everything they could to ensure that the situation at the prison is normalized. Justice Minister looking to hire police officers and recruits --- crime rate unacceptable. The Minister of Justice also addressed the crime situation on St. Maarten which he said is very much unacceptable. The Minister further explained that KPSM is undermanned and they are busy trying to hire new recruit persons to enter into the police training while the intention is to also hire some professional police officers from overseas. Minister Boasman said that KPSM is doing everything possible to ensure that the safety and security of the country are in order especially during the Heineken Regatta and carnival season. He said he knows that the people of St. Maarten are very worried about their safety and security. He said that KPSM has spoken to all stakeholders in order to find an immediate solution, however, the main issue is the lack of manpower. The Minister further explained that even the new recruits are assisting the police but there are times those officers have to be in the classroom in order to complete their training. The Minister said that he already discussed the matter of hire professional police officers with the unions and he assured the unions that the hiring of those officers will not hamper the local officers especially when it comes to developing their career. Minister Boasman also stated that the camera project will soon go online as he already held meetings with TELEM, it is expected the camera surveillance will deter the criminals. He also said that KPSM met with their French counterparts and they have agreed to work closer in order to combat the heinous crimes that are taking place on the island. SGS at 2017 ICPHSO: How to Ensure Compliance with Product Safety Regulations ORLANDO, FL (Marketwired) 02/14/17 , the worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, will this week exhibit at the at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel in Orlando, FL. The SGS team will include experts in testing household appliances, toys and other consumer products. They will be able to advise attendees on implementing best practices for complying with regulations, governing product safety, and risk management through supply chain monitoring. The International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization, (ICPHSO), holds its annual meeting and training symposium to provide its global membership of health and safety professionals the opportunity to exchange ideas, share information, and address health and safety concerns affecting all consumers. SGS is a Platinum Sponsor of this years Symposium, where the theme will be: Evaluating and Managing Risk. SGS experts will be available throughout the show in various areas such as in the exhibit space at , during the conference key meetings, during breakout sessions, and as sponsors at the evening reception on Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:15pm. In late April, SGS will also be attending AHAM annual Home Appliance Industry trade association meeting. AHAM is celebrating 50 years as the voice of the home appliance manufacturing industry, with a goal to educate key manufacturers on the importance of testing and government compliance, with a large array of service solutions to support in household appliances. SGS is the worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company; constantly looking beyond customers and societys expectations in order to deliver market leading services wherever they are needed SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 90,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,000 offices and laboratories around the world. As the leader in providing specialized business solutions that improve quality, safety and productivity and reduce risk, SGS helps customers navigate an increasingly regulated world. Shaw Announces C$300 Million Senior Note Offering CALGARY, ALBERTA (Marketwired) 02/14/17 Shaw Communications Inc. (Shaw or the Corporation) (TSX: SJR.B)(TSX: SJR.PR.A)(TSX: SJR.PR.B)(NYSE: SJR)(TSX VENTURE: SJR.A) announced today the terms of an offering of C$300 million principal amount of 3.80% senior notes due March 1, 2027. The net proceeds of this offering, together with cash on hand, will be used to repay the C$400 million principal amount of senior notes of the Corporation due March 2, 2017. Closing is scheduled to occur on February 28, 2017. Based on the closing purchase price, the effective yield of the notes, if held to maturity, is 3.812%. The senior notes will be made available in Canada, under Shaws previously filed shelf prospectus, pursuant to an agency agreement with TD Securities Inc. acting as sole bookrunner. While the agents have agreed to use their best efforts to sell the notes, they will not be obligated to purchase any of the notes which are not sold. Accordingly, the final amount of the offering may potentially be reduced at closing. A copy of the prospectus supplement may be obtained from TD Securities Inc., Attention: Debt Syndication, 222 Bay St., 7th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5K 1A2 or from the Canadian Securities Administrators at . This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. About Shaw Communications Inc. Shaw is an enhanced connectivity provider. Our Consumer division serves consumers with broadband Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Our Wireless division provides wireless voice and data services through an expanding and improving mobile wireless network infrastructure. The Business Network Services division provides business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, telephony, video and fleet tracking services. The Business Infrastructure Services division, through ViaWest, provides hybrid IT solutions including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX SJR.B, SJR.PR.A, SJR.PR.B, NYSE SJR, and TSXV SJR.A). For more information, please visit . Contacts: Shaw Communications Inc. Investor Relations 2nd Watch Earns Spot on CRN 2017 MSP500 List Posted by Publisher Hardware SEATTLE, WA (Marketwired) 02/15/17 , the managed public cloud company, announces that , a brand of , has named 2nd Watch to the 2017 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category. The distinction is the third CRN recognition for 2nd Watch, an original AWS Premier Consulting Partner, in the past year, including the and the . The MSP500 is CRNs annual list recognizing the top managed service providers in North America. The list is comprised of three groups: the Elite 150, enterprise-focused resellers with a significant managed service offering; the Pioneer 250, for providers with a business model heavily weighted toward managed services; and the Managed Security 100, recognizing providers and resellers offering a significant managed security practice. 2nd Watch is an expert in AWS cloud computing, having earned AWS Competencies in Financial Services, Migration, DevOps, Big Data, Marketing and Commerce, Life Sciences and SharePoint. The firm is also recognized as an AWS Managed Service Partner, with customers including Crate & Barrel, Conde Nast, Coca-Cola and Yamaha. In 2016, 2nd Watch was ranked 92nd on Deloittes Technology Fast 500. Increasingly, enterprise customers are looking for MSPs with deep cloud expertise, given the opportunities for economies of scale and rapid innovation, says Jeff Aden, EVP of Marketing & Strategic Business Development & Co-Founder at 2nd Watch. We are honored to be among this list of top MSPs, and well continue to focus on helping large companies move to the cloud and optimize their results and reduce risks once there. Managed service providers play an increasingly important role in the day-to-day operations of businesses across North America, said Robert Faletra, CEO of The Channel Company. MSPs help organizations streamline their spending, effectively allocate limited resources, and benefit from advanced expertise in the latest technologies. We congratulate the service providers on CRNs 2017 MSP500 list, who have continually succeeded in meeting their customers changing needs and help them get the most out of their IT investments. The MSP500 list will be featured in the February 2017 issue of CRN and online at . 2nd Watch is an AWS Premier Partner providing managed cloud to enterprises. The companys subject matter experts, software-enabled services and cutting-edge solutions provide companies with tested, proven, and trusted solutions, allowing them to fully leverage the power of the public cloud. 2nd Watch solutions are high performing, robust, increase operational excellence, decrease time to market, accelerate growth and lower risk. Its patent-pending, proprietary tools automate everyday workload management processes for big data analytics, digital marketing, line-of-business and cloud native workloads. 2nd Watch is a new breed of partner which helps enterprises design, deploy and manage cloud solutions and monitors business critical workloads 247. 2nd Watch has more than 400 enterprise workloads under its management and more than 100,000 instances in its managed public cloud. The venture-backed company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. To learn more about 2nd Watch, visit or call 888-317-7920. Kevin Wolf TGPR for 2nd Watch (650) 327-1641 Melanie Turpin The Channel Company 508.416.1195 Nyotron Honored as Hot Company Winner in the 5th Annual 2017 Cyber Defense Magazine InfoSec Awards in Endpoint Security Solutions SANTA CLARA, CA (Marketwired) 02/15/17 , the creator of threat-agnostic security, announced today that Cyber Defense Magazine, the industrys leading electronic information security magazine and media partner of the RSA Conference 2017, has named its flagship PARANOID platform the winner in Hot Company in Endpoint Security Solutions. After many months of review and judging by leading independent information security experts, Cyber Defense Magazine is pleased to have selected Nyotron as a winner for its Paranoid platform. Were thrilled to recognize next-generation innovation in the information security marketplace, and thats why Nyotron has earned this award from Cyber Defense Magazine. Some of the best INFOSEC defenses come from these kinds of forward-thinking players who think outside of the box, said Pierluigi Paganini, editor in chief, Cyber Defense Magazine. Taking that next-generation innovation a step farther, the PARANOID platform is able to protect enterprises from advanced and zero-day threats by understanding what normal computer behavior looks like and what to do when suspicious behavior tries to damage data on an endpoint. The solution incorporates a threat-agnostic defense approach, enabling PARANOID to stop any attack, regardless of the type of threat or the methodology used to infiltrate a network. By leveraging this approach, only PARANOID can address unknown threats that other technologies are unable to stop. The line includes which provides high-profile enterprises real-time visibility into the threat landscape with a unique 3D representation of the security status of their endpoints. It also includes which deliver monitoring, alerting, management, intelligence, research and incident-response services to organizations across all market segments. CDMs recognition of PARANOID validates our company as an innovator, said Nir Gaist, CEO of Nyotron. The PARANOID platforms approach to protection strongly challenges traditional antivirus and other endpoint vendors that determine attackers methods and technology after an attack has been executed. Nyotrons threat-agnostic approach assumes threats will get into the network and instead focuses on the damage stage of an attack, identifying threats before attackers are able to gain access to or abscond with an organizations critical assets. This industry honor is a ringing endorsement of the fact that PARANOID is ahead of the curve when it comes to the best-of-the-best products that can provide the highest security in the endpoint security market. Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting edge knowledge, real world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free and limited print editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences and our paid subscribers. Learn more about us at Nyotron is a privately held cyber-security company that has developed a disruptive threat-agnostic defense technology to cope with the biggest challenge of todays digital era the unknown threat. PARANOID is designed to prevent targeted and advanced national-level cyber-attacks on high-profile enterprises, and it does so without any previous knowledge about the threat or its methodologies. Based on a unique last-line-of-defense approach, the companys technology is designed to protect enterprise data and critical assets by mitigating threats that were able to outsmart all security layers. Nyotrons customer base includes all major industries, such as transportation, government, banking, healthcare and the public sector. The companys headquarters are in Santa Clara, California, and R&D is in Israel. To learn more, visit . Rick Popko 10Fold 415-800-5381 Donna St. John Vice President of Marketing Nyotron 408-780-0752 Jessica Quinn Director of Marketing & Public Relations StartWire Promotes Andrew Katz to President LEBANON, NH (Marketwired) 02/15/17 , Americas number one job search organizer, today announced the promotion of Andrew Katz to the role of company President. Katz has been with StartWire since September 2015 as its Executive Vice President and General Manager. Powered by a team of recruiting experts committed to radically improving job search, StartWire is a free service currently used by more than nine million job seekers. It enables job seekers to organize their applications and receive automatic status updates from thousands of employers via text and email messages, averting the dreaded black hole syndrome typically experienced by job applicants. This first-of-its-kind technology is now used to track applications at more than 15,000 companies, supporting the recruitment marketing efforts of hiring companies as well as employment brands. Prior to joining StartWire, Katz was the Senior Vice President of Global Business Development and Channel Partnerships at Findly, a recruiting technology company now known as Symphony Talent. Earlier in his career, he was the Senior Vice President, Digital Operations at Bernard Hodes Group. He holds a bachelors degree from Rutgers University in Advertising, Marketing and Psychology. Chris Forman, Founder of StartWire, commented, StartWire is a win-win for job seekers and employers. Thanks to Andys contributions, StartWire has doubled in users and revenue in the last 12 months. Hes the right leader to accelerate our growth moving forward. Katz added, Its exhilarating to be part of an organization that continues to shape the business-critical role of recruiting the right talent. Im looking forward to working with our team and our clients in my new capacity to deliver high-impact results. StartWire is Americas number one job search organizer with more than 9 million members. Job seekers across the U.S. turn to StartWire to close the resume black hole by receiving automatic status updates from thousands of employers. Since its inception, StartWire has received rave reviews and coverage in US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, TechCrunch, Mashable, ERE, and Human Resource Executive. StartWire is headquartered near Dartmouth College in Lebanon, NH. For more information, visit . Zinwave eliminates mobile phone not-spots at Skys new HQ Cambridge-based Systems Integrator Herbert has deployed Zinwaves UNItivity distributed antenna system (DAS) to eliminate mobile phone coverage issues at Skys headquarters LONDON 15/02/17 Zinwave and its UK partner Herbert today announced that it has deployed Zinwaves UNItivity DAS to eliminate wireless coverage and capacity issues at Skys new headquarters in London. The Sky campus, located in Osterley, West London, has recently undergone an extensive redevelopment, consolidating the companys operations. With multiple floors and the use of dense materials, mobile signal was heavily affected, which led Sky to turn to experienced Systems Integrator Herbert. Herbert recommended the globally-proven Zinwave UNItivity solution, which ensures that wireless communications (mobile signal, public safety and IP access services) are always available. New building structures can make it extremely difficult to provide ubiquitous in-building wireless services, with 4G signal often unable to penetrate building walls as well as 2G or 3G services. For Sky, the biggest area of concern involved the second phase of the development, Sky Central, a modern mixed-use scheme with a combined total area of approximately 46,000sqm. Set over three floors, encompassing office space, a studio and also production facilities, together with research and development zones, it was paramount that Sky was able to provide a consistent, strong signal source. Employees need to be able to use their mobile devices, connect to the internet and communicate wirelessly wherever they are on campus. Martin Eddleston, Planning & Delivery Manager Network Implementation at Sky said; Sky is very forward thinking and technically capable, and had the foresight to install single operator DAS in our existing buildings on campus, but when it came to our new Sky Central building, we wanted multi-operator coverage to cope with user volumes and multiple Mobile Network Operators throughout this much larger building. With the number of colleagues occupying our new building and the importance of mobile communications, it was imperative that a scalable, high performing and future proof solution was selected. Zinwave UNItivity met the desired criteria, with Herbert pulling-out all the stops with the project scoping, implementation and in-building integration in the timescales required. Zinwave UNItivity was selected as the preferred coverage solution because of its ability to support multiple mobile operators (EE, O2 & Vodafone) and services (2G, 3G & 4G) and frequencies, making it the most cost-effective and technically-capable solution for Sky. It is flexible and scalable, enabling the rollout of additional services, such as 5G, to be quickly implemented without needing any hardware replacements or cabling refits, offering future-proofing advantages and delivering rapid return on investment (ROI). In addition, Zinwave UNItivity is the only solution that can provide consistent mobile phone coverage inside metal lifts. The solution was scoped, installed and commissioned by Herbert In-Building Wireless, an established supplier of class leading productivity solutions to major organisations in the UK, and Zinwaves preferred UK channel partner. Scott Willis, CEO of Zinwave said; We are extremely pleased that Sky has been able to eliminate all mobile not-spots with our in-building wireless solution. Dense building materials are a common barrier for mobile signals, which can cause a number of problems in a world that increasingly relies on ubiquitous coverage. Our solution is built to overcome these issues, directing all mobile signals to exactly where theyre needed, ensuring seamless communications at all times. Mark Channen, Marketing Director at Herbert said; Sky is an innovator in all that they do, and it is the implementation of innovative turn-key solutions such as the Zinwave UNItivity product that we scoped for them, that ultimately keeps their business at the forefront. Professional and guaranteed communication drives business workflow and productivity at all times with UNItivity. Meeting public safety requirements was also key for Sky. Todays building owners are also often obliged to optimise wireless coverage in their facilities to ensure the safety of emergency service personnel in their day-to-day activities as well as in emergency situations. Zinwave UNItivity provides mobile and public safety access services, delivering an end-to-end all fibre solution on a single converged system within the building. Further information on Skys new building, and the Zinwave solution offered through Herbert, can be found by following this link: www.in-building-wireless.solutions Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated With Novus Light Technologies Today Visit Novus Light Technologies Today to see all the cutting-edge stories and products that you have come to enjoy on Solar Novus Today. In addition, you will find more information on related light-based technologies. Get the latest solar and renewable energy news delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for the Green Technologies newsletter CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR GREEN TECHNOLOGIES NEWSLETTER When photography was invented in France in the 1820s, some artists predicted even feared that it would in time take the place of painting. That didnt happen, but photographers around the world consistently have recorded images that reveal... Noie: That's what it all should look like in Notre Dame Stadium First-year head coach Marcus Freeman kept insisting it was going to happen if Notre Dame kept working. On Saturday, it finally happened for the Irish Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce held its February Business After Hours event at Georgetown Kraft Credit Union. The Business After Hours event was GKCU's new branch at 1379 N. Fraser St. Chamber members enjoyed catered food, beverages and a chance to win a $1,500 travel gift certificate. The winner of the $1,500 travel gift certificate was David Kaiser of JDog Junk Removal & Hauling. GKCU Vice President of Marketing Nikki Ewing welcomed everyone, saying, People helping people is the philosophy at our credit union. GKCU Board Chairman Dennis Loadholt, Georgetown Branch Manager Sharon Brown and several GKCU credit union managers and associates attended the Business After Hours, along many Chamber members. 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 There are so many interesting solar system facts, here are some of our favorites. With so many interesting solar system facts, we've narrowed them down to 25 of our favorites. Our solar system consists of the sun and everything that orbits that sun, like the eight (once nine) planets we all know from elementary school. But the main planets, as diverse and fascinating as they are, are just the beginning. Earth's neighbors in space include comets, asteroids, dwarf planets, mysterious moons and a host of strange phenomena that are so out-of-this-world they elude explanation. Scientists have discovered ice-spewing volcanoes on Pluto, while Mars is home to a truly "grand" canyon the size of the United States. There may even be a giant, undiscovered planet lurking somewhere beyond Neptune. Read on for some of the strangest facts about the solar system. 1. The solar system is really, really big The solar system is incredibly big. (Image credit: ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched in 1977. More than three decades later, in 2012, it became the first human-made object to enter interstellar space by crossing the heliopause, or the edge of the heliosphere. That's the boundary beyond which most of the sun's ejected particles and magnetic fields dissipate. But, according to NASA (opens in new tab), "if we define our solar system as the Sun and everything that primarily orbits the Sun, Voyager 1 will remain within the confines of the solar system until it emerges from the Oort cloud in another 14,000 to 28,000 years." Related: Voyager 2's trip to interstellar space deepens some mysteries beyond our solar system 2. Even just our neighborhood is really, really big Did you know that all of the planets in the solar system could fit between Earth and our moon? (Image credit: Jeremy Horner via Getty images) (opens in new tab) Depending on how carefully you do the calculations and how you arrange them, all of the planets in the solar system could fit in between Earth and its moon. The distance between the Earth and the moon varies, as does the diameter of each of the planets they're wider at their equators, so Saturn or Jupiter or both would have to be tilted sideways for this to work, according to news site Slate. But imagine lining them all up, pole to pole. They'd just barely squeeze in between us and our closest companion in space, blocking out the sky with their rings and gas giant bulk as they did so. (Of course, in all practicality we'd have other problems to worry about, too. Our little moon creates vast tides on Earth already the gravitational perturbation from our new proximity to Jupiter alone would keep any of us from admiring the view.) The moon is the farthest from Earth that we've ever sent humans, and it's both mind-bogglingly distant and incredibly close depending on how you think about it. Eight enormous planets could fit between here and there, and yet according to NOAA (opens in new tab), the distance from Earth to the sun is more than 390 times the distance from the Earth to the moon. Scientists use an approximation of the Earth-to-sun distance, also known as one astronomical unit or AU, to compare distances within the solar system. Jupiter is about 5.2 AU from the sun, and Neptune is 30.07 AU from the sun or approximately 30 times as far from the star as Earth 3. Uranus spins sideways Uranus appears to roll around the sun like a ball, rotating on its side. This composite image of the two hemispheres of Uranus was obtained with Keck Telescope adaptive optics and the north pole is at 4 o'clock. (Image credit: Lawrence Sromovsky, University of Wisconsin-Madison/W.W. Keck Observatory) (opens in new tab) Uranus usually appears in classroom solar system models as a featureless blue ball, but this gas giant of the outer solar system is pretty weird on closer inspection. First, the planet rotates on its side, appearing to roll around the sun like a ball, according to NASA's Uranus guide (opens in new tab). The most likely explanation for the planet's unusual orientation (about 90 degrees sideways compared to the other planets) is that it underwent some sort of titanic collision in the ancient past. Uranus' tilt causes what NASA considers to be the most extreme seasons in the solar system. For about a quarter of each Uranus year (or 21 Earth years, as each Uranus year is 84 years long), the sun shines directly over the north or south pole of the planet. That means for more than two decades on Earth, half of Uranus never sees the sun at all. Scientists monitor these extreme seasons on Uranus and expected that the 2007 equinox on the planet might cause unusual weather. But it was seven years later that the atmosphere erupted into wild unpredicted storms, making Uranus more of a puzzle than ever. 4. Jupiter's moon Io has towering volcanic eruptions Io has hundreds of active volcanoes. Here, an impressive eruption was captured by NASAs Galileo spacecraft during a flyby. (Image credit: NASA/JPL/DLR) (opens in new tab) Compared to Earth's peaceful moon, Jupiter's moon Io may come as a surprise. The Jovian moon has hundreds of volcanoes and is considered the most active moon in the solar system, sending plumes of sulfur up to 190 miles (300 kilometers) into its atmosphere. According to a statement from NASA (opens in new tab), Io's volcanos emit one ton (more than 900 kilograms) of gases and particles into the space near Jupiter each second. Io's eruptive nature is caused by the immense forces the moon is exposed to, nestled in Jupiter's gravitational well and its magnetic field. The moon's insides tense up and relax as it orbits closer to, and farther from, the planet, generating enough energy for volcanic activity. Scientists are still trying to figure out how heat spreads through Io's interior, though, making it difficult to predict where the volcanoes exist using scientific models alone. 5. Mars boasts a volcano bigger than the entire state of Hawaii Olympus mons is the biggest volcano ever discovered in the solar system. This artists illustration depicts what the shield volcano looks like on Mars. (Image credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) While Mars seems quiet now, gigantic volcanoes once dominated the surface of the planet. This includes Olympus Mons, the biggest volcano ever discovered in the solar system. At 374 miles (602 km) across, the volcano is comparable to the size of Arizona. It's 16 miles (25 kilometers) high, or triple the height of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth. By volume, according to NASA, Olympus Mons is 100 times larger (opens in new tab) than Earth's largest volcano, Hawaii's Mauna Loa. Scientists speculate that volcanoes on Mars can grow to such immense size because gravity there is much weaker than it is on Earth. In addition, while Earth's crust constantly moves, the Martian crust likely does not (although the debate among researchers continues). The Hawaiian islands were formed as a hot spot in the mantle created a chain of volcanoes in the crust cruising by above it, so if the surface of Mars isn't moving, a volcano could build-up for longer in one spot. 6. Mars' largest valley could eat the Grand Canyon for breakfast Valles Marineris on Mars is more than 10 times as long as Earths Grand Canyon. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS) (opens in new tab) At 2,500 miles (4,000 km) long, the immense system of Martian canyons known as Valles Marineris is more than 10 times as long as the Grand Canyon on Earth. Valles Marineris escaped the notice of early Mars spacecraft (which flew over other parts of the planet) and was finally spotted by the global mapping mission Mariner 9 in 1971. And what a sight it was to miss Valles Marineris could stretch from coast to coast of the entire United States! The lack of active plate tectonics on Mars makes it tough to figure out how the canyon formed. Some scientists think that a chain of volcanoes on the other side of the planet, known as the Tharsis Ridge (which includes Olympus Mons), somehow bent the crust from the opposite side of Mars. That cataclysmic force activated cracks in the crust, vast amounts of sub-surface water that emerged to carve away rock, and glaciers that crunched new pathways into the canyon system. 7. Venus is swept by super-powerful winds that some hope could harbor life Venus is a hot hellish planet. This computer illustration shows the rocky surface of Venus and the clouds of sulphuric acid. (Image credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) Venus is a hellish planet with a high-temperature, high-pressure environment on its surface. Bone-dry and hot enough to melt lead, it's not exactly a welcoming environment (and has probably always been inhospitable to life). When heavily shielded Venera spacecraft from the Soviet Union landed there in the 1970s, according to NASA each lasted a few minutes (opens in new tab) or, at most, a few hours before melting or being crushed beyond their ability to function. But even above its surface, the planet has a bizarre environment. Scientists have found that its upper winds flow 50 times faster than the planet's rotation. The European Venus Express spacecraft (which orbited the planet between 2006 and 2014) tracked the winds over long periods and detected periodic variations. It also found that the hurricane-force winds appeared to be getting stronger over time. A 2020 study that thrilled some astrobiologists detected phosphine, a possible sign of decaying biological matter, high in the Venusian clouds. Could they be a sign of life? Not without sufficient water, claim follow-up studies that firmly reject the possibility of life in Venus' dry windy atmosphere. 8. There is water everywhere Water ice exists all over the solar system. This artists illustration shows what Mars would look like with lakes of water. (Image credit: gremlin via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) Water was once considered a rare substance in space. In fact, water ice exists all over the solar system: It's a common component of comets and asteroids, for starters. Water can be found as ice in permanently shadowed craters on Mercury and the moon, although we don't know if there's enough to support prospective human colonies in those places. Mars also has ice at its poles, in frost and likely below the surface dust. Even smaller bodies in the solar system have ice: Saturn's moon Enceladus, and the dwarf planet Ceres, among others. NASA scientists (opens in new tab) suspect Jupiter's moon Europa may be the most likely known candidate for extraterrestrial life because, against all expectations, there is likely liquid water below its cracked and frozen surface. Europa, much smaller than Earth, may host a deep ocean that researchers suggest could contain twice as much water as all of Earth's oceans combined. But we know that not all ice is the same. A close-up examination of Comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, for example, revealed a different kind of water ice than the kind found on Earth. 9. Spacecraft have visited every planet A montage of images captured by NASAs Voyager 2 spacecraft. (Image credit: NASA/JPL) (opens in new tab) We've been exploring space for more than 60 years, and have been lucky enough to get close-up pictures of dozens of celestial objects. Most notably, we've sent spacecraft to all of the planets in our solar system Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune as well as two dwarf planets, Pluto and Ceres. The bulk of the flybys came from NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, which left Earth more than four decades ago and are still transmitting data from interstellar space. Between them, the Voyagers clocked visits to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, thanks to an opportune alignment of the outer planets. 10. Spacecraft could bring contaminants to inhabitable (or inhabited) locations in the solar system We havent found evidence of life elsewhere in the solar system. But as we learn more about life that exists in extreme environments on Earth such as hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, more possibilities open up for where they could be found on other planets. (Image credit: Ralph White via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) So far, scientists have found no evidence that life exists elsewhere in the solar system. But as we learn more about how "extreme" microbes live in underwater volcanic vents or frozen environments, more possibilities open up for where they could live on other planets. Microbial life is now considered likely enough on Mars that scientists take special precautions to sterilize spacecraft headed to the planet. NASA chose to crash its Galileo spacecraft into Jupiter rather than risk it contaminating the potentially habitable oceans of Europa. 11. Mercury is still shrinking Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. It has short years, long days and extreme temperatures. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington) (opens in new tab) Mercury is already the smallest planet in the solar system (excluding the dwarf planet Pluto, of course), and the second-densest after Earth. And it's only getting smaller and denser. For many years, scientists believed that Earth was the only tectonically active planet in the solar system. That changed after the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft did the first orbital mission at Mercury, mapping the entire planet in high definition and getting a look at the features on its surface. In 2016, data from MESSENGER revealed cliff-like landforms known as fault scarps. Because the fault scarps are relatively small, scientists are sure that they weren't created that long ago and that the planet is still contracting 4.5 billion years after the solar system was formed. 12. There are mountains on Pluto In July 2015 NASAs New Horizons spacecraft sent back impressive images of Pluto and its moons. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Lunar and Planetary Institute) (opens in new tab) Pluto is a tiny world at the edge of the solar system, so scientists assumed the dwarf planet would have a fairly uniform, crater-pocked environment. That changed when NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew by in 2015, sending back pictures that altered our view of Pluto forever. Related: Destination Pluto: NASA's New Horizons mission in pictures Among the astounding discoveries were icy mountains that are 11,000 feet (3,300 meters) high, indicating that Pluto must have been geologically active as little as 100 million years ago. But geological activity requires energy, and the source of that energy inside Pluto is a mystery. The sun is too far away from Pluto to generate enough heat for geological activity, and there are no large planets nearby that could have caused such disruption with gravity. 13. Pluto has a bizarre atmosphere NASAs New Horizons spacecraft captured this image of Pluto when it was 120,000 miles (200,000 kilometers) away from the dwarf planet. Plutos atmosphere can be seen as a blue haze. (Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute) (opens in new tab) Pluto's observed atmosphere broke all the predictions. Scientists saw the unexpected haze extending as high as 1,000 miles (1,600 km), rising higher above the surface than the atmosphere on Earth. As data from NASA's New Horizons mission flowed in, scientists analyzed the haze and discovered some surprises there, too. Scientists found about 20 layers in Pluto's atmosphere that are both cooler and more compact than expected. This affects calculations for how quickly Pluto loses its nitrogen-rich atmosphere to space. NASA's New Horizons team found that tons of nitrogen gas escape the dwarf planet by the hour, but somehow Pluto can constantly resupply that lost nitrogen. The dwarf planet is likely creating more of it through geological activity. 14. Rings are much more common than we thought Saturn isnt the only body in the solar system with rings. (Image credit: SCIEPRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) We've known about Saturn's rings since telescopes were invented in the 1600s, but it took spacecraft and more powerful telescopes built in the last 50 years to reveal more. We now know that every planet in the outer solar system Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune has a ring system. But the rings differ from planet to planet: Saturn's spectacular halo, made in part of sparkly, reflective water ice, is not repeated anywhere else. Instead, the rings of the other giants are likely made of rocky particles and dust. Rings aren't limited to planets, either. In 2014, for example, astronomers discovered rings were around the asteroid Chariklo. 15. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is shrinking Jupiters Great Red Spot is the largest storm in the solar system but it wont hold the title forever as the anticyclonic storm is shrinking. NASAs Juno spacecraft captured this image of the infamous storm during a flyby in 2019. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS.) (opens in new tab) Along with being the solar system's largest planet, Jupiter also hosts the solar system's largest storm. Known as the Great Red Spot, it's been observed in telescopes since the 1600s and studied from modern instruments like NASA's Juno, which recently provided evidence that the storm is hundreds of miles tall (and likely fed by winds from thousands of miles below, too). The storm has been a raging conundrum for centuries, but in recent decades another mystery emerged: the spot is getting smaller. In 2014, the storm was only 10,250 miles (16,500 km) across, about half of its historic size. The shrinkage is being monitored in professional telescopes and also by amateurs. Amateurs are often able to make more consistent measurements of Jupiter because viewing time on larger, professional telescopes is limited and often split between different objects. Related: Best telescopes 2022: Top picks for viewing planets, galaxies, stars and more 16. Most comets are spotted with a sun-gazing telescope Comet ISON appears from the bottom right of the image and sweets up towards the upper right. The striking image was captured by the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory with an image of the sun at the center from NASAs Solar Dynamics Observatory. (Image credit: ESA/NASA/SOHO/SDO/GSFC) (opens in new tab) Comets used to be the province of amateur astronomers, who spent night after night scouring the skies with telescopes. While some professional observatories also made discoveries while viewing comets, that began to change with the launch of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) in 1995. Since then, the spacecraft has found more than 2,400 comets, which is a pretty productive side-mission for a telescope meant to observe just the sun. These comets are nicknamed "sungrazers." Many amateurs still participate in the search for comets by picking them out from raw SOHO images. One of SOHO's most famous observations came when it watched the breakup of the bright Comet ISON in 2013. 17. There may be a huge planet at the edge of the solar system Planet Nine is a theoretical planet that could explain the movements of some objects in the Kuiper Belt. (Image credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) In January 2015, California Institute of Technology astronomers Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown announced based on mathematical calculations and simulations that there could be a giant planet lurking far beyond Neptune. Several teams are now on the search for this theoretical "Planet Nine," and research suggests it could be located within the decade. This large object, if it exists, could help explain the movements of some objects in the Kuiper Belt, an icy collection of objects beyond Neptune's orbit. Brown has already discovered several large objects in that area that in some cases rivaled or exceeded the size of Pluto. (His discoveries were one of the catalysts for changing Pluto's status from planet to dwarf planet in 2006.) But scientists are pursuing another theory, too: that "Planet Nine" could in fact be a grapefruit-sized black hole, warping space similarly to the way a gigantic planet would. And yet another team suggests that the weird movements of the far-flung Kuiper Belt occupants could be the collective influence of several small objects, not an undiscovered planet or black hole at all. 18. Neptune is too hot Neptune is approximately 30 times as far from the sun as Earth. (Image credit: NASA JPL) (opens in new tab) Neptune is roughly 30 times as far from the sun as Earth, and it gets correspondingly less heat and light. But it radiates far more heat than it's taking in and has far more activity in its atmosphere than planetary scientists would suspect, especially compared to nearby Uranus. Uranus is closer to the sun and yet radiates about the same amount of heat as Neptune, and scientists aren't sure why. Winds on Neptune can blow up to 1,500 miles per hour (2,400 km/h). Is all that energy coming from the sun, from the planet's core, or gravitational contraction? Researchers are working to find out. 19. Earth's Van Allen belts are more bizarre than expected The Van Allen belts were discovered in 1958. The large bands of radiation surround Earth and expand and contract according to solar activity. (Image credit: NASA/Van Allen Probes/Goddard Space Flight Center) (opens in new tab) Earth has several bands of magnetically trapped, highly energetic charged particles surrounding our planet, known as the Van Allen belts (named after the discoverer of the phenomenon.) While we've known about the belts since the dawn of the space age, the Van Allen Probes (launched in 2012) have provided our best-ever view of them. They've uncovered quite a few surprises along the way. We now know that the belts expand and contract according to solar activity. Sometimes the belts are very distinct from one another, and sometimes they swell into one massive unit. An extra radiation belt (beyond the known two) was spotted in 2013. Understanding these belts helps scientists make better predictions about space weather or solar storms. 20. What happened to Miranda? Uranus moon Miranda has one of the most diverse landscapes among extraterrestrial bodies. (Image credit: NASA/JPL/USGS) (opens in new tab) One of the most bizarre moons in the outer solar system is Miranda, a shadowy moon of Uranus observed only once when Voyager 2 got a glimpse in 1986. Miranda hosts sharp ridges, craters and other major disruptions on its surface that would usually be the result of volcanic action. Tectonic activity could cause that kind of surface, but Miranda is much too small to generate that kind of heat on its own. Researchers think that gravitational pull from Uranus could have generated the push-pull action needed to heat, churn and contort Miranda's surface. But to know for sure, we'll need to send another spacecraft to check out the moon's unobserved northern hemisphere. 21. Saturn's yin-yang moon Saturns moon Iapetus exhibits extreme differences in brightness across the surface depending on which side faces the sun. (Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute) (opens in new tab) Saturn's moon Iapetus has a very dark hemisphere that always faces away from the planet and a very light hemisphere that always faces toward Saturn. Most asteroids, moons and planets are relatively uniform across their surfaces, but Iapetus sometimes shines brightly enough to be spotted by Giovanni Cassini's telescope in the 1600s, and then dims down by several magnitudes when oriented in the other direction. Current research suggests that Iapetus, also known as Saturn VIII, is made mostly of water ice. As the moon's darker side faces the sun, scientists hypothesize, water ice sublimated away from that area, leaving darker rock behind. That could have created a positive feedback loop, as dark material heats up more than bright, reflective ice: as the darker, warmer side of the moon lost its ice, it became easier to heat up each time it faced the sun, hastening the loss of more ice. 22. Titan has a liquid cycle, but it's definitely not water Titans lakes are filled with methane and ethane and possibly a layer of water. (Image credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) (opens in new tab) Another weird moon in Saturn's system is Titan, which hosts a liquid "cycle" that moves material between the atmosphere and the surface. That sounds a lot like Earth's water cycle, but Titan's immense lakes are filled with methane and ethane, possibly over a layer of water. Researchers hope to use data from the international Cassini mission to tease out some of Titan's secrets before designing a submarine that might one day plumb the depths of the mysterious moon. 23. Organics molecules are everywhere Organic molecules have been found in many other places in the solar system including Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenk. Here, the jagged landscape of the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenk was captured in an image taken by ESAs Rosetta spacecraft. (Image credit: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM) (opens in new tab) Organics are complex carbon-based molecules found in living things, but which can be created by non-biological processes too. While organic molecules are common on Earth, they can unexpectedly be found in many other places in the solar system too. Scientists have found organics on the surface of Comet 67P, for example. The discovery bolstered the case that organic molecules to jump-start life on Earth could have been brought to the surface from space. Organics have also been found on the surface of Mercury, on Saturn's moon Titan (which gives Titan its orange color) and on Mars 24. Saturn has a hexagonal-shaped storm Saturns northern hemisphere is home to a strange hexagonal-shaped storm that has been raging for decades. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Hampton) (opens in new tab) Saturn's northern hemisphere has a raging six-sided storm nicknamed "the hexagon." This hexagon, a towering multilayered storm, has been there for decades, if not hundreds of years. The strange storm was discovered in the 1980s but was barely visible until the Cassini mission flew by between 2004 and 2017. Images and data from Cassini reveal the storm to be 180 miles (300 km) tall, 20,000 miles (32,000 km) wide and composed of air moving at about 200 mph (320 km/h). 25. The solar atmosphere is much hotter than the sun's surface The temperature of the sun varies between each layer of the atmosphere. (Image credit: NASA/SDO) (opens in new tab) While the sun's visible surface the photosphere is 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius), its upper atmosphere has temperatures in the millions of degrees. It's a large temperature differential with little explanation. Related: How hot is the sun? NASA has several sun-gazing spacecraft on the case, however, and they have some ideas for how the heat is generated. One is "heat bombs," which happen when magnetic fields cross and realign in the corona. Another is when plasma waves move from the sun's surface into the corona. With new data from the Parker Solar Probe (which recently became the first human-made object to touch the sun) coming in all the time, we're closer than ever to unlocking the mysteries at the heart of our solar system. A key element of Chinas human spaceflight program is being prepared for launch this April. The country's first cargo-carrying spacecraft, known as Tianzhou-1, arrived at a launch site in Wenchang City in southern Hainan Province on Monday (Feb. 13), according to Chinese media reports. The robotic Tianzhou-1 can carry about 5 tons of supplies into Earth orbit. The cargo vessel is integral to the operation of the space station that China aims to build by 2020, Chinese officials have said. Once lofted by a Long March-7 booster from the Wenchang spaceport, the cargo ship will dock with the now-orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab and refuel that facility. Payload ratio In an interview on CCTV-Plus, Bai Mingsheng, chief designer of Tianzhou-1 at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., put the freighter's hauling ability into perspective. "The carrying capacity of Tianzhou-1 is designed based on the scale of the space station, in the principle of achieving the highest carrying capacity with the lowest structural weight. There is an index for the spacecraft's carrying capacity, which is called payload ratio," Bai said. "The payload ratio of Tianzhou-1 can reach 0.48, which is a relatively high figure in the world." As noted by CCTV-Plus, payload ratio is the amount of potential cargo weight compared to the weight of the spacecraft. Tianzhou-1's payload ratio is higher than that of Japan's H-II Transfer Vehicle, which resupplies the International Space Station, Chinese officials said. China's Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft arrived at the Wenchang launch site on Feb. 13, 2017 ahead of a planned April liftoff. (Image credit: Ji Qiming/CMSE) Verifying technology Tianzhou-1 will dock with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab, which launched in September 2016 and hosted two astronauts for 30 days a month later in China's longest-ever human spaceflight mission. The supply vessel will refuel Tiangong-2, verifying the technology needed for on-orbit transfer of liquid propellant one of the key technologies required to assemble and maintain China's future space station. Bai said that docking will come just two days after Tianzhou-1's launch, but the refueling process will be lengthy. "The whole process takes about two months. After the completion of the two-month docking, we will check the status of the equipment and refill the propellant," Bai said. For a look at Tianzhou-1 preparations, check out these CCTV-Plus video clips: http://l3-pv.news.cctvplus.com/2017/0213/8043031_Preview_1486991619869.mp4 http://l3-pv.news.cctvplus.com/2017/0213/8043022_Preview_1486992765374.mp4 Leonard David is author of "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet," published by National Geographic. The book is a companion to the National Geographic Channel series "Mars." A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Athena, or Advanced Telescope for High-ENergy Astrophysics, is a European Space Agency (ESA) large-class mission expected to launch in 2028. The spacecraft is an X-ray observatory expected to answer questions about the hot and energetic universe. The two main questions include "How does ordinary matter assemble into the large-scale structures that we see today" (such as galaxy groups and clusters) and "How do black holes grow and influence the environment around them." A black hole's environment is best seen in X-rays, and hot gases, which are visible in X-rays, can give clues about galactic structure formation and evolution. Science objectives of Athena include investigating: how galaxy groups and clusters form and evolve; how hot "baryons," or subatomic particles, evolve; missing baryons in the intergalactic medium, or plasma between galaxies; how black holes and supermassive black holes grow over time; how black holes influence "active" galaxies (those galaxies that produce an extraordinary amount of energy); the effects of active galactic nuclei on galactic clusters and star formation. The launch vehicle hasn't been determined yet, but it's possible that Athena will launch on an Ariane 5. After launch, the spacecraft will then be placed in a stable gravitational area in space known as a Lagrange point. In this case, Athena will use L2, which is on the "dark" side of the Earth (meaning that it is exactly opposite of the sun.) L2 has also been used for missions such as WMAP (the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) and Planck, and will be the location of the future NASA James Webb Space Telescope after launch in 2018. Athena will perform about 300 pointed observations of celestial objects each year, ESA stated. Each observation will last an average of 105 seconds. While there will be a planned observation campaign, there will be flexibility to move Athena to a target if a transient event in the sky is noticed, such as a gamma-ray burst. Planning allows this to happen twice per month, ESA said. Athena is expected to last five years, although consumables (such as fuel) have been rated for 10 years in the case of a mission extension. Athena history Athena is named after an Ancient Greek goddess who favored Odysseus, the hero of the Odyssey. The telescope project was born out of the reformulation of several older missions. At first, ESA and NASA were each pursuing different telescope projects, called XEUS and Constellation-X respectively. This changed in 2008 after officials from NASA, ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) agreed on an International X-Ray Observatory (IXO) to merge the Constellation-X and XEUS projects. The United States periodically conducts studies among space scientists to determine the priorities for the coming decade, which is called the decadal survey. ESA has its own priority list that draws from the recommendations of the Cosmic Vision Programme 2015-2025. The 2010 U.S. decadal survey ranked IXO fourth among large-scale missions. In 2011, ESA issued a statement saying the agency would go alone for large-scale missions. It cited the lack of support in the decadal survey for three joint European missions, and added that it had concerns that NASA funding would not let the missions launch in a timely fashion. ESA subsequently moved forward with a modified version of IXO under Cosmic Vision, known as Athena. Athena was among the candidates proposed for the first large-class mission launch competition in 2012, but officials ultimately chose JUICE (the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer). Athena was instead chosen in 2014 for the second large-class mission opportunity, for a launch in 2028. "The mission has now entered the study phase; once the mission design and costing have been completed, it will eventually be proposed for 'adoption' around 2019, before the start of the construction phase," ESA wrote in a summary page about the mission. While Athena's design is still being determined, the telescope will likely have an X-ray telescope with a focal length (distance between the center of its lens, and the focus of the telescope) of about 12 meters, or 39 feet. It will also include two instruments: an X-ray Integral Field Unit for high-spectral resolution imaging, and a Wide Field Imager that will get more moderate resolution spectroscopy over a wide field of view. "The telescope will use silicon pore optics (SPO), which will provide a unique combination of a large collecting area and good angular resolution across a large field of view while meeting a stringent mass budget," ESA stated on another page. Arrays of these pores will be placed into modules using commercially available silicon wafers, the agency added. These wafers will be cut, arranged and stacked in a radial pattern to focus the light. Supporting the X-ray optics will be a mirror assembly module that will include a sun protector, a straylight baffle and a thermal baffle so that the telescope can perform its sensitive observations with a minimum of interference. Other X-ray telescopes in space With dozens of X-ray telescopes launched into space, it is difficult to summarize all of the missions quickly. The first of these launched in the 1970s, and observations from X-ray telescopes continue today. Some of the larger and more recent missions are summarized below. The Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched on the STS-93 shuttle mission in July 1999, and is still operating. Chandra is considered one of NASA's "Great Observatories," referring to a program in the 1980s and 1990s that birthed the large-class observatories of the Hubble Space Telescope, Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory and Spitzer Space Telescope. Chandra has made numerous discoveries, including imaging a halo of hot gas around the Milky Way, showing that nearly all stars on the main sequence of evolution emit X-rays, and observing X-ray emission from Sagittarius A* (the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's center). XMM-Newton (X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission) is an ESA mission launched in December 1999 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. XMM-Newton is a part of ESA's Horizon 2000 program, a previous long-term plan the agency followed for choosing missions. Its mission has been extended several times, and the observatory remains in good health. Its discoveries include measuring the spin rate of a supermassive black hole (along with another observatory called NuSTAR) and making observations of massive galaxy clusters, which help confirmed the presence of dark energy. The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission has instruments on board that can observe these transient phenomena using gamma-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet and optical wavelengths. It flew into orbit in 2004 aboard a Delta II rocket, and remains in operation. It has seen black holes, supernovas (star explosions), active galactic nuclei, comets and many other things. Among its discoveries was finding a new kind of gamma-ray burst that is not associated with a supernova, which was a surprise to astronomers. ESA's INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), which launched in 2002 and is still operational, has a similar mission to Swift. In conjunction with NASA and the Russian Space Agency, INTEGRAL examines gamma-ray bursts. Besides gamma-ray bursts, it has performed observations of X-ray binaries as well as X-ray sources outside of the galaxy. This includes the cosmic X-ray background, the remnant of radiation left over from when the Milky Way was born. Additional resources Winston Churchill wrote an essay on alien life in 1939 when Europe was on the brink of war, shortly before he became prime minister of the United Kingdom. Winston Churchill was known for his leadership during World War II, but a newfound essay on alien life reveals another side of him, one that was deeply curious about the universe. "I, for one, am not so immensely impressed by the success we are making of our civilization here that I am prepared to think we are the only spot in this immense universe which contains living, thinking creatures," he wrote in the newly uncovered essay, "or that we are the highest type of mental and physical development which has ever appeared in the vast compass of space and time." Besides being prime minister of the United Kingdom during the tumultuous years of World War II, the British statesman was also a prolific writer and proponent of science. In fact, he was the first prime minister to have a science advisor. Those traits converged in the newfound 11-page essay about the search for alien life, discovered at the Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri. It was first written in 1939 and was slightly revised in the late 1950s. [5 Bold Claims of Alien Life] "I was amazed to see the title of this article, first of all," Livio, head of the Institute Science Division at the Space Telescope Science Institute, told Space.com. "And then I read it and was even more astonished, because I saw that this great politician is musing about a real scientific topic, an intriguing scientific topic, [and] he is reasoning about this in the same way that a scientist today would go about it." Churchill was not a scientist, and when the politician composed the essay, Europe was on the brink of war, Livio said. "And yet, at that time, he finds the time to contemplate such issues and think about things so clearly," Livio added. Evaluating the likelihood of life In the essay, Churchill first set out to define life, characterizing the most important quality as the ability to reproduce. He chose to consider "comparatively highly organized life," which Livio said is probably multicellular life. Churchill likely did this to avoid ambiguity for things like viruses, which are able to replicate but exhibit other characteristics that aren't terribly lifelike, Livio said. Then, Churchill discussed where to look for life: in places with liquid water (or where liquid water can persist, which is what scientists now call the "habitable zone" around stars). "Then, he says, OK, once we've defined life, what are the necessary ingredients for life to exist? And he identifies liquid water as one such ingredient," Livio said. "And that's exactly what we do today. Our searches for life in the universe today are primarily guided by liquid water." In his essay, Churchill considered the solar system, deciding that only Mars and Venus could have fulfilled those conditions. The outer planets are too cold, Mercury is too hot on one side and too cold on the other, and the moon and asteroids have gravity too weak to trap the atmosphere, Livio wrote, summarizing Churchill's argument. Then, Churchill discussed the possibility of planets outside the solar system exoplanets which had not yet been discovered. The model he considered, described by astrophysicist James Jean in 1917, predicted that planetary formation is very unlikely to occur. (The theory, which proved incorrect, described planets forming by the gas torn from a star when another star passes by it.) "But the beautiful thing is, then he says, But wait! Maybe this theory is wrong! Why should we think that this theory is correct?" Livio said. Churchill added that the abundance of double stars suggests that planetary systems could form commonly. In the article, Livio quoted Churchill's essay: "I am not sufficiently conceited to think that my sun is the only one with a family of planets." Churchill went on to posit that a large fraction of those planets would be the right size to keep water on their surface and maybe an atmosphere, and that some would be at the right distance from their stars to maintain a life-friendly temperature. "This chain of logic is astounding, in my opinion, for a politician," Livio said. [The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Explained (Infographic)] Churchill and science Livio said Churchill saw value in science, but the statesman took a nuanced approach. He understood that science was necessary to win the war effort, but also established an atmosphere in which science was important in its own right, and he wanted it to be used to improve the world. "As a result of that, in the 1950s, came all these great discoveries," Livio said, citing milestones like finding the structure of DNA and developing radio astronomy, which stemmed from work on radar. "Once you generate the framework and the infrastructure for science to thrive, then a variety of discoveries come." But Churchill also emphasized that science should work to advance humanity, Livio said. "Later in life, he also understood that one cannot do the science in what he would call a moral vacuum," Livio said. "You need to embed all the scientific research and discoveries also in the context of human values, and an understanding of the human condition." Livio emphasized that today, science has serious problems to address, particularly regarding food resources, climate change and disease. Churchill's approach to science is necessary, Livio said. "All of those [concerns] require serious scientific input, so there must be the mechanisms in place to get that scientific input, and the correct scientific input which means science advisors at high levels, and involvement of scientists in a variety of decisions concerning some of those challenges," Livio said. "It certainly doesn't help to shun sciences; some of these problems can turn into disasters if nothing is done." As for the likelihood of life on other planets, over the past 20 years, scientists have discovered thousands of planets orbiting other stars and have made large strides in determining these worlds' characteristics remotely. But researchers have yet to discover definitive signs of life elsewhere in the universe, or to visit other planets in person to hunt for life. However, Churchill didn't want to put bounds on what advancing science or technology might bring, Livio said. "When he discussed the possibility of traveling to other planets and things like that, he says, well maybe this isn't possible today but, he says, 'It is rash to set limits to the progress of science,'" Livio said. "Things that are not possible today, you shouldn't think that they would not be possible in the future." Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Experts from around the world gathered on Tuesday (Feb. 14) to discuss how humans can mitigate the threat of asteroid impacts, as well as to go over plans for future space probes and even for the mining of space rocks all ahead of the third annual Asteroid Day, which arrives June 30. The Asteroid Day press conference (which you can watch on YouTube) was broadcast from Luxembourg, with some participants joining from Bucharest, Romania; London; and Silicon Valley. It included Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister Etienne Schneider and Britain's Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees. "I think were all aware that we on spaceship Earth are vulnerable to impact from the outside," Rees said. "And for the first time, were in a position to remove this risk. International organizations should realize it's an environmental issue." [Potentially Dangerous Asteroids in Pictures] Part of the effort to develop technologies to mitigate the risk of an impact will come from missions to the smaller bodies of the solar system, said Patrick Michel, principal investigator of the Asteroid Impact Deflection and Assessment mission (AIDA). AIDA will be the first mission to a binary asteroid, and it will for the first time show how a small probe can maneuver around a small body. The mission consists of the European Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) and a NASA payload called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). The NASA payload is an impactor fired at the asteroid to see how much that action affects the space rock's trajectory, testing one method of moving asteroids away from paths headed toward Earth. Beyond the importance of the hazards posed by asteroids, though, there is the science that can be done at these objects, Michel said. "They are the best tracers of our solar system's history. They allow us to understand how planets form and how life emerged on Earth" he said. "They also correspond to the extreme conditions in terms of surface attraction, because they are so small, and we need to understand that to understand their evolution." Knowing their histories will aid in using asteroids for purposes such as mining, Michel added. Mining in space may become reality, said Etienne Schneider, Luxembourg's deputy prime minister and minister of the economy. Asteroid Day shows how Luxembourg can take a leading role, he added. The country is home to SES, one of the largest satellite operators in the world, with more than 60 communications satellites. Schneider noted that the country has a lot o expertise in the space industry as a result. "Asteroids are often seen as a threat but they are also an opportunity," Schneider said. "The use of space resources holds a large potential for future technological innovation. To ensure this vision becomes reality, [we] must increase understanding of asteroids and near-Earth objects." He added that he was disappointed that the European Space Agency (ESA) did not approve an additional asteroid mission when the agency's member nations met to decide on future directions for exploration late last year. Franco Ongaro, director of technology, engineering and quality at ESA, also expressed disappointment that the AIDA mission was not fully funded. Originally, it was budgeted at about 250 million euros ($264 million). "We are working with industry to meet deadline and reduce cost to make it more affordable," he said. The AIDA mission is funded from a different pool of funds than the science missions, Michel told Space.com. It is still scheduled for launch in 2020, but will need to cost less than 200 million euros ($211 million). "It will still fly," he said. Former NASA astronaut Ed Lu, CEO of the B612 Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting Earth from asteroid strikes, said the outreach for Asteroid Day and missions like AIM are also about showing what people can do if they work together. "I find it amazing that we are now at the point where we talk about changing the solar system, changing the actual structure and evolution of system for human good," he said. "I think this is what this is all really about." Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Published on Space.com. If competition is the main evolutionary driver, why can so many species coexist within the same ecosystem instead to have a few that dominate? This a long and central question in ecology. Many ideas ... more The Magellanic Clouds, the two largest satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, appear to be connected by a bridge stretching across 43,000 light years, according to an international team of astronomers ... more EPFL scientists have been able to measure the ultrashort time delay in electron photoemission without using a clock. The discovery has important implications for fundamental research and cutting-edg ... more On Feb. 9, 2017, NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, known as MMS, began a three-month long journey into a new orbit. MMS flies in a highly elliptical orbit around Earth and the new orbit will ... more Many scientists believe the Earth was dry when it first formed, and that the building blocks for life on our planet - carbon, nitrogen and water - appeared only later as a result of collisions with ... more The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. 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Get complete PC optimization and extend the life of your PC with these must-have software tools. The British anticipate that slashing the country's corporate tax rate to an extremely low level will attract foreign companies, especially from European Union member states, to relocate there. That, London hopes, will bring both jobs for the country's workers and money for the state coffers -- perhaps even enough to compensate for the harm caused by the UK's departure from the EU. It is a strategy that can work well for countries that aren't home to major industries and which don't produce many goods or offer any services themselves. They don't have much tax revenue to lose. But for most industrialized economies, which tend to be dependent on stable tax revenues, it is riskier. Britain is still home to a huge service and finance sector in addition to large industrial corporations. When the government slashes taxes to attract foreign companies, it will see tax revenues generated from domestic companies plunge. The bet, of course, is that the additional revenues from companies moving to the country will be greater than the taxes lost through the lower rates. Foreign Policy Tool But when measured against the plans being made in Washington, the UK's strategy is relatively harmless. Trump's ideas represent nothing less than systemic change, with his government transforming tax policy into a tool of foreign policy. In the crude worldview of the Trump camp, the American trade deficit is proof that countries with trade surpluses, like Japan and Germany, are systematically sucking prosperity from the U.S. And they intend to put a stop to this alleged plundering with the help of tax policy. Republican economists have developed a model called "border adjustment," a plan whereby exports would be exempt from taxes but companies would not be able to deduct money they spend on imports. General Motors, for example, would no longer be able to deduct the money it spends on car parts from German manufacturer Bosch from its revenues. That means the U.S. carmaker would have to buy the parts from its taxed profits, making the German products more expensive and less attractive. It doesn't take much imagination to see that such a systemic change would result in considerable turmoil in the global economy. And countries that rely heavily on exports, Germany first and foremost, would be hardest hit. But consumers and companies in the U.S. would also suffer considerably, particularly those enterprises that are reliant on imports. Were they able to absorb the higher costs of importing the products they need, they would pass along those increases to consumers. That reduces consumer purchasing power, leaving them less money left over to buy other goods and services. The result would ultimately be a loss of prosperity. If companies decided not to raise their prices, the higher cost of imports would reduce their profits, making them less likely to make investments. Other companies would likely be driven out of business entirely. Either way, it will be the workers who bear the brunt -- exactly those people who Trump is allegedly interested in helping. 'We Aren't Defenseless' But if the U.S. does implement the "border adjustment" plan, the country would also risk undermining its tax revenues. The new model would present some American companies with extensive opportunities to reduce their own tax burdens. What, for example, would prevent Boeing from founding a subsidiary overseas to which it could then sell its airplanes? Legally, such planes would count as exports, which would be tax free under the plan. The savings would also apply to those planes that were reimported into the U.S. The company would be able to book the profits without paying taxes on them. And the chronically underfinanced U.S. government would suffer even greater shortfalls. As such, Schauble and his team are hopeful that logic will prevail and the Americans will elect not to move ahead with the systemic shift. They remain, however, concerned about the possibility that an international race to reduce tax rates might ensue. And they have begun making preparations. "We aren't defenseless," says one Finance Ministry official. "We also have alternatives." One of those is making adjustments to the foreign transaction tax law. The law currently considers income from abroad to be "passive income" and is not taxed, the assumption being that it has already been taxed in its country of origin, the UK for example. If Germany were to declare the UK to be a "low-tax country," however, that foreign income would then be added to a company's domestic earnings and taxed accordingly. The Ministry, though, says that new instruments could also be introduced. The tax office could, for example, limit tax deductions on deliveries to Germany from British companies, a move which would limit the damages to Germany's coffers. Another possibility would be requiring banks to withhold a certain percentage of every payment made by a German company for imports from a British company and send it along to the tax office, a procedure known as "deduction of tax at source." The advantages are clear: Such measures would limit the losses to German tax revenues. But the disadvantages are significant. They would represent a significant hindrance to the free trade of goods and services. Alicante (Spain), 02/14/2017 (SPS) - The XI Congress of the Spanish Inter trade Union Confederation, held on 10, 11 and 12 February in the city of Alicante, has unanimously adopted a resolution in Solidarity with the Saharawi People And for the freedom of political prisoners. With the participation of a delegation from the General Union of Workers of Saguia Hamas and Rio de Oro, (UGTSARIO), headed by Labedda Kasia, Head of International Relations and Cooperation, the XI Congress rejected the harsh sentences imposed on 25 Sahrawi by a Moroccan military court in 2012, in a farce trial and without procedural guarantees, sentenced nine of them to life imprisonment, four to 30 years' imprisonment, seven to 25 years, Three to 20 years and two to two years in prison. The resolution recalled that the prisoners were accused of having participated in the organization of the Gdeim Izik Camp held at the end of 2010 outside the occupied city of El Aaiun, the capital of Western Sahara, and in which more than 20,000 Sahrawi protested In this way and peacefully against the violations by Morocco of human rights, the inequalities to which they are subjected, the mass dismissal of Saharawi workers, arbitrary and unwarranted trials, the looting of their natural resources (phosphates, fishing, sand ), etc. After the pressures and mobilizations demanding the annulment of that trial and the freedom of the political prisoners, the military trial has been annulled, but they are still imprisoned and will again be tried, this time by a civil court, and without the minimum procedural guarantees. The XI Congress of the Inter-Union Confederation reiterated solidarity with Saharawi political prisoners and rejected this new trial. The resolution also recalled that the Moroccan administration has no legitimacy or competence to act against them, since the Kingdom of Morocco - as all international and United Nations resolutions dictate - has no jurisdiction or sovereignty over the Territory of Western Sahara. In that regard, and in response to the international appeal launched by the UGTSARIO, the lawyers of the Inter trade Union Confederation have expressed their support to the group of more than 40 lawyers and jurists from different countries who are defending the Saharawi political prisoners, subject to a second trial In which innocent people are targeted. "We are facing another episode of the conflict generated by the Moroccan invasion that has lasted for more than 41 years and has condemned hundreds of thousands of Sahrawis refugees in the Tindouf camps, while many others are being persecuted in their own territory, The Western Sahara. Only the cessation of occupation, respect for human rights, the release of Saharawi political prisoners and the exercise of the right to self-determination may open the way to a solution to this conflict, "said the resolution. The XI Congress of the Inter- Trade Union Confederation demanded the cessation of the Moroccan occupation, called to set the date for the referendum of self-determination to which the Saharawi people are entitled and which the numerous resolutions of the United Nations and its Security Council recognize, and the Freedom of all political prisoners Ladeda Kasisa, Head of International Relations at UGTSARIO, in addition to thanking the Inter- trade union Confederation for its solidarity and support for the workers and the Saharawi people in general, informed the congressmen about the latest developments related to violations of Human Rights In the Occupied Territories by the Moroccan occupying forces, the dramatic situation experienced by Saharawi political prisoners in Moroccan prisons, the looting of natural resources. Mr. Laabedda also held talks with trade union delegations participating in the XI Congress of the Inter- trade Union Confederation, France, Portugal and several communities in Spain, where he took the opportunity to inform his interlocutors about the latest developments in the Saharawi cause and Further strengthen relations between these organizations and UGTSARIO. SPS 125/090/TRA Kampala (Uganda), February 15, 2017 (SPS) - Uganda has renewed its support for the struggle of the Saharawi people and their just cause for the self-determination and independence. This came on the sidelines of the Secretary-General of the Ugandan Foreign Ministry, Mr. Patrick Mukwiya during a meeting with the Ambassador of the Saharawi Republic to Uganda Mr. Habib Mahfud Boukharas, where the discussion focused on the latest developments of the situation in the Western Sahara in the light of the crisis in Guergarat area , the Moroccan violations of the ceasefire agreement signed in 1991 between the parties to the conflict as well as the results of the 28th summit of heads of State and government of the African Union. The meeting, which was attended by officials and high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, through which the Saharawi ambassador thanked the Ugandan government in its ongoing support for the just cause of the Saharawi people. SPS 125/090/TRA Chahid El Hafed, February 15, 2017 (SPS) -Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the National Secretariat, Mohamed Salem Uld Salek, said Wednesday that Morocco to rejoin the African Union was forced to accept Which had previously rejected and thus recognize the reality of the African organization where SADR is member 39 in the African Union. Mohamed Salem Uld Salek, in an interview with the Sahara Libre newspaper, stated that all Moroccan attempts had failed to exclude the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic from the African Union thanks to the firmness of the African Union which defends the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and independence. Uld Salek added that the struggle of the Saharawi people and their just cause forced Morocco to recognize the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination and freedom. Mohamed Salem Uld Salek stressed that Morocco, with the signing of the African Union Constitutive Act, has officially recognized its internationally recognized borders, and if it tries to escape from its obligations, it will find itself in difficult situations and in isolation in Africa and in the world "Because the principles of the African organization are based on the liberation of the continent and its decolonization and are opposed to aggression and occupation of a territory by force," says the Foreign Minister. SPS 125/090/TRA She will take up post later this year in succession to Professor David Hume. Professor Riley is currently Professor of Infectious Disease Immunology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. With a background in veterinary medicine, human infectious diseases and global health, she has more than 30 years experience of research in the UK and Africa. Professor Eleanor Riley said: I am honoured and delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead The Roslin Institute. Roslin is one of the worlds most respected veterinary research organisations with a longstanding, global reputation for excellence in improving animal health, welfare and production. I look forward to guiding the Institute to continued success and to strengthening research collaborations at home and abroad. The Roslin Institute is a UK National Institute of Bioscience. It carries out pioneering research in animal sciences with a particular focus on genetics and genomics, developmental biology, neurobiology and infection and immunity. The Institute is embedded within the University of Edinburghs College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, which has a strategic focus on integrating research on human and animal health. Professor Sir John Savill, Head of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said: Professor Riley is an outstanding, internationally-respected scientist. She brings an impressive track record in leading major multi-partner projects in the UK and abroad. We are confident that her visionary leadership will cement The Roslin Institute as a global research leader in human and animal health. T he big debate currently in the US business community is whether to collaborate or to confront. Will business interests be best served by getting close to President Trump and his team so that business leaders on the inside will have the chance to tone down the administrations more damaging ideas before they get put into practice? Or do we think instead that Trump does not do subtle in which case, if business wants to exert influence, it has to be prepared to confront and challenge him. There ought to be scope for a similar debate in Britain as we begin the process of leaving the European Union. Will the country be best served by collaborating with Theresa May? Or will it require confrontation so that Brexiteers are forced to listen? But there is no such debate in the UK. The City of London has been moved neither to collaborate nor to confront but merely to capitulate. Read the speeches of six months ago, when every City figure of note was saying it was vital to retain passporting so that financial firms could maintain their current levels of free and open access to Europe. They are not saying that now. They have capitulated before negotiations have even begun, and instead the City firms are clustering around the banner of equivalence, hoping to take advantage of barely used rules that were never designed for a country as big and powerful as the UK. However, even this is a vain hope, so another red line will be abandoned before a shot has been fired. Mark Hoban, one of the more intelligent politicians working on the Brexit plan (if that is not an oxymoron), has said on several occasions, including yesterday, that the equivalence regime is not fit for the UKs purpose. He and a committee that looked into it found it incomplete, inconsistent and uncertain by which he means that the rules are not fully formed, admission is on a pragmatic case-by-case basis and the whole thing is entirely at the discretion of the EU. That body can also withdraw the permission at any time. It just would not work for us. Therefore, he has concluded that the way ahead is for Britain to have a bespoke deal its own special model arrangement for financial services. The EU has maintained throughout that it is not going to grant any special favours because it does not want every other member state to follow suit with demands of their own, but this inconvenient fact is ignored. The Governments working assumption is that the EU would agree because it is in no ones interests neither ours nor mainland Europes to have to endure the disruption that could happen to financial markets if we simply crashed out. So the leading figures in the City are now wondering whether they should regroup around the idea of a bespoke deal. It is, of course, another pipe dream for reasons explained in a moment, but they have been told in no uncertain terms by No.10 to curb their doubts. Indeed, one of the parts of this story that no one talks about is how aggressive the Prime Ministers advisers none of whom has any real experience of the world outside the Home Office are in seeking to suppress dissent. Criticism of the destructive tendencies of the Brexit ideologues driving the process is completely off limits. No one is too big to be intimidated even the people running the major banks and insurance companies have been reduced to fuming in private. Which brings us to the problem that is glossed over in the talk of a bespoke deal. The difficulty is that to thrash out an agreement which delivers special terms to the UK even if it was confined to the narrow area of finance would legally amount to a new trade agreement between the EU and a third country. As such, it is not within the gift of the Commission in Brussels to deliver. Instead, the existing policy of the EU is that such an agreement requires the unanimous consent of all 27 member states, which between them have 39 national parliamentary chambers, and the rules dictate that it will not come into effect until the last one has signed. Even if all these countries and legislatures wanted to give the UK such a deal and that is surely a big if it is hard to imagine how it can possibly be made to clear all the legislative hurdles in time to be of any use or comfort to the City. So one has to ask if it is wise for so many financial firms to put their faith in this agreement. Instead, the financial world and the business world in general would be better preparing for no deal at all. The ideologically charged Brexiteers dont really care about the consequences of crashing out as long as Britain leaves and they by and large will not be the ones to suffer the consequences. The sooner the country wises up to that reality, the sooner there might begin to be some effective opposition. F or most of the past eight years, Britains High Street banks have been a disaster zone. A national embarrassment. A hindrance to economic growth. A black hole of red ink, taxpayer bailouts real or implied rampant mis-selling and endless job cuts. Next week, starting with HSBC on Tuesday and followed by Lloyds on Wednesday, Barclays on Thursday and Royal Bank of Scotland on Friday, we should see firm evidence that the banking crisis that began in 2008 is, finally, over. Annual profit figures are likely to be strong, perhaps even better than the City is forecasting, with dividends either up or on the way up. Banks being profitable usually sparks the publics ire. Since they charge so much more to borrow than they pay us to save, they ought to always make a profit, goes the argument, even allowing for vainglorious expansion plans that bank chief executives tend not to be able to resist. Still, thats less irritating than them going bust at our expense and needing a bailout. A profitable bank pays quite a lot of tax, too. Perhaps it will be a sign of economic recovery when newspapers start complaining about excess bank profits again, something theyve missed doing for a long while. RBS can be expected to spoil this happy picture, but even for it, there is some reason to think that the worst is in the past. There will be further thumping losses and thousands more job cuts, a dour end to the week. Perhaps the main function of RBS at this point is as a hideous example to other banks: dont get big ideas. Or this is what happens to you. The City mood on banks turned somewhat negative post-Brexit. The market assumed there would be a spike in impairments; that volumes would fall and margins compress. Instead, consumer confidence remained buoyant, borrowing costs fell and unemployment stayed low. Ian Gordon, the banking supremo at Investec Securities, is one who feels upbeat. I think the big theme of next week will be a reversal of the knee-jerk downgrades post-Brexit, he says. Heres our guide to the form: HSBC Profit forecast: $13.4 billion The shares have had a superb run and the bank seems for now to have stopped its tedious threats to move its business overseas. However, questions persist about whether it has enough surplus capital to maintain its dividend and to keep buying back its own shares. Strong point: global franchise Bad point: too big to manage Dont mention: how come there is no one on the board seemingly able to step up to replace chairman Douglas Flint (retiring soon)? Barclays Profit forecast: 3.9 billion A year ago, Barclays boss Jes Staley set out his plan to transform the bank. He would get out of Africa, exit other non-core countries and cut the divi to pay for the shake-up. Barclays would be a simpler affair: strong in investment banking in the City and New York. A pillar of the UK high street. On Thursday week, analysts will measure how he has done. Theres good reason for hope that a bank seemingly plagued by legacy issues is finally through them. PPI claims are nearly over. And the bank has settled most of its other issues, save the mortgage bonds mis-selling claim that it has won plaudits for standing up to the US Department of Justice over. Strong point: simpler strategy Bad point: revenues on the slide Dont mention: Donald Trump (Staley is not a fan) Lloyds Banking Group Profit forecast: 4.5 billion Theres pressure on Lloyds to pay a special divi to show it is fully back to form. Expect it to surprise on the upside here. The concern about Lloyds is it has bought credit-card giant MBNA just as the credit cycle is about to turn sour. Still, even if credit cards is a bubble that must burst, it isnt going to burst just yet. This year could be a transformational one for Lloyds. Once the PPI issue disappears, profits should suddenly boom. The question for the bank is whether it can again become what it was before it merged with HBOS a boring bank, an income stock. Strong point: rising dividends Bad point: too big in most areas to grow without competition inquiry Dont mention: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Singapore. Royal Bank of Scotland Profit forecast: a loss of 5 billion. Losses since 2008 now top 50 billion Where to start? Perhaps the main problem remains the unknowns. Even after nine years of losses, we still dont know if weve hit the bottom of the well. The bank has set aside 3 billion to deal with US mortgage-bond litigation, but we dont know if thats a good guess or not. Expect news on more job cuts 15,000 have been reported but RBS says thats not a figure it recognises. Sadly, these will distract from the underlying numbers, which may not be too bad. Chief executive Ross McEwan has perhaps the worst job in banking. Hes been doing it since October 2013, so might soon decide hes had enough. Strong point: it cant get any worse Bad point: everything Dont mention: taxpayers getting money back Challenger banks T he suspected murder of Kim Jong-nam, elder brother of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, by alleged assassins at Kuala Lumpur airport this weekend has been likened to a scene from Macbeth. But this is no costume drama from another era, for behind it lies the threat of a 21st-century nuclear conflict. It now looks likely to be part of the most deadly nuclear poker game since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Kim Jong-un has form in the matter of dynastic murder. He had his uncle, and former consigliere of his fathers regime, unceremoniously dragged from a party meeting to meet a firing squad in 2013. But why would the young dictator deem his somewhat dissolute elder half-brother as a threat? Kim Jong-nam, 46, had been residing in the gambling haven of Macau. He had initially been the heir presumptive to their father Kim Jong-il. However, he brought disgrace on North Korea after being arrested on a false passport in Japan. After his exile he became more interested in gambling, though he did make disparaging remarks about the current regime in Pyongyang. Kim Jong-un is consolidating his regime again and he doesnt care who knows it Kim Jong-un is consolidating his regime again and he doesnt care who knows it. More than 300 top officials have been excised from the governing hierarchy in the past few months. The murder of his half-brother fits the pattern. He also wants to test the inexperienced US President Donald Trump. A sure sign of this was the test firing of a section of an intercontinental ballistic missile at the very moment Trump was sitting down to sup with Japans prime minister Shinzo Abe at his Palm Beach retreat. The missile plopped into the Sea of Japan after travelling slightly under 200 miles. However, Australias defence ministry has concluded that it was only part of an entirely new missile which could soon hit Australian targets nearly 2,000 miles away. The fear that now grips Beijing as much as Washington is that this is no game of bluff. Kim Jong-un is quite prepared to launch a first nuclear strike as he has said himself. Defectors have revealed advanced plans for a lightning strike to take over the seat of government in Seoul. North Korea now commands the fourth largest army in the world, with more than a million troops and reservists mobilised. It is now believed to be in possession of between 10 and 16 nuclear warheads. Behind this military strength there remains a country that is falling to bits. The prospect of a large proportion of North Koreas 24 million population seeking food and refuge in China remains a major preoccupation in Beijing. How Trump handles North Korea and Russia may be the defining features of his presidencys foreign relations For Trump, how he handles North Korea and Russia may be the defining features of his presidencys relations with the outside world. So far he seems to be asking others, South Korea and Japan especially, to patrol the front line against Kim Jong-un even to countenancing them having their own tactical nuclear arsenals. Its a sort of manoeuvre of strategic vigilance in depth based on tactical disengagement at the front. This may be the clue to his manoeuvres over Russia, which has got the White House hierarchy into such a pickle. By a tactical step-back with Russia a new detente even Trump can avoid getting involved in the mess called Europe, which he doesnt care for or care to know much about. But given whats in store on the Korean peninsula and the marches of Eastern Europe this is no time to appear retreatist. That would suit Kim Jong-uns script to a tee. Q inetiq shares hit a record high on Wednesday after signalling that US military spending is on the up, reversing a long run of decline post-Iraq and Afghanistan. The groups quarterly international revenues were slightly ahead of last year thanks to higher US orders, although the company said it still needs to ship the products. The shares today rose 3.6%, 11p, to 289p before falling back to 278p. The US has shown signs of resurgent spending over the past 12 months as part of its so-called third offset strategy, a doctrine launched by former secretary of defence Chuck Hagel to outflank rival militaries by developing better technology. Demand for QinetiQs remote-controlled military robots, as seen in Hollywood Oscar winner the Hurt Locker and used to search for the Boston bombers, has been a main beneficiary as the US Department of Defence tries to keep soldiers out of harms way. The launch of the US Navys next-generation aircraft carriers, named after former Presidents like Gerald Ford, has also driven demand for its aircraft launch systems. QinetiQs US division is considered a prime candidate to benefit from any military tech developments as it is based in Massachusetts, near the intellectual hubs of MIT and Harvard. T he London School of Economics is exhibiting photographs, placards and letters from campaigns to lower the age of consent for gay men, repeal Section 28, civil partnership and legal recognition for transgender people. Celebrating 50 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the exhibition presents highlights in the struggle for legislation to bring about LGBTQ equality in the UK. Glad to be Gay: the struggle for legal equality brings together highlights from LSEs Hall-Carpenter Archives and the Womens Library Collection, including items from when the first ever Gay Liberation Front meeting was held at LSE in October 1970. Curator Gillian Murphy told the Standard the biggest challenge was telling lesbian history: One of my key pieces really is the Vera Jack Holme archive she was a cross-dressing actress and suggragette. I wanted to show that lesbianism did exist she had a partner. In the collection: Vera Jack Holme / LSE But obviously, the material for lesbian history is often hidden and we have to piece it together from what survives. So what we have on display is her poem to her partner, is Evelina Haverfield, and we also have two photographs of them. Watch the video above to see a sneak preview of the exhibition. The free exhibition, launched to coincide with LGBT History Month, runs until April 7 at the LSE Library on 10 Portugal Street, Holborn. 1 . Is restaurant reviewing journalism, I ask myself at The Frontline Club restaurant? Well, I do sometimes go places where hardly anyone has been Here chef John Edwards supplies a frisky game Scotch Egg with soldiers. 2. One of The Guest Series at Lyles stars Daniela Soto-Innes, 25-year old Mexican head chef at Cosme NYC. Her cobia (black kingfish) collar, pastor adobo, pineapple is a highlight. 3. Meeting Tom Parker Bowles at The Wolseley, I eat fine kedgeree and just relish being there. 4. A soft opening at Lokhandwala Indian restaurant in Charlotte Street is more accurately a tepid one. Im sure Chicken Chettinad will soon hot up. 5. When I joined this newspaper in 1972, Simon Jenkins was features editor. At Clarkes in Kensington Church Street we start catching up over Scottish cod fillet with aioli, Umbrian lentils and baked fennel. The dish Lasooni scallop with Goan sausage, poha and seaweed at Indian restaurant Krickets Soho branch (4, 12 Denman Street, W1, kricket.co.uk). Lasooni means garlic seared scallops are coated in a coriander, green chilli and garlic butter then served with poha (flattened rice) and meat. Chef Will Bowlby says: The scallops come in so fresh that we barely cook them theyre seared on the outside yet still soft in the middle. Puffed poha adds texture, while seaweed enhances the salty flavour. The USP Goan sausage. Its exclusive to the Soho (the original Brixton branch serves scallops without a topping). Bowlby says: The addition of home-made Goan sausage is there to bring out the meatiness of the scallop itself. The restaurant Kricket was founded by Bowlby and fellow Englishman Rik Campbell, who met at Newcastle University. Bowlby trained under Rowley Leigh at Le Cafe Anglais and went on to work in Mumbai then in an Indian restaurant in London. Campbell worked at Deloitte but left to team up with Bowlby and set up the original Kricket in a Brixton shipping container last year. Since then theyve moved fast, building up a reputation for well executed, original takes on the classics. Lasooni scallop is a perfect example of the way they use seasonal British ingredients to create Indian dishes. The drink Potent cocktails from Krickets menu try a fragrant Himalayan Pine or take the edge off a spicy meal with a Chaitini (vodka, espresso, araku and cashew milk). Afterwards, head to Barrafina, which is one of Bowlbys favourite restaurants, for Spanish wine (26-27 Dean Street, W1, barrafina.co.uk). The dessert At Kricket they make things simple. You only have two dessert options: jaggery treacle tart, with ice cream to soothe you post-curry and Himalayan sea salt to add bite, or misti doi, a fermented yoghurt topped with pomegranate, rose and pistachio. If you want a post-curry stroll, there are two branches of Gelupo both five minutes away which does an excellent range of ice cream (1 Cambridge Circus and 7 Archer Street, W1, gelupo.com). B rixton's food scene is incredibly multicultural, with plenty of treats from around the world on offer from the Caribbean and India, to the Middle East and beyond. It can't be denied that gentrification has changed the face of Brixton over recent years, but it's also brought a uniqueness to the area, mixing the old with the new. Despite rising rent prices, the area is home to a number of independent restaurants and, being such a sought-after place, many existing restaurants have opened sister branches in SW2. Whether you're looking for a cheap eat or want to try something unusual, here's a round up of our favourite spots to dine at. Boqueria Exceptional tapas outside of Spain can be hard to find. The name of this place will be familiar to anyone who has travelled to Barcelona as its the same as the citys bustling food market one of the largest in Europe. Located on Acre Lane, youll find Spanish staples on the menu here. Great small plates include the gooey croquetas stuffed with Iberian ham and chicken and the cider-soaked chorizo. Noteworthy mains include a suckling pig with a crispy top and tender meaty layer underneath, as well as the grilled king prawns doused in garlic parsley for an authentic touch. Both food and wine is excellent value, with plates coming in below 9. 192 Acre Lane, SW2 5UL, boqueriatapas.com Salon This spot is a tale of two halves; downstairs lies a casual bar with snacks and sharing plates while upstairs is home to a more formal dining room without any pretentious fussiness. Seasonal European plates are on offer with either four or seven courses to choose from. Dont miss the signature dish which is the nduja croquettes bite-sized little bundles that combine substance, crispness, heat and sweetness. 18 Market Row, SW9 8LD, salonbrixton.co.uk Elephant Back in 2011 chef Imran Bashir set up this Pakistani cafe in Brixton Village Market. Seven years on and the food is everything you want Pakistani street cuisine to be. The compact menu oozes home-style touches from the thick, rich and perfectly spiced dhal to the creamy raita. Brixton Village Market, SW9 8PS, Naughty Piglets The best food is made with love and theres plenty of that at this joint. The owners of Naughty Piglets, wine enthusiast Margaux Aubry and head chef Joe Sharratt, met when they worked together at Trinity in Clapham. The pair married and used their complimentary interests to set up this restaurant. The unassuming Brixton hotspot offers small sharing plates that celebrate the best of British but also nod to other worldly cuisines, like the Korean spiced BBQ pork and the Middle Eastern inspired grilled pear with Jerusalem artichokes. On the drinks list youll find natural and organic wines. 28 Brixton Water Ln, SW2 1PE, naughtypiglets.co.uk Kricket (Hugh Johnson ) / Hugh Johnson Rik Campbell and Will Bowlbys Kricket started in Brixton but not at this Atlanta Road location. The site was originally located in a shipping container at Pop Brixton. Now, three years on, the restaurant family is made up of three siblings, with branches in Soho and White City. You cant mention Kricket without samphire pakoras springing to mind they feature on the menu here alongside old favourites like the Keralan fried chicken. The Indian-inspired roasts are also worth making the trip for, they change every week but always include beautifully spiced meat with a whole host of inventive sides a twist on traditional roasties and gravy. 41-43 Atlantic Rd, SW9 8JL, kricket.co.uk Okan Okonomiyaki Cheap eats in an area undergoing gentrification can be hard to come by, but this no-thrills Japanese joint specialises in Osaka street food at affordable prices. The menu is stripped back, offering just three mains yaki soba, udon noodles and okonomiyaki (a traditional Savoury Pancake) but there are roughly 10 different flavours to choose from for each. The must-try dish here is the pork Okonomiyaki which is filled with tender pork belly and comes with a punchy Japanese mayonnaise and seaweed flakes. Brixton Village, SW9 8PS, okanbrixtonvillage.com The best dishes in Brixton for under 10 - In pictures 1 /10 The best dishes in Brixton for under 10 - In pictures Keralan Fried Chicken at Kricket - 7 Hugh Johnson Jerk bowl at Rum Kitchen - 9.50 Jerk chicken wrap at Mamas Jerk - ? Gambas at Seven at Brixton - 7.75 Truffle pizza at Made of Dough - 9 Okan Special Okonomiyaki at Okan - 10 Spaniard crepe at Senzala - 9.80 The Dip & Flip Burger at Dip & Flip - 9.95 Nanban This Kyushu-style ramen bar is the brainchild of former MasterChef winner Tim Anderson and specialises in Japanese comfort food. The term deep-fried pops up time and time again on the menu, offering an alternative to the miso soup and raw fish that many associate with Japanese cooking. The menu certainly doesnt hold back, boasting hearty, belt-loosening dishes like the fiery crispy chicken wings with a scotch bonnet honey ponzu butter and the nose-to-tail pork broth ramen. 426 Coldharbour Ln, SW9 8LF, nanban.co.uk Fish, Wings & Tings Brixton is a hotbed of authentic Caribbean food and this restaurant located in the Granville Arcade is a great spot to lay your hands on some lesser-known treats. Trinidadian chef Brian Danclair brings his 'Nouvelle Caribbean cuisine' to the menu, merging techniques to offer regional dishes and street food. Traditional favourites like the meaty curried goat and the fiery reggae chicken wings will leave you full-bellied but also wanting to order more. Brixton Village, SW9 8JL, fishwingsandtings.com Agile Rabbit Nothing quite warms the heart like pizza a winning combination of gooey melted mozzarella, tangy tomato base and the airy dough hits the spot every time. This independent pizzaria housed within Brixton Village Market is a favourite amongst locals. Guests have two options either pizza, which comes large, thin and crispy, or an airy calzone. Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PR, theagilerabbit.london Joan Smalls is one of the most sought-after models in the fashion industry. But at 13, an agent told her she could succeed only if she straightened her teeth because she already faced difficulty by being black. In an interview with the fashion edition of ES Magazine, to mark the start of London Fashion Week on Friday, Smalls described how she has had to work harder than most to succeed because of the colour of her skin. Last year the model, 28, a campaign star for Bottega Veneta and Michael Kors, was one of only three non-white women on Forbess list of the 20 highest-earning models, with an estimated salary of 3.5 million. Smalls, from Hatillo in Puerto Rico, flew to New York at the age of 13 to speak to an agent she had met at a school modelling competition. She said: When I arrived, the first thing he told me was that I needed to straighten my teeth. I said, But Ive seen other models with crooked teeth, why do I have to? He said: Well, Joan, because youre black, and that is already going to be a difficulty in this industry. But instead of putting her off, the comment spurred her to succeed You know, he was just being so straightforward, she said. I respected that he was being honest with me thats my type of personality. I took [what he said] as constructive criticism. Im like, You know what, thats true. So she returned home, began wearing braces and raced through a psychology degree at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, completing the course a year early. She joked: My dad would always say to me, Youve got to get your education because those looks will fade. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images ) / Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images After graduating, she returned to New York where, in 2009, she was signed by Elite Model Management. She found success as a commercial model but said she decided she needed to aim higher. So she switched to her current agency, IMG, and secured a breakthrough shoot for Givenchy Haute Couture working 12 hours straight from 3am. She said: I remember telling myself, Make the best out of it, go hard. I kept telling myself, This is what you wanted, Joan and I never complained. I did it with a smile and gratitude because when you want something so badly, when youre so hungry, you think, Im going to take it. And that changed e-ver-ything. After that everyone saw me in a different light. She has been in working ever since, for labels including Chanel, Versace and Dior. In 2011, she became the first Latina model to represent Estee Lauder. Of working so hard, she said: I was always driven in knowing that its a career. Im not doing it because its fun and want to go to the parties. D iamonds are a girls best friend and yet theyre tacky for anyone under 40; the advice is conflicting. Thankfully the biscuits of the same name dont come burdened with the same rhetoric so you can enjoy them at ease over a cup of Scandi-strength coffee. My love affair with cardamom started when I journeyed solo across Sweden a few years ago. After an 18 hour train journey from the depths of the Arctic, I arrived in Stockholm, found myself a little cafe on Sodermalm and had my first ever cardamom bun. Maybe it was the peculiar exhaustion one gets from travelling but I can boldly claim I have never been so sated from a knot of dough. It was during this same trip that I first met my French friend who would unwittingly spur me to move to France to learn the art of patisserie. These dainty biscuits are a nod to her influence: a bitesize fusion of French and Scandinavian baking. Getting their name from the glimmer of sugar around the edge, Diamonds can be infused to suit the receivers palate if cardamom isnt your bag. Vanilla is undisputable, citrus zest too. Rosewater in the mixture with a singular pistachio on top would really not go amiss. Mix it up: it is your blank biscuity canvas. Ingredients (makes around 40 small biscuits) 225g butter 320g flour 100g icing sugar Around 7 cardamom pods Pinch of salt Sugar, for coating 1-2 egg yolks for egg wash Method 1. With a pestle and mortar, grind the cardamom seeds until fairly fine. Add this to your dry ingredients along with cubed butter and rub with your fingertips until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. 2. On a clean work surface, tip your mixture directly in front of you on the work surface. Using the bottom of your palm spread the mixture away from you, bit by bit, to smear in the butter, a technique known as fraisage. This is a technique you must try when making shortcrust pastry too - the end result is a much better, flakier pastry, and who doesnt want that? You might have to fraisage the mix a couple of times but, as soon as it starts to come together, stop, so as not to overwork it, and form into a ball - use a dough scraper to clear your surface and bring together any AWOL crumbs. 3. Divide your dough into 4 parts and roll each one into a long cylinder - you will be cutting your biscuits from these so roll to your desired diameter - mine were about 3cm across. Pop these into the fridge. 4. Whilst these are chilling, heat your oven up to 160C / Fan 140C / Gas mark 3. Prepare a plate or tray with sugar - I used granulated but caster will give a finer, more refined finish. Also prepare your egg yolks and a pastry brush. Line your baking sheets too if they are of the non-stick variety. 5. After about 15 mins in the fridge, remove a cylinder at a time and brush with egg yolk and then roll in sugar to coat. With a small, sharp knife, cut decisively into 1cm thick discs and place on your prepared baking sheets, evenly spaced allowing for a little spreading. With your thumb, press in the middle so that there is a little crater in each. 6. Continue with the remaining cylinders. If you find you are taking a little longer, or have to attend to other matters in the interim, return your dough or baking sheets to the fridge in order to keep them chilled; this will prevent your biscuits baking into a shortbread leviathan. Dont worry, its happened to us all. 7. Bake for around 18 minutes, or until they are a pale golden colour. Leave to cool on a wire rack and, if at all possible, enjoy a few of them whilst still warm. In fact, I insist. If you are providing as a gift, put in an airtight container where they will keep for several days but best to present them as fresh as you can. Fiona MacConnacher is a Patisserie Graduate from Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Follow her on Instagram @thecapedpatissiere or on Twitter @fifimacc J ust over a decade ago, a notoriously-boozy City PR man was called into his bosss office. The liquid lunches had become too obvious there had been complaints about him staggering back to his desk five hours after he was last at it. The interns didnt like all the shouting. His expense account, with its extra zero compared with his colleagues, was starting to rankle. Things had to change, his boss ruled sympathetically for this was a man who was, before lunchtime anyway, at the top of his game. He could squash a bad news story in a phone call. Clients liked him, FTSE 100 firms signed because of him. So why lose him over something so trivial as drink? His punishment was the imposition of a new rule: if you have not finished lunch by 3pm, dont come back to the office. It might not have happened anywhere else but the City, and HR didnt want to know about it, but the deal suited both parties. That was back in the day when the most high-rolling merger or acquisition was done via a magnum-fuelled handshake in a dark bar on a sunny afternoon; when a trader-client meet-up wasnt complete until they staggered out of a strip joint in the early hours; when, as one in red braces reminisces: I was taken out for lunch to celebrate my engagement by a well-known City bon viveur, and we consumed five bottles of chablis between us. He staggered back to his flat in Ladbroke Grove and fell into a cold bath to sober up before meeting my in-laws for dinner. I fell asleep and was woken by the phone hours later, virtually suffering from hypothermia. What did the boss say about his absence from his desk that afternoon and the next day? No one noticed. Boozy banker: The Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio. / Mary Cybulski No longer. The financial crisis of 2008 saw strait-laced Americans with their humourless, all-conquering, human resources departments sweep in. So long Wolf of Wall Street style excess.The strip club visits and departmental coke sessions might not have been as frequent as everyone thought in the City, but they certainly ended with the financial crisis, muses one ex-trader. And most City investment banks have been dry ever since. Or so theyll claim. This week, insurance behemoth Lloyds of London made it official, ordering its employees not to drink alcohol during the day, with a nine-to-five booze ban which could see supping staff sacked for gross misconduct. Analysis of employee disciplinary cases over the past two years found roughly half were related to alcohol misuse, apparently. Its the latest act of the now mighty HR and compliance departments, those once laughed-at dusty parts of the office which now practically run the Square Miles biggest institutions. Theyve basically stopped anything fun, says the ex-trader, who admittedly has a vendetta after having the ex added to his job title without much of a pay-off by one such department. Still, dont expect the pubs and bars in Leadenhall Market at the foot of the Lloyds building to empty quite yet. The City is laughing that the ban covers Lloyds employees about 800 of them but not the underwriters and brokers who make the insurance market and tot up its lengthiest bar bills. As Roger Foord, a Lloyds of London veteran and technology consultant, puts it: There would be uproar if the ban was extended to the brokers and underwriters because the bars and restaurants are part of the ethos of the market. Weve often joked that one day theyll introduce breathalysers at the door when people come back from their 3pm lunches. / Shutterstock / Creative Lab How will it be policed? Lloyds wont say. But undoubtedly even its rule will be broken for people who are good at making money. If a broker lands a 50 million insurance contract but admits it was secured over a boozy lunch, the firm wont be ripping up the deal. The nine-to-five part of the ban is also notable says another insurance market-maker, trying to reassure himself of future expenses booze bills being passed, given that most of our boozing starts at 5.01. But its still a big move from Lloyds, since the 300-year-old insurance market has remained resolutely old-style City while the suits commuting to its skyscraper neighbours investment banks and bean-counters, mainly have largely swallowed their employers dull corporate reinventions. Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images At Lloyds, deals are still being done over a few bottles of very nice red as a matter of course, and putting in set hours of face-time in the office doesnt usually matter as long as youre writing enough business, says one. Youd be signing a contract that involved working out the odds on a big plane crash over vodka shots. It became normal to us and while everyone thought insurance was boring, we knew it really, really wasnt. So not boring, in fact, that one (now former) Lloyds insurance worker, Victoria Neville, used her high-profile office as the backdrop for her novel, Thursday Night, Monday Mornings, about Tony Ton Up Greenwood (the ton referring to the number of women in the office that hes snared), who followed afternoon working booze sessions with sex in the lifts. Amazons reviews seem largely to be written by Nevilles former colleagues and they complain about her language but not the setting or its veracity. In fact, one Lloyds marine insurance broker writes: If you work in the Lloyds market you will recognise the antics and events unless youve religiously gone home at five every evening and never gone out in Leadenhall Market on a Thursday night and next been fully conscious on Monday morning. But there is no doubt things have changed: the Citys receding boozing culture is real. A decade ago a teetotal first-year investment banker I knew (on 60,000 basic) moaned to me: Im not sure I can do this. Working till four in the morning and being back at my desk by eight ... the hours, I can cope with; the misogyny I can deal with that, I was at Cambridge. But sipping another lime and soda and hoping they all think its a G&T isnt working any more. I think Im going to get kicked out Ive already been taken aside by a superior for not embracing the way things are done around here. No longer, she confirms. Drinking just isnt a regular thing any more. Sure, theres the occasional epic six-figure bar bill celebration, and if youre invited to Wimbledon or the rugby its not going to be a quiet one. But on a normal Tuesday lunchtime even the wide-boy traders are guzzling green juice or at the gym together ahead of their weekend triathlon. The work-hard, play-hard thing has become a lot more serious. One reason for that is because Giles on the derivatives desk no longer has his bonus handed over on a gilded plate he has to do some work for it. And he really, really needs it, what with the rising Eton fees and the ridiculous service charge on his gated-community Cotswold weekend pad, while that Yank at the next desk along, Riley with his MBA from Columbia, is worryingly starting to be talked about more than he is. Best pubs, bars and party spots on the Night Tube 1 /48 Best pubs, bars and party spots on the Night Tube The Drapers Arms 44 Barnsbury Street, N1, thedrapersarms.com Named after the cloth-cutters who once inhabited the area, The Drapers Arms is probably the best pub in London right now. This is mainly thanks to Nick Gibson, the wonderful manager/owner, and a stellar wine list, amazing pies, and Sunday roasts that are better than your mums. There are also frequent events to support Action Against Hunger such as the recent Too Many Chefs, where 10 of the capitals most brilliant cooks, including Neil Rankin and Will Bowlby, cooked an unforgettable 10-course meal and dangerously good bin-end event Drink the List, where you have access to every bottle in the place. Hic. Victoria Line North: Highbury and Islington Black Axe Mangal 156 Canonbury Road, N1, blackaxemangal.com Barely a minutes walk from Highbury & Islington lies former St John chef Lee Tiernans tiny, graffitied haute kebab restaurant. Granted, you wont be able to hear anything for a week after an evening of hardcore heavy metal but its worth it for the mind-blowing grub on offer. Or rather, on offal: think foie gras or smoked cods roe, Mission Chinese-spiced mutton and a lamb offal flatbread thats like a smoky flavour-packed punch in the mouth. It doesnt take reservations but Tiernans kebabs are worth queuing in rain, hailstones or a hurricane for. Victoria Line North: Highbury and Islington Adrian Lourie Almeida Theatre Almeida Street, N1, almeida.co.uk In the past 35 years, the Almeida has become one of Londons most well-known theatres outside of the West End, thanks to its penchant for new talent alongside marvellous reinterpretations of the classics. Recent productions have included Ben Whishaw in Bakkhai and Ralph Fiennes in Richard III. The next big thing is Anne-Marie Duff in eco drama Oil, before Andrew Scott takes to the stage as Hamlet alongside Juliet Stevenson. Priority tickets for that go on sale on August 30. Victoria Line North: Highbury and Islington Wikimedia Commons Rowans 10 Stroud Green Road, N4, rowans.co.uk Anyone who grew up in north London will have spent multiple birthday parties screaming and slurping slushies while haphazardly flinging bowling balls in this retro tenpin alley. Now its time to return as an adult, to, well, scream and slurp slushies while haphazardly flinging bowling balls. Except this time you can drink alcohol and keep tossing balls until 2am to the lively tunes of one of the venues DJs. Victoria Line North: Finsbury Park Yard Sale Pizza 54 Blackstock Road, N4, yardsalepizza.com Pizza aficionados will already be well versed in the joys of a Yard Sale pizza dough master Nick Buckland and his teams original site in Hackney was a pilgrimage site for melted mozzarella lovers. Now theyve brought their massive 18-inch sourdough pizzas to the Victoria line. Sausage fans should head straight for the Holy Pepperoni: Cobble Lane pepperoni, Napoli picante and crumbled nduja sausage. Wash it down with a Five Points Ale or four. Victoria Line North: Finsbury Park Park Theatre Clifton Terrace, N4, parktheatre.co.uk This gem of a theatre which only opened in 2013 is a prime spot for seeing a future Ian McKellen, or the work of the next Trevor Nunn, for a fraction of the price. Book tickets now for The Burnt Part Boys, a musical about the miners. Or just come for the cafe, which has great cakes and is dog-friendly to boot. Victoria Line North: Finsbury Park Eat 17 28 Orford Road, E17, eat17.co.uk What started as a community-minded grocery has expanded into a pilgrimage spot for food lovers, partly thanks to the superlative bacon jam made there. Yep, bacon jam: a sticky, sweet, smoky, piggy spread that makes pretty much any sandwich in the world into a Michelin-starred experience. Theres also a cracking on-site restaurant that bakes its own bread, uses impeccably sourced ingredients, and serves such spectacular snacks as chorizo jam and mascarpone crostini, and jalapeno poppers. Victoria Line North: Walthamstow Wildcard Brewery Ravenswood Industrial Estate, E17, wildcardbrewery.co.uk Granted, the bleak patch of wasteland that is the Ravenswood Industrial Estate doesnt look like the kind of place you want to hang around after dark. But you will if youre into really good craft beer and late-night DJ sets from people youve actually heard of (Tame Impalas Jay Watson recently played). Start with a Brew Your Own session (bacon sarnies included) then neck a pint or three of Wild Cards marvellous caramelly Ace of Spades porter on the rickety outside picnic tables before the music starts. By the time you leave, youll wish you lived on an east London industrial estate. Victoria Line North: Walthamstow Ben Rowe The Bell 617 Forest Road, E17, belle17.com A classic real ale pub thats made for parents, the Bell also happened to win Camras east London pub of 2015. Thats got to have something to do with its glorious Sunday roasts, complete with a nut roast thats not only edible but so tasty, it might be worth skipping the roast chicken for. It can also lay claims to having Walthamstows best pub quiz. Victoria Line North: Walthamstow Google Maps Brunswick House 30 Wandsworth Road, SW8, brunswickhouse.co This stunning wreck of a Georgian mansion, originally built for the Duke of Brunswick in 1758, was rescued by salvager Lassco. Now its home to one of south Londons best modern British restaurants. Its run by Jackson Boxer and Andrew Clarke, who turn out phenomenal daily changing dishes such as roast Swaledale veal and chocolate cumin pudding. All the antiques on display are for sale too, so dont be surprised if you find yourself clutching a fringed Twenties lamp after one too many Hemingway Daiquiris. Victoria Line South: Vauxhall Matt Writtle Pharmacy 2 Newport Street, SE11, pharmacyrestaurant.com Dont worry if you werent there for the original debauchery of Damien Hirst and Mark Hixs first restaurant, Pharmacy. Now theres Pharmacy 2, attached to Hirsts Newport Street gallery, which has just started hosting late-night sessions until 2am every Saturday. Contemplate the floating basket balls in the Jeff Koons Now exhibition until 10pm, then hit restaurant next door for Black Cow vodka cocktails, Hixs posh curry sauce n chips and surprise DJ sets. Victoria Line South: Vauxhall Royal Vauxhall Tavern 372 Kennington Lane, SE11, vauxhalltavern.com The RVT truly is a South London institution. The Grade II-listed Victorian music hall has been threatened with closure multiple times, but outrage and fabulous protests from its die-hard LGBT community has always saved it. A wonderfully welcoming atmosphere with spectacular cabaret and drag acts, live music, bingo and a hell of a lot of Britney and Madonna that has, as they put it, been Serving confirmed bachelors and friends since long before Kylie was born. Victoria Line South: Vauxhall Google Maps Crown and Anchor 246 Brixton Road, SW9, crownandanchorbrixton.co.uk Perfect for craft beer snobs whose mates refuse to visit another chilly, uncomfortable microbrewery in a car park or railway arch. This cosy pub has armchairs rather than barrels masquerading as seats, as well as a huge range of small-batch London brews from Gipsy Hill to Northern Monk and a weekly pub quiz. Victoria Line South: Stockwell Google Maps The Cavendish Arms 128 Hartington Road, SW8, thecavendisharmsstockwell.co.uk Locals know this place as the Cav and rock up to giggle/grimace at the weekly comedy open mic nights while tucking into giant gourmet hot dogs and its famous three-cheese disco fries. At the weekends, its open until 1.30am, when theres also free live music from up to five acts in the ballroom because whats a pub without a ballroom? Victoria Line South: Stockwell LOST Theatre 208 Wandsworth Road, SW8, losttheatre.co.uk This tiny theatre might only seat 180, but from small things come massive actors: in its previous Fulham incarnation, it counted Ralph Fiennes and Mackenzie Crook as alumni. Frequent art exhibitions from emerging talent are held in its event space, but the main draw is the bargainous ticket price for offbeat plays from up-and-coming thesps. Grab the last few tickets to drag-centric comedy Do You Have a Secret Crush, or hold out for meta-comedy A Night at 64 Emptiness Lane, which starts its run on September 1. Victoria Line South: Stockwell James Thacker POP Brixton 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 , popbrixton.org All day, late-night market built from shipping containers. Small businesses selling fashion and homewares are invited to pop up during the day, but in the evening its all about the brilliant street food traders, like Indian small plate restaurant Kricket and pizza maestros Made of Dough. Wash down your dinner with some surprising New World wines courtesy of NZ Wine Cellar. POP has just opened its outdoor space, POP Fields as well, where its running silent discos and movie screenings: Rocky and 500 Days of Summer are coming up in September. Victoria Line South: Brixton Dogstar 389 Coldharbour Lane, SW9, dogstarbrixton.com Mostly held up by scaffolding and with smeary, curtain-swathed windows, Dogstar might look like the kind of place youd normally cross the road to avoid. But this so-grotty-its-great stalwart of Atlantic Road has stood the test of time for many reasons: set over three floors, its huge, and plays hosts to all manner of themed nights. Drinks are super cheap, the on-site pizzas are surprisingly great and there are big TV screens so good luck getting in if theres any kind of sporting event occurring. Open till 4am on Friday and Saturday nights, so you practically dont need the Night Tube anyway. Victoria Line South: Brixton Ritzy Brixton Oval, SW2, picturehouses.com Sure, the Ritzy shows films, but it has so many other cool events on as well, such as weekly yoga, blues nights, and quizzes in its event space Upstairs at the Ritzy. There are also lots of Q&A sessions with actors and film directors, plus a cafe cum restaurant serving a healthy selection of booze. Just try not to fall asleep during a late movie. Victoria Line South: Brixton Tim Kerr/Photocall Productions Satan's Whiskers 343 Cambridge Heath Road, E2, twitter.com Regularly nabbing one of the top spots in the Worlds Best Bars list, Satans Whiskers is the kind of cocktail bar you want up your sleeve for when your coolest out-of-town friends come to stay. Theres taxidermy, neon, excellent old-skool hip hop and some seriously good drinks although dont expect to walk out unaided after more than two Tuxedo #2s: gin, vermouth, maraschino, bitters and absinthe. Ooft. Central Line East: Bethnal Green The Horn of Plenty 36 Globe Road, E1, thehornofplentypub.co.uk Are you feeling lucky, punk? During the Horns happy hour, drinkers must play rock paper scissors with the bartender you only get your half-price booze if you beat them. Theres a long, long list of Bloody Marys on offer and board games for when youve drunk six pints and have a hankering to relive your childhood days as a Boggle champion. Central Line East: Bethnal Green The George Tavern 73 Commercial Road, E1, thegeorgetavern.co.uk Possibly the hippest pub in London, with regular performances by post-punk minimalist two-pieces and more funk and soul than you can shake a pint glass at. But its also got history the George is on the site of a 700-year-old tavern mentioned in the writings of Charles Dickens, Samuel Pepys and Geoffrey Chaucer. Besides, youd have to be made of stone to not enjoy the regular East End Variety Bunker nights, which promise singalong tunes, party games, and general camp old nonsense. Open until 3am at weekends. Central Line East: Bethnal Green The George Tavern Here East Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20, hereeast.com Theres nothing like an Olympic venue to make you want to stuff your face with chips and craft beer. Lucky, then, that the Here East development has just opened in the old Olympic Press and Broadcast Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Theres lots of rentable offices and working spaces, but more importantly, theres excellent grub on offer in this charming canalside spot. Randys Wings serve up some of Londons best chicken wings good luck not becoming addicted to its Korean-inspired Gangnam wings, sticky and deeply umami-ish while Mason and Company combines the excellent Five Points Brewery with Italian-American comfort food. Capiche? Central Line East: Stratford Tap East 7 International Square, Westfield Stratford City, E20, tapeast.co.uk Westfield isnt just clothes shopping and cinema you know its also home to an excellent microbrewery. In the Great Eastern Market area of the shopping centre is Tap East, with a huge selection of beer: 100 bottles from around the world, plus 16 on tap from its on-site brewery, such as East End Mild and Johnny Park Bitter. Drink them by the third so you can sample as many as possible. If youre a vinyl junkie, tweet the bar the albums youre dying to hear, then rock up to the weekly vinyl night to find out if your Seventies mod-revival choice has made the cut. Central Line East: Stratford Tap East Blog Flamingo Pier CRATE Brewery, 7, The White Building, Queens Yard, E9, flamingopier.net What makes a pop-up, booze-soaked party even better? Palm trees and flamingos, obviously. DJ Luke Walker teams up with the excellent CRATE brewery home to craft beer, pizza, and a lot of vibes each month to throw mega parties, with a ridiculous amount of booze and choons. Theyve recently moved homes to Micks Garage, which means you can refuel after dancing your socks off with Middle Eastern mezze from Berber and Qs Shuk Shuk alongside all the CRATE beer. Central Line East: Stratford Ravi Chand Leyton Technical 265 High Road, E10, leytontechnical.com No, you havent accidentally wandered into a stately home, despite the soaring ceilings, mosaic floors and chandeliers. Because which National Trust joint have you ever known with seven Cask Marque ales on tap, live DJs playing every weekend until 1am and a weekly comedy night called Are You Having a Giraffe? Its vegetarian Wellington on Sundays is an oozy, crispy slab of cheesy goodness. Dogs are allowed. Central Line East: Leyton Luna Lounge 7 Church Lane, E11, lunalounge.info Live music buffs will have already made it out to this haven of all things jazz, acid, funk and well, any other variety of music you care to name. Like an actual monthly Western night stetsons at the ready. Not only is it open until 1am, its also within spitting distance of the Tube for when you tear yourself away from the choons. Central Line East: Leyton Andy Field The Leyton Star 116 High Road, E15, leytonstar.co.uk The Star opened its doors just a month ago, but it has already become a staple in the craft beer drinkers diet. Make the most of the dying days of summer in the beer garden (theres a massive golden palm tree!). Plus the quite excellent We Serve Humans are doing the food: that means mental burgers like Mac the Ripper (deepfried mac n cheese) and jockey whips: chips fried in beef dripping, topped with truffle. Drool. Central Line East: Leyton The Leyton Star Bush Theatre 7 Uxbridge Road, W12, bushtheatre.co.uk A real incubator for new and emerging talent, this titchy theatre by Shepherds Bush market has a reputation for being the first to show plays which go on to open in the West End and on Broadway. The Old Library, its home since 2011, is being refurbished to turn it into a modern space with more rehearsal rooms for amateur thesps and a technical workshop for budding production staff. Fingers crossed itll still serve the same amazing coffee and cakes. Central Line West: Shepherds Bush Bush Theatre Shikumen Dorsett Hotel, 58 Shepherds Bush Green, W12, shikumen.co.uk When made well, xiao long bao, the Chinese soup-filled dumplings, are some of the most delicious morsels on earth. And the examples at this unpromising-looking restaurant just off Shepherds Bush Green are superb. Theyve won over critics from Fay Maschler to Giles Coren thanks to their super-delicate skins and umami-ish broth. The restaurant has just launched a rainbow collection of multi-coloured dumplings, including beetroot-coloured Szechuan spicy pork and incredibly decadent black charcoal-dyed lobster truffle. Central Line West: Shepherds Bush Hugh Flouch/Red Wheelbarrow Brewdog 15 Goldhawk Road, W12, brewdog.com Londons not short of brilliant craft beer but it was BrewDog which really kicked off our obsession with punchy, hoppy IPAs. Although the pub chain has its detractors, the beer is still excellent, and the Goldhawk Road bar gives you the opportunity to try a dangerous amount. There are 40 different types on tap, from the bars classic Punk IPA through to the innocent-sounding but deadly Hello, My Name Is Ingrid, which clocks in 8.2%. Theres a healthy selection of guest beers and some stonking nachos to soak up all that hoppy goodness. Central Line West: Shepherds Bush Pergola on the Roof Multi-Storey Car Park, Television Centre, Wood Lane, W12, pergolaontheroof.co.uk London loves a good rooftop party. In W12, everyones getting high at the old BBC Television Centre, which has been taken over by a huge array of benches, boules pitches and leaves. Theres also some cracking food from burger legends Patty & Bun and tapas from Salt Yard, plus bathtubs of rose and beer. But get your skates on youve only got until August 29 to get up there and eat yourself silly. Central Line West: White City Albertine 1 Wood Lane, W12, albertinewinebar.co.uk Wine, wine and more wine at this 40-year-old drinking hole. Opened specifically to serve the needs of thirsty BBC employees, particularly those on Newsnight, the quaint bars extremely reasonably priced wine selection has kept the place busy despite the Beebs exodus from the area. The farinata and sticky aromatic pork belly are delicious but really, youre here for the plonk. Most are available to take away, although youll never recreate this convivial atmosphere at home. Central Line West: White City Bush Hall 310 Uxbridge Road, W12, bushhallmusic.co.uk ince 1904, this huge Edwardian space has been a dance hall, Second World War soup kitchen, bingo hall and rehearsal space for such as The Who, Cliff Richard and Adam Faith. Now its primarily a music venue (Ellie Goulding, Adele and Kings of Leon have all played here), although it also serves as a rather lovely event space. And you know that bloke you met in Brixton earlier in this feature? Reader, you can marry him here. Central Line West: White City Vindinista 74 Churchfield Road, W3, vindinista.com Sister to East Actons best wine shop, Park + Bridge, this tiny bar serves really interesting wines, including English white and skin-contact. Locals throng in for the regularly changing stock, sniffing and swilling small production grape juice as if they know exactly what theyre talking about. Even if your wine knowledge ends at light and fruity, you can focus on the short, high-quality food menu: empanadas sit alongside charcuterie boards and the rather fabulous Vindinista cheese and truffle toastie. Central Line West: East Acton The Aeronaut 264 Acton High Street, W3, aeronaut.pub f you like trapeze with your Trappist beer and somersaults with your cider and frankly, who doesnt? you need to try the Aeronaut. Established in honour of Acton-born aviation pioneer George Lee Temple, the first man to fly a plane upside down, the sort of acrobatics on show are less plane-based and more plain impressive: expect contortionists bending themselves into knots and fire breathers who said you couldnt smoke inside pubs any more? Central Line West: East Acton Dragonfly Brewery 183 Acton High Street, W3, twitter.com Watch your beer being brewed right in front of your thirsty eyes at the George the stills that make its Dragonfly range are beside the giant mermaid figurehead on a plinth that casually sits on the bar. 2 OClock Ordinary is exactly the light bitter you need to kick off a session; follow it with one of the mammoth burgers and an unfiltered Early Doors pale ale. The best news? All the in-house brewed beer is 3.50, which makes it among the cheapest in London. Central Line West: East Acton Working in the City, confirms financial commentator David Buik, has become professionally competitive. Brexit means about 30,000 jobs are likely to be shed in the City of London by banks and brokers. Your bank requires double the capital to do the same business that it did eight years ago and new regulatory requirements are resulting in the number of employees being severely cut back its much more dog eat dog. A clear head at lunchtime these days is a prerequisite. Indeed, the drunken City culture and its rewards of Vegas breaks, weekend ski chalets, hookers and even drugs from brokers was blamed for creating the conditions that meant Libor rate-fixing was possible. Every embarrassing financial scandal has ripped another row of bar seats away from bankers boozy intentions. But some will still cheerlead for the wine glasss role in lubricating good relations and good deals. City champion Justin Urquhart Stewart of Seven Investment Management laments the fact that the demand for clarity seems to have changed over the past few decades. In the Eighties it was for decent claret, [either] from El Vino in Fleet Street or the City Club in Old Broad Street. Now sadly it is the demand for clarity of thinking and therefore alcohol-free thinking. Shutterstock / kai keisuke Urquhart Stewart acknowledges the need for precision in the use of our exacting electronic equipment computers mean that shaking fingers are an obvious danger for businesses. But he warns firms that many successful and profitable deals and transactions are still based on personal contact and relationships. Firms may find themselves losing out on some key opportunities. Socialising is still a vital element of business and claret (other wines are also acceptable) can be to a successful trade relationship as important a lubricant as Castrol is to your throaty Aston Martin To ban is blind discipline, to manage it is far more creative. And, given that the slickers of the Square Mile have never been known for being the most honest suits in the capital, its not surprising that some eulogising the liquid lunch reckon its demise could actually be to the detriment of the markets. Nick Batsford, a trader for three decades who goes by the nickname Moose (no one can remember why) and who now runs financial trading broadcaster TipTv, points out gossip almost inevitably booze-fuelled has always been the way the best information is passed on. Some old City folk could wink down telephone lines, some could drink a gallon at lunchtime. My clients preferred the latter, he says. So might the sober office be making people, and therefore the markets, stupider? Batsford thinks it might: We have lost the camaraderie, the unwind before going home and the opportunity to discuss markets and get a feel for other peoples views. Lets not go too far, though. The long boozy lunch might be a lesser-spotted phenomenon but a stroll around Fenchurch Streets boozers on a Friday shows its still happening. The higher you go in the business, the more drunken it is, even in the daytime, says one corporate lobbyist. Its a surprise if one of the partners at my firm doesnt return very well lubricated, very late in the afternoon, say 5pm, on a Friday after meeting clients or prospects. Deals still need greasing you cant, much of the City still maintains, woo a reluctant client over an email or, as Lloyds employees are grumbling, a smoothie and sandwich. Its increasingly a generational divide the young guns of Gen X and Y are more likely to be teetotal than their beer-bellied older deskmates. So with or without Lloyds-style edicts, expect the Citys boozing culture to continue to fade out as pubs are passed over for paninis. Meanwhile, that corporate PR man is still going strong. He is widely regarded as a source of smart advice before lunch, jocular company until three, and best avoided after that. Whatever HR says, the message from the boss is pretty much the same as it has always been: If you make me money, I dont care how much you had to guzzle to do so. The new rules of the City Its not just the demise of lunchtime boozing that is changing the culture of the City of London no capital-dwelling Gordon Gekko could have predicted bankers queuing at cold-pressed juiceries or taking turns in a nap pod at the office. So whats in and whats out? OUT: claret at lunch. IN: green juice and coconut water after a lunchtime anti-gravity yoga session in Broadgate. OUT: the executive car service. IN: the Tube. At the start of the financial crash a Goldman Sachs memo warned it would only pay for taxis home after 10pm, while Deutsche Bank warned its bankers: Tubes should be the norm for travelling across London, taxis taken during a transport strike will only be repaid if permission is granted from a bankers line manager, employees must travel second class on trains unless journeys take more than two hours. Ubers get through but mostly the old ways havent returned. OUT: excess. Those mile-long receipts as when Barclays Capital dealers spent 44,000 on wine during a meal at Gordon Ramsays Petrus (the restaurant threw in the food for free) at the start of the Noughties are over. As is that fun hobby of spraying bars with vintage champagne a la Lewis Hamilton. IN: a Pret at your desk. But hey, the pay is still decent enough to make up for it. OUT: unquestioned expense claims, creatively filed by your secretary. IN: app-controlled expense software, itemised and signed-off by someone humourless in HR who knows that strange-sounding restaurant doesnt serve food. OUT: unlimited luxury travel. Business class upgrades are now only for very long or overnight trips. IN: outfit changes in the terminal loo City slickers who used to slap down a company credit card for a pricey early-morning hotel check-in are now told to shower and shave at the airport and get straight to work. Follow Lucy Tobin on Twitter: @lucytobin; Follow Simon English on Twitter: @SimonEngStand P olicing costs of up to 7 million for President Trumps state visit to the UK this summer should be clawed back from central government, London Labour said today. Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has revealed the visit could cost Scotland Yard millions of pounds because of the potential scale of public protests. The force, which is responsible for diplomatic protection and crowd control at major events, is already facing swingeing cuts to its budget under Government funding plans. Labour Assembly members called on Mayor Sadiq Khan to lobby ministers so that any extra policing costs as a result of the state visit are refunded. The partys London policing spokesman Unmesh Desai said: The Prime Minister invited the President, the Government should pay for his visit. Thousands of protesters march to Downing Street in Trump rally 1 /48 Thousands of protesters march to Downing Street in Trump rally Caricatures: Unflattering pictures of the UK and US leaders. AFP/Getty Images 'No to racism': Protesters outside Downing Street. AFP/Getty Images Demo: Crowds packed out Whitehall to Parliament Square. PA Thousands: Westminster police tweeted this photo. MPS Westminster 'One nationality': Many signs carried pro immigration messages. REUTERS Dogs against Trump: One protester takes a break at the Westminster rally. REUTERS Speaker: Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti speaking to the crowd. Getty Images 'Full of garbage': A sign in Downing Street. Getty Images Prime Minister: Many banners carried messages targeting Theresa May, Getty Images 'Dump Trump': The signs carried personal attacks on the US President. Getty Images No Trump: Protesters chant and march. Getty Images Never again: Some posters looked back to the past. AFP/Getty Images Packed: Many protesters remarked at the amount of people. AFP/Getty Images Standstill: Buses had to divert because of the crowds. PA Anger: People demonstrate during a protest at Downing Street in central London. PA Crowds: Hordes of people took to the streets. Getty Images Anti-Trump: Thousands of people have slammed the President's policy. Getty Images Messages for May: Demonstrators hold placards as they protest outside Downing Street. Getty Images 'Never again': Demonstrators march along Downing Street. Getty Images 'Muslim ban': Londoners marched with placards with messages for the PM. Getty Images NO: The anti-Trump rally spilled onto the road. Getty Images Humour: A sign drawing on a Mary Poppins pun. Caroline Lee Chants: The crowds were heard chanting 'shame on May'. Getty Images Welcome refugees: Protesters on Monday evening. PA Landmark: The iconic London eye seen in the background. PA 'Dangerous': One of the anti-Trump protesters. Lydia Ruffles Anti-Trump: Signs carried harsh words for the US leader. Emma Gibson Blocked: Protesters said Whitehall was brought to a standstill. Garry Knight 'Resist': A sign in Whitehall. Spectrum SINO Radio 'Bridges not walls': Many of the banners carried pro-globalization messages. Jessica Voorsanger Rally: The first crowds forming at the protest, which began at 6pm. Garry Knight United: Stop the War Coalition joined the protest. PA Gathered: People listened to speakers who fired up the crowd. Getty Images We stand together: Among the figures who were expected to attend were Lily Allen and Ed Miliband. Getty Images March: Some of the protesters holding placards. Getty Images Together: People of all ages joined in the rally. Getty Images It comes after the Prime Minister formally rejected a petition of more than 1.8 million signatures calling for Mr Trumps state visit to be abandoned because it would embarrass the Queen. Sir Bernard revealed last week that the force had some concerns already about the extent of the demonstrations that might be staged against the US president. He said that police would be mounting quite a big operation and that he would not dispute a suggestion the cost could match the 7.5 million cost of policing the G20 summit in 2009. Scotland Yard currently receives 174 million in additional funding from the Home Office to reflect the extra responsibilities of policing a capital city, including visits of foreign leaders. However, it is estimated that the Met actually needs 281 million for these additional duties. Mr Desai added: People have a right to demonstrate their opposition to Donald Trumps divisive policies, and of course those demonstrations should take place safely and peacefully on our capitals streets. But the Mets resources are already overstretched. Expecting Londoners to cover the policing costs for what is undoubtedly a national event will only put even greater strain on the Mets budget. A celebrity bishop who presided at Jade Goodys wedding and led the prayers at her wake has been found guilty of breaching a restraining order by sending malicious online messages. Jonathan Blake, 60, Archbishop of The Open Episcopal Church, bombarded two victims with malicious messages over more than two years, a court heard. He posted abusive and humiliating messages online, ignored repeated requests to stop contacting them and broke a restraining order imposed in December 2015. Blake was found guilty of four counts of breaching his restraining order at Woolwich crown court and was sentenced to 100 hours community service. Jonathan Blake: He was invited to Downing Street in recognition for his campaign for equal marriage He was also ordered to pay 1,000 in costs and issued with a new restraining order. He made headlines when he carried out Britains first gay wedding blessing live on Richard and Judys This Morning TV programme in 2001, and was invited to Downing Street in 2012 in recognition of his campaigning for equal marriage. He led the wedding blessing for Jade Goody and Jack Tweed in February 2009, shortly after the Big Brother stars diagnosis with terminal cancer, and then took prayers at the family wake following her death a month later. Celebrity wedding: The late Jade Goody with her husband Jack Tweed / PA Detective Constable Anna Brown, from Greenwich CID, said: Blake has caused his victims years of embarrassment by sending them malicious messages. He also caused them great distress by posting abusive and humiliating posts online. He has shown no remorse and continues to deny any wrongdoing. I am pleased with the jurys decision. "I hope Blake will reflect upon his actions and think about the harm he has caused his two victims. Id like to praise them for their courage in coming forward and greatly assisting police with our investigation. I hope the verdict and restraining order gives them the security and peace of mind they need for the future. Blake, from Welling, had denied the charges but was found guilty following a three-day trial. He said today that he would be appealing against the conviction. He had previously been convicted of harassment in 2015, when the first restraining order was imposed. The harassment conviction was subsequently overturned on appeal in December 2016. T he family of an aspiring architect who was stabbed to death in full view of children playing in a park have criticised the killers unbelievable jail term. Bradley Quaresma, 20, was knifed during a mass fight in Stratford Park on a sunny afternoon last July. His killer, Mario Albino Te, 21, was acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 11 and a half years. The victims father Nelson Quaresma travelled from the familys home in Portugal to attend the three-week Old Bailey trial with Bradleys siblings. He told the Standard: Mario Te killed my son Bradley with his knife and until this moment he has shown no remorse. Killer: Mario Te Our family has waited all this time for justice but this was not the case. It is a disappointment for our family, our friends and all of British society. He said that after police assurances Mondays sentence would be a deterrent against knife crime, the court should have imposed a longer term. Here was a 20-year-old man who had his whole life ahead of him and this court decided to give just 11 years and six months jail to his killer, he said. What happened took place in a public place with families and children enjoying the sunshine. This is unbelievable and sad. Is this truly going to reduce criminality? His son, a design student at Waltham Forest College, moved to London as a teenager and lived with his sister Juce as he worked to become an architect. Mario Albino Te running from Olympic Park On July 21 he and Te, whom the court heard were known to each other, were among a large group of males gathered at the park when the fight broke out. He was stabbed in the neck and chest and died at the scene. Te, of no fixed address, boarded a Eurostar to Paris the next day. He was detained by French police and returned to the UK, where he was arrested on suspicion of murder. In a statement, Mr Quaresmas family said: Anyone that crossed Bradleys path fell in love with his radiant smile and kind heart. His life is now past, his present non-existent and his future stolen, erased with a knife. He planned on getting into university and studying architecture. Now he will never have the opportunity to graduate, will never have the opportunity to succeed, will never have children of his own or grandchildren. Detective Chief Inspector Gary Holmes said: This was a very sad case and my heartfelt sympathies go out to Bradleys family, who have shown great dignity throughout the trial. When jailing Te, the judge spoke of the shock and horror that members of the public at the park, including young families and children, experienced as they saw Bradley and his injuries. He also said there was very strong public interest in passing a sentence that would act as a deterrent to knife crime and extreme violence. A man was rushed to hospital after being stabbed outside a McDonald's restaurant near Kings Cross station in the early hours of the morning. Police were called to reports of a stabbing at the junction between York Way and Pentonville Road in Islington at 1.15am on Wednesday. The victim, a 28-year-old male, was treated by paramedics and taken to a north London hospital, where he remains in a stable condition. The scene remained cordoned off throughout Wednesday morning as confused rush hour crowds filed past police tape on their way to work. Blood could be seen spattered across the pavement and in the entrance of McDonald's, where the victim was taken in the immediate aftermath of the attack just a few yards away. The 24-hour fast food restaurant was shut this morning while a forensics team assessed the scene. Forensics officers at the scene in King's Cross Blood-soaked tissues used to stem the flowof blood from the wound were strewn across the restaurant floor. Staff at an off licence across the road described seeing a "huge police presence" outside the McDonald's when they arrived to open up early this morning. Detectives believe the victim was attacked by another man who had a distinctive afro haircut and wispy moustache. An image from the scene showed a police cordon erected on the pavement outside a McDonalds restaurant, which is open 24 hours a day. The suspect is described as a white or light-skinned black male. Police said he was wearing a royal blue coloured jacket, with a black top underneath, light blue denim jeans and white and grey trainers. He also had thick-rimmed spectacles on. Detectives believe there were a number of witnesses in the area at the time of the incident and have urged them to come forward. There have not been any arrests. Anyone with information is asked to call Islington CID on 0208 345 0296, the police non-emergency line on 101, anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by tweeting @MetCC P olice have launched a hunt for a man after a teenage girl was sexually assaulted at a bus stop in Croydon. The 17-year-old was waiting at a bus stop near Galpins Road in Thornton Heath when a man approached her from behind and sexually assaulted her. She pushed the man away and he walked off towards Thornton Heath, Scotland Yard said. The suspect is described as a male of Asian appearance, aged in his 20s, around 5ft 10ins tall with dark hair. He was wearing a checked shirt, white jeans, black trainers, a black cap and was carrying a rucksack. The incident happened at about 8.25am on Sunday, August 28 last year. Officers from the Roads and Transport Policing Command are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Natalie Baynes on 07770 315690; alternatively call police via 101. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. P olice are hunting a man after a 19-year-old woman was sexually assaulted while travelling on the tram through Mitcham. The woman was attacked by a man who got on the service at Mitcham Junction at around 3pm, police say. He then sat down beside the passenger and started touching her inappropriately. She fled the service when it reached Wandle Park but the man leaned out of the doorway, staring at her she walked away. British Transport Police (BTP) have now released a CCTV image of a man they want to trace over the incident, which took place on January 26. PC Mark Luker from BTPs Sexual Offences Unit, said: As you can imagine, this was a very upsetting experience for this young woman. I am keen to hear from anyone who might recognise the man in the CCTV image, I believe he has vital information that could help us investigate. Unwanted sexual behaviour will never be tolerated. Id like to praise the victim for reporting this to police. Anyone with information can text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 315 of 15/02/2017. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A murder investigation has been launched after a man was stabbed to death in the street in south London. The 51-year-old man was knifed repeatedly in Streatham on Tuesday evening. Emergency services were called to reports of a stabbing in Hillside Road at about 8.45pm. Paramedics fought to save the injured man but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Scotland Yard said a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into custody at a south London police station. On social media, witnesses said that the road had been sealed off by police. Chair of Lambeth Safer Neighbourhood Board Nick Mason tweeted: Tragically a homicide on Lambeth tonight. More details as they emerge. Thoughts with those directly affected. In a reply to his post, Chris Davies asked: Is that whats closed Hillside Road? Mr Davies, who lives nearby, told the Standard: "Hillside Road has been closed off at the junction with Palace Road since last night. "The police were still waiting for forensics to arrive at 10.30 this morning. "There are at least four officers there at the moment stopping people going through." Conservative councillor for Clapham Common Bernard Gentry posted on Twitter: @LambethMPS Reports of a serious incident in Hillside Road Streatham overnight, possible murder. Any info. A Met Police spokesman said: Next of kin have been informed but formal identification awaits. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course The Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command investigate under Acting Detective Chief Inspector Tom Dahri. Enquiries into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing." An LAS spokeswoman said: "We sent an ambulance crew, a team leader and an incident response officer to the scene. "We also the dispatched Londons Air Ambulance. The first of our medics arrived at the scene in under six minutes. Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a patient died at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 020 8721 4961, contact police via 101 or @MetCC or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. H eartless thieves snatched a gold watch from the wrist of a 93-year-old World War Two veteran after stopping him in the street to ask for directions. Footage shows the pensioner chatting to a woman in the back of a silver car, which appears to be a Saab, to ask him the way to the hospital. Grandson Scott Smith, who obtained the footage, said the woman offered to give his grandfather a present in return for his kindness. But as he reached in, the woman grabbed the pensioner's arm and pulled the watch from his wrist. The victim managed to yank his arm free before the thieves, already starting to pull away, could force the wedding ring from his finger, Mr Smith said. Hearltess: The thieves start to pull away / @scottsmith68836 The video shows the car drive off as the shocked elderly gentleman slowly walks back to the pavement after the incident in Dagenham, east London. After obtaining the footage from a neighbouring property, Mr Smith posted it on Twitter. It has since been shared more than 1,400 times as well-wishers try to help catch the culprits. He said the watch, engraved with his grandfathers name, had been a retirement gift from Ford, where the WW2 veteran worked for 35 years after serving as a commando in the Black Watch. Mr Smith, a 43-year-old taxi driver, told the Standard: Hes OK, despite this. Hes just pleased they never got his wedding ring. Hes a bit shocked by it all. Hes very fit so my biggest worry is its going to knock his confidence. Mr Smith said his grandfather had not even wanted to call the police about it. He said: Hes one of those who dont really talk about these things. He doesnt like all the fuss. Hes old school like that. A spokesman for the Met Police confirmed they had been called to the incident, which occurred Ballards Road shortly after 11.30am on February 13. Anyone with information can call police on 101. T wo people have been accused of spitting at police officers in two alleged incidents on the same day at London stations. Hawo Yaasiin, 21, of Mount Pleasant, Farringdon, allegedly spat at a British Transport Police officer at Kings Cross station on Monday. She has been charged with assault alongside being drunk and disorderly in a public place. Yaasiin was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on March 15. In a separate incident on the same day, a PCSO was allegedly spat at in West Ham station. Samir Benmouna, 32, of Drayton Park, Islington, has been charged with assaulting an accredited officer, criminal damage and a public order offence. He was bailed to appear Highbury Magistrates' Court on March 20. The alleged incidents come at a time when the Met Police are trialling controversial "spit hoods". B ritain was issued with a final warning by the European Commission today for failing to tackle the toxic air scandal blighting the capital. The Government was put on notice that it could be taken to the European Court of Justice within months and hit with multi-million-pound fines unless it can show it is dealing with nitrogen dioxide pollution in 16 areas including London. The charge sheet could include the fact that London broke annual EU limits on filthy air just 120 hours into the new year. A monitor in Brixton Road recorded more than 20 hourly readings when NO2 exceeded 200 micrograms per cubic metre in just five days. Under EU rules, people should not be exposed to such high levels of NO2 blamed mainly on diesel engines more than 18 times in a year. Loading.... The Government has been accused of dragging its feet in improving air quality, and has had to redraw its plans after twice being taken to court because they were flawed. Other cities cited in the final warning include Southampton, Leeds, Birmingham and Glasgow. The Commission also warned France, Italy, Germany and Spain over breaches in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Rome, Milan, Turin, Madrid and Barcelona. It said: More than 400,000 citizens die prematurely in the EU each year as a result of poor air quality. Some Londoners are considering leaving the capital due to air pollution levels An estimated 9,400 a year die from NO2 and particulate pollution in London. A Government spokesman said: Weve committed over 2 billion since 2011 to increase uptake of ultra-low-emission vehicles, support green transport and set out [planned] Clean Air Zones. We will update our air quality plans later this year. C ity workers at one of Londons most historic financial institutions have shared outrageous tales of boozy days in the office after being told not to drink alcohol during the day. Lloyds of London has introduced a 9am-to-5pm booze ban which could see employees sacked for gross misconduct if caught breaking the new rule. An internal memo to employees, leaked to the Standard, revealed the ban was introduced after an analysis of grievance and disciplinary cases over the last two years found roughly half were related to alcohol misuse. Now, disgruntled staff have shared outlandish stories of boozing during office hours online. One former Lloyds employee wrote: Do some work for another department? Book half the afternoon off, you're going to the pub, all expenses paid. Lloyds drinking ban explainer Someone's leaving? Book the whole afternoon off, you're going to the pub. Someone senior is leaving? Decamp from the office at 11 and write off the evening. It's December? Well, nobody with any sense is going to put work in your calendar for that month... I was relatively reserved, but even I had a few afternoons of coming back from a heavy session and hiding in the software test area because I was in no fit state to talk to anyone. Legend had it that some people had slept in there. Another City worker added: We used to have an employee who would go to the pub after getting 90 per cent of his stuff done. And then he'd remember the last 10 per cent at about 3.30pm in the afternoon, at which point he was sending client emails while s***faced and was a pretty nasty drunk. Speaking about a former colleague, one finance professional said: One broker would come in at 9am, go over the road to the pub at 10am. Stay there drinking until about 3pm. Wander back into work, sort out a multi-million pound oil rig deal or something then pack up and head for the train home. Many workers claimed the Citys drinking culture strengthened professional relationships. Writing online, one man said he worked for a beers, beers, beers type of company in the late 90s. He wrote online: Generally you'd have two to three pints at lunch, with bosses. You'd be expected to finish those beers within an hour-and-a-half, though, which was usually fine. Friday would involve a two-hour lunch and if the boss was feeling it, perhaps 2.5 hours, a quick few hours in the office before carrying on for the Friday evening. It was great for bonding. Others agreed that as long as they completed their work, bosses turned a blind-eye to the companys drinking culture. One worker said: The understanding I have with my manager - which I'm sure is the same elsewhere - is that he doesn't give a f*** what I do or how long I'm at the pub as long as my work is to a high standard and done on time. Another added: The entire thing ran on, "as long as the work gets done, we don't care where you are or how many drinks you've had. If your manager is out for a drink with you, you return from the pub when they feel like returning from the pub. If a director buys you a drink, that's acknowledged as a tacit, "don't worry about going back to the office today." The ban is among changes made to the Employee Guide, part of an overall HR policy review conducted throughout last year. It means Lloyds of London employees are prohibited from drinking between the hours of 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday. Employees should decline alcoholic drinks even if offered one while with associates who are drinking. A Lloyds spokesperson said: Our employee guidance was recently updated and provided clarification on the Corporations position on drinking alcohol during the working day, which is prohibited. T he number of hate crimes in London soared by 20 per cent since Britain voted to leave the EU, new police figures show. Record numbers of incidents were reported everywhere across the capital, except in the City, new analysis revealed. The number of hate crimes reported to the Metropolitan Police increased by 20 per cent between April and June last year, according to official figures. Some 3,356 crimes were reported to Scotland Yard following the June 23 vote, the highest since figures began in April 2012. British Transport Police received 620 reports of hate-related incidents an increase of 34 per cent since before the EU referendum. However City of London Police reported a seven per cent drop in hate crime, with just 25 incidents reported in the same time period. Top 10 areas for spike in hate crime Dorset 104 (up 100%) Nottinghamshire 189(up 75%) North Yorkshire 64 (up 68%) West Mercia 247 (up 64%) Devon and Cornwall 220 (up 63%) Leicestershire 213 (up 60%) Kent 277 (up 60%) Lincolnshire 78 (up 59%) Humberside 140 (up 57%) Dyfed-Powys 35 (up 52%) In some areas the number of incidents jumped by more than 50 per cent. A human rights organisation has said the country should prepare for the possibility of further spikes in offences once the Brexit process has begun. The figures provided the first complete picture of hate crime recorded by police in England and Wales following the referendum on June 23. They show that in the three months ending September 2016 some 33 out of 44 forces recorded the highest quarterly number of hate crimes since comparable records began in April 2012 Three forces, including the Met, each recorded more than 1,000 hate crimes. Loading.... Greater Manchester Police recorded 1,033 and West Yorkshire Police were alerted to 1,013 crimes. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the findings suggested a small number of people used the Brexit vote "to legitimise inexcusable racism and prejudice", while the charity Victim Support said that more needed to be done to encourage victims to come forward. Provisional figures on hate crimes published by the Home Office in October 2016 suggested that offences in July 2016 were 41 per cent higher than in July 2015. The new analysis shows that a rise in incidents was seen in almost every force in England and Wales, both year-on-year and when comparing the three months either side of the referendum. In 36 police force areas, a majority of voters backed Leave in the referendum - and the quarterly hate crime figure rose in all of them except two. The area with the biggest Leave vote, Lincolnshire, saw hate crimes jump by 59 per cent. David Isaac, chair of the EHRC, said it "must be sensible to prepare for any possible spikes" in hate crime once Brexit negotiations got under way. "The vast majority of people who voted to leave the European Union did so because they believed it was best for Britain and not because they are intolerant of others," he said. "It is clear, however, that a small minority of people used the Brexit vote to legitimise inexcusable racism and prejudice. We cannot allow such intolerable acts of hate to be condoned or repeated. "The triggering of Article 50 is the next major milestone and we must do all we can to discourage hate attacks and to support people who feel at risk." S adiq Khan came under pressure today to ban a Tube poster featuring Khloe Kardashian in a leotard just months after tightening Transport for Londons rules on advertising. Critics called on the Mayor to remove Protein Worlds image starring the reality TV star - and sister of Kim - amid concerns it could cause confidence issues among young women. The same company came under fire for its Are you beach body ready? poster which provoked a huge backlash when it appeared two years ago. Mr Khan, a father of two teenage daughters, announced last summer that adverts which put Londoners under pressure to conform to an unhealthy or unrealistic body image were to be banned from the transport network. Are You Beach Body Ready? - Protein World TV advert He set up an advertising steering group to help decide if adverts were appropriate for display but the Standard has learned that it is only meeting for the first time later this week - eight months on. And TfL said the advert featuring reality TV star Ms Kardashian would not be covered by the ban, which does not include all images of people in their underwear or swimming gear. The six-month Protein World campaign, which features the model striking a variety of poses while dressed in a revealing gym leotard, centres around the companys 30-day weight-loss challenge which claims to be for women who want to feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin or show their ex what hes missing. But Green Assembly member Caroline Russell, who received complaints from constituents about the advert, said: People taking the Tube should not have to be bombarded with adverts that imply their bodies arent good enough. Young people receive this negative message from enough social media channels and its appalling that this is being reinforced on Tube platforms, against the Mayors own policy, when people are taking trips to school, to work, or going out to socialise. I am urging the Mayor to look again at these adverts that challenge young people to keep up with reality stars known for idealised and unrealistic body shapes. He needs to enforce his own guidelines and live up to his manifesto promise to Londoners. Every body is a good body and TfL should be promoting inclusion and making their stations welcoming spaces. Allowing these adverts risks making people lose confidence in themselves. However, a spokesman for the Mayor said: This advert was closely reviewed and deemed to comply with the new TfL advertising policy that bans adverts that could pressurise people to conform to unhealthy or unrealistic body images. Mr Khans changes meant that controversial campaigns like Protein Worlds Are you beach body ready? poster would no longer be allowed. The weight-loss ad, which featured a bikini-clad model, sparked a protest in Hyde Park while an online petition gathered more than 70,000 signatures, and posters were defaced on the Tube. However, it was not banned by the Advertising Standards Authority and the brand later claimed that publicity from the controversy generated an additional 2 million in sales. The Mayors steering group, comprising of TfL executives and advertising partners Exterion Media and JCDecaux, provides guidance on advertising policy rather than approving individual ads. However, TfL said it would carefully consider any recommendations made by the group about the Kardashian Protein World poster. T he London Dungeon has sparked a backlash after sharing a series of Valentines Day messages joking about murdered prostitutes and serial killers. The tourist attraction was accused of "demeaning women" and belittling those who work in the sex industry after a succession of posts were shared online. Its managers have now been forced to apologise, saying the messages would be deleted after the outcry. One of the messages which caused outcry read: Whats the difference between your job and a dead prostitute? Your job still sucks. A similar post joking about the famous serial killer said: Jack the Ripper just messaged. He wants to Netflix and kill. The venue tweeted alongside the message: Oh that Jack the Ripper Whats he like! Backlash: One of the social media posts made fun of Jack the Ripper / Twitter Another read: I love a girl thats a good eater. Female translation: Youre fat. Soho Theatre worker Jules Hanworth was among those who reacted angrily to the messages after seeing them on social media. She told the Standard: "Theyre particularly demeaning towards women and sex workers. "Offensive": The venue was accused of misogyny / Twitter To be seeing stuff thats so overtly sexualised and offensive when its supposed to be aimed at families is very disturbing. Its really irresponsible I think. She went on: Im a Londoner, Ive been on a Jack the Ripper tour, Ive been to the London Dungeon a number of times and Im unhappy my money has gone to something thats anti-women and is giving the wrong message out. The tourist attraction has been slammed on social media, with a tidal wave of anger on its own Facebook page. Beneath the post joking about Netfix and kill, one user wrote: I see you deleted your 'joke' about dead prostitutes. Who decided such disgusting posts were suitable marketing??? Especially for a family attraction. Has certainly put me off returning. Another wrote: Your social media campaign is utter misogyny. "It's a shameful apology of the violence against women. Shame on you. One of the dungeons other posts read: Wow, you should really wear makeup more often. The message was branded wholly inappropriate, offensive and appalling by members of the public. Alice White wrote sarcastically: How wonderful to use such blatant sexism to encourage people to come on a nice family day out to your attraction. A spokesman for the London Dungeon said: We apologise that our social posts caused offence. Our Dark Valentine campaign was a range of posts aimed to highlight the darker side of history and create debate and conversation. As a brand we strive to entertain our guests so they can enjoy the London Dungeon experience both in our attraction and on social media. However on this occasion we recognise that some of the topics many felt were inappropriate and therefore we apologise for any offence cause. A rogue landlord has been banned from managing property in two London boroughs for 10 years under a landmark court order handed out because of the dangerous condition of the homes that she rents out. Katia Goremsandu was given the Criminal Behaviour Order typically used to control gang members or prolific drug offenders after being convicted at Westminster magistrates court for breaching the Housing Act at a rental flat in Bayswater. The flat, in Gloucester Terrace, was found by Westminster council inspectors to have flaws including no mains-connected fire alarm, a lack of fire-proofing in the lobby, an outdated fuse box and no fixed heating. Ms Goremsandu, who had previously been dubbed Britains worst landlord, also had multiple convictions for housing offences in Haringey. Her crimes there included placing a black sticker to hide a warning light on a faulty fire alarm, leaving tenants without heating for long periods in winter and renting out a damp house for more than a year. Now, however, under the new Criminal Behaviour Order she is prohibited from managing any property in either borough for a decade. She is also banned for the same period from being a director or owner of any company involved in letting and must instead appoint an agent to run the rental homes that she owns. She must also declare her ownership of any other property of which Westminster and Haringey are unaware and ensure that the agent she appoints is given enough money so that all the properties under their control meet the standards set out in the Housing Act. A breach of any of the conditions would be a criminal offence carrying a potential prison sentence of up to five years. The restrictions imposed on Ms Goremsandu are the first time a Criminal Behaviour Order has been issued against a housing offender in London, and only the second such case in Britain, since legislation allowing their use was passed in 2014. Antonia Cox, Westminsters cabinet member for public protection and licensing, said the action against Ms Goremsandu, who was also fined 3,500 and told to pay 7,645 costs after her conviction, would send a message to all rogue landlords. She added: The order means that the likelihood of her being able to reoffend is now significantly reduced. This sends a clear message to all landlords that they have a responsibility to their tenants and that bad practice will not be tolerated in Westminster. Ms Goremsandu is understood to own four flats in Westminster and two properties, divided into 12 flats, in Haringey. Haringey council has previously estimated her income, including housing benefit payments, from the properties in the borough to be around 188,000 a year. In an interview, she has claimed to have been victimised and harassed by council officials and caught up in a war between the landlords and the tenants who begrudge the fact that we have property. A motorcyclist was rushed to hospital after a crash with a car on a busy high street in south London. Met Police officers and paramedics rushed to Tooting High Street at about 11am on Wednesday. Dramatic pictures posted on social media showed a large part of road cordoned off as police carried out an investigation. The driver of the motorbike was taken to a west London hospital with "potentially life-changing injuries, Scotland Yard said. A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We were called at 11.01am today to reports of a road traffic collision at Tooting High Street. "We sent an ambulance crew to the scene. We treated a patient at the scene and took them as a priority to a major trauma centre." The road reopened at about 2.30pm. A spokeswoman for the Met Police said no arrests have been made. A woman died from a brain haemorrhage after two London hospitals refused to admit her for surgery because they had no intensive care beds. A coroner ruled that 57-year-old Mary Muldowney would probably have survived if she had been given immediate life-saving surgery to stem the bleeding. Ms Muldowney, who had two children and grandchildren, was initally admitted to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill on July 20 last year where doctors suspected a bleed on the brain. A CT scan carried out just over an hour later showed heavy bleeds and doctors requested an immediate transfer to a specialist neurosurgical unit for surgery. However three units St George's Hospital in Tooting and King's College Hospital, as well as the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton refused the request due to having no beds. Other hospitals also said they did not have an intensive care bed for Ms Muldowney, from Crawley, West Sussex. Ms Muldowney was turned away by St George's Hospital in Tooting and King's College Hospital / Facebook In a letter to bosses at NHS England, inner north London coroner Mary Hassell said: "In desperation, knowing of the neurosurgical expertise of a former colleague, one of the East Surrey Hospital doctors went out of area and rang a consultant neurosurgeon at the Royal London Hospital (RLH). "Invoking the universal acceptance policy, he accepted transfer immediately, though in fact the RLH had no intensive care bed available at that time. "Meanwhile, at about 1pm, Ms Muldowney woke up very briefly while intubated and interacted with her daughter. "Ms Muldowney was transferred to the RLH and taken straight to theatre at 4.40pm. "Unfortunately, her pupils had become fixed and dilated in the ambulance during transfer to the RLH and surgery did not save her. "If she had been transferred promptly, it probably would have." Mary Muldowney would probably have survived if she had been given immediate life-saving surgery, the coroner said / Facebook The coroner, who recorded a narrative verdict, said evidence showed that Ms Muldowney "could have been transferred, undergone surgery, spent time in recovery, and then an intensive care bed procured". She added: "With prompt transfer and surgery, Ms Muldowney would probably have survived. "In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths." NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh said he was "very sorry" to read of the circumstances around Ms Muldowney's death and that a serious patient safety issue had been raised. He said Professor Simon Mackenzie, from St George's Hospital, had suggested Ms Muldowney "was not deemed by the neurosurgical services to which she was being referred to require immediate life-saving surgery" and fell outside the scope of the universal acceptance policy. Prof Mackenzie said he believed St George's provided acceptable care because Ms Muldowney suffered a re-bleed during the ambulance transfer to the RLH. However, Sir Bruce added that there was a clear "difference in perspective" between doctors at East Surrey Hospital and St George's. A spokesman for St George's Hospital told the Daily Mail: "St George's neurosurgical department operates a 'universal acceptance policy' to accept patients that require emergency specialist support. "Unfortunately, at the time of referral, Ms Muldowney was not deemed to require life-saving surgery which led to her transfer to Royal London Hospital." A spokesman for King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: "Patient transfers are only accepted when medical specialists have been consulted and it is clinically safe to do so. "We continue to see high levels of demand for our services and are currently in the process of building a new critical care centre. This will add significant bed capacity to our existing four critical care wards. A spokesman for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust told the newspaper: "Unfortunately, at the time of referral, Ms Muldowney was not deemed to require life-saving surgery and therefore there was no indication that emergency transfer was appropriate." Additional reporting by Press Association A t what point does a model take a strong stance instead of a mere pose? The Londoner has been reading rumours of a boycott of Trump Models, the New York agency owned by President Donald. Big Apple stylists and creative directors, The Guardian says, have been avoiding hiring the agencys clothes horses. One of those on its books is Yasmin Le Bon, one of Londons most striking faces. Le Bons father, Iradj Parvaneh, was born in Iran. The Londoner tried to contact Le Bon recently to talk about Trump on a separate issue how she and other public figures felt about Trumps proposed travel ban for citizens of seven countries including Iran. She did not respond. A case of not biting the hand that feeds? At the end of the last year Le Bon gave an interview to DScene magazine and was asked if she backed the then President- elect. At least well all have an impression we can do, she said. He is the easiest person to impersonate. I think the thing to take away is, Well, if Donald can do it, anyone can do it! Who knew they were on first-name terms? Trumps agency primarily focuses on younger models its website says it is seeking girls only, from the age of 14 but it also represents well-established faces such as veteran actress Ali MacGraw, 77, model Carol Alt, 56, and Le Bon, 52. Could a boycott be the straw that breaks the models back? The Londoner called Models 1, Le Bons UK agency, to ask if she was still working under the Trump brand name, and received a short yes. ----- Batmanghelidjh is back Getty Images Former Kids Company boss Camila Batmanghelidjh s long-awaited book Kids is set to hit the shelves. Last year, publisher Biteback told The Londoner the project might have stalled but the signs are now good for a summer publication. It is going ahead, a spokesperson said yesterday. She is still working on it. Batmanghelidjh spent nearly 20 years helping disadvantaged children at the helm of Kids Company, before the charity closed in 2015 following claims of financial mismanagement. Biteback has a new cover picture and blurb, promising a work of hope and optimism. While the outline of the book has not changed, it is now more of a manifesto, the Biteback spokesperson added. Lettice pray it's a brilliant career, Boris Boris Johnsons eldest daughter, Lara Lettice Johnson-Wheeler, has dipped her toe into the world of journalism. Last week Lara, who has inherited the Johnson blonde mop, published an extended interview with legendary fashion photographer Nick Knight for Googles Arts & Culture platform. Knight also happens to be the 23-year-olds boss: Lara is an editorial assistant at his fashion website SHOWstudio, so if the interview is a bit tame dont blame the employee. Stylistically a bit of a change from Boriss knockabout journalistic columns but give it time... Naughty but nice: Sotheby's art of erotica Sothebys shook off its fusty image for a saucy evening with guests including Amorist editor Rowan Pelling and burlesque queen Immodesty Blaize, for Erotic: Passion & Desire Exhibition. What a crowd Coco de Mer premiered its new film featuring brand ambassador Pamela Anderson and a sex toy. Also at the party were showgirls Missy Fatale and Miss Polly Rae, with Sunday Times writer Cosmo Landesman. He inquired whether Pammy was in a relationship with Julian Assange. Im seeing somebody, is all she would say. ----- Last night journalist Deborah Orr joined many across the city by going out for a slap-up meal on February 14. She chose the Canton Arms, a Stockwell gastropub which, The Londoner recalls, serves a mean negroni. Im dining out, alone, on Valentines Day, she tweeted. Single for the first Feb 14 in 20 years. God, it feels good. Orr was married to dry-witted writer Will Self but we wish her well: it is far more important to love yourself than your Self. Loving a bad romance Forget bra burning, writer Emily Hill has instigated a new feminist craze: burning your wedding dress. In Battersea last night, Hill launched the Unbound literary crowdfunder for a volume of short stories called Bad Romance. Its a book about how s*** it is to be a single woman in London. The publicity for the book is unorthodox: I dont think Im ever going to get married so I thought Id buy a hideous Eighties dress on the net and have an impromptu bonfire. The craze is catching on. Writer and comedian Ariane Sherine also bought a dress and created a video where she romps with a Jeremy Corbyn lookalike. Hes had three wives already, should he want a fourth one Ill be waiting in the wings, she told us. Also there was Cosmo Landesman who arrived from the Sothebys party. He told us his dating column in The Sunday Times Style mag is now axed. Im here to drown my sorrows. Hes already applying to romance and sex mag The Amorist. Ive pitched to be their agony uncle, said the chap whos known a few agonies. ----- Tweet of the day: Paul Nuttall says he remembers when the names on everyones lips were: John, Paul Nuttall, George and Ringo. Poet Michael Rosen, pictured, imagines an alternative Beatles fact from Ukips Paul Nuttall, who had to admit he hadnt lost friends at Hillsborough. Move like Jagger down on the Tube Georgia May Jaggers modelling career was helped by Jagger genes and a distinctive tooth gap. So finally some credit for her finest feature: last night she posted this image of her on the Tube, the warning Caution, Gap at her feet. Get the London look ... ----- Literary lingo of the day: Philip Pullman calls his new follow-up to His Dark Materials neither a sequel, a prequel but an equel. It doesnt stand before or after, but beside. Follow The Londoner on Twitter and Facebook here. M y job requires me to see things I would rather not. The videos with which Daesh [Islamic State] lured the impressionable to its caliphate were repellent enough. Worse are the current crop which tell Western viewers how to mix an explosive charge or kill with a kitchen knife. Muslims with a grievance or a crisis of identity are recruited to the false certainties of violent Islamism. Increasingly, Right-wing extremists such as Thomas Mair, the killer of Jo Cox, feed off the tension to plan violence of their own. These activities are criminal. But law enforcement can address only the symptoms. Tackling radicalisation means working with jails and social media companies, identifying young people at risk of being drawn into terrorism, and providing mentors for them under the Channel programme operating in all local authority areas. This is what the Prevent strategy is about. The Government credits Prevent with helping to spread counter-narrative messages viewed 36 million times over the past three years, and with disrupting more than 150 journeys to Syria-Iraq in 2015 alone. A quarter of Channel cases are now far-Right-related. The scale of the problem and pressing need for solutions are undeniable. Yet Prevent is controversial, to the point where reputable community organisations refuse to engage with it. Suspicion has tainted it and will only be deepened by US actions seen to be targeted at Muslims. Significant reform is required. The first step is better engagement: Government needs to listen and speak to more British Muslims, in more places and on topics other than just terrorism. Moves towards greater openness should be stepped up. Intervention criteria and training materials need to be published and debated, if standards are to be improved and rumours about discrimination dispelled. Clarity and restraint are needed over the application of Prevent to non-violent extremism. That vague concept encourages referrals, alarms universities and strengthens those who see Prevent as an attack on civil liberties or on the Muslim faith. Prevent should be subject to independent oversight. Finally, this Home Office strategy needs cross-departmental management. Radicalisation has elements in common with other hazards afflicting the young, from gang recruitment to mental illness. The emphasis has to be on safeguarding. Prevent can increase resilience to all forms of terrorism - but only if it is trusted. R etail giants Debenhams and Peacocks are among 360 businesses named and shamed by the Government for underpaying thousands of workers a total of almost 1 million. Excuses for underpaying workers included using tips to top up pay, docking wages to pay for Christmas parties, and making staff pay for their own uniforms. Debenhams was accused of failing to pay almost 135,000 to just under 12,000 workers. The company said it made a technical error in its payroll calculations, which resulted in an average underpayment of around 10 per person to affected workers in 2015. A spokesman told the Mirror: As a responsible employer Debenhams is committed to the national minimum wage, and as soon as the error was identified by a routine HMRC audit last year, we reimbursed all those affected. We have apologised to all our colleagues affected and have taken steps to ensure it cannot happen again. High street chain Peacocks failed to pay 2,256.58 to 42 workers, figures showed. While, London eatery Osteria San Lorenzo, in Knightsbridge, failed to pay 53,496.57 to 29 workers. The Business Department said more than 1,500 cases are being worked on by HM Revenue and Customs, with more firms set to be named. Called out: Debenhams have been named in a list of employers who failed to pay minimum wage / Ki Price/Reuters The new announcement means that more than 1,000 employers have been identified since the policy started in 2013. The new list includes 84 employers in the hospitality industry, 51 in retail, 39 hairdressers and 24 in social care. Business minister Margot James said: "Every worker in the UK is entitled to at least the national minimum or living wage and this government will ensure they get it. "That is why we have named and shamed more than 350 employers who failed to pay the legal minimum, sending the clear message to employers that minimum wage abuses will not go unpunished." Unions welcomed the announcement, but called for more prosecutions. TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: "This should be a wake-up call for employers who value their reputation. If you cheat your staff out of the minimum wage you will be named and shamed. "But we also need to see prosecutions and higher fines for the most serious offenders, especially those who deliberately flout the law." Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "This list fails to shame the larger care firms who are equally guilty of denying staff a fair wage. Those in the spotlight today are just the tip of the iceberg. "HM Revenue & Customs needs to get much tougher with more inspections to identify scrooge employers." Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner said: "The Government needs to crack down further on employers who failed to pay the national minimum wage to some of the most low-paid and vulnerable workers in the country. Peacocks and Osteria San Lorenzo have been contacted for a comment. P olice are hunting for a heavily pregnant woman after she went missing with her five-year-old daughter. Alicja Dworakowska, 29, and her child, from the Beeston area of Leeds, were last heard from on Monday, according to West Yorkshire Police. The force urged Ms Dworakowska, or anyone who knows where she is, to contact them urgently. She is described as white, heavily pregnant, with blonde-ginger, shoulder-length hair and freckles. Police hunt: Ms Dworakowska is heavily pregnant / PA Ms Dworakowska, was last seen wearing a black, water-proof coat. Her daughter is white with blonde hair and was wearing a pink hat, with earflaps down the side, a beige coat and a pink dress. A police spokesman said: "Alcija is urged to contact the police at the earliest opportunity. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should call police on 101 and quote log 1018. S uspected Right-wing extremists now make up a quarter of people referred to the Governments flagship counter-radicalisation programme, the terror watchdog has revealed. David Anderson, QC, said the large numbers being identified as far-Right sympathisers illustrated the scale of the sectors growing danger to Britain and the potentially lethal consequences should not be underestimated. He added that Right-wing extremists were also increasingly seeking to feed off the tension caused by Islamist terror to plan violence of their own. His warning came as he disclosed that the proportion of children and adults referred for suspected far-Right extremism to the Governments Channel Programme which seeks to reform those identified as vulnerable to radicalisation has hit 25 per cent. That compares with a figure of 15 per cent published by the Government last summer in its most recent report to Parliament on its counter-terrorism strategy. Murdered: MP Jo Cox on her wedding day / Jo Cox Foundation/PA The sharp increase in far-Right cases follows rising concern about a recent wave of anti-Semitic attacks in London including a brick covered in swastikas thrown through the window of a Jewish familys home and similarly unpleasant Islamophobic incidents. There was also a rise in hate crime following the Brexit vote. Home Secretary Amber Rudd responded in December by outlawing the neo-Nazi group National Action, making it the first far-Right group to be banned by the Government. She described the group which celebrated the murder of MP Jo Cox as a racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic organisation which glorified violence and promoted a vile ideology. Mr Andersons warning today comes in an article for the Standard in which he reveals that more than 150 Britons have been stopped from travelling to fight in Syria or Iraq in just one year. He also calls for an overhaul of the Governments counter-radicalisation Prevent strategy, including through the greater involvement of Muslims in the work and the appointment of an independent watchdog to promote greater public confidence. Using information from the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism about the Channel programme, he said: A quarter of Channel cases are now far-Right-related. He added: Increasingly, Right-wing extremists such as Thomas Mair, the killer of Jo Cox MP, feed off the tension [caused by Islamist extremism] to plan violence of their own. The threat from extreme Right-wing terrorism in the UK is currently fragmented but the massacre perpetrated by Anders Breivik in Norway is a warning against underestimating the threat. Both the Government and the courts treat the threat with the seriousness it deserves. Extreme Right-wing ideology can be just as mur- derous as its Islamist equivalent. A sophisticated network is not a prerequisite for mass slaughter. Ministers are currently preparing to publish an updated counter- terrorism policy which will include its latest Prevent strategy for stopping radicalisation. The strategy has been attacked by some Muslims as discriminatory and amounting to spying. Mr Anderson said such criticisms were partly the result of exaggerated tales promo- ted by Islamist advocacy groups but insisted that significant reform to Prevent was still needed. One improvement would be the Government agreeing to listen and speak to more British Muslims in more places and on topics other than just terrorism, while there should also be greater openness to help counter-claims of discrimination. Mr Anderson said the Home Office should also share responsibility for Prevent with other departments, such as Education, adding that it should be viewed as a safeguarding policy in the same way as those against drugs, gangs and sex abuse. He also called for an independent watchdog to monitor Prevent and said application of the strategy on non-violent extremism should be limited to avoid unnecessary intervention and reduce the likelihood of it being seen as an attack on civil liberties. The Channel programme was set up as a pilot scheme in 2007 and gradually expanded nationwide. At first numbers referred each year were in the hundreds. The total has recently jumped significantly, however, to more than 4,000 a year. Suspected Islamist extremism, which accounts for about 70 per cent of cases, remains the most likely reason for a referral. More than half of those referred are under 18. A 66-year-old woman who has been married to her husband for nearly 40 years has appealed against a courts decision to refuse her a divorce. Tini Owens wants to divorce her husband, 78-year-old Hugh Owens, because she is desperately unhappy. But Mr Owens has disagreed, arguing that the couple still had a "few years" to enjoy. She lost her case at family court last year after Judge Robin Tolson refused to grant her divorce petition - concluding her allegations were "of the kind to be expected in marriage". Judge Tolson had described Mr Owens as "old school" and had said Mrs Owens was "more sensitive than most wives". Now Mrs Owens, who lives in Broadway, Worcester, has asked Court of Appeal judges to overturn that decision. Three appeal judges analysed the case at a hearing on Tuesday and are expected to publish a ruling soon. Hugh Owens: Her husband does not want a divorce / PA A barrister representing Mrs Owens told the appeal court that the "vast majority" of divorces were undefended in 21st century England. Philip Marshall QC added: "It is extraordinarily unusual in modern times for a court to dismiss a petition for divorce." Mr Marshall said Mrs Owens's case was that her husband had behaved unreasonably and that the marriage had irretrievably broken down. She had made 27 allegations about the way Mr Owens treated her which he, a retired businessman, denied. She said he was "insensitive" in his "manner and tone" and said she was "constantly mistrusted" and felt unloved. "The simple fact is that I have been desperately unhappy in our marriage for many years," she said in a witness statement. Mr Marshall said Judge Tolson had failed to make "proper findings of fact" and argued that his ruling should be overturned. "It was my client's complaint that her husband treated her in a childlike way," Mr Marshall told judges. "And in a way which was effectively that she should agree with his will." Mr Owens argued he was a tease and said had a loud voice but that the marriage should not be ended. "I am somebody who teases my wife," he had said during the litigation. "I do it all the time. I know she doesn't always appreciate it." Judges were told that at one stage Mrs Owens had an affair which lasted less than a year and Mr and Mrs Owens, who have grown-up children, had slept in different rooms for many years. H undreds of protesters clashed with police as riots spread into Paris on Wednesday night. Tear-gas was used by police as rioting that originated in the suburbs spilled into the French capital around the Barbes Metro station, close to Gare du Nord. It follows the alleged rape of a young black man, named only as Theo, by French police. Protesters started fires and smashed windows, while there were reports of riot police being attacked and shops looted. The riots have been triggered by the alleged rape of a young black man by police / EPA Fire crews raced to the scene to extinguish the blazes as police desperately tried to disperse the crowds. There has been heightened tension in council estates in Paris since February 2 when a 22-year-old youth worker named Theo was allegedly beaten up, raped and racially abused by police. Rioting that originated in the suburbs have spread into the French capital / REUTERS One unidentified officer has been charged with rape, and three more with assault since Theo was sent to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. Since the alleged attack there have been reports of police stations and squad cars being targeted, as well as patrols operating around France. There has been heightened tension in Paris since February 2 / EPA President Francois Hollande, who has visited Theo, has appealed for calm. Wednesday night's protest at Barbes was illegal as police refused to give permission for it. A woman has been arrested after images circulated of a woman wearing a "LOL" top wanted in connection with the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother. Malaysian police said the woman was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. She was reportedly carrying Vietnamese travel documents. South Korean officials confirmed on Tuesday that Kim Jong Nam died after an apparent poison attack at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. South Korea said Pyongyang had been trying to kill Kim Jong Nam for years citing evidence of another assassination attempt in 2012. The woman was captured on CCTV wearing a 'LOL' top The 46-year-old was targeted on Monday in a shopping concourse at the airport. Kim Jong Nam, who died on the way to a hospital, told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, according to Malaysian authorities. The woman is thought to be one of two suspected of killing Kim Jong Nam South Korean media reports said he was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. According to footage they fled in a taxi and are being sought by Malaysian police. The woman captured on CCTV before leaving the airport in a taxi South Korean television published CCTV footage appearing to show a woman wearing a white top with the letters LOL printed on it and a mult-coloured skirt. It appears to show her standing outside the airport waiting for a taxi. The woman was reportedly earlier seen with Kim Jong Nam. Sibling rivalry: Kim Jong Nam The motive of the apparent killing is still unclear but South Korean media cited Kim Jong Un's "paranoia" about his estranged half-brother. Kim is the eldest son of late former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, and had been tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his dictator father. But others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Malaysian officials said it took authorities a day to identify Kim Jong Nam because he was travelling under a false passport. His travel documents identified him as Kim Chol born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. It is not the first time he has travelled under a different identity. In 2001, he was caught at an airport in Japan traveling on a fake passport, saying he had wanted visit Tokyo Disneyland. A toddler has been shot dead in a suspected gangland hit broadcast on Facebook Live in the latest wave of gun violence in Chicago. Lavontay White Jr was shot in the head yesterday afternoon while riding in a car with his 26-year-old uncle and his uncles 20-year-old pregnant girlfriend. The two-year-old boy became the latest child gun victim in the troubled city after Takiya Holmes, 11, died in hospital yesterday. She had been hit by a stray bullet on Saturday. Another girl, 12-year-old Kanari Bowers, was fighting for life after being shot in a separate incident the same day. A still from the video taken in Chicago Police said Lavontays uncle, whose name has not been released, was a known gang member and is believed to have been the target of the shooting. He was also shot in the head and died at the scene in the citys West Side Lawndale neighbourhood. The pregnant woman, who was shot in the abdomen, had been on Facebook Live when a gunman jumped out of another car and opened fire. Harrowing footage shows the boy looking out of the window and the woman smiling while listening to music before a rapid burst of gunfire is heard with at least 16 shots in the space of about five seconds. The woman jumps from the car and starts running while holding her mobile phone. She is heard screaming and calling Momma before asking for help saying: I got a bullet in my stomach! Please! Please! I cant breathe! The woman was today in a stable condition in hospital. Family members said she was four months pregnant and the baby was expected to survive. Lavontay was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital. Crime scene: Police attend after the shooting in Chicago / AFP/Getty Images Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson criticised legislative partners for inaction on gun violence. He said: This has got to stop somewhere. Our children should not have to pay the price for our inability to hold repeat gun offenders responsible for their actions. Mr Johnson added: We have very promising leads. We have video. Theres no doubt in my mind that well find him. Chicago has been plagued by violence with more than 762 killings last year - nearly 300 more than occurred in 2015 - and more than 3,500 shooting incidents. That violence has continued this year, with January ending with 51 murders or manslaughters, the highest total since January 1999 when there were 55. President Donald Trump tweeted last night that he would Send in the Feds if Chicago does not fix the horrible carnage. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement: Our consciences are shaken and our hearts are broken. These shootings must be a turning point for our city. P assengers on a flight from London to Shanghai faced panic on Wednesday when the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Russia. Flight MU552 took off from Heathrow Airport at 9pm on Tuesday carrying 186 passengers. But the China Eastern Airlines plane developed a mechanical breakdown, a spokesman for the airline told the Standard. It was diverted to Yemelyanovo International Airport in Krasnoyarsk Krai and made an emergency landing there at 11am local time. A spokesman for the airline said a replacement plane was being sent to the airport to pick up the stranded passengers. However, he said the aircraft may not actually be able to depart Russia until 2am on Thursday. He said: We have sent a new flight to take the passengers from Russia to Shanghai. The arrival time may change. D onald Trumps administration has been rocked by a bombshell report claiming that senior members of his campaign team had repeated contacts with Russian spies in the year before the US election. The New York Times claimed the Kremlin's connection with the Trump campaign was revealed in phone records and calls intercepted by US law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Sources told the newspaper that the communications were discovered in the autumn at about the time intelligence agents learned about Russias hacking of Democratic National Committees emails - a key factor many believe helped doom Hillary Clintons White House dreams. The report said that, so far, there was no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow on the email hacks or any other attempts to influence the results of Novembers election. The intercepts were said to be particularly alarming to US intelligence because Mr Trump spoke so effusively about Russian President Vladimir Putin during the campaign. Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser over Russia row At one point, he said he hoped Mrs Clintons emails had been stolen by the Russians and would be made public. The four current and former American officials quoted by the Times said other associates of Mr Trump were in contact with the Russians as well as senior members of his campaign. CNN said high level advisors close to Mr Trump were in constant contact with Russians known to US intelligence during the campaign. The cable network also reported that Mr Trump and then President Obama were both briefed on the communications. The FBI is said to be sifting through the call logs and intercepted communications. According to law enforcement sources, FBI agents have conducted interviews and obtained banking and travel records as part of the probe. The only Trump adviser named as being on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trump's campaign chairman for several months last year and previously worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine. The claims emerged hours after Trump's security adviser Michael Flynn was forced to quit over ties with Moscow / REUTERS He dismissed the claims in an interview with the newspaper, insisting: "This is absurd. I have no idea what this is referring to. "I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today. "Its not like these people wear badges that say, Im a Russian intelligence officer." he added. Mr Manafort hasnt been charged with any crimes or accused of any illegal activity. Loading.... The Times said the insiders wouldnt disclose what was discussed on the calls or whether they had anything to do with Mr Trump. The scandal erupted just 24 hours after the presidents national security adviser Michael Flynn quit over his controversial ties with Moscow. The bugged calls between Mr Flynn and Russias ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak included discussions over the sanctions imposed by the Obama administration as punishment for the Russians alleged cyber hack. In 90 seconds: Trump and Trudeau differ over border control These intercepted calls were different to the wiretaps allegedly exposing regular contact involving Trump campaign and Russian intelligence officials. There was no comment early today from either the White House or the Russian authorities. But just two days after the election, Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said "there were contacts" between Mr Trumps team and Russian officials. "Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage," he told the Russian Interfax news agency. Mr Trumps transition spokeswoman Hope Hicks said at the time that the claim was "not accurate." The initial contacts were revealed during routine foreign surveillance of Russians known to American intelligence but the FBI asked for expanded research into the phone calls and intercepts after becoming suspicious over the regularity of the communications, according to reports. As part of the investigation, the FBI is assessing a sensational dossier handed over last year by a former British intelligence official that included lurid allegations that Mr Trump consorted with prostitutes on a trip to Moscow and the Russians had videos that could be used to blackmail the billionaire. Last night, it emerged that Mr Trump demanded Mr Flynns resignation as a result of an eroding level of trust as a result of the former national security advisers admission that he misled Vice President Mike Pence over his contact with Russia. H arrison Ford was reportedly involved in a near-miss while trying to land his plane in California. Ford, 74, was piloting a private, single-engine Aviat Husky when he mistook a taxiway for a runway at John Wayne airport, NBC News reported. The Star Wars actor was cleared to land on a runway, but instead flew over the top of an American Airlines plane awaiting take-off to land on a taxiway. Some 110 passengers and six crew members were on board the airliner, which was travelling to Dallas, Texas. Flying enthusiast: Harrison Ford in his Ryan PT-22 plane in September 2013 / Splash News The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation which could result in a warning letter or Ford losing his licence as landing on a taxiway is a safety violation. Ford is quoted as asking air traffic controllers: Was that airliner meant to be underneath me? Star Wars: The Force Awakens European Premiere 1 /38 Star Wars: The Force Awakens European Premiere Star of the show Daisy Ridley at 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' eurpoean film premiere, London David Fisher/Rex John Boyega attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Justin Tallis/AFP/gETTY iMAGES Director's Cut J.J. Abrams attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Solo has landed Harrison Ford attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Make way for the original Princess Carrie Fisher at 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' film european premiere David Fisher/Rex The real 3P0 Anthony Daniels attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Lupita Nyong'o at 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' film premiere David Fisher/Rex Beckham United Jnr Romeo Beckham (L) and Brooklyn Beckham attend the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Skywalker sqaud Mark Hamill with daugher Chelsea Hamill and wife Marilou York attend the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Glittering star Daisy Ridley at 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' eurpoean film premiere, London David Fisher/ Rex Gwendoline Christie attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Meet the new bad guy Adam Driver (R) and Joanne Tucker attend the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Rolling with it Droid character BB-8 at the European Premiere of Star Wars, The Force Awakens in Leicester Square, London Paul Hackett/Reuters Aliens on the red carpets Jawa's and Sand People attending the Star Wars: The Force Awakens European Premiere Ian West/PA Darth Vader and company Darth Vader and Chewbacca pose with stormtroopers at the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Double droids C-3PO and R2-D2 attend the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Dave Benett Oscar Isaac attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Hello Wicket Warwick Davis attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett The real Chewbacca Peter Mayhew attending the Star Wars: The Force Awakens European Premiere Ian West/PA Sophie Hunter and Benedict Cumberbatch attend the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett George Lucas (L) and Mellody Hobson attend the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens Dave Benett Big fan Simon Pegg attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Diego Luna attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett Chewie and friends ans dressed up as Star Wars character pose ahead of the European Premiere of "Star Wars The Force Awakens" Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images Lightsabers at the ready ans receive light sabres before the start of the European Premiere of "Star Wars The Force Awakens" Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images This way to the Dagobar system Fans wait ahead of the European Premiere of "Star Wars The Force Awakens" Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images The force is strong Fans gather in Leicester Square for hte Star Wars:The Force Awakens European Premiere Jeremy Selwyn Myleene Klass attends the European Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Leicester Square Dave Benett FAA spokesman Ian Gregor could not confirm that Ford was piloting the Aviat Husky but told the Los Angeles Times: The pilot correctly read back the clearance. The pilot then landed on a taxiway that runs parallel to the runway, overflying a Boeing 737 that was holding short of the runway. He did not indicate how high the plane was when it flew over the airliner. The FAA is investigating, Mr Gregor said. Ford's publicist, Ina Treciokas, declined to comment. Injured: Harrison Ford was 'battered' but OK after the crash (Picture: AP) It comes two years after Fords vintage plane crash-landed on a Santa Monica golf course. The crash was blamed on engine failure. In 1999, he crash-landed his helicopter during a training flight in Los Angeles. Both he and the instructor were unhurt. By Press Trust of India: Kathmandu, Feb 15 (PTI) Seven persons were killed and five others injured today when a jeep they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell some 200 metres down the slope in Dadeldhura district of far-western Nepal. Five passengers were killed on the spot and two others succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at Dadeldhura Sub-regional Hospital, police said. advertisement Five others sustained serious injuries in the mishap. The incident occurred after the ill-fated jeep skidded off the road and fell some 200 metres down the hilly road at Thulokhola of Bagargoth in the district this afternoon. The jeep was heading towards district headquarters from Bhageshwor.S Police said the accident occurreddue to the drivers negligence. PTI SBP KJ ZH KJ --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: From K J M Varma Beijing, Feb 15 (PTI) Three knife-wielding suspected Uyghur militants killed five persons before being shot dead by police in Chinas western Xinjiang province, the latest "terror attack" in the restive Muslim-majority region. The attackers killed five persons and wounded five others in a residential compound in Pishan county last evening, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said today. advertisement The attackers were shot dead by police, it said, quoting residents in the area. The county has issued the highest level of security alert after the authorities described it as a "terror attack". The government did not identify the suspects and victims, but some residents said the attackers were Uygurs, the main Muslim ethnic group in Xinjiang, the Post said. Armed police in bullet proof vests were on patrol every 10 to 20 metres on the streets of the county. Xinjiang, bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan, has been on the boil for several years over Uyghur protests against the large-scale settlements of Han Chinese from different parts of the country. China blames Uyghur separatists from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement for the attacks in the region, which has over 10 million Uyghur population of Turkik-origin Muslims. In December, four knife-wielding men attacked a Communist Party office in Xinjiangs Hotan region and set off an explosive device, killing one person. Four assailants were also shot dead. A hotel manager said she was still in shock after the recent violence. "It is the worst attack in Pishan in recent years. We hope the victims find rest in heaven," she said. The attack took place at the entrance to a residential compound, which is in the west of the city, not far from the county government headquarters. A restaurant owner told the Post that most businesses and shops were open despite the huge security presence. "My business has not been affected. I don?t smell fear in the air," the Uygur restaurant owner said. Pishan county has been dubbed by officials as a "hotbed for terrorism", said an article in the state-run Global Times published following a suicide bomb attack three years ago. Four people from Pishan took part in the attack at a market in Xinjiangs regional capital Urumqi in May 2014. Forty three people including four of the attackers were killed in the assault. Nearly 100 were injured. The ETIM militants have been blamed for several terrorist attacks in China including a suicide attack at Forbidden city in Beijing in 2013. advertisement The Post said local officials have denied allegations by rights groups and exiled Uygurs that tensions have been inflamed by curbs on religion and ethnic minority culture and language in the region. PTI KJV NSA ZH AKJ ZH --- ENDS --- With one hand holding a bottle of champagne and the other an oversized certificate declaring him the winner of $1 million from Publishers Clearing House, Bruce Saunders stood on the front porch of his western Davie County Monday and rattled off a list of things he plans spend his spend money on medical bills, fixing his lawnmower and helping family members. the government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is India's biggest plane-maker, here are the key takeaways from the press interaction held by the HAL on the sidelines of the Aero India 2017. By Jugal R Purohit: They are involved at the cutting edge of India's military and to an extent, civil aviation. From frontline fighters to basic trainers to designing doors for civil liners, the government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is India's biggest plane-maker. Key takeaways from the press interaction held by the HAL on the sidelines of the Aero India 2017. advertisement BUILDING SUKHOI 30 MKI IN INDIA: We've produced 183 against order of 222 planes. By 2020 we will complete it. Our current capacity is to build 12 aircraft per year LCA TEJAS: Three aircraft given to IAF and the squadron has been operationalised. Plan is to complete 40 Mk 1 LCA by 2019-20. LCA TEJAS MARK 1A: IAF has approved 83 aircraft in this configuration with enhanced outsourcing for private sector. From eight aircraft a year, we will build 16 by investing in a second line which is being built at a cost of Rs 1000 cr (50 per cent from HAL, 25 per cent from IAF & 25 per cent from Indian Navy). LCA Mark 1A development with maintenance ease, refueling, AESA and SPJ will make it Mark 1A and we have released request for quotations for AESA. Trials to be done by 2018 and LCA MARK 1A from 2018 and will build 83 in numbers at least for now. LCA MARK 1A is GE 404 and we are looking at KAVERI and exploring possibility of reviving it. GTRE is putting the efforts. By March 2017 we will know the progress. ADVANCED LIGHT HELICOPTER: Of the 159 wanted, 136 delivered and all will be done by 2017-18. Additional order for 73 concluded. The contract will be signed within a few days for our armed services LIGHT COMBAT HELICOPTER: LCH has done 850 flights and basic configuration has been frozen. Limited Series Production cleared (10 to IAF and 5 to Army). It is the only combat chopper which can operate at 20,000 ft. HELICOPTER PRODUCTION: We have produced 360 Cheetah and 28 Chetal till date. JAGUAR UPGRADE: DARIN III upgrade designed by us and all requirement of Initial Operational Clearance completed and we will be upgrading 61 JAGUAR to DARIN III standard MIRAGE UPGRADE - IOC upgrade at France and Final Operational Clearance (FOC) done by us and 51 MIRAGE aircraft to be done by HAL. HAWK I - Is the 100th produced aircraft by us, HAL. Owned and upgraded by HAL. SUKHOI 30 MKI UPGRADE: HAL the lead agency for Sukhoi 30 MKI upgrade. Will have back to back contracts with Sukhoi Design Bureau. Two phase upgrade. First phase to start within 90 days. HTT40: Our basic trainer had its first flight in June 2016. An order of 106 planes from the IAF is expected. We are entering the stall and spin trial and once done, we will take a managerial decision to produce. It has been funded by us. advertisement INTERMEDIATE JET TRAINER: It will come out of the grey and much-delayed stall and spin will be accomplished too. This year you will see it. FIFTH GENERATION FIGHTER AIRCRAFT PROGRAMME WITH RUSSIA: The committee has submitted its commercial and contractual report to the contract government committee. We hope our government will move on a positive note in the next few months. FGFA our discussion is complete. From our side, confident that this opportunity will not be missed in participating in FGFA. INDIA's LIGHT UTILITY HELICOPTER: Successfully carried out its maiden flight in September 2016 and intend to complete certification by 2018 and start delivering by 2019-20 INDIAN MULTI ROLE HELICOPTER: A full scale mock up of Indian Multi Role Helicopter at our stall and we want it to have a service ceiling of 20,000 ft with carrying capacity of 24 people. Can do all roles including VIP duties. UAV DEVELOPMENT: Mini UAV of 80 kg ready for production. It can do day and night surveillance. Development of 10kg rotary UAV taken up. December 16, 2015 the first flight was done. Upto 500kg class rotary UAVs we want to build. advertisement INDO RUSSIA MTA IS DEAD: Multi-role Transport Aircraft is not progressing well. It is currently on a stop mode. No work is going on over the MTA. It was a JV formed with Russia and both governments have put in their money. It will be a collective decision. SERVICEABILITY: Every HAL supplied platform has 65 per cent serviceability and Sukhoi 30 MKI maximum serviceability of 68 per cent. We have given a proposal to MoD to become Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for Sukhoi in India. COMMONALITIES OF PARTS FOR HELICOPTERS: Commonality of parts achieved in helicopters is a lot. Except the Light Combat Helicopter, all helicopters have a lot of commonalities. R & D AT HAL: 6.5 per cent of our budget committed to R&D. Over Rs 1000 cr is the R&D budget. We are the largest among defence PSUs investing in R&D.KAMOV 226T - The shareholding brief has been signed before President Putin and PM Modi during BRICS. We are now awaiting the Russian Presidential clearance and then MoD will lay down the process of making Kamov 226T. advertisement WRITER IS A SENIOR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT WITH INDIA TODAY TV & TWEETS @JRPUR --- ENDS --- 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 Acting Justice Minister Ana Birchall on Wednesday announced having had talks these days with leaders of magistrates and institutions of the judiciary on matters related to the smooth running of justice. "To me, securing the current activities of the ministry, the smooth running of the administration of the ministry is highly important. Having had a conversation with all these who in this period of time and also generally have an important word to say in the smooth operation of justice was absolutely normal. And I have spoken with everybody, including the National Union of Romania's Judges, leaders of the magistrates. (...) Conducting a normal dialogue with everybody and all organisations involved is natural, so that I may ask them about their current affairs," Birchall said as she left for a debate on energy security to attend as minister-delegate for European affairs. Journalists asked her whether or not she managed to have talks with officials of the Supreme Council of Magistrates (CSM), the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) and the Directorate for Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). "I find it normal for me to be able to discuss these laws related to the current activities of the ministry with the DIICOT chief prosecutor," said Birchall, adding that on Wednesday the Chamber of Deputies had a first reading of DIICOT legislation. Asked whether or not her conversations were followed by decisions being made, Birchall said, ''This is business as usual, and during my interim tenure I will discuss with everybody who have a word to say in justice and the smooth running of the administrative activities of the Justice Ministry." She also reiterated her position on the criminal codes. "I do not find it either normal or fair for someone to decide what ruling of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) is mandatory and what is not. From this perspective, a debate inside the Romanian society on these matters is absolutely necessary. The rulings of the Constitutional Court are mandatory, instead of optional. And I voiced my regret then, which I express now again, that maybe last year all the decisions ruled unconstitutional by CCR could have been harmonised and translated into the Romanian legislation as laws, because it is incumbent on the Government and Parliament particularly to consider the CCR rulings and turn them into pieces of legislation so that no practice remains out of synch, as we can see happening these days," added Birchall. agerpres. The Minister of National Education, Pavel Nastase declared on Wednesday, in a press conference, that by the end of this year, according to the governing programme, a new law of national education will be designed. "According to the Governing Programme, by the end of 2017, we must have a new national education law. Within this context, the Rectors' National Council and other university consortiums will be invited to discuss on this topic and also, the education parliamentary committees in Romania's Parliament that are empowered to come up with this law. Therefore, together with Parliament and these councils and consortiums, we will start off this process of creating a new law of National Education, whose deadline must be, as I was saying, the end of the year," the minister said. He stated that by the end of the year a draft law will be forwarded in Parliament. Agerpres Natural gas prices might increase by up to 10 percent starting with 1 April, after liberalising the domestic market's gas prices, Chairman of the National Energy Regulation Authority (ANRE) Niculae Havrilet said on Wednesday. "We'll have a price modification in the natural gas sector from 1 April. We'll also have finalised market regularisation for natural gas and a possibility exists that we have an upward adjustment in the gas prices, but not of 10 percent. We believe it will be an increase of a few percentages, up to 10 percent," said Havrilet. Just two days ago, Managing Director of E.ON Romania Frank Hajdinjak told agerpres. that the household gas prices might grow by over 10 percent from 1 April. According to Havrilet, an increase will occur because the price for domestic gas, which is now 60 lei / MWh, will get adjusted to the market prices, estimated to be 68-72 lei this summer. The ANRE head added that the population will not feel the growth that much since gas consumption in summer is pretty low. "(...) Consumption will be very low until November. Practically, there will be a 6-7 month period to see what the smallest gas price is going to be in the end in the consumer's basket. Households have a consumer basket, including domestic gas production, natural gas in storage and imported gas. Structuring the basket so that we have the smallest price will benefit the household consumers," Havrilet said. Practically, Havrilet concluded, the households will consume the lowest-priced natural gas, no matter its origins. By India Today Web Desk: Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra might have remained tight-lipped about their relationship status, but the rumoured lovebirds couldn't stay away from each other on Valentine's Day. Sidharth, who is busy with post production of his upcoming film Reload, took out time from his busy schedule to spend some quality time with rumoured girlfriend Alia on V-Day. advertisement ALSO READ: Varun drops major hint about Alia-Sidharth's relationship ALSO READ: Too serious to be discussed in public, Sidharth on relationship with Alia The 32-year-old was seen outside Alia's house in Mumbai last evening. While Alia was seen in a no make-up look, Sid was in his casual best. Interestingly, Sidharth in a recent interview to PTI had said that he only plans to work this Valentine's Day. He had said, "My plans for tomorrow is only working, nothing else. Valentine's day is tomorrow, yes, thanks for reminding me." But it wasn't only work for the Ek Villain actor as he took out time for his special someone on Valentine's Day. (Photos: Milind Shelte) ALSO WATCH: My father always asked me to fail, says Alia Bhatt --- ENDS --- The European Commission decided on Wednesday to send reasoned opinions to Romania and other seven Member States of the European Union concerning the failure of the obligation to completely transpose into their national legislation the Directive on the right of the EU citizens to work in another Member State, reveals a press release of the EU executive. The other Member countries targeted by the European Commission action are: Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Portugal. The Directive's objective is to allow people who work or are looking for a job in another EU country to exercise easier their right to free movement guaranteed by the Community legislation. It provides measures to support and protect the mobile citizens of the EU, to ensure better access to information on the rights to free movement, to combat discrimination on grounds of nationality as regards access to employment, remuneration and other work conditions, as well as to overcome unjustified obstacles to the free movement. Member States had the obligation to implement this directive and to communicate the national transposition measures to the Commission by 21 May 2016. Following the letters of formal notice sent by the EC in September 2016, the EU executive has decided to send reasoned opinions to these Member States. If the authorities of these Member States will not take measures within two months, the case can be submitted to the EU Court of Justice (CJEU). Still on Wednesday, the European Commission decided to send reasoned opinions to Romania, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Spain, Croatia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden regarding the failure of the obligation to notify the full transposition into their national laws of Directive 67/2014 laying the control measures and mechanisms needed for a better implementation, enforcement and a better and more even execution of workers' transfer. The laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States required to comply with the Directive implementing the directive on the posting of workers had to be enforced by 18 June 2016 and the European Commission should have been informed immediately upon it. Since the authorities of those Member States have not yet notified the EU executive on the adoption of the necessary measures, the Commission decided to send reasoned opinions to these countries. If the national authorities do not take measures within two months, the case can be submitted to the CJEU. Agerpres Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Wednesday welcomed Jordan's ambassador in Bucharest Saker Malkawi, according to a press statement by the Foreign Ministry (MAE). Melescanu mentioned that the bilateral political and diplomatic ties between Romania and Jordan have witnessed rising dynamics at all levels, voicing interest in the rising trends in economic cooperation and commercial exchanges continuing. Melescanu and Malkawi also exchanged opinions on the current world affairs, with emphasis on the challenges facing the Middle East, including the ongoing crisis in Syria and the prospects for the peace process, says MAE. The Romanian chief diplomat praised Jordan for its stabilising presence in the region, voicing Romania's determination to take part, as a European Union member state, in the efforts to resume normalcy in the Middle East. Agerpres A Romanian citizen is among the dead persons following the road accident that took place on Wednesday in Hungary, close to the Nadlac border crossing point, and another six wounded Romanians were taken to the Szeged and Mako hospitals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) specifies in a press release sent to agerpres. "According to the preliminary information communicated by the Hungarian authorities at the scene, among the dead persons following the accident is a Romanian citizen. Six wounded Romanian citizens were taken to the hospitals in Szeged and Mako", MAE specifies. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Hungarian authorities continue the searches to establish the circumstances causing the accident and confirmed the identity of all the persons involved in the accident. Likewise, the General Consul of Romania in Szeged went to the place of the accident and is in permanent contact with the representatives of Hungarian Police and Arad Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, which participate in the intervention. The representative of the Romanian Consular Office will later go to the mentioned hospitals, to obtain additional information concerning the state of the wounded persons and to offer the necessary consular assistance, the MAE underscores. Minister delegate for the Relation with Parliament Gratiela Gavrilescu arrived on Wednesday at the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) headquarters, where she is to be heard by the prosecutors. She refused to give any statements to the press upon entering the DNA. According to some judicial sources, Gabriela Gavrilescu is to be heard as a witness in a case of corruption. agerpres. By Press Trust of India: Chandigarh, Feb 15 (PTI) Reacting to the arrest of Nabha jailbreak mastermind from the alleged house of an AAP worker, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh today sought a probe into what he called Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals "nexus" with militants and gangsters in the state. The Congress chief ministerial candidate flagged concern over the arrest of Gurpreet Singh Sekhon from the house of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activist, just two weeks after Kejriwal had courted controversy by staying at a KLF militants home in Punjab. advertisement There is apparently a "strong nexus between AAP and the militants as well as dreaded gangsters, posing a major threat to Punjabs security and safety", alleged Amarinder, demanding an independent investigation, preferably by a central agency, into the partys "dangerous" links. With the Maur bomb blast also being traced to KLF and occurring just a few days after Kejriwals stay at KLF terrorist Gurwinder Singhs house during his Punjab visit ahead of the assembly polls, the situation warranted a detailed inquiry into what appeared to be "nefarious links" between AAP and anti-social elements, he said. Amarinder said while Kejriwal-led AAP had increasingly been exposing its "extremist ideology" in the run-up to the polls, things had now come to a head in the wake of the latest reports of Sekhons arrest from the home of party activist Goldy Gill, an NRI who had been actively engaged in campaigning for his party. "It was no longer possible," he said, "to brush away controversial Kejriwals stay as a mere coincidence, as the AAP leadership had been trying to project." PTI VJ DKD KIS --- ENDS --- Speaking exclusively to India Today, Shah indicated that all of what was being said was because of election fever and that things would settle down after the polls got over. By Rahul Kanwal: In a bid to underplay the rift with its ally Shiv Sena, BJP president Amit Shah today blamed the "election fever" for the heightened political temperature between the two parties. Speaking exclusively to India Today, Shah indicated that all of what was being said was because of election fever and that things would settle down after the polls got over. advertisement Reacting to Shiv Sena chief Udhav Thackeray's charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi runs the government like a dictator, Shah said, "Udhav is still with us, isn't he?" Shah is confident that the BJP will emerge as the single largest party in the upcoming BMC elections in Mumbai. The BJP believes that the entire battle is about showing who is the big brother in the state. Although Shah did not comment on tying up with the NCP, he seemed confident that there was no threat to the BJP government in Maharashtra. Other senior leaders also feel that Uddhav Thackeray's aggression against Modi and the BJP is just a public posturing in view of the forthcoming municipal elections in Maharashtra. BJP national general secretary in charge of Maharashtra Saroj Pandey and co-in charge Rakesh Singh have already said that the party is not taking Uddhav's rants seriously. They said that Sena has not attacked the BJP for the first time. The same atmosphere prevailed in the state during the 2014 Assembly election when the two parties had fought it separately. Though Shiv Sena and BJP are allies at the Centre and in Maharashtra, they are separately contesting the municipal elections. The BJP is aiming at breaking the monopoly of the Shiv Sena which has ruled BMC for 19 years. Angered at this, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has been hitting hard at BJP and the Prime Minister. From calling Modi "arrogant" to allying with BJP's bete noire Hardik Patel, the Shiv Sena is indulging in all means to provoke and undermine its senior alliance partner. The sense in the BJP seems to be that Udhav Thackeray is highly arrogant. "While he doesn't have any of the positives of Balasaheb Thackeray, he seems to have inherited all the negatives," remarked a senior BJP leader who didn't wish to be named. ALSO READ:Maharashtra civic polls: Why Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's anti-Modi rant doesn't worry BJP --- ENDS --- Gander Mountain has hired investment bank Houlihan Lokey as an advisor in a business review, the outdoor equipment chain said Wednesday. The announcement from the St. Paul, Minn.-based chain that has three locations in the St. Louis area follows a recent Reuters report that Gander Mountain was considering filing for bankruptcy. Gander Mountain, which has 162 stores, said "recent speculative news articles have caused concern among some of our customers, employees, and trade partners," and prompted a response from the privately held company. "Like most retailers, we are subject to normal economic cycles, changes in our industry and shifts in consumer demand that require us to adapt our business accordingly," Gander Mountain said in a statement. "Its been that way since 1960, when we started out as a catalog company in small-town Wisconsin, and it remains the case today." Gander Mountain's chairman and CEO is David Pratt, a former chairman and CEO of pesticide maker United Industries and a minority stakeholder in the St. Louis Cardinals. Gander Mountain and its ownership group have undertaken a best-practices approach to review our strategic options specific to positioning the company for long-term success," the company said in the statement Wednesday. "When we engage in such a review we often seek information and advice from external advisors to inform our decisions." The company retained Los Angeles-based Houlihan Lokey as independent advisors to assist in the process and said "we are confident that the outcome of the review will identify the right go-forward strategy." ST. LOUIS Mayor Francis Slay plans to join the law office of Spencer Fane after he concludes his fourth term as mayor in April. The Kansas City-based law firms local office is in Clayton, but Slay will be based in a new office in downtown St. Louis. Slays announcement marks the end of the constant drumbeat of rumors and speculation about his professional life after leaving City Hall. Slay said he has been debunking rumors for months, but acknowledged that he never shut the door to running for office statewide. I kept that option open as a possibility, he said. There was nothing specific, but I didnt rule it out. Slay, who has been taking continuing legal education courses for the past several months, said he will be practicing as a general business attorney and likely handling cases related to international commerce, public finance and regulatory work. He added that serving as mayor also helped him keep up with changes in the law. The variety of legal issues that you deal with as mayor day-to-day are endless, he said. When you look at personnel issues and business finances and business disputes, the city has very similar issues. In spite of the similarities that may exist, Slay said both he and Spencer Fane will be diligent to avoid any issues or cases that could present a conflict of interest. Frank Neuner, a managing partner at Spencer Fanes St. Louis office, also said he doesnt anticipate any conflicts, but the firm will wall off the mayor should any issues arise. While acknowledging that hiring a former mayor will bring visibility to Spencer Fane, Neuner said the decision was based on a number of factors, including Slays personal relationships with other attorneys at the firm. Before becoming mayor, Slay practiced law at Guilfoil Petzall & Shoemake. A number of lawyers from that firm now work at Spencer Fane. Several of our attorneys have long-standing relationships with (Slay), Neuner said. We are thrilled to have him. He will be a valuable resource for us and our clients, both public and private. Slay said he is looking forward to joining a firm that is looking to grow in St. Louis. I want to help them do that, he said. Spencer Fane currently has about 40 attorneys working in its Clayton office. Neuner said several of them will move to the St. Louis office once the firm settles on a location. The downtown office is expected to open this summer, if not sooner, Neuner said. Slay received his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law, and he has a bachelors degree in political science from Quincy College. He was a private practice attorney for 20 years before he was elected as mayor. He was president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen from 1995 until he was elected mayor in 2001. The developers who hope to turn St. Louis old Municipal Courts Building into a hotel arent the only ones looking to add new rooms to the downtown market. At least four proposals are in motion that could add about 600 rooms to the downtown area, and the latest proposal for the vacant city-owned courts building could add 150 more. Behind the latest downtown hotel proposal is a joint venture between Nelson Construction and Development of Des Moines, Iowa, and St. Louis-based Vertical Realty Advisors. They hope to start construction this summer after finalizing a $2.4 million deal to buy the city-owned property, which began emptying out in 2002 when the buildings court-related functions moved to the old federal courthouse on the other side of Tucker Boulevard. The hotel could open in spring 2019. Financing the $60 million project hinges on winning a number of state and local incentives, including about $8 million in tax increment financing assistance from St. Louis. During a presentation Wednesday to the citys TIF Commission, commission member Christina Bennett questioned whether the market could handle more hotel rooms. Nine hotels are already operating, the developers said. Youre saying that nine hotels plus the extra four is not going to oversaturate a city? Bennett asked. The developers argued that their project would be uniquely positioned next to Scottrade Center and near the renovated Gateway Arch grounds, Soldiers Memorial and a planned aquarium in Union Station. There is a lot of momentum as far as tourist traffic in St. Louis, Hasan Adelani of Vertical Realty said after the hearing. Otis Williams, head of the citys economic development office, told commissioners that his staff has examined the hotel market. He noted that 780 hotel rooms were taken off the market when the Millennium closed four years ago. The number that is being added back is seen as a replacement, Williams said. TIF commissioners will delve into the project details and take comments during a public hearing scheduled for April 12. Preliminary figures indicate about 42 percent of the projects financing would come from a $20.5 million private loan and $4.9 million in investor equity. The rest would come from sources such as TIF, which captures increases in sales and property taxes. Also part of the package are Missouri brownfield tax credits, historic tax credits and the establishment of two special taxing districts that each can levy up to a 1 percent sales tax. TIF commissioner Bennett asked whether the equity committed to the project was low compared to others, and she said she was concerned that the city has been subsidizing companies that do not need it. The developers attorney, though, said the building needs extensive updates to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and maintain a historic structure with an odd floor plan that includes six courtyards and eight courtrooms with 35-foot high ceilings. It has been more than four years since Vertical first proposed buying the building and turning it into restaurants and offices. It is a complicated, risky and expensive project, attorney Robert Preston of Spencer Fane said. The Municipal Courts building was built in 1911 in the Beaux Arts style. As voice recognition gadgets such as Amazon Echo and Google Home become more popular, Anheuser-Busch is adding the technology on some of its brand websites. A-B InBev, which has its U.S. headquarters in St. Louis, has added voice recognition on Budweiser.com and Budlight.com. The technology allows visitors to the website the ability to press a microphone button and say their birthday instead of typing it in. A-B says it's the first consumer packaged goods company to add voice recognition AI technology for age verification and the first alcohol company to do so. The technology will also ultimately be added on the brewer's apps, contests, and sweepstakes. "Reimagining how a consumer enters their date of birth during the age verification process is one of the key steps that Anheuser-Busch found to increase a customers positive experience and simplify the online path to enter, engage and purchase on their websites something competitors havent even attempted to change for years," a spokesman said in an email. It's not the first time Karlie Kloss of Webster Groves has landed in trouble for being part of something considered racially insensitive, but the latest controversy seems particularly ill-conceived. The March "diversity" issue of Vogue features a spread shot in Japan with a white, Midwestern Kloss dressed as a Japanese geisha including a photo with a sumo wrestler. It's pretty much the definition of cultural appropriation, and Kloss was quick to acknowledge this in a Twitter apology. The spread was photographed by Mikael Jansson and styled by Phyllis Posnick. In one photo, Kloss has a long crown of black hair, and another shows her walking down the stairs of a tea house, all while her attire alludes to traditional geisha ensembles. A New York Times blog said the dubious spread was likely an homage to Richard Avedons shoot of German model Veruschka von Lehndorff that appeared in Vogue in 1966. In the past, Kloss has apologized for appearing in a Native American headdress in 2012 on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway in New York. The lingerie company apologized and did not include the outfit in the show's television broadcast. And this isn't the first time Vogue has dressed her up to look Asian. In a 2011 Vogue spread that includes a sort of visual diary of her trip to China shot by Mario Testino, Kloss is in a short, blond wig with dark roots in a style that mimics a edgy Asian female aesthetic. There wasn't much controversy to that Vogue spread, although it raised a few eyebrows. Normally, Kloss is the epitome of the good girl, girl-next-door supermodel who bakes cookies and brings them to photo shoots. She's only 24 and has been a top model for years and seems pretty much universally admired and beloved. Vogue and its international Vogue affiliates have a longer history of cultural insensitivity, including a persistent lack of cover diversity, spreads with models in blackface, controversial images of African-American athletes and a white model wearing accessories labeled as "slave earrings", among other incidents. The cover itself has received a modest amount of criticism for it's the allegedly diverse body types and skin tones on display. One of the models on the cover is a plus-size model. Don't peek and tell us how long did it take you to spot her? From left to right: Liu Wen, Ashley Graham (plus-sized), Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Imaan Hammam, Adwoa Aboah, and Vittoria Ceretti. Daniel Neman Daniel Neman is a retail business writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Daniel Neman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The turkey in that sandwich you picked up at a grab n go case at your local convenience store might well have been cooked and packaged in St. Clair County. So might the pulled pork in the sandwich you ordered at a national fast-casual sandwich place. Or the chunks of rotisserie-style chicken you bought at a major big-box store. But thats not the cool part. The cool part is the science. It is never a good idea to watch how sausage is made, but that is the most fascinating part of Deli Star Corp. Not actual sausages, but something close: meat logs. If you have been to a deli case in a grocery store or a restaurant that specializes in sandwiches, you have probably noticed that some of the meat comes in long, wrapped cylinders, a shape that is not generally associated with actual animals. But they are easy to cut, and they are a consistent size, which makes them highly desirable for the owner of the store or restaurant. And they taste good, so customers like them, too. A large part of the art of making and flavoring meat logs comes from Deli Stars 60,000-square-foot facility in Fayetteville, population 366. This year, the company celebrates its 30th anniversary of making cooked meat and what it hopes will be an increasing amount of raw meat. Dan Siegel founded Deli Star almost as a hobby while working for what is now Bemis, a major packaging company based in Wisconsin. A scientist, he turned an interest in making roast beef into an interest in packaging it. He then developed a number of patented innovations in the way meat is cooked and delivered for the sandwich industry. Siegel is now listed as the companys founder, chairman and chief scientist. The role of president is held by his son, Justin Siegel. The meat at Deli Star is never frozen, and much of it is made without artificial preservatives. And yet and here is the coolest, most sciencey part of all some of its products can stay fresh for up to six months. The meat made without preservatives can stay fresh for three or four months. Heck, even the raw meat stays fresh for 30 days. The secret is in the packaging and the method of cooking the meat. The meat is vacuum-packed, sometimes even while it cooks, so that it is essentially unexposed to oxygen. Relatively acidic ingredients are used to help kill bacteria, and the products are often post-pasteurized with steam. In other words, they are heated enough to kill any pathogens that may otherwise prove troublesome. Much of the companys research and development is now taking place across the Mississippi River. Last year, it opened its St. Louis Innovation Center in Lacledes Landing with a suite of offices, a professional-style kitchen and unbeatable view of the river. At SLIC (which is inevitably pronounced slick), the companys executive chef, Jared Case, looks for ways to keep meat fresh and tasting good while keeping costs under control. On a recent visit, the Culinary Institute of America-trained chef had pieces of pork loin cooking sous vide a way of cooking at a constant temperature in water. He was looking for the magical combination of temperature and time that will result in a moist and tasty loin while still allowing the company to produce it in large quantities. Or there is this bit of scientific culinary voodoo: Deli Star makes a meat log out of rotisserie chicken. The chicken isnt actually cooked on a rotisserie, but it has a similar flavor. Best of all to the restaurant that is using it, when it is placed in a mixer it breaks up into chunks that look and feel like diced rotisserie chicken. ST. LOUIS Four current or former Drug Enforcement Administration staffers have asserted their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination or tried to in a series of rare federal court hearings here over a sex scandal that led to a congressional inquiry. At issue is whether key evidence should be thrown out against four defendants in a St. Louis drug trafficking case involving two murders. Their defense lawyers say that a confidential source who started the investigation was having sex with a DEA supervisor, and being paid for it. Prosecutors say that the misconduct allegations are confined to Atlanta and should have no effect on the criminal case here. During nine days of testimony since mid-October, some agents and former task force officers from Atlanta dodged questions on whether they falsified documents to justify $212,000 in DEA payments to the source. On Tuesday, a former task force officer, Anthony Tony Smith, testified that he was unaware of a relationship but did raise concerns about the payments. Keith Cromer, a group supervisor in Atlantas DEA office and a key figure in the controversy, briefly took the Fifth in October before being told he had to testify. He denied any misconduct. Now suspended, Cromer remains the sole target of a criminal investigation of DEA conduct, according to recently unsealed court testimony. That testimony sheds new light on internal and criminal investigations, and provides an unusual look at a highly secretive world. The Post-Dispatch reported the allegations against Cromer in October, triggering an inquiry by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. St. Louis agents, who acted on the sources information, have not been accused of improprieties. They have testified that the information was buttressed by subsequent investigation, and that they were unaware of any misconduct in Atlanta. Murderous drug conspiracy The St. Louis investigation involves Dionne L. Gatling, accused by prosecutors of dealing cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine here. In 2012, St. Louis agents applied for wiretaps that led to the 2014 indictment of Gatling, Andre Alphonso Rush, Timothy Lamont Rush and Lorenzo Gibbs on various drug-related charges. A superseding indictment in 2015 accuses Gatling, then 47, and Rush, then 50, of involvement in the murder of two men they believed had cooperated with police, or would. Gatlings prosecution was upended in March 2015, when the confidential source, called CS#1, outed the Cromer investigation in a call to a former defense lawyer. That was the tip of the iceberg for us, said Bob Herman, the lawyer for Andre Rush, in a conference last fall in the St. Louis chambers of U.S. Magistrate Judge Shirley Padmore Mensah. Defense lawyers claim CS#1 did not have the knowledge that the DEA claimed in using her to support their wiretap applications. The lawyers declined to comment to a reporter. CS#1 testifies According to a redacted transcript of CS#1s testimony in a sealed courtroom, she started helping the DEA in 2009 and was later offered a reward in a case unrelated to Gatling. After her controlling agent retired, Cromer asked her to keeping working. She said she did, and that she introduced Fidel Suarez, a California man seeking a drug connection, to Gatling. CS#1 and Cromer became close friends, in part because both suffered the loss of a loved one. They first met alone after he wanted to talk to someone about his sons death from cancer. Over months, their relationship progressed to sex. Then, she said, Cromer turned from affectionate to controlling, telling her how to dress and making her physically afraid. CS#1 said she wasnt sure what the payments were for, and didnt think she was on the DEAs payroll despite receiving monthly payments of $2,000 to $2,500. And she said Cromer told her to lie to others in the DEA to hide their relationship. She eventually approached her former controlling agent, Jack Harvey, telling him, I just think theres a lot of illegal stuff going on. Harvey, testified in October that she was paid tens of thousands of dollars for work done for him, but he also said he believed her claims about the relationship. Now, he said, She wishes she never heard of DEA. Cromer responds Cromer was portrayed in court as a high achieving major case maker brought low by his decision to turn to CS#1 for solace after his son died. In testimony last month and in October, he denied having sex with CS#1 or falsifying reports to justify her payments. Critics of her work didnt know its extent, Cromer said, and other sources had similar payment arrangements with supervisors knowledge. In court, Herman confronted Cromer with a cellphone picture CS#1 took of him sleeping in a hotel room in March 2012. It came up on her phone whenever Cromer called. He said he didnt know how she got into the room. Right there, that was a prohibited relationship, Herman said. It is, Cromer acknowledged. DEA agents are forbidden from even being alone with sources, or having a relationship closer than arms-length. Cromer admitted failing to disclose a relationship but denied telling her to lie to his colleagues. He said the DEA began phasing her out in 2012. In 2015, his security clearance was revoked, because investigators took it on faith that he committed misconduct. Smith, the former officer, testified Tuesday that he raised concerns about payments to CS#1, some for work done by another source, saying he feared they could be fraudulent. He said Cromer told him to just write something up to justify the payments, which Smith interpreted to mean she should be paid in any event. Smith denied falsifying information. Cromer responded to his concerns, Smith claimed, by assigning someone else as CS#1s controlling agent. Lawyers weigh in W.H. Bill Thomas, Cromers Atlanta attorney, said in an interview last month, If we had something to hide, Agent Cromer wouldnt have testified. I cant say it enough, that there is no one within DEA with knowledge of this situation that will tell you that those payments were made inappropriately, he added. He and federal prosecutors in St. Louis agree that the drug defendants are just trying to use the scandal allegations to eliminate incriminating evidence. Richard Callahan, the U.S. attorney in St. Louis, said information used to obtain the wiretap was so strongly corroborated that the investigation of Cromer doesnt matter. He said the Cromer probe was revealed to the defense out of an abundance of caution. DEA agents here testified that they were unaware of allegations about Cromer but were already aware of Gatling. They said CS#1s information about Gatlings California connection was borne out by the investigation. At one point, Mensah, the judge, said the issue is what the agent who signed the wiretap affidavit knew. She said, I dont care whether CS#1 had sex with Cromer 25 times. If the affiant didnt know about it, its not really relevant here. Lawyers in the drug case now have more than two months to file written briefs. ST. CHARLES A man from Normandy has been given a 10-year prison term for robbing the Walmart store at 2897 Veterans Memorial Parkway in 2015. Maliq Ale Shabazz, 23, of the 1900 block of Bermuda Drive, was sentenced last week by St. Charles County Circuit Judge Jon Cunningham after pleading guilty to felony robbery. Court records said Shabazz and Michael A. Daniels, 29, were accused of taking $4,777 in bank bags from a shopping cart at the store. Authorities said the bags had been placed in the cart by an employee transferring the money from cash registers as part of her duties. A trial for Daniels, of the 10000 block of Jepson Drive in Bellefontaine Neighbors, is scheduled for May 30. By Press Trust of India: Srinagar, Feb 15 (PTI) The Army today paid homage to four soldiers, including an officer, who laid down their lives during two counter-insurgency operations in Bandipora and Kupwara districts of Kashmir. Joined by officials of other security forces operating in the Valley, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen J S Sandhu paid rich tributes to Major Satish Dahiya, Rifleman Ravi Kumar, Paratrooper Dharmender Kumar and Gunner Astosh Kumar in a solemn ceremony at Badamaibagh Cantonment here. advertisement "Survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter, 31-year-old Maj Dahiya had led the operation launched by Army in Handwara yesterday which eventually resulted in the elimination of three terrorists, thus delivering a major blow to the terror network in North Kashmir," defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said. He said the officer, hailing from Mahendergarh in Haryana, had been a part of several counter-terrorist operations and had also been awarded for gallantry earlier. 33-year-old Rifleman Ravi Kumar hailed from Samba in Jammu and Kashmir and was part of another operation in Hajin, Bandipora yesterday in which one terrorist was killed. He is survived by his wife and a three-year-old daughter, the spokesman said. Also forming part of the same operation was Paratrooper Dharmender Kumar of Nainital, Uttarakhand. "The young paratrooper, who defied his 26 years of age and had established himself amongst his comrades as a spirited and daring soldier, is survived by his parents," he said. Gunner Astosh Kumar hailed from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh and is survived by his mother Shila Devi. His father Havildar Lal Sahib had laid down his life during the Kargil War. "The mortal remains of the martyrs will be taken to their native places for last rites with full military honours. The Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and remains committed to their dignity and well being," the spokesman said. PTI MIJ SMN --- ENDS --- ST. LOUIS COUNTY A Spanish Lake man has been charged with beating his girlfriend's two children. Michael Green, 31, was charged Tuesday with two counts of abuse or neglect of a child. His bail is set at $50,000, cash only. St. Louis County police say the victims are ages 3 and 4. They had welts, bruises and scars when their grandfather reported the abuse to police Jan. 28. Both children indicated that "Mikey," who police say is Green, "whooped" them and "made (them) bleed," court records allege. Police say the scars indicate the children were beaten with a belt or some kind of cord. The scars were on the children's torso, back, legs and genitals. Green had been dating the children's mother for about six months, police say. CLAYTON A St. Louis County judge with pending DWI and failure-to-comply charges retired Friday, as he was about to hit the states mandatory retirement age for judges. Associate Circuit Judge Lawrence J. Larry Permuter turned 70 the mandatory retirement age for judges on Feb. 14, Court Administrator Paul Fox said in an email Wednesday. That is the mandatory retirement age for judges Permuter was arrested by Richmond Heights police on Dec. 31, 2015, and later charged in municipal court with DWI and failure to comply with the reasonable direction of an officer. A witness had called police at 12:39 p.m. to report that Permuters car crossed one lane of traffic on westbound Highway 40 and crashed into a concrete wall. Permuter then tried to get back on the highway before crashing again, she told police. Permuter told police that he had hit the wall but could not tell me why, the officers report says. The report says that alcohol contributed to the accident, which damaged the front, rear and passenger side of Permuters 2003 Ford Escort. Permuter suffered minor cuts and bruises but declined medical attention. After the charges became public, his then-lawyer, Joel Eisenstein, said Permuters blood-alcohol level, at 0.06 percent, did not meet the legal definition of intoxication of 0.08 percent. At the time, neither police nor Eisenstein would say what led to the failure-to-comply charge, but Eisenstein did say his client later apologized to officers. Its not clear whether Permuter faced a disciplinary investigation over the incident, as complaints or investigations are confidential unless Missouris Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline formally recommends discipline to the Supreme Court. Permuters current lawyer could not be reached for comment. Permuter, of Richmond Heights, was appointed to an associate judgeship in 2008 by then-Gov. Matt Blunt. Associate judges earn $136,000 per year. Permuter graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and got his law degree from Washington University. EAST ST. LOUIS Federal prosecutors on Wednesday said that a Swansea man involved in a crash that killed a mother and her 12-year-old daughter has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Jan. 20 crash claimed the lives of C'Mia Yvette Thomas, 12, and her mother, Tamika Thornton, 33, of East St. Louis. In charging documents, David Wargo with the Illinois State Police wrote that Eric L. Eiskant was the driver of the Chevrolet Impala that hit the Chevrolet Suburban being driven by Thomas. After the crash, a witness came up to Eiskant's car and heard him say "I've got to get out of here, I'm going to get in trouble," Wargo wrote. Eiskant then handed the witness a gun and a small silver container, Wargo wrote. The witness kicked them under the car, later pointing them out to police. The gun once belonged to Eiskant's grandfather. Wargo did not detail the contents of the container. Eiskant was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis on Feb. 10, but the complaint was sealed until his arrest. Eiskant was convicted of residential burglary in 2008 in St. Clair County, Wargo wrote. He now works for an auto repair business in Swansea and has a 5-year-old daughter. Police at the time of the crash said that Thomas was eastbound on St. Clair Avenue about 2:15 p.m. and turned left at 79th Street into the path of the 2011 Impala. C'Mia was thrown from the vehicle. Eiskant was taken to a hospital in Belleville, where he was listed in serious condition. JEFFERSON CITY On a day when racial turmoil was simmering in the Capitol, members of the Missouri House gave a thumb's up to legislation called pro-black by its sponsor. Rep. Shamed Dogan, the lone African-American lawmaker on the Republican side of the aisle, said his plan to lift state regulations on African-style hair braiders could trigger the creation of jobs in minority communities if those businesses take the opportunity to expand. Under current state law, a person needs to go through a cosmetology school and complete 1,500 hours of training in order to obtain a license to legally braid hair. Dogans measure would not require hair braiders to obtain a license. Instead, they would need to register with a board and receive a brochure including information about infections and disease control. Dogan, a Ballwin resident, said hair braiding within the black community is a practice passed down through generations and isnt something that necessarily can be taught at a cosmetology school. People dont need instructors to teach them how to do that, Dogan said. Its definitely a bill thats pro-black. Dogan outlined his proposal to the full House on Tuesday and made sure to note that February is Black History Month. At the same time the House debate was underway, the NAACP was holding a rally two floors away in the Capitol in the aftermath of a Monday dust-up between their state president, Rod Chapel, and Rep. Bill Lant, R-Pineville. At issue was testimony by Chapel on a bill limiting discrimination lawsuits. Lant, who also is chairman of the panel hearing the proposal, cut Chapel off as he was alleging the measure was racist. After an outcry by Democrats and other groups, Lant acknowledged his actions had prevented open dialogue. He pledged to hold another hearing on the matter. For now, the hair-braiding legislation stands as a way to bridge the gap. The proposal still needs a final vote in the House before it heads to the Senate for further debate. But, it could face success because of support from Gov. Eric Greitens, who criticized the regulations during his State of the State speech in mid-January. The legislation is House Bill 230. JEFFERSON CITY Just a month after it opened under mysterious circumstances, Missouris newest state park has been closed. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources confirmed Wednesday that Jay Nixon State Park in Reynolds County was shuttered on Feb. 8 due to potential public safety concerns. The closure is the latest twist in a controversy that caught fire in the waning days of Nixons final days as governor. Nixon, a Democrat, championed the state park system during his two terms in office, arguing that an expansion will help draw tourism spending to the state. In the weeks before he left office, Nixon oversaw the opening of four parks and said visitors to the state topped 20 million in 2016. As a parting gift before he re-entered the private sector as an attorney at a Clayton law firm, the DNR quietly announced that a mostly undeveloped 1,200-acre tract of land near Ironton would carry Nixons name. That move, however, has angered local lawmakers, sparked legislation to strip Nixons name off the park and was cited as a potential factor in the ouster of the states park director. And, now, the remote facility is closed. The status of Jay Nixon State Park was re-evaluated due to limited access and lack of facilities, DNR spokesman Tom Bastian wrote in an email to the Post-Dispatch Wednesday. On Wednesday, a House committee heard debate on a plan to rename the park as Proffitt Mountain State Park in honor of pioneers who settled the area, which abuts Taum Sauk State Park and Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park. Rep. Paul Fitzwater, R-Potosi, suggested the change, saying it fits the region better than a park named after Nixon. I dont have anything against naming something after the governor, Fitzwater said. I appreciate his many years of service as governor and attorney general. But, This parcel of land, and the history behind this parcel of land, is why were trying to do this, he added. The son of a man who was murdered in connection also said he supported the renaming of the park. Troy Jones, 48, told the committee that a former owner of the property had killed his father over a disagreement over an easement on the property. Jones family had originally sought to have the park named after their late patriarch. Rep. Sonya Anderson, R-Springfield, told the committee that she also had heard the park was currently inaccessible. Its not in any condition to hike, Anderson said. Contacted at his new job Wednesday, Nixon declined to comment. Updated at 4 p.m. with comments from Reps. Luetkemeyer, Bost. WASHINGTON Missouris senators, who serve on key national security committees, differ in how former National Security Adviser Michael Flynns and President Donald Trump administrations contacts with Russia should be investigated. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee that has been for months probing Russian influence on the election, recommends that it continue as the point investigative committee. He says it would take a special prosecutor or a select committee of Congress a half year to catch up to where he and the bipartisan committee colleagues are. I think Congress is the best place to do this and partly because we could do it right now, Blunt told the Post-Dispatch. Part of standing up a committee, even a special committee in the Congress, and even moreso outside the Congress, means you would be six months down the road before you would get to where the Senate Intelligence Committee is today. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is calling for a bipartisan select committee." Its critical that we fully understand the extent of the Russian governments attempts to influence our elections and government," she said. Other members of the St. Louis-area delegation in Congress are splitting along party lines, as well. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, said that she wants the investigation to remain within the House and Senate Intelligence committees, and to include leaks of information that lead to Flynns downfall. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis, called for an independent, bipartisan investigation. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, said he also wants the two congressional intelligence committees to do the investigation, and he stressed that he wants it to look into national security leaks that led to Flynn's resignation. Shimkus also expressed worries that the Flynn controversy is delaying Trump from filling other vital national security positions in his 26-day-old administration. Shimkus believes that, rather than debating incomplete news reports based on anonymous sources, the immediate focus of the administration and the Senate should be on filling vital national security posts in a timely manner, spokesman Jordan Haverly said. Some Democrats say their Republican colleagues werent as interested in investigating leaks during the campaign, when Wikileaks published online volumes of Clintons hacked emails. Clay said it was wrong for Trump to have known about potential problems with Flynn since Jan. 26, but to have waited until news reports exposed them. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said that he was glad President Trump asked for General Flynns resignation." He said he had "complete confidence that their investigation will be thorough and unbiased, Davis said. We need to let the intelligence committees do their jobs," Davis said. "Until they do, everything else is just a distraction from the important issues this administration and Congress are focused on. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, said it was appropriate" for Trump to ask Flynn to resign, and added: I am confident that the appropriate agencies and committees of jurisdiction will examine and review all relevant information. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, believes these allegations warrant further review, a review which is currently ongoing in the intelligence community and may continue alongside congressional committees of jurisdiction, his spokesman, George OConnor said. Flynn resigned Monday night after less than a month on the job. The move came after news reports raised questions about what was discussed in a conversation between him and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on the day that President Obama's administration imposed sanctions on Russia for its election-season hacking of U.S. entities, including the Democratic National Committee. Obamas White House issued a report in early January saying that U.S. intelligence had concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at denigrating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and boosting Trump during the 2016 election. The Flynn resignation and the leaks that predicated it have pushed the broader question of Russian influence on Trump and some of his advisers back into the spotlight. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that Flynn was asked to resign after it became apparent he was not truthful with Vice President Mike Pence about whether the sanctions were discussed in the call with Kislyak. Spicer said eroding trust in Flynn, not whether he had broken laws, had led to Trump asking for Flynn to step down. Press reports have also raised questions about whether Pence is in the knowledge loop at the White House, and whether Trump and senior staff kept their concerns about Flynn from the vice president. Pence had gone on television shows defending Flynn and saying the sanctions were not discussed in the call with Kislyak. Some Democrats have called for open hearings. Blunt, who is privy to some of the nations deepest secrets as a member of the Intelligence Committee, told reporters that he was unsure what level of public testimony should be allowed. Some necessary answers may involve sources and methods of intelligence gathering, for instance, he said. Depends on the circumstances, Blunt said. Some of the testimony really should come from information-gathering sources and how and why they decided to gather the information they gathered and why and how they decided not to minimize the information they gathered. And there may be very good answers to that, but they probably wouldnt be very good public answers. Blunt said a final report of an Intelligence Committee investigation should be public. But Blunt balked at some GOP assertions that it should be completed in 90 days in order to get beyond the crisis and to other, pressing issues. "Sooner is better than later," Blunt said. "I think we can be a long way down the road in 90 days. It could be a mistake right now to suggest a time frame that doesnt allow us to look at everything that needs to be looked at in a way that Democrats and Republicans walk away from this saying, 'We saw everything, and here is the conclusion that the committee has reached.'" JEFFERSON CITY A group of Missouri lawmakers are asking the state attorney general to join their fight against the implementation of federal ID regulations. Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee's Summit, plans to deliver a letter to Attorney General Josh Hawley Wednesday asking him to "take action and help prevent the encroachment of the federal governments REAL ID Act of 2005." So far nine other Republican senators, including Bill Eigel, R-St.Charles, have joined Kraus in signing it. Kraus has long voiced objection to implementing the George W. Bush-era federal law intended to better secure the process of obtaining driver's licenses after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He believes the law infringes on citizens' privacy and he's not alone. State lawmakers across the country have chafed at provisions requiring states to keep and share databases of personal documents, worrying citizens' personal information could be hacked or misused. Missouri passed a law in 2009 prohibiting the Department of Revenue from complying with the new regulations, joining more than a dozen other states enacting similar bans. But now contractors and truckers are having trouble getting into federal facilities like Ft. Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base that require the IDs. Other states have begun bending to the requirements or filing for extensions. And the Department of Homeland Security dropped an ultimatum last year: if Missouri and four other noncompliant states don't get in line, their driver's licenses won't be enough to board planes on Jan. 22, 2018. Kansas City Republican Sen. Ryan Silvey hopes to avoid that scenario with a bill allowing each Missourian to choose whether or not they want a REAL-compliant license, a system states like Vermont, Connecticut and New York use. Kraus sees that as cowing to pressure from Washington. "(Silvey's bill) is a false choice," he said. "And if they get that through, it won't be long before they make the IDs mandatory for everyone." Instead, he wants Hawley to defend against in any retaliation for noncompliance and try to explain Missouri's position to federal officials. Kraus acknowledged the mandates would be difficult to fight in court, but said he hoped he could stall passage of Silvey's bill until the Trump administration can address his concerns. Silvey saw the letter as further evidence of Kraus' extreme position. "Not only is the opposition in the minority of the Senate, they're the minority in the state," Silvey said. "And I would say that by refusing to let me decide whether I want one of these IDs, they're violating my rights." Republican Reps. Rick Brattin of Harrisonville and Paul Curtman of Pacific gathered signatures for a similar letter in the House. Curtman said about 50 House members almost exclusively Republicans signed on. "It's not that we're against security," Curtman said. "We just think the federal government needs to rein in the Department of Homeland Security. The fear here is that if we let DHS say you need this ID for airplanes, that soon you'll need it for work or to buy guns or open a bank account." Kansas City Republican Rep. Kevin Corlew is sponsoring the compromise legislation in the House and sees a critical flaw in that argument. "The opposition's remedy for not wanting to be in a federal program is to have our citizens get federal passports, which are completely controlled by the federal government," Corlew said. Loree Ann Paradise, Hawley's deputy chief of staff, said the attorney general's office had received the letters, but declined to comment further. On the campaign trail, Hawley said he would fight "federal overreach" as attorney general. He's already joined Missouri to lawsuits challenging federal overtime and wildlife regulations. The legislation is Senate Bill 37. ST. LOUIS Several Democratic mayoral candidates may have to return more than $71,000 in campaign contributions made to them since mid-December donations that used to be legal in Missouri but are no longer allowed under the states newly instituted contribution limits. A Post-Dispatch review of records found that candidate Lyda Krewson alone may have to return almost $50,000 in donations that appear to violate the new prohibitions on accepting direct contributions from corporate entities or from other candidates campaign committees. Fellow Democratic mayoral candidates Lewis Reed, Jeffrey Boyd and Tishaura Jones may have to return smaller levels of donations made to them from those sources in the past two months. In all, the newspaper found, St. Louis mayoral candidates have received more than $71,000 in apparently prohibited donations, as defined under a campaign-contribution limits ban approved by the voters in November. Those bans apply to donations made since Dec. 8. The new rules have produced confusion around the state, in part because of the various exceptions to them. Most of the states new limits dont apply to candidates for mayor and other local offices, but the prohibitions on corporate and campaign committee donations do, election officials say. The Missouri Ethics Commission last week issued a series of opinions specifying how the new rules should be interpreted. State election officials have said they will give candidates time to return prohibited donations without penalty as the campaigns adjust to the new rules. Since Dec. 8, records show, Krewsons campaign has taken in about $48,000 from donors that are listed as corporate entities by the state, and another $200 from another campaign committee. Krewson spokesman Ed Rhode said in a written statement that the campaign already has begun returning checks to corporate donors and exchanging corporate checks for personal checks from the people at those corporations to adhere to the new rules. Now that the new campaign finance laws are in place there are a lot of questions, so the Krewson campaign reached out to the Missouri Ethics Commission seeking advice to understand the new campaign finance laws as passed in November, Rhode wrote. We have also hired outside counsel looking for guidance. Boyds campaign has accepted about $10,000 from apparently prohibited corporate sources, records show. Reed and Jones have accepted about $6,000 each in prohibited donations, with about $1,600 of those donations to Jones coming in the form of money from other candidates campaign committees. Any government rule that takes two months and a panel of lawyers to explain should probably have been written in simpler language, Jones spokesman Richard Callow said in a written statement. That said, the campaign has begun refunding all of the questioned contributions. Most if not all the money donated to the mayoral candidates directly from corporations would be allowed under the new rules if those corporations were to move that money first into political action committees even PACs created by the corporations. Donations from PACs to candidates arent prohibited under the new rules. Those rules were created by passage of a referendum Nov. 8 amending the Missouri Constitution, which previously contained no limits on campaign contributions. Among the changes is a cap on contributions at $2,600 per candidate, per election cycle from each donor though that limit applies only to state-level posts, not local mayoral races. Challenges to the new law are pending. Walker Moskop of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. CLAYTON An impasse over improvements to a South County park appears close to resolution following concessions to concerns raised by residents at community meetings earlier this year. The main stumbling block to turning a portion of Cliff Cave Park into a two-mile paved bicycle path is the addition of a pedestrian bridge to provide cyclists safe transit over Telegraph Road. South County Councilman Ernie Trakas said Tuesday he was cautiously optimistic that his office and county officials could reach an understanding that would culminate in a nonvehicular bridge spanning the heavily traveled Oakville area thoroughfare. I dont think the cost would be exorbitant, Trakas said after a Tuesday council meeting at which several residents voiced support for the Cliff Cave Park project. And it certainly would alleviate traffic concerns. A Republican who took office in January, Trakas responded to resident concerns about crime, vandalism and safety by balking at $5 million in enhancements to the Mississippi River front recreation area. The proposed upgrades include an observation tower overlooking the river in addition to the paved bike trail that supporters say will duplicate Grants Trail along the river bluff. Great Rivers Greenway secured the grants to fund the improvements. County Executive Steve Stenger said the support represents efforts by his administration to expand the Great Rivers Greenway footprint in the county. Area bicycling activist Michelle Funkenbusch told the council the proposal also enjoys the support of outdoor enthusiasts. What we dont want is for (the county) to step away from $5 million in improvements because (the plan) is not perfect, Funkenbusch told council members. Trakas in an interview with the Post-Dispatch says he has no intention of blocking the project. A series of open, honest and meaningful conversations with county parks officials, the councilman said, have resulted in a reduction in the size of the parking area and other issues raised by his constituents. The next objective, Trakas said, is to identify creative ways to finance the pedestrian and bicycle bridge that will erase the most pressing apprehension getting parkgoers safely from one side of Telegraph Road to the other. JEFFERSON CITY Tuesday was the ninth annual NAACP Day at the Missouri Capitol, billed as an opportunity for lawmakers to meet with representatives from the nations largest civil rights organization. Rarely a controversial affair, it is similar to events sponsored by numerous groups who hope to influence legislators. Things were different this time. Angered by a GOP committee chairman who shut off the microphone of state NAACP President Nimrod Chapel during Chapels testimony Monday night, Democratic lawmakers and advocates unleashed condemnations of the Republican committee chairman, Bill Lant of Pineville, with at least one comparing his actions to those in the Jim Crow South. The fracas prompted the House speaker to apologize although Lant himself said he has nothing to apologize for. The incident sparking the outrage occurred after four hours of back-and-forth testimony Monday on a proposal to narrow the law protecting Missourians from workplace discrimination. Chapel came to the witness stand and criticized the measure, which would require plaintiffs to meet a higher standard of proof in discrimination suits. He asserted that its supporters, such as the University of Missouri System, Washington University in St. Louis and private businesses, were united in expanding discrimination. Lant grew frustrated with the insults and asked Chapel to keep his commentary germane to the bill. Then Chapel called the legislation nothing but Jim Crow, and Lant cut him off. The incident prompted House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty to send a heated letter to Speaker Todd Richardson on Tuesday morning. It seems the trigger that set Rep. Lant off was that Mr. Chapel simply said things Rep. Lant didnt want to hear, Beatty said. Put another way, a white man abused his power to stop a black man from expressing a contrary view. At a news conference with other progressive groups on Tuesday, Chapel didnt directly accuse Lant of racism, but he came pretty close. I was there complaining that this bill would allow discrimination against working families, and he literally said shut up, he said. Im the only one that he did that to; I dont know any other way to take it. Both Chapel and Beatty called for Lant to be stripped of his chairmanship. Chapel also requested meetings with Gov. Eric Greitens and House Speaker Todd Richardson to discuss the incident. Both men tried to make amends in speeches before the NAACP on Tuesday. I want to start by addressing something that happened last night where the House of Representatives was not at our best, Richardson said. This is a place where we ought to always welcome the free exchange of ideas. Mr. Chapel, I want to personally tell you that you are always welcome to present your views and your thoughts and the views of (the NAACP) to our members, he said. He added in an interview afterward that hed asked Lant to hold a second hearing before the bill gets a vote and to allow Chapel to speak. Greitens delivered a plea for unity to the chapter, encouraging them to ignore media coverage that he said obsessed over conflict to sell newspapers. He declined to take questions from reporters after speaking. We cant let their bad business derail our good work, Greitens said during his speech. He also emphasized his desire to lower high unemployment rates in black communities and the need to better prepare black students for college classrooms. We will sit down and find ways to work together, he added. But even as Greitens called for bipartisanship, two floors above him, legislators were considering expanded police protections, a tense debate in which black Democrats questioned the Legislatures tepid response to police reform bills after the Ferguson unrest. Rep. Brandon Ellington, D-Kansas City, called it interesting and heartbreaking that lawmakers would rush to protect police, but decline to work on any type of accountability legislation. (Were sending) a message that we want to be pro-law enforcement, but anti-civilian, Ellington said. As for the legislation debated on Monday night, a myriad of concerns remain. But Richardson there are no plans to remove Lant as committee chairman. Sponsoring Rep. Kevin Austin said requiring people to prove their race, religion, sex or other protected status was the "motivating factor" driving a boss to mistreat or fire them rather than just a contributing factor to win cases like wrongful termination suits would just bring Missouri in line with federal standards. But Rep. Steven Roberts, D-St. Louis, said the proposal effectively legalized discrimination. He said proving a boss or co-worker mistreated someone solely because of their race or gender was next to impossible without a confession, something a defendant would likely be loath to provide. This bill needs to be killed, he said. This will make Missouri the most difficult place in the country to sue for discrimination. Tom Mickes, an attorney who said hed represented several businesses and more than 100 school districts, had played down similar rhetoric Monday evening, saying the bill was about rebalancing the legal playing field between businesses and workers. But Sheree Brewer, a postal worker from Florissant who is suing a colleague for displaying racist posters at her desk, found that assertion laughable. If you let employers off on their responsibility of preventing discrimination in the workplace or punishing the person who did it, that is empowering a bully, she said. And that destroys lives. Chapel took special exception to Republicans giving the bill a hearing during Black History Month, and wasnt convinced it was a coincidence. It seems like its hard to miss, Chapel said. To bring back a bill that really hearkens back to the 50s and 60s, when African-Americans in particular were legally discriminated against, I dont think was an accident. A date has not yet been set for another hearing on the bill. The municipal corporation polls for ten cities, including the crucial BMC polls, will be taking place on 21st and the campaigning shall end on 19th evening. By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Taking the poll fight to another level, BJP today demanded a ban on publishing of Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana during polling day in Maharashtra. The BJP spokesperson has written to the state election commission making this demand. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED: In her letter Shweta Shalini says that the party mouthpiece's Aurangabad edition has printed advertisements even after the campaigning for the Zilla Parishad elections was over. Voting for 15 Zilla Parishads in the state will take place on Feb 16, the campaigning for which ended on 14th evening. Shalini has alleged that this is a clear violation of the model code of conduct and hence the commission should ban publishing of the newspaper. Shalini has also demanded that the newspaper should also not allowed to be published on 16th, 20th and 21st of February to ensure free and fair elections. The municipal corporation polls for ten cities, including the crucial BMC polls, will be taking place on 21st and the campaigning shall end on 19th evening. BJP has also demanded immediate action against Saamana, its editor and Shiv Sena for violation of the model code of conduct and an inquiry into the editorial usage of the newspaper for campaigning or else consider it as paid news. Shiv Sena president has reacted sharply to the BJP's demand. Addressing a public rally in Pune, Uddhav Thackeray compared this demand with Emergency. "What moral right do they have to talk about emergency when they are making a demand to ban Saamana? If they want to ban Saamana, they should also shut the mouth of the chief minister and prime minister," Uddhav said. advertisement Also read: Shiv Sena slams Narendra Modi, tells PM to stop bathroom politics --- ENDS --- Vice President Mike Pence was spotted doing some Valentine's Day shopping at a Whole Foods in Washington Tuesday morning. Soon after a photo of Pence holding a bouquet of red roses and a vase filled with pink-and-white buds surfaced on Twitter. The photo was shared by CSPAN host Greta Brawner, who said her husband captured the moment while shopping. "While grocery shopping for our family, hubby sees @VP shopping for his Valentine @WholeFoods. Hope my husband follows the Veep's lead," Brawner tweeted. Pence responded: "Don't ruin the surprise. Ready to share our 34th Valentine's Day with my valentine, Karen." Last year, Pence shared a tribute to his wife on his Facebook account, along with a throwback photo of the couple. The Pences have been married since 1985. Former President Barack Obama posted a tribute to his wife, Michelle Obama, on Twitter Tuesday morning. "Happy Valentine's Day, @MichelleObama! Almost 28 years with you, but it always feels new," he tweeted, along with a picture of the couple in the White House. The former first lady also paid tribute to her husband, posting a picture of the former first couple's feet nestled in the sand. "Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life and favorite island mate, @BarackObama. #valentines" she tweeted, possibly referring to the Obama's recent trip to the British Virgin Islands. The Obamas have been married since 1992. CNN's Jim Acosta, Pamela Brown, Kevin Liptak, Jeremy Diamond, Dan Merica, Tom LoBianco and Manu Raju contributed to this report. Its not about the leaks. No matter how President Donald Trump and some congressional Republicans tried to spin it on Wednesday, the scandal behind Michael T. Flynns resignation as national security adviser is this: According to The New York Times, key advisers to Trump, including Flynn, were in regular contact with Russian intelligence officers during the 2016 presidential campaign. Contacts continued until at least three weeks before Trumps inauguration Jan. 20. Flynn is not the victim here, nor is Trump, much as he embraces that role. On Monday, he determined (after knowing about it for weeks) that Flynn had misled him. On Wednesday, he defended Flynn as a wonderful man who had been mistreated by the fake media. No, they are real media and this is a real problem and its not about leaks. U.S. intelligence officials, rightfully concerned at Russias meddling in the election and Trumps cavalier attitude about it, took their concerns to the Times and The Washington Post. On Wednesday, at a joint appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump donned his familiar air of grievance. From intelligence, papers are being leaked, things are being leaked, Trump said. Its a criminal action, criminal act, and its been going on for a long time before me, but now its really going on. And people are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton. Nonsense. This is about the secret relationships between a foreign power and the man who is now president of the United States. This is about Russian attempts to sway an election. This is information the American public deserves to know. The Times interviewed four current and former U.S. intelligence officers who said that in addition to Flynn, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and former campaign aides Carter Page and Roger Stone had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election. No evidence has surfaced that Trumps people colluded with Russian intelligence on the cyberattacks on Democratic National Committee computers. They said the FBI continues probing the findings of a controversial dossier compiled by a well-regarded former British intelligence agent who reported Moscow holds personally compromising information about Trump. House and Senate intelligence committees have begun looking into the cyberattacks. Some Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, a member of the intelligence committee, have said it is likely that Flynn will be called to testify. It is legislators job to pursue this story fearlessly, wherever it leads and without partisan favoritism. This is not about leaks, nor about Trumps fragile ego. Its about Americas security. Republicans would do well to remember the motto of Sen. John McCains 2008 GOP presidential campaign: Country first. Why does blight matter so much to the overall health of a city? We dont necessarily have to be talking about St. Louis blight is the visible evidence of any citys decay. Think of it in dental terms: It doesnt matter how straight and shiny those front teeth appear if all the teeth behind them need fillings, root canals and dentures. I make no claim of special insights into the history of the blight that plagues St. Louis, but anyone who has studied urban blight can spot the results regardless of the location. A downtrodden neighborhood in Detroit, Dallas, Baltimore or Knoxville contains pretty much the same profile of uneven development and neglect. In 2014, as part of a White House-commissioned task force, Dan Gilbert, the founder and CEO of Quicken Loans, looked into the biggest problems blocking Detroits revitalization. The top challenge he cited was overcoming blight. In Baltimore, experts cite blight as a chief obstacle to recovery because empty buildings serve as magnets for drug users, criminals and vagrants. Business decision-makers look closely at these issues before making a relocation decision, according to Entrepreneur magazine. If city leaders want job creation, they must address blight. I know the effects of blight because I spent nine years studying and mapping it in southern Dallas, a poor, minority-dominated, blighted area the size of Atlanta. I worked closely with Timothy Bray, a University of Missouri-St. Louis scholar who now heads the Institute for Urban Policy Research at the University of Texas at Dallas. Together, we dug down deep into the ingredients of blight affecting five large districts of southern Dallas. Bray sent a group of researchers street by street with handheld computers. They recorded everything they could see: abandoned houses, stray dogs, cracked or nonexistent sidewalks, nonfunctioning street lights, broken windows, sagging roofs, overgrown lawns, junk cars in the yard. We mapped every item and created a first-of-its kind online, interactive map and database open for public access. We dug deep into U.S. Census data to create a profile of the residents and businesses in each area. We tracked unemployment, poverty, crime, educational attainment, incomes and commute times from home to work. All of these figures told us something important. For example, if an area is dominated by single-parent households where the head of household commutes 45 minutes each way to work, thats evidence of a home where children are spending a big chunk of the day without parental supervision an invitation for trouble. Supermarkets shun blighted areas. Thats how food deserts develop. If a single parent commutes long distances, then has to spend another hour getting to and from a supermarket to buy dinner, thats even more evidence of a household where kids must spend an inordinate amount of time fending for themselves. I mapped out the performance levels of the schools in southern Dallas, which were uniformly abysmal compared with counterparts in the citys wealthy, white-dominated northern half. Did conditions of blight, crime, unemployment and parents low educational attainment contribute to those low performance scores? Of course they did. I tracked the relationship between slumlords and blight. I documented the decrepit condition of the worst rental properties in southern Dallas, then mapped and photographed the mansions of the owners. All this work was part of the package that won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing. The Federal Reserve of Baltimore invited Bray and me to be the keynote speakers at a gathering of urban planning and blight-mapping specialists from around the country to explain how we did what we did. I worked with Dallas Police Chief David Brown to map out crime hotspots. I produced a separate interactive map overlaying the placement of public housing inside high-crime areas. The map I created found its way into arguments presented to the U.S. Supreme Court in a landmark 2015 decision about discriminatory public housing policies. Perhaps most important was the impact this project had on Dallas city council and mayoral elections. Because of the pressure this project created, politicians seeking local public office began presenting plans to address the economic and social imbalances dividing Dallas. Mike Rawlings presented the most comprehensive plan of attack and won The Dallas Morning News editorial endorsement for mayor in 2011. He won, and true to his word, he asked me to publish a report card every six months on his efforts to fix the many problems pulling southern Dallas down. We worked on this for three years, then I moved to St. Louis. Rawlings attention to the blight problem was unprecedented in the citys history. And its because of this experience that, today, Im pressing candidates for St. Louis mayor to bury their egos and embrace the same challenge. If any mayoral candidate is sidestepping this issue, thats a candidate who doesnt deserve your vote. These two seriously need to STOP setting such unrealistic standards of love. By India Today Web Desk: Barack and Michelle Obama are bona fide romantics when it comes to each other. The former First Couple of the United States restored our faith in love while in the White House and continue to do so even outside it. Also Read: 6 non-political things we're absolutely going to miss about Barack Obama On a vacation since Trump's Inauguration Day in January, the couple took to their respective social media accounts and posted beautiful Valentine's Day wishes for each other. advertisement Also Read: When Michelle Obama's Gucci dress made a hidden political statement Also Read: Obama Out-5 life lessons America's calm dad's farewell letter taught us Former POTUS tweeted out an old picture with Michelle and captioned it, "Happy Valentine's Day, @michelleobama! Almost 28 years with you, but it always feels new." Picture courtesy: Twitter/@BarackObama Picture courtesy: Twitter/@BarackObama While Barack went the conventional, romantic way, Michelle replied with a picture of their feet in the sand and wrote, "Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life and favorite island mate, @BarackObama. #valentines" Picture courtesy: Twitter/@MichelleObama If the Obamas don't restore your faith in love, we don't know who will. --- ENDS --- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz ahead of the upcoming Syria peace talks. On Tuesday, King Salman hosted the visiting Turkish president in al-Yammamh Palace. He arrived in Riyadh late on Monday. During the meeting, they discussed developing further relations between the two countries and regional security issues. Erdogan also met with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. His trip comes ahead of two separate Syria peace talks scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan this Wednesday and Thursday and a round of UN-backed talks in Geneva on February 23. The Geneva talks were originally planned to take place on February 8, but UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said he had rescheduled them to take further advantage of the fruits of Astana discussions. On January 23-24, Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, hosted talks on Syria organized by Iran, Russia and Turkey, with the presence of representatives of the Syrian government and opposition groups. For nearly six years, Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy. De Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then. The UN stopped its official casualty count in the war-torn country, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources. By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Feb 15 (PTI) A day after a Congress leader in Bhiwandi civic body was shot dead, police today booked at least eight persons, including the cousin of the deceased, in connection with the case. According to police, political rivalry was the motive behind the murder. Manoj Mhatre, a corporator and leader of the party in Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC) was fatally attacked last night around 9.30 pm at Oswalwadi in Bhiwandi by eight unidentified assailants as he returned home after attending a meeting, police said. advertisement "Manojs cousin Prashant Mhatre allegedly planned the murder as he wanted to get a party ticket from the deceaseds ward for the upcoming municipal elections," Ashutosh Dumbre, Joint Commissioner of Police, Thane told PTI. "Narpoli police have booked eight persons, including Prashant, Manojs driver, two attackers and others in this connection. No arrest has been made so far and four teams have been formed to nab the accused," he added. According to Dumbre, Prashant wanted to contest the upcoming Bhiwandi civic body elections as a Congress candidate from the ward where Manoj was a sitting corporator. In the past, Prashants father was a coroporator from that ward and had strong rapport with local people, he said adding, "In the 2007 municipal corporation polls, Prashants father had insisted Manoj to fight the civic polls as a Congress candidate as he did not want to be in the fray due to old age. Manoj had won that election and was becoming popular in the area." "Before the 2012 Bhiwandi civic elections, Prashant had asked Manoj to stay away saying it was his claim to fight the polls. However, Manoj had succeeded in getting the party ticket from the same ward again," Dumbre added. In 2014, Manoj was attacked by unidentified people, but survived the attempt on his life, he said. Last night, the incident took place when Mhatres driver was parking the car after Manoj got down from the vehicle and was heading to his place. One of the attackers came from behind and fired three bullets at point blank range and others attacked with swords. His hand was also chopped off. After making sure that he was dead, attackers fled away on four motorcycles. Mhatre was rushed to a private hospital in Thane, where he was declared brought dead. Police went through the footages of CCTV cameras, which captured the whole incident. Offence had been registered against unidentified attackers at Narpoli police station. The crime branch of Thane Police has also started a parallel investigation into the case, police said. PTI DC NP BAS --- ENDS --- According to the new provision, all government employees, including those from the judicial services, will be barred from consuming liquor as per the amendment in service rules in Bihar Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1976 and Bihar Judicial Officers Conduct Rules, 2017. By Rohit Kumar Singh: The Bihar cabinet on Wednesday passed a proposal brought before it to amend service rules forbidding government employees from consuming liquor anywhere in the state in the wake of prohibition which was imposed in the state in April, 2016. According to the new provision, all government employees, including those from the judicial services, will be barred from consuming liquor as per the amendment in service rules. The amendment has been made in the Bihar Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1976 and Bihar Judicial Officers Conduct Rules, 2017. advertisement Also read | Bihar attempts world record as Nitish leads longest human chain in support of prohibition Briefing journalists about the proposal passed amending service rules, Cabinet Secretary Brajesh Malhotra said that 1976 service rules for government servants forbade them from consuming liquor or any other kind of drugs or intoxicants at workplace only, but now after the amendment, they have been barred from consuming any of these items anywhere in the state. --- ENDS --- The blackbuck case, involving actors Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam came up for hearing in Jodhpur's Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court on Wednesday. No proof was produced by the accused in support of their statements. By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: The blackbuck case, involving actors Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam came up for hearing in Jodhpur's Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court on Wednesday. The accused were asked to produce evidence in support of their statements. But no proof was presented to support the statements made by the accused. During the last hearing held on January 27, all the accused had pleaded innocent. The statements of the prosecution's witnesses had been taken earlier. advertisement As per the court, final arguments in the case will begin on March 1. SALMAN'S HISTORY IN BLACKBUCK, ARMS ACT CASES During the shooting of the movie Hum Saath Saath Hain, Salman Khan allegedly went for a hunt along with Saif, Neelam, Sonali and Tabu and killed two blackbucks in Kankani area. Following a lot of hue and cry by the local Bishnoi community, a case was filed against Salman Khan and other actors, alongwith one local person Dushyant Singh in the matter. Salman had last month got a huge reprieve after his acquittal by the Chief Judicial Magistrate Dalpat Singh in the Arms Act case. In two other cases, Salman Khan allegedly went out for hunting, killing two chinkaras in Bhawad area and another one in Ghoda Farms. But he was acquitted by the Rajasthan High Court in July 2016 in the Chinkara poaching cases. However, the Rajasthan government went ahead and filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the acquittal by the High Court. Also read | Salman Khan acquitted by Jodhpur court in Arms Act case for lack of evidence --- ENDS --- From Karan Johar to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the Indian film industry has always compromised with political parties and fringe groups who threaten to stall their films. But now Bollywood is paying the price of caving in. By Piya Hingorani: In December last year, Shah Rukh Khan bowed down to MNS by paying a visit to Raj Thackeray to assure him that his leading lady in Raees, Mahira Khan, will not come to India from Pakistan to promote the film. From Karan Johar to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the Indian film industry has always compromised with political parties and fringe groups who threaten to stall their films. But now Bollywood is paying the price of caving in. advertisement Back in 2012, Karan Johar contracted the rights to author Amish Tripathi's Shiva Trilogy. Director Karan Malhora of Agneepath and Brothers fame along with his wife Ekta were working on the script. ALSO READ: Sanjay Leela Bhansali thrashed on Padmavati sets for allegedly distorting history ALSO READ: Rs 10000 for slapping Bhansali with shoe, BJP leader announces However, now the 44-year-old producer has dropped the idea fearing a backlash from right-wing fringe elements. This after Johar was victimised by political parties for having Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in his directorial Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, post the URI attacks. While fingers were being pointed at Karan for being anti-national, he recorded a two-minute video proving his patriotism to the nation, and promised never to cast a Pakistani actor in his films. Looking back Karan does regret having shot the video, but going ahead he seems to have dropped the idea for a film adaptation of the Shiva Trilogy as a religious themed movie could spell controversy. Siddharth Roy Kapur, President of the Film and Television Producers Guild claims, "Once a producer or a director has made a film and that film is on the verge of release, if there are going to be threats of vandalisation, what will filmmakers do. I think it is important that the authorities take it upon themselves to say that they will not accept this. Both the government as well as the police come forward and say that they are going to be responsible for the security of the filmmaker as well as the audience who go to the theatre to watch the film. Till that doesn't happen filmmakers, unfortunately, are not in a position to not cave in." Last month, protesters from the fringe group, Karni Sena, barged onto the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati in Jaipur claiming that Bhansali had twisted historical facts in his film which portray Rajput Queen Padmini in a bad light. Members of the Karni Sena vandalised the camera equipment on set and even roughed up the filmmaker. Bhansali was forced to make peace with the group by issuing a written clarification on the matter. However, despite agreeing to all their demands, at a press conference held in Delhi on Tuesday (Feb 14) morning, Karni Sena wants film scripts based on historical events to be vetted by a group of experts, which will include journalists and historians. advertisement In an interview to India Today, Siddharth Roy Kapur said, "It was very unfortunate that the state government did not come up with any strong response, and that led to Mr Bhansali having to move his unit out of Rajasthan. That will not be good for tourism in the state. After that incident, a lot of producers are wary of going to Rajasthan to shoot." When the act of violence took place in January, the Indian film industry rallied behind Sanjay Leela Bhansali, with fellow filmmakers, producers and actors tweeting their support. Farhan Akhtar tweeted that the industry needs to unite against bullies. My fellow film folk, if we do not unite now against these recurring incidents of bullying, it's going to get much worse. #IstandbySLB Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) January 27, 2017 In a series of tweets, Karan Johar agreed with Farhan, saying that unity is the need of the hour. No member of our industry should be silent on this matter!!! It's calls for unity and NOT selective indifference!!! https://t.co/Adz6eWjggb Karan Johar (@karanjohar) January 27, 2017 advertisement Indeed the industry seemed to be vocal on social media, but will they unite to take a stand against this brazen attack on filmmakers? We think not! --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: Guwahati, Feb 15 (PTI) Bulgarian Ambassador to India Petko Doykov today called on Assam Industries and Commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary and discussed several issues on investment in Assam. Doykov said Bulgarian firms were keen to invest in the state, specially in the pharmaceutical sector and the country was interested in exploring other areas of investment here, an official release said. advertisement Patowary assured the Bulgarian Ambassador of full cooperation and support to facilitate their investment in Assam. The minister said the current business environment in the state is investment-friendly and conducive with a healthy industrial ecosystem all around. Doykov, while stating that Bulgaria has the highest GDP among the EU nations generating the highest income from the services sector, expressed his keenness in fostering economic bilateral relationships between the two nations in which North-East figures prominently. Additional Chief Secretary (Industries and Commerce) Ravi Capoor and Commissioner and Secretary of the Department Ashutosh Agnihotri were also present during the discussion, the release added. PTI DG DKB --- ENDS --- Grammy award-winning reggae band Steel Pulse took advantage of the brand new music studios at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology to get in a bit of rehearsal time. Steel Pulse who travelled over from the UK earlier this month christened the brand new performance studio in Toi Ohomais innovative teaching and learning space, due to open to the public this later week. Other artists, including Spawnbreeze and Josh Wawa White, both from the USA, also spent some time rehearsing in the new space. Local musician, promoter and Toi Ohomai music graduate Tim Cooper organised the rehearsals and says the new space is perfect for international artists. They were all stoked with it. The sound-treated room and air-conditioning was ideal for music sessions. Theres very few spaces of that size in the region. Toi Ohomai music programme coordinator Dave Bishop is looking forward to having more international and national artists on campus. Weve also had Brad Kora and Toi Ohomai graduate Joel Shadbolt of L.A.B. recording in the studios and all the feedback has been really positive, so Im looking forward to the students getting started. The new building is due to be officially opened on Thursday, and will feature multi-purpose, technologically enhanced learning spaces that offer greater informality and flexibility for learning. The new learning space will also host the creative arts students. Tauranga artist Debbie Tipuna has been selected out of hundreds of artists nationwide as the inaugural recipient of the Tautoko Maori Foundation Basilicata,three-month art residency in Italy. The aim of the residency is to provide a New Zealand artist with comfortable, free accommodation with the use of a studio in a fortified hilltop town in southern Italy. Debbie says its quite humbling to be chosen. I know some of the other artists who were shortlisted, and theyre amazing. She recently quit her job as a childrens librarian at the Te Puke Library to pursue her art practice fulltime whilst also relocating to Tauranga with husband Eric after purchasing their family homestead. The art residency came out of the blue when Debbie saw it advertised on The Big Idea website, which acts as a platform for creative industries, and she applied only a week before it closed. She notes its all fallen into place with husband Eric, who has family ties to Italy, putting his job on hold for three months to accompany Debbie to Italy. After completing her studies at Waiariki Polytech in the 1980s, Debbie has continued to develop her practice while raising a family. Now, as an established artist, she has a number of awards to her credit including being a finalist in the 2015 Rotorua Museum Art awards and having her artwork featured on the front cover of the local Bay of Plenty household phone directory. Working across a range of mediums as a mixed media artist, Debbie is working on a collaborative picture book for children and hopes to take the finished product to Italy. She hopes to use this opportunity to upskill and to experiment with lots of different media. Im looking forward to what another culture does to your head. She would also love to visit local schools and connect with the kids there due to her background as a childrens librarian and illustrator. Debbies artist profile can be found here. Civil Defence and Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has requested the New Zealand Defence Force to provide support to local authorities in Christchurch as they deal with the Port Hills fires. The Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group has offered its assistance to both Selwyn District Council and Christchurch City Council but at this time the councils have not declared a state of local emergency, Mr Brownlee says. At the moment the response to the blazes is being coordinated by Rural Fire, not CDEM, out of the Selwyn District Council. The New Zealand Defence Force this afternoon deployed a Liaison Officer to work alongside the Selwyn Rural Fire Authority and to provide timely advice to Defence on what further support they can provide. NZDF will send forward logistics personnel and equipment from Burnham Military Camp. Engineering equipment, water tankers and manpower options that will support cordons, firebreaks, and firefighters will also be deployed. Since yesterday, six NZDF firefighters and two appliances have been assisting in Early Valley Rd, near Kennedys Bush southwest of the city, Mr Brownlee says. SOURCE: Office of Gerry Brownlee With exporting a hot topic, its time for those in the industry to share their success stories with the rest of New Zealand. Entries are now open to the Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards 2017, with judges are wanting to hear how exporters have triumphed over adversity to build a successful business. ExportNZ regional manager Catherine Lye says New Zealand is a trading nation and our exporters are vital to the countrys economy, which has come under the spotlight with recent global events that indicate a move to more protectionist policies. "These awards are crucial as we need to recognise the role of exporters in our country, celebrate their stories and journey so far, and learn how theyve overcome highs and lows to succeed in the world of exporting. "The very nature of exporting means these operators often have a more significant presence offshore than onshore, and the awards are an excellent way we can share their success stories, along with the challenges they need to overcome." For the year ended June 2016 exports of goods and services accounted for 28 per cent (NZ$70.9 billion) of New Zealands GDP. The goal is to build this to 40 per cent by 2025. ExportNZ Auckland has been running the awards since 2009, as part of its mission to champion the value of exporting for New Zealand and New Zealanders. Since 2016 the awards have also included exporters from the Waikato region too. Entries for the awards are now open and close on March 17. Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards 2017 categories: Westpac Exporter of the Year (export revenue over $25million) Ports of Auckland Exporter of the Year (export revenue $10million - $25million) BDO Exporter of the Year (export revenue $5million - $10million) DHL Exporter of the Year (export revenue $1million - $5million) Endace Services Exporter of the Year (export revenue $1million - $10million) Baldwins Intellectual Property Best Use of Commercialisation for Export Supreme Winner (selected from the winners of award categories 2-5) Fairfax Media Exporters Champion (for exemplary services to export) ExportNZ Auckland and Waikato are divisions of the Employers and Manufacturers Association. The 2017 awards will be presented at a black-tie gala dinner on Thursday, June 29 at Sky City Convention Centre. The seizure unearthed the secret workings of Jagdish Cold Storage which functioned as an illegal slaughter house for cattle and camels. India Today reporters entered the storage house to find carcasses -- allegedly of cows and cow-calves -- which had been freshly butchered, skinned and readied for packaging. "These are surely a cow-calves as you can see in the carcass, that the legs are white, the face is smaller and the skin which is still attached to the animal in bits is also white" said a villager, who owns cows and buffaloes in the village of Rampura. The alleged cow and camel meat were packaged under three brands -- Al-Wahid, Star 1 and Sara along with other boxes which had no branding. The discovery of illegal calf carcasses hanging by hooks inside the cold storage, caused an uproar among residents from the neighboring village of Rampura. They entered the slaughter house, brought out the carcasses and displayed them at the centre of Lawrence road blocking traffic from both sides. "We are fed-up with this cold-storage as everyday at night, truck loads filled with cows and camels are offloaded here, butchered and then packaged in the wee hours of the night. Ammonia gases are released by the storage house every night between 2:30 am and 5 am to contain the horrid stench which is caused by the rotting carcasses," said a neighbouring shop owner who did not wish to be named. "Everyone knows the illegal crimes which have been happening here, we have made umpteen calls to the cops but no action was taken, instead the cops threaten us and hush us away. This is the sad reality of Keshav Puram," said another villager from Rampura. The villagers demanded that police seal all three slaughter houses running in the garb of cold-storage houses. While their protest continued for more than 20 hours, the owners of the cold storages were nowhere to be found. They could not be contacted either. "From the size of the meat pieces and long neck pieces found in the truck seized outside Jagdish Cold Storage, it was amply clear that this was not goat or chicken, it is camel meat," Said Kirti Sachdeva, a volunteer with the Dhyan Foundation. FSSAI officials have taken samples from the seized meat, and have sent them for testing. The kings presence at the 6th Transfiere conference in Malaga this week served to highlight the citys position as a benchmark inSpain for technological innovation. Felipe VI arrived in Malaga onWednesday morning and inaugurated the conference attended by leading firms in the fields of technology and innovation as well as numerous authorities. In his speech the king described Malaga as a dynamic city, whose initiatives, along with more in other Andalusian cities, link this much-loved region clearly and solidly with technological development and innovation. In a packed theatre in the citys congress centre, the kings inaugural speech was attended by authorities including the Spanish minister for Education and Culture, Inigo Mendez de Vigo; the president of the Junta de Andalucia, Susana Diaz, the secretary of state for Research, Development and Innovation, Carmen Vela; the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, and the president of Malagas provincial government, Elias Bendodo. With this captive audience the king seized the opportunity to urge the public administrations to create precise regulations so that the great advances made in scientific development and research are not squandered or lost due to a lack of necessary and sustained support. The Transfiere conference took place in the city's congress centre. / A.C. The head of state pointed out that Wednesdays was the fourth event he had taken part in recently related to innovation, science and technology, which, in his opinion, proves that these fields are elements that permeate our lives and condition our future. He praised the progress already achieved but warned that this is not the time to rest on laurels as there are more challenges ahead. The king stressed the key role of the education system and universities in acting as catalysts for young scientific talent. After the opening ceremony, the king toured the stands at the conference. He paid special attention to the display put on by the Malaga-based aeronautical multinational Aertec, including its Tarsis 75 unmanned aircraft model, which is already being used in some countries for defence applications. The king asked about the technical features, above all, and showed that he is very knowledgeable about everything to do with aviation, said the companys managing director, Antonio Gomez-Guillamon. Maria de los Angeles Martin Prats, an expert in aeronautical engineering at the University of Seville, spoke on behalf of the research community at the inauguration of the event. She called for the authorities to develop programmes to prevent brain drain out of Spain, and invited the financial sector to invest in research and development to support new discoveries. The time is now, she said. By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Expressing concern over the increasing number of undertrial prisoners in jails across the country, the government has urged the high courts to take suo motu action for their release after they complete half of their likely term. Section 436A of the CrPC provides that if an undertrial has completed half of the likely term he is likely to get for the crime he has allegedly committed, then he or she can be granted bail with or without surety. It is not applicable on offence for which the punishment of death has been specified as one of the punishments under the law. advertisement In a recent letter to chief justices of the 24 high courts, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that they should advise the district judiciary to review all such cases and take suo motu action for their release. "I shall also be grateful if the high court ensures that the undertrial review committee mechanism, for periodic monitoring of undertrial releases, continues to effectively deliver its mandate, so that the basic human rights of the undertrials are not undermined," he wrote. In September 2014, the Supreme Court had said that states should release all such undertrials who come under the ambit of Section 436A of the CrPC. According to National Crime Records Bureau estimates, 67 per cent of the people in jails are undertrials -- those not yet convicted of any crime. At 82.4 per cent, Bihar had the highest proportion of undertrials, followed by Jammu and Kashmir at 81.5, Odisha at 78.8, Jharkhand at 77.1 and Delhi at 76.7. Successive Union Law Ministers and Union Home Ministers have been regularly writing to high courts and state governments to review the status of undertrials. PTI NAB BSA --- ENDS --- American Girl boy doll Logan Everett is American Girl's first boy doll. (American Girl) American Girl's newest doll is a... boy! The Mattel-owned company will release its first-ever male doll on Thursday. The character is named Logan Everett, and he's a plaid-shirt-wearing musician who comes with a toy drum kit. Logan is bandmates with Tenney Grant, a blond-haired, brown-eyed doll who is "a rising star in the Nashville music scene," American Girl said. Vulture describes Tenney as a banjo-playing Taylor Swift lookalike. New book available for American Girls newest character, Tenney Grant. Stay tuned for more Tenney updates and more exciting news on 2/14! pic.twitter.com/iJ9VHr8sDL American Girl (@American_Girl) February 3, 2017 According to CBS, the dollmaker is pushing for more diversity to appeal to bigger audiences. "We do an enormous amount of research with girls and their parents, and the one thing we've heard loud and clear is a desire for more--specifically more characters and stories from today," spokeswoman Julie Parks said in a statement. Other new dolls coming Thursday include a Korean-American girl named Z Yang and a Hawaiian character named Nanea. Logan's arrival is also ideal as Hugh Jackman's final "Wolverine" movie, an R-rated release called "Logan," hits theaters next month. Each doll sells for a standard American Girl price of $115 and includes a book with the character's story. American Girl recently celebrated its 30th anniversary and has expanded over the years into films, magazines and stores with boutiques. Earlier dolls portrayed girls from different time periods, such as Felicity Merriman in 1774 and Kit Kittredge in 1934. AUBURN, N.Y. -- One person died Wednesday morning after four vehicles collided on Route 20 in Cayuga County , troopers said. The fatal crash on the two-lane road - also known as East Genesee Street - in Sennett was reported at 7:48 a.m. The accident happened less than a mile east of Auburn. Four vehicles collided, said Sgt. David Dominick, of the New York State Police. One person was killed, and three others were injured, Dominick said. One other person involved in the crash was injured, he said. The three people were rushed to local hospitals, Dominick said. He was not sure if any of the patients' injuries were serious. Route 20 is closed between Walker Road and Town Hall Road. The nearly mile-long stretch of the snowy road has been closed for over three hours. Troopers are working to reconstruct the crash. Although poor weather conditions may have been a factor, Dominick said the cause of the accident is under investigation. Shortly after the crash, Cayuga County Sheriff David Gould issued a travel advisory for the county. Snow squalls had hit the Auburn area, creating dangerous travel conditions for drivers. According to 511NY, roads in the Auburn area are wet and may be slippery. SENNETT, N.Y. -- At least one person was seriously injured Wednesday morning after multiple cars crashed in Cayuga County. An accident was reported at 7:48 a.m. on Route 20 (East Genesee Street) in Sennett, a Cayuga County 911 dispatcher said. Between three to four vehicles may have been involved, he said. At least one person suffered "serious" injuries, said Auburn Fire Chief Joseph Morabito. Route 20 is closed east of Auburn between Walker and Town Hall roads. Roads in the area are wet and slick with snow. The accident caused Centro to detour its Auburn route. DETOUR - AUBURN: Route 20 is closed due to an accident. Centros Aub 236 & 138 buses will operate the following detour until further notice. pic.twitter.com/EiOZuDoDjs Centro (@GoCentroBus) February 15, 2017 The dispatcher said he did not know if anyone was injured. The New York State Police were not immediately available for comment. Shortly after the accident, Cayuga County Sheriff David Gould issued a travel advisory for the county. Snow squalls have created dangerous driving conditions in the Auburn area, deputies said. nysplarge.jpg SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A federal judge has thrown out a state trooper's civil rights lawsuit claiming she was the victim of sex discrimination and retaliation from her bosses. U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy ruled the trooper's supervisors had legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons for disciplinary actions and other work decisions they made regarding the trooper. The trooper claimed in her lawsuit she was the victim of sex discrimination and sexual harassment dating back to her days at the police academy in 2000, when she says a male supervisor intimidated her into having sex. McAvoy last year dismissed the allegations from the police academy on the grounds that a statute of limitations had expired. Syracuse.com is not publishing the trooper's name because she's the alleged victim of sexual abuse. McAvoy dismissed the rest of the trooper's claims last week. "The uncontradicted record demonstrates that the employer's scrutiny and evaluations of plaintiff was justified by her history and, in some instances, professionally improper performance," McAvoy wrote in a 44-page decision. The trooper, who still works for the state police in Central New York, told Syracuse.com she plans to appeal McAvoy's decision. She claimed in her lawsuit she was the victim of a gender-based hostile work environment and retaliation at state police barracks in Auburn and Waterloo. She claimed state police discriminated against her by not allowing her to drive an unmarked state police Tahoe on patrol, and by not allowing her, as the senior member of her platoon, to create schedules and posts. By not driving the unmarked Tahoe, the trooper said she was unable to issue as many traffic tickets as other troopers. But her supervisors presented evidence of her historically low traffic ticket rate, McAvoy wrote. They reserved the unmarked Tahoe for troopers who wrote more tickets, the judge said. The trooper presented no evidence of her supervisors or co-workers making anti-female statements, McAvoy wrote. The judge cited the uncontradicted record showing the trooper "consistently underperformed compared to her peers, and required regular correction and oversight." A spokesman for the state police refused to comment. The state presented evidence of the trooper's record of poor job performance, and instances when her supervisors disciplined her. In one case, she was found guilty of professional misconduct and disciplined over improprieties in her investigation into a damaged mailbox. In another case, she was censured after a civilian took a picture of her patrol car parked in a handicapped parking space while the trooper was shopping, court papers said. The trooper claimed both of those disciplines were part of her supervisors' retaliation against her for having filed an improper practices charge against them. Contact John O'Brien anytime by email, Twitter, or at 315-470-2187. By Press Trust of India: From K J M Varma Beijing/New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) China has lodged a protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese parliamentary team and asked it to deal "prudently" with Taiwan-related matters, even as New Delhi today dismissed the issue saying no "political meanings" should be read into such trips. Briefing the reporters in Beijing today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, "China lodged representations with India" over the Taiwan parliamentary delegations visit to New Delhi. advertisement "We hope that India would understand and respect Chinas core concerns and stick to the One-China principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations," Geng said. The remarks evoked a prompt reaction from New Delhi, where External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them." A three-member womens parliamentary delegation from Taiwan visited India earlier this week amidst signals of increasing engagement between the two sides. Taiwan currently has Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre located in New Delhi. Indias office in Taiwan is called India-Taipei Association. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which have diplomatic relations with it. China has been objecting to such visits to India, maintaining that countries that have diplomatic relations with it should fulfil their commitment to the One China policy. Elaborating further on Chinas stand on Taiwanese Parliamentary delegation to India, Geng said, "those who are visiting India are so-called legislators from Taiwan" and Beijing is opposed to any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries with whom China has diplomatic relations. "The reason why China lodged the representation is because that we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the One China principle," he said. "So by making our representation we are urging the Indian side to stick to the One China principle and take concrete actions for steady development of China-India relations," he said. He also declined to answer a question about when the protest was lodged with India, saying that "not all the information about diplomatic activities are open to the public". advertisement "All I can tell is China has lodged diplomatic representation with India," he said. PTI KJV/PYK NSA ASK AKJ ASK --- ENDS --- SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Authorities said a man was drunk Tuesday evening when he hit a 15-year-old boy with his vehicle near Destiny USA and then drove off. Syracuse police said officers were called to the 300 block of West Bear Street at 6:19 p.m. and found the injured boy, who had been walking at the time of the crash. Sgt. David Sackett, a police spokesman, said officers do not yet know what the boy was doing on West Bear Street when the crash occurred. The boy suffered leg fractures as well as injuries to his head and face. He was rushed by American Medical Response ambulance to Upstate University Hospital and is in stable condition, police said. The boy's family was located and went to the hospital. Police blocked off West Bear Street. Officers talked to a witness and were able to locate the suspect vehicle and driver, police said. They identified the driver as James Draveck, 55, of Camillus. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a serious personal injury crash and first-degree vehicular assault. Draveck was held at the county jail awaiting arraignment Wednesday morning. Police are continuing to investigate. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A man was stabbed in the chest Tuesday during a confrontation with three other men on the city's South Side. At 4:37 p.m. Syracuse police officers went to Upstate University Hospital for a call of a stabbing victim who had arrived via a private vehicle. Police said a 49-year-old man had been stabbed in the chest. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The man told officers he was stabbed in the 200 block of West Calthrop Avenue about 4 p.m., but he did not immediately report it. According to police, the man said three men got out of a gray Buick sedan and confronted him. During the confrontation he was stabbed. The suspects were described as three men between 18 and 25 years old. They wore dark or gray hooded sweatshirts and blue jeans. The left the scene going east on West Calthrop Avenue. Sgt. Richard Helterline, a police spokesman, said in an email that it did not appear the 49-year-old man was robbed. Detectives do not know why the man was confronted by the three suspects, he said. Syracuse, N.Y. -- Consultants hired to review New York's options for replacing Interstate 81 in Syracuse are not expected to complete their report for at least six months, state Department of Transportation Commissioner Matt Driscoll told legislators Wednesday. DOT spokeswoman Tiffany Portzer told syracuse.com last week that a report on the project by WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff, an international engineering firm, would likely be done by late summer. The DOT can't speculate on the results of the $2 million study that will look at all options for replacing the highway, she said. Driscoll, who is the former mayor of Syracuse, made his remarks during a DOT budget hearing in Albany, The Citizen reported. The DOT had been moving along with the bureaucratic process of deciding how to replace a deteriorating 1.4-mile raised section of I-81 that cuts through Syracuse. It appeared after four years of study, 58 public meetings and 268 meetings with interested parties, such as elected officials and employers, the DOT had narrowed the replacement options to two. A final decision was expected later this year. The DOT was looking at either demolishing the raised portion and creating a community grid that would reroute I-81 "through" traffic around the city and allow city streets to handle local traffic. The state is also considering building a taller, wider version of the current raised structure. Then in December, State Sen. John DeFrancisco, a leading critic of the community grid, urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo to reconsider tunnel options the DOT had previously rejected. In January, the governor ordered the DOT to hire a consultant to review all of the replacement options including the tunnels. Contact Charley Hannagan anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-2161. Benjamin Netanyahu In this Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. As Netanyahu visits the White House, the Trump administration has suggested that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solution -- a position that could represent a dramatic shift from 20 years of U.S. policy. Speaking to reporters ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting Wednesday with Netanyahu, a senior White House official said Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, that Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hoping to bring them together soon. (Gali Tibbon / Pool via AP ) To the Editor, Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Trump White House. Netanyahu applauded Trump's election, expecting to find unqualified support for his repressive policies. We fear that the alliance between these two leaders, both known for their recklessness and disregard for international consensus, will increase hostility and violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. President Donald Trump's appointment of David Friedman as Ambassador to Israel is an alarming example. Netanyahu has reportedly said that he is "pleased" with the choice. Yet Friedman holds extremist views that would provoke greater conflict, endangering American interests, the already limited options for peace, and Israeli and Palestinian lives. Friedman supports relocating the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, a sacred place for Jews, Muslims and Christians, which would exacerbate tensions. He denies the existence of Palestinian refugees, recognized under international law. He is a leading supporter and funder of illegal, Jewish-only settlements in the West Bank. He opposes a path to Palestinian statehood, putting him in conflict with the longstanding US government position. He endorsed discriminatory screening of Muslim immigrants to the United States. These views do not reflect the opinions of the great majority of American Jewish voters. Further, he has shown he has neither the temperament nor the judgment to hold a highly sensitive ambassadorship, regularly defaming Jews and elected leaders who support a just peace with hateful accusations. What President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu and David Friedman have in common is that they do not speak for us as Jews or reflect our values. Carole Resnick Jesse Nissim Mara Sapon-Shevin On behalf of Jewish Voice for Peace - Syracuse Kirsten Gillibrand U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., says Congress should form an independent, select committee to investigate the Trump administration and its ties to Russia. Gillibrand, shown in a Jan. 12, 2017, file photo at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) (J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Wednesday that Congress should launch an independent, non-partisan probe to determine the extent of President Trump's ties to Russia. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said the resignation of Michael Flynn as Trump's national security adviser only raises more questions that need to be answered about the extent of discussions between the new administration and Russia about easing U.S. sanctions. Flynn had assured Vice President Mike Pence that he never had any discussions about the sanctions with Russia's ambassador, but the Justice Department found evidence to the contrary and informed Trump on Jan. 26. Pence only found out about the Justice Department findings by reading a report in the Washington Post. "It is deeply disturbing that President Trump's administration apparently knew for a month that his national security adviser had misled the vice president and did nothing about it until the information became public" this week, Gillibrand said. "This raises additional questions that need to be answered by an independent select committee that is free of partisan politics to get all of the facts regarding the Trump administration and Russia," Gillibrand said in a statement. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has resisted the idea of forming a select committee to investigate Flynn and any Russian attempts to influence the new administration. McConnell said Flynn would likely be asked to speak with the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is already investigating Russia's attempts to disrupt the 2016 presidential election. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate Democratic leader, has also called for an investigation, but he has not specified what form it should take or who should lead the probe. Schumer said the investigation should be conducted by an outside entity that would have the ability to pursue criminal charges. He said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation because he served alongside Flynn on Trump's national security advisory committee. Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Feb. 15--Ellen and Steven Gedra, owners of The Black Sheep in Buffalo, are 2017 James Beard Award semi-finalists. The Gedras are among 20 solo chefs or duos named in the Best Chef: Northeast category of the 2017 nominations list. The category covers New York State outside New York City, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont. The duo took over Bistro Europa on Elmwood Avenue in 2010, then opened their restaurant at 367 Connecticut St. in 2014. Steven Gedra's eclectic, frequently changing menu draws on locally raised meat and vegetables, international flavors and original ideas. Ellen Gedra's baking and dessert skills, on display nightly, at Sunday brunch and in her much acclaimed sticky toffee pudding, have become their own draw. Last year, the Gedras led their kitchen team to present dinner at the James Beard House, the Greenwich Village culinary showcase. The next step in the James Beard Awards, the preeminent annual honors of the U.S. restaurant world, will be the announcement of finalists in each category on March 15. ___ By Andrew Z. Galarneau The Buffalo News, N.Y. (c)2017 The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.) Visit The Buffalo News (Buffalo, N.Y.) at www.buffalonews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Organ donor A woman has blood drawn after receiving a kidney transplant from a donor. (Jessica Kourkounis | The Associated Press) TROY -- Jenny Picarillo and Ava Sweeney were waiting for the day they could designate themselves organ donors. For the high school seniors, that day came Tuesday, when a new law went into effect allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to add their names to the list of New Yorkers willing to give their organs away at death. Both teens had personal reasons for wanting others to receive their organs in the event of their untimely deaths. Picarillo's life was changed five years ago, when her mother received a kidney from a deceased donor. Sweeney's grandmother lived four years after receiving a lung transplant before the 17-year-old was born. "She was able to meet me because of it," Sweeney said, causing her mother and Picarillo's to tear up in the Catholic Central High School cafeteria, where the teens had organized an organ, eye and tissue registry drive. The two students were responsible for organizing one of 20 organ donation drives at high schools around the state Tuesday, which was both the day the new law went into effect and National Donor Day, held each year on Valentine's Day. At Catholic Central, 18 students signed up during the 40-minute sign-up period. Advocates for organ and tissue donation hope the new law is one of several initiatives that will improve the rate of donating in New York, which ranks 51st out of 52 U.S. states and territories, according to Aisha Tator, executive director of the New York Alliance for Donation. (Puerto Rico is 52nd.) Just 28 percent of eligible New Yorkers register to donate organs, compared to a national average of 54 percent, Tator said. But New York's need for organs ranks as the third highest in the nation, she said. There are 9,500-10,000 state residents waiting for an organ on any given day. About 1,800 of them have been waiting five years or more. The disconnect between supply and demand had advocates scratching their heads for years. "There's not something different about New Yorkers -- we're not less kind, we're not less generous," Tator said. "There is a process problem." Like other states, New York allows residents to register as organ donors when they get or renew their driver's licenses. But until Tuesday, it was one of only four other states that required drivers to be 18 to register. Here's what would typically happen, Tator said: A 16-year-old would get a driver's license, but be too young to register as an organ donor. A new license would automatically be issued at age 18, lifting some restrictions, Tator said. Then an adult license would automatically be issued at 21. It would be eight more years, age 29 for most people, before they must renew their licenses and have the option of registering as a donor organ. Another issue keeping donor registry rates low, Tator said, is relatively low rates of driving in New York City, home to more than 8 million of the state's residents. So the New York Alliance for Donation is seeking other ways for people to sign up. Tator said. Online registration will be available later this year. Tator would also like to see a place to designate organ donation on state income tax forms. While 16- and 17-year-olds may now register for organ donation, their parents must approve of the gift in the event of their deaths, Tator said. -- By Claire Hughes, Times Union, Albany, N.Y. thumbnail_2016-05-13-mjg-JoeBiden25.jpg A new grant would make Syracuse University's College of Law the least-expensive private law school in New York States for in-state residents. (Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com) SYRACUSE, NY -- Syracuse University's College of Law will offer new tuition grants to New York state residents starting with the upcoming school year. The Empire State Scholars Grant will offer $20,000 of tuition assistance to all admitted state residents. Qualified students in good standing will receive the grant for all three years of their program. The College of Law's tuition cost is $46,460 this year, and the grant will make tuition comparable to law schools in the SUNY system for residents. Currently, tuition at the law school at SUNY Buffalo is $26,997 for in-state residents. The grant will also make Syracuse the least-expensive private law school in New York States for in-state residents. In an announcement from the university, Dean Craig Boise cited the College of Law's long history of quality education and a strong passing rate on the New York State Bar Exam. SU has an 89.5 percent passing rate for first-time test takers, which is over six percent higher than the average for other state ABA accredited law schools. Boise also said that the grant is intended to give residents who want to stay in the state the chance to attend law school without the high costs. "With over 5,000 New York state residents applying to law schools each year, this innovative program has the potential to positively impact a great number of students interested in attending Syracuse Law," Boise said in the statement. DELPHI, Ind. - Authorities suspect foul play after two bodies were found along a northern Indiana creek amid a search for two missing 13-year-old girls, police said Tuesday. The bodies were found along Deer Creek about 1 mile east of Delphi, Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley told a news conference. "We are investigating this as a crime scene," Riley said. "We suspect foul play." Riley said authorities haven't yet positively identified the bodies. He declined to comment on any injuries they might have suffered or to discuss the ages of the victims, but he said the search for the two missing girls had been scaled back significantly. Riley says the bodies were found Tuesday on the edge of the creek about three-quarters of a mile from an abandoned railroad bridge where the two girls, Liberty German and Abigail Williams, had been dropped off to go hiking Monday. They were reported missing hours later after they did not appear at a predetermined meeting place. Search parties scoured the base of the bridge, known locally as the Monon High Bridge, and surrounding trails Monday night, but darkness made it nearly impossible, Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby said. Riley declined to disclose who found the bodies. Delphi Police Chief Steve Mullins said the discovery of the bodies and search for the girls has shocked the community about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. "I know it's had a terrible effect on our people and we are grieved this sort of thing would happen here in our community," Mullins told the news conference. AUBURN, N.Y. -- As "heavy" bands of snow hit the Auburn area, the Cayuga County sheriff is urging residents to drive with care. Sheriff David Gould issued a travel advisory Wednesday morning for Cayuga County after snow squalls created dangerous driving conditions in the Auburn area. "Use caution when traveling," deputies said. The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook is for Central New York. A lake effect snow watch has also been issued for much of the region. Roads across CNY are wet. Snow is starting to fall as temperatures drop. By Press Trust of India: From K J M Varma Beijing/New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) China has lodged a protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation and asked it to deal "prudently" with Taiwan-related matters but New Delhi today dismissed the issue saying no "political meanings" should be read into such trips. Briefing the reporters in Beijing today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, "China lodged representations with India" over the Taiwan parliamentary delegations visit to New Delhi. advertisement "We hope that India would understand and respect Chinas core concerns and stick to the One-China principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations," Geng said. The remarks evoked a prompt reaction from New Delhi, where External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them." A three-member womens parliamentary delegation from Taiwan visited India earlier this week amidst signals of increasing engagement between the two sides. Taiwan currently has Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre located in New Delhi. Indias office in Taiwan is called India-Taipei Association. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which have diplomatic relations with it. China has been objecting to such visits to India, maintaining that countries that have diplomatic relations with it should fulfil their commitment to the One China policy. Elaborating further on Chinas stand on Taiwanese Parliamentary delegation to India, Geng said, "those who are visiting India are so-called legislators from Taiwan" and Beijing is opposed to any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries with whom China has diplomatic relations. "The reason why China lodged the representation is because that we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the One China principle," he said. "So by making our representation we are urging the Indian side to stick to the One China principle and take concrete actions for steady development of China-India relations," he said. He also declined to answer a question about when the protest was lodged with India, saying that "not all the information about diplomatic activities are open to the public". advertisement "All I can tell is China has lodged diplomatic representation with India," he said. Geng said that "the Indian side has made commitment on the Taiwan-related issues." PTI KJV/PYK NSA ASK AKJ ASK --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: Ahmedabad, Feb 15 (PTI) Congress workers today staged a demonstration outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modis nonagenarian mother Hiraba, seeking her intervention in the Naliya gangrape case in which four BJP leaders were allegedly involved. Around 35 Congress workers assembled unannounced in front of the house of Pankaj Modi, younger brother of the Prime Minister, where 97-year-old Hiraba lives in Raisan village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar city. advertisement Policemen rushed to the spot and detained the Congress workers, mostly women. These protesters were demanding Hirabas intervention in the gangrape case, claiming that Modi would surely listen to his mothers call for punishment to the culprits. "We have briefly detained around 35 Congress workers, mostly women, as they sat on a dharna and shouted slogans outside Hirabas home in Raisan village near Gandhinagar. No untoward incident took place during the demonstration," said Info City police inspector K M Priyadarshi. These Congress workers alleged that police were trying to shield the real culprits involved in the gangrape in Naliya town of Kutch district. "The entire nation and media took notice of your gesture of standing in a bank queue during demonetisation. Now, we urge you to stand with the victim, which will force the government and police to take action. "We also urge you to talk to your son on the issue so that many other victims can be saved," said a letter addressed to Hiraba which could not be handed over due to the detention. Till now, police have arrested eight persons who had allegedly gangraped a married women in Naliya town on several occasions. Those who were arrested included four local BJP leaders, who have been suspended from the party. In her FIR, the 24-year-old woman alleged that she was raped by at least nine persons on different occasions a year ago. The victim has alleged in her FIR that the accused have been running sex racket in Kutch district and forcing victims to have sex with numerous persons after blackmailing them by making video of the act. PTI PJT PD RMT SMN --- ENDS --- This page no longer exists or may have been moved.If you believe this is a mistake please email This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon! Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page? 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. Congress corporator Manoj Mhatre from Bhiwandi was attacked and shot dead by two unidentified men yesterday night. By Press Trust of India: A Congress leader in the Bhiwandi civic body was shot dead by a couple of unidentified persons late yesterday night around 9.30 PM. Manoj Mhatre, leader of the Congress party in the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation, was attacked with sharp weapons and then shot from point blank range, said police. DCP Bhiwandi Zone-II Manoj Patil said, "Mhatre was the resident of Kalwa of Bhiwandi taluka. Due to personal enmity, he shifted to Oswal Wadi in the town." advertisement WATCH THE CCTV FOOTAGE HERE: WARNING: DISTURBING FOOTAGE. VIEWER'S DISCRETION ADVISED The assailants fled the spot in a four-wheeler without number plate after the attack, said the police. He was rushed to Jupiter Hospital at Thane where doctors declared him brought dead. The motive behind the killing is still not known, said the and also said that there was an attempt to murder him earlier as well. Senior police officers rushed to the spot and a manhunt has been launched to nab the killers, police said. --- ENDS --- Estonia is full of natural Baltic beauty and bustling city life, but have you ever thought about what are the best places to visit in Estonia before you die? Estonia is not a big country, but it has to offer a lot of beautiful places to visit. If you think about what country you should visit before you die, the big percent of you you are not going to say Estonia at first! Maybe you will say France or India or Japan, but did you know how many beautiful places Estonia has? The main reason most people first come to Estonia is to see the best protected and intact medieval city in Europe Tallinn. Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia. Tallinn was the European Capital of Culture in 2011 and its not hard to see why. Did you hear about Lahemaa National Park? This park is the largest in Estonia and one of the largest in Europe, and promotes conservation of and research into the Estonian wildlife, ecosystems, landscapes, and biodiversity.The forest has historically fed and offered shelter to Estonians, whose roots are deeply embedded in the natures soil. While many Estonians today lead a busy suburban lifestyle, they continue to seek the forest as a place to rest. Estonian society has undergone considerable changes over the last twenty years, one of the most notable being the increasing level of stratification. Interesting facts about Estonia are that modern Estonia is a multinational country in which 109 languages are spoken, Estonia was the first country in the world to use online political voting and it is also the birthplace of Skype, Hotmail! It has the highest number of meteorite craters per land area in the world. The nature is essentially untouched and offers quite a different beach experience with their remoter rustic feel. Inland waters and some shallow bays waters are warmer than 20 degrees. If you want to see what are the best places to visit in Estonia before you die check Insider Monkeys list of 7 Best Places to Visit in Estonia Before You Die and find out about beautiful places to visit in Estonia. After reading you will want to pack your bags and go! Did you know that Iceland has a rich history, historically being the land of the Vikings, but have you ever thought about what are the best places to visit in Iceland before you die? For a small country, Iceland is full of natural wonders. Youll find a unique mix of volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, lava fields, black sand beaches, geysers, and dramatic mountains. It became a republic in 1944. and it has also been ruled by Norway and Denmark. One of the places that you have to visit in Iceland before you die is definitely Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country. Blanda is also one of the special and interesting place that you have to visit in Iceland. Blanda is one of the longest rivers in Iceland, almost 125 kilometers in length! It flows from its source in a glacier across the country. Icelandic culture is founded upon the nations Scandinavian heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Germanic and Gaelic settlers. In the ensuing centuries, Iceland became one of the poorest countries in Europe. Infertile soil, volcanic eruptions, deforestation and an unforgiving climate made for harsh life in a society where subsistence depended almost entirely on agriculture. Iceland is at the juncture of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Iceland has many geysers, including Geysir, from which the English word is derived, and the famous Strokkur, which erupts every 810 minutes. Around 1,300 species of insects are known in Iceland, which is low compared with other countries. The animals of Iceland include the Icelandic sheep, cattle, chickens, goats, the sturdy Icelandic horse, and the Icelandic Sheepdog. Iceland is the worlds 18th largest island, and Europes second-largest island after Great Britain. The islands interior, the Highlands of Iceland, is a cold and uninhabitable combination of sand, mountains, and lava fields. If you want to see what are the best places to visit in Iceland before you die, check Insider Monkeys list of 7 Best Places to Visit in Iceland Before You Die and expand your knowledge about it and you will definitely decide to visit at least one of them in the nearest future. Poverty in South America is high in all countries and Peru is just one of them, but have you ever thought about what are the poorest countries in South America? During the last couple of years the whole world was in economic crisis, but if we are talking about South American countries, the economic crisis in these countries is constant. Peru is one of the countries that are on the list of the poorest countries in South America. While people claim that Peru is undergoing major development currently, this is only true for the more urbanized regions. The same example is Ecuador, and statistics show that over thirty-five percent of the population of the country are stricken by poverty. There are many different reasons why a greater proportion of a countrys population may be in poverty than in others. The major and the biggest problem in the countries of South America is corruption. Most of the nations in Latin America have extensive histories of corruption at all levels of government. Corruption is a big part in politics, schools, there is a big corruption in the employment section also. Not only is corruption an issue, violence accompanies the drug trade. The most productive people in various nations of Latin America have gone into the lucrative drug business. Countries in South America are trying to reduce poverty, with varying degrees of effort and success. However, in recent years most South American countries have experienced great economic growth. Education is also a major concern, and the governments are spending millions of dollars in funding schools, but it seems like that problems are huge still. Rural areas are often associated with higher poverty persistence. Theres been a dramatic surge in social programs in the region in the past decade, yet, they are often uncoordinated. The problems associated with poverty that these countries deal with is migration, language and that there is no standard welfare system. Water and sanitation conditions are also inefficient in rural areas. If you what are the poorest countries in South America, check Insider Monkeys list of 5 Poorest Countries in South America and find out what countries are on the list. Apple CEO Tim Cook has called for a campaign against fake news. Its purveyors largely interested only in getting the most clicks are defeating the people who are trying to tell the most truth, he told the UKs Daily Telegraph in an exclusive interview last week. Fake news is killing peoples minds in a way, Cook said. The worldwide epidemic of fake news requires a crackdown by both government and tech, he said, but care must be taken not to step on the freedoms of speech and the press. Cook suggested the impact of fake news could be curbed by building public awareness with a massive public service campaign. Tech can do its part to fight the spread of fake news by creating tools to reduce its volume on the Internet, he added, while government can support the cause by bringing the fight into the classroom. Kids will be the easiest to educate, he told the Telegraph. At least before a certain age, they are very much in listen and understand [mode], and they then push their parents to act. Killing Discourse The challenge to Cook or anyone else wishing to crackdown on fake news will be nailing down what exactly fake news is. Fake news has gone in six months from a useful description to something thats absolutely meaningless, said Dan Kennedy, an associate professor at the school of journalism at Northeastern University. Fake news originally was the product of bogus news publishers that posted wildly exaggerated or entirely made-up stories to garner clicks just for advertising revenue. Now its meaningless, because the Trump White House calls anything it doesnt like fake news,' Kennedy told TechNewsWorld. What referred to stories that contained misinformation or disinformation is largely a meaningless term, echoed John Carroll, a mass communications professor at Boston University. A number of people have appropriated it to mean news that they dont like, he told TechNewsWorld. I dont know what killing peoples minds means, he added, but I know fake news is eroding public discourse, and giving people a false impression not only of the news media but also current events. Weaponizing Fake News Language is always in flux, and the meaning of terms can shift, observed Mark Marino, director of the Humanities and Critical Code Studies Lab at the University of Southern California. Right now, the presidential administration is trying to weaponize the term in an attempt to censor the press and create noise to make it difficult for people to critically assess whats going on, he told TechNewsWorld. Even without that noise, fake news can be difficult to spot. Its comparatively easy to produce something on the Internet with little money and little training that looks almost identical to what major, professional news organizations produce, Marino said. That means that in addition to the usual critical thinking skills of being able to evaluate arguments and evidence, we also need media literacy skills to be able to identify when a news story is from an organization thats not following professional standards. Media literacy skills arent the only ones needed for an informed public, suggested NUs Kennedy. Before we can have media literacy, we need to have civic literacy, because people need to understand why this is important in the first place, he said. Combating Fake News What can be done to combat fake news? Both Google and Facebook are making efforts to dam the flow Google by blocking fake news sites from participating in its advertising platform; Facebook by limiting misinformation on its system. Enlisting Hollywood in the cause may be another way to squelch fake news. A campaign similar to those used for designated drivers and seatbelts, where references were put into scripts of programs to raise awareness of those issues, could be effective, BUs Carroll said. Tim Cooks concern about the harm fake news can cause is a legitimate one, but the issue could have business implications for Apple, especially if its too zealous in its crackdown. If its seen as interfering with peoples expression or access to information, thats going to hurt them, Carroll noted. On the other hand, Apple could benefit if it should earn a reputation as being a fake-news-free zone. Tim Cooks observation about fake news is right on target, NUs Kennedy said. Further, Apple News is a real alternative to people who want to have an aggregated news product but want to make sure that it is vetted and verified news, he pointed out. There is a business opportunity here for Apple. It has a dog in this race, and its an increasingly impressive dog. As Amazon's much-anticipated US drone delivery service draws ever closer, the retail giant has been looking at ways of getting parcels from the UAVs to customers without landing them. One solution: parachutes. Amazon first applied for the patent, titled "Maneuvering a package following in-flight release from an unmanned aerial vehicle," back in June 2015, but it was only granted yesterday by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent describes firing the packages backward while the UAV is in the air to cancel out its forward movement. The drone could alter the amount of force used to propel the parcel, depending on where it wants it to land, and could monitor the descent and adjust it if necessary using either a parachute, bursts of compressed air, or other similar technologies. Landing a drone when delivering a parcel isn't always going to be possible, especially in busy urban areas. And even if it is, there's the risk of the UAV accidentally hitting a person, pet, tree, etc. Releasing a package above a home and being able to control its fall could solve this issue. We still don't know when Amazon drone deliveries will begin in the US. The company started testing the system in the UK last year in the hope that it would convince the FAA to relax some of its rules regarding commercial UAV flights. Like all patents, there's no guarantee that this one will ever make it into the real world, and there would likely be legal issues to contend with first. Another drone-related patent from Amazon came to light in December. This one involving giant, blimp-like "airborne fulfillment centers (AFC)," that carry fleets of drones and goods. Amazon drone delivery patent #9567081 on Scribd Tesla Inc. has been going through a crisis since one of its employees, Jose Moran, took to blogging platform Medium to complain about the brutal working conditions, injuries and stringent overtime policies of the company. Now, CEO Elon Musk has refuted all such claims and finally broke his silence. After all the accusations directed toward his company, Musk has given a befitting reply to Moran who brought to light the supposed inhumane conditions at the Tesla factory. For the unfamiliar, Moran is only one such Tesla employee among many others working at the Freemont, California, assembly facility who demanded that the company get unionized with United Auto Workers (UAW). Claims By Moran According to Moran, who has been a part of Tesla for four years, the company has excessive mandatory overtime policies which are quite strenuous for the workers. However, to make ends meet, the workers have no other choice but to work overtime. The San Francisco Bay area, where Tesla's factory is located, is infamous for its high cost of living. Moran added that Tesla workers earn between $17 and $21 per hour, which is much lower than the usual standard of $29.53, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in December 2016. There have been numerous reports of lacking safety standards as well in the factory. "A few months ago, six out of eight people in my work team were out on medical leave at the same time due to various work-related injuries," shared Moran on Medium. "I hear that ergonomics concerns in other departments are even more severe." He also indicated that most workers were too afraid to speak out about these issues due to fear of repercussions. According to Moran, many of the employees like him held talks about unionizing and had even gone to the UAW for support. He also revealed that all the workers were forced to sign a confidential agreement which threatened them with dire consequences if they spoke ill about the company. Musk's Response To Moran's Claims The Tesla CEO shot back by accusing Moran that he must have been paid by the UAW to say things like these to further its own agenda. He deemed the attacks against the company as morally outrageous. "There is sometimes mandatory overtime if we are trying to make up for a production stoppage, but it is dropping almost every week," wrote Musk to a publication. He cleared the air about wages by mentioning that Tesla offered all their employees higher wages and starting pay than the ones unionized by the UAW. On the other hand, UAW has released a statement denying the allegations made by Musk. "Mr. Moran is not and has not been paid by the UAW," announced the union after Musk's allegations. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. There is an Asian surge in space programs. China and India are upping the ante on by hiking the space spending even as America's NASA and Russia's Roscosmos are having flat budgets. India increased space spending for 2017-2018 by more than 20 percent from $1.1 billion to $1.4 billion. One major milestone of China's space ventures in 2017 will be the launch of Tianzhou-1, the first cargo spacecraft which will be a litmus test of key technologies for China's upcoming space station. Carrying 13 tons, the cargo spacecraft will lift off in April. "The carrying capacity of Tianzhou-1 is designed based on the scale of the space station, on the principle of achieving the highest carrying capacity with the lowest structural weight," said Bai Mingsheng, Tianzhou-1's chief designer with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. China's cargo spacecraft is designed with a long-term plan. The Tianzhou-1 is also meant for refueling and resupplying the space station of China. Tianzhou-1 will dock with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab, which hosted two astronauts in 2016. China's Space Programs The space ambitions of China gained traction in recent years. The year 2016 was eventful for CASC with the first successful docking of the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft with the Chinese space lab. China's permanent space station is expected to be ready by 2023. For 2017, CASC has set lunar sampling as a breakthrough plan with automated moon surface sampling, unmanned docking and moon take-off. "The development of Chang'e-5 has entered the end of its flight model phase, and relevant work is proceeding smoothly," says a statement from CASC. The lunar probe will have four parts: an orbiter, a returner, an ascender and a lander, said Ye Peijian, an aerospace expert. The Shenzhou-11 brought two astronauts safely to the Tiangong-2 and back to Earth. The CASC will also land a probe on the moon's far side by late 2018 with an aim for sending a probe to Mars by 2020, as a significant milestone in China's space exploration program. Space Budget Hiked India's space agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, is hiking spending on space technology and space science under the belief that investing in space exploration will bring positive returns for the country. The agency is gearing up for two space science missions one to Mars and another to Venus. According to media reports, India's "Mars Orbiter Mission II" may include a lander with a planned launch in 2021, while the Venus mission will be with an orbiter. In the Mars program, there is competition between China and India. India's space plans had a pronounced momentum in 2014 when it took the 13kg Orbiter Mission to Mars and tapped a stream of data and images. To slash the launch costs, India also began the use of flight tests of a reusable space plane. India's Record Launch Of Satellites Meanwhile, ISRO set a world record on Feb. 15 by launching 104 satellites in a single mission from the space center at Sriharikota. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle carried a Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation along with 103 other satellites in one shot. The nano-satellites numbering 101 belong to five countries the United States, Israel, Netherlands, Kazakhstan and Switzerland alongside a few Indian nano-satellites. The feat has broken the record owned by Russia which launched 37 satellites in June 2014. B Jayakumar, mission director, said the focus was not about "creating records" but optimizing the capacity available on the PSLV which has a maximum payload capacity of 1,500 kilograms. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. There is a super-Earth existing outside the solar system near our planet. This must be good news when efforts are underway to colonize Mars. This was revealed in the Lick-Carnegie Exoplanet Survey by a team of international scientists. It was led by astronomers Steve Vogt, Geoffrey Marcy from the University of California, and Carnegie Institute of Science's Paul Butler at Washington. The team discovered 60 new planets and 54 potential planets outside the solar system making a total of 114 new planets. According to the scientists, many of these planets are Earth-like and can support life. The study will be published in The Astrophysical Journal. Super-Earth Gliese 411-B The hot "super-Earth" named Gliese 411-b is an exoplanet with a rocky surface and the fourth nearest to the solar system. The premise of super-Earth supporting life is based on the fact that planets were found orbiting all stars near the sun. So, it is normal to expect Earth-like conditions supporting alien life might be present. The survey results were derived from an average 60,000 observations of 1,600 stars, which the team tracked for more than 20-years, with the help of Hawaii's Keck-I telescope. "This paper and data release is one of my crowning achievements as an astronomer and represents a good chunk of my life's work," Butler, one of the research leaders said. The newly discovered planets would enhance the understanding of the processes in planetary formations and help in future efforts for imaging planets directly, according to the researchers. Research Methodology Lick-Carnegie survey has made a commendable contribution in increasing scientists' understanding of planets in the last two decades by tracking movements of nearby stars and the effect of orbiting planets. One of the researchers, Dr. Mikko Tuomi, noted that Keck-I telescope has been a wonderful tool in proving that all stars have orbiting planets. "These new discoveries will further help us characterize the population of planets in the immediate solar neighborhood," he added. The methodology of the research involved measuring periodic changes in the colors of target stars that indicated the existence of planets. Using iodine cell radial velocity technique, they monitored the signatures of planets by using iodine lines as a reference point that stays static with lines of the star responding to the planets that are orbiting. Life Detection Technology Meanwhile, NASA developed a new technology for detecting signs of life beyond earth and claimed it was far more effective than the ones used by spaceship Mars Curiosity rover. In a paper published "Enhanced Resolution of Chiral Amino Acids with Capillary Electrophoresis for Biosignature Detection in Extraterrestrial Samples," a NASA researcher suggested "laser-provoked fluorescence recognition" by blazing a laser through a mixture of organic molecules to identify amino acids, which are the building blocks of all life. Also, in detecting a distant planet's habitability, NASA has developed a new model. Based on that yardstick, the newly discovered exoplanet Proxima Centauri b is not habitable. Proxima Centauri b was discovered in August 2016 as an Earth-sized planet with hints that water was present. However, a new research by NASA suggests Proxima Centauri b is a dead world because of the violence by its host star. Though in the Goldilocks zone, a region around a star where it is "not too hot, not too cold," stellar eruptions from the star can beam charged particles into the atmosphere and destroy water-producing ingredients. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Just in time for Valentine's Day, OkCupid launched new features that aim to improve users' matches in the site's mobile dating app. One of its new features now allow users to glean more information from a person's profile before swiping. OkCupid's DoubleTake Replaces App's Tinder-Like Feature OkCupid launched DoubleTake, which will serve as a replacement for Quickmatch, a feature that was meant to be a counterpart to Tinder's "hot or not" feature. This would be welcome news for users who do not want to be judged based on one photo alone. In the old feature, users swiped left or right by judging compatibility based on a single photo. The new feature will have a different layout that features up to four photos as well as profile highlights. In a press release statement, Elie Siedman, CEO of OkCupid says that its app's users are "more than just a photo, and our new features are dedicated to highlighting their uniqueness and individuality." The swiping process has slowed down, resulting to an increase in mutual matches. "Every person has a story and instead of helping users speed up, DoubleTake slows them down within the swiping interface so that they can appreciate each other's uniqueness," adds Seidman. Seidman came on board the company on May of last year with the goal of making the app more successful in building meaningful relationships, and distinguishing itself from hookup apps such as Tinder. OkCupid's new feature has gone live today on both iOS and Android devices. Dating App Also Updates Questions OkCupid also added 50 more questions to its question-and-answer feature, which allows users to get to know more about the person behind the profile. The new set of questions is related to recent news events. It will ask you how you feel about climate change and "ghosting." The app will also ask you how you feel about President Trump and the Muslim ban, which could prove to be a deal breaker. This would definitely save users from embarrassment and awkwardness over having to ask such politically-charged questions over a date. OkCupid Will Revamp Its Design Aside from recent updates to its app, OkCupid also announced that it will have a new design that will roll out next month. The company hired Berlin artist Jay Daniel Wright to come up with colorful illustrations that will be used on its website and mobile app to give the company a more modern and fresh look. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Facebook's next target platform is everyone's TVs, after staking a firm foothold in both desktop and mobile spaces. Yes, the world's largest social networking site is pushing to inch its presence toward a platform it postdates, which is odd, if slightly amusing. Facebook Arrives On Your TV The company said on Tuesday it has built a connected video app for TVs, promising that the new app will roll out in a few weeks for a slew of devices, including the Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TVs, and to different set-top boxes in the future. Facebook Videos On A Bigger Screen The app will let any Facebook user view videos on the site on their own TV, whether it's content shared by a friend, recommended and placed atop the newsfeed, or a Facebook Live video. Additionally, users may also view previously saved, shared, and uploaded videos on the site using the app, as per a report by Forbes. The forthcoming app could serve Facebook in securing more advertising revenue out of the $70 billion television advertising market. Facebook's TV inroad will allow it to carve an additional space for showing ads, which are one of the primary revenue generators for social media companies. The service, too, could potentially feature longer, more compelling programming, the licensing for which is already being considered by Facebook as it approaches media companies. The TV app reiterates Facebook's intention to make the company "video-first," at a time when demand for video is increasingly ballooning, given how people can easily access a wide range of content provided by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others, at present. Facebook has taken that demand and made the format a rising priority for the company, which will be integrated for consumer features and advertisements. "I see video as a mega trend on the same order as mobile," said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO, to investors early February. "That's why we're going to keep putting video first across our family of apps and making it easier for people to capture and share video in new ways." Updates Regarding Facebook Videos Aside from the imminent arrival of Facebook's new TV app, the company also announced a few changes related to how videos will behave on the site. As reported by Business Insider, Facebook videos will now play with the sound automatically set on in the news feed, as long as the user's phone's sound is also on. For phones set to silent mode, videos will be muted until tapped. The move comes after Facebook reportedly tested videos with automatic sound in recent months, earning a positive response. Vertical videos will now expand to fill the screen. Those who have filmed videos in portrait mode and uploaded them to Facebook in the past should find this change handy. More importantly, videos will now continue playing in a thumbnail at the bottom of the screen like it does on YouTube's mobile app so users can keep scrolling through their newsfeed. Facebook: Nope, Our TV App Isn't A Netflix Killer While keen to occupy itself a seat in the race for video, Facebook's TV app is meant to complement watching videos on the site, not to ruffle Netflix's feathers, as it were, according to Dan Rose, Facebook's VP of partnerships. He said that Facebook users often hoard videos for later viewing, and that the cache manages to stack up, with the user failing to find the right time to finish them all. "Now it's easy to watch on your TV if you want to do that," said Rose, noting that Facebook wants people to access and consume content using whichever platform they pick. "But we're a mobile-first company, so the products we build will always be oriented around the experience you have on a mobile device when you're watching video." 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Press Trust of India: Kolkata, Feb 15 (PTI) Despite its earlier announcement of boycotting the entire budget session, the Congress today returned to the West Bengal Assembly, but staged a walkout protesting against the eviction of Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan by marshals from the House last week. Congress MLAs along with their Left Front counterparts continued their protest demonstration inside the Assembly against the eviction of Mannan from the House by marshals last week leading to his illness and subsequent hospitalisation. advertisement With posters and placards demanding the Speaker to spell out the reasons behind Mannans eviction, Congress members protested for about 20 minutes in the House before staging a walkout along with Left Front members. The Congress Legislature Party had yesterday decided to boycott the entire budget session protesting against the eviction and alleged assault on their leader. Carrying on with their demonstration outside the House, Congress also organised a March to Assembly programme protesting against Mannans eviction. Leading the march, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the Trinamool Congress of running the state government with the help of the Police. "They have killed poor farmers at Bhangor, which showed that the TMC is not with the people," he said. "But, Congress cant be cowed down. We are on the streets to counter the violence and terror unleashed by TMC," the WBPCC chief said. PTI SCH SUN DKB --- ENDS --- Microsoft's president Brad Smith is now calling for the foundation of an international body similar to the Geneva Convention that will protect civilians from the emerging spate of cyberattacks perpetuated by nation states. Digital Geneva Convention According to Smith, the urgency of the situation should be highlighted by the way the global economy will lose $3 trillion by 2020 to cyberattacks. Cybercrime is also spilling over other sectors such as national security and free expression. Military espionage, data breach in U.S. federal institutions, and the North Korean Sony hack are chilling examples that demonstrate how attacks are no longer confined to acts with goals to extract financial gains. Smith also noted how last year's U.S. presidential election has been targeted by foreign government hacking. Citing that private cybersecurity initiatives are no longer enough, Smith is calling world governments to begin drafting a Digital Geneva Convention. As part of the immediate measures of protecting civilians, he wants the Red Cross and technology companies to share their respective responsibilities as well especially in addressing the aftermath of an attack. Digital Switzerland In Smith's proposal, technology companies have been likened to first responders, being the stakeholders in the position to immediately tackle cyberattacks. "Last year MSTIC identified an attack pattern that led to a group associated with a nation-state that had registered internet domains using names that included Microsoft and other companies' trademarks," Smith touted Microsoft's experience. "We went to federal court, obtained court orders and successfully sought appointment of a Special Master to oversee and expedite additional motions in our case." The proposed role is analogous to that of Switzerland, which is neutral in times of conflict. This is supposed to be necessary to ensure that the sector can help keep the internet safe while holding the world's trust in the process. Terms Of Engagement Interestingly, Smith's proposal seems to outline how nations should behave as they go about their attacks or what some would say the terms of engagement. He has outlined six frameworks where his so-called Digital Geneva Convention will be built on. These include the exercise of restraint in the use of cyber weapons and the rule against targeting tech companies, private sector, and critical infrastructure. Smith seems bent on having this group accorded the status similar to the "protected persons" in times of war under the Fourth Geneva Convention. While there was a call to limit offensive operation, Smith did not task the convention to outlaw cyberattacks. There was also no word if it can serve as a basis to put individuals or states on trial for crimes against humanity or specific war crimes. There was only the proposal for the creation of a dedicated agency similar to the Atomic Energy Agency that will investigate attacks and attribute them to specific nation-state. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Verizon and Sprint announced unlimited data plans on Feb. 12 and Feb. 10, respectively, and hopped on to the offers bandwagon joining AT&T and T-Mobile. Unlimited data is no more considered a luxury but a necessity as most people are glued to their phones incessantly, either streaming live videos, surfing online or hooked onto social media. With four major U.S. network operators - AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon Wireless - introducing Unlimited Data plans, here's a look at what each offering entails. T-Mobile One Plan The T-Mobile One plan provides its customers with unlimited calling, texting facilities and access to 4G LTE data on its network. However, there are different pay plans for different needs. For unlimited data and calling on one line, T-Mobile is charging $70. For providing the service to a family of four smartphones, the carrier is charging $40 per line, which comes to a total of $160. If one wishes to add tablets to the plan, then an additional charge of $20 dollars. The plus for this plan is that all taxes and fees are included, there are no additional charges. "Taxes and fees will be included starting with your February charges, so what you see is what you'll pay," asserts the carrier. To make the competition tougher for its rivals, T-Mobile on Feb. 14 added HD video and Hotspot to its One Plan service offer. The carrier has decided to offer HD video and high speed mobile hotspot data of 10 GB per month to the One Plan. Verizon Unlimited Data Plan Better late than never, Verizon is abiding hard by this saying, as on Feb. 12 it announced its own unlimited data plan. Although late to join the unlimited data club, Verizon finally realized that retaining its subscribers hinges on smartphones and ceaseless internet connectivity rather than anything else. The Verizon Unlimited data plan offers its existing and potential users limitless data, text and call for $80 per month. The carrier charges $45 per line for a group of four smartphones or tablets, which works out to $180 per month. However, unlike T-Mobile, the prices stated above are excluding taxes and fees. Verizon has also stated that the pricing will increase after a year. "With Verizon Unlimited, you also get HD video streaming, Mobile Hotspot, calling and texting to Mexico and Canada and up to 500 MB/day of 4G LTE roaming in Mexico and Canada - included," notes the carrier. Sprint Unlimited Data, Talk And Text Plan Right before Verizon launched its introductory unlimited data plan, on Feb. 10 Sprint announced that it would offer limitless data for five smartphones for $90 per month. Interested customers can avail the offer by signing up with the carrier via Auto Pay. The offer will allow the user to get unlimited data, text and call for one line at $50 per month and subsequent addition of lines to the network will cost only $90 per month, which is $45 per line. However, the Sprint offer is only for new subscribers and not existing customers. The offer does not include any surcharges or taxes. AT&T Unlimited Data Plan Users having AT&T wireless along with DIRECTV are entitled to access the carrier's unlimited stream plus surf with unlimited data offer. The plan costs $100 per month for the first smartphone and an additional $40 per month for each smartphone, tablet and connected car added to the plan. If a user adds a fourth line to the plan, AT&T will give free service to the line after bill credit. To avail the offer on basic messaging phones, the user will be charged $25 per month and $10 per month for wearables. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The decision has stirred yet another row, especially since it comes at a time when a government school in Howrah had to be shutdown due to communal flare-up over demands that Nabi Diwas celebrations be allowed inside the school since Saraswati Puja was also observed every year. By Indrajit Kundu: Amid the ongoing row over Nabi Diwas celebration at a school in Howrah resulting in a communal flare-up, the West Bengal government has made it mandatory for government libraries across the state to celebrate the day. According to a new order by the state Directorate of Library Services, more than 2000 state libraries across West Bengal have been instructed to observe "Nabi Diwas" as part of a host of events to be observed throughout the year. advertisement The order dated January 11, 2017 states that of the 51 events mentioned by the government, Fateha Dwaz Daham (or Eid-ud-Milad-un-Nabi ) must be observed to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad in state-run libraries. Also read | Bengal: School shut down after communal tension, teachers allege pressure from 'Islamic fundamentalists' HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: Accordingly, it will be celebrated on December 2 this year. The state library department will grant an amount of Rs 1000 to every library for each of these individual events and libraries are "free to mobilise local resources" for the purpose, states the order. In January this year, a government-aided school in Howrah's Tehatta had to be shut down indefinitely following communal tension over demands to allow Nabi Diwas celebrations on the school premises. Tension began after the school authority decided to deny permission for the religious programme. In its letter to the police, the school administration had alleged that some students influenced by "Islamic fundamentalists" from outside wanted to forcibly conduct "Nabi Diwas" on its campus on December 13 despite being denied permission. Speaking to India Today, the school's principal had said those demanding permission for the event had questioned why the school administration allowed Saraswati Puja on campus every year. As per the state government's notification for public holidays in Bengal for 2017, Saraswati Puja has been declared as an official holiday but Nabi Diwas is not. The opposition BJP as well as right-wing groups have criticised the decision alleging that there was no precedent of Nabi Diwas celebration at libraries and that it was yet another step at minority appeasement. "Bengal is on its way to becoming the next Bangladesh. So Nabi Diwas and Iftar parties will happen but chances are that Durga puja and Saraswati Puja will be stopped. This is our biggest worry. It is due to such blatant appeasement politics that communal tension is on the rise in Bengal," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh claimed. However West Bengal Mass Education & Library Services minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury has rubbished the opposition charge. "What is the problem if Nabi Diwas is celebrated?" Chowdhury questioned adding that his department had also instructed that birthdays of stalwarts like Rabindranath Tagore and Subhash Chandra Bose be observed among many such days that have been selected. Of the 51 events, the government order also states that there shall be "cultural programme on the occasion of Saraswati puja". Other events such as Christmas, Good Friday, Buddha Purnima, Guru Nanak's birthday, Rakhi Bandhan, Id Ul Fitre, Id-Ud-Joha along with Independence Day and Republic Day will also be observed at state libraries as per the new order. Also read | West Bengal: Communal tension grips Tehatta schools over Saraswati puja celebrations, TMC dismissive --- ENDS --- Arce stressed that "this table has a vital importance to continue giving certainties and solutions, above the whims, subway agreements and political calculations". | Read More A 22-year-old Danish student who gave up her studies to fight ISIS in Syria and Iraq is now seen as a 'terrorist' by her own country. She also has a Rs 7 crore reward on her head. By India Today Web Desk: The 22-year-old former student Joanna Palani quit studies in 2014, when she was still a teenager, to fight ISIS militants in Syria and Iraq. She fought for the Kurds but after returning to her home in Denmark, she was taken into custody. Joanna even faced a jail sentence. Denmark received criticism over it and the country's hypocrisy was strongly condemned. advertisement #FYI: || Call of duty: Female Kurdish fighters save Syrian women from ISIS and abuse || Joanna was born in a UN refugee camp and was still a toddler when she moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. At the age of 9, she first picked up a gun and learnt to fire. BOUNTY Joanna has recently claimed that there is a $1 million bounty on her head. Even before this claim, her life was a struggle since her country could not support her heroism. After returning from fighting in September 2015, the Danish authorities banned her from travelling to the region again. SEEN AS TERRORIST After returning from Syria and Iraq, she is being treated as "a terrorist" in Denmark. She wrote on Facebook that she was inspired "to fight for women's rights, for democracy - for the European values I learned as a Danish girl." FACTS AND QUOTES Joanna Palani, apart from slaying close to 100 ISIS militants, also helped liberating Yazidi girls who were imprisoned as sex slaves. Photo: Joanna Palani "When we were preparing to liberate houses of ISIS sex slaves, we had this saying - one fighter goes to rescue but many fighters will come back out," according to a media report. Photo: Joanna Palani Boasting her success, she previously told Vice, "ISIS fighters are very easy to kill." "ISIS fighters are very good at sacrificing their own lives, but Assad's soldiers are very well-trained and they are specialist killing machines." Presently, she lives in hiding and changes her location frequently from the fear of retaliation she has gotten from her own country. #FYI: || 7-year-old Aleppo girl asks Donald Trump to help Syrian children in a moving letter. Will he? || --- ENDS --- By Manogya Loiwal : Taking a joy ride on Darjeeling toy trains, one of the biggest tourist attraction in the misty hills of West Bengal, will now be heavier on the pocket because of a steep increase in fares by the Railways. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the narrow gauge trains that run between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling towns are popular with both tourists and locals. But now the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) have raised the fares for the 16 km stretch in between Darjeeling and Ghoom. The fares of steam engine pulled trains have been elevated to Rs 1300 and that of diesel-run trains have been raised to Rs 800. advertisement Railway officials attribute it to the high maintenance cost of these heritage trains. HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW: "The last time we increased the fares for the joy rides was in February 2015. The hike was necessitated because of inflation in the country," DHR director MD Bhutia said. Travel agent Kamal Bansal said the price hike will have a huge impact on the sale of tickets. "As the facts stand now the travel expense of two hours from Darjeeling to Ghoom will cost significantly more than the sleeper class ticket from Kolkata to Darjeeling," he said. The fare for the 87-km-long journey from Darjeeling to NJP on the toy train has also been raised to Rs 1285. Earlier the cost was Rs 360 in first class and Rs 120 for second class rides. However now the DHR has decided to do away with the second class journey citing that the main difference between the classes were the sitting arrangements. DHR incurs an estimated Rs 15 crores as annual maintenance cost to run the service and recently the officials claimed that they are expecting to break even this fiscal. Samrat Sanyal, Secretary, Eastern India Tour Operator Association, said: "We are criticising the move of the railway ministry and are strongly opposing it. The price rise will also affect the several packages those have been booked in advance". West Bengal Tourism Minister Goutam Deb said: "We are opposing the price rise as it is a big blow to the tourism sector. Tourists are always willing to take the joy rides however now as per the decision they have to pay a huge amount for a 2 hours ride which is impractical. We have decided to write a letter to the Railway Minister to reduce the prices at the earliest". At present the DHR is running nine rides on the toy train (six on the steam and three on diesel engines) thrice a day to Ghoom and back from Darjeeling. Long distance service is also available thrice a week from Darjeeling to New Jalpaiguri station on diesel engines. (Inputs from Kayes Ansari and Angshuman Chakraborty) --- ENDS --- James Mattis is on his first Europe visit after becoming the US Defence Secretary. Mattis was speaking during a meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels yesterday when he sent this stern message to other members of the grouping that include 28 countries including Germany, France, Canada, Italy, Norway, Spain and UK. By Santosh Chaubey: Though describing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as the 'bedrock of the US's defense policy', US Defense Secretary James Mattis had some tough words for his allies in the world's most powerful military alliance. James Mattis is on his first Europe visit after becoming the US Defence Secretary. Mattis was speaking during a meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels yesterday when he sent this stern message to other members of the grouping that include 28 countries including Germany, France, Canada, Italy, Norway, Spain and UK. advertisement According to Washington Post, Mattis said, "I owe it to you all to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms. America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to the alliance, each of your capitals needs to show its support for our common defense." Mattis is following what his boss has always said that the US would no longer be the big daddy if other member countries don't fulfil the financial obligations expected from them. While speaking at the US Central Command headquarters on February 6, Trump had reiterated his line from the campaign days, giving clear indications that it indeed was going to be the US policy on NATO. He assured the continued US role in NATO affairs but added the rider that other countries must scale up their spending and share the burden first. Trump has said that the US may not rush to defend the Baltic countries in case of a Russian attack if they don't meet the financial obligations. Mattis, a former US Marine Corps General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Transformation, who has been picked by Donald Trump to head the US defense establishment, put before the NATO leaders the US demand in unequivocal terms. ONLY 5 MEMBER NATIONS COMPLY And Trump's demand is not part of any rhetoric here. NATO expects its member countries to spend 2 per cent of their GDPs on defence but only five of 28 member countries meet this basic criteria, a CNN report says. Trump feels that NATO has many problems and foremost of them is that it has become obsolete. During his London visit last month, before his inaugural on January 20, Trump had said in an interview that NATO had become obsolete because it was designed a long time ago and it was being unfair to the US as most other countries were not paying what they were supposed to pay. advertisement Taking a cue from Trump's demands, especially after his victory in the US presidential polls on November 8, 2016, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had made a strong pitch for increased defense expenditure by the member countries while delivering keynote address at the NATO-Industry Forum on November 9, 2016. Since then he has been on it. A CNBC report published yesterday quotes him, "In my two phone calls with President Trump defense spending has been a main topic and he has strongly expressed his strong commitment to NATO, to the transatlantic bond but at the same time President Trump has in both the phone calls also underlined the importance of a fairer burden sharing. And I agree with him." NATO OVER-RELIANT ON US Bulk of the NATO spending comes from the US and NATO admits that it is over-reliant on the US, another CNN report says. There has always been a gap between the US and other countries' contribution owing to the huge US defense budget, that stood at USD 650 billion last year. It widened significantly after the 2001 terror attacks on the US. But Donald Trump wants to end that. No more largesse. Instead, he wants every member country to shoulder the financial burden in a revamped NATO with no appendages from past. The CNN report says that the combined GDP of other 27 NATO members is more than the US GDP, still the US defense spending is more than double of them. advertisement So, the message is loud and clear. NATO will remain the bedrock of the US and the transatlantic community's defense strategy if it mends its ways. Otherwise, Trump has already declared it obsolete. Also read: US President Donald Trump to meet NATO leaders in Europe in May, says White House Donald Trump: Brexit will be 'a great thing', NATO is 'obsolete' --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: From K J M Varma Beijing, Feb 15 (PTI) Three knife-wielding suspected Uyghur militants have killed five persons in Chinas far western Xinjiang region before being shot dead by the police, the latest outbreak of violence in the restive territory. The attack took place last evening in Pishan county. Ten people were injured in the attack, five of whom were declared dead in the hospital, an official news portal of the Hotan government said. advertisement Police shot dead three attackers, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Postquoted the news portal as saying. Social order has been restored and an investigation is being carried out, the report said. Xinjiang, bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan, has been on the boil for several years over Uyghur protests against the large-scale settlements of Han Chinese from different parts of the country. China blames Uyghur separatists from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) for the attacks in the region, which has over 10 million Uyghur population of Turkik-origin Muslims. In December, four knife-wielding men attacked a Communist Party office in southern Xinjiangs Hotan region and set off an explosive device, killing one person. Four assailants were also shot dead. PTI KJV NSA --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) The Government today approved signing of an Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Rwanda to allow the airlines of the two countries to operate services in each others territory. Rwanda national carrier RwandAir has already announced its plans to launch its air services to India from the next fiscal with four flights per week to Mumbai. advertisement The Union Cabinet, which met here under by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Rwanda, an official release said. The agreement would provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security, an official release said. The agreement has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange between India and Rwanda, bringing it in tune with developments in the civil aviation sector, it added. PTI IAS TIR --- ENDS --- A key part of state Superintendent of Education John White's plan to overhaul public schools was criticized Wednesday by nine education and business groups, including traditional allies of White. The disputed points were spelled out by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, the Urban League of Greater New Orleans and the Southern Poverty Law Center, among others. The key criticism is White's plan to change the way public school letter grades are calculated. Under current rules, school performance scores that shape the grades are based mostly on high-profile test results. White wants to change that so 25 percent of the score would stem from annual academic growth, regardless of the final score. The superintendent and others contend academic gains have long been neglected in calculating all-important letter grades for elementary and middle school students. The Louisiana Accountability Commission, after months of talks, endorsed White's recommendation last week. Growth over grades: Key panel agrees on changes in public school rating system After months of arguments, a key state panel Wednesday agreed on a plan to revamp the way le But LABI and other members of the coalition said allowing 25 percent of letter grades to stem from yearly gains in the classroom is too much. "We believe the state should focus on the actual achievement of students," according to a three-page statement issued Wednesday. "While we applaud the progress that educators and schools are able to make with students, over emphasizing student progress is misleading to parents and the public about the performance of the school," the groups said. "Measures of test performance should be based predominantly on whether students are meeting or exceeding state standards," the statement says. The issue represents one of the chief controversies on how the state plans to revamp letter grades. Consider dropping public school letter grades, group named by Gov. John Bel Edwards says The state should consider scrapping the annual issuance of letter grades for public schools, The review was prompted by a federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act. White hopes the changes win federal approval in time for them to take effect for the 2017-18 school year. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education plans to hold a special meeting next month to finalize the state's plan. The deadline for submission to the U. S. Department of Education is April 3. LABI is often allied with White in efforts to revamp public schools. The same applies to other groups that criticized his plan, including the state branch of Democrats for Education Reform, Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana and Stand for Children. Brigitte Nieland, who follows public school issues for LABI, said Wednesday boosting school performance results through a significant use of yearly progress points is a mistake. "It will mask lower achieving performance," Nieland said. "I do not believe that calling something what it is not benefits children," she said. "It only benefits the adults and administrators in the schools." The state currently allows 7 percent of yearly academic gains to be calculated in school performance scores. However, that only applies to struggling public school students. Carrie Monica, executive director of Stand for Children, said while there is plenty to like about the state's ESSA plan, the fact that school performance scores would include significant progress points, be set on a curve and and other factors are troubling. All those ingredients means "it is really difficult to get to a place of providing honest and transparent rules on how schools are doing," she said. White, through a spokeswoman, declined comment on the criticism from the nine groups. Superintendents also have problems with White's plan, Hollis Milton, president of the Louisiana Association of Superintendents, said Wednesday in an email. "The formula creates more volatility and masks true achievement," said Milton, who is superintendent of the West Feliciana Parish School District. The issue is on the agenda when the Superintendents' Advisory Council, which advises BESE, meets on Thursday at 9 a.m. On a related topic, the groups said the state should immediately end the curve system used to allocate letter grades. That means the distribution of A, B, C, D and F grades does not differ from year to year. The system, which began for the 2013-14 school year, was supposed to last two years and prevent wholesale drops in grades during the move to tougher standards embodied by Common Core. "A grading curve is misleading to the public and to parents about schools true performance," according to the statement. The coalition said it spent over three months and 100 hours reviewing the ESSA. An A-rated foreign language immersion school in Baton Rouge operating at two locations has its sights set on a place where it could be all in one building: the former Valley Park Junior High School. The idea is for BR FLAIM to move into the old junior high at 4510 Bawell St. when it becomes vacant after its current occupant, Broadmoor Elementary, leaves in summer 2018. Broadmoor is temporarily housed in Valley Park while its building at 9650 Goodwood Blvd. is torn down and rebuilt at an estimated cost of $21.8 million. Before August when Broadmoor moved in, Lee High spent three years at Valley Park, likewise using it as swing space while its building on Lee Drive was torn down and rebuilt. After a review of many potential sites and the potential to retrofit one of the current campuses we occupy, it was decided that moving to Valley Park was the best and most feasible option, said Claire Pittman, president of the BR FLAIM parent-teacher organization. Deputy Superintendent Michelle Clayton informed the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board of BR FLAIMs wishes during a Feb. 4 retreat, but offered no recommendation. Theyd like to be together at Valley Park, Clayton told the board. Clayton said shes considering the idea as part of a larger set of options she plans to bring to the board in a few weeks. BR FLAIM stands for Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet. Students from kindergarten to fifth grade spend at least 60 percent of their day immersed in French, Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. The school has grown in popularity and now has about 450 students. It also has one of the highest school performance scores of any public elementary school in the Baton Rouge metro area, second only Westdale Heights Academic Magnet. The state recently nominated BR FLAIM for a National Blue Ribbon award. On Friday, kindergartners in one room learned how to count numbers in Spanish; next door, their peers learned how to identify geometric shapes in Mandarin. Kathy Soileau, their English teacher, can see the difference the schools bilingual education makes. It makes them stronger readers in English, Soileau said. It is amazing how well they learn. They just soak it all up. BR FLAIMs longtime home has been the former South Boulevard elementary school campus at 802 Mayflower St. The campus, built in 1949, was designed by famed local architect A. Hays Town. The campus, however, is small, with a capacity of only about 300 students, and its in disrepair. Rather than fixing the facility, the school system tried to shutter South Boulevard in 2009 and relocate the foreign language program at a newly renovated and expanded Dufrocq Elementary. BR FLAIM parents successfully fought off the move, but their success consigned them to an old campus that the school system had no commitment to maintain. Matt Diez, an active parent and former PTO president, said the push to find a permanent home for BR FLAIM took on new urgency a few years ago. A lot of this grew out of complaints about lack of air conditioning in the gym, Diez recalled. While the gym remains without air-conditioning, BR FLAIMs scored a victory when the School Board agreed in 2014 to renovate nearby Polk Elementary and let BR FLAIM occupy part of that campus. It currently holds classes for its upper grades there. East Baton Rouge School Board agrees to expand foreign-language immersion program to Polk Elementary A popular foreign language immersion school in downtown Baton Rouge will expand this fall to BR FLAIM parents arent the only people interested in Valley Park. Board President Evelyn Ware-Jackson said shes received a request from the Valley Park Civic Association, which wants to turn the campus back into a neighborhood school of some sort. They are just tired of being a swing space, Jackson said. They werent happy when it was an alternative school. They are just looking to the day when it goes back to the neighborhood. Valley Park began as a neighborhood elementary school in 1950, when it was built atop an old landfill. It later became a junior high and then a middle school. Its enrollment, though, steadily declined to fewer than 400 students before it was closed in 1986 in a round of budget cuts. In the mid-90s, Valley Park was reopened as an alternative school for kids expelled from other schools. In 2013, the alternative school was moved elsewhere to make way for Lee High students. The facility also got $2.7 million worth of renovations at the time. There arent many school-age children now living in the Valley Park area to fill a neighborhood school. The 2010 U.S. Census showed about 300 school-age children in the Valley Park census tract, with only about 150 old enough for middle and high school. East Baton Rouge Parishs cutoff for a financially viable middle or high school is one with no fewer than 400 students. Pittman said she and other BR FLAIM parents are eager to talk to Valley Park neighborhood representatives and find a solution. We have suggested creating a neighborhood attendance zone in which qualified students from the neighborhood gain preferential admission to the school, Pittman said. Foreign language immersion in Baton Rouge doesnt stop at BR FLAIM. The elementary school feeds into an immersion program at Westdale Middle School that enrolls another 200 children. And Lee High now offers instruction in six foreign languages, including a handful of immersion-based classes. Meanwhile, a foreign language immersion advocacy group called the Baton Rouge Immersion Cooperative held its first meeting last Thursday in the gym at Westdale Middle School and attracted about 100 people. Valley Parks official capacity is about 680 students, but Pittman said it can easily accommodate 750 students. The school also has unfinished classrooms that, once finished, could expand capacity to 900 students, she said. BR FLAIM also is seeking improvements to the campus before it moves in, including new classroom storage and furniture, elementary playground equipment and outdoor spaces, as well as repairs to the parking lot, Pittman said. In the future, the campus could potentially be expanded to include middle school grades, she said. The Valley Park site has over 20 acres of land with over half currently undeveloped, she said. 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. The financial controller for a Metairie shipping firm stole more than $1 million from the company before being arrested last week, according t Wolverine star Hugh Jackman, soon to be seen in Logan, underwent his sixth skin cancer surgery on Tuesday. He was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in 2013. By India Today Web Desk: 48-year-old Australian actor Hugh Jackman, best known for playing the superhuman mutant Wolverine in the X-Men films, had his sixth skin cancer surgery yesterday. Hugh Jackman shared a photo of himself on Instagram after the successful surgery. Jackman is seen with his nose bandaged. He had a basal cell carcinoma on his nose which the doctors removed on Tuesday. Another basal cell carcinoma. Thanks to frequent body checks and amazing doctors, all is well. Looks worse with the dressing on than off. I swear! #wearsunscreen A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman) on Feb 13, 2017 at 12:42pm PST advertisement Cheekily, he added, "Looks worse with the dressing on than off. I swear!" With the hashtag #wearsunscreen, he also urged people to protect themselves from the sun. Hugh Jackman, father of two, had his first skin cancer removed four years ago in 2013 when his wife actor Deborra-Lee Furness suggested that he should visit a doctor to figure out what exactly the mole on his nose was. At that time, Hugh had wrote on social media, "Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right!" Later he wrote, "I had a Basal Cell Carcinoma. Please don't be foolish like me. Get yourself checked. And USE sunscreen!!!" (sic) Hugh Jackman will soon be seen on the big screen in Logan, the third and last Wolverine film. Logan is also the tenth installment in the X-Men series of films. The film also stars Patrick Stewart who will reprise his role of Professor X. ALSO READ: 5 reasons why Hugh Jackman's last Wolverine film Logan will be a teary goodbye WATCH: In conversation with Hugh Jackman --- ENDS --- ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay says the government is yet to decide whether the territory needs a full-time coroner, but is examining other ways of reducing the backlog in the court. In the ACT Coroner's Court 2015/16 Annual Report, tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, chief coroner Lorraine Walker again asked for a dedicated coroner for the region. ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay. Credit:Jamila Toderas Currently coronal work is shared between ACT magistrates, which meant it played second fiddle to general magistrate duties, Ms Walker wrote. Earlier this month, the Productivity Commission's 2017 Report on Government Services showed the ACT Coroner's Court clearance rate was 85 in the year 2015-16, the lowest of all states and territories, and below the national average of 99.3. Efforts to reduce the gap in health and life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people need a target to lower Aboriginal imprisonment rates, an ACT Indigenous community leader says. Chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body in the ACT Ross Fowler warned a goal to reduce the over-representation of Indigenous people in prison should be added to seven others listed in the annual Closing the Gap report. "Or we're going to have a community incarcerated," he said. "In Canberra, the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in the Alexander Maconochie Centre is atrocious. Residents groups have heralded the decision to reject a controversial bid to redevelop the Curtin shops as a win for planning in Canberra. On Wednesday, the ACT's chief planner Dorte Ekelund said the application was knocked back due to the "size, character and scale" of the development. Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur adresses protesters at Curtin Square. Credit:James Hall "The proposed development height of six storeys is not consistent with the existing lower rise character of the Curtin shops," Ms Ekelund said in a statement. "It would also increase overshadowing onto the central courtyard which receives good solar access and is a popular meeting place and focal point for the local community. Canada's parole board spokesman Patrick Storey was quoted as saying, "That condition has been lifted now. Reyat is now free to go back to a normal life, and also has the option of living in a private residence." By Agencies: Canada has set free the lone person convicted in the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182, called Emperor Kanishka, in which around 330 people were killed. The convict Inderjit Singh Reyat, who had served two decades in prison, had been asked to stay in a halfway house after walking out of prison one year ago. Canada's parole board spokesman Patrick Storey was quoted as saying, "That condition has been lifted now. Reyat is now free to go back to a normal life, and also has the option of living in a private residence". advertisement Reyat, a Sikh immigrant from India, was convicted of making bombs that were stuffed into luggage bags and planted on 2 planes leaving Vancouver, and of lying in court to cover up for his co-accused. ABOUT THE BLASTS One bomb ripped apart Air India Flight 182 - Kanishka - as it approached the coast of Ireland, killing everyone on board. The second bomb went off at Japan's Narita airport, killing 2 baggage handlers as they were transferring cargo to another Air India plane. Also read | 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing: Inderjit Singh Reyat released from Canadian prison There was a crackdown on Sikh militants in the wake of the blasts. It is believed that the perpetrators of these blasts were allegedly keen to avenge the Golden Temple operation. Reyat was employed as a mechanic in western Canada and bought dynamite, batteries and other equipments used to manufacture bombs. 2 OTHERS ACQUITTED DUE TO LACK OF EVIDENCE Two others, allegedly co-conspirators, were acquitted due to lack of evidence and, if the prosecutors are to be believed, due to Reyat's perjury. Storey said Reyat's parole officer has thoroughly done a background check on those with whom he will live "to ensure they will not have a negative influence on him." The conditions of his release from prison also still hold, including the one that he cannot have any contact with the families of the victims or with extremists. Reyat has also been asked to give up all political activities and seek counseling for his violent tendencies, lack of empathy and exaggeratedly dominating set of beliefs. --- ENDS --- "That's outrageous," thundered Seven West chairman Kerry Stokes on the group's half-year results conference call on Wednesday. "How dare you," he said as the share price plunged as much as 7 per cent after the disappointing result. The media were only allowed 15 minutes to ask Mr Stokes and Seven boss Tim Worner questions about the sex scandal, which has engulfed the network for months now. But it was worth the wait. The question did not even relate directly to the affair between former staffer Amber Harrison and Mr Worner. He said Palestine had to get rid of the "tremendous hate" being taught to children in schools but also said to Bibi that he would like Israel to hold off on the illegal settlements "for a bit." [ CNN ] Benjamin Netanyahu, from right, and Donald Trump stand with their wives Melania Trump and Sara Netanyahu. Credit:Bloomberg Standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he was fine with either a one or two state solution and would back whatever the parties preferred. Donald Trump has casually muddied the waters on decades of US foreign policy on the Middle East and said he is fine with a one or two state solution, in just twenty or so minutes. As for moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, as he promised in the campaign, Trump said he'd like to, is looking at it "with great care" but ended with "we'll see what happens." But the most bizarre part of the press conference was when asked about rising anti-Semitism, the bragger-in-chief cited his win in the electoral college and then said he won the election because America is so divided. This. Is. Not. Fake. News! Asked about his sacked National Security Advisor, Trump defended Flynn against, wait for it, a plot against the intelligence agencies, Democratic party and the fake media. He says Michael Flynn was treated very badly and the "illegal leaks" showing his National Security Advisor lied to the vice president were part of "people are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton." This is despite Trump demanding Flynn's resignation over a loss of trust. Trump deliberately called on friendly media to avoid being asked about this contradiction. [Hadas Gold/Politico] Back in the good old days of 2014, before US President Donald Trump soaked up the majority of viral news, a tres photogenic convict caught the world's eye. When Jeremy Meeks was arrested on weapons charges, his mug shot went viral and he became known as "hot mug shot guy" or "prison bae". "Hot mug shot guy," Jeremy Meeks, has made his New York Fashion Week runway debut. Credit:Getty Images Shortly after from his prison cell, he signed a modelling contract and now, almost two and a half years later, he has made his runway debut at New York Fashion Week no less - opening for Philipp Plein. Rocking his famed pout, the 33-year-old father-of-two wore a knee-length lacquered black puffer jacket with a fur-trimmed hood; a black, zipped-up bomber jacket; moto-inspired pants; and his lone tear-drop tattoo. Millie Bobby Brown has landed a contract at leading modelling agency IMG, at the tender age of 12. The Stranger Things actress, who was catapulted to international stardom when the show was released on Netflix last year, has signed with the top agency. The agency also has Gigi Hadid and Miranda Kerr on its books. It comes after Brown, who was raised in Bournemouth, England, featured in Calvin Klein's first campaign under the brand's new creative director, Raf Simons, unveiled last month. Brown was spotted in the front row at the Calvin Klein show at New York Fashion Week on February 10. "I told my brother that if his child is like me, it's okay to abort," said Pete, shocking me into next Tuesday. I stared at him, the words somersaulting in my brain. Why would Pete say this? How could Pete feel this? Did his sense of self-worth really deviate so dramatically from how I valued him? If we did more to remove barriers to quality of life for disabled people, abortion might cease to be seen as the only "sensible" option. Credit:Stocksy "I've enjoyed my life," he qualified later. "My disability has afforded me perks. I've met a lot of my heroes but I can't contribute to the economy." This was debatable. As Pete's manager, I was keenly aware of his value as a volunteer. He'd provided our little not-for-profit with countless hours of free video editing. He floor-managed community television shoots and delivered disability awareness training to primary school students. To my mind, Pete's unpaid contributions to the economy far outweighed anything he received from it. A former Lorna Jane store manager who is suing the active-wear brand for $550,000 over claims she was bullied about her weight felt too scared to go to work, a court has heard. "I just felt really overwhelmed," Amy Robinson has told the Brisbane District Court where she was giving evidence. Ms Robinson has told the court her former area manager Megan McCarthy said she should skip lunch, questioned whether she should be eating certain foods and unfairly assigned tasks which resulted in physical injuries and caused problems with childcare arrangements. Lorna Jane has strongly rejected Ms Robinson's claims. A former headmaster of one of Queensland's most prestigious schools ignored a complaint of sexual abuse by a serial paedophile who went on to abuse many more boys, a royal commission has found. In not investigating the complaint, former Brisbane Grammar School head Maxwell Howell failed to protect his students, a report released on Wednesday stated. Brisbane Grammar School, where the abuse took place. Credit:Glenn Hunt The child sex abuse royal commission report also made findings against former St Paul's School headmaster Gilbert Case, who accused students of lying when they complained about being abused, and former governor-general Peter Hollingworth. The findings came 15 months after hearings in Brisbane heard details of shocking abuse committed by notorious paedophiles Keith Lynch and Gregory Robert Knight at Brisbane Grammar School and St Paul's School in the 1980s and '90s. Wicked Campers has been "put on notice" after the Queensland parliament passed laws that punish operators that refuse to remove offensive slogans from vehicles. Tough new legislation was passed in the parliament on Tuesday night that will mean operators that refuse to remove inappropriate words or pictures within 14 days will have their vehicles deregistered. Wicked Campers has been the target of complaints about its slogans. Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said the legislation was targeted at van rental company Wicked Campers, whose vehicles often displayed "sexist, demeaning slogans". "We have essentially put Wicked Campers on notice that they are to remove these offensive slogans and if they don't then their vehicles will be deregistered here in Queensland," she said. A Queensland university that promoted a staffer after he raped a student has drafted in the woman who found "pervasive" sexual harassment among federal police, to review its culture. An external review is underway into how James Cook University allowed Douglas Steele to be appointed academic adviser in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre and remain there even after pleading guilty to the 2015 rape of a female Indigenous student. Elizabeth Broderick will lead the probe into the university's handling of the case. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick will be responsible for reforming the school's approach to sexual assault and harassment on the tail of a review into how Steele's case was handled. Ms Broderick led a review into the Australian Federal Police that found 46 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men reported being sexually harassed or abused. Assaults involving regular taxi drivers in the city rose by just a third in the same period, according to crime data obtained by a separate freedom of information request filed with same security officials, as a deep economic downturn lifted all robberies in the city about six percent. The crime data obtained by Reuters covers Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2016 and shows all incidents of robberies involving taxi and Uber drivers. It contains some margin for error as it potentially includes attacks on passengers. Police said the number of attacks on Uber drivers could be much higher given it is a new service and many incidents were likely registered in the system without mentioning the app by name. Drivers and police said the cash policy has provided easy targets for criminals, allowing them to open accounts under fake names, without credit cards to verify, and lure drivers into ambushes. Presented with the findings, Uber declined to give monthly details of ride growth in Sao Paulo but acknowledged it has seen an increase in "safety incidents" without saying by how much. Uber said it was not clear if rising crime was due to the cash policy or the surge in business, which was boosted by the cash option. Uber added its Sao Paulo operations grew by 15 times over the course of 2016. The company said it is now taking steps to make cash rides safer, such as verifying users with a commonly used social security number. Getting cash payments right in Brazil is a crucial test for Uber as it pushes beyond developed markets, seeking faster growth in poorer countries, where credit cards are less common and public safety more precarious. Drivers around the country have staged protests threatening to quit if Uber does not reduce the risk of crime, while taxi drivers and elected officials have pounced on isolated incidents as evidence of a need for more restrictive legislation. So far, Uber's business in Brazil is booming. At least 30 percent of its rides in the country are now paid in cash and the rate is far higher in poor areas where credit cards are less common, according to two company sources. In Sao Paulo, cash accounts for most trips in outer boroughs, and the sources said it helped the city overtake New York and Tokyo in recent months to become Uber's biggest market by rides. But a dozen current and former managers and drivers criticised how Uber introduced cash in Brazil, saying the San Francisco-based tech giant overlooked high levels of violent crime as it rushed to grow in an unfamiliar market. Senior executives now admit publicly that the company was slow to introduce simple fixes once the dangers in Brazil were clear. Slow to respond As recently as October, Uber denied there was a problem with cash payments in Brazil. Andrew Macdonald, general manager for the region, said that the company had studied if cash endangered drivers and found it did not. "If they're worried, it's a bit emotional," he said in an interview with Bloomberg at the time. One source involved in the cash roll out at Uber told Reuters the internal study was conducted too soon after cash was introduced, undermining its conclusions. "With the numbers that cash was bringing in, no one wanted to see that there might be a problem," the person said, asking not to be named given the sensitivity of the matter. Macdonald acknowledged on Friday his statement was "a mistake" and said Uber had been working on ways to improve safety around cash payments since fall last year. He declined to explain what had changed since the initial internal study. He added the violence "weighs pretty heavily" on him and other senior management, and that the company was rolling out new features to protect drivers. The requirement for new cash users to register with a social security number known as a CPF went live across Brazil on Monday, six days after Reuters sent detailed questions about attacks on drivers and Uber's slow response. Macdonald said he was confident the new feature would help to reduce security issues and he wished the change had come faster. "It would have been ideal for us to have gotten the CPF verification out sooner, and so we absolutely own that," Macdonald said. Macdonald added Uber was also looking at giving drivers the chance to opt out of accepting cash, which the company is piloting in some cities in Brazil and Chile, along with an algorithm blocking new cash users if they show odd behaviour such as cancelling several rides. "This has been a priority for us since the end of last year," Macdonald said, adding it was a concern for Uber globally as it pushes into poorer regions to fuel growth. "It's not easy, because of course you really believe that it's important to serve all neighbourhoods in a city, but not all neighbourhoods are made equal in terms of crime." Indian success Uber first started accepting cash in India in May 2015. The move was a success and the company decided last year to roll out cash across Asia and Latin America as Uber raced to make the most of a first-mover advantage. Just 20 per cent of payments in Brazil are made digitally, compared to nearly half in the US, creating huge potential for cash services. Uber presents itself to customers as cheaper and safer than traditional taxis because the app tracks a user's location in real time, regardless of whether the payment is by credit card. Still, one source, speaking anonymously to avoid retaliation, said he was directly involved in raising concerns to headquarters about the decision to accept cash in Brazil. Before bringing cash payments to Brazil, Macdonald said Uber had already tested them in nearly 100 cities globally without seeing a spike in crime and had no reason to believe Latin America's largest country would be any different. Now, he says Brazil, whose murder rate is nearly 10 times that of India, is "somewhat of a unique challenge". Regular taxi drivers have long had to deal with Brazil's unsafe streets, but protect themselves by sticking to safer neighbourhoods and declining rides to dangerous areas. By contrast, the Uber app globally does not inform drivers of the destination of a ride before they accept it and drivers can be banned from the app if they refuse to take passengers where they want to go. That gave little choice to driver Modolo Filho in September, when he saw his teenage passengers wanted a ride to the far side of Heliopolis, a mix of housing projects and bare brick construction that is Brazil's most populous slum. By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) India and Croatia have signed an agreement to boost bilateral trade and enhance economic cooperation. The agreement was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Martina Dalic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Government of the Republic of Croatia, yesterday in Zagreb. "India and Croatia had earlier signed an Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation in September, 1994 with an aim to promote and develop bilateral trade and economic relations. advertisement "The present Agreement between India and Croatia would be a step in continuity as the last one expired in November, 2009," an official statement said. Indias bilateral trade with Croatia during 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 stood at USD 148.86 million, USD 205.04 million and USD 148.44 million respectively. "The bilateral trade during the last three years has remained stable despite global slowdown," the statement issued by Commerce Ministry said. PTI RSN ABM --- ENDS --- Four months after the Disney princesses were torn down from the walls and the twin cots packed away unused, Janine and Denis Guingan are still agonising over the terrible question: could their baby daughters have been saved? The Guingans want to know if staff at Monash Medical Centre should have detected the condition that claimed the lives of baby daughters Tiana and Amelia in scans taken weeks before their birth. Parents Janine and Denis Guingan with their twin daughters Amelia and Tiana. Credit:Simon Schluter They want to know if this would have meant a different outcome for their twins. They have engaged medical negligence lawyers Slater and Gordon, who are investigating. The law firm said it expects to pursue litigation on behalf of the family. Washington: He got the details right, down to the hair and moustache. A man dressed as Adolf Hitler was spotted wandering around the Nazi dictator's birthplace in Austria. Most recently, he was seen browsing the World War II section of a local bookstore. Locals say he's introduced himself at bars as "Harald Hitler." At least one canny photographer caught him standing outside the house where Hitler was born. Harald Zenz poses for a photo in Braunau, Austria, before his arrest for violations of laws against glorifying the Nazi era. Credit:AP "I have often seen this gentlemen in Braunau and wonder if this means something," a local resident wrote on his Facebook page, alongside a picture he snapped of the man. That set Austrian authorities are on the hunt. It's illegal to glorify Hitler or Nazis in the country. That's also true in Germany. In France, you can get arrested for waving a flag with a Nazi swastika. The Nazi salute is banned in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Some analysts say North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may have been behind the poison-murder of his half brother at the Kuala Lumpur airport. Credit:AP The detained woman, whose passport said she was born in Nam Dinh Vietnam, told police she was asked to spray Mr Kim as part of a "prank", urged on by four men, according to a reporter from Hong Kong's Oriental Daily newspaper, who is in Kuala Lumpur. The woman said the men instructed her to spray the liquid on Mr Kim as her woman companion covered his face with a handkerchief, as she had been instructed, the newspaper said. The newspaper quoted a police source saying the two women left the airport in a taxi together. A woman arrested by Malaysian police is seen on CCTV at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The detained woman claimed when she could not later find her companion or the four men, who told her they were going to a a hotel they named, she returned to the airport, where she was arrested on Wednesday. Police have not confirmed this account. A CCTV image obtained by Malaysian police of one of the women arrested over Kim Jong-nam's death. Police said the security camera nearest the attack was not operating. Malaysia has received a request to send his body to North Korea immediately. Kim Jong-nam's father was former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Credit:AP North Korean government officials in Malaysia objected to an autopsy being performed on the body, Malaysian government sources aware of the discussions say. No decision has been taken on whether the body of Kim Jong-nam will be handed over to North Korea, sources said. Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader, was killed. Credit:Getty Images But police said they have now pieced together how Mr Kim first went to a bathroom to wipe his face after the attack and then walked to a police post before being directed to a clinic. No other details were immediately available. Malaysian police were not available for further comment. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Credit:AP South Korea's intelligence agency and South Korean media outlets said that two female North Korean spies were responsible for the assassination, in broad daylight, in a shopping concourse on Monday. They blamed Kim Jong-un's "paranoia" as the reclusive leader attempts to tighten his grip in the country of 28 million mostly-impoverished people. Mr Kim, a 46-year-old jovial overweight gambler and playboy, told medical staff at an airport clinic he had been sprayed with poison before he died in an ambulance on the way to hospital. Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat told Malaysian state news agency Bernama that the deceased had been approached from behind. "The deceased ... felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind," Mr Fadzil said. "He felt dizzy, so he asked for help at the ... counter of KLIA [airport]." Mr Kim was known to have spent most of his time outside North Korea and had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state. Mr Fadzil said Kim Jong-nam had been planning to travel from Kuala Lumpur to Macau, where he had been living under Chinese protection and was quoted in 2012 as saying North Korea needed "Chinese-style economic reform". Police are investigating Mr Kim's movements in Malaysia after he arrived in the country on February 6 on a flight from Macau. South Korea's acting president and prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn described the apparent assassination as a "brutal and inhumane" example of the nature of Kim Jong-un's regime. "Based on the understanding that this case is of great importance, our government is keeping close tabs on North Korea's movements," Mr Hwang said during a special session of his country's national security council on Wednesday. He reiterated a call for strengthened sanctions and pressure to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. In October 2012, South Korean prosecutors said a North Korean man detained as a spy had admitted involvement in a plot to stage a hit-run accident targeting Kim Jong-nam in China in 2010. Malaysia is one of a dwindling number of countries that has close relations with North Korea, which is under global sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile launches. Malaysians and North Koreans can visit each other's countries without visas. The North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur has made no comment. North Korea has made no public announcement on the assassination. A high-ranking Japanese government official, quoted by Japan's Kyodo News, earlier on Wednesday said: "there are already reports that [the two suspects] may already be dead." North Korean agents have in the past taken their own lives after carrying out missions. Kyodo cited the example of Kim Hyun-hee, a North Korean spy, who was ordered to take her own life after planting a bomb on a South Korean airliner in 1987 that killed 115 passengers. She did not die and later defected from the north. In a statement, Malaysian police said the dead man held a passport under the name Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. Kim Jong-nam is believed to have been born on May 10, 1971. But Ken Gause, an American expert on North Korea, said Kim had previously travelled under the name Kim Chol. Mark Tokola, vice-president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington and a former diplomat in South Korea, said it would be surprising if Kim Jong-nam was not killed on the orders of his half-brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate him in the past. "It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong-un," he said. The North Korean leader has carried out a series of purges since assuming power five years ago which the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror". South Korea's national news agency Yonhap quoted a source saying agents of the North's spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, carried out the assassination by taking advantage of a security loophole between Kim's bodyguards and Malaysian police at the airport. South Korea's foreign ministry said it could not confirm the reports on newspaper Chosun regarding the two female spies, and the country's intelligence agency could not immediately be reached for comment. A US government source told Reuters it believed North Korean agents were responsible but did not provide evidence for that conclusion, and also said it was possible that Kim had been poisoned. Kim Jong-nam was for many years considered the heir apparent to his father but is believed to have fallen out of favour in 2001 after he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport, saying he had wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. The Joongang Daily quoted an intelligence official as saying Kim had been in a relationship with a woman in Malaysia and travelled there often. In 2013 Kim Jong-un's uncle Jang Song-thaek, once considered the country's second most powerful man, was executed and key figures linked to him purged. Kim Jong-nam had reportedly been close to his uncle. In 2008 Kim Jong-nam reportedly suffered a stroke after which he travelled frequently to countries in south-east Asia and the Chinese territory of Macau. In 2012 he was reportedly having financial troubles and was evicted from a Macau hotel over a $US15,000 debt. His mother is the late Kim Jong-il's second wife, Song Hye-rim, a South Korean-born actress and one of at least three women with whom the former leader had children. The death became public late on Tuesday as the United Nations Security Council condemned Kim Jong-un for his country's firing of a ballistic missile on Sunday, the first direct challenge to the international community since US President Donald Trump took office on January 20. North Korea's media rejected the criticism on Tuesday, saying launching the missile with a range of 2000 kilometres was a "self-defence measure". Loading if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... Police busted the inter-state gun racket by arresting the carrier, identified as Mani Singh. He is brother of gun racket kingpin Richpal Singh. A 0.32 bore pistol with 5 live cartridges were recovered from his possession. As many as 19 sophisticated pistols were also seized. By Anuj Mishra: A Special Cell team of Delhi Police has busted an inter-state gun racket by arresting the carrier, identified as Mani Singh. He is brother of gun racket kingpin Richpal Singh, who is known to be involved in manufacturing and supply of illegal arms to criminals in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana. A 0.32 bore pistol with 5 live cartridges were recovered from his possession. As many as 19 sophisticated pistols were also recovered from his Alto car. advertisement The Special Cell team also succeeded in busting several similar inter-state arms rackets and recovered 347 sophisticated pistols, 9 countrymade guns, 6,009 live cartridges and 95 spare magazines during last year. PREVIOUS SEIZURES In December 2016, a team of special cell had recovered a huge consignment of 46 sophisticated pistols, alongwith spare magazines and arrested of 2 people of the arms syndicate of Richpal Singh. Similarly, in September last year, this team had also recovered 13 pistols alongwith cartridges and spare magazines of this syndicate, and arrested 3 more people. The investigation indicated that Richpal Singh was one of the bulk suppliers of illegal weapons and those arrested were his carriers. Also read | Gurgaon Police bust arms licence racket, recover 7 firearms and 55 cartridges Technical as well as manual surveillance was mounted to collect information about arms racket kingpin Richpal Singh and his network. Teams went to Burhanpur, Sagar and Khargon in Madhya Pradesh to track the movement of carriers of this syndicate. The surveillance revealed that after the arrest of some members of his syndicate, Richpal Singh had tasked his brother Mani Singh to deliver huge consignments of weapons outside Madhya Pradesh. HOW MANI SINGH WAS ARRESTED According to a tip-off, Mani Singh was on his way to Delhi in his Alto Car to deliver a huge consignment of weapons to buyers from western UP and has fixed a place in Delhi's Azadpur for meeting them. His Alto car was spotted coming from Azadpur side and Mani parked it in front of the Metro Flats in Azadpur. The police team approached the vehicle and managed to arrest him after snatching his pistol. On being interrogated, Mani revealed that his brother Richpal Singh was manufacturing and supplying illegal weapons on a large scale. Mani said Richpal lured him to join his trade of supplying illegal arms only in Madhya Pradesh and that he had been doing so for the past 5 years. "Richpal, through his carriers, managed to supply large consignments of illegal weapons to his buyers in UP, Haryana and Delhi. However, after the arrest of many of his carriers, Richpal tasked me with the responsibility of delivering illegal arms outside MP. He has been supplying weapons to various criminals in Delhi, Kairana in UP, Panipat in Haryana and Sagar and Jhansi in Madhya Pradesh. We charge Rs 10,000 per pistol in bulk supply. But, in retail, the price of the one pistol varies from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000", Mani confessed. advertisement Also read | Madhya Pradesh ATS busts ISI-backed espionage racket, 11 arrested --- ENDS --- Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi... Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/02/2017 (2090 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Seniors in the Whitemouth community will soon have a new housing option as plans for a new 55 plus housing complex are underway. The areas 55 Plus seniors housing committee plans to construct an 18-suite life lease seniors housing complex in Whitemouth. Murray Barkman, the committees president, said the idea for the project began with discussions about the need for seniors housing in the community. It just happened after having conversation in the local town, said Barkman. Theres a definite need for it and theres nothing like this in the area whatsoever. There is an $85,000 buy-in for the project. Rent will cost $1,083 or $1,285 per month, depending on the suites size. Barkman said they are currently selling eight suites and another 10 will become available later on. The facility will have an attached garage for tenants, he added. The complex, which will be located at 126 Main Street, is currently in the planning stages. Barkman said construction is expected to take eight months and will be completed this year. He noted there is already been a lot of interest in the project. For more information on investing in the project, contact Barkman at 1-204-348-2503. By Vidya : Actor Sooraj Pancholi's lawyer requested the Bombay High Court on Wednesday to frame charges against Sooraj Pancholi in the Jiah Khan death case. The actor himself was present in the court while his lawyers made the request. The division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi of Bombay High Court had vacated the stay on trial proceedings last week. However advocates representing Jiah Khan's mother Rabia khan told the court that they intended to file an appeal against the Bombay High Court order in Supreme Court and therefore, the trial in the case should not proceed. advertisement Rabia has been unhappy with both the Mumbai Police and CBI's (Central Bureau of Investigation) investigations which had concluded that Jiah had committed suicide in 2013. Sooraj Pancholi is accused of abetting the suicide. Rabia now wants a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to be formed for re-investigating the case. Rabia has the backing of hired investigators who have reported that Jiah had been murdered. However, Bombay High Court noted that the issues that Rabia is raising can be dealt with during the trial itself. The division bench was of the view that CBI after Mumbai Police did investigate from the view point of the case being that of homicide. The court had also noted that ante-mortem injuries found on the chin and wanted to know whether they were struggle marks. According to experts, these injuries can be possible even in the case of suicidal death. The only issue that investigators could not retrieve were the Blackberry chats between Sooraj and Jiah before her death. The Bombay High Court noted that this, however, did not justify the formation of SIT. The division bench order stated, "It is always for the trial court and not for the investigating agencies to form a conclusive opinion whether it is a case of suicide or homicide. Hence, our opinion now after three and a half years from the date of incident is that nothing fruitful will come out by either directing further investigation by constituting SIT when entire exercise to that effect was done at the instance of petitioner herself and on both occasions not only the police but also the CBI has probed into the angle of homicidal death and on the basis of opinions of experts, arrived at the same conclusion of it being a case of suicide. Even if it is so the trial court has ample power to look into the aspect." The court had also said, "Needless to state that there would be no end to such exercise until the petitioner gets the result of her choice," in its order. ALSO READ: This is what Jiah Khan's letter to Sooraj Pancholi read ALSO READ: Sooraj Pancholi speaks about girlfriend Jiah Khan's death ALSO READ: The CBI chargesheet on Jiah Khan's death has disturbing details advertisement ALSO WATCH: Not possible to extricate foetus in such gory manner, says Aditya Pancholi --- ENDS --- Coming soon - The Cultural Voyager Dedicated to anyone who pursues culture as a major part of their vacation experience. A lot has happened in the Trump administration in the 24 hours since Stephen Colbert last taped The Late Show. And almost all of it surrounds the disgraced resignation of National Security Advisor Mike Flynn. Heres what happened, Colbert told viewers Tuesday night. After Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia for messing with our election, Flynn called the Russian ambassador, discussed the sanctions, and allegedly signaled the Kremlin to expect a reprieve when Trump took office. In the day since Flynn resigned, we have learned that Vice President Mike Pence allegedly found out about the phone calls two weeks after President Trump did. Appearing on CBS Face the Nation just before Inauguration Day, Pence swore that Flynn had done nothing wrong. Flynn only got caught, Colbert said, because, as it turns out, we listen in on every phone call with the Russian ambassador. Who knew? he asked. Evidently not the national security advisor, you dummy! While Flynn said he couldnt be certain if the topic of sanctions came up on the calls, Colbert said, I know one way you could be certain. As the national security advisor, you could ask for the transcript. I should really not have this job, Colbert imagined Flynn thinking to himself as he re-read what he talked about with the Russians. In response to the audiences laughter, he added, Its funny because its treason. Dennis Basso by Tim Teeman As she took her seat on the front row of Dennis Bassos show at the Skylight Clarkson space on Tuesday afternoon, there were no spaces around Tiffany Trump. The night before, at the chaotic Philipp Plein show at New York Public Librarycomplete with Madonna, Kylie Jenner, and a lot of free boozeit was noted that there were spare seats around her. Once she was seated, two editors from a top womens magazine immediately got up and left, reported The Cut. Other well-known influencers nearby requested seat changes shortly after. Trumps best (friend, presumably), Andrew Warren, a Rich Kid of Instagram, posted a message claiming the empty seats was reserved for Pleins family. On Tuesday, at Bassos show, Trump again sat alongside Warren and another friend. She was wearing a red/purple dress, with a jewel-encrusted front and sleeves, and talked animatedly to Warren and other friends. Finally, after a Fashion Week notable for a wide variety of oppositional takes by designers against Trumps administration (especially at the Chromat show, with its Fuck Donald Trump rap), a Trump could take their front row seat and know they were on friendly territory. Lurking behind Trump was a gentleman in a dark suit and ear-piece, who was possibly her Secret Service guy. (Word to the wise: if you want the best vantage point at a fashion show, join the Secret Service.) Trump looked as if she enjoyed the show, and at the end Bassowho did a full circuit of the spacestopped to greet her. Ivana Trump, a longtime friend, has attended Bassos show before, and he vouchsafed his own support and affection for the Trumps to me in a December interview. Unlike other designers, Basso is happy to dress Melania. Absolutely. 100 percent. I think you have to step aside from the politics and look at it that its an honor to dress the first lady of the United States of America. Today, backstage at his show, Basso told The Daily Beast that Ivana, Ivanka and Melania, who he has dressed before are just regular women who like beautiful clothes. Ive known the family for 35 years. Theyre lovely people. Theyre a very fun, close-knit family. How did he feel about the current political situation, then, especially in light of the prevailing mood of Fashion Week? I really dont discuss politics. Im all about fashion. I know them as a family: thats all I can comment on. Ive known the children since they were born. Theyre lovely people. Basso is most famous for his fursand they were on proud display among the 67 mostly stunning, very dressy, and very expensive outfits in Tuesdays show, sometimes the central part of an outfit (as with broadtail and sable coats with a fishnet top and tan slit-skirted trouser), sometimes the accessory (sable necklaces are just as decadent as their description summons), and sometimes totally absent, as in a sequence of rippling, gracious lame gowns. Other elements of Bassos dresses had delicate embroidery, and the designer also produced a series of capelets, chiffon gowns, turtlenecks, velvet trousers and cocktail dresses, and fox boas. Basso told the Daily Beast that the collection mixed a little bit of boho, these items are rich in fabric, they can be casual or dressed up. Its important to have that modern approach to dressing today. His inspiration is the world traveler, a modern woman who likes to experiment with fashion, to mix high and low, a little bit of a free thinker. She likes the touch of things. Shes very tactile. This collection has that feeling. Theres been a lot of fur on the runway this week: the self-imposed ban among designers using it seems a long way over. Everywhere is showing fur, Basso said. Ive always shown fur. I love the glamor of doing it, and now Im doing ready-to-wear. His Madison Avenue store was robbed at Christmas, with around $1 million in stock taken. The robbery is a little crazy, Basso conceded. But Im a very positive individual. I feel very sorry for those people who did that. Its obviously problematic to resort to that sort of violence. Im moving forward, full speed ahead, and leaving it in the hands of the authorities. Every day is a new adventure: well see what happens. As she continues her controversial travels through New York Fashion Week, Tiffany Trump may well be thinking the same thing. Tory Burch by Lizzie Crocker A number of designers at New York Fashion Week have dedicated their Fall 2017 collections to strong women. Jonathan Simkhai said that women need to draw attention to their invaluable place in society, now more than ever. Tracy Reese, who used her show to elevate powerful feminist voices, was inspired by activists at the Womens March like Angela Davis and Gloria Steinem. And Tory Burchs muse was Tracy Lord, the outspoken, high-society heroine played by Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. In 1940, Hepburns Tracy Lord was ahead of her time as a woman who refused to be a doormat when powerful men came calling. She was as clever as she was beautiful, but it was her acerbic wit that made her stand out from other leading ladies in screwball comedies. A number of looks in Burchs collection were meant to combine Lords outdoor glamour with her confident femininity, the designer saidfitting for a brand that she once summed up as prock, a blend of preppy and jock. Fair Isle sweaters, skirts and trousers in Main Line plaid, and pussy-bow blouses all featured prominently. Models wore pendant necklaces with old-school cigarette lighters inspired by Burchs father (Hepburn also made smoking look chic in The Philadelphia Story). Like Lord, Burch is an ambitious, blue-blooded woman who grew up in a wealthy Philadelphia suburb. Privilege is a dirty word today. Successful businesswomen who were born with silver spoons in their mouths dont get as much credit as their non-privileged counterparts. Some of them dont deserve that creditbut Burch certainly does. A collection nodding to enlightened gender politics in a classic old film felt honest and authentic coming from Burch. Radical feminism isnt her thingand thats just fine. Naeem Khan by Lizzie Crocker Its very simple, Naeem Khan said when asked why he declined to dress First Lady Melania Trump for Inauguration Day. You have to believe in the message, and the message does not resonate with me. Khan had just presented a breathtaking collection and was surrounded by adoring fans and fashion power players backstage. It was just spectacular, one of them said after embracing the designer. People were really gasping. Indeed, there were many oohs and aahs and collective intakes of breath throughout the show, a parade of glam-sexy daywear and red carpet-ready gowns: sequined pantsuits over sheer bralettes, slinky dresses with beaded fringe accents, and floral-and-leopard print jackets over matching frocks, which the designer accessorized with pearl necklaces and pom-pom earrings. For the finale, an African-American model in a spectacularly regal gold gown and headdress slowly walked the length of the runway, while Khan read aloud Maya Angelous Human Family from backstage (poetry has been a trend in this seasons shows). Actress Peyton List gasped. So did This Is Us star Mandy Moore, whom Khan dressed for the Golden Globes several weeks ago. The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight, brown and pink and beige and purple, tan and blue and white, Kahn intoned through speakers, before coming out to a standing ovation. We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike. Alice & Olivia by Sarah Shears A cornucopia of splendid and eccentric glamour erupted from the Alice & Olivia presentation. Inspired by Salman Rushdies novel The Enchantress of Florence a book that the author presented to the designer as a gift for her birthdaythe new collection burst with both the exotic and familiar. Straightforward silhouettes were elaborately bedazzled, the styling was daring and sets were stunning. The heart of the collection was born from a mural the designer began working on after being inspired by Rushdies book. A blown-up print of that mural, which was in the style of classical Indian paintings, was the back-drop to the most signifying set piece. A live action embodiment of the enchantress took place as two women in underpants were being body painted to resemble and come to life out of the backdrop. A tiered blue, black and white printed dress blended into the floor and background of the same print. Speaking with the Daily Beast, the designer, Stacey Bendet Eisner, pointed out a gorgeous model with an afro wearing a gold sequined 70s style womens suit with a T-shirt that said be the change you wish to see in the world. I made the whole theme of the show be the change you wish to see in the world because the enchantress, the main character in the book, theres this theme about a woman creating her own destiny in a mans world. No other guest embodied the theme as well Huma Abedin, who wore a black lace top and embroidered knee length skirt as she spoke with the designer and gracefully made her way around the room, and Ken Downing, the fashion director at Neiman Marcus, complimented the theme of the show with a large pink planned parenthood pin on his lapel. Jason Biggs pushed his way through the crowd and past a model who stood in front of a medieval tapestry (or facsimile of one) wearing a floor length embroidered and sequined dress with a panel down the center to create the illusion of a dress and a robe in a style that nodded to the dresses of France in the 18th century. Chinoiserie made its way into the show with two new takes on the famed cheongsam dress, and feminine velvet and lace pieces were mixed with an array of combat boots and pseudo goth styling. The sets exuded with boho luxury with Oriental, Turkish and Moroccan rugs layered on top of another and the collection dabbled in almost every subculture and stylistic taste, but all with a super glam ostentatious twist. Eckhaus Latta by Lizzie Crocker Eckhaus Latta is part of the new frontier of brands that are shaking things up in Planet Fashion. The models are non-models. The clothes are de- and reconstructed and, well, not like what you see at most fashion shows. The concepts are reliably political, and the brand is frequently described as avant-garde. It was all on display at Monday nights show in a nondescript building in Koreatown: men and women of varying sizes and ages (models with wrinkles!); a collection that featured miniskirts with button-off blankets like sleeping bags, psychedelic floral prints, and shirting with bizarre, sculptural protrusions; a concept embodied in a poem with lines about being beatenbecause you live in a police state and lady liberty in a foam crown. You can always tell from the crowd if a brand is on Planet Fashions radar. Vogue sent Hamish Bowles, the New York Times fashion team was there, along with a lot of hip young people. But it wasnt totally clear to me what the fuss was about. Sure, the clothes were inventive and offbeat, but a fashion interloper might also describe them as, well, ugly. In Planet Fashion, ugly isnt always a bad thing: its inhabitants celebrate the Ugly Shoe, for example, like Celines orthopedic sandals. There was a terrific Ugly Shoe at Ekhaus Latta, a chunky rubber ankle boot that looked like something youd wear to go hiking or puddle-jumping. The knits were the most appealing and commercial pieces in the collection, including a dress emblazoned with the words Is This What You Wanted, a Leonard Cohen song. Is a Trump presidency what you wanted? the designers seemed to be asking. And in the shows program: How do you find yourself? An accountable person? They didnt offer any answers, but both the collection and its presentation were thought-provoking and challenging and unusual. It left this reporter scratching her chin. After a half-dozen delays in as many weeks, President Trumps Labor Secretary nominee Andrew Puzder was finally about to face his Senate committee hearing. That is, until he suddenly withdrew his name from consideration just this afternoon. Hes very tired of the abuse, a source told CBS News Major Garrett, sans irony. Seems that lots of people in Washington were also tired of the abuse. Of course, nobody came out and said much about it; instead, Puzders disturbing history of alleged domestic violence sat there, the 800-lb. elephant in the room. Everything orbited around it, everybody registered it, people took great pains to avoid saying anything about it. But would there come a point when something must be said about it? If so, who would be the senator to break ranks and drop the a-bomb? How dirty would Democrats play to eke out one victory in a month full of losses? Turns out, nobody had to say anything. Domestic violence accusations are a bridge too far. Even the legislative body that confirmed Betsy DeVos, a woman who had never attended a public school, to lead public schooling found the allegations disqualifying. If theres nothing else to celebrate in 2017, women can celebrate that. The allegations against Puzder come from depositions from 1986, when both Puzder and his then-wife Lisa stated that the police were summoned to their home more than once in response to domestic altercations. According to a Riverfront Times piece, Lisa stated that Puzder had choked her, pushed her to the floor, dragged her by the arm, threw her against a wall, and kicked her in the back. They eventually agreed to an arrangement where Puzder was not allowed to enter the second and third floors of their shared home. In the other incident, Puzder allegedly punched Lisa after dining out at a restaurant. Lisas attorney Daniel Sokol told the Riverfront Times that he had copies of medical reports that backed up Lisas claims. Puzder denied the abuse, and later, during the couples divorce proceedings, Lisa recanted as part of a custody agreement. But the allegations resurfaced in 1989, when then-Missouri Governor John Ashcroft tapped Puzder to serve on the states anti-abortion task force. At the time, Puzder denied the allegations, telling the Riverfront Times in a way that seems pretty on-brand, If you're trying to smear me by raising the fact that my ex-wife made some charges against me, you're making a big mistake. It would not be good journalistic practice to publish this. Now, more than 25 years later, the recanted accusations have surfaced again, thanks, in part, to Oprah Winfrey. Back in January, rumors circulated that several senators had seen tape of an episode of Winfreys talk show on which Lisa had appeared. In the 1990 episode, Winfrey spoke with high-class women who experienced domestic violence. Tape of the episode is difficult to come by now, but not for Oprah, and not for the senators whose Puzder vote Winfrey hoped to influence. Meanwhile, an advocacy group called the Center for Accountability just won a court battle over whether or not documents regarding Puzders divorce should be available to the public. Theyd been under court seal, conveniently, since the day after Donald Trump nominated his Labor Secretary pick. These documents were finally released on Wednesday night. Information about the Puzder allegations is everywhere, but youd be hard-pressed to find senators willing to comment on it directly. That might be because Democrats have plenty to dislike about Puzder, even without the disturbing abuse allegations: his record of opposing organized labor, his opposition to a minimum wage hike, the pride he expressed in the gratuitous sexism that characterized his restaurants ads, the fact that 65 percent of female employees at CKE restaurants reported being sexually harassed during Puzders time at the helm of the company. His preference for robot workers over human workers, the type of robot workers that will almost certainly in the next 10 years put millions of Americans out of work. These are all things that liberals can comfortably oppose without even pointing out that the police had to be summoned to Puzders home in order to deal with a domestic dispute. Twice. Nobody was saying anything, but nothing needed to be said. Ranking HELP committee member Patty Murray avoided bringing up the accusations in a prepared statement she delivered at a press conference today. Instead, she focused on his poor record of protecting his employees from sexual harassment, and his restaurants ads misogyny. She focused on how Puzders labor practices as a CEO disproportionately affected women. When a reporter asked Murray what she thought of the domestic violence allegations, she acknowledged that shed seen Oprahs tape, and found it disturbing. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Maggie Hassan issued a joint statement that didnt refer directly to the allegations, but did hammer Puzder on his treatment of female employees. Its nearly impossible to read about Puzders treatment of women without thinking about his alleged treatment of his ex-wife. Perhaps that was the intent. Perhaps the two are linked. Advocacy groups one might normally expect to come out guns blazing against a man with Puzders history were also silent. No womens groups directly confronted Puzders personal history. The Daily Beast reached out to several, and none had anything on-record to say. Of course Democrats and liberal groups were going to oppose Puzder in lockstep. From their perspective, he doesnt have many redeeming qualities. But Republican opposition to Puzder was a testament to how truly distasteful they must have found the man, or how toxic they believed supporting him could be. By early Wednesday afternoon, a CNN journalist was reporting that four Republicans were definite no votes, with a possible 12 total GOP votes opposing his nomination. If Puzder hadnt withdrawn and those numbers had born out, he would have been toastier than a flame-broiled bun, even if he made it out of committee. Whats worse, the entire ordeal would have been embarrassing to an already-embattled President. Imagine one of Trumps nominees falling victim to the Senate, which is controlled by the Presidents own party. Sad! Theres no shortage of drama in the Trump era. Twenty-four days in, the President has already lost his National Security Advisor, paraded classified information through a Mar-a-Lago patio, and had his signature policy spanked by the most liberal circuit court in the country. Imagine the optics of Senators Warren, Hassan, Franken, Murray, and Sanders going to town on an alleged domestic abuser with a dismal record on workplace equality. Imagine the moment the dam finally burst and one Senator broke ranks to bring up Puzders past. Puzders could have been the blood that victory-starved Democrats had been craving since November 9. If tomorrows committee hearing on Andrew Puzders nomination had gone on as planned, it would have undoubtedly given Trumps most emboldened opponents a forum on which to embarrass him even more. In a year without many satisfying moments, this moment stands out. On one hand, an unapologetic champion of sexism is in the White House. But on the other, he wasnt able to reach down the ladder and pull one more up behind him. Andrew Puzder, unabashed champion of sexism in advertising and unapologetic proponent of working conditions that harm women, has been brought down by the 30-year-old words of a woman. Thats more delicious than the best fast food hamburger Ive ever had. Families across America are struggling to make ends meet. Many workers cannot survive without two or even three jobs. Meanwhile, CEOs are taking home sickening amounts of money. Its happening all over, but if you want especially egregious examples, look no further than the fast-food industry. Thats why all of us should be deeply disturbed by President Trumps choice for secretary of Labor, Andrew Puzder. A veteran of the fast-food industry, Puzder has enriched himself on the backs of the most vulnerable workers in this country. Meanwhile, he has opposed even modest increases in the federal minimum wage and common-sense overtime protections that would not only bring relief to millions of working families, but would actually be better for his own industry. To defend his views, Puzder trots out the tired and discredited argument that lower-skilled workers, working-class Americans, young people, minorities would lose jobs if the federal minimum wage were to go up to just $10 an hour. Here in New York City, we know there is a better way. In a few short years, we have expanded the right to paid sick leave to cover a half million more residents; we've expanded paid parental leave for City workers and increased the living wage that companies doing business with the City must pay. Weve signed a first-of-its-kind law that helps freelance workers get the wages theyre entitled to. We've also raised the minimum wage for all city government employees and those who provide contracted work for the city, meaning that 50,000 workers will earn a $15 minimum wage by the end of next year. These reforms and others havent just benefitted workers. They have been fantastic for our local businesses. As of December 2016, New York Citys unemployment rate stood at just 5.2%, significantly lower than 8.2%, where it was when I took office. The city added a record 250,000 jobs in just two years. Even Puzders fellow fast-food CEOs disagree with his radical views. Bill Phelps of Wetzels Pretzels has observed that after two increases in Californias minimum wage, sales doubled and he didnt have to lay anyone off. That makes sense. When working people make more money, they spend that moneyand businesses hire more working people to meet increased demand. In New York City, we're doing even more. Our 65,000 fast food workers suffer greatly from unpredictable scheduling practices that are pervasive in their industry. They never know their schedules ahead of time and are often forced to work back-to-back shifts just to keep their jobs. How can anyone build a stable family life, further their education, or take that needed second job when their employer treats them like a cog in a machine? They cant. They need a fair work week. Legislation we introduced in the City Council requires fast food companies to set employee schedules two weeks in advance. Employers won't be able to force employees to work back-to-back shifts without employee consent and without offering extra compensation. While we're doing everything we can to protect and uplift workers in New York City, weve got to fight what Puzder might do in Washington. With Republicans controlling the presidency and Congress, the Department of Labor under Puzder could roll back protections against discrimination and wage theft. Lets not forget a basic truth: corporations cant survive without their workers. Wealthy executives would be nowhere without the people who actually get the job done. Here in New York City we keep that in mind every day. America deserves a secretary of Labor who doesnt need to have this basic reality explained to him. John Hlinkos wife calls it the house that Trump built. They could afford the historic Tudor-style residence in Washingtons tony Georgetown thanks to Donald Trumps candidacy and the traffic it generates to Left Action, a hub for progressive causes founded by Hlinko, a wannabe stand-up comic who is finding that left-wing activism in the Trump age can be a lucrative calling. Its like the sleeping giant has been awakened, Hlinko said, describing the heightened interest in the progressive organizations and nonprofits that are his clients. Left Actions active list of 750,000 names in November has ballooned to 2 million. Ive never seen so many people getting active in politics, smart, creative people who were never political. Suddenly a switch is turned on. With business up and people outraged by Trump, Hlinko and his architect wife, Leigh Stringer, wanted a place that would serve as the path of most resistance, where they could hold fundraisers and have a couple hundred people over at a time. The Georgetown house they bought last June, when Trump wrapped up the Republican nomination, was originally a church, so it has cathedral ceilings and is spacious inside, perfect for parties. The first floor was getting a fresh coat of paint when Hlinko gave me a tour, pointing out an interior balcony that used to be a choir loft, and imagining the grand events the couple can host to raise money and rally the troops. Its a fallacy thinking a movement happens spontaneously, that its like the gang from Little Rascals getting together and turning the town dump into a playground, Hlinko said. Somebody needs to drive it. It will take multiple drivers to resuscitate the Democratic Party after the 2016 wipeout, he said, crediting the Womens March with kicking things off, and Trumps ill-conceived travel ban on seven majority-Muslim countries with keeping outrage at a high boil. In 99 Ways to Fight Trump, Hlinko tops his list with the guide from Indivisible, the how-to manual on grassroots activism drawn up by former Hill staffers and distributed free online. Hlinko, who is 50, has the same scruffy hipster look he had when he launched the Draft Wesley Clark movement in 2003. The former NATO commander was not a household name, but he was first in his class at West Point, had a stellar resume, and Democrats needed someone strong on defense to go up against President Bush in the midst of the Iraq War. I started to think of him in viral termsthe more contagious an idea is, the more people are susceptible, and it can spread, Hlinko said. People of different ideologies were interested in him, which told me if there was a draft campaign, it could go viral. The draft campaign launched Clarks candidacy. They took an inconceivable idea and made it conceivable, Clark said when he announced his run for president in September 2003. A novice to politics, he didnt last long in the competition, withdrawing after a string of third-place finishes in the primaries. Next came DraftObama.org, more of a gentle breeze than a draft, Hlinko said. Its high point was a TV ad that ran during Christmas 2006 on all three news stations in Honolulu, where then-Sen. Barack Obama was vacationing with his family. Obama announced in February, and later told Hlinko that when Michelle saw the ad, she came running in to ask if he was running for president. Well then, Senator Obama, we reached our target audience, Hlinko deadpanned. None of this political activity was lucrative; in fact, it didnt pay at all. When Hlinko met the parents of his bride to be in 2003, he was unemployed and spending his own money to fund the campaign of a guy not actually running for president (Clark). They werent impressed, he said. Time to get a real job, and in Washington that meant doing PR by day, mostly for trade associations, and creating pop-up websites by night, trying to recapture the magic of MoveOn. Hlinko was in on the creation of MoveOn.org, an early internet sensation that channeled voter frustration over the impeachment of President Clinton. It was 1998. He was in San Francisco working on a comedy page for AOL, his first paid web gig. A mutual friend put him in touch with Wes Boyd and Joan Blades, founders of MoveOn, who enlisted him as a political strategist or a member of the board, whatever the press release needed, he said. It was more straitlaced than what he does today, he said, but the intersection of politics and satire is where Hlinko is most at home. At Valley Stream High School on Long Island, his best friend was Fred Armisen, who played Obama on Saturday Night Live. Hlinko came in second for class clown, but give him a break, he said. He lost out to Jim Breuer, another SNL alumnus. Hlinko is not a child of privilege, but his father earned enough selling vacuum cleaners at Sears to have a home and a middle-class life, and I think that is being lost, he said. My left-wing followers would be shocked, he said, if they knew that as a teen he volunteered for his local Republican congressman and that he was once a registered Republican. His first job after graduating from Wesleyan College was with Lehman Brothers, the investment bank that went belly-up in the Great Recession. I got the job by telling jokes, he said. The interviewer, seeing he had done comedy radio at Wesleyan, asked him to tell a joke. I did an imitation of Jimmy Stewart as a crack addict, and I pulled a wallet out of my ear. Somehow they thought that made me qualified. It was a two-year program and when it ended, everyone realized it was a dreadful match. He got a job with the ACLU while the National Endowment for the Arts was under attack, then went to Guatemala for a few months to work on his Spanish before getting accepted in 1992 at Harvards Kennedy School for a Masters degree in Public Policy. Thats when he got his first email address, and as they say, the rest is history. A self-described master procrastinator, Hlinko plays Words With Friends on his computer while he waits for news to break and inspiration to strike. With Trump in the White House, it wont be long. A dead boy, tied up in a sack, was recovered from the Karyavattom campus of University of Kerala. By India Today Web Desk: A dead body was recovered from a college campus in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram. A report on Asianetnews.tv said that the body was found tied up in a sack. The body was found near the botony department of University of Kerala's Karyavattom campus in Thiruvananthapuram. The dead body that was recovered was rotten and is estimated to be at least 20-day-old. advertisement The victim has not been identified yet. Police said that the investigation is ongoing. More details awaited. --- ENDS --- I take you back in time now to a story from last October, by The Washington Posts Dave Weigel. I remember well the pit that formed in my stomach as I read the headline: House Republicans are already preparing for years of investigations of Clinton. Weigel nabbed an interview with Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, chair of the House Oversight Committee, who said this: Its a target-rich environment. Even before we get to Day One, weve got two years worth of material already lined up. She has four years of history at the State Department, and it aint good. Back when he and just about everyone else thought the next president was going to be named Clinton, Chaffetz was tellingbragging to, actuallyone of the countrys top political reporters that President Clinton was going to be investigated immediately. No, not even President Clinton. President-elect Clinton! He was going to be ready to roll on Nov. 9. And no one among us can doubt that hed have kept his word, and Clinton right now would be facing at least one congressional investigation, and likely more, if she were in the White House. Over a matter on which her behavior was not good but on which shed been cleared by the FBI. But she is not the president. Donald Trump is. And he, we have decent reason to suspect, may have directed Mike Flynn to negotiate with Russia in the midst of the presidential campaign. We dont know this of course. But we know that Trump had already encouraged Russia to hack Clintons emails and spoken fondly of Vladimir Putin many times; and we know that Flynn spoke to the Russian ambassador in late December but, by the ambassadors own admission, before also, during the campaign; and we know that Flynn is a military man, which makes it reasonable to think he wouldnt have a chat with his Russian contact about a President Trump maybe doing away with Obamas sanctions without being told to or at least asking first. This would seem to be something wed want to find out. And what does Chaffetz say now about all this, after Flynns resignation? Its taking care of itself, he told a Politico reporter. Let the intelligence committee do it, Chaffetz said. Well, that might be OK. In jurisdictional terms, Chaffetz actually has a point. But Devin Nunes, the California Republican who chairs intel, says, per Vox, that he wont look into anything having to do with what Trump may or may not have said to Flynn. He cites executive privilege. Trump of course wasnt the chief executive at the time in question, late December. So I think I have this right. Here are the new rules: If youre a Democratic president-elect, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives will start investigating you before youve even interviewed possible Treasury secretaries. But if youre a Republican president-elect, you can maybe violate the Logan Act and undermine the sitting presidentwith the countrys top global adversary, no lessand, well, you can just do that. Chaffetz, obviously feeling heat, did agree Tuesday afternoon to do something, but not about Russia. He sent Reince Priebus a mealy-mouthed letter saying gosh, golly, sir, maybe the president of the United States could try not to talk about a matter like a North Korean missile launch in public. The Trump White House is a madhouse. That much has been obvious at least since the moment Sean Spicer insisted that Trumps inaugural crowds were the biggest ever. But it might be more than a madhouse. It might be a criminal madhouse. Or a Constitution-mocking madhouse, at least. I shouldnt need to say that finding this out is important. But: Finding this out is important. This isnt the Forest Service were talking about. This is national security. This is Russia. This is the possibility that the Russian government has some kind of leverage over the President of the United States because of his business dealings. Hey, its taking care of itself; what do we need the House for? Things are at least a little more serious in the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said a probe is highly likely. Richard Burr, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee even stood next to his Democratic counterpart there, Mark Warner, to say the bodys probe would look at contacts between the Russians and Trump campaign officials. And Roy Blunt, also a member of the committee, said Flynn should talk to them very soon. All of which only highlights what a disgrace these House Republicans are. Paul Ryan says theres no need at all for an investigation into the Russia ties. And the House Ways and Means Committee voted 23-15, straight party lines, not to make Trump show his tax returns. When will the day come that these people will put country and national security ahead of party and power? I know. Youre saying never. And maybe it will be never. If left to their druthers it would be never. But fortunately theyre not left to their druthers. We still have intelligence agencies, who obviously despise Trump (and why shouldnt they?) and who seem to have plenty of stuff to dribble out to hungry reporters. And we have the FBI, which is a more complicated matter, as its infested with Trump worshippers, but presumably James Comey may feel somewhere down there that he has a little something to atone for, not to mention some commitment to finding out whether the president of the United States is an instrument of Russian ambition. So the Republican Congress doesnt necessarily get the last word. But boy are they showing us who they are. For years, Mike Pence refused to pardon an innocent man. But one month after he left office as Indianas governor, his successor Eric Holcomb moved to clear Keith Coopers name. Keith Cooper of Elkhart, Indiana, has maintained his innocence since he was charged with robbery and attempted murder in 1997. Tried and convicted in a single day, Cooper was sentenced to 40 years in prison for robbery resulting in serious injury. But while Cooper was behind bars, evidence of his innocence grew. The witnesses who testified against him recanted their statements. A DNA test implicated a different man. By 2014, Indianas parole board and the prosecutor who put Cooper away unanimously recommended Pence to issue a pardon. For years, Pence refused. It took Pences successor exactly one month to pardon him. It was a dream finally come true, Cooper told The Daily Beast. When his family learned of the pardon, they were overcome with tears, he said. They were just as overwhelmed as I was. We were excited because this was my biggest dream. They stood by me all this time. After years of fighting to clear Coopers name, news of the sudden pardon came as a surprise, even to his legal team. I was not given any kind of warning so I'm flying back to Chicago now, Coopers lawyer Elliot Slosar told The Daily Beast from an airport on Thursday afternoon. Holcomb had announced Coopers pardon just hours before. After careful and thoughtful consideration and review, something I've thought about every day over the last month, just earlier today I issued a pardon to Mr. Keith Cooper for his past and I believe wrongful armed robbery felony [conviction], Holcomb told press of the Thursday pardon. I am very much at peace pardoning him for the one he claims innocence on He has from the very outset and I believe he is innocent of that crime. Cooper has claimed innocence since the morning of Jan. 2, 1997. Cooper, then 29, had been out buying eggs, bacon, and cereal for his wife and three children. But while he carried home his groceries, four police cars pulled up alongside him. They had received reports of a tall, thin black man snatching a purse in the area. Coopertall, thin, and blackwas put into a squad car at gunpoint. Later, when Cooper was allowed to make contact with his wife, he told her not spend their money on bail. He was innocent, and expected to prove so quickly. In a sense, Cooper was right: Within a month, he was found not guilty of the purse theft. But while in jail, Cooper caught the attention of a police detective investigating a shooting from the previous year in Coopers apartment complex. Before he could be released from jail, he was charged with armed robbery and attempted murder. With Cooper facing new, graver charges, his mother put up her house as collateral for his bond. He was tried and convicted in a single day, after witnesses claimed to recognize him as the man who broke into their home, demanded money, and shot a teenager in the hip. His jail cellmate testified against him, claiming Cooper had divulged information on the robbery, including information about a black hat that was found on the crime scene. The hat was tested for DNA evidence, and a lab report obtained by the Indianapolis Star concluded that Cooper can be eliminated as a possible contributor, but his lawyer made an agreement that effectively removed the DNA results as evidence. Cooper was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Struggling for money, Coopers family moved out of the state, sometimes living in shelters. His three young children grew up out of sight. But a shred of hope remained in his appeals effort. In 2002, an attorney ordered a second DNA test and it made clear that Cooper could not have worn the hat found on the crime scene. A third DNA test in 2004 tied the hat to Johlanis Ervin, who looked somewhat like Cooper and who was already incarcerated for a murder. The conviction unraveled further from there. The witnesses who testified against Cooper began recanting their statements. His cellmate wrote multiple affidavits claiming that police had coerced him into fabricating a statement against Cooper. The family of the teenager shot during the armed robbery backtracked on their testimony, claiming police had refused to show them a live lineup of suspects, and pressured them into identifying Cooper as the robber, even when they had doubts. In 2005, the state offered him a deal: They would reduce Coopers sentence to the time he had already served and release him without overturning his conviction. The agreement let Cooper out of prison in April 2006, but kept the felony charge on his record. Finally free, Cooper could see his family again. But the felony record still weighed heavy on him, making it difficult for him to advance in his career and making him wary of future interactions with police. Slowly, with the support of the witnesses who had previously testified against him, and Slosar as his new attorney, Cooper began to build a case for a new trial. Meanwhile, state officials began building a case for a pardon. In 2014, the states parole board and Michael Christofeno, the prosecutor who tried Coopers case, unanimously recommended that Pence pardon Cooper, while over 100,000 people signed a petition calling for his pardon. But Pence refused, saying Cooper would need to exhaust all his options in the court before Pence even considered granting a pardon. A pardon based on innocence requires a governor to substitute his judgment for that of the judicial branch, Pences general counsel Mark Ahearn wrote in a letter denying the pardon. Coopers legal team isnt sure why Pence withheld the pardon, particularly as Coopers case drew national scrutiny when Pence joined Donald Trumps presidential ticket. Slosar can only speculate, he said. I cant speak for Gov. Pence and the decisions he made, Slosar said. What I can tell you is that I think Gov. Pence was trying to be savvy politically. He obviously at a point was angling to be the vice president. This pardon petition was squarely on his desk. It was something that was being covered extensively in the media. I imagine Gov. Pence knew that if he had granted this pardon while the election was going on that, politically, it wasnt a palatable thing for him and the base of people he was trying to appeal to while on the ticket with Donald Trump. When Holcomb replaced Pence on Jan. 9, Slosar was gearing up for a long legal fight. Then, exactly one month into his term, Holcomb issued the surprise pardon. We literally had no idea. Up until today I was actually preparing for a forthcoming evidentiary hearing we were going to have in the Elkhart Circuit Court, Slosar said on Thursday from the airport. Gov. Holcomb did in four weeks what Gov. Pence did not do in four years. The pardon will allow Cooper to continue with the life disrupted 10 years ago. [The pardon] opens the door for me for promotions on my job, Cooper said. I dont have to worry about if the police get behind me and run my plates. Now theyll see that Im a good guy, not a criminal. Cooper is also eligible to sue for wrongful conviction, which his co-defendant successfully did in 2014, after having his conviction overturned in 2006. The co-defendant, Christopher Parish settled with the City of Elkhart for $4.9 million. Cooper has not moved to file a wrongful conviction suit, although he would now be within his rights to do so, Elliot said. Days after his pardon, Cooper said he was grateful for the people who had maintained his innocence, even while he was behind bars. It shows me unity: When people come together, our voices can be heard, he said. Thats something being done right. When it comes to cocktails New Orleans has quite a lot to boast about it. The city has been home to many famous bars, bartenders and, of course, drinkers. And thats not to mention its legendary and annual Mardi Gras celebration that is already underway. But one of my favorite NOLA cocktails has to be the Vieux Carre, which first saw light of day in Stanley Clisby Arthurs 1938 classic Famous New Orleans Drinks & How to Mix Em. I discovered both the book and the drink way back in 1996, while I was researching my New Orleans roots. The immortal H.L. Mencken called the book a classical work, and that was good enough for me. For a number of years, I took Arthurs writing as gospel, which is ironic, as Im now known to throw rocks at it (and its author) in recent years. Why? Well, in the legal trade wed call ol Arthur an unreliable witness. You simply cannot trust him. He appears to be the one who created the myth that my ancestor Antoine Amedee Peychaud invented the worlds first cocktail, supposedly served in an hourglass-shaped egg cup (called a coquetier in French). When that word became mispronounced into cocktail by American customers, a drink, and its name, were born. While it is a charming story, it is, of course, patently false (Peychaud was but 3 years old when the cocktail was first defined in print!), but thats the topic for another article. There are any number of other transgressions in Arthurs writings, instances where he played fast and loose with the truth. The problem is that just about all we know about the venerable Vieux Carre comes from Arthurs book. Can we trust it? All Arthur says about it is that this is the cocktail that Walter Bergeron, head bartender of the Hotel Monteleone cocktail lounge, takes special pride in mixing. He originated it, he says, to do honor to the famed Vieux Carre, that part of old New Orleans where the antique shops and the iron lace balconies give sightseers a glimpse into the romance of another day. For the record, Im inclined to trust Arthur in this instance. According to the research of New Orleans bartender and author Cheryl Charming and what Ive been able to find, Bergeron was born in Thibodeaux, Louisiana, in 1889, and moved to New Orleans in 1907. Census and city directory records from as early as 1918 list him as a bartender at the Monteleone for most of his adult life, interrupted, of course, by Prohibition. During those dry years, Bergeron was a manager at a cigar store. Could it have also been a speakeasy? We do know that in 1924, during a raid at the United Cigar Store at the corner of Baronne and Gravier in downtown New Orleans, Bergeron was arrested for possession of punch boards, a common gambling device of that day. After Prohibition, Bergeron returned to the Monteleone bar, and in the mid-1930s he lived in the Lower Ninth Ward on Chartres Street. He reportedly left the Monteleone in the 1940s to work at the old Sazerac Bar, at the corner of Carondelet and Gravier (the same site previously housed Henry Charles Ramoss immortal Stag Saloon, the pre-Prohibition home of the Ramos Gin Fizz). Bergeron died on 70 years ago this week and just a few days before Mardi Gras. As for Arthur, I interpret his somewhat spare to do honor to the famed Vieux Carre as meaning that Mr. Bergeron was paying homage to the many influences that had shaped the oldest section of New Orleans. (After all, Vieux Carre literally means old square.) Indeed, in those days the Quarter was made up of French Creoles (New Orleans was originally settled by the French in 1718), Italians (a great many went to the Crescent City in the latter half of the 19th century), Americans (who moved to the area after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803), and assorted folks from the Caribbean (as New Orleans is the main port on the Gulf of Mexico, our original window to the Caribbean and South America). Among those Italians, I might note, was Antonio Monteleone, who came to New Orleans from Sicily around 1880 and later founded the hotel Bergeron worked in for decades. Indeed, the Vieux Carre has a French brandy and liqueur, Italian vermouth, American rye whiskey, and Caribbean bitters (Angostura Bitters is from Trinidad, Peychaud was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, now known as Haiti). So when youre drinking a Vieux Carre, youre really drinking New Orleans history! Laissez les bons temps rouler! Vieux Carre Ingredients: 1 oz Cognac (the Ferrand 1840 is very nice)1 oz of Rye whiskey (such as Sazerac)1 oz Sweet vermouth (Dolin Rouge works well)1 tsp Benedictine2 dashes Angostura bitters2 dashes Peychauds bittersGarnish: Lemon peel, cherry, and pineapple slice Directions: Add all the ingredients to a rocks glass and fill with ice. Stir and garnish with a lemon peel and, as an option, a slice of pineapple and a cherry. The GOPs internal squabbling over what to do with the nations more than $3 trillion health care system is revealing the deep disagreements within the GOP that threaten to undermine the party at a time when discipline is critical. On Monday evening Vice President Mike Pence paid a visit to the Tea Partys loudest voice in Congress, the House Freedom Caucus. Pence is doing these rounds with the disparate factions of Republicans in Congress in order to shore up support for Trumps agenda, but the Tea Party doesnt seem to want to march in line, even though they now control the levers of power in Washington. After the meeting with Pence, the 30-some-odd member group voted unanimously to force Speaker Paul Ryans hand by calling for a vote to immediately repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety, even as Trump has called for keeping the popular portions of it in tact while also attempting to expand coverage nationwide. Not even a full two months into the new Congress, Republicans have an Obamacare-sized problem on their hands, because party leaders need the Freedom Caucus votes to pass their agenda but the group has drawn its own red line in the sand demanding a full repeal of Obamacare as their price for being team players in the future. Many of the members of the group report they cant support any bill short of the full Obamacare repeal Republicans sent directly to President Barack Obamas veto pen in 2015. Rank and file conservatives now fear GOP leaders are slow walking the repeal effort in order to merely tweak it around the edges, instead of carrying through on their partys promise to overhaul the law they formerly labeled a socialist takeover of the health care system. The commitment for Republicans in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, has been repeal and replace; not, repeal and renege, Rep. Mark Davidson (R-OH) told reporters at the Capitol. And a repeal means that its a repeal. There are no more Affordable Care Act plans. Theres no If you like your Obamacare you can keep your Obamacare in the Republican commitment. On Tuesday, Speaker Ryan even paraded his top lieutenants charged with rewriting the law in front of a standing room only gathering of reporters and cameras, but neither Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady nor Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Greg Walden could offer any details on what their committees, let alone their party, has in store for the American people. Sure, there were the usual vague promises of tax savings, offering consumers portable insurance policies and the conservative granddaddy of them all: Health Savings Accounts. But, as Democrats are quick to point out, seven years into the nations debate over Obamacare, the GOP has yet to coalesce around a single bill to improve the system. Its gotten to the point where even Republicans are wary of Republicans soaring promises on health care. Something Republicans need to be concerned about is if were just going to replace Obamacare with Obamacare-lite, then it begs the question, Were we just against Obamacare because it was proposed by Democrats? Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID) told reporters. If thats our position then were very hypocritical because then were just taking a political position, not a policy based position. Frankly our base is going to leave the party because theyre not going to be happy with something that does exactly what Obamacare did before with a different name, he ominously warned. But the conservative wing of the partywhich looks to have the votes to derail a replacement plan if they wantis serving a different base than many of their colleagues, like the Republicans representing states that expanded Medicaid. While the Freedom Caucus wants to do away with the Medicaid expansion altogether, lawmakers from Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, among others, see things differently. For them an outright repeal would bring angry voters banging on their doors from day one. We made promises to the American people and we have to keep them, Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) told The Daily Beast. MacArthur has supported some repeal efforts in the past while opposing others, like the GOP budget resolution at the start of this Congress. He says his party needs to recognize that the times have changed. Where we are today with a Republican Congress and a Republican White House were not passing messaging bills here. We are shooting live rounds, MacArthur continued. Were doing things that have an immediate, specific impact on Americans lives, and Im not interested in looking at votes in the past. Im interested in making sure that when we repeal, we know what the replacement looks like. Unlike the empty, political threats GOP leaders often toss around, the Freedom Caucus doesnt mess around and has actually carried through on their threats. Back in 2013, after teaming up withor being co-opted by, depending on who you askSen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) the group shut the federal government down over a far fetched plan to force Obama to repeal his namesake, Obamacare. With the Tea Party in Congress looking for another hostage to take, Republican leaders have been put on notice, which sets the party in power in Washington up for a fierce battle on the issue in the coming weeks or months. And they report that outright repeal is their bottom line. Its the floor. Its the floor, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Penn.) told reporters. We all approved of that in 2015 there should be no reason why we cant approve of that again, and we can start the discussion there. But thats the minimum. TBILISI, GeorgiaThis small Black Sea country was scandalized on Monday by news that a high-ranking priesta member of the inner circle of the Georgian Orthodox Churchwas arrested for the attempted murder of another even higher high-ranking cleric. Several news organizations claimed that the intended victim was none other than Ilia II, the 84-year-old patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Georgia State Prosecutors Office has not confirmed this officially. Yet as it releases more and more details the implication is that the patriarch was indeed the target if, indeed, the charges are true to begin with. On Tuesday morning Georgias prime minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, issued a statement that a fatal attack against the Church had been avoided. Given the extraordinary circumstances, the prime minister said, he has sent his own personal bodyguards to Berlin where the patriarch is recovering from surgery. What we know is that Archpriest (a priest who presides over several parishes) Giorgi Mamaladze, a powerful member of the church, was arrested by prosecutors on Feb. 10 at Tbilisi International Airport allegedly carrying cyanide in his suitcase. Mamaladze was headed for Germany where the patriarch is currently hospitalized. Mamaladze is chief of the property department of the Georgian Orthodox Church, managing the churchs vast assets and real-estate holdings. Late Monday night, the Georgian news network Rustavi 2, released a letter allegedly written (though it remains unverified) by Mamaladze to the patriarch accusing the Georgian church of immense graft, corruption, and illegal alcohol production among other unlawful activities. In the letter, the archpriest claims that he was sacked from his former position as head of the churchs property management service (though he remained with the department), after he submitted a report on the corruption he had witnessed in his position. In the letter, Mamaladze also refers to a debt of 5 million GEL ($1.9 million USD), accumulated [by the church] through fraudulent schemes by unscrupulous management and the alleged criminal offenses. The priest supposedly claims in the letter, There were also threats against me, but I want to speak personally. I have a lot of material, which will reveal the crimes committed against the church. It is unclearif not bafflinghow or why the archpriest went from the loyal servant of the patriarch conveyed in the letter to a would-be international assassin collecting unregistered weapons and cyanide. Ilia II is an extremely popular figure among the Georgian population, almost 85 percent of whom identify as Orthodox Christian. Indeed, the patriarch has the highest approval rating of any public figure in the country. Although he originally assumed the top post in the church in 1977, when Georgia was part of the now-defunct Soviet Union, he has since been known for passing sweeping reforms and reengaging the church with Georgian society. In recent years, the patriarchs health has declined significantly, which led to his most recent hospitalization and gall bladder surgery in Berlin. Meanwhile reports continue to emerge from within the church indicating a conflict between pro-Russian and pro-Western factions of the church at the highest levels. Because of the churchs immense influence over Georgian society, the last three Georgian governments have been forced to appease it politically on every issue it deemed important, and as Ilia II appears to be reaching the end of his life, there is intense infighting and public speculation about who will replace him. That, in turn, has led to suspicion and speculation about the version of events the prosecutors office has made public. For years the Georgian Orthodox Church has had a close relationship with the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church, despite the fact that Moscows forces continue to occupy 20 percent of Georgias territory, which they invaded in 2008. While the Georgian Orthodox Church is a foundation of Georgias cultural and national identity, it is also Georgias most direct connection to Russia. This may not be obvious to the average Georgian, but its a fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin certainly understands and the Kremlin, obviously, has its own interests in the patriarchal succession. Exactly four months after the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, even as Moscow continued to ignore the terms of the ceasefire, Georgian Patriarch Ilia II visited the Russian capital and met with then-President Dmitry Medvedev, Putins loyal acolyte. For five years after the 2008 war, Russia and Georgia severed all diplomatic tiesand Ilia II and his crew were the only Georgians to meet with Russian leaders in an official capacity. As a result, for those five years the Georgian Orthodox Church held a monopoly on the Georgia-Russia relationship. Ilia II and Vladimir Putin met numerous times and they continued to do so as recently as Nov. 29 of last yearsomething that never failed to raise eyebrows Tbilisi. Considering Putins past, some sort of involvement between Russian intelligence services and the most elite sectors of the Georgian Orthodox Church would appear to be probable. And given Putins alleged penchant for poison as a tool of statecraft, rumors are inevitable. But the Kremlins alleged toxins are usually much more exotic, and reserved for persistent critics. According to regional analyst Ani Chkhikvadze, This all might be a game wherein the [Georgian] government is trying to play a role in the coming transition. It seems that the government is trying to take a side in the fight that is about to start over the inner transfer of power within the church. Prosecutors first began investigating Archpriest Mamaladze on Feb. 2 after they were informed by an anonymous source that Mamaladze was attempting to purchase cyanide. It is unclear exactly whom he was attempting to poison or why. But upon his arrest at the airport, authorities discovered cyanide in his luggage. And at his home, they allegedly found, [illegal unregistered] hand-made guns and six cartridges, the prosecutors office claims. According to Georgias prominent pro-Western news site, magazine, and television channel, Tabula, Prosecutor General Irakli Shotadze stated at the special briefing that the Prosecutors Office has audio and video evidence, however they will not release the evidence or talk about the details due to the sensitivity of the case. Mamaladze had direct access to the Patriarch and others in his inner circle including several of the individuals in line to take his place. Perhaps strangest of all is the choice of cyanide as the alleged murder weapon. As one Western commentator (who asked to remain anonymous) dryly pointed out, Leave it to the Georgian Orthodox Church to keep it old school when choosing a poison. The Russian military has reportedly deployed a new, nuclear-armed cruise missile, in direct violation of a 1987 treaty with the United States that bans hard-to-defeat medium-range, land-based nukes. The deployment of the truck-launched SSC-8 missile apparently somewhere in Eastern Europe, first reported by The New York Times, could escalate nuclear competition between the United States and Russia. President Trump and his allies in the U.S. Congress have, in just the first few weeks of Trump's administration, already threatened to dismantle hard-won, Cold War-era arms-control measuresthe same kinds of measures Russia is now defying. Increasingly unconstrained by treaties, the United States and Russia are set to grow and improve their atomic arsenals, which could greatly raise the risk of nuclear war. I think we are in a new arms race, Tom Collina, policy director at San Francisco-based Ploughshares, an anti-nuclear advocacy group, told The Daily Beast. "The U.S. plans to spend $1 trillion over the next 30 years on nuclear weapons, including new ones. Russia is rebuilding its forces. The rhetoric is getting heated and threatening." U.S. intelligence detected the SSC-8s development sometime before 2014. That year, the Obama administration began vaguely referring to a new Russian weapon that, the administration claimed, violated the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty. The INF agreement, signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, banned nuclear and non-nuclear ground-launched missiles with ranges between 620 and 3,420 miles. By 1991, the United States and Russia together had decommissioned around 2,700 existing missiles that the new treaty prohibited. The 1987 deal helped to eliminate some of the most destabilizing types of nuclear weapons. Intermediate-range weapons can strike quickly, compelling rival atomic powers to keep their own forces on high alert. And unlike ICBMs, the shorter-range nukes are indistinguishable from non-nuclear short-range missiles at the time of launch, increasing the chance that a country might mistake a conventional military operation for an atomic sneak attack. The regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin is not fond of the INF treaty. From Moscows point of view, the treaty preserves Americas existing advantages in sea-launched cruise missiles and anti-ICBM defenses while making it more difficult for Russia to develop weapons that exploit gaps in American technology and strategy. The narrative in Moscow is that they got a bad deal, Collina said. Experts agree that the acceleration of U.S. missile-defense tech under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, all in the context of an expanding NATO, provoked Russias development of the SSC-8. The final provocation was apparently the Pentagons installation of SM-3 ballistic-missile interceptors in Romania in 2015. The U.S. military is building a similar missile-defense site in Poland. The Pentagon intends the SM-3 sites to help protect Americas NATO allies in Europe from Iranian rockets, but the Kremlin considers them a threat to the strategic balance of power between the United States and Russia. Large-scale deployment [of missile-defenses] could deprive Moscow of that ultimate security guarantee that nukes provide, Nikolai Sokov, a fellow at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, told The Daily Beast. Feeling threatened, Russia has threatened back. And the timing could not be worse for peace advocates. Where the Obama administration defended existing nuclear treaties and worked to slowly reduce Americas and Russias nuclear arsenals, the Trump administration seems determined to tear up decades worth of arms-controls measures. Trump has urged Japan and South Korea to field their own nukes and has threatened to scrap the international deal with Iran that limits that countrys nuclear-weapons program. In a phone call with Putin on Feb. 9, Trump trash-talked New START, the 2011 treaty that limits the United States and Russia to 1,500 deployed nuclear warheads apiece. Confusingly, Trump has also said that nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially. Meanwhile, two of Trumps close congressional alliesArkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilsonhave proposed to defund the international organization that monitors and helps to prevent nuclear-weapons tests. New Russian nuke deployments cant go unanswered, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who was NATOs top officer before he retired in 2016, told The New York Times. But with more and more nuclear-disarmament efforts collapsing, America must be careful not to answer Russias new nukes with new nukes of its own. We make new deployments that threaten Russia while sincerely negotiating a return to compliance, Jeffrey Lewis, also with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, told The Daily Beast. Id make the new deployments conventional-onlythat is, non-nuclearand, if possible, INF-compliant, Lewis said, adding that the Trump administration should also bolster U.S. forces within the context of NATO. We need to show the Russians that NATO is capable of responding in a unified fashion. They are hoping to break NATO. Our goal is to make it clear that Russias behavior is why NATO is still necessary. But worryingly, Trump has repeatedly attacked NATO as outdated and a drain on Americas finances. I said a long time ago that NATO had problems, Trump said in January. No. 1, it was obsolete, because it was, you know, designed many, many years ago. No. 2, the countries arent paying what theyre supposed to pay." A stronger NATO could be the United States' best response to Russia's nuclear escalation. But a weaker NATO is the likely result of Trump's attacks on the alliance. On its own against a rearming Russia, the United States risks embracing the apocalyptic thinking of the early Cold War. "It is time for both sides to step back from the brink and rethink what they are doing," Collina said. "They are in a race in which they can only lose." Seth Meyers, the SNL head writer turned Late Night host, has been pretty tough on Donald Trump when it comes to foreign policy. Hes called him a conspiracy theorist whose shoot-from-the-hip approach to foreign policy could prove dangerous, and took the president to task for responding to Bill OReillys query that Putin is a killer by saying, Weve got a lot of killers. What do you think, our countrys so innocent? On Tuesday night, Meyerss latest Closer Look segment focused on the resignation of Trumps National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, a former general with a troubling penchant for conspiracy theories, Islamophobia, and a man who was forced out of the Defense Intelligence Agency by the Obama administration for gross incompetence. Flynn was forced to resign after The Washington Post published an articlesourcing nine current and former U.S. officialsthat revealed Flynn had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia on calls with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in the month before President Trump took office. The administration, including then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence, had repeatedly denied that sanctions were discussed, so the administration line is that Flynn was let go because he misled VP Pence. Of course, the resignation of Flynn was pretty darn ironic given that, during the Republican National Convention, he stated: I have called on Hillary Clinton to drop out of the race! We do not need a reckless president who believes she is above the law If I did a tentha tenthof what she did, I would be in jail today, before leading Lock her up chants. But questions remain. Late last month, acting Attorney General Sally Yates and a senior national security official reportedly warned Trump that they believed Flynn had misled the administration about his call with the Russian ambassador, and that he was potentially vulnerable to Russian blackmail. Further, The Washington Post quoted U.S. officials as claiming that: Just six days into his presidency, Donald Trump was informed his national security adviser had misled his vice president about contacts with Russia, and that he kept [Pence] in the dark. Meyers addressed how Flynn and the Trump administration insisted for weeks that Flynn did not discuss U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador when they spoke in December, and ran clips of Trumps senior policy adviser Stephen Miller telling Chuck Todd of Flynn on Feb. 12 that is a question you should ask the president, while Kellyanne Conway told MSNBC the following day that Flynn enjoys the full confidence of the president.And then, theres the president himselfand the question of what the president knew and when he knew it, said Meyers. The Justice Department apparently warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn had talked about sanctions and then lied about it, and today, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the White House has been reviewing the situation for weeks, and yet, just a few days ago when asked about the Flynn situation, Trump said this.He then threw to a clip of President Trump being interviewed by a gaggle of reporters aboard Air Force One on Feb. 10, and, when asked whether hed heard about the blockbuster Feb. 9 WaPo report on Flynn, or if he knew about allegations that Flynn had discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador, Trump replied: I dont know about that I havent seen it. What report is that? I havent seen it. I havent seen that. Ill look at that. Trump sounds like a guy whos being told theres a nude scene in a movie hes definitely already watched, joked Meyers, before impersonating Trump: Oh, is there? Huh? Well, maybe Ill check that out. For the first time. President Trump, of course, had this to say about the Flynn resignationover Twitter: Cue Meyers: First of all, youre the one who conducted highly sensitive North Korea discussions in the dining room of your private club in Florida! said Meyers. The scene was so public, people were posting Instagram photos of it! On Tuesday afternoon, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said nothing led him to believe that any pre-election contact between Donald Trumps campaign staff and the Russians was even a possibility. Theres nothing that would conclude me that anything has changed with respect to that time period, Spicer said haltingly, after ABC News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl asked whether Spicer could say definitively that no member of Trumps campaign had Russian contacts before the election. Seven hours later, The New York Times reported that four former and current U.S. government officials had alleged that members of Trumps campaign and other Trump associates had made repeated contact with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year leading up to the 2016 general election. Spicers tortuous reply earlier in the day at first appeared to be a doubling-down on a position long held by the four-week-old Trump administration and its most senior officials: that despite allegations to the contraryincluding from Russias deputy foreign ministerthe Trump campaign was never in contact with Russian intelligence. But reports that the U.S. government had intercepted repeated calls between Trumps campaign staff and associates, including from former campaign chairman and one-time Kremlin-backed political consultant Paul Manafort, make Spicers disinclination to provide a definitive answer look almost like a walkback from the position taken publicly by the president himself, as well as by top White House officials. During a press conference on Jan. 11, after initially dodging a question about contact between Trump associates or campaign employees and the Russian government, the then-president-elect responded after the events conclusion with a succinct, No contact. Four days later, now-Vice President Mike Pence said on CBSs Face the Nation that the campaign had had zero contact with the Kremlin. Of course not, Pence told host John Dickerson. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy. It was during the same interview, of course, that Pence defended Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn against allegations that the future (and now former) national security adviser had discussed Obama administration sanctions against Russia with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyakallegations that have since proved shockingly accurate. Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway made similar refutations of allegations that Trump campaign staff had contacted Russian intelligence officers during an interview on MSNBC in December, calling such speculation dangerous. Absolutely not, Conway said at the time. Those conversations never happened. I hear people saying it like its a fact on television. That is just not only inaccurate and false, but its dangerous, and it does undermine our democracy. The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment on the revelations, although Manafort called the allegations absurd, telling The New York Times that he never knowingly discussed anything with Russian intelligence officials (who would, he contended, presumably be adept enough at espionage that a person might accidentally speak with them unintentionally). Its not like these people wear badges that say, Im a Russian intelligence officer, Manafort said. The administrations reaction to Flynns late-night resignation on Monday following news of his own contact with the Russian government, however, may indicate a response to the latest allegations along the lines of: So what? There was nothing wrong or inappropriate about those discussions, Spicer said of the Trump administrations first Russia-related crisis of the week. It purely came down to a matter of trust. After weeks of mocking the mainstream media as fake news and the opposition partyan attempt to delegitimize an essential participant in American democracy in order to control the version of reality being sold to the citizenryDonald Trump and the people around him are being forced to confront a basic fact: Journalists matter. And with the firing of White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynna step President Trump took very reluctantly Monday night in response to the damaging revelations published by The Washington Post and The New York Times about the retired generals lies concerning his conversations with the Russian ambassadorjournalism as an institution has reasserted itself. Big time. Donald Trump cant change the way gravity worksand the news media in our civil society, and accountability journalism, muscled up and demonstrated that he cant change gravity, said Steve Clemons, Washington editor at large for The Atlantic magazine. High-quality journalism matters enormously, and it mattered to him, even though he tried to ignore it. Clemons added: I wouldnt say that journalism is now boss in this new world. But I would say that in this multi-match Sumo contest between journalists and the White House, in which the White House thought it was going to redefine the power dynamic, journalism has knocked Trump out of the ring. But its only the beginning of the contest, and its not the definitive case that journalism is prevailing. Yet there has been a decided sea change in recent days. White House press secretary Sean Spicerwho trotted out the fake news attack at an infamous Jan. 11 news conference and officially launched his tenure, the day after the inauguration, with a mouth-foaming tirade about crowd sizespointedly acknowledged the primacy the old, pre-Trump protocols during Tuesdays afternoon face-off in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. In contrast to his previous briefings, Spicer called on the major wire services, newspapers, and broadcast and cable-television organizations in the front rows and fielded tough, probing questions before recognizing often-sympathetic back-benchers such as Newsmax or right-wing radio host Laura Ingrahams Lifezette website. Happy Valentines Day! I can sense the love in the room, the press secretary joked at the start of the briefing. Lucy Dalglish, dean of the University of Marylands Philip Merrill College of Journalism, said the Fourth Estate, the beneficiary of leaks in recent days from inside the federal bureaucracy and even apparently the White House itself, is stepping up to its informal role as a fourth branch of government. What were witnessing is a version of checks and balances in a crazy way, Dalglish told The Daily Beast. There are people within the White House or whatever agency this is coming from who are terrified by what has been happening and theyre seeking out reporters The fact that this is going on in real timei.e., instead of the usual situation in which the leaks generally refer back to incidents from the pastis probably the biggest news here, Daglish added. And when somebody leaks, the media gets to amplify the story. It makes you wonder, whats next? Indeed, on Wednesday, the story of Flynns pre-inauguration discussion of U.S. sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak moved on to revelations about contacts last year between Trump presidential campaign aides and Russian intelligence officials bent on meddling in the American election. The media is getting a second wind, Dalglish said. Theyre getting a pathway for how to deal with the administration going forward. Even presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway who has offered herself up as the medias favorite pinata and Trumps ubiquitous human shieldacknowledges the power of the journalism establishment in a way that her boss does not. My big line about all this is that the White House and the news media are going to have joint custody of the country for eight years, Conway told The Daily Beastoptimistically predicting two Trump terms. We have to find a way to do this. Were going to share the stewardship of the country. Conway, who has made a series of televised assertions that turned out not to be truenotably her claim Monday afternoon that Flynn had the presidents full confidence mere hours before the president fired himhas been a target of derision, particularly on MSNBCs Morning Joe, on which host Joe Scarborough has suggested shes either lying or out of the loop, and co-host Mika Brzezinski on Wednesday declared that Conway is no longer welcome on the program because shes not credible anymore. Brzezinski revealed that Conway, the object of a complaint by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics for improperly doing a free commercial on Fox & Friends last week for Ivanka Trumps clothing line, has frequently tried to book herself by texting the show directly. But a White House source said Conway has done so at the personal direction of the president, who phoned her shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday to ask her to make what became an ill-fated appearance on NBCs Today show. On Today, Conway spun a bizarre narrative about Flynns defenestration. Although the president knew for weeks that Flynn had dissembled about his chat with the Russian ambassador, she argued, and the unwitting vice president, Mike Pence, was sent out to repeat the generals misstatements on television, it was only Monday night that Trump decided he couldnt trust his national security adviser anymore. Matt Lauer protested, Kellyanne, that makes no sense. Rick Tyler, a longtime Republican communications operative, said of Conway, There is a good case to be made that she is now incoherent and incomprehensible, and Im not even sure that its her fault. As for the president of the United States personally orchestrating Conways television bookings, Tyler said: Wow. That is crazy. That tells you that there are too many power centers in this White House. Tyler also expressed sympathy for Spicer, who in previous incarnations enjoyed a positive relationship with reporters as a Capitol Hill press secretary and communications director and chief strategist at the Republican National Committee. Seans problem is that his version of a good press secretary and the presidents version of a good press secretary are incompatible, Tyler said. The president thinks [fanatical policy adviser] Stephen Miller, who says things that Darth Vader would blush at, is a good press secretary. Tyler added that the presidents and the White Houses relentless fake news attacks are likely to end in tears. When the White House doesnt respect the news media, and the news isnt going your way, you make it twice as hard on yourself when you dont have a good relationship with the news media, Tyler said. If you have that relationship, you often get the benefit of the doubt. A reporter wont take your side, but at least they will try to be fair to you. As for Trumps continual deployment of the insult fake news, Conway predicted to The Daily Beast that the president isnt done. If youre wondering if hes purged it from his vocabulary, she said, hes not happy about any of thatmeaning news coverage that Trump considers hostile and unfair. Indeed, the president has not given up on his quixotic quest to reverse the laws of gravity. At 6:41 a.m. Wednesday, Trump tweeted: The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @FoxandFriends is great! That was just the start of a Twitter rant in which the Leader of the Free World seemed to be shouting into the wind: This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign Information is being illegally given to the failing & by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?). Just like Russia. Grasping at straws, the president singled out a sympathetic remark from an otherwise critical commentator: Thank you to Eli Lake of The Bloomberg View The NSA & FBI...should not interfere in our politics...and is Very serious situation for USA. And then complained: Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? He added: The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! Quite the contrary, of courseits as American as apple pie. President Donald Trump blamed the media for the downfall of his National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, giving no hint of the loss of trust his spokesman said led to Flynn's requested resignation. "General Flynn is a wonderful man," Trump said during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. "I think he's been treated very, very unfairly by the media, as I call it, the fake media in many cases." It was a stunning shift after White House spokesman Sean Spicer blamed Flynn's Monday resignation on the president's loss of trust in the retired general for misleading Vice President Pence about his discussions with the Russian ambassador before the inaugurationand for not remembering the content of those discussions. "The president was very concerned that General Flynn had misled the vice president and others, Spicer told reporters Tuesday. The question wasn't if [Flynn] did anything improper or legal, but could he be trusted further. Trump further railed against the leaks that revealed Flynn discussed Obama administration sanctions with the Russian ambassador, a possible violation of U.S. law. He said people are trying to cover up for "a terrible loss" by the Democrats. "The president was addressing his deep concern about illegal leaks of highly sensitive information," a White House official told The Daily Beast Wednesday afternoon. He insisted it was not overturning Spicer's readout on the president's lack of trust in Flynn. "It was not a contradiction in any way. There's an overriding concern about the leaks," the official said, speaking anonymously to discuss the sensitive matter. Trump took no further questions on why Flynn left, nor would he respond to reports that the FBI monitored constant contacts between members of Trump's campaign and Russian intelligence officials. The exchange took place during Netanyahu's first trip to Washington since Trump became president. Trump also said he'd like to see the U.S. Embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalema de facto recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital that would anger Palestiniansbut he said he was "studying" the matter. The rest of the press conference centered on Mideast issues, with the American and Israeli leaders jovially agreeing to disagree over expanding Israeli settlements. "I'd like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit," Trump said frankly from the podium, eyeing Israel's leader with a wink in his voice. "It's the art of the deal," Netanyahu replied with a somewhat abashed smile, throwing his hands in the air and apparently caught a little off guard by the comment. The Israeli leader later said the two men would discuss the issue that afternoon, so they didn't keep "bumping into each other" on the issue. Trump's willingness to defy previous U.S. policy was on full display when he added that he is willing to abandon a two-state solution to the Israeli and Palestinian peace process, if that's what the two sides want. "So, I'm looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like," Trump said. "I can live with either one." Trump echoed Netanyahu's criticism of the Palestinian Authority's failure to recognize the Jewish state, and he criticized the Palestinian education program which he and Netanyahu both said taught the local youth to despise Israel. "I think the Palestinians have to get rid of some of that hate that they are taught from a very young age," Trump said. But he also added that Israel would have to change some too, to reach a deal. "As with any successful negotiation, both sides will have to make compromises. You know that, right?" he said, looking directly at Netanyahu. The CCTV footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 shows the image of the suspected assassin of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's half-brother Kim Jong Nam wearing a T-shirt that has 'LOL' printed on it. By India Today Web Desk: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother Kim Jong Nam was assassinated on Monday. It is believed that Kim Jong Nam was assassinated by two female agents from North Korea. Reports say that the women used poisonous chemicals to kill Nam. #FYI: North Korea's Kim Jong-un's half-brother assassinated in Malaysia by female operatives A zoomed in image of the suspected woman assassin from the CCTV footage obtained from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 shows a peculiar sight. advertisement Of course, we understand assassins won't be dressed as shown in Hollywood or even Korean movies, but the Kim Jong Nam's assassin took things to a new level by wearing a T-shirt that had 'LOL' (acronym for laugh out loud) printed on it. Photo courtesy: Twitter (@goldengateblond) The woman paired her white T-shirt with what seems to be a blue short skirt and was carrying a small sling handbag, reports The Star. A Reuters report said that South Korea's foreign ministry could not confirm the reports of Nam's assassination. An employee in the emergency ward of Putrajaya hospital said a deceased Korean there was born in 1970 and surnamed Kim, though. What we cannot comprehend till now is the level of chill the assassin had. She be like... --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: Ahmedabad, Feb 15 (PTI) Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) today announced to set up five Khadi Villages each in all the states to make the rural population self reliant in order to stop their migration into cities. According to KVIC chairman V K Saxena, khadi and related industry is the best way to uplift the economic condition of poor people living in villages. advertisement "KVIC is working on a project of setting up five Khadi Villages in each state within one year. This will make villagers self reliant and it would also stop migration of rural population into cities," said Saxena on the sidelines of a function here today. Under this project, interested villagers will be given charkhas (spinning wheels), looms and other equipments required to set up small scale industries, such as candles, incense sticks, honeybee cultivation, bakery, etc. "We will identify five villages each in every state and then train the beneficiaries to carry out that business, which requires very less investment. Under this initiative, they will be able to sell their own products in the village through a sales outlet," said Saxena. According to him, KVIC is taking several initiatives to increase the sale of khadi, which today stands under one per cent among the total textile sale in the country. "In the last financial year (2015-16), khadi sale stood at Rs 1,510 crore. This year(2016-17), we expect to achieve a turnover between Rs 1,900 crore to Rs 2,000 crore. We have set a target of achieving Rs 5000 crore in next two years," said Saxena. He also added that KVIC is in talks with the Gujarat government to supply khadi for police uniform. "We are in talks with Gujarat government to supply khadi for police uniform. We have also urged many other state government to buy our khadi for that purpose. We are taking many such steps to increase the sale of khadi," he added. PTI PJT PD NRB --- ENDS --- Officials declared the operation as successful and identified the officer as Major S Dahiya. The militants were identified as Abu Saad, Abu Mavia and one of the top commanders of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Abu Darda. By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Three militants and a major were killed in an encounter in Kralgund are of north Kashmir's Kupwara district. Officials declared the operation as successful and identified the officer as Major S Dahiya. The militants were identified as Abu Saad, Abu Mavia and one of the top commanders of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Abu Darda. Darda and Saad had infiltrated into Kashmir with Bahadur Ali, who was arrested, in June last year. Saad and Darda are also said to be behind recent attacks on convoy and army camps, including the encounter in Langate on October 6, last year. advertisement Police said that the terrorist tried to flee but were surrounded by heavy deployment of force-- 30 Rashtriya Rifles, 92 Battalion of CRPF and Jammu Kashmir police. "The encounter is a major success. This is a huge setback for Lashkar. We have improved our intelligence network, so we are getting information based on which operations are being conducted," DIG North Kashmir Nitish Kumar said.Also read: Encounter in J-K's Bandipora: 3 Army soldiers die, 1 militant killed WHO IS ABU DARDA Abu Darda had been on Jammu Kashmir police's wanted list as he helped many groups infiltrate into the country. According to sources, Darda was active during 2008-2010. He was trained with Bahadur Ali and Saad in the Lashkar camp. They were then handpicked as a team who then illegally infiltrated into Indian territory on June 12-13, 2016. Ali along with two other associates Abu Saad and Abu Darda, before infiltrating, were provided with the grid references (GRs) which guided them across Line of Control. The matrix sheet for grid references have been recovered from the terrorist. Bahadur Ali after their successful infiltration was separated from Abu Darda and Abu Saad. Ali told the National Investigation Agency that the duo had gone to neighbouring village to arrange food, did not return, and said to have gone missing. After which Bahadur Ali contacted Lashkar control station Alpha-3, and was instructed to act alone. Also read Handwara encounter: Army major succumbs to injuries --- ENDS --- In winter, the onion has its moment Winter is not my time of year. As seasons go, I rank it last, in the kitchen and everywhere else. I'm cold, there's nothing fresh to cook, and it makes a curmudgeon out of me. But increasingly, I'm realizing that winter cooking has an upside. With less to work with, you focus on what you do have. You think past your typical impulses, reframing the usual suspects. For the often overstimulated and overwhelmed, this can be freeing. At mealtime, it means paying due attention to one of the most common yet underestimated ingredients of everyday cooking: onions. Not spring's precious bunching onions with their grass-green tops, or even the sweet specialty onions of summer. I mean plain, round storage onions, the ones we rarely think about - until there's a crisis because they're not in the house. Elizabeth Robins Pennell, an American who wrote about food in 19th- and early-20th-century London, spared no drama when praising the onion's essential nature. "Banish it from the kitchen, and all pleasure of eating flies with it," she wrote in an essay called "The Incomparable Onion." "Its presence lends color and enchantment to the most modest dish; its absence reduces the rarest dainty to hopeless insipidity, and the diner to despair." Onions are both foundation and finishing touch, so common to our cooking habits that to leave them out must be deliberate. Yet despite this reliance, how often do we summon the onion for its own sake? Not often enough, and perhaps that's because we tend to undervalue anything we have perennial access to, anything dependable and ubiquitous. Winter, with so few fleeting distractions outselling this humble vegetable's charms, is my annual cue to yield more space to them on the plate. Sometimes that means rummaging through my pantry and old notes to scavenge for ideas I never seem to have time for in spring, summer or fall. Other times it means letting the onion speak for itself. When I need a nudge in that direction, I turn to cooks such as the late food writer Richard Olney who remind me that simplicity and restraint can be as compelling as the glitz of novelty and complex orchestration. Olney's selection of onion dishes in his book "Simple French Food" reads like a study: onions baked into a delicate pudding; onions layered in a brothy, cheesy panade; onions bathed in cream in a gratin; onions glazed with vinegar and rolled into an omelet (which he classifies as an "attractively vulgar presentation"); onions braised in beer. Each of those treatments is a meditation on the onion's possibilities: gently stewed until mild and sweet; caramelized to jammy, bittersweet depths; simmered long and slow until silken and creamy; sauteed and lashed with acid, still racy and willfully bright. The recipes aim to capture this vegetable's many moods with as much attention. In one, yellow onions are cooked in an earthy white wine and porcini mushroom broth, lending the soup a creamy, buttery body. Thinly sliced raw onions take on funky, briny notes with beets in a magenta-hued, ume-vinegar-dressed salad. And hollowed-out whole onions generate both vessel and savory filling in a dish that puts another should-eat-more-often element, stuffing, in the center of the plate. All of them call on basic storage onions from the supermarket, although local growers also occasionally have onions through early spring. As far as red, white and yellow onions: They're generally interchangeable, but their differences, although subtle, are just enough that I've called for specific types for each recipe. Yellow onions are the driest, so they hold up the longest in the pot (and in your pantry), making them ideal for long cooking. Red onions are faintly sweeter, so I prefer them for slightly quicker caramelization and when I want their lovely boost of color. White onions are highest in water content and the mildest, so they can be a good choice for a raw garnish. I like to use a mix of all three for stuffed onions. One maxim worth repeating is that you should always, when cutting onions (or any other vegetable, for that matter), use a sharp knife. A dull one will bruise the flesh, which leads to ragged slices that are prone to stick to a pan's surface. Likewise, avoid nonstick cookware when cooking onions; it discourages proper (and delicious!) coloring. These recipes also employ two cutting techniques. One applies the knife across the grain, to produce the familiar onion ring shape. Slices like these will break down more quickly, so I've called for this approach in the soup, where the onions will help thicken and sweeten at the same time. Cutting onions with the grain, from end to end, produces crescent-shaped slices. Incidentally, onions are also less pungent when sliced this way, so I call for this slice in the beet salad, where they stand up a bit better to the higher cooking temperature. When you begin to cook, take a moment to linger on the onion's fragrance, the way it fills up the room with warmth. As Elizabeth Robins Pennell wrote, with reference to a Stevenson poem: " 'Rose among roots,' its very name revives memories of pleasant feasting; its fragrance is rich forecast of delights to come." When those delights are in winter, all the better. --- Horton is a freelance writer in Seattle. food-onion Washington Post News Service (DC) 2/14/2017 2:30:22 PM Central Standard Time Writers: Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@ag.tamu.edu Contacts: Dr. Roel Lopez, 210-277-0292, roel.lopez@ag.tamu.edu Dr. Nova Silvy, 979-845-5749, n-silvy@tamu.edu Dr. Israel Parker, 979-739-0679, Israel.parker@ag.tamu.edu SAN ANTONIO For the past several months, a Texas A&M University System institute has been actively involved in efforts to quash a screwworm outbreak in Florida that has jeopardized an already endangered species, said the director for the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources. While there had been no screwworm outbreaks in the U.S. for the past 30 years, one began last July on Big Pine Key, which affected the Key deer population, said Dr. Roel Lopez, institute director and co-principal investigator for the Key deer study, San Antonio. Key deer are a diminutive subspecies of white-tailed deer found only in the Lower Florida Keys. Over the following months, screwworms infested the population, which is spread across more than 20 islands. It has led to 135 Key deer deaths, including 83 that were euthanized to reduce the risk of further infection. This was a significant blow to a species of which is uniquely located in that area and has an estimated population of just 875, said Lopez, who noted the mortalities were primarily among adult males. He said the institute, which is affiliated with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&Ms College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was brought in to work with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Florida Fish and Wildlife Service Commission, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services of Monroe County. With the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the lead agency, we have been researching screwworm impacts and spatial distribution, as well as deer population density based on sex ratio and age, Lopez said. We have also been involved in determining management implications for protecting the deer. In particular, the Texas A&M institutes efforts have been focused on helping determine how this endangered species will fare following the infestation. He said a complete survey of the Key deer had not been conducted since 2005. At the invitation of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida agencies, our staff and research scientists have conducted multiple surveys to obtain the current estimate of the population, focusing efforts on Big Pine and No Name keys, the core area for the population. Lopez and co-principal investigator Dr. Nova Silvy, Regents Professor in Texas A&Ms wildlife and fisheries sciences department, College Station, both did their doctoral research on Key deer. All but 10 of the Key deer deaths from screwworm infestation were males, Silvy said. In these males, screwworms typically infected open wounds created by their fighting during their rutting season, which is from September to December, as they competed for females. He explained screwworm fly larvae feed on warm-blooded animal tissue, so the open wounds from the deer rut provided an environment for screwworms to infest and lay eggs. The screwworms eat the flesh around the wound until the deer becomes incapacitated or dies, he said. According to Dr. Israel Parker, a research scientist at the institute in College Station and another co-principal investigator for the study, the screwworm infestation could also cause problems for other warm-blooded animals in the area. For his masters degree work at Texas A&M, Parker was involved in the translocation of Key deer during the 2005 survey. Screwworms can have devastating effects on livestock populations, so an outbreak could potentially affect many agricultural operations, depending on how widely it spreads, he said. The last major infestation of the screwworm in the 1960s was a significant concern for livestock producers in Texas, so its very important screwworms be addressed in the Florida Keys before they possibly spread and affect livestock operations on the mainland. Silvy noted while so far interagency efforts have been highly successful in halting the outbreak, further screwworm infestations may appear in the spring as Key does start giving birth. The flies could infest the afterbirth or the navels of the fawns, which is a common problem with calves in areas with screwworms, he said. To help control the outbreak and assess the survivability of the Key deer, Lopez, Silvy, Parker and others from the Texas A&M institute have traveled to Florida to conduct deer population estimates and projections. They have also placed radio collars on 30 Key deer does to help find if they may be vulnerable to screwworm flies while giving birth. Working together, our agencies have been able to stave off further screwworm infestations, Lopez said. Additionally, the institutes male-to-female population ratio estimate showed a high probability the Key deer population will continue to be viable because the adult males that died can be replaced by younger males that can mate with multiple does. Estimates indicate there appear to be enough males to complete the breeding season. They also show a long-term population increase of about 3.5 percent annually, which should continue. Lopez said preventive treatment and screwworm fly eradication efforts by other cooperating agencies have been highly successful. These have included setting up feeder stations rimmed with anti-parasitic medications and releasing 60 million sterile male screwworms to mate with wild female flies, stifling their reproductive capacity. In addition, several deer enclosures are proposed to be built at the National Key Deer Refuge to trap and care for healthy specimens if herd numbers become uncomfortably low, he said. Lopez said he hopes these strategies, in addition to continuing the monitoring protocol, conducting intensive monthly surveys, possible translocation and long-term monitoring of outer Key islands impacted by screwworm, will help ensure the survival of the Key deer. For more information, go to http://bit.ly/2kcsaKY or http://bit.ly/2hcRtLy or contact Parker at israel.parker@ag.tamu.edu. -30- By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) India today welcomed the return of Morocco to the African Union (AU), saying it will strengthen Africas unity. "India congratulates Morocco on its return to the African Union with an overwhelming majority. India and Africa have a historic relationship and this has grown into a sustainable partnership. India wholeheartedly welcomes Moroccos return to AU, which has strengthened Africas Unity," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. advertisement Morocco had quit the predecessor of the AU, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), in 1984, in protest against the body recognising the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as a full member. SADR is a partially recognised state that controls a thin strip of area in the Western Sahara region and claims sovereignty over its entire territory. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is a region on North Africas Atlantic coast bordering Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania. Notably, India had invited Morocco for India-Africa Summit in 2015 even though it was not member of the AU. PTI PYK ZMN --- ENDS --- U.S. government must stand by its ally Azerbaijan Feb. 26 marks the 25th anniversary of the heinous war crime against humanity perpetrated by the Armenian armed forces in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. On Feb. 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed forces, and several Armenian paramilitary detachments, with the support of the 366th motorized rifle regiment of the Russian army, stormed the besieged town of Khojaly and cleansed it from its Azerbaijani population. By the morning hours of Feb. 26, 613 bodies of Azerbajiani and Ahiska Turks lay lifeless, bullet-ridden, mutilated -- among them 106 women, 83 children, 79 elderly. Many more went missing and fell into captivity, never to be heard from again. The massacre at Khojaly was the culmination point in a series of ethnic cleansing assaults in February, perpetrated by Armenian forces. On Feb. 10-17, Armenian detachments seized the villages of Malibeyli, Gushchular and Garadaghly, burning the villages to the ground, massacring hundreds of civilians and forcing more into captivity. All these villages and Khojaly itself were part of the scorched earth policy, devised by the Armenian commanders intending to remove all hope fleeing Azerbaijani may have had for returning to their homes. Several countries as well as more than two dozen U.S. states, including Texas, have passed legislative resolutions and issued gubernatorial proclamations commemorating the Khojaly Massacre. Many members of Congress have submitted statements for the Congressional Record in the past decade. Several Armenian human rights activists have repented. To this day, Armenia continues to occupy Nagorno-Karabakh region despite U.N. Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884, demanding unconditional and immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops and allowing Azerbaijanis to return to their homes. The U.S. government must stand with its ally Azerbaijan and exert pressure on the Kremlin's proxy Armenia to force it to comply with international law and withdraw from occupied Azerbaijani territories. SAMIR HUSEYNOV College Station But now the difficult task of keeping tabs on sleazy breeders who refuse to comply with even the meager, decrepit standards of the anachronistic Animal Welfare Act (AWA) just got a whole lot harder. That's thanks in part to the Trump Administration's 'delete first ... so we won't have to ask questions later' approach to everything related to science, public health, safety, or anything that might crimp the money-making style of Trump's corporate supporters. Draining the swamp? Or swamping the drain? In the spirit of gag orders imposed on a number of science-dependent agencies, the USDA abruptly 'purged' its online database of "inspection reports and other information from its website about the treatment of animals at thousands of research laboratories, zoos, dog breeding operations and other facilities", according to a story first reported by the Washington Post. "Going forward, APHIS will remove from its website inspection reports, regulatory correspondence, research facility annual reports, and enforcement records that have not received final adjudication. APHIS will also review and redact, as necessary, the lists of licensees and registrants under the AWA, as well as lists of designated qualified persons (DQPs) licensed by USDA-certified horse industry organizations", the USDA said on its website. And it's that last bit about "USDA-certified horse industry organizations" that might be the key to unraveling a move that has outraged animal welfare activists, journalists, and even a few conservative commentators like Laura Ingraham and Tammy Bruce. Writing in the Washington Times, Ms. Bruce questioned the move as a "disturbing" and "odd" move for an "administration to be committed to transparency, draining the swamp and ending lobbyist control of policy." Of course, it's hard to tell whether the Trump Administration wants to drain the swamp or to swamp the drain with crony capitalists in an attempt to flood the already financially fertile plains of Washington, DC with the loamy, rich monetary manure spread so profitably by key industries. Who benefits? So, who benefits from a widely unpopular decision that generated angry hashtags like #USDAblackout and #NoUSDAblackout ... and the filing of a new lawsuit claiming the blackout illegally obstructs the application of the Animal Welfare Act? New reporting by the Washington Post indicates senior staffers within the UDSA advocated the purge in response to a lawsuit over the controversial practice of 'soring' the legs of walking horses with harsh chemicals that inflict enough pain to cause the animal's "high-stepping" gait to rise just a little bit higher. That, in turn, makes them more successful in competitions and raises their value as a commodity. In other words, no pain means less financial gain. Ironically, the USDA recently banned soring ... but suddenly decided to implement the data purge despite the decision to prohibit the very practice that sparked the lawsuit that supposedly led to the purge. Perhaps it's not coincidental that the ban came after the national Humane Society conducted its own investigations into horse soring or that their investigation would've relied in part on the exactly the type of data collected by USDA inspectors. But now, just like it will with profligate puppy millers, the purge effectively hides the identity of "horse industry organizations" with a documented history of soring and gives them new room to run roughshod on animal welfare protections. And who decided? So, who made this perplexing, politically unpopular decision? Although he wasn't necessarily opposed to the purge when it was first proposed, outgoing Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told the Post that he refused to sign-off on the new, information-obscuring rule because "there was not enough time for us to properly vet the recommendation, and I was concerned about transparency." But that was then and this is now. And now there is a new sheriff in town who has said regulations must go the way of the dying bumblebee his administration doesn't want to list as an endangered species. To wit, the prime mover behind the purge might be one of Trump's lesser-known deputies - a guy name Brian Klippenstein of the industry-aligned Protect the Harvest. He is now the head of Trump's USDA transition team. And the 'harvest' he and his barely-known advocacy group want to protect is the unchecked right of human beings to harvest animals for profit. Mostly, they want to do so without any meddling by the Humane Society or even the barest protections for the welfare of animals. Klippenstein - who is something of a puppy mill enthusiast - is no doubt pleased with a purge that will make it easier to profit off of mistreating animals again. So, with a tidy little bit of doublespeak, the USDA website replaced the database with a message explaining that the records were removed "based on our commitment to being transparent, remaining responsive to our stakeholders' informational needs, and maintaining the privacy rights of individuals." Tying the animal defenders in red tape and paperwork It's the needs of those "stakeholders" - the breeders and businesses and big agricultural interests - that will predictably win out in this crony-laden administration. But wait ... maybe this was just part of Team Trump's war on the onerous, freedom-killing regulatory state ... right? Hardly. According to a fact sheet from the HSUS, these anything-but-onerous USDA 'regulations' make it perfectly legal to "keep dozens or even hundreds of breeding dogs in small wire cages for their entire lives with only the basics of food, water and rudimentary shelter." Despite that, many of the licensed breeders violate these comically inadequate standards in their never-ending quest to cruelly cut corners and squeeze a little more profit out of the cramped lives of dogs trapped in a perpetual cycle of insemination, pregnancy, and birth. And that's to say nothing of the thousands of unlicensed puppy mills whose only oversight comes from activists, nonprofits, journalists, and the occasional whistleblower ... and whose operations only come to an end when these non-governmental do-gooders do the kind of good that one might expect from an agency tasked with the duty of ensuring a basic level of animal welfare. As a result of the move, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), along with ASPCA, PETA, and hundreds of other smaller non-profit and volunteer animal welfare organizations around the country, will be tied up in red tape and tortuous FOIA paperwork if they want to access heretofore public information on zoos, laboratories, roadside attractions and, of course, puppy mills. That matters because those organizations fill the gaping hole left by the sparsely funded, severely understaffed, and seemingly overmatched USDA. The Humane Society is one of many non-government watchdogs that watch out for dogs by funding their own investigations and by even staging raids on puppy mills in concert with local law enforcement. The USDA's now-purged database was often a roadmap leading the HSUS, ASPCA, and hundreds of local watchdogs to serial violators. Without voluntary sector engagement, enforcement would hardly exist The simple fact is that little is done even when the USDA is on the case, which is not that surprising for an agency with a well-greased revolving door between itself and the businesses it regulates. Even Ringling Bros - whose violation data would be purged along with puppy millers - was able to get someone placed at the USDA back in 2011. Perhaps that helps explain why, as the HSUS points out, "there are hundreds of USDA-licensed puppy mills in operation that have a history of documented animal care violations that are still licensed." But that just one part of why access to the records accumulated by the USDA is so important. Natasha Daly of National Geographic wrote: "These records have revealed many cases of abuse and mistreatment of animals, incidents that, if the reports had not been publicly posted, would likely have remained hidden. This action plunges journalists, animal welfare organizations, and the public at large into the dark about animal welfare at facilities across the country." As One Green Planet reported, it's the same database that helped Boston Globe reporter Carolyn Johnson expose a "federally-funded primate testing facility" at Harvard University that mistreated thousands of monkeys despite repeated violations and $24,000 in fines ... until it was ignominiously closed in 2015. It was whistleblowers and journalists who used shocking footage to expose the cruelty that halted the captive breeding program at SeaWorld, ended years of torture and sickness for Ringling Brothers' elephants, and sparked a wholesale revolution in the production of eggs when Mercy for Animals revealed the deplorable conditions of egg-laying chickens. It was surreptitiously filmed videos that eventually led to McDonald's, Walmart, and other major companies forcing their suppliers to adopt new welfare standards for the chickens they quite literally bank on to bring home the bacon. The same has been happening with puppy mills, too Increased awareness of the deplorable conditions - thanks in part to activists and journalists using the now deleted data - has led to a number of anti-puppy mill laws around the country. Those efforts, along with campaigns to convince dog enthusiasts to adopt a soon-to-be-euthanized shelter dog over a costly retail puppy, have the pet industry mounting a counter-campaign of alternative facts designed to convince Americans that there is a puppy shortage in spite of the daunting facts. Of course, the dog breeding industry is there to help re-puppy America - for a price. And their bottom line is that the less you know about the way those puppies are produced, the better it is for the conscience of consumers and their bank accounts. Frankly, that's really what this purge portends ... a wider crackdown on transparency and information in the USDA, which, along with the FDA, oversees the nation's gargantuan factory farming industry. The fact that Trump tapped former Georgia Governor Sonny Purdue to run the Department of Agriculture is the clearest signal yet that years of hard-won, incremental progress on animal welfare and increased safety in the food supply are likely to go the way of the dodo bird under factory farm-friendly Purdue. Remember that time then-candidate Trump floated the idea of eliminating the FDA's "food police" who make sure there isn't too much feces in the meat or too little safety in the nation's vast, complicated food system? Now, with Brian Klippenstein planting the seeds of profitability for factory farmers, horse sorers and, alas, puppy millers, Trump vision of 'unchecked everything' is coming into focus. Thanks to the purge, it just got harder for activists, journalists and whistleblowers to do what the USDA wasn't capable of doing. And it also became a little easier to be an animal-abusing ingrate again. JP Sottile is a freelance journalist, published historian, radio co-host and documentary filmmaker (The Warning, 2008). His credits include a stint on the Newshour news desk, C-SPAN and as newsmagazine producer for ABC affiliate WJLA in Washington. His weekly show 'Inside the Headlines With The Newsvandal' co-hosted by James Moore airs every Friday on KRUU-FM in Fairfield, Iowa. He blogs at Newsvandal and tweets @newsvandal. Photo: Cage in a 500-puppy puppy mill, raided by voluntary organisations on 8th July 2009. By Josh Henderson via Flickr (CC BY-SA). Many more photos from the raid here. This article was originally published on AntiMedia (Creative Commons). Join the Revolution: Click Here for the Homepage of Independent Media. There is money to be made in the craft and creative fields, and a local progam wants those dollars to go to Franklin County artisans. A free program about that will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the Franklin Center. It will involve discussion of Round the Mountain: Southwest Virginias Artisan Network, in partnership with the Franklin County Division of Tourism and Film and the Franklin County White Lightning Artisan Trail, which showcases local crafts, arts and culture. The program is headed by Diana Blackburn, executive director of Round the Mountain. It is geared to people involved with local galleries, studios, painting, pottery, barn quilts, fiber art, wineries, craft breweries, distilleries, gift shops, farms, produce markets, farm-to-table dining, culinary tourism, woodworking, furniture making, music makers and other aspects of the craft and creative economy. A recent statewide study revealed the total economic impact to Virginia from the artisan industry netted some $572.2 million, including $15.6 million in state tax revenues. Nearly 12,000 full-time jobs were supported by artisan visitor spending, which generated more than $250 million. Average spending was estimated at $260 per person. Round the Mountain artisan members work quietly in their home studio and sell their work there or at a local venue, Blackburn stated in a press release. These individuals combined with the wineries, craft venues, agritourism businesses and creative points of interest that make up the Artisan Trails are collectively making a significant impact to the economy of the region and the state. David Rotenizer, Franklin Countys tourism development manager, stated in the release, Franklin County is becoming a destination for many things, and we need to showcase our artisan community year-round. Franklin County now has an established open studio tour each fall, now entering its third season, as well as a barn quilt trail program that will be officially launched in 2017. RSVP to the program by calling (540) 483-3030 or going to VisitFranklin CountyVA.org/RoundTheMountain101. For more information, call the Franklin County Division of Tourism & Film at (540) 483-3030 or email David.Rotenizer@FranklinCountyVA.gov. The Franklin Center is located at 50 Claiborne Ave., Rocky Mount. A Callaway family lost their three dogs and everything they owned Monday after a fire destroyed the singlewide mobile home where they were living. Cassandra Kirk, 24, said she and her boyfriend returned from running errands to find the home fully engulfed in flames, with fire departments there. We lost everything from furniture and clothing to personal items and family photos, Kirk said. The Callaway, Boones Mill and Bent Mountain Volunteer Fire Departments and Franklin County Public Safety with two EMS units all responded to the call at 2:17 p.m., according to Franklin County Fire Marshal R. Scott Fulcher, who also was on the scene. The singlewide mobile home was completely destroyed in the blaze, Fulcher said. The fire was put out in about 45 minutes. The fire is thought to be caused by a woodstove, Fulcher added, though the tentative conclusion will be verified at a later time by investigators examining the charred remains. The mobile home belonged to Kirks father, Joseph Kirk of Roanoke. Cassandra Kirk and her 6-year-old daughter lived there. The family had no insurance, she said, adding that what they need most now is financial help to find a new home. We have nowhere to store furniture or other donated items, she said. If we could find a place to stay, the other stuff will come in time. The family also received assistance from the American Red Cross. It will be hard, but we will rebuild, Kirk said. We plan to get my daughter a new puppy once we can get settled. Fulcher warned of the danger of wood stoves, and in fact, they are not allowed by building code in mobile homes. The walls of mobile homes are not thick, he said. Because of that, plus the type of insulation used, mobile homes cant tolerate the heat of a woodstove. A woodstove should be kept at least 30 to 36 inches away from a wall and have hearth-like material under and behind it, Fulcher said. Items should not be within 36 inches from a woodstove in any direction, and wood certainly should not be stacked beside it. Additionally, at least once a year the chimney and flue should be cleaned and inspected by a certified inspector. An unoccupied chicken coop in Scruggs was also completely destroyed by fire Monday. The outdoor fire was attributed to ashes which had not cooled sufficiently, according to Fulcher. The ashes, which were dumped outside, started a blaze which ended up consuming a chicken coop. There were no chickens inside. Ashes should be discarded into a metal bucket. They should be soaked with water and allowed to set a while, to be sure nothing is smoldering, before being dumped outdoors, Fulcher said. Fulcher also added a reminder of the fire ban, which starts today. No outdoor fires are allowed until 4 p.m. each day. The latest that items to be burned may be added to a fire is 9 p.m., and all fires must be out by midnight. The fire ban is in effect until April 30, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry. People should burn when humidity is high and wind is calm. All fires must be attended until out. By Press Trust of India: London, Feb 15 (PTI) Scientists have identified more than 200 new genetic regions linked with male pattern baldness, which could be used to predict a mans chances of severe hair loss. Before this new study, led by researchers at University of Edinburgh in the UK, only a handful of genes related to baldness had been identified. advertisement The scientists examined genomic and health data from over 52,000 male participants of the UK Biobank, performing a genome-wide association study of baldness. They pinpointed 287 genetic regions linked to this common but potentially embarrassing condition which could be used to predict a mans chance of severe hair loss. The researchers created a formula to try and predict the chance that a person will go bald, based on the presence or absence of certain genetic markers. Accurate predictions for an individual are still some way off, but the results can help to identify sub-groups of the population for which the risk of hair loss is much higher. The study is the largest genetic analysis of male pattern baldness to date. Many of the identified genes are related to hair structure and development. They could provide possible targets for drug development to treat baldness or related conditions. "We identified hundreds of new genetic signals. It was interesting to find that many of the genetics signals for male pattern baldness came from the X chromosome, which men inherit from their mothers," said Saskia Hagenaars, a PhD student at Edinburgh, who jointly led the research. "We are still a long way from making an accurate prediction for an individuals hair loss pattern. However, these results take us one step closer. The findings pave the way for an improved understanding of the genetic causes of hair loss," said studys principal investigator, Dr Riccardo Marioni, from Edinburgh. The study was published in the journal PLOS Genetics. PTI SAR SAR --- ENDS --- Mountain Valley Pipelines controversial quest to bury a 42-inch diameter natural gas pipeline through the region requires the company to acquire easements across private property a process that itself rouses strong reactions. Mountain Valley reported last week that as of Jan. 27 it had negotiated about 1,250 easement agreements with landowners along the 303-mile pipelines proposed route through six counties in Virginia and 11 in West Virginia. Court records show numerous deed easements purchased in Giles, Montgomery and Franklin counties. Only a few have been filed in Craig County, which would host a comparatively short stretch of the pipeline. And, as of late January, only one easement had been acquired in Roanoke County where opposition has been fierce to surveying by crews seeking to define the pipeline route. Natalie Cox, a spokeswoman for Mountain Valley, said the acquisitions represent more than 70 percent of the total acreage needed to build the pipeline, including rights-of-way and access roads. The company hopes to begin construction this year, but the project must first be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Deed easement payments recently reviewed in the region for pipeline rights-of-way ranged from an apparent high of $356,880 for an easement affecting a large parcel along Reese Mountain Road in the Fort Lewis Mountain area of Montgomery County to an apparent low of less than $1,000 in Giles County. Easements for access roads paid less. Cox said compensation varies based on the amount of acreage needed to build or access the pipeline. Many of the perpetual easements acquired for the pipeline include language that lawyers with at least two Virginia-based firms experienced in such negotiations have described as company friendly. For example, many agreements would allow Mountain Valley to install a second pipeline within the easement at a later date. Many include wording that could allow the pipeline to transport products other than natural gas, including oil or other liquids or gases. If FERC approves the project, Mountain Valley will have access to federal eminent domain to acquire easements if negotiations with landowners fail to yield a price acceptable to all. Chuck Lollar, a Norfolk-based lawyer who specializes in representing clients who are facing eminent domain cases, quotes the Latin phrase caveat venditor seller beware when discussing easement negotiations. Lollar has represented property owners fighting pipeline surveying by both Mountain Valley and the separate but similar Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, which would route through central Virginia. He said landowners should hire lawyers experienced in easement negotiations because the easement language MVP, ACP and other gas companies is using is broad, complicated and somewhat unlimited, and owners generally cannot understand the impact of these permanent easements on their property. Generally, lawyers who represent property owners in easement negotiations take as their fee either a percentage of the additional amount paid for the easement through settlement or an award in an eminent domain trial, over the initial appraisal and offer, or an hourly rate, flat fee or combination. Among other potential consequences of negotiating without experienced representation is the risk, Lollar said, of being grossly under-compensated. He and other lawyers familiar with eminent domain cases have said easement payments should compensate property owners for anticipated loss of value of the larger property. Study results, anecdotes and opinions offer varying conclusions about whether a perpetual easement for a large-diameter pipeline transporting natural gas at high pressure causes a decline in property value. There have been cases reported regionally suggesting that simply the prospect of such an easement has negatively affected property values. A few of the agreements included a provision for Mountain Valley to prepay the property owner for surface damages associated with the construction and laying of the pipeline. It also provides for the potential payment for damages to crops, trees and fences that might occur during reclamation of the right-of-way after construction. A separate agreement negotiated in Montgomery County included a section requiring Mountain Valley to maintain liability insurance coverage during pipeline operations, with one provision requiring coverage with limits of $2 million in any one occurrence for property damage and bodily injury. Other deed easements reviewed in the region did not include similar liability insurance provisions. The landowner involved in that transaction declined to be interviewed but acknowledged he was represented by a lawyer. Source of resentment The $356,880 easement payment in Montgomery County went to HS Tejas, a Florida-based company involved in developing the Fort Lewis Mountain Estates subdivision along Reese Mountain Road. Neither HS Tejas nor Continental Pacific LLC, an apparent partner in the development, replied to inquiries about deed easement negotiations with Mountain Valley or its agents and the potential effect of the easement on marketing the 20-acre wooded tracts. Meanwhile, Serina Garst, a co-owner with family members of property in Franklin County, has alleged in a filing with FERC that employees of Coates Field Service, an Oklahoma-based company handling easement acquisitions for Mountain Valley, have engaged in unfair and deceptive negotiation tactics. Garst alleged that a Coates employee portrayed herself as working for landowners rather than MVP and claimed that FERC was encouraging property owners to sign easements in advance of the commissions decision about whether the pipeline project would proceed. Tamara Young-Allen, a spokeswoman for FERC, noted that the Natural Gas Act prohibits FERC involvement in landowner easement negotiations. Cox responded in an email Wednesday. The Mountain Valley Pipeline project team takes these issues, concerns, and allegations very seriously and it is troubling to us that there is even potential for this type of allegation to occur, she said. We expect our land agents to be transparent, upfront and honest in their discussions and negotiations with landowners, Cox added, noting that Coates Field Service land agents are MVP representatives and they are instructed to inform landowners of that fact. A resident of Franklin County who sold an easement without a lawyer, negotiating with Coates Field Service, said he felt he was treated fairly. He said that although he is opposed to the pipeline and believes the easement likely will affect his propertys value, he felt as though the project was just about inevitable and could provide some benefit for the county, which has not had access to natural gas. He also said the pipelines current route through his property is tolerable, being about 400 yards to 500 yards from his house, and he fears the route could be worse. I dont want it near me, he said. He asked that his name not be disclosed. Both he and the Montgomery County landowner said they are aware that neighbors who continue to fight the pipeline might resent that they have negotiated easements. Tailored vs. uniform All of the easement agreements reviewed include language barring property owners from obstructing the permanent right-of-way with buildings and trees. Another common provision grants Mountain Valley the right to come on and off the property on the right-of-way and across adjoining lands during construction, operation and maintenance of the pipeline. Lollar said that this secondary easement essentially allows Mountain Valley to travel from a public road across any part of the landowners property and that landowners should limit access to the easement acquired or some other specified path or road. If not, he said, Arguably, their entire parcel is encumbered with an access easement. Lollar said easement agreements can also specify the terms by which a company like Mountain Valley can transfer the easement to another company. Cox acknowledged that a company can sell an easement but noted that the buyer must abide by the terms of the original easement. Lollar said deed easement negotiations can be uniquely tailored for individual landowners, guided by dozens of specific concerns he said he often raises for clients. But pipeline companies prefer much more uniform agreements, he said, and sometimes offer less money for deed easements that are more restrictive. Meanwhile, Cox said Mountain Valley is not concerned about the dearth of easement agreements negotiated to date in Roanoke County. We do not anticipate this will hinder the steps we are taking in the regulatory approval process and we remain confident that the Mountain Valley Pipeline project can bring economic benefits to the region in the form of increased business development, job growth and tax revenue generation, Cox said in an email. She said Mountain Valley respects the opinions of pipeline opponents and will continue to try to alleviate their concerns. News researcher Belinda Harris contributed to this report. Rocky Mount took one step closer to automated trash collection Monday night, with hopes of making the change by July. The Rocky Mount Town Council held a public hearing on the matter during the council meeting. The plan calls for the purchase of two trucks with automated arms: one new truck, which would be the main collection vehicle, and one used truck, to be in service during such busier occasions as require additional trash collection. The town also would provide about 2,500 cans to all Rocky Mount residents and businesses. In next years fiscal year, we have to replace this piece of equipment, Town Manager James Ervin said of the current garbage truck. We want to make sure we do it in a way that works for our citizens needs and is as safe as possible. Each fully automated truck would pick up town-issued 95-gallon or 65-gallon trash bins with its hydraulic side arm, lifting the cans up and over the top of its collection bed. Rocky Mount estimates the cost will likely be around $500,000 to make the switch to a fully automated truck and to provide cans to all town residents. Ervin told council members the towns trash collection plan is a win-win situation that would solve both flexibility in can size for our citizens and give our staff a safer way to collect the trash. The town would like to minimize the number of injuries related to trash pickup, officials said. Rocky Mount has paid more than $250,000 in medical expenses related to incidences involving the current garbage truck, well over the $78,000 it spent to buy the truck new in 2000. Despite being 17 years old, the truck is still the newer of the two Rocky Mount owns, and Ervin speculated the older backup truck is not likely to pass state inspection this year. Only one citizen spoke during the public hearing regarding the garbage truck. Mary Slover, 58, said she lives in a townhouse where tenants are required to keep their trash bins out of sight except for only one day a week. She was concerned about being able to fit the 95-gallon trash bin through the path to her backyard. Town officials assured that all residents would have a choice of getting a 65-gallon bin as an alternative to the 95-gallon bin. The new trash collection system also could be offered to people who live outside town limits but are on Rocky Mounts utility system. Rates for trash pick-up would reflect current market prices. The current price for Rocky Mount trash collection is $5 a month, the rate being heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars. In January, Roanoke County lent its automated trash truck for a day so Rocky Mount staff could try out the vehicle on some of the towns most narrow roads and challenging turns. The truck passed the field test on streets Goodview, Rose, Harvey and Windsor. On the strength of that test, town officials moved forward with a Jan. 9 presentation to town council regarding a purchasing a garbage truck, and the council approved up to $77,000 to buy a used truck being sold at auction by the municipality of Murray, Kentucky. Unfortunately, Rocky Mount missed the bid as the garbage truck went for nearly double the value town council had approved. Town officials didnt see that as a problem, citing the price tag of $143,000 as above what they considered to be market value for a used automated garbage truck, they said. There are much cheaper backup options available, Assistant Town Manager Matthew Hankins told the council Monday. 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 ... By Press Trust of India: Lucknow/Dehradun, Feb 15 (PTI) The second phase of polling in the key cow belt state of Uttar Pradesh today saw 65 per cent polling, while at 68 per cent, Uttarakhand posted a record as voting in the assembly elections to two states remained peaceful. The Election Commission said in Delhi the "very sensitive" second phase of polling in 67 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh passed off peacefully and overall mood made it appear like a "festival of democracy". advertisement Over 68 per cent votes were cast in Uttarakhand, two per cent more than the last assembly polls, in 69 out of the states 70 seats. Polling for Karnaprayag constituency has been deferred following the accidental death of BSP nominee. In UP, the seats where voting was held were spread over Bijnor, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun districts. "Polling was held peacefully amid tight security," UP Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh said. Of the 67 seats at stake, the ruling Samajwadi Party had won 34 seats in the 2012 polls, followed by BSP 18, BJP 10, Congress three and others two. In the present phase, 721 candidates, including 62 women are in the fray. The maximum candidates (22) are from Barhapur (Bijnor) and a minimum of four nominees from Dhanaura (Amroha). The prominent contestants include controversial SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar seats respectively, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha. In Uttarakhand, Election Office sources over 68 per cent of the electorate cast their votes by 5 pm but many people were still standing in the queues outside the booths, implying that the poll percentage may go up by the time the final figures are collated. An EC spokesman said in New Delhi it could go up to 70 per cent at the final count. For the first time, Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines were used in three constituencies including BHEL Ranipur, Dharampur and Rudrapur. In most of the seats, ruling Congress and BJP are locked in a straight contest. However, rebel candidates of both the parties are in the fray as independents in several seats and may upset the calculations of the official nominees of their respective parties. Among those testing their political luck are 12 former Congress MLAs who are in the fray as BJP candidates this time. They include Yashpal Arya (Bajpur), Harak Singh Rawat (Kotdwar), Shailarani Rawat (Kedarnath), Shailendra Mohan Singhal (Jaspur), Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion (Khanpur), Pradeep Batra (Roorkee) and Subodh Uniyal (Narendranagar). Haridwar (rural) and Kichcha in Udhamsingh Nagar district are two high profile seats to be watched out for as Chief Minister Harish Rawat is in fray from from both. More PTI ABN SMI ALM SBR SRY TIR SK SK --- ENDS --- advertisement By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) The pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleague M Venkaiah Naidu on the website of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna are violative of the model code and should be removed immediately, the Election Commission has ruled. Acting on a complaint that the pictures on the website are promoting BJP in Uttar Pradesh, where assembly polls are on, the Commission said that "depiction of photographs of Prime Minister and ministers...is in violation of model code of conduct and hence such photographs shall have to be immediately removed from the official website (pmaymis.gov.in) ... the Commission desires to know the reason as to why this was not done before, when the model code was in force (since January 4)," the Commission told Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha. advertisement It also asked the top bureaucrat to "ensure" that websites of other ministries and departments do not contain such photographs. It recalled its earlier directions that references of ministers and politicians be removed from central government websites to ensure that the party in power does not get advantage of any kind in the assembly elections. While polls are over in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa, they are on in Uttar Pradesh and are to be held in Manipur. PTI JTR/NAB ZMN --- ENDS --- Leistikow: Hawkeyes uncover much-needed star in Kaleb Johnson After a 200-yard day, Johnson seems as surprised as anybody that he has a starring role for the Hawkeyes down the stretch. Salian says, "I have not got the notification of my appointment as the special public prosecutor in the case. If such an order has been passed by the law and judiciary department of Maharashtra government, I should get that notification." By Vidya : More than one-and-a-half years after the drunken driving Eastern Freeway accident in Mumbai in which advocate called Janhavi Gadkar killed 2 people, the trial against her is yet to start. After the family of victims -- taxi driver Mohammed Sayyed and passenger Salim Sabuwala -- wrote many letters to the Maharashtra chief minister's office seeking that a special public prosecutor be appointed in the case, the Maharashtra government appointed Rohini Salian to the post sometime around the beginning of this year. advertisement The victims' families were hoping that the process of framing of charges against Janhavi Gadkar would finally begin and trial in the case start. However, the case has again been adjourned as Salian says, "I have not got the notification of my appointment as the special public prosecutor in the case. If such an order has been passed by the law and judiciary department of Maharashtra government, I should get that notification. I have told the investigating officer about this." Also read | Mumbai hit-and-run: Jahanvi Gadkar gets her license and car back Irrespective of which investigating agency appoints a special public prosecutor, the procedure mandates that a notification stating the appointment be put out. However, in this case even a month after the order of law and judiciary department, the notification has not reached the lawyer. CASE NOW ADJOURNED Due to this delay, the case has now been adjourned to March, a development that has come as a huge setback for the families of the victims. The victims are again planning to write to the chief minister's office, hoping that such procedural delays will be curtailed and the trial against Gadkar begin soon. Victims' families believe that police has built a foolproof case against Gadkar, but this delay in appointment of a lawyer for the case will only help the accused. According to the case papers, it was on June 9, 2015 when Gadkar drove home to Chembur from south Mumbai in a drunken state using the newly-built Eastern Freeway. Inebriated as she was, she took a wrong turn and drove back up on the south-bound carriageway. After crossing the Panjarpol tunnel, she realised that she was going the wrong way and took a dangerous U-turn right there and started driving north towards Chembur and in the opposite direction of the flow of traffic. It was at this point that she collided with the taxi, killing Sabuwala and Sayyed. Sabuwala's family was returning home after celebrating his son's good performance in exams when the collision killed the breadwinners of the two families. advertisement Also read | Mumbai hit-and-run case: Local court denies bail to Janhavi Gadkar --- ENDS --- A Russian spy ship spotted south of the U.S. Navys submarine base in Groton, Conn. earlier this week has now been spotted off Virginia. By late Wednesday night, the ship had moved south and was spotted approximately 65 nautical miles northeast of Norfolk, Va., home to one of the nations largest naval bases. The Russian spy ship likely was returning to the Caribbean and Havana Harbor, an official told Fox News. Reports of a Russian spy ship lurking in the Atlantic south of the sub base brought a swift response from the states congressional delegation. On Wednesday morning, the Russian spy ship Viktor Leonov was seen about 30 miles south of U.S. Navy's primary East Coast sub base and home of the Coast Guard Academy in New London. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D. Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the presence of this spy ship has to be regarded very seriously because Russia is an increasingly aggressive adversary. It reflects a clear need to harden our defenses against electronic surveillance and cyber espionage. The return of a Russian vessel is particularly concerning in the context of escalating Russian aggression - within days of the Russians buzzing a U.S. Navy ship in the Black Sea, as well as deploying a cruise missile in violation of our arms control treaty - which only underscores the need for an independent investigation into possible collusion between the Trump administration and Russian agents." Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he wasnt surprised a Russian spy ship would be interested in a submarine base. I think that clearly they (the Russians) like to track submarines. We know that they do. This is not something that is brand new. Its getting a lot of coverage because I think of other Russian stories related to the Trump administration. They seek to understand how we have the best submarines in the world. And theyre made here. The fact that we know that its there is probably a good thing and I suspect that we have some of our ships in delicate places as well. I think its getting a lot of coverage because of the presidents changed policy towards Russia, which is very different than has been sustained by other administrations. Its not that we shouldnt be talking to the Russians, but we shouldnt necessarily be embracing everything they are doing. And quite frankly, now that we understand that they have recently been active in our own elections, we should be wary of that. But that there are spy ships in the world - we shouldnt be surprised. U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted Wednesday morning Russia is acting like it has a permission slip to expand influence, test limits of reach. Questions are obvious: Does it, and if so, why? In a statement released after his tweet, Murphy said, While this is not wholly unprecedented, its part of a series of aggressive actions by Russia that threaten U.S. national security and the security of our allies. Just yesterday, news broke that Russia violated an Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Coupled with escalating fighting in eastern Ukraine and Russian jets buzzing a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea, Putin clearly thinks the Trump administration has given him a permission slip to flex his muscles. President Trump and his administration must end their silence and immediately respond to these threats to our national security. The Russian ship is armed with surface-to-air missiles, but its main function is to intercept communications and collect data on U.S. Navy sonar capability. This was the furthest north the Viktor Leonov had ever traveled up the Eastern Seaboard. A U.S. defense official told the Associated Press the Russian intelligence-collection ship made a port call in Cuba prior to moving north along the East Coast. The ship was seen off of Delaware on Tuesday. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., whose district includes the submarine base, said the Russian spy ship patrolling 30 miles off the coast of Groton and the sub base underscores the very real threat posed by a resurgent Russia. This unacceptable, aggressive action, combined with the buzzing of U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea yesterday, is a clear indication that Russia is testing the resolve of the new administration. I have total confidence in our Navys vigilant, responsible readiness, but the White House needs to move past their infatuation with Putin and treat him like the serious threat to global peace that he has been for the last five years. Courtney said Anyone who would loiter off the coast of Connecticut is not doing it because of the great climate and weather; its freezing out there. They are obviously doing it with aggressive intent. Courtney assured Connecticut residents that we are are top of the situation with our Navy team down here in Washington. However, it is a reminder that the Russian government and the investment they have put into their Navy fleet is not a friendly gesture in terms of creating a system of global peace ans security. And this administration needs to wake up and recognize that and move on to bipartisan effort to respond to this threat. U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., echoed Courtney view the ships close presence near the U.S. shore should be a wake-up call for the Trump admistration. Russias escalating aggression is a serious national security threat. Yet again, the Kremlin is testing the resolve of the Trump administration. It is long past time for the White House to stop making excuses for Vladimir Putin and respond to his acts of thuggery with the toughness our security demands. If youre nostalgic for a simpler, notification-free mobile phone era, have we got news for you. At the 2017 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HMD Global Oy, the Finnish manufacturer that holds the rights to the Nokia brand, unveiled four phones -- including a revamp of the beloved Nokia 3310. The phone looks similar to its predecessor, but its smaller, has a camera and is available in various colors including red, yellow, blue and grey. HMD claims the new 3310 has 22 hours of talk time and a one-month battery life on standby. It still features Nokias iconic removable back cover and battery though, powered by an updated version of the originals S30 software. And dont worry -- it still has our beloved game, Snake. Related: BlackBerry's Smartphone Market Share Has Reached 0 Percent This is what consumers have been asking us for, and so we decided that wed just do it and have some fun with it, said Florian Seiche, president of HMD. Unlike the 17-year-old original that used to cost someone approximately $150, the new phone is priced around $50 and will be released during the second quarter of 2017. Nokia originally launched the phone in 2000 and discontinued the model in 2005. During that time, it sold 126 million units and was the top-selling phone in the world. The first iPhone would arrive on the scene two years later, forever transforming the mobile market. When HMD teased the announcement in mid-February, many people expressed excitement about the 3310s resurrection -- at least those who dont already have one in a drawer somewhere. The Nokia 3310 is making a comeback after 17 years! It still has 30% battery left pic.twitter.com/TwvdeDpnaB Tony Shepherd (@tonysheps) February 15, 2017 #OhSnap: Nokia is going to re-launch their famous and loved Nokia 3310!!! More details will be revealed at the Mobile World Congress ??? pic.twitter.com/Z3Ue5rvLSx Karla (@KarlaAguas) February 15, 2017 Nokia 3310 is making a come back? Doesn't everyone still have 1 in the draw in the kitchen that's full of batteries, random keys and stuff? Benny (@Beno_ldn) February 15, 2017 Apparently The Nokia 3310 being re-release! Endless hours of snake back ??? pic.twitter.com/bEPFJVIs64 Alice Warwick (@Warwick96) February 15, 2017 Related: The Top 5 Reasons You Need Business Mobility Miss Playing Snake? The Nokia 3310 Is Back. These #4 Startups are Giving New Life to E-waste Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved NORWALK Connecticut Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowic, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, and other legislators representing southwestern Fairfield County, will attend Norwalk Community Colleges annual Legislative Breakfast. Norwalk Community College is one of 17 institutions comprising the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system. NCC says repeated state budget cuts have reduced staff and faculty, trimmed library hours and student services, and forced the college to do more with less. Sasikala, who will be lodged at Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara jail, has requested the authorities for certain facilities at her cell. Home-made food, mineral water and a separate toilet are some of her demands. By Rohini Swamy: VK Sasikala is on her way to Bengaluru where she will surrender before a trial court a day after the Supreme Court convicted her in a disproportionate assets case. The AIADMK General Secretary, who was locked in a week-long bitter battle with caretaker CM O Panneerselvam for chief minister's post, asked for more time to surrender, however, the Supreme Court rejected her appeal. advertisement MUST READ: Sasikala's enigma: From a video shop-owner to Tamil Nadu CM-in-waiting "You know the meaning of the word immediately?" the Supreme Court judge told Sasikala's counsel who desperately tried to convince the top court. After the Supreme Court's tough stance, the action has now shifted to Bengaluru where Sasikala will surrender later in the day. Meanwhile, Sasikala, who will be lodged at the Parappana Agrahara jail, has requested the authorities for certain facilities in her cell. A request letter from her says she needs home-made food as she suffers from blood sugar. A western commode-type toilet, 24-hour running hot water, mineral water, are some of her requests. According to jail authorities, Sasikala will be lodged in a separate cell which will have a cot and a TV. She will also be provided with a helper in the jail and provided food similar to other inmates. WATCH: Sasikala gives Jayalalithaa a thumbs down ALSO READ: Sasikala brings back two relatives into AIADMK. Jayalalithaa expelled them in 2011 4 options for Governor Rao while convict Sasikala goes from Poes to prison --- ENDS --- Astros win second World Series title in six seasons behind dramatic moonshot The Astros beat the Phillies in six games to win the World Series, thanks to Yordan Alvarez's 450-foot three-run home run in the clincher. Sasikala, who is likely surrender before a Bengaluru court today after her conviction in the disproportionate assets case, revoked expulsion of TTV Dhinakaran and Venkatesh. By India Today Web Desk: Years after they were expelled from the party by late CM J Jayalalithaa, VK Sasikala today brought back two of her relatives back in the AIADMK. Sasikala, who is likely surrender before a Bengaluru court today after her conviction in the disproportionate assets case, revoked expulsion of TTV Dhinakaran and Venkatesh. The two leaders were expelled by Jayalalithaa in 2012. Dhinakaran has now been appointed deputy general secretary of Tamil Nadu's ruling party. advertisement "TTV Dhinakaran and Dr Venkatesh expressed their regret and apologised by meeting me and through letter for their for the activities and requested me to re-induct them into the party. They have been re-inducted into the party," a statement released by AIADMK General Secretary said. Dhinakaran was seen accompanying Sasikala when she met Governor C Vidyasagar Rao last week to stake claim for Tamil Nadu CM's post. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has refused to grant any relief to VK Sasikala asking her to surrender immediately before Bengaluru court. The top court had convicted Sasikala and two of her relatives in the disproportionate assets case on Tuesday (February 14). Sasikala, 61, will have to serve the four-year jail term awarded to her by a special Bengaluru court in the 21-year-old case. She was also fined Rs 10 crore. WATCH: From Poes to prison: With Sasikala convicted, will Governor Rao order floor test now? ALSO READ: 4 options for Governor Rao while convict Sasikala goes from Poes to prison Sasikala DA case: All you need to know --- ENDS --- While offering prayers at Jayalalithaa's memorial at Chennai's Marina Beach, Sasikala did something which was not the norm. By India Today Web Desk: AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala stopped at former Tamil Nadu chief minister late J Jayalalithaa's memorial on her way from Chennai to Bengaluru today for surrendering before court. Sasikala will be jailed in Bengaluru after reaching the magistrate's court. However, while offering prayers at Jayalalithaa's memorial at Chennai's Marina Beach, Sasikala did something which was not the norm. With her eyes flooded with tears and lips muttering something, she hit the memorial three times at short intervals. advertisement Sasikala's supporters claimed that she took an oath by "thumping" at Jayalalithaa's grave. AIADMK's tweet said her three thumps were for three vows: "I will overcome hurdle(s), treachery and (the) plotting (against me)." Also Read: What Sasikala's life is going to be like in Parappana Agrahara Central Jail This thumping by Sasikala was unprecedented. Her expression was a mix of several sentiments - anger, grief, fear, haplessness and frustration. While delivering its judgment on Tuesday, the Supreme Court had ordered that Sasikala be sent to jail "forthwith". However, she spent the day with her supporters and AIADMK MLAs holed up in Golden Bay Resort near Chennai. She came out of the Resort late at night after installing E Palanisamy as leader of AIADMK's Legislature Party. Today, she sought more time from the Supreme Court to surrender. However, her plea was rejected. She was directed to surrender in Bengaluru immediately. However, Sasikala's detractors accused her of expressing anger against the former Tamil Nadu chief minister for landing her in trouble. Sasikala and two of her relatives have been convicted by the Supreme Court for being accomplice in the Rs 65.65 crore disproportionate assets case against Jayalalithaa. Sasikala has twice spent time in jail in the case for 21 days. She will be lodged in Bengaluru's Parappana Agrahara Central Jail and will spend the remaining three years, 11 months and nine days in jail to serve the court's sentence. Whether Sasikala's thumping at Jayalalithaa's grave was an oath-taking or an act of frustration and anger, it will certainly remain etched in the memory of her supporters and detractors alike for a long time to come. ALSO READ:From Poes garden to Prison: How Sasikala Natarajan became late AIADMK supremo's 'asset keeper' ALSO READ:VK Sasikala gets jail in DA case, loses Tamil Nadu CM bid: The story so far ALSO READ:4 options for Governor Rao while convict Sasikala goes from Poes to prison ALSO READ:Sasikala conviction: Setting up 10 firms in a day shows conspiracy to launder, says Supreme Court WATCH VIDEO --- ENDS --- In June 2017, the Village of Glen Carbon will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the date of its incorporation (Quasquicentennial). This is the fourth part of a series of articles dedicated to telling the rich story of people and events that contributed to the development of the community throughout its history. The village of Glen Carbons heritage is closely tied to the railroads that ran through it. Although these railroads have been abandoned long ago, todays citizens are reminded of this great heritage as they use the Glen Carbon Heritage Trail along the old Illinois Central right-of-way. This trail was one of the first 500 Rail-to-Trail conversions in the United States. The fact that the Judy Creek Valley provided a natural low gradient route for railways to climb from the Mississippi Valley to the top of the bluffs and the level of the Great Illinois Prairie guaranteed the village a position as a Railway Gateway. The first railroad across Illinois was the Toledo, Delphos and Burlington (TD&B), a narrow gauge railroad company. Narrow gauge had three feet between the rails instead of four feet eight inches, which made it less expensive to construct using lightweight cars and engines. In time, it became clear that the narrow gauge railway did not endure heavy freight traffic as well as the standard gauge. Although construction began on the narrow gauge railway in the 1870s, financial troubles led to problems and an investor with a standard gauge rail company purchased a portion of the TD&B and the name was changed to Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City (TStL&KC). After several ownership changes the name became the Nickel Plate Road (NKP), commonly known today as the Nickel Plate Trail. Located on the north side of Main Street in Glen Carbon, the Nickel Plate Road became a first class, fast freight and passenger railroad. It served the St. Louis Press Brick Company in hauling its product to St. Louis, and passengers for many years. The last Nickel Plate passenger train came through Glen Carbon in 1959. The second railroad to come through Glen Carbon was the Chicago, Peoria and St. Louis Line, in the late 1880s. This line was formed by three segments owned by different entities: from Peoria to Jacksonville, Jacksonville to Litchfield, and Litchfield to St. Louis. Through many changes, the sections from Litchfield through Madison to St. Louis became the Litchfield and Madison (L&M) line. The L&M tracks were built through Glen Carbon a few yards north of the Nickel Plate tracks. Throughout most of its service, the main cargo of the L&M was coal. During the Depression, robbing the coal train was a frequent activity to provide heat and fuel for cook stoves. Glen Carbon old-timers often told of men jumping onto the coal cars as the train slowed going up the incline up out of the valley towards Edwardsville. Coal would be thrown off the train to a waiting accomplice. In 1958, the L&M was merged into the Chicago and Northwestern System. The third railroad through Glen Carbon was the Illinois Central (IC), which was built out of Glen Carbon in the late 1880s. The Illinois Central was prominent in serving Madison Coal Corporation mines with coal trains as well as providing passenger service. The last IC passenger train came through Glen Carbon in May 1968. The Illinois Central and Nickel Plate passenger trains delivered mail to Glen Carbon daily. In the morning, a mail bag was thrown off the Nickel Plate train as it came from Edwardsville, and a mail agent would collect it. In the afternoon, a bag of outgoing mail was placed in a carrier pouch and hoisted onto a mail hook along the tracks. The Illinois Central train would grab the pouch while throwing off another bag. After the passenger trains stopped, a mail carrier had to drive to Edwardsville to take the outgoing mail and bring back the incoming. Railroads commonly used each others tracks, and Glen Carbon was no different. The three tracks in Glen Carbon began to run parallel and merge just west of present day Fire Station #1 on Main Street by the Covered Bridge. This complicated routing of trains necessitated the construction of a Tower House around 1900, which controlled the movement of trains through messages, signals and switches. The Tower had to be manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One of the few female tower operators was Edith Pat (Raffaelle) Seaton, a Glen Carbon native. There were the occasional derailments. Two such accidents resulted in the destruction of the Tower, which had to be rebuilt. One of those, the Gasoline Wreck, happened when gasoline tank cars left the tracks, and residents of the area who had automobiles were quick to take advantage of the spilled gasoline to use in their cars. The other was the Pacific Fruit Express as the cars were loaded with fresh peaches and the wreck was known thereafter by locals as the Peach Wreck. With the end of train traffic through Glen and the removal of the tracks, the Tower House was no longer in use. In the summer of 1983, it was torn down. Glen Carbon boasted two railroad depots that served the passenger trains: one off of Old Meridian Road on the Nickel Plate tracks (sometimes called the Clover Leaf) and one off of Collinsville Avenue on the Illinois Central. At its peak, as many as twenty-two passenger trains served the depots. It was very common to travel to St. Louis and come back the same day. In addition to the railroads, there was an electric streetcar line on the east side of Glen Carbon that traversed the road bed that is now Route 159 until October 1928. The East St. Louis and Suburban Railway was known locally as the Interurban or the Yellow Hammer due to the yellow cars and the rough ride. There were stops at Glen Crossing Road where it now intersects with Route 159 and the Cottonwood Station where Walgreens is presently. In February of 1918, a severe blizzard hit the area stranding the last car of the evening at Cottonwood. With the electric lines down and snow covered tracks, the passengers began burning the boards from the station to keep warm. In the early morning hours, a light was spotted from the Otto Kriege farmhouse about a quarter mile away. One Passenger made his way there, and was able to get Mr. Kriege to help rescue the passengers. The Glen Carbon Heritage Museum has railroad artifacts and detailed scale models of both the IC and NKP Depots and the Tower House. The next article will describe the many businesses that existed along Main Street. For seven years now, Jim and Susan Seubert have been turning their split-level home on West Lake Drive into a haunted mansion. Their Hotel Eville features black spider webs galore, and dozens of life-sized animated figures and skeletons. And more. Each year they try to make it bigger and better. Its crazy what they do to this house. Each room has something in it, said Trent West. West is the president of Metro East Community Rotary Club, one of three Rotary clubs in the Edwardsville area. Jim Seubert had been a member of Goshen Rotary formally Land of Goshen Rotary until a couple of years ago. He knew some of the Metro East Community Rotary members and decided to switch his membership and join them. The organization decided to set a goal of raising $1,000 and giving it to the Edwardsville American Legions Gifts to Yanks program. The Seuberts, who had never charged admission to their haunted house, asked those who visited during the Halloween season if they would donate to the cause. We told them if you didnt want to donate you didnt have to, West said. But one of us would sit out front and tell everybody that while its free to go in we accept donations and all the donations would be given to the American Legions to help support veterans. We had multiple people give 20-dollar bills. The fundraiser fell just short of $1,000, though several members chipped in so they could meet the goal. The money was turned over to the Edwardsville American Legion. They go around to the nursing homes and rehab facilities and find veterans in need there and give them a list of potential Christmas presents, West said. Veterans choose one and the legion goes out and buys it. Our money went to recoup the cost. Metro East Community Rotary Club members took time out to wrap the presents, and helped deliver them in mid December to three different facilities in the area. The organization was chartered on Jan. 28, 2015. At the time, there were 25 charter members; today its a bit less. Compared to Land of Goshen Rotary and the Edwardsville Rotary Club, thats small. In November they sponsored the first annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser at the Wildey Theatre, to raise money for the Glen-Ed Pantry. Empty Bowls is a grassroots movement to help end hunger. It has been adopted across this country and has now spread to several other nations. The event raised $1,500. More than 20 local restaurants came and donated their time. Theyre planning to do it again this year. Our goal is to get more restaurants and do two floors at the Wildey, West said. We learned a lot. This year we should do even better. Thats been one of our biggest fundraisers, along with Hotel Eville. Metro East Community Rotary Club draws members from Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and Maryville but also from Worden and other smaller communities in the area. They have two big projects going on now. The club recently received a $2,000 grant from the district organization to supply books to a school in Haiti. They have also received another $2,000 grant from the Dictionary Project to donate books to third graders. Were busy, West said. Were small and mighty, I like to say. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chancellor Dr. Randy Pembrook demonstrated his passion for developing professionals, scholars and leaders who shape a changing world, as the institutions mission states, during his January travels to Costa Rica. Pembrook spent approximately one week in San Jose and outlying communities volunteering his time for the betterment of local citizens. It was his 12th consecutive year participating in service work in Costa Rica, with students and faculty from Baker University and Washburn University. Im not sure I conceive it as leading by example, rather, that Im doing what I am called to do and hoping that others will want to join in a meaningful, transformative experience, Pembrook said. Basically, we go to help others. We provide health screenings, build structures, and give away clothing and food. On a personal level, Im always reminded not to take what we have for granted, and how one individual can make a difference in the world. Professionally, I come away with improved language skills, a better knowledge of other cultures and an appreciation for the academic disciplines that participate, including nursing, construction, engineering and dentistry. In collaboration with SIUE leaders from multiple disciplines, Pembrook is eager to increase SIUEs involvement in this type of High Impact Community Engagement Practice (HICEP) to further engage students in applying their academic knowledge and skills in a way that makes a positive impact within communities. From Jan. 7-11, the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicines (SIU SDM) Dean Bruce Rotter, DMD, and Kenneth Rawson, DMD, interim associate dean for academic affairs, also traveled to Central America to explore partnership opportunities between the School and those serving the people of Costa Rica. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for our students to be immersed in treating and interacting with patients of another culture, said Rotter. It is important for student dentists to become culturally aware and sensitive to the needs of others. Establishment of a partnership of this type would provide a full immersion experience for those students, while providing tangible benefits to a needy and deserving population. Our desire is to set up and maintain a clinic where students, faculty and alumni can provide both emergency and ongoing care to a patient population who would otherwise have minimal to no access to such care, added Rawson. We hope to have logistics in place for a January 2018 program start. In addition to the SIU SDM establishing a presence in Costa Rica, Pembrook is actively working with SIUEs Office of International Affairs and leaders of the Schools of Nursing and Engineering to expand international experiential learning opportunities for students in other disciplines. Our goals in the School of Nursing are to enrich students learning and expand our reach in new, incredible ways, said Laura Bernaix, PhD, dean of the SIUE School of Nursing. We don't want to limit our impact on health to only this region, so to eventually participate in an experience such as this would be a great opportunity for our students. Dr. Pembrooks commitment to the people of Costa Rica is admirable, and we are anxious to become a part of this work. The School of Engineering educational experience is amplified by the multitude of experiential learning opportunities available to our students, added Chris Gordon, PhD, associate dean of the SIUE School of Engineering. We are eager to increase our global impact as a School through international partnerships and experiential learning opportunities. We are excited to participate in this endeavor for the benefit of our students. According to Mary Weishaar, PhD, executive director of the Office of International Affairs, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is already in the process of pursuing a partnership with the University of Costa Rica. Along with programs facilitated through Chancellor Pembrook, a formal partnership would allow SIUE to broaden experiences to include collaboration with faculty and students from Costa Rica, Weishaar said. Currently, we have continuing programs through the School of Pharmacy in the form of faculty-led programs, specifically studying in the area of medicinal plants and animals. We also send students to Costa Rica at Veritas University to further their study of the Spanish language. In 2016, more than 200 SIUE students participated in study abroad in 20 countries. With the strong support of Pembrook, these life-altering experiential learning experiences will be further enhanced. Without exception, students who study and travel abroad return with a global perspective, Weishaar explained. When our students engage globally, they are likely to view and impact the lives of others in a positive manner. We are always working to increase opportunities for our students in study abroad. Pembrook plans to coordinate a trip to Costa Rica with University leaders for further exploration of partnership opportunities during March 2018. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi Rivers rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of more than 14,000. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Good Indonesian Food (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 15:21 2089 a291276806121264c0bd211cde027a14 3 Food es-pisang-ijo,snacks,Traditional-cake,Makassar,bubur-sumsum,Warung-Bravo,food,#food,restaurant,#restaurant,dessert,South-Sulawesi Free Established in 1986, Warung Bravo is recognized by the residents of Makassar in South Sulawesi as one of the best places to enjoy es pisang ijo (shaved ice with banana wrapped in green-colored flour dough). Well, at least according to Pak Irwan, a local who kept me company as we visited one of the most celebrated eateries in Makassar. Warung Bravo has quite a large local following; it has also seen its fair share of tourists who are here on holiday. Although it offers various delights, most go crazy for its es pisang ijo, said Irwan. Besides the already famous duo coto (beef soup) and konro (beef rib soup), Makassar is also renowned for its es pisang ijo. I certainly did not to want to waste my opportunity in there, so I went straight to Warung Bravo. Rather small in size, the joint is housed in a shoplot on Jl. Andalas and has a capacity of around 15 to 20 customers. Its unassuming, run-of-the-mill restaurant-like appearance belies its cozy environment perfect for putting your feet up while indulging yourself with the local treats on offer, which include nasi campur (mixed rice), nasi goreng (fried rice), mie pangsit (wonton noodles), soto ayam (chicken soup), sate (satay) and rawon (black nut beef soup). However, es pisang ijo and es pallubutung (shaved ice with banana) remain as its specialties and I ordered them both. Read also: Sipping luscious coffee in Manggar's legendary Warung Kopi Anui The two desserts are quite similar in appearance. The difference lies in the banana used. Es pallubutung features plain banana, while the banana that you find in es pisang ijo is wrapped in green-colored flour dough. Both are served with bubur sumsum (rice pudding) and a splash of sweet syrup in one bowl. The use of a banana that has yet to fully ripen lends a rather solid texture to the proceedings. Its bubur sumsum was top notch; I could feel its velvety texture and a hint of savoriness dancing on my palate. The syrup Warung Bravo utilizes local Makassar syrup brought a unique sweet flavor with a very distinct aroma to the party. You will not encounter such a sensational combination between savory and sweet anywhere else. Open every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., one of the employees there informed me that Warung Bravo has a second branch in Makassar that was launched not too long ago. Explore more Indonesian cuisine here. (kes) Jl. Andalas, Makassar, South Sulawesi Contact: 0411 361 5180 Open daily from 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Rp 40,000 (US$3) per person 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 Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, his wife Veronica Tan and their son Nicholas cast their votes on Wednesday at Polling Station 54, located around 350 meters from their home in Pantai Mutiara, Pluit, North Jakarta. Walking over to the polling station in matching plaid shirts, Ahok and his family arrived at 9:41 a.m. After registering with polling station officials, Ahok entered the polling booth. He re-emerged after a couple of minutes and showed his ink-marked little finger to journalists. The General Elections Commission (KPU) set the voting period from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Numerous other Pantai Mutiara residents registered to vote at the polling station did not leave the place after voting, but instead waited for the chance of a picture with Ahok. All along the way from his home to the polling station and back, the governor, who is running in the election to remain in office, was busy having his picture taken with other people. I hope all Jakarta citizens can go to polling stations in their respective areas today to cast their votes, because our votes will determine the future of our city. [...] If you find any fraud or cheating [you] should report it, and well process [the violations], Ahok said right after voting. After voting, Ahok is scheduled to go to the private residence of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri in Kebagusan, South Jakarta, before visiting his campaign headquarters Rumah Lembang in Menteng, Central Jakarta, to watch quick counts of the election. I will go to Kebagusan for lunch with Bu Megawati. Maybe Pak OSO [Hanura Party chairman Oesman Sapta Odang] will also join us, Ahok said. (ebf) By Press Trust of India: governance New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) The Supreme Court today referred to a Constitution Bench a batch of pleas filed by the AAP government against the high court verdict which had held that Delhi is not a state and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) is its administrative head. A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and R K Agrawal said that important questions of law and the Constitution are involved in the matter and it should be adjudicated upon by a Constitution Bench. advertisement However, it did not frame questions to be deliberated upon by the Constitution Bench, to be set up by Chief Justice J S Khehar, in the matter and asked the Centre and the Delhi government to argue their case before the larger bench. The AAP government told the court that it will mention the matter before the Chief Justice for early hearing before the larger bench as governance in Delhi is hampered due to the dispute. (More) PTI ABA SJK RKS SC --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 The campaign team of Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Anies Baswedan says ongoing quick counts suggest that Jakarta residents want a new leader. Sohibul Iman, the chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which backs Anies candidacy, said Wednesday that an exit poll held by his party showed that Anies was ahead of incumbent Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono. "There is strong indication that the public is not satisfied with the current leadership. Anies and Sandiaga Uno are here to meet the challenge," Sohibul said at a media conference. Sandiaga is Anies running mate. Wednesday's media conference was held at the headquarters of the Gerindra Party, which also backs Anies, in South Jakarta. The conference was also attended by Gerindra patron Prabowo Subianto, Anies and Sandiaga. Sohibul said they would wait for the General Elections Commissions official announcement of the results before deciding their next steps. "We need the official KPU results because exit polls cannot be used to determine the winner. Exit polls are only tools to make sure theres no foul play in the counting," he continued. Various quick counts and exit polls indicate that there will be a runoff pitting Anies and Ahok against each other while Agus will crash in the first round. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15 2017 The newly reelected Supreme Court Chief Justice Hatta Ali has defended his record as leader of the judicial branch despite the courts dismal record in curbing corruption, which many analysts have said got worse on his watch. Hatta said his ability to get reelected as chief justice with more than two-thirds of the total votes cast by fellow justices, 38 out of 47 votes, proved that he had a reputation for good leadership and integrity. Hatta also insisted that no machinations took place behind the scene to secure his reelection and that he won the position in a transparent vote. 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 Wed, February 15 2017 Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has said Indonesia will try to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the United States to boost trade between the two countries. For Indonesia, America is one of our strategic markets. Therefore, trade between the two countries should be increased, Airlangga said in a statement after meeting with US Ambassador to Indonesia Joseph R. Donovan Jr. on Monday. During the meeting, the minister said he was informed that the US government preferred to cooperate with countries through bilateral agreements. 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) Dogiyai, Papua Wed, February 15, 2017 No security issues were reported in the Papuan regency of Dogiyai during voting hours on Wednesday, despite the area being considered prone to conflict. Based on observations we made on the ground as well as reports from every district, voting is running safely and orderly, Adj. Sr. Comr. Semmy Ronny Thabaa, the chief of Nabire Police which also oversees Dogiyai, told The Jakarta Post in Monemani, Dogiyai, on Wednesday. Residents in 11 regencies and cities in Papua as well as 90 other regions across Indonesia cast their votes in the countrys second-ever simultaneous regional elections on Wednesday. (Read also: Police chief vows stern security approach on election day) There were concerns about security in Dogiyai after the candidacies of two candidate pairs, namely Apedius Mote-Freddi Annu and incumbent Herman Auwe-Stefanus Wakey, had been annulled by local election organizers. The remaining four pairs in the race are Yacubos Dumapa-Oskar Makai, Anton Yowau-Yanuaris Tigi, Fransesco Tebay-Benediktus Kotouki and Markus Wayne-Angki Goo. Police deployed 500 personnel to secure the election, including officers seconded from areas outside Papua. The election in Dogiyai adopts the noken system, where tribal leaders lodge one vote to represent every member of their respective community and all the ballots are placed in a noken, a traditional Papuan woven bag. As a result of this system, the voting process was completed in just a few hours. There are 129,907 registered eligible voters in Dogiyai, called to cast votes at 292 polling stations. (bbs) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Pati Wed, February 15, 2017 Floods inundated several areas in Pati and Semarang, Central Java, on Wednesday. Residents in Mintobasuki village, Pati, who have refused to leave their homes, have had to travel around by boat for the past two weeks, including to get to polling stations as they cast their ballots for a new regent. The road that links Sukolilo to Gabus was also inundated causing a truck to veer off the road into nearby rice fields. This area is prone to floods so every house has a boat, said Munawaroh, a resident of Mintobasuki. Another resident, Kartono, said he went to the polling station by boat as the area around the polling station was also flooded. Flooding also hit Tembalang in Semarang and Banyumeneng in Demak. No casualties have been reported in the flooding. (wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih and Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 09:53 2090 a291276806121264c0bd211cde010bea 4 Business Freeport-Indonesia,mining-permit-concept,mining,copper,energy-and-mineral-resources-ministry Free Gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia, the countrys biggest taxpayer and oldest foreign investor, is in for another rough ride as it struggles to fight the governments demand to divest controlling ownership and resolve allegations of legislative contempt. Freeports headache intensified last week when the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry claimed the firm had agreed to convert its contract of work (CoW) to a special mining license (IUPK), and required it to divest 51 percent of its shares and construct a smelter. (Read also: Freeport says it hasnt agreed on new contract scheme) In exchange, the government allowed the company to resume its exports of copper concentrate to prevent massive layoffs in its operations in the backwater regency of Timika in Papua, where Freeport has been operating for more than five decades. The government has claimed its recent policy to continue the relaxation of raw and partly processed mineral exports, which many analysts and politicians deemed as against the law, has profited Freeport because the company can continue with exports despite its questionable commitment to construct a smelter in Indonesia to process its products. While Freeport has indicated it will fight against the share divestment while agreeing to other demands set out by the government, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan has not blinked and insists the company has to comply. Why are they refusing the divestment rule? The shares will later be bought by the government or the governments partners. What is exactly the reason behind the companys reluctance? Jonan said on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace. Freeport, a local unit of politically wired US mining giant Freeport McMoRan Inc. (FCX), said it would not agree to the contract conversion unless the government provided a long-term investment stability assurance, consisting of fiscal and legal certainties, in accordance to its CoW signed in 1991. Freeport Indonesia will keep working with the government to find the best possible solution for both sides. However, no agreement has yet to be made as of today, Freeport Indonesia spokesperson Riza Pratama said. Under the CoW, Freeport is required to sell 51 percent of its stake to Indonesian entities by 2011, or 45 percent if it has sold a minimum of 20 percent in the local stock market. However, a string of regulations were issued along the way that eventually allowed Freeport to dodge the requirement to this date, where very few officials have made a fuss. FCX owns 90.64 percent of the company, while merely 9.36 percent is owned by the Indonesian government. An official involved in the matter said FCX CEO Richard Adkerson was in Jakarta to negotiate a deal, allegedly to get around the 51 percent divestment requirement. Freeport will comply with most of the requirements, but not the 51 percent share sale. They will fight hard against that, said the official. The official is aware that Freeport may resort to taking Indonesia to international arbitration if it cannot resolve the divestment issues, and that if Indonesias upper courts reaffirm a verdict by the Papua court to demand the company pay US$469 million in water taxes and penalties in the province dating back to 2011. Freeports headquarters feel that Indonesia has disrupted its operations and treated them unfairly. They are mulling over taking us to arbitration, said the official. Riza, however, denied Freeport would resort to the measure. We have not thought about taking the case to arbitration, he said. (Read also: Freeport lands first blow in smelter saga) As the government refuses to soften its stance, Freeports plight has taken a new twist on Tuesday as House of Representatives Commission VII, which oversees energy and mining, prohibited Freeport Indonesia CEO Chappy Hakim from attending a hearing with the commission. The decision may fuel overwhelming House support for the government to take sterner measures against Freeport and it may also shed Freeports chances in receiving help to resolve its problems. In a press conference on Tuesday, the Commission VII demanded Chappy to publicly apologize for his alleged contempt against legislators while calling on Freeports board of commissioners to reconsider his position as the companys president director. As an institution, we demand Freeport to dismiss Chappy. His action is not only contempt of [the House] but also an insult to the state, said Commission VII member Yulian Gunhar of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). During a hearing with the commission on Feb. 9, Chappy allegedly pointed his finger at Mukhtar Tompo, a commission member from the Hanura Party faction, and threatened him after being bombarded with questions about the companys smelter development progress. Mukhtar filed a report on Chappy to the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), regarding four articles in the Criminal Code (KUHP) related to insulting authorities, extortion and violent intimidation. I was just asking several questions on the new smelter project, Mukhtar said. However, at the end of the hearing, when I approached him and attempted to shake his hand, his face suddenly went red and he yelled, Ive always been consistent! Im warning you! Freeport has denied the allegations, saying that no actions took place that could be considered criminal. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 10:06 2090 a291276806121264c0bd211cde011035 4 City ahok,basuki-tjahaja-purnama,#ahok,opposition,Indonesian-politics Free Amid escalating support at the House of Representatives for an inquiry into the disputed return to office of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, allies of the government have prepared moves to block the plan. Led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which supported the incumbent in the Jakarta election, the parties that support President Joko Jokowi Widodo said the move to investigate the Home Ministry for allowing Ahok to keep his job, despite being on trial for blasphemy, was aimed at ousting the president. According to Article 83 of the 2014 Regional Administration Law, a regional head or deputy regional head who is charged with a crime that carries a minimum sentence of five years, should be suspended. Ahok is facing a maximum sentence of five years for his charges, which leads some to interpret that he has to be suspended until the trial is over. Initiated by the Democratic Party, which has nominated Agus Harimurti, the son of party chairman and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in the Jakarta gubernatorial race, the supporters of the inquiry said the governments decision not to suspend Ahoks was an example of government bias toward the governor, who is seeking reelection. The House can summon the Home Minister who is in charge of the matter to get the explanation they want in a hearing instead of hastily exercising the inquiry right to initiate an investigation, lawmaker Jhonny Plate from the NasDem Party said on Tuesday. The deputy secretary of the NasDem faction at the House of Representatives described the proposal for an inquiry as an overreaction that would only distract Jokowi from focussing on running the country. Initiating an inquiry amid the tension of the Jakarta election will only divide the nation. It will also open the door to impeaching the President, Jhonny claimed. Leading members of other parties in the government coalition have expressed similar concerns, lambasting the initiators for inappropriately bringing the discussion into the legislative institution and making it a national issue. Such concerns have also been expressed by the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP), which unlike other pro-government parties have endorsed Agus in the Jakarta election. According to the PPPs secretary-general Arsul Sani, questions regarding the return of Ahok should be directly addressed to Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, who made the decision, in hearings. Thus, we disagree with exercising our inquiry rights to ask for an investigation of the matter, he said. In addition to NasDem, the PKB and PPP, opposition to an inquiry also comes from the Golkar and Hanura parties, as well as the PDI-P. However, coalition partner the National Mandate Party (PAN) believes differently, as the party has seen a growing number of its lawmakers supporting the call for an inquiry. As of Tuesday, 18 PAN lawmakers had signed the inquiry demand along with 82 politicians from the Gerindra Party, the Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). PAN lawmaker Yandri Susanto, a member of House Commission II overseeing regional administrations, said he supported the investigation to help correct the government when it made a mistake. Yandri said he shared the opinion of party colleagues, believing that PAN as a party was also on the same side. PAN chairman Zulkifli Hasan, who is also speaker of the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) denied this. Zulkifli referred to the move by PAN lawmakers as a spontaneous reaction. It is their right as lawmakers whether or not to support [the inquiry call]. But I dont share their stance because we havent discussed it internally, Zulkifli said. House leaders are set to present the proposal for approval in a plenary meeting slated for next week. There will be a vote before the House announces its final decision. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution has admitted that the government-sponsored Peoples Business Credit (KUR) scheme has not reached farmers, who actually needed such a soft loan facility to boost agricultural productivity. Banks were still reluctant to disburse funds to farmers, because many farmers only cultivated lands owned by other people. They (the plots of land) are not bankable, said Darmin, as reported by tempo.co on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Darmin said, banks were the only financial institutions with the capability to distribute the funds. Banks have weaknesses, but they are the only [institutions] we have [to distribute KUR funds], Darmin said during a hearing with House of Representatives Commission XI, which oversees financial and bank affairs, in Jakarta on Tuesday. (Read also: Govt to allow cooperatives to join KUR program) Many parties propose other institutions, like cooperatives or other financial institutions, to distribute KUR funds, but Darmin said banks were still the preferred option, for several reasons. First, banks have large networks across the country and second, banks were good at managing funds accountably and sustainably. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati made similar statements, but she saw another reason behind the failure of the KUR program to reach the people that actually needed such facilities, namely the limited financial resources of the state. It is because we do not have enough resources to meet all the demand, she said, adding that the government would continue to evaluate KUR programs for better distribution. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15 2017 The Communications and Information Ministry has urged Facebook to open a proper local office to enable it to adequately tackle complaints about fake news and negative content that spreads through the social media platform. Minister Rudiantara conveyed the request during a meeting with the Asia Pacific-based delegation led by Facebooks head of global policy management, Monika Bickert, on Tuesday, saying that the existence of an official office in Indonesia would enable the firm to better respond to content complaints and improve communication with the government. Facebook, which has up to 96 million users in Indonesia, runs a small local representative office, while its regional office is located in Singapore. 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 Wed, February 15 2017 Thousand Islands regency has met with state-run oil and gas company PT Pertamina over plans to build an airplane fueling station in the southern part of the regency, an official has said. The station will be located close to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Well offer [PT Pertamina] the opportunity to build on the Ubi islet. They will need to revitalize the islet prior to using it, Thousand Islands Regent Budi Utomo said as quoted by beritajakarta.com on Monday. 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 By Press Trust of India: Mumbai/Nagpur, Feb 15 (PTI) At a time when Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is building BJPs campaign for civic polls on a transparency plank and his clean image, Shiv Sena today claimed he was indicted by a probe panel for "corruption" during his stint as Nagpur mayor in 2001. The BJP, however, has countered the charge, saying the Bombay High Court and even the Supreme Court had not found any substance in the matter and that the allegations were part of a "tacit understanding" between Shiv Sena and Congress. advertisement Addressing reporters here, Sena MLC Anil Parab claimed various contracts were awarded to specific contractors only by "circumventing" the Standing Committee of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) during Fadnavis Mayoral stint in 1997-2001. Parab said though the Chief Minister was urging voters to vote for the BJP in his name, there was a "massive corruption" during his tenure as the mayor. "The government-appointed Nand Lal committee had submitted its report on February 27, 2001. The report contains proofs of irregularities committed by then NMC mayor and current Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis," Parab claimed. He claimed that when Fadnavis was the mayor, some members of the standing committee "negotiated with contractors directly". "Contracts were awarded to select contractors without inviting tenders... Corruption took place during the tenures of four former mayors namely Rajiv Gholar, Kalpana Pandey, Vasundhara Masurkar and Devendra Fadnavis," the Sena leader said. He said criminal cases were filed against 99 corporators and the four mayors after the probe. "During the scam period, no meeting of the standing committee was held for 15 months," he said. In September 2001, the then Congress-NCP government had dissolved the NMC, then led by the BJP-Lok Manch coalition, and disqualified all the 119 corporators after the Nand Lal committee exposed the corruption. Senas attack came at a time when the campaigning for the civic polls, including the high-stake Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is drawing to close. Ten municipal corporations, including BMC, are going to polls on February 21 and counting of votes is scheduled two days after. Sena and BJP, who are alliance partners in state and central governments, are contesting separately. During canvassing, Fadnavis has been claiming Sena decided to go solo as the BJPs push for "transparent administration" was not acceptable to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. However, Senas contention is that a disagreement over allocation of seats for BMC polls led to the break-up of alliance. Meanwhile, taking a dig at CM for his remarks that Sena has brought Mumbai at par with Patna, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the number of criminal incidents being reported in Fadnvais hometown Nagpur is more than in the Bihar capital. (MORE) PTI MM CLS NSK KIS --- ENDS --- advertisement Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 The Haj Pilgrimage Counseling Group (KBIH) asked House of Representatives Commission VIII on Tuesday to support it with official recognition in a haj bill. The KBIH offers haj assistance services to would-be pilgrims, providing them with training, information before departure and guidance while on haj. Currently, the KBIH offers services and charges pilgrims outside the fees set by the Religious Affairs Ministry. House Commission VIII member from the Gerindra Party Sodik Mudjahid supports the KBIH but said the ministry had refused to list the KBIH in the haj bill because they intended to recognize and regulate the activities of the KBIH through a ministerial decree. Public input to the commission indicates that the KBIH is very helpful in assisting pilgrims during preparation and while on haj. The ministrys reluctance to include the KBIH raises questions as to whether there is some sort of rivalry between the two, Sodik said. (Read also: Indonesian haj victims feel abandoned by Saudi) Qasim Shaleh, the head of the KBIH communications forum, underlined the importance of the KBIH. KBIH data shows that 60 to 80 percent of all pilgrims use the services provided by KBIHs guides, whose trips to Mecca are not funded by the government, he added. Qasim suggested that the government also reinstate the service quota previously allocated for KBIH guides by the ministry. Currently, there is no regulation on quotas for guides from the KBIH. We understand the governments concern about the number of guides going to Saudi Arabia, Qasim said. (rdi/wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 Hundreds of inmates at the Pondok Bambu Womens Penitentiary in East Jakarta cast their votes in the Jakarta gubernatorial election on Wednesday morning at a polling booth inside the prison. The inmates appeared enthusiastic exercising their right to vote. They made a neat line before entering the booth at 7 a.m. An inmate jailed for drug possession, who asked to remain anonymous, said she hoped the future leader would be able to solve Jakartas traffic problems. "I hope the governor can make Jakarta free from traffic jams, although I still have to serve another 17 years in prison. I also hope the elected governor will give me more remissions," she said jokingly. She said she was made aware of the three candidates' programs after watching election coverage on TV, which can be accessed for several hours in the morning and evening. Of the 157 registered voters in the prison, 13 have been released. (Read also: Patients from mental institution allowed to vote in West Jakarta) Several well-known figures like corruption defendant Angelina Sondakh, former health minister Siti Fadilah Supari and convicted murderer Jessica Kumala Wongso are not registered to vote. Jakarta Women's Penitentiaries head Ika Yusanti said their names were among 547 inmates registered in the temporary voters list. "They can cast their votes from 12 p.m., or an hour before the polling booth closes, by showing their electronic identification card," Ika said. (trw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agus Dermawan T. (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Delft, the Netherlands Wed, February 15 2017 A flashback visit to the now-defunct Museum Nusantara (Archipelago Museum) in Delft, the Netherlands, is expected to inspire Indonesia to recreate the museum in its homeland. Owing to the sluggish European economy in the past few years, Museum Nusantara in Delft, the Netherlands, was closed in January 2016, forcing the City Council of Delft to seek a solution to the handling of around 30,000 cultural artifacts and objects. 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 The Communications and Information Ministry has urged Facebook to open a proper local office to enable it to adequately tackle complaints about fake news and negative content that spreads through the social media platform. Minister Rudiantara conveyed the request during a meeting with the Asia Pacific-based delegation led by Facebooks head of global policy management, Monika Bickert, on Tuesday, saying that the existence of an official office in Indonesia would enable the firm to better respond to content complaints and improve communication with the government. Facebook, which has up to 96 million users in Indonesia, runs a small local representative office, while its regional office is located in Singapore. The minister [Rudiantara] asked Facebook to step up its service agreement in Indonesia and suggested that a good way to ensure better quality service was to open up an official office here, said the ministrys director general for applied informatics, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan. This way, it will be able to familiarize itself with the Indonesian perspective and cultural context. The Facebook logo is displayed on an iPad in Philadelphia. Facebook is taking new measures to curb the spread of fake news on its huge and influential social network, focusing on the "worst of the worst" offenders and partnering with outside fact-checkers to sort honest news reports from made-up stories that play to people's passions and preconceived notions.(AP/Matt Rourke) (Read also: Facebook wants drones to boost Indonesia's access to internet) Semuel added that while Facebook would be responsible for content management, the legal process in relation to the content itself would be carried out by the police and relevant institutions. Posts promoting terrorism, for example, will require consultation and assessment by the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT). Both the public and the ministrys monitoring team are able to flag inappropriate content. Fake news, including those related to the racially charged Jakarta gubernatorial election, and overall air of discrimination exhibited by members of the public online, has been plaguing the Indonesian internet recently. In the past few months, the government has stepped up its battle against the distribution of false information. The police is committed to prosecuting any party behind the spread of the cancer of democracy. To address the fake news and negative content issues, the ministry is set to hold a meeting with Twitter on Feb. 20. The ministrys spokesperson, Noor Iza, noted the importance of setting up an official local office, comparing how Twitter, which also has a sizeable number of users in Indonesia, and Facebook manage problems. Twitters responses toward the complaints and the negative content management are a lot quicker than Facebook because they have an official office here. Therefore, it has an established understanding on what impacts the country negatively, she said. The government views that the take down response time for hoax news is ideally less than 24 hours, but the quicker, the better. From late 2016 to the beginning of 2017, the ministry has received 1,572 complaints in relation to the negative content on social media, including hoax news on Facebook and Instagram, with 197 occurring in the first two months of this year. The ministry said it was only able to respond to around 60 percent of all complaints in that period. Complaints about Twitters content in the same period reached 3,252, with those related to pornography topping the list. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 Hundreds of children in Jakarta are getting used to playing outdoors following the development of child-friendly integrated public spaces (RPTRAs) across the citys municipalities. The head of the Jakarta Womens Empowerment, Family Planning and Child Protection Agency, Dien Emawati, said some 852 daily visitors enjoyed the existing 188 RPTRAs. The city, however, needs more child-friendly spaces, she said. Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama said on Tuesday the city planned to build 200 more RPTRAs this year through the 2017 budget and corporate funds from Corporate Social Responsibility schemes. The administration will build 100 of them. We will encourage companies to help build the rest, Ahok said. On Wednesday, Mahludin, 37, the head of Tebet district in South Jakarta, urged the caretakers of RPTRAs to keep the facilities clean and safe. The playgrounds must be clean so that visitors will feel safe and comfortable." The caretakers also have a duty to educate visitors to take care of the playgrounds, Mahludin added. (agn/dea) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 Many Jakarta residents took advantage of special election-themed restaurant discounts after voting on Wednesday morning, although they said the cheaper food and beverages were not the main reason for them voting. Caroline, a 19-year-old student, said on Wednesday that she enjoyed free ice cream offered by a shop in Kota Kasablanka mall, South Jakarta, although she did not know about the promotion at first. "I just knew about it from my older sibling after I went to the polling station," Caroline said. Other people, like Nicholas, a 30-year-old programmer, intentionally went to the mall with his mother to enjoy the election-day holiday after casting their votes in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta. However, Nicholas said the promos were not the main reason they cast their votes. "It would be silly to vote just for free food and beverages," Nicholas said. The same thought was also shared by Mustofa, 50, from Kalibata, South Jakarta who took his family for lunch. "For us, these promotions are just complementary. We took them while they were offered. If there werent any promos, it would still be fine with us," Mustofa said. Meanwhile, Sundi, a 21-year-old student who was enjoying a free coffee, thought the promotions were beneficial for the election itself. "We have to show our inked fingers to get the deal. In some ways, it encourages people to cast their votes," Suni said. (kkk/evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Winda A. Charmila (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15 2017 Jakartans continue to enjoy Valentines Day despite bans on celebrating it issued by several regional administrations in Greater Jakarta. Even though she believed that it was just another day, student Lysandra, 16, felt it was nice to get a simple gift on Tuesday. Lysandra blushed when asked about a rose she held in her hand that turned out to be from someone special. She looked shy but admitted that she was happy with the present. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called for national unity after he and First Lady Iriana Widodo cast their ballots in Jakartas gubernatorial election on Wednesday. Wearing a brown, long-sleeved batik top, the president and his wife arrived at a polling station in Gambir, Central Jakarta, at 10 a.m. to join 493 Jakartans to vote at the station. Jokowi called on supporters of all candidates running in the Jakarta election and 100 other local elections across the country to be united as brothers again after the concurrent elections on Wednesday. "I hope that all regional elections, not only in Jakarta but in other regions, too, are full of happiness today," the President said. "Let us not allow political differences to destroy our unity; I hope that all can be united again as brothers for the sake of the country's unity after the elections." The President refused to take questions after the press statement. He and his entourage rushed straight to the State Palace after voting. (Read also: Elections to define democracys new course) Jokowi kept his schedule for the election day free to spend time with his family after casting his ballot. The government has declared Feb. 15 a national holiday to make it easier for people across the country to go to polling stations and cast their ballots. Originally from Surakarta, Central Java, Jokowi changed his residential address and became a resident of Jakarta after winning the 2012 Jakarta gubernatorial election. (wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 President Joko Jokowi Widodo remains adamant on his plan to supply electricity to all parts of the country by the end of his term in 2019. The instruction from the President is that we have to achieve an electrification ratio of 100 percent in 2019, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan said on Wednesday, as reported by tempo.co. One of the efforts to achieve the target was by installing solar panels in 2,500 villages across the country, said Jonan, adding that it was, however, still a great challenge for state-owned electricity company PLN. (Read also: PLN upbeat over 35,000 MW project) Anther instruction from the President was to keep electricity affordable, said Jonan. Affordability is important. Therefore, PLN is expected not to increase the prices. It is even expected to gradually reduce them, he added. Therefore, Jonan said he had advised PLNs board of directors to develop power plants that use the cheapest energy resources in each region. He cited as an example that electricity plants in North Maluku were recommended to use gas, while in Papua, power plants could use geothermal power, solar energy or mini-hydropower. In short, in each region, the power plants have to use energy sources of the lowest price, Jonan added. The minister said that Jokowi had also stressed the importance of adequate electricity supplies to support industrial development. If electricity prices are not competitive, the products of our industry will also not be able to compete with products from other countries. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Mamuju, West Sulawesi Wed, February 15, 2017 National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) members are being deployed to West Sulawesi to directly monitor the provinces third ever gubernatorial election on Wednesday. Komnas HAM commissioner Hafid Abbas said the monitoring process was important because West Sulawesi was a new province and therefore the election process would be crucial for the people in the province. Komnas HAM believe the province will be prone to violations during Election Day, he added. (Read also: KPU Sangihe struggles to deliver election logistics amid extreme weather) The commission will prioritize the monitoring of voting by disabled voters as well as prisoners and hospitalized people, Hafid said in the provinces capital, Mamuju, on Tuesday. According to the West Sulawesi General Elections Commission (KPU West Sulawesi), there are 2,844 voters with disabilities in the province, spread across six regencies. Of the entire population of 1.5 million people, 840,091 are registered as eligible voters. Hafid said the commission would also pay attention to the potential for partiality from civil servants because some of the candidates were former regents. Around 11,000 voters are also reportedly not on the final voters list. This should have been avoided, Hafid said. Officials prepare polling booths at PGRI High School in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, on Tuesday. West Sulawesi is one of 101 provinces, regencies, and cities slated for simultaneous regional elections on Feb. 15.(The Jakarta Post/Andi Hajramurni) West Sulawesi used to be a part of South Sulawesi. It was named a new province in 2004. Anwar Adnan Saleh won the first gubernatorial election in 2006 and was then reelected in 2012. (bbs) India has in the past hosted similar delegations from Taiwan, this is the first under the new Tsai Ing-wen government and the first since the setting up of a parliamentary friendship forum in December, which irked China. By Ananth Krishnan: China said on Wednesday it had lodged a protest with India over the ongoing visit of parliamentarians from Taiwan, the latest issue to test in already strained ties. "China lodged representations with India", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, adding that Beijing was "always against any form of official contacts and exchanges between countries that have diplomatic ties with China and Taiwan and we are also opposed to the establishment of any official institutions". advertisement He said "the Indian side has made commitment on the Taiwan-related issues" and hoped "India would understand and respect China's core concerns and stick to the One China principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations." While India has in the past hosted similar delegations from Taiwan, this is the first under the new Tsai Ing-wen government and the first since the setting up of a parliamentary friendship forum in December, which also irked China. India, like many countries, does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan and has followed a 'One China' policy. As a result, India does not have a formal embassy in Taipei - only an 'India Taipei Association' that enables political and business exchanges. AVENUE OF MAINTAINING CONTACT? Indian government officials do not formally visit Taiwan, hence the exchange of MPs has been seen as one avenue of maintaining contact. "The reason why China lodged the representation is because we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the One China principle," said Geng said. "By making our representations we are urging the Indian side to stick to the One China principle and take concrete actions for steady development of China-India relations," he added. PLAYING WITH FIRE BY HOSTING TAIWAN MPs Chinese state media on Wednesday also warned India over the move, saying it was "playing with fire" and "at a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the "one China" policy, India stands out as a provocateur." "Some Indians view the Taiwan question as an Achilles' Heel of the mainland," said a commentary in the Global Times, a hawkish tabloid published by the People's Daily, the Party mouthpiece. "India has long wanted to use the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China," it added. The paper said that while "pro-independence forces in Taiwan have become more isolated in the world", those "who want to use the Taiwan question to contain the mainland will have to suffer losses". advertisement The article suggested, without citing its sources, that given India's misgivings with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Modi government had been advised "to play the Taiwan card, using the commitment of the 'One-China policy' as leverage in exchange for China's endorsement of 'One India'." It, however, warned that "by challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire. "Growing Taiwanese investment in India, including steel, telecom and information technology are important to Modi's [Make in India] campaign. Although the mainland is a major trading partner of India, political discord and the historical feud make economic cooperation between the two difficult," it mentioned. BEIJING WARILY VIEWED TSAI ING-WEN GOVERNMENT China sees Taiwan as one of its provinces, although the island has been administered separately following the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, when the defeated Kuomintang (KMT) fled to the island. Beijing has warily viewed the current government of Tsai Ing-wen, which came to power defeating the KMT that had favoured closer economic ties with the mainland. While not outright pushing for independence - which Beijing says it would prevent by any means necessary - Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government has been more outspoken on carving out a greater strategic and economic space for Taiwan and diversifying its trade and political relationships, including by courting India. advertisement ALSO READ | India's trade with China falls but deficit widens Demonetisation: China ready to work with India to curb 'corruption cancer' Sharp fall in Chinese incursions at border areas --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ina Parlina and Rendi A. Witular (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will delve into the role of a businessman and family member of President Joko Jokowi Widodo in a bribery case implicating a tax official. The indictment of businessman Ramapanicker Rajamohanan Nair, who was allegedly caught red-handed bribing middle-ranking tax official Handang Soekarno in November, has revealed the alleged role of Arif Budi Sulistyo as a middleman in the case. Arif is married to Jokowis youngest sister, Titik Relawati, and is the operational director of PT Rakabu Sejahtera -- the flagship company of Jokowis extended family, including cousins and nephews. KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said Arif was still a witness in the case as the KPK was still trying to delve deeper into his alleged role. We will look into the roles and positions of all witnesses, including their connections, communications and meetings with the defendant, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said on Wednesday. Arif was questioned as a witness in mid-January by the KPK. However, the move raised criticism after the media was kept in the dark until a court hearing on Monday mentioned his name. The bribery case centers on Nair, the director of EK Prima Exports Indonesia -- a local unit of Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group -- who allegedly bribed Handang Rp 1.9 billion to help the company abolish Rp 78 billion (US$5.8 million) in tax dues. According to the indictment, Arif sought the help of his friend, Jakarta Special Tax Office head Muhammad Haniv, to resolve the companys tax problem. Haniv then connected Arif with Handang and Director General of Taxation Ken Dwijugiasteadi. According to the indictment, Ken instructed his staff to abolish the tax dues after the meeting. Ken has been questioned as a witness in the case. Jokowis spokesperson, Johan Budi, also a former KPK acting commissioner, did not reply to The Jakarta Posts questions in relation to the case. After the KPK arrested Handang and Nair on Nov. 22, the Cabinet Secretariat issued a circular on Nov. 29 ordering all ministers and heads of state agencies to ignore any demands or assistance fielded by the Presidents family members. Members of Jokowis family have been in the spotlight for the past year. For example, the controversy surrounding the appointment of Arcandra Tahar, who had dual citizenship, to lead the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, had also implicated Jokowis younger cousin. Criticism was also rife in 2015 when Jokowis other younger cousin, Sigit Widyawan, was appointed a member of the board of commissioners of state toll operator PT Jasa Marga despite his lack of experience in the field. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15 2017 Diversified conglomerate Lippo Group cannot wait any longer for the governments hazy promise of providing tax incentives for real estate investment funds (DIREs) the Indonesian version of the real estate investment trust (REIT), and has ultimately launched its maiden product in the country. The group has appointed Lippo Karawacis subsidiary Bowsprit Asset Management to manage the REIT named DIRE Bowsprit Commercial and Infrastructure. The product has been offered through an initial public offering (IPO) of Rp 100 (7 US cents) per unit. Bowsprit Asset Management president director Angi Lim said the group aimed for Rp 2.45 trillion in cash from the IPO, which would be used for further expansion. Lippo still have many land banks in Karawaci, Cikarang, and other places. With the money, the group can build more, he said during a public expose in Jakarta on Tuesday. 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 Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi Wed, February 15, 2017 A measles outbreak has spread to two groups of the Orang Rimba tribe in Sarolangun regency, Jambi, who have been out of reach of the national vaccination program. Seven from the Terap group while four Sepintun members have been admitted to hospital, as their conditions have worsened. They are already in a very serious condition so we took them to hospital. We have also quarantined those who are already suffering the early stages [of measles] from the rest of the group, said a health facilitator from the Indonesian Conservation Community (KKI) Warsi, Yomi Rivandi, said on Wednesday. Those who are currently at the hospital consist of adults and children, aged four to 41 years old. One patient was also found to have been suffering from pneumonia. (Read also: Death haunting Orang Rimba tribe) Yomi said the tribesmen are prone to measles as they have yet to be part of the nationwide compulsory vaccination program. The Orang Rimba havent received vaccinations. Coupled with other diseases, the disease [measles] can lead to death, he said, urging health officials at the local administration to visit the people and contain the outbreak. Death continues to haunt the nomadic tribe as many members are still facing food shortages and poor health. In 2015, 30 members of the tribe had been admitted to hospital for suffering pneumonia. Most of them were children. (wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 Media and business tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibjo denied on Wednesday allegations by former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman, and murder convict, Antasari Azhar that he, Hary, took part in a plot that led to Antasaris imprisonment in 2010. Antasari claimed on Tuesday that Hary, founder of the MNC media group and business partner of US President Donald Trump, was sent on a mission by then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to ask Antasari not to detain Aulia Pohan, father-in-law of Yudhoyono's son Agus Harimurti and then Bank Indonesia deputy governor, in 2009, a request that Antasari rejected. "All of [Antasari's claim] is slander. I don't want to waste my time responding to it," Hary said on Wednesday. (Read also: SBY behind murder accusations against me: Antasari) Hary, who has expressed an interest in running in the next presidential election in 2019 election with his own United Indonesia Party (Perindo), said he would rather focus on his business than worry about such accusations. Antasari was convicted of the murder of business executive Nasrudin Zulkarnaen and sentenced to 18 years in prison just a few months after prosecuting Aulia for graft. Antasari said he sensed irregularities in his case as he was arrested just two months after his meeting with Hary. The former antigraft czar, who has publicly accused Yudhoyono of engineering his murder case, has reported the irregularities in his case to the National Police's criminal investigation division to be investigated. (wit) Three of them have had to close their food stalls. One man whose occupation is doing casual odd jobs has also had to forego the chance of earning a small precious daily income. Another man has to delegate his small printing shop to a member of the family. A woman has asked her husband to come home from work early to look after their three young children. These are the six volunteers I am working with on a committee that will administer TPS30, the polling station in Kebayoran Lama Utara subdistrict, South Jakarta, during the Feb. 15 Jakarta gubernatorial election. We are not the only ones making some personal sacrifices in the name of democracy. The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) has recruited nearly 120,000 volunteers to run 13,023 polling stations across the city, where 7.1 million people are registered to vote. With 100 other local elections on Wednesday, the number of election volunteers is multiplied by at least 100. They are ordinary people, with jobs (or not) and families, who are taking time off to help make the elections successful. To them, success is not measured by who wins the elections but more by the orderly and peaceful electoral process. The limited number of controversies and protests would give them the satisfaction that they have done a good job. A high turnout at their polling stations would be a bonus. Jakarta Gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and his wife Anisa Pohan show the ballots before casting their votes on Wednesday.(JP/Safrin La Batu) Little has been written about them, yet, their contribution is massive though perhaps little appreciated. Most people see the volunteers as part and parcel of the electoral commission, which is in charge of organizing the elections. Not quite. Those serving on the electoral commission are professionals who are paid to do their job. The commission in turn relies on the work of tens of thousands of volunteers who are dedicating their time, energy and mind, to make sure that the polls run smoothly. They are formed into small committees of seven people and two security men, to run a polling station. Prior to taking the job, they take the oath of integrity. Everyone has his or her favorite candidate but they have to be careful to not let this be known publicly lest they undermine their own credibility. They are recruited from the neighborhood where the polling station is set up, so they are familiar with the voters, and most voters are also likely to know them. The work involved is not just on D -Day. On our committee, we have had four meetings prior to voting day all held late at night after everyone returned home from work. Some of us have attended the technical meetings at the subdistrict office to make sure we understand what is expected of us, and also to get briefings about what to expect, including how to handle potential problems. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 More lawmakers have expressed their rejection of Government Regulation (PP) No. 72/2016 on the procedure for capital injection into state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the management of state capital. They particularly reject articles that allow for the sale of state assets without approval from the House of Representatives. I agree that the regulation should be rejected, said chair of the Houses Commission XI overseeing finance and banking affairs, Melchias Markus Mekeng, as reported by tribunnews.com on Wednesday, adding that the regulation endangered state assets. Previously, the House's Commission VI, overseeing state-owned enterprises, had told the government to revoke PP No. 22/2016, which was a revision of PP No. 44/2005, for a similar reason. (Read also: SOEs holding regulation not in line with laws, says economist) We [Commission VI] agree that anything relating to state assets should be discussed in the House of Representatives, Mekeng noted. Without a mechanism in the House, the government could easily sell state assets. If the regulation is not revoked, dont be surprised if SOEs are sold to foreigners. Even Monas [the National Monument] could be sold without our knowledge. It is dangerous, he said, adding that the regulation also contradicted several other regulations. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 Despite the heated political tensions that erupted during the campaign period in the Jakarta gubernatorial election, the voting process at polling stations 18 and 19 in Suropati Park in Menteng, Central Jakarta, appeared relaxed and festive as some musicians entertained voters on Wednesday as they lined up to vote. General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Arief Budiman said the musicians aimed to attract more voters. "The show was the idea of the Polling Stations Working Committee (KPPS) to encourage nearby residents to exercise their voting rights. This event was organized by the residents, not the KPU," Arief said at Suropati Park on Wednesday. Arief said the easily accessible polling stations in Suropati Park had succeeded in attracting more voters compared to other stations. A voter, Edi Sediati, said she was happy watching the performances. "The election is merrier with a music show," Edi said. One observer from the Egyptian parliament, Mahmoud Saad, who accompanied the KPU on Election Day, also offered up his singing talents during the event. "The election here feels like a festival. Everybody is happy," Mahmoud said, adding that he had never seen an election accompanied by music in his country. (trw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ganung Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Salatiga Wed, February 15, 2017 The Salatiga General Elections Commission (KPU Salatiga) will not hold quick counts for this years Salatiga mayoral election. The commission will recapitulate the ballots on Thursday. Tomorrow [Thursday] the local committee will conduct a vote recapitulation, but it will not be the official count. The official vote recapitulation from the Salatiga KPU will be announced on Feb. 24, said Syaemuri Albab, a Salatiga KPU member. A number of independent institutions in Salatiga are holding their own quick counts. The Coordination Forum of Regional Leaders of Salatiga, for instance, organizes their quick count at the Salatiga mayoral residence. We have prepared the quick count process at the official mayoral residence so that people in Salatiga can also monitor the quick count process together. We already coordinated this event with the KPU, said acting Salatiga mayor Achmad Rofai. (Read also: Election trail: Salatiga targets 83% voter turnout) The campaign teams of candidate pairs Agus Rudianto-Dance Iskak and Yuliyanto-M Haris also have organized their own quick counts. Agus already exercised his right to vote in Tegalrejo regency, while Yuliyanto had cast his vote in Sidorejo regency. Meanwhile, Salatiga Police chief Adj. Comr. Happy Perdana Yudianto said his team was ready to secure the whole election process until it was over. (trw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has slammed former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for directing his frustration over his son's candidacy in Jakartas election at President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. Yudhoyono, the chairman of the Democratic Party, has been continuously under the spotlight over his complaints about almost everything regarding the country's political dynamics, portraying himself as a victim of Jokowis leadership. He most recently suspected Jokowi of having a role in a plot to attack him and his son, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, who is running in the Jakarta gubernatorial election, by supporting the former chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Antasari Azhar. (Read also: Palace plays down Yudhoyono's allegations) Jokowi has commuted a prison sentence of Antasari, thereby granting him freedom. Antasari, who was convicted in a murder case after prosecuting Yudhoyono's in-law Aulia Pohan, accused the former president of engineering the case that had led to his imprisonment in 2010. "We don't want to become involved in these polemics, but we do wonder why SBY always targets Jokowi," PDI-P secretary general Hasto Kristiyanto said on Wednesday, referring to Yudhoyono by his initials. "Does SBY have a problem with Jokowi that he always attacks him?" Hasto asked, adding that the ruling party was concerned about the way Yudhoyono responded to issues, which according to Hasto, has triggered tension. (wit) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Wed, February 15, 2017 A police officer and another suspect have been arrested over an alleged smear campaign just hours before voting for a new mayor and deputy mayor began in Cimahi, West Java, on Wednesday. The head of the Cimahi Elections Supervisory Committees (Panwaslu) unit for violation prevention and inter-organizational relations, Yus Sutaryadi, said the committee was investigating the two suspects for circulating pamphlets containing defamatory assertions on one of the three candidate pairs contesting the election. We received short text messages on the matter from residents, so we launched an investigation. They said the perpetrators had distributed pamphlets with provocative messages about one of the candidate pairs, Yus explained. He added the pamphlets had been spread in several areas, such as Cibeber, Leuwigajah and Melong. We brought [the perpetrators] to the police station. We are detaining them at the Panwaslu office, as we look further into the case, said Yus. Separately, West Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus said one suspect, identified as YG, was a police officer. He was arrested along with RS, a member of a candidates campaign team. He [YG] is the bodyguard of one of the candidates. He is being interrogated, said Yusri. YG and the other suspect allegedly circulated pamphlets detailing corruption cases that implicated incumbent candidate Atty Suharti, who is running with Achmad Zulkarnain in the election. Supported by the Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party and the NasDem Party, the Atty-Achmad duo is competing with Asep Hadad Didjaya-Irma Indriani, who are backed by the Democratic Party and the Gerindra Party, as well as Ajay M. Priyatna-Ngatiyna, supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Mandate Party (PAN). (ebf) The most likely possibility is that Governor Rao will invite Sasikala's loyalist Palanisamy to take oath and then prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly. By India Today Web Desk: As Tamil Nadu undergoes political turmoil following divide in the ruling AIADMK, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao is likely to invite AIADMK convicted chief VK Sasikala's nominee E Palanisamy to form government in the state. Highly placed sources who are looking closely at the unfolding political situation in Tamil Nadu have indicated to India Today that the composite floor test option has now being pushed to the back burner by the Governor. advertisement The most likely possibility is that Governor Rao will invite Sasikala's loyalist Palanisamy to take oath and then prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly. The reason for the delay seems to be that the AIADMK has so far submitted a resolution declaring that Palanisamy was being made the new leader of the legislature party. But this resolution apparently does not have the signatures of all the MLAs. The Governor has asked for the signatures of all the MLAs who are supporting Palanisamy. He has said a resolution without the signatures of the MLAs did not suffice. The sources indicated that if Palanisamy is able to provide signatures of more than 118 MLAs then the Governor will call Sasikala's nominee to take the oath of office, after which he will have to prove his majority on the floor of the House. By doing so, the Governor will not be choosing the option for convening a session of the Assembly and going for a composite floor test. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had suggested to Rao in favour of the composite test within a week. However, Rao may prefer to invite Palanisamy to form government and prove his majority within a specified time limit. Also read | Who is EK Palanisamy, the man picked by Sasikala to be Tamil Nadu CM? Also read | LIVE: Governor likely to call Palanisamy to take oath as Tamil Nadu CM Also read: Sasikala hits Jayalaalithaa's grave hard three times. And we don't know what she meant WATCH NOW: --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Singkawang, West Kalimantan Wed, February 15, 2017 Two high-ranking West Kalimantan officersWest Kalimantan Barat Police chief Insp. Gen. Musyafak and Military Commander XII/Tanjungpura Maj. Gen. Andika Perkasahave closely monitored the voting process in Singkawang city and Landak regency to make sure the elections in those regions went smoothly. They visited Singkawang in the morning before flying to Ngabang, the capital of Landak regency. Musyafak said the voting process in those regions went peacefully. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were no incidents reported. "We will safeguard the areas until the vote recapitulation is completed. For the winners, dont get carried away or mock the losers, Musyafak said. As many as 1,734 police and Indonesia Military (TNI) personnel had been deployed to safeguard Wednesdays election process in Singkawang and Landak. Musyafak said earlier that the personnel deployed at polling stations should also help monitor the voting process. (Read also: Personnel readied to secure regional elections in C. Java) If something happens in regards to the voting process, well be able to provide data for a comparison, said Musyafak, who oversaw the security in both participating regions ahead of the voting day. Separately, West Kalimantan Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu West Kalimantan) head Ruhermansyah said the tight security in Singkawang was necessary to prevent any potential conflict as Singkawang was a multiethnic city consisting of residents from various ethnic and religious groups. (trw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15 2017 Political tensions heightened on the eve of the Jakarta gubernatorial election on Tuesday after murder convict and former antigraft czar Antasari Azhar accused former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of engineering his murder case. Yudhoyono has taken the accusation as a political attack against him and his son, Agus Harimurti, who is running for Jakarta governor against incumbent Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who is backed by President Joko Jokowi Widodos party. Just hours after the former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leader dropped the bombshell, Yudhoyono sent his lawyers to the National Police headquarters to press defamation charges against Antasari. But Yudhoyonos anger seems to be directed more at Jokowi, who granted Antasari clemency and commuted the remainder of his prison sentence last month. Antasari, who was convicted for the murder of a businessman just a few months after prosecuting Yudhoyonos relative by marriage for graft, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2010. I dont believe what Antasari did was possible without blessing from the powers that be, Yudhoyono said in a press conference at his new residence in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta. Yudhoyono again accused the Jokowi government of trying to block his sons chances in the Jakarta race, considered by political parties as a springboard for the 2019 presidential election. Agus, a political neophyte, is reportedly being groomed as a possible presidential candidate. Antasari has long insinuated that Yudhoyono was behind what he claimed to be a plot to criminalize him. But Tuesday was the first time he had publicly named Yudhoyono, accusing him of being the initiator of his murder case. Antasari based his accusation on a conversation he claimed he had with media tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibjo, a business partner of United States President Donald Trump, shortly before the KPK detained Agus father in-law, Aulia Pohan, then a Bank Indonesia deputy governor in 2009. Hary, founder of the MNC group, was allegedly sent by Yudhoyono to ask Antasari not to detain Aulia, Antasari told reporters after visiting the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) to report alleged irregularities in his case. I was arrested around two months after that. The time frame was very close between my arrest and the meeting. [Hary said] this was serious and he was on a mission from Cikeas [the name of Yudhoyonos private residence]. The mission was not to detain Aulia and I said No, I cant, Antasari said. The stock price of PT Media Nusantara Citra (MNCN) plunged 6.18 percent to Rp 1,595 (12 US cents) per share on Tuesday after Antasari released the statement regarding Hary. Besides the shares of Media Nusantara Citra, those of PT MNC Investama (BHIT) also dropped by 2.14 percent to Rp 137, and those of PT Bank MNC Internasional (BABP) dropped by 2.74 percent to Rp 71. Antasaris accusations that make it seem as if I was the initiator of his case is clearly wrong. I certainty will take legal action against Antasari, Yudhoyono posted on his official twitter account @SBYudhoyono. Antasari argued that a text message that the police used as evidence to detain him at that time was fabricated. He submitted the message as evidence for the police to start investigating to follow up his report. Antasari filed a report with the Jakarta Police in 2010 to investigate actors behind the alleged fabrication of the text message but to no avail. Antasaris decision to report the case to Bareskrim was a renewed fight after the National Police said they would welcome Antasari should he want to file a new report following his release. Antasari rebuffed allegations that his move on Tuesday was politically motivated ahead of the Jakarta election. I am doing it today because it is the right time to do it, Antasari said. The National Police said they would follow up on Antasaris report. We will appoint several personnel to carry out an investigation. We will have to wait for them to work, said National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul. Questions remain on the validity of the text message to be used as evidence to start a new investigation given the fact that the message was accepted as valid evidence that supported Antasaris conviction in 2010. However, Trisakti University criminal law expert Abdul Fickar Hajar said validated court evidence could be used to start a new investigation as long as it was supported by additional evidence that had yet to be revealed during a trial. (dis) 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 Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Singkawang Wed, February 15, 2017 The Singkawang General Elections Commission (KPU Singkawang) in West Kalimantan has tried to attract voters to exercise their democratic right by providing special services to hospital-ridden residents, and by livening up a polling station with decorations for this year's mayoral election. A polling station, for instance, was erected at Alverno Leprosy Hospital to cater for the needs of its patients to vote on Wednesday. The head of the local poll administrators (KPPS) at the hospital, Ari Asnanto, said there were 53 registered voters at the polling station in Pasiran subdistrict, West Singkawang district. Of the number, 70 percent were patients, while the remaining voters were patients' relatives. Some patients came to the polling station on a wheelchair, while some others were escorted by hospital staff members. A hospital staff member, Yohana Lince, said that of 34 patients, at least 20 were registered voters. (Read also: 2 women of Chinese descent to square off in Singkawang election) Meanwhile, another polling station tried to attract voters by decorating a station with Chinese New Year ornaments. "At a glance, this [the polling station] looks like a worship place as it is dominated by Chinese decorations. But this is actually a house, said Martin, the stations KPPS head. Prior to the election, KPU Singkawang used a mobile car service to go around 26 districts to encourage residents to vote. (trw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hermawan Kartajaya and Ardhi Ridwansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15 2017 As home to approximately 650 million people, ASEAN serves as quite the potential market for automotive industry players. Carmakers from Asia, Europe and the United States have long been vying to expand business in the region. But not everyone amid such stiff competition could emerge as a winner. Wherever it sells cars, Germanys Volkswagen (VW) Group normally seeks at least 15 percent market share. But in ASEAN home to 10 countries and a fast-growing population VWs market share remains tiny, as data by the end of 2016 suggests. In 2016 itself, American car giant Ford shut down its business in Indonesia, despite the country being in the 14th position globally in terms of automobile sales, sixth in Asia and first in ASEAN. 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 Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi Wed, February 15, 2017 Thousands of supporters of West Sulawesi gubernatorial election ticket Ali Baal Masdar-Enny Anggraeni Anwar poured onto the streets of Polewali in Polewali Mandar hours after voting ended on Wednesday. They believed the pair had won the race even though the official result was not yet announced by the General Elections Commission (KPU) in West Sulawesi. In Mamuju, the provinces capital, it was supporters of the Suhardi Duka-Kalma Katta ticket who took to the streets. They were convinced it was their ticket that was victorious. (Read also: Komnas HAM monitors voting in West Sulawesi) Ali Baal-Enny claimed victory based on a quick count conducted by pollster Politic Marketing Indonesia, which showed that they got 39 percent of the vote, while Suhardi Duka-Kalma got 34 percent, and Salim Mengga-Hasanuddin 24 percent. But the camp of Suhardi Duka-Kalma had their own quick count, which showed the pair got 44 percent, while Ali Baal-Enny got 34 percent and Salim-Hasanuddin 20 percent. West Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Nandang said that convoying on the streets was actually prohibited. We have warned the camps of all three candidates to prevent their supporters from convoying in the streets, he said. If we find such activities on the streets we will disperse them. According to observations by The Jakarta Post in Polewali Mandar, hundreds of members of the polices mobile brigade were busy managing the flow of traffic. (bbs) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moses Ompusunggu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 The General Elections Commission (KPU) has said that eligible voters staying in hospitals or currently incarcerated in prisons can still cast their votes in the regional elections on Wednesday. "We will help them cast their ballots as long as they are registered as eligible voters," KPU commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. Officials at voting booths located near the hospitals will be deployed to assist patients, while the KPU will set up voting booths inside prisons. The KPU Jakarta will set up voting booths at four hospitals in the city, namely Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in East Jakarta, Koja Hospital and Pantai Indah Kapuk Hospital in North Jakarta and Siloam Hospital in West Jakarta. (Read also: Jakarta gubernatorial election most anticipated event on Wednesday) In Jakarta, 1,477 registered voters are prisoners of Cipinang Detention Center in East Jakarta and 1,221 registered voters are prisoners of the Cipinang Penitentiary. Budi Ruswanto, a registration staff member at the Salemba Penitentiary, which currently holds around 1,300 inmates, said, however, that not all of the 163 registered voters in the prison would cast their votes as some of them had been released or transferred to other penitentiaries. Six graft suspects are also expected to cast their votes at the headquarters of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Kuningan, South Jakarta, the commissions spokesperson, Febri Diansyah, said on Tuesday. "Officials from the polling booths in Setiabudi district will deliver election equipment to the headquarters of the KPK at 10 a.m.," Febri said. (trw) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 Nine polling stations in remote areas of Sangihe Islands regency, North Sulawesi, failed to hold voting on Wednesday as bad weather hindered the distribution of election materials to the areas. The polling stations have not yet received voting materials because of strong waves and extreme weather. This is why voting could not be conducted today [Wednesday], General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah told journalists on Wednesday. He said it was expected the materials would arrive at the polling stations on Wednesday afternoon. However, local election organizers decided to postpone proceedings instead as they were worried the voting process would not run smoothly if conducted in the evening. It is better to postpone it to tomorrow or the day after. This matter will be discussed further by the election organizers there. This postponement wouldnt affect the spirit of holding simultaneous elections, Ferry said. Initially, the KPU set to hold simultaneous elections in 101 regions across the country. (Read also: Logistical hitches hamper voting in Sangihe Islands) Separately, KPU Sangihe chairperson Elsye Sinadia confirmed voting in five villages in Nusa Tabukan, Sangihe Islands, would be conducted on Thursday as election materials arrived in the district on Wednesday afternoon. Strong waves and extreme weather hampered the logistics of delivery, she said. Elsye hoped the voting, which would be held in nine polling stations for 2,455 registered voters would run smoothly. (ebf) ------ Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15 2017 Rain is forecast to fall on areas across the archipelago when simultaneous regional elections are set to take place, prompting election authorities to take necessary measures to ensure smooth voting despite the unfavorable weather. As voters may have to cast their votes in the rain, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has called on all people to remain committed to going to the ballot box, saying that it has taken care of everything. KPU commissioner Ferry Kurnia said the commission had prepared logistics to respond to any emergency situations caused by the weather. In case of flooding, the KPU was ready to relocate polling stations to nearby places still reachable for voters, 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 Jerry Adiguna (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15 2017 Photographers go to great lengths, often putting their own lives at risk, to report, to break the silence and to enlighten us through pictures, because they believe they might, just might, inspire change, said Stuart Franklin, the 2017 World Press Photo Jury Chairman in an opinion piece published in the Guardian. The winners of this years World Press Photo were announced late Monday. 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 Eileen Ng (Associated Press) Kuala Lumpur Wed, February 15, 2017 Malaysian police arrested a woman Wednesday in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother. Police released a statement saying the woman was carrying Vietnamese travel documents when she was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Kim Jong Nam died Monday after suddenly falling ill at the budget terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, said a senior Malaysian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy. Kim, who died on the way to a hospital, told medical workers that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the official said. Malaysian officials have provided few other details. Police said an autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror." South Korea's spy service said Wednesday that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim. But the National Intelligence Service did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to lawmakers who briefed reporters about the closed door meeting with the spy officials. The NIS cited Kim Jong Un's alleged "paranoia" about his half brother. Still, the agency has a history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the country's leaders as mentally unstable. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. They fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police, the reports said. Police were searching for clues in the closed circuit television footage from the airport, said Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat. The airport is in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur. According to the Malaysian government official, Kim Jong Nam was in a shopping concourse and had not yet gone through security for a planned flight to Macau when the incident occurred. Hunted: A man believed to be Kim Jong Nam, eldest son of then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, is surrounded by the media upon arrival from Macau at Beijing airport in Beijing. Kim was assassinated at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, telling medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray a Malaysian official said Tuesday. (Kyodo News via AP, File)(AP/file) Kim was estranged from his half brother, the North Korean leader. Although he had been originally tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. He reportedly fell further out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. Ken Gause, who is with the CNA think tank in Washington and has studied North Korea's leadership for 30 years, said Kim Chol was a name that Kim Jong Nam had traveled under. He is believed to have been born May 10, 1971. While the most likely explanation for the killing was that Kim Jong Un was removing a potential challenger to North Korean leadership within his own family, he could also be sending a warning to North Korean officials to demonstrate the reach of the regime. It follows the defection last year of a senior diplomat from the North Korean Embassy in London who has spoken of his despair at Kim's purges. Mark Tokola, vice president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington and a former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, said it would be surprising if Kim Jong Nam was not killed on the orders of his half brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate Kim Jong Nam in the past. "It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong Un," Tokola wrote in a commentary Tuesday. Although there was scant evidence that Kim Jong Nam was plotting against the North Korean leader, he provided an alternative for North Koreans who would want to depose his half brother. Among Kim Jong Un's executions and purgings, the most spectacular was the 2013 execution of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered the country's second-most powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. Gause said Kim Jong Nam had been forthright that he did not have political ambitions, although he was publicly critical of the North Korean regime and his half brother's legitimacy in the past. Kim Jong Nam had been less outspoken since 2011, when North Korean assassins reportedly tried to shoot him in Macau, Gause said, though the details of the attempted killing are murky. South Korea also reportedly jailed a North Korean spy in 2012 who admitted to trying to organize a hit-and-run accident targeting Kim Jong Nam in China in 2010. Despite the attempts on his life, Kim Jong Nam had reportedly traveled to North Korea since then, so it was assumed he was no longer under threat. Kim Jong Nam may have become more vulnerable, as his defender in the North Korean hierarchy, Kim Kyong Hui Kim Jong Un's aunt and the wife of his executed uncle appears to have fallen from favor or died. She has not been seen in public for more than three years, Gause said. Kim Jong Il had at least three sons with two women, as well as a daughter by a third. Kim Jong Nam was the eldest, followed by Kim Jong Chul, who is a few years older than Kim Jong Un and is known as a playboy who reportedly attended Eric Clapton concerts in London in 2015. It's unclear what positon he has in the North Korean government. A younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, was named a member of the Workers' Party of Korea's Central Committee during a North Korean party congress last May. She has a position in a propaganda and agitation department and is known as Kim Jong Un's gatekeeper, Gause said. Highly-placed sources have said that if Palanisamy is able to present a list of more than 118 supporters, he will be sworn in as the CM. By India Today Web Desk: Following AIADMK chief Sasikala's conviction, Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao today asked both Palaniswamy and Panneerselvam to come up with their list of supporters in their bid to become the next chief minister. Highly-placed sources have said that if Palaniswamy is able to present a list of more than 118 supporters, he will be sworn in as the CM. Once sworn-in, Palaniswamy will have to prove his majority on the floor of the House. advertisement Similarly, Panneerselvam will also be submit the list of people who are backing him. The decision of the governor will depend on who of the two can get the required number of supporters. FLOOR TEST PUSHED Sources who are looking closely at the unfolding political situation in Tamil Nadu have indicated to India Today that the composite floor test option has now being pushed to the back burner by the Governor. The most likely possibility is that Governor Rao will invite Sasikala's loyalist Palaniswamy to take oath and then prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly. The reason for the delay seems to be that the AIADMK has so far submitted a resolution declaring that Palaniswamy was being made the new leader of the legislature party. But this resolution apparently does not have the signatures of all the MLAs. The Governor has asked for the signatures of all the MLAs who are supporting Palaniswamy. He has said a resolution without the signatures of the MLAs did not suffice. Also read: Tamil Nadu political crisis: Governor may invite Sasikala loyalist Palanisamy to form government Sasikala surrenders before court, sent to Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru Sasikala in jail but 'mafia from Mannargudi' is here to stay. Who are they? What Sasikala's life is going to be like in Parappana Agrahara Central Jail Sasikala hits Jayalaalithaa's grave hard three times. And we don't know what she meant --- ENDS --- Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jeremy Douglas and Joseph Gyte (The Jakarta Post) Bangkok Thu, February 16 2017 The year 2016 was a year of rising terrorist activity for the ASEAN region. Arrests and deaths of terrorist suspects in Indonesia more than doubled to 170, Malaysia faced a steady stream of travel attempts of foreign terrorist fighters to Syria or Iraq and witnessed its first successful Daesh (Islamic State) attack in June, and the Philippines suffered from an increase in bombings and hostage-takings conducted by Daesh affiliated groups, including Abu Sayyaf. Less covered in the international media, Thailands deep south experienced a dramatic upsurge in attacks to over 800, resulting in over 300 deaths and 600 injured. Unfortunately, this trend is not expected to subside in 2017; rather, without effective collaboration between ASEAN countries, it is predicted that the level of terrorist violence will increase further. Daesh has shown great interest in this region. In June last year, a propaganda video instructed their supporters to focus on Southeast Asia, telling them to join their regional branch in the Philippines if they cant make it to Syria or Iraq. 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) Thu, February 16 2017 About 41 million Indonesians voted on Feb. 15 in the second simultaneous regional elections in 101 regions. They showed up at polling stations, exercised their political rights and dipped their pinky fingers in ink. The government declared Feb. 15 a national holiday to make it easier for people across the country to go to the polling stations and cast their ballots. Most major roads in Jakarta were unusually quiet on voting day, but polling stations were packed with people. Crowds could be seen in the long row of polling stations erected on Jl. Matraman in East Jakarta. Election committees across the nation showed their enthusiasm by decorating their polling stations or wearing costumes. In a polling station in Batu city, East Java, replica costume of Star Wars characters were seen standing guard at voting booths. In Kebon Pala, East Jakarta, local poll administrators wore elementary school uniforms, inviting smiles from the voters. The election in Pati, Central Java, lacked a thrill factor since the regency only had one candidate pair running. While amid flooding in Mintobasuki village, voters still came out to vote, even if they had to hitch a ride on a boat to get to the polling station. The Jakarta gubernatorial election has attracted the most attention as it seen as a barometer of the countrys democracy. Analysts say the electoral process in Jakarta will not only affect the capital but also the national political map in the run-up to the 2019 presidential election. 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 Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 16 2017 Indonesia and Pakistan are scheduled to review their preferential trade agreement (PTA) for a second time in Islamabad starting Thursday in an attempt to balance trade between the two countries. The two-day review is a follow-up to the first review in August 2016. The PTA, which came into effect in 2013, allows for a significant surge in the trade balance between Indonesia and Pakistan. 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 Julia Suryakusuma (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 16 2017 When you think of art, what comes to mind? It could be anything and everything under the sun but the military probably would not be the first thing you think of, right? So I was intrigued when I received an invitation for an art exhibition held last Monday, which was opened by Defense Minister Gen. (ret.) Ryamizard Ryacudu. The exhibition was called Bela Negara (Defend the Nation) featuring 36 painters who displayed their works with various themes: human interest, religion, nature and some with nationalistic themes befitting the exhibitions title. It was attended by other military figures such as Air Force chief of staff Air Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, the ministrys secretary-general Vice Admiral Widodo and Defense University rector Lt. Gen. I Wayan Midhio. Luckily it was also attended by collectors and the painters themselves, otherwise it could have been mistaken for a military convention! So why Bela Negara and why Ryacudu? Because thats the name of his pet project. Its a program created out of his and the Indonesian Militarys (TNI) concern over what they see as increasing disharmony of the nation, particularly following the rise of increased Islamic fundamentalism and also what they perceive to be the rise of leftist ideas. The Bela Negara program is thus a new initiative to instill and promote patriotism, nationalism and Pancasila (state ideology) values among the public. 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 News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 15, 2017 ASEAN and Canada have celebrated its 40th year of relations, pledging to preserve the partnership to maintain regional peace, stability, security, development and welfare. Marie-Louise Hannan, Ambassador of Canada to ASEAN, said her country would continue to expand its regional engagement in areas that support ASEANs community building objectives, contributing to the fostering of peace, security and prosperity. The fabric of Canadian society is strengthened by our enduring links with ASEAN. As we celebrate 40 years of partnership, we hope to bring energy to the relationship to the benefit of Southeast Asians and Canadians alike, Hanan said in a statement. Hanan and Elizabeth Buensuceso, permanent representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, officially launched the 40th anniversary commemoration in Jakarta on Tuesday. The first formal meeting between Canada and ASEAN was held on Feb. 3 and 4. To mark the 40th anniversary, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau encouraged all Canadians to reflect on the tremendous contributions made by Southeast Asian Canadians to the country. Canada, after all, is home to over 1 million people from Southeast Asia. Their communities enrich our national fabric every day and greatly contribute to one of our countrys most fundamental strengthsour diversity, Trudeau said in a statement. During the 40th anniversary, Hannan also unveiled the special occasions logo, which was chosen through a competition. Ardy Kurniawan, a law student from the University of Jember, East Java, won the competition. (jun) It turns out that Matt Restuccia of the right-wing oi band Lonewolf and a member of a white supremacist group known as 211 Crew was DJing at Clockwork Bar Saturday night. Members of 211 Crew are accused of attacking two Columbia grad students outside the bar. The owner, who earlier this week spoke out against hate groups, says he did not know about Restuccias background. The owner, Frank Scotto, said Restuccia is now banned from the bar. Meanwhile, Restuccia spoke out on social media, claiming the incident has been overblown. [Gothamist] Governor Cuomo kills the plastic bag fee legislation enacted by the New York City Council. The bills sponsors, local Council member Margaret Chin and Brooklyn Council member Brad Lander, said, We fought plastic bags, and for now, plastic bags won. [New York Times] A tenant with AIDS has filed a lawsuit against an arm of Starrett Development claiming that she was denied a rental subsidy. Starrett is developing one of the huge new residential towers in the Two Bridges area. A spokesperson denied the allegations and said the company does accept applications for rental subsidies. [Daily News] Pete Wells awards the new Doyers Street restaurant, Chinese Tuxedo, two stars. Yes there are service problems and not every dish is on target, but hes generally impressed with the chefs untraditional take on Chinese cuisine. On some nights, he writes, the crowd is a mix of white people here simply because its new, and Chinese families tentatively poking at the fried eggplant and pork dumplings topped with flying fish roe. They look as if they are trying to decide whether this is really Chinese food. [New York Times] Bangkok Center Grocery on Mosco Street, is a standby for people passionate about Thai food, including some of the citys top chefs. [New York Times] An interview with Simon Hammerstein on the 10 year anniversary of The Box. [Cool Hunting] Spotted in Eldridge Street club Rumpus Room: Mike -Hot-Pence, who is pro-choice, pro-environment and gay. [Page Six] By Press Trust of India: Dubai, Feb 15 (PTI) United Arab Emirates ambassador to Afghanistan Juma Al-Kaabi, who was injured in a powerful blast in the war-torn countrys Kandahar province, died today. "It is with great sadness and sorrow that we mourn the martyr of the nation, Juma Mohammed Abdullah Al Kaabi, who gave up his soul for the sake of humanity," the state-run WAM news agency reported, quoting a statement by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. advertisement Juma was wounded in the blast last month that also killed 12 people including the deputy provincial governor and five UAE diplomats. The ambassador was transferred by military plane to Abu Dhabi in the UAE for treatment. The diplomats were meeting when explosives hidden in a sofa detonated inside the governors compound on January 10. Provincial police chief Abdul Raziq had blamed Pakistans powerful spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Taliban-allied Haqqani network for the attack. The Taliban had denied carrying out the blast. PTI ZH AKJ ZH --- ENDS --- " We used to think that we are friends but the way they snapped ties during assembly election, they kept us engaged in talks till the last minute." By India Today Television: In an interview to India Today, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray tells us how their relationship with the BJP has changed now. He admits he has expectations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi but has several questions on promises related to demonetisation, bringing black money back from Swiss bank accounts, construction of Ram Mandir, etc. Q - You have been asked this question many times in last few days? Who are you with? Are you in opposition or with the govt? advertisement Uddhav - We had alliance for last 25 years, there was common ideology of Hindutava and nationalism..We had a family relations with the BJP leaders like Atalji, Advaniji, Pramodji, Nitinji and Munde ji. We shared an emotional connect as well. To prevent division of Hindu votes Balasaheb decided that Shiv Sena will take care of Maharashtra and BJP can take care of whole country. But things have changed now. Q - So the BJP is asking you now 'hum aapke hai kaun '? Uddhav - We used to think that we are friends but the way they snapped ties during assembly election, they kept us engaged in talks till the last minute .That time we did not want alliance to be broken?but Eknath khadse at last himself said that BJP wanted to do it and Khadse was assigned this job. After elections I thought that even if we are not getting good portfolio, Deputy CM post but at least finally state is free of Congress rule, so let's be in the government. Last month Subramanian Swamy came to Mumbai and he said in a programme that to break ties with Shiv Sena was BJP's well thought decision. They were of the opinion that now BalaSaheb is no more, and Uddhav has no strength. ..This is the opportunity lets finish Shiv Sena. That's why I said that whether you have a chest of 56 inches or not, it should have a heart. Also read | BJP has a use-and-throw policy on allies: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Q - BJP claims that they are number one party in Maharashtra, they have more than 100 MLAs. Why should Shiv Sena not accept the position of being number two? Uddhav - But the question is how many of these MLAs are from outside and how many are your own? You have taken Pappu Kalani also to be number one. That means to be at number one, you can go to any extent. Public will not tolerate this. Q - You speak against their Prime Minister, you say that he is taking harmful decisions for the country. How can they tolerate this? Uddhav -Modi is country's PM not BJP's PM only. I never said that demonetisation is a wrong decision, I am not an economist but I said that the way it was implemented was not right. Now everyone is saying same thing. So many died, some committed suicide, many weddings were cancelled or postponed. You asked for 50 days, people gave you. You promised that after 50 days terror attacks will stop, but that has not. You promised black money will come out. Where is that? Nitish Kumar is asking? Fake currency is still being recovered. Few days back Pakistan-made fake currency was seized. And the corruption hasn't come down. Public was of opinion that PM made rich to stand in queues but have you ever found any rich man standing in bank lines? Only the poor suffered. You made them to deposit their hard earn money in banks and for withdrawal also there are conditions and questions are asked. advertisement Q -It sounds like the language of opposition - same as Congress, Mamata Banerjee. Uddhav - No, I am speaking what common man feels. Q - Your relationship with BJP is in such a bad shape that now you write in Saamna that Manmohan government was better? Uddhav -Why we chose Narendra Modi because country wanted change. I am not saying whether PM's raincoat remark was right or not. Manmohan gave a speech in parliament against demonetisation..RBI Governor Urjit Patel was called in to give explanation on demonetisation that time Manmohan Singh shielded him and offered his raincoat. advertisement Q-But do you want to say that Manmohan govt was better, if we compare with 2 yrs of this govt? Uddhav -No, I am not saying this, else why would I have supported Modi. I have expectations from him and it's my job to speak about that. Have you taught lesson to Pakistan? Have you brought back black money from Swiss accounts? Have you enacted common civil law? Have you constructed Ram Mandir? And for surgical strike I, myself, called PM and said we are with you. You did a commendable job. Q - So are these the reasons that you said Maharashtra govt is on notice period? Uddhav - Notice period was not my word. I was asked this as question and I said let's assume so because I have decided to not have alliance in future with BJP. Q- Means either assembly or Lok Sabha - you won't go with BJP? advertisement Uddhav -No Q -But is Maharashtra govt on notice period? Uddhav - Till 21st election for ten Municipal Corporations and Zilla Parishad is there. After that I will also raise the issue of transparency as they have raised, for which I have this acknowledgement from Centre according to which BMC is no 1 in transparency. Now I want equal transparency in the functioning of state govt like BMC. In the BMC's standing committee when the decisions are made its open for LoP, opposition members, commissioner and journalists . State govt should also work like this. Q- But Shiv Sena ministers are there in the govt, they attend cabinet meetings. Why they don't do this? Uddhav - BJP corporators are also in standing committee. Q - You are contesting in UP, in Goa also you fought..Your strategy seems that wherever is BJP contesting, Shiv Sena too will contest? Uddhav -No, I don't do such dirty politics?I am fighting because for last 25 we have been preventing our cadre from contesting election in other states to prevent division of Hindu votes, so lot of them joined BJP. Now it's a new beginning for us. Q - Will you be campaigning in UP? Uddhav - I wish to go there. Our candidates are getting good response. Q - You are praising Akhilesh Yadav's work also? Uddhav - He is young, he overcame family feud . he has done good job. But our candidates are fighting with our ideology and if I get time I would really go. I hope some of them win this time "aur hamara bhagva up me bhi lehrayega". Q - Hope after election you take a solid stand. Uddhav - We will come our own, would not need anyone support. People's love and faith in us and Balasaheb's blessing are our strength. --- ENDS --- By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha Washington, Feb 15 (PTI) Noting that there is a direct link between security situation in Afghanistan and terror safe havens in Pakistan, a top Afghan diplomat has said unless the US takes meaningful action to "severe" that connection, both Kabul and Washington will continue to suffer. "You cannot talk about the state of security in Afghanistan without talking about the state of terrorists havens and support provided by Pakistan. The two are intrinsically connected. One is the cause; the other is the effect," Afghan Ambassador to the US Hamdullah Mohib told a Washington audience on Monday. advertisement "Until the US takes meaningful action to severe that connection, our two countries prolonged in costly joint effort against terrorism in the Af-Pak region cannot succeed. This isnt a subjective opinion. This is an objective fact. Victory requires a paradigm shift in American thinking about Pakistan," Mohib said. He lashed out at Pakistan for its continued support to terrorist safe havens inside its territory. Mohib welcomed the recent Congressional testimony of General John Nicholson, commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, in which he called for a holistic review of US relations with Pakistan. "This is very encouraging to hear," he said, alleging that Pakistan is playing the role of a spoiler in his war-torn country. "Every neighbour can play two roles. In this case, its an active spoiler in Afghanistan in being able to provide sanctuaries, support to - we have witnessed in the past - at least in the past two years, if were not going too far behind," he said. Mohib alleged that that Afghan-Taliban leaders travel under Pakistani passports. "Theyre provided with hospital and medical support. We saw where the head of the Al-Qaeda was. Those things highlight quite a few important factors. That is, this is - the shift of making it sound like its a blame game is no longer viable. This is objective facts. All of those things have happened, and they have happened in the recent past. So they cannot be forgotten so quickly," he said. "If Pakistan wants to to save itself, what were worried about is that that affects Pakistans future itself. Those terrorists do not recognise those boundaries as the restrictions to them and would soon turn their own weapons on Pakistan," Mohib said, warning Pakistan of the consequences of supporting terrorist groups. He alleged that Pakistan was taking action against only those terrorist groups which pose a threat to it and not against those who targets neighbouring countries. "What is happening to us today can become the future of Pakistan. And for that reason as well, I think its in the interest of the Pakistani administration to assist us in eliminating the terrorists from that region. Sincerely assist, not just say and talk about it. We need to see some actions," he said. advertisement "We have always had good words from Pakistan and it continues to be the case. They speak about cooperation and they always have very good ways and words to put it in," he said. PTI LKJ MRJ --- ENDS --- According to sources in the VHP Rathore who till Tuesday was the convenor of the 'Gau Raksha Samiti' in Satna district was expelled after top leaders were sounded about his financial association with Balram, the mastermind of the espionage ring. Balram who is in ATS custody is understood to have transferred more than Rs 60 lakhs to Rathore in the past one year. ATS officers have sought details of financial transactions from the bank in Satna in which Rathore, who has since gone underground and is untraceable, holds an account. ATS officials have so far denied that they are on the lookout for Ashish. "We are not looking for any one at the moment and also we don't announce and search for those who are wanted. If someone is required for questioning we simply pick him up," a top ATS official said on the condition of anonymity. According to sources, Balram the mastermind of the espionage ring who was getting money from his handlers in Pakistan through hawala used to first deposit it in bank accounts of his associates to evade income tax attention. This money was later transferred to ISI operatives as directed by his handlers from Pakistan through a genuine banking process. Both Balram and Rathore were actively involved with the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad in Satna and pictures posters put up by them on various occasions have now gone viral. The opposition Congress party has alleged that both were part of the core team of the Bajrang Dal and were using their proximity to the authorities to extract sensitive information that was being traded with the ISI of Pakistan. The model best known as the hot felon swapped prison corridors for the catwalk as he made his debut at New York Fashion Week. Jeremy Meeks mugshot went viral in 2014 after he was arrested for possession of firearms and criminal street gang activity. The Californian scored a modelling contract before he was released from prison in March 2016 after fans on Facebook praised his high cheekbones, chiselled features and striking blue eyes. Since then he has been working on his career in front of the camera and appeared on the catwalk at Philipp Pleins fashion show in Manhattan in front of celebrity admirers Madonna, Paris Hilton and Kylie Jenner. Kylie and Madonna on the front row (Charles Sykes/AP) His teardrop face tattoo was clearly visible as he appeared at New York Public Library in a black puffer jacket with a fur hood and shiny black trousers. Jeremy in action (Diane Bondareff/AP) Other stars to hit the catwalk at the show included rappers Fetty Wap, Desiigner and Young Thug, musician Pete Wentz and celebrity offspring Sofia Richie, daughter of Lionel Richie. Sofia on the catwalk (Diane Bondareff/AP) Meeks recently shared the mugshot that made him famous on his own Instagram page, along with a picture of him embracing Carine Roitfeld, former editor-in-chief of French Vogue. How quickly things can change! A yoga studio is raising money for charity by offering yoga sessions with a Harry Potter twist. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in wizarding world costumes and will be sorted into a Hogwarts house at the beginning of the session, being held in Toronto, Canada. The magic doesnt end there. Next, they will pick up their wand before setting down their mat in a space filled with book-inspired decor. The class will feature poses such as the Downward Dumbledore (muggles call it Downward Dog), Wizard 1 and 2 (Warrior 1 and 2) and the Womping Willow (Tree Pose). (PopUpAsana Toronto) Tara and Alaina from Pop Up Asana, who organised the session, told us: As Potterheads ourselves, we took a look at our own group of friends, and the success of other Harry Potter themed events in Toronto, to come up with a theme that appeals to so many Torontonians and Canadians alike. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. #HPyogaTO Feb 25 session is SOLD OUT. Get March session spots before they're gone! pic.twitter.com/TwJFlI2YB9 PopUpAsanaTO (@PopUpAsanaTO) February 10, 2017 By weaving our passion of yoga with the passion so many people have for Harry Potter, we can create a space for people to have fun, be active, express themselves through their yoga practice and be inspired by all things Potter. Sick Kids Foundation Tickets for the event at the Drake Hotel are pretty reasonable at $9.75 each, and whats more, all proceeds will go to thecharity. Like anything Potter related, tickets for the first four sessions sold out in 24 hours, but if you are in Toronto, or considering hopping on a plane to join in the fun, the team is planning more. This isnt the first time these yogis have used pop culture to encourage people into the ancient Indian practice. Last year they put together a Drake-inspired yoga session. Students at the University of Edinburgh have voted for delegates to carry a motion to the NUS Scotland conference in March calling for universities to be more inclusive for people of colour. Polls were open on the 8th and 9th February, during which time 468 students voted, with an overwhelming 421 in favour of the motion. The motion wants NUS Scotland to lobby Scottish universities to be more inclusive of people of colour both in their curriculums and in their teaching bodies. In terms of university curriculums, the motion argues that they should be more diverse and inclusive of people of colour, including more scholars of colour in reading lists. It also states that NUS Scotland should lobby universities to provide courses based on race and/or ethnicity. In terms of their teaching bodies, the motion wants NUS Scotland to campaign for an increase in non-white university tutors and lecturers, in particular for courses such as Black Studies, which the motion states should be organised and taught by mainly academics of colour. Students Diva Mukherji and Sophie B Alal put the motion forward for the University of Edinburgh to submit to NUS Scotland conference in March. When universities submit motions to NUS conferences (either NUS Scotland or NUS UK) this is presented for all NUS delegates at the conference to vote on, and mandates the NUS to take action for whatever the motion is arguing. The motion "Making Universities More Inclusive of People of Colour" was put to a referendum as a result of its failure to pass at a Student Council meeting on 2nd February. New voting rules at Edinburgh mean that actions which are supported by 33 to 66% of attendees must be put to the student body in an online ballot. It was supported by a number of Edinburgh NUS delegates as well as Edinburgh Students Association Liberation Convenors. Yorkshireman Ian Whittaker is to set off on the 1,700km Full Nepal Traverse of the Great Himalaya Trail this month. This journey along 'trekking's holy grail' will take the 59-year-old up to 6,190m above sealevel, and past eight peaks of more than 8,000m. The longest and highest alpine walking track in the world, the trek was launched in 2011 by World Expeditions and costs 21,000 all-inclusive. Whittaker, from Leeds, has already travelled extensively in the Himalayas. He has completed the Annapurna Circuit on a mountain bike, done the Rolwaling trek, ridden from Lhasa to Kathmandu and reached the K2 basecamp in Pakistan. "I just love being in the mountains," he says. "The physical challenges, their natural beauty and the company of like-minded folk." Whittaker will set off on February 26th, and is due to complete the trek on July 27th. 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Until we have coordination and work together, we will not be able to address this." The study claimed yesterday that India now accounted for the maximum number of premature deaths due to ozone air pollution in the world, surpassing China. The number of lives lost in India due to PM 2.5 was "approaching" that of Chinas, it claimed, noting that both the countries together accounted for 52 per cent of the total global deaths attributable to the tiny particulate matter and recorded some 1.1 million early deaths due to it each in 2015. Recently, Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, had said there was no conclusive data to establish that the deaths were caused exclusively by air pollution. He had said that the effects of air pollution on health were synergistic manifestation of factors which included food habits, occupational habits, socio-economic status, medical history, immunity, heredity etc. of individuals. Greenpeace India had published a report titled Airpocalypse in January in which it had claimed that 12 lakh deaths were reported annually in India due to air pollution. PTI TDS RC --- ENDS --- 30 Pattaya hotels closed for not having licences CHONBURI: Authorities have so far ordered the closure of 30 hotels in Pattaya City that were found to be operating without licences, and inspections are continuing. crimeconstructiontourismcorruption By Bangkok Post Wednesday 15 February 2017, 05:44PM The Bang Lamung District Chief said there were more than 1,000 hotels in Pattaya, but only 239 operated legally. Photo: Syn/Flickr Bang Lamung district officials yesterday afternoon (Feb 14) inspected two hotels The Beach Front Resort hotel and Baboona Beach Front Living along Pattaya beach road in tambon Nong Prue. The two hotels, one with 40 rooms and the other with 39 rooms, were found to be operating without licences. Hotel staff failed to produce the necessary documents when asked. They were ordered to close. Bang Lamung District Chief Naris Niramaiwong said there were more than 1,000 hotels in Pattaya, but only 239 operated legally in line with the Hotel Act of 2004. Operators of legally operated hotels had complained that their businesses were suffering from competition by illegal hotels, which offered cheaper rates. Mr Naris said all hotels in Pattaya were being inspected. So far, 30 hotels had been ordered closed for operating without proper permission. The operators were liable to a prison term of up to one year and a fine of B10,000 a day, the district chief said. The 30 hotels could apply for permission to operate legally. They would have to submit supporting documents building construction and building use permits, and an environmental impact assessment report, he said. The operators would not be allowed to reopen for business without the necessary permits, the district chief said. Read original story here. Army warns taxi, van drivers at Phuket Airport PHUKET: A contingent totalling 45 officers carried out a public inspection tour of Phuket International Airport yesterday (Feb 14), and warned public transport drivers, namely Phuket taxi and van drivers, to follow the rules. tourismtransportmilitarypolicecrime By Eakkapop Thongtub Wednesday 15 February 2017, 11:07AM Gen Santi Sakuntanak warned taxi and van drivers at Phuket Airport to follow the rules. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub A total of 45 officers, including soldiers from the Royal Thai Army, carried out a public inspection of Phuket Airport yesterday (Feb 14). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The task force, led by Col Santi Sakuntanark, commander of the 25th Infantry Regiment, comprised officers from Army Region 4 base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, 41st Military Circle, the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, Phuket City Police, Phuket Tourist Police and the Phuket Land Transport Office. Phuket International Airport is like the door for welcoming tourists from around the world. Officials will inspect public transport and security to ensure these are adequate for tourists, Col Santi said. For drivers uniforms, they should wear plain shirts and trousers, not stripes, and must wear covered shoes. The drivers must also have valid driving licences, he added. Public transport drivers at the Phuket International Airport must follow the rules of the airport, and they must not get customers by themselves, Gen Santi said. Officials will strictly enforce the rules for security at the airport, he added. Driver dead, French tourists critical after 10-wheeler slams SUV in Krabi PHUKET: At least one French tourist has died and two other French nationals are critical condition in hospital after the SUV they were travelling in was slammed head-on by an out-of-control 10-wheeled truck south of Krabi Town today (Feb 15). tourismtransportaccidentsdeath By The Phuket News Wednesday 15 February 2017, 05:36PM The truck flipped onto its side and slid out of control head-on into the oncoming traffic. Photo: Pornthep Bunsong The force of the impact knocked two of the French tourists, a man and a woman, clear out of the vehicle. Photo: Pornthep Bunsong The French tourist sitting in the front passenger seat survived, but the driver sitting beside him died in the impact. Photo: Pornthep Bunsong Lt Col Piroat Chanachai of the Nuea Khlong Police confirmed to The Phuket News that the accident happened at about 12:45pm. There were four passengers inside the car. The passengers, all French tourists, were travelling from Koh Lanta island to Krabi International Airport, he explained. The 10-wheeled truck slammed into the Fortuner, registered as a green plate commercial passenger vehicle, on Phetkasem Rd in Nuea Khlong District, south of Krabi Town. The driver, a Thai man, died at the scene. Three foreigners, all French, have been rushed to Krabi Hospital, Col Piroat said. I cant give any other details about them for now, he added. The accident left two of the French tourists, a man and a woman, in the middle of the road, knocked clear out of the SUV by the force of the impact. It is not clear what injuries the tourists sustained, but The Phuket News has been told they are in critical condition. Pornthep Bunsong, a volunteer of the Miracle of Life rescue team in Krabi, told The Phuket News that he was riding his motorbike northbound along Phetkesem Rd when the Fortuner drove past him. One second later, a 10-wheeled truck heading south on the other side of the road lost control. The truck tipped onto its side then came across traffic island and hit the car, he explained. I saw three passengers get out of the car, and the driver of the truck got out too. That was not far from where I had stopped, he said. I called the rescue team to help, but before they arrived but I could not get the driver and the passenger in the front out. The driver looked as if he were dead already, but the passenger was still conscious, but I couldnt get him out because of the damage to the car. The rescue team arrived, and I helped them to get him out of there, then everyone was taken to the hospital, he said. UPDATE: The Phuket News has been informed that the four French nationals were a family on holiday. Two of them, an 18-year-old woman and a 55-year-old woman, have both died from their injuries. An 18-year-old man with the same family name has sustained critical injuries. Half-brother of N. Korean leader assassinated in Malaysia: media SOUTH KOREA: North Korean female agents operating in Malaysia have reportedly assassinated the half-brother of the Norths leader, Kim Jong-Un a one-time heir apparent who became a critic of the Stalinist regime. crimedeathmurder By AFP Wednesday 15 February 2017, 09:27AM Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of North Korean late leader Kim Jong-il. Photo: AFP South Korean media said yesterday (Feb 14) that Kim Jong-Nam was killed with poisoned needles at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Officials in Seoul and the Malaysian capital could not confirm his death. Malaysian police said in a statement late yesterday that a North Korean man, identified as Kim Chol, sought medical assistance at the airport and died on the way to hospital. South Korean media said Jong-Nam had travelled using a fake passport under the name of Kim Chol. If confirmed, it would be the highest-profile death under the Jong-Un regime since the execution of the leaders uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. Jong-Un has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his countrys nuclear and missile programmes. He has reportedly staged a series of executions. The latest launch of a new intermediate-range missile on Sunday (Feb 12) brought UN Security Council condemnation and vows of a strong response from US President Donald Trump. South Koreas national news agency Yonhap quoted a source as saying agents of the Norths spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, carried out the assassination on Monday (Feb 13) by taking advantage of a security loophole between Jong-Nams bodyguards and Malaysian police at the airport. The 45-year-old was killed by two unidentified females wielding poisoned needles at the airport, according to South Korean broadcaster TV Chosun. It said the women hailed a cab and fled immediately afterwards. Jong-Nam, the eldest son of former leader Kim Jong-Il, was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched attempt in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland. He has since lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau. His half-brother took over as leader when their father died in December 2011. Jong-Nam, known as an advocate of reform in the North, once told a Japanese newspaper that he opposed his countrys dynastic system of power. He was reportedly close to his uncle Song-Thaek, once the Norths unofficial number two and political mentor of the current leader. Cheong Seong-Jang, senior researcher at Seouls Sejong Institute think-tank, said Jong-Nam had been living in near-exile so it was unlikely that Jong-Un saw him as a potential competitor for power. But if Jong-Nam committed an act to damage Jong-Uns authority, I think its possible that the Reconnaissance General Bureau may have directly conducted the assassination under the orders of Jong-Un since it has been in charge of closely watching Jong-Nam. Jong-Nam has been targeted in the past. In October 2012 South Korean prosecutors said a North Korean detained as a spy had admitted involvement in a plot to stage a hit-and-run car accident in China in 2010 targeting him. In 2014, Jong-Nam was reported to be in Indonesia sighted at an Italian restaurant in Jakarta and was said to be shuttling back and forth between Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and France. In 2012, a Moscow newspaper reported that Jong-Nam was having financial problems after being cut off by the Stalinist state for doubting its succession policy. The Argumenty i Fakty weekly said he was kicked out of a luxury hotel in Macau over a $15,000 (B525,450) debt . Last year South Korea warned of possible North Korean assassination attempts in its territory. It noted previous attempts to assassinate Hwang Jang-Yop, the Norths chief ideologue and former tutor to Kim Jong-Il, who defected to the South in 1997 and died of natural causes in 2010. Jong-Nam was born from his fathers extra-marital relationship with Sung Hae-rim, a South Korean-born actress who died in Moscow. Marine experts call for boats to keep clear as whale sharks feed off Phuket PHUKET: Officials from the Marine Endangered Species Unit at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) called for all boats to keep clear of whale sharks spotted feeding off Kamala Beach yesterday afternoon (Feb 14). marineanimalsenvironmenttransport By Eakkapop Thongtub Wednesday 15 February 2017, 02:01PM Marine experts called for all boats to keep clear from whale sharks off Phuket's west coast. Image: Screengrab from jet-ski operator video The PMBC marine experts, along with officials from the Phuket office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), were called in after jet-ski operators spotted the whale sharks 500 metres offshore at about 3pm. Local residents voiced their concerns that the whale sharks might be ill, causing them to come close to shore, possibly with the intent of beaching themselves. However, by the time the officials arrived, the whale sharks had gone. We couldnt find them, and we found no indications in the water that the whale sharks were sick, one official told The Phuket News. At this stage we believe they came close to shore to feed because there was a lot of plankton in the area, he added. Regardless, the officials called for local boat operators, fishermen and tourists to keep clear of any whale sharks in the area. Please do not go near them or interfere with their feeding. They are harmless and important to the local food chain and the last thing we want is for any of them to be injured by a boat propeller, the official added. Police to grill racer Akarakit again BANGKOK: Speed racer Akarakit Worarojchroendet will be summoned for questioning again tomorrow (Feb 16) to clarify how he obtained a B20-million Lamborghini, suspected of being the property of of a drug network run by suspected Lao drug kingpin Xaysana Keopimpha, police say. crimedrugstransportpolice By Bangkok Post Wednesday 15 February 2017, 09:04AM Akarakit Benz Racing Worarojchroendet, a racing enthusiast and husband of a prominent actress, was questioned and released Feb 3. Photo: Bangkok Post Mr Akarakit, 30, alias Benz Racing, turned up at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) on Feb 3, where he told officers he borrowed B6 million in cash from Natthaphol Boy Nakkham, one of the suspects linked to Xaysana, as a down payment for the Lamborghini, according to officials. Mr Natthaphol was arrested on Feb 1, almost two weeks after police apprehended Xaysana at Suvarnabhumi airport on Jan 19 as he arrived on a flight from Phuket. Based on Mr Natthaphols earlier testimony, police said the Lamborghini belongs to the drug network but was left in the care of Mr Akarakit, who is also the husband of TV actress Napapa Patt Tantrakul. NSB commissioner Sommai Kongwisaisuk said yesterday that police need to question Mr Akarakit again as his account and evidence did not match Mr Natthaphols testimony. Mr Akarakit is required to present evidence in relation to his ownership of the vehicle to determine whether he lawfully obtained the car, he said. Lt Gen Sommai said that based on the police investigation, Mr Akarakit was bound to have owned the car unlawfully and he is at risk of facing a charge of collusion in drug offences. Once his questioning is complete, the investigation into his case should conclude by this week, he said. Lt Gen Sommai said another suspect linked to Xaysanas drug network would be apprehended, but refused to give details. Speaking about a manhunt for Usaman Salaemaeng, who was believed to be linked to Xaysanas drug network, Lt Gen Sommai said intelligence suggested he underwent plastic surgery on his face and is holed up in Laos. Mr Usaman, wanted by Thai authorities on drug charges on a 2012 arrest warrant, was found to have supported the unrest in the three southern border provinces, where he transported drugs to Malaysia, Lt Gen Sommai said, adding the NSB is sharing information about him with Lao authorities. Referring to a recent drug bust by the Metropolitan Police Division 3, which seized 2.6 million methamphetamine pills (ya bah), 7 kilograms of crystal meth (ya ice) along with other drugs, Lt Gen Sommai said this haul was the work of the Hmong Pha Kao hill tribes drug network, which is active in smuggling drugs across the border. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said a crackdown on Xaysanas network represents multinational cooperation in combating drug smuggling across regional borders. He said the Lao drug kingpins syndicate is known to have been linked to the drug racket in the far South. Officials are figuring out individuals linked to the southern drug syndicate, he said. I have instructed Anti-Money Laundering Office to look into the matter, said Gen Prayut said. He insisted the government is paying attention to the issue and the investigation can be carried out through a regular police probe and by tracking the money trail of the group. Read original story here. How many people have already voted absentee in South Dakota ahead of Election Day? elections TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our livesIf we remember those times and placeswhere people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we dont have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory. --Howard Zinn I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. --Martin Luther King Jr. True religion consisted in an inward life, wherein the heart does love and reverence God the Creator, and learns to exercise true justice and goodness...I found no narrowness respecting sects and opinions, but believed that sincere, upright-hearted people, in every society, who truly love God, were accepted of him. --John Woolman Love each other as I have loved you.. I call you friends because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father. --Jesus in John 15: 12-15 ...Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. You have answered right, said Jesus, do this and life is yours... Who is my neighbor? Jesus replied with the Parable of the Good Samaritan [heretic, outsider, enemy]. --from Luke 10:27-37 Religion has been emphatically embodied, not in speculative theories, but in practical righteousness, in active virtues, in reverence to God, in benevolence to man- the latter being the only sure test of the former. --Thomas M'Clintock ...It is safer to approach God through the Holy Spirit than through the door of theology. We can identify the Holy Spirit whenever it makes its presence felt. Whenever we see someone who is loving, compassionate, mindful, caring, and understanding, we know that the Holy Spirit is there. --Thich Nhat Hanh The Haryana Cabinet on Tuesday failed to take any decision on various demands put by the representatives of Jat community for calling off the on-going agitation. In a bid to find a solution for the on-going agitation by the Jat community, a sudden meet of the Cabinet was held on Tuesday at Faridabad to decide issues concerning the on-going Jat agitation. The demands put up by the representatives of the Jat community before a high-level committee set up by the Manohar Lal Khattar government include permanent jobs for the kin of those killed during the last year's violent agitation. Besdies this, they have also demanded withdrawal of cases against community members for the violence and arson during the agitation in February 2016. As today's Cabinet meeting was called specially to consider the above demands, it was expected that important decisions could be taken in it. But the Cabinet, chaired by chief minister Khattar, failed to arrive at any unanimous decision in the matter. Sources revealed that few of the ministers, belonging to the non-Jat communities, strongly opposed the proposal for withdrawal of cases registered against the members of Jat community during the violent protest last year in which 30 persons were killed. Sources said a few of colleagues in the Cabinet asserted that withdrawing cases would adversely affect the image of the state government and it should not work under pressure. Meanwhile, a senior official said that the five-member high level committee today forwarded all the demands of the agitators before the Cabinet. The issues have been forwarded to the Cabinet and the second meeting between the Committee and the Jat leaders would soon be fixed to discuss the matter further, he added. The ongoing agitation in 20 districts of the state under the umbrella of Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) headed by Yashpal Malik today entered 17th day peacefully. However, Malik saidannounced that the agitation would continue until the government fulfills their demands. The state government on February 7 constituted a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to consider demands and resolve problems of those agitating for reservation in the state.The Jat agitation in February last year left nearly 30 people dead while more than 200 injured. During the violence erupted last year, government and private properties were damaged and set on fire. Valentines Day is celebrated worldwide on 14 February. According to history, St Valentine was a priest from Rome during the third century AD. Emperor Claudius II had banned marriages because according to him, married men made bad soldiers. Later, it was known that St Valentine secretly married of men and as a result of which, he was arrested and finally executed. Its said that during the tenure of his stay in the jail, he fell in love with the jailors daughter and when the day of his execution finally arrived, he wrote a letter to his lady love signing off with Your Valentine. This was the beginning of the soon-to-be-famous-day. In the Latin American countries Valentines Day is celebrated with grandeur. In countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico- the day is known as Lovers Day or Day of love and Friendship. In Mexico, 14 February is a day of national mourning whereas in Finland this day is considered as Ystavanpaiva, meaning Friends Day. In parts of Europe like Spain, Poland, Portugal and Germany lovers give each other St Valentines key, as a gesture of invitation to unlock the heart of the giver. Japanese Valentines day, however, is quite different and is mainly a day worth remembering for the men. The Japanese women give chocolates to their counterparts and expect favour to be returned to them later that year. Almost a 100 million of printed cards for the occasion is exchanged in the USA as well. Though for the intelligent lovers Valentines Day doesnt hold much value. This occasion cant be framed to be celebrated in a day, instead, its an emotion which when true, sustains lifelong and does not need the permission or verification of a particular day to celebrate it. For the true lovers, Valentines Day is the same as any other ordinary day in the year and requires no special status. Coordinator, Class X, Gokhale Memorial Girls School Involving local communities and keeping alive their traditions can go a long way in protecting the bio-diversity at Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) which was inscribed in UNESCOs World Heritage site list in 2014. Renowned environment experts and officials of GHNP and Wildlife Institute of India during a two-day seminar at Sairopa in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh unanimously called for providing better employment opportunities and involving them protecting environment. The GNHP is situated 270 kilometres from Shimla. Stressing on the role of local communities, Sanjeeva Pandey, Additional Principal Conservator of Forest said the role of local deities, customs and traditions would not be denied in protecting the World Heritage site and its flora and fauna. We need to focus more on providing more income generating opportunities who were earlier the beneficiaries of GHNP. The locals used to extract medicinal plants and use other resources of national park earlier and were heavily dependent on it for their livelihood, Pandey said. He said now there should be focus on providing micro finance facilities through cooperatives so that they dont have to face any problems to earn livelihood. For the purpose, the government authorities in coordination with GHNP officials should chalk out a plan for developing eco-tourism facilities and set up cooperatives for their help, he said. Pandey also called for preserving native vegetation in Heritage Park as it has greater capacity to provide ecosystem services under changing environmental conditions. The rare species can substitute for common species. Dr M Kirupashankar, Divisional Forest Officer, GHNP also called for active participation of community in nature conservation and said efforts are on spreading awareness amongst them on preserving wildlife and natural vegetation. Celebrating local customs and traditions at GHNP should also be focus of our efforts, apart from carrying out conservation programs in the park, he added. GHNP Director SS Kataik said the authorities are focusing on creating awareness about the conservation of nature and wildlife among local communities as it is under constant threat because of the growing animal-human conflict due to depletion of forest area. After the declaration of the GHNP as world heritage site, we have witnessed an increase in number of tourists, benefiting the locals economy and it is leading to curtailing their dependence on forests, he said, adding the officials are hopeful of boosting eco-tourism activities in near future. The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 23, 2014. The GHNP attracts birdwatchers from across the globe for it is home to 209 bird species including five spectacular pheasants as Western Tragopan, Monal, Koklash, White crested Kaleej and Cheer Pheasant. Out of these five species, three of them are listed as threatened species (Vulnerable 2, Critically Endangered 1) and 1 Near Threatened. The GHNP is also home to several species of Outstanding Universal Value as Snow Leopard, Common Leopard, Musk Deer, Blue Sheep or Bharal, Himalayan Black and Brown Bear, Himalayan Tahar, Ghoral, insects, butterflies, earthworms, mollusks, amphibians, reptiles, various herbal and other plant species. The French Revolution led newfangled leaders of France to look into balloons (unpowered aerostats) as strategic weapons to discern enemy operations. Hence, aerostats found its use for the first time in 1794 when French Aerostatic Corps was established to conduct research work on aerial reconnaissance. Jean-Marie-Joseph Coutelle developed a reconnaissance aerostat LEntreprenant which was decisively used for aerial observation during the Battle of Fleurus later that year, having a demoralising effect on the enemy troops, ultimately leading to the triumph of France. With the advent of photography, cameras were fitted in aerostats and put into practice by Gaspar Felix Tournachon, who photographed the houses of Petit-Becetre (a French village) from a tethered hot-air balloon in 1858. With the invention of powered airplanes by Wright brothers, the task of taking cameras into the skies was made much easier, around 1909, during which time a reconnaissance monoplane named Rumpler Taube also emerged, sometimes attributed as the worlds first stealth aircraft because it became very difficult for ground-based observers to spot a flying Taube at an altitude above 400 meters. With the outbreak of the First World War, experts perceived reconnaissance as the only practical use of the airplanes due to the awful vulnerabilities of tethered balloons and kites, and also due to the trench deadlock in the Western Front. There are instances where aerial reconnaissance changed the very course of the war like when German General Alexander von Klucks army gearing up to surround the British Expeditionary Force was thwarted by the pilots report, thereby saving the lives of 100,000 soldiers. Germany had the scientific lead as they developed the worlds first aerial camera for reconnaissance but the French led the way with aerial reconnaissance, incorporating several squadrons and developing pioneering camera that enabled flight commanders to get prints of the photographs very quickly. Britain, however, lagged far behind and didnt pick up before 1915, when the British Reconnaissance aircrafts during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle photographed German trenches. Italy and Russia also played significant roles as they deployed some of the best aircrafts for reconnaissance purposes and by 1916; heavier-than-air aircrafts were a regular practice along respective fronts. Reconnaissance concepts matured during the First World War from a zero baseline as both sides learnt the importance of aerial photography that ultimately led to the development of reconnaissance aircrafts, playing a pivotal role in the World War II. During the inter-war years, though strategic aerial reconnaissance began to develop, battlefield observation gained a higher pedestal. In 1938, General Werner von Fritsch, commander-in-chief of the German Army, rightfully anticipated that the military organisation which has the best reconnaissance unit will win the next war. Germanys Luftwaffe began the World War II with an efficient aerial reconnaissance and photographic interpretation system but as the war progressed, their system wasnt developed. On other hand, Britain, who was lagging so far, brought about significant revolution in aerial intelligence that changed the very course of war. They developed electric heating system for aerial cameras that enabled reconnaissance aircrafts to click pictures from high altitudes without freezing. Soviet Union and Japan, although had no advanced aerial reconnaissance resources, they mainly relied on visual observation and reporting from the battlefield. Seeing the advancement of Britain, USA started to develop air reconnaissance concepts, leading to a revolutionary growth during World War II, when innovative technologies emerged, making aerial reconnaissance a pivotal role in airpower. With the dawn of the Cold War, aerial reconnaissance became a high-priority integrant of national security for both blocs, leading to the development of highly modernised and strategic reconnaissance aircrafts. USA started aerial reconnaissance projects where photo-reconnaissance balloons were used to gather photographic electronic intelligence, leading to more than forty reconnaissance aircrafts being shot down by the Soviet Union. In modern times, reconnaissance aircrafts are widely used by government agencies and military forces for airspace surveillance, intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, observation, fishery protection and border patrol. With the proliferation of strategic aircraft technologies, fighter jets and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the task of military surveillance to snoop on foreign powers in air has become easier. Todays fighter jets can gather a plethora of information using an array of sensors installed inside them and can also take stereoscopic images. UAVs like Sky Sentinel have revolutionised the task of aerial surveillance, as their main benefit is endurance. Thus, future generation aerial surveillance vehicles will have more stealthy attributes which will make them harder to detect and will mainly rely on jet engines rather than propellers to get out of danger zone rapidly. Class XII, Don Bosco School, Bandel Expressing concern over the increasing number of undertrial prisoners in jails across the country, the government has urged the high courts to take suo motu action for their release after they complete half of their likely term. Section 436A of the CrPC provides that if an undertrial has completed half of the likely term he is likely to get for the crime he has allegedly committed, then he or she can be granted bail with or without surety. It is not applicable on offence for which the punishment of death has been specified as one of the punishments under the law. In a recent letter to chief justices of the 24 high courts, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that they should advise the district judiciary to review all such cases and take suo motu action for their release. "I shall also be grateful if the high court ensures that the undertrial review committee mechanism, for periodic monitoring of undertrial releases, continues to effectively deliver its mandate, so that the basic human rights of the undertrials are not undermined," he wrote. In September 2014, the Supreme Court had said that states should release all such undertrials who come under the ambit of Section 436A of the CrPC. According to National Crime Records Bureau estimates, 67 per cent of the people in jails are undertrials those not yet convicted of any crime. At 82.4 per cent, Bihar had the highest proportion of undertrials, followed by Jammu and Kashmir at 81.5, Odisha at 78.8, Jharkhand at 77.1 and Delhi at 76.7. Successive Union Law Ministers and Union Home Ministers have been regularly writing to high courts and state governments to review the status of undertrials. After China protested against the visit of a Taiwanese delegation, including parliamentarians, to India, New Delhi on Wednesday said no political meaning should be read into this. "We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. "Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes," he said. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them." China on Wednesday lodged a protest over the visit by the Taiwanese delegation and asked India to honour its commitment to the "One China policy". Beijing also warned New Delhi to be cautious in dealing with Taiwan. "China has urged India to honour its commitment to the One China policy and cautiously handle issues regarding Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shunag said. India has a commitment on issues regarding Taiwan, Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which it has vowed to reunite some day. India is among the countries that have no diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island. "China has always been opposed to any official contact between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China," the spokesperson said. The three-day visit of the Taiwanese delegation, comprising three women parliamentarians, and members from the academic, business and computer sectors, concludes on Wednesday. The three parliamentarians are all members of the Taiwanese parliament's Taiwan-India Friendship Association. The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday denied a plea seeking more time for All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary VK Sasikala to surrender. SC refuses to entertain a plea of VK Sasikala seeking time to surrender for serving jail term in disproportionate assets (DA) case, media reports stated. We do not intend to pass any order on this, the apex court said, adding, We are not going to change anything in the judgement. Sasikala wanted some time to surrender to manage her affairs before going to jail, Sasikalas advocate KTS Tulsi said. The Supreme Court on Tuesday has convicted Sasikala in the disproportionate assets case. The court banned her from contesting elections for 10 years and awarded a four-year jail term. Sasikala, who was elected General Secretary of AIADMK following the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016, was elected leader of the legislature party on February 5. Launching a scathing attack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who is also Samajwadi Party (SP) president, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the SP's alliance with the Congress party in the state will shatter the dream of everyone in the state. "SP-Congress alliance will shatter your dreams," Modi said to the people while addressing a rally at Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. "Uttar Pradesh abbreviation UP may be read as 'up', but everything is 'down' in the state," he added. The prime minister accused the SP of betraying the poor and involving in scams in the state. "What 'samajwad' (socialism) is this, it is nothing but betrayal of poor; even scams in orphanages in UP," Modi said. Saying that the SP government is "anti-poor," Modi told the people at the rally that central assistance are not reaching the poor as the state government is not accepting it. "Central assistance for foodgrains are not reaching the poor as the UP government is not interested in accepting it," Modi said, adding, "The SP government is anti-poor." Also, hitting out at the Congress party, Modi said that the Opposition has been indulging in all kinds of political games on issues. "The Opposition played all types of games in the last three months raking up issues like demonetisation and surgical strikes," he said. Modi then liken the Congress-SP alliance in the state to a new film shooting. "There is a new film shooting on the political stage in UP before interval two parties are fighting and after interval, they are embracing each other," he said. Polling for the second phase of UP assembly polls for 67 constituencies in 11 districts, began on Wednesday morning amid tight security. Till noon, the polling recorded 25 per cent voting. The first phase of UP polls was held on February 11 for 73 seats across 15 districts. According to the Election Commission, 64.22 per cent of voters exercised their rights in the first of the seven-phase UP polls. The Samajwadi Party sealed its alliance with the Congress on January 22 after days of negotiation. The Congress party was allotted 105 seats out of 403 seats. The ruling to put an immediate stop to President Donald Trumps January 27 executive order prohibiting immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Libya from entering the US for 90 days in the face of the Trump administration justifying the action on national security grounds against opponents, labelling it as an unconstitutional order targeting people based on religious beliefs, might well face a legal long haul. That Trump could preside over such a monstrous order barely a week into his presidency might well give the naysayers their monies worth who said that in Trump, we got the most polarising right-wing figure in the world, who had already earned copious fame for his sexist, racist, anti-Muslim rhetoric, taking relish in his job of stoking atavistic fears. As such, America did never bother about niceties such as the United Nations or international law and institutions such as the International Court of Justice. Latin America, for one, has been the subject of intervention and coercion since the introduction of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823. While scholars trace back the Muslim immigrant experience from the Middle East to the 1890s, it is significant that the first wave came from a region called the greater Syrian area and consisted of primarily farm workers, who were pushed to migrate to America by the economic hardships caused by the opening of the Suez Canal in the mid-nineteenth century, which re-routed world traffic from Syria to Egypt. Generally identified as Syrian, Syrian-Lebanese, and Ottoman subjects, most of these young immigrants were barely educated, lacking in training, capital and English-language skills. Trump would have none of the praise that his predecessor Barack Obama heaped on generations of Muslim immigrants ~ farmers and factory workers, helping to lay the railroads and build our cities ~ and Muslim innovators who helped build some of our highest skyscrapers and who helped to unlock the secrets of our universe. President Trump said the Justice Department would win an appeal filed against the order lifting the travel ban he had imposed, with a caveat from Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson that even the President cannot violate the Constitution as America is a nation of laws. But what is worrying is that Trumps reflexive America first twitchings remind us that the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks transformed America into a bully; too wiling to wield its iplomatic and military might with scant regard for its traditional allies or international law. George W Bush and Dick Cheney said they were going to attack fifty to sixty countries in the name of anti-terrorism. In Trumps hands the worries are real that America can relapse once again into being the worlds leading rogue state, a colossus with attention-deficit disorder, and a zombie-minded Goliath in the shape of a jerry-built New Jerusalem. It is well documented how besides South Asian, Arab, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities experiencing unprecedented backlash after 9/11, the Arabs, during and in the aftermath of the Iran hostage crisis and the Persian Gulf War, faced insufferably high levels of suspicion, discrimination and violence in the late 1970s and early 1990s. Irum Sheikh traces (Detained without Cause: Muslims Stories of Detention and Deportation in America after 9/11) the tradition of labelling immigrants as enemy aliens and detaining political dissenters back to the 1790s. The French Revolution and the subsequent turmoil in Europe heightened fears about foreign political intrigue and influence. Following the enactment of the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 by the Federalist President John Adams, the government had a free run to deport aliens considered dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States. The period from 1820 to the First World War saw the rise of mass migration; over this hundred-year period 55 million Europeans emigrated to North America (71%), South America (21%), and Australasia (7%). Still, beginning with the American colonial period, racism permitted many settlers to view American Indians as savages, incapable of making good use of their land and lesser human beings, without possessing the intellectual and cultural resources necessary for citizenship. Lest we should think that the Civil War in the course of the inter-sectional rivalry between North and South over slavery settled the issue of slavery and national citizenship, racist practices remained entrenched in the South violating the law of the land, which eventually resulted in the Jim Crow laws that would regulate black Southerners well into the next century. Racism also provided a rationale for the appropriation of more than half of Mexicos territory in 1848 (including California and Texas), and the mistreatment of the Mexican Americans who opted to remain as the Mexican border moved south. Beyond the mainly black-white model, the early twentieth century circumscribed people of Asian descent into the overarching loop of racism by barring them from immigrating to the United States. Even after the law was adjusted to permit Asian immigrants to naturalise, native-born American citizens of Asian extraction continued to be seen as aliens in their own country. As an instance of this, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 with its preferences for skilled immigrants, envisaging a new set of professionals, including engineers, doctors and professors, and setting them apart from those South Asians who entered the United States before 1965, say, as railroad workers, lumber mill labourers and farmers, could not protect the second wave of South Asian immigrants with class and educational privilege from racism in the 1970s and 1980s. Like Trump, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) signed an executive order in the course of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941, which authorised the secretary of war to designate military areas from which any or all persons may be excluded as deemed necessary or desirable. By August 1942, over 110,000 Japanese Americans, constituting some two-thirds of US citizens, were removed from California, Washington, Oregon, and Arizona and impounded in camps located mostly in remote areas of the Midwest and the Southwest. Along with the Japanese, German and Italian nationals were also branded dangerous enemy aliens. Yes, a limited number of persons of German and Italian heritage were imprisoned, but the mass internment of Japanese Americans has few parallels in American history. Though the role of race and racism cannot be discounted from American social and political life, it is the immigrants who helped shape America. The leading legal scholar David Cole argues that throughout American history, the government has repeatedly targeted non-citizens and manufactured them into enemy aliens during wartime emergencies. Since Trump is eager to draw upon Dwight Eisenhower, it is the latters political warfare model that accounted for the restoration of Republican plutocracy and the re-emergence of predatory capitalism, and the growth of Christian, Muslim and Zionist fundamentalism frequently resulting in massive backlashes. The risk of fringe groups like the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, Shri Rajput Karni Sena or the most notorious Maharashtra Navnirman Sena beginning to get mainstream in India under Narendra Modi might well send shockwaves as much as Trump betraying the old fears of the nativist Know-Nothing Party of the 1850s, the white supremacist (and nativist) Ku Klux Klan that set off a national movement in the 1920s, and the anti-communist John Birch Society (JBS). Presidents Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson and George Bush took the United States to war in Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Beyond getting personal, most of the military operations launched since World War II have been launched by the United States. In fact, since the US was founded in 1776, so as to justify the expediency of wartime emergencies calling for such actions as the travel ban, it has been at war most of the time. Now that Donald Trump enjoys the authority of the bully pulpit ~ the unique capacity inherent in the office of the US President to influence policies that can change the lives of millions worldwide, there are good reasons to be very afraid. The checks and balances to stop a rampaging Trump are the only bulwark against America for the sake of its own survival. And for the worlds. The writer is a freelance contributor That the administration of Donald Trump has been busy issuing a host of executive orders in his first few weeks as US president is well known. The orders issued have included the infamous one that banned nationals and green card holders from seven Muslim countries for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days (refugees from Syria indefinitely). Enforcement of that order has been stayed because of an injunction issued by a district court judge, whose ruling was recently upheld by a court of appeals. Other orders have included one that prohibits government agencies from passing any new regulations unless two other regulations are expunged and three orders instruct the Department of Justice to fight drug cartels, fight violent crime and reduce attacks against the police. President Trump is not done issuing executive orders, however, according to reports from the new White House, one of the orders under consideration for issuance in the near future would designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation. Those in favour of the designation, who include former presidential contender Senator Ted Cruz, have argued that the group, which operates primarily in Egypt and Jordan, espouses a violent Islamist Ideology with a mission of destroying the West. Cruz has also introduced a bill in the United States Senate that aims to do the same thing. Supporters of the bill and the executive order under consideration have further argued that diaspora American-Muslim organisations such as the Islamic Society of North America, the Council on American Islamic Relations and the North American Islamic Trust are all front organisations for the Muslim Brotherhood, suggesting that restrictions may also extend to these groups within the United States. While many Trump advisers and supporters, notably those featured on Breitbart, a website run by now senior White House adviser Steven Bannon, have long opposed the Muslim Brotherhood, the new move has caused concern. Opponents of such a move stress the following: first, equating the group with actual terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda and the militant Islamic State group casts too broad a net and deflects attention away from actual terror groups that should be the focus of anti-terror efforts. Second, the broad transnational and loosely connected group has long participated in elections and supported results. Its candidate Mohammed Morsi won the 2012 presidential election in Egypt before he and his allies were swept from power in a military coup. It is because of this that the previous two US administrations, one led by Republicans, the other by Democrats, have both refused to apply the designation. Third, given that the Muslim Brotherhood has offshoots beyond Egypt, in countries like Morocco, Jordan and Turkey countries in which the US has interests the designation would imperil alliances in which America needs cooperation from allies. Good reasons, however, are not going very far these days in Washington, D.C. Like the content of most of the other executive orders issued in recent days, the debate on designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation has long galvanised anti-Islam politicians and thinkers, many of whom now enjoy plum posts within the administration. Among policy experts in Washington, there is widespread disagreement. One of them recently wrote that not a single Muslim Brotherhood expert supported designating the group as a terrorist group. Author Eric Trager took the strongest position, saying that the most he could do is describe the Muslim Brotherhood as a hate group, which while repugnant and illiberal is not the same thing as a terrorist group. The issue of the Muslim Brotherhoods designation is likely to put American Muslims, particularly those from Arab countries where the Brotherhood has a strong presence, more on edge. With the terrorist designation, money that is sent to people or charities or any entity associated with the Muslim Brotherhood would come under greater scrutiny. Disbursements and connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, even vague ones, could be prosecuted under the US Material Support for Terrorism statute, which criminalises any support (even unintentional) to terrorist groups. While there may little truth to the premise that American-Muslim organisations are fronts for the Muslim Brotherhood, it is quite likely that the latters designation as a terrorist organisation will affect a good number of American Muslims. While the Muslim Brotherhood does not itself have a presence in Pakistan, several other Islamist political parties do. If the Brotherhood is designated as a terrorist organisation, it indicates the Trump administrations willingness to cast a very broad net and equate Islamist with terrorist. While this may not be correct, it is worthy of note since what applies to the Muslim Brotherhood may soon be applicable to other groups as well. Even if this does not impact the leadership of these Islamist political parties, it will likely have an effect on all those loosely affiliated or connected to these parties or even sympathetic to their views. Combined with the new extreme vetting of all visa applicants and even green card holders entering the country, this would mean that anyone who sympathises with these organisations, in letter or spirit, can expect to be barred from entering the US or be deported following visa revocations if they are already there. An Islamist political organisation like the Muslim Brotherhood is not the same as terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda, Tehreek-iTaliban Pakistan or ISIS. At the same time, one does wonder why those having Islamist political beliefs that do not square with liberal constitutional principles are interested in travelling to and living in the United States. Still, the overly broad nature of designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation is unlikely to accomplish any security objectives for the US. In the near term, it is likely to enable all sorts of wrongful prosecutions of ArabAmericans; in the long term, it will likely make the American-Muslim community even more insular, increasing the possibility of alienation and ultimately radicalisation. The new constitution of Nepal, which was promulgated on 20 September 2015, is the seventh in seven decades. It provides for three-tier elections to parliament, provincial assemblies and local units. A new parliament has to be elected by mid-January 2018 if the tenure of present House is not extended by amending the constitution. During this period, the provincial and local level elections should also be conducted. Local level elections are primary, as the designated elected representatives of the local units have to elect the members of the Upper House of parliament. To hold all these elections simultaneously is also considered difficult as local units elections are getting delayed by the Madhesi opposition to some provisions of the constitution and also to the report of the restructuring commission submitted to the government. Every election should be free and fair, on the one hand, and less expensive and cumbersome, on the other. The Constituent Assembly adopted the new constitution without sufficient deliberation. It neither paid any serious attention to the challenges that might crop up while holding elections nor did it take lessons from Indian experiences. Significantly, the Indian constitution, which was adopted after long deliberations by intellectuals and legal stalwarts, too, could not foresee the challenges of unscheduled elections, To avoid it, simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies are being considered. It took almost two years in India to conduct elections to parliament and state assemblies after the constitution was adopted. It was really a tremendous effort to hold simultaneous elections to the Lower house of parliament and also the state assemblies as India has the largest number of voters in the world. Four simultaneous elections (till 1967) went on almost smoothly. However, it was needed to hold states elections at different times on account of dissolution of the state legislatures. Even the Lower House of parliament went to mid-term polls a number of times. Now it is felt that simultaneous elections should be conducted to avoid unnecessary expenditure, administrative involvement and restrictions imposed by the electoral model code of conduct, as almost every or alternate year, there is a mini general election when a number of states go to the polls. In short, irregular elections are necessitated when Houses are dissolved prematurely. Dissolution of the House takes place in different conditions, such as, when there is no single party majority to form the government and fresh peoples mandate is required and when governor of the state recommends dissolution of the assembly after finding constitutional breakdown or on the advice of the state assembly itself. There is a history of dissolving state assemblies on the ground that they had lost peoples mandate if the parliamentary election gave a different verdict. It is held that the parliamentary system is a Prime-Ministerial system and a general election is held to choose a Prime Minster. Thus, Prime Minister/Chief Minister, being the leader of the House, has the right to recommend dissolution of the house, when she thinks it proper. In Indian and some other constitutions, there are two different criteria, one for choosing a constructional authority and another for removing it . For example, the speaker of the Lower House is elected through a simple majority of votes but s/he can be removed only through two-thirds majority. Such provisions are supposed to make the process of removal difficult, if not impossible. If this provision is also made applicable to the dissolution of the House, it can prevent dissolution to a great extent. In India, the BJP has its government at the Centre and in most of the states. The Congress party has less than half a dozen governments in the states. There are several regional parties, which are ruling states on their own. Every party has its natural interest to continue in power. Thus, the following procedure is suggested. First, the constitution can be amended to restrict the dissolution of legislatures. For amendment, there must be consensus on the national level. Secondly, there should be a coalition government at the Centre of those parties that have their governments at the state level. The major party at the Centre has to sacrifice its interest to continue in power paving the way to sharing power with other parties. Thirdly, no party at the state level should suffer while dissolving the legislatures to hold simultaneous polls. Fourthly, for a limited period, there should be either Central rule in the state or the existing governments should continue as caretaker governments. Practically, if BJP forms its governments in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and a coalition government with the Akali Dal in Punjab, it can hold simultaneous elections in 2019 along with Lok Sabha elections. In case, BJP fails to form governments in these states, simultaneous elections can be held in 2020 April or May so that the parties, which form governments in 2017, can enjoy the benefit of continuing in power till 2020 to execute their commitments.Nepal, if it decides to hold simultaneous elections has to think over all these obstacles before taking any concrete action on this score. The writer is former Election Commissioner of Nepal and is associated with the Nepal Transition to Peace Institute, Kathmandu. Humans have hundreds of mental abilities and the broad term used to describe them is intelligence. Common intelligence is the power to acquire knowledge using memory and performing actions, but it lacks in ability to explain overall outcomes. There are other sorts of Intelligence to act emotionally and socially. Emotional intelligence is the richness of our qualitative life to perceive, analyse and regulate emotions they truly make us what we are. On the other hand, social intelligence relates to compatibility on social interactions. Therefore, whether the so-called intelligent quotient defines ones intensity of intelligence is debatable. IQ is considered as the mental ability of one in comparison with the mental abilities of others in the same age group. But mere IQ cannot define a person completely in all respects. A person needs EI to realise, analyse and manage ones emotions. In fact, a combination of EI and SI account for the intelligence of a human. To calculate the IQ of a person, a simple unitary method based on ratio is not applicable but a statistical procedure is followed with a chosen standard deviation and the mean being 100. An IQ of 100 means that 50 per cent of the population has a lower IQ while 50 per cent have a higher IQ with respect to that person. A normal, average child has an IQ of 100 with 99.5 per cent of world population having an IQ between 60 and 140. Only one per cent people in the world can boast an IQ of more than 135 Albert Einsteins IQ is said to have been 160! That said malnutrition lowers IQ levels, especially the deficiency of iodine in children. Therefore, IQ levels in third world countries could be raised with proper nutrition and eradication of diseases. Data also shows that people with a higher IQ generally have lower adult morbidity and mortality researchers calculated that a 15 per cent lower IQ accounts for a one-fifth less chance live 76 years. But lets turn our gaze to emotional intelligence. It has four distinct categories, perception of emotions involving non- verbal signals like facial expressions and body language. reasoning using emotion like to promote thinking and cognitive activity ability to understand emotions to identify the exact root of emotions following attitude, temperament and delivery of language. managing emotions is the key to controlling oneself to deal with conflicts and adverse or favourable situations. Tests on EQ reveal the intensity of mental disorder and are used to diagnose autism spectrum, schizophrenia, and other mental blockages and complications. Autistic children show evidences of very high IQ levels with precise perception and keen observation but they are devoid of EI and totally incapable to exhibit normal human behaviour. EQ can be raised by practicing meditation and SQ can be increased with more study on social interactions. But there is no way to increase ones IQ level high IQ is only responsible for academic success. Though IQ helps a person only for four per cent time during ones life, EQ and SQ are more helpful to shine in a particular career. Yet a minimum IQ level of 100 is mandatory for success. In fact, perfect combination of IQ, EQ and SQ can make a person reach the peak of excellence. The writer is a former lecturer in applied Mathematics, Maharajadhiraj Uday Chand Womens College, Burdwan Around 9,000 soldiers from the Brazilian Army were deployed here ahead of a potential police strike, the Ministry of Defence announced, a media report said on Wednesday. Minister of Defence Raul Jungmann told a press conference on Tuesday that the soldiers would patrol here and the nearby cities of Niteroi and Sao Goncalo until February 22, although their deployment could be extended until after Carnival. On Tuesday afternoon, the army presence was seen in the tour areas of Copacabana and Ipanema, as well as along the main highways here in the second-largest Brazilian city. The army deployment came after Rio Governor Luiz Fernando Pezao appealed to President Michel Temer to reinforce security, as military police battalions stayed in barracks in protest against the freezing of their salaries and labour conditions. In a statement, Temer said the armed forces were "ready to re-establish public order" in case of more strikes and described the situation in Espirito Santo as an "insurgency" by military police. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington to renew the US-Israel ties after eight strained years during the Obama administration. The Israeli leader and President Donald Trump could both use a boost when they meet on Wednesday, CNN reported. Though both men have declared their mutual support and outlined similar views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the realities of the region and entrenched positions on all sides are likely to intrude on the relationship at some point. "It's going to be an absolute love fest," said Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, speaking of the meeting. "They both know the likelihood is that in the long run there will be tensions and an argument," he said, given that Trump had indicated he wanted to tackle a Middle East peace agreement and has sent conflicting signals on Israel, according to the report. "But for now, there are no major issues between them. It's going to be a honeymoon," he said. The President was also considering helping Israel attempt to normalise its relations with Sunni Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, according to the report. Netanyahu had a tense and at times bitter relationship with former President Barack Obama. Now, he is looking to bolster his perch as Israel's steward of the relationship with Washington, in part to defend himself against challenges from right-wing members of his party. CNN quoted a source as saying that the White House was still figuring out what its policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be. "I think they don't know yet," the source said. Regarding the concept of the two-state solution to the conflict, a bedrock of current US policy, a senior US official said, "Maybe, maybe not. It's something the two sides have to agree to. It's not for us to impose that vision." The Trump-Netanyahu meeting at the White House will cover Iran, Syria, ISIS and the two countries' ties, said White House spokesman Sean Spicer. He also said the two leaders will discuss the prospects for Middle East peace, an effort that Trump has said he wants his son-in-law Jared Kushner to lead. The "administration will work to achieve comprehensive agreement that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security," Spicer said on Tuesday. Russia does not return its territories, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said in response to the White House statement that US President Trump was expecting Moscow to return Crimea to Kiev. "We do not return our territories. Crimea is Russian territory," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, reaffirming Moscow's long-standing position that the issue is permanently closed. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that Trump expected Russia to "return Crimea" to Ukraine. "President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea," Spicer said at a daily news briefing. "At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his country's sovereignty over the peninsula could not be discussed as "Russia does not discuss issues related to its territory with foreign partners", reported Sputnik. According to him, the issue of Crimea had not even been raised in the phone call between Trump and President Vladimir Putin on January 28. The spokesman said Moscow expected the issue to be discussed calmly and in a constructive way once relations with Washington were more positive. He said Putin would patiently explain to the US the so-called coup in Ukraine, which led Crimean citizens to apply for admission into Russia. Crimea re-joined Russia after a 2014 referendum, when almost 97 per cent of the region's population voted for the reunification. The referendum was not accepted by Kiev or by the international community. During the election campaign, according to the report, Trump claimed he would "consider" recognising Crimea as part of Russia following the referendum in the peninsula, adding that the Crimeans wanted to live in Russia. The US President has repeatedly advocated establishing a political dialogue with Moscow, particularly in regard to the fight against terrorism, and expressed readiness to build positive relations with Russia. Moscow has long been promoting the idea of fruitful cooperation with Washington. Montreal, CA (H4T1V6) Today Cloudy with periods of rain, heavier early. High 68F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch.. Tonight Rain showers in the evening with clear skies overnight. Low 53F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%. It appears that commentators on both sides attempted to exploit that new context, with some Westerners viewing it as an indictment of the Iranian people while Irans state media attempted to claim that the latest chants were a direct response to Trumps threats and not a longstanding slogan of the Islamic Republic. One report, by Elite Daily, attempted to dispel both of these notions. It pointed out that even among those who attended the celebrations in order to show support for Tehrans hardline foreign policy, many people explicitly separated their views of Trumps foreign policy from their views of the American people. It has been widely reported that the Iranian population is both highly educated and distinctly pro-Western, in contrast to the image of the nation that is put forward by the hardline Islamist regime. Some moderate citizens may have chosen to attend this years anniversary celebrations out of concerns about perceived threats from the Trump administration, but Elite Daily points out that the gatherings actually included numerous placards with positive messages, thanking the American people for defending Muslims in their own country and for protesting Trumps travel ban targeting Iran and six other Muslim-majority nations. Elite Daily also debunked the notion of amped-up hostility toward the US in the Trump era, noting for instance that there had been a concerted effort by Iranian users of social media to encourage demonstrators to tone down the anti-American slogans and to avoid flag burning, in order to keep attention focused on US foreign policy and not on a clash of cultures between the two countries as a whole. The Christian Science Monitor seemed to corroborate this account. In fact, it claimed that this years celebrations had been characterized by fewer anti-American taunts. This can be partly attributed to the social media campaign, but it may also expose the Iranian regimes uncertainty about how to proceed when dealing with the new American presidency. That is, the Monitor noted that Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis speech to the crowd was subdued in tone, despite some references to vigilance in the pursuit of Irans military defense goals. The article suggests that this may have been part of a deliberate effort by the regime to avoid inciting more provocative moves against the US, at least until such time as the regime has a better sense of how to anticipate and manage the responses from the Trump administration. But on the other hand, the subdued tone of Rouhanis speech is typical of the renowned pragmatist, who was largely responsible for the success of nuclear negotiations with the US and five other world powers. Those negotiations helped to secure Rouhanis reputation as a moderate in the eyes of some Western policymakers. But this description is belied by his inaction on domestic campaign promises regarding human rights and censorship. Furthermore, the Iranian president, who is facing a reelection bid in May, has never pushed back against the rhetoric or provocative actions of hardline military institutions, and has in fact increased funding for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Whether this failure to contradict hardliners is a result of complacency or deliberate collaboration, it was on display again in the midst of the anniversary celebrations. Whereas Rouhani arguably maintained a subdued approach to foreign policy rhetoric, the armed forces and the IRGC continued to make provocative gestures and to speak openly about the prospect of war with the United States. Irans English-language propaganda network Press TV reported on Sunday that Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the commander of the Iranian Navy said that his forces would be increasing its activities in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the two. The announcement was justified in terms of the improvement of maritime security amidst a threat of piracy, but the Iranians have used this terminology in the past to explain activities that clearly defied the wishes of the West, of Irans regional rival Saudi Arabia, and of much of the international community. The Gulf of Aden meets the coastline of Yemen, where the IRGC has been supporting and perhaps even commanding the Houthi rebels who have been fighting a war since 2015 against the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and a Saudi-led coalition supporting him. Naturally, the Iranians have come under fire for this by the US and its allies. And although Tehran formally denies that it is actively supporting the Houthis, the Yemeni Civil War is widely regarded as a clear instance of the Islamic Republics growing imperialism in the region. This is something that the Trump administration has shown a definite interest in confronting, although there is still a great deal of uncertainty about the means by which it would do this. After Iran test-fired a missile just over a week into the Trump presidency, the White House responded by declaring that Iran was on notice not just over its ballistic missile program but also over other provocative activities. But the details of this threat were left vague, apparently as a deliberate measure to encourage uncertainty and give Tehran the impression that nothing is off the table, including military action. The vagueness of that threat is presumably the reason why some reports suggest that even relatively moderate Iranians participated in the state-organized demonstrations on Friday. It goes without saying that even among staunch opponents of the Islamic theocracy, Iranians would generally oppose the notion of invasion or bombing of their homeland by a foreign power. But even though President Trump has specifically indicated that there is a viable military option, most analysts appear to have concluded that armed conflict is an unlikely outcome of the current mutual provocations. Al Jazeera published an article on Monday which critically analyzed the hawkish background of the Trump White House while reaffirming that the administration is essentially of one mind on the need to confront the Iranian threat to Middle Eastern stability. But even so, Al Jazeera sees war as a political risk that Trump would not be willing to undertake lightly, and also as an outcome that the Iranians would be foolish enough to court. Other sources suggest that war is not only politically untenable, it is also unnecessary from a practical standpoint, since there are a great many other actions the Trump administration can undertake to put pressure on the Islamic Republic. Indeed, it has already started along that path, imposing new sanctions on 13 individuals and 12 companies in response to the January 29 ballistic missile test, and then beginning the process to potentially designate the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. The possibility of yet another assertive measure was the subject of a report that appeared on Monday at Iran Front Page News. It indicated that the White House may be planning to expose the contents of so-called secret side deals to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement a transparency measure that several commentators on the subject have been urging since the president took office. Hardline Iranian officials have responded to this in a predictable fashion, saying that if the US violated the secrecy of agreements between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, then Iran would cease to cooperate with that monitoring organization. Jamali Nobandegani, a member of the Iranian Parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission also took the latest Trump administration threat as an opportunity to put forward new accusations of an international conspiracy against the Islamic Republic. Most of the so-called IAEA agents who are dispatched to other countries are, in fact, undercover agents of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Mossad Israels intelligence agency, he said, before claiming that the publication of these documents is an old trick by such agencies. Iran Front Page News also quoted Iranian Member of Parliament Valiollah Nanvakenari as saying that Trumps threat to publicly expose the content of the agreements is not intended as a transparency measure but rather as a means of negatively influencing the international communitys opinion of the Islamic Republic. Such influence is certainly in the interest of the Trump administration, since international cooperation would be needed in order to reconstruct the sanctions regime that was greatly diminished under the terms of the nuclear accord. Irans threat to withdraw cooperation with the IAEA is effectively a threat to the life of the nuclear deal itself, and the consequences of that deals failure would depend greatly upon whether the international community sees Iran or the US as being more at fault for it. The White House is arguably at a disadvantage insofar as Trump repeatedly promised to cancel or renegotiate the agreement while he was campaigning for office. But it is also easy to disprove the claims of innocence put forward by people like Nanvakenari, who was quoted by Iran Front Page as saying, Iran has always honored the commitments it has made in talks with the [nations involved in nuclear negotiations] and the IAEA. However, the other side has always shown a lack of commitment. In fact, over the first year of the deals life, various reports emerged to indicate that Iran had briefly violated limits set by the agreement, or had withheld arguably crucial information about its past nuclear activities. Additionally, the recent ballistic missile test was one of more than a half dozen carried out since negotiations concluded, and all of them were at odds with the United Nations Security Council resolution governing the implementation of the nuclear deal. Yet each of these violations and near-violations was effectively ignored by the Obama administration, leading some to believe that Trump could fulfill his campaign promise regarding the nuclear accord by simply enforcing it more stringently and thus convincing Iran to back out. At least one diplomat with a close connection to the Trump administration believes that this is exactly the current intention. John Bolton, a former US ambassador to the UN and an avowed supporter of Donald Trump, was quoted by the Weekly Standard as saying that the agreement is possibly one heartbeat away from disappearing. He has concluded that Trumps initial, assertive gestures, including the threat of listing the IRGC as a terrorist group, are likely to cause the Iranians to throw up their arms and say, Its an outrage, were withdrawing from the agreement. The cancelation of the deal on the Iranian side may re-create a situation in which the international community has common cause to put pressure on the Iranian regime and thus to weaken it without resorting to the threat of military force. Many Iranian opponents of the theocratic regime, such as the National Council of Resistance of Iran, believe that this weakening is virtually all that would be needed in order to enable a domestic uprising by the vast majority of Iranians who are pro-Western and who used last weeks anniversary celebration to contradict the regimes rhetoric, even if some of those same citizens protested against a perceived threat of war. 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. Turki Aldakhil, General Manager of Al Arabiya News Channel, writes on February 14, Yes, were passing through a new phase. There has been a major transformation following the reactive years of isolationism which show the depth of the roots that America has returned to in terms of engaging with world crises and contributing to managing its development. The influential academic and politician Fouad Ajami hoped for, and passed away heartbroken, calling the former administration hopeless, as it neglected to manage the concept of the world order. The legacy of its predecessor regarding Iran weighs heavily on current the US administration. Ballistic missile development went unchecked during the Obama administration. The main source of terrorism in the region is Iran, and its involvement in Syria has awakened sectarianism in the region. It is time to discipline the political rebellion represented by Irans regime. James Mad Dog Mattis, US Secretary of Defense, stated that Iran sponsors terrorism across the world. The White House announced that all options, including military intervention, are on the table. This new rhetoric has shaken Iran. The regime is shocked because the old strategic facilitations no longer work. The legacy Trump inherited must be dealt with, beginning with besieging the terrorism of the Iranian regime. Aldakhil says that Iran killed the largest number of Americans in Beirut, Tehran and Saudi Arabia, and that the Iranian regime is skilled at blowing up embassies, and masters executions, murder, and assassinations. The Revolutionary Guards cadres comments and their reaction to Trumps statements against Irans terrorism resulted in Hamid Reza, the media and cultural consultant of the Revolutionary Guards, angrily saying that the new US president has begun his presidential term with a heated media fuss, just like what America witnessed during his electoral campaign that stirred controversy in the American and global political scene due to the vagueness of his future plans and political orientations on the local and international levels. Reza added that Trumps recent statements, claiming its important to be more accurate when monitoring Tehrans activity after it conducted a successful missile experiment, confirms that all options are on the table. Trump has been very clear about being different from his predecessor. He said that the display of kindness is over. However, Iran and its axis continue their wishful thinking. Bush coined the famous term Axis of Evil which included Iran, during a speech on January 29, 2002, saying that it represents terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and organized work to carry out violent practices that oppose international agreements. Trumps administration focuses on Iranian terrorism as it seeks to restore the firm position associated with the Bush administration. The Iranian regime is experiencing a phase of domestic unrest. It is faced with an economic crisis, with growing poverty and unemployment. Still, it is spending tens of billions on the leaders and commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, who receive wages that are enough to support an entire state. Iran engages in wars in Yemen, Syria, even Iraq. The era of appeasing the Houthis, and former Secretary of State, John Kerrys plan, are over. Trump and his team believe the Houthis are a terrorist group. This is a time of transformation, and of restoring prestige to nations so each country retreats to its borders. The Supreme Leaders threats to Trump are pointless. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis walk away after addressing a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) North Korean Ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol, second form left, stands at the entrance as he prepares to leave the forensic department at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. News of the apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother rippled across Asia on Wednesday as Malaysian investigators scoured airport surveillance video for clues about two female suspects and rival South Korea offered up a single, shaky motive: paranoia. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) Iran conducted a second missile test last week in a defiant response to U.S. warnings. The Supreme Leader of the regime, Ali Khamenei, blustered in a desperate effort to save face, No enemy can paralyze the Iranian nation. [Trump] says you should be afraid of me. No! According to state-run TV, the regimes sympathizers marched on the streets last week, on the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, to swear allegiance to the clerical establishment while chanting Death to America. However, the days of turning a blind eye to Irans hostile and belligerent actions are over, said senior administration officials. Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis, stated that he favors rigorously enforcing the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA. Still other officials continue to call for revocation or renegotiation of the deal. Mattis called the extremist theocracy ruling Iran the worst destabilizing force in the Middle East, and a clear threat to Western interests. Undercutting the JCPOA may still be an option that Mattis supports, if it becomes clear that the agreement limits the administrations ability to confront Iran over other issues. A UN Security Council resolution categorically barred the regime from development or testing of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. While the JCPOA agreement was being implemented, the wording of the resolution was changed, and the resolution only called upon Iran to avoid work on weapons designed to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Of course, the meaning is the same, but Tehran believed it had been given a gift of vague wording, and this has allowed them to argue that they cannot punished by the international community for their testing of ballistic missiles that may be capable of striking Israel and various Western assets. The malign conduct of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its extraterritorial arm, the Quds Force in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen should have been recognized the world over as proof of the persistently aggressive preoccupations of the Iranian regime. The same goes for the regimes capture of 10 American sailors in January 2016, multiple missile attacks on Iranian dissidents formerly residing in Camp Ashraf/Liberty in Iraq, and various threats and provocative maneuvers against US Navy vessels and aircraft in the Persian Gulf, writes Member of Irans Parliament in Exile, National Council of Resistance of Iran, Ali Safavi, in his article for the Huffington Post. The IRGC carried out yet another ballistic missile test just nine days after the US President was inaugurated, and sent a nuclear-capable weapon over 600 miles from a known launch site. This was followed by Iranian statements suggesting that these actions are plainly permitted since they are not mentioned in the JCPOA. An appropriately assertive response from the Trump as a long-term strategy is desired, instead of a continuation of the appeasement that has characterized Iran policy. It is also hoped that the new approach will embrace the idea of reaching out to the Iranian people and the organized opposition. The JCPOA has no bearings on the imposition of new sanctions related to the ballistic missile tests and other provocations by the Iranian regime. It is entirely up to the regime whether the expanded enforcement measures by the US lead to the failure of the nuclear deal, or not. Yet, considering the provocative gestures the Iranian regime continues to make since that deals implementation, it should be clear to the administration and to the American public that it may be better to hold the Iranian regime accountable for their terrorism, their destabilizing role in the region, and rights violations at home. Designating the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization will deprive the regime its force in the region. It will, as well, send a signal to the people of Iran that the days of ignoring the regimes aggression abroad and repression at home are over. Organisation: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Position No.: 10026823 Vacancy Notice: 003/2017 Reports to: Supply Officer Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Post Grade: GL5 About UNHCR: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities: The Snr Supply Assistant (Warehouse) will set-up internal system to ensure warehousing processes are systematically conducted. The incumbent will also store and control items in stock. Accurately record the location of stock on appropriate shelf cards and stock cards. Regularly update storage locations, all systems and documentation. Regular conduct stock checking thus include recording goods going in and out, stock inspections and physical inventory check. The incumbent will ensure stock management system established. Regularly update stock inventory in MSRP Evaluate Purchase Requests and authorizations to ensure that specifications, budget data and other requirements are in order. Draft and despatch quotation requests and tenders. Evaluate offers and prepare bid tabulations. Prepare proposals for award of contracts to the Contracts Committee. Offer support in the coordination of and reporting on the deployment of Non -Expendable Property. Ensure safety and security of stock. Performs other duties as required. Key Performance Indicators: UNHCR Uganda attains and maintains proper internal control system in the warehouses; UNHCR Uganda maintains accurate records on the locations, movements and levels of the stocks; Proper procurement procedures are adhered to. Safety and security of stocks is maintained throughout the warehouse cycle. Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience: The ideal candidate for the United Nations UNHCR Snr Supply Assistant (Warehouse) job placement should secondary School education with post-secondary training/certificate in Business Administration, Logistics, Warehousing or a related field; At least five years of previous relevant professional job experience; Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position such as the Supply Chain Learning Programme (SCLP); Good computer skills (MS Office and People soft) Prior exposure and experience in customs formalities Previous experience in logistics or warehousing Fluency in English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language. How to Apply: All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions after reviewing the job details. Deadline: 21st February, 2017 Organisation: Catholic Relief Services Funding Source: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Reports to: DFSA Chief of Party About US: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in an international non-profit organization that carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. About USAID FFP Project: CRS will be submitting a proposal in response to the 2017 USAID Food for Peace (FFP) Development Food Security Activities (DFSA) Request for Applications (RFA). CRS Uganda will serve as the prime on the application and will develop the proposal in consortium with other international non-governmental organizations, local implementing partners and international/national research institutions. The proposed program will involve a multi-sectoral response to addressing food insecurity and malnutrition in Karamoja sub-region in northern Uganda. The estimated timeframe for this program is 2017-2022. Job Summary: The Program Manager (PM) II, DFSA MEAL Manager will design, manage, strengthen and provide strategic direction to the Uganda DFSAs MEAL system, ensuring cross-learning in MEAL among Uganda-based projects, as well as collaborating on learning across CRS food security and nutrition projects in the Horn of Africa and collaborating with MEAL counterparts on learning across DFSA initiatives within Uganda. Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities: Strategy and Design: Provide strategic high level feedback, analysis and interpretation throughout the program startup and implementation processes. Ensure that the DFSA MEAL systems are in compliance with CRS global and regional policies, procedures, standards and strategic initiatives, and USAID/FFP MEAL and Reporting Policies and guidance. Provide strategic direction for the development and maintenance of MEAL systems and the roll-out of new initiatives. Support the project team and MEAL team in the design and implementation of assessments, gender analysis, stakeholder analysis, organizational capacity assessments and other pre-program data collection and analysis. Ensure the consistency of indicators and tools across all partners, sectors, and programs as appropriate, maintaining a bank of key program indicators. Support programming staff to incorporate participatory methods into community level MEAL systems and tools. The incumbent will collect and analyze lessons learned and best practices from previous and ongoing programs capturing the impact of activities to ensure they feed into the DFSA strategy as appropriate. Leverage lessons learned, best practices, program data, evaluations and other information to generate donor communication pieces, proposal annexes, success stories, case studies and other high-quality, results-based documentation. MEAL Implementation: Lead mandated evaluations, needs assessments, annual surveys, case studies and other research efforts. Develop DFSA MEAL operating manual using SMILER coaching methodology to ensure complete, up-to-date, high quality MEAL system, containing essential data collection tools, data flow maps and analysis plans to address need to know information for program quality and donor reporting. Manage agency level MEAL requirements (e.g. annual data quality assessments, beneficiary count reporting and MEAL Policies and Procedures self-assessments). Significantly contribute to donor reports through high quality project data interpretation and report inputs. Lead the project MEAL team to strategically prepare and review MEAL calendars and work plans. Support learning-to-action events and reflection sessions to systematically analyze data to promote adaptive management and to document and incorporate lessons learned into program design and implementation. Ensure MEAL and program teams regularly review and adjust MEAL plans and tools as needed by the project context. Ensure that transparent high quality accountability mechanisms, including beneficiary feedback and response mechanisms, are in place for the DFSA and are regularly discussed at the appropriate level with necessary responses and feedback documented. Ensure that beneficiary feedback is adequately captured, addressed, analyzed and used by program team. Capacity Strengthening: Collaborate with the Uganda Country Program MEAL Manager on the Uganda MEAL Community of Practice to share learning, resources, and support across offices. Develop and co-facilitate MEAL workshops and modules for staff and partners to share country program, regional and global MEAL tools, processes and best practices to cultivate a culture of learning. Carry out orientations for new DFSA program staff on CRS systems and key MEAL resources. Provide mentoring to CRS and partner DFSA staff to increase capacity and to achieve annual performance and development plans. Remain updated with developments among the CRS MEAL community and worldwide MEAL trends and resources to ensure the DFSA MEAL team is applying CRS MEAL guidance and policies appropriately and in a timely manner. Carry out field monitoring visits events frequently with project teams and implementing partners. Send timely feedback to senior DFSA program and MEAL staff to improve the overall MEAL system and ensure quality implementation of MEAL activities. ICT for MEAL: Support the DFSA MEAL and program team to develop strong project tracking, record keeping and filing methodologies for all activities Work closely with MEAL and IT staff to maximize the value and utility of ICT4D in MEAL initiatives. Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience: The ideal candidate for the Program Manager (PM) II, DFSA MEAL Manager job placement must hold a Masters degree in economics, agricultural economics, statistics, bio-statistics, nutrition or other relevant subject with strong quantitative background. A minimum of eight years experience working in a development setting preferably with an international NGO, with at least six years of experience progressively increasing MEAL responsibility in international development projects and at least two years of experience as a supervisor; Title II and ICT4D experience preferred. The candidate must have experience in leading the M&E of a large project. Previous exposure and experience working with large donors, USAID/FFP and/or USAID/FTF preferred. Strong conceptual knowledge about theories of change, logic model, food and nutrition security indicators, M&E plan, data quality assurance, data utilization and gender integration into M&E. Significant experience and expertise in developing and operationalizing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan; familiarity with FFP M&E and Reporting Policy and Guidance for the components of an M&E plan. Demonstrated expertise and experience in developing and operationalizing routine monitoring system designed to track both output and outcome indicators from project design to implementation (including work with results frameworks and theories of change) as well as building staff capacity to utilize systems; experience with participatory MEAL system required. Strong quantitative background and demonstrated expertise in designing annual monitoring surveys including probabilistic sampling strategy and estimating sample size, developing appropriate weights and analyze quantitative data; including previous experience with leading and managing studies and consultants. Demonstrated expertise in designing qualitative studies, in-depth knowledge about qualitative sampling and experienced in using interview and interactive tools to generate qualitative information and analysis. Experienced in developing data quality assurance strategies, data management and data visualization; including proficiency in database development/management, SPSS, Stata, EPI-Info, Access, Excel and skills in analyzing, interpreting and communicating information to various stakeholders. Demonstrated expertise and experience in data utilization strategies and can creatively think about active data sharing techniques. Agency-Wide Competences (for all CRS Staff): Serves with Integrity, Models Stewardship, Cultivates Constructive Relationships, Promotes Learning Serves withIntegrity, ModelsStewardship, CultivatesConstructive Relationships, PromotesLearning Program Manager Competencies: These are rooted in the mission, values and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results. Sets clear goals and manages toward them Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders Manages financial resources with integrity Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning Key MEAL Competencies (specific for this position) MEAL in Design: Developing project-level Theories of Change, Results Frameworks, Proframes, related MEAL system tools and components, and accompanying MEAL narratives. Developing project-level Theories of Change, Results Frameworks,Proframes, related MEAL system tools and components, and accompanying MEALnarratives. Monitoring: Implementing monitoring activities, including timely collection of quality data, set up and maintenance of databases, facilitation of participatory reflection on monitoring results, and submission of timely progress reports. Evaluation: Supporting project and program evaluations and reviews by ensuring the quality of evaluation methods, tools, and data and facilitating the use of evaluation results to inform decision-making and enhance learning Accountability : Improving our accountability to a range of stakeholders through increased participation, transparent communication, responsive feedback mechanisms and adherence to internal and external quality standards and requirements. Learning: Promoting excellent knowledge management and collaborative learning processes at the project, program and institutional levels, generating robust evidence for project and programmatic learning that leads to action, decision-making and influence. Analysis and Critical Thinking: Engaging with data, challenging biases and assumptions, posing thoughtful questions, pursuing deeper understanding of evidence through reflection and perspective-taking, and making informed programming decisions. ICT for MEAL : Applying knowledge on information and communication technologies (ICT), both hardware and software, for opportune and accurate data collection, database management. How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to send a cover letter, updated CV and three work references (names and contact information only) to ug_recruitment@crs.org nd February, 2017 Deadline: 22February, 2017 Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat Putting all speculations to rest, global pop sensation and Grammy award winner Justin Bieber will bring his 'Purpose World Tour' to India in May. White Fox India, the promoters of the tour, confirmed the 22-year old Canadian will perform in Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium on May 10. [File photo] Justin Beiber The highly anticipated event will further strengthen India's position on the global music map. Bieber's India jaunt is to promote his fourth album, the critically acclaimed Purpose. The album had debuted at #1 in over 100 countries and has sold more than eight million copies worldwide. Fans will be able to preregister the tickets on bookmyshow. Tickets will go on sale from Feb 22 and will be priced at Rs 4,000 and upwards, a press statement stated. Beiber's worldwide smash hits, including Where Are Ace Now, Boyfriend, Love Yourself, Company, As Long As You Love Me, What Do You Mean?, Baby and Purpose, among others are expected to be crooned at the concert. "We are expecting a full house on May 10 with one of the biggest arena tours witnessed in recent times. This tour will place India on the global map and open up avenues for other artists of similar stature who may want to consider India as part of their touring roster, said Arjun Jain, director, White Fox India. Beiber will also tour Tel Aviv in Israel and Dubai in the UAE as part of the 'Purpose World Tour'. But there is little doubt that one major reason for Trump scaling back his former promises is because cancelling such a multi-party agreement is no simple matter. On one hand, former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton characterized the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as a one-day agreement that is being constantly renewed. But on the other hand, if the US is held responsible for the deals failure, it is unlikely that the other parties will joint in re-imposing the international sanctions regime that brought Tehran to the negotiating table in the first place. If the Trump administration wishes to force the JCPOAs cancellation, its immediate responsibility is to demonstrate why punitive measures are still the proper way to deal with the Islamic Republic. And this task is complicated by various Western entities desire to overlook Iranian misbehavior in the interest of securing potential lucrative oil and export contracts. European businesses have become noticeably more wary of doing business with Iran ever since the threat emerged of renewed tensions with the US. But they have not ceased altogether in pursuing economic relations. On Monday, Reuters reported that the Polish oil refiner Lotos is poised to sign a supply contract with Iran in 2018. It and some other European firms are looking to Iran as a potential means of reducing their dependence on Russia, but it remains to be seen whether the US will take more aggressive measures to discourage such shifts. Even among those firms that are waiting for clarification on this issue, many of them appear to still have one foot in Iran. The French energy giant Total was among the first to sign a preliminary gas field development deal with the Islamic Republic, but it now says that the deal cannot be finalized until the US renews waivers to the sanctions that were in place before the JCPOA was implemented. Still, according to Hellenic Shipping News, Total is continuing to pursue the planned business arrangement in the meantime, in hopes that international law will not ultimately bar it from completion. And whereas Total is committed to obeying the law in the event that US-Iranian relations continue to move in an unfavorable direction, not every French company stands to be affected by this in the same way. Reuters reports that the French automobile manufacturer Peugeot-Citroen is moving forward with plans to invest in a local plant in the Islamic Republic. The associated deal emerged out of the new environment created by the JCPOA, but once Peugeot has established its presence in Iran there is little for it to fear from theoretical US sanctions, since the company does not have extensive manufacturing or distribution operations in the US. This sets Peugeot apart from its major German competitors, which have reportedly shown interest in the Iranian market but have necessarily been much more wary about pursuing deals until the international conditions are more clearly defined. One might think that this wariness would be even more prevalent in national governments that anticipate having dealings both with the Islamic Republic and with the United States during the Trump era. But this is not strictly the case, as is evident from the recent visit to Tehran by representatives of the Swedish government. According to New Kerala, the Swedes signed five memoranda of understanding with the Islamic Republic expressing the intent to collaborate in a number of different areas of supposed common interest. The visit appears to contradict the renewal of hardline policies that is clearly being advocated by the Trump administration; but on the other hand it has arguably served the administrations interest by bringing about protest from European activists and voters who are worried about the human rights implications of opening up to Irans hardline theocracy. Reuters notes that the general subject of one of the Swedish-Iranian memoranda of understanding was women and family. This is noteworthy because the Swedish government publicly identifies itself as feminist, whereas the Iranian regime is infamous for violations of womens rights and has repeatedly arrested people for activism on this point or for supposedly advocating a feminist soft revolution against the theocratic system. The Washington Post reported on Monday that in light of this severe misalignment of principles, female members of the Swedish delegation were criticized in their own country for wearing Islamic headscarves during the visit. Along with loose-fitting clothing, such head coverings are mandated by law in the Islamic Republic, and this law also applies to foreign nationals and non-Muslims. Yet, many Swedes appear to have regarded either compliance with this law or the underlying visit itself as a betrayal of the countrys progressive identity. The Post quoted, an Iranian expatriate and the organizer of the My Stealthy Freedom campaign against forced veiling, as saying, By actually complying with the directives of the Islamic Republic, Western women legitimize the compulsory hijab law. This is a discriminatory law and its not an internal matter when the Islamic Republic forces all non-Iranian women to wear hijab as well. In the long run, this sort of criticism may give European policymakers additional incentive to follow the Trump administrations leadership in returning to an assertive policy on Iran, in light of the knowledge that their constituents will react negatively to the normalization of relations with a regressive regime. And of course, womens rights are only one area of concern for human rights activists and critics of the Iranian theocracy. In fact, in making their trip to the Islamic Republic, the Swedish politicians effectively ignored another human rights story with specific significance to their country. Eurasia Review reported on Monday that the Iranian judiciary had handed down a death sentence against Ahmadreza Jalali, a physician and academic who was arrested 10 months ago but who resided in Sweden and was only visiting his Iranian homeland to attend a conference. Jalalis wife maintains that he is a political prisoner, and as is typical in cases of political imprisonment the judiciary has failed to release details about the charges against him, despite confirming the death sentence. Jalili was deprived access to counsel and was reportedly threatened with additional capital charges for his refusal to fully cooperate with his interrogators. His death sentence apparently stems at least in part from accusations of collaboration with enemy states, but these sorts of accusations are frequently levied against dual nationals, apparently in absence of real evidence. It is possible that Jalilis sentencing was made more severe in light of his decision to initiate a hunger strike on December 26, and his refusal to suspend that hunger strike upon request of the judiciary. Human rights organizations have reported upon a major upswing in the number of these protest actions in recent months, aimed at bringing attention either to particular injustices or to the overall harsh condition of Iranian prisons. On one hand, Eurasia Review indicates that the governments of Sweden, Italy, and Belgium, along with European Union officials, have been making an effort to secure the release of Jalali. But one might easily argue that the decision to sign memoranda of understanding with the Islamic Republic under these conditions shows that it does not stand to face serious consequences for the death sentence. Of course, this argument could also be generalized to include more than just human rights cases with specific connections to particular European countries. The Iranian human rights record is notoriously out of step with the modern world, owing to political imprisonment, a world-leading rate of executions, refusal to halt the execution of juvenile offenders, the use of corporal punishments like flogging and amputations, and so on. European policymakers and the Obama administration came under fire from human rights groups in recent years for apparently privileging the Iran nuclear deal and prospective economic deals ahead of human rights issues. But opponents of the Iranian regime, including Iranian expatriates throughout the Western world, organized a number of protests against this situation, often focused on state visits like that which was recently concluded between Sweden and Iran. It is possible that such protests may secure greater traction with the Trump administration as it looks for additional support for a global initiative to put renewed pressure on the Iranian regime. Uttarakhand recorded a voter turnout of 68 per cent on Wednesday as the hill state voted to elect members to the 70-member state assembly in an election that is a direct fight between the incumbent Congress and the BJP. The voting percentage is only slightly higher than the 67.22 per cent voter turnout recorded in the assembly polls in 2012, when the contest was extremely close and the Congress won just one seat more than the BJP to form the government. Tight security arrangements were in place as voters lined up at the booths to cast their ballot, sealing the fate of 628 candidates in the EVMs. Around 30,000 security personnel were deployed and around 60,000 polling officials were put on the job. There were a total of 10,685 polling booths in the state, with close to 500 of them in the snow-clad higher reaches. Polling in Karnaprayag constituency has been postponed due to the death of BSP candidate Kuldeep Singh Kanwasi in a road accident. The elections were preceded by intense electioneering by both the Congress and the BJP, with Chief Minister Harish Rawat campaigning on the issue of the `Uttarakhandhi pride' that he claims has been hurt by the BJP-led Centre, whereas the saffron party has projected Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its mascot for the polls. Both Modi and CongressVice President Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies in the run-up to the elections, with the polls proving to be a high-stake battle for both the parties. While the Congress would want to win the hill state in an attempt to arrest the downslide that it is experiencing, the BJP is keen to regain prestige after Rawat managed to hold on to power, courtesy the Supreme Court's ruling in his favour following the Centre's imposition of President's rule in the state last year. The Congress' campaign was centred around Rawat, who was projected as the CM face. Rawat undertook a Uttarakhand Swabhiman Yatra in the last leg of the campaign, projecting himself as the son of the soil who was wronged by a 'power hungry' central government. BJP did not have a CM face in these elections. The party's campaign was focused on alleged corruption in the Rawat government, and its message to the people was that since the party is in power at the centre, it is better placed to solve the problems of the people if elected to power in the state. The saffron party, despite having five former chief ministers in its fold, was not able to project any of them in this election. While it was felt that none of them matched the persona of Rawat, the BJP was also keen that infighting should not hamper its chances. Both the parties have had to grapple with dissidence, and are dealing with the scenario of rebels contesting as independents. A premiere hospital in Kolkata was vandalised by an angry mob on Wednesday after a 16-year-old girl died due to alleged medical negligence. Representative image Hundreds of youths, including the family members of the girl, stormed the CMRI hospital at Alipore around 9 am and assaulted the staff and management board members. The mob also damaged furniture and laboratory equipments. Several people, including the CEO of the hospital, were injuredsome of them critically. Protesters also blocked the Diamond Harbour road. Tension began after Muskan Khatun, a resident of Ekbalpur, who was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday night with stomach pain, died on Wednesday morning. "Without treating her, doctors demanded money from us for surgery. We told them that we would pay the amount and requested them to do whatever necessary," said Shaukat Ali, uncle of the girl. Hospital sources said Muskan was diagnosed with chronic pancreatic disease. However, it is not immediately clear why the surgery was not carried out on her. The incident happened a couple of days after West Bengal Assembly passed a bill saying destroying of public or private properties would be dealt with penal action by the government. That means money for rebuilding properties would be taken from people who destroyed them. According to CMRI hospital, properties worth around Rs 5 crore have been damaged. Justice John Michael DCunha, the fifth judge appointed to the Bangalore special court, delivered a historic verdict on September 27, 2014 convicting then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case and sentencing her to four years imprisonment with a penalty of Rs 100 crore. Jayalalithaa's long-term confidante V.K. Sasikala and two others were also convicted by the special court. The verdict announced in the makeshift court near the Bangalore Central Jail in Parappana Agrahara (some 20 km from the Tamil Nadu border) sent shock waves across the country. Now, the Supreme Court has quashed a High Court order and upheld the trial court verdict. One woman was unseated from the CM chair, and three years later, another woman's CM dreams came to an end. However, Justice D'Cunha who delivered the significant judgment in 2014, remains unfazed. Hailing from Kaikamba, D Cunha is an alumnus of Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Law College in Mangalore. He started practicing law under leading advocate A.J. Mathais in 1985 and after a decade, he, along with three other friendsAmrith Kini, N.T. Noronha and S.K. Ullalstarted a law firm, MANU Advocates (drawing an initial each from the four partners; M stands for Michael). D'Cunha was selected to the post of district judge in 2002 and has since held several positions across Dharward, Bellary and Bangalore including as secretary to the chief justices and as registrar (vigilance) of the High Court, before being appointed as special judge in October 2013. It is said that he never meets people who want to discuss the case outside the court. A testimony to these claims is his conduct of the DA case. D'Cunha heard the final arguments afresh and passed strictures against the accused and their counsel. During the final hearing too, he had rebuked the defence for what he termed attempts at "protracting the trial and suppressing the facts from the court." It was in 2004, D Cunha, as the district and sessions judge in Hubli, presided over the 1994 Hubli riots case, in which the then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti and 20 others had been booked for allegedly inciting violence after hoisting the national flag at Idgah Maidan in Hubli. While the district court allowed the state government to withdraw charges against Bharti, a criminal revision petition filed against this order (on September 6, 2004) was admitted by sessions judge DCunha on September 20. A non-bailable warrant was issued against Bharti and she stepped down as the CM and travelled to Hubli by train to appear before the court. The cases were later dropped. You may call him the nemesis of Jayalalithaa. But the man, who made a strong case against the late former Tamil Nadu chief minister in the disproportionate assets case is simply elated with the Supreme Court upholding the trial court order, and shows little inclination to dwell on the political ramifications of the outcome. B.V. Acharya | Image source: TV grab Senior advocate and former Advocate General of Karnataka B.V. Acharya (82), the first and longest serving Special Public Prosecutor in the case, says "The Supreme Court order has proved how independent Indian judiciary is. Whatever be the power of the accused, justice will be done. The man, known for his integrity and acumen, has been an advocate general a record six times, and completes sixty years as a legal practitioner in 2017. For eight years of the 21-year-long high-profile case, Acharya has led from the front as the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP). The case came to an end on Tuesday with the apex court upholding the trial court verdict shattering AIADMK chief V.K.Sasikala's chief minister dreams. READ: 21-year-old DA case comes to an end While refusing to elaborate on the case till he gets a copy of the judgment, Acharya tells reporters that the verdict was expected. He also expresses happiness over the top court lauding trial court judge Justice Michael D'Cunha's order. I believe we effectively represented the case before the SC regarding the gross calculation mistakes committed by the High Court, which acquitted the accused, says Acharya, who had advised the Karnataka government to file an appeal against the acquittal, citing that Jayalalithaas total disproportionate assets work out to Rs 16.34 crore (76 per cent of known income) and not Rs 2.82 crore (8.12 per cent), as stated by the HC in its judgment. Recalling his journey as the SPP, he says I have argued the case both in the trial court and the apex court, but made only written submissions before the High Court as I did not get an opportunity to present the case in person. I am not surprised by the SC judgment. The Karnataka High Court verdict was faulty because of the terrible mathematical mistakes it had committed. If HC had not committed these calculation mistakes, it would have upheld the order of the trial court which had convicted the accused and also sentenced them. Acharya was the first SPP in the case after it was shifted to Karnataka High Court in November 2003 to ensure fair trial. The case was filed by BJP leader Subaramanian Swamy in 1996. Appointed as SPP in February 2005, Acharya relentlessly worked on the case for seven years before he resigned in February 2012, citing inability to continue owing to pressure from the BJP over holding two posts. He had been appointed Advocate General of Karnataka for the fifth time in August 2011 by then BJP government under Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda. Acharya says despite several threats and inducements during the trial, he did not yield. I have mentioned all that in my autobiography and don't wish to recall them now. In his autobiography, All from Memory (released in November 2014), Acharya has recalled vividly the circumstances under which he resigned as the SPP. "It appears BJP high command, on the pretext that I was holding two posts (AG and SPP), directed the state government to pursue me to quit as SPP. When consistent pressure was exerted on me in this regard, I decided to quit as Advocate General of the state," he says in his book. He also stats that even after he quit as AG, efforts continued to remove him as the SPP, and a private complaint filed before the Lokayukta special court was part of it. On February 3, 2013, G. Bhavani Singh was appointed as SPP in the case as Acharya resigned citing mental agony over a Lokayukta order directing a probe against him. A private complaint was filed against Acharya in the High Court alleging irregularities in his tenure as the chairman of the council of trustees of BMS engineering college was quashed. The court ruled that Right to Reputation is a fundamental right granted under Article 21 of the Constitution and Acharyas reputation had been harmed by the complaint. On September 27, 2014, special court judge Justice John Michael D'Cunha held Jayalalithaa and three others guilty of corruption and awarded four years' jail term and imposed a penalty of Rs 100 crore on Jayalalithaa and Rs 10 crore each on three others. The four accused were jailed in Parappana Agrahara jail in Bengaluru till SC granted bail to Jayalalitha on October 17, 2014. If the AIADMK cadres shuddered at the mention of his name, it was his integrity and no-nonsense attitude and, of course, the meticulousness that ultimately resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of one of India's most powerful leaders and a sitting chief minister. Jayalalithaa had to spend 21 days in jail. Eventually, the Supreme Court annulled Singh's appointment as "bad in law" on April 27, 2015, and Acharya was reinstated as the SPP at a crucial stage of the case. On April 28, 2016, Acharya was again appointed as SPP in the DA case by the Karnataka government. Acharya had recalled how the offer came to him on April 27, and he was expected to make written submissions in less than half day to be submitted to the court. His legal strategy is credited for speeding up the trial. On May 11, 2015, Justice C.R. Kumaraswamy of the Karnataka High Court acquitted Jayalalithaa and others in the DA case and also set aside the trial court order regarding confiscation of their movable and immovable assets, paving way for Jayalalithaa's reinstatement as the CM of Tamil Nadu. But Acharya ensured the Karnataka government filed an appeal before the SC against the acquittal. With the SC upholding the trail court order Acharya has had the last laugh. The accused in this case are very rich and powerful, they have engaged all top advocates to appear for them. So, they had explored all the escape routes. But luckily, SC has now closed all these escape routes and set a strong precedence to curb corrupt officers and politicians from going scot-free, said Acharya. Think of your college and what immediately comes to mind is antiquated teaching processes and an institute that has hardly anything to do with technology. But with technology having touched every aspect of education, higher education could not have remained alienated. And while most technology initiatives in education are focused on students, here is a company that is trying to make colleges smarter. Epaathsala, a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is helping colleges automate their manual functions not teaching and research but routine ones such as admission, placement, campus management and accreditation. With accreditation becoming mandatory from April, Epaathsala's founder Suman Nandy feels that it becomes all the more important for colleges to use automated tools. "The process of getting accreditation is not easy. The colleges has to meet several parameters, send several reports making it a very time consuming and labour-intensive process for the colleges. Our software eases up the whole process", says Nandy. Say, for example one of the criteria for getting NAAC accreditation is research consultancy. A lot of researchers do not want to undertake this as documentation process is time-consuming. The software makes documentation easy and also connects them to various funding agencies for research. Another criteria is student feedback. With a software in place, faculty has to just ask the students to give their feedback on one consolidated platform rather than giving a form to every student individually. The company also provides language labs to colleges where students can learn English, German and French. In a country where colleges are short-staffed and battle fund crunch, Epaathsala brings efficiency to their systems. It has been only two years and the company already has more than 750 colleges on board. Nandy believes that it is in college's interest to take accreditation seriously. "There are a number of opportunities that flow in if a college is graded A+ or has a good grade. They can apply for autonomous status, get government grants, attract international students and can get good companies for placements," says Nandy. As the government moves in the direction of outcome-based learning, wherein grants will be decided based on accreditation, colleges have begun to look into this seriously. And Epaathsala is poised to capitalise this emerging market space. The Union Tourism Ministry has launched pre-loaded SIM cards for foreign tourists arriving in India on e-Visa. This will help the tourists to communicate with their acquaintances immediately after their arrival in India. Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said the initiative has been launched in association with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. This facility will be initially available in the Indira Gandhi International Airport New Delhi and later cover remaining 15 international airports where e-Visa facility is currently available. Before providing pre-loaded SIM cards, BSNL will collect e-Visa copy and the first page of passport from foreign tourists. The SIM cards handed out to the tourists will have Rs. 50 talk time and 50 MB data and will be activated on immediate basis. European governments are protesting Irans treatment of Ahmadreza Djalali, a physician who specializes in disaster medicine. An Italian newspaper quoted his wife as saying that he was arrested in April, while driving to his familys house after arriving in Iran for a conference. Vida Mehrannia, his wife, lives in Stockholm with their two children, told the newspaper, Corriere della Sera, that her husband had been charged with the death penalty for collaboration with enemy states. Dr. Djalali is detained at Tehrans notorious Evin Prison since his arrest on April 25 and he had been threatened with the death penalty, Amnesty International ,said in a statement last week. The statement said further, that on January 31, he was taken to a branch of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran without a lawyer present, and told that he was accused of espionage. His defense lawyer told Amnesty that the Iranian authorities had not yet issued an indictment nor scheduled a trial. According to Amnesty, Dr. Djalali has been on a hunger strike since December 26, after he refused to sign a confession. Several Iranian political prisoners are currently refusing to eat in protest of their sentences. Amnesty said that Dr. Djalali had been invited to attend workshops about disaster medicine at universities in Tehran and Shiraz, when he was arrested without a warrant by Ministry of Intelligence officials. Additionally, at Evin Prison, he was subjected to intense interrogations and was forced under great emotional and psychological pressure to sign statements. He was not allowed visits from his lawyers. In a statement from the Italian government, it said that it had activated its channels of communication with the Iranian authorities to highlight its extreme concern. The Swedish Embassy in Tehran has asked for consular access to the researcher. However, when the newspaper Expressen asked Prime Minister Stefan Lofven about the matter, he said that the embassy had not received word about Dr. Djalali, and pledged to bring up the issue with the Iranian government. Mr. Lofven is beginning to face criticism saying that the Swedish government should tie Dr. Djalalis case to discussions over sanctions. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), the organization founded by American diplomat Richard C. Holbrooke, took a full-page ad in the newspaper Dagens Nyheter, demanding the cessation of business contacts between Swedish companies and the Iranian government. Belgiums foreign minister has also expressed concern over Dr. Djalalis case. Dr. Djalali was teaching at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a university in Belgium where, Caroline Pauwels, rector of the university said he had been doing important research. This scientist has been convicted without a public trial, and now faces the death penalty, she told the Belgian newspaper De Morgen. Dr. Djalalis wife told his colleagues that he had been involved in a car accident and was hospitalized, so they didnt learn of his arrest until months after it happened. His wife told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that she had decided to remain silent, hoping he would be freed. Iranian law does not recognize dual citizenship, so Dr. Djalali is not eligible for consular assistance from the Swedish Embassy in Tehran. Iranian judicial authorities have remained silent. Iran has imprisoned dozens of foreign citizens, among them six Americans and a Briton. Most of them are accused of spying. Zahra Bahrami, a Dutch-Iranian citizen, was hanged by Irans judiciary in 2011, after being convicted of smuggling drugs. Ironically, Dr. Djalalis arrest comes at a time when the Iranian government seeks to restore business ties with the European Union. Guya News website also published excerpts of Zibakalams remarks on the sideline of Irans annual Fajr film festival in Tehran marking the 1979 revolution anniversary. Iran has murdered thousands of opposition MEK members during the years after the 1979 revolution, without any judicial process or proving any crime, Zibakalam reiterated, referring to events of the summer 1988, and issues raised in the sound file of a meeting between the Islamic republics Death Committee with Hossein Ali Montazeri, the former successor of the Islamic republics founder. Zibakalam also strongly criticized the movie produced with the support of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Majaraye Nimrooz (Midday Adventures), which was previewed at the Fajr film festival. He said that the film does not replicate the truth about what took place between the IRGC and MEK during that period. We accuse the MEK of conducting a series of assassinations back in the 1980s. Did MEK members carry out these measures for no reason at all? this Rafsanjani confidant asked. This film retells the events from the Iranian regimes point of view, depicting an image of the IRGC as kind individuals defending truth and humanity, and not the truth, he added. Instead, we killed thousands of MEK members in Evin Prison without due process, Zibakalam continued, and added that the country was witnessing a civil war at that period of Irans revolution, between the IRGC and the MEK, costing the lives of thousands of people. The MEK is one of the main organizations that, beginning in 1965 played a pivotal role in the 1979 revolution, through armed resistance and popular movements against Irans monarchial regime. In fact, MEK leader Massoud Rajavi was the leading candidate in the presidential elections after the revolution, and the MEK played an important role from 1979 to 1983 inside Iran. Then, due to the conflict between the state and revolutionary forces, Khomeini, founder of the Islamic republic, prevented many MEK members from holding any possible official jobs in governmental administration, and deprived its members from political activities. Montazeris sound file, released by his son, Ahmad Montazeri, made significant revelations, especially since Death Committee members explained the reason for condemning and executing thousands of MEK prisoners in 1988. In response, Montazeri had said not according to sharia, morals or humanitarian principles is it permitted to kill an individual who has been condemned once in court for maintaining their position, because they have not committed a new crime and they were already in prison. The Death Committee members emphasized to Montazeri they had to be executed because they approved the MEK. The Death Committee members are still active in high positions in the regime: Mostafa Pour Mohammadi is one of the most important members of Irans Death Committee and he currently is the head of the Ministry of Justice in Hassan Rouhanis cabinet. Ibrahim Reisi is now the Supreme Leaders representative and head of the organization managing the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad, northeast Iran. Hossien Ali Nayeri is now deputy head of Irans highest court. Reports by the United Nations confirm the execution of at least 3,600 MEK prisoners in Tehrans prisons. Other security reports, obtained in 1998, indicate the Death Committee executed over 30,410 MEK members across Iran in the summer of 1988. This is in addition to the execution of 3,500 prisoners of leftist parties who were behind bars since the first years of the 1979 revolution. Ahmad Khatami, a member of Irans Assembly of Experts Board of Directors and the Qom Religious School and a Friday prayer leader in Tehran, in response to the Death Committee sound file, stipulated for the first time that the execution of MEK prisoners in 1988 was carried out on charges of moharebe against God and his Messenger (enmity against God and his Prophet) and according to an order issued by Khomeini. He added that this measure was in line with implementing orders of the Quran, Islamic jurisprudence and a revolutionary measure that has served in the better interest of Islam and Iranian people. Pour Mohammadi admitted to the accuracy of the issues raised in the sound file and added, I am proud of implementing Khomeinis orders against MEK members. He stated further, that Gods order against them has been carried out. The Qom Islamic revolution court sentenced Ahmad Montazeri to 21 years behind bars and stripped him of his clerical authority for publishing the sound file. ### More about the Peoples Mojahdin Organization of Iran (PMOI/ MEK) The Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (Also known as MEK, or Mujahedin-e-Khalq / Mujahedeen-e-Khalq), was founded on September 6, 1965, by Mohammad Hanifnejad, Saeed Mohsen, and Ali-Asghar Badizadgan. All engineers, they had earlier been members of the Freedom Movement (also known as the Liberation Movement), created by Medhi Bazargan in May 1961.1 The MEKs quest culminated in a true interpretation of Islam, which is inherently tolerant and democratic, and fully compatible with the values of modern-day civilization. It took six years for the MEK to formulate its view of Islam and develop a strategy to replace Irans dictatorial monarchy with a democratic government. MEKs interpretation of Islam The theocratic mullah regime in Iran believe interpreting Islam is their exclusive domain. The MEK reject this view and the clerics reactionary vision of Islam. The MEKs comprehensive interpretation of Islam proved to be more persuasive and appealing to the Iranian youth. MEKs founders and new members studied the various schools of thought, the Iranian history and those of other countries, enabling them to analyze other philosophies and ideologies with considerable knowledge and to present their own ideology, based on Islam, as the answer to Irans problems. MEKs leaderships arrest during the 70s. The Shahs notorious secret police, SAVAK, arrested all MEK leaders and most of its members in1971. On May 1972, the founders of the MEK, Mohammad Hanifnejad , Saeed Mohsen and Ali Asghar Badizadegan, along with two members of the MEK leadership, Mahmoud Askarizadeh and Rasoul Meshkinfam, were put before death squads and were executed after long months of imprisonment and torture. They were the true vanguards, who stood against the dictatorial regime of Shah. However, they are also recognized for their opposition to what is today known as Islamic fundamentalism. The death sentence of Massoud Rajavi, a member of MEKs central committee, was commuted to life imprisonment as a result of an international campaign by his Geneva based brother, Dr. Kazem Rajavi (assassinated in April 1990 in Geneva by mullahs agents) and the personal intervention of the French President Georges Pompidou and Francois Mitterrand. He was the only survivor of the MEK original leadership. Massoud Rajavis critical role in characterizing religious extremism From 1975 to 1979, while incarcerated in different prisons, Massoud Rajavi led the MEKs struggle while constantly under torture for his leading position. Massoud Rajavi stressed the need to continue the struggle against the shahs dictatorship. At the same time, he characterized religious fanaticism as the primary internal threat to the popular opposition, and warned against the emergence and growth of religious fanaticism and autocracy. He also played a crucial role when some splinter used the vacuum in the MEK leadership who were all executed or imprisoned at the time, to claim a change of ideology and policy. Massoud Rajavi as the MEK leader condemn these individuals misuse of MEKs name while continuing to stress the struggle against dictatorship. His efforts while still in prison forced these individuals to no longer operating under the name of MEK and adopting a different name for their group. These positions remained the MEKs manifesto until the overthrow of the shahs regime. Release of Political Prisoners on the last days of the Shah A month before the 1979 revolution in Iran, the Shah was forced to flee Iran, never to return. All democratic opposition leaders had by then either been executed by the Shahs SAVAK or imprisoned, and could exert little influence on the trend of events. Khomeini and his network of mullahs across the country, who had by and large been spared the wrath of SAVAK, were the only force that remained unharmed and could take advantage of the political vacuum. In France, Khomeini received maximum exposure to the world media. With the aid of his clerical followers, he hijacked a revolution that began with calls for democracy and freedom and diverted it towards his fundamentalist goals. Through an exceptional combination of historical events, Shiite clerics assumed power in Iran. Khomeinis gradual crackdown on MEK in fear of their popular support In internal discourses, Rajavi the remaining leader of the MEK, argued that Khomeini represented the reactionary sector of society and preached religious fascism. Later, in the early days after the 1979 revolution, the mullahs, specifically Rafsanjani, pointed to these statements in inciting the hezbollahi club-wielders to attack the MEK. Following the revolution, the MEK became Irans largest organized political party. It had hundreds of thousands of members who operated from MEK offices all over the country. MEK publication, Mojahed was circulated in 500,000 copies. Khomeini set up an Assembly of Experts comprised of sixty of his closest mullahs and loyalists to ratify the principle of velayat-e faqih (absolute supremacy of clerical rule) as a pillar of the Constitution. The MEK launched a nationwide campaign in opposition to this move, which enjoyed enormous popular support. Subsequently, the MEK refused to approve the new constitution based on the concept of velayat-e faqih, while stressing its observance of the law of the country to deny the mullahs any excuse for further suppression of MEK supporters who were regularly targeted by the regimes official and unofficial thugs. Khomeini sanctioned the occupation of the United States embassy in 1979 in order to create an anti-American frenzy, which facilitated the holding of a referendum to approve his Constitution, which the MEK rejected. MEKs endeavors to participate in the political process avoiding an unwanted conflict with government repressive forces The MEK actively participated in the political process, fielding candidates for the parliamentary and presidential elections. The MEK also entered avidly into the national debate on the structure of the new Islamic regime, though was unsuccessful in seeking an elected constituent assembly to draft a constitution. The MEK similarly made an attempt at political participation when [then] Massoud Rajavi ran for the presidency in January 1980. MEKs leader was forced to withdraw when Khomeini ruled that only candidates who had supported the constitution in the December referendum which the MEK had boycotted- were eligible. Rajavis withdrawal statement emphasized the MEKs efforts to conform to election regulations and reiterated the MEKs intention to advance its political aims within the new legal system. (Unclassified report on the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran(PMOI/ MEK) by the Department of State to the United States House of Representatives, December 1984.) However, the MEK soon found itself in a direct struggle against the forces of the regimes Supreme leader. The MEKs differences with Khomeini dated back to the 1970s, and stem from its opposition to what is known today as Islamic extremism. Angry at the position taken by the MEK against his regime and worried about the MEKs growing popularity, Khomeini ordered a brutal crackdown against the MEK and its supporters. Between 1979 and 1981, some 70 MEK members and sympathizers were killed and several thousand more were imprisoned by the Iranian regime. June 20, 1981- Khomeinis order to open fire on peaceful demonstration of half-a-million supporters of MEK The turning point came on 20th June 1981, when the MEK called a demonstration to protest at the regimes crackdown, and to call for political freedom which half-a-million supporters participated at. Khomeini ordered the Revolutionary Guards to open fire on the swelling crowd, fearing that without absolute repression the democratic opposition (MEK) would force him to engage in serious reforms an anathema as far as he was concerned; he ordered the mass and summary executions of those arrested. Since then, MEK activists have been the prime victims of human rights violations in Iran. Over 120,000 of its members and supporters have been executed by the Iranian regime, 30,000 of which, were executed in a few months in the summer of 1988, on a direct fatwa by Khomeini, which stated any prisoners who remain loyal to the MEK must be executed. Having been denied its fundamental rights and having come under extensive attack at the time that millions of its members, supporters and sympathizers had no protection against the brutal onslaught of the Iranian regime, the MEK had no choice but to resist against the mullahs reign of terror. Towards the end of 1981, many of the members of the MEK and supporters went into exile. Their principal refuge was in France. But in 1986, after negotiations between the French and the Iranian authorities, the French government effectively treated them as undesirable aliens, and the leadership of the MEK with several thousand followers relocated to Iraq. (Judgment of the Proscribed Organizations Appeal Commission, November 30, 2007.) MEK Today The MEK today is the oldest and largest anti-fundamentalist Muslim group in the Middle East. It has been active for more than a half century, battling two dictatorships and a wide range of issues. The MEK supports: Universal suffrage as the sole criterion for legitimacy Pluralistic system of governance Respect for individual freedoms Ban on the death penalty Separation of religion and state Full gender equality Equal participation of women in political leadership. MEK is actually led by its central committee consist of 1000 women. Modern judicial system that emphasizes the principle of innocence, a right to a defense, and due process Free markets Relations with all countries in the world Commitment to a non-nuclear Iran The MEK remains a strong and cohesive organization, with a broad reach both worldwide and deep within Iran. MEK is the leading voice for democracy in Iran, supported by its interpretation of Islam that discredits the fundamentalist mullahs regime. The new Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis, has describes Iran as the main source of instability in the Middle East. I am 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. (The Peoples Mojahedin Organization is also known as MEK, which stands for Mojahedin-e-Khalq.) I for one am living proof of the clerical regimes nefarious activities beyond its borders, because I was almost killed by one of them, writes Hossein Abedini, Iranian parliamentarian in exile, in an article for Forbes. As he sat discussing the state of affairs in Iran with his driver on their way to the Istanbul airport on the afternoon of March 14, 1990, a car suddenly blocked their path. A few seconds later another car pinned them in from behind. He writes, In a flash, two strange men from the front car jumped out with automatic weapons. I made a decision in a split second. I opened the car door and rushed at them carrying only a small briefcase. One of the men fired nine bullets; the other mans gun jammed. I was gravely wounded. The assailants fled. My four-month struggle for survival had just started. He was rushed to the nearby Istanbuls International Hospital, and was in a coma for over 40 days, and lay unconscious for another three months. He underwent 14 major surgeries after the attack, and received 154 pints of blood. He also lost 80 percent of his liver. In one of the operations, the doctors sought the permission for an operation from my colleagues, notifying them that odds for my survival were one to one hundred, he says. State TV in Tehran announced a few days later, that Mohammad Mohaddessin, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, was seriously wounded in an attack in Istanbul and died. It was evident that he was the target of that attack. According to Abedini, Tehran tried on several occasions to finish him off while he was recovering. The first time, the hospital was sealed off by the police because the Turkish president was visiting his ailing mother, and Iranian agents disguised as Turkish police officers were discovered. In another attempt, the would-be assassins pretended to be friends coming to visit me, but fled at the arrival of real visitors. Around that same time, there were many others who were not as lucky. The renowned human rights activist Kazem Rajavi was fatally shot in Geneva in 1990, and several Kurdish activists were killed in the two years thereafter. Furthermore, Iran left its fingerprints on major terrorist attacks including the bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, which killed American servicemen, and the bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association in Buenos Aires, Abedini writes. The victims of Tehrans ire are a diverse lot, but none have suffered more than the activists of the MEK. In 1988, some 30,000 political prisoners were put to death in a single summer as part of an fatwa issued by the Iranian leadership in an attempt to destroy the MEK. However, the MEK survives to this day in a testament to the groups dedication and broad appeal, and is in fact thriving as it gains support not just from the Iranian population but also internationally. He says that the current Iranian government has in no way moderated its behavior, Terrorism is a pillar of the survival of the turbaned tyrants in Iran. Hassan Rouhani was the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council for many years and is now its president. This organization allegedly ordered major terrorist activities of the regime, including the attempt on Abedinis life. Rouhani also increased funding for the IRGC, which is the main force behind both the crimes against humanity in Syria, and behind the well-recognized crackdown on activists, journalists, artists, and dual nationals in Iran. Since taking office in 2013 under the Wests belief of his moderate positions, Rouhani has overseen more than 3,000 executions. If the administration makes itself aware of the history of violence and human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic, Abedini says, it will instate an assertive foreign policy, one that sees the Iranian regime clearly and puts pressure on the IRGC. The organization should be listed as a foreign terrorist group, Abedini says, and should therefore be subject to serious, effective sanctions, which would effectively cripple the regimes terror machine for the betterment of the Iranians, the region and the world. The Palm Beach County Sheriffs Department has racked up $1.5 million in overtime costs while assisting the Secret Service since President Donald Trump was elected in November. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says hes confident the money will be reimbursed by the federal government. The countys administrator, Verdenia Baker, says she hopes hes correct. The Palm Beach Post reports the county has sent letters to federal officials seeking reimbursement for security costs during a five-day Trump visit to his south Florida estate called Mar-a-lago in November. The costs were originally estimated at $250,000, but Bradshaw says it will be closer to $300,000. Bradshaw says the security costs are amounting to about $60,000 a day during Trumps visits. Trump stayed at Mar-a-lago 16 days in December. He has returned for two weekends so far in February. (AP) Whether or not you believe that voting fraud is a problem in the U.S., one thing is certain: Tidying up outdated voter rolls is sometimes easier said than done. Just ask election officials in the nations largest city. After an independent review found that New York Citys voting lists contained people who were dead or in prison, elections officials began an aggressive purge in 2014 and 2015 that eliminated more than 200,000 supposedly invalid registrations. The result? A record number of complaints during the 2016 presidential primary from legal voters who turned up to cast a ballot, but found that they were no longer registered. Democracy itself is under attack, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat, declared last week after announcing plans to join a federal lawsuit over the way the purge was handled. New York Citys bungled purge offers a cautionary tale for elected officials, led by President Donald Trump, who warn that inaccurate voter rolls are leading to voter fraud across America. Trump has vowed to establish a commission to examine the situation. Senior policy adviser Stephen Miller sounded the alarm again on Sunday. You have millions of people who are registered in two states or who are dead who are registered to vote. And you have 14 percent of noncitizens, according to academic research, at a minimum, are registered to vote, which is an astonishing statistic, Miller said, using a statistic hotly contested by many academics. He also claimed, without offering evidence, that voters from Massachusetts were illegally bused into New Hampshire during the last election an allegation denied by New Hampshire Republicans. Its unclear exactly how many people are registered to vote in America who shouldnt be. Federal law requires election officials to remove people after they die or move, but that doesnt always happen in a timely way. In New York City, the lawsuit said the Board of Elections disregarded several rules governing the maintenance of voter lists. People who hadnt voted since the 2008 presidential election were sent letters demanding that they verify their status. If they didnt respond within two weeks in some cases, their registration was canceled. City researchers took other unorthodox steps, too, like buying a subscription to the genealogy site Ancestory.com to help verify identities. Trump and his representatives have repeatedly cited a 2012 Pew Center study that revealed 24 million voter registrations in the U.S. were not valid or significantly inaccurate. That included 1.8 million dead people listed as eligible to vote. The studys author David Becker, however, found no evidence of actual voter fraud. He says voter registration lists have improved since the report was released. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission reported that nearly 14.8 million names were removed from voter rolls in 2014 for reasons such as death, felony convictions, having moved or failing to respond to confirmation notices. The lists are as good as theyve ever been, Becker told The Associated Press. Still, he encouraged election officials to eliminate ineligible registrations. If nothing else, he said, improved voter rolls help to improve confidence in the electoral system. New York City is hardly alone in its push to root out ineligible voters. Republican election officials in Florida and Colorado launched aggressive efforts to eliminate noncitizens and otherwise ineligible voters from their rolls before the 2012 election. But after warning that tens of thousands of noncitizens may have been registered, 141 cases were confirmed in Colorado and 207 in Florida. It is to everyones benefit to have our rolls clean. But its also to our benefit to make sure were doing so in a way that doesnt disenfranchise eligible voters, said Myrna Perez, deputy director of the Brennan Centers Democracy program, who authored an extensive study of voter purges in 2008. Leaving them in a messy state can also undermine confidence. New York Republican Party chairman Ed Cox is among those who are sure it could lead to fraud. I think theyre perfectly happy to let some of these names just be on here so they can use them with respect to people voting who shouldnt vote, he told The Associated Press. In an important election they will bring in buses of people from New Jersey and they will take them from poll place to poll place if we dont have good poll watchers and a good ballot security in place. There is no evidence of Coxs claim. (AP) Assemblyman Gary Schaer has introduced legislation rebuking the White House for issuing an International Holocaust Remembrance Day statement that failed to mention Jews or the anti-Semitism that led to the Nazi genocide. Its unconscionable that the leader of the United States of America a nation that was founded on the principles of religious freedom, justice, tolerance and human rights would purposely fail to remember and condemn one of the worst atrocities in recorded history perpetuated against a people who observed a particular religious belief, said Schaer (D-Passaic/Bergen). The Holocaust was about exterminating Jewish people. Its disturbing that President Trump failed to acknowledge that basic fact, but New Jersey condemns anti-Semitism in all its forms. The resolution (AR-213) introduced Monday would be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to Trump, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, each member of Congress elected from this state and to prominent leaders of the Jewish community in New Jersey. We cannot look askance at anti-Semitism and coded anti-Semitic language, Schaer said. President Trumps actions here were inexcusable and inexplicable. The excuses coming from the White House dont clear things up. In fact, they heightened the concern. The Holocaust was about Nazi genocide against the Jewish people. That is an inescapable fact that must be acknowledged. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The head of the Secret Service, a retired detail leader who was given the assignment of shoring up the agency in a period of crisis, is leaving his post, a little more than two years after arriving in one of Washingtons toughest jobs. Joseph Clancy, whom then-President Obama summoned back from the private sector in late 2014 amid a string of security breaches and employee misconduct in the agency, said its now time to retire for good. He alerted the White House last week of his plans to step down March 20, giving President Trump the chance to select his own security chief. Clancy, the former head of Obamas protective detail, steered the Secret Service as it strained to shoulder a heavy workload with the lowest number of employees in a decade. At one point, the Service had 500 fewer people on staff than it was authorized to hire. On Clancys watch, the Service successfully tackled an intense and rancorous 2016 presidential election that featured pushing and taunting by opposing sides without any major incidents. Clancy said his proudest moments came in the summer and fall of 2015 when he watched his agents and officers simultaneously shield the pope on a historic four-city visit to America and 170 foreign dignitaries at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. To accomplish this task, the understaffed Service leaned heavily on its sister agencies in the Department of Homeland Security. We had been going through a tough time but I could see in their eyes and hear in their voices they were determined to succeed, Clancy told the Post. They wanted to prove to everyone they could complete this most difficult mission and they did. I knew they were exhausted but they were determined and knowing what they had been through over recent years it was inspirational to me. But Clancy also leaves behind a workforce that continues to complain of burnout, low morale and a paucity of experienced managers with a vision for the agency. Former director Ralph Basham said Clancy will be remembered as a reassuring presence and a steady leader who has done right by the Service. Due to his calm and professional manner and approach to problem solving, hes just done a tremendous job for the dept. It was an incredibly difficult couple of years, Basham said. Not to say they dont have issues remaining, but I think hes put the organization on a good path to getting better. A leading contender to replace Clancy is George Mulligan, the current chief operating officer, former Pentagon official and White House military office director who was brought on to bring the Service more focus on business management. Other names being discussed include former Clinton detail leader Larry Cockell; Mickey Nelson, a former assistant director; and newly promoted Deputy Director William Callahan. Clancy first joined the Service in 1984, rising to become the leader of Obamas detail in 2009 and retiring in 2011. He returned to his native Philadelphia, taking a job as a security director for Comcast. Clancy accepted the responsibility of running the Secret Service in October 2014 in a telephone call with the president, the same day Obama pressed for and received the resignation of Director Julia Pierson. On Piersons watch, a string of embarrassing incidents unfolded in succession. Officers and agents were caught in drunken misbehavior while preparing for presidential visits in the Florida Keys and the Netherlands, and even across the square from the White House at a hotel bar. The final straw came Sept. 19, 2014, when a limping, mentally-ill veteran jumped the White House fence, bypassed more than a dozen Secret Service guards and hurtled deep inside the White House mansion. Clancy was to serve as an acting director. But the president went against the advice of an expert panel that studied the Services dysfunction and recommended an outsider. He named Clancy the permanent director. He and especially Michelle Obama wanted the comfort of the familiar Father Joe. The Obama administration hoped Clancy, the presidents former detail leader, would instill some sense of calm in a divided and demoralized agency. In that, he largely succeeded. Members of Congress wanted new blood a fresh face from outside the Service who could break down its insular culture. Still, with the presidents choice, they hoped that Clancy could shore up the Service by boosting morale and rapidly hiring enough agents and officers to keep up with a flood of departures and early retirements. On that score, he struggled. The Service morale has hit historic lows. In the 2016 employee survey, the Service ranked dead last among all agencies for employee satisfaction, 305 out of 305. Clancy sought to speed up hiring, but it remained a largely cumbersome, slow process. In 2015, the agency saw 416 people retire or resign, but only 78 new employees come aboard, according to a federal workforce report. Clancy said he faced a steep learning curve, having never worked in headquarters before. He described needing to gain the trust of the workforce, and also study up. I had to acknowledge our past but try to convince our workforce that our body of work over 150 years was too great to simply ignore, he said. I had to get up to speed quickly on the work of each of the directorates. What were their goals and their needs. How could I help them. I had a lot to learn. He has now given a collective 29 years to the Service. The 61-year-old grandfather has always planned to be an interim director, and is looking forward to moving out of his bachelors condo in Washington. Hell move back full-time with his wife in their home in the Philadelphia suburbs, where they both grew up, met and started a family. (c) 2017, The Washington Post Carol D. Leonnig According to the Kazakh foreign ministry, those invited to the summit include representatives from the government and armed rebels, as well as UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, and US officials. Due to begin Wednesday and expected to last for two days, the talks were postponed until Thursday due to what Kazakhstans foreign ministry called technical reasons on Wednesday. On Moday, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said the Astana meeting would be a chance to monitor the commitment of different parties to refrain from using force and to promote, encourage, the political process. However, a Syrian source close to the government stated that the discussions in Astana would be purely military. The Geneva meeting, sponsored by the UN, is scheduled for February 23. It will focus on the key issues that divide the two sides, including the fate of President Bashar al-Assad. The talks in Geneva have been delayed twice, partly to give time to the opposition, so that they could form a unified delegation. This marks the fifth time the parties have gone to Switzerland. The Astana process is meant to support the Geneva talks, according to Moscow, amid speculation that it is working to develop an alternative Astana track with Ankara. Sam Heller, a non-resident fellow at The Century Foundation think-tank says, In theory, it is a complement to a still-live ongoing Geneva process, but in practice it looks like its a venue for Turkey, Russia, and to some extent Iran, to arrive at their own understandings and to try to engineer a mutually satisfactory political solution on their terms. The Syrian government plans to attend the Geneva talks, and its is likely that its delegation will be led by its usual negotiator, Bashar al-Jaafari, Syrias UN ambassador. The key opposition High Negotiations Committee stated it will send a 21-member delegation to Geneva, which includes 10 rebel representatives. Their negotiator, lawyer Mohammed Sabra, will replace Mohamed Alloush of the Army of Islam rebel group, who will participate in the delegation only in an advisory capacity. The HNC delegation calls itself unified, as it includes representatives from two rival opposition groups the Cairo and Moscow groups. However, both these groups have denied being represented, so its not clear if they will attend as separate delegations. Even more uncertain is the attendance at the Astana talks, although Syrias Jaafari has already arrived in Kazakhstan. At least four rebel groups claim not to have received an invitation to the Astana meeting, and several are unsure of whether they would attend, if invited. UN envoy De Misturas office said he would send a technical team, and the US State Department is still deciding whether or not to send a representative. Further, Jordan said it will attend the Astana talks only as an observer. The Astana talks will focus primarily on reinforcing the ceasefire that has in place since December 30, that was brokered by Turkey and Russia. The last meeting in Astana produced no major breakthroughs, so with the uncertainty of rebel attendance, the talks seem unlikely to generate a negotiation for peace. In the meantime, the major divisions between the two sides have yet to be resolved in Geneva, most importantly, the fate of Assad. The opposition demands that he step aside, but his government says this is not a topic for negotiations. Turkey, who backed the rebels, has has show that they are open to more flexibility to resolve the conflict, but the opposition shows little sign that it feels the same way. The Syrian government may also feel less open to compromise, coming to the talks after its recent victories, including the full recapture of second city Aleppo in December. Thomas Pierret, a Syria expert at the University of Edinburgh says, I still dont believe the loyalist alliance is serious about making some serious compromise, rather than asking for the rebels surrender disguised as a political settlement. They will try to obtain such surrender, which is why the talks will take place. The U.S. State Departments diplomatic security branch has mismanaged its $1 billion fleet of armored vehicles used to transport personnel and dignitaries so that the program continues to be at significant risk for fraud, waste and abuse, according to the departments inspector general. One allegation of fraud surfaced last month as a State employee was accused by the Justice Department of diverting 12 vehicles to a Springfield, Virginia, car-repair shop for resale and pocketing some of the profits, the audit said. Auditors also warned of poorly maintained vehicles at embassies with systemic low-tire pressures and significant ballistic-glass delamination creating safety concerns and wasting taxpayer money. Equally troubling, the program is not fulfilling its intended mission, which is to ensure overseas posts have a reasonable number of armored vehicles that offer enhanced levels of protection, according to the audit. Some posts do not have a reasonable number of armored vehicles. Convoys of hulking black Chevy Suburbans carrying officials and dignitaries are an everyday sight and afterthought around U.S. embassies worldwide and in Washington. Yet State Department Inspector General Steve Linick said virtually every aspect of the program has major flaws from some tardy handling of embassy requests to excessive inventories parked in Maryland and Virginia to overseas maintenance and disposal. States security office did not effectively administer the program, seeing itself as a service provider procuring vehicles rather than as the program manager that ensured effective purchase, distribution, field maintenance and disposal of armored vehicles worth an average of about $150,000 apiece, according to the audit. Bloomberg News obtained the audit after it was sent to the staff of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and lawmakers. The audit outlines a potential management mess for Tillerson and the type of potential waste President Donald Trump has said he wants to eliminate. The lack of clarity in the management structure has lead to ad hoc program management and significant deficiencies, the audit said. The State Departments Bureau of Diplomatic Security owns about 4,500 vehicles dispersed worldwide and to U.S. offices, with the largest fleet in the Near East. The department has spent about $1 billion since 1998 buying vehicles, with half the expenditures coming since 2016. The most common vehicles are BMW, Cadillac and Chevy sedans as well as Chevy Suburban SUVs and Express vans. Then-Diplomatic Security Director Director Gregory Starr wrote Linick in a Dec.22 response that while the report spotlights several administrative shortcomings its unbalanced in that it offers no mention of the efforts underwayduring the inspection between Starrs office and State logistics officials to bolster fleet management and maintenance. Starr, who resigned Jan. 20 with the change of administration, said he agreed with Linicks recommendation that the Diplomatic Security division develop and implement a detailed armored vehicle program plan with clear goals and objectives. Still, Starr strongly disagreed with the audits thrust because it failed toacknowledge the abundant examples of armored vehicles deployed by Diplomatic Security being instrumental in saving the lives of our diplomats. Uniformly, these vehicles have provided the necessary protection to safeguardour personnel, withstanding improvised explosives, small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenade strikes and mob assaults. These simple facts underscore the fundamental efficacy of this program, Starr wrote. Even as some embassies lacked sufficient numbers, 200 vehicles deemed excess and valued at $26.4 million were transferred without reimbursement since 2015 to other U.S. agencies such as the Defense Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Marshals Service, the audit said. Another 259 vehicles as of May 2016 were parked unused for over a year in storage lots in Front Royal, Virginia, and Hagerstown, Maryland. State incurred$25 million in costs associated with idle vehicles, the audit said. The inspector general said the $51.4 million represented wasted expenditures as at least 26 overseas post reported not having a sufficient number of armored vehicles. The audit said there is a possibility that the unused or transferred armored vehicles could have been utilized by the posts. The U.S. embassy in Amman, Jordan, had one vehicle for every 29 people while the Cairo embassy had one for every 10 people, according to data gathered by the inspector general. Both are considered high-threat, high-risk posts, the audit said. The U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv had one vehicle per 21 employees. In contrast, the U.S. embassies in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, had approximately one armored vehicle for every two people though the locations are not designated as high-threat posts, the audit said. Linicks inspectors also uncovered examples of inordinate delays when embassies formally requested vehicles. The process States diplomatic security office has in place for tracking overseas requests was unreliable, inefficient and ineffective, the audit said. Auditors during a physical inventory of vehicles at States Front Royal, Virginia, storage facility in April 2016 found an unarmored van that was supposed to be fortified and delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Athens that officials ordered in 2012. Similarly, State officials at the Bogota embassy ordered 10 Chevy vans for its motor pool during 2013 and 2014. The basic vehicles were delivered in 2014 in the U.S. for armoring but as of June 2016, the vehicles remained unarmored in domestic storage, the audit said. Auditors during their inspections of vehicles parked in Hagerstown identified multiple Chevy Express vans in storage since 2010 that could have been used to fulfill the Bogota embassy request. (c) 2017, Bloomberg Anthony Capaccio The official reason given is upcoming elections in Germany. A government spokesman announced both countries have agreed to postpone the annual meeting of leaders and ministers until next year. This has been confirmed by official Israeli sources, explaining German cites scheduling issues as the reason. However, despite the good relations over the years between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany was among countries expressing their disapproval of the recent Knesset-passing of the Regulation Law, which legalizes over 4,000 buildings throughout Yehuda and Shomron retroactively. Germany was among the nations that publicly expressed condemnation following the passing of the law. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Two additional anti-Israel municipal decision in Spain were overturned by justices in the Spanish cities of Valencia and Barcelona, delivering a blow to the boycott, divestment and sanctions effort. According to a Yisrael Hayom report, the decision were passed by local governments in Xeraco, south of Valencia, and Olesa de Montserrat, near Barcelona in the Catalon region. In May of last year, Xeraco passed a decision not to sign any diplomatic agreement or contract in the fields of trade, agriculture, education or culture, or any agreement to cooperate with Israeli public entities, companies, or organizations in the field of security Yisrael Hayom reports. Yisrael Hayom quotes JTA quoting the pro-Israel Spanish organization ACOM in adding ten-justice panels overturned the municipal rulings. Spains municipalities have accepted the BDS movement and passed the highest number of resolutions among EU nations. The countrys judicial system however is working hard against BDS. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) According to the Justice Minister Internal Investigations Department, there were 1,553 reviews of police personnel in 2016 of which 773 involved police questioned under caution, indicating a criminal indictment is likely. At least 230 policepersons faced either disciplinary hearings or criminal charges. Investigations against police included shootings, use of excessive force, corruption, robberies, theft, violating privacy and domestic violence. In 110 cases, criminal charges followed and in 120 cases the matter was addressed via the disciplinary system. 200 of the cases were closed for lack of evidence and 150 closed for lack of sufficient grounds for a case. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) There are numerous womens rights organizations working in Israel to assist agunos; women are denied a get by their husbands. These organizations represent women in the nations batei din. It is now reported the number of women refusing to accept a get from their husband exceeds the number of agunos; the women refused a get by their husbands. According to the numbers released on Tuesday 18 Shevat by the Chief Rabbinate Batei Din, 56,000 couples were divorced in the past five years. The beis din does bring the couples to agreement in the overwhelming number of cases. In some cases, couples come with a pre-signed agreement and in many cases, the beis din arranges an agreement with them. In the past five years, the batei din signed off on 6,950 divorces including 3,566 against the men and 3,384 against the women. In most of the cases, the get is a process completed within a month or a few but in 809 cases, one of the couple refuses to give or accept the get. Of those 809 cases, there are 382 recalcitrant men as opposed to 427 recalcitrant women. There were 888 rulings to give a get in the past five years including 53 compelling it. 69 men were sent to prison for refusing. The women were not imprisoned or punished. In one case, a man has been imprisoned for 14 years refusing to grant a get to his wife. Regarding granting a heter to marry another woman, this is a complicated procedure that is generally done if the wife is viewed as hopeless in trying to persuade her to accept a get or if she cannot accept one due to her medical condition. This heter requires the president of the Supreme Beis Din to sign off on the heter. The file begins in a regional beis din and after the dayanim render their ruling, it is moved to the Supreme Beis Din for a ruling. If the Supreme Beis Din rules in favor, then it is handed back to the regional level to implement the decision. Between 2012-2017, the beis din released 72 heter decisions. It is also pointed out that the number of husbands jailed for refusing to give a get is close to the number of heterim given to husbands to marry a second wife. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Police were checking surveillance tapes Wednesday for clues about who may have assassinated the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, a senior official said. An autopsy will also be performed on the body of Kim Jong Nam, police said. Kim, 46, was targeted Monday in the shopping concourse at the airport and had not gone through immigration yet for his flight to Macau, said a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy. He was taken to the airport clinic and then died on the way to the hospital, the official said. Kim, who died on the way to a hospital, told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the official said. Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat said police were searching for clues in the CCTV footage. The airport is in Selangor near Kuala Lumpur. Kim Jong Nam was estranged from his younger brother, the North Korean leader. Although he had been tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his dictator father, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. He reportedly fell further out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. They fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police, the reports said. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a 46-year-old North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. Investigation is in progress and a post mortem examination request has been made to ascertain the cause of death, the statement said. Ken Gause, at the CNA think tank in Washington who has studied North Koreas leadership for 30 years, said Kim Chol was a name that Kim Jong Nam has traveled under. He is believed to have been born May 10, 1971, although birthdays are always unclear for senior North Koreans, Gause said. Mark Tokola, vice president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington and a former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, said it would be surprising if Kim Jong Nam was not killed on the orders of his brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate Kim Jong Nam in the past. It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong Un, Tokola wrote in a commentary Tuesday. Although there was scant evidence that Kim Jong Nam was plotting against the North Korean leader, he provided an alternative for North Koreans who would want to depose his brother. The reported killing came as North Korea celebrated its latest missile launch, which foreign experts were analyzing for evidence of advancement in the countrys missile capabilities. For the next several days, North Korea will be marking the birthday of its late leader Kim Jong Il, the brothers father, though they have different mothers. The major holiday this Thursday is called the Day of the Shining Star and will be feted with figure skating and synchronized swimming exhibitions, fireworks and mass rallies. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a reign of terror. The most spectacular was the 2013 execution by anti-aircraft fire of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered the countrys second-most-powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. Gause said Kim Jong Nam had been forthright that he did not have political ambitions, although he was publicly critical of the North Korean regime and his brothers legitimacy in the past. Kim Jong Nam had been less outspoken since 2011, when North Korean assassins reportedly tried to shoot him in Macau, Gause said, though the details of the attempted killing are murky. South Korea also reportedly jailed a North Korean spy in 2012 who admitted to trying to organize a hit-and-run accident targeting Kim Jong Nam in China in 2010. Despite the attempts on his life, Kim Jong Nam had reportedly traveled to North Korea since then, so it was assumed he was no longer under threat. Kim Jong Nam may have become more vulnerable as his defender in the North Korean hierarchy, Kim Kyong Hui Kim Jong Uns aunt and the husband of his executed uncle, Jang Song Thaek appears to have fallen from favor or died. She has not been seen in public for more than three years, Gause said. Kim Jong Il had at least three sons with two women, as well as a daughter by a third. Kim Jong Nam was the eldest, followed by Kim Jong Chul, who is a few years older than Kim Jong Un and is known as a playboy who reportedly attended Eric Clapton concerts in London in 2015. Its unclear what positon he has in the North Korean government. A younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, was named a member of the Workers Party of Koreas Central Committee during a North Korean party congress last May. She has a position in a propaganda and agitation department and is known as Kim Jong Uns gatekeeper, Gause said. While the most likely explanation for the killing was that Kim Jong Un was removing a potential challenger to North Korean leadership within his own family, he could also be sending a warning to North Korean officials to demonstrate the reach of the regime. It follows the defection last year of a senior diplomat from the North Korean Embassy in London who has spoken of his despair at Kims purges. (AP) The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Tuesday that the most significant question posed by the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn is why intelligence officials eavesdropped on his calls with the Russian ambassador and later leaked information on those calls to the press. I expect for the FBI to tell me what is going on, and they better have a good answer, said Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which is conducting a review of Russian activities to influence the election. The big problem I see here is that you have an American citizen who had his phone calls recorded. Flynn resigned Monday night, days after The Washington Post reported that intelligence officials had recorded Flynns conversations with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. before Trump took office. Those recordings, the Post reported, appeared to contradict Flynns own claims that he had not discussed easing U.S. sanctions on Russia. Separately Tuesday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said he had no plans to further probe links between Flynn and Russia. Its taken care of itself at this point, he said. Nunes said he was dismayed that those recordings had leaked, citing a complex process for tapping communications involving U.S. citizens and then unmasking it for intelligence use. The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said late Monday that Flynn resignation does not end questions over his contacts with the Russians. These alleged contacts and any others the Trump campaign may have had with the Kremlin are the subject of the House Intelligence Committees ongoing investigation, he said in a statement. Moreover, the Trump Administration has yet to be forthcoming about who was aware of Flynns conversations with the Ambassador and whether he was acting on the instructions of the President or any other officials, or with their knowledge. Nunes said it was very hard to believe that Flynn was acting as some sort of secret Russian agent. He also said he saw some hypocrisy in the response of Democrats to the Flynn recording. Where are all the privacy groups screaming now? he asked. (c) 2017, The Washington Post Mike Debonis Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday denied reports of intercepted phone calls between Russian intelligence officials and members of Donald Trumps presidential campaign. The New York Times said that the Russians made contact with Paul Manafort, who briefly served as Trumps campaign chairman. Current and former U.S. officials interviewed by the Times declined to identify other Trump associates contacted by the Russians. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, pointed to the anonymity of the sources, saying that the reports are not based on any facts, do not point to actual facts. The report comes a day after U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned following reports he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia. Asked about the allegations, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday they prove once against there is a major internal, political game, you can call it bargaining, in the United States. Russian lawmakers were more direct in trying to defend Trump. This is not about information but about a high-precision information bomb, Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Federation Councils information committee, tweeted. The goal is to blow up the Trump administration. (AP) CIA Director Mike Pompeo met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian intelligence service chief Majed Farij on Tuesday evening in Ramallah. During the meeting, the two discussed the two-state solution, security matters and the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The meeting took place just a day before U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the Palestinian news agency Maan, the three discussed security and political matters ahead of the Israeli-American Washington meeting. In addition, it was reported by the news agency that Farij said: The meeting was beneficial and positive and during it, we discussed important issues including the two-state solution, the security situation in the region and the danger that the construction in the settlements poses. Senior Palestinian security sources told Israel Radio last nights meeting between Abbas and Pompeo was the second in recent weeks, with the first one taking place at the start of this month. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Intelligence officials believe North Korean agents assassinated leader Kim Jong Uns exiled half brother, but if the whodunit seems settled, a very big question still looms: Why now? Kim Jong Nam, reportedly killed by two female agents in a cloak-and-dagger operation in a Malaysian airport, had long been an embarrassment to North Koreas government humiliated during a failed attempt to sneak into Japan to visit Disneyland and outspoken in opposing the rise to power of his brother, who had his uncle executed after taking over. But the overweight gambler and fading playboy had kept his head down in recent years from his base in Macau. Kim Jong Nam was seen by many outsiders as only a minor distraction for North Koreas leaders, and certainly not an existential threat worth the risk of a potentially embarrassing assassination caper on foreign soil. The spotty South Korean intelligence community ascribed the Norths motivation in killing Kim Jong Nam, without any elaboration, simply to Kim Jong Uns paranoia. There is a more intriguing possibility floating around Seoul, however: The tipping point in North Koreas bloody calculations may have been a largely ignored South Korean news story from last week. A national daily, the Kyunghyang Shinmun, reported that Kim Jong Nam tried to defect to South Korea several years ago and had served, in the 2000s, as a middleman between disgraced current South Korean President Park Geun-hye and officials in North Korea. Kim Jong Un may have clenched his teeth and carried on when he heard reports of his half brothers exploits in Macau casinos, and even when Kim Jong Nam, often photographed in an expensive, untucked, button-down shirt and newsboy cap, questioned in 2010 the need for a third generation of the Kim family to rule in Pyongyang. But public reports in rival South Korea of alleged close dealings between a direct relative of North Koreas ruling dynasty and high officials in Seoul and possible attempts to defect to the South could have represented a serious challenge to a leader who portrays his family as the only legitimate power on the Korean Peninsula. If a person with the blood of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung flowing in his veins was considering defecting to prosperous, democratic South Korea, what message did that send to North Koreas elite, or to the millions of poor and dissatisfied? South Koreas spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, which has a spotty record in reading the goings-on in North Korea and often tries to paint the leadership as unbalanced, denied any defection attempt by Kim Jong Nam. But Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Koreas Sejong Institute, raised the possibility that the assassination was linked to the newspaper report, which cites interviews with anonymous officials from the Europe-Korea Foundation, where Park served as a board member for a decade before stepping down ahead of the presidential election in late 2012, and computer files and emails that showed exchanges between Kim Jong Nam and the foundations officials. The newspaper reported that Kim Jong Nam, who was then living in Beijing, delivered a letter that Park wrote to Kim Jong Il, North Koreas second leader and Kim Jong Uns father, in 2005. The letter, according to the newspaper, showed Park requesting help on cultural exchange programs pushed by the foundation. Jeong Joon-Hee, the spokesman of South Koreas Unification Ministry, previously said the government doesnt believe such a letter from Park, who has been impeached over a corruption scandal, was delivered to North Korea. The newspaper also cited anonymous sources to report that Kim Jong Nam explored the possibility of defecting to South Korea, and also to the United States and Europe, in 2012 before giving up. The sources said Kims talks with South Korea and the United States eventually fell through because of his excessive demands. While the South Korean news report is a fascinating potential explanation for Kim Jong Nams death, there are other possibilities including that Mondays killing was the culmination of years of effort by North Korea. Seouls spy service told lawmakers Wednesday that North Korea had for five years tried to kill Kim Jong Nam, who had kept a low profile since his uncle and former protector, the Norths former No. 2, Jang Song Thaek, was executed by Kim Jong Un in 2013. The NIS, according to lawmakers, cited a genuine attempt by North Korea to kill Kim Jong Nam in 2012, but didnt elaborate. The lawmakers said the NIS told them Kim Jong Nam sent a letter to Kim Jong Un in April 2012, after the assassination attempt, begging for the lives of himself and his family. The letter said, I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide. Kim Jong Nams links with China may have also played a role. Beijing had long protected Kim Jong Nam, according to South Koreas intelligence service. China may have been interested in propping up Kim Jong Nam as a future North Korean leader should the current government in Pyongyang collapse. Kim Jong Un would not have been pleased by knowledge that his brother was being used by Beijing as a pawn and potential replacement. (AP) The editor-in-chief then asked Aoun whether Lebanon, under his command, will serve as a bridge for a Gulf-Iranian or Arab-Iranian understanding. Aoun answered, Why not? Trying is better (than doing nothing) as at least there is the honor of trying. The way they whether its Aoun or some Egyptian media outlets depict the situation with Iran is wrong. Whats happening between Arab countries including those in the Gulf and the Khamenei Regime is not a temporary political dispute or a media battle and more importantly, its not a sectarian, a Sunni-Shiite, division or a nationalistic struggle between Arabs and Persians. This is what some media outlets, which do not have a clear understanding of the entire situation, try to show, writes Saudi journalist Mshari Al Thaydi, who presents Al Arabiya News Channels views on the news daily show Maraya in his article for Al-Arabiya. Without Irans invasions and interventions, there would be no problems for Bahrain, or Saudi Arabia or Morocco, he continues, and adds that,The same applies to Sudan or to Yemens government or to the majority of the Syrian people whom al-Nusra Front and ISIS do not represent like the Assad regimes propaganda machine claims. Al Thaydi refers to the suppressed Green Movement, saying that the problem with the Khamenei Regime is with the ideological regime with its dangerous doctrine that first subdues the Shiite Iranians, like the Arab Ahwaz, and other ethnic and religious groups. It even suppresses the Shiite Persians who support the Regime but call for reforms. The Iranian regime is governed by Khamenei, whose ideological precepts include control over the Islamic world. Khamenei views himself as the guardian of Muslims who, according to Al Thaydi, is not just an extremist cleric, like thousands others across the world, one who has established a Regime that possesses money and weapons and that has gangs to promote his ideas. He says that Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon are nothing but mere arenas to this ideological Khamenei invasion. The Lebanese Party Hezbollah is not a party of resistance, according to Al Thaydi, Hezbollah is an authentic organic extension of Khameneis Revolutionary Guards. It is the duty of the president of any country to control arms, maintain the states control over them, and subjugate everyone to the same authority of law. Lets wait and see how President Aoun performs, Al Thaydi concludes. During his first meeting in Washington with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu extended an invitation to him to visit Jerusalem. The two met before Mr. Netanyahus meeting with President Donald Trump. He met with Secretary Tillerson for about two hours. Following the meeting and the subsequent meeting with the newly-elected US President it is clear the White House is not adopting the position of its predecessor, who was committed to the so-called two-state solution, which entails the establishment of the State of Palestine with portions of eastern Jerusalem serving as its capital. Former President Barak Obama insisted the two-state solution was essential for regional peace but it appears President Trump is more flexible and not necessarily committed to this. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) The Shin Bet has decided changes in security for Israeli airlines are required, including El Al, Arkia and Israir. According to a Walla News report, while the Shin Bet does not discuss such matters openly, security arrangements have been tightened and the air marshal team reinforced. The Shin Bet oversees security for the airlines including the check-in arrangements, agent counters, as well as on flights. There have also been technological additions to enhance security for Israeli airlines not too long ago including a system to counter shoulder held missiles fired at a passenger plane along with the double bulletproof door on the drivers cabin. The experts add that at one time Israeli airline security appeared extreme to many but following 9/11, many of the regulations are being copied by airlines around the world in the hope of emulating El Al and other Israeli airlines. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Rabbi Eliezer Berland, who is serving a prison term, underwent an emergency surgical procedure earlier this week. According to a Kikar Shabbos News report, the rabbi on Tuesday 18 was recuperating, isolated on the sixth floor of Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital with over 20 police outside his door. The Chief of the Israel Prison Authority also made a visit to consult with physicians towards ascertaining when the rabbi can be released by to prison. Followers of the rav were mispallel at Kever Rochel while he was undergoing the procedure. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Police boarded an EasyJet flight that originated in Tel Aviv after it made an unscheduled landing in Luton England to prevent a possible breach of the peace by a group of strictly Orthodox Jewish men. According to a Jewish Chronicle report on Wednesday 19 Shevat, the flight in question departed on Monday at 14:55. The problems began when chareidi passengers insisted they be seated next to men and not women. They refused to take their assigned seats. There was a delay as they reportedly blocked the aisle until some females voluntarily agreed to change seats to accommodate them. The Jewish Chronicle report quoting passengers on the flight states ten men were involved, describing them as ten men in black hats who refused to be seated and then blocking the aisle. Later into the flight, one of the men plugged his cell phone into the control panel area for one of the cabin crew, causing exit lights to turn on. A crew member instructed the man to remove the phone charger, explaining he was compromising the safety of the flight. The airline said: easyJet can confirm that flight EZY2084 from Tel Aviv to Luton on 13 February 2017 was met by police on arrival at London Luton due to a small group of passengers behaving disruptively by not complying with the captain and cabin crews request to take their seats both prior to departure from Tel Aviv and during the flight. For the safety of all passengers easyJets crew must ensure that whenever the seat belt signs are illuminated all passengers are in their seats with their seatbelts fastened. easyJets cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. Separately during the flight a passenger plugged a mobile device into a USB port on the crew control panel in the forward galley in a foolish attempt to charge it. This led to the exit light above the panel being illuminated but did not in any way comprise the safety or security of the aircraft. Local police escorted the ten men off the flight. It does not appear that anyone was placed under arrest. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Following an undercover investigation, police detectives moved in and arrested members of a cellphone theft ring. Suspects in custody were arraigned in the Jerusalem Magistrate Court on Wednesday, 19 Shevat. The three suspects are residents of the eastern capital, Arabs, and are suspected of operating a ring that robbed and stole cellphones from passersby. Police received a complaint from a young woman who was walking on the Mount Scopus Prominade while speaking on the phone. The younger male followed her and then snatched her bag and fled to a waiting vehicle. Police also received numerous complaints from residents of Beit Haninah and French Hill, both neighborhoods in the northern capital. They stopped their vehicle near the victims, asking if they might borrow their phone for a moment to make a call. When given the phone, they drove off. In one case, the victim hung on to the vehicle and eventually fell off and was lightly injured. Police received descriptions of the vehicle from victims and learned they actually changed some of the license plate numbers using black tape to avoid being apprehended. The suspects have already been tied to at least six thefts. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photos: Police spokesman) U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday made clear that the United States was committed to NATO while also reinforcing the Trump administrations demand that allies pay their fair share. Speaking at his first NATO defense ministers meeting, Mattis called the alliance a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the trans-Atlantic community. That message, delivered as Mattis stood alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, comes amid mixed signals from President Donald Trump and as chaos swirls in Washington. The Pentagon chief made no references to the abrupt forced resignation Monday of Michael Flynn, the U.S. national security adviser, over his pre-inauguration discussions with Russia, and what the change may mean for U.S. policy toward Moscow. I havent changed what Im heading there for, Mattis told reporters traveling with him to the NATO gathering. It doesnt change my message at all. The allies interest and concern about the latest furor in Washington was evident early on as officials crowded around televisions at the NATO meeting to watch Mattis initial appearance with Stoltenberg. Ministers immediately clustered around the retired Marine general as he entered the meeting room. In public statements, however, NATO leaders brushed aside questions about the turmoil in Washington. Stoltenberg said he has spoken to Trump twice on the phone, and has gotten the same reassurance from Mattis and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. They have all conveyed the same message to me as they have conveyed to other leaders in NATO countries, and that is that the United States will stay committed to the trans-Atlantic partnership, Stoltenberg said. Mattis also urged that all who benefit from the best defense in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom. The U.S. wants allies to increase their military funding to the benchmark goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Some NATO members have been slowly moving toward that. He also was expected to press for greater assistance, including additional trainers, in the military campaigns in Afghanistan and elsewhere. During his Senate confirmation hearing last month, Mattis said he wanted the U.S. to maintain the strongest possible relationship with NATO. Trump has criticized NATO as obsolete, repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and threatened that the U.S. might not defend allies that dont fulfill their financial obligations as NATO members. Its all rattled European leaders, who are looking for some clarity from Mattis. Such comments are playing into fears that Trump will ease U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow after it annexed Ukraines Crimea region in 2014 and supported an insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Another concern is lessened U.S. military support for Eastern European allies near Russias border who worry about being the next target. In recent weeks, Trumps public statements on NATO have softened somewhat. After meeting Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters that he assured her he was 100 percent behind NATO. A joint statement issued after Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone said the two agreed on the fundamental importance that the NATO alliance has for trans-Atlantic relations and the need for all members to pay their fair share. Trump made similar comments in a call with French President Francois Hollande. Only four countries other than the U.S. Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland are meeting NATOs 2 percent spending target. Many are increasing their budgets in response to Russias actions. Still, the U.S. spends more on its armed forces than all the others combined. Washington also pays more than 22 percent of NATOs commonly funded budget. The U.S. also would like to see an increased NATO commitment in Afghanistan, where forces have been fighting the Taliban since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Washington wants more trainers in Afghanistan, where about 8,400 American troops are still deployed. There also will be discussions about how to accelerate the newer, U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. (AP) Malaysian police arrested a woman Wednesday in the apparent assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the North Korean leaders exiled half brother who South Korean spies say once begged his sibling to spare his life. The astonishing killing, which reportedly came at the hands of two female assassins, set off waves of speculation over whether North Korea had dispatched a hit squad to kill a man known for his drinking, gambling and complicated family life. Kim Jong Nam, who was 45 or 46, was estranged from his younger brother, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and had been living abroad for years. He reportedly fell out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. According to two senior Malaysian government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy, the elder Kim died en route to a hospital on Monday after suddenly falling ill at the budget terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the Malaysian officials said. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said two women believed to be North Korean agents killed him with some kind of poison before fleeing in a taxi. Malaysia started an autopsy Wednesday to determine the cause of death. But a Malaysian government official, who also demanded anonymity because of the cases sensitivity, said North Korea objected to the procedure because they wanted the body back. But the Malaysian official said the autopsy was still continuing. Also Wednesday, Malaysian police arrested a woman carrying Vietnamese travel documents bearing the name Doan Thi Huong at the Kuala Lumpur airport budget terminal, where Kim Jong Nam was attacked. It was not immediately clear whether the passport was genuine. She was identified using earlier surveillance video from the airport, police said. Still photos of the video, confirmed as authentic by police, showed a woman in a skirt and long-sleeved white T-shirt with LOL across the front. Police said they were hunting for more suspects. No further details were released. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a number of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a reign of terror. South Koreas spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said Wednesday that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim Jong Nam. The NIS did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to lawmakers who briefed reporters about the closed-door meeting with the spy officials. The NIS also cited a genuine attempt by North Korea to kill Kim Jong Nam in 2012, the lawmakers said. The NIS told them that Kim Jong Nam sent a letter to Kim Jong Un in April 2012, after the assassination attempt, begging for the lives of himself and his family. The letter said: I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide. Details of the Malaysia case were sketchy, but the NIS cited Kim Jong Uns paranoia about his half brother. The NIS has a history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the countrys leaders as mentally unstable. Although Kim Jong Nam had been originally tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau. He also frequented casinos, five-star hotels and traveled around Asia, with little say in North Korean affairs. But his attempt to visit Tokyo Disneyland reportedly soured North Koreas leadership on his potential as a successor. Kim Jong Nam had said he had no political ambitions, although he was publicly critical of the North Korean regime and his half brothers legitimacy in the past. In 2010, he was quoted in Japanese media as saying he opposed dynastic succession in North Korea. Among Kim Jong Uns executions and purges, the most spectacular was the 2013 execution of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered the countrys second-most powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. Kim Jong Il had at least three sons with two women, as well as a daughter by a third. Kim Jong Nam was the eldest, followed by Kim Jong Chul, who is a few years older than Kim Jong Un and is known as a playboy who reportedly attended an Eric Clapton concert in London in 2015. Its unclear what positon he has in the North Korean government. A younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, was named a member of the Workers Party of Koreas Central Committee during a North Korean party congress last May. Kim Yong-hyun, professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University in South Korea, said Kim Jong Nam could have faced threats from any number of directions. He was probably not viewed as a direct threat to his half brother, but as an obstacle to Kim Jong Uns plan to maintain the regime for the next 20 to 30 years, the professor said. So there is a possibility of Kim Jong Un directly or indirectly giving orders to get rid of those who could threaten the plan in the long term, he said. The other possibility that cannot be ruled out is that of North Korean elites, who are competing against each other to show their loyalty to Kim Jong Un, making a move against Kim Jong Nam. (AP) While the Trump administrations actions seem to lack necessary might to Irans regime, they represent turn away from the former appeasement policies. Now, there is serious talk of labelling Irans Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization. This has become more urgent following a press conference held Tuesday by Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Washington. Based on information obtained by the social network of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) inside Iran, NCRI US Representative Office Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh revealed details and specific locations where the IRGC Quds Force has increased the number militia members trained to take part in wars already threatening Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain, Afghanistan and beyond. Jafarzadeh said, Daesh (ISIS) and the Tehran regime armed with its Revolutionary Guards are two sides of the same coin, with the distinction that the Revolutionary Guards has at its disposal a nation state with all its strategic resources. The IRGCs role in fomenting crises across the region and terrorism on a global scale is undeniable. This includes provocative meddling in Saudi Arabia, and goes in line with the necessity to designate this entity as an organization focused on global terrorism, writes Heshmat Alavi, political and rights activist focusing on Iran, in an article for Al-Arabiya. Irans long history includes the 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Lebanon that left over 240 dead, as well as the 1994 Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, resulting in 85 deaths and hundreds injured. Alavi says, Irans mullahs are the godfathers of the Lebanese Hezbollah, the force behind many of its international terrorist attacks, and it is only a logical conclusion that the entity providing the arms, training and finances would be none other than the IRGC. Irans involvement in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon are different fronts coordinated by the IRGC, according to Alavi, that were boosted by a failed appeasement policy. He says that the IRGC was also able to take advantage of those appeasements to advance Irans nuclear program and ballistic missile drive, and to test the new Trump administration with a medium-range ballistic missile test. By taking advantage of loopholes in the nuclear accord with Iran, the IRGC has pursued the nuclear program, and are now claiming to have tested new centrifuge designs, and their troubling ballistic missile aspiration threatening US interests and strategic allies across the Middle East, according to Alavi. He adds, Parallel to all these troubling activities, and not of any less importance, has been the IRGCs leading role in the mullahs domestic crackdown. The main IRGC entity in implementing this policy is the paramilitary Basij militias that roam the streets to enforce a climate of fear and oppression, leading to an array of violations of human rights in Iran. Iran is said to be the leading country in executions per capita, and continues as such during the tenure of Iranian President Hassan Rowhani, writes Alavi, saying further that, Irans jails are also known as dungeons where many such executions are performed, and the IRGC enjoys specific wards used to torture inmates for coerced confessions. Iran as a regime is designated as the leading state sponsor of terrorism by the US State Department, and also described most recently by Defense Secretary James Mattis. Its been discussed that the IRGC meets the necessary legal index of a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation. Alavi lists the criteria for FTO designation: a) A foreign organization b) Involved in terrorism or terrorist engagement, or retaining the ability and intention to engage in terrorism or launch terrorist activities c) US nationals and/or national security is threatened through the organizations terrorism or terrorist engagements. Initiatives have also been instigated in both chambers of Congress, as the The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Terrorist Designation Act. It underscores how the IRGC meets the designation criteria of an FTO. Tuesdays revelations by the NCRI in Washington according to MEK-obtained information highlight the major role the IRGC plays in Iran. Alavi believes it is of the utmost necessity for the Trump administration to issue an FTO designation for the IRGC. He writes, Such a move will have the new US administration stand alongside its allies in the Middle East and signal to the Iranian people the true support they now enjoy in America. Every year, thousands of families lose a parent, husband or wife, leaving them both devastated and also in many cases having to adjust to a completely different standard of living. Households often drop from two incomes to one and bereaved parents become the sole breadwinners for themselves and their children. The government provides a financial lifeline in these cases, issuing payments to affected families from the National Insurance contributions of the deceased. However, the amount of money issued in bereavement support has been falling by around 41million on average every year since 2003, This is Money can reveal. Support: Bereavement payments can help families with the initial costs such as paying for a funeral for a loved one The decline in payments has meant a saving of more than 5.2billion on what would have been paid out if support had stayed at the same level since 2003. Despite the savings, thousands of new widows in future are set to see their payments slashed from April, with some losing out on tens of thousands of pounds. The government predicts that the changes will cost it around 45million in the first two years. However after that, costs are set to fall even further, by around 21million every year. Families bereaved before the changes are introduced in April will not be affected. According to the government, the reforms are not designed to save money, but instead are a modernisation of an old system. A DWP spokesman said: 'The old system introduced more than 90 years ago was based on the outdated assumption that a widowed parent relied on their spouse for income, and would never work themselves. This doesnt reflect peoples lives today. Total costs have been falling, according to figures from the National Insurance Fund 'The new Bereavement Support Payment restores fairness to the system and focuses support during the 18-month period after a loved one dies, when they need it the most. It is also easier to claim, wont be taxed and will be subject to a disregard for benefit claims, helping those on the lowest incomes the most.' Despite the claims that plans to cut back benefits for widows are not designed to save money, the Department for Work and Pensions has predicted that it will save around 100million every year from its budget. Reforms will cost 45million over the first two years, after which costs will steadily fall. There will be an additional spend of 79million a year on Universal Credit, but even so, the net saving will amount to 21million a year, government documents show. The Work and Pensions Select Committee last year urged government to use some of the cost savings to extend support to children who lose their mother or father where their parents were not married, but the government has so far declined. Savings have averaged 41million a year since 2003, according to This is Money calculations Despite modernising the system, the children of unmarried couples will still not receive support. The government estimates that extending support to cohabiting couples would cost 75million a year in the first four years. However extending them just to families with young children would cost considerably less. Alison Penny of the Childhood Bereavement Network commented on the changes: The sad truth is that the brunt of these cuts will be borne by the next generation of young children grieving the death of their mum or dad. Those parents will have paid into the National Insurance system in good faith, but in 75 per cent of cases, the children and widows/widowers they leave behind will get less support than under the current scheme. We ask the Government to reconsider their plans, and to work with us and others to find a way to secure a better future for more widowed parents and their children. Why will the cost of payments fall? The government is planning a complete overhaul of the current bereavement payment system. You can read more details on this here. The changes mean that in general higher payments will be made upfront, but paid for a shorter period of time. Those eligible currently receive a tax-free lump sum worth 2,000, which is set to increase to 2,500 for those without children and 3,500 for those with children. This will push up upfront costs. However other benefits that are currently made for up to 20 years will now be limited to 18 months. Existing claimants will not be affected, but will naturally cease to receive the benefit with the passage of time. The changes mean the cost of these benefits will fall overall in time. Why have payments fallen already? There is likely to have been a small decline in bereavement payments paid out over the years due to some general improvement in the health of the nation, with fewer people smoking, fewer doing manual labour, etc. A decline may also have come from the proportion of married couples falling in favour of those who are not married but cohabit. However, a big reason for the regular falls since 2003 are cuts phased in in 2001. This is Money asked former pensions minister and director of policy at Royal London Steve Webb to explain. He said: Prior to 2001 if you were a childless widow aged 45 or more at the time of the bereavement you could in theory get a widows pension until you retired. In other words, there was no real time limit. Under the 2001 changes, the new bereavement allowance stops after just one year. He added that in some ways the benefits became more generous at this time: they were extended widowers as well as widows and the lump sum given to the bereaved spouse immediately following the death was doubled from 1,000 to 2,000. However, even so, the net effect was a significant cut. This fall has been working its way through the system, because those who were already on the widows pension did not have it taken away from them the new rules only applied to new widows after 2001. Steve Webb added that some of the cost savings should be used to find the money to extend benefits to bereaved parents who lose a partner to whom they were not married, who paid the same National Insurance as everyone else and whose only crime is that they weren't married to the person who died. The Department for Work and Pensions says: Marriage and Civil Partnership confer legal rights and responsibilities on individuals that cohabitees do not have. Allowing the surviving members of cohabiting couples to have access to bereavement benefits would significantly increase complexity and require extensive proof of cohabitation which could be both difficult and intrusive for the bereaved person to establish. For example, this would require the Government to provide a legal definition of a couple, including determining the period the individuals had been together to be classed as a couple. A landmark case won at the Supreme Court last year may put pressure on the government to extend payments to children who lose their mother or father where their parents were not married. Denise Brewster challenged a ruling that she was not automatically entitled to a survivors pension as she would have been, were she married to her partner when he died. Ms Brewster, a lifeguard from Coleraine, Northern Ireland, and her partner Lenny McMullan had lived together for ten years and owned their own home. They had got engaged just two days before Mr McMullan died. Five Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled she is entitled to receive payments under the pension scheme. Amazon is set to shake up the UK clothing retail scene by launching its own fashion label, according to industry reports. Fashion magazine Drapers has reported that the Seattle-based giant is developing its own-label clothing, which could be launched as early as this spring. Although it already sells clothes from third party suppliers in Britain, Amazon is said to have its eye on a slice of the UK's clothing market, taking on businesses ranging from high street stalwarts, such as Marks & Spencer and Next, to internet retailers like Asos and Boohoo. Amazon could launch its own UK fashion label, according to industry reports The rumours are fuelled by Amazons recruitment of former Marks & Spencer big-hitters Frances Russell (ex-head of womenswear) and Karen Peacock (previously the high street chains head of design), as well as Primarks menswear buying director, Glen George - who also once worked at Marks & Spencer. Keely Stocker, Drapers Editor, said a mid-market range could really appeal to the customer who has become slightly disenchanted with the current high street offer. She added: If Amazon gets its own-label fashion product right, it will shake up the whole industry. High street stalwarts such as M&S and Next may have most to fear, if Amazon decides to target their customers rather than the heavily-saturated 18-to-34-year-old market. Although taking on established industry players would not be easy, Richard Lim, chief executive of Retail Economics, said the online giant has the power to stir things up. He said: Amazon is a very cash rich business and if they want to launch into a sector, they won't do things by half. Earlier this month, Amazon announced profits of $749million for the final quarter of 2016 a 55 per cent increase on the previous quarter. After years of prioritising growth over profits, this was its seventh consecutive profitable quarter. However, the online giant may not get things all its own way in an intensely fragmented and competitive market. Turning heads: Amazon's entry into the UK's clothing market would challenge online retailers like Boohoo (pictured) as well as high street brands such as Marks & Spencer. Tom Gadsby, retail analyst at Liberum, said: It takes a really long time to build a brand, even when youre Amazon. Amazon does have fashion labels in the US, including formal menswear line Franklin Tailored and womenswear brand James & Erin. In the UK, online fashion retailers such as ASOS and Boohoo have squeezed the market share of the big high street chains. Amazon has seen how successful these pure online retailers have been over the last few years and are thinking they could compete in that area, said Mr Lim. The new venture would continue Amazons remarkable growth from online bookseller to comprehensive and convenient one-stop shop. In June last year, the company made its first foray into the UK grocery market, launching AmazonFresh in London. The service is now available across more than 200 postcodes, generating nervous glances from rivals Ocado and Tesco. Last week, it was reported that Amazon is searching for shops in London to locate a checkout-free grocery chain. In parallel, it continues testing its Amazon Go store in Seattle, where sensors track customers and record items so people can buy goods without queuing at a till. Liberums Adam Tomlinson reiterated: When Amazon decide they want to do something in any space, it's always a threat. Addressing fire safety Living in San Diego County, the threat of fires is constant, that is why I have made fire safety one... Supporting animals As a trained Project Wildlife Native Songbird Rehabilitator, my experience raising orphaned and injured songbirds and returning them to the... If the terror troops are from a country where Iran is already fighting (Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and Lebanon), they will eventually be sent to the front lines of those battles. If it is in a country where Iran is not currently fighting, the troops will join a terror cell there. The camps are divided by the training they will have to do and by nationality. Their training is overseen by the Iranian Regimes terror squad, the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The training is divided into two types of courses; a crash-course of 45 days for troops that will be used to fight in paramilitary forces like the IRGCs Basij force or a full training course which lasts from between 9 and 12 months. The full training course has many different sections: Heavy weaponry Missile Launches Marine Training Theoretical Training (how to spend terror rhetoric) Survival Training Commando Training Paratrooper Training Security Training The Iranian Regime may attempt to distance themselves from these training camps but IRGC Brigadier General Khosrow Orouj confirmed that this had the approval of the supreme leader Ali Khamenei. He said: I was in charge of training for the Quds Force, and later took charge of training of the Quds Special Forces, working with them round-the-clock, going back and forth to Lebanon. When Khamenei visited the Quds Force, the only unit that he applauded was that same training unit. Of course, the IRGC is not just responsible for terror abroad; it has many domestic repression duties as well. It is responsible for: Preventing popular uprisings Controlling the Iranian economy (diverting money to the military, rather than social care programmes) Monitoring internet usage by civilians Controlling Regime officials and arresting them The report makes clear that the IRGC is in control of these terror training camps, in an attempt to export terrorism, destabilise other countries and take control in those countries. MBABANE As some received flowers and cards on Valentines Day, it was a different and unforgettable story for Sisana Shabangu, who won a brand new car. The Edgars Consolidated Stores (Edcon) had a competition where they were awarding the winner of a speciality chain for peak trade competition, LADUMA. They had a raffle draw where they had three prizes to be won. The first prize was a VW UP valued at E135 000; the second prize being a five day cruise and the third prize was a 43 inch TV. CNA Mbabane won the best prize worldwide, and hence the car went to their employee who was picked during a draw held yesterday. Edcon promised to pay directly to the driving school of Shabangus choice and also pay for one appointment of the licence test. Shabangu, who is a Retail Associate at CNA, also happens to be the longest serving member at the CNA stores. She explained that she started working for CNA in 2004. She said she was shocked when she was announced as the winner that she even cried. Shabangu said she had joked with all her staff members that they should not bother themselves as she was taking the car with her. She mentioned that even if she hadnt won, she would have been happy for any of her colleagues to win because they all worked hard and were all dedicated to their jobs. Shabangu went on to thank the Regional Manager, Basil Mngadi, Head of HR Husain Khan, CNA General Manager (GM) Julie Day, among others, who were present during the draw. MBABANE SPTC has been ordered not to appoint a replacement for its dismissed Head of Sales and Marketing Charles Ndlovu, at least for now. This order was issued by Industrial Court Judge Dumisani Mazibuko, who further restrained the company from changing its business structure or organogram in a manner that will phase out the position of head of sales and marketing or render it redundant until the case has been finalised. The judge said Swaziland Post and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) may in the meantime appoint a senior officer in the Sales and Marketing department. Should that need arise, the first respondent (SPTC) may in the interim appoint a senior officer to lead the said department on an acting basis or short-term contract without creating a legitimate expectation of permanency or automatic renewal, said the judge. Ndlovu was dismissed despite lawyer Muzi Simelane, who chaired his disciplinary hearing, acquitting him on charges of misconduct. SPTC Managing Director Petros Dlamini instituted review proceedings of Simelanes decision and ultimately concluded that he made an error in acquitting him and dismissed him summarily on February 22, 2016. Ndlovu filed an application in the Industrial Court for a review of the decision of Dlamini and sought an order that it be set aside. Pending determination of the matter, Ndlovu prayed for orders that Dlaminis decision be stayed and that SPTC should be restrained from appointing any person to the post of head of sales and marketing. He also wants the court to order his reinstatement and that the unilateral decision of Dlamini to dismiss him should be declared unlawful. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams By Patrick Donachie Speakers at a Rosedale forum Saturday hoped to spark the imaginations of students and parents in potential future careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. State Sen. James Sanders (D-Far Rockaway), who hosted the meeting, said it was important for schools to prepare students for the burgeoning fields of the future. The reason we are here is that we realize the future is now, Sanders said. Anybody who is talking about preparing for the future has already missed it. We have to do everything possible to get ourselves into the 21st century, and we are late. We have to push harder. Our young scholars deserve every opportunity that there is. Dozens of families attended the event, which was held at St. Clare Catholic Academy in Rosedale Saturday afternoon. The city has placed an emphasis on STEM education, with some proponents adding arts to the equation. Computer science educator Mariann Cantanzaro said STEAM education was about trial and error, offering practical and innovative approaches to problems, while presenter Samantha Kendrick, a structural engineer, said the STEAM career paths often do not have high rates of employment by women or people of color. She stressed that students needed to continue to chase their passions. We cannot let the lack of people of color in these fields infiltrate how we feel about ourselves, she said. Whether we want to draw comic books or become astronauts, its so important to remember that yes, we can and continue to live with that idea of black excellence. Danillo Archbold, the CEO and co-founder of Zion STEAM Academy, said the United States ranked 36th in the world in terms of students graduating with math and science degrees, and he said less than 3 percent of African-Americans were involved in STEM-related fields. Kendrick, who pointed to the story of the film Hidden Figures about three black women mathematicians working at NASA as a tale of inspiration for budding scientists, paraphrased Henry Ford in her call for students to remain determined. Whether you think you can, or you think you cant, she said, youre right. Doctors Without Borders on Wednesday urged all warring parties in Yemen to allow aid deliveries, saying it had treated more than 55,000 people wounded during a Saudi-led intervention in the country. "Since the violence escalated in March 2015, MSF has treated more than 55,000 war-wounded patients across the country," said Djoen Besselink, using the French acronym of the medical charity that he heads in Yemen. "The warring parties must support aid organisations to reach the people most in need," he told a news conference in Amman. Yemen\s war pits the internationally recognised government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Huthi rebels allied with forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The fighting escalated in March 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition began air strikes to help forces loyal to Hadi to take large parts of the country back from the rebels. The United Nations estimates that more than 7,400 people, including about 1,400 children, have since been killed. "We call on the international aid organisations and donor governments to together with MSF ensure that aid is delivered to all in need and increase the humanitarian response where needed," said Besselink. He also called for ports and airports to be reopened. The Saudi-led coalition has imposed a marine and air blockade against rebel-held areas. The UN has called for a truce to allow aid deliveries but UN mediation and seven ceasefires have so far failed. Besselink said medical services in Yemen had been directly affected by the violence. "Hospitals have been hit by shelling and gunfire. Four MSF facilities have been hit by air strikes," he said. Tammam Aloudat, the charity\s deputy medical director, said 26 MSF staff had been killed in bombings against medical facilities. He said many Yemenis suffered from malnutrition, diseases, rising prices, electricity shortages and lack of clean drinking water. UN aid chief Stephen O\Brien warned last month that Yemen could face famine this year if no immediate action is taken. SOURCE: AFP Strong defense, pair of goals from Shaye Bailey hands Freedom WPIAL Class 1A championship A shutdown defense and a pair of second-half goals from junior Shaye Bailey led the Freedom Bulldogs to a convincing 3-0 win over Springdale Friday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany Children in New York state can be married as young as 14, and a troubling number almost all them girls are married off at that young age by their families, according to advocates backing a bill that would raise the state's minimum marriage age to 17. If they weren't married, the spouses of these child brides would be in violation of statutory rape laws, said Westchester Democratic Assemblywoman Amy Paulin is sponsoring the bill along with Staten Island Republican Sen. Andrew Lanza. Human rights organizations describe the practice as a violation when it goes on in other countries. The trouble is, "It happens right here in our very own backyard," said Paulin, who was joined Monday by some women who had been or nearly were married off by their families as teenagers. "At 14, you're in ninth grade. You probably have braces and you probably have a crush on some guy," said Safia Mahjebin, who in fifth grade was told by her father that she would be sent to the family's native Bangladesh to marry. A teen from her community who refused to go along with that, said Mahjebin, can be "branded as a disobedient daughter." Mahjebin was born in Bangladesh but moved to Brooklyn with her family as a child. With the prospect of a forced marriage approaching, she broke away and, now at age 20, works as an intern at Sanctuary for Families, an organization combating the practice of child marriage. After a press conference during which Mahjebin and others recounted their experiences, Fraidy Reiss, who runs Unchained at Last and who escaped a forced teen marriage, said there are lots of pressures keeping such practices in place. Moreover, these marriages span the spectrum of religious faiths and ethnic origins. Mahjebin comes from a religious Bangladeshi Muslim community. Reiss, who was raised an Orthodox Jew, said the marriages happen in "every religion and culture you can think of." The common threads are traditions, which can be especially powerful in socially isolated communities. Sometimes there are financial considerations as in arranged marriages that come with dowries in which the bride's family brings money to the husband or a "bride price" in which the bride's family gets the payment. Immigration can be a factor. Reiss said girls here in the U.S. can enter arranged marriages with those who want to come to the U.S. from abroad. By marrying an American, the husbands can gain a quick path to residency. Reiss' group has found that between 2000 and 2010 nearly 4,000 teens as young as 14 were wed in New York state. In New York, children age 14 and 15 need parental consent and a judge's approval to marry, and there are no instructions for judges to view those arrangements as statutory rape even if the husband is in his 30s or older. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518-454-5758 @RickKarlinTU This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Albany A parolee who previously made headlines when he was fired by Walmart was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in state prison for bank robbery, District Attorney David Soares' office said. Thomas T. Smith, 53, pleaded guilty Dec. 14 to one count of robbery, an armed violent felony. Albany County Supreme Court Judge Thomas A. Breslin also sentenced Smith to five years of post-release supervision. In September, Smith was arrested after an Albany police detective fired a round into the window of his vehicle in a neighborhood near the Port of Albany. Then-Police Chief Brendan Cox said the detective reported Smith's car was backing toward him when he opened fire. No one was injured. At the time, Smith was on parole for a 2002 robbery of a KeyBank branch in Latham. He had served more than 13 years of a 15-year sentence. In 2015, Smith was part of a protracted battle with Walmart officials after he was fired for redeeming a few dollars in empty cans left unclaimed outside the East Greenbush store. Smith said he was never told he could not take unclaimed cans, but Walmart officials contended it was theft. Alice Green, executive director of the Center for Law and Justice, and labor leaders organized demonstrations on Smith's behalf at Walmart to protest his firing, which went viral on social media and made national headlines. Smith's guilty plea satisfied charges in four bank robberies from July through September in Albany: July 29: Smith, disguised in a wig, handed tellers at the First Niagara Bank, 120 State St., a note demanding money. He was pointing his hand in a pocket, insinuating that he had a weapon, and escaped with $1,500. A discarded disguise was found near the bank. Aug. 19: Smith, wearing a hat and sunglasses, demanded money at the Citizens Bank, 111 Washington Ave. He threatened tellers that he had a gun and escaped with $1,300. Sept. 1: Smith demanded money from tellers at the First Niagara Bank, 899 Western Ave., and slapped one teller in the face. Smith escaped with $3,420. Sept. 12: Smith, wearing a construction worker hat, handed tellers at the First Niagara Bank, 120 State St., a note demanding money. He escaped with $1,500 and a discarded construction helmet was found nearby. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Wednesday roundup of State Police warrants includes a Troy woman wanted in Albany. Monique D. Moye is accused of collecting more than $7,000 in unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled from June to December 2014, State Police said. She is charged with felony grand larceny. Albany City Criminal Court issued the warrant for her arrest, troopers said. Moye's last known address was in Troy and she is known to drive a 2008 Dodge Avenger with New York license plate GYV6593, State Police said. Troopers also seek nine other defendants: Paul R. Arce, 25, is wanted in Endwell, Broome County, for endangering the welfare of a child, unlawfully dealing with a child and petit larceny, all misdemeanors. Arce was arrested in connection to two unrelated incidents in 2009 and failed to appear in court on the charges, State Police said. On July 18, 2011, Union Town Court also issued a warrant for his arrest. Troopers said the Broome County Sheriff's Office is seeking Arce on multiple warrants. Arce has "Cristina" tattooed on his right hand and "Isaac" on his left forearm, State Police said. Ronnie A. Tellstone, 38, is wanted in Dannemora, Clinton County, for four counts of felony criminal possession of a forged instrument. He used a forged credit card to make four different purchases on Aug. 2, 2013, State Police said. D'Zhanre Herring, 21, is wanted in Cortlandt, Westchester County, for felony criminal possession of stolen property and misdemeanor possession of burglar tools. During a November 2015 larceny investigation, detectives found Herring with more than $1,000 worth of stolen merchandise and arrested her, State Police said. She failed to appear in court in May 2016, troopers said. Herring's last known address was in Marlborough, State Police said. Lyra M. Travis, 28, is wanted in Wurtsboro, Sullivan County, for felony burglary and violation of probation. Travis broke into a relative's home and stole jewelry, which she pawned in Monticello and sold at a Cash for Gold store in Middletown, State Police said. Michael A. Potter Jr., 38, is wanted in Syracuse for felony criminal contempt. Potter violated an order of protection during a domestic incident, State Police said. The city court issued an arrest warrant Nov. 3. Jennifer M. McIntyre, 32, is wanted in Cold Spring, Putnam County, for driving while intoxicated, aggravated unlicensed operator, speeding and no vehicle inspection. McIntyre was stopped for speeding on Dec. 14, 2014, and charged with drunken driving and numerous traffic violations, State Police said. She failed to appear in court Dec. 6, 2015, troopers said. Keegan Olton, 27, is wanted in Rochester for DWI, aggravated operation of a motor vehicle and other traffic violations. Olton was arrested on I-490 in August for drunken driving and driving with a suspended license, State Police said. Lawrence Ebert, 52, is wanted in Nassau County for felony driving while intoxicated and numerous traffic violations. Ebert was arrested for drunken driving after being involved in an accident on the Northern State Parkway in 2015, State Police said. He was driving a blue Chevrolet at the time of his arrest, troopers said. Lenny A. Barr, 44, is wanted by the State Police troop that patrols the Thruway for misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation. On Feb. 9, 2015, Barr was stopped by a trooper on the Thruway for a traffic violation and was found with heroin and marijuana, State Police said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Before you head to Ecuador Juice Bar and Latin Cuisine as you must as soon as you finish reading this you should consult a map of the world. For though Ecuador is in its name, the menu is a beautiful jumble of linked cuisines, the type of thing that gets food historians all excited. There's mofongo ($8 to $13) green plantains roughly mashed with shredded pork, chicken, beef, cheese or shrimp claimed by Puerto Rico and Cuba; options for Ecuadorian fish; and salty Chinese-style stir-fried rice in arroz con camarones (shrimp) or chaulafan, a meatier weekend version, both of which nod to the "chifas" or Chinese restaurants common to Ecuador and Peru. In the kitchen at 7 a.m. starting the four- to five-hour slow-roasted pork are Monica Garcia and her mother from Cuenca, Ecuador. Monica's husband, Wilson, hails from the Dominican Republic. No surprise then to find Dominican Los Tres Golpes ($7.50), a "three hits" breakfast of salami, fried cheese, eggs and mashed plantains alongside the Ecuadorian juices popular at home and all over New York City. Toss in family Colombian and Cuban recipes and it's melting-pot Latin cuisine. The Garcia family moved to Rensselaer from the Bronx only a year ago for an expansion of Wilson Garcia's downstate real estate business. Finding Rensselaer and East Greenbush with few options beyond pizza and Chinese, they opened the restaurant on Columbia Turnpike just a few months later. More Information Ecuador Juice Bar and Latin Cuisine 175 Columbia Turnpike East Greenbush Phone: 275-0565 Web: ecuadorjuicebarandlatincuisine.com Cuisine: Healthy juices and authentic family Latin food. Try the mofongo and Saturday Ecuadorian classics. Ambiance: Clean, utilitarian cafe with booths and Latin TV. Grubhub delivery with $20 mininum. Price: $ to $$$ Hours: 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday. Breakfast items: 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Credit cards: All major. Parking: Narrow strip mall parking. Handicapped accessible: Yes. Price ratings for inexpensive eateries based on average of entree costs: $: $9.95 and less $$: $9.95-$15.95 $$$: $15.95 and higher See More Collapse The stubby strip mall location is tough. I've seen signs for a short-lived cafe and a bakery come and go. Ironically, it was its last iteration, as Columbia Cafe, that caught the Garcias' attention, believing it a Colombian restaurant. Flanked on both sides by vacant storefronts and two doors from a Jazzercize studio and tattoo parlor, this is no standout destination. But the easy commute over the Dunn Memorial Bridge makes it a quick jaunt from downtown Albany, and the restaurant's delivery partnership with Grubhub is so successful they cover rent in online orders alone. The fresh fruits and vegetables of the smoothie counter give way to glistening trays of stewed chicken and beef, silky red beans, yellow and white rice, and thick slabs of roast pork with shiny, crackling caps. All are quickly assembled for solo diners ordering hearty $6.99 lunch specials, many in native Spanish. Everything else, including juices, can take a little time, so call ahead to pre-order if you need to grab-and-go service. Hand-crimped empanadas are airily crisp, pechuga de pollo (breaded chicken) and tilapia frita impeccably moist in the lightest seasoned brown breadcrumb. Sizing up my picky son, Monica produces pechuga in strips with a scrum of fries, and he scarfs it down. Some days you can pull unctuous mahogany medallions from slow-braised oxtail with a pile of buttery rice ($10); any day is good for mini bandeja tipica ($12), a mountain of yellow rice topped with thin steak, fried egg, saucy beans, caramelized sweet plantain, ripe avocado and a hulking arch of chicharron (fried pork belly). And that's the mini. Everything is accompanied by aji, shortened from ajillo, a finely diced Ecuadorian salsa picante but substituting habanero for traditional rocoto pepper. It's so popular with regulars there are plans to bottle it for sale. And a nameless blend of garlic, salt and oil adds elemental punch drizzled over mofongo. Perhaps the greatest tease is the weekend-only Ecuadorian menu. Since they aren't actually open Sundays, Saturday is your one chance. The smart ones call ahead to reserve encebollado, Ecuador's national dish a humming broth of tuna, cilantro, red onions and starchy cassava chunks (the yuca root used to make tapioca, not yucca, the ornamental plant). They sell out every Saturday. It took me three tries to secure a bowl. Plunder caldo de bolas, digging through the bouncy carapace of a mashed plantain boule to the rich brown and pink shredded beef at its core. Submerged in an umami-packed beef broth speckled with peas, carrots, parsley and icebergs of stewed beef, it's a fusion of caldo de bolas and caldo de carne. You can get either one at Mr. Pio Pio in Albany for $9.95 but here, combined and generously portioned, it's a $12 steal. On Saturdays, collagen-loosened pork flesh shredding irresistibly as it's plucked with tongs becomes traditional hornado paired with mote corn kernels and llapingacho, gold coins of smashed plantain and cheese. And instead of the citrus-cured ceviche de camaron ($12) you might expect, plump shrimp marinate in a silken, cool tomato, onion, and cilantro soup. Bolster it, if you wish, with seasoned rice. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. The interior is take-out utilitarian, brightened by photos of the Andes, hand-painted plates and a gorgeous shot of Monica's 98-year old grandfather and his cat looking out at a mountain range. Signs extol the health benefits of fresh smoothies and juice. Most are the familiar combinations of greens, lemon, carrots and ginger, but the Ecuadorian background is almost folkloric with family knowledge generationally handed down to remedy ails and maximize health. All are fresh-made to order, available in three sizes ($5.50, $6.50, $7.50), with a choice of water or milk for smoothies. A Latin Sentation thickened with oatmeal and Carnation condensed milk bears close similarity to Ecuadorian colada, but flavored with banana and vanilla instead of naranjilla fruit. I've been a half dozen times to grab a juice and food to go or taking kids to eat in, and the smiling family welcome never wanes, sometimes pumped with a vigorous reggaeton-borracha soundtrack. You might need a little patience with the service speed of a made-to-order menu and the whimsical availability of dishes impacted by sudden customer demand. If they sold out of oxtail yesterday, it might not be back on the menu for a day or two. And if the Dominican flan has gone, a fresh batch will be off limits until it's had time to set. Nothing here is fancy. It's just good family food. So consider this a push to go. Whether that means crossing the river for a post-gym juice or trying mofongo for lunch, this little ray of Latin sunshine needs to grow, not go. A typical dinner for four averaging four dishes, a couple of empanadas and three small juices averages $65 with tax, plus an optional $10 counter tip. Susie Davidson Powell is a freelance writer from East Greenbush. Follow her on Twitter, @SusieDP. To comment on this review, visit the Table Hopping blog, blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping. North Tipperary IFA and Deputy Jackie Cahill moved this week to play down any conflict between them following a walkout at the farm association's AGM in Nenagh. Deputy Cahill, the FF spokesman on Agriculture and a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, was the guest speaker at the IFA meeting last Thursday. However, as many as 10 IFA members are understood to have walked out before he could speak. Both confirmed a walkout had taken place, but put the number at around four or five IFA chair Tim Cullinan and Deputy Cahill dismissed the action as a storm in a teacup and stressed that there was an excellent working relationship between them. Deputy Cahill said that those who left the meeting had issues with him, some going back over 20 years. They would have a bit of history with me, said the Fianna Fail TD. It had little to do with either farming or politics, but they are entitled to their opinion. He described it as settling old scores, though some of it could be anti-ICMSA feelings from people would not like to see the former dairy farm association president speak at an IFA meeting. Mr Cullinan said his group had an excellent relationship with all the elected representatives in Tipperary and pointed out that Deputy Alan Kelly had addressed their agm when he was Minister for the Environment. The Gardai are continuing their crackdown on drink driving around North Tipperary, with a further five motorists arrested in the past week on suspicion of being over the legal limit. Among those arrested on suspicion of drink driving was a man driving a tractor at Ormond Court, Nenagh, at 4am on Sunday. A male aged 24 was arrested at Mitchel Street, Nenagh, at 2.05am on Saturday, while a 45-year-old male was arrested at New Line, Nenagh, at 8.35pm on Saturday. A male was arrested at Gaol Road, Newport, at 10.58pm on Thursday last. The latest motorist arrested on suspicion of drink driving was a female driver who was arrested at Summerhill, Nenagh, on Sunday at 6.30pm. Meanwhile, there has also been a spate of burglaries and attempted burglaries in the Nenagh Garda Division over the past week. In Roscrea a man is being quizzed for attempted burglary after he was found trespassing in the yard of the local Garda barracks at 2.15am on Thursday last. Gardai are also investigating what appears to have been an attempted burglary at a house in Brookwatson, Nenagh, on Saturday last. The front door was forced, causing 20 worth of damage. Gardai are investigating what appears to have been an attempted break-in to a house in Latteragh on Wednesday of last week. Damage, estimated at 100, was caused to the outside of a kitchen window. Perfume worth 60 was stolen from Ryan's Pharmacy in Pearse Street, Nenagh, at 11.15am on Thursday last. Gardai in Newport are investigating the theft of a car from the Cill Phadraigh estate in the town on Sunday or the early hours of Monday. A male was arrested for a suspected breach of public order in Pearse Street, Nenagh, at 1.25am on Sunday last. In Bulfin Crescent, Nenagh, the back door panel of a car was damaged sometime between Saturday and Sunday. The damage is estimated at 50. In Rearcross a window to the local pub, The Rising Sun, was broken on Sunday, causing 100 worth of damage. 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. They say life is too short to wear boring clothes and that's exactly what the students of Ursuline Secondary School in Thurles had in mind when they created their breath taking design for the annual Junk Kouture fashion show. The fashion forward thinking of Winona Ryan, Sarah Ryan and Roisin Heffernan secured the school a surprise visit from Snapchat star James Kavanagh yesterday afternoon who announced that the trio had earned themselves a silver ticket direct to the regional final in the University of Limerick on March 10. The girls, who began working on their creation last September, used 1,120 burnt matches, discarded vinyl records and coloured wrapping paper to create their apply named 'Kamuro' dress- a name given to a firework which leaves a glittery trail. A total of 100 old vinyl records were donated to the budding fashionistas by the school music department to make the skirt of the gown along with blackout material previously used in a school musical. Broken hoola hoops donated from a nearby child care centre added volume to the skirt while recycled sugar paper taken from old posters added a pop of colour to the finished look. Team member Roisin Heffernan, who also modeled the dress, said the school have been a "massive help" since they began working on their project last year with their art teacher Katie McCormack adding that this is the first time the school has taken part in the annual recycled fashion showcase. A video of James informing the students they had earned their place in UL has now been viewed over 14,000 times. The Ursuline students will join fourteen other entries from Tipperary schools at the Regional Final of the Junk Kouture competition on March 10 alongside 80 other hopeful teams from Munster to battle it out for a place at the grand final later this year in Dublin. This years Junk Kouture prizes include 2,500 cash for the school, 500 cash and iPad minis for the winning team, as well as a scholarship to the Limerick School of Art & Design. The overall and regional winning teams will also attend the Cannes Film Festival in May 2017. Full list of Tipperary finalists for Junk Kouture 2017: Team Name School Students Angel Of Darkness - Comeragh College Tinvane, Carrick-On-Suir - Emma Ulrich, Eve Torpey, Eoin Power "Eye" see what you did there! - Ardscoil na mBraithre Clonmel - Aileen Kennedy, Andy Higgins, Cathal McGuigan Woven Warrior - Loreto Secondary School Clonmel - Eimear O'Connor, Amy lonergan The Lone Rhino - Patrician Presentation Secondary School Fethard - Damien Cahill, Juan Ortega, Dillon Costin Amours' Reign - Patrician Presentation Secondary Fethard - Amy Byrne, Noelle O' Meara, Lucy Whyte Jungle Jane - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Lisa Walsh Barista - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Keisha O'Shea, Louise Bourke Rise Like a Phoenix - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Roisin Nolan, Natasha Holmes, Emer Ryan Floribus Mori (Flowers Dying) - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Sine Landers, Ana Paula Cusnaider, Jade Ryan Amarillo Starlight Presentation - Secondary School Clonmel - Hayley Kennedy, Lorna Fennessy, Aoife Walsh Artemis - Presentation Secondary School Clonmel - Michelle Coyle, Leah Hickey, Keyara connolly Floral Fantasy - St. Anne's Secondary School Tipperary - Emma Hogan Blaze away - St. Anne's Secondary School Tipperary - Hannah Quinn Kamuro - Ursuline Secondary School Thurles -Winona Ryan, Sarah Ryan, Roisin Heffernan Get a Grip! - Presentation Secondary School Thurles - Aoife Butler, Ciara Trainor, Aoife Max [February 15, 2017] CalCom and SunLink Partner to Bring Solar to Farms in California's Central Valley With shared expertise in designing, permitting, building and optimizing solar energy systems for agricultural operations, SunLink Corporation and CalCom Solar have successfully completed three solar projects in Shafter and Wasco, Calif. - the first in a larger Central Valley portfolio of installations. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005355/en/ 669 kW GeoPro Ground Mount Fixed-Tilt Solar System in Wasco, CA (News - Alert) out of Kern County. (Photo: Business Wire) To streamline all project construction, SunLink standardized its mounting solution design and permit set to align with CalCom's installation preferences. SunLink PowerCare geotechnical testing was also performed on sites in Madera and Tipton, Calif., to optimize designs and inform the installation teams in order to further accelerate these projects' timelines. CalCom was then able to customize and complete the installation per that customer's needs, such as uneven terrain and boundary constraints. "When it comes to the geotechnical, engineering and installation expertise essential for agricultural solar projects, our suite of products+services+software solutions answers the needs of farmers and growers for lower project costs, reduced risk and easy long-term operation. We understand the project priorities and drivers of this market," said SunLink CEO Michael Maulick. "Working closely with the other agricultural experts at CalCom, we are able to streamline the entire project lifecycle and deliver more successful energy assets." "CalCom Solar has the technology and knowledge that can help make solar work for many farmers both financially and operationally. By going solar, farming operations can significantly lower operational costs, saving them more money annually on utility bills. The system will also help hedge against raising utility rates, delivering significate utility savings over the next 25 years," stated Dylan Dupre, CEO of CalCom Solar. "CalCom has made a name for itself as a leader in Central Valley agricultural solar with more than 100 MW deployed at some of the largest agricultural sites in the region. We seek out partners who also pride themselves with capabilities in this area, and SunLink's demonstrated success from engineering to mounting solutions has proven a valuable asset." About SunLink SunLink Corporation brings powerful solar energy solutions to market through innovative, highly engineered products, in-demand customer services and best-of-breed software that make solar PV electricity easier, safer, more reliable and less expensive to install. In addition to bringing to market well-designed products that are agile in their implementation, the company leverages unparalleled R&D, a legacy of more than a GW of successful projects, state-of-the-art engineering and creative problem solving to develop optimized, full-scope product+service+software solutions for roof and ground-mount solar projects of every size and complexity. It is this unique combination of trusted insights, products, services and EnTech convergence that helps solar developers and installers overcome obstacles and furthers the industry's shared mission of advancing universal solar power adoption. For more information, visit www.sunlink.com or follow twitter.com/sunlink. About CalCom Solar Founded in California's Central Valley, CalCom Solar provides energy solutions for commercial agricultural operations and water management organizations. Today CalCom Solar employs 58 people full-time, and hires as many as 70 temporary employees from the local community. The success of the company reflects CalCom Solar's sustainability ethic and strong conviction that a company can provide customers with reliable energy solutions, maintain profitability, and have a positive impact on the community and the environment. For more information, please visit www.calcomsolar.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005355/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 14, 2017] Editage Conducts Workshops on Publishing Trends in South Korea SEOUL, South Korea, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Keeping abreast of the latest trends in scholarly publication is necessary for researchers, especially ESL authors. Therefore, Editage recently conducted eight workshops on 'Trends in Academic Journal Publishing & Research Integrity' at reputed South Korean institutions, including universities and hospitals. In total, over 500 doctors, researchers, journal editors, as well as university and hospital administrators attended these workshops. The eight workshops were conducted over 6 days, with one each at the following institutions: Chosun University College of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Sookmyung Women's University, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Korea Association of Medical Journal Editors, Asan Medical Center, and Soonchunhyang Hospital. One workshop was also conducted for the Korea Association of Medical Journal Editors. They were delivered by Dr. Elizabeth Wager, an academic publication trainer who has given training on behalf of Editage Insights for over five years. As an independent consultant, Dr. Wager has trained doctors, journal editors, and medical writers on six continents. She was Chair of he Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) between 2009 and 2012 and is a member of the ethics committees for the BMJ and the World Association of Medical Editors; she is therefore an internationally recognized authority on ethical publication practices. Dr. Wager observes, "The rules and conventions of scientific publishing are complex and changing. it can be difficult for researchers to keep up-to-date. I am delighted that Editage provides opportunities for so many doctors, scientists, and journal editors around the world to take part in these workshops and discuss best practice. In order to publish their work effectively in international journals, researchers not only need to ensure their articles are in correct English but also that they have followed current guidelines and journal requirements." Dr. Wager conducted similar workshops organized by Editage in Japan in late 2016. Prioritizing educational outreach activities for ESL authors shows that Editage is undeterred in its mission to empower the Asian research community. About Editage Founded in 2002, Editage (a division of Cactus Communications) is a fully integrated, global scholarly communications company with offices in Japan, South Korea, India, China, and the United States. Employing a global workforce of over 500, Editage has served 179,398 authors and has edited 690,240 papers across 1,200 disciplines to date. Editage aims to help scholars break through the confines of geography and language, bridge the gap between authors and peer-reviewed journals, and accelerate the process of publishing high-quality research. Apart from working with individual researchers, Editage partners with publishers, journals, academic societies, and pharmaceutical companies worldwide to assist them in creating compelling, high-quality scientific publications. Editage is also dedicated to author education through its comprehensive author resources site Editage Insights. Please visit http://www.editage.co.kr to learn more. Media contact: Hridey Manghwani Manager, Public Relations, Editage Phone: +1(877)334-8243 Email: [email protected] Related Links http://www.editage.co.kr [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Payments Solutions Provider TSYS Selects Pitney Bowes IntelliJet 20 Printing System Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI), a global technology company that provides innovative products and solutions to power commerce, today announced that global payments solutions provider TSYS has selected the Pitney Bowes IntelliJet 20 Printing System to expand its high-quality color transactional printing capabilities. The new agreement expands a 30-year partnership between the two companies. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005409/en/ The Pitney Bowes IntelliJet 20 Printing System (Photo: Business Wire) To meet increasing expectations for advanced color and finishing techniques from their customer base, TSYS invested in new inkjet technology that would provide more efficient and cost effective high-quality color printing. After a competitive RFP process in which TSYS designed and created extensive test files that pushed the limitations of printing equipment, the company decided to purchase two IntelliJet 20 Printing Systems for high-speed, full-color digital inkjet printing. As a long-term partner, TSYS is already deploying Pitney Bowes inserters, software and postage meters across its varied business segments. TSYS said the Pitney Bowes IntelliJet 20 Printing System "shined above the competition in terms of quality and efficiency" during a rigorous RFP testing process. TSYS executives were impressed with the print quality delivered by the IntelliJet. The IntelliJet printing system will be optimized to work seamlessly with their existing inserting technology from Pitney Bowes. "TSYS is invested in the future of payments and the role that transactional printing plays in an integrated physical and digital solution," said Blake Barker, Group Executive, TSYS. "With the Pitney Bowes IntlliJet 20 Printing Systems, we aim to not only increase efficiency and improve the quality of our digital color printing, we also plan to consider new growth and cross-sell opportunities with our customers." Designed to meet the needs of transactional print and mail operations, the Pitney Bowes IntelliJet 20 Printing System replaces - and outperforms - existing inkjet or toner-based devices as it delivers greater operational and business impact producing higher value communications for less. A flexible and upgradeable platform, the system enables high volume operations to produce personalized, transactional mailings in full inkjet color, efficiently and cost effectively. Pitney Bowes offers the industry's broadest range of inkjet format sizes. Its portfolio includes the AcceleJet, IntelliJet 20 HD, IntelliJet 30 HD, and IntelliJet 42 HD. The IntelliJet 20 solution will be on display in the Pitney Bowes booth at Hunkeler Innovationdays from February 20 to 23, 2017, in Lucerne, Switzerland. About TSYS TSYS (NYSE:TSS) unlocks opportunities in payments for payment providers, businesses and consumers. Our headquarters are in Columbus, Georgia, USA, and we operate in more than 80 countries with local offices across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. We provide seamless, secure and innovative solutions across the payments spectrum - from issuer processing and merchant acquiring to prepaid program management - delivered through partnership and expertise. We succeed because we put people, and their needs, at the heart of every decision. It's an approach we call 'People-Centered Payments'. Our industry is changing every day - and we're leading the way toward the payments of tomorrow. We routinely post all important information on our website. For more, visit us at tsys.com. About Pitney Bowes Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI) is a global technology company powering billions of transactions - physical and digital - in the connected and borderless world of commerce. Clients around the world, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500, rely on products, solutions and services from Pitney Bowes in the areas of customer information management, location intelligence, customer engagement, shipping, mailing, and global ecommerce. And with the innovative Pitney Bowes Commerce Cloud, clients can access the broad range of Pitney Bowes solutions, analytics, and APIs to drive commerce. For additional information visit Pitney Bowes, the Craftsmen of Commerce, at www.pitneybowes.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005409/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Record year as Irish tech firms raise 888m in venture capital - up 70% (Irish Venture Capital Association) Irish based technology firms raised a record 888m in 2016, up 70% from 522m the previous year according to the Irish Venture Capital Association Venture Pulse (News - Alert) survey published today in association with William Fry. This is against an international background where venture capital in the US (NVCA) declined by 13% and in the UK (Pitchbook) the decline was 4%. "The figures demonstrate the continuing attraction of Irish tech firms by international investors," commented Michael Murphy (News - Alert), chairman, Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA). "International syndicate investors, working with local venture capital firms, invested 548m in 2016 compared to 294m in 2015." "The life sciences sector was the star performer in 2016 with 52% of funds raised," added Regina Breheny, director general, IVCA. "Eleven companies in particular raised over 38% of total funds. The life sciences sector in Ireland is showing signs of maturity and is benefiting from the State's investment in R&D through Science Foundation Ireland." She added that as well as life sciences another area of growing significance in Ireland was fintech. "Fintech is the new kid on the block. It is disrupting the traditional banking model and growing in response to a different regulatory environment that emerged after the recent financial crisis." Growth/expansion funding was 92% of total funds raised. IVCA chairman Michael Murphy added that new seed funds are already having an impact with first round funding growing again. "The good news for start-ups is that at 70m for the year to end December, seed funds are now exceeding the peak levels of 2014." Mr Murphy said that since the onset of the credit crunch in 2008, in excess of 1,400 Irish SMEs raised venture capital of 3.5bn. These funds were raised almost exclusively by Irish VC fund managers who during this period supported the creation of up to 20,000 jobs; attracted over 1.7bn of capital into Ireland and geared up the State's investment through the Seed & Venture Capital Programme by almost 16 times. Ends View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005049/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 14, 2017] Communications & Power Industries Awarded $2 Million Order For C-Band High-Power Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A major United States satellite systems integrator has awarded the Satcom Division of Communications & Power Industries LLC (CPI) an order totaling more than $2 million to provide high-power, C-band traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) for a significant international broadcasting program. The 750 watt and 2.25 kilowatt amplifiers will be used in a fixed satellite service (FSS) uplink application. "CPI's C-band TWTAs continue to be a very attractive choice for applications requiring multi-carrier service, especially at higher power levels," said Andy Tafler, president of CPI Satcom Division. "One 2.25 kilowatt TWTA provides the same linear power as four, power-combined Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs). Both technologies offer viable solutions under the right program parameters, but for this particular program, the TWTA will be more cost efficient to operate at the required power level." CPI is one of the largest global manufacturers of high-power communications amplifiers for satellite uplink applications, whose broad product line includes GaN-based SSPAs and Gallium Arsenide-based SSPAs, as well as TWTAs and klystron power amplifiers. These products are used in fixed and mobile gateways in support of commercial and military communications around the world. About Communications & Power Industries LLC Communications & Power Industries LLC (CPI), headquartered in Palo Alto, California, is a subsidiry of CPI International Holding Corp. and CPI International, Inc. CPI develops, manufactures and globally distributes components and subsystems used in the generation, amplification, transmission and reception of microwave signals for a wide variety of systems including radar, electronic warfare and communications (satellite and point-to-point) systems for military and commercial applications, specialty products for medical diagnostic imaging and the treatment of cancer, as well as microwave and RF energy generating products for various industrial and scientific pursuits. www.cpii.com Certain statements included above constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations, beliefs or forecasts of future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the results projected, expected or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, competition in our end markets; our significant amount of debt; changes or reductions in the U.S. defense budget; currency fluctuations; goodwill impairment considerations; customer cancellations of sales contracts; U.S. Government contracts; export restrictions and other laws and regulations; international laws; changes in technology; the impact of unexpected costs; the impact of a general slowdown in the global economy; the impact of environmental laws and regulations; inability to obtain raw materials and components; and the impact of unexpected results of, or issues in connection with, dispositions and acquisitions. These and other risks are described in more detail in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All future written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect us. We undertake no duty or obligation to (i) publicly revise any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events occurring after the date hereof, (ii) to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in our expectations or (iii) to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statement if CPI becomes aware that such statement is not likely to be achieved. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/communications--power-industries-awarded-2-million-order-for-c-band-high-power-traveling-wave-tube-amplifiers-300407288.html SOURCE CPI International Holding Corp.; CPI International, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 14, 2017] Income Selects Eagle's Full Suite Solution to Replace Legacy Platforms and Achieve IBOR SINGAPORE, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Eagle Investment Systems LLC, a BNY Mellon company, has been selected by NTUC Income ("Income") to deliver a technological transformation of its middle- and back-office for its Investment division. Income will replace its existing legacy technology platforms with Eagle's full suite of data management, investment accounting and performance measurement and attribution solutions. Income is Singapore's largest composite insurer, providing life, health and general insurance products to two million customers across the country. At the end of 2015, it managed assets totaling S$32.4 billion. "We were looking into a technology platform that will support us well into the future, especially one that provides us the flexibility to accommodate new asset classes as we diversify our business," said Andrew Clay, Income's Investment Chief Operating Officer. "We look forward to evolving our daily operations and rapidly adding value to our organization with Eagle's pre-built daily workflow tools and management dashboards." This transformation will provide Income with an accounting book of record (ABOR) and enable it to achieve an investment book of record (IBOR) to aid investment decision-making. The solution will be deployed over Eagle ACCESSSM, Eagle's secure private cloud. John Legrand, Managing Director for Eagle in EMEA and APAC, said, "We are receiving a lot of interest from insurance companies looking to introduce new portfolio management systems to adequately support their evolving business needs. Singapore has long been a key target market for us and we have experienced significant growth since we first opened our office here in 2009. We are therefore delighted to welcoe Income to our growing client base in APAC." With offices in Singapore, Beijing, and Sydney, Eagle's business continues to see strong growth in the APAC region. Eagle's solutions are helping leading financial institutions in the region by providing cloud-based technology and managed service solutions to help firms efficiently manage their investment data. Notes to editors Income Over the last 46 years, Income has served the protection, savings and investment needs of the people in Singapore. Today, it is Singapore's largest composite insurer offering the widest range of life, health and general insurance products. Income also boasts the industry's broadest distribution network to provide insurance access to two million customers across all social segments of Singapore. The company remains committed to its foundational purpose of serving the people of Singapore through insurance that is affordable, accessible and sustainable. The social purpose of maximising value for policyholders continues to be a guiding principle in its decision making. At the end of 2015, it had assets under management of S$32.4billion. Eagle Investment Systems Eagle is committed to helping financial institutions worldwide grow assets efficiently with its award-winning portfolio management suite of data management, investment accounting and performance measurement solutions that are delivered over its secure private cloud, Eagle ACCESSSM. Eagle deploys trusted solutions and services that create operational efficiencies and help reduce complexity and risk. Eagle Investment Systems LLC is a subsidiary of BNY Mellon. Additional information is available at http://www.eagleinvsys.com/ or follow us on Twitter @Eagleinvsys. BNY Mellon BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment management and investment services in 35 countries and more than 100 markets. As of December 31, 2016, BNY Mellon had $29.9 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $1.6 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon or visit our newsroom at www.bnymellon.com/newsroom for the latest company news. Contact: Jeremy Skaling Eagle Investment Systems LLC +1 781.943.2318 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] IMPORTANT INVESTOR ALERT: Khang & Khang LLP Announces Securities Class Action Lawsuit against Under Armour Inc., and Encourages Investors with Losses to Contact the Firm Khang & Khang LLP (the "Firm") announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Under Armour, Inc. ("Under Armour" or the "Company") (NYSE: UAA). Investors, who purchased or otherwise acquired shares between April 21, 2016 and January 30, 2017 inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the Firm in advance of the April 10, 2017 lead plaintiff motion deadline. If you purchased shares of Under Armour during the Class Period, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esquire, of Khang & Khang, 18101 Von Karman Avenue, 3rd Floor, Irvine, CA (News - Alert) 92612, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or via e-mail at [email protected]. There has ben no class certification in this case. Until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. You may choose to take no action and remain a passive class member. On January 31, 2017, Under Armour announced unsatisfactory fourth-quarter revenues and announced CFO Chip Molloy would be resigning. About $2.7 billion of Under Armour's market capitalization vanished on January 31, 2017 after the Company stated its quarterly revenue growth fell sharply. When this information was disclosed to the public, the value of Under Armour declined, causing investors harm. If you wish to learn more about this lawsuit at no charge, or if you have questions concerning this notice or your rights, please contact Joon M. Khang, a prominent litigator for almost two decades, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or via e-mail at [email protected]. This press release may constitute Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006484/en/ [February 14, 2017] F4CP Lauds Drug-Free Back Pain Guidelines from American College of Physicians, Cites Wall Street Journal Reference to Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation New guidelines published in a report from the American College of Physicians articulates the effectiveness of non-pharmacologic therapies for chronic low back pain (LBP). The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) points to the inclusion of spinal manipulation as a key non-pharmacologic, non-invasive approach to addressing LBP, noting that doctors of chiropractic (DCs) who perform 94 percent of all spinal manipulations in the United States are cited in the Wall Street Journal coverage of the report. Sherry McAllister, DC, executive vice president, F4CP, the leading voice of the chiropractic profession, says, "Chiropractic care offers a safe and effective first-line option for pain management - particularly for back, low back and neck pain, headaches, neuro-musculoskeletal and other conditions. Chiropractic care is an evidence-based, non-invasive approach that is documented to yield improved clinical outcomes, reduced costs and high levels of patient satisfaction." According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, about 60-80 percent of the adult U.S. population has low back pain, and it is the second most common reason people go to the doctor. Low back problems affect the spine's flexibility, stability, and strength, which can cause pain, discomfort, and stiffness. Back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45 years old. Each year 13 million people go to the doctor for chronic back pain. The condition leaves about 2.4 million Americans chronically disabled and another 2.4 million temporarily disabled. "As primary care professionals for spinal health and well-being, doctors of chiropractic - who receive a minimum of seven years of higher education - are specifically trained to diagnose, evaluate and provide drug-free care and rehabilitation to individuals suffering from low back pain," explains Dr. McAllister. While chiropractic care has earned a leading role as an important option for pain relief, access to chiropractic care will depend upon several important factors: Physician referrals to DCs rather than prescribing opioids. Benefit coverage and reimbursement for chiropractic care by government and commercial payers and reimbursement to DCs as participating providers. Access to chiropractic care for active military and veteran populations, with chiropractic care expanded in the Department of Defense and veterans' health care systems. The F4CP is launching its national campaign, "Saves Lives. Stop Opioid Abuse. Choose Chiropractic." to educate media and attendees about the role of chiropractic care in providing effective, drug-free pain management; Tuesday, March 14, 3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m., National Press Club, 529 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20045. RSVP [email protected]. Register for optional live webcast: www.f4cp.com/pressclub2017/. About Foundation for Chiropractic Progress A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) informs and educates the general public about the value of chiropractic care. Visit www.f4cp.com or call 866-901-F4CP (3427). Social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006492/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 14, 2017] InGeneron Announces Changes in Management Team InGeneron, Inc., a regenerative medicine and cell therapy company, today announced changes in its leadership team. Michael Coleman, PhD, has stepped down as President and CEO and will join InGeneron's Scientific Advisory Board. Ron Stubbers, MBA, formerly InGeneron's Vice President of Operations, has been appointed President. The company has started the search process for candidates to replace Dr. Coleman as CEO. The company also announced the appointment of Glenn Winnier, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer. "InGeneron has reached an important stage of its development and the timing is right to bring in new management as well as to benefit from a smooth transition with Ron's leadership as President. We are also pleased to welcome Glenn, who brings extensive clinical experience, which is the primary focus for the company moving forward," stated Eckhart Alt, MD, PhD, Chairman of the InGeneron Board of Directors. "Michael successfully led the evolution of InGeneron. We thank him for his contributions and are happy to continue our collabortion as he will join the Scientific Advisory Board." "It is exciting to accept the position of President as we advance our clinical trial development plans in wound healing and orthopedic indications. My goal is to ensure effective operational support for establishing the therapeutic value of our approach and I believe 2017 will be transformative for the company," added Mr. Stubbers. Joining the company as new CSO, Dr. Winnier has over 18 years of experience in scientific leadership and a proven track record in the design of studies which have led to the successful commercialization of novel therapeutics. Glenn Winnier holds a PhD in cell biology from Vanderbilt University. He joins InGeneron from Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston where he was Director of Clinical Research Operations at the Clinical Innovation and Research Institute. About InGeneron InGeneron is elevating the field of regenerative medicine by translating robust science into proven patient benefit. Our purpose is to set new therapeutic standards by enabling physicians to use the patients' own regenerative cells at point of care. With the initial focus on key orthopedic and wound healing indications, we will make regenerative cell therapies broadly accessible across multiple medical fields. www.ingeneron.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214005827/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 14, 2017] Content-ing Consumers: Are PR Professionals Getting Social Media Content Right? SINGAPORE, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Social media can be a love-hate relationship. It likes you, shares with you, and engages you in conversations. But like all relationships, you need interesting content to keep the spark going. One of the key challenges that PR practitioners are facing is "cutting through the clutter and engaging people's attention for more than the few seconds it takes to scroll, swipe or click through to the next thing," according to John Bailey, Managing Director of Ketchum Singapore. For Beth Boswell, Head of Communications, Asia & Russia of Alcon, "the challenges don't come one after another but all at once and are linked... creating content that interests, creating enough content, adapting to the trend of the moment and responding before losing the momentum, sorting out which agencies do it well (PR, digital, marketing, ad), sorting out the medium (video, voice, text) and approvals. The list could go on." "Many PR departments are fundamentally set up to create text -- but social media is highly graphical: video, images, photos, and infographics are key. Simultaneously, the smaller screens of mobile devices provide less space for photos, text, or content of any kind," shares Genevieve Hilton, Head of External Communications, Asia Pacific at BASF. What are the strategies that PR professionals can adopt to tackle these challenges? "Creating all content from a user-centric point of view is of vital importace. Before creating content, the professional must consider how -- when, in what format, and on what platform -- the content is expected to be consumed. By taking this approach, new habits can be formed," Hilton explains. Bailey agrees, "Develop compelling content that is easily digestible and shareable. Ideally it should be visual and formatted for small screens." For Boswell, "Some of the strategies are back to basics such as really knowing which audience you want to reach and ensure your content and channel choices will resonate with them. Don't get sucked into the social media app of the moment but truly evaluate if it will work for you or is it a distraction." Shushu Zhang, Director of Marketing and Communications, APAC at Cargotec Asia shares similar thoughts, "It's impossible to be everywhere at the same time for everyone. We need to find the right place to talk to the right people, and make it stick." She points out, "Be yourself. Be original." Bailey, Boswell, Hilton and Zhang are among other communications experts who will be speaking at the upcoming Social Media & PR 2017 Conference, to be held in Singapore from 6-7 March 2017 and Hong Kong from 13-14 March 2017. The conference will feature actionable insights from DHL, Sony, Visa, Diageo, HSBC, Nestle, BASF, Electrolux, Alcon, Cargotec, Hong Kong Airlines, Langham Hospitality Group, SMRT, PSB Academy and more on how to tackle pressing issues including social media strategy, integrated communications, content strategy, content creation, visual storytelling, influencer engagement, media relations, mitigating online risks and crisis communications. Conference Details Title: Social Media & PR 2017 Date & Venue: 6 - 7 March 2017 , Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore 13 - 14 March 2017 , Regal Hongkong Hotel, Hong Kong Organiser: Pacific Conferences Full programme: http://www.conferences.com.sg/spr28-social-media-PR.htm About Pacific Conferences Pacific Conferences specialises in organising business conferences aimed at providing interactive, insightful information and analysis about issues facing businesses in Asia-Pacific. Catered to middle and upper level executives, its events are usually case studies driven with emphasis on providing in-depth and unbiased practical knowledge. www.conferences.com.sg Contact: Ms. Soh Jing Wen (65) 6592 7367 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Voicebox Australia Demos Voice Artificial Intelligence Breakthrough Voicebox, an established leader and pioneer in the growing conversational voice market, demonstrated ground-breaking advances made by Voicebox Australia, its AI Center of Excellence partnership with Macquarie University, at the Macquarie Park Innovation District (MPID) Global Innovation Summit. Voicebox is the award-winning pioneer of Contextual Natural Language Understanding and a pioneer of Voice Artificial Intelligence (VoiceAI). Voicebox is taking voice interfaces to the next generation by employing AI techniques in Semantic Language Understanding, data mining, Deep Neural Networks and machine learning. Voicebox Australia is a partnership with Macquarie University, one of the few places in the world with research strengths across a broad range of language sciences. The pioneering use of semantic parsing with deep learning offsets the current approach's need for 'manual authoring' of grammars and greatly simplifies 'translating' apps across languages. It also creates a truly conversational experience. In what Voicebox calls Location Intelligence, people can ask questions the way they actually think about location: "Find that Japanese restaurant near the Chevron (News - Alert) on Main St. and send the address to Mike;" "Turn off all the lights except in my bedroom." This capability will greatly enhance the usability of voice interfaces across all markets, particularly Automotive, Home, IoT and chatbots. Also, solutions can be built more easily and quickly. "We're thrilled with the early progress made by the Voicebox-Macquarie University partnership, under the capable leadership of Dr. Mark Johnson," said Dr. Phil Cohen, Voicebox's Chief Scientist, Artificial Intelligence. "We were proud to demonstrate this true innovation, semantic parsing with deep learning." About Voicebox - Voicebox provides award-winning voice technology for the automotive, mobile, home and IoT markets. It employs patented Context Management and is an early pioneer in Voice Artificial Intelligence. Shipping in 23 languages across six continents, Voicebox's flagship customers include Toyota and Samsung (News - Alert). Headquartered in Bellevue, WA, the Company has offices in Asia and Europe. See http://www.voicebox.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006585/en/ [February 14, 2017] GEMS Education and iD Tech Partner to Bring the #1 Tech Camp in the World to Dubai iD Tech Continues its Initiative to Deliver Transformative Technology Education CAMPBELL, California and DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- iD Tech, the #1 tech camp and a leader in STEM education in the United States, has partnered with GEMS Education to bring summer technology camps to GEMS Nations Academy in 2017. "We are so excited to be working with GEMS Education to bring almost two decades of technology education experience and the spirit of Silicon Valley to Dubai," says Joy Meserve, Chief Program Officer of iD Tech. "While visiting GEMS schools, I got to spend some time getting to know a number of students. Seeing their enthusiasm for technology and passion for learning, I knew iD Tech and GEMS Nations Academy were a perfect fit." The GEMS Nations Academy campus goes beyond state-of-the-art and provides a stimulating environment for stuents to be immersed in coding, robotics, and extend their digital fluency skillsets. The approach at Nations is about transforming learning and ensuring that students are future-ready, adaptable, and forward-thinking. Mick Gernon, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Innovation, is spearheading the strategy. "Our partnership with iD Tech will be groundbreaking. Having seen the camps in operation and understanding their unique approaches to advanced teaching and learning in key STEM areas, this is a tremendous opportunity to bring the very best from the US and further develop it within GEMS schools," says Gernon. "Whilst there are a plethora of STEM providers, iD Tech represents the pinnacle and provides world-class approaches to coding, game design and robotics. We are delighted to partner with them and bring forward a genuinely innovative camp programme and studio labs based at Nations Academy." Courses will be held at GEMS Nations Academy for eight weeks starting July 2, 2017. The program will support 40 students per week, with a range of courses for kids and teens: Java and C++ coding, LEGO and VEX robotics, in addition to engineering and game design courses. About iD Tech iD Tech is the leader in summer STEM education programs for students ages 618. Over 275,000 students have attended iD Tech since 1999. Camps are held at over 150 prestigious campuses in the United States, including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA and many others. In addition to its flagship program, iD Tech Camps, the company offers four distinct divisions all aimed at delivering inventive technology experiences to the next generationone student at a time. Learn more at iDTech.com. Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468254/iD_Tech_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C., Opens Salt Lake City Office Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C., has announced the opening of its 13th U.S. office in Salt Lake City, Utah. Scopelitis partner and international transportation attorney Nathaniel Saylor will launch the Firm's Utah presence. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006590/en/ International transportation attorney Nathaniel Saylor will lead Scopelitis Utah expansion. (Photo: Business Wire) With his wide-ranging experience in transportation and logistics legal issues, Saylor is well-positioned to anchor the Firm's Utah presence and assist transportation and logistics companies across all modes. "I started as a clerk at Scopelitis in 2004. Over the last 13 years I have had the opportunity to learn the industry from our clients' perspective," said Saylor. "I look forward to continuing my current practice, as well as the opportunity to provide more personal services to both new and existing clients in the West." Scopelitis was founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1978, with a practice in trucking regulatory law. Almost 40 years later Scopelitis has evolved into a firm with attorneys in over 25 practice aeas working to assist over 5,000 transportation related companies around the world with their immediate and long-term legal and business needs. The opening of its newest office marks another milestone in Scopelitis' strategic growth plan. "As states such as Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico continue to develop into emerging logistics centers where transportation industry leaders have a presence, our goal is to anticipate the needs of our clients with a proactive approach," said Scopelitis President Greg Feary, who also serves as a Scopelitis managing partner. "A Salt Lake City office will allow us to better serve businesses in this part of the country." Scopelitis is a full-service law firm that serves the trucking, transportation, and logistics industries from its offices in Indianapolis; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Chattanooga; Detroit; Spokane; Dallas/Fort Worth; Milwaukee; Mt. Ephraim, New Jersey; Philadelphia; Tulsa; and, as of February 2017, Salt Lake City. About the Attorney Nathaniel G. Saylor's practice includes licensing and commercial contract matters within all modes of transportation, including motor, air, ocean and rail. Saylor's clients include motor carriers, property brokers, indirect air carriers, non-vessel operating common carriers, and other forwarders. He focuses on complex contractual issues that arise when multiple parties -- including carriers, third-party intermediaries and/or multiple modes of transportation -- are involved. Saylor regularly counsels clients on regulatory compliance obligations, especially as they relate to licensing and authorities. In this regard he regularly assists in merger and acquisition projections and client restructurings to ensure continuity of permits and authorities. He is a frequent speaker at transportation industry association conferences across the nation. About Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C. The Firm's practice areas are specifically focused on transportation and range from corporate and business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, international transportation and logistics law, legislative affairs, insurance law, workers' compensation defense, personal injury/property damage defense, labor and employment law, and employee leasing. More information may be found at http://www.scopelitis.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006590/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] World's Largest Equity Crowdfunding Conference Under Way OurCrowd, the leading global equity crowdfunding platform, today announced that 6,000 guests from 82 countries registered for the OurCrowd Global Investor Summit. The event takes place all day Thursday, February 16th, 2017, at the International Convention Center (ICC), Binyenei HaUmah. "This is by far the largest equity crowdfunding conference in the world, and Israel's largest investor event ever," said Jon Medved (News - Alert), OurCrowd founder and CEO. "We have twice the number of attendees that we had last year, giving proof to the tremendous vitality and dynamism in the global equity crowdfunding market." The theme of the Summit is "The Future is Here" and includes over 60 booths demonstrating a variety of frontier technologies already changing the world, including industrial drones, companion care robots, miniature spectrometers to "google" everything, tracking devices with centimeter accuracy, phone based glucose monitors, and much more. Over 200 multinational corporations are expected, several of which are paired with startup partners to reveal the secrets behind successful collaborative innovation. These partnerships span diverse areas including Machine Learning for preventing prescription errors, anti-collision systems for rental cars, 3D video for live replay at sporting events, and vocal control immune to noisy environments. Laly David, Head of OurCrowd's Business Development, pointed out, "The OurCrowd Summit is a perfect venue for our multinational partners to meet with startups in the global innovation ecosystem and to interact with a large number of entrepreneurs and new technologies in a productive and focused environment." The Summit highlights OurCrowd's new crowdfunded venture funds, which provide unprecedented access for large numbers of investors to diversified venture fund vehicles that have traditionally been limited to just large institutional investors. These funds include, OurCrowd First, for early stage seed investing; OC50 Portfolio Index Fund, a selection of some of the best startups in a single vehicle and OurCrowd Qure, Israel's first digital health fund. OurCrowd Qure's General Partner, Dr. Yossi Bahagon, said, "The Summit provides a unique opportunity to sit down with investors and partners from all around the world. In essence, Jerusalem becomes the center of Global Innovation for this very important day." The Summit enables audience participation in the critical new direction of "crowdbuilding," whereby the tens of thousands of members of "OurNetwork" can actively take part in helping startup companies grow. Participants can unlock a wealth of investment opportunities on the OurCrowd App, where they can help companies find new employees, make critical business connections, and promote their favorite companies on social networks. In a single day at the Summit, OurCrowd intends to more than double the 1000 company connections and tasks already completed on OurNetwork. A special welcome is being given to hundreds of guests from the Asia-Pacific region that represents the fastest growing segment of OurCrowd's investor network. Large groups from Singapore and Australia, where OurCrowd has active offices, will join investors from India, Japan, Korea and more, providing a truly global perspective on the startup scene. Geoff Levy, the Australian representative on OurCrowd's Advisory Board stated, "While it's indeed a long 'schlep' from summer in Sydney to winter in Jerusalem, the warm welcome and positively buzzing environment at the Summit make it all worthwhile. We can't wait to see old friends and make new ones." About OurCrowd OurCrowd is the leading global equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors. Managed by a team of seasoned investment professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities, invests its own capital, and brings companies to its accredited membership of global investors. OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigns industry experts as mentors, and takes board seats. The OurCrowd community of almost 17,000 investors from over 110 countries has invested over $400M into 110 portfolio companies and funds. OurCrowd already has thirteen exits to date, two IPO's and eleven acquisitions. To join OurCrowd as an accredited investor visit http://www.ourcrowd.com and click "Join". About the 2017 OurCrowd Global Investor Summit: The OurCrowd Global Investor Summit is the largest equity crowdfunding event in the world, and the biggest investor event in the Startup Nation. Now in its third year, the Summit has hosted thousands of investors, venture and corporate partners, entrepreneurs, global delegations, industry leaders and members of the press. Attendees hailing from more than 80 countries gather in Jerusalem, the capital of the Startup Nation, to celebrate the global community's collective drive for innovation. Each year, attendees come from all over the world to hear from expert industry speakers and participate in interactive programming featuring cutting-edge technologies and the future of crowd investing. They also have the opportunity to support portfolio companies through significant fundraising and making strategic business connections to help grow their businesses. For more information: summit.ourcrowd.com. For Press Materials: http://blog.ourcrowd.com/4thanniversary View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006128/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] 'Aino App' Launched to Offer Seamless Customer Support Interaction Across all Major Brands NEW DELHI, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aino CEO, Divij Singhal, announced today the launch of a helpdesk application that would help customers/users connect to the customer support team of more than 200 brands of their choice. Divij shares, "This is going to end the agony all the customers go through when they are put in waiting queues for getting the simplest of queries resolved. Aino App would allow customers to get the call backs at the time of their choice from the customer support team which is otherwise not so easily available." Aino Customer Care Services App is designed to cater to the needs of the consumers who look forward to getting their issues and complaints resolved, or at least heard without wasting their valuable time. Compatible with both iOS and Android platforms, this app features a dashboard where the user can add as many brands as required and connect to each one of them in just one swipe. "The beauty of this app lies in the fact that it would have a number of self-service options that would help customers know their brands better and use their services without connecting to the customer support team," Divij Singhal further explains. In addition to enhancing the convenience of reaching the customer support team, this app goes a step further by providing basic information about the services of the brand in an automated fashion. So, one would find features, like branch locator, bill payment, service request etc. that not only reduce the call traffic to the customer care center, but also bring the brands closer to their target audience. The app is being made more relevant with the introduction of features like bill details, account upgrade/change, recharge options etc. Aino App is going to be a win-win prposition for both the customers and the brands. Every brand needs an integrated database to chalk out the expectations of the target audience and design products/services accordingly. This app provides a reliable database generated out of interactions happening between the brand and the consumer in an organized fashion. It gives a clear insight of the usage pattern of the consumer and helps the brands come up with more user-centric solutions. On the other hand, it encourages the customers to make relationships deeper with the brand without bothering to get through the support team. How Aino App makes lives of the consumer easier? With Aino customer calling app, the users are allowed to perform the following functions: - Post a query - Book a request for call-back - instantly as well as later - Register a complaint - Use self-service options This app is certainly a breakthrough in the service industry. It has already won the nods of appreciation from all the business sectors. The business entities have shown great interest in getting a listing on this app; in the B2B business model, businesses are coming forward to use this app as their marketing platform. Aino App is looking forward to reaching the global platform soon. Thus, to have better control on the brands of one's choice, install Aino App today and have the pleasure of truly automated connectivity. To know further about the Aino App, one can log on to: http://www.ainoapp.io/ Install Aino App from Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iccstech.aino&hl=en Install Aino App from Apple iOS App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/aino-free-customer-care-calling/id1109400127?mt=8 Contact Email: [email protected] Phone No.: +91-11-49920000 Summary Aino App launches a customer-centric app that would allow the users to connect through more than 200 brands in one swipe through a unified platform. Based on B2B and B2C revenue model, this app aims at bringing the brands and consumers closer to each other and improve their relationship. About ICCS Technology Private Limited: ICCS Technology Pvt. Ltd. was founded in 2016 in India by Divij Singhal. It launched its helpdesk application in November 2016 for iOS and Android by the name of Aino. Aino provides automating self-service options for users. The application allows customer query resolution and brand interactions with multiple service providers via a single application. Call abandonment rates, Average Handling Time (AHT) can be reduced with this application. As of 14 February 2017, Aino has around 90,000 registered users. About 1000 call-back requests are made every day. Media Contact: Ankit Gupta [email protected] +91-9873653233 Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer ICCS Technology Pvt. Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] SolarWinds IT Management Platform Being Tested for Secure Government Deployment AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SolarWinds, a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, today announced multiple products are collectively now under evaluation for certification in the Spanish Common Criteria Scheme (SCCS), an international standard for computer security achieved by national laboratory testing and evaluation. SolarWinds continues to invest in and improve upon the many software tools that comprise our Orion Suite of IT management solutions, said Dave Kimball, senior vice president, federal and national government, SolarWinds. By putting our solutions through Common Criteria evaluation, we are helping to ensure that our solutions meet the critical needs of IT professionals in the government arena. Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation Common Criteria is an international program among 25 nations, in which IT products are certified against standard specifications, specifically to ensure they meet an agreed-upon security standard for government deployments. The SolarWinds Orion Suite v2.0, comprising the below solutions, is currently undergoing Common Criteria evaluation at Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL)2: Electronic Warfare Associates Canada, Ltd. (EWA-Canada), a Common Criteria Testing Laboratory (CCTL) accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, and approved by Canadas Communications Security Establishment (CSE), is evaluating SolarWinds software to determine that it meets all of the requirements of this security certification. EWA-Canada, in conjunction with its partner lab in the Spanish Common Criteria Scheme, is carrying out the evaluation of the SolarWinds Orion Suite v2.0. EWA-Canada is recognized for its extensive experience with Common Criteria evaluations, enabling companies to manage the process and help to ensure their products meet important certification requirements. EWA-Canada is pleased to be working with SolarWinds on the re-evaluation of this latest version of the Orion Suite under the Common Criteria, said Erin Connor, director of the EWA-Canada Common Criteria Test Lab. This re-evaluation is the latest in a continuing program by SolarWinds to ensure that as their products are updated, they maintain the certifications to international security standards that their customers rely on. Previous versions of SolarWinds Orion Suite and SolarWinds Log & Event Manager have been certified for Common Criteria, more details are available here. SolarWinds Solutions for Government SolarWinds software is available on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule, Department of Defense ESI, and other contract vehicles. U.S. Government certifications and approvals include Army CoN, Air Force APL, Navy DADMS; and Technical Requirements include FIPS compatibility, DISA STIGs, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) compliance. SolarWinds also has hundreds of built-in automated compliance reports, which meet the requirements of major auditing authorities, including DISA STIG, FISMA, NIST, and more. SolarWinds THWACK online user community provides a number of out-of-the-box compliance report templates, available to download for free, that are designed to help users prepare for an inspection. THWACK also provides information on Smart Card and Common Access Card (CAC) product support. For more product and GSA pricing information, and for a fully functional free trial of all above products, visit the SolarWinds Government Solutions page. Connect with SolarWinds About SolarWinds SolarWinds provides powerful and affordable IT management software to customers worldwide, from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses, managed service providers (MSPs), government agencies, and educational institutions. We are committed to focusing exclusively on IT, MSP, and DevOps professionals, and strive to eliminate the complexity that our customers have been forced to accept from traditional enterprise software vendors. Regardless of where the IT asset or user sits, SolarWinds delivers products that are easy to find, buy, use, maintain, and scale while providing the power to address key areas of the infrastructure from on-premises to the cloud. This focus and commitment to excellence in end-to-end hybrid IT performance management has established SolarWinds as the worldwide leader in both network management software and MSP solutions, and is driving similar growth across the full spectrum of IT management software. Our solutions are rooted in our deep connection to our user base, which interacts in our THWACK online community to solve problems, share technology and best practices, and directly participate in our product development process. Learn more today at www.solarwinds.com. The SolarWinds, SolarWinds & Design, Orion, and THWACK trademarks are the exclusive property of SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC or its affiliates, are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other SolarWinds trademarks, service marks, and logos may be common law marks or are registered or pending registration. All other trademarks mentioned herein are used for identification purposes only and are trademarks of (and may be registered trademarks) of their respective companies. 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved. MEDIA CONTACTS: Katie Hanusik Speakerbox PR Phone: 703.287.7824 [email protected] Michael Klein SolarWinds Phone: 512.498.6372 [email protected] [February 15, 2017] Anthem Files Suit Against Cigna Seeking a Temporary Restraining Order to Enjoin Cigna from Terminating the Merger Agreement, Specific Performance Compelling Cigna to Comply with the Merger Agreement and Damages Anthem, Inc. (NYSE:ANTM) today announced that it has filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery seeking a temporary restraining order to enjoin Cigna from terminating, and taking any action contrary to the terms of, the Merger Agreement, specific performance compelling Cigna to comply with the Merger Agreement and damages. On January 18, 2017, Anthem extended its Merger Agreement with Cigna through April 30, 2017. In addition to the fact that Anthem extended the termination date in the Merger Agreement, Cigna does not have a right to terminate the Merger Agreement at all because it has failed to perform fully its obligations in a manner that has proximately caused or resulted in the failure of the merger to have been consummated. Anthem believes that there is still sufficient time and a viable path forward potentially to complete the transaction that will save millions of Americans more than $2 billion in annual medical costs and deliver significant value to shareholders. In addition to filing this lawsuit, Anthem is pursuing an expedited appeal of the District Court's decision and is committed to completing this value-creating merger either through a successful appeal or through settlement with the new leadership at the Department of Justice. Cigna's lawsuit and purported termination is the next step in Cigna's campaign to sabotage the merger and to try to deflect attention from its repeated willful breaches of the Merger Agreement in support of such effort. Cigna's obvious efforts to sabotage the merger have been recognized by both the District Court and the national media. As the District Court noted, it could not ignore the "elephant in the courtroom," and the fact that Cigna was "actively warning against" the merger and that "Cigna officials provided compelling testimony undermining" Anthem's defense. In addition, the District Court noted that it could not overlook "the doubt sown into the record by Cigna itself." Anthem's interests in consummating the merger, and Cigna's interest in avoiding it, are demonstrated by Anthem's intense efforts to obtain regulatory clearance and Cigna's matching efforts to sabotage that goal, as outlined below: Integration Efforts Anthem Cigna Anthem retains a team of 165 professionals at McKinsey & Company (News - Alert) to integrate the companies. Cigna refuses to allow meetings with its senior management team, a necessary step to integration. Cigna also consistently delays producing data, preventing completion of an integration plan. Anthem and McKinsey work to implement a key component of integration known as "Value Capture," which was the process by which the synergies and efficiencies for the newly formed company would be identified and realized, the centerpiece defense for the Merger. Cigna refuses to engage in the "Value Capture" work to identify synergies and efficiencies after March 2016 due to alleged "deal uncertainty." By July, Cigna refuses to participate in any integration work at all, severely damaging the centerpiece defense for the Merger. Advocacy Efforts To Discourage DOJ Challenge Anthem Cigna Anthem prepares and submits 22 substantive "white papers" to the DOJ defending the Merger. After January 2016, Cigna refuses to provide any substantive assistance to Anthem's white paper efforts, and refuses to sign several of them. Anthem contacts nearly 200 customers and brokers, explaining the substantial benefits of the Merger and encouraging them to contact the DOJ in support of the Merger. Anthem obtains 60 customer declarations in support of the Merger plus 10 statements of support from customers and brokers. Cigna fails to obtain any meaningful customer support, providing only two declarations. Cigna also prevents Anthem from seeking support from Cigna's customers. The DOJ expresses concern about the Merger's effect in certain geographic areas, so Anthem identifies buyers with serious interest in acquiring Cigna assets to remediate the concern and allow the Merger to clear. Cigna blocks remediation by refusing to sign customary non-disclosure agreements or provide the potential buyers with information to conduct necessary due diligence of the assets. Mediation Efforts Anthem Cigna The Court and Special Master suggest mediation numerous times. Anthem agrees to mediation and repeatedly asks Cigna to also agree to participate in mediation with the DOJ. Cigna refuses to agree to mediation. Pre-Trial Efforts Anthem Cigna After the DOJ commences litigation, Anthem issues a press release stating that it "is fully committed to challenging the DOJ's decision in court," as required under the Agreement. Cigna refuses to join Anthem's press release and instead issues its own press release stating that it is "evaluating its options" and questioning whether the transaction "could close . . . at all." Anthem files its answer on July 26, 2016, five days after DOJ filed the complaint, and asks Cigna to file an answer to help expedite discovery. Cigna rejects Anthem's request, and then does not file its answer for nearly two months. Anthem takes the lead on over 100 depositions, prepares all of the substantive pleadings and briefs defending the Merger, and arranges the submission of non-party witness declarations and 10 expert reports in support of the Merger. Cigna refuses to provide any comments or suggestions on draft litigation materials, fails to offer comments on the DOJ's expert reports, and fails to ask any questions in all but 3 of the over 100 depositions in the case, and those questions were not supportive of the Merger. Anthem asserts the common interest privilege to protect sensitive Merger-related documents from discovery. Cigna sends letters to Anthem manufacturing a false record of breach, and then helps the DOJ obtain those letters and communications during discovery, including by disavowing the Merger parties' common interest privilege. Anthem prepares a pre-trial brief outlining facts and law in support of Merger and requests Cigna's input. Cigna refuses to comment on the pre-trial brief, refuses to sign the brief and refuses to offer any support for the Merger. Trial Efforts Anthem Cigna Anthem presents an opening statement for the two phases of trial. Cigna asks for permission to object to Anthem's questions, which the District Court finds "completely extraordinary." Anthem conducts direct examinations of 15 witnesses and cross-examines 21 DOJ witnesses. Cigna does not cross a single DOJ witness objecting to the Merger, but remarkably crosses Anthem's witnesses supporting the Merger. Anthem spends an average of sixteen to twenty hours preparing each of its witnesses. Cigna grants Anthem only one hour to help prepare key witnesses, including Cigna's CEO, who Anthem is putting on at trial. Anthem presents substantial testimonial and documentary evidence at trial to support the key defense that the Merger would create efficiencies that would generate significant medical cost savings, the vast majority of which ultimately would be passed along to consumers. Cigna's CEO provides testimony attacking the ability of the combined companies to achieve medical cost savings. Anthem requests Cigna's input on its proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law. Cigna not only refuses to comment on the proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, but also refuses to sign these key documents, in effect opposing the factual and legal basis for the Merger. Post-Trial Efforts Anthem Cigna Anthem exercises its right to extend the Termination Date to April 30, 2017 to allow sufficient time to obtain the necessary governmental approvals to consummate the Merger through potential settlement or appeal. Cigna refuses to acknowledge the extension and ignores Anthem's requests for assurances that Cigna will help secure regulatory approval through potential settlement and appeal. Appeal Efforts Anthem Cigna Anthem files a notice of appeal, a motion to expedite and an appeal brief. Cigna refuses to agree to appeal the decision as required under the Merger Agreement. Cigna severely damages the opportunity to obtain expedited appellate review by wrongfully purporting to terminate the Merger Agreement before the DOJ's opposition to Anthem's motion to expedite the appeal is due. About Anthem, Inc. Anthem is working to transform health care with trusted and caring solutions. Our health plan companies deliver quality products and services that give their members access to the care they need. With over 73 million people served by its affiliated companies, including approximately 40 million within its family of health plans, Anthem is one of the nation's leading health benefits companies. For more information about Anthem's family of companies, please visit www.antheminc.com/companies. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and otherwise in accordance with applicable law. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT In connection with the proposed transaction between Anthem, Inc. ("Anthem") and Cigna Corporation ("Cigna"), Anthem has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)") a registration statement on Form S-4, including Amendment No. 1 thereto, containing a joint proxy statement of Anthem and Cigna that also constitutes a prospectus of Anthem. The registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on October 26, 2015. This communication is not a substitute for the registration statement, definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus or any other document that Anthem and/or Cigna have filed or may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF ANTHEM AND CIGNA ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY IN THEIR ENTIRETY AS THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the registration statement containing the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by Anthem or Cigna through the web site maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Anthem are available free of charge on Anthem's internet website at http://www.antheminc.com or by contacting Anthem's Investor Relations Department at (317) 488-6390. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Cigna are available free of charge on Cigna's internet website at http://www.cigna.com or by contacting Cigna's Investor Relations Department at (215) 761-4198. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 This document, and oral statements made with respect to information contained in this communication, contain certain forward-looking information about Anthem, Inc. ("Anthem"), Cigna Corporation ("Cigna") and the combined businesses of Anthem and Cigna that is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not generally historical facts. Words such as "expect(s)," "feel(s)," "believe(s)," "will," "may," "anticipate(s)," "intend," "estimate," "project" and similar expressions (including the negative thereof) are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Such statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond Anthem's and Cigna's control, that could cause actual results and other future events to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed and identified in Anthem's and Cigna's public filings with the SEC. Important factors that could cause actual results and other future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made in this communication are set forth in other reports or documents that Anthem and/or Cigna may file from time to time with the SEC, and include, but are not limited to: (i) the ultimate outcome of the proposed transaction, including the ability to achieve the synergies and value creation contemplated by the proposed transaction, (ii) the ultimate outcome and results of integrating the operations of Anthem and Cigna, (iii) disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain businesses and operational relationships, (iv) the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the proposed transaction, (v) the timing to consummate the proposed transaction and (vi) the possibility that the proposed transaction does not close, including, but not limited to, due to the failure to satisfy the closing conditions, including the receipt of all required regulatory approvals. All forward-looking statements attributable to Anthem, Cigna or any person acting on behalf of Anthem and/or Cigna are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Except to the extent otherwise required by federal securities law, neither Anthem nor Cigna undertake any obligation to republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or the receipt of new information. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures in Anthem's and Cigna's SEC reports. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005488/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Kaplan Test Prep Survey: Most Business Schools Integrate Data Science Courses Into Curriculum, Meeting Market Demand, But Are Cool to Coding, So Far As global brands increase their hiring of graduates with in-demand tech skills, Kaplan Test Prep's most recent business school admissions officers survey finds that MBA programs across the United States are integrating data science, big data and coding courses into their curriculum*. Of the 209 business schools who participated in Kaplan's annual survey, 72 percent say they offer courses in either data science or big data; 13 percent say they don't currently offer it, but are considering offering it; and 15 percent don't currently offer it and have no plans to offer it. The survey also found that 28 percent of business schools currently offer courses in software development or coding; 9 percent say they don't currently offer it, but are considering offering it; and 63 percent don't currently offer it and have no plans to offer it, indicating that many business schools don't currently see coding as a necessary skill for workforce-bound MBAs. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, the organization that writes the GMAT test, 72 percent of the companies they surveyed in 2016 said they planned to hire recent business school graduates to fill data analytics positions. This is roughly the same percentage who planned to hire graduates for positions in marketing and finance, which are historically more traditional MBA areas. The report also says that employers are loking to hire workers who have strong skill sets in SQL and R, two programs frequently used in data science. Bain & Company, a consulting company long at the top of many MBA graduates' employer wish lists, is among the businesses that see the importance of their employees holding a strong data skill set. "We have been aggressive in hiring in that space. We are building a team of champions with specific technology expertise," Elizabeth Spaulding, a partner at Bain & Company and head of the firm's global digital practice, recently said in a BusinessBecause.com article. "What companies are saying is that many of their current employees, who graduated a decade ago or more, don't necessarily have these skills, and they're looking to a new generation of business school graduates who do. Our survey finds that many business schools are rising to the challenge to meet this demand," says Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep. "Employees who both understand a company's business goals and understand the data to help them reach those goals will be highly desirable to recruit and hire in the technology-driven workforce." *The survey was conducted between August 2016 and October 2016 of admissions officers at 209 business schools in the United States. Among the 209 business schools are 17 of the top 50, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report. GMAT is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council. Kaplan materials do not contain actual GMAT items and are neither endorsed by nor affiliated in any way with GMAC. About Kaplan Test Prep Kaplan Test Prep (www.kaptest.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings as well as a complete array of print books and digital products, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 100 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as professional licensing exams for attorneys, physicians and nurses. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services. Additionally, through its Metis and Dev Bootcamp brands, Kaplan offers new economy skills training (NEST) programs and resources in data science and coding to build skills that are in high demand in today's job market and prepare participants for hire. Note to editors: Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE:GHC) View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005665/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] GroovyTek Expands Services to Arizona, Brings Personal Technology Training to the Valley DENVER, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GroovyTek, an education-based company providing hour-long in-home personal technology training sessions, recently announced the launch of its services to the Valley of the Sun. GroovyTek works side by side with their clients to empower them to take control of their personal technology on their own terms. The company's trainers assist customers with their smartphones, tablets, computers and other devices covering a wide array of services and topics from security to social media. "We created GroovyTek because we believe that people over forty years old are being mistreated by the technology industry," said Matt Munro, co-founder of GroovyTek. "Everyone deserves to stay connected and understand the technology that's available to them. We take a personalized approach to helping our customers become confident navigating their devices in a patient and respectful way." The company, which is headquartered and has an established customer base in Denver, was created to serve clients and to help navigate the roads of technology independently. GroovyTek is committed to working one-on-one with customers to overcome technological obstacles that ay arise while also empowering them to learn more. "At GroovyTek, we use a unique, personalized problem solving technique called the Groovy Method to cultivate working solutions," added Alex Rodas, co-founder of GroovyTek. "Our trainers are passionate and empathetic cultivators who live to help folks achieve those "light-bulb" or "a-ha" moments" in regards to their personal devices." Popular GroovyTek services include smartphone assistance on how to navigate features such as texting, video chatting, using the camera, organizing photos, sending email, managing contacts and keeping track of important appointments and events. In addition, GroovyTek's trainers can help customers stay in touch with friends and family through social media, understand the newest software updates and browse the Internet safely. Additional services include: storage, backup and synching, music downloads and exploring the cloud, apps and downloads. Those interested in scheduling a session can visit the website or call (602) 638-5400. About GroovyTek GroovyTek launched in 2016 as an education-based company that offers one-on-one, in-home personal technology training sessions for smartphones, tablets and computers. Built upon a personalized problem solving technique known as the Groovy Method, GroovyTek trainers serve clients patiently in one-hour sessions and help empower them to grasp personal technology in relatable, understandable terms. GroovyTek was created to serve clients and help them navigate the roads of technology independently. For more information about GroovyTek, visit www.GroovyTek.com or call and schedule an appointment at (602) 638-5400 for Arizona and (303) 317-2800 for Colorado. Follow GroovyTek on Facebook, Twitter and Vimeo. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/groovytek-expands-services-to-arizona-brings-personal-technology-training-to-the-valley-300407678.html SOURCE GroovyTek [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Untangle Recognized in Five Categories at 2017 Global Excellence Awards SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Untangle, Inc., today announced that Info Security Products Guide, the industry's leading information security research and advisory guide, honored the company with multiple awards across product categories in the 13th Annual 2017 Global Excellence Awards. More than 40 judges with a broad spectrum of industry voices around the world participated, and their average scores determined the 2017 Global Excellence Awards Finalists and Winners. Winners were announced during the awards dinner and presentation on February 13, 2017 in San Francisco attended by the finalists, judges and industry peers. Untangle was recognized for excellence in the following categories: Integrated Security and Unified Threat Management (UTM) NG Firewall v12.1, Gold winner Most Innovative Security (Hardware) of the Year NG Firewall u25 appliance, Gold winner Most Innovative Security (Software) of the Year ScoutIQ v1.0, Silver winner Security Products and Solutions for Small Businesses and SOHO NG Firewall v12.1, Bronze winner Best Security Software (New or Updated version) NG Firewall v12.1, Bronze winner "We wish to extend our thanks to the editors of Info Security Products Guide and the industry leaders of the jury for this recognition," said Scott Devens, chief executive officer at Untangle. "These five awards across multiple product categories are meaningful validation of Untangle's commitment to innovation and technical leadership in the network security segment." About NG Firewll Untangle NG Firewall delivers a comprehensive solution for small-to-medium businesses and home offices that require enterprise-grade perimeter security with the flexibility of a convergent UTM device and the utility of a consumer product. Untangle's industry-leading approach to network traffic visibility and policy management provides its customers deep insight into what's happening on their network via its database-driven reporting engine and 360 Dashboard. About u25/w The Untangle u25 and u25w appliances have the smallest footprint of any network security appliance on the market, measuring less than five inches square. Available in a wired or wireless model, the appliances are fanless, making them ideal for quiet desktop operation. They include an HDMI video port, three gigabit ethernet ports and two USB ports, providing easy access to all the trusted network security features of the rest of the NG Firewall appliance line. About ScoutIQ The ScoutIQ cyber intelligence platform delivers detailed threat analysis for all traffic types seen on today's networks, inspecting data at the application level, to provide insights across every port, protocol, and application, including SSL-encrypted traffic. By synthesizing intelligence information in the cloud, ScoutIQ can provide superior protection against unknown and emerging threats to Untangle NG Firewall subscribers globally and seamlessly. About Info Security Products Guide Awards Info Security Products Guide plays a vital role in keeping end-users informed of the choices they can make when it comes to protecting their digital resources. It is written expressly for those who are adamant on staying informed of security threats and the preventive measure they can take. You will discover a wealth of information in this guide including tomorrow's technology today, best deployment scenarios, people and technologies shaping info security and market research reports that facilitate in making the most pertinent security decisions. The Info Security Products Guide Global Excellence Awards recognize and honor excellence in all areas of information security. To learn more, visit www.infosecurityproductsguide.com and stay secured. About Untangle Untangle is an innovator in cybersecurity designed specifically for the below-enterprise market, safeguarding businesses, home offices, nonprofits, schools and governmental organizations. Untangle's integrated suite of software and appliances provides enterprise-grade capabilities and consumer-oriented simplicity to organizations with limited IT resources. Untangle's award-winning network security solutions are trusted by over 40,000 customers around the world. Untangle is headquartered in San Jose, California. For more information www.untangle.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/untangle-recognized-in-five-categories-at-2017-global-excellence-awards-300407939.html SOURCE Untangle, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Globant to Launch Immersive Technology Playground in San Francisco on February 15 SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Globant (NYSE: GLOB), a digitally native technology services company focused on creating digital journeys, will host the opening of its recently renovated San Francisco Playground today, February 15. Participants will interact first-hand with cutting-edge technologies that showcase the strategies and experiences used to generate world-class digital solutions for global brands. Hosted at its San Francisco office, the Playground is Globant's Digital Journey Accelerator, featuring tangible demonstrations of how digital experiences are dreamed, designed, and prototyped. The Playground was created to catalyze clients' digital planning by exposing them to the latest technologies and trends available, facilitated by expert staff. The launch of the second-generation Playground will feature the innovations of today that are driving the user experiences of tomorrow. Virtual and mixed reality sets and demonstrations will be among the cutting-edge technologies featured at the launch, including: Some of the latest VR devices /li> Real-time machine learning algorithms IoT and wearables (sensors, smart materials, connected devices, etc.) AAA Video game development Quick prototyping, 3D printers are other event highlights. During the opening, Mike Haley, Senior Director of Machine Intelligence at Autodesk, will deliver the keynote speech, about how machine learning pertains to designing and making the world around us. A recognized leader in applying deep-learning, unsupervised training and other techniques to the world of design, he is an established speaker, having provided expert insight at Strata+Hadoop World London, Siggraph 2016, and for the Bay Area Association for Computing Machinery. About Globant Globant (NYSE: GLOB) is a digitally native technology services company that creates digital journeys for its customers, which impact millions of consumers. Globant is the place where engineering, design, and innovation meet scale. Globant has more than 5,400 professionals in 12 countries working for companies like Google, Linkedin, JWT, EA, and Coca Cola, among others. Globant was named a Worldwide Leader of Digital Strategy Consulting Services by IDC MarketScape Report (2016) and its client work has been featured as business case studies at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. For more information, visit www.globant.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/globant-to-launch-immersive-technology-playground-in-san-francisco-on-february-15-300407942.html SOURCE Globant [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Wolters Kluwer Provides Free Tax Preparation Software to Military Tax Return Preparers at US Military Installations Worldwide Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting today announced a gratuitous service agreement with the military to provide TaxWise Online 2016 software to volunteer tax preparers located at US military installations around the world. The Internal Revenue Service's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, through the Armed Forces Tax Council, oversees military tax programs and provides free tax assistance to members of the US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and their families. "This announcement is a strong testament to the commitment Wolters Kluwer makes to working with non-profit and volunteer professional tax preparers, who collectively provide an invaluable service to millions of American taxpayers annually," said Julie Peck, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Tax & Accounting North America, US Small Firm Professional. "Although my comments do not in any way imply federal endorsement of any commercial products or services, I would like to thank the Internal Revenue Service and Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting for providing military tax centers with free tax preparation software to facilitate the efficient preparation of military tax returns," said Samuel Kan, Executive Director of the Armed Forces Tax Council. "Our military members and their families will be able to save a considerable amount of money by visiting our free military VITA tax centers across the world, rather than paying for tax preparation services that could easily cost hundreds of dollars per tax return." TaxWise Online 2016 is a secure, cloud-based professional tax preparation software solution that ofers an intuitive interface, a comprehensive library of individual and business return forms in both English and Spanish, and powerful calculations that handle complex tax scenarios. The software also features important functionalities, such as return status and reports and client letters, to assist volunteer preparers in best serving their clients. "We are proud to support our military and their volunteer tax preparation sites at US military installations across the globe. TaxWise Online 2016 will be a powerful tool for these volunteer preparers to efficiently process and optimize the tax returns of our servicemen and women and their dependents this filing season," said Shannon Bond, Vice President of Commercial Services for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, US Small Firm Professional. To learn more about TaxWise Online 2016 and the full suite of solutions for small tax and accounting businesses from Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, visit cchsfs.com. About Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting is a leading provider of software solutions and local expertise that helps tax, accounting, and audit professionals research and navigate complex regulations, comply with legislation, manage their businesses and advise clients with speed, accuracy and efficiency. Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting is part of Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL), a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2015 annual revenues of 4.2 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the US (WTKWY). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005813/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] D-Link Delivers Canadians New Omna 180 Camera for Apple HomeKit New Apple HomeKit-enabled camera available now at Apple.ca and in Apple Canada stores later this month. MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 15, 2017 /CNW/ - D-Link, Canada's leader in home networking, today announced that the new Omna 180 Cam HD (DSH-C310) is available for purchase online at Apple.ca and in Apple Canada stores later this month. The first in D-Link's Omna family of HomeKit-enabled devices, the Omna 180 Cam HD provides an easy way for users to monitor their home for extra peace of mind. Omna's HomeKit integration allows users to be "always home" and includes advanced security features with end-to-end encryption and authentication between the camera and an iPhone or iPad. When activity is detected, users will receive a rich notification on their lock screen, delivered via the Apple Home app, showing a live feed from the camera. Users can even access their Omna remotely to see what's happening in their home in real time.* D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD (DSH-C310) Key Features Omna's HomeKit integration allows users to be "always home." Seeing everything through your iOS device offers extra peace of mind keeping an eye on your baby in the nursery, checking on an elderly relative, watching your dog in the living room, or helping ensure homs are safe while on vacation.1 180-Degree Field of View Omna is derived from the Latin word 'omnis' meaning all-encompassing. Most cameras offer a limited 130-degree lens, while D-Link's unique 180-degree solutions and de-warping technology allow users to see just about everywhere and everything. is derived from the Latin word 'omnis' meaning all-encompassing. Most cameras offer a limited 130-degree lens, while D-Link's unique 180-degree solutions and de-warping technology allow users to see just about everywhere and everything. Dynamic Video Streaming The video bitrate continuously adjusts to ensure optimal performance given the available bandwidth. The video bitrate continuously adjusts to ensure optimal performance given the available bandwidth. Two-Way Audio Listen and speak using the camera's built-in microphone and speaker, so even when users are not at home they can still make their presence known. Listen and speak using the camera's built-in microphone and speaker, so even when users are not at home they can still make their presence known. Night Vision See up to 5 meters in complete darkness with infrared night vision. See up to 5 meters in complete darkness with infrared night vision. Motion Detection Triggers alerts and automatic video clip recording Triggers alerts and automatic video clip recording Local Recording Record motion detection triggered video clips directly to a microSD 2 card up to 128 GB, with remote playback capabilities. Offers pre-event snapshot and recording, with more flexibility on recording video locally to the camera without impacting network or Internet bandwidth. All with no recurring monthly fees. Record motion detection triggered video clips directly to a microSD card up to 128 GB, with remote playback capabilities. Offers pre-event snapshot and recording, with more flexibility on recording video locally to the camera without impacting network or Internet bandwidth. All with no recurring monthly fees. Stylish Design The camera is designed to fit effortlessly into the modern home with an elegant, discreet and stylish design. Availability and Pricing Omna 180 Cam HD is available for purchase now at Apple.ca and will be available at Apple Canada stores later this month. The Omna 180 Cam HD will retail for $269.95 CAD (tax excluded). * Remote access via the Apple Home app requires Apple TV (4th generation) with tvOS 10.1 or later or iPad running iOS 10.1 or later. 1 Controlling the Omna 180 Cam HD away from home requires an Apple TV (4th generation or later) with tvOS 10.1 or later or iPad with iOS 10.1 or later. 2 microSD card not included. About D-Link D-Link is a global leader in connecting people, businesses and cities. We aim to connect more homes, small businesses, medium to large-sized enterprises, and service providers. D-Link implements and supports unified network solutions that integrate capabilities in switching, wireless, broadband, storage, IP surveillance, and cloud-based network management. An award-winning designer, developer, and manufacturer, D-Link has grown from a group of seven friends since its founding in 1986 in Taiwan to more than 2,000 employees worldwide. Web: http://ca.dlink.com/. D-Link and D-Link logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of D-Link Corporation or its subsidiaries. All other third party marks mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright 2016. D-Link. All Rights Reserved SOURCE D-Link [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Jefferson Scholars Foundation Lures World-Renowned Neuroscientist to University of Virginia with Endowed Professorship For nearly forty years, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation has played a valuable role in recruiting top undergraduate and graduate students to the University of Virginia. Now, the Foundation is helping recruit world-class professors, too. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005866/en/ Professor J.C. Cang (Photo: Business Wire) The Jefferson Scholars Foundation, a private foundation that supports the University of Virginia through undergraduate, graduate and faculty programs, has filled its first endowed professorship. The Paul T. Jones Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professorship will be held by Professor J.C. Cang, a renowned neurobiology professor. Professor Cang currently serves as Professor of Neurobiology at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He will begin work at th University of Virginia in the fall of 2017 and help lead the University's brain-science research efforts. Professor Cang studies the organization, function, and development of the visual system. In one research area, Professor Cang's laboratory made a paradigm-shifting discovery regarding how sensory experience shapes visual functions in the cortex. Professor Cang has been awarded the Sloan Research Fellowship, the Klingenstein Fellowship Award in Neurosciences, and several research grants including ones from the National Institutes of Health. "Professor Cang is a true rock star. Developing a better understanding of our brain is the focus of a national research initiative, and Professor Cang's research will immediately bolster the work currently being done at the University of Virginia to support that effort," said Jimmy Wright, president of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation. Joining Professor Cang on the University faculty will be his partner, Professor Xiaorung Liu, also a star career neurobiologist at Northwestern. "Professors Cang and Liu will be stellar additions to our cross-grounds neuroscience initiatives," said Ian Baucom, Dean of the College and Graduate Schools of Arts and Sciences. In 2012, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation announced the creation of two Jefferson Scholars Foundation Endowed Professorships and launched an initiative to endow several additional Endowed Professorships. The professorships represent an extension of the Foundation's mission to serve the University by identifying, attracting, and nurturing individuals of extraordinary intellectual range and depth whose contributions and leadership will enhance the University community. "We have a rich tradition of bringing exceptional students to Charlottesville and these endowed professorships will help ensure that University of Virginia students learn from some of our nation's brightest teachers," Wright said. "We are grateful to Paul Tudor Jones and our other generous donors for creating these endowed professorships that allow the University of Virginia to compete on the world stage for truly remarkable faculty." View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005866/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] IMS and JEOL Partner to Provide World's First Production Multi-Beam Mask Writer IMS Nanofabrication AG ("IMS") and JEOL Ltd. ("JEOL") announced today they have reached a long term agreement to extend their business partnership for the production of the IMS MBMW-101, the world's first commercial high volume manufacturing Multi-Beam Mask Writer (MBMW). IMS manufactures a multi-beam write engine providing 262-thousand programmable beams of 50keV energy. JEOL provides a novel platform with an air-bearing vacuum stage for writing most advanced patterns on 6-inch mask blanks. Together, IMS and JEOL will supply the MBMW-101 to the industry's leading edge photomask manufacturers. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005023/en/ With the introduction of the 7 nanometer (nm) node, device manufacturers need to implement very aggressive Optical Proximity Correction and curvilinear Inverse Lithography Technology, where the designers often run into Mask Rule Check violations and throughput restrictions. Multi-beam mask writing technology enables these new techniques by eliminating the write time constraints due to the job-deck complexity and facilitates the use of low sensitive resist materials which greatly improve resolution and line edge/width roughness. The MBMW-101 has demonstrated production capability with sub 30m resolution and very challenging Critical Dimension Uniformity and Image Placement specifications. The MBMW-101 supports these increasingly demanding requirements of mask manufacturing while maintaining a write time of < 10 hours for 100mm x 130mm mask layout fields. Ultimately, the MBMW-101 is the key which will provide the device manufacturers with the freedom to tackle the design challenges of the next sub 10nm technology generation. IMS is actively booking MBMW-101 orders for delivery in 2017/18 to meet the aggressive needs of the industry. "The partnership with JEOL was essential in the realization of the MBMW Alpha and Beta systems. We are happy to further extend our collaboration in providing MBMW tools to the industry", said Elmar Platzgummer, CEO of IMS Nanofabrication. "This long term agreement solidifies our commitment to IMS and the industry as leading-edge lithography equipment suppliers. JEOL is proud to play an integral part in the introduction of the multi-beam technology to the semiconductor industry", said Yasutoshi Nakagawa, Executive Officer, JEOL Ltd. *** About IMS Nanofabrication AG IMS Nanofabrication AG ("IMS") is an Austrian based high-tech company with more than 160 coworkers that was founded in December 2006. IMS is focused on the multi-beam mask writer tool development and commercialization. For more information on IMS, visit: www.ims.co.at About JEOL Ltd. JEOL Ltd. is a world leader in electron optical equipment and instrumentation for high-end scientific and industrial research and development. Core product groups include electron microscopes (SEMs and TEMs), instruments for the semiconductor industry (electron beam lithography and a series of defect review and inspection tools), and analytical instruments including mass spectrometers, NMRs and ESRs. For more information on JEOL Ltd. visit: www.jeol.co.jp/en/ View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005023/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation Awards Grants to 30 Virginia Organizations Committed to Improving Oral Health in 2017 The Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation believes in the power of a healthy smile and has put its money where its mouth is, supporting 30 organizations committed to improving oral health in the Commonwealth. Since its creation in 2012, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation has provided $3,653,000 to 51 (unduplicated) Virginia non-profit organizations. In 2015 alone, these grant award recipients were able to provide dental care and education to more than 157,000 in our state who had previously been unable to afford or access care. In December 2016, grants totaling $231,500 were awarded to 30, 501(c)(3), tax exempt organizations whose work will positively improve the oral health of Virginians through education and access to care for the under or uninsured in 2017. (Full list of grant recipients attached.) The Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation works to fulfill its mission of improving the oral health of Virginians through a community-based approach that provides grants to local organizations for research, educational outreach and programs that provide access to care. "Over and over again we have seen the inspiring changes that can happen in a person's life with proper oral care," said Dr. George A. Levicki, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation. "By providing funding to these organizations that are making a difference in their communities, we can help bring healthier, confident smiles to an increasing number of Virginians in need." The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) has been a big beneficiary of the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation grants. Previously awarded a $1 million matching grant over the past three years to establish dental safety net organizations in Virginia communities where access to dental care is lacking, VHCF has received an additional $35,000 this year to continue growing this program, training providers and developing new initiatives. Many of the 30 grants awarded focus on key areas of need throughout Virginia - the state's youth, the uninsured and medically underserved population and dental professionals in training. Community organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia and the Virginia Peninsula, who combined served more than 370 children in 2015 with Foundation grants, will continue providing much- needed dental appointments and education for children in need. Low-income, uninsured Virginians will receive expanded access to dental care through grant recipients such as CrossOver Healthcare Ministry and Free Clinic of Central Virginia. Additionally, four universities and non-profit organizations received grants totaling $32,500 for oral health education and expansion of care through scholarships and workstations for aspiring health professionals. Organizations eligible to receive grants from the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation include governmental agencies or educational institutions, entities holding a 501(c)(3) tax-exemption, or organizations with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt fiscal sponsor. The Foundation was created with an initial $2.5 million donation from Delta Dental of Virginia in 2012. Information regarding grant eligibility and application can be found online at http://deltadentalva.com/ddvafoundation.aspx. 2017 DDVAF Oral Health Grant Recipients Grant Recipient How The Grant Will Be Used Amount Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia http://bgcswva.org/ Smart Smiles At the Dentist Program $5,000 Boys & Girls Clubs of The Virginia Peninsula http://www.bagclub.com/ Smart Smiles At the Dentist Program $5,000 Bradley Free Clinic http://bradleyfreeclinic.com/ Support of VCU dental students $15,000 Chesapeake Care Clinic http://www.chesapeakecare.org/ Safety net program for underinsured $5,000 CHIP of Roanoke Valley http://www.chiprv.org/ Fluoride varnish application/in-home dental education $5,000 Community Health Center of the New River Valley http://chcnrv.org/ Dental equipment $10,000 Community Youth Program http://stjohnsroanoke.org/cyp/cyp.php Oral hygiene education, dental appointments and transportation $4,000 CrossOver Healthcare Ministry http://www.crossoverministry.org/index.php/about-us/programs/ Dental services and supplies $5,000 Danville Community College http://www.dcc.vccs.edu/ Dental hygiene student workstations $5,000 Free Clinic of Central Virginia http://www.freeclinicva.org/ Expansion of access to dental services for low income, uninsured or underinsured $15,000 Free Clinic of Franklin County http://www.bernardhealthcare.com/ Emergency extractions $2,500 Gloucester-Mathews Care Clinic http://www.gmcareclinic.com/ Dental assistant to expand hours and see more patients $5,000 Health Focus of Southwest Virginia http://healthfocusswva.org/scholarships/ Dental education scholarships $5,000 Isle of Wight Christian Outreach Program http://www.iowcop.org/ Expand dental program $5,000 Lackey Free Clinic http://lackeyclinic.org/ Dental supplies $5,000 Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic http://lloydfmossfreeclinic.org/ Dental supplies $5,000 Lucy Corr Foundation http://www.lucycorrvillage.com/foundation/ Expand dental care to elderly $10,000 Mel Leaman Free Clinic http://melleamanfreeclinic.org/ Dental supplies $5,000 Northern Neck Free Health Clinic http://nnmfhc.org/ Support of VCU dental students $7,500 Northern Virginia Dental Clinic, Inc. http://www.nvds.org/northern-virginia-dental-clinic Dental supplies $7,500 Olde Towne Medical & Dental Center http://www.oldetownemedicalcenter.org/ Dental equipment $5,000 Park Place Dental Clinic http://www.parkplaceclinic.org/ Dental supplies $5,000 Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic http://www.vaprdc.org/ Support for "Smile Time", a school-based dental check-up program $5,000 Piedmont Virginia Dental Health Foundation http://www.piedmontdental.org/ Support for dental clinic providing services to low income adults and children $7,500 RAM (News - Alert) of Virginia https://ramusa.org/virginia/ Support for "Smiles Across Virginia" program $5,000 Rescue Mission of Roanoke http://rescuemission.net/ Support for dental clinic providing services to low income adults $10,000 Virginia Dental Association Foundation http://www.vdaf.org/ Mobile dental equipment replacement $15,000 Virginia Health Care Foundation http://www.vhcf.org/ Dental Opportunities Champion $35,000 Virginia Oral Health Coalition http://www.vaoralhealth.org/HOME.aspx Online toolkits for medical and dental providers on the importance of oral health care during pregnancy $7,500 Western Tidewater Free Clinic https://www.wtfreeclinic.org/ Dental supplies $5,000 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005927/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 14, 2017] Underutilized Spectrum: Wireless Transmission: Technologies, Applications and Markets LONDON, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the main issues in the developing of 5G technologies is the limited amount of an available spectrum. The industry is trying to find solutions to resolve this problem. Among multiple methods to cope with scarcity of available spectrum, two directions seem very promising. They are: - Intensification of utilization already occupied spectrum windows - Identification and utilization of vacant (or almost vacant) spectrum windows. This report addresses only the second approach; and particular it concentrates on the following technologies: - Optical Wireless Communications (OWC) a) VLC - Visible Light Communication b) FSF - Free Space Fiber - TV White Space Communications (TVWSC). OWC includes VLC and FSF. Both these technologies utilize non-occupied (or more precisely, very lightly occupied) frequency spectrum. TVWSC became possible after transition of analog TV to digital when a significant portion of previously occupied spectrum has been freed. OWC is widely recognized as superior to radio frequency (RF) transmission for several use cases. Visible and invisible optical wireless links solve first/last mile connectivity problems, serve for signal distribution inside of premises, and provide secure, jam-free communication. OWC is license-free and can poentially deliver high-speed data rates in the order of tens Gb/s. Its advantages have fostered significant research efforts aimed at utilizing optical wireless communication, e.g. VLC, for high-speed, secure, indoor/outdoor communication under the IEEE 802.15.7 and other standards; as well as FSF for indoor and outdoor communications. Both technologies are using free space as a communications medium; though they utilize such a medium in different ways and have both similar and specific communications channel properties. TVWSC is another example how the industry makes the spectrum utilization more efficient. Though this technology, so far, did not receive expected popularity due, mostly, to regulatory barriers, it shows potentials in improvements of the RF spectrum utilization. The report is analyzing OWC and TVWS technologies specifics, market features and industry expectations how they will contribute in the 5G development. It also analyzes the industries, advanced products and their applications. The related standards are analyzed in details. Attachments present the survey of resent patents related to TVWS, IEEE802.22 and IEEE 802.11af and IEEE802.15.7. The report was developed for a wide audience of engineers and managers that are working with advanced communications technologies. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4698537/ 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/underutilized-spectrum-wireless-transmission-technologies-applications-and-markets-300407351.html SOURCE ReportBuyer [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Mesquite, Nevada - A Desert Oasis for Testing Big UAS MESQUITE, Nev., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) industry includes a variety of aircraft and platforms necessary to accomplish a growing number of mission profiles and applications. There is a lot of interest in small (under 55 lbs.) platforms for commercial applications and for hobbyist, but there is also a growing demand for larger aircraft that carry larger payloads, fly higher altitudes and travel greater distances. To date, this is the largest UAS platform over 55 lbs. that NIAS has flown in Nevada reflecting the opportunity Nevada offers to companies that have big commercial UAS platforms destined for military, government, or commercial purposes. "Nevada is a great testing and training location for UAS and has year-round flyable weather as well as demonstrates incredible community support for growing UAS companies," said Dr. Chris Walach, Director of the FAA-designated UAS Test Site. "The Mesquite UAS Test Range, is another example of a publicprivate partnership between the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and local government," Walach said. NIAS and the City of Mesquite, Nevada facilitated flight operations for Arcturus UAV at a rural city-owned UAS test range in Mesquite. "We are very supportive of the UAS industry," said Mesquite Mayor Allan Litman. "Clients can come to the area and conduct their tesing, training and demonstrations in an area that is virtually free from general aviation manned traffic." Mayor Litman also highlighted the abundance of hospitality amenities available to support any size group. "We are excited to partner with NIAS in their support of the FAA mission to safely integrate UAS into the National Airspace (NAS)," said D'Milo Hallerberg, President of Arcturus UAV, LLC. "Our collaboration with Arcturus UAV began last fall when we executed a teaming agreement to conduct flight testing in Nevada," said Mark Barker, Director of Business Development at NIAS. "It's exciting to see the capability of a larger UAS that fly longer distances and carry larger payloads. In addition, the catapult launch and optional vertical take off and landing capability is awesome." The Nevada UAS test site has variety of ranges from North to South where clients can come to test, develop and train. The Mesquite UAS range is approximately 9 miles Southwest of Mesquite covering 1400 acres and at field elevation of 4900 feet. About Arcturus UAV: Arcturus UAV manufactures advanced tactical unmanned aircraft for long endurance ISR missions. The T-20 and Jump 20 aircraft can carry multiple payloads including a full range of gimbal sensors, SIGINT, providing full motion video and communication relays up to 70 miles. competitive global drone market and is on the fast track to mass-market success. About the City of Mesquite, Nevada: Located just a short drive Northwest of Las Vegas, the city of Mesquite offers an approved, secluded operation location, exceptional flying weather and all the amenities of the big city without all the attention. About the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS): On behalf of the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development, the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and FAA-designated Nevada Unmanned Aviation Test Site leads the growth of the Nevada Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) Industry through business teaming relationships, collaborating with primary research institutions on UAS research and development, and enhancing the Nevada UAS Industry knowledge base to attract new and permanent business and create jobs in the State of Nevada. Learn more at www.nias-uas.com or www.flynevada.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mesquite-nevada--a-desert-oasis-for-testing-big-uas-300408085.html SOURCE Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Webroot Wins 2017 SC Award for Best Customer Service SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- (RSA Conference) Webroot, the market leader in next-generation endpoint and network security and threat intelligence, took top honors in the Best Customer Service Category at the SC Awards Dinner and Presentation. The results were announced at RSA Conference 2017 during the SC Awards Dinner and Presentation in San Francisco. Named for Best Customer Service, Webroot has a highly skilled and globally based Technical Support team, offering 24/7 support around the world. "At Webroot, we utilize a follow-the-sun approach with customer service support staff in Australia, the United Kingdom, and North America," said Amy Wiley, vice president of engineering services at Webroot. "It is an honor to be recognized by the SC Awards as a leader in providing exceptional customer service solutions crucial to protecting our customers against the many threats launched by today's savvy cybercriminals." The mission of the SC Awards is to honor the achievements of companies and information security professinals striving to safeguard businesses, their customers and critical data in North America. Competitors are voted on by two panels of judges comprised of a range of cybersecurity industry luminaries from current and former CISOs to vendor-neutral consultants or analysts to educators from academic institutions all members of SC Media's audience. After the averages for each category were tallied, finalists and winners were selected. About Webroot Webroot delivers next-generation endpoint security, threat intelligence services, and anomaly detection solutions to protect businesses and individuals around the globe. Our smarter approach harnesses the power of cloud-based collective threat intelligence derived from millions of real-world devices to stop threats in real time and help secure the connected world. Our award-winning SecureAnywhere endpoint solutions, BrightCloud Threat Intelligence Services, and FlowScape solution protect tens of millions of devices across businesses, home users and the Internet of Things. Trusted and integrated by market-leading companies, including Cisco, F5 Networks, Aruba, Palo Alto Networks, A10 Networks, and more. Webroot is headquartered in Colorado and operates globally across North America, Europe, and Asia. Discover Smarter Cybersecurity solutions at www.webroot.com. Follow Webroot: Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/webroot-wins-2017-sc-award-for-best-customer-service-300408103.html SOURCE Webroot [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Nearmap Revenue Up 38% for First Half of Fiscal 2017 Nearmap Ltd (ASX: NEA) is pleased to announce its results for the half year ended 31 December 2016 (H1 FY17). The Company's annualised contract value (ACV) has grown 35% to AU$41.2M. Global customer numbers have increased to 7,500, with group average revenue per customer (ARPC) increasing to AU$5,500. Total revenue of AU$19.4M was up 38% on corresponding prior period total revenue of AU$14.1M. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215006085/en/ Nearmap's high resolution, frequently updated imagery shows incredible detail. MGM National Harbor in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Business Wire) CEO Dr. Rob Newman said that the results demonstrated successful progress and reflected consistent focus on Nearmap's FY17 goals. "I am pleased to confirm that we continue to deliver strong growth in both Australia and the U.S. - our key metrics show growth in our portfolio, delivered through an increase in both the number of our customers and the average revenue per customer." Financial and Operational Overview Australia ACV and customer growth generated from new business and existing customers, across all subscription segments, and in a large and expanding market ACV up 25% to AU$37.0M (31 December 2015: AU$29.6M) Customers up 11% to 7,012 (31 December 2015: 6,310) Revenue up 30% to AU$17.7M (H1 FY16: AU$13.6M) Gross profit up 32% to AU$16.2M (H1 FY16: AU$12.3M (News - Alert)) EBIT of AU$10.2M (H1 FY16: AU$7.0M) United States Increasing momentum delivered through productivity improvements in sales and marketing, with the infrastructure established for future growth ACV of USD$3.1M (31 December 2015: USD$$0.7M) Customers of 485 (31 December 2016: 156) Revenue of USD$1.0M (H1 FY16: USD$0.2M) Gross profit of USD$(0.4M) (H1 FY16: USD$(0.9)M) Group EBITDA of AU$2.4M (H1 FY16: AU$(2.1)M) Completion of AU$20M capital raise and share purchase plan (SPP) to accelerate and support delivery of key strategic objectives Cash balance of AU$28.4M (30 June 2016: AU$12.2M) Strong balance sheet, with no debt Commenting on the H1 FY17 result, Andy Watt, Chief Financial Officer, said that successful progress on Nearmap's three key priorities for FY17 positioned the Company for continued growth across both of its key markets. "H1 FY17 saw Nearmap continuing to deliver growth in both Australia and the U.S. Our Australian operations continue to generate strong cash flow to support the U.S. during its investment phase. The business continues to scale and demonstrate operational leverage through improvements to its key operating metrics and margins, and having delivered a second consecutive period of positive EBITDA, remains on track to deliver full year EBITDA guidance." Outlook In commenting on the outlook for the business, Newman said the Company has a clear long-term strategy and will continue its focus on its FY17 priorities, with disciplined deployment of the capital raise proceeds to fund growth. "Nearmap is demonstrating its success as a growth company. Our market leadership in Australia continues, the performance of our U.S. business is significantly improving and the global market opportunity is large and growing, and remains open for our disruptive business model. "Based on the performance of our business as a group, the recent capital raise and the team we are building, Nearmap has the resources to drive continued growth in our existing markets and expand the addressable market in those geographies through our technology leadership." To learn more about Nearmap, please attend a webinar on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. Eastern time: The Top 7 Uses of Aerial Imagery to Boost Business and Cut Costs. In this webinar, viewers will learn how to target new business faster, reduce field work and on-site visits, estimate time and materials without risk, and enhance quotes and proposals with high-resolution imagery. About Nearmap Built around proprietary PhotoMapsTM aerial imagery technology, Nearmap is a visual analytics company with a focus on empowering businesses with timely and reliable information on which to make decisions quickly and with confidence. Our breakthrough technology enables imagery to be updated much more frequently than other providers. With populations of multiple countries covered regularly, Nearmap is changing the way governments, companies and communities see their world. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215006085/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Polymer Technologies Is Now the Exclusive Distributor of Polybond India Pvt. Polymer Technologies, Inc., a leading manufacturer of noise reduction, thermal insulation, and vibration isolation products, is proud to announce it is the exclusive North American distributor of high-performance, engineered hoses and custom molded rubber parts for Polybond India Pvt. The recent distributorship with Polybond allows Polymer to offer custom hoses and molded rubber products directly to manufacturers in North America who have a need for fluid and air distribution on engines and related systems, including cooling packs and emission controls. The new distributorship also enables customers in the transportation, aerospace, and construction industries to have lower costs and further streamline development cycles and their vendor base with one source. Polybond's design, product and part engineering, and manufacturing and quality control combined with Polymer's engineering support, sales, local warehousing, and best-in-industry responsiveness, paves the way for customers to realize significant improvements in bottom-line costs and overall value. With local warehousing available for customer parts after program launch, lead-times can be measured in days versus weeks. Currently, Polymer is fielding requests for new and existing applications with companies who need custom rubber compounds not typically provided by domestic manufacturers, who simply wish to consolidate their supplier base, or need cost reductions to meet ever-demanding markets. Program dvelopment is streamlined through in-house project management, coordinated with Polybond experts, with delivery of prototypes arriving in as little as 4 weeks. Polybond is an innovative and reputed hose and custom molded rubber manufacturer serving major original equipment manufacturers (OEM) in India and worldwide. Specializing in high-performance engineered hoses, Polybond creates products that are suitable for a variety of engine related applications including power generators and compressors, trucks, buses and construction equipment. Polybond's hoses and rubber parts are custom designed for the application demands of OEMs, with rubbers formulated to meet specific pressure, temperature, durability, and flexibility requirements for fluid and air distribution on engines and other areas. "Polymer's new distributorship with Polybond complements our line of energy management solutions," said Jeremy Dayton, Polymer Technologies, Inc. Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing. "We're excited to expand the engineered, high-performance hoses and custom molded rubber products to develop and deliver new, cost-effective solutions for customers." Polymer customers will now have a wider array of energy management solutions, as the distributorship between Polymer Technologies and Polybond India Pvt. opens up new possibilities for low-cost and expedited production from India with sales and engineering support in North America. "Polymer Technologies looks forward to increasing efficiency, adding value, and creating inventive solutions for its customers' challenges," Dayton said. For more information about Polybond's products, please view our product page. ABOUT POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES Robert Prybutok founded Polymer Technologies in 1989. In the years since its inception, Polymer Technologies, Inc. has grown to become a leading manufacturer and supplier of noise control and energy management composites within the United States. Products are sold to a broad range of industries including aerospace, military, medical, power generation, and transportation. Polymer Technologies employs more than 110 full-time employees at its 87,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Newark, DE. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215006087/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Cortney Shegerian Argues Whistleblower Case Before California Supreme Court Attorney Cortney Shegerian of Santa Monica based employee rights firm Shegerian & Associates, stood before the California Supreme Court last week to argue in favor of a recent Appellate Court decision to allow a trial for a whistleblower case. At age 30, Shegerian is among the youngest attorneys to argue a case before the Supreme Court of California in the Court's history. Shegerian's client, Deborah Shaw, a former employee at Kindred Healthcare (also known as Kindred Hospitals West and THC Orange (News - Alert) County), was employed by the defendant's health care facility. In her complaint, Shaw described having complained to the defendant about conditions that affected the quality of care and services at the health care facility. In particular, she complained that defendants were employing health care professionals who were not licensed or certified, among other regulatory issues. Shaw claimed that in retaliation for her complaints, Kindred discriminated against her by issuing her a warning, taking adverse employment actions against her, and subsequently terminating her employment. Shaw alleged that, as a result of Kindred's conduct, she has suffered and continues to suffer past and future monetary losses, losses of benefits, emotional damages and physical injury. In 2012, Shaw filed her wrongful termination complaint against Kindred, demanding a jury trial. In 2014, the court denied a jury trial, but that decision was eversed in the Court of Appeal, meaning that Shaw would get her jury trial after all. Last week, Kindred and its attorneys attempted to convince the California Supreme Court to reverse the Court of Appeals court decision in order to block a jury trial. Cortney Shegerian appeared on behalf of Shaw before the Supreme Court of California on February 7th to argue in favor of the Appellate Court's decision that Shaw has a right to a jury trial. A video of her argument can be seen here: https://youtu.be/F0YPxyP-odI "It has been an honor to be able to represent Ms. Shaw in this case before the Supreme Court," said Shegerian. "Hopefully we were able to convince the court that the Appellate decision in favor of our courageous client's right to a jury trial was in fact correct and we will be able to move one step closer to justice for Ms. Shaw, a tirelessly hard-working professional who blew the whistle on wrongdoing and was wrongfully terminated by the defendants as a result." A decision by the court is expected in May. Case # B254958 Located in Santa Monica, Shegerian & Associates is a law firm specializing in litigating on behalf of employees who have been wronged by their employers or citizens who have suffered personal injury or wrongful death due to the negligence of others. Possessing an unparalleled success record as litigators (founder Carney Shegerian, Trial Lawyer of the Year Award winner for 2013, has won 73 jury trials in his career, including 31 seven figure verdicts), Shegerian & Associates is passionately dedicated to serving the needs of its clients. For more information about the firm, visit www.ShegerianLaw.com Media Contact: To arrange interviews, please contact Paul Williams, 310/569-0023, [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215006140/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] You'll Never Look at the ATM the Same Way Again NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) today announced the NCR SelfServTM 80 Series, a new family of ATM solutions that will help financial institutions redefine the banking experience and change the way consumers interact with the ATM forever. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215006160/en/ Ushering in a New Era of ATMs - NCR Launches SelfServ 80 Series (Photo: Business Wire) Through a unique combination of innovation across software, hardware, and services, consumers and financial institutions will gain many new benefits from this mobile-ready ATM solution. A large, 19-inch multi-touch display drives tablet-like interactions, where consumers can swipe, pinch and zoom their way quickly through transactions. Built-in video banking also enables financial institutions to offer high-touch, personalized service, where customers can be helped by a live teller right at the ATM. This means financial institutions can extend their personal service coverage and be available as close or far from home and as early or late as they choose to be. NCR is currently the only company that can offer video banking fully integrated in one ATM platform. This capability streamlines the way branch staff serve customers with auto loans, mortgages, credit cards or deposits across the network. NCR's research shows that 80 percent of the transactions typically completed inside a physical branch can be completed through a live video teller at an ATM. "The power of digital banking is that it empowers customers to be self-directed and choose the level of interaction they want. But banking is a relationship business, and bankers want to stand ready to provide one-to-one interactions at moments that are the most relevant, useful, and actionable," said Mark Schwanhausser, Director Omnichannel Financial Services, Javelin Strategy & Research. "ATMs with video tellers and enhanced capabilities can play a critical role in digital-first customer service by providing the combination of convenience and immediate assistance. It's a way to restore a human face to an increasingly digital-banking relationship." "Financial institutions need to be ready to offer the experience digital natives demand as they come of age and require more financial services," said Jose Resendiz, vice president, financial services, at NCR Corporation. "This launch fundamentally trasforms the ATM to be perfectly aligned with how consumers want to bank and gives financial institutions a new way to realize omni-channel transformational strategies." The SelfServ 80 Series was recognized as an International Design Excellence Awards 2016 finalist. It is rooted in NCR's 132-year history of understanding consumer behavior, its deep domain experience in retail banking and the strong legacy of its SelfServ brand - the most popular ATM family in the world. The modern design comes with fully customizable, color-coded media entry and exit indicators. Additionally, a unique 10-cassette cash dispense capability lowers cash replenishment costs. Paired with NCR's CxBanking software suite, the SelfServ 80 series unlocks amazing customer experiences across physical and digital banking channels. "The adoption of this new solution is incredibly exciting. Several of the largest banks in the world, along with many community banks, have signed on for initial delivery contracts, with thousands of units installed to date," added Joao Perez, senior vice president of NCR financial services sales. "Customers appreciate the new platform, which is beautiful on the outside and full of powerful engineering on the inside. Many more continue to sign up as they look to deploy a future-proof solution that is ready to converge the physical and digital channels in a mobile-first world." The SelfServ 80 Series is available now in select markets, including the United States and Canada, followed by global availability throughout 2017-2018. Please contact NCR Sales for pricing information and details on local availability. For additional materials including high-resolution product images, whitepapers, FAQs, please click here. To download the SelfServ 80 Series application on iOS, click here. About NCR Corporation NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leader in omni-channel solutions, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, NCR enables more than 650 million transactions daily across retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology, and small business. NCR solutions run the everyday transactions that make your life easier. NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia with over 30,000 employees and does business in 180 countries. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries. Web sites: www.ncr.com; www.ncr.com/SelfServ80 Twitter (News - Alert): @NCRCorporation Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/ncrcorp LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/ncr-corporation YouTube (News - Alert): www.youtube.com/user/ncrcorporation View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215006160/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] Mouser Electronics Sponsors Engineers Week to Support Curiosity and Creativity Mouser Electronics, Inc., the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader that empowers innovation, is proud to once again be a major sponsor of Engineers Week (EWeek), five days of fun and engaging activities at the Fort Worth (Texas) Museum of Science and History. For several years, Mouser has been a major sponsor of this important event designed to increase public awareness and appreciation of engineers and their work. Mouser will sponsor several exciting exhibits Feb. 21-25 at the museum, located in Fort Worth's Cultural District. Entry to EWeek is included with paid admission to the museum. Other activities celebrating National EWeek are planned at schools across the Fort Worth/Dallas area. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005988/en/ Mouser Electronics will be a major sponsor of Engineers Week, a weeklong event dedicated to encouraging young people's curiosity and inspiring the next generation of engineers. Hands-on activities will occur February 21-25 at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. (Photo: Business Wire) To celebrate this year's EWeek theme, Engineers Dream Big, Mouser will host several engineering challenges and activities in the museum's Imaginer Studio, where guests can participate in interactive experiences while learning how engineering affectseveryday life. Experiences include "Lights Out" - a beanbag toss game that features motion sensors and LEDs - and an interactive LED puzzle game that features 900 addressable LEDs. During EWeek, Mouser aspires to spark the imagination of future design engineers, young and old, and to demonstrate some of the latest technologies affecting the world of tomorrow. Mouser will also promote its Empowering Innovation Together partnership with celebrity engineer Grant Imahara, of MythBusters fame. It's all part of National EWeek, observed each year throughout the United States. "Mouser proudly encourages curiosity and education in young people," said Kevin Hess, Mouser Senior Vice President of Marketing. "Through events like EWeek that promote and enhance STEM education programs, we hope to help shape the innovators, inventors, and scientists who will create the future technological wonders." "Dream Big as a theme for Engineer's Week really speaks to the full potential of the profession," said Van A. Romans, President of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. "Through financial support and donated components, Mouser and its employee volunteers show that they truly support the engineering community." To learn more about the exciting EWeek activities, visit https://eng.info.mouser.com/engineers-week. To learn about Mouser's educational programs and dedication to shaping future engineers, visit http://www.mouser.com/educationalsales/. With its broad product line and unsurpassed customer service, Mouser strives to empower innovation among design engineers and buyers by delivering advanced technologies. Mouser stocks the world's widest selection of the latest semiconductors and electronic components for the newest design projects. Mouser Electronics' website is continually updated and offers advanced search methods to help customers quickly locate inventory. Mouser.com also houses data sheets, supplier-specific reference designs, application notes, technical design information, and engineering tools. About Mouser Electronics Mouser Electronics, a subsidiary of TTI, Inc., is part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway family of companies. Mouser is an award-winning, authorized semiconductor and electronic component distributor focused on rapid New Product Introductions from its manufacturing partners for electronic design engineers and buyers. The global distributor's website, Mouser.com, is available in multiple languages and currencies and features more than 4 million products from over 600 manufacturers. Mouser offers 22 support locations around the world to provide best-in-class customer service and ships globally to over 500,000 customers in 170 countries from its 750,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility south of Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit www.mouser.com. Trademarks Mouser and Mouser Electronics are registered trademarks of Mouser Electronics, Inc. All other products, logos, and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005988/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ITA Issues Call for Papers TITANIUM ASIA 2018 International Titanium Association (ITA (News - Alert)), has issued a "Call for Papers" to be presented at the first TITANIUM ASIA 2018, to be held 4-6th February 2018 at the Grand Hyatt Singapore located at 10 Scotts Road, Singapore. "It was a natural progression for the International Titanium Association," stated Jennifer Simpson, executive director of the ITA, "We have successfully hosted the US Conference which is now comprised of nearly 1,000 titanium related professionals annually; ITA has had a regular presence exceeding a delegation of over 400 in Europe since 2013; and now ITA has selected Singapore as our first venue for the TITANIUM ASIA event." TITANIUM ASIA will be held the day before the Singapore Air Show officially starts and ITA will offer roundtrip transportation to and from the Singapore Air Show included with conference registration. TITANIUM ASIA 2018 is organized and hosted by the International Titanium Association (ITA), the titanium metal global trade association representing the World's Primary Titanium Metal Producers who together account for over 90% of worldwide titanium production. ITA provides a forum for theexchange of ideas within the industry and educates the public on every aspect of using titanium metal within their design. ITA is comprised of over 200 member organizations representing North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The Call for Papers Deadline is November 1, 2017. ITA is seeking technical papers on the topics of BioMedical; Industrial markets; Commercial aerospace; Land Based Military Applications; and Titanium melting technologies. Abstracts from ITA Members, Non-Members and Academia are encouraged and welcomed. Abstract submission guidelines are located at www.TitaniumAsia.org. ITA Board of Directors include: Henry S. Seiner, Vice President - Business Strategy - TIMET, Titanium Metals Corporation; Donald E. Larsen, Vice President Technology and R&D, General Manager of Advanced Manufacturing - Arconic Manufacturing; Wade Leach, Senior Vice President, Commercial - ATI Specialty Materials; Dawne S. Hickton, Former CEO RTI International Metals, Inc.; Prof. Markus Holz, President, AMG's Engineering Systems and Division CEO, ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH; Michael G. Metz, President - VSMPO Tirus US; Edward J. Newman, Senior Vice President - United Alloys & Metals, Inc.; Frank L. Perryman, President and Chief Executive Officer - Perryman Company; Edward Sobota, Jr., President - TSI (News - Alert) Titanium; Michael Stitzlein, President - Tricor Metals; Graham P. Walker, Vice President, Sales and Marketing - AMETEK - Reading Alloys. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215006241/en/ [February 15, 2017] Duo Security Honors Extraordinary Achievements in InfoSec at Third Annual "Women in Security" Awards SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Duo Security, the leading cloud-based Trusted Access provider and one of the fastest growing information security companies in the world, today announced Federal Trade Commission attorney, Whitney Merrill, and Eastern Michigan University student, Katelyn Coberly, are winners of its 2017 Women in Security Awards. Now in its third year, Duo's Women in Security Awards recognize the contributions women make to transform the information security industry. Duo Principal Security Strategist Wendy Nather presented Merrill and Coberley with the Industry and Academic Awards, respectively, at a special ceremony held last night in front of a capacity crowd of 500 infosecurity industry luminaries, leaders and reporters during the 2017 RSA Conference. Both women received registration and travel accommodations to the conference and a $2,500 stipend. "We hope to inspire the next generation of leaders in security by raising the visibility of women whose work has lifted our community," said Dug Song, Duo Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer. "Whitney's achievements at the intersection of security, privacy, and law benefit us all, helping to set the bar for how our industry should protect the rights of users, and educating the community to such issues via her Crypto & Privacy Village at DEFCON." "Katelyn has been a tireless champion and organizer of a security community in Michigan that is inclusive and welcoming," continued Song. "We celebrate them not only for the impact they've had in their respective areas, but for their dedication to the success of those around them." Women in Security Awards winners are chosen by a panel of information security leaders including Song, Nather, Jon berheide, Duo Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer; Parisa Tabriz, Google Princess of Security; Scotland Symons, Microsoft Senior Security Architect and Rachel Sitarz, Cyber Inform CEO. Selection criteria is based on: Significant contributions to the fields of information security and privacy Exceptional knowledge, leadership and professionalism in technical, academic or commercial industries Community involvement Providing mentorship, and encouraging the empowerment and success of women in the security industry and related causes The Winners Industry Award: Whitney Merrill, Federal Trade Commission attorney, called in her nomination, "a force to be reckoned with," leads the charge at the intersection of information security and law and is widely regarded as a leader in the protection of individual rights and privacy. Starting her career as a summer intern at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), she went on to co-found the Crypto & Privacy Village, a staple at numerous security conferences. At the FTC, Merrill works on a number of consumer protection issues involving false advertising, deception, privacy and data security. Merrill's extensive research on data mining with Android APIs was published in the Network & Distributed System Security (NDSS) symposium, among other notable academic projects. She received her Masters in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. During her time at UIUC, Whitney was an Illinois Cyber Security Scholar and a member of the Illinois Security Lab. Academic Award: Katelyn Coberley, EMU student, was described in her nomination as, "the lifeblood of the Information Assurance program at Eastern Michigan University." Coberley was a digital leader and on-campus advocate for technology education, and one of the cofounders of the Women in Information Assurance program at EMU, which promotes cybersecurity awareness, education, training and professional development. She also led initiatives such as Digital Divas, a conference that attracts more than 500 female students annually to explore different fields in technology, and was an active member of EMU's Cyber Collegiate Defense Competition team. Coperley graduated magna cum laude with honors from EMU in December 2016 and is widely considered a rising star by her peers. Past honorees include Parisa Tabriz, Chrome Security Manager at Google; Rachel Sitarz, Graduate Assistant at Purdue University; Scotland Symons, Senior Security Architect at Microsoft and Jennifer Granick, Director of Civil Liberties at Stanford's Center for Internet and Society. Nominations for the 2018 Duo Security Women in Security Awards will open in September 2017. For more information, please visit www.women-in-security.com. About Duo Security Duo Security is a cloud-based Trusted Access provider protecting thousands of the world's largest and fastest-growing companies and organizations, including Dresser-Rand Group, Etsy, NASA, Facebook, K-Swiss, Paramount Pictures, Random House, SuddenLink, Toyota, Twitter, Yelp, Zillow and more. Duo Security's innovative and easy-to-use technology can be quickly deployed to protect users, data and applications from breaches, credential theft and account takeover. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company also has offices in San Mateo, California; Austin, Texas and London. Duo Security is backed by Benchmark, Google Ventures, Radar Partners, Redpoint Ventures and True Ventures. Try it for free at www.duo.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duo-security-honors-extraordinary-achievements-in-infosec-at-third-annual-women-in-security-awards-300408281.html SOURCE Duo Security [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] comScore to Provide Company Update on Friday, February 24 RESTON, Va., Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- comScore today announced it will provide a company update in a conference call on Friday, February 24 at 8:00 a.m. ET. To access this call, dial (844) 848-8734 (domestic) or (678) 562-4248 (international) and reference conference ID 73973942. Investors are advised to dial in at least 10 minutes prior to the call to register. Additionally, a live webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations page on the company's website at http://ir.comscore.com/. Following the coference call, a replay will be available via webcast at http://ir.comscore.com. About comScore comScore, Inc. is a leading cross-platform measurement company that precisely measures audiences, brands and consumer behavior everywhere. comScore completed its merger with Rentrak Corporation in January 2016, to create the new model for a dynamic, cross-platform world. Built on precision and innovation, our unmatched data footprint combines proprietary digital, TV and movie intelligence with vast demographic details to quantify consumers' multiscreen behavior at massive scale. This approach helps media companies monetize their complete audiences and allows marketers to reach these audiences more effectively. With more than 3,200 clients and global footprint in more than 75 countries, comScore is delivering the future of measurement. Shares of comScore stock are currently traded on the OTC Market (OTC:SCOR). For more information on comScore, please visit comscore.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-to-provide-company-update-on-friday-february-24-300408136.html SOURCE comScore [February 14, 2017] FICS Exhibits at the Mortgage Bankers Associations' Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo 2017 Financial Industry Computer Systems, Inc. (FICS), has announced their participation at the Mortgage Bankers Associations' (MBA) Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo 2017. This year's conference will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, CA (News - Alert), February, 19th-22nd. FICS specializes in providing a comprehensive suite of commercial loan servicing technology to the commercial and multi-family lending industry. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006324/en/ FICS specializes in providing a comprehensive suite of commercial loan servicing technology to the commercial and multi-family lending industry. (Photo: Business Wire) "Over three decades of research and development has advanced FICS' Commercial Servicer as the premier commercial real estate mortgage servicing technology solution. FICS offers solutions to take your commercial loan servicing automation to the next level with our ne Commercial Servicer API, providing the ability to use an external solution to schedule virtually all processes within Commercial Servicer," commented Barry Malone, Senior Vice President-Sales. "The conference is also a great opportunity to update attendees on the development of our next-generation of Commercial Servicer, using Microsoft's .NET (News - Alert) framework and Windows Presentation Foundation user interface, which we anticipate rolling out in the second half of this year." At this year's conference, Barry Malone and Sherri Carr, Vice President-Commercial Servicer Product Development, will showcase FICS' commercial real estate mortgage servicing solutions at Booth #219. No other system offers the depth of automation tools that are available within Commercial Servicer. From integrated imaging with Radstar, to online web access for your borrowers and investors with LoanStat, to custom document and report generation, watch list tracking and My Work List workflow tools, Commercial Servicer provides the tools to be successful. Visitors to the FICS booth can also enter a drawing for a portable JBL Pulse (News - Alert) Speaker that offers Bluetooth capability, sensational sound, and an interactive light show. To learn more about FICS and its solutions, visit us at the MBA Conference in Booth #219 or our website www.FICS.com. About FICS Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Financial Industry Computer Systems, Inc. (FICS), specializes in providing flexible, comprehensive residential and commercial technology solutions to the mortgage industry. FICS' systems are designed to operate on Microsoft (News - Alert) Windows platforms with the most recent solutions written using .NET Framework that includes a rich Windows Presentation Foundation user interface and multi-tiered shareable services. The company also provides innovative document management and web-based capabilities into its full suite of products. Additional information about FICS is available via the company's website at www.FICS.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006324/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] TELUQ University partners with Company Canada's Military Employment Transition Program (MET) QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 15, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - TELUQ University is proud to pursue its commitment to serve the military community by partnering with the Military Employment Transition Program (MET), an initiative developed by Company Canada to assist Canadian Armed Forces veterans, reservists and transitioning members who are seeking jobs in the civilian sector. "As a member of the educational network of Company Canada's MET Program, we will contribute to the support of military members and veterans engaging into university studies as part of their transition towards a civilian career. In this age of mobility, this partnership is congruent with our mission for the past 45 years now: university education available to all," said Martin Noel, President of TELUQ University. Remotely accessible from anywhere in the world, TELUQ University has been providing services to members of the Canadian Armed Forces (Regular and Reserve Forces) since 1981. To this day, TELUQ University has welcomed over 3,000 military students, of which more than a 1,000 graduated from a degree, diploma or attestation of studies. Created specifically to better serve the needs of this clientele, the Service d'accreditation et d'encadrement pour les militaies (SAEM) of TELUQ University provides personalized support, recognition of credits for your military and training experience, and exam coordination under supervision outside Quebec and abroad. "With an average of 22% (1577) of our MET Members leaving the military with a high school education, our partnership with TELUQ offers a more rapid, seamless but critical step for our members in transition to realize the remarkable experience and value they bring to corporate Canada. The ability to access TELUQ's online learning anywhere in combination with receiving a prior learning assessment for their military experience will fast track them to a civilian accreditation and increase their marketability in the civilian sector." Angela Mondou, President,Canada Company. About Canada Company Canada Company is a federally registered charity created in 2006 by Canadian businessman and Honorary Colonel, Blake Goldring M.S.M., LL.D., CFA Celebrating its 10th Anniversary, Canada Company is a federally registered charity founded by Canadian businessman and Honorary Colonel, Blake C. Goldring M.S.M., LL.D., CFA. Canada Company takes pride in serving our country in many ways, celebrating our Military heroes, and their families, and fostering a mutually beneficial exchange between Canada's remarkable military and our innovative Canadian business community to create a Better Canada. A trusted Program Builder, Canada Company offers the Military Employment Transition - MET Program; hosts the National Transition Symposium and Strategic Knowledge Exchange; and funds Scholarships for children of military members who gave their lives in service to our country. TELUQ University Founded in 1972, TELUQ University is the only Francophone university in North America offering its entire curriculum online. Each year, nearly 20,000 students attend its undergraduate and graduate programs. TELUQ is also recognized for the performance of its research. Source: Johanne Nadeau Communication and public affairs 1-800-665-4333, ext. 5102 [email protected] Follow us www.twitter.com/teluq www.teluq.ca/facebook SOURCE TELUQ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017 crime [February 14, 2017] Huawei Signs MoU with Avira to Announce Partnership on Cloud-Based Zero Day and Malware Protection SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On the second day of RSA2017, Huawei and Avira signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and announced a partnership to deliver cloud-based zero day and malware protection worldwide. The partnership will allow Huawei to provide customers with optimized content security protection by increasing detection rates without detracting from performance. While online file transfers and shares enable digital transformation among businesses, they can also increase the spread of viruses and malware. However, if businesses choose to deploy anti-virus software, they risk damaging the performance of their computer systems. As a result, enterprises are increasingly interested in adopting malware database solutions that not only protect against advanced persistent threats and vulnerabilities like zero day, but also offer system stability and high performance. The collaboration between Huawei and Avira solves this need, affording companies the security protection of anti-malware along with the high detection rates and high performance of a firewall. Specifically, Huawei and Avira's partnership involves integrating Avira's advanced anti-malware and zero day protection technology into Huawei's Next-Generation Firewall. Huawei's Next-Generation Firewall contains an Intelligent Awareness Engine (IAE), or local stream-based engine, which constantly works to inspect files and update virus signature databases to detect and remove viruses. Concurrently, Avira's protection technology which is currently deployed by global companies across an array of industries performs real-time security intelligence gathering to provide reputation reference; this intelligence is then integrated into the Huawei cloud to support the Next-Generation Firewall in detecting threats at higher rates. In this way, Huawei's malware protection system is both more efficient and effective than solutions currently available in the industry. "Zero day and malware threaten business and consumers alike, and Avira is pleased to be a key technology within Huawei's content security portfolio," said Travis Witteveen, CEO of Avira. "With this partnership, Huawei's Next-Generation Firewall customers will benefit from Avira's advanced cloud-based malware protection, which gathers security intelligence every minute of every day from our existing 500 million installations, by having it protect their customers as threats emerge in real-time." "Huawei's ever-expanding market share of firewall products around the globe has triggered an increasing need for content security capable of firewalls," said Liu Lizhu, general manager of Security Gateways at Huawei. "This worldwide cooperation with Avira enables Huawei to help customers obtain higher content security protection efficiency with higher system performance, thus greatly improving the competitiveness of Huawei's Next-Generation Firewall products and solutions." There is currently an industry-wide consensus that the only way to cope with network threats is to build a security ecosystem. In line with Huawei's integration strategy, the cooperation between Huawei and Avira will play an important role in helping enterprise customers further improve their network security levels, while also promoting the development of the security industry at large. About Huawei Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei's 170,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on: http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei http://www.twitter.com/Huawei http://www.facebook.com/Huawei http://www.google.com/+Huawei http://www.youtube.com/Huawei About Avira Avira protects people in the connected world - enabling everyone to manage, secure, and improve their digital lives. The Avira umbrella covers a portfolio of security and performance applications for Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS. In addition, the reach of our protective technologies extends through OEM partnerships. Our security solutions consistently lead in independent tests for detection, performance, and usability. Avira is a family-owned company with headquarters near Lake Constance, in Tettnang, Germany, and additional offices in Munich, Bucharest, Beijing, and Silicon Valley. A portion of Avira's sales support the Auerbach Foundation, which assists education, children, and families in need. For more information, visit http://www.avira.com/. Huawei Media Contact: Huawei Analyst Contact: Francis Hopkins Sarita Kincaid Director, Corporate Communications Director, Enterprise Analyst Relations (240) 472-1724 (mobile) (408) 330-5324 (mobile) [email protected] [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huawei-signs-mou-with-avira-to-announce-partnership-on-cloud-based-zero-day-and-malware-protection-300407478.html SOURCE Huawei [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 15, 2017] First OVH Smart-city Barometer - Quebecers want smarter cities to develop thriving local economies MONTREAL, Feb. 15, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - A majority of Quebecers living in an urban environment (68%) does not consider their city smart enough. That's what the first edition of the OVH Smart-city Barometer reveals based on a survey of the citizens of the City of Montreal, the Greater Montreal area, Quebec City, Saguenay, Trois-Rivieres and Gatineau conducted by CROPi from December 13 to 20, 2016. HIGHLIGHTS Quebecers want smarter cities. Public transit is currently considered the smartest sector. Quebecers want smarter cities to develop thriving local economies. The use of digital applications and tools to manage transportation, safety, water and infrastructures should be a priority for cities, according to our fellow citizens. Quebecers want smarter cities! The OVH Smart-city Barometer reveals that only 32% of Quebecers answered "yes" to the question "do you think your city is smart?". Citizens of the City of Montreal answered "yes" in fewer numbers (28%) than the residents of Sherbrooke (36%) and Quebec City (35%). "The smart city notion is relatively new," said Cedric Combey, vice-president, sales and marketing at OVH Canada, a world leader in Cloud Computing and Internet infrastructures. "This ranking provides us with a reference from which to track the performance of cities over the coming years, and this ability to track will be even more relevant given the impact the advent of the smart city will have on our lifestyle and the evolution of the urban way of life. Starting from the smart city concept, we can then use information and communication technology to meet the economic, social and environmental needs of our century". The OVH Smart-city Barometer also reveals that a clear majority of urban Quebecers (89%) consider it important for cities to develop strategies to become smart. This concept garners the most support in the City of Montreal; 91% of Montrealers consider "smart" strategies to be important (44% of them consider they are "very important," while 47% consider them "somewhat important"). In Saguenay, only 16% of citizens considered that it was "very important" for their city to be smarter, though 69% thought the concept was still "somewhat important. Total "important" City of Montreal rest of Montreal CMA Quebec City Gatineau Trois-Rivieres Sherbrooke Saguenay (Outside the City of Montreal) 91 % 88 % 88 % 88 % 89 % 91 % 86 % Of which "very important" City of Montreal rest of Montreal CMA Quebec City Gatineau Trois-Rivieres Sherbrooke Saguenay (Outside the City of Montreal) 44 % 30 % 28 % 31 % 26 % 27 % 16 % Ranking of smart cities according to each city's citizens More residents of the Greater Montreal area, outside the City of Montreal (rest of Montreal CMA), feel that their city is smart (37%), closely followed by Sherbrooke and Quebec City with 36% and 35% respectively. The City of Montreal only comes in fourth, with 28%. 1 Rest of Montreal CMA (outside City of Montreal) 37% 4 City of Montreal 28% 2 Sherbrooke 36% 5 Saguenay 23% 3 Quebec City 35% 6 Gatineau and Trois-Rivieres 22% Public transportation is considered the smartest sector According to Quebecers who were polled, the public transportation sector is the sector that most often uses smart technology (40%), closely followed by urban development, such as infrastructures, parks and bike trails (38%), and public safety services (36%). However, some cities set themselves apart, like Trois-Rivieres, where 59% of citizens indicate that they are very satisfied with local smart urban development, which is 21% more than other cities in which citizens were polled. Conversely, citizens of Quebec City appear to be less satisfied with their public safety services from a smart technology point of view, with a satisfaction rate of only 24%, 12% lower than the Quebec average. Smarter cities to develop thriving local economies According to 41% of urban Quebecers, cities should look into being smarter to develop a thriving economy that focuses on collaborative innovation, leading-edge technology and the boldness and creativity of its citizens. This answer far outscores the second-ranked priority, improving the efficiency of public services (26%). Total for urban Quebec Develop a thriving economy with and for citizens by focusing on collaborative innovation, leading-edge technology and the boldness and creativity of citizens 41% Improve the effectiveness of public services 26% Mobilize businesses, public institutions, universities and citizens to find and test solutions to everyday problems 14% Improve access to democratic life and reinforce a culture of transparency and accountability 11% Development of urban telecommunications 5% The three priorities that cities should have according to Quebecers Moreover, OVH's Barometer shows that, if cities want to meet the expectations of their citizens, they must consider three sectors high priority. Total for urban Quebec The use of applications and digital tools to manage transportation, safety, water and infrastructures 24% Real-time communication with citizens 22% The development of city-specific technologies adapted to the needs of citizens 22% In addition to tagging some sectors as priorities, citizens also provided their opinion on the applications and concrete systems they would most like to see cities implement. Total for urban Quebec An application that makes it possible to notify the city of problems 43% A smart public transit system application that makes it possible to track buses, trains or subway trains in real time. 35% A smart traffic management system 32% An application that makes it possible to communicate in real time during emergency situations 26% An application that lists free Wi-Fi zones 22% "Today, more and more people expect information relating to their needs and expectations to be available instantaneously, such as when they are planning a trip, for example. To this end, the OVH Smart-city Barometer provides cities with a plethora of suggestions," said Cedric Combey. Note that Montreal stands out on this point, with the need for a smart public transit system as a top priority, with 50%. Quebecers are ready for smart cities! OVH wanted to use this first experience to validate Quebecers' smart technology use habits. According to the OVH Smart-city Barometer, 95% of Quebecers use email, social media (79%), cloud file storage (45%) and online purchase sites (36%) a few times or more a week. Forty-four percent of them feel they are better equipped with digital tools at home than at work. "The use of smart technology is a well-established habit for Quebecers," said Cedric Combey. "If cities improve their 'smart' offer, Quebecers will be on board!" OVH in Canada OVH has been present in Canada since 2012 and has rolled out four business units in Montreal, Beauharnois, Quebec City and Toronto that employ 140 people. The entry into service of its 360,000-server-capacity data centre on Montreal's South-Shore has made it possible to expand accessibility and better serve close to one million clients around the world and has made Montreal one of the largest data-hosting centres in the world. About OVH Specializing in cloud and internet infrastructure, OVH offers innovative products and services evolving around three universes: Web, Dedicated and Cloud. Since being founded in 1999, the company has become an established partner for hundreds of thousands of professionals worldwide. OVH owes its success to a development model built on innovation, keeping full control over the supply chain, from server manufacturing and in-house maintenance of their infrastructure, right down to customer assistance. For each service and each solution, OVH ensures stable and reliable offerings to its clients at the best price-quality ratio. ______________________ i Online data collection done by CROP from December 13 to 20, 2016, through a web panel. In total, 1,250 questionnaires were completed in the following regions: the City of Montreal, the rest of Montreal's CMA, Quebec City's CMA, Trois-Rivieres, Gatineau, Sherbrooke and Saguenay. Results were weighted so they reflect the distribution of the study population regarding their region, their gender, their age and their first language. Press contact: Chloe Lebouc, Villemarie, [email protected], 514.903.4229, ext. 214, 514.662.3547 SOURCE Hebergement OVH Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a very good value because of its captivating infinity display, strong performance and long battery life for under $500. Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test . The Galaxy S8 has been around for a couple of years, but it's still a strong choice for those looking for flagship-level design and solid performance for under $500. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ boast 5.8- and 6.2-inch infinity displays, which go from edge to edge, and these handsets feature Qualcomms relatively zippy Snapdragon 835 processor for speedy performance. Were still not fans of the fingerprint sensors location. But when you add in excellent battery life and improvements to a camera that was already very good, you have two winning handsets with the Galaxy S8 and S8+. See our best phones list for all of our top picks. Galaxy S8 price and release date The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were released in April of 2017. You can now get the Galaxy S8 starting at $499 with 64GB of storage. The larger Galaxy S8+ isn't as readily available, but it retails for about $589. However, we've seen this phone for as low as $364 on Amazon (opens in new tab). You may want to keep an eye out for Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals to see if these phones get discounted during the holiday season. Design: It feels like the future The Galaxy S8 exemplifies a nearly bezel-free phone done right. Samsung didnt just take away the bezels on this phone; it crafted a space-age work of art with a new infinity display that stretches from edge to edge. The Galaxy S8 not only has a slightly bigger screen-to-body ratio than LGs phone but also looks sleeker because of the way the Gorilla Glass curves toward the edges on the front and back. Other Android phones look like blah, flat slabs by comparison. The S8 is also thinner and narrower than the G6. The screen on the S8 is 5.8 inches, versus 6.2 inches on the S8+. But other than the difference in display size, the S8 and S8+ have the same design. Overall, we prefer the bigger screen on the S8+, but if you have small hands, youll likely find yourself repositioning the phone in your hand to reach certain buttons, including the home button, which is now a virtual button instead of a physical key. The button worked well in our testing, providing solid haptic feedback. Its flanked by the Recent Apps and Back buttons. Whats remarkable about the Galaxy S8 is how much more screen real estate it gives you compared with the S7, while still offering a compact and lightweight design. The S8s 5.8-inch screen is housed in a 5.5-ounce, 2.7-inch-wide chassis, whereas the 5.1-inch S7 weighed 5.4 ounces and had the same width. The S8 is taller, but its still easy to use with one hand. With its 6.2-inch screen, the 6.1-ounce S8+ is heftier than the 5.5-ounce, 5.5-inch S7 Edge. But the S8+ makes the iPhone 8 Plus (6.2 x 3.1 x 0.29 inches, 7.13 ounces) look positively bloated. Plus, unlike the latest iPhones, the S8 and S8+ have headphone jacks. No matter which size you choose, it wont be long before you see fingerprint smudges on the back of the phone. The smudges were especially prominent on the midnight black version of the S8 and S8+, but you can also choose the lighter orchid gray or arctic silver, which dont show smudges as easily. Galaxy S8 Galaxy S8+ Price From $499 From $589 Display (Pixels) 5.8 inches (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED 6.2 inches (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED Camera (Back) 12 MP, f /1.7 aperture 12 MP, f /1.7 aperture Camera (Front) 8 MP, f/ 1.7 aperture 8 MP, f/1.7 aperture Biometric Scanning Facial recognition, iris scanner, fingerprint reader Facial recognition, iris scanner, fingerprint reader CPU Snapdragon 835 Snapdragon 835 RAM 4GB 4GB Storage 64GB 64GB microSD up to 256GB up to 256GB Battery 3,000 mAh 3,500 mAh Battery Life (4G) 10:39 11:04 Size 5.9 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches 6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches Weight 5.5 ounces 6.1 ounces Colors Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver Android Version 7.0 Nougat 7.0 Nougat Charging USB Type-C USB Type-C Wireless Charging WPC and PMA WPC and PMA About that fingerprint sensor We were worried that the fingerprint sensors placement right next to the camera on the back of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ might be a problem. And it was, initially. Because the sensor is fairly narrow, its difficult to target it without looking. We got used to it after a couple of days, but we still wish it were below the lens. If you dont want to reach around the S8 to unlock your phone, you can choose from a couple of other biometric options that Samsung gives you. Theres facial recognition, as well as iris scanning. Iris scanning unlocks your phone faster and even works in the dark, but it doesnt work in direct sunlight; your eyes need to be fully open, so squinting isnt an option. The facial recognition is not only slower but also had trouble in direct sunlight and doesnt work in the dark. Our advice? Use the iris scanning everywhere except in the sun, and when there is bright light, just use the fingerprint scanner. Display: The perfect screen is here Apple is bringing an OLED screen to the iPhone X, but you have to pay a grand for the privilege. Sporting a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels, both the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ turned in nearly perfect scores on our tests, offering a very bright picture, amazingly vivid colors and near-perfect color accuracy. The extra-wide 18.5:9 aspect ratio doesnt work well with some apps, but overall, we like how immersive the experience is when watching video and playing games. When watching the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer, we could make out every wrinkle in Reys hands as she seemed to levitate the rocks around her with the Force, as well as every rising ring of smoke around Kylo Rens smoldering mask. As the camera panned around to the island where Luke was training Rey, it was hard not to be impressed by the golden sunshine that reflected off the water, as well as the lush, green foliage dotting the mountains. The S8 backed up our experience by reproducing a superb 183 percent of the sRGB color gamut. That blows away the LG G6s 134 percent, but the AMOLED screen on the Google Pixel scored an even higher 191 percent. (However, when you turn on Adaptive Display mode on the Galaxy S8, it can reach as high as 255 percent.) If youre looking for accurate color, the S8 can deliver that, too. In its AMOLED photo mode, the display notched a Delta-E score of 0.28 (0 is perfect). The LG G6 was closest, at 1.01, but the Pixel XL was way behind, with 5.88. Like the LG G6, the Galaxy S8s screen is HDR certified, which means you can enjoy a wider range of colors and better contrast on videos that support the standard. Amazon, Netflix and YouTube offer a growing variety of HDR-ready movies and shows. The 18.5:9 aspect ratio doesnt work well with every app. For instance, in Super Mario Run, we noticed unsightly bars above and below the game. But Samsungs own apps are optimized, and you can fill the screen by pushing a button while watching YouTube and Netflix, even if the video looks a bit stretched out. Since our initial review, some users complained about a red tint appearing on their S8 screens, but Samsung has released a fix. Audio: Poppin For a small speaker, the Galaxy S8 pumps out pretty sweet sound. When we listened to Justin Timberlakes Cant Stop the Feeling, on this phone, the lyrics were clearer, and the volume was louder, than the same track on the LG G6. The latter handset sounded slightly muffled by comparison. However, you dont get stereo sound from the Galaxy S8 as you do from the HTC U Ultra. The S8's Snapdragon 835 muscle blitzes every other Android phone on the market. Performance: A handheld powerhouse The Galaxy S8 goes boldly forward into a new era of speed, thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 system on a chip (at least in the U.S.; in other regions, the S8 will have Samsung's Exynos 8895 chip). The S8 also comes with a healthy 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage (twice the amount you get from base models of the LG G6 and the Google Pixel) and microSD card expansion for people who need even more space. When you put it all together, the S8's muscle blitzes every other Android phone on the market, but it falls short of the iPhone 8's A11 Bionic chip. The S8 almost always feels exceedingly snappy, no matter if you're vaulting over Goombas in Super Mario Run or mowing down aliens in N.O.V.A. Legacy. We didnt experience any lag when using multiwindow mode for chatting with friends while streaming video on YouTube. If you pay close attention, you may notice that some of the transitions when switching between apps aren't 100 percent smooth, but that seems mostly cosmetic. In terms of benchmark performance, the Galaxy S8s multicore score of 6,295 in the Geekbench 4 overall performance test was more than 50 percent higher than that of its closest Android competitor, the Snapdragon 821-powered Google Pixel XL (4,146). However, the iPhone 8 scored above 10,000 on this test. The Galaxy S8's graphics power was also quite impressive, as it hit 36,508 on 3DMark's Ice Storm Unlimited test. Other Android adversaries, like the LG G6 (29,611) and the Google Pixel XL (28,182), were farther behind. But the iPhone 8 scored a much higher 64,532. New for the S8 is Samsung's Device Management tab, which is best accessed by swiping in from the Edge tab. It offers a quick look at the status of your device, including battery status, power mode (optimized, performance, game or entertainment), available storage and your current memory usage. There's even an optimization button that cleans up any lingering apps and clears your cache, which is a handy tool for people who go weeks or months without actually turning off their devices. Cameras: Better on both the front and back When we first found out that the S8's 12-megapixel rear camera is ostensibly the same as the one on last year's S7, we were a bit disappointed. But that rush of emotion was a bit premature, because under the hood, Samsung made some important software enhancements. And then you toss in a new, higher-resolution, 8-MP front cam, and you get a phone that produces noticeably better pictures no matter which shooter you're using. The most important tweak comes in the form of Samsung's new multi-image photo processing, which mimics the operation of the Google Pixel's HDR+ mode by taking multiple pictures when you press the shutter, selecting the best one, and enhancing that image with extra details and info from the remaining two pics. When we took both the S8+ and a Pixel XL out for some side-by-side testing, it was clear that Samsung's adjustments have had a pretty positive effect. At a nearby farmer's market, the S8 captured a crate full of apples with better contrast, richer colors and better details than the Pixel XL. And when I continued down the street, the S8+ topped the Pixel XL again when I snapped a pic of some flowers, this time offering better white balance than Google's phone, as evidenced by the greenish hue on the white flower's petals. But it wasn't a clean sweep for the S8+. When I really tried to push both cameras to the limit by shooting a backlit scene pointing straight at the sun, the Pixel XL stunned us with a shot featuring big, bold colors and sharp details, even though there was some serious lens flare going on. Inside, in pretty much ideal conditions, the S8+ and the Pixel XL were again neck and neck. The one difference is that the Pixel's cool color tone brought out the green in the pistachio macaroon, while the pic from the S8 sported a more neutral white balance, which led to a more pleasing overall photo. Finally, at a local bar with even less light to work with, both the Pixel XL and the Galaxy S8 impressed us with photos that were brighter than the scenes in real life. Small differences included less blown-out highlights in the S8's pic, which was countered by more detail in the darker areas of the scene in the Pixel's photo. When it comes to tweaking your photos or changing modes, Samsung has added new Snapchat-like filters that let you decorate faces with various animal masks, hats and other silly emojis. But if that doesn't strike your fancy, the camera also comes with modes for shooting panoramas, food, slow-mo and more. And as with all good camera apps, there's also a Pro mode that lets you adjust settings manually. As for selfies, the S8 and S8+ sport new 8-MP cams with a wide-angle lens, which makes it easy to snap you and all your besties at once. However, compared with the Pixel XL's 8-MP camera, the S8's selfies can sometimes be a little lacking. We compared photos shot by the S8 and the Pixel XL outside on a sunny day. The Pixel XL's photo had an extra level of sharpness and detail we didn't get from the S8+. Our face looked a little too smooth and perfect on the Samsung, to the point where we were wondering whether Beauty Mode was kicking in even when we had it set to 0. The Galaxy S8s camera can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second and slow-mo video at up to 240 frames per second at 720p. (In comparison, the LG G6 shoots at just 60 fps in slow-mo.) To test the Galaxy S8s video quality, we shot some footage of a pond with fish swimming about in 4K. The S8s footage looked crisper and more vibrant than what the iPhone 7 Plus captured, even if the colors looked a bit oversaturated. However, when we put both phones on a mount to test image stabilization, the iPhone 7s video looked smoother; we saw a bit of stuttering in the S8s footage as we walked up a grassy hill. For a hallmark feature on a flagship phone, Bixby feels pretty half-baked right now. Bixby: Still a work in progress The Galaxy S8 introduces a new personal assistant, Bixby, to take on the likes of Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana. And for a hallmark feature on Samsung's flagship phone, Bixby feels pretty half-baked right now, even after Samsung has rolled out voice controls to its virtual assistant. The main difference between Bixby and other digital assistants is that it lets you use voice commands to control your phone in lieu of tapping the screen, which can save you time and energy. You can also use Bixby to tell you the weather or look up the definition of quixotic, but its real purpose is giving you a whole new way to control your phone. For instance, you can ask Bixby to show you emails from a specific person by name, and it will slickly pull up all your conversations in just a couple seconds. That's way faster than tapping to open the email app, hitting search and then typing in that person's name. Bixby can also understand complex commands with contextual language, so you can do things like ask Bixby to post the last photo you took to Instagram and add a caption, all with one command. You can also change almost any setting on the S8 using your voice, which is often much faster than trying to dig through a modern phone's increasingly complex array of menus and tabs. Or at least, that's how things should work. The big problem is that Bixby's voice-command functionality, while now available, was pretty erratic when we tested it. Sometimes Bixby will fail to understand your language at all, while other times, Bixby will get confused and try to open the wrong app or adjust incorrect settings. But every once in a while Bixby will get everything right and you won't even be able to tell that its voice commands are still a work in progress. Currently, simple commands have the best success rate. MORE: 11 Coolest Things Bixby Voice Can Do on the Galaxy S8 As of August 22, Samsung announced that the Bixby voice command feature is now available in more than 200 countries and territories, though you'll still need to use either English or Korean to make it work. Support for additional languages, as well as more third party apps, is in the works. Then there's Bixby Vision, which leverages the S8's camera along with object recognition to identify items in the world. We found this worked pretty well when we pointed the S8 at various household items, such as shampoos, snacks and aluminum foil. It also works for books. After pointing the Galaxy S8's camera at any object, we could check prices online on Amazon. Say you're at the liquor store and want to know the rating of that wine or what food to pair it with. Bixby has also partnered with Vivino to identify that bottle and spit back information. However, at a wine store in New York, the feature was more miss than hit, as it seemed to have trouble with the bright lights. At home, however, Bixby identified three wines correctly, though we were greeted with a home server error. Bixby's other talents include the ability to set reminders and a Bixby Home tool with a card-based interface that shows you your schedule, what's trending on Facebook, the weather, news and other info. All told, Bixby is a frustrating mix of success and failures, though there is a lot of potential should Samsung work out all the kinks. Thankfully, though, you can turn to the Google Assistant, which also comes preloaded on the S8. Software: Feature-rich but accessible Running Android 7.0 Nougat, the Galaxy S8 still has a skin on top of Android, but its fairly intuitive, and Samsungs minimalist, line-drawn icons are easy to understand. We like that you dont have to tap a button to see all of your apps from the home screen; just swipe down from the middle of the screen, and then swipe left to see more apps. If you swipe down from the very top of the screen from wherever you are, youll see your notifications and Samsungs quick-settings shortcuts. Finally, swiping in from the left provides access to Edge screen shortcuts, such as a customizable list of apps, a device maintenance screen (for battery, choosing performance mode, etc.) and a Smart Select tool for selecting an area of the screen and sharing it or pinning it to the top of your display. Youll also find a ton of advanced features. The ones at the top of our list include a one-handed mode that you can activate by tapping the home button three times to shrink the screen, as well as the ability to quickly launch the camera by pressing the power key twice. At least on the T-Mobile S8 we tested, there was minimal bloatware. T-Mobile included just five of its own apps: Device Unlock, T-Mobile, T-Mobile Name ID, T-Mobile TV and Visual Voicemail. Accessories: Way beyond Gear VR The Galaxy S8 works with the new Gear VR for those who want to experience virtual-reality games and content, but thats not the only interesting accessory. The new DeX ($149) is a dock that lets you use the S8 and S8+ as a mini PC. The dock can connect to a full-size monitor via its HDMI port, as well as a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth. It also has an Ethernet jack and a USB port. Out of the box, the Samsung Connect app will let you access and control various Samsung-branded smart home gear. For instance, you can start your Samsung robot vacuum ($549) or peek inside your Samsung Family Hub fridge (about $2,900) to see what you need from the store while youre out. But youll get a lot more possibilities if you buy Samsung's $169 Samsung Connect Home a combination mesh Wi-Fi router and SmartThings hub that will let you control other items, such as Philips Hue lights and Netgears Arlo security camera. Samsung offers a slew of other accessories, including an LED View cover for always having the time in view, a wireless charging stand and more. Check out our roundup of the Best Galaxy S8 accessories and Galaxy S8 cases. Battery Life One concern about a phone with this much screen is how that extra real estate might impact battery life. The Galaxy S8+ has a slightly smaller battery than last years S7 Edge (3,500 mAh versus 3,600 mAh), and yet the S8+ improved almost 1 hour, to 11 hours and 4 minutes, on the Tom's Guide Battery Test (continuous web surfing on 4G LTE using T-Mobile's network). The standard Galaxy S8s 3,000-mAh battery endured for 10:39 on the same test, improving on the Galaxy S7's (8:47) time by nearly 2 hours. We obtained these results with the phones resolutions set to their max 2960 x 1440 pixels. They come with the less demanding 2220 x 1080 setting on by default. MORE: Smartphones with the Longest Battery Life Compared to the Galaxy S8+, the Pixel XL's battery life was just a bit longer, at 11:11. The iPhone 8 Plus hit 11:16, while the smaller iPhone 8 lasted 9:54. LG G6 finished way behind, with a time of just 8:39. On top of that, the S8 has battery smarts that let it learn about your usage patterns to help extend its longevity even further. And when you need to juice the phone back up, you can take advantage of the S8s fast-charging capabilities via its included USB Type-C cable or use one of Samsung's slick wireless chargers (available separately). Bottom Line Its clear that, with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, Samsung set out to create more than a phone. Its trying to build a more Apple-like ecosystem, with devices ranging from the Gear VR and the DeX dock to the new Samsung Connect app for controlling smart home gear and the Bixby assistant. Its also evident that Samsung hasnt yet reached that goal, as Bixbys voice features can be hit or miss. But even with that shortcoming, the Galaxy S8 still beats the Android competition while surpassing the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in terms of design, display quality and features. The iPhones are better, though, when it comes to sheer speed and their cameras. Some shoppers will prefer a newer Android phone in the same price range, like the $479 Pixel 3a XL, but overall the Galaxy S8 and S8+ remain good values for those who prefer Samsung handsets. Credit: Jeremy Lips/Tom's Guide; Comparisons: Samuel Rutherford/Tom's Guide. The best Mac VPN in 2022 vpn If you're looking for the best Mac VPN, you'll want one that can do it all. Here, we round up the top VPNs for Mac available today. CHECK TKC TRIBUTE TONIGHT TO THE TOP KANSAS CITY POWER COUPLES!!! STAY TUNED!!! For tonight we want to not only affirm our dedication to Jordan Carver cleavage but also remind Kansas City denizens of locals who are living both career and personal lives far better than most of us.To wit . . .Familiar faces for this Tuesday night celebration of love that still deserve a bit of recognition . . .. . . Hebe the next Mayor and she's still the top Democratic Party lady fundraiser in town even after Hillary Clinton defeat. Like it or not, there are very few Kansas City couples who BOTH wield the citywide influence of these two.And then . . .- She is the director of theand he represents Missouri's 5th Congressional District in D.C. - There aren't any other higher ranking power couples in the region and their hard work sets a powerful example of local devotion to faith and community.And then . . .- Kansas City's favorite anchor dude and radio talker . . . They get a bit of hateration from jealous social media denizens but the ability for two local names to make it would should inspire so many lonely newsies passing through town in search of someone special. Like it or not, they're still going strong and deserve more than a bit of local love.And so . . .Happy Valentine's Day to all of Kansas City and hopefully we'll see you beautiful bastards back here for the morning update if neither one of us get the love knife. The President of the EuroGroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem expressed the view that Greece would default if the IMF left the bailout program. During a speech before the Dutch parliament Mr. Dijsselbloem warned that those who claimed Greece would be better off leaving the commonc currency area had no idea what they were talking about. According to Dutch newspaper Financieele, Mr. Dijsselbloem stressed both the European Commissions and the IMFs efforts were directed at averting such a prospect. My job is to stabilise the situation in Greece. This is in the interest of all of us, he said in parliament, according to the newspaper. The head of the EuroGroup added that those floating such an idea were overlooking the huge impact a possible Grexit would have both economically and politically. It should be noted that during the discussion in the Dutch parliament, the Greens supported a partial write-off of the Greek debt that would result in a 90% to GDP ratio. On the matter of a possible Greek debt haircut, Mr. Dijsselbloem pointed out that such an option was currently off the table, claiming that apart from the Germany and the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal also opposed it. 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 Eurostat's figures confirm that the Greek economy is outperforming as it has returned to growth, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday said during a meeting with Pierre Moscovici Eurostat's figures confirm that the Greek economy is outperforming as it has returned to growth, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday said during a meeting with EU Commission for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici. "According to 2017 and 2018 estimates, Greece will have 2.5 percent and 3.0 percent growth rates," he stated. The Greek Prime Minister underlined that these results are the result of the Greek people's sacrifices. Tsipras stressed that everyone must acknowledge the importance of these figures and honour the sacrifices of the Greek people. Enough with austerity in Greece, Tsipras said adding that a discussion of a one euro more of austerity can be damaging. What we need is relief measures, he stated and stressed the importance of creating an alliance of the reasonable states. On his part, Moscovici expressed his optimism over an agreement and the conclusion of the second review of the Greek programme. Moscovici said that we are closer to an agreement and we will be even closer in the next few days. He added that the aim of February 20 Eurogroup is to set the parametres of the agreement. "We need a strong Greece in the core of the eurozone," he said. Moscovici thanked Greece for the progress achieved and stressed the importance of continuing the reforms. 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 Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has sent a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres requesting his intervention on a decision made by the parliament on Friday to refer to the enosis referendum in schools Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has sent a letter to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres requesting his intervention on a decision made by the parliament on Friday to refer to the enosis referendum in schools, an announcement from the so called presidency said on Wednesday. Akinci said in his letter that the reference to the 1950 unofficial referendum would be a blow the efforts to build trust between the two communities in Cyprus and the negotiation process. Earlier, the Turkish Cypriot leader called for a correction to the parliaments decision on the enosis referendum, CNA reported. He added that the process of negotiations would have no point without the correction. We need confidence building measures, we do not need conduct that would erode security, Akinci said. He noted that since he was selected as the Turkish Cypriot leader, he has stood against statements for annexation of the occupied areas and enosis, or union, of the state with Greece. It is our right to await the same behaviour from the Greek Cypriot leader, Akinci said. Akinci added that President Nicos Anastasiades has to take steps to cancel the decision of the parliament, which was made last Friday. ELAM the party that proposed the amendment the Turkish Cypriot leader said is a small party that is dragging the larger parties. He referred to examples of small parties in the UK, which gained ground and influenced the countrys decision to exit the EU. EIDE: TOMORROWS MEETING CRUCIAL Akinci also met with UN Secretary General Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide on Wednesday, ahead of a leaders meeting scheduled for Thursday. After the meeting, Eide said that all the Anastasiades-Akinci meetings are important, but tomorrows was crucial. He added that it is important now to deal with the latest developments to rebuild the trust, which was lost between both communities. Eide said that regardless of how constructive and dedicated the leaders to dealing with the issues that remain, support is needed from both communities, which need to trust one another. The UN envoy noted that the leaders have their role, but the wider community has a role to deal with the issue, because we have come this far, and now we are in the end game. 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 Bentley University, Center for Marketing Technology, in collaboration with Visitor International, undertook consumer research among visitors to 17 locations in North America, Europe and South Africa during the summer of 2016 Bentley University, Center for Marketing Technology, in collaboration with Visitor International, undertook consumer research among visitors to 17 locations in North America, Europe and South Africa during the summer of 2016. The purpose of it was to understand the effectiveness of tourism brochures. Here are 10 ways, confirmed by their research, that brochures positively impact visitors during a trip. 2 out of 3 of visitors picked up a brochure during their trip (67%) The travel plans of almost all of these visitors was influenced by a brochure in market at their destination (95%) More than 4 out of 5 visitors planned to visit an attraction or business as a result of picking up a brochure (83%) Nearly 4 out of 5 visitors would consider altering their plans because of a brochure (78%) 2 out of 3 visitors planned to purchase tickets or merchandise for businesses they learned about from a brochure (65%) 7 out of 10 visitors 6 out of 10 visitors find brochures to be a tangible, easy to use hard copy of information (60%) 6 out of 10 visitors believe brochures are trustworthy (59%) More than half of visitors appreciate that brochures are convenient and always available (53%) More than half of visitors value discounts and coupons in brochures (51%) About City Contact Greece, the research was undertaken by In, the research was undertaken by City Contact which was founded in 1996 in order to provide printed information to foreign and domestic visitors of Greece's major hotels. It has currently developed an Info Stand and Visitor's Free Editions and Brochures information network, collaborating exclusively with 220 top Athens, Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Thessaloniki, Santorini and Mykonos hotels. Moreover, it covers printed information needs of tourists by offering free publications at conferences, travel agencies, public institutions, trade fairs, embassies, yacht marinas, etc. In 2004, City Contact initiated the Athens Walking Tours , drawing upon the extensive experience of its staff, and, ever since, these tours have turned into one of the most acclaimed and innovative tourism activities in Athens. Athens Walking Tours offer today, on a daily and all year round basis, high-quality, historical and gastronomic interest guided tours to visitors of Athens, Chania and other popular Greek tourist destinations. About Visitor International Visitor International is the International Association of Visitor Information Providers. Our member companies around the world specialize in providing client information to visitors during their stay in their destination, to guide them to wonderful experiences. In this way our member companies: British tourists will be the first ones to arrive on the island of Rhodes for 2017 tourist season British tourists will be the first ones to arrive on the island of Rhodes for 2017 tourist season. The tourists will land at Rhodes airport on March 29 with three flights carrying 300 passengers. The first charter flight by EasyJet will land at Diagoras airport at 11.35 followed by a Thomson charter flight expected to land at 13:00 both from Gatwick airport, London. Minutes after another Thomson charter flight will bring tourists from Manchester. The first flight from Scandinavia will be carried by Primavera airline with tourists from Finland landing on Rhodes on Saturday 1 April. The flights to Rhodes will be launched earlier this year due to the fact that the Catholic and Orthodox Easter coincide this year. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report The Malaysian authorities have under custody a woman accused of the murder of North Korean leaders Kim Jong Uns half-brother, Kim Jong Nam. According to the Malaysian news agency Bernama, the woman was arrested in the international airport of Kuala Lumpur. She was alone at the time of her arrest and she had a Vietnamese passport with her. South Koreas National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Kim Jong Nam has been under a kill order since his half-brother took power in 2011, according to opposition politician Kim Byung Kee. 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 UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has launched the plan Dubai 10X, which sets the Government of Dubai on a mission to be 10 years ahead of all other cities. He called on all Dubai Government entities to embrace disruptive innovation as a fundamental mantra of their operations and to seek ways to incorporate its methodologies in all aspects of their work. "With its forward-thinking vision and initiatives, the UAE Government is setting an example for authorities all around the world as it moves from simply forecasting the future to actively working to shape it," Sheikh Mohammed asserted. "Traditionally, governments are known all over the world to be resistant to change and bureaucratic organisations that are last to adopt disruptive innovation. The future is a collection of ideas and ambitions that are made and tested in experimental laboratories, and todays initiative transforms Dubai into the worlds largest laboratory for the governments of the future, he added. "The future will not be as patient with us as the present. The future belongs to those who affect radical changes, not those who make minor, gradual improvements. Today, I am calling on all government leaders and employees to embrace disruptive innovation and find new, creative and truly disruptive approaches and technologies to delivering their mission rather than incremental and minor improvements. We are a young and energetic government who want to be leaders in disruptive innovation and technology, Sheikh Mohammed stated. He went on to state that he would be personally following up on the reports prepared by the teams of experts assembled at all government departments to redefine government work and establish the UAE as the city of the future. "Succeeding in becoming the best government in the world underlies the basic elements of creative disruption, allowing not only our tools and systems to be enhanced, but also our mindsets, to be revamped, upgraded and open to embracing disruption. Dubai and the UAE as a whole is no stranger to raising the bar when it comes to innovation. As we launch Dubai 10X here, at the World Government Summit, we are looking to overhaul the way governments operate, making them all the more future-ready." Disruptive innovation refers to exploiting available technologies to deliver new or existing services in radically different ways that are design-thinking-based and customer-focused, in contrast to incremental innovation, which focuses on making good services better for existing customers. Instead, disruptive innovation will create new operating and business models that replace traditional services and provide multiple times the value for end users and customers. The Dubai 10X requires Dubai government and quasi government entities to produce and implement three specific initiatives and present these to Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Maktoum within the next three months: 1. X-Units for each government entity: the first requirement is for every government entity to set up and staff with adequate resources an independent X-Unit mandated with the objective of finding ways to disrupt their own organisations practices and develop their own moonshot solutions to deliver beyond their mission. This X-Unit, such as the Dubai 10 X RTA Unit or Dubai 10 X DEWA Unit, will report directly to Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Maktoum. 2. Trial and scale radically disruptive organisational structures, systems and technologies: the second requirement is for government entities to develop systems, processes and labs to trial and scale radically disruptive technologies and approaches in order to deliver on their respective missions. This plan will also need to involve reviewing and reconsidering the traditional organisational structure and hierarchies of government organizations and finding new structures that facilitate creative innovation and disruption. 3. Partnering with and facilitating disruptive solutions and removing regulatory obstacles: the third requirement is to develop processes and methodologies that will allow each Dubai government entity to work with truly disruptive companies and start-ups that radically offer better services or allow Dubais residents to lead a happier life. Regulatory obstacles facing such disruptive companies should also be removed to allow for their uninterrupted operations. TradeArabia News Service The American Chamber of Commerce Bahrain (AmCham Bahrain) is gearing up to host this years AmCham Mena Regional Councils annual forum next month, expected to be attended by more than 300 business leaders. Themed SMEs: Unlocking Economic Potential in the Mena Region, the event takes place on March 15 and 16 at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain. The forum will prioritize the delivery of tangible results for attending companies including helping them to connect directly with potential partners, investors and clients and more swiftly scale up for international investment, trade and business engagement through a series of focused strategy discussions, B2B matchmaking and workshops. Qays Zu'bi, president of AmCham Bahrain, said that great interest has been building in the forum from high level delegations of business leaders and decision and policy makers. This includes an expected 300 participants comprising representatives from the US and Mena governments, multilateral financing institutions supporting SME development in the region, as well as key players from the regional SME and entrepreneurship scene. From the private sector, the event will feature representation from Mena Council member AmChams of Abu Dhabi-UAE, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia, in addition to representatives from other regional US Business Councils and a broad range of international and regional business associations. Participants will benefit from a series of high level discussions and commentary on opportunities and effective strategies for business development that will feature at the Forum including coverage of key topics such as: SMEs as key drivers of economic development in the Mena region The Regional SME Ecosystem: A Fresh look at Thriving Techniques SME Financing Opportunities and Export Support Programs The integration of regional SMEs into the supply chain of U.S. and multinational companies in the region In addition to discussion based engagement, the Forum will also offer companies the opportunity to take part in pre-organized B2B meetings and introductions as well as workshops offering practical solutions and support to help in the expansion of markets and achievement of business goals. This years Forum also incorporates a new and exciting feature in line with its focus on SME development. In cooperation with CH9, a company helping startups and SMEs, and with technical and knowledge support provided by Microsoft, a half-day Pitch Session is being organized. This session aims to provide AmCham member companies with the opportunity to present their business case to groups of potential partners, investors and clients in support of accelerating international business growth. A total of 10 AmCham member SMEs from across the region will be selected to present after being shortlisted by the organizers and supporting parties. TradeArabia News Service The Prince Mohamed bin Salman Foundation (MiSK) and Google launched Tuesday an initiative to promote the best practices and knowledge to Saudi youth on how to act smartly and safely online. With the Saudi Ministry of Educations support, We Are All Online will see Google-trained staff from MiSK lead student assemblies in 50 public and private middle schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the second academic semester. The programme leaders will teach students how to act responsibly and safely online using content developed and localized by Google for Saudi schools. We Are All Online will then expand to five other provinces by the beginning of the next academic year. Speaking at the programmes launch in Riyadh, Minister of Education Ahmed Al Eissa reiterated the importance of information security especially among todays youth and the education systems role in spreading digital awareness. The Minister also called upon the students who attended the launch to engage with the programmes trainers and content to make sure they get the best of the initiative. He also expressed his optimism for Kulluna Online. MiSk secretary general Badr bin Mohamed Al Asaker said: Given the notable growth of usage of the digital world whether through regular browsing or instant messaging applications, it was necessary that we find a creative initiative to spread awareness on digital safety. Kulluna Online was the product of MiSKs belief that the Internet has become one of the most important languages of our time and a necessary tool for development. The programme aims to spread digital awareness and to keep up with the latest global practices which ensure safe Internet browsing. We are excited to launch the We Are All Online National Digital Awareness Program here in Saudi Arabia. With our partners at MiSK and the Ministry of Education, we want to equip young Saudis with the best practices and knowledge on how to get the best of the web while acting responsibly and safely online. These assemblies will leave a lasting impact on students and will lead to an even better and safer online community in Saudi Arabia, said Sam Blatteis, Google head of Government Relations and Public Policy for the Gulf. Deputy Minister of Education Dr Mohamed Attia Alharthi said: This programme targets students in both primary and secondary schools and will include hour-long assemblies in each school. It will be executed over four academic semester and we expect that 10,000 students across 50 schools will benefit from the first phase of Kulluna Online, he added. Drawing from everyday-situations and questions young children face online, the content of the assemblies is based on a gamified experience that would help popularize the memorable key insights from the programme. The key pillars of We Are All Online include the following: - Post wisely: The assembly will encourage students to think thoroughly before sharing something online. - Stay secure: Students will learn how to keep their belongings online (pictures, passwords, documents, etc.) secure. - Know your settings: Teachers will walk students through how to navigate and adjust their settings to keep their devices and accounts secure. - How to avoid fraud and identity theft: The programme will help students become more critical of what they see on the web and to seek advice from parents and students. - Importance of being positive online: The programme aims to promote a positive online community where students can feel safe. In addition to the school assemblies, the programme will have its own website where all the material will be available online for anyone to view in Saudi Arabia and beyond. TradeArabia News Service ABB has successfully energised a major substation that will help evacuate power from the Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MBR) Solar Park in Dubai, UAE. The 400/132 kilovolt (kV) gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation has been built for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), the UAEs leading power utility, to connect the second phase of the MBR Solar Park and integrate 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the transmission grid. The utility scale solar photovoltaic plant, which covers 4.5 sq km, will produce enough electricity to serve more than 130,000 people. Its addition to the UAE network displaces the need for power from fossil fuels that would have produced about 250,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, said a statement. Further expansions are planned and the Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park, when completed by 2030, will be spread across a 70-sq-km area, making it the largest single-site solar project in the world with a capacity of 5,000 MW - enough to serve 800,000 homes and help mitigate the impact of around 6.5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. This development supports the UAEs goal to be a global centre of clean energy and a green economy by 2050. We are proud to work with Dewa and be associated with this important project. Our state-of-the-art GIS substation will boost transmission capacity and bring clean solar power to the people said Claudio Facchin, president of ABBs Power Grids Division. Integrating renewables is a key element of our Next Level strategy as a partner of choice for enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid. ABB was responsible for the design, engineering, supply, installation and commissioning of the substation. Key product supplies include 11 bays of 400 kV and 21 bays of compact 132 kV GIS, power transformers and IEC 61850-based open architecture automation and control systems. Dewa works to build world-class energy infrastructure that meets Dubais development demands. This is part of our ongoing efforts to achieve our ambitious strategy and plans, to deliver the highest standards of availability, reliability and efficiency in a sustainable manner, while minimising environmental impact, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa. ABB is a leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport and infrastructure globally. TradeArabia News Service The inaugural Egypt Petroleum Show, set to be the biggest industry event ever seen in North Africa, opened yesterday (February 14) in Cairo with participation from more than 400 exhibiting companies. The debut event, launched by Tarek El Molla, Egypt's Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources, will run until February 16 at the Cairo International Convention Centre (CICEC) Nasr City. The exhibition and conference will host more than 25 technical and strategic conference sessions and in excess of 10,000 visitors. "The new Egypt, which is working on turning its citizens' dreams and aspirations into reality, welcomes and actively supports the convening of this Show. It reflects Egypt's strong, valuable position as an active country in this industry. Egypt's petroleum sector, with the guidance of a dedicated executive committee of industry experts is working to achieve maximum possible use of the event through reviewing and demonstrating research, exploration and production, and investment opportunities, said El Molla. It is anticipated that Egypt will invest more than $14.5 billion into its downstream refining and petrochemical sector in the next five years. Current infrastructure project investments for receiving, transfer, and trading of petroleum products in Egypt stand at EGP8.8 billion ($504 million). "The Egyptian petroleum sector has ambitious plans to jump-start its oil industry, taking it to new horizons. We are investing heavily in the sector, and have successfully launched international bids and concluded new petroleum agreements, the cornerstone of petroleum activities," said the Minister. The Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS 2017 offers the opportunity for graduates through to recently qualified young engineers, geologists and technicians to develop their skills and learn the latest state-of-the-art research and techniques thanks to the EGYPS Graduate Programme. EGYPS Women In Industry programme will celebrate the growing role of women within the North African oil and gas sector. This will include dedicated conference sessions regarding women in upstream, midstream and downstream strategic and technical positions, and the opportunities that lay ahead. Christopher Hudson, president of dmg events, Energy Division, organiser of the conference and exhibition, said: "EGYPS 2017 is the first step in establishing the leading annual platform in North Africa for the oil and gas sector; especially Egypt. With the active support and participation of our local partner ACG-ITF, we are in agreement that choosing Egypt reflects the faith international partners have in its investment climate and its potential for significant economic growth in the near future." "Egypt is clearly a growing market with huge opportunities, and EGYPS presents the first opportunity for local, regional and international players to come together and create a blueprint for the future energy security of Egypt. This inaugural show will provide an opportunity for global buyers and sellers to display their products and services on the exhibition floor, and to establish alliances and partnerships. The conference represents an unparalleled opportunity for the global oil and gas industry to explore the opportunities and challenges of the exciting North African market," he said. EGYPS 2017 is the latest expansion in dmg events' Energy Division conference and exhibition portfolio, which includes some of the world's largest and most important events, including the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), Gastech in Japan, and the Global Petroleum Show (GPS) in Canada. TradeArabia News Service Upon boarding Delta Air Lines 767 you'll find its tray tables turned into works of art that "celebrates themes of optimism, travel, refreshment, and happiness." In cooperation with the Coca-Cola Company, Delta invited 12 artists around the world to showcase their works 35,000 feet above the ground. Each artist delivers their unique style while drawing up inspiration from famous tourists destinations like Amsterdam, Atlanta, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York City, Paris, Sao Paulo, Seattle, Seoul, Shanghai, and Tokyo, according to Cross Roads Today. However, if one can't board to Delta 767, you can find the airlines' tray tables on display at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport between gates A15 and A11. The airport, being the busiest one in the US, was chosen because of foot traffic, making it more visible to the public. Moreover, the exhibit will feature video footages and behind the scenes works of artists painting the tray tables. Among the featured works are the Amsterdam Dutch waffles and bicyclists in a flower-lined street by Sac Magique, to which the artist's attributes to the city he loves in a more quirky manner. Meanwhile, Skip Hursch painted themes about Central American textile design with a contemporary touch and stroke alluding to Mexico City. The Parisian night was captured by James R. Eads in a swirling, effervescent night a little bit reminiscent of Van Gogh's Starry Night. Also, the Hollywood Boulevard work by Stevie Gee got its spot in the airlines' tray tables where they are contrasted with average people walking on the stars of the boulevard. Three Asian countries also made it among the 12 artists. Yulia Brodskaya crafted Seoul's food culture with paper, with Ping Zhu depicting Shanghai street markets and Paola Gracey who painted Tokyo, Japan famous lights and neon signs. Even Atlanta's very own painting made it in the 12 displays with Delta's creative department designer Adam Pinsley and contributed it to Coca-Cola and Delta. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 The trend for best accommodations for 2017 would seem to be not to own a chain of properties, but to own several thousand of them worldwide. Airbnb -- without having to own a single property -- had accomplished this by making a platform for private property owners to share their properties to both luxury and backpacking travelers. The trend of property sharing has yet to disappear, making Airbnb likely to dominate the accommodations industry in 2017. According to Fast Company, Airbnb is the world's most innovative accommodations company despite starting only as a listing platform for private company owners focused on renting out their properties for travelers and now is focusing on "handling users' entire travel experience." Fast Company speculates its deal with another app called "Resy" -- the latter focusing on restaurant reservations -- could mean handling entire itineraries for travelers in the near future. HotelBusiness.com cites data from industry thinktank Tambourine and CBRE that indicate Airbnb has dominated against "traditional hotel stays" in luxury hotels or hostels. CBRE Senior Economist Jamie Lane even indicated that the "switch of travelers for an Airbnb stay" had "the US lose more than 0.9%" in terms of travel profit. The news website said Airbnb's short-term property rental domination would continue based on their figures. The number of Airbnb users, increasing from 17m to 40m in 2015-2016, is an indicator of steady and skyrocketing growth for 2017. Following its profit victories during the Super Bowl of 2017, Airbnb is likely to include and feature luxury properties in its listing. The feature of Lady Gaga's $20 million Super Bowl short-term estate had made Airbnb into a brand that caters to an upscale tier. According to Conde Nast Traveler, Airbnb is potentially tying up deals with Luxury Retreats -- the latter owning more than 4,000 rental properties worldwide from well-provided mountain log cabins to luxurious castles and mansions -- an immense rival who may have interest in sharing mutual profits. The travel news and tips website said the deal has the potential to give Airbnb better chances to include more Canadian luxury properties given Luxury Retreats is a Canadian brand. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 MATTOON -- Business owners, employees and community residents are invited to attend the Our Town Community Update Breakfast meetingfrom 7:30-9 a.m. on March 9. The breakfast is hosted by the Charleston and Mattoon Chambers of Commerce. Key community leaders have been invited to give updates from their perspectives. Speakers at the breakfast include: Brandon Combs (mayor, City of Charleston), Tim Gover (mayor, City of Mattoon), Lynette Drake (interim associate vice president for student affairs, Eastern Illinois University), Dr. Josh Bullock (president, Lake Land College) and Angela Griffin (president/CEO, Coles Together). As part of her update, Angela Griffin will be sharing findings from the recently conducted EIU Economic Impact Study. The impact study generated important data such as the amount of spending done in the community by on-campus student versus an off-campus student, the state and local taxes that are generated by the university, and the number of indirect employees that are a result of the university. The meeting will conclude with time for questions from the attendees for any of the speakers. The breakfast will take place in the banquet facility at the Unique Suites Hotel, 920 West Lincoln Avenue in Charleston. Individual tickets and tables of 8 are available. Tickets are $20 per person for Mattoon and Charleston Chamber members and $30 per person for non-members. A buffet breakfast is included. Community residents are welcome to attend. Registration is required and can be done by going to the Mattoon Chamber website at www.mattoonchamber.com or the Charleston Chamber website at www.charlestonchamber.com. For more information call the Mattoon Chamber at 217-235-5661 or the Charleston Chamber at 217-345-7041. An United Airlines pilot dressed in street clothes went to the cabin, took control of the intercom and began ranting. She began discussing her divorce and firing off about the recent election. The passengers were surprised and scared about the incident. United Airlines Flight 455 was parked at Austin-Bergstom International Airport in Austin and was bound for San Francisco airport, when the incident happened, reports NBC. The pilot appeared to be on a nervous breakdown. The incident happened Saturday evening. The pilot ranted about politics and her personal life, particularly about her recent divorce. She also said something about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton over the intercom. The pilot also mentioned that she was going to be on Oprah. She was visibly agitated before being overcome by tears. It quickly went from playful to scary, according to a passenger. At first the pilot seemed friendly, said Randy Reiss, a passenger, but things took an nervous turn when she mentioned out an interracial couple sitting in first class. Reiss, who tweeted that he felt unsafe and uncomfortable during that point of the rant, proceeded to depart from the plane. Half of the other passengers followed also, said Sylvia Nguessan, another passenger. Reiss tweeted, "So y'all. I'm shaking right now. I just left my United 455 flight 'cos the captain demonstrated that she was not mentally in a safe space." Because of the incident, the flight was delayed for more than two hours. United Airlines confirmed that the pilot was removed the airplane. According to Daily Mail Co UK, a spokesperson for United Airlines responded to the incident while the plane was still on the tarmac: "We hold our employees to the highest standards and replaced this pilot with a new one to operate the flight," the statement read in part. "We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience." See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Smoking is one of the deadliest habits around the world. According to the World Health Organization, around 6 million people every year die in connection with smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer. Countries all over the world have their own platforms in trying to lessen the amount of smoking in their citizens, but Russia has decided to take it one step further: The country proposed to ban smoking altogether. The proposal states that in 2033, those born after 205 will not be allowed to buy or smoke cigarettes anymore, the offense would be treated harshly and its degree of severity is equivalent to purchasing illegal drugs. President Vladimir Putin, a nonsmoker, supports the ban. Over the last few years he has exercised strict rules to curb smoking in his country. Now, smoking is banned in most public places and restaurants, and he has increased the taxes on several tobacco products. Russia is one of the top countries in the world with a high smoking population. But because of the recently enforced laws, the percentage of smoking Russians is slowly dwindling; something its Health Ministry is treating as a success. But what they really want is the approval of the smoking ban proposal to be in effect in 2033. According to Nikolai Gerasimenko, a member of the Russian parliament's health committee, "This goal is absolutely ideologically correct." But some lawmakers worry about the effects of banning cigarette sales completely. Elena Topoleva-Soldunova of the Russian public chamber thinks that this step would just encourage smokers to use counterfeit tobacco products, which are more dangerous to the health. Others also think about the rate of possibility of this ban. Some countries have tried to ban smoking completely, like in Bhutan, but it didn't stop the smoking locals to purchase illegal cigarettes from India. The proposal is still under talks and intensive study before it can be approved. Marina Gambaryan, an expert at the Health Ministry, said: "By 2033, the ban on the sale of tobacco products to people born after 2014 will not seem an extreme measure, but an entirely logical development of events." See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 The man who once won The Best Job in The World as a caretaker of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef is taking his job to a whole new level. Now, he's going to get paid to travel the world and the best part is that he can take his wife with him. Ben Southall became the talk of the town back in 2009 when he was chosen to be the caretaker of a paradise island in Australia. According to Saxton, Southall bagged a job that payed him AUD$150,000 that included accommodation and the chance to explore the area. For six months, he spent his days blogging and video recording his activities. However, when his contract with the management expired, he decided not to return to his old job as an event organizer. But now he's back on track and the Daily Mail reported that Southall was hired by the tourism board in Australia and New Zealand to explore the different attractions in the world. Along with his wife, Sophee, the married couple are now traveling the world while getting paid to do it. The two are documenting their travels and adventures while posting it on their travel blog called The Best Life In The World. In some of their adventures, the couple are seen longboarding in Tasmania and cruising a 54,000 mile trip from Singapore to London in a Landrover. The married couple met back in an event while Ben was hosting an awards ceremony. Since then, the two haven't stayed in one place and started to explore the world. Sophie is also a travel blogger after she quit her job back in Brisbane in a publishing company. But it's not all fun and games because the couple was once chased by an angry mob. However, Ben expressed his feelings about traveling with his wife and said, "The benefits are you get to enjoy and share the experience of some of the world's most stunning places together." See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 The Sichuan cuisine is considered to be one of the eight great Chinese cuisines because of its bold and unique flavors that are derived mostly on the spiciness and pungency of different chilis and spices particulary the Sichuan peppers. And for chilli-lovers and everyone who wants to indulge in the authentic Sichuan flavors, the best place to find the legendary Sichuan classics in on Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province. Chengdu is popular in China because of its wide range of food choices - from streetfoods, hotpots, noodles, mapo tofu, and other Sichuan dishes. If you are planning to go on a foodtrip to Chengdu, here are some of the things that you must not dare to miss. The Chuan Chuan Xiang Skewers Chuan Chuan Xiang Skewers is popular in Chengdu especially for groups of customers who come in bulk. This dish is one of the classics in Chengdu and in fact, you can find stalls and restaurants selling Chuan Chuan Xiang Skewers in almost every corner of Chengdu. All you have to do is to pick the skewers with the raw vegetable, meat, enoki mushrooms or bean curd of your choice then let the servers cook them for you. The skewers that you chose will be cooked in an extremely hot and spicy broth that is filled with Sichuan peppers and then serve to you with the same soup where the skewered meats or veggies are cooked. Zhangfei beef According to Top China Travel, just like the Chuan Chuan Xiang, Zhangfei beef can be found all over Chengdu. It is a Chinese specialty with a powerful hint of the spicy Sichuan flavour. The packaging of the Zhangfei beef is derived from its own brand culture showing the signature traditional face make-up from the Culture of the Chinese Three Kingdoms. Zhangfei beef is composed of beef jerky that is of different sizes that is spiced with the unique Sichuan flavors. Spicy Mung Bean Jelly Noodles Commonly known in Chengdu as the Liangfen, the Spicy Mung Bean Jelly Noodles is actually a must-try when you are going on a foodtrip to Chengdu. It is a traditional Sichuan dish that is composed with thick and translucent noodles that is made from mung bean starch. After being boiled in water, the noodles are then tossed in a savory sauce that is flavoured with a lot of chilli oil, Sichuan peppers, sesame paste, julienned carrot, crushed garlic, say sauce and vinegar. According to the Food Ranger, the best place to go on for a bowl of Spicy Mung Bean Jelly Noodles is on Dongzi wei zhang lao er liangfen. Husband and Wife Lung Slices Traditionally called as the Fuqi feipian, the "Husband and Wife Lung Slices" is a well-known Sichuan dish that is served either cold or hot and as an appetizer. The dish is composed of thin slices of beef and beef offal that is bathed in a savory combination of Sichuan peppercorns, a lot of chilli oil, sugar, garlic, and vinegar. As time went by, the original ingredient of the dish which was beef or beef offal was replaced by a variety of lamb and other meat slices. However, many customers, especially the locals, still prefer to order the traditional one. Mapo tofu Mapo tofu is also known on the Sichuan cuisine as the "Pockmarked grandma's tofu". The dish is considered to be one of the most in-demand Sichuan dishes of all times. It is typically a tofu set in a spicy, thick sauce that is bean-based and topped with minced meat that can usually be either beef or pork. Mapo tofu is also regularly cooked with fermented black beans also known as he douchi. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Wedding is definitely one of the most memorable events that will ever happen in a person's life. And since it happens only once, well, for others, you really have to make the most out of it and assure that everything will be perfect as you have planned it to be. Most women dream of exchanging vows with their partner in a beach wedding. However, the idea is often being screwed because of the limited budget the couples have for their wedding plans. Little do these women know that being wed beside a crystal clear sea with the sunset in their backdrop is not always expensive as they expect them to be. We listed some of the most affordable beach wedding destinations that you might want to consider on your wedding. 1. Belize With low costs on airfare as if you are going to Mexico or other nearby destinations, a wedding in the seaside of Belize is perfect and definitely budget-friendly. According to Belize Weddings, the white sand beaches of Belize is an ultimate choice for the most memorable wedding experience as the couple and the guests will witness a beautiful beachside wedding while enjoying a candid view of the Caribbean Sea. Also, lobster is one of the local specialties of Belize and is sold on a cheaper price. Therefore, you can serve and impress your guests with a sumptuous lobster dinner without falling off the limit of your budget. 2. Dominican Republic A wedding on the white-sand beaches of the Dominican Republic will give you an opportunity to explore the wonders of nature and indulge yourself in several outdoor activities without even worrying about your budget. Aside from the clear blue seas and perfect white sand beaches, Dominican Republic is also rich when it comes to amazing rainforests, mangroves and underwater caves. With a view of both the Caribbean and the Atlantic, a wedding in the Dominican Republic will let you celebrate romance and adventure all at the same time. 3. Negril, Jamaica With over 700 miles of white and gold sand beaches, Negril, Jamaica is definitely one of the most affordable yet one of a kind beach wedding destinations you have to choose from, the Destination Weddings says. Negril is where you can find the most beautiful sunsets in Jamaica without spending too much of your money. Negril is also known because of its Seven Mile Beach which is considered to be the perfect destination for beach weddings not only in Jamaica but in nearby states as well. 4. Destin, Florida Beach weddings and even vow renewals are best celebrated in a wonderful beach destination. And if you are going on a beach wedding with only limited resources on your pockets, Florida is the perfect choice for you and for your future husband or wife. And for budget-friendly weddings in Florida, Destin offers less expensive nuptials compared to that of Miami and Panama City. The beaches in Destin drops-off rates especially when it is not peak season so you can actually save a lot while living the Florida wedding of your dream. 5. Maine This Northernmost state in the East Coast is among the top choices of couples who plan to go on a budget-friendly beach wedding. With more than 9,000 weddings each year, Maine will give you a picture-perfect beach wedding that you have never imagined. With its natural beauty and a winding coastline, Maine has an impressive collection of rustic beach wedding destinations on a spectacular beach waterfront. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Being a part of the Seven Wonders of the World, the ancient pyramids of Giza are truly magnificent edifices that signify the rich history and culture of Egypt. Scientists have discovered a lot of information about the pyramids but there are still more questions to be answered. Here are five interesting facts about Egypt's pyramids. Who Built the Pyramids? A lot of stories coming from movies, documentaries and books tell about how Egypt enslaved people to build the pyramids. It's true that the ancient civilization did use slavery but a lot of Egyptians were also employed to build the pyramids. According to USA Today, there were also other workers like cooks, bakers, medicine men and priests, who helped indirectly in the construction. When Were the Pyramids Built? Pyramids weren't continuously built all throughout the reign of the pharaohs. One of the first pyramids were built around 2630 B.C which was the Step Pyramid of Djoser. It was then followed by the Pyramids of Giza. But the whole pyramid construction halted after the sixth dynasty ended. How Were the Pyramids Built? Many archeologists have researched about the building methods of the Egyptians. It's quite a marvel how these huge structures had withstood the test of time. It is believed that limestone blocks were used and carved using copper chisels. The workers would have the blocks float to the construction site whenever the Nile River overflows. What Were the Materials Used? A lot of scientists say that limestone was the main material used. However, some studies show that there were other elements found in the pyramid's composition. It is believed that some parts of the pyramids had some concrete in it. What Were the Pyramids' Purpose? Egyptians believe that when a pharaoh dies, his spirit must be properly cared for. According to History, the pyramids were built to house the pharaoh's spirit as it ascends into the heavens to join the sun god Ra. Until this day, a lot of scientists are still unraveling facts about the pyramids. The mystery and the beauty of the pyramids are something that needs to be experienced. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Italy is one of the most popular romantic destinations which opens all year round to accommodate travelers from all over the world. But with that being said, it can get a bit crowded and expensive at times. It is important to know some travel tips as to when to visit Italy. Ideal Seasons According to Frommer's, April to June and mid-September to October are the ideal months if you want lesser crowds but still have the comfortable daytime temperatures with picturesque rural scenes. However, late October has a shorter operation time since hotels are closed for renovation and redecoration. Seasonal Rates Another consideration is the fluctuating rates and prices. Hotel prices in Rome and Florence surge high during May and June due to peak tourist seasons. While mid-September to March offers cheaper airline fares as well as lower rates for apartments and villas. But if you're looking for the best deals, winter is the best time except on Christmas breaks. Culinary Calendar USA Today suggests that travelers should consult the kitchen calendar which caters two seasons. The fall season allows you to party in the well-known grape harvest and to experience the chestnut roasting in the famous paved streets. The springtime is a culinary experience with its fresh fava beans garnished with pecorino cheese and a scene of busy markets displaying their fresh native produce. August Advice If you love the summer's warmth, August is ideal for you with the rates getting cheaper in Florence, Rome and less teeming attractions. Aside from that, you would surely enjoy the free cultural events and concerts that Rome offers. But a tour in Turin and Milan should be unmarked on your list since they become temporary ghost towns. There is much to explore in Italy but be mindful of the travel tips that would definitely help you get the best deals. Always consider the ideal season for the fun activities and the culinary calendar for the authentic Italian food experience. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Lapland is famed for its wintery glory and a lof of tourists like the place due to its picturesque view, outdoor activities and the magnificent aurora borealis light display. But it's not all snow, you can try hiking or just enjoying the lake during the summer . Here are five things every traveler must do when visiting Lapland, Finland. Ice-swimming According to Lonely Planet, the Sampo offers a four-hour cruise with meals and reindeer visits through snowmobiles. To complete the experience, tourists get a chance to swim in the thick ice with the use of special drysuits. Husky Tours Another experience is to visit one of Lapland's husky farms and avail this somehow pricey but worthwile excursion. It's a chance to be pulled by expertly trained dogs for an hour and a half ride. Make sure to take lots of pictures especially when you're taking control of the sleigh. Ice fishing Mirror reported that Northern Finland's lakes are the perfect spot to catch local fishes such as the Arctic Char. Their three to five-hour tour includes ice fishing complete with hot dogs and hot drinks on the side. What can be more relaxing than that? Reindeer rides Lapland is blessed with a vast number of reindeer farms. Nothing completes a reindeer experience than a chance to visit the farm itself. Guests can also avail a five-year certificate to drive a reindeer sleigh in any part of the world. Tobongganing To complete the authentic Lapland experience, one must try Europe's longest toboggan run. Be courageous to take the long walk up and then have the most memorable ride sliding down. Lapland doesn't only make your fantasies come true, being the home of Santa Clause himself, but it's a place jam-packed with outdoor activities. Most activities are specifically planned for to showcase the beauty of Lapland. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has demanded an immediate inquiry into the ties between Russia and the Trump Administration. This latest report came after the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn. Warren posted a series of tweets on her Twitter account on Tuesday morning, demanding a "real bipartisan, transparent inquiry into Russia." She also questioned what kind of role the Trump administration had in Flynn's communications with Moscow. The senator also questioned President Donald Trump's knowledge of the situation. "This.Is.Not.Normal. @realDonaldTrump owes Americans a full account of his admin's dealings with Russia, both before and after the election", she said in a tweet. She even claimed that Flynn could have been used a scapegoat by the Trump administration in its relationship with Russia. She called Flynn's resignation a "win for American values" and described his "blinding hatred and shady Russian ties" as a couple of reasons why he was not qualified to be a National Security Advisor. Flynn resigned from his position last Monday after reports surfaced about he had misled Vice President Andrew Pence and other senior White House officials about his communications with Russia. According to The Hill, Flynn had reportedly been discussing sanctions made against Moscow during the Obama era before Trump was sworn into office as president. Warren joins a list of Democrats who want an investigation on the Trump's administration's relationship with Russia and are using Flynn's resignation as a basis for it. Fellow Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey also wants an investigation into the Trump-Russia ties. According to a report by The Guardian, President Trump had allegedly known about Flynn's communications with Moscow for weeks. Flynn's resignation came as a result of an "eroding level of trust" and not because of a potential violation of the law. Flynn stepped down after only 24 days as the Trump administration's National Security Adviser. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 The world faces the prospect of more tension with China over trade, security and human rights after Xi Jinping awarded himself another five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party and called for self-reliance in technology, a stronger military and protection of core interests abroad. At a party congress, Xi gave no sign of plans to change the "zero-COVID strategy that has frustrated Chinas public and disrupted business and trade. He called for faster military development and announced no change in policies that strain relations with Washington and Asian neighbors. Xi is tightening control at home and trying to use Chinas economic heft to increase its influence abroad. CHARLESTON -- Fall enrollment numbers are historically higher than numbers in the spring, and this year was no different, according to Eastern Illinois University spring enrollment numbers. According to this years official enrollment figures, which were provided upon request, 5,270 undergraduate and 1,403 graduate students, a total of 6,673, are attending Eastern this semester. This is a decrease of 742 students from the falls enrollment of 7,415. This was expected, according to university officials. Given that 749 academic degrees and certificates were awarded in December and a smaller influx of freshmen come in halfway through the academic year, that decrease was not a surprise, they say. Fall-to-spring enrollment numbers are traditionally down -- in large part, a result of the number of students who graduate at the end of the fall semester, said Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs. There were no surprises there. However, in comparison with spring 2016 numbers, this semester's enrollment was still a stark decline. Official numbers show that 7,876 students were attending the university just a year before. That is a difference of 1,203 students. A more granular breakdown depicts declines in enrollment in each class. The figures show that (as compared with spring 2016 figures in parentheses) there are 791 (1,084) freshmen, 959 (1,143) sophomores, 1,318 (1,655) juniors and 2,160 (2,562) seniors. Beyond the undergraduate level, there are 42 (49) post-baccalaureate undergraduates and 1,403 (1,383) graduate students. Kelly Miller, admissions director, said these enrollment figures can be attributed to several external issues facing aspects of higher education. She listed the state of Illinois' finances and the uncertainty citizens are facing when deciding how much of an impact the state budget woes are having on higher education. However, Miller also mentioned Monetary Award Program grant payment uncertainties have also deterred people, even though Eastern is still covering MAP grant funding while the state is not. Outside of broad strokes, the university is seeing minor improvements in other categories, such as international student enrollment. The number of international students shows an increase of more than 14 percent in a years time -- from 382 in spring 2016 to 436 this spring. To combat negative news and uncertainty spilling out of Springfield from state lawmakers, Miller noted the university has been leaning more heavily than in years past on marketing. She cited numerous advertisements that have and are expected to run in newspapers, radio stations, movie theaters and other media outlets in hopes of reaching out to prospective students across the state. The admissions department also has been stepping up its outreach to prospective students with new initiatives and events to hopefully spark more or continued interest in the university, she said. She mentioned events such as receptions in the St. Louis and Chicago areas for admitted students, something not done before. Miller said she also has hope for what the ideas and directions the recommendations made by the Vitalization Project will do for the university moving forward. She said her focuses are lying on what she and the university can control, instead of what they cannot at the state level. We are working on what we can control, she said. (State lawmakers) are not going to ride in on a white horse and save us. University President David Glassman has said one of his goals is to eventually push enrollment back up to 9,000. Other figures listed in the official release of the enrollment numbers include: Minorities represent nearly 26 percent of Easterns enrollment with 15 (18 in 2016) American Indian/Alaskan Native, 74 (86) Asian, 1,073 (1,244) black, 418 (444) Hispanic, five (three) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 141 (151) two or more races. The number of participants (both on and off campus) taking advantage of the program providing out-of-state students with in-state tuition prices is as follows: Indiana, 94 (104); Iowa, 24 (18); Kentucky, 10 (10); Michigan, 19 (14); Missouri, 67 (54); and Wisconsin, 45 (35). Visit.org is Changing Global Access to Impactful Travel (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - February 15th, 2017 Visit.org is the debut marketplace for social impact travel experiences hosted by social ventures (nonprofits and other community-based enterprises) around the world. The startup is committed to the United Nations Year of Sustainable Travel with goals that align with the mandate to create sustainable consumption for travelers. Visit.org was established in response to the travel industrys immense potential to generate economic sustainability for local communities. The $7T travel industry is the worlds top economic driver yet only 5% of earnings are left in local hands. The only entities that can guarantee that revenue from tourism activities stays in local hands are the local social ventures that offer access to their unique cultures. The platforms technology enables these social ventures to create and market mainstream tourism products that will finance their missions using modern business practices. Globally, there are 10M do-good organizations out of which at least 100K have the ability to offer excursions. Meanwhile, the demand for authentic travel has been growing 65% year over year since 2009. Visit.org offers immersive and impactful travel experiences hosted by social initiatives to raise awareness and increase revenue for their causes. The objective is to offer authentic activities that are unique to the organizations cause and can be added to any trip itinerary. 100% of hosts revenue is invested back into the local community. Visit.org reverses the traditional model of voluntourism; instead of the visitor providing a service to the local community, the local community provides a service to the visitor in the form of an immersive experience. Travelers may learn Peruvian weaving with Awamaki artisans ($60), cook traditional meals with immigrants in New York City ($124), or save sea turtles in Athens, Greece ($21). Once a person interacts with an organization they tend to become long-term advocates. In addition, 30% of the guests book another Visit.org activity within a week after their first transformational experience. We have an extensive vetting process with criteria requirements that ensure organizations are benefiting local communities in a meaningful, lasting way. Our set of values promotes cross-cultural understanding and respecting local customs. Michal Alter, Co-Founder and CEO of Visit.org. Visit.org is the worlds largest platform for community-driven travel experiences, growing at a monthly rate of 24%. The platform offers 500 short activities in 64 countries that promote causes such as the environment, womens empowerment, human rights, animal welfare, and heritage preservation. Prior to joining Visit.org many of these organizations did not offer a mainstream tourism product or have a meaningful digital presence. A global network of 200+ remote travel Ambassadors help improve partners Visit.org profiles through their professional photography, videography and storytelling. In addition, Ambassadors assist in identifying and vetting new partner organizations. They also provide partners with advice and ongoing feedback to enhance their tourism offerings. About Visit.org Inc.: Visit.org is a NY-based startup founded in 2015 and is the worlds leading platform for social impact travel experiences hosted by do-good organizations. 100% of hosts' revenue is invested back into the local communities. The platform offers 500 immersive and impactful travel experiences in 64 countries. Visit.org won Columbia Business Schools award for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Inc. Magazine and Salesforces annual Small Business Big Impact competition. Key business partnerships include Expedia and TripAdvisor. Visit.org, meet the world in person! Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn and the Visit.org Blog. Contact: Lola Mendez, Business Development and Communications, Lola.Mendez@visit.org ### Researchers studying sharks are able to identify individual sharks by the markings on the edge of their dorsal fins. Much like a fingerprint, each shark has its own unique pattern of bumps, notches and scars. When studying shark populations, researchers have had to manually compare old images with new ones to sort out sharks they've already identified from new ones, a task that can be very time consuming. Dr. Sara Andreotti, a marine biologist in the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa knew there had to be a better way. For six years, she had built a database of great white sharks she's seen off the coast of South Africa, with profiles on each individual, including DNA information if she and her colleagues had been able to collect a biopsy. She wanted to have a faster way to pair new photographs with her detailed database. Andreotti sought help from the university's applied math department where a specialist in machine learning knew exactly how to tackle the problem. They built an image recognition software called Identifin that traces a line along the notches on the back edge of the dorsal fin in a photograph and then matches that line to existing images in the database. The existing images are ranked in order of likelihood of it being a match, with the photo in the number one spot being the correct one if it's an already known shark. Stellenbosch University If the photo in the number one spot doesn't match, it's a new shark. "Previously, while at sea, I had to try and memorize which shark is which, to prevent sampling the same individual more than once," said Andreotti. "Now Identifin can take over. I will only need to download the new photographic identifications from my camera onto a small field laptop and run the software to see if the sharks currently around the boat have been sampled or not." "By knowing which sharks had not been sampled before we can focus the biopsy collections on them. This saves us both time and money when it comes to genetic analysis in the laboratory." On a larger scale, if software like this can be become the industry standard for marine biologists, researchers will be able to compare their data to others around the world and get a full picture of the distribution great white sharks and other species as well. The next step for the team is to tweak the software so that it can be used for a variety of large marine animals and make it accessible to other researchers. MATTOON (JG-TC) -- The Regional Office of Education was given some access to sales tax money expected to funnel into Mattoon schools from the state after a school board vote Tuesday. The Mattoon school board approved a resolution that essentially allows the regional office to keep the interest collected from the Coles County Facilities Tax money coming down from the state for the short period it is in the regional office's "bank account," Larry Lilly, Mattoon superintendent, said. Lilly explained that the state collects the tax money and that money is sent to the regional office to be sent to the school districts. For the short period of time that the regional office has the money, interest grows on it. As previously reported, Lilly said the agreement would allow them to retain that interest. Lilly said it will essentially offset facilitation costs for the regional office. Should every district in the county OK this agreement, this interest is expected to amount to roughly $50 total each time the money runs through the regional office. In other action Tuesday evening, First Mid-Illinois Insurance Group and Dimond Brothers Insurance, both in Mattoon, presented offers of insurance proposals to the school board. Earlier, the district started soliciting for bids for insurance services outside of health insurance. This includes property, casualty, workers compensation, school board legal, and other commercial insurance. An insurance broker will be chosen later on. Also approved Tuesday: Next years school calendar. According to the calendar, the first day of school will be Aug. 15, and high school graduation is scheduled for May 25, 2018. Tribune News Service Amritsar, February 15 The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), a city-based NGO, has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court to impress upon the Union and state governments on resumption of international flights. The AVM president, Kulwant Singh Ankhi, stated that the High Court (HC) on Monday put the Centre and Punjab government on notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking resumption of non-stop international Air India flights from Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport to London, Birmingham, Milan, Vancouver, Toronto, besides other destinations. He said the HC Bench of Justice SS Saron and Justice Darshan Singh also put Air India and Jet Airways on notice. The petition was filed by the AVM through its president Ankhi. It was argued that stopping of direct international flights from the airport was causing inconvenience, mental and physical harassment to the public at large and also financial loss to the government exchequer. The direction has also been sought for Jet Airways, to start non-stop flights to Abu Dhabi and other countries from Amritsar, besides telling Centre to contact international airlines including Turkish Airways, Air Asia Malaysia, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Oman Air and Saudi Airlines, to know whether they were willing to start direct flights from Amritsar. The petitioner has also sought directions to declare Hub and Spoke Policy of Air India null and void. Under the facility, international passengers are required to clear immigration and security at the boarding airport, but no check is done at the last point of exit. Direct international flights from Amritsar to Kabul were started in 1960. Air India started direct flights from Amritsar to Birmingham with a stop at Moscow in 1982. In 2010, Air India and other private airlines either cancelled or diverted many international flights from Amritsar airport via Delhi to benefit the newly-constructed airport at the Capital, alleged the petitioner. He further claimed that Air India also announced a policy that all its international flights would depart only from Delhi and Mumbai airports and passengers from all over India would be connected via these two airports using Hub and Spoke Flights. After privatisation of the Delhi international airport and diversion of flights from Amritsar, footfall of international passengers fell drastically from 80 per cent to 30 per cent at the Amritsar airport. It shows the great injustice being done with Amritsar airport, the petitioner had argued. The court has also been requested to issue directions to equip the airport with infrastructure facilities such as food court, business class lounges, parking and functioning of all aero-bridges, he said. Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 15 In a major step towards creating bigger public sector banks through consolidation and gaining global scale, the Union Cabinet today approved the merger plan of SBI and its five associate banks but did not take a decision with regard to Bharatiya Mahila Bank. The associate banks which will be merged with SBI are: State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Travancore (SBT), State Bank of Patiala (SBP) and State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH). The Cabinet had earlier in-principle cleared the merger proposal. It had gone to the Boards of various banks which have granted the approvals. The recommendations of the Boards were considered today and the Cabinet cleared the proposal, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. He said with this merger, the SBI will also become a very large bank, not merely from a domestic point of view but actually a global player in its very size. On the proposal to merge Bharatiya Mahila Bank with SBI, Jaitley said, It is under consideration as of now. We have not taken any decision related with that today. Chandigarh, February 15 Experts today deliberated upon Brexit Challenges and opportunities for India during a panel discussion at the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh. The panel of experts comprised David Lelliot, British Deputy High Commissioner, Bhaswati Mukherjee, former Indian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Prof Sucha Singh Gill, former Director General, CRRID and VK Sibal, former member, Punjab Human Rights Commission. Assuring the gathering that Brexit will have no negative impact on the relations between the UK and India or trade between the two, the British Deputy High Commissioner said Britain wanted to do trade with all countries, including India. Appreciating the India-UK ties, he said he hoped that more Indian students and highly skilled workers would opt to go to the UK. He emphasised that the UK needed a fair and controlled immigration policy. In her address, Mukherjee emphasised that the United Kingdoms exit from the European Union (EU) would have wide-ranging ramifications on not just Europe but also on countries across the world, including India. The Indian diaspora that had voted against Brexit, will be impacted as their mobility will be sharply affected, thereby affecting their trade., she said. She also stressed that Brexit was a huge challenge, which can be difficult to manage for the UK. The UK within the EU is a much more attractive proposition to India than the UK without EU, Mukherjee remarked. Prof Gill, in his address, opined that Brexit was a sign of weakness rather than strength. Currently, power belongs to Asia rather than Europe or America, he said. Britains exit represents a process in the western world towards moving against globalisation. Brexit is a move towards protectionism, taken in the garb of protecting workers rights and wages, he said. The more Britain will withdraw, deeper the crisis will be. If you go in a cocoon, your thinking gets cocooned. Brexit will create chaos. It will mark the beginning of an era of protectionism in the world. TNS Akash Ghai Tribune News Service Mohali, February 15 Despite having 24X7 foolproof security arrangements for three strongrooms, where EVMs of three Assembly constituencies of Mohali district have been kept at the District Administrative Complex here, an intruder has reportedly managed to sneak in. If three activists of the Aam Aadmi Party, who were keeping an eye on the strongrooms through CCTV cameras here today, are to be believed, a rat has entered one of the heavily guarded strongrooms, having EVMs of the Mohali constituency, and is roaming around freely there. The rat is seen moving from one corner to the other every now and then, claimed Beant Singh, Jaswinder Singh and Balbir Singh, the three AAP activists deputed to keep an eye on movements near the strongrooms. It is an unwanted guest; in fact, an intruder, which has managed to break the three-tier security cover to enter the strongroom, said the AAP activists smilingly. Beant Singh said they conveyed their concern over the presence of the rat in the strongroom to the authorities concerned as it could cause damage to the EVMs lying there. We were told that the EVMs have been properly covered and the rat would not be able to damage these, said the AAP activists. However, there are paper slips pasted on the covers of the EVMs and the rat could damage these, said the activists. Mohali District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner DS Mangat said, We checked the CCTV footage, but could not find the rat. Even if it (rat) is there, it wont be able to damage anything. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 15 Slain Akansh Sens close friend Shera, whom Sen had come to pick up from a house in Sector 9, was present at the spot when the victim was run over by a BMW car on February 9. The police said Shera was outside the house while Deep Singh was inside when the incident took place. Akansh, Himachal Chief Ministers nephew, was one of the owners of BoomBox Cafe in Sector 9. On the day of the incident, Akansh, along with a friend, had gone to a common friends place in Sector 9 where they had a party. The victims friend, Shera, had an altercation with the accused there. According to the complaint, the victim and his friend later came to Sector 18, leaving Shera behind in Sector 9. Fearing that Shera and the accused might have a tiff again, the victim decided to bring Shera back. It was then that the victim had an altercation with the accused and was run over by the car. Ram Gopal, DSP (Central), said Shera was at the spot outside the house when the incident took place. The DSP said 25 teams had been sent to Punjab, Haryana and Delhi for conducting raids. A raid was also conducted in Gurugram at an address provided by the victims family. However, the address was found to be wrong. The BMW car used in the crime is yet to be recovered by the police. The BMW car, owned by Randhawa, is registered on an address of Sector 22. His relative, who is in the Punjab Police, lives in that house, said a police official. Accused havent withdrawn money from account Police sources said the two accused booked for murdering Akansh had not withdrawn money from their bank accounts since the day of the crime. Rachna Khaira Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 15 The city is all set to witness the states first South Asia Trade Fair and Consumer Expo from February 16 to 20 at Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Hall here. The expo organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be the first of its kind as it will witness participation of over 70 exhibitors from six countries Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Iran and Thailand, besides India. RS Sachdeva, Chairman, Punjab Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said besides consumer goods, the expo would also offer Pakistani cuisines and cultural programmes every evening. There is a dire need to increase Indian exports to South Asian countries which at present stands at a mere 15 per cent of the total Indian export. Such events will boost the bilateral trade relations, especially between India and Pakistan, and also among other South Asian countries, he said. Sachdeva said each trader had been provided with a swiping machine and Paytm facility so that consumers could make purchases without any hassle. He said while an exhibition was held every year in Amritsar in association with the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, this is the first time that more South Asian countries too were roped in. Sachdeva added that the second edition of the expo would be held in Chandigarh in April this year. South Asia a populous region of two billion people lags behind other parts of the world in regional trade. Economists compare the meagre five per cent of trade in this bloc to the more robust 25 per cent in the Association of South East Asian Nations. The cross-border trade has been restricted between the regions two biggest countries, India and Pakistan, due to their hostile ties. A 2005 agreement to turn the region into a free trade zone has failed to yield substantive results. High tariffs remain an impediment. Tribune News Service Jalandhar, February 15 The city police today busted a gang of fake travel agents, who had duped over 71 persons in the past two years, and arrested three of its members. While giving details about the modus operandi of the gang, ACP (Central) Manpreet Singh Dhillon said the kingpin of the gang, Pandya, a resident of Malaysia, had opened a fake firm in Kuala Lumpur and was duping people on the pretext of providing them jobs in the company. He had come to Punjab in 2015 and had formed a gang of four persons and placed them in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Moga to get clients. Soon his business flourished and they began to charge up to Rs 75,000 from each of the aspirants, Dhillon said. The ACP (Central) said Pandya came to India on February 3 and was staying with his friend Ramandeep, alias Babbu. The police after receiving information raided the spot and arrested Pandya, along with his other three accomplices. The three arrested accused were identified as Darshan Singh, a resident of Amritsar, and Satnam Singh and Ramandeep Singh, alias Babbu, of Jalandhar. The police also recovered five passports, a laptop, a mobile phone, Rs 17,670 in cash, 55 Malaysian ringgit and two Singapore dollars from Pandya. Five passports from Darshan Singh and three passports from Babbu were also seized. Though the gang has received over Rs 70,000 from each of the 71 aspirants, it has not provided even a single visa to any of them. The police have registered a case under Sections 406, 420, 465, 467, 468 and 471 and 120-B of the IPC. A case was also registered against Sandeep Singh, a resident of Moga, and Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Hoshiarpur, who too were part of the gang and at present staying in Malaysia. Lt Gen (retd) Bhopinder Singh RAJYA Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar's appeal to Members of Parliament to declare Pakistan a "terrorist state" and snap all economic, trade and cultural ties is well meant, though insufficient in changing the essential ground realities. The evidence to nail Pakistan's complicity in terror is incontrovertible and universally acknowledged, with the hard data since 1998 showing14,741 civilian and 6,274 security personnel killed in terror attacks, which can be directly linked to the progenitors in Pakistan. However, labelling a country unilaterally or even multilaterally does not lead to tangible course-correction. It only appeals to the constituents and cadres, internally. Declarations by forums like the UN, for anointing nations, entities or individuals as "terrorists" or "terror sponsors" is becoming irrelevant. This is due to the sophistry of the procedures involved in the designation and the subsequent inability to enforce tangible restrictions and punitive actions. The UN declaration of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed on December 10, 2008, (resolution 1822), as being associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba and Al-Qaida and for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts of activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of" both entities, mattered little to the Pakistani state. Pakistan allowed a free reign to the fugitive with civil impunity, as the Pakistanis maintained that India ostensibly lacked, "evidence nor any real proof behind their allegations". That the UN declared him a terrorist and that the US had placed a $10-million bounty on his head, besides the ban was simultaneously enforced on Hafiz Saeed's organisation by other countries like UK, Russia, Australia, EU etc. was of no consequence to the Pakistani establishment and narrative. Similarly, the contradictory optics of Pakistan's "all-weather friend" China vetoing the designation of the Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief, Masood Azhar as a "Global Terrorist" at the UN is to be contrasted with the shocking delisting and lifting of sanctions against another virulently anti-India terrorist, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, known as the "Butcher of Kabul". The leader of the Hezb-e-Islami faction, he is infamous for his single-handed plunder and massacre in Afghanistan. The recent pardon inked by the Afghan government led to the lifting of UN sanctions and the political rehabilitation of the warlord, who remains unrepentant, even after his established scale of brutality. In the case of Masood Azhar, unlike earlier when the proposal was initiated by India, the latest proposal to seek his branding as a terrorist was initiated by the US, UK and France. Yet, China thought it prudent to put the same on technical hold, even though Jaish-e-Mohammad is already an UN-designated terrorist organisation. China refuses to explain how it distinguishes the leader from the organisation. Donald Trump's observation of the UN as just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time reflects the growing irrelevance of such platforms. Even the much-bandied issue of withdrawing the MFN (Most-Favoured Nation) status accorded to Pakistan in 1996 (without a reciprocal status from Pakistan, citing the plausible non-tariff barriers made by India), is rooted more in political symbolism than punitive implications for Pakistan. On the contrary, such a move could upset the overtly advantageous trade surplus position to India, besides complicating WTO-level arrangements. So withdrawing MFN, like other forms of "naming and shaming" is more internally appealing than economically or strategically hurtful to Pakistan. The genesis of the Pakistani establishments brinkmanship lies in the genealogical fault lines of its two-nation theory. The creation of Bangladesh still rankles. The necessity of keeping the K- bogey alive fuels the essential relevance of the trinity of ruling institutions in Pakistan army, politicos and the clergy. Lastly, poking India via terror through non-state-actors, is a ploy to deflect attention from Pakistan's own internal challenges like Panamagate and unrest in Balochistan. The only time Pakistan has undertaken a tangible course-correction is when the applecart of the Pakistani institutional structures is threatened with irrelevance, and not through any external condemnation. Pakistan extracts leniency from the US which overlooks Pakistan's proven duplicity on terror due to the compulsions of maintaining supply routes for its assets and personnel in Afghanistan. Despite outbursts and diplomatic berating, the US has desisted from declaring Pakistan, a terror state. Even the latest report submitted by the dozen odd US think tanks like the Brookings Institution, Hudson Institute, Georgetown University etc. to the Donald Trump administration suggest desisting from designating Pakistan as a state sponsor of terror, at least in the first year of administration. While it clearly notes Pakistani duplicity, it also recognises the geostrategic importance of keeping Pakistan afloat, given the lack of alternatives. There is a call for more direct finger pointing of the terror nurseries, sanctuaries and the infrastructure of Pakistan's supposed "strategic depth", as a means to exert meaningful reaction, while supporting the countrys democratic framework. The last two times that the Pakistanis retracted from their beaten path was immediately after the 9/11, when General Musharaf did a volte face owing to US pressures which threated to delegitimise the Pakistani establishment and its antecedents. The second time was after the Peshawar school massacre, which targeted the Pakistani military institution. Corrective measures were initiated by Pakistan, albeit, selectively and temporarily. Rather than investing all energies in declaring Pakistan a terror state or any such encomium, it is unrelenting diplomatic and military pressure and economic squeezing of Pakistani interests in a hypersensitive-on-terror world that will shift gears. The new US establishment promises a short-drift to diplomatic niceties and ambiguities. It has centred its foreign policy with an overwhelmingly anti-China stand and the Pakistanis would invariably find themselves on a sticky wicket, given its vassal status towards China. So, India may "name and shame" Pakistan with dossiers, it must be live to the thick-skinned real politik which shows that rogue nations can contextualise any negative label given to them, with creative interpretations and myth-making. Historically, the only time a course correction is initiated is when there are prospects of either a regime change, economic combustion or when the ruling "institution" faces spectres of absolute irrelevance. The writer is a former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Since Sunday five soldiers, one officer, eight militants and two civilians have been killed in gunfights in the Kashmir valley. Statistics reveal that the conflict is becoming more local and lethal. The new phenomenon has been in the making over the past two years - belligerent crowds would gather and stone the security forces with an aim to disrupt the counter-insurgency operations and enable the militants to escape. At times, the militants were protected by the human wall of people of all age groups. This trend picked up pace especially after the killing of militant Burhan Wani in July last year. Burhan's death became a turning point. The fearlessness with which the mobs attacked the security forces' camps and convoys has shaped the young generation's audacity. New information suggests more locals are joining the militants' ranks. The security forces are caught in a catch-22 situation for they cannot abandon their operation against militants nor can they fire live ammunition on stone-throwers. Obviously, this new mood of the people has not been factored in by the security forces and the government. The rush-and-raid strategy of the past is no longer relevant. Militants making videos of their preparations to face security forces is something unique. The circulation of such videos on social media as also that of large crowds attending the funeral processions of slain militants works up the intense passions of the young. They are swelling the militants ranks. The counter-terrorism strategy has not moved with this changing pace of reality. The original infiltration-guide-militant and the overground-worker nexus is getting supplemented by fast-growing local militancy. The Jammu and Kashmir Government is looking towards New Delhi to initiate dialogue to infuse hope and defuse militancy as also violent protests. New Delhi is relying on the old approach of getting everything done and achieved through a hammer approach and leaving things to subside on their own. That strategy appears to be backfiring. An entire population of civilians is getting sucked into the militants corner. The portents of a wider conflict are becoming ominously clear. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 15 Internal strife in the state Congress has assumed new dimensions with the registration of an FIR under the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in Delhi in connection with the clash of party workers in October last year, in which state party president Ashok Tanwar was hurt. Though the column for details of identified and unidentified accused on the first page of the FIR, registered at the Tilak Nagar police station, has been left blank, the complaint mentions former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his MP son Deepender Singh Hooda as the main accused. Tanwar today took a dig at the Delhi Police and said they had taken more than four months for registering an FIR for the brutal assault on him. Speaking to mediapersons in Sirsa today, he hoped that the police would investigate the matter fast and arrest the accused soon. On the other hand, former Speaker Kuldeep Sharma said it was unfortunate that the internal issue of the party had gone to the police. Intra-party matters must be resolved within the organisation. Senior party leaders have already conducted a probe into the issue. They have briefed party leaders about it. If the police investigate the matter, the gap within the party will be out in the open, he told The Tribune. In his complaint to the police, party worker Kamaljit of Bahadurgarh mentioned that he filed a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes on October 14, 2016. On the last date of hearing on December 26, the commission directed me to lodge an FIR at the Tilak Marg police station and directed the SHO concerned to register a case, Kamaljit said in his complaint lodged on February 12, the day when the police registered the case. The complainant said he went to Delhi to attend Rahul Gandhis rally on October 6, 2016. He said he and other workers were raising slogans in favour of Rahul and Tanwar when Satish Rathi (Hoodas PSO), Satyawan Pehalwan, Virender Rao, Sunda, Wazir Singh and Kala, along with between 30 and 40 others, abused and attacked them with lathis and iron rods. He alleged that when Tanwar tried to intervene, he was beaten up, resulting in injuries on the head and other parts of the body. Hooda had denied the allegations on several occasions. New Delhi, February 15 The CBI has registered two separate cases in connection with the alleged arson at Indus Public School and Haribhoomi Press in Rohtak during the Jat quota agitation in February last year. These properties reportedly belong to trusts run by Haryana minister Captain Abhimanyu, CBI sources said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The CBI move comes after the Centre referred the cases to it on February 6, 2017, nearly an year after the incidents. At least 30 people were killed and properties worth crores of rupees were destroyed in Haryana during the violent quota agitation by Jats in February, 2016. The protesters were seeking reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for the Jat community under the category of Other Backward Classes. It is alleged that some people gathered around the school in Rohtak on the evening of February 19. These people threatened the guard and ransacked the school. On February 20, a mob of 100-150 people armed with oil cannisters and rods gathered around the school. They allegedly ransacked the property and put the building, school buses and other vehicles on the properties on fire. In the complaint, the guard has named several individuals including some former village heads of the area. CBI has registered a case of rioting and arson against 10 persons on the basis of his statement. Second FIR pertains to alleged arson at Haribhoomi Press in Rohtak which was also set on fire by a mob in the intervening night of February 19-20. The FIR has been registered against eight persons on the basis of the statement of the manager of the press. It is alleged that a loss of around Rs 15.50 crore was caused by the alleged rioters. PTI Ravinder Saini Tribune News Service Mahendragarh, February 15 The two-year deputation of Major Satish Dahiya (32), who sacrificed his life while fighting terrorists during a special operation in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, was about to end this month and his family members were expecting his next posting in Jaipur (Rajasthan). They also got his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Priyansa enrolled in a play school in Jaipur recently, but the destiny had another plan for Major Dahiya. The braveheart had returned to his posting station on January 2 after spending 20 days in the village. Since Jaipur was believed to be his new posting station, a rented accommodation was already taken for him. Even, his wife had started residing there after getting their daughter enrolled in a school, said Sunil Kumar, cousin of Major Dahiya. Major Dahiya was the only child of Anchal Singh who runs a brick-kiln in partnership with his two brothers in the village. Major Dahiya had joined the Army Supply Corps (ASC) in 2009 and the Rashtriya Rifles in 2015 on deputation for two years. Major Dahiya had led several operations successfully during his career. He was also the part of the teams which conducted surgical strikes in Pakistan last year, said Major Naveen Phoghat who was here to console the bereaved family. Earlier, a pall of gloom descended on the village as soon as the tragic news of his death reached here last evening. A large number of villagers spent sleepless night at Major Dahiyas house yesterday as they had lost their brave son, said Ishwar Singh, a villager. Shocked father Anchal Singh and mother Anita Devi were unable to speak and they responded to relatives and co-villagers merely by shaking their heads. Major Dahiyas wife Sujata Choudhary said she was proud of her husband who made the supreme sacrifice for the motherland. I will send my daughter to the Army to serve the nation, she added. Bhup Singh, uncle of Major Dahiya, said that he talked to him over phone when he was about to launch the operation yesterday. Major Dahiya told me that he himself will call back after the operation, he added. Sarpanch Nihal Singh said that Major Dahiya had not only made the village proud by attaining martyrdom, but also set an example of patriotism for the youth of the village. More than 50 youths from the village are serving in the Army and the paramilitary forces, but Satish is the first who sacrificed his life for the country, he added. Sunit Dhawan Tribune News Service Jassia (Rohtak), February 15 Protesters at the Jat Nyay Dharna being organised here under the aegis of the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) have accused the state government of dividing the people on caste lines. Speakers who addressed the gathering at the dharna today maintained that the state government talked about communal harmony, but had publicised that 13 non-Jat MLAs had opposed the demands of the Jat community. The agitators asked Jat ministers in the Cabinet to resign from their posts, failing which the community would never forgive them. The speakers asserted that the agitation would be intensified if the state leadership kept on dilly-dallying on their demands. The protesters sought the resignation of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as his government had not fulfilled the promises made to the Jat community on February 22, 2016, and party MLAs defied him. Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, February 14 Graduating from dealing in illegal narcotics trade of charas and opium in Kullu-Manali, the international drug mafia seems to be targeting the Valley of Gods with easy supply of high end drugs like heroin, cocaine and smack, considering the large number of foreign nationals visiting the area. Chance seizure of 15 gm of heroin in Manikaran on February 11 led Himachal police to lay its hand on a Nigerian national Oke Chikku Matthew, with 1,550 gm of heroin (worth Rs 3.77 crore) in Uttam Nagar of Delhi yesterday. This not being an isolated case had put Himachal police on the alert who are now taking a close look at the linkages to get to the mafia behind the entire illegal trade, making Kullu-Manali belt notorious for drugs. Recent trends indicate that international drug mafia was involved in supply to areas like Manikaran, Malana and Parbati valley frequented by a large number of foreigners. We are now very minutely looking at the larger picture to get to the root cause of the problem and the mafia engaged in supplying heroin, smuggled into India from Afghanistan, admits Sanjay Kumar, Director General of Police. There have been a number of big seizures and we hope to focus on preventive detention through thorough investigation, involving the financial angle, he said.Kullu Superintendent of Police Padam Chand said Praveen Kumar Samal (26) of Keonjhar district (Odisha) was nabbed with 15 gram heroin on February 11 near the Kasol region of Manikaran valley. The SP said during interrogation Praveen revealed that he had earlier visited the Kasol region about four times and supplied drugs. The SP said Praveen revealed that he used to take the drug consignment from Delhi and supply to drug addicts here. The SP said a team was constituted and sent to Delhi along with Praveen to trace Matthew on February 12. He said the team was able to nab the accused with the contraband from his rented accommodation in Delhi. The Kullu Police arrested the accused and brought him here. Incidentally, the same Nigerian national, who was arrested by a team headed by a Sub-Inspector of the Himachal Police from Delhi yesterday, had been arrested from Manali in 2014 for carrying 20 gm of cocaine. However, he could not be convicted and was released in 2016, returning to the trade once again. The number of foreign nationals arrested for alleged involvement in drug trade in 2014 was 15, while six persons each were arrested in the next two years. Notwithstanding the sustained campaign by the police, data about narcotic seizure indicates a clear increase in the supply of heroin, cocaine and smack. Heroin which is being smuggled into India is bought at the rate of Rs 2,500 per gm and sold here in Kullu-Manali at the rate of Rs 6,500 per gm, mainly to foreigners, admitted police officials. Though there has been a crackdown by the state government on the illegal cultivation of cannabis and poppy which is grown to get charas and opium the new worry now is to contain the smuggling of heroin, cocaine and smack. In 2014, a total of 644 cases were registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which involved seizure of 557.44 gms of heroin and 206.21 gms of smack and 69 gms of cocaine. In 2015, the number of NDPS cases was 622 but seizure of heroin was 385.91 gms and 157.55 gms of smack. In 2016, a total of 929 cases under NDPS Act were registered with 634.65 gms of heroin and 209.36 gms of smack being seized. Tribune News Service Shimla, February 15 Governor Acharya Devvrat today stressed the need for launching a mass movement to combat the drug menace which, he said, was the biggest threat to any society as drugs had gripped the younger generation. The Governor was speaking at the launch of a campaign organised by the Shimla Press Club against drug addiction. The easiest way to destroy any nation is to get its youth addicted to drugs, which is so visible in states like Mizoram and Punjab, he said. He said every section of society would have to join hands to save the youth from drugs as all forms of narcotics were being pumped into the country. He said he had seen many families being devastated with their children becoming drug victims. Each one of us needs to make a resolve to ensure that the menace does not grip the youth of Himachal, he said. The energy of the youth need to be channelised towards healthy living, including yoga and physical activity. He regretted the situation in Punjab was so alarming that it was getting difficult to find the youth who were physically fit to join the Army. Punjab, which sent the most well-built and valiant soldiers to fight the enemies on the borders, is grappling with drug menace with many youth having lost their lives after getting addicted to drugs, he said. There were some social evils like foeticide which also need to be eradicated. A society, which does not respect its women and worst of all resorts to female foeticide, can never progress. So we need to change the mindset of the people, he stressed. The Governor also emphasised the need for promoting organic farming which would help save people from the ill-effects of harmful chemicals found in pesticides and insecticides. The Governor honoured senior journalists on the occasion. The Legislature on Wednesday imposed a cease-fire to ongoing warfare over its filibuster rule, extending current minority protections for another month and opening a path to conducting backed-up legislative business. Although committees have acted on business as usual, the Legislature has been virtually grounded by a continuing brawl over filibuster protections. That impasse now has eaten up one-third of the 2017 legislative session. Speaker Jim Scheer of Norfolk authored a motion to extend the temporary rules under which the Legislature has been operating until the 50th day of the session, which occurs on March 20, and his call for a truce was approved on a 45-1 vote. Only Sen. John Lowe of Kearney voted no. The decision preserves the current filibuster rule that requires the vote of at least 33 senators to invoke cloture and end a minority filibuster. Under the current rule, 17 senators -- whether they vote no, are absent or don't vote-- can sustain a filibuster in the 49-member Legislature. Scheer told senators he accepts his share of the blame for the impasse that has virtually shut down business on the floor of the Legislature. The truce will give senators an opportunity to "work with each other (and) move forward," he said, hopefully in a more collegial manner. "We do have to be able to trust each other," Scheer said. The pause also allows time for the Legislature, and particularly its freshman members, to determine whether it can function effectively under the current filibuster rule. The minority in the nonpartisan Legislature is composed largely of Democrats and more independent Republicans. The split is largely defined as differences between conservative and moderate, progressive or liberal senators. The Legislature is composed of 32 Republicans, 15 Democrats, one Libertarian and one nonpartisan. A series of efforts to weaken minority filibuster rights has occupied the Legislature in contentious debate for weeks. On Tuesday, a 23-25 vote barely rejecting a motion by Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg to extend current rules until the end of the session demonstrated how split the Legislature is on the filibuster issue. "The place is in a shambles," Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said. "And nicey, nicey is not going to last," he said. "We are now Washington," Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte said. Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service Shimla, February 15 Flights could finally be resumed from Jubbarhatti airport near here after a span of over four-and-a-half years with the Director General, Civil Aviation, indicating start of two flights daily under the Domestic Summer Schedule from March 26, 2017. As per the latest schedule issued by the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) for regions with poor connectivity, there is a proposal to start two ATR-42 flights from Shimla from March 26 to October 28, 2017 which is the main tourist season for Himachal. The other cities which will get these special flights during this period include Shillong, Silchar and Srinagar. The Himachal Tourism and Civil Aviation Department too has signed an agreement with the Union Civil Aviation Ministry and Airport Authority of India (AAI) last month to enhance affordable regional connectivity. We have signed the agreement to enhance regional connectivity and it is hoped that not just Shimla but other towns within the state will also get aerial connectivity, said V.C. Pharka, Chief Secretary, holding charge of tourism. All the necessary works at the Jubbarhatti airport, including repair of 300 feet of sunken portion of the runway, providing refueling facility and shifting of mobile towers, had been completed. As such the airport, which has occasional chartered flights, is ready for regular commercial flights. The issue of resumption of air connectivity to Shimla has been hanging for very long and it is hoped that with the DGCA itself coming out with the new connectivity schedule, flights will be resumed. The Supreme Court had also directed the Civil Aviation Ministry to provide connectivity to Shimla and take whatever steps are required in this regard. Pharka confirmed that as a signatory to the agreement, the state government will have to extend certain facilities like security and other such concessions to the airline which comes forward to operate on these routes. The endeavour of regional connectivity is also aimed at stabilizing the air fare, which is normally very high. Shimla Hoteliers Association, too, has been demanding that efforts should be stepped up to resume flights as air connectivity was essential to attract the high end tourists. The need for having flight was being felt even more as efforts to start helli-taxi services also failed. With exorbitant helli-taxi tariff, there were practically no takers. Moreover, the objection by the local army authorities in allowing use of the Annandale Ground for parking the helicopters was another hassle. With near absence of rail connectivity, the need for good and reliable aerial connectivity is being felt, especially to enable high-end tourism. Gaggal airport at Dharamsala and Bhuntar in Kullu have regular flights but the state capital has still been deprived of the facility. Tribune News Service Shimla, February 15 Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the state government was aware of the problems of outsourced employees and would soon frame a policy for them. At a function organised by the Outsourced Employees Federation, the Chief Minister said the outsourcing was done to carry out policies and programmes of the government for a limited period. He said the period of service of outsourced employees should not be prolonged. There should be a policy for such employees. The government was aware of the grievances of the outsourced employees and would surely redress them, he added. He said the employees should work sincerely for the welfare of the state. They should rise above petty politics as they form the backbone of the state government and are instrumental in implementing the policies and programmes. Targeting the BJP, Virbhadra said there were a few forces which were trying to create a rift between the people right from the panchayat to the state level. They try to divide the people when the elections near and sometimes succeed in their motive, but the people have to understand their modus operandi, he cautioned. State president, HP Outsource Employees Federation, Dheeraj Chauhan thanked the Chief Minister for taking up the issue of regularisation of the outsourced employees. The federation said the employees should be brought into the fold of contractual policy of the state government. State Youth Congress president Vikramaditya Singh said the demand for framing a policy for the regularisation of employees was taken up during Dharamsala rally on the completion of four years of the present government with vice-president Rahul Gandhi. He supported demand for minimising the contract period to three years of these employees after bringing them under the contractual policy. Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, February 14 In one of the bloodiest gunfights this year, three soldiers and a top Lashkar commander were killed in north Kashmirs Bandipore district today. At least 12 security personnel, including two officers, were wounded. Protests erupted even while the encounter was on with locals trying to march toward the site. The police lobbed tear-gas shells to quell them. In another encounter at Kralgund (Handwara) in Kupwara late in the evening, an Army Major from Narnaul in Haryana identified as S Dhaiya of the Army Service Corps, who was attached with 30 Rashtriya Rifles and three militants were killed, while a jawan was injured. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Sources said a fierce gunfight erupted in the wee hours as the security forces cordoned off a house at Parrey Mohalla Hajin, 30 km northwest of Srinagar, following information that two Lashkar militants were hiding there. Cornered, the militants jumped out of the house, opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed grenades to break the cordon, inflicting heavy casualties. In the initial gunfight, at least 14 security men, including an Army Major and a CRPF Commandant, who were leading the assault teams, were wounded. Three Army men later succumbed to injuries. A Lashkar commander too was killed, the sources said. Another militant fled as protests erupted. Chetan Cheetah, Commanding Officer, 45 Battalion, CRPF, sustained multiple gunshots. His condition is critical. He may be shifted to Delhi. The other injured are being treated at the Armys hospital in Srinagar. There have been at least six gunfights in Hajin area in the past nearly three months in which seven Lashkar militants have been killed. The encounter at Kralgund Handwara was backed by locals, the police claimed. Frequently troubled by militants, the locals helped us. A combing operation was launched during which the militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight in which three Lashkar militants were killed, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Nitish Kumar said." In the past three days, three fierce encounters have taken place in Kashmir. Four militants, two soldiers and a civilian were killed in south Kashmirs Kulgam on Sunday. In the subsequent clashes, another civilian was killed. Amir Karim Tantray Tribune News Service Meen Sarkar Tabela (Vijaypur), February 15 She is lost in her thoughts and her eyes are searching for the most loving person on the earth for her, her father. But she is unaware that her father, Rifleman Ravi Kumar, who sacrificed his life for the nation, will never return. As she grows older, Ravi Kumars three-year-old daughter Ruhani Ratta will realise and will have to adjust to the fact that her father is no more. While everyone in this village in Samba district was mourning Ravis death, Ruhani was wondering why so many people had come to their home and what was inside the coffin that was surrounded by Army men and villagers. Ravi is survived by wife Esha Devi and daughter Ruhani Ratta. Others in his family are father Rattan Lal, mother Shakuntla Devi, two sisters Rekha Devi and Vandana Devi, and brother Kavi Kumar. All were in a deep shock and crying. The 34-year-old soldier was liked by all in the village. He used to play with children whenever he was home. Around 14 years ago, he joined the Army and started supplementing income of father who was a cart-puller. He gave the work after his son started earning enough to run the family. Ravi was expected to reach home on February 18 to get his daughter admitted to a school. However, before he could return, he fell to the bullets during an anti-militancy operation in the Hajin area of Bandipora district yesterday. Talking to reporters, Rattan Lal said during his last chat with Ravi on February 13 evening, he had advised his son to take care of himself as the situation in the Valley was not good. Ravi replied that everything was normal at the place of his posting, but next morning, an encounter started where he sacrificed his life for the nation, he said. Saying he was proud of his sons sacrifice, Rattan Lal said he wanted the government to take a call on Pakistan and go for the final assault. We dont want everyday violence and death of our soldiers, he added. Ravis mortal remains reached his house around 2.30 pm. For around 30 minutes, his body was kept in his home and then taken for cremation. He was cremated with full military honours. Local MLA Chander Prakash Ganga, who is also Minister for Industries and Commerce, and newly appointed IGP, Jammu, SD Singh Jamwal also attended the cremation besides hundreds of villagers. Srinagar, February 15 Authorities on Wednesday imposed restrictions in parts of south Kashmirs Kulgam district as a precautionary measure in view of separatists call for a march to protest the death of two civilians there on Sunday. Restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in some sensitive areas of the district, including Kulgam town, to maintain law and order, Kulgam Deputy Commissioner Showkat Aijaz Bhat told PTI. Bhat said the curbs on the assembly of people had been imposed as a precautionary measure keeping in mind the Kulgam Chalo march scheduled for Wednesday. He said the situation was normal in the area but security forces were maintaining a tight vigil. Separatist groups, including chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, along with JKLF chief Yasin Malik, have called for the march to Kulgam to protest the death of two civilians on Sunday. One civilian was killed in an encounter between security forces and militants in Frisal area of the district. Another was killed during protests that had broken out in the area after the encounter in which four militants and two army personnel were killed. PTI Tribune News Service Srinagar, February 15 Separatist leaders, who were steering the last years summer unrest and continued to issue protest calendars, today announced significant relaxation and called for a one-day shutdown in the next fortnightly calendar which begins tomorrow and ends on February 28. The separatist leaders, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, who have been jointly issuing protest calendars, have called for a shutdown on February 24. The calendar also details protests and demonstrations from February 16 to 28. The separatists have also called for peaceful protests throughout the Kashmir valley on Friday. Keeping in view the three-day strike in the past week, it has been decided that there will be no strike this Friday, the separatist leaders said. The separatists, however, said there would be no relaxation on Friday next week and peaceful protests would be held after the midday prayers throughout the Valley. They also appealed to the transporters and traders to hold a sit-in for an hour on Saturday this week and next week. Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 15 The government today cleared the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court, taking its strength to 28 against the sanctioned strength of 31. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the Warrants of Appointment for the five judges. The official notifications would be issued soon. Four of them were chief justices of state high courts while one was a high court senior judge. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Those elevated to the Supreme Court are: Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Naveen Sinha, Kerala High Court Chief Justice Mohan M Shantanagouder, Chhattisgarh High Court Chief Justice Dipak Gupta and Karnataka High Court Judge S Abdul Nazeer. They are likely to be sworn-in on Friday, sources said. The top court which has almost 60,000 cases pending has been functioning with only 23 judges. The appointments were stuck due to differences in the collegium as Justice J Chelameswar raised the issue of lack of transparency in its functioning. Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Justice Prafulla Chandra Pant are due to retire later this year. CJI JS Khehar had recently indicated that the stalemate between the judiciary and the executive over the proposed memorandum of procedure for judges appointment might end soon. Tribune News Service Lucknow, February 15 Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav as well as his elder daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav campaigned for the familys younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav through two election meetings. Aparna Yadav is making her political debut from the Lucknow Cantonment seat where she is in direct contest with BJPs Rita Bahuguna Joshi. The slogan of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance here is Bhabhi ko jitana hai, didi ko harana hai (Have to ensure victory for sister-in-law (Aparna) and defeat for sister (Rita Bahuguna Joshi). Addressing the meeting, senior Yadav said the SP government had gone beyond its promise on the development front. He said if Aparna Yadav won the elections she would ensure greater development of the constituency, especially the youth, farmers and minorities which was always a priority of the SP. Appealing to minority voters, Yadav recalled his 1990 order of opening fire in Ayodhya to save the Babri mosque. It was an unfortunate decision. But if the mosque had been damaged, Muslims would have lost confidence in the government and administration. Religious places must be protected at all costs, he said. Two days ago, Mulayam had campaigned for his brother Shivpal Yadav in Jaswantnagar in Etawah. Despite promising to campaign for the alliance (SP-Cong) candidates till now he has addressed only two meetings only for family members. Ottawa, February 15 The only person convicted in the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombings that killed 331 persons is now free, Canadas parole board said today. Inderjit Singh Reyat had been ordered to live at a halfway house following his release from prison a year ago, after serving two decades behind bars. That condition has now been lifted and Reyat may return to a normal life, including living in a private residence, parole board spokesman Patrick Storey said. The Sikh immigrant from India was convicted of making bombs that were stuffed into luggage and planted on two planes leaving Vancouver, and of lying in court to cover for his co- accused. One bomb tore apart Air India Flight 182 as it neared the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 on board, including entire families. The second exploded at Japans Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Reyat was working as a mechanic in westernmost Canada and purchased the dynamite, batteries and detonators to make the bombs. Two alleged co-conspirators were acquitted because of lack of evidence and, according to prosecutors, because of Reyats perjury. Storey said Reyats parole officer had assessed those with whom he would live to ensure they will not have a negative influence on him. Conditions of his release from prison still apply, including having no contact with the victims families nor with extremists. Reyat must also shun all political activities and take counseling for violent tendencies, a lack of empathy and exaggerated beliefs. AFP Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 14 The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the NDA government to consider allowing community radio stations to broadcast news bulletins based on already-published material in print and electronic media, going beyond the existing policy that permits them to use only All India Radios news content. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar gave the central government six weeks' time to clarify its stand. If the government should decide against it, reasons for its decision must be stated in its affidavit, the Bench told the government counsel. The top court was hearing a PIL filed in 2013 by Common Cause (an NGO) seeking a direction to the government to allow community radio stations to air news and current affairs. The courts direction came after senior counsel Jayant Bhushan contented that the governments stand of not allowing private radio operators to offer news and current affairs content went against Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution that guaranteed right to freedom of speech and expression. He said the government could not create a monopoly over news on radio as it would be beyond the purview of Article 19(2) that prescribed certain reasonable restrictions on free speech. The NDA government has ruled out allowing news and current affairs programmes on community radio stations, saying it could pose serious security risk to the country in the absence of a mechanism to monitor live content. In its affidavit filed in the top court last week, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said: These stations may be exploited by foreign radical organisations to broadcast fabricated/radical views Citing the objections raised by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the affidavit said: As these stations/channels are run mainly by NGOs/other small organisations and private operators, several anti-national/radical elements within the country can misuse them for propagating their own agenda. The government had said: Unlike television, which is an omnibus medium, FM Radio caters to disparate audiences of much smaller sizeSuch a situation calls for local monitoring throughout the country, which is a complex issue. The Bench said allowing news on community radio stations could create trouble in communally sensitive areas or otherwise disturbed areas like the northeast. However, Bhushan contested the governments claim, saying If they (community radio stations) cant be regulated, how can be given licences? What if they broadcast news or some objectionable content without any permission? How will the government check it? Absence of regulation cant be a ground to deny right to free speech? Broadcasting news and current affairs programmes on radio is currently the exclusive preserve of All India Radio (AIR) and private FM Radio operators and community radio stations are not allowed to offer such content. Any shift in this policy would necessitate adherence to a rigorous code of conduct, a proper monitoring mechanism and penal provisions for violation of such broadcast code, the affidavit read. Community radio stations were started under the 2002 Policy Guidelines, which were later revised in 2002, 2006 and 2017. Such radio stations are meant to be set up and operated by the local community. A typical community radio station covers a radius of 10-15 km and could be set up at a cost of Rs 10-15 lakh. The government had issued letters of intent to 519 commuinity radio stations but only 201 of them are operational. In December 2002 many educational institutions, including IITs and IIMs were given licences to run community radio stations. In 2006, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting came out with another Policy Guidelines which said community radio stations should focus on developmental, agricultural, health, educational, environmental, social welfare, community development and cultural programmes. Programmes should be in local language and at least half the content should be generated with the participation of local community, the policy stated. However, it banned broadcast of any programme which relate to news and current affairs and are otherwise political in nature. In January this year, the Centre allowed community to broadcast news and current affairs contents exclusively sourced from AIR in its original form or translated into local language/dialect without any changes, if such contents related to sporting evetnts, traffic, weather, examinations, results, admissions, career counseling, employment opportunities and public utilities. Simran Sodhi Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 15 India and China today indulged in yet another exchange of words with Beijing protesting a visit earlier this week by a parliamentary delegation from Taiwan and New Delhi dismissing the objections saying no political meanings should be read into such visits. China is extremely sensitive to any issue that it feels violates the one-China policy. Recently, US President Donald Trumps phone conversation with a Taiwanese leader had left China fuming. With regards to India too, the Chinese message was loud and clear that India should prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations. The message coming from the Chinese foreign ministry was backed by a column in Global Times, a state-controlled publication. India, meanwhile, was rather dismissive in its response. The Ministry of External Affairs maintained such informal groups have visited India in the past too for business, religious and tourism purpose. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. India-China ties have seen one tension after the other in recent past. Last year was marked by two contentious issues: China blocking attempts to get Jaish chief Masood Azhar designated as terrorist at the UN and also objecting to letting India become a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Both the issues have spilled onto this year and show no sign of an early resolution. Taiwan, for China, remains a sore point and if not handled properly, it could well be another addition to strain in ties. New Delhi, February 15 Foreign tourists availing e-visas will now get pre-activated free SIM cards as they arrive here, a move hailed by tour operators body IATO. Launching the much awaited service, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said the talk time to the tune of Rs 50 will be available on the BSNL SIM card which will also have 50 MB data. Initially, the service will be provided at Indira Gandhi International Airport here but will be later extended to 15 other airports in the country where e-visa facility is available, he added. The initiative will help the tourists to immediately communicate with their relatives at home, hotels, tour operators and so on. I got this idea when I had got a similar card when I had visited Sri Lanka, Sharma said. The minister said the facility will provide ease to the tourists who have to spend about two hours to get their SIM cards activated after they land in India. Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi said over 10 lakh tourists had arrived in India on e-visa facility last year. Launched on November 27, 2014, the facility is currently available for 161 countries. To a query about the expenditure on the initiative, Zutshi said the expenses on SIM cards will be borne out of the tourism promotion budget of the ministry which he said is well within the budget. Tour operators body IATO hailed the initiative, saying its a great gesture. I think we are the first country to give free SIM cards to the tourists. Its a great gesture and will make the arrival experience better for the travellers, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) senior vice president Rajeev Kohli said. Sharma said the SIM card, with 30 days validity, will also help the travellers to contact the 24-hour tourist helpline number available in 12 languages, including Russian, German and Japanese. To a query as to why the facility is available only to e-visa tourists, he said the complete information about the travellers on such visa is readily available in advance which could be immediately synced with the data of concerned authorities for providing the SIMs. Meanwhile, the minister said there was no impact of demonetisation on tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings as these segments recorded a robust growth. The tourists arriving in India on e-visa could get the SIM cards, a part of welcome kit, from India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) counters at the airports. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country. PTI Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), February 15 Space agency ISRO on Wednesday scripted history by successfully launching 104 satellites, including Indias weather observation Cartosat-2 Series, in a single mission on board its dependable Polar rocket from here. Bettering Russian space agencys feat of launching 37 satellites in a single mission in 2014, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) injected the Cartosat-2 Series satellite and 103 nano-satellites into precise orbit after a textbook lift-off from this spaceport, about 100 km from Chennai. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The previous highest number of satellites launched by ISRO in one mission was 20 in June 2015, the agency said. Cartosat-2 Series satellite, a remote-sensing spacecraft with a five-year life span, would send images that would be utilised in coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, distribution of water, creation of land use maps among others, ISRO said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO for the successful launch, saying, This remarkable feat by @isro is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India salutes our scientists. The complex mission has once again proved ISROs capabilities in undertaking commercial launches with the PSLV achieving its 38th consecutive success. President Pranab Mukherjee also congratulated ISRO for the record launch, saying the day will go down as a "landmark" in the history of India's space progaramme. So far, ISRO has launched 226 satellites, including 179 belonging to foreign countries. At the end of the 23-hour countdown, the shortest so far by ISRO, the agencys trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, on its 39th flight, blasted off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 9:28 a.m. and soared into clear skies. ISRO said it was able to reduce the countdown time, which normally varies up to 52 hours, as the preparations were completed in a shorter span. After a flawless flight, the rocket first orbited 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series satellite followed by the co-passengersISROs INS-1A and INS-1B, 96 other nano-satellites belonging to two US companies, and one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Switzerland and UAE. The satellites were placed in the polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) in a gap of about 30 minutes during a series of separations. A beaming ISRO Chairman A.S. Kirankumar announced that all 104 satellites successfully placed in orbit. My hearty congratulations to the entire ISRO team for the wonderful job they have done. Kiran Kumar said 77 of the satellites have already started communicating with the earth stations after the launch. He said the mission was about maximising ISROs returns and improving its capabilities. Through PSLV, we are trying to capture a particular segment of (space launch market), he told the post-launch media conference. Replying to a question, he said US firms approach ISRO for launch of smaller satellites as the frequency of PSLV launches was more by India. Project Director B. Jayakumar said ISRO had lived up to the expectation of customers. It was a very good learning experience for us. We have launched 226 satellites out of which 179 are from foreign nations. With a total payload of 1378 kg, ISRO opted for the most powerful XL variant of the PSLV for the 16th time in todays mission. It had earlier been used in the Chandrayaan and the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) among others. The nano-satellites belonging to international customers were launched as part of their arrangement with the Antrix Corporation Ltd (ANTRIX) the commercial arm of the ISRO. CARTOSAT-2 Series satellite was similar to the earlier four satellites in the Series. INS (ISRO Nano Satellite) 1-A and 1-B carry a total of four different payloads from Space Applications Centre (SAC) and Laboratory for Electro Optics Systems (LEOS) of ISRO for conducting various experiments. PTI Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Bengaluru, February 15 Even as delivery of the newly acquired Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter aircraft, the Rafale, is scheduled to commence from September 2019, the makers of Rafale, the Dassault Aviation France, are expecting a bigger order to supplement their make in India efforts. Last year, India ordered 36 twin-engine Rafale jets for 7.8 billion euros, the first major induction since the Sukhoi-30 jets first started coming in batches since 1997. Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, while speaking on the sidelines of the 11th edition of the Aero-India said: We are pushing for more orders. The existing order of 36 is not big enough to have transfer of technology. Our plan is to be in India. India should be ready to be part of the global supply market. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The company, he said, was in race for the additional twin-engined fighter jets needed by the IAF as well as the Navy requirement of 57 jets for ship-deck-based operations. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced that 300-400 jets (single-engine and twin-engine) are needed by the IAF over the next 10 years. On being asked what could be an ideal number for making in India, Trappier pointed to the original tender that was for 126 twin-engine jets. It will be good if we get an order of some 200, including 36 of the existing IAF order and the Navy needs, Trappier said in an interaction with a select media group. We need to know how many more we get. On being asked if what will be cost reduction for India, Trappier said, That will be fresh negotiation. We are today signing a joint venture with Reliance (Anil Ambani group) for the make in India for military and well and civil aircraft, Trappier said. We have chosen Reliance as our existing partner, the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited), was busy with existing commitments, the company CEO said. Kancheepuram (TN), February 15 Tamil Nadu Police booked All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham General Secretary VK Sasikala and its Legislature Party Leader Edappadi K Palaniswamy on Wednesday on charges of illegally detaining party lawmakers at a resort in the district. The two were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to abduction and wrongful confinement. (The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The case was filed at Koovathur police station on a complaint from Madurai (South) MLA S S Saravanan, who has since joined the rebel O Panneerselvam camp. Last week, while extending his support to Chief Minister Panneerselvam, Saravanan claimed that he had managed to flee from the resort by changing into a T-shirt and shorts. On February 5, Sasikala was elected as the Legislature Party Leader. However, two days later, Panneerselvam had raised a banner of revolt against her, claiming he was forced to step down for her. The AIADMK MLAs have staying at the luxury resort since a week, and many of those who swear allegiance to Sasikala have been insisting they were staying on their own volition. Sasikala herself had visited the resort thrice to hold discussions with her party legislators. PTI Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, February 15 The police have released footage from a CCTV camera which shows the gruesome murder of Manoj Mhatre, 53, a politician from the Congress Party being hacked to death on Tuesday night. According to police, Mhatre was shot at and stabbed to death by at least eight assailants while he returned home after a meeting with party colleagues at around 9.30 pm on Tuesday. Mhatre was a corporator from the Congress Party in the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation. Video courtesy the Facebook account of Police Tapas (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Police said they had identified five of the eight men involved in the crime after local residents identified the assailants who featured in the CCTV footage. We will shortly arrest all of them as they have been identified. Once we question them the others involved in the murder will also be arrested, DCP (Bhiwandi Zone) Manoj Patil told reporters. The officer said the attackers first fired three bullets at Mhatre as he alighted from his car after arriving home. One bullet struck Mhatre on his back. His assailants then chopped off one of his arms and stabbed him several times before escaping. Mhatre was rushed to hospital where he died during treatment, police said. Elections to the Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation are due to be held in May this year. Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 15 The Supreme Court today refused to entertain convicted AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala's plea for more time to surrender. Immediate means immediate, said a Bench headed by Justice PC Ghose when senior counsel KTS Tulsi requested that she be given more time. We have already passed the judgment which specifies that the accused should surrender immediately. Immediately means immediately. The judgment is a fat document. We are not saying anything further. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The Supreme Court had on Tuesday convicted Sasikala (61) in a 21-year-old corruption case and sentenced her to four years' jail. It had asked her two relatives, Elavarasi and VN Sudhakaran, also convicted in the case, to surrender forthwith. After the top court refused to entertain her plea, Sasikala visited her mentor J Jayalalithaas memorial in Chennai and then proceeded towards Bengaluru where she surrendered before a trial court. Sasikala gave herself up at the Central Jail along with her relatives. As the long-time confidante of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa reached the prison complex, clashes erupted between AIADMK supporters and police personnel. Sasikala stands disqualified to contest elections for 10 years. Under the election law, a convicted person cannot contest elections for six years from the date of completion of his/her sentence. Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 15 The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday referred the dispute between the AAP government and Lieutenant Governor over their powers and jurisdiction to a Constitution Bench, saying it involved important questions of law. A Bench headed by Justice AK Sikri, however, did not frame the issues to be considered by the Constitution Bench. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) It said the parties were free to approach Chief Justice of India JS Khehar to seek an early setting up of the Bench for speedy disposal of the matter. The AAP government and LG have been involved in a bitter power tussle over who controls various departments in Delhi. The Delhi High Court had on August 4 last year declared that LG was the boss in the capital. In a setback to the Arvind Kejriwal government, the Supreme Court had refused to stay the Delhi High Courts verdict declaring the LG the administrative head of Delhi. It had also declined to stop functioning of a three-member panel set up by LG Najeeb Jung to scrutinise 400-odd files relating to decisions taken by the AAP government without his concurrence. Following the HC order, the appointment of 21 parliamentary secretaries was also declared illegal for want of LGs approval. The AAP government had accused the LG of acting like an employee of the Centre. "A piquant situation has emerged in Delhi due to the Delhi High Court's August 4 judgement, which had held that all decisions of the elected government have to get prior approval of the LG, it had said. In its August 4 verdict, the HC held concurrence of the LG in administrative issues was mandatory". The high Court had rejected the AAP governments contention that LG was bound to act only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with regard to making of laws by the Legislative Assembly under the Article 239AA and termed it was without substance. However, it had agreed with the AAP government's submission that the LG will have to act on its aid and advice in appointment of special public prosecutors. Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 15 The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala's plea for more time to surrender. A Bench headed by Justice PC Ghose said "immediate means immediate." Her petition was mentioned by senior counsel KTS Tulsi. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) But the Bench said: "We have already passed the judgment which specifies that the accused should surrender immediately. Immediately means immediately. The judgment is a fat document. We are not saying anything further." The court had on Tuesday reversed a Karnataka High Court's verdict and convicted her in a corruption case. She was given a four-year jail term and asked to pay a fine of Rs 10 crore. A simmering dispute between a firebrand state regulator and some conservatives in the Legislature neared a boiling point Tuesday at the Capitol. Nebraska Public Service Commissioner Crystal Rhoades of Omaha accused lawmakers of seeking retaliation for her outspoken presence on the commission, which regulates utilities, phone services, pipelines, taxis and other services in the state. Meanwhile, members of the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee discussed calling for an investigation into her handling of campaign robocall scripts, which also falls under the commission's jurisdiction. "This is a witch hunt," Rhoades said following a committee hearing Tuesday. The legislative committee took testimony on three measures related to the Public Service Commission. One was a bill (LB410) by Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion that would eliminate commissioners' salaries and grow the commission from five to seven members, thereby shrinking each existing member's district and reducing their individual power. He denied that the proposal is aimed at Rhoades, saying it would bring representation "closer to the people" and is consistent with national trends toward deregulation of many industries under the Public Service Commission's jurisdiction. Smith said Rhoades "needs to get over that the world revolves around her." Commissioners currently are paid $75,000 per year. That ranks among the highest salaries for elected officeholders in Nebraska, but is comparable to pay for similar regulators in other states. Smith's bill would eliminate the salaries entirely, along with retirement and health benefits, but would also remove a ban on commissioners holding outside employment. No one testified in favor of the proposal Tuesday. The commission submitted a letter describing its workload, but did not take a position on the bill. Retired commissioner Anne Boyle, whom Rhoades replaced, said Smith's measure would "destroy" the Public Service Commission's ability to do its job. Commissioners work full-time and need compensation, she said, and allowing them to hold outside jobs would open the door for them to work in industries they also regulate. Members of the Legislature spend "countless" hours interacting with constituents, reviewing documents, attending events and participating in legislative proceedings while making just $12,000 a year, Smith countered. Most juggle those obligations with work and family responsibilities. For the Public Service Commission, he said, "I simply do not believe that a full-time commitment is necessary." Rhoades did not testify on the proposal, but said later that she works at least 50 hours each week. She said several legislative proposals this year related to the Public Service Commission are a form of "punitive retribution" against her and illustrate Smith's "disdain for regulation of any kind." Smith disagreed, arguing that he has worked in regulated industries for much of his life and supports regulation that is constructive and low-profile. With Rhoades, however, "there at least is an appearance that she is using her position for more than its intent," he said, alluding to her handling of the robocall scripts. The scripts are public records maintained by the Public Service Commission. One day before the primary election in May, Rhoades forwarded several scripts filed by Republicans to the campaign of then-legislative candidate Tony Vargas, a Democrat. She also acknowledged regularly forwarding commission documents to her personal email account. Rhoades said she often works at home using her home email, and shared the scripts because they were public documents and someone requested them. During a closed meeting following Tuesday's public hearing, Sens. John Murante of Gretna and Mike Hilgers of Lincoln discussed whether to seek an investigation by the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission or the attorney general's office, or even invoke the Legislature's own subpoena power for an inquiry. The situation exposes established partisan roots on all sides. Rhoades is chairwoman of the Douglas County Democratic Party. Murante, who sponsored a bill to move oversight of robocalls from the Public Service Commission to the Accountability and Disclosure Commission, is state director for a political consulting firm that does robocalls. New Delhi, February 15 The Indian Army Chief warned against impeding anti-insurgency operation in Jammu and Kashmir saying that those willfully obstructing them could be termed anti-national and could face harsh actions. At a ceremony the Army held to honour those who died in Tuesdays gun battles, Army General Bipin Rawat said security forces faced higher number of casualties because of how locals hindered operations to stall security forces, at times even helping them escape. "We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms and they are the local boys if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go after them, Rawat said. "They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue. We are giving them an opportunity: should they continue, we will also continue with our relentless operations that may be with harsher measures and that is the way to continue (sic)." The development comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet on Wednesday: Paid tributes to the brave men who lost their lives fighting terrorists in J&K. India will always remember their valour & sacrifice. An Army major was among the four armymen killed in two encounters one in Bandipora, and later in Handiwara. Four militants were killed in the two encounters. Protests followed the gunfight, with police using teargas to stall angry marchers heading to the site of the encounter. Protests also followed a gunfight on Frisal in Kulgam district in which four militants, two army generals and civilian were killed on Sunday. A man was killed and more than 24 injured in the protests that followed the gunfight. While the Army claimed the civilian was taken hostage by the militants, the locals claimed he was used by the soldiers as a shield. PTI/ Agencies New Delhi, February 15 Uttarakhand recorded 68 per cent voter turnout, highest to date, on Wednesday as voting in the Assembly elections remained peaceful. The turnout was 2 per cent more than the last Assembly polls as the fate of 628 candidates in 69 out of the total 70 seats was sealed. Poll schedule for the lone Karnaprayag seat in Chamoli district had to be revised to March 9 due to the death of BSP candidate Kuldeep Singh Kanwasi in a road accident on Sunday last. In a press briefing after ballots were cast, the Election Commission said the figure recorded until 5 pm would likely rise beyond 70 per cent in Uttarakhand after ballots of those still queued up to vote after the deadline was considered. Twenty Electronic Voting Machines and seven Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) had to be replaced in the state. There was also one instance of paid news in the state. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Voting was largely peaceful in the state. "479 polling station were in snow-covered areas," Deputy Election Commissioner in charge Sandeep Saxena said. Authorities seized Rs 3.38 crore in cash, 147 illegal weapons, liquor worth Rs 3.1 crore and drugs worth Rs 37.23 lakh. "The voting percentage had breached all records by 5 pm when it touched 68 per cent. Around 67.22 turnout was recorded in the 2012 Assembly polls while 2014 Lok Sabha polls saw 62.15 per cent turnout," Saxena told reporters. Sixty women and two third gender candidates contested elections in Uttarakhand. Both men and women voters braved inclement weather at some places to vote in large numbers, officials said. Nainital registered 70 per cent voting, Haridwar 70 per cent, Uttarkashi 73 and Udham Singh Nagar 70 per cent. It is the fourth assembly polls in the hill state after it was carved out of Uttar Pradesh. As many as 7.5 million voters decided the fate of 628 candidates. Polling in Karnprayag was suspended after the death of Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Kuldip Singh Kanwasi in a road accident. Voting there will now be held on March 9. According to an official, postal ballots will be received till March 11 morning, the day votes will be counted in all five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. In Uttarakhand, 10,685 polling stations were set up, with 1,409 declared as "very sensitive". The highest polling station was Reeh at a height of around 10,000 feet above sea level in Ghansali constituency in Tehri Garhwal district, Saxena said. The polling station had 275 voters in all. "We set up the polling booth at 10,000 feet above sea level for just 275 voters so that no voter is left behind," the Deputy Election Commissioner said. Although the BSP is also in the race, the race in Uttarakhand was primarily between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Agencies Tribune News Service New Delhi, February 14 A delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today met the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) here and sought an inquiry over the alleged breach of security of EVMs at strong rooms in Punjab. The delegation, led by Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and comprising party leaders HS Phoolka, Ashutosh and Raghav Chadha, submitted a memorandum alleging that there are multiple instances of breach in EVMs safety in the state, where the party is hopeful of forming the government. Sisodia said they had pointed out the recent security breaches in strong rooms. He said they had also mentioned about the May 2015 notification of the EC which detailed instructions regarding the storage, physical verification and movements of EVMs and that the set norms were not being complied. Major lapses in the security of EVMs have been noticed across the state. Two recent events have brought to the fore gross and criminal negligence on the part of ROs in handling the security of the EVMs, read the memorandum. Sisodia alleged that EVMs were moved out of a strong room in Patiala in complete violation of the EC norms. The RO along with other officials entered the strong rooms on the pretext of procuring certain documents. But it was found that they were moving steel boxes in which the EVMs were kept. We have demanded an inquiry into the matter, Sisodia said. AAP leader Raghav Chadha claimed that in some districts in the state EVMs were kept in schools where there was regular movement of teachers, a clear violation of the rules. Gurdeep Singh Mann Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 15 High drama was witnessed at Pragma Hospital on the Bhatti Road here today when relatives of a patient and a doctor had a dispute over the medical bill. While cardiologist Dr Gursharan Singh, owner of the hospital, accused patients and their relatives of arguing over petty things, the patients relatives alleged that the doctor pulled out a pistol over the delay in payment after their kins death. Sahil Monga said his father Tara Chand was admitted at Pragma Hospital with a heart ailment and was declared dead on Wednesday. He said the doctor sent an inflated bill to them and when they (relatives) raised the issue, the hospital staff said some entries were pending in the bill. If the entries were pending, the bill should be of a lesser amount and not an increased amount. How can the bill amount become less after adding all entries? he questioned. He said when they questioned the staff and the doctor, the latter got angry and took out a pistol and threatened them to pay at gunpoint. The staff and doctor, however, informed the police that though the pistol was taken out, it was not pointed towards any of the patients relatives. The police said the doctor claimed that the pistol was taken out in self-defence as the patients relatives tried to push the doctor away. The patients relatives also raised a hue and cry over the use of pistol despite a ban over the carrying of arms during the election code of conduct. They demanded that a case be registered against the doctor under the Arms Act and his licence be cancelled. Dr Gursharan Singh denied the allegations and said the issue had been blown out of proportion by the patients relatives to escape from the payment. SHO, Civil Lines, Robin Singh said the matter was being investigated. Gagan K Teja Tribune News Service Patiala, February 14 In a startling revelation, it has come to the fore that the Punjab Police were fully aware of the nefarious designs of the Nabha Jail conspirators and they had registered an FIR on June 3, 2016, in this regard. The name of Hong Kong-based financer-cum-handler Ramanjit Singh alias Romi was mentioned in the FIR, which stated that he might try and rescue his accomplice from the Nabha jail. The FIR was registered at Kotwali police station, Nabha, wherein SHO Vasdev Singh had mentioned that he had information from his reliable sources that Romi might help his accomplice to flee. It further stated that during a naka, Romi along with Jagseer Singh alias Seera Sidhana, Saraj Singh and an unidentified person was spotted near Bauran Gate, Nabha. Based on the FIR, the police arrested Romi along with five others and recovered two cars, a .32 bore pistol with nine live cartridges, two Chinese mastercards and 27 Chinese credit cards from their possession. After his arrest, the police learnt that Romi had fled to Hong Kong when the Bathinda police booked him in a case and he tried to collect money for criminal activities there. He sent huge amounts to criminal groups in Punjab and later returned with credit cards to dupe China-based banks by hacking the accounts with the help of data from the cards. Despite this, Romi was sent to the same jail (Nabha) where he stayed for sometime before his bail application was accepted. He later jumped the bail and again fled to Hong Kong. Romi was in touch with gangster Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, lodged in Nabha jail, and he helped him with monetary aid to execute the jailbreak in November. Sekhon was one of the six prisoners who fled. He was arrested last Sunday from Moga. The incident has once again pointed fingers at the capability of the state police in averting the jailbreak despite having prior information. When contacted, Ashish Choudhary, DIG, Patiala Range, admitted that a case had been registered, but claimed that during investigation, it was found that Romi was planning to execute some forgery with the help of fake credit cards. "Romi and his accomplice were arrested on suspicion. During the investigations, nothing came out that could be related to the jailbreak planning," he claimed. Gagan K Teja Tribune News Service Patiala, February 15 An Election Commission team which arrived here on Wednesday to inspect the strong rooms in wake of the EVM controversy gave a clean chit to district administrations move of shifting old EVMs and said there was no violation. AAP candidates Dr Balbir Singh and Dev Mann met the team to complain about the EVMs being moved. The team has started their two-day visit from Patiala and will be visiting Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Tarn Taran. Following a controversy over shifting of old EVMs from Government Physical College, Patiala, District Electoral Officer Ramvir Singh had initiated an inquiry into the matter. He had yesterday asked for a detailed report from the returning officer (RO) of Nabha. Meanwhile, another controversy arose when Mann reportedly made a video alleging that the authorities were shifting EVMs and uploaded it on social media. Ramvir Singh said no one was allowed to carry a mobile phone within 100 metres of the area where EVMs were kept. A probe was on and the law would take its own course, he said. Mann, however, said no one stopped them to carry the mobile phone before the incident and now that we have highlighted their misdeeds, they are trying to cover up their mistake. How else a candidate is supposed to keep tabs on such activities. We were just gathering proof for what was happening there and I dont see any violation. He, however, admitted that the strong room was intact. I agree that the strong rooms are safe but they cannot move anything from the building without getting it checked from us. It does not matter whether the EVMs were old or new. Why were they being shifted now is my contention, he added. Interestingly, Dev Mann has already put his own lock outside the strong room three days prior to the incident. Moreover, the strong room is situated on the first floor of the building whereas the old EVMs were being shifted from the ground floor. When contacted, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, VK Singh, said his primary duty was to look into the apprehensions of all stakeholders and reinstate their confidence in the Election Commission. Tribune News Service Patiala, February 15 The two-member team of the Election Commission of India has given a clean chit to the district authorities in the controversy arising out the shifting of old EVMs from the local Government Physical College. The incident took place on February 13 when the district administration informed candidates of all parties regarding shifting of some documents from the college. Aam Aadmi Party candidate Gurdev Singh Dev Mann had raised a hue and cry after finding that the officials were shifting some old EVMs. The team, comprising Himachal Pradesh CEO Naresh Chouhan and Additional CEO of National Capital Territory (NCT) Delhi Rajesh Kumar, was in Patiala today in the wake of a complaint by AAP, allegeing that the district administration tried to shift EVMs. They had also demanded the registration of an FIR against Nabha RO Jashanpreet Kaur Gill and some police officials for trespass, criminal breach of trust, cheating and other offences. After a meeting with District Election Officer Ramvir Singh, Jashanpreet Kaur and representatives of all political parties, Chouhan said he was satisfied with the action taken by the district administration. He said they had followed the protocol for the safety of EVMs. There is no question of any violation. The authorities had followed rules and regulations for making arrangements for counting on March 11. Since the candidates objected, they had put the old EVMs back which will now be moved after another meeting between candidates and the district authorities, he added. Meanwhile, the team visited Government Physical College and checked the strong rooms where the EVMs were kept. They said besides the lock put up by the authorities, AAP candidates had put their own locks and chains at the strong room gates. Gurdeep Singh Mann Tribune News Service Bathinda, February 14 Kulvir Singh, a Maur resident sought by the Bathinda police in connection with the Maur Mandi blast, today surrendered amid a hue and cry by area residents. Kulvirs house was raided by the district police a few hours after the blast on January 31. Failing to find him, they had reportedly detained his cousin Gursharan Singh, a Bathinda resident. The family members were today directed to hand over Kulvir to the police at a restaurant, but around 60-70 persons accompanied them. The police then decided to take Kulvir into custody at Maur police station. The residents, however, followed the family to the police station as well. The cops questioned Kulvir there and later took him to the CIA-II office in Bathinda. Swapan Sharma, SSP, said Kulvir had not been arrested, but rounded up. We will release him if he clears all our queries regarding the blast and is found innocent. He said police teams had been sent to Delhi to collect vital clues. Meanwhile, Rajinder Kaur, Kulvirs mother and a retired school principal, said: We were not even aware of the blast as our house is situated at a distance from the spot. The policemen asked for my son who was not in the house at that time. She said the policemen refreshed the memories of militancy period by taking away Kulvirs cousin (Gursharan) and stating that he would be released after Kulvir surrendered. Rajinder said her son ran a dairy and hardly got any time to indulge in other activities. She said her son was booked a few years ago during clashes between dera followers and Sikhs in Bathinda, but he was acquitted later. Tribune News Service Patiala, February 15 The Nabha court has sent gun house owner Kiranpal Singh, who was arrested from Moga, to police remand till February 18. He was arrested after it was found that Nabha jailbreak mastermind Gurpreet Singh Sekhon and his accomplice had bought the weapons that were used in the jailbreak from his gun house. He was produced at Nabha court on Wednesday. The police claimed that the weapons that were recovered during the police operation to arrest Sekhon, Manvir Sekhon, Kulwinder Singh and Sultan were purchased from him. Meanwhile, state Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh has demanded a thorough probe into Arvind Kejriwals nexus with militants and gangsters in the state. In a statement issued here, Amarinder expressed concern over the arrest of Gurpreet Singh Sekhon from Goldy Gills (AAP activist) house, just two weeks after Kejriwal himself courted controversy by staying at a KLF militants home in Punjab. With the Maur bomb blast also being traced to KLF, and occurring just a few days after Kejriwals suspicious stay at KLF terrorist Gurwinder Singh during his Punjab visit ahead of the Assembly polls, the situation warranted a detailed inquiry into the whole episode. Contradicting the Congress president, AAP state convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich said AAP would ensure a thorough probe against those involved in the Nabha jailbreak so that truth was unearthed. Meanwhile, the state unit of the BJP today slammed AAP for harbouring criminals and militants in the state. State party president Vijay Sampla, in a press statement, said: The Aam Aadmi Party is sheltering criminals and militants in Punjab. He said: We would like to ask Arvind Kejriwal why is he silent over the arrest of Sekhon from his party workers house? Sampla said: Kejriwal stayed in the house of KLF activist Gurwinder Singh during his Punjab visit. He alleged: Not only this, AAP even fielded candidates with a dubious background. The partys candidate from Talwandi Sabo, Baljinder Kaurs uncle Pala Singh was a militant leader and was shot in a police encounter. Her father Darshan Singh served seven years of jail in a TADA case. Waraich said: We have already responded to these baseless charges being levelled by the frustrated BJP in the run up to the elections. 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 OF late is has become almost a fashion to sneer at lawyers and discourage young men from adopting the legal profession. In a country where the masses are illiterate and Government is not of the people, the lawyers services are frequently required to defend individual rights and liberties. At the recent gathering of the Bombay Government Law School the other day Mr. Justice Marten delivered the annual address in the course of which he encouraged the students to adopt the legal profession. The students, said he, are just starting, or have started on a career, which is one of the finest or noblest professions that men could go into. Tribune News Service Mussoorie, February 15 The Mussoorie constituency recorded around 59 per cent polling while the percentage for 29 booths set up in the Mussoorie municipal limits was 48.50 per cent, which could change as the figures from two or three booths were yet to be received, said election department officials. The voting began at 8 am and was slow in the beginning. However, it picked up around 9 am as progressed during daytime. Markets remained closed to facilitate poling but the number of votes polled was discouraging in comparison to the state level figure of 69 per cent. The voting percentage for 29 booths within the Mussoorie municipal council limits was 48.50 per cent. Out of 22,819 existing voters, 11,078 cast their votes, which is less than the average state percentage of around 68 per cent. People blamed the local administration for not engaging voters through awareness programmes. Non-availability of electoral officials in the town while the control room was at Dehradun affected polling and thus the low turnout. Some voters termed the apathy shown by major political parties towards the real issues facing Mussoorie town as the main reason for the low turnout as compared to other areas in the constituency. Ganga Prasad Bahuguna (105) and Tara Devi (94) cast their votes at Bala Hissar. It was the highlight of the day and a fine example of democracy at its best. Both said that they voted for the development of the state. Former Mussoorie MLA Jot Singh Gunsola cast his vote at the polling booth on the Camels Back road primary centre. He was elated at the response of the voters. He said Congress candidate Godavari Thapli would win from Mussoorie with a huge margin. The police remained vigilant and BBD Juyal, Mussoorie station officer, accompanied by police and paramilitary forces ensured free and fair elections in the town. Hargiri, returning officer and Mussoorie SDM, said the polling percentage in the constituency crossed 59 per cent, which could improve as polling was continuing in some booths till the filing of this report. The voting percentage in the Gurkhali community-dominated areas does not augur well for sitting MLA Ganesh Joshi. Joshi thanked voters for casting their votes and participating in the festival of democracy. Poling agents of Independent candidates, namely Rajkumar Jaiswal, Sarika Pradhan, UKD candidates from both factions Jaiprakash Upadhyay and Anirudh Sharma were also seen at several booths. Tribune News Service Dehradun, February 15 Chief Minister Harish Rawat and state Congress president Kishore Upadhyay have thanked the administration and people of the state for peaceful polling. The Chief Minister, in a statement issued here today shortly after the conclusion of the polling, expressed gratitude towards election officials, the administration and people of the state for peaceful polling. He said people of Uttarakhand had a tradition of peaceful polling and they had yet again upheld it. Upadhyay hoped that the Congress would get a two-thirds majority. The way people have come out and voted indicates that the Congress will register a big win, he added. Washington, February 15 US President Donald Trump asked for National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's resignation because he had lost confidence in him after revelations regarding his contacts with Russia prior to the inauguration, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Tuesday. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) In his daily press briefing, Spicer denied that Flynn's departure was due to a "legal" issue regarding his conversations with Russia's Ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, the content of which he lied about to Vice President Mike Pence and other top government officials, EFE news reported. The President's spokesman said that Trump was informed weeks ago that Flynn had not told the truth about his contacts with Kislyak and, after evaluating the matter, his confidence in the former general "eroded" to the point where he felt that "he had to make a change". To date, it had not been clear whether Trump was aware that the Department of Justice had warned the White House in late January that Flynn could be in a compromising position as a result of the contradictions over his contact with the Russian envoy, perhaps even finding himself to be vulnerable to blackmail by the Kremlin. But on Tuesday Spicer said that Trump was indeed aware of the situation from the start and, although he concluded with his legal team that Flynn had not violated the law, he ultimately decided to ask for his resignation due to a "matter of trust". Nevertheless, the spokesman said several times that Flynn said nothing improper or illegal in his calls with Kislyak, adding that "the President had no problem with the fact that he acted in accord to what his job was to be doing". Spicer's version contrasts with the one related by one of Trump's closest advisers, Kellyanne Conway, who on Monday, hours before the announcement of the resignation, said that Flynn had the President's "full confidence" and on Tuesday remarked that the former adviser had tendered his resignation voluntarily. Flynn, a decorated general who advised Trump on foreign policy during the election campaign, held conversations with Kislyak during the transition period prior to the mogul's inauguration and even before the November 8 election. Some of those telephone calls were intercepted by the US intelligence services and, according to the transcripts, Flynn and the Russian Ambassador spoke about the sanctions on the Kremlin that former President Barack Obama imposed before leaving the White House in reprisal for alleged Russian interference in the US election. While the rumours about the content of those calls were making the rounds in Washington, Flynn assured Pence and other top government officials that he had not discussed the sanctions with Kislyak. Flynn resigned on Monday evening, writing in his resignation letter that he "inadvertently briefed the Vice-President elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador". On Tuesday, Spicer categorically denied that Trump had instructed Flynn to discuss the sanctions with the Russian envoy. IANS Peshawar: At least seven persons were killed and several others, including judges, injured on Wednesday in two separate suicide attacks in Pakistans northwestern region, days after a bombing claimed 13 lives in Lahore. In the first attack, at least six persons, including four security persons, were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked a government compound in Mohmand tribal region. In another attack, a driver was killed while four judges were injured in Hayatabad area of Peshawar. PTI Beijing, February 15 Chinas official media on Wednesday warned India against playing the Taiwan card, saying New Delhi will suffer losses by challenging Beijing over the sensitive issue. The warning came after a Taiwanese women Parliamentary delegation visited India. By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire, state-run Global Times said in an op-ed article titled New Delhi will suffer losses if it plays Taiwan card. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) At a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the one China policy, India stands out as a provocateur, the tabloid daily, which is a part of Communist Party of Chinas publications, said. High-level visits between India and Taiwan are not very frequent, so why did India invite the Taiwan delegation to visit at this time? the article asked referring to Taiwanese MPs delegation. It is the first such visit since the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen administration took office, it said. Tsai, who won on elections last year, is a strong supporter of Taiwans independence from China. Some Indians view the Taiwan question as an Achilles Heel of the mainland. India has long wanted to use the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China, the article said. India may be looking to use the Taiwan card against China out of its suspicions with China specially over the $46-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project with Pakistan, it said. With the advancement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in recent years, Indias strategic suspicions about China have been growing, it said. It stubbornly misinterprets the flagship project of the One Belt, One Road Initiative that will benefit countries along the route, including India. As the corridor passes through the disputed Kashmir, some Indian strategists have advised the Modi government to play the Taiwan card, it said. To India, the island can not only help realise some of Indias development goals, but also, strategically, check the mainland. Growing Taiwanese investment in India, including in steel, telecom and information technology sectors, are important to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Made in India campaign, it said. Although the mainland is a major trading partner of India, political discord and the historical feud make economic cooperation between the two difficult, the article said. Tsai is exploiting Indias vigilance and strategic suspicions against China. The pro-independence leader came up with the new southbound policy to ramp up trade and economic interactions in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, in which India is considered not one of the, but the most important country, it said. Quoting Taiwans representative to India Chung Kwang Tien, the article said Tsai hopes to put pressure on the mainland by tying India and Taiwan closer. India wants benefits from the development of trade with Taiwan and Taiwanese investment. But it should be wary of Tsais political intentions and avoid being used to confront the mainland, it said. PTI London, February 14 UK Prime Minister Theresa May today rejected a petition endorsed by nearly 2 million people against the state visit of US President Donald Trump to Britain, saying her government does not support the view. The rejection comes after the petition Prevent Donald Trump from making State Visit to the United Kingdom attracted 1.8 million signatures, ensuring a debate in the parliament on the matter on February 20. Any petition crossing a million signatures has to be considered for a debate in the House of Commons, but the British government has the right to take a stand on the issue in the lead up to that debate. The petition - to be debated later this month - called for Trump to be allowed to visit the UK but not be granted an official state visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen. Mays official response said the government believed Trump should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalised. [Her Majestys] government recognises the strong views expressed by the many signatories of this petition, but does not support this petition, it read. During her visit to the US on January 27, May invited Trump for a state visit later this year. The invitation was accepted. PTI Downing Street fooled by V-Day prank British Prime Ministers office fell prey to a Valentines Day gag put up by a comedian claiming to offer flowers from US President Donald Trump to Theresa May. An unidentified female No 10 Downing Street aide revealed hydrangeas, a type of plant native to southern and eastern Asia and the Americas, were Mays favourite flowers after ringing serial trickster Heydon Prowse back on his mobile number. During the six-minute exchange, the prankster claimed to be Jeff Arnold, an assistant to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in the Oval Office, The Sun reported. After being put through to the British prime ministers office, he asked what Mays favourite flowers were because they want to send something really nice for Valentines Day. The aide said shes not 100 per cent sure off the top of her head but said she will check and get back to him. She ringed him back a short while later asking: Can I check who the gift is coming from? The prankster replied: Its essentially from Mr Trump but Sean Spicer is organising it. She then responded: Ah yes, I see, excellent, fantastic. Dhaka: The Bangladesh police on Tuesday shot dead a militant commander of a banned Islamist outfit and a close aide of one of the masterminds of the deadly Dhaka cafe attack in which 22 persons, including an Indian girl, were killed. Abu Musa alias Abu Jar was killed in a gunfight with police which acting on a tip-off raided a house in the northern city of Bogra. The other militants fled the scene leaving wounded Jar at the scene while doctors declared him dead as we took him to the (nearby) hospital, Zaman said. Abu Jar was a close aide of neo-JMB leader Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi, one of the masterminds of deadly Dhaka cafe attack who was arrested last month, Bogras district police chief Asaduz Zaman told reporters. PTI Lincoln police have arrested a 33-year-old Lincoln man on suspicion of trying to rob the Walgreens at 27th Street and Pine Lake Road early Friday. Sgt. Randy Clark said they identified Derek Mueller as a suspect after receiving tips he was the man in surveillance footage police released Monday. Officer Katie Flood said a man went into the pharmacy just before 1 a.m. and handed the pharmacist a note demanding prescription drugs. According to a affidavit for Mueller's arrest, he went into the store with his face uncovered, then came back with it covered. The pharmacist refused to give Mueller what he wanted and tried to grab his face mask, the document says. The man displayed no weapon and made no threats, police said. Mueller was arrested Tuesday at his home at 3921 Village Court, Clark said. Prosecutors charged him Wednesday with attempted robbery and Lancaster County Judge Matt Acton set his bail at $25,000. Geneva, February 14 North Korea said on Tuesday its missile launches were self-defence measures, rejecting UN Security Council criticism of its weekend test, but the US demanded international action against Pyongyangs weapons programmes. North Koreas ballistic missile firing on Sunday was its first direct challenge to the international community since US President Donald Trump took office. The missile had a range of more than 2,000 km. It reached an altitude of about 550 km and flew about 500 km towards Japan before splashing into the sea east of the Korean peninsula. The UN Security Council on Monday denounced the launch, urging members to redouble efforts to enforce sanctions against the reclusive state, but gave no indications of any action it might take. Han Tae Song, the new Ambassador of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations in Geneva, addressed the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament a day after taking up his post. The various test-fires conducted by DPRK for building up self-defence capabilities are, with no exception, self-defence measures to protect national sovereignty and the safety of the people against direct threats by hostile forces, Han told the 61-member-state forum. My delegation strongly rejects the latest statement of the UN Security Council and all UN resolutions against my country. US Ambassador Robert Wood said: All efforts to advance North Koreas nuclear weapons and ballistic missile capabilities must cease, adding: If ever there were a situation that called for international collective action to ensure our mutual security, it is this. Reuters Seoul, February 15 North Korea defended its latest ballistic missile launch and slammed UN Security Council condemnation in a defiant statement on Wednesday, as tensions escalate over the reclusive states recent behaviour. The communique from the Norths foreign ministry came as investigators in Malaysia probe the shock assassination of Kim Jong-Uns half-brother Monday. The Norths leader has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his countrys nuclear and missile programmes. The United Nations Security Council, which includes the Norths only major ally China, sharply castigated Pyongyang on Monday for the missile test a day earlier, describing it as a grave violation of UN resolutions and threatening further significant measures. The rocket launch was the first since US President Donald Trump came to power and was seen as a challenge to the new American leader, who has vowed a strong response to the provocation. The country is barred under UN resolutions from carrying out ballistic missile launches or nuclear tests. The North said the Council should face squarely our advance into securing a strategic position as a nuclear state, according to a statement quoting a spokesman for the foreign ministry, carried by state media KCNA Wednesday. We flatly reject the UN Security Council statement that raises issues with a sovereign states right to self-defense, the statement added. However, there was no statement from Pyongyang about the death in Kuala Lumpur of Kim Jong-Nam, once tipped as heir apparent. North Korea has blasted off a series of missiles in the last year and conducted two nuclear tests in its quest to develop a weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland. The latest rocketsaid by Pyongyang to be able to carry a nuclear warheadflew east for about 500 kilometres before falling into the Sea of Japan (East Sea), South Koreas defense ministry said. The Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions since Pyongyang first tested an atomic device in 2006. AFP JERUSALEM, February 15 Palestinians warned the United States on Wednesday against abandoning a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel after a White House official said peace did not necessarily have to entail Palestinian statehood. US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet later in the day for the first time since the US election in November that brought the Republican to office. On the eve of the meeting, a senior White House official said it was up to the Israelis and Palestinians themselves to decide on the shape of any future peace. "Whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else," the official said, adding that Trump, while giving peace "high priority", would not try to "dictate" an agreement. For Palestinians, who seek a state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and in the Gaza Strip, even the notion of a US retreat from the internationally backed goal of a future Palestine existing alongside Israel was alarming. "If the Trump Administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad," Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in response to the US official's remarks. "Accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy," she said in a statement. Netanyahu committed, with conditions, to the two-state goal in a speech in 2009 and has broadly reiterated the aim since. But given regional instability and long-running divisions in Palestinian politics, many in his cabinet argue the time is not ripe for a Palestinian state to emerge. Far-right cabinet ministers in Israel have called for the annexation of parts of the West Bank, which was among the territory Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Netanyahu has not endorsed that demand. Commenting on the White House official's remarks, Husam Zomlot, strategic affairs adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, noted that Palestinian statehood has long been at the heart of international peace efforts. "The two-state solution is not something we just came up with. It is an international consensus and decision after decades of Israel's rejection of the one-state democratic formula," Zomlot told Reuters in Jerusalem by telephone from the West Bank city of Ramallah. On his departure for Washington on Monday, Netanyahu sidestepped a question on whether he still backed a two-state solution, saying he would make his position clear in the US capital. But he has spoken of a "state minus, suggesting he could offer the Palestinians deep-seated autonomy they already exercise limited self-rule in the West Bank under interim deals and the trappings of statehood without full sovereignty. Reuters Seoul/Kuala Lumpur, February 15 South Koreas spy agency suspects two female North Korean agents assassinated the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Malaysia, lawmakers in Seoul said on Wednesday, as Malaysian medical authorities sought a cause of death. US government sources also told Reuters they believed that Kim Jong Nam, who according to Malaysian police died on Monday on his way to hospital from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, had been murdered by North Korean assassins. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) South Korean intelligence believed Kim Jong Nam was poisoned, lawmakers said after being briefed by the countrys spy agency. They said the spy agency told them that the young, unpredictable North Korean leader had issued a standing order for his half-brothers assassination, and that there had been a failed attempt in 2012. Meanwhile, a woman carrying a Vietnamese passport was arrested today in connection with the assassination, Malaysias police chief said. Inspector General Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement she was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. According to the spy agency, Kim Jong Nam had been living with his second wife in the Chinese territory of Macau, under Beijings protection, the lawmakers said. One of them said Kim Jong Nam also had a wife and son in Beijing. Portly and gregarious, Kim Jong Nam had spoken out publicly against his familys dynastic control of the isolated state. If the murder of Kim Jong Nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong Un regime, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the countrys acting president, told a security council meeting. The meeting was called in response to Kim Jong Nams mysterious death, news of which first emerged late on Tuesday. South Korea is acutely sensitive to any sign of potential instability in North Korea, and is still technically in a state of war with its impoverished and nuclear-armed neighbour. Ticket to Macau Malaysian police said the dead man, 46, held a passport under the name Kim Chol. Kim Jong Nam was known to spend a significant amount of time outside North Korea, traveling in Macau and Hong Kong as well as mainland China, and has been caught in the past using forged travel documents. Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat said on Tuesday the cause of Kims death was not yet known, and that a post-mortem would be carried out. Kim had been planning to travel to Macau on Monday when he fell ill at KLIAs low-cost terminal, Fadzil said. Kims body was taken on Wednesday morning to a second hospital, where an autopsy was being performed. A Malaysian police source who had seen closed-circuit TV footage from the airport said a woman was involved in the attack. So far from the CCTV we can confirm its a woman, the source said. Asked during a news briefing if the murder of Kim Jong Nam was confirmed, South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said: Yes, I have said it is confirmed. South Koreas TV Chosun, a cable-TV network, cited multiple South Korean government sources saying that Kim had been poisoned with a needle by two women believed to be North Korean operatives who fled in a taxi. Reuters could not independently confirm those details. Officials at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur would not speak to reporters gathered outside its gate and refused them entry. A few cars were seen leaving the embassy. South Koreas Unification Ministry urged North Korean defectors in South Korea and abroad to be mindful of their security. Malaysia is one of a dwindling number of countries that has close relations with North Korea, whose nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches - the latest of which took place on Sunday - have provoked global sanctions. Malaysians and North Koreans can visit each others country without visas. Reuters/AFP Washington, February 15 President Donald Trump on Wednesday dropped US insistence on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longstanding bedrock of the Middle East policy, even as he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb settlement construction. In the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Trumps victory, the President backed away from a US commitment to eventual creation of a Palestinian state. Im looking at two states and one state, and I like the one both parties like, Trump told a joint news conference with Netanyahu. I can live with either one. Trump vowed to work toward a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians but said it would require compromise on both sides and up to the parties themselves ultimately to reach the terms of any agreement. But he offered no new prescription for achieving an accord that has eluded so many of his predecessors. Trump told Netanyahu: I'd like to see you pull back on settlements for a little bit. The right-wing Israeli leader insisted that Jewish settlements were not the core of the conflict and made no commitment to reduce settlement building. Reuters Washington, February 14 President Donald Trumps national security adviser (NSA), Michael Flynn, resigned late on Monday after revelations that he had discussed US sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office and misled Vice-President Mike Pence about the conversations. Flynns resignation came hours after it was reported that the Justice Department had warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak before Trump took power on January 20. Flynns departure was a sobering development in Trumps young presidency, a 24-day period during which his White House has been repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas. The departure could slow Trumps bid to warm up relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Flynn submitted his resignation hours after Trump, through a spokesman, pointedly declined to publicly back Flynn, saying he was reviewing the situation and talking to Pence. Flynn had promised Pence he had not discussed US sanctions with the Russians, but transcripts of intercepted communications, described by US officials, showed that the subject had come up in conversations between him and the Russian ambassador. Such contacts could potentially be in violation of a law banning private citizens from engaging in foreign policy, known as the Logan Act. Pence had defended Flynn in television interviews and was described by administration officials as upset about being misled. Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador. I have sincerely apologised to the President and the Vice-President, and they have accepted my apology, Flynn said in his resignation letter. Retired General Keith Kellogg, who has been chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, was named the acting NSA while Trump determines who should fill the position. A US official confirmed a Washington Post report that Sally Yates, the then-acting US attorney general, told the White House late last month that she believed Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador. She said Flynn might have put himself in a compromising position, possibly leaving himself vulnerable to blackmail, the official said. Yates was later fired for opposing Trumps temporary entry ban for people from seven mostly Muslim nations. Reuters Retired General Kellogg is acting NSA Michael Flynns temporary replacement, General Kellogg, is a decorated veteran of the US Army, having served from 1967 to 2003, including two tours during the Vietnam War, where he earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with V device He served as the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division from 1997 to 1998. Prior to his retirement, General Kellogg was Director of the Command, Control, Communications, and Computers Directorate under the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kellogg, retired General David Petraeus, a former CIA director, and Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of US Central Command, are under consideration for the position. Harward was described by officials as the leading candidate Illegal leaks behind NSAs resignation: Prez US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the real story behind the NSAs resignation was illegal leaks, indicating that it was not the top official misleading him as being reported in the media The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N. Korea, etc? Trump told his more than 24.8 million followers on Twitter. Kuala Lumpur, February 15 The Malaysian police probing the killing of the half-brother of North Koreas leader today arrested a woman as they tried to unravel a Cold War-style assassination the South said was carried out by Pyongyangs agents. As Seoul pointed the finger at poison-wielding female spies from North of their shared border, police in Kuala Lumpur said they were holding a woman with a Vietnamese passport. Her arrest came around 24 hours after news broke of the death of Kim Jong-Nam, the elder sibling of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, with reports saying female assassins had sprayed toxins in his face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. CCTV images that emerged in Malaysian media, purportedly of one of the suspects, showed an Asian woman wearing a white top with the letters LOL emblazoned on the front. Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said 28-year-old Doan Thi Huong was arrested at the airport this morning, two days after the killing. The suspect was positively identified from the CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of arrest, Khalid said in a statement. Meanwhile, pathologists in the Malaysian capital examined the body for clues as to how he died, in a killing that has echoes of Soviet-era spycraft. South Koreas spy chief Lee Byung-Ho said the two women struck on Monday morning as Kim was readying to board a flight to Macau where he has spent many years in exile. Malaysian police said Kim, a portly 45-year-old, was walking through the departure hall when he was attacked. He told the receptionist... someone had grabbed his face from behind and splashed some liquid on him, Selangor states criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying by Malaysias The Star newspaper. He asked for help and was immediately sent to the airports clinic. At this point, he was experiencing headache and was on the verge of passing out, said Fadzil. At the clinic, the victim experienced a mild seizure. He was put into an ambulance and was being taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when he was pronounced dead. No party had yet laid claim to the body, Abdul Samah said. As for now the body will be kept at the Kuala Lumpur morgue. AFP A Lincoln man was arrested outside of the Walgreens near 48th and Huntington Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of robbing a woman at gunpoint. Lincoln Police Capt. Bob Farber said Laderrius Rawls, 25, approached a 31-year-old woman in the parking lot after she made a purchase inside the store. She told police he began going through her pockets as she was putting her child in a car seat. The woman said she began to resist, but stopped after Rawls said he was carrying a gun. Farber said he took off after taking money and belongings from her pockets. Police responded to the call about 2:30 p.m. and arrested Rawls three blocks away. Officers said they did not find a gun on him, but he had the woman's EBT card. Photo: DB Schenker Global logistics company DB Schenker reportedly is taking a $25 million stake in U.S.-based uShip, which uses online technology to match freight shippers and carriers. According to the Wall Street Journal, Schenker said it is pressing a digital transformation of its business model. The Journal reports that the German firm also received a seat on uShips board. Last summer, hailing it as the digital future, Schenker signed a five-year agreement with uShip for exclusive collaboration in Europe. The uShip marketplace platform, which has been matching shippers with carriers in at least 19 countries, will first be used in DB Schenker's land transport sector. Founded 14 years ago, uShip was ahead of the so-called Uber for trucking trend. The privately held business said its shipping marketplace has handled more than 1 million shipments. UShip earlier this month announced a new CEO, Mike Williams. The Journal points out that Schenker isnt the only traditional large logistics company thats been investing in technology. For instance, UPS bought Coyote Logistics in 2015, and in lat 2104, C.H. Robinson announced it was buying Freightquote.com Inc. Cass County sheriffs deputies arrested two men Tuesday afternoon after recognizing their SUV from a description given after a hit-and-run in Chicago. Deputies found marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a large butcher knife in the SUV, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. At 12:06 p.m., a deputy sheriff pulled over the green Oldsmobile Bravada heading south on U.S. 75/34 north of Union, the release said. The SUV's front end was damaged and matched the description of a vehicle involved in a hit and run near Chicago on Feb. 8. The driver was identified as Benjamin Robinson, 18, of Omaha. Passengers were Adam Ellison, 30, of Nebraska City, who owns the SUV, and his 2-year-old daughter. A second deputy arrived, and they determined the information the two men were giving about the damage was false, the sheriff's office said. They searched the SUV and arrested Robinson on suspicion of false reporting and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Ellison was arrested on suspicion of possession of a deadly weapon by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon, false reporting, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. The toddler was released to her mother, the sheriff's office said. Robinson is a ward of the state and was released to a state worker after being cited. The Chicago hit-and-run investigation is ongoing. Nearly 80 percent of Nebraska babies, toddlers and preschoolers spend at least part of their day in child care. Increasingly, studies find a childs first eight years of life are most critical for developing the skills needed to become successful adults. Yet, when it comes to providing consistent high-quality care, and adequately compensating those who care for children in their most influential years of life, Nebraska, and the nation, fall woefully short. Eleven of Nebraskas 93 counties dont even have a single licensed child care facility, and in 75 percent of Nebraskas counties there are not enough child care slots to meet the current demand. But thanks to a partnership between the Buffett Early Childhood Institute and the University of Nebraska, early childhood education leaders are hoping to make the Cornhusker state a model for the nation. On Wednesday, the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission -- a 39-member group comprised of public and private sector leaders -- will embark on a comprehensive three-year collaboration to address the most pressing issues facing early childhood education: * A shortage of child care workers. * Inconsistent and inadequate preparation and training for early childhood educators and providers. * Abysmal salaries for the very people parents are entrusting their most valuable possession -- their children. In 2015, the average salary for Nebraska child care professionals was $19,620 -- below the poverty line for a family of three. Twenty percent of early childhood teachers serving children birth through third grade take on a second job just to make ends meet. And many of these same teachers leave the profession for the fast food industry, where wages are higher, said Samuel Meisels, founding executive director of the Buffett Institute. This is not just a parenting issue, its a professional crisis for the state, Meisels said in a telephone interview from his office in Omaha. Simply put, early childhood education is at the core of economic development. If kids are not cared for well early on and dont thrive and contribute as they grow into adulthood, they will be a burden as they grow, Meisels said. Bottom line: communities, states and the nation will pay dearly for clinging to the outmoded thinking that babies are just blobs, and their education is solely a parental responsibility, according to Marjorie Kostelnik, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who co-chairs the commission with Meisels. Research and empirical neurological data support long-held theories that childrens earliest experiences and lessons pay off later in life, Kostelnik said, citing the work of Nobel laureate James Heckman. Although later interventions and efforts can yield long-lasting positive results, It is not as powerful as if you do it early, Kostelnik said of Heckmans research finding. Not long ago, a childs preschool years were thought to be the most important, but Heckmans findings reveal infant and toddler years are even more powerful, she said. Communities need to see it as a return on investment, Meisels said. Small communities need to invest in early childhood programs so they can attract and retain people in these small communities, he said. The early years of childrens lives come when their parents have the lowest earning power, Kostelnik said. New parents are younger, just starting out in their own careers, she explained. Which means solutions to early childhood education disparity and availability cannot be viewed as the sole responsibility of the parents. It must be a collaborative effort of public, private, business and educational sectors, Meisels said. To not see child care and early childhood education as community issues is an outmoded view of family, economy and gender, he added. Everyone shares the responsibility. If a child is in poverty, high-quality care and education can be a life-changing experience, he said. Kostelnik said families and communities are not separate entities, but entwined. Families are the community. Its a partnership between family and community, not an either-or, Kostelnik said. Families can rely on the community support and communities can rely on families to remain in the community and contribute. Referring to the focus of Prosper Lincoln, a community program charged with setting the agenda for positive change for Lincolns future, Kostelnik said three key areas were identified: early childhood, a skilled workforce and innovation. The three threads go together. You cannot have one that is not integrated with the others, Kostelnik said. We dont just need a place to put a child. We need a high-quality place, a stimulating place and nurturing place." The Early Childhood Workforce Commission drafted a blueprint for change, Meisels said. And then build momentum to turn those solutions into reality. Key is shifting the perspective from old thinking to new understanding. If people thought we were squandering (a childs opportunity) we wouldnt do it, Kostelnik said. They dont recognize that is exactly what it happening. Meisels agreed. There is a tremendous waste of potential that I think can be avoided, he said. We all care about what happens to very young children. We are all in it together because it is our future." UK-Chinese fashionista Gok Wan turns his attention to cuisine in a new series Goks Chinese Takeaway on LifeStyle FOOD. This was produced for National Geographic Asia. Gok Wan, the fashion star, harbours a secret wish within the next few years, hell want to buy over his fathers take- away restaurant and turn it into something of his own. Itll serve fusion-Chinese food with pizzazz. However to fulfil that dream, Gok would first have to get past his father, an immigrant from Hong Kong and a purist in Chinese cuisine. Having grown up in the only Asian family on his street in Leicester, Gok believes that there is more to his take of modern Chinese food than his fathers rigid vision. His dad says go see what other remote Chinese communities are doing with their Chinese food. So Gok sets off to visit Chinese communities around the globe to discover their take on Chinese food outside of China. Is their view of Chinese cuisine as strict as his fathers? Or have they immersed into their new localities so completely that theyve created a distinct flavour? And what will Goks journey into the Chinese diaspora help him discover his own identity? From the UK to the Caribbean through to the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, Gok will meet people who take him on food adventures and spark off ideas of creating Chinese style food without the quintessential Chinese ingredients. He will come off with concrete ideas of creating food that best reflects his personality and Chinese heritage. Thursdays from February 16 at 8.30pm on LifeStyle FOOD. Seven chairman Kerry Stokes yesterday lashed out at a journalist during the half-yearly results conference call. After an hour of analysts questions, the media was allowed only 15 minutes to ask Stokes and Tim Worner about the affair. Will Glasgow, from The Australian, queried whether former board member Sheila McGregor had been silenced after she quit just as an independent report into the issue was being published. How dare you? Thats outrageous, Stokes fumed. Are you seriously suggesting I will tell a director what they can and cant do? The reason remains between her and I, he added. When asked if Worner had offered to resign, Stokes said he offered to do what was in the best interests of the company. But he also took aim at former executive assistant Amber Harrison. There was a significant amount of money taken by her and theres no other excuse for it, he said. We have dishonest people who work for us, he said. But friends of Amber Harrison told the Herald Sun It is wrong that they keep throwing around these expenses figures, making her out to be a fraudster, when she is not, they said. This is not about the expenses, but thats all theyve got on her, so thats why they keep bringing it up. And to do it when they have gagged her and she cant explain herself is extraordinary. Source: Fairfax, Daily Mail Seven West Media Chairman Kerry Stokes today backed his CEO Tim Worner amid ongoing headlines regarding his affair with Amber Harrison. Worner today fronted Sevens half-yearly results in Sydney. Responding to questions about whether Seven News had ignored the headlines, Stokes said, I am not aware of any restraint on Seven News covering this issue. In fact I think there is a fairly large article on this this morning, so Im not quite sure what youre referring to. I would suggest our news editors cover what they think is appropriate to cover. Tim Worner himself continues to enjoy the full confidence of the board as our CEO. (Hes) doing an outstanding job. At the start of todays results conference call, Tim Worner said, Over the past two months much has been written and discussed concerning the ongoing claims of a former employee. I have apologised for what did happen and we dont wish to give any more oxygen to things that did not happen. The company has made a number of public statements on the matter and will continue to keep the market informed. But Seven West Medias first-half net profit plunged nearly 91 percent, hurt by changes relating to its investment in Yahoo7, divestments and costs related to the defunct streaming service Presto. Net profit dropped to $12.4 million for the six months to December 24, from $135.2 million a year earlier, relating to the impairment of its investment in Yahoo7, sale of Magazines youth titles and Australian News Channel as well as Prestos closing down costs. Excluding significant items, profit after tax fell 31.8 per cent to $95.7 million. Tim Worner said: We are delivering leadership across our media platforms. We are delivering on a successful strategy that provides us with a clear, continuous and sustainable plan for growth to 2020 and beyond. We will continue to build our businesses, manage our costs, grow our content production capacity, and deliver that content wherever the audience wants to consume it and wherever we can monetise it. Much has been done on driving greater efficiencies across all aspects of our business and we will continue to focus on further enhancing our operating margins. Meanwhile Sydney Swans chairman Andrew Pridham rejected calls for Mr Worner to resign. Im disappointed he has got himself into this situation, Im disappointed for him and his judgment but that doesnt necessarily mean there are grounds to ask someone to step down from a board, he said. The presentation follows a flurry of headlines this week surrounding his affair with Amber Harrison, previously an executive assistant within Seven West Media. Yesterday board member and Beyond Blue chairman Jeff Kennett took to the press to defend SWMs position and investigation, citing one-sided reportage. Harrison, remains subject to an injunction this week preventing her from commentary, including on social media. That matter returns to court next week. Source: AFR, Nine Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). | By Patricia Fanning The Presidents Fellows and the Office of Interprofessional Student Learning & Service Initiatives (ISLSI) welcomed Suzanne Sysko Clough, MD, to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) on Feb. 9. Her remarks were part of the Presidents Symposium & White Paper Project speaker series, which is focusing on entrepreneurship during the 2016-2017 academic year. (View a photo gallery.) "We have to do more for students than just the day-in, day-out curriculum, Clough told the fellows and other students during the program. We have to get people to be not only better critical thinkers but we have to help them innovate to solve day-to-day business problems just to stay afloat, especially in medicine. Suzanne Sysko Clough, MD, co-founder of RAS Digital Health, shares insights at the Presidents Symposium & White Paper Project speaker series on entrepreneurship. One reason for her assertion: the rapid pace of change in the delivery of health care. Clough mentioned the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which she said appears to be secure even in the new administration because of its wide bipartisan support. We are finally going from what has been referred to as volume-based careto value-based care. She said policymakers and practitioners are being challenged to innovate the entire health care system as the message becomes, We are going to start looking at outcomes; we are going to start paying you for value. The focused teaching of a robust entrepreneurship curriculum in graduate and professional studies has historically been limited to graduate programs of entrepreneurship. In her remarks, Clough shared her views on why teaching entrepreneurship should be a staple in all graduate studies programs, especially those in the life sciences. Clough focused on medicine given her own background. An alumna of the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), she was at UMB for 12 years before leaving her endocrinology and diabetes practice in 2006. As a co-founder of WellDoc, Inc., she became its chief medical officer. While at WellDoc, Clough was instrumental in informing the design of the algorithms and the clinical and behavioral architecture of WellDocs Food and Drug Administration-cleared software platform. Its goal is to address the unmet needs in both patient self-management education and physician clinical decision support. Clough left WellDoc in March 2016 and co-founded RAS Digital Health, LLC., a digital health consulting firm that supports startups and Fortune 500 companies in building out their digital health strategies. What I implore universities, she said, is that as physicians, as biologists, as behaviorists, we have got to be in on this. We cant let technologists build technology just for the sake of building technology because it never works. To be effective, Clough said, there has to be a marriage of technology and the background that folks in life sciences have. And for that to happen, she added, newly minted professionals must be equipped with skills and knowledge that allow them to jump in and get in the mix. How best to encourage that type of entrepreneurial spirit at UMB is the topic of this years white paper. The fellows are Chinonye "Donna" Egbulem, a School of Social Work student who is in her final year of the dual degree Masters in Social Work/Masters in Public Health; Anna Hung, PharmD, a doctoral student in the Pharmaceutical Health Services Research program at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy; Benjamin Portney, a doctoral student in the UMSOM Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Camilo Vanegas, a doctoral student in molecular medicine in the UMSOM Graduate Program in Life Sciences. Vanegas was among those who took to the microphone during a question-and-answer session with Clough. He said that as a fourth-year PhD candidate, he knows many students who arent allowed to do entrepreneurial activities because their principal investigators want them in the lab. Its not just a frown; its a no, he said. Yet the selection of the topic, Entrepreneurial Exploration and Education shows the University is definitely trying to change that outlook, Vanegas said. The next symposium in the series on entrepreneurship will take place March 9 at 4 p.m. at the Southern Management Corporation Campus Center. James Hughes, MBA, chief enterprise and economic development officer and vice president, will speak on "UMBs Entrepreneurial Future." Among other things, he will discuss plans for UMB start-ups in a new student-focused innovation center in the University of Maryland BioPark. Hughes will be joined by Rana Quraishi, PhD, director of new ventures, and Darryl L. Carter, MD, a UM Ventures entrepreneur in residence, who will share case studies of recent entrepreneurial projects by UMB students. On April 3 at 4 p.m., the interdisciplinary group of presidents fellows will present their findings on entrepreneurship . Previous fellows explored topics such as civility and cultural competence, and ISLSI maintains an archive of their white papers. | By David Kohn The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) has announced the successful recruitment of a broad slate of top scientists, as the first part of a bold new recruitment initiative called STRAP (Special Trans-Disciplinary Recruitment Award Program). The initiative is a bold, new effort to recruit teams of some of the most talented physicians and scientists, with the primary goal of significantly catalyzing the schools focus on accelerating discoveries, cures, and therapeutics for the most serious diseases that cause morbidity, mortality, and disability. STRAP specifies that the school will recruit scores of well-funded teams of scientists at all faculty ranks by the year 2020, as part of Vision 2020, the shared strategic goals established by the School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical System. The new teams of scientists will bring federal funding of nearly $30 million (more than $11 million annually) in total grants and contracts to the school, which surpassed $400 million in total research funding in 2016. Many of the new scientists will be housed in the new 450,000-square-foot, $305 million state-of-the art research facility on West Baltimore Street, Health Sciences Facility III. The facility will be finished by the end of this year and occupied in early 2018. Health Sciences Facility III will feature among the most advanced laboratories and medical research technology found anywhere. University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, pointed out that the new building is a major asset to the schools research portfolio and will be most appealing to leading scientists who wish to have a state-of-the-art research facility for conducting discovery-based medicine in a collaborative manner and at a very high level of sophistication. We are off to a tremendous start with the STRAP Initiative, and are very excited to be able to attract these first teams of outstanding individuals who are nationally and internationally recognized in their respective fields, said Reece. The University of Maryland School of Medicine is being recognized as a magnet institution for individuals interested in pursuing possible cures and treatments for the most critical and complex diseases that we face around the world. The program is the most significant and ambitious effort to recruit scientists in the schools 210-year history. It signifies an aggressive move by the school to advance in the top echelon of leading biomedical research institutions in the nation. In particular, the school is targeting top researchers and physician scientists who will help to accelerate breakthrough discoveries in critical areas, including brain disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular-metabolic diseases. The initiative will lead to rich, collaborative research programs across the School of Medicine, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the University System, Reece noted. Experts in Lung Injury Stephen N. Davis, MBBS, the Dr. Theodore E. Woodward Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine; Jeffrey D. Hasday, MD, the Dr. Herbert Berger Endowed Professor of Medicine and division head, pulmonary & critical care medicine; and Peter Rock, MD, MBA, the Dr. Martin A. Helrich Professor and chair of anesthesiology; with collaboration from Thomas M. Scalea, MD, the Hon. Francis X. Kelly Distinguished Professor in Trauma Surgery, director of the program in trauma, and physician-in-chief at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center; and Scott M. Thompson, PhD, professor and chair, Department of Physiology, announced the addition of two top pulmonary scientists: Konstantin Birukov, MD, PhD, comes to the school from the University of Chicago School of Medicine, where he was an associate professor of medicine in the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care. He is a leading expert on the molecular mechanisms regulating lung vascular permeability, the role of mechanical forces and oxidized phospholipidome in development and recovery of lung function, and innovative strategies to prevent acute lung injury. Prior to the University of Chicago, he was a research associate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has authored or co-authored more than 120 peer-reviewed papers and reviews, as well as two book chapters, and has four patents. Birukov will have his primary appointment in the school's Department of Anesthesiology, and a secondary appointment in the Department of Medicine, and serve as director of the University of Maryland School of Medicine Lung Biology Research Program. Anna Birukova, MD, is a widely published investigator in several areas, including the regulation of lung vascular permeability and inflammation by microtubules, microtubule-associated signaling molecules, and new ways to protect the lungs from acute injury. Prior to coming to the University of Maryland, Baltimore, she was an associate professor of medicine in the Section for Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Chicago School of Medicine. Prior to that, she was a research associate at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and reviews and has written three book chapters. Birukova will have her primary appointment in the UMSOM Department of Medicine and a secondary appointment in the Department of Anesthesiology, and serve as associate director of the Lung Biology Research Program. The team comes to the UMSOM with $4.35 million in total research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (more than $2 million annually). Top Investigators in Muscle and Tendon Formation In the Department of Orthopaedics, Andrew N. Pollak, MD, the James Lawrence Kernan Professor and Chair, has led the effort to recruit a team of leading orthopaedics researchers: Masahiro Iwamoto, DDS, PhD, is an acclaimed scientist who has focused on the development of articular cartilage, the regulation of bone growth, and the repair of muscle, cartilage, and other connective tissue. Prior to coming to the University of Maryland, Baltimore, he was a research associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Prior to that, he was an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Iwamoto has earned four patents, and has authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed papers. Motomi Enomoto-Iwamoto, DDS, PhD, comes from the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where she was a research associate professor in orthopaedic surgery. She is an accomplished investigator who studies the cellular and signaling mechanisms that regulate skeletal development and function, the cellular pathways that lead to cartilage tumors and osteoarthritis, and the role of local progenitor cells in articular cartilage and tendon repair. Prior to CHOP, she was an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University. Iwamoto has earned four patents, and has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed papers. The team joins the UMSOM faculty with more than $2.7 million in total research funding from the NIH ($675,000 annually). Leading Neuroscientist in Brain Development In the Department of Pharmacology, Margaret M. McCarthy, PhD, professor and chair, and Bankole A. Johnson, DSc, MD, MB, ChB, MPhil, the Dr. Irving J. Taylor Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry, have announced the addition of a nationally recognized neuroscientist: Tracy L. Bale, PhD, is a leading expert on the links between stress and subsequent risk for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and schizophrenia in offspring. Her innovative studies use molecular techniques to determine the mechanisms by which this may occur. Her studies on the placenta have revealed novel sex differences that may predict increased prenatal risk for disease in males. Prior to coming to the University of Maryland, Baltimore, she was a professor of neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and the School of Veterinary Medicine. She is the co-director of the Specialized Center for Research on Womens Health and Penn PROMOTES. She serves as chair of an NIH study section, is a reviewing editor for the Journal of Neuroscience, and serves on the Congressional Committee on Gulf War Veterans Health. She has authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed papers. Bale brings nearly $4.5 million in total research funding from the NIH ($1.9 million annually). Top Team in Imaging and Spectroscopy In the Department of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Elias Melhem, MD, the Dean John M. Dennis Chair in Radiology, has announced a team of top investigators from Hawaii. Linda Chang, MD, MS, FAAN, FANA, is a highly acclaimed physician-scientist coming to the University of Maryland, Baltimore from the University of Hawaii, where she was a professor of medicine at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu, as well as director of the schools Neuroscience and Magnetic Resonance Research Program. After receiving her MD degree from Georgetown University, she became an assistant professor, and then an associate professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. Chang has done research on a range of topics, including how methamphetamine and other drugs affect the brain and cognition, the neurological effects of HIV/AIDS and how aging affects the brain. During her career, she has authored or co-authored 200 peer-reviewed papers, and has written nearly 30 book chapters and monographs. She also has delivered 175 lectures, grand rounds, workshops, and symposia. Thomas Ernst, PhD, was also a professor of medicine at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. Ernst earned a PhD degree in physics from the University of Freiburg in Germany. He has focused on several areas of research, including the development of strategies to minimize motion sensitivity of magnetic resonance and other imaging techniques, and to improve the overall precision of these techniques; the use of imaging to study HIV-related brain disease, the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs, and overall brain development. He has authored or co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers, more than 10 book chapters, and has given dozens of lectures and seminars. The team brings $9.2 million in total research funding from the NIH (nearly $3 million annually). Leader in Bioengineering and Artificial Organs In the Department of Surgery, Stephen T. Bartlett, MD, the Peter Angelos Distinguished Professor and Chair in Surgery, and Bartley Griffith, MD, the Thomas E. and Alice Marie Hales Distinguished Professor in Transplant Surgery, announced that a top bioengineering scientist is returning to the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Zhongjun Jon Wu, PhD, is an internationally recognized authority on the development of artificial organs, ventricular assist devices, blood pumps, artificial lungs, and respiratory assist devices. He was an assistant and associate professor at the School of Medicine from 2003 to 2014, when he became a professor of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. His primary areas of research are in blood flow, flow visualization, blood damage, cell mechanics, cardiac biomechanics, hemodynamics; biological responses to artificial organs in human and animals; and stem cell therapies for heart and lung diseases. He has earned or applied for 10 patents and has authored or co-authored more than 90 peer-reviewed papers. Wu brings nearly $1.6 million in total research funding from the NIH (more than $660,000 annually). Academic Leader in Physical Therapy In the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Mark Rogers, PhD, PT, professor and department chair, along with Department of Orthopaedics Chair Andrew Pollak, MD, announced the addition of a top research scientist in physical medicine and rehabilitation science. Li-Qun Zhang, PhD, is a senior research scientist who joins the School of Medicine faculty as professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Orthopaedics. Zhang was previously a professor in the departments of physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopaedic surgery, and biomedical engineering at Northwestern University. He also served as director of ortho biomech research at Northshore University Health System and senior research scientist at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. He is widely published and speaks internationally on his research related to biomechanics and biomedical engineering. Throughout his research career, he has consistently received annual NIH funding and currently holds $2.7 million total in grants ($833,000 annually) from the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research. University of Maryland School of Medicine is a Major Global Research Enterprise With more than $400 million in total extramural research funding last year, the School of Medicine now ranks among the top research intensive institutions nationally. Key advances since the school celebrated its bicentennial in 2007 include: Sidah Hawa stares towards the horizon. The scorching sun filters through the sparse shade of the tree under which she sits. Her six children huddle close as she breastfeeds Asanti, her 18-month-old baby. "I have suffered a great deal; these past few days have been really bad," she says after a long silence. "I didn't have enough food. I had raw cassava. This is what I fed my children. When they were tired, we rested then I gave them some water." Sidah, 30, recently arrived in Kuluba, a small dusty town in northern Uganda close to one of the many points along the border with South Sudan. She is one of thousands of refugees streaming into Uganda since intense fighting broke out again in July last year following the collapse of a peace deal between the government and opposition forces. South Sudanese refugees hit 1.5 million mark UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced today that more than 1.5 million people have now been forced to flee the country and seek safety since conflict erupted in December 2013. This makes South Sudan Africas largest refugee crisis and the worlds third largest after Syria and Afghanistan with less attention and chronic levels of underfunding. With an extremely volatile security situation forcing more refugees to flee, the latest influx is straining the capacity of transit and reception centres, which are too small for the growing number of arrivals. "I walked for two days to the border, but I didn't use the main roads." Since January 2017, more than 52,000 refugees have been received in Uganda, with the majority crossing at border entry points such as Busia, the one Sidah and her family used, to find refuge. Many refugees are using informal entry points citing the presence of armed groups on the routes to the main border points. Thousands more have made huge detours on foot to escape South Sudan, heading south through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, then east into Uganda for fear of attacks from armed forces present along the direct routes. Some report walking for more than a month before finally reaching safety. The majority of the refugees are being hosted by Uganda, where a total of some 698,000 have now arrived. In less than six months, Uganda has more than tripled its population of South Sudanese refugees, hosting the largest share of the people who have fled their homes in the neighbouring country. Ethiopia is also hosting some 342,000, while more than 305,000 otthers are in Sudan and some 89,000 in Kenya, 68,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 4,900 in the Central African Republic. Sidah Hawa and her children fled conflict in South Sudan and reached safety in Uganda after traveling for two days. UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni Sidah Hawa boarding a UNHCR truck to the Palorinya settlements where each family will be given a piece of land for shelter. UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni South Sudanese refugee Sidah Hawa being registered with her children at Kuluba transit centre. UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni After arriving at Kuluba transit centre, refugee children are given a medical check and vaccinated against disease. UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni Since January 2017, more than 52,000 refugees have been received in Uganda. UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni Appealing for more assistance, UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler added: More than 60 per cent of the refugees are children, many arriving with alarming levels of malnutrition Recent new arrivals report suffering inside South Sudan with intense fighting, kidnappings, rape, fears of armed groups and threats to life, as well as acute food shortage. Sidah endured a three-day journey to the border from her home in Mogo in Yei County in southwestern South Sudan, which enjoyed relative stability until fighting spread to the area. "I walked for two days to the border but I didn't use the main roads," she says. "We walked through the bush because if you meet soldiers they might kill you." "I spent six days hiding in the bush with my six children." Sarah Apayi is one of 6,000 refugees who used the DRC route to get into Uganda since the middle of 2016. Due to checkpoints and banditry along the main roads, more refugees are forced to use this longer route, walking several days to reach Uganda, usually with few belongings and limited access to food, water and other needs. "My husband was kidnapped over a year ago after the war started," Sarah says. "I spent six days hiding in the bush with my six children trying to get to DRC. She spent another two days from Bokolo in DRC to Uganda. It was difficult because it is not safe in the bush. I was worried about wild animals but it was better to try that way than to be attacked by the rebels. Like Sidah and Sarah, women and children continue to bear the brunt of the conflict, making up 86 per cent of refugees arriving in Uganda. "This has been a massive, unrelenting emergency with close to 2,000 refugees arriving in Uganda daily," says Nasir Fernandes, a senior emergency operations coordinator with UNHCR. "Our number one priority is saving lives and ensuring the basic needs of new arrivals are met as quickly as possible." Sidah Hawa queues with her children at Kuluba transit centre to get registered and have her children vaccinated. UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni To cope with the growing influx, new arrivals are first taken to a temporary reception centre in Kuluba, where refugees are registered by the government as soon as they arrive. They are provided with sleeping mats, blankets and sanitary materials, and children are immunised against measles and polio, while they await to be transferred to Palorinya settlement. Palorinya settlement opened in December 2016 after Bidibidi settlement became full. Having been opened in August 2016, Bidibidi settlement has become one of the largest refugee-hosting areas in the world in the space of a few months. Preparations are underway to open a new settlement as Palorinya is already close to its hosting capacity. Uganda is widely recognized as having progressive and forward-thinking refugee and asylum policies. Upon receiving refugee status, refugees are provided with small areas of land in villages integrated within the local host community; a pioneering approach that enhances social cohesion and allows both refugees and host communities to live together peacefully. The process of receiving refugees at the border to place them in settlements takes an average of just three days. In addition, refugees are granted a range of rights and freedoms, allowing them to work, start businesses and freely move around the country. "I am happy that I am finally safe." In less than six months, Uganda has more than tripled its population of South Sudanese refugees, hosting more than half of the 1.1 million people who have fled their homes in the neighbouring country. "The Ugandan Government deserves tremendous praise in their efforts in handling the emergency," Fernandes says. "But this crisis is not something Uganda can tackle alone. Its now absolutely vital that the international community pay attention to what is happening and supports Uganda in providing these refugees with an environment in which they can live in safety and dignity." In 2016, the humanitarian appeal for the South Sudan response received less than 75 per cent of the funds needed to meet the demands. Without further contributions, the abilities of the humanitarian response to provide critical aid and key basic services could become severely compromised. Sidah says she is grateful to have found peace in Uganda and a chance to start over. "I am happy that I am finally safe," she says. "I wanted the suffering to end and I now feel that it is in the process of ending." Donate now In the daily excitement coming from Washington on immigration, free speech, health care, Supreme Court nominations and accompanying conflict, one might have missed the introduction of a bill to cut funding for the United Nations. Despite frightening calls of America first, the necessary global dialogue and vital work of the United Nations should not be attacked. The United Nations does a lot more than talk. It carries out vital peacekeeping throughout the world. The United Nations have had many other successes as well. It has worked to provide 800 million people with clean water, lessening water-borne diseases. Through the Nothing But Nets program, it helps prevent malaria, which kills millions throughout the world. The UN has numerous programs to eliminate poverty through education and economic development and has aided greatly in confronting the refugee problem, the No. 1 challenge facing us today! The UN has cooperated in climate issues and protection of the environment and has adopted 18 sustainable goals, such as the health and protection of the rights of women and children, international law, energy, more efficient methods of agriculture and other forms of development, not to mention international dialogue among nations and ongoing peacekeeping efforts. The United Nations is far from perfect but, in these troubled times, we need the UN more than ever. This is the worst time for the United States to cut funding. I would encourage Nebraskans to contact Senators Ben Sasse and Deb Fischer and ask them to oppose cuts in UN funding. John Krejci, President, Lincoln Chapter of UN Association, Lincoln When searching for your college or university, you should make sure to select the right choice. Remember that it plays a key role on whatever career you may be choosing and the job that you will be doing for the rest of your life. It may be daunting to think that you will have to somehow find that single perfect college for you from among the thousands of colleges and universities in the United States because you want to be in the best school you possibly can but according to College Express, selecting colleges that are a right fit for you may mean you have to give up conventional wisdom about what really makes a good school. But it should be about how you feel about that college and how it fits you are and what you want. But what if you are an average student with an average grades in high school? Which school are really going to help you land a promising career in the future? Marissa Warren, a school counselor at Yorktown High School in New York said that it is important to get away from the brand name, although it can really be very hard, according to US News. Her first advice is to see schools that accept a student with a C-plus average or 1000 on the SAT, which is something you can do by taking advantage of free college search and fix calculators. It is also important to look for schools with high retention and graduation rates, especially for students who are struggling academically, and the ones with higher admission rates. Warren also advise to look for smaller institutions because students who have struggled through high school will be able to get the support they need in college if the class is smaller in size. It is never too late to excel in college if you are able to make the right choice about your school. Valentine's Day never passes by without flowers, and students at Honolulu Community College went out of their way to make roses that will not wither and are guaranteed to last a lifetime. Every year, students with the Sheet Metal and Plastics Technology program make these one-of-a-kind handcrafted roses for valentines, which are popularly known as "forever roses" according to University of Hawaii News. These flowers are sold by the students every February 14 to raise funds to support the program for $15 each or four for $50. They use flat sheets of copper for the flat sheets of petals and leaves and they cut it and mold into shape, according to Khon 2. Students then assemble the pieces together and then hand-crimp each petal to give them a lifelike look and texture. A total of 460 roses were sold and they have collected a total net proceeds of $2,625. Danny Aiu, who is a sheet and plastics instructor said that everything is hand-formed. And even if they are cut similarly, they do not necessarily look alike. He also said that their goal was to sell 500 roses, but barely made it. They are still hoping they can sell more so that they can collect additional money to be able to buy what they need toward the end of the semester. Honolulu CC's Sheet Metal and Plastics program is specifically designed to qualify students and help them with their entry into the sheet metal workforce. Their skills on fabrication, architectural metal work, and pattern development are being developed through hands-on experience. Projects like the handcrafted roses are an excellent opportunity for students to explore and hone their creative side and imagination, and discover the possibilities they can do with working with metals. NASA's quest to further study space just got a $250 million proposal from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The team from the university's physics department created a proposal that would lead a satellite mission to orbit the moon. The University of Alabama in Huntsville, along with nine other universities, are working on reaching NASA's goals. The proposal includes a special telescope that is going to orbit the moon and document its surroundings. NASA already has its hands full with more than a dozen scientific submissions but Physics Professor Richard S. Miller says that everyone is doing the best they can to show NASA why their programs should be funded, as reported by WAFF. He is also keen on using the specially designed satellite to study the supernova. The University of Alabama in Huntsville is partnering with Johns Hopkins University. Other collaborating institutions are the University of Arizona, Clemson University, Florida State University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the University of New Hampshire, Ohio State University, Princeton University, and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. With other engineering teams and universities in the running, Miller adds that NASA is going to choose the top three proposals. These three successful proposals are going to receive funding to continue the study for space exploration. When it comes to the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Miller points out that the institution then becomes a home for nuclear astrophysics, if they get in the top three. Everyone expects NASA to make the final decision around June. While they are waiting for the results from NASA, the University of Alabama in Huntsville are busy preparing to set out their high altitude balloon teams on Aug. 21, 2017 to cover the total eclipse. UAH and other universities are partnering with NASA for their space eclipse camp, as reported by The All State. Everyone will not only get the opportunity to view the eclipse but also study the sun more closely. In the meantime, watch the UAH clip below of students working on the Quadrotor and Airship UAV: When it comes to stem cell therapy, researchers from around the world are focused on creating disease treatments and regenerative therapies that can help produce quality stem cells. In a lab in Kyoto University, a team of researchers led by Ken-ichiro Kamei has found a fiber-on-fiber technique. Kamei and his team has fabricated gelatin nanofibers onto a synthetic, biodegradable microfiber sheet, made from polyglycolic acid. The team has been working on stem cell therapy ideas that can allow easy exchange of growth factors. The team has found that their design reduces the amount of stress placed on the stem cells, as reported by Phys.org. Their tests show that the stem cells grew robustly after four days of culture. Comparing that to previous techniques, this new design showed that more than 95 percent of the cells grew. Stem cell therapy treatments are being worked on around the world. Stem cells are being used to treat a variety of illnesses such as bone marrow diseases, cancers and other immunity disorders. But stem cell therapy is being exposed to the harsh light of day as Dr. Mehmet Oz exposes for-profit stem cell clinics. According to Dr. Oz, these places are a scam, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. His focus is on the for-profit clinics that are offering supposed stem cell therapy treatments that can treat a host of diseases. Dr. Oz explains that these are unproven as well as very expensive cures. Dr. Oz warns his viewers who are attracted to stem cell therapy treatment hot spots. People can get confused with the marketing scams being advertised. He is accompanied on his show by Sally Temple, a stem cell scientist and president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research. Temple explains that it takes years to develop treatments and receive an FDA approval. Dr. Oz and Temple hopes that false for-profit clinics will not undermine the works of medical experts and labs such as Kyoto University who are working hard to study and develop stem cell designs that can help cure diseases. Watch the Kyoto University clip below of artificial nanofibers self-sorting into organized structures in real-time: When it comes to lower back pains, Americans would often reach for the nearest pain killer to quickly relieve the ache. But the American College of Physicians now recommends an alternative to popping those pain pills. The American College of Physicians admitted that their pharmaceutical tools used to treat patients with lower back pain and other common aches do not always work. A new medical guideline will state that medicine is the last line of treatment. According to reports, Americans' lower back pain problems are one of the most frequent concerns when it comes to doctor's visits, as reported by Vox. Having admitted that drugs and pain killers should be the last line of treatment, The American College of Physicians suggest all doctors to recommend exercise and other forms of therapies like heat wraps. Yoga and other physical exercises can be better cures compared to opioids and over the counter pain killers. To make this guideline official, the American College of Physicians has published their guideline in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Lower back pain aches are common complaints among patients. Trying out non-invasive methods such as yoga, for example, can be beneficial in the long run. It does not only help manage pain but also provide the patient with a meditative therapy. The American College of Physicians warn that this is only applicable to lower back pains with no specific causes. When it comes to alleviating pain, there is no silver bullet. Which is why physicians want to suggest a healthier option before shelling out money. But for patients who wants medication, other publications, like Self, indicates that over the counter pain killers like Advil can help as well as muscle relaxants. However, medicines with steroid injections and acetaminophen, like Tylenol, are found to be not helpful. In the video below, lead investigator, Professor David Torgerson, explains that yoga may be more effective than usual care for improving back pain and function among chronic low back pain sufferers. Jailbreaking the latest version of iOS appears to be difficult for the Chinese group of hackers Pangu as evident by their silence amidst the latest request from the community. However, rumors suggest that the silence of the group could mean significant thing related to iOS 10.2 jailbreak tool. See full details here! Status of iOS 10.2 Jailbreak Tool from Pangu The popular Chinese group of hackers continues the silence amidst the clamor from the community of their need to have the latest iOS 10.2 jailbreak tool most especially for iPhone 7 users. According to Forbes, a progress has already been made for the latest Apple mobile operating system; however, it is from the effort of the other known hacker Luca Todesco and not from Pangu. Pangu has been silent over the subject matter since July 2016 when they released the iOS 9.3.3 jailbreak tool. From there on, various and rumors about the release of iOS 10 jailbreak tool continues but 2017 comes and the group is still nowhere to be found. For this reason, the Jailbreaking community has a divided opinion over Pangu's silence on iOS 10.2 jailbreak tool. Others suggest that the group of hackers have already surrendered to the newly rolled out operating system with enhanced security features while others are hopeful that the group is working on it and will release the most anticipated software anytime soon. Yalu is the Best Option for iOS 10.2 Jailbreak for Now Luca Todesco's iOS 10.2 jailbreak tool called "Yalu" app is considered as the best option for a jailbreak software as of now. In fact, Todesco is reportedly eyeing for the tool's longevity and sustenance by working on how to circumvent the restrictions through prompting the users to resign the certificate after its weekly expiration, Smart Stock News reported. To be able for the users to do that, first they will need the Cydia Impactor and Yalu 10.2 Jailbreak app. Through the use of the two software, the certificate has a chance to be renewed and it is the most reliable method so far. College Access Day has become a platform to encourage many high school students across the country to aim higher in life by pursuing higher education. It has also served as an eye-opener to a lot of graduating high school students as they get a peek of what college is all about. During College Access Day, high school students get a taste of what college life is all about and they are also connected with a mentor to help them navigate different opportunities in and ask them questions about college. John Pascarella, an associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of California Rossier and the one who started College Access Day at USC, said that one of the reasons he started this is to arm high school students with the knowledge how to apply to college. Aside from getting a taste of what college life is all about, Pascarella added that financial literacy is also a big part of the College Access Day agenda. He said that he wants these kids to know that there are a number of scholarships and grants that are available for them when they decide to go to college. Meanwhile, Norfolk High School has also been conducting their College Access Day with the same goal of helping high school students prepare for college. During this time, students undergo mock interviews and career interest inventory. They are also taught how to write an activities resume and take college entrance exams. The event has indeed helped students think more seriously and positively about college. Staria Martin, a student from Norfolk High School, said that it has helped them figure out what life would be like after high school. Ana Sotomayor, a junior at Belmont High School in California, shares the same thoughts saying that it has made them more confident about going to college because they have been given this kind of information. Yale University made headlines this week after it announced that it will be changing the name of Calhoun College because of John C. Calhoun's ties to slavery and his legacy as a white supremacist. The Ivy League institution confirmed that it will honor Grace Murray Hopper, one of its most distinguished graduates, instead. Last year, Yale faced backlash for confirming to keep the name of Calhoun College. In September, it hosted a discussion on naming controversies and created the Committee to Establish Principles on Renaming. Yale President Peter Salovey admitted that he has asked Jonathan Holloway, dean of Yale College, and Julia Adams, the head of Calhoun College, to confirm when the change can be implemented. The change appears to override his decision last year to keep the name of Calhoun College but Salovey revealed that he was committed to "confronting, not erasing" the school's history. USA Today College reported that other universities and colleges have also addressed their historical ties to slavery and white supremacy. This includes Rutgers University, Georgetown University and the University of Maryland, among others. Earlier this month, Rutgers University has renamed its College Avenue Apartments after former slaves. This includes Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and women's rights activist, who was a former slave who was owned as a young girl by the family of Rutgers' first president Jacob Hardenbergh. Georgetown University has also acknowledged its historical ties to slavery and has sought to make amends for the injustice that it may have participated in. In September, university president John DeGiola announced that the school will be providing legacy admissions advantages to the descendants of the 272 slaves who were sold to Louisiana plantations in 1838 to fund the university. The University of Maryland's board of regents voted in favor of renaming Byrd Stadium back in 2015. The building was named after alumnus Harry Clifton Byrd, who was known for being a segregationist. It has now been named as Maryland Stadium. Other universities that have renamed buildings in their campuses that had historical ties to slavery are the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University, Brown University, Winthop University, Clemson University, University of Alabama and University of Mississippi. 17 universities have filed a brief on Monday in support of a court challenge to President Trump's immigration policy. The higher education institutions believe that the executive order, while limited to seven countries only, have already had damaging effects on American universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that the brief was filed in a civil action sought by the attorney general of New York and several others in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The order has been stayed due to the pending resolution of another case that challenged President Trump's immigration ban in Washington State. The amicus brief was posted in Princeton University's official website. It listed the universities that expressed their "support of the relief sought by petitioners and intervernor-plaintiff." Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Chicago, Duke University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, Stanford University and Vanderbilt University have all acknowledged the brief and admitted their support of the challenge to President Trump's immigration ban. All Ivy League institutions: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and Yale University have also signed the amicus brief. The brief noted that each institution that joined the challenge aim to create future leaders from nearly every continent by educating them, attract the best talents in the world and cross international borders to work. President Trump's travel ban threatens the institution's ability to welcome international students, faculty as well as scholars into their communities. According to USA Today College, an amicus brief is a legal document which can be filed by interested parties who are not directly involved in an active lawsuit. It is also known as a "friend of court" brief. They are allowed to share their opinions on a specific court case through the brief. This usually happens when the parties feel that the court's decision would affect them. It is a way of asking the court to consider their opinion. iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N-qjAzlVjiQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen> Professors at the University of Vermont (UVM) have staged a protest as they want full-time faculty wages and benefits. They want compensation that is similar to those of peer universities such as the University of Maine and the University of New Hampshire. Burlington Free Press reported that UVM sociology professor Dan Krymkowski, lead union negotiator, said that the correction is expected to align the actions of the university with its expressed goals and values. It will also make sure that there is parity to its peer institutions in terms of workload, security, compensation, support and benefits. UVM Provost David Rosowsky's welcome message praised the school's teacher-scholar model as "a beacon to would-be students." Krymkowski noted that this is an indicator of how much value professors should be given during the current round of negotiations. The union and the university's current agreement is already three years old and will be ending on Jun. 30. On Monday, the two parties met in James M. Jeffords Hall to negotiate on a new contract. University spokesperson Enrique Corredera stated in an email that both the University of Vermont and the union traditionally agree not to discuss any of the issues that will be dealt with at the bargaining table in public. There were about 30 professors who held signs outside the room where negotiations were held. Resources and chairs were some of the things that professors wanted out of the talks. Nancy Welch, a co-chair of the contract action team and English professor, added that she wanted funding for the library and that the university should put the money back in education. The University of Vermont recently confirmed that it will be spending about $80 million for the construction of two on-campus facilities. According to The Vermont Cynic, it is expected to be completed by 2022. The union has also provided documents from the American Association of University Professors' ongoing study which revealed that UVM has prioritized spending on executive, managerial and marketing positions. The group wants to transfer 3 percent of the budget into academics to create more permanent positions rather than continue with the hiring of adjunct lecturers. Collabera, the New-Jersey based global leader in professional services and IT staffing, has once again announced its 2017 STEM scholarship opportunity. The announcement further confirmed the company's commitment to education. The Collabera 2017 STEM scholarship is dedicated to help individuals who want to pursue a higher education in science, technology, math, and engineering. The company will choose three qualified individuals who will then receive a $2,500 worth of scholarship. The students should be first-year incoming students who will attend either a public or private higher degree institution this coming fall 2017. Recipients should also have a cumulative GPA score of 3.0. Those who wish to apply for the scholarship must submit a one-page essay that answers a STEM-related question - "Pursuing a career in STEM requires a strong commitment to stay on top of the ever-changing world of technology. As a future STEM leader, what influenced your decision to pursue a career in STEM and how do you think you will make an impact in this industry?" Those who will be able to articulately provide the best answer will become the recipients of the 2017 STEM Scholarship opportunity from Collabera. According to Ashwin Rao, the executive vice-president of the company, they recognize the importance of a STEM education as well as the challenges of the students who will pursue a degree in these fields. He added that aside from helping future STEM leaders, the company also hopes that through this endeavor, they will be able to contribute to "new ideas and cutting edge technology" that can impact the world in the future. All interested applicants have until March 30, 2017 to pass their applications. The Collabera 2017 STEM scholarship opportunity are open in three different areas: the national level, the Redmond and Seattle region, and the New York and New Jersey region. February 15 2017 Glasgows architecture has come into focus at a new exhibition which shows familiar places in a new light through careful consideration of the northern light within which the city occasionally basks.Glasgow Shadows was shot by Robin Johnston depicts deserted alleys and grandiose structures lent a film noire-esque feel by a polarizing filter and a keen eye for detail and can currently be found hanging within Skyparks gallery space.Commenting on the exhibition Johnston said: Glasgows unique light gives the images a gritty, cinematic feel that document the life of the people and the contrasts in architecture. Ive tried to explore the various kinds of texture and light found in Glasgow and capture unusual moments that would otherwise pass unnoticed.Key locations captured by the shoot include the Sauchiehall Centre, Govanhill, Red Road and Buchanan Street.The exhibition will run through to 4 March during business hours at Skypark, Finnieston. Oct. 26, 2022 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. Cadets got the unique experience of interacting with and learning from the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2022 at the U.S. Air Force Academy Sept. 27-29. The National Character and Leadership Symposium sponsored the visit and three days of activities.The 12 UW Religion Today: Muslims in America: Some Observations By Paul V.M. Flesher One impetus for President Trumps controversial ban on citizens from specific Middle Eastern countries is to reduce the number of Muslims entering the USA, as if Muslims in general were dangerous, rather than simply using the nations intelligence agencies to identify risky people and denying them entry. That impetus went unstated in the bans legal language but was widely bruited about last fall on the campaign trail. This is rather too little, too late. The USA already counts many Muslims among its citizens, with Islam coming up on Judaism for the honor of being the nations second largest religion. While this sounds sizeable, in percentage terms it is not. Judaism stands at roughly 4 percent of Americans, while Islam is about 3 percent. Compared to the percentage of self-professed Christians, which a 2014 Pew survey puts at over 70 percent, this is rather small. But, like Judaism, Islam is here to stay. Muslims have been in America since Muslim slaves came with the Spanish in the 16th century. During Americas Civil War in the mid-19th century, Muslims served in the Norths army; one became a captain in the Illinois Infantry while another, Hajji Ali, was in charge of its Camel Military Corps in what is now Arizona. And, their numbers have increased gradually over the decades, with the biggest increase since World War II. This last observation is significant, for it means that Muslims did not enter during the largest period of immigration in USA history, from the 1880s to the late 1920s. Millions of immigrants entered America during this time, most from Europe. Until that time, America had been largely Protestant, but now large numbers of Catholics and Jews came to the country. Indeed, this is when Judaism become the nations second largest religion. Judaisms adjustment to American society can be instructive for understanding the changes American Islam is presently undergoing. In the early 20th century, newly arrived Jews found the USA quite different from Europe. And, this required changes to the practices they had followed. Religions give (at least) two kinds of instructions to their adherents: how to worship and relate to the divine, and how to relate to the people and society in which their adherents live. While worship rules are internal to the religion and tend to remain fairly stable, rules about relating to society change as that society changes. If a religion moves from a totalitarian society to a democratic society, for example, or from a tolerant to an intolerant one, it will, by necessity, change the way it relates to the new society. But, how does a religion know when the changes are OK? Do they fit with the centuries and/or millennia of religious tradition? Those decisions are made by trained religious leaders. In Judaism, rabbis are the leaders authorized to make such decisions. At first, rabbis came from Europe along with their congregants. They were used to European ways of doing things rather than American ways. Change, therefore, was slow. But, the pace of adjustment picked up when Judaism created seminaries -- graduate-level educational schools to transform young Americans into American rabbis to lead the American Jewish community. Within a generation, American Judaism was led by rabbis who understood America because they were American, not transplanted Europeans. These rabbis reshaped the character of Judaisms social relations to help the religion and its members fit into American society. Islam in America is at a similar stage right now. Immigration has increased the American Muslim population and the number of mosques. And, some trained Islamic leaders, imams, have arrived. Many mosques are led by devoted and dedicated lay people. In the past few years, the Islamic community has begun to organize seminaries for training young American Muslims as religious leaders. But, it is a slow process. Nationally, about half a dozen seminaries have programs, but none are yet fully accredited by the USAs higher education accrediting bodies. Hartford Seminary -- a multifaith institution -- has an accredited Muslim chaplaincy degree, but even that falls short of a complete training for Muslim religious leadership. In the end, while American Muslims have lived here for generations, Islam, as a religious organization, is still in its early stages. The foundation of seminaries is a solid start and, within a few years, they will begin graduating American native imams. That will be a milestone in the advancement of our countrys religious liberty. Flesher is a professor in UWs Department of Religious Studies. Past columns and more information about the program can be found on the web at www.uwyo.edu/RelStds. To comment on this column, visit http://religion-today.blogspot.com. UW Researchers: Decline of Grass Threatens Worlds Most Endangered Antelope A pair of hirola bulls pause in a clearing in Ishaqbini Community Conservancy in eastern Kenya. (Abdullahi Hussein Ali Photo) University of Wyoming researchers took a big step toward solving the mystery of the decline of hirola, a rare African antelope, conducting wildlife research in one of the most formidable environments -- the border region of eastern Kenya and southern Somalia. In spite of a long history of coexistence between hirola and local people, we think overgrazing, loss of elephants from poaching and lack of fires have taken away food supplies for hirola -- a large antelope that specializes on grass, says Abdullahi Hussein Ali, a UW second-year Ph.D. ecology student at the time of his research. Unlike efforts to green the desert in many areas, it is the encroachment of shrubs into grasslands that is impacting hirola. Ali, now a postdoctoral associate at Utah State University, was lead author of a paper, titled Resource Selection and Landscape Change Reveal Mechanism Suppressing Population Recovery for the Worlds Most Endangered Antelope that appeared in the Feb. 15 (today) issue of the Journal of Applied Ecology. The publication is a bimonthly journal of the British Ecological Society that publishes high-impact papers on the interface between ecological science and the management of biological resources. The article first appeared in the journals online edition Feb. 3. Jacob Goheen, a UW associate professor in the Department of Zoology and Physiology, was a co-author of the paper. Between 2012-15, the researchers used GPS collars to track more than 50 hirola from seven herds, and found that the antelope prefer grassland habitats. Using a time series of satellite imagery, the authors showed a 250 percent increase in tree cover since the mid-1980s in the hirolas native range. This "tree encroachment" occurred at the expense of grassland habitats. Ali and his group also looked at dozens of kill sites made by lions, cheetahs and other predators of hirola. These kill sites were found in open areas -- the very areas where hirola typically spend their time foraging on grasses -- and not forested areas. The researchers concluded that habitat was the major reason why hirola have declined and remain rare for the past 40 years. Hirola numbers dwindled to fewer than 500 by the mid-1980s, and their populations have remained precariously low since. The reasons for their low numbers have puzzled wildlife biologists and conservationists. The Abdallah and Abduwaq -- Somali clans that live alongside hirola -- treat hirola as near-mythical beasts, indicators of good grass. Fortunately, solutions for hirola recovery are at hand, and it all starts with people, Ali says. Because hirola are indicators of healthy rangelands, local communities welcome them. We are working with these communities to find solutions that benefit hirola, other wildlife and people. Goheen, Alis former Ph.D. supervisor at UW, commends his former student for his persistence. Hirola dont live anywhere that's convenient for outsiders to work, Goheen explains. This region has seldom been visited by western scientists due, in part, to political uncertainty. The fact that Ali pulled off this study under such challenging conditions is just what the hirola will need if they are to survive -- a friend in hard times. These challenges havent stopped Ali, who is forging ahead with hirola projection and community engagement. In the second year of his Ph.D., Ali founded the Hirola Conservation Programme and is currently its director. Through this organization, Ali and his team are active in restoring grasslands throughout eastern Kenya through elephant conservation, clearing of trees and grass reseeding -- solutions that will provide benefits to both people and wildlife. The study was supported through generous contributions from many institutions, including UWs Biodiversity Institute, the British Ecological Society, the Saint Louis Zoo, UW Department of Zoology and Physiology, and the Zoological Society of London. For more information, email Ali at aali5@uwyo.edu or ali@hirolaconservation.org; or Goheen at jgoheen@uwyo.edu. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a fervent supporter of free trade. (AFP/Brendan Smialowski) In a speech on Thursday to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Trudeau is expected to heap praise on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). "He will talk about how it is the most progressive trade agreement in the world and how it should serve as a model for subsequent trade agreements between countries," an official in his office said. Trudeau will also emphasise the importance of explaining the benefits of trade agreements to average citizens, given the "anxiety in the global economy particularly with middle-class citizens around the world not feeling the same benefits from the economy as they have in previous generations." Without that buy-in, he intends to say, countries will face "larger problems." The speech will come one day after the European Union parliament is scheduled to vote to ratify CETA. Afterward Trudeau will head to Berlin for a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. He also will travel to Hamburg, Germany, where he will give a keynote address at a Saint Matthew's dinner. Coming on the heels of Trudeau's first meeting in Washington with US President Donald Trump this week, the Canadian prime minister, a fervent supporter of free trade, is not expected to directly raise the issue of US protectionism. "He will reinforce the point that trade deals like (CETA) are important for the world rather than directly addressing any protectionism or anti-trade sentiments that are out there," the official said. Trump, who took office Jan 20, repeatedly bashed the North American Free Trade Agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico on the campaign trail and vowed to renegotiate it. With Merkel, Trudeau is also expected to discuss immigration and refugees, and Canadian security commitments in Latvia. NATO contributions will come up. Washington has called on NATO members to boost defence spending to two per cent of their economic output. Canada spends less than one percent. "We will reiterate ... that we are quite comfortable with our contribution to NATO," the official said. On the trip, Trudeau will be accompanied by Canadian ambassador-designate to the EU, Stephane Dion, as well as foreign affairs and trade ministers Chrystia Freeland and Francois-Philippe Champagne, respectively. At the same time, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan will travel to Brussels to participate in a meeting of NATO defense ministers and to Munich for a security conference. Representatives of Saigon-Nhonhoi Industrial Park Corporation and Janpan-based Marubeni Lumber Co., Ltd sign a contract to lease land-use rights of Park A in Nhon Hoi EZ to the Japanese company during a ceremony held on Monday.- Photo baobinhdinh.com.vn The project, located in the provinces Nhon Hoi Economic Zone (EZ), is the first foreign direct investment (FDI) project that has been implemented in the zone since its establishment in 2005. A representative of Marubeni Lumber Co Ltd said the project, covering an area of 10ha in Park A in Nhon Hoi EZ with an operation period of 50 years, would be implemented in the second quarter of this year and completed in the second quarter of 2018. Once completed, the project will provide wood and wood products for export, such as industrial wooden goods and wooden furniture. The investor will also lease land for factory construction. The project is expected to help increase export volume for Binh Dinh Province, contributing to the growth of the provinces wood processing industry, creating jobs for more than 200 labourers and stabilising the provinces social welfare. Marubeni Lumber Co Ltd plans to raise the projects investment capital to $20 million in phase two. The company hopes to attract more investors, especially Japanese firms, to the project. Also at the ceremony, Saigon-Nhonhoi Industrial Park Corporation signed a contract with Marubeni Lumber Co Ltd to lease land-use rights of Park A in Nhon Hoi EZ to the Japanese company. In February alone, Binh Dinh has, so far, granted investment certificates for two FDI projects. The previous project is a garment factory funded by a Canadian investor in An Nhon Town. There are six age groups for contestants in the amateur level, including those aged from 6 to 7, from 8 to 9, from 10 to 11, from 12 to 13, from 14 to 15 and from 16 to 24. Professional pianists will compete in age group of 9-12, 12-15, 16-18 and 19-24. Participants are advised to submit a portrait picture, a photocopy of birth certificate or ID card and registration fee to the organizer between April 1 and June 1. They have to perform classic pieces, not jazz, blue, Broadway, semi-classic or pop ballad works. There are one first prize, one second prize and one third prize and some consolation prizes in each age group of amateur and professional contestants. Especially, winners in the amateur level will be enrolled to study at the faculty of piano of the HCM City Conservatory of Music, without sitting an entrance examination. Furthermore, winners will receive 20% to 50% discounts to join the music summer camp 2017 expected to take place at the conservatory in August. A judging panel will consist of associate professor Ta Quang Dong, director of the HCMC Conservatory of Music; Le Ho Hai, head of the piano faculty; and Nguyen Thuy Yen, deputy head of the piano faculty; and other veteran lecturers and local and international pianists. For further information, contact Ms. Tran Kieu Lai Thuy on 0908 155 745, email: laithuy@gmail.com or Ms. Tran Thi Kim Oanh on 0986 896 106, email: kimoanhnvtp@gmail.com or Mr. Tran Tri Trung on 01217 539 128, email: trung4ndt@gmsil.com. Registration forms are to be sent to 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1, HCMC, or 143 Phan Dang Luu Street, Phu Nhuan District, HCM City. The first TH-branded school, based on Chua Boc street of Hanoi, covering nearly 20,000 square metres, includes a well-equipped system of playground, swimming pool, labs, and gyms. The school includes 17 classrooms for 340 pre-school pupils, 25 classrooms for 625 primary-school pupils, 24 classrooms for 600 secondary-school pupils, and 21 classrooms for 525 high-school pupils. The school uses Cambridge-standard English-language curricula which have already been successfully applied worldwide for multi-millions of pupils. In addition, subjects related to Vietnams culture, geography and history are also taught at the school, where a comprehensive nutritious system is also applied to develop pupils mental and physical health. Notably, the pupils will be granted international certificates after graduation. The certificates are valid across the world. We would like to develop Vietnamese kids into global citizens, who will contribute to the development of Vietnam, said Thai Huong, chairwoman of TH Group and the TH School system. In the groups vision, it will expand its school system to the construction of universities and colleges throughout Vietnam. We will also continue providing investment consultancy for many other projects involving safe vegetables, fruits, fish and meat, medical herbs, and forest plantation. They will not only benefit investors, but also society, Huong said. At present, while constructing a $2.7 billion hi-tech concentrated dairy and fresh milk production project in Russia, locally-owned TH Group is considering the construction of a major similar project in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of Russia. Since 2009, TH Group has also been operating a $1.2 billion, 37,000ha hi-tech concentrated dairy and fresh milk production project in the central province of Nghe Ans Nghia Dan district. The Vietnamese economy is growing strongly, with the highest demand for steel amongst the ASEAN countries in 2015, according to data from Southeast Asia Iron and Steel Institute. In this context, Ton Dong A has sharply increased production capacity. Nguyen Thanh Trung, chairman and general director, said the company has invested over $200 million in factory construction and technology upgrade to meet increasing demand. Ton Dong A has also welcomed JFE Shoji as a strategic investor. With the capacity of 34 million tonnes a year, making it the second largest steel complex in Japan and the eighth biggest steel producer over the globe, according to 2015 statistics released by the World Steel Organization, the Japanese partner wishes to tap into the potential of the Vietnamese market. JFE Shoji has become a strategic investor of Ton Dong A through a share acquisition implemented by its affiliate JFE Shoji Trade Vietnam Co. Ltd. Cooperation with JFE Shoji has helped Ton Dong A to grow and improve its products. The two sides have developed a solid relationship during this cooperation. The Japanese partner has helped Ton Dong A expand its domestic market share, boost exports, take part in the global supply chain, and make further upstream and downstream investments in the steel plate segment. With a worldwide distribution system and high-quality material supplies, JFE Shoji helped Ton Dong A secure strong growth and make significant improvements in terms of the scale and quality of its coated steel, Trung said. Focusing on its advantagesupplying high-quality coated steel plates at competitive prices and the best servicesTon Dong A has invested in modern and environmentally-friendly equipment and production lines imported from Japan, Europe, and the US. Ton Dong A has developed a distribution network spanning across the nation, affirming its leading position in the domestic coated steel industry and expanded exports in the ASEAN, Africa, and the Middle East as well as the US, Australia, and Europe. In 2016, the company sold 365,000 tonnes of products, up 40 per cent compared to 2015. Revenue was VND6 trillion ($270 million) and after-tax profit at VND500 billion ($22.42 million), up 130 per cent on-year. It expects to raise sales volume to 550,000 tonnes in 2017 and one million tonnes each year in the 2018-2020 period. The companys revenue is forecast to jump from VND8.5 trillion ($381 million) this year to VND14 trillion ($628 million) by 2020. From 2017, the company has supplied materials for home appliance manufacturing, aiming at replacing coated steel imports by 2020. At its annual general meeting in 2016, Ton Dong A unveiled plans to list on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange in the third quarter of 2017. Ton Dong As high-quality products are exported to the US, Australia, and Europe. To prepare for the listing, in December 2012, the company invested in a more than $2-million enterprise resourcing planning (ERP) solution produced by Oracle and a business intelligence (BI) system to improve production and governance. Ton Dong A became the first coated steel firm in Vietnam to apply the two systems since 2016. It has also maintained ISO 9001 system on quality management and ISO 14001 on environment management, while preparing to apply the ISO 45001 - Occupational Health and Safety Management System and ISO 50001- Energy Management System. With the motto Quality-Prestige-Sustainable Development, Ton Dong A is asserting its commitment to product and service quality, while building solid brand reputation domestically and worldwide. The experts suggested Binh Dinh province focus investment on key projects, which could adapt to severe impacts of natural calamities in the coming time. According to the provincial Peoples Committee, floods in 2016 caused an economic loss of over VND2.2 trillion. Thirty-nine people were killed or unaccounted for, while hundreds houses were destroyed and 18,800 hectares of rice were submerged. Given the fact, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Binh Dinh in December to inspect the local rebuilding efforts. The PM also entrusted the Ministry of Planning and Investment to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to arrange an official development assistance (ODA) package for Binh Dinh to rebuild transport and irrigation systems and enhance local capacity to cope with natural disasters. On February 10, 2017, the Government leader approved a proposal to lend US$100 million from the World Bank to quickly address natural disaster consequences in some central provinces, including Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai, Phu Yen and Ninh Thuan. The management companies of Binh Dien, Thu Duc and Hoc Mon wholesale markets have asked HCM City authorities to adjust their very outdated management fees as they have had to compensate for losses. - Photo traveltimes.vn Speaking at a meeting with city leaders on Monday, Nguyen Van Huay, director of Thu Duc Wholesale Market Management and Trade Company, said that many kinds of costs such as salaries, garbage collection and electricity have risen by 10 times, but management fees have remained unchanged since 2003 when the market was established. His company has collected only VND280 million (US$13,334) a month from more than 1,400 traders at the market, which was insufficient to cover garbage treatment of VND300 million and electricity costs of nearly VND250 million a month and salaries for guardians. We have petitioned to hike the service fee by four to five times from the existing rates, specifically from VND20,000 per sq metre to VND80,000-100,000 per sq.metre. Parking fees in the market also need adjustment in line with the market price, he said. Tran Thuy Lien, director of Binh Dien Wholesale Market Management and Trade Company, said under the current regulation the management fee at the market was just VND22,000 per square metre. Such fees are used to pay for many items, such as garbage collection and transport, wastewater treatment, security fees, water and electricity. As these costs are high, the company has to compensate for big losses every year, she said. The companies have also asked the city government to resolve problems related to land rentals and to improve transport infrastructure at the markets to make it easy for vehicles to enter and leave the markets. They have also urged the Peoples Committee to speed up relocation of other inner-city wholesale markets to outlying districts, and clear illegal markets near wholesale markets to ensure the legitimate interests of traders at wholesale markets. Speaking at the meeting, Tran Vinh Tuyen, deputy chairman of the Peoples Committee, said the citys general plan was to develop modern and civilised wholesale markets that will not only be destinations for product buyers but also for tourists. He said that building brands for wholesale markets and stalls was important, and that brand building began with selling goods with a clear origin and good quality. Ensuring hygiene and food safety is also critical, he added. In the case of Ho Thi Ky Flower Market in District 10, Tuyen asked the Peoples Committee of District 10 to quickly implement measures to relocate the market to ease traffic congestion in inner-city district. He said that districts must review zoning plans for traditional markets and make plans to relocate temporary markets. Binh Dien, Thu Duc and Hoc Mon wholesale markets should develop measures to attract more traders from inner-city wholesale markets, he added. As for the petition to hike management fees, Tuyen told the citys Department of Finance to submit new management fees for the three wholesale markets to the municipal government for approval by mid-March. President Donald Trump received word of North Korea having test-fired a missile on Saturday night, while he was dining with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the terrace at Mar-A-Lago, the exclusive resort Trump owns in Palm Beach, Fla. As North Korea is a regional neighbor of Japan and a distant antagonist of the United States, the missile test was a clear act of provocation which, naturally, Abe and Trump would want to discuss. Its what happened next that is troubling. The discussion of the nations security took place where the leaders were sitting when they received the news: At the dining table, with other club members and their guests seated around them. A club member, Richard DeAgazio, took photos of aides to the president and prime minister passing documents back and forth to the national leaders. We know this because DeAgazio posted photos of the national-security meeting on his Facebook page. The patio was lit only with candles and moonlight, so aides used the camera lights on their phones to help the stone-faced Trump and Abe read through the documents ... even as a flurry of advisers and translators descended upon the table carrying papers and phones for their bosses to consult, dinner itself proceeded apace, CNN.com reported. Waiters cleared the wedge salads and brought along the main course as Trump and Abe continued consulting with aides. Somehow, we doubt that the servers working at Mar-A-Lago have the security clearance necessary to be within eyesight of national security reports. There was a time when nearly every adult did not have a cellphone or smartphone in his or her pocket. But having been presidents of the United States since that era began, when George W. Bush or Barack Obama needed to have a secure conversation at a public event, the 43rd and 44th presidents would move to a secure room nearby. Obamas administration would, on occasion, set up a secure tent within the venue. It was understood that the staffers Blackberry devices had to be left outside the tent. Obviously, no such restriction was in place when the Mar-A-Lago terrace became the Situation Room. Theres also the matter of unsecured cellphones like those being carried by resort members on Saturday night being susceptible to hacking. The president disclosed in a New York Times interview shortly after the inauguration that he still uses an old, unsecured Android phone, which he carries around the White House to the protests of some of his aides. This contradicts previous reports suggesting Trump traded his handset for a secure, encrypted device approved by the Secret Service. The website AndroidCentral.com analyzed images of Trump using his phone and concluded he probably owns a Samsung Galaxy S3, first released in 2012 a phone so old that it would no longer receive any new security updates or major software releases. If Trump is still using this device, it represents a major security threat, the British newspaper The Guardian reported, adding that the greatest risk, according to security expert Bruce Schneier, is the possibility that the phone could be hacked and turned into an eavesdropping device, listening in on classified conversations. That Android has a microphone, which means it can be turned into a room bug without anyones knowledge. Thats my real fear, said Schneier. If hacking could be done to the presidents unsecured phone, it could certainly be done to the phone of any person who was at his resort on Saturday night, whether as a guest or an employee. In the wake of National Security Adviser Michael Flynns resignation late Monday night, the president tweeted on Tuesday: The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc? Mr. President, you could start by dealing with the leaks regarding North Korea coming from the Mar-A-Lago terrace. Then, set up a secure room at Mar-A-Lago, preferably before you return there, which reportedly could be as soon as this weekend. Wed also like the Secret Service to give you a new phone for your tweeting. Slain political commentator and government critic Kem Leys mother, Phok Se, 77, still wonders why her son was killed. Se who lives in the popular political commentators hometown of Ang Takob, Tramkok district in Takeo province, about 80 kilometers from Phnom Penh, questions the story given by his alleged killer, Oueth Ang, who claimed the shooting was over a $3,000 debt. I dont believe that my son borrowed anyones money. If he owed money, he would be asked to return [the money], she told VOA Khmer while lying prostrate in front of Leys gravestone on a recent mid-afternoon. Why kill him? I want to find justice, she said. A photo of Ley adorns the house adjacent to a main road, surrounded by his writings. More photos of the deceased academic are dotted around a shrine in the house. A statue of Ley sits beside the building. Se rarely leaves the grave site. Her son, Kem Rithisith, 46, who also lives at the house, approached. We open [the house] for people, both national and international visitors, to come to pay respect to him, adding that some 50 visitors come to the house each weekend. However, he said the local authorities have instructed him to report the number of people who come to pay their respects. I have been asked by the village authority to record the number of people paying respect to Ley each day, adding that he was not told the reason for the interest in visitors to the house. Nhem Chhorn, the commune chief, said that there was no reason behind the request. I just want to know the statistics. I dont do anything with that number, just to know, he said. An outspoken government critic and popular grassroots activist, Ley was gunned down on the morning of July 10 at a Caltex gas station in central Phnom Penh, prompting allegations of a political assassination. Police quickly arrested a suspect near the scene of the killing, who claimed his name was Choub Samlab, which means Meet Kill in the Khmer language. Later, the court, police and the press revealed his name was Oueth Ang, 43, who has been charged with premeditated murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm. If found guilty, he could face a life sentence. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court in December ended its probe of the killing. However, rights groups and families say they dont trust the courts and police and had tried to determine the truth. Leys brother said that that he will not attend the trial because his family has not been invited and a security video of the murder has not been released by Caltex, which is owned by U.S. Corporation Chevron. I will go if there are other witnesses and evidence and the release of security camera footage for the public, and also if my family is invited to join, Rithisith said. It should not be hard to find justice, he said. The footage is a key piece of evidence which rights groups, politicians and the public have urged the authorities to release. Former opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who has been sued for defamation by Prime Minister Hun Sen over a speech where he claimed the government was behind the shooting, posted on his Facebook page last Friday that a U.S. court had granted him the right to subpoena Chevron to release the footage. I cannot say whether he [Ang] is the real killer. But if he is the real one, please show evidence, witnesses and the intention of the killing, Rithisith said, adding that he does not believe that Ley was in debt. Instead, he believes that there is someone [else] behind the killing. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, urged the court and authorities to look for the true mastermind of the killing. He [Ang] may be the person who is the perpetrator. But the important thing is to know who ordered it and who paid for it. And that we dont know. If [the] police was serious about it, they would be able to find them, he said in an interview with VOA Khmer. No, I dont think they intend to find the mastermind, he added. Adams also called for an honest and independent investigation. This case is very strange, why somebody would shoot this person and then just walk out to be caught and have no plan to get away. That always seems surprising to me, I cant understand, he said. General Khieu Sopheak, Ministry of Interior spokesman, declined to comment. Now it is under the courts authority. I think I have no more comments, he said. Ly Sophanna, Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman, said that the court would summon the accused, witnesses, experts and police to join the upcoming trial. The trial will listen to all the summoned peoples answers, get evidence checked and draw conclusions, he said. A security guard working for a company next to the murder scene, Heang Narith, 45, said that on that day he heard two shots from the station and then he saw a man running slowly along the street in front of him. It was said Kem Ley was killed, Kem Ley was killed. I went to see it. The perpetrator was running slowly in front of me but I did not do anything, he said. When asked whether Ang was the man he had seen, Narith said: Yes he was. He is the guy. I want to ask [the court] to find who is behind him. He could not do it by himself, I think, Narith said. Another guard at a store close to the murder site said he saw a a man leaving the scene shortly after the shooting. Perhaps he is the real one, since his clothes look the same as I remembered, he said. Staff at the Caltex gas station have been asked not to talk about the shooting. When asked, a receptionist at the station referred questions to management. Another worker at the Caltex station said Ley was well-liked by staff there. I filled gasoline for his car and he always gave me a tip, the worker said. He was friendly and humble. Leys killing came just days after he gave an interview about a report by Global Witness that alleged grand corruption on the part of Hun Sen and his family, leading many to believe he was killed for speaking out about the allegations. However, an investigation by Al Jazeera suggested that the planning for the murder may have been in motion before the release of the report. Many Cambodians have interpreted the killing as a warning against being too critical of the regime. Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday sued an analyst, Kem Sok, for critical comments he made recently. Adams of Human Rights Watch said that Hun Sen wanted to silence his critics. Buth Bunteng, a Buddhist monk and a close friend of Ley, said that he believed Ang was hired as a hitman. There can be justice, but it is a made-up justice, not a real one, he said. The investigation was closed quietly and relevant people are not allowed to join [the trial], he said, adding that there should have been an independent commission including NGOs. Leys wife, Bou Rachana and her five sons fled Cambodia in August, fearing for their safety. Their whereabouts are being kept secret while her asylum application to Australia is processed. Numerous salacious claims against members of the opposition have circulated on social media in recent weeks, predominantly via an anonymous Facebook page called Sei Ha, which has been accused of acting as a conduit for government propaganda. Most recently, the Sei Ha page published audio recordings purporting to show key members of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party discussing sex acts. The page claimed that CNRP lawmakers - Eng Chhai Eang, Yem Ponharith, Yim Sovann, Hour Van, Long Ry, Chan Cheng, Pot Pov, Riel Khemrin, Kem Sokha and Sam Rainsy - had been involved in salacious acts, including sex acts in parliament and gambling. Sovann confirmed that the voices in the recordings were those of CNRP lawmakers, adding that he considers the publication of the claims irrelevant. The owner of the Sei Ha Facebook page did not respond to requests for comment. According to the criminal code, intercepting telecommunications in bad faith is punishable by imprisonment of up to a year and a fine. General Khieu Sopheak, Interior Ministry spokesman, said the authorities would not investigate the Sei Ha page unless the opposition requested a probe. Its difficult to proceed with an investigation without receiving any legal action, if they file a lawsuit, we will initiate an investigation, he said. When any conversation of anyone is recorded and published it severely undermines the law and national security, General Khieu Sopheak said. Hong Kim Soun, executive director of the Cambodian Defenders Project, said if the phone conversations of members of the opposition had been tapped it would be an illegal act which invades the rights of citizens, affects business, and undermines national security. It can be seen that the government is violating the law when the government does not pay attention to acts of jamming and publishing telephone conversations of the public, he said. It is a severe legal violation, which means that the nation has no law in practice... if the leader acknowledges the matter and still chooses not to care about it, he is violating the law and rights, Hong Kim Soun said. Police in Malaysia say they have arrested a woman in connection with the apparent assassination of a half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The woman, detained on Wednesday morning at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the Malaysian capital, was identified on travel documents as Doan Thi Huong, police said in a statement. The statement said the suspect was "positively identified from CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of her arrest. South Korea on Wednesday confirmed the victim was the North Korean leaders older half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, who was once in line to become head of state, but fell out of favor with their father, Kim Jong Il, after he tried to enter Japan on a forged passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland in 2001. It seems assured that the person who was killed was Kim Jong Nam, said Jeong Joon-hee, the South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman. Investigation A Malaysian police report issued on Tuesday night confirmed a 46-year-old North Korean man, who was traveling with a passport under the name of Kim Chol, died en route to a hospital after seeking medical help in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. His travel destination on Tuesday was Macau, where he had been living, said the Malaysian police. On Tuesday unnamed U.S. government sources said the United States strongly believes that Kim Jong Nam was murdered by North Korean agents. The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Wednesday confirmed that Kim Jong Nam was poisoned by two suspected North Korean female agents and that he was poisoned with an unidentified toxic liquid, administered by needles or a cloth. Malaysian police investigating the attack said the cause of Kim's death was not yet known and a post-mortem would soon be carried out. His body was taken on Wednesday morning to a second hospital, where an autopsy was being performed. North Korean embassy officials were also at the hospital and were coordinating with local authorities, police sources said. Motives There is widespread speculation that Kim Jong Nams death was ordered by high ranking officials in Pyongyang, and very likely by Kim Jong Un. If it is proved that Kim Jong Nam's death was committed by the North Korean government, it will be a case that shows the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong Un regime, said South Korean acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn. Kim Jong Nam was reportedly considered a threat to his brothers rule because of his outspoken criticism of the continued repressive and authoritarian practices within the country, because he was a proponent of reform polices that would loosen state controls, and because there was speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping would prefer to see him replace his younger brother as the leader of North Korea. South Koreas spy agency said Wednesday that Kim Jong Un had issued a "standing order" for his half-brother's assassination, and that there had been a failed attempt in 2012. Kim Jong Nam had been living under Beijing's protection with his second wife in the Chinese territory of Macau. North Korean defector and analyst Ahn Chan-il, with the World Institute for North Korean Studies, said it is likely that North Korean spies, embedded within the large number of laborers that work in Malaysias mineral and mining industry, had learned of the older Kims travel plans and decided to target him while he was outside of Chinas protection. [I think] North Korea may have put spies within these laborers. And while the two women are suspected to be members of [the Norths] reconnaissance bureau, it is highly possible that more than ten people belonged to other bureaus that may be involved in this case, said Ahn Chan-il. The South Korean government on Wednesday also urged all North Korean defectors to take extra precautions for their own safety and security. Reign of Terror If proven, the sanctioned assassination of Kim Jong Uns brother could further isolate a leadership in Pyongyang that is already struggling under harsh sanctions for its continued development of nuclear weapons and for widespread human rights violations. South Korea's Institute for National Security in December 2016 claimed that Kim Jong Un has ordered the execution of 340 people since he came to power in December 2011. In 2013, he sentenced to death his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered his mentor and the country's second-most-powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. Carl Thayer, a defense analyst at the University of New South Wales, said Kim Jong Nams death was a further indicator of political anxieties in North Korea. And even though his older brother was pushed outside and it was clear he was never going to come back to challenge him, it may be just another indication of Kim Jong Uns perceived anxieties, he said. For the next several days, North Korea will be marking the birthday of its late leader Kim Jong Il, the brothers' father, though they have different mothers. The major holiday this Thursday is called the Day of the Shining Star'' and will feature figure skating and synchronized swimming exhibitions, fireworks and mass rallies. Watching closely Chinas Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said it is closely watching developments in the case, noting that Malaysian authorities were still investigating Kim's death. Chinese academics and state media were also slow to draw any conclusions about Kim's death before the completion of the investigation. They also played down the half-brother's reported links to the country. Wang Dong, a political scientist at Peking University, said Kim's death was unlikely to change anything, noting that all of the challenges related to the Korean peninsula would not just go away. What happened to Kim Yong Nam yesterday was just a piece of titbits or tabloid news. I don't think it will make a fundamental change or have a table-turning impact on the overall [political] situation [in Pyongyang], Wang said. Online, however, the discussion was more wide-ranging. Kim Jong Un has increasingly become a target of ridicule on the Chinese internet in recent years as relations between the isolated countrys leader and Beijing have become increasingly frayed. Chinese President Xi Jinping has yet to meet Kim Jong Un since he rose to power, nor has Kim visited China's capital, as his father did in the past. "Everyone is really just guessing about who killed Kim Jong Nam and those who support North Korea are trying to whitewash what has happened, but neither side has any evidence," read one online comment on an article about who might have been responsible for Kim's death. "Still, North Korea does have a history of assassinating and hunting down so-called traitors overseas." Another online post was more certain. "I think that it was definitely the work of Kim Jong Un, ever since he came to power he has been killing all of his relatives. Why would he not go after the biggest apparent heir," the post said. North Asia analyst, Justin Hastings, an associate professor at Australias Sydney University, said China had indicated to North Korea that Kim Jong Nam was not to be harmed while he remained on Chinese territory, including Macau. He said the half-brothers visit to Malaysia provided an opportunity to kill him. Its not surprising he was killed. Kim Jong Un was going to come for him eventually. What of the timing? It may have simply been because this was when they were able to do it, Hastings told VOA. Youmi Kim, Bill Ide, Joyce Huang and Ron Corben contributed to this report. Cambodia saw nearly 1,400 strikes and demonstrations in 2016, more than three times as many as the previous year, according to a recent police report. The annual report on social order published by the Phnom Penh police last week said the security situation had become complicated and adversely affects the well-being of the city. The report singled out protests organized by civil society intending to overthrow the government. It said that in 2015 there were 443 recorded strikes and protests. Last year, 966 of the 1,400 reported civil actions were strikes by factory workers, while more than 350 were politically motivated protests and more than 200 were organized by citizen groups. Phnom Penh Police Chief Chuon Sovann and Police Commissioner Phoung Malai could not be reached. Opposition officials, human rights workers and land activists dismissed the reports conclusion that civil society groups were trying to overthrow the government. Mu Sochua, a Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker, said the strikes and demonstrations had proceeded peacefully and legally. The government made up the report since he [Prime Minister Hun Sen] is unwilling or unable to seek solutions for citizens, she said. What has the government done over the past decade that has caused citizens to cry, immigrate, and forced them to the point where minors are dropping out of school? The only problem is the incompetence in leadership at all levels, she added. Bov Sophea, a land activist from Boeung Kak lake, agreed that the report was an attempt to make excuses for government failures. As a leader he was supposed to secure the nation, she said of Hun Sen. But rather he accuses his people and NGOs of plotting to overthrow the government. Am Sam Ath, monitoring director of local rights group Licadho, said despite the large upsurge in protests, they rarely reached a positive outcome. If there were no land seizures, there would be no protests. A draft amendment that would see politicians with criminal records barred from leading political parties inched closer to passing on Monday as parliaments permanent committee submitted a proposal drafted by the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party. The opposition party lodged a disagreement and requested consideration of the proposal be postponed. The proposal was rushed through parliament amid an opposition boycott of proceedings in response to ongoing political tensions and legal proceedings against its leadership. Yem Ponharith, a CNRP lawmaker, told reporters after the meeting at the National Assembly on Monday that making the amendment should involve cross-party discussion. Up until now, relevant parties have not been consulted in open and public discussions, he said. He added that the election law already mandates against politicians being able to run for office if they hold criminal convictions. Chheang Vun, a CPP spokesman, said the party would not postpone consideration of the draft amendment because it was needed in such a political situation. The ruling party has enough votes to amend any law without the approval of other parties, he added, referring to the CPPs majority in parliament. Thats how it works when youre the winning party. We know that we have enough votes to amend the law. The political parties law was adopted in 1997. Cambodia currently has about 70 political parties, while only two hold seats in parliament. Sourn Serei Ratha, president of the Khmer Power Party, said the unilateral actions by the CPP will undermine basic freedom of citizens. The law does not tackle problems in Khmer society. Therefore, I do not support it. If the amendment is approved, the law will violate the political rights of the Khmer people across the nation, he said. As thousands of South Sudanese refugees continue to pour into Uganda to escape attacks from armed forces, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is sounding the alarm. It says the dire situation has created the third largest largest refugee crisis after Syria and Afghanistan. VOA's Mariama Diallo reports. Recent international sanctions intended to curb North Koreas nuclear weapons program are hobbling humanitarian and relief efforts to safeguard the lives of millions in need, according to many aid workers. With North Korea remaining steadfast in developing nuclear arsenals, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) along with the United States and its allies, has put in place sweeping sanctions to thwart its nuclear development. The sanctions in particular, those under Resolution 2270 and 2321 adopted in March and November 2016, respectively aim at cutting off money for the regimes nuclear and military activities, calling on member states to limit North Korean financial transactions and withhold any type of foreign assistance, unless intended solely for humanitarian purposes. Measures imposed by this resolution are not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences for the civilian population of the DPRK, states Resolution 2321. Sweeping sanctions A number of international organizations and NGOs, however, say the sanctions pose significant impediments when carrying out their activities in the communist state, which still needs assistance despite continuing humanitarian efforts by the international community. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently designated North Korea as a forgotten crises, with about 60 percent of the population being considered as food insecure and 1.7 million children being at risk of deadly childhood diseases. Donna Porstner, associate director of media relations at Americares, told VOA the disaster relief agency was unable to provide assistance to North Korea in 2016, due to delays caused by new export licensing requirements, which were introduced by U.N. sanctions last year. Porstner said new internal procedures were implemented at the U.S.-based group to ensure compliance with all applicable export control rules. New sanctions introduced in early 2016 now require Americares to apply for an export license from the U.S. Department of Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security before shipping medical supplies and consumables to North Korea, she said. The head of the U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the United Nations humanitarian arm, echoed Porstners concerns, saying the restrictions are too time consuming. As a result of the sanctions, additional documentation is required to support the applications of permits and licenses which vary from country to country, said Lisa Doughten, chief of the U.N.'s CERF secretariat. End-user certification, especially for the dual-use items, raised concerns and complicated the handover of equipment and supplies to the government or at the end of the project cycle. Dual-use items are those which could be used in weapons building. Aid work crippled According to Doughten, international suppliers mostly in China have increasingly become worried about being at risk of violating the sanctions. The very few suppliers willing to participate will often ask for a premium fee to cover the additional administrative legal procedures involved in export processes, Doughten said. Ultimately these additional requirements mean that the funds available to assist the beneficiaries are reduced as the operating costs are much higher. An official from a U.S.-based charity with experience in providing humanitarian assistance to North Korea said transferring money to suppliers also has become difficult as Chinese banks are getting more risk-averse on sending and even receiving money that will be used in DPRK. Banks, many of them Chinese, are wary of running afoul of the sanctions for fear of losing access to the international financial system. So it's gotten more complicated and I think it will continue to get more difficult to, for example, procure things in China, just in terms of the funds transfer, said the official who asked to remain anonymous, as did others who spoke with VOA, due to the sensitivity of the issue. As Chinese banks in the China-North Korea border regions have become reluctant to make North Korea-related financial or commercial transactions, a growing number of Chinese suppliers are switching accounts to banks in Hong Kong or Shanghai, said another aid worker from an international relief agency, who has spent more than 20 years providing humanitarian aid to the impoverished country. We had a problem when we procured the CGI [corrugated galvanized iron] sheets for the emergency relief, where the supplier had to change the account to an offshore account, said the worker, who also preferred to remain anonymous. It seems that some banks are just very cautious. A typhoon that hit North Korea in August 2016 left tens of thousands homeless. Nuclear tension blamed for impediment Some experts acknowledge that the sanctions seem to present limitations on aid work and bring unintended consequences for the North Korean people, but said the current problem is likely to persist unless the Kim Jong Un government alters its nuclear policy. By the nature of sanctions, you will in fact hurt other people who you didn't intend to, said Andrew Natsios, former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and former vice president of World Vision U.S. And my view is that the biggest problem is not the sanctions regime itself, it's the North Korean government. Natsios, who is now a professor at the George H.W. Bush School of Government at Texas A & M University, said if North Korean leadership cared about its own people, it would be trying to go through economic reforms that would produce more food and more medical care for its people and thats not what they are doing. Marcus Noland, director of studies at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, whose areas of expertise include the North Korean economy, said increased international pressure is the culmination of years of frustration with North Korean behavior. I think that the international community has simply reached a point where rather than saying well, under certain circumstances, financial transactions with North Korea they basically said financial transactions are not allowed and if you really have some humanitarian need, you need to demonstrate that in advance, the economist said. Indonesians are voting Wednesday in more than 100 regional elections but Jakarta's gubernatorial race is attracting most of the attention. It is a closely-watched contest between moderate and conservative forces in the world's most populous Muslim nation. Religion and race came to dominate the campaign in the city with some seven million voters after the current governor was accused of blasphemy. Philips Vermonte of the Indonesian Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) believes the Jakarta election is important because the outcome could influence national politics. For the past few months many people are concerned because old issues have resurfaced, especially on relations between the country and religion, or citizens' rights to be elected or to vote, pluralism, etc., Vermonte told VOA. The religious issue in this election has created frictions that have made the capital seem to be more intolerant than any other parts of Indonesia. Therefore, I think the success of the February 15th gubernatorial election is a test not only for Jakarta's voters, but also for Indonesia. The incumbent governor, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, is Indonesian Chinese and Christian, making him a double minority. Popular with middle-class residents for his efforts against corruption and to improve the quality of life, accusations against him of blasphemy a criminal offense surfaced in September and he is currently on trial. Protests against him culminated on Saturday, the last day of campaigning, with tens of thousands of Indonesians from around the nation gathering in Jakarta to listen to clerics who urged them to vote for Muslim candidates. Both of Purnama's opponents, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Anies Baswedan, are Muslims. Yudhoyono, an Army major until he resigned to run, is the eldest son of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a former president. Although the younger Yudhoyono lacks civilian job experience, he assured voters during his campaign that he is ready to be the next governor. Baswedan is an academician and former minister of education in the government of President Joko Jokowi Widodo. Siti Zuhro, a senior analyst with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, LIPI, said the relative youth of the three gubernatorial candidates they're 38 to 50 years old has generated enthusiasm among younger voters. Baswedan appeals to young netizens who are first-time voters, said Zuhro. They think he is cool and friendly. Yudhoyono appeals to local voters as a Jakarta native, according to Zuhro, who added that Purnama has seen his voter support drop in polls from over 50 percent to 30 percent since the blasphemy allegations surfaced. Although quick count results compiled by researchers stationed at a sample of polling places will give an indication of the outcome within hours of the polls closing at 1 p.m. local time, the official results are not due until February 27. It's unlikely that any of the three candidates will get the 50 percent of the votes required for an outright win, which means there will be a runoff in April between the top two vote-getters. Henri Satrio, an analyst at Jakarta's Paramadina University, said that one reason the gubernatorial election is attracting such attention is that when Joko Widodo won the governorship in 2012, he used that political momentum in 2014 and was elected president of Indonesia. A second factor is the power behind each candidate, Satrio said. Former president SBY (Yudhoyono) is behind the candidate Agus Yudhoyono, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri is behind Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, and former presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto is behind Anies Baswedan. Besides, previous incumbents have never won re-election, so if Ahok (Purnama) is re-elected it would be a historical moment. And then there is factor of religion. I think what we are seeing is probably more of an elite-based conflict, said Vermonte. I am confident that our people generally are still moderate as evidence shows that in the other 100 regional elections, the issue of religion is non-existent. But conservative elements have been mobilized by the elite groups, who have no creativity and are unwilling to fight fair in the election. And religious or anti-ethnic issues are the easiest tool to use. Rural landowners make $222 million per year renting their land for wind turbines. The solar energy industry added more than 30,000 jobs last year, employing more than 200,000 people. A group of Republican and Democratic governors focused on these and other economic points in a letter to President Donald Trump on Monday, urging the Republican climate skeptic to support wind and solar power. President Trump's support for fossil fuels and his threat to pull out of the Paris climate agreement have raised questions about the future of renewable energy in the United States. But experts say the jobs created by the rapidly growing industry could go to China if the United States pulls back from climate action. Spinning wind into gold Ohio seems like an unlikely place to find strong support for wind power. It ranks just 26th in megawatts of installed capacity. "[Ohioans] look around and see very few wind turbines and say, 'There's not much wind business in the U.S.,'" says sales VP Doug Herr at turbine part maker AeroTorque. "But what they don't realize is, there's companies making gears, there's companies making specialized clutches like us." In fact, Ohio has more companies in the wind power industry than any other state. And demand for those companies' products is growing. Utilities added more renewable energy generation than fossil fuels in four of the last five years. Wind industry jobs grew 20 percent in 2015, to more than 88,000, according to the American Wind Energy Association. "When you talk about the growth of renewables and particularly the growth of wind, it's going to drive domestic manufacturing jobs," Herr says. "And that's gold." China first President Trump's "America First Energy Plan" explicitly backs oil, gas and coal. It makes no mention of renewables. The bipartisan group of governors urged him to keep supporting U.S. renewables research and development, or else "we will cede leadership in these critical technologies to other nations that have demonstrated ongoing high priority commitments to these technologies, such as China." Herr agrees. "If we don't step up and lead and move into the future on this, these jobs are moving to China. These jobs are moving to India. They already have." Five of the top 10 wind turbine makers and five of the top six solar panel companies are Chinese, according to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. The Chinese renewable energy industry has blossomed with solid backing from the government. "China has been the largest investor in clean energy for the last few years," says China expert Ranping Song with the World Resources Institute. In 2015, China invested $100 billion in renewables, more than twice what the United States did. Beijing has announced plans to pour more than $360 billion into clean energy through 2020, which it says will create 13 million jobs. The Chinese government has three solid motivations to pursue clean energy, Song says. Energy security is one. The second is the potential to dominate a growing industry. "China actually sees really good global opportunities to export this green technology, because every country will want to have them," Song says. The government's plan to tackle toxic air pollution is a third, he adds. "If China wants to clean up its environment, then they will need to replace existing, polluting power from coal power plants with more clean, renewable sources like solar and wind." "For China, it's very clear. The government is all behind this agenda," Song says. Not backing away When the United States elected a climate doubter as president, some observers thought that Beijing would back away from action on climate change. "What we're seeing is exactly the opposite," says Paula Caballero, global director of the World Resources Institute's climate program. "Right after the election there was very strong messaging from China about the importance of (the Paris climate agreement), about the fact that they were going to keep delivering on it." It's not clear that the United States will back away, either. Trump's pick for energy secretary, Rick Perry, was governor of Texas as the state became a global leader in wind power generation. Plus, the cost of wind power has fallen 41 percent since 2008. Solar is down 64 percent. They now compete with fossil fuels on price. That's why Doug Herr is confident about the future. "It's going to come down to economics around the world. And whether or not you're a believer or not a believer in global warming, the economics (of renewables) wins." Board members of Wisconsins for-profit college watchdog said Wednesday theyre concerned by Gov. Scott Walkers plan to eliminate the board in the next state budget. Walker, in his 2017-19 budget proposal released last week, moved to eliminate the state Educational Approval Board and transfer its duties to another agency, the Department of Safety and Professional Services. The board licenses and regulates for-profit schools, which have weathered criticism for questionable marketing practices and degree programs. At a meeting Wednesday, board members postponed any official response to Walkers budget until their next meeting in March. An overview of the plan produced by Walkers office says the move would provide enhanced oversight for the authorization and review of private postsecondary educational institutions. Among the questions board members want to address is how the move would result in enhanced oversight, said David Dies, the boards executive secretary. Board member Mark Kapocius questioned how the boards focused mission and small workforce would fit within the much larger agency, which oversees state licensing of professions ranging from accountants to cosmetologists. My concern would be that the actual mission would get lost in the shuffle, which is to say, looking out for the best interests of the students, Kapocius said. This isnt the first time Walker has tried to eliminate the board. Two years ago Walkers budget proposal called for transferring the boards equivalent of 6.5 full-time employees to one part-time staffer. The Legislatures joint budget committee removed that provision from the final budget. This time Walkers budget calls for moving all 6.5 full-time equivalent positions to DSPS. But Dies said the budget doesnt specify how many of those employees would retain comparable job descriptions or if existing staff members would transfer to the department. Walkers proposal comes at a time when federal oversight of for-profit colleges is expected to weaken. After the Obama administration toughened oversight of for-profit colleges, the Department of Education under President Donald Trump is expected to ease that pressure, which could shift much of the industrys regulation to the states. A second round of international talks in Moscow on the stabilization of Afghanistan ended Wednesday with participating countries calling for Central Asian nations to be included in future discussions. Representatives from Afghanistan were included in the talks for the first time, joining those from Russia, Pakistan, China, Iran and India. "In the context of possible broadening of this negotiation format, [an] understanding was reached to develop regional efforts to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan by involving at the next stage the potential of other countries, primarily from Central Asia," Russia's Foreign Ministry said after the meeting, according to Russia's Interfax news agency. Russia has said it wants stability and cooperation to fight extremist groups, including the Islamic State, which is gaining ground in Central Asia. But Afghan officials are not happy with Russia's direct talks with the Taliban, which U.S. officials say are aimed at undermining their efforts. The United States was not invited to participate in the talks. The exclusion of Afghanistan from the first round of discussions raised concerns among officials in Kabul as well as in the United States. While the United Nations says the Taliban is responsible for five times as many deaths and injuries, Islamic State group attacks are on the rise in Afghanistan, with a tenfold growth in 2016. U.S. officials say Russia's contacts with the Taliban, along with Iran's and Pakistan's, lend them legitimacy and support while undermining the Afghan government and NATO efforts to fight the extremists. The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says thousands more U.S. troops are needed there to train Afghanistan's forces to better handle threats to security. Turkey has reopened border crossings with neighboring Bulgaria after closing them in the early hours of Saturday following an attempted coup, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said. There were no signs of an increase in refugee flows into Bulgaria, and Turkey's government has given assurances that the border will not be overwhelmed, Borisov told reporters after meeting with the Turkish ambassador. An additional 230 Bulgarian soldiers have been sent to the border to bolster patrols and help prevent a possible surge in refugee arrivals, he said. A fence to stop illegal crossings into the country from Turkey is already in place. "We have been in communication with the Turkish government, with the prime minister, with the ambassador," Borisov said. "I have full assurances from all that the border will not be put under pressure." Refugee camps in Turkey, which host more than three million people from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, are calm and Turkish authorities have also agreed to bolster border controls, Borisov said. Flights from Sofia to the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Antalya were canceled on Saturday, according to the departure schedule on Sofia Airport's website. Talks to end Burundis political crisis are slated to resume Thursday, but there is renewed and widespread doubt the talks will help bring peace to the unsettled central African country. Opposition and civil society groups say the facilitator of the talks, former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa, is dooming the process by welcoming politicians who tried to overthrow President Pierre Nkurunziza in a 2015 coup attempt. It was not clear Wednesday whether the Burundian government will even send a representative to the talks in Arusha, Tanzania. The opposition coalition CNARED initially said it will demand that Mkapa remove himself as facilitator but changed its position, saying Wednesday it will attend the talks without conditions. Burundian political analyst Deogratias Nkinahamira is not expecting a breakthrough from the scheduled three days of talks. I dont think the list of participants is reassuring, he told VOAs Central African service Tuesday. You have politicians who have been caught red handed, plotting to topple the government and you have feuds and factions within some of the political parties and within the opposition alliance CNARED. It is going to be hard for these politicians to agree on anything, let alone the agenda. His comments were echoed by Njangwa Becho Gilbert, the head of a Burundian election observer organization. The mediators office has made a mistake in inviting former ruling party leaders who have betrayed their party by joining those who were planning to topple the government, as well as the real coup plotters, he told a Bujumbura news conference. Njangwa said he was speaking on behalf of 11 other civil society groups. He predicted the consultations are going to be rocky and fruitless at best. Attempts to resolve the crisis have been held up by the governments refusal to talk with coup supporters and the insistence by some opposition figures that Nkurunziza is not a legitimate president. CNARED called on Mkapa to resign as facilitator in December, after he told journalists that politicians who consider Nkurunziza illegitimate are out of their minds. Ahead of the talks this week, Burundis top prosecutor asked Tanzania to arrest and hand over all politicians invited to the talks who have a pending arrest warrant against them. The prosecutor issued a new list of 32 politicians and leaders of civil society groups who are wanted by Burundian authorities. Former Burundian President Sylvestre Ntibantunganya said this week that time is of the essence, and politicians need to stop arguing over who will be allowed to participate and who will not. It is a sign of democracy that party and civil society groups leaders can voice out their opinion over participants to the consultations; however we have to keep in mind that the mediator is the regional trusted leader who is working tirelessly to help Burundians get out of the political imbroglio they have been in for over a year and half now, he said. Hundreds of people died in protests and violence sparked by Nkurunzizas decision to run for a third term in 2015. Critics said the president was violating term limits in Burundis constitution. The violence prompted hundreds of thousands to flee the country. As of today, the United Nations estimates the number of refugees has grown to 380,000. Last week, the U.N. refugee agency reported that the number of Burundians fleeing political violence is expected to reach 500,000 this year, and said the U.N. is seeking more land for refugee camps in neighboring countries. A teenager in northwestern Cameroon has become the first African to win Googles global youth coding challenge, despite an ongoing internet blackout in his hometown. Nji Patrick Gbahs tailor shop in Bamenda is buzzing with business and pride. His son, Collins, was recently named one of 34 grand-prize winners in this years Google Code-In, a global challenge for young programmers. He used to punish his son for joking with the computer. "I was feeling that he is just spending his time without doing house chores. At times I used to seize my computer and lock it in the house and I tell him not to use it anymore because I was believing that he is just spending time on that computer for nothing," said the teen's father. Nji Collins Gbah has won a trip to Google headquarters in California this June with the other top finishers. The competition was open to students between the ages of 13 and 17. More than 1,300 young people from 62 countries participated this year. "The only thing I want to say is focus on studies," Collins said. "Get to know more about the opportunities that are around you and go to sites which have real information about opportunities like this." But that may be hard at the moment for his fellow students in Bamenda. In mid-January, the internet was cut to English-speaking parts of Cameroon, amid ongoing unrest. Collins had to plead with his uncle for travel money so he could go to to Mbouda, a French-speaking town 30 kilometers away, to get online and compete. He had just a few days to complete 842 programming tasks. Many believe the government ordered the internet blackout, though there has been no official confirmation. Teachers and lawyers have been on strike in the English-speaking regions since November. They have been joined by activists calling for secession. Some demonstrations have turned violent and dozens of people have been arrested. Officials say activists have been using social media to spread anti-government messages. Cameroon's minister of post and telecommunication, Libom Li Likeng, told VOA there has to be a responsible use of technology. She says although social networks provide lots of opportunities, they have noticed that many people use them for unhealthy purposes. African countries have been increasingly responding to unrest by cutting internet access. Uganda, Congo and Mali are just a few other examples. Last week, a U.N. rights expert called the internet blackout in parts of Cameroon "an appalling violation" of freedom of expression. Residents in affected areas say it is impacting the economy as money transfer services and ATM's are not working. Colombia, one of the most mined countries in the world, aims to remove all landmines and other explosives by 2021 after the government and FARC rebels signed a peace deal last year, a top government official has said. Colombia's left-wing guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), planted thousands of landmines across swaths of the country during its five-decade war against the government. "Forty percent of the areas that were covered in landmines for the past 25 years are now being cleared to reach the goal of having a Colombia free of anti-personnel mines by 2021," Rafael Pardo, the government's post-conflict commissioner, told local media Monday. After Afghanistan, Colombia has the second-highest number of landmine casualties, with more than 11,500 people killed or injured by landmines since 1990, government figures show. The FARC rebels planted homemade mines in mostly rural areas, using empty glass bottles of rum, coffee and tuna cans, and plastic tubes filled with sulfuric acid. In 2015, the government and FARC rebels agreed to work together to remove landmines during peace talks in Cuba. Under the December peace accord, around 6,300 FARC fighters have so far moved to designated areas across Colombia where they will hand in their weapons over the next six months. The government hopes that nearly 1,000 former FARC combatants will work to identify and clear mines, Pardo said. With the FARC moving away from their former strongholds, it is now safer for government military demining teams, along with local and international demining groups, to work in new areas. Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos, has said clearing landmines is a key challenge facing the nation as it emerges from decades of war and is crucial for rural development. Experts say Colombia's mountainous and jungle terrain make mine clearance difficult, and it will take Colombia at least a decade to rid the country of all its landmines. International donors, including the United States and Norway, have so far contributed nearly $112 million for landmine clearance in Colombia. The Republican-led Senate voted Wednesday to block an Obama-era regulation that would prevent an estimated 75,000 people with mental disorders from being able to purchase a firearm. The measure now goes to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. The regulation was crafted as part of President Barack Obama's efforts to strengthen the federal background check system in the wake of the 2012 massacre of 20 young students and six staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old man with a variety of impairments, including Asperger's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, shot and killed his mother at their home, then went to school where he killed the students, adults and himself. The Obama administration rule required the Social Security Administration to send in the names of beneficiaries with mental impairments who also have a third party manage their benefits. But lawmakers, with the backing of the National Rifle Association and advocacy groups for the disabled, opposed the regulation and encouraged Congress to undertake a rarely successful process designed to void regulations that Congress takes issue with. The 57-43 vote to revoke the regulation sends the measure to Trump. With a Republican ally in the White House, the GOP has moved aggressively on several fronts to rescind some of the Obama administration's final regulations on the environment, financial reporting and now guns. Under an expedited process established through the Congressional Review Act, a regulation is made invalid when a simple majority of both chambers pass a joint resolution of disapproval and the president signs it. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, spearheaded the repeal effort and said the regulation unfairly stigmatizes the disabled and infringes on their constitutional right to bear arms. He said that the mental disorders covered through the regulation are filled with "vague characteristics that do not fit into the federal mentally defective standard" prohibiting someone from buying or owning a gun. Grassley cited eating and sleep disorders as examples of illnesses that could allow a beneficiary to be reported to the background check system if they also have a third party to manage their benefits. "If a specific individual is likely to be violent due to the nature of their mental illness, then the government should have to prove it," Grassley said. The rule isn't scheduled to go into effect until December. It only would apply to those receiving disability benefits. However, someone who is added to the background check system before retirement age would remain there after retirement age. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he didn't know how he could explain to his constituents that Congress was making it easier rather than harder for people with serious mental illness to have a gun. "If you can't manage your own financial affairs, how can we expect that you're going to be a responsible steward of a dangerous, lethal firearm," Murphy said. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., argued that anyone who thinks they're treated unfairly can appeal, and are likely to win if they're not a danger to themselves or others. But Grassley said federal law requires a formal hearing and judgment before depriving someone of owning a firearm due to mental illness. Gun rights groups weren't the only organizations upset about the Obama administration's regulation. The American Civil Liberties Union criticized it, too. The ACLU said the rule advanced a harmful stereotype that people with mental disabilities, "a vast and diverse group of citizens, are violent." More than a dozen advocacy groups for the disabled also opposed the Obama administration's regulation. The NAACP, the United States Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities supported the Social Security Administration's efforts. "This heartless resolution puts the most vulnerable Americans at risk," said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "Make no mistake, this vote was really about deepening the gun industry's customer pool, at the expense of those in danger of hurting themselves or others." Meanwhile, the GOP-led House will seek to rescind more Obama-era regulations later Wednesday, including a Labor Department rule critics say unduly restricts efforts in some states to test unemployment insurance applicants for drug use. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has softened his deadly anti-drug campaign following police mishaps and signs of public skepticism. Duterte, a 71-year-old, harshly-spoken former mayor, had vowed to kill 100,000 criminals and eradicate drugs by next month. However, Duterte's office announced in late January the police side of the campaign against drugs was suspended. That shift followed the kidnapping and slaying of a South Korean businessman in October at the Philippine National Polices Camp Crame headquarters in Manila. The incident raised Dutertes angry suspicion of what he called scalawags in the police and a resolve to root them out. National police Chief Gen. Ronald dela Rosa announced in late January he would dissolve the anti-drug units to go after corruption instead. We will cleanse our ranks, the news organization Foreign Policy quoted the chief as saying. Dutertes suspension of the anti-drug campaign, during which an estimated 7,000 people were killed, marks his first retreat from a policy criticized by Western countries, human rights groups and most recently, the Catholic Church. The really sad irony of what has happened in the Philippines is that the deaths of more than 7,000 Filipinos in President Rodrigo Dutertes so-called war on drugs didnt bring any kind of change in policy, said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at the New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch. But it took the kidnapping murder of a single South Korean businessman in the Philippines to cause the government to tap the brakes on the drug war, he said. Public opinion is also wavering, though still believed to be widely supportive of the earlier anti-drug effort. Eighty-six Philippine Catholic dioceses have condemned the suspected extrajudicial killings and called for reforms in law enforcement. A unified statement released in early February, the first issued by multiple dioceses and read at masses around the country, called the drug eradication effort a reign of terror in many places of the poor. About 83 percent of Filipinos are Catholic, making the Church influential in much of the society. We hope that as a statement it should have some bearing on the Catholic faithful themselves, said Antonio Ledesma, archbishop in the southern city of Cagayan de Oro. The Korean nationals killing was just one police foible, said Jay Batongbacal, associate law professor at the University of the Philippines. The people agree that the drug problem is something that is serious and needs to be solved, but do not agree with the method of killing thousands to address it, he said. A survey by Manila-based polling group Social Weather Stations found in December that 78 percent of Filipinos fear they or someone they know will become an victim of the extrajudicial killings. Observers in the country say the president is serious about stripping the power of officers who overstep bounds and reducing police corruption. Anti-corruption work falls in line with Dutertes pledges before the May 2016 presidential election and his inauguration in June, said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Philippine advocacy group Institute for Political and Electoral Reform. Inside the police is where theyre looking. Theyre cleaning house, said Rhona Canoy, president of an international school and part of a political family on the southern island Mindanao. Theyre still running after the people who really are very overtly in the drug business, Canoy said. But in terms of like the neighborhood things that they were doing before, thats toned down a bit. The special Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is still pursuing drug crimes, local media say. A broader campaign is expected to resume once Duterte believes the police are better disciplined or he finds another agency to take charge. Drug dealing once occupied neighborhood streets and spawned petty crimes against common people, many Filipinos say. Some were afraid to go out at night. According to a 2012 United Nations World Drug Report, the Philippines had East Asias highest abuse rate of the methamphetamine strain called shabu. Presidential office spokesman Ernesto Abella suggested to Philippine media late last month that Duterte might form a police constabulary, which would include military participation, to solve drug crimes. The campaign itself is still going on, Casiple said. I dont think it will end. The anti-drug campaign is receiving a big support from the public. Although U.S. President Donald Trump says he only wants to tweak trade ties with Canada, his pledge to renegotiate NAFTA to focus on Mexico is almost impossible and Canada will not emerge unscathed, Canadian officials and trade experts said Tuesday. Trump had warm words for Canadian trade following a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, but his call for major changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement to target Mexico stymied experts. "I can't see how it's possible at all. It would be very complicated to do and I don't think Mexico would ... ever go along with it," said Mark Warner, a trade lawyer and principal at MAAW Law in Toronto. Canada and Mexico send the bulk of their exports to the United States under NAFTA. One senior Canadian government official, asked how the agreement could be tweaked for one partner and changed in a major way for another, admitted frankly, "I don't know." Trump spoke after his first meeting with Trudeau, who is trying to sell the merits of NAFTA while opposing a border tariff, an idea circulating in U.S. political circles that could badly hit Canadian industries. Warner said that if the U.S. government decided to impose the tariff, "the consequences of that could be described as a tweak but the significance of it would be major." Matthew Kronby, an international trade lawyer at Bennett Jones in Toronto, said "it is very hard to tease apart the elements of the deal that I suppose Trump might think are a disaster with Mexico while leaving it intact with Canada." Officials say that while Trump did not reveal any details about his intentions on NAFTA, Canada would suffer collateral damage, whatever the administration pushes for. "We cannot be untouched or unscathed by this," said one person familiar with the matter. Separately, another official working on the bilateral trade file said that once talks started, the U.S. dairy industry was set to demand Canada dismantle its supply management system of tariffs and taxes that keep out most dairy imports, including those from the United States. "That could be a very unpleasant conversation," said the official, who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the situation. Trudeau's ability to make concessions is limited since all of Canada's major political parties have vowed to protect supply management. Holding out too firmly, though, could irritate the American side, which might demand concessions elsewhere. Boasting spectacular wildlife and majestic scenery, central Kenyas Laikipia area has long been on the countrys tourist circuit, sitting against the backdrop of Mount Kenya. But due to drought, northern pastoralists are illegally bringing tens of thousands of cattle to private and community lands in search of water and grazing lands, often bringing them into conflict with landowners, and displacing wildlife. Several people have been killed in these conflicts, with others injured. Attacks on three out of approximately 50 ranches, farms, and conservancies have been reported, including a tourist lodge that was burned down at the end of January. But Laikipia Farmers Association chairman Martin Evans says all land owners have been affected in some way. Every single owners had damage, said Evans. When they come in, they smash your fences, they smash all your infrastructure, all your buildings, your security houses, your solar panels, electric energizers, they steal and smash. I havent heard of one who hasnt been. Drought impact Kenyas spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior Mwenda Njoka blames it on one factor. Drought, drought, drought, said Njoka. The dry stint that has been in that area for a long time and in many other parts of the country. That is what has caused these people to move their cattle to areas where there is grass and water. But that is not an excuse, says Paula Kahumbu, CEO of WildlifeDirect. This drought was known about more than six months ago. These incidents started more than six months ago. There was ample opportunity for the state and state organs to respond and they didnt, said Kahumbu. These cattle should have been bought up and the people had their money put away somewhere safe well before the drought reached this point. And, its not just a drought that is based on climatic conditions, argues Frank Pope, CEO of Save the Elephants. This is a drought based on chronic overgrazing of this ecosystem, said Pope. Weve got several different data streams showing us the dramatic degradation that northern Kenya has suffered, and I think the same holds true for many other areas in Kenya where weve had too many livestock on the ground, exerting huge grazing pressure on the ground. About three-quarters of the northern rangelands is now at or below the level of organic soil carbon required for plant growth. Complex issue It is is a complex socio-economic issue, according to Njoka, who says the government is working to get the situation under control. Weve been doing a lot, said Njoka. And weve sent security forces, police officers who are deployed to the area, from different units, to go and protect these farms and ensure they are not invaded. Although sometimes it has not been as successful as wed have wanted, but theres a lot the government has been doing on that. Kahumbu says the pastoralists are highly adapted to extremely dry conditions, which demonstrates the severity of their current situation. So for them to have resorted to raiding private land and community land, is really a reflection of how serious the drought is, said Kahumbu. Its a famine for them, so lets not forget that these are people who are in dire straights and the government of Kenya has failed them too, which is why theyre doing what theyre doing. But Kahumbu and other conservationists cannot fully explain why wildlife have been killed. The Kenya Wildlife Service has recorded at least nine elephant deaths, as well as those of other endangered species like giraffes and the Grevys zebra. The wildlife is the lowest on the chain when it comes to competing with livestock, because the livestock are accompanied by humans, and these humans have arms, often, said Pope. Because few wildlife trophies have been taken, some conservationists believe retribution may be more at play than poaching. Kenya is to hold national elections in August. Evans, Kahumbu and Pope argue politicians directly or indirectly condone their constituents encroaching onto private land, to win their support. But Njoka responds the elections have nothing to do with the situation. The Laikipia Farmers Association wants the government to begin a disarmament program, prosecute the people involved, and enforce the law. Some conservation groups suggest the government buy some livestock to assist the pastoralists, as well as to bring harvested grass from other parts of the country to Laikipia to help feed the animals. But everyone agrees a long-term solution must be found. The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signed into law constitutional amendments aimed at giving him sweeping new powers under an executive presidency. The reforms are deeply divisive, with supporters saying they will strengthen democracy, while critics warn of dictatorship. Turks will decide in a referendum set for April 16. Doubts over its fairness are growing among opponents of the reforms, who claim a crackdown against them already has started. Leading right-wing politician Meral Aksener recently spoke at a rally to oppose the presidential constitutional reforms. The meeting ended up being held in darkness after the electricity to the venue was mysteriously cut. Aksener said she had little doubt the blackout was deliberate, shouting to the audience, President, what you are afraid of, me as a woman opposing you and your powerful state. We look for democracy in darkness and hopefully on April 16th we will find democracy coming out of the ballots, she later said to reporters. Aksener's rally received scant coverage by the mainstream media, being confined to fringe opposition publications and TV channels broadcasting on the internet. Analysts say that's because much of the mainstream was directly or indirectly under the influence of Erdogan, what remains increasingly avoids critical reporting. Interview goes unprinted Turkey's Nobel Prize winner for literature, Orhan Pamuk, said he gave an interview to a newspaper, but it declined to publish his comments because he said he would cast a no vote on the referendum. Additionally, a leading news anchor said he was fired after he tweeted his opposition. A top Turkish constitutional law expert, Professor Ibrahim Kaboglu of Istanbul's Marmara University, also says he and other colleagues were let go from their jobs for voicing their opposition to the reforms. It is not possible to say there is no connection between these dismissals and the rushing of constitutional change, said Kaboglu at a protest over academic dismissals, which normally would be executed in two-and-a-half years, rather than within two-and-a-half weeks under emergency law, with the full mobilization of the state for a Yes vote for the constitutional changes. Turkey has been under emergency rule since July's failed coup attempt. It allows the president and his government to dismiss any state employee. Concerns over the neutrality of the state in the forthcoming referendum are increasingly being raised. Emergency rule essential? We are under emergency rule, and its very obvious it's not going to be democratic process of election and referendum, warned political scientist Ismet Akca, who like Kaboglu was recently fired under emergency rule decree. You can see this even in the Health Ministry. They produced some public information, which said no to smoking. They are now recalling this literature because it has the word no in it. The president argues that emergency rule is essential to guaranteeing the security and safety of the referendum. But concerns over the use of emergency powers against campaigners who vote no grew with Erdogan's warning that those who oppose his reforms are in the company of terrorists. Who says no to these reforms? The PKK terrorist says no. Who says no? The coup plotters say no. Who says no? Those who want to divide this country say no. Only those who are against the flag say no, Erdogan thundered. Raids continue Police are continuing to carry out dawn raids under emergency powers, arresting thousands of members of Turkey's second-largest opposition party, the pro-Kurdish HDP. Those detained include its charismatic leader, Selahattin Demirtas, widely recognized as one of the most lucid opponents of the proposed executive presidency. Soli Ozel, an international relations expert from Istanbul's Kadir Has University, questions whether the vote will be fair. I think this will be very uncomfortable for the naysayers to be able to push their line of thinking, because the last two elections we've held have not really been either as fair or free as we've come to expect. For better or worse, that is one thing Turkey has done very well; that is, we held elections fair and free; that has been infringed upon in my view. I can easily imagine the yes camp will monopolize [media] air time and the no camp will not have all that much of chance to explain itself. But on the other hand, I also see a serious potential for a no vote; will it be mobilized properly? I don't know, said Ozel. Opinion polls indicate the outcome remains too close to call. That is giving the no campaign hope, but the expectation of further crackdowns on their activities can only deepen the country's political divide. Gov. Scott Walker signaled support Wednesday for a bill that would only allow candidates to request a recount in state and local races if they trail the winner by a certain margin. The bill is a direct response to last years presidential recount that was triggered and paid for by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who received 1 percent of the vote. The recount, which cost Steins campaign a little more than $2 million and county and municipal clerks thousands of hours of additional work during a traditionally busy time of year, resulted in Donald Trump extending his lead over Hillary Clinton by 131 votes. It also revealed more than 11,000 errors in how ballots were counted on election night out of 3 million total votes cast, but no major flaws in the state election system. Sen. Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Reps. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, R-Fond du Lac, and Ron Tusler, R-Harrison, are lead sponsors of the bill, which LeMahieu said in December he would introduce in response to the recount. Walker also signaled support for such a proposal then, but details werent yet available. The bill would only allow an aggrieved party to request a recount. An aggrieved party is someone trailing by 1 percent of the total in contests with more than 4,000 votes. In races with fewer than 4,000 votes cast, only someone trailing by 40 or fewer votes could request a recount. Walker wouldnt say whether 1 percent was the right margin, but said it makes sense if its close that people should have a right to a recount, but it should be within a reasonable margin. People would expect that someone whos close should have a shot to have a recount, but to have someone who is in third or fourth place, I think a lot of people, regardless of party, rolled their eyes when that happened, Walker said. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said she wont be signing on to the bill because she doesnt want the Legislature to be sidetracked from more important issues such as transportation, affordable child care and student loan debt. I havent had a single person come up to me saying we need less election accountability, Shilling said. This bill is another example of how out-of-touch Republican politicians are with the challenges facing hard-working families in Wisconsin. In a co-sponsorship memo to lawmakers, LeMahieu said at least seven states limit recounts to candidates who trail the winner by 1 percent of the total votes cast (Delaware, Massachusetts, Montana, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah and Virginia). He also noted there have been only three cases over nearly 40 years where a recount has changed the statewide results, and the largest difference was 0.12 percent of the total vote cast. The largest local election margin that was overturned by a recount was 13 votes, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau. Recounts would still have to be paid for by the requester if the margin is not within 0.25 percent of the total votes cast. The bill allows the State Elections Commission to recoup any costs it incurs and gives county clerks 15 extra days to tabulate their costs. The bill also shortens Wisconsins recount deadline by two days, which LeMahieu said is to protect the states Electoral College votes. County Board of Canvassers would have an extra day to start a recount. Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said he is still reviewing the bill, but added the Stein recount filing was an abuse of the recount prerogative, born of the irrational belief that Wisconsins highly decentralized and secure elections infrastructure is vulnerable to the kind and degree of meddling that might overturn the will of the voters. Candidates who do not record more than 1 or 2 percent of the vote should not be able to buy a recount, he said. McDonell said to assuage concerns about election result integrity he plans to upload images of all Dane County ballots from each election on the internet so anyone can review the results of any race. The ballots wouldnt be posted until after the period for requesting a recount has passed. 1 Women with flowers stand next to Belarusian military cadets holding portraits of soldiers who were killed during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, during a memorial ceremony on the Island of Tears in Minsk. The humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria remains severe, with aid agencies reporting uneven progress. In areas they have been able to access, relief organizations say they have successfully reduced malnutrition. But in other areas still cut off by insecurity, they fear the worst. Rainy season is coming in northeastern Nigeria, and aid agencies are worried. The rains could start as early as April. During the lean season that follows from June to August, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization warns that 11 million people in northeast Nigeria will not have enough to eat. The FAO warns that 120,000 of those people could face famine-like conditions. This is when people have consumed a lot of their food resources before the next harvest comes in. And so as the name suggests, the lean season means people have less resources to cope with during that period, said Doug Mercado, the deputy country director for the U.N. World Food Program. He says the organization is using planes and helicopters to bring in aid. Were trying to do our best to get around the insecurity issues," he said. "Weve been scaling up. Weve been trying to reach as many people in need as possible. Weve been building up over the last few months, and in January, which was our latest distribution period, we distributed to over 1 million people. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Nigerian Red Cross has seen a drastic reduction in cases of malnutrition at a health clinic they opened in the southern Borno town of Biu. From the period between December of last year and February of this year, less than 10 admissions of severely malnourished children per month. If you compare this to last June and July when we started working in southern Borno, at that time we would receive between 110 and 120 cases every month. ICRC spokesperson Aleksandra Mosimann told VOA the organization the malnutrition rate among children under five years old has fallen from over 40 to below 10 percent in areas where it provides food relief. Mercy Corps reports similar results in Maiduguri and the southern part of Borno state, where they have been able to set up operations. But the groups regional humanitarian advisor, Adrian Ouvry, says roads are still too dangerous in eastern Borno state, where fighting continues in and around the Sambisa forest. There may well be other parts of Borno that we havent been able to access yet, including six of the local government areas to the north of the state where there may be pockets of extreme malnutrition and possibly famine. But its very hard to know until access is possible, said Ouvry. Some of those hard-to-reach towns in the north are along the border with Niger and near Lake Chad. Surveillance and data from militaries, foreign governments and NGOs reveal that Boko Haram members still operate on some of Lake Chads islands. Over the past seven years, Boko Haram violence has displaced more than two million people and killed at least 20,000, according to the U.N. French President Francois Hollande is calling for new security measures around the country's presidential race, notably to protect against hacking. Hollande's order came after the campaign of centrist Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of trying to sway the April 23-May 7 election. Hollande asked top security officials Wednesday to present electoral security measures next week "including in the cyber domain." Mounir Mahjoubi, head of digital campaigning for Macron, told The Associated Press that his team identified thousands of hacking attempts originating from Ukraine in recent weeks. Mahjoubi says the attempts coincided with what he called a fake news operation targeting Macron in Russia-sponsored media in France. Macron's leading rivals, Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen, want to lift sanctions against Russia, while Macron has been less friendly toward Moscow. An Indian rocket blasted off Wednesday morning from Sriharikota in eastern India putting a record 104 satellites into space in a single launch, surpassing Russias previous feat of launching 37 satellites one year ago, according to Indias space agency. The launch also marked a milestone in the countrys efforts to emerge as a serious contender in the multi-billion dollar global commercial space industry by slashing costs. Besides a 714 kilogram earth observation satellite, the others were mostly nano satellites those weighing up to 10 kilograms. A majority of these small satellites came from customers in the United States, others from countries such as Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. The nationally televised launch showed scientists applauding successive stages in the mission control room. Calling it a great moment for the Indian Space Research Organization, Associate Project Director B Jayakumar said, as you know doing something new in an innovative way, successfully is always a passion for ISRO people. Low-cost program Indias space program has focused heavily on low-cost access to space. The ability to put a larger number of satellites in space in a single launch brings down the cost significantly, which could help the country grab a larger slice of the commercial launch market, analysts say. Doing record-breaking launches in one go does clearly highlight Indias advancement as well as the sophistication to do a lot more maneuvering in Indias space program, said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, a space analyst from New Delhis Observer Research Foundation. Pointing out that it will inspire more confidence in Indias space program, she said A lot many more countries could be approaching India to do their own space launches. The growing demand for more high-tech communication by countries, as well as by private telephone, Internet and other companies, has hugely boosted the demand for such launches. Last year, India launched 75 satellites for foreign customers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted This remarkable feat by ISRO is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India salutes our scientists. India increased the budget for its space program this year and allocated resources for a potential second mission to Mars and its first to Venus in the coming years. Mars mission Indias ambitious space program got international attention after a successful mission to Mars in 2014, whose price tag of $74 million, compared to $670 million outlay of NASAs Mars mission a few months later, was hailed as an indication that its frugal space program has achieved technological prowess. ISRO plans to send a second mission to study the surface of the Moon next year and is also eyeing a second mission to Mars and its first to Venus in the years to come. Many see Indias foray into interplanetary missions as part of its ambitions to be seen as one of the worlds leading countries. One of the factors is also Asian nationalism and the competition. There are also lot of things being planned to also show that India is an advanced technology power in this regard, said Rajagoplanan. While India has developed the capability of putting smaller satellites in space, it still has some way to go before it can launch heavier ones, according to scientists. Iran's exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, is urging the United States and Israel not to fall into a "trap" by escalating their disputes with the Iranian government into a military conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are due to hold their first official meeting at the White House on Wednesday. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday that the leaders of the two longtime allies will discuss how to respond to what they see as "threats posed by Iran and its proxies." In an exclusive studio interview with VOA's Persian service, Pahlavi said he expects to see "more harmony and coordination" of U.S. strategy on Iran under the Trump administration, with Israel and other American partners in the Middle East and Europe. Speaking in Washington last Thursday, Pahlavi said he anticipates Iran's Islamist rulers reacting to that increased coordination with "typical rhetoric and bravado" for domestic consumption. But, he said, Tehran would be "ill advised" not to take the issue of U.S.-Israeli cooperation seriously. WATCH: Pahlavi Warns US, Israel Not to Fall into 'Trap' Appeal for restraint Pahlavi also had a warning for Trump and Netanyahu as they consider adopting a tougher approach toward Iran, in contrast to the sanctions relief Iran secured from Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama. Other world powers joined in that 2015 deal to curtail Iranian nuclear activities that could produce a bomb in return for easing the sanctions. "If there is anyone who would be the most pleased to see an escalation of conflict, it happens to be the [Iranian] regime, because they stand to benefit by creating more distraction from their problems and one should not fall into that trap," he said. "I have always been a proponent of [a strategy] that avoids military confrontation because I consider that to be lose-lose, and there are so many other options on the table." Trump told reporters on February 2 "nothing is off the table" in terms of a U.S. response to Iran's January 29 ballistic missile test, which his administration criticized as undermining regional security and putting American lives at risk. The U.S. and Israeli governments also have long refused to rule out military action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and following through on threats to destroy Israel. Tehran has long described its nuclear program as peaceful. Pahlavi said the only strategy that he thinks can end Iran's dispute with the U.S. and Israel is to bring about the departure of the Iranian clerical leadership. "Then, everything will start making sense [in terms] of whatever action you have to take, from sanctions to helping the [Iranian] people. In that scenario, we can see a true alternative shaping up," he said. In a January 31 letter to Trump, Pahlavi said the U.S. should play a "pivotal role" in supporting what he called the Iranian people's "quest for liberty and justice." Pahlavi leads an Iranian opposition group called the Iran National Council for Free Elections. A tougher approach Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton also spoke in favor of "regime change" in Iran at a Washington forum held by U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) on February 9. "It should be declared American policy to overturn the regime in Tehran, because that is ultimately the only way you will get Iran to back off the pursuit of nuclear weapons," he told the forum. Bolton said that policy requires more U.S. support for the Iranian opposition, rather than military action. Even so, he believes there may not be enough time to achieve regime change before Iran's Islamist rulers acquire nuclear weapons. Critics of the 2015 nuclear deal say it will allow Iranian leaders to quickly build a nuclear bomb when restrictions on Iranian nuclear activities begin expiring after 13 years. That, said Bolton, "is why, if you don't want an Iran with nuclear weapons, you have to contemplate the use of military force to prevent that." WATCH: Bolton Discusses Irans Nuclear Program Responding to a question from VOA Persian at the UANI forum, Bolton said any U.S. attack on the Iranian nuclear program would resemble what he described as "very surgical and very limited" Israeli airstrikes against Iraqi and Syrian nuclear facilities in 1981 and 2007. However, Iran poses a distinct challenge for the U.S. military because its nuclear program is more dispersed, according to Bolton. "The danger is that we have let so much time go by that there are any number of [nuclear] facilities that we simply don't know about in Iran, so that we could destroy those we know about and we still wouldn't close the program down," Bolton said. "I'd nonetheless be prepared to take that risk than see the program proceed unimpeded, which is the course we are on now." Risking unintended outcomes Bolton's tough talk drew a sharp response from Iran analyst Barbara Slavin of the Washington-based Atlantic Council. Speaking to VOA via Skype, she said any kind of military action against Iran would be a "disaster," given the U.S. military's recent experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The kinds of threats coming from people like Bolton [also] will have the reverse effect than we would want," Slavin said. "It would perhaps make certain elements in Iran more interested in acquiring nuclear weapons to deter an attack." WATCH: Slavin Talks About Iranian Political Change Slavin said the best way of achieving regime change in Iran is to encourage a "peaceful evolution" of its political system by reintegrating the country into the international community. "If it means more contact between Americans and Iranians, that's fine," she said. "We should get to know each other better. We should reduce the hostile rhetoric. And then, I think, Iran will have a brighter future, and I think the U.S. will, too." Iran's deputy minister for petroleum says the hawkish stance taken by U.S. President Donald Trump on the Iranian nuclear deal is a "passing hiccup" that should not affect foreign investment in the country's energy sector. Amir Hossein Zamaninia made the remarks Wednesday at the CWC Iran LNG and Gas Partnerships Summit in Frankfurt, Germany. Iran has among the largest proven natural gas reserves in the world, yet it supplies just 1 percent of the global market. Some sanctions on Iran were lifted a year ago in return for controls on the country's atomic program, under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Tehran is now looking for foreign investment to rebuild the sector. "As far as the oil and gas industry and the credibility of JCPOA is concerned, this may be a passing issue and we can overcome the uncertainties created by this dynamic in Washington," Zamaninia told reporters. He said that $70 billion worth of contracts were available. "Before the end of March 21st, a number of these tenders will be issued and conducted," he said. Trump's election, however, has cast a shadow over Iran's plans. On the campaign trail, he pledged to dismantle the nuclear agreement negotiated by the Obama administration and force Tehran back to the negotiating table. On Wednesday, Trump repeated his criticism of the accord, calling it "the worst deal I have ever seen." This month, French energy giant Total said it would hold off on finalizing its investments in Iran until the United States renewed its waiver on Iranian sanctions in April or May. Moving ahead Yet other European and Asian oil companies are leading the charge into Iran. British-Dutch oil giant Shell inked an initial deal with Tehran in December. The company's vice president in Iran, Hans Nijkamp, underlined that commitment Wednesday, telling the conference,"When Shell gets involved in a country, it wants to be there for the long term." Such investments have been strongly endorsed by European governments. Britain's ambassador to Iran, Nicholas Hopton, described the Shell deal as an important step forward: "We look forward to developing further cooperation in the oil and gas sector between Britain and Iran, which will be to the benefit of both countries," he told reporters in December. Craig Pirrong, an energy markets analyst at the University of Houston, told VOA Persian that European countries see Iran as a potentially more reliable source of energy than Russia. They are anxiously looking for alternative sources of gas because theyve been historically dependent on Russia and theyre looking to get out of that, he said. The 28-nation European Union relies on Moscow for more than a third of its gas needs, but Russian supplies have been disrupted in recent years by pricing disputes between Russia and Ukraine, through which the gas is delivered to Europe. Tehran's Zamaninia said the recent visit to Washington by the European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, would hearten investors. "She came out and said that she's been reassured that the United States government fully complies with JCPOA," he said. Analysts say that in any case, it will be difficult for Trump to dismantle the Iran nuclear deal, since it was signed and adopted by the U.N. Security Council. Nevertheless, in the new geopolitical environment, the challenge for Iran is to convince foreign companies that its oil and gas sectors are a safe investment. U.S. energy companies may be among the hardest to convince. As the terror group Islamic State loses more and more territory in Iraq and Syria, its propaganda has undergone a significant change, according to analysts. Many of the recent videos produced by the group have focused on the battle for the Iraqi city of Mosul with a decreasing emphasis on calls for foreign fighters to join the group. Charlie Winter of the London-based International Center for the Study of Radicalization has been tracking Islamic State's propaganda for several years. One of the latest videos put out by the terror group, he says, shows suicide bomb attacks on Iraqi forces in Mosul. "There's been a big shift away from this idea of an Islamic utopia towards something around warfare," he said. "This video, and videos like it, are all geared towards showing that, yes, the Islamic State may be losing territory, but it's making the defense of that territory as expensive to the enemy as possible." When the Islamic State group was at the height of its strength, many of the videos focused on the utopian dream of an Islamic caliphate showing peaceful landscapes and little fighting. They often called on Muslims to travel to the group's territory in Syria and Iraq. "The group is still trying to communicate with foreign fighters, but in a qualitatively different way," Winter said. "It's no longer calling for people to make hijrah to migrate, that is to Iraq and Syria. It's saying, 'Stay in your home countries and attack from there.'" Islamic State still promotes its utopian ideal. One recent video titled Building Blocks purportedly shows the terror group running public services in Raqqa, Syria, including a fire service, schools and hospitals. There is even a smiling policeman directing traffic. But the tone of the video is different, says Winter. "It's almost preemptively nostalgic, as if the group is recognizing that its territorial hold on places, even like Raqqa, which is one of its strongholds, is becoming more contested," he said. "When their morale is flagging, they can look to these videos and think, 'That's how it was back in the day when the Islamic State was territorially coherent.'" Winter notes that Islamic State continues to produce ultra-violent material, but broadcasters now rarely choose to air the videos, a change that analysts say has further weakened Islamic State's media presence. A Kenyan appeals court has ordered the release of doctors union officials jailed earlier this week for refusing to end their three-month strike. Kenyan legal experts and rights groups will now take the lead in a fresh round of negotiations between doctors and the government to end the strike. The seven doctors' union officials spent two days behind bars, after being sentenced to one month in jail Monday. A three-judge bench ordered their release Wednesday, after Kenya's council of governors and union lawyers agreed to continue talks. Appellants one to eight in civil appeal number 9 of 2017 shall be released forthwith from prison pending the hearing of the appeal," said the bench. "Two of the applicants, respondents and interested parties undertake to resume negotiations forthwith with the view of resolving the outstanding issues in order to restore normalcy in the public sector. The court ordered the Law Society of Kenya and Kenya National Commission on Human Rights that will be leading the talks to submit a report next week with the aim of calling off the month-long doctors' strike. After the ruling, the cry of striking doctors in the streets rings out, "CBA." The Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed in 2013 between the union and government representatives. The deal covers a range of issues, including improving working conditions for the doctors, improved health facilities and security for medical staff. Several attempts to end the strike through dialogue have failed, with doctors refusing a 40 percent salary increase. In solidarity with their colleagues, doctors working in private hospitals have agreed not to serve patients for two days. The court hopes the union will call off the strike within seven days. Policy analyst Boaz Munga says it is not easy to solve the grievances in one week. But seven days is surely enough for them to negotiate a return to work formula, which means they can go back to work after negotiating and then the other pending issues will be sorted out... but not ironing out all the issues contained in collective bargaining agreement, he said. Munga also says as the country approaches an election, the doctors feel this may be the only chance for them to get what they want. The many workers in our country have realized that perhaps the best time to try to arm-twist the government, which does not seem to listen to you at other times, is when we are approaching an election, he said. A new round of talks is expected to begin Thursday. Police in Malaysia said Thursday they have arrested a third person in connection with the apparent assassination of a half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Authorities said those arrested included a 25-year-old woman identified as Siti Aishah, who held an Indonesian passport and was positively identified from airport security camera footage. Police also detained a man who provided information that led to her arrest. On Wednesday, police said they had detained another woman at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the Malaysian capital. A police statement identified her as Doan Thi Huong, with Vietnamese travel documents, and said she was also positively identified from security cameras. South Korea on Wednesday confirmed the victim was the North Korean leaders older half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, who was once in line to become head of state, but fell out of favor with their father, Kim Jong Il, after he tried to enter Japan on a forged passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland in 2001. It seems assured that the person who was killed was Kim Jong Nam, said Jeong Joon-hee, the South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman. Investigation A Malaysian police report issued on Tuesday night confirmed a 46-year-old North Korean man, who was traveling with a passport under the name of Kim Chol, died en route to a hospital after seeking medical help in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. His travel destination on Tuesday was Macau, where he had been living, said the Malaysian police. On Tuesday unnamed U.S. government sources said the United States strongly believes that Kim Jong Nam was murdered by North Korean agents. The South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) on Wednesday confirmed that Kim Jong Nam was poisoned by two suspected North Korean female agents and that he was poisoned with an unidentified toxic liquid, administered by needles or a cloth. Malaysian police investigating the attack said the cause of Kims death was not yet known. His body was taken Wednesday morning to a second hospital, where an autopsy was performed. The results of the post-mortem examination have not been released. North Korean embassy officials were also at the hospital and were coordinating with local authorities, police sources said. Motives There is widespread speculation that Kim Jong Nams death was ordered by high ranking officials in Pyongyang, and very likely by Kim Jong Un. If it is proved that Kim Jong Nam's death was committed by the North Korean government, it will be a case that shows the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong Un regime, said South Korean acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn. Kim Jong Nam was reportedly considered a threat to his brothers rule because of his outspoken criticism of the continued repressive and authoritarian practices within the country, because he was a proponent of reform polices that would loosen state controls, and because there was speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping would prefer to see him replace his younger brother as the leader of North Korea. South Koreas spy agency said Wednesday that Kim Jong Un had issued a "standing order" for his half-brother's assassination, and that there had been a failed attempt in 2012. Kim Jong Nam had been living under Beijing's protection with his second wife in the Chinese territory of Macau. North Korean defector and analyst Ahn Chan-il, with the World Institute for North Korean Studies, said it is likely that North Korean spies, embedded within the large number of laborers that work in Malaysias mineral and mining industry, had learned of the older Kims travel plans and decided to target him while he was outside of Chinas protection. [I think] North Korea may have put spies within these laborers. And while the two women are suspected to be members of [the Norths] reconnaissance bureau, it is highly possible that more than 10 people belonged to other bureaus that may be involved in this case, said Ahn Chan-il. The South Korean government on Wednesday also urged all North Korean defectors to take extra precautions for their own safety and security. Reign of Terror If proven, the sanctioned assassination of Kim Jong Uns brother could further isolate a leadership in Pyongyang that is already struggling under harsh sanctions for its continued development of nuclear weapons and for widespread human rights violations. South Korea's Institute for National Security in December 2016 claimed that Kim Jong Un has ordered the execution of 340 people since he came to power in December 2011. In 2013, he sentenced to death his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered his mentor and the country's second-most-powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. Carl Thayer, a defense analyst at the University of New South Wales, said Kim Jong Nams death was a further indicator of political anxieties in North Korea. And even though his older brother was pushed outside and it was clear he was never going to come back to challenge him, it may be just another indication of Kim Jong Uns perceived anxieties, he said. For the next several days, North Korea will be marking the birthday of its late leader Kim Jong Il, the brothers' father, though they have different mothers. The major holiday this Thursday is called the Day of the Shining Star'' and will feature figure skating and synchronized swimming exhibitions, fireworks and mass rallies. Watching closely Chinas Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said it is closely watching developments in the case, noting that Malaysian authorities were still investigating Kim's death. Chinese academics and state media were also slow to draw any conclusions about Kim's death before the completion of the investigation. They also played down the half-brother's reported links to the country. Wang Dong, a political scientist at Peking University, said Kim's death was unlikely to change anything, noting that all of the challenges related to the Korean peninsula would not just go away. What happened to Kim Yong Nam yesterday was just a piece of titbits or tabloid news. I don't think it will make a fundamental change or have a table-turning impact on the overall [political] situation [in Pyongyang], Wang said. Online, however, the discussion was more wide-ranging. Kim Jong Un has increasingly become a target of ridicule on the Chinese internet in recent years as relations between the isolated countrys leader and Beijing have become increasingly frayed. Chinese President Xi Jinping has yet to meet Kim Jong Un since he rose to power, nor has Kim visited China's capital, as his father did in the past. "Everyone is really just guessing about who killed Kim Jong Nam and those who support North Korea are trying to whitewash what has happened, but neither side has any evidence," read one online comment on an article about who might have been responsible for Kim's death. "Still, North Korea does have a history of assassinating and hunting down so-called traitors overseas." Another online post was more certain. "I think that it was definitely the work of Kim Jong Un, ever since he came to power he has been killing all of his relatives. Why would he not go after the biggest apparent heir," the post said. North Asia analyst, Justin Hastings, an associate professor at Australias Sydney University, said China had indicated to North Korea that Kim Jong Nam was not to be harmed while he remained on Chinese territory, including Macau. He said the half-brothers visit to Malaysia provided an opportunity to kill him. Its not surprising he was killed. Kim Jong Un was going to come for him eventually. What of the timing? It may have simply been because this was when they were able to do it, Hastings told VOA. Youmi Kim, Bill Ide, Joyce Huang, Ron Corben and the VOA Korean Service contributed to this report. Warring Libyan factions tentatively agreed late on Tuesday on an Egypt-brokered 'road map' to heal divisions with the creation of a joint committee to negotiate reconciliation and elections by February 2018. The deal comes after months of diplomatic efforts by Egypt, culminating this week with visits by Fayez Seraj, prime minister of the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, and Khalifa Haftar, a military commander supported by eastern factions. The two men met separately with senior Egyptian military officials and had been set to sit together in a session late on Tuesday, then failed to meet due to last-minute differences. However, three Egyptian sources involved in the talks told Reuters that Seraj and Haftar had agreed to honor the deal despite lingering tensions. "The two sides have agreed. I have doubts about the implementation as the atmosphere between them is... tense but we hope the opposite happens," said one of the sources. Concerned about the spread of Islamic State militants from its western neighbor, Egypt has made stabilizing Libya a priority and has hosted a flurry of meetings in recent months bringing together Libyan politicians from east and west. The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord's (GNA) leadership, the Presidential Council, is made up of nine members who are meant to represent different geographical regions and political groupings within Libya. But the U.N.-backed Council has been bitterly divided, with two of its number mostly boycotting proceedings, and different members regularly issuing contradictory statements. Haftar is a figurehead for factions in eastern Libya but harbors national ambitions and once fought beside long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi. He has shunned the GNA but enjoys close ties with Egypt, which supports his tough approach to Islamic State and other militant groups. Egypt has refrained from endorsing the GNA, with officials saying it is up to the Libyans to decide on their government. Lack of trust According to a statement released by the Egyptian Armed Forces overnight, Seraj, Haftar and Agila Saleh, speaker of the eastern parliament allied to the commander, agreed to establish a committee tasked with forming a power-sharing arrangement. The joint committee will include at least 15 members of the Tripoli-based State Council, a consultative body aligned with the GNA, and at least 15 members of the eastern parliament. The road map envisages that any power-sharing deal be reflected in an revised constitution followed by presidential and parliamentary elections no later than February 2018. Under the plan, Seraj, Haftar and Saleh will keep their posts until the elections. Egypt will broker the talks, but it was unclear how successful they could be given the depth of mistrust. Tarek al-Jaroushi, a member of Libya's eastern parliament who was in Cairo, confirmed the deal, but his comments suggested confidence was low. "Seraj must return to the legitimacy of [the eastern] parliament if he really is looking for a Government of National Accord that secures the rights of all Libyans," he told Reuters. Libya began to descend into factional chaos after the 2011 uprising that, with NATO backing, ultimately toppled Gadhafi. Since its arrival in Tripoli early last year, the GNA has struggled to assert its authority among rival armed factions reluctant to cede power. Haftar's forces have extended their control to the west and have threatened to march on Tripoli. The GNA also faces challenges from a third self-declared government led by Khalifa Ghwell and supported by Misratan militias. Those militias are among Libya's most powerful but are widely seen as sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Egypt. With Egypt reluctant to engage with Islamists of any stripe, it was unclear whether success in reconciling Haftar and Saraj would be enough to bring peace to Libya. A candidate for state superintendent offered an opponent a taxpayer-funded $150,000 job if he dropped out of the race and sought the same for himself if he were the one to drop out, his challenger alleged Wednesday. Candidate John Humphries said in an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal that during discussions between him and opponent Lowell Holtz, Holtz proposed in writing that either he or Humphries should drop out in exchange for the guaranteed three-year job with the Department of Public Instruction should one of them defeat incumbent Tony Evers in the general election. But Holtz said in an interview with the State Journal that the proposal including a driver, benefits and sweeping control over several urban school districts, including Madison was a rough draft of ideas assembled at the request of business leaders he declined to name of how the two conservative candidates could work together instead of running against each other. Both candidates said the proposal went nowhere. Holtz said the proposal was intended for consideration after the primary, but Humphries said Holtz meant for it to be weighed before the race even began and contemplated scenarios under which one or the other candidate would drop out. Each sought to make his case with dueling documents released Wednesday, although it was impossible to ascertain whether either had been altered. Holtz and Humphries are competing in a Feb. 21 primary against Evers, and both are seeking support from conservative voters. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election in April. In a Wednesday appearance on a conservative talk radio show on WISN-AM, where the candidates debated, Holtz called Humphries characterization of the discussion liberal BS. Its true that we had breakfast together. Its true that a number of business people asked us to get together and discuss options for working together because they thought we would have a better chance, Holtz said on WISN. There was no specific proposal. There were ideas that were thrown around. They were ideas. Holtz later told the State Journal that Humphries is not one to let the facts get in the way of a good story. Unfortunately, we are on totally opposite ends of the political spectrum, he said. The differences between Mr. Humphries approach to education and mine were too stark to be reconciled, so the conversation ended there. Holtz said on WISN the proposal contained suggestions from business people that were put in writing because the business people asked for them to be put in writing. Its as simple as that, Holtz said on WISN. If you want to focus on the issues, focus on the issues. If you want to come up with a bunch of stuff thats a bunch of baloney and a bunch of liberal BS, go for it. Because thats exactly what it is. Humphries said he later offered Holtz a spot on his campaign but did not discuss salary levels or other details. He also declined to name the business leaders. I would not agree to his terms for me to drop out or to bring him into my team, said Humphries. Documents with alleged offer Humphries told the State Journal that the terms of the proposal were to give either Humphries or Holtz a three-year contract for a position within DPI that would pay $150,000 annually and offer full benefits, including a driver. He provided the newspaper a PDF, or electronic image, of a document with a handwritten date of Dec. 22, 2016, listing the terms. The document, which Humphries said was prepared by Holtz, does not specifically state the proposal is a quid pro quo for one candidate leaving the race. Under Lowell, the document also calls for Complete authority over Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Madison (Green Bay can be negotiated) and clarifies that the authority includes the ability to create rules for the listed districts, change boards when I deem it necessary, break apart districts, and that the positions budget would be proportional to the districts enrollment. You identify me as the superintendent in charge of those four urban districts with the authority and autonomy that goes with the office of WI State Superintendent, the document says. We are going to shake up Milwaukee and it is going to make noise. A somewhat similar list of conditions appears under John, although with some details left blank. Holtz provided the State Journal with a Microsoft Word version of a document with similar language and formatting, but which contains additional text explicitly stating the proposals were for consideration after the primary election. The Holtz document also adds that Humphries would oversee Central Office, including curriculum and assessments, if Holtz wins the Feb. 21 primary. Holtz said Humphries did not provide the State Journal with the original document in question. He obviously did not share the full story with you and edited pieces, said Holtz. Humphries rejected that claim. The document I jotted notes on and scanned is what Holtz gave to me at the breakfast in Milton, Humphries said. Perhaps he edited it afterwards, but this is not the version he handed me. Its unclear if either document had been edited. The Humphries document does not contain a revision history. The electronic properties in the Holtz document show it was printed on Dec. 22 at 8:21 a.m. and was edited at 1:29 p.m. on Wednesday. The document does not contain any further revision history to indicate whether it had been edited between Dec. 22 and Wednesday. No current laws on matter Reid Magney, spokesman for the state ethics and elections commissions, said the ethics commission does not comment on matters that could become the subject of complaints but said the commission does not believe there is anything under state election law that would cover the allegations. Kevin Kennedy, former director of the Government Accountability Board the forerunner of the ethics and elections boards and an expert on election law and campaign ethics, also said there are no state laws that prohibit such a proposal. Its not an unusual political (move), said Kennedy. Youre usually not dealing with something this blatant but theres not a specific prohibition. So, with a lot of things in politics, you use it in a campaign. Tom McCarthy, spokesman for DPI, said the alleged proposal seeks powers that dont currently exist in state law. This would be an unprecedented shift in who controls our local schools, said McCarthy. A spokeswoman for the Evers campaign declined to comment. The dramatic departure of President Donald Trump's hard-hitting national security adviser creates a vacuum of power and raises a key question about U.S. foreign policy: Will the pragmatists in the administration now gain clout? Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, both known as levelheaded technocrats, stand to fill some of the void. It would be a shift that would mollify anxious U.S. allies and even Republicans who worry Trump is veering too far from traditional U.S. positions. But the duo will be contending with Steve Bannon, Trump's influential senior adviser, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law. Trump hasn't named a replacement for Michael Flynn. Trump asked the former Army lieutenant general to resign Monday night amid revelations he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia while President Barack Obama was still in office. Trump has tasked retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg with filling the role temporarily, but is also considering two other retired military leaders to permanently replace Flynn. "It's dysfunctional as far as national security is concerned," Republican Sen. John McCain said. "Who is in charge? I don't know of anyone outside of the White House who knows." U.S.-Russia relations Critics of Trump's foreign policy plans are hoping the shakeup leads to a rethink of his desire to seek closer U.S.-Russian relations and a less hostile administration stance on Islam a tone Flynn helped to set through often inflammatory statements about the religion. Many lawmakers from both parties were appalled to learn that Flynn, in the weeks before Trump's inauguration, discussed with Russia's ambassador sanctions that the Obama administration was enacting as punishment for Russia's alleged interference in the presidential election. Flynn, who in 2015 was paid to appear at a gala for Russian state-controlled television network RT, was the face of Trump's potential Russia reboot, designed around working with Russia to fight the Islamic State group. In Moscow, Russian lawmakers bitterly mused that American paranoia had forced Flynn out, while analysts there surmised that the Kremlin's honeymoon with Trump was ending. With Flynn out, it could fall to Tillerson to step into the role of chief envoy to Russia. Tillerson, who heads to Bonn, Germany, on Wednesday on his first official trip, is widely expected to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the trip. He has long experience with Russian leaders and was awarded a friendship honor by President Vladimir Putin when he was ExxonMobil CEO. Much depends on who replaces Flynn. It's unclear if Trump will go with someone having a similar world view and willingness to upset the status quo. In his brief three-week tenure, Flynn stepped up U.S. rhetoric toward Iran and helped spearhead Trump's controversial immigration order that sparked consternation and threats of retaliation in the Muslim world. "I don't think it will slow the White House down too much," said Jim Carafano, a Heritage Foundation scholar who advised Trump's transition team on foreign policy. Carafano said Flynn's departure "takes away a trusted voice of the president," but that Trump would turn to other valued national security hands. Filling the gap That could also mean an expanded role for Bannon, the conservative media executive with outspoken views about Islam who has consolidated immense influence over Trump's foreign policy. Kushner, the husband of Trump's daughter, also could broaden his portfolio, which already has him as a prime Trump emissary to key regions like the Middle East and Latin America despite his dearth of diplomatic or government experience. Tillerson, too, has elicited concerns about his ties to Putin. But he portrayed himself in a Senate confirmation hearing as well within mainstream U.S. thinking on Russia. And that view is prevailing on policy, at least for now, as the White House said Tuesday it is upholding the sanctions Obama imposed on Russia over Ukraine and the election meddling. Tillerson, who has kept a low public profile since being sworn in, hasn't commented on Flynn's departure or on Trump's early handling of foreign policy. But Mattis, speaking to reporters while traveling to a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, said Flynn's departure "has no effect at all" on him. "It doesn't change my message," he said. Like Tillerson, Mattis has emerged as part of the global reassurance team Cabinet members familiar to foreign leaders who are easing concerns that Trump will follow through on combative rhetoric about upending U.S. foreign policy. On his first official trip abroad, to South Korea and Japan, Mattis insisted the U.S. wouldn't abandon its treaty allies despite Trump's suggestions that Washington would no longer bear the burden of other nations' defenses. "The key question is what is the connective tissue between the president and the actual policy," said Derek Chollett, who held various national security posts under Obama. "Every president reaches a point where they stop getting listened to. With Trump, it may happen sooner if there's a sense what he says isn't actually translated into policy." The U.S. Justice Department says it has reached a plea agreement with the man who purchased two of the guns used in the 2015 attack in San Bernardino, California that killed 14 people and wounded 22 others. Under terms of the deal, Enrique Marquez is due to plead guilty Thursday to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and making false statements in connection with acquiring a firearm. He faces a statutory maximum of 25 years in federal prison, but his sentence is up to a judge to decide. The plea agreement includes a section saying the U.S. Attorneys Office will recommend a slight reduction from what is stipulated in sentencing guidelines. The agreement details the relationship between Marquez and Syed Rizwan Farook, who, along with his wife Tashfeen Malik, attacked Farook's workplace. The husband and wife then fled the Inland Regional Center and hours later were killed in a shootout with police. Marquez met Farook in 2005 when he moved into a house next door. As late as 2012, according to the Justice Department, the pair planned their own attacks that never materialized, one at a community college where they were each once enrolled and another on drivers on a highway. The plan for the community college attack included throwing pipe bombs into a cafeteria, then escaping to attack another site on the campus. The highway assault plan was to thrown bombs onto the road, then to shoot drivers who were forced to stop their cars. Marquez told federal investigators that he broke off ties at the end of 2012 and had no knowledge of the 2015 attack in San Bernardino before it happened. But in the year before Marquez said he stopped associating with Farook, he took money from Farook and used it to buy the two guns later tied to the San Bernardino killings. The plea agreement cites a violation of federal law based on the paperwork Marquez signed at the time of the purchase, certifying that he was not buying them on behalf of someone else. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday staunchly defended the national security adviser he ousted earlier this week, saying Michael Flynn was the victim of illegal leaks from the country's intelligence community detailing his conversations with Russia's ambassador to Washington and had been treated very, very unfairly by the media. Trump, speaking at a White House news conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, made no mention of why he forced Flynn's resignation after just 24 days on the job, for what the White House described Tuesday as the president's eroding trust in the former Army general. I think it's really a sad thing he was treated so badly," Trump said. "I think, in addition to that, from intelligence papers are being leaked, things are being leaked. It's criminal action, criminal act. And it's been going on for a long time, before me. But now it's really going on. Watch: Analyst: Only Independent Commission Could Be Trouble for Trump He suggested that officials leaking the documents about Flynn's calls with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton, the former U.S. secretary of state Trump defeated in the November election. Trump turns to Twitter Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials in the weeks before Trump's January 20 inauguration in telling them that he had not talked with Kislyak about sanctions imposed on Moscow by former President Barack Obama in retaliation for Russia's meddling in the presidential election to help Trump win, when U.S. intercepts of their conversations showed that he had. Trump's defense of Flynn came hours after he launched similar broadsides about the White House drama in a string of comments on his Twitter account. The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! Trump said. The president, in office for less than a month, suggested news articles detailing links between him, his campaign aides and Flynn and Russian officials were aimed at undermining his victory over Clinton. In one tweet, Trump said, This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. He said, The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. He said two U.S. cable news outlets, MSNBC and CNN, were unwatchable, while describing the Trump-friendly talk show Fox & Friends as "great." At the same time, the president claimed that information is being illegally given to the failing New York Times and Washington Post by the intelligence community, the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, just like Russia. Russia dismisses report The Post last week was the first newspaper to publish details about the phone conversations between Flynn and the Russian ambassador before Trump took office, while the Times in Wednesday's editions said Trump aides and associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. The new president also attacked Obama, saying, Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? Obama often rebuked Moscow for its unilateral 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and the United States, along with the European Union, imposed sanctions against Russia. But the West did not intervene militarily and Crimea remains under Russian control. Russia dismissed the Times' report that members of Trump's campaign and other associates were in contact with senior Russian intelligence officials before the November U.S. election. Accounts called 'absurd' The Times cited four current and former U.S. officials as saying law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted calls and had phone records involving Trump's one-time campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and several other unnamed associates. Manafort called the accounts absurd, the Times said. He also denied a similar CNN report that Trump associates, including Manafort and Flynn, were regularly communicating with Russian nationals before the election. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the report is not based on any facts, while Russian media quoted the country's foreign intelligence service saying reports about the contacts were unfounded. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing that Russian envoys acted within normal practice for diplomats of all countries. Flynn was ousted Monday after information became public about contacts he had with Kislyak ahead of Trump's assumption of power. Evaluation preceded Flynn's resignation The White House said Tuesday that Trump, based on intercepts of Flynn's calls with Kislyak, was advised nearly three weeks ago that Flynn had misled Pence. White House spokesman Spicer said the president and his close advisers had been reviewing and evaluating that information on a daily basis for a few weeks before Trump forced Flynn's resignation. Before Trump's inauguration, Pence told CBS News' Face the Nation that Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss the U.S. sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. Pence also said Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss anything having to do with the Obama administration's decision in late December to expel dozens of Russian diplomats. The Russians were sent home in response to allegations of Russian cyber-spying against Clinton's campaign chief during the 2016 presidential campaign. Loss of trust Responding Tuesday to reporters' questions about the 18-day gap between the January 26 Trump briefing and Flynn's departure on Monday, Spicer said, The president concluded he no longer had trust in his national security adviser. Spicer also said the White House decided there was nothing wrong that Flynn had talked with the Russian diplomat, even though Flynn was a private citizen at the time. Flynn acknowledged in his resignation letter that he had inadvertently briefed Pence and others with incomplete information regarding his phone calls with Kislyak. Kellogg joins Trump staff Key opposition Democratic lawmakers, and some Republicans, are calling for expanded investigations into links between Russia and key Trump aides. Trump named another retired Army general, Keith Kellogg, as his acting national security adviser. Also Wednesday, the Trump administration was said to have offered the job to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter told Reuters. It was not immediately clear if Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command who has Navy SEAL combat experience, had accepted the offer, the sources told Reuters. A White House spokesperson had no immediate comment. U.S. President Donald Trump launched new attacks Wednesday against media reports of alleged links between him and Russia, blaming the country's intelligence community for what he said were "illegal" leaks to news outlets. "The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by 'intelligence' like candy.Very un-American!" Trump said. In a string of Twitter comments, Trump suggested news articles detailing links between him, his campaign aides and ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russian officials were aimed at undermining his victory in the November election. Trump, in office for less than a month, said in one of his tweets, "This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign." He said "the fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred."He said two U.S. cable news outlets, MSNBC and CNN, were "unwatchable", while describing the Trump-friendly talk show "Fox & Friends" as "great." At the same time, the president claimed that "information is being illegally given to the failing" New York Times and Washington Post "by the intelligence community," the National Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, "just like Russia." The Post last week was the first newspaper to publish details about phone conversations between Flynn and the Russian ambassador to Washington before Trump took office, while the Times in Wednesday's editions said Trump aides and associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. The new president also fired a broadside at his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, saying, "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration.Was Obama too soft on Russia?" Obama often rebuked Moscow for its unilateral 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and the United States, along with the European Union, imposed sanctions against Russia.But the West did not intervene militarily and Crimea remains under Russian control. Russia dismissed the Times' report that members of Trump's campaign and other associates were in contact with senior Russian intelligence officials before the November U.S. election. The Times cited four current and former U.S. officials saying law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted calls and had phone records involving Trump's one-time campaign manager Paul Manafort and several other unnamed associates. Watch related report from VOA's Bill Gallo: Manafort called the accounts "absurd," the Times said. He also denied a similar CNN report that Trump associates, including Manafort and Flynn, were regularly communicating with Russian nationals before the election. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the report "is not based on any facts," while Russian media quoted the country's foreign intelligence service saying reports about the contacts were unfounded. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing that Russian envoys acted within normal practice for diplomats of all countries. Flynn was ousted Monday after information became public about contacts he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak ahead of Trump's inauguration on January 20. The White House said Tuesday that Trump, based on intercepts of Flynn's calls with Kislyak, was advised nearly three weeks ago that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations when Flynn claimed he had not discussed sanctions imposed by Obama against Moscow. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the president and his close advisers had been "reviewing and evaluating" that information on a "daily basis for a few weeks" before Trump forced Flynn's resignation. Before Trump's inauguration, Pence told CBS News' Face the Nation that Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss the U.S. sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. Pence also said Flynn and Kislyak "did not discuss anything having to do" with the Obama administration's decision in late December to expel dozens of Russian diplomats.The Russians were sent home in response to allegations of Russian cyber-spying against Clinton's campaign chief during the 2016 presidential campaign. Responding Tuesday to reporters' questions about the 18-day gap between the January 26 Trump briefing and Flynn's departure on Monday, Spicer said, "The president concluded he no longer had trust in his national security adviser." Spicer also said the White House decided there was "nothing wrong" that Flynn had talked with the Russian diplomat, even though Flynn was a private citizen at the time. WATCH: Spicer says Trump's trust with Flynn "had eroded" Misled vice president Flynn acknowledged in his resignation letter that he had "inadvertently briefed" Pence and others with "incomplete information" regarding his phone calls with Kislyak in the weeks before Trump assumed power. Key opposition Democratic lawmakers, and some Republicans, are calling for expanded investigations into links between Russia and key Trump aides. Sen. Hoyer: Russia Cant Meddle in Our Democracy Without Repercussions Trump named another retired Army general, Keith Kellogg, as his acting national security adviser. Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny did not fall into despair after a court in Kirov on February 8 upheld his guilty verdict in the Kirovles embezzlement case. The court's ruling, which almost to the letter reiterated the verdict reached in a 2013 trial, has created a formal barrier to Navalny registering as a candidate in Russia's presidential election, to be held in March 2018, given that Russian law bars those convicted of grave crimes from running for office. Navalny was found guilty of embezzlement and received a five-year suspended jail sentence in the Kirovles case, which he and his supporters says was a politically motivated prosecution. Despite the verdict, he believes his constitutional right to participate in elections remains in effect, and is confident that public support will help make it possible for him to run in next year's presidential vote. The opposition leader is trying to organize a wide support network, and he says he is already starting to open campaign offices for the March 2018 election. In an interview with VOA's Russian service, Navalny discussed various issues, including where he will open campaign offices in the near future, whether he feels personally safe, and how he feels about being compared to U.S. President Donald Trump. What plans do you have to open campaign offices? We have already opened a campaign office in St. Petersburg. Next week, we will open campaign offices in Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk meaning, first of all, in cities. Our goal is to open campaign offices in Russia's 77 largest cities. Has there been any kind of reaction to these plans from the Russian regional authorities in the cities you are talking about? Well, so far we haven't seen any big reaction. Understandably, one cannot speak of any support, but thus far we have not seen any significant resistance. I think it's simply that no serious signal has yet reached the regions. In St. Petersburg, we saw that (the ruling) United Russia (party) demanded that our campaign office be closed. I think the opening of the first five campaign offices will tell us more about what the Kremlin has planned for us. Politicians say that you are being "proactive," relying on a social movement which, one way or another, will put pressure on the Russian government to recognize you as a legitimate contender. Is that the case? I would say more broadly that there are simply people who need a new candidate. I appeal to the people, and the people, in fact, understand that this is all legal tricks. They see that there is a person, and that he has the right to participate in elections. Therefore, I appeal to the people in order to exert the necessary pressure on the Kremlin to force it to register me. There is no other way to do it. What form do you see this pressure taking? Any setting up campaign offices, propaganda work, shaping public opinion on the streets and on the internet all available methods. And will a class-action suit be filed? Because you say it is about the conflict between the constitutional right to participate in elections and restrictions in the law. We do not exclude that. It is more time-consuming work. And, given the situation with our courts, it is clear what the result will be. However, we will move in different directions simply because people want to do different things. There are some who like to sue. We will be suing together with them, too. Do you feel that anything changed in terms of your and your families' personal security since the first verdict in the Kirovles case in 2013? Well, if you compare Russia in 2013 and in 2017, it is simply a different country. It is absolutely a different country! Since that time, Boris Nemtsov was murdered. Attacks on people happen practically daily. Chechnya has become a fascist state, where people are tortured and killed. It is therefore impossible to compare the dynamics; it is two different countries. Of course, it's much worse now. But that does not, in general, change our approach to what needs to be fought for. Have the threats to you personally increased? Various objects are thrown at me more often; people lie in wait for me near the office, but not so often that it is highly noticeable. No, there aren't such (threats) specifically against me. But we see them against people connected to me. During Donald Trump's presidential election campaign, Russian media compared you to him, finding some similarities. How do you feel about this comparison? I don't know where that came from. Journalists constantly need to compare me to someone. Fortunately, they stopped comparing me with Julian Assange, but began comparing me with Trump. If you just look at our political agendas and political views, there are quite a few differences. But in today's political society, probably, this is somehow ignored. For example, Trump and Putin very much love each other, although their political views are simply 100 percent diametrically opposed. In Europe, there is now fear of the impact of Russian propaganda on elections. This propaganda is associated with the growth of populist sentiment, with candidates tossing out slogans like "Tomorrow, I will give you everything!" to the crowds, and people beginning to follow them. Do you see the danger of populism? Do you think that there is a clear line that separates you from populism? I don't see the danger of populism. I think it's exaggerated. What is populism? Someone says things that are popular. In fact, these things are not always particularly extremist. I'm an adherent of the view that politics develop like a swinging pendulum. We have seen a long liberal trend; it has been the last two decades in world politics. Now, obviously, there is a correction of this trend, or even a trend in the opposite direction. I don't think that will last long. Overall, it seems to me that over long stretches of time we will, as before, continue to see a liberal trend in European politics. The leadership of Serbia's ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) decided on Tuesday to nominate Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic as a candidate for the presidency. The presidential election is tentatively expected in April and will pit the SNS's candidate against those from a fragmented and bickering opposition. While the president's role is largely ceremonial, if he also controls the parliamentary majority he could then have huge sway over the government and a new prime minister. In a live interview with state RTS TV, Vucic said he would accept the nomination to secure stability and continuity for the country, which wants to join the European Union. "This is the most important [thing] and there's no sacrifice or risk I could not take because of that," he said. The ruling coalition, which has a comfortable majority in the 250-seat parliament, can also appoint a prime minister without a popular vote. "The president who controls the parliamentary majority, hence the government, is de facto the strongest political figure in the country. If Vucic preserves control over his party, his political power will be unlimited," said Nebojsa Spaic, a Belgrade-based media consultant. Vucic said he has no plans to resign from his current post until the election date is announced and refused to say who could be his successor as the head of the government. Earlier, Ivica Dacic, the head of the jointly ruling Socialist Party of Serbia welcomed Vucic's nomination as "the only rational and logical decision." "His victory as a joint candidate guarantees the political stability of Serbia in the future," said Dacic, who himself served as the prime minister from 2012 to 2014. The vote will be a key test of the popularity of Vucic and his economic reforms, which have been backed by the International Monetary Fund, as well as his bid to bring the country of 7.3 million closer to the European Union. According to polls, Vucic would win the election in the first round with more than 50 percent of votes. The party decided not to support the candidacy of incumbent President Tomislav Nikolic, a former ultranationalist and the former head of the SNS who started his five-year mandate in 2012. Vucic's nomination will have to be formally approved by SNS's local party leaders and prominent members at a main board session scheduled for Friday. The departure of Nikolic, who favors closer ties between Belgrade and Serbia's powerful ally Russia, could mean quicker moves towards EU accession and a further improvement of its ties with NATO, despite its military neutrality. It was not immediately clear whether Vucic will decide to seek a parliamentary vote alongside the presidential election, though such a move is not mandatory. In a statement, the SNS said Vucic, who is also the party president, now must start talks with his coalition partners to "try to secure wide popular support for the victory." Zoran Stojiljkovic, a lecturer with Belgrade's Faculty of Political Sciences said that Vucic's nomination was "a rational move aimed at accumulating power in all levels" and securing a victory in the first round. "What remains to be seen is who will be the prime minister, most likely Vucic will pick someone with a degree of authority, [good] ratings and with unquestionable loyalty," Stojiljkovic said. The Trump administration has offered the job of White House national security adviser, vacated by former U.S. intelligence official Michael Flynn, to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, said two U.S. officials familiar with the matter on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command who has Navy SEAL combat experience, had accepted the offer, according to sources. A White House spokesperson had no immediate comment. Flynn resigned on Monday after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before President Donald Trump took office. Losing his national security adviser so soon after taking office is an embarrassment for the new Republican president, who has made national security a top priority. Harward, a Rhode Island native who went to school in Tehran before the Shah was toppled in 1979, did a tour on the National Security Council under former Republican President George W. Bush, working on counterterrorism. He also has combat experience on SEAL teams and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Harward now works as an executive for defense contractor Lockheed Martin, with responsibility for its business in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. A round of Syria peace talks scheduled to begin Wednesday in Kazakhstan has been delayed until Thursday. Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry did not offer an explanation for the change. The focus of the talks in Astana is a partial cease-fire that went into effect at the end of December. At a previous meeting in Astana in January, Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed to serve as the monitors for the cease-fire. The Astana process has notably left out the United States, which in earlier years of the Syrian conflict often partnered with Russia in efforts to push the Syrian government and rebels toward negotiations for peace. The United Nations plans to being its next round of negotiations next week aimed at finding an actual end to the nearly six years of fighting in Syria. Previous efforts, which have involved indirect negotiations brokered by the U.N.'s envoy for Syria, resulted in little progress to resolve a war that began as peaceful protests against Assad before spiraling into a multi-party conflict. Hundreds of thousands of people have died since March 2011, and according to the United Nations nearly 5 million people have fled the country while another 6 million are displaced within Syria. Two separate bomb explosions in northwestern Pakistan killed at least six people and wounded many more Wednesday. Officials say the deadliest incident happened in the Mohmand tribal district near the Afghan border, where a suicide bomber blew himself up after security forces spotted and tried to stop him. The blast killed three Pakistani security personnel and two civilians. A second bomber accompanying the attacker was gunned down while he tried to detonate explosives strapped to his body. A military statement asserted the two bombers had come from Afghanistan and planned to attack an area hosting offices, training facilities and residential buildings for employees of the local administration in the central town of Ghalanai. A splinter faction of the anti-state Pakistani Taliban called Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, or JuA, claimed responsibility for the attack. Peshawar attack Hours later, a suicide bomber riding a motorbike attacked an official van transporting members of the provincial judiciary in the city of Peshawar. Officials said the blast killed the driver and wounded four judges, including three women. Mohammad Khorasani, a spokesman for the main Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility. He said that members of the judiciary were targeted for trying and sentencing Taliban fighters. The blasts followed Mondays suicide bombing in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore in which at least 13 people were killed and nearly 100 wounded. Seven policemen, including two high-ranking police officers were among the dead. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar took credit for that attack. Pakistani officials allege that Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is plotting terrorist attacks in the country from its sanctuaries in Afghanistan. 'Grave concern' On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry summoned the deputy head of the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad to convey Pakistans grave concern about the continuing terrorist attacks by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. It demanded the Kabul government take urgent measures to eliminate the groups sanctuaries, financiers and handlers operating from its territory using actionable intelligence Pakistan has already shared with Afghanistan. Afghanistans ambassador to Pakistan, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, condemned the violence and rejected allegations the Afghan intelligence agency is supporting it. Speaking in Islamabad late Wednesday, the Afghan diplomat said his country faces such terrorist attacks on a daily basis. Zakhilwal praised successes that Pakistans counter-militancy operations have achieved in areas near the Afghan border, but emphasized the need for joint efforts to fight terrorism on both sides. Not all [insurgents] were eliminated [by Pakistani operations]. Certainly some of them have moved into territory that are not under our control in Afghanistan. So, if indeed, these elements on Afghan soil plan certain things against Pakistan, that is not necessarily of course equated to attacks being supported in any way or shape by responsible institutions and people in Afghanistan. On Sunday, a roadside bomb in South Waziristan, another tribal district near the Afghan border, killed at least three Pakistani security forces. Khorasani claimed his group planted the bomb. The spike in militant violence in Pakistan comes after a months-long lull, with officials citing an ongoing counterterrorism military offensive in border areas for the decline in violence. A day after U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu projected a message of unity at a White House meeting, a Senate committee is holding a confirmation hearing for Trumps pick to be the United States ambassador to Israel. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled Thursday to question lawyer David Friedman, who is a strong supporter of Israeli settlements and an advocate for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. A group of five former ambassadors who held the position under Republican and Democratic presidents sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee saying Friedman has extreme, radical positions. They wrote that Friedman has said he does not believe it would be illegal for Israel to annex the West Bank, and called a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict an illusory solution in search of a nonexistent problem. The Trump administration has said that with Friedman as its ambassador, U.S.-Israeli relations would be a model of cooperation and respect. Trump suggested Wednesday he was open to alternatives to a two-state solution. That potentially upends decades of U.S. diplomatic efforts aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. "Im looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like," Trump said during a news conference with Netanyahu. I can live with either one. I thought for a while the two-state looked like it might be the easier of the two, but honestly, if Israel and the Palestinians are happy, Im happy with the one they like the best." WATCH: Trump on Israeli settlements During the news conference, Trump also asked Netanyahu to hold back for a little bit on expanding settlements in Palestinian territory, while the White House works on efforts to revive the Middle East peace process. I think were going to make a deal, Trump said. It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room understand. For his part, Netanyahu also refused to commit to a two-state solution. He said he planned to discuss settlements with Trump later, so that the U.S. and Israel dont keep bumping into each other. I believe that the issue of the settlements is not the core of the conflict, nor does it really drive the conflict, Netanyahu said. I think it's an issue that has to be resolved in the context of peace negotiations. Trump firm on Iran The meeting, the two leaders first since taking office, follows a period of rocky U.S.-Israel relations during the past eight years. Former President Barack Obama and Netanyahu clashed frequently clashed over issues including Israeli settlements and the Iran nuclear deal. Trump and Netanyahu highlighted areas of cooperation, including on opposing radical Islamic terrorism and ensuring that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. WATCH: Netanyahu's message to Palestinians My administration has already imposed new sanctions on Iran. And I will do more to prevent Iran from ever developing -- and I mean ever -- a nuclear weapon, Trump said. Netanyahu praised what he said was Trumps great clarity and courage in confronting the challenge from Iran. Eytan Gilboa, a public diplomacy professor at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, told VOA's Persian service he believes Netanyahu no longer seeks to push the United States to reject the Iran nuclear deal something he lobbied the U.S. Congress to do last year, without success. Netanyahu and Trump already agree that the deal was a bad one and that its not going to accomplish its intended goal, Gilboa said. Now, there are other issues on the table that concern both leaders, namely Irans experiments with long-range missile capabilities as well as Iranian sponsorship of terrorist groups in the region. Close relationship Trump and Netanyahu's close relationship strengthened during the U.S. presidential election campaign, when they bonded over similar hard-line stances -- not only on Iran but also on immigration and terrorism. In his campaign speeches Trump slammed Obama for making his feuds with Netanyahu public, and vowed there would be no daylight -- no difference in basic policy -- between the U.S. and Israel during his administration. Since taking office last month, however, possible areas of disagreement have emerged. Earlier this month, the White House cautioned Israel against building more settlements, saying they were not helpful to peace efforts. Trump also has not followed through on a campaign promise to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, following warnings from Arab leaders that the move could provoke violence. On Wednesday, Trump said he would still like to see the embassy moved. Were looking at that very strongly and looking at it with great care, great care, believe me, he said. Two states? But Trumps comments on the one-state solution will likely draw the most attention. Observers were mixed on just what the comments meant. I think its a mischaracterization to see this as a dramatic break with past U.S. policies, said Yousef Munayyer, director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. Munayyer is open to the creation of a single, democratic state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, with equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians. But he questions whether that is what Trump was actually referring to. Instead, he thinks Trump may have been signaling support for the status quo, in which Israel continues to occupy the West Bank, as it has since 1967. What were hearing from Trump today is that hes open to that, and that he doesnt expressly reject the status quo, Munayyer told VOA. Jonathan Adelman, who teaches at the University of Denver, also does not think Trump was referring to a single, democratic state -- an idea he says is unrealistic. The one-state solution wont work because what would happen is that the Arabs would eventually have the majority in the one state. The Israelis are not going to agree to that. They didnt fight for Israel for the last 74 years to have an Arab state, Adelman said. Two-state solution Even before Trump and Netanyahu met, a senior White House official signaled the U.S. was backing away from its long-standing commitment to a two-state solution. Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution -- if thats what the parties want -- or something else," the official said. Palestinian officials reacted negatively Wednesday to suggestions that the U.S. would abandon the effort to reach a two-state solution. The only alternative to two sovereign and democratic states on the 1967 border is one single, secular and democratic state with equal rights for everyone, Christians, Muslims and Jews, on all of historic Palestine," said Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Speaking in Cairo, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also reiterated support for the two-state solution. There is no Plan B to the situation between Palestinians and Israelis but a two-state solution, and everything must be done to preserve that possibility, he said. Trump's son-in-law holds key role Whatever the eventual outcome, Trump has designated his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to head up Middle East peace efforts. Reports have suggested the White House will attempt to advance the talks by involving Arab states, specifically those that have increasingly warmed to Israeli leaders in recent years. During his news conference, Trump confirmed that he would pursue a so-called outside-in strategy to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Its actually a much bigger deal much more important deal in a sense, Trump said. It would take in many, many countries and would cover a very large territory. Its unclear how the administration intends to advance that deal, or which Arab states if any would agree to make peace with Israel or pressure the Palestinian leadership to do so. William Quandt, a former member of the U.S. National Security Council who was involved in negotiations that led to the Camp David Accords and the Egypt-Israel peace treaty, doubts whether Arab states would put enough pressure on the Palestinians to come to an agreement. Theyre not going to do it. They have other priorities. Theyre relatively weak regimes in terms of fundamental legitimacy, he told VOA. Political pressure unlikely Quandt also is skeptical that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would respond to political pressure. I mean, Abu Mazen [Abbas] is in the 14th year of his four-year term, Quandt said, referring to Abbas. Whats he going to do if people pressure him? Hes going to say: We dont accept. Thats his legitimacy: to say no. The University of Denver's Adelman thinks there is room for an outside-in approach. He noted that Arab leaders across the region are more open to the idea of using improved ties with Israel as a counter-balance against their rival, Iran. You take Saudi Arabia. Theyve always hated, hated, hated Israel. The last couple years theres been a number of articles about senior people in Saudi Arabia talking positively about Israel. Why would they do that? The bottom line is, he says, Theres a deal out there. President Donald Trump meets Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when they are expected to discuss the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran and the fate of the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Trump will rely heavily on the counsel of a team of advisors, both official and non-official. Here's a look at the key players who will help craft the new administrations Middle East policy: Jared Kushner Trumps son-in-law and senior advisor, at 36, the real estate developer likely will attend and play a critical role in the Trump-Netanyahu discussions. Vanity Fair magazine quotes Trump as telling Kushner, "If you can't produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can." Kushner has met with a number of Arab leaders ahead of the meeting with the Israeli prime minister and is reported to be helping recruit Sunni Muslim countries to help achieve that deal. He has no experience in government or international affairs, but as an Orthodox Jew and grandson of a Holocaust survivor, he has close personal ties to Israel. Kushner is said to have helped write Trumps March 2016 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in which he criticized the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, promising to restructure, if not dismantle it entirely. Kushner has not spoken out on the issue of Israeli settlements, but the Washington Post reports his family foundation has donated more than $58,000 to support projects in settlements the United Nations regards as illegal. Steve Bannon The former executive chairman of the right-wing news site Breitbart, was tapped in August 2016 to head Trumps election campaign, He now serves as the presidents chief strategist and senior counsel, and has been appointed to sit on the National Security Council. He has been criticized by some Jewish and pro-Israel groups as being anti-Semitic, and praised by others as a strong supporter of Israel, highlighting growing political differences between American Jewish groups today. Bannon has spoken harshly against Islam and predicted war in the Middle East: To be brutally frank, Christianity is dying in Europe, and Islams on the rise, he said during a Breitbart News radio in January 2016, and not surprisingly, he strongly supported Trumps ban on immigration from predominantly Muslim countries. Under his tenure, Breitbart News criticized the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as a threat to Israel. David Friedman Trumps pick for U.S. envoy to Israel, is a New York bankruptcy lawyer who has worked with Trump for at least 15 years. Friedman, who maintains a residence in Jerusalem, has been a regular contributor to Arutz Sheva, a conservative Israeli news site, speaking out in favor of Israels settlement police. Friedman chairs a U.S. nonprofit called American Friends of Beit El Institutions, which has funded a five-story apartment building recently approved for building in the West Bank settlement of Beit El. One of the founders of the settlement disclosed that in 2003, Trump donated $10,000 to Beit El in honor of Friedman. Friedman made headlines in December when saying he looked forward to working from the U.S. embassy in Israels eternal capital, Jerusalem." Since 1948, the U.S. has maintained its embassy in Tel Aviv, believing the future of Jerusalem should be a matter for final status deliberations between Israelis and Palestinians, both of whom claim the capital as their own. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will begin Friedmans confirmation hearings on Thursday of this week. Sheldon Adelson The American casino magnate, philanthropist and Republican party mega-donor who, along with his wife Miriam, donated more than $21 million to the Trump campaign and $1.5 million to help fund the Republican National Convention. Sheldon and his wife were given prime seats on the inaugural during Trumps swearing-in ceremony January 20. He has made headlines twice in recent months: First, for giving $25 million to an anti-Clinton PAC just a week before the November election; and second, last Thursday, when it was revealed he dined with Trump at the White House where, the news site Axios reported, Adelson would raise the issue of the two-state solution, which Adelson opposes, and the move of the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, which Adelson supports. Journalist Laura Goldman reported on Twitter that Adelson would likely chide Trump for failing to mention Jews in his January 27 statement marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Adelson also is a long-time friend and political supporter of the Israeli prime minister and owns the pro-Netanyahu newspaper, Israel Hayoum. Last week, that paper published Trumps first-ever interview with Israeli press in which he appeared to back down on the issues of Israeli settlements and moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Stephen Miller Until recently, few had heard of Trumps senior policy advisor, who was formerly an aide to conservative Alabama senator now-confirmed Attorney General Jeff Sessions. This past weekend, Miller spoke for the president on several TV news shows, aggressively defending the presidents embattled immigration ban, which he reportedly helped craft. He helped write Trumps Republican National Convention speech, in which Trump said, We must abandon the failed policy of nation building and regime change that Hillary Clinton pushed in Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria. Instead, we must work with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying ISIS and stamping out Islamic terror. This includes working with our greatest ally in the region, the state of Israel. In July, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump caused shudders across Europe when he suggested the United States might not defend NATO allies against Russia if they did not spend their share on defense. On Wednesday, it appeared now-President Donald Trump could make good on that pledge when Defense Secretary James Mattis warned NATO allies Washington will moderate its commitment to the alliance if allies do not commit a minimum of two percent of their GDP to their defense budgets. America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to the alliance, each of your capitals needs to show its support for our common defense, Mattis told allies during a closed-door meeting at NATO headquarters on Wednesday. Mattis did not say how Washington might alter its commitments to the 28-member alliance. Among the five NATO members that meet the commitment are Greece, which pays nearly 2.5 percent, and Poland, Estonia and Britain pay just above the expected two percent. On the other end of the spectrum, Germany falls well below at 1.19 percent and most, including Canada, Italy, and Spain, also fall below the mark. France pays just below two percent. The United States pays more than 3.6 percent. "I owe it to you all to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States and to state the fair demand from my countrys people in concrete terms, the U.S. Defense Secretary said to NATO ministers Wednesday. The United States has long pressed NATO allies to boost their contributions, with calls going back to the Obama administration and beyond. Then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned in his 2011 farewell speech, "The blunt reality is that there will be dwindling appetite and patience in the United States Congress, and in the American body politic writ large, to expend increasingly precious funds on behalf of nations that are apparently unwilling to devote the necessary resources or make the necessary changes to be serious and capable partners in their own defense. Gates served in both the Obama and George W. Bush administrations. Trump put politeness aside, with his campaign warnings going as far as including statements in which he called the alliance obsolete. Once in office, Trump has somewhat tempered his remarks. British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters last month after meeting Trump, she and the new U.S. leader had reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance. Mr. President, I think you said, confirmed, that you are 100 percent behind NATO, May said at a White House news conference.Trump did not correct her. But Wednesdays warning in Brussels was a sign Trump is not letting up on pressure to have nations ease the burden on the United States, which has been paying up to 75 percent of NATOs military costs. Barack and Michelle Obama, the former U.S. president and first lady, on Tuesday tweeted Valentine's Day greetings to each other. A C-Span reporter tweeted a picture of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at an upscale grocery store buying a Valentine's Day bouquet for his wife, Karen. Later, Pence tweeted at the reporter: "Don't ruin the surprise. Ready to share our 34th Valentine's Day with my valentine, Karen." In Pakistan on Monday, the Islamabad High Court placed a ban on the celebration of Valentine's Day because a citizen petitioned for it, saying the February 14 holiday promotes "immorality, nudity and indecency." Public displays of affection are forbidden in Pakistan because they are seen as un-Islamic. Indonesia and Saudi Arabia also banned celebration of the holiday that honors love of all kinds, but especially romantic love. Even in places where people are free to celebrate, the holiday has its critics most notably, single people who say the day just serves to highlight their unpartnered status. Violent origins But the torture of lonely hearts is a newer development in the holiday's violent past. According to legend, the day's namesake St. Valentine, a Roman priest, was beaten, stoned and beheaded for conducting Christian marriage ceremonies sometime in the third century. However, Catholic histories contain numerous martyrs named Valentine, leaving open the question of which Valentine is responsible for the modern-day celebration. Pope Gelasius in 496 established February 14 as St. Valentine's feast day. Because of the legend about Christian marriages, over time the day has taken on romantic connotations. It is even mentioned in the writings of 14th-century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who is one of the earliest writers known to have referenced the day. He spoke of it in several poems as the day when birds traditionally choose their mates. But the timing of the day coincides with a less innocent celebration: that of Lupercalia, the Roman feast of fertility. Lupercalia was celebrated with naked men or near-naked men running through the city streets, striking women's hands with leather thongs to allegedly improve fertility. By the 19th century, Valentine's Day had become the day to declare one's love with elaborate, handmade cards and handwritten sentiments. By the beginning of the 20th century, mass-produced Valentine cards had become big business. Big business The U.S.-based Hallmark Cards company, which dominates the greeting card industry, produced its first Valentine card in 1913. The National Retail Federation says American consumers spent $4.3 billion on jewelry, $2 billion on flowers and $1 billion on cards for Valentine's Day this year. Valentine's Day is also a big commercial holiday in Japan, where women give men chocolates and men reciprocate with gifts of even higher value a month later, on March 14. South Koreans have a similar practice. In Ireland, those seeking love might go to Dublin's Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, which houses some relics believed to have come from St. Valentine. Popular variations In Finland, the day is known as "Friends' Day," and is centered more on platonic friendships than romantic ones. And, of course, there is a counterculture for singles feeling left out on the big day. Girlfriends wish each other a "happy Galentines' Day" ("gal" being a euphemism for "girl"), blogs publish anti-Valentine's song playlists and lists of comforting movies to watch, and bars host anti-Valentine's parties. And, in maybe the biggest Valentine's backlash of all, students at Nanjing University in China concocted "Singles' Day" in the 1990s. Celebrated November 11, the day has grown into Asia's largest single shopping day of the year, with sales of $17.8 billion. President Donald Trump said Wednesday a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians might not include an independent Palestinian state. Speaking at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he'd favor whatever agreement the two sides arrived at to through direct negotiations. "Im looking at two states and one state, Trump said. "I'm happy with the one they like the best." Trump also urged Israel to "hold back" on building new Israeli settlements, and said Palestinians must stop teaching their youth to hate Israel. WATCH: Trump to Netanyahu: 'Hold Back on Settlements for A Little Bit' A senior White House official signaled the shift in U.S. policy regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict while speaking to reporters Tuesday, saying peace between Israel and the Palestinians does not have to be through a two-state solution, and that it is up to the two parties to decide. The official said the United States will not "dictate what the terms of peace will be." "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said. "Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want or something else if that's what the parties want. We're going to help them." WATCH: Would Trump-Netanyahu Meeting Move Forward an Israeli-Palestinian Two-State Solution? The official U.S. position has long been that Israel and the Palestinians should negotiate an agreement to divide into separate states, which would likely leave the Palestinians in control of Gaza, all or part of the West Bank and their envisioned capital in East Jerusalem. The United Nations also backs the two-state path. Palestinian position Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat rejected any suggestion the two-state solution be abandoned, saying that replacing it means maintaining the status quo of "apartheid." "The real alternative to a state of Palestine living side by side the state of Israel in peace and security on the 1967 lines is one democratic, secular state where Jews, Muslims and Christians can live equal with equal voice," Erekat said. The last Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down nearly three years ago with no agreements. The senior White House official said U.S. President Donald Trump is "hopeful to bring the two sides together to discuss peace," but the process will not be a high priority for the new administration. The official also said Netanyahu's visit will "usher in a new relationship between Israel and the United States." Former Secretary of State John Kerry made the peace process one of his key efforts when he served during the second term of President Barack Obama's administration, but overall U.S.-Israeli ties were strained. Talks to include Iran Wednesday's talks are expected to include a focus on Iran, which in 2015 struck an agreement with a group of six world powers to limit its nuclear program to prevent the production of nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. That deal is unpopular with both Netanyahu and Trump, who each have said is too favorable to Iran. The White House official also said Trump's support for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is up for discussion, as is Israel's settlement construction on land the Palestinians see as part of the future state. The settlements have been condemned internationally. The White House says President Donald Trump was advised nearly three weeks ago that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled his vice president about controversial pre-inauguration contacts with a top Russian diplomat. White House spokesman Sean Spicer, speaking Tuesday, said the president and his close advisers had been "reviewing and evaluating" that information on a "daily basis for a few weeks" before Flynn was forced to resign late Monday. Spicer also told reporters that Trump was "immediately" informed on January 26 of the pre-inauguration contact between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Ahead of Trump's January 20 inauguration, now-Vice President Mike Pence told CBS News' Face the Nation that Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss current U.S. sanctions against Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis. Pence also said Flynn and Kislyak "did not discuss anything having to do" with the decision in late December by the administration of former President Barack Obama to expel dozens of Russian diplomats. The Russians were sent home in response to allegations of Russian cyberspying against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. Responding Tuesday to reporters' questions about the 18-day gap between the January 26 Trump briefing and Flynn's departure on Monday, Spicer said, "The president concluded he no longer had trust in his national security adviser." Spicer also said Trump was pleased that Flynn had talked with the Russian diplomat, and said the president concluded there was nothing legally wrong with their discussions, even though Flynn was a private citizen at the time. Misled vice president Flynn acknowledged in his resignation letter that he had "inadvertently briefed" Pence and others with "incomplete information" regarding his phone calls with Kislyak in the weeks before Trump assumed power. WATCH: House Speaker Ryan on Flynn's resignation Even as the White House drama played out, Trump attempted to downplay its significance on Tuesday. He wrote on his Twitter account, "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N. Korea etc?" Key opposition Democratic lawmakers called for expanded investigations into links between Russia and Flynn and other key Trump aides, extending beyond the conclusion reached by the U.S. intelligence community last year that Russia interfered in the U.S. election. "This. Is. Not. Normal," said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a vocal Trump critic. After Flynn's resignation, Trump quickly named another retired Army general, Keith Kellogg, as his acting national security adviser, but also could pick former Central Intelligence Agency chief David Petraeus or former Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward to fill the strategic position on a permanent basis. Flynn and Kislyak, according to widespread U.S. news accounts, discussed the sanctions Obama imposed late last year. Pence and Trump aides, relying on information from Flynn, said publicly that Flynn had not discussed lifting the sanctions, which are still in place. Flynn later acknowledged the issue may have come up. Conversations such as those between Flynn and Kislyak possibly could have been a violation of a U.S. law that prohibits private citizens from conducting diplomatic affairs with a foreign government, because Trump had yet to take office. Spicer said the White House concluded it was not a legal issue involving Flynn's contacts with Russia, but rather his misleading assertions to Pence. Spicer said trust in Flynn "eroded to a point that we felt we had to make a change." WATCH: Congressman Cummings on Flynn resignation The U.S. Justice Department, according to The Washington Post, warned the White House last month that Flynn had so misrepresented his conversations with the Russian envoy that he might be vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow, as a result of the contradictions between the public descriptions of the calls and what intelligence officials knew based on their routine monitoring of communications by foreign officials in the United States. Flynn, in his resignation letter, said he had apologized to both Trump and Pence, and that they had accepted his apology. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Tuesday that Flynn's resignation "is the internal business of the Americans, it is the internal business of President Trump's administration. This is not our business." But Russian lawmakers said Flynn's quick departure amounted to an attack on attempts to improve relations between Moscow and Washington. Leonid Slutsky, who heads the Duma's foreign affairs committee, said Flynn's resignation was a "negative signal." A member of the Duma, Konstantin Kosachev, who is chair of Russia's Foreign Affairs Committee, said, "Even a readiness to have a dialogue with Russians is seen by the hawks in Washington as a thought crime. Forcing the resignation of the national security adviser for contacts with the Russian ambassador, which is normal diplomatic practice, is not just paranoia but something immeasurably worse." Democrats take issue As a string of U.S. news accounts about Flynn's conversations were published, several Democratic senators called for an investigation of Flynn, while others urged Trump to fire him and for intelligence officials to review his security clearance. Nine anonymous people described as current and former U.S. officials told the Post that Flynn and Kislyak explicitly discussed the sanctions placed on Russia by Obama after revelations that Russia had hacked into the computers of John Podesta, the campaign chief for Clinton. The anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks released thousands of Podesta's emails in the weeks leading up to the election, many of them showing embarrassing, behind-the-scenes details of how Democratic operatives worked to ease Clinton's path to the Democratic presidential nomination. A majority of voters have approved a referendum supported by the Swiss government and most major parties to make it easier for the grandchildren of third generation immigrants to acquire citizenship. A Swiss television presenter gets set to announce the results of the days voting at the start of a two-hour special debate and analysis of the outcome. Of the three referendum on the ballot, the issue of easing citizenship rules for young immigrants was clearly the most contentious. It was vigorously opposed by the right wing Swiss Peoples Party, which waged a campaign warning that any relaxation of the rules governing Swiss citizenship would attract potential Islamic extremists. Concerns by supporters of the initiative increased as the Partys controversial poster campaign began to make inroads on what had been a substantial lead by the yes campaign. So, it was with some relief and jubilation that Margret Kiener Nellen, member of the Social Democratic Party, celebrated passage of the initiative. She said she thought the opposition did not win because its campaign poster, which featured a woman wearing a niqab urging voters to reject so-called uncontrolled citizenship, went too far. She said people did not buy this argument because only a relatively small group of people, fewer than 25,000, stood to gain from the measure. Citizenship in Switzerland is determined by the nationality of the parent. Unlike the United States, a child born in the country does not automatically become a citizen. Obtaining Swiss citizenship is a long, arduous process. A person must reside in the country for 12 years, must be fluent in one of the countrys four languages and has to submit to a costly, close examination by the cantonal and local authorities. Under the new rules, applicants between the ages of nine and 25, who have at least five years of schooling and a valid residence permit, can submit a formal request for citizenship to the federal government. Movement for Democratic Change founding president, Morgan Tsvangirai, says some Zimbabweans want the African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and United Nations (UN) to monitor the electoral process in Zimbabwe ahead of the crucial 2018 polls. Speaking after touring Manicaland province as part of his nationwide grassroots consultation process, Tsvangirai said traditional leaders and civic society members told him to ensure that the AU, SADC, UN and other independent bodies are roped in before the elections to curb voter fraud. He said most people fear a repeat of previous national elections, which were allegedly rigged by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in favour of President Robert Mugabes ruling Zanu PF party. People are concerned about the future and high level of intimidation, especially the abuse of traditional leaders by Zanu PF People are concerned about the potential for rigging especially given that were are now going to introduce the new electoral system, which is a system which captures the picture of a person and finger prints. Tsvangirai further noted that people are also concerned about the independence of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, which has conducted some national and local government polls in the country that have been condemned by some contestants as not free and fair. He said the people are not happy about the involvement of the security forces in the electoral system. Fundamentally, people are concerned about past practices and that we need a fair and free electoral process. They are others who were concerned about the endorsement that comes from SADC, the AU when the situation is not free and fair. So, the question of monitoring elections becomes very critical and we assured them that the United Nations is involved through the purchase of biometric equipment. He noted that SADC, AU and UN should monitor the electoral process to ensure a free and fair poll. Tsvangirai defeated President Mugabe in the 2008 presidential election and the nation waiting for a couple of weeks before the results were announced. The results showed that the MDC-T leader did garner enough votes to form a government. Critics say the opposition leader won the presidential election, a claim that has been repeatedly dismissed by government as wishful thinking. U.S. President Donald Trump launched new attacks Wednesday against media reports of alleged links between him and Russia, blaming the country's intelligence community for what he said were "illegal" leaks to news outlets. "The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by 'intelligence' like candy.Very un-American!" Trump said. In a string of Twitter comments, Trump suggested news articles detailing links between him, his campaign aides and ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russian officials were aimed at undermining his victory in the November election. Trump, in office for less than a month, said in one of his tweets, "This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign." He said "the fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred."He said two U.S. cable news outlets, MSNBC and CNN, were "unwatchable", while describing the Trump-friendly talk show "Fox & Friends" as "great." At the same time, the president claimed that "information is being illegally given to the failing" New York Times and Washington Post "by the intelligence community," the National Security Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, "just like Russia." The Post last week was the first newspaper to publish details about phone conversations between Flynn and the Russian ambassador to Washington before Trump took office, while the Times in Wednesday's editions said Trump aides and associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. The new president also fired a broadside at his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, saying, "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration.Was Obama too soft on Russia?" Obama often rebuked Moscow for its unilateral 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and the United States, along with the European Union, imposed sanctions against Russia.But the West did not intervene militarily and Crimea remains under Russian control. Russia dismissed the Times' report that members of Trump's campaign and other associates were in contact with senior Russian intelligence officials before the November U.S. election. The Times cited four current and former U.S. officials saying law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted calls and had phone records involving Trump's one-time campaign manager Paul Manafort and several other unnamed associates. Manafort called the accounts "absurd," the Times said. He also denied a similar CNN report that Trump associates, including Manafort and Flynn, were regularly communicating with Russian nationals before the election. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the report "is not based on any facts," while Russian media quoted the country's foreign intelligence service saying reports about the contacts were unfounded. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing that Russian envoys acted within normal practice for diplomats of all countries. Flynn was ousted Monday after information became public about contacts he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak ahead of Trump's inauguration on January 20. The White House said Tuesday that Trump, based on intercepts of Flynn's calls with Kislyak, was advised nearly three weeks ago that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations when Flynn claimed he had not discussed sanctions imposed by Obama against Moscow. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the president and his close advisers had been "reviewing and evaluating" that information on a "daily basis for a few weeks" before Trump forced Flynn's resignation. Before Trump's inauguration, Pence told CBS News' Face the Nation that Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss the U.S. sanctions against Russia over Ukraine. Pence also said Flynn and Kislyak "did not discuss anything having to do" with the Obama administration's decision in late December to expel dozens of Russian diplomats.The Russians were sent home in response to allegations of Russian cyber-spying against Clinton's campaign chief during the 2016 presidential campaign. Responding Tuesday to reporters' questions about the 18-day gap between the January 26 Trump briefing and Flynn's departure on Monday, Spicer said, "The president concluded he no longer had trust in his national security adviser." Spicer also said the White House decided there was "nothing wrong" that Flynn had talked with the Russian diplomat, even though Flynn was a private citizen at the time. WATCH: Spicer says Trump's trust with Flynn "had eroded" Misled vice president Flynn acknowledged in his resignation letter that he had "inadvertently briefed" Pence and others with "incomplete information" regarding his phone calls with Kislyak in the weeks before Trump assumed power. Key opposition Democratic lawmakers, and some Republicans, are calling for expanded investigations into links between Russia and key Trump aides. Sen. Hoyer: Russia Cant Meddle in Our Democracy Without Repercussions Trump named another retired Army general, Keith Kellogg, as his acting national security adviser. Zimbabwes central bank chief, John Mangudya, says the countrys economy is expected to be boosted by a revived agricultural sector owing to good rains and export incentives anchored on bond notes. In his Monetary Policy statement issued Wednesday, Mangudya said a number of policy measures are also being implemented to transform Zimbabwes growth model in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Social and Economic Transformation (ZimAsset). Chief among them being the ease and cost of doing business reforms being championed by the Office of the President and Cabinet, the Public Finance Management Framework by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, the Special Economic Zones by the Ministry of MacroPlanning and Investment Promotion, localisation of domestic industrial production through Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 promulgated by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the foreign exchange management measures put in place by the Bank. Moreover the introduction of an export incentive scheme financed through bond notes has seen a positive response, particularly from tobacco and gold producers. According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), tobacco farmers have increased the hectarage under this agricultural season by around 10% from 97 000 hectares planted in 2015/2016 to 107,000 hectares with an expected output of 200-215 million kilograms of green leaf tobacco. He noted that the gold sector has also responded positively to the incentive scheme and the monitoring process by the Gold Mobilisation Committee, resulting in the increase in gold delivered to Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR) by 17% from 18.3 tonnes in 2015 to 21.4 tonnes in 2016. Gold delivery to FPR, which excludes the gold from Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), is expected to be 25 tonnes in 2017. POSITIVE SPIN-OFFS The positive spin-offs from the recent removal of Zimbabwe from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) remedial measures, following successful clearance of its arrears to the Fund in October 2016, are also expected to go a long way in reducing Zimbabwes country risk, thus attracting the much needed foreign investment. He said the completion of the clearance of external debt arrears to the rest of the international financial institutions African Development Bank (AfDB), World Bank and European Investment Bank (EIB) is expected to further reduce the countrys debt burden that continues to be an albatross on Zimbabwes access to foreign finance for the past 16 years now at a time when other emerging markets have been making tremendous strides in their economic transformation. As a consequence, Zimbabwe has lagged behind and needs to catch up with its peers. BREXIT IN EUROPE Mangudya noted that the implementation and effect of Brexit in Europe will have an impact on the trade relations between Britain and the rest of Europe and also between Africa and Europe. Also the depreciation of the British Pound following the vote to leave the EU will affect the size of remittances to countries such as Zimbabwe. In addition, the rebalancing of the Chinese economy between production and consumption has direct impact on Zimbabwes exports of primary products (mainly minerals) to China. ... This Monetary Policy Statement aims at taking opportunity of the expected good agricultural season to change the course of the economy through instituting additional policy measures and in some cases reforming current policies with a view to enhance financial stability, bolster business sentiment and increase output and exports in 2017 and beyond. This opportunity should not be squandered. Measures in the Monetary Policy Statement that are geared to stimulate this economic growth agenda include the strengthening the financial sector by extending the US$200 million African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Trade Debt-Backed Securities (Aftrades) facility which operates on the lines of the lender of last resort at the Bank for local banks and putting in place a US$70 million nostro-stabilisation facility to deal with the delays in processing of outgoing payments by banks. BANK RATES REDUCED The central bank said Zimbabwe would attempt to reduce the cost of doing business by reducing lending rates charged by banks from an upper limit of 15% to 12% per annum, and by reducing charges on the use of plastic money to as low as 10 cents for small purchases of $10 and below. He said efforts will also be made to promote efficiency and discipline in the utilisation of foreign currency by ensuring that banks comply with the foreign exchange priority guidelines, strengthen the resuscitation of firms under ZAMCO through the provision of working capital to deserving cases through normal banking channels, promote exports by revamping the horticulture finance facility and enhancing the gold development facility from US$20 million to US$40 million and put in place facilities to cater for the requirements of bonafide crossborder traders registered with recognised cross-border associations through normal banking channels and Easylink. Fresh policies will also be targeted at strengthening the parity of bond notes to the US$ by meeting foreign exchange demand attributable to bond notes deposits, making available up to US$35 million for spearheading funding requirements under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy to meet the needs for women, SMEs, business linkages/ value chain activities and plug money laundering, among other measure. DECLINE IN REMITTANCES Mangudya also said remittances, which are also a major source of import financing declined by 17.9% in 2016, from US$1,917.7 million received in 2015 to US$1,574.0 million in 2016. Of the total amount received in 2016, US$779.0 million reflects remittances from the Diaspora while remittances from International Organizations (NGOs) amounted to US$795.0 million. The decline in Diaspora remittances is attributed to the poor performance of the global economy, the depreciation of the South African Rand (South Africa contributes about 34% of the total Diaspora remittances) and the increasing preference of the Diaspora to send remittances in kind and through informal channels. He said, The introduction of Diaspora Remittance Incentive Scheme (DRIS) is expected to increase the remittances sent through formal channels. Mangudya further said export growth has not been adequate to surpass that of imports, resulting in an estimated US$1985.1 million negative trade balance in 2016. This situation is not sustainable. 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 JPFO.org 800-869-1884 info@jpfo.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Feb. 13, 2017 JPFO Breaks New Legal Ground Amicus brief confirms the private right to sell firearms Teixeira case at 9th Circuit compares gun stores to book stores The right to bear arms includes the right to buy arms Alameda zoning scheme attempts to block good gun store San Francisco, Calif. -- The noted civil-rights group Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, jpfo.org, has filed an amicus brief supporting a gun-store owner who has been blocked in California from opening an important new shop. To get started, the new owners, three partners, navigated a bewildering maze of red tape and an Alameda County zoning ordinance that required their gun store to be 500 feet from certain other properties. Then the County changed the way it measures distances, after the owners started up. Door to door footage had suddenly become from wall to property line. Other obstacles sprang upthat were insurmountableeliminating any place to put the new facility. Their perfectly legal business and constitutionally protected property were redlined. The 9th Circuit Court, in a lengthy three-judge-panel ruling properly overturned the lower district court. "The Court recognized that taking away the means of exercising a fundamental right takes away the right itself," said Rabbi Dovid Bendory, the group's Rabbinic Director, commenting on the decision, "but now the full 9th Circuit is going to review the case, and that could spell trouble for those who support the rights protected by the Second Amendment." The County petitioned and was granted a full en banc review, in an effort to overturn the three-judge panel's pro-civil-rights decision. 12500 N.E. Tenth Place Bellevue, WA 98005 JPFO.org 800-869-1884 info@jpfo.org JPFO's brief presents important new historical information in a compelling, fast-moving way, that has never appeared in any Second Amendment brief. This includes the arms commerce rights expressly guaranteed in the 1606 Virginia Charter and the 1620 New England Charter. The brief describes British attempts to prohibit arms commerce in Colonial times from 1774-83 in great detail, all of it thoroughly documented. "The JPFO brief makes it clear that commercial activity in firearms and gunpowder was routinely practiced in the Colonies, right down to foreign trade," added Alan Korwin, a gun-law expert and consultant to JPFO. "The British Crown's attempt to ban this activity by law and by force aroused the Colonists and was a key factor in precipitating the American Revolution," he notes. JPFO supports the historical record and current liberty to buy and sell guns as a routine part of American life. Copies of JPFO's amicus brief and the Teixeira panel decision are available on the JPFO website, jpfo.org. The amicus brief was written for JPFO by David B. Kopel and Joseph G.S. Greenlee. JPFO's main mission has always included education, shining light where some let fear paralyze their sensibilities, speaking truth to power, and ensuring Never Again is not just a catch phrase. JPFO.org Back to Top While the media spotlights were transfixed on Sanremo, where even Roberta Pinotti made a spectacle of herself, singing the praises of the military missions that restore peace, on 10 February, the Council of Ministers approved a draft law that will allow actioning the White Book on International Security and Defence once Minister Pinotti has signed it off. This will involve delegating to the government the revision of the operational model of the Armed Forces. By revision, read improving on what took place in the wars which Italy participated in from 1991, in violation of its own Constitution. After being sanctioned for 25 years by every government in sweet succession, with the complicity of a parliament almost entirely in agreement or acquiescence that never once debated the issue, it is now on the verge of becoming a national law. A bloodless coup is thus unfolding in silence. The Armed Forces have been assigned four missions, each one entirely disrespectful of the Constitution. Thus the first mission reformulates the Defense of the Fatherland under Art 52 as the defense of the vital interests of the Country. This is followed up by the second mission: a contribution to the collective defense of the Atlantic Alliance and the maintenance of stability in the areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, in order to protect the Countrys vital or strategic interests. The prohibition contained in art 11 on the use of force as an instrument to attack the freedom of other peoples and as a means of resolving international disputes is replaced by the third mission: the management of crises over and above areas of priority intervention, in order to guarantee international peace and legality. Thus the White Book destroys the constitutional pillars of the Italian Republic, now reconfigured as a power which arrogates to itself the right to intervene with the use of force in areas looking onto the Mediterranean North Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans to support Italian economic and strategic interests, and, outside such areas, wherever in the world the interests of the West (as represented by Nato under US Command) may be at stake. Functional to all this, is the Framework Law that entered into force in 2016. [This law] institutionalizes military missions abroad, establishing a specific fund with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to fund them. Finally, the fourth mission entrusts to the Armed Forces on the international level, the safeguarding of free institutions, with specific duties in cases of extraordinary need and urgency, a vague formula that can accommodate draconian measures and subversive strategies. Furthermore, the new model significantly increases the technical-administrative powers of the Defences Chief of Staff and, at the same time, opens the doors of the Armed Forces to private sector leaders that will be able to perform the duties of the General Secretary, responsible for the technical-administrative area of Defense, and the National Director of Arms. Key duties that will permit powerful groups within the military industry to enter performing leadership roles in the armed forces and to steer them according to their interests linked to the war. The military industry is defined in the White Book as the pillar of the National System due to its contribution, through exports, to rebalancing the balance of trade and promoting goods manufactured by national industry in well-remunerated sectors, creating quality jobs. All that remains is to rewrite Article 1 of the Constitution to provide that ours is a republic, a democratic era, that rests on the labour of the military industry. Museum Lecture Series: A Journey Through World Heritage The next in the Gibraltar Museums lecture series held in collaboration with the Gorhams Cave Complex and the Gibraltar Scientific Society, will be held this Thursday 16th February at 7pm at the Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall. Gibraltars heritage has been acknowledged internationally for centuries, and with the Gorhams Cave Complex becoming a World Heritage site in 2016 we have now joined the illustrious UNESCO family made up of 1052 natural and cultural sites. Speakers Marcello Sanguinetti and Sue Davies will take the audience on a journey round the Worlds rich heritage through space and time, to look at the family that Gibraltar has joined and to examine the wondrous but sometimes also fragile World Heritage sites. From the Taj Mahal and the Great Barrier Reef, to the remains at Palmyra, Kathmandu and Machu Picchu their illustrated talk will look at the many positives for communities in working together to manage our environment sustainably. But culture and heritage can often be the first casualty in changing and challenging times. The lecture is open to the public and is free of charge. Lib Dem Foreign Affairs Spokesman in Gibraltar Brexit Visit The Foreign Affairs spokesman for the UK Liberal Democrats, Tom Brake MP, is in Gibraltar on a fact-finding visit in order to achieve a better understanding of the impact of the decision taken in the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Mr Brake today met with the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, who is responsible for EU matters and work related to Brexit. He was given a number of briefings, a tour of the border area and also of the air terminal as part of the familiarisation visit. The Deputy Chief Minister explained that this visit is a result of the contact that the Government continues to maintain with Members of the UK Parliament from different political persuasions. He added that the Government has engaged widely in the United Kingdom and continues to do so, particularly with the UK Government itself both informally and within the formal structure of the Joint Ministerial Committee. Mr Brake reaffirmed his partys support for Gibraltar going forward, given the 96% vote to remain in the EU, and for the right of the people of Gibraltar to self-determination. You know when youre about to break up with someone, and then they break up with you, and for some reason you feel horrible, even though you already knew that person was just not right for you? Anyway, The Daily Show is here to support you following the resignation of President Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who, it was discovered, mischaracterized his communications with Russian official Sergey Kislyak regarding sanctions. Tonight, you eat those chocolates and wistfully gaze at that photo of Sally Yates all you want. No one expects you to get over this right away. K.J. Apa as Archie. Photo: CW The Riverdale casting directors sure saw a lot of redheads while they were looking for their lead to play Archie Andrews. I think we literally saw every redheaded young guy in L.A. It certainly felt that way, said Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the executive producer of Riverdale. Every time that a redheaded guy came in, my heart swelled a little thinking, Let this be the redheaded boy who is the answer to all our prayers. Well, they didnt find a natural redhead, but they did find their Archie in the form of K.J. Apa, the half-Samoan, full-Kiwi 19-year-old actor. Riverdale, a sultry, brooding, and libidinal take on the Archie comics, needed a leading man who could channel that sweet and slightly sinister energy. Archie is going to have some darkness and a little more brooding, but you didnt want that to take over everything, said Aguirre-Sacasa. You wanted a sense of that underneath and on the edges of that performance, but not a joyless vampire. So you had to have the right mix of edge and earnestness, and be able to handle the brightness of Archie, but also the depth of a kid who is really struggling with stuff. Finding Apa was the most difficult part of a six-month casting process that began before the pilot had even gotten officially picked up from the network. They had cast all of their series regulars in the meantime: Lili Reinhart as the blonde and wholesome Betty, Camila Mendes as the posh brunette Veronica, and Cole Sprouse as the intense and observant Jughead. We were getting, frankly, scared, because there would be no pilot if we didnt find Archie, said Aguirre-Sacasa. We found K.J. three days before we were supposed to test Archies in front of the studio. So he was really slotted in at the last minute. Apa had first auditioned earlier for casting director David Rapaport, but something was amiss with that audition. Rapaport had told Aguirre-Sacasa that when he had seen Apa, the actor had just arrived after a 12-hour-plus plane ride, and that he hadnt been properly prepped beforehand. Id just come over from New Zealand, and Riverdale was my first audition, said Apa. So I remember going to the studio, auditioning with Dave, and it was kind of nothing. Nothing was really there, nothing happened. But Rapaport decided to bring him in again to read for other writers and producers, including Aguirre-Sacasa. K.J. read for us and he was immediately Archie Andrews, said Aguirre-Sacasa. It was the right combination of earnestness and edge. And he played the guitar like a dream. Apa was better prepared for his audition this time around, bringing his electric guitar with him and doing Stevie Ray Vaughans version of Mary Had a Little Lamb. There were a couple Southern people in the theater so I brang my guitar, Apa laughed. I felt really confident after I played that song, because music comes really naturally to me and its always something Ive been really passionate about. The network loved him, too, but there was one final hurdle: his hair. Its the dreaded day, because we have to dye this guys hair and pray to God that that works, because, you know, some peoples dye jobs look weird, said Aguirre-Sacasa. The director of the first three episodes, Lee Toland Krieger, however, knew the colorist to the stars who does Amy Adamss hair. She had to dye everyones hair: Lili Reinhart had to go blonde; Cole had to go black; and of course, Archie had to go red. We were all literally waiting for pictures to be texted to us from the salon, and now its hard for me to even think of K.J. as anything other than a redhead. That rust color doesnt come without its cost, though. Its pretty gnarly, man, said Apa. It was really painful the first and the second time I got it done, because they do my eyebrows as well. They ended up bleaching my eyebrows, and I had two holes they burnt into my skin. I was like, Oh, my, weve got to sort this out. To maintain the color, he goes to the salon every two weeks for touch-ups. Im sitting there for at least two-and-a-half hours, so Im on my iPad and I read some scripts and stuff. I keep myself entertained. All right, but youre thinking: Did he take off his shirt during auditions? (He did not.) As people have vociferously noted on the show, on Twitter, and on Tumblr: Archie Andrews is hot. Hes so hot that his body becomes a plot point in the pilot when Betty and her gay best friend Kevin catch a peek of Archies abs from her bedroom window (theyre neighbors, naturally). Game changer: Archie got hot! Kevin gawks with the suppressed glee of a thousand issues of Tiger Beat. Archie, you see, had apparently worked construction over the summer with his dad, thus blessing him with the body of an Instagram thirst trap. (As for Apa, if you take a scroll through his Instagram, its clear that hes been looking like this for a while.) According to Aguirre-Sacasa, having a hot Archie was a way for him to make sense to modern viewers. It felt like one of the things we had to try to answer from the comics books, he said. Why would these amazing, gorgeous women be falling for this kind of vanilla, edge-less, fine-looking guy? In keeping with the rest of Berlanti universe, everyone in the cast is stunning, but for Riverdale, the hope was to convey the burgeoning sexuality of teendom. Of course, they are all beautiful to look at, but for me, what I wanted more was a sense that the characters had a ripe sexuality, said Aguirre-Sacasa. Like they were all kind of on the cusp of transitioning from teenagers to young adults. Its almost like the 1950s pinup girls, or the guys that were, like, a little bit like Physique Pictorial. There was a sexual energy to them that I look for, more than, like, Oh my God, is this kid TV pretty. Fortunately, they managed both. Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have revealed their deepest personal, professional, and sexual secrets to Howard Stern. Add together how humiliating each of those confessions must have been, multiply them by ten, and you still wont have half the embarrassment of having strangers overhear your financial secrets without your knowledge on The Howard Stern Show. Judith Barrigas filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court yesterday against Stern and the federal government, claiming the broadcast of her call to the IRS on May 19, 2015, violated the confidentiality of her tax information and resulted in difficulty finding employment, anxiety, loss of sleep and irregular eating patterns. As The Hollywood Reporter explains, the incident occurred when IRS agent Jimmy Forsythe called into Sterns show on an unrelated topic, was put on hold, and answered Barrigass tax-related call while he waited. Once a Stern employee caught wind of the conversation, it was aired live on Sirius XM. Barrigas only found out her personal financial conversation was no longer private when strangers began alerting her via call and text, as her phone number had been included in part of the shows audio. If Barrigas is unsuccessful in her lawsuit, at least she can make millions selling her story to Stephen King, as it is the most terrifying story ever told. Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images Every politician comes with their share of pie-in-the-sky campaign promises lower taxes, better health care, safer streets but how many potential candidates can offer a slogan like Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy? Some voters in Michigan are hoping for that exact possibility. According to Billboard, at last weekends Michigan Republican Party convention, Kid Rocks name was floated to run as a 2018 Senate candidate to unseat current Democratic senator Debbie Stabenow. Rock, who campaigned for President Trump and sells hats that say Make America Badass Again, was born in Romeo, Michigan. He considers himself a Libertarian, though on many occasion he has also identified as a cowboy, baby. There is no word yet on whether Mr. Rock will be joining the race at this juncture. Photo: Steffan Hill/Starz Entertainment, LLC The sexiest couple on TV is going globe-trotting once more, as Claire and Jamie Fraser set off toward warmer climates for Outlander season three. The shows production is moving to Cape Town, South Africa, to film its adventures on the high seas, but as a result, season three wont return until September 2017 instead of May, as fans expected. The shows next season is based on Voyager, the third book in Diana Gabaldons fantasy series, which finds our favorite tartan-clad duo sailing to Jamaica. We can only hope that South Africa will be a stand-in for the Caribbean country, but the show has not announced those specifics yet. The move marks an extended departure from Scotland, where the show has primarily been based so far, and while there are few things so romantic as the Highlands, higher temperatures mean fewer layers. And no one was ever mad about clothes being shed on Outlander. Philip Pullman with the first book from His Dark Materials trilogy, Photo: MJ Kim/Getty Images Its been 17 years since Philip Pullman released the last book in the best-selling His Dark Material trilogy, but now the celebrated British fantasy author is returning to the world of Lyra Belacqua and daemons for a companion series The Book of Dust. According to The Guardian, the long-rumored trilogy will include several returning characters, like the aforementioned Lyra, and will dive into the nature of dust, a mysterious particle that is used in the original series as a stand-in for the bibles original sin and the power of self-awareness. Pullman didnt give away too many details, but he did reveal that at the centre of The Book of Dust is the struggle between a despotic and totalitarian organization, which wants to stifle speculation and enquiry, and those who believe thought and speech should be free. Hmm, a series of dystopian novels? Perhaps that could resonate with readers in 2017. Perhaps. The first installment will reportedly come out in October, but if Hollywood wants to try adapting it, they better remember to give Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig some better special effects. Skulking, spying, smuggling, sabotaging, and slaying: These are James Keziah Delaneys stock in trade, and tonights episode of Taboo is all about his tradecraft. As the rogues plan to secure a lucrative trading route out from under the rival English, American, and East India Company factions moves forward, the shows portrayal of his dirty deeds has gotten much clearer and tighter than it used to be, and more entertaining as a result. Much of this episodes business relies on a bogus cholera epidemic concocted by Delaney and Dr. Dunbarton to keep prying eyes away from the American spys secret headquarters. This winds up being perfect cover for, well, pretty much anything James needs to do. Need to dispose the body of an abusive, alcoholic husband, no questions asked? Call him a cholera victim and hell be six feet under and away from prying eyes within hours. Need some secure containers to transport an illegal shipment of gunpowder? Order up a few coffins for imaginary cholera victims. Need to get that shipment through Londons soldier-patrolled streets? Dress up like undertakers, store those coffins in hearses, and stick cholera warning labels on them to keep unwanted inspections at a minimum. (Just dont forget to leave enough room in one of those coffins for Jamess secret son Robert, so he can sneak in and play dead to maintain the ruse. Its a bit of quick thinking on the kids part, and it makes for one of the hours coolest story beats.) As has been the case for a few episodes now, Jamess devilish reputation as a killer par excellence is proving well-earned indeed. When he and his crew are ratted out by the farmer who owns their makeshift factory, Delaney tears out the mans tongue and props the corpse in the confessional of the priest who leaked the information to the East India Company. When the EIC retaliates by blowing up Jamess ship, he has his henchman Atticus lead him to the guy who was supposed to be guarding it and tears out the mans heart, offering it to Atticus as a souvenir. Granted, this was the same guy whose thumb Delaney chopped off in last weeks episode, leading Atticus to wonder whether his boss had psychically seen the betrayal coming or caused the betrayal by chopping off the dudes thumb in the first place. Still, its an impressive bit of wetwork. Even Zilpha, Jamess beloved (ahem) sister, gets in on the homicidal act. Under her brothers telepathic tutelage, she (finally!) kills her thoroughly awful husband Thorne by stabbing him through the heart with a hatpin, no muss, no fuss. After James uses the cholera gimmick to expedite the bodys removal and burial, Zilpha celebrates in the gothest way imaginable: Resplendent in black mourning clothes, she jams the murder weapon through the hat she wears to the victims funeral, smirking all the while. After spending the entire season with the same bug-eyed facial expression and high-tension body language, Oona Chaplin lets her characters lusty satisfaction with this job well done seep into her eyes, her mouth, her shoulders, her walk. She may have killed her brutal husband to be with her sorcerer brother, but shes never seemed more human. Unfortunately, the hoped-for happy ending never arrives. After the burial at which James digs the grave himself, mensch that he is Delaney shows up at Zilphas house, demanding she take off her dress immediately. Music to her ears! But hes haunted by in flagrante visions of his mother trying to drown him as an infant, a knowledge bomb dropped by his faithful manservant Brace at the beginning of the episode. (Its an odd choice, pacing-wise, but one made with practical considerations for the rest of the episode.) James freaks out, nearly chokes Zilpha, and flees the bedroom before their family reunion reaches its climax. Dont worry, buddy flashback dick happens to a lot of guys. The irksome thing is that the episode focuses on Jamess reaction to the event, not Zilphas. After all, Delaney isnt the one who just ended years of violent drunken abuse by becoming a murderer in order to rekindle forbidden love with a sibling. Nor is he the one who got physically attacked by the other in the middle of having sex. Can you imagine how Zilpha must feel to have gone through all that for nothing? Well, youll have to imagine it, since the show isnt gonna show us. Indeed, many of Taboos old troubles the workmanlike plotting, the half-baked supporting cast, the overreliance on Jamess alleged magnetism are still hanging around. To wit: How do we know that Chichester, the former slave now leading an inquiry into the East India Companys illicit dealing in human cargo, is a good guy? Because hes the only handsome man in a room full of blotchy, weak-chinned uggos. Why did the EIC wait until now to blow up Jamess ship, when its ownership and location like that of his office, his house, and his sisters house is a matter of public record? Because the show requires him to be as mysterious as Batman even though everyone knows who and where he is at almost all times until a moment like this, when the Company needs to make a major move against him. Why does Winter, his teenage sidekick, keep hanging around even though hes a mean-spirited creep? Because James is the main character, and everyone from Winter to Brace to Zilpha to Lorna Bow to the poor closeted guy he blackmails into being his EIC spy act as if they know theyre just supporting players in his story. Why did Braces revelation about the murderous madness of Jamess mom get dumped at the beginning of the episode instead of placed somewhere with more punch? Because it gives us just enough reason to believe that his violent PTSD flashbacks might cause him to brutally murder poor Winter at the end of the hour. Yep, Taboo kills a child in order to plant doubts about Delaneys sanity in the audiences mind, as if we needed any extra guidance in that department. You almost have to wonder: Are these people watching their own show? HOUSTON For three months in the fall of 2016, Lena was one of the youngest inmates in the Harris County Jail. The 17-year-old lived with two dozen women in a single room. She slept on a metal bunk and wore an oversized orange jumpsuit every day. She went to the bathroom with no privacy, using a toilet attached to the wall. Yet compared to what shed endured, it didnt seem half-bad. Lena had felt trapped her whole life. At home, by an abusive adoptive mother. At school, where she wore turtlenecks and baggy clothes to hide her bruises. In one facility for foster kids after another after her mother lost custody of her. And by a series of pimps who sold her for sex after she ran away. It was no surprise to Lena when she ended up behind bars for offering an undercover police officer oral sex in exchange for money. I always wanted older mens attention . . . I got addicted to it, Lena said. And the only way I knew how to get it was to lay on my back. No one wanted Lena in jail. She was not a prostitute; she was a child who had been sexually exploited and needed protection and care. Lena and teenage victims like her end up in jail for one simple reason: Theres nowhere else for them to go. Texas has just one facility devoted to child sex-trafficking victims, called Freedom Place. It can only afford to treat 20 girls at any given time. So authorities in Harris County and other big Texas counties who encounter kids like Lena take a gamble they call arrest and recovery: arrest them to get them off the street and drop the charges later. What options do we have with these girls? asked Ana Martinez, a prosecutor in Harris County who specializes in trafficking cases. If I dismiss her case, shes just walking on the street that night. Running away Lena was 13 when she ran away from her first residential treatment center, in a suburb of Houston. Lena bolted from the front lawn of her Houston middle school one morning. Minutes later, as she walked down the street, she ran into a friendly looking stranger. He promised to take care of her if she made him a little money. His offer wasnt unthinkable. Shed had sex before, and had been sexually abused, a factor that makes kids far more likely to fall victim to pimps. He promised her Ecstasy so she could focus on something else while she was having sex with johns. Here was an adult who said he could protect her. Every time a man told me, I love you, Im gonna take care of you, I listened, Lena said. I did everything they wanted me to do. Lena stayed in the mans apartment in Greenspoint, a North Houston neighborhood, along with a few other women he also pimped out. Lena said she made $100 or $150 for every trick. She gave all her money to the pimp. Over the next three years, Lena would have as many pimps. Shed stay with them for a few weeks or months, sometimes moving from motel to motel. Then shed get scared or decide it was time to move, and return to foster care then run away again. Eventually, police had responded to an Internet post advertising sex with her and found her in a motel room. They arrested her pimp at the motel next door. With Lenas help, police ultimately charged two people with forcing a child into prostitution. But the question remained: What to do with Lena? Police knew she was a long-term foster kid and a chronic runaway. They also knew she needed serious help. A medical examination revealed she was pregnant and had three sexually transmitted diseases. She would need months of specialized psychological and medical care. But she couldnt get any of it if she didnt stay put. So Houston police charged the pregnant, 16-year-old sex-trafficking victim with a crime she says it was prostitution, though juvenile records are not public and sent her to juvenile detention. Sex-trafficking experts and victims advocates agree that Lena didnt belong behind bars. Were looking at this population in a different way, said Angela Goodwin, a top official at Texas child welfare agency, the Department of Family and Protective Services. We dont want to lock them up. But across the state, the agency is facing a crisis when it comes to finding beds for kids like Lena . Texas relies on private contractors to build and run treatment facilities for kids and pays them very little money to do so. Those companies are then left to operate the facilities at a very low cost or raise money through donations. The average cost of housing a high-needs child in a residential treatment center in Texas is about $300 each day. Right now, the state will only pay $260. Running a facility that is licensed to treat sex-trafficking victims is even more expensive; Texas law requires additional services, but the state doesnt pay for them. Texas child welfare officials have told the Legislature it will take an additional $200 million to pay the full cost of housing children in the states care. State officials say theyre trying to find better solutions, both for vulnerable kids in the states long-term foster care system and for those who have already been trafficked. Private-sector plans are in the works to build the kind of place that Lena needed. For now, the fact remains: While so many child sex-trafficking victims have some connection to the Texas child welfare system, that system has almost no resources to help them. Only the criminal justice system does and sparingly. Lena was released from juvenile detention just a few weeks before giving birth to a baby boy. She was sent to a residential treatment center outside of Houston. Lena still had a lot of trauma to deal with, but she was excited to be a mother. Among the countless pictures she posted on Facebook over the past four years, the ones with her baby in the hospital are the few in which shes smiling. But soon after she delivered her son, the state took custody of him. Out of grief and frustration, Lena ran. I completely gave up, she said. My mind was still stuck in the streets. All I knew was the streets. When police arrested her for prostitution a few months later, in the fall of 2016, she had nothing to her name but $50 cash and the crop top and jeans she was wearing. She was now 17 old enough to be charged as an adult. A chance to think At first, Lena was devastated. But her three-month stint at the Harris County Jail gave her time to think and a chance to participate in a county program for women facing prostitution charges. The women, most of them much older than Lena, shared stories of abuse at the hands of boyfriends, dads, grandfathers. They talked about how to live better lives on the outside. They became confidants for her; they braided her hair. She kept a journal. Kathy Griffin, the programs director, said she was amazed at how much progress Lena made in such a short time. But there was a lingering question in Griffins mind, one that had plagued Lenas care from the beginning: Where would she go next? Lena was still 17, still in the states care, and with no place to go. Her caseworker was going to drive her from jail to a 24-hour intake center for foster kids in West Houston, where shed spend the night on a cot. She had a plan. She wanted to finish high school, go to Prairie View A&M University and study forensic science. Youve got to want to change, Lena said as she left the Harris County Jail on a rainy Friday afternoon. The test starts when you walk outside. And this is my test. Lenas caseworker took her to the intake center. When they arrived, Lena went to take a shower and her caseworker left. At 9:50 p.m., Lena walked out. Griffin and her caseworker havent heard from her since. Security staff can monitor who comes in, but they cant stop anyone from leaving. Texas child welfare officials know these intake centers are a terrible place for kids who have been through trauma. We are working with what we have. Im not trying to be flip; I dont know any other way to put that, said Goodwin, the official at Texas child welfare agency. But even after Lena ran away, state caseworkers and investigators didnt appear to make much effort to find her. In late December 2016, Lena turned 18 and aged out of foster care. Griffin still hopes that one day, shell hear from her. In the meantime, she wishes child welfare workers had made a different plan for Lenas release from jail one that might have enticed her to stay put instead of making it so easy for her to walk away. Should Dodd-Frank be repealed and replaced? Debate rages in Washington and beyond regarding the need to repeal or significantly amend the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, implemented in 2010 as a result of the 2008 financial meltdown. The intent was to address a lack of oversight and control of financial markets. The market collapse was due primarily to mega banks and mortgage companies that made bad, even fraudulent loans, to individuals and businesses that didnt qualify, then sold these questionable loans to unsuspecting investors: a perfect storm for economic disaster! Yet this well-intentioned act has had dire consequences reaching far beyond the culprits of the financial disaster. Our nations financial system is complex. You have Wall Street, investment banks, mortgage banks, the housing institutes of Fannie and Freddie, mega-banks (i.e., too big to fail) and then there are community banks. Community banks are the backbone of small to mid-range businesses in our country. Did you know that the same sweeping regulations of the Dodd-Frank Act extend from Wall Street to the too-big-to-fail monster banks all the way down to small banks in rural communities across our land? Theres virtually no distinction in size, complexity, risk, etc. And, intentional or not, these regulations have created a chokehold and burden for neighborhood community banks, one greatly impeding their ability to do what theyve done well for decades: serve the financial needs of their communities. The overhead and expenses associated with meeting these federal requirements are more than many small banks can bear. An American Action Forum study pegged costs of the act since inception at $36 billion. This has forced many community banks to re-evaluate their ability to remain a going community concern. Some smaller banks are forced to close while others choose to merge to achieve economies of scale to address federal compliance costs. This is specifically because the fixed costs of hiring yet another employee to address compliance issues impose a larger burden on small banks. Larger banks dont suffer from this issue as they have a much larger asset base across which to spread the cost of each incremental compliance-related hire. The community banking group of financial institutions were not a part of the financial meltdown. In fact, they have stepped up and assisted families and businesses more than ever since many of the big banks have all but exited smaller markets since implementation of Dodd-Frank. The big banks today refuse to consider or even hear the varied stories of individual circumstances, choosing instead to follow algorithms and inflexible formulas for underwriting. This trend has caused many small- to mid-sized businesses to go longer before receiving much-needed financing due to having to cast a wider and wider net to find a bank amenable to provide financing. Couple this with many banks reluctance to lend to small businesses with short histories or weak collateral and you have a recipe for an unhealthy small-business environment. Yes, there is a need for regulatory reform. The extreme overreach of the Dodd-Frank Act has penalized and punished hundreds of quality financial institutions across the country and in turn has negatively impacted millions of consumers and small businesses. Small business and the folks they employ are the engine that powers this countrys economic success. Community banks are the reservoir of resources those small businesses need to grow and hire. When it works well, bank regulation helps ensure the safety and soundness of the overall banking system. When it does not work well, it constricts the natural cycle of lending, job growth and economic expansion. When considering regulation for the financial industry, Congress should not lump community banks in with their larger, publicly held, bottom-line counterparts. The time has long passed for the Dodd-Frank Act to be repealed or replaced. David Littlewood is president of TFNB Your Bank for Life in McGregor. It is the oldest bank in McLennan County and seventh-oldest national bank in Texas still operating under its original charter. Response to Flores I read Congressman Bill Flores Sunday column in the Tribune-Herald supporting President Trumps executive order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries [Pause in immigration will let us improve vetting process for our safety]. While I dont agree with the temporary ban in general, I found one part of Rep. Flores argument particularly troubling. He stated, we cannot forget that some of the recent domestic terror attacks were perpetrated by second-generation Sunni persons whose parents entered the country as immigrants and/or refugees. It is outside the scope of any vetting process to try to divine the future impact of an immigrant or refugees potential children. It is impossible to tell what type of child a parent will produce. Im sure there are many American parents who are dismayed and embarrassed by the actions of their own sons when they perpetrate domestic terrorism, but we do not criminalize the parents based on the sons actions. No more should we criminalize immigrant or refugee parents based on the as-yet-unknown actions of their children. I also found it distasteful that Rep. Flores found it necessary to name the religion of the parents, as if the embracing of Sunni Islam just naturally leads to radical behavior. There are a vast number of Sunni Muslims who are not violent. In fact, peace is a central ideology of typical orthodox Muslims. I also ask Rep. Flores and all members of the Republican Party to focus their energy on strengthening the vetting process instead of defending the presidents temporary ban on immigrants and refugees. If there are changes that they want to make, I suggest they do so as quickly as possible and make this travel ban a non-issue. It is not necessary to bar immigrants and refugees while they do so. Elisabeth Rhoton, Waco Day of rejoicing I have never understood why an international nonprofit such as Planned Parenthood needs my tax dollars to pay for breast and cervical cancer screenings when it rakes in millions of dollars being the No. 1 provider of abortions in the United States. Its a fallacy to say that defunding PP then leads to low-income women being without care!Taxpayer dollars would be much better used if they were re-routed to the many local clinics that are actually in the business of providing real medical care for the people they serve. Those like myself who find it abhorrent that their hard-earned money goes to PP an organization that is involved in the shedding of innocent blood will have a day of rejoicing if PP is indeed defunded. That day will not come soon enough. Tina Orosco, Woodway ASHLAND A local high school art students work helped decorate an annual Valentines Day event at Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum. Leah Dovel painted a New York City skyline that was used as a photo booth backdrop at the museums Swing Under the Wings annual dinner and dance on Saturday night. The museum reached out to Ashland-Greenwood High School to see if the school had any students who were interested in completing a project for the event. Julie Lade-Wills, AGHS art teacher, chose senior Leah Dovel for the task. I have a lot of very talented students, but I immediately thought of Leah Dovel, said Lade-Wills. Dovel has an independent study art class and serves as a teachers aide for Lade-Wills, so she is in the art room at least twice a day, the teacher said. But it was Dovels work ethic and talent that made her Lade-Wills first choice for the project. I knew I would be able to count on her to do a great job and complete the task on time, she said. Dovel was not quite as confident as her teacher. I really wanted to do it, but I was kind of scared, said Dovel. Its a big project for me to do. Ive never done something that big. The museum wanted something that was based on New York City. Dovel chose the citys iconic skyline. Dovel started with a smaller version before tackling the 8-foot by 8-foot painting. Then she set about transforming the blank, white paper into a vibrant painting. She completed the sky and water separately, then connected them with the skyline. The project helped Dovel learn more about working with acrylic paints. Blending the paint was really hard, she said. She also learned to be patient when it comes to a large project. There was a time early when she kept redoing the same area. I kept painting over the spots because I didnt like how it looked, she said. Dovel is a perfectionist, focusing on the tiniest mistakes that no one else can see. I just want to fix it, she said. Eventually, Dovel worked out the problem and from then on it was pretty smooth sailing, she said. There was no available space in the art room for a project this size, so Dovel was allowed to work in the media center, where she set up two tables in the corner of the room. It was challenging to find a place where she could set up, and work on, such a large canvas throughout the day, said Lade-Wills. Dovel had a two-week deadline, and the project took nearly all of that to complete. She spent every spare minute in the library, even coming to school on the weekends to get it done. I basically lived in there during the school day, she said. Still, there were challenges. Lade-Wills said her student is very modest and finds it difficult to accept compliments about her work. And she doesnt like an audience when shes painting. While in the media center, she was constantly surrounded by people, watching her work and asking her questions, Lade-Wills said. Incredibly, Dovel found her new work space a relaxing place to work, however. There is a little less chaos, she said. Once the painting was finished, Dovel was pleased with the results. I like it, she said. She also liked the fact that so many people would see her art. Swing Under the Wings is a big event for Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum. Under the wings of some of the Air Forces largest and most famous planes, guests dress in 1940s-era clothing and swing dance to tunes from the same era. Proceeds support the museums operations. I think its awesome, Dovel said. The project benefits not only Dovel, but also the schools art department, Lade-Wills said. This project was a great chance for Leah to showcase her artistic talent in a supportive atmosphere, and an amazing opportunity for the art department to connect with the staff, students and the community, she said. Art is one of the ways Dovel connects with her family. Her father, Aaron Dovel of Palmyra, has a passion for art, and her grandmother paints. But it was her sister, Melissa Hansen, who sparked Dovels love for art. Even though she is several years younger, Dovel would tag along with her big sister and do whatever Hansen was doing. Shed always sit in her room and draw, said Dovel. Id try to draw the same thing. Now, art is Dovels favorite subject in school. She has taken at least one art class every year in high school, and this year is fascinated by the potters wheel Lade-Wills brought in to the art room last year. I really like it, Dovel said. The talented artist is considering studying art in college, although she has not made a final decision yet. Whether she studies art after high school or not, art will continue to be a part of her life. Im definitely not going to stop after high school, Dovel said. The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Red Tail Squadron, Americas tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, announced their line-up for upcoming events around the country for 2017. After an incident last year resulted in an 11 month restoration, the Squadrons P-51C Mustang Tuskegee Airmen will return to flight this air show season to wow audiences with its aerobatic tribute to our nations first black military pilots and their support personnel. The CAF Red Tail Squadrons unique cross-country outreach program also includes the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit. This mobile movie theater takes visitors on a journey through time and then through the air with the original short film Rise Above. The theaters dynamic 160-degree panoramic screen creates the sensation of being in the cockpit soaring above the clouds in a P-51C Mustang, the signature aircraft of the Tuskegee Airmen. Entrance to the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit is always free, although tickets may be required to host venues. Here is a snapshot of where you can find the CAF Red Tail Squadron. For a full list of events, visit redtail.org/calendar. Dallas, TX February 6-17 CAF National Airbase Tribute to Black History Month Yuma, AZ March 17-18 MCAS Yuma Airshow Columbus, GA April 8-9 Thunder in the Valley Air Show Montgomery, AL April 8-9 Maxwell Air Force Base Air Show Meridian, MS April 15 Community Open House at Key Field Panama City, FL April 22-23 Gulf Coast Salute Open House & Air Show Lake Charles, LA April 28-30 Chennault International Airshow Waseca, MN July 13-17 Waseca County Free Fair Ypsilanti, MI September 2-4 Thunder Over Michigan Air Show Omaha, NE September 13-17 Nebraska Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. Community Outreach Event Port Clinton, OH September 20-24 Liberty Aviation Museum Open House Tallahassee, FL October 31-November 5 Community Open House Atlanta, GA October 7-8 CAF Atlanta Warbird Weekend While on tour, the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit makes additional visits to local schools where students are encouraged to think critically about the groups Six Guiding Principles Aim High, Believe In Yourself, Use Your Brain, Be Ready To Go, Never Quit and Expect to Win. Contact Kristi Younkin, logistics coordinator, at logistics@redtail.org or (479) 228-4520 for information on how to bring the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit to your community. About the CAF Red Tail Squadron The CAF Red Tail Squadron is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization dedicated to educating audiences across the country about the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, Americas first black military pilots and their support personnel. RISE ABOVE: Red Tail, their three-fold outreach program, includes a fully restored WWII-era P-51C Mustang, the signature aircraft of the Tuskegee Airmen; the RISE ABOVE Traveling Exhibit 53 mobile theater featuring the original panoramic film Rise Above; and resource materials for teachers and youth leaders. Each year, they embark on a nine-month cross-country tour that includes appearances at air shows, schools, museums and community events. The groups Six Guiding Principles Aim High, Believe In Yourself, Use Your Brain, Be Ready To Go, Never Quit and Expect to Win serve as the foundation for their outreach programs and are based on the experiences and successes of the Tuskegee Airmen. The CAF Red Tail Squadron is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization part of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). Learn more at www.redtail.org. The apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's older half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, at Kuala Lumpur Airport on Monday seems intended to remove an ongoing political embarrassment and potential leadership problem for the North Korean regime. According to South Korean media, Kim Jong-nam was travelling on a valid passport in the name of Kim Chol. Early reports say Kim, 45, was attacked by two women suspected to be North Korean agents using a chemical spray in the airport's shopping concourse. It was obviously quick-acting because Kim died on the way to hospital. South Korea's national news agency, Yonhap, reported that the North's intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, carried out the assassination. The bureau is North Korea's premier intelligence organisation, responsible for covert external operations. It has been associated with multiple attacks, including the 1968 attempt on South Korean president Park Chung-hee, the 1983 attempted assassination of South Korean president Chun Doo-hwan in Rangoon that left 21 dead, the 1987 downing of Korean Air flight 858 killing 115 people, and the 2010 attempt on high-ranking North Korean defector Hwang Jang-yeop in South Korea. The family of a young woman who drowned at a Sydney beach this week have organised a fundraiser to take her body back to Nepal, as her friend remains missing. Shristi Bhandari, 23, was found on the northern end of Maroubra Beach by a jogger at 6am on Tuesday morning. She had arrived in Sydney just two weeks earlier to study a Masters of Accounting as an international student. Friends said Ms Bhandari went to the beach with her friend Sudeep Uprety, 26, who is also from Nepal, on Monday night. The New Zealand city of Christchurch declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after a bushfire destroyed houses in its suburbs and forced hundreds of people to flee from their homes. The military were called in to help battle the blaze in the city's southern Port Hills district. A line of fire burns across the Port Hills, south of Christchurch, on Wednesday evening. Credit:Alden Williams/Fairfax NZ Two to three houses are known to have fallen victim to the blaze in the Worsley Spur area. An earlier police estimate that as many as 40 homes had "been lost" to the flames has been dramatically revised down. Washington: Russia has secretly deployed a new cruise missile despite complaints from US officials that it violates a landmark arms control treaty that helped seal the end of the Cold War, administration officials say. The ground-launched cruise missile at the centre of US concerns is one that the Obama administration said in 2014 had been tested in violation of a 1987 treaty that bans US and Russian intermediate-range missiles based on land. The Obama administration had sought to persuade the Russians to correct the violation while the missile was still in the test phase. A Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber on a cruise missile attack mission on targets in Syria. Credit:AP Instead Russia has moved ahead with the system, deploying a fully operational unit. Trump administration officials said the Russians now have two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile. One is still located at Russia's missile test site at Kapustin Yar in southern Russia near Volgograd. The other was shifted in December from that test site to an operational base elsewhere in the country, according to a senior official who did not provide further details and requested anonymity to discuss recent intelligence reports about the missile. A humanitarian issue International community should put pressure on Bhutan to uphold the refugees right to return home Gangalal heart centre set to expand services to mid-western region Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre (SGNHC) is set to expand its medical services to the mid-western region. Govt appoints seven experts to NPC The government has appointed seven experts to the National Population Council. Is Mars Really a Place for Humans? Question Discussed at WSU Event February 14, 2017 OGDEN, Utah Although a case can be made for human and robotic exploration in space, there is no compelling rationale for "putting down roots" anywhere off Earth, according to an astrodynamics expert who will present his analysis at Weber State University, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in Tracy Hall Science Center Room 234. Daniel Adamos 90-minute presentation is titled Questioning the Surface of Mars as the 21st Century's Ultimate Pioneering Destination in Space. Humans are pushing up against the limits of our planet, said John Sohl, WSU physics professor. A common suggestion is moving to Mars, the only other planet in our solar system that might be an option. But does that actually make sense? If anyone knows what is required to get humans to Mars, it would be Dan Adamo. Adamo is recognized for his human space-flight trajectory design and operations. He worked as a NASA-Johnson Space Center contractor for 29 years. During that time, he served as flight lead for 10 shuttle missions and as primary U.S. trajectory point-of-contact with Russian counterparts during the Shuttle-Mir and International Space Station joint operations. Since retiring in 2008, Adamo has conducted astrodynamic research and consulted for NASA, the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Keck Institute for Space Studies. His 90-minute presentation at Weber State will question why the surface of Mars is widely accepted as humanity's future home away from home. Science fiction movies and literature have helped lend credibility and allure to the idea. Nearly 200,000 people have registered as willing to attempt forming a permanent colony on Mars. Adamo has found no evidence in his research that humans could survive on the surface of Mars long term, let alone thrive and populate. If humans were able to colonize another place in space, Mars would not be the most logical option. Research about our solar system suggests small bodies such as asteroids and the moons of Mars are humanity's best hope for pioneering off Earth this century, Sohl said. The community is invited to the free event, which is sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and WSUs Department of Physics HARBOR program. Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University. Welcome to Weird Science DC Comics, the DC Comics site for the common man and woman. We love comics and hope you do too. Remember, our reviews are only one persons opinion and doesnt mean you have to agree or disagree, just be you. Fort Polk, LA (71446) Today Cloudy early with partial sunshine expected late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early, then becoming foggy and damp later at night. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. High Court judge to lead transitional justice court A three-member Transitional Justice Special Court, to be known simply as Special Court, has been proposed to look into incidents that occurred during the decade-long insurgency. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 14, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 14, 2017 | 04:57 PM | PADUCAH, KY It was moving day Tuesday for five babies and their families into the new John and Loree Eckstein NICU at Baptist Health. The unit celebrated its grand opening on Monday, and Hospital President William A. Brown told a crowd of over 600 people, James 1:17 reminds us, Every good and perfect gift is from above, so our hearts are full of gratitude to God for the many gifts represented here. With a beautiful new facility, scores of dedicated caregivers and hundreds of families we have been blessed to serve. On Monday, visitors toured the new $3.2 million neonatal intensive care unit, which is three times larger than the original unit. But on Tuesday, the unit began serving its purpose as babies moved in, Lead gift donor John Eckstein said his family chose to donate after touring the former space and new unit. I am amazed at the level of care that Baptist Health can provide for these babies and am excited to know how many more families can now receive these services, allowing their families to stay close to home, he said. More than 1,000 families have benefited from the local service, which started in 2011 with six licensed beds and is now licensed for 14. We can care for more babies now and provide more privacy and bonding space for their families, said Neonatologist Ed ONeill, MD. Mother & Baby Care, including the NICU, is one of four hospital service areas to benefit from a comprehensive capital campaign announced last month by Baptist Health Foundation Paducah; other areas are cancer, heart and outreach. The campaign has raised $7.6 million toward a $10 million goal. To contribute or get more information, phone 270-575-2871 or see SupportBaptistHealth.org/Paducah. Japan govt pledges Rs 4.52 billion grant for water supply in Pokhara The Japan government has pledged a grant assistance of up to Rs 4.529 billion for the improvement of water supply project in Pokhara, Kaski district. By WestKyStar & Pam Spencer, City of Paducah Feb. 14, 2017 | 07:15 PM | PADUCAH, KY Ordinances Related to Annexation of 2901 and 2905 Lone Oak Road and 2825 Maryland Street will be voted on February 21. A municipal order was approved for an encroachment agreement with Musselman Properties, LLC allowing the use of a pre-existing concrete platform and the construction of new stairs encroaching on the eastern right-of-way of Labelle Avenue. This encroachment is adjacent to the property owned by Musselman Properties located at 3121 Broadway, which is the former Coke plant. Ordinances for contracts were introduced for vote on February 21: Agreement with Federal Materials for concrete ready-mix to be used for various construction and street repair projects for 2017-2018. Agreement with Brehm Striping Company for the 2017-2018 pavement marking contract. Agreement with Danny Cope & Sons for the 2017-2018 equipment rental contract. City Manager Jeff Pederson explained that the proposed contracts for the Storm Water Master Plan and Phase II of the Noble Park Lake Bank Stabilization Project will be coming before the Board later this month. He also explained that the list of capital improvement projects is being generated with the internal rating process to begin soon. Staff is working to identify a first phase of improvements for City Hall and a first phase of equipment upgrades for the 911 Center. During its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Paducah Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance to amend city codes that will streamline the application and administration process for areas where artists can set up to sell or demonstrate their artwork.The areas that artists can use are the downtown gazebo at 2nd and Broadway, and the Texaco Station Information Center at the corner of North 7th and Madison Streets.The ordinance also outlines the fees and the regulations for a guest permit and an artist permit. Artists will be filing their applications through the Planning Department.Mayor Brandi Harless said, The art-a-la-carte program has been an important part of getting more art downtown.Paducah Main Street Director Melinda Winchester said, The art and artists add so much to our street life.Additional actions taken during the meeting included:Andrew Wiggins was appointed to the Paducah Human Rights Commission.Roger Truitt was reappointed to the Commissioners of Water Works board.Eri Gjergji was appointed to the Paducah Board of Adjustment. Advertisement By Adam Morton Feb. 14, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY By Adam Morton Feb. 14, 2017 | 07:01 PM | PADUCAH, KY On Tuesday, Paducah city commissioners introduced two ordinances related to the annexation of the area located at 2901 and 2905 Lone Oak Road, and at 2825 Maryland Street. The property, owned by Tri-State Construction Company, is just south of Banks Market. The owner plans to construct a 13,550 square foot retail strip center on the nearly two-acre parcel. Last November, the city received a request for annexation from Tri-State. At its January 24 meeting, the board approved the intent to annex the property. Commissioner Sandra Wilson said, "I think it's great." Both Wilson and Mayor Brandi Harless expressed thanks to city planning director Steve Ervin for his hard work on this project. Ervin clarified the process. "After that intent to annex ordinance was adopted, we went to the planning commission with a map amendment or zone change. A public hearing was held on February 5 and the planning commission has made a positive recommendation to the city commission." At Tuesday's meeting, commissioners introduced the final annexation ordinance and introduced the ordinance to change the zoning to Highway Business District (HBD). When property is annexed into the city, it receives an automatic Low Density Residential (R-1) zoning. Changing its zoning to the HBD zone is a continuation of the zoning of the adjacent parcels. When the land was part of the city of Lone Oak, it was zoned as commercial property. The final vote to adopt the adopt the ordinance is scheduled for the next meeting. 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 Feb. 15, 2017 | 06:37 AM | GILBERTSVILLE, KY A Marshall County man faces theft and gun charges after his arrest on Monday. According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched Monday afternoon to a property on Terrace Hills Road. Deputies said the property appeared to be in foreclosure, for sale and empty. A man was found loading items into the trunk of his vehicle. Deputies said the man was armed with a pistol and a fixed blade knife. The man told police that he had permission to be on the property and to take the items. But deputies said when they questioned him, he was unable to tell them who owned the property. Deputies arrested 25-year-old Tacody A. Strader of Benton and charged him with carrying a concealed weapon and theft by unlawful taking under $500. All clear after semi crashes blocked I-24 Caldwell County; semi crashes also blocked detour route By The Associated Press Feb. 14, 2017 | 04:36 PM | FRANKFORT, KY The Kentucky Senate has passed a bill that would lead to tougher penalties for people convicted of trafficking in smaller amounts of heroin or fentanyl. Senators voted 36-0 Tuesday to send the measure to the House. Republican Sen. John Schickel says his bill would end lighter punishments for people dealing small amounts of heroin. He says what's been missing in the debate regarding heroin-related punishment is the role of personal responsibility. Under the bill, people convicted a first time of trafficking in any amount of heroin or fentanyl would be guilty of a Class C felony, punishable by five to 10 years in prison. Under current law, people face lighter penalties if they're convicted of trafficking less than two grams of the drug. By WestKyStar & UT Martin Staff Feb. 14, 2017 | 06:14 PM | MARTIN, TN The Call me MiSTER program, originally founded at Clemson University in 2000, is a leadership program that seeks to provide future teachers from diverse backgrounds with the tools and support needed to pursue successful careers in elementary and middle schools across the nation. MiSTER stands for Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models, and the program is geared toward future teachers from under-served, socioeconomically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities. Program participants are provided with UT Martin tuition assistance and room and board. Applicants must be Tennessee residents and be accepted to UT Martin and enrolled to study early childhood education, special education or middle grades education. Students must also have a composite ACT score of at least 21, be eligible for the Tennessee Hope Scholarship Program and complete an application process. MiSTER Scholars are required to live on campus with fellow program participants as part of the Call Me MiSTER living-learning community and maintain a minimum 2.75 overall GPA and a full-time course load. Program graduates are also required to teach one year in a Tennessee public school for each year of assistance provided by the Call Me MiSTER program. Education is perhaps the most powerful and transformative tool that we have at our disposal, said Dr. Louis Glover, program director and professor of curriculum and instruction. My belief is that teachers can truly change the world through their daily interactions with the next generation of leaders within their classrooms. Years later, I can still remember the impact that certain teachers had not only upon my retention of the subject matter being taught, but also upon my worldview. UT Martin is the first and only chartered provider of the Call me MiSTER program in Tennessee. A complete list of required application materials can be found at utm.edu/departments/mister. For more information, contact the UT Martin College of Education, Health and Behavioral Sciences at 731-881-7125 or by email at cwest@utm.edu. The University of Tennessee at Martin will be home to an official branch of the Call me MiSTER program beginning with the fall 2017 semester. Applications are being accepted for the first cohort and will be considered until the program is full. South Korea confirms death of Kim Jong-nam South Korea has confirmed the killing of the brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, saying it could be a sign of the brutality of Pyongyang. Maoist students 'abduct' campus chief, his assistant in Kailali Chief and assistant chief of the Lamki Multiple Campus in Lamki, Kailali, were allegedly abducted by students afiliated to the Netra Bikram Chand-led All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) on Wednesday. Mamata Banerjee carves out Kalimpong from Darjeeling, declares it a separate district A new district of Kalimpong was on Tuesday carved out of Darjeeling, which has seen separate statehood demands since 1980s, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee making the formal announcement in Kalimpong. Manage security for FSU election, Minister Nidhi tells security chiefs Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi on Wednesday directed the chiefs of all security agencies to manage security for Free Student Union (FSU) election to be held on February 25. Messy policing In a last-minute decision taken just the day before Inspector General Upendra Kant Aryals tenure came to an end, the government on Monday evening appointed Additional Inspector General Dinesh Chandra Pokhrel as the officiating chief of Nepal Police. It has been a messy affair already. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/02/2017 (2090 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When EPH Apparel was formed seven years ago, its three young partners were clearly focused on initiating its peer group 22-to-35 year-old men to the concept of well-fitted, stylish suits at an affordable price. Thats worked well. Last year, it was ranked as the fastest growing company in Manitoba over the past five years with a 1,393 per cent growth rate over that time and the 58th fastest in the country by Profit Magazine. PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS EPH Apparel owners Andrew Parkes, Maciek Hunek and Alex Ethans in their new storefront on Smith Street at St Mary Avenue. It just opened a new, much bigger Winnipeg storefront operation in the Antares building (formerly Place Louis Riel) and by the summer will have a second location in Calgary opened. And this spring its launching a new web-site with the hopes of cracking into the international market with an automation feature that will let people buy a custom suit on-line. That will sound preposterous to some who would even try to buy a custom made suit on-line, sight unseen? But on-line shopping has broken through many barriers and Alex Ethans and his partners Andrew Parkes and Maciek Hunek believe the proposition of purchasing the best fitting suit in your life without getting out of your chair will be attractive to many. And theyve figured out a way to do it. We are watching the under-30 customer base, Ethans said. They are more willing to purchase on line and much more willing to take out the human element when it comes to making a purchase. They are happy to deal with a computer and a box that comes to the front door. Working with an IT consultant they have used the data from their 30,000 existing customers to design an algorithm that will spit out the right sizing to the same level of accuracy as a representative in their showroom after the customer answers just five easy questions about their size and dimensions. If it works and they believe it will it will mean that they can service customers around the world. It might not be for me or you and thats why we will still have our network of style consultants and storefronts to shop in another fashion, he said, But as we watch the world change and the future of how young people shop we need to be moving with the times. With the possibility of marketing on-line to say, engaged couples, or men aged 22-30 who attend a certain university, they can conceivably target the customer base they already know in Winnipeg and Calgary and Regina. We know what our market is now and if we can target lookalike markets in other cities we can follow that momentum and try to replicate it in those cities, he said. They are now experienced enough to know that a custom-made suit made in their two factories in Shenzhen, China will not be have exactly the right fit all the time. (EPH Apparel provides a $75 alteration credit and will provides 100 per cent rebates when it just doesnt work.) With annual sales in the $2 million-to-$5 million range, the company now has 32 commissioned sales reps based in all the major cities across the country that do personal fittings at offices or homes. After only seven years in operation with several competitors already come and gone EPH believes it has become the price leader in the custom made suit business in the country starting as low as $300 up to Italian wool suits for $650. Now they are leveraging investments in back office operations to take a run at the exponential growth that requires the right IT to pull off. We consider ourselves a technology company as much as a fashion company, said Ethans. But the company also has the old fashioned bootstrap style of being entirely self-funded with carefully managed growth along with lean operations. Were lucky to have some success, Ethans said. We have conversations about whether we need to move faster and we worry about the competition and we will always have those conversations. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/02/2017 (2090 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba could suffer an economic slowdown unless the Pallister government starts spending money on major capital projects, the Business Council of Manitoba warned Tuesday. When you hold up (building) hospitals, schools, you run the risk of having a dip. When you start curtailing health, schools, universities, you do have a ripple effect, said Don Leitch, the business councils president and CEO. If it continues too long, youre going to get a slowdown. Right now, the emerging weak spot is the public sector, he said. Leitch said hydro megaprojects in northern Manitoba and private sector developments such as the True North downtown project have been giving construction and the trades a lot of work. But the industry has been telling the Pallister government that Manitoba needs predictable, stable public capital spending so that its not hurt when the private sector projects slow down, Leitch said. Lots of organizations have been encouraging the government to commit, he said. Its not just a matter of the province saving money money for capital projects helps pay salaries that are spent locally; the money buys goods and materials, and the projects and employees pay taxes back to the province, he said. Its the total real experience in the economy thats the driver. Multipliers can be negative, when you take (money) out. WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The True North Square construction site along Graham Ave. and Carlton St. Private sector developments such as the True North downtown project have been giving construction and the trades a lot of work. $1 billion in spending on hold The Pallister government hase placed every promised NDP initiative under review, vowing to reduce spending and get the provincial deficit under control. Last week, the province put on hold what it said amounted to $1 billion worth of health projects, including $300 million for the long-awaited new CancerCare Manitoba building. NDP-promised new schools for Waterford Green in northwest Winnipeg and south Brandon are on hold, while every university and community college has projects on the books for tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars worth of capital projects, Leitch said. Some projects, such as the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Manitoba Museum, depend on matching grants along with their own fundraising, he said, adding it is ironic the former NDP government would provide capital funding and wait for Ottawa; now Ottawa has grants but is waiting for Manitoba to match the money. If you starve your system of capital for even a few years, you see a deterioration, Leitch said. Other provinces with large projects under way are always a magnet if you let capital slip, youll lose talent here. Some projects warranted and needed Ron Hambley, president of the Winnipeg Construction Association, said because of the pause on several public sector projects, the first-half of 2017 is shaping up to be a challenge for his industry. Certainly there was some infrastructure, specifically roadwork, announced a few months back it was quite a bit less than what we were told to expect (in both Winnipeg and in the rest of Manitoba). So, were watching that one carefully, he said. Hambley said its no surprise that the new government would take a hard look at past commitments and that some projects wouldnt make the grade. But some are obviously warranted and needed, he said, citing two Winnipeg personal care home projects that are ready for tender. The Free Press reported last week that the two proposed 120-bed centres could be in doubt because they exceed newly instituted provincial cost guidelines. WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Don Leitch Hambley said theres been considerable private-sector investment in the city, and the federal government has been keen on rapid transit and other projects, but provincial construction spending is also crucial. The (project review) process has gone on for quite some time now so were eagerly anticipating the projects that they do announce, he said of the Pallister government. Chris Lorenc, president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, said its important that the Progressive Conservatives keep their promise to spend $1 billion annually on strategic infrastructure. He defined strategic infrastructure as streets, highways, bridges, sewer and water projects and drainage. I think if we start to see wading pools and parks and things like that (included) that should be cause for alarm, he said. Delaying investments and re-investments in core infrastructure may be easy to do, but such an approach creates substantial costs and economic harm down the road, Lorenc said. Pennywise but pound foolish You can be pennywise but extremely pound foolish, if you delay that (in) which you should be investing. If a slowdown in public-sponsored construction caused skilled trades people to seek greener pastures, it could be difficult to lure them back, said Sudhir Sandhu, CEO of the Manitoba Building Trades and Allied Hydro Council, which represents more than 7,000 workers. Its so short-sighted, Sandhu said. You can actually exacerbate the situation. Sandhu said the construction trades are very mobile, and if there arent jobs here, therell be jobs elsewhere. Were at the tail end of the previous projects were at risk of disrupting the continuity of work. People will leave; theyve left before, they will leave again. Youll pay a premium to get them back. nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The Keeyask Dam project site near Gillam. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 15/02/2017 (2090 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. It was the end of the line for an otherwise uneventful route that had seen every passenger save for one quietly exit the bus without incident. But when veteran Winnipeg Transit driver Irvine Jubal Fraser went to rouse the young, scrawny man who had remained on board early Tuesday, he had no idea it was about to cost him his life. Fraser, 58, was stabbed to death in a senseless attack that has stunned family, friends and colleagues. A 22-year-old man is in custody following a dramatic arrest shortly after the slaying that put the life of a Winnipeg police officer in peril. Theres no reason why this should have happened, not at all, Nelson Giesbrecht, a 19-year bus driver who knew Fraser well, told the Free Press. My fellow brother was murdered for doing his job last night. Fraser was an "easy-going" veteran driver who wasnt concerned about ensuring riders had the proper fare, Giesbrecht said. Other drivers spoke of Frasers well-known sense of humour. He died after a confrontation with the last passenger on his bus on the University of Manitoba campus as it hit the end of its route. The attack occurred just before 2 a.m. at Dafoe Road West and Gillson Street. FACEBOOK PHOTO Irvine Jubal Fraser A police source told the Free Press on Tuesday what is believed to have occurred. The suspect was with a group of friends who had been on the bus for some time. They were believed to be intoxicated, either from alcohol, drugs or both. At some point, all of the mans friends got off the bus. But for reasons unknown, the suspect stayed behind. As the route came to an end, Fraser noticed the man still seated. He put the bus in park and went to the back, telling the man hed have to leave. "Wheres my buddies?" the suspect asked, according to the police source. Fraser told the man theyd already left and hed now have to follow. At some point he apparently put his hands on the man in an attempt to escort him off, which prompted the suspect to lash out. "He spit on (the bus driver)," said the police source. Fraser then grabbed the man and was in the process of pulling him off the bus when the man pulled out a large knife and began slashing and stabbing away. It was an extremely violent attack, one that left a large pool of blood near the front of the bus and resulted in Frasers arm nearly being severed, according to the police source. Fraser was rushed to hospital in critical condition but doctors were unable to save his life. A student in the U of Ms Asper School of Business rushing to catch the last bus to his home on campus arrived at the scene shortly after the attack and was still clearly traumatized later in the day. I didnt witness the killing but I saw the body. It was in a pool of blood, said the international student, who did not want his name published, adding campus security were already at the scene when he got there. For me, I was thinking hes dead already. My view was to run away, thinking the murderer should be around. I went over on the river side and this morning, I heard that the suspect was caught around there. Thats the way I ran so Im terrified right now. BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A blood-soaked sidewalk remains as police investigate at the scene of a fatal stabbing of a bus driver at the University of Manitoba. Witnesses pointed officers, who were being led by the canine unit, in the direction of the Red River, where a suspect trying to cross to the St. Vital side was arrested and taken into custody. The suspect is known to police, the source said. Following the arrest, an officer returned to the river to continue investigating and fell through the ice. Other officers were able to get a rope to him and pulled him out of the water. He was not injured. Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth said at a police press conference Tuesday that the suspect was the lone passenger on the bus. It is not known how the attack began. "It is a shocking story any time a public servant is killed while working, whether thats police, fire or in this instance, a public transit driver," Smyth said. "Our heart goes out to all of the public servants that are out there doing their job every day. We dont think things like this are going to happen." Dave Wardrop, former Transit director and the citys new chief transportation and utilities officer, said the full-time drivers slaying is unprecedented. This is a very difficult day, obviously, for everybody, both at the City of Winnipeg and certainly within Winnipeg Transit, Wardrop said, adding assaults on public transportation are a problem across North America. We know how difficult it is. We encourage everyone to focus on the job at hand, on the service we need to deliver on a daily basis, and continue on. Flags outside civic buildings were lowered to half-mast. "Our thoughts and condolences are with Jubals loved ones and friends. All of us at Winnipeg Transit are shocked and saddened, and are struggling to come to terms with this news," Transit acting director Greg Ewankiw said in a statement published on the unions website. U of M spokesman John Danakas said the suspect had no apparent association with the university. "This is a horrible, tragic event," Danakas said. "Winnipeg Transit drivers provide an invaluable service to the University of Manitoba day-in and day-out." Danakas said services available to students, such as counselling, are outlined on the U of M website. Story includes files from: Ashley Prest, Mike McIntyre, Bill Redekop, Aldo Santin, Boris Minkevich, Mia Rabson, Kevin Rollason and Scott Emmerson Minnesota legislators are attempting again to address rising levels of student debt. Both the Senate and House will be receiving bills similar to the tax credit proposal included in the failed 2016 tax bill. Provisions in that bill would have provided tax credits of up to $1,000 for college graduates paying off student loans. On Monday, Sen. Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, proposed a bill that would allow a refundable income tax credit of up to $1,000 for people paying more than 10 percent of their income to student loans. Miller said the bill complimented other efforts to reduce costs for students attending college. Were always looking for ways to make higher education more affordable, Miller said. But we should also work to help the folks who have already been through college and are struggling to pay back their student loans. In a 2016 press release, Miller said the refunds wer estimated to save debtors $37.2 million in 2018 and $38.1 million in 2019. Millers bill would allow the taxpayer and their spouse to both claim the credit. Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, sponsored a similar bill in the House to make higher education students eligible for a $500 to $1,000 tax credit toward loan or interest payments. His included stipulations allocating the tax credits based on the individuals job. It would allow both members of a married couple to claim the credit, but it couldnt be more than a taxpayers entire income for a year. Other, competing, bills giving larger breaks to students through tax credits have been introduced as well. Sen. Greg Clausen, DFL-Apple Valley, co-authored a bill that would give students up to $5,000 in tax credits. The funding for the bills would come from the states general fund. Minnesota ranks fifth in the nation for number of people with student debt, and sixth for the average amount debtors owe, according the Institute for College Access and Success. Seventy percent of the adults graduate with student debt, with an average debt load of about $30,000 for the holder of a bachelors degree. To address rising student debt, last year lawmakers floated ideas that included establishing a $10 million program to offer up to $3,000 a year to graduates who commit to work full-time in Greater Minnesota. Another was more specific and would have used $500,000 to offer loan refinancing for specific financial emergencies, such as a permanent disability or death of a spouse. Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, predicted that, like last year, lawmakers would include some relief, after they agree upon the amounts and strategies for allocating the money. Im confident some version of this will end up in the final tax bill, Pelowski said. This is a huge issue nationwide and its a huge issue in Minnesota. Minnesota ranks fifth in the nation for number of people with student debt. Murder convict jailed after 36 years A convict in 1980 Bheridanda murder case has been sent behind bars 36 years after the crime that took place in Rukum district. Dhana Bahadur Khatri, 60, of Rungha-6, was arrested and jailed, local police said. College students have always worried about the Big Talk they might need to have with their parents. In 1847, a student at the University of Pennsylvania might have had to explain to his parents that he joined one of the literary societies, which, on the eve of the Civil War, debated the role of slavery while pistols lay on the lectern. In the 1960s, college students were worried about their parents discovering they were having sex. In the 1970s, college students worried that wed have to tell our parents that not only that were we having sex, but that we were having it with people of a different color, or from a different background or of the same sex. You know what the Big Talk is for todays students? You know what theyre afraid to reveal to their parental units? The current topic for the Big Talk is telling their parents that theyre going to major in the humanities. Apparently what people are really terrified of is that their kid is going to end up in the humanities. They think that an English major, for example, is not specialized enough; they think English is something everybody can do. One of my students said his father asked, How is an English major going to help you? You already speak the language. Thats as narrow as thinking that anybody could major in biology because you already have a body, or major in math because you know how to count. Its not a valid argument, and English majors would know that, because we know how to make or counter an argument. Although practical experience and the direct application of knowledge are the result of any good education, theyre not necessarily what is most significant about it. The importance of a good education, especially one heavy in the humanities, is about being able to survey, understand and either strengthen or dismantle the apparatus that underlies our civilization, culture and society. Only a sense of context informed by history, the ability to understand competing philosophies and an intellectual curiosity can permit us to confront unexamined systemic injustice, manufactured falsehoods and the electing of a meme into a position of enormous political power. Not that Im bitter. Taking a lot of selfies doesnt mean you live an examined life, and youll remember hearing that an unexamined life is not worth living. That line isnt from Stephen Colbert or Lady Gaga by the way; its Socrates via Plato. Were in danger of losing our hold on a shared culture because we no longer have a shared basis of knowledge or basis to assess what has actual value. For example, just because you get a lot of retweets doesnt mean your ideas are original, judicious or accurate. One of the most interesting new presences on Twitter is called @HalfanOnioninaBag, which is exactly what its name indicates. It was created only to garner more Twitter followers than Donald Trump and, in its brief life, it has amassed 768,000 of them. One terrific aspect of a humanities education is that is allows you to distinguish irony, satire and humor from what is serious. You can distinguish a fraudcast from a broadcast. Is language important enough to deserve study? Why dont we just listen to what people mean behind the words? Because how we envision the world depends on how we construct our description of it. Language makes you see things in a certain way and once youve seen it that way, you cant unsee it. Words can be as irrevocable as an action. They can cut as deeply as a surgeons scalpel. So what can you do with an English major? The quick answer is: Anything you please. English majors, who know how to read carefully, think critically, write brilliantly, argue convincingly and speak with wit, panache and a vocabulary wide enough to include the word panache are in leadership positions in every field. Whether in government, academics, business, technology, medicine, the law, teaching, writing or the fine arts, graduates who hold bachelors degrees in English have the erudition, confidence and skills to organize and articulate the worlds most interesting and vital ideas. You can write this down: Our future depends on them. Since its founding in St. Paul in 1982, Pheasants Forever (PF) has been at the forefront of upland habitat conservation in Minnesota and nationally. Today the groups 149,000 members including 17,000 who belong to its sister organization, Quail Forever have conserved about 16 million acres of wildlife habitat. The groups will host their national Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic from Friday through Sunday at the Minneapolis Convention Center, expecting some 30,000 attendees. Heres a look through the years at PF, at the federal governments fluctuating Conservation Reserve Program and Minnesotas correspondingly fluctuating pheasant population: 1982: Meetings of what will become PFs first board of directors are held with then-DNR wildlife chief Roger Holmes to gather support for a Minnesota pheasant stamp to be required of hunters. Holmes urges a portion of sales, if the stamp is approved by the Legislature, to be sent to a wildlife lobbying group in Washington to push for a multiyear federal farmland set-aside program. Meanwhile, PF incorporates on Aug. 5, 1982. In addition to myself, the first directors include Russ Anderson of Clinton, Minn. (no relation); and Cecil Bell, Norb Berg, Bud Berger, Ted Berger, Walt Bruning, Chuck and Loral I Delaney, Jeff Finden, Bob Naegele, Dave Vesall and Bob Larson, all of the Twin Cities. 1983: PF holds its first banquet at the old Prom Ballroom on University Ave. in St. Paul. Some 800 people attend, including Gov. Rudy Perpich, who signs the pheasant stamp bill into law. About $25,000 is netted at the banquet, with proceeds used to hire PFs first executive director, Jeff Finden. 1985: PF grows to 12 chapters and 1,000 members, including its first Iowa chapter. The groups fast growth is fueled by a unique funding arrangement that allows chapters to keep most money they raise for local habitat work. Meanwhile, Congress includes the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a five-year cropland set-aside plan, in its 1985 farm bill. CRP results from a marriage of conservation interests, spearheaded by PF and others, and the governments desire to pump cash into a struggling farm economy. 1990: In its habitat efforts, PF attempts to leverage a long and glorious Minnesota pheasant-hunting tradition. In 1958, about 1.5 million pheasants were harvested in Minnesota. And in 1961, the state had 270,000 ringneck hunters a number that by 1972 had plunged to 47,000, due to declining bird numbers. In 1982, when PF was formed, only 265,000 pheasants were killed by hunters. But with the advent of CRP about 1.7 million acres are enrolled in 1990 pheasant numbers rise. The pheasant harvest climbs to 483,000. 2000: PFs membership continues to increase nationally, rising to about 90,000. The groups leadership changes, with Howard Vincent, formerly PFs chief financial officer, replacing Finden, who retired. CRP acres decline slightly, to 1.46 million, as does Minnesotas ringneck harvest, to 375,000. Hunter numbers remain relatively healthy at 100,000. 2005: Mild winters and expanding PF habitat work contribute to an upswing in state ringnecks. The DNR August roadside survey yields some of the highest counts in 20 years: 101 birds spotted per 100 miles in 2005; 115 in 2006; and 106 in 2007. State CRP acres top 1.7 million. Hunters respond, with almost 119,000 strolling the states uplands in 2006. Meanwhile, PF has collectively tallied more than 5 million acres of habitat work nationally, and in 2008, the national Pheasant Fest in St. Paul attracts nearly 30,000. 2010: Minnesotas pheasant population and harvest show signs of weakening. In 2006-08, about 600,000 roosters are taken by hunters in each season. But by 2010, the August survey reveals just 63 birds per 100 miles, down from the 115-per-100-mile peak in 2006. Hunter numbers also fall, to around 90,000. Tough winters are to blame in part. But CRP acres decline to about 1.4 million in 2010. The reasons: Rules for the program tighten, and the USDA allows fewer acres to be included. Commodity prices also are about to swing upward a combination that will undercut Minnesota pheasants. Yet PF remains resilient, with membership rising to 118,000 and an additional 7,000 joining Quail Forever, the group PF founded in 2005. 2017: As PF prepares for its national Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic this weekend at the Minneapolis Convention Center, it reports record membership of more than 140,000 in 740 chapters in the U.S. and Canada. For the fifth consecutive year, it has been given top marks by charity overseers. Also, with other conservation groups, PF is preparing to help mold the next federal farm bill. The effort is important: Fewer than 1 million Minnesota acres remain in CRP, with many due to exit the program in coming years. Encouragingly from a conservation perspective, more farmers are looking to place more of their marginal acres in CRP because of declining commodity prices. Still, money is tight in Washington, and its unclear how CRP will be treated by the Trump administration. The good news: The annual Minnesota ringneck roadside count has risen from 23 per 100 miles in 2011 to 52 in 2016, with the harvest also rising, to 243,000 last year, from 198,000 in 2011. Heres a sign I recently saw: I would like to apologize to anyone I have not yet offended. Please be patient, I will get to you shortly. As the Larry the Cable Guy would say, Thats funny right there, I dont care who ya are! Thanks to the political correctness police we have become an incredibly guarded society. There always is someone standing by to call you out for anything that potentially may offend someone else. Whatever happened to the good old days where it was simply OK to tell a funny, sometimes tasteless, joke in mixed company? And by mixed company, I am referring to cross-racial or cross-cultural company. I get several opportunities a year to speak in front of various groups. As any speaker does, you carry an arsenal of jokes to either break the ice or for use in transition. I told a dinner audience an old joke about a priest and a minister that received negative comments in the feedback. Rather than repeat the entire joke, the offensive part was the punch line, When I got to the commandment about adultery, I remembered where I left my bike. Now, to tell that joke, there is no foul language and the punchline leaves the bulk of the joke to the recipients deduction. To appease every sensibility, I have yet to determine whether I have to remove the Christians from the joke or the word adultery. Maybe I never tell the joke again despite having told that joke hundreds of times before with no rebuke and tons of laughs. Its gotten so bad that our top comedians are avoiding college campuses. Chris Rock told New York magazine in 2014 that the schools simply do not want anybody offended and you cant even be offensive on your way to being inoffensive. Jerry Seinfeld said in a radio interview that other comics warned him not to go near colleges theyre so PC. Even uber-liberal comedian Bill Maher was the victim of a petition against him at the University of California-Berkley. The universities are busy setting up safe spaces and developing lists of potentially offensive words, all they while creating a culture of intolerance in their protectionist bubbles of tolerance. Comedy always has been on the cutting edge of political commentary. Remember the topical satire and sexual innuendo of Martin & Rowans Laugh-In? Considered cutting edge at the time, its mild by todays standards. If they attempted to replicate their show today, it probably wouldnt make it. Who could forget when George Carlin was arrested in 1972 for violating obscenity laws in Milwaukee for reciting his Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television? It made him a campus favorite. One has to wonder if he still were alive whether he would be allowed on campus. After all, he was known to tell a sexist joke or two. Were losing that cutting edge of comedy. A well-told joke not only makes you laugh, it can make you think. Not all jokes are designed for in-depth analysis, but it was, after all, Saturday Night Live that made it acceptable to make fun of the President of the United States on national television. This topical humor extended into our homes, too. When I was a kid growing up, I vividly remember the melting pot that was my grandpa Macs dining room in Kenosha. As the last stop before the Simmons Island boat launch, there always were people coming and going. Guys with nicknames like Curly and Charlie Carp often could be found at the dinner table sharing stories, telling jokes, and insulting each other in jest. They were Irish, Polish, black, and more. The jokes and stories they told around that table couldnt be repeated today. They usually were poking each other as they teased profusely. Imagine poking fun at a Mick, a Polack, and a black man (I never heard the n-word). These men dined together, they laughed together, and in times of sorrow, they cried together. They were best friends who embraced not just themselves, but each other. They were never offended. Were losing touch with who we are as neighbors, and friends, simply because of political correctness and the thought police. I am not recommending people become uber-offensive, but we can lighten up a bit and learn to laugh with each other again. Lets get our humor back. Or as Bill Engvall would say, Heres your sign. President Donald Trump's executive order blocking people from seven Muslim countries from entering the United States fails to clarify or categorize the profession of the people who are prevented from coming. Unfortunately, there will be a direct effect on doctors, researchers, medical students and nurses who are seeking to come here for training or employment. The order, which has been put on hold by federal courts and may be revised, blocks individuals from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days. Before it was put on hold, the order caused much chaos at U.S. airports. Two doctors who were returning from Yemen were detained and denied entry. There are approximately 900,000 physicians in the active delivery of medical care in the United States, which is predicted to have a shortage of about 100,000 doctors by the year 2025. About 186,000 of our doctors are international medical graduates doctors who attended medical school abroad and then came here to practice. Approximately 50,000 are Muslim physicians who are immigrants. This number does not include American citizens who went to school in the United States and are Muslims. Muslim doctors are contributing to the U.S. economy in many ways. They are providing health care and are doing research in graduate medical education facilities, where they are either residents or fellows. They are involved in relief work here in the states and abroad. Physicians who are Muslims come from several parts of the world. Most of them come from the following countries: India 8,000, Pakistan 11,000, Egypt 4,900, Iran 4,500, Syria 3,500 and Lebanon 2,800. International medical graduate distribution is as high as 51 percent in some parts of the United States. These doctors are providing care to the needy in the inner cities, rural areas and metropolitan cities. New Jersey, New York, Florida and Illinois have the highest concentration of the international medical graduates. About 30 percent of the applications to take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination are from international medical graduates. In 2015, the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates granted certificates to practice in the U.S. to 225 doctors from Egypt, 1,093 from India, 230 from Iran, 104 from Iraq, 198 from Jordan, 148 from Lebanon, 765 from Pakistan, 148 from Saudi Arabia, 84 from Sudan, 116 from Syria and 90 from Turkey. A ban on Muslim immigration that includes physicians would create a deficit in graduate medical education, resident and fellowship programs. International medical graduates are filling a large number of first-year residency positions in the U.S. for example, 42 percent of positions in internal medicine, 26 percent in emergency medicine, and 51 percent in family practice. This year 260 doctors have applied for medical residency programs in the United States from the seven nations affected by the orders 90-day ban. According to a statement from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the executive order would disrupt education and research and would have a damaging long-term impact on patients and health care. Just stopping 260 residency applicants would affect 1 million patients. A clarification of the executive order regarding the medical profession needs immediate attention. It is of the utmost importance to stop terrorism but there is no link between doctors and terrorism. Each life matters and the nation should not be deprived of adequate medical care. Dr. Ayaz M. Samadani has been a family practitioner in Beaver Dam since 1971. He is past chair of the governors Public Health Council and is a past president of the Wisconsin Medical Society. Voters will elect two board members from the field of four when they head to the polls April 4. The seats that are up for election are currently held by Damm, who serves as the boards vice president, and Kevin White, who is the boards president. White is not seeking re-election. Butwal-Gorakhpur cross-border transmission line: Nepal, India to finalise DPR of 400 kVA power line Nepal and India have agreed to finalise the detailed project report (DPR) of the proposed Butwal-Gorakhpur cross-border transmission line prepared by the joint technical team representing both the countries. Portage Elks Lodge No. 675 is proud to announce that Jared Michael of Portage won the Wisconsin Elks State Hoop Shoot contest in Wausau recently and will be representing Wisconsin in the 12- to 13-year-old category at regionals in Iowa City in March. Pictured from left are Elroy the Elk, Jared Michael and Wisconsin Elks State President Rob Radig. A Poynette man, accused of undelivered work and taking collectibles from a retiree, has been ordered to spend nine months in jail and four years on probation after entering a plea of no contest to theft charges. Stephen Corbin, 35, was given a withheld sentence in an emotional hearing Tuesday, in which the daughter of one of the victims testified to profound loss and betrayal from the incident at the heart of one of the two cases Corbin was facing in Columbia County Circuit Court. He is a military veteran who served his country and bravely earned two Purple Hearts; I do not know anyone more patriotic; I do not know anyone I admire more, the woman said of her father. She told the court that her fathers wife died a year ago and he has since dealt with limited mobility, putting energy into family and hobbies, including a coin collection that she described as for his children and grandchildren and his legacy in life. This was a hobby that was started by his dearest mother, she said. There wasnt anything that meant more to him than trying to finish this for his children. It was always so wonderful to see the excitement, the pride he felt touching and cleaning and polishing every coin there was such a sense of sentimentality knowing that he had worked so very hard on each and every coin. And now that has been taken away from us. She told the court that she had found out about the incident in late September when a Madison coin dealer called her to offer condolences. Coins from her fathers collection had been sold there and the only apparent explanation was that he had died. When she checked her fathers safe, she said that she found between $10,000 and $20,000 worth of collectors coins missing. Three books of coins from the collection had been sold at Capital City Coin for $1,500, though the broker admitted that the value would be more than $3,000. Corbin was a suspect as having known about the collection from when the woman, who previously dated Corbin, visited her sick father before he was taken to the hospital. He had an opportunity to be a part of our family, the woman told the court Tuesday. Steve went missing in September 2016 for about a week-and-a-half. He lied to his girlfriend that he had been kidnapped by white supremacists who were beating him and threatening to cut his throat. That was about the time the family received the call from the coin broker leading them to discover several other books of coins missing from a gun cabinet, along with two guns. The items were insured, but only covered to $200 for the coins and $2,500 for the guns. Assistant District Attorney Troy Cross said although Corbin was a suspect in the theft of those items, he could not be charged because he could not be linked to them. Not that I didnt wish to prosecute, Cross said, I just didnt find any evidence. Corbins no contest pleas were to felony theft in the coins case and felony bail jumping in the second case, in which he was charged with misdemeanor theft, accused of agreeing to help a woman in the town of Leeds to install a window in a chicken coop, taking $300 for a window, but never producing the window and after repeated requests, never returning with the money. Speaking on his own behalf, Corbin appeared to be apologetic, telling the court that what might have seemed like a lack of remorse, was his simply not wanting to make matters worse. I wanted to apologize to the victim, but the condition of the bond said no contact with the victim, said Corbin. Ive talked to my girlfriend, who is his daughter, Should I send a letter through you? and (public defender) Mark Gumz said, Absolutely not, that would be bail jumping again. He repeatedly told the court that he messed up, but that he is now working and has an opportunity to get a promotion and do better in the next week. I hope I dont lose this chance of a lifetime, and Id just like to tell her, he said turning to the family sitting in the front row, behind him. Im sorry, but it was a condition of bond. I apologize. Judge Todd Hepler described the case as difficult on a number of levels, with a series of acts that tore a family apart, and not coming forward after being caught. Looking at the big picture it is also important to make amends and that means being able to work, said Hepler. Working from a recommendation of six months in jail with Huber privileges followed by probation, Hepler ordered Corbin to sit nine months in jail, with work release priviledges, but with no opportunity for early release and four years of probation. Corbin is still facing two open cases, accused of felony forgery in Dane County. Opinions varied considerably, but the Portage School Board on Monday approved sending to local lawmakers a resolution in support of repealing state law that prohibits school years from beginning earlier than Sept. 1. Debate over the resolution, which passed 4-3, centered mostly on whether the gesture would be worth the districts effort and, as member Steve Pate put it, if opposing Sen. Luther Olsens position on the issue might spend too much of the districts already limited political capital. Wisconsins Sept. 1 School Start Law has since 2000 prohibited public schools from beginning earlier than Sept. 1. The bill to repeal the law, circulated in the Legislature by state Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, and Sen. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, would allow local school boards to determine when their school years begin. Repeal has been opposed by the states tourism industry, including The Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau. We have a bigger problem to deal with as a board and its not this calendar, Pate said. This calendar to me isnt something we should be messing with. Funding for public schools, he added, is the primary issue board members should be focused on when reaching out to the Legislature. If (revenue) caps in the state budget stay flat and our expenses go up, were going to have such a need for a referendum, it may not pass. You only have so much political capital. Trust me, you dont have a ton of it, Pate said. To me, Board President Matt Foster said, the bigger picture is getting control, which a certain party in control of the Legislature always speaks of local control, so lets get that local control back to the school board. That doesnt mean the board will have an early calendar, but it gives us the option to develop our own calendar as we see fit for the districts and communitys needs. Will we blow political capital? I dont think so, he said. Why would you cut off the hand that feeds you? Pate responded. You know the tourism area is against this, and those are the folks paying the bills. Joining Pate in opposition were members Dan Garrigan and Chad Edwards. In favor were Foster, Dan Brown, Connie Shlimovitz and Fred Reckling. District Administrator Charles Poches also supports repeal, noting public education has already seen significant reduction in local control and that this repeal would be one way to regain a little bit of local power. Poches told the board the resolution, if passed, would be sent to Olsen, as well as other local lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly. I like the flexibility and local control, Garrigan said, but Im not so sure I feel comfortable sticking our neck out there to fight the fight. I know were being proactive, and how many times do you have the opportunity to do that, but Im not so sure its worth a resolution. I dont think this is sticking our neck out there, Foster replied, to send out a piece of paper stating our opinion. At the end of the day the money is going to talk, said Edwards, who worried the district in circulating the resolution among lawmakers would be spinning its wheels. The tourism board is not going to allow (repeal) to happen. Brown said he recently received a couple of phone calls for the first time in a long time from residents who supported repeal. Why would you let the tourist industry run our school (calendar)? Brown asked opposing members, to which Pate replied, Were not a revenue generator here. Other issues with beginning earlier than Sept. 1, Brown and Pate agreed, would be the struggles for students working summer jobs that run into September. But the fact remains, Brown said, that there are times in the year when its a bit more conducive to begin school in August. To sacrifice what I think is valuable learning time in the classroom, in the district, from August, on the basis of tourism, for the few bucks they might make, I just dont believe its the right priority. I dont think its our battle to fight, Pate said. We have other battles we need to fight. After the resolution passed, Pate asked Poches if the resolution would note that the vote was not unanimous. Poches said that it would. More conservatives are proposing action on climate change. Wisconsins Republican leaders should join the conversation and effort. James Baker and George Schultz, former Cabinet secretaries under President Ronald Reagan, outlined their proposal for a revenue-neutral carbon tax Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal. Their column, A conservative answer to climate change, suggests a gradually increasing $40-per-ton charge on carbon emissions, with proceeds going directly to the American people. Baker, Schultz and other conservative thinkers were set to brief Vice President Mike Pence on the idea this week. They want their GOP colleagues who control Washington to lead on the issue, rather than ignoring the problem while Democrats press for solutions. The extent to which climate change is due to man-made causes can be questioned, the GOP elder statesmen wrote in their op-ed. But the risks associated with future warming are so severe that they should be hedged. Their reasonable approach, unlike former President Obamas strategy, doesnt require heavy government regulation. Instead, the carbon tax would signal to the free market that businesses and consumers need to figure out the most efficient ways to reduce their carbon footprints. That might include investing in clean energy or buying machines that use less power. A family of four would receive about $2,000 the first year in quarterly refunds from the tax, which would more than offset higher energy costs, according to the plan. Many economists think those rebates will stimulate economic growth. About 70 percent of Americans would come out ahead, including most working-class people. The plan would rebate money to U.S. companies that export products to nations without similar carbon pricing, and charge a fee on imports from those countries. Business leaders including Rob Walton, chairman of Walmart for 23 years, have endorsed the levy on carbon, which is similar to a plan by Citizens Climate Lobby in Wisconsin. A tax-and-rebate system would allow quick repeal of Obamas Clean Power Plan and justify ending civil legal liability for carbon emitters. Many Democrats have long favored a carbon tax, though some want the proceeds spent on government programs. Steering the money to citizens instead, while limiting the growth of government, should be more popular with the public and Congress. Republicans have a responsibility to lead on the issue because they are in power, Baker and Schultz wrote, and doing so will help the GOP appeal to younger voters. President Trump belittled climate science during his campaign yet pledged an open mind after his election. Wisconsins congressional delegation including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville should help persuade the president that climate change, in the words of Baker and Schultz, is one of the defining challenges of our era. Of love letters and other gestures of romantic love The form of the love letter is a useful way for us to think about romantic love in Africa. I remember the first time that I wrote a love letter. I was nine years old and it said something along these lines: Dear Parham, I like you very much because you are clever. Sadly, our affections were not mutually shared. Parham reported me to his father, who worked at the same company as mine. Instead of a reply, I got a sit-down with my dad who explained that I should probably spend my time paying closer attention to my schoolwork. Despite this disappointment, I continue to carry an attachment to the love letter. Histories of letter writing reveal the ways that dense debates about the individual and collective, or tradition and modernity, have been mediated through both the form and content of the letter. Romantic love critiqued With friends, its easy to laugh about the ridiculous pink and red consumables that flood shopping aisles as soon as the December holidays end. Its not surprising that we come to experience and understand romantic love quite cynically as a consumer rite, or practice. Sara Ahmed explores some of these ideas in her 2010 book, The Promise of Happiness. She explains how the so-called good life that we are encouraged to aspire to is actually a package of conservative and exclusionary family forms and intimacies. These get packaged as happiness in a neoliberal trick that has us convinced that as individuals, through our choices and actions, we can do the work that it takes to be happy. Romantic love is also the site or scene for various relations of power and violence. Sexuality generally presents us with personal and private concerns that are also very political. When Stella Nyanzi writes of the [govern]mentality of African sexualities, she highlights that African sexualities inherit the baggage or assumption of the need to be controlled, improved, modernised, civilised or tamed. Established ideas of good and bad sex inform our ideas about romantic love and who we might imagine to experience true love at all. The love letter expresses a challenge to some of these assumptions about romantic love in Africa. The letter, like other romantic literary genres, offers an intellectual and affective site that demands a more slippery reading. Of optimism and uprising Lynda Gichanda Spencer writes about chick lit in a way thats instructive. For many observers, the genre is cheap sentiment, selling the same story over and over again. These stories are also charged with being escapist so women (considered the primary consumers of the genre) are accused of silliness and a lack of focus on more important matters like patriarchy (or their schoolwork). Yet Spencer demonstrates the ways that women writers of chick lit in South Africa and Uganda specifically retain a realist form. This realist tone is something we might call sex without optimism, in the sense that instead of happily ever after, the story often ends with disappointment. This offers an uprising potential. In a fairy tale, the action comes to a close once the couple mutually recognises each other. This formula has often, although not always, been followed in chick lit. In the African chick lit analysed by Spencer, the threat of infidelity or poverty or both structure the ways that the action is organised. The resolution will instead often involve groups of women supporting each other, or seeking solutions to personal and structural problems. The term sex without optimism, I borrow from Lauren Berlant and Lee Edelman who use the phrase to open their discussion of sex as a negative relation that opens one up to not only rejection but also vulnerability. All relations with an other are shaped by encounters with power and powerlessness and in that sense, imply a form of risk. Berlant and Edelman draw their insights from this assumption, and suggest that sex presents with a range of unbearable contradictions. Even when love succeeds, these contradictions still remain. I will offer an example. In December of 2016, Kagure Mugo published a photo essay of the wedding of Anele Mkuzo and Seipati Magape which was widely shared in my circles on Facebook. I have spent a lot of time thinking about weddings for my doctoral research and forthcoming book. Observing so many versions of the same might make a person rather cynical. Yet, I still cry at weddings. When I saw Anele and Seipatis pictures, again I was overwhelmed by the same feelings. This is because marriage is a civil right not openly granted to same-sex couples in the world. Weddings of LGBTQIA people in South Africa help us to understand the expression of romantic love as an expression of freedom and not just as an act of buying into the good life. Further, in a highly unequal society, the ability to marry at all is something that people achieve only by manoeuvring against many odds. In conclusion Our accounts of relations of structural violence are often incomplete when we carve out the affective or emotional dimensions. This is why I remain attached to the love letter and other forms of unbearable risk. In part, because they are a resistance to the problematic ways that we continue to encounter images of African sexualities. Perhaps we can think of the love letter and other gestures of romantic love, as forms, or techniques that mediate the violence of time, dispossession and exclusion; as well as the scene, form and technique of survival, wishing, longing, becoming and failing all at once. Heres one: Beloved, You make me dream only of nipples and fingers and wet. Nepal Telecom to propose reconstruction of Dharahara Nepal Telecom (NT) has proposed the reconstruction of quake-damaged Dharahara, the iconic tallest historical monument, in Kathmandu. Shelter case to be heard in the Constitutional Court CALS challenges the gendered impact of City of Johannesburg shelter rules The Constitutional Court will tomorrow hear an appeal by residents of Ekuthuleni Shelter against the City of Johannesburg and Metropolitan Evangelical Services. The appeal challenges the constitutionality of rules imposed in shelter accommodation provided to people who would otherwise have become homeless after an eviction. Ekuthuleni Shelter has been used as alternative accommodation by the City of Johannesburg since 2012 after a Constitutional Court ruling. At the time, the City of Johannesburg was ordered to provide temporary accommodation for people evicted from their homes in Saratoga Avenue. They were placed in Ekuthuleni Shelter, which is managed by an organisation called Metropolitan Evangelical Services and operates under a managed care model. The most troubling aspects of this model include rules which force residents to leave their homes between the hours of 8:00 and 17:30 on weekdays and 9:00 and 17:30 on weekends (the day-time lockout rule) and further prevent spouses and families from living together (the gender segregation rule). The residents of Ekuthuleni, represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), took the matter to court, arguing that these rules infringe on a number of their constitutional rights, including the rights to dignity, privacy and freedom and security of the person. The matter was heard in the South Gauteng High Court in August 2014 and the Court found that the rules are indeed an infringement of the residents rights. The City of Johannesburg subsequently appealed the judgment at the Supreme Court of Appeal and, in May 2016, the High Courts decision was reversed. The residents were granted leave to appeal the Supreme Courts decision to the Constitutional Court and the final appeal will be heard tomorrow. The Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) has intervened as amicus curiae or friend of the court in both the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal. CALS, represented by the Legal Resources Centre, continues to intervene in the matter at the Constitutional Court. CALS hopes to assist the Court by providing arguments on the need for gender-sensitive policies on housing guided by International Law. Our submissions argue that the shelter rules not only infringe on residents rights to dignity, privacy and freedom and security, but have a disproportionate impact on women. The lockout rule puts women at an increased risk of experiencing gender-based violence, and the gender segregation rule deprives them of intimacy and support from their partners. The shelter places particularly unfair burdens on women and therefore also infringe on their right to equality. This case raises significant constitutional questions around the connection between the right to access adequate housing and the rights to dignity, equality, privacy and freedom and security of the person. The outcome of the case will have far-reaching implications as it will determine the Citys policy in other shelters which assist those who may face homelessness as a result of evictions, which remain a significant problem in inner city Johannesburg. The matter is set to be heard on 16 February 2017 in the Constitutional Court. You can read more about the case including court papers here. For inquiries, please contact: Baone Twala, attorney at CALS 011 717 8652 baone.twala@wits.ac.za 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. Nepali girl found washed up at Sydney beach A Nepali student has gone missing and the body of his friend, a 23-year-old girl, was found washed up at a Sydney beach in Australia on Monday morning. BAE Systems plc provides defense, aerospace, and security solutions worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Electronic Systems, Cyber & Intelligence, Platforms & Services (US), Air, and Maritime. The Electronic Systems segment offers electronic warfare systems, navigation systems, electro-optical sensors, military and commercial digital engine and flight controls, precision guidance and seeker solutions, military communication systems and data links, persistent surveillance systems, space electronics, and electric drive propulsion systems. The Cyber & Intelligence segment provides solutions to modernize, maintain, and test cyber-harden aircraft, radars, missile systems, and mission applications that detect and deter threats to national security; systems engineering, integration, and sustainment services for critical weapons systems, C5ISR, and cyber security; and solutions and services to intelligence and federal/civilian agencies. It also offers data intelligence solutions to defend against national-scale threats, protect their networks, and data against attacks; security and intelligence solutions to the United Kingdom government and allied international governments; anti-fraud and regulatory compliance solutions; and enterprise-level data and digital services. The Platforms & Services (US) segment manufactures combat vehicles, weapons, and munitions, as well as provides ship repair services and the management of government-owned munitions facilities. The Air segment develops, manufactures, upgrades, and supports combat and jet trainer aircraft. The Maritime segment designs, manufactures, and supports surface ships, submarines, torpedoes, radars, and command and combat systems; and supplies naval gun systems. It also supplies naval weapon systems, missile launchers, and precision munitions. The company was founded in 1970 and is based in Farnborough, the United Kingdom. Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, a technology company, focuses in the areas of automation and digitalization in Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. It operates through Digital Industries, Smart Infrastructure, Mobility, Siemens Healthineers, and Siemens Financial Services segments. The Digital Industries segment offers automation systems and software for factories, numerical control systems, motors, drives and inverters, and integrated automation systems for machine tools and production machines; process control systems, machine-to-machine communication products, sensors and radio frequency identification systems; software for production and product lifecycle management, and simulation and testing of mechatronic systems; and cloud-based industrial Internet of Things operating systems. The Smart Infrastructure segment offers products, systems, solutions, services, and software to support sustainable transition in energy generation from fossil and renewable sources; sustainable buildings and communities; and buildings, electrification, and electrical products. The Mobility segment provides passenger and freight transportation, such as vehicles, trams and light rail, and commuter trains, as well as trains and passenger coaches; locomotives for freight or passenger transport and solutions for automated transportation; products and solutions for rail automation; electrification products; and intermodal solutions. The Siemens Healthineers segment develops, manufactures, and sells various diagnostic and therapeutic products and services; and provides clinical consulting services. The Siemens Financial Services segment offers debt and equity investments; leasing, lending, and working capital financing solutions; and equipment, project, and structured financing solutions. Siemens Aktiengesellschaft was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. The following companies are subsidiares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft: ABFS I Incorporated, ABS MB Ltd., Alex. Brown Financial Services Incorporated, Alex. Brown Investments Incorporated, Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft mbH, Ambidexter GmbH i.L., Argent Incorporated, BHW - Gesellschaft fur Wohnungswirtschaft mbH, BHW Bausparkasse Aktiengesellschaft, BHW Holding GmbH, BT Globenet Nominees Limited, Bainpro Nominees Pty Ltd, Baldur Mortgages Limited, Bankers Trust Investments Limited, Bayan Delinquent Loan Recovery 1 (SPV-AMC) Inc., Berkshire Mortgage Finance, Betriebs-Center fur Banken AG, Better Financial Services GmbH, Better Payment Germany GmbH, Borfield Sociedad Anonima, Breaking Wave DB Limited, Cardales UK Limited, Cardea Real Estate S.r.l., Cathay Advisory (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cathay Asset Management Company Limited, Cathay Capital Company (No 2) Limited, Cedar (Luxembourg) S.a. r.l., Chapel Funding, China Recovery Fund LLC, Consumo Srl in Liquidazione, D B Investments (GB) Limited, D&M Turnaround Partners Godo Kaisha, DB (Barbados) SRL, DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Asing) Sdn. Bhd., DB (Malaysia) Nominee (Tempatan) Sendirian Berhad, DB Alex. Brown Holdings Incorporated, DB Aotearoa Investments Limited, DB Beteiligungs-Holding GmbH, DB Boracay LLC, DB Capital Markets (Deutschland) GmbH, DB Cartera de lnmuebles 1 S.A.U., DB Chestnut Holdings Limited, DB Corporate Advisory (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., DB Delaware Holdings (Europe) Limited, DB Direkt GmbH, DB Elara LLC, DB Energy Trading LLC, DB Equipment Leasing Inc., DB Equity Limited, DB Finance (Delaware) LLC, DB Global Technology Inc., DB Global Technology SRL, DB Group Services (UK) Limited, DB HR Solutions GmbH, DB Holdings (New York) Inc., DB IROC Leasing Corp., DB Impact Investment Fund I. LP., DB Industrial Holdings Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, DB Industrial Holdings GmbH, DB Intermezzo LLC, DB International (Asia) Limited, DB International Investments Limited, DB International Trust (Singapore) Limited, DB Investment Managers Inc., DB Investment Partners Inc., DB Investment Partners Limited, DB Investment Resources (US) Corporation, DB Investment Resources Holdings Corp., DB Investment Services GmbH, DB London (Investor Services) Nominees Limited, DB Management Support GmbH, DB Nominees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB Nominees (Jersey) Limited, DB Nominees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, DB Omega BTV S.C.S., DB Omega Holdings LLC, DB Omega Ltd., DB Omega S.C.S., DB Operaciones y Servicios lnteractivos Agrupacicm de lnteres Econemico, DB Overseas Finance Delaware Inc., DB Overseas Holdings Limited, DB Print GmbH, DB Private Clients Corp., DB Private Wealth Mortgage Ltd., DB Re S.A., DB Service Centre Limited, DB Service Uruguay S.A., DB Services (Jersey) Limited, DB Services Americas. Inc., DB Servizi Amministrativi S.r.l., DB Strategic Advisors Inc., DB Structured Derivative Products LLC, DB Structured Products Inc., DB Trustee Services Limited, DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB UK Bank Limited, DB UK Holdings Limited, DB UK PCAM Holdings Limited, DB US Financial Markets Holding Corporation, DB USA Core Corporation, DB USA Corporation, DB Valoren S.a. r.l., DB Value S.a.r.l., DB VersicherungsManager GmbH, DB Vita SA., DB lmmobilienfonds 5 Wieland KG i.L., DB lo LP, DBAH Capital. LLC, DBCIBZ1, DBFIC Inc., DBNZ Overseas Investments (No.1) Limited, DBOI Global Services (UK) Limited, DBR Investments Co. Limited, DBRE Global Real Estate Management 18 Ltd., DBRMS4, DBRMSGP1, DBUK PCAM Limited, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ2 S.a. r.l., DBX Advisers LLC, DEBEKO lmmobilien GmbH & Co Grundbesitz OHG, DEE Deutsche Erneuerbare Energien GmbH, DEUKONA Versicherungs-Vermittlungs-GmbH, DEUTSCHE BANK AS., DI Deutsche lmmobilien Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, DISCA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DWS Alternatives France, DWS Alternatives Global Limited, DWS Alternatives GmbH, DWS Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, DWS Beteiligungs GmbH, DWS CH AG, DWS Distributors Inc., DWS Far Eastern Investments Limited, DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA, DWS Group Services UK Limited, DWS Grundbesitz GmbH, DWS International GmbH, DWS Investment GmbH, DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment S.A., DWS Investments Australia Limited, DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited, DWS Investments Japan Limited, DWS Investments Shanghai Limited, DWS Investments Singapore Limited, DWS Investments UK Limited, DWS Management GmbH, DWS Real Estate GmbH, DWS Service Company, DWS Shanghai Private Equity Fund Management Limited, DWS Trust Company, DWS USA Corporation, Deposit Solutions, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Capital Holdings New Zealand, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Foreign Investments New Zealand, Deutsche (New Munster) Holdings New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Access Investments Limited, Deutsche Aeolia Power Production Societe Anonyme, Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (UK) Limited, Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Deutsche Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Australia Limited, Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Limited, Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA, Deutsche Bank (Uruguay) Sociedad Anenima lnstitucien Financiera Externa, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., Deutsche Bank Europe GmbH, Deutsche Bank Financial Company, Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency Incorporated, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., Deutsche Bank Mutui S.p.A., Deutsche Bank Mexico. S.A., Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Deutsche Bank Polska Spelka Akcyjna, Deutsche Bank Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Deutsche Bank S.A, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Societe per Azioni, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Corporation, Deutsche Bank. Sociedad Anenima Espanola, Deutsche CIB Centre Private Limited, Deutsche Capital Finance (2000) Limited, Deutsche Capital Hong Kong Limited, Deutsche Capital Markets Australia Limited, Deutsche Capital Partners China Limited, Deutsche Cayman Ltd., Deutsche Custody N.V., Deutsche Domus New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Equities India Private Limited, Deutsche Finance No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Foras New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur lmmobilien-Leasing mit beschrenkter Haftung, Deutsche Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Group Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Deutsche Group Services Pty Limited, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Deutsche Grundbesitz-Anlagegesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Holdings (BTI) Limited, Deutsche Holdings (Grand Duchy), Deutsche Holdings (Luxembourg) S.El r.l., Deutsche Holdings Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 3 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 4 Limited, Deutsche India Holdings Private Limited, Deutsche India Private Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services Limited, Deutsche International Custodial Services Limited, Deutsche Investments (Netherlands) N.V., Deutsche Investments India Private Limited, Deutsche Investor Services Private Limited, Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., Deutsche Leasing New York Corp., Deutsche Mexico Holdings S.a. r.|., Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Limited, Deutsche Mortgage & Asset Receiving Corporation, Deutsche Nederland N.V., Deutsche New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Nominees Limited, Deutsche Oppenheim Family Office AG, Deutsche Overseas Issuance New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Postbank, Deutsche Postbank Finance Center Objekt GmbH, Deutsche Private Asset Management Limited, Deutsche Securities (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Securities (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities Asia Limited, Deutsche Securities Australia Limited, Deutsche Securities Inc., Deutsche Securities Israel Ltd., Deutsche Securities Korea Co., Deutsche Securities Mauritius Limited, Deutsche Securities SA. de C.V.. Casla de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities Saudi Arabia, Deutsche Services (Cl) Limited, Deutsche Services Polska Sp. z o.o., Deutsche StiftungsTrust GmbH, Deutsche Strategic Investment Holdings Yugen Kaisha, Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, Deutsche Trustee Services (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad, Deutsche Wealth Management S.G.I.I.C. SA., Deutsche lmmobilien Leasing GmbH, Deutsches lnstitut fur Altersvorsorge GmbH, Durian (Luxembourg) S.a. r.l., EC EUROPA IMMOBILIEN FONDS NR. 3 GmbH & CO. KG i.l., Elizabethan Holdings Limited, Elizabethan Management Limited, European Value Added I (Alternate GP.) LLP, Fiduciaria Sant Andrea S.r.l., Finanzberatungsgesellschaft mbH der Deutschen Bank, Funfte SAB Treuhand und Verwaltung GmbH & Co. Suhl "Rimbachzentrum" KG, G Finance Holding Corp., German American Capital Corporation, Grundstucksgesellschaft Frankfurt Bockenheimer LandstraBe GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Miesbaden LuisenstraBe/Kirchgasse GbR, Hollandsche Bank-Unie, ISTRON Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH, IVAF l Manager S.a.r.l., Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben I GbR, J R Nominees (Pty) Ltd, Joint Stock Company Deutsche Bank DBU, Jyogashima Godo Kaisha, KEBA Gesellschaft fur interne Services mbH, Kidson Pte Ltd, Konsul lnkasso GmbH, LA Water Holdings Limited, LAWL Pte. Ltd., Leasing Verwaltungsgesellschaft Waltersdorf mbH, Leonardo lll Initial GP Limited, MEF I Manager. S. a r.|., MIT Holdings Inc., Maher Terminals Holdings (Toronto) Limited, Morgan Grenfell & Company, MortgageIT, MortgagelT Inc., MortgagelT Securities Corp., OOO "Deutsche Bank TechCentIe", OOO "Deutsche Bank", OPB Verwaltungs- und Treuhand GmbH, OPB-Oktava GmbH, OPB-Quarta GmbH, OPPENHEIM Capital Advisory GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Manager GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, PADUS Grundstcks-VermietungsgeseIlschaft mbH, PB Factoring GmbH, PB Spezial-lnvestmentaktiengesellschatt mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, PCC Services GmbH der Deutschen Bank, PT Deutsche Sekuritas Indonesia, Pan Australian Nominees Pty Ltd, Plantation Bay. Inc., Postbank Akademie und Service GmbH, Postbank Beteiligungen GmbH, Postbank Direkt GmbH, Postbank Filialvertrieb AG, Postbank Finanzberatung AG, Postbank Leasing GmbH, Postbank lmmobilien GmbH, Quantiguous, R.B.M. Nominees Pty Ltd, RREEF, RREEF America LLC., RREEF China REIT Management Limited, RREEF European Value Added I (G.P.) Limited, RREEF Fund Holding Co., RREEF India Advisers Private Limited, RREEF Management LLC., RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., Route 28 Receivables. LLC, SAB Real Estate Verwaltungs GmbH, SAGITA Grundstucks-Vermielungsgesellschaft mbH, SAPIO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, Sal. Oppenheim, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Beteiligungs GmbH, Sharps SP l LLC, Stelvio lmmobiliare S.r.l., Suddeutsche Vermeigensvewvaitung Gesellschaft mit beschrenkter Haftung, TELO Beleiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Tempurrite Leasing Limited, Thai Asset Enforcement and Recovery Asset Management Company Limited, Treuinvest Service GmbH, Triplereason Umited, VOB-ZVD Processing GmbH, WEPLA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Wealthspur Investment Ltd., World Trading (Delaware) Inc., lmmobilienfonds BuroCenter Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben II GbR, lmmobilienfonds Wohn- und Gescheftshaus Koln-Blumenberg V GbR, and norisbank GmbH. Read More NRB lays down rules for hiring foreigners Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has barred banks and financial institutions (BFIs) from hiring foreign nationals in an arbitrary manner. One held with Euro 13, 180 from TIA Police apprehended a man in possession of a cache of undeclared Euro from the Tribhuvan International Airport in the Capital on Tuesday, Nepal Police said. 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 Rome wasnt built in a day Politics in Nepal is guided by interests, but winning elections will be increasingly hard unless benefits trickle down UK national nuclear archive opens in Scotland 15 February 2017 Share A national archive of records related to the history and development of the UK's civil nuclear industry opened to the public for the first time yesterday. The archive, located in Caithness, Scotland, is funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The Nucleus archive in Caithness (Image: NDA) The archive has been built in response to the NDA's statutory obligation to manage public records, keeping them safe and making them more accessible to the public and the nuclear community. The NDA embarked upon the project to find a single home for all the relevant material - records, plans, photographs, drawings and other data and information - in 2005, following an evaluation of the options and costs. Caithness - with 2000 people working in decommissioning at the nearby Dounreay site - was selected to house the 20 million ($25 million) archive. Dounreay is set to close in 2030. The NDA said an exercise lasting at least five years is now under way to collect many thousands of records from locations across the UK for transfer to Nucleus (the Nuclear and Caithness Archive). The archive will include material from hundreds of thousands of boxes that have accumulated over the decades at Sellafield, Dounreay, Magnox sites, Harwell, Winfrith and other nuclear facilities that are scheduled for eventual demolition. Large quantities of additional material, meanwhile, are also held at off-site commercial storage locations. Up to 26 kilometres of shelving has been installed in a series of secure pods to store the material and ensure it is preserved. The material will be catalogued, indexed and stored in a carefully controlled environment, with humidity and temperature kept stable to minimise the potential for deterioration. The NDA said discussions are under way with the wider nuclear industry, including the Ministry of Defence, new build developers and operators of the UK's fleet of nuclear power plants, to consolidate their records at Nucleus. The archive will also act as a central repository for detailed radioactive waste records related to the UK's planned geological disposal facility. These records, it said, must be safeguarded for many generations. NDA chairman Stephen Henwood said, "Today we see a new chapter in the important role Caithness has played in the UK's nuclear history. For many decades Dounreay was at the forefront of the development of the British and world nuclear industry and now Nucleus will see this knowledge protected for future generations." NDA chief executive John Clarke said, "Across the UK, at over 17 sites, we have accumulated large volumes of important and valuable records, some dating back to the 1940s. Now we have Nucleus, we have ensured that this information is accessible, secure and managed efficiently for the taxpayer." An official opening ceremony for Nucleus - which will employ a staff of about 20 including archivists, preservation experts and support staff - will be held later this year. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Immigration to Australia can be traced to several thousands of years back when the ancestors of the Australian aborigines arrived in the country through Southeast Asia and New Guinea. European settlers arrived in the continent in 1788 and established a British penal colony in New South Wales. After World War II, more than seven million people migrated and settled in Australia. Beginning in the 1970s, there was a surge of immigrants to Australia from different parts of the world, forming a multicultural society. Studies have shown that Australia is one of the most receptive countries to immigrants in the world, next to Canada. Immigration Through Penal Code The first European migration to Australia started with the British convict settlement of Sydney on January 26, 1788, which was comprised of 11 ships ferrying 775 convicts and 645 officials. The settlers were petty criminals, the crew of sailors, and second rate soldiers, the majority with little knowledge and skills in farming or building. The settlers faced enormous challenges in the colony, particularly that of hunger. The second fleet arrived in 1790 with more convicts and the third fleet came in 1791 with even more convicts, though many died in the sea or upon arrival because of severe conditions. When the penal code ended in 1868, there were about 165,000 convict who had been already been brought to settle in Australia. Immigration Through Gold Rush 1851 marked the beginning of the Gold Rush and led to a huge expansion in the population of Australia, which included at first, British and Irish settlers. Secondly, there were the Germans and other Europeans and finally the Chinese. The Chinese community in Australia became the subject of discrimination and restrictions rendering it difficult to remain in the country. The immigration Act of 1901, also known as the "White Australian Policy", was an attempt to unify the all the federation colonies into a nation while restricting non-white to settle in the country. The next wave of immigrants to Australia were the arrival of 5,000 Jews who escaped from Germany in 1938. This groups of immigrants were not restricted entry into Australia. Immigration After World War II After World War II, Australia began an extensive immigration program with the attempt to populate the country because it had escaped Japanese invasion and therefore the need for a bigger population. Many displaced Europeans headed to Australia and more than one million British subjects found their way into Australia through the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme. The program was initially targeted at citizens originating from the commonwealth countries, but later after the war it was extended to include other countries like Italy and Netherlands. Under the program the qualification was good health and age limit of 45 years. Current Immigration There are different classes of immigrants allowed to enter Australia and they are categorized into various types of visa entry programs. There is the employment visa which is granted to the highly skilled people from different countries around the world. The visas are sponsored by the State that recruits workers depending on their needs. Other types of visas include the student visa and family visa. Penguins are flightless, aquatic birds that belong to the order Sphenisciformes and the family Spheniscidae. These birds live almost exclusively south of the Equator with the exception of the Galapagos penguin which lives in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. Penguins usually feed on crustaceans, cephalopods, and fishes found in the sea. These birds spend nearly half of their lives in water and half on land. Here we present the species of penguins living in the world today. 19. Macaroni Penguin A pack of macaroni penguins. The macaroni penguin, Eudyptes chrysolophus, is a penguin species whose range stretches from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Subantarctic. One of the 6 species of crested penguins, the macaroni penguin features a yellow crest, black face and upper parts, and white underparts. The penguins feed on crustaceans, mainly krill, cephalopods, and small fish. The macaroni penguin has one of the largest populations of the penguin species. However, the species is still classified as vulnerable due to the steadily declining population. 18. Royal Penguin A royal penguin on Macquarie Island. The royal penguin, Eudyptes schlegeli, is a penguin species that lives on the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island and other islands in proximity. One of the species of crested penguins, the royal penguins are quite similar in appearance to the above-mentioned macaroni penguins and thus there is controversy regarding their classification as a separate species. One of the physical differences between the two types is that the royal penguin features a white face and chin instead of black in the case of the macaroni penguin. However, the two species are known to interbreed. The royal penguins can be sighted in the waters around Antarctica and spend a greater part of their time at sea than on land. 17. Northern Rockhopper Penguin A northern rockhopper penguin. Also known as the Moseley's penguin, 99% of the population of the northern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes moseleyi) breeds exclusively on the Gough Island and the Tristan da Cunha in the south Atlantic Ocean. These penguins feed mainly on krill and other crustaceans, octopus, squid, and fish. Since the 1950s, the population of this penguin has undergone a 90% decline. It is therefore classified as an endangered species. 16. Eastern Rockhopper Penguin The eastern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome filholi) inhabits sub-Antarctic islands located in the Indo-Pacific ocean like the Campbell, Auckland, Antipodes, Heard, Crozet, Prince Edward, Kerguelen, and other islands. 15. Erect-crested Penguin An erect-crested penguin. The erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) is a penguin species that is known to live only in New Zealand. Here, it breeds on the Antipodes and Bounty Islands. It is primarily due to this restricted range that this species is classified as endangered. 14. Snares Penguin Snares penguins. The Snares penguin (Eudyptes robustus) breeds on a group of islands called The Snares off the southern coast of New Zealands South Island. The penguin is medium-sized, at 50 to 70 cm. The penguin has a dark blue-black dorsal surface and white ventral surface. Krill, small fishes, and cephalopods act as food for these birds. The Snares penguin is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. 13. Fiordland penguin The Fiordland crested penguin (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus) breeds on the Stewart Island/Rakiura and South Islands south-western coasts in New Zealand. Here, the penguins nest in colonies within dense temperate forests. The penguins feed mainly on cephalopods and, to some extent, on crustaceans and fish. Due to its small population, the Fiordland penguin is a threatened species with populations ranging between 2,500 to 3,000 pairs. 12. Yellow-Eyed Penguin Close up of a yellow-eyed penguin. The yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) is a penguin species that is closely related to the little penguin. These penguins breed along the coasts of New Zealand's South Island, as well as other nearby islands. The penguins are medium-sized, measuring about 62 to 79 cm in length. The penguins have a bright yellow band running from the eyes around the back of the head. Individuals live as long as 20 years. The yellow-eyed penguin has a population of only about 4,000 individuals and is thus an endangered species. Introduced predators and destruction of habitat are the biggest threats to these penguins. 11. African Penguin African penguins, South Africa. The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) has a range confined to the African waters. The penguins possess a black facial mask and distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes. The penguins live in colonies spread across 24 islands between Algoa Bay and Namibia, where they forage for pelagic fish and marine invertebrates in the coastal waters. The African penguin is one of the most threatened species of penguins living today and has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN. Only 10% of the population of the 1.5 million population estimated in 1910 survive today. Historical exploitation of the penguins for meat, removal of guano (which served as burrowing grounds for the penguins) for fertilizer preparation, oil spills, and competition by fisheries are some of the biggest threats facing the penguin population. 10. Galapagos Penguin A Galapagos penguin. The Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus) is endemic to the Galapagos Islands and is the only penguin living north of the Equator. The penguin is 49 cm long and about 2.5 kg in weight. These penguins are found primarily on the Fernandina Island and Iasabela Island of the Galapagos but small populations are also scattered throughout other islands. The penguins feed on small schooling fish and occasionally crustaceans. The Galapagos penguin is classified as endangered after it experienced a 70% reduction in population in the 1980s. 9. Humboldt Penguin The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) is a species of penguin living in South America. Coastal Chile and Peru serve as the breeding grounds of these penguins. The Humboldt penguin is named after the cold water current of the same name through which it swims. The species is classified as Vulnerable by IUCN. The penguins range in size from 56 to 70 cm. They feature a black head where a white border that runs from the top of both the eyes, around the ear covers and chin, to join at the throat. Climate change, over-fishing, and ocean acidification are the biggest threats to the survival of this penguin species. 8. Magellanic Penguin Magellanic penguin. The Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) breeds in the coastal areas of Chile, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Some of these penguins even migrate to Brazil and are occasionally sighted in the coastal waters of Rio de Janeiro. The penguins grow to attain lengths of 6176 cm. The penguins are characterized by two black bands between their breast. The Magellanic penguins feed on squid, krill, cuttlefish, and other crustaceans in the water. The species is classified as near threatened by IUCN. Climate change triggered increased frequency of extreme events like wildfires, storms, temperature extremes, etc., have induced an increased reproductive failure in these penguins. 7. White-flippered Penguin The white-flippered penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata) is a small penguin that stands at about 30 cm tall. It obtains its name from the white markings on its flippers. The penguins nest on the Motunau Island and the Banks Peninsula near New Zealands Christchurch city. The penguins feed on small shoaling fish and cephalopods. According to the US Endangered Species Act, the white-flippered penguin is an endangered species. 6. Little Blue Penguin Little blue penguin. The little penguin (Eudyptula minor) is the smallest species of penguin that grows to an average of 33 cm only in height. These penguins can be observed along the coastlines of New Zealand and southern Australia. Due to their blue plumage and small size, they are fondly named as the fairy penguins. The penguins feed on small clupeoid fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Although classified as a least concern species, the little penguins are subjected to human disturbances in their habitat. Some of these penguins drown due to the effects of bycatch fishing. Oil spills and plastic pollution are also lethal to the penguins 5. Gentoo Penguin A gentoo penguin jumps into the water. The gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) is a penguin species closely associated with the Adelie penguin. The most characteristic phenotype of these penguins is the wide white stripe stretching like a bonnet the top of the head. They also possess a bright orange-colored bill and a fairly long tail. The gentoos attain a height of 51 to 90 cm which makes them the third largest penguin species. Gentoo penguins breed in many sub-Antarctic islands with the major colonies based in South Georgia, Kerguelen Islands, and the Falkland Islands. These birds feed on krill and other crustaceans as well as fish. Sea lions, killer whales, and leopard seals often prey on the gentoos while many seabirds steal their eggs. Due to the relatively stable and large population, the IUCN Red List enlists the gentoo penguins as a Least Concern species. 4. Chinstrap Penguin Chinstrap penguins. The chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus) lives on the islands and shores of the Antarctic Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean. The penguin gets its name from the narrow black band under its head which makes it appear as if it is wearing a helmet. These penguins have an average length of 72 cm and weigh around 3 to 5 kg. The species has a circumpolar distribution. Krill, squid, fish, and shrimp constitute the food of these penguins 3. Adelie Penguin A group of Adelie penguins. The Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a penguin species living along the coast of Antarctica and is one of the most southerly distributed of all seabirds. These penguins are mid-sized with size ranging from 46 to 71 cm. The Adelie penguins are distinguished by the white ring surrounding their eye and feathers at the base of the bill. The Adelie penguins feed mainly on a variety of krill and also glacial squid. Although the population of these penguins is still quite stable, climate change threatens the future survival of this species. 2. King Penguin King penguins, Falkland Islands. The King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest penguin after the emperor penguin. Two subspecies of the king penguin have been recognized, the A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli. The former is found in the South Atlantic and the latter in other parts of the penguins range. King penguins feed on small fish, squid, and lanternfish. The penguins breed on the subantarctic islands scattered at Antarcticas northern reaches. 1. Emperor Penguin An emperor penguin with two chicks. The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) an endemic species to Antarctica. It is the tallest and heaviest among all types of penguins. The penguins attain a height of about 122 cm and weight between 22 and 45 kg. The head and dorsal surface of this species is black in color while the belly is white and breast is pale-yellow in color. The ear-patches are bright yellow in color. Fish is the primary food for these large penguins which also feed on crustaceans and cephalopods. The emperor penguins can remain under water for as long as 18 minutes. Sajha Yatayat begins night bus service in Valley With an aim to facilitate night-shift workers and passengers travel to their destinations, Sajha Yatayat operated its night bus service in the Kathmandu Valley from Tuesday. The Netherlands has a hereditary constitutional monarchy that was established in 1815. The monarchy is a hereditary position within the Royal House of Willem, where heredity is determined by proximity of blood. Both males and females alike are allowed to inherit the monarchy on equal grounds. The constitution identifies the roles and duties of the monarch as well as the monarchy's cycle. An heir can become a king or queen as long as they are 18 years or above and if below 18, a regent is appointed. The monarch is the chief head of state that is responsible for appointing the prime minister. The monarch does not have absolute powers over the government but is responsible for signing laws that have been approved by parliament. The monarch is expected to uphold the constitution in carrying out their duties. Netherlands regained independence in 1813 and became a kingdom in 1815. Since its establishment, Netherlands has had seven monarchs who have inherited the throne mainly from their relatives. Monarchs Of The Netherlands Willem I Willem Frederick was the first king of Netherlands who served between 1813 and 1840. He had close to absolute powers given to him by the constitution. He declared Netherlands a kingdom in 1815. His major focus during his reign was to unify the people. Willem II Willem II served as the king of Netherlands from the abdication of his father in 1840 until his death in 1849. Previously, he served in the British Army which saw him rise through the ranks and win several awards. During his reign, the constitution of 1848 was established, making Netherlands a parliamentary democracy. Though he was a conservative, he allowed for constitutional reforms and rarely interfered with government matters. His reign ended after his death in 1849, when he was succeeded by his son. Willem III Willem III was the king of Netherlands from 1849 to 1890. He succeeded the throne after the death of his father in 1849. Willem III was a conservative inclined towards the military, with his reign characterized by several dismissed cabinets and disbanded State generals. The reign of Willem III saw the institution of the reactionary constitution for Luxembourg. He ruled Luxembourg on his own until it became a fully independent country once again, following the second treaty of London. The kings behavior was often described as bordering on dictatorial and violent, drawing fear from his servants and ministers and constant conflicts with his wife, Sophia. He was succeeded by Wilhelmina after his death. Wilhelmina Wilhelmina served as the queen of Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. Wilhelmina was born on August 31, 1880. She succeeded her father, King Willem III, after his death when she was ten years old. She took over from her mother who served as her regent until she was eighteen. Wilhelmina reigned for about 58 years until her abdication. During her reign, she was identified as a strong-willed woman with a thorough understanding of business which saw her become the richest woman in the world. She reigned during the two world wars during which she inspected the progress of her army and went to exile during the Second World War. She ceded her monarchial duties to her daughter, Juliana in 1948 due to health problems. Who Is The Current Monarch Of The Netherlands? Netherlands has been served by other monarchs including Queen Juliana (1948-1980), Beatrix (1980-2013) and the current monarch King Willem-Alexander who took over the kingdom in 2013 after the abdication of his mother, Queen Beatrix. Currency is an important object in the exchange of goods and services around the world. Currencies include banknotes and coins that are used as a legal tender. A total of 28 currencies are used across 50 European countries who are all members of the United Nations. The most common currency used in Europe is the euro, and any country entering the European Union is expected to join the Eurozone. Only Denmark is exempted from using the euro while Sweden is yet to adopt the euro because it is yet to meet the Exchange Rate Mechanism II. The euro is a legal tender in 19 of the 28 countries who are members of the European Union and in five other non-EU members. The Euro Currency The euro currency is a result of the EU project for the Economic and Monetary project which was established in January 2002. The currency is used by all the EU member states except three: the UK, Denmark, and Sweden. The euro is also the currency used in all the institutions of the EU and other countries or states outside of the European Union such as the Republic of Kosovo. Over 200 million people outside of the EU use currencies that are pegged to the euro. The euro is the second largest currency reserve as well one of the most traded currency worldwide (after US dollars). The name euro was adopted officially in Madrid in December 1995 and the euro was introduced into the world in 1999. The euro is divided into euro cents (100 cents). The Latin alphabet version is used on the euro in support of linguistic plurality. The euro sign () was created by a Belgian called Alain Billiet with the inspiration for the symbol coming from the cradle of European civilization. Pound Sterling Pound Sterling is a currency used in the United Kingdom and also used in other territories and colonies of the UK. The pound is also used in other countries and states like Isle of Man, Falkland Island, and Gibraltar. It is the worlds oldest in-use currency and has continuously been used since its inception. The Bank of England regulates the issuance of the sterling banknotes and coins. The pound is the fourth most traded currency in the world after US dollars, euro, and Japanese yen. The pound sterling was commodity money backed by silver or gold up to some point in time, but it is currently backed by the economy of the countries where it is a legal tender. Krone And Krona Currencies Krona and krone is a name given to the currencies used in some of the European countries. The two names translate to crown in English. Danish krone is the official currency of Denmark, introduced in 1875. Danish krone is pegged to the euro. The Norwegian krone is used in Norway and its territories and has existed only electronically since 2012. The currency is the 13th most traded currency in the world. Other countries using krone or krona include Sweden and Iceland. Fractional Units Of The Currencies The euro currency is subdivided into 100 cents (referred to as euro cents) in order to distinguish it from other currencies. Krone or krona currencies are subdivided into 100 re, derived from a Latin word meaning gold coin. The pound sterling is divided into 100 pence abbreviated as p. Other fractional units include Lipa for Croatian Kuna and ban for leu currencies. Motor Vehicles, aircraft, coal, and fertilizers are some of the top exports of Canada, one of the worlds wealthiest nations. After WWII, Canadas economy developed rapidly fueled by growing service, manufacturing, and mining sectors. The discovery of oil reserves has propelled Canada to the fifth largest producer of oil in the world. The country produces high-quality products since it is a high-tech industrial society, which competes favorably in the international market. Economy Of Canada The countrys fiscal year starts from April 1 to March 29 the following year. Canadas GDP stands at $1.6 trillion to rank as the 10th by nominal GDP and 15th by Purchasing Power Parity. The GDP experienced a 0.5% growth in 2015. The nations GDP per capita is valued at $56,100 ranking 10th and 9th by Purchasing Power Parity. The Canadian Dollar is the currency in circulation in the country, and it ranks 22nd in regards to ease of doing business. The services sector contributes 69.8% to the GDP while the agriculture and industry sectors contribute 1.7% and 28.5% respectively. Canadas leading industries are foodstuffs, petroleum, and natural gas, chemicals, transportation equipment, fishery, and wood and paper materials. Canada boasts abundant minerals including iron, zinc, sulfur, gold, nickel, and magnesium. In 2015, the country exported goods worth $523.904 billion such as motor vehicles, aircraft, chemicals, industrial machinery, and crude petroleum. The country imported goods valued at $547.874 billion. Service, Mining, And Manufacturing Sectors In Canada Canada, like other developed nations, has its economy dominated by the service industry. The country receives thousands of visitors annually who boost the tourism sector. Other service industries include healthcare, information technology, finance and insurance, wholesale and retail, and telecommunication. Canadas is a major producer of natural resources such as sulfur, zinc, gold, cobalt, titanium, potassium, and uranium. 80% of these resources are exported, and the US is the largest consumer. The oil sands in Alberta have made Canada a top exporter of oil. Canada has a strong manufacturing sector credited with the production of products including food items, clothing, electronics, medical equipment, transportation and sporting equipment, and automobiles and aircraft. Top Exports Of Canada Cars exported from Canada are valued at $47,632 million and the country is ranked 10th in top auto producing countries. Aircraft, helicopters, and spacecraft are the second most exported products at $7,322 million. Aircraft parts exported from the country are valued at $2,758 million. The top natural resources exported by value are coal ($6,766 million); raw aluminum ($5,570 million); iron ore ($4,569 million); gold ($3,730 million); and copper ore ($3,107 million). Top agricultural products are wheat ($6,317 million); rapeseed ($5,190 million); rapeseed oil ($3,398 million); pork (2,828 million). Other exports from Canada are potassic fertilizers ($6,519 million); pharmaceuticals ($5,162 million); sulfate chemical woodpulp ($4,390million); ethylene polymers ($4,022 million); gas turbines ($3,23million); spark-ignition engines ($2,740 million); and refined petroleum ($2,514 million). Top Export Partners Of Canada The United States is the largest consumer of Canadas exports at 75.2% followed by China at 4.10% and the UK at 3.17%. Canadas trade with the US is facilitated by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which also includes Mexico, a country which imports 1.51% of Canadas exports. Other consumers of Canadas exports include Japan, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium. Email Sign Up For Our Free Weekly Newsletter National Foreclosure Inventory Down 30 Percent from December 2016 On a month-over-month basis, completed foreclosures declined by 8.1 percent to 21,000 in December 2016 from the 23,000 reported for November 2016. As a basis of comparison, before the decline in the housing market in 2007, completed foreclosures averaged about 22,000 per month nationwide between 2000 and 2006. On a month-over-month basis, the December 2016 foreclosure inventory fell 1.9 percent compared with November 2016. The five states with the highest number of completed foreclosures in the 12 months ending in December 2016 were Florida (45,000), Michigan (30,000), Texas (24,000), Ohio (21,000) and California (19,000). These five states accounted for 36 percent of all completed foreclosures nationally. Four states and the District of Columbia had the lowest number of completed foreclosures in the 12 months ending in December 2016: North Dakota (182), the District of Columbia (254), West Virginia (312), Montana (630) and Alaska (668). Four states and the District of Columbia had the highest foreclosure inventory rate in December 2016: New Jersey (2.8 percent), New York (2.7 percent), Maine (1.8 percent), Hawaii (1.7 percent) and the District of Columbia (1.6 percent). The five states with the lowest foreclosure inventory rate in December 2016 were Colorado (0.2 percent), Minnesota (0.3 percent), Utah (0.3 percent), Arizona (0.3 percent) and California (0.3 percent). Sign Up Free | The WPJ Weekly Newsletter Relevant real estate news. Actionable market intelligence. Right to your inbox every week. Go Thank you for your interest! You will now be receiving our Weekly Real Estate Newsletter. Real Estate Listings Showcase According to CoreLogic's December 2016 National Foreclosure Report, U.S. foreclosure inventory declined by 30 percent and completed foreclosures declined by 40 percent compared with December 2015. The number of completed foreclosures nationwide decreased year over year from 36,000 in December 2015 to 21,000 in December 2016, representing a decrease of 82 percent from the peak of 118,336 in September 2010.The foreclosure inventory represents the number of homes at some stage of the foreclosure process and completed foreclosures reflect the total number of homes lost to foreclosure. Since the financial crisis began in September 2008, there have been approximately 6.5 million completed foreclosures nationally, and since homeownership rates peaked in the second quarter of 2004, there have been approximately 8.6 million homes lost to foreclosure.As of December 2016, the national foreclosure inventory included approximately 329,000, or 0.8 percent, of all homes with a mortgage compared with 467,000 homes, or 1.2 percent, in December 2015.CoreLogic also reports that the number of mortgages in serious delinquency (defined as 90 days or more past due including loans in foreclosure or REO) declined by 19.4 percent from December 2015 to December 2016 with 1 million mortgages, or 2.6 percent, in serious delinquency, the lowest level since August 2007. The decline was geographically broad with year-over-year decreases in serious delinquency in 48 states and the District of Columbia."While the decline in serious delinquency has been geographically broad, some oil-producing markets have shown the effects of low oil prices on the housing market," said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic. "Serious delinquency rates rose in Louisiana, Wyoming and North Dakota, reflecting the weakness in oil production.""Foreclosure and delinquency trends continue to head in the right direction powered principally by increasing employment levels, stringent underwriting standards and higher home prices over the past few years. We expect to see further declines in delinquency and foreclosure rates in 2017," said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. "As the foreclosure inventory diminishes, we must look ahead and tackle tight housing supply and growing affordability issues which are keeping many potential homebuyers, especially first-time buyers, on the sidelines." 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 Service seekers hit by protests People have been deprived of government services after employees at the local bodiesdistrict development committees, municipalities and VDCsresorted to sit-ins three days ago demanding job security. Bunch Of Passionate Amateurs Acknowledged As Brymbo Plans Formally Get Council Support This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Feb 14th, 2017 Truly exciting plans for the former iron and steelworks site in Brymbo have the potential for a world class tourist venue for Wrexham, councillors were told today. The Brymbo Steelworks site has been the subject of redevelopment proposals since it saw its closure in 1990. Formed by ex-workers and local history enthusiasts, Brymbo Heritage Group came together with landowners Brymbo Developments Ltd in 1994, to become the Brymbo Heritage Trust and develop a regeneration project for the site. Aiming to be phased over a twenty-year period, the redevelopment proposals are seen to have the potential to bring a wide range of benefits to Wrexham in the long term. In particular, a tourism and heritage based vision after the discovery of the 300-million-year-old Brymbo Fossil Forest in 2004. Today members of the Executive board agreed a reports recommendations to support the Trusts proposals to gain more funding in the development of the former iron and steel works becoming a visitor attraction. The Board authorised the Head of Housing and Economy to provide more of their time towards the Trusts proposals and that in support of the Trust, the Lead Member for Communities and Partnerships, Cllr Hugh Jones, was also given the green light write a letter of support to prospective funders. Cllr Jones described the programme as one that is truly exciting with the potential to develop into a world class tourist venue in Wrexham. These proposals are really exciting and the industrial heritage of Wrexham aligns with that of Ironbridge, said Cllr Jones. If you look at the links with Wilkinson development and Wilkinson family that stretch back to the late 1790s through to the end of steel making in the 1990s, Brymbo Steelworks was the last in a long line of industrial activity which includes mining, lead smelting, quarrying and brick making. Significantly part of this, weve got the 300-million-year old fossil forest that has been found. I remember asking an expert from the British Museum about the level of this status in terms of how important is it. He said that it is probably unique in the United Kingdom, it was certainly one of the finest in Europe and it has world status. I believe we have the potential here in Brymbo to have yet another world heritage site. He went on to say: Its interesting that the Brymbo Heritage Group describe themselves on their Twitter page as a bunch of passionate amateurs. This bunch of passionate amateurs have managed to raise 162,000 in revenue funding, 91,000 in capital funding, has had support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, from the Princes Regeneration Trust and from CADW. Not bad for a bunch of enthusiastic or passionate amateurs! Other members of the Executive Board, including Cllr Neil Rogers also added their support: Fossil forest is quite a significant find within the world and I think theres an opportunity there for that to be developed. Its an opportunity for the Trust to strengthen as well, so Im happy to support the scheme. Cllr David Kelly added: For me this is excellent. It goes beyond just what is happening in Brymbo. Theres no reason why Wrexham couldnt have a scheme like Ironbridge. The type of minerals we have throughout the county borough are quite unique really. Brymbo Heritage are keen to take this further to promote the county borough with multiple heritage sites to offer a unique industrial heritage experience. You could say the fire went out in the steelworks, but this will relight the fire, Ive no doubt about it. Cllr Jones made further comment regarding the instrumental work thats gone into the project: I also want to make reference to the work of Cllr Paul Rogers, the local member who was instrumental in bringing together the council officers and the number of key stake holders to ensure this project went forward. Cllr Paul Rogers finished by saying: It is vital that the Welsh Government recognise the importance of this site and the need for investment and to create jobs. Obviously we have some jobs onsite, but it falls short of the amount of jobs which were promised when the steelworks were closed and we need to keep campaigning to try and deliver those jobs that were promised to the local community. Councillor Mark Pritchard jumped in at the end of the agenda item, adding: I have to, as elected member of Rhostyllen, mention John Iron Mad Wilkinson. When in school I was taught that the industrial revolution was started in Rhostyllen, Bersham. I have to put a marker down for that! Cllr Hugh Jones perhaps laid the groundwork for a future turf war in historic sites, by stating, Without Bersham, Ironbirdge would not be built. A mini-trivia session then broke out with Cllr Kelly having made an observation regarding relighting the fire in Brymbo, a reference of course to the steelworks furnaces, prompting a pop quiz. Cllr Pritchard used his extensive Take That knowledge to point out that was sung by LuLu, but noting: She did not work at Brymbo though! Car Destroyed in Arson Attack This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Feb 14th, 2017 A car has been destroyed in an arson attack in the Caia Park area this evening. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to the fire at the Dunks, Caia Park at 6:20pm this evening. One crew from Wrexham attended the incident and used one hose reel jet to extinguish the fire. The vehicle suffered 100% fire damage. A spokesperson for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of fire is thought to be deliberate ignition. Anyone with any further information about the incident is urged to contact North Wales Police on 101. Picture tweeted to Wrexham.com by PSCO John Davies Plans to Transform Former Miners Rescue Centre Into Museum and Accomodation For Young People This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Feb 15th, 2017 A former Miners Rescue Centre in Wrexham could be transformed into a museum and cafe, along accommodation for young people. An application submitted to Wrexham Council proposes that Miners Rescue Centre on Maesgwyn Road is restored to a functional state by converting the building into accommodation and a museum with an associated cafe. The building, which was built in 1913 and retains its traditional appearance, received a Grade II listing by CADW in 2010. Over the years the site has been subject to planning applications proposing that the building is converted into student accommodation, however these have been refused. However in January 2017 it was announced that Wrexham had received an additional 530,000 of Welsh Government funding as part of the Vibrant and Viable Places (VVP) programme. Of the VVP funding up to 150,000 will be used to support the acquisition and refurbishment of the centre, with the provision of funding allowing the building to be purchased by the Wrexham Warehouse Project. The charitys aim is to provide a self-build project for young adults coming through the care system which, when completed, would create seven affordable accommodation units with a room for a live-in site supervisor. It will also help preserve a part of Wrexhams coal-mining heritage by creating a museum and cafe in the remainder of the space. Details about the development are provided within the applications design and access statement, which notes that while some alterations will be made externally, the majority will take place inside the building. The rear of the property is also reported to have undergone heavy demolition over the years, with plans to restore the walls of that section of the building to their former glory. The design and access statement concludes: We feel this planning application should be looked favourably upon as the intention is to provide additional accommodation within close proximity to the town centre. The proposed self-contained apartments and bedsits are planned for use by a local charity, The Warehouse Project, to house young people. Therefore the support from the local authority will allow our client to provide a service to the local community. We are utilising an existing resource and creating new accommodation / service within an existing structure. By allowing this proposal to take place, a business can continue to grow and take on a new lease of life to support the local community by providing new residential apartments suitable for a younger generation. The application is expected to go before Wrexham Councils Executive Board at a later date. Wrexham Council Sign a Formal Agreement With Portuguese Government to Support its EU Residents This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Feb 15th, 2017 Since the launch of Together in Wrexham in 2008, Wrexham Council has maintained close working relationships with communities from all over the world with ties with Portugal formally strengthened yesterday. Drawn to the area by employment opportunities, as well as community based support for equality and diversity, Wrexham now has over 2,000 Portuguese nationals, many of whom reside in the Hightown area. In light of this, the Portuguese Government Ministry of Foreign Affairs approached Wrexham Council to formally agree a Cooperation Protocol, which was yesterday approved for signing by the Executive Board of Wrexham Council. The protocol is for one year and doesnt require any financial commitment from Wrexham Council, but in signing this agreement, the local authority will now receive ongoing commitment and support from the Consulate General of Portugal in Manchester. Councillors were told in the report that it will assist Wrexham Council in working with the Portuguese community to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty, taking forward the values and ambition of Together in Wrexham and delivering the principles of integration, collaboration and involvement as described in the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015. Welcoming the report, Cllr Bob Dutton said: This authority and its predecessors have had a great deal to do with international relations. The people of Wrexham do look outside their borders, do take an interest in what is going on elsewhere and aim to ensure that weve got first class relations, as far as were able, with all parts of the world. The protocol wont be too testing from a financial perspective but it will certainly emphasise our willingness and wish to have a good relationship with people who come to live and stay in this part of the world. Cllr Alun Jenkins also commented: My ward (Offa) is probably one of the most diverse in the whole of the County Borough so I very much welcome the contents of this Portuguese protocol. He added: The Polish community is an even larger community in Wrexham and I give every encouragement for other protocols being worked on. In response, Cllr Hugh Jones replied: Wrexham has a very proud history of welcoming residents from a wide range of communities. As youll see, this is an approach that was made to us by the Portuguese government, rather than an initiative on our behalf and obviously we would welcome any similar approach that was made to us by any other community or any other official government. Cllr Jenkins made a further point: Together in Wrexham was launched quite a long time ago and was a very significant step forward. Perhaps we could go through a relaunch of that just to bring it out in the open again and bring it to peoples minds. It was such a major step forward, that I dont want it to be lost. Cllr Jones responded by saying: I will certainly take on board what you say about Together in Wrexham. I think we need an update report which will highlight the progress that we are making and the grants that we are giving. The Cooperation Protocol will be signed at a formal ceremony in Wrexham by the Mayor of Wrexham on behalf of the Council and a representative of the Portuguese Government at a future date. Shrestha in India: Local poll date first CPN (Maoist Centre) Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha has said the government would announce the date of local elections before expediting efforts to endorse the constitution amendment bill that has been tabled in Parliament. Rollback: Unpopular KUKL chair withdraws court cases The chairman of Kathmandu Valleys sole drinking water supplying firm, who has lost support of most of the staff because of his high-handed attitude, has withdrawn two court cases filed against the company he is working for. Some 9,000 Brazilian troops began to deploy in the streets of Rio de Janeiro Tuesday in the face of mounting protests against austerity and privatizations and the threat of a work stoppage by the Military Police (PM), the force that patrols the countrys second-largest city and the state which bears the same name. On the same day that Brazils right-wing President Michel Temer announced the deployment, calling the threat of a walkout by the PM an insurrection against the constitution, workers of Rios State Water and Sewage Company (CEDAE) staged another mass protest outside the states Legislative Assembly in opposition to a planned privatization of this essential social service. Last Thursday, riot police violently repressed a similar demonstration, leaving a number of people severely injured. The military deployment in Rio follows a similar dispatch of federal troops to its neighboring state to the north, Espiritu Santo, where blockades organized by wives, mothers and other relatives outside PM barracks, demanding higher pay and improved conditions, led to the PM staying off the streets and triggered a sharp rise in homicides and other crimes. Schools, public transportation and businesses shut down in the course of the protests, particularly in Vitoria, the states capital. While some 3,000 troops, including armored units and paratroopers, were sent in to restore law and order, the return of the PM to the streets at the beginning of this week appeared to be the result of an agreement reached between their representatives and the state government. The PM, an inheritance from the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil for two decades following a CIA-backed coup in 1964, is under military discipline and legally barred from striking. The force is responsible for killing thousands of Brazilians each year. In 2015, Brazils police killed at least 3,300 people, roughly three times the number killed by cops in the US. Off-duty police have participated in protests against the austerity measures, in some cases calling for a return to military dictatorship and forcing workers to take down their banners. There have also been reports of off-duty cops pulling guns on riot police sent to quell their protests. The deployment of federal troops to Rio was requested by Rios state governor, Luiz Fernando Pezao, who is a member of the PMDB (Brazilian Democratic Movement Party), the same party as President Temer. Under the federal intervention, known as a guarantee of law and order, the troops are to be deployed until February 22, when an evaluation will be made by the government over whether they will be kept occupying Rio for a longer period. The following week is that of Rios Carnival, which brings visitors from around the world. The use of the army to carry out policing functions has become increasingly frequent as Brazil continues to face its worst economic crisis in a century, and with the Temer governments approval ratings falling to the abysmal level reached by former Workers Party President Dilma Rousseff before her impeachment on trumped-up charges of budgetary manipulations last August. Some 47,000 troops were deployed in Rio during the summer Olympic Games, and more recently the government sent troops in to quell bloody prison revolts. In announcing the deployment to Rio, Brazils Defense Minister Raul Jungmann insisted that, as opposed to the events in Espiritu Santo, there was no loss of control in Rio de Janeiro nor any inability of Rios organs of state security to maintain law and order. He claimed that 95 percent of Rios Military Police were operating as normal. Instead, he said, the deployment was of a preventive character, designed to free members of the PM on account of demonstrations. Jungmanns estimate of the percentage of Military Police going out on patrol is no doubt overly optimistic, even though the stoppage has reached nowhere near the level seen in Espiritu Santo. Still, wives and relatives of police have sought to block the entrances to nearly 30 of Rios 50 PM barracks, including that of the Shock Battalion used to repress demonstrations. In some cases, the police have resorted to changing shifts outside the barracks and even opening up new entrances to circumvent the pickets. Police, like the civilian public-sector workforce, have still received neither their January salary nor the so-called 13th salary, a legally mandated year-end bonus that should have been paid out at the end of last year. The state and federal governments are particularly concerned about mobilizing sufficient repressive force to hold a vote February 20 on the privatization of CEDAE, the state-owned water company. Previous attempts to enact legislation on the sale of the public service have been blocked by protests. A vote had been scheduled for Tuesday, but was postponed for fear that the protests outside the PM barracks could deprive the Rio Legislative Assembly of an adequate security force. The sale of the state water company is a key piece in the austerity program being championed by Governor Pezao in the face of Rios desperate fiscal crisis, which has been deepened by the fall in the price of oil, a commodity that had previously fueled the local economy. The privatization is supposed to secure a loan of 3.5 billion reais (approximately US$1.1 billion) from the federal government designed to prevent the states complete default on debt payments. Even as the Temer government was deploying army troops to quell opposition to capitalist austerity and privatization, it also moved in a manner unprecedented since the days of military rule to impose censorship on Brazils two most prominent daily newspapersboth of which had supported the impeachment of Rousseff that brought Temer to power. Temer sent a government lawyer to court to obtain an injunction ordering Folha de S.P. to withdraw an article it had posted on its website reporting on an attempted blackmail of the presidents wife, Marcela. The piece described some of the messages sent by the blackmailer, a hacker who had cloned the Brazilian first ladys iPhone. This included a threat that unless she paid him 300,000 reais, he would make public information that would drag the presidents reputation through the mud. The Rio-based O Globo announced Monday that it had been subjected to a similar censorship order secured by the Palacio do Planalto, Brazils White House. This state censorship is particularly onerous in that it is preventing the dissemination of information that was revealed in the public trial of the hacker, who was prosecuted, convicted and sent to prison. Temers actions reflect the extreme crisis of the government he heads and fear of any further public reference to scandals surrounding his administration The Petrobras bribes-for-contracts corruption scandal that engulfed the entire political establishment could still bring down his own presidency as well. Temer is reportedly still under investigation over testimony by a top executive at the Odebrecht construction conglomerate that he solicited nearly US$3 million in illegal campaign donations during the 2014 election. Given the crisis and instability gripping the government, the increasing resort to calling out the army to deal with social unrest carries with it the real threat of laying the foundations for a return to military rule in Latin Americas largest country. Up to 1,000 disability service workers held a one-day strike yesterday in New South Wales (NSW), Australias most populous state, in opposition to the ongoing privatisation of the sector. Over 500 participated in a Sydney meeting, then marched to the state parliament. The walkout was in defiance of a state Industrial Relations Commission order banning any industrial action. The ruling underscored the determination of the tribunal, following similar interventions by the federal Fair Work Commission, to criminalise virtually any political or industrial campaign against the bipartisan agenda of privatisation and attacks on workers jobs and conditions. The Public Service Association (PSA), however, called the limited strike and protest in a bid to divert widespread anger among disability workers behind impotent appeals to the state Liberal-National government, and to promote the opposition Labor Party. While issuing empty denunciations of privatisation, the assorted union officials did not mention that much of the sector has already been sold-off over the past three years, with the PSA having done nothing to oppose the destruction of public disability services. Only around 6,000 workers in the sector are still employed by government departments. Last year, for instance, the state government completed the privatisation of the Home Care Service, which provided assistance to over 50,000 disabled and elderly people, and employed 4,000 workers. The government bodys role has been outsourced to Australian Unity, in a contract worth around $114 million. There are already widespread reports that some of those previously covered are not receiving any services from the privatised body. At the Sydney meeting, PSA assistant general secretary Troy Wright all but dispensed with the fraud that the PSA opposes privatisation. His remarks largely focused on calls for the state government to increase the transfer payment for those workers being moved from the public to the private sector. Tacitly accepting the dismantling of public services, Wright declared: The compensation thats on offer for you to transfer to the private sector is inadequate. Its insulting because groups of workers that have been privatised in other industries have gotten far more. Wright issued empty promises that the union would seek a better employment guarantee for workers set to be thrown into for-profit enterprises. Like other speakers, he issued a futile appeal for the state government to grow a heart. The union pushed through a motion for an ongoing community campaign. This is to consist of nothing more than political campaigning in marginal seats and representations to members of parliament, along with vague suggestions of limited strike-action in the future. Chairing the rally outside parliament house, PSA representative Bronwyn Couch pointed to the unions real concern. We are here because this government has refused to consult with your representative, she said. In other words, the union is seeking to maintain its position at the bargaining table and provide a figleaf of consultation as it supports the privatisation of the sector. The keynote speaker at the rally was state Labor opposition leader Luke Foley. He unabashedly defended the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), announced by the former federal Labor government of Julia Gillard in 2012. From the outset, the NDIS was aimed at establishing a voucher-based system for disability services, and pushing those who require care into the private sector. It has been the basis for cuts to the disability sector by state Labor and Liberal-National governments across the country. Foley echoed the fraudulent rationale for the scheme, declaring that the fundamental premise of the national insurance disability scheme is about choice for people with disabilities, their carers and their loves ones, i.e., the choice to seek care from private providers. Foley recalled that the NDIS passed federal parliament with the support of the Liberal-Nationals and said disability policy should be bipartisan. Foley spelt out the nature of this bipartisan policy, stating that he does not object to the role of non-government providers in disability services. He claimed that public servants in the disability sector had been left to do it by yourselves... So, if theres more resources, more dollars, more support, more choice, thats a good thing and it will include the non-government sector. In reality, as Foley knows, the NDIS is premised on cutting government budgets by selling off the provision of services to private businesses. Foley said some government providers should be maintained to function as services of last resort, in other words, a small, poorly funded and run-down public complement to a largely privatised sector. The PSAs acceptance of the pro-business drive of successive Labor and Liberal-National governments raises the necessity for workers to break with the union in order to carry out any struggle in defence of their jobs, wages, conditions and the social right of the disabled to high-quality, public services. Such a campaign must to be based on a socialist perspective and directed not just at the government but at the profit system itself. WSWS reporters spoke to a number of workers at the protest. Paul, a disability support worker for ten years, said: I grew up in boys homes in similar circumstances to a lot of the people we help, so I know what its like to lose your sense of security. A lot of the people we look after have no security in their lives and now with the privatisation of these services, they dont know whats going to happen. Theres been a lot of change over the past ten years, moving towards the private sector. The workforce is in complete uncertainty. People are moved around and the clients that we look after dont see the same people. The young people we deal with have a whole range of complex disabilitiesthey need a lot of support. I see people who have lived together for ten or twenty years, who are going to be broken up. Some of the older people we look after, who are in their 70s, are going to be shifted into old peoples homes and discarded by an uncaring private sector. Its already moving ahead. They just want to have less costs to the government. Its very hard fighting it when both sidesLabor and the Liberalsare really on the same side when it comes to privatisation. A registered nurse specialising in drug and alcohol rehabilitation commented: Undoubtedly the NDIS is about the privatisation of the health system, especially for disability services. Its going to lead to poorer services and less qualified staff looking after the most vulnerable people in our community. I think long-term, eventually were going to find that privatisation doesnt work. The services will be slashed, and people with disabilities will be blamed for not working. She spoke about the changes that have already taken place in the sector, noting: Theyre bringing in activities-based funding which has taken the focus from the health of the patient to cost-cutting. Its led to higher rates of incarceration and more of my patients going to prison. Staffing is being cut across the board. It should be registered nurses who have proper training caring for the disabled to manage their diseases. The NDIS is privatisation by stealth and its demolition by neglect. Ultimately, were going to see these people have shorter lifespans and lower qualities of life. Jamie said: As far as Im concerned, privatisation is just going to make things worse for the community. I worked in a privatised benevolent society and it doesnt do anything for people. Its all about screwing people. I also worked in a privatised immigration service and it was all about money. I was the first point of contact for immigrants when they came into the country. We housed them. It was privatised around 2004, when immigration contracted out services. It had a massive impact on services. The clients werent getting what they needed and everybody was undermining each other. It became an intolerable place to work, so I left and now Im a bartender. These are some of the most vulnerable people, the disabled, immigrants and the elderly. Services should be about helping people. It doesnt matter which party is in government, Labor or Liberal, ordinary people are going to get screwed either way. Ive worked with government departments under governments of both parties and they were both as bad as each other. It used to be that white-collar people supported the Liberals, and blue-collar workers were Labor. Now all the parties are for the rich. Across the UK, teachers are drawing attention to the impact of the Conservative governments slashing of funding to schools. The government had pledged to protect school spending, but this was a facade. Successive UK governments have failed to stop the austerity cuts on schools and the Conservatives proposed fairer funding formula is a further attack on the education system. A desperate situation has been created as cash-strapped schools look to face even further cuts from proposed funding reforms. The National Audit Office (NAO) reports that schools faced 3 billion in spending cuts and a forecast from the Institute for Fiscal Studies said this equated to an 8 percent real-term cut to funding. This means that schools face the worst reduction in funding since the mid-1990s. The situation is so dire that MPs recently debated the schools funding crisis. At the Education Select Committee on January 31, Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb admitted that 5,500 schools are on the funding floor. This was in stark contrast to previous comments by the Education Secretary Justine Greening who claimed that schools were already receiving record levels of funding. We recognise that schools are facing cost pressures, which is why we will continue to provide advice and support to help them use their funding in cost-effective ways, including improving the way they buy goods and services, so they get the best possible value for their pupils. Greenings response covers up the truth that schools will be forced to find detrimental ways to cope with the coming cuts on spending. Pressures of funding are compromising the education of every child, with schools being treated as businesses. The most expensive part of a schools budget is teachers pay. School head teachers will ultimately be forced to decide between allocating funding for staff or resources. This will only exacerbate the existing crisis. Cuts in funding have already led to a desperate situation where class sizes have increased substantially. There are many cases across the UK where, even before further attacks take place, schools are struggling and are already considering extreme measures to survive. Schoolchildren face the prospect of a four-day week in the county of West Sussex, and the same is now being considered in the north-west county of Cheshire because of a shortage in funding. School principals from Cheshire have warned that some subjects could be scrapped, while teaching assistants and mental health support workers could face redundancy. While public education faces this crisis, Prime Minister Theresa May has nevertheless pledged that schools will take on a larger role in dealing with mental health issues. This is due to cuts of at least 600 million to mental health services since 2010. Previously paid for by central and local government funding, schools will have to pay for these additional responsibilities out of their own budgets. This attack on school budgets is not sustainable, with school leaders forced to consider unprecedented measures. The BBC reported Denis Oliver, head teacher at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School in Cheshire, saying he was investigating the possibility of having children working at home with their teachers online as virtual support, [thereby] saving on heating, lighting, cleaning and transport costs. We are looking at everything. He added, Class sizes will rise, services for children with high needs will drastically reduce, school libraries may have to close. Its draconian. It will destroy some schools. This is not an isolated case but the emerging reality nationwide, with the Independent reporting, 40 percent of small rural schools are set to lose funding. The impact is being felt across the board. North Devon schools are likely to go bankrupt due to proposed funding changes. Member of Parliament for Liverpool West, Stephen Twigg, said, 80 percent of schools in Liverpool are set to have budget cuts. In the area of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, only one school is set to benefit from the new funding formula changes, with the rest losing money. In Oldham, each school is set to lose 438 per pupil. Not only are schools worried about the coming changes, but growing numbers of secondary schools are over-spending and deficits are growing. Their average deficit during 2015/16 increased from 246,000 to 326,000. Schools Week magazine reported, Schools are now at the point where they have cut all they can from non-staff budgets. In this situation, the only solution left to head teachers is to cut money from staffing. The governments strategy in response to funding problems in Academy schools has been to intervene to give them notices to improve. There is no evidence that this process has helped improve a schools financial situation. In fact, the NAO found that 70 out of 322 academy trusts ended back on financial concern lists even after receiving Education Funding Agency (EFA) support. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), which asked 1,000 schools about their funding situation, substantiates these statistics. They found that 71 percent of head teachers polled were only able to balance their budgets by making cuts or dipping into reserves. Seventy-two percent of head teachers fear budgets will be unsustainable by 2019 and 85 percent save money by spending less on new equipment. The greatest cost pressures on schools, according to head teachers, are government changes, which have passed the costs of employing staff on to schools; the decline in local authority services; and the abolition of a central government grant that enables councils to support schools with pupils who have mental health issues. According to the NAHT, almost 80 percent of schools are providing support for children with mental health issues from general school budgets. Schools are stepping in where cuts in health and social care funding have failed to meet the growing demand for support. As wider cuts to social care and childrens services continue, schools have to deal with the effects by taking over the care systems that have been wiped out. This situation only exacerbates the school funding situation and directly affects the care of children, with fully funded and dedicated services no longer available. Schools are forced to cut hours of speech therapy sessions, and specialist staff who used to work in areas such as drugs, gangs and counselling have disappeared or had their hours cut. Head teachers complain that there is no help outside school for children with mental health issues and schools are now being asked to take on even heavier burdens, but without extra funding. Schools cannot afford family liaison workers, yet are being judged on the attendance records of children. Head teachers are cutting training budgets at a time when the government has changed every course and every exam curriculum. Money for resources and training for these courses cannot be found by some schools. Some head teachers have followed a policy of not replacing staff where they do not have to. Parents are increasingly being asked to contribute to school funding. One example is Beechen Cliff, a state school in Bath, which sent a letter to all parentsseveral years before the new funding formula came inasking for a regular voluntary financial contribution. Noting the bleak governmental funding future, it said that maintaining existing standards will only be possible with help and support. The letter continued, At Beechen Cliff education is free but, if parents are willing to give a fraction of that money, we could achieve so much more. It added, We are asking ALL families for a voluntary contribution of 30, 20 or 10 per month to the new Top-up Scheme. Many schools are heading towards bankruptcy and will be forced to go to the wall. The aim of the governments attacks is to force schools to become businesses that compete, with the privatisation of school-age education the goal. A preferential vote deal struck by the Liberal Party with Pauline Hansons right-wing One Nation party for the March 11 Western Australian state election has sharpened the political crisis within the Liberal-National Coalition across the country. Facing a landslide defeat, the state Liberal government has negotiated a pact with Hansons party, whose media polling in the state has soared to 13 percent since last Julys federal election. Premier Colin Barnetts Liberal administration, in the former mining boom state, has slumped to just 30 percent in the polls, as part of a wider collapse in support for the Liberals nationally. The Liberal Party will direct its second voting preferences in the upper house to One Nation, not to the rural-based National Party, which is part of the Coalition government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the federal level. In exchange, One Nation has agreed to direct its preferences to the Liberals in 35 lower house seats. The Nationals have retaliated in response, directing preferences in some upper house electorates to the Greens, thus endangering Liberal Party seats. This is not merely a Western Australian development. Senior ministers in Turnbulls government were intimately involved in the horse-trading with One Nation, notably Finance Minister Mathias Cormann and Employment Minister Michaelia Cashwho took Hanson to dinner in Perth, the state capital, last December. Turnbull and other cabinet members have strenuously defended the deal. While claiming to disagree with some of Hansons anti-immigrant and protectionist policies, Turnbull emphasised that his government was now collaborating with her. I have to say we work very closely with the One Nation senators, Turnbull stated. A previous Coalition government, under former Prime Minister John Howard, vowed in 2001 that it would never swap preferences with One Nation and then railroaded her to jail after her partys appeal to disaffected voters threatened to destabilise the two-party system. Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the National Party leader, has bitterly denounced the deal, warning it would lead to a loss of government in Western Australia and, eventually, nationally. Tensions between the Liberals and the Nationals are deepening throughout Australia, due primarily to the crisis in rural and regional areas, where most of the National Partys support base lives. This has been caused by a severe loss of jobs and basic services, from mining-related closures and government austerity cuts. This political crisis not only raises the prospect of a split in the federal Coalition government. It underscores the level of political disaffection wracking the entire parliamentary establishment. Buoyed by the election of Donald Trump as US president, Hanson is seeking to emulate the American billionaires success in diverting the anger and alienation felt by millions of working class, small business and impoverished people into reactionary nationalist, xenophobic and protectionist directions. After decades of declining living conditions and ever-more glaring social inequality imposed by Coalition and Greens-backed Labor governments alike, Hanson is cynically exploiting the seething hostility that has resulted. In this, she is walking in the footsteps of mining magnate Clive Palmers Palmer United Party, which made a similar pitch in the lead up to the 2013 federal election, but has since imploded. In Hansons home state of Queensland, another ex-mining boom state, media polling currently puts One Nations support at 23 percent. This may be enough for her party to join a coalition government with either Labor or the Liberal National Party after the next state election, which could be held this year. The same poll reported that more than a third of respondents, while not necessarily agreeing with Hansons policies, thought it would be good for One Nation to hold the balance of power in the next state parliament. Behind the support for Hanson lie dangerous illusions that she represents the interests of ordinary working people, or that One Nation will at least push governments into backing away from their pro-corporate offensive on jobs, working conditions and essential public services such as health, education and welfare. In reality, as indicated by the comments of Turnbull and Hanson herself, she is actively seeking a prominent position within the parliamentary system, having already assisted the Coalition government to push through socially destructive spending cuts. Not only does Hanson scapegoat Muslims, asylum seekers and foreign workers, in an effort to divide and weaken the working class. She denounces welfare recipients, thus blaming unemployed youth and workers, as well, for the relentless destruction of jobs and conditions by Australian corporations. The Labor Party, while hypocritically criticising the Liberals for courting One Nation, is also seeking an accommodation with Hanson. Her economic nationalist and protectionist views dovetail with the efforts of the Labor and trade union movement to divert workers discontent down divisive anti-Chinese and anti-foreign worker channels. The Trump administration has served notice that it intends to expand the Indo-US military strategic alliance. This is not surprising, but nonetheless highly significant: first, because it underscores the new administrations intention to pursue confrontation with China; and second, because Washingtons drive to harness India to its military-strategic offensive against China has dangerously destabilized the region, fueling tensions between India and both China and Pakistan. US Secretary of Defense, General James Mad Dog Mattis, telephoned his Indian counterpart, Manohar Parrikar last week. Mattis, according to the Pentagon readout of their Feb. 8 conversation, hailed the tremendous progress made in recent years in Indo-US defense cooperation and said the new administration is eager to sustain the momentum and build upon it. The readout made specific mention of the bilateral Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) under which the US and India are codeveloping and coproducing advanced weapon systems. Mattis placed his call to Parrikar shortly after returning from a trip to East Asia, during which he reaffirmed Washingtons longstanding strategic alliances with Japan and South Korea. He also reiterated the Obama administrations commitment to go to war with China if Beijing were ever to threaten East China Sea islets (known in Japan as the Senkaku and in China as the Diaoyu) that are currently held by Japan, but claimed by China. Mattiss call came the day after officials in Washington had said that all the legal changes necessary to give effect to Indias recent designation as a Major (US) Defense Partner have now been completed. As a quid pro quo for New Delhi agreeing to allow the Pentagon to use Indian military bases to service its warplanes and battleships, the Obama administration last year conferred Major Defense Partner status on India. This gives New Delhi access to US weapons on a par with Washingtons most trusted treaty allies and Indian companies a presumption of approval when they seek to buy most US Commerce Department-controlled military and dual use goods. Since the turn of the 21st century, Republican and Democratic administrations alike have prioritized strengthening strategic ties with India, viewing it as critical to US efforts to contain and, if need be, thwart Chinas rise. Indias size, large nuclear-armed military, and strategic location are all reasons India has been touted by the Pentagon, CIA, and US foreign policy think tanks as a strategic prize. From the standpoint of the strategists of US imperialism, India is Chinas western underbelly. Moreover, it juts far out into the Indian Ocean, providing a prime vantage point for controlling the sea-lanes that convey much of Chinas oil and other natural resource imports, and almost all its exports to Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Since the Obama administration launched its Pivot to Asia in 2011, and especially since the Indian elite propelled Narendra Modi and his Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power in May 2014, India has been integrated ever more completely into Washingtons military-strategic offensive against China. In their parting addresses, both Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Secretary of State John Kerry characterized the enhanced Indo-US military-strategic ties as one of the major achievements of Obamas eight-year presidency. Under Modi, India has been transformed into a veritable frontline state in Washingtons anti- China offensive. In addition to opening its military bases for routine US use, Indiaas revealed by the head of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, last monthis now exchanging intelligence with the US Navy on Chinese submarine and ship movements in the Indian Ocean. New Delhi has also dramatically expanded its bilateral and trilateral military-security cooperation with Americas closest Asia-Pacific allies, Japan and Australia. Beginning with the January 2015 India-US Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region, the Modi government has consistently parroted Washingtons provocative position on the South China Sea dispute, painting China as the aggressor. This stance is encouraging the US to act ever more recklessly. The Trump administration has gone so far as to threaten to block Chinas access to the South China Sea islets it currently controls, an act that would be tantamount to a declaration of war. The extent to which India is being integrated into the US war build-up against China has been further underscored by this weeks announcement that the Pentagon has decided to make India a hub for servicing and repairing battleships and other vessels attached to its Seven Fleetthe force that would play the lead role in implementing the US militarys Air-Sea Battle plan against China. The ever-tighter Indo-US alliance has overturned the balance of power in the South Asian region, leading to the dangerous intensification of geopolitical tensions between India and its principal rivals, China and Pakistan. One expression of this is a nuclear and ballistic missile arms race, involving all three states. Emboldened by the many strategic favors Washington has showered upon it, New Delhi has launched a campaign of diplomatic, economic and military pressure aimed at forcing Islamabad to stamp out all logistical support from Pakistan for the anti-Indian insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir. Last fall, South Asia was plunged into its gravest war crisis in over a decade, when India mounted commando raids inside Pakistan in retaliation for an attack on an Indian military base carried out by Islamist Kashmiri separatists. For more than four decades, India did not publicly admit to attacks inside Pakistan for fear of triggering a dynamic of escalating strikes and counterstrikes that could quickly lead to all-out war. The Modi government has dashed this policy. It has celebrated the commando raids as the throwing off of the shackles of strategic restraint and has vowed that it will continue to punish Pakistan until it renounces terrorism even if that leads to the first-ever war between nuclear-armed states. The Modi government has been encouraged in this provocative stance by Washington. Eager to demonstrate to New Delhi the value Washington places on their strategic partnership, the Obama administration supported Indias illegal and highly provocative surgical strikes inside Pakistan, first implicitly and then explicitly. Even before Mattiss phone call to his Indian counterpart, Parrikar, New Delhi was calculating how it could exploit the harder line the Trump administration is expected to adopt with Pakistan, which Washington has repeatedly criticized for not doing more to stamp out Taliban safe havens inside Pakistan. In reality, if Islamabad, or at least sections of Pakistans military-intelligence apparatus, have maintained ties with some Taliban factions it is because they are hedging against the impact of the Indo-US alliance, which has drastically increased the strategic imbalance between Pakistan and India, a country with a six times larger population and an eight times larger economy. Pakistans principal military-strategic response to the burgeoning Indo-US ties had been to deepen its longstanding alliance with Beijing. This in turn has further exacerbated tensions between Beijing and New Delhi. In a statement to the Indian parliament last week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reiterated the Modi governments hardline policy of refusing all substantive contacts with Pakistan until it abandons any material support for the Kashmir insurgency. Swaraj proclaimed Indias policy was no dialogue, until peace and boasted about Islamabads growing diplomatic isolation. Up until 2015, China adopted a cautious approach to the Indo-US military-strategic alliance, based on the calculation that a strong reaction might backfire and push New Delhi further into Washingtons embrace. But over the past two years, Beijing has taken an increasingly confrontational stance, as exemplified by its decision to make the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor a cornerstone of its One Belt, One Road initiative. Significantly India figures large on the list of key strategic concerns Beijing has reportedly given to the Trump administration. According to Michael Pillsbury, a Trump advisor and China expert, Beijing listed six top sensitivities: Taiwan; the One China policy; the antiballistic missile system Washington is building in South Korea (THAAD); US arms sales to India; the Sino-Indian border dispute; and the Dali Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile, which is located in India. At Modis invitation, the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, made a high-profile visit last October to Arunachal Pradesh, territory China claims as South Tibet. On a similar visit earlier last year a lower-level US diplomat said Washington considers Arunachal Pradesh an indisputable part of India. Woman nabbed with psychoactive drugs Police on Tuesday arrested a woman in possession of psychoactive drugs from Jaisidewal, KMC-20, Nepal Police said. German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) parliamentary group at the end of August that in refugee policy the most important thing in the coming months is repatriation, repatriation and again repatriation. Last Thursday, the chancellor met with the minister presidents of Germanys states to put this slogan into practice. In place of the so-called welcoming culture a deportation culture has emerged which could certainly be compared to the policies of US President Donald Trump. Prior to the summit in the chancellors office, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere (CDU) urged a joint pooling of forces to deport refugees in large numbers. The minister presidents then agreed on a 15-point plan which drastically curtails immigrant rights, and supports more frequent and quicker deportations. The measures were supported by state presidents from all political parties. Only the President of Thuringia Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) stayed away from the summit out of tactical considerations. The 15-point plan includes the following measures: The reasons for detention pending deportation will be increased. In the future, rejected asylum seekers can be interned if they are accused of endangering public security or order. Such preventive detention violates current laws, and the utterly unclear concept of a threat in criminal law opens the door wide to police arbitrariness. Custody pending departure, a euphemism for the detention of entire families, is being lengthened to 10 days. This violates EU law, which bans arbitrary measures without constitutional review. The police and intelligence surveillance of foreigners required to leave will be significantly expanded. The smart phones and SIM cards of refugees who are not cooperative enough during identification checks can be confiscated and examined. In addition, the federal office for migration and refugees can also pass sensitive data to the police authorities. Rejected asylum seekers can have stricter residency requirements imposed upon them so that they are not permitted to leave the area or city in which they live. Refugees can also be sanctioned more strictly with benefit cuts and employment bans. Until now, refugees who had held tolerated status in Germany for at least a year could challenge a deportation order within one month. This option shall be restricted so that tolerated refugees can expect to be deported at any time. Asylum seekers who are deemed not to have a perspective of staying prior to their first hearing can be compelled to stay at arrival centres. They are to be sent back from the arrival centre as soon as possible after the commencement of the requirement to depart. In this way, the permanent internment of refugees will become the norm. The refugee camps will thus become centres of organised hopelessness, as refugee support organisation ProAsyl has noted. The heads of government at the federal and state levels have also agreed to create a sufficient number of detention pending deportation places within close distance of central departure institutions. In addition, a centre to support return will be established to coordinate deportation measures between the federal and state governments and press ahead with mass deportations, especially to Afghanistan. The Interior Ministry also intends to expand the number of the so-called Dublin regulations. Refugees will be sent back to the country where they first entered European Union territory. According to Interior Minister de Maiziere, there will soon be Dublin transfers to Greece, Hungary and Bulgaria, even though refugees are abused in those countries and there is no functioning asylum system or adequate accommodation. And finally, the so-called voluntary repatriation of refugees will be intensified. An additional 90 million is to be made available for this. In this procedure, refugees will face pressure already during asylum hearings to return voluntarily to their homeland in exchange for a small incentive. The repatriation programme Starthilfe plus listed countries gripped by civil war, including Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea as targets for voluntary repatriation. If one includes the refugee deal with Turkey, the systematic sealing off of the Balkan route and the Mediterranean as well as the attempts of the European Union to build detention centres in North Africa for refugees, these measures hardly differ from the bullying, internment and deportation of refugees adopted by the Trump administration. Constitutional principles are being thrown overboard and human rights trampled underfoot. The right to asylum has been restricted several times in Germany since the autumn of 2015 to deter refugees. Benefits have been cut, residency requirements reintroduced and toughened, family reunification made more difficult and deportations pushed forward. Now the criteria for the acceptance of asylum seekers are to be arbitrarily intensified. The decision paper from the heads of government meeting states early on, In the coming months, the BAMF [Federal Office for Migration and Refugees] will in the future reject a high number of asylum applications from people who do not require protection in Germany. Chancellors office Minister Peter Altmeier (CDU) told Bavarian Radio, We assume that deportations will be more frequent and quicker from all states, including to Afghanistan. This should also result in fewer people setting out to Germany. It is significant that the government has hired the consultancy firm McKinsey, which is normally tasked with rationalising business operations, to produce a study on the deportation of refugees. Refugees are being treated like cattle whose deportation is a mere matter of feasibility and cost-effectiveness. Even though only 150,000 tolerated refugees who currently live in Germany are obliged to leave, the McKinsey study assumes that the number could rise to 485,000 in 2017. The stepped-up actions against refugees were agreed to by an all-party coalition. For the Social Democrats, Justice Minister Heiko Mas praised the package of measures, Only if we enforce our regulations can we permanently achieve acceptance for migration. A despicable role is being played by the Left Party. Their interior policy spokeswoman in parliament publicly described the measures as competition of shamelessness in deportation policy and attacked the expansion of federal authority in deportations for suppressing humanitarian considerations, which luckily are still employed in some states. However, the Thuringia state government noted its readiness in the protocol to the 15-point plan to enforce the obligation to return for rejected asylum seekers. It merely intends to rely more heavily on the so-called voluntary repatriation, because the support of voluntary return [is] an efficient instrument. And in Berlin and Brandenburg, where the Left Party is also in government, the party has not raised any principled objections to the measures. In Mexico, 57 percent of adolescents in prison are tortured, according to a report released by the National Center for Human Rights (CNDH) late last month. The CNDH, an independent agency, details the background and experiences of youth aged 14-18 who have been accused of committing a violent crime. It is based on interviews and surveys with 730 adolescents in 17 representative states throughout the country. According to the Mexican Commission of National Security, there are currently over 13,000 adolescents behind bars, of which over one-fifth have been convicted of a violent crime, such as murder, robbery using violence and kidnapping. The nationwide report documents the systematic abuse of imprisoned adolescents by local and federal police, as well as by sections of the Mexican Army and the Marines. Over half (57 percent) of all interviewed teens reported being torturedoften over the course of several daysafter their arrest. Interviewees frequently reported being subjected to electric shocks, stabbed, tasered, drowned, asphyxiated and struck by the police. One youth told interviewers: I was undressed and tied up. They put water on me, the put bags on my face, they left me undressed and wet for five hours. They hit me in the ribs and tasered me. When they tortured me, I had to say what they wanted to hear or they would hit me more. While Mexican law prohibits using torture to extract confessions, previous investigations by the CNDH have found multiple cases of falsification of medical records that would confirm detainees had been subjected to torture. Violations by the justice system documented by the study spread beyond torture and abuse at detention centers, including systematic violations of due process. The majority of adolescents reported not being informed of the charges against them (59 percent), not being informed of their rights (69 percent) and not being told they had the right to an attorney (54 percent). Overall, 16 percent of those interviewed reported being innocent, although this number was over twice as high in some regions (37 and 44 percent in Veracruz and Oaxaca, respectively). The report notes a particularly high percentage [of alleged innocence] was found among those who, under conditions of poverty, marginalization and powerlessness, also suffered from discriminatory treatment by the justice system due to their ethnic or indigenous status. The report tells the story of Wilfrido, a 21-year-old indigenous youth who was charged with murder and was convicted because a seven-year-old relative of the victim cried in court at the sight of him. Despite Wilfridos explanation that the young boy had cried because he was frightened and did not speak Spanish, the existence of no other evidence against him and an alibi placing him elsewhere during the crime, the judge found this to be sufficient proof and he was sentenced to nine years in prison. The study sheds light to the complicit role of the armed forces in the drug trade: about 20 percent of those interviewed said current or former members of the police or the army also took part in the criminal operations for which they were convicted. Under conditions of violence and endemic poverty, vulnerable youth become entangled in the drug trade in an effort to provide for themselves and their families. The majority (64 percent) of those interviewed reported getting involved in crime to help their families financially. Prior to their arrest, adolescents reported working both in legal (e.g. farmer, daily worker, fisherman, dishwasher) and illegal (e.g. robbery, selling drugs, kidnapping) activities. However, those who worked in the illegal sector could earn up to 10 times as much. Adolescents who are convicted of violent crimes are among the most vulnerable sections of the Mexican working class. Interviewed teens were three times as likely to live in conditions of extreme poverty than the general population, and 40 percent noted they had been physically abused frequently prior to being incarcerated. Highlighting the predatory role of the drug trade, the majority of those interviewed joined organized crime when they were between 12 and 14 years old. The CNDH report is a damning indictment of the existing conditions in Mexico more than a decade after the US-backed war on drugs, which has claimed over 80,000 lives since 2006. With the military and economic aid of the Bush and Obama administrations, this bloody war has not only led to countless deaths, but has militarized society to the degree that, as the report states, torture constitutes normal behavior that is to be expected from police. About half of all murders between 2008 and 2015 can be attributed to the war on drugs, according to the Mexican Statistics and Geography Institute (INEGI). Of these murders, 84 percent have never gone to trial. Despite spending billions of dollars on security forces and military equipment, the drug war has been an abject failure. The US continues to have the highest levels of illegal drug use in the world, and the supply of illegal drugs to the US remains virtually unchanged. Trump has sought to scapegoat immigrants for both the failure of this policy and for the conditions of poverty in the US that lead many to become addicted to drugs. We have to keep the drugs out of our country, he has stated. We are getting the drugs, theyre getting the cash. We need strong borders. We cannot give amnesty. Workers and youth in Mexico and the US must reject this nationalist poison and fight to end capitalism, the social system that breeds the desperation and hopelessness that creates both the demand for and supply of drugs in order to serve the profit interests of corporations, banks and cartels. California officials announced that the 188,000 people living under the Oroville dam could return home early Tuesday afternoon, after a harrowing last-minute evacuation 48 hours earlier. Residents were forced to flee on Sunday when it was revealed that erosion in the emergency spillway of the tallest dam in the United States threatened to flood their towns. A large, 250-foot long by 45-foot deep hole had previously been discovered last Tuesday in the dams primary spillway. Experts currently estimate that it will cost at least $200 million to repair the hole in the dams spillways if no further damage is incurred. Crews spent the past two days attempting to patch up the erosion in the emergency spillway of the dam by dropping bags of rocks into it from helicopters and covering them with a slurry, which engineers say would temporarily slow the further erosion of the spillway. However, several days of rain are forecast to begin this evening, and an evacuation warning remains in place, meaning residents must be prepared to evacuate again at a moments notice. The potentially devastating situation at the Oroville dama number of cities could have been wiped out by a 30ft wall of water if the dam had failedhighlights the decaying and decrepit state of infrastructure in the United States. Routine repairs and necessary maintenance that could ward off disasters and protect tens of thousands from natural disasters are neglected, amidst the speculative and parasitic accumulation of wealth by the corporate and financial elite. Dam and levee failures have had significant impact on populations across the United States in recent decades. The failure of levees in New Orleans in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina led to the flooding of a major American city, the deaths of more than 1,800 people and the permanent displacement of many thousands more. Flooding in 1997 in Yuba County, just south of Butte County where the Oroville dam is located, was caused by two separate levee breaks along the Yuba River in areas that had been designated for repair following flooding a decade earlier. Those floods resulted in the deaths of three people and the evacuation of 38,000 residents, including most of the city of Marysville. The fact that the Oroville dam emergency spillway could suffer serious erosion after heavy rains was well known to federal, state and local officials, who were warned about this possibility more than a decade ago by environmental groups. However, nothing was done to prevent the catastrophe that nearly occurred Sunday. The Friends of the River, the Sierra Club and the South Yuba Citizens League filed a motion in 2005 with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asking for the emergency spillway to be paved to avoid erosion that would lead to a catastrophic failure. Their appeal was rejected as unnecessary by the California Department of Water Resources and host of other local water agencies. Infrastructure across America is in a general state of disrepair, including roads, bridges, dams and levees, railways, drinking water and other categories. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates that California alone requires annual spending of $65 billion to fix and maintain its infrastructure. In 2013, the ASCE gave the US a grade of D+ for the state of its infrastructure and estimate that the level of needed investment was $3.6 trillion. A 2012 report published by the American Progress think-tank points out that more than one third of US dams are more than 50 years old, which is the standard intended lifespan of a typical dam (the Oroville dam is 48 years old). By 2030, more than 70 percent of dams will be past this mark. More than one in six dams are classified as high-hazard, meaning a dam failure could result in the deaths of nearby residents. In 2008, more than 2,000 high-hazard dams were rated structurally deficient or at high risk of failure. The state of Alabama, home to 201 high-hazard dams, had no dam safety program and spent $0 annually on dam inspection and maintenance as of 2012. Many of the cities in the Oroville evacuation zone are home to working class and poor residents. The city of Oroville has a poverty rate of 23.8 percent; Marysville 28.6 percent; and Linda 37.6 percent, including 47.2 percent of children. For these vulnerable layers, missing two days of work during the evacuation can itself cause significant harm. More than one thousand impoverished men, women, children and infants with nowhere else to go took shelter in a makeshift camp set up by the Red Cross at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in the nearby city of Chico, just outside of the evacuation area. Families spent two nights sleeping hundreds to a room on cots, or in their cars in the packed parking lot. Residents of Chico donated childrens clothing, food and other supplies. Joshua Seely, 30, his wife and four children, including a one-month-old baby, had been trapped in their home in Oroville without transportation before being evacuated to Chico. I called the cops and told them we didnt have a vehicle, Josh explained to the WSWS. They said go upstairs! That was at five oclock. At eleven [six hours after the evacuation order], they came by and told us to we needed to leave. Eventually they sent a bus to get us. Twenty-four year old Audryanna, from the town of Linda, said that she and nine of her family members, including her wheelchair-bound grandmother and infant niece, frantically packed a pickup truck and two cars with garbage bags full of their most essential belongings and headed for Chico. We didnt know how much time we had. We packed everything in about ten minutes. My two sons are with my other grandmother in Auburn, but I havent been able to reach them. Audryanna explained, My mom was supposed to start a new job today, working in a daycare. Now, she may not get the position at all. Its stressful. Really stressful, she said. The Trump administration is facing an escalating political crisis following the Monday evening resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. There are growing calls from the media and sections of the political establishment for congressional investigations into Flynns contacts with Russia prior to Trumps inauguration, and demands that Trump explain what he knew about the contacts and whether Flynn was operating with his knowledge and approval. On Tuesday afternoon, it was reported that the FBI interviewed Flynn soon after Trumps inauguration about his telephone conversation with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, on December 29, 2016. The call was secretly monitored and recorded by the National Security Agency. The Washington Post revealed that Justice Department officials informed the White House several weeks ago that Flynn had discussed US sanctions on Russia with the ambassador, and that his repeated denials of that fact were false. A transcript of the Flynn-Kislyak conversation is reportedly circulating at the highest levels of official Washington. In the corporate-controlled media, a series of commentators, serving as conduits for material provided by the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, have begun to raise the specter of impeachment or a Nixon-style forced resignation. A raging conflict within the US ruling elite has erupted to the surface of American political life. The battle involves the major institutions of the capitalist statethe White House, CIA, NSA, FBI and Pentagonas well as the leaderships of both the Democratic and Republican parties. At the center of this conflict are divisions over foreign policy and concerns within the military-intelligence apparatus that the Trump administration is not taking a sufficiently aggressive line against Russia. The campaign against Trump is no less reactionary and militaristic than the new administration itself. It has a definite logic, leading to an escalation of the political and military confrontation with Russia, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the entire world. This campaign is the central preoccupation of the Democratic Party. Throughout the final months of the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton repeatedly attacked Trump as a political stooge of Russian President Vladimir Putin, while presenting herself as the more reliable defender of American imperialism. The issue was raised again during the postelection transition, with claims that Russian hacking was responsible for Trumps surprise victory. Following Trumps inauguration, the theme has been taken up once more, with congressional Democrats and a section of Senate Republicans acting as the political spearhead of the CIA and Pentagon. Congressional Democrats seized on Flynns resignation to raise the Watergate-era question, What did the president know and when did he know it? Their contention is that when Flynn telephoned Kislyak on December 29, the same day President Obama imposed new sanctions on Russia, Flynn was conveying assurances from Trump that those sanctions would be relaxed or discarded outright once Trump entered the White House. The most strident comments came from Eric Swalwell of California, a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, who declared that Trump aides have improper relationships with Russia and that Trump himself was implicated. The Republicans may have the majorities in Congress and their candidate may have won the White House, but [the Democrats] are not helpless, he said. We have the American people, and the American people will not be satisfied until they know whether the president is with us or with Russia. Swalwell would have been more truthful if he had said the Democrats are not helpless because they have the CIA, the NSA and much of the Pentagon behind them, powerful sections of the state apparatus that have made an enormous strategic investment in preparing for war with Russia. The Democratic Party oozes complacency and passivity when it comes to Trumps cabinet nominations and his issuance of antidemocratic and unconstitutional executive orders. This is because, whatever their tactical criticisms of these elements of Trumps policy, they are in line with the interests of the corporate and financial aristocracy that both parties represent. But when given the chance to wage a McCarthy-style campaign claiming that Trump is a Russian stooge, they charge into battle frothing at the mouth. It is significant that sections of congressional Republicans, as well as Democrats, have distanced themselves from Trump over this issue. It is not just warmongers like John McCain and Lindsey Graham. The Senate Republican leadership has agreed to investigate alleged Russian interference in the US elections and to include Flynns contacts with Russia within the scope of the inquiry. US imperialism seeks to counter its declining world economic position by exploiting its unchallenged global military dominance. It sees as the principal roadblocks to its hegemonic aims the growing economic and military power of China and the still-considerable strength of Russia, possessor of the worlds second-largest nuclear arsenal, the largest reserves of oil and gas, and a critical geographical position at the center of the Eurasian land mass. Trumps opponents within the ruling class insist that US foreign policy must target Russia, with the aim of weakening the Putin regime or overthrowing it. This is deemed a prerequisite for taking on the challenge posed by China. Numerous Washington think tanks have developed scenarios for military conflicts with Russian forces in the Middle East, in Ukraine, in the Baltic States and in cyberspace. The national security elite is not prepared to accept a shift in orientation away from the policy of direct confrontation with Russia along the lines proposed by Trump, who would like for the present to lower tensions with Russia in order to focus first on China. Even as the struggle rages within the ruling class and the capitalist state, the Trump administrations attacks on democratic rights are provoking an unprecedented outpouring of popular opposition. Millions of working people and youth, native-born and immigrant, have taken part in protests against the new government. But this broad social movement has, as yet, neither a clear political program articulating the independent interests of the working class nor a revolutionary socialist leadership. This situation poses grave dangers. The intelligence agencies, acting primarily through the Democratic Party, are seeking to hijack the mass opposition to Trump and redirect it behind their war plans, whether directed against Russia or China, using supposed external enemies as lightning rods for rising social and economic distress. Workers and young people must not line up behind either faction of the ruling elite. Both are preparing for new military bloodbaths to safeguard the profits of American corporations. They are fighting over tactics and the sequence of targets, not over whether to send American youth to kill or be killed in imperialist wars. The struggle against the Trump administration poses the need for a complete break with the Democrats and Republicans, the twin parties of big business, and the building of a mass independent political movement of working people, based on a socialist and internationalist program. Talks to resolve the Syrian conflict organized by Russia, Turkey and Iran are set to begin today in the Kazakh capital, Astana. The second round of discussions has been overshadowed by renewed tensions between Russia and Turkey, and the possibility that an opposition delegation could refuse to attend. An announcement was made Tuesday by the Kazakh government that the meetings would take place behind closed doors. The initiative to reach a peace agreement to end the civil war was taken by Russia and Turkey after US-backed rebels suffered a disastrous defeat in eastern Aleppo at the end of last year. The retaking of the countrys second major city by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, with the support of Russian air strikes and Iranian fighters, was a severe setback to Washingtons six-year-long war for regime change in Damascus. Washington has been left sidelined in the Astana talks, although Moscow and Ankara extended an invitation for the US to attend as an observer. US President Donald Trump ordered senior military personnel January 28 to propose plans for the US intervention in Syria, giving them a one-month deadline. The administration has continued a brutal air war in collaboration with an international coalition, which is ostensibly targeting ISIS positions. According to the latest statistics, US air strikes in January killed over 250 civilians. Over 400,000 Syrians have lost their lives since the outbreak of the conflict and at least 11 million, around half of the countrys population, have been forced to flee their homes. In contrast to the Obama administration, whose Syria strategy of backing Islamist rebels dominated by the al-Qaida-affiliated Al-Nusra Front suffered a debacle in December with the fall of Aleppo, Trump has indicated his readiness to consider safe zones in the north of the country. This policy would aim to keep the millions who have been forced from their homes within the country and would at the same time serve as the pretext for a vast escalation of US military personnel in the country. It has already been pointed out by several commentators that defending such zones would entail a far larger US military commitment. There is little prospect that the peace talks over the coming days can avert a further escalation of tensions in the region. After the two-day meeting in Astana, the parties will reconvene next week under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva, where the United States and other Western powers are expected to participate. Over the weekend, Turkey continued to advance on the ISIS-controlled town of al-Bab and currently has approximately 40 percent of it under its control. The offensive came following a telephone call last week between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a visit to Ankara by new CIA head Mike Pompeo. The seizure of al-Bab heightens the risk of renewed clashes between Turkish and Kurdish forces organized in the Peoples Protection Units (YPG). The YPG is at present engaged in operations to retake Raqqa, the de facto capital of ISIS territory, but control over al-Bab would increase Turkish influence on the military offensive. Erdogan even suggested last week that Turkish troops could move east to attack the ISIS stronghold. Trump, who initially expressed the hope that Turkish and Kurdish forces could be persuaded to collaborate in combatting ISIS, appears to have abandoned this position in the face of stiff opposition from Erdogan, who opposes any expansion of Kurdish autonomy in northern Syria for fear that it will encourage separatist sentiments across the border in the Kurdish-majority areas of southeast Turkey. Turkish-Kurdish hostilities could yet trigger frictions between Ankara and Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov invited representatives of the Democratic Unity Party (PYD), the political arm of the YPG, to Moscow for a briefing on the last round of talks in Astana. Turkey has not criticized this move so far, but it rejects any cooperation with the PYD, which it denounces as terrorists and being linked to the separatist Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). While Moscow has spoken out in favor of a federal settlement for Syria, this is rejected by Turkey. The Turkish push further into Syrian territory also threatens to trigger clashes between Turkish-aligned Syrian militia and Assads forces, which are advancing on al-Bab from the south with Russian support. An Amnesty International report released last week, Human Slaughterhouse: mass hangings and exterminations at Saydnaya prison, documented the brutal repression employed by the Assad regime against political opponents. The yearlong investigation uncovered a systematic program of extrajudicial killings under which groups of up to 50 prisoners were taken to the basement of the jail and hung without prior notice, let alone legal proceedings. This practice went on between 2011 and 2015, and Amnesty noted that there is strong evidence to suggest it still continues. The report went on to detail how prisoners were systematically abused from the moment they entered Saydnaya prison, with frequent beatings or so-called parties organized by the prison guards. Predictably enough, the US media, led by the New York Times, seized on the findings of the Amnesty report to renew its campaign for confrontation with Russia over Syria and an intensification of the war for regime change fomented by the United States in 2011. The Times followed up its coverage of the report with a lengthy article on Sunday drawing on research carried out for the Atlantic Council by the US government-funded Bellingcat research group in the UK. The report provided information on Russian air strikes in Aleppo that targeted civilians and hospitals. There is no doubt about the brutality of the Assad regime, or the fact that the months-long bombing campaign conducted by Damascus and Moscow to retake Aleppo claimed many civilian lives. However, the task of overthrowing such dictatorships and putting an end to the scourge of imperialist war, which has devastated Syria and the entire region, cannot be outsourced to the United States and the European major powers. US imperialism and its allies have been responsible for death and destruction on a much broader scale, as the one million civilian lives ended by the intervention in Iraq, the tens of thousands killed in the brutal NATO air war in Libya in 2011 and the hundreds of thousands who have died in the US-instigated Syrian conflict tragically testify. Only by constructing an international antiwar movement, based on a socialist program to unite workers in the advanced capitalist countries with their brothers and sisters in Syria and throughout the entire Middle East, can an end be put to the wars and dictatorships that have ravaged the region. The chief responsibility for the atrocities that have been committed in Syria lies squarely with Washington. The destabilization of the country and the entire Middle East region, including the incitement of sectarian violence, is the product of more than 25 years of virtually uninterrupted military conflicts led by the United States and its European imperialist allies, beginning with the first Gulf War in 1990. For his part, Assad used an interview last Friday with Yahoo News to appeal to the Trump administration for support in his governments efforts to regain control of territory held by the Islamic State. Referring to Trumps repeated pledges to focus on fighting terrorism and eliminating ISIS, Assad commented, We agree about this priority. Thats our position. In Syria, it is to fight terrorism. Tallahassee, Fla. (WTXL) - Seven newly appointed Florida democrats will work together to award a total of $100,000 from the Janet Reno Challenge Grant. The Florida Democratic Party allocates the funding to support year-round grassroots organizations. Stephen Bittel, FDP Chair, says "The FDP is committed to building a 67 county grassroots organizing operation that competes for every vote in every city in every county across Florida. This grant will help kickstart our grassroots mobilization, increase Democratic voter registration and activism across the state and Im grateful to our panelists for their leadership in this effort." The newly assigned panelists are: Nikki Barnes, Wakulla County, State Committeewoman and DNC Member Leah Carius, Osceola County, DEC Chair Juan Cuba, Miami-Dade County, DEC Chair Lisa King, Duval County, State Committeewoman Russ Patterson, Hillsborough County, State Committeeman Ian Whitney, Hillsborough County, Former State Committeeman and Monroe County DEC Chair Janet Reno Challenge Grant applicants can submit 2-page proposals by February 28th to compete for ten $5,000 and twenty $2,500 merit-based awards. TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- A local restaurant is asking for the public's help after two recent burglaries. Harold Bailey, the owner of Chicago Chicken and Grill reached out to WTXL to see if someone can figure out who's behind either burglary. Two break-ins in less than two months -- including the most recent incident early Monday morning. There's a surveillance camera set up inside the restaurant, and Bailey said he hopes the video will help police catch whoever's responsible for the two incidents. The first happened on December 23, and the second occurred on February 13 around 4 a.m. The video of the most recent break-in shows a man jumping over the counter and going straight for the register, stuffing cash into his pockets. He's wearing shorts and a hoodie that covers his face. Bailey told WTXL that the business has always had locks. However, in the first incident, he says the suspect pried open the back door -- and in the second, the suspect broke a window to get in. Employee Walter Davis says he thinks it's the same suspect in both burglaries. "If you go back to the footage, he has kind of like a hump in his head," he said, "and the guy in the first video, he had hair on his head as well, so I would say it's the same guy. He has the same build." Bailey said he's lost several hundred dollars. He's replaced the window already, and customers have kept coming in, but he's hoping the public can identify who's costing him business. Tallahassee police are actively investigating Monday's incident. Anyone with information that can help identify the suspect is asked to call TPD at 850-891-4200. You are the owner of this article. Submit An Obituary Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form The Knesset speaker and faction heads agreed on Monday to set up a special interparty committee to provide recommendations with an aim to increasing Knesset supervision of the government and reducing private legislation. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Following the announcement of measures introduced by the ministers of justice and tourism last week and the ensuing debate , Speaker Yoel Edelstein hosted the leaders of every faction to discuss the proposal's details. Their meeting ended with their decision to establish the committee that is to include representatives from every political party. The Knesset (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) The proposal seeks to limit the number of private bills an MK can propose each year to four or five. Currently, there is no limit. The committee of ministers that proposes bills would be limited to 15 per week. Further, the number of bills that are voted on by parliamentarians in preliminary readings would be significantly reduced to 250 maximum per annum. During the meeting with Edelstein, Yesh Atid's faction leader, MK Ofer Shelah, presented a three-point plan assembled by his party's leader, MK Yair Lapid, that seeks to end the controversy over the proposal, which Yesh Atid has already supported. The first part seeks to reduce the number of Knesset committees and simultaneously increase their oversight authority on government ministries. Amongst the requested new powers would be holding hears for senior officials before the committees, the authority to summon civil servants and budget supervision of the ministry. The second part both limits private bills and enables MKs to appear before the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. The third section addresses the running of the Knesset, seeking, inter alia, to establish a minimum quorum for debates to take place in the plenum and assigning sanctions for MKs who miss debates. Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era arms control treaty, a Trump administration official said Tuesday, a development that complicates the outlook for US-Russia relations amid turmoil on the White House national security team. The Obama administration three years ago accused the Russians of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by developing and testing the prohibited cruise missile, and officials had anticipated that Moscow eventually would deploy it. Russia denies that it has violated the INF treaty. US intelligence agencies have assessed that the missile became operational late last year, said an administration official, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the matter and demanded anonymity. The deployment may not immediately change the security picture in Europe, but the alleged treaty violation may arise when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends his first NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. It also has stirred concern on Capitol Hill, where Sen. John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, called on the Trump administration to ensure US nuclear forces in Europe are ready. The Trump administration suggested Tuesday that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solutiona position that could represent a major shift from what has been US policy for more than 20 years. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Speaking to reporters ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior White House official said Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hoping to bring them together soon. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and PM Netanyahu (Photo: Avi Ohion/GPO) But the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the meeting beforehand, said it will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entailand that peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal. The main goal is peace, the official stated ahead of the meeting, whether by way of a two-state solution, if the two sides want, or by other means agreed to by the sides. Insisting that Trump had no intention of dictating terms, forging peace was high on the presidents agenda. Nevertheless, State Department officials expressed surprise at the comments and said Tuesday they were not aware of any policy shift on the desirability of a two-state solution. Three officials said the department was seeking clarification from the White House comments, which came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was having dinner with Netanyahu. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Netanyahu tweeted Wednesday afternoon about the meeting that took place with Tillerson, repeating comments he made before he borded for Washington. "Excellent meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The US-Israel alliance has always been strong, and it's about to get stronger," he wrote on Twitter. Tillerson was the official who called Netanyahu shortly before the White House issued a press statement two weeks ago stating that while it had not formulated a policy on settlements, their construction may not be helpful. Netanyahu would later tell express his view that Indeed, it is true that it will be more comfortable for Israel but anyone who thinks that there wont be limits on Israel is mistaken, he said. Netanyahu prepares with his advisors ahead of meeting with President Trump (Photo: Avi Ohion/GPO) Trump Spokesman Sean Spicer said that Trump and Netanyahu would discuss an array of issues including strengthening the relationship between the two countries, the need to stabilize the region, the Iranian threat and the need to fight against ISIS and terror. Spicer added that the two would discuss a future agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians so that the two sides could live in peace. Asked during his press conference whether Trump and Netanyahu would speak about moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as promised by the president during his election campaign, Spicer remained evasive on the matter, stating that he has no intention of going ahead of Trump on the issue. During his final White House news conference, Obama warned that the moment for a two-state solution "may be passing" and said the "status quo is unsustainable." It was not clear if the White House had intended to declare a major shift in policy during the hastily arranged briefing Tuesday night. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House Wednesday. The two leaders will hold a joint press conference before convening for meetings and a working lunch. Photo: Avi Ohion The prime minister will then head to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Trump takes pride in his deal-making skills and said during his campaign that he'd love the challenge of negotiating a Mideast agreement. He has appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to lead the effort. The official said the visit was meant to mark a new, closer relationship between Israel and the United States, which grew strained during the Obama years. Trump told The Associated Press during his campaign that he wanted to be "very neutral" and try to get both sides together. But his tone became decidedly more pro-Israel as the campaign progressed. He has said that Palestinians have been "taken over" by or are condoning militant groups. Some of his top aides challenge the legitimacy of Palestinian demands for a state. After repeatedly clashing with Obama for eight years, capped by a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, Netanyahu seemed relieved by Trump's arrival. Trump slammed the US decision to abstain from the UN vote, saying in December that Israel is being treated "very, very unfairly." Now in office, however, Trump has been forced to reevaluate and revisit his position on a number of issuesincluding those relating to Israel. After initially greeting Israel's settlement announcements with a shrug, Trump appears to be having second thoughts. In an interview with a pro-Netanyahu Israeli daily Friday, Trump said, "I am not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace." In preparation for the meeting, Yedioth Ahronoth obtained information that the White House requested a detailed report on the ongoing investigations against the Israeli prime minister in order to ascertain whether Trump will be facing a man with whom he can do business, or a man who is about to make an exit from the political scene. Moreover, despite the cordial relations which are expected to characterize the talks, White House officials were perturbed by comments in a cabinet meeting made by Netanyahu on Trumps personality shortly before departing to Washington. PM Netanyahu and his wife Sara land in Washington (Photo: Avi Ohion) Indeed Netanyahu warned the ministers to be under no illusions: Trump still believed in carving out two states, meaning that Israel had to act with caution, particularly in light of his personality. It is unclear what was written in the report provided to the president, but it is believed that White House officials interpreted these words as an insult. While the meeting is expected to be much warmer than Netanyahu's famously tense encounters with Obama, the Israeli leader will still need to tread with caution on sensitive issues like Israeli construction in the West Bank, Iran and the war in Syria. In dealing with such a divisive president, Netanyahu will also face some potential pitfalls. Key constituencies, including congressional Democrats and many American Jews, oppose Trump's policies, while at home Netanyahu is under pressure from his hard-line allies to push for policies that Trump may not support. "Netanyahu seeks to shift the discussion in the US-Israel relationship away from settlements and peace and back to Iran so that he can put off the difficult political decisions that would roil his coalition and put his rule in jeopardy," said Yousef Munayyer, a political analyst and executive director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo: EPA, AFP) "The challenge to Netanyahu is domestic," Munayyer added. "He spent so much time arguing that Obama was the problem that now that we are in the post-Obama era, his right-wing coalition partners want to exploit the moment and take huge steps that would further isolate Israel, trigger international condemnation from other corners, and potentially destabilize the land and Israeli politics." Meanwhile, in Ramallah senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said that the change in US policy "does not make sense." "This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace," Ashrawi said. "They cannot just say that without an alternative." Trump has yet to speak directly to the Palestinian leadership since taking office. Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu said he would handle ties with the US in a "prudent manner," but he steered clear of specifics. The Israeli prime minister is also scheduled to have breakfast Thursday with Vice President Mike Pence before departing back to Israel. Tell me the truth: Is there anyone who really longs for or dreams of being appointed as the United Nations envoy for solving conflicts in Libya ? Up until this very moment, I have not seen a list of candidates pushing in line at the entrance to the New York office of the new secretary-general, Antonio Guterres. After all, this a mission in which one will find it difficult to gain any achievements. You have a title, you get a diplomatic passport, the salary isnt bad, but the list of shortcomings is long. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter We are talking about a lot of frustration on the ground, of running around from the prime minister in Tripoli to his rival in eastern Libya, General Khalifa Haftar, and in between we have the Islamic State villains who might kidnap the envoy. Due to the circumstances, in faltering Libya one has to be armed with nerves of steel, speak Arabic, and be prepared and willing to risk ones life. Its so unattractive, that had the UN secretary-general chosen a Saudi, Egyptian, Moroccan or Iraqi politician, no one would have said anything. Dr. Salam Fayyad is an eccentric person. A former prime minister in Ramallah, a finance minister (twice) and a stubborn fighter against corruption, who had the courage to search through Suha Arafats accounts and developed a lot of resentment towards the confluence of money and government in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas family as well. There is a clear Israeli fingerprint behind the effort to thwart Fayyads UN appointment. The voice is Netanyahus voice, the hands are Trumps hands (Photos: AFP, Noam Moskovich) In his seven years as prime minister, Fayyad outlined plans for the establishment of state institutions in the Palestinian Authority territories and prepared to upgrade the security apparatus. He did not get the chance to complete his mission. Abbas, who suspected that the American Fayyad was gaining authorities at his expense, made sure to set him up, sent the security apparatus to turn his modest office upside down and showed him the way out. In Israel, Fayyad was known as a modest, honest and diligent man. He gave up on an extravagant official car in favor of taxis, walked around without bodyguards and answered the phone himself. One could have handed him donation money or tax returns amounting to tens of millions of shekels and be certain that they would reach their destination without him taking some into his pocket. His appearances in Israel, Washington and the European Union left a strong impression of a politician and economist who says what he means, is openly opposed to terror and is determined to tighten the security cooperation with Israel. All that collapsed at once. Two years ago, at the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel on the outskirts of Amman, I ran into Dr. Fayyad huddled deep in an armchair, busy playing Candy Crush on his cellphone. "What are you doing?" I was shocked, and photographer Shaul Golan snapped a picture of his fall. Fayyad raised his head with a look of despair. "When I am not wanted in Ramallah," he explained, "I go out to offer my skills elsewhere." Israel's fingerprint are all over the effort to thwart the appointment of Fayyad, the Palestinian who has no state. The voice is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus voice, the hands are US President Donald Trumps hands. If he is appointed, Israeli officials say, it will be a hostile diplomatic maneuver, another move towards international recognition of a Palestinian state. And lets not forget that the Palestinians only have a non-member observer state status at the UN. But there is another side to this issue, which is just as complicated: Libya is defined by Israel as a dangerous transit station for shipments of weapons and money funding the Hamas terror in Gaza. Israel could use its good ties (up until a few days ago) with Fayyad and enlist his help in the battle against those shipments. And looking into the future, Fayyads appointment to this international mission could invigorate his status in the PA, so that he would return in the future to a senior position in the post-Abbas era in Ramallah. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who claims to support the two-state solution, could have accepted the appointment, avoided spoiling the relations with the Israel-friendly UN secretary-general, and on the way, stopped the big mouths around him from thwarting the honorable appointment offered to Tzipi Livni as well. MOSCOW - Russia will not hand back control of Crimea to Ukraine, Russia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, responding to comments from the White House that the United States expected the Black Sea peninsula to be returned. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing. On Tuesday, the White House said US President Donald Trump had made it clear that he expects Russia to relinquish control of the territory. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, prompting the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the end of the Cold War. WASHINGTON - Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era arms control treaty, a Trump administration official says, a development that complicates the outlook for US-Russia relations amid turmoil on the White House national security team. The Obama administration three years ago accused the Russians of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by developing and testing the prohibited cruise missile, and officials had anticipated that Moscow eventually would deploy it. Russia denies that it has violated the INF treaty. US intelligence agencies have assessed that the missile became operational late last year, said an administration official. Russia will not hand back control of Crimea to Ukraine, Russia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, responding to comments from the White House that the United States expected the Black Sea peninsula to be returned. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing. On Tuesday, the White House said US President Donald Trump had made it clear that he expects Russia to relinquish control of the territory. US President Trump and Russian President Putin (Photos: AFP) "President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea," White House Spokesman Sean Spicer said at a daily news briefing. "At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia." Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, prompting the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the end of the Cold War. Meanwhile, Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era arms control treaty, according to a Trump administration official. However, on Wednesday the Kremlin responded to the reports of violation, saying that Russia is committed to honouring its international obligations, including in relation to missiles. "Russia has been and remains committed to its international commitments, including to the treaty in question," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a daily telephone briefing. "Nobody has formally accused Russia of violating the treaty," he said. On Tuesday, media reported, citing US officials, that Russia had deployed a ground-launched cruise missile despite US complaints that this violated an arms control treaty banning ground-based US and Russian intermediate-range missiles. This development further complicates the outlook for US-Russia relations amid turmoil on the White House national security team. The Obama administration three years ago accused the Russians of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by developing and testing the prohibited cruise missile, and officials had anticipated that Moscow eventually would deploy it. Russia denies that it has violated the INF treaty. US intelligence agencies have assessed that the missile became operational late last year, said an administration official. The deployment may not immediately change the security picture in Europe, but the alleged treaty violation may arise when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends his first NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. It also has stirred concern on Capitol Hill, where Sen. John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, called on the Trump administration to ensure US nuclear forces in Europe are ready. "Russia's deployment of nuclear-tipped ground-launched cruise missiles in violation of the INF treaty is a significant military threat to US forces in Europe and our NATO allies," McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement Tuesday. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "testing" Trump. Trump's White House is in a difficult moment, with no national security adviser following the forced resignation Monday night of Michael Flynn. He is accused of misleading Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat while President Barack Obama was still in office. Meanwhile, a US defense official said Tuesday that a Russian intelligence-collection ship has been operating off the US east coast, in international waters. The ship had made a port call in Cuba prior to moving north, where it has been monitored off the coast of Delaware, the official said. Archive photo: Russian spy ship SSV-175 Viktor Leonov off the coast of the US (Photo: Reuters) The New York Times, which was first to report the missile deployment, said the Russians have two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile. One is at a missile test site at Kapustin Yar and one was moved in December from the test site to an operational base elsewhere in the country. The State Department wouldn't confirm the report. It noted that last year it reported Russia was in violation of its treaty obligations not to possess, produce or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers for such missiles. "The administration is undertaking an extensive review of Russia's ongoing INF treaty violation in order to assess the potential security implications for the United States and its allies and partners," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. John Tierney, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said strategic stability on the European continent is at stake. "If true, Russia's deployment of an illegal ground-launched cruise missile represents a very troubling development and should be roundly condemned," Tierney said. Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, sees little reason for the US to continue adhering to the INF treaty, in light of Russia's violations. He has recommended building up US nuclear forces in Europe, which currently include about 200 bombs that can be delivered by aircraft. The US withdrew land-based nuclear-armed missiles from Europe as part of the INF deal. The treaty has special significance in the recent history of arms control agreements. Signed in December 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, it has been credited with helping accelerate an end to the Cold War and lessening the danger of nuclear confrontation. It stands as the only arms treaty to eliminate an entire class of US and Russian weaponsnuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles of intermediate range. The Obama administration had argued for maintaining US compliance with the treaty while urging the Russians to halt violations. At the same time, the Pentagon developed options to counter Russian cruise missile moves, some of which would have involved bold military action. At his Senate confirmation hearing in February 2014, Ash Carter, who headed the Pentagon until last month, said disregard for treaty limitations was a "two-way street," opening the way for the US to respond in kind. He called Russia's violations consistent with its "strategy of relying on nuclear weapons to offset US and NATO conventional superiority." The meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump will be closely watched in Jerusalem, of course, but just as closely in Amman, less than 50 miles away. Jordans King Abdullah has already met the American president , although briefly, and a second one-on-one meeting is scheduled soon. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Jordans King Abdullah was the first Arab leader to meet with the new president earlier this month when both attended the National Prayer Breakfast. The Palestinians, in contrast, have struggled to make connections with the Trump Administration. Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat told media outlets that the president had rebuffed overtures from Abbas repeatedly, although security officials did meet the Palestinian security chief Majed Faraj last week. Jordan's King Abdullah meets with US President Trump (Photo: AFP) Many in Arab states were angry when then-candidate Donald Trump announced that one of his first acts as president would be to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. For Palestinians, that means an effective end to any chance of a two-state solution, as they say that east Jerusalem must be the capital of a future Palestinian state. Days later, Netanyahu announced that almost 6,000 new homes will be built in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, another move that Palestinians say takes aim at a future independent Palestinian state. On both of these issues, analysts say, Jordan stepped in to argue the Palestinian case. I met the King a few days ago and he said he spoke with US officials about the consequences of moving the US embassy (to Jerusalem), and the damaging role of enlarging the settlements, Oraib al-Rantawi, the director of the Al-Quds Center in Amman, told The Media Line. The King told the president that these moves could put an end to a viable Palestinian state, which would also affect Jordans stability and security." Jordan's King Abdullah meets with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (Photo: AP) The King is also keen for the US to help establish safe zones on the border between Jordan and Syria, which would keep more Syrian refugees from entering Jordan. This is of high importance to Jordan, Mohammed Hussainy, the director of the Identity Center, an independent civil society organization in Amman, told The Media Line. If the Trump administration decides to go ahead with this, they will find cooperation from Jordan, especially for a safe zone in the south of Syria. Jordan currently has about 1.4 million Syrian refugees and the country simply cannot handle anymore, analysts say. It would be even better if some of those refugees could eventually return to Syria. Jordan is also interested in helping the US step up the fight against Islamic State, analysts say. Jordan is suffering economically partly because its borders with Syria and Iraq have been closed due to the fighting. We are trapped in this crisis, Al-Rantawi said. We hope to open the borders and conclude deals with Syria and Lebanon and through them with Europe. Jordan has long had close ties with the US, under both Democratic and Republican presidents. Analysts say that Jordan can play an important role in coordinating with the US on war against terrorism. Article written by Linda Gradstein. A flight en route from Toronto to Ben Gurion Airport was forced to conduct an emergency landing in London on Wednesday morning after a female passenger began randomly strangling other passengers. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Police officers were called to the runway and waited on the tarmac on standby outside the Air Canada plane after it landed in Heathrow Airport to take the problematic passenger in for investigation before permitting the pilots to continue the flights journey to Israel. Photo: Air Canada On the instructions of security officials the plane changed its flight route in order to remove a disorderly passenger during the flight, said representatives of the company in Israel. The flight crew aboard AC84 that took off on Tuesday night from Toronto to Israel was forced to declare an aviation emergency above the city of Glasgow in Scotland, six hours after the planes departure. The crew, in accordance with flight procedure, removed the passenger from the flight with the help of the police who entered the plane the moment it touched down. Following an hour-long delay the pilots were given the green light to take off again. The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike Pompeo, met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday, Palestinian officials told Ynet, confirming a report from the Palestinian news agency Ma'an. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Palestinian security chief Majed Faraj was also present at the meeting which, according to the officials, was positive and serious and touched upon diplomatic matters. CIA director Mike Pompeo (Photo: MCT) Pompeo was on a visit to the region last week, arriving at Saudi Arabia and Turkey among others. While the meeting marks the first of its kind between an American official and Abbas since the Trump administration entered the White House in January, according to one Palestinian security official who spoke to Ynet, this is actually the second time that Pompeo has visited Ramallah since occupying the top intelligence post. Throughout recent weeks, the Palestinians have been approaching every avenue through which to establish a back channel with the new US government in order to begin any kind dialogue, amid fears that they were falling behind in the diplomatic race for Trumps heart, particularly given his repeated statements that it lies with Israel. Palestinians have also sought to open the lines of communication ever since Trump expressed his intention to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a powerful symbolic move that would potentially torpedo Palestinian stated claims to at least the eastern half of the city. During his visit to Turkey and Saudi Arabia, Pompeo dealt primarily with ways to counter the growing threat of ISIS and how to restore stability to Syria, devastated by the ongoing civil war. Pompeo is considered a friend of Israels and was among the most outspoken critics of the Iranian nuclear deal pieced together by the Obama administrationa position which kindled warmer predispositions toward the Netanyahu government. Indeed, much like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pompeo claimed in the past that the deal would not prevent Iran from acquiring the bomb and would place Israel in greater danger. Additionally, Pompeo fiercely objected to the the removal of sanctions from Iran, unequivocally dismissing the notion that it would moderate the aggressive regime as a "joke. They want to annihilate Israel, now buying Russian missiles," he said. He also lashed out at Obama for failing to make the deal conditional upon Iranian agreement to stop its calls for Israels destruction. Prior to being confirmed as the CIA director, Pompeo Tweeted that I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism. Pompeo also made extremely flattering comments about Prime Minister Netanyahu himself back in 2015 during a visit to Israel, describing him as a true partner of the American people," El Al pilots were ordered to return to the negotiating table with the Israeli airline amid an ongoing labor dispute after the regional labor court denied their request for "urgent temporary reliefs" on Wednesday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The airline's request followed the pilots' submission of resignation letters, which according to the company, would have grounded all flights. Photo: Reuters The company continued to claim that the resignation announcements were made in a collective manner given the dispute between the pilots and the airline. An hour into the deliberations, Judge Ofira Dagan-Tuchmacher put a stop to proceedings and ordered both parties to reach an agreement amongst themselves outside of the courtroom. "I have a feeling of deja-vu," she said. Representatives of both sides stepped out of court accompanied by the chairman of the transport workers union Avi Edri. Upon their return, the judge decided that the resignation of the eight supervisory pilots will be delayed and the sides will continue negotiating intensively until Shabbat begins. The judge also criticized El Al by stating that "the customers are the only ones affected by this childish behavior. I still don't understand who buys tickets from this company." The representative of the Board, attorney Efrat Biran said that "the emerging proposal delineates that the negotiations continue until Saturday and in the meantime, the captains who also hold managerial positions will continue their position." Biran noted that El Al CEO David Maimon even agreed to cancel his own flight abroad scheduled for the weekend for the sake of these negotiations. The sides agreed that if the negotiations fail to progress, they would reschedule the deliberations and reach a decision then. Over the past week, the pilots and El Al have been negotiating the terms of employment for pilots over the age of 65. As per protocol, these pilots are forbidden from flying passengers, unless they are supposed to keep working until they retire at the age of 67. Captain Ronnie Zohar (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Prior to the cessation of deliberations, the judge said that "any judicial decision or a lack of certainty incurs great damage on both sides. Maybe the company should be dismantled and started over. Financially perhaps that would be the right thing to do, or perhaps not, but both sides should realize that it is not the ideal solution." Captain Ronnie Zohar, manager of fleet 737, who threatened to quit his senior position, said during the discussion: "I ask to be released from managing flights since my entire work plan has collapsed. I can't take responsibility for my fleet. It has nothing to do with the negotiations and I'm not involved in them. I will only be 65 in six years." Captain Guy Nevot, manager of fleet 767, said in the discussion that for a year, he has been "alerting the company on safety issues and the pilots' professional side. I can't maintain my managerial duties. Three months ago, I decided I couldn't take the responsibility any longer, which is why I asked to resign in accordance with company protocol." The pilots' representative, Efrat Deutsch announced that both parties have already agreed that veteran pilots will become flight instructors and will earn a basic monthly salary of NIS 45,000. The Board representative stated that the main point of contention is the calculation of the pilots' activity hours. The pilots are willing to commit to nine days a month, whereas the management requires the calculation to be done annually, since there are six months with decreased instruction activity. The Histadrut representative Edri told the judge: "a company isn't run in the courtrooms. There is an entire population here whose funds were severely damaged. People took a drastic pay cutNIS 17,000 less. The company should give its employees what they already agreed to." On Tuesday, El Al announced that the resignation of these pilots could entail inestimable damages for the company . "Therefore, the airline appealed to the court, asking them to issue an order stating that the supervisors' resignation would entail an unlawful strike." Technically flights could take off without supervisory pilots but not without a captain, and the company would have to ground those flights. According to assessments, the captains are being pressured into resigning. Histadrut representative Avi Edri (Photo: Motti Kimchi) El Al further claimed that "as part of their agreement with the pilots, they undertook to maintain silence on the matter. Despite this commitment, additional disruptions continued to occur, which led to a temporary injunction issued by the court on February 6, compelling the pilot representatives to exercise their authority in order to enforce complete silence and orderly work. The company has also been using all of its available tools to make sure flights run their scheduled course." In response to El Al's claims, the head of the Histadrut Avi Nissenkorn said that the pilots' union hasn't blown up negotiations, nor have they recanted from the agreements reached over the last few days. According to Nissenkorn, the unions' representatives haven't disparaged or abandoned the meeting that took place on Monday: "El Al Airlines is dear and important to us all. I ask the sides to return to the negotiating table and bring the dispute to an end." The union responded by stating that "the El Al fleet managers and captains, board members who do not belong to the pilots' union, have all expressed lack of confidence in the CEO David Maimon and in his methods of management A CEO who manages a company through court orders and injunctions is a failed CEO who does not know how to direct." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday against abandoning the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying there was "no alternative". "There is no alternative solution for the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis, other than the solution of establishing two states and we should do all that can be done to maintain this," Guterres said during a visit to Cairo. Ships from an array of countries have made their presence known in the Mediterranean over the last few months due in part to the ongoing Syrian civil war. The ships are trying to maintain civility and mutual respect but at times, the encounters can be somewhat unnerving. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Last week, a Turkish warship approached an Israeli navy missile boat in the international waters of the Mediterranean, a few kilometers from Israel's shores. Despite tensions thawing between the countries, the adopted stance in such situations is usually one of "respect them and suspect them." The sailors already had clear sight of their counterparts when all of a sudden, the Turkish ship took a stance that could have easily been interpreted as threatening. However, after a few minutes of tense radio silence, the Turks continued on their way, friction averted. Missile boat sailors have grown accustomed to such occurrences. Over the last few months, they have found themselves facing a growing number of "presence displays" with dozens of warships, among them destroyers and aircraft carriers of the world's powers, which are sailing along the shores of Lebanon and Syria. These displays come as a result of the increasing Russian and American involvement in the Syrian civil war. The increased presence of Israeli missile boats amidst the American, Russian, French, Turkish, British, Italian and Greek warships is intentional. A lack of presence in these crucial times, in an area that is of strategic significance to Israel, would make it that much harder to later return to force. "Over the last year and a half, we started executing an ancient role of the navy, existing from the 19th century, 'The Gun Boat Diplomacy.' We sail those areas to maintain our freedom of navigation," explained a senior naval officer to Ynet. Navy missile boat. (Photo: Elad Gershogoren) "You need to instill the understanding that you are present. There is no violent altercation but we have witnessed threatening maneuvers between the Turks and the Russians, for instance, and the radio chatter, which is usually polite, can also sometimes turn impolite these regions see many power struggles, aiming to show who's in charge." Almost every country that sends its ships to the Mediterranean's back yard, near Israel, follows maritime diplomacy to pass messages, which are at times aggressive, to other countries. The method: the ships' conduct at sea; pulling close to other vessels or barging in on their route. Russian Aircraft carrier (Photo: EPA) "Not an hour passes without the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea being put to the test," said the naval officer. Regarding the Israeli navy, it is not just about displaying its presence, there are other no less important missions, like the collection of intel." In this manner, the Syrian civil war and the Houthi rebels fiasco in Yemen, alongside the renewed tensions between Tehran and Washington, have made for a very tumultuous maritime arena, not only in the Mediterranean: US President Donald Trump ordered a week ago to position an American destroyer in a threatening manner in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait near Yemen as the Houthis turned the area into the private playground of Iranian industry. The Trump Administration appears to be easing away from longstanding US support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The idea of two states in the Holy Landa Jewish Israel and an Arab Palestinerests on a particular logic: There are two quite different peoples of roughly equal size living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River; each wants their own nation-state to control and dominate numerically; each has shown tenacity toward this goal. Netanyahu speaking before the United Nations General Assembly (Photo: AFP) This would require Israel to let go of most and maybe all of the territory it captured in the 1967 war, when it completed its takeover of all the land that British colonizers abandoned in 1948. That includes the West Bank, where there are now islands of Palestinian autonomy, scattered Jewish settlements and overriding Israeli military control; the eastern part of Jerusalem, which Israel has fully annexed and populated with Jews; and the coastal Gaza Strip, which was actually evacuated in 2005 and is now controlled by the Islamic militants of Hamas and blockaded by Israel and Egypt. Over the years many and probably most Israelis have come around to the idea of a partition largely because they want to be considered a democracy and do not want all the Palestinian future citizens that would come along with the territory. For almost two decades, US policy has been to advocate a two-state solution. But over two decades of peace talks have failed to produce agreement on the details, and many on both sides consider it impossible without a major change in circumstancesmassive global pressure on Israel, more upheaval in neighboring Arab countries, perhaps tectonic shifts in the prevailing world order. Ahead of Wednesday's White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Netanyahu, a senior US official suggested a two-state solution was optional, bringing condemnation from Palestinian officials. But many of them have for years been quietly preparing for an alternative strategy of a single bi-national state in the Holy Land. Here's a look at that option, and other scenarios that might arise: One state For years this was the goal of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and for many Palestinians it is indeed the preferred option: a single democratic state, not defined as specifically Jewish or Arab, in the area of British colonial Palestine. Many prefer it anyway to the two-state notion whereby even if Israel gives up all the land it captured in 1967 it retains almost 80% of Palestine. The problem is that almost no one in Israel is arguing for the true extension of full rights to Palestinians in the currently occupied territories because even with Gaza excluded it would leave Arabs constituting close to half the country's populationand that is clearly the end of the Zionist dream of a Jewish state. This is why Israel has never annexed the West Bank and why the more sophisticated nationalists profess to support a partition, albeit on terms the Palestinians have not accepted and are not likely to. If the Palestinians formally drop the two-state strategy and demand incorporation into Israel it will put Israel in the awkward position of refusing to annex territories where it has been settling Jews for decades. Down this path lie coercion efforts in the form of international sanctions on Israel, or Palestinian violence. Interim agreement Many Israelis have concluded that a final peace agreement with the Palestinians is simply not possible because the Palestinians are asking for the moon as a result of a feeling that they hold the demographic cards. It is not, however, just about territory: the Palestinians still in theory demand a "right of return" to Israel proper for millions of descendants of Palestinian refugees living around the region and the world, which most Israeli officials reject. But perhaps a partial deal is possible whereby the Palestinians would not have to forego future claims but for now get their state on, say, 80% of the West Bank, with some sort of preferred access or new regime in the Old City of Jerusalem? Even the current nationalist Netanyahu government would probably accept such a thing, but the Palestinians have ruled it out, fearing the temporary would become permanent. To get them to agree would require massive global and Arab world pressure, and risks huge internal conflict among the Palestinians. Jordanian option Jordan took over the West Bank and east Jerusalem during Israel's War of Independence in 1948 that followed the British pullout, lost the areas to Israel in 1967 and then gave up all claims to them in favor of the Palestinians in the 1980s. But Jordan is a country with a majority Palestinian-descended population, and some Israelis still think that it can play a role in satisfying Palestinian national aspirations while resuming control over only a part of the West Bank. But this would probably require a collapse of Hashemite rule, founded on Jordan's Bedouin population, and as such is anathema to the Jordanian monarchy, which is beloved by many israelis for making peace with them in 1994. Adding to the difficulties, the Palestinians reject it altogether as well. Partial unilateral pullout Under these vexing circumstances many Israelis conclude no peace is possible, but they still want to be rid of the Palestinian population of the West Bank. In the mid-2000s the government of Ehud Olmert planned a unilateral pullout from most of the territory, to follow the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. But those plans were upended when Gaza was taken over by Hamas militants and became a launching pad for rocket attacks on Israel, leading to several mini-wars. Few want to see that scenario repeated with the West Bank, which is much larger and closer to Israel's main cities. Now talk grows of a pullout of settlers from some areas, to create a more convincing reality of partition, while the military stays for now, pending some future arrangement. NATO? A global or Arab peacekeeping force? Perpetual Israeli control? No one can say. Status quo When the best that can be hoped for is the least bad option, the status quo looks attractive to some. But Israel is constantly changing the landscape by adding settlersalready there are some 350,000 Israelis in the West Bank and a quarter million in East Jerusalem. This arrangement, brittle and loved by few, undermines Israel's democratic credentials by leaving millions of people without a vote for the government that has ultimate control over their fate. The Palestinians do not have a history of acquiescing for long: There were multi-year uprisings in the late 1980s and early 2000s and a spate of violence in late 2015 and early 2016. Down this path lies the very strong likelihood of more. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday. In contrast to former US President Barack Obama, Netanyahus meeting today with President Trump will not focus on what will Israel do for the Palestinians today, but rather on What does Israel want to be when it grows up, how do you see the Middle East. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The Trump administration suggested Tuesday that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solutiona position that could represent a major shift from what has been US policy for more than 20 years. Speaking to reporters ahead of Trump's meeting Wednesday with Netanyahu, a senior White House official said Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hoping to bring them together soon. However, the official said it will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine how to go about achieving peace. Trump (L) and Netanyahu's previous meeting at Trump Tower (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO) The main goal is peace, the official stated ahead of the meeting, whether by way of a two-state solution, if the two sides want, or by other means agreed to by the sides. Insisting that Trump had no intention of dictating terms, forging peace was high on the presidents agenda. A senior Republican source with close links to several of the administrations key Middle East players, who serves as an informal adviser to some of them, has told TPS that these are the administrations main concerns. The Palestinian issue per se does not figure high on Trumps agenda, said the source. His main concern is Iran. He believes that it is a primary American interest to contain it, and to thwart Tehrans ambitions to become the regions dominant power. Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of the administration, the source said that Trump is not as much a unilateralist as people think. In contrast to his predecessors, however, the president believes in ad-hoc regional coalitions and alliances, rather than UN-based or global ones. Unlike Obama, who was risk- and confrontation-averse, he has no problems with confrontations, and believes America must and should act to effectively contain Iran. But he would much rather do it together with Turkey and the moderate Sunni states, and if possible with Russia as well, than have the US shoulder the entire burden by itself. PM meets with high-profile US officials Netanyahu tweeted Wednesday afternoon about the meeting that took place with Tillerson, repeating comments he made before he borded for Washington. "Excellent meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The US-Israel alliance has always been strong, and it's about to get stronger," he wrote on Twitter. Tillerson was the official who called Netanyahu shortly before the White House issued a press statement two weeks ago stating that while it had not formulated a policy on settlements, their construction may not be helpful. Netanyahu would later tell express his view that Indeed, it is true that it will be more comfortable for Israel but anyone who thinks that there wont be limits on Israel is mistaken, he said. Trump Spokesman Sean Spicer said that Trump and Netanyahu would discuss an array of issues including strengthening the relationship between the two countries, the need to stabilize the region, the Iranian threat and the need to fight against ISIS and terror. Spicer added that the two would discuss a future agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians so that the two sides could live in peace. Asked during his press conference whether Trump and Netanyahu would speak about moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as promised by the president during his election campaign, Spicer remained evasive on the matter, stating that he has no intention of going ahead of Trump on the issue. During his final White House news conference, Obama warned that the moment for a two-state solution "may be passing" and said the "status quo is unsustainable." After meeting with Trump, Netanyahu is due to head over to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Wheeling and dealing for peace Trump takes pride in his deal-making skills and said during his campaign that he'd love the challenge of negotiating a Mideast agreement. He has appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to lead the effort. Trump told The Associated Press during his campaign that he wanted to be "very neutral" and try to get both sides together. But his tone became decidedly more pro-Israel as the campaign progressed. He has said that Palestinians have been "taken over" by or are condoning militant groups. Some of his top aides challenge the legitimacy of Palestinian demands for a state. After repeatedly clashing with Obama for eight years, capped by a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, Netanyahu seemed relieved by Trump's arrival. Trump slammed the US decision to abstain from the UN vote, saying in December that Israel is being treated "very, very unfairly." Now in office, however, Trump has been forced to reevaluate and revisit his position on a number of issuesincluding those relating to Israel. After initially greeting Israel's settlement announcements with a shrug, Trump appears to be having second thoughts. In an interview with a pro-Netanyahu Israeli daily Friday, Trump said, "I am not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace." In preparation for the meeting, Yedioth Ahronoth obtained information that the White House requested a detailed report on the ongoing investigations against the Israeli prime minister in order to ascertain whether Trump will be facing a man with whom he can do business, or a man who is about to make an exit from the political scene. Moreover, despite the cordial relations which are expected to characterize the talks, White House officials were perturbed by comments in a cabinet meeting made by Netanyahu on Trumps personality shortly before departing to Washington. Indeed Netanyahu warned the ministers to be under no illusions: Trump still believed in carving out two states, meaning that Israel had to act with caution, particularly in light of his personality. It is unclear what was written in the report provided to the president, but it is believed that White House officials interpreted these words as an insult. While the meeting is expected to be much warmer than Netanyahu's famously tense encounters with Obama, the Israeli leader will still need to tread with caution on sensitive issues like Israeli construction in the West Bank, Iran and the war in Syria. Meanwhile, in Ramallah senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said that the change in US policy "does not make sense." "This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace," Ashrawi said. "They cannot just say that without an alternative." Trump has yet to speak directly to the Palestinian leadership since taking office. Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu said he would handle ties with the US in a "prudent manner," but he steered clear of specifics. The Israeli prime minister is also scheduled to have breakfast Thursday with Vice President Mike Pence before departing back to Israel. Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked traveled to Austria Tuesday in order to meet with the German Federal Minister of Justice and the head of Vienna's Jewish community. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter During a meeting with law students at Vienna University, BDS activists attempted to disrupt Shaked's speech by accusing the State of Israel and Shaked herself of apartheid. BDS hecklers interrupt Ayelet Shaked in Vienna X Hecklers interrupt Shaked during her remarks at the University of Vienna Shaked answered the hecklers, saying, "I feel bad for you that you are fed lies from the media and the BDS movement. Yelling your lies louder won't make you right. "Hundreds of people are being butchered everyday in Syria and you're busy with lies about the only democracy in the Middle East. The only country that really cares about human rights." Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked After the hecklers left the hall, Shaked continued her speech and was thanked by those in attendance, who also explained that the activists represent an extreme minority whose opinions do not reflect those of the majority. In an interview with Ynet, Shaked said, "I've been asked many times why I take this and why I come to these places. I want to tell all these detractors the truth and I will continue to say it, even if I have to deal with disturbances. The days were Jews were afraid to speak are over." The Health Ministry of Peru has approved an Israeli request to fly 100 units of blood over, in an effort to save the life of an Israeli traveler. They are due to fly out Wednesday night. 22-year-old Zohar Katz is in critical condition in Lima with an aggressive infection; the units of blood will be sent over after intense diplomatic work by the Israeli MDA and MFA. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb settlement activity but avoided any explicit endorsement of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longstanding bedrock of US Middle East policy. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Trump opened his joint news conference with a vow to encourage a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. But the president said the two parties themselves "must directly negotiate such an agreement." Netanyahu added, "both sides." Post-meeting press conference X Meeting in the Oval Office (Photo: AP) Netanyahu said there is "no greater supporter of the Jewish people and the Jewish state than President Donald Trump." The prime minister was addressing a question from Israeli media about fears the administration "is playing with xenophobia and maybe racist tones." The arrival at the White House X Netanyahu said that he's known Trump, members of Trump's team and his family for many years. That includes Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, whom Netanyahu has known since Kushner was young. Netanyahu said he thinks any insinuation otherwise should be put "to rest." Setting a chummy tone for the meeting, Trump greeted Netanyahu on a red carpet rolled out to the White House driveway. The two leaders smiled, shook hands and chatted amiably before heading inside the executive mansion, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and Netanyahu's wife Sara. Trump reaffirmed the United States' "unbreakable bond" between the two countries. He called Israel a symbol of resilience. He said Israel faces enormous security challenges and is calling the Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama "one of the worst deals I've ever seen." The heads of government at the press conference (Photo: MCT) "I'd like to see you pull back on settlements for a little bit," Trump told Netanyahu. The Israeli leader later insisted that Jewish settlements were "not the core of the conflict" and made no commitment to reduce settlement building. The American leader broke with his predecessors on the idea of a two-state agreement. While such an accord may have once appeared to be the "easier of the two" options, Trump said he'd be open to alternatives if the two sides propose something better. Trump echoed Netanyahu's calls for Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state - something they have refused to do - and to halt incitement against Israelis. But even as Trump promised to pursue peace between the two sides - who have had no substantive peace talks since 2014 - he offered no new prescriptions for unblocking the peace process or achieving a deal that has eluded so many of his predecessors. Melania Trump shows Sara Netanyahu her seat (Photo: AP) "I'm looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one that both parties like," he said. "I can live with either one. I thought for a while it looked like the two-state, looked like it may be the easier of the two, but honestly if Bibi and if the Palestinians if Israel and the Palestinians are happy, I'm happy with the one they like the best," Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. Netanyahu said that he wanted to focus on "substance" and not "labels," when asked about support for a two-state solution for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. "Rather than deal with labels, I want to deal with substance," Netanyahu said. "There are two prerequisites for peace. First the Palestinians must recognize the Jewish state ... Second, in any peace agreement, Israel must retain the overriding security control over the entire area west of the Jordan River," he said. Trump also said that he'd like to see the US Embassy in Israel moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but noted that "we're looking at it with great care." A retreat from U.S. backing for a two-state solution would upend decades of U.S. policy embraced by Republican and Democratic administrations and a principle considered the core of international peace efforts. Trump asks Sara Netanyahu (: ) X Trump also took a moment to call out and praise Sara Netanyahu, asking her to stand to be recognized. He also referenced his daughter, Ivanka, who was in attendance, when addressing a question on rising anti-Semitism in the United States. He said that he was going to do everything in his power to stop long-simmering racism Palestinians alarmed Prior to Trump's meeting with Netanyahu, Palestinians reacted with alarm to the possibility that Washington might ditch its support for an independent Palestinian nation. "If the Trump administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad," Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in response to the US official's remarks. "Accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy," she said in a statement. Husam Zomlot, strategic adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinians had not received any official indication of a change in the US stance. However, following Trump and Netanyahu's joint press conference, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that he agreed with US President Donald Trump's call on Israel to "pull back" on settlement building in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. A written statement issued by Abbas's office said that the "presidency demands that (Israel) agree to (Trump's call), and that of the international community, to halt all settlement activities including in occupied East Jerusalem." Trump told Israeli Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint news conference in the White House that "I'd like to see you pull back on settlements for a little bit." For Netanyahu, the talks with Trump are an opportunity to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with Democrat Barack Obama, Trump's predecessor. After speaking to reporters, the two leaders were due to hold talks in the Oval Office followed by a working lunch. The prime minister, under investigation at home over allegations of abuse of office, spent much of Tuesday huddled with advisers in Washington preparing for the talks. Officials said they wanted no gaps to emerge between U.S. and Israeli thinking during the scheduled two-hour Oval Office meeting. Trump, who has been in office less than four weeks and has already been immersed in problems including the forced resignation of his national security adviser earlier this week, brings with him an unpredictability that Netanyahu's staff hope will not impinge on the discussions. The two leaders, who seemed to strike up an emerging "bromance" in social media exchanges since the election, sought to demonstrate good personal chemistry face-to-face as well, both sporting smiles and exchanging asides. Meetings with Obama were at best cordial and businesslike, at worst tense and awkward. In one Oval Office encounter in 2011, Obama grimaced as Netanyahu lectured him in front of the cameras on the suffering of the Jewish people through the ages. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday against abandoning the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying there was "no alternative." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "There is no alternative solution for the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis, other than the solution of establishing two states, and we should do all that can be done to maintain this," he said during a visit to Cairo. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (Photo: EPA) The idea of a Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel has underpinned Middle East peace efforts for decades, though the last US-brokered negotiations broke down in 2014. But a senior White House official said on Tuesday peace did not necessarily have to entail Palestinian statehood, and US President Donald Trump would not try to "dictate" a solution. Trump, at a Washington news conference held after Guterres spoke, left the question open, saying he would work to bring about peace between Israel and Palestinians, but it would be up to the parties themselves ultimately to reach an agreement. Before the two leaders met, Palestinians warned the White House not to abandon their goal of an independent state. Antonio Guterres (Photo: AFP) For Palestinians, who seek a state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and in the Gaza Strip, even the notion of a US retreat from the internationally backed goal of a future Palestine existing alongside Israel was alarming. "If the Trump Administration rejects this policy, it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad," said Hanan Ashrawi. Speaking later in the day at Cairo University, Guterres stressed once again the need to pursue a two-state solution. "We should not forget the mother of all conflicts is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," he said in a wide-ranging speech. "It is important to stress that, in my opinion... there is no plan B other than the two-state solution." US Senator John McCain said on Wednesday he is leaning against voting to confirm US President Donald Trump's nominee to be White House budget director, Representative Mick Mulvaney. A Senate vote on Mulvaney, a leading member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus who represents South Carolina, was expected on Thursday at 7 am (1200 GMT). Wavering support from McCain alone would not jeopardize Mulvaney's confirmation, but the Arizona senator and former presidential candidate could sway other Republicans. A Senate panel only narrowly backed the nominee earlier this month in a party-line vote. Republicans have 52 of the 100 Senate seats and are able to approve Trump's nominees if they can hold together a majority. To the benefit of all peace-loving peoples, Sweden has announced the appointment of a special envoy to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon marked the occasion by issuing a somewhat sarcastic statement saying, "Given the extraordinary success of the current Swedish government in making peace all over the world, we are grateful for the decision to finally solve the ills of our region. Why couldn't they think of such an appointment earlier?" Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom (Photo: Getty Images) In other Swedish news Haredi IKEA catalogue is a no-ma'am's land Iris Lifshitz-Kliger & Gahl Becker The women in IKEA's new Haredi catalogue are conspicuously out of stock, inadvertently creating all-male families; 'Where are the women?' wondered one commenter; IKEA Israel says the new catalogue 'allows the religious and Haredi communities to enjoy thumbing through our products.' Haredi IKEA catalogue is a no-ma'am's land Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, announced the appointment during a special speech before the Swedish parliament. "This year, we mark 50 years of the occupation of Palestine. Sweden continues to work toward a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and will appoint a special envoy," said Wallstrom. "After visiting Palestine last December, I was impressed that hope can turn to despair and this is reflected in consultations Sweden held with 150 social organizations, both Israeli and Palestinian. Security Council resolution 2334 on Israeli settlements and the international conference in Paris are the best scenarios to create the conditions necessary for a resumption of the peace process for a two-state solution." A senior Israeli diplomatic source said that the Swedes are aware of Israel's cool attitude towards them. However, according to the source, all the Swedes care about is the perception of Sweden as a peacemaking country. Likewise, Israel's standing in Swedish public opinion has never been worse. Members of the Swedish left refuse to meet the Israeli ambassador in Stockholm, Isaac Bachman, but are willing to meet with Hamas. Right-wing Israelis and the settlement camp celebrated US President Donald Trumps commitment to re-think US policy vis-a-vis the Israel-Palestinian peace process, while left-wing politicians accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning Israels national interest for the benefit of domestic politics. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Looking more relaxed than he has in many months, and at any time in the White House since returning to the prime ministers office in 2009, Netanyahu praised the new administration for its aggressive stance towards Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, and took a parting shot at former US President Barack Obama, calling the change in policy long overdue. Photo: MCT Education Minister Naftali Bennett said the visit marked the end of the two-state vision for the land of Israel and noted that two Palestinian states already exist: Gaza and Jordan. I congratulate the Prime Minister for making the right decision, showing leadership and courage, and fortifying Israels security and sovereignty. Now we must look ahead and shape a new strategic approach in light of the new reality, Bennett said. Minister of Culture and Sport MK Miri Regev joined in the positive chorus, saying, "The freeze era in the West Bank is over. The freeze era in relations between the United States and Israel is over. Today in Washington, a new era of policy began." On the other side of the aisle, voices were less enthusiastic. MK Dr. Nachman Shai, chairman of the US -Israel Friendship Caucus, said the cordial visit was an indication of Netanyahus cowing to right-wing elements in his coalition instead of speaking to Israels national interest. MK Dr. Nahman Shai (Photo: George Ginsburg) Every once in a while, the laughing faces of Minister Bennett and Netanyahus other coalition partners peeks out from behind the prime ministers back, Shai said. The prime minister bowed to right-wing pressure and refrained from mentioning the two-state solution. Netanyahu knows, better than anyone in the White House, that this is the only acceptable solution that will preserve a Jewish and democratic Israel. Shai also noted Trumps repeated statements that Israel must be prepared to make concessions, and criticized Netanyahu for refusing to answer those demands. The two-state solution is first-and-foremost in the interest of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Once again, Netanyahu has proved that Israel has no foreign policy, only domestic policy, Shai said. Herzog (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Head of the opposition, MK Isaac Herzog, responded to the press conference, saying, "It was sad and embarrassing to see Netanyahu twisting and winding to avoid the idea of a separation from the Palestinians to form two states. Every Israeli should be anxious tonight from the possibility of a single state between the Jordan River and the sea, which means there is no Jewish state. This is a very dangerous disaster and we will fight it every way possible." In addition, MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union) cautioned the settlement movement against premature celebrations, criticizing Netanyahu for lacking a plan to maintain security, while Meretz Party Chairwoman Zehava Galon said the end of the two-state solution would guarantee that Israel becomes an apartheid state. YORK Mayor Orval Stahr will be bringing forward his recommendation for a new city administrator during Thursday nights council meeting. The name of the candidate is not yet being publicly released, Mayor Stahr said. Mayor Stahr said the city received 14 applications/resumes for the position. I asked the president and vice-president of the council to review the applicants and bring forward their top three choices, Mayor Stahr explained. Interestingly enough, their choices and mine were the same. Then interviews were conducted and the final candidate was interviewed twice. Mayor Stahr said the candidate for city administrator is very, very qualified and educated, with a lot of experience in city administration and economic development. If the council agrees with the appointment, the mayor said he hopes to see this person in the position by the first part of March. If the council agrees, this will fill the position that was vacated upon the resignation of Tara Vasicek. Also added to Thursday nights agenda will be proposed fee changes for Levitt Stadium, Miller Park and the Family Aquatic Swim Team. And Pellet Technologies USA will be asking for the annexation of land that is included in their plant property. The public is encouraged to attend the meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m., in the council chambers. YORK The York County Commissioners are toying with the idea of moving their meetings to Monday nights at 7 p.m., rather than Tuesday mornings at 8:30 a.m. While it didnt seem to garner a ton of support Tuesday morning, the county board members would like to hear from the public about whether or not changing their regular meetings from Tuesday mornings to Monday nights would improve the attendance of constituents. I bring this up every other year or so, for discussion, said Commissioner Kurt Bulgrin. It might be a way to have more people attend the meetings, it might spur public interest and it also might encourage others to run for office who havent (because of daytime work commitments). I also realize that we work with many elected officials and county employees, we meet with them during our meetings, and that might be an issue for them in attending. But many boards village, city and school boards meet at night. I brought this up, and suggested Monday nights, for the purpose of discussion. Commissioner Bill Bamesberger said, Ive been here for six years and we have never heard a constituent say they wanted us to have evening meetings. Well, except for one who wanted us to have a special meeting about pipeline issues and we did that. But there are a lot of things to think about with an evening meeting. First, theres the issue of security, Bamesberger said. We would have to open up the courthouse would we have to have the sheriffs department standing by? And then theres the issue of scheduling we are parents and grandparents and our constituents are parents and grandparents with children who have nighttime activities all through the week that people attend. And we have a lot of county personnel who attend our meetings, Bamesberger said. Will it be mandatory for them to be here? Would we have to pay them overtime to be here? And then theres the issue with how that would affect the payroll process. I am going to say that I totally disagree that we should have evening meetings. I do appreciate Kurt (Bulgrin) asking about this, said Commissioner Randy Obermier. Two years ago, when I joined the board, I had the same idea in my mind. But since then Ive realized that there are a lot of things (meetings and board commitments) that we do besides this meeting and theres a lot more that takes place in these meetings. The majority of county board meetings last between three and four hours although some have lasted well into the afternoon, sometimes to the end of the work day. I will tell you, after 10 years of being on the York City Council, that having a meeting in the evening does not change the number of people who attend, Obermier continued. If there is something going on, that people are interested in, they will show up. Otherwise, it doesnt make a difference. But I would like this conversation to continue and I would like to hear from the people. We had the one- and six-year road hearing a couple of weeks ago. How many people showed up? asked Bamesberger. None. And in all these years, Ive never seen a soul for budget meetings or hearings. The county board members noted there is one person in the county who consistently attends budget meetings and hearings. We will need to have legal counsel at our meetings and it is convenient now for her (the county attorney) to come in and leave as needed, Obermier said. And yes, that was a good point about security. It was noted that many times hourly-paid employees are required to be at meetings such as the deputy clerk who is the countys human resource director, the director of general assistance and more. And then there would be the issue of who would open and lock up the courthouse before and after, and the security issues at the door, commented Commissioner Jack Sikes. I do think it is worth talking about, Obermier reiterated. We might want to table this conversation so we can hear what people have to say on the subject. Well, for the sake of argument, as far as security, all the offices are locked at 5 p.m., Bulgrin said. We also have law enforcement presence in the courthouse 24-7 because of the sheriffs department, and it would be only one night every two weeks that we might have to have a deputy in the building. We also have cameras everywhere. I, too, have a child and we have activities at night . . . so do a lot of city and school board members who have their meetings in the evening. As far as the county officials who attend our meetings, most of us are salaried employees and you are right, sometimes we talk with those who are paid by the hour but they arent here the whole time, and those things could be worked out with their times. As far as opening and closing the courthouse, that is already done for planning commission meetings and we all have keys. If we moved to Monday evenings, what would that do to our cut-off time on the agenda, as it is done 24 hours before the meeting? Sikes asked. That would mean that all agendas would be set in stone at 5 p.m., the Friday before. One last comment, Bamesberger interjected. I am very, very worried about security and us being a target if the courthouse was open at night. Well, we could be a target at 9 a.m., too, Bulgrin said. I think this is something we should talk about more, Obermier said. I think we should table it, to hear from constituents, other elected officials and staff members. The other commissioners agreed. Readers are encouraged to vote in the YNT online poll regarding this matter on the yorknewstimes.com home page. They can also submit comments that will be passed along to county board members by emailing melanie.wilkinson@yorknewstimes.com . . . addressing whether they think they would be more likely to attend more meetings if they were in the evening, if they would be less likely to attend because meetings would be in the evening, if it doesnt make any difference, if they feel county board meetings are too lengthy to have in an evening, or if they have other concerns or questions about either time slot. And everyone is very much encouraged to communicate their opinions with the county board members themselves, as each of the five has said they would like to hear from their constituents, county employees, elected officials, etc. MANHATTAN - More than 3,900 students earned semester honors from Kansas State University for their academic performance in the fall 2016 semester. Students earning a grade point average for the semester of 3.75 or above on at least 12 credit hours receive semester honors along with commendations from their deans. The honors also are recorded on their permanent academic records. YORK A 46-year-old Lincoln woman has pleaded guilty to felony shoplifting, as well as for failure to appear. Kathryn S. Smith was transported to York County District Court, as she is already in custody of the Nebraska Department of Corrections. A change of plea hearing was scheduled earlier before the court, but Smith didnt appear for that hearing and a warrant was issued for her arrest. Smith admitted to stealing large amounts of electronics from Wal-Mart in York on a number of different occasions. Court documents indicate that in one situation, over the course of a few days, she stole one Google Chromecast HDMI streaming media player, a Roku 3 streaming player, four Xbox One video games, two Playstation 4 video games and one Playstation 3 video game. On another occasion, she stole one Sony Playstation 4 camera, five Playstation 4 controllers, one Microsoft Xbox game and one Playstation game. And on another occasion, she stole a number of controllers and DVDs. Each time, the value was between $500 and $1,500. In return for Smiths guilty plea, the prosecution will not pursue seeking a habitual criminal status on Smith which could have brought a prison sentence in its own. Judge Stecker explained to Smith that she could now be facing up to a possible maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Sentencing has been set for late March. As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More Sign up to get the latest news delivered to your inbox every week! A puppy robot that smell odor was developed in Japan. This is a result of college student's ideas and now they are making a commercial fund for it. According to the local Nishinihon newspaper, students at Kitakyushu National University succeeded in developing a living robot that senses the smell and responds to it. Students who set up venture company "NeXT Technology" at this school installed an odor sensor on the nose of a puppy robot and devised a robot that hovered or barked according to the intensity of the odor measured. Through programming, puppy robot was stunned if the odor was strong. Advertisement Students have begun to develop robots with the goal of "shaping their ideas" into reality in the laboratory of Professor Takimoto, At first, the robot, which was about 50cm long, had been improved, and now it has been reduced to 20cm, so that it can be used conveniently at home. The students who developed the robot said, "We aim to develop a model to live comfortably with people and to live with people." We will continue our research so that we can commercialize it by adding the function of spreading deodorant to the detected smell as we go around the house. . On the other hand, they read human expressions, and when the stress detected here is strong, a robot that ejects aroma fragments is also presented. And a Pinocchio robot that uses polygraph detection technology as well. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. LIVE-2 Inning |06-10 PAKISTAN VS BANGLADESH PAK 54/0 VS 127/8 BAN Pakistan need 74 runs in 62 balls at 7.16 rpo New Delhi: Polling in the state was held on February 4. The counting of votes will be done, with other states, on March 11 and results declared the same day. The EC had already instructed to put double locks on the strongrooms and the keys to be kept by the Returning Officer and the District Electoral Officer (DEO). It had instructed a two-layered security of the strongroom buildings, with inner periphery guarded by central paramilitary forces (CPF) and the outer security ring to be formed by the state armed police. In the constituency-wise compliance report it has sought from the CEO of Punjab, the EC has asked whether all this is being done, apart from ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the strongroom premises and allowing candidates` representatives to keep a close watch on the strongroom entrance. On Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) approached the poll panel in Delhi and alleged breach of security at the strongrooms. It sought strict security of strongrooms. The party earlier moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this connection. The AAP delegation led by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia urged the EC to act against the officials involved in the alleged security breach at strongrooms. "We highlighted major lapses in the security of EVMs seen across Punjab and also criminal negligence on the part of Returning Officers in handling the security of EVMs kept in strongrooms," Sisodia said after meeting the EC. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Monday accused state officials of trying to move EVMs from a strongroom in Punjab. Officials, however, denied the charge. The memorandum submitted to the CEC read that on February 6, the Returning Officer of Gill constituency entered the premises of strongroom unaccompanied either by candidates or their representatives. Another similar incident took place on Monday where the Returning Officer of Nabha constituency in Patiala allowed four people to enter the storage campus on the pretext of collecting certain documents. "Instead, they moved some EVMs kept in steel boxes," it said. "The lackadaisical approach with which the Returning Officers in Punjab are following the instruction of May 5, 2015, notification -- which lists out instructions regarding the storage and safety of EVMs -- it merits your urgent attention," the AAP memorandum said. Hello dearies! This is the Mistress of Spize, cooking up a lot of salt n sour, sweet n saucy stories and observations for you. Sniff! Can you smell, my preparation? Aroma is in the air and smoke is already rising from my hot pot.

Lets talk about eye-candy! The latest would be Hrithiks sword brandishing scene from Jodhaa Akbar. Man! how his muscles flexed as he challenged Aishwaryas defiance. That perfectly carved body language said it all without a word. It drew sighs from women across all ages. It was so amusing to hear a huddled group of aunty jis chatting about that perfectly chiselled body. And I was shocked to see the teeny-weeny teenagers just ogling. The sword-brandishing scene kind of bonded all females. And, let me tell you, it is that scene which will be remembered when all would be forgotten about Jodhaa Akbar.

For the male species, well, the latest eye-candy is the catty eyed Katrina Kaif and her sizzling item-numbers.

Dearies, I am sure you would be bursting with excitement to relate such stories and add on to the story-churning pot. Do interact and relate your rare observations through comments. Mistress of Spize is all ears!
Love ya!
Editors Note: Brandon Russell is portfolio manager at the Ag Innovation Development Group in Memphis, Tennessee. Here he writes about how the groups offerings for startups have developed and the benefits of being based in the Mid-South. Most of you reading this will likely agree that agriculture, particularly in the United States, is a unique industry. Long-standing relationships built on trust, multiple generations of management on the same farm, and one (sometimes two) shots at revenue for an entire year all make developing successful production technologies a one-of-a-kind experience. As many companies and investors that are new to the space are finding out its not easy. The difficulty is compounded by the relative immaturity of the recent agtech investment wave. In nearly all other industry segments, you have serial entrepreneurs that have built multiple companies within their area of expertise. This industry-specific entrepreneurial talent is hard to find in agriculture. This is why its increasingly important that entrepreneurs in the sector have plenty of resources to draw on to help them succeed. By combining the right resources and partners, it is possible for teams to commercialize impactful innovations that reduce risk, increase yields, expand margins, and increase both efficiency and safety throughout the value chain. We believe the Mid-South will be the next hotbed of agricultural innovation because growers in the region have proven their willingness to adopt early when the technology is solid. Bt cotton, Roundup Ready genetics, and furrow irrigation provide but a few examples. There is no other place in the world that you can access a combination of these types of growers, crop diversity at scale (corn, cotton, wheat, soy, rice, sorghum), specialty crops (peanuts, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and more), with diverse and plentiful water (our region is one of the most heavily irrigated in the US), and direct access to major post-harvest logistics services along the Mississippi River. Its an innovators dream, and its the platform that powers AgLaunch activities. Three months after our first Demo Day, the cohort continues to make solid progress in the New Year. Skycision, which facilitates early detection of crop stress through satellite and drone imagery, is successfully raising money on the back of a strong product and growing customer interest. YieldStart, an innovative seed coating product, is beginning testing with a new strategic partner a market leader on biological inputs. Secure Food Solutions is executing additional research and product development under their $225,000 Small Business Technology Transfer grant from the National Science Foundation. The funding supports calibration of their rapid aflatoxin detection systems. Animal wearable technology Cowlar leveraged their success in the AgLaunch Accelerator to gain entrance to Y Combinator where they continue to craft their product by expanding the breeds of dairy cows with which they work. This year, were doing things a little differently, and have launched three simultaneous initiatives to help startups in the region, which Ive laid out below. We hope it will allow teams to have immediate and deep access to expertise across the value chain. 1. AgLaunch Accelerator a 15-week cohort-based accelerator offering $50k in upfront equity investment in the form of a Secure Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE). Participating teams receive intensive customer discovery, business model building, and business development training in addition to access to industry experts. Leading ag-tech venture capitalists participate in evaluating teams. The accelerator runs in Memphis, TN giving entrepreneurs access to all major US row crops as well as select specialty crops. Applications are due March 1. 2. AgLaunch Farmer Network for in-field technologies, developing early strategic relationships with growers is absolutely critical, especially if you are not a farmer-entrepreneur. Having growers involved at the ground floor allows for immediate feedback that informs iteration as well as helps to set strategic direction. The AgLaunch Farmer Network allows for selected companies to develop these relationships with leading growers in the Mississippi River Delta. Apply on a rolling basis by emailing me here. 3. AgLaunch Startup Station at the Farm & Gin Show The Startup Station is an all-day pitch contest held on March 3 in conjunction with the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, which hosts more than 400 exhibitors and 20,000 farmers. Startups will pitch to expert panels comprised of farmers, investors, and corporate partners, including Farm Bureau, Farm Credit, DuPont, Monsanto Growth Ventures, and Case IH. The contest is startup-stage agnostic. If you would like to pitch, email me by Friday, February 17. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America Raffi Hamparian held a meeting with U.S. Senator Robert Menendez , ANCA told Armenpress. During the meeting the sides discussed the priorities of the Armenian-American relations, as well as the prospects of signing new U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty. This bilateral tax agreement, which would facilitate increased investment by removing the threat of earned profits being taxed twice, is among the ANCAs economic development priorities, along with Millennium Challenge funding for STEM education and direct Los Angeles to Yerevan commercial and cargo flights. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Foreign airlines operating in Armenia are increasing the frequency of flights, press secretary of the General Department of Civil Aviation Satenik Hovhannisyan told Armenpress. In line with the increase of passenger flow, a number of airlines are increasing the frequency of flights. In particular, Pobeda airlines will carry out flights 4 times a week with Moscow-Gyumri-Moscow route in March, Qatar Airways will carry out flights on a daily basis with a route of Doha-Yerevan Doha, Aegean Airlines will carry out flights 6 times a week with the route of Athens-Yerevan-Athens in the summer navigation period to be launched in March. The Iranian airlines also increase the frequency of flights in the summer navigation period and especially during their New Year, she said. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Russia makes all efforts to protect the rights of blogger Alexander Lapshin who is extradited from Belarus to Azerbaijan, Russian MFA spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a meeting with reporters on February 15, reports Armenpress. The Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan is in constant contact with Azerbaijans law enforcement agencies, the Prosecutor Generals Office and the Ministry of Interior Affairs. We do everything to protect the rights of our citizen. We always keep in our spotlight this issue, Zakharova said. She added that Lapshin is provided with qualified attorney support ahead of the trial. On February 9 representatives of the Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan visited Lapshin. During the meeting Lapshin didnt express any complaint over the conditions of the arrest. Alexander Lapshin, the Russian-Israeli blogger who was extradited from Belarus to Azerbaijan on February 7, has been placed in the isolation cell in Azerbaijans state security service. Lapshin was flown to Baku from Minsk on a special flight, escorted by state security agents. A group of reporters were waiting for Lapshin in Bakus airport, but Lapshin didnt give any comment to them. The Belarus Supreme Court denied Lapshins appeal on the extradition verdict issued by the General Prosecutor of Belarus. Lapshin faces up to 5 years imprisonment in Azerbaijan, under charges of public calls against the state, and unauthorized crossing of borders. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will have a meeting with Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov within the framework of his upcoming visit to Moscow February 21-22, Russian MFA spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters, reports Armenpress. This visit will be the continuation of the Armenian-Russian dialogue which aims to develop the allied mutual cooperation of the two states in political, trade-economic and humanitarian spheres, Zakharova said. During the talks the two FMs are expected to discuss issues related to the bilateral cooperation, as well as contemporary topics of foreign policy, including the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Special emphasis will be put on issues related to the mutual partnership in the common integration unions and other international organizations, she said. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. The 6th round of talks on trade and investment issues of the Armenia-EU new framework agreement has launched on February 15 in Yerevan, press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments told Armenpress. Armenias negotiation delegation is led by First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Investments Garegin Melkonyan. The EU delegation led by Petros Sourmelis, head of unit, the European Commission Directorate-General for Trade, is taking part in the talks. During the talks it is expected to hold discussions on the agreements directions of Trade in Services, Intellectual Property Rights, Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, as well as to summarize the talks on directions of Trade in goods, Settlement of disputes, Transparency, Technical Barriers to Trade, Customs issues (including the Protocol on mutual administrative support in customs affairs), Competitiveness, Enterprises with state participation, Trade and Sustainable Development. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Under the auspices of First Lady Rita Sargsyan a charity concert was held in Yerevan all proceeds of which will be directed towards the treatment of children with cancer. The ticket buyers were children, mainly school-children, reports Armenpress. A child must learn to make a charity from the early childhood and feel that charity is a supreme pleasure, the First Lady said. She said the concert repertoire includes old and kind songs for children. We remembered the children songs of parents, grandmothers and grandfathers, and there was a need to translate them. At that moment, Avet Barseghyan helped us, translated all the texts, then Narek Duryan joined us with his perfect scenario, Rita Sargsyan said. Broadcaster, author of words of songs Avet Barseghyan said they managed to hold this concert due to Rita Sargsyans many years of teaching experience. The main guarantee of the success of songs is Rita Sargsyans careful work since she has worked with children for many years and knows well which songs, sounds can enjoy the children, Avet Barseghyan said. February 15 is celebrated all over the world as the International Childhood Cancer Day aimed at raising the awareness and providing assistance to sick children and their family members. According to the statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO), 215.000 new cases of malignant tumor morbidity is being registered annually throughout the world among the children up to 14 age, and 85.000 cases among the children from the age of 15 to 19. The WHO experts say in case of diagnosis and receiving treatment on time, 80% of malignant tumor is treated. In Armenia this number ranges from 65% to 70%. However, as a result of the medical science developments of the recent decades, positive results were registered in the pediatric oncology field. Diseases, that previously were considered incurable, now can be treated as a result of various innovative medical methods. 50 to 60 new cases of childhood cancer are annually registered in Armenia. The diagnosis and treatment of children with malignant tumor morbidity is being made in the National Oncology Center after V. Fanarjyan, the Hematology center after R. Yolyan. The participation of honorable Chairwoman of Devote life charitable foundation and Board of Trustees Rita Sargsyan is invaluable in the treatment process of children with cancer. The foundation always assists solving problems related with the treatment of sick children, acquiring expensive drugs, as well as supporting to organize the treatment in the hospitals abroad, as well as in the Hematology Center after R. Yolyan. The malignant blood diseases diagnosis in the Center is carried out with innovative methods in accordance with the international standards. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. It was no surprise for Prime Minister Karapetyan to not be included in the proportional list of the Republican Party of Armenia. Its not a surprise for me that Im not in the Republican Partys list. Maybe theres a requirement which I dont meet, he said during a meeting with students in the Yerevan State University. According to the Prime Minister, if the RPA succeeds in the upcoming parliamentary election and gets the chance to form a government, he hopes the current team will continue being in office. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. On February 15, the expert group from the NATO Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP) visited the National Defense Research University (NDRU) of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, the NDRU told Armenpress. President of the NDRU, Doctor of Political Science, Professor, Lieutenant-General Hayk Kotanjian welcomed the guests. He highlighted the support provided by the NATO expert group for the defense education reforms underway in Armenia, Professor Hayk Kotanjian noted that the target of the Second Strategic Defense Review (SDR) of Armenia, launched in 2014, is the review of the National Security Strategy (NSS) of Armenia. This work will be implemented through the adoption of Armenias National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) based on the Draft NCS, which was developed at the NDRU and reviewed by the experts of the U.S. National Defense University (NDU) and the NATO PfP Consortiums Working Group on Cyber Security Reference Curriculum Writing. NDRUs Vice President for Research, Head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) of the NDRU, PhD in History, Beniamin Poghosyan presented the Universitys main activities and work done after the visit of the expert group in March, 2016. Head of the Center for National Security Policy and Information-Communication Technologies of the NDRU Arman Grigoryan presented the main results of the Centers activities. The coordinator-consultant of the NDRUs educational activities, Doctor of Political Science, Professor Arthur Atanesyan presented the work done aimed at launching the Interagency Executive Education Certificate and Master Programs. The steps taken towards the organization of strategic-operational-level military education in the NDRU, suggested by the NATO DEEP experts in March 2016, were also touched upon. The Head of the Academic-Educational Center of the NDRUs National Institute for Strategic Defense Security Education Anna Gevorgyan presented the main activities of the Center. The presentations were followed by Q&A session and a professional discussion ensued. At the end, the NATO DEEP expert group expressed satisfaction over the visit. GAVAR, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. The surface of the largest part of the lake Sevan basin, known as Greater Sevan, has frozen due to low thermal and climatic factors. The Gegharkunik Governors Office told ARMENPRESS as of February 15 the surface of the larger part of lake Sevan is frozen, the lesser part of the lake, known as Smaller Sevan, is partly covered in ice. If the low thermal regime and climatic factors are maintained in the coming days, the lakes surface can get entirely frozen, which can last weeks or more than a month, which has taken place previously as well, depending on various climatic changes, Hambardzum Hambardzumyan, an official of the Gegharkunik Governors Office said. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Blogger Alexander Lapshins wife Yekaterina alarms that her spouse has not been provided with the necessary legal support in Azerbaijan, and the appointed public defender doesnt inspire trust at all, she writes on Facebook, reports Armenpress. Yekaterina says although the Azerbaijani prosecution announced on providing the necessary legal support to Lapshin, however, this was done 10 hours later after Lapshin was extradited to Baku. Why Lapshin was not immediately provided with attorney and translator. Didnt they find them, or didnt they manage to do it? In this case why did they manage to send a group of reporters to the airport. Therefore, it is not surprising that after spending a night together with the special enforcement agencies Lapshin didnt have anything to complain. Even several hours are enough to explain many things to every person, Yekaterina writes. She expresses her complain over public defender Safar Huseinov and says the ICRC representatives are not allowed to visit Lapshin for unknown reasons, and Huseinov continues stating that her spouse has no complain. The problem is with the attorney who until now insisted that no one of the family applied to him in case when I called him and talked with him both on February 13, 14 and today, Lapshins wife said, adding that various reports say that Lapshin gave various testimonies. In other words, the attorneys mission is to get Alexanders confession about what he has never done. To convince the relatives that Alexanders life is perfect, she stated. Yekaterina informed that Lapshin will have a new attorney in the coming 1-2 days, thus, more objective information about him will be provided. But if you see in the media that Alexander refuses the attorney send by his relatives, I think you will understand that he really needs the urgent support of the Red Cross, she concluded. Alexander Lapshin, the Russian-Israeli blogger who was extradited from Belarus to Azerbaijan on February 7, has been placed in the isolation cell in Azerbaijans state security service. Lapshin was flown to Baku from Minsk on a special flight, escorted by state security agents. A group of reporters were waiting for Lapshin in Bakus airport, but Lapshin didnt give any comment to them. The Belarus Supreme Court denied Lapshins appeal on the extradition verdict issued by the General Prosecutor of Belarus. Lapshin faces up to 5 years imprisonment in Azerbaijan, under charges of public calls against the state, and unauthorized crossing of borders. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. The German-Armenian Economic Forum kicked off in Berlin. Vahan Martirosyan, minister of transportation, communication and IT of Armenia, delivered opening remarks at the event. The minister greeted the participants of the forum and stressed the ICT sector has rapidly developed in Armenia during the past years. This enabled to attract international organizations and foreign investments to Armenia, in order to build a competitive labor market, offer products and services globally, the minister said. The ministry of transportation, communication and IT told ARMENPRESS the minister presented the directions of the products and services offered by Armenian ICT companies, project design, engineering, chip-design, artificial intelligence, network systems etc. In terms of infrastructure development, the minister highlighted the North-South Road Corridor investment program, which aims at connecting the countrys northern part to the southern part improving both regional and the Europe-Caucasus-Asia road communication. The project is open for realization in the format of state-private sector cooperation, we will welcome the involvement of German companies as well, the minister said. He expressed hope the German-Armenian international economic forum will enable the national companies of both countries to deepen and strengthen cooperation circles. The ministers remarks were followed by discussions regarding IT, telecommunications, transportation and road construction, where the ongoing programs and development prospects were presented. Over 15 Armenian private companies are taking part in the forum, who are interested in establishing new business ties and implementations of new projects. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian will pay an official visit to Russia on February 21-22 by the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, press service of the MFA told Armenpress. The two Ministers will discuss a wide range of issues related to Armenia-Russia allied, strategic relations, as well as the implementation process of agreements reached between the leaders of the two states. They will exchange views on urgent regional and international issues. The two FMs will discuss the steps taken over the implementation of agreements reached at the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits aimed at moving forward the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan on February 15 held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria to Armenia Maria Pavlova Tzotzorkova-Kaymaktchieva, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress. During the meeting issues related to the Armenian-Bulgarian bilateral cooperation in the defense sector were discussed. The sides attached importance to the development of Armenian-Bulgarian military-technical cooperation. Minister Sargsyan highly appreciated the current level of cooperation, stating that Bulgaria is one of the first European countries cooperating with Armenia in the defense sphere. Vigen Sargsyan highlighted the cooperation development opportunities in several fields and attached importance to the exchange of experience especially in the fields of military police, military education, human resource management and etc. In her turn the Bulgarian Ambassador emphasized the readiness of the Bulgarian side to develop the cooperation and expressed hope the results of the cooperation will be visible in near future. Regional security issues were also discussed at the meeting. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Armenias foreign trade with the UAE in 2016 recorded the steepest rise. Armenpress reports, citing the data released by the National Statistical Service of Armenia, in the reporting year trade turnover between the two countries doubled against 2015. According to the official data, total trade between the UAE and Armenia amounted to 119.34 million USD from which Armenias exports amounted to 63.84 million USD and UAEs exports to Armenia amounted to 55.50 million USD. During the reporting year increase was recorded for both exports and imports, while Armenian exports to the UAE rose 7 fold, and imports from the UAE rose by 27%. As a results, UAEs share in Armenias exports amounted to 3.6%, and imports 1.7%. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador of Armenia to Iran Artashes Tumanyan met with Chairman of the Education and Research Committee of Irans Majlis Mohammad Mehdi Zahedi on February 15, Armenpress was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia. During the meeting the sides discussed educational issues, cooperation between Armenia and Iran in the sphere of education and science, including the issue of mutual recognition of diplomas and joint educational and scientific programs. Mohammad Zahedi proposed that mutual visits of education and science committees of the legislative bodies of both countries should be organized to discuss issues of mutual interest. The contribution of Armenian scientists to the development of Irans science was also touched upon at the meeting. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Everyone in Azerbaijan realizes that the corrupt regime is unable to settle Nagorno Karabakh conflict or negotiate with anyone on that issue, Armenpress reports member of Talysh Cultural Council, participant of Talysh freedom movement, journalist at the Tolishi Sado newspaper Shahin Mirzoev, who moved to Armenia with his family and requested for temporary asylum from the Armenian leadership told. Generally, it is necessary to study the roots, to understand how that country was established. First of all, there is no Azerbaijani nation, and now they are used to say that Azerbaijanis are Turks. Everyone in Azerbaijan knows well that this regime is in no way capable of solving Nagorno Karabakh issue. The corrupt regime cannot negotiate with anyone. The April war disclosed everything starting from the border, from Ganja city everybody fled to Baku in panic taking with them their sheep and lambs. Baku was flooded with sheep and lambs, Mirzov said. To his conviction, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev will not launch a war, since he has no support. Peoples support is necessary for unleashing war, but he does not have the support of the people. Why did the war stop? Maybe you have some other interpretation for that, but Azerbaijanis and the Talysh people think in another way. First of all Aliyev started to believe in his own illusions, thinking that Armenia is starving and people are dying of hunger. Taking those illusions for reality he launched an offensive against Nagorno Karabakh on April 2. Encountering a tough resistance and fearful of possible counter-attack, he was forced to stop the war, Mirzoev said, adding that they have evidences how Azerbaijani soldiers fled in panic. They faced death from both sides. Turkish supervisors were standing behind, firing at anybody who would try to flee. Is it possible to wage a war in this way and win? In no case, participant of Talysh freedom movement said. According to him, the Talysh people just sought some autonomy, but the Azerbaijani leadership has killed many Talysh representatives and oppressed them. But now we do not agree even to a high status. I cannot talk on behalf of everyone, but personally I do not agree to that. We want to create our own state and I think it will happen soon. Talyshistan will become a reality, Mirzoev expressed conviction. Mirzoev also noted that the majority of Azerbaijanis do not watch TV, since they do not believe in the state propaganda about a prosperous country. Everyone in Azerbaijan knows that when conscript starts, skirmishes take place in the front line, and they demonstratively bring to Baku bodies of a number of killed soldiers, in order the people give bribes for preventing their children from taking to serve on the front line. And here mainly poor people serve, and this goes for the Talysh people first of all, though everyone knows, including you, that we, the Talysh people, are not interested in that war and Nagorno Karabakh issue is not connected with us, he said. The Armenian MFA on February 11 announced that the Armenian leadership received a request from Shahin Mirzoev for temporary asylum, since as a member of Talysh Cultural Council, Talysh freedom movement, journalist at the Tolishi Sado newspaper, he was obliged to flee from Azerbaijan due to the persecutions against ethnic and religious minorities and gross violations of their rights, and to arrive to Armenia with his family. Armenian leadership reacted positively to the request of Shahin Mirzoev. Protestors demonstrate against the EU-Canada trade deal outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France The European Parliament backed a contested EU-Canada free trade deal on Wednesday, facing down protests by activists and Donald Trump-inspired calls for protectionism. MEPs hailed the deal as a rare victory for an imperilled global trade system that is under threat from US President Trump who opposes far-reaching trade deals. The accord, known as CETA, is tipped as Europe's most modern ever and a possible model for relations with Britain after its leaves the EU. EU states and Canada formally signed the deal in October after seven years of tough talks, overcoming last-minute resistance from a small Belgian region that blocked its national government from approving the accord. But it needed the backing of MEPs meeting in Strasbourg, France, who solidly approved the pact with 408 votes in favour, 254 against and 33 abstentions. "This is a watershed moment -- EU trade policy will never be the same again," said senior Scottish MEP David Martin, whose Socialists and Democrats group split on the issue. Approval by the parliament allows the provisional implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement as early as next month. It must then be approved by national parliaments. Protesters attempted to disrupt the vote, with about 700 people marching outside the European Parliament to voice their opposition to the deal. Anti-globalisation activists dressed in surgical masks dramatically blocked the entrance to the parliament building, before being dragged off by riot police. "Saying yes to CETA is a trampling of the people," said a banner. Following the approval by parliament, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will address MEPs in person on Thursday. "Looking forward to it," Trudeau tweeted on Wednesday, adding in a statement that the deal "prepares the ground for stronger ties with the EU, which will result in greater possibilities for the middle classes on both sides of the Atlantic." - 'Blow to EU' - Opponents to CETA slam the deal as a "Trojan horse" to big business and a danger to health, democracy and the rule of law. Story continues "The disconnect between MEPs and public concerns over living standards, public health and the environment is another blow to the EU," said Greenpeace's EU trade policy adviser Shira Stanton. Some of the more controversial aspects, including a much-derided investor court system, still require ratification by EU member states, which could take years. CETA will remove 99 percent of non-farm customs duties between the two sides, a big win for exporters on both sides of the Atlantic. And unlike classic trade deals, CETA harmonises regulations on matters such as health and the environment, a major concern for activists. Some industries are left untouched. The CETA deal will not remove tariff barriers for public services, audiovisual and transport services and a few agricultural products, such as dairy, which is heavily subsidised in Canada. A major flashpoint for opponents is the proposal to set up special courts to settle disputes between investors and national authorities that is central to the deal. Opponents believe this provision hands too much power to multinationals that will use powerful lawyers to undermine national regulation. "Multinationals will be able to attack governments in a privatised court system," said France's far-right presidential candidate and MEP Marine Le Pen, who voted against CETA. But the deal's EU negotiator, Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem, said many of the concerns were "myths". "You have to remember too that 28 countries, 28 governments have signed this deal and said it is a good deal. Would the 28 really sign something that was so dangerous for their citizens?" she told AFP in an interview. The vote comes at a particularly sensitive time for global trade matters, with Britain poised to leave the European Union and new US president Trump rejecting an Asia-Pacific trade deal. Trump is also widely expected to drop a similar proposed deal with the EU known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership or TTIP. Trudeau met with Trump on Monday in Washington. Trump had vowed to put "America first" and rip up the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico, but significantly toned down that rhetoric after meeting Trudeau. burs-dk/ri Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (left) listens to top EU economic affairs official Pierre Moscovici during their meeting in Athens on February 15, 2017 Top EU economics official Pierre Moscovici urged Greece and its creditors Wednesday to try and reach a compromise over the cash-strapped country's bailout terms in the next few "key days". The former French finance minister spoke during a visit to Athens aimed at breaking the deadlock between Greece and its eurozone and International Monetary Fund (IMF) lenders, which has raised fears of a fresh debt crisis. His trip came five days before a meeting of eurozone ministers that is seen as an unofficial deadline to end the stalemate ahead of important elections in Europe. "We have a few key days, let's concentrate now to finish all these talks. The parameters are on the table, everybody knows them," Moscovici told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos. The EU commissioner said he was confident of progress towards a deal "if efforts are made by all sides". The IMF and Europe are split over a demand by the eurozone that Greece deliver a primary balance, or budget surplus before debt repayments, of 3.5 percent of GDP. The IMF has said only 1.5 percent is feasible. The Tsipras government refuses more pension cuts and tax hikes, which the IMF -- quietly backed by Germany -- insists are necessary for Greece to deliver on its targets. - 'Tunnel of austerity' - The feuding has blocked a tranche of loans from Greece's 86 billion euro ($91 billion) bailout that it needs for debt repayments of 7.0 billion euros this summer. Considered an ally of Greece, Moscovici said that although more reforms would be necessary, it was important to tell Greek people "that there is a light at the end of the tunnel of austerity". "We must strike the right balance between fiscal sustainability on the one hand, but also prosperity and the necessity to address... the concerns of those who suffer from poverty or unemployment," he said. Talks in Brussels between Greece and its creditors on Friday ended with no breakthrough. Story continues On Tuesday the Greek government hailed figures showing the country had returned to annual growth in 2016, using it for a fresh assault on further austerity measures. Early estimates from the national statistics office and projections from Brussels showed growth of 0.3 percent last year. Moscovici welcomed the growth and called for a "reformed Greece in the heart of the eurozone," defying concerns over the country's future in the monetary union. - More time needed - Despite the commissioner's push for an agreement next week, Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem warned on Tuesday warned that the standoff was likely to drag on. "The IMF has to come on board," he told Dutch broadcaster RTL Z. "It will take more time. People think that as there is a Eurogroup meeting next week we must have something worked out. But that has not been my planning." An IMF report obtained by AFP last week said Greece's debt "is highly unsustainable" and "will become explosive in the long run". But European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis said the outlook from the Washington-based fund was "very pessimistic". "That's why there is now a gap between our figures and those of the IMF" he told German newspaper Handelsblatt on Wednesday, expressing hope that the gap could be filled. VANCOUVER, B.C.BellaPass has launched the official site of feature dancer and adult performer Alexis Monroe as part of the BellaPass network. The Las Vegas resident said she was grateful for the "freedom" she has with the all-new AlexisMonroe.com. I am so excited to be starting my next big adventure with BellaPass!" Monroe said. "I chose to go with them for many reasons, but most importantly it was the freedom. Not only am I part of an AVN Award-winning company, but I have the ability to shoot what I want, when I want to. For me that was everything. I cant explain it without being overly blunt but no one wants to watch forced content. The emotion, passion and utter enjoyment get taken away when someone doesnt want to be there. So for me having the freedom to work when I am actually passionate about filming means I'm giving my 100 percent best to my fans! Without them I would have nothing so I want to give them access to only the best of my work. "With that being said, I look forward to bringing a little bit of everything to my site. Yes of course there will be the usual boy/girl, blow job, and girl/girl content, but I'd like to dive into something a little deeper. I want to give my fans their real life fantasies acted out for them to enjoy. Not everyone understands fetish, but for some, once they find something they like it's hard to find a ton of content on it so I'd like my site to have that. I have received a lot of requests for me to start doing anal again and I am happy to announce that AlexisMonroe.com will be the exclusive place to find my new anal scenes! "I have been given so many opportunities to start a website and this is the first time Ive taken it! I think this is a great step forward for my career and I'm excited to bring a one stop shop for all your Alexis needs. Bryci, co-CEO of BellaPass with her husband, JD Bella, added, After meeting Alexis over a year ago when we filmed together and seeing her determined work ethic, we are so proud to be adding her brand new website to the BellaPass Network. We are excited to see her filming some of her hottest content, real passion, done exactly how she wants to do it. We couldn't be happier to help her grow in the online adult industry. Alexis can be booked for work via LA Direct Models. The Canadian Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) In recent years, a moment often came when a visitor to Argentina suddenly grasped they could have gotten a lot more bang for their bucks if only they had brought cash to buy pesos on the unofficial market. A dollar sometimes would buy twice as many pesos in informal cash trading as the amount in pesos it would get in purchases using a credit or debit card covered by the official exchange rate. You can almost hear the blood drain out of their voice when they realiz Ubers Brazilian business is having a terrible week. And its only Wednesday. On Monday, Brazilian Judge Marcio Toledo Gon?alves ruled that Uber drivers are employees who are entitled to workers' benefits. Gon?alves ordered the tech giant to pay one driver approximately 30,000 reais ($10,000) in compensation to cover overtime hours, night shifts, holidays, and other expenses. The ruling could threaten Uber's business model in the Latin American nation that--like its operations elsewhere--hinges, in part, on being able to classify its drivers as contractors. Uber said on Tuesday that it would appeal the decision, repeating its long-held stance that drivers are independent contractors, rather than employees. The Brazilian case is one fight in a string of legal battles related to Ubers employee benefits, price fixing, and safety. And its the second piece of bad news Uber received about its Brazilian business in as many days. On Tuesday, Reuters published an analysis of crime data in Sao Paulo and found disturbing statistics on the robberies and murders of Uber drivers. Its investigation revealed that robberies of Uber drivers in Brazils largest city rose ten-fold and attacks of drivers increased from an average of 13 per month in the first seven months of 2016 to 141 per month for the rest of the year. Its important to note that Brazil is not an easy (or safe) market to crack. The country has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Related: Here's Where Uber Is Facing Some of Its Biggest Legal Problems All this came after Ubers announcement in January that its launching a support center in Sao Paulo. With a plan to invest $62 million and create 2,000 jobs, the center is meant to provide technical support for Ubers 9 million users in the country. Ubers planned expansion in the country followed news that its Brazilian rival, an on-demand taxi service called 99, received a $100 million investment from Chinese ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing. Story continues Brazil is crucial to Uber's global expansion efforts because the market is Uber's third biggest business after the U.S and India. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com Chateau Laurier's latest look 'quite different' from maligned designs: planner The City of Ottawa has struck an expert working group and launched a website to gather public feedback on the proposed expansion of the Fairmont Chateau Laurier after public criticism forced a redesign of the original proposal. City staff told council's planning committee that public pushback, combined with both national and local interest in the hotel, which opened in 1912 and was declared a national historic site in 1980, were factors in deciding to go "above and beyond" on this consultation process. Architects and owners of the iconic hotel next to the Rideau Canal on Wellington Street first put forward drawings of a modern glass addition to the hotel in September 2016, sparking a fierce online backlash and a do-over in November 2016. The architecture firm described the revised addition as eight per cent smaller than the original. The website launched for the public consultation said the proposed addition includes two tall buildings, 11 storeys on the east side and 12 storeys on the west side. Building materials include Indiana limestone with bronze accents. It would include 218 long-stay hotel units and five levels of parking including 385 stalls accessible from Mackenzie Avenue. The application includes a request to remove the current parking structure, which was added to the north side of the hotel in 1960. Heritage structure scrutiny The Chateau Laurier is formally designated a city heritage building, which means certain restrictions apply to any changes. A five-person heritage working group made up of architects, landscape architects and a representative of Heritage Ottawa will provide advice to the city, Larco Investments and the National Capital Commission. That group will hold a closed meeting at the end of February to focus on the proposed design's windows, roofline and relationship to Major's Hill Park. "We've heard a lot from residents on the fact that the building is not very integrated into the park," said Court Curry, the city's manager responsible for heritage. Story continues "It's [part of the] iconic skyline in Ottawa and we want to make sure it respects not just the policy but the views we want of that building." City approvals to be debated in late spring The hotel's owners want to collaborate with the city and listen to feedback from the heritage working group and the public, said Coun. Mathieu Fleury, whose ward includes the historic hotel. "Anything and everything is on the table, in my mind," said Fleury. The public consultation marks the beginning of a legally-required comment period of 28 days. The city is considering a second community meeting to discuss the design in March. Construction could start as soon as fall of 2017. Tech Trends The 6 Major Barriers to Technology Adoption in Higher Ed Even as technology proliferates in education at unprecedented rates, new hurdles including limitations of the human mind to keep up with technological advances are throwing themselves in the way of effective implementation. About the NMC Horizon Report Each year, the New Media Consortium, in collaboration with the Educause Learning Initiative, pulls together a panel of experts to settle on a list of 18 issues that the experts contend will have a major impact on education practice and policy in the near term, mid-term and long term six significant trends, six significant developments and six barriers. The experts (79 this year, including 75 panelists and four project leaders) range from NMC and Educause staff to prominent figures in academia and policy from around the world. The process is accessible to the public through the Horizon Project wiki at horizon.wiki.nmc.org, and the complete list of participants can be found at horizon.wiki.nmc.org/Panel+of+Experts. Here's a word you don't hear much anymore: obsolescence. But it's a word that's making a comeback in 2017 in a new and distressing way. Popularly used in a business context (e.g. the planned obsolescence of consumer devices that are designed to fall apart in a few years, like cars and laptops), it's now being used to describe the human mind. It's no longer the technology that's becoming obsolete too quickly; it's the knowledge of technology that's rapidly falling behind advances or changes in technologies. And that obsolescence, according to the New Media Consortium's Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition, is just one of the six major challenges facing technology in higher ed in the coming years. The Horizon Report is NMC's annual research project that, with a panel of higher education experts, attempts to identify significant and not necessarily obvious technology trends that will impact education in the coming years. Among those trends are those accelerating adoption of technology, those impeding technology and those that are simply educationally significant technology-based developments. Roadblocks Ahead: Wicked Challenges This year's report identified six major roadblocks to education technology, either in its adoption or in its implementation. The report divided the roadblocks into three categories: those that pose challenges but that are solvable in the near term, those that are more difficult to solve but are still understandable and those that are "wicked difficult" nigh impossible even to define, let alone solve. Falling into the wicked difficult category in this year's report are two issues that did not make last year's list: managing the obsolescence of human knowledge and, perhaps even more difficult, grappling with the changing role of the educator. On the human obsolescence front, the report explained: "Staying organized and current presents a challenge to academics in a world where educational needs, software, and devices advance at a strenuous rate. New developments in technology hold great potential for improving the quality of learning and operations. However, just as faculty and staff are able to master one technology, it seems a new version launches. Institutions must grapple with the longevity of technologies and devise back-up plans before making large investments. There is added pressure to ensure that any tools selected are in service of deepening learning outcomes in ways that are measurable." Professional development can only go so far to alleviating this problem, though the report did note a few exemplars. One of those is the Houston Community College system, which provides both technical and pedagogical assistance to adjuncts. As the report described: "Eight Curriculum Innovation Centers work with instructors to integrate the latest technologies into their courses and facilitate engaging learning experiences. Adjuncts receive training on special projects, such as digital storytelling and designing online courses, as well as basic assistance with LMS and grade entry software. The centers are accessible during set hours or by appointment, providing flexibility for adjuncts to visit the location nearest their home, place of employment, or teaching campus." Another exemplar noted in the report was Penn State University, which "employs a three-pronged approach for managing knowledge obsolescence among faculty and staff: providing them with emerging technologies for freeform experimentation, bringing together instructional designers and programmers to reimagine how technology can transform classroom activities, and establishing long-term bonds between leadership and faculty to engage in creative problem-solving." According to Samantha Becker, co-principal investigator for the Horizon Project and NMC's senior director of communications, this particular challenge "converges with integrating formal and informal learning. Not only is keeping up with new educational trends and technologies an important part of formal PD, but educators and staff must (somehow) find the time in the limited free time they have to pursue external learning pathways. I've heard educators, for example, refer to their social media as personal learning networks." MONDAY, Feb. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Shoveling is the probable reason why men are more likely to suffer a heart attack after a heavy snowfall, researchers report. In a new study, investigators analyzed data on heart attacks between the months of November and April in the province of Quebec between 1981 and 2014. About 60 percent of hospital admissions and deaths due to heart attack were in men. The findings showed that men's risk of heart attack hospitalization and death was higher after heavy snowfalls. The highest risk was on the day after a snowfall and after snowfalls lasting two to three days. The risk of heart attack after a snowfall was higher regardless of age, cardiovascular risk factors or other health conditions. The link between snowfalls and increased heart attack risk was not seen in women, the study authors noted. However, "men are potentially more likely than women to shovel, particularly after heavy snowfalls," according to Dr. Nathalie Auger, of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center, and colleagues. "We suspect that shoveling was the main mechanism linking snowfall with [heart attack]," Auger's team reported. "Snow shoveling is a demanding cardiovascular exercise requiring more than 75 percent of the maximum heart rate, particularly with heavy loads," the researchers added. The study authors acknowledged that their research lacked data on sex-specific shoveling habits, size of areas shoveled and whether snow removal was manual or with a snow blower. Although the study did not prove cause and effect, the theory that shoveling is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks among men remains "plausible," the researchers concluded. The report was published Feb. 13 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Public education campaigns are needed to alert people about the risk of heart attack after a snowfall, and the need to be cautious about shoveling if they have health problems, the study authors said in a journal news release. Dr. David Alter, of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the University of Toronto, wrote an accompanying commentary in the journal. He said that the study adds "to our understanding that the act of snow shoveling in cold temperatures sets the stage for an ecobiological-behavioral 'perfect storm,' particularly among those physically deconditioned who have or who are at risk of heart disease." More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on winter health and safety. WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In what they call a first, researchers say they can predict whether some infants under the age of 1 will actually develop autism in their second year. The new experimental technique, using standard brain screening, is designed to focus solely on newborns known to be at high risk for autism because they have an older sibling who has it. But the diagnostic breakthrough addresses a key problem that has confounded efforts to effectively screen for autism as quickly as possible: Babies typically don't show clear outward signs of the disorder until nearly the end of their second year of life. By using scans to peek into the shifting size, surface area and thickness of certain parts of a baby's cerebral cortex as a baby hits the 6-month and 12-month mark, investigators found that they could forecast autism risk with 80 percent accuracy. "These findings suggest a cascade of brain changes across the first two years of life that result in the emergence of autism at the end of the second year," explained study senior author Dr. Joseph Piven. He is director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Piven and his team report their findings in the Feb. 15 issue of Nature. The new screening approach was tested on approximately 150 infants, more than 100 of whom were deemed to be at high risk for developing autism because of familial background. Piven pointed out that newborns who have older siblings already diagnosed with autism face a five times higher risk for developing autism themselves. MRI scans were conducted on the babies at the 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year marks. This is a time frame during which obvious symptoms of autism are few, despite possible evidence of motor and/or mental dysfunction. Key brain measurements were then fed into a computer-generated algorithm, which generated autism prediction scores based on two observations: First, infants who develop autism by age 2 appear to undergo relatively high brain-surface growth between ages 6 months and 1 year. The second observation: High brain surface area growth in the first year of life is linked to a higher overall brain size in the second year of life. This brain overgrowth is an established marker for autism risk, researchers said. The results: The computer program was able to accurately predict autism in eight out of 10 of those babies who developed autism by age 2. Also, the approach was nearly perfect in predicting which high-risk babies would not develop autism by age 2. "This finding," said Piven, "suggests that in the future, early brain imaging may be able to predict later autism risk and identify those infants who might benefit the most from intensive interventions before the symptoms emerge, and during a time when the brain is most malleable." Still, Piven cautioned that the findings are "experimental," and need to be replicated with more research. He also noted that even if the screening technique holds up under scrutiny, a range of new issues will have to be addressed before such early diagnosis could be offered on a widespread basis. For example, Piven said, "We have no data yet on how families would react to this information." And he added, "There are no treatments agreed upon by the field for infants [deemed to be] presymptomatic for autism. So there are a whole host of questions that need to be figured out before this would be available." Still, Mathew Pletcher, vice president and head of genomic discovery at Autism Speaks in New York City, found the research encouraging because "providing early and accurate diagnosis for autism is critical for ensuring the best outcomes. "[And] the sooner an individual can begin therapy," he said, "the greater benefit they will receive from it across their lifetime." "Of course," Pletcher added, "this early work needs to be repeated with a larger set of individuals. But if true, the predictive algorithm developed by the project could be of great benefit to particularly at-risk populations, like younger siblings of individuals diagnosed with autism. "[But] due to the expense and difficulty of this screening technique, it would be difficult to translate it into a screen for autism among the general population," he said. More information There's more on autism screening at U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fact Checked HealthDay operates under the strictest editorial standards. Our syndicated news content is completely independent of any financial interests, is based solely on industry-respected sources and the latest scientific research, and is carefully fact-checked by a team of industry experts to ensure accuracy. All articles are edited and checked for factual accuracy by our Editorial Team prior to being published. Unless otherwise noted, all articles focusing on new research are based on studies published in peer-reviewed journals or issued from independent and respected medical associations, academic groups and governmental organizations. Each article includes a link or reference to the original source. Any known potential conflicts of interest associated with a study or source are made clear to the reader. Please see our Editorial and Fact-Checking Policy for more detail. HealthDay Editorial Commitment HeathDay is committed to maintaining the highest possible levels of impartial editorial standards in the content that we present on our website. All of our articles are chosen independent of any financial interests. Editors and writers make all efforts to clarify any financial ties behind the studies on which we report. Donald Trump Top Republicans said Tuesday that it is likely Congress will launch a probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn over his communications with Russia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters it's "highly likely" the Senate intelligence committee will investigate the retired army lieutenant general in the aftermath of his Monday resignation. "I think the fundamental question for us is what is our involvement in it, and who ought to look at it," the Kentucky Republican said. "And the intelligence committee is already looking at Russian involvement in our election." Speaking to reporters, the second-ranking Republican senator was blunt in his assessment of whether the Senate should investigate Flynn. "Yes," said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. He did not say, however, whether Flynn should testify before the Senate. "I think it's symbolic of somebody with a distinguished military career making a bad mistake," Cornyn said. Flynn resigned Monday after just three weeks on the job. The resignation came amid an uproar over talks he had had with a Russian diplomat, the content of which he didn't fully disclose to the administration, and followed a Washington Post report that said the White House was warned that he could be vulnerable to blackmail. Moreover, it was reported by The New York Times Tuesday that the FBI interviewed Flynn during his first days in the White House. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican who is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told a local St. Louis radio station that an investigation into Flynn "needs" to happen, and lawmakers need to speak with Flynn "very soon." "I think everybody needs that investigation to happen," he said. "And the Senate Intelligence Committee, again that I serve on, has been given the principle responsibility to look into this, and I think that we should look into it exhaustively so that at the end of this process, nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned, and shouldn't reach conclusions before you have the information that you need to have to make those conclusions." Weiterlesen "What did he know?" Blunt continued. "What did he do? And is there any reason to believe that anybody knew that and didn't take the kind of action they should have taken." michael flynn Speaking to CNN Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina joined calls for an investigation into Flynn's correspondence with the Russian diplomat, saying he believes Congress "needs to be informed" of what was actually said in the conversations. "And I want to know," Graham said, "did Gen. Flynn do this by himself or was he directed by somebody to do it?" Sen. Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, spoke on multiple occasions Tuesday about the potential investigation, telling reporters "it wouldn't be out of the question" for Flynn to testify before a Senate committee. Corker said the Flynn resignation is "heightening the intensity" of the Senate's wish to answer all of the questions circulating around Russia's influence pre-and post-election, which have dogged Trump since he pulled off his improbable November victory over Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. However, while it is illegal for unauthorized citizens of the US to negotiate with foreign governments, White House press secretary Sean Spicer insisted during Tuesday's press briefing that no laws were broken. Spicer said the White House reviewed Flynn's situation, and the national security adviser only resigned because his trust had "eroded" with the president. Spicer's comments jibed with prominent House Republicans who were not vocal in their requests to see Flynn investigated before its chamber of Congress. Rep. Devin Nunes, a California Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, instead focused on the stream of leaks from government officials to outlets such as The Post and The Times, saying his committee will investigate. It echoed a Tuesday tweet from Trump in which the president said the "real story" was the "many illegal leaks." Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the Utah Republican who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, did not demand an investigation into Flynn from his committee, telling reporters "it's taking care of itself." In a statement, Republican operative Kurt Bardella, who was formerly a senior adviser and spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee, said that if the first month of President Barack Obama's administration had been anything like the first month of Trump's, the committee would've been launching investigations "at a record pace." "When the tragedy of Benghazi unfolded and Susan Rice went on national television and misled the American people about what inspired the attack, Jason Chaffetz was rushing to every news camera he could find to call for investigation," said Bardella, who worked for Chaffetz's predecessor, Rep. Darrell Issa of California. He added: "The litany of conflicts-of-interest and legitimate security questions that exist but have gone unanswered in the Trump Administration are more than enough grounds for numerous investigations and hearings ... just as we did during the Obama Administration." NOW WATCH: Trump's doctor and a hair surgeon explain what's going on with his hair More From Business Insider Manila, Philippines Parliamentarians from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies at the House of Representatives to reject the re-imposition of the death penalty in the country, and to respect the Philippines' international obligations and standing in the ASEAN as a regional leader in human rights protection. Instead of bringing back the death penalty, the Philippines and ASEAN should think about reforms, preventive measures, and rehabilitation, as ways of deterring crimes instead of the old "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" doctrine, Cambodia Rep. Mu Sochua, Battambang Representative of the National Assembly of Cambodia, said. "Killing, in whatever form, is a form of violence. Death penalty is the extreme form of violence," Sochua said. Malaysia, a nation that still imposes capital punishment, still gets opposition from its legislators lobbying for the abolition of the punishment that has been labeled as anti-poor. Malaysian Batukawan Representative Kasthuri Patto of the Parliament of Malaysia said most victims, if not all, of capital punishment in Malaysia are the poor. "The ones who are normally victims of this are the marginalized, the poor. Members of the opposition have been lobbying to push for the abolition, particularly in drug trafficking," Patto said. "Of the 1,000 people who are in death row, 600 are foreigners," Patto added. She added that the Malaysian government has already put up a committee that will look into the methods of the death penalty. The Philippines, represented by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, argued that there is consensus worldwide that the death penalty is not an effective means of combating crime, including illegal drugs. "Iran has had the death penalty since 1959 and yet they admitted the death penalty did not solve their drug problem," she said. "Singapore and Hongkong...Hongkong has no death penalty, Singapore does, but they have the same crime rate," Hontiveros added. The ASEAN Parliamentarians also reminded the Duterte administration about the country's international obligations. The Philippines formally abolished capital punishment in 2006 and ratified in 2007 the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) aimed at the worldwide abolition of the death penalty. "We have always been inspired by your people power movement, democracy. We want to continue to put you in that high platform, to play that role to protect fundamental rights for our people," Sochua said. "The Philippines must commit to its true self of being a righteous nation, a nation of faith, a nation that is looked upon," Patto said. The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said that since the Philippines abolished capital punishment in 2006, it has inspired other countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam to restrict the use of the death penalty, which denotes positive regional progress in the move toward abolition. Source: abs-cbn.com, February 15, 2017 Palace to ASEAN lawmakers: Death penalty 'apt' for Philippines The Philippine government, responding to criticism from Cambodian and Malaysian lawmakers, says the death penalty is needed to enforce discipline Malacanang reacted to Southeast Asian lawmakers' opposition to the revival of the death penalty in the Philippines, arguing that capital punishment is an appropriate measure for the country. "While some countries may have their opinion, we find the move to reimpose death penalty, reserved for certain heinous crimes, as apt for exercising discipline in a culture that now treats adherence to law an option rather than a rule of community life," said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a statement on Wednesday, February 15. 9 members of the Cambodian Parliament and 6 from the Malaysian Parliament signed a solidarity statement opposing the planned reimposition of capital punishment, a measure strongly supported by President Rodrigo Duterte. The Cambodian and Malaysian lawmakers called the death penalty a "barbaric and outdated form of punishment" and one that "puts the Philippines' internatonal credibility at risk." Despite the criticism, the Palace said the reimposition of the death penalty "remains a priority legislative measure." Malacanang Palace It pointed out that several other Southeast Asian countries, like Singapore, continue to impose the death penalty in order to deter crime. The Philippines' House of Representatives is currently holding debates on the bill for the revival of the death penalty. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is eyeing the bill's passage by mid-March. The Senate, however, is not keen on approving the measure. Last February 10, Duterte reiterated his support for the reimposition of capital punishment, saying that government statistics prove it is an effective deterrent against crime. The Philippine President, elected partly for his hardline stance against crime and drugs, said he also believes the death penalty is the only fitting punishment for certain crimes. Death penalty lifting did not increase incidence of heinous crimes President Duterte last week argued for the return of the death penalty by referring to the purported statistics reported by the Bureau of Corrections head Benjamin de los Santos in his recent testimony to the Senate. The bureaucrat testified: "BuCor statistics show that before the abolition of the death penalty we had 189 inmates convicted for the commission of heinous crimes. After such abolition, a staggering 6,024 were sentenced for heinous crimes, an astonishing 3,280 percent increase." That's a total lie, a patent fabrication: The Senate must cite the BuCor official for perjury, and for attempting to fool it to pass a law re-imposing the death penalty by presenting false information. There is no such data: Neither the BuCor nor its mother agency, the justice department, has collated information on convictions on heinous crimes. The only BuCor data that could approximate the number of "inmates convicted for heinous crimes" are the number of its yearly admissions of convicts. The number of those convicted of heinous crimes - such as murder, rape, and kidnapping - may be estimated based on its data that 48 % of convicts in its prisons are "maximum security" inmates. (To clarify, the BuCor under the justice department is charged with supervising 6 national prisons, including the biggest, the national penitentiary at the New Bilibid Prison, with its inmates consisting of those already convicted and with sentences of more than 3 years. On the other hand, the inmates in the jails of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which is under the Philippine National Police, are those still on trial and with convictions of less than 3 years.) As the data below show, after the June 2006 ban of the death penalty, there was very minimal increase in the number of those convicted for murders and rapes, the 2 most frequent crimes punishable by death, with very little deviation from the yearly average of 2,558 incidences. The slight increases are due of course to the increases in our country's population, which grew from 87 million in 2006 to 101 million in 2015. Indeed, for both 2016 when there was no death penalty, and 2005 when there was, the heinous crime rate per 100,000 population, was the same, at 2.8. Lifting of capital punishment in 2006 had no impact on incidence of murder and rape. The data therefore indisputably shows that the abolition of the death penalty had not encouraged more heinous crimes, contrary to the claims of the BuCor official and proponents of the death penalty. The Philippine data isn't at all surprising: rigorous, scientific studies show that the death penalty has no impact on the incidence of heinous crimes. 2 studies in the United States that claimed to prove that the abolition of the death penalty increased murder rates in certain US states, were later proven to be "fundamentally flawed" by that country's National Research Council. In fact, murder rates from 1900 to 2010 in American states in which there is no death penalty were even lower than in states with capital punishment. A 2009 survey of criminologists showed that over 88 % believed that the death penalty was not a deterrent to murder. The issue is really so commonsensical. As Amnesty International has pointed out: "The threat of execution at some future date is unlikely to enter the minds of those acting under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, those who are in the grip of fear or rage, those who are panicking while committing another crime (such as a robbery), or those who suffer from mental illness or mental retardation and do not fully understand the gravity of their crime." House opposition: Pointless to push for death penalty if Senate rejects it Trigger-happy: President Rodrigo Duterte Representative Raul Daza says the House debate on capital punishment will be 'moot and academic' if the Senate kills the death penalty bill Opposition lawmakers advised the House leadership to "pause and think" given that a majority of senators are not keen on passing the controversial death penalty bill. In a press conference on Tuesday, February 14, Northern Samar 1st District Representative Raul Daza cited a resolution passed by 14 senators declaring that the Senate has a say in the termination of any treaty or international agreement. During the Senate's first hearing on the proposed revival of capital punishment, anti-death penalty Senator Franklin Drilon forced a government lawyer to admit that restoring the death penalty is illegal under an international treaty that the Philippines ratified in 2007. The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights bans states party to it from reimposing capital punishment. "So this raises a prejudicial question: Should the House now proceed on HB 4727 given that the Senate or a majority of the Senate has already put in writing their sentiment that we should not tamper with our treaty obligations without first according to the Senate due respect to look at how the bill will affect a treaty that has been ratified by it?" asked Daza. He said that if the Senate ultimately decides to block the passage of the death penalty bill, all the efforts of the House leadership to push for the measure will be "moot and academic." "I think the House leadership, given this new development, should pause and think. Because in the event that the Senate asserts its authority and expresses its sentiment to uphold and restate our treaty commitments under the protocol, which is that we committed not to reimpose the death penalty, the House bill now becomes moot and academic," said Daza. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is bent on ending the plenary debates on the death penalty by March 8. He had already warned congressmen that he would strip them of their leadership titles if they vote against HB 4727. The Speaker also said he "does not care" if the Senate ends up blocking the bill so long as it is passed in the House. But Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman disagrees with Alvarez. "This is a bicameral legislature. No one acts solely and independently of the other. So kailangan mangialam (you need to care) because of the bilateral nature of the Congress of the Philippines," said Lagman. He also urged the House and Senate leadership to meet and iron out the differences in their approach to the reimposition of the death penalty. "Otherwise, we in the House will be engaged in an exercise of futility if after all, the Senate will not approve any measure reimposing the death penalty," said Lagman. Source: rappler.com, February 15, 2017 Minority solons to House leadeship: Pause, think about death penalty An independent minority lawmaker called on the leadership of the House of Representatives to reconsider its support for the death penalty bill due to the country's treaty obligations for the abolition of capital punishment. In a press conference at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza urged the House leadership to "pause and think" about the country's obligations to abolish the death penalty, the central issue that stalled the deliberations in the Senate. Senators centered on the country's obligations to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which under the Second Optional Protocol states that "Each State Party shall take all necessary measures to abolish the death penalty within its jurisdiction." Daza urged the members of the majority supporting the bill to allow Senate to first consider the treaty obligation, which if found valid would render the House bill seeking to restore the death penalty moot and academic. "The House leadership, given this new development, should pause and think because in the event that the Senate asserts its authority to uphold and restate our treaty commitments under the protocol, the House bill becomes moot and academic," Daza said. For his part, Albay Rep Edcel Lagman said the House should not waste its time on deliberatingon the death penalty if it would be an exercise in futility. He called on the congressional leaders to meet and thresh out its differing positions on the death penalty. "I'm urging the House as well as the Senate leadership to meet in order to iron out this particular difference. Otherwise, we in the House would be engaged in an exercise in futility if the Senate will not approve any measure reimposing death penalty," Lagman said. The House bill is expected to limit crimes punishable with death to the most heinous, making the proposal more favorable to lawmakers, and indicating that the death penalty bill has better chances in the lower House than in the Senate. House Bill 4727 restoring death penalty is seen to be a priority legislation in the House of Representatives. The bill seeks to impose death penalty on more than 20 heinous offenses, such as rape with homicide, kidnapping for ransom and arson with death. According to the original version of the bill, the following are punishable by death under the Revised Penal Code - treason, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, infanticide, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery with homicide, rape, intentional mutilation or arson and destructive arson. Plunder is also punishable with reclusion perpetua to death according to the Republic Act 7080 or the plunder law as amended by Republic Act 7659. Some lawmakers, however, believe plunder should not be punishable with death under the bill. The following offenses under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act are also punishable with death - importation; sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation; maintenance of a den, dive or resort; manufacture; possession of certain quantities of dangerous drugs; cultivation; unlawful prescription; misappropriation or failure to account confiscated, seized or surrendered dangerous drugs; and planting of evidence. Carnapping is also a criminal offense punishable with death under the Anti-Carnapping Act or Republic Act 6539. Justice committee chairperson, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, said the House leadership is willing to reduce the list of crimes punishable under death only to the most heinous - drug trade and abuse, murder, kidnapping, carnapping and rape. Umali said though that plunder may be removed from the list as it is not as heinous a crime as those committed against persons and life. | 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: newsinfo.inquirer.net, February 15, 2017 Indonesian maid Minah (center) has been charged with the murder of her employer. Indonesian helper in Singapore faces death for alleged murder of elderly employer An Indonesian domestic helper in Singapore has been charged today with the murder of her 78-year-old employer, media reports said. Wheelchair-bound Tay Quee Lang was found dead in her flat at Block 276 Tampines Street 22 with a knife reportedly lodged in her neck. Channel News Asia reports that Minah, 37, is accused of causing the death of Tay at about 2.10pm on Monday in the Tampines flat Tay shared with her husband, who was not home at the time of the alleged killing. Police said they received a call for assistance at about 2.10pm. When officers arrived at the unit on the 5th floor, they found the woman lying motionless. She was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. In court today, Minah, dressed in a black and white striped T-shirt, appeared calm as the capital charge was read to her by an interpreter. She will be remanded for a psychiatric evaluation and will next appear in court on Mar 8. If she is found guilty of murder, Minah will face the death penalty. | 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: thestandard.com.hk, February 15, 2017 -- Estimates suggest that helping religious leaders to discuss circumcision with their congregations could lead to 1.4 million more circumcisions and prevent between 65000 and 200000 men from being infected with HIV in Tanzania alone. Educating religious leaders about how circumcision helps to prevent HIV infection increased the number of men being circumcised in Tanzania, according to a study published in The Lancet. The authors say that the intervention should be considered as part of the male circumcision programmes in other sub-Saharan African countries, and that the process of working with religious leaders could be a new way to promote other healthy behaviours in communities. "Our study led to a major increase in uptake of male circumcision. It also lays groundwork for further research to establish the effect of promoting healthy behaviours through religious communities in sub-Saharan Africa, where the overwhelming majority of the population is deeply committed to their religious beliefs and practice," said lead author Dr Jennifer Downs, Weill Cornell Medicine, USA. "We believe that our intervention would also work to address other health behaviours in other regions and among other religious groups. The strength of our approach was that we equipped religious leaders with information and education, and then they could teach their congregations as they saw fit, which ensured that our approach was contextually relevant." [1] In 2009, a Cochrane review found that male circumcision was an effective strategy to prevent HIV infection, reducing risk by 38-66% within one to two years. As a result, the WHO recommends that countries with HIV epidemics should implement voluntary medical male circumcision services. In 2011, they set a target of 20.8 million circumcisions across 14 sub-Saharan African countries by 2016, but uptake was lower than expected and only 10 million men were circumcised by the end of 2015. Research has suggested low uptake may be caused by the religious significance of the practice. For example, some worry that circumcision could be an attempt to convert Christians to other religions. Almost all people (93%) in Tanzania see religion as very important in their lives, and 83% attend religious services at least once a week. Religious leaders are highly respected authorities in their villages and hold influence over the community. Using this influence, the researchers believed they could change the community's uptake of circumcision by teaching religious leaders more about the practice and how to discuss it with their congregations. 16 villages were involved in the study, which took place at the same time as the Tanzanian Ministry of Health's voluntary circumcision campaign arrived in the village. The campaign visited all 16 villages, offering outreach events, free circumcisions and HIV counselling to boys and men over three to six weeks. Half of the villages received information from the campaign only. In the other half, the religious leaders attended a seminar about the medical and cultural aspects of circumcision by a pastor and a clinician. The eight intervention villages were home to almost 86500 men, and 1194 religious leaders attended the seminar. The other eight villages were home to 58500 men. The number of circumcisions was recorded, as were people's reasons for undergoing the procedure. In the villages where leaders were taught about circumcision, 23.3% more men underwent the procedure (52.8% compared with 29.5%). There were also significantly more men citing discussions in church as their reason for having a circumcision in the intervention villages (30.8% compared with 0.7%). However, uptake of circumcision varied and the proportion of men in intervention villages undergoing the procedure varied from 21.9% to 99.1%, while the control villages varied from 7.4% to 49.9%. Based on the overall uptake in their study, the researchers estimate that if the intervention were used across the whole country it could lead to more than 1.4 million more male circumcisions, which could potentially prevent between 65000 and 200000 new HIV infections. After the campaign, religious leaders from intervention and control villages were invited to a focus group to discuss their views on circumcision. The main topics discussed were misinformation and suspicion around circumcision, the need for more information about the practice, whether working with religious leaders was an effective way to share health information, and if attending the seminar helped religious leaders feel empowered and knowledgeable. Speaking about the intervention and why it worked, one of the religious leaders said: "Pastors have a power to motivate people and church members are trusting their pastors more than any other person or leader. If the pastor will encourage people in church many young men will uptake circumcision." [2] The researchers note some limitations in their study, including that there were a small number of villages, and the small risk that villagers could have heard about the intervention or control happening in another nearby village and changed their decision on whether to have a circumcision. In addition, the study used the latest census data available but as this was from 2012 it may not have been up-to-date (the study took place from June 2014 to December 2015) and this could impact the estimates within the paper. Writing in a linked Comment, Professor Nelson Sewankambo, Makerere University, Uganda, said: "...the use of religious leaders to increase uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision is an example of a simple-to-adopt approach to utilize existing community resources for health promotion. By examining the cultural context within which social life is sustained, culturally acceptable resources for health promotion and disease prevention and care can be identified. By adapting the interventions used elsewhere to the cultural norms, values, and beliefs of the community, researchers developed sustainable health interventions... Questions remain regarding the effectiveness of education of religious leaders in different contexts in which the target population engages in practices that religious leaders might be opposed to on a religious basis. Examples of such opposition include condom use for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men, commercial sex activities, and the use of routine immunisation. Religious institutions have a strong influence on the beliefs, cultures, and behaviours of large populations across Africa and other parts of the world. Further research is therefore required to explore and assess innovative religion-based approaches to promote healthy behaviour in religious communities." ### NOTES TO EDITORS The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Mulago Foundation. It was conducted by scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine, St Paul College, Mwanza, Bugando Medical Centre and Fuller Theological Seminary. [1] Quote direct from author and cannot be found in the text of the Article. [2] See the Panel in the Article for more quotes from the focus group. IF YOU WISH TO PROVIDE A LINK FOR YOUR READERS, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING, WHICH WILL GO LIVE AT THE TIME THE EMBARGO LIFTS: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)32055-4/fulltext The first ever evidence of live birth in an animal group previously thought to lay eggs exclusively has been discovered by an international team of scientists, including a palaeontologist from the University of Bristol. The remarkable 250 million-year-old fossil from China shows an embryo inside the mother. Live birth is well known in mammals, where the mother has a placenta to nourish the developing embryo. It is also very common among lizards and snakes, where the babies sometimes 'hatch' inside their mother and emerge without a shelled egg. Until recently, the third major group of living land vertebrates, the crocodiles and birds, part of the wider group Archosauromorpha, only laid eggs. Egg laying is the primitive state, seen at the base of reptiles, and in their ancestors such as amphibians and fishes. The new fossil is an unusual, long-necked animal called Dinocephalosaurus, an archosauromorph that flourished in shallow seas of South China in the Middle Triassic. It was a fish-eater, snaking its long neck from side to side to snatch its prey. The embryo is inside the rib cage of the mother, and it faces forward. Swallowed animals generally face backward because the predator swallows its prey head-first to help it go down its throat. Furthermore, the small reptile inside the mother is an example of the same species. Lead study author, Professor Jun Liu from Hefei University of Technology in China, said: "We were so excited when we first saw this embryonic specimen several years ago but we were not sure if the embryonic specimen is the last lunch of the mother or its unborn baby. "Upon further preparation and closer inspection, we realised that something unusual has been discovered. "Further evolutionary analysis reveals the first case of live birth in such a wide group containing birds, crocodilians, dinosaurs and pterosaurs among others, and pushes back evidence of reproductive biology in the group by 50 million years. "Information on reproductive biology of archosauromorphs before the Jurassic period was not available until our discovery, despite a history of 260 million years." Evolutionary analysis shows that this instance of live birth was also associated with genetic sex determination. Professor Chris Organ, another author from Montana State University, added: "Some reptiles today, such as crocodiles, determine the sex of their offspring by the temperature inside the nest. "We identified that Dinocephalosaurus, a distant ancestor of crocodiles, determined the sex of its babies genetically, like mammals and birds." This new specimen from China rewrites our understanding of the evolution of reproductive systems. Professor Mike Benton, another co-author from the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol, said: "The analysis of the evolutionary position of the new specimens shows there is no fundamental reason why archosauromorphs could not have evolved live birth "This combination of live birth and genotypic sex determination seems to have been necessary for animals such as Dinocephalosaurus to become aquatic. It's great to see such an important step forward in our understanding of the evolution of a major group coming from a chance fossil find in a Chinese field." This piece of work is part of wider collaborations between palaeontologists in China, the United States, the UK and Australia. ### By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Even as strikes cripple output at the world's two biggest copper mines, Asia's copper industry is pretty relaxed, sitting atop metal stockpiles that have grown by nearly two-thirds since the end of January. Copper inventories tied to China's Shanghai Futures Exchange have surged 61 percent since the week of Jan. 20 to 277,659 tonnes, the most since May 2016, the latest data shows. Stockpiles held in bonded warehouses in China have edged above 500,000 tonnes, from around 450,000 tonnes in November, according to consultants CRU Group. BHP Billiton declared a force majeure last week on contracted copper shipments from its Escondida site in Chile, the world's largest copper mine, and Freeport-McMoRan Inc has sent home workers from its Grasberg facility, the world's second-biggest mine, this week. But, because of the ample stockpiles, the outages have not worried the market as copper cathode premiums in China's bonded zones, what buyers will pay above global prices to procure the metal, remain steady at $75 a tonne. China is the world's biggest copper user. <0#BASEBW-SHMET> "In China's bonded market there is still a lot of stock, so we are not that worried about the force majeure for now," said a BHP customer in Shanghai whose February shipments were delayed. BHP halted its Escondida operations because of a worker's strike while Freeport closed Grasberg after filling up its on-site storage after a strike shuttered the smelter that is the only buyer of its copper output. In addition to the high refined metal stockpiles, copper ore and concentrates imports to China swelled in the months before the disruptions. November imports were a record 1.76 million tonnes, with December just below that at 1.67 million tonnes, according to customs data. [MTL/CHINA1] While Chinese premiums remain steady, copper prices have surged, with three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange rising to $6,204 a tonne on Monday, the highest since May 25. On the mine supply side, analysts estimate the disruptions will cut around 5,400 tonnes per day from the global supply of copper concentrate. If the Escondida strike lasts for 20 days, first-quarter global supply could drop 1.8 percent, according to Goldman Sachs. In theory this could wipe out a small surplus of 80,000 tonnes of refined copper this year, estimated by analysts polled by Reuters. Analysts at Standard Chartered said the loss of both Escondida and Grasberg is a "justified" bullish factor but they also note the high inventories. "If sustained beyond the end of February then it is possible that the cathode market could... start to tighten. For the time being, though, we remain in a clear phase of cathode surplus," said the analysts in a report referring to the typical type of refined copper. With the surge of concentrate imports, most Chinese smelters are in no rush for new supply. "For the next two to three months most of the smelters are well prepared, particularly the main smelters. They were restocking the concentrate before Chinese New Year, so they are comfortable," said a source at a trade house in Shanghai. Fees that smelters pay miners to process their concentrate, an indicator of the supply and demand balance, dipped to the mid$80's a tonne last week from the high $80s in mid-January, according to CRU. JX Holdings Inc's <5020.T> metal unit, Japans biggest copper smelter, does not expect any impact from Escondidas strike unless it dragged on for a few months, a spokesman said. But Escondida could have ripple effects amid labour talks at other mines such as Rio Tinto's Kennecott mine in Utah. One trade house source in North America believes China has underestimated the strikes' impact. "There is already a lot of enquires and some for as early as February. There seems to be a fair bit of appetite for Feb-March," the source said. (This version of the story adds dropped word in 1st paragraph.) (Reporting by Melanie Burton Additional reporting by Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo and Susan Taylor in Toronto.; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) Boston, Massachusetts, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boston, MA, February 15, 2017 Skyword, the leading content marketing software and services company, today announced Skyword Personalized Recommendations (SPR), an artificial intelligence-based engine that delivers personalized onsite and email recommendations. Now brands can build an audience through sustained publishing of original content and increase engagement with those audiences by recommending other relevant stories through Skywords predictive technology. It used to be enough to create content based on a persona or representation of your ideal customer, said Tom Gerace, CEO and founder of Skyword. Not anymore. Todays consumers expect stories that address their specific needs and preferences. Otherwise, they'll bounce from your site or ignore your emails. But, it hasnt been easy to personalize individuals' experiences at scale and in real time. While 74 percent of people get frustrated when content appears that has nothing to do with their interests, 60 percent of marketers struggle to create one-to-one experiences, said Gerace. With SPR, weve made it easy for our clients. Now they can centralize their content creation, distribution, and personalization initiatives all within the Skyword Platform as well as gain actionable insights on all three areas. Gerace continued, In early installations of Skyword Personalized Recommendations, we have averaged 65 percent lift in web site engagement and 120 percent lift in email response rates from personalized recommendations when compared with control group results. Were excited about the ability to create personal experiences for our visitors to The Benefits Guide, said Andrew Reinbold, content marketing director at Anthem, Inc. Anthem built this destination to help businesses navigate the changing health-care environment. Most people land on our site because they are searching online for a specific answer about health care plans and benefits. We implemented Skyword Personalized Recommendations to help guide these visitors to other relevant articles and content that will make their jobs easier and their employees lives better. This personal interaction helps us turn a one-time visitor into a loyal fan of Anthem. About Skyword Personalized Recommendations With Skywords Personalized Recommendations, brands and media companies can provide onsite recommendations for specific visitors based on personal profiles built with Skywords deep learning and predictive technology. They also can nurture these relationships by including personalized recommendations in emails or newsletters to subscribers -- fueling outbound channels with smart, adaptive content. Skyword Personalized Recommendations uses an ensemble algorithm to deliver recommendations and learns from machine learning algorithms such as collaborative filtering. Collaborative filtering is a way of making automated predictions about a user by collecting preferences or taste recommendations from other users. This type of approach is considered to generate the most accurate methods for delivering personalized recommendations that deliver results. About Skyword Skyword liberates brands from ineffective marketing practices and inspires them to create deeper connections with their audiences. The Skyword Platform makes it easy to produce, optimize, and promote content at any scale to create meaningful, lasting relationships. Skyword also provides access to a community of thousands of freelance writers and videographers, an editorial team, and program managers who help move clients content marketing programs to new levels of creative excellence. Skyword is a privately held company headquartered in Boston, MA, with offices in Palo Alto, CA, and New York, NY. The companys technology center is located in Pittsburgh, PA. Investors include Cox Media Group, Allen & Company, Progress Ventures, and American Public Media Group. Connect with Skyword Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyword Twitter: https://twitter.com/Skyword LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skyword-inc- The Content Standard: http://www.skyword.com/contentstandard/ LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hip Cuisine Inc., (PINKSHEETS:HIPC) a global fresh-served food purveyor for the health conscious consumer, has entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire RAWkin Juice, the popular organic-vegan spot based in Burbank CA. Under the terms of the purchase agreement RAWkin Juice will be required to complete two years of PCAOB-audited financials, which will put the anticipated closing on or before March 30, 2017. The agreement has been mutually extended by Rawkin Juice and Hip Cuisine due to the PCAOB audits not being completed as originally projected. The closing date has now been extended to on or before March 30, 2017. RAWkin Juice is known for its 100% organic, cold-pressed, music-themed juices and smoothies. The purchase of RAWkin Juice will provide Hip Cuisine with a popular brand in the growing organic-vegan market in Southern California. This move will allow us to develop our strategy in the fresh-made healthy nutrition category. Hip Cuisine plans to leverage the brands success by building additional vegan-friendly locations and delivery systems. We are excited about this acquisition and look forward to expanding the RAWkin Juice brand, stated Natalia Lopera, CEO of Hip Cuisine. Larry Biggs, CEO of RAWkin Juice said, With the asset purchase we are confident that popular RAWkin juices, smoothies, organic-vegan menus and desserts and our exclusive Tune Up! Cleanses will reach a larger customer base in the Southern California market. Hip Cuisine will provide the capital and management structure needed to expand the brands reach. We expect revenues and profitability to improve significantly as the brands popularity continues to spread and costs are leveraged across multiple outlets. About Hip Cuisine Hip Cuisine is an international nutritional value concepts company and global fresh-served food purveyor for the health-conscious consumer. Based in Miami, Florida, its holdings include fusion restaurants in the Western Hemisphere known for fresh, vegan friendly, on-demand nutritious menus and cold-pressed juices and smoothies. Hip Cuisine opened its first location in Panama City, Panama in 2015 designed to deliver a nutritious menu with super-food ingredients at affordable prices tailored for the on-the-go customer looking for a healthy alternative. The company plans to expand its brands in the U.S. and Latin America. Hip Cuisines U.S. address is 2250 NW 114th Ave. Unit 1P, PTY 11020, Miami, FL 33172-3652. The Panama offices are located at Balboa Boutiques, Ave. Balboa, Local 104, Panama City, Panama. Our telephone number is 011-507-6501-8105. @Hip Cuisine Hip Cuisine's Facebook www.hip-cuisine.com About RAWkin Juice RAWkin' Juice serves authentic cold pressed juices & smoothies, amazing salads, vegan meals and raw desserts. After years of research RAWkin Juice opened its doors in Burbank in 2014 featuring its state-of-the-art organic-vegan kitchen. The company made its own original, cold-pressed juice and smoothie blends, always made fresh to order, for pick up in person or through online delivery. Its colorful, musical menu creates an upbeat theme and a fun environment for healthy conscious customers. Using local sources for organic fruits and vegetables, the company uses glass bottles exclusively to further demonstrate its commitment to optimum credibility of nutrients. RAWkin Juice is located at 4201 West Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA. Phone: (818) 859.1002. The website is www.rawkinjuice.com Forward Looking Statements This document contains forward looking statements related to the transaction and business combination between Hip Cuisine and RAWkin Juice, including statements regarding the benefits of the transaction as well as statements regarding the companies products and markets. Forward looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including the following: expected synergies and other financial benefits of the transaction may not be realized; integration of the acquisition post-closing may not occur as anticipated; litigation related to the transaction or limitations or restrictions imposed by regulatory authorities may delay or negatively impact the transaction; unanticipated restructuring costs may be incurred or undisclosed liabilities assumed; attempts to retain key personnel and customers may not succeed; the business combination or the combined companys products may not be supported by third parties; actions by competitors may negatively impact results; and, there may be negative changes in general economic conditions in the regions or the industries in which Hip Cuisine and RAWkin Juice operate. Legal filings may identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements set forth in this document. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Hip Cuisine and RAWkin Juice assume no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Praxsyn Corporation (OTCQB: PXYN) is pleased to announce that Praxsyns corporate headquarters have been moved from Irvine, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. The board of directors authorized the move of Praxsyn Corporations headquarters to Nevada in order to allow for the expansion of Praxsyns operations, the ability to secure a larger pharmacy facility in Nevada at a more competitive price, and the overall lower labor costs. Greg Sundem, PXYNs Chief Executive Officer, stated I have moved to Nevada from California because I believe it is important to be physically at any new facility to oversee the day-to-day operations and to ensure a successful transition. The new facility provides ample space for collection operations; with our increased focus on products and services that will pay within a 30-day billing cycle. By changing the business model to a type of business that collects in a shorter amount of time, the company will have a more fiscally responsible financial model than the long collection cycle. About Praxsyn Corporation Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Praxsyn Corporation is a holding company that finds solutions to fit the needs and goals of medical professionals and their patients. Mesa Pharmacy, located in Irvine, California works to realize the vision of medical professionals to improve the lives of their patients. Mesa Pharmacy continues its operations and services in Irvine, California to provide patients with pharmaceutical treatments as prescribed by their doctors. Additional company information can be found at www.praxsyn.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made in this press release are forward-looking in nature (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) including but not limited to statements in this press release regarding Praxsyn Corporations move to Las Vegas, Nevada, accordingly, are subject to risks and uncertainties. The actual results may differ materially from those described or contemplated and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in the reports as have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. ### the best choice. The use of both explains that a single army did two things. filling the ranks is not the same as acting as shift in meaning determined is not the same as told. great army is not the same as a powerful army . was saying is wrong tense; as each a a weird expression carried out the responsibilities is not the same as acted as.; did tell is un necessary unless you wish to emphasize about telling; otherwise, the report was a simple narration. Told is good enough for the purpose. Thank you Daagh for your time on GMAT Club and all your contributions! Thank you for everything you did! Your work will remain a great tribute to you here on GMAT Club ! -bb -bb Signature Read More It doesnt make much of a critical difference whether you say something or you say something to someone or you tell something or you tell someone something. But more importantly, none of the choices other than A carries the original intent of the text.A) told how a powerful army acted as both ---B) said much how a powerful army filled the ranks of both ---C) determined that a powerful army acted as such ---d) was saying that of a great army which acted as each a e) did tell how a powerful army carried out the responsibilities of a ---_________________ - An 11-year-old girl has touched many hearts with her heroic act before she passed away in a horrific car accident - The young school girl sacrificed her life to save that of her three-year old cousin who was trapped in wreckage following an accident - Though everyone else survived the crash, the family is still in pain and fear as late Iman Jayeds father battles for his life in hospital In an accident that nearly claimed a whole family, one little school girl saved the day, but at a hefty price. Iman Jayed, an 11 year old girl and twin sister to Rehan, saved the life of her three year old cousin, Aaima Vasim, after her familys car smashed another on the M61. READ ALSO: Cross River state government shows love to woman who delivered triplets (photos) Iman Jayed, the 11 year old girl who saved the life of her three year old cousin, Aaima Vasim Jayed, a pupil at Norden Community Primary School in Rochdale, reportedly pulled Vasim out of the wreckage but was hit by a lorry that accidentally plunged into the two cars, instantly killing the brave girl. The diseased girl was travelling with her family, including her mum Khaldah, 15 year old sister Saania, and the little cousin Aaima in a Volkswagen when the accident occurred. The car, which was being driven by Jayeds father, was allegedly hit by a Renault Clion that was travelling in the same direction. Khaldah and her daughter Saania (Jayeds elder sister) are said to must have safely pulled themselves out of the wreckage, with minor injuries. But Jayed went back to rescue her cousin Aaima, a rescue mission that claimed her life. PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest gossips on NAIJ Gossip App Iman Jayed and Aaima Vasim Police reports indicate that both Jayed and her cousin were either inside or close when the lorry hit the cars, leaving the youngster dead shortly after she saved her cousin. The diseased girls father also reportedly suffered serious injuries in the crash and is still battling for his life in hospital. According to the family, Jayed had a special bond with her cousin, and her heroic act was a clear manifestation of that. She was a beautiful blessing, cunning, fun-loving, inquisitive and at times cheeky. She touched the heart of many, says Khaldah, adding that Jayed also loved cooking and baking. Relatives and friends, including Norden Community Primary school head teacher, Linda Cotton, have since sent their condolences to Jayds family. READ ALSO: Woman kidnapped from her home in Asaba, Delta state (photo) READ ALSO: Father burns his son and daughter ALIVE in house fire Watch video of the 11 year old girl who sacrificed her life to save her cousin's: Source: Legit.ng 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 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 ... On an outrage scale of 1 to 10, the temptation is to make every column an 11. I could be in highest dudgeon, screaming at the top of my lungs, in every single column -- and readers, quite sensibly, would tune out. At the same time, however, it's wrong to normalize the outrageous and unacceptable. So that's one problem. Another is to distinguish between signal and noise. We can't ignore Trump's tweets because he is POTUS and what he's thinking, or thumbing, is by definition important. But if you focus on that stuff, you never write about substance. Today I chose to write about health care policy. I feel good about the column -- but at the same time, I know I'd be higher on the most-read chart if I'd written a screed about the latest Trumpian tempest. Look, I'm not complaining. The truth is that I have the best job in the world. Iraq fighter jets dropped bombs on a house in an orchard, in Anbar province, believed to be hosting a meeting of senior members of the Islamic State, including its leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi. A statement from the military mentioned the names of 13 commanders who were killed in the airstrike and amongst them were Abu Janat al-Rawi, a top Islamic State security leader, media official Abu Zaid and the groups leader in Tal Afar Abu Asid. Baghdadis whereabouts are unknown amid reports that he must have sustained injuries during the attack. The ISIS officials were discussing the collapse happening in Mosul and other strategic plans because the groups control over the city continues to shrink due to the advancing Iraqi forces and their allies. They also convened to choose a successor for him (Baghdadi), according to the Iraqi military statement without stating the reasons. IS is an al-Qaida breakaway group, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was announced to be its leader on May 16, 2010, following the death of his predecessor Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. It is unclear if the ISIS leader has returned to Syria. The Iraqi military confirmed that he arrived in the region of Qaim, Iraq, from Syria in a motorcade that was being carefully monitored by its intelligence agency. Just like Mosul in Iraq, Raqqa serves as the hub of the group in war torn neighboring Syria. Baghdadi has a $25 million bounty on his head. There have been numerous claims of him being killed or injured in airstrikes since he took over the leadership of the extremist group and declared the territory under its control as Islamic Caliphate in June 2014. Airstrikes were also conducted in western Iraq killing around 64 ISIS militants, reportedly including 24 suicide bombers. A fluorescent nerve cell (green) in a cell culture. The cell communicates with its partners at the pink-colored synapses. Credit: MPI for Experimental Medicine 'Timing is everything' in the transmission of signals between neurons in the brain. Most of the complex functions that humans are capable of performing would be severely impaired if their neurons were not capable of communicating accurately with one another to a thousandth of a second. Interpersonal communication, learning processes, focusing attention, the rapid processing of sensory stimuli, even the correct execution of movements would no longer be possible. The Israeli scientist Noa Lipstein-Thoms at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine in Gottingen has now discovered a new genetic disease mechanism that affects the strength and precise timing of neuronal signals and leads to movement disorders (dyskinesia), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. Lipstein-Thoms studies the fundamental mechanisms of signal transmission between neurons. This process takes place at the synapses as they are known. A transmitting neuron triggers the release of a chemical messenger in response to an electrical stimulus. This chemical messenger is recognised by the recipient neuron and converted into an electric signal. A series of regulatory proteins guarantees that this signal transmission process, which is biologically extremely complex, operates with the necessary millisecond precision. The proteins control the release of the messenger at synapses. One of these proteins is known by the cryptic name of Munc13-1. "Our genetic research on mice has shown that Munc13-1 is vital for the transmission of signals at synapses," explains Lipstein-Thoms. "When it is missing, the brain does not function because the messenger is blocked and cannot be released at synapses. The affected mouse dies." Even minor changes to the Munc13-1 protein often has catastrophic consequences because the precise timing of the synaptic signals is lost. Because of this fundamental importance, Munc13-1 has up until now only been of interest to the basic researchers among the neuroscientists. "Disorders that could only be caused by a malfunction of Munc13-1 were not known," says Lipstein-Thoms. "My colleagues and I did not expect that the protein could play a role in a disorder as even small disruptions in the functioning of Munc13-1 have grave consequences. We suspected for a long time that a defect in Munc13-1 inevitably led to the death of an organism." Munc13-1 as cause of psychiatric disorders This view has changed dramatically as a result of a new study conducted by Lipstein-Thoms. Together with Gottingen-based neurobiologist Nils Brose and psychiatrists, neurologists and geneticists at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, Lipstein-Thoms describes a patient with a Munc13-1 protein that has been changed by mutation. The patient, who is currently seven years old and is being examined and treated in Utrecht, suffers from an unusual combination of dysfunctional movement patterns, ADHD and autism. Lipstein-Thoms' Dutch colleagues discovered the Munc13-1 mutation during an in-depth genetic examination of the patient. They assume that this mutation is in all probability responsible for the specific symptoms. "This is the first case of a Munc13-1 mutation that is a factor in a disorder. But my colleagues could not explain why this mutation caused the disorder. However, that is the basis on which they can develop a treatment." Gene mutations make synapses weaken much faster "This is where we came in," says Nils Brose, who supervised Lipstein-Thoms when she was a doctoral student and has worked with her for the last ten years. "Here at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine we have developed a huge repertoire of methods, reagents and animal models to analyse very precisely Munc13 proteins and the synapse functions associated with them. And we know a lot about these proteins." Using the tools and knowledge at her disposal, Lipstein-Thoms demonstrated that the Munc13-1 mutation discovered in the patient initially leads to an unexpected boosting of the synaptic signal transmission but the affected synapses weaken much faster than normal synapses in the case of persistent activity and especially when the activity is intense and very frequent. "While the changed transmission characteristics of the synapses are rather small, they can explain the complex symptoms in the affected patient," says Lipstein-Thoms, describing the state of her findings. Many neurological and psychiatric medications already target synapses. "We know which process in the patient's synapses is damaged and could even try to correct the hyperactivity of synapses that we have described using medications that are already licensed," explains Lipstein-Thoms. "That would be a wonderful example of how basic research is essential to medical application." More information: Synaptic UNC13A protein variant causes increased synaptic transmission and dyskinetic movement disorder. Journal of Clinical Investigation, www.jci.org/articles/view/90259 Journal information: Journal of Clinical Investigation Synaptic UNC13A protein variant causes increased synaptic transmission and dyskinetic movement disorder. (HealthDay)Circulating extracellular RNAs (ex-RNAs) are associated with insulin resistance (IR), according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Diabetes Care. Ravi Shah, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined the correlation between ex-RNAs and metabolic phenotypes in 2,317 participants without diabetes in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Offspring Cohort. The correlation between candidate ex-RNAs and markers of adiposity was measured. Individuals with diabetes were included in sensitivity analyses. Selected ex-RNAs and metabolites were measured in a separate cohort of 90 overweight/obese youth. The researchers found that across 391 ex-RNAs in FHS, 18 were associated with IR in age-, sex, and body mass index-adjusted models. Independent of metabolites, miR-122 correlated with IR and regional adiposity in adults and IR in children. Metabolic regulatory roles for miR-122, including regulation of IR pathways, was observed on pathway analysis. "These results provide translational evidence in support of an important role of ex-RNAs as novel circulating factors implicated in IR," the authors write. Copyright 2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit: CDC University of Tubingen researchers in collaboration with the biotech company Sanaria Inc. have demonstrated in a clinical trial that a new vaccine for malaria called Sanaria PfSPZ-CVac has been up to 100 percent effective when assessed at 10 weeks after last dose of vaccine. For the trial, Pro-fessor Peter Kremsner and Dr. Benjamin Mordmuller of the Institute of Tropical Medicine and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) used malaria parasites provided by Sanaria. The vac-cine incorporated fully viable - not weakened or otherwise inactivated - malaria pathogens together with the medication to combat them. Their research results have been published in the latest edition of Nature. Malaria parasites are transmitted by the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. The Plasmodium falciparum parasite is responsible for most malaria infections and almost all deaths caused by the disease worldwide. Most of the previous vaccines which have been tried involved the use of individual molecules found in the pathogen. However, they were unable to provide sufficient immunity to the disease. The Tuebingen study involved 67 healthy adult test persons, none of whom had previously had malaria. The best immune response was shown in a group of nine test persons who received the highest dose of the vaccine three times at four-week intervals. At the end of the trial, all nine of these individuals had 100 percent protection from the disease. "That protection was probably caused by specific T-lymphocytes and antibody responses to the parasites in the liver," Professor Peter Kremsner explained. The researchers analyzed the bodies' immune reactions and identified protein patterns which will make it possible to further improve malaria vaccines, Kremsner added. The researchers injected live malaria parasites into the test subjects, at the same time preventing the development of the disease by adding chloroquine - which has been used to treat malaria for many years. This enabled the researchers to exploit the behavior of the parasites and the properties of chloroquine. Once the person is infected, the Plasmodium falciparum parasite migrates to the liver to reproduce. During its incubation period there, the human immune system could respond; but at this stage, the pathogen does not make the person sick. On top of that, chloroquine does not take effect in the liver - so it is unable to prevent the parasite from reproducing. Malaria only breaks out when the pathogen leaves the liver, entering the bloodstream and going into the red corpuscles, where it continues to reproduce and spread. As soon as the pathogen enters the bloodstream, however, it can be killed by chloroquine - and the disease cannot break out. "By vaccinating with a live, fully active pathogen, it seems clear that we were able to set of a very strong immune response," said study leader Benjamin Mordmueller, "Additionally, all the data we have so far indicate that what we have here is relatively stable, long-lasting protection." In the group of test persons who demonstrated 100 percent protection after receiving a high dose three times, Mordmueller said, the protection was reliably still in place after ten weeks - and remained measurable for even longer. He added that the new vaccine showed no adverse effects on the test persons. The next step is to further test the vaccine's effectiveness over several years in a clinical study in Gabon funded by DZIF. Malaria is one of the biggest health threats in the African nation. The University of Tuebingen has worked with the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in the Gabonese town of Lambarene and with the neighboring research institute, the Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambarene, for many years. Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. The World Health Organization reports that some 214 million people became infected with malaria in the year 2015 alone. Approximately 438,000 died of the disease. Around 90 percent of those malaria deaths were in Africa. Nearly three-quarters of those who succumb to the disease are children under five. The search for a vaccine has been going on for more than a century. An effective vaccine would make it easier to control malaria; vaccination campaigns could be conducted in severely affected areas to eliminate the pathogen. Such a vaccine could also help to stop the spread of resistance to the treatment, and to better protect travelers. More information: Benjamin Mordmuller et al, Sterile protection against human malaria by chemoattenuated PfSPZ vaccine, Nature (2017). Journal information: Nature Benjamin Mordmuller et al, Sterile protection against human malaria by chemoattenuated PfSPZ vaccine,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature21060 Provided by German Center for Infection Research Taking one pill of an antiretroviral drug per day can help prevent infection among people at risk of contracting HIV. Credit: Alec Tributino/The Miriam Hospital One of the most promising new approaches to slowing the spread of HIV is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a once-a-day medication that people who don't have HIV can take to prevent becoming infected. But that strategy only works if people at risk for contracting HIV become and remain fully engaged in preventive care and actually take the pills. In the real world of clinical practice, that has often proved tricky. In a new article in the journal AIDS, a Brown University-based team of researchers draws on their experience in providing and carefully studying PrEP programs to propose a new system for understanding and evaluating how PrEP is implemented in clinical practice. By viewing the process as a continuum with nine specific steps, they write, researchers and clinical providers can properly assess where patients might fall out of preventive care that can help them remain HIV-negative. "It's helpful to visualize PrEP care as a continuum, because patients can drop out at any point on this long continuum," said Dr. Philip Chan, co-author of the paper, assistant professor of medicine at Brown's Warren Alpert Medical School and an infectious disease physician at the Miriam Hospital, where he runs a PrEP program serving all of Rhode Island. "We are providing a framework for how we can identify and assist people who are at high risk for acquiring HIV to stay uninfected." In these early days of PrEP programs, physicians nationwide have found that it's sometimes difficult to retain patients in care and ensure that they are keeping up withor "adhering"to their medicine, said lead author Amy Nunn, associate professor at the Brown University School of Public Health. In early academic trials of PrEP, adherence to the medication was promising, but outcomes in research studies are often different than in the grittier domain of real-world clinical settings. "Important research trials and CDC-funded demonstration projects have proven PrEP was overwhelmingly effective in reducing HIV acquisition," Nunn said. "But it's time to move beyond research trials to implement and study how to scale PrEP in safety net and primary care settings, where it's needed most. We propose an approach based on our experiences providing PrEP to people in real-world clinical settings that helps us evaluate how to measure population progress." In a study last year analyzing the progress of clinical programs in cities in Rhode Island, Mississippi and Missouri, Nunn, Chan and colleagues found that among patients who sign up to begin PrEP, only about 60 percent remained in care after six months. In this study, their goal was to identify elements of the process where interventions could improve access to PrEP and the retention of patients in care. Nine PrEP steps The nine proposed steps are: (1) identifying individuals at highest risk for contracting HIV; (2) increasing HIV risk awareness among them; (3) enhancing PrEP awareness; (4) facilitating PrEP access; (5) linking to PrEP care; (6) prescribing PrEP; (7) initiating PrEP; (8) adhering to PrEP; and (9) retaining individuals in PrEP care. In much of the nascent research literature of the field, scholars have looked at a looser progression of four steps (identifying those at risk, increasing PrEP knowledge, ensuring access to PrEP, ensuring medication adherence), but Chan and Nunn said that such a general process leaves too many gaps where problems can be missed. "The process is more complicated and nuanced than many people think," Chan said. For example, even when some patients have been identified as being at risk to contract HIV and have been well-informed about what PrEP is, they still might not appreciate their HIV risk enough to feel sufficiently motivated to take PrEP, Nunn and Chan said. PrEP does have side effects and can be expensive. That's why the steps of identifying patients who are suitable candidates for PrEP and making sure they understand their degree of HIV-infection risk are critical. In another example, the researchers noted that adherence is not always the most accurate measure of success for evaluating the public health impact of PrEP. Retention in care may be more important, they said. On one hand, adherence to PrEP isn't the only measure that high-risk patients should take to protect themselves from HIV transmissionroutine testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, counseling about reducing sexual partners, using condoms and understanding community-level HIV risks can also be important, Nunn and Chan said. On the other hand, some patients may no longer require PrEP over time as they change their risk behaviors and sexual partnerships. A person who settles into a monogamous sexual relationship and practices safe sex might not need PrEP anymore, but that shouldn't be perceived as an HIV prevention failure requiring intervention. In a future study, Nunn said, she and colleagues will focus on when people cease to be retained in care and why. In some cases, she said, patients are lost to follow up and don't take their medications because they may lose their health insurance or not have sufficient support services to overcome other barriers to taking PrEP medications. For that reason, Nunn advocates for funding PrEP navigators who can help high-risk patients overcome barriers, such as insufficient insurance, to stay engaged in preventive care. More information: A.S. Nunn et al. Defining the HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Care Continuum, AIDS (2017). Journal information: AIDS A.S. Nunn et al. Defining the HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Care Continuum,(2017). DOI: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000001385 Gautam Dantas, associate professor of molecular microbiology and pathology and immunology, both in the School of Medicine, and associate professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, studies how physicians can treat antibiotic-resistant infections. Credit: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis More than any other discovery in the modern era, antibiotics have changed the world. Once-deadly infections are easily treatable, surgeries are safer, and other life-saving treatmentssuch as chemotherapiesare only possible with antibiotics. Unfortunately, the use (and oftentimes abuse) of antibiotics has also helped bacteria develop new ways to resist treatment. Already, antibiotic-resistant infections cause tens of thousands of deaths across the country each year, and scientists predict that the problem will worsen. Fighting this trend is Gautam Dantas, associate professor of molecular microbiology and pathology and immunology, both in the School of Medicine, and an associate professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science. His efforts are helping physicians come up with new ways to fight antibiotic-resistant infections. What is driving antibiotic resistance in America? Quite often when kids get sick, their parents will effectively go and demand antibiotics from their pediatricians, even though there's a lot of evidence to suggest that when these kids are getting sick what they really have are viral infections. Antibiotics really are antibacterials. They do nothing against viruses. Now, you've got this issue where kids are sick due to a viral infection but because of a misperception they've been given lots of antibacterials, which can be causing lots of collateral damage. So they do nothing good for the infection, but they [could make the kids become] resistant to antibiotics. Credit: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis What is something your lab is doing to treat resistance? There's this awesome collaboration with Carey-Ann Burnham; she's the director of the clinical micro lab here at Barnes. We've got this awesome suite of collaborations where effectively if Carey-Ann comes across a really hard-core, drug-resistant pathogen, which would dare modern molecular methods and they can't elucidate what the resistance mechanism isso basically, the reason they care about this is because this thing made some patient very sick here. And that's when we come onboard, Carey-Ann then shares that information and then, eventually, the isolates with our lab. And then we throw effectively the -omics kitchen sink at it. So we take genomics and transcriptomics and lipidnomics; it doesn't matter. This idea of measuring as many physiological or metabolic properties in these drug-resistant organisms as possible compared to their susceptible counterparts, to try to in real time to figure out not theoretically what resistance exists in the soil, but what resistance is in this emerging pathogen. That's been a super-exciting area for the lab. It actually moves very, very rapidly. It's also easy to get graduate students and post-docs involved. If they were able to figure out what that resistance mechanism was, within a short period of time, Carey-Ann's lab could develop a molecular diagnostic and save the next life. And to have that kind of impact over the course of a PhDI wish I was so lucky when I did my PhD. What motivates your work? It's crazy what microbes can do. There's just a sort of discovery aspect of wanting to study how do microbes respond to the challenges that we throw at them? So antibiotics thrown at a microbe is a challenge and it's remarkable how quickly they adapt and evolve. So there's just a basic science component of wanting to understand how that occurs. But then the parallel motivation, perhaps the greater motivation for this specific area, is I really think it's terribly under appreciated how close we might be to this precipice of running out of chemotherapeutics. We're so dependent on antibiotics. It's kind of a weird thing, but if you had access to a time machine and if you were able to take one thing back with you to say the 1800s, the one thing that you should take with you is antibiotics. Right? Just think of the number of people who just dropped dead because they got some, what is now an easily treatable, infection. We're entering an era where that's no longer going to be true. And we have to do something about that. Zohn Centimole, right, administered a cognitive test to measure memory loss three to five days after surgery. Credit: University of Kentucky No patient wants to remember the traumatic experience of going under the knife. With the conveniences of modern medicine, anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists erase the memory and pain of invasive surgeries by administering medicines that induce relaxation and unconsciousness. Patients awake from a deep sleep with no memory of the surgery, the incision or the physical harm done to their bodies. But 10 years ago, Zohn Centimole, a nurse anesthetist at UK HealthCare, noticed his elderly patients were concerned about short-term memory loss, which they attributed to anesthetics. While only temporary, the cognitive deficits caused by anesthesia can linger for several days post-surgery, a period of time when important medical decisions and conversations take place. One of Centimole's senior patients, who had experienced memory changes after a previous surgery, feared the same effect as she prepared for another surgery. Rather than worry about her postoperative pain and recovery, the patient was fixated on whether she would retain her mental capacity post-surgery. "My conversation with her that day was one of those imprinting memories," Centimole said. "Her fear was so sincere and impactful that I can still see her face and everything about the situation." This patient's consternation motivated Centimole to investigate more precise techniques of delivering anesthesia and minimizing exposure in middle-aged and senior patients. Centimole, a native of Plum Springs, Kentucky, harnessed the brain-reading capabilities of Bispectral Index (BIS) monitor, an electroencephalographic (EEG) technology, to tailor anesthesia titration to the individual needs of surgical patients. Centimole recently defended his doctoral dissertation in the UK College of Nursing, which found anesthesia guided by EEG-derived monitoring was superior to the standard administration and effective in reducing cognitive decline at three- to five-days post-operation. The Bispectral Index System (BIS) measures EEG and, through a proprietary calculation, converts changes in real time to a score, which anesthesia providers associate with depth of consciousness. The CANTAB-MCI (Cambridge Cognition) cognitive battery was used to evaluate patient cognitive performance preoperatively, three to five days postoperatively, and three to five months postoperatively. With its touch-screen format, the battery reduces administrator bias and is cost effective. The EEG-guided technique showed to reduce the cognitive deficits experienced in the post-surgical period, with patients whose anesthesia was conducted through this method reporting higher cognitive functioning immediately after their surgery. Collaborating with faculty members in the UK Department of Surgery, the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, and the UK College of Nursing, Centimole conducted an experiment testing the cognitive functioning of surgical patients whose anesthesia levels were monitored through a cognitive battery against patients who received surgery without the cognitive battery and a control group of individuals unaffected by anesthesia. Centimole recruited patients for the study in the preoperative clinic, often recruiting a spouse as the non-surgical counterpart for the control group. Eighty-eight surgical patients were randomized to the BIS cognitive battery condition or the non-battery condition. Both experimental groups, as well as individuals in the non-surgery control group, completed the CANTAB neuropsychological functioning test. The test measures the test taker's short-term memory, reaction time, verbal memory, and visual learning capabilities. The 39 surgical patients who received the treatment, or BIS, condition demonstrated high levels of cognitive functioning post-surgery. Centimole also found that patients who smoked reported lower cognitive function post-surgery, suggesting a correlation between smoking and lower cognition after surgery. The results of the study suggest that EEG-derived technology has the potential to assist anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in tailoring their care to individual cognitive characteristics. "We were looking for a way to assess cognitive frailty in patients," Centimole said. "Being precise and tailoring anesthesia will vary from patient to patient. EEG-derived technology allows you to balance exposure without unwanted side effects. We want to keep tight control over exposure, and this is what that device was engineered to do." Centimole believes EEG-derived devices can enhance care and improve engagement and alertness in patients who were disadvantaged by the memory loss caused during their surgery. Further, the CANTAB-MCI battery was cost-effective and showed the potential to help providers evaluate frailty in patients preparing to undergo surgery. "The novelty of the project is knowing there is a relationship between EEG-guided anesthesia and cognitive function," he said. " But we also present evidence that this cognitive battery is financially appropriate and has a great ease of use." Molecular model of the drug (in gray) in interaction with some structures of the disordered proteins (in green and orange). Credit: National Research Council of Italy Ductal carcinoma is the most common pancreatic tumor. Its recovery rates are low, not only due to difficulties of early diagnosis, but also because of the absence of a specific pharmacological treatment. New hopes are coming from a study published in Scientific Reports by the Nanotechnology Institute of CNR, unit of Rende, in collaboration with a team of French and Spanish researchers. A molecule long used to treat anxiety has been found to interfere with the activity of a protein involved in the cancer development process. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal tumors, and up until now, the only drugs available to fight it are generic chemotherapy treatments. The protein Nupr1 belongs to the special class of 'intrinsically disordered proteins' and its involvement in pancreatic cancer pathology was demonstrated in the 1990s by a French team at the National Institute of Health in Marseille. A molecule capable of inhibiting this protein has been found through a study at the Institute of Nanotechnology of the National Research Council of Italy (Cnr-Nanotec). "The research has been performed starting from the screening of more than 1000 drugs already approved for various therapeutic indications," says Bruno Rizzuti of Cnr-Nanotec in Rende. "The combined use of experimental techniques and computer simulations has allowed us to identify some of those drugs capable of interacting with the protein Nupr1. In vitro experiments have afterwards shown that the selected compounds were able to lower the vitality of tumor cells, reduce the ability of migration, and completely suppress the possibility of colony formation. The most effective compound has been tested in vivo on human pancreatic cancer cells transplanted on mice, and proved to completely arrest the development of the disease. The molecule known as trifluoperazine, and used until now only for its anti-psychotic action has demonstrated an antitumor efficacy even higher than the most powerful chemotherapy treatments available. Furthermore, this study shows that this new molecule constitutes not only an alternative to such previously known drugs, but can be combined with them to increase the overall therapeutic effect." 'In vitro' decrease of the proliferation of tumor cells with the use of the drug, compared with the use of two typical chemotherapy drugs, or in the absence of a treatment. Credit: National Research Council of Italy Additionally, this work is an important step on the research into proteins with disordered structure. "According to one of the dogmas of classical biology," says Rizzuti, "the conformation of a protein should be unique and well defined to allow each of these 'molecular machines' to carry out a specific function. Disordered proteins overturn the validity of this principle, and due to their flexible structure, are able to perform multiple functions of cell communication and regulation. However, the absence of well-defined structural elements appeared to be an insurmountable obstacle to proceed to a rational design of selective drugs to hinder their action." The demonstration of the possibility of identifying active molecules that inhibit disordered proteins is an important step forward from the point of view of basic research, because it changes completely the scenario in the fight against numerous pathologies. In fact, it opens up the concrete possibility of multiplying the number of molecular targets that could be hit through a focused use of pharmaceuticals. 'In vivo' decrease of the tumor growth with the use of the drug (10 mg/kg dose), compared with a reduced dose or in the absence of a treatment. Credit: National Research Council of Italy More information: Jose L. Neira et al. Identification of a Drug Targeting an Intrinsically Disordered Protein Involved in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, Scientific Reports (2017). Journal information: Scientific Reports Jose L. Neira et al. Identification of a Drug Targeting an Intrinsically Disordered Protein Involved in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/srep39732 The Learning Health System Network (LHSNet) represents a collaboration of nine health-related organizations and nearly 10 million patients. The network - among the first of its kind nationally - is focused on improving patient-centered clinical care through research. For the first time, members of LHSNet have outlined how their work can serve as an emerging resource for translational research. Full details of the network's findings, including governance, organizational structure, key milestones, challenges, and opportunities - appear in the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. L.J. Finney Rutten of the Mayo Clinic serves as lead author of the publication. The LHSNet includes six health systems (Mayo Clinic, Allina Health System, Essentia Health, Intermountain Health Care, University of Michigan, and Ohio State University); one health plan (Medica Research Institute); one data partner based in a university (Arizona State University); and one local public health department (Olmsted County Public Health Services). "The Medica Research Institute brings to the network its expertise in linking administrative claims data to data sourced from electronic health records, as well as engaging stakeholders from the payer community and identifying research topics that contribute to the understanding of value-based care," says Kristina Bloomquist, executive director of the Medica Research Institute. "LHSNet's focus on learning health-care systems fits with our goal of conducting translational research and is a key reason we joined the network." Says Glenn Flores, Distinguished Chair in Health Policy Research at the Medica Research Institute and contributing author: "A key feature of LHSNet is its integration of key stakeholders in health care. This collaboration ensures that our research will contribute to clinical outcomes that closely align with patients' priorities." LHSNet has outlined several key milestones, many of which have been achieved. These milestones focus on: streamlining federal research design requirements increasing data linkage for electronic health records and claims data from 1 million to 3 million lives data-mapping among each member site executing a basic data query across sites developing computable phenotypes for identifying condition-specific cohorts validating cases for three disease cohorts: obesity, heart failure, and osteogenesis imperfecta "LHSNet has demonstrated the ability to engage with patients in both the governance of our network and in our research design," says Flores. "Our work holds promise for research efforts that are meaningful to patients, caregivers, and clinicians." More information: L. J. Finney Rutten et al, Patient-Centered Network of Learning Health Systems: Developing a resource for clinical translational research, Journal of Clinical and Translational Science (2017). L. J. Finney Rutten et al, Patient-Centered Network of Learning Health Systems: Developing a resource for clinical translational research,(2017). DOI: 10.1017/cts.2016.11 Provided by Medica Research Institute Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD, and colleagues at the John A. Moran Center and Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, were looking for a way to tease apart the effects of preeclampsia on the risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disease found in premature infants. Their results, and the model they developed, were published February 14, 2017, in Scientific Reports. In ROP, blood vessels in the retina grow outside of their normal space. This can lead to blindness. In addition, there is a strong link to premature birththe more premature the infant, the more likely the infant is to develop ROP and the more severe the ROP may be. Previous research has also found an association between premature birth and preeclampsia. The linkage between premature birth and ROP, and between premature birth and preeclampsia, makes it difficult to tease apart the effect of preeclampsia on risk for ROP. Preeclampsia is a high blood pressure condition in pregnant women that can lead to decreased blood flow to the placenta. Hence, both preeclampsia and ROP are linked to premature birth, and reports in the literature indicate either increased risk or apparent protective effects of preeclampsia on ROP. Therefore, researchers asked what the association between preeclampsia and ROP would be in the absence of premature birth. In this report, researchers reduced blood flow to the placenta in some of the pregnant rats to create a condition called uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI), which is present in maternal preeclampsia. Other pregnant rats, the controls, underwent a sham procedure that did not cause UPI. UPI in the mother rats caused the offspring to have poor growth. All pregnant rats delivered full-term pups. Pups born to the mother rats with UPI and those born to the controls were exposed to variable oxygen, simulating a premature infant at risk for ROP. Researchers then looked to see if the restricted blood flow caused by preeclampsia and changes in oxygen levels had any effect on weight gain or development of abnormal retinal blood vessel growth. They anticipated that the pups born to mother rats with UPI would have more severe retinopathy. However, they found the oppositethese pups had less severe retinopathy and more normal retinal vascular development than pups born to control mother rats and placed into varying oxygen levels. The pups with less severe retinopathy also gained the same amount of weight compared to control pups in variable oxygen. Therefore, while they expected to see examples of retinopathy representative of more severe ROP, researchers found that the combination of preeclampsia and oxygen fluctuations actually reduced features of ROP in the retina. Researchers also looked at whether growth factors needed for retina development came from the mother or if they were produced by the pups. Growth factor levels were the same in preeclampsia and control female rats and did not align with levels in pups. But the pups from the preeclampsia mothers produced greater amounts of certain growth factors, particularly erythropoietin. These findings support the idea that those pups that are strong enough to survive induced preeclampsia may be stressed enough to induce growth factors necessary to increase normal retinal blood vessel development and reduce ROP severity. "This model removes premature birthwhich is highly linked to preeclampsia in mothers and to ROP in premature infantsfrom the equation and allows us to see the effect of preeclampsia on ROP," Hartnett explained. "The impact actually is that the oxygen fluctuations in the growth-restricted pups that survive lead to a growth advantage and reduced retinopathy. Further research is needed to determine if growth factors transferred from the mother to the fetus affect retinal development in models without induced preeclampsia and to identify levels of circulating growth factors in premature infants to refine ROP treatment. More information: Protective effect of maternal uteroplacental insufficiency on oxygen-induced retinopathy in offspring: removing bias of premature birth. Silke Becker, Haibo Wang, Baifeng Yu, Randy Brown, Xiaokun Han, Robert H. Lane, and M. Elizabeth Hartnett. Scientific Reports, February 14, 2017. Journal information: Scientific Reports Protective effect of maternal uteroplacental insufficiency on oxygen-induced retinopathy in offspring: removing bias of premature birth. Silke Becker, Haibo Wang, Baifeng Yu, Randy Brown, Xiaokun Han, Robert H. Lane, and M. Elizabeth Hartnett., February 14, 2017. Schistosome mansoni, center. Credit: Oregon State University A naturally occurring protein has been discovered that shows promise as a biocontrol weapon against schistosomiasis, one of the world's most prevalent parasitic diseases, Oregon State University researchers reported today in a new study. Schistosomiasis is transmitted via flatworms shed by the freshwater snails that serve as the parasite's non-human host. It's a potentially life-threatening illness that affects more than 250 million people annually in tropical and subtropical countries, according to the World Health Organization. The disease can cause frequent, painful or bloody urine; abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea; anemia; fever, chills and muscle aches; inflammation and scarring of the bladder; and enlargement of lymph nodes, the liver and the spleen. While a drug called praziquantel is an effective treatment, there is no vaccination for schistosomiasis, and those who've had it develop no immunity. But researchers in OSU's College of Science have discovered a key new protein in a snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, that hosts and releases Schistosoma mansoni parasites that infect humans. Findings were published today in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Known as Grctm6, the protein seems to prevent the snails from shedding at least some of the parasites that could go on to infect people working or playing in the water where the snails live. "Shedding none would be great, but shedding fewer could still feasibly make a difference," said the study's corresponding author, Euan Allan, a postdoctoral scholar in the college's Department of Integrative Biology. "If snails are releasing a smaller number of parasites into the environment, people are less likely to be infected." Three variants of Grctm6 naturally occur, Allan said, and one of them confers more resistance to Schistosoma than the others. "What's interesting about that, from kind of an eye in the sky look, is that in the future we might be able to increase prevalence of the more resistant version and create a new population of more resistant snails without actually interfering with their biological function," Allan said. "That's the next step." Attempts to control schistosomiasis by focusing on the snail hosts date to the 1950s, but earlier efforts involved either molluscicides - poisons - or the introduction of non-host snail species to eat or compete with the hosts. "Those approaches bring their own slew of problems," Allan said. "We'd anticipate far fewer ecological consequences from gene-driving one of these naturally occurring proteins into a population of snails, because they'd remain natural in pretty much every other wayjust instead of being more susceptible to Schistosoma, they'd be more resistant." Allan says it's not yet clear if the protein makes snails less likely to pick up the parasite in the first place, more likely to have their immune system kill it, or less likely to shed it. "It's speculative, but our best guess is the protein helps a snail's immune system better recognize the parasite," he said. "The real take-home of the work is that we've discovered a completely new protein that's never been discovered in any other species. And this protein is involved in the extent of infection in an intermediate species, and potentially involved in the extent of human infection." More information: Euan R. O. Allan et al, Schistosome infectivity in the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, is partially dependent on the expression of Grctm6, a Guadeloupe Resistance Complex protein., PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2017). Journal information: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Euan R. O. Allan et al, Schistosome infectivity in the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, is partially dependent on the expression of Grctm6, a Guadeloupe Resistance Complex protein.,(2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005362 Estimates suggest that helping religious leaders to discuss circumcision with their congregations could lead to 1.4 million more circumcisions and prevent between 65000 and 200000 men from being infected with HIV in Tanzania alone. Educating religious leaders about how circumcision helps to prevent HIV infection increased the number of men being circumcised in Tanzania, according to a study published in The Lancet. The authors say that the intervention should be considered as part of the male circumcision programmes in other sub-Saharan African countries, and that the process of working with religious leaders could be a new way to promote other healthy behaviours in communities. "Our study led to a major increase in uptake of male circumcision. It also lays groundwork for further research to establish the effect of promoting healthy behaviours through religious communities in sub-Saharan Africa, where the overwhelming majority of the population is deeply committed to their religious beliefs and practice," said lead author Dr Jennifer Downs, Weill Cornell Medicine, USA. "We believe that our intervention would also work to address other health behaviours in other regions and among other religious groups. The strength of our approach was that we equipped religious leaders with information and education, and then they could teach their congregations as they saw fit, which ensured that our approach was contextually relevant." In 2009, a Cochrane review found that male circumcision was an effective strategy to prevent HIV infection, reducing risk by 38-66% within one to two years. As a result, the WHO recommends that countries with HIV epidemics should implement voluntary medical male circumcision services. In 2011, they set a target of 20.8 million circumcisions across 14 sub-Saharan African countries by 2016, but uptake was lower than expected and only 10 million men were circumcised by the end of 2015. Research has suggested low uptake may be caused by the religious significance of the practice. For example, some worry that circumcision could be an attempt to convert Christians to other religions. Almost all people (93%) in Tanzania see religion as very important in their lives, and 83% attend religious services at least once a week. Religious leaders are highly respected authorities in their villages and hold influence over the community. Using this influence, the researchers believed they could change the community's uptake of circumcision by teaching religious leaders more about the practice and how to discuss it with their congregations. 16 villages were involved in the study, which took place at the same time as the Tanzanian Ministry of Health's voluntary circumcision campaign arrived in the village. The campaign visited all 16 villages, offering outreach events, free circumcisions and HIV counselling to boys and men over three to six weeks. Half of the villages received information from the campaign only. In the other half, the religious leaders attended a seminar about the medical and cultural aspects of circumcision by a pastor and a clinician. The eight intervention villages were home to almost 86500 men, and 1194 religious leaders attended the seminar. The other eight villages were home to 58500 men. The number of circumcisions was recorded, as were people's reasons for undergoing the procedure. In the villages where leaders were taught about circumcision, 23.3% more men underwent the procedure (52.8% compared with 29.5%). There were also significantly more men citing discussions in church as their reason for having a circumcision in the intervention villages (30.8% compared with 0.7%). However, uptake of circumcision varied and the proportion of men in intervention villages undergoing the procedure varied from 21.9% to 99.1%, while the control villages varied from 7.4% to 49.9%. Based on the overall uptake in their study, the researchers estimate that if the intervention were used across the whole country it could lead to more than 1.4 million more male circumcisions, which could potentially prevent between 65000 and 200000 new HIV infections. After the campaign, religious leaders from intervention and control villages were invited to a focus group to discuss their views on circumcision. The main topics discussed were misinformation and suspicion around circumcision, the need for more information about the practice, whether working with religious leaders was an effective way to share health information, and if attending the seminar helped religious leaders feel empowered and knowledgeable. Speaking about the intervention and why it worked, one of the religious leaders said: "Pastors have a power to motivate people and church members are trusting their pastors more than any other person or leader. If the pastor will encourage people in church many young men will uptake circumcision." The researchers note some limitations in their study, including that there were a small number of villages, and the small risk that villagers could have heard about the intervention or control happening in another nearby village and changed their decision on whether to have a circumcision. In addition, the study used the latest census data available but as this was from 2012 it may not have been up-to-date (the study took place from June 2014 to December 2015) and this could impact the estimates within the paper. Writing in a linked Comment, Professor Nelson Sewankambo, Makerere University, Uganda, said: "...the use of religious leaders to increase uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision is an example of a simple-to-adopt approach to utilize existing community resources for health promotion. By examining the cultural context within which social life is sustained, culturally acceptable resources for health promotion and disease prevention and care can be identified. By adapting the interventions used elsewhere to the cultural norms, values, and beliefs of the community, researchers developed sustainable health interventions... Questions remain regarding the effectiveness of education of religious leaders in different contexts in which the target population engages in practices that religious leaders might be opposed to on a religious basis. Examples of such opposition include condom use for HIV prevention among men who have sex withmen, commercial sex activities, and the use of routine immunisation. Religious institutions have a strong influence on the beliefs, cultures, and behaviours of large populations across Africa and other parts of the world. Further research is therefore required to explore and assess innovative religion-based approaches to promote healthy behaviour in religious communities." The most important thing about a carbon tax plan proposed last week may be the people behind it: prominent Republicans like James Baker III, George Shultz and Henry Paulson Jr. Their endorsement of the idea, variations of which have been suggested before, may be a breakthrough for a party that has closed its eyes to the perils of man-made climate change and done everything in its power to thwart efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This gang of Republican elder statesmen they call themselves the Climate Leadership Council is not made up of the usual environmentalists, which is why their proposal might gain traction, though probably not right away. Their proposal would tax carbon emissions at $40 a ton to start and would be paid by oil refineries and other fossil fuel companies that would pass costs on to consumers with higher gas and electricity prices. The money raised would be returned to Americans through dividend checks; a family of four would get about $2,000 a year to start. This would help people adjust to higher energy prices and give them an incentive to reduce consumption or switch to renewable sources of energy. Most lower-income and middle-class families would get back more than they pay in taxes. To avoid placing American industry at a disadvantage, imports from countries that do not impose a comparable tax would be subject to a per-ton tax on the carbon emitted in the production of their products, while exports to those nations would not be. Scientists and economists have long argued that putting a price on carbon would encourage conservation and investment in renewable energy. Ireland, Sweden and British Columbia already have carbon taxes. The European Union, Quebec, California and Northeastern states like New York and Massachusetts have adopted cap-and-trade systems that use emission permits to lower emissions over time. The Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, Siyabonga Cwele, has announced that the government will not issue a new tender for the first phase of SA Connect. During his State of the Nation Address debate speech, Cwele said that following the failure of SITAs tender last year, the government had decided to use its state-owned companies to start the roll-out. This will be done in line with the provisions of the law, said Cwele. The aim is to connect government offices to broadband infrastructure, giving communities better access to services. He said Broadband Infraco has already used its points of presence to connect local SMMEs to its network to provide services to end users. Black-owned companies such as Galela and Mzinyathi provide services in the under-serviced areas of the Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Mzinyathi Districts, respectively. This will allow smaller businesses to create new local jobs, said Cwele. USAASA has employed the service of another small black-owned company, BrightWave, to build, operate, and transfer a network at King Sabata Dalindyebo and Mhlontlo municipalities in the OR Tambo District. Cwele said that by July 2017, they plan to have connected 542 schools, 65 clinics, and municipal offices. Trouble ahead Conspicuously absent from Cweles speech was mention of its state-owned telecommunications powerhouse, Telkom. In 2015, President Jacob Zuma announced that Telkom had been designated as the lead agency for the roll-out of a national broadband network as stipulated in the SA Connect policy. The policy states that by 2020, 90% of South Africans must have access to 5Mbps broadband or better, and 50% must have access to 100Mbps. Following Zumas proclamation, the industry warned that the government should not give Telkom the estimated R744-million contract for the first phase of SA Connect without a proper tender process. Cweles announcement that the government will now proceed with the SA Connect roll-out using state-owned companies, of which Telkom and Broadband Infraco are two, is likely to draw the ire of companies who put in bids for the business and from opposition political parties. The companies who submitted tenders were: Broadband Infraco, EOH, MTN, Neotel, Tradepage and Galela Telecommunications Holding (joint venture), and Vodacom. SITA said it cancelled the tender for phase one of the SA Connect roll-out because none of the bidders met the technical requirements. Heading into phase 2 Cwele also announced that the government would start raising funds through the partnership with the private sector as part of our InvestSA 40 priority projects to aid the roll-out of phase two of the project. ICASA has declined Etvs request to stop broadcasting news in prime time. ICASA spokesperson Paseka Maleka said the request was turned down following Etvs application for an amendment to its licensing conditions to drop its prime time news broadcast. ICASA published a notice about the application on 4 April 2016, inviting stakeholders to comment. Following discussions between the SABC, Etv, and ICASA, a public hearing was set for 25 October 2016. The SABC indicated it may also be interested in having its licence conditions amended so it was no longer required to broadcast news in prime time. According to ICASA, the SABC did not formally submit an application. Application turned down ICASA said it considered sections of the Constitution, the Electronic Communication Act, the ICASA Act, and the position paper for the introduction of the first free-to-air private (commercial) television service in South Africa. It also considered the regulatory impact of the amendment Etv requested. The Authority has taken a decision to refuse the licence amendment application by Etv, it said. ICASA said removing the news out of prime time would not be in the public interest, which is a key mandate for the regulator. Parisien: French man wins 160 million in European lottery U.S. decides to block number of seats on planes because of the increase in passenger weight BMW M4 turned into a pickup truck Blinken calls on Israel and Palestine to urgently de-escalate tensions Romania signs deal with Norway for purchase of over 30 F-16 fighters Stoltenberg: The alliance has no plans to change nuclear positions and deployments Tagesschau: Nearly 200,000 people took part in strikes at industrial enterprises of Germany Teenagers hacks Uzbekistan senate website Artsakh Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis fired at tractor in Khramort village of Artsakh Rally participants' statement: Artsakh can't be a part of Azerbaijan Person accused of arson in Russia cafe confesses Fars: Iranian Foreign Ministry reported UAV deliveries to Russia a few months before the start of the UAS Bayramov: Azerbaijan, Armenia leaders next meeting will take place in Brussels this month Unity rally of participants start march in downtown Yerevan North Korea launches 4 ballistic missiles Council of Border Guard Troops commanders discusses situation at CIS external borders Armenia ex-President Kocharyan joins rally in downtown Yerevan Russia oil, natural gas companies plan to collaborate with Iraq Armenia army intelligence troops 30th anniversary is solemnly celebrated (PHOTOS) Rally of unity in support of Karabakh kicks off in downtown Yerevan Pentagon announces sending 8 NASAMS air defense systems to Ukraine Armenian Apostolic Church Supreme Spiritual Council meeting ends, Armenia and Artsakh security discussed Tropical Storm Nalgae death toll climbs to 155 in Philippines Artak Beglaryan is appointed advisor to Artsakh Minister of State (PHOTOS) US House committee extends deadline for Trump to produce documents on Capitol attack Over 200 elephants die in Kenya amid drought 13 dead in cafe fire in Russia Armenia Security Council chief to head for Poland, Netherlands, Lithuania Rishi Sunak: State cannot fix all problems Newspaper: To what extent Armenia adheres to sanctions on Russia? Biden accuses Twitter of spewing lies Newspaper: There are active political processes in Karabakh Qatar FM slams hypocrisy of calls to boycott World Cup 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 STEPANAKERT. The adversary violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces 45 times, from late Tuesday night to early Wednesday morning. During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces fired more than 600 shots toward the Armenian position-holders, and with different-caliber shooting weapons, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Defense Army informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. In addition, the adversary fired three mortar shells, in an easterly direction of the line of contact. But the NKR Defense Army vanguard units took actions in response, so as to suppress the aggressive actions by the Azerbaijani armed forces, and continued reliably maintaining their military positions. Repair of the collapsed Oroville dam in the American State of California can cost 200 million dollars, RIA Novosti reported quoting Associated Press. The head of California's water agency says repairs to the damaged concrete spillway at Oroville Dam will cost between $100 million and $200 million. Dozens of construction crews are dropping 1,200 tons of material on the earthen emergency spillway per hour using heavy equipment and helicopters. Crews are working around the clock and the area is being continually monitored with the help of drones carrying cameras. U.S. President Donald Trump provided the federal assistance help to California in connection with emergency on a dam. During the war in April 2016, the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan had a systemic and well-organized nature. The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), Ruben Melikyan, on Tuesday noted the above-said at a press conference in the European Parliamentin Strasbourg, Franceas he presented the report on Azerbaijans human rights violations during the four-day war, which it had unleashed against Artsakh in early April 2016. In Melikyans words, this report contains alarming information for the international community, especially in terms of human rights. The systemic and grave violations of the International Humanitarian Law [(IHL)] in April 2016 by the Azerbaijani armed forces still require proper actions from the respective international human rights organizations, as a matter of concern for the whole international community, reads the introduction of this report. Subsequently, the writers of this report present the details of this war. Under the IHL, Azerbaijan bears State Responsibility for the war crimes of its armed forces, and has an obligation to investigate and properly prosecute the perpetrators and others who bear responsibility, states the conclusion of this report. An armed man who was trying to violate the state border between Georgia and Azerbaijan was noticed by border guards, Haqqin.az reported quoting the State Border Service of Azerbaijan. According to the information, the violator did not obey the orders of border guards and tried to escape, showing armed resistance. In accordance with the charter of the border guards, they fired wounding the man in his left leg. The has been detained. The criminal is Muhammad Isa oglu Garayev (1966), the resident of Salahli village. The international community should be informed about the crimes which Azerbaijan committed in April 2016. Emil Babayan, Adviser to the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), told the aforementioned to reporters. In his words, however, due to international law issues, the Karabakh side has not yet been able to directly submit the respective evidence at its disposal to the European Court of Human Rights, and other international tribunals. But Im confident that knowing the truth stems from the interests of the European Court of Human Rights, and the international community, stressed Babayan. He added that all materials and documents regarding each and every case of human rights violation by Azerbaijan are kept at the NKR. The Artsakh presidential adviser also noted that the Karabakh side is seeking ways to present these facts. YEREVAN. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, Shavarsh Kocharyan, who is an eyewitness of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh capital city of Stepanakert between 1991 and 1992, presented his respective recollections at an international conference, entitled Breakthrough of the Blockade of Stepanakert: 25 Years Later, being held in Armenias capital city of Yerevan (PHOTOS). [The Azerbaijanis] were bombing the town from Shushi and Khojaly, said Kocharyan. People [in Stepanakert] could not even bury [their] relatives; they were waiting for the fog to descend, or for it to get dark, to bury the dead. People were living in basements. There was only [natural] gas from the conveniences, and this was because had they [i.e. the Azerbaijanis] turned off the gas of Stepanakert, gas supply of the Azerbaijani sector also would have been tuned off. Stepanakert could be reached only by helicopter. People [there] were hungry. There was a time when less than one kilogram of flour was rationed to each person, per month. Bags of flour were brought to Stepanakert, [and] the wounded [were] taken. Even children knew from the sound as to what type of weapon they [i.e. the Azerbaijanis] were firing from. YEREVAN. The blockade of Stepanakert during the Karabakh War needs to be known and remembered. Russian journalist Svetlana Kulchitskaya, who is the author of several documentary films about this war, on Wednesday stated the aforesaid at a conference, entitled The Breakthrough of the Blockade of Stepanakert: 25 Years Later, being held in Armenias capital city of Yerevan. The journalist shared her recollections of those years. Kulchitskaya noted that she had lived in a basement in Stepanakert during those years, together with the residents of the capital city of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). The Russian journalist visited Karabakh three times, over the course of several years. How low can one [i.e. Azerbaijan] go to inflict such a situation to people? asked Kulchitskaya. My meetings with people in Karabakh are like an open wound. So many years have passed, yet I always will remember about it. (). This should be spoken about, be remembered. The war needs to be stopped; its terrible. WASHINGTON, DC - Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Raffi Hamparian recently held a working meeting on Capitol Hill with U.S. Senator Robert Menendez on a range of shared priorities, including the negotiation of a new U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty. This bilateral tax agreement, which would facilitate increased investment by removing the threat of earned profits being taxed twice, is among the ANCA's economic development priorities, along with Millennium Challenge funding for STEM education and direct Los Angeles to Yerevan commercial and cargo flights. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on which Senator Menendez serves, is constitutionally charged with ratifying all treaties, including a future tax accord with the Republic of Armenia. We are pressing forward with our pro-active engagement with the full range of American and Armenian stakeholders in support of a new U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty, remarked Hamparian. The ANCA looks forward to the day when Senator Menendez and his colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will have the opportunity to further strengthen America's partnership with Armenia by ratifying this long overdue bilateral accord. The current treaty governing double taxation issues between the two countries is the 1973 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Tax Treaty, an outdated forty year-old accord. The lack of a double tax treaty between the United States and Armenia creates legal uncertainty that deters potential U.S. investors, diverts investment flows and disadvantages American businesses seeking to invest in the Republic of Armenia. WASHINGTON, DC - Citing concerns about risks to U.S. regional interests and the danger of weapons proliferation, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called upon the Department of State to oppose the third-party transfer of sensitive U.S. equipment and technology as part of a reported Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system sale to Azerbaijan. In a February 13th letter sent to the State Department Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the ANCA asked for formal U.S. opposition to the Iron Dome Sale on the grounds that it would: undermine U.S. interests by raising the risks of regional conflict, setting back the cause of peace, and potentially allowing advanced weapons technology to fall into the hands of anti-American powers. Separately, the ANCA has, under the Freedom of Information Act, requested any official records related to the Iron Dome sale to Azerbaijan. In Ilham Aliyev's hands, Iron Dome is a first strike weapon, said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, "one that will only embolden him to escalate his aggression." He added: Green-lighting this sale would undermine all that America and our OSCE partners have done to promote peace and prevent weapons proliferation, raising the very real risk that advanced technology that will both destabilize the Caucasus and potentially end up in the hands of anti-U.S. countries - from Belarus to North Korea. In 2014, U.S. defense firm Raytheon won a $149.3 million co-production contract to supply Tamir missiles for the Iron Dome system. Under the terms of the May 3, 2014, U.S.-Israel Iron Dome Procurement Agreement as well as relevant provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act, the Arms Export Control Act, and other U.S. laws, the U.S. has the right to block the third-party transfer of U.S. equipment and information included in the Iron Dome system. YEREVAN. The British Council in partnership with the British Embassy Yerevan and Beeline in Armenia is organising the 15th Anniversary Edition of the British Film Festival from 18 to 24 February. The best samples of the British movies will be presented to the Armenian audience again, UK Ambassador to Armenia Judith Margaret Farnworth told reporters on Wednesday. Ken Loach's film 'I, Daniel Blake' will open the British Film Festival on 18 February at 16.30 at Moscow Cinema .The film received the second Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as won the BAFTA award. Margaret Farnworth said that the choice was not casual because next year one of the main themes of the festival will be the protection of human rights. She also added that they chose that film because for the government of Britain it was one of the priorities. The festival will hold creative seminars with schoolchildren and students, and also a photo contest titled Inclusivity in My Environment. The aim of the festival is to introduce to the viewer the United Kingdom, the past and the present of the country, the culture, lifestyle and customs, as well as to nurture the knowledge of the English language and creativity through films. Seven films will be screened during the festival not only in Yerevan but also in Gyumri, Armavir, Gavar and Dilijan. Movies will be followed by discussions. Admission is free. The films will be screened four times - twice without subtitles in Armenian and two with them. The space for democratic debate in Turkey has shrunk alarmingly following increased judicial harassment of large strata of society, says Memorandum on freedom of expression and media freedom in Turkey. The Memorandum has been published by Nils Muiznieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights based on the findings of two visits to the country that he conducted in April and September 2016. This deterioration came about in a very difficult context, but neither the attempted coup, nor other terrorist threats faced by Turkey can justify measures that infringe media freedom and disavow the rule of law to such an extent. The authorities should urgently change course by overhauling criminal legislation and practice, re-develop judicial independence and reaffirm their commitment to protect free speech said Nils Muiznieks. The Commissioner regrets that tangible progress concerning media freedom and freedom of expression which was painstakingly achieved by Turkey in co-operation with the Council of Europe, was halted and reversed in recent years, leading to an already alarming situation at the time of the Commissioners visit in April 2016. In particular, the overly wide application of the concepts of terrorist propaganda and support for a terrorist organisation, including to statements and persons that clearly do not incite violence, and its combination with an overuse of defamation, has put Turkey on a very dangerous path. Legitimate dissent and criticism of government policy is vilified and repressed, thus shrinking the scope of democratic public debate and polarising society. This situation has significantly worsened under the on-going state of emergency which confers almost limitless discretionary powers to the Turkish executive to apply sweeping measures, including against the media and NGOs, without any evidentiary requirement, in the absence of judicial decisions and on the basis of vague criteria of alleged connection to a terrorist organization. Media pluralism and independence, in particular, have been casualties of these developments characterised notably by the use of state resources to favour pro-governmental media, pervasive internet censorship, arbitrary exclusion of media and journalists, takeover or closure of media outlets critical to the authorities, violence and reprisals against media workers and the incarceration of over 150 journalists. The Commissioner also underscores that this deterioration goes hand-in-hand with the erosion of the independence and impartiality of the Turkish judiciary. While this problem affects the whole judiciary, it is in particular the role of the criminal judges of peace that is the most concerning, because these formations have transformed into an instrument of judicial harassment to stifle opposition and legitimate criticism and are now at the origin of some of the most obvious violations of the right to freedom of expression. The Commissioner urges the Turkish political leaders in the strongest possible terms to change course and to display the responsibility and tolerance expected in a democratic society. They must redevelop the political will necessary to tackle the very long-standing systemic issues suppressing freedom of expression, including on the Internet, and finally execute the numerous judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, some of which date decades back. A first step is to lift the current state of emergency and reverse the numerous unacceptable infringements of freedom of expression, and in particular media freedom and academic freedom, that it engendered. In addition, the Turkish authorities must completely overhaul the Criminal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Law so as to align law and practice with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. Beyond these deficiencies, it is crucial to change a judicial culture where judges and prosecutors interpret and apply laws in a way that consistently undermines freedom of expression and media freedom in Turkey. The Russian embassy in Azerbaijan is taking all possible measures to help blogger Alexander Lapshin. Official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Maria Zakharova, stated the above-said, reported TASS news agency of Russia. Despite the Russian position of the impermissibility of its citizens extradition to third countries has reached Minsk several times, Lapshin was extradited [from Belarus] to Azerbaijan, on February 7, noted Zakharova. In her words, however, Russia is in constant contact with Azerbaijans law enforcement agencies, Prosecutor Generals Office, MFA, and the Israeli embassy in this country. We are taking all possible measureswithin our powerfor the protection of the Russian citizen, added the Russian MFA representative. We keep this matter under constant watch, a qualified legal assistance is provided to Lapshin; a judicial clarification is ahead. In December 2016, Israeli Russian blogger Alexander Lapshin was detained in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk. The reason was his being on the international wanted persons list, due to a search which Azerbaijan had declared. Baku accuses him of visiting Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) without its consent. And on February 7 of the current year, Belarus extradited the blogger to the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku, where he was taken into custody. Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh), Ruben Melikyan, was in Strasbourg, France, on a working visit between Sunday and Tuesday,. During his stay, Melikyan held talks at the Council of Europe, and several other European organizations. During his press conference at the European Parliament, the Artsakh ombudsman reflected on the messages he expressed during his discussions in Strasbourg. In particular, Ruben Melikyan noted that, as a bearer of the European system of values, the people of the NKR wish and stand ready to assume a more inclusive European involvement, and for the benefit of the continued strengthening of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Artsakh. Safar Huseynov, the attorney of blogger Alexander Lapshin who is in custody in Azerbaijan, met with his client on February 9, according to Trend news agency of Azerbaijan. The source added that Lapshins wife, Ekaterina, had a telephonic conversation with the lawyer. Today, I spoke by phone with Lapshins wife, said Huseynov. I informed her about her husbands situation, detention conditions, and the course of investigation. In his words, the embassies of Russia and Israel in Baku are following this case, since the blogger is a citizen of these two countries. In December 2016, Israeli Russian blogger Alexander Lapshin was detained in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk. The reason was his being on the international wanted persons list, due to a search which Azerbaijan had declared. Baku accuses him of visiting Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) without its consent. And on February 7 of the current year, Belarus extradited the blogger to the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku, where he was taken into custody. But the last time when attorney Huseynov met with his client was on February 9; this means that the Azerbaijani lawyer has visited Lapshin only once. European Parliament (EP) deputies approved EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) at a plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday, despite numerous protests of citizens of the EU, EP reported. It was noted that this was final vote on CETA. The EU and Canada signed the bilateral trade and economic agreement on 30 October 2016. It will also need to be ratified by national and regional parliaments. Mass protests were held against this agreement in Europe. Even on Wednesday, dozens of protesters gathered in front of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg. As EUobserver reported, three and a half million EU citizens signed the petition urging EP not to ratify the CETA. When CETA starts working in full force, it will cancel about 98% of fees which are applied in trade between EU countries and Canada. Brussels expects that implementation of the agreement will increase trade turnover between the parties by 12 billion euros a year. Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian on February 13 unveiled the official plaque of the LA City Hall pomegranate tree to mark the commemoration of the Centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Asbarez reported. In April 2015, Krekorian planted the first pomegranate tree on City Halls lawn and launched the Armenian Genocide Memorial Tree Project, which planted 100 pomegranate trees in parks in each of the citys 15 Council Districts. Councilmember Krekorian was joined by Archpriest of the Armenian Apostolic Church Western Diocese Arshag Kahatchadourian, and Executive Officer and Chief of Staff of the Department of Recreation Parks Anthony-Paul Diaz at the plaque dedication ceremony. The plaque reads: The City of Los Angeles Commemorates the Armenian Genocide Centennial: 1915-2015. This tree was planted by Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Paul Krekorian on the occasion of the commemoration of the centennial. The pomegranate is one of the most recognizable symbols in Armenian culture. In the wake of the Armenian Genocide, the pomegranate became a symbol of hope, rebirth, and survival of a nation, said Councilmember Krekorian. With the help of community members and my city colleagues, I planted this tree in 2015 to mark the commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide. Anyone who visits City Hall will see the pomegranate tree and this memorial plaque as an enduring symbol of the Armenian peoples culture and history. Regular tensions in the frontline is an evidence of Azerbaijans inability to fight against democratic developments in Karabakh, said the spokesman to the NKR President David Babayan, in an interview with NEWS.am, commenting on the question about the hysterical reaction of Azerbaijan in regard to the upcoming referendum in Artsakh. "The response of the Azerbaijani side demonstrates the real intentions of Baku in Karabakh settlement process. They have nothing to do with democratic developments, "said David Babayan. Babayan noted ironically, that the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry needs to implement a large-scale work in regard to the referendum in Kharabakh to expand the black list. "The referendum will be monitored by many international observers, journalists, and experts. Thus, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry will have to make a lot of efforts in this regard, "said Babayan. At the same time, Babayan noted, that many Azerbaijani officials are deep inside delighted about the events that are taking place in the NKR. "They spend huge resources on anti-Armenian propaganda. Half of them get into the pockets of the Azerbaijani officials. Under the pretext of the fight against Armenians, Mamedyarov and the like ones rob their own country and end up purchasing a real estate somewhere in a democratic country," Babayan said. YEREVAN. The Armenian government has studied 471 investment projects and only 345 of them with a total volume of $3.2 billion can be called realistic, Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan said at a meeting with students of Yerevan State University. In 2017, we can expect investments making $830 -840 million, PM added. The programs will be funded from the state, municipal and private budgets of Armenia. This does not mean that if we do not have 830 million in the end, it was a failure. It is rather a potential target that we have set. In addition to 3.2 billion, we are discussing more than 79 projects for $5.3 billion. There is an impression that it is impossible to invest money and earn profit in Armenia. We have specific programs that show the opposite, Prime Minister added. The wife of the blogger Alexander Lapshin requires the Azerbaijani authorities to allow Lapshin to meet with the International Committee of the Red Cross. She told about the conversation with her husbands attorney on the Facebook and shared her opinion about the investigation. "Are there any news about Sasha? Yet nothing. There continues the Belarusian version of the investigation against him. " Everyone read the news. On February 7, he was extradited to Azerbaijan and handed to the intelligence services. On February 8, as the Azerbaijani Prosecutors Office announced, Lapshin was provided with legal assistance and protection. The prosecutors office introduced Lapshin charges made against him and explained their nature in the presence of the attorney and interpreter. The problem is that there passed at least 10 hours from the moment of his extradition and provision of legal assistance. Why they didnt provide Lapshin with an attorney and a translator immediately at the airport or in Azerbaijans state security detention center, where, as media reports, he was taken to after his arrival. I talked Sashas attorney several times, but he could not answer to the question why Alexander is still not allowed to see the Red Cross personnel. Everyone saw Sasha's "arrival" video, and told, that he looked strange. As the international media reports, "the blogger is in a severe mental condition and did not respond to any questions or comments." On the contrary, Safar Huseynov has only one answer. That is, Lapshin has no complaints. If everything goes well, what's the problem? The Red Cross, as an independent organization, can confirm it and all doubts will be scattered. I am afraid, that not everything is good, and they would not like us to know about it. The issue concerns the lawyer as well. He insists, that none of the family members applied to him. I called him, talk to him on February 13 and 14 and of course today. What else can Huseynov tell? According to him, Alexander is doing well. Listing to him, I have an impression, that my husband is in Puerto resort. He is happy and pleased with everything, told me Huseynov on the phone. He is probably happy with the detention condition and with his lawyer who speaks Russian poorly. Even every-day issues push him into a deadlock. Not to mention, how Huseynov can explain Sasha the legal aspects of the case. Sasha confirmed, that he visited Karabakh and wrote those articles. He partially pleaded guilty to the charge. They operate in a group. Lapshine testified about the people, who helped him to visit Karabakh, said the attorney. Sasha confirmed his illegal visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. He himself partially pleaded guilty. He is charged with crimes committed by a group of people. There was a group of people. He gave their names and said that they had organized his trip, but he did not know their names. " Dont you see, what he says is strange. Someone organized something, but no one knows anyones name. Instead, his confession is consistent with the charge of the General Prosecutor's Office of Belarus, which became the cause for his extradition. ... making prior agreements with unknown persons and creating an organized criminal group, in April of 2011 and in October of 2012 he illegally crossed the border of Azerbaijan Republic without the necessary documents and ignoring the checkpoints. It is noteworthy, the ruling of the Belarus Internal Affairs about the arrest as a preventive measure, does not involve June 7, 2016 decision of Narimanov District Court of Baku which qualifies Lapshin as a creator of a criminal group. In other words, the attorneys task is to make Alexander confess what he has not done. However, Alexander will have a new attorney in the next two days. According to Huseynov, we can hire an attorney using our own means. Therefore, we can have a more objective attorney. 2016 Flight Cancellation, Mishandled Baggage, and Bumping Rates are Lowest in Decades The numbers are the lowest in 22 years in once case Carriers canceled 1.17 percent of schedule domestic flights according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released recently. That is an improvement over the 1.5 percent rate in 2015 and the lowest in 22 years according to the news release. Carriers posted a mishandled baggage rate of 2.70 per 1,000 passengers, down from 2015s rate of 3.13 and the lowest since 1987. The bumping rate for 2016 was 0.62 per 10,000 passengers, an improvement over the 0.73 rate I n2015 and the lowest since 1995. NATE UNITE 2017 Features Lots of Safety Topics for Wireless Infrastructure Professionals Considered the industry's most comprehensive conference, the event taking place Feb. 27-March 2 at the Fort Worth Convention Center is heavy on safety topics. The National Association of Tower Erectors recently released the second edition of the NATE Unmanned Aerial Systems Operations Around Vertical Communications Infrastructure resource document, and the association's leaders and member companies are getting ready for their annual conference -- NATE UNITE 2017, which is taking place Feb. 27 through March 2 in Texas at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The event will bring together thousands of professionals from all parts of the wireless infrastructure industry, NATE Chairman Jim Tracy wrote in the event's program. The exhibit hall will be filled with companies offering fall protection equipment, training, electrical testing equipment, tools, aerial work platforms, and a plethora of products and services related to the tower industry. The educational program for the conference includes sessions about guy anchor failure, new tower industry national consensus standards (including the ANSI/ASSE A10.48-2016 standard), the National Wireless Safety Alliance, dropped object prevention, safety equipment inspection, and insurance coverage. The UAS resource comes from a collaboration between the NATE Unmanned Aerial Systems Committee and other prominent representatives from the commercial UAS industry; it is focused on drones' operations around wireless infrastructure, cellular towers, broadcast towers, and utility structures. The new edition also incorporates updates from the new guidelines and provisions in the Federal Aviation Administrations Rule 107 for the commercial utilization of UAS technologies. "NATE is the industry leader in the integration and utilization of UAS around communications infrastructure," said Executive Director Todd Schlekeway. "The 2nd Edition of this safety document will serve as a go-to resource for all workers and stakeholders in the industry to use as a guide in order to expand the safe and efficient commercial operation of UAS." It is available to the industry as a free resource and accessible to be downloaded on NATE's website. NATE also announced that Art Pregler of AT&T, Christopher Desmond of Verizon Wireless, and Crown Castle's Robert McCoy have joined the association's UAS Committee, which monitors trends and the regulatory environment associated with UAS technologies and makes recommendations to NATE members and the wireless infrastructure community on best practices when it comes to UAS integration. "We are excited to welcome Art, Christopher, and Robert to the NATE UAS Committee," said Chairman Greg Emerick of Sentera. "These gentlemen represent some of the most prominent companies in the wireless industry and possess invaluable expertise to help move our committee efforts and initiatives forward." This morning, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2017 awards. And Milwaukee has four reasons to be proud. Among the semifinalists for the James Beard Assocation's Outstanding Restaurateurs award are Paul and Joe Bartolotta of The Bartolotta Restaurants. Meanwhile, semi-finalists for Best Chef Midwest include Chef Karen Bell of Bavette La Boucherie, Justin Carlisle of Ardent and Thomas Hauck of c.1880. Other Best Chef Midwest candidates from Wisconsin include Lisa Carlson of Chef Shack in Bay City; Dan Fox of Heritage Tavern in Madison, Jonny Hunter of Forequarter in Madison and Luke Zahm of Driftless Cafe in Viroqua. The complete list of semifinalists can be found online. The semifinals process began in October 2016 with an open call, during which anyone could nominate up to two individuals online. The JBF Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee, composed of critics, writers, and editors, culled the semi-finalists from more than 24,000 entries. Semifinalists will now move on to a voting body comprised of former Beard Award winners; Restaurant and Chef Award Committee members; and other regional panelists who will choose five finalists in each category. Save the date Winners of the 2017 James Beard Media Awards will be announced on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at an exclusive event honoring the nation's top cookbook authors, culinary broadcast producers and hosts, and food journalists at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. On Wednesday, March 15, the Foundation will announce the final nominees for all award categories during a press conference at a.o.c. restaurant in Los Angeles, California. Nominations will also be announced live via the Foundation's Facebook Live video feed and in real time on Twitter. The highly anticipated James Beard Awards ceremony and gala reception will follow on Monday, May 1, at Lyric Opera of Chicago. There are key pieces of evidence that Netflixs riveting docuseries "Making a Murderer" didnt tell you about or skipped over. Of course, those things make Steven Avery look worse. Its been fascinating watching the national interest in the Steven Avery case blow up. The wildly heated social media commentary seems to be breaking down into warring narratives. Ive lost count how many people have insisted Avery (and his nephew Brendan Dassey) are guilty because they watched news media coverage about the cases years ago (lots of us were guilty of that). Ive also lost count of how many people now insist outright that theyre innocent because they watched a Netflix documentary. Perhaps one of the shining lessons here is to scrutinize everything. I fall somewhere in between now. Before I watched the 10-part docuseries, I thought they were guilty (admittedly also from scattered news accounts and then DA Ken Kratzs emotional and graphic press conference in which he outlined the Dassey "confession" details he never ended up using against Avery). At the time, the planting argument seemed ridiculous. The docuseries built on a mountain of video and audio altered my perceptions because it revealed new information I wasnt aware of before. I dont know if Avery did or didnt do it. I still think he might have. Theres serious evidence pointing in his direction. However, I also think the documentary raises many troubling questions that remain unanswered, including about the Manitowoc County Sheriffs Departments continuing involvement in the case. I also think the new video and audio of the cognitively slow teenager Dassey was shocking, and he probably deserves a new trial. That doesnt mean he didnt do it. It means everyone deserves fair representation, and his earlier team seemed far from it. Furthermore, his confession was contradicted in ways by forensic evidence (why wasnt Halbachs blood found in Averys trailer or garage?), and there was no forensic evidence in the form of his DNA, blood or fingerprints tying Dassey himself to the crime. All of that being said, I was curious what evidence the documentary which was clearly told from a defense advocacy perspective left out or glossed over. Everyone should be interested in the same thing here: the pursuit of truth and justice for Teresa Halbach. Perhaps if we piece together more of the puzzle, as was done in court and in the documentary in different ways, we will find that the picture gets clearer. I wish a news station would rerun the trial from gavel-to-gavel, frankly. That would be even better yet. Then-DA Ken Kratz has been fighting back hard in People Magazine this week claiming the documentary omitted key evidence. I didnt want to take his word for any of it, though (especially due to his later problems). Instead, I went back to news accounts and some court transcripts from the time. Those are not infallible, either, of course. But they are interesting. Its too bad the Netflix documentarians left things out or quickly passed over things. They would have created an even richer tapestry if they hadnt. Earlier, I told you about the four alternative suspects the defense tried unsuccessfully to raise during the trial. Turns out there were a bunch of unsavory characters on the property that day or who had access to it. Here are 14 other things that you also may not have heard yet: 1. Leg irons and handcuffs were found in Avery's residence and in Dassey's The criminal complaint contended that authorities "located items of restraints within Steven Averys residence including hand cuffs and leg irons." According to a lengthy Milwaukee Magazine story from May 1, 2006, Avery admitted they were his, stating of the handcuffs and leg irons, "I bought them. I wanted to try out something different with Jodi (his girlfriend)." Of course, its also very curious that Halbachs DNA didnt turn up on these handcuffs and leg irons if they were used to restrain her. Interestingly, according to the testimony of the Department of Justice investigator in Dasseys trial, thats not the only place such things were found. He testified that leg irons and handcuffs were found in both Averys and also Dasseys mothers residence, although on cross examination he stated that Brendan Dasseys prints and DNA werent on them. In otherwords, it was not proven at all that these belonged to Dassey. But they were there, according to court transcripts. 2. Avery and his girlfriend had a less than rosy relationship at times The Netflix documentary paints the romance of Jodi and Steven as a positive one. It may have been in some ways, but there were also some problems. According to the Milwaukee magazine story, "In September 2004, sheriff deputies arrested Avery for violating a disorderly conduct ordinance after an altercation with (Jodi) Stachowski. The court ordered him to stay away from the woman for 72 hours and pay a fine of $243." 3. The car key unearthed in Avery's residence had DNA from his sweat on it, the prosecutor says The documentary makes tangential reference about perspiration but not in a way that its focused on or made particularly memorable. Rather, the documentary seemed to focus more on just saying his DNA was on the Halbach car key and focusing on a theory that law enforcement planted Averys blood in Halbachs car (which they deny). From the Milwaukee magazine article, "A state analyst determined blood from the car and dried perspiration on the car key matched Steven Averys DNA." Kratz also detailed this contention in his opening statement in the Dassey trial, according to the transcript, saying the crime lab analyst recovered a full DNA profile of Avery from the sweat on this key. (update: the defense claims it was not proven that this was sweat or what is called "touch DNA"). The key, of course, is the key piece of evidence the defense claims law enforcement planted. There are very fishy things about the key. It was found by a Manitowoc law enforcement official days after others had already searched Averys residence repeatedly and had not found it and Manitowoc had already publicly handed over the case because of Averys pending wrongful conviction lawsuit against that agency. This same officer was deposed shortly before the murder in Averys civil suit for his previous wrongful conviction. Very weird. However, its harder to envision officers getting their hands on Averys sweat or skin cells for what is called touch DNA. When it came to evidence planting allegations, the documentary talked more about a vial of his blood maintained from the previous wrongful conviction case (also curious because it had a hole poked in the top of it, of course). The DNA evidence was more complex. 4. Dassey's mother said Dassey helped Avery clean his garage floor The Milwaukee Magazine article further stated that, "On February 27, Dasseys mother spoke with police investigators. Barbara Janda, 41, mentioned that her son had stained his pants while helping his uncle clean his garage floor around Halloween." Also, according to the Department of Justice investigators testimony in Dasseys trial, Dasseys pants had bleach stains that he said were from helping clean the garage, transcripts say. 5. Pornography was recovered in Avery's residence The Wisconsin State Journal reported on Nov. 12, 2005 that officers recovered "pornographic material, according to the search warrants." 6. The previous animal cruelty case involved a bonfire This animal abuse incident was mentioned in the documentary but not in great detail. According to an Associated Press story from Nov. 20, 2005, "Steven was convicted in 1981 of burglary. He got five years probation, which was revoked in 1982 after he was charged with animal cruelty for pouring gasoline on a cat and throwing it into a bonfire." 7. Avery had drawn a torture chamber while in prison and was violent to other women According to an Appleton Post Crescent article from March 9, 2006, "While he was in prison, Steven Avery planned the torture and killing of a young woman, new documents released Wednesday indicate. The allegations are included in 22 pages of court documents accompanying additional charges filed by Calumet County Dist. Atty. Ken Kratz. ... Kratz also included in Wednesday's filings statements from prisoners who served time with Avery at Green Bay Correctional Institution. They said Avery talked about and showed them diagrams of a torture chamber he planned to build when he was released." Furthermore, reported the newspaper, "The filings also include statements from a woman, now 41, who said she was raped by Avery, who told her if she yelled or screamed there was going to be trouble. There also is an affidavit from a girl who said she was raped by Avery. The victim's mother indicated that the victim does not want to speak about the sexual assault between her and Steven Avery because Steven Avery told her if she 'told anyone about their activities together he would kill her family,'" the filing said. According to the newspaper article, "The affidavit said Avery admitted to his fiancee that he had sexually assaulted the girl." 8. Avery once opened his door "just wearing a towel" when Halbach went to his property previously Theres evidence for this one, but it was never allowed in trial. This was one of Kratz claims to People Magazine. According to People Magazine, "He cites Halbach's Oct. 10, 2005 visit to the property owned by Avery's family for a photo shoot for AutoTrader magazine: According to Kratz, Avery allegedly opened his door just wearing a towel. She was creeped out [by him]. ... She [went to her employer and] said she would not go back because she was scared of him." According to an Associated Press story from Feb. 14, 2007, the judge "would not allow Dawn Pliszka, an Auto Trader receptionist at the time, to testify about one of Halbachs previous encounters with Avery," said the story, continuing: "She had stated to me that he had come out in a towel," Pliszka said while the jury was outside of the courtroom. "I just said, 'Really?' and then she said, 'Yeah,' and laughed and said kinda 'Ew.'" The AP article said the judge would not allow the testimony to be heard by the jury "because the date wasnt clear and few details were known about the alleged encounter." 9. Avery called Auto Trader to specifically request Halbach the day she died This is also contained in the same AP story. It said that the same woman, Pliszka, testified this time before the jury that Avery called her on Oct. 31, 2005 "to request the photographer who had been out to the property previously." Angela Schuster, magazine operations supervisor, further testified that Halbach went to the Avery compound six times from June to Halloween to take pictures and also said, "She talked to Halbach by phone around 11 a.m. that day to tell her of the appointment at the Avery property," according to the AP. 10. Avery called Halbach's cell phone three times, twice using the Star-67 feature to hide his identity According to a newspaper article in the River Falls Journal from Feb. 28, 2007, Luring Cellular company workers Bobbi Dohrwardt and Laura Schadrie testified that "Avery's cell phone made three calls to Halbach's cell, and he twice used the Star-67 feature that hid his identity." These calls came in about 2:30 p.m. According to an Associated Press article from Feb. 28, 2007, "The third call was placed about two hours later." It "lasted 13 seconds," and the phone company worker "couldn't tell if it was answered or went into voice mail." 11. Avery gave a false name when he called Auto Trader From the same AP story, "Prosecutors are trying to convince a jury that Avery lured Halbach to the family salvage yard by booking an appointment with the magazine, using the name of his sister Barb Janda, to take a picture of a red minivan that Janda wanted to sell." Of course, this could be explained by the fact that it was his sisters car that Halbach was to photograph. 12. The burnt bone fragments were mixed with steel tire belts According to the criminal complaint, "Officers also located remnants of steel belts of tires that appear to have been utilized as fire accelerants." A Nov. 15, 2005 Wisconsin State Journal article reported that, "Investigators also said in the court documents that they found steel belts of about six tires that were used as fire accelerants. They also found a number of 5-gallon buckets that appeared to have been used to distribute burned remains." Kratz told People Magazine the bone fragments "were 'intertwined' with the steel belts." 13. Avery's blood was found in six places in the Halbach vehicle, and DNA from his sweat was found on a hood latch, the prosecutor says I found this in Kratz opening statement in the Dassey trial transcript. He told the jury that the Avery blood was found on the ignition of the vehicle, on a CD case and on seats. He also said that Avery had a cut on his finger. And he stated that the state crime lab analyst had found DNA from Averys sweat on the hood latch of the Halbach vehicle. He also stated that Dassey had said in his confession that Avery opened the cars hood. 14. Avery's rifle matched the bullet with the Halbach DNA on it This is also in the opening statement. It says that Dassey said the bullet in the garage came from a specific gun of Averys that hung on Averys wall and that forensic testing matched the bullet with the Halbach DNA to this specific gun. This bullet was found months later by a Manitowoc law enforcement officer after others missed it during repeated searches. Between ruling Britain and helping the Allies win World War II, Winston Churchill was among the first to theorise about other regions of the Universe in which conditions may be conducive to harbouring life, it has been revealed War correspondent, statesman, astronomer. Stargazing may not be what Winston Churchill is best remembered for, but a treatise he wrote on extraterrestrial life has revealed his scientific acumen six decades later. Between ruling Britain and helping the Allies win World War II, the British Bulldog was among the first to theorise about other regions of the Universe in which conditions may be conducive to harbouring life, it has been revealed. Excerpts from his essay "Are We Alone in the Universe?" were brought to light Wednesday in the science journal Nature. "I am not sufficiently conceited to think that my sun is the only one with a family of planets," Churchill wrote in the document which astrophysicist Mario Livio laid hands upon last year at the US National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri. There must be many other planets, he concluded, of "the right size to keep... water and possibly an atmosphere", and "at the proper distance from their parent sun to maintain a suitable temperature." This later became known as a star's "habitable zone". To qualify, a planet has to orbit its star at a distance far enough so that water does not evaporate in the solar heat, and near enough that it does not freeze beyond the rays' reach. Water is considered an essential requirement for life, however primitive. Churchill first drafted the paper in 1939, when Europe was on the brink of war, and revised it in the late 1950s while visiting his publisher in a village in the south of France, said Livio. As far as could be determined, the work has never been published or subjected to scientific or academic scrutiny. "What is extraordinary is his train of thought, he thinks about the problem like a scientist," Livio told AFP of the find. 'Goldilocks' zone The concept of habitable zones originated in the 1950s, the same decade in which Churchill finished his essay. A war correspondent and soldier turned politician, Churchill was also known for his love of science. He wrote essays and articles in the 1920s and 1930s on topics including evolution, cell biology and fusion power. Later as a politician, he regularly consulted scientists and was the first British prime minister to employ a science adviser, according to Livio. The government under Churchill funded laboratories, telescopes and technology development that spawned many discoveries. Until now, astrophysics was not known to have been one of his fields of scientific interest. "At a time when a number of today's politicians shun science, I find it moving to recall a leader who engaged with it so profoundly," Livio wrote in Nature. The hunt for potentially habitable planets elsewhere in the Universe began decades after Churchill's musings on the topic. In 2015, researchers calculated that our Milky Way galaxy alone may be home to billions of planets orbiting in their host stars' so-called "Goldilocks" zone. The Paris-based Extrasolar Planets Encylopaedia has so far compiled a database of over 3,500 planets around other stars, a few dozen in the habitable sweet spot. More information: Mario Livio. Winston Churchill's essay on alien life found, Nature (2017). DOI: 10.1038/542289a Journal information: Nature 2017 AFP The gene-editing tool called CRISPR that can quickly and cleanly remove specific pieces of DNA has revolutionized biotechnology. Many researchers believe the technique could end thousands of ailments. So what's needed to realize CRISPR's potential? Another breakthrough. The cover story in Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, runs down the latest attempts to find it. Ryan Cross, a correspondent for C&EN, notes that CRISPR has led to thousands of scientific papers and a slew of biotech start-ups since its conception in 2012. The appeal of the technique is that it has the potential not just to treat but to cure intractable conditions scientists have long struggled to address, including sickle cell disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cancer. Researchers in China say they have already conducted a human clinical trial that involves removing cells from patients, editing them using CRISPR outside the body, and putting the modified cells back in the body. A team in Pennsylvania is gearing up for a similar clinical trial in the U.S. However, the technique's greatest promise lies in injecting the editing tool directly into patients. But sneaking the system past the body's defenses and into the cells where it is needed has been difficult. To overcome this challenge, scientists are taking multiple approaches, each of which has its own subset of additional hurdles. Despite the headwinds, researchers say that because the potential payoff would be huge, the pursuit for solutions will undoubtedly continue. For years, minorities have been disproportionately placed in special education classes, and figures available indicate the complexity of this issue for one group. National estimates reveal that English-language learners may be over-represented in the learning disabilities category due to the fact that neither a method for accurate identification nor a consistent definition of learning disabilities across states exists. This underscores the need for better tools and methods for accurate identification of those with special needs. A new study co-authored by a University of Kansas professor shows the development of accurate and stable assessment tools for the identification of learning disabilities in English-language learner children and documentation of the rate of cognitive, language and reading growth as a function of instructional practice. Researchers in the study conducted bilingual assessments (English/Spanish) with 450 English-language learners in the southwest United States. They administered a series of bilingual tests with students in first, second and third grades to determine who were at risk of reading disability. The tests were repeated one and two years later, with the findings showing a connection between important executive functions related to working memory, language and reading comprehension. Michael Orosco, associate professor of special education, said the findings are important, as they can help schools differentiate English-language learners with reading disabilities from those who are simply struggling with learning in a second language. Misdiagnosis commonly happens when students start learning to read in the first and second grades, and as English-language learners continue through the grade levels, the demand for the application of such executive control processes such as working memory and language increases as reading comprehension requirements become more complex. By the time they reach third grade, English-language learners may begin to struggle with a more challenging reading curriculum, and because of this, their school may examine them more closely for comprehension challenges and may eventually refer them to the school's special education team for a learning disability diagnosis in their second language without fully assessing them in their native language. As with English-speaking peers, distinguishing between learners with limited English proficiency and those who also have a learning disability is critical because special education law requires the distinction. Identification of a specific learning disability is based on determination of the following Individual with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA): The child does not achieve commensurate with his/her age and ability levels in one or more of the seven areas (oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, reading comprehension, mathematical calculations or mathematical reasoning) when provided with learning experiences appropriate for the child's age and ability levels. In addition, learning difficulties must not be explained by environmental variables, such as limited English proficiency or cultural differences. This underscores the need for better tools and methods for accurate identification of English language learners with learning disabilities. The seminal study, authored by H. Lee Swanson and Milagros Kudo of the University of California-Riverside, and Orosco, examined working memory, part of executive function in the brain. The findings were published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities. The journal is internationally recognized as the oldest and most authoritative journal in the area of learning disabilities. Working memory is part of executive function and has three major components: phonological awareness, visual/spatial and central executive function: Phonological awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate sounds using oral language. It gives a student the ability to look at a word such as "cat" and sound it out, a vital key in learning to read. Students learning to read in a second language are presented with challenges, however, when they encounter certain words. For example, with the word "shoes," the "sh" sound doesn't exist in Spanish. That can lead to challenges in understanding how a child is developing in a second language and conclusions that the child is pronouncing the word wrong due to a language processing deficit, which in turn can be a precursor to a disability diagnosis. Visual/spatial is the ability to hear or read a word and capture how you see it through sensory to remember it. With the word "shoes," students can picture those they are wearing, going to a store to buy them and similar examples. Central executive function is processing the information from the first two and coordinating them into comprehensible words and visual imagery into long-term memory. Students with reading disabilities struggle with phonological and visual/spatial processing. School assessment teams rarely consider bilingual cognitive functioning such as working memory into their diagnostic procedures. "In addition, we're finding that diagnosing reading difficulties with these kids is challenging because we're trying to pinpoint how much impact instruction has on them," Orosco said. "Instead of just teaching to fit the curriculum, we need to look at how instruction is impacting they're cognitive development." Seeing that a student is not reading at the same level as his or her peers and automatically assuming they have reading difficulties is akin to a doctor taking a patient's blood pressure and telling them they have cancer, Orosco said. Without thorough assessments, such as blood tests or cancer screenings, such a diagnosis would be premature and would likely be wrong. Similarly, many reading difficulty diagnoses for students learning in a second language don't go far enough to determine if a student simply hasn't received quality instruction. The findings suggest that growth in English-language reading was tied to growth in the executive system of working memory. In addition, bilingual students who displayed a growth in the components of working memory also showed growth in language and reading comprehension. That supports the notion that improved instruction and assessment that takes bilingual cognitive function into account, not just curricular data, is important. "What we learned is the measurements in schools aren't doing rigorous enough assessments in bilingual learners," Orosco said. "We also need to be able to correctly interpret the results of assessments. And a key implication is the reading instruction these students received may not have been of high quality." A further understanding of cognitive development in young students, Orosco said, both by researchers and educators working with English-language learners, could ultimately lead to better reading instruction for all students, improved measurement processes and fewer students unnecessarily being placed in special education classes. The research builds a cognitive bridge between the practical and applied in addressing minority disproportionality in public education by improving the learning disabilities definition for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Patterns and trends in racial and ethnic inequality over recent decades is the focus of a new publication published by John Iceland, professor and department head of sociology and criminology and Population Research Institute associate at Penn State. In "Race and Ethnicity in America", published by University of California Press, Iceland demonstrates how color lines have generally softened when considered over a long period of time in the U.S. but deep-seated inequalities remain. "In general, I found that blacks, American Indians and some groups of Hispanics fare less well than others due to various reasons," said Iceland. According to the book, the underlying causes of the disadvantages vary, and Iceland points to the legacy of racism and current discrimination, as well as the unfolding process of immigrant incorporation, among others. Throughout the book, Iceland also demonstrates the ways Americans define racial and ethnic groups, along with changing patterns of identification in the U.S. population, and how they influence our understanding of patterns and trends in racial and ethnic inequality. The book includes chapters on causes of inequality, multiracial populations, patterns of socioeconomic well-being among specific ethnic groups, and international comparisons and policy debates. The last chapter summarizes the main themes of the book and also discusses the trajectory of American color lines. Iceland's research focuses on social demography, poverty, residential segregation, and immigration; he is the author of three previous books on these issues. He also is the vice president-elect of the Population Association of America and co-editor of the journal Demography. The extremely thin, electrically conducting layer between the materials lanthanum-aluminate (LaAlO2) and strontium-titanate (SrTiO3) transports spin-information from the point of injection to a detector. Credit: Christoph Hohmann / Nanosystems Initiative Munich Modern computer technology is based on the transport of electric charge in semiconductors. But this technology's potential will be reaching its limits in the near future, since the components deployed cannot be miniaturized further. But, there is another option: using an electron's spin, instead of its charge, to transmit information. A team of scientists from Munich and Kyoto is now demonstrating how this works. Computers and mobile devices continue providing ever more functionality. The basis for this surge in performance has been progressively extended miniaturization. However, there are fundamental limits to the degree of miniaturization possible, meaning that arbitrary size reductions will not be possible with semiconductor technology. Researchers around the world are thus working on alternatives. A particularly promising approach involves so-called spin electronics. This takes advantage of the fact that electrons possess, in addition to charge, angular momentum - the spin. The experts hope to use this property to increase the information density and at the same time the functionality of future electronics. Together with colleagues at the Kyoto University in Japan scientists at the Walther-Meiner-Institute (WMI) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Garching have now demonstrated the transport of spin information at room temperature in a remarkable material system. A unique boundary layer In their experiment, they demonstrated the production, transport and detection of electronic spins in the boundary layer between the materials lanthanum-aluminate (LaAlO2) and strontium-titanate (SrTiO3). What makes this material system unique is that an extremely thin, electrically conducting layer forms at the interface between the two non-conducting materials: a so-called two-dimensional electron gas. The extremely thin, electrically conducting layer between the materials lanthanum-aluminate (LaAlO2) and strontium-titanate (SrTiO3) transports spin-information from the point of injection to a detector. Credit: Christoph Hohmann / Nanosystems Initiative Munich The German-Japanese team has now shown that this two-dimensional electron gas transports not only charge, but also spin. "To achieve this we first had to surmount several technical hurdles," says Dr Hans Hubl, scientist at the Chair for Technical Physics at TUM and Deputy Director of the Walther-Meiner-Institute. "The two key questions were: How can spin be transferred to the two-dimensional electron gas and how can the transport be proven?" Information transport via spin The scientists solved the problem of spin transfer using a magnetic contact. Microwave radiation forces its electrons into a precession movement, analogous to the wobbling motion of a top. Just as in a top, this motion does not last forever, but rather, weakens in time - in this case by imparting its spin onto the two-dimensional electron gas. The electron gas then transports the spin information to a non-magnetic contact located one micrometer next to the contact. The non-magnetic contact detects the spin transport by absorbing the spin, building up an electric potential in the process. Measuring this potential allowed the researchers to systematically investigate the transport of spin and demonstrate the feasibility of bridging distances up to one hundred times larger than the distance of today's transistors. Based on these results, the team of scientists is now researching to what extent spin electronic components with novel functionality can be implemented using this system of materials. More information: Ryo Ohshima et al, Strong evidence for d-electron spin transport at room temperature at a LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, Nature Materials (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nmat4857 Journal information: Nature Materials A fragmented rainforest landscape in India's Western Ghats. Credit: ETH Zurich / Sascha Ismail If degraded and logged areas of tropical forests are left to nature, the populations of certain endangered tree species are not able to recover. This applies in particular to trees with large fruit where the seeds are distributed by birds, as ETH Zurich scientists have shown in a rainforest in India. In order to restore tropical rainforests, it is not enough to simply set up protected areas and leave them to their own devices. In particular, tree species with large fruit and seeds distributed by birds will have to be actively planted. This is one of the conclusions of a large-scale study by scientists from ETH Zurich in the Western Ghats, the mountain range running along the western coast of India. Today, the rainforest that exists there is highly fragmented. In the late 20th century in particular, large areas fell victim to intensive logging and commercial agriculture such as coffee and tea plantations. Working with Indian colleagues, the ETH researchers investigated how well trees from rainforest fragments could spread to areas that had previously been cleared or logged but are now back under forest cover. At the heart of their study was the white cedar (Dysoxylum malabaricum), a tropical species belonging to the mahogany family. "These rainforest giants tower above the other trees and therefore occupy an important ecological niche," says Chris Kettle, a scientist at ETH Zurich's Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, who led the study. The seeds don't fall far from the tree The tree's seeds are distributed primarily by a specific species of hornbill, the Malabar grey hornbill, which eats the fleshy, fig-sized fruit and then excretes the seeds. Until now, it was not known how far the hornbills carry the seeds in their bodies. Theoretically, as the birds cover long distances, they could contribute to a rapid distribution of the tree species over a large area. This is not the case, however, as the ETH researchers have now discovered. Through genetic maternity testing of seedlings and adult trees, they were able to show that generally the seedlings grow no more than 200 metres from the mother tree, and in many cases at a distance of just 40 to 100 metres. "We suspect that the hornbills regurgitate the seeds relatively close to the tree from which they fed, so that they don't have to fly with their stomachs full of heavy seeds," says ETH doctoral student Sascha Ismail, first author of the study published in the journal New Phytologist. Trees must be actively planted The results of the research have implications for the restoration of rainforests: "It is highly unlikely that the tree species we studied is able to recolonise cleared patches in a fragmented habitat by natural seed dispersal alone," says Kettle. He adds that the same applies to other endangered species of tropical tree with large fruit and seeds dispersed by birds, as evidence from other fragmented tropical forests around the world shows that seeds of this kind are dispersed only locally. "For rainforest restoration projects to be successful, you have to give special attention to these trees," says Kettle. "If you want to encourage them to spread, the only option is to collect their seeds, set up tree nurseries and then actively plant out the saplings at a later stage." For the parentage analysis, the researchers surveyed exhaustively an area covering 216 km2 (considerably larger than the area of the Swiss National Park). They analysed the DNA of all 235 adult trees found there, as well as of 448 seedlings. "This is the largest study of its kind ever carried out in a fragmented tropical ecosystem," says Kettle. More information: Sascha A. Ismail et al, Evaluating realized seed dispersal across fragmented tropical landscapes: a two-fold approach using parentage analysis and the neighbourhood model, New Phytologist (2017). DOI: 10.1111/nph.14427 Journal information: New Phytologist Several upcoming NASA missions will use lasers to increase data transmission from space. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Amber Jacobson, producer Thought your Internet speeds were slow? Try being a space scientist for a day. The vast distances involved will throttle data rates to a trickle. You're lucky if a spacecraft can send more than a few megabits per second (Mbps)a pittance even by dial-up standards. But we might be on the cusp of a change. Just as going from dial-up to broadband revolutionized the Internet and made high-resolution photos and streaming video a given, NASA may be ready to undergo a similar "broadband" moment in coming years. The key to that data revolution will be lasers. For almost 60 years, the standard way to "talk" to spacecraft has been with radio waves, which are ideal for long distances. But optical communications, in which data is beamed over laser light, can increase that rate by as much as 10 to 100 times. High data rates will allow researchers to gather science faster, study sudden events like dust storms or spacecraft landings, and even send video from the surface of other planets. The pinpoint precision of laser communications is also well suited to the goals of NASA mission planners, who are looking to send spacecraft farther out into the solar system. "Laser technology is ideal for boosting downlink communications from deep space," said Abi Biswas, the supervisor of the Optical Communications Systems group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. "It will eventually allow for applications like giving each astronaut his or her own video feed, or sending back higher-resolution, data-rich images faster." Science at the speed of light Both radio and lasers travel at the speed of light, but lasers travel in a higher-frequency bandwidth. That allows them to carry more information than radio waves, which is crucial when you're collecting massive amounts of data and have narrow windows of time to send it back to Earth. A good example is NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which sends science data at a blazing maximum of 6 Mbps. Biswas estimated that if the orbiter used laser comms technology with a mass and power usage comparable to its current radio system, it could probably increase the maximum data rate to 250 Mbps. That might still sound stunningly slow to Internet users. But on Earth, data is sent over far shorter distances and through infrastructure that doesn't exist yet in space, so it travels even faster. Increasing data rates would allow scientists to spend more of their time on analysis than on spacecraft operations. "It's perfect when things are happening fast and you want a dense data set," said Dave Pieri, a JPL research scientist and volcanologist. Pieri has led past research on how laser comms could be used to study volcanic eruptions and wildfires in near real-time. "If you have a volcano exploding in front of you, you want to assess its activity level and propensity to keep erupting. The sooner you get and process that data, the better." That same technology could apply to erupting cryovolcanoes on icy moons around other planets. Pieri noted that compared to radio transmission of events like these, "laser comms would up the ante by an order of magnitude." Clouding the future of lasers That's not to say the technology is perfect for every scenario. Lasers are subject to more interference from clouds and other atmospheric conditions than radio waves; pointing and timing are also challenges. Lasers also require ground infrastructure that doesn't yet exist. NASA's Deep Space Network, a system of antenna arrays located across the globe, is based entirely on radio technology. Ground stations would have to be developed that could receive lasers in locations where skies are reliably clear. Radio technology won't be going away. It works in rain or shine, and will continue to be effective for low-data uses like providing commands to spacecraft. Next steps Two upcoming NASA missions will help engineers understand the technical challenges involved in conducting laser communications in space. What they'll learn will advance lasers toward becoming a common form of space communication in the future. The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is due to launch in 2019. LCRD will demonstrate the relay of data using laser and radio frequency technology. It will beam laser signals almost 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) from a ground station in California to a satellite in geostationary orbit, then relay that signal to another ground station. JPL is developing one of the ground stations at Table Mountain in southern California. Testing laser communications in geostationary orbit, as LCRD will do, has practical applications for data transfer on Earth. Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), led by JPL, is scheduled to launch in 2023 as part of an upcoming NASA Discovery mission. That mission, Psyche, will fly to a metallic asteroid, testing laser comms from a much greater distance than LCRD. The Psyche mission has been planned to carry the DSOC laser device onboard the spacecraft. Effectively, the DSOC mission will try to hit a bullseye using a deep space laserand because of the planet's rotation, it will hit a moving target, as well. Past and future NASA projects involving laser communications: Name: Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) Led by: Goddard Space Flight Center Year: 2013 Objective: Was NASA's first system for two-way communication using a laser instead of radio waves. An error-free uplink data rate of 20 Mbps transmitted from a primary ground station in New Mexico to NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), a spacecraft orbiting the moon. Demonstrated an error-free downlink rate of 622 Mbpsthe equivalent of streaming 30 channels of HDTV from the moon. Name: Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) Led by: JPL Year: 2014 Objective: Testing laser communications from the International Space Station. Beamed a video file every 3.5 seconds for a total of 148 seconds. With traditional downlink methods, sending the 175-megabit video just once would have taken 10 minutes. Name: Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Led by: Goddard Space Flight Center Year: 2019 Objective: Will relay laser signals between telescopes at Table Mountain, California, and in Hawaii through a relay satellite in geostationary orbit during a two-year demonstration period. The system is designed to operate for up to five years to prove the everyday reliability of laser communications for future NASA missions. Name: Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) Led by JPL Year: 2023 Objective: To test laser communications from deep space. An upcoming NASA Discovery mission called Psyche will fly to a metallic asteroid starting in 2023. Psyche is planned to host a laser device called DSOC, which would beam data down to a telescope at Palomar Mountain Observatory in California. Provided by NASA Anchovy, sardine, and hake scale deposition rate from AD 1000 1500 derived from a recent, age-calibrated sediment core from Santa Barbara Basin, California. Representative fish scales and the respective fishes are shown on the right. Credit: I.L. Hendy, University of Michigan; S. McClatchie, NOAA Fisheries; NMFS image library California sardine stocks famously crashed in John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row." New research, building on previous since the late 1960s, shows in greater detail that such forage fish stocks have undergone boom-bust cycles for centuries, with at least three species off the U.S. West Coast repeatedly experiencing steep population increases followed by declines long before commercial fishing began. Natural population fluctuations in Pacific sardine, northern anchovy and Pacific hake off California have been so common that the species were in collapsed condition 29 to 40 percent of the time over the 500-year period from A.D. 1000 to 1500, according to the study published online Feb. 9 in Geophysical Research Letters. Using a long time series of fish scales deposited in low-oxygen, offshore sedimentary environments off Southern California, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Michigan described such collapses as "an intrinsic property of some forage fish populations that should be expected, just as droughts are expected in an arid climate." The findings have implications for the ecosystem, as well as fishermen and fisheries managers, who have witnessed several booms, followed by crashes every one to two decades on average and lasting a decade or more, the scientists wrote. Collapses in forage fishsmall fish that are preyed on by larger predators for foodcan reverberate through the marine food web, causing prey limitation among predators such as sea lions and sea birds. "Forage fish populations are resilient over the long term, which is how they come back from such steep collapses over and over again," said Sam McClatchie, supervisory oceanographer at NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, Calif., and first author of the paper. "That doesn't change the fact that these species may remain at very low levels for periods long enough to have very real consequences for the people and wildlife who count on them," he said. Former University of Michigan graduate student Karla Knudsen, left, and former U-M undergraduate Athena Eyster sample deep-sea sediment collected in 2009 with a coring device beneath the Santa Barbara Channel in California. The sediments were used in a fish-scale analysis. Credit: Ingrid Hendy Downturns in sardine and anchovy linked to changing ocean conditions have contributed to the localized stranding of thousands of California sea lion pups in recent years. Scientists traced the historic abundance of sardine, anchovy and hake by examining deposits of their scales collected on the floor of the Santa Barbara Channel from A.D. 1000 to 1500. While previous studies had shown that forage fish exhibited collapses prior to commercial fishing, the new research used methods developed by climatologists to examine the frequency and duration of the fluctuation in finer detail. "The Mediterranean climate of California, with wet winters and dry summers, produces a sediment layer we can pull apart like pages in a book," said U-M paleoceanographer and study co-author Ingrid Hendy. "Although these sediments have been studied before, we are using new technology to examine them in unprecedented detail." Hendy and members of her lab collected the California sediments in 2009 using a coring device that allowed them to sample large portions of the sea floor beneath the Santa Barbara Channel. Hendy is an associate professor in the U-M Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. In the lab, fish scales from the core were identified under a binocular dissecting microscope by comparing them to reference specimens from the U-M Museum of Zoology collection. Anchovies in the collection were bought at the San Pedro Fish Market, near Long Beach, Calif., in 1922. The sardines came from Barkley Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, and were collected in 1933. The fish-scale analysis was performed by former U-M undergraduate Alexandra Skrivanek, who is now a graduate student at the University of Florida. Hendy's lab has also helped to advance techniques used to date the layers within marine sediment cores. Those advances involve improved radiocarbon dating of organic materials in the sediments and better ways to count the annual layers, Hendy said. From left to right: Former University of Michigan undergraduate Athena Eyster, former U-M graduate student Karla Knudsen, Ingrid Hendy and former U-M graduate student Meghan Wagner examine a sediment core collected in the Santa Barbara Channel, California, in 2009. Credit: Arndt Schimmelmann The scientists described a collapse as a drop below 10 percent of the average peak in fish populations, as estimated from the paleorecord. Anchovy took an average of eight years to recover from a collapse, while sardine and hake took an average of 22 years. The record also showed that sardine and anchovy fluctuated synchronously over the 500-year study period. Combined collapses may compound the impact on predators and the fishery, the scientists said. The finding runs counter to suggestions that the two species' cycles alternate. Sardine and anchovy have at times been the most heavily harvested fish off Southern California in terms of volume. Hake, also known as Pacific whiting, spawn off California but are harvested in large volumes off the Pacific Northwest and Canada. The new study concludes these forage fish are well-suited to variable fishing rates that target the species in times of abundance, "while recognizing that mean persistence of fishable populations is one to two decades, and that switching to other target species will become a necessity." Collapses last, on average, "too long for the industry to simply wait out the return of the forage fish." The study authors concluded that "well-designed reserve thresholds" and adjustable harvest rates help protect the forage species, the fishery and nonhuman predators for the long term. However, they added that "reserve thresholds only protect the seed stock for recovery, and cannot prevent collapses from occurring." More information: S. McClatchie et al. Collapse and recovery of forage fish populations prior to commercial exploitation, Geophysical Research Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1002/2016GL071751 Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters Plants are capable of producing powerful movement that is initiated at the molecular level. This fast motion is often supported by helix-based architectures, for example in vetches or orchids that spread seeds by explosive opening of their pods. Researchers now demonstrate in the journal Angewandte Chemie that these biological strategies can be re-engineered by interfacing molecular switches with man-made materials. Inspired by the evolutionary strategies that support the movement of plants, the team headed by Stephen P. Fletcher at the University of Oxford (UK) and Nathalie Katsonis at the University of Twente (Enschede, Netherlands) joined together two strips of liquid-crystal elastomers into a pod-like casing. Light-triggered re-arrangement (isomerization) of a "molecular switch" incorporated in the material drives the twisting of the two valves in opposing directions, until the casing bursts open from strain. "This is a man-made material in which the collective action of molecular switches produces powerful movement at the macroscale", says Katsonis. "A slow and continuous movement will produce work over a large period of time, hence it offers low power density. If you confine work over a short period of time, you get more power." With this plant-like molecular device the scientists demonstrate that it is possible to program molecular materials to perform complex tasks. Says Katsonis: "Ultimately and in the long term we hope that life-like materials could promote a transition towards adaptive, energy efficient, and sustainable materials." The design of the pods involves cross-linked liquid crystals, because they are capable of directional (anisotropic) shape transformation. Using a two-step photo-polymerization process, the researchers created a thin film of liquid-crystal elastomer consisting of bars with alternating low and high ordered liquid-crystalline states. Then, strips are cut out of this film. When irradiated with UV light, the molecular switches integrated in the elastomer isomerize from their straight to their bent form. This causes the highly ordered bars to shrink along their long axismuch more than the disordered bars do, resulting in a difference in length between the bars. The angle at which the film is cut determines what happens macroscopically: strips cut at 0 or 90 to the long axis bend without a twist when irradiated. Cuts at 45 or 135 result in helical strips that wind under illuminationwith opposite directions of twist. The researchers brought two mirror-image strips together. Under irradiation, the pod bends along its long axis, then forms a tube along its transverse axis, in which the mirror-image helices work against each other and strain accumulates, until the pod pops open from stress. "The accumulation of strain in tubular architectures is an elegant engineering strategy that is common in nature, and here it allows to amplify the action of a few dynamic molecules, and transforms it into powerful movement." Provided by Wiley This artist's concept illustrates a close-up view of a cool brown dwarf. Objects like this, drifting just beyond our solar system, have been imaged by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and could be discovered by Backyard Worlds: Planet 9. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA is inviting the public to help search for possible undiscovered worlds in the outer reaches of our solar system and in neighboring interstellar space. A new website, called Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, lets everyone participate in the search by viewing brief movies made from images captured by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. The movies highlight objects that have gradually moved across the sky. "There are just over four light-years between Neptune and Proxima Centauri, the nearest star, and much of this vast territory is unexplored," said lead researcher Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Because there's so little sunlight, even large objects in that region barely shine in visible light. But by looking in the infrared, WISE may have imaged objects we otherwise would have missed." WISE scanned the entire sky between 2010 and 2011, producing the most comprehensive survey at mid-infrared wavelengths currently available. With the completion of its primary mission, WISE was shut down in 2011. It was then reactivated in 2013 and given a new mission assisting NASA's efforts to identify potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs), which are asteroids and comets on orbits that bring them into the vicinity of Earth's orbit. The mission was renamed the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). The new website uses the data to search for unknown objects in and beyond our own solar system. In 2016, astronomers at Caltech in Pasadena, California, showed that several distant solar system objects possessed orbital features indicating they were affected by the gravity of an as-yet-undetected planet, which the researchers nicknamed "Planet Nine." If Planet Ninealso known as Planet Xexists and is as bright as some predictions, it could show up in WISE data. Join the search for new worlds in the outer reaches of our solar system and in nearby interstellar space at Backyard Worlds: Planet 9. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab/Krystofer D.J. Kim The search also may discover more distant objects like brown dwarfs, sometimes called failed stars, in nearby interstellar space. "Brown dwarfs form like stars but evolve like planets, and the coldest ones are much like Jupiter," said team member Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "By using Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, the public can help us discover more of these strange rogue worlds." Unlike more distant objects, those in or closer to the solar system appear to move across the sky at different rates. The best way to discover them is through a systematic search of moving objects in WISE images. While parts of this search can be done by computers, machines are often overwhelmed by image artifacts, especially in crowded parts of the sky. These include brightness spikes associated with star images and blurry blobs caused by light scattered inside WISE's instruments. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 relies on human eyes because we easily recognize the important moving objects while ignoring the artifacts. It's a 21st-century version of the technique astronomer Clyde Tombaugh used to find Pluto in 1930, a discovery made 87 years ago this week. A previously cataloged brown dwarf named WISE 0855?0714 shows up as a moving orange dot (upper left) in this loop of WISE images spanning five years. By viewing movies like this, anyone can help discover more of these objects. Credit: NASA/WISE On the website, people around the world can work their way through millions of "flipbooks," which are brief animations showing how small patches of the sky changed over several years. Moving objects flagged by participants will be prioritized by the science team for follow-up observations by professional astronomers. Participants will share credit for their discoveries in any scientific publications that result from the project. "Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 has the potential to unlock once-in-a-century discoveries, and it's exciting to think they could be spotted first by a citizen scientist," said team member Aaron Meisner, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in analyzing WISE images. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 is a collaboration between NASA, UC Berkeley, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Arizona State University, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and Zooniverse, a collaboration of scientists, software developers and educators who collectively develop and manage citizen science projects on the internet. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages and operates WISE for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The WISE mission was selected competitively under NASA's Explorers Program managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center. The science instrument was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah. The spacecraft was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colorado. Science operations and data processing take place at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. A view of the crevasse field downstream of the section of the firn aquifer that Kristin Poinar studied. Water is not visible in the crevasses, because meltwater doesn't enter them until about 40 feet below the surface, where the firn aquifer lies. Credit: Clement Miege, University of Utah Cracks in the Greenland Ice Sheet let one of its aquifers drain to the ocean, new NASA research finds. The aquifers, discovered only recently, are unusual in that they trap large amounts of liquid water within the ice sheet. Until now, scientists did not know what happened to the water stored away in this reservoirthe discovery will help fine tune computer models of Greenland's contribution to sea level rise. "This paper illuminates the fate of the aquifer's water," said Kristin Poinar, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Before, we didn't know if the water froze inside the ice sheet or reemerged onto the ice surface. In either of those scenarios, the meltwater would not contribute to sea level rise." Now, using a new computer model that tests whether certain meltwater-filled cracks can fracture to the base of the ice sheet, Poinar and her colleagues have shown that the meltwater does reach the ocean. Greenland contributes water to the sea mainly through surface melt and ice flow. Studies have shown that surface melt has increased in recent decades. In western Greenland, so much surface melts forms that it creates a network of rivers and lakes, which drain through the ice to the underlying bedrock, from where water flows to the ocean. But southeast Greenland is very different - lakes and rivers do not form, although the ice does melt. Instead, vast reservoirs of water become trapped within the firn layer (a band of compacted snow). In 2011, scientists discovered these aquifers around 40 feet (12 meters) beneath the surface of the ice. Researchers calculated that these firn aquifers cover around 8,455 square miles (21,900 square kilometers) of Greenland and hold a Lake Tahoe-sized volume of water. The aquifer remains liquid year-round because the region's heavy snow fall creates a thick blanket that insulates the aquifer from the freezing air temperatures above. New NASA research found that large crevasses in Greenlands Helheim Glacier provide aquifer water with a clear escape to the ocean. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Kathryn Mersmann "These firn aquifers are the analogs to the surface water that we can see in western Greenland," Poinar said. "Southeast Greenland is perpetually covered in snow and has hardly any bare ice, so in the summer water doesn't pool up like it does on bare ice in western Greenland, forming lakes and rivers; instead, it percolates downward and disappears into places where we can't see it." Poinar studied a segment of the aquifer located in the Helheim Glacier area in southeast Greenland, where ground-penetrating radar measurements collected by Operation IceBridge, NASA's aerial survey of changes in polar ice, showed that a 2-mile long section of the aquifer had drained a large volume of water between the spring of 2012 and the spring of 2013. Directly downstream of this section of the aquifer, the researchers identified a field of crevasses (cracks in the ice); due to gravity, they thought, the aquifer water should flow into these openings. To find out whether the water refroze within the crevasses or fractured all the way to the bedrock, Poinar built a computer model of how water from the firn aquifer widens, deepens, and refreezes within the cracks. The model demonstrated that the water makes the crevasses crack faster than the water can refreeze, thus allowing the meltwater to reach the bedrock in a matter of weeks to months. "There's a limit to how much water the crevasses can hold; once they reach that limit, they fracture to the base of the ice sheet and deliver that water to the bed, from where it can travel relatively quickly to the ocean," Poinar said. "We found that the volume of meltwater drained through this particular aquifer-crevasse field system is comparable to what comes out of a western Greenland supraglacial lake or river system." Helheim Glacier in southeast Greenland is visible during an Operation IceBridge flight on Sept. 11, 2016. Credit: NASA/John Sonntag Poinar said that although her study is focused on a specific section of the aquifer, there are other areas in southeast Greenland that are likely to host similar combinations of firn aquifers and nearby crevasse fields. She said that her future work will focus on how this newly discovered drainage system integrates over the entire Greenland ice sheet, and also on measuring how the water drained from the aquifer lubricates the bedrock and impacts the flow of the ice sheet. "Kristin's finding is a key component in understanding the importance of the firn aquifer system," said Rick Forster, a glaciologist at the University of Utah who was part of the field team that discovered the aquifer in 2011. "Her model shows that water is getting to the bed, and that adds a whole different level of significance to how that storage of water might affect changes in sea level rise in the future." More information: Kristin Poinar et al. Drainage of Southeast Greenland Firn Aquifer Water through Crevasses to the Bed, Frontiers in Earth Science (2017). DOI: 10.3389/feart.2017.00005 Penguins at a California aquarium got more than their daily helping of fish to celebrate Valentine's Day. Biologist Piper Dwight handed out red hearts to 14 African penguins at the California Academy of Sciences during a feeding Monday. Visitors took photos of the animals grabbing the hearts in their beaks and waddling around their enclosure. Some even fought over the thick felt hearts that can withstand water and are adorned with messages such as "You are the water beneath my wings." The penguins will use them to decorate their nests. Vikki McCloskey, assistant curator of the museum's Steinhart Aquarium, says it will encourage breeding and bonding by penguin couples. She says male penguins in the wild attract a mate by making nests "look pretty nice." The annual Valentine's event promotes conservation efforts for endangered African penguins. 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. University of Toronto physics researchers Edwin (Weng Kian) Tham and Hugo Ferretti prepare to run a test in their quest to beat Rayleigh's Curse, by tapping into previously neglected properties of light. Credit: Diana Tyszko/University of Toronto University of Toronto (U of T) researchers have demonstrated a way to increase the resolution of microscopes and telescopes beyond long-accepted limitations by tapping into previously neglected properties of light. The method allows observers to distinguish very small or distant objects that are so close together they normally meld into a single blur. Telescopes and microscopes are great for observing lone subjects. Scientists can precisely detect and measure a single distant star. The longer they observe, the more refined their data becomes. But objects like binary stars don't work the same way. That's because even the best telescopes are subject to laws of physics that cause light to spread out or "diffract." A sharp pinpoint becomes an ever-so-slightly blurry dot. If two stars are so close together that their blurs overlap, no amount of observation can separate them out. Their individual information is irrevocably lost. More than 100 years ago, British physicist John William Strutt - better known as Lord Rayleigh - established the minimum distance between objects necessary for a telescope to pick out each individually. The "Rayleigh Criterion" has stood as an inherent limitation of the field of optics ever since. Telescopes, though, only register light's "intensity" or brightness. Light has other properties that now appear to allow one to circumvent the Rayleigh Criterion. "To beat Rayleigh's curse, you have to do something clever," says Professor Aephraim Steinberg, a physicist at U of T's Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control, and Senior Fellow in the Quantum Information Science program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. He's the lead author of a paper published today in the journal Physical Review Letters. Some of these clever ideas were recognized with the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, notes Steinberg, but those methods all still rely on intensity only, limiting the situations in which they can be applied. "We measured another property of light called 'phase.' And phase gives you just as much information about sources that are very close together as it does those with large separations." Light travels in waves, and all waves have a phase. Phase refers to the location of a wave's crests and troughs. Even when a pair of close-together light sources blurs into a single blob, information about their individual wave phases remains intact. You just have to know how to look for it. This realization was published by National University of Singapore researchers Mankei Tsang, Ranjith Nair, and Xiao-Ming Lu last year in Physical Review X, and Steinberg's and three other experimental groups immediately set about devising a variety of ways to put it into practice. "We tried to come up with the simplest thing you could possibly do," Steinberg says. "To play with the phase, you have to slow a wave down, and light is actually easy to slow down." His team, including PhD students Edwin (Weng Kian) Tham and Huge Ferretti, split test images in half. Light from each half passes through glass of a different thickness, which slows the waves for different amounts of time, changing their respective phases. When the beams recombine, they create distinct interference patterns that tell the researchers whether the original image contained one object or two - at resolutions well beyond the Rayleigh Criterion. So far, Steinberg's team has tested the method only in artificial situations involving highly restrictive parameters. "I want to be cautious - these are early stages," he says. "In our laboratory experiments, we knew we just had one spot or two, and we could assume they had the same intensity. That's not necessarily the case in the real world. But people are already taking these ideas and looking at what happens when you relax those assumptions." The advance has potential applications both in observing the cosmos, and also in microscopy, where the method can be used to study bonded molecules and other tiny, tight-packed structures. Regardless of how much phase measurements ultimately improve imaging resolution, Steinberg says the experiment's true value is in shaking up physicists' concept of "where information actually is." Steinberg's "day job" is in quantum physics - this experiment was a departure for him. He says work in the quantum realm provided key philosophical insights about information itself that helped him beat Rayleigh's Curse. "When we measure quantum states, you have something called the Uncertainty Principle, which says you can look at position or velocity, but not both. You have to choose what you measure. Now we're learning that imaging is more like quantum mechanics than we realized," he says. "When you only measure intensity, you've made a choice and you've thrown out information. What you learn depends on where you look." A dingo pup on Evelyn Downs station, South Australia. Credit: Arian Wallach A unique study into the impact of predator-friendly farming practices on an Australian cattle station gives an inside view into the causes of livestock mortality over a two-year period. The UTS-led research team found that husbandry practices, not dingoes, were most likely the primary cause of preventable deaths for cattle on Evelyn Downs, an extensive landholding in the north of South Australia. The study concludes that protecting dingoes and improving husbandry practices, such as dam maintenance, is likely to increase survival and welfare of cattle significantly, as well as improve economic outcomes on large stations. UTS researcher Dr Arian Wallach and Adam O'Neill from the Dingo for Biodiversity Project spent two years managing Evelyn Downs as a predator-friendly property where the killing of wildlife and carrying of guns was banned. Dingoes were also proactively protected through the maintenance of bores which gave the animals uninterrupted access to water. "Stopping dingo deaths on Evelyn Downs did not result in high or increasing predation rates the main cause of deaths was the drying of silted dams," Dr Wallach, a Chancellor's postdoctoral research fellow in the UTS Centre for Compassionate Conservation, said. "Our results are in line with other studies from around the world that show killing predators for livestock protection is generally unnecessary and counterproductive." Dr Wallach said the dingo (Canis dingo), Australia's apex predator, lives in extended families led by a single breeding pair. "When you kill socially complex species like dingoes you disrupt their social groups which increases reproductive rates and movement between territories. Our research shows that when you end lethal control, particularly on the vast stations of the Australian arid zone, it's possible to reduce livestock losses as the predator's social structure stabilises," she said. The research is published in a special edition on predator control in the Journal of Mammalogy where an interdisciplinary group of wildlife biologists and social scientists present new evidence on the impact of predator-friendly farming practices. As well as the research on dingoes, the feature edition includes and analysis of a seven-year program that successfully minimised wolf-sheep conflict in America using non-lethal methods, and a study providing evidence of the growing intolerance among Americans for lethal control of predators. "Large predators are declining worldwide primarily due to hunting and persecution by humans, driven in large part by the livestock industry," Dr Wallach said. "We hope this research provides a platform for more informed debate around dingo eradication programs and ways to improve the environmental and ethical standards of meat production." More information: Abstracts of the six papers in the Special Feature can be read at the journal website: academic.oup.com/jmammal/issue/98/1 Journal information: Journal of Mammalogy The shell of the new species, Gastrocopta sharae, seen under a light microscope (left) and under a scanning electron microscope (right). Credit: Dr. Rodrigo B. Salvador Focused on terrestrial gastropods, more commonly known as land snails, a joint team of biologists from the Natural History Museum of Stuttgart, Germany and the Zoology Museum of Sao Paulo, Brazil, have been researching the Brazilian caves. In their latest paper, published in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, the scientists describe the fauna from several caves in central Brazil, including a new tiny species named after a character from the popular fantasy tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. The team of Dr. Rodrigo Salvador, Daniel Cavallari and Dr. Luiz Simone encountered a rich assembly of species, several of which measured as much as a few millimetres. However, apart from filling important gaps in the knowledge of these tropical animals, they went even further, having discovered a land snail new to science. While it is not uncommon for studies dealing with the invertebrate fauna to end up describing new species, this minute mollusc (nearly 2 mm in length) attracted extra attention. The team which discovered the mollusc has named it Gastrocopta sharae, after Shar, the goddess of darkness, caverns and secrets in Dungeons & Dragons. "It's a fitting name for a tiny snail that lives hidden in the dark recesses of a cavern," explain the authors. "If your knowledge of mythological beings seems to have failed you, do not fret. Usually biologists tend to honour Greek and Roman deities when naming species, but the goddess Shar has a more colourful background. She is from Dungeons & Dragons, the most famous role-playing game in the world, currently in its 5th edition and a staple of geek culture." Nevertheless, this is not the first time that Dungeons & Dragons has been immortalised in a species' scientific name. In 2014, the very same team described another tiny snail, this time, one with a taste for deep waters, specifically those of the Atlantic Ocean. The scientists named it Halystina umberlee, after another Dungeons & Dragons goddess - Umberlee, who commands the harshness and perils of the sea. The tropical snails are still poorly understood, although they are one of the most threatened animal groups - both by human activities and environmental changes. Moreover, since cave-dwelling invertebrates, in general, receive scarce attention from researchers, it should come as no surprise that cave-dwelling snails are even less known. "Getting to know the fauna inhabiting each cavern is a demanding task, but a much-needed one," note the researchers. "Caverns are known to have very fragile ecosystems and several lack proper protection, so works like ours are an important step for conservation efforts." More information: RODRIGO B. SALVADOR et al, Seguenziidae (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda) from SE Brazil collected by the Marion Dufresne (MD55) expedition, Zootaxa (2014). DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3878.6.2 Journal information: Zootaxa A composite image shows the Gaia spacecraft against a backdrop of the Milky Way Galaxy. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab; background image: ESO/S. Brunier Using a novel method and data from the Gaia space telescope, astronomers from the University of Toronto have estimated that the speed of the Sun as it orbits the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy is approximately 240 kilometres per second. In turn, they have used that result to calculate that the Sun is approximately 7.9 kiloparsecs from the Galaxy's centreor almost twenty-six thousand light-years. Using data from the Gaia space telescope and the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) survey, Jason Hunt and his colleagues determined the velocities of over 200,000 stars relative to the Sun. Hunt is a Dunlap Fellow at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto. The collaborators found an unsurprising distribution of relative velocities: there were stars moving slower, faster and at the same rate as the Sun. But they also found a shortage of stars with a Galactic orbital velocity of approximately 240 kilometres per second slower than the Sun's. The astronomers concluded that the missing stars had been stars with zero angular momentum; i.e. they had not been circling the Galaxy like the Sun and the other stars in the Milky Way Galaxy; "Stars with very close to zero angular momentum would have plunged towards the Galactic centre where they would be strongly affected by the extreme gravitational forces present there," says Hunt. "This would scatter them into chaotic orbits taking them far above the Galactic plane and away from the Solar neighbourhood." "By measuring the velocity with which nearby stars rotate around our Galaxy with respect to the Sun," says Hunt, "we can observe a lack of stars with a specific negative relative velocity. And because we know this dip corresponds to 0 km/sec, it tells us, in turn, how fast we are moving." Hunt and his colleagues then combined this finding with the proper motion of the supermassive blackhole known as Sagittarius A* ("A-star") that lies at the centre of the Galaxy to calculate the 7.9 kiloparsec distance. Proper motion is the motion of an object across the sky relative to distant background objects. They calculated the distance in the same way a cartographer triangulates the distance to a terrestrial landmark by observing it from two different positions a known distance apart. The result was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters in December 2016. The method was first used by Hunt's co-author, current chair of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, Prof. Ray Calberg, and Carlberg's collaborator, Prof. Kimmo Innanen. But the result Carlberg and Innanen arrived at was based on less than 400 stars. Gaia is creating a dynamic, three-dimensional map of the Milky Way Galaxy by measuring the distances, positions and proper motion of stars. Hunt and his colleagues based their work on the initial data release from Gaia which included hundreds of thousands of stars. By the end of its 5 year mission, the space mission will have mapped well over 1 billion stars. The velocity and distance results are not significantly more accurate than other measurements. But according to Hunt, "Gaia's final release in late 2017 should enable us to increase the precision of our measurement of the Sun's velocity to within approximately one km/sec, which in turn will significantly increase the accuracy of our measurement of our distance from the Galactic centre." More information: Jason A. S. Hunt et al. DETECTION OF A DEARTH OF STARS WITH ZERO ANGULAR MOMENTUM IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD, The Astrophysical Journal (2016). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8205/832/2/L25 Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Letters , Astrophysical Journal - Governor Nyesom Wike berates APC leaders for allegedly straining the peace in Rivers state - Wike accuses the APC leaders of desperately playing anti-Rivers politics with the visit of Yemi Osinbajo to Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike accuses APC leaders in Rivers state of trying to derail the Visit of Yemi Osinbajo. Governor Nyesom Wike of River state has blasted the minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state for organising another stakeholders meeting with acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, a day after the town hall meeting held in government house. READ ALSO: Federal government promises to employ Niger Delta youths involved in illegal oil refinig Wike in an address to former APC members who defected to PDP in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, February 14, said the meeting which was organised by the leaders of the APC in the state was aimed at straining the peace in the state. The governor, in a statement by his special assistant on electronic media, Simeon Nwakaudu, accused the APC leaders of desperately playing anti-Rivers politics with the visit of Yemi Osinbajo. He said: "Satan will never sleep. Satan will always be at work. Satan always wants to turn light into darkness. When we held the stakeholders meeting, even the Minister of Transportation was there. But as a you know, a chameleon will always be a chameleon. When you see agents of Lucifer you will know. Just because the Acting President slept in Rivers State and went round our projects, then confirmed that this man is Mr Projects, they suddenly became troubled." READ ALSO: CAN confers Governor Wike with 'Apostle of Peace' award (PHOTOS) "Agents of Lucifer in trying to cause confusion, persuaded the Acting President that there will be need for him to talk to APC Members. I have no problems with that. Mr Acting President is a member of the APC. But governance is governance. When they got there, they renamed the APC meeting as stakeholders meeting. Shame , shame." Wike asked the APC leaders in the state to go for psychiatric test. The governor said that he will continue to play mature politics, unlike the era of Rotimi Amaechi when he repeatedly desecrated the office of the president, refusing to accord Goodluck Jonathan the respect due his office. In other news, the Rivers state government has traced the black soot polluting the atmosphere of Port Harcourt and its environs to a Chinese construction company, named CGC. According to a statement Commissioner of Information, Dr Austin Tam-George, the company has been shutdown by the Rivers State Task Force on the Black Soot. A statement by Tam-George on Saturday, February 11 read: "This is to inform the public that a Chinese construction company, named CGC, located on the Obirikwere-Airport Link Road has been shut down on Friday, the 10th of February, 2017, by the Rivers State Task Force on the Black Soot." The government said all the directors of the company will be prosecuted according to the law. Source: Legit.ng Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether Read more Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Monday he stood firm against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "crimes", at an event marking the anniversary of his father's assassination that he has blamed on Damascus. Hariri, whose father Rafiq Hariri was killed along with 22 other people in a February 14, 2005 bomb blast on the Beirut seafront, was appointed prime minister in November for a second time, under an arrangement struck with the pro-Syrian Shiite group Hezbollah. "We negotiated and we made compromises to preserve stability" in Lebanon, he said in an address to a packed hall in Beirut. "We have not made, and will not make, any compromise on principles such as the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, on our point of view on Assad's regime, our stand on illegitimate arms and on Hezbollah's implication in Syria," he said to loud applause. The Hague-based tribunal is responsible for trying Rafiq Hariri's assassination. Saad Hariri and his allies demand the disarmament of Hezbollah and its withdrawal from Syria where the Shiite group that also forms part of the Lebanese government has been battling alongside Assad's forces. Hezbollah, the only group not to have disarmed in the aftermath of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, insists its arsenal is essential to defend the country against Israel, with which it fought a devastating 2006 summer war. Five Hezbollah members have been accused by the international court of involvement in the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri, himself a former Lebanese premier. Both the Syrian government and Hezbollah have repeatedly denied involvement. Sgt. Kim Riley of the Indiana State police announces that two bodies have been found next to Deer Creek Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, east of Delphi, Ind. Riley said foul play is suspected, however, he would not say if the bodies were that of missing Delphi teens Liberty German and Abigail Williams, both 13. (John Terhune/Journal & Courier via AP) DELPHI, Ind. (AP) In a story Feb. 14 about the search for two missing girls, The Associated Press, relying on information from police, incorrectly reported that Liberty German was 13 years old. She was 14. A corrected version of the story is below: Bodies found amid search for 2 missing Indiana teens Police say foul play is suspected after two bodies were found along a northern Indiana creek during a search for two missing Carroll County teenagers DELPHI, Ind. (AP) Authorities suspect foul play after two bodies were found along a northern Indiana creek amid a search for two missing teenage girls, police said Tuesday. The bodies were found along Deer Creek about 1 mile east of Delphi, Indiana State Police Sgt. Kim Riley told a news conference. "We are investigating this as a crime scene," Riley said. "We suspect foul play." Riley said authorities haven't yet positively identified the bodies. He declined to comment on any injuries they might have suffered or to discuss the ages of the victims, but he said the search for the two missing girls had been scaled back significantly. Riley says the bodies were found Tuesday on the edge of the creek about three-quarters of a mile from an abandoned railroad bridge where the two girls, 14-year-old Liberty German and 13-year-old Abigail Williams, had been dropped off to go hiking Monday. They were reported missing hours later after they did not appear at a predetermined meeting place. Search parties scoured the base of the bridge, known locally as the Monon High Bridge, and surrounding trails Monday night, but darkness made it nearly impossible, Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby said. Riley declined to disclose who found the bodies. Delphi Police Chief Steve Mullins said the discovery of the bodies and search for the girls has shocked the community about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. "I know it's had a terrible effect on our people and we are grieved this sort of thing would happen here in our community," Mullins told the news conference. Burundi's government affirmed Tuesday it will shun peace talks with opposition figures planned for later this week in Tanzania, dragging out a political crisis that has stretched for over a year. The talks are intended to resolve deadly political violence that has rocked the tiny central Africa nation for over a year, killing at least 500 people. Violence erupted when President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term in office in April 2015. At least 300,000 people have fled the country. Mediator Benjamin Mkapa, a former Tanzanian president, has invited "a group of 33 key figures" comprising on one side the government and its allies, and on the other side, their opponents, an African diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity. The talks are scheduled to take place Thursday through Saturday in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha. Mkapa is hoping to finally tackle "substantive issues" at the core of the conflict, notably Nkurunziza's third term, and the "creation of a national unity government", the diplomat said. But the government refuses to sit down with members of the umbrella opposition group -- the National Council for the Restoration of Arusha Agreement and Rule of Law (CNARED) -- and a major civil society movement. "The CNARED is an organisation not recognised by Burundian law and which includes individuals sought by Burundian justice," Willy Nyamitwe, presidential spokesman and also a member of the government delegation, told AFP. "It is therefore clear that inviting them to take part in any process of dialogue is an insult that cannot be accepted by the government," he said. Nyamitwe added that the government peace delegation would refuse to engage with CNARED or UN mediator Jamal Benomar. It is not clear however whether the government intends to skip the talks altogether. The Burundi regime has previously described CNARED as a "terrorist organisation". The CNARED said it would also not participate. However, it added that it would "send a delegation to Arusha to see Mkapa and go over one or two details before reaching a final decision on the matter," one of its leaders told AFP on condition of anonymity. The so-called inter-Burundi dialogue has repeatedly run into snags and Tuesday's statement by the government is only the latest glitch. In December, the opposition accused Mkapa of siding with the government by accepting it as "legitimate". "I am in no position to determine the legitimacy of the government of Burundi. Elections were held, court cases were raised ... and they all said this is a legitimate process which has come to a legitimate conclusion," he said. A critically endangered species of antelope is dying by the thousands from a deadly infectious disease outbreak in Mongolia, and scientists fear there could be "catastrophic consequences" for the threatened animals and their ecosystem. Since December 2016, about 2,500 Mongolian saiga (Saiga tatarica mongolica) a unique subspecies of saiga antelope have died from a livestock virus. Scientists estimate the Mongolian saiga population to be about 10,000, meaning the deadly outbreak has killed about 25 percent of the endangered steppe-dwelling antelope. The virus, known as PPR or peste des petits ruminants, was introduced to the Mongolian saiga population in September, from infected goats and sheep, scientists said. Though the die-off rate has slowed, it could have repercussions throughout the local environment, said Amanda Fine, a veterinarian and associate director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) Wildlife Health Program in Asia. [Photos: A 2015 Mass Die-Off of the Endangered Saiga Antelope] "The situation is tragic and widespread," Fine said in a statement. "Along with the impact to the saiga population, this event has the potential to produce cascading catastrophic consequences on the ecosystem. For example, ibex and argali may be affected, and rare snow leopards may suffer the effects of a diminished prey base." PPR, which is also known as sheep and goat plague, is highly contagious and can infect up to 90 percent of an animal herd once introduced, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The disease is spread via body fluids, feces and close proximity, and symptoms include fever, anorexia, diffuclty breathing and more. After just a few days affected animals become depressed, very weak, and severely dehydrated, according to the FAO. The FAO and the World Organization for Animal Health are working to eradicate PPR by 2030, but the disease is known to have infected animal populations in more than 70 countries. Story continues In Mongolia, a rapid-response team has begun collecting samples from the dead and diseased saiga in an effort to stop the spread of infection and determine how to support the species' recovery. "The best way to prevent PPR is through further immunization of livestock in not only saiga range areas, but [also] other affected-species range areas," Fine said. "Stress-free conditions for recovering saiga and access to food and water resources should be provided in order to save the last population of Mongolian saiga from extinction." The saiga face other threats aside from illness. People use the antelope's horns in traditional medicine, making the animals vulnerable to poaching. More than 90 percent of the saiga population has been lost in recent decades, according to WCS officials. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations SOLOLA, Guatemala (AP) The law works as it has for centuries in the Guatemalan indigenous community of Solola: Townsfolk bring grievances and local authorities make rulings, usually with a speed unheard of in a country where justice is often delayed, if it comes at all. At one recent weekly court session, Maria Micaela Panjoc, baby in arms, came with a request for paternity payments. Others sought help with land disputes. Andres Xelp wanted the judges to force his son to move back home. The generally non-partisan leaders of local Mayan communities hear the cases, trying to find quick resolutions when they can and sometimes passing cases over to formal prosecutors when they cannot as in the case of a young woman speaking the Kaqchikel language who said she'd been raped. The Solola court alone handled 3,000 cases last year. For generations, outsiders have looked down on indigenous law courts, as they have on the native cultures themselves. Some 40 percent of Guatemala's 17 million people identify themselves as indigenous and they are pushing for wider respect for the traditional ways in which their cultures deal with their differences, though opposition remains strong within the country's non-indigenous communities. Guatemala's Constitutional Court already has accepted some rulings by indigenous courts and there's a move to formally amend the country's constitution to recognize them. An earlier measure to do that came two votes short in congress, with opposition coming from conservatives and from business interests that said they feared legal confusion if different systems co-exist. Members of congress were scheduled to discuss the proposed constitutional amendment to recognize indigenous justice as part of the country's judicial system, but on Wednesday they put off the debate for a week after no consensus emerged among the political parties. At least 105 of 158 legislators must approve the proposal for it to pass. Story continues The idea has gained support from national Attorney General Thelma Aldana, as well as Ivan Velaszuqez, who heads the U.N. Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala that has been assisting in corruption investigations in the country. "Guatemala has to be a place where all its inhabitants belong," said Velazquez, who visited Solola to view the court process. The formal legal system has often exploited or ignored indigenous Guatemalans, who were legally required to perform forced labor well into the 20th century and who generally found it nearly impossible to pay for lawyers. Even now, only 10 percent of the country's townships have prosecutors' offices. In Solola, Mayor Tomas Saloj presided over hearings in a town hall decorated with the 20 figures representing the Mayan calendar 20 days per month, 18 months per year. On the table that served as the judge's bench were a candle and a glass of water, an invitation for the wisdom of dead ancestors to enter. Punishments can include restitution, community labor, banishment or whippings: Two braided leather whips hang in the Solola town hall as a reminder. Agustin Bocel, a town spokesman, recalled a case of attempted rape in which the attacker was sentenced to nine lashes of a whip at the insistence of his own mother, one for each month she carried him, to remind him of the shame he caused her. Bocel said the man has never caused problems again. Tomas Guarcas, the mayor of nearby Pixabaj, defended the practice. "Whipping is a punishment that is like educating children, without violating human rights," he said, adding that the punishment is usually applied by "by one of the offender's relatives, the mother, father or in-laws." Indigenous Congressman Amilcar Pop said the use of floggings is increasingly discouraged, however. "This type of mechanism is something that has to be controlled and avoided," Pop said. Aldana, the attorney general, said she sees no contradiction between the indigenous system and the formal courts. The indigenous courts, she said, "have helped maintain the peace" and helped "reduce pressure on the regular justice system and its budget." Victoria Chuj is one of just three women among the 71 mayors in the province of Solola, of which the town of Solola is part. She carries her wooden staff the badge of her authority, decorated with four tokens representing the four directions with pride. "The staff has to be good and straight so that, like justice, it cannot be bent," Chuj said. BEIRUT (AP) The U.N. envoy to Syria says negotiating a political transition for the war-torn country will be the sole item on the agenda for upcoming talks between the government and opposition in Geneva. Staffan De Mistura emphatically rejected any change to the agenda, saying it would open a "Pandora's box" of stalling and time-wasting. "Geneva will not be about the procedure, but about the future," he told reporters in joint press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, in Rome. The envoy said the agenda is fixed in U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254, which mandates a new form of governance for Syria, a new constitution, and new elections. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the Security Council in 2015. The Syrian government has previously rejected such formulations, complicating efforts aimed at ending the conflict. The government holds the upper hand in Syria more than a year after a sweeping Russian intervention turned the tide of the nearly six-year war in its favor. The envoy urged the opposition to present a unified front at Geneva, in order to deprive the government of the "alibi" that it doesn't know who the opposition is. The Geneva talks, slated for Feb. 23, are expected to bring together representatives from President Bashar Assad's government with exiled opposition figures and rebels fighting inside Syria. But some of Syria's rebels say they won't begin negotiating a political settlement with the government until measures are taken to bolster a flagging cease-fire and address urgent humanitarian concerns. Mohammad Alloush, a rebel leader who is representing the opposition at talks this week in Kazakhstan, said he will insist on discussing the Dec. 30 cease-fire. The talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, are intended to pave the way for next week's revival of the Geneva process, which has been on hold since last April. The Kazakhstan talks are brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the war and have taken the lead with peace efforts since December. The Syrian government delegation met with the Russian delegation in Astana on Wednesday, Syrian state TV reported. Story continues Russia and Iran, close allies of President Bashar Assad, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, previously pledged to enforce the cease-fire, but both sides have alleged repeated violations. A round of talks in Astana last month ended inconclusively. The rebels say they are awaiting a reply from Russia to a list of requests concerning the observation and enforcement of the cease-fire. "The paper we presented on 23 January is the basis for talks today," Alloush told the AP by phone on his way to Astana. The Kazakhstan talks were supposed to begin Wednesday but were postponed by one day. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry did not give a reason for the delay. The Geneva talks are scheduled for Feb. 23. Syria's Foreign Ministry meanwhile rejected a Human Rights Watch report accusing government forces of mounting at least eight chemical attacks using chlorine gas on opposition-held residential areas during the final months in last year's battle for the northern city of Aleppo. The report was published on Monday. ___ Associated Press cameraman Gianfranco Stara in Rome and AP writer Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria contributed to this report. AFP News Pope Francis warned in Bahrain on Friday that "opposing blocs" and global divisions have put humanity on a "delicate precipice", a veiled reference to the Ukraine war. "We are living at a time when humanity, connected as never before, appears much more divided than united," he said during a speech to religious leaders in the Gulf kingdom. "We continue to find ourselves on the brink of a delicate precipice and we do not want to fall." Francis, who has made religious dialogue a pillar of his papacy, was speaking on the first full day of his trip to the tiny island state, where he arrived on Thursday afternoon. His visit comes with the Ukraine war in its ninth month, and tensions growing on the Korean Peninsula. In his speech on Friday, Francis warned that "a few potentates are caught up in a resolute struggle for partisan interests, reviving obsolete rhetoric, redesigning spheres of influence and opposing blocs." "Instead of cultivating our surroundings, we are playing instead with fire, missiles and bombs, weapons that bring sorrow and death, covering our common home with ashes and hatred," he said. Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo's prestigious Al-Azhar mosque and centre of Sunni learning, also addressed the gathering. Tayeb warned that "market economics, monopolisation of resources, greed and arms sales to the Third World" were "manufacturing victims of war". Ahead of the pope's speech, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in September, told journalists that there had been "a few small signs" of progress in negotiations with Moscow. "All peace initiatives are good. What's important is that we carry them out together and that they're not exploited for other goals," he said. The pontiff's 39th international trip since taking office comes three years after he signed a Muslim-Christian manifesto for peace in the United Arab Emirates during the first papal visit to the Gulf region, where Islam was born. The pope's visit to Bahrain has been shadowed by accusations of rights abuses, particularly against Shiites in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, allegations Manama rejects. On Thursday the pontiff criticised use of the death penalty and urged nations to respect human rights. cmk/par/ho/it FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2017 file photo, Seema Verma, left, then President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, gets on an elevator in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. Verma, President Trump's pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid consulted Vice President Mike Pence on health care issues while he was Indiana's governor, a post she maintained amid a web of business arrangements, including one that ethics experts say conflicted with her public duties. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci File) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) President Donald Trump's pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid advised Vice President Mike Pence on health care issues while he was Indiana's governor, a post she maintained amid a web of business arrangements including one that ethics experts say conflicted with her public duties. A review by The Associated Press found Seema Verma and her small Indianapolis-based firm made millions through consulting agreements with at least nine states while also working under contract for Hewlett Packard. The company holds a financial stake in the health care policies Verma's consulting work helped shape in Indiana and elsewhere. Her firm, SVC Inc., collected more than $6.6 million in consulting fees from the state of Indiana since 2011, records show. At the same time, records indicate she also received more than $1 million through a contract with Hewlett, the nation's largest operator of state Medicaid claims processing systems. Last year, her firm collected an additional $316,000 for work done for the state of Kentucky as a subcontractor for HP Enterprises, according to documents obtained by AP through public records requests. In financial disclosures posted this week, Verma reported she has an agreement to sell SVC Inc. to Health Management Associates of Lansing, Michigan, within 90 days of her confirmation. In a statement, a spokesman for Verma said there was no conflict of interest and added that she has the support of former officials who served with her under Pence. Her firm was "completely transparent in regards to its relationship with HP and that there was never a conflict of interest," spokesman Marcus Barlow said in a statement. A spokesman for Pence did not respond to a request for comment. Verma faces a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Thursday. Democrats in Washington are aware of many of her consulting arrangements, and have broader concerns about her philosophy about government entitlement programs, lack of background in Medicare and inexperience leading a large organization. Story continues As a trusted adviser to Pence, she had an office in the state government center and took on duties usually reserved for state administrators. Verma was also widely respected for her grasp on policy and designed a federal Medicaid waiver that allowed Pence to undertake his own conservative expansion of the program while still accepting money made available through the Affordable Care Act. Verma did not specifically address how she would handle decisions related to HP in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services that was released this week. The letter outlined her plan for managing potential conflicts of interest should she be confirmed by the Senate to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Her relationship with HP was first reported by the Indianapolis Star in 2014. Legal and ethics experts contacted by AP say Verma's work for Hewlett, and offshoot HP Enterprises, raised questions about where her loyalties lay to the company, or to state taxpayers. Richard Painter, former President George W. Bush's chief ethics lawyer, called Verma's arrangement a "conflict of interest" that "clearly should not happen and is definitely improper." Such arrangements are typically prohibited for rank-and-file state employees under Indiana's ethics rules and laws, but they're murkier when it comes to consulting work. Contractors have often replaced state employees in a GOP bid to drive down the number of public employees, distinctions between the two can be hard to discern. "She was cloaked with so much responsibility and so much authority, people thought she was a state employee," said Debra Minot, a former head of Indiana's Family and Social Services Agency under Pence who worked with Verma. Indiana University law professor David Orentlicher compared Verma's dual employment to an attorney who represents both the plaintiff and the defense in a lawsuit. It's also similar to federal contract negotiator with a side job for a company they regularly negotiate with, he said. "If you have one person on both sides of the negotiating, they can't negotiate hard for both sides," said Orentlicher, a former Indiana Democratic state lawmaker. There was at least one instance where Verma crossed the line in Indiana when she was dispatched by HP to help smooth over a billing dispute, said Minot. "It was never clear to me until that moment that she, in essence, was representing both the agency and one of our very key contractors," said Minot, who was removed as head of the agency by Pence over her disagreements with Verma. "It was just shocking to me that she could play both sides." State contracts show Verma's duties to Indiana and Hewlett have overlapped at times. One agreement she held with the state's social services agency required her to "provide technical assistance" to state contractors, as well as the governor's office. Another duty was "contract development and negotiation" with vendors, which included HP and HP Enterprises Verma reported her salary with SVC is $480,000 and her business income from the company as nearly $2.2 million. ___ Johnson reported from Chicago. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) Voting was underway for governor of the Indonesian capital after a divisive campaign in which the monumental problems facing Jakarta took a backseat to religious intolerance and racial bigotry. More than 13,000 polling places opened to accommodate the 7.1 million people eligible to vote. The election is one of dozens taking place Wednesday across Muslim-majority Indonesia. Incumbent Gov. Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, a minority Christian and ethnic Chinese, is vying against Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, who is the son of a former president, and Anies Rasyid Baswedan, a moderate now courting the votes of conservative and hard-line Muslims. Religion and race, rather than the slew of problems that face a car-clogged and sinking Jakarta, have dominated the campaign and transformed the election into a high-stakes tussle between conservatives, who want Islam to be ascendant in politics and society, and moderates. Ahok's chances appeared dashed after accusations of blasphemy led to criminal charges and his ongoing blasphemy trial but he has recently rebounded in opinion polls. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. Hadiyul Umam, 40, a civil servant, said voting for Ahok would go against everything he believes in. "As a Muslim, I believe that non-Muslims are not allowed to lead Muslims in this country, and personally, I do not like the way Ahok leads, which is not pro-poor people and his words were disrespectful and rude," he said. Ahok's blasphemy trial and the ease with which hard-liners attracted several hundred thousand to protest against him in Jakarta have undermined Indonesia's reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam and shaken the centrist government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. Calls for Ahok to be killed and anti-Chinese sentiment were disturbing elements of the protests, one of which turned violent, with dozens injured and one person dying from the effects of tear gas. Story continues Defeat for Ahok would also be a defeat for Indonesia's moderate political and religious leaders and further embolden hard-liners, who say a non-Muslim should not lead Muslims. The governorship is also seen as a launching pad into national politics and possibly the presidency. Jokowi voted in a neighborhood of central Jakarta and called for unity. "Differences of political choice should not to divide us," he said. "After this election, we want everything to be back as brothers, we all need to maintain our unity and integrity." Ahok had been popular because of his drive to eliminate corruption from the Jakarta administration and his efforts to make the city more livable. But brutal demolitions of some of the slum neighborhoods that are home to millions and ill-considered outspokenness proved to be his Achilles' heel. Opponents seized their moment last year when a video surfaced of Ahok telling voters they were being deceived if they believed a specific verse in the Quran prohibited Muslims from electing a non-Muslim as leader. "I voted for Ahok because he is already showing results of real work and honesty," said Sriyana Dewi, as she left a polling booth with her 7-old-month son in a sling. Quick-count results compiled by researchers at a sample of the 13,000 polling places will give a reliable indication of the election outcome within hours of the polls closing at 1 p.m. There will be a runoff election in April if none of the candidates gets the 50 percent plus one vote required for an outright win. One scenario is that Ahok proceeds to the runoff but is defeated by anti-Ahok voters uniting behind the remaining Muslim candidate. ___ Associated Press writer Ali Kotarumalos contributed to this report. FILE - In this file photo taken on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the Social Democratic party attends a press conference in Bucharest, Romania. The chairman of Romania's ruling Social Democratic Party has denied, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, wrongdoing in a trial where he is charged with putting no-work jobs on the government payroll. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File) BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) Hundreds of Romanians protested against the government for the 15th consecutive evening Tuesday after a court hearing in which one of the country's most powerful politicians denied putting no-work jobs on the public payroll. The case against Liviu Dragnea, leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party, stems from his time as a regional party chief. Dragnea said after a hearing in his trial that he was innocent and that the testimony implicating him was false. Prosecutors have alleged Dragnea intervened to keep two women who were working for the Social Democratic Party on the payroll of a family welfare agency. The women have pleaded guilty. The next hearing is March 28. Romania's center-left government passed an emergency decree last month decriminalizing official misconduct, which would have helped Dragnea. But the decree sparked huge protests, with critics saying the government wanted to weaken efforts to crack down on official corruption. Premier Sorin Grindeanu and his cabinet repealed the measure on Feb. 5, but protests have continued daily. On Tuesday, protesters gathered outside the government offices, yelling "Resign! Shame on you! Thieves!" Dragnea is barred from being prime minister because of his conviction and two-year suspended sentence last year on vote-rigging charges. He calls the ban deeply unfair. By Ju-min Park and A. Ananthalakshmi SEOUL/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police on Wednesday detained a woman holding Vietnam travel papers and said they were looking for a "few" other foreign suspects in connection with the apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother. Lawmakers in South Korea earlier cited their spy agency as saying it suspected two female North Korean agents had murdered Kim Jong Nam, and U.S. government sources also said they believed North Korean assassins were responsible. North Korean officials spent hours on Wednesday trying to talk Malaysia out of conducting an autopsy on Kim Jong Nam, three Malaysian government sources familiar with the stand-off told Reuters. Malaysian authorities refused the request, the sources added, although no decision has been taken on whether the body will eventually be handed over to North Korea. The portly and gregarious Kim Jong Nam, eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, was assaulted on Monday morning in the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport and died on the way to hospital, Malaysian police said. The woman detained at Kuala Lumpur airport was identified from CCTV footage at the airport and was alone when she was apprehended, police said in a statement.Media had earlier published a grainy CCTV-captured image of a young woman wearing a white shirt with the letters "LOL" on the front. Documents she carried were in the name of Doan Thi Huong, showed a birth date of May 1998 and birthplace of Nam Dinh, Vietnam, police said. "Police are looking for a few others, all foreigners," Deputy Inspector-General Noor Rashid Ibrahim told Reuters, declining to give their nationalities or gender. "NOWHERE TO HIDE" South Korean intelligence believes Kim Jong Nam was poisoned, the lawmakers in South Korea's capital, Seoul, said. The spy agency told them that the young and unpredictable North Korean leader had issued a "standing order" for his half-brother's assassination, and that there had been a failed attempt in 2012. "The cause of death is strongly suspected to be a poisoning attack," said South Korean lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, who was briefed by the spy agency. Kim Jong Nam had long suspected he could be the target of an assassination attempt; five years ago, he pleaded with his younger sibling to spare his life, according to two lawmakers in South Korea. "We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. We are well aware that the only way to escape is suicide," Kim Jong Nam said in a letter to Kim Jong Un, one of the lawmakers said. Kim had been at the airport's budget terminal to catch a flight to Macau on Monday when someone grabbed or held his face from behind, after which he felt dizzy and sought help at an information desk, Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat said. Malaysian media reports said two female agents splashed Kim's face with a chemical. Reuters could not independently verify that detail. According to South Korea's spy agency, Kim Jong Nam had been living, under Beijing's protection, with his second wife in the Chinese territory of Macau, lawmakers said. One of them said Kim Jong Nam also had a wife and son in Beijing. Kim had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state. "If the murder of Kim Jong Nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong Un regime," South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is also acting president, told a security meeting. The meeting was called in response to Kim Jong Nam's death, news of which first emerged late on Tuesday. "SENSE OF DANGER" South Korea is acutely sensitive to any sign of instability in isolated North Korea, and is still technically in a state of war with its impoverished and nuclear-armed neighbour, which carried out its latest ballistic missile test on Sunday. Malaysian police said Kim held a passport under the name Kim Chol, with a birth date that made him 46. Kim Jong Nam was known to spend a significant amount of time outside North Korea, travelling in Macau and Hong Kong as well as mainland China, and has been caught in the past using forged travel documents. His body was taken on Wednesday to a second hospital, where an autopsy was being performed. There was no mention of Kim Jong Nam's death in North Korean media. In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman said China was aware of the reports and closely following developments. Yoji Gomi, a Japanese journalist who wrote a 2012 book on Kim Jong Nam, said Kim's media appearances, which increased around the time South Korean intelligence said he was targeted for assassination, may have been an attempt to protect himself. "I now have the impression that even he may have had a sense of danger, so he began exposing himself in the media and stating his opinions to protect himself and counter North Korea," Gomi told a talk show on Japan's NTV. North Korean agents have killed rivals abroad before. "Kim Jong Un may have been worried about more and more North Korean elites turning against him after Thae Yong Ho defected to the South," said Koh Yu-hwan, an expert on the North Korean leadership at Dongguk University in Seoul, referring to last year's defection by North Korea's deputy ambassador in London. Numerous North Korean officials have been purged or killed since Kim Jong Un took power following his father's death in 2011. Those include his uncle Jang Song Thaek, who was considered the country's second most-powerful person and was believed to have been close to Kim Jong Nam. Jang was executed on Kim Jong Un's orders in 2013. (Reporting by Ju-min Park, Cynthia Kim, Hyunjoo Jin and Yun Hwan Chae in SEOUL, Joseph Sipalan, Praveen Menon and Emily Chow in KUALA LUMPUR, and Philip Wen in BEIJING; Writing by Tony Munroe and John Chalmers; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Mike Collett-White) By Jutarat Skulpichetrat CHONBURI, Thailand (Reuters) - The most senior U.S. officer to visit Thailand since a 2014 coup emphasised the importance of restoring democracy on Tuesday as he launched the annual Cobra Gold military exercise. The United States scaled down its presence at Asia's largest annual multinational military exercise as one of the former U.S. administration's steps to pressure the junta. With ties improving even before President Donald Trump took office, activists had voiced concern that Washington would put less focus on democratic change in a region where it faces an increasingly forceful China. "We look forward to Thailand's re-emergence as a flourishing democracy because we need Thailand to be a strong and stable partner," said Admiral Harry Harris, head of U.S. Pacific Command, which covers about half the earth's surface. "We need Thailand to get back to being the regional and global leader that it always has been." Harris later met Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in Bangkok. Speaking after the weekly cabinet meeting, the junta leader said the United States accepted Thailand's strategic plans and just wanted to see fair and honest elections. "Our politics is our business, and we must proceed towards our democracy. Today were marching towards reconciliation," Prayuth told reporters, referring to Thai political rivalry. Harris's attendance at Cobra Gold was planned before the inauguration of Trump, whose policy moves on Asia are closely watched after signals of potential confrontation with China over trade and territory. In the face of the U.S. measures to push for democracy, Thailand has strengthened military cooperation with China. New York-based Human Rights Watch said the change in relations with Thailand marked a worrisome shift given the military's grip on power and the arrests of activists and opponents of army rule. "It appears Pentagon policymakers are intent on using Cobra Gold as a way to reboot U.S. military engagement with their Thai counterparts," wrote John Sifton of the advocacy group in an opinion piece that first appeared in the Washington Post. The Thai junta held a referendum last year on a constitution to allow a general election. It is expected next year. The military government is also due to start meetings with political groups on national reconciliation ahead of the election. Parties have welcomed the idea, but questioned whether the generals can be fair. Thailand has hosted the Cobra Gold war games since they began in 1982. This year's event will be attended by more than 8,300 personnel from 29 countries. Among them will be about 3,600 from the United States. (Additional reporting by; Pracha Hariraksapitak; Editing by Matthew Tostevin) Valentine's Day returned Tuesday to the eastern sector of the Iraqi city of Mosul from where the Islamic State group was expelled last month, at least for a group of enthusiastic schoolchildren. "My feelings for you flow like a river, and will flow on for the rest of my life," young volunteers recited in front of the children at one school, as plastic roses, balloons and heart-stickered pens were handed around. In a celebration of "love for our liberated city", multi-coloured confetti was scattered across the floor and in the children's hair, as they awaited the arrival of a big cream cake. "This February 14 will be unforgettable!" was the verdict of schoolgirl Manal. "I knew there was an event that celebrates love but this is the first time I've had the chance to take part," said the girl with honey-coloured eyes lined with black kohl, framed by a traditional niqab covering the rest of her face and hair. Nour, aged 14, was equally enthralled. "To hold a feast with girls and boys in the same room, with music, simply to have fun, this was unthinkable just a few months ago," she said. Organisers of the Mosul-style Valentine's Day, however, remained on their guard, preventing children from venturing out into the courtyard of the Azzuhur school, whose name means flowers in Arabic. Drones operated by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group still overfly parts of eastern Mosul retaken by Iraqi forces. "Daesh has threatened to attack any schools which reopen. We're not safe here. They can still reach us from the western bank (of the Tigris River dividing the city) or with suicide bombers," warned Farid, a volunteer of the Nahdat Jeel (Rebirth Generation), using an Arabic acronym for IS. The group, made up of around 300 local young men and women aged between 15 and 30, was formed a month ago through contacts on social media, and it has set itself the task of cleaning up schools and hospitals, repainting public squares and planting trees. - 'Get rid of traces' of IS - "We must get rid of all trace of Daesh, whether visible or symbolic," said Rafal Muzaffar, 26. The many slogans splattered on the walls to glorify the "caliphate" proclaimed by IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from a Mosul mosque in 2014 at the start of the group's two-year rule of the city have almost all disappeared. "We're trying to carry out symbolic actions that provide a sharp contrast with what life was like over the past two years," said Muzaffar, dressed in a long black tunic and yellow scarf. Last week, the all-Muslim group worked on cleaning up a huge church nicknamed "The Titanic" because of its ship-like shape, "to show that in Mosul our differences are our strength", she said. Mohamed Namoq, one of Nahdat Jil's founders, was jailed and tortured by IS for almost two months for having recited poems on the radio that the group deemed subversive. "Whatever the threats we face, nothing can stop us from carrying on and from shouting it out loud and clear, something we should have done long ago," said Namoq. Haneen, 17, is also determined to play a role in restoring life to Mosul. "All young people should take part, not only boys but girls as well," she said. As for celebrating Valentine's Day, that was "magical, because how can you live without love?" she asked, while pointing out shyly -- in deference to her conservative society -- that she does not have a boyfriend. GDP grew slightly less than in 2015, mostly due to lower use of EU funds. Font size: A - | A + After a drop in economic growth in the third quarter, the development in the final three months of 2016 exceeded some analysts expectations. Slovakia likely benefited from stronger domestic and foreign demand, though it struggled with investments which declined significantly after the boom caused by the need to use the rest of the EU funds allocated for the previous programming period. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Observers hope the situation will improve in the coming quarters, though there are some external risks that may hinder economic growth. The growth of Slovakias economy in the end of the year surprised us positively, Lubomir Korsnak, analyst with UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia wrote in a memo. The gross domestic product at constant prices increased 3.1 percent year-on-year in the final quarter of 2016. After seasonal adjustment, it rose by 2.9 percent y/y and by 0.8 percent compared with the previous quarter, according to the flash estimate published by the Slovak Statistics Office on February 14. Economic growth for 2016 thus amounted to 3.3 percent y/y, a decline of 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous year. This was mostly the result of Slovakia drawing the remaining money from EU funds allocated for the 2007-2013 programming period. The lower amounts had the biggest impact on public investments, explained Slovenska Sporitelna analyst Katarina Muchova. Read also: Read also: Growth of Slovak economy slows Read more Domestic and foreign demand a driving force Though the Statistics Office will publish the detailed structure only on March 7, analysts already point to some factors that may have impacted the GDP growth. This concerns particularly an increase in both domestic and foreign demand. Mostly the household consumption posts positive results, due to the favourable development in the labour market the drop in the unemployment rate; the increase in employment and real wages help increase the disposable income of households, Muchova wrote in a memo. Slovakia also benefits from the growth among eurozone economies, which rose by 0.8 percent quarter-on-quarter and 1.8 percent y/y in the final quarter of 2016, according to Korsnak. On the other hand, the impact of investments was rather low, especially those in the public sector. Data continue to show a decrease in construction, a retreat from an exceptionally good 2015, as a result of less EU funds, the Tatra Banka analysts wrote in a memo. Korsnak, however, predicts that private investments may have grown in the 4Q compared with the previous quarter, which is indicated by bank loans. Labour productivity growth slows The level of employment continued increasing in the end of the last year, growing from 2.4 percent y/y in 3Q to 2.6 percent in the last three months. After seasonal adjustment, the total employment rose 2.5 percent in annual terms and 0.6 percent in quarterly comparison, according to the Statistics Office. The numbers continue to be high compared to GDP growth, the Tatra Banka analysts claimed. This implies a slow-down in productivity growth, but could still be good news. It suggests that workers with lower marginal productivity, who were impacted most during the recession, are returning to the workforce. As for the increase in wages, it certainly exceeded the increase in labour productivity in 4Q 2016. The real unit labour costs continued growing for the third year in a row and posted the longest uninterrupted growth period in at least the past 20 years," according to Korsnak. Elections may endanger the growth Analysts agree that the economic growth this year will exceed 3 percent. The economy will be positively impacted by domestic demand, particularly the consumption of households, but also the increase in net exports, according to Muchova. Moreover, investments both in the public and the private sector are expected to restart, while also the restoration of European economies and the industrial sector will have a positive effect on growth, Korsnak added. On the other hand, the growth may be threatened by several external risks, analysts agree. Certain risks arise from the slow global growth, the Brexit referendum and its potential impact on the euro, as well as the fragile growth in the eurozone economies, Muchova wrote. Also the political situation may endanger Slovakias growth as several important European economies, including Germany and France, will hold elections this year, Korsnak predicts. Though we still expect that these elections will not change the direction of these countries significantly, the risk of the victory of political forces based on protectionism, which may contribute to further destabilisation of Europe, are not negligible, the analyst added. The potential victory of these anti-systemic parties in any of the countries would immediately weaken the economic sentiment across the EU and hinder or even halt economic restoration in Europe, Korsnak concluded. The verdict followed the testimony of three witnesses in the incident of burning an EU flag. Font size: A - | A + The district court in Bratislava acquitted extremist Marian Misun of charges in the case of burning a flag of the European Union in front of the Bratislava Castle back in 2012, claiming he did not commit a crime. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The deed can be qualified only as an offence, a single judge ruled. However, in this case the two-year limitation period (time within which legal proceedings may be initiated) has already passed, the SITA newswire reported. The verdict is not valid yet, as the prosecutor can still appeal it. Before issuing the verdict, the court invited three witnesses whose testimony was demanded by the defendant. One of them was Oskar Dobrovodsky, organiser of the 2012 march titled Together for a decent and safe life in Slovakia at which the flag was burnt. The witnesses confirmed Magats claim that they had stated their intention to burn the flag several times, and police had not interfered. They became involved only after the flag was set on fire, according to them. Magat and the witnesses said such a form of protest is common abroad and that it is an expression free speech, as reported by SITA. Read also: Read also: Case of EU flag burning returns to courts Read more In the original verdict issued by the Bratislava I District Court, Misun and Stefan Potocky were fined 300 and 500, respectively. They were also banned from staying in the capital for two years. The Bratislava Regional Court, to which they appealed, changed the ruling only slightly in June 2014, abolishing the two-year punishment for Misun. The Supreme Court, however, accepted Misuns appeal and returned the case to the lower-instance courts, saying the proceeding was one-sided. The courts used only the evidence provided by the criminal authorities, like police hearings and a recording of the incident made by the police officers. They did not want to hear from participants of the incident, SITA reported. The court also claimed that the deed did not meet the requirements of the crime of disorderly conduct. Misun currently works as an assistant to MP Martin Belusky of the far-right Peoples Party Our Slovakia (LSNS), while Potocky is fighting in Ukraine, SITA reported. With the report, she pointed to several serious flaws in social custody facilities. Font size: A - | A + Parliament has refused to take note of Ombudswoman Jana Dubovcovas report in which she pointed to the violation of childrens rights by methods used by social custody authorities. Only 63 MPs of 140 present voted for the report. The report was rejected by deputies of Smer, the Slovak National Party (except for MP Radovan Balaz), three Most-Hid MPs, the whole caucus of the far-right Peoples Party Our Slovakia (LSNS) and three non-affiliated MPs, the TASR newswire reported. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The ombudswoman surveyed the social custody facilities in 2016 based on several motions and media reports. The document deals with the protection of the rights of children who are placed in resocialisation centres or childrens homes based on court rulings or agreements between public authorities and parents. Read also: Read also: Report: Children placed in care without expert opinions Read more She revealed serious flaws in decisions when placing children into facilities, particularly if it is organised by the state. She criticised the courts, for example, for not asking for childrens opinions. The authorities that should secure these childrens rights usually adopt steps to secure the problem-free operation of their institution, reads the report, as quoted by TASR. It seems that these public authorities have not taken on their role in protecting children. The system is set in a way that it protects them [the authorities], the ombudswoman added, as quoted by TASR. Dubovcova also misses a system of independent control in the facilities and points to the insufficient representation of children in the proceedings. Moreover, she also points to dubious educational methods in the facilities for children which may in some cases seem humiliating, as reported by TASR. The reports findings have systemic character, they are not failures of individuals, Dubovcova added. They discussed the challenges of the 72nd UN General Assembly and mutual collaboration between Slovakia and South Korea. Font size: A - | A + Slovak President Andrej Kiska unofficially met with former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon during his visit to Kenya. Ki-moon appreciated Slovakia and its commitment on a multilateral level, which is proven also by the fact that the country will preside over the 72nd UN General Assembly, the SITA newswire reported. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The main challenges for the next chair of the General Assembly include progress in global collaboration when solving problems with migration and refugees, and fulfillment of international commitments arising from the Paris climate deal, Ki-moon said. Kiska stressed that it is a moral duty of Slovakia as a modern and prospering country to help others. He stated as an example the year-long development activities in Kenya carried out by various non-governmental organisations, volunteers and funds allocated within official development aid, SITA reported. Kiska and Ki-moon also commented on the very good collaboration between Slovakia and South Korea, the latters home country, and the possibilities of developing it further. Police detained five people and seized extensive evidence during house searches. Font size: A - | A + Slovak and British authorities, supported by Europol and Eurojust, have dismantled an organised criminal group involved in trafficking Slovak victims for the purposes of sham marriages and sexual exploitation, Europol informed at its website. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The Police in Scotland carried out house searches in Glasgow in early February, while Europol specialists were deployed on the spot to support the national authorities. They detained five suspects in police custody. Moreover, 16 women, described as potential victims of trafficking, were identified and offered care and assistance by a specialised non-governmental organisation, Europol informed in a press release. In addition, the police seized numerous travel documents, computer equipment, mobile phones and cash during the operation, which they plan to use for further investigation. This joint action was preceded by extensive and complex investigations supported by Europol and Eurojust. Moreover, two days ago, the second phase of this operation took place in Trebisov (eastern Slovakia), where four search warrants and four arrests were executed. The modus operandi of this organised criminal group was to recruit vulnerable women from challenging socio-economic backgrounds by deception, promising them attractive and well-paid jobs abroad, and then forcing them into sham marriages and prostitution, Europol informed. The authority actively supported this operation against human trafficking and provided operational and analytical support to Slovakia and the United Kingdom throughout the investigation. Europol specialists in trafficking human beings delivered real-time cross-checks of the data gathered using a mobile office and data extraction device during the actions, the press release reads. ANTOFAGASTA (Other OTC: ANFGF - news) , Chile Feb 15 (Reuters) - Renewed talks in Chile (Stuttgart: 704599.SG - news) to end a week-long strike at Escondida, the world's biggest copper mine, have been delayed until likely at least Saturday (Shenzhen: 002291.SZ - news) , the union said Wednesday. Concerns over a prolonged stoppage at the BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) -owned mine, which produced around 1 million tonnes of copper last year, have driven the copper price up since last month, although news of the fresh talks has helped cool the rally. The delay is due to pre-existing agenda commitments, with the company unable to meet Wednesday and union leaders planning to visit capital Santiago on Thursday to meet with government ministers. "We are returning on Friday so that day is not possible, but we could do Saturday, Sunday, Monday," union leader Carlos Allendes told Reuters in Antofagasta. BHP declined to comment but has said its "door is open" to fresh talks. The organization of the government-mediated talks will be led by Chile's work directorate. It could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday. (Reporting by Fabian Cambero; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Frances Kerry) donald trump executive order Last year, the US Department of Labor announced a new fiduciary rule, which would require investment advisers to put client interests above their own when it comes to overseeing retirement accounts. But that decree may never see the light of day. President Donald Trump signed an executive order February 3 giving the new White House time to review the rule, which administration officials have indicated they aim to rescind. Though Trump's order has already received pushback, it's still in the works, with a status update slated for March 10, CNBC reports. The White House move was met with mixed reviews. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren took aim at the executive order, saying it would "make it easier for investment advisers to cheat you out of your retirement savings." However, finance industry executives say the fiduciary rule would have limited choices for investors. "We think it is a bad rule. It is a bad rule for consumers," Gary Cohn, the former COO of Goldman Sachs who is now Trump's chief economic adviser, told The Wall Street Journal. "This is like putting only healthy food on the menu, because unhealthy food tastes good but you still shouldn't eat it because you might die younger." It's important to remember that regardless, the fiduciary rule would only affect retirement accounts. Which means that for any other investments, not every financial adviser is required to always act in your best interest. Those not working to the fiduciary standard are held only to a suitability standard, meaning their advice must be suitable for the clients' financial situation, but is not necessarily in their best interest. For instance, brokers operating under a suitability standard might let the commission attached to a product influence their recommendations. Story continues "When you think about it, it's amazing how much control financial advisers have over our lives," writes Liz Davidson in her book, "What Your Financial Advisor Isn't Telling You." "Choose one who is actually a criminal, and it is possible to lose your entire nest egg." That being said, you shouldn't just write off financial advisers completely. "To completely eschew using an adviser can be as big a mistake as picking the wrong one," Davidson says. "When you need financial advice, they can be a tremendous help it's just a matter of finding the best one for your situation (and being able to spot the Bernie Madoffs of the world before you hand over your life savings)." To help you sniff out the good from the bad, we rounded up 15 questions to ask prospective advisers, from the Department of Labor's guide for consumers on how to tell if your adviser is working in your best interest: Elizabeth Warren Do you consider yourself a fiduciary? A fiduciary has a legal duty to act in your best interest and can be sued for taking actions otherwise. Those not working to the fiduciary standard are held only to a suitability standard, meaning their advice must be suitable for the clients' financial situation, but is not necessarily in their best interest. "Very few financial advisers hold themselves out to be fiduciaries, and even fewer will sign an agreement that states, in no uncertain terms, that they are operating in a fiduciary capacity as your adviser," Davidson explains. "However, if you can find one who is willing to do this, you are automatically putting yourself in a safer position." More specific questions you can ask: If not (a fiduciary), why not? Are you willing to act as a fiduciary with a duty to act solely on my behalf? Are you willing to disclose to me any conflicts of interest that may interfere with your acting solely on my behalf? Are you willing to put this commitment in writing? It's important to be specific when asking about whether or not they're a fiduciary, since many advisers are dually registered as a broker (only subject to the suitability standard) and a fiduciary. Dually registered advisers can switch roles, thereby blurring the broker-fiduciary line. As Harold Pollack and Helaine Olen explain in their book, "The Index Card," "You need to ask and ask quite specifically: Do you work to the fiduciary standard at all times? This last part, 'at all times,' is important. As the fine print on brokerage forms indicates, the fact that an adviser commits to a fiduciary standard for some of her dealings with you does not hold her to this standard in others." How are you compensated? This is one of the most important questions to have in your back pocket. Unbeknownst to many, a lot of advisers earn commissions by recommending certain financial products and services to you. "The problem is that this system incentivizes advisers to sell high-fee investments, annuities, and insurance," Davidson explains. "High-fee mutual funds, annuities, and insurance policies typically perform worse than lower-fee options because the fees eat into your return." You'll want to ask your adviser if they're allowed to sell investments outside of what their employer offers, Davidson says: "If the answer is no, chances are that you should decide not to limit your financial success by working with these advisers. If the answer is yes, find out exactly how selling outside investments affects each adviser." For example, will they get a lower commission for selling outside investments? More specific questions you can ask: Do you earn fees or commissions based on the number of products that I buy or the size of my investment? Will you earn a higher fee or other type of compensation if I invest in certain products you recommend or will you receive fees for services related to specific investment products? Will you provide a list of the fees and commissions you receive either directly from me or from other sources in writing? Are you a licensed or registered investment adviser? "Financial planning requires proper training," Davidson explains. "Like a surgeon who is not properly trained and prone to make mistakes, your financial adviser may simply not have the training, knowledge, or experience to deliver sound advice to you." Davidson recommends looking for an adviser with at least 10 years of experience in financial planning and who has a CFP (certified financial planner) designation, which is considered the "gold standard" for financial planning. To give you an idea of the training required for this designation, "the pass rate for the exam to become a CFP certificant is about the same as the pass rate on the bar exam that law school grads are required to take in order to practice law," she explains. Ask your adviser about their experience and certifications and then verify it. Davidson recommends using www.finra.org: "Type your adviser's name into the FINRA database and you'll learn what securities licenses this person actually has and, even more important, whether or not any complaints, disciplinary actions, suspensions, or very frequent changes of employment appear on his or her record ... You'll want to see a completely clean record ... Even a single complaint, and certainly any disciplinary action, is a major red flag." More specific questions you can ask: Are you registered with the State, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), or the CFP board? For how long? What is your experience? Who supervises you, or, are you a sole practitioner? If a sole practitioner, do you have professional liability insurance? Have you (or your firm) ever been disciplined? For what? Read the DOL's full guide for consumers on how to tell if your adviser is working in your best interest. This is an update of a story originally written by Kathleen Elkins. NOW WATCH: 4 lottery winners who lost it all More From Business Insider You dont have to tell a patient they may be having Botox for the wrong reasons. Photograph: Jutta Klee/Getty Images/fStop Almost exactly a year ago I visited a Harley Street address, notebook in hand, to interview a plastic surgeon, a number of his staff and a few of his satisfied clients. The story was simple: business was good. The place was high-ceilinged and expensively decorated. In the UK the number of cosmetic surgical procedures had increased to record levels, by a whopping 13% year on year, in line with a decade-long upward trend. What a difference a year makes. Figures just released by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) show that procedures actually dropped by 40% in 2016. A total of 31,000 cosmetic surgeries were performed in the UK last year, fewer than in 2007. Its one of those statistics that seems to indicate in contrast to all the other evidence that sometime last year people started to see sense. In a press statement Baaps cited several possible explanations for the decline, from uncertainty surrounding the EU referendum to global fragility. Its also been suggested that larger cultural forces mainly Instagram have left us with less rigid ideas about beauty. The thing about such a surprising reversal is that no one knows exactly whats behind it. It makes sense that in times of upheaval people are reluctant to make life-changing decisions or commit to big purchases, but there was no corresponding drop in first-time mortgages or foreign holidays. Its true that more people are opting for non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which are cheaper and less invasive, but thats been the case for some time. Id love to believe that the public has begun to seen the light regarding the often illusory benefits of cosmetic surgery, but if I had to guess Id say it was plastic surgeons themselves who are driving this shift. Non-surgical procedures are cheaper for them too, and they can do lots more of them. The practice I visited last year had already thoroughly diversified into Botox, thread-lifting, and proprietorial anti-ageing ointments. Story continues Non-surgical clients require no hospital stay, and they have to keep coming back because the treatments wear off. Plastic surgery remains risky, and comes with tiresome ethical obligations on the part of the surgeon. Its estimated that about half of plastic surgeons turn away 10% of all patients, and that one in five surgeons turns away a third. You dont have to tell a patient they may be having Botox for the wrong reasons. I arrived to find that two freezer cabinets had been moved to the spot where the newspapers used to be. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Corner shop chaos The other day I went to buy milk and a newspaper from the corner shop. Ive done the same thing every day, at roughly the same time, for about 15 years, more or less on autopilot.. On this occasion I arrived to find that two freezer cabinets had been moved to the spot where the newspapers used to be. I like to think of myself as a rational and perceptive being, quick to adapt to small adjustments in my immediate surroundings, but that doesnt quite square with my behaviour in this instance: I stared at the freezers in total incomprehension for about 20 seconds, my jaw hanging open. The first conclusion I drew was that Id walked into the wrong shop, or maybe a different universe. It wasnt until another customer came in and experienced the same bafflement alongside me that I figured out what was going on. I found the newspapers on another shelf, bought one and left, forgetting the milk. Dumb and dumberer I spent the rest of that day appraising the world around me with renewed suspicion, which made me realise how important it is to have ones environment disrupted from time to time; if you dont notice something is amiss, chances are you wont notice anything. I wish I could say this heightened sense of awareness stayed with me, but I went back to the shop the next day and performed the whole dumbshow of stupidity all over again, although I did at least remember the milk. Its amazing were allowed to drive. Yildirim, 7, left, sits on her father, Fatih, of Schaumburg, and Adin Bendat-Appell, 9, right, sits on his father, Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell, of Deerfield, during a protest at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago: Getty A few weeks ago, Saturday night subway commuters in New York met with the sight of swastikas daubed onto their trains walls and set about collectively removing them, appropriately enough, with hand sanitisers. It wasnt the first sighting of swastikas in New York since Donald Trump was elected President. But it came days after the White House intentionally omitted mention of Jewish victims in the Presidents Holocaust Remembrance Day message. On that same day, Trump issued his ban on refugees and anyone from seven majority-Muslim countries. Put together, as these things have been, the Trump administration has united Muslim and Jewish communities in a way that few could manage. Jewish American solidarity over the Muslim ban is no surprise: the measure, and its devastating effects, were painfully evocative of Jewish stories of migration to the US or tragic accounts of family members denied entry to the US as refugees, only to be killed in the Holocaust. Jewish organisations, as well as religious groups spanning liberal and Orthodox communities, were quick to condemn the ban and take part in protests. Dozens of rabbis were recently arrested while demonstrating against the ban outside Trump Tower in Manhattan. One of them, Jill Jacobs, told The New York Times: We know that some of the language thats being used now to stop Muslims from coming in is the same language that was used to stop Jewish refugees from coming. This unity flows in both directions: the Council of American Islamic Relations (Cair), as well as fighting the Muslim ban, has come out in support of Jewish communities after incidents of hate vandalism echoing similar expressions of solidarity taking place in US neighbourhoods. Just after Trumps election, a new Muslim-Jewish advisory council was formed to tackle both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, while existing grassroots organisations premised on joint Muslim-Jewish action have reported a surge in interest. Story continues The solidarity has gained momentum because of the combination of the Muslim ban and the anti-Semitism unleashed as a result of Trumps election the bomb threats to Jewish community centres, the rise in anti-Semitic incidents, all those swastikas in the streets. The whole thing seems to spell out in bold what had previously been in the subtext: for the far right, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia go hand-in-hand. This has already been tracked in Europe where, in the post-9/11 period, far-right parties opportunistically swapped one hatred for another in a rehabilitation exercise. A resurgent populist right clocked that scapegoating Muslims and scaremongering over Islamification could bring electoral gain where anti-Semitism had long become unacceptable. By 2010, far-right figures such as the Dutch Party for Freedom leader Geert Wilders were canvassing for Jewish endorsements (another image-scrubbing tactic) by talking up support for Israel as a vanguard in a broader Judeo-Christian battle against fundamentalist Islam. Welcomed by some of Israels hard-right government, Wilders described the country as a front-line fighter, warning: "If Jerusalem falls, Amsterdam and New York will be next." Last year, the leader of Austrias Freedom Party, founded by former Nazis, was unofficially welcomed in Israel by members of the coalition governments Likud party. Trumps chief of staff Stephen Bannon, who previously ran the extreme right Breitbart website, which trades in white supremacy and anti-Semitism, has also talked of a Judeo-Christian war. And he has cast the American Jewish community (along with the media, universities and the left) as unwitting enablers of jihad. This gets to what one progressive Jewish American described to me as old school anti-Semitism, reloaded: once, American Jewry was blamed for communism; it now stands accused of facilitating violent Islamist extremism. As with the far right in Europe, Team Trumps support for Israel is a fig leaf. Explaining why the presidents Holocaust Remembrance Day message removed references to anti-Semitism, White House press secretary Sean Spicer swiftly pivoted to this subject, noting: In respect to, you know, Israel and the Jewish people specifically, theres been no better friend than Donald Trump when it comes to protecting Israel. But being pro-Israel, in this context, clearly does not preclude anti-Semitism. When some nativist far-rightists support Israel, thats because they are equal-opportunity ethno-nationalists promoting the ideology both domestically and globally. To put it bluntly, this sort of support for Israel creepily carries the sense that Jewish people are terrific in their own country. Just not so much when they presume to live elsewhere. All of which has created clarity of purpose among those who may previously have been divided over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Cheerleading for a hard-right version of Israel, from the far-right end of the spectrum with its tones of anti-Semitism, can now be unequivocally named as a harmful convenience, a toxic roadblock thrown in the path of potentially powerful community alliances. If the past few weeks in the US are anything to go by, Jewish and Muslim communities are, now more than ever, inclined to jump over it. Boys undergoing drug rehabilitation attend a lesson inside a government run drug rehabilitation centre in Bicutan, Metro Manila, in Philippines December 12, 2016. REUTERS/Erik De Castro Thomson Reuters MANILA (Reuters) - Before Rodrigo Duterte's bloody war on drugs had even begun, allies of the Philippines president were quietly preparing for a wider offensive. On June 30, as Duterte was sworn in, they introduced a bill into the Philippine Congress that could allow children as young as nine to be targeted in a crackdown that has since claimed more than 7,600 lives. The bill proposes to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 9 years old to prevent what it calls "the pampering of youthful offenders who commit crimes knowing they can get away with it." "You can ask any policeman or anyone connected with the law enforcement: We produce a generation of criminals," Duterte said in a speech in Manila on December 12. Young children, he said, were becoming drug runners, thieves and rapists, and must be "taught to understand responsibility." The move to target children signals Duterte's determination to intensify his drug war, which faces outrage abroad and growing unease at home. The president's allies say his support in Congress will ensure the bill passes the House of Representatives by June. The House would approve the bill "within six months," said Fredenil Castro, who co-authored the legislation with the speaker of the House, Pantaleon Alvarez. It might face opposition in the Senate, but would prevail because of Duterte's allies there, added Castro. Philippines children kids drug war victims killings REUTERS/Czar Dancel National police chief Ronald Dela Rosa recently announced that he was suspending anti-narcotics operations, which have killed more than 2,500 people, while the force rids itself of corrupt cops. The announcement came after it emerged last month that drug squad officers had killed a South Korean businessman at national police headquarters. The killing of drug suspects has continued, albeit at a slower pace, with most following the pattern of killings that police have blamed on vigilantes. Human rights monitors believe vigilantes have killed several thousand people and operate in league with the police a charge the police deny. Story continues Duterte has signaled he intends to continue his drug war. In late January, he said the campaign would run until his presidency ends in 2022. 'In cahoots with drug users' Lowering the age of criminality was justified, Castro told Reuters, because many children were "in cahoots with drug users, with drug pushers, and others who are related to the drug trade." He said he based his support for the bill on what he saw from his car and at churches children begging and pickpocketing. "For me, there isn't any evidence more convincing than what I see in every day of my life," he said. Children kids Philippines drug war crime victims Reuters A controversial bill to restore the death penalty, another presidential priority, is also expected to pass the House of Representatives by mid-year, according to Duterte allies in Congress. Supporters of the bill to lower the age of criminality say holding young children liable will discourage drug traffickers from exploiting them. Opponents, including opposition lawmakers and human rights groups, are appalled at a move they say will harm children without evidence it will reduce crime. There is also resistance inside Duterte's administration. A member of Duterte's cabinet who heads the Department of Social Welfare and Development opposes the move. And a branch of the police responsible for protecting women and children disputes the claim that children are heavily involved in the drug trade a claim not supported by official data. Opponents warn that lowering the age of criminality would further strain a juvenile justice system that is struggling to cope. At worst, they say, with a drug war raging nationwide, the bill could legitimize the killing of minors. "What will stop them from targeting children?" said Karina Teh, a local politician and child rights advocate in Manila. "They are using the war on drugs to criminalize children." In the firing line The drug-war death toll includes at least 29 minors who were either shot by unidentified gunmen or accidentally killed during police operations from July to November 2016, according to the Children's Legal Rights and Development Center (CLRDC) and the Network Against Killings in the Philippines, both Manila-based advocacy groups. Dela Rosa said the Philippine National Police "fully supports" the new bill. It is "true and supported by data" that minors are used by drug traffickers because they can't be held criminally liable, the police chief said in a submission to the House of Representatives. Philippines children kids drug war victims jail killings REUTERS/Erik De Castro Some police officers working on the streets agree with Dela Rosa. In Manila's slums, children as young as six act as lookouts for dealers, shouting "The enemy is coming!" when police approach, said Cecilio Tomas, an anti-narcotics officer in the city. By their early teens, some become delivery boys and then dealers and users, said Tomas. Salvador Panelo, Duterte's chief legal counsel, said the bill would protect children by stopping criminals from recruiting them. "They will not become targets simply because they will no longer be involved," he said. Child rights experts say the legislation could put children in the firing line. They point to the deadly precedent set in the southern city of Davao, where Duterte pioneered his hard-line tactics as mayor. The Coalition Against Summary Execution, a Davao-based rights watchdog, documented 1,424 vigilante-style killings in the city between 1998 and 2015. Of those victims, 132 were 17 or younger. For all but three years during that period, Duterte was either Davao's mayor or vice-mayor. He denied any involvement in the killings. Contradictory evidence Althea Barbon was one of the children killed in the current nationwide drug war. The four year old was fatally wounded in August when police in an anti-narcotics operation shot at her father, the two Manila-based advocacy groups said. Philippines drug violence victims killings deaths Rodrigo Duterte REUTERS/Damir Sagolj Unidentified gunmen shot dead Ericka Fernandez, 17, in a Manila alley on October 26, police said. Her bloody Barbie doll was collected as evidence. And on December 28, three boys, aged 15 or 16, were killed in Manila by what police said were motorbike-riding gunmen. If the bill passes, the Philippines won't be the only country where the age of criminality is low. In countries including England, Northern Ireland and Switzerland it is 10, according to the website of the Child Rights International Network, a research and advocacy group. In Scotland, children as young as eight can be held criminally responsible, but the government is in the process of raising the age limit to 12. Critics of the Philippines' bill say lower age limits are largely found in countries where the legal systems, detention facilities and rehabilitation programs are more developed. Statistics from the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the government's top anti-narcotics body, appear to contradict the Duterte camp's claim that there is a large number of young children deeply involved in the drug trade. There were 24,000 minors among the 800,000 drug users and dealers who had registered with the authorities by November 30, according to police statistics. Philippines drug war violence jails REUTERS/Damir Sagolj But less than two percent of those minors, or about 400 children, were delivering or selling drugs. Only 12 percent, or 2,815, were aged 15 or younger. Most of the 24,000 minors were listed as drug users. The number of minors involved in the drug trade is "just a small portion," said Noel Sandoval, deputy head of the Women and Children's Protection Center (WCPC), the police department that compiled the data. The WCPC is not pushing to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility, said Sandoval, but if the age is to be lowered, his department recommends a minimum age of 12, not 9. Between January 2011 and July 2016, 956 children aged six to 17 were "rescued nationwide from illegal drug activity," according to PDEA. Philippines drug war deaths killings violence Rodrigo Duterte REUTERS/Damir Sagolj They were mostly involved with marijuana and crystal methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug also known as shabu, and were handed over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Of these, only 80 were under the age of 15. More detentions Asked for evidence that younger children are involved in the drug trade, Duterte's legal counsel Panelo said the president had data from "all intelligence agencies." Panelo declined to disclose those numbers. Among the opponents of the bill is a member of Duterte's cabinet, Judy Taguiwalo, secretary of the DSWD. The legislation runs counter to scientific knowledge about child development and would result not in lower crime rates but in more children being detained, Taguiwalo wrote in a letter to the House of Representatives in October. Hidden by a high wall topped with metal spikes, the Valenzuela youth detention center in northern Manila is already operating at twice its capacity. Its 89 boys eat meals in shifts the canteen can't hold them all at once and sleep on mats that spill out of the spartan dorms and into the hallways. The government-run center, which currently houses boys aged 13 to 17 for up to a year, is considered a model facility in the Philippines. Even so, said Lourdes Gardoce, a social worker at the Valenzuela home, "It's a big adjustment on our part if we have to cater to kids as young as nine." (Reporting by Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall. Edited by David Lague and Peter Hirschberg.) NOW WATCH: 'I have done this before, why would I not do it again?': Philippines president says he once threw a man out of a helicopter See Also: By Michelle Price HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong is beefing up its anti-money laundering and corporate disclosure laws in a move that some financial crime specialists say could lead to the exodus of billions of dollars in assets from the territory as people seek to avoid increased scrutiny. The Chinese territory's government has been rattled by last year's Panama Papers scandal, which showed that Hong Kong was the most active centre in the world for the creation of shell companies. They have many legitimate purposes but can also be used to hide assets and evade taxes. Some of these entities were linked to powerful Chinese politicians, creating a potential embarrassment for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has been conducting an anti-corruption crusade in the past few years. The Chinese central governments Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office in Beijing did not respond to a request for comment. Through legislative proposals published without any fanfare last month, Hong Kong's Financial Services and Treasury Bureau (FSTB) seeks to impose anti-money laundering laws on non-financial businesses and to require private companies to disclose who their true owners are. The new rules would introduce a direct licensing regime for agents that set up and manage the paperwork for thousands of trusts and "letter box" shell companies that have no real business operations. The FSTB says it is concerned that the system may be used by criminals to conceal and launder illicit proceeds. The trust and company agents, as well as lawyers, accountants, and real estate agents, will have a statutory obligation to perform a range of checks on clients and their source of funds under the proposals. They will have to report any suspicious transactions or face the threat of prosecution, and be required to keep records for six years. Hong Kong financial firms have been subject to strict anti-money laundering laws introduced in 2012 but the service sector has until now been operating under self-regulatory regimes without the force of law. CRIMINAL OFFENCE Private Hong Kong companies would be required for the first time to obtain and hold up-to-date information on their true owners and controlling parties, and provide this information to the authorities upon request. Failure to keep accurate records would be a criminal offence. The changes should be implemented "as a matter of priority" to meet requirements outlined by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global body that sets standards for combating money laundering, ahead of its review of Hong Kong next year, the FSTB said in the proposals. They also come as China, the largest source of the money channelled into offshore centres, according to the Panama Papers documents leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, battles to stem capital outflows. Nearly $1.4 trillion of illicit money, derived largely from corruption, tax evasion, and money laundering, flowed out of China between 2004 and 2013, according to think tank Global Financial Integrity. Much of that went through Hong Kong, say the financial crime experts. The nation's central bank, the People's Bank of China, which regulates money flows inside China and into and out of the country, did not respond to a request for comment. The leaked documents from Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca, which contained information on 214,000 offshore companies, showed that its Hong Kong offices were its busiest globally. It worked with more than 2,200 banks, accountants, law firms and other middlemen in the city to funnel money from China and elsewhere into nearly 37,700 entities registered in secretive locations such as the British Virgin Islands (BVI). DIRTY MONEY CLAIM The scandal also exposed the widespread practice among Hong Kong companies of creating offshore entities to act as shareholders, shielding the identity of real owners. Companies principally based in the BVI were the largest source of direct investment in Hong Kong resident enterprises and the largest source of annual investment inflows between 2013 and 2015 the latest government data shows. If you were afraid of Xi's corruption clampdown these measures may make you think twice about parking your assets in Hong Kong," and they will probably be moved elsewhere, said Jane Moir, director at Princedale Advisory, a Hong Kong corporate investigations firm. Mossack Fonseca's Hong Kong office did not respond to a request for comment, but the company has said it complies with a range of regulations and conducts due diligence on clients. Data from Hong Kong's Joint Financial Intelligence Unit (JFIU) suggests dirty money is slipping through the net, say financial crime specialists. Last year, real-estate agents, accountants and trust and company service providers combined reported just 88 of the 76,590 suspicious transactions reports submitted to the JFIU, with lawyers submitting 969. Banks, brokers and other financial firms submitted 93 percent of all reports. Industry bodies representing lawyers, accountants, agents that set up trusts and companies, and real estate agents, said their members already operate under strict professional codes of conduct that include anti-money laundering procedures. The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants' CEO Raphael Ding said in a statement that the government's proposals on customer due diligence and record keeping will help it "to enhance its regulation of the profession" regarding anti-money laundering. Still, he said there were many legitimate reasons why companies and individuals wish to make use of offshore structures to hold assets. The Estate Agents Authority, which is responsible for regulating real estate professionals in Hong Kong, said that it "attaches great importance" to anti-money laundering measures by those with real estate sales licenses. And the Hong Kong Law Society said in a statement that there is no evidence that solicitors have failed in their obligation to make suspicious transaction reports. RACE AGAINST TIME The consultation on the proposed law closes on March 5 and the government hopes to table a bill in the legislature in the second quarter. Kenneth Leung, a lawmaker representing accountants, said the proposals may be opposed by some business interests but that the Legislative Council would likely be supportive. The government will have to move fast if it wants to implement and enforce the new rules by the time FATF visits Hong Kong next year, said Leung. FATF can put a jurisdiction on a blacklist if it is uncooperative in the battle against money laundering. While that doesn't trigger any formal sanctions, it can make banks, companies and other entities very wary about doing business with that place. (Reporting by Michelle Price; Additional reporting by Jess Yu in Hong Kong; Editing by Martin Howell) Once research has shown it is safe to do so, human embryos, sperm and eggs could all be genetically manipulated to mend faulty genes which are known to cause serious disease or disability. Photograph: TEK image/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF Powerful gene editing procedures could one day be allowed to prevent people from passing on serious medical conditions to their children, according to a major report from senior US researchers. The cautious endorsement from two of the most prestigious US science institutions means that human embryos, sperm and eggs could all be genetically manipulated to mend faulty genes which are known to cause serious disease or disability, once research has shown it is safe to do so. The report from the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine says the procedure is highly contentious because any genetic changes that are made are then inherited by the next generation. The technology would therefore cross a line many have viewed as ethically inviolable, it states. Most scientists agree that far more work is needed before clinical trials of so-called germline therapies can begin in humans. But the report argues that if the procedure is found to be safe and effective in the years ahead, it should not be ruled out in exceptional cases. We have identified a very strict set of criteria which, if satisfied, could make it permissible to start clinical trials, said Alta Charo, co-chair of the report committee and professor of law and bioethics at the University of WisconsinMadison. While gene editing is unlikely to affect the prevalence of diseases any time soon, it could provide some families with their best hope for having healthy children. According to the report, human embryos, sperm and eggs should only be considered for gene editing to prevent serious conditions and when no other alternative is available. To go ahead, scientists would have to be confident they could stop a disorder by rewriting the DNA in a faulty gene to make it into a healthy version already found in the population. The report stresses the need for a stringent oversight system for any such trials to make sure scientists, patients and the broader public understand the risks and benefits, and to come down hard on any clinics that offer treatment for less serious disorders or for human enhancement. Story continues There is an enormous amount of research that has to go into this, and then the question is what are the conditions where youd even consider it, and those are very tightly defined, said Rudolf Jaenisch, a member of the report committee and professor of biology at MIT. It would be conditions where no other options exist to have a healthy baby. One scenario where germline editing could help is when an adult carries two copies of the gene that causes Huntingtons disease, a devastating condition that steadily damages nerves in the brain. If the person wanted to start a family, their children would all inherit at least one copy of the faulty gene and so develop the disease. With gene editing, any harmful copies of the gene could potentially be fixed in the persons sperm, eggs, or embryos created through IVF. Under British law, gene edited embryos, or embryos made with genetically engineered sperm or eggs, cannot be implanted into a woman. The only exception, endorsed by parliament in 2015, is for a procedure called mitochondrial transfer, which aims to prevent women from passing on genetic diseases to their children. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration is currently not allowed to consider applications for germline therapy clinical trials, but the temporary restriction is only in place until April this year. The national academies report comes at a time when scientists are making spectacular progress in genome editing. With the latest gene editing tool, named Crispr-cas9, scientists can alter single letters of the DNA code, or rewrite whole genes. The technique has given researchers unprecedented insights into the basic biology of development and cancer, but has also been tested in animals as a treatment for a wide range of diseases. Last year, a Chinese group became the first to launch a trial of Crispr-cas9 to treat patients with aggressive lung cancer for whom all other therapies had failed. In separate research published in Nature Communications on Wednesday, scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle used gene editing to rewrite faulty genes responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in adult mice. Were a long way from clinical application but theres no doubt that the results of this study are exciting, said Darren Griffin, a geneticist at the University of Kent. Other studies reporting progress with different diseases emerge at least every month. The national academies report goes on to back the use of genome editing to correct faulty genes in adult tissues, such as the liver, lungs and heart, where the changes will not be passed on to children. But while it recommends that the tool is used only to prevent and treat diseases and disabilities, the report points out that in the future, the same interventions could potentially enhance peoples natural abilities. For example, a gene editing therapy that boosts the muscles of patients with muscular dystrophy could perhaps be given to healthy people to give them superhuman strength. We need an ongoing public conversation about how much value we place on some of these so-called enhancements, said Charo. Until we know that, we cant know how to value them against the risks. Even the academies heavily-caveated endorsement of gene editing will raise fears of a slippery slope that leads to a society of genetic haves and have-nots. But Richard Hynes, a report chair and cancer researcher at MIT, said that regulations could effectively block the use of the tools for enhancement. The slope is not very slippery. Friction is introduced by the regulatory system, he said. Charo ruled out the use of gene editing to boost peoples intelligence, which is thought to be influenced by hundreds, if not thousands, of genes. We have no idea how to define intelligence, let alone how to manipulate it genetically, Charo said. Its one of the examples that is raised all the time, but its one of the least likely to be relevant, because we dont have a clue how wed do that. By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine or discuss the matter with foreign partners after the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump expected the annexed Black Sea peninsula to be returned. Moscow says an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kiev. Ukraine says the referendum was a sham held at gunpoint after Russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula, that Russia-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by people power, and that Moscow should return Crimea. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing on Wednesday. The 2014 annexation prompted the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the Cold War. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that Trump expected and wanted to get along with Russia, but was expecting Moscow to hand Crimea back. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about Spicer's comments, said President Vladimir Putin had already explained why Crimeans had turned to Russia. "The theme of returning Crimea will not be discussed ... Russia does not discuss its territorial integrity with foreign partners," Peskov told a conference call with reporters. Trump had not raised the Crimean issue in a Jan. 28 phone call with Putin, Peskov noted, saying the Kremlin would try to make contacts with the Trump administration to try to improve ties which he said were in "a lamentable state." Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, told MPs any talk of Crimea's status amounted to a challenge to Russia's territorial integrity. Volodin, a close Putin ally, told the Interfax news agency Trump had promised in his election campaign to work to improve relations with Russia. "Let's wait for some first-hand words from the U.S. president," said Volodin. "When people get elected by voters it's not merely for warm words and the ability to speak, but for concrete promises ... that will be fulfilled." (Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova/ Alessandra Prentice; editing by John Stonestreet) Two cadets from the General Tadeusz Kosciuszko Military Academy of Land Forces (MALF) in Poland are enrolled at the University of North Georgia (UNG) this spring and participating in the Corps of Cadets as the first cadets exchanged under a new agreement between the two institutions. Artur Chrusciel and Wiktor Zapart, both fourth-year management majors at MALF, will become officers in the Polish army upon completion of their studies. Artur Chrusciel, left, and Wiktor Zapart "We are happy to be here and we just want to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve as much as we can," Zapart said. "If you do this right, you get benefits for yourself, and for your country, of course." The agreement, signed in 2016 at the military academy in Wroclaw, Poland, marks the first time MALF has collaborated with a U.S. university to offer professional military education through direct enrollment. The military academy cooperates with more than 30 foreign institutions, as well as universities in Turkey, Slovakia, Italy, Spain, and Cyprus. Chrusciel said they are mindful that they are ambassadors for their country in their first trip to the U.S. "Am I going to be good? Because I am representing my country and my army," Chrusciel said. "The training is clearly similar between our nations' militaries and the tactics are very similar as well." They will also have time for fun, with UNG-sponsored trips to Fort Benning and Atlanta. The pair also plans to visit New York City during spring break and attend the Corps of Cadets' spring military ball. Their UNG counterparts, Morgan Greaves and Taylor Hardin, leave for Poland at the end of February. Greaves and Hardin, both pursuing majors in international affairs, will enroll in MALF courses. Greaves, from Roswell, Georgia, has studied abroad previously, but looks forward to the challenge of a new environment. UNG cadets Morgan Greaves, left, and Taylor Hardin will be studying in Poland this spring. "As a leader you never know what situation you'll have to adapt to, and by consistently pushing yourself past what you're comfortable with, you grow," Greaves said. "I'm excited to better understand how European militaries work together and I hope the experience will positively impact my capabilities as a leader." For Hardin, from Sandy Springs, the exchange marks the first time studying abroad. "What I'm hoping to learn from the experience is a better understanding of an international culture and to develop my education," Hardin said. Military exchanges allow UNG cadets to elevate their level of global and military knowledge, according to Tony Fritchle, associate director for the Center for Global Engagement at UNG. "As a senior military college and the Military College of Georgia, we seek to partner with military academies that support UNG and Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies strategic plans," Fritchle said. "Our primary objectives are to foster reciprocal agreements in the exchange and development of cadet global competencies, language and cultural immersion, and professional military education." Polish army officials have similar goals for their future officers who find themselves increasingly in multinational situations, according to Maj. Marcin Bielewicz, vice dean for military affairs of MALF's Faculty of Management and a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. "The platoon leader right now is a diplomat. It's not only a commander taking care of the purely combat military tasks, but it's a kind of diplomat or negotiator," said Bielewicz, who visited UNG in October 2016 with other MALF representatives. "The officer, who actually is representing the country, also needs to possess certain skills that are not purely military, such as social, psychological and interpersonal skills." UNG offers global opportunities for students, faculty and staff through a variety of international partnerships, exchanges and study abroad programs. Specialized global opportunities for students in the Corps of Cadets at UNG include federally funded programs such as Project Global Officer, Chinese Language Flagship and the university's Language Training Center. The green chile cheeseburger has inspired culinary challenges, a tourism campaign and conflicting tales of its origin. Now a state representative wants to make the fiery flavored sandwich the official hamburger of New Mexico. Its really something that we can build on. Lets highlight something we can do really well, lets highlight green chile cheeseburgers, said Rep. Matthew McQueen, D-Galisteo, sponsor of House Bill 118, an act relating to state symbols. He got the inspiration during last years Legislative session when someone delivered plain burgers for a working lunch. He thought, Thats just wrong, they should be green chile cheeseburgers. The bill is currently in the committee stage. If passed, the green chile cheeseburger would join the state bird (roadrunner), state aircraft (hot air balloon), state cookie (bizcochito) state question (red or green?) and many more things deemed emblematic of New Mexico (official nickname: The Land of Enchantment). I think its a great idea. I fully support it, said Lucy Rosen, director of marketing for Blakes Lotaburger. The 65-year-old chain was winner of the 2016 Albuquerque Journal Readers Choice award for green chile cheeseburgers. Bob Gontram, owner of Taos-based Five Star Burgers, the runner-up for the 2016 Readers Choice burger award, applauded McQueens bill. The green chile cheeseburger is so iconic. It should be the state burger. We should all be proud of that, Gontram said. When hes traveled to places like St. Louis, Mo., Denver, Colo., and cities in California, hes noticed restaurants there have begun offering green chile cheeseburgers on their menus. People are picking it up because its so good, Gontram said. Its unclear where the concept of putting green chile on a cheeseburger originated. James Beard Award-winning food writer Jason Sheehan wrote The Birth of the Atomic Cheeseburger, an article for Gilt Taste that claimed it was Frank Chavezi who opened what is now the Owl Bar & Cafe in San Antonio, south of Socorro, in 1945. It said Chavez started making green chile cheeseburgers at the request of scientists from Los Alamos who were involved in the Manhattan Project to make the atomic bomb. Rosen disputes this version. According to her, Blake Chanslor, who opened his first Blakes Lotaburger restaurant in 1952, was the green chile cheeseburger pioneer. Patrons of Blakes used to bring their own green chile so Blake Chanslor began adding it. Blakes is the first place to add it to the menu. Whatever the origin, restaurant menus statewide have their own version of the green chile cheeseburger, or, as food blogger Gil Garduno of Gils Thrilling (And Filling) Blog puts it, In the Land of Enchantment, the ubiquitous green chile cheeseburger can be found in restaurants, drive-ins, diners, dives, joints, cafes, roadside stands and bowling alleys. Its the centerpiece of many a party and social function. Its our favorite fast, casual food. The New Mexico State Fair holds an annual Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge. The state Tourism Department promotes it saying the state didnt invent the hamburger but this is the place that made it hot. The Tourism Department even created a restaurant guide map called The Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail. The prospect of an official state hamburger has the Tourism Department excited. With the popularity of the New Mexico True Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail, which USA Todays 10 Best Readers Choice Awards named the No. 1 food trail in the country in 2015, and the growing interest in cuisine that is unique to a specific destination, this bill opens the door for greater awareness of what makes New Mexico a destination worth craving, said spokeswoman Heather Briganti. SANTA FE A Santa Fe city councilor is standing up against one of the worlds largest security companies. Renee Villarreal has twice voted against approving a contract extension with G4S Secure Solutions (USA) Inc., to provide uniform security services at city facilities, including city hall, convention center, municipal court, libraries, parking lots and airport. On Monday, Villarreal had the item pulled from the council Finance Committees consent agenda to express her opposition to the one-year, $487,000 contract. She said the company has participated in civil and human rights abuses around the world, has a poor track record managing prison facilities in such places as Israel and Palestine, had engaged in overbilling practices in Miami-Dade County, Fla., and was currently providing security for the Dakota Access Pipeline. I shall not be supporting this, Villarreal said of the contract, drawing an ovation from an audience of more than 100 people, most of whom were in the councils chambers to support a separate measure, a resolution Villarreal co-sponsored defending the rights of undocumented immigrants. G4S, a U.S.-based, British-owned company originally known as Wackenhut Corp., is contracted with the Department of Homeland Security to help with border protection operations and assist the Immigration and Customs Enforcement with transports. The immigration resolution Villarreal is co-sponsoring calls for city officials to not cooperate in enforcement of federal immigration laws by refusing access to non-public city property to federal immigration agents and to not honor ICE detainer requests. It was endorsed by the Finance Committee Monday night. G4S, which employs more than 600,000 people and has a presence in more than 100 countries, drew unwanted attention last summer when it came to light that the shooter in the massacre that killed 49 people and wounded dozens of others at an Orlando, Fla. nightclub had worked for G4S for nine years. Centerra Group, formerly G4S Government Solutions, has the Los Alamos National Laboratory security contract. At Mondays meeting, councilors Michael Harris, Peter Ives and Signe Lindell voted to approve the G4S contract. Harris said he based his vote on a line in a staff memo that said a city site managers who oversee security operations at various locations around town gave the companys managers and security guards a solid B+ for performance. Santa Fe city government has had issues with its security contracts in recent years. The city used to contract with Chavez Security, Inc., owned by former city councilor Peso Chavez. That company was disqualified from the bidding process in 2015 by submitting what the deemed to be an unresponsive bid. Another company, AAA Security, provided the service to the city for a while, then abruptly backed out. Blackstone Security Services ended up fulfilling the final two months of the contract with AAA before G4S was awarded the contract in December 2015. JACKSON, Miss. A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a Texas man to the maximum term of five years in prison for his role in bribing Mississippis former corrections commissioner. U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate ordered Mark Longoria of Houston to forfeit $131,000 in profit he derived from the bribe, pay back $368,000 in restitution to the Mississippi Department of Corrections and serve three years of probation after his release. Longoria, the CEO of Drug Testing Corp., pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit bribery in August. He admits paying nearly $230,000 to Mississippi businessman Cecil McCrory for his work helping to secure sales of drug testing cups in 2013 and 2014. Longoria has said he found out during the contract that McCrory was kicking back $60,000 to then-Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps but didnt stop it. Prosecutors say he may have known from the beginning. Wingate earlier this month sentenced McCrory to 8 years in federal prison for one count of money laundering conspiracy. McCrory must also pay a $150,000 fine, forfeit $1.7 million in assets and serve two years of probation. Epps pleaded guilty to money laundering and filing false tax returns in February 2015 and is set to be sentenced May 24. He could get up to 23 years in prison. Longoria told the judge that he sought the Mississippi contract and ultimately agreed to bribe Epps because he was on the verge of losing his sales job with the manufacturer of the cups after a merger, meaning his only income would be from Drug Testing Corp., previously a sideline business. I know that Im the sole provider for my wife and daughters, Longoria said. Six character witnesses testified for Longoria on Monday. I have never seen him more ashamed or embarrassed than I have now and that just kills me, said daughter Savanna Craig. Defense lawyer Tom Fortner argued no restitution was due because the Corrections Department paid Longoria less per cup than a previous vendor. But Wingate sided with Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, who said Longoria, through McCrory and Epps, improperly influenced the bid specifications, contributing to the disqualification of a lower bidder. Longoria testified the lower bidder should have been disqualified because its cups didnt meet federal requirements. Prosecutors also played a tape that seemed to indicate that Longoria induced a third competitor to bid above him, although the competitor and the manufacturer of Longorias cups had merged. Fortner tried unsuccessfully to lower the sentence by arguing that money that Longoria paid to McCrory, beyond the $60,000 in bribes passed to Epps, shouldnt counted in calculating Longorias sentence. Wingate again agreed with LaMarca, who argued the entire amount paid to McCrory was tainted. Mr. Epps and Mr. McCrory were in it together to get money, LaMarca said. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy . Read his work at https://www.apnews.com/search/JeffAmy . As the gun show manager for the New Mexico Gun Collectors Association, I recently attended legislative committee hearings at the Roundhouse on Senate Bill 48 and House Bill 50, the controversial gun control proposals making their way through the Legislature. The branding of these bills by the media, the legislative sponsors and New York billionaire Michael Bloombergs national organization Everytown for Gun Safety has been misleading and downright deceptive. They are falsely touting these measures as efforts to close the so-called gun show loophole. In reality, SB 48 and HB 50 are far more expansive. As introduced, these bills would criminalize the private sale of personal firearms to many relatives, friends, neighbors, business associates or members of your club without a trip to a licensed gun dealer. Every transaction would require federal paperwork, a background check and payment of an undetermined fee. But thats not all: the legislation would also mandate the same procedures for most temporary transfers of firearms between individuals, both when loaning your gun out and when it is returned. People dont loan their firearms out to strangers. These bills require government permission for exchanges between people who know one another, such as a deployed military service member who wants to leave personal firearms with a trusted friend. A gun owner who loans his niece a pistol for protection after a rash of burglaries in her neighborhood would also be subject to this law. Even someone borrowing their co-workers rifle for a weekend hunting trip, or to shoot at the local range or on BLM land would face criminal charges if they didnt comply with these government mandates. Concerned gun owners testified to lawmakers about the intrusiveness of these provisions and their concerns went ignored as the measures advanced without any changes. Even if the authors eventually bring the bills language in line with what they claim they are focusing on, they still fail to provide compelling evidence of a problem at New Mexico gun shows. Gun control advocates have had four years to build their case since they picked this fight in 2013 and they continue to fail to do so. If they or the lawmakers who support SB 48 and HB 50 bothered to attend any of our shows in Albuquerque, they would notice a strong law enforcement presence at our events, both providing security and as consumers. They would see that 80 percent of our vendors are licensed dealers who already must conduct background checks on every firearm sale at a gun show under federal law, and that many of the remaining vendors offer non-firearm-related merchandise, such as knives, accessories and items of historical or cultural interest. They would witness a vastly different scene from the seedy underworld of criminal activity, which they almost maniacally portray gun shows to be. These events are simply not a source of crime guns. U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics studies show that less than one percent of criminals obtained firearms at a gun show. Targeting them for regulations above and beyond federal law will not reduce crime; it will only lead to calls for more far-reaching restrictions on law-abiding citizens like those we see in SB 48 and HB 50 in their current form. Law enforcement recognizes that these are ineffective crime control measures and that is why the New Mexico Sheriffs Association has taken an aggressive stance against the bills. As New Mexicans learn more about this gun control scheme, opposition to it grows. Voters in Maine rejected nearly identical language on the ballot in that state last November. Nevadans approved a background-check measure at the polls in 2016 by less than one percent of the vote, despite Bloomberg spending nearly $20 million promoting it. Legislators should take note that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has refused to process these new Nevada records checks, asserting that a state cannot dictate how a federal agency allocates its resources. The Nevada Attorney General has declared the law unenforceable. Before approving any version of SB 48 and HB 50, legislators should arm themselves with the facts and ignore the gun control rhetoric. The health care industry is the bright spot in New Mexicos economy, adding jobs at a time when other sectors are shedding them, but it does even more by supporting the culture of our communities and providing hope to generations of New Mexicans. As New Mexicos population grows older, it is more important than ever that our hospitals and clinics remain financially strong, and that our doctors, nurses and other health care providers remain able to give us the kind of first-rate and compassionate care that we all need and have come to expect. Potential changes at the federal level to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, threaten to disrupt the financial ability of many New Mexicans to pay for health care, which will affect how well the industry is able to provide services to the rest of us. Providing a measure of stability at the state level will go a long way toward ensuring New Mexicans can get the health care they need from a successful industry. Fully funding Medicaid, the joint state and federal program that helps more than one out of every three New Mexicans pay for health care, is an important step. While it is expensive costing more than 17 percent of the states General Fund budget Medicaid spending provides a great return on investment, attracting $4 in federal money for each $1 that the state spends, providing thousands of jobs throughout New Mexico and, of course, helping ensure that New Mexicans stay healthy. Hospitals and other health care providers are willing to help the state fully fund Medicaid. Unlike many other industries, hospitals have actually suggested closing the tax loopholes that they benefit from in order to fully fund Medicaid. You read that correctly: Hospital administrators and executives know that quality health care costs money and that they can improve the care they provide their patients, properly compensate their doctors, nurses and other providers for the care they provide, and continue to contribute mightily to New Mexicos economy if the state has more tax revenue with which to fully fund Medicaid. Of course, ensuring good health takes more than money. Nutrition and education programs, including our farm-to-classroom efforts to get New Mexico-grown produce into schools; home-health visits; the dozens and dozens of clinics scattered throughout rural New Mexico; the numerous emergency medical services located across the state; and our nursing incentive programs all contribute to a healthy New Mexico, both clinically and economically. New Mexicans benefit from a wonderfully diverse health care environment, ranging from first-class cancer research and treatment at the University of New Mexico to traditional healing methods that are still successfully practiced throughout the state. We should remember what our wise grandparents and great-grandparents often told us: Well be fine as long as we have our health. Lets follow their example and make the best of what we have. WASHINGTON At their post-Civil War apogee, 19th-century Republicans were the party of activist government, using protectionism to pick commercial winners and promising wondrous benefits from governments deft interventions in economic life. Today, a Republican administration promises that wisely wielded Washington power can rearrange commercial activities in ways superior to those produced by private-sector calculations in free market transactions. According to the Financial Times, which interviewed him, Peter Navarro, head of the presidents National Trade Council, says an administration priority is unwinding and repatriating the international supply chains on which many U.S. multinational companies rely. This will make life interesting for, among many others, Americas third and 24th largest corporations, Apple and Boeing. The tiny print on the back of iPhones accurately says it is assembled, not manufactured, in China. The American Enterprise Institutes James Pethokoukis notes that parts come from South Korea, Japan, Italy, Taiwan, Germany and the United States. Components of Boeing airliners wings come from Japan, South Korea and Australia; horizontal stabilizers and center fuselages from Italy; cargo access doors from Sweden; passenger entry doors from France; landing gear doors from Canada; engines and landing gear from Britain. Navarros unwinding and repatriating is, to say no more, part of an improbable project: making American greater by making Apple, Boeing and many other corporations much less efficient and less competitive. This will further slow economic growth, making even more unattainable the 4 percent (more than double the economys average growth this century) or higher growth that the administration says will enable it to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure (including a $15 billion or so wall on the Mexican border, begun after nearly a decade of net negative immigration from Mexico), while substantially increasing military spending, leaving entitlements unreformed and delivering enormous tax cuts. Cuts that, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (co-chaired by Republican Mitch Daniels and Democrat Leon Panetta, both former directors of the Office of Management and Budget), will reduce revenues by $5.8 trillion over 10 years. This, as the Congressional Budget Office projects that even without any of the administrations proposed spending spree and tax cuts, under current law the national debt would increase by $9.4 trillion. Speaking of supply chains: In her book The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy, Georgetown Universitys Pietra Rivoli recounts a conversation with a man from Shanghai who said that if she would come to China he would help her see various places involved in producing the inexpensive T-shirts exported to America. She would see where the yarn is spun, the fabric is knit and the shirts are sewn. Asked if she could see where the cotton is grown, the man from China said he could not show her that because the cotton probably is grown in Teksa. Rivoli spun a globe around to China and asked him to point to Teksa. He took the globe and spun it back around the other way. Here, I think it is grown here. I followed his finger. Patrick was pointing at Texas. Todays Republican administration promises protection against the destruction of American jobs by the Chinese, Mexicans and other foreigners. The really prolific destroyers are: Americans. As Reasons John Tamny says, Americans streaming movies from Netflix (based in Los Gatos, Calif.) erase American jobs in movie theaters and DVD rental stores. Americans buying books from Seattle-based Amazon have caused many American bookstores to do what Borders (400 stores, 11,000 employees) did: disappear. Americans using San Francisco-based Uber are destroying many taxi drivers jobs. Evidently our protectors in the administration must believe this: The destruction of American jobs because Americans buy goods or services of some American companies rather than those of other American companies is benign. But the destruction of American jobs because Americans buy goods or services of foreign companies is intolerable. As todays Republicans celebrate a protectionist administration that is confident that Washingtons superior wisdom can improve upon the markets allocation of economic resources, Democrats must resent Republican plagiarism. Who will protect Americans from their protectors? Wills columns can be read at abqjournal.com/opinion look for the syndicated columnist link. E-mail: georgewill@washpost.com; copyright, Washington Post Writers Group. New 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrezs strategy to combat what he calls out of control crime in Bernalillo County by focusing solely on career criminals and the most serious crimes likely isnt what residents want to hear. But it is realistic given the funding limitations imposed by the states dismal finances as well as the ongoing confusion over a two-year-old Supreme Court order aimed as speeding up the districts justice system. Torrez, whose office typically handles about 18,000 misdemeanor and criminal cases a year, has said limited funding will force his office to prosecute fewer cases so his prosecutors will concentrate on the relatively small percentage of the criminal population that drives a disproportionate amount of crime. Because those prosecutions stand to have the greatest impact on the overall crime rate, delivering the most bang for the prosecution buck, that seems a sensible if far from ideal approach. Torrez says his prosecutors will prioritize cases by considering how often a suspect has come into contact with police, his/her criminal history, the nature of the case and whether the suspect has a history of being a felon in possession of a firearm something he says is a major red flag. What he doesnt say is that many less serious cases will, by necessity, go unprosecuted unless they can be routed to pre-prosecution and diversion programs. Heres what hes up against: Torrez says his office would need $25 million a year to optimize its effectiveness. His predecessor, Kari Brandenburg, submitted a funding request to the Legislature for $18.5 million $1 million more than the office received in her final year as DA. Despite spending cuts enacted last fall, Gov. Susana Martinez is recommending Torrezs office receive no increase for the coming fiscal year, and the House Appropriations and Finance Committee is backing the governor. The Legislative Finance Committee recommended a funding increase of less than 1 percent. Meanwhile, the countys homicide rate is the highest its been in 20 years, and New Mexico had the third-highest violent crime rate and second-highest property crime rate in the nation in 2015, according to FBI stats. The DAs severely overcrowded office is testament to the crime wave, with hundreds of boxes of records going back decades serving as room dividers or stacked along walls. Because theres not money to digitize those records, Torrez is hoping the county can find storage room in some of its unused buildings. And he says he cant even afford laptop computers for his prosecutors, let alone the additional 20 and 25 additional prosecutors he needs to keep up with the caseload. But with the state scrambling to plug a multimillion-dollar hole in the coming fiscal year because of a precipitous drop in oil and gas revenues, theres no immediate relief in sight and thus the need to pick your prosecution battles. Compounding the issue is a lack of clarity in the so-called Case Management Order, issued by the state Supreme Court in February 2015 and modified in November 2015. The order set strict deadlines for the exchange of evidence between investigators and prosecutors, and for defendants to be arraigned. The order, which applies only to the 2nd Judicial District, was designed to speed up adjudication of criminal cases, eliminate a backlog of cases and address jail overcrowding. Under Brandenburgs watch, about 3,000 criminal cases were dismissed, including 2,500 primarily property crimes and 500 from other divisions, such as violent crime. Instead of trying such cases, Torrez says Brandenburgs team would often file nolle prosequi notices in court and abandon cases so charges could be refiled when more evidence was available. But most of those cases have never been refiled, Torrez says, and when those charges were dismissed, suspects were released from jail and, in some cases, committed additional crimes that also were dismissed. The good news is Torrez is adamant that were not going to do that anymore. Were going to file these cases and were going to let the court make the decision on whether or not they want to impose these strict deadlines. Those decisions would be far easier to make if there were some uniformity in interpreting what the deadlines entail which would happen with some follow-up guidance from the Supreme Court that wrote them. The dismissal of less serious crimes will no doubt be questioned, and understandably so, by victims of those crimes. But unless and until the chronic under-funding of the DAs Office changes, its prosecutors have to start somewhere. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. It was like waiting for New Mexicos summer monsoon rain. Law enforcement here knew it was coming but didnt know when. We are talking about fentanyl. People were dying of fentanyl overdoses in New England, the Midwest, New York and California. In March 2015, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Albuquerque seized 3 kilograms of fentanyl concealed in a false bottom compartment of a suitcase at a commercial bus transportation center. The trafficker was a Mexican national traveling from San Diego to New York City. The question again: When would it hit New Mexico? And then it did. Last summer, there were at least 22 fentanyl overdoses in the state, and the DEA is still trying to find out who sold it and where. Part of the problem is that the deaths occurred early in the summer, but it took the Office of the Medical Investigator months to determine the drug was the cause of death. Fentanyl is a powerful painkiller for cancer patients and some people with chronic pain due to degenerative bone diseases. On the legal market, it comes in time-release patches. But it is deadly stuff, and 2 milligrams can lead to a fatal overdose. The fentanyl on the illegal market is made in China, where manufacturers make variations of the drug called analogs. It is shipped directly to the United States, usually in a liquid form, when purchased on the dark internet. But over the past few years, more of it is being shipped to Mexico in blocks of powder that are mixed with poor-quality heroin or heroin that has been cut with too much quinine. Online recipes suggest mixing a teaspoon of fentanyl with 4 kilograms of quinine and 1 kilogram of heroin that will lead to a street-quality heroin that still has a kick. Or it is made into pills that look like prescription painkillers in pill mills located in ports on Mexicos west coast and the Gulf of California. The powder fentanyl is mixed with inert substances, blue or tan dyes are added with some water, and then the mixture is pressed into pills with a pill press. Some of the operations are quite primitive, and workers have died from inhaling the fentanyl powder. DEA agents believe that the look-alike painkiller pills are what led to the deaths in New Mexico last summer. In many cases, the drug users dont realize they are getting a much more potent drug that can lead to their deaths. The DEA has started training classes for law enforcement and Postal Service employees so they do not suffer an accidental overdose, because minute amounts of the drug are lethal and can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled. FOURTH IN A SERIES: Once the drug of choice for outlaw motorcycle gangs, methamphetamine is now a major moneymaker for Mexican drug cartels. At one time, it was mostly cooked locally in seedy motel rooms or trailer parks using over-the-counter cold remedies. Now, law enforcement estimates that about 90 percent of the meth consumed in the United States comes across the border. The drug can be smoked, snorted, injected or taken orally. Were seeing meth dealers go after kids as young as 13 on social media, said APD Deputy Chief Eric Garcia. Thats who theyre marketing to. Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal Miguel Rangel-Arce, 36, and brother Luis Rangel-Arce, 44, set up shop west of Farmington on the Navajo reservation in 2015. They were there to make money selling methamphetamine supplied by the Sinaloa Cartel. They rented a house and recruited locals, both Navajo and Anglo, to sell the drug on the reservation and in the neighborhoods of Farmington and Bloomfield. It was a tightly run ring with five retail dealers handling direct sales to users. But the Rangel brothers, both from Mexico by way of Phoenix, came to the attention of federal investigators because of an increase in crime and use of methamphetamine in the Shiprock area on the Navajo nation. In 2016, the two men and others were arrested for selling methamphetamine directly to undercover officers. Authorities seized more than 2 pounds of the drug worth a minimum of $150,000, along with 10 firearms, during the arrests. Methamphetamine continues to have a devastating impact on Native American families and communities, said U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez. Martinez said the same thing a year earlier when law enforcement in the southern part of the state arrested Carlos Tafoya and 34 others in December 2015 for trafficking methamphetamine on the Mescalero Apache Reservation near Ruidoso. The Mescalero Apache arrests also followed an increase in violent crime attributed to methamphetamine use on the reservation, including a horrific assault on a young girl by two teenage boys who were high on meth. Joseph Ray Mendiola, 35, of Roswell, was the focus of another investigation that led to federal and state charges against 41 people. The investigation involved the FBI, DEA, State Police and local law enforcement agencies. Investigators seized more than 16 pounds of methamphetamine from Mendiola and his associates in Roswell. Its the same story over and over. High-quality, inexpensive methamphetamine supplied by Mexican cartels is a problem from the reservations to the oil patch, from cities to rural New Mexico. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant, and the crime that accompanies it is often violent from the shooting death of a police officer in Rio Rancho to the brutal assaults on young girls in Albuquerque and the Mescalero Reservation. Transit point Call it meth, crystal, ice, speed or crank. A pound of it can sell for as low as $7,200, but the average price per pound in New Mexico is around $8,000. That translates into big profits as it is broken down for users into envelopes of $25, $50 or $100. Dealers sell to users, or tweakers. Whatever name you want to use for methamphetamine, the statistics point to serious problems. Among them: In 2008, there were 23 overdose deaths in New Mexico attributed to methamphetamine. By 2014, there were 111 meth overdose deaths in the state. In 2007, a gram of methamphetamine was selling for almost $300 and the purity was about 40 percent. By 2014, the price had dropped, on a national average, to around $70 a gram, and it had an average purity of more than 90 percent. In 2010, federal agents seized just over 4,000 kilograms of methamphetamine along the Mexican border in the Southwest. By 2015, the amount seized increased to 16,282 kilograms. Meanwhile, the number of methamphetamine laboratories busted by law enforcement in the United States dropped more than 50 percent from 2010 to 2015, and most of those laboratories were capable of producing only 2 ounces or less. The reason for the shift: About 90 percent of the methamphetamine consumed in the United States is made in Mexico. They are controlling more of the distribution line, the entire line from the manufacture to the actual distribution, said Will Glaspy, Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge, El Paso Division. According to the DEA, traffickers employ various techniques in smuggling methamphetamine. They include human couriers, commercial flights, parcel services and commercial buses. But traffickers most commonly transport methamphetamine through U.S. border crossings in passenger vehicles with hidden compartments. Several cartels are shipping methamphetamine in a liquid form to smuggle into the United States in soft drink cans and bottles. Once in the United States, the methamphetamine is transformed into a powder through standard chemical filtration methods. Like other drugs, much of the meth that arrives in Albuquerque doesnt stay here. The city is a transit point for drugs going on to Denver, Chicago and elsewhere. The compartmentalization of the cartel operations and the use of independent contractors make it difficult for law enforcement to track supply lines. I dont see a lot of people on this side of the border that have complete knowledge of the whole distribution chain, Glaspy said. One person picks up the methamphetamine in Culiacan, Sinaloa, and takes it to Juarez. Someone else smuggles it through the port of entry into El Paso to a stash house in Albuquerque. It then gets moved by another courier to a stash house in Denver or a city in the Midwest. Then a different person will pick it up and take it to a distributor. And that is a lot of what were seeing in the United States is that the Mexicans are looking to, well, theyre controlling more of the market, Glaspy said. Internal struggles As with other illegal drugs, the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels are major players in the meth racket. But competition for control of methamphetamine production in Mexico has always been heated and a new power player the New Generation Jalisco Cartel has emerged recently. The first Mexican trafficking organization to start producing the drug on an industrial scale was based in the Mexican state of Colima and was called the Colima Cartel. Founded by Jesus Amezcua Contreras in 1988, the Colima Cartel replaced outlaw motorcycle gangs in the United States in producing methamphetamine, then partnered with the biker gangs for distribution. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Colima Cartel controlled the importation of chemicals from Europe later China and India used to make methamphetamine. The Colima Cartel then sold its surplus to the Sinaloa Cartel. But the rise of the New Generation Jalisco Cartel, in the bordering state of Jalisco, has led to fierce fighting in the state of Colima. The New Generation Jalisco Cartel is the newest of the six major cartels operating in Mexico. Nemesio El Mencho Oseguera Cervantes, who now heads the New Generation syndicate, was convicted in federal court in San Francisco in 1994 and sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin. He was deported to Mexico after his release from prison and worked as a police officer in the state of Jalisco, where the Milenio Cartel was active producing methamphetamine. The Milenio Cartel and the Colima Cartel were then partners in the Sinaloa Cartel. But in 2010, one of the leaders of the Milenio Cartel died and another was arrested by Mexican federal law enforcement. That led to a fight over control of narcotics trafficking in the states of Jalisco and Michoacan. El Mencho came out on top, heading what is now called the New Generation Jalisco Cartel. He set about expanding the cartels operations and took on rivals like Los Zetas and the Knights Templar. That expansion was noted for its violence, willingness to kill local and state government officials and taking on federal police in ambushes and gunfights, including shooting down helicopters. In 2016, the Sinaloa Cartel began sending men and arms to aid the Colima Cartel in its fight with the New Generation Jalisco Cartel, which smuggles drugs into the United States through Tijuana, Juarez and Nuevo Laredo. It is considered a major player in methamphetamine trafficking but also is involved in heroin, cocaine and marijuana smuggling. The cartels import chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine from India, China and the Philippines. The chemicals are delivered to Mexicos western ports including Manzanillo in the state of Colima. The Colima Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel and the remnants of the Beltran Leyva organization also manufacture and traffic methamphetamine, using ports like Guaymas to bring in the chemicals from overseas. The Juarez Cartel gets it supplies from other cartels, primarily New Generation Jalisco. Manufactured Unlike most other illegal drugs, methamphetamine is a synthetic, manufactured in a laboratory. It does not rely on a plant as its main source of chemicals like heroin and cocaine, and production isnt affected by drought or floods. And there are a lot of ways to make meth. One way involves the use of the common cold remedy pseudoephedrine or ephedrine as a precursor chemical. Making methamphetamine using pseudoephedrine is fairly simple, and the U.S. government in the 1990s passed tough laws and regulations governing its production and distribution. As a result, production began to head south in the 1990s to Mexico, where pseudoephedrine was easy to get. Around 2005, Mexico imported 80 metric tons of ephedrine from China when the countrys basic need was 4 metric tons. Mexico, at the urging of the U.S., began restricting imports of pseudoephedrine, and China began restricting exports. That caused the cartels to move to more complex manufacturing techniques that revolve around the chemical P-2-P, prompting the United States and United Nations to restrict production, exportation and importation of P-2-P around the world. Unfortunately, there are lots of ways to make P-2-P, and most of those involve very common industrial chemicals and solvents a lot of them considered poisonous. It is difficult to control international trade in these chemicals, because they are used to make everything from aspirin to pressure-treated wood. In 2010, the Mexican government seized 110 methamphetamine laboratories, and most were using some form of the P-2-P method of making methamphetamine. Since 2010, most of the methamphetamine tested by DEA laboratories has been made using the P-2-P method. Video As an extra bonus to our readers, Mike Gallagher provides additional background and insights about the New Generation Jalisco Cartel in a video interview. https://abqjournal.com/946286/cartels.htm The arrest of Angel Ibes Diaz-Rivera in March 2015 appeared to be a typical Drug Enforcement Administration bust at the Greyhound bus station in Albuquerque. Agents boarded an eastbound bus and began talking with Diaz-Rivera, in what agents call a meet-and-greet. Diaz-Rivera agreed to allow the agents to search his luggage. They found a false bottom that revealed a clear, heat-sealed plastic bundle containing more than 6 pounds of white powder. The amount wasnt unusual, and agents frequently find drugs on buses and Amtrak trains heading east through Albuquerque. They figured the contraband was methamphetamine or possibly cocaine. It wasnt. It was fentanyl on its way to New York. Defense attorneys accused agents of violating Diaz-Riveras civil rights in conducting the search, but it was ruled a legal search. Diaz-Rivera, who said he was a truck driver in his hometown of Tijuana, said he was being paid $800 to transport the drugs to New York and claimed that he believed that he was transporting marijuana. Diaz-Rivera pleaded guilty. Prosecutors sought a sentence of more than seven years. U.S. District Judge Martha Vasquez sentenced Diaz-Rivera to 2 years. SANTA FE Theyve tried it a half-dozen times before. But supporters of a proposal to tap into the Land Grant Permanent Fund and boost money to pay for early-childhood services say theyre optimistic that this is the year it gets through the Legislature. To that end, they rolled out a new study Tuesday that says the need for home visiting and similar programs is far more drastic than state analysts have previously estimated. New Mexico needs about $406 million more for those services, according to the study, not $115 million. But the proposal still faces serious political obstacles. Sen. John Arthur Smith a Deming Democrat and chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee said the Land Grant Permanent Fund is a vital source of revenue for New Mexicos general operating budget. In an interview, he suggested he isnt any more willing this year than he has been in the past to support diverting some money away from the fund. Its not financially responsible, to my way of thinking, Smith said. Supporters nevertheless sounded optimistic Tuesday about finally sending the proposal to voters. They won a recommendation of passage from a second House committee out of three needed before it would hit the floor on a party-line vote, Democrats in the majority. Allen Sanchez, president of CHI St. Josephs Children, a faith-based nonprofit group, said supporters of the constitutional amendment have new evidence on their side. A 51-page report by a consultant estimates that theres unmeet need in New Mexico for about $406 million in early-childhood education services, such as home visiting programs that help young parents. Thats far more than a similar estimate by the Legislative Finance Committee, which pegged the need at $115 million. The difference is that the new study suggests more people need the services, that the programs should be of higher quality and that there should be money dedicated to evaluating the effectiveness of the work, according to the report by Catherine F. Kinney, a Santa Fe-based expert. She was hired by CHI St. Josephs Children, which supports the amendment. House Joint Resolution 1, co-sponsored by Democrats Antonio Moe Maestas and Javier Martinez, both of Albuquerque, calls for disbursements from the Land Grant Permanent Fund to be increased by 1 percentage point, from 5 percent to 6 percent. The goal is to generate an extra $112 million or so for early childhood programs. WASHINGTON Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, frustrated by the cancellation of a planned meeting with the chief of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency on Tuesday, demanded more details about stepped-up deportation efforts the agency has initiated in recent days. ICE reported Monday that officers in the Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Antonio and New York City regions arrested more than 680 people who pose a threat to public safety, border security or the integrity of our nations immigration system. The enhanced deportations at least so far have not been carried out in New Mexico. Although ICE officials have said those arrested and deported have posed safety threats, Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., said ICE acting Director Thomas Homan told her Monday during a phone call that the deportations reflected a broader effort than just targeting felons or violent criminals. He confirmed that unlike other actions in the past that this is a broader effort that can be aimed at anyone that has a criminal record or is suspected of criminal activity, which meets the language, of course, of broader discretion to Homeland Security, and Im very concerned about that because thats a shift, said Lujan Grisham, chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Lujan Grisham said she is requesting specific information about whom ICE is deporting, adding that she was more than disappointed Tuesdays meeting was canceled. The request to have the meetings was to get real information data about who was apprehended, who were the targets, where and to confirm that information with our constituents to make sure were following the law and people are getting due process, she said. Gillian M. Christensen, a spokeswoman for ICE in Washington, told the Journal that Tuesdays meeting was delayed until Thursday to allow for bipartisan participation after the initial list of just six Democrats expected to participate grew substantially. Meanwhile, Rep. Steve Pearce, a New Mexico Republican who represents the states border with Mexico, said the recent raids have been declared by Department of Homeland Security Secretary (John) Kelly as based on public safety threats of people who are not legally eligible to be in our country based on the laws we have. Depending on the call volume at a given time, Albuquerque city officials say, it can take police several hours to respond to a low-priority property crime call. But additional help could be on the way soon. The City Council gave unanimous approval last week to hire 25 civilian crime scene investigators, who will respond to low-priority property crimes. The pilot program is intended to allow for a more complete and timely investigation into crimes that sworn officers dont always have time for and free up those officers for more pressing 911 calls, said City Councilor Brad Winter, who sponsored the legislation with City Councilor Ken Sanchez. Its a win-win, Winter said. Its definitely a win for the community. The city has budgeted $300,000 for the program for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends June 30. The civilian investigators will work initially in the Northeast, Southeast and Southwest area commands. Rob Perry, the citys chief administrative officer, said officials hope to have the teams investigating crimes by April. Albuquerques property crime rate has been increasing since hitting a 30-year low in 2010, according to FBI crime statistics. In 2015, the number of property crimes in the city jumped to 34,082, up from 30,437 in 2014, according to the FBI. But the citys property crime rate remains far below the levels experienced in the late 1980s and 1990s, according to the FBIs website. For example, in 1998, there were 9,490 property crimes per 100,000 residents. In 2014, the FBI calculated that there were 5,446 property crimes per 100,000 people. Still, Winter said, there is a sense of urgency to do something about the crimes. I see people in the line at Smiths and they are upset because everybody is affected by property crimes, he said. Winter said he envisioned the civilian investigators would include a mix of experienced police service aides who want to eventually become full-time Albuquerque police officers and retired law enforcement or military personnel who are seasoned investigators. The investigators will not be armed and will only respond to Priority 3 calls, which are property crimes where there isnt an active suspect. Perry told the council last week that the department usually takes about an hour to respond to those calls, but there have been cases where the police response took several hours. The (civilian investigators) can go conduct a thorough and personal investigation, so the citizen has a good experience, not an encounter with an officer who has to jump to another call, Perry said. We think it will help us bring more solvability to property crimes as well. The investigators will make about $17 an hour, depending on their experience and training, Winter said. Police departments in Austin, Texas, Denver and Oklahoma City have similar programs, Perry said. Mayor Richard Berry originally made a similar proposal for addressing property crime. He called on the city to contract with an outside firm that employed retired police officers. But the council-approved measure will make the investigators city employees. Karina Leanos and Alan Valenzuela were going to take their kids to the circus on Saturday. The couple had two children together, and Leanos had two more of her own in total three boys and a girl, ages 1, 3, 4 and 9. Valenzuela said theyd been together for four years but had broken up last Tuesday, just three days before Leanos, 27, was killed in a wreck that police say was caused by a drunken driver. We were still working things out, Valenzuela said. Theyd planned to take the kids to the baby sitter Saturday night so they could go out dancing. But all of that changed Friday morning. Leanos was driving west on Lomas on her way to pick up her children after working a night shift at Genesis HealthCare at Las Palomas Center, where she worked as a certified nursing assistant. Around 7:45 a.m., Elaine Sandoval, 33, was driving south at a high rate of speed on Pennsylvania in a Ford Explorer and struck Leanos Pontiac, according to court documents. Sandoval, who police said smelled of alcohol, is charged with vehicular homicide. If a blood test reveals alcohol impairment, this will not have been Sandovals first experience with DWI; her drivers license had already been revoked because of a prior drunken driving case. On Friday morning, Valenzuela saw on Facebook that a car that looked like Leanos was involved in a wreck. Thats when I started calling her, he said. She never picked up. He called the day care center to see whether the kids were still there and learned that they had never been picked up. Thats when I went over there, he said, and an officer told me that she passed away. So instead of spending the weekend at the circus and out dancing, Valenzuela stayed home with his children. Trying to let it sink in, he said, his voice breaking. But I just cant. Im still waiting for her to call me or text me. Hes watching his children, the 3-year-old and the 1-year-old. The older two children are staying with Leanos mother. Valenzuela said he and Leanos used to talk about the day when they would tell each of their kids about the days they were born. His son was born in a car on the way to the hospital and his daughter was born in his kitchen. Now hes trying to figure out what to say when his 3-year-old daughter asks for her mom. He tells her that shell be back tomorrow, that theyll go see her tomorrow. She wants to go to her house, she keeps asking for her, he said. I dont know what I should tell her. A small group of Leanos friends and family gathered at Phil Chacon Park in Southeast Albuquerque on Tuesday afternoon to release balloons in her memory. Some wore T-shirts emblazoned with Siempre te recordaremos (We will always remember you) and an image of her emblazoned across the back. They played music and said a few words before letting the balloons, many of them heart-shaped, float into the sky. Those who spoke about Leanos said she was a dedicated mother who worked hard to make sure her kids had everything. When the stress of balancing work and four children caught up to her, she never let it show. She liked to make everybody smile even though she was going through a tough time, said Amanda Florez, her close friend and former sister-in-law. She never showed it. She was very strong. She didnt like to talk about her problems. Leanos was close to her mother, who visits often but lives in Phoenix, Florez said. But she didnt have many family members in town, so she and Florez considered each other sisters. Sometimes you dont have to be blood to be family, Florez said. I feel like a piece of me was taken because I was so close to her. Leanos worked as a laundry attendant before going to school to become a certified nursing assistant. Her co-workers and patients are mourning her death, too. It was a heavy loss for everyone. There was quite a bit of tears shed, said Jeremy Averella, executive director of Genesis HealthCare at Las Palomas Center. Karina was really someone who kind of lit up the unit. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Malaysian police have arrested two women in the death of Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Koreas leader who was reportedly poisoned this week by a pair of female assassins as he waited for a flight in Malaysia, police said Thursday. The women were picked up separately Wednesday and early Thursday and were identified using CCTV footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where Kim Jong Nam suddenly fell ill Monday morning before he died on the way to the hospital. The woman arrested Thursday was holding an Indonesian passport that identified her as 25-year-old Siti Aishah, a Malaysian police statement said. The other suspect held Vietnamese travel documents bearing the name Doan Thi Huong, 28. Still photos of the CCTV video, confirmed as authentic by police, showed her in a skirt and long-sleeved white T-shirt with LOL emblazoned across the front. There was no immediate way to determine if the IDs were genuine or if the women were believed to be the alleged assassins. Investigators are trying to shed light on a death that set off set off waves of speculation over whether North Korea dispatched a hit squad to kill a man known for his drinking, gambling and complicated family life. Medical workers completed an autopsy late Wednesday, but it was not immediately clear if or when Malaysia would release the findings publicly. North Korea had objected to the autopsy but Malaysia went ahead with the procedure anyway as the North did not submit a formal protest, said Abdul Samah Mat, a senior Malaysian police official. Kim Jong Nam, who was 45 or 46, was estranged from his younger brother, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and had been living abroad for years. He reportedly fell out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. According to two senior Malaysian government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy, the elder Kim told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray at the airport. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said two women believed to be North Korean agents killed him with some kind of poison before fleeing in a taxi. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a number of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a reign of terror. South Koreas spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said Wednesday that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim Jong Nam. The NIS did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to lawmakers who briefed reporters about the closed-door meeting with the spy officials. The NIS also cited a genuine attempt by North Korea to kill Kim Jong Nam in 2012, the lawmakers said. The NIS told them that Kim Jong Nam sent a letter to Kim Jong Un in April 2012, after the assassination attempt, begging for the lives of himself and his family. The letter said: I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide. Although Kim Jong Nam had been originally tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau. He also frequented casinos, five-star hotels and traveled around Asia, with little say in North Korean affairs. But his attempt to visit Tokyo Disneyland reportedly soured North Koreas leadership on his potential as a successor. Kim Jong Nam had said he had no political ambitions, although he was publicly critical of the North Korean regime and his half brothers legitimacy in the past. In 2010, he was quoted in Japanese media as saying he opposed dynastic succession in North Korea. Among Kim Jong Uns executions and purges, the most spectacular was the 2013 execution of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered the countrys second-most powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. ___ Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Tim Sullivan in New Delhi contributed to this report. GOLDEN SHORES, Ariz. The Lake Havasu City Police Department has been asked to investigate a fatal shooting of an armed man by Mohave County Sheriffs deputies. Sheriffs officials say they received a 911 call Monday from a woman who said she had just been shot at by a neighbor in Golden Shores. When deputies arrived on the scene, they were confronted by Drey Krause, who was armed with a shotgun. They say Krause refused repeated commands to drop the weapon and one of the deputies then shot Krause. Krause was transported to a Fort Mohave hospital, where he later died. Sheriffs officials say the deputies involved in the incident have been placed on administration leave. They say its customary to have an outside law enforcement agency investigate any shooting incidents involving their deputies. DENVER A number of domestic-violence deaths in 2016 pushed the number of homicides in Denver to a 10-year high. The Denver Post reports (http://dpo.st/2lPhUWq ) that 56 people were killed in 2016, with 11 of those deaths attributed to domestic violence. Another six people were killing shootings by Denver police. In 2015, 50 people were killed in Denver, with another seven shot by police officers. Despite the higher homicide numbers, Denver police say gang-related killings have dropped significantly and officers were able to solve more cases than in previous years. The Denver Police Department has solved 38 of the 56 homicides reported in 2016. ___ Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com Silicon Valley is rightly focused on President Donald Trumps immigration order. But it should be gearing up for another fight thats vital to both tech companies and their customers. Net neutrality is in the crosshairs again. Ajit Pai, the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has made it clear that hes no fan. Hes already halted a net neutrality-related investigation launched by his predecessor and recently reaffirmed his belief that, one way or another, the days are numbered for the Open Internet rules. Pai was not available for comment, but advocates on both sides of the net neutrality debate believe its only a matter of time before he tries to undo the rules. If the courts or Congress dont overturn them, Pai will, said Berin Szoka, president of Tech Freedom, a group that advocates against regulations affecting the technology and telecom industries, at a forum in Menlo Park, Calif., on net neutrality last week. Its no mystery what Ajit is going do, he said. How exactly Pai will go after the rules is an open question, said Craig Aaron, CEO of Free Press, a consumer advocacy group that lobbied for them. But he added, I think hes making it pretty clear that hes not interested in enforcing them and that he would welcome pretty much any opportunity to undermine or defang them. The net neutrality rules say that internet service providers shouldnt unreasonably discriminate against particular internet sites or services. That has been spelled out in three big prohibitions: broadband providers are barred from blocking, throttling or prioritizing for a fee access to particular sites and services. Under the rules, providers are also required to disclose how they manage their networks. The threat that those rules might be overturned should be of utmost concern to Silicon Valley and the broader tech industry. Tech companies including Google, Facebook, Netflix and Apple have thrived in an environment ruled by the principles of net neutrality, where they dont have to worry about whether theyll be able to reach their customers over the internet or whether broadband providers might slow down access to their sites, services or apps. Without the net neutrality protections, larger companies likely will be forced to pay broadband providers to guarantee their customers will be able to access their sites and services. Not only could those fees be significant, they almost certainly will be passed along to consumers in the form of higher costs. Meanwhile, smaller companies could easily lose out by being unable to afford to pay such premiums. That could have obvious effects on competition and innovation. There are lot of companies that benefit from having well-repaired roads, said John Bergmayer, a senior staff attorney at Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy group that long pressed for strong net neutrality rules. Similarly, he added, broadband access is such basic infrastructure. Everyone needs it. Right now, though, Silicon Valley doesnt seem particularly engaged on this issue, at least not publicly. The immigration fight is gobbling up a lot of attention. Many in the tech industry, particularly the big companies, have been hopeful that the Trump administration will push forward on a tax reform that would slash or eliminate the taxes they owe on their overseas profits. And like many Americans, many seem to be trying to get their bearings amid all the rapid changes. I think a lot of them are stumbling a little bit, Aaron said. Like many people inside and outside Washington, theyre trying to figure out what it means to operate in the Trump administration. But Pai isnt sitting still. Earlier this month, in one of his first actions as chairman, he shut down an inquiry his predecessor had launched into so-called zero-rating plans. Under those plans, broadband providers allow consumers to access particular sites and services without using any of their limited buckets of data bandwidth. Consumer advocates have charged that such plans can violate the principles of net neutrality, because they can distort the market by allowing providers to give preferential treatment to their own sites and services or those of paid partners. The FCC under Tom Wheeler, Pais predecessor, found reason to believe that two such plans, one each from AT&T and Verizon, did fall afoul of the Open Internet rules. Instead of pursuing the investigation, which was launched toward the end of Wheelers tenure, Pai gave a green light to AT&T and Verizon to continue their plans and to other providers to create their own. Other actions could be coming up. Last year, a federal appeals court panel upheld the Open Internet rules. But opponents of the rules are seeking to have the entire court rehear the case and will likely appeal to the Supreme Court if it doesnt. Under Pai, the FCC could choose to stop defending the rules. Some congressional Republicans have been seeking to overturn the net neutrality rules and to strip the FCC of much of its authority. Pai could press them to go forward. Or he could simply launch a new rulemaking effort in the FCC itself to overturn the rules. Those rules were the result of years worth of lobbying by advocates, companies and individual citizens. All three are going to be needed to defend them now that they are in place. Silicon Valley companies in particular could play an important role through public advocacy, private lobbying and the funding of opposition efforts. Advocates think internet users who flooded the FCC with comments in support of net neutrality played the key part in getting the rules in place and will play a crucial role in defending them. But they are hopeful the tech industry will have their backs. The tech companies have a responsibility, in my opinion, to not only stand up for their users, in terms of their policy positions, but to fight for them, said Evan Greer, a campaign director at Fight for the Future, a consumer advocacy group that focuses on internet issues. ABOUT THE WRITER Troy Wolverton is a technology columnist for The Mercury News. Reach him at twolverton@mercurynews.com or follow him on Twitter @troywolv. 2017 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) Visit The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. _____ Spurred by reports of questionable White House security measures and contacts with the Russian government, New Mexicos U.S. senators are asking separately for an official Justice Department investigation and additional information. After National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned Monday, Sen. Tom Udall, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Tuesday for an independent investigation of Russian government influence on the Trump administration and the 2016 election. On Wednesday, Udall signed onto a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions requesting that a Justice Department-appointed special counsel conduct the inquiry. We are deeply concerned about credible allegations that the Trump campaign, transition team, and Administration have colluded with the Russian government, including most recently the events leading to the resignation of Lieutenant General Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor, the letter said. General Flynns conversations with Russian Ambassador Kislyak, and possibly other foreign envoys, may be violations of criminal law and ethical standards. Just as alarming as the legal or ethical wrongdoing is the strong likelihood that other members of President Trumps team were involved in similar conduct, and the apparent cover-up by General Flynn together with other officials in the Trump Administration. An independent investigation is now necessary to determine what General Flynn did, who knew about it, and when, the letter continues. To maintain the confidence, credibility and impartiality of the Department of Justice, we urge you to immediately appoint an independent Special Counsel to investigate collusion with the Russian government by General Flynn and other Trump campaign, transition, and Administrative officials. Meanwhile, Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been chastising the White House on Twitter for what he describes as lax security procedures. He seemed particularly concerned about Trumps discussion of a North Korean nuclear incident over the weekend in full view of guests at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. On Tuesday night, Heinrich took the matter a step further, asking Acting Director of National Intelligence Michael Dempsey about the process used to grant access to classified information for White House staff, including the National Security Council and the Office of the Vice President. The safety and security of the United States and the lives of our citizens depend on the responsible handling of sensitive information, Heinrich wrote Dempsey in a letter. The policy of the United States Government has long been to restrict access to sensitive information to only those for whom access is truly necessary, and only so long as they are thoroughly vetted and have been determined to meet strict eligibility requirements. At the very least, these recent events have called into question whether the White House is taking adequate steps to protect classified information and to determine the suitability and eligibility of staff with access to sensitive national security information. Copyright 2017 Albuquerque Journal LAS CRUCES An immigration raid at a trailer park early Wednesday panicked immigrant families across southern New Mexico worried about tougher enforcement under the Trump administration. Rumors of widespread raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Las Cruces proved unfounded. But even one action was enough to ignite social networks, as mixed-status families and immigrant advocates reported supposed sightings of ICE or Border Patrol vans from the Dona Ana community to Chaparral. At Los Arboles mobile home park tucked between the urban footprint and pecan orchards in Las Cruces residents said ICE officers wearing bullet-proof vests banged on their doors in the dark, starting around 6 a.m., looking for a man with a Hispanic last name. They spotted four ICE SUVs parked on the pocked dirt road that leads to their homes. Its not clear whether officers found their target; an ICE spokeswoman declined to confirm the operation. But ICE officers did find another man in the park, Concepcion Gomez, getting into his car on his way to a forklift job, according to Carlos Vareda, Gomezs brother-in-law. Gomez, a Mexican father of two young children, had been living in the country for a decade, Vareda said. Officers asked for his papers and he admitted he did not have legal residency. They cuffed him and placed him in the back of an SUV. Vareda broke down telling how he begged the officers to tell him where they were taking Gomez and got no answer. Vareda said his brother-in-law did not have a criminal record, and a state courts online database doesnt include Gomez name. ICE has two detention centers in Chaparral and El Paso, but county detention facilities in southern New Mexico also have contracts to hold federal detainees. ICE policy is not to confirm an operation prior to its completion, said spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa. In a statement, she said, ICE regularly conducts targeted enforcement operations during which additional resources and personnel are dedicated to apprehending deportable foreign nationals. That was true under the Obama administration, as well although ICE arrests were scaled back over the past two years after reaching record highs. Trump has promised to ramp up enforcement of immigration laws to include nonviolent offenders. Last year, ICE administrative arrests the kind now leading to raids in which others are picked up when an officer executes a warrant on a single individual were down 9 percent compared with the prior year. Total ICE removals plummeted 41 percent last year to 240,255 from a record of 409,849 in fiscal 2012 under Obama, according to Department of Homeland Security statistics. The drop was due in large measure to a 2014 Department of Justice memorandum advising ICE to restrict enforcement to priority groups, including violent criminals and recent border crossers. Trump signed an executive order Jan. 25 that effectively removed those restrictions and broadened the enforcement priorities to include individuals apprehended on suspicion of violating federal or state law, including federal immigration law. Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, said, The problem with Trump is that they have exactly said who they are looking for: not only convicted criminals but people with expired visas, people who returned after deportation. Who they are looking for right now, it is a lot of people. Last week, ICE executed roundups in major U.S. cities from Los Angeles to New York, heightening fears. Many immigrant families have mixed status, with some U.S. citizen members or green-card holders, who are legal permanent residents, and others who are here without legal status. Mexican Consul General Efren Leyva in Albuquerque told KOAT this week that his office is seeing five times as many visitors as usual, as immigrants seek to cement their citizenship or legal status. The concerns reached the Roundhouse on Wednesday. Several Democratic lawmakers from Dona Ana County marched up to Gov. Susana Martinezs office and delivered a letter asking her to affirm that federal immigration agents wont go to schools, hospitals, courthouses and other sensitive locations. They said ICEs actions had created a culture of fear in southern New Mexico. Anyone who crossed the border illegally even once could be targeted for deportation under Trumps order, according to immigrant advocates. That means there are probably 8 million people eligible to be deported, said Ken Ferrone, executive director of Catholic Charities of Southern New Mexico. There is a lot of anxiety. Journal Capitol Bureau reporter Dan McKay in Santa Fe contributed to this report. Detectives have arrested the man they say shot and killed a man who was selling him drugs at the Sahara Motel earlier this month. Jorge Correa-Reyes, 43, was arrested Wednesday morning after detectives got a tip he was in Southeast Albuquerque, according to officer Fred Duran, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department. He said they searched from yard to yard until they found him. Correa-Reyes is charged with murder in the shooting of Geovanis Garcia, 43, on Feb. 1. According to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court, a witness told detectives Garcia had asked him to go to the motel on Gibson near San Pedro SE and sell drugs to Correa-Reyes, whom he knows as Chino. The witness was going to give Correa-Reyes a baggie of drugs in exchange for the money, which he would then give to Garcia. But when he tried to approach the car where Correa-Reyes was waiting, he waved him away dismissively, according to the affidavit. Correa-Reyes was known to be prejudicial and only wanted to deal with Cubans, the witness said. He has the words Cuba 100% tattooed on his abdomen, according to the warrant. So Garcia, who is from Cuba, went to deliver the drugs himself, according to the affidavit. (The witness) heard arguing from the area in Cuban and then heard gunfire, the detective wrote in the affidavit. (The witness) immediately drove away from the scene for fear of being struck by gunfire. (The witness) later received information that Mr. Garcia had been shot and killed. When officers arrived at the scene in the back driveway of the motel, they saw Garcia with gunshot wounds to his head and torso and several bullet casings on the ground. He died at the scene. London International Awards (LIA) has announced the addition of Health & Pharma as a new competition in the 2017 awards. The introduction of the new medium is a reaction from LIA to a large number of requests from creatives for the inclusion of a Health & Pharmaceuticals award. Barbara Levy, President of London International Awards, explained, The inclusion of Health & Pharmaceuticals is a decision that stems from listening to those from across the creative industry who are so passionate about the work they create in this space. Theyre the ones who made us realise that we needed to take action. We continually work with, and listen to the opinions of, those in our industry to enhance LIA, with a desire to celebrate the very best creative work at the heart of every decision we make. Jeremy Perrott, Chief Creative Officer at McCann Health has agreed to chair the inaugural juries. LIA will have two separate juries for this competition. Three days will be dedicated to judging Pharmaceuticals; followed by three days of judging for Health & Wellness. The work will be split so its being judged fairly based on the different criteria. Pharma has stricter, more complex rules and regulations to produce work, different from any consumer or wellness material. Understanding this will reinforce LIAs intent and commitment to celebrate the diligence and achievements of the pharma industry as a new powerful creative domain. In addition, the juries will have producers, designers and art directors, as well as creatives, so the real meaning and appreciation of craft is awarded and understood as an integral component of producing great work. Perrott commented, The global health communications industry is evolving at an ever faster pace. Better talent. More sophisticated innovative solutions. Smarter clients, demanding and encouraging more from their partners. Work once confusing, lost and not exciting is now being recognised for incredible creativity, stunning integrated and interactive solutions. Connecting more consumers more often with messaging, information of life changing ideas. Ideas that come from the most significant and influential business today. Health. London International Awards not only recognises the outstanding work being achieved but the quality of the craft it takes to connect communities, governments, institutions, patients, doctors and the many others who rely now on health to be informed educated and connected. This new festival is what we need in our industry to continue raising the standards, expectations and goals so that we do not stagnate, or become mundane. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 15.02.2017 - On 15 February 2017, the Federal Council approved Switzerlands fourth report on its implementation of the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Several important advances have been made in recent years that benefit people belonging to national minorities. Protecting their rights must remain an ongoing commitment. Switzerland ratified the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in 1998. With the ratification, Switzerland recognised as national minorities the members of its minority linguistic groups, and the members of its Jewish and its traveller communities. The Federal Council took the opportunity presented by the fourth implementation report to reaffirm and make it clear to the public that the generic term travellers refers to all Swiss Jenish, and Sinti and Manouche people, regardless of whether they have nomadic or settled lifestyles. The fourth report provides an account of the current situation of the various national minorities recognised by Switzerland. It describes measures taken by the Swiss federal government and cantonal and communal authorities in response to recommendations that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe made to Switzerland in 2014. Successful efforts in favour of national minorities include those of the working group launched in 2015 by the Federal Council to improve the conditions of the nomadic lifestyle and encourage the culture of the Jenish, Sinti and Roma in Switzerland, which allowed the various communities to voice their needs and positions on issues that affect them. In addition, amendments to the Ordinance on the National Languages and Understanding between the Linguistic Communities which seek to improve the representation of linguistic minorities at all levels of the Federal Administration came into force in 2014. The fourth report responds to the areas of concern expressed by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. It notes that despite recent positive developments in some cantons, sites for Jenish and Sinti and Manouche travellers are still in short supply, which jeopardises an essential element of their traveller culture. However, the federal government is currently drawing up an action plan regarding the Jenish, Sinti and Roma communities which is expected to set out measures to improve this situation. The report also details measures taken by the federal government to combat anti-Semitism and describes developments in the current debate on the protection of Jewish people and institutions. Furthermore, the fourth report examines the possibility of recognising additional Swiss national minorities under the framework convention. Some Swiss Roma organisations have submitted an application for recognition which is currently being assessed by the Federal Administration. The fourth report was drawn up following consultations among the various federal offices, the cantons and conferences of cantonal ministers, communes and cities, and organisations of the relevant minorities. It has been published in French, German and Italian, and will be translated into Romansh at a later date. The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 1 February 1995. It is the only legally binding multilateral instrument devoted specifically to the protection of national minorities. It contains mostly programme-type provisions setting out objectives which the states parties to the convention undertake to pursue for the protection of their national minorities. Address for enquiries FDFA Information Tel. +41 31 322 31 53 info@eda.admin.ch Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html South Korean authorities said theyve uncovered new evidence against Jay Y. Lee, Vice Chairman and heir of Samsung Group. On Wednesday, the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO) said its expanding the list of charges against Lee as Samsung Groups executive is now also facing accusations of concealing the proceeds of a criminal act. Lee was already charged with bribery, embezzlement, hiding of assets, and perjury. The Seoul Central District Court will hold a hearing on a second arrest warrant for Lee on Thursday. The court will also use that opportunity to examine an arrest warrant request for Samsung Electronics President Park Sang-jin. Both arrest warrants are connected to an ongoing corruption and influence-peddling scandal in the Far Eastern country. Lee, Park, and Samsung Group denied all charges and have previously claimed the prosecutors are trying to use Samsung to attack the South Korean President Park Geun-hye. The fact that the SPO is now claiming it uncovered new evidence against Lee isnt surprising in light of the fact that the Seoul-based agency already had one arrest warrant for Lee thrown out in court last month. On that occasion, the Seoul Central District Court refused to order Lees arrest due to a lack of evidence, so filing another request without new evidence would certainly yield identical results. However, it remains to be seen whether the newly uncovered evidence against Lee is solely related to the accusations of hiding the proceeds of a criminal act or whether the SPO is also ready to substantiate its older charges. The corruption scandal that led to this moment revolves around President Park and her close associate Choi Soon-sil who allegedly colluded to strong-arm large companies in the country to donate to several organizations that have previously backed Parks policy initiatives. Choi is already in jail while her daughter whos also implicated by the prosecutors is currently under arrest in Denmark and is awaiting extradition to South Korea. The scandal could see Park become the first President of the Far Eastern country who has been forced out of the office. More details on the matter are bound to follow tomorrow after Lees hearing. Philipp Schindler, Chief Business Officer at Google said that the Mountain View-based tech giant started fighting fake news using all tools at its disposal. While speaking at Code Media conference in Dana Point, California on Tuesday, the companys top executive said that Google is taking the issue of fake news very, very seriously, adding that the Alphabet-owned firm is still thinking about new methods of combating this problem. Schindler also reiterated how Google already took first steps towards completely preventing the dissemination of inaccurate and false information by banning websites which publish fake news from using its advertising platforms. The company is hoping that cutting such publications from an important source of revenue will have immediate effects. Furthermore, the Internet giant recently started labeling Google News listings that have been verified as accurate. While the Alphabet-owned company is gradually committing more resources to combating fake news, Schindler noted how Google has to tread carefully seeing how that term recently popularized by President Trump doesnt carry the same meaning for everyone. Due to that state of affairs, Google is trying to do everything it can to differentiate between outright false stories and bad journalism, the companys Chief Business Officer explained. Schindler also added how Google is approaching the issue in a careful manner as it doesnt want to be accused of censorship. Finally, the companys executive said he has no advice on the matter for Facebook, another Internet giant that has recently been heavily criticized for not doing enough to combat the dissemination of fake news through its services. While Schindler wasnt willing to comment on Facebooks efforts to combat fake news, the two companies have identical goals regarding this issue, as evidenced by their recent activities in Canada. Schindlers comments are mostly in line with those of Googles Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai who recently admitted that fake news could have influenced the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and promised to do more to combat that problem in the future. While light on details, Pichai and Schindlers statements suggest that the Mountain View-based tech giant will soon introduce more features designed to combat false news stories. Google Chrome uses a huge number of measures to protect its users from malware and data thievery, but according to a Texas court, a few of those measures infringe on the patents of others, and that courts findings cost Google $20 million. The patent, held jointly by the late Allen Rozman, a former engineer for Lucent, and Alfonso J. Cioffi, centers around the protection of critical files and a web browser process meant to do just that. Cioffi filed suit against Google in 2013, alleging that an antimalware measure integrated into Chrome violated the patent that he still held, though Rozmans portion was now held by his survivors. Courts originally handed Google the win in 2014, but when Cioffi got together with Rozmans family to file an appeal, it was determined that the previous judges interpretation of the term, web browser process was erroneous, resulting in a ruling against Google for $20 million. This is not where the story of this case ends. Google filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. The surviving family of Rozman, however, could reportedly end up pocketing as much as $60 million, when its all said and done. While the parties on the other side have yet to file anything additional, it is speculated that a case could be built on just how close Googles implementation of the patent-violating code is to the original patent, and just how crucial said code is to Chromes security. This occasion is not the first time that Google has gotten into a spot of legal trouble over something implemented in Chrome being too close for comfort to an existing patent, and given the open-source nature of the Chromium project, meaning almost anybody can contribute, its fairly unlikely to be the last. Chromium code is subject to review by Googlers before making it into Googles final Chrome and Chrome OS products, but patents that Google doesnt know exist and other things that can slip through the cracks can cause these types of complications, and others. Googles other current legal troubles include a possible resurrection of their ages-long battle against Oracle over Java, and ongoing antitrust investigations in various countries around the globe. Google is offering a web page with Google Assistant commands if you arent sure what all the topics are that you can ask. While there is a vast pool of queries you can position to the digital assistant software that powers a few of Googles newest products, you might wonder about specific questions you can ask or tasks you can give to Google Assistant that will end up with desired results that it can actually process, and if thats the case this new web page will be able to help with that. Appropriately titled, OK Google, the web page is set up in such a way thats ridiculously easy to navigate, complete with material design inspired style, and you can figure out commands for Google Assistant by either searching with the search bar at the very top of the page, or you can simply browse through the categories and things that are already listed. Whats more is that the commands are interactive. You can mouse over them and each time you do so the commands will change. For example, the first category is labeled as People & Relationships, and one of the first commands is a question asking How old is, followed up by a random person. Most of these seem to be celebrities or other well-known public figures, and when you mouse over another command the person in that first command will change. This happens with all of the commands. Its essentially Google Assistant in a web portal, minus the connectivity with smart home products and third party apps and such, and you cant actually click on anything to get the results because the page only serves as a means to figure out what you can say to Google Assistant that will work. That being said, Google Assistant can do quite a few things and its able to answer a lot of different questions thanks to Googles knowledge graph and artificial intelligence technology thats powering it. This can make it challenging to figure out what it is that it can do if you have a product that has Google Assistant installed, and while you could simply just ask Google Assistant and go through trial and error, if youd rather know before hand, this is a way you can do just that. After Googles new chat app, Allo, had an apparent failure to launch, Google is now seeking user opinions on it through surveys and study groups. Google is looking for users in the areas of Seattle, London, Sao Paulo, San Francisco, and New Delhi who would be interested in heading to a local Google office to be presented with a prototype version of the Allo app, which they can then give feedback on before the features make it into the version meant for mass use. While Google is currently only looking in those areas and does not appear to be running any remote surveys on the product, they may well expand the study area in the future by sending Google researchers out into the field to talk to users about Allo. Googles seemingly intense effort to save Allo implies that they are far from willing to let their shot at competing with the likes of Facebook Messenger and iMessage just slip away. When Allo debuted, it was met with a lukewarm reception for a number of reasons, such as having no desktop counterpart or cross-OS chat abilities, not saving user profiles and chats to the cloud, and other such flaws that competitors and even Hangouts, the app that Google apparently wants Allo to supplant, all dont have to contend with. The fact that Google is looking for input is a positive sign, but its certainly no guarantee that they can pull Allo from the jaws of defeat. Allo launched back in September of 2016 with a fairly barebones feature set outside of the headline feature, being Google Assistant integration, and has largely stagnated since then, with a new feature popping up here and there, and mostly being novelty features or things that competitors already have. The launch of the Lucky bot, which dispenses GIF images, was a promising show of support for the chatbot-centric future, but not much has happened with the app since then. By launching a user study, Google can hopefully gather some vital input on what the app needs, and perhaps drum up some interest in the app while theyre at it. If youre in any of the indicated areas and would like to participate, you can sign up for a chance to do so through the source link. The Huawei P10 received certification from the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as revealed by a set of documents published by the FCC on Wednesday. Huaweis filings with the FCC refer to a device bearing the model number VTR-L29, which has previously been identified as the P10. The fact that Huawei requested the FCC to certify its upcoming Android smartphone confirms that the Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer is planning to launch the device in the U.S. This turn of events isnt surprising seeing how Huawei repeatedly stated that its looking to put a larger focus on the U.S. in the future. As the P10 will almost certainly be a flagship device, it makes sense for the company to launch it in the largest market for high-end smartphones in the world. The Huawei P10 is expected to ship with a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display panel and recent reports indicate the device will be powered by the Kirin 960 system-on-chip and 6GB of RAM, in addition to boasting up to 256GB of internal storage. Other rumors suggest that the P10 might feature some kind of an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant, possibly Amazons Alexa thats already integrated into one variant of the Huawei Mate 9. Finally, the smartphone will likely boast a dual camera setup utilizing Leicas lenses. In addition to the P10, the Shenzhen-based phone maker is also expected to launch the P10 Lite and the P10 Plus in the near future. All three devices will be released as successors to the P9, P9 Pro, and the P9 Lite. Earlier this week, Huawei released a short teaser implying that the P10 will be unveiled in the run-up to this years Mobile World Congress (MWC). More specifically, the tech giant is holding a press conference in Barcelona on February 26, which is when the company is expected to officially announce its latest Android flagship. Other than the P10, the Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer basically confirmed that it will unveil the Huawei Watch 2 at MWC. Time will tell whether Huaweis upcoming flagship will be able to rival the likes of LG G6 and the Galaxy S8, but the smartphone market is bound to get even more competitive in the coming months. The LG K8 (2017) unveiled earlier this year at CES in Las Vegas appears to be heading for its US market debut. The smartphone was recently spotted in an FCC Class II Permissive Change certificate, and carries model number LG-VS501, indicating that the smartphone at hand is likely destined for a market release through Verizon Wireless. LG Electronics seems to be taking care of the necessary formalities prior to the LG K8s market launch in the United States. With that in mind, the company recently applied for a Class II Permissive Change to its original FCC application for the LG K8, this time around specifying that the LG-VS501 is identical to the previously certified model, save for some hardware changes regarding antenna and PCB (printed circuit board) adjustments. As per usual, the FCC application doesnt reveal any details regarding the smartphones exact hardware specifications, but the good news is that LG already officially uncovered the global LG K8 earlier in the year, and apparently Verizons model should have similar components, as mentioned in the Class II Permissive Change application. As such we can assume that the LG-VS501 should accommodate a 5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 and a pixel density of 294 pixels per inch, a Qualcomm MSM8971 Snapdragon 425 System-on-Chip housing a quad-core Cortex-A53-based CPU operating at frequencies of up to 1.4GHz per core, and 1.5GB of RAM. The device should also house 16GB of on-board storage expandable via microSD, and pack a 13-megapixel primary camera complemented by an LED flash and a front-facing 5-megapixel sensor. The smartphone is powered by a 2,500mAh battery, it runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, and takes advantage of a rear-mounted fingerprint recognition sensor. The new LG K8 is part of the companys K mid-range series, whose sequels including the LG K3 and LG K4 were unveiled at CES 2017. The original LG K8 was launched in April 2016, and needless to say the time for a follow-up model is closing in. As yet theres no telling when the LG K8 will hit Verizon Wireless shelves, but with one less formality standing in its way, it shouldnt take much longer before LG and/or Verizon spill the beans on the smartphones Stateside release. Last year, Verizon had announced that they were going to purchase Yahoo for a cool $4.8 billion. However, in the time since the deal was announced, Yahoo has suffered a few major hacks have been uncovered, like a billion accounts being hacked a few years ago. This led to Verizon rethinking whether they should continue with this purchase of Yahoo. After all, Verizon isnt purchasing the company for their users, but for their ad and video businesses. However, users were a big reason why the price was so high. Now, according to a report out of Bloomberg, it appears that Verizon has been able to lower the cost by about $250 million. The new price is expected to be released fairly soon. Since the news hit, Yahoos shares have started surging a bit, signaling that shareholders are happy with this news. Verizon has been after ad companies lately, and buying them up. That included AOL, which has become an integral part of Go90, their OTT video service. They purchased AOL for their vast video content (they also own a few publications like Engadget, TechCrunch and The Huffington Post), which gives them some exclusive video content for their Go90 service. They were also interested in their ad technology. Since Go90 is not a paid service, its ad-supported, these ad technologies are very important and its a big reason why they were looking to pick up Yahoo as well. Yahoo and AOL of course arent as big of an ad company as Google is, but they are a pretty good competitor, especially when you combine the two, which is what Verizon is looking to do. We could see Yahoo and Verizon announce the new price for this deal any day now. Which should put it down to around $4.5 billion, that is still a pretty big number for a company that hasnt really been all that popular since around 2010. With most people not using their Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Messenger or any other Yahoo account in nearly a decade now. Verizon may also be looking to lower the amount a bit more, especially since Yahoo has lost quite a few users since these hacks surfaced. Qualcomm seems to be working on a couple of new processors, as details for the Snapdragon 660, Snapdragon 630 and Snapdragon 635 have just surfaced. These are expected to be the companys mid-range processors, as their names are suggesting. The Snapdragon 630 and Snapdragon 635 SoCs are actually expected to be new iterations of the Snapdragon 625, its newer variants, while the Snapdragon 660 is expected to be somewhat more powerful than those two chips, read on. This information comes from China, as it was leaked on Weibo (Chinese social network). The Snapdragon 630 and Snapdragon 635 will be equipped with eight Cortex-A53 cores, which means were looking at an octa-core processor here. These two SoCs will probably come with support for LPDDR3 RAM, while 4G LTE Category 7 is also expected to be included here. These two SoCs will have a clock frequency of 2.0-2.2GHz, if rumors are accurate, and the Adreno 506 GPU will be included here for graphics performance as well. These are actually all characteristics of the Snapdragon 625 SoC, so it is possible that the final specs of the Snapdragon 630 and 635 will be a bit different, a bit more powerful. The Snapdragon 660, as already mentioned, is expected to be somewhat more powerful than the Snapdragon 630 and Snapdragon 635. This processor will, allegedly, be manufactured using Samsungs 14nm LPP processor, and will also be an octa-core processor which will combine Cortex-A73 and Cortex-A53 cores. The Adreno 512 GPU will be a part of this package, and will support dual-channel LPDDR4X-1866 RAM. As far as internal storage is concerned, this SoC will offer support for UFS 2.1 storage, and main cameras of up to 24 megapixels. 4G LTE Cat. 10 support will be included here as well, and the same can be said for three carrier integration. This processor is expected to hit the market in September, when manufacturers will be able to utilize it, while OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi are already rumored to be amongst those manufacturers. Please do take all this info with a grain of salt, as nothing has been confirmed just yet, and it is possible that the final spec sheet will look a bit different, its quite probable actually, but well see. Lets talk engines first. The entry-level unit is a 240 PS (237 bhp) and 500 Nm turbo diesel, which is connected from the get-go to an eight-speed automatic developed by ZF. As for performance, 8.0 seconds to 60 mph and a maximum velocity of 121 mph will have to make do. 43.5 mpg combined is the best the Ingenium-series 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine has to offer in this application.Up next, the Ford-developed AJD V6 develops 258 PS (254 bhp) and 600 Nm of torque from 3.0 liters displacement. Pricing for the oil-chugging six-cylinder under the hood of the 2017 Land Rover Discovery starts from 50,995 OTR.Last, but certainly not least, the 3.0-liter Si6 supercharged engine is pretty much the same powerplant youll find in the Jaguar XE in 3.0 S/C flavor. With 340 PS (335 bhp) and 450 Nm, it can thrust the Discovery to 60 mph in just 6.9 seconds. Its quite a drinker, though: 26 mpg on the combined cycle.Five trim levels are available in total for the UK-spec Land Rover Discovery of the 2017 model year variety: S, SE, HSE, and HSE Luxury. In regard to standard features, the base model features cloth seats, 19-inch five-spoke Style 5021 alloy wheels, 8.0-inch touchscreen, halogen headlights, 6-speaker sound system, powered tailgate, autonomous emergency braking, and so on.If you want LED headlights and LED signature lighting, the SE (49,495 for the 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine) offers exactly that. For LED headlights with auto high beam assist, youre looking at the HSE Luxury, which costs 62,695 at the very least. As for the most expensive Discovery your pounds sterling can buy, thatd be 65,695 before ticking off any option from the list.In the United States, the all-new Discovery kicks off at $49,990 for the 3.0-liter LR-V6 Supercharged and $58,950 for the 3.0-liter LR-TD6 Diesel. EV For starters, Japan is a very disaster-prone country. So the PHV's battery can be used to power a home when the grid is down. It's also got a solar panel installed on the roof and the purerange is much larger than in the US at 68.2 kilometers (equivalent to 42.4 miles; US model promises 25 miles), but that's down to the driving cycle.Perhaps more interesting than the car itself is the way it's being promoted. Taking a page out of your favorite Final Fantasy game, the Prius PHV travels to the African savanna for its "next mission," whatever that means. You've got a posse of odd looking people, a lion sidekick and a stampede of wildebeest following the car through the brush. What the heck is going on here?It's about as weird as Toyota's ying-yang mountain gorilla commercials , so we're never going to get to the bottom of it. It's better just to have a quick look at the specs instead.The PHV still draws power from an inline four-cylinder 1.8-liter engine that produces 98 PS and 142 Nm on its own. Dual electric motors then come into play, one producing 72 PS plus 163 Nm and the other generating just 31 PS and 40 Nm of torque. One can push the car to 130 km/h in EV mode; the other makes electricity.Unlike the regular Prius, the Prime has an 11.6-inch portrait navigation system and a heat pump. The battery supply model of the EV can provide power for a 1500W house for about a day. And as if a solar charger wasn't enough, the PHV also boasts a cool carbon fiber trunk for added lightness. Many cars with similar agendas failed badly, but it soon became apparent that the Evoque was the right car at the right time. It's by far the most popular model made by Land Rover and a huge source of revenue.Even after six years, it's still very desirable. But there might be one problem that could hurt it going forward - the Evoque is now less practical than some premium hatchbacks. Development has thus started on a Mk2 Evoque, which has just been spied for the first time in test mule form.Our pictures suggest the new Evoque will be built on a new platform with wider tracks. The car's wheelbase is unchanged, but they could play with the rear overhang later in the development cycle.Peaking under the prototypes skirts, we see that it's using a completely redesigned trailing arm suspension setup. Much like rival German manufacturers, Land Rover is also going to tuck the exhaust underneath the bumper rather than giving it visible tips. The "high voltage" sticker on the back suggests one of three things is happening. Either this prototype is a hybrid, it's got a 48V setup or is a fully electric vehicle, which is much more likely.So far, the Brits haven't said a single thing about the Evoque. However, we know that Jaguar is making the small E-Pace model right now, so the two might share a platform. Likewise, we assume the reboot of the entry-level Range Rover will incorporate JLRs latest four-cylinder gasoline and diesel Ingenium engines.Then again, if the current Evoque is built on a modified Freelander 2 platform then the successor will swap parts with the Discovery Sport . The crossover is expected to debut during the second half of next year, giving us plenty of time to figure things out. First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain. Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that. And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details. If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Import prices from China decrease 1.7 percent over the year ending January 2017 Prices for imports from China fell 0.1 percent in January, after recording no change in December and fell 1.7 percent over the past 12 months. The price index for imports from China has not recorded a monthly increase since the index rose 0.1 percent in December 2014. Chart Image Chart Data Percent change in U.S. import prices by locality of origin, January 2017 Locality of origin 12-month percent change 1-month percent change Canada 13.2% 1.8% European Union (1) -0.2 -0.1 France -0.4 -0.2 Germany -2.2 -0.8 United Kingdom -3.5 0.0 Latin America (2) 5.0 -0.1 Mexico -1.9 -1.3 Pacific Rim (3) -0.8 -0.1 China -1.7 -0.1 Japan 1.4 -0.3 Asian NICs (4) -0.2 0.0 ASEAN (5) 0.5 0.2 Asia Near East (6) 26.0 2.4 Other Countries (7) 2.6 -0.2 Import prices from Japan declined 0.3 percent in January, the first decrease for the index since a 0.1-percent drop in January 2016 and the largest decline since the index fell 0.3 percent in August 2015. Prices for imports from Mexico and the European Union also fell in January, declining 1.3 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively. In contrast, import prices from Canada advanced 1.8 percent in January, driven by higher fuel prices. These data are from the International Price program. Import and export prices are subject to revision. Regions are not mutually exclusive. To learn more, see U.S. Import and Export Prices January 2017 (HTML) (PDF). See more charts on import and export price trends in Charts related to the latest U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes news release. RELATED SUBJECTS International Comparisons Prices Update 11.05 The Government has just won a motion of confidence in itself in the Dail by 57 votes to 52, with Fianna Fail abstaining. Update 9.30pm: The Government is on course to win a motion of confidence in the next hour in the Dail. Taoiseach Enda Kenny led the debate tonight offering garda whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe a full apology for the way he was treated. The debate came after the first signs of a leadership heave against Mr Kenny, with Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney calling at the Parliamentary Party meeting for Fine Gael to be 'prepared for an election'. Mr Varadkar also went into the Dail and declared Maurice McCabe to be a hero. Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe attacked Sinn Fein saying they'd debased the Dail, and see every problem as an advantage for political gain: "Your efforts here tonight, they are malicious, they are nakedly political and they are aimed at destabilising the Government that is doing its best on behalf of those who we are privilaged to serve." Update 8pm: The Independent Alliance will vote confidence in the Government tonight after a meeting with the Taoiseach. The group says they got a commitment to hire an international policing expert to investigate the matters of public concern about Garda ethos and culture. Fianna Fail's to abstain in the vote, as part of the confidence and supply agreement, meaning the minority government will survive. But party leader Micheal Martin says they are on their last chance: "The events of this last week, have put the agreement under serious strain. "We do want a change of Government, but we also feel that this Dail has not fulfilled its obligations to the people who we are elected to serve." Update 7pm: The Independence Alliance considered pulling out of Government over the way in which the Taoiseach and other Government Ministers have handled the Maurice McCabe scandal, writes Political reporter Elaine Loughlin. While the five members of the Independent Alliance have announced they will be supporting the motion of confidence in the Government in the Dail tonight, when asked they failed to express confidence in Enda Kenny. At a press briefing after their meeting with Mr Kenny, the Alliance said they still unsatisfied with his version of events. Transport Minister Shane Ross said the group had told Mr Kenny that they "were very disappointed with a lot of confusion that had occurred in government in recent days and that we found it unacceptable and we hoped it wouldn't happen in the future". Asked if a withdrawal from government was an option Mr Ross said: "We considered it". When Mr Ross was asked if the Alliance have confidence in Mr Kenny he said it would "not be appropriate" to suggest anything. "What we have said about that is this, we are upset and very distressed by what's has happened, both with the Taoiseach another members of Government in the past few days, we do not think it would be appropriate in this situation where we are putting down a motion of confidence in the Taoiseach to suggest that we have no confidence in the Taoiseach." Update 5.55pm: The Independent Alliance has announced that it is to support a motion of confidence in the Government. It comes after The Taoiseach met with the Alliance this afternoon to discuss their confidence in the Government over the handling of the Maurice McCabe affair. Speaking in the past few minutes, the Transport Minister Shane Ross says the Alliance have secured a commitment to hire an international policing expert to investigate the matters of public concern about Garda ethos and culture. Mr Ross says the group has serious concerns about the ongoing difficulties in the Garda sector, and wants them investigated. He said: "We in the Independent Alliance have therefore secured a commitment from the minister for Justice today to appoint without delay an independent international policing expert to carry out a thorough investigation into the wider and more fundamental issues of public concern which have emerged relating to the administration, ethos and culture of An Garda Siochana." Update 12.50pm: A leading Fine Gael backbencher has said the party needs to address the leadership issue within the next two months, writes Daniel McConnell, Political Editor. Speaking on his local radio station, KCLR live, Carlow/Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan today said Enda Kenny should depart as leader in the near future because an early General Election is likely. Mr Phelan said that the Government is in a precarious position and that Fine Gael TDs need to act in order to avoid catastrophe. KCLR Live presenter John Masterson asked when this should happen and Mr Phelan replied: "Within six to eight weeks. I do think there should be a new leader of Fine Gael in the near future because we will probably have another general election in the near future." The remarks come ahead of tonights meeting of the parliamentary party. There is speculation within Leinster House that Mr Kenny will be told to spell out his exit strategy and a timeframe for his departure. Last Monday, Fine Gael Dublin North-West TD Noel Rock called on Mr Kenny to set out "a deadline for the future not only for himself but for the sake of Fine Gael party", saying the issue needed to be cleared up "sooner rather than later". Senior ministers Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and Simon Harris have been approached in recent days by concerned Fine Gael TDs and senators deeply concerned about Mr Kennys leadership. The feeling is that the party must unite to overcome the McCabe crisis, but that the issue of the leadership must be addressed in the near future. Update 12.30pm: The Independent Alliance is to hold a showdown meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny this afternoon at 4pm to address their concerns over the Sgt McCabe crisis writes Daniel McConnell, Political Editor. The Irish Examiner understands that the Alliance, which have been locked in an emergency meeting since early this morning, are dismayed at Mr Kenny's handling of the crisis since last week, particularly his admission that he made up a conversation with Childrens' Minister Katherine Zappone. "What did Katherine Zappone tell you, and what did her officials tell your officials?" the Taoiseach is asked. pic.twitter.com/6qCZDyUSMU RTE News (@rtenews) February 12, 2017 Taoiseach says he is guilty of 'not giving accurate information' in relation to his contact with Katherine Zappone pic.twitter.com/i5OKcvqiy3 RTE News (@rtenews) February 14, 2017 Ministers Shane Ross, Finian McGrath, John Halligan and Sean Canney along with alliance whip Kevin 'Boxer' Moran have been holding talks as to whether they can express confidence in Mr Kenny and the Government when the Dail votes on the matter tonight. The Dail debate is to commence at 7pm and conclude at 10.15pm with the vote to be taken at that point. As it is to be a walk through vote, as opposed to an electronic vote, the result is expected about 10.45pm. After a rocky day yesterday, Mr Kenny has been facing further questions in the Dail this afternoon ahead of a meeting of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting. Fianna Fail health spokesperson Billy Kelleher described the Governments response to the whistleblower controversy as being incoherent and shambolic, but said that his party was committed to stability. Mr Kelleher said Fianna Fail will not bring down the Government and said he did not believe that there was any malicious intent by the Taoiseach to mislead either the Dail or the public. Martin asks how did Enda Kenny know terms of #MauriceMcCabe inquiry would cover Tusla file unless he knew what allegations were about #Dail Juno McEnroe (@Junomaco) February 15, 2017 Update 12.24pm: Speaking at a jobs announcement in Dublin this morning, the Taoiseach admitted: "It's a lot easier talk to you that some of the other people I've to talk to these days." 'It's a lot easier talk to you than talk to some of the other people I have to talk to these days,' Taoiseach says at jobs announcement. pic.twitter.com/CcnauYoVVf RTE News (@rtenews) February 15, 2017 Update 10.48am: Health Minister Simon Harris has called for cool heads among the Independent Alliance Ministers ahead of this evenings motion of confidence in the Government. The Independent Alliance remaining in Government and as a part of Government is crucial to the Governments survival and I absolutely hope it happens, he said. They have many excellent people playing a very important role, and I think its a time for cool heads, its a time for people to deliberate on the important issues, but ultimately its time for people to put the national interest first. And the best thing we can do as a Government and as an Oireachtas is set up a full public inquiry to address these very, very serious allegations. The group is understood to be unhappy with the Taoiseach's performance in the Dail last night. They had hoped to raise their concerns at a Cabinet meeting this morning - but that has now been postponed until tomorrow. The Independent Alliance are also seeking a meeting with the Taoiseach. Earlier: The crisis in Government has escalated this morning as an emergency meeting of the Independent Alliance has been called for 10am, writes Daniel McConnell, Political Editor. The Alliance are dismayed at what they see are the inconsistencies in the versions of events of the past week in the Governments handling of the Sgt Maurice McCabe saga. Alliance Ministers have been told to clear their diaries for the day and have been requested to gather in Dublin to discuss their next step, but the Irish Examiner understands that several members of the Alliance would have grave difficulty in expressing confidence in Enda Kenny as Taoiseach. The Dail is due to discuss a motion of confidence in Government at 7pm this evening, with voting set to take place at 10.15pm. A result is expected at around 10.45pm. As of now, Independent Alliance ministers Shane Ross, Finian McGrath, John Halligan and Sean Canney along with Kevin 'Boxer' Moran appear unable to support that motion. The Director of Food Drink Industry Ireland (FDII), Paul Kelly has warned that Irelands largest indigenous sector faces substantial challenges in the years ahead in a world that has changed radically in 12 months. Mr Kelly was speaking at the launch of the first FDII Business Monitor report this morning. The report shows that food and drink is Irelands largest indigenous sector with 230,000 linked jobs and has seen exports grow to reach 11.15 billion in 2016. It is estimated that half of exports are by indigenous Irish companies with destinations including the UK (40%), Rest of Europe (31%) and international markets (29%). Furthermore, Ireland is the largest net exporter of dairy ingredients, beef and lamb in Europe and exports over 80% of its dairy and beef production. Mr Kelly has called on the Government to urgently implement a range of policy measures to ensure that the Irish agri-food sector remains innovative, competitive and capable of meeting these challenges and to maximise the sectors ability to seek out new opportunities in existing and new markets. Speaking at today's launch, Mr Kelly said, "On the international front, 2016 saw the risks from Brexit beginning to crystallise for Irish food and drink exporters. We witnessed a drop of 560m in UK exports, the formation of a new and uncertain global trade environment, and challenges to the integrity of the EU Single Market." He added, "At home in the domestic grocery market, declining consumer sentiment has given way to a decrease in sales relative to volume growth and this is putting further pressure on business costs." Source: www.businessworld.ie Modified On May 24, 2017 09:12 AM By Rachit Shad for Toyota Camry 2015-2022 Comes loaded with a host of new features, both inside and outside the cabin Toyota is one brand that surely strikes the mind whenever someone utters the words hybrid car. The Japanese auto giant recently celebrated an amazing achievement of surpassing the 1 crore sales mark for its cars with electrified powertrains. It seems like Toyota has chosen the moment wisely to launch a refreshed version of its Camry Hybrid in India. It is priced at Rs 31.98 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and thats Rs 1.08 lakh dearer to the outgoing model. So what do you get for the extra money? Well, on the outside the car gets new LED fog lamps, bigger 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps with daytime running lights, auto folding and reverse linked ORVMs with memory functionality, and welcome lamps. Step inside the big roomy sedan and the newness includes a 12-speaker JBL music system, reworked navigation system with a better user interface, wireless smartphone charger (itll work only if your phone supports the tech), power recline on rear seats, tyre pressure monitoring system and nine SRS airbags including a knee bag. Gosh! That is some list! Powering the Camry Hybrid is a 2.5-litre petrol mill, which on its own, produces 160PS of power and 213Nm of torque. Then comes the electric powerplant. It draws its juices from a nickel-metal hydride battery pack and, as a standalone, produces 143PS of power and 270Nm of torque. When working together, the total output figure goes up to 205PS. The powerplant is mated to an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission and, get this, a car which has gross weight of 2.1 tonnes, returns a mileage of 19.16 kmpl! The only rival that the hybrid variant of the Toyota Camry has in India is the Honda Accord Hybrid. Even with the hiked price-tag, the Camry is over Rs 5 lakh cheaper than its Japanese counterpart. If you want to make your contribution towards a greener tomorrow and still roam around in a car that, frankly speaking, is all the car youll ever need, the Camry Hybrid is a steal! Read More on : Toyota Camry price With Betsy DeVos now helming the Department of Education, American parents and students will likely have access before long to a federally sponsored school-choice program. Thats great news, but the Trump administrations education policymakers shouldnt ignore the growing charter-school movement, which has dramatically improved access to high-quality education for many students whom the traditional public school system has left behind. We should work to make traditional public schools as good as they can possibly bebut where layers of rules and regulations have made reform difficult, charters offer the chance of a clean slate. As taxpayer-funded public schools, charters are open to all students and subject to the same accountability systems as traditional public schools. What makes charters unique is their freedom from the unnecessary, outdated, and counterproductive work rules vigorously defended by the teachers unions. Charters arent perfect; quality varies both within and across localities. Overall, suburban students do no better in charters than in local public schools and, often, they do worse. But students in many cities do better, on average, when they attend charters. Attending a charter school can be a difference-maker for kids in cities such as Boston, New Orleans, and Newark. Those who say that charters dont work tend to lump the urban and suburban schools together, treating the heterogeneous charter sector as if it were a homogenous phenomenon. Thats a mistake. Charters are now succeeding on a large scale. Student achievement has improved dramatically in New Orleans since it became essentially an all-charter district. Schools in the popular Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) continue to produce staggering academic results. They now enroll 80,000 students in 200 schools around the country. If it were its own school district, KIPP would be the 41st-largest in the United States, just behind Milwaukees and just ahead of Nashvilles. Recent research finds that charters arent getting worse as they increase their market share; if anything, they may be improving. Perhaps the day will come when innovation in the charter sector produces diminishing returns. That hasnt happened yet. Charters succeed using various strategies. The most successful schools adopt a mix of high expectations, more instructional time, and improved teacher effectiveness. This is hardly revolutionary. Recent research shows that these practices yield similar positive results when applied within traditional public schools. Resistance to reform is strong within traditional school systems, however, where teachers unions and entrenched education bureaucracies wield formidable political influence. The charter sectors innovations, which prioritize the education of children, often run counter to the interests of the adults running most public school districts. Many critics argue that charters do not adequately serve students with disabilities. They frequently charge that charter operators counsel disabled students to leave their schools, leaving them for the traditional system to handle. The evidence doesnt support these claims. My analysis of student-enrollment and classification patterns in both New York City and Denver shows that a student with a disability is actually less likely to leave a charter than a traditional public school. In fact, attending a charter school can affect whether a child even needs special-education services. In a newly published paper, my coauthors and I found that students attending Denver charters were less likely than kids in traditional district schools to be placed into special education in the early elementary grades. Another recent study found that elementary-age students randomly offered a spot in a Boston charter school were less likely to be newly classified into special education in kindergarten than students randomly denied a seat in a charter. Many regular-enrollment students in charters would have been placed into special education had they gone to a traditional public school. Charters are serving these kids; they just dont classify them as disabled. The most plausible explanation for why: students attending charters do better academically than they would have done otherwise, thus eliminating the need for extra services. No, charter schools arent a silver bullet, but they have helped hundreds of thousands of kids escape lousy schools. The Trump administration should heed the findings of empirical research and push states to make it easier for charters to open, innovate, and expand. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images Audio Transcript Aaron Renn: Hello, this is Aaron Renn, contributing editor at City Journal. As you know, we have been doing a lot of articles, both in recent issues and forthcoming, on the future of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. And to talk more on that topic, I'm pleased to be here today with Robert Poole. He is Director of Transportation Policy and Searle Freedom Trust Fellow at the Reason Foundation, actually cofounded the Reason Foundation, is one of America's most eminent and innovative transportation experts. So, Bob, thank you very much for joining us. I appreciate it. Robert Poole: Glad to be here, Aaron. Aaron Renn: What is the Port Authority? Robert Poole: Well, the Port Authority is almost a hundred years old, it's a big institution that was created to improve the ports of New York and New Jersey and the associated transportation. Over the years it evolved into running the three major airports, the building and running the bridges and tunnels across the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York, a mass transit system that loses a ton of money, a Port Authority Bus Terminal that is apparently in very poor shape and miscellaneous so-called economic development projects that lose money and are done as political favors to the governors of the two states, so it's really kind of gotten out of control from what it was originally intended to be. Aaron Renn: What do you think is the core problem with the Port Authority? Robert Poole: Well, the core problem is what the Port Authority considers its strength, and that is that all the money that they raise from revenue-producing enterprises, whether they make profits or losses, the airports, the tunnels and bridges, the ports, all goes into a common pot and they issue revenue bonds based on - they call that system financing. What that has meant over the years is that the airports and the bridges and tunnels become cash cows and everything else sucks up the money and is available for politicians to play with. And that is, it turns out, this so-called strength turns out to be the Achilles heel of the Port Authority. It is the weakness that drives all sorts of uneconomic behavior that wastes money, and for which there is a big opportunity cost because New York's major airports are not world class - they should be - the ports are not competitive in the way that they should be, and the bridges and tunnels, or many of them, are nearing the end of their useful lives and there's no provisions to replace them or modernize them, so the core assets are being neglected in order for the politicians to spend all kinds of money on other things. Aaron Renn: So that's primarily things like the PATH system, or the World Trade Center, and things like that. Robert Poole: Right, right. Well, the World Trade Center, before it was destroyed by terrorists, actually was making money. But they should not have diversified into real estate. There was no good reason to do that. Commercial, the private sector could've done that. And they only got permission to do the World Trade Center by being willing to take over the money-losing rail transit system that became PATH between New Jersey and the tip of Manhattan. Aaron Renn: So what should we do about the Port Authority? Robert Poole: Basically we should take away their cash cow business. And that means, my recommendation would be to make each of the enterprises self-supporting. In other words, the tolls that toll payers pay would be used for the facilities that they use, to make them better and more capacious. The charges that airlines and passengers pay at the airports would be used to make better airports, and so forth. The seaports would be forced to be self-supporting instead of losing some money and you get rid of the ones that are hopeless basket cases, which is several of them. So you do that and you no longer have a huge pot of cash available for politicians to play games with. You force the system to be responsible by taking away, cutting off the water, basically. Aaron Renn: What would you do with some of the money-losing assets like PATH? Robert Poole: Yeah, well the PATH train is a good example of it's not subject to the same discipline that any other rail transit system in the country is because it gets all of the money, other than the small amount that comes from the fare box, comes from the people who pay tolls to cross the river in cars and it does not get federal transit grants like all other transit systems do, or state grants, or local taxpayer support of any kind. So one thought recommended in one of the reports that I have reviewed is that give it to New Jersey Transit. It serves New Jersey commuters. If New Jersey Transit took it over, they are already eligible, they get federal transit grants, state transit money, and they could even create local taxing districts around their stations because of potential benefits from people, from merchants having transit access. So there are solutions to that. I don't have any magic way to make it a profitable enterprise, but if it became a normal rail transit system, it wouldn't need to be sucking up huge amounts of money from people who pay tolls for lousy service on the highways. Aaron Renn: Well that maybe highlights the key problem with reforming the Port Authority, because you've got a political challenge there. Robert Poole: Absolutely. Aaron Renn: New Jersey Transit already has huge problems. Robert Poole: Right, right. Aaron Renn: There are very high fares on their commuter rail system, underinvested in capital, New Jersey's highway trust fund is broke, the state's got big financial issues, so how could you possibly convince the State of New Jersey to take over this asset? Robert Poole: That, you're right. That would be a tough sell given the reality of those problems. Another possibility would be to take a lesson from Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway is profitable because it is a combination of real estate and rail transit. There's huge value to being connected to a mass transit system that carries large numbers of people. So one possibility would be, as part of divesting the World Trade Center, to make whoever would buy a big chunk of that take over the transit system that feeds people to work there, to shop there, to be tourists there, and have that be part of the system. I haven't done numbers to see how that would work out, but a deal of that sort might be possible in order take over that four billion dollar station that is now part of the rebuilt World Trade Center. That's a plum asset for somebody but you'd have to take on the transit line itself in order to get it and the building that it's part of. Aaron Renn: What role do you think privatization might play in this, especially in things like airports which have been privatized around the world? Robert Poole: Yeah. Most of the major airports in the world, certainly in Europe and many of them in South America, have been privatized in the last 20 years and they've all been improved by privatization. The only one in the United States, really, is the San Juan Airport in Puerto Rico, which is undergoing a major refurbishment. If you make the airports self-supporting, they could be long-term leased, as was done with San Juan International in Puerto Rico, as is done in most of Latin America, and is becoming a world model. Most of the privatizations in Europe are not full ownership, they are long-term concessions. And you could raise a lot of money and pay off the amount of bonds that effectively have been used for the airports by leasing them out for 50, 75 years, at market values. Given what airports are going for these days, those airports are worth tens of, tens of - probably twenties - scores of billions of dollars, altogether, Newark, LaGuardia, and Kennedy. Aaron Renn: One of the ideas might be, especially for these bridges and tunnels, to sell them to different people so that you have different agencies that are in competition with each other. Robert Poole: That's an excellent suggestion, I think. And that's one of the things that, one of the problems that I have with the Port Authority. It was the progressive era concept that everything should be one giant enterprise that was centrally managed. And when Margaret Thatcher first started privatizing British infrastructure, she privatized the entire British Airports Authority, the three London airports and the two Scottish airports, because it had always been one system. Well, they found out after awhile that that really wasn't the best model, and so in the last decade, Stansted and Gatwick airports have been sold off, leaving just - the former BAA is now just Heathrow - and those airports now are forced to compete with one another, and they are making large investments in improving their facilities, and both Heathrow and Gatwick are pleading for permission to build a new runway to add capacity. Because they're - particularly Heathrow is woefully short. It's like at 98 percent of its capacity and has really no room for growth. Aaron Renn: If we did split these up and, you know, create competition within bridges and tunnels, or within the airports, is there a danger that that might cause externalities or undermine other important policy goals? So maybe people are driving extra, causing extra congestion on the street, to get to the bridge that's a little cheaper than the other one, or maybe polluting the air a little more or something like that. Robert Poole: Right, right. Aaron Renn: Are there any tradeoffs that you make in that situation? Robert Poole: There are certainly potential problems of the sort you are raising, but the beauty of these long-term concession agreements is that governments who have competing companies bid for the right to refurbish and run a particular enterprise can put in performance requirements. And if you want to have a certain level of policies on emissions, for example, those can be a standard condition for all the bridges and tunnels, so that there's not that kind of invidious competition to, as a race to the bottom, so to speak. But you would probably want to leave the pricing, be free, because the traffic characteristics may well be somewhat different among the different bridges and tunnels and it's best to let the market sort out what pricing scheme really works the best to manage the traffic. It's certainly in the interest of the concession company that gets a particular facility to maximize its revenue, consistent with providing good, reliable service. And so it's better not to have administered prices as opposed to market prices in those cases. Aaron Renn: I want to make my last question about the Port Authority Bus Terminal. You mentioned the PATH station at World Trade Center. That's basically a subway station, not even in the top ten busiest in the City of New York, that was four billion dollars to redo. Robert Poole: Right, outrageous. Aaron Renn: The Port Authority has had a lot of challenges with cost overruns and extremely high budgets on projects. And a lot of what they've done is already baked. Okay, the bridges are built. Robert Poole: Right. Aaron Renn: That PATH station is built. But one that they need to figure out what to do with, potentially their next big project, is the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown. Apparently it's structurally deficient, it needs to be replaced, and their estimated cost right now, very preliminary estimate, ten billion dollars. Which seems beyond ludicrous. Robert Poole: Yes. Aaron Renn: Do you have any thoughts about what the future of that one ought to be? Because it seems like the one that's most in play right now. Robert Poole: Yes, the future of that ought to be a public private partnership in which you go to the private sector, to real estate developers, basically. Port Authority owns quite a bit of land, property, right adjacent to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. There's real estate value capture there, so someone could have, get the rights to develop that real estate in exchange for building a modern, not a, you know, an extravaganza like the PATH station in the World Trade Center, but just a normal bus terminal with modern concessions. You know, restaurants and shops, dry cleaners and things that would serve people who use the buses. But that would not, could not conceivably be probably more than a billion dollars as a piece of the overall real estate development, which would be a plum for anybody to be able to develop in that particular spot on the West Side of Manhattan. Aaron Renn: Robert Poole, thank you very much for joining us today. Robert Poole: Glad to do it. Last weekend, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, in what it described as a routine action, arrested and detained several hundred illegal aliens across the country. Forty-one such people were arrested in New York City. Advocates for the undocumented met the news with despair and anger. Now it seems like anyone could be arrested, said Shiu-Ming Cheer, attorney at the National Immigration Law Center. She added that ICE will facilitate racial profiling by local law enforcement. Deborah Axt of Make the Road New York spoke of the agencys effort to cast immigrants as criminals. Shame on ICE for putting New Yorks immigrant communitiesfour million strongin a state of panic, said Steven Choi of the New York Immigration Coalition. Left-wing politicians also voiced outrage. Democratic New York State senator Jesse Hamilton called for the New York Police Department to stop arresting people for low-level offensesa practice, he says, that puts immigrants in danger under the Trump administration. Every arrest produces fingerprints that are sent to federal law enforcement officials. Among the activities . . . often used to police black & brown bodies that Hamilton wants decriminalized are disorderly conduct, trespassing, marijuana possession, and disturbing the peace. Other New York City elected officials used the raids to make a broader point. From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go! shouted New York City Council members Rosie Mendez and Margaret Chin at a rally in Tompkins Square Park. City councilmember Carlos Menchaca posted on Facebook that the Palestine/Mexico refrain is his fave new chant. City comptroller Scott Stringer posted a picture on Twitter of thousands of Yemeni protestorsall menbowing in orderly ranks as they performed their evening devotions in front of Brooklyn Borough Hall. This is what our city and America is all about, commented Stringer. One could easily say that mixing religious observance with political speech, while taking over a public square in front of a municipal building in order to perform a mass act of prostration to a divinity, is precisely what America is not about. Stringer also strangely posted a picture of a massive Palestinian flag, fluttering above the assembled crowd, as another example of what America is all about. In virtually any other country, the deportation of aliens who have overstayed their visas or who are working in the underground economy might merit a brief mention in the newspaper. Deporting aliens who have committed serious crimes is understood in most nations to be a necessary duty of the state, like sanitation or the licensing of medical professionals. Nobody thinks twice about deporting criminals in these countries, and immigration enforcement is an uncontroversial aspect of national life. Canadaoften cited by progressives as a model of civilized multiculturalismdeports aliens at almost twice the rate that the U.S. does. Between 2006 and 2014, Canadian immigration authorities deported, on average, 35 people per day, or about 13,000 annually. The United States, with nine times the population of Canada, removed about 65,000 illegal aliens from within the borders of the country in 2016. Unofficially, Canada removes refugee applicants by paying them to withdraw their petitions and return to their countries of origin. Since 2012, thousands of Hungarian Roma have been offered one-way airfare to Budapest and $2,000 (Canadian) in reintegration assistance in exchange for leaving Canada voluntarily. Australia deports 10,000 people annually, giving it one of the highest rates of deportation in the world. Australia also has a firm policy, originally called the Pacific Solution, of intercepting illegal boat migrants and processing them offshore, thus denying them any claims to refugee or asylum status they might obtain by reaching the Australian mainland. The migrants get sent to Papua New Guinea or Nauru to live in dismal detention camps, with no hope of ever going to Australia. The miserable nature of their existence is then advertised in countries such as Afghanistan to deter further migration. Under the Obama administration, ICE oriented its pursuit of illegal aliens toward those with criminal records, and the agency performed periodic sweeps to apprehend the worst offenders. At the same time, the United States effectively opened the doors to unauthorized migration, a policy bound to ensure that such actions would continue to be necessary. The indignation of activists and progressive politicians about the enforcement of our immigration laws is perhaps predictable, but acquainting themselves with global norms regarding legal migration and deportation might help keep their blood pressure under control. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company offers peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis, and additional dialysis therapies and services; intravenous therapies, infusion pumps, administration sets, and drug reconstitution devices; remixed and oncology drug platforms, inhaled anesthesia and critical care products and pharmacy compounding services; parenteral nutrition therapies and related products; biological products and medical devices used in surgical procedures for hemostasis, tissue sealing and adhesion prevention; and continuous renal replacement therapies and other organ support therapies focused in the intensive care unit. It also provides connected care solutions, including devices, software, communications, and integration technologies; integrated patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies to help diagnose, treat, and manage a various illness and diseases, including respiratory therapy, cardiology, vision screening, and physical assessment; surgical video technologies, tables, lights, pendants, precision positioning devices and other accessories. In addition, the company offers contracted services to various pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. Its products are used in hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors' offices, and patients at home under physician supervision. The company sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent distributors, drug wholesalers, and specialty pharmacy or other alternate site providers in approximately 100 countries. It has an agreement with Celerity Pharmaceutical, LLC to develop acute care generic injectable premix and oncolytic molecules. Baxter International Inc. was incorporated in 1931 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. 02/15/2017 Photo (c) AdobeStock Many telemarketing scams originate overseas but, as a recent case involving a Florida man shows, there are often U.S.-based accomplices who keep the cash spigot open. The case involves Joel S. Treuhaft and his company, PHLG Enterprises, LLC. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged that they collected more than $1.5 million from about 3,000 consumers in a scheme that helped Indian call centers conduct IRS tax scams, government grant scams, and advance-fee loan scams, among others. The scammers behind these call centers relied on PHLG and its runners to get consumers money, said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection. Stopping companies that assist and facilitate fraud remains a top FTC priority. Bogus bills The FTC said that telemarketers at Indian call centers conned consumers into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars each for taxes they did not owe, or fees for services they did not receive. They often pretended to be affiliated with government agencies, telling people they owed money to the IRS, or that they would get a government grant after they paid a fee. The consumers paid via Western Union or MoneyGram cash money transfers, making it difficult for them to trace their payments or obtain refunds. The defendants paid runners to collect the money at retail stores that offer money transfer services. Using text messaging, the Indian call centers dispatched runners to pick up the money as quickly as possible so that consumers would not have time to cancel or reverse the money transfer if they became suspicious. Some runners lied to store employees to retrieve a consumers money, including saying they were the consumers friend or relative. The runners went to various stores every day, for eight to 10 hours per day, to collect consumers money, the agency said, keeping a portion of each payment as their share of the "take." Under the FTC order, Treuhaft and his company are banned from working with telemarketers. The order imposes a $1.5 million judgment that will be suspended based on the defendants inability to pay. The full judgment will become due immediately if they are found to have misrepresented their financial condition. In celebration of the International Womens Day, Dream Cruises said it will ring in the month of March with a series of events inspired by the Golden Shanghai era in the 1920s, including the first-ever Cheongsam Catwalk at Sea, professional hair and makeup workshops, skincare talks as well as dancing parties to set the mood for everything Shanghai. In collaboration with Linva Tailor, one of Hong Kongs top bespoke tailors, the first-ever Cheongsam fashion show at sea will be hosted onboard Genting Dream, featuring 21 handcrafted cheongsams as a tribute to this art form in Chinese fashion, to be modeled by the crew of the Genting Dream. Every cruise in March will declare one lucky passenger a winner; whoever can fit into the ideal measurements as envisioned by the Master Tailor Leung Ching Wah, will win a specially crafted cheongsam from Linva Tailor. There is also a chance for guests to meet Ocean Jiang Tao, a make-up artist from Beijing and his team to learn the techniques and tips of classic Chinese make-up inspired by the Shanghai vintage look. There will also be Shanghai Broadway music aboard as the dazzling Golden Shanghai era comes to life onboard Genting Dream, said the company in a prepared statement. On the food and beverage side, the Silk Road and Dream Dining restaurants will showcase a signature Shanghai menu. This project will be spearheaded by Alvin Chan, Assistant Vice President Cuisine for Dream Cruises who has been a Chinese Chef for restaurants and hotels in Shanghai from Banyan Tree, Hakkasan Shanghai on the Bund and The Westin Shanghai. Shanghai nights at Silk Road feature the classics from Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, Four Happiness Kao Fu and Shanghainese Smoked Fish serving as a prelude to Sauteed Rives Shrimps, Braised Bean Curd and Sweet and Sour Baby Ribs. Dream Dining showcases a dinner menu highlighting Shanghai specialties such as the Braised Lion Meatballs to the Sweetened Fermented Rice Wine Mini Balls. The new hip buzzword for our industry is collaboration. The irony is when I started working for Consolidated Community Credit Union more than 20 years ago, collaboration between credit unions was a daily occurrence. But with the advent of community charters and open fields of membership, the willingness for credit unions to share ideas has become less over time. Consolidated Community has just $206 million in assets. Were almost large enough to dream big, but still small enough to know our place in the Portland, Ore., banking landscape. As a result, we knew we had to be good at a few niches and that we would never be all things to all people. Credit union leaders continue to highlight the movements pro-consumer attributes in the pages of local publications, most recently in Massachusetts, Michigan and Florida. The pieces reinforce the work of CUNAs Campaign for Common-Sense Regulation, a bipartisan, pro-consumer campaign to achieve regulatory relief through legislative and regulatory advocacy. In MassLive, Cooperative Credit Union Association President/CEO Paul Gentile responded to bankers criticism of credit union growth. Gentile points out that consumers, even bank customers, benefit from the credit union presence in the marketplace. Do consumers want to live in a financial world where their only option is a bank? Massachusetts credit unions are a terrific option for consumers and small businesses to consider and rather than the Massachusetts Bankers Association railing against unchecked credit union growth, they should focus on serving their customers, Gentile wrote. Credit unions do not want to put banks out of business. We believe in a strong banking system and also a strong credit union system. Before dating sites became ubiquitous, most people found their partners at work or church, or through friends. There was likely some kind of common bond already there but remember what it was like on a first date? It begins with trying to find something of interest. What kind of music, movies, food do you like? Where did you grow up? Go to school. How many brothers and sisters do you have? Remember going through your boyfriend or girlfriends record collection? That was a clear indicator of their personality and if you had anything in common. Why was this so important? Because at our core we like being with people that are like us. Thats why the original credit unions worked so well. Teachers helping teachers. Welders helping welders. Military helping military. Targeting v. Excluding Credit unions are similar in nature to a grocery store. We offer products that every human needs. We have tons of competition offering the exact same products and our margins are very thin. Consequently credit unions start to focus on the product rather than the people buying the product. When a credit union hangs a banner outside their office that announces Car Loans or Free Checking its akin to a grocery store with a banner that says We Have Food! Everyone knows you have food. But so does the guy across the street and its the same food, so why should I buy yours? Trying to be all things to all people is a thing of the past. Michael Dell One of the big fears among management in declaring a target audience is exclusion. If we target women, we may offend men. If we target the youth we might put off the old people. And so the shame of same sets in. This is why so many credit union marketers are using these horrifying diverse stock art photos in their advertising and on their websites. Lets try and include absolutely everyone so we appeal to no one. Back to the grocery store analogy and a wonderful example of target audience not excluding but rather attracting. According to a FORBES article, Trader Joes is a perfect example of how to gain a competitive advantage in a crowded space by embracing the immigrant perspective. Their non-conventional culturally-tailored approach and attitude is one that is deeply embedded in the roots of their business model: from their packaging, product selection, store layout and graphics, to their vendors, employees and management. The Trader Joes brand is diversity on steroids. Trader Joes was founded by an immigrant. Their target audience is the fastest growing consumer groups in America (i.e. Asians, Indians, Hispanics, etc.) Trader Joes knows these consumer groups are loyal and incredibly viral within their communities. Does Trader Joes have a guard at the door asking their customers to declare their ethnic origin before they can grab a shopping cart? No! Anyone can shop there, but they have a community of loyalists that are marketing for them. Do you? Democratic state attorneys general, two members of Congress and consumer groups are renewing their request to help defend the CFPB in court, contending that the Trump Administration is likely to abandon the agency. The groups argue that while the Obama Administration was prepared to mount a vigorous defense of the agency in a suit challenging the constitutionality of the CFPBs structure, the Trump Administration opposes the existence of the agency. The US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia already has denied the request, but the groups are asking the court to reconsider. The motion argued that intervention was warranted because there is a substantial probability that, due to changing political circumstances, the CFPB and/or the DOJ will drop their defense of the CFPBs constitutional structure and acquiesce in the panels holding, the consumer groups and the credit union argue. BOOK Emirates special offers More discoveries, more Skywards Miles, more benefits. Browse our current offers below or log into your Emirates Skywards account to see all the offers available for your tier. We add new offers all the time, so remember to check back for the latest deals. BEER-SHEVA, Israel...February 15, 2017 - "BGUSAT," the first nanosatellite for Israeli academic research, is being launched today as part of a collaboration between Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the Israel Ministry of Science, Technology and Space. It will provide researchers with data on climate change, agricultural developments and other scientific phenomena. The nanosatellite is slightly larger than a milk carton (4x4x12 inches) and weighs only 11 pounds. "BGUSAT is an important and affordable new tool to facilitate space engineering and research," says Prof. Dan Blumberg, BGU vice president and dean for research and development. "The reduced costs allow academia to assume a much more active role in the field, taking advantage of the innovation and initiative of researchers and students." BGUSAT is outfitted with visual and short wavelength infrared cameras. Hovering at 300 miles above the surface of the earth, the nanosatellite's orbital path will enable BGU researchers to study a broad range of environmental phenomena. For example, they will be able to track atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and study Earth's airglow layer, which provides crucial information about climate change. BGUSAT can change its angle and obtain views from multiple orbits and positions. Larger satellites orbit too high to accomplish this, while observation planes and balloons fly too low. Seed funding to build the BGU satellite and its ground receiving station was provided by AABGU Boca Raton, Florida donors Max and Rachel Javit. "We're so pleased to have helped Israel soar to new horizons by providing eyes in the sky," says Rachel. "BGUSAT will provide valuable data for BGU and other Israeli academics that will benefit the scientific research community worldwide." BGU partnered with IAI and the Israel Space Agency within the Science Ministry five years ago. Construction of the satellite began two years ago at IAI's space division. "Only a collaboration with government backing can preserve the Israeli space industry's global standing, promote research, create new jobs, and safeguard the essential interests of Israel," says Science Minister Ofir Akunis. While developing BGUSAT, BGU students and researchers were challenged to conceive new methods of constructing a miniaturized satellite, working together to integrate knowledge from the software and electrical engineering, planetary sciences and industrial management fields. "This is the first project to showcase the enhanced space engineering capability we are developing at BGU," Blumberg says. BGU's Earth and Planetary Image Facility in the Department of Geography and Environmental Development is one of just five NASA Regional Planetary Image Facilities outside the U.S. According to Avi Blasberger, director of the Israel Space Agency, "This is the first time Israeli researchers will have the opportunity to receive information directly from a blue and white [Israeli] satellite without having to go through other countries or research agencies." "We are proud to be part of this innovative, technological project, which opens up the world of nanosatellites to new and varied scientific missions," says Col. (res.) Ofer Doron, head of IAI's MBT Space Division. "For the first time, the space division developed a dedicated computer specifically for nanosatellites that has computing power similar to that of larger satellites. This computer has already been integrated into the SpaceIL spacecraft and the three Samson satellites." The BGUSAT nanosatellite will be launched from the Satish Dhawan launching pad in India. ### About American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision: creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. As Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) looks ahead to turning 50 in 2020, AABGU imagines a future that goes beyond the walls of academia. It is a future where BGU invents a new world and inspires a vision for a stronger Israel and its next generation of leaders. Together with supporters, AABGU will help the University foster excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the communities of the Negev for the next 50 years and beyond. Visit vision.aabgu.org to learn more. AABGU, which is headquartered in Manhattan, has nine regional offices throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.aabgu.org. WASHINGON, D.C. -- The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will release a new report Connecting Scientists to Policy Around the World: Landscape Analysis of Mechanisms Around the World Engaging Scientists and Engineers in Policy, that documents best practices for immersive science-policy connection mechanisms. A session on the report will be held at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday, February 16, at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, in Constitution Ballroom B (see program and list of speakers at end of this release). AAAS conducted the landscape analysis in response to growing interest in establishing programs modeled on its successful Science & Technology Policy Fellowships. Sponsored by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the project affirmed global demand to strengthen connections between science and policy, highlighted factors for productive engagement of scientists in the policy sphere, identified more than 150 science-policy linkage mechanisms, and clarified criteria to support their success. The need to engage and nurture a new generation of scientists globally to meet current and future demand at the science-policy interface emerged as a primary focal point. The report recommends critical actions to cultivate and network boundary-spanning STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) leaders and support them to engage successfully at the intersection of science and policy around the world, including: Foster an ethos of civic engagement internationally by training STEM students on the ability and responsibility of science to help meet the needs of countries and citizens around the world. Broaden the diversity of scientists and engineers engaging at the science-policy interface by expanding opportunities for and recruiting participants from underserved populations and geographic regions, as well as from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds, cultural perspectives, genders, and career stages. Establish general core competencies and outline sets of skills that empower boundary-spanning expertise in the S&T policy arena to support shared understanding and aims across different political and cultural environments. Foster incentive structures within academia that reward science-policy engagement, outreach, mentoring, and other avenues of service to society. Strengthen science diplomacy and advance regional and global cooperation on science and technology policy by cultivating connections among national, regional, and international science and policy stakeholders. "Successful boundary spanning is all about cultivating relationships, establishing connections, and developing collaborations to address complex problems," says Cynthia Robinson, senior policy advisor at AAAS, and former director of the Science & Technology Policy Fellowships. "Finding solutions to tough challenges won't happen by simply ensuring scientific information is available. It requires scientists actually engaging in problem-solving policy processes, and participating to implement solutions." Since 1973, the AAAS S&T Policy Fellowships program has trained more than 3,000 scientists and engineers to successfully support evidence-based policymaking at the federal level through its model of embedding participants in government offices and the policymaking processes. The majority of STPF alumni continue in careers that build bridges between science and policy. Ten programs have been launched modeled on STPF, operating in the U.S. at the national and state levels, internationally in the ASEAN region, and in Canada, Israel, and Switzerland. New programs are planned for Argentina and Spain. "We are now seeing a new generation of young scientists around the world eager to contribute their science to policy and diplomacy," notes Marga Gual Soler, project director in the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy. "This report will serve as a guide for the scientific and policy communities to establish new science policy immersion programs and strengthen existing linkages between scientists and policymakers at all levels." International collaboration to build science policy capacity is an emerging dimension of science diplomacy. The landscape analysis identified programs operating at binational and regional levels that present effective approaches for establishing relationships between countries as well as connecting the scientific and policy communities. This is especially important for addressing challenges that are transboundary in nature. "This report captures what currently exists. The next step is to build on what we know and have learned from existing programs to develop new mechanisms that address the specific unmet needs of individual countries or regions," says Tom Wang, chief international officer of AAAS, and director of the Center for Science Diplomacy. The report concludes with recommendations to foster a global network of boundary-spanning scientists empowered to share knowledge, collaborate, and expand their impact to address global challenges that no nation can solve alone. ### Following is the program for the report release event. Thursday, February 16, 2017 10:30am Opening remarks Cynthia R. Robinson, Senior Policy Advisor, Center of Science, Policy and Society Programs; Principal Investigator, Science & Technology Policy Fellowships, AAAS Tom C. Wang, Chief International Officer; Director, Center for Science Diplomacy, AAAS 10:40am Presentation of the "Connecting Scientists to Policy Around the World" report Marga Gual Soler, Project Director, Center for Science Diplomacy, AAAS 11:00am Panel: Experiences and examples of mechanisms for science policy engagement Frances Colon, Member of the External Advisory Committee, Immediate Past Deputy Science and Technology Adviser to the U.S. Secretary of State Rachael Maxwell, Lead, Canadian Science Policy Fellowship Atsushi Sunami, Member of the External Advisory Committee, Vice- President and Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Japan Agustin Campero, Secretary for Scientific and Technological Articulation, Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, Argentina 11:40 Audience Q&A 11:50 Closing remarks: Importance of international cooperation in building science policy capacity H.R.H. Princess Sumaya Bint El Hassan, President, Royal Scientific Society of Jordan To download a copy of the full report and the executive summary please visit http://www.aaas.org/globalsciencepolicy. For more information email: globalsciencepolicy@aaas.org. AAAS ### CHICAGO (February 15, 2017): Patients with a type of advanced malignant cancer of the arms or legs have typically faced amputation of the afflicted limb as the only treatment option. However, a technique that limits the application of chemotherapy to the cancerous region can preserve limbs in a high percentage of these patients, researchers from five cancer centers in the United States and Australia report in a study published online as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website in advance of print publication. The researchers used the treatment technique, known as regional chemotherapy with isolated limb perfusion (ILI), in 77 patients with treatment-resistant, locally advanced soft tissue sarcomas (STS), and were able to salvage limbs in 77.9 percent of the cases. "Isolated limb infusion is a safe and effective technique of treatment of patients with locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma who otherwise might require amputation," said lead study author John E. Mullinax, MD, from Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Fla. The study, conducted over a 22-year period from 1994-2016, is the largest one to date of limb preservation using ILI for sarcoma. "Advocates for ILI in these patients would argue that, with similar long-term survival data and meaningful overall response rates, patients would much prefer a treatment that preserves the affected extremity to one that does not," Dr. Mullinax said. ILI has historically been used primarily for melanoma of the extremities and the use of this technique in sarcoma is a more novel approach. Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer in the extremities with several different subtypes; the study patients who underwent ILI had 17 different subtypes of sarcoma. The rationale for amputation of soft tissue sarcoma of the arm or leg has been to prevent the cancer from spreading to, or metastasizing to, other parts of the body. Dr. Mullinax noted that one concern with the use of ILI in these cancers is that it does not address distant metastatic disease. "The reality is that those patients who develop metastatic disease after amputation or ILI likely may already have distant microscopic disease at the time of the procedure, but the radiographic staging studies are not sensitive enough to detect it," Dr. Mullinax said. "In this sense, the treatment of the extremity disease is not to the determinant of long-term survival." In the study population, 19 patients had 21 procedures for upper-extremity disease and 58 patients had 63 infusions for lower-extremity disease. The results varied significantly for the two groups. The overall three-month response rate to ILI was 58 percent, but it was only 37 percent for those with upper-extremity disease vs. 66 percent for lower-extremity disease. Likewise, those who had upper-extremity sarcomas had a lower median overall survival than their lower-extremity counterparts, 27.9 months vs. 56.6 months. For the entire study population, the median overall survival was 44.3 months. Entering the study, all the patients had sarcomas that could only be removed with an amputation, but afterward 30 percent had a complete response to ILI, many of these because patients were able to have a surgical procedure to remove the tumors without amputation. For those who eventually needed an amputation, the median time to do so was 4.5 months following ILI. The ILI technique involves circulating the chemotherapy agents melphalan and actinomycin D in the blood vessels of the affected area of the arm or leg, and the use of a tourniquet to block the chemotherapy drugs from circulating through the rest of the body, thus creating a closed circuit. The drugs circulate in the target area for 30 minutes, and then are flushed out before the tourniquet is removed and full circulation is restored. ILI for soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities can be repeated, whereas another procedure to administer chemotherapy to the arms or legs, hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion, requires an incision to openly cannulate the vessels and generally cannot be repeated, Dr. Mullinax explained. The ILI technique requires a team to help perform the procedure such as an interventional radiology team to place the catheter in the artery before the procedure, a perfusionist to oversee the circuit and an operating room staff familiar with chemotherapy precautions, Dr. Mullinax said. "Most patients would prefer to have more time with their leg rather than face an amputation," Dr. Mullinax said. "It's known that for patients with soft-tissue sarcoma, the life-limiting disease is not in the extremity but it's actually in the metastatic disease. An inoperable sarcoma of the thigh does not affect survival to the degree that metastatic disease in the lung does." Dr. Mullinax said one limitation of the study was that it did not randomize patients between ILI and amputation, so a head-to-head comparison of response to treatment and survival cannot be performed with this dataset. The study also did not evaluate quality of life or patient-related factors for those who had limb salvage vs. those who had amputation. ### Co-senior authors of the study are Ricardo J. Gonzalez, MD, FACS, and Jonathan S. Zager, MD, FACS, of the Moffitt Cancer Center; other coauthors are Hidde M. Kroon, MD, PhD, of the Melanoma Institute of Australia, University of Sydney; Neel Nath, BS, and Paul J. Mosca, MD, PhD, FACS, of Duke University, Durham, N.C.; Jeffrey M. Farma, MD, FACS, of the Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia; Rajendra Bhati, MD, FACS, of Marietta Memorial Hospital, Marietta, Ohio; Danielle Hardmann, BS, and Sean Sileno, BS, of Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa; and Christina O'Donoghue, MD, Matthew Perez, MD, Syeda Mahrukh Hussnain Naqvi, MD, and Y. Ann Chen, PhD, of the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. A video summary of study highlights can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR4zL-7tcm0 This study was presented at the 128th annual meeting of the Southern Surgical Association, in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2016. This work was supported by a Cancer Center Support Grant to the H. Lee Moffitt Comprehensive Cancer Center and Research Institute. NOTE: "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Citation: Isolated Limb Infusion as a Limb Salvage Strategy for Locally Advanced Extremity Sarcoma. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. About the American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit http://www.facs.org A new Tel Aviv University study finds outdoor challenge-based interventions may be effective in reducing the overall severity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms. The research found significant improvements in the social cognition, social motivation, and autistic mannerisms of the young subjects after outdoor adventure activities and describes a new path for enhancing the social and communication skills of children with ASD. The study was published in Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology and led by Prof. Ditza Antebi-Zachor of the Pediatric Department at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Director of Assaf Harofeh Medical Center's Autism Center, together with Prof. Esther Ben Itzchak of Ariel University. One in 68 children in the US is diagnosed each year with ASD, a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by socio-communicative impairments and restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. The developmental disorder takes a deep social, emotional and economic toll on the child and his/her family. But research has also shown that the early diagnosis and early treatment of ASD can lead to vast improvements in the cognitive functioning and socio-communicative skills of children on the spectrum. Getting out of the classroom Fifty-one children from seven special-education kindergartens in Tel Aviv participated in the study, which was conducted in collaboration with ALUT, the National Israeli Association for Children with Autism, and ETGARIM, a nonprofit that sponsors outdoor activities for disabled people. The children, aged 3-7, all followed the same educational protocols, but the intervention group, comprising 30 students, also participated in an outdoor adventure program (OAP). The intervention group underwent 13 weekly sessions of challenge-based activities with instructors. Each 30-minute session took place in urban parks near the participants' kindergartens and kicked off with a song. Afterward, the children used the outdoor fitness equipment, moving from one to another throughout the session. The activities required the children to communicate with the instructors and with their peers, to ask for assistance or be noticed, for example. Prior to the adventure program, the children's cognitive and adaptive skills were assessed by the kindergarten instructors using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), a questionnaire that assesses autism severity in different domains, and the Teachers' Perceived Future Capabilities questionnaire. The information was obtained prior to and after completing the program. Meeting goals and building trust "Outdoor adventure programs are designed to improve intrapersonal skills and interpersonal relationships by using adventurous activities to provide individual and group problem-solving and challenge tasks," says Prof. Zachor. "The necessary tools for a successful OAP include establishing individual and group goals, building trust among participants, and providing activities that challenge and evoke stress but are nevertheless enjoyable. "Our study shows that outdoor adventure activities benefit children with autism and improve their social communication skills. We suggest including these fun activities in special education kindergartens and in communication classrooms at school in addition to traditional treatments. Parents of children with ASD can also enroll their kids in afterschool activities based on the principles of our research. It will allow the children to have fun during their leisure time while improving their communication skills." According to Prof. Zachor, future studies should examine the contribution of this type of intervention over longer periods of time and encourage other researchers to explore new treatments that improve social communication skills in an entertaining, engaging way. "We're interested in studying the long-term effect of this intervention, not just on ASD symptoms but on functioning in different domains, including behavioral problems, language skills, and attention span," she says. ### Tel Aviv University (TAU) is inherently linked to the cultural, scientific and entrepreneurial mecca it represents. It is one of the world's most dynamic research centers and Israel's most distinguished learning environment. Its unique-in-Israel multidisciplinary environment is highly coveted by young researchers and scholars returning to Israel from post-docs and junior faculty positions in the US. American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU) enthusiastically and industriously pursues the advancement of TAU in the US, raising money, awareness and influence through international alliances that are vital to the future of this already impressive institution. Arizona State University astronomer Adam Schneider and his colleagues are hunting for an elusive object lost in space between our Sun and the nearest stars. They are asking for your help in the search, using a new citizen-science website called Backyard Worlds: Planet 9. Astronomers have found evidence for a ninth planet in our solar system. The evidence comes from studying the orbits of objects in the solar system's Kuiper Belt. This is a zone of comet-like bodies orbiting the Sun out beyond the orbit of Neptune. The Kuiper Belt is similar to the asteroid belt that circles the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, but it lies dozens of times farther out. This hypothetical Planet 9 could be similar in size to Neptune, but it may orbit up to a thousand times farther away from the Sun than the Earth does. So while astronomers can see its effects on the Kuiper Belt objects, no one has yet observed Planet 9 directly. "If it exists, Planet 9 could be large -- maybe 10 times the mass of Earth but orbiting far out beyond the Kuiper Belt," says Schneider. "Yet it must be extremely dim and hard to find." A postdoctoral researcher in ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration, Schneider is particularly interested in studying objects smaller than fully fledged stars and ranging down in size to planets. Hiding out in the neighborhood In addition to searching for a distant planet orbiting the Sun, this new project will help astronomers identify the Sun's nearest neighbors outside of our solar system. "There are just over four light-years between Neptune and Proxima Centauri, the nearest star, and much of this vast territory is unexplored," says the lead researcher for Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Astronomers expect the Sun's neighborhood will contain many low-mass objects called brown dwarfs. These emit very little light at visible wavelengths, but instead glow dimly with infrared -- heat -- radiation. "Brown dwarfs are somewhat mysterious," says Schneider. "They have masses of less than 80 times that of Jupiter, because that's the point at which nuclear fusion begins and an object becomes by definition a star." But there's no real lower limit to how small a brown dwarf could be, he says. "If we find one that's, say, five times the mass of Jupiter and it's orbiting a star, we'd call it a planet," Schneider explains. "But an identical object could also be floating freely in space, unattached to any star, and we'd call it a brown dwarf." Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 So how do astronomers find such objects in space? That's where you can contribute using a website that enlists the help of citizen scientists. It's called Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 and it uses images taken by NASA's WISE space telescope. WISE, which stands for Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, was launched in late 2009 and it has mapped the entire sky several times during the last seven years. WISE detects infrared light, the kind of light emitted by objects at room temperature, like planets and brown dwarfs. This sensitivity to infrared light makes WISE uniquely suited for discovering Planet 9, if it exists. But there's a snag: Images from WISE have captured nearly 750 million individual sources in the sky. Doubtlessly among these lurk the elusive brown dwarfs and possibly Planet 9. The question is how to sift through the data and identify them. The trick to finding these needles in haystacks of WISE data is to look for something in motion. Planetary objects and brown dwarfs roaming near the Sun can appear to move across the sky, leaving other celestial objects such as background stars and galaxies, which lie immensely far away, apparently fixed in place. So the best hope for discovering these worlds is to systematically scan infrared images of the sky, searching for objects that move. Automated searches for moving objects in the WISE data have already proven successful, but computerized searches are often overwhelmed by image artifacts -- visual noise -- especially in crowded parts of the sky. As Schneider explains, "People who join in the Backyard Worlds search bring a unique skill to the search: the human ability to recognize movement." If it moves, check it out The search method is a 21st-century version of the same technique used at Arizona's Lowell Observatory by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh. He discovered dwarf planet Pluto 87 years ago this week, on February 18, 1930. Back then, Tombaugh compared two photographs taken a couple weeks apart, looking for a tiny dot of light that shifted position. The Backyard Worlds search works similarly, but by electronically serving up flipbooks of WISE images taken at different times. As each flipbook plays, objects in the field move or change appearance, making it easy for volunteer observers to flag suspicious objects for later follow-up. Participants will share credit for their discoveries in any scientific publications that results from the project. The discovery of a ninth planet in our solar system or a new nearest neighbor to the Sun would mark a major event in the history of astronomy. Such objects could already be present within the vast WISE dataset, just waiting to be found. "This program offers an excellent opportunity for citizen scientists to help astronomers with an edge-of-discovery search," says Schneider. ### Besides Arizona State University, Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 is a collaboration between NASA, University of California Berkeley, American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and the Zooniverse, a collaboration of scientists, software developers and educators who collectively develop and manage citizen science projects on the internet. One of the most promising new approaches to slowing the spread of HIV is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a once-a-day medication that people who don't have HIV can take to prevent becoming infected. But that strategy only works if people at risk for contracting HIV become and remain fully engaged in preventive care and actually take the pills. In the real world of clinical practice, that has often proved tricky. In a new article in the journal AIDS, a Brown University-based team of researchers draws on their experience in providing and carefully studying PrEP programs to propose a new system for understanding and evaluating how PrEP is implemented in clinical practice. By viewing the process as a continuum with nine specific steps, they write, researchers and clinical providers can properly assess where patients might fall out of preventive care that can help them remain HIV-negative. "It's helpful to visualize PrEP care as a continuum, because patients can drop out at any point on this long continuum," said Dr. Philip Chan, co-author of the paper, assistant professor of medicine at Brown's Warren Alpert Medical School and an infectious disease physician at the Miriam Hospital, where he runs a PrEP program serving all of Rhode Island. "We are providing a framework for how we can identify and assist people who are at high risk for acquiring HIV to stay uninfected." In these early days of PrEP programs, physicians nationwide have found that it's sometimes difficult to retain patients in care and ensure that they are keeping up with -- or "adhering" -- to their medicine, said lead author Amy Nunn, associate professor at the Brown University School of Public Health. In early academic trials of PrEP, adherence to the medication was promising, but outcomes in research studies are often different than in the grittier domain of real-world clinical settings. "Important research trials and CDC-funded demonstration projects have proven PrEP was overwhelmingly effective in reducing HIV acquisition," Nunn said. "But it's time to move beyond research trials to implement and study how to scale PrEP in safety net and primary care settings, where it's needed most. We propose an approach based on our experiences providing PrEP to people in real-world clinical settings that helps us evaluate how to measure population progress." In a study last year analyzing the progress of clinical programs in cities in Rhode Island, Mississippi and Missouri, Nunn, Chan and colleagues found that among patients who sign up to begin PrEP, only about 60 percent remained in care after six months. In this study, their goal was to identify elements of the process where interventions could improve access to PrEP and the retention of patients in care. Nine PrEP steps The nine proposed steps are: (1) identifying individuals at highest risk for contracting HIV; (2) increasing HIV risk awareness among them; (3) enhancing PrEP awareness; (4) facilitating PrEP access; (5) linking to PrEP care; (6) prescribing PrEP; (7) initiating PrEP; (8) adhering to PrEP; and (9) retaining individuals in PrEP care. In much of the nascent research literature of the field, scholars have looked at a looser progression of four steps (identifying those at risk, increasing PrEP knowledge, ensuring access to PrEP, ensuring medication adherence), but Chan and Nunn said that such a general process leaves too many gaps where problems can be missed. "The process is more complicated and nuanced than many people think," Chan said. For example, even when some patients have been identified as being at risk to contract HIV and have been well-informed about what PrEP is, they still might not appreciate their HIV risk enough to feel sufficiently motivated to take PrEP, Nunn and Chan said. PrEP does have side effects and can be expensive. That's why the steps of identifying patients who are suitable candidates for PrEP and making sure they understand their degree of HIV-infection risk are critical. In another example, the researchers noted that adherence is not always the most accurate measure of success for evaluating the public health impact of PrEP. Retention in care may be more important, they said. On one hand, adherence to PrEP isn't the only measure that high-risk patients should take to protect themselves from HIV transmission -- routine testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, counseling about reducing sexual partners, using condoms and understanding community-level HIV risks can also be important, Nunn and Chan said. On the other hand, some patients may no longer require PrEP over time as they change their risk behaviors and sexual partnerships. A person who settles into a monogamous sexual relationship and practices safe sex might not need PrEP anymore, but that shouldn't be perceived as an HIV prevention failure requiring intervention. In a future study, Nunn said, she and colleagues will focus on when people cease to be retained in care and why. In some cases, she said, patients are lost to follow up and don't take their medications because they may lose their health insurance or not have sufficient support services to overcome other barriers to taking PrEP medications. For that reason, Nunn advocates for funding PrEP navigators who can help high-risk patients overcome barriers, such as insufficient insurance, to stay engaged in preventive care. ### Several sources from the National Institutes of Health helped to fund the research. In addition to Nunn and Chan, the paper's other authors are Brown University School of Public Health Professor Matthew Mimiaga, as well as Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, Catherine Oldenburg, Kenneth Mayer and Rupa Patel. A breakthrough by CSIRO-led scientists has made the world's strongest material more commercially viable, thanks to the humble soybean. Graphene is a carbon material that is one atom thick. Its thin composition and high conductivity means it is used in applications ranging from miniaturised electronics to biomedical devices. These properties also enable thinner wire connections; providing extensive benefits for computers, solar panels, batteries, sensors and other devices. Until now, the high cost of graphene production has been the major roadblock in its commercialisation. Previously, graphene was grown in a highly-controlled environment with explosive compressed gases, requiring long hours of operation at high temperatures and extensive vacuum processing. CSIRO scientists have developed a novel "GraphAir" technology which eliminates the need for such a highly-controlled environment. The technology grows graphene film in ambient air with a natural precursor, making its production faster and simpler. "This ambient-air process for graphene fabrication is fast, simple, safe, potentially scalable, and integration-friendly," CSIRO scientist Dr Zhao Jun Han, co-author of the paper published today in Nature Communications said. "Our unique technology is expected to reduce the cost of graphene production and improve the uptake in new applications." GraphAir transforms soybean oil - a renewable, natural material - into graphene films in a single step. "Our GraphAir technology results in good and transformable graphene properties, comparable to graphene made by conventional methods," CSIRO scientist and co-author of the study Dr Dong Han Seo said. With heat, soybean oil breaks down into a range of carbon building units that are essential for the synthesis of graphene. The team also transformed other types of renewable and even waste oil, such as those leftover from barbecues or cooking, into graphene films. "We can now recycle waste oils that would have otherwise been discarded and transform them into something useful," Dr Seo said. The potential applications of graphene include water filtration and purification, renewable energy, sensors, personalised healthcare and medicine, to name a few. Graphene has excellent electronic, mechanical, thermal and optical properties as well. Its uses range from improving battery performance in energy devices, to cheaper solar panels. CSIRO are looking to partner with industry to find new uses for graphene. Researchers from The University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and The Queensland University of Technology also contributed to this work. ### Surfers aren't the only people trying to catch big waves. Scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) are trying to do so, too, at least in wave climate forecasts. Using decades of global climate data generated at a spatial resolution of about 25 kilometers squared, researchers were able to capture the formation of tropical cyclones, also referred to as hurricanes and typhoons, and the extreme waves that they generate. Those same models, when run at resolutions of about 100 kilometers, missed the tropical cyclones and the big waves up to 30 meters high. Their findings, published in the Feb. 16 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrate the importance of running climate models at higher resolution. Better predictions of how often extreme waves will hit are important for coastal cities, the military, and industries that rely upon shipping and offshore oil platforms. And, of course, for surfers. "It's well known that to study tropical cyclones using simulations, the models need to be run at high resolution," said study lead author and postdoctoral fellow Ben Timmermans. "The majority of existing models used to study the global climate are run at resolutions that are insufficient to predict tropical cyclones. The simulations in our study are the first long-duration global data sets to use a resolution of 25 kilometers. It's also the first time a study has specifically examined the impact of resolution increase for ocean waves at a global climatological scale." The other authors on this study are Daith? Stone, Michael Wehner, and Harinarayan Krishnan. All authors are scientists in Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division (CRD). Zooming in to detect hurricanes Climate models work by simulating the exchange of air, water, and energy between the grid "boxes." In today's state-of-the-art climate models, these boxes are typically 100 to 200 kilometers wide. That level of detail is good enough to catch the formation and movement of midlatitude storms, the researchers said, because such systems tend to be quite large. In contrast, tropical cyclones tend to cover a smaller area. While the overall footprint of a hurricane can be broad, the eye of a hurricane can be very compact and well defined, the researchers noted. "The problem with that 100-kilometer resolution is that it misses key details of the hurricanes and tropical cyclones, which are clearly relevant to the generation of extreme waves," said Stone. "But going to a 25-kilometer resolution data set is computationally challenging. It requires 64 times more computational resources than a 100-kilometer simulation." The study relied upon the data-crunching power of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a scientific computing user facility funded by the DOE Office of Science and based at Berkeley Lab. The researchers ran the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (CAM5) climate model with data collected in three-hour increments at a low resolution of 100 kilometers and at a high resolution of 25?kilometers. They found that the high-resolution simulations included tropical cyclones where the low-resolution ones did not. Crunching data to catch big waves To see if the cyclones had an effect on waves, they then ran global wave models at both resolutions. They saw extreme waves in the high-resolution model that did not appear in the low-resolution ones. "Hurricanes are tricky things to model," said Stone. "We've shown the importance of using a high-resolution data set for producing hurricanes. But the characteristics of hurricanes could change with the climate. People are making projections of changes in ocean waves in a future, warmer world. It's not clear if the 25-kilometer resolution is sufficient for capturing all of the processes involved in the development of a hurricane. But we do know that it's better than 100 kilometers." While additional high-resolution simulations of the future are on the way, the researchers were able to take a first look at possible conditions at the end of the 21st century. Wehner noted that the biggest waves in Hawaii are projected to be substantially larger in a much warmer future world. The researchers added that this study only looked at averages of wind-generated waves. One-off "rogue" or "freak" waves cannot be reproduced in these kinds of models, and large waves such as tsunamis are very different since they are caused by seismological activity, not the wind. The data from this study will be made freely available for use by the wider scientific community. "In the same way that weather patterns are part of the climate, ocean wave patterns are also part of the 'wave' climate," said Timmermans. "Ocean waves are relevant to the interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere, which affects the planet's climate as a whole." ### This work was supported by DOE's Office of Science. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Sophia Antipolis, Feb. 15, 2017: Statin side effects are the strongest predictor of failure to meet low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol targets, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.1 Other predictors were statin non-adherence and use of weaker statins. "The beneficial effect of reducing LDL cholesterol on slowing the progression of coronary heart disease is overwhelmingly documented today in epidemiologic and randomised controlled studies," said lead author Dr John Munkhaugen, a cardiology trainee and post-doctoral researcher at Drammen Hospital, Norway. "European guidelines2 recommend a blood LDL cholesterol goal of less than 1.8 mmol/l but just one in five cardiac patients taking lipid-lowering drugs achieve this,"3 he added. The NORwegian COR (NOR-COR) prevention project originates from the Department of Medicine at Drammen Hospital and is a collaboration between Drammen and Vestfold hospitals, and the Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo. It is investigating why patients fail to control risk factors including lipids and blood pressure after they have a cardiovascular event. This analysis examined the reasons why cardiac patients do not achieve the LDL cholesterol target. The study included 1,095 patients hospitalised with a first or recurrent coronary event or treatment (heart attack, coronary artery bypass graft, or coronary stent) who were identified from medical records at two Norwegian hospitals (Drammen and Vestfold). Sociodemographic, medical and psychosocial information was collected from medical records, an interdisciplinary self-report questionnaire, clinical examinations, and blood samples while patients were in hospital and at follow-up after two to 36 months. The impact of potential barriers on achieving the LDL cholesterol target was calculated with LDL as a dichotomous (above or below 1.8 mmol/l) and continuous variable. The researchers found that 57% of patients were not meeting the LDL target of 1.8 mmol/l at follow-up. Statin specific side effects (mainly muscle complaints), low statin adherence, and moderate- or low-intensity statin therapy were the main reasons for failing to meet the target. Patients with side effects were more than three times more likely to miss the cholesterol target than those without side effects. Those who did not take their statins were three times more likely to miss the target than patients who did take them. Patients prescribed moderate- or low-intensity statins were 62% more likely to miss the target than those prescribed high-intensity statins. "We found the same three reasons for not meeting the target when LDL was analysed as a dichotomous or continous variable which confirms the strength of the associations," said Dr Munkhaugen. "Surprisingly, low socioeconomic status and psychosocial factors did not predict failure to control LDL cholesterol." "The findings show that the focus for interventions to improve LDL cholesterol control are statin side effects, and adherence to and prescription of sufficiently potent statins," he continued. Dr Munkhaugen said more research was needed on why side effects of statins had such a big effect on meeting cholesterol goals. "Patients who experience side effects are probably more likely to reduce or terminate statin use, or their doctor may prescribe a weaker drug or take them off statins altogether," he said. "Individual variations in how the body reacts to and uses the drug may also play a role." The links between non-adherence and intensity of statin therapy on LDL cholesterol are likely explained by the pharmacological effects of the drug. "Not taking the prescribed amount of statins or being prescribed a weaker statin means there is less drug in the body to act and lower LDL," said Dr Munkhaugen. "The reasons for statin non-adherence are a complex interaction between factors related to the patient and the healthcare system," he added. "Interventions aiming to improve statin adherence have been a priority in recent years, but the success has been modest and short-lived." The study found that the use of high-intensity statins was significantly more frequent in patients who achieved the cholesterol target. But Dr Munkhaugen said: "The relationship with adherence and side effects needs to be clarified before advice can be given about the potency of statins that should be prescribed. Our findings point to the need for more research on ways to ensure adherence and prescription of sufficiently potent statins, while at the same time addressing side effects." ### University of Tubingen researchers in collaboration with the biotech company Sanaria Inc. have demonstrated in a clinical trial that a new vaccine for malaria called Sanaria PfSPZ-CVac has been up to 100 percent effective when assessed at 10 weeks after last dose of vaccine. For the trial, Pro-fessor Peter Kremsner and Dr. Benjamin Mordmuller of the Institute of Tropical Medicine and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) used malaria parasites provided by Sanaria. The vac-cine incorporated fully viable - not weakened or otherwise inactivated - malaria pathogens together with the medication to combat them. Their research results have been published in the latest edition of Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature21060 Malaria parasites are transmitted by the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. The Plasmodium falciparum parasite is responsible for most malaria infections and almost all deaths caused by the disease worldwide. Most of the previous vaccines which have been tried involved the use of individual molecules found in the pathogen. However, they were unable to provide sufficient immunity to the disease. The Tuebingen study involved 67 healthy adult test persons, none of whom had previously had malaria. The best immune response was shown in a group of nine test persons who received the highest dose of the vaccine three times at four-week intervals. At the end of the trial, all nine of these individuals had 100 percent protection from the disease. "That protection was probably caused by specific T-lymphocytes and antibody responses to the parasites in the liver," Professor Peter Kremsner explained. The researchers analyzed the bodies' immune reactions and identified protein patterns which will make it possible to further improve malaria vaccines, Kremsner added. The researchers injected live malaria parasites into the test subjects, at the same time preventing the development of the disease by adding chloroquine - which has been used to treat malaria for many years. This enabled the researchers to exploit the behavior of the parasites and the properties of chloroquine. Once the person is infected, the Plasmodium falciparum parasite migrates to the liver to reproduce. During its incubation period there, the human immune system could respond; but at this stage, the pathogen does not make the person sick. On top of that, chloroquine does not take effect in the liver - so it is unable to prevent the parasite from reproducing. Malaria only breaks out when the pathogen leaves the liver, entering the bloodstream and going into the red corpuscles, where it continues to reproduce and spread. As soon as the pathogen enters the bloodstream, however, it can be killed by chloroquine - and the disease cannot break out. "By vaccinating with a live, fully active pathogen, it seems clear that we were able to set of a very strong immune response," said study leader Benjamin Mordmueller, "Additionally, all the data we have so far indicate that what we have here is relatively stable, long-lasting protection." In the group of test persons who demonstrated 100 percent protection after receiving a high dose three times, Mordmueller said, the protection was reliably still in place after ten weeks - and remained measurable for even longer. He added that the new vaccine showed no adverse effects on the test persons. The next step is to further test the vaccine's effectiveness over several years in a clinical study in Gabon funded by DZIF. Malaria is one of the biggest health threats in the African nation. The University of Tuebingen has worked with the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in the Gabonese town of Lambarene and with the neighboring research institute, the Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambarene, for many years. Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. The World Health Organization reports that some 214 million people became infected with malaria in the year 2015 alone. Approximately 438,000 died of the disease. Around 90 percent of those malaria deaths were in Africa. Nearly three-quarters of those who succumb to the disease are children under five. The search for a vaccine has been going on for more than a century. An effective vaccine would make it easier to control malaria; vaccination campaigns could be conducted in severely affected areas to eliminate the pathogen. Such a vaccine could also help to stop the spread of resistance to the treatment, and to better protect travelers. ### Publication: Benjamin Mordmueller, Guzin Surat, Heimo Lagler, Sumana Chakravarty, Andrew S. Ishizuka, Albert Lalremruata, Markus Gmeiner, Joseph J. Campo, Meral Esen, Adam J. Ruben, Jana Held, Carlos Lamsfus Calle, Juliana B. Mengue, Tamirat Gebru, Javier Ibanez, Eric R. James, Peter F. Billingsley, Natasha KC, Anita Manoj, Tooba Murshedkar, Anusha Gunasekera, Abraham G. Eappen, Tao Li, Richard E. Stafford, MingLin Li, Phil L. Felgner, Robert A. Seder, Thomas L. Richie, B. Kim Lee Sim, Stephen L. Hoffman & Peter G. Kremsner: Sterile protection against human malaria by chemoattenuated PfSPZ vaccine, Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature21060 Further information: http://www.who.int/malaria/publications/world-malaria-report-2016/report/en/ WASHINGTON -- In the first successful randomized trial of its kind, researchers have provided preliminary evidence that telephone-based smoking cessation counseling given to smokers shortly after undergoing lung cancer screening can be effective at helping people stop smoking. "We found that at this teachable moment -- a time when smokers are thinking about their health and may be ready to make a change -- offering help makes a difference, and may help save lives," says the study's lead researcher, Kathryn L. Taylor, PhD, a behavioral scientist and a professor of oncology at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. The study, led by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi, was conducted with 92 participants at three centers -- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, and Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Massachusetts. "Millions of current smokers are now eligible for lung cancer screening, so this setting represents an important opportunity to exert a large public health impact on cessation among smokers who are at very high risk for multiple tobacco-related disorders," she says. "This is a great way to engage smokers who have not sought out cessation help." These study findings were so promising that investigators have been funded through NIH to conduct a much larger study of telephone-based cessation counseling. It will enroll 1,300 patients at five medical centers nationwide. Lung cancer screening recommendations issued in 2013 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest that adults aged 55-80 who have smoked long enough to have accumulated a minimum of 30 pack-years (i.e., one pack per day for 30 years, or two packs per day for 15 years, etc.) should have an annual low-dose CT lung cancer screening test. The idea is to intervene early enough that disease spotted on the screening can be effectively treated. In the U.S., lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women -- almost 160,000 Americans were expected to die from lung cancer in 2016, according to the American Lung Association. Taylor points out that the NIH has said that effective smoking cessation programs should be a part of screening programs, and has funded several groups of researchers to develop effective strategies. In this preliminary study, 92 people about to undergo lung cancer screening agreed to receive either telephone counseling or standard of care (a list of free and low-cost cessation resources). Once participants received their screening results, they were randomized to one of the two groups, each with 46 participants. Each group had an equal number of participants with abnormal screening findings, indicating possible precancerous lesions or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Each group also contained an equal number of participants with minor abnormalities on their screen, as well as those with normal results. None of the participants were diagnosed with lung cancer. Participants in the telephone-counseling group were given their first session after finding out their screening results. Over the next three months, six 10-15 minute sessions were conducted. At the end of the study, a nicotine saliva test was given to participants who said they had quit in order to confirm their abstinence. Researchers found that eight (17 percent) people in the telephone counseling group had verifiably quit, compared to two (4 percent) in the other group. "If this preliminary study is replicated, telephone counseling has the potential to improve cessation in a setting that reaches a large number of hard-to-reach, long-term smokers who are at very high risk for multiple tobacco-related diseases," Taylor says. Charlotte Hagerman, who along with Taylor, offered the telephone counseling to participants, describes the counseling as "a motivational intervention. Everyone acknowledged that smoking is very harmful to their health, but some people thought it was too late to change their fate. Counseling helped them understand that it is not too late." Population-based studies have shown that older smokers who quit can have an increased life expectancy, Taylor says. Hagerman says there were also a number of participants who "were ready to quit, and were very excited to receive the help we were offering. I found this very gratifying, and felt that what we were doing was important and mattered to people," says Hagerman, who was trained as a tobacco treatment specialist for the study. "More than 50 percent of participants said in their first interview that they were not ready to quit, yet some of these people did quit. This finding indicates that it is important to offer the cessation intervention to everyone who undergoes lung cancer screening, and not only those who are already considering quitting. This is exactly what we hope for - to be able to reach the people who are not already planning to quit on their own," says Taylor. ### In addition to Taylor and Hagerman, co-authors from Georgetown University Medical Center include George Luta, PhD; Paula G. Bellini, MA; and Cassandra Stanton, PhD. David B. Abrams, PhD, and Ray Niaura, PhD, are Georgetown faculty and also affiliated with the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies. Jenna A. Kramer, NP and Eric D. Anderson, MD are from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC; Shawn Regis, PhD, Andrea McKee, MD, and Brady McKee, MD, are from Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA; and Harry Harper, MD and Michael Ramsaier, BS are from Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ. The authors report having no personal financial interests related to the study. The study was supported by the Prevent Cancer Foundation and Georgetown Lombardi's NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA051008. About Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center is designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive cancer center -- the only cancer center of its kind in the Washington, DC area. A part of Georgetown University Medical Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Georgetown Lombardi seeks to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer through innovative basic and clinical research, patient care, community education and outreach, and the training of cancer specialists of the future. Connect with Georgetown Lombardi on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgetownLombardi) and Twitter (@LombardiCancer). About Georgetown University Medical Center Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC's mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis -- or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization, which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. Connect with GUMC on Facebook (Facebook.com/GUMCUpdate), Twitter (@gumedcenter) and Instagram (@gumedcenter). Synchrotron beamlines and their instruments are built to harness the photon beam power of synchrotron radiation (SR), which has special properties - ideally suited to providing detailed and accurate structural information that is difficult to obtain from conventional sources. The common modus operandi for such facilities is that users are allocated a short duration of beamtime, typically a few hours to a few days, in which to perform their experiments. With technological advances in instrumentation, detection, computing power, automation and remote access, SR facilities are developing new modes of access, designed to increase speed, efficiency and throughput of user experiments, such as on the macromolecular beamlines at Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source in the US and at the Diamond Light Source in the UK. However, there are a class of experiments that are increasingly excluded by these developments, which nevertheless could greatly benefit from the application of SR. For example, some materials undergo very slow transforming reactions, while others take time to exhibit the effects of curing, ageing or repeated use. These processes can be subtle or take weeks to months or even years to either show gross manifestation or run to completion. At present off-line processing with before and after SR measurements is the norm, but valuable structural information on growth, change and intermediate phases can be missed or indeed lost. There is therefore a clear need for a facility that allows slow processes to be studied. In a recently published paper [Murray et al. (2017), J. Appl. Cryst. 50. doi:10.1107/S1600576716019750] scientists report on a new purpose built LDE facility, which has been designed to address the needs of a wide and diverse range of scientific investigations. The new facility takes the form of an additional specially constructed end-station to the existing ultra-high-resolution and time-resolved powder diffraction beamline (I11) at Diamond. The new end-station is dedicated to hosting up to 20 long-term experiments (weeks to years), all running in parallel. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this new facility, commissioning results from two contrasting science cases are presented. In the first, the slow in situ precipitation of the hydrated magnesium sulfate mineral meridianiite from an aqueous solution was followed. The hydrated phase is believed to be widespread on the surface of Mars and was formed inside a specifically designed low-temperature cell. In the second study, the long term stability of the metal-organic framework material NOTT-300 was investigated. This is a potential supramolecular material for greenhouse gas capture. Initial results show that the facility is capable of detecting phase evolution and detailed structural changes and is well suited for many applied systems and functional materials of interest. The emergence of new science from ongoing experiments is expected soon. ### A form of RNA released from fat cells into the blood may help to regulate other tissues. BOSTON - (February 15, 2017) - Fat cells are not simply big blobs of lipid quietly standingby in the body--instead, they send out hormones and other signaling proteins that affect many types of tissues. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have identified a route by which fat also can deliver a form of small RNAs called microRNAs that helps to regulate other organs. "This mechanism may offer the potential to develop an entirely new therapeutic approach," says C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., Joslin's chief academic officer, Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and senior author of a paper on the research published today in the journal Nature. The research suggests the possibility, Kahn explains, of developing gene therapy treatments using fat cells that aid in treating metabolic diseases, cancer or other conditions in the liver or other organs. Working in mice and with human cells, he and his colleagues studied the role of microRNAs, a form of small RNAs that are not translated into proteins but can regulate other RNAS that produce protein. They are made by all cells in the body, and it is known that some of these microRNAs may be released from the originating cell into the blood. However, exactly what they do once they enter the bloodstream has been debated. The Joslin scientists focused on microRNAs from fat cells that are released into the blood via tiny sacks called "exosomes". The researchers began with a mouse model that was genetically modified so that its fat cells could not create microRNAs. The Joslin researchers then showed that in these mice which do not make microRNAs in fat, the total population of microRNAs circulating in exosomes dropped significantly. This decrease in circulating miRNAs could be restored when the investigators transplanted normal fat into these mice, a result indicating that many of the microRNAs in circulation were coming from fat. Next, the scientists studied people with two forms of lipodystrophy--a condition in which fat is lost or genetically not present. In both groups of people, they found that levels of microRNAs circulating in exosomes were lower than normal. This suggested that these microRNAs generated by fat might aid in diagnostics for metabolic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease, Kahn says. But were these microRNAs also crossing into other tissues and regulating genes there, so that they might potentially be used for therapeutics? The Joslin researchers followed up on this question by looking at a gene whose expression in the mouse liver increases in lipodystrophy. They discovered that this gene expression could be modified by microRNA in exosomes released by fat. They also showed that the mice that couldn't produce microRNAs in fat cells didn't produce that type of microRNA at all. "But if you put back that missing microRNA in exosomes, it does regulate the gene," Kahn says. "So fat is using this as a way to send a signal to the liver." Next, the scientists made a mouse model with fat cells engineered to make a certain microRNA that is found in humans, but not mice, and showed that these human microRNAs could also regulate their target in the livers of the mice and that this was do to these circulating exosomal microRNAs. "We showed in mice that these circulating microRNAs in exosomes can regulate gene expression, at least in liver and perhaps in other tissues," Kahn sums up. His team is now looking to see if this microRNA mechanism also works in other tissues such as muscle and brain cells. Additionally, the scientists will investigate ways the mechanism might be applied in gene therapy. Fat is easy to access, a major advantage for gene therapy, Kahn points out. "We could take out a patient's subcutaneous fat with a simple needle biopsy, modify the fat cells to make the microRNAs that we want, put the cells back into the patient, and then hope to get regulation of genes that the patient is not regulating normally," he suggests. This approach for gene therapy to treat fatty liver disease, for example, might prove both safer and more effective than reengineering cells in the liver itself. "We think it also might be useful for non-metabolic diseases, such as cancer of the liver," Kahn says. ### Lead author on the Nature paper is Thomas Thomou. Other Joslin contributors include Jonathan Dreyfuss, Masahiro Konishi, Masaji Sakaguchi, Tata Nageswara Rao and Jonathon Winnay. Marcelo Mori of the Federal University of Sao Paolo in Sao Paolo, Brazil; Christian Wolfrum of ETH Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland; Steven Grinspoon of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston; and Phillip Gorden of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases also are co-authors. Lead funding was from the National Institutes of Health. About Joslin Diabetes Center Joslin Diabetes Center is world-renowned for its deep expertise in diabetes treatment and research. Joslin is dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes and ensuring that people with diabetes live long, healthy lives. We develop and disseminate innovative patient therapies and scientific discoveries throughout the world. Joslin is an independent, non-profit institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School, and one of only 11 NIH-designated Diabetes Research Centers in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.joslin.org or follow @joslindiabetes Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) are developing the monitoring system for seniors: Upon registering a fall of a person, the system sends a notification to the carers "When faced with problems of the elderly in our closest family, it is us who experience major stress, not them", says Egidijus Kazanavicius, Professor at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Director at the Centre of Real Time Computer Systems. Kazanavicius is heading the team of researchers from KTU and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), who are developing the monitoring system for seniors: upon registering a fall of a person, the system sends a notification to the carers. "Falls are the leading cause of death in the elderly population and are very common problem in geriatrics, symptomatic to a wide variety of health conditions. Besides causing physical injuries, falls lower person's self-confidence to move independently, and are often a reason of various psychological problems", says Dr Vita Lesauskaite, researcher at LSMU. Collaborating, KTU and LSMU researchers created a prototype of a monitoring system for seniors GRIUTIS, consisting of a set of fixed sensors placed in premises, and of the software. When sensors register a change in a person's behaviour or in his or her position, the alert is being sent to their family and / or carers. The next step for the researchers is patenting of technologies and product commercialisation. It is planned that the senior monitoring system GRIUTIS will be used in geriatrics clinics as soon as the next year. Lithuanian Research Council has allocated funds for the realisation of the project. "I tested the prototype at home, myself. It works perfectly, and I feel more relaxed knowing how my elderly mother is doing, when I am not nearby. It is a great advantage to be able to work with a team of researchers with different competencies -- together we can create truly innovative products", says Kazanavicius. ### The project GRIUTIS is one of almost 10 joint projects of KTU and LSMU, which were funded by the institutional R&D funds of both Kaunas universities. Jumpstarting Neurological Research through Open Science - MNI & McGill University Friday, February 17, 2017, 1:30-2:30 PM/ Room 208 Neurological research is advancing too slowly according to Dr. Guy Rouleau, director of the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) of McGill University. To speed up discovery, MNI has become the first ever Open Science academic institution in the world. In a five-year experiment, MNI is opening its books and making itself transparent to an international group of social scientists, policymakers, industrial partners, and members of civil society. They hope, by doing so, to accelerate research and the discovery of new treatments for patients with neurological diseases, and to encourage other leading institutions around the world to consider a similar model. A team led by McGill Faculty of Law's Professor Richard Gold will monitor and evaluate how well the MNI Open Science experiment works and provide the scientific and policy worlds with insight into 21st century university-industry partnerships. At this workshop, Rouleau and Gold will discuss the benefits and challenges of this open-science initiative. Genomic and Health Data: Global Sharing and Local Governance: Sharing genomic and health data - a human rights issue Saturday, February 18, 2017, 1:00 PM-2:30 PM/ Room 309 Genomic and health-related data are collected and stored separately at the moment. But Professor Bartha Knoppers from McGill University and the other members of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) believe that if this information were shared it could lead both to targeted new therapies and better allocation and management of resources by governments. Given this context, they argue that global data sharing should be viewed as a human rights issue, and that citizens' groups should be able to hold their governments accountable for slowing down or impeding certain forms of data sharing that would be of benefit to all. The Alliance has developed a framework for responsible genomic and health-related data sharing that ensures that people's right to privacy will not be put at risk. Assessing the Impact of Medical Marijuana: The Grass Could Be Greener Sunday, February 19, 2017: 8:00 AM-9:30 AM/ Room 311 The legalization of marijuana remains a topic of intense debate. The majority of U.S. states have legalized some form of medical marijuana use, and nearly 2 million people are registered medical marijuana users. That number is rising rapidly because of both increased access to medical marijuana and promulgation of its potential therapeutic effects. This week, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston, Dr. Mark Ware of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre will present an overview of the data generated from the Quebec Cannabis Registry. The innovative project, the first of its kind in the world, was established by the Research Institute of the MUHC and the Canadian Consortium for the Investigation of Cannabinoids (CCIC), to help physicians manage medical cannabis use and generate a database for the use of the international scientific community. Student poster competition Key implications of data sharing in pediatric genomics and clinical care Sunday, February 19, 2017/ Exhibit Hall Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada Background: Genomic testing using next generation sequencing technologies has revolutionized our ability to identify disease-causing mutations for many conditions. This holds particularly true for children, in whom many (rare) genetic diseases first appear during childhood and optimal clinical management requires early diagnosis and treatment. Interpreting the results of such tests requires genotypic and phenotypic comparisons to reference data that must be obtained from both healthy populations and other affected individuals. The sensitivity and specificity of genomic testing undergird ethical safeguards against informational risk. They furthermore outline how, and under what circumstances data may be shared. Current pediatric data sharing practices have until now subscribed to siloed ethics norms/guidelines that apply either to the research or clinical contexts separately. Appropriate sharing of linked genotypic and phenotypic data in pediatric populations has, in turn, received sparse empirical and policy attention. ### This follows concerns raised by some stakeholders that many religious leaders have abandoned their duty of speaking out against social injustices and dictatorship. They claim that the religious leaders have now been compromised by gifts from the president and remained silent about critical issues affecting Ugandans. Now the provincial secretary of the church of Uganda Rev Canon Amos Magezi says the church is supposed to condemn all evil in society and is truly living to its expectations. This comes as the country prepares for the 40th memorial celebration tomorrow of archbishop Janan Luwum who was murdered for speaking against the tyranny of President Idi Amins regime. California sardine stocks famously crashed in John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row." New research, building on the pioneering work of Soutar and Isaacs in the late 1960s and others, shows in greater detail that such forage fish stocks have undergone boom-bust cycles for centuries, with at least three species off the U.S. West Coast repeatedly experiencing steep population increases followed by declines long before commercial fishing began. Natural population fluctuations in Pacific sardine, northern anchovy and Pacific hake off California have been so common that the species were in collapsed condition 29 to 40 percent of the time over the 500-year period from A.D. 1000 to 1500, according to the study in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. Using a long time series of fish-scales deposited in low-oxygen offshore sedimentary environments off southern California, the authors from NOAA Fisheries and the University of Michigan described such collapses as "an intrinsic property of some forage fish populations that should be expected, just as droughts are expected in an arid climate." The findings have implications for the ecosystem, as well as fishermen and fisheries managers, who have witnessed several booms, followed by crashes every one to two decades on average and lasting a decade or more, the scientists wrote. Collapses in forage fish can reverberate through the marine food web, possibly causing prey limitation among predators such as sea lions and sea birds. "Forage fish populations are resilient over the long term, which is how they come back from such steep collapses over and over again," said Sam McClatchie, supervisory oceanographer at NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, Calif. "That doesn't change the fact that these species may remain at very low levels for periods long enough to have very real consequences for the people and wildlife who count on them." Downturns in sardine and anchovy linked to changing ocean conditions have contributed to the localized stranding of thousands of California sea lion pups in recent years. Looking back in time Scientists traced the historic abundance of sardine, anchovy and hake by examining deposits of their scales collected on the floor of the Santa Barbara Channel from A.D. 1000 to 1500. While previous studies had shown that forage fish exhibited collapses prior to commercial fishing, the new research used methods developed by climatologists to examine the frequency and duration of the fluctuations in finer detail. "The Mediterranean climate of California with wet winters and dry summers produces a sediment layer we can pull apart like pages in a book" says Ingrid Hendy, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "Although these sediments have been studied before, we are using new technology to examine them in unprecedented detail." The scientists described a collapse as a drop below 10 percent of the average peak in fish populations, as estimated from the paleorecord. Anchovy took an average of eight years to recover from a collapse, while sardine and hake took an average of 22 years. The record also showed that sardines and anchovy fluctuated synchronously over the 500 year study period. Combined collapses may compound the impact on predators and the fishery, the scientists said. The finding runs counter to suggestions that the two species' cycles alternate. Variable fishing responds to change Sardines and anchovy have at times been the most heavily harvested fish off Southern California in terms of volume. Hake, also known as Pacific whiting, spawn off California but are harvested in large volumes off the Pacific Northwest and Canada. The new study concludes these forage fish are well-suited to variable fishing rates that target the species in times of abundance, "while recognizing that mean persistence of fishable populations is one to two decades, and that switching to other target species will become a necessity." Collapses last, on average, "too long for the industry to simply wait out the return of the forage fish." The study authors concluded that "well-designed reserve thresholds" and adjustable harvest rates help protect the forage species, the fishery and non-human predators for the long term. However, they added that "reserve thresholds only protect the seed stock for recovery, and cannot prevent collapses from occurring." ### WASHINGTON, Feb. 15, 2017 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced $1.7 million in funding to build research capacity at land-grant tribal colleges and universities. Funding is made through NIFA's Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program (TCRGP). "1994 land-grant universities represent a critically important part of our nation's construct of academic institutions providing the leadership to address nutritional security amongst tribal populations while protecting our environment and natural resources, and at the same time ensuring young people are receiving education that prepares them for the workforce," said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. There are thirty-four federally recognized tribal colleges and universities, designated as land grants through the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act. For reservation communities, these 1994 land-grant institutions are often the primary institution of scientific inquiry and learning and they offer the distinctive land-grant approach of research, education, and extension. They frame education by drawing on the strength of their peoples' history, indigenous knowledge, and traditions. NIFA's Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program RFA seeks proposals to enhance research capacity at 1994 land-grant institutions and develop research projects of tribal, state or national importance. All applications must include at least one research collaborator from an approved list of research institutions. This year's RFA offers new research options and funding levels to better target the individual research capabilities within the 1994 land-grant institutions. Categories include new discovery and capacity building research. Within the capacity building option, there are three choices: student research, applied faculty/community research, and pathways to research. The pathways to research choice is new and is designed to fund activities that will enhance the 1994s ability to compete more fully in NIFA's research opportunities. Eligible applicants include tribal colleges or universities designated as 1994 institutions under the Equity Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994. The deadline for applications is March 21, 2017. See the request for applications for details. Since 2000, NIFA has invested more than $20 million through the Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program. Among recent grants, a research partnership between Northwest Indian College and Oregon State University to pinpoint causes of declines in the Manila clam, an important food source for the Lummi people. To date, the project has trained Native scholars in the field and classroom, and has reached more than 40 Native middle and high school students through outreach events. Another project through Salish Kootenai College in Montana is supporting "Sowing Synergy," a graduate student exchange with the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry to study sustainability through the lens of both scientific and indigenous knowledge. NIFA invests in and advances innovative and transformative initiatives to solve societal challenges and ensure the long-term viability of agriculture. NIFA's integrated research, education and extension programs support the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel whose work results in user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries that combat childhood obesity, improve and sustain rural economic growth, address water availability issues, increase food production, find new sources of energy, mitigate climate variability and ensure food safety. To learn more about NIFA's impact on agricultural science, visit http://www.nifa.usda.gov/impacts, sign up for email updates or follow us on Twitter @usda_NIFA, #NIFAimpacts. ### USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider and employer. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have uncovered new clues to the link between Nodding syndrome, a devastating form of pediatric epilepsy found in specific areas of east Africa, and a parasitic worm that can cause river blindness. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that the mysterious neurological disease may be caused by an autoimmune response to the parasitic proteins. "This study identifies a cause of Nodding syndrome. But more broadly, these findings provide a novel perspective on epilepsy and suggest that some forms of this neurological disorder may be autoimmune in nature," said Avindra Nath, M.D., clinical director of the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Nodding syndrome is a form of epilepsy that occurs in children between the ages of 5 and 16 who live in distinct regions of Tanzania, Uganda and the Republic of South Sudan. It is characterized by head nodding, seizures, severe cognitive deterioration and stunted growth. Nodding syndrome may lead to malnutrition and patients have died through seizure-associated traumas such as fatal burns and drowning. Many studies have reported an association between Nodding syndrome and Onchocerca volvulus, a parasitic worm that can also cause river blindness. The worm is spread by black flies in specific geographic areas, where clusters of Nodding syndrome have been observed. However, it was unclear whether the worm caused this neurological disorder. In this study, Nath and his colleagues compared serum samples from patients with Nodding syndrome and healthy controls who all lived in the same village in Uganda. The results showed high levels of antibodies to leiomodin-1 in the samples obtained from patients. In addition, antibody to leiomodin-1 was also present in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Nodding syndrome. Previous studies have shown leiomodin-1 is found in muscles, but this was the first time researchers saw it in the nervous system. To confirm that finding, Nath's team examined brain tissue and found leiomodin-1 inside brain cells, notably in regions associated with symptoms of Nodding syndrome. Furthermore, when healthy neurons in a dish were treated with serum from the patients and antibodies against leiomodin-1, they did not survive, but removing the antibodies increased brain cell survival. "These results may ultimately provide a diagnostic test, which can help identify individuals at risk for developing Nodding syndrome," said Tory Johnson, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in Nath's lab who conducted many of the research experiments. In addition, Nath and his group found that antibodies that bind to leiomodin-1 also attach to proteins from Onchocerca volvulus. Structurally, leiomodin-1 was shown to be very similar to specific proteins from that parasite. The results of this study suggest that Nodding syndrome may be an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system incorrectly attacks the body's own proteins. According to the researchers, the immune system creates antibodies to fight off the parasite following infection with Onchocerca volvulus. However, those antibodies also bind to leiomodin-1, so the immune system-incorrectly-will attack brain cells that contain that protein, which can result in symptoms of Nodding syndrome. "The findings also suggest that therapies targeting the immune system may be effective treatments against this disorder and possibly other forms of epilepsy," said Nath. "Another huge implication of this study is that exterminating black flies and getting rid of the parasite should stop the disorder from occurring." More research is needed to learn about the role of leiomodin-1 in healthy people as well as in individuals with epilepsy. For example, one-third of controls also had leiomodin-1 antibodies, but it is unclear whether these individuals may eventually develop Nodding syndrome. Nath's team is currently developing an animal model of Nodding syndrome to further study the disease and test potential therapies. ### This work was supported by the NIH Intramural Program. Figure caption: New clues to Nodding syndrome. NIH scientists discovered leiomodin-1 (green) inside human brain cells. This study suggests that Nodding syndrome may be an autoimmune disease. Image courtesy of Avindra Nath, M.D., NIH/NINDS. For more information: References: Johnson TP et al. Nodding syndrome as an autoimmune reaction to Onchocerca volvulus. Science Translational Medicine. February 15, 2017. The NINDS (http://www.ninds.nih.gov) is the nation's leading funder of research on the brain and nervous system. The mission of NINDS is to seek fundamental knowledge about the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov. Cracks in the Greenland Ice Sheet let one of its aquifers drain to the ocean, new NASA research finds. The aquifers, discovered only recently, are unusual in that they trap large amounts of liquid water within the ice sheet. Until now, scientists did not know what happened to the water stored away in this reservoir -- the discovery will help fine tune computer models of Greenland's contribution to sea level rise. "This paper illuminates the fate of the aquifer's water," said Kristin Poinar, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Before, we didn't know if the water froze inside the ice sheet or reemerged onto the ice surface. In either of those scenarios, the meltwater would not contribute to sea level rise." Now, using a new computer model that tests whether certain meltwater-filled cracks can fracture to the base of the ice sheet, Poinar and her colleagues have shown that the meltwater does reach the ocean. Greenland contributes water to the sea mainly through surface melt and ice flow. Studies have shown that surface melt has increased in recent decades. In western Greenland, so much surface melts forms that it creates a network of rivers and lakes, which drain through the ice to the underlying bedrock, from where water flows to the ocean. But southeast Greenland is very different - lakes and rivers do not form, although the ice does melt. Instead, vast reservoirs of water become trapped within the firn layer (a band of compacted snow). In 2011, scientists discovered these aquifers around 40 feet (12 meters) beneath the surface of the ice. Researchers calculated that these firn aquifers cover around 8,455 square miles (21,900 square kilometers) of Greenland and hold a Lake Tahoe-sized volume of water. The aquifer remains liquid year-round because the region's heavy snow fall creates a thick blanket that insulates the aquifer from the freezing air temperatures above. "These firn aquifers are the analogs to the surface water that we can see in western Greenland," Poinar said. "Southeast Greenland is perpetually covered in snow and has hardly any bare ice, so in the summer water doesn't pool up like it does on bare ice in western Greenland, forming lakes and rivers; instead, it percolates downward and disappears into places where we can't see it." Poinar studied a segment of the aquifer located in the Helheim Glacier area in southeast Greenland, where ground-penetrating radar measurements collected by Operation IceBridge, NASA's aerial survey of changes in polar ice, showed that a 2-mile long section of the aquifer had drained a large volume of water between the spring of 2012 and the spring of 2013. Directly downstream of this section of the aquifer, the researchers identified a field of crevasses (cracks in the ice); due to gravity, they thought, the aquifer water should flow into these openings. To find out whether the water refroze within the crevasses or fractured all the way to the bedrock, Poinar built a computer model of how water from the firn aquifer widens, deepens, and refreezes within the cracks. The model demonstrated that the water makes the crevasses crack faster than the water can refreeze, thus allowing the meltwater to reach the bedrock in a matter of weeks to months. "There's a limit to how much water the crevasses can hold; once they reach that limit, they fracture to the base of the ice sheet and deliver that water to the bed, from where it can travel relatively quickly to the ocean," Poinar said. "We found that the volume of meltwater drained through this particular aquifer-crevasse field system is comparable to what comes out of a western Greenland supraglacial lake or river system." Poinar said that although her study is focused on a specific section of the aquifer, there are other areas in southeast Greenland that are likely to host similar combinations of firn aquifers and nearby crevasse fields. She said that her future work will focus on how this newly discovered drainage system integrates over the entire Greenland ice sheet, and also on measuring how the water drained from the aquifer lubricates the bedrock and impacts the flow of the ice sheet. "Kristin's finding is a key component in understanding the importance of the firn aquifer system," said Rick Forster, a glaciologist at the University of Utah who was part of the field team that discovered the aquifer in 2011. "Her model shows that water is getting to the bed, and that adds a whole different level of significance to how that storage of water might affect changes in sea level rise in the future." ### To read the paper, visit: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2017.00005/full For more information about NASA Earth science research, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/earth When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Dineo in the Mozambique Channel on Feb. 15, the storm was centered just off the coast of Mozambique and moving toward landfall. At 6:15 a.m. EST (1115 UTC) on Feb. 15, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite showed the center of Tropical Cyclone Dineo just off the coast of Mozambique. Visible light satellite imagery showed a well-defined storm with thick bands of thunderstorms wrapping around the low-level center. The MODIS image also showed a cloud-filled eye. On Feb. 14, when the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core observatory satellite flew over Dineo at 0926 UTC (4:26 a.m. EST) and found very heavy precipitation in bands of thunderstorms on Dineo's northeastern side. The most intense rainfall was measured by GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) falling at a rate of over 132 mm (5.2 inches) per hour in the intense storms in the northeastern quadrant of the tropical cyclone. On Feb. 15 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST) Tropical Cyclone Dineo's maximum sustained winds were near 80.5 mph (70 knots/129.6 kph). Dineo appears to have reached its peak strength, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Dineo was located near 23.5 degrees south latitude and 35.8 degrees east longitude, about 235 nautical miles west-southwest of Europa Island, and just off the coast of Mozambique. Dineo was moving to the west-southwest and the eye is expected to make landfall by 2100 UTC (4 p.m. EST). After making landfall in southern Mozambique Dineo is forecast to move west and weaken quickly. ### NASA is inviting the public to help search for possible undiscovered worlds in the outer reaches of our solar system and in neighboring interstellar space. A new website, called Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, lets everyone participate in the search by viewing brief movies made from images captured by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. The movies highlight objects that have gradually moved across the sky. "There are just over four light-years between Neptune and Proxima Centauri, the nearest star, and much of this vast territory is unexplored," said lead researcher Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Because there's so little sunlight, even large objects in that region barely shine in visible light. But by looking in the infrared, WISE may have imaged objects we otherwise would have missed." WISE scanned the entire sky between 2010 and 2011, producing the most comprehensive survey at mid-infrared wavelengths currently available. With the completion of its primary mission, WISE was shut down in 2011. It was then reactivated in 2013 and given a new mission assisting NASA's efforts to identify potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs), which are asteroids and comets on orbits that bring them into the vicinity of Earth's orbit. The mission was renamed the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). The new website uses the data to search for unknown objects in and beyond our own solar system. In 2016, astronomers at Caltech in Pasadena, California, showed that several distant solar system objects possessed orbital features indicating they were affected by the gravity of an as-yet-undetected planet, which the researchers nicknamed "Planet Nine." If Planet Nine -- also known as Planet X -- exists and is as bright as some predictions, it could show up in WISE data. The search also may discover more distant objects like brown dwarfs, sometimes called failed stars, in nearby interstellar space. "Brown dwarfs form like stars but evolve like planets, and the coldest ones are much like Jupiter," said team member Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. "By using Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, the public can help us discover more of these strange rogue worlds." Unlike more distant objects, those in or closer to the solar system appear to move across the sky at different rates. The best way to discover them is through a systematic search of moving objects in WISE images. While parts of this search can be done by computers, machines are often overwhelmed by image artifacts, especially in crowded parts of the sky. These include brightness spikes associated with star images and blurry blobs caused by light scattered inside WISE's instruments. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 relies on human eyes because we easily recognize the important moving objects while ignoring the artifacts. It's a 21st-century version of the technique astronomer Clyde Tombaugh used to find Pluto in 1930, a discovery made 87 years ago this week. On the website, people around the world can work their way through millions of "flipbooks," which are brief animations showing how small patches of the sky changed over several years. Moving objects flagged by participants will be prioritized by the science team for follow-up observations by professional astronomers. Participants will share credit for their discoveries in any scientific publications that result from the project. "Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 has the potential to unlock once-in-a-century discoveries, and it's exciting to think they could be spotted first by a citizen scientist," said team member Aaron Meisner, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in analyzing WISE images. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 is a collaboration between NASA, UC Berkeley, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Arizona State University, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and Zooniverse, a collaboration of scientists, software developers and educators who collectively develop and manage citizen science projects on the internet. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages and operates WISE for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The WISE mission was selected competitively under NASA's Explorers Program managed by the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center. The science instrument was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah. The spacecraft was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colorado. Science operations and data processing take place at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. ### For more information about Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, visit: http://backyardworlds.org For more information about NASA's WISE mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/wise Police and other emergency personnel train constantly for big disasters. But when the truly unthinkable happens this may not be enough 22 July 2011: A terrorist attack in the government quarter has crippled Oslo, and reports of shooting on the island of Utya are coming in. Desperate youths have already started swimming, and many of them are picked up by individuals in small boats. The first police patrol arrives at the Utvika ferry dock opposite the island 44 minutes after the perpetrator landed on the island. The patrol has been ordered to observe, and decides to wait for an emergency squad that they believe to be heading in by helicopter. The police officers only arrive on Utya 33 minutes later. At least 20 people are killed during the last quarter hour of the massacre on the island. It was the deadliest attack on Norwegian soil after WWII; in the end, 77 people died. Should police have violated the order? Police received sharp criticism in the 22 July Commission report, which came out a year after the terrorist attacks. According to the Commission, the police officers who first arrived at Utvika should have immediately acted on their own, despite the fact that they had been ordered to observe what was happening. "Police were strongly criticized in the report, but according to their existing procedures they actually did everything correctly," says Endre Sjvold, an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's (NTNU) Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management. "In retrospect," he says, "we can see that maybe the police should allow their operational units greater autonomy in complex situations like this." Sjvold has studied team dynamics and group processes for several decades, and over the past three years he has led the Innovative Teams project, which deals with managing operational situations where uncertainty predominates, and where the consequences could be great if something fails. He stresses that he has not studied the police conduct in the 2011 Norway attacks, but those attacks are good examples of issues that the project concerns itself with. One of the results of the project is Norway's - and Europe's - first ICT-based educational program for operational leadership that incorporates the automated collection of interaction data. The program is geared to businesses where crises could have enormous social consequences - such as the Armed Forces and oil and power companies. The initiative's continuing education and training offerings at NTNU are being established in collaboration with the Norwegian Agency for Digital Learning in Higher Education (Norgesuniversitetet), starting in 2017. Unusual crises require different practices Sjvold's research shows that traditional emergency work emphasizes fixed procedures and strong leadership, as is typically exemplified by the police force. People who do not know each other can form an effective crisis team since they know what to do and have their regular roles. The team leader has final authority. "This may involve breaking certain procedures, if they get in the way of solving the task at hand." This kind of emergency team can be trained, enabling each employee to know exactly what he or she will do when a situation arises. Team members follow orders and concentrate on their specific task, which reduces stress. This approach works in most emergency situations - but not when the unthinkable happens, as in the 2011 Norway attacks, when chaos and unpredictability reigned and everything was turned upside down. That's when the rigidity of traditional crisis management needs to be set aside. But how do you get police patrols to break an order or change a procedure and do something completely different than the team leader has instructed them to do? "After 22 July, the police were criticized and the hospital received kudos," Sjvold said. "But the police had faced a new and quite foreign situation, whereas the hospital was operating under more familiar conditions. Although the scale [of events] was bigger for the hospital, too, procedures were the same. Seen this way, I would say police were criticized a bit unfairly." Flexible protocols needed He points out that as the international security paradigm has evolved in recent years, so have the views on what constitutes effective operational leadership. Traditional practices have focused on safety procedures and regulations on the one hand and teamwork and communication on the other. Despite disagreement about what is most important, it has become evident that neither rules nor communication training alone are sufficient, Sjvold says. Evaluations of past events indicate that the scale of the disasters could have been reduced if the ability to make decisions locally had been greater. Sjvold adds that the increased use of advanced technology and virtual communication reinforces the need for more integrated training and flexible protocols. Offshore oil installations and structures that are managed through computer systems by land-based personnel are one example where this is needed. Local decision making can help limit the scale of disasters Evaluations of past events show that the scale of many disasters could have been reduced if local decision-making power had been greater - that is, if the part of the team that was closest to the situation had been involved in a different way. For a response to be effective, team members and leaders need to be able to read the situation correctly and act in accordance with the intent of the assignment. According to Sjvold, this may involve violating existing procedures, if they are a hindrance to solving the mission. "If we believe that only one type of team dynamics works in all situations, we'll end up with teams that aren't able to solve the most critical tasks," he says. Uncertainty in oil disaster Gulf of Mexico, 20 April 2010: Everything was working as expected on Deepwater Horizon, the drilling rig that had recently been heralded for its safety systems. Suddenly an oil and gas blowout caused a huge explosion and fire on the rig, killing 11 workers. Two days later, the rig sank and triggered the largest oil spill in American history. The subsequent investigation revealed considerable uncertainty around crew authority and roles, although these were clearly defined in the written procedures. One of the two rig officers was in the shower when the accident occurred, which delayed the emergency response efforts for several minutes. The procedures required that both officers take the decision on what should be done. When a young bridge officer on board signaled MAYDAY because she noticed that this had not been done, she was reprimanded by the captain. An emergency system to shut off the well was only triggered 12 minutes after the accident. The operation was delayed by a rule that said the highest-ranking officer present had to give the permission. On that day that officer was an onshore office employee who happened to be on a rare visit to the rig. Mobilize the whole team Kenneth Stalsett wrote his doctoral dissertation on teams and team dynamics in changing and uncertain settings, as part of NTNU's Innovative Teams project. His doctoral work included a study of the oil industry, where he looked at switching between routine and crisis operations. Stalsett has also conducted several studies on interactions, group dynamics and leadership in the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy operations. Paradoxically, authoritarian leadership with centralized decision making is considered "military," even though the Norwegian Armed Forces introduced decentralized leadership in the early 1990s. So the military's approach, which bases leadership on operational context, is not anything new. Stalsett points out that several other industries, like the oil industry, also practice this form of leadership to some degree, but they tend to revert to a "command and control" management style when a crisis situation arises. "For example," he says, "we find that when the alarm goes off on an oil platform, employees are put under extreme mental and physical stress and instinctively follow what they're trained to do. In that case, it's drill and practice that prevails, and that in turn makes it difficult to adapt to new and changing situations." Stalsett stresses that training in breaking out of routines is also needed for these kinds of operations. "That's when something you've never trained for actually happens, and you have to mobilize the power of all the team members, not just the strong leader. You can't see the leader as an isolated entity. To have a good leader, all the team players need to assist and take on their share of leadership. This is exactly what the special forces and the Naval Academy do so well," he says. Must challenge leadership A good emergency response team therefore has to be able to change group dynamics when the situation demands it. A team that is just drilled in routines won't develop this capability. "Most of the time we're used to being in groups with strong leaders, so this isn't necessarily easy to unlearn. In some cases it isn't the group leader who has the most influence. Influence sometimes coincides with social patterns rather than a formal title," Stalsett adds. So how does one train for this more distributive leadership approach? It requires a team that works together to dare to ask questions and gives constructive criticism, according to Stalsett. This doesn't just apply to the oil industry and the military. Imagine a regular meeting room with a project group or staff members. It's usually the people who speak the loudest who get their way. "Expertise is highly valued, and as a rule one is expected to go along with the expert in a field. Experts tend to be right, but we can arrive at a better solution when we manage to add nuances. And experts aren't always right either, so we have to be able to challenge each other in an objective manner. Innovative solutions emerge when different areas of knowledge are brought together and combined," says Stalsett. ### Reference: Kenneth Stalsett, Endre Sjvold and Trond Rikard Olsen (2016) From routine to uncertainty: Leading adaptable teams within integrated operations. Scandinavian Psychologist, 3, e20. LA JOLLA--(Feb 14, 2017) FedEx, UPS, DHL--when it comes to sending packages, choices abound. But the most important delivery service you may not have heard of? mRNA. That's short for messenger RNA, which is how your DNA sends blueprints to the protein-assembly factories of your cells. When a protein is faulty, delivering synthetic mRNA to cells could trigger production of a functional version. And that's a message people with a variety of genetic diseases want to hear. Now, scientists at the Salk Institute are reporting the successful treatment of hemophilia B in mice using mRNA to deliver instructions for the clotting protein that is defective in the debilitating bleeding disorder. The therapy, which is described the week of February 13, 2017, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, can be effective longer and likely has fewer side effects than existing treatments, and could be produced much more cheaply. The study is also a proof of concept that mRNA therapy could be applied to a range of other genetic diseases, especially where the therapeutic protein needs to be modified to have biological activity. "We are really excited about this work because, short of correcting a faulty gene, protein-replacement therapy using mRNA is one of the most promising techniques we have at our disposal," says senior author Inder Verma, professor of genetics and holder of Salk's Irwin and Joan Jacobs Chair in Exemplary Life Science. "Now we have proof that we can successfully treat a disease--with virtually no side effects--at a lower cost than manufacturing the needed protein." Hemophilia B is caused by defects in the gene for a protein called clotting factor IX (FIX). Hemophiliacs may make reduced amounts of the protein, or lack a functional version altogether, leading to life-threatening delays in blood clotting. Throughout history, there have been a number of well-known hemophiliacs among members of royal families. (Queen Victoria passed the mutation for hemophilia B on to her son Leopold.) Currently, standard treatments consist of receiving FIX made in animal cells (called recombinant), which is expensive to manufacture, must be administered several times per week and can trigger the development of immune antibodies, rendering it less effective over time. Protein-replacement therapy using mRNA offers a theoretically attractive alternative because mRNA is relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, and seems less likely to cause side effects or induce a problematic immune reaction because the proteins are made in a person's own body, and undergo the desired modifications, according to Verma. The work is a collaboration between the Verma lab and Arcturus Therapeutics, a local biotech company that developed a system of encapsulating messenger RNA within lipid (fatty acid) nanoparticles. The researchers created an mRNA blueprint for human FIX nanoparticles and delivered them to mice with a faulty FIX gene via injection. Once in the bloodstream, the nanoparticles traveled to the liver where their fatty casing helped them ease into cells and deliver to the protein-making machinery the mRNA instructions to assemble clotting factor IX. The hemophilic mice were given three injections over a five-month period, during which their coagulation and immune responses were carefully monitored. Normal clotting occurred in the mice within four hours of receiving the therapy, and the results lasted for up to six days. In addition, the mice had only a weak immune response to the treatment, which quickly returned to baseline. "One of the issues with both nanoparticles and mRNA treatment is toxicity, and in our study we did not see much evidence of that," says Suvasini Ramaswamy, a research associate at Salk and the paper's first author. "We gave the treatment over a long span to give the immune system time to see it and react to it, but the immune response looked more like a mild allergic response and quickly returned to normal, so the technology seems pretty reliable and safe in our mouse model." When the treatment used in humans (recombinant protein) was applied in mice and directly compared to the mRNA therapy, the mRNA therapy was more effective, maintaining 20 percent more clotting activity four days after injection. "Conceptually, in vivo mRNA delivery has been around for a long time, but its therapeutic use has been limited by poor stability, immune-reactivity and problems with reproducible systemic delivery," says Pad Chivukula, CSO at Arcturus Therapeutics. "The results suggest that nanoparticle delivery technology overcomes these challenges and might allow for the development of novel, cost-effective mRNA therapeutics." The scientists caution that because these experiments were conducted in mice, results may not be the same in humans. However, they say the work at least proves the potential for mRNA therapy to successfully treat not only hemophilia B but also other human disorders, such as hemophilia A (caused by faulty clotting factor VIII) or a variety of diseases of the liver, central nervous system, lung and eyes. ### Other authors included Nina Tonnu of Salk and Kiyoshi Tachikawa, Pattraranee Limphong, Jerel B. Vega, Priya P. Karmali and Pad Chivukula of Arcturus Therapeutics. The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Ipsen Foundation, the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, the Glenn Center for Research on Aging, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The lipid nanoparticles were developed by biomedical company Arcturus Therapeutics. About the Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Every cure has a starting point. The Salk Institute embodies Jonas Salk's mission to dare to make dreams into reality. Its internationally renowned and award-winning scientists explore the very foundations of life, seeking new understandings in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, plant biology and more. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark: small by choice, intimate by nature and fearless in the face of any challenge. Be it cancer or Alzheimer's, aging or diabetes, Salk is where cures begin. Learn more at: salk.edu. Patients whose surgeons had a history of higher numbers of patient complaints had an increased risk of surgical and medical complications, according to a study published online by JAMA Surgery. Patient complaints are associated with risk of medical malpractice claims. Because lawsuits may be triggered by an unexpected adverse outcome superimposed on a strained patient-physician relationship, a question remains as to whether behaviors that generate patient dissatisfaction might also contribute to the genesis of adverse outcomes themselves. William O. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., and colleagues used data from seven academic medical centers and included patients who underwent inpatient or outpatient operations, and examined unsolicited patient observations (patient complaints) provided to a patient reporting system for the patient's surgeon in the 24 months preceding the date of the operation. Some patient complaints described behaviors that might intimidate or deter communication; others included patients' observations of a physician's disrespectful or rude interaction with other health care team members that might distract focus. Among the 32,125 patients in the study, 3,501 (11 percent) experienced a complication, including 5.5 percent surgical and 7.5 percent medical. The researchers found that prior patient complaints for a surgeon were significantly associated with the risk of a patient having any complication, any surgical complication, any medical complication, and being readmitted. The adjusted rate of complications was 14 percent higher for patients whose surgeon was in the highest quartile of patient complaints compared with patients whose surgeon was in the lowest quartile. "If extrapolated to the entire United States, where 27,000,000 surgical procedures are performed annually, failures to model respect, communicate effectively, and be available to patients could contribute to more than 350,000 additional complications and more than $3 billion in additional costs to the U.S. health care system each year," the authors write. "Efforts to promote patient safety and address risk of malpractice claims should continue to focus on surgeons' ability to communicate respectfully and effectively with patients and other medical professionals." ### (JAMA Surgery. Published online February 15, 2017.doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2016.5703. This study is available pre-embargo at the For The Media website.) Editor's Note: This study presents independent research that was funded through the Vanderbilt Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy. No conflict of interest disclosures were reported. Related material: The commentary, "Association of Unsolicited Patient Observations With the Quality of a Surgeon's Care," by Allen Kachalia, M.D., J.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues also is available at the For The Media website. To place an electronic embedded link to this study in your story: This link will be live at the embargo time: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/10.1001/jamasurg.2016.5703 A team of researchers, affiliated with UNIST has made a significant breakthrough in the search for the potential root causes of bipolar disorder. The research team, led by Professor Pann-Ghill Suh of Life Sciences at UNIST conducted a study that suggests the cellular protein Phospholipase C1 (PLC1) could be a new promising candidate gene for bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness. The research published by the journal Molecular Psychiatry outlines the findings on January 31, 2017. The findings provide evidence that PLC1 is critical for synaptic function and plasticity and that the loss of PLC1 from the forebrain results in manic-like behavior. This breakthrough is expected to be widely used in research for the treatment ofthe manic symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. The PLC1 has once been proposed as a candidate gene for bipolar disorder in previous studies. However, it has been unclear that how the PLC1 plays a role in neron-to-neuron signaling and how it is related to mental illnesses, like bipolar disorder. In the study, Professor Suh and his team created forebrain-specific PLC1-deficient mice and observed what happened in the brain synapse of this mouse. Synapse is the part of the neuron where the signal is transmitted from the end. To test whether dysfunction of PLC1 in the brain contributes to development of neuropsychiatric disorders, the research team generated mouse models, lacking PLC1 in the forebrain and studied the synaptic and neuronal changes in mouse models. The research team reported that mice with forebrain-selective deletion of PLC1 also exhibit manic-like behavior, as well as deficits in inhibitory transmission and BDNF-dependent synaptic plasticity. This resulted in the imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in forebrain circuits, leading to behavioral abnormalities and manic episodes of bipolar disorder. These symptoms were alleviated after the drug treatment for bipolar disorder was given. "In the brain, excitatory synapses and inhibitory synapses work together to remain balanced for proper neurotransmission," says Professor Suh. "Our study demonstrated that the imbalance between these two is a major cause of various neuropsychiatric disorders and the GABAergic dysfunction observed in the hippocampi of bipolar disorder patients." According to the research team, the inhibitory synapses that lacks PLC1 protein do not work properly in excitatory neurons. This is due to the improper signaling of BDNF, which is critical for the synapse formation. This leads to an imbalance of excitatory synapses and inhibitory synapses, and causes mental illnesses, like bipolar disorder. "After 10 years of research, we have finally revealed PLC1 protein plays a major role in the onset of bipolar disorder," says Professor Suh. "Our findings, therefore, provide evidence that PLC1 is critical for synaptic function and plasticity and that the loss of PLC1 from the forebrain results in manic-like behavior." ### The research was carried out with the support of the future creation science department and the Korea Research Foundation. Journal Reference Y R Yang, et al.,"Forebrain-specific ablation of phospholipase C1 causes manic-like behavior," Molecular Psychiatry, (2017). If you are wondering what our review criteria are, you can see that and all of our reviews for the last several years using the links above! We've been doing this since 2003 If you are wondering what our review criteria are, you can see that and all of our reviews for the last several years using the links above! Kiss the Book is a book review site to help school librarians at any K-12 level find books for their classes and libraries. Our reviews are written by school library professionals and vetted student reviewers. When it comes to controversial science issues, scientists need to rethink their approach to engaging the public, according to the authors of a new study looking at women's attitudes towards genetically modified (GM) foods. The results of focus groups conducted by University of Adelaide researchers, now published online ahead of print in the journal New Genetics and Society, show that if scientists continue to present "just the facts", most people won't engage or modify their thinking -- even if those people are highly educated. The results have implications for public engagement across other controversial science issues, such as nuclear energy, climate change, vaccination and water fluoridation, the authors say. "We were interested in previous surveys that showed women consistently were more opposed to GM foods than men, and so we set out to better understand the reasons why," says co-author Professor Rachel Ankeny, from the University of Adelaide's School of Humanities. "GM foods are an important issue for the community, and with women still playing greater roles in the provision of home care and food preparation, we need to better understand how women are thinking and what their values are in relation to these issues." The focus groups were conducted with Australian women from a range of educational backgrounds, including those involved in plant and agricultural science, and others in health science, as well as women with lower levels of education. "All of the women with science backgrounds used evidence to support their stance, but the way they did so came as a surprise to us," says co-author Dr Heather Bray, also from the University's School of Humanities and Senior Research Associate in the Food Values Research Group. "Women who had backgrounds in plant science said the lack of evidence of harm meant that GM food was safe to eat. But the women in health sciences said it was a lack of evidence of safety that made them cautious about consuming GM food. These perceptions are based on two very different concepts of risk, despite both groups being highly educated in science. "For women without science backgrounds, GM food presented 'unknown' risks, and hence was to be avoided. There was a range of other issues apart from the science that arose in our study, a major one being a general lack of trust of science," Dr Bray says. Professor Ankeny is in Boston, USA this week, where she will speak on a communicating science panel for the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). These issues will form the basis of some of her discussion. "It's important for scientists to realise that science has economic, social, and cultural impacts, and if people are presented with 'just the facts', the discussion leaves out critical topics and values," Professor Ankeny says. "People -- including people highly educated in science -- come to these issues with their own ideas, experiences, and values, and they are not necessarily going to endorse particular scientific theories or applications based simply on facts being provided to them." Dr Bray says: "Importantly, our work points to shared food values between those who eat and those who do and would not eat GM foods. Shared values are an important foundation for science communication, and we hope that our work can contribute to the development of better engagement strategies for both scientists and the public." ### Media Contacts: Professor Rachel Ankeny Department of History School of Humanities The University of Adelaide rachel.ankeny@adelaide.edu.au Dr Heather Bray Senior Research Associate, Food Values Research Group School of Humanities The University of Adelaide Phone: +61 8 8313 5608 eather.bray@adelaide.edu.au Irvine, Calif., Feb. 14, 2017 -- Ice loss from Canada's Arctic glaciers has transformed them into a major contributor to sea level change, new research by University of California, Irvine glaciologists has found. From 2005 to 2015, surface melt off ice caps and glaciers of the Queen Elizabeth Islands grew by an astonishing 900 percent, from an average of three gigatons to 30 gigatons per year, according to results published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters. "In the past decade, as air temperatures have warmed, surface melt has increased dramatically," said lead author Romain Millan, an Earth system science doctoral student. The team found that in the past decade, overall ice mass declined markedly, turning the region into a major contributor to sea level change. Canada holds 25 percent of all Arctic ice, second only to Greenland. The study provides the first long-term analysis of ice flow to the ocean, from 1991 to 2015. The Canadian ice cap has glaciers on the move into the Arctic Ocean, Baffin Bay and Nares Strait. The researchers used satellite data and a regional climate model to tally the "balance" of total gain and loss each year, and the reasons why. Because of the huge number of glaciers terminating in area marine basins, they expected that discharge into the sea caused by tide water hitting approaching glacier fronts would be the primary cause. In fact, they determined that until 2005, the ice loss was caused about equally by two factors: calving icebergs from glacier fronts into the ocean accounted for 52 percent, and melting on glacier surfaces exposed to air contributed 48 percent. But since then, as atmospheric temperatures have steadily climbed, surface melt now accounts for 90 percent. Millan said that in recent years ice discharge was only a major component in a few basins, and that even rapid, short term increases from these ice fields only had a minor impact on the long-term trend. Millan added, "We identified meltwater runoff as the major contributor to these ice fields' mass loss in recent years. With the ongoing, sustained and rapid warming of the high Arctic, the mass loss of the Queen Elizabeth Islands area is likely to continue to increase significantly in coming decades." ### Fellow authors are UCI professor of Earth system science Eric Rignot and UCI assistant research scientist Jeremie Mouginot. NASA provided funding. About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu. Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists. In August 2015, University of Delaware oceanographer Andreas Muenchow and colleagues deployed the first UD ocean sensors underneath Petermann Glacier in North Greenland, which connects the great Greenland ice sheet directly with the ocean. Petermann Glacier is the second largest floating ice shelf in the northern hemisphere. Located approximately 16 to 2,300 feet below the glacier, the five ocean sensors are connected to a weather station at the surface, creating the first cabled observatory on a floating, moving, and rapidly melting Greenland glacier. The researchers recently reported in the journal Oceanography that sensor data from August 2015 to February 2016 confirms that that the floating ice shelf is strongly coupled, or tied, to the ocean below and to Nares Strait, and temperatures vary with the tides and seasons. Specifically, the paper found that the same water that has been measured in the fjord is under the glacier, lending credence to the idea that the continuity of the glacier depends on the conditions outside the glacier in the fjord. This water is warming an average of 0.03 degrees Celsius per year, with temperatures at the deepest ocean sensors sometimes exceeding 0.3 degrees Celsius or 33 degrees Fahrenheit, Muenchow said. These temperature values are consistent at various water depths, and match data from a 2003-09 study in adjacent Nares Strait, which connects to both the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. "This correlation tells us this is the same water and that this is what's causing the melting of the glacier, which could influence sea level rise," said Muenchow, an associate professor of oceanography in UD's School of Marine Science and Policy, which is housed in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE). The scientists theorize that warmer Atlantic water will continue to arrive inside Petermann Fjord and below the ice shelf from Nares Strait in the next one-to-two years. ### Co-authors on the paper include Keith W. Nicholls, an oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey; Peter Washam, a UD doctoral student; and Laurie Padman, a senior scientist at Oregon State University. Kent researchers have identified how few mutations it can take for Ebolaviruses to adapt to affect previously resistant species Kent researchers have identified how few mutations it can take for Ebolaviruses to adapt to affect previously resistant species. Ebola is one of the world's most virulent diseases, though rodent species such as guinea pigs, rats and mice are not normally susceptible to it. However, through repeated infection of a host animal, Ebola virus strains can be generated that replicate and cause disease within new host rodent species. Scientists in the University of Kent's School of Biosciences examined the changes associated with Ebolavirus adaptation to rodents including guinea pigs and mice across four different studies. They found that only very few mutations, probably fewer than five, are required for the virus to adapt. In particular, a change in the Ebolavirus protein VP24 seems to be critical for Ebola viruses to infect a new animal species. Ebolaviruses infecting domestic species, including pigs and dogs, may also result in virus changes that may increase the risk to humans. Reston viruses, Ebolaviruses that have not been shown to cause disease in humans, so far, are known to circulate in domestic pigs in Asia. The research was performed by Dr Mark Wass (Senior Lecturer in Computational Biology), Professor Martin Michaelis (Professor of Molecular Medicine), and Dr Jeremy Rossman (Senior Lecturer in Virology) and members of their research groups. The research, entitled Changes associated with Ebola virus adaptation to novel species, was published in the journal Bioinformatics. See here: https://academic.oup.com/bioinformatics/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/bioinformatics/btx065 ### For further information or interview requests contact Sandy Fleming at the University of Kent Press Office. Tel: 01227 823581/01634 888879 Email: S.Fleming@kent.ac.uk News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/news University of Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UniKent Note to editors The recent Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, which resulted in more than 28,000 confirmed cases and more than 11,000 deaths, raised concerns that similar (or even larger epidemics) may occur in the future. Ebolaviruses are zoonotic viruses, transmitted between different animal species and humans are typically infected by animals. The species in which Ebolaviruses are continuously circulating remain to be identified, although some bats have been suspected to be carriers. Zoonotic viruses that infect a novel species may adapt to this species and change their behaviour, meaning they can become more or less aggressive and/ or more or less transmissible. There is concern that Ebolaviruses may adapt to humans during human outbreaks, which may result in the emergence of novel virus types that can more easily spread between humans. Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome. It has been ranked: third for overall student satisfaction in the 2014 National Student Survey; 16th in the Guardian University Guide 2016; 23rd in the Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2016; and 22nd in the Complete University Guide 2015. In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, Kent is in the top 10% of the world's leading universities for international outlook. Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality. Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium (http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/partnerships/eastern-arc.html). The University is worth 0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes 293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals. In 2014, Kent received its second Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. DURHAM, N.H. - Climigration refers to migration caused by climate change. The term was coined to describe the predicament of northern Alaska populations who live on the "front line of climate change," facing immediate threats from erosion and flooding associated with thawing permafrost, increasing river flows, and reduced sea ice protection of shorelines. Is climate-induced migration already occurring from these places? Lawrence Hamilton, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, will speak about this phenomenon at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting being held Feb. 16-20 in Boston. What: "Climigration? Population and Climate in the North" Who: Lawrence Hamilton, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, shares new findings about the growing risk of climigration. When: Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, 3-4:30 p.m. Where: Hynes Convention Center, Boston, Room 313 Why: The term climigration, referring to migration caused by climate change, originally was coined for Arctic Alaska towns forced to relocate. Some historical movements have been attributed to climate change, but closer study tends to find multiple causes, making it difficult to quantify the climate contribution. Clearer attribution might come from comparisons of migration rates among places that are similar in most respects, apart from known climatic impacts. Hamilton applies this approach using annual 1990-2015 migration time series on 43 Arctic Alaska towns and villages. Although climigration is not detectable to date, growing risks make either planned or unplanned movements unavoidable in the near future. ### Brown recluse spiders use a unique micro looping technique to make their threads stronger than that of any other spider, a newly published UK-US collaboration has discovered. One of the most feared and venomous arachnids in the world, the American brown recluse spider has long been known for its signature necro-toxic venom, as well as its unusual silk. Now, new research offers an explanation for how the spider is able to make its silk uncommonly strong. Researchers suggest that if applied to synthetic materials, the technique could inspire scientific developments and improve impact absorbing structures used in space travel. The study, published today in the journal Material Horizons, was produced by scientists from Oxford University's Department of Zoology, together with a team from the Applied Science Department at Virginia's College of William & Mary. Their surveillance of the brown recluse spider's spinning behaviour shows how, and to what extent, the spider manages to strengthen the silk it makes. From observing the arachnid, the team discovered that unlike other spiders, who produce round ribbons of thread, recluse silk is thin and flat. This structural difference is key to the thread's strength, providing the flexibility needed to prevent premature breakage and withstand the knots created during spinning which give each strand additional strength. Professor Hannes Schniepp from William & Mary explains: "The theory of knots adding strength is well proven. But adding loops to synthetic filaments always seems to lead to premature fibre failure. Observation of the recluse spider provided the breakthrough solution; unlike all spiders its silk is not round, but a thin, nano-scale flat ribbon. The ribbon shape adds the flexibility needed to prevent premature failure, so that all the microloops can provide additional strength to the strand." By using computer simulations to apply this technique to synthetic fibres, the team were able to test and prove that adding even a single loop significantly enhances the strength of the material. William & Mary PhD student Sean Koebley adds: "We were able to prove that adding even a single loop significantly enhances the toughness of a simple synthetic sticky tape. Our observations open the door to new fibre technology inspired by the brown recluse." Speaking on how the recluse's technique could be applied more broadly in the future, Professor Fritz Vollrath, of the Department of Zoology at Oxford University, expands: "Computer simulations demonstrate that fibres with many loops would be much, much tougher than those without loops. This right away suggests possible applications. For example carbon filaments could be looped to make them less brittle, and thus allow their use in novel impact absorbing structures. One example would be spider-like webs of carbon-filaments floating in outer space, to capture the drifting space debris that endangers astronaut lives' and satellite integrity." ### Notes to editors: The full study "Toughness-enhancing metastructure in the recluse spider's looped ribbon silk" S. R. Koebley,a F. Vollrathb and H. C. Schniepp*a is available from the scientific journal Material Horizons: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/mh/c6mh00473c#!divAbstract Images and high-speed video footage are available at https://nanomat.as.wm.edu/general/Toughness-Loops-19235719/ For further information please contact Lanisha Butterfield in the University of Oxford press office at Lanisha.butterfield@admin.ox.ac.uk or on+44 (0)1865 280531 The Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division (MPLS) is one of four academic divisions at the University of Oxford, representing the non-medical sciences. Oxford is one of the world's leading universities for science, and MPLS is at the forefront of scientific research across a wide range of disciplines. Research in the mathematical, physical and life sciences at Oxford was rated the best in the UK in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment. MPLS received 133m in research income in 2014/15. PHILADELPHIA - More than six decades after Castleman disease (CD) was first described, a group of experts from Penn Medicine and other institutions around the world has established the first set of diagnostic criteria for a life-threatening subtype of the condition, idiopathic multicentric CD (iMCD), which is often misdiagnosed as other illnesses. The report was published online ahead of print in the journal Blood. Accurate diagnosis of iMCD has been challenging, with no standard diagnostic criteria to guide physicians and significant overlap with cancer and autoimmune, or infectious disorders. About 1,200 patients are diagnosed with iMCD each year in the United States. It can occur in patients of any age, and about 35 percent of iMCD patients die within five years of diagnosis; 60 percent die within 10 years. "The new criteria will accelerate time to diagnosis and, more importantly, administration of life-saving treatments for iMCD patients," said first author David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, an assistant professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and associate director of patient impact at the Penn Orphan Disease Center. Many iMCD patients endure months without appropriate treatment, including Fajgenbaum, who is also an iMCD patient. It took over 11 weeks for Fajgenbaum to be correctly diagnosed, during which time he experienced two life-threatening episodes of the disease. "Previously, patients had to hope their doctors were familiar with the Castleman disease medical literature in order for them to even consider an iMCD diagnosis," Fajgenbaum said. "Then, for the doctors considering the diagnosis, actually diagnosing it was very difficult. Now, with these criteria, doctors will know exactly what to look for and what to check off to feel confident about a diagnosis." To establish the criteria, the international working group - led by Fajgenbaum and consisting of 34 pediatric and adult hematopathology, hematology/oncology, rheumatology, immunology, and infectious diseases experts in iMCD and related disorders representing eight countries on five continents, including two physicians that are also iMCD patients - reviewed 244 iMCD cases and 88 lymph node tissue biopsies over 15 months. Other working group members from Penn include senior authors Kojo Elenitoba-Johnson, MD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and director of the Center for Personalized Diagnostics, and Megan Lim, MD, PhD, a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. The criteria require that for a diagnosis of iMCD to be made, two major criteria and at least two of 11 minor criteria be met, including at least one laboratory abnormality, such as anemia or elevated C-reactive protein in the blood. Additionally, several diseases with similar clinical presentation to iMCD must be excluded, such as another sub-type of CD called HHV-8-associated multicentric CD. Several therapies have been used off-label to treat iMCD patients with varying success, including corticosteroids, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and immunosuppressants. In 2014, siltuximab, an anti-IL6 monoclonal antibody used to treat cancer, became the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved iMCD therapy based on results from an international, randomized controlled trial in which 34 percent of patients had a complete or partial response to the drug compared to zero percent on placebo. "However, the lack of a defined diagnostic criteria has likely impeded the timely administration of treatment for many patients," Fajgenbaum said. "Such delays could lead to organ dysfunction and even death." The working group retrospectively applied the diagnostic criteria to patients from the siltuximab clinical trial. They found that individuals presumed to have iMCD, but who did not meet the diagnostic criteria, had a significantly lower (0 percent) response rate to siltuximab compared to patients who met the diagnostic criteria (43 percent). The working group will continue to improve upon the new diagnostic criteria, in part by relying on the ACCELERATE patient registry. ACCELERATE is a CD natural history registry based at Penn. The data collected from the registry will help researchers validate and potentially tweak the criteria. "I feel so pleased and optimistic that we're finally turning the tide against this disease," Fajgenbaum said. "I've heard of too many patients diagnosed with the disease only after they died and underwent an autopsy, and hopefully this will help doctors to diagnose it before it is too late." ### Co-authors also include Elaine Jaffe, MD and Thomas S. Uldrick, MD, MS, from the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research. The study was supported in part by the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, the Penn Orphan Disease Center, and the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health. Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $5.3 billion enterprise. The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 18 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $373 million awarded in the 2015 fiscal year. The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Chestnut Hill Hospital and Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine. Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2015, Penn Medicine provided $253.3 million to benefit our community. A new study argues we should not count on deep coral reefs as a 'lifeline' for shallow reefs Dr Pim Bongaerts, a Research Fellow at The University of Queensland's Global Change Institute (GCI) and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and lead author of the study, said deep reefs share coral species with the shallow reef, which has led to the idea that deep reefs could be an important source of larvae and help to 'reseed' shallow reefs. "We argue that this concept of deep coral populations 'reseeding' their shallow-water counterparts may be relevant to some species, but is ultimately unlikely to aid more broadly in the recovery of shallow reefs," he said. Given the impossibility of tracking the movements of individual coral larvae on the reef, understanding the 'connectivity' between shallow and deep coral populations relies on methods that assess the genetic similarity between coral populations. The team focused on the relatively isolated reef system of Bermuda in the Western Atlantic where they screened the genomes of more than 200 individual coral colonies from shallow and deep water, belonging to two coral species with similar depth distributions on the reef. The study demonstrates that the extent of 'connectivity' between shallow and deep populations can differ greatly between species on a reef, and can be strongly affected by natural selection processes that vary across shallow and deep reef environments. Director of GCI, and co-author, Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg said deep coral reefs had been highlighted as holding hope for shallow reefs that were badly damaged by bleaching events. "Our results, however, contribute to a growing body of evidence, that the role of deep reefs in shallow-reef recovery is likely to be very limited," he said. According to Dr Bongaerts, the study once again highlights that under the increasing disturbances that coral reefs continue to face, they are unlikely to just 'sort themselves out'. "Instead, the responsibility for their future lies with us. If we want to have any chance of preserving these unique and diverse ecosystems, it is crucial that we start curbing our emissions and divest from fossil fuels," he said. ### The research, published in Science Advances, was undertaken as part of the XL Catlin Seaview Survey, funded by XL Catlin in partnership with The Ocean Agency, GCI at The University of Queensland, and the ARC Centre for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies at the University of Queensland. The research was carried out with the support of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. For media enquiries please contact: Dr Pim Bongaerts Research Fellow GCI: pim@uq.edu.au / @pimbongaerts Rachael Hazell Communications Officer GCI: r.hazell@uq.edu.au +61-415-814-529 Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have created an atomic force microscope on a chip, dramatically shrinking the size -- and, hopefully, the price tag -- of a high-tech device commonly used to characterize material properties. "A standard atomic force microscope is a large, bulky instrument, with multiple control loops, electronics and amplifiers," said Dr. Reza Moheimani, professor of mechanical engineering at UT Dallas. "We have managed to miniaturize all of the electromechanical components down onto a single small chip." Moheimani and his colleagues describe their prototype device in this month's issue of the IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems. An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a scientific tool that is used to create detailed three-dimensional images of the surfaces of materials, down to the nanometer scale -- that's roughly on the scale of individual molecules. The basic AFM design consists of a tiny cantilever, or arm, that has a sharp tip attached to one end. As the apparatus scans back and forth across the surface of a sample, or the sample moves under it, the interactive forces between the sample and the tip cause the cantilever to move up and down as the tip follows the contours of the surface. Those movements are then translated into an image. "An AFM is a microscope that 'sees' a surface kind of the way a visually impaired person might, by touching. You can get a resolution that is well beyond what an optical microscope can achieve," said Moheimani, who holds the James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. "It can capture features that are very, very small." The UT Dallas team created its prototype on-chip AFM using a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) approach. "A classic example of MEMS technology are the accelerometers and gyroscopes found in smartphones," said Dr. Anthony Fowler, a research scientist in Moheimani's Laboratory for Dynamics and Control of Nanosystems and one of the article's co-authors. "These used to be big, expensive, mechanical devices, but using MEMS technology, accelerometers have shrunk down onto a single chip, which can be manufactured for just a few dollars apiece." The MEMS-based AFM is about 1 square centimeter in size, or a little smaller than a dime. It is attached to a small printed circuit board, about half the size of a credit card, which contains circuitry, sensors and other miniaturized components that control the movement and other aspects of the device. Conventional AFMs operate in various modes. Some map out a sample's features by maintaining a constant force as the probe tip drags across the surface, while others do so by maintaining a constant distance between the two. "The problem with using a constant height approach is that the tip is applying varying forces on a sample all the time, which can damage a sample that is very soft," Fowler said. "Or, if you are scanning a very hard surface, you could wear down the tip," The MEMS-based AFM operates in "tapping mode," which means the cantilever and tip oscillate up and down perpendicular to the sample, and the tip alternately contacts then lifts off from the surface. As the probe moves back and forth across a sample material, a feedback loop maintains the height of that oscillation, ultimately creating an image. "In tapping mode, as the oscillating cantilever moves across the surface topography, the amplitude of the oscillation wants to change as it interacts with sample," said Dr. Mohammad Maroufi, a research associate in mechanical engineering and co-author of the paper. "This device creates an image by maintaining the amplitude of oscillation." Because conventional AFMs require lasers and other large components to operate, their use can be limited. They're also expensive. "An educational version can cost about $30,000 or $40,000, and a laboratory-level AFM can run $500,000 or more," Moheimani said. "Our MEMS approach to AFM design has the potential to significantly reduce the complexity and cost of the instrument. "One of the attractive aspects about MEMS is that you can mass produce them, building hundreds or thousands of them in one shot, so the price of each chip would only be a few dollars. As a result, you might be able to offer the whole miniature AFM system for a few thousand dollars." A reduced size and price tag also could expand the AFMs' utility beyond current scientific applications. "For example, the semiconductor industry might benefit from these small devices, in particular companies that manufacture the silicon wafers from which computer chips are made," Moheimani said. "With our technology, you might have an array of AFMs to characterize the wafer's surface to find micro-faults before the product is shipped out." The lab prototype is a first-generation device, Moheimani said, and the group is already working on ways to improve and streamline the fabrication of the device. "This is one of those technologies where, as they say, 'If you build it, they will come.' We anticipate finding many applications as the technology matures," Moheimani said. ### In addition to the UT Dallas researchers, Michael Ruppert, a visiting graduate student from the University of Newcastle in Australia, was a co-author of the journal article. Moheimani was Ruppert's doctoral advisor. Moheimani's research has been funded by UT Dallas startup funds, the Von Ehr Distinguished Chair and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. SALT LAKE CITY - Mary Elizabeth Hartnett, MD, and colleagues at the John A. Moran Center and Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, were looking for a way to tease apart the effects of preeclampsia on the risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disease found in premature infants. Their results, and the model they developed, were published February 14, 2017, in Scientific Reports. In ROP, blood vessels in the retina grow outside of their normal space. This can lead to blindness. In addition, there is a strong link to premature birth--the more premature the infant, the more likely the infant is to develop ROP and the more severe the ROP may be. Previous research has also found an association between premature birth and preeclampsia. The linkage between premature birth and ROP, and between premature birth and preeclampsia, makes it difficult to tease apart the effect of preeclampsia on risk for ROP. Preeclampsia is a high blood pressure condition in pregnant women that can lead to decreased blood flow to the placenta. Hence, both preeclampsia and ROP are linked to premature birth, and reports in the literature indicate either increased risk or apparent protective effects of preeclampsia on ROP. Therefore, researchers asked what the association between preeclampsia and ROP would be in the absence of premature birth. In this report, researchers reduced blood flow to the placenta in some of the pregnant rats to create a condition called uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI), which is present in maternal preeclampsia. Other pregnant rats, the controls, underwent a sham procedure that did not cause UPI. UPI in the mother rats caused the offspring to have poor growth. All pregnant rats delivered full-term pups. Pups born to the mother rats with UPI and those born to the controls were exposed to variable oxygen, simulating a premature infant at risk for ROP. Researchers then looked to see if the restricted blood flow caused by preeclampsia and changes in oxygen levels had any effect on weight gain or development of abnormal retinal blood vessel growth. They anticipated that the pups born to mother rats with UPI would have more severe retinopathy. However, they found the opposite--these pups had less severe retinopathy and more normal retinal vascular development than pups born to control mother rats and placed into varying oxygen levels. The pups with less severe retinopathy also gained the same amount of weight compared to control pups in variable oxygen. Therefore, while they expected to see examples of retinopathy representative of more severe ROP, researchers found that the combination of preeclampsia and oxygen fluctuations actually reduced features of ROP in the retina. Researchers also looked at whether growth factors needed for retina development came from the mother or if they were produced by the pups. Growth factor levels were the same in preeclampsia and control female rats and did not align with levels in pups. But the pups from the preeclampsia mothers produced greater amounts of certain growth factors, particularly erythropoietin. These findings support the idea that those pups that are strong enough to survive induced preeclampsia may be stressed enough to induce growth factors necessary to increase normal retinal blood vessel development and reduce ROP severity. "This model removes premature birth--which is highly linked to preeclampsia in mothers and to ROP in premature infants--from the equation and allows us to see the effect of preeclampsia on ROP," Hartnett explained. "The impact actually is that the oxygen fluctuations in the growth-restricted pups that survive lead to a growth advantage and reduced retinopathy. Further research is needed to determine if growth factors transferred from the mother to the fetus affect retinal development in models without induced preeclampsia and to identify levels of circulating growth factors in premature infants to refine ROP treatment. ### Citation: Protective effect of maternal uteroplacental insufficiency on oxygen-induced retinopathy in offspring: removing bias of premature birth. Silke Becker, Haibo Wang, Baifeng Yu, Randy Brown, Xiaokun Han, Robert H. Lane, and M. Elizabeth Hartnett. Scientific Reports, February 14, 2017. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, NY, to the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Utah, and the National Center for Research Resources and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences to the University of Utah Study Design and Biostatistics Center. Scalp cooling can lessen some chemotherapy-induced hair loss - one of the most devastating hallmarks of cancer - in certain breast cancer patients, according to a new multicenter study from UC San Francisco, Weill Cornell Medicine and three other medical centers. A majority of the study's patients, all women with stage 1 or 2 breast cancer who underwent scalp cooling, retained more than half of their hair after completing chemotherapy, the investigators learned. The study, which tracks patients over five years, used standardized photographs to grade hair loss. The study will be published Feb. 14 in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Hair loss is almost universal among breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and is one of the most distressing of adverse side effects," said first author Hope S. Rugo, MD, the corresponding author who led the study. Rugo is a UCSF professor of medicine specializing in breast cancer research and treatment, and director of the breast oncology and clinical trials education program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. "We found that scalp cooling during commonly used chemotherapy regimens was well tolerated and was associated with significantly less hair loss, as well as improvement in several quality-of-life indicators," Rugo said. "While further research is needed, the data suggest that when scalp cooling is successful at decreasing hair loss, it could improve the treatment experience for women undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer." Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women around the world, both in developed countries and less developed ones, according to the World Health Organization. Scalp cooling has been used in more than 30 countries as a way to potentially prevent hair loss in patients receiving chemotherapy; in Europe it's been used for several decades. Two types of cooling caps are typically used: frozen caps that need to be replaced every half hour, or cooling systems that continually circulate coolants into a cap during the entire chemotherapy session. Scalp cooling is thought to reduce hair loss due to reduced delivery of chemotherapy to the scalp and hair follicle, Rugo said. The cold temperatures also are thought to slow the hair follicle cell division, making the cell less susceptible to the damaging effects of chemotherapy. In the United States, scalp cooling has been limited because of factors including insufficient scientific data and concern about the theoretic risk of scalp metastases. For the JAMA study, researchers investigated the effectiveness of one device: the DigniCap scalp cooling system manufactured by the Swedish public company Dignitana AB, which partly funded the research. In December 2015, based on preliminary results from the study, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the DigniCap for use in the U.S., the first and only cooling cap to date to receive such clearance. In the JAMA paper, 122 women with stage 1or stage 2 breast cancer were studied - all received non-anthracycline adjuvant chemotherapy, which generally causes severe hair loss. Of those women, 101 were enrolled in scalp cooling; 16 others, also undergoing chemotherapy but not scalp cooling, were in the control arm. Scalp cooling began 30 minutes prior to each chemotherapy cycle and involved a close fitting of the silicone cap on the patient's head, followed by an insulating neoprene cap. The silicone cap was then gradually cooled. The DigniCap is set to cool at 3 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit) with a temperature variance of plus or minus 2 degrees. Of 101 patients who underwent scalp cooling, 67 of them (66.3 percent) retained half or more of their hair, the authors wrote. In the parallel control group, all the patients lost their hair. Additionally, three of five quality-of-life measures were significantly better for the women who underwent scalp-cooling, including feeling more physically attractive. "Enabling a woman to preserve her hair during chemotherapy is empowering," said senior author Tessa Cigler, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of clinical medicine in the Weill Cornell Breast Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. "Scalp cooling allows patients to protect their privacy and maintain their self-esteem and sense of well-being. This study provides long-awaited evidence for an effective and practical scalp cooling method." The mean age of the cold cap patients was 53 years. Some 77 percent of the patients were white, 9 percent were black and nearly 11 percent were Asian. The study was conducted between August 2013 and October 2014. The average duration of chemotherapy was 2.3 months. Many of the patients reported mild headaches or scalp pain associated with the scalp cooling. Two patients discontinued scalp cooling due to feeling cold. There has been no evidence of scalp metastases in any patient after approximately 30 months of follow up. All patient follow up will continue for a total of five years. ### The study was funded partially by the Lazlo Tauber Family Foundation (awarded to UCSF); the Anne Moore Breast Cancer Research Fund (awarded to Weill Cornell Medicine); and the Friedman Family Foundation (awarded to Mount Sinai Beth Israel). Dignitana AB supported the design and conduct of the study, including collection, management, analysis and interpretation of the data. Study co-authors also included researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Center; and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA. From UCSF, co-authors are Michelle E. Melisko, MD, and Laura Esserman, MD, MBA; from Weill Cornell Medicine, Anne Moore, MD, was also a co-author. A complete list of authors can be found in the paper. About UCSF: UC San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. It also includes UCSF Health, which comprises three top-ranked hospitals, UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland, and other partner and affiliated hospitals and healthcare providers throughout the Bay Area. Please visit http://www.ucsf.edu/news. About Weill Cornell Medicine: Weill Cornell Medicine is committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world. The doctors and scientists of Weill Cornell Medicine - faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and Weill Cornell Physician Organization - are engaged in world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research that connect patients to the latest treatment innovations and prevention strategies. Located in the heart of the Upper East Side's scientific corridor, Weill Cornell Medicine's powerful network of collaborators extends to its parent university Cornell University; to Qatar, where an international campus offers a U.S. medical degree; and to programs in Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Weill Cornell Medicine faculty provide comprehensive patient care at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital and New York-Presbyterian/Queens. Weill Cornell Medicine is also affiliated with Houston Methodist. For more information, visit Weill.Cornell.edu. Follow UCSF ucsf.edu | Facebook.com/ucsf | Twitter.com/ucsf | YouTube.com/ucsf A third of a farmer's sheep herd has been found dead as Police fear they were killed by a 'psychopathic' killer wielding a gun. The attack happened on Coxtie Green Farm in Brentwood, Essex during the evening of Monday February 6 at around 7pm. Owners Mike and Maria Pereira drove down the fields at 8.30pm, it is then the couple discovered four of the sheep had been killed, with another four severely injured. The injuries sustained by the gunshot wounds were so severe that a professional marksmen had to humanely euthanise the survivors. There was also evidence that at least one of the sheep had been mauled by either a dog or a fox. 'Psychopathic individual' Mike, 57, told the EssexLive: "We are shocked and horrified. The fact that you have some psychopathic individual or individuals running around our farm shooting is a great concern. "We think we disturbed whoever it was. We don't know if they wanted to cause more damage." The murdered sheep, whose bodies had to be disposed of by specialists, have belonged to the farm, on Coxtie Green Road, for the past five years. Police attended the farm shortly after the bodies were discovered and the force's Rural Crime Team are currently investigating. A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Enquiries are ongoing but anyone with any information should contact investigating officers on 101." The uncertainty about the impact of Brexit is unwelcome for the Scottish red meat industry, according to a report highlighting the challenges and opportunities for the Scottish red meat trade. Industry surveys show that over the past three years more than 95% of Scotland's international trade is with members of the European Union particularly France and Italy. "Losing duty free access to the European Union market would result in significant market destabilisation," the Quality Meat Scotland report said. "The extreme position would be one where Scotland and the UK traded with the European Union as a non-member state and face the punitive tariff rates described above and the likelihood of significant reduction in export volumes unless there was significant price correction. "While an agreed tariff rate quota would offer potential access at preferential terms they may not be tariff free and it would make it difficult, if not impossible, to grow exports to the EU beyond the limits of the quota." 'Considerable threat' The Scottish red meat industry contributes around 2 billion to Scotlands economy each year and supports around 50,000 jobs, many of which are in more fragile parts of the country. "The information contained in this report makes clear that losing the full and free access to this market that full membership of the EU brings is a considerable threat, with UK meat exporters potentially facing punitive tariffs and substantial market disruption," said Jim McLaren, Quality Meat Scotland Chairman. "The document also makes it clear that opportunities to build and improve market access to capture recognised opportunities outside the EU will take time and significant resource," he added. The report said leaving the European Union would open up the opportunity for the UK to negotiate its own terms of trade with target markets resulting in the potential to increase existing access or gain access to markets currently closed to the UK and Scotland. "However, the time taken and resources required to reach agreement should not be underestimated, neither should the time and resource required to build a market in those countries where the UK currently has no trade or limited trade." Welsh farmers have responded to the Government's 'better and fairer' approach to public access for outdoor recreation, saying it should not place any 'additional burden' on farmers. Farming union NFU Cymru has reaffirmed that any changes to access legislation in Wales should not place any additional cost, burden or liability on farmers. This is in response to yesterdays written statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, on Improving Opportunities to Access the Outdoors for Recreation. NFU Cymru Rural Affairs Board Chair, Hedd Pugh said: Welsh farmers are the key providers of a significant proportion of Wales access provision which includes 16,000 miles of footpaths, 3,000 miles of bridleways, 1,200 miles of cycle network, and 460,000 ha of open access land. We recognise that public access to the countryside is an important mechanism to improve public health and we acknowledge the role that outdoor recreation can play in helping to address low levels of physical activity in Wales. However, there is no evidence to show that this issue can be addressed by simply providing greater and greater amounts of public access. Indeed, the evidence shows that despite a threefold increase in land accessible by right since devolution, usage numbers have not changed. Reforms to access legislation should not seek to facilitate this. Achieving consistency The written statement refers to achieving consistency in the opportunities available for participation in different activities. Mr Pugh continued: This is concerning as any broadening of the range of activity through higher access rights will inevitably mean increased risks and impacts, with the burden and liability falling on farmers. The extent to which higher access rights will impact on existing recreation businesses also needs to be understood. The issue of access and recreation is a key concern for our members and this was reflected in the high levels of interest in the 2015 consultation. Any changes to access legislation will inevitably impact disproportionately on the farming community. NFU Cymru is clear that reforms to access legislation in Wales should focus on the modernisation of the public rights of way network. The current system does not take into account modern day farming and the procedures to record, create, divert or close public rights of way must be made far easier and less expensive. The Scottish government has been urged to take more action on the circular economy at the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association's inaugural Scottish National Conference this morning in Glasgow. Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Environment Maurice Golden MSP said that more work needed to be done to reap the full benefits of a circular economy strategy. He also said that an improved understanding of the sources and streams of waste would make it easier to reduce levels of waste. There are now over 40 operational AD plants spread across Scotland, from the Scottish Borders to the Western Isles, with more than half of these plants commissioned within the last three years. Worth 66m The Scottish AD market is now worth 66 million and set to grow further as farmers, businesses and government see first-hand the multiple benefits that biogas delivers. The principal theme of the conference is getting the already growing Scottish AD industry ready for 2021, when Scottish councils will be banned from sending any biodegradable waste to landfill. The conference features speakers from government, farmers, universities, water companies, AD operators and developers, equipment suppliers and manufacturers and others on the policies, regulations, financial support and innovations that are required to deliver a further step change in the industrys potential in Scotland. In her welcome address, ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton said: "Biogas in Scotland is starting to take off in a big way, and we at ADBA believe it is really important to support the Scottish AD industry to keep growing and providing the Scottish people with green gas, electricity, transport fuel and fertiliser. "While 2021 might seem like a long way away, we all know how quickly four years can zoom by, and its important for the Scottish AD community to be fully prepared for the opportunities that 2021 and beyond will bring." A three-year-old boy has been killed after being hit by a tractor in Fife, Scotland. Police said they are investigating after the young boy died in a 'collision' at 5.10pm yesterday (14 February). The boy, believed to be Stuart Nelson, was only three years old. The Health and Safety Executive were called and are also investigating. A Police Scotland spokesman said: Police in Fife are investigating after a child was killed during a collision on a farm in Fife. The incident happened around 5.10 p.m. on Tuesday 14th February at a property in Crossgates. A three-year-old boy sustained fatal injuries after he was involved in a collision with a farm vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. Inquiries into the full circumstances surrounding this matter are continuing. Marts to donate Scotch Lamb for St Andrew's Day campaign Visa Inc (V 1.15%) investors certainly had reason to celebrate in the days following its 2017 first-quarter results. The stock price popped on the revenue and earnings beat and is now up 9% year to date. Underlying business fundamentals also look strong. Net operating revenue, adjusted net income, and earnings per share were all up more than 20% year over year. More importantly, its integration with Visa Europe appears to be moving along smoothly and efficiently. While Visa continues to show signs of growth, management knows it cannot take this growth for granted. The competition in the payments industry is too fierce for any company not constantly innovating to flourish for long. During the conference call following the quarterly earnings release, new CEO Al Kelly identified six guiding pillars he believes are crucial to Visa's foundation and future growth. The last of these pillars is digital expansion, which Kelly believes is best represented by Visa's heavy investment in Visa Checkout. Kelly said: E-commerce enabled by mobile and other form factors is a significant opportunity. And we are definitely investing behind it. As payments move from the physical to digital world, we're leading the way in developing solutions for our clients, our partners and consumers. One great example of this is Visa Checkout. We now have over 18 million consumer accounts in 23 countries and over 1,500 financial institutional partners participating around the world. More than 300,000 online merchants have signed on to accept Visa Checkout, representing $173 billion in addressable volume. Visa Checkout is the company's payment platform that allows accountholders to store their credit card information and make purchases from third-party retail websites. This allows consumers to buy things online without having to enter their payment information, a cumbersome process especially difficult from mobile devices. Retailers love these types of solutions because it makes the checkout process smoother and quicker, leading to greater sales and less cart abandonment. Visa Checkout's potent growth The numbers Kelly cited for Visa Checkout's growth certainly look impressive. The platform has grown its consumer accounts 80%, its financial institution partners by 150%, and online merchants accepting the platform by 20% since last year's first-quarter earnings report. That's some pretty strong year-over-year growth. Needless to say, the company invested a lot into Visa Checkout this past year, and it shows. In the 2016 fourth-quarter conference call, former CEO Charlie Scharf said Visa had rolled out a redesigned Visa Checkout experience to all worldwide merchants making it easier for customers to sign up and complete purchases with mobile devices. The company also opened the platform to its card-issuing partners, allowing them to integrate their own digital wallets into Visa Checkout. Judging by the numbers, these efforts have yielded decent results. Is the growth enough to justify another digital wallet? Despite the heady growth, though, there still seem to be some lingering questions in CEO Kelly's mind about whether the heavy investments in resources and effort are worth it. Later in the conference call, when answering a question from an analyst, he expressed some of these doubts: My personal view is that there are too many wallets out there. Consumers are not going to ultimately want to have 50 wallets. And we're not necessarily anxious just to be in the wallet business per se, but we're anxious to be -- to take advantage of us being a trusted acceptance mark in the payments eco space and want to be able to make sure that we're taking a leading position in establishing Visa as a trusted mark and as an important partner to our issuers in terms of them trying to establish as much volume as they can get in the digital space. These misgivings are probably justified. While Visa Checkout experienced significant growth to reach 18 million consumer accounts, PayPal Holdings Inc. currently has almost 200 million active accounts and accounted for more than 1.75 billion payment transactions last quarter. Meanwhile, Amazon.com Inc.'s Amazon Payments recently announced it had 33 million customers who used its platform to make a purchase, and that payment volume had doubled year over year. In September, Apple Inc. announced customers would be able to use Apple Pay to purchase products online when using a Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Apple Pay also experienced explosive annual growth, as CEO Tim Cook announced transaction volume had grown by more than 500% year over year in the company's 2017 first-quarter conference call. Doubts or not, Kelly knows Visa cannot just walk away from hosting a digital wallet. In the quote above, he acknowledges that the company's card-issuing banking partners want "as much volume as they can get in the digital space." These banks are ultimately Visa's real customers, and Visa cannot afford to lose any simply because it doesn't want to invest in the space. For this reason alone, it is well worth Visa's time and resources to continue to innovate and market Visa Checkout. Whether the platform will ever really catch on with the end consumer is another matter entirely and is anybody's guess. Refugee Ban Prompts Interest in new Vietnam War Books, Plays, Documentaries New books about the Vietnam War, plus documentaries and theatrical productions offer fresh insight into the legal battle over President Donald Trump's refugee ban and current U.S. foreign policy and attitudes. Among the literary offerings are: 'The Sympathizer,' 'Tribe,' and 'Escape from Saigon - a Novel'. There are also documentaries by Rory Kennedy and Ken Burns and two theatrical productions: 'Miss Saigon' which returns to broadway in March and a new play, 'Children of the April Rain.' February 15, 2017 (FPRC) --Americans are more than ever turning to books about the Vietnam War along with documentaries and even live theater for insight into contemporary foreign policy, veterans' issues, and U.S. treatment of today's refugeesthe most vulnerable victims of war. Interest in a 40-year-old war that divided a nation back then accounts for the popularity of current literary offerings on Vietnamamong them 'The Sympathizer,' 'Tribe,' and the newly published, 'Escape from Saigon - a Novel'. Recent films, TV documentaries and theatrical productions offer further understanding of the Vietnam War. Vietnam War refugee Viet Nguyens 2016 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, 'The Sympathizer,' shines a harsh light on conflicted allegiances and an America-centric view of foreign conflicts. The 'Sympathizer' stands out as an allegory for todays new nationalism and fear of the other. Nguyens companion book, 'The Refugees' further examines the complexities and conflicts of leaving ones native country for a new home in America. Though not strictly a Vietnam War book, 'Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging,' by Sebastian Junger, explores the plight of returning combat veterans by likening the military to tribal societies where individuals share loyalty, a common purpose and depend on one another for survival. Junger argues that post traumatic stress may stem partly from the loss of community veterans face as they try to adjust to civilian life. When a 22-year-old Army sergeant, who has made life-and-death decisions as leader of a four man-squad in combat, comes home to be surrounded by people who know nothing of his experience the loneliness sets in and becomes overwhelming. Published in 2017 by Skyhorse Publishing, New York: Escape from Saigon - a Novel by Michael Morris and Dick Pirozzolo looks at how the Vietnam War shaped contemporary American attitudes in a fast-paced fictional account that compresses the action into the final 30 days of that war. While the action takes place in a single month, the authorsboth Vietnam veteransput the endgame in context through flashbacks, old news accounts and barroom ramblings about the decisions and politics that set the stage for war. As the novel recounts the events of April 1975, it focuses on lives of the ordinary people buffeted by the political bungling of the powerful they encounter. Among them are Vietnamese and American civilians, journalists, French expatriates, U.S. Embassy staffers and CIA operatives, all seeking escape by any means possible as the North Vietnamese Army tightens its stranglehold on Saigona city once known as the Paris of the Orient. Indeed, the final scenes recount the courage of hordes of Vietnamese refugees and the aviators and sailors who helped them in the biggest air-sea rescue in history, and an America that welcomed these refugees with open arms. The story often centers on the journalists who covered what was dubbed Americas first television war. 'Correspondents back then devoted their youth to covering Vietnam, often for a decade or more and shaped public opinion through vivid TV pictures and newspaper exposes. The novel's strong female lead Lisette Vo is NBS-TVs first Vietnamese-American war correspondent who foreshadows the rise of women in journalism and the advent of 24/7 cable news. Her developing romance with the hard-hitting Sam Esposito of The Washington Legend evolves over the course of the novel,' observes coauthor Dick Pirozzolo, a former U.S. Air Force press officer in Saigonrenamed Ho Chi Minh City after the war. Access to news and information was far more primitive In 1975 than it is today. 'There were only three networks, whose anchors were trusted, larger-than-life figures Americans invited into their living rooms. The evening news was appointment TV and America watched and read essentially the same newsa far cry from todays media environment with fragmented cable TV audiences and fake Internet news outlets. The technology has improved, but with it Americans lost its sense of community,' adds Pirozzolo. Pirozzolo joined the Worcester Telegram & Gazette after Vietnam and later founded a communication consulting firm in Boston. In the mid-1990s he played a prominent role in Vietnam reconciliation and trade and remains active in foreign policy affairs as a member of the editorial board of Boston Global Forum, a think tank affiliated with Harvard University. Coauthor Morris, an Army combat veteran, returned from Vietnam to earn a degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and went on to an illustrious career with USA Today and some of the nations leading magazines TIME, Sports Illustrated, Wired and Popular Science. In addition to the latest literature on the Vietnam War, 'Miss Saigon' will be reprised at The Broadway in March and simulcast to local movie theaters in HD to reach a nationwide audience. Lana Noones new play, 'Children of the April Rain' about Operation Babylift, the ill-fated evacuation of mixed-heritage children during the last days of the Vietnam War is opening around the country. Rory Kennedys film and Ken Burns latest PBS-TV documentary add to the contemporary offerings on the Vietnam War. 'Escape from Saigon - a Novel' was published in January of 2017 by Skyhorse Publishing, New York, NY, 264 pages and lists at $24.95. Further information and an excerpt are available at: www.escapefromsaigon.com Send an email to Anita Harris of r 1-617-959-4613 Recent Press Releases By The Same User Tet Offensive of Marks 50th Anniversary of this Vietnam War Milestone on January 31 (Wed 31st Jan 18) While Trumps Tweets Fuel US-North Korea Tensions, Boston Global Forum Scholars Call for Soft Power Diplomacy, and Bank Sanctions (Sun 1st Oct 17) Southeast Asia Observer Dick Pirozzolo, Covers New Book on Power in the South China Sea (Tue 6th Jun 17) Wellesley-Weston Magazine Features Author Dick Pirozzolo of 'Escape from Saigon - a Novel' (Wed 24th May 17) PR Guru Dick Pirozzolo Urges CEOS to Practice Issues Management Hygiene (Thu 18th May 17) Novelist Dick Pirozzolo Presents 'Escape from Saigon - a Novel" to Gov. Dukakis, (Thu 27th Apr 17) Mike From Maine Review Wizard 2017 Marketing Software Announced Mike From Maine, a digital marketing expert, announced Review Wizard, a new review creation software. The software will be launched on February 15 and a complete marketing training will be available on the same date. -- Professional affiliate marketing expert Mike From Maine announced Review Wizard, a review creation and editing software. More information is available at http://muncheye.com/mike-from-maine-et-al-review-wizard. Internet marketing has seen a tremendous growth over the past years, with more and more businesses looking for ways to leverage the immense marketing potential of the internet. The business impact of online reviews and Google searches is extremely significant, as recent surveys show that more than 90% of all clients use them in making their customer decisions. Affiliate marketing has gradually become an important digital marketing industry, with many website owners using their pages to promote partner products and services and earn a percentage of each sale. Online review websites have serious potential for marketers, as reviews are among the most trusted forms of digital marketing. Review Wizard is a new review design software allowing users to add ratings, pros and cons, calls to action and other features to their online reviews. Unlike similar software, Review Wizard incorporates professional SEO metadata automation feature, allowing review creators to integrate keywords, titles and meta descriptions into the corresponding html codes for increased SEO responsiveness. The software is integrated into the WordPress post editor, and it allows for customized rating design and adjustment. Review Wizard enables the user to create rating tags for each reviewed product and assign individual ratings for each category. The overall rating is automatically calculated based on the rating for each category. Call to actions can then be created, with a custom link to the desired affiliate page. All review features can be customized in terms of color schemes and rating categories, making Review Wizard one of the most flexible review software currently available. The official launch comes with a training webinar to be held at 9am EST on Wednesday, February 15th. The marketing training session will be hosted by industry experts Mike From Maine and Brett Rutecky. Interested parties can find more information on Review Wizard and the February 15 webinar by visiting http://letsgolook.at/ReviewWizard. Contact Info: Name: Mindquo Organization: Muncheye Address: 8 Hennessy Road, Wanchai,, Hong Kong Island 999077 For more information, please visit http://muncheye.com Source: PressCable Release ID: 169391 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Haiti - Economy : Another success of the diaspora This week, Justin Viard, Consul General of Haiti in Montreal, accompanied by representatives of the Commercial and Tourism Business Section and the Communication and Culture Section, welcomed a Haitian entrepreneur working in the food sector (Casse-Croute, Bakery, Delicatessen and Pastry) and owner of the restaurant "Andreamise" serving about 500 dishes of Haitian food daily for low-cost in Montreal North. Recall that Mr. Noel was part of an economic mission that visited Haiti in June 2014 and that the benefits of this mission allowed him to export to Florida and Montreal containers of fruits and vegetables produced in Haiti in collaboration with peasant associations and local partners. Currently, steps are underway to open a branch of the restaurant "Andreamise" in the department of Artibonite and export on a larger scale to the international market of fruits and vegetables grown in Haiti. Naud Noel is also planning a processing plant in Gonaives. The Consul General of Haiti in Montreal applauded these successes and encouraged Naud Noel in his investment projects in Haiti. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping politics... Pre-Carnival Exercise 1 death and 6 arrests, this is the balance of the pre-carnival exercise of Sunday, February 12 at the Champ-de-Mars in Port-au-Prince... The Consortium writes to Donald Trump Jeantel Joseph the President of the National Consortium of Political Parties Haitians announces for this Tuesday a sit-in in front of the American embassy to demand the return of elected Senator Guy Philippe, consortium candidate arrested on January 5 last and extradited to the United States on the same day https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19721-haiti-flash-senator-guy-philippe-extradited-to-the-usa.html , This sit-in will be followed by a letter to Donald Trump in front of the American Embassy. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20095-haiti-flash-accused-by-guy-philippe-youri-latortue-denies.html First official visit of the First Lady On Monday for her first official visit to the regions of the country, First Lady Martine Moise went to Chansolme, in the Northwest Department, her home town. At the "Ecole de source de Beauvoir", 2nd communal section of Chansolme, she declared ""I can promise these children that they will soon have a modern and adequate school for them to receive quality education. Education is the key to the success of our children." President Moise has a recipe ? Monday, in the Plain of Cul de Sac (commune of Croix-des-Bouquets), in the framework of the reinforcement of the agriculture promised during his campaign, President Jovenel Moise, visited partners (PLANTEH and ANAPAAAH) which are involved in the production and processing of tomatoes. "I have always said that I knew how to combine water, land, sun and people to improve production in Haiti, so that citizens' pockets and plates are no longer empty." Validation of the 5 new senators Monday the 5 newly elected senators https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20046-haiti-flash-final-results-2nd-round-elections-1-3-senate.html received their certificate at the offices of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), as well as a copy of the official newspaper "Le Moniteur" confirming their election. On Tuesday they will have to register as a senator at the General Secretariat of the Senate to participate in the ceremony of validation of their power, the same day in plenary session of the Senate. Kazino confirms its presence The Kazino Group has confirmed its participation in the 2017 National Carnival, which will take place in the City of Les Cayes on 26, 27 and 28 February. HL/ HaitiLibre New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it would not get into the issue of Uniform Civil Code but described the triple talaq as a serious issue of human rights. The court said that it would examine the legal aspect of the triple talaq, nikaah halaal and polygamy amongst the Muslims. Saying that it would examine whether triple talaq was a valid way of divorce, a bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice N.V.Ramana and Justice D.Y.Chandrachud asked the senior counsel appearing for both the sides to frame question that would be addressed in the course of weeklong hearing commencing on May 11. However, the court made it clear that the question whether divorce under Muslim Personal Law needs to be supervised by either courts or by a court-supervised institutional arbitration came under the legislative domain. Directing the next hearing on February 16 for the framing of issues, the bench asked the senior counsel appearing for those opposed to triple talaq and those opposing any interference in it, to sit together and frame tentative issues for the consideration by the court. The court also made that all the petitioner will have to give names of the three lawyers each who would be addressing the court from both the sides. The Union government has already told the top court that triple talaq, nikaah halaal and polygamy as practised by the Muslims in India were not integral to the practices of Islam or essential religious practices. The fact that Muslim countries where Islam is the state religion have undergone extensive reforms goes to establish that the practise in question cannot be regarded as integral to the practices of Islam or essential religious practices, it had told the top court earlier in its affidavit. The government had cited the instances of changes in marriage laws in Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had earlier told the top court that the practice of triple talaq and polygamy were a social need and a blessing and not a curse for women. Source : Zee News JW Marriott Nashville to Open in 2018 Turnberry Associates today unveiled further plans for the new JW Marriott opening in downtown Nashville next year. Featuring a distinctive elliptical shape conceptualized by award-winning architecture firm, Arquitectonica, the impressive, 33-story property is poised to become one of the city's most iconic buildings. Nashville's newest luxury hotel is located in the heart of downtown and will rise to a staggering 386 feet once completed, offering sweeping views from one of the highest elevations in the city. The hotel is also conveniently located within a two-mile radius of Nashville's most treasured landmarks, including the Music City Center, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Schermerhorn Symphony Center and The Ryman Auditorium. "On behalf of Turnberry Associates, I would like to express our pride in taking part in the remarkable revitalization of one of the country's most thriving and vibrant cities," said Jeffrey Soffer, Co-Chairman and CEO at Turnberry Associates. "We are thrilled with the plans for JW Marriott Nashville, as we feel the design and public spaces of the hotel including the roof top bar, five star dining experience, Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina, meeting offerings and spa and fitness facilities will continue to position Nashville as a luxury destination for both leisure and business travelers." International architecture firm Arquitectonica has designed the JW Marriott Nashville, drawing inspiration from the nearby Cumberland River and its symbolic place in the city's history. A circuitous watercourse, the ever changing nature of the river follows Tennessee's natural geography as it flows through the city. Likewise, JW Marriott Nashville will reflect a similar theme through its varied and curved facade. Standout design elements include an undulating glass frontage that incorporates sculpture, fountains and art as well as a covered terrace on the 33rd floor boasting expansive outdoor space and dramatic vistas of the southern capital city. The 33rd floor will also feature Nashville's first Bourbon Steak, offering guests a five-star dining experience from world renowned chef, Michael Mina. "Arquitectonica is looking forward to making our debut in Nashville with the JW Marriott," said Bernardo Fort-Brescia, Principal Architect at Arquitectonica. "We are excited to work with Turnberry Associates and to leave a lasting contribution to the city's urban fabric. The elliptical form introduces the first aerodynamic curving tower to Nashville's high-rise vocabulary. Its projecting observation bar hovers over the corner to face the downtown skyline." The 533-room hotel will welcome guests in a warm and elegant lobby, where visitors can indulge in over 1,000 wines or premium cigars. The 33rd floor will also feature a state-of-the-art spa with a lap pool, salon and fitness center. Conveniently located just 10 miles from the airport, JW Marriott Nashville will be an ideal location for groups and business travelers, boasting 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space, two ballrooms, 16 meeting rooms and two boardrooms equipped with advanced audio visual and wireless technology. Company culture continues to be a hot topic in todays business world. Search through every business-focused website or magazine, and youre sure to find at least one article discussing how company culture is imperative to retaining long-term talent. Regardless of the large number of business leaders who support this growing trend, the effects of investing in company culture on the bottom line have largely been based on personal opinionuntil now. Recently, IZA World of Labor conducted a study that proves happy employees are oftentimes more productive in the workplace. The study highlights that when companies create positive emotions for employees, it leads to an increase in their allocation of time to more creative tasks, which may be linked to greater productivity. When a worker is happy in their career, it is often positively correlated with higher overall productivity. Furthermore, a study from Surrey Business School points to the extreme influence the energy of surrounding co-workers has on the likelihood an employee will voluntarily leave their current job for another opportunity. The study, which was conducted over a four-year period with IT workers, shows us that relationships have a strong bearing on loyalty within an organizationand how a lack of personal connection makes it more likely that an employee will leave. The researchers point to a number of strategies managers can implement in order to retain their staff, like bring... Live video feed may not work across all mobile devices. Update 9.55pm:Keith Harrison's solicitor Trevor Collins has this evening confirmed his client wants to be part of any public inquiry into the whistleblower crisis. Alleging a "common pattern of treatment" of whistleblowers within the Force, including unfounded allegations of child sex abuse against whistleblowers and the spreading of rumours against them, Mr Collins reiterated Keith Harrison's earlier statement that his case should also be included in the inquiry. Children's Minister Katerine Zappone has said she will meet garda Harrison to discuss his demand. Update 8.25pm: Enda Kenny has admitted for the first time that he was aware of false allegations of sex abuse against Maurice McCabe. The Taoiseach has conceded that Katherine Zappone did tell him of the sexual nature of the false allegations against the whistleblower. Both ministers insisted that further details were not discussed, though the Taoiseach declared that the matter fell within the scope of their inquiry into an alleged smear campaign. The matter was discussed in some detail before last Tuesday's Cabinet meeting. The Taoiseach said: "Minister Zappone said that she had met with the McCabes and that the question of false allegations of sexual abuse had been made to Tusla and discussed by her with the McCabes." Update 7.50pm: Tanaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has refused to answer questions set out by whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe. The demand for explanations was turned down as the Government moved to open a potentially long-running tribunal to investigate an alleged smear campaign against the officer. Sergeant McCabe sought answers on whether a superintendent held a meeting or had a phone call with health chiefs over the unfounded and false report of alleged sex abuse. He also wanted the identity of an officer who took a call from the Health Service Executive about the untrue report of a rape allegation and who interviewed the alleged victim. Sgt McCabe also asked for information about garda activity around the issue and whether a decision had been taken to keep the false claim from him. Ms Fitzgerald said it would be "fraught" to set up a tribunal and immediately demand answers from people involved. "Of course, I understand well the concerns which people have expressed about the treatment of Maurice McCabe. But it would be a great pity for people here to try to rectify one injustice by causing others," she said. "Whatever anger people might feel, in this country we do not set up tribunals of inquiry simply to confirm what people already believe. We set them up to look at all the evidence, hear all sides, and establish what the truth is. "We have to be careful not to rush to judgment. And above all everyone is entitled to basic, fair procedures enshrined in our Constitution. I am not prepared to ignore that and engage in a rush to judgment, which ignores anyone's fundamental human rights. "We have to investigate matters fully, but it must be fairly too. I cannot uphold the integrity of the office to which I have been honoured to be appointed by setting at nought the rights of others." Update 7.25pm: Ms Fitzgerald also referred to Sergeant Maurice McCabe's statement yesterday in which he asked for answers to six questions. The Tanaiste says she does not have the information and is not certain she has the legal right to ask for it. The Justice Minister said: "They are of course matters that will dealt with fully by any inquiry, and this gives rise to a difficulty with the suggestion it is simply a matter of asking the Garda Commissioner to ask the Gardai involved. "I have not had a chance to get detailed formal advice from the Attorrney General, but there are clearly implications for the rights of people involved." Update 7.15pm: The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has again admitted he gave an inaccurate account of his knowledge on the false Tusla allegations against Maurice McCabe. For the second time he admitted he had not given an accurate account of what he knew and when. Mr Kenny told the Dail: "I was aware of the meeting between Minister Zappone and Sergeant McCabe, but I was not aware of the details or of the very serious and disturbing issues that arose at the meeting. "And in referring to this last Sunday, I mistakenly said that I had spoken to Minister Zappone before her meeting with Sergeant McCabe. That comment was inaccurate, alas Ceann Comhairle." Update 6.30pm: Tanaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has again denied misleading the Dail regarding any knowledge of Tusla records relating to false claims involving Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe. Speaking in the Dail today, she said: "Suggestions have been made that I had knowledge of Tusla records at the time the matter was before Government, which would have required me to amend the terms of reference. "As I have repeatedly stated that is not the case. And I was as taken aback at - and disturbed - at watching the revelations about Tusla that were aired last Thursday as anyone else. Clearly very serious issues have arisen. She added: "My engagement with Deputy Jim OCallaghan last Wednesday was constructive throughout and entirely focussed on ensuring that a commission of investigation would establish the full truth. "I accept that each of our positions on this aspect of the discussion are genuinely held. And I acknowledge very much that is this spirit in which Deputy O'Callaghan has worked. O'Callaghan '100% certain' he mentioned Tusla file to Tanaiste https://t.co/9NSjzwxn4J pic.twitter.com/yvQF8D9DT9 RTE News (@rtenews) February 13, 2017 "I regret that differences have arisen between the two of us as to what exactly was said. I have always found the Deputy honourable and I do know he made very helpful suggestions about changes that might be made to the terms of reference - which, indeed, I accepted in substance. She added: "There is no question of me having misled the Dail in any way in what I had to say here last Thursday." Update 5.38pm: Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald, Children's Minister Katherine Zappone and Health Minister Simon Harris will give detailed statements to the Dail this evening over their contradictory views of the Maurice McCabe smear campaign scandal, writes Fiachra O Cionnaith, Political Correspondent. However, while a Government no confidence motion on the controversy is due to take place tomorrow, a high-profile debate on the scale of an imminent public tribunal into what happened may now be delayed until next week. The decisions were made by the Dail's 11-TD cross-party business committee this evening as the garda smear campaign scandal continued to escalate. Mr Kenny, Ms Fitzgerald, Ms Zappone and Mr Harris will each give 10-minute statements addressing a series of contradictions over responses given by them and agencies under their remit to the McCabe scandal between around 6pm and 8.30pm this evening. In particular, the statements are intended to clear up disagreements between Mr Kenny and Ms Zappone's version of events, and when other ministers became aware of the entirely false and incorrect Tusla sex abuse reports. "What did Katherine Zappone tell you, and what did her officials tell your officials?" the Taoiseach is asked. pic.twitter.com/6qCZDyUSMU RTE News (@rtenews) February 12, 2017 Taoiseach says he is guilty of 'not giving accurate information' in relation to his contact with Katherine Zappone pic.twitter.com/i5OKcvqiy3 RTE News (@rtenews) February 14, 2017 While opposition parties will be give limited opportunities to respond tonight, they will have greater scope to address the issues tomorrow during a Sinn Fein motion of no confidence in Government. .@sinnfeinireland motion of no confidence in the govt will take place in the Dail tmw at 6.45pm-10.15pm Martina Fitzgerald (@MartinaFitzg) February 14, 2017 Although it has yet to be definitively agreed, the business committee has also discussed delaying the mooted debate on the scale and scope of a public tribunal into the McCabe scandal until next week instead of holding it either today, tomorrow or Thursday. The delay, which has yet to be agreed, would be to allow Mr Kenny to meet with the leaders of other parties to discuss the likely terms of reference of the investigation. Update 3.55pm: Doubts have emerged over whether Supreme Court judge Peter Charleton will be able to chair any investigation into the alleged smear campaign against Sergeant Maurice McCabe, writes Fiachra O Cionnaith, Political Correspondent. Mr Justice Charleton was named last week as the person who would chair the planned commission of inquiry into the case, which is now set to become a public tribunal. However, while no decision has been made, it has emerged this afternoon that a serving Supreme Court judge may not be legally allowed to chair a public tribunal. The situation, which will cause yet more problems for Government, was referred to in passing during Leaders Questions by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, when he said the investigation would be chaired properly by a person, "whoever that might be". Update 3.47pm: A second Garda whistleblower has issued a public statement, demanding that his own case be included in an inquiry or tribunal. Garda Keith Harrison, who was named in the Dail today, says the claims by Maurice McCabe are not isolated, but highlight "a common approach" to whistleblowers within senior management. Breaking: statement in from another Garda whistleblower, Keith Harrison, demanding to be included in inquiry pic.twitter.com/P87EFjAYoO Aubrey Robinson (@andyazi) February 14, 2017 He says those tactics include an unjustified referral of his family to Tusla, as well as "malicious falsehoods" being spread to the media. The Garda claims that restricting the new inquiry to only one case will allow Maurice McCabe's treatment to be presented as a once-off, when there is an orchestrated system led by senior gardai. "I demand my case be included in any Inquiry/Commission of Investigation by the Government and political establishment," his statement concludes. "We will not rest until this happens." Mr Harrison claimed there is an "orchestrated system and culture" among senior management of the force that dictates the treatment of whistleblowers. Mr Harrison said: "The efforts of this Government to restrict the inquiry/commission of investigation to the very traumatic story of Sergeant McCabe absolutely ensures we will not get to the bottom of the culture of management failures and ill-treatment of whistleblowers within An Garda Siochana." Update 3.28pm: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has admitted that he is "guilty here of not giving accurate information" regarding his conversation with Children's Minister Katherine Zappone regarding her meeting with Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe. I might say mea culpa - I am guilty here of not giving accurate information, he told the Dail. Speaking on the 'On 'This Week' programme on RTE Radio last Sunday, Enda Kenny said: "Minister Zappone is doing a very good job, did tell me that she intended to meet with Sergeant McCabe in a private capacity and that's all I knew. I said to her: 'Well if you do have a meeting make sure that you have a thorough account of it', so when we had our meeting on Tuesday I wouldn't have been aware of any of the details of her discussions with [Maurice McCabe]." Mr Kenny today said that he regrets saying that the conversation happened and that communication took place between his officials and Ms Zappones office. AAA-PBP TD Paul Murphy said that the Taoiseach gave "a completely inaccurate statement" during Sunday's interview on RTE Radio. "If you had said that conversation did not take place, then how could you remember it in such detail if it didn't take place?," said Deputy Murphy. "It means on Tuesday, you knew about Tusla and you consciously didn't include it in the terms of reference, and it means you misled the public on RTE." Deputy Murphy also called for the removal of Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan. AAA-PBP TD Paul Murphy asks how the Taoiseach can he allow Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan to remain in place during the inquiry pic.twitter.com/8tLn3hhclV RTE News (@rtenews) February 14, 2017 The Taoiseach also drew criticism from Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. "While your Government remains in office, there will be no truth, there will be no justice for Maurice McCabe," said Deputy Adams. "A criminal investigation is needed." The Taoiseach responded by calling Deputy Adams "an absolute hypocrite". In response to Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams, Taoiseach said: 'You're an absolute hypocrite after what you said and did to Senator Mairia Cahill' pic.twitter.com/LARpdX7Or1 RTE News (@rtenews) February 14, 2017 Update 2.57pm: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has apologised and admitted his account last Sunday of his knowledge of events of a conversation with the Children's Minister was incorrect. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin demanded that ministers come before the Dail and explain themselves regarding the recent Maurice McCabe controversy. "I also want to put it to you that the establishement of a tribunal of inquiry, and it hasn't been established yet, is no basis for Ministers not coming into the House, to answer questions to the House, and to be accountable to the House, in relation to the Tusla file, which is over and above an additional to, the protective disclosures issues which gave rise to the inquiry in the first instance," he said. 'There was an attempt and a campaign to undermine the integrity of Maurice McCabe' - Micheal Martin pic.twitter.com/DDwweaVKZs RTE News (@rtenews) February 14, 2017 "Sergeant McCabe and his family deserve, as do others, the fairness and justice that will come from a tribunal of inquiry," Mr Kenny said. The allegations to be investigated in the judge-led inquiry will be decided over the coming days. Enda Kenny says the Govt agreed in principle to set up a tribunal of inquiry into McCabe smear allegations pic.twitter.com/NGTkUqDqUa RTE News (@rtenews) February 14, 2017 "The issue here is there is any issue of truth and justice that needs to determined. It's a very sensitive and serious public matter now, the way to do that is to have the cooperation of everybody," the Taoiseach said. "There isn't any point in having some private investigation or commission if the McCabe family are not willing to participate in it." Enda Kenny: 'An effective process to deal with' the alleged smear campaign is required pic.twitter.com/5g11J8zLEN RTE News (@rtenews) February 14, 2017 In a lengthy statement on Monday, Sgt McCabe accused Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan of privately discrediting him while publicly declaring her support over his horrific ordeal. The officer claimed the police chief's lawyers set out to discredit him at the O'Higgins Commission which investigated and vindicated a series of allegations by Mr McCabe of negligence in policing in the Cavan-Monaghan district. Ms O'Sullivan again insisted she played no role in the peddling of false rumours of child sex abuse against Mr McCabe in order to blacken his name for exposing wrongdoing in the force. The McCabes set out a number of questions they want answers to. They include a demand that the Taoiseach, Justice Minister and Children's Minister and other members of Government disclose if they were ever "briefed formally or informally" about the false abuse allegations. Update 2.32pm: The Government has confirmed that it is holding a public inquiry into an alleged smear campaign against whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe. Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed the Cabinet has agreed in principle to set up a tribunal into the scandal of unfounded and false sex abuse claims being peddled against the respected officer. The decision was taken after Mr McCabe and his wife Lorraine said they would not accept any investigation into the controversy being held behind closed doors. "There's nothing worse in this country than to be called a sex abuser, nothing worse," the Taoiseach told the Dail. The terms of reference of the tribunal have not been finalised but Mr Kenny said the primary function will be to establish if there had been an organised smear campaign targeting Mr McCabe by senior garda. Update 2pm: The Cabinet has agreed to set up a public inquiry into allegations of a smear campaign against Maurice McCabe. Ministers signed off on the idea after it was discussed between Enda Kenny and Micheal Martin earlier today. However there is no agreement on the terms of reference for the inquiry, which will only be drafted after talks with opposition parties. Meanwhile there is no agreement yet on when a motion of no confidence in the Dail will be debated - with no agenda agreed for this week. The Dail's business committee is to meet again at 4pm to discuss a weekly timetable. Update 1pm: It is understood that Fianna Fail compiled draft terms of reference for a public inquiry into the Maurice McCabe scandal overnight, which leader Micheal Martin presented to Taoiseach Enda Kenny today. Enda Kenny then held the usual midday pre-meeting with Fine Gael ministers and told them he would recommend the Cabinet proceed with a public inquiry. The Government is also proposing to the Dail business committee this afternoon that a motion of confidence in itself be taken tomorrow, and that would be voted on immediately after the debate. Separately, childrens charity Barnardos welcomed the announcement that the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) will undertake an investigation into how Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, manages child abuse cases. It is crucial this investigation is thorough and concludes quickly to ensure confidence in Tusla is maintained, said CEO Fergus Finlay. Any failings must be addressed so it is important senior social work professionals play an active role in the investigation. It is inexcusable to leave cases unallocated and ignored, thereby increasing the risk of harm to other children or damaging the reputation of innocent people. Tusla has advanced the reform of Irelands child welfare and protection system since its establishment in 2014. But it has struggled from the start with inadequate resources. He added: So the HIQA investigation will not achieve its objective unless the Government accept that our child protection system has the child at its heart and is resourced appropriately. Update 11.55am: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has assured Fianna Fail that a public tribunal of inquiry into the Maurice McCabe scandal will replace the Commission of Inquiry proposed last week, writes Daniel McConnell, Political Editor. Mr Kenny met with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin this morning and it was agreed that a public inquiry would now proceed after Sgt McCabe and his wife said they could not support a Commission, which would conduct its work in private. At a meeting with Micheal Martin this morning, the Fine Gael leader said he would discuss the potential terms of reference with the Cabinet today. The decision to scrap the Commission eases the chances of an election which had been threatened in the past 48 hours. Independent Alliance ministers Finian McGrath and Shane Ross have said they will represent the views of Sgt McCabe at Cabinet and will be asking hard questions of their colleagues. The Cabinet will this morning discuss establishing a public inquiry. Sgt McCabe issued a statement yesterday saying he strongly opposed an inquiry that would be held in private. He and his wife Lorraine said there is now "no reason to have any secret or private inquiry". Update 11.51am: Health Minister Simon Harris has said the McCabe family deserve a public inquiry after saying they have "gone to hell and back" for speaking out about Garda malpractice, writes Fiachra O Cionnaith, Political Correspondent. Speaking on his way into Cabinet, Minister Harris said a full public tribunal is now needed and that Government must accept it is the only way to address what has happened. A man and his family have gone to hell and back, and Government must and will respond in a manner which enables a platform of truth to be established, he said. The culture of secrecy must end. Both human decency and the public good demand no less. Update 11.50am: Childrens charity Barnardos has welcomed the Health Information and Quality Authoritys decision to undertake an investigation into how Tusla manages child abuse cases. They say this scrutiny is necessary to ensure lessons are learnt and high standards are kept to the fore. Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay said, It is crucial this investigation is thorough and concludes quickly to ensure confidence in Tusla is maintained. Any failings must be addressed so it is important senior social work professionals play an active role in the investigation. Reassurances must be given that any complaints received will be handled robustly, consistently and in a timely manner. It is inexcusable to leave cases unallocated and ignored, thereby increasing the risk of harm to other children or damaging the reputation of innocent people. Update 11.10am: The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) has backed calls for a public inquiry that encompasses a broad and systemic review of how TUSLA deals with sexual abuse allegations. The ISPCC has released a statement following calls from the McCabe family to hold a public inquiry into TUSLAs procedures and the alleged smear campaign against Maurice McCabe. They welcomed the involvement of HIQA in setting the terms of reference, but has called for child protection professionals to be an integral part of the investigations. ISPCC Chief Executive Grainia Long said: While we welcome the investigation into handling of child sex abuse allegations by TUSLA, and the involvement of HIQA we are urging Minister Katherine Zappone to ensure the terms of reference allows for a systemic look at TUSLA systems and operations in this area. In their statement the ISPCC said the investigation should go beyond the examination of a single case to include child protection professionals. The ISPCC has consistently called for greater resources for TUSLA in both 2015 and 2016 budgets and we continue to believe that in resource terms, we have established a child protection system with one hand tied behind its back. The Irish child protection system is entirely dependent on the existence of trust between children and social workers, between parents and TUSLA, and between organisations who make referrals and the child and family agency. A timely investigation and implementation of findings will hopefully enable trust in TUSLAs practices in investigating allegations of child sex abuse, to be restored, Ms Long concluded. Update 9.45am: The Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader have been meeting this morning to discuss the next steps in the Garda whistleblower controversy. They are expected to discuss the possibility of a public investigation, with Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and Labour all reportedly in favour of a tribunal of inquiry. After the talks with Micheal Martin and Enda Kenny will be facing into what is expected to be a stormy cabinet meeting. Special Correspondent with the Irish Examiner Mick Clifford says the statement issued by Sergeant Maurice McCabe yesterday evening released some pressure after a dramatic day: It looked like it would be quite possible that there could be an election, This has given everyone an out, now they can all say this is it, we will have a public tribunal and the heat comes off. Update 9am: The whistleblower saga has led to questions over Taoiseach Enda Kenny's leadership. Sinn Fein is trying to pass a motion of no confidence I the Government. But Fine Gael TD for Wexford, Michael D'arcy, has come to the defence of his party leader: I absolutely don't think we should be having this conversation this week, absolutely not. I think it is a matter for the Taoiseach, for him to determine, what he is deciding to do, whenever that is going to be. Earlier: The Taoiseach Enda Kenny will meet Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin later, to discuss the option of a full public inquiry into allegations of a smear campaign against Sergeant Maurice McCabe. There is growing pressure on the government to scrap the planned Commission of Investigation into the affair, after Sergeant McCabe said he was opposed to it taking evidence in private. The cabinet will also discuss the matter this morning, with tensions running high between Fine Gael and their Independent Alliance partners. But Fianna Fail's playing down suggestions they could withdraw from their agreement with the minority government. Fianna Fail's Justice spokesperson is Jim O'Callaghan: "It took us a long time to put that Government together, I was part of the team that negotiated with Fine Gael, it took a long time. "The Government is in position for approximately nine months, if we have an election now the biggest problem is going to be, the entitlement that Srgt McCabe has to have a full inquiry, will not be vindicated." Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 64F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Guest Column Peace and Trust in the Karen Hills School children gesture at the Ei Thu Ta camp for displaced Karen along the Salween river, Nov. 17, 2014. / Reuters The peace process in Burma may be in crisis, not least due to widespread fighting and serious human rights abuses committed mostly by the Burma Army in Kachin and Shan states. But across southeast Burma, ceasefires are holding and communities are beginning to recover from decades of armed conflict. There are huge needs for livelihoods and basic human security in these conflict-affected areas, which remain isolated from government-controlled Burma and feel like another country. In mid-January, I spent three days walking through what the Karen call Lerdoh Township, in the Karen National Union (KNU)s Kler Lwee Htoo District. Officially, this area is designated Kyaukkyi Township, Bago Division by the central government. I was returning to this area after half a dozen visits between 2008 2015. Before and After the Ceasefire When I first visited these hills in 2008, I took part in a five-week trek with the KNU and Free Burma Rangers, a Christian humanitarian group. It was cold, beautiful, heavily forested in parts, and very isolated. During the first part of the trip, we traveled through KNU-controlled areas, staying in Karen villages. Later, we moved cautiously through jungle areas that had been cleared out during the previous decades by the Burma Armys four cuts counterinsurgency campaign. I met with villagers who had fled from the lowlands a few years prior and were now living a precarious existence in hidingfrequently shifting location to avoid Burma Army hunt and kill patrols. They had previously been irrigated rice farmers, with enough crops to live year-round, and often a small surplus. Now, as upland swidden (slash and burn) farmers, they could rarely cultivate enough rice for six months each year. In April 2012, following the confirmation of a ceasefire between the KNU and the government, I accompanied Charles Petrie to the Kyaukkyi area, to help initiate the first Myanmar Peace Support Initiative (MPSI) pilot project. It operated under the mandate of Norwegian support to the peace process, as requested by the Burmese government, and the trip was undertaken at the invitation of the KNU central and district leadership. We traveled with Burma government and army officials to the frontline, before being handed over to the KNU and walking into the Keh Der Village Tract. We spent two days talking to villagers and confirming the findings of a needs assessment undertaken in the area by the KNUs relief and development wing, the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People. On the basis of this assessment, the MPSI facilitated a series of consultations which brought together conflict-affected communities, government and army officials, and KNU/KNLA leaders. It was extraordinary to hear the Keh village tract leadera diminutive but tough IDP, who spoke only Sgaw Karensitting just a few yards from the Bago Division border affairs and security minister, and telling him how much the villagers appreciated the peace process, but also asking whether the minister (a Burma Army colonel) could guarantee that he would not burn down their villages again. The minister was not pleased, and for a moment it seemed that this sensitive encounter would not turn out well. However, the minister said that he recognized the lack of trust, and that they would not burn down their villages again. He added that he knew the village tract leader wouldnt believe this, so they would have to continue meeting and learning to trust each other. A few weeks later, once the project was underway, the MPSI facilitated another consultation, with another encounter between these two gentlemen. At this point, Karen villagers had been walking down from Keh Der across the military frontline to collect supplies. Burma Army soldiers questioned them along the waynot particularly aggressively, but in a way that frightened villagers, who had only ever met government soldiers in the context of violent encounters, with the military trying to kill them (as suspected KNU supporters). These encounters were intimidating for the project beneficiaries, as the village tract chairman explained. Again, the minister was unhappy, stating that the Burma Army was like a parent, and had the right to question wayward children. However, he again calmed down after a while, and issued instructions to the light infantry division operations commander not to bother the villagers with further questions, so as not to intimidate them. Afterwards, the minister embraced the village tract leader, and told him it was brave to raise such issues, and they would learn to trust each other. I have been privileged to witness a few such moments, which have inspired me to see the possibilities of real transformation through the peace process. However, it remained a challenge to scale up from local peace-building, to achieve something which could be generalised in other areas. Of course, ongoing fighting the part of the country also undermines confidence in the peace process. Five Years Later When I first visited Keh Der, the village was abandoned. There was just one small hut a staging post on the journey up into the hills, where the original Keh Der villagers had fled nearly 40 years ago. In the years since, they had been living in small settlements in KNU-controlled areas, moving frequently to avoid Burma Army patrols. I remember asking why villagers had not fled to refugee camps in Thailand, and was told that they wanted to stay close to their ancestral lands. I was struck by the dignity of these villagers, and their strong animist commitment to locality. In 2013, some displaced villagers started returning to Keh Der and other villages in the area, testing the reality of the peace process. These pioneers were beginning to rebuild their communities. Most people in this area are Sgaw-speaking, and mostly animists with just a scattering of Christians. No one I spoke to would admit to speaking Burmese. Villagers repeatedly stated their fear of the Burma Army. I was told several times that local people value landmines, which they perceive as defending their fields and communities from army incursions. Many returning villagers have access to potential farmland, but are unable to cultivate this due to security concerns (including Burma Army occupation of their lands), and a lack of tools necessary for rice cultivation. One young man told me, If there is real peace, I can live in my own village and on my own land, and can be safe and secure. However, we still fear the army, and worry about the future. These fears were exacerbated by a Burma Army incursion in the area in 2014, which resulted in a firefight that left one Karen soldier dead and one injured. A middle-aged woman told me, We dream of peace, and the ceasefire is a good start, but we still fear the Burma Army. Many people worried that the ceasefire would break down, or that the peace process would facilitate improved access to their communities for the Burma Army. Therefore, most villagers strongly opposed upgrading roads into the hills, which could be used by the army to access these remote areas. As they do not speak Burmese or English, villagers have little access to news. Most expressed little knowledge of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement of October 2015. Only two among the many I asked knew the name of Burmas president. Some were aware of the 2015 elections but none had participated, explaining that this was not their business, but something related to the distant and feared government. The widespread perception seemed to be that the elections took place in another countrygovernment-controlled Burmaand were therefore of little relevance to villagers. Many people said they had heard of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but didnt know much beyond that she was trying her best. Several people expressed variations of a typical villager comment; the KNU and Burma governments should delineate positions, so that we know where we are safe in KNU-controlled areas and where we are not. In an informal fireside discussion with village elders, I was told quite unambiguously, We support the KNU. We want the Burma Army to withdraw and their government to leave us alone. One should be cautious in generalizing these attitudes to other Karen communities, but they are striking nevertheless. Before the ceasefire, very few villagers visited government-controlled areas. Such visits were dangerous, fearful and secret. Since the ceasefire, only a minority have ventured into government-controlled areas to visit markets or relatives, but numbers are increasing and less fear is reported. In time, people in this area may learn to identify with the central government. However, trust and confidence will be built slowly, and will likely depend greatly on demilitarization and a reduced Burma Army presence. TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 15, 2017) - Alamos Gold Inc. (TSX:AGI)(NYSE:AGI) ("Alamos" or the "Company") today reported results from the positive feasibility study conducted on its Kirazli gold project, located in the Canakkale Province in northwestern Turkey. The study is a continuation of the pre-feasibility study completed on the project in 2012. Feasibility Study Highlights Declaration of an initial Proven and Probable mineral reserve of 26.1 million tonnes grading 0.79 grams per tonne of gold ("g/t Au") and 12.0 grams per tonne of silver ("g/t Ag"), containing 0.67 million ounces of gold and 10.1 million ounces of silver Average annual gold production of 104,000 ounces over five years with life of mine production of 540,000 ounces Life of mine total cash costs of $339 per ounce of gold and mine-site all-in sustaining costs of $373 per ounce, among the lowest in the industry Initial capital estimate of $152 million and total life of mine capital, including sustaining capital and closure costs, of $180 million After-tax net present value ("NPV") of $187 million at an 8% discount rate ($223 million at a 5% discount rate) and an after-tax internal rate of return ("IRR") of 44%, representing a 1.4 year payback using base case gold and silver price assumptions of $1,250 and $16.00 per ounce, respectively Applying the same base case gold and silver price assumptions to the 2012 pre- feasibility study, the after-tax NPV (8%) more than doubles from $82 million to $187 million and the after-tax IRR improves from 26% to 44%, highlighting a significant improvement in the project economics "This further validates the overall attractiveness of the Kirazli project. Despite using a lower gold and silver price, Kirazli's economics have improved substantially. With its low capital and operating costs and quick payback, Kirazli is one of the highest return, undeveloped gold projects in any price environment. Kirazli represents our next phase of growth and will be a significant source of free cash flow in the coming years," said John A. McCluskey, President and Chief Executive Officer. Feasibility Study - 2017 Pre-feasibility Study - 2012 Difference Production Mine life (years) 5 5 - Total gold production (ounces) 540,000 495,300 9% Total silver production (ounces) 3,141,000 3,006,100 4% Average annual production (ounces)1 Gold 104,000 99,000 5% Silver 617,300 601,000 3% Total ore mined (tonnes) 26,100,000 25,600,000 2% Total waste mined (tonnes) 37,900,000 46,880,000 -19% Total material mined (tonnes) 64,000,000 72,480,000 -12% Waste-to-ore ratio2 1.45 1.83 -21% Average grade (grams per tonne) Gold 0.79 0.75 5% Silver 12.0 11.8 2% Recovery (%) Gold 81% 81% 0% Silver 31% 31% 0% Average throughput (tonnes per day ("tpd")) 15,000 15,000 0% Operating Costs Total cost per tonne of ore3 $ 8.49 $ 12.62 -33% Total cash cost (per ounce sold)4 $ 339 $ 515 -34% Mine-site all-in sustaining cost (per ounce sold)4 $ 373 $ 535 -30% Capital Costs (millions) Pre-production capital expenditure $ 151.9 $ 146.1 4% Sustaining capital expenditure $ 18.1 $ 9.7 87% Reclamation costs (net of salvage value) $ 9.9 $ 9.9 0% Total capital expenditure $ 179.8 $ 165.7 9% Economic Analysis IRR (after-tax) 44.3% 39.4% +4.9% NPV @ 0% discount rate (millions) $ 299.3 $ 214.2 40% NPV @ 5% discount rate (millions) $ 222.9 $ 154.1 45% Gold price assumption (average, per ounce sold) $ 1,250 $ 1,305 -4% Silver price assumption (average, per ounce sold) $ 16.00 $ 26.08 -39% Exchange Rate (Turkish Lira/US Dollar) 2.90:1 1.80:1 -38% Base Case Metal Price Comparison IRR (after-tax) 44.3% 26.3% +18.0% NPV @ 0% discount rate (millions) $ 299.3 $ 160.7 86% NPV @ 8% discount rate (millions) $ 186.5 $ 82.2 127% Gold price assumption (average, per ounce sold) $ 1,250 $ 1,250 0% Silver price assumption (average, per ounce sold) $ 16.00 $ 16.00 0% Average annual production is based on five full years of production and excludes pre-commercial production Reported waste-to-ore ratio is over the life of mine. The waste-to-ore ratio during commercial production is 1.19:1 in the 2017 feasibility study and 1.56:1 in the 2012 pre-feasibility study Total unit cost per tonne of ore excludes silver as a by-product credit. Total unit costs of $9.56 per tonne of ore reported in the 2012 pre-feasibility study included a silver credit of $3.06 per tonne, or $12.62 excluding the by-product credit Total cash costs and mine-site all-in sustaining costs include silver as a by-product credit Key Changes from 2012 Pre-Feasibility Study Unit mining costs per tonne of ore and operating costs per ounce have decreased reflecting: Design of the pit slopes have been improved based on geotechnical work conducted since 2012, resulting in increased overall slope angles, less waste mined, and a lower waste-to-ore ratio Lower Turkish Lira/US dollar assumption of 2.90:1 compared with 1.80:1 used in the pre-feasibility study. This remains conservative relative to the current Turkish Lira/US Dollar exchange rate of 3.7:1. Approximately 60% of the project operating and capital costs are denominated in Turkish Lira Unit mining costs have decreased to $1.53 per tonne of material with the application of Turkish mining contractor rates. This compares to $2.97 per tonne assumed in the 2012 pre-feasibility study which reflected North American mining costs A 2% corporate tax rate has been assumed with the Company expecting to qualify for tax investment incentives enacted by the Turkish government. A 4% corporate tax rate was assumed in the 2012 pre-feasibility study A more conservative 8% discount rate has been assumed for the base case economic analysis compared with 5% in the pre-feasibility study Lower gold and silver price assumptions of $1,250 and $16.00 per ounce respectively, down from $1,305 and $26.08 per ounce in the pre-feasibility study Applying the same base case gold and silver price assumptions to the pre-feasibility study demonstrates the significant improvement in economics under the feasibility study with the after-tax NPV (8%) increasing to $187 million and after-tax IRR increasing to 44%, from $82 million and 26%, respectively Mineral Reserves and Resources A large portion of the Measured and Indicated mineral resource at Kirazli has been successfully converted to an initial Proven and Probable Mineral Reserve totaling 26.1 million tonnes, grading 0.79 g/t Au and 12.0 g/t Ag, containing 0.67 million ounces of gold and 10.1 million ounces of silver. This initial mineral reserve represents an increase in terms of grade and contained ounces compared to the mine plan in the pre-feasibility study, which included Measured and Indicated mineral resources of 25.6 million tonnes grading 0.75 g/t Au and 11.8 g/t Ag, containing 0.61 million ounces of gold and 9.7 million ounces of silver. The Inferred mineral resource of 0.11 million ounces of gold and 1.6 million ounces of silver contained within the mineral reserve pit is treated as waste in the feasibility mine plan. This represents an opportunity to add to the mine plan with its conversion through additional infill drilling. Mineral Reserves - Effective as of December 31, 2016 Contained Ounces Classification Ktonnes g/t Au g/t Ag Gold Silver Proven 700 1.25 15.9 28,132 357,843 Probable 25,404 0.78 11.9 637,081 9,719,564 Total 26,104 0.79 12.0 665,213 10,077,407 Mineral reserve estimates assume a gold price of $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of $16.00 per ounce The Mineral Reserve cut-off grade is determined as a net of process value of $0.10/t incorporating both the gold and silver grades, recoveries less process cost plus G&A costs for each model block The Mineral reserve pit has a waste:ore ratio of 1.45:1 Mineral Resources at a 0.2g/t gold cut-off grade - Effective as of December 31, 2016 Contained Ounces Classification Ktonnes g/t Au g/t Ag Gold Silver Measured 118 0.50 2.7 1,910 10,339 Indicated 5,848 0.43 2.2 79,920 408,583 Measured & Indicatd 5,966 0.43 2.2 81,830 418,922 Inferred 5,689 0.59 9.0 107,635 1,638,365 Mineral Resources are reported exclusive of Mineral Reserves Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the Mineral Resources estimated will be converted into Mineral Reserves. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues The CIM definitions were followed for the classification of Measured, Indicated, and Inferred mineral resources. The quantity and grade of reported Inferred Resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these Inferred Resources as an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource category Mineral resources are contained within pits optimized at a price of gold of US$1,400/oz and US$22/oz for silver, with pit slope angles ranging from 40 to 48 Economic Analysis Kirazli's estimated base case after-tax IRR is 44.3% and after-tax NPV is $187 million, using an 8% discount rate based on an economic analysis conducted as part of the feasibility study. This represents a 1.4 year payback and assumes a gold price of $1,250 per ounce and silver price of $16.00 per ounce, and incorporates only Proven and Probable mineral reserves. The project's economics are sensitive to discount rates, metal price assumptions and input costs as detailed in the tables below. Kirazli After-Tax NPV (8%) Sensitivity ($ Millions) -15% -10% -5% 100% 5% 10% 15% Gold and Silver Price $110.2 $135.6 $161.0 $186.5 $206.6 $231.7 $256.8 Turkish Lira $215.2 $206.5 $197.0 $186.5 $174.9 $162.0 $147.5 Capital Costs $210.9 $202.8 $194.6 $186.5 $178.3 $170.1 $162.0 Operating Costs $209.7 $201.9 $194.2 $186.5 $178.7 $171.0 $163.2 Kirazli After-Tax NPV (8%) and IRR Sensitivity to Gold Price Gold Price ($) After-Tax NPV 8% ($M) After-Tax IRR (%) 950 73.2 24.0 1,050 110.9 31.2 1,150 148.7 38.0 1,250 186.5 44.3 1,350 218.8 49.6 1,450 256.2 55.4 Kirazli After-Tax NPV Sensitivity to Discount Rate Discount Rate (%) After-Tax NPV ($M) 0 $299.3 5 $222.9 8 $186.5 10 $165.3 Permitting With the Environmental Impact Study and Forestry Permits for Kirazli approved by the federal government, the Company is pursuing the GSM (Business Opening and Operation) permit which is granted by the Canakkale Governorship. The full 2017 development budget for Kirazli will be provided following receipt of the GSM permit. Following a construction decision, the Company expects a 24 month development timeline for Kirazli, including approximately three months of pre-commercial production. Mining Conventional open pit mining methods will be utilized at Kirazli with contract mining to be employed. The final pit designs are based on a 5 metre bench height. A traditional drill, blast, load and haul sequence will be used to deliver ore to the crushing circuit. Waste rock will be used as engineered fill for the leach pad foundation during the early years after which the majority will be sent to the waste rock dump and be used to backfill portions of the pit as the ultimate extents are achieved. An opportunity to improve the design of the pit slopes at Kirazli was outlined in the 2012 pre-feasibility study and additional geotechnical work was subsequently undertaken. The geotechnical evaluation was based on core logging, point load testing and laboratory analysis of the geotechnical core holes. Based on the findings, the recommended inter-ramp/overall pit slope angles have been increased to a range of 40 to 48 depending on the sector of the pit. This has reduced the amount of waste to be mined, significantly lowering the life of mine waste-to-ore ratio to 1.45:1 from 1.83:1 in the 2012 pre-feasibility study. This has helped reduce the mining cost per tonne of ore and improved the overall economics of the project. Processing, Metallurgy and Infrastructure Kirazli has been designed as a 15,000 tonnes per day ("tpd") heap leach operation utilizing a multiple lift, single use leach pad. Ore will be processed by primary crushing and open circuit secondary crushing to a nominal size of 26 millimetres. The secondary crushed ore will be drum agglomerated, stacked on the leach pad by conveyor stacking and processed with conventional heap leaching methods. The crushed ore will be stacked in 10 metre lifts with the leach pad facility sized with a capacity of 35 million tonnes. This is approximately 8.9 million tonnes larger than the current mineral reserve to accommodate additional ore beyond the current mineral reserves. A dilute cyanide solution will be applied to the crushed ore over a 90 day leaching cycle with the pregnant solution collected and processed through the adsorption-desorption-recovery ("ADR") plant where gold and silver dore bars will be produced. Based on column tests conducted on the different alteration types at Kirazli, gold and silver recoveries are expected to average 81% and 31%, respectively. Power will be supplied from the commercial electricity grid with a new dedicated 30 kilometre long overhead line connecting the Canakkale utility substation to the Kirazli mine substation. In the event of a power failure, a diesel-fired backup generator will be used to supply emergency power. Operational water will be supplied via a pipeline from a planned reservoir to be constructed by Alamos. In conjunction with the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs - State Hydraulic Works ("DSI"), a water reservoir project has been designed to supply the process water requirements of the Kirazli mine and clean drinking water and irrigation for the nearby communities. The feasibility and design of the reservoir project has been approved by DSI. Operating Costs Total cash costs are expected to average $339 per ounce and mine-site all-in sustaining costs $373 per ounce, net of silver as a by-product credit, both among the lowest in the industry. Total unit costs per tonne of ore processed are expected to average $8.49 per tonne. This is down from $12.62 per tonne assumed in the pre-feasibility study reflecting the depreciation of the Turkish Lira, lower unit mining costs per tonne of material, and a lower waste-to-ore ratio. Unit mining costs have decreased to $1.53 per tonne of material with the application of Turkish mining contractor rates. This compares to $2.97 per tonne assumed in the 2012 pre-feasibility study which reflected North American mining costs. Approximately 60% of Kirazli's operating and capital costs are denominated in the Turkish Lira. Of the remaining 40%, the majority is denominated in US dollars. The breakdown of unit costs is summarized as follows. Operating Cost1 $/t Processed LOM $M Mining2 $3.24 $83.1 Processing $3.54 $90.5 G&A $1.71 $43.9 TOTAL Operating Costs3 $8.49 $217.5 Operating costs exclude working capital and royalty payments Average mining cost during the production period is $1.53/t mined with a strip ratio of 1.19:1 (1.45:1 including pre- commercial production) Excludes silver as a by-product credit Royalty Kirazli is subject to a Mining State Right Royalty payable to the Turkish government. It is a top line sliding scale royalty based on the price of gold with a 50% deduction to the royalty for producing dore in country. Including certain other eligible deductions available for expenses related to transportation and processing costs, the Company expects the gross royalty of 4% would be reduced to a net payable royalty of approximately 1.5% (at a $1,250 per ounce gold price). State Right Royalty (Gross) Gold Price ($/oz) Silver Price ($/oz) 2% <800 <10 4% 801 - 1250 11-20 6% 1251 - 1500 21-25 8% 1501 - 1750 25-30 10% 1751 - 2000 31-35 14% 2001 - 2250 36-40 16% >2251 >41 Capital Costs Initial capital cost of $152 million is consistent with the $146 million assumed in the 2012 pre-feasibility study. With good infrastructure and the ability to connect to the commercial electricity grid, the bulk of pre-production capital will be spent on construction of the leach pad, crushing circuit, process plant facilities, water management and the reservoir. The construction workforce is expected to ramp up to a maximum of 735 personnel and average approximately 500 over the peak phase of construction. Following receipt of the GSM permit, the Company expects a 24 month development timeline, including approximately three months of pre-commercial production. A breakdown of the capital requirements is detailed as follows. Capital Cost ($ Millions) Mining (Pre-Production) $18.4 Process Plant $9.8 Leach Pads and Ponds $35.8 Water Supply and Management $20.0 Offsite Infrastructure $4.1 Onsite Infrastructure $13.4 Construction Indirect Costs $10.1 EPCM $7.8 Owner's Cost $21.8 Contingency $18.9 Pre-production revenue -$8.4 Total Pre-Production Capital $151.9 Sustaining Capital $18.1 Reclamation and Closure Costs $9.9 Total Capital $179.8 Taxes The statutory corporate tax rate in Turkey is 20%; however, the Company expects to benefit from tax investment incentives that have been implemented by the Turkish Government to reduce the corporate tax rate on the Kirazli project to 2%. Effective June 19, 2012, the Turkish Government legislated certain tax investment incentives designed to promote investment in specific industries and regions of Turkey. The Company has evaluated these investment incentives in consultation with a recognized international accounting firm and the Turkish Government, and expects that the Kirazli project will qualify for the following incentives on successful application: Reduce corporate tax rate from 20% to 2% on up to 50% of the initial capital investment; Exemption from custom duties; VAT exemption; Support for interest payments; and Social security premium employer share elimination. Under the incentive program, the Company is expected to be eligible for a reduction to the corporate tax rate, resulting in an effective corporate tax rate of 2% over the current life of the project based on the gold and silver price assumptions used in the financial analysis. For the purpose of the feasibility study, the Company has only incorporated the corporate tax rate reduction into the economic analysis. Additional Opportunities Infill Drilling - Additional infill drilling has the potential to increase the confidence in the mineral resource estimate of the deposit, with the possible conversion of the inferred mineral resources to higher confidence categories Exploration Drilling - Favourable alteration extends up to 400 metres west of the pit with previous drilling in this area intersecting mineralization. Alamos plans to drill out this area in 2017. In addition, further exploration potential exists on the Catalkaya and Kale prospects that sit to the south of the Kirazli Main Zone. The Company has drilling planned for these prospects in 2017 Project Background The Kirazli project consists of 1,541 hectares and is located in the Canakkale Province on the Biga Peninsula of northwestern Turkey. The project is located approximately 25 kilometres southeast of Canakkale, the largest centre on the Biga Peninsula with a population of approximately 100,000. There is excellent well-serviced infrastructure in close proximity to the project with paved roads, electricity, transmission lines, and electricity generating facilities, the most significant being a large coal-fired power plant adjacent to the nearby Town of Can, which has a population of approximately 30,000. The Company also owns the Agi Dagi development project, located approximately 25 kilometres southeast of Kirazli. Both are standalone open pit heap leach projects. A feasibility study to update the economics for Agi Dagi, as outlined in the positive 2012 pre-feasibility study, is nearing completion. A preliminary economic assessment is also being conducted on the higher grade Camyurt project located approximately 4 kilometres away from Agi Dagi. As with Kirazli, a number of significant changes including weakness in the Turkish Lira are expected to positively impact both projects' economics. The feasibility study for the Kirazli project was consolidated by JDS Energy & Mining Inc. ("JDS"), an international engineering firm with extensive experience in both the construction and operation of mining projects, in collaboration with third party consulting firms and Alamos Gold's technical team. Technical Disclosure Chris Bostwick, FAusIMM, Alamos Gold's Vice President, Technical Services, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Chris Bostwick is a Qualified Person within the meaning of Canadian Securities Administrator's National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). The Feasibility Study has been prepared by several independent Qualified Persons (QPs) along with Alamos' internal technical staff. All geologic interpretations and grade estimation parameters were reviewed and defined from first principals in the 2013 mineral resource update. The interpretation and digitization of the alteration, reduced oxidation state, and lithology, was carried out by the geology team at site, while the estimation of grades into a mineral resource was carried out by Marc Jutras, P.Eng., Principal, Mineral Resources at Ginto Consulting Inc. The Kirazli mine plan and mineral reserve was developed by Independent Mining Consultants, Inc. (IMC) with Herb Welhener, SME-RM, as the Qualified Person for this work. The mine plan and Mineral Reserve are based on the Mineral Resource presented in Section 14 of the NI 43-101 technical report, to be filed on SEDAR, combined with economic evaluation and detailed mine planning. Mine geotechnical design and recommendations were provided by Jim Cremeens, P.E., P.G., of Knight Piesold. Todd Minard, P.Eng., of Golder Associates (Reno) was responsible for the heap leach facility and waste rock dump design and site geotechnical design. The water management plan was prepared by Paolo Chiaramello, P.Eng., of Golder Associates, (Vancouver). The metallurgy and processing sections were prepared by J. Andrew Cormier, P.Eng., of Alamos Gold and the Environment section was prepared under his direction. The financial model and tax analysis was prepared by Alamos Gold. With the exception of Mr. Cormier and Mr. Bostwick, each of the foregoing individuals are independent of Alamos Gold. They are all Qualified Persons within the meaning of NI 43-101. The Company expects to file a technical report prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 on SEDAR at www.sedar.com within 45 days of the date of this release. About Alamos Alamos is a Canadian-based intermediate gold producer with diversified production from three operating mines in North America. This includes the Young-Davidson mine in northern Ontario, Canada and the Mulatos and El Chanate mines in Sonora State, Mexico. Additionally, the Company has a significant portfolio of development stage projects in Canada, Mexico, Turkey, and the United States. Alamos employs more than 1,300 people and is committed to the highest standards of sustainable development. The Company's shares are traded on the TSX and NYSE under the symbol "AGI". VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb. 15, 2017) - Alianza Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:ANZ) ("Alianza" or the "Company") has arranged a financing by way of a private placement of 4,400,000 units at $0.125 per unit to raise $550,000. These funds will be used to continue the execution of the Company's prospect generation business model. This includes additional work at existing projects in Nevada and Yukon and reconnaissance exploration of new acquisitions from Alianza's generative work in Peru. Recently completed exploration programs upgraded three gold projects in Nevada - BP, Belleview and Horsethief and all three are slated for 2017 programs to refine targets for drill testing. Results were also positive from a 2016 exploration program at the Isy silver-gold project in Peru. This grassroots property is also slated for further work in the coming year. Recent visits have been arranged, and additional site visits are expected, for potential partners to the now 100%-owned Yanac copper project in Peru. Management has been actively marketing projects in Nevada, Peru and Yukon Territory and expects to see exploration funded by partners in addition to Alianza funded programs in 2017. Under the terms of the financing, each unit is comprised of one common share and a half non-transferable common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to acquire an additional common share for a period of 3 years at a price of $0.25. Securities issued in this offering will have a four month hold period. Certain current shareholders and insiders may be participating in this offering. Finder's fees may also be paid on portions of this offering. About Alianza Minerals Ltd. Alianza increases the chances of success in mineral exploration by using the "Prospect Generator" business model, focussing on gold and copper exploration in Latin America and Nevada. The Company has 28.4 million shares issued and outstanding, and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE:ANZ). Mr. Jason Weber, BSc, P.Geo., Alianza's President and CEO is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Weber supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this release. To learn more visit: www.alianzaminerals.com TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 15, 2017) - White Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE:WGO) (the "Company") is pleased to announce details of its 2017 Exploration Program on the Company's 297,000 hectare land package in the White Gold District of the Yukon Territory, Canada. The focus of the fully funded program is to drill test new and previously defined high priority gold-in-soil trends in the emerging White Gold District and to further define and advance its other targets to drill ready status. Drill testing of previously identified and similar scale gold-in-soil anomalies has led to the nearby gold discoveries currently owned by Goldcorp Inc. (The Coffee Project) and Kinross Gold Corporation (The Golden Saddle Project). Highlights: Extensive drill program starting May 2017 consisting of 200 drill holes (20,000m) to be conducted on multiple targets on the Loonie, IND, Dime, Nolan and Black Hills properties Detailed soil sampling, geophysics and other exploration work will be performed to follow up on newly discovered targets in 2016 and to further prepare other properties for drilling The Company's exploration program is fully financed, having recently completed an $18 million financing in December 2016 including a $14.5 million investment by Agnico Eagle Mines Limited Approximately $30 million in exploration expenditures have been incurred on the Company's properties to date The Company is the largest land holder in the White Gold district with 14,648 claims (297,000 hectares) Summary White Gold Corp. has acquired the largest land package in the prolific White Gold District of the Yukon and assembled a board and management team with a combined 40+ years of experience working in the Yukon. This team has also been directly involved with every recent major gold discovery in the White Gold District. Previous exploration work on its properties has produced several highly prospective targets. Further to the historic work performed and the encouraging results from the 2016 work program (see Company News Release dated January 23, 2016), these strategically located properties will undergo an extensive and fully funded exploration program over the next 3 years. White Gold Corp's 2017 Exploration Program The 2017 exploration program will be conducted on 22 of White Gold's properties and include RAB Drilling, Soil Sampling, Probe Sampling, Drone/X-CAM Surveys, DC IP-Resistivity, Airborne Dighem Surveys and Geologic Mapping & Prospecting. The 2017 RAB Drilling will focus on the Company's high priority targets on the Nolan, IND, Loonie, Dime and Black Hills properties. The planned supplementary work will be performed to advance other targets, particularly on the Nolan, the Hunker, Bonanza, Brew, and Wolf properties, to drill-ready status for 2018. The work on the remainder of the projects is designed to follow up on known areas of interest and/or meet assessment requirements. A detailed summary of the work to be performed on each property will be provided in future press releases. The 2017 program is scheduled to commence in May and conclude in October or later pending the scope of additional work performed pursuant to exploration success. White Gold will follow up on encouraging results with an expanded drill program as deemed appropriate. Supplementary airborne magnetic-radiometric surveys, soil sampling, geologic mapping and drone survey may also be performed to further test the Company's properties and as part of regional reconnaissance efforts. Shareholders are encouraged to visit the Company's website (www.whitegoldcorp.ca) to further understand the size and scope of the Company's projects in the White Gold District and for a summary of exploration results, maps and other relevant information. Jodie Gibson, PGeo, of GroundTruth Exploration Inc., has acted as the qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the content of this news release. About White Gold Corp. White Gold Corp. owns a portfolio of 14,648 quartz claims across 23 properties covering approximately 297,000 hectares representing approximately 30% of the Yukon's White Gold District. Preliminary exploration work has produced several highly prospective targets. The claim packages are bordered by sizable gold discoveries owned by majors including Kinross, Goldcorp and Western Copper & Gold. The Company has outlined an aggressive exploration plan to further explore its properties. For more information, visit www.whitegoldcorp.ca. Vancouver, B.C., Canada / TheNewswire / February 14, 2017 - Deep-South Resources Inc. ("Deep-South" or "the Company") (TSX-V: DSM) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire from Teck Namibia Ltd. ("Teck"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited, the remaining 70% of Haib Minerals (Pty) Ltd. ("Haib Minerals") that it does not own in exchange for, among other things, 13.6 million common shares of Deep-South. Haib Minerals holds the Exclusive Prospecting Licence 3140 ("EPL 3140"), which hosts the Haib copper project ("Haib" or "the Property") situated in the south of Namibia. At closing, Deep-South will hold 100% of Haib Minerals. At closing, in addition to its current shareholding, Teck will hold 17,776,667 of the common shares of Deep-South, representing about 35% of the Company's share capital based on the common shares currently outstanding. In addition to the Deep-South shares to be issued to Teck, Deep-South shall: pay $400,000 to Teck in accordance with the following schedule: First anniversary of the agreement: $200,000 Second anniversary of the agreement: $200,000 Teck shall hold a pre-emptive right to participate in any financing of Deep-South as long as Teck holds over 5% of Deep-South's outstanding common shares; Teck shall be granted a 1.5% NSR. Deep-South shall have the option to buy back 1/3 of the NSR in consideration for $ 2 million; If Deep-South sells or options the Property or a portion of the Property during the 36 months following closing, Teck shall receive 30% of the sale gross proceeds if the sales occurs during the first 24 months after the closing and shall receive 20% of the gross proceeds if the sale occurs between the 24th and 36th months after closing; Teck shall be entitled to a production bonus payment that will be declared at the time the company takes the decision to start mine development. Half of the bonus shall be paid upon the decision to start mine development and the second half shall be paid upon commencement ofcommercial production. The bonus value is scaled with the value of the Capital expenditures as follows: (All amounts C$ millions) Development Expenditures Cash Payment $0 - $500 $5.0 $501 - $600 $6.7 $601 - $700 $8.3 $701 - $800 $10.0 $801 - $900 $11.7 $901 - $1,000 $13.3 $1,001 and over $15.0 Teck's shareholding will be topped-up post-closing (if necessary) so that Teck holds 35% of Deep-South's share capital based on the outstanding common shares as of the closing date. The agreement and shares issuance are subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. This transaction constitute a fundamental change pursuing to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. John Akwenye, Chairman of Deep-South stated, "We are delighted with this transaction. Haib is the largest known porphyry copper deposit in Africa and is situated in an ideal location adjacent to modern infrastructure and in one of the best mining countries in Africa. In becoming our largest shareholder, Teck is a strong shareholder to have in support of the Company. Haib has substantial exploration potential and is a quality asset that adds strong value for our shareholders." About the Haib Copper Project: The Haib project is a large copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit located in the Karas region of southern Namibia, 8 km from the Orange River and the South African border. The deposit, discovered in the 1950's, has seen over 50,000 metres of drilling in the 1970's by companies such as Rio Tinto and Falconbridge Ltd. Since 2010, Teck Namibia has completed over 14,000 metres of drilling with results such as: 121 m @ 0.5% Cu, 494 m @ 0.36% Cu and 30 m @ 0.81% Cu. A report by Behre Dolbear, completed in 1996, has estimated a Historical Estimate at Haib in a range presented in the table below: Haib Historical Estimate - Behre Dolbear / GSM Cut-off(%Cu) GFM Model Behre Dolbear's Model Kriging Inverse Distance Squared Nearest Neighbour Million Tonnes Grade % Cu Million Tonnes Grade % Cu Million Tonnes Grade % Cu Million Tonnes Grade % Cu 0.1 1350 0.23 1353 0.23 1331 0.23 1184 0.25 0.2 730 0.28 739 0.29 726 0.29 630 0.34 0.3 230 0.37 244 0.37 262 0.38 292 0.46 (GFM and Behre Dolbear models used the Kriging method as the basis for their estimate calculations. Kriging is a statistical estimation technique widely used for porphyry deposits. The Inverse Distance Squared and Nearest Neighbour methods, were used by Behre Dolbear for validation of the Kriging method estimates. Behre Dolbear report was produced from a geostatistical block model completed in 1996 by Great Fitzroy Mineral NL ("GFM")). The Historical Estimate comprised principally the compilation and verification of all the drillhole data incorporating all available data to the end of the Rio Tinto Zinc programme completed in 1975 and comprising over 50,000 metres of drilling, assays and survey data. The estimates of tonnages and grades quoted in this report were prepared prior to publication of National Instrument 43-101 in 2001 and are considered as Historical Estimates. The historical grades and resources terminology from the original historical reports are to be used only as a reference and should not be considered as a current mineral resource under NI 43-101 but are to be considered as Historical Estimates as per the NI 43-101 Rules and Policies. P & E Walker Consultancy ("The consultant"), were engaged to prepare a technical review of all the historical data and reports and to act as Qualified Person. The Consultant did not have the mandate to classify the Historical Estimate as current mineral resource under NI 43-101. Deep-South is not treating the Historical Resource as a current mineral resource under NI 43-101. P & E Walker Consultancy has prepared a technical review of all the historical data and reports. The NI 43-101 qualification report can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Peter Walker B.Sc. (Hons.) MBA Pr.Sci.Nat. is the author of the 43-101 qualifying report and is responsible for the technical part of this press release, and is the designated Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. About Deep-South Resources Inc. Deep-South Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration company with a large Namibian shareholding, actively involved in the acquisition, exploration and development of major mineral properties in Namibia and Canada. Deep-South growth strategy is to focus on the exploration and development of quality assets, in significant mineralized trends, close to infrastructure, in stable countries. VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - February 15, 2017) - CB Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE: CBJ) is pleased to announce the acquisition of a strategic block of six exploitation mining concessions totalling 126 hectares in the prolific California-Vetas Gold District located in Santander, Colombia. The six properties, which collectively comprise the California Gold Project, are adjacent to and along strike from concessions which contain La Bodega gold deposit currently being developed by Mubadala Development. The last public NI 43-101 Technical Report for La Bodega was issued by Ventana Gold dated effective November 8, 2010 and reported an Inferred resource of 3.47M ounces of gold.1 One of the acquired concessions was previously optioned by Calvista Gold which conducted a nine hole diamond drill program during 2011 and 2012. These results were incorporated in a NI 43-101 Technical Report on the California Gold Project dated effective October 11, 2012 and included intercepts:2 Table 1: California Gold Project Drill Intersections Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) DDH-31 144.78 146.30 1.52 12.29 DDH-31 182.88 184.40 1.52 10.36 DDH-34 377.95 381.00 3.05 12.08 DDH-35 28.95 36.57 7.61 9.85 DDH-36 35.05 48.76 13.71 5.93 DDH-37 425.19 426.72 1.53 10.58 CB Gold plans to advance the California Gold Project toward economic feasibility by the delineation of high-grade vein resources exploitable by modern underground mining methods. This work will initially involve compiling existing data, detailed underground mapping of existing mine workings, detailed underground channel sampling, and prioritizing targets for subsequent drifting along with surface and underground diamond drilling as soon as possible. The California Gold Project is located approximately ten kilometres from CB Gold's existing Vetas Gold Project, potentially resulting in operational synergies including processing at a central mill. Transaction CB Gold has an option to purchase 100% of six exploitation mining concessions from local miners for consideration of US $5,683,764 and US $7,561,746 which is payable in shares of CB Gold. Initial payments of US $345,127 and $501,626 payable in shares of CB Gold are due upon closing. The balance of the payments are due over a two year period subsequent to title transfer. An additional payment is due three years from the date of title transfer equivalent to 1.5% of the value of gold and silver Measured and Indicated resources included in a NI 43-101 Technical Report. About the California Gold Project The California Gold Project comprises 126 hectares within the prolific California-Vetas Gold District, which also contains the multi-million ounce La Bodega and Angostura gold deposits. The property is located approximately 55 kilometres northeast of Bucaramanga, which is the capital of the Department of Santander in Colombia. Elevation ranges from 2,400 to 2,700 metres above sea level, far below the Paramo boundaries. California is situated in the Santander Massif of the eastern cordillera of the Andes Mountains. The massif is comprised of Precambrian gneisses, schists, quartzites and migmatites of the Guyana Shield. Intermediate to granitic instrusives of the Santander Plutonic Group were emplaced during a period of uplift in the Jurassic/Triassic era. Porphyry instrusive stocks and dikes in the immediate areas of mineralization may be as young as Tertiary in age. Regional faulting parallels the topographic fabric with the crustal-scale northwest trending Bucaramanga-Santa Marta wrench fault and the northeast trending Rio Cucutilla fault zone defining the principal structural trends. The gold-silver-copper mineralization in the California Gold Project is part of the same, large mineralizing system localized along a regional northeast-trending fault zone that also hosts the adjacent La Bodega deposit. Mineralization occurs in northeast, northwest and east-west striking, generally steeply north-dipping faulted structures containing high grade veins up to two metres in width. Vein mineralogy includes pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and copper sulphides, with traces of silver minerals and sometimes visible gold. Vetas Gold Project CB Gold has amended the acquisition agreement for the San Bartolo and San Antonio properties, which together with other properties collectively comprise the Vetas Gold Project. A portion of the properties were affected by the delineation of the Paramo boundaries and the outstanding amount payable has been adjusted accordingly. As final payment, CB Gold has agreed to issue 3,450,000 common shares and pay US $500,000 in cash with respect to the San Bartolo Property and issue 116,700 common shares with respect to the San Antonio property. The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Red Eagle Mining's Vice President of Exploration, Jeff Toohey P.Eng., who is a "Qualified Person" as defined under NI 43-101. The transactions are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. About CB Gold CB Gold is a well-financed precious metals exploration and development corporation majority owned by gold producer Red Eagle Mining Corporation. CB Gold has an experienced exploration and mine development team focused on building shareholder value through acquiring and developing high grade gold and silver projects with low costs and low technical risks in Colombia, a jurisdiction with prolific historic production but until recently limited modern exploration. CB Gold owns 100% of the California Gold, Vetas Gold and Santa Ana Silver Projects, which consist of numerous historic and existing mines and where exploration is currently underway to delineate high-grade vein resources exploitable by modern underground mining methods. 1 See the Technical Report titled "Preliminary Assessment La Bodega Project" dated effective November 8, 2010 available under Ventana Gold Corp.'s SEDAR profile. 2 See the Technical Report titled "Updated technical Report on the California Gold Project" dated effective October 11, 2012 available under AUX Canada Acquisition 3 Sarl.'s SEDAR profile. VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - February 15, 2017) - Imperial Metals Corporation (the "Company") (TSX: III) reports that Sterling Gold Mining Corporation ("SGMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary, has entered into a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Northern Empire Resources Corp. ("NM") to sell its interest in the Sterling gold mine property located in Nevada, United States. The purchase price for the assets includes US$10 million cash (including a US$250,000 non-refundable deposit due within 5 days of the execution of the LOI) and 5 million shares of NM. SGMC will retain a two percent (2.0%) Net Smelter Returns royalty ("NSR") on the portions of the Sterling gold mine property not currently burdened by a pre-existing NSR. The closing is planned for the second quarter of 2017 and is subject to completion of a formal Property Purchase Agreement, board and regulatory approvals as necessary, completion of due diligence and conventional conditions for such a transaction. About Imperial Imperial is a Vancouver-based exploration, mine development and operating company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns the Red Chris and Mount Polley copper/gold mines in British Columbia, and the Sterling gold mine in Nevada. Imperial also holds a 50% interest in Huckleberry Mines Ltd. and in the Ruddock Creek lead/zinc property, both in British Columbia. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb. 15, 2017) - Northern Empire Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE:NM) (the "Company" or "Northern Empire") today announced that the Company has entered into a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Sterling Gold Mining Corporation ("SGMC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Metals Corporation ("Imperial Metals")(TSX:III) to acquire a 100% interest in the Sterling property, located in Nye County, Nevada, and certain royalty rights for claims located in Nevada and California (the "Proposed Transaction"). Michael G. Allen, President, CEO and Director of Northern Empire commented, "Acquiring the Sterling property represents a company changing opportunity for the shareholders of Northern Empire. The next phase of open pit mining has been permitted at Sterling, and the properties have not seen significant exploration in 20 years. The Sterling land package consists of two claim blocks, Sterling and Daisy. Combined, the land package represents the acquisition of a gold district within Nevada, hosting 3 past producing open pit mines. The Sterling mine has previously operated as a high grade open pit and underground operation as recently as 2015, and is known for it's excellent run of mine heap leach recoveries. The site is staffed, with leach rinsing operations continuing. The Daisy claim block has indications of a large Carlin system, which has seen very little exploration since the late 1990s." Acquisition Highlights High Grade Gold in Nevada. The Sterling mine has operated as both an open pit and underground operation. Historical records show that from 1980 to 2000 mining on the Sterling orebodies produced 194,996 oz gold ("Au") at an average grade of 7.44 g/t Au. Recoveries have averaged 88% without milling; The Sterling mine has operated as both an open pit and underground operation. Historical records show that from 1980 to 2000 mining on the Sterling orebodies produced 194,996 oz gold ("Au") at an average grade of 7.44 g/t Au. Recoveries have averaged 88% without milling; Location. The Sterling property is located approximately 100 miles NW of Las Vegas on the eastern flank of the Bare Mountains. The mine is accessed via highway I-95 and gravel roads; The Sterling property is located approximately 100 miles NW of Las Vegas on the eastern flank of the Bare Mountains. The mine is accessed via highway I-95 and gravel roads; Permitted to begin operations. The Bureau of Land Management has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact ("FONSI") and approved the next phase of mining at Sterling. This permit was issued on May 12, 2016 and has an indefinite term. Northern Empire will immediately undertake a resource estimate, on all deposits on the properties; The Bureau of Land Management has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact ("FONSI") and approved the next phase of mining at Sterling. This permit was issued on May 12, 2016 and has an indefinite term. Northern Empire will immediately undertake a resource estimate, on all deposits on the properties; Significant Engineering Completed by Imperial Metals. To achieve the FONSI, Imperial Metals created designs for the new pits and heap leach facilities that Northern Empire will be able to use going forward; To achieve the FONSI, Imperial Metals created designs for the new pits and heap leach facilities that Northern Empire will be able to use going forward; Significant infrastructure in place. Imperial Metals ceased underground mining of a separate orebody in 2015. Processing facilities, mine offices and generators are on site and are currently being used to rinse heaps from prior operations. Imperial Metals ceased underground mining of a separate orebody in 2015. Processing facilities, mine offices and generators are on site and are currently being used to rinse heaps from prior operations. Near Mine - Exploration Potential. The complete Sterling property land package contains 3 past producing open pit mines, Sterling, Daisy West and Secret Pass. Significant exploration potential, based on historic drilling and known structural controls, exists along strike and adjacent to the permitted Sterling deposit. In the 1995 Annual Mineral Industry Survey by the Nevada Bureau of Mines Daisy West was reported to have a pre-mining, gold resource of 1.45 million tons grading 0.021 opt Au (1.3 million tonnes grading 0.72 g/t Au), in the same report, Secret Pass had a pre-mining gold resource of 36.6 million tons grading 0.018 opt (32.94 million tonnes grading 0.62 g/t Au). SGMC has permitted the next phase of open pit mining on the Sterling Site. After reviewing the available data, it is thought that potentially significant resources remain at Secret Pass, while Daisy West is largely mined out. The stratigraphy that hosted the Daisy West mine remains largely untested. Northern Empire reports these pre-mining historical resources for illustrative purposes only. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Northern Empire will be initiating an independent review of the data and resources on the Sterling property, the results of which will be released prior to the closing of the transaction. The complete Sterling property land package contains 3 past producing open pit mines, Sterling, Daisy West and Secret Pass. Significant exploration potential, based on historic drilling and known structural controls, exists along strike and adjacent to the permitted Sterling deposit. In the 1995 Annual Mineral Industry Survey by the Nevada Bureau of Mines Daisy West was reported to have a pre-mining, gold resource of 1.45 million tons grading 0.021 opt Au (1.3 million tonnes grading 0.72 g/t Au), in the same report, Secret Pass had a pre-mining gold resource of 36.6 million tons grading 0.018 opt (32.94 million tonnes grading 0.62 g/t Au). SGMC has permitted the next phase of open pit mining on the Sterling Site. After reviewing the available data, it is thought that potentially significant resources remain at Secret Pass, while Daisy West is largely mined out. The stratigraphy that hosted the Daisy West mine remains largely untested. The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the Sterling deposit yet to be developed STERLING MINE SELECT IN GROUND DRILLHOLES METERS HOLE# From To Length Au g/t ST-23 48.77 59.44 10.67 5.49 ST-38 48.77 62.48 13.72 6.80 SV8139 7.62 16.76 9.14 5.01 SV88053 41.15 50.29 9.14 2.05 SV89146 88.39 121.92 33.53 1.80 SV89148 126.49 149.35 22.86 2.14 The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the Secret Pass deposit yet to be developed SECRET PASS SELECT IN THE GROUND DRILLHOLES METERS HOLE# FROM -TO- LENGTH Au g/t D-204 85.34 150.88 65.53 0.79 D-206 85.34 178.31 92.96 1.36 D-313 80.77 163.07 82.30 0.90 D-314 91.44 158.50 67.06 0.90 D-320 96.01 173.74 77.72 1.02 D-164 44.20 100.58 56.39 3.13 Historic Resources - Exploration Potential. In addition to the unmined portion of Secret Pass, two additional unmined deposits are located in the northern portion of the property Daisy South and SNA. In the 1995 Annual Mineral Industry Survey by the Nevada Bureau of Mines, Daisy South was reported to have in a resource of 0.76 million tons grading 0.097 opt Au (0.68 million tonnes grading 3.33 g/t) and in the same report, the SNA deposit was reported to have a historic resource of 2.87 million tons at 0.039 opt Au (2.58 million tons at 1.34 g/t Au). Northern Empire reports these historical estimates for illustrative purposes only. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Northern Empire will be initiating an independent review of the data and resources on the Sterling Property, the results of which will be released prior to the closing of the transaction. In addition to the unmined portion of Secret Pass, two additional unmined deposits are located in the northern portion of the property Daisy South and SNA. In the 1995 Annual Mineral Industry Survey by the Nevada Bureau of Mines, Daisy South was reported to have in a resource of 0.76 million tons grading 0.097 opt Au (0.68 million tonnes grading 3.33 g/t) and in the same report, the SNA deposit was reported to have a historic resource of 2.87 million tons at 0.039 opt Au (2.58 million tons at 1.34 g/t Au). The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the Daisy South deposit yet to be developed DAISY SOUTH SELECT IN THE GROUND DRILLHOLES METERS HOLE# FROM -TO- LENGTH Au g/t D-81 121.92 156.97 35.05 4.63 including 126.49 146.30 19.81 7.37 D-97 126.49 196.60 70.10 2.16 including 179.83 190.50 10.67 4.97 D-135 111.25 192.02 80.77 2.10 including 152.40 167.64 15.24 5.87 D-145 129.54 198.12 68.58 2.02 including 161.54 169.16 7.62 8.35 The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the SNA deposit yet to be developed SNA SELECT IN THE GROUND DRILLHOLES METERS HOLE# FROM -TO- LENGTH Au g/t ML165 70.10 85.34 15.24 1.60 ML261 22.86 38.10 15.24 0.71 MR008 25.91 32.00 6.10 1.39 and 41.15 65.53 24.38 1.12 SN09-087 46.82 74.68 27.86 0.87 District Scale - Exploration Potential. Surface mapping and sampling by previous workers on the property suggests that the historic deposits are open and there is a high potential for significant new discoveries on the property. In addition, significant drilling has been done on the "Shear Zone" which appears to be the upper levels of a zoned epithermal system. Surface mapping and sampling by previous workers on the property suggests that the historic deposits are open and there is a high potential for significant new discoveries on the property. In addition, significant drilling has been done on the "Shear Zone" which appears to be the upper levels of a zoned epithermal system. The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the Shear Zone deposit yet to be developed SHEAR ZONE SELECT IN THE GROUND DRILLHOLES METERS HOLE# FROM -TO- LENGTH Au g/t ML007 44.21 54.88 10.67 1.98 ML010 42.68 50.30 7.62 2.24 ML016 33.54 48.78 15.24 0.27 ML020 53.35 56.40 3.05 0.36 ML026 77.74 97.56 19.82 1.06 INCL 77.74 88.41 10.67 1.73 ML027A 85.37 99.09 13.72 0.48 ML031 83.84 92.99 9.15 1.66 and 97.56 100.61 3.05 0.48 ML049 39.63 44.21 4.57 1.58 Data rich property. The history of Sterling can be traced back to the early 1970s. Significant underground workings, surface mining, metallurgical work and drilling have been completed on the properties to date. The Sterling block features in excess of 10,000 drillholes and underground channel samples while the Daisy block features 716 drillholes totaling over 10,000 meters. Summary of Proposed Transaction Under the terms of the Proposed Transaction with SGMC, the Company will acquire: A 100% interest in the Sterling Mine Property (the "Sterling Property") located in Nye County, Nevada being comprised of 707 unpatented mining claims encompassing approximately 14,605 acres. A four percent (4%) Net Smelter Return Royalty on the Hoodoo Canyon Property (the "Hoodoo Property") located in Nye County, Nevada, being comprised of 209 unpatented mining claims encompassing approximately 4,318 acres. Newmont Mining Corporation through Fronteer Development Inc. have assumed the lease and the obligations for an annual advance royalty payment. A three percent (3%) Net Smelter Return Royalty up to a limit of US$1,250,000 on the Tenabo (Robertson) Property located on Lander County, Nevada. By agreement dated June 20, 2016, the subject property was purchased by Barrick Cortez Inc. from Coral Gold Resources Ltd. A ten percent (10%) Net Profits Royalty Interest ("NPR Interest") on the Blue Moon Property located in Mariposa County, California. The purchase price for the assets will consist of: US$10 million cash, including a US$250,000 non-refundable deposit due within 5 days of the execution of the LOI; 5 million shares of Northern Empire. Northern Empire will also issue additional shares to SGMC to allow SGMC to maintain its pro-rata percentage interest in Northern Empire post transaction if, at any time prior to a construction financing, Northern Empire issues additional shares pursuant to an equity financing, subject to a maximum of 5 million additional shares; Northern Empire shall grant SGMC a two percent (2.0%) Net Smelter Returns royalty ("NSR") on the portions of the Sterling Property not currently burdened by a pre-existing NSR. Northern Empire has the right to purchase 50% of the NSR for US$7.5 million, and has a right of first refusal on any sale of the NSR. If Northern Empire elects to utilize the specific bioleaching technology developed by SGMC on the existing leach pads on the Sterling Property, then Northern Empire agrees to immediately reimburse SGMC for all expenses incurred by SGMC up to closing. In addition, SGMC shall be entitled to receive fifty percent (50%) of Net Operating Profits ("NOP") on the bioleaching production from these existing leach pads. SGMC shall be entitled to receive a ten percent (10%) NOP on revenue from bioleaching, associated with rinsing/reclaiming of any pads built to treat ores mined by Northern Empire subsequent to closing. Conditions of Closing The completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions to closing including, but not limited to Northern Empire's satisfactory completion of legal, title and environmental due diligence with respect to the Sterling Property, completion of various financings to raise adequate funds to make the purchase, board and regulatory approvals, and other customary conditions in the mining industry for similar asset purchase and sales. Related Financings In relation to the Proposed Transaction, the Company will be arranging a bridge financing of convertible debentures. The proceeds of the bridge financing will be used to pay the US$250,000 deposit due to SGMC, complete an updated NI 43-101 technical report on the Sterling property and for due diligence and working capital purposes. The interest free convertible debenture will convert into a unit of the Company consisting of a share and a half warrant (each full warrant, a "Warrant") upon the closing of the Proposed Transaction, or, if the Proposed Transaction doesn't complete, upon resumption of trading of the Company's shares. The conversion price shall be equal to (a) the price for which the Company completes the Subsequent Financing, as set out below, or (b) if the Proposed Transaction doesn't complete, $0.175. Each Warrant shall be exercisable into a common share of Northern Empire at a price of 33 1/3% premium to the conversion price for a period of 2 years following the closing of the convertible debenture financing. In the event that the Company files a prospectus in connection with the Acquisition Financing, it will use reasonable commercial efforts to qualify the issuance of the Units under the prospectus. In addition, the Company intends to complete a subsequent financing (the "Acquisition Financing") to complete the Proposed Transaction, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the purchase price for the proposed Acquisition, for ongoing exploration work on the Sterling Property and for general working capital. Further details regarding the Acquisition Financing will be released in due course. Advisors The Company has engaged Cormark Securities Inc. as its financial advisor in connection with the proposed transaction and Acquisition Financing. McCullough O'Connor Irwin LLP and Parsons Behle and Latimer are acting as legal advisors on the transaction. The Company has engaged JDS Energy and Mining and Norwest Corporation as technical advisors. About Northern Empire Northern Empire is an aggressive, Vancouver based, gold explorer working to take advantage of the current improving market conditions by assembling a value driven portfolio of properties. Qualified Persons Michael G. Allen, President of Northern Empire, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the information contained in this news release. He is the non-independent qualified person for this new release and has verified the data. Reunion Gold Corporation ( TSX.V: RGD ) ("Reunion") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement dated December 1, 2016 with Union Miniere de Saul ("UMS"), an arm's length private company. Pursuant to the option agreement Reunion has the right to acquire an 80% interest in... Read More Why did it take Congress nearly a decade to pass the Every Student Succeeds Act? In the following excerpt from their new book The Every Student Succeeds Act: What It Means for Schools, Systems, and States, Frederick M. Hess and Max Eden explain how what might appear to be a story of Congress not working can actually be seen as a story of Congress working exactly as it is supposed to, finding agreement on a major issue in a big, diverse, and complicated nation. When President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law on December 10, 2015, he joked that it was a Christmas miracle. Miracle or not, it was striking to see majorities in both political parties support a major piece of legislation in an era marked by gridlock and government shutdowns. Most experts thought that ESSA was a long shot, even just a few months before it passed. For our part, we recall walking out of a meeting with Republican Senate Education Committee staffers, convinced that there wasnt a chance. We were both struck by their exasperation with the Obama administrations education agenda. Substance aside, they thought that the administration had played fast and loose with the traditional policymaking process. Rather than press Congress to pass a law to replace No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the Obama administration used federal stimulus money to encourage states to accept its policy preferences and waivers from NCLBs penalties to ensure those policies were implemented. This wasnt the way separation of powers was supposed to work. Republicans had little faith that the Obama administration would abandon its strong-arm tactics and let Congress settle these questions by legislation. Staffers at the Department of Education, however, saw things quite differently. They insisted that theyd love to see Congress replace NCLB but believed that unprecedented Republican obstructionism made that a distant prospect. So, until then, they had a duty to use the levers they had to try to improve American education. While this level of polarization has become increasingly common in Washington, DC, until recently education had always been a bipartisan issue, in part because it was traditionally the preserve of the states. But in an effort to rectify long-standing inequalities, federal involvement expanded slowly during the second half of the twentieth century, culminating in 2001 with the bipartisan passage of NCLB. In the years after NCLB, the center of gravity in education policy shifted from the states to Washington. This made education more of a national political issue and hence a more polarizing one. The divisions were stark, but they didnt quite hew to traditional partisan lines. An alliance between civil rights groups on the left and the business community on the right pushed for aggressive federal involvement to drive policies designed to aid disadvantaged students. But under the Obama administration, another left-right alliancebetween teachers unions and small-government conservativesbecame ascendant. The unions argued that high-stakes standardized testing and teacher evaluation were harming teacher morale and undermining the quality of public education; conservatives argued that the administration had far exceeded its authority and was pushing policies without the consent of the governed. The latter alliance held sway in Congress, and the Every Student Succeeds Act was deemed by the Wall Street Journal as the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter century. These political trends had real consequences for schools, teachers, and students, and ESSA was a response to all of that. So, what exactly is ESSA and what does it do? ESSA is the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), passed by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. ESSA has ten Titles dealing with matters ranging from teacher quality to Native American education. The most important of these is Title I, which is devoted to improving basic programs operated by state and local education agencies. Today, Title I distributes about $16 billion annually to schools with high concentrations of low-income students. The question at the heart of federal education policy is what the federal government ought to require to ensure that the money is well spent. In the 2001 reauthorization of ESEA as the No Child Left Behind Act, states were required to test students in grades 38 and disaggregate results based on student characteristics to make achievement gaps visible. Schools that failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress toward mandated proficiency levels would face a standard set of school interventions. Under the Obama administration, the federal government used carrots and sticks to encourage states to adopt new academic standards and test-based teacher evaluation systems. ESSA maintained the broad contours of NCLB but gave states more flexibility within them. It maintained the basic federal testing requirement but gave states leeway to help address concerns about overtesting. ESSA removed NCLBs across-the-board school accountability system, allowing states the flexibility to identify and remedy low performing schools. ESSA also gave state leaders significantly more autonomy to set policy on other questions, such as teacher evaluation, diminishing the federal governments influence over state policy. The Tension Between Local Control and Equal Protection All the talk about federal versus state power in education strikes a lot of people as beside the point. After all, shouldnt education policy just be about the kids? At best, debates about the federal role can sound like abstruse technical arguments among Washington insiders. At worst, they can sound like politicians using thinly veiled partisan rhetoric to jockey for more power. But the truth is that this debate actually gets to the core of who we are as a nation. An easy shorthand is to think of this debate as the tension between the Tenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution. There is no mention of public schooling in the Constitution. But its not as though the Founding Fathers didnt think an educated citizenry was essential. In fact, they saw it as a foundational responsibility of any government and determined that it was best left to the states under the Tenth Amendment, which says, The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. The Tenth Amendment intuition is that education cannot be exclusively provided by the government; it must begin with families and spread outward to neighborhoods, religious communities, civic associations, schools, and towns. Adherents of the Tenth Amendment are skeptical that the federal government, so far removed from the fundamental acts of teaching and learning, is well suited to write laws and regulations governing how one hundred thousand schools educate more than fifty million students. More to the point, they worry that well-intentioned policies may, in practice, crowd out and erode the fundamental elements of a quality school. At the same time, there is the very real concern that, left to their own devices, districts and states might not serve all students equally well. In fact, for generations states did little to rectify palpable, basic inequalities in education. Many people believe that the federal government ought to play a strong role to make good on the promise of the Fourteenth Amendment, that the government shall not deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Adherents of the Fourteenth Amendment believe that the federal government has a duty to ensure fairness by directing funds to underresourced communities and holding states accountable for the performance of all students. Though they are often in tension, both intuitions are deeply rooted in the American experience. The balance between liberty and opportunity is at the core of who we are as a nation and comes up in many, if not all, political issues. In education policy, its been at the forefront of debates for the past half-century. From ESEA to NCLB In 1965, nearly one hundred years after the conclusion of the Civil War, Congress passed ESEA in an effort to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by directing federal funds to schools that served high concentrations of low-income children. President Johnson had high hopes, declaring that by passing this bill, we bridge the gap between helplessness and hope. Unfortunately, it wasnt that easy. ESEA faced an extraordinary challenge: attempting to reform a system that had been carefully designed to impede centralized power. The tradition of local governance was deeply rooted, and pumping federal funding into the system was no guarantee that anything would change. Indeed, four years after ESEA was passed, a landmark study found that Title I had often not reached the eligible [students], and has been little used to meet their needs. Federal policymakers were disappointed that districts often used Title I funds for their own purposes rather than for the betterment of low-income students. However, they had few useful levers to change that. In response, policymakers attached more strings to Title I money to try to ensure effective implementation. But those rules and regulations came at a cost. They inhibited district and school flexibility and increasingly trans- formed local school governance into a compliance exercise. The financial and educational costs were difficult to gauge, but stories bubbled up about teachers who were afraid to use Title I staplers on essays by nonTitle I students and Title I staff who wouldnt break up playground fights between Title I and nonTitle I students due to liability concerns. Perhaps the most significant consequence of ESEA in the latter half of the twentieth century was the bureaucratization and centralization of education policy. Meanwhile, one glaring problem lingered for decades. It was first raised publicly not by a conservative, but by liberal firebrand Robert F. Kennedy, then a Democratic senator from New York: how could we know whether the federal funding was making a difference? By and large, the state-level testing not only failed to report results disaggregated by race and class but often wasnt even administered to low performing students. State testing reports often resembled dispatches from Garrison Keillors fabled Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average. While it wasnt clear where federal efforts were making significant headway, a handful of states launched initiatives to try to raise achievement and address inequities. In what became known as the excellence movement, states like Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Virginia took steps to raise and refine academic standards and introduce more reliable standardized testing. One of the most notable laboratories of democracy was Texas, where governors on both sides of the aisle pursued a reform agenda, starting in the early 1980s, centered on higher academic standards, standardized testing, school accountability, competition, and choice. One Republican governor, George W. Bush, went on to run for president in 2001 while promising to be an education president and take the Texas model national. His signature domestic policy initiative would have made LBJ smile, as NCLB extended ESEA and infused it with an even grander ambition. No Child Left Behind put the federal government firmly in the drivers seat to expand and enforce state education reform. As mentioned previously, it mandated that states test students in grades 38 in reading and math and report disaggregated results. It also required that all schools make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) to 100 percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014 and prescribed specific interventions for schools that failed to make AYP. NCLBs aspirations made for good politics, and the law passed by overwhelming bipartisan margins. After all, no one wanted to argue that some children should be left behind. But its complex reality proved to be less appealing. The emphasis on reporting disaggregated data and closing racial achievement gaps earned plaudits from the civil rights and business communities, but the school accountability system fostered friction and discontent. Scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the gold standard in measuring educational achievement, inched up slightly through the Bush administration, but NCLB was far from a magic bullet. In fact, the more parents learned about NCLB, the less they liked it. In 2003, about a third of Americans said that they knew enough to form an opinion of NCLB, and almost two-thirds expressed a favorable opinion. By 2007, three-quarters of Americans said that they knew enough to form an opinion, but only about 40 percent approved of the law. Parents worried that the drive to increase performance on state tests came at the cost of an ever-narrowing curriculum and that the focus on getting the bubble kids from slightly below proficient to slightly above proficient came at the cost of teaching kids who were way behind or ahead. By the time Bush left office in January 2009, NCLB had turned from a shining bipartisan achievement to a tarnished bipartisan albatross; Republicans and Democrats were both discontented, but they couldnt agree on how to fix it. The Path to ESSA Bushs successor, former Illinois senator Barack Obama, campaigned for president on the promise to be a pragmatic postpartisan who would change business as usual and focus on doing what works. The Obama administration earmarked a portion of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for an initiative called Race to the Top. States submitted policy plans to the Department of Education, promising to adopt the priorities set by the secretary of education around college- and career-ready standards, test-based teacher evaluation, charter schooling, and more. At first, this approach received bipartisan approbation. David Brooks, a right-leaning columnist at the New York Times, wrote, Obamas activism isnt overbearing. Its catalytic. The administration hasnt defeated the forces of the status quo, but in state after state, youre seeing reformers moving forward. But the applause eventually gave way to grumbling. The stimulus money ran out and, as 2014 drew closer, more and more schools became subject to federal sanctions for failing to meet NCLBs goal of 100 percent proficiency. So the Obama administration offered states a deal: it would grant states waiver relief from NCLB sanctions if they stuck with the program on education policy. Supporters credited Secretary of Education Arne Duncan with advancing good policies in the face of congressional inaction. But detractors saw NCLB waivers as an executive overreach without any statutory basis. For example, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chairman of the Senate Education Committee and a former secretary of education himself, decried the transformation of the Department of Education into a national school board. On the right, the Common Core, or Obamacore as it was often called, became a bete noire to conservative activists. On the left, teacher unions fretted that the teacher evaluation systems the federal government was pushing werent ready for primetime and would lead to perverse consequences in the classroom. This bipartisan backlash created a window of opportunity for major legislation. For all the noble aspirations that fueled the decades-long drive toward greater federal involvement, the friction and frustration created as Fourteenth Amendment hopes crashed into Tenth Amendment realities paved the way for the Every Student Succeeds Act. Some critics worried that ESSA was an unfortunate retreat from the ideals of equal protection and educational equity. Others fretted that it didnt go far enough in returning authority to states and communities. But ultimately, American education will always be a balancing act between the principles of the Tenth Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment, and ESSAs supporters argued that it struck a healthy and stable balance. Senator Alexander declared, Weve got a law that will govern the federal role in K12 education for ten or twenty years and unleash a whole flood of innovation and ingenuity, classroom by classroom, state by state, that will benefit children. What Does ESSA Mean For Schools And States? Does ESSA get the federal role right? It will take years before the dust settles and we can get a handle on its impact, and its highly unlikely that everyone will be satisfied for long. But, for now, we feel prepared to offer three takeaways to help educators and policymakers navigate the law. First, you dont have to dive into ESSAs fine print to understand it. The text itself is confusing and sprawling, and people working in schools and systems generally have better things to do than read federal statute. But you should have an understanding of the basicsof whats settled and whats open for input. There will be plenty of enthusiastic policy wonks saying that ESSA means you have to do this or that. If you come to the table with the basics in mind, youll be prepared to engage in the conversation rather than be overwhelmed by it. Second, what you as a teacher, administrator, or policymaker bring to that conversation should be of a distinctly different character than what you might be accustomed to. More often than not, in the era of No Child Left Behind and its waivers, education policy became an exercise in compliance. You did what you were told; if you wanted to try something new, you had to ask, May I? The theory behind ESSA is that schools and systems can be better governed from the bottom up than from the top down. So the sooner you shift your mentality from asking, May I? to asking, How can we? the sooner youll stop being shaped by your environment and start actually shaping it. Third, much is up in the air and nothing is guaranteed. ESSA has the potential to foster significant improvements in schooling, but only where and when educators and administrators take advantage of it. Some states and schools will leap forward; others will lag behind. Ultimately, it will work only as well as the people in schools, communities, and states manage to make it work. Concluding Thoughts We began by talking about politics rather than educationand frustrating, gridlocked politics, at that. NCLB was supposed to be reauthorized in 2007, but it took almost another decade for Congress to pass ESSA. Its easy to think that Congress was doing nothing and that partisan posturing and bickering was preventing real policy change, but beneath the surface there was a whole lot more going on. Schools, districts, and states were wrestling with conflicting policies and priorities; the right path forward wasnt always clear. But over time, a bottom-up consensus emerged that federal policy should move toward a more restrained approach, and that approach was eventually enacted into law as ESSA. What might appear to be a story of Congress not working can actually be seen as a story of Congress working exactly as it is supposed to, finding agreement on a major issue in a big, diverse, and complicated nation. The tension that Congress was trying to navigate was no small issue. Its easy for those who view the federal role as indispensable to protecting disadvantaged students to dismiss the concerns of those who think education should be a local endeavor, and vice versa. But both views have their virtues and drawbacks. The intuition that schools are best governed as close as possible to the students they serve is well grounded. So, too, is the fear that without strong federal oversight, local communities will leave the most vulnerable students behind. Both principles are essential, even if they are often in tension. The Every Student Succeeds Act is the latest attempt to find a balance between the principles of the Tenth and Fourteenth Amendments. We hope that this book will help relate how these lofty, abstract arguments will play out as this new federal law filters its way down through states and districts to the schoolhouse. And its our humble hope that by helping to equip educators, school leaders, and students of education policy with a firm under- standing of whats possible under ESSA, we might be doing our small part to help make good on its promise. This piece originally appeared on Education Next Adapted with permission from The Every Student Succeeds Act: What It Means for Schools, Systems, and States, edited by Frederick M. Hess and Max Eden, 2017, published by Harvard Education Press. For more information, please visit http://hepg.org/hep-home/books/the-every-student-succeeds-act ______________________ Max Eden is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Frederick M. Hess is the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. 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. Consolidated Edison, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.5 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,555 customers in parts of Manhattan. The company also supplies electricity to approximately 0.3 million customers in southeastern New York and northern New Jersey; and gas to approximately 0.1 million customers in southeastern New York. In addition, it operates 533 circuit miles of transmission lines; 15 transmission substations; 64 distribution substations; 87,564 in-service line transformers; 3,924 pole miles of overhead distribution lines; and 2,291 miles of underground distribution lines, as well as 4,350 miles of mains and 377,971 service lines for natural gas distribution. Further, the company owns, operates, and develops renewable and energy infrastructure projects; and provides energy-related products and services to wholesale and retail customers, as well as invests in electric and gas transmission projects. It primarily sells electricity to industrial, commercial, residential, and government customers. The company was founded in 1823 and is based in New York, New York. Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson has revealed that she will tie the knot this year. Speaking to BBCs Veronique Edwards, the 31-year-old said, This year, Ill be getting married this year. The If Tomorrow Never Comes actress, however, did not give out many details about her wedding plans or her fiance. Miss Nelson also talked about her career, dumsor, charity and revealed the touch on the relationship between herself and her mother. Yvonne Nelson lost her dad in January 2017. Yvonne revealed that she has snapped only two photos with her father and the last one was taken on January 6, 2017. The actress and producer expressed how she longed to share some quality alone time with her father just like old days in her Instagram post. Counsel for 3 accused persons Osarfo Anthony, Ekow Micah, and Sarah Kwablah, Dr. Maurice Ampaw, is calling on Madam Gloria Akufo, the new Attorney General, to return the docket of the ongoing trial against his clients who are facing trial for allegedly conspiring to extort money from Ghanas Black Stars captain, Asamoah Gyan. The case, which started since 18th September, 2015, has faced dragging of feet and seeming apathy on the part of the prosecution. According to Ghanacreativearts.com When it was the turn for Asamoah Gyans lawyer, Kissi Agyabeng, to appear before the court and testify, he failed to do so. The prosecutor told the court the docket of the case has been referred to the Attorney Generals office without giving the court any reason. Though the court has patiently given the prosecution over 2 months to tell the court why the Attorney General has called back the case, the prosecution has not done so making the judge, issue a threat to discharge the suspects in the next hearing. Lawyer Maurice Ampaw, who wants the case to be determined to clear the name of his 3 clients acquitted and discharged and not only discharged, is therefore calling on the Attorney General, to return the docket for trial to continue. Lawyer Maurice Ampaw On behalf of my clients, especially, Osarfo Anthony, I am calling on the Attorney Generals office to return Asamoah Gyans rape/sodomy and extortion case to court for trial. I dont want to believe the Attorney General is there to protect Asamoah Gyan or work in his interest. I say so because, Sarah is saying on authority that Asamoah Gyan raped and sodomised her and she is ready to prove that beyond all reasonable doubt for the whole world to know she is not blackmailing Gyan. She wont get anything for blackmailing Gyan its the truth that she wants the world to know. When she reported the case to DOVVSU, the police never arrested or invited Gyan to write his statement, yet, a complete docket was sent to the AG for the AG to say, Gyan has been cleared. Cleared of what? Is that how suspects are cleared in this country? The law must deal with Gyan just like any Ghanaian. None of us is above the law. Not even the president of Ghana. Meanwhile, when the Gyans took a case to the Attorney General that Osarfo Anthony is extorting money from him, quickly the Attorney General processed it and took the case to court. Now that the truth is unfolding in court that Osarfo did not extort any money from Gyan, they have gone to hide behind the same Attorney General to call the docket so that this one too, the truth will not come out. What interest has the AG in Asamoah Gyan, that in all of this issue, when it is going in favour of the Gyans, the AG pursues it, but when its against Gyan, the AG shields him? Cant the public see justice is being denied? Cant people discern to know the state is twisting the hands of justice? And when I preach for justice for an innocent journalist like Osarfo Anthony and others, they try to make the public dislike me by saying I hate Asamoah Gyan; I want cheap hype or publicity. To all those, I tell you if a rich or popular person bully you with his money and connections to big people, to deny you justice, that will be the day you will understand the plight of Osarfo and others. Im calling on Madam Gloria Akufo, a woman who believes in justice, a character who stands for the poor and who is working in a government, Nana Addos government, that prides itself of freedom and justice, accountability and transparency, to return the docket for trial to continue. Osarfo Anthony The Gyans made the whole world believe I extorted money from Asamoah Gyan and subsequently dragged me to court for the law to take its course. For over a year now, the other accused and myself go to court ready to face trial yet, they, who made the whole world believe Im an extortionist, do not show up in court. I have lost a lot and still losing more due to this trial, but I long to see this case go through its full stretch. Even if it will drag for the next 5 years, so be it because nature knows my hands are clean. A good name is better than riches so I want my name to be cleared in this case for now and for my future. The villain is happy today, I will be happier tomorrow as the protagonist. Ekow Micah Any ordinary citizen would have been jailed concerning rape allegation but the state did not even invite Asamoah Gyan and he is using his money to bully poor people. I dont have Asamoah Gyans phone number and he is not my friend, so where and how did I extort money from him? When they saw that I was the one helping Sarah to report the rape and sodomy case to the police, then someone planted weed in my house so that when Im jailed, the girl will not have a strong force behind her to expose Gyan. That did not work now extortion. Now that the truth is hitting them in the face in court, they are running away. We are ready for them. They should come! Background Of Case First witness in the case, Samuel Annim Addo, Asamoah Gyans manager, told the court that Osarfo Anthony was doing publications on the Gyan and Sarah Kwablah rape and sodomy allegations on online portal, GHBase.com. A witness in the case, Nii Amarh Armateifio, a worker at 3 FM at TV3, approached Osarfo and asked him to stop the publication and that whatever money the latters media house will lose, Asamoah Gyan is prepared to pay the publishing cost to kill the story. Osarfo insisted the whole proposal be put on paper and signed; something both parties agreed. On the day Asamoah Gyans manager met Osarfo and gave part of the agreed sum, the police arrested Osarfo and later Sarah Kwablah, Ekow Micah, and Chris Handler, and charged them with conspiracy to extort money from Gyan. According to Asamoah Gyans manager, its Gyans lawyer, Kissi Agyabeng, who directed him on the whole scheme to get Osarfo arrested. To achieve what, Lawyer Kissi could not be in court to explain testify however, the case has been referred to the AG. Next Hearing The case continues on 16th March, 2017. Dark Suburb, a band that has been creating waves over the past few years in Ghana and beyond, will on Friday, February 17 launch their latest album 'The Start Looks Like the End' with a magnetic concert at the Alliance Francaise in Accra. Noted for wearing masks on stage, the band has since bursting onto the music scene in Ghana has received nominations for several awards, including VGMAs, 4syte MVAs and AFRIMMA. The band which has adopted and refined a culture of masquerades in Africa as their image wears skeleton masks to highlight the point of their shared humanity and to remind the world of the fact that they are one people, thereby, giving new impetus to a costume art form that is prevalent in many African societies. They fuse all styles of music, especially African rhythms, with rock. Prior to the release of the album, the band made a courtesy visit to the residence of the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, to deliver the first copy of their yet-to-be released debut album. Consequently, Jon Benjamin posted on his official Twitter page to express his profound gratitude for being the first to receive a copy of the album. The band has shared stage with some of Africas renowned bands, including Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania at the just-ended AFRIMMA 2016 in Nigeria. The album features a number of stars, including of Edem, Wiyaala, E.L and Black Snake Mona from the United States. The DAkpabli Readathon gathers momentum as Ghanaian author Elizabeth-Irene Baitie, joins the national reading campaign. Coming on as a guest author, Baitie is expected to feature alongside the main stars Nana Awere Damoah and Kofi Akpabli in their book reading and public engagements during the first quarter of this year. Elizabeth-Irene Baitie is a Medical Laboratory Director as well as a writer of contemporary children's and Young Adult fiction. She lives in Accra with husband Rami and their three children. Her first book, A Saint in Brown Sandals , was published by Macmillan in 2006 for junior readers and received the Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa that year. Her other novels - The Twelfth Heart, The Dorm Challenge and Rattling in the Closet - have all been awarded the Burt Award for African Literature. Getting that phone call to come on board was such a thrill. Its a fine opportunity, joining a laudable initiative to bring reading and writing closer to our people. I just cant wait to start working with the team. Baitie will be out-doored at the next Dakpabli Readathon reading event to be held in Accra on March 25. During her guest reader tenure, the team is expected to undertake at least one road show outside the Greater Accra region. She becomes the third guest reader in the row, having taken over from Dr. Ruby Goka, a celebrated author, and dentist. The first DAkpabli guest was Alba Sumprim, author and film producer. Asked why the campaign has so far featured an all-females guest list, Nana Awere Damoah pointed out that though that seemed to be the pattern, it is not at all the plan. He assured fans that an illustrious male guest reader is in the offing. Just keep supporting us and we shall keep exciting you, said Damoah. Between them, the two Ghanaian authors have published 12 books. Nana Damoah has recently been voted Author of the Month by KWEE, a Liberian Literary magazine, while Kofi Akpablis latest work Made In Nima has won a place in an African anthology featuring writers from 14 countries which was published by the Commonwealth in London. Besides holding public reading events within Accra, the team has also gone to Kumasi, Ho, and Tema. The Readathon campaign by the two authors has received local and international press coverage with ChinAfrican magazine doing a special feature on them in their January edition for 2017. In their readings so far, the two have received sponsorship from THREADEX, Aky3de3, MTN, Unicorn Rentals, WearGhana, Norte Sobolo, Lincar, Sasa Clothing, Falis Fruit Bay and AJ's Housekeeping Services. We are excited by the way this movement is growing a life of its own, said Akpabli. Irene is going to connect wonderfully with our younger fans. Were glad to have her. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com President Akufo-Addo has assured that a solid relationship between Ghana and Togo is one he would seek to advance over the course of his tenure of office. He revealed that at the just ended 28th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, he agreed with President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo to meet on a regular basis to discuss issues pertaining to the advancement of the two countries. He was speaking to the President of the National House of Chiefs of Togo and Paramount Chief of Notsie, Togbe Agorkoli IV who paid a historic visit to the presidency Tuesday. This is the first time a chief from Togo has paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic. Togbe Agorkoli IV, who was accompanied by the President of Ghanas House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV and 9 other Paramount Chiefs from Togo and the Volta Region, noted that his visit to President Akufo-Addo was to extend fraternal greetings from the people of Notsie, the ancestral home of Ewes, and the people of Togo, to Ghanaians. Togbe Afede XIV and 9 other Paramount Chiefs from Togo and the Volta Region He observed that the decision by President Akufo-Addo to accept his request for a meeting is indicative of the respect the President has for the institution of chieftaincy. As Chiefs, Togbe Agorkoli indicated that their responsibility is to adhere to the vision of their respective Heads of State and thus, admonished all Ghanaian traditional rulers to extend their full support and co-operation to the government. He also used the opportunity to invite the President to the well-known Hogbetsotso festival on September 9, celebrated by the people of Notsie. The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV, indicated that one of the reasons for the courtesy call was because he was inspired by your pledge and commitment to the Ghanaian people to be a Father for all. The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, Togbe Afede XIV He added that the boldness of vision already espoused by President Akufo-Addo is one which will ensure that all ethnic and religious groupings are united with the common goal of developing the country. The President thanked Togbe Agorkoli for the courtesy of his visit and reciprocated the goodwill messages extended to him by the King of Notsie. He further stressed that the relations existing between political and traditional rulers are essential for the well-being of the citizenry. Togbe Agorkoli IV and President Akufo-Addo exchanging pleasantries President Akufo-Addo indicated that his government will do all within its power to ensure relations between these vital bodies remain cordial for the forward movement of the country. He also assured that unless something dramatic happens, I, together with Togbe Afede XIV and the Chiefs from the Volta Region, am going to be in Notsie for the celebration of the festival on September 9. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim United Nations (United States) (AFP) - A confidential UN report is warning that the war in South Sudan has reached "catastrophic proportions for civilians" and the rise of militias risks spinning out of control, fueling fighting for years to come. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report obtained by AFP on Tuesday that civilians were fleeing villages and towns "in record numbers" and that the danger of mass atrocities "is real". The stark warning followed a series of meetings that Guterres held with regional leaders and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir last month to push for an end to the three-year war. "The security situation continues to deteriorate in parts of the country and the consequent impact of this ongoing conflict and violence, has reached catastrophic proportions for civilians," Guterres wrote. Heavy-handed military operations by all parties, but especially by government forces loyal to Kiir, were "daily destroying homes and livelihoods," said the report sent to the Security Council on Monday. "The rise of militias under the loose command of the SPLA or rebel commanders is spreading the fragmentation and dislocation of its territories, which risk, if this trend continues, remaining out of any government control for years to come," said the report. Guterres has been pushing regional leaders like Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who is close to Kiir, to put pressure on the South Sudanese leader to rein in his forces and pull back from the brink. The UN chief urged the Security Council to take action to revive political talks to convince rebels to stop fighting and give the government legitimacy to seek international financial aid. Rwanda to deploy first wave in new force Makeshift graves are seen at the UN House for internally displaced persons in Juba on July 22, 2016 The United Nations has 13,000 peacekeepers in South Sudan, but they have repeatedly been blocked by government soldiers and rebels from areas where fighting has flared. Last week, a peacekeeper on patrol in Eastern Equatoria was stopped by four soldiers, dragged out of his car and beaten, the report said. Following his meeting with Kiir, Guterres reported progress on deploying a regional force under UN command to bolster security in the capital Juba. Rwanda is poised to send troops and helicopters in a first wave of deployment expected in March or April while Ethiopia is also preparing to contribute forces. But Kenya has yet to schedule talks on their contribution to the 4,000-strong force and a dispute over the force's presence at the Juba airport is unresolved, the report said. South Sudan remains a divisive issue at the Security Council after the United States failed in December to win support for an arms embargo and sanctions. Russia, China, Japan and Egypt were among the countries that voted against a US-drafted resolution, arguing that punitive action would antagonize South Sudan's leaders and further dampen prospects for peace. Council diplomats point to the success by West African leaders in pushing Gambia's leader Yahya Jammeh to abide by election results and cede power as proof that regional pressure can achieve results. After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan descended into war in December 2013, leaving tens of thousands dead and more than three million people displaced. There is growing alarm over the humanitarian crisis in the country where more than six million people -- half of South Sudan's population -- are in need of urgent aid. Abidjan (AFP) - The United States is increasingly worried about pirate attacks off West Africa and is committed to helping countries bolster security in the region, a US diplomat said Tuesday. At least 27 attacks on boats, including robberies, kidnappings or failed attempts, have occurred off the West Africa coast since April, according to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Off Africa's east coast however -- a former hotbed of pirate activity notably based in Somalia -- only two attacks have been reported in the period. "Creating .. national strategies for maritime security is an essential first step," said Andrew Haviland, charge d'affaires at the US embassy in Ivory Coast's economic capital Abidjan. He was speaking at the opening of a US-organised conference on sea security attended by officials from 15 African countries that runs through Friday. Countries along the Gulf of Guinea stretching from Senegal to Angola have been trying to cooperate on improving maritime security, but they have limited resources for pursuing pirates. "So we need legal frameworks in our own countries and with our neighbours... in order to bring criminals to justice," Haviland said. More than 40 African countries pledged to step up the fight against piracy at a summit meeting in Lome, Togo, in October. The United States will support these efforts through its Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, financed by the US Defense Department. World piracy has been on the decline since 2012 after international naval patrols were launched off East Africa in response to a spate of violent assaults by Somali-based pirates and others. The number of pirate attacks off Nigeria rose from 14 in 2015 to 36 last year, the International Maritime Bureau said last month. Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited The Gambia on Tuesday, where he hailed the arrival of a new government and its bid to rejoin the Commonwealth group of former British colonies. Johnson met President Adama Barrow and Interior Minister Mai Fatty to reset ties with the impoverished West African nation after years of tension with former president Yahya Jammeh. The visit was his first to Africa as Britain's top diplomat, becoming the first British foreign minister to visit The Gambia since it gained independence in 1965. His talks with Barrow cemented moves by The Gambia to rejoin the Commonwealth, Johnson told journalists. "President Barrow is determined to take Gambia back to the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth is ready to welcome Gambia back," Johnson said, vowing to do whatever possible to "speed up" the process. In a video message posted on Johnson's Twitter account after the meeting, he celebrated the British embassy soon becoming a High Commission to reflect The Gambia's return to the Commonwealth fold. Jammeh frequently railed against Britain's colonial rule of the tiny nation and withdrew his nation from the Commonwealth in 2013, calling it "an extension of colonialism". By contrast, Barrow worked as a security guard in Britain when he was younger and has made no secret of his wish to rekindle ties. The foreign secretary has hailed the December elections that saw Barrow unseat Jammeh from 22 years in power, saying they "highlight the continuing strengthening of democracy in West Africa". In his video message, Johnson praised the arrival of the Barrow administration: "They got rid of a guy who was really holding things up, and they will take the country forward." Britain to support justice reform During his visit the foreign secretary also said tackling the migration crisis was "something that is absolutely vital for Europe as much as Africa," in a nation that accounts for more citizens per capita taking boats across the Mediterreanan to Italy than any other. A video grab made from The Block Tv Gambia footage shows British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (C) arriving for a meeting in Banjul on February 14, 2017 Johnson additionally promised support for justice reform in The Gambia, after the new government declared it would overhaul its prisons after shocking footage was released of conditions inside. A British special advisor will be appointed to aid the justice ministry and attorney-general as The Gambia reforms a sector tarred by allegations of rights abuses, a diplomatic source told AFP. Fatty led a tour of The Gambia's Mile Two prison on Monday for local journalists that revealed concrete cells in almost complete darkness where prisoners were living in squalor, and apologised on camera for the conditions. The Gambia has just notified the United Nations it will rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), reversing another controversial Jammeh move from last year. Controversial comments Johnson's trip to The Gambia followed his history of controversy with Britain's former territories in Africa. In a news column published in 2002, Johnson characterised the Commonwealth as having "crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies," to welcome Queen Elizabeth II, using a derogatory term for black people that caused outrage. He also parodied reaction to Tony Blair's arrival in Congo saying that "the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down". The comments came back to haunt him when he ran for London mayor in 2008, and then again when he was named foreign secretary last year after Britain's shock Brexit vote. Gambian journalists had questions vetted for a brief press conference with Barrow in The Gambia and could not question him about the comments, they told AFP. In a show of confidence in the Gambian tourist industry, which is dominated by British sunseekers, Johnson took a commercial flight to Banjul, and also met with Tourism Minister Hamat Bah. Britain could help develop the tourism sector to help give Gambians greater economic security with Britain's help, Johnson said. Tourists were flown out of the country en masse in January after Jammeh declared a state of emergency when he lost the election to Barrow but refused to stand down. On Wednesday morning, Johnson will head to Ghana to meet President Nana Akufo-Addo and visit the Blue Skies company, a juice-maker which has received financial support from Britain. 15.02.2017 LISTEN In this day and age many Ghanaian children study under trees where they are constantly exposed to the elements. Many a child who is just fortunate to study in brick-and-mortar classrooms does so in deathtrap. Those six unfortunate children who died recently, those several others who unfortunately died yesteryear, just yesterday, all did sosadlyin what seemed like rejected ectopic pregnancies of cold deathtraps and sweltering slave ships that also pass for authentic brick-and-mortar classrooms. Yet we know who the slimy perpetrators of these heinous crimes are, these shameless and hypocritical moirologists called politicians. Leadership crises, gross mismanagement of the public purse, institutional corruption, and political wickedness are the grand ghost authors of the mournful, harmful obituaries of these innocent children. These wicked politicians have taken to writing the obituaries of innocent Ghanaian children even before they are born, burying the future of these children in the ashes of bitterness. And yet these shameless, wicked politicians build strings of castles and mansions to the tune of tens of millions of dollarsfor themselves. And yet these shameless, wicked politicians buy a fleet of expensive cars for themselves. They even steal some of these expensive cars for their private use. Yes, the taxpayers money, that is itthe secret to the material success of political mortician. The wicked politicians growing fat at the expense of the taxpayer. This is to say, the taxpayers hard-earned money foots the humongous bills of his childrens premature and preventable deaths, such as happened in the case of the six childrentheir angelic souls should rest in peace rather than in piecesand others orchestrated obituaries at the hands of the politician, and the like. The wicked politician is indeed a bloodsucker, a scheming leech with an effective scolex. The alleged discerning taxpayer, we are consistently told, knows the politician inside out and yet he goes all the way to vote the same politician into officeyear in, year out. For instance, maintenance cost for the fleet of cars kept at the presidency and the fuel for this fleet of cars, Oh Ghana, are borne by the poor hardworking taxpayer. While the taxpayer grows anorexic on account of his political immaturity and ignorance, while expectant mothers cry out for medications and beds, while the nations networks of rutty and rusty and unmotorable roads continue to remain highly accessible burial grounds for citizens, while open defecation elevates Ghana to the seventh dirtiest country on the planet, while unemployment and institutional corruption gnaw at the soul of the nation, these wicked sybaritic politicians continue to live extravagantly while feeding the citizenry on fact lies. In fact the taxpayer is totally lost in the misty dustiness of abject ignorance. The wicked politician, on the other hand, is a dead wood in the thick of absolute coldness and, as well, floating in the limbo of stupidity and, once again, this, as far as his lack of scientific and technocratic grasp of the intricacies of nation-building building is concerned. Why wont both then be caught up in the quagmire of accelerated arrested development? The taxpayer is afraid of, and thus stands in absolute awe of the redoubtable political superstition built around the all-powerful politician, the ruling class. Now, we are being told that the descendants of those who vigorously yet avowedly resisted or campaigned against independence for the Gold Coast are going to spend millions to celebrate Ghanas sixtieth anniversary. The [email protected] logo which Akufo-Addo unveiled recently is being linked to another shameful act of international plagiarismallegedly, and this, coming after the infamous international plagiarism vis-a-vis his inaugural speech. Scheming, clueless Akufo-Addo says corporate Ghana in particular will provide the funds for the anniversary. Oh yes, the man is not clueless after all. He actually knows what he is doing. Payback time to party loyalists and financiers, we guess! The National Democratic Party (NDC) did it. Vicious circle! Politics of equalization! And so the New Patriotic Party must also do it. And when two elephants fight, the grass-taxpayer suffers dearly and bears the brunt of the elephantine tussle. Why corporate Ghana in particular? What terms define this quid pro quo? In other words what does corporate Ghana stand to gain? Which specific entities within corporate Ghana are going to foot the bill for the anniversary? Are their names going to be made accessible to the public? And the issue of conflict of interest: Are these entities affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in any way? Did they contribute to Akufo-Addos campaign? Will the government award them sole-source or no-bid contracts in exchange for footing the bill for the anniversary? Transparency and accountability and probity should guide this controversial decision of asking corporate Ghana to provide the funds for the anniversary. For this is not the time to turn our fragile open-defecation democracy into or entrench the politics of the belly, prebendalism, crony capitalism, and kleptomaniacal corruption. Do we know that in our beloved country, as in hell, corporate Ghana is the insensitive politicians partner-in-crime, an underground economy that deals in and warehouses reprobate public corruptocrats, political criminals and murderous thieves? In Ghana more particularly, thus, the Orwellian doublespeak of the political or ruling class threatens to contaminate the moral fabric of society, for better or for worse. You look up, when the politician decrees otherwise. Such is the trendy character of political realism in Ghanaian politics. Property-owning democracy for social democracy! Social democracy for property-owning democracy! Political thieves and criminals are celebrities and saints and angels. Celebrities and saints and criminals are political thieves and criminals. In Ghanaian politics the end always justifies the means. In Ghanaian politics correlation does always imply causation. Mahama for Akufo-Addo. Akufo-Addo for Mahama. The same nauseating local stench, nothing changes. Though the political and ideological colors are in plain white and black, there exist no nuances between our pied open-democracy, there exist no subtleties in the stale sandwich we call schadenfreude duopoly. The Ghanaian politician who feels he is invisible and untouchable and redoubtable, and is over the moon so long as he succeeds in wrecking havoc on his country, is also an epitome of mediocrity, stupidity and shame, and a disgrace to human intelligence. The Ghanaian politician is undeserving of human society, a threat to human civilization and moral decency, and thus he must be banished from any civilized society. His political mind falls outside the responsible profile of moral quantum, a fixture of his mental landscape antithetical to the progressive profile of transparency, accountability and probity. The Ghanaian politician is therefore an endangered species that must be forced into extinction, into perpetual retirement, just so he will no longer pose a threat to himself and his society. The national flag: He has reduced green to a desert. He has turned yellow, the gold, to foreign interests on the cheap. He has turned the black star over to internal colonialism and economic slavery. He has turned red into tears of blood for those citizens perpetually trapped in a vicious circle of social-economic hardship. The national flag he has turned into a used toilet paper! REFERENCES Ghanaweb. [email protected] Celebration To Cost GHC20m. February 10, 2016. UK Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, will land in Accra on Wednesday February 15, 2017 for talks with President Nana Akufo-Addo at the Flagstaff House. A statement by Communications Director at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, says the two leaders will hold discussions aimed at boosting the already strong bilateral relations that exist between Ghana and the United Kingdom, and other matters of mutual interest. While in Ghana, Mr. Johnson will visit some notable companies, including fruit processing company, Blue Skies. He will also meet business leaders and young entrepreneurs in Ghana, supported by the Department for International Developments ENGINE project, and meet with Rising Black Stars highlighting both countries extensive cultural ties, said a statement issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. The UK Foreign Secretary will also meet with The Gambias new President Adama Barrow as part of moves to ensure that the "Global Britain and its partnerships are growing and not shrinking, around the world as demonstrated by the Commonwealths strength, said the statement from the Commonwealth Office. Ahead of the visit, the UK Foreign Secretary is quoted as saying he is "delighted to be the first Foreign Secretary to visit Gambia this week and delighted to have a chance to meet the newly elected President Barrow and President Akufo-Addo of Ghana. Their elections highlight the continuing strengthening of democracy in West Africa. I am also very pleased that Gambia wants to rejoin the Commonwealth and we will ensure this happens in the coming months. The strength of our partnerships show that Global Britain is growing in influence and activity around the world, the statement quoted Mr Johnson. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | [email protected] This piece of writing is dedicated to Dorcas Blutty, an avid reader of my works. A cursory glance at the education system of Ghana brings about many questions to memory. As the first African country to the south of the Sahara to gain political independence from colonial rule in 1957, one will be tempted to believe that the education system of Ghana is one of the best in the continent of Africa. The education system of Ghana is in a sorry state. I dare say that Ghanas education system is backward looking, primitive and still responding to colonial needs. Ghana is said to be independent but many things and systems in Ghana are still dependent and responding to colonial needs. Our education system is still tied to the apron-strings of the colonial masters. The school of the British nearby Cape Coast and the Danish school at the Christiansburg castle at Accra at the colonial era aimed at training children in what is commonly known as the 3Rs (reading, arithmetic and writing) and also to inculcate religion in the indigenous people. The primary purpose of this type of education was to prepare them for employment in the European commercial enterprises on the coast. It was solely to prepare them to occupy and be able to carry out official duties while students learned how to read and write. Long after our colonial leaders have left the shores and borders of Africa, there has not been any significant improvement either than learning how to read and write. After a man is been taught how to fish, does he then fishes all day without catching any fish? Nkrumah foresaw this in 1961 and decided to establish the University of Science and technology. But as I write this piece, the school is nothing good to write home about in terms of science and technology. Its students in the field of Engineering cant even boast of a bicycle. One cannot even tell if it was built solely for science and technology or for humanities. The education system of Ghana to a large extent, teaches one what to think and not how to think says Allan K. Buah. The school system in Ghana imposes an archaic and regimented lifestyle on its students thereby not allowing them to be innovative. They are not allowed to explore their immediate surroundings. Formulae that were formulated by some ancient people like Archimedes in the field of science and Adams smith in the field of economics are still used in teaching meanwhile, new events are happening around us every blessed second. Martin Luther king jnr. once retorted that the aim of education is to teach one to think critically and extensively The education system in Ghana can be compared to students in a frantic race who are learning with a frantic haste. The average student has acquired the habit of always searching for answers to questions but funnily enough, they turn out to forget the questions when the answers to the questions are found. This is due to the unnecessary pressure the system gives to its students. The excellent student in Ghana is therefore left with no other choice but to resort to the C.P.F method of learning thus chew, pour and forget. For years, students have been victimized by the type of education system in Ghana. The student is therefore blamed at the long run if he is not able to perform in his respective field of work. There are tentacles of fear closed around the education system of Ghana. Unlike the Spartans system of education, the education system of Ghana has no clear philosophy. The Spartans had a clear philosophy when it comes to education. The Spartans believed in a life of discipline, simplicity and self- denial. The purpose of education in ancient Sparta was to produce an army. This clear philosophy saw the segregation of strong and healthy babies from the unhealthy babies. This practice was done right at birth. The healthy and strong babies were then assigned to a brotherhood or a sisterhood where they were been forged into fierce soldiers The Spartans had a clear philosophy which stated that their education should be based on training children to acquire basic skills for battle. They believed that healthy women were capable of producing healthy babies. So their women were taught basic battle skills, gymnastics and physical education. THE BOTTOM LINE Without mincing words, Myles Munroe once stated that where purpose is not known abuse is inevitable. For there to be reformation in the educational system of Ghana, the following should be noted. 1. The education system in Ghana should have a clear philosophy. This philosophy will state the calibre and breed of people we want to produce as a nation. 2. The educational Act of 1966 should be amended to make education autonomous. I am of the view that our economy can do well if the necessary steps are taken to eradicate the problems plaguing our educational system. Education in Ghana should not wholly be entrusted to the care of government since some policy makers are not able to make informed choices. They may be in such offices by virtue of their political affiliation so most of their choices will be for them to gain cheap political popularity. 3. The students who are major stakeholders of education should be made to have a say in our system of education. It should not always be controller-robot relationship. By this, I do no mean to promote disdainful manners on the part of the students. There is always a clear difference between respect and fear. Unfortunately, most instructors in the Ghana, create an avenue for them to look fearful instead of been respected by the students. 4. We should improve upon the 3Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic). The question we should ask ourselves is what is next after a student is able to read and write? we should live above just learning how to read and write. God Bless Our Homeland Ghana. The Writer Is A Student Of The University Of Cape Coast The Director, Water, Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing (MWRWH) Mr. Emmanuel Addae, has called on all actors in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector in Ghana to reposition themselves in order to surmount the funding challenges in the sector as well as partner with the Government to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water and sanitation by 2030. Mr. Addae said the theme: Repositioning CSOs towards achieving the WASH SDGs: The Role of Sector Partners was apt and appropriate for this years Mole Conference, especially the challenging times the sector finds itself now. According to Mr. Addae, realizing the need to reposition the WASH sector means that, there was an admission that the sector was not well positioned now and that there was the urgent need for actors in the WASH sector to strategize effectively to ensure that they put their feet in firm ground and to do that, required the sector to forge stronger relationships with the Government. We have to find out whether our relationship with Government is good enough, are we transparent? Are we accountable? Are we diligent in what we do? and do we provide data even for our own parent organization and for that matter the Government, I believe these are some of the questions we need to ask ourselves as we reposition the ourselves, Mr. Addae emphasized. Mr. Addae who was speaking at the 27TH Edition of the Mole Conference on 22ND November, 2016 at Big Ada in Greater Accra Region, explained that, Ghana is currently implementing the SDGs and the success of its implementation required the collective efforts of all sector actors including CONIWAS. Our dear country achieved was able to achieve the SDG on water and I can say, we were among a few in sub-Saharan Africa that achieved this feet, we therefore that we can rely on CONIWAS to help the Government to achieve the SDGs on water come 2030, Mr. Addae added. On dwindling funding for the WASH sector, the Director, Water, charged sector actors to make cost benefit allowance for every funding they received from donors as well as ensure that their projects are of great use to the people they serve. He said resource allocation for the WASH sector has been dwindling for several reasons, one of which he cited is Ghanas current status as a lower middle income country and as a result of that donors are now turning their attention to other least developed countries and that Mr. Addae added posed a great challenge to the sector. In view of that, Mr. Emmanuel Addae urged stakeholders at this years Mole Conference to make cogent suggestions and strategies that would effectively mitigate the challenges in the short term and combat the challenges in the longer term. On the Water Sector Strategic Plan, the Director, Water, of the MWRWH indicated the plan was being rolled out and it was proper for stakeholders in the sector to actively partake in its implementation as well as enable them to consort as they plan for water activities in the coming years. Mr. Emmanuel Addae, however, expressed disquiet about Ghanas poor performance in the SDGs on sanitation, despite the strong showing the country put up in the area of water and said water and sanitation was intertwine and therefore appealed to stakeholders to put their wheels to the shoulders to ensure that Ghana achieved its objectives in sanitation by the year 2030. Mr. Emmanuel Addae, who officially declared the conference opened called on participants to deliberate and work towards issues that will ensure that, Ghana does not only achieve its water for all policy, but improve sanitation and hygiene by 2025. The President of the National Association of Graduate Teacher, Christian Addae-Poku has lauded President Akufo-Addo's drive to fully implement the free Senior High School Policy in September this year and described it as long overdue. According to him, the initiative will give more underprivileged students who hitherto couldn't afford the cost of Senior High School education a new lease of life and propel them to become better persons in society. "As a teacher, l know the trauma students go through when they are sacked out of the classroom for nonpayment of fees. I know how students are destructed and psychological affected when they come to school on empty stomach. This policy will take these burdens off and motivate students to be more focused," Mr. Addai-Poku posited. Oh his part, every student anywhere in Ghana irrespective of their background whether rich or poor should have equal access to quality education. Speaking on 'State of Affairs' on GhOne TV, the President of the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, King Ali Awudu also added that the free SHS policy if successfully implemented will make education a right to all and change the public misconception that education is the preserve of the elite in society. "Admission fees doubled every year, school fees increases and cost of education materials keeps shoring up every now and then. Many students have become school dropouts because of their parents are unable to patronize these things. I'm happy because this going to be giant step to a great change in our educational system," Mr. Ali Awudu stated. However, his co-panelist, the Head for Centre for Economic, Governance and Political Affairs - IMANI Ghana, Mr. Patrick Stephen expressed worry that though the free SHS policy is good, there is no full policy detail on the program by government to allow for a comprehensive evaluation of the entire scheme. He also expressed dissatisfaction on how the entire free SHS program has been generalized and wholesaled. "This policy is good but there ought to have been a proper criteria of identifying underprivileged students who are having challenges of fee payment for them to be catered for. Because obviously there are parents who are not having difficulties at all paying the fees of their wards in school. There should have been a criteria in which parents can demonstrate that they are having difficulty paying their fees before they are sanctioned for this policy package. But the way the system has been cluttered, if we are not careful the rich who will be benefiting from this policy will end up denying the deprived the opportunity to benefit immensely from this fine policy," Mr. Stephenson noted. For the program to be successful, Mr. Stephenson recommended that previous instances where teachers had to hit the street in demonstration before their salaries are paid ought to be addressed urgently so that teachers will be encouraged to deliver quality tuition. He also called from a shift in the education model in which students are only taught how to pass examination to a more creative and problem solving approach. Mr. Addae- Poku emphasized that quality education is important and should be a topmost priority to the government while expanding the infrastructure base to increase enrollment and reward systems to motivate teachers to be more efficient. He also advised government to ensure timely release of funds for all the things stipulated in the free SHS policy for a smooth takeoff and onward facilitation. The president of the Coalition for Concerned Techers, Mr. King Ali Awudu recommended a 3-4 year revision of the policy to correct all defaults that might have arisen in the execution of the policy and said his association will keep the government in check to ensure that it does not renege on it promises. 15.02.2017 LISTEN The DVLA cannot escape the tiger eye lens of the writer. The DVLA is the major contributor and facilitator of road accidents in Ghana. Testing of applicants for driving licenses, can at best be described as non-existent. Car driving tests are done on a quite road somewhere between the 37 DVLA offices in Accra and the Kotoka International Airport. This is the norm across DVLA offices throughout Ghana. Are the applicants going to drive on secluded roads after being issued with their driving licenses? Ghanaians should count themselves lucky for having a something else kind of car driving test, because there is practically no driving test for applicants wishing to obtain categories C, D, E, and F driving licenses (trucks, articulators and buses). Just apply that you have driven a car for a few years and murdered a few Ghanaians with an AK 47 as a result of the fault of the DVLA in granting you a car license without going through a proper test, and now you feel confident to kill some more, and therefore, you need a sub-machine gun in the form of a truck or a bus license, and hurray, the DVLA is more than happy to issue it upon the payment of an official fee and maybe some unofficial fee on the sidelines! What a travesty of justice! It is a common sight in the UK to see learners on UK roads being taught the art of driving trucks, articulators and buses, and being practically examined by the UK DVLA for 45 minutes or more on busy streets in town centres and on the highways. But what do we see in Ghana? It is no wonder that, in the UK, Ghanaians who apply to exchange their Ghana drivers licenses for UK drivers licenses, are turned down, and asked to undergo the UK driving test before any drivers license is issued. This is because, the authorities over there knows that, we have no proper testing regime in Ghana. However, South African drivers licenses, are automatically exchanged for UK drivers license. I dont have to tell you why this is the position. Another method by which the DVLA contributes extensively to the carnage on our roads, has to do with the examination of vehicles, popularly referred to as roadworthiness examination. The least said about the testing regime of the Ghana DVLA, the better. More than 75% of the vehicles on Ghanas roads, would not pass a UK Ministry of Transport (MoT) vehicle Test. This is the home of newer vehicles and the testing regime is one of the toughest. Cracked windscreen, tyres with a thread depth below 2mm, defective steering, defective breaks, high exhaust emissions are among the major faults that will lead to a vehicles MoT test failure in the UK. Applying the exhaust emissions test alone, no Metro Mass Transport (MMT) bus will qualify to be on Ghanas roads. To compound the problem, Metro Mass Bus drivers take delight in depressing the accelerator when meeting oncoming traffic, just to spray the occupants of the oncoming vehicle with exhaust smoke. All Metro Mass Buses emits their smoke on the offside of the vehicle, popularly called driver side in Ghana. If a public transport operator fails to keep its vehicles in a roadworthy condition, and is allowed to operate with impunity by all the stakeholders, then what right has the state got to properly supervise private transport operators? It appears the managers at the DVLA have no clue as to how to make our roads safer. Under normal circumstances, the DVLA managers would have resigned long time ago. It is clear that, the DVLA managers cannot do the job assigned them. There is no day in Ghana today, that there is no report of an accident resulting in needless deaths, and it is mostly head-on-collision, resulting from wrongful overtaking (inappropriately referred to by a section of the media as failed overtaking) or a failed breaking system, a burst tyre, or oncoming vehicle ramming into stationary traffic. These are some of the major causes of accidents on our roads, and what is the DVLA doing to solve these problems? Absolutely nothing! And they are allowed to keep their jobs! What an insult to a majority of Ghanaians! Has deaths and injuries arising from accidents increased or decreased since the current head of the DVLA assumed office? Just this Saturday the 11th of February 2017, about ten (10) people lost their lives in the Western Region arising from an accident, and no one is being held responsible! Does a Ghanaian life really matter? To be continued, Insha Allah!! Alhassan Salifu Bawah (Lecturer) School of Administration University of Education, Winneba [email protected] 15.02.2017 LISTEN We the above group extend our warmest greetings to the leadership of the new patriotic party. Today is a day of love and its our prayers that our love for everyone increases just as our love for our dear party shall increase always even in the midst of disappointment just as we find ourselves. We are appealing to the President of the republic to appoint Dr NSIAH ASARE as NHIA boss to thank the grassroots in the Ashanti region. We are very certain about Dr NSIAH ASARE simply because of his time and understanding for TESCON duties and his constant presence at our meetings, says volumes about his love for grassroot works notwithstanding his financial commitment towards our programs and projects. His role in the mammoth pre-election demonstrations organised in the region as well as rural campaign leading to our maximizing of votes from the remote areas as compared to previous years shows his commitment and loyalty towards party works. The appointment of Dr NSIAH ASARE as NHIA boss will be a major morale booster for grassroot works, the teaming supporters, youth in the region and ultimately, Ghana as a whole due to his in-depth knowledge and experience in the health sector. We pray our petition fall on good soil and yield fruits. ....Signed... John Kwaku Odoom, 0245172697 Francis Oppong .0249347220 Richard Sarpong O240431289 15.02.2017 LISTEN Why do politicians in Ghana keep passing laws when the existing ones can not even be implemented and enforced? do people in the legislature want us to feel that they are working and as such deserve their fat remunerations and side kicks. just now, the president has appointed a new minister of environment and if nothing is accomplished at all, I expect this new minister to achieve two things that are bothering me and a lot of young Ghanaians. These two important issues are: 1. The indiscriminate construction of buildings in streets and on water ways in our cities especially Accra. 2. Recovery of our water bodies and our lost forests. I really do not know if it is laziness, incompetence, corruption, fear to do their job or a combination of these factors that allow people who are paid to make sure that Accra is properly planned and developed to standard sit and watch whilst people build in earmarked streets and on water ways. What the heck is going on in Ghana? people who think they have money can just do anything and everything they want with impunity. what kind of cities are we developing? cities where some residents can not even drive a simple car to their homes. this is insane. Recently I was in Ghana, Janaury this year to be precise, my previous visit was in May of last year and within the seven months period, somebody who thinks he has all the money in this world had put up a building in the middle of the street leading to my house in Kwabenya( behind the ICGC chapel at Dromo Plaza) such that a big 20 feet road has been reduced to about 8 feet at the point where the building stands. when I asked why that insanity was allowed to go on, I was told soldiers were standing by wacthing and giving cover whiles that illegality was going on day and night until the building was roofed. I do not know whether I should call this insanity or militalism or "monetocracy" where those with money rule and do what they want. I pray that people living around that strecht or road will organise and set the house ablaze even if that will make all its inhabitants homeless. There is too much lawlessness in Ghana and the sooner something is done about it the better it would be for all of us. It is my humble appeal to authorities responsible for Accra's development that all buildings found in streets and on water ways be pulled down at their owners expense. This will deter others from doing same. There must also be a complete ban on the activities of illegal minning called galamsey in order to bring sanity into our environment so that our dried up rivers and all the polluted ones could regain their past glories for that poor village dweller to have his/her livelihood back. why do we sit and watch the destruction of our environment in the name of mining? Are the few millions of dollars we get now more important than the billions of dollars we could save with healthy environment? where are our leaders and what are they doing in this whole saga? Now the water table is sinking lower and lower and boreholes have to be deeper and deeper to supply perenial water, however, if we do not stop and reverse the degradation of our environment, sooner than later, we should not be surprised if we spend hard earned currency to import drinking water into Ghana. The youth of Ghana must rise to defend the land if the grown ups would not do it. after all posterity belongs to the youth and they should not sit unconcerned whiles the greedy adults of today destroy their future. Ghana must sit up and begin to correct some of these wrongs that are going on in the country otherwise the next uprising would be worst than the Arab spring. God save Ghana and May God save the poor and vunerable people who can not seek reddress in courts. A country that can not protect its poor and weak citizens is not worth living in. Benjamin Opoku Agyepong 15.02.2017 LISTEN The mention of Rapture often sends shivers down the spine of many Christians. But I think its related names ---Apocalypse, End time, Last Judgement and Armageddon evoke more fear. When I was a kid I dreaded the word Armageddon. I dont know whats in that name, it sounds too frightening. Anyway, I thought I was the only one but a friend told me he used to have similar phobia. His was Last Judgement. I used to be upset anytime I heard Last Judgment, he said. Its like waiting for ones HIV test result or DNA of your kids. Indeed, end time predictions have been of old. But perhaps to say theyve been driving many believers to nut is an understatement. Like before those seeking prophetic answers havent stopped and those prophesying wouldnt stop either, as long as their services continue to attract huge numbers and interests. Im not a preacher you already know that. I dont preach to the choir or the congregation youre aware of that too. That gives you the sense that I have no sheep on my own. And I tender no flocks. Rather I help to propagate the good news given by the preachers, teachers, pastors and evangelists to their flocks. The Bible says my people perish for lack of knowledge. Of course we need His word to live, but some prophets are using the same word as a sword to kill the sheep per their predictions. So just like any other caring person I inform the flocks to be warry when they are out there. I help them to know what to expect when theyre in the wilderness pasturing or looking for their daily bread. And I also try to allay the fear being preached to them across the world today. Over the weekend a pastor in Ghana weighed into the subject. Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams had a piece of advice for the world especially Christians. He literally told them something like this: Why open your doors to any prophets to speak unto your lives? Why are you desperate looking for times and seasons for the rapture when the Son of Man himself says hes no idea except the father? Why find solutions when there are no problems to begin with? Why are you running like a camel on heat in the desert ---chasing prophets for answers they dont have? Dont allow people to confuse you with their Shebrew (sounding witty), Hebrew and Latin. Dont allow any prophet to prophesy unto you and tell you that you will make it or not make it. That prophet/prophetess may or may not make it himself so dont let anybody fool you, he charged. The tough talking pastor used his pulpit to drill down the message to a large congregation at the Charismatic Action Chapel International Ministry in Accra. The Founder and Overseer of the mega Church advised Christians never to allow prophets to prophesy unto their lives on whether they will make it or not during rapture. He was speaking about the Second Coming of Christ also known as the Rapture. The Bishop warned the congregation to be wary of the prophets who give their own interpretations of the rapture. You are going to meet lots of teachers, prophets, evangelists and archbishops who will give you their own view of the rapture and the second coming. According to him Christians can be deceived: I dont care how long you have been a born again you can be deceived and Satan can fool you. So what is Rapture? In Christian eschatology the Rapture refers to the predicted and end time event when all Christians, believersliving and deadwill rise into the sky and join Christ for eternity. Thered been predictions and claims in the past and now--- for the Second Coming of Christ. And there are some predictions given by notable groups or individuals, including Pope Sylvester II of when Jesus was or is expected to return. As far back as AD 66-70 the Essene sect of Jewish ascetics saw the Jewish revolt against the Romans in Judea as the final end-time battle before the arrival of the Messiah. The claim was made by Simon Bar Giora. Also a French Bishop Hilary of Poitiers announced that the world would end in AD 365 or before AD 400. Hilary wrote: Theres no doubt that the Antichrist has already been born. Firmly established already in his early years, he will after reaching maturity achieve supreme power. His claim was backed by another French Martin of Tour. In 1370 Jean Roquetaillade made this claim: The Antichrist was predicted in 1366 and the millennium would begin in 1368 or 1370. Ove five hundred years on, we are still live. Harold Camping an American preacher on May 21 2011 claimed the rapture or the end time would occur followed by the end of the world on October 21 of the same year. Camping wrote Adam when? and claimed the Biblical calendar meshes with the secular and is accurate from 110o13 BC-2011 AD. But that never happened. On September 28 2015, there was yet another prediction. This one by Mark Bilz who began teaching that Christs return would correspond with the September 28, 2015 lunar eclipse. Thank Goodness s we are still here. So now you know this rapture thing just didnt start today. Thered been many signs. Thered been wars, thered been floods, thered been famine, and thered been wild fires. Thered been killer diseases like the bubonic plague (aka the black disease) which almost wiped the entire population of Europe. Indeed the world had seen worse things before. And humanity has lived with prophesies for ages. We have had prophets prophesied in our lives both in a good or bad way. Lets have a quick look at the following two biblical examples where prophets prophesied unto the lives of some individuals: As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army. Every man to his town: Every man to his land, (1 king 22: 36). Ahab had been killed the king of Israel is dead. And the people ran helter skelter. His death followed a prophecy given by Prophet Micaiah. Micaiah had told King Ahab that he would die in a battle against his enemies Ramoth Gilead, The prophecy was made after nearly four hundred prophets of the king had said he would be victorious. But Ahabs brother Jehoshaphat king of Judah asked: Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of? Did you catch that line neighbour? Who are you seeing, the Lords prophet or the self-styled prophet? So the king of Israel brought together the prophetsnumbering about 400 and asked them: shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain? Go they answered, for the Lord will give it into the kings hand. Ahab died in the war. He couldnt make it back home. Remember 400 prophets prophesied that he would return home as a victor. Youre going to meet lots of teachers, prophets, evangelists and Archbishops who will give you their own view of the rapture and the second coming, said Duncan-Williams. Another prophecy is told in the Old Testament. The Shunamite woman in the Bible had a prophecy from Prophet Elisha (2 kings 4:8) At this season about this time next year you shall embrace a son. No my Lord, O man of God do not lie to your servant, the woman said. But she conceived and bore a son about that time the following spring as Elisha had said that she would have a child after many years of being barren and she did have a child. Keep in mind no one knows the date for the Rapture or the End time except the God. The Susanna Wesley Mission Auxiliary (SUWMA), a ladies association of the Ghana United Wesley Methodist church in Woodbridge, Virginia, has donated assorted items to the Bridgepoint hospital on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. BridgePoint Hospital is a facility which provides care for patients requiring longer hospitalizations in post-acute care settings. As part of their social responsibility to the community the group donated toiletries and sanitary cleaning materials and socks to the hospital. Mrs. Florence Agyemang the president of the group said one of the main aims of the group, is to take good care of the poor and needy in society. it is part of our aim to embark on visitations to prisons, the sick, and the aged as such SUWMA branches all over the world have been involved in similar gestures to their various communities Rev. Emmanuel Nkrumah who accompanied the group offered prayers for the sick and encouraged them to be of good hope . The presentation was made by Rev. Emmanuel Nkrumah with the Executives, patrons and members of SUWMA. A Hospital Representative at Bridgepoint Hospital who received the items expressed the Hospitals appreciation for such a loving and kind gesture by the Womens group. The Ghana United Wesley Methodist Church is located on 1400 G Street in Woodbridge. Virginia. In 2013 a local branch of The Susanna Wesley Mission Auxiliary (SUWMA) was inaugurated with the following aims and objectives To endeavor to enlist all those women who are not members of any women's organization. To instill in the members the spirit of Holiness and Godly living both at home and in the Church and Society. To enable members to most attention to nurture of children in the Church. To assist in the Decoration of Chapel or Church premises and Mission House To embark on visitations to prisons, the sick, the aged. To assist in the training and welfare of Ministers in the Church. To embark upon literacy education among women who can neither read nor write. 78104bdc-cf51-4d88-84d6-7b02c389bda9 Suwma 78104bdc-cf51-4d88-84d6-7b02c389bda9 Ab05389f-1483-4d60-b4e3-bcea2ea5ced6 The Chairman of the 60th Independence Anniversary Planning Committee, Mr Ken Amankwah, has unveiled the 'I Pledge' campaign to Ghanaians in support of the country's Diamond Jubilee celebration and mobilising for the nation's future. The rationale for the campaign, Mr Amankwah explained, was to rally all Ghanaians to play a role in nation building. Before we can work together, we first need to commit to something that we all believe in. The pledge campaign encourages all Ghanaians to be supportive of the government and the country, he explained when he addressed a news conference at the Flagstaff House in Accra yesterday. He also unveiled a detailed programme of activities for the first phase of the year-long celebration, which started from February 9, 2017 with an evening with the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during which he hosted Corporate Ghana and also unveiled the logo for the anniversary. The first phase is expected to end on March 12, 2017 with a festival by the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA). Key activities Throwing light on some key activities for the period, Lord Commey, the Chairman of the Sub-committee on Events, said there would be the launch of a Jubilee Technology Start-up Challenge for the many talented young Ghanaians whose innovations never saw the light of day because of lack of funding. He said the competition would unveil innovations that boosted governance, business, health, education and other areas. This will be a competition to unearth talented innovators whose innovations will accelerate some strand of Ghana's development, he said. Tales from yesteryears, a documentary featuring older people recounting their experiences and memories of the pre-independence struggle, independence and the post-independence era, would also be running on television. Entrepreneur challenge Lord Commey said a Jubilee Youth Entrepreneur Challenge would also be launched, predicated on the difficulty young people faced in raising capital and which prevented them from fully realising their potential. The challenge would solicit business ideas from young people across the country and reward the most-likely-to-be- profitable ideas, he said. There would also be a lecture on the theme: Mobilising for Ghana's future, to herald a series of nationwide lectures outlined for the year-long programme. Appeal to businesses Lord Commey announced that there would be a national flag-draping campaign and appealed to businesses, as part of their corporate responsibility, to adopt the major roads near their offices and decorate them with flags, buntings, balloons and lights. There would be a night of choral music, the highlight of which would be the launch by the National Symphony Orchestra of a rendition of the National Anthem using only local instruments, he added. He said the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) would mount a photo exhibition depicting the colonial times, in view of which the board would transform parts of the Christianborg Castle, the former seat of government at Osu, into a museum space. Legacy Project Lord Commey said Ghana had had nine Presidents since independence but not much was displayed anywhere about them, except the country's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah. As part of the celebration, he said, there would be the inauguration of a Presidential Museum which would be a legacy project to celebrate the country's former leaders and also the 60th anniversary of the GMMB, which falls on February 5. There would also be the 'Know Your Ghana' campaign, a domestic tourism campaign spearheaded by the Presidency, which would be launched at the photo exhibition, he added. He explained that when the perpetual flame was lit on Independence Day, a torch would also be lit using the flame. Relay torch for all regions This torch will embark on a relay throughout the whole of Ghana, region by region, and return to its starting point on March 6, 2018. Chiefs, opinion leaders, local celebrities and Ghanaians from all walks of life will be part of this relay, he said. He said the President would, within the period, cut the sod for the Presidential Legacy Project, while there would be the Masqueraders' Festival and the National Festival on Culture where each region would be given an opportunity to showcase a part of its culture that was unique. The Chairman of the Media Sub-committee, Mr Jefferson Sackey, throwing more light on the 'I Pledge' Campaign, said it would create awareness of the many things that Ghanaians could do differently to help raise the flag of the country higher. The campaign, he said, aimed at spreading a broad change in attitude or mindset in all parts of the country with the view to getting the citizenry to pledge their support to help build a desirable nation. ANGOLA The Steuben County Economic Development Corp. has announced that its Tuesday, Feb. 21, board meeting will be open to the public. Tuesdays board meeting will be held at 3 p.m. at the Steuben County Enterprise Center, 907 S. Wayne St. The SCEDC had intended to hold a public meeting in January but canceled due to conflicts among board members. It is the first public meeting of the SCEDC in some 5-6 years when the board changed its bylaws to keep its meetings private. On Dec. 27, the Indiana Public Access Counselor, a state office, issued an opinion that SCEDC board meetings should be open to the public and its documents be public, unless otherwise provided by statute. The decision made public on Jan. 4 by Public Access Counselor Luke Britt says due to certain levels of public and governmental funds received by the organization, it could be audited by the State Board of Accounts and therefore falls under the Indiana public access laws. That would include the Open Door Law mandating that meetings of the board of directors be public and the Indiana Access to Public Records Act. The agenda issued by the SCEDC lists a variety of topics to cover, including committee reports, a directors report, an annual meeting update and training update. There also is a provision for an executive session, To discuss strategy on pending litigation and legal matters, the agenda says. Under the Indiana Open Door Law, agencies can hold executive sessions to discuss initiation of litigation or litigation that is either pending or has been threatened specifically in writing. Once again, the Fulani conflict is here with us. This is one annual ritual, which we have failed to deal with in years past. Every year, Fulanis clash with indigenes of some farming communities over the formers inability to control their livestock from wreaking havoc on the latters source of livelihood. For as long as this problem has existed, no permanent solutions have been offered. Not even the usual joint police and military task forces with such hilarious code names as Operation Cow Leg and Operation Drive Cattle from Farms have been able to see a successful elucidation to the menace. Indeed, the Fulani have been mostly identified to be nomadic. Up until this time, history of their origin is still unknown. Although the Fulani have no recognizable history as an indigenous Ghanaian ethnic group, there are numerous of their kind existing either legally or illegally in our country with some involved in legitimate businesses whiles others are busy soiling the name of the Fulanis. Besides, this is the civilized world of the twenty-first century and not the first century. And in as much as the human right of Fulani cattle herders to a decent livelihood cannot be either gainsaid or rebutted, nonetheless, such eking out of their existence must not, under any circumstances, be carried out at the expense of the sedentary farmers of the Ashanti, Eastern, Western, Northern, Brong Ahafo and Volta region areas of Ghana which are predominantly the target of assault by these intruders. Whereas interested parties in this canker are voluminous and the long-tailed nature of this menace, a permanent solution is still farfetched. There are many documented instances, in which our farmwomen with their female ward both adolescents and children are raped brutally with impunity by Fulani cattle herdsmen. There is also the gruesome murder of those men who either protest the raping of their women or the destruction of their crops. At other times, this social misfits set fire to bushes just to allow the grass to sprout for their herd only for the fire to destroy many aches of an underprivileged farmers livelihood. This is prominent during the dry season when pasture becomes a scarce commodity. Anytime one recalls these wanton acts of depravity by the Fulani herdsmen who have gradually acquired the title of a Primitive Predator, there is a violent eruption a desire to retaliate. This is what has been fuelling the conflict between our people and the Fulani cattle herders for the past decade or more. In time of the belligerence and bellicose posture of the Fulanis, we hear such beautiful statements from the authorities like, the activities of the herdsmen have impacted negatively on the social and economic development of the area and only stringent measures would avert disastrous consequences. But nothing happens afterwards. The glaring lukewarm attitude that authorities have adopted so far, is also not helping matters and if care is not taken, worse than what we have already heard and seen would be perpetuated on innocent farmers and their livelihood. Just like the menace of illegal mining popularly referred to as Galamsey, it has been alleged that some stakeholders such as chiefs, Police and Military commanders and even MMDCEs have acquired the services of these nomads. It is therefore making meting out punishment to offending Fulani cattle herders more twisted than it looks. Could this be the reason why a permanent solution is still farfetched? Whereas this headache continues to worry our head, there some people who are giving out several perspectives to the menace saying, the Fulanis are Ghanaians and therefore, it would be an illegality to expel them from the country for their unscrupulous activities. Accurate or not, should they use that as a basis to trample upon the economic right of fellow Ghanaians by marauding their cattle on peoples farms? The Fulanis are traditionally nomads whose activities are largely influenced by such natural forces as water and pasture. Despite they not having any permanent place of habitation, anywhere they step their foot, regardless of wherever it is, they become the Lords instead of subjects and does whatever pleases them. The Ghanaian hand of hospitality extended to these herders is without doubt beyond the reach of where their activities have reached now. In the heat of the political campaign in 2016, almost all the aspirants pledged a lot of devotion in getting rid of the menace when given the nod. The then aspirant of the NPP and currently the president of the Republic, His Excellency Nana Akuffo Addo gave a strong assurance to the people of Agogo to solve the age-old menace, for the last time. As the days go by, we hope the words of honour would not only be suitable for an election ambience. As His Excellency rightly puts it on the campaign platform, Brazil has a population of 200 million inhabitants and 213 million cattle but is never been heard of to have a problem relating to cattle rearing. It is awful how we are struggling with just the little cattle we have in the country. The required solutions should include the creation of a grazing/cattle community with requisite needs such as source of water or even the creation of a drought sustainable pond in the community and making sure all herders stay within the perimeters of the community with their cattle in ranches in the same community. This would compel the herdsmen to cultivate hay for serving their animals and completely curtail indiscriminate grazing. If the herders themselves cannot grow the hay, it presents another avenue for other farmers to grow hay for sale. Additionally, there should be a system for the registration and subsequent licensing of Fulani cattle herders and their cattle. The license, which would be renewable within a reasonable period, would guarantee the tracking of each Fulani herder and also the population of the cattle in the country. Those who would fail deserve nothing but total seizure of their entire cattle and immediate deportation to wherever they came from. As well, the long-standing proposition of a Cattle Ranching Law should be high on the agenda of our Legislators. The mere absence of regulatory legal framework exposes the herders menace to much impunity. We have had enough from these nomads. It is time to pull out the rotten tooth. Kpedator Elorm Teacher, Tokuroano D/A Primary A, Krachi East District President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on numerousoccasions, assured the good people of Northern Region of his commitment to continuous peace under his leadership. Indeed,the latest of such promises was on December 23, 2016, as captured by Paul Achonga Kwode in a Ghana News Agency Report, under the caption Nana Akufo-Addo assures Dagbon of peace and reconciliation. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, then President-elect, assured the chiefs and people of the Dagbon traditional area of totalpeace and reconciliation during his tenure. He said he was not interested in chieftaincy issues, but would work in truth, openness and honesty for the right things to be done. He expressed gratitude to the people of Dagbon for sustaining the peace in the region despite serious fears of turmoil during the 2016 elections. These statements from President Akufo-Addo echoed across the Northern Region of Ghana. It is devastating to note that, less than two months after he took over as President of the nation, Bimbilla is in crisis. A number of people have lost their lives as a result of the disturbances which took place on the 9th of February, 2017. This is totally unacceptable! Contrary to the fears expressed by many that the 2016 elections could trigger violence in parts of Northern Region, the elections ended peacefully in the region. One is therefore at loss why less than two months into his administration, there are renewed chieftaincy related crises in the Northern Region, specifically in Bimbilla. What is even more troubling is the fact that the new Defence Minister, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, who doubles as Member of Parliament for Bimbilla Constituency, hails from that area. As a representative of the good people of Bimbilla, Hon. Nitiwul has a responsibility and duty, not only to represent them in the decision-making process in Parliament, but also to seek their welfare, which includes their safety. Moreover, by virtue of being the Defence Minister in the current Government, he is a member of the National Security Council under article 83(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. Among others, the functions of the National Security Council include considering and taking appropriate measures to safeguard the internal and external security of Ghana and by extension Ghanaians, as well as ensuring the collection of information relating to the security of Ghana. Many people are asking the following questions: i. Did Government pick up any intelligence information onthe sporadic shooting in Bimbilla, which eyewitnessessay lasted for almost 24 hours? ii. If Government did, what measures did it put in place to prevent the killing of innocent persons? iii. Can the good people of Bimbilla, and for that matter Northern Region, have confidence and trust in thepronouncements of President Akufo Addo and his Government? Many people in Bimbilla and parts of the Northern Region are living in fear and insecurity. Since President Akufo-Addo disclosed to Ghanaians that Hon. Dominic Nitiwul would fill the position of Defence Minister, many have questioned his choicegiven the historical conflicts in the region. As a son of Dagbon and the Northern Region, I am deeply troubled by the unfortunate situation in Bimbilla. I am even more devastated at the loss of lives. Contrary to reports that suggest that three (3) people lost their lives through sporadic shooting, sources on the ground put the number of lives lost at ten (10). Whether three or ten, it is unacceptable! These lives must be properly accounted for. Thorough investigations must be conducted by the security agencies to bring all the perpetrators of these dastardly and barbaric acts to book to serve as deterrents to other trouble causers, under the guise of politics or chieftaincy. The new Government has a great burden on its shoulders. Many were afraid that an Akufo-Addo led Government would be characterized by conflict in northern Ghana given certain historical antecedents. After all, he who has been bitten by a snake screams when he sees an earthworm. Some say that the current situation in Bimbilla vindicates their fears. I do not seek to bring to remembrance the unfortunate and gruesome acts that took place some time ago, but we cannot pretend to be oblivious of history since history essential guides us from the known to the unknown. Nana Akufo-Addo has a huge responsibility to ensure the safety, security and protection of every law-abiding Ghanaian no matter the ethnic, religious or political group. Citizens under the same Constitution cannot be governed by different sets of rules and laws. Perpetrators of crime, whether in political, religious orchieftaincy contexts, must be treated as criminals. This is the only way to safeguard and sustain the peace and tranquility bequeathed to the current Government by the Government ofPresident John Dramani Mahama. As a citizen of Ghana, not a spectator or subject, it is my humble expectation that, the Interior Minister (Hon. Ambrose Dery), National Security Minister (Hon. Kan Dapaah), Minister for Defence and Member of Parliament for Bimbilla (Hon. Dominic Nitiwul) and the Minister for Chieftaincy, together with all the appropriate state security agencies will attach utmost importance to the current situation in Bimbilla the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of property. Ghanaians were made to believe that the creation of the position of National Security Minister, in addition to the traditional Interior and Defence Ministers, would ensure efficiency in delivery. However, if the reports on Bimbilla are anything to go by, then one can only ponder over the use of the tax-payers money and the safety of Ghanaians under the current administration. It is not enough for President Akufo-Addo to keep repeating the same rhetoric while hitherto stable situations are now in turmoil. As a Government that holds itself out as the doyens of and believers in the rule of law we, the citizens, expect nothing less than total peace and stability. by Baba Musah Citizen of Ghana Thank you editor One of the key reasons for the inauguration of the Ayalolo Transport System late last year was to supplement the efforts of Ghanas commercial transport industry as well as provide time-bound transport services to commuters in Accra. But four months after its inauguration it appears most commuters in the city are not patronising the services despite the perks that come with riding the Ayalolo buses. Former President Mahama during the inauguration of the transport system said he believes it is a good initiative that will help Ghanas transport system. Because we haven't had a good public transport system, a lot of people are forced to use their private vehicles and thats causing a lot of traffic. But if we have neat buses which are nice with air conditions, a lot of people will be tempted to leave their cars at home and ride their buses to work. A passenger who spoke to Citi Business News on her preference for trotro to the Aayalolo buses attributed her choice to the inconveniences associated with the BRT system. I do not always use the route the buses use. In addition, the card system is complicated for me considering the kind of work I do and the inconveniences I am likely to face if my credit gets exhausted, she stated. Listen to full audio report below Citi Business News' checks reveal that a trip on the Ayalolo bus from Achimota to Circle costs 1 cedi 15 pesewas, Achimota to Ofankor 1 cedi 92 pesewas which is cheaper than the cost of boarding a trotro. From Achimota to Circle for example, it will cost you 1 cedi 80 pesewas and Achimota to Ofankor 2 cedis 70 pesewas. Another passenger also explained that his reason for not using the Aayalolo buses is the challenges associated with the validator. I do not want to use the Aayalolo because it stops at every bus stop and I see it as a waste of time, secondly, I tried to use it once and when I got to my destination and showed the card to the validator, I got a feedback indicating an error. Apart from being cheaper the ayalolo buses have air condition, free WIFI and a USB charging portal for phones as well as a special lane to avoid traffic. But Citi Business News' checks into why the buses are not being patronized despite all the advantages show that most people are not conversant with how the bus operates and its routes are very limited. Also majority of Ayalolo ticketing booths are unattended to making it difficult to purchase tickets. Public Relation Officer for Aayaolo Fred Chidi tells Citi Business News that they are hopeful patronage will pick up. Certainly, it's a business venture and you certainly will know that you do not start a business all of a sudden and start to make profits so we are running at a huge cost but eventually we will meet our target. The trend we have established now is if we are able to do toe ridership will increase by sixty passengers per bus so it is encouraging and something that we are determined to make work, so it is just a matter of time. By: Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana. PETITION: Your Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, the Coalition of Volunteer Groups respectfully and humbly petition your high office to bring to your notice a reminder and also to draw your attention to some concerns raised by volunteers. The Coalition of Volunteer Groups is a composition of all volunteer groups which are largely made up of those in Greater Accra and other regions across the country. There are more than 145 volunteer groups in Greater Accra which played significant role during the 2016 electioneering period to get the New Patriotic Party elected into power. The overwhelming victory of the NPP in Greater Accra is through the hard work of the committed and loyal volunteers. Mr. President, the immense work of the various volunteer groups across the country cannot be overemphasized; hence our overwhelming victory in the 2016 general elections across the country is the result of the hard work done by the various volunteer groups. This is an open secret. Mr. President, this petition is filed in good faith by the group; Coalition of Volunteer Groups (CVG) to communicate to you their concerns. After the elections, the volunteer groups have not seen a comprehensive plan which seeks to offer them job opportunities. A greater number of us who worked in the various volunteer groups to campaign for the party across the length and breadth of the country which in no doubt, you are a beneficiary of our efforts have not seen any plan which seeks to provide us with jobs, hence the need to petition you to make known to you our genuine concerns to find lasting solution to the concerns raised. The hearts of many volunteers bleed simply because they put our jobs on line which they lost them in the course of the electioneering process. Those who joined the campaign openly were dismissed from their jobs, but this did not perturb them from campaigning until the Party secured power. As we speak, they are languishing at home without jobs. Mr. President, it is disheartening to see individuals who openly campaigned against our bid to win power to rule the country, working in the various MDAs. It is indeed disheartening. It is in no doubt that, in 2008 when the NPP lost power for the first time, persons who were tagged to be associated with our noble Party were all dismissed without any compensation or reason or explanation offered, simply because the NDC has won power. Today the story has changed under your watch. More than a now, NDC Members are still occupying top government positions across the length and breadth of the country. This has created a situation where our own party members cannot find jobs to do. Most of these NDC members who are still occupying positions in the MDAs are without proper qualification and doing everything humanly possible to thwart your efforts to develop the country. Your Excellency, the work of the volunteer groups need to be recognized since their role will be needed in the 2020 electioneering period to seek a second bid to enable the Party fully deliver on all its promises. Finally Mr. President, the volunteer groups have confidence in you and trust that you will soon come out with a comprehensive plan to create jobs to enable them have work to do. Thank you. Signed on behalf of the group Teacher Danquah (T.D) (0508121418) Spokesperson for the group. Mawuli Marcel (0249970097) Director Of Operations for the group. 15.02.2017 LISTEN Leading education and technology organizations from Finland and Ghana will come together this month to run creative coding workshops for local students in Accra. The collaboration is part of the CodeBus Africa project, a 100-day tour connecting Finnish and African innovators as part of Finland's official 100th anniversary celebrations. CodeBus Africa will be launched in Ghana in partnership with the Finnish Aalto University as well as Accra-based technology hubs Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) and STEMbees. The project, which has the strong support of Nokia, will place special emphasis on involving girls who still remain underrepresented among the users and creators of technology. With its focus firmly on the young, this innovative activity will consist of creative coding work-shops. Students will pair up to learn coding and to produce their own song with the free open-source platform Sonic Pi. Peer support, creative self-expression and a tangible final product are all elements designed to make the learning experience positive and rewarding. At least half of the participants in the workshops will be girls. The aim of the project is to boost grassroots level teaching of computer programming and to contribute to long-term efforts to promote quality edu-cation, youth empowerment and employment. Ghana will be the first stop of the CodeBus Africa journey that will span another nine countries Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia between February and May 2017. "I am delighted that this continent-wide project is launched in Ghana, a country well-known for its talented coders," said Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury, Ambas-sador of Finland to Ghana. I find it particularly important to reach out to the young, focusing on education and employment critical factors in successfully building the future of any country." "We are very lucky to have such great local partners as MEST and STEMbees working with us. They have a critical role in planning and implementing the project, and have been absolutely in-valuable. Without them this project simply would not have been possible. I am also extremely grateful for the support of Nokia. As a global leader in innovation and technology worldwide, they have the capacity to transform lives through shaping the future of technology. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work together with them in putting this capacity into the use of the com-mon good." The CodeBus Africa tour will be documented on the project website www.codebusafrica.com, as well as on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter between February and May 2017. Today, I am hunched with sorrow, pain and anger. Anytime I try to write about internecine and tribal wars in the Northern Region, I feel like being my irreverent self. Sometimes, I feel ashamed of being a Northerner in the first place. Even though there have been some skirmishes in other areas of Ghana as far as chieftaincy issues are concerned, what is happening in the northern region is too much and the earlier something is done about it, the better. What is most disheartening is that our leaders always treat the symptoms rather than the causes. In other jurisdictions, the services of psychologists are needed to fight the canker. During the PNDC era, the fight that broke out between Konkomas and Dagombas as well as the one between Nanumbas and Konkomas left behind death, pain and destruction of properties. In fact, some military men who went there to control the situation ended up being killed by the warring factions. Then Chairman J.J Rawlings had to go there personally at the peril of his life to admonish the protagonists to lay down their arms and jaw jaw. He even went further to admonish them to act like human beings. When Rawlings made that statement, his enemies took him on, saying he insulted them and he must apologize as such. The Kusasi and Mamprusi wars continue to hang in the air as any false move can trigger another crush. The uninitiated person living in Accra or any town in southern Ghana may think there is peace in Bawku but the truth is that the peace between the Kusasis and Mamprusis is like the one between the cat and the mouse. The two live in one house together and so any visitor to the house may think they live in peace. Let the mouse come out and there you will see that there is no peace in the house. Go to Bawku and you will see that the once vibrant market town is a pail town with people suspecting each other. Business men and women who used to patronize the market from across the boarders prefer to go to Hamile in Burkina Faso to trade because they do not know what will happen one day as they do their businesses. Until the day that we will get a substantive Yaa Naa, Yendi the seat of the Dagbon Kingdom will continue to be volatile. The Abudus and Andanis are tactically at war yet Ghanaians particularly those who matter in the scheme of thing pretend everything is alright. Ever since the last clash which led to the unfortunate murder of the overlord of Dagbon, Yaa Naa Yacubu Andani, Dagbon has never been the same again. Every year when the Bugum festival is about to be celebrated, people in Yendi sit on tenterhooks because anything at all can happen. The Asanthene's Committee of Imminent Chiefs who were charged by the Kufour administration to see to it that peace returned to Dagbon was not allowed to work by the Mills/Mahama administration. Here we are with a new regime which has created a ministry in charge of the zongos and inner cities headed by no mean a person than a zongo boy called Boniface Saddique and yet zongo is on fire at Bimbilla. This Bimbilla madness should be the last thing about violence that Ghanaians will hear coming from the north. People talk about poverty as a root cause of what is happening in Bimbilla. If you are poor and frustrated, does it mean you should kill women and children? If you hear of houses being burnt in such communal violence in the north, you may be misled into thinking that the houses look like the ones you see at East Legon or Trassaco. They are thatched houses covered with leaves. And whenever there is any trouble one can easily set the house ablaze with a scratch of a match stick. Instead of thinking of how to better their lot, these people prefer adding more fire to their already sorry and miserable state. The time has come for us to tell them in plain words that even as they continue to fight among themselves and spill the blood of innocent souls, Ghana and the world, for that matter, continue to move forward. Nobody is waiting for them since the world is on the move with new technologies being invented on daily basis. What is most disturbing is that investors will never go up there to put their moneys into any business which may create jobs and prosperity for the teeming youth in the north. Because the devil finds work for the idle hands, the youth in these areas will jump into the fight if even they are not invited to do so. Before the recent violence which erupted in Bimbilla, I attended a friend's funeral in the town and what I saw was heart-racing. Able-bodied boys and girls were roaming the streets aimlessly, while unschooled urchins sit under tress with hunger boldly written on their faces, wondering where the next meal will come from. I became so angry that I nearly did what Madam Otiko Djaba did. In fact, I cursed all those who took part in the looting of the SADA moneys. How can people be so wicked? If you happen to visit some villages in the north and see the level of poverty, you will stand to pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe. We all seem to agree that there is poverty in the north and the situation is so desperate that something needs to be done to safe the situation. So when the SADA was introduced, we all thought at last things will improve so that the people up there will smile. It is very unfortunate that those who were put in charge and who are also northerners condoned and connived with civil servants to dupe the people they are supposed to help. It has been nearly three years since the guinea fowls migrated to Burkina Faso and they are yet to return to the shores of Ghana. Oh, mother Ghana! Madam Gloria Akufo, the Attorney General, must, as a matter of urgency, start preparing the necessary legal documents and haul these people before court to face justice, else some other guys may cheat the people again and go free. If she starts doing that and anyone calls it witch-hunting, such a person would be called a witch. In the run-up to the 2012 general elections, Nana Addo muted the idea of Savanna Development Fund which was hijacked by the NDC and renamed Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). President Akufo-Addo must revisit the ADF and put a competent person to be in charge, irrespective of where the person comes from. If a northerner could be so callous to dupe his own people, President Akufo-Addo should look elsewhere to get an honest and competent person to do the job. It looks as if northerners are their own enemies. Look at Asongtaaba and DKM (Dele K. Martin)? The time has also come for all members of parliament from the Northern Region and, of course, businessmen and women in the big cities who hail from the Northern Region to come together, irrespective of their political leanings to help turn things around for their people. Henry Ford once wrote that coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success. If the NPP government says the government will establish one factory in one district, it doesn't mean the government alone can do that. Strategic investors have a role to play here and I am aware we have resourceful businessmen and women from the Northern Region, both at home and abroad who can join the wagon. This is a national clarion call and everybody should get on board so that when the history of the success story is being written they would find their names written in gold. Similarly, these businessmen and women and the MPs can also target one village each and construct a dam to encourage the youth to stay home and cultivate, tomatoes, onions, pepper, okra and other crops. If a desert country like Burkina Faso can construct several dams to cultivate vegetables all year round, I don't see the reason why Ghana cannot do same. The Nasia Rice field is lying fallow while the youth travel down south to find menial jobs. The government must revamp the Nasia Rice fields by importing combine harvesters, tractors, and fertilizers for the farmers there who undoubtedly will be happy to get involve like it used to happen during the Acheampong region. If this particular project is revamped and resourced I am sure the nation will reduce the importation of foreign produced rice which is weighing so much on the economy. Do you know we used to have Tiger Pito Factory in the Tamale? In the early seventies when that factory was producing Tiger Pito, it was fashionable to order Tiger Pito when one patronized discotheques and beer bars as well as hotels and super markets. Apart from the fact that the drink was relatively cheap, it was also nutritious and as patriotic citizens we felt proud to drink Tiger Pito. Farmers who used to cultivate millet had a field day since the factory bought the millet at high price to produce Tiger Pito. I am looking forward to the day an investor will invest in the production of Tiger Pito. Excuse me while I light my Havana. Eric Bawah The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday ordered the consolidation of the three separate suits challenging the constitutionality of former President Dramani Mahama granting amnesty to the Montie 3 radio panelists Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase aka Mugabe. In the view of the seven-member panel of judges presided over by Justice Sophia Adinyira, the issues raised in the various cases are identical. She stated that all the cases filed by the various plaintiffs were seeking an interpretation of Article 72 of the 1992 Constitution, a reason the court finds it expedient to consolidate the cases. The judges stated that the parties should also file their agreed memorandum of issues. Asante Nana Asante Bediatuo, Elekplem Agbameva and Alfred Tuah Yeboah had filed the suit at the apex court challenging the rightfulness of ex-president Mahama to free the three paddies. The court further directed the parties to contact the Court Registrar for a date to be fixed for definite hearing. The SC directive came after all the lawyers for the Plaintiffs, had agreed with the court to consolidate the cases. On January 12, this year, Justice Yaw Appau, a sole judge who sat over the case, revealed that there were three different suits challenging the constitutionality of the former president's decision. The court noted that the Plaintiffs in the matter had filed similar suits. The Attorney General (AG), represented by Grace Oppong, Principal State Attorney, entered appearance and the court gave the AG seven days to file its statement of case in response to the matter. Jail It may be recalled that the apex court in July 2016 jailed Salifu Maase aka Mugabe, host of 'Pampaso' a political programme on an Accra-based radio station, Montie FM, and two other panelists who threatened the judges with death. They were sentenced to an imprisonment term of 4 months each for contempt of court. The five-member panel of judges presided over by Justice Sophia Akuffo, had also ordered Mugabe and the other contemnors Godwin Ako Gunn, 39 and Alistair Tairo Nelson 41, both National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists, to pay a GH10,000 fine each or in default serve another one month in jail. Mugabe had told his panelists to open fire on the justices by attacking them with threats of death in addition to allowing a certain Nash of Mataheko in Accra to marry Chief Justice Georgina Wood. Pressure Even before the trio could serve a month in jail, a desk to gather signatures intended to mount pressure on President Mahama to invoke the Pardon Clause in (Article 72) of the 1992 Constitution had been mounted at the premises of Radio Gold a sister station to Montie FM, by key figures of the NDC. President Mahama eventually succumbed to the pressure, some of which came from government appointees and ministers, to free the three contemnors, popularly called Montie 3. In the case of Nana Badiatuo, the Plaintiffs, amongst other reliefs, are seeking a declaration that the presidents action at the time was unconstitutional and also a further order to have the Montie 3 serve their sentences in full. By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson [email protected] The National Planning Committee for Ghana's 60th anniversary celebrations on Monday denied plagiarising the anniversary logo, saying that the insignia was an original work commissioned by the committee. It said the logo, inspired by two adinkra symbols, 'Mate Masie' and 'Tikor nnk agyina,' was designed by one Emmanuel Addo, a student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). At a press conference at the Flagstaff House in Accra on Monday, Jefferson Sackey, Chairman of the Media Sub-Committee of the Anniversary Planning Committee, said the committee went through a deliberate and thorough process to arrive at the logo that was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last Thursday. Mr Sackey claimed that the committee invited and had over 50 proposals from artists and designers, out of which 20 designs were shortlisted. He said the committee, with the help of some experts, further scaled down the designs to five before settling on the logo which was unveiled last week, adding that the selection process would not lend itself to a plagiarised work. Over the weekend, social media were awash with news that the logo for the year-long 60th anniversary celebrations that start from the month of March had been copied from an Indian youth association emblem. Various radio stations also took to discussing the issue, with discussants querying the commission without a lead from it. Mr Sackey told the media that that accusation was unfounded because the issue of plagiarism is something that comes to us as a surprise. He said the committee's investigation had revealed that certain interest hurriedly put together a website over the weekend with the same logo, ostensibly to paint us in a bad light, to upset the plans of the committee. Explaining the processes for selecting the design and logo for the year-long anniversary, he said after the president constituted the National Planning Committee, many designers across the country showed interest in designing the logo for the anniversary, therefore, the designers were asked to make presentations to the Media & Branding Sub-Committee. He said that after intensive deliberations and scrutiny of the designs presented by the various designers, the committee shortlisted five out of the 20 entries, and subsequently Mr Addo's designed was selected after consultations with experts in the creative arts industry. The design, Mr Sackey said, captured the essence of the theme for the celebration. It comprises two Adinkra symbols and people holding hands with heads together in a circle, symbolising togetherness, duality of the essence of life, diversity in democracy and inter-dependency. He said the elements in the design complemented the theme for the anniversary: ''Ghana, 60 years on, mobilising for Ghana's future.' Mr Sackey presented the committee's nationalism project dubbed 'The Pledge Campaign' aimed at rejuvenating the Ghanaian spirit of patriotism, ingenuity and self-belief for sustained national development. The campaign is intended to change the attitudes and mindset of Ghanaians and geared towards building a desirable nation for accelerated national development. In view of this, he encouraged Ghanaians to share short videos or pictures through the social or print media on how to support the campaign. This, he said, could be demonstrated through social activities such as volunteering to donate blood, paying taxes to the authorities and keeping the environment clean, as well as eschewing bribes and corruption in society. He, therefore, urged all Ghanaians to show interest and support the campaign in order to achieve a national ideological agenda. The List of Candidates 15.02.2017 LISTEN There was much eagerness in political campaigns in the Ashanti Region over the weekend, with some candidates pushing just a little harder, as polling day for the Council of State election draws near. The Ashanti Regional poll, which is slated for Thursday, February 16, 2017 at the Conference Room of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), has 17 candidates gunning for the one slot. Among the candidates are traditional rulers, teachers, businessmen, an agriculturalist and a journalist who yesterday went through the briefing exercise at the regional office of the Electoral Commission (EC) to be educated about the process of the election before they finally face the 60 delegates who are expected to elect one person to represent the region. The aspirants are Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong, 63-year-old registered professional nurse and chief of Akrofoso; Baafour Ossei Hyeaman Brentuo VI, a 63-year-old medical practitioner and Maawerehene of the Asantehene; Sampson Amofa-Kra, 69, educationist; Wilberforce Nana Kwame Obeng, 39, media consultant; Clinton Awuni Eshun, 30, businessman and Dr Ekow Akyeampong, 65, agriculturalist. Others are Robert Owusu Amankwah, 71, business executive and former Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman; Alex Asare, 35, journalist; Prince Nicholas Nkrumah, 51, quantity surveyor; Nana Kusi-Obodum, 81; Francis Kwaw Archer, 68; Dennis Kwakwa; Michael Afreh-Gyimah, 55 and Yaw Boadi Appiah, 49, are all educationists. The rest are Mubashir Iddrisu, 31, secretary; William Grant, 67, electrician and Abraham Boadi, 42-year-old trader. With just a day until the 60-member electoral college of the region vote, the candidates are expected to wrap up their campaigns. EC Regional Director, Serebour Quaicoe, told DAILY GUIDE that 19 people filed their nominations, but two of them later withdrew from the race. According to him, his outfit had received the list of delegates from all the 30 district assemblies with the exception of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and the Asante-Akim North and South District Assemblies. The EC boss said each candidate would be given some time to make a presentation to the delegates on the day of poll as the final opportunity for them to make a case for their electability. From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi Onderstepoort (South Africa) (AFP) - Peeling back the maize plant's leaves reveals a small brown caterpillar -- an armyworm that writhes as it burrows into the heart of the crop, producing a sticky dark paste. Eighty percent of the Prinsloo family's maize plants are under attack, as are those of other farmers in Haakdoringboom, a farming community 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of South Africa's capital Pretoria. "These worms are eating everything that they touch," said farmer Jacques Prinsloo, who held up a damaged leaf to demonstrate the alarming speed at which the fall armyworms devour the crop. Leaves are shredded and residue speckles the inside of the plants -- a tell-tale sign of trouble. The recently-arrived pests, which are proving immune to existing pesticides, are devastating crops and threatening southern Africa's fragile food supply having spread through Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as South Africa. Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia are also reported to be affected by the worms. They originate from South America and are thought to have arrived in Africa in shipments of plants or on commercial airliners, with the first fall armyworms in Africa seen in Nigeria and Togo last year. "I tried everything on the market. I spent 45,000 rand ($3,400) on pesticides alone," said Jacques, 24, who has been battling the pests for six weeks. "Last year the drought, this year the worms, what next year? Everyone thinks it's easy to farm. It seems easy until you start doing it." Jacques estimates that as many as four in five of his maize plants are affected. 'We're fighting' Armyworm caterpillars eat the kernels of a cob of corn If the crop fails entirely, he estimates it will cost his family up to 700,000 rand ($53,000) this year alone. Crops in neighbouring farmers' fields are also being ravaged by the pests, according to Adele who, along with her son Jacques, employs six staff on their roughly 100 hectare farm. "We're fighting. The farm next door to us is fighting," said Adele. Across southern Africa, fall armyworms are wreaking havoc with staple crops for the first time. Key food sources like maize, wheat, millet and rice have all come under attack, raising fears of imminent mass food shortages. Nearly 40 million people in southern Africa have been affected a two-year-long drought caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon reducing food availability by 15 percent, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). David Phiri, the FAO's coordinator for southern Africa, warned experts at a crisis summit in Harare this week that the armyworm poses "a huge threat to food security". 'Hopeless, angry, heartbroken' South African farmers are desperate for help to fight the armyworm pest Despite their proximity to South Africa's seat of power, the Prinsloos feel that their plight, and that of hundreds of other farmers, is being ignored by the government. "I'm feeling hopeless, angry, heartbroken -- it feels like I could go and sit and cry myself to death," said 50-year-old Adele who has been involved in farming for nearly half her life. "All the money and effort that's been put in there and I'm getting no help. "We were promised a visit by the farming minister on Sunday but they cancelled. Nobody is doing anything. They said they would import a poison from abroad but we've heard nothing." The region around the Prinsloo farm had only just begun to recover from one of the worst dry spells in recent history when the armyworms struck. "A year ago we had the drought but then we had good rains. Now the worms are destroying the crop," said Adele. In one badly affected field, nearly every plant is showing signs of damage. Looking out over his family's fields, bordered by tracks of rich red earth and criss-crossed with mechanical irrigation systems, Jacques is doubtful there will be a quick solution to the crisis. "(The plants) are not going to make corn because of the damage," he said of this year's crop. "The larvae is making new worms and you must fight them again. Burning it might be the only option." ANGOLA An Angola man who stabbed his fiance multiple times and killed her brother last April was sentenced to 40 years in prison Tuesday. The sentencing hearing for Edwin Garcia, 33, spanned five hours, lasting through the morning and cutting into the Steuben Circuit Courts afternoon calendar. Judge Allen Wheat noted that a sentencing hearing of such depth is unusual, but would not allow testimony to be cut short. After hearing from the family members of Garcia and his victims the late Jonathan Abuja, 30, and Amber Lynn Abuja, 29 Wheat sentenced Garcia to the maximum under his plea agreement: 20 years on each count, to be served consecutively. He received credit for 311 days served in Steuben County Jail and will be remanded to the Indiana Department of Corrections. Garcia, represented by Angola attorney Allen Stout, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and attempted voluntary manslaughter, both Level 2 felonies, at a hearing in late December. The plea agreement, accepted by Wheat at the outset of Tuesdays sentencing hearing, called for the dismissal of the original charges, murder and attempted murder, and a cap of time served on each charge of 20 years. While Garcias family members described an intelligent and kind man, the Abujas family expressed fear. Garcia stabbed Jonathan 27 times in the home they shared with Amber in the 300 block of North Washington Street on April 9, 2016. The killing occurred in a fracas that started between Amber and Garcia. She was stabbed nine times and spent four days in the hospital, but said Tuesday on the stand she may never emotionally recover. I have flashbacks every day, she said. Every time her feet touch a cold floor, she said, she remembers running through the ice and snow as Garcia chased her down the sidewalk during the dark, early morning hours. Garcia, wearing only his boxer shorts and covered in his victims blood, was found by police in an unoccupied house in the 300 block of East Gilmore Street. Amber, after running two blocks, was given shelter by a resident in the 400 block of East Gilmore. Nineteen people called 911 after hearing Ambers screams or witnessing the pursuit. He was somehow keeping up with me He probably fell three times, said Amber, who was stabbed through her back and shoulder. She bled so much from a head wound that when she got to a hospital in Fort Wayne, medics put 10 staples into the gash before taking time to give her a pain killer. I truly believe that Mr. Garcia did in fact just snap, said Steuben County Prosecutor Travis Musser, who presented the states case in a contentious hearing. Stout said Garcia acted in self defense. When he took the stand in the last short testimony of the hearing, Garcia told Wheat that if he had not killed Jonathan, I know for a fact I would be the one dead. Garcia apologized to the court and the Abuja family, and thanked those involved in a case that he admitted will continue to reverberate in this community for years to come. Garcia and Amber moved to Angola in September 2015 after deciding to marry while living together in California. They started dating in late 2012 and began living together in the summer of 2013. Members of Garcias family traveled from California to testify at the sentencing, including his mother; his brother, Lindley Hupp, who has served the past 28 years as a police officer in Torrance, California; and his stepfather, Keith Hupp, who retired in December 2014 after 32 years in law enforcement. Garcia had numerous brushes with the law, starting with a car theft as a juvenile in 1998, said Musser. His record included vandalism, driving without a license and driving under the influence. Musser said Garcia was under a probation order in California when he committed the manslaughter. Wheat recognized Garcias criminal past as an aggravating factor. He also noted the fact that when it came to the attempted manslaughter charge, it was committed against his fiance, making a formal determination of domestic violence. If you were a friend of one of my kids, you were a part of our family, said the Abujas mother, Mary Hixon, who lives in rural Steuben County with her husband, staring with contempt into the eyes of Garcia from the witness stand. Hixon described Jonathan as a gentle teddy bear of a man, despite his imposing size of 6 feet, 1 inch tall and 350 pounds. She said Jonathan has always protected his sister, and feels that is what happened the night of his killing. According to Ambers testimony, she and Garcia argued after he returned late from a night of drinking. The fight escalated, with Garcia pushing Amber to the couch by her throat, she said. Jonathan responded to her screams and after pulling Garcia from his sister, the tussle moved to the kitchen area, where a knife became involved. Ambers and Garcias renditions of the incident were different. Amber said she and Garcia were struggling in the kitchen when her brother pushed her out of the way. Jonathan was facing her, she said. I saw Edwin just take the knife and stab it deep into his back, she said. As Jonathan fell to his knees, she said she could tell he would not survive the wounds that punctured his lungs and abdomen. No words were spoken during the bloody crime, she said. After a long day in court, some sparring between Musser and Stout, and emotional testimony on both sides, those in the courtroom also left with little chatter and solemn faces as the legal portion of a familys lifelong trauma came to a close. 15th February 2017 - The BBC has begun the search for Africa's next journalism star - launching the 2017 BBC World News Komla Dumor Award in Blantyre, Malawi. Journalists from across the continent are invited to apply for the prestigious prize - which aims to uncover and promote fresh journalism talent from Africa. The award was set up to honour the memory of Komla Dumor, an exceptional Ghanaian broadcaster who died unexpectedly at the age of 41 in 2014. In his short life Komla made an extraordinary impact in Ghana, in Africa and across the world on Joy FM and at the BBC. Through his tenacious journalism and compelling storytelling, he worked tirelessly to bring a more sophisticated African narrative to the world. The BBC is committed to continuing Komlas legacy and, through this award, aims to empower a new generation of journalists from Africa to tell African stories to global audiences. Previous winners of the BBC World News Komla Dumor Award are Nancy Kacungira who worked as a prime time news presenter for KTN in Kenya - in 2015 and Didi Akinyelure - a Nigerian journalist who started out as an investment banker - in 2016. Both winners used their time at the BBC to hone their journalism skills through training, workshops and mentorship. Working closely with leading talent within the BBC, the winners undertake a final project, travelling to Africa to report on a story they have researched. During her placement, Nancy Kacungira travelled to Ghana to report on diaspora Ghanaians who had decided to return to their roots. The following year, Didi Akinyelure went to the Ivory Coast to investigate new opportunities for the local chocolate manufacturing industry. Didi said: I very much admired Komla Dumor, as did many people across Africa. He was, and continues to be, such an inspiration to journalists from across the continent, so it was an honour to be selected as last years award winner to continue his remarkable work. What was truly great about my placement at the BBC was how I was given the opportunity and freedom to tell African stories in the way Komla did; with integrity, impartiality and impact. Didi Akinyelure will take part in the launch event for the 2017 prize, which will take place in Blantyre, Malawi, alongside Francesca Unsworth, Director, BBC World Service Group and Deputy Director of News and Current Affairs. Francesca said: The BBC is committed to continuing Komlas legacy of reporting on Africa by launching his award for the third year. We have already awarded and hosted two exceptionally talented journalists, who were given the opportunity to train with us and report from Africa for our audiences across the BBC. It has been a pleasure getting to know both Nancy and Didi. It has also been great to learn from both our award winners, improving our engagement with local audiences. Were looking forward to finding the next rising star in African journalism and welcoming them as the next BBC World News Komla Dumor Award winner. Now open for applications, entrants have until 23.59GMT on 15th March 2017 to submit. The winner will spend three months at the BBC headquarters in New Broadcasting House in London, gaining skills and experience. For more information on how to apply, entry criteria, and terms and conditions visit http://careerssearch.bbc.co.uk/jobs/job/komlaaward/19947 and use hashtag #BBCKomlaAward. Parliament will today [Wednesday, 15th February, 2017], begin investigations into a bribery allegation raised by some members of the minority who are serving on the Appointments Committee. Three members of the minority on that committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Alhassan Suhuyini and Mahama Ayariga alleged that some monies were paid to them after the vetting of Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko to help facilitate his [Boakye Agyarkos] approval. The allegations were dismissed by the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Joe Osei Owusu and Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, whose names were mentioned as conduits of the alleged payment. The three MPs subsequently petitioned the speaker of the House, Prof. Mike Oquaye to investigate the allegations. A five-member committee chaired by a former Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Ghartey, was constituted to investigate the allegations and presents its report within 30 days. The Acting Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Kate Addo, told Citi News that the proceedings will be held in public. It starts at 11:00 and and it will be opened to the public. Chairman of the committee, Joe Osei Owusu, made it clear that due to the interest that the matter has generated, evidence will be taken in public, so the committee has already started its work; but when it comes to taking evidence, the committee decided that it should be done in public so that Ghanaians can follow the matter as it goes on. We have the assurance that GTV will be showing it live and the media is invited. Members of the committee The committee charged the investigate the matter is made up of the MP for Offinso South, Mr Ben Abdallah Banda; the MP for Juaben, Madam Ama Pomaah Boateng; the MP for Yilo Krobo, Mr Magnus Kofi Amoateng, and the MP for Talensi, Mr Benson Tongo Baba. It has Joe Ghartey, who is also the Member of Parliament for Essikado-Kentan as chairman. By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana Follow @jnyabor Crystal Capital & Investments Limited (CCI), a fast growing markets investment firm, has announced the launch of two new mutual funds that will offer opportunities to investors to earn higher returns in order to plan appropriately to attain their entrepreneurial goals. The Mutual Funds- Crystal Entrepreneur Fund (E-Fund) and Crystal Wealth Fund (W-Fund)- will be launched at an Initial Public Offering (IPO) at 5:00pm on Tuesday, 21st February, 2017 at the atrium of the World Trade Center (WTC), Accra. The E-Fund, according to Crystal Capital, has been designed primarily for entrepreneurs, young people with entrepreneurial ambitions, as well as organizations that support entrepreneurial initiatives and the fund protects the capital of investors by investing in a balanced portfolio that provides very good yield. Through the E-Fund, Crystal Capital hopes to help entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams quickly with just their savings. The Wealth Fund, on the other hand, has been designed for individuals and corporations who would like to make regular income on their investments at rates of return that are higher than those of savings. The Wealth Fund provides security and opportunities to create wealth at one's own pace. It is ideal for investors looking to invest towards particular short to medium term goals or looking for regular income. Martin Ofori, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Crystal Capital, said in a news release that the E-Fund and the Wealth Fund have been designed to serve a current need in the market for innovative and flexible investment products that will give every Ghanaian real value. He said with markets in a near state of tumult and the fear that volatility might destroy returns in many parts of the market, running one Fund with a mandate to find value in one particular market or sliver of a market is not quite strategic. Mr. Ofori said that Crystal Capital has the dexterity to diversify investment funds to deliver optimum yield. He explained that at CCI, we identify value or the potential for value where others do not. We do not merely sell products and financial services we form the right partnership with each and every client. This is important to us to create value for our clients through ingenious value-add services like complimentary advisory sessions for asset owners and users. John Arkorful, the Executive Director of Finance at Crystal Capital said, This is a good time to invest in collective investment products like the Crystal E-Fund and the Wealth Fund, they are low risk but provide higher returns. They are also managed by experienced Fund Managers to assure investors the safety of their investments. The returns on the investment are also tax exempt, which is an added advantage for investors. We encourage the general public, especially upcoming entrepreneurs, to attend the launch of these two Funds, learn more about investments and also take the needed steps to earn extra income. By William Yaw Owusu The chief of Bantama, Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia VI being assisted by officials of Shell to reopen the station Vivo Energy Ghana, the award-winning company behind the Shell brand in Ghana, has reopened its Sunyani Bekwae Station, with additional exciting offerings in its ever-expanding network in Kumasi. This is the second Shell station to bring the global fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to Kumasi. Speaking at the inauguration, Executive Vice-President of West Africa Region for Vivo Energy, Bernard LeGoff, indicated that the motive for the add-on was to enhance the customer experience. As part of our strategy to provide a superior customer experience, the management of Vivo Energy took the decision to refurbish the Sunyani Bekwae Service Station to make refuelling more convenient for our customers and to enhance the look and feel of our site. We will continue to invest in our business to meet world-class standards and ensure that our service stations are accessible, clean, efficient, customer-friendly and designed to meet and exceed expectations, said Mr. LeGoff. Chief of Bantama, Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI, Chairman for the occasion, praised Vivo Energy, stating the positive effect that this would have on employment in the region. This investment by Vivo Energy will lead to more jobs for our people and boost our local economy. For this we are most grateful, he said. Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama, Daniel Okyem Aboagye, was also very pleased with the development. I am very happy to witness this event. In addition to enjoying more of Shell's quality service, the introduction of a global brand such as KFC is big news for us, as this will ultimately attract more global brands to the region, he said. Project Director of KFC, Mohan Monusamy, expressed appreciation for the partnership with Vivo Energy. We started our journey with Shell in 2014 at Dansoman in Accra. Since then, we have opened three more stores with Shell. We are committed to building more stores going forward as well, he said. Shell service stations offer an array of services, including fuelling, oil changing, car washing, tyre servicing, shop services, quick service restaurant services, among others. The Police in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, have impounded a Toyota Hillux pickup suspected to be part of the stolen government vehicles. The vehicle was parked in a certain house in Kumasi so the residents who suspected something fishy alerted the police. The police towed the vehicle to the police station because the owner of the vehicle was nowhere to be found. Supt. David Amoako, the Tafo District Police Commander, said the police are waiting for the owner to produce documents to retrieve his property. The owner, whose identity is not known, usually brought people to inspect the car, an indication that he wanted to sell the car so the residents became suspicious. We left a message for the owner to report at the police station for questioning, he said. Supt. Amoako told Nhyira FM that the car had been at the police station for some days but the owner had refused to come for it. He said the car does not have number plates, but an insurance sticker on the windscreen captured GW 7551-16 as the registration number. Supt. Amoako said he would soon contact the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to check the details of the car in order to make a definite statement. From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi Twenty-one drug peddlers were arrested by the Tema Regional Police Command in a dawn swoop on Saturday. The operation, which took place at Old-Tulaku, a suburb of Ashaiman and Community 25 in Tema in the Greater Accra Region, also led to the retrieval of about 21 motorbikes suspected to have been stolen. The operation was led by the Deputy Regional Police Commander, ACP Kwaku Boadu Preprah. The suspects were said to be between the ages of 18 and 51. A statement issued by the Tema Regional Police Command and signed by the spokeswoman of the police, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Juliana Obeng indicated that the operation was part of routine swoops by the command to rid the metropolis off bad nuts and miscreants, who do not allow law-abiding citizens to go about their lawful duties. Meanwhile, 10 suspects were released after screening, while 11 others are still in custody assisting in police investigations. The motorbikes have been impounded while investigations are ongoing. The Police reiterated their readiness to continue to tackle crime and make the metropolis a safe haven for the citizens. The police warned that criminals in the region would be dealt with according to law. The Regional Command also appealed to the general public to provide it with timely and accurate information to help reduce crime in the region. From Vincent Kubi, Tema Abraham Boadi aka 'Opooman,' has been elected as the Presiding Member (PM) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) after polling 110 'Yes' votes as against 20 yesterday. The outspoken Ridge/Nhyiaeso Assembly member would succeed the immediate-past PM, Nana Adu Mensah Asare, the Amakomhene, an ex-government appointee, who has left the assembly. Opooman was the only member of the assembly that picked nomination forms to contest for the position. The election of Opooman as the new PM was greeted with joy in the TUC Conference Room. Elated colleagues of Opooman chanted his name with joy at the venue. In his acceptance speech, Opooman, who is very popular in the assembly and Kumasi in general due to his candidness, gave assurance that he would unite the Assembly members to ensure the rapid and effective development of Kumasi. According to him, Kumasi's development had retarded in recent times and appealed to elected members and government appointees to unite and champion the growth of the city. Opooman expressed his readiness to diligently carry out his duties as PM to help achieve the objectives of the city. I can do the job, the Ridge/Nhyiaeso Assembly member declared, drawing applause from the happy Assembly members. He added that he would help restore Kumasi to its glory. Swearing In Prior to the polls, Supervising High Court Judge, Nicholas Abodakpi, inaugurated 40 out of the 44 government appointees, which included five prominent chiefs nominated by Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. The chiefs include Oheneba Owusu Afriyie, the Apagyahene, Nana Agyenim Boateng, the Amoamanhene, Baffuor Agyei Fosu Twitwiakwa, the Anantahene, Nana Mensah Bonsu, Asakyirihene and Nana Kwame Bonsu, Otumfuo's linguist. Council of State Polls Meanwhile, the KMA has successfully selected two members of the assembly- Opooman and Kwabena Owusu Dwomoh, a government appointee, to cast their ballot in Thursday's Council of State election. From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi From left: Otiko Djaba, Domnic Nitiwul and Ambrose Dery being welcomed by the security personnel Dominic Nitiwul, Ambrose Dery, David Asante Apeatu, the Ministers of Defence, Interior and Inspector General of Police (IGP) respectively have led a government delegation to Bimbilla in the Nanumba North District of the Northern Region to assess the security situation. The high-powered government delegation, led by Mr Dery, was in Bimbilla to obtain first-hand information after the conflict in the area. Some members of the delegation, who accompanied them, included Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisa Djaba, Northern Regional Police Commander DCOP Ken Yeboah, Northern Regional Minister-designate Salifu Saeed and some members of the Northern Regional Security Council. Speaking to the media at Bimbilla, Mr. Dery said government has taken steps to protect lives and property in Bimbilla. According to him, government does not support any party in the conflict and would end the conflict in the area. He disclosed that they had deployed 210 police personnel, 13 additional experts in investigations and 69 military personnel. The Interior Minister warned residents of Bimbilla that anyone who disobeys the law in the area would be prosecuted. The regent of Bimbilla, Naa Andani Dasana, in a brief speech, called on government to ensure justice in the area. The regent said some people in the area committed atrocities with impunity. The Nakpaa clan side also assured government that they would respect the Supreme Court's decision. The delegation visited some affected victims and their families in the area. They also travelled to the Bimbilla Hospital to interact with the injured persons to know their challenges. The death toll in the renewed chieftaincy clashes in Bimbilla in the Nanumba North District of the Northern Region has reached 11. The police have found nine bodies in addition to the previous two, increasing the number to 11, with some others sustaining various degrees of injury. The dead include nine women and a four-year-old child. The deceased have been buried in the area by their families. The violence started when Naa Andani Dasana, the regent of Bimbilla Traditional Area, wanted to enskin a sub-chief called Kanbong Naa (chief warrior) in the area against the advice of the City Council and the police. Bimbilla has now become a ghost town, as residents have fled the area in their large numbers to other communities. From Eric Kombat, Bimbilla For nearly nine months after its opening in the Kumasi Zongo suburb of Aboabo, the Aboabo Community Library resembled a ghost edifice, with its modest collection and furniture gathering dust due to low patronage. The library, built by the government with the help and direction of Honorable Muntaka Mubarak, the areas MP, was designed to accommodate 300 people, but as of December 2016, the facility was yet to record its 20th visitor. Yes, two, zero! It was at that time that Nolbed reached out to the Asawase MP for the opportunity to rectify this challenge. NOLBED , acronym for No One Left Behind was established by a group of Zongo professionals across the globe. Their main objective is to uplift underprivileged communities, and they chose to start from Kumasi Zongo, where most of them come from. This public service impetus explains Nolbeds mission, which is to uplift underprivileged Ghanaian inner city communities by bridging the gap between their exceptionally-talented students and a quality education across the globe. Their program gives its Ambassadors the opportunity to attend top-tier colleges around the world on full scholarship through a rigorous pre-college training program. As part of the year-long pre-college and leadership program Nolbeds Ambassadors undertake in Kumasi, each class is tasked with solving a critical community problem. So, when news about the poor patronage at the Aboabo Community Library got to Nolbed, the organization didnt waste any time in volunteering its services to the community. On February 7th, Nolbed Ambassadors kicked off the implementation process with a goal of increasing the librarys patronage from a paltry 6.7% to at least 50% by May 2017. They started with both social media campaign and conducted speaking engagements at neighboring primary schools. The librarys Facebookpage they created has now generated more than 2,200 followers. This is a win-win for both parties, said Mr. Salia Daud, Nolbeds President, in a phone interview from his office in New York. It is an opportunity to boost traffic to the library and an opportunity for our Ambassadors to get their hands dirty in fields of community work and leadership. Above the effort to increase the librarys patronage, Nolbed Ambassadors are offering homework help and tutorials in various academic subjects from Monday through Friday, between 7pm to 9pm. And just less than two weeks of implementation, utilization of the library is now above 20%. This is Giving Back at its best. And with the right guidance and partnerships between government and non-governmental organizations on initiatives such as this, our own youth could rescue our communities, added Mr. Daud. The Ambassadors new challenge is to help stock the library with books and other relevant resources. They have started brainstorming on organizing a book drive and would need all the help they can get. Lets see how that pans out. Img 9128 Img 9057 Img 9135 Img 9136 Img 9137 Img 9138 Img 9141 The Center for Progressive Governance (CenProG) welcomes Parliament's decision to constitute an adhoc committee to investigate the attempted bribery of members of the Appointment's Committee by Hon Boakye Agyarko using the chairman of the committee as a conduit. We had earlier made a call that for the sake of the integrity of the Appointment's Committee of Parliament, Hon. Joe Osei Owusu should have recused himself as chairman until such time an investigation is conducted to ascertain the authenticity or otherwise of the claims. CenProG therefore welcomes Parliament's decision for a committee to ascertain the veracity of the allegations eventhough the Chairman of the Appointment's Committee refused to recuse himself. We are however not enthused that the Ad hoc committee chaired by Hon. Joe Ghartey have decided to call just four witnesses eventhough there are several key actors in this allegation. CenProG believes the composition of the witness list is seemingly biased against those making the allegations since three of them (Hon Joe Osei Owusu, Hon Muntaka Mubarak and Hon Boakye Agyarko) who are key actors and against whom the allegations have been made are on record to have claimed innocence. This therefore leaves only Hon. Mahama Ayariga as a lone voice on the witness list and this we believe is against the law of natural justice. At the very least, two other Members of Parliament namely Hon. Alhassan Suhuyini and Hon. Okudjetu Ablakwa have been vocal in their defense of the fact that there was indeed an attempted bribery in which they rejected and these two MPs jointly signed the petition with Hon. Mahama Ayariga presented to the Rt. Hon. Speaker for the composition of the adhoc committee. CenProG is of the firm belief that to ensure a balanced and fair hearing, the Hon. Joe Ghartey committee should invite the two other MPs as witnesses to aid the process. Having three witnesses from the side that is alleging and having same number from the side that is defending will purge the committee of bias, mindful of the burden placed on this adhoc committee as to restoration and/or upholding of the integrity of the Legislative arm of Government. Bearing in mind the terms of reference and the timeline for the conclusion of this probe, we believe that calling an extra two witness will in no way derail the process or unnecessarily prolong its sittings but rather help to come to the bottom of the matter. CenProG therefore calls on the Ad hoc committee to as a matter of urgency invite Hon. Alhassan Suhuyini and Hon. Okudjeto Ablakwa to ensure a fair hearing. God Bless our homeland Ghana and make it GREAT and STRONG. Signed Sawadogo Mahmoud Executive Secretary, CenProG 0504607005 Mallam Yahya Mohammed Executive Director, CenProG 0243728659 sgarbacz@kpcmedia.com ROME CITY Three Noble County groups pitched projects they hope will be funded with some of northeast Indianas Regional Cities money, although there isnt enough left to support all of the requests before the regional board. The City of Kendallville, City of Ligonier, and Noble Trails Inc. made presentations before the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority Tuesday afternoon, seeking a slice of the $42 million earmarked for Road to One Million development projects. As of Tuesday, $34.3 million of the money had already been spoken for. And with $8.9 million in requests before the RDA board during their meeting at Sylvan Cellars, there isnt enough to go around. Noble County hasnt received any of the Regional Cities money to date. The RDA has funded other projects to groups around the area including Trine University in Angola, the DeKalb County YMCA and the Michiana Event Center in LaGrange County. Kendallville is seeking $400,000 for the second phase of its outdoor recreation center, Ligonier wants $254,000 to help establish the Strawberry Valley Cultural Trail and Noble Trails is asking for $175,000 to help build out the Fishing Line Trail connecting Rome City and Kendallville. The regional board will take at least 30 days to consider the projects before making a decision on whether to fund them. The three Noble County projects were the smallest dollar-wise of the seven presentations heard Tuesday. Three requests ranged from $861,000-$1 million and Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation was seeking $5.3 million for its proposed Riverfront Park. Each of the presenters noted how their projects would hopefully attract more people to the area and improve quality of life for residents. For Ligonier, the city had originally intended to build a new greenway trail, but decided to take advantage of Ligoniers rich history and natural resources with the nearby river, engineer Jonathon Moen said. The 5-mile loop would include both new paved walkways and take advantage of city sidewalks, connecting all four parks in the city. By taking the trail through the downtown and around the citys 37 murals and bronze statues, the trail would help bring more people into the commercial business district, promoting growth, Moen said. Mayor Patty Fisel joked that people generally only know Ligonier by relation in being close to Shipshewana and the cultural trail could help to make the city a destination in western Noble County. Our project is to depict and to help share our history with everyone, to make us a destination ... and share the assets we already have. And we have a lot of assets in our city, Fisel said. About two dozen supporters wearing red shirts came to show their support for Ligoniers proposal. Kendallvilles proposal for Phase 2 of its outdoor recreation center would include adding another four baseball fields, one soccer field, paving the parking lot and adding connecting sidewalks. Kendallville Park Board member Dr. Tom Jansen told the RDA board that the citys current facility is being used to capacity. Outside of city baseball leagues, Kendallville hosts several tournaments and has gotten to the point where it is turning away additional teams. Kendallville would also purchase a mobile stage, which could be used for non-athletic events at the park. We can bring other forms of entertainment to the complex, Jansen said. The recreation facility would also be a trail head for the Fishing Line Trail, which aims to connect Kendallville and Rome City along the path of an old railroad line. Jansen, who is also a board member for Noble Trails Inc., then presented that groups proposal to seek funding for construction of nearly 4 miles of trail on the system. That would connect with approximately 1.2 miles of the trail thats already been built on the south end of Rome City. The leg taking the trail from Rome City from Kendallville would meander through some tremendous natural areas, Jansen said, and run behind multiple apartment complexes in the city. That trail could provide recreation and exercise opportunities to a lot of residents who would close to the path, Jansen said. Dozens of supporters showed up to support both the recreation complex and Fishing Line trail projects. Kendallville Mayor SuzAnne Handshoe said that was indicative of the support Noble County has for these quality of life projects. This isnt just a city project. This is a community project, Handshoe said. Both of these projects were not something that was developed as part of the Road to One Million. These projects were being planned well before then. After hearing all the proposals, members of the development board opted to suspend acceptance of any new proposals, since the group is out of funding. But board members expressed their pleasure that they were able to consider so many interesting projects aimed at improving the region. Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership President and CEO John Sampson encouraged attendees to speak to their legislators and lobby for the state to find a way to generate more regional development funding in the future. We cannot consider this as done. Its just on pause for now, Sampson said. The projects Strawberry Valley Cultural Trail Who: City of Ligonier Request: $254,000 What: Phase one of a 5-mile loop building on Elkhart Riverwalk and connecting downtown murals, statues and historical landmarks to the citys parks. Outdoor Recreation Complex Who: City of Kendallville Request: $400,000 What: Phase 2 adding four youth ball fields complete with fencing, lights, a concession stand, restrooms and irrigation and one additional soccer field. Project also includes sidewalks, trails, an electronic sign and other features. Fishing Line Trail Who: Noble Trails Inc. Request: $175,000 What: Construction of about 4 miles of the Fishing Line Trail connecting Rome City with Kendallville, primarily following the old GR&I Railroad corridor. The management of the Tamale Teaching Hospital has rejected claims by a pro-NPP group, that mismanagement by the Hospitals CEO has led to patients being forced to purchase items such as cotton while on admission. Addressing a news conference Monday, chairman of Young Patriots, Bashiru Baba blamed the leadership of Dr Prosper Akambon for what he calls his inability to provide patients with items covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). He said the hospital has been bedevilled by several problems that are of public knowledge and questions the running of the facility. "Management of the Hospital has been very poor such that basic drugs and consumable needed for the day to day running of the facilty is seriously lacking. "Patients are asked to buy basic items such as hand gloves, stringes and all items needed for their care, which are supposed to be catered for by the National Health Insurance Scheme," he said. He noted that at the centre of the "mess" are the three nicknamed "the trinity" - Dr Akambon, Misbau Mohammed and Hamid Abdulai whom Baba said are running the Hospital into the ditch. However, the authorities of the hospital have dismissed this claim describing it as false. According to the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Misbau Mohammed, said no such thing is going on currently, he agreed stated that he has sighted a memo to the effect that the patients should buy their own drugs and consumable. "But that has been cancelled," he insisted and also dismissed claims that the authorities have been inflating prices of drungs. The Auditor General, Richard Quartei Quartey , in May last year cited the management of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) for breach of the procurement law in the 2015 preliminary Audit Report. According to him the hospital diverted more than GHC115,000 it received from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). This, Mr. Quartey believed could result in a shortage of essential drugs at the facility if not effectively addressed. But Mohammed said what happened last year was dealt with by the security agencies challenging anyone doubtful of that fact to check with the Attorney General. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim The Western Regional Minister-designate has dismissed claims that children who work on cocoa farms are subjects of in child labour. Dr Kwaku Afriyie at the vetting before Parliaments Appointment Committee put up a spirited defense about how such children who work on cocoa farms do so to support themselves and their families. He argued that child labour has its own cultural dimension which Westerners do not understand and which makes label what happens all over Africa as child labour. I am not denying that you will not get a case of child labour or for that matter child abuse in the societythe child labour stigmatisation has a cultural dimension which is ignored," he argued. The use of children on cocoa farms is a contentious issue with many saying it is a perception while others admitting it is a hidden truth and a well-known fact. In 2010, findings of a research commissioned by Tulane University showed that a staggering 1.8 million children aged 5 to 17 years work in cocoa farms of Ivory Coast and Ghana at the cost of their physical, emotional, cognitive and moral well-being. The report further establishes that about 40 percent children working in cocoa fields of Ivory Coast are not enrolled in schools and that only 5 percent of Ivorian children are paid for their work. The United States Department of State particularly the Department of Labour (DOL) has downgraded Ghana citing child labour in the agriculture sector and in particular the cocoa sector. But Dr Afriyie said child labour is not a big issue in the cocoa industry in Ghana per se right now. We have to segregate the cultural dimensions the Ghanaian social set up- and what people label as child labour. Narrating his own experience, he shared how as a child he worked on the farms to save money to write and pass his common entrance to make it to St Augustines College, one of the best schools in the country to study. I dont know about other areas but in the cocoa industry, I am happy to report it is largely and grossly exaggerated in this country, the trained medical doctor with several acres of cocoa farms in Sefwi Wiaso said. Answering questions from the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu on the issue, he said it is unfortunate many, especially those in the western world hold that perception. There is nothing you can do about perception but educating those who are labeling us as such as I take strong exception to these perceptions, he stated. He added that an NGO once came to him to help conduct a study with all these preconceived ideas and in almost four of the cocoa farms they visited in different areas of the region they found no incidence of child labour. The former Member of Parliament for Sefwi Wiaso, however, conceded that in the emerging galamsey industry, there are many children involved which a concerted effort is needed to solve the problem. We have to do studies before tackling that problem because what they are doing is illegal. He also downplayed what is termed to be the hazardous circumstances under which children on cocoa farms work and asked for evidence from those who claimed to have done research to that effect to show their methodology. Dr Afriyie warns that if care is not taken, the dynamics of the arguments would dissuade parents from bequeathing cocoa farms to their children as any attempt to teach them about the farming would be labeled as child labour. He added that since the West control the cocoa market, I suspect that they might be doing that deliberately to hold the price of cocoa down. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Abubakar Ibrahim |[email protected] The establishment of the Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development in fulfilment of the campaign pledge of the New Patriotic Party, in the run up to the last presidential polls, seems to have gone down well with the people especially the Zongo dwellers. The move has generated a lot of excitement in and outside Ghana especially among Chiefs and Imams led by the National Chief Imam Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu who has been the center of spiritual and social development of Muslims in the Zongos. It has been the case that many needy people especially the youth in the Zongos do call on him and the regional imams for support in times of difficulties. However, on getting to know that the right minister in the person of Hon. Alhaji Abubakar Sidik Boniface has been chosen to head the ministry, the Chief imam and Muslim chiefs across Ghana expressed delight over the choice of the right person. Alhaji khuzaimah Osman the Personal Assistant of the National who has been involved in the affairs of the new ministry on behalf of Muslims has observed that the new minister Hon Boniface has hit the ground running by entering into discussions with stakeholders that include the zongo chiefs and intellectuals, for their views towards preparing an action plan for rapid development of the areas concerned. According to Alhaji Khuzaimah there is the need for the ministry to help in the establishment of a Consultative Assembly or Council of Zongo Communities with branches in the regions and districts to work directly with the new ministry. He gave the breakdown of the proposed councils as follows; National council of zongo chiefs Council of Ulemas and imams Council of Muslim youths Council of Muslim or zongo NGOS Council of Muslim or zongo entrepreneurs A body of Muslim or intellectuals The first two councils are already in place pending the formation of the rest says Alhaji Khuzaimah A MEETING ON YOUTH To cap it all Alhaji Khuzaimah who is scheduled to meet with new minister has scheduled a meeting of experts to discuss an agenda for youth development in the Zongos. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the residence of the National Chief Imam at Fadama in the morning of Saturday February 18. It is important for all those concerned to attend this meeting to bring out views on the needs of Zongos in childhood training and up-bringing at home and schools and the needs of our youth in education, vocational training and on their general comportment and wellbeing. This is a good move meant to help the youth in the Zongos out to be able to weave through life with little difficulties. Currently with the free SHS being rolled out, the time has come for the new ministry to roll out through the chiefs and Muslim NGOs, a program to help children from poor families and orphans to gain places in primary schools and vocational training. This will save the situation in which a large number of the you are seen loitering about or engaged in unproductive activities. NGOS IN ZONGOS One area that needs to be considered is the use of the services of NGOs in the Zongos to help in the development projects such as schools, orphanages and the like being pursued by them already. Among these are the Islamic Council for Development and Humanitarian Services, Al Huda, Ghana Muslim Mission and many more. Apart from these there are Muslim entrepreneurs who can be of help to the ministry by embarking on development projects in the Zongos. INNER CITIES While working on the formation of bodies to work with the new ministry we must not lose sight on the need of on the inner cities. While working with zongo chiefs the ministry would have to collaborate with chiefs who have responsibility over areas like Chorkor, parts of James Town and some ghettoes throughout Ghana EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR eanfoworld for sustainable development [email protected]/[email protected] 0244370345/0208844792/0274853710 Lawyer Robert Nii Arday Clegg, a managing partner at Clegg and Everett, has quit his job as host of Starr 103.5FM's flagship show Morning Starr in a rather abrupt style which raises eyebrows. NEWS-ONE gathered that Nii Arday's exit was not part of his immediate plans, but he had to abandon ship over what was speculated to be a continuous internal friction between him and a few big toes over his 'no nonsense' style of asking hard-hitting questions and producing verifiable facts to put his guests on their toes as though he was cross-examining rather than interviewing them. Management of Starr FM issued a short statement confirming Nii Arday's exit and announcing Francis Abban, formerly of Joy FM, as the new host of the morning show. The statement did not say why Nii Arday left, but expressed best wishes to him and said, The Harvard-trained lawyer also became known for his trademark hard-hitting questions and engaging interviews since he took over the Morning Starr from Kafui Dey in September 2015. Deep-throats from the station told NEWS-ONE that though Niii Arday was largely celebrated by listeners for his style, he had internal challenges from a few persons who were of the opinion he was hard and overly probing on his guests. The source said Nii Arday had insisted there was the need to raise the journalism bar and use radio as a tool for holding people accountable rather than just providing a platform to air make statements even when those statements can be proven as not being factual. In a previous interview, Nii Arday told NEWS-ONE his mindset on journalism, saying, If you have a global mindset, there may be a certain standard that would be higher than what pertains in your country You are listening to news on CNN and you know it comes at a certain quality; you are reading the Times Magazine and you realise it is written at a certain level. All these affect you to raise your bar than the status quo. Nii Arday also made a few statements on journalism in Ghana, .if as media people we all leave ourselves at the level where all we can do is to paragraph or read and that is all you can do, you become easily replaceable and dispensable because your value is minimal. He continued I think our media education should look at more content and detail. We should be able to teach some high level economics in journalism school so that you are not on the political or business desk simply because your boss wants to put you there but because you have what it takes to be there and you understand the issues. How can you be on the business desk when you dont know what shares and dividends are; when you dont even understand GDP, basic statistics and micro or macro economics at a global level yet you are expected to analyse a report by Transparency International? Lets get some content and value. We are happy to watch CNN and enjoy their standard. Just run a Google search into the background of any face you see working on CNN and you would realise they have very high education and most have their masters in various fields. Some are lawyers; some are economists and they have very high self values and content. That is what is lacking in Ghana, Nii Arday added. Francisca Oteng-Mensah, Ghana's youngest Member of Parliament (MP) in the 7th Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana, has outlined her vision for the development of her constituency, Kwabre East. She hinted that environment, gender issues, and education as the three main issues she will be focusing on in her constituency. The MP who was massively endorsed by her people during the December 7, 2016 parliamentary elections had a total of 71,757 votes, representing 83.03 percent the highest in the history of presidential and parliamentary results. She made this known in an interview with the media recently. Asked where she would channel her energy when assigned to a committee in parliament, the law student said, Even though those committees are not yet formed, the issue of environment will be one area I will direct my attention to. Almost everything that we do has to do with the environment. I think that is one thing. The MP for Kwabre East hinted that another matter of interest within the committee would be that of gender. This is a biased group, but it is a positive discrimination group. Let me put it that way. We always have to speak for the vulnerable group and interest of women. Francisca stated that the biggest asset every individual should have, specifically the youth, is quality education. Ms Oteng-Mensah, a former student of Saint Rose's Senior High Girls' School, Akwatia, and presently a law student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, addressed the complex issue of balancing her focus between leading a successful constituency and being prominent in her role as a legislator in the August House, while keeping in touch with her loyal supporters. ''Your constituents will not take the excuse that 'I was not privy to most of the information', or 'everything is new to me so I could not perform', she stated. You have to take it upon yourself to make an effort that you also want to learn something, because almost everyone in the House was once new and you have to force yourself to learn before you will be able to become masters of the whole proceedings. So, you also have to make an effort. If you go for the orientation and don't make use of what you have been taught, you will be back to square one, Ms Oteng-Mensah continued. BY Melvin Tarlue The first witness in the MP bribery investigations Joe Osei Owusu says claims that MPs were paid monies to approve a ministerial nominee appeared to him initially as 'a joke'. At a special hearing into the bribery claim, the Bekwai MP said when he attempted to tackle the issue of the bribery allegation, North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa made a comment that got a room full of MPs to break into laughter suggesting the bribery claim was just politics. Joe Osei Owusu who is chairman of the Appointments Committee of Parliament said this while testifying at the Special committee of parliament investigating bribery claims made by Bawku MP Mahama Ayariga. The Bawku MP said on Accra-based Radio Gold that some NDC MPs returned 3,000 cedis to the Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak after they realised it was to buy their approval for an embattled minister-designate Boakye Agyarko. The claim made public Friday 27 January has taken parliament by storm. At a special hearing chaired by Joe Ghartey, the Chairman of the Committee that vets nominees told his side of the story. He said on Friday 27, January 2017, just before he was to table a report requesting parliamentary approval for five ministerial nominees, the Minority leader called for a closed door meeting among Appointments Committee of parliament. He described this meeting as a conclave meeting. It was to discuss the possibility of approving two embattled nominees without having to take a vote on them. In the meeting, Boakye Agyarko was offered an opportunity to re-phrase comments he made at his vetting which had irked the Minority MPs now bent on resisting his approval. After the matter was discussed, Joe Osei Owusu says he raised concerns about media publications suggesting that he was given monies which he gave to Minority Chief Whip to share among some MPs. "We were going to leave and I said no there is this allegation in the public domian", he recalled. "All the minority members said Mr. Speaker take your time, cool down, cool down" he reported efforts to appeal for calm after it was evident that he was angry with the allegations made. It was at that moment that North Tongu MP Okudzeto Ablakwa intervened and explained that the allegation was made up because the NPP had characterised their former leader John Mahama as corrupt. "We were spreading the corruption allegations", Joe Osei Owusu reported Okudzeto as saying. This explanation had an effect on the meeting. "...the mood in the office changed...we were all laughing", he revealed his relief at what appeared to be typical political equalisation. This was a game he could live with, he thought to himself. "I thought the matter was over because of what Okudzeto has said". But by Friday 6pm, Mahama Ayariga was on air stressing the allegation of bribery is true. Media focus on the matter went into overdrive as political discussions over the weekend was stuck on the bribery saga. He said he had since taken the matter seriously and would wish the committee will take every step possible to clear his name because he never took money or distribute same to anybody to have a nominee approved. The issue remains whether Okudzeto's comment at that private meeting was a joke to calm tempers or a serious statement. Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|[email protected] Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. The Writer 15.02.2017 LISTEN The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees is a key document that defines the term refugee, outlines rights for refugees, and keeps States accountable for their actions. Important requirements to become a refugee include: facing a well-rounded fear of persecution, seeking asylum or refugee status in the first possible venue, and receiving a fair hearing from a person who is legally qualified (Lect, Nov.8). States have to uphold the non-refoulement principle-the practice of not forcing refugees to return to a country where they face serious persecution (UNHCR, 2010). The 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees form the legal framework. Although the legal framework provides a consistent set of requirements in determining who is a refugee and holds states liable for protecting the rights of refugees, violations occur. How effective is the legal framework (and its enforcement) for refugees in protecting their human rights? It seems that the enforcement turns increasingly ineffective and inappropriate in safeguarding refugees rights. Lets examine it on a comparative example of countries such as Australia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and China (to name but few) that repeatedly fail to uphold the principle of non-refoulement, commit human rights abuses, and find ways to refuse accepting refugees. Down-under or upside-down Despite being a signatory to the 1951 Convention, Australia defies the non-refoulement principle, which violates refugee law. For instance, the boat Tampa rescued Afghanistan asylum-seekers who were on board a sinking Indonesian fishing boat (Lect, Nov.8). Although the closest port of rescue was on Christmas Island in Australia, the Australian government refused to allow Tampa to land any of the asylum seekers (McKay, Thomas, Kneebone, 2011). Australian Prime Minister John Howard was determined to limit the uncontrollable number of illegal arrivals and unauthorized asylum seekers in the country (UN: Australia, 2001). Over half of Australias population viewed asylum seekers as a deviant social group coming for a better life rather than helpless people fleeing persecution. This is because refugees are seen as exploiters of Australias welfare system (McKay et.al., 2011). In the end, the passengers were taken to camps in Naura while others were sent back to Afghanistan, disregarding the risk of persecution if they are sent back (UNHCR, 2006). By initially refusing to accept refugees and sending them back to Afghanistan, Australia fails to uphold the non-refoulement principle. Non-refoulement states that no contracting state shall expel or return a refugee to a territory where his life is threatened (Note, 1977). Even though Australia has legal obligations under the UN Refugee Convention, the Tampa Affair demonstrates the weakness of the legal framework in failing to effectively enforce refugee law and punish countries when they commit violations. In addition to violating the core principle of non-refoulement, Australian detention centers do not comply with human rights protection such as the right to access medical care and freedom from degrading treatment. Detention camps for refugees have horrible conditions that negatively impact mental and emotional health. At the Naura camp, more than 30 children report sexual assault, and 1200 refugees suffer severe abuse and inhumane treatment (Australia, 2016). They experience indoor temperatures over 113 degrees Fahrenheit, use filthy toilets, and are hampered by severe resource constraints (Holzer, 2012). Thus, the legal framework is functionally inefficient because it fails to guarantee basic human rights that refugees should have. The violations against both non-refoulement and human rights undermine the stronghold of the legal framework and its protections, which further impact the attitudes of other countries. Near (the) East Nearer the Trouble Similar to Australias case, Turkey faces international criticism because several Syrian refugees have been forcibly deported back to Syria by Turkish authorities in violation of the non-refoulement principle, putting them at risk of human rights abuses. About 80 Syrian refugees held at a detention center in the Turkish city of Erzurum were expelled (Letsch, 2015). In addition, they were tortured, beaten, locked in rooms, and forced to sign documents that state they were leaving Turkey out of their own free will (Ibid). These actions go against Article 1 of the Convention Against Torture, which states that any act by which severe pain is intentionally inflicted on a person for purposes such as intimidating or coercing something from a third person, is illegal (Grans, 2015). Refugees do not have access to interpreters who can translate the Turkish language on the document, and police officers forcibly use refugees fingerprints as signatures without permission. However, refugees cannot challenge their detention or deportation because they have no legal representation, and Turkey does not grant refugees a fair hearing. By forcibly deporting refugees, Turkey violates the provision that repatriation must be voluntary (Lect, Nov.8). Thus, the legal framework is unsuccessful in even giving refugees an opportunity to seek long-term, legitimate refugee status under fair means. Polish the Czech or C(z)heck the Polish ? In addition to Turkey, refugees flee the Syrian civil war to the EU, and of course within, to the Czech Republic, Poland and other Visegrad countries. However, the Czech Republic for instance intentionally violates human rights to deter them from coming in the first place. The refugees prefer Germany, but they are in no freedom to seek refugee status at a place they desire (Ibid). They must seek it at the first possible venue, forcing them to enter the Czech Republic (Lect, Nov.8). Refugees experience strip-searching and their money is confiscated to pay for their detention; additionally, the Czech Republic holds refugees in detention from 40 to 90 days in degrading conditions (Calamur, 2015). The Czech Justice Minister also describes the Bila-Jezovqa detention center as worse than a prison (Ibid). This example demonstrates the use of systematic mistreatment towards refugees- to the extent of abusing their human rights but not to the point of death-to discourage them from trying to seek refugee status. The Czech strategy in intentionally failing to protect human rights causes the deterrence of refugees. In this case, the legal framework plays a role in granting refugees a chance to seek refugee status, but is still weak in protecting refugees freedom from degrading treatment once in the country. In general, when refugees are placed in refugee or detention camps, they lack freedom of movement and do not have economic rights. Refugees are forced to stay in the camps because they have nowhere else to go, which restricts their freedom to move. A majority of the refugees cannot make future plans because they are not given a timeline of how long they need to remain at the camp (Training, 2001). This uncertainty restricts their ability to make economic progress, find a way to make a living, or find a permanent job. In fact, the protection of human rights for refugees is drastically inferior to that of trafficking. A Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Person (SRTIP) is appointed to focus on the human rights aspect of the victims of trafficking (Gallagher & Ezeilo, 2015). The SRTIP has the authority to monitor, advise, and publicly report on a human rights situation in a specific country. However, there is no appointed person to report human rights abuses for refugees. Although the legal framework allows refugees to seek haven in another country to avoid persecution, they are still subject to human rights abuses, just not to the extent of death. The legal framework, including the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol, is inherently ineffective because it does not have monitoring bodies to reinforce the protection of refugees human rights and hold states accountable for violations. Un/silky-smooth road Although Syrian refugees going to the Czech Republic are at least given the opportunity to seek refugee status, the status of North Korean refugees crossing into China is highly debated, which affects their treatment and the benefits they are entitled to. The Chinese government insists that North Korean refugees are economic migrants seeking economic opportunity (Lect, Nov.8). The famine in North Korea causes too many North Koreans to cross over to China, which poses an economic strain on undeveloped border regions and disrupts Chinas demography (Cohen, 2007). The legal framework holds very little power in compelling China to prioritize accepting refugees over protecting their economy. China is able to find a loophole in the legal framework by stating that famine does not necessarily equal persecution; therefore, China is justified in not accepting people simply trying to take economic advantage. The legal framework fails to clearly delineate the forms of persecution, allowing China to label North Korea refugees as economic migrants and not accept them. However, North Koreans leave their country at risk of arrest and death if they are forced to turn back, which should not be an issue in the first place since repatriation should be voluntary under the Convention and Protocol. When they are turned back, they are tortured and persecuted because defection is a crime of treachery against North Korea (Robertson, 2012). This goes against the 1951 Refugee Convention that states that no state shall expel a person to another state where there are substantial grounds that the person will face torture (UNHCR, 1977). Forcibly repatriating the North Koreans is the same as subjecting them to death. Along with the threat of death, North Koreans have no determination process to which China is legally liable for. In this sense, China fails to uphold its responsibility as a receiving country that gives refugees a fair hearing, proving the inadequacy of the legal framework to manage the countrys adherence to the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol. Furthermore, the politics of North Koreans refugee status overshadows the importance of abiding by the legal framework. The Chinese are motivated to avoid displeasing North Korea. China holds extreme power because it is the only country that has ties with North Korea and can address international concerns such as North Koreas possession over nuclear weapons (Lect, Nov.8). Therefore, China has a strong motive to maintain its connection with North Korea. Thus, although China is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Refugees and has the obligation to not forcibly repatriate refugees, China cooperates with North Korea to find defectors. China justifies turning in defectors by claiming that defectors are not legally considered refugees (Lee, 2016). Chinese citizens are even paid for turning defectors in (Ibid). Overall, defectors lack access to schooling, health care, and citizenship. Women defectors are also vulnerable to abuse and sex trafficking. They are often forced into marriages and sold to Chinese men (Yun, 2016). These human rights abuses demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the legal framework in functioning to hold states accountable for protecting refugees rights. In Chinas case, the lack of clarity for persecution allows China to justify this mistreatment because defectors are not refugees, and China has no legal obligation to protect defectors rights. Thus, the legal framework is inadequate in its specificity. Criminalize indifference and enforce acceptance Faced with aging domestic populations and following the logics of corporate expansion, the Western markets need migrants, but the ordinary citizenry does not want them. What changed in the meantime is the societal capacity to absorb those immigrants and closely related to that the psychological state of domestic populations. Therefore, many European political parties extended their agendas with more restrictive immigration policies. noted professor Anis H. Bajrektarevic in his inspiring work JHA Diplomacy nearly ten years ago. Shortsighted and opportunistic as it might be it ignores the golden rule of migration: Once you cut off legal means, would-be immigrants just turn to smugglers. professor explained the phenomenon and predicted our currents nearly ten years ago. In conclusion, the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, both of which form the legal framework for refugees, are ineffective in enforcing the acceptance of refugees with the option of voluntary repatriation and protecting their rights. Although Australia is generally accepting of refugees, the extreme influx of authorized asylum seekers has overwhelmed the country, causing Australians to view them as exploiters of Australias welfare system. Australia has violated the non-refoulement principle and subjected refugees to terrible conditions, which are violations of the legal framework. The bigger implication is that disobedience has a cascading effect - Turkey, the Czech Republic and Poland, and China have also violated the non-refoulement principle and committed human rights abuses. While all three countries subject refugees to degrading treatment, Turkey forcibly deports refugees, the Czech Republic deliberately mistreats refugees to deter them from coming, and China outright rejects North Koreans as refugees. These examples indicate the weakness of the legal framework in granting refugee status in the long-term and protecting their rights. When looking at the bigger picture, installing monitoring bodies and regulatory agencies to supervise the adherence to the legal framework for refugees can strengthen the effectiveness of the legal framework. About the author: Attached to the US-based Berkeley University, Sooyoung Hu is a scholar at its Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies Department. Miss Hu focuses on international relations, international organizations and its instruments. From left: Michel Sibide, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Haile Girmey, UNAIDS Country Director for Ghana, after the meeting The First Lady of Ghana, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, has taken over the leadership of the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) after a unanimous decision by members of the group. Per her appointment, Mrs Akufo-Addo becomes the Chairperson of OAFLA and Premiere HIV-AIDS Ambassador for Ghana to champion the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and prevention of HIV among adolescent girls and young women. Conferring the new position on the first lady during a courtesy call, Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of the UNAIDS, congratulated Mrs Akufo-Addo and assured her of the support of the UN agency as far as the execution of her functions are concerned. I congratulate you for being the chairperson of OAFLA and I was in Addis Ababa and the first ladies wanted you to continue the leadership role, he said. Mr Sidibe explained UNAIDS' desire to continue the HIV agenda with Mrs Akufo-Addo, especially in the area of prevention of adolescent and mother-to-child transmission of HIV. He encouraged her to advocate the establishment of the new HIV fund in Ghana, as well as the commitment of leading women and the private sector to contribute towards its success. The UNAIDs executive director indicated that the country has recorded tremendous improvements in HIV reduction and prevention of new infections, however, adolescent HIV continues to be a bane on the programme. One of the challenging areas is adolescent HIV because of three factors; they are not tested so they do not know their status, when they know their status they are not put on treatment and those on treatment do not continue, he said. Mr Sidibe further added that the programme recorded 56,000 adolescent deaths worldwide due to HIV/AIDS last year and 9,000 new adolescent HIV infections every week worldwide. I think that is a major challenge for us and I will really ask you to become our voice for that one. I think that is an area where we don't have a lot of first ladies engaged in, he suggested. He said the first lady leading the prevention of adolescent HIV and treatment would gunner great benefits to the country with regards to the overall advancement of women's health and empowerment. We want to see you playing this role because it will help us solve other issue like violence against women, teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortions all those issues we can link it to HIV and cervical cancer which is also a major challenge because of low vaccine coverage, he added. Mr Sidibe further asked the first lady to lead the advocacy for prevention, care and access to HIV/AIDS services for young women and girls in Africa, as well as use her influence to further the UNAIDS West African Emergency Catch Up Plan. The first lady, on her part, expressed her gratitude for the honour done her and assured the delegation of her readiness and commitment to the new role in the light of the tremendous impact HIV/AIDS-related issues have on the socio-economic well-being of Africans. The first lady also emphasized that she would continue her fight against malaria through her Infantile Malarial Prevention Foundation which has been growing for the past 12 years. She expressed her keen interest in health of children and women and promised to help and do what is necessary to promote the agenda of UNAIDS. By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri The Alliance For Economic Freedom Fighters - AEFF would like to state in plain language that mother Ghana and her children are suffering. Our suffering stemmed from the fact that, corruption in Africa, and to be precise Ghana, is pervasive. Corruption in Ghana is undermining our institutions. The AEFF, is very much aware of the team constituted by President Nana Addo to superintend over the celebration of Ghana @ 60. Historic, antecedent reminds us that the, celebration of Ghana @ 50 under the erstwhile adminstration of former President Kuffour, of which President Nana Addo was part was a" Sham" and an eyesore.Million of Ghana cedis vanishes into thin air. Same way under the tutelage of former President John Dramani Mahama , Ghana, celebrated it 59th years. For the AEFF this celebration has always been an avenue to milk and dry the nations coffer's. As, for this celebration the least talked about, the better. Almost half of the state coffers were drained at the expense of the helpless citizen. Today if Dr.Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, and other host of African leaders who fought for her nations independence, were to be alive would they have been pleased with her citizenry and leaders? Magafuli, this is a president who had the" Balls" to tell the citizenry that, the over 18 million $ budgeted for Kenya's Independent celebration, was of no essence rather, be sent to the rural communities to help the needy and assist parent's who can't afford pay their wards school fees. I ask isn't this laudable and commendable? He again asked all citizens to sit in their homes and enjoy. Bags of rice were disbursed to the poor folks to cook for their families, while enjoy some cultural display. This was a visionary leader. To quote Patrick L.O. Lumumba a Kenyan anti corruption crusader he says" Africa is suffering because we elect thieves in public office, and sanctified and canonizing them" The AEFF is calling on the President, to display a blissful leadership. One of the core campaign pledges of President, Nana Dankwah Akuffo Addo was the commitment to fighting corruption. The perpetrators of the act have no shame at all, corruption in Africa is now akin to what we termed as" Ashawo" in Twi. President Nana Addo, should kindly learn and seek for guidance from the leaders, of the following countries. Botswana, Tanzania, Mauritania and Rewanda. The academic high honor and honor lists (dean's lists) for the past fall semester at Minnesota State University, Mankato have been announced by Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Marilyn Wells. Among 3,282 students, a total of 812 students qualified for the high honor list by achieving a 4.0 straight "A" average, while 2,470 students earned a 3.5 to 3.99 average to qualify for the honor list. To qualify for academic honors, undergraduate students must be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours for the semester. Chaseburg Hunter Pauloski, junior, honor list; Dena Schedivy, freshman, honor list. Westby Allyson Daines, senior, high honor list. Tunis (AFP) - Traditional embroidery on modern dresses, men's robes turned into women's jackets -- Tunisian designers are making their mark with outfits inspired by their country's heritage. Drawing on a diverse range of regional styles, designers like Zeineb Chiboub are adding modern touches to the North African country's traditional garb. Wearing a hooded coat inspired by the kachabiya, a winter robe usually worn by men, Chiboub says the idea of reworking generations-old designs is catching on. "Tunisians, especially young people, are increasingly fond of Tunisian heritage. They want to show their identity," she says. Every week, Chiboub, a pharmacist by training, heads to a different region in search of old clothes. She cuts them up and transforms them into "stylised" models in order to sell them at her shop in an upmarket suburb of Tunis. Tunisia boasts a wide variety of clothes inspired by past rulers, with Carthaginian, Roman, Amazigh, Arab, Andalusian and Ottoman styles all leaving an imprint. Each region has its own style of dress for weddings and religious ceremonies, using luxurious silk, lace and tulle fabrics richly ornamented with silver, gold and filigree threads. But Chiboub says her clients are also looking for everyday clothes. Her most in-demand item is the Maryoul Fadhila, a traditional silk or cotton top worn over jeans or a short skirt. Haifa Ifaa, a student in her 20s, says the clothes give her a feeling of pride. "I love wearing the updated clothes of our grandmothers," she says, standing at the entrance of the shop of Faouzia Frad, another designer of reworked traditional clothing. "(They) show the beauty of our heritage." 'Warm and daring colours' Veteran designer Frad says her designs combine traditional embroidery with "more sophisticated, more tailored dresses, adapted to the tastes of the modern woman." Tunisian fashion designer Olfa Mhaoued, who is inspired by adding modern touches to the North African country's traditional garbs, is applauded at the end of a fashion show in Tunis on October 28, 2016 She says the concept is increasingly popular. Stylist Ilyes Ben Amor agrees. "The ethnic trend is in vogue at haute couture houses and on international podiums," he says. It is a celebration of the "warm and daring colours of traditional clothes, which spread joy and freshness, contrary to all that is dark, full of sadness, like the niqab," the face-covering Islamic veil, he adds. Some designers see taking inspiration from the country's past as a statement against religious extremism. Tunisia has experienced an ongoing jihadist insurgency since a 2011 revolution toppled long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. "Our only weapon against fundamentalism is our identity, our culture, our craftsmanship," says Fatma Ben Abdallah, head of the jury of the annual Khomsa d'Or fashion show. The show, set for May 18, will host both amateur and professional artisans and designers. Organised by the National Crafts Board, it aims to revive the traditional dress in Tunisia, with the dream of crossing borders. Ben Abdallah has ambitions beyond that, hoping to organise international fashion events to showcase Tunisian designs. It will be a challenge -- to date, there is no official data on revenue from the clothing sector or its export potential. "We have a very rich heritage, talent and taste," she says. "But we lack resources, and without the support of the government, this dream cannot be realised." Three-time Khomsa d'Or prize winner Ilyes El Andari agrees. "The traditional dress is the showcase of the country. It deserves to be more supported," he says. The National Petroleum Authority(NPA) has assured that there is enough fuel in the country to meet domestic demand. The Institute of Energy Security (IES) in a press release warned that the country could face severe fuel shortage in two weeks time due to low levels of fuel stock at the Tema Oil Refinery(TOR) and the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST). But speaking to Citi Business News, the Public Relations Officer of the National Patroleum Authority, Yaro Kasambata assured that the current stock position in the country indicates over 200 million litres of gas oil and more than 100 million litres of petrol at various depots throughout the country These stocks are expected to last up to 6 weeks. Additionally, over 73 million litres of gas oil and 46 million litres of petrol are expected to be delivered into the country from the 13th to 18th February 2017, he said. He maintained that the NPA continuously monitors the weekly schedule of fuel imports to ensure that there is constant supply of fuel for the country. The Authority wishes to assure the general public that there are no challenges at the discharging terminals at the country's ports and ensures that there is fairness in the process leading up to the discharge of cargoes of all importers, he stressed. We therefore encourage the media and the general public to disregard any projections being put out in the public domain as merely speculative without any empirical basis, he added. By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana Khartoum (AFP) - The UN children's agency on Wednesday launched a $110 million appeal to help two million acutely malnourished children across Sudan, including hundreds of thousands living in conflict areas. UNICEF said Sudan is home to around 13 percent of all children suffering from acute malnutrition across Africa. Their situation is exacerbated by conflict-related displacements, El Nino, epidemics, floods and droughts. "The United Nations Children's Fund in Sudan launches an appeal in response to children's needs across the country, for a provisional total of $110 million," UNICEF said in a statement. The agency said two million children under five in Sudan are acutely malnourished. And two million children have been displaced due to violence in Darfur, the regions of South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei, with many separated from their relatives and affected by grave violations, it said. Around three million children remain out of school, with half of them living in conflict affected areas. Although Sudan has made progress across many life-saving sectors in recent years, around 24 million people still lack proper sanitation facilities while six million children have no access to clean drinking water, the agency said. UNICEF has spent about $500 million in Sudan over the past five years, and the agency increasingly aims to tap funds from inside Sudan. SOME Concern Youth of Akropong North Municipal in the Eastern Region are appealing to President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo to appoint Dr. William Adjei Twumasi who have been shortlisted among other three as the Municipal Chief Executive officer of the area. According to the group the Deputy Chief Accountant of Akropong College of Education, Dr Twumasi is the right person to occupied the office, since he is going to be the representative of the President at the grassroot level hence he can possess the qualities of the President (Competent and Incorruptible). The Akropong North Municipality, the group noted is endowed with numerous resources which need a visionary MCE to turn these resources to the betterment of the local people and not with any other person than Dr. Twumasi. A vetting committee comprising of the the constituency executives, representatives from the Assembly members, representatives from the Council of Elders and Patrons (constituency level) and representatives from the traditional council was formed in last week to vetted the 16 persons vying for the race. At end of the party internal polls, out of 16 aspiring nominees vying for the Akropong North MCE position, four persons namely, Dr. William Adjei Twumasi, Dennis Edward Aboagye, Emmanuel Bekoe and Philip Opare-Addo were shortlisted waiting for their names to be mentioned. The residents and natives in the Akropong North Municipality as gathered are divided over who the next MCE for the area. Reports gathered that, majority of residents want President Akufo Addo appoint, Dr. William Adjei Twumasi, the Deputy Chief Accountant of the Akropong Presbyterian College of Education also a Patron of the NPP who is the most influential candidate among the three others to ease the political tension in the Akropong North Municipality. The residents who in the history of the local government administration of the area had not seen developments in the municipality suggested that, Dr Twumasi when appointed by the President will be able to initiated the government polices and construct schools, health centres among other projects for the villages. The astute Patron Dr. William Twumasi parton of the NPP has been identified as one of the numbers with broad experience of the Local Government act, and in-depth knowledge about the area, could effectively contribute to the development of the, area if appointed as the next MCE, his supporters claim. The group lead by the convenor, Seth Kwame Addo in a statement however noted that, Dr. Twumasi is competent, trustworthy and a unifier whom when appointed as the MCE will help bring unity, peace and development to the good people of Akropong. They however, added that, the Akropong North Municipal Assembly needs a visionary Chief Executive formed effectively manage the resources of the area which will eventually bring development to the district and beyond. -Daniel Bampoe Bamako (AFP) - Clashes have forced 600 people to flee their homes in central Mali as traditional herding communities battle with farmers over accusations of jihadist infiltration and land use in areas hit by climate change. Malian television said Tuesday night hundreds had fled villages close to the city of Macina after clashes between Fulani herders and Bambara farmers over the weekend. The death toll from the armed confrontation had risen to 20 from 13, a security ministry communique said Wednesday, while 16 people were injured. Four Malian ministers have visited the area and an enquiry has been announced into the causes of the dispute. The clashes were allegedly triggered by the murder of a Bambara farmer on Saturday named as Cheickna Traore. It was followed by retribution killings against Fulanis (known as Peuls in French) accused of being jihadists who had organised the assassination. A report last month by Human Rights Watch described an "Islamist armed group presence and intimidation of the population" that has "steadily increased" in central Mali, as well as an uptick in banditry and criminality. The South African-based Institute for Security Studies has highlighted drought driven by climate change as leaving herders unable to feed their animals in northern Mali, forcing them to move south. They are then "forced into the valleys where conflicts often arise with farmers over land and water," according to a report released last year. Fulani people are frequently accused of colluding with jihadists who have sowed chaos in Mali in recent years, especially in the north but more recently in the centre as well. Since the overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in Libya, weapons have travelled freely from the chaotic state in an arc of unrest through Mali and Niger. 15.02.2017 LISTEN A group calling itself National Youth Ambassadors (NYA) has commended ACP Edward Oduro Kwarteng, the Offinso Divisional Police commander and his men for exhibiting high sense of Professionalism in the discharge of their duties. The group, led by Fred Appia and Prince Nana Kwaku Owusu are enthused about the Police Command's decision to escort market women and traders on market days and also to patrol the roads while the market is in session. The strategy is part of the Offinso Divisional Police command's proactive measures to curb and eliminate criminal activities in the division. The commendation follows the rescue of traders on February 2, this year, by the Patrol team when they were routinely escorting the first group of traders to a town called Kwapanin, about 10 kilometers from Abofour in Offinso municipality. On their return, the police team unexpectedly bumped into eight armed robbers who had blocked the road with logs and two motor bikes. On seeing the police, the armed robbers started firing at the Patrol team who also returned fire and managed to rescue Kofi Badu, 35 and Samuel, 39, whose motor bikes had earlier been taken by the robbers and ordered to lie down by the road. ACP Edward Oduro Kwarteng, the divisional police commander has appealed to the public to volunteer information to the police to help combat crime by exposing unscrupulous elements in the society. He cautioned criminals to revise their notes and vacate the area because his jurisdiction is very unfriendly to criminals. From Ernest Best Anane, Kumasi. 15.02.2017 LISTEN MTN, the Communication giant network in Ghana, has held the 2017 Springboard road show with a call on parents not to impose career development on their wards because children of school going age, especially SHS students are vulnerable to the dynamism of society and the world. Mr. Eric Nsarkoh, Sales and Distribution Executive of MTN Ghana observed that children need to be guided but not to impose concepts since they have minds that interact, as the generation is becoming more of self-employed and must understand the dynamics. He was addressing students from Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School, Kumasi, St. Louis Senior High School and Kumasi Academy at the Calvary Charismatic Church in Kumasi. According to him, immediate challenges could discourage them from pursuing their dream and observed that, Ghana must stabilize the institutions that have sprung out of our common heritage to strengthen the institutional base. Mr. Nsarkoh also challenged students to use opportunities wisely by bringing ideas and careers to all regions, as they have more opportunities and for that matter, students who choose to study must be guided. Sales and Distribution Executive stressed the need to tap into the students' store of innovation and design a world that caters for their needs, adding that, its time to recognize both negative and positive peer pressure for a positive influence. He reminded them that, to win a battle ahead they must prioritize their future generation and nurture them jealously and educate them thoroughly and anchor them in the value they treasured. Mr. Nsarkoh charged the students to be innovative and creative as students, as they ask themselves questions on problems and would be able to solve it. Pix 1: Female participating students Pix 2: Male participants From Ernest Best Anane Kumasi. 15.02.2017 LISTEN The government's policy of 'one District one factory' has been embraced in the Ho Municipality by Reagvin Ventures Limited, a private company, which has decided to establish a factory at Atikpui to produce cassava on commercial bases, which would be processed into various products for both domestic and foreign consumption. The company, which is a private business initiative, has already acquired five thousand hectares of farmland for cassava plantation at Atikpui to feed the processing plant to be established at Tokokoe, all in the Ho Municipality. A memorandum of understanding between the company and the traditional authorities has been completed. Addressing the Media on the preparations made so far towards the establishment of the factory, the Chief Executive Officer of Reagvin Ventures, Mr. Vincent Norgbordzi disclosed that the company had received GHC296,000 from the Exim Bank of Ghana as financial assistant to the company for the purchase of equipment as the first phase of the project. Mr. Norgbordzi explained that when the project was fully in operation, it would help create 2,000 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs, which he noted would help in reducing the high youth unemployment in the Municipality. It would also prevent the youth from seeking non existing white colour jobs in towns and cities. He continued that the company, in collaboration with Africa Lead and Farm Serve Consults, have so far trained 500 out growers in modern farming techniques, particularly cassava cultivation, as well as other cash crops, stressing that the beneficiaries of the training programmes were also educated on accurate record keeping skills to enable them to manage their business activities more effectively when the factory starts its operation. Mr. Norgbordzi therefore appealed to the youth to take advantage of available opportunities like the factory that would soon embark on commercial activities to generate income for themselves and improve their living conditions, rather than depending on non existing white colour jobs, saying the factory would bring hope to the people and all should embrace it. The Public Affairs Director of the Company, Mr. Patrice Selormey said the factory would go into industrial starch production; ethanol and cassava flour production for export and local use and disclosed that market for the products exist in Europe and China, while local market is also encouraging. Mr. Selormey, however, called for the construction of the AtikpuiHodzo road to pave way for easy transportation of goods and services, saying the current situation was not the best. According to him, good road networks are panacea for fruitful socioeconomic activities that would make it possible for the people to engage in businesses that would lead to wealth creation. From Samuel Agbewode, Ho. Ghanas ailing cotton industry is expected to be revived in the coming months, following the decision by the Chinese Government to acquire 500,000 hectares of lands for the cultivation of cotton to meet local needs. The Asian Giants have also promised to establish an Agriculture Mechanization Plant in Ghana to assemble tractors and other farming equipment to enhance the countrys agriculture. The Chinese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ghana, HE Sun Baohung, disclosed this when she led a Chinese Economic Team to pay a courtesy call on the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, at his office. The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana stated unequivocally that her country is ready to trade with Ghana in the area of Agriculture, pledging that China is ready to offer both financial and human resource services to the country. Amongst other programmes, H.E. Sun Baohung also announced that her government will fly in experts from China to train Ghanaian farmers in the cultivation of cassava and other food crops in order to increase production. The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana said a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would be reached with Ghana through Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), for the development of the 500,000 hectares in the cultivation. The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. OwusuAfriyieAkoto, on his part, commended the government of China and the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana for the laudable pledge to support Ghanas Agriculture, particularly in the revival of the ailing cotton industry. Dr. Afriyie Akoto, however, charged the Chinese Government to extend the SADA Program nationwide for the benefit of all citizens. Freetown, Sierra Leone, February 15, 2017 The Government of Sierra Leone, with financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and UK Aid, also known as Department for International Development (DfID), launched on Monday, February 13, 2017 the rehabilitation and extension of the Bo-Kenema Electricity Distribution System in Sierra Leone. In line with the Governments Post Ebola Recovery Program, which identified the project as a key deliverable, in the efforts to improve citizen access to energy services. The project will upgrade and construct a 33-kilovolt electricity line between Bo and Kenema. The project will also construct new primary substations to enhance the reliability and sustainability of electricity supply between the two cities. For the first time, 37,000 households located in Bo, Kenema and villages along the route of the distribution line, will benefit from a supply of electricity through the installation of pre-paid electricity meters connecting them to the line. The 17,500 households already connected will benefit from a more reliable supply of electricity. The project will also provide technical training for staff at the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) and other key stakeholders. Unreliable energy services in urban areas, and limited energy services in rural areas, were cited as a major obstacle to a rapid response during the Ebola crisis. Improved energy services will not only strengthen Sierra Leones resilience to future outbreaks, but support economic growth and infrastructure development across the country. While thanking its co-funding partners, the Minister of Energy, Henry Macauley, said, Today marks a key milestone in Government of Sierra Leones commitment to provide affordable and reliable access to electricity across the country under the Agenda for Prosperity launched by His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma. The Bo-Kenema rehabilitation project is an evidence of the fruitful cooperation between the Ministry of Energy, the African Development Bank and the UK Department for International Development. All parties are committed to a swift implementation that will lay the foundations for the economic rebirth of Bo and Kenema as we share the conviction electricity supply to small and medium enterprises and households is key to a sustainable development. The project directly contributes to the AfDBs New Deal on Energy for Africa , which aims to secure universal energy access on the continent by 2025 and support efforts to mitigate climate change through reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the use of diesel and kerosene for lighting. The AfDB will invest US $13 million and oversee project delivery. AfDB is committed to working with partners to catalyse economic development in post-conflict countries, such as Sierra Leone through projects that open up new markets and provide opportunities for local communities. The Bo-Kenema project is also exemplary in that the Bank was able to mobilize significant co-financing for the project in line with the Banks new business model to attract additional capital to the continent, said Amadou Hott, AfDBs Vice-President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth . Speaking at the launch, Guy Warrington, British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, said, I am proud that UK Aid is able to support efforts to improve access to energy as part of our 240-million commitment to the Ebola recovery effort. The UK Government is a long-term supporter of the Government of Sierra Leones efforts to improve energy access across the country, and will invest 31.5 million (US $40 million) in the rehabilitation and extension of the Bo-Kenema Electricity Distribution System. We are also investing in off-grid electricity systems for rural communities and promoting household solar systems under the UKs Energy Africa compact, which was signed with Government of Sierra Leone in May 2016. A federal court has ordered the Wisconsin legislature to redraw voting districts in time for the 2018 elections. This is a victory for voters, who have been voting in gerrymandered districts that were ruled unconstitutional in November. Although the court did not specify how the Legislature should redraw the maps, the League of Women Voters urges lawmakers to choose a method that will minimize undue partisanship. The League filed a brief in the case offering possible ways to accomplish that. The Wisconsin Constitution gives the Legislature the responsibility of redistricting, which takes place every 10 years after the census. Unfortunately, when you have one-party rule, as was the case in Wisconsin in 2011, the majority party is able to choose the voters by drawing meandering district boundaries designed to include some voters and exclude others. Of the nonpartisan redistricting methods we proposed, the most practical is the procedure followed successfully in Iowa, which has a similar constitutional provision. There, a nonpartisan legislative agency drafts the district maps for the Legislature, which retains final responsibility for enacting (or rejecting) the proposed maps. The Wisconsin Legislature could direct its Legislative Reference Bureau, the nonpartisan service agency which drafts all legislation, to create new maps. The agency would have to follow the usual districting criteria mandated by state and federal law, such as compactness, contiguity, respect for existing municipal boundaries, and non-dilution of minority voting power. The plan should also provide for public input. Iowas Legislative Services Agency is advised by a nonpartisan commission and must hold at least three public hearings about the plan in different regions of the state and report on the hearings to the legislature. The Legislature then brings the redistricting bill to a vote shortly after receiving the report. Only corrective amendments are allowed. If the initial plan is rejected, the agency must submit a second version within 35 days. Again, the Legislature votes, with only corrective amendments allowed. There is plenty of time for such a process to take place in Wisconsin before the court-ordered deadline of Nov. 1. Since its creation in 1980, the Iowa process has operated smoothly and with the support of both parties. Each decade the Legislature has enacted the first or second proposed plan. No plan has been challenged in court, saving Iowa tax payers millions of dollars in litigation fees. Iowas plan has resulted in some of the most competitive districts in the nation, offering voters a choice of two or more viable candidates. In Wisconsin, none of our eight congressional districts is considered competitive, and Common Cause in Wisconsin reported in 2016 that just one in 10 of our legislative districts could be considered competitive. That leads to uncontested elections and less choice for voters. There are currently proposals before the Wisconsin Legislature to adopt the Iowa plan. Lawmakers should do so this session. They also should apply the plan now to redraw the current, unconstitutional districts in a way that will give voters confidence that they are not being manipulated by politicians seeking an unfair partisan advantage. Maputo (AFP) - Mozambique braced for flooding, high winds, sea surges and evacuations on Wednesday as Cyclone Dineo neared the coast, with forecasters predicting widespread damage. Dineo was set to make landfall in the southern province of Inhambane in the evening, packing winds of about 130 kilometres (80 miles) an hour, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) said. Mozambique's meterological services upgraded the storm to a tropical cyclone on Wednesday afternoon as strong winds began to slam into coastal areas. Torrential rain, flooding and a coastal storm surge were expected, with SAWS warning that Dineo was "a formidable storm system which has the potential to cause much damage to coastal and inland infrastructure". The Mozambique Red Cross dispatched emergency relief supplies and 350 workers to areas likely to be in the impact zone, where rivers are already at flood level. "Many of the districts likely to be hit have been inundated by above-normal rainfall since early January," Jamie Le Sueur, Red Cross disaster management coordinator for southern Africa, said. The Red Cross warned that flooding could also contaminate water sources and spread sickness after the storm passes. Seeking shelter Mozambique's National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) issued an alert over the cyclone threat, advising people to prepare food and water supplies and urging vulnerable communities to seek shelter. The INGC said it was also planning evacuation routes. Local media reported that flooding was expected in the southern cities of Inhambane and Maxixe as well as in many villages, with houses, crops, roads and livestock at risk as well as human lives. Officials advised people to turn off electricity and stay away from power cables to avoid shocks, and to protect windows with wood or plastic. Heavy rains will spread into South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana on Thursday and Friday as the cyclone weakens, forecasters say. Mozambique, one of the world's poorest countries, is often battered by deadly flooding and storms. In 2000, floods claimed at least 800 lives, and more than 100 were killed in 2015. Scores have already died in the current rainy season, which began in October. The high death toll in 2000 triggered donor funding for relocations and improvements to water management infrastructure, early warning systems and emergency response resources. Return on investment of Ghanas Heritage Fund recorded a decline in the second half of 2016 as compared to the first half of the same year. A report released by the Bank of Ghana on the performance and activities of the Petroleum Holding Fund (PHF) and the Ghana Petroleum Funds (GPFs) for the Second half of 2016 -ended December 30, 2016 revealed that return on investment of the fund declined to 2.99 percent for that period. In the first half of the same year (January to June) however return on investment was 4.93 percent. The decline in return has been attributed to global developments. Despite the decline the fund performed better in 2016 than in 2015. In 2015 return of interest on the fund yielded 0.54 percent in the first half and 0.74 percent in the second quarter of that year. Performance to pick up? Despite the plunge the Bank of Ghana says it is confident yields on the investment funds will be positive in 2017. The bank believes though past global trends had an impact on the funds investment performance, key current and future global developments will impact positively on the portfolios of the heritage fund and other funds. Additional appreciation of the foreign exchange value of the US Dollar and financial vulnerabilities in some advanced and emerging market economies could impact negatively on global growth resulting in bond yields falling. De-globalisation stemming from trade protectionist policies (under-currents exposed by Brexit and Trump's America first agenda) will exacerbate anaemic global trade and slow down growth considerably. The terms of Britain's exit from the European Union have not been concluded. Upcoming elections in Germany, France, Italy and other European Union countries have potential for adverse economic consequences resulting in investors moving their funds from high-risk assets to investment safe havens. This will cause safe haven bond yields to fall, which will impact positively on the portfolios of the GSF and GHF. Fund Allocation The heritage fund receives eight percent of revenue accrued from Ghanas crude oil proceeds. In the second half of 2016 the Ghana Heritage Fund received US$6.85 million, while the Ghana Stabilization Fund received US$15.99 million. While in the first half of that same year the Ghana Heritage Fund received US$5.79 million and the Stabilization fund received an amount of US$13.52 million. The Heritage fund which was established in 2011, as at December, 2016 had accrued US$262.57 million making up 8 percent of total revenue from oil proceeds distributed to the Petroleum Holding Fund (PHF) and the Ghana Petroleum Funds (GPFs). The Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) received a total of US$1,473.45 million representing 43 percent of the total revenue while Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) received a total amount of US$1,057.30 million equivalent to 31 percent of total revenue. The Ghana Stabilization Fund (GSF) received an amount of US$633.87 million (18 percent). Heritage fund to be used to fund free SHS? The Heritage Fund has been in the news this week after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government hinted of reviewing the Petroleum Management Act to allow for the use of the Heritage Fund to finance its ambitious Free Senior High School (SHS) policy. The Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, at a forum in Accra on Tuesday said the Heritage Fund, will be used to sustain the program. The fund was set up to support the country's future generations when the oil reserves are depleted. Meanwhile the Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi believes using the Heritage Fund component in the Petroleum Management Act to fund some policies, only six years after it was set up, could compromise the fund. By: Vivian Kai Lokko/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana What is cultism confraternity? Have you ever heard about female cultism in Nigeria? What about female cultism in Nigerian universities? You might get shocked after reading the article. Female cultism in Nigerian universities, does it exist? Each of us from childhood has heard the word "cult" or "cultism", but even many adults interpret the origin of cultism and the meaning of this word not quite right. In the view of the society the concept of "cultism" is associated with Satanism, Voodoo magic, occult practices. According to the history of cultism in Nigeria, people identify the meaning of cult as a glorification of any individual, for instance - the cult of the Pharaoh in ancient Egypt, the cult of Stalin in the Soviet Union and the cult of Hitler in the Third Reich in the twentieth century. Female cultism in Nigerian universities, does it exist? If you consider a cult in religion, then it will be a true statement that the cult is the service of the deity or deities, including religious rituals, traditions and worldview. Another meaning of the word cult in religion is religious worship of any material object, such an object is called a cult. Cult objects found in most religions of the world, including in the three major religions are the icons and relics in Christianity, Buddha in Buddhism, mosques of Mecca and Medina in Islam. READ ALSO: 9 incidents of political violence in Nigeria in December Types of Cultism As in a broad sense, it is considered to be a kind of a worship. However, all cults can be divided into several groups depending on the object of admiration. Therefore, sociologists, historians and psychologists divide the cults that take place in the spiritual and social life of modern society, groups are the following: Religious cultism Religious veneration of deities, saints, fathers, prophets, apostles, and also of items which according to belief were given to men by God. Religious cults include not only the spiritual aspect of belief, but also all the rituals, traditions and ceremonies that have to be performed by the believers. By and large, any religion can be called a cult and every religion includes a certain number of more narrowly focused cults for example, cults of gods, cults of sacred animals, ancestor worship. Personality cultism Personality cults - these cults are the basis of the autocratic form of government, as their essence lies in the exaltation of the personality of the leader. In almost all states with authoritarian and totalitarian forms of government there is personality cult of the leader. This cult originated in ancient times, when the first kings appeared. Youth and prosperity cultism Cults associated with material goods or position in society in their relation to the meaning of the word cult should be interpreted in the widest sense, as cult of money, cult of beauty, cult of youth and so on, it means that a large part of society considers wealth as a priority over the spiritual development and "eternal values". Female cultism This type of cultism involves representatives of one gender (female) who gather together in order to achieve their sacrificed aims or for other special purposes. They may gather in the forests or in other remote places, make circles, singing songs and reading out some invocations and spells. Female cultism in Nigerian universities, does it exist? Speaking about cultism in Nigeria and, in particular, female cultism in Nigerian universities, it can be said that a great number of people claim to be witnesses of the gatherings of such female groupings and their involvement to its activities. According to the stories of some Nigerian universities students, such phenomenon is widely spread in campuses of Lagos universities. Let me tell you how all this takes place. Female cultism: shocking welcoming procedure If you want to become one of the members of such group, you will need to go through a certain procedure for new-comers, which implies virginity loss (with the presence of other members of the clan), cutting of thumbs, cooking a kind of a soup with the blood from these parts of the body and then drinking such a beverage. After you have become a member of this group, you cant leave it unless you are dead or you come under protection of more stronger clan. Female cultism in Nigerian universities, does it exist? READ ALSO: Top 10 dangerous religious cults in the world Speaking on the terms of membership in this clan, it is worth taking into consideration your main tasks in future you will have to work as a prostitute, offering your body and soul for big sums of money and presents from so-called Aristos. If you are lucky they may even give you a car as a present or something even more valuable. Female cultism in Nigerian universities, does it exist? One of the most unpleasant factors is that while the welcoming steps you may easily get HIV, as the majority of girls has already become its carriers. Some girls offer natural sex without condoms for the purpose of infecting other people with such unpleasant diseases. Other cults in Nigerian universities 1. Ahoi-Seadog ( Ibadan college) This confraternity is supposed to be pirate one, their main symbols are the skull and crossbones. According to them there shouldnt be a kind of an inequality which implies different clothes of affluent students and those who are much poorer who strive to look more smart so as to be accepted by other students. 2. Buccaneers Association of Nigeria (BAN) or AloraSealords This is a part of the aforementioned grouping. This group consisted of those who couldnt manage to cope with all the restrictions and conditions of membership in Ahoi-Seadog. 3. Black Axe Confraternity or Aye-Axemen Such confraternity is aimed at fighting against oppression against Black men. One of their beliefs and exclamations is - The Black man will be freed with an axe. Got impressed? Source: Legit.ng - Staff of Delta state house of assembly on Tuesday shutdown the assembly complex over poor staff welfare - They prevented lawmakers, political aides and other assembly commission staff from accessing their offices - They complain of the house leaders insensitivity to their plight as they care only for themselves, neglecting the welfare of the staff Workers at the Delta State House of Assembly under the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) on Tuesday resumed indefinite strike over poor staff welfare. They shut the 29 lawmakers out of the assembly complex, accusing them of insensitivity and wickedness to their plights. Accordingly, the entrance to the assembly complex in Asaba was sealed-off as the workers union prevented vehicular movement and human movements into the complex. The sitting that was billed for Tuesday was disrupted as the lawmakers could not gain access into the chamber. Delta state house of assembly PASAN Chairman, Comrade Edozie Emmanuel said that the workers had to resume the suspended strike action because the Assembly leadership, including the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya, "failed to fulfill the promises made to the workers." READ ALSO: Sheriff, Makarfi PDP faction clashed in Delta He said: We say pay us our 2016 wardrobe allowance and appoint a deputy clerk for us. That position has been vacant since 2015. It has created a vacuum; we are being stagnated in our career in the Assembly Service commission. The promises made were not fulfilled. None has been fulfilled. The clinic as we talk now is dead. This is despite the promises made. "We had suspended the strike because we thought they were telling us the truth. But up till now, the money has not been paid; the issue of deputy clerk has not been resolved. Governor Okowa with Monday Igbuya, Speaker of Delta state house of assembly We have communicated our resolution to resume the suspended strike to the leadership of the Assembly. He expressed surprise at the attitude of the leadership of the assembly, which he lamented saying they have refused to dialogue with the workers' union despite several efforts made to engage it. They ignored us, saying that they are not responsible to us." He said that while the legislators get their allowances and entitlements with ease, the entitlement of the workers is no importance to them. "The Speaker is insensitive and adamant to our requests and plight of the workers. He does not pick the phone when calls are made to him, Comrade Emmanuel said, adding: All is not well in the Delta state House of Assembly. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! For minor work that the workers are employed to do, they prefer to bring in outsiders to come and do them. We are not calling off this strike until our demands are fully met, Comrade Emmanuel said. But Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Henry Ebireri, rose in stout defense of the leadership of the house, saying the speaker has been defending the interest of workers of the assembly. He said the assembly workers are antagonistic to the leadership of the house, insisting that their posture against the house leadership was not a good one. He said: The issuance of warrant for outfit allowance is not the responsibility of the speaker nor the leadership of the house. In spite of the current financial crunch, the state is up to date in its obligation to the assembly workers. It is appalling that the workers locked all the entrances to the assembly complex and the commission, thus barring commission members, political aides and others from entering their offices for normal work over outfit allowances, a matter that is receiving attention from the state government. Source: Legit.ng Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who visited former military president, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) in his Minna mansion in Niger state February 14 says only Nigerians can decide on restructuring Nigerians should decide if they want restructuring Atiku Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Minna during his visit to ex-Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello challenged Nigerians to decide if they want restructuring of the country. It is up to Nigerians to decide on the restructuring of the country, Atiku told news men. Going further, Atiku said the days of advising government publicly especially on the pages of Newspapers are gone. He said whenever he has something helpful, he would channel whatever he has to say confidentially to those in power. PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest News on Legit.ng News App If I have to advise the government, I will do so in confidence and not on the pages of newspapers. The meeting which was held at Babangidas home lasted about two hours according to The Nation Atiku who arrived Minna Airport at 12:40p.m. yesterday February 14 was received by the governor. They went together to Babangidas home. After the meeting, the former VP addressed reporters. I came to visit Gen. Babangida and wish him well. He was accompanied by Cpt. Yahaya Gombe, Amb. Yahaya Kwande, Alhaji Kwaironga Jada and Alhaji Jamilu Jibrin Source: Legit.ng The United States of America has finally confirmed that President Donald Trump did indeed speak with Nigerian leader President Muhammadu Buhari. The US White House says Trump spoke with Buhari on Monday The confirmation came on Tuesday, February 14 through White House Press Secretary and Communications Director, Sean Michael Spicer during his introduction of Tuesdays White House Press Briefing. READ ALSO: Years of corruption, attack on oil facilities cause of Nigerias economic hardship - Osinbajo Spicer told media men present that President Trump spoke with President Buhari of Nigeria and Jacob Zuma of South Africa and also received the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau on Monday, February 13. Recall that US-owned international news media CNN had confirmed the conversation between the Nigerian leader and and his American counterpart amid insinuations in some quarters that President Buhari may have not had conversation with Trump because he was allegedly too sick to do so. White House Press secretary Sean Michael Spicer confirmed Trump's call to President Buhari in Tuesday's press briefing. The delay by the White House in its confirmation of the conversation between the two leaders on its official social media handles fueled speculation that all may not be well. PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest news on Legit.ng News App However, the White Houses confirmation on Tuesday, about 24 hours after the phone call between the two presidents puts a full stop to speculations that President Buhari may not be feeling well. The Presidency had confirmed the call on Monday after through presidential spokesman Femi Adesina. Source: Legit.ng In a conversation carried over from January, county engineer Brian Pogodzinski laid out the history of the 70-year-old highway department building to the Houston County Board of Commissioners. The board had asked Pogodzinski to come to the Feb. 7 meeting to explain the function of the highway department and building. He started with the basics. The highway department is split into administrative, engineering, equipment maintenance and maintenance. It has multiple locations within the county including Spring Grove, Houston, La Crescent, Hokah and the main officethe building in questionin Caledonia. The Caledonia site sits on six acres of land and was built in 1947. The last additions were in 1966 and 1967. The board of commissioners began discussing the building in 1993 after it issued a study on the building. The building has now had multiple studies, the most recent was in 2009 and reviewed the air quality. In 1994, the board went so far as to visit other highway department buildings in the state of Minnesota. It was then decided in 1996 that it would save $50,000 left over from another project towards a new building. The building was not discussed or reviewed again by the county board until 2007. In 2007, they started full steam ahead, Pogodzinski said. They set up a committee that had a county commissioner, the county engineer and five people of the public. They represented every district in the county. There were also township representatives. Although there are multiple sites that are suggested for the highway department building, there are three that are the most contested: the six-acre lot it currently sits on, a 10-acre site in Spring Grove and the 22-acres owned by the county next to Caledonia High School. As for funding, Pogodzinski gave multiple options. In 2009, the committee tried to look into state and federal funding, but they didnt get very far, he said. The state came back and said, if we pay for your facility what would stop us from paying the other counties buildings? Besides a county levy and local option sales tax, Pogodzinski gave different financial options: the county fund balance, state aid road funds and bonding. I want you to be aware that there are other avenues to pursue, he said. Pogodzinski will return to the Feb. 28 meeting with some of the highway departments staff per the request of the board. While he addressed the board, Pogodzinski also brought forward a discussion about salt purchasing and penalties. Cargill is our contractornormally when we order in the winter, we get the salt now; while in the summer we order it, but we dont get it for a while, he said. This year Cargill was late on their salt delivery, a first in the countys relationship with the company. As a penalty, the county could potentially charge Cargill up to 17 percent of the overall total. The county spent $180,000 on salt this year, so the amount could be as high as $30,600. Let me jump in, Commissioner Justin Zmyewski said. This is a multi-billion dollar company, we are but a grain in their ocean. We really could stick it to them but then they might raise their prices the next year. On the flip side, if we dont, then we have set a precedence to not enforce the penalty. The county has been using the state bid for salt since 2009, and Cargill is normally among one or two other bidders for Houston County. The real cost of getting the salt later was probably only around $1,000 for waiting around, Pogodzinski said. But, if we would have gotten snow or ice in November we would have had a much bigger problem. Id say reduce it by half. When it happened I called them up right away and I let them know. They didnt warn us. The discussion ended with county attorney Sam Jandts suggestion that an amended contract could possibly be sent to Cargill to ask for half of the penalty. - Agatu is beginning to be seen as an unfortunate community following the constant attacks the local government area has witnessed over time - This time, soldiers allegedly on a reprisal mission, attacked the six communities and killed a pregnant woman and five others Some Nigerian soldiers have reportedly attacked six villages in Agatu local government area of Benue state, killing a pregnant woman and five others. The communities that make up Agatu have been under constant attacks from herdsmen The attack was allegedly a reprisal to the killing of a soldier at the weekend when youths in the local government clashed with army officers. READ ALSO: Ceding of Agatu land to Fulanis, a betrayal of our trust and un-alloyed support for voting Ortom - Onoja Agatu has been in the news for a while now following the constant attack on the local government by Fulani herdsmen. Such attacks have led to the killing of over 1,000 indigenes of the communities as well as the maiming of many others. The Punch reports sources at the Egba community as saying a pregnant woman was hit by a stray bullet and that the villages are now deserted. The report quoted one of such sources as saying: This is genocide on our people, as Im talking to you now, six villages have been sacked, children and women have moved out of the affected villages, while many people have been arrested by the invading soldiers. It however also said the brigade commander of the 707 special force, Brig Clement Apere, denied that his men attacked the communities. Apere, who spoke at a press conference, said: The operation we conducted in the area was carried out in a professional way. The sole administrator of Agatu local government area, Mike Inalegwu, was also said to have denied any attack on his people, but admitted soldiers invaded the communities. READ ALSO: There is nothing good about Buharis administration - Fayose There is no iota of truth in that, no one was killed, the military were only on the mission to recover their arms and ammunition, he reportedly said. Source: Legit.ng No fewer than 163 Nigerians who have been stranded in Libya voluntarily returned to the country on Tuesday, February 14. Nigerian returnees from Libya on arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos Photo credit: Daily Trust Their return was facilitated by the International Oganisation for Migration (IOM), following the federal governments request for its assistance after confirming that some Nigerians were willing to return home. Daily Trust reports that aircraft conveying the returnees landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) around 3:30pm. READ ALSO: 92 immigrants deported from US to Africa Three of the deportees require medical care Photo credit: Daily Trust They were received at the Hajj terminal by the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA). The returnees comprised of 92 adult females; 62 adult males; seven children, and two infants. Addressing newsmen, the director general of NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Sidi, represented by the deputy director, Search and Rescue, Dr. Abdullahi Onimode, said the deportees would be given some token to go back to their respective destinations. PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest news on Legit.ng News App They voluntarily returned from Libya Photo Credit: Daily Trust Some of the deportees who appeared trumatised said they will never leave Nigeria again. A month ago, 140 Nigerians were deported from Libya and were received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by the South-West coordinator of NEMA, Dr. Onimode Bamdele. Three weeks ago, the Nigerian government warned citizens against going to Libya for now following the purported killing of black immigrants in the country. See more photos below. Their return was facilitated by the International Organization of Migration (IOM) Photo credit: Daily Trust Elated Nigerian returnee in prayer mood on arrival Photo credit: Daily Trust Another elated Nigerian giving praises on arrival Photo credit: Daily Trust One of the deportees being assisted The deported Nigerians assembled at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos Source: Legit.ng - The presidency and the Nigerian Senate might again clash on the confirmation of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission - Sources said Ibrahim Magu might again face stumbling blocks in the confirmation of his position as substantive chairman of the EFCC - The source said lawmakers have vowed never to confirm Magu as EFCC's chairman irrespective of his renomination by the president Despite the re-submission of his name to the Senate, the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu still faces stumbling blocks in his confirmation as substantive chair. Daily Trust reports that the presidency and the Senate yet again clashed over Magu's confirmation. Sources said some Nigerian lawmakers have vowed never to confirm Magu as EFCC's chairman irrespective of his renomination. READ ALSO: Disqualify Saraki, Akpabio, other from Magus screening, activist tells court Magu - having spend over one year as EFCC's acting chairman - faced the same challenge in December after the Senate cited allegations of corruption against him by the Department of State Security (DSS). Some lawmakers claimed that the allegations against Magu have not been vacated and the investigation by the attorney general of the federation that cleared the EFCC acting chairman was yet to be made public. Sources said resubmitting Magus name would again cause an uproar between the Senate and the presidency. READ ALSO: EFCC boss Magu in BIG trouble for 'harassing' Governors' Forum over Paris Club loan refund saga The source said President Muhammadu Buhari and the acting president Yemi Osinbajo are focused on having Magu lead the anti-corruption campaign of the current administration. It was also gathered that some former governor and politician who are currently in the Senate and under various corrupt investigation may also be stalling Magu's confirmation. However, speaking on the matter, the chairman of the Senate committee on media and public affairs Aliyu Sabi said the National Assembly would take a position on Magu after deliberation on the 2017 budget. Source: Legit.ng Editor's note: In this piece sent to Legit.ng, Ifeanyi Chijioke writes an open letter to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Chijioke highlights the problems faced by the Nigerian nation most especially people from the South-East region. He also calls for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPBO) Nnamdi Kanu. Dear President of Nigeria; I am very much aware and I know that few people would be groaning at this very letter; they (those cabals in Aso Rock) would question my position to addressing you to as - the President of Nigeria. Let me make it clear to you that I am not writing this letter to you as your subject; I am doing so as a citizen of Biafra, Nigeria did not give me anything or did anything for me, I have never collected anything from Nigeria so it is obvious that nothing concerns me with Nigeria. Muhammadu Buharis life is in a balance going by everything the Presidency has claimed; that is the price of not listening to God. This will show Buhari that the God of Nnamdi Kanu is alive; that God that divided the red sea, God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Joshua etc. READ ALSO: JUST IN: Finally, Biafra gets independence on March 15 - BZF leader declares Should he eventually come back alive; let it be that God warned him for the last time but I strongly feel God is angry that he might not have a second chance. The primary purpose of detaining Nnamdi Kanu is never to stop or address Biafra agitation but a satanic manipulation, Buhari is being used to arrange a bloody crisis that would sink every single one of us. The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu is overdue; especially now that Islamic fundamentalists which Buhari represents are being used to cause that very crisis in Nigeria. Let me make it clear once more; Nnamdi Kanu has become an institution or rather an ideology. Nnamdi Kanu is not a political leader and should anything happen to him; not only shall violence or war overwhelm us; over 70 million Biafrans would fight to death, your children might not be affected because you will take them out of this shore. You might not as well die because you will have much to die before you do; but hence the blood of those that died will be upon you, God will not let the wicked have peace. READ ALSO: SEE how pro-Biafran agitators used naira notes to campaign for Nnamdi Kanu and insult Buhari (photos) But in the end; like the Mossad of Israel; Biafra shall hunt down the perpetrators of the genocide against her and those that killed her wards. Should anything happen to Nnamdi Kanu as Lai Muhammed has disclosed that Islamic caliphate will mobilize Islamic Brotherhood to storm prisons; Biafra shall defend or avenge their ideology or institution. This war of aggression will never end even though Biafra comes because the agitation will no longer be for Biafra but for vengeance through sovereignty. It is therefore time for Nnamdi Kanu to be released from prison and his peaceful agitation fairly addressed. The court should be allowed to administer justice and you as the President of Nigeria either on acting or substantive capacity should direct the court to embrace justice. I have not subscribed to the death of Muhammadu Buhari; but that is a thing he must pay with for neglecting God. God must not come down on earth and speak to him before he hears prophets or see the hand of God upon Nnamdi Kanu whose incarceration has destroyed Nigeria. READ ALSO: Biafra in trouble as British High Commissioner visits Obi of Onitsha, IPOB cries out (photos) I bet you; the more you try to fix Nigeria is the more it worsen, God is angry- showing Himself because of the incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu. As I have said; it is one thing to oppose Nnamdi Kanu but a different thing to detain him, if God is alive and He sent Nnamdi Kanu, peace and joy will never be upon Nigeria and without any atom of doubt, isnt that the case right now? Whatsoever the case maybe; you are now the President of Nigeria and God took Buhari away to make a name for Himself. Buharis death cannot be a testimony to me; everything good or bad is working for the restoration of Biafra. Without Buharis order for the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu; Biafra would have not come up to this point of certainty and his continued detention likely to ensure total destruction of Nigeria. I wish Buhari long life but the wish of God almighty supersedes; I also thank Buhari for everything he has done, for God hardened the heart of Pharaoh and same goes to Buhari. I write to you because you are also at the risk of same fate with Buhari unless Nnamdi Kanus agitation is approached with the right/Godly strategy. Before God and before man; it is unholy to incarcerate Nnamdi Kanu for simply asking for self rule. His demand can be addressed by various ways without involving detention and killing. His call can be turned down wisely and lobbied with alternative solution to the foundation of Nigeria, illustratively, Restructure but we have all made mistake, Biafrans have died in thousands and thus cannot go back on total independence. READ ALSO: There are plans to use Boko Haram members to assassinate Nnamdi Kanu - IPOB Muhammadu Buharis bigotry blinded him that he made the unholy decision of incarcerating Nnamdi Kanu which God has paid back with destruction of Nigeria. There is yet a golden opportunity to addressing this issue, release Nnamdi Kanu and campaign that people vote against Biafra in a referendum or debate him on why Biafra is not the right option and he would eventually succumb to superior reason. Release Nnamdi Kanu and avert the wrath of God upon your life; you are taking the position of Muhammadu Buhari with every risk it carries. What Buhari owes God is death; it is very unfortunate to him that he is not a Christian; to have neglected the words of many prophets warning him concerning Nnamdi Kanu. A Christian would have seen the handwriting on the wall; Nnamdi Kanu is prepared by God and any standard against him will be absolutely obliterated from the face of the earth if proves too stubborn. It is understandable to share opposing view to whatsoever Nnamdi Kanu was prepared for but to lock him up for his view is another thing. You would understand me perfectly when I make some illustrations because you were once a pastor before politics proved more important than your heavenly call. You might as well have been called to service in politics to enable you discharge that call through directly touching lives, it is left for you to understand where you are coming from and where you are going. READ ALSO: We are disappointed with ECOWAS, Nigerian courts, IPOB reacts to adjournment of Nnamdi Kanu's case If you quickly turn to the Bible and take a glance at the history of Moses; you would be well convinced that Egypt vs Israel is playing out in Nigeria. Nnamdi Kanu said let my people go and Buhari said I wont let your people go Buhari went even further to detain Nnamdi Kanu that he would not go because he delivered a simple message. Osinbajo; I need not to start stating everything that supernaturally have been taking place since Nnamdi Kanu was detained. There is famine; there is death, there is confusion, and everything that happened in Egypt when Moses was fighting with Pharaoh had taken place in Nigeria and the last thing left is the death of Muhammadu Buhari. What is happening to Muhammadu Buhari today is nothing physical but spiritual and you of all people know this more than I do. The biggest problem confronting Muhammadu Buhari is the fact that he is not a Christian; he doesnt believe in the prophets and neither does he believe that God of Abraham is real. He sees biblical Moses as a tale and Nnamdi Kanu as ordinary man; he doesnt believe in spiritual aspect of things. If he does, he would have known that heaven is angry for the continued incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu and everything happening in Nigeria today is spiritual implication of detaining a God-sent. You have the right to give it a spiritual check. READ ALSO: I see Biafra as a new beginning - Nnamdi Kanu's wife I strongly urge you to look beyond and know that this is a fragile time to continue to detain Nnamdi Kanu. The detention of Nnamdi Kanu has not stopped Biafra agitation and neither has it negatively affected the struggle but instead lifted the agitation. Before Islam target Nnamdi Kanu and murder him to spark religious/ethnic violence that will generationally be sustained, let us wisely defeat the devil. The cabals holding Nnamdi Kanu want nothing both religious/ethnic war and we must do everything possible to overcome the devil. But should you be opposed to this letter; let heaven prevail and the will of God come to pass. God cant speak to you from heaven; he can use my pen and can use any man but in the end, a wise man knows when God speaks. Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@naij.com drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors. Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App. Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Legit.ng Opinion page! Source: Legit.ng A human rights and anti-corruption crusade group rebukes Babachir Lawal for supporting pro-government protests - The group calls on the federal government to wake up and face the reality of governance as Nigerians are suffering under the administration Lawal Babachir has been accused of diverting millions of naira meant for the feeding to IDPs in the northeast. A group known as the Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (FHRACC) has berated the secretary to the government of the federation, Lawal Babachir, for calling the Jonathan regime corrupt when he is equally been accused of corruption. READ ALSO: CSOs, political group host 'mega rally' in solidarity with Buhari The FHRACC rebuked Lawal Babachir for supporting those who staged pro-government protest on Tuesday, February 14. The group in a statement by its president, Alaowei Cleric, said Lawals support for the pro government protesters is an indication that the APC Government is still playing opposition politics instead of addressing national issues, Daily Post reports. It said Babachir Lawal who has been indicted of corruption in this government made a mockery of himself by calling Jonathan regime corrupt. The group said Babachir Lawals case had shown that the Buharis anti-corruption crusade was selective. It said: If anybody is to refer Jonathans Government as corrupt, it should not be from a man who is having weighty allegation of corrupt practices hanging on his neck. At least Jonathan did not protect the ministers accused of corrupt practices in his Government unlike Babachir Lawals case who is not only been protected by the government but also provided platforms to further plunder the public resources. READ ALSO: Pro-Buhari rally holds in Abuja on Valentine's Day What baffles us most is when the government desperately hired some jobless miscreants to launder its bartered image, while Babachir Lawal played the ostrich game. After spending two years to plunge the country into an unmitigated hardship by this APC Government of excuses, the solution Babachir Lawal can proffer to save Nigeria from the imminent collapse is to keep on blaming Jonathan for their woes? The human rights group called on the federal government to wake up and face the reality of governance, adding that Nigerians are suffering under the administration. Meanwhile, acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, has blamed corruption for the root cause of the current economic hardship faced by Nigerians. Osinbajo said the economic challenges affecting Nigeria is a consequence of corruption, which had been in the country for many years. The acting president made the statement on Tuesday, February 14, when he spoke at a town hall meeting with the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Punch reports. Osinbajo explained that the federal government was investigating a $15bn defence contract, stating that the disappearance of such an amount would lead any country into hardship. Source: Legit.ng Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state on Tuesday, February 14, decried the alleged marginalization of the South-East. According to him, there is nothing to show that the region is part of the Nigerian project, Vanguard reports. Okorocha made this known during the one-day working visit of Acting President Yemi Osinbanjo on Tuesday, February 14. Okorocha says there is nothing to show Igbo land is part of Nigeria READ ALSO: Osinbajo, Amaechi, others storm Imo state The governor noted that the Igbo region had been short-changed, especially in the areas of appointments and allocation of Federal projects. Okorocha, who is the chairman of the All Progressives Congress Governors Forum, said: No other group in Nigeria that had invested as much into our nationhood can sing the song of marginalisation as much as Ndigbo has been made to sing it. We have nothing to show that we are part of the Nigerian project; neither do we have any sense of belonging in the present government at the national level. We have been marginalised both in terms of projects and appointments. In Imo State, for instance, all we have is a Minister of State to show for all the efforts and extreme sacrifices we made to ensure that the All Progressive Congress (APC) had a good outing in the last general elections. I know you are the Acting President and have the ears of the President. So, there is no better person to tell our painful story than you. You need to take a second look at what is happening in the South-East. No serious political appointment, no visible federal infrastructure so far, to show the presence of federal government in the South-East in general. PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest news on Legit.ng News App He added: I beg that as the government gives subsequent appointments let the qualified sons and daughters of the state and region are considered. Those in business should be considered for federal patronage. Imo state played major role in bringing APC to power because if what had taken place in other states was allowed to happen in Imo State and other states in the South-East, probably we wouldnt have had the APC government today. Given the roles that I personally played as a sacrificial lamb in the South- East during the elections, my state deserves a better deal. There is no federal government presence in the oil-producing areas, and none of our youths benefitted from the federal governments Amnesty Programme. I also use this opportunity to ask for the quick refund of the money spent by the state on Imo International Cargo Airport and on some federal roads in the state. Meanwhile, the Ohaneze Ndigbo has warned that most Igbos may soon join Biafra agitation is the region continues to be marginalised and treated unfairly. Source: Legit.ng Houston Countys first Remembering When: Fire and Fall Prevention presentation garnered the interest of the countys elderly. The presentationone in what will be a series of fourwas hosted by Sandy Graves, director of Neighbors in Action, and Cassie Buehler, a safety and training officer with the La Crescent Fire Department, on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at the La Crescent Community Center. Although the crowd was small, the interest was clear. I have issues with my feet, Cathy Acevedo said. Falling is something I want to work on preventing. Graves and Buehler spoke about the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)s conference they attended in San Antonio. They learned about different community outreach methods and the sixteen guidelines for falls and fires. As advocates for NFPA in Houston County, the pair are required to not only hold the presentations but also to have 25 home visits this year. In an exercise that continued throughout the presentation, the attendees reminisced about childhood memories. Howard Munson remembered the steam heater in his childhood home. His dad would have to stoke the coal in the basement while he sat in front of a wood burning oven for warmth. Lois Quillin remembered her favorite shoes, a pair of Mary Janes. Buehler shared that her grandmother had a wood-burning furnace that sat in the middle of the family room. Its amazing that we never ran into it, she said. All of the memories shared centered on the main criteria for accidents involving the elderly: unstable shoes, unsafe fire practices and falls. Graves and Buehler talked about some statistics with the group, like that the majority of home fire deaths are people aged 65 and older. Part of the reason is that its harder for elderly people to move fast enough, they said. Failed smoke detectors and turned off hearing aids also contribute to the problem. I bet as we go through this, you guys probably already know some of this, Graves said. My hope is that this is a take-away. They advised those who smoke to do so outside, and everyone to give space heaters space, stay in the kitchen when frying food and keep in mind the childhood favorite stop, drop and roll. I have a horribly sad story, Graves said. One of my very best friends from high school, she had four children: two younger and two older. They were in their home, and she noticed a fire. Her smoke detectors didnt go off. After making sure that the older two were okay, she went back in to get the two younger kids. The windows were sealed. They tried to get out. The three of them passed away. This happened to a very good friend of mine, it can happen to anyone. So to have that plan, do it. Can you open your window? The story prompted a discussion on the importance of smoke detectors to fire prevention. I used to be a fire marshal where I used to work, Red Haines said. Folks like you need to be able to check the mechanism that detects smoke. The new industry standard for smoke detectors is 10 years, while older models may need to be replaced after five. Like many Americans, the group varied on how often they checked their smoke detectors. Ideally, it should be checked every month, but twice a year is also acceptable. Quillin has not changed the batteries in her smoke detector for the past 25 years. Graves and Buehler have received industry standard smoke detectors from the American Red Cross that they will install at a home visit for free. They are trying to work out a way to install grab bars in homes too. I cant tell you how many people Ive worked with who have fallen, Graves said. The saddest story is people who fall and lay there all night long for hours and hours. That shouldnt happen to anybody. The group shared their own experiences falling. Diane Haines had fallen last June and now has a permanent injury. It was her second fall. The biggest thing you can do is exercise regularly, Buehler said. That doesnt mean that you have to do anything outside the home. The pair recommended chair exercises and light activities like tai chi. Other pieces of advice were to take time getting up, invest in non-slip mats in the bathtub, install grab bars in the bathroom and have enough space to move around in the home. I picked up a lot of little things here, Red Haines said. Ive been asking health professionals for over a decade to teach exercises to develop balance and teach people how to fall. This is only the beginning. As an incentive to get more people to sign up for the free home visits, Graves and Buehler will draw a name out of a hat and give the winner a $25 gift card. We hope to reach the major communities in Houston County, Graves said. We are learning, but the audience was fantastic. It was great that they were willing to participate. If anyone is interested in a home presentation or a home visit feel free to reach out to me. Those interested can call Graves at 507-895-5155. They are also looking for volunteers to help install fire detectors and grab bars in homes. Anyone is welcome to attend the group presentations. The leader of the Biafra Zionist Federation, Benjamin Onwuka, insists that the south-eastern part of Nigeria and it neighbours would be independent in March He also replays what led to his detention in 2014 and denies killing a policeman as claimed by the authorities The leader of the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF), Barrister Benjamin Onwuka, who was recently released from detention, has said he has no regret over the action that led to his incarceration three years ago. Biafran leader Onwuka says he was saved by Barack Obama Onwuka, who relived what transpired on that day of 2014 when he was arrested, denied that the secessionist group killed a police officer. READ ALSO: Finally, Biafran group declares self-defense under UN charter At a press conference in Enugu, where he said he would declare the Republic of Biafra independent on March 15, Onwuka said contrary to claims, it was one of his members that was killed by the police. He was arrested when he and his group tried to seize an Enugu Radio station. They clashed with policemen and other security operatives drafted to frustrate their plot. Vanguard reports that he said he was released through the intervention of United States of America, under former President Barrack Obama. He said the US endorsed the agitation for Biafra Republic while noting that 10 members of his group are still in detention at Owerri prison due to stringent bail conditions. READ ALSO: Young boy builds 'Biafran truck' (photo) He added that since Biafra was already in existence as a country, it no longer requires a referendum to pull out of Nigeria Source: Legit.ng - Two firms have signed an agreement to provide power to 25 communities across Nigeria using solar energy. The communities are in Bayelsa, Ondo, Ogun and Osun states - The agreement would provide solar energy for the communities on pay-as- you-go basis - The CESEL Managing Director, Patrick Tolani, said the benefitting communities were those that had no access to electricity for more than 10 years, including Brass in Bayelsa and Magboro in Ogun state Two firms have signed an agreement to provide power to 25 communities across Nigeria using solar energy. The communities are in Bayelsa, Ondo, Ogun and Osun states. Nigerian, U.S firm sealed solar power supply to 25 communities Premium Times reports that a Nigerian firm, Community Energy Social Enterprises Limited, CESEL, and its American counterpart, Renewvia Energy Corporation, signed a $767,512 agreement to provide solar energy for the communities on pay-as- you-go basis. READ ALSO: After Trump's call, US to pump $1 B into Nigeria's power sector The CESEL Managing Director, Patrick Tolani, signed the agreement on behalf of his company while Clay Taber, Managing Director of Renewvia, signed for his firm, at the Power Africa office in Abuja. The MoU signing was witnessed by Power Africa Coordinator, Andrew Herscowitz, and the United States Agency for International Development mission director in Nigeria, Michael Harvey. Mr Tolani said the benefitting communities were those that had no access to electricity for more than 10 years, including Brass in Bayelsa and Magboro in Ogun state. Others, he said, include Ilajera and Gbokoda in Ondo state and a community which was completely cut off the grid because of isolation in Osun state. Mr Taber in his remarks said Renewvia would install and operate micro-grid systems with solar photo-voltaic generation capacity and battery storage in the 25 benefiting communities. According to him, the design of the micro-grids for the project will include PV panels, string inverters, aluminium racking and energy storage backup power. He said: Renewvia and CESEL would sell micro-grid customers electricity by Kilowatts through a pay as you go structure. The competitiveness of the system helps to ensure payment, as the project would provide consistent and reliable power at a less expensive price than current rural power generation by diesel. He added that Renewvia and CESEL also planned to facilitate the transaction through mobile payments, noting that the project would employ local and remote resources to support the needs of the power plant for each micro-grid. The project was supported by Power Africa, a U.S. energy project initiated in 2013 to assist African countries in accessing energy. It is expected that the project would provide up to 10 megawatts and connect over 10, 000 households, according to a study by Renewvia. The project is also expected to be completed in one year. CESEL is a private Nigerian company that has led the community engagement for six operational micro-grid projects in Nigeria. These micro-grids received funding through the Nigeria Bank of Industry and United Nations Development Programme. PAY ATTENTION: Legit.ng current affairs app for android to get the latest news Renewvia is a private U.S renewable energy developer and solar power plant operator established in 2009. Renewvia specialises in providing mini-grid and solar energy solutions for residential, commercial and utility-scale applications. Micro-grid is a small network of electricity users with a local source of supply that is usually attached to a centralised national grid but is able to function independently. Source: Legit.ng - After the raids that allegedly cost the lives of 6 Agatu residents, Nigerian Army has explained why soldiers attacked six communities in Benue - Brig. Gen. Clement Apeere said the raid was necessary to flush out hoodlums from the affected communities - The raid was conducted after a soldier was reportedly killed by some Agatu villagers Following a raid by Nigerian soldiers on six Agatu communities, the Nigeria army has come out to defend the attack that reportedly cost the lives of five people. Brigade commander 707 special forces, Brig. Gen. Clement Apeere, who spoke at a press conference in Markurdi, explained that the raid was necessary to flush out criminals that reportedly stay among the Agatu. Army General explains why soldiers raided Agatu communities READ ALSO: What happened on the day I was arrested - Biafran leader Onwuka According to Tribune, Apeere said that troops of 72 special force battalion were deployed to the area to recover arms and ammunition and the body of a slain soldier that was attacked by some Agatu youths. He said: On receiving the information, the troops of special forces battalion moved to Oweto to recover the body of the killed soldier, the troops conducted Condon and search operations to apprehend youth militias that committed the act and recover the soldiers rifle and ammunition they carried away. The operation we conducted in the area was carried out in a professional way, adding, that his men were able to achieve their mission during the operation. We got intelligence where the hoodlums were, we swooped on the areas but before we got there some of them have escaped but could not escape with the arms and ammunition. Apeere said sophisticated weapons such as AK 47 rifles, two SLR rifles, two G3 rifles, fabricated pistol, two short barrel local revolver guns and 14 dane guns as well as police and military kits were found in the ransacked communities. When questioned about the loss of lives during the operation, Apeere insisted that the operation was to secure lives and not to take lives. He did not however directly dispute that lives were lost during the raid. PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest News on Legit.ng News App He said: Our aim is to protect law abiding citizen. When military conduct operation like that there are lot of stories, those who are peddling that rumor are the enemies of that area. Meanwhile, Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai has announced Nigeria Army would recruit 12,000 men this year to boost its operations across the country. Buratai, who was speaking during a budget defence session with the House of Representatives Committee on Army, said the recruitment exercise would take place after the approval of the armys 2017 budget proposal of N152.8 billion. He said the recruitment exercise would be in two batches with 6,000 men first and another 6,000 later, Daily Trust reports. Source: Legit.ng The Senate president, Bukola Saraki and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have departed for London to meet President Muhammadu Buhari. Former APC national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and Bola Tinubu, recently visited President Buhari in London. Channels TV, citing a source at the National Assembly, reports that Saraki and Dogara traveled to London on Wednesday morning, February 15, to meet with President Buhari who is currently on holidays in the UK. Yusuf Lasun who is the deputy speaker of of the House is also expected to join the group visiting the president. Wole Oladimeji who is the spokesperson of Mr Lasun confirmed this but that he would be going later due to the fact that he had an ECOWAS meeting. He said: The Deputy Speaker is part of the delegation but he is going to meet them in London tomorrow,." A meeting of ECOWAS parliament is going on now in Abuja and he had to be there. READ ALSO: President Buhari is home sick Presidency tells Nigerians The president had on February 5,2017 written to the National Assembly informing the lawmakers of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors. Buhari has also maintained that he would only return to Nigeria when his London doctors certify him well enough to do so. Recall that the president had on January 18 written the National Assembly, notifying the legislature that he was proceeding on a 10-day leave and temporarily transferring presidential power to Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo. READ ALSO: Why Nigerians should not believe presidency over Trumps phone call - Group The leave was supposed to last 10 work days, between January 23 and February 6, according to the letter transmitted to both chambers of the National Assembly. The president, whose real medical condition remained unknown, was expected to arrive the country on February 5 for resumption of work on February 6. But the extension of his vacation means vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, will continue to exercise presidential powers until he returns to the country. Source: Legit.ng "My command is this: love each other as I have loved you." John 15:12 Peaceful protest is not equivalent to a child throwing a temper tantrum, as the Rev. Paul Ibisch wrote in the Feb. 2 edition of the "Houston County News." It is a constitutional right which has helped reform our nation in important ways. During the movements for womens suffrage and civil rights, peaceful protestwas the way free citizens voiced their opinion about unjust policies and mistreatment of others, just as many have done in recent weeks. There indeed has been childish behavior recently, but it has been modeled by a leader who uses power to benefit himself and others like him. Our president was elected to serve the people of this country - all people without regard to race, religion, or sex. The protestors, for the most part, are not protesting that Donald Trump is our president; they are protesting the unjust changes he is making to this country. Barring refugees from war-torn countries from entering the U.S. is unprecedented and unjust. For reasons such as these, America is using its voice to protest. I have read Jesus words. The greatest command He has given us is to love our neighbors as ourselves. It should be obvious that a neighbor is not just the person who lives next door, looks like you or talks like you. It is the Syrian child who wants to be safe. It is the Somalian who grew up in a Kenyan refugee camp and is waiting to start a life. This is a basic Christian tenet. It is very disturbing to me to hear people twisting Scripture to fit a xenophobic agenda. I personally respect those who have the courage to be the voice for the voiceless and fight injustice, despite those who choose to belittle their actions. -- Franki Smith La Crescent - A woman and her son decided to get married - She is expecting his child - They had to leave their village because the council did not approve of this union A village in Zambia has encountered a stunning situation which made a mother and her son leave their hometown for an unknown location. It turns out they had decided to get married, and she is expecting his child her grandchild? READ ALSO: Roda and Damien's magical medieval wedding 40-years old Mbereko, who widowed 12 years ago, and 23-year-old Farai Mbereko claim they are in love with each other, and when she got pregnant, they decided take their relationship to the next level. Six months into her pregnancy, Mbereko decided it was better to marry her son because she does not want to marry her late husbands other brothers, who have been looking to get her as a wife. The village court was completely stunned last week after hearing about Mberekos affair with her son, which began three years ago. She claims she spent a lot of money sending Farai to school, and that she now feels she has a right to his money, and not another woman. Look, I struggled alone to send my son to school and no one helped me. Now you see that my son is working and you accuse me of doing something wrong. Let me enjoy the products of my sweat, she told the village court council. WANT MORE? Download Legit.ng Wedding app for android to get the latest posts Farai was more than willing to marry his mother, and even told his mothers family he was going to pay off part of the lobola his father still owed them when he passed away. I know my father died before he finished paying the bride price and I am prepared to pay it off, he said. The man adds that it is better to publicize what is happening because people should know that I am the one who made my mother pregnant. Otherwise they will accuse her of promiscuity. READ ALSO: This is how your favourite celebrity couples celebrated this Valentine's day Local headman Nathan Muputirwa was not that agreeable with this arrangement. We cannot allow this to happen in our village, mashura chaiwo aya, (This is a bad omen indeed). In the past they would have to be killed but today we cannot do it because we are afraid of the police, he said, warning the couple to immediately break off their marriage or leave his village, which they did. Source: Legit.ng Sani Bello, a House of Representatives member representing Mashi/Dvisi Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, is dead. Bello died on Wednesday, February 15 morning. He was 51. Bello Sani died after a protracted illness Premium Times quoted Abubakar Adamu, an aide to the late lawmaker, as saying that he had been suffering from an unnamed illness for many months before he finally gave up the ghost. READ ALSO: Youths hold prayer session at Emir Of Kano's palace for Buhari's recovery (photos) Adamu said Bellos illness turned worse weeks ago and he was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Kaduna but eventually died Wednesday morning. He died this morning few minutes after 11:00 and were now taking his body to Katsina, Adamu said. Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara confirmed the passing of the lawmaker in a statement in which he also mourned the late politician. "Our late colleague was humane, principled and a cosmopolitan who interacted freely with all members. PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest news on Legit.ng News App Our heartfelt condolences goe to his immediate family, government and people of Katsina State and his colleagues and the government and people of Nigeria. We pray God to give all of us the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss, the Speaker said in the statement issued by his special adviser on media and public affairs Turaki Hassan. Late Sani is the second lawmaker in the House of Representatives to die in office in a year. His death comes months after another lawmaker, Adewale Oluwatayo, representing Ifako-Ijaiye constituency in Lagos state died in Abuja. Source: Legit.ng The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba, says the Federal Government and the organised Labour movement in the country have have agreed to review the National Minimum Wage FG, Labour agree to review minimum wage Wabba, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja. According to him, the agreement was reached during the sitting of the Technical Committee on Palliative. I think there is a consensus on the fact that nobody has said that the minimum wage should not be reviewed. The palliative report is ready and it would be submitted before the end of the month. At the last palliative meeting, labour leaders had requested that they needed to look at the main report of the committee before submission. PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest News on Legit.ng News App So, the technical committee will have to submit its report to Mr President and not to the Minister of Labour and Employment, he said. Going further, he noted that after the submission, the Presidency would set up the committee that would involve the government, private and public sector. Wabba said that labour was hopeful that the minimum wage committee would be constituted soon. According to him,the Nigeria labour union had received positive response from the National Assembly adding that the Senate had promised to pass the bill. NAN recalls that the labour unions had submitted a proposal to the government demanding for N56, 000 as minimum wage. Source: Legit.ng On Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Black River Falls common council approved an easement request totaling $2,900 for the Badger-Coulee transmission line, allowing a pole to be constructed on city land. ATC [American Transmission Company] had the property appraised and made the offer based on that appraisal, said Brad Chown, the administrator for Black River Falls. The Badger-Coulee transmission line will be a high-voltage power line between the Briggs Road Substation near Holmen and run to Dane county. The power line will go from Holmen and then north to Blair, cut across to Black River Falls and then follow the I-94 corridor south to Dane County. The council also approved an access waiver for $500 and allowed herbicide application to the area in exchange for an additional $500. The easement, access waiver and herbicide application are all one-time fees for the pole construction, with fees for this specific pole totaling $3,900. The power line pole is expected to be constructed in early 2018 near the old landfill area, just north of I-94 and south of Vaudreuil Road. On the site, the foundation holes for the pole will be drilled 30 to 60 feet deep and are usually eight to 12 feet wide. There are a total of 202 poles planned to be constructed in Jackson County, with eight located within the Black River Falls city limits. Once construction is completed, ATC plans to clean up and restore the site. For more information about the project including an interactive map, go to www.BadgerCoulee.com. The pole that is being placed on Black River Falls city land is N-227 on the interactive map. The Nokia 3310 is about to make what can only be called a magical comeback into the ever competitive phone market. How the world's most loved phone is about to come back from the dead According to Independent UK, the iconic mobile phone, which first debuted in September 2000, became known for its long lasting battery life and durable hardware. In fact, the unbreakable build quality of the Nokia 3310 helped the best-selling mobile to achieve stardom as an online meme. READ ALSO: Top 10 gadgets for your own success In 2017 Although, it is still possible to buy an original Nokia 3310 on Amazon, the handset is being sold on the marketplace not by the company itself. According to the item listing, the features of the Nokia 3310 include a clock, calculator, the ability to store 10 reminders, and four pre-installed games. How the world's most loved phone is about to come back from the dead PAY ATTENTION: Get the latest News on Legit.ng News App Preinstalled on the Nokia 3310 were Snake II, Pairs II, Space Impact and Bantumi. The refreshed version of the Nokia 3310 (which we can only hope will ship with a copy of Snake II preinstalled) is expected to set customers back some 59 (roughly 50). It's unclear whether the revamped mobile phone will include any new smart features or whether it will include the same low-res software that powered the original. The budget mobile phone is rumoured to be announced at the Mobile World Congress tradeshow in Barcelona, which begins on February 26th. Source: Legit.ng - The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the leader of the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF) Benjamin Onwuka of toying with a project ordained by God - The IPOB in a statement released by its analyst Kosisochukwu Chibudo said Onwuka was recently released by the federal government to destabilize activities of Biafra agitators worldwide - The group also accused Onwuka of being a liar The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has accused the leader of the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF) Benjamin Onwuka of toying with a project ordained by God. The IPOB in a statement released by its analyst Kosisochukwu Chibudo said Onwuka was recently released by the federal government to destabilize activities of Biafra agitators worldwide. Chibudo while describing BZF leader as a 'liar' said Onwuka is not a lawyer and only a 'self acclaimed' Biafra leader. He also said that Onwuka had on three different occasions declared Biafra but has failed and has nothing to show for it. READ ALSO: Nigeria has not given or done anything for me, pro-Biafra activist writes to Osinbajo "If he is a leader of any meaningful group how come it was Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB only that campaigned for him to be released?" Chibudo asked. He said: "He is working for Nigeria to attempt to destabilize IPOB but we are stronger than any stunt Nigeria Government can ever pull. They tried Uwazuruike and he failed, this ex-convict Onwuka will fail too." Onwuka who recently regained his freedom on Tuesday, February 14, said the South-East region will become independent on Wednesday, March 15. But Chibudo said: "When criminals come out to toy with a project ordained by the Most High, Chukwu Okike Abiama Himself, they set themselves up for a spectacular failure." "Liars can never lead Biafra as another fake lawyer emerges with empty promises as before, to perform another Biafra declaration," Chibudo said. READ ALSO: Biafra in trouble as British High Commissioner visits Obi of Onitsha, IPOB cries out (photos) The IPOB also made available court processes showing an appeal made by Onwuka on the revocation of Legal Practice Course (LPC) application in London. The document showed that the Law Society of London ordered that Onwuka cannot practice as a solicitor. The document read in parts: "The tribunal was referred to the written outline submissions and the skeleton argument on behalf of the Law Society." "The issue of the applicant's (Onwuka) inability to register a s student member and continue the LPC was not a statutory matter. There would be separate remedies available to him in respect of that decision," the order said. READ ALSO: There are plans to use Boko Haram members to assassinate Nnamdi Kanu - IPOB It added that: "The applicant never applied for consent to be a solicitor's clerk. In such employment he would be in a position to show the tribunal that he could practice safely. It also read that: "An adjudication panel of the OSS had on October 16, 2001 found that the applicant had been convicted of harassment, unlawful eviction and common assault at Snaresbrook Crown Court and had been sentenced to six months imprisonment on September 11, 2000." "Pursuant to Section 43(2) of the solicitor's Act 1974 (as amended), the panel resolved that with effect from October 16, 2001 no solicitor should, except in accordance with permission in writing given by the Society for such a period and subject to such conditions as the Society might think fit to specify in the permission, employ or remunerate Benjamin Onwuka in connection with his practice as a solicitor," it said. Meanwhile, Chibudo said the IPOB deals with facts not conjecture. "Here are the facts about this latest zoo clown and sell out," he said. READ ALSO: An important warning to pro-Biafra agitators: Why Nigeria must never break-up "Biafra is not for convicted felons who lied they are lawyers when clearly they are not. "Biafra is about purity and cleanliness not lies and deception. IPOB is a family ordained in heaven and no criminal liar can ever lead her. "Tell those children of darkness fooling about with the sacred name of Biafra or those comfortable with bare faced lies that IPOB leadership are educated and do not need to lie about their qualifications and careers. "How many times will Biafra be declared I ask? Ojukwu declared Biafra, Ifeajuna Uwazuruike declared Biafra two times, now this clown is about to declare the same Biafra for the fourth time having done so three times earlier. This is becoming a joke. "Liars are not welcome in Biafraland!!!" he added. See documents showing order made on Onwuka's appeal to the revocation of his status a Legal Practice Course (LPC) applicant below: Source: Legit.ng After what has been a very crucial day in terms of news, Legit.ng team has gathered the most important news that hit the headlines this Wednesday, February 15 1. Federal Government to sponsor Buhari's senior driver to 2017 Hajj The federal government has announced plans to honour a driver to President Muhammadu Buhari. On Tuesday, February 14, in Abuja, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said it will reward Saidu Afaka for returning items he recovered during the 2016 Hajj in Saudi Arabia. 2. Buhari meets with Saraki, Dogara, other lawmakers in Abuja House, London (PHOTOS) Legit.ng Digest: 6 big stories that broke today President Muhammadu Buhari had a meeting with Senate President Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, at Abuja House in London on Wednesday February 15. 3. Nigerian lawmaker Bello Sani is dead Sani Bello, a House of Representatives member representing Mashi/Dvisi Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, is repotedly dead. Bello died on Wednesday, February 15 morning. He was 51. 4. Almost 13 years after, Obasanjo apologises to human right activist, Joe Odumakin Former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo allegedly apologized to human rights activist, Joe Odumakin, for the man-handling she suffered from security operatives back in May 2004. 5. Again, presidency, Senate clash over Magu The presidency and the Nigerian Senate might again clash on the confirmation of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Sources said Ibrahim Magu might again face stumbling blocks in the confirmation of his position as substantive chairman of the EFCC. 6. BREAKING: Naira falls to N510 per dollar at parallel market The Nigerian Naira on Wednesday, February 15, dropped three points and crashed against the American dollar at the parallel market to N510 from the N507 recorded on Tuesday, February 14. The local currency also depreciated to N625 against the Pound sterling from the N620 rate of yesterday. Source: Legit.ng President Muhammadu Buhari thanked all Nigerians after his meeting with Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara. The duo had travelled to London to meet the president who is at Abuja House in the UK on Wednesday, February 15. READ ALSO: Buhari meets with Saraki, Dogara, other lawmakers in Abuja House, London The president extended his vacation citing medical reasons and the third and fourth most powerful men in the country paid him a visit. Buhari in a statement thanked Nigerians for the prayers and kind wishes. He said: I thanked them for visiting. I'm also grateful to Nigerians, Christians and Muslims alike, for their prayers and kind wishes for my health. President Buhari applauds Nigerians for prayers President Buhari applauds Nigerians for prayers Senator Saraki, President Buhari and Speaker Dogora Source: Legit.ng Sorry! This content is not available in your region Redistricting, education and transportation were among the state issues raised by constituents during a listening session Monday hosted by state Rep. Nancy VanderMeer, R-Tomah, and state Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point. The lawmakers spent over 45 minutes listening and responding to constituents at Tomah City Hall. Seventeen people attended the session, and five commented on the process in which legislative districts are drawn. All expressed frustration with the process and favored a nonpartisan commission to create the boundaries, which must be redrawn every 10 years to reflect updated census counts. One speaker took aim at VanderMeers 70th Assembly District, an east-west district that extends 90 miles from west of Sparta to east of Stevens Point. Another asked if the two support a bill that makes redistricting a nonpartisan process. Neither took a position on the bill, but Testin said, If theres a possibility for reform, Im open to it. A federal court recently invalidated the maps that have been used since the 2012 election. Testin said there is little the legislature can do until the case works its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Testin and VanderMeer both support Gov. Scott Walkers proposal to boost public school spending by $200 per student. Testin said he was pleasantly surprised by the governors proposal. During the course of the campaign talking to school administrators and talking to parents, they wanted to see more K-12 funding, and rightfully so, he said. Testin said the funding is necessary to develop Wisconsins workforce, which he said has 80,000 job openings. There is a huge need to train up our workforce, Testin said. You cant have a skilled workforce if youre not training your future workforce. On transportation, both said roads need improvement and neither ruled out a tax increase. VanderMeer voted against the last biennial budget because she said it underfunded education and transportation. I have been for all options on the table, VanderMeer said. I was encouraged by he governors commitment to local road aids. However, she questioned whether smaller towns can raise sufficient revenue to qualify for state matching funds. Testin said there is a split in Republican caucus on transportation funding. The governor has said he wont accept a tax increase to play for transportation projects unless taxes are cut somewhere else. Its no secret its going to be the most contentious issue we take up this budget cycle, Testin said. There are some of my colleagues from the southeastern part of the state who are under the impression that our roads are fine ... but some of our other colleagues, like myself and senators from rural areas of the state, we know otherwise. Two people brought up issues of immigration and sanctuary cities. Testin and VanderMeer said those are federal issues and urged them to contact their federal representatives. On other issues: Both expressed a skepticism over moving to self-insurance for state employees. My concern is for the long-term financial exposure to the state, VanderMeer said. Im looking forward to more details. On the race for state Superintendent of Public Instruction, Testin said hes leaning toward Lowell Holtz, while VanderMeer said shes undecided. Holtz and John Humphries are challenging incumbent Tony Evers, who is seeking a third term. Testin said he opposed a bill to break up the Department of Natural Resources into separate wildlife management and environmental enforcement units. My concern is that the DNR is trying to find efficiencies and become more accountable, Testin said. We should give them the opportunity to do that. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT, VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: It wasnt the very best night of my life, but the morning in my view was kind, because despite all of the difficulties in the process, we managed to agree on the main issues. By the way, speaking of why the agreement took so long, I think its connected with the fact that the Kiev authorities up until now refuse primary contact with Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, PETRO POROSHENKO, SAYING: (It includes) pulling out all foreign troops from Ukraines territory, all mercenaries from Ukraines territory - they should be pulled out in the nearest future. It is very important that for the first time a detailed implementation of the Minsk agreements, of the Minsk memorandum, is spelled out in terms of securing the national border. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, PETRO POROSHENKO, SAYING: Despite all strong pressure, we did not agree to any autonomy status (for Donbass). We have noted that we will do that within the framework of constitutional changes aimed at decentralisation that relates to the whole country. We did not agree to any single mention of federalisation either. There will be no autonomy and no federalisation. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: It was a long night, and a long morning too, but we have reached an agreement. An agreement for a ceasefire and for a global political settlement for the Ukrainian conflict. The ceasefire will come into effect on February 15 at 00.00 hours. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SAYING: This afternoon we will go to the European Council. We will give a briefing about the work weve done. And with (Ukrainian) President (Petro) Poroshenko we will work to ensure that Europe gives its support to this process. So I think there is real hope, even if were not there yet, there is real hope for Ukraine. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: The negotiations lasted for 16 hours during which we had to work hard and during which (Ukrainian) President Poroshenko has done everything he can to end the bloodshed for his country but also for the civilians and soldiers in the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk who suffer terribly there. We now have a glimmer of hope. We agreed on a comprehensive implementation of Minsk but concrete steps must of course be taken and big hurdles still lie ahead of us. Granted, both were writers skeptical of traditional matrimony, but Wollstonecraft was a rowdy, noisy, ever-impoverished and always intrepid polemicist who came late (and hard) to love. She was a virgin until her early 30s, had her first child in her mid-30s and her first marriage five months before she died, at 38. Between those years she suffered, seduced, robustly challenged her lovers, ardently protected her progeny, got her feet bloody reporting on the French Revolution, and composed some of the most passionate and painful love letters ever exposed to the public eye. (Gordon, alas, quotes few.) Her marriage to a fellow philosopher, William Godwin, was amorous and idealistic as well as unconventional: The two maintained separate circles of friends and separate study quarters between which they passed love notes. Mary famously told him, I wish you, for my soul, to be riveted in my heart; but I do not desire to have you always at my elbow. Mary Godwin was half her mothers first kiss age when Percy Shelley, then still married to a different teenage girl, whisked her from her home and impregnated her. Unlike Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley spoke quietly, wrote decorously, deferred to her man and often appeared feelingless. She is quoted, in Daisy Hays excellent 2010 biography, Young Romantics: The Tangled Lives of English Poetrys Greatest Generation, as upbraiding herself for thinking about her deceased daughter days after her death, when no book was around to divert her: This is foolish, she wrote in her journal. Onlookers exclaimed at her apparent coldness after Percy drowned. But perhaps such coldness was Mary Shelleys way to survive radical domestic experiments. After all, we do know a number of things about Englands young Romantics. We know that by the time 24-year-old Mary Shelley learned of her husbands shipwreck, she was already alienated from him. As Gordon points out, they were sleeping apart in their Italian villa, and Mary silently blamed Percys narcissism for the deaths of at least two of their three deceased children from illnesses during their adventures through Europe. The death and abandonment of children was a regular motif in the league of incest (as the Shelleys traveling band of poetic friends became known). In 1820, news arrived of the demise of a baby named Elena possibly his daughter with an Englishwoman in Italy. A few months before Percys drowning, news came of the death of 5-year-old Allegra, the child of Mary Shelleys stepsister and traveling companion, Claire, with Lord Byron. By this point, Gordon suggests, Claire may already have miscarried Percys baby. Claire had competed for her stepsisters beau from the start of their European peregrinations, but she soon retired to a remote rural retreat for some months perhaps to give birth to his child and avoid more scandal than Marys elopement with the married poet had already caused. The adult body count was also steep. It included 22-year-old Fanny Imlay, Wollstonecrafts first daughter. The emotionally fragile Fanny had difficulty abiding the loneliness and rejection occasioned by Mary and Claires escape; when Percy Shelley found her poisoned body in a hotel room, all he did was scratch Fannys signature off her suicide note. Two months later, in December 1816, his own despairing first wife pregnant with his second child and caring for his first when he eloped with Mary threw herself to her death into the River Thames. Percy, the espouser of free love, accused his abandoned wife of immorality after her suicide, arguing that he, not her parents, should claim the motherless toddlers he had ignored thus far. The 19th-century court dismissed his demand. With a $14.9 billion personal fortune, Mr. Son is ranked by Forbes as Japans second-richest man, behind Tadashi Yanai, the owner of Fast Retailing and its Uniqlo brand. But he spent his early life in poverty: His father started out as a bootlegger and small-time pig farmer before finding success in restaurants and pachinko, the Japanese offshoot of pinball. By the time he was a teenager, his family was wealthy enough that he was able to travel to the United States for college, eventually ending up at the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Son founded SoftBank in 1981 as a distributor of computer software. For start-up money, he has told biographers, he sold a prototype electronic translation machine to Sharp, the Japanese electronics company, for about $1 million. Mr. Son, who trained in economics, not engineering, came up with the general idea for the machine while still in college, then recruited others to create it an approach he has followed throughout his career. Takenobu Miki worked closely with Mr. Son for eight years before leaving SoftBank in 2006 to found an online language-training start-up. Initially, he was the only full-time employee at SoftBank, which, despite sounding like a tech start-up, operated like an investment fund, with a portfolio of holdings that Son would adjust based on changing growth rates, Mr. Miki said. One item in the portfolio was Yahoo, an early investment that earned Mr. Son a fortune. The investment displayed Mr. Sons willingness to act on a general conviction: in this case, that web portals would be crucial to the early commercial development of the internet. He did relatively little research on Yahoo itself, Mr. Miki recalled. He asked some contacts in Silicon Valley which was the best web portal, and they said Yahoo. So he bought. Mr. Miki also remembers working with Mr. Son to create a growth projection for SoftBank that extended 300 years into the future. The goal was to become a 100 trillion-yen company, Mr. Miki said, an amount equal to about $1 trillion. Even at that time, Son wanted to become No. 1 in the world. SoftBank declined to make Mr. Son available for an interview for this article. Mr. Son revels in confrontation, a trait that sets him apart in harmony-obsessed Japan. Twice, he has threatened to set fire to himself or the offices of Japanese telecommunications regulators the first time in a dispute over access to fiber-optic cable, the second in a fight over internet censorship. He apologized in the second instance, in 2010, calling the threat an inappropriate joke. He is the latest push by Mattel, which acquired the Wisconsin-based doll maker for $700 million in 1998, to create more contemporary figures and stories for American Girl, and to further diversify the line of the dolls in hopes of improving sales. Revenue was flat last year, at $570 million, after a long period of growth. Late last year, American Girl named its first limited-edition African American Girl of the Year, Gabriela McBride. Like most American Girl dolls, Gabriela costs $115. Image Logan Everett, the first boy doll from American Girl. Credit... Mattel But Mattel has come under criticism in recent years for losing much of what made the original American Girl Dolls distinctive. When the line was introduced in 1986, it became a huge hit for its historically accurate clothing and furniture, and stories told through the dolls eyes of escaping slavery or living through the Depression. Pleasant Rowland, a former teacher and news anchor, imagined the line after visiting Colonial Williamsburg and coming up with the idea of teaching history through dolls. An early doll, Molly McIntire, wore braids and round glasses and was accompanied by a series of books that told of life during World War II. Another doll, Addy Walker, was a 9-year-old born into slavery who escapes with her mother. A number of the historical dolls have been retired or archived in recent years as Mattel introduced more contemporary figures like Isabelle Palmer, who is studying ballet at a performing arts school, or Grace Thomas, a baker with a jaunty pink beret. A spokeswoman for Mattel, in an email statement, said the company remained committed to its historical characters. She said the company had introduced more historical figures in the past decade than at any other time in the companys history, including, this week, Nanea, a 1940s Hawaiian growing up around the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The first such puzzle is our midweek challenge today, and its a lighthearted collaboration between the actor Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Rio, Now You See Me) and the constructor and man-about-town Patrick Blindauer. As you will read in their notes below, the two men have a few things in common (Mr. Blindauer is an actor as well), so this seems like a good match. Lets see how they did. Todays Theme Are you hungry? Im starving. Theres nothing like food talk in a puzzle to set off my cravings, and todays entire theme is devoted to building a snowman out of food. Why a snowman? Maybe because its winter here in New York. Maybe Mr. Eisenberg and Mr. Blindauer like snowmen. Who knows? The point is, you can do a lot with a snowman if you think creatively. You can festoon him with vegan food items, for example, as our constructors have today. Yes, I know that Nestles BUTTERFINGERS candy bars are not vegan. They do, however, count as vegetarian and thats good enough for me. If thats not good enough for you, here is a recipe for a vegan version. Anyway, our constructors have taken your basic snowman and made him more edible sorry, interesting by taking the collective names of certain foods and putting them in appropriate places. For example, at 17A, the clue is We used some food to make a snowman. Under his arms we put ___. The answer is CHERRY PITS, because under his arms would be arm pits. If you need help with the rest of the theme or are just not full yet, Ive filled in the answers for you here. I happen to enjoy these conversational themes where you have to fill in the blanks, although they can be difficult, because you have to really be on the constructors wavelength to get them. Once I filled in CHERRY PITS, however, I saw where Mr. Eisenberg and Mr. Blindauer were going with their theme, and I liked it very much. For his first time out, I think Mr. Eisenberg did a very good job, offering a clean grid and a theme that made me smile. As always, Mr. Blindauers excellent work can be seen throughout the fill and cluing. If trends spawn hashtags, call this beauty movement the #WomensSpring. Inspired perhaps by the Womens March on Washington last month (not to mention the feminist groundswell seemingly building ever since), the more influential beauty looks at New York Fashion Week had a message: Theres a new power woman in town, and shes not afraid to manhandle beauty stereotypes to her liking. At Alexander Wangs fall 2017 show, the angular black clothes were punctuated almost harshly by black eyeliner. The makeup artist Diane Kendal, using Nars cosmetics, created the look with multiple eyeliner types (pencil and liquid, and in different finishes). Colorful, smoky eyes have been hip lately (think: amethyst, emerald and shimmery browns), so the black eye makeup really sent a message, Ms. Kendal said. The goal was to look strong and powerful, and that the models look very sure of themselves. Likewise, according to the collection notes at Jonathan Simkhai, the designer wanted to show women as a powerful force to be reckoned with. (If the clothes didnt broadcast that message, then the front row certainly did. Mr. Simkhai had placed Feminist AF tees on the benches and, for every seat at the show, donated $5 to Planned Parenthood.) The makeup artist Yadim, mixing a couple shades of Maybelline New York Color Sensational Lipstick, translated the designers idea into rich red lips, which he said, signify the power of a woman over a man. Red, red lips and strong eye makeup, despite clever tweaks on those classics, may have felt like a 1980s redux had it not been for the accompanying hair. Forget the usual power hairstyles the helmet bobs, the impressive volume. Yadims crimson pout felt fresh when paired with an unfussy ponytail. Gently pulled together, left wavy and held low by a black elastic, the ponytail seemed to be lifted directly from the busy working womans playbook. (A similar hairstyle was spotted at Jason Wu.) Insurers are complaining loudly about the uncertainty surrounding what will happen in the coming years, even though many states exchanges have showed some signs of stability. Several major insurers have said they cannot begin to decide whether to offer coverage next year until the government clarifies if and how it plans to change the rules. Based in Louisville, Ky., Humana is not a major player in the individual exchanges and is among the national insurers, like Aetna and UnitedHealth Group, that have struggled to make money in the market. The company has steadily scaled back its presence, selling policies for 2017 in just 11 states. In early January, the company said the number of its customers buying coverage through the exchanges had dropped to about 150,000, a small fraction of the roughly 12 million individuals who initially signed up for coverage through the exchanges. The companys main focus has been selling private insurance under Medicare. Humana released word of its withdrawal on Tuesday after it announced that it would no longer pursue a merger with Aetna, another large insurer. The Justice Department won a legal challenge against the combination last month. The company cited an initial analysis of data about the type of customers who signed up for its plans this year, and it said that it saw no evidence that the market was improving but that it was seeing further signs of an unbalanced risk pool, as customers with expensive medical conditions continued to enroll as compared with healthy people. Humanas move could be a harbinger of things to come, said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor at Georgetown University who studies the health insurance market and who has warned that the lack of clarity from Congress and the Trump administration could result an exodus by insurers. David N. Dinkins sat in the front row of the Apollo Theater, his hands folded atop his cane, awaiting a State of the City address Monday night from his protege-turned-mayor, Bill de Blasio, that would tackle the thorniest issues before New York. Homelessness is a big problem, Mr. Dinkins, a former New York mayor, said when asked what he expected from the address. Im sure hell talk about it. He did not. In a move that surprised many mayoral supporters in the theater, and still more in the citys political class, Mr. de Blasio avoided discussing areas of city governance over which he has some direct control homelessness policy, traffic, his struggling child welfare agency, the future of the Rikers Island jail in favor of a socioeconomic challenge that is, in many ways, beyond the control of any politician: the creation of good paying private-sector jobs. On Tuesday, Mr. de Blasio promoted one of his few concrete proposals for how to generate such jobs. He visited a vacant industrial complex in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, that his administration has vowed to turn into a film studio and work space for garment businesses. The mayor said the project would create 1,500 permanent jobs and hundreds more temporary construction positions a small slice of the 100,000 jobs he promised to create with city money in the next 10 years. As soon as Bill de Blasio was elected mayor, Wallace Cheatham figured that a cause he had long championed the creation of a permanent, prominent honor for the citys first black police commissioner would be quickly approved. After all, Mr. de Blasio, in his previous job as the citys public advocate, had told Mr. Cheatham that he favored the idea of naming a public building for the commissioner, Benjamin Ward, who also ran the city jails and state prisons. When he was elected mayor, I thought, This is a slam dunk, Mr. Cheatham said. I gave him six months and I wrote a letter. No response. Wrote another letter, no response. Three years have passed, with two dozen letters, and Mr. Cheatham says he has not heard yes, no, or were thinking about it. Its at the point where the failure to respond is the issue, Mr. Cheatham said. Since it opened in 1884, the Chelsea Hotel, the landmark Bohemian retreat in Manhattan, has welcomed many famous long-term residents, among them writers, musicians and artists, calling itself a rest stop for rare individuals. Stanley Bard, who nurtured many talents as the manager and part-owner of the Chelsea for 40 years, died on Tuesday. Here is a look at some of the artists who have passed through its doors. Thomas Wolfe The writer spent the last years of his life at the Chelsea. In Room 829, he was known to have produced the manuscript for the novels You Cant Go Home Again and The Web and the Rock, which were published after he died in 1938. He drew great inspiration from roaming the hallways, but in May 1938, he was looking for an excuse to leave as the summer heat grew so intense that he could smell all seven million inhabitants of New York, Sherill Tippins wrote in Inside the Dream Palace: The Life and Times of New Yorks Legendary Chelsea Hotel. As soon as you walk into the building, the old brick and concrete walls start telling you a story, but high-end machinery and a Donkey Kong arcade machine provide new life for the Sand Creek Brewing Co. located in Black River Falls. The Sand Creek Brewing Co. has turned into a local hotspot for Jackson County, operating out of the building that used to house the Oderbolz Brewing company in 1856, which is the site of the first large-scale brewery in Western Wisconsin. Craft brewing has surged in popularity in the U.S. during the past few years, with the amount of breweries increasing exponentially. According to statistics from the Brewers Association, the number of breweries has increased from 1,566 in 2000 to 4,269 in 2015, between 2012 to 2015 alone there was a 14.7 percent increase and thats not including people who have started brewing their own beer at home. Founded in 1856, the Oderbolz brewing company was started by Swiss immigrant Ulrich Oderbolz who used to keep the beer fresh and cold with ice cut straight from Spaulding Pond. No part of the building is wasted as the upper floor stores the grain and the lower floor holds all the kegs, bottles, bottling machine and product for shipment. Jim Wiesender, the general manager of Sand Creek Brewing Co., says people have suggested other uses for the building, but those just wouldnt work. People always tell me Oh you could use this upper space for dance halls or music events but then were would we go with all the grain and other stuff we have up here? Wiesender said. Moving all of that product wouldnt be easy, plus he said they would have to upgrade their elevator since a freight elevator wouldnt be enough if they were to host events upstairs. Parts of the building were lost in a fire back in 1932, but the building remains the same now as it was Oderbolz days, except for cutting ice to keep beer cold. The only change weve made really is lowering the floor in our fermentation room and punching a few holes here and there through the walls to run everything, said brewmaster Todd Krueger. Krueger has been in the building since it was previously owned by the Hellman brothers in 1995, who were at the time Miller wholesalers and wanted to get in on the trend of craft brewing and so started their company, Pioneer Brewing. When Pioneer Brewing took the building over, the biggest expense was getting in new equipment as the building had essentially been storage for the past few decades with no brewery operating out of it since prohibition. At the same time Pioneer Brewing was operating in 1999, a small brewery was started by Wiesender and named Sand Creek Brewing Co., making beer on a busy dairy farm in Downing out of converted pudding tanks. In 2004, Wiesender was looking to expand and Pioneer Brewing was looking to sell their building, as craft brewing hadnt quite hit the mainstream yet and wasnt as good as the Hellmans had hoped, so Krueger, Wisender and other members of Sand Creek Brewing Co. took over the building and the brewery has thrived ever since. Its always a risk I guess moving businesses, but we never really looked at it as a risk, Wiesender said. We were all just following our passions. At the time it was hard for anyone to get funding for any sort of large-scale operations like they had wanted from a bank, so the partnership was formed. For any newer and expanding business like Sand Creek Brewing Co., it cant hurt to partner with an award-winning brewmaster like Krueger who, in his time with Pioneer Brewing, took home two gold awards in the World Beer Cup in 2000 for the Oscars Chocolate Oatmeal Stout which won in the oatmeal stout category and the Pioneer Black River Red which won gold in the Oktoberfest/Marzen category. He also took home another gold award in 2002 for their Pioneer Oderbolz Bock which won the Bock category. That is kind of crazy to think about, were just some small brewery going up against all these breweries across the globe and we won, Krueger said. Weve been doing this for a few years and we were beating out German brewers who had been doing this for like 500 years. With the shift from Pioneer Brewing to Sand Creek Brewing Co., there was an increase in production of award-winning beer as well as going from about 1,600 barrels to anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 barrels of beer. That was a big increase from Wiesenders days on his farm brewing from pudding tanks, I used to make maybe 125 barrels a year out there, now I make about 120-240 barrels a week. The biggest challenge for Wiesender was mastering the learning curve of coming from a smaller operation to a much larger one. [Wiesender] only bought a few bags of grain at a time and I bought a semi-load of 20,000. He would ask if we could only buy a little at a time and I told him no because we were going to go through all of that in less than 30 days, Krueger said. The mix of Wiesenders knowledge on the sales and administrative side of the business meshed well with Kruegers brewing experience and know-how. The Oscars Chocolate Oatmeal Stout is now Sand Creek Brewing Co.s best selling and most popular beer, which is one of nine types of beers they serve along with three other hard lemonade recipes. Krueger says he and the other employees all contribute ideas for beer recipes and what to try, sometimes its even as simple as bringing in another beer and trying to make something similar to that flavor. Im a traditionalist when it comes to making our beers, some people say Lets throw the weirdest hop we can find in there and a lot of it, but you cant sell that in this market, Krueger said. If we were in Milwaukee or Madison I could make those weird and funky beers because they have the people who are into that, but we have to get the guys who are hard-core, yellow-beer drinkers to try our beers. Along with their own brands, the company also does contract work in brewing beers up for other companies and smaller brewers who might not have the money to start up their own brewery, but want to try out their brand and see if it will sell. Krueger and Wiesender think of it as incubating and helping a small business out by doing contract work for other companies who might need the help at first like Fulton Brewing in Minneapolis and Half-Acre Brewing in Chicago, who both started brewing first out of Sand Creek Brewing Co.s operation. You wont see the guys who make Miller or Budweiser drinking each others beers and talking smart with each other, but when you look at whats happening with the craft brewing industry, even with as much as it has grown, were more of a fraternal organization, Wiesender said. Both Krueger and Wiesender stressed the importance of that community aspect in craft brewing and organizations are willing to pitch in and help out if needed for events or even just coming in to the taproom to share beers. The great thing about this job, and its not even a job really because its just fun to do, is to see how our product touches everybodys lives whether it be the good times or the bad times, Wiesender said. Weve had receptions, graduation parties, weddings or just having a pint on a Friday night. While people liking the beer is obviously important, its the way the community embraced them that has made all the difference and made everything worth while for Sand Creek Brewing Co. Speaking for myself, when we moved from the original place in Downing to down here, we were really welcomed in with open arms, Wiesender said. Still another learning curve for Sand Creek Brewing Co., they had to get people who had been used to drinking mass-produced beers to try out their brews, but thanks to the help from local taverns and grocery stores, their fame has grown. Sand Creek also does what it can to give back to the community through the Downtown Association and the Chamber, as well as the local boost that brewery tours can provide to the area. With an active downtown area, people might stop in to shop, tour the brewery and spend some money there, then tour one of the local wineries, and travel around the county and to different spots fueling local businesses and economies. You cant take all the money you make and send it off somewhere else, you still have to be able to support whats coming in and out of the community, Krueger said. Sand Creek Brewing Co. does that partially by buying as much of their product from inside the state of Wisconsin, especially grain and glass which they say is their biggest expense. Their grain comes from Chilton and their glass from Burlington. When something cant be found in Wisconsin, they at least try to keep it within the U.S. If you want to sum up what this business is all about, at the end of the day its working together within a community, Wiesender said. When a guilty verdict was read on Tuesday at the second trial in the Etan Patz murder case, two jurors from the first trial, which ended in a bitterly hung jury, were sitting in the gallery, holding hands with Etans father, Stanley Patz. It was a very tough moment for all of us, Jennifer OConnor, a former juror, said. We were desperate for it to go the right way. Ms. OConnor, 40, said her heart had skipped a beat when the jury foreman said the defendant, Pedro Hernandez, 56, was not guilty of intentional murder. But seconds later, the jury found Mr. Hernandez guilty of the second count murder during the commission of a felony and of kidnapping. Tears came to her eyes. It was a therapeutic moment, she said. Another former juror, Cynthia Cueto, who attended nearly every day of the second trial, which lasted five months, said she had turned to Mr. Patz and saw raw relief in his expression. We had a moment, she said. President Trump may have thought the departure of his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, would end the controversy over his administrations involvement with Russia, but the damning revelations keep coming. The whole fiasco underscores the dysfunction and dishonesty of his White House and how ill prepared it is to protect the nation. Its unlikely that Mr. Flynn would have been pushed out absent a revelation on Monday by The Washington Post: that the Justice Department told the White House in January that Mr. Flynn had misled senior officials about a phone call with the Russian ambassador. Justice told the White House that, contrary to his claims, Mr. Flynn had discussed American sanctions against Russia with the ambassador. The discrepancy between what Mr. Flynn had said publicly and what the Russians (and American intelligence officials) knew made Mr. Flynn vulnerable to Russian blackmail. But the White House evidently didnt feel the need to act on that danger as long as it was concealed from the public. On Tuesday, the White House admitted that Mr. Trump was told more than two weeks ago about Mr. Flynns deception, even though the president told reporters on Friday that he was unaware of a news report to that effect. Mr. Flynn, a hothead and an ideologue, was not fit to be national security adviser in the first place. That Mr. Trump clung to such a compromised person in such a sensitive position is at best an abysmal failure of judgment. As late as Monday, Mr. Flynn was in security briefings and had access to the president. In his resignation letter, Mr. Flynn said he had given senior officials incomplete information about the phone call. F.B.I. agents interviewed Mr. Flynn days after the inauguration on that same subject, The Times reported on Tuesday. That means he could be exposed to a felony charge if he lied to them as well. The Times also reported Tuesday that current and former American officials said other Trump associates and campaign officials had had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election. FRONT PAGE An article on Tuesday about the problems at the Oroville Dam in California misstated the amount of water flowing over the dams main spillway. It is 100,000 cubic feet per second, not per minute. INTERNATIONAL Because of an editing error, a picture caption on Jan. 21 with an article about the Turkish Parliaments approval of a proposed Constitution after screaming matches and fistfights misidentified the lawmaker shown being shoved by her chin. She is Gokcen Ozdogan Enc, a member of the governing Justice and Development Party, not Aylin Nazliaka, an opposition lawmaker. OBITUARIES An obituary on Tuesday about the Soviet dissident Lev Navrozov referred incorrectly to a statement published in Commentary magazine regarding an accusation he had made against Golda Meir, the former prime minister of Israel. The statement said that the American Jewish Committee, which at the time published Commentary, believed Mrs. Meirs denial of the accusation not that the magazine itself did. FOOD A recipe accompanying a new column by the chef Yotam Ottolenghi last Wednesday, for a pomegranate and rose granita, omitted the final step, explaining how to use the pomegranate seeds and rose petals on the ingredients list. They should be sprinkled over the granita. Max Ferra, a founder and the first artistic director of the Intar Hispanic American Arts Center, an innovative Off Broadway theater company that nurtures and produces the works of Latino playwrights in English, died on Feb. 4 in Miami. He was 79. His life partner, Winston Gonzalez, said the cause was pneumonia. Mr. Ferra, who left Cuba in 1958, had a sixth-grade education and little theatrical experience when he and seven colleagues started Intar, or International Arts Relations, in the mid-1960s. For about a decade, they produced plays in Spanish. But Mr. Ferra then had a change of heart that reflected shifts in American culture and demographics. I realized there were a bunch of young Latino playwrights coming of age who were writing plays in English that had a Hispanic essence, he told The New York Times in 2004, but there was no arena for them. The playwrights who have had their works produced at Intar include the Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, Manuel Puig, Jose Rivera, Luis Santeiro, Migdalia Cruz, Caridad Svich, Carmelita Tropicana, Eduardo Machado and Nilo Cruz, whose play Anna in the Tropics won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for drama. For many years, Intar has also had a laboratory to develop playwriting skills. WASHINGTON Democrats failed to block an education secretary who had no experience in public schools. They have gotten little traction against a nominee to lead the Energy Department who once called for the agencys abolition, or a potential head of the Environmental Protection Agency who has made a career out of suing it. But on Thursday, Democrats will have their best chance to topple one of President Trumps cabinet choices when Andrew F. Puzder testifies before the Senate to become the countrys next labor secretary. And from a history of suppressing wages to an undocumented housekeeper to tales of marital strife that include a tape from the Oprah Winfrey Show of an incognito abuse victim, opponents will have their ammunition. Already, four Republican senators have declined to commit to backing Mr. Puzder, enough to block his confirmation if, as is likely, Democrats remain united in opposition. They ought to withdraw the nomination of Puzder before he further embarrasses this administration and further exposes the hypocrisy of President Trump, said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader. WASHINGTON Attorney General Jeff Sessions faced growing pressure on Tuesday to remove himself from any role in investigating President Trumps aides and their relationship with Russia, but advisers to Mr. Sessions said he saw no need to do so. The resignation of Michael T. Flynn as national security adviser over his conversations with the Russian ambassador gave new impetus to demands from Democrats and outside groups who say Mr. Sessions lacks the independence to oversee criminal investigations that might lead back to the White House. He and Mr. Flynn were both early and influential advisers in Mr. Trumps presidential campaign. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said Tuesday that under the Justice Departments guidelines on possible conflicts, that personal history should disqualify Mr. Sessions from overseeing any investigations. And Senator Patrick J. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who sits on the Judiciary Committee, said in an interview Tuesday that if Mr. Sessions failed to ensure that there would be no political interference, then of course he has to have someone from the outside come in. WASHINGTON When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel meets with President Trump on Wednesday, in their first face-to-face encounter since Mr. Trumps inauguration, the turmoil in the White House could complicate what many had expected would be a triumphant reception. The resignation of Mr. Trumps national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, deprives Mr. Netanyahu of his strongest ally inside the White House for raising pressure on Iran. And the emergence of Jared Kushner, Mr. Trumps son-in-law, as an aspiring Middle East peacemaker has increased the presidents appetite for a peace initiative between the Israelis and Palestinians something Mr. Netanyahu is not especially eager to discuss. Given the still-fluid nature of the Trump administration and its policies, Mr. Netanyahus visit is likely to be more symbolic than substantive. Mr. Trump, having presented himself as a steadfast defender of Israel during the presidential campaign, will project an image of solidarity with Mr. Netanyahu. But administration officials say he has already edged away from the Israeli leader. On the eve of the visit, a White House official told reporters that Mr. Trump would push for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, but added that this did not have to take the form of a two-state solution. That would be a major step away from longstanding American policy on the Middle East, which is predicated on sovereign Israeli and Palestinian states, side by side. For years, Justin Boyan worried about the effects of climate change but focused on his wife, his two daughters and his work as a computer scientist in Rhode Island. Then Donald J. Trump became president, and Mr. Boyan was jolted into political activism. Within days of the election, Mr. Boyan began volunteering for the Working Families Party, a liberal political organization focused on income inequality, and attended almost weekly protests to voice his dismay. He traveled to the Womens March on Washington with his family the day after inauguration, protested Mr. Trumps travel ban at the Rhode Island state capital, and began studying criminal justice issues, which he connects to climate change as two issues where policy makers, he believes, have put the demands of big-money contributors over the needs of ordinary people. The same energy motivating Mr. Boyan is bursting out at demonstrations and town hall meetings across the country. Protesters who had focused on issues like police shootings of black people, a $15 minimum wage and climate change are collaborating against a common foe, President Trump. In cities and states, activists are exchanging civil disobedience tactics, pooling financial resources and showing up to demonstrations about issues that they may not have previously focused on. Call it Protest Nation: Activists across the country have been strengthening old partnerships and making new ones. Its a daily mental practice to galvanize yourself and to remind yourself to not become acclimated to this barrage of executive orders and then people being stripped of their rights because that is not what this country was founded on, and we should be moving forward not backwards. And that is why we all have to get out onto the streets and act. Tamika D. Mallory, 36, gun control activist and co-chairwoman of the Womens March on Washington. I think it looks like a variety of things that all make people uncomfortable and not able to rest well and feel like what they are doing is O.K. And I think its important that white people particularly go on record and say we dont agree with the actions of this administration because there are some who will sit back and say, The majority population was O.K. with this. So its important that white people are on the record saying, We dont stand with you on what you are doing to these marginalized communities. Aisha Dew, political and arts consultant living in Charlotte, N.C. Resist means to stand for the people who already make America great. The United States is diverse because we are a country of immigrants who came to America for freedom and a better way of life. Although I am the descendant of slaves, I recognize that there are many who came here to escape starvation, death, persecution and war. And as a descendant of slaves, I know that America has been challenged throughout history to deliver on its promise of freedom for all, but has also been slowly moving toward justice for all. Symone D. Sanders, 27, of Washington, former national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders campaign. The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other associates of Mr. Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the government outside of the intelligence services, they said. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified. The officials said that one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Mr. Trumps campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Ukraine. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the F.B.I. is sifting through as it investigates the links between Mr. Trumps associates and the Russian government, as well as the hacking of the D.N.C., according to federal law enforcement officials. As part of its inquiry, the F.B.I. has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews, the officials said. Mr. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the officials accounts in a telephone interview on Tuesday. This is absurd, he said. I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today. A judge Wednesday sentenced a La Crosse man who was on community supervision when prosecutors charged him in a September shooting to four years in prison. Jeremy Rigelsky, 30, was serving five years on probation for stealing drawings and a notepad in 2005 from the French Island home of Philip Schuth when he fired three shots into a vehicle Sept. 7, wounding a passenger. The state Department of Corrections revoked his probation before La Crosse County Circuit Judge Gloria Doyle imposed the four-year prison sentence and four years on extended supervision. Rigelsky will serve the sentence consecutive to one he is currently serving for being a felon in possession of a firearm. While his attorney fought for a two-year sentence, prosecutors asked he serve four years in prison, arguing Rigelskys failure at rehabilitation and escalating violence makes him a risk to the public. A lot has happened in the more than 10 years since the charge that created his first felony conviction, Assistant District Attorney Emily Hynek said. Rigelsky in April 2006 was sentenced to 3 years in prison and 4 years on extended supervision for stabbing a fellow Logan High School student seven times in a school stairwell. During that investigation, police learned he broke into the home of Schuth, who shot his neighbor and hid his mothers body in a basement freezer. Rigelsky was placed on probation in 2010 for battery by prisoners, although it was revoked in 2012 and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2014 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Sept. 7, less than three months after his release from prison, Rigelsky at close range fired three shots into the passenger side of a car while driving south in the 800 block of Copeland Avenue in a stolen car, according to court records. One shot struck a backseat passenger in the thigh. Days earlier, he pointed a gun at a woman and threatened to kill her at gunpoint after they drove to near the Seventh Street boat landing and confronted three people walking on Mormon Coulee Road, showed a gun tucked in his waistband. A longtime friend of one of the attackers in the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., has agreed to plead guilty to plotting two unrealized terrorist attacks in the state in 2011 and 2012 and to buying the weapons used in the massacre, federal officials said on Tuesday. The man, Enrique Marquez Jr., was a friend of Syed Rizwan Farook, who, with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, carried out one of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil, killing 14 people and wounding more than 20 others at a social services center. The couple were killed in a shootout with the authorities hours after the attack. Mr. Marquez, 25, of Riverside, Calif., did not participate in the Dec. 2, 2015, attack on the center. He has agreed to plead guilty in federal court on Thursday to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, including weapons, explosives and personnel, to attack Riverside City College and commuter traffic on a local freeway, the United States attorneys office for the Central District of California said in a statement. LIMA, Peru President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela on Tuesday defended his second-in-command, who has been sanctioned by the United States over allegations that he is a narcotics trafficker, and said he would demand a public apology from the American government. Vice President Tareck El Aissami was blacklisted on Monday by the Treasury Department, which said that Mr. El Aissami and an associate had moved drugs within Venezuela and had helped protect international kingpins. The moves blocked Americans from doing business with Mr. El Aissami, 42, and froze his assets in the United States, which American officials said totaled in the tens of millions of dollars. Sanctions against such a high-ranking Venezuelan represented what analysts considered a first salvo against the Maduro government by the Trump administration at the urging of many in Congress. On Tuesday, Mr. Maduro went on national television to express his anger. Venezuela will respond, step by step, with balance and force, he said, adding that he had ordered his foreign minister to call the charge daffaires of the United States Embassy in Caracas to issue a formal complaint. They will retract and apologize publicly to our vice president, Mr. Maduro said. (The two countries have not had ambassadors in each others capitals for nearly a decade.) KIWANA, India Villagers in the cane-growing region in Uttar Pradesh, Indias most populous state, helped sweep Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power nearly three years ago. But this time, they say, his party cannot count on their votes. All farmers had their eyes set on Modi with a lot of hope, said Dharam Pal Singh, 40, a father of three, sitting cross-legged on a string bed in the courtyard of his two-story concrete house in the village of Kiwana, in western Uttar Pradesh. Weve been disappointed. Voters in Uttar Pradesh began going to the polls last weekend, at the start of monthlong voting in seven phases across the state, and the final tally will not be known for several weeks. But if the vote is a referendum on Mr. Modis first three years, it will also, to a great extent, determine whether he can follow through on the ambitious agenda with which he swept to power in 2014. Farmers are hurting here in the fields of northern India, where the sugar mills are months behind in payments for the cane harvest. In village centers, the tea sellers, painters and day laborers we meet say they are suffering, too, after Mr. Modis anti-corruption initiative in November banned the largest currency notes. That caused a severe cash shortage that has choked business. The Syrian civil war has left nearly a half-million people dead, displaced millions more, and turned one of its largest cities, Aleppo, into an open-air slaughterhouse. The war is destroying antiquity too. For just under a year, from May 2015 to March 2016, the Islamic State held control of the ancient central city of Palmyra, a boomtown that became a Roman colony in the third century A.D. To their viciousness against the men and women of Syria and northern Iraq, the Islamic State added brutality to culture. In that year they destroyed several temples where Palmyrenes had worshiped a panoply of pre-Islamic gods. They beheaded the archaeologist Khaled al-Assad, the leading authority on Palmyras history, and broadcast his death online. The citys museum was ransacked. Several captives were tied to ancient columns and executed with explosives: crimes against the present and the past at once. Last spring, the Russian-backed Syrian Army routed the jihadists but in December the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) retook Palmyra. Last month they blasted a Roman amphitheater, as well as a tetrapylon, an entranceway formed by a quartet of columns. On Monday, the Russian defense ministry released drone footage that purports to show new destruction to the theater, as well as numerous trucks circling the heritage site. Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the funniest jokes and videos and the sharpest monologues and parodies from the comedy shows. Weve got your back: You need sleep, after all, and something to smile about, while were getting paid to watch late night, which is insane. Do you like this feature? What else are you interested in? Let us know: thearts@nytimes.com. Flaying Flynn As you all know, President Trumps national security adviser Michael Flynn has resigned after it was discovered he lied to Mike Pence. Yeah, evidently he told Pence, Of course people like you. CONAN OBRIEN Mr. Flynns resignation was the go-to topic for the late-night hosts on Tuesday. But the jokes seemed to eventually land on President Trump or Vice President Mike Pence. In the wake of the Flynn resignation, Democrats are asking what President Trump knew. What did he know? Its historic. Its the first time anyones ever accused Donald Trump of knowing too much. OBRIEN Stephen Colbert had a bigger audience last week than at any point in the past 16 months, and many writers are saying he has President Trump to thank for it. The Late Show has been leaning on political humor more, a topic Mr. Colbert knows well. Last night, he said it was clear Mr. Pence was angry. You can tell by his cold, hollow-eyed stare. Which is also how you can tell if hes happy, in love or just hungry. COLBERT Mr. Colbert didnt get the visit from the White House adviser Stephen Miller that hed requested the day before, but he seemed content to pick apart Mr. Flynn instead. HOMO DEUS A Brief History of Tomorrow By Yuval Noah Harari Illustrated. 449 pages. Harper. $35. In retrospect, some books seem tailor-made for the thought-leader industrial complex. Yuval Noah Hararis Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, which came out in the United States two years ago, was clearly one of them. It earned Harari an invitation to speak at TEDGlobal in 2015. (Your book doesnt become the toast of the ruling class if you dont put in your time on the international yak-yak circuit.) Within a year, the countrys most influential people were reading it. Mark Zuckerberg made it a selection for his online book club. Barack Obama recommended it on television. Bill Gates told The New York Times it would be one of the 10 books hed bring to a desert island and why ever not? If youre going to be Tom Hanks, your volleyball might as well be a breezy history of your missing fellow humans. What made Sapiens so appealing to the smart set was its ability to serve up big ideas about evolutions and revolutions in human cognition and civilization into a series of digestible courses, not unlike the playwright David Ivess condensation of David Mamets oeuvre into seven minutes in Speed the Play. (The second act of Oleanna: You molested me. Didnt. Did.) The most tantalizing part? Sapiens ended with a cliffhanger. After 70,000 years of earthly dominion, we Homo sapiens, Harari seemed to imply, may at last be vulnerable. The future masters of the world will probably be more different from us than we are from Neanderthals, he wrote. Whereas we and the Neanderthals are at least human, our inheritors will be godlike. DEAR FRIEND, FROM MY LIFE I WRITE TO YOU IN YOUR LIFE By Yiyun Li 208 pp. Random House. $27. Why write autobiographically? the Chinese-American author Yiyun Li asks in this new collection of essays, Dear Friend, From My Life I Write to You in Your Life, the closest thing to an autobiography she has ever published. It is a question Li takes seriously and explores tirelessly, not least because she professes an unease with the assertion of the pronoun I. It is a melodramatic word, Li writes. The moment that I enters my narrative my confidence crumbles. This a remarkable statement in a volume that is essentially memoir. Such diffidence is difficult to detect in her fiction, where the first person has been deployed to devastating effect, albeit infrequently. But then the narrative I of a short story is perhaps best seen as a means of self-effacement, and its notable that Lis remarkable fiction two elegant novels and two story collections is all assiduously unautobiographical, from the forgotten granny living in China to the gay immigrant seeking asylum in the United States. Yet the particulars of Lis life are scarcely less interesting than those of her characters. Li was born in Beijing, four years before the end of Maos fatally destructive Cultural Revolution. The daughter of a nuclear physicist and schoolteacher, she grew up with more access to literature, both foreign and Chinese, than most children of her generation. In 1996, after graduating from college and serving a year in the army, Li arrived in Iowa to study immunology, armed with an anthropologists fascination with America. It took one part-time writing class for Li to change her professional course irrevocably, but the decision is threaded through with a troubled and deeply equivocal relationship with the self: When I gave up science, I had a blind confidence that in writing I could will myself into a nonentity. Lis transformation into a writer and her striking success (she is the winner of a MacArthur genius grant, among other prestigious awards) is nothing short of astonishing. But most of the essays here tend to center on the personal unraveling that accompanied this metamorphosis: two hospitalizations following suicide attempts and time spent at a recovery program for those whose lives have fallen apart. Christopher is a rich, clever, charming Englishman, the author of a much-praised social history of music. For years since its publication, he has talked about writing a second book, this time about worldwide rituals of mourning, a subject that has recently seemed to grip him with a new urgency. It was a strange project for a man who had hitherto lost nothing of significance, his wife reflects. Not even a pet dog, a man who had no conception of what real loss must feel like. His mother has tracked Christopher down to the southern Peloponnese, where he has evidently gone to research the weepers, professional mourners who are still, according to local tradition, paid to ululate at funerals. You know how powerful my intuition is, his mother persists. I know something is wrong, its not like him not to return my calls. The narrator doesnt share her mother-in-laws concern. Her husband, shes discovered, is a compulsive philanderer, and she has finally gotten sick of his infidelities, his fakeries. But because of her own deception-by-omission, her inability to say that she and her husband are separated, the young woman finds herself agreeing to fly to Greece to track him down in the out-of-season beach resort where he has apparently been holed up for the last few weeks. Its a long way to travel and shes never had any desire to see Greece, but, she tells herself, I supposed it would be my last dutiful act as a daughter-in-law. When she and Christopher come face-to-face, she intends to ask him for a divorce. Kitamuras previous novel, Gone to the Forest, was set during a colonial revolt in a nameless country in an undefined era. The geographical setting of A Separation is Google Maps specific: The books action unfolds in the fishing village of Gerolimenas on the Mani Peninsula. Yet the same austere indeterminacy, the same allegorical quality that haunted Kitamuras earlier fiction is also at work here. In Gone to the Forest, the unspecified country was devastated by a volcanic eruption that smothered the land in a blizzard of ash. A Separation features forest fires that have similarly reduced the countryside to mounds of burnt charcoal, a lunar landscape that emits a stench so heavy you could barely breathe. While the earlier narrative took place on a white landowners farm, worked and surrounded by natives, A Separation depicts a postcolonial form of colonialism: a luxury resort planted in a poor traditional society thats been devastated by the Great Recession, a resort in which the only interaction of the guests with their host culture is service-based, and where, as the narrator soon discovers, a taxi driver or receptionists efforts at human kindness are regarded by their bigoted clientele merely as efforts to extract more money from them. Much as the narrator might like to remove the strictures of these power relations and escape into something more spontaneous, shes trapped by her own inability to trust the people around her. Oddly, the most emotionally charged scene in the novel occurs when, having invited the young hotel receptionist (with whom she suspects Christopher has had a flirtation) to dinner, the narrator dissolves into seething resentment when her guest orders the most ostentatiously expensive items on the menu. Fuming, she watches as the other woman sucked the meat out of the lobsters claw, her chin growing slick with butter, then devours her steak with a carnal satisfaction. Of course, the narrator recognizes, I knew even then that it wasnt her order or the meal that I was going to pay for. This was all just a cipher for another infraction. Lots of things in A Separation are just ciphers for other infractions, other codes that the novels outsiders its narrator included have unwittingly violated. In the hierarchical world of Kitamuras novel, there is little love or friendship between equals, only manipulation and control, guilt and obedience, humiliation and submission. And behind these power games, one detects an overriding fatalism about the possibility of human connection, a sense that wife and husband and marriage are only words that conceal much more unstable realities, more turbulent than perhaps can be contained in a handful of syllables, or any amount of writing. And a 1958 poll showed that more than 80 percent of the population wanted a flag entirely different from any other countrys. Tree references show up in other flags. Think of Lebanons cedar tree, or the popular use of the olive branch, as in the United Nations logo. Canadas maple leaf was carefully designed. Its 11 points were chosen after a wind tunnel test to see how the leaf would look flapping in the breeze. Charles McDermid contributed reporting. _____ Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help.Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and updated on the web all morning. What would you like to see here? Contact us at briefing@nytimes.com. You can sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox. 2. Russia denied a New York Times report that senior Russian intelligence officials had repeated contact with Trump campaign staff members in the year before the U.S. election. But the resignation of Michael T. Flynn as national security adviser underscores lingering uncertainty about the relationship between the Trump administration and Russia. Seeking to shift the narrative, Mr. Trump focused on the leaks from American intelligence agencies to the news media. Very un-American! he wrote on Twitter. Todays episode of The Daily podcast reviews what is known about Mr. Flynns contacts with Russia. Listen from a computer, an iOS device or an Android device. La Crosse County Board members are considering giving municipalities a share of proceeds from a proposed new half-percent sales tax for road funding in an attempt to sway urban voters to support an April 4 advisory referendum. But its a move that wont sway at least one prominent city dweller La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat. In an attempt to bring in more funding for road projects, the county is pursuing a Premier Resort Area Tax, a special sales tax that applies to designated tourism-related businesses. Municipalities and counties can establish this tourism tax without state approval if tourism-related businesses make up at least 40 percent of the equalized property value. The county falls far short of the 40 percent mark, so it needs approval from the Legislature and Gov. Scott Walker. As a first step in that approval process, the county has an advisory referendum on the April 4 ballot asking voters to weigh in on the tax. Resounding approval of the referendum would give the county a better chance of gaining state approval, which is far from a given. The state Department of Revenue originally estimated that the county would take in about $5.6 million per year from the half-percent sales tax. County officials figure they could make significant progress on nearly $90 million in road rehabilitation needs without having to borrow money if they could come up with $5 million per year in new funding. The county got an updated estimate of $6.6 million in annual proceeds, and at Mondays county board planning meeting, board Chairwoman Tara Johnson pitched the idea of sharing 20 to 25 percent of the special tax proceeds with the countys municipalities. We, as a body, have been extraordinarily cooperative, Johnson said, pointing to neighborhood revitalization in La Crosse, support for the Fred Funk Landing on Lake Onalaska and a joint county/village tax increment financing district in West Salem. The idea is to demonstrate La Crosse Countys values put into action. Johnson credited state Rep. Steve Doyle, also a county board member, with suggesting the idea, which had general support among county board members who spoke up Monday. The residents of the city certainly would be very encouraged that there would be funding to help city of La Crosse taxpayers, said board member Andrea Richmond, who is also a member of the La Crosse Common Council. Were always looking for extra funding. Another board member from La Crosse, Sharon Hampson, didnt oppose sharing, but she didnt think it would go very far in swaying voters. Im not sure how meaningful it would be in actuality, Hampson said. I dont think theres enough in this formula to help the city of La Crosse. I just dont think its going to be as good as it sounds. Reached Tuesday, Kabat called the countys pursuit of the Premier Resort Area Tax an ill-conceived idea, even with municipalities getting a share. Ive got some real reservations about looking at this type of tax to fund what the county is doing, said Kabat, adding that the county seems to be rushing into it in a way that would make it hard to revisit this funding mechanism if it doesnt pass. If its a no (in the referendum), youve taken that option for any kind of future discussion or analysis off the table. Kabat said the city of La Crosse comes closer to meeting the 40 percent threshold than the county does and looked into trying the tourism-related tax about eight years ago, before he was elected mayor. City officials decided against the tax, and Kabat said he wouldnt be interested in pursuing it for the city now. Its not something weve discussed in any detail or depth, he said. Kabat noted that if the city did have the tourism-related tax, hed want to use the proceeds for things that actually promote tourism, such as improvements in the La Crosse Center, building a new bandstand in Riverside Park or other kinds of public park enhancements. While Kabat's assertion that the city is closer than the county to meeting the 40 percent threshold is true, both city and county are far short, with the city at 6.1 percent and the county at 5.3 percent. The city has 40.3 percent in total equalized property value in commercial use, while the county has 26.3 percent, according to 2015 figures. If the county were granted the authority to levy the tourism-related tax, no municipalities in the county would be allowed to do so. With in-person absentee voting starting in less than five weeks, county officials are working on a strategy to get information out to the business community and to voters. A presentation on the sales tax is planned for Feb. 22 before a joint meeting of the La Crosse Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Mainstreet Inc. and the La Crosse County Convention Visitors Bureau, and its likely the county will offer several information meetings in March. County officials hope to have a better handle on what businesses will be required to collect the tax before they conduct these meetings. State Revenue Department estimates indicate more than half of the countys businesses would be designated as tourism-related, but county officials want to have a specific list of businesses. The county will likely spend between $15,000 and $20,000 to get information out to voters ahead of the referendum. Approval for the voter education spending is on the agenda for the county boards Thursday meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. President Trump met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and backed away from a two-state solution in the Middle East, a policy that has underpinned Americas role in peacemaking efforts there for decades. Im looking at two states and one state, he said at a joint news conference with Mr. Netanyahu at the White House. I like the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. Some Palestinians reacted with dismay, bafflement and alarm. In Brussels, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis linked American support of NATO to allies picking up more of the costs. STRASBOURG, France A landmark trade deal between the European Union and Canada cleared a crucial hurdle on Wednesday, a move that proponents said served as a counterweight to protectionist policies advocated by President Trump. The ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement by the European Parliament comes after seven years of tortuous negotiations, aiming to cut many tariffs on industrial goods as well as on farm and food items, and open up the services sector in areas like cargo shipping, telecommunications and financial services. But beyond the economics of the deal, the vote also carried, for its backers, an implicit message to the Trump administration. We want to make clear in this vote that we dont want to build walls, we want to build bridges, said Manfred Weber, a prominent member of the European Parliament from Germany. Mr. Weber had urged completion of the deal, arguing that Europe needed to forge ahead as a commercial power in the face of headwinds from its longtime ally, the United States. The founder of the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, is known for making ambitious, sometimes head-scratching moves. But this could be his most unusual move yet: SoftBank is buying the private equity giant Fortress Investment Group for $3.3 billion. Fortress oversees about $70 billion in assets, but how will that help SoftBanks $100 billion technology investment fund? It will have to operate at an arms length from the SoftBank Vision Fund because it is a regulated entity, but it is expected that there will be opportunities to share intelligence. A patchwork of state laws leaves many areas where drivers can choose not to buckle up, with little likelihood of being stopped. Only 18 states have laws requiring seatbelts for both front and rear occupants and categorize not wearing them as a primary offense meaning drivers can be pulled over for that alone. In 15 states, failure to wear a seatbelt in front seats is only a secondary offense drivers cannot be given tickets unless they are pulled over for other violations. Its still the same things that are killing drivers belts, booze and speed, Mr. Adkins said. About half of all traffic fatalities involve unbelted occupants, and almost a third involve drivers who were impaired by drugs or alcohol, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the federal governments main auto-safety agency. In Alabama, steady budget cuts have resulted in a decline in the number of troopers patrolling the states 103,000 miles of highways. David Brown, a research associate at the University of Alabamas Center for Advanced Public Safety, studied the states 2016 traffic fatality reports and found an increase in fatalities involving high-speed crashes. Total crashes were up less than 5 percent, but fatalities were up 25 percent, he said in an interview. I think speeding is the No. 1 problem. There are times of the day when we only have one or two troopers on duty in a county, so you can speed, and theres no one there to deter it. In some states, highway speed limits are rising. In recent years, Texas has increased speed limits to 85 miles per hour in some rural areas. About 1,500 miles of roads have a limit of 75 miles per hour or higher. In the fall, the N.H.T.S.A., the National Transportation Safety Board and several nongovernmental organizations, including the National Safety Council, began the Road to Zero initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities within 30 years. The effort places heavy emphasis on the promise of autonomous vehicles. But others say that more needs to be done now on basic road safety issues. The way to bring down the rise in deaths is with a wide range of the nuts-and-bolts measures, not self-driving cars, the consumer advocate Ralph Nader said in an interview in October. In Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, a rock opera on Broadway adapted from a section of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace, Amber Gray and Lucas Steele play Helene and Anatole Kuragin, a pair of self-absorbed aristocratic siblings who are impervious to consequence and impossibly chic in their punk romantic get-ups. In other words, they were perfect casting for New York Fashion Week presuming they could get seats to a show. A reporters initial plan was to take them to Raf Simonss debut at Calvin Klein, but with just 400 seats in the house and no Simons-era Calvin Klein available for them to wear, the request was declined. They almost didnt get into Tory Burch either, until Ms. Burch and her team agreed to dress Ms. Gray and seat her with Mr. Steele in the front row at her show Tuesday morning, which took place at the Whitney Museum in Lower Manhattan. (The company doesnt have a mens line and therefore couldnt outfit Mr. Steele). See Now, Buy Now In this new world of faster fashion, you can shop many of the collections that just walked down the runways in New York (and Los Angeles) right now. Ralph Lauren has transformed his flagship with an immersive botanical installation inspired by the see now, buy now spring collection. It covers every wall of the stores first and second floors, where, through Monday, youll find a lame Lurex gown ($2,450) and beaded trousers ($5,990). At 888 Madison Avenue. Michael Kors will continue his Ready-to-Wear, Ready to Go concept with an edited selection of pieces from the show, including a grommet pleated shirt ($2,150) and sarong skirt ($2,150) available immediately. At 790 Madison Avenue. Tommy Hilfiger has a silk print maxi-dress ($375) and patchwork knit top and skirt ($249.50) from the Tommy x Gigi collection that was revealed on Venice Beach. Or make like a supermodel and rent the aforementioned looks from Armarium for your next selfie opt for $75 apiece. At 681 Fifth Avenue; armarium.com. Image A top and skirt from the Tommy x Gigi collection, available now. Following her own Los Angeles presentation, Rachel Zoe has a sequin minidress ($295) and other glitzy frocks available on her website. At shoprachelzoe.com. Three candidates to become the next director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria are likely to draw harsh scrutiny from the funds largest donor, the United States. The nominating committee of the funds board on Monday produced a report naming the three finalists and its rationale for picking them. A copy of the report was made available to The New York Times. While all might have been considered excellent candidates for the job in earlier years, global health officials are worried that their backgrounds could push the Trump administration away from historical commitments to the fund. One candidate, in particular, has used Twitter posts to call Mr. Trump a fascist, saying he has much in common with ISIS for his anti-Muslim stance. Some emergency room doctors are far more likely than others even within their own department to prescribe opioids to treat pain in older people, and their patients are at greater risk of using the powerful drugs chronically than those who saw doctors who prescribe them less frequently, according to a large new study. The research was published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. As the opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities around the country, the study was the latest attempt to identify a starting point on the path to excessive use. This is the analysis we have been looking for to show the risk of a single exposure of a patient in an emergency room to an opioid, said Dr. Lewis S. Nelson, the chairman of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and University Hospital, who was not involved in the study. The study tracked about 375,000 Medicare patients with a similar range of complaints in several thousand hospital emergency rooms from 2008 to 2011, as well as the frequency of opioid prescriptions written by the doctors who treated them. It found that the prescribing patterns of whichever physician they encountered were an important factor in their future opioid use. In the 1800s as today, advances in medical science outpaced discussions of the social, cultural, legal and ethical implications of those advances. Just as Shelley and her contemporaries debated the issues, so do todays thinkers, and the study of bioethics is an international one. The United Nations International Bioethics Committee and, in the United States, the 2009-17 Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues are just two governing bodies that have sought to develop principles and guidelines for safe and ethical medical research in areas such as stem cell therapies, organ donation and harvesting, genetic testing, cloning and animal to human transplants. Before reading the novel, students can explore the Brocher Foundation, founded in 2006, an organization that hosts meetings of scientists and experts to discuss the ethical, legal and social implications of the development of medical research and biotechnologies. The foundation encourages multidisciplinary research in the areas of law, anthropology, history, bioethics and philosophy, and has backed the publication of hundreds of books and articles that have come out of its meetings. Stanford University also has a growing site devoted to Frankenstein and ethics in scientific research. Then, pair the novel with Times coverage of experiments in bioethics. For example, students might read about Chinas experimental attempts at human head transplant surgery in Doctors Plan for Full-Body Transplants Raises Doubts Even in Daring China. Or they might read about a Pew Research Center study on distrust of scientists in Building a Better Human With Science? The Public Says, No Thanks. It has been said that a liberal is someone who wont take his own side in an argument. Yet part of whats valuable in marital love is honesty about the things that matter. Among those things is that your wife regards people with views like yours as simply contemptible, when they are not. For both of your sakes, take your side. You didnt marry a vitriolic zealot, but now you find that youre sharing a home with one. Ethics, in the end, is about living a good life. In that sense, your wifes behavior poses an ethical challenge. Let her know. I have been seeing my boyfriend for two years and have known him for four. He was born in Saudi Arabia, attended college in the United States and has used the time away from his family to explore his own thoughts and beliefs. I have a great deal of respect for him, and I love him deeply. My parents, brother and friends have all shared with me that hes a keeper and that Im a lucky girl, which I agree with. My boyfriend is estranged from his family after 15 years in the United States. He chooses not to communicate with them often to avoid discussing his atheism. But he still worries he is a disappointment to them, because of the pressure on him, as the oldest son, to be something he is not. A few months ago, we attended a family members memorial service, and we saw my fathers brother and wife. I am not fond of my uncle and aunt. They hadnt met my boyfriend yet because I had chosen not to introduce him to them. When I introduced him to my aunt, she said, Im watching you. We were both confused; I asked her what that meant. She replied, He knows what Im talking about, and she walked away. We laughed it off as some kind of familial attempt to protect me from a broken heart. A week later, I mentioned it on the phone to my dad. He paused, then told me he was hoping she wouldnt say anything. He said that he had gone to dinner with my aunt and uncle a year ago, and they began grilling him about my boyfriend. He said that they wanted to know what his citizenship status was. Upon learning he was not an American citizen, they went on a long rant about how he was playing me, that he was just trying to get a green card from me through marriage. My dad told me that he defended me and my boyfriend and asked that they keep their opinions to themselves. An Onalaska woman has been charged with hiding a man who triggered a manhunt when he threatened to shoot her daughter last month. According to police reports, 33-year-old Joshua Kletzke threatened his ex-girlfriend with a gun Jan. 17 when she refused to help him after he locked his keys in his car in the parking lot of Festival Foods in Onalaska. When police arrived, Kletzke took off in the womans car, crashed into a snow bank and took off on foot. Officers found a 9mm handgun inside Kletzkes car. Police activated Onalaskas Code Red system as officers from multiple agencies searched for Kletzke, warning the public he was dangerous and possibly armed. The victims mother, Debra Kepler, told officers Kletzke was not in his right mind and all messed up on drugs, but said she and her daughter wanted to go home. According to a criminal complaint, when the officer asked if he could follow up once Kletzke was found, Kepler said she didnt want cops in her neighborhood. Kletzke again eluded police on Jan. 23, running out the back door when they showed up at a home on La Crosses North Side. State investigators determined Kletzkes phone was being used at Keplers Onalaska residence. While police were watching the Fifth Avenue home, someone drove out of the driveway in a Pontiac Sunfire at a high rate of speed, losing police on the citys north side. Officers returned to the home, where Kepler said Kletzke had grabbed the keys and taken off in the car. According to the complaint, Kepler eventually admitted to picking up Kletzke the previous night after he fled police and bringing him to her home. Kletzke was arrested Jan. 26 in Houston County, Minn., where he is being held on drug charges pending extradition to Wisconsin on potential charges of possessing explosives, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and marijuana. Kepler, 56, was charged Tuesday with one count of harboring a felon. The last time Hugh Jackman played Wolverine, the comic-book superhero he has portrayed onscreen for 17 years, was not an especially decorous occasion. In the midst of his work on a coming movie musical, he had to return for two days of reshoots on Logan, the 10th film in Foxs X-Men franchise, to inflict some beatings and take some beatings, and he ended up shouting his voice hoarse. I yelled and screamed so much, and then I had to go back to the musical the next day, a more restored Mr. Jackman recalled recently with a laugh. I actually said to someone, Not with a bang but a whimper. His claw-popping alter ego fares no better in Logan, which opens March 3. Set in 2029, it finds the title character weary and weakened, unable to heal as rapidly as he used to. The X-Men are long gone, and hes reduced to driving a limousine while he tends an aged Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), whose psychic powers have become a dangerous liability. From the moment Mr. Jackman became a movie star, with the original X-Men in 2000, he has been synonymous with Wolverine, a feral mutant with a metal skeleton and a tormented, decades-long past lived under the name Logan. It is his most visible and successful role, and one that, as recently as late January, he still wasnt finished with. Because there was always one more dialogue rerecording session or conversation to have with his director, Im uncomfortable saying goodbye, he said. What does love look like 14 years later? Love Actually is getting a sequel of sorts: a short film by the originals writer-director, Richard Curtis, starring many of the original cast members. Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Andrew Lincoln, Rowan Atkinson and many other actors will return to the roles they played in the 2003 Christmas favorite but the new stories will be set in 2017. The short film is being made for Comic Reliefs Red Nose Day, which raises money to combat poverty, and will be broadcast in Britain on BBC One on March 24 and in the United States on NBC on May 25. I would never have dreamt of writing a sequel to Love Actually, but I thought it might be fun to do 10 minutes to see what everyone is now up to, Mr. Curtis said in a statement. Who has aged best? I guess thats the big question or is it so obviously Liam? In 2015, Red Nose Day featured a musical comedy sketch with Coldplay and the cast of Game of Thrones. One of those actors Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who plays Jojen Reed played a young Sam in Love Actually, and will return to his role here. Movies have always lived on the corner where art meets commerce. In Gimme Shelter: Hollywood North, a series running from Friday, Feb. 24, through March 8, Anthology Film Archives examines one such rendezvous, a Canadian tax-incentive program set up in 1974. The outcomes werent always good the term Canuxploitation was coined to describe the worst of the batch, and the program lasted only through the mid-1980s. But the retrospective includes curios like The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, a thriller starring a young Jodie Foster and Martin Sheen, as well as the indisputable gem Atlantic City from 1980. Written by John Guare and directed by Louis Malle, the offbeat story of Lou, an aging numbers runner (Burt Lancaster), and Sally (Susan Sarandon), the striving young waitress he romances, plays out as the resort town bets its future on becoming a gambling paradise. The movie is prescient in the ways that hope turns sour, even as its respectful of the memory of better days. (anthologyfilmarchives.org) With all the political focus in New York City trained on the 2017 mayoral race, there is another important battle being quietly waged, for perhaps the second-most-powerful job in the city. Yet the only votes that matter in this contest are not from constituents; this race, for City Council speaker, will be determined by other Council members and the citys Democratic county leaders, who are normally the deciding factor in efforts to wrangle the necessary votes. The current speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, who is to deliver her State of the City address on Thursday, cannot run for re-election because of the term limits law; several other prominent Council members are also serving their last term. Though the race will not be decided until January, the looming vacancy is already swathed in all the bare-knuckled, back-room intrigue of old-time New York: Promises are offered; deals are made. And a leading candidate suddenly emerges. To the Editor: Re Trump Aides Had Contact With Russian Intelligence (front page, Feb. 15): Consider: Serious allegations about deep involvement by a hostile foreign power in the 2016 presidential election that may have tipped the result. Campaign officials of the winning candidate allegedly in repeated contact with Russian officials. An F.B.I. director accused of covering up an investigation of the matter during the campaign. An attorney general who refuses to recuse himself from any Russia inquiries. If theres ever been a time for an independent counsel or special prosecutor, its now. The allegations go to the heart of American democracy. If the charges are, as President Trump claims, nonsense, then an independent investigation will vindicate him and his campaign. If not, then not. If the administration refuses to create an independent counsel, then Congress must accept its constitutional responsibility and act now. This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive more briefings and a guide to the section daily in your inbox. First, given the news, I want to remind people that the president has still refused to answer questions about contact between his campaign and Russia. Its an unacceptable silence. Now onto the bulk of todays newsletter: Fake quotations are in the news this week, thanks to a Republican National Committee tweet that incorrectly cited Abraham Lincoln as saying And in the end, its not the years in your life that count, its the life in your years. (The likely source of the quotation is a bit less inspiring than the 16th president: a 1947 advertisement for a book about aging.) For all their dysfunction, the Republican Senate and House have managed to act with lightning speed in striking down a sensible Obama administration rule designed to stop people with severe mental problems from buying guns. President Trump, who championed the National Rifle Association agenda as a candidate, is expected to sign the regressive measure. This, despite the Republican mantra that tighter control of mentally troubled individuals not stronger gun control is the better way to deal with the mass shootings and gun carnage that regularly afflict the nation. The Senate voted Wednesday to join the House in revoking the rule. It would have required the Social Security Administration to add about 75,000 people, currently on disability support, to the national background check database and deny them gun purchases. These individuals suffer schizophrenia, psychotic disorders and other problems to such an extent that they are unable to manage their financial affairs and other basic tasks without help. Allowing them to buy guns poses an inordinate and needless risk to public safety. An existing law bars gun purchases to people adjudicated as a mental defective or involuntarily committed to a mental institution. But enforcement of that law has been spotty, because medical records often arent added to the federal databases thus prompting the Obama administration to create the Social Security rule. Congress struck down the rule with Republican majorities and some Democrats notably up for re-election next year contending that the Second Amendment rights of these troubled, disabled individuals have to be the prime concern. CHICAGO Poor Venezuela, so far from God, so close to the Peoples Republic of China. Having bid farewell to tumultuous 2016, President Nicolas Maduros embattled government, hit hard by low oil prices, has again bucked market expectations, muddling through without defaulting on sovereign bonds or those of the state-owned oil company PDVSA. Paying off $10 billion to Wall Street last year required many sacrifices from Venezuela: selling off or mortgaging international assets and slashing imports by nearly 50 percent for the second year running, exacerbating harrowing nationwide shortages of vital medicines and food. Without a sudden recovery of oil prices, 2017 will be even harder. Mr. Maduros near-superhuman willingness to continue paying creditors long after most countries would have capitulated can seem incongruous given his trademark anticapitalist bent, but it stems from a calculation. By averting major disasters defaults or massacres the administration hopes that mere incremental declines, however rapid, will not trigger a backlash capable of bringing it down. The government is boiling Venezuelans like frogs in the proverbial pot while buying time to survive until the 2018 presidential election. Such tactics alone would never suffice, however, were it not for crucial support for Chavismo Hugo Chavezs brand of socialism by its Eastern benefactor, Beijing. Even as Mr. Maduros irresponsible policy making and growing authoritarianism have isolated Venezuela internationally and led to a humanitarian catastrophe, and even as reports expose lapses and delays in Venezuelan oil obligations to China, Beijings foreign ministry has remained publicly steadfast, casting new lifelines to Caracas. So what explains Chinas Zen-like patience with Mr. Maduro? Chinas dalliance with Chavismo began under Mr. Maduros charismatic predecessor, Hugo Chavez. In 2001 Venezuela became the first Hispanic country to enter into a strategic development partnership with China a relationship upgraded to comprehensive strategic partnership in 2014. The sensitive interests did not hold back a Federal District Court in Virginia. In an opinion issued on Monday, the court ruled that the president acted with animus against Muslims when he issued the travel ban. The court laid out the damning evidence: the campaign statement calling for a Muslim ban, which is still on the web; Rudolph Giulianis acknowledgment that the travel ban was really a Muslim ban; the failure of the lawyers who wrote the ban to consult national-security officials; and Mr. Trumps statements in interviews. This is surely the first time in history that a court has found that a president acted out of bigotry. Yet the ruling contradicts the Supreme Courts admonition that courts may not look behind a facially legitimate reason here, the national security interest in stricter vetting when the president exercises immigration authority. Does this mean President Trump is right to complain that the courts are political? Not exactly. The courts were playing politics, but of a valid constitutional kind. Judges are human beings who read newspapers as well as briefs. They know about Mr. Trumps reckless and erratic behavior indeed, they have been on the receiving end of it. After losing the lower court case in Washington State, President Trump called the judge, James L. Robart, a so-called judge. The president later tweeted, If something happens blame him and court system. With hardly a pause, President Trump implied that the Ninth Circuit was biased (I wont call it biased, he said. But courts seem to be so political) before it decided the case. In another tweet, he blasted the judges for their disgraceful decision. James Madison rooted the separation of powers in the personal motives of the officers in one branch to resist encroachments of the other branches. If one branch attacks another, the latter will attack back. Werent the Ninth Circuit panel and the Virginia court acting in good Madisonian fashion? Mr. Trump warns that if the courts constantly look over his shoulder, he wont be able to protect us from security threats. The Virginia court, having established Mr. Trumps bigotry, has placed him on probation, preparing the way for challenges to any future executive actions against Muslim countries. To the Editor: Re Ignorance Is Strength (column, Feb. 13): It is evident from Paul Krugmans column that President Trump has put in place a team that is unable to govern effectively. Every new administration needs experienced people who can develop constructive relationships with foreign leaders, the media, the business community and the other branches of government. For every incoming administration, the first few months are crucial. Likewise, the presidency of Bill Clinton got off to a rocky start with a White House staff that was inexperienced. Eventually, Mr. Clinton asked David Gergen to serve as counselor to offer assistance. Even though Mr. Gergen had served in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations, Mr. Clinton valued his advice and expertise. Undoubtedly, it is time for President Trump to follow Mr. Clintons example and seek help and guidance from experienced Washington hands to get his presidency on track. The campaign is over, and his tendency to even scores is having negative consequences on many fronts. LARRY VIGON Chicago To the Editor: President Trump, Stephen Bannon and others in Mr. Trumps inner circle suffer from a trait that wealthy individuals sometimes display. They equate wealth with knowledge. Although they may have considerable knowledge about the business that yielded great wealth for them, they assume that their business knowledge enlightens them about all aspects of government. DE SOTO -- Gov. Scott Walker continued his tour of Wisconsin on Tueday, taking his proposed 2017-19 budget to the people with a stop in De Soto. Walker visited Prairie View Elementary, cited for significantly exceeding expectations on the latest state report cards, where he congratulated the students and teachers on their hard work. Students filled the bleachers in the gym and some helped greet the governor when he arrived. Prairie View fifth-grader Madison Kumlin introduced Walker to a standing ovation from her classmates and presented a De Soto Pirates mug to the state's chief executive. After chatting up the students about this year being the state Capitol's 100th anniversary, Walker went over his K-12 budget proposal. "We're putting more money into education than the state has put into K-12 ever before," Walker said of the nearly $650 million increase in state funding he has proposed. He also spoke about how his budget would focus more support in rural districts, estimating De Soto would benefit from about $600,000 more in sparsity aid. Rural districts struggle to serve students who are spread out over a larger area, he said, and sparsity aid helps those districts with additional resources for transportation and to help beef up staffing. "I think every one of you students are so important," he said. "We took this reform dividend and put it right back into your schools." Walker provided more details about an item in the proposal that would make teaching licenses in Wisconsin lifetime certifications, removing state requirements for continuing education. He said those discussions are best left to the individual school district to determine what is needed from teachers. "What we're hearing at the local level is that school districts love this," Walker said. "It empowers them to put in place their own requirements locally." Just the night before at the Holmen School Board meeting, board members Kate Mayer and Tom Kruse brought up concerns about the proposal. Mayer, a retired teacher, and Kruse, who runs a home inspection business, both said it is important teachers stay current and go through a re-certification process. "In any industry, if you dont stay curious, you are going to have problems, Kruse said. Walker has visited the Coulee Region three times in the past week and a half, touting various budget proposals. Some of the ideas, including his promise to hold the line on taxes in regard to transportation funding, have been met with some skepticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. He told his De Soto audience to tell their lawmakers to support his budget ideas. Walker has said he plans to spend most of his time outside of Madison this year, pitching his budget to the people. De Soto Area Schools Superintendent Linzi Gronning said she was excited the governor was focusing on the issues facing smaller, rural districts. Her district has more than 570 students across about 400 square miles, and the bumps in aid will help the district absorb costs associated with the geography and fund new initiatives such as a gifted and talented program aimed at students with high academic or creative ability. "I'm just so grateful the governor is putting education at the forefront of his budget," she said. "It is an essential investment for the state." President Trumps plan to deport millions of people appears to be underway. Last week, federal immigration officials arrested more than 600 people at their homes and workplaces in at least 11 states, sending terror through immigrant communities. The abruptness of the raids provoked criticism from local officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, who vowed to stand with immigrant communities. But mass deportation under President Trump will also happen through a more routine policy that is in the mayors control: endless, unnecessary arrests for low-level offenses, which end up feeding immigrants into the federal governments deportation machine. Its not enough for cities like New York to declare themselves sanctuaries, which simply means that the local police wont detain noncitizens on the federal governments behalf. If cities really want to protect immigrants, they must also end the quota-driven style of policing that makes immigrants the victims of unnecessary arrests and disproportionate punishment. Many of these unnecessary arrests stem from the discredited idea that a draconian crackdown on the most minor offenses littering, selling loose cigarettes, biking on the sidewalk will prevent more serious crimes. This model of policing, known as broken windows or zero tolerance, helped to drive mass incarceration. Its next cost could be mass deportation. Its early December, after Donald J. Trumps election but before his inauguration, and Washington is reeling because what has been rumor for months is now being confirmed by American intelligence agencies. The cyberattack on the Democratic National Committee and the email account of Hillary Clintons campaign chairman was authorized by the Russian government in what federal officials are calling an extraordinary effort to influence the outcome of an American election. The growing consensus at this point is that Russia chose sides in the election, and it chose Trump now the president-elect. Amid all this, two men get on the phone. From Russia, its Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. And from the United States, its Michael T. Flynn. Francesca Bellomusto grew up in Port Chester, N.Y. Her husband, Antonio Bellomusto, was born there. So when they decided to purchase their first home, they looked in Port Chester, but also in Harrison, White Plains and Greenwich, Conn. We werent sure where we wanted to be, Ms. Bellomusto said. But everything drew us back to Port Chester. In August, they bought a home there: a 2,500-square-foot, four-bedroom cape, built in 1958 on a .23-acre lot. They paid $570,000. Along with being close to family, value factored heavily in their choice. Ms. Bellomusto, 27, teaches Italian and Spanish at Westlake High School in Thornwood; Mr. Bellomusto, 35, is a key account manager for Nestle Waters North America, which is based in Stamford, Conn. We got a lot more for our money than what we were seeing in other towns, Ms. Bellomusto said. Mr. Lightfoot spoke at a conference for companies working on the Space Launch System and Orion programs. Boeing is the main contractor for the rocket; Lockheed Martin is building Orion. Mr. Lightfoot also sent a memo to NASA employees. I know the challenges associated with such a proposition, like reviewing the technical feasibility, additional resources needed, and clearly the extra work would require a different launch date, Mr. Lightfoot wrote in the memo. That said, I also want to hear about the opportunities it could present to accelerate the effort of the first crewed flight and what it would take to accomplish that first step of pushing humans farther into space. Under the current plans for the first launch, a crewless Orion capsule would spend three weeks in space, flying to the moon and entering an orbit about 40,000 miles above the surface. With astronauts on board, the mission would most likely be shorter, perhaps similar to the trajectory taken by Apollo 8 in December 1968, when three NASA astronauts made 10 orbits around the moon in 20 hours and then returned to Earth. To add astronauts would require significant work and rejiggering. Because no astronauts were planned, the Orion capsule planned for the first flight currently did not contain the full working life-support system. The first Space Launch System rocket also uses an upper stage that is derived from the Delta 4 rocket that has not been rated for crewed missions. NASA is developing a more powerful upper stage for the second flight. The risks of flying people on the first launch of a rocket are much greater. In the Apollo program, NASA launched several crewless missions to gain confidence before adding astronauts on Apollo 7. Two commercial systems by Boeing and SpaceX to take astronauts to the International Space Station will also fly crewless test flights first. The first launch of the space shuttle in 1981 did carry astronauts. I was 15 years old. Not yet a proud immigrant to this country. A young Muslim growing up in Nairobi with the very good fortune of having a dad who was an airline pilot. It was 1993 when he took me on a trip to London for the first time. But it wasnt Big Ben or Buckingham Palace that caught my eye. It was a giant theater billboard with a name I knew: Craig McLachlan, a star of the Australian soap opera Neighbours (British spelling, thank you very much). The soap was hugely popular in Kenya, so I recognized him immediately. Also on the poster was a womans name I didnt know at the time: Debbie Gibson (or was she going by Deborah in those days?) The poster was hot pink; silhouetted against the background was the face of a cool dude with sunglasses and a giant wave of jet black hair. It was advertising some show called Grease. I was intrigued. I persuaded my dad to give me enough pounds for a ticket. It was sold out, so all I could get was standing room, which was fine by me. In Kenya, the only live performances I had seen were acting skits in my high school assembly hall and comedy shows on the government-sponsored television network. I didnt know what to expect. I was there so I could tell my friends that I saw Craig McLachlan in the flesh. Then the lights went down, and I was blown away. With its grand thoroughfares and stately 19th-century buildings, Stockholms Ostermalm neighborhood, in the eastern part of the city about a 10-minute walk from the city center, is elegant and refined. Its also an upscale residential area thats dotted with unique specialty stores, many of which have been around for several decades or more. Stockholmers come here when theyre on the hunt for an eye-catching item, be it an antique, a rare book or a piece of vintage furniture. Ronnells Antikvariat Bibliophiles will be at home at this bookshop, which, with an inventory of 75,000 secondhand and rare tomes, is considered among the largest in the Nordic world. Around 40 percent of the diverse reads, including fiction and subjects like art and photography, are in English, and whats for sale is always a surprise. On a recent visit, a first edition of A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess was a pick that the knowledgeable staff was most excited about. Birger Jarlsgatan 32, ronnells.se, 46-8-5450-1560 Image Credit... Erika Gerdemark for The New York Times Svenskt Tenn When Stockholm residents are on the hunt for chic home goods such as napkins, glasses, pillows and furniture, they head to this spacious bi-level store on the waterfront. A local women named Estrid Ericson founded the company in 1924 and recruited the Austrian-born designer and architect Josef Frank to oversee the creative side. Today, a team of freelance designers maintain his legacy. Strandvagen 5, 46-8-670-1600, svenskttenn.se Craft cocktails those artful, mixologist-created drinks that are often a lure at chic bars and restaurants are now finding their way into the airline industry, too. As of mid-January, for example, Virgin Atlantic Upper Class fliers departing from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey can head to the airlines Clubhouse, the lounge for Upper Class fliers, to imbibe cocktails courtesy of the popular Cuban-inspired Lower Manhattan bar BlackTail. Theres the Havana Night, a combination of gin, lime juice, cane syrup, mint and bitters; the BlackTail Daiquiri, made of white rum, lime juice and cane syrup; and four others on the menu. The collaboration is part of Virgin Atlantics new program to showcase craft cocktails from trendsetting local bars in its Clubhouses. Besides the one at Newark, the airline has similar partnerships at four other Clubhouses including the one in San Francisco International Airport where travelers can sip clever combinations from the pirate-themed bar Smugglers Cove in the city. Virgin Atlantic is paying attention to craft cocktails because they are having a moment, said Mark Murphy, the food and beverage manager for the Clubhouses. We try to be a brand associated with edginess and coolness, and craft cocktails are very cool, he said. If you want to keep your health insurance status a secret from the I.R.S., the Trump administration just made it a little easier. The policy change, confirmed by the I.R.S. on Wednesday after elements were reported by the libertarian magazine Reason, does not do away with the Affordable Care Acts requirement that all Americans who can afford it obtain health insurance or pay a fine. But it might make it a little harder for the I.R.S. to figure out who is breaking the rules. The I.R.S. recently notified tax preparers that it will not reject tax returns that omit information about whether a filer had health insurance during the previous year. Thats actually a continuation of an informal Obama administration policy, but because of the way the decision was announced, it is likely to have broader effects on how many people report their insurance status to the government and how many people end up paying penalties for staying uninsured. Mr. Trump signed an executive order on the day of his inauguration asking agencies to reduce burdens related to compliance with the health law. In its statement, the I.R.S. indicated that this policy was related to that instruction. Even some prominent liberals like Robert Reich, the former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, seem open to conspiracy theories of the sort typically espoused by figures like Alex Jones and Glenn Beck. (After the recent violent demonstration at the University of California at Berkeley, Mr. Reich raised the possibility that the far right was in cahoots with the agitators, writing a blog post titled A Yiannopoulos, Bannon, Trump Plot to Control American Universities?) A simple explanation for this shift is that misperceptions often focus on the president and are most commonly held by members of the other party. Just as Republicans disproportionately endorsed prominent misperceptions during the Obama years (like the birther and death panel myths), Democrats are now the opposition partisans especially likely to fall victim to dubious claims about the Trump administration. But the shift in vulnerability to conspiracy theories may have deeper psychological roots. Research suggests that people embrace conspiracy beliefs as a way to cope with perceived threats to control. In particular, Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent at the University of Miami have argued that conspiracy theory beliefs increase in response to group threats, including among losers of elections. These beliefs can help rally groups and coordinate action in response to a decline in status or power. To evaluate this conjecture, the political scientists Christina Farhart, Joanne Miller and Kyle Saunders, who study conspiracy theory belief, compared how Democrats and Republicans changed in their responses to a conspiracy predispositions scale created by Mr. Uscinski and his co-authors. The scale asks respondents to evaluate a series of statements: Much of our lives are being controlled by plots hatched in secret places. Even though we live in a democracy, a few people will always run things anyway. It has been a difficult week for Ms. Vizguerra, 45, one of millions of undocumented immigrants contending with an uncertain future in the Trump administration. After she was convicted several years ago of using fake documents, Ms. Vizguerra, who has spent 20 years working in the United States, was ordered out of the country. But she was granted at least five postponements of deportation, and in December, her lawyer, Hans Meyer, asked for another. Nothing happened. She was due for a regular check-in at the local office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Wednesday, and as the day crept closer, Ms. Vizguerra realized the possibility that she could be whisked onto a plane and separated from her three American-born children: Zury, 6, Roberto, 10, and Luna, 12. Their care would fall to her husband, Salvador, 45, who works long hours as a driver for a tile company, and an older daughter, Tania Baez, 26, a preschool teacher with three children of her own. Unlike her younger siblings, Ms. Baez is not a citizen by birth, but she has a work permit under the Obama administrations Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Trump criticized during the campaign but has not moved to end. The last week or so has thrust the family into a state of extended emergency. On Feb. 5, Ms. Vizguerra called a family meeting over dinner, banning electronics from the table to convey the seriousness of the matter. The family cats, Miranda and Zayra, meowed as she explained the plan. If officials were to come to the home in the days before the meeting at the I.C.E. office, no one should answer the door, she said. If they gained entry, Luna, a reedy middle schooler with braces, should use her phone to film the events. Roberto should open the emergency contact list in his phone and begin to call family friends and advocates. And Zury, the youngest, should go straight to her parents bedroom, close the door and stay there. I told them, I know its going to be difficult for you, Ms. Vizguerra said. I want you to be brave. In the past, we hadnt really been like, O.K., heres where we stand, said Lacy Simons, the owner of Hello Hello Books in the seaside town of Rockland, Me. Ms. Simons said she was jolted into action the day after the election, when customers began drifting into the store, not to buy books, exactly, but in search of solace. This is just one of the places where people went, she said. If they were gutted from the election, people just came in to pet the books. Her plans to push back against Mr. Trumps policies are just beginning: Later this month, the stores new social justice reading and action group will meet for the first time (suggested reading: What We Do Now: Standing Up for Your Values in Trumps America). She also intends to distribute political leaflets and other materials to customers, on the model of bookstores that handed out mimeographed resistance newspapers during the Vietnam War. Stephanie Valdez, an owner of Community Bookstore in Brooklyn, has already hosted a postcard-writing event, and lately she has paged through books on political organizing, looking for guidance for getting her store more involved. I think bookstores are a place where people go to understand the world, she said. And I think were just one of many places that will become a center of activism. Gayle Shanks, a co-owner of Changing Hands in Phoenix, said her stores Facebook page had gone political, as staff members filled it with articles about national politics and First Amendment issues. At the suggestion of one of her young employees, staff members began piecing together a display of books written by authors from the seven majority-Muslim countries from which Mr. Trump suspended immigration. WASHINGTON The fast-food executive Andrew F. Puzder withdrew his nomination to be labor secretary on Wednesday as Republican senators turned sharply against him, the latest defeat for a White House besieged by infighting and struggling for traction even with a Republican-controlled Congress. The toppling of one of President Trumps cabinet picks was a victory for Democrats, unions and liberal groups that had been attacking Mr. Puzders business record and his character since he was chosen in December. Conservative publications, including National Review and Breitbart, had also expressed resistance, zeroing in on Mr. Puzders employment of an undocumented immigrant as his housekeeper. And records from his 1988 divorce, disseminated Tuesday night by opponents, resurfaced spousal abuse accusations that made some Republican senators uncomfortable. His ex-wife had recanted those accusations, but senators from both parties privately screened a videotape from The Oprah Winfrey Show that featured her laying out the charges while in disguise. The opposition from Republicans was broad, and the reasons varied. Among the senators who expressed concerns were John Thune of South Dakota, Rob Portman of Ohio, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Tim Scott of South Carolina, more than enough to scuttle the nomination. WASHINGTON It does most of its work in secret, can be highly partisan and its members consider it a thankless job with few political benefits. But the Senate Intelligence Committee is suddenly central to a capital increasingly rattled by Trump administration turmoil. With House Republicans showing little appetite for pursuing an inquiry into links between Russia and the new White House and the chances remote of an independent investigative commission being created, the Senate panel has at least for the moment chief responsibility for getting to the bottom of events surrounding the resignation of Michael T. Flynn as national security adviser and any foreign meddling in the presidential election. Whether members of the committee can succeed is a vexing question. The panel split bitterly over an investigation into George W. Bush-era torture of terror detainees, and Senate Republicans are leery of being lured into a Democratic effort to undermine a new Republican president who could help them achieve their long-sought legislative goals. Senator Richard M. Burr, the North Carolina Republican who leads the committee, last month indicated some reluctance about pursuing contacts between the Trump team and Russia before he and Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, who has taken over the top Democratic spot on the panel, one day later issued a letter saying the committee would seek to have a full understanding of the scope of Russian intelligence activities impacting the United States. The clear sense on Capitol Hill was that Mr. Warner had dragged his Republican colleague into accepting an aggressive inquiry. WASHINGTON President Trump lashed out at the nations intelligence agencies again on Wednesday, saying that his former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, was brought down by illegal leaks to the news media, on a day of new disclosures about the Trump camps dealings with Russia during and after the presidential campaign. From intelligence, papers are being leaked, things are being leaked, Mr. Trump said at a White House news conference with Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel. Its a criminal action, criminal act, and its been going on for a long time before me, but now its really going on. And people are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton. With his statement and a burst of early-morning posts he made on Twitter, Mr. Trump tried to shift attention from damaging questions about contacts with Russia by Mr. Flynn and others close to the president, arguing that the outrage is not those contacts, but the leaks about them. He revived his charge that the allegations of a Russian connection were nothing more than a Democratic conspiracy, fed to a receptive news media to distract from the mistakes made by Mrs. Clinton during the campaign. Mr. Schumer and Democrats called on their former Senate colleague, Jeff Sessions, the new attorney general and a top Trump campaign supporter, to recuse himself from any review. (Advisers to Mr. Sessions have said he sees no need to do so.) They demanded that any relevant records from the administration, transition or campaign be preserved. And they asked that former campaign and transition associates testify in public, under oath, a request Republicans have not echoed. Pressed on how he hoped to proceed if Republicans declined to join his calls, Mr. Schumer demurred. Let me just say, its the right thing to do, he said. Throughout his news conference, the tone seemed telling, signaling Democrats reliance on at least some Republican support for their efforts: Absent were any taunting attacks on Republicans as have been common in the fight over Mr. Trumps cabinet selections replaced by earnest-sounding pleas for collaboration. At the same time, other Democrats seethed over what they saw as a double standard at the F.B.I. before the election, when the Trump campaigns possible ties to Russia first received attention. Last summer, James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, broke with protocol and tradition when he held a news conference to discuss the agencys decision not to bring criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for keeping classified information on a private email server. Then, days before the election, he informed Congress and by extension the public that the F.B.I. was investigating newly discovered emails related to that case. When President Trump is ready to let the world know that he is disappointed with the intelligence community, the United States judiciary, individual journalists, department stores or whatever else lands on his radar, he uses Twitter to blast his targets. It was only a matter of time until his supporters adopted his style. I voted for you but youre still acting like a baby, one supporter from North Carolina wrote on Sunday, the same day Mr. Trump insulted the billionaire Mark Cuban by saying that he was not smart enough to run for president. When are you going to act Presidential??? wrote another supporter in Arizona that day. Not every thought needs tweeting. I voted for you but this is embarrassing, someone else wrote last week, responding to the presidents tweet attacking the department store Nordstrom. Getting a positive mammogram result, then learning on follow-up that nothing is really wrong, is good news. But a false positive mammogram has a dangerous downside: It may reduce the likelihood that a woman returns for later screenings, increasing her risk for a late-stage cancer. Researchers looked at 90,918 false positive and 650,232 true negative mammograms from 261,767 women. After controlling for age, ethnicity, family history of cancer and other factors, they found that women with a true negative screen were 36 percent more likely to return within three years for another screening than those who had a false positive. When women with false positives did return, they delayed an average of nine months longer than those with true negatives. The study is in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Over four years of follow-up, women who had a false positive were significantly more likely to be given diagnoses of late-stage malignancy. The longer the delay in returning to screening, the greater the risk, though the absolute risk remained small. Aerobic exercise, in particular, affects telomeres. In past studies, masters athletes have been shown to have longer telomeres in their white blood cells than sedentary people of the same chronological years, suggesting that at a cellular level, the athletes are more youthful. But while it is easy to obtain and look inside white blood cells, far less has been known about telomeres within cardiac cells. So for the new study, which was published this month in Experimental Physiology, the Maryland researchers and their colleagues turned to young, healthy female mice. (They chose females because they tend to run more readily than males.) The researchers wished to see what happens inside heart muscle cells after a single workout. So they taught some of the animals how to run comfortably on small treadmills and then returned them to their cages for several days so that their bodies would lose any aerobic conditioning. Other mice remained sedentary as a control group. Then the runners were placed back on the treadmills, where they ran at a tolerable intensity (in mouse terms) for 30 minutes, a workout designed to simulate moderate exercise in people. Researchers took tissue samples of the animals hearts either immediately after they had finished running or an hour later, and also gathered samples from sedentary mice. The scientists looked for changes within the animals cardiac cells in the levels of certain proteins that are known to directly prevent telomeres from shortening. They also looked at the activity of other genes that help to keep DNA in good repair. These genes release proteins that are thought to help cells adapt to the physiological stress of exercise and, in the process, also indirectly maintain telomere health. A national minimum wage would be more meaningful in a big economy like South Africas, experts say, because the formal work force is much larger, around 80 percent of all workers. Millions of people would be eligible. Still, South Africa, sub-Saharan Africas most advanced economy, is enduring the same forces as the rest of the continent. It is not growing fast enough to absorb its rapidly growing population, which is leaving rural areas to look for work in places like Khayelitsha, one of the countrys biggest townships with about 400,000 people. There is added urgency for the government to act: The African National Congress, which helped liberate black South Africans from white-minority rule and has governed the country since 1994, is still stinging from losing most of the nations biggest cities in elections last July. The party could once bank on loyal support from the nations black majority. But corruption and economic stagnation for millions of people have steadily eroded that support over the years, resulting in the partys worst showing in elections since the end of apartheid in 1994. The frustrations are evident in Khayelitsha. It is roughly situated between two of South Africas richest areas: the city of Cape Town and the famed wine country of Stellenbosch. Established in 1983 by the apartheid government, Khayelitsha, which means new home in Xhosa, still provides many of the workers for both communities. On weekday mornings, soon after daybreak, the men and women of Khayelitsha leave their neighborhoods and walk to the nearest train or bus station. For many, the commute a legacy of apartheid-era urban planning to separate white and black areas takes up to a couple of hours each way. Three men have been arrested in the Dominican Republic after two radio journalists were fatally shot during a Facebook Live broadcast on Tuesday, according to local news reports. Gunmen opened fire while one journalist, Luis Manuel Medina of Milenio Caliente, was reading the news at the FM radio station 103.5 in a shopping center in San Pedro de Macoris, east of Santo Domingo, the capital. In a video uploaded to YouTube, shots can be heard in the background as Mr. Medina keeps reading. A woman is heard yelling off camera: Shots! Shots! Shots! The day after President Trumps inauguration, hundreds of thousands of women took to the streets for the Womens March on Washington. Among them were Lu Pin and more than 20 other Chinese feminists who live in the United States and belong to the Chinese Feminism Collective, a new nongovernmental organization to support feminist activities that are facing sustained political pressure in China. Using a WeChat account, they sent reports from the Washington march back to China. Ms. Lu, 45, a former journalist at the state-run China Womens News and founder of the influential online platform Womens Voices, had come to New York from Beijing on March 5, 2015, to attend a meeting of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Back in China, over the following two days, five women who would become known as the Feminist Five Wang Man, Wei Tingting, Zheng Churan, Li Tingting and Wu Rongrong were detained as they planned a public awareness campaign about sexual harassment on public transportation. Ms. Lu had worked closely with the women, and when she heard that the police had visited her Beijing apartment, she decided to stay in the United States. She helped set up a Facebook page, Free Chinese Feminists. Its initial purpose was to publicize the case of the Feminist Five and enlist international support, but since the release of the five women, it has continued to be a place to share news and organize political action. JAKARTA, Indonesia The Christian governor of the capital of Indonesia, the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation, has been fighting for his political life in an election campaign charged with religious and ethnic undertones. After voters went to the polls Wednesday, it appeared that he would have to fight a little longer. Unofficial results from the balloting in Jakarta, the capital, indicated that the governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, held a small lead over his nearest challenger but was unlikely to win more than half of the vote. If the official results confirm that, a runoff will be held April 18. Mr. Basuki, who is ethnic Chinese, has been hobbled by a criminal trial on a charge of blasphemy against Islam, in connection with remarks about a Quran verse that he made last year. Mr. Basuki and his supporters say the court case, which was preceded by mass protests in the capital by Islamists demanding that he be prosecuted or even lynched, was orchestrated by political opponents to sabotage his election campaign. Analysts also saw the furor over Mr. Basukis remarks as an attempt to weaken President Joko Widodo, a key ally of the governor who is expected to seek a second term in 2019. SEOUL, South Korea When North Korea held a state funeral for its leader, Kim Jong-il, in 2011, one son was conspicuously absent. The absence of Kim Jong-nam the eldest son of the family, who was bound by Korean tradition to preside over the funeral was all the evidence outside analysts needed to see how isolated he had become from the center of power in North Korea, the worlds most secretive regime. Never fully accepted by his family, sidelined by his powerful stepmother and haunted by fears of assassins, Mr. Kim lived much of his life wandering abroad, in Moscow, Geneva, Beijing, Paris and Macau, the Chinese gambling enclave. On Monday, Mr. Kim, 45, met his end at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. According to the National Intelligence Service of South Korea, he was poisoned by two women who appeared to be carrying out an assassination order from Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. Mr. Kim died on his way to the hospital. Two women have been detained in connection with the killing. CHIANG MAI, Thailand A former military officer in Myanmar is suspected of ordering the killing of a prominent human rights lawyer who was a top adviser to the countrys leader, the office of Myanmars civilian president announced on Wednesday. The lawyer, U Ko Ni, one of the most prominent Muslims in the majority Buddhist country, was fatally shot at Yangon International Airport on Jan. 29 in what appears to have been a rare political assassination in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. When he was killed, Mr. Ko Ni, who was 65, was returning to Yangon, Myanmar, from a trip to Indonesia. He had been cradling his young grandson in his arms when he was shot in the head. In a statement released Wednesday evening, the presidents office said that Aung Win Khine, 45, a retired lieutenant colonel, was suspected of paying 100 million kyat, or about $71,500, to the person who killed Mr. Ko Ni. HONG KONG After Kim Jong-uns half brother, Kim Jong-nam, was killed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, South Korean officials were quick to blame the North Korean leader. It would not be the first time that someone who has fallen out of favor with Kim Jong-un has been targeted in either a purge or an outright execution. A South Korean think tank, the Institute for National Security Strategy, released a report recently saying that Mr. Kim had ordered the executions of 340 people since coming to power in 2011. Some who fall out of favor are not killed but are abruptly stripped of power. Ri Yong-ho, purged in 2012 As Mr. Kim consolidated his rule, he signaled that none of his top officials were safe by purging Mr. Ri, his army chief and trusted mentor, with the state news media saying Mr. Ri had left his posts because of illness. Jang Song-thaek, executed in 2013 In late 2013, Mr. Jang, who was Mr. Kims uncle and the countrys second-most powerful official, was taken to witness the execution of his deputies, who were torn apart by antiaircraft machine guns before their bodies were incinerated with flamethrowers. He was said to have fainted during the ordeal. After he was convicted of treason, he was executed at the same place and in the same way as his deputies, South Koreas intelligence agency said. The cruelties inside the police state, often reported by defectors, led to news reports speculating that the North Korean leader may have had his uncle torn apart by ravenous dogs. (We got to the bottom of that tale here.) But the case wont go away. Last week, The Irish Examiner and the public broadcaster RTEs Prime Time program reported that Irelands child protection agency had created a file on Sergeant McCabe containing a false accusation of child sexual abuse a mistake that the agency has attributed to what it called a clerical error. The news organizations also reported that this wasnt the first time Sergeant McCabe had been wrongly accused of such a crime; an earlier complaint against him had been made, in 2006, and dismissed. The disclosure that a whistle-blower could face such accusations in apparent retaliation has raised unsettling questions about Irelands culture of policing and the possible collusion of other agencies, including the child protection agency. The case has affected the highest levels of the Irish government, bedeviling Mr. Kenny. He has been attacked by critics who charge that he missed opportunities to resolve the mess in 2014, and supported the police chief at the time and his justice minister for too long. Mr. Kenny failed at first to give a complete account of when he learned of the false abuse allegations, and has insisted that he knew nothing of a broader smear campaign an assertion that his critics in Parliament have contested. There were heated exchanges between Mr. Kenny and Gerry Adams, the leader of the opposition Sinn Fein party. At one point, Mr. Kenny called Mr. Adams an absolute hypocrite and attacked him for playing down, years earlier, the case of a former Sinn Fein member who said she was sexually abused by IRA members a charge that Mr. Adams denies. For decades, the United States has exhorted its allies to put more money into their military budgets, arguing that if the alliance is called on to defend a member country, the United States would have to shoulder too much of the load. But European governments have different priorities when it comes to military spending than the United States. Iceland, for instance, has no military. And Germany, which since the end of World War II has rejected military force outside self-defense, spends only 1.2 percent of its G.D.P. on the military. European Union budgetary rules also constrain some NATO countries from increasing their budget deficits. Martin Stropnicky, the Czech Republics defense minister, said in an interview that Mr. Mattiss speech was not a surprise, and he did not view it as a threat. He was absolutely calm and humble and modest, Mr. Stropnicky said, adding that his government had increased its military spending. But the Czech Republic still spends just over 1 percent of its G.D.P. on its military, according to NATO. Mr. Trump is expected to visit NATO headquarters in May when the alliance holds its leaders summit meeting. This meeting in Brussels was a tough European debut for the Trump administration, as Mr. Mattis also sought to convince NATO allies that the United States still values the alliance despite the presidents persistent critiques. The latest disclosures, that members of Mr. Trumps 2016 campaign and other confidants had communicated with Russia intelligence officers, and the resignation of Mr. Trumps national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, for misleading statements about his telephone conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak, raised allies anxiety. Privately and publicly, a number of top NATO officials expressed concern about Russian meddling in elections in Europe and the United States. And they hung on Mr. Mattiss every word on Wednesday, listening for clues to understand what the complex entanglements between Trump administration officials and Russian intelligence officers might mean for the trans-Atlantic alliance as it tries to confront a menacing and more aggressive Moscow. It is clear that people who are called as being part of his entourage, for the most part, are known to us, Mr. Rybakov said at the time. These are people who were always on display, who occupied important posts. He continued, I wouldnt say that all of them, but quite a few of them, were in touch with the Russian representatives. Mr. Flynn resigned as national security adviser Monday night after revelations that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his Russia contacts. In particular, the talks involved new sanctions that the Obama administration had imposed in retaliation for Russian meddling in the election. Trump administration officials, based on incomplete information from Mr. Flynn, had denied that the sanctions were discussed. (Mr. Peskov told journalists on Friday that some conversations between Mr. Flynn and Mr. Kislyak took place, but he did not provide details.) 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. Mr. Peskov did not directly dispute the Times article or a CNN article that found that high-level advisers close to then-presidential nominee Donald Trump were in constant communication during the campaign with Russians known to U.S. intelligence but he suggested that the truth was hard to discern. Lets not trust newspaper articles, because it is very difficult to differentiate between what is true and what is fake, Mr. Peskov was quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax as saying. There are references to five sources, but not a single is named. The Times quoted four current or former intelligence officials, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information is classified. LONDON Even as he was preparing for the biggest struggle of his life, leading Britain in its fight against Nazi Germany, Winston Churchill had something else on his mind: extraterrestrials. In a newly unearthed essay sent to his publisher on Oct. 16, 1939 just weeks after Britain entered World War II and Churchill became part of the wartime cabinet and later revised, he was pondering the likelihood of life on other planets. Churchill, who went on to become prime minister during much of World War II and again from 1951 to 1955, was so enthralled by the subject that he even ordered a suspected sighting of an unidentified flying object by the Royal Air Force to be kept a secret for 50 years to avoid mass panic. In an 11-page essay titled Are We Alone in the Universe? the statesman showed powers of reason like a scientist, said Mario Livio, an astrophysicist who read the rarely seen draft and wrote about it in an article published on Wednesday in Nature magazine. WASHINGTON President Trump jettisoned two decades of diplomatic orthodoxy on Wednesday by declaring that the United States would no longer insist on the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians. Hosting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel for the first time since becoming president, Mr. Trump promised a concerted effort to bring the two sides together, suggesting a regional effort involving an array of Arab nations. But he said that he was flexible about how an agreement would look and that he would not be bound by past assumptions. Im looking at two-state and one-state formulations, Mr. Trump said during a White House news conference with Mr. Netanyahu. I like the one that both parties like. Im very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. At the same time, Mr. Trump urged Mr. Netanyahu to temporarily stop new housing construction in the West Bank while he pursues a deal, echoing a position past presidents have taken. Id like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit, he told Mr. Netanyahu. WASHINGTON The White House may be in chaos. But at least Congress is addressing the issue Americans care about most: making it easier for the finance industry to rip them off. Last week, Jeb Hensarling of Texas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, circulated an outline of his latest plan to repeal Dodd-Frank. This law, you may recall, was put in place after the financial crisis to reduce our chances of having another one. The law isnt perfect, but it did have at least one crucial, mostly popular component: It created an agency dedicated solely to helping consumers fight back when financial institutions cheat or mislead them. This agency is called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It oversees large banks, thrifts and credit unions, along with lots of companies in the nonbank universe, such as mortgage brokers and servicers, payday lenders, debt collectors, private student lenders and credit bureaus. While the CFPB may not have the same name recognition as, say, the Federal Reserve, many of its actions have generated big headlines. Remember when Wells Fargo got caught creating millions of fake customer accounts? The bureau helped lead that investigation, which resulted in a $185 million settlement. The bureau has also, among other things, sued pension-advance companies that fleece veterans, and it ordered the firms that left low-income users of prepaid RushCards unable to access their own money to pay $13 million in restitution and fines. In its five years of existence, the bureau says it has recovered $11.7 billion for more than 27 million consumers. The financial industry, understandably, is not super keen on this independent federal agency. And neither is Hensarling, who just coincidentally? has received generous campaign contributions from the finance industry. Hensarlings leaked memo lays out updates to legislation he introduced last year (which, among other things, required that CFPB employees be paid less than their counterparts at other federal financial regulatory agencies). Under the Orwellian section heading Empowering Americans to Achieve Financial Independence, the memo explains how Hensarling intends to further disempower this agency and by extension, American consumers. For instance, the CFPB director would become an at-will political appointee. This means that unlike the officials who run the Fed, Federal Trade Commission or Securities and Exchange Commission the CFPB director could be fired without cause. The bureau would cease to be an independent agency and could be pressured at any time to drop investigations of, say, friends of the president. According to the memo, Hensarling also plans to repeal the CFPBs supervisory powers. This is a fancy way of saying the bureau would no longer have the right to kick the tires and look under the hood that is, to regularly examine whats going on inside the institutions it regulates to make sure theyre following the law. Even more disturbing, the bureau would no longer be allowed to punish firms that cheat their customers. Yes, you heard that right. No more fines and no more penalties. Its not even clear from Hensarlings memo that the bureau could force firms to return any money theyve already pinched from consumers. In such a world, why not grab as much as you can? We dont know exactly how the bullet points in this memo will get translated into legislation. (A spokeswoman for the House Financial Services Committee declined to comment on the memo.) But it seems likely that consumer protections would wind up even weaker than they were before the crisis. Thats because Dodd-Frank took the authority to enforce some consumer protection laws away from other regulators and gave them to the newly formed CFPB. Assuming those authorities arent being re-delegated to these other agencies and the memo does not indicate that will happen theyll remain with a bureau thats essentially powerless to enforce them. Of course, many of these policy changes make sense if your worldview is that government should stay out of private transactions because consumers are smart enough to fend for themselves. Which brings me to the weirdest and least defensible parts of Hensarlings plan: an effort to make consumers dumber. Hensarlings memo also eliminates the CFPBs research functions, its public database of consumer complaints (so much for transparency) and even its consumer education functions. Right now, the bureau publishes educational materials on its website and partners with libraries, veterans groups and other community organizations. Its hard to imagine what legitimate public interest lies in killing efforts to promote financial literacy. But in the con-man economy, maybe public interest is no longer a consideration. A large, upright stone on a terraced hillside on the edge of the settlement is revered as the one that Jacob slept on, then anointed with oil, after God appeared in the dream and promised all the land around to him and his progeny. Archaeological excavations in the area have found signs of ancient life. The Palestinian village of Beitin sits on a nearby hill. Mr. Netanyahu has said in the past that he would not evacuate Beit El under any agreement with the Palestinians, even though it lies outside the major settlement blocs that Israeli leaders have more generally insisted on keeping. Founded in 1977 on private Palestinian land originally seized by Israel for military purposes, the settlement was later approved by the Israeli courts under the rubric of general security. Now it is home to about 6,500 people who mostly live in modest, low-rise two- or four-family buildings. There are plans in the pipeline for at least 300 new apartments in eight-story buildings to be constructed on a rise by the entrance to the settlement. But the yeshiva complex has so far proven to be Beit Els main engine of growth. Considered a prime institution of religious Zionism, the yeshiva is headed by Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed, a hard-liner who has denounced homosexuality as a perversion and a severe mental illness and has ruled that it is forbidden for soldiers or police to participate in the evacuation of settlements. GAZA CITY Palestinians reacted with anger and bafflement on Wednesday after the Trump administration apparently backed away from insisting that having two states one for Israelis, one for Palestinians was the only viable solution to the decades-long Middle East conflict. Saeb Erekat, chief negotiator for the Palestinians, raised the specter of apartheid and called for concrete measures in order to save the two-state solution. A White House official, in remarks to reporters on the eve of President Trumps meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Wednesday, said the Trump administration would not push the two-state solution, an apparent retreat from decades of American policy. In his news conference with Mr. Netanyahu in Washington on Wednesday, Mr. Trump directly broke with diplomatic tradition on the issue by saying his concern was the deal, not whether that included a state for Palestinians. Its beginning to look a lot like August 2009 in reverse. In that summer of the Tea Party, conservative activists packed the town-hall meetings of Democratic congressmen and peppered them with hostile questions. It was an early sign of the abiding opposition that Obamacare would encounter, and the prelude to Democratic defeats in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Now, progressive activists are tearing a page from that playbook. The scenes are highly reminiscent of 2009, with Republican officeholders struggling to control unruly forums and leaving their town-hall meetings early or not holding them in the first place. The partisan temptation in this circumstance is always to dismiss the passion of the other side, which is what Democrats did to their detriment in 2009 and Republicans are doing now. Its not often that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer sounds like his Obama predecessor Robert Gibbs, but on this, he might as well be reading leftover talking points. Gibbs dismissed the Tea Party town-hall agitation eight years ago as manufactured anger reflecting the Astro-turf nature of grassroots lobbying. Spicer says of the town-hall protests, Its not these organic uprisings that weve seen through the last several decades the Tea Party was a very organic movement this has become a very paid, Astro-turf-type movement. What was true in 2009 is true today: In the normal course of things, its not easy even for a well-funded and -organized group to get people to spend an evening at a school auditorium hooting at their congressman. If these demonstrations are happening in districts around the country, attention must be paid. This is not to condone the more rancid elements of the Lefts ferment (blocking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos from entering a Washington, D.C., school was petty thuggishness), nor is it to consider what is happening as nearly as significant as the Tea Party yet. To become the Lefts equivalent of the Tea Party, the protesters will have to persist despite the inevitable legislative defeats on the horizon; organize at the grass-roots level; play in Democratic primaries; make their own partys establishment miserable; and pick off a significant Republican seat in what seems like impossible territory the way Scott Brown did in the Massachusetts special election after the death of Ted Kennedy. None of this is certain, or necessarily likely. But Democrats deluded themselves in 2009 by disregarding the early signs of fierce resistance to their agenda, and paid the price over and over again for their heedless high-handedness. Republicans shouldnt make the same mistake. There is nothing to suggest that the Lefts town-hall protesters represent anything like a majority of the country. Even an impassioned plurality can make a big impact, though. And if we have learned anything from the Obamacare debate, it is that disturbing the status quo in American health care carries significant downside political risk. Democrats were in that position in 2009; Republicans are now. The GOP cant and shouldnt back off their promise to repeal Obamacare. But the party should re-double its commitment to do as much as it can to replace the law simultaneously with its repeal. At the prodding of President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans have been moving in this direction. It behooves the party as a policy and political matter to show that its legislation wont lead to millions of people losing their insurance and wont return to the pre-Obamacare status quo for people with pre-existing conditions. With a consensus on replacement, Republicans would be much better equipped to push back at contentious town halls, and to potentially defuse at least some of the fear and anger engendered by their health-care agenda. The alternative is to look the other way, avoid town halls, and hope that after the repeal passes everything calms down. This was essentially the Democratic tack in 2009, and how did that work out? F.B.I. agents interview Mr. Flynn about his conversations with Mr. Kislyak. He says he did not ask Mr. Kislyak to refrain from responding to the sanctions. He also says he did not remember the conversation in which Mr. Kislyak said Russia moderated its response as a result of Mr. Flynns request. OSHA's online newsletter provides the latest news about enforcement actions, rulemaking, outreach activities, compliance assistance, and training and educational resources. When Stephen Miller spoke to the Sunday shows on Feb. 12, he astounded the DC press with his full-throated defense of President Donald Trumps Muslim ban. The Presidents national security decisions will not be questioned, Miller said. Millers comments were over the top. Yet, they shouldnt have been a surprise to anyone interviewing him. Even a cursory overview of Millers background would have revealed an article from a week and a half earlier detailing his connections with far-right, fascistic groups. Miller even has a connection with white supremacist guru Richard Spencer. That Miller was not asked about these ties is unfortunate, but not surprising. Trump administration officials and spokespeople have been allowed to appear on media outlets across the country for almost a month without being substantively challenged on the administrations closeness to the white nationalist movement. That must change. Now. More of Millers past was quickly dredged up after his disastrous appearances on Meet the Press, This Week, Fox News Sunday, and Face the Nation. In addition to Millers ties to Spencer, who isagain!an open and proud white supremacist, the White House Senior Advisor has a history of racial hatred. In high school in Santa Monica, Millers views on his Hispanic classmates were well known. He wrote a letter to the Santa Monica Lookout in 2001 in which he made his antipathy to the population clear. There are usually very few, if any, Hispanic students in my honors classes, despite the large number of Hispanic students that attend our school. Fernando Peinado reported on Feb. 13 for Univision that in college, Miller was associated to radicals like Richard Spencer, creator of the term Alt-Right (although Miller has distanced himself from Spencer), anti-immigration activist David Horowitz and white nationalist Jared Taylor. After college, Miller worked as an aide in then-Senator and now Attorney General Jeff Sessions office as Communications Director (he also worked in Michele Bachmanns office). He joined the Trump campaign in January 2016. Both men have histories of racist remarks. Yet all of the above reportingas solid and informative as it isshould not have taken this long. Miller appeared frequently as a warm-up for Trumps rallies, unleashing his views on Islam and immigration on the crowds. Miller wrote many of Trumps most explosive and controversial speeches. He was well known and he should have been thoroughly vetted by the press, especially when he joined the White House. And when he appeared on the Sunday shows last weekend, he should have at the very least, been asked directly about his connections with Spencerwhich was first reported on all the way back in December and as recently as Feb. 1. Of course, if it were only Miller this wouldnt be such a big deal. Sure, the young advisor would be at the center of a controversy and would be forced out of power, but if it were only Miller that would be the end of it. But of course it isnt. The Trump administrations ties to white nationalists are deep. Its not only Miller. Its also Presidential Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, Sessions, and the president himself. Those ties need to be addressed every time any one of these men or their representatives appear in the media. Bannons ties with white supremacist movements is well known. The former executive of white nationalist website Breitbart believes that the world is in the fourth turning, a generational shift in which a great war between civilizations will reset the world. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer should be asked about Bannons views during every single press conference. Sessions has a long history of racist statements and an affinity for hate groupshe famously said the KKK were alright with him until he discovered they smoked pot. He relies on far right European hate groups for information on immigration and refugees. He is in charge of civil rights law enforcement in the United States. No public appearance by this man should go by without questions on his racist views. The Presidents father was involved with the KKK. His son, Donald Jr., has a history of sharing racist memes online decrying white genocide and the infiltration of non-whites into western nations. The President is never asked about these family connections to racial hatred. He must be. Every day. And theres more of course. The White Houses statement to remember the Holocaust didnt mention the six million Jews who comprised the majority of the 11 million victims. THEN WHY DIDN'T THEY JUST MENTION JEWS AS WELL AS THE OTHER VICTIMIZED GROUPS https://t.co/hxUfZXP9xK benny ? ??? (@bennykoval) January 29, 2017 Sebastian Gorka, a Deputy Assistant to Trump, has been spotted wearing a pin associated with Nazi collaborators from Hungary. Gorka has denied that his wearing of the Order of Vitek pin is associated with Nazismthough only indirectly and through Breitbart. And Kellyanne Conway, who has the ability to spin any bad news into a non sequitur, retweeted a white supremacist on Valentine's Day. All of these issues need to be addressed. Every. Day. As Twitter user @_sunfloweremoji pointed out, the lack of combativeness in the US news media is symptomatic of the profession's recent technocratic impotence. But that's the whole point! You HAVE to know how to be combative! You have to know how to challenge someone on their bullshit! a russian spy (@_sunfloweremoji) February 15, 2017 Were in uncharted territory today, and the way that the news media covers power in America needs to change. Permanently. We cannot allow the Trump administration to be the exception that proves the rulerather, this administration must be the turning point for the US media, when reporters stopped overlooking the ideological underpinnings for policy and power and started asking the difficult questions. You can reach Eoin Higgins on Facebook and Twitter. In our modern-day society, its hard to believe that child slavery still exists, and furthermore, that many people unintentionally help perpetuate this archaic and inhumane practice. Im certainly a culprit, along with anyone else whos indulged in a Hersheys bar or a gold foil-wrapped Ferrero Rocher chocolate in their lifetime. The two biggest producers in the worldIvory Coast and Ghanaaccount for roughly 60-70 percent of the global cocoa supply. According to Tulane Universitys 2013/2014 survey of child labor in this area, over 2.3 million children were working in cocoa production and 2 million children were involved in hazardous work in cocoa production in Cote dIvoire and Ghana combined. Even more troubling is the fact that the total number of children subject to child labor saw a 21 percent increase over the previous survey from five years earlier. As of 2015, over 90 percent of the estimated 2.3 million children working in Ghana on the cocoa plantations are working as slaves. In 2002, a chilling documentary titled Slavery: A Global Investigation, brought national attention to the chocolate industrys usage of child slaves, igniting outrage among consumers and activists alike. From routine beatings to inhumane living conditions, the film offers a rare look into the lives of former child slaves on the Ivory Coast. After in-depth investigations on the conditions of child workers, the news made its way to Congress, which led to legislation asking the Federal Drug Administration to introduce slave-free labeling for chocolate products sold in the United States. However, just before the bill made it to a vote, the chocolate industryHershey, Nestle, and Mars includedmade a promise to self-regulate and implement voluntary standards to ensure chocolate produced without the worst forms of child labor, (defined according to the International Labor Organizations Convention) by July 2005. This agreement, known as the Engel-Harkin Protocol, was signed in September 2001. Heres the real kicker: the chocolate industry has yet to make any significant strides to end child slavery, and the problem has arguably gotten worse. While the future of the chocolate industrys commitment to producing slave-free chocolate may seem bleak, there is hope. Amsterdam-based Tonys Chocolonely is on a mission to change the industry by making 100 percent slave-free the norm in the chocolate industry. Photo by Tonys Chocolonely Upon discovering that the worlds largest chocolate companies were buying cocoa from plantations using child slavery, Dutch journalist Teun van de Keuken (Tony) decided to take matters into his own hands. After eating 12 chocolate bars, he subsequently turned himself into the police as a chocolate criminal, citing that he had bought illegally manufactured chocolate products. After pushback from the courts and other key players in the industry, he sought out four boys who had worked as slaves on a cocoa farm in Ivory Coast to testify against him. Though Tony never got convicted, Tonys Chocolonely brand was born, and in 2005 the first 5,000 Fairtrade, 100 percent slave-free chocolate bars were produced. When you unwrap the chunky six-ounce bars, you immediately notice something unique: an unequally divided slab of chocolate illustrating the inequality in the chocolate industry. With bright red wrapping bringing attention to Teuns (Tonys) lonely (Chocolonely) mission, this brand grew to be the largest Dutch chocolate company in less than ten years and recently entered the U.S. with the launch of their chocolate in Portland, Ore. in fall 2016. Photo by Tonys Chocolonely Despite being a chocolate company founded as a tool in the march towards slave-free chocolate, it has been met with widespread demand. It is proving that there is a way for large chocolate manufacturers to source ethicalslave-freecocoa, and run a commercially successful business. Tonys Chocolonley plans to build distribution across the U.S. further and expects to be available through distributors in all states by April. As far as we know, we are the only company that uses fully traceable beans from Ghana and Ivory Coast, Explained Maudi Admiraal, Tonys Chocolonelys American Brand Builder, in response to the difficulties of producing slave-free chocolate bars. Most of the initiatives from other companies invest in programs that improve the productivity of farmers, but these farmers do not necessarily deliver beans to the companies that finance these programs. We think traceability is a very importantif not the most importantstep because it makes the company directly responsible for the farmers and their families. If you dont know who you buy your beans from, it becomes a black box instead of real people youre doing business with, which makes it more likely to feel less responsible for that part of the supply chain. Tonys strives for a completely transparent and traceable bean-to-bar process through direct, long-term relationships with cocoa farmers and other supply chain partners. This is no easy feat. In addition to agreeing to better prices for the farmers and providing business and agricultural training to increase productivity on the cocoa farms, one percent of Tonys Chocolonely net revenue is donated to its Chocolonely Foundationsupporting projects to eradicate slavery in the cocoa chain. One of the most difficult parts is to explain all that we do to consumers and to create awareness about the issues in the chocolate industry, while at the same time being a chocolate maker that wants to make incredibly tasty chocolate, said Admiraal. We do not claim to be 100 percent slave-free because we simply cannot guarantee that slavery does not happen at all at the plantations where we source our cacao from. That being said, we do everything within our power to make sure that theres no slavery involved our goal goes further than just our own chocolate; we want to make the whole chocolate industry slave-free. Tonys takes pride in disrupting the industry and standing up for the less fortunate. First, we create awareness around the problem of inequality and slavery in the chocolate industry. Second, we lead by example and show that it is possible to make chocolate differently, continued Admiraal in regards to ways to positively influence larger companies like Hershey or Nestle to end using child slaves. And last but not least, we want to inspire other chocolate companies (like Nestle and Hershey) to take action, and we are actively looking for partners to follow our model. Consumers must be knowledgeable of which companies use slaves and which ones dont. Though certification can help to make better choices, it doesnt provide any additional action or investment. Moreover, its not a guarantee against child labor, nor does it ensure that farmers will escape poverty. Its an accomplishment to be proud of, but its not the end goal, adds Admiraal. It does contribute to better conditions for farmers, but in addition to certification, a lot more has to happen. Companies need to accept accountability and not hide behind excuses and/or their certification. Whelp: its looking more and more like the Trump campaign had repeated contact with Russia throughout the election. An explosive new report in the New York Times claims that phone records and intercepted calls show members of Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the 12 months before the election, according to four current and former American officials. And CNN reports that multiple current and former intelligence, law enforcement and administration officials claim that high-level advisors in Trumps team were in constant contact with Russians throughout the campaign. It comes one day after National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned amid controversy around his communication with Russia during the transition period before Trump was sworn in, leaving him open to blackmail. Press Secretary Sean Spicer this afternoon denied that anyone including General Flynn had contact with Russia during the Trump campaign. Sean Spicer TODAY: Nobody on the Trump campaign had contact with Russia before the election. pic.twitter.com/cXhpI3S5y0 Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 15, 2017 My understanding is that what General Flynn has now expressed is that during the transition period well, we were very clear that during the transition period, he did speak with the ambassador he began. Im talking about the campaign, interrupted ABC News Jonathan Karl, who asked Spicer to clarify in the first place. I dont have any theres nothing that would conclude me that anything different has changed with respect to that time period, Spicer replied. Former Attorney-General Sally Yates had warned the administration a month ago that Flynn was susceptible to blackmail thanks to his communication with Russia yknow, before she was fired for opposing Trumps Muslim ban. However, this only came to light per a Washington Post report earlier this week, meaning there is a possibility the White House comprised the security of the United States by not taking action. Its prompted both Democrats and Republicans alike to demand answers . I would think that we should talk to General Flynn very soon and that should answer a lot of questions, Republican Senator Roy Blunt told KTRS radio. What did he know? What did he do? And is there any reason to believe that anybody knew that and didnt take the kind of action they should have taken? When did @WhiteHouse know that Flynn lied? What other contacts with Russia occurred during the campaign? Who knew what? Who approved what? Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 14, 2017 Congress must pull its head out of the sand and launch a real, bipartisan, transparent inquiry into Russia. Our natl security is at stake. Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 14, 2017 Photo: Getty Pool. Playground Winter Festival: Le Floch Wins Second Title February 15, 2017 Anthony Charter France's Nicolas Le Floch is having a great trip in Montreal. Just days ago, Le Floch lifted a Playground Winter Festival Champions trophy for topping the field in the Omaha event. Le Floch, who won a package to the WPT Playground Main Event online through partypoker, then made a deep run in the WPT event, finishing in 29th. A day later, Le Floch captured the Winter Festival Second Chance title, bringing his total earnings at Playground this week to $62,355. Day 2 of Event #13: $1,650 NL Holdem Second Chance resumed on Tuesday with 21 players left in the mix, just seven away from the money. Le Floch began the day among the leaders in a field that also included Daniel Dvoress, multiple Playground trophy winner Shawn Daigle, Thomas Lefort, Danny Le and chip leader Chad Coombs. Play quickly moved down to the final two tables. Soon after, Le Floch busted the bubble by eliminating Scott Diver in 15th place. Lefort, Martin Szlavy and Matthew Wantman found the exit before Dvoress hit the rail, setting the final table. Final Table Results: *Place Name Prize 1 Nicolas Le Floch $47,140 2 Shawn Daigle $29,130 3 Alexandre Lavigne $17,440 4 Jeremy Lyons $11,390 5 Chad Coombs $8,790 6 Michael Garry Aron $7,220 7 Stephane Fournier $6,120 8 Lonnie Hallett $5,340 9 Daniel Le $4,710 10 Yann Prevost-Dumont $4,160 Daigle and Le Floch picked away at the field and Alexandre Lavigne scored a few knockouts. With the final three set, Lavigne and Le Floch tangled in a pot that would see the former hit the rail. Lavigne shoved preflop with pocket fours, racing against the ace-ten of Le Floch. An ace landed on the river and Lavignes day was done. Le Floch had more than a 2-1 chip lead on Daigle when heads-up play began. Interestingly enough, according to the Playground live blog, Le Flochs heads-up opponent in his Omaha win, Andre Markovinovic, is a roommate of Daigles. The two battled for the better part of three levels without much change in the chip counts before Le Floch was able to seal the deal. In a pot where both players hit the flop, the money went in on the turn with Daigle having ace-five and Le Floch holding ace-nine on an eight-ace-nine-seven board. Daigle needed a six to stay alive but the river bricked and Le Floch earned his second title of the Winter Festival. The penultimate event of the Winter Festival got underway Tuesday evening. Event #15: $550 NL Holdem 6-Max attracted a field of 100 players. Bill Kontaratos took down the event and put himself on top of the Playground festival all-time cashes list. Bill Kontaratos Kontaratos made several deep runs this festival including a runner-up finish in Event #11 three days ago. Early Wednesday morning, Kontaratos busted his final opponent to claim the champions trophy and bank a score of $12,050. Final Table Payouts: *Place Name Prize 1 Bill Kontaratos $12,050 2 Patrick St-Onge $9,170 3 Charles La Boissonniere $7,000 4 Raphael Bernard $5,350 5 Alexander Mackenzie Fitzgerald $4,090 6 Patrick Braga $3,120 Kontaratos victory was no easy task given the field he topped en route. Jonathan Bussieries, Brian Morgan, David Valcourt-Dube, Rodney Ramalho, Michael Malm, Laurence Grondin and Ruben Perceval all took their shot but faded out before the money. Just 12 players earned a cash in the event. Once Shu Pui Philip Tse fell in 13th place, the remaining players locked up a min-cash and play quickly accelerated to a final table. Raphael Bernard held the chip lead when the final table commenced but Kontaratos would score the first elimination. Patrick Braga put his tournament life on the line with ace-queen and Kontaratos put him at risk, calling with pocket fives. Kontaratos won the race and Praga fell in sixth. Then Bernard took his turn at shortening the table. Bernard scored a cooler to send Alex Fitzgerald to the rail with both men turning a full house; Bernard had the best of it. With just a 12 big blind average, play moved along quite quickly for the final four as Bernard and Charles La Boissonniere succumbed to the stack of Kontaratos. Patrick St-Onge was able to battle back from a chip deficit to even out the playing field. Patrick St-Onge With both players relatively short-stacked, they each picked up an ace preflop and the chips went into the middle. Kontaratos had St-Onge outkicked with his ace-queen to St-Onges ace-six. Though St-Onge picked up some extra outs on the turn, Kontaratoss kicker played and the victory was his. With the WPT Playground Main Event finishing a day early, just a single lone event is on the schedule for Wednesday. The final event of the series, Event #16: $330 NL Holdem 8-Max Bounty, kicks off at 7 p.m. and boasts a guarantee of $35,000. The Playground Winter Festival runs through Feb. 15 and PokerNews will bring you daily updates of all the happenings throughout the festival. For full coverage and details check out the Playground event blog here. Sharelines The river bricked, ending Shawn Daigle's run. Nicolas Le Floch won the Second Chance event. Poker & Pop Culture: Bluffing With Bombs During the Cold War February 15, 2017 Martin Harris Many poker players like to say how poker is more than just a game, it's a way of life. Even so, a lot of them probably wouldn't think to claim that poker might have had something to do with life continuing to exist on this planet. Several years ago, shortly after the publication of James McManus's excellent history of poker, Cowboys Full (2009), I spoke with him about the book. Among the many topics we addressed was the argument his book persuasively puts forth that poker is, in fact, more than "just a game." When I asked McManus about that, he referenced the significant role poker played during the Cold War when prolonged tension between the United States and the Soviet Union saw each side continuing to develop and build up nuclear arsenals capable of destroying civilization many times over. "If nuclear stand-offs are resolved by one nuclear-armed leader bluffing another, and the logic of his advisors is based on game theory which is itself based on poker... there's absolutely no way you can think of poker as just a game," McManus explained. "It has ramifications that go infinitely beyond what happens on the felt with the chips and the money," he continued. "There are tens of millions of lives at stake, and how that drama plays out and crisis is averted occurs as the result of the same logic and psychology that poker players use. And we use the same language 'bluff,' 'laydown,' and so on to describe both activities. So that, to me, is a knock-down argument for the idea that poker is not just a game." Let's back up a little to look at the sequence of connections McManus was alluding to the ones linking poker, game theory and high-stakes negotiations during the Cold War and think a little further about this notion that poker (perhaps) might have already saved us all. Poker and Game Theory When McManus referred to advisors drawing on game theory in their recommendations to leaders, he was specifically alluding to Oskar Morgenstern, the German-born economist and mathematician who emigrated to the U.S. during the 1930s and would later serve as an advisor to President Dwight D. Eisenhower during the 1950s. Morgenstern had been living and working as a professor in Vienna, and in fact it was during a visit to the United States in 1938 that Adolf Hitler took over Austria, prompting Morgenstern to remain in America where he'd eventually join the faculty at Princeton University. At Princeton, Morgenstern would meet another academic emigre, the Hungarian-born mathematician John von Neumann. Back in 1928, von Neumann had published a study in German titled "Zur Theorie der Gesellschafsspiele" or "On the Theory of Parlor Games." Even before meeting von Neumann, his article had been recommended to Morgenstern thanks to the pair's overlapping interests. As the war played out, the pair would subsequently collaborate on a book-length study titled Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (1944). The book became a landmark publication, often heralded as having helped establish game theory as a new and distinct scientific discipline. A chapter in the book titled "Poker and Bluffing," based in part on von Neumann's earlier article, helps demonstrate how the study of poker strategy played a role in the development of game theory. In that chapter, heads-up stud poker is analyzed as one of several "zero-sum two-person games." The authors examine such games as possible models for other, similar kinds of decision-making made in situations where two rational entities oppose one another situations that come up, say, in social contexts or in political conflicts or in financial transactions... Or in war. You M.A.D., Bro? Von Neumann also did some advising of presidents. During the war he'd been part of the Manhattan Project that had produced the atomic bombs used in Japan at the conclusion of the war, and was among those advising President Harry Truman about their usage and the choice of targets. In fact, while Morgenstern was later advising Eisenhower, von Neumann was there also providing guidance while serving as the chair of a top secret Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Committee before his death in 1957. Not long after WWII ended the Cold War began, marked at the start by Winston Churchill's famous "Iron Curtain" speech in 1946 a speech that followed a poker game and Joseph Stalin's denunciation in response. During the years that followed the idea of using mathematical models (including some derived from zero-sum games like poker) to describe various types of military conflict began to gain increasing influence. Thinkers like von Neumann Morgenstern were called upon by leaders like Eisenhower to share their knowledge. One idea credited to von Neumann that often gets highlighted in discussions of these high-stakes Cold War "games" is the one popularly known as "mutual assured destruction" sometimes referred to by its darkly humorous acronym "M.A.D." The theory was introduced to explain the behavior of two sides engaged in a type of conflict where neither can win without both losing so badly they cannot "play" again. An exchange of nuclear weapons between the two superpowers exemplified such a situation, where neither side could feasibly win in any real sense as both would be utterly destroyed should the "game" begin at all. Should both sides recognize the reality of the situation (a key component of the theory), both would necessarily avoid engaging in such a conflict like a poker player tossing a hand away in a spot where the risk is too great to justify seeking any reward. Americans Play Poker, Russians Play Chess Moving into the 1960s and the start of John F. Kennedy's presidency, the Cold War continued to dominate headlines and op-ed pages. On February 5, 1961 just a couple of weeks into JFK's tenure at the top Morgenstern wrote an article for The New York Times titled "The Cold War Is Cold Poker" that specifically highlighted the parallel between poker strategy and ongoing diplomatic conflict between America and the Soviet Union. "The cold war is sometimes compared to a giant chess game between ourselves and the Soviet Union, and Russia's disturbingly frequent successes are sometimes attributed to the national preoccupation with chess," Morgenstern began. "The analogy, however, is quite false, for while chess is a formidable game of almost unbelievable complexity, it lacks salient features of the political and military struggles with which it is compared." Morgenstern argued that since "chess is the Russian national pastime and poker is ours, we ought to be more skillful than they in applying its precepts to the cold-war struggle." Alas (in his view) that had not been the case by early 1961. Thus did he proceed explicitly to argue in favor of the country's leaders becoming more studious about poker strategy, particularly highlighting the need to learn how bluff effectively (and responsibly) and to learn how to recognize the Soviets' bluffs, too. "The problem of how, on the one hand, to make a threat effective and, on the other, to recognize a genuine threat by your opponent is one of the most fundamental of the day," Morgenstern maintained. It was an influential argument. By his later actions, Kennedy would get variously credited with having reaffirmed the "we play poker, they play chess" idea, further underscoring both cultural differences and the contrasting strategic approaches of the two superpowers toward each other. And further promoting the "poker provides a better approach" argument as well. However, not everyone was agreeing with the view that poker was necessarily a better source of Cold War strategy for the U.S. than was chess. A letter to the NYT by Louis Wiznitzer dated three weeks later responded to Morgenstern's article by saying its pro-poker position "sums up pretty much the essential reasons why the United States has been steadily losing the cold war in the last twelve years." "Whereas the Communists are waging a game of chess, with moves as scientifically planned as possible," noted Wiznitzer, "the Americans are improvising poker moves and bluffs, without a master plan or aim, and depending more or less on their last hand, or reacting to the enemy's bet." Since "politics is not a game nor simply an art" but rather a "science," he insisted, the long-range thinking of chess is actually preferable to the overly reactive game of poker. "You cannot beat chess with poker," he concluded. It's an interesting response, and the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion two-and-a-half months later soon recognized as a woefully shortsighted "play" with especially damaging consequences for the U.S. probably inspired further doubt regarding Morgenstern's argument. Poker and Diplomacy: Partial Information Games The later Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 is more often discussed as an application of poker strategy to what was the most tense of all moments during the Cold War. McManus does a nice job applying the poker analogy to that conflict in Cowboys Full, as had David Spanier in his 1977 book Total Poker. Rather than rehearse that complicated conflict and analysis, I'll point you to their discussions of how Kennedy managed to induce Nikita Khrushchev to "fold" and prevent a devasting "showdown." Like Morgenstern (and others), Spanier noted that "in general, one might say the Russians play chess and the Americans play poker." In his analysis of the crisis, he also supported the idea that poker strategies especially the role of bluffing (and recognizing others' bluffs) are more obviously applicable to a Cold War staredown in which much that is relevant is hidden from view. That was Morgenstern's point in his NYT piece. "Chess is, to begin with, a game of complete information," Morgenstern pointed out. "That is, the chess opponent has no unknown cards.... Every move is made in the open; consequently (and this is most important) there is no possibility of bluffing, no opportunity to deceive." By contrast, he continued, poker "describes better what goes on in political reality where countries with opposing aims and ideals watch each other's every move with unveiled suspicion." Did poker "save us" during the Cuban Missile Crisis and at other tense moments along the way as the Cold War played out? It most certainly played a role. Then again, as in poker, luck had a little bit to do with the outcome, too. From the forthcoming "Poker & Pop Culture: Telling the Story of America's Favorite Card Game." Martin Harris teaches a course in "Poker in American Film and Culture" in the American Studies program at UNC-Charlotte. Image (top): "Back to Where It All Started," Michael Cummings, Daily Express, August 24, 1953. A 36-year-old man convicted five years ago of raping several underage girls, as young as 9, will be deported to the Philippines, the governor's office announced today. Carlo Alfred Tenorio Borja has been transferred from the custody of the Guam Department of Corrections to the federal immigration authorities for deportation proceedings. Borja will be the 23rd convict to be removed from Guam since the governor last year began an effort to free up space in the island's prison by removing foreigner convicts through the commutation of their sentences or by handing them over to the federal immigration authorities for deportation. Borja was sentenced to 15 years in prison for criminal sexual conduct as a first-degree felony. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Borja was eligible for parole next year. His scheduled release was 2021. U.S. immigration officials flagged Borja as having committed a deportable crime. The victims were notified of the decision for Borja, a Filipino citizen, to be deported and they support the deportation, according to the governors office. Life is Dulce We call it the dolce far niente. It means the sweetness of doing nothing. You may have heard this while scrolling through Instagram or T Read moreThe benefits of doing nothing Local author Billie Coleman will be available to sign copies of book End --Cotton was once king throughout Georgia. Reconstruction investors and railroad tycoons saw this potential to open textile mills in the South instead of sending cotton up North. Towns across Central Georgia became a prime spot to locate textile mills because of the access to cotton from local farms, cheap labor, and nearby rivers to power the mills. Textile mills were operated in cities and towns across Central Georgia such as Macon, Columbus, Augusta, Tifton, Forsyth, Porterdale, and Hawkinsville, among others. The textile mills provided employment and sometimes a home in their villages to people across Georgia as the agrarian lifestyle gave way to industrial expansion. In these mills, photographer Lewis Hine captured iconic images of child labor. After the decline of production and closing of the mills, many have been revived into new usages that honor the legacy of the mill workers and their families who lived in the villages of the textile mills across Central Georgia.Author Billie Coleman is a historian and cultural preservationist of Southern history. She was inspired to write this book after moving to Payne City, a former textile mill village in Macon, Georgia.Barnes & Noble5080 Riverside DriveMacon, GA 31210Saturday, February 25th, 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 Poland is continuing to establish itself as an investment destination for property investors. This has been true of the office segment for some time now; the residential segment is still in the early phase of development but shows great potential. There is a shortage in the Polish property market that [] Javascript Error Javascript is deactivated in your browser. To use all functions on this portal, for example the login, Javascript must be activated. Please activate Javascript in your browser settings. Excavations in a cave on the cliffs west of Qumran, near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, prove that Dead Sea scrolls from the Second Temple period were hidden in the cave, and were looted by Bedouins in the middle of the last century. With the discovery of this cave, scholars now suggest that it should be numbered as Cave 12. The surprising discovery, representing a milestone in Dead Sea Scroll research, was made by Dr. Oren Gutfeld and Ahiad Ovadia from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Archaeology, with the collaboration of Dr. Randall Price and students from Liberty University in Virginia, USA. The excavators are the first in over 60 years to discover a new scroll cave and to properly excavate it. The excavation was supported by the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), and is a part of the new "Operation Scroll" launched at the IAA by its Director-General, Mr. Israel Hasson, to undertake systematic surveys and to excavate the caves in the Judean Desert. Excavation of the cave revealed that at one time it contained Dead Sea scrolls. Numerous storage jars and lids from the Second Temple period were found hidden in niches along the walls of the cave and deep inside a long tunnel at its rear. The jars were all broken and their contents removed, and the discovery towards the end of the excavation of a pair of iron pickaxe heads from the 1950s (stored within the tunnel for later use) proves the cave was looted. Until now, it was believed that only 11 caves had contained scrolls. With the discovery of this cave, scholars have now suggested that it would be numbered as Cave 12. Like Cave 8, in which scroll jars but no scrolls were found, this cave will receive the designation Q12 (the Q=Qumran standing in front of the number to indicate no scrolls were found). "This exciting excavation is the closest we've come to discovering new Dead Sea scrolls in 60 years. Until now, it was accepted that Dead Sea scrolls were found only in 11 caves at Qumran, but now there is no doubt that this is the 12th cave," said Dr. Oren Gutfeld, an archaeologist at the Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology and director of the excavation. "Finding this additional scroll cave means we can no longer be certain that the original locations (Caves 1 through 11) assigned to the Dead Sea scrolls that reached the market via the Bedouins are accurate." Dr. Gutfeld added: "Although at the end of the day no scroll was found, and instead we 'only' found a piece of parchment rolled up in a jug that was being processed for writing, the findings indicate beyond any doubt that the cave contained scrolls that were stolen. The findings include the jars in which the scrolls and their covering were hidden, a leather strap for binding the scroll, a cloth that wrapped the scrolls, tendons and pieces of skin connecting fragments, and more." The finds from the excavation include not only the storage jars, which held the scrolls, but also fragments of scroll wrappings, a string that tied the scrolls, and a piece of worked leather that was a part of a scroll. The finding of pottery and of numerous flint blades, arrowheads, and a decorated stamp seal made of carnelian, a semi-precious stone, also revealed that this cave was used in the Chalcolithic and the Neolithic periods. This first excavation to take place in the northern part of the Judean Desert as part of "Operation Scroll" will open the door to further understanding the function of the caves with respect to the scrolls, with the potential of finding new scroll material. The material, when published, will provide important new evidence for scholars of the archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea caves. "The important discovery of another scroll cave attests to the fact that a lot of work remains to be done in the Judean Desert and finds of huge importance are still waiting to be discovered," said Israel Hasson, Director-General of the Israel Antiquities Authority. "We are in a race against time as antiquities thieves steal heritage assets worldwide for financial gain. The State of Israel needs to mobilize and allocate the necessary resources in order to launch a historic operation, together with the public, to carry out a systematic excavation of all the caves of the Judean Desert." A new study of songbird dehydration and survival risk during heat waves in the United States desert Southwest suggests that some birds are at risk of lethal dehydration and mass die-offs when water is scarce, and the risk is expected to increase as climate change advances. Using physiological data, hourly temperature maps and modeling, first author Tom Albright at the University of Nevada, Reno, with Blair Wolf at the University of New Mexico and Alexander Gerson at the University of Massachusetts Amherst investigated how rates of evaporative water loss varied in five bird species with varied body mass. They mapped potential effects of current and future heat waves on lethal dehydration risk for songbirds in the Southwest and how rapidly this can occur in each species. Details are in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Gerson brings expertise in avian heat tolerance physiology to these studies. One question he and colleagues addressed is whether some birds are more susceptible and at risk from heat exposure than others. They looked at the lesser goldfinch, house finch, cactus wren, Abert's towhee and curve-billed thrasher, representing "a wide range of body sizes," Gerson notes. They found the small species lose water faster than large, making them particularly susceptible to lethal dehydration. The researchers state, "Our models reveal that increasing air temperatures and heat wave occurrence will potentially have important impacts on the water balance, daily activity and geographic distribution of arid-zone birds. Impacts may be exacerbated by chronic effects and interactions with other environmental changes. This work underscores the importance of acute risks of high temperatures, particularly for small-bodied species, and suggests conservation of thermal refugia and water sources." Wolf explains, "Birds are susceptible to heat stress in two ways. When it's really hot, they simply can't evaporate enough water to stay cool, overheat and die of heat stroke. In other cases, the high rates of evaporative water loss needed to stay cool deplete their body water pools to lethal levels and birds die of dehydration. This is the stressor we focused on in this study." He adds, "These estimates suggest that some regions of the desert will be uninhabitable for many species in the future and that future high temperature events could depopulate whole regions." Gerson says he and the team measured water loss rates in response to temperature with a focus on air temperatures that exceed the animal's body temperature of 40 degrees C. (104 degrees F.) "At about 40 C, they start panting, which increases the rate of water loss very rapidly," he says. advertisement "Most animals can only tolerate water losses that result in 15 or 20 percent loss of body mass before they die," Gerson adds. "So an animal experiencing peak temperatures during a hot summer day, with no access to water, isn't going to make it more than a few hours. Once we have these types of profiles for a number of different species, we can determine differential survival rates which will then drive differences in the overall avian community structure." Gerson points out, "What we were able to do here is to use individual level physiology data to inform biogeographic models so we can better understand the impact of high temperatures on these avian communities. This is a big step forward to understanding local extirpation. It will raise a lot of other questions, but our contribution will help others look at how community structure might change in the future." The news does not look good for some species, the biologist acknowledges, "but this study will give us a new tool to try to inform our conservation efforts to try to save these species, or at least understand the impact better on the overall ecosystem. You have to understand the severity of the problem before you can do anything about it." One message for conservation is that climate refugia may become increasingly important. Further understanding of microclimates will help: mountaintops, trees and washes with shade might be very important in management plans for certain vulnerable species. Birds with a wider range such as house finches and lesser goldfinches might fare better, Gerson notes, because they can survive in a number of ecosystems. But specialists such as the curve-billed thrasher and Abert's towhee have more specific habitat needs and face higher risk. "Using this type of data, managers identifying the best refugia can have a better idea of the temperature profile that will be suitable for these birds," he says. Albright says this work "shows that in these hot desert systems for these species, we have a potentially devastating mechanism that can lead to die-offs for some species." The authors point out that this work is part of a larger effort by this team to look at the biology of birds in the hottest places on Earth related to a real, current threat of massive avian die-offs occurring now in Australia and South Africa, for example. Telecommunication experts estimate the amount of data stored "in the cloud" or in remote data centers around the world, will quintuple in the next five years. Whether it's streaming video or business' database content drawn from distant servers, all of this data is -- and will continue in the foreseeable future to be -- accessed and transmitted by lasers sending pulses of light along long bundles of flexible optical fibers. Traditionally, the rate information is transmitted does not consider the distance that data must travel, despite the fact that shorter distances can support higher rates. Yet as the traffic grows in volume and uses increasingly more of the available bandwidth, or capacity to transfer bits of data, researchers have become increasingly aware of some of the limitations of this mode of transmission. New research from Nokia Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey may offer a way to capitalize on this notion and offer improved data transfer rates for cloud computing based traffic. The results of this work will be presented at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC), held 19-23 March in Los Angeles, California, USA. "The challenge for legacy systems that rely on fixed-rate transmission is that they lack flexibility," said Dr. Kyle Guan, a research scientist at Nokia Bell Labs. "At shorter distances, it is possible to transmit data at much higher rates, but fixed-rate systems lack the capability to take advantage of that opportunity." Guan worked with a newly emerged transmission technology called "distance-adaptive transmission," where the equipment that receives and transmits these light signals can change the rate of transmission depending on how far the data must travel. With this, he set about building a mathematical model to determine the optimal lay-out of network infrastructure for data transfer. "The question that I wanted to answer was how to design a network that would allow for the most efficient flow of data traffic," said Guan. "Specifically, in a continent-wide system, what would be the most effective [set of] locations for data centers and how should bandwidth be apportioned? It quickly became apparent that my model would have to reflect not just the flow of traffic between data centers and end users, but also the flow of traffic between data centers." External industry research suggests that this second type of traffic, between the data centers, represents about one-third of total cloud traffic. It includes activities such as data backup and load balancing, whereby tasks are completed by multiple servers to maximize application performance. After accounting for these factors, Guan ran simulations with his model of how data traffic would flow most effectively in a network. "My preliminary results showed that in a continental-scale network with optimized data center placement and bandwidth allocation, distance-adaptive transmission can use 50 percent less wavelength resources or light transmission, and reception equipment, compared to fixed-rate rate transmission," said Guan. "On a functional level, this could allow cloud service providers to significantly increase the volume of traffic supported on the existing fiber-optic network with the same wavelength resources." Guan recognizes other important issues related to data center placement. "Other important factors that have to be considered include the proximity of data centers to renewable sources of energy that can power them, and latency -- the interval of time that passes from when an end user or data center initiates an action and when they receive a response," he said. Guan's future research will involve integrating these types of factors into his model so that he can run simulations that even more closely mirror the complexity of real-world conditions. A new, specially coated iron oxide nanoparticle developed by a team at MIT and elsewhere could provide an alternative to conventional gadolinium-based contrast agents used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures. In rare cases, the currently used gadolinium agents have been found to produce adverse effects in patients with impaired kidney function. The advent of MRI technology, which is used to observe details of specific organs or blood vessels, has been an enormous boon to medical diagnostics over the last few decades. About a third of the 60 million MRI procedures done annually worldwide use contrast-enhancing agents, mostly containing the element gadolinium. While these contrast agents have mostly proven safe over many years of use, some rare but significant side effects have shown up in a very small subset of patients. There may soon be a safer substitute thanks to this new research. In place of gadolinium-based contrast agents, the researchers have found that they can produce similar MRI contrast with tiny nanoparticles of iron oxide that have been treated with a zwitterion coating. (Zwitterions are molecules that have areas of both positive and negative electrical charges, which cancel out to make them neutral overall.) The findings are being published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in a paper by Moungi Bawendi, the Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry at MIT; He Wei, an MIT postdoc; Oliver Bruns, an MIT research scientist; Michael Kaul at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany; and 15 others. Contrast agents, injected into the patient during an MRI procedure and designed to be quickly cleared from the body by the kidneys afterwards, are needed to make fine details of organ structures, blood vessels, and other specific tissues clearly visible in the images. Some agents produce dark areas in the resulting image, while others produce light areas. The primary agents for producing light areas contain gadolinium. Iron oxide particles have been largely used as negative (dark) contrast agents, but radiologists vastly prefer positive (light) contrast agents such as gadolinium-based agents, as negative contrast can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from certain imaging artifacts and internal bleeding. But while the gadolinium-based agents have become the standard, evidence shows that in some very rare cases they can lead to an untreatable condition called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, which can be fatal. In addition, evidence now shows that the gadolinium can build up in the brain, and although no effects of this buildup have yet been demonstrated, the FDA is investigating it for potential harm. "Over the last decade, more and more side effects have come to light" from the gadolinium agents, Bruns says, so that led the research team to search for alternatives. "None of these issues exist for iron oxide," at least none that have yet been detected, he says. The key new finding by this team was to combine two existing techniques: making very tiny particles of iron oxide, and attaching certain molecules (called surface ligands) to the outsides of these particles to optimize their characteristics. The iron oxide inorganic core is small enough to produce a pronounced positive contrast in MRI, and the zwitterionic surface ligand, which was recently developed by Wei and coworkers in the Bawendi research group, makes the iron oxide particles water-soluble, compact, and biocompatible. The combination of a very tiny iron oxide core and an ultrathin ligand shell leads to a total hydrodynamic diameter of 4.7 nanometers, below the 5.5-nanometer renal clearance threshold. This means that the coated iron oxide should quickly clear through the kidneys and not accumulate. This renal clearance property is an important feature where the particles perform comparably to gadolinium-based contrast agents. Now that initial tests have demonstrated the particles' effectiveness as contrast agents, Wei and Bruns say the next step will be to do further toxicology testing to show the particles' safety, and to continue to improve the characteristics of the material. "It's not perfect. We have more work to do," Bruns says. But because iron oxide has been used for so long and in so many ways, even as an iron supplement, any negative effects could likely be treated by well-established protocols, the researchers say. If all goes well, the team is considering setting up a startup company to bring the material to production. For some patients who are currently excluded from getting MRIs because of potential side effects of gadolinium, the new agents "could allow those patients to be eligible again" for the procedure, Bruns says. And, if it does turn out that the accumulation of gadolinium in the brain has negative effects, an overall phase-out of gadolinium for such uses could be needed. "If that turned out to be the case, this could potentially be a complete replacement," he says. The research team included researchers in MIT's chemistry, biological engineering, nuclear science and engineering, brain and cognitive sciences, and materials science and engineering departments and its program in Health Sciences and Technology; and at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf; Brown University; and the Massachusetts General Hospital. It was supported by the MIT-Harvard NIH Center for Cancer Nanotechnology, the Army Research Office through MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, the NIH-funded Laser Biomedical Research Center, the MIT Deshpande Center, and the European Union Seventh Framework Program. A study led by SFU biology researcher Gerhard Gries found that the photoreceptors in the eyes of blow flies do more than just help them navigate around surrounding environments. They're also used in an elaborate sexual communication system to aid in their quest to find the perfect mate by filtering out incompatible candidates. "We discovered that the immense processing speed of the blow flies' photoreceptors in their large sexually dimorphic eyes played a critical role in their visual mate recognition system," says Gries. "They use light flash frequency from their wings to communicate to their peers things like age, sex, and even mating status." The study, published by BioMed Central, found that young single female blow flies shared their mating profiles by reflecting light off their wings at a frequency of 178, Hertz (Hz), light flashes per second to attract young single male blow flies, which communicate at 212 Hz. Blow flies are able to screen for age and sex of prospective mates by filtering out flash frequencies. Gries says there are similarities between the blow flies' mate recognition system and Tinder, a dating app that matches approximately 10 million people a day. Tinder users similarly screen for age and sex of prospective matches by using the apps' filtration system. Michael Hrabar, part of the SFU study research team, says anyone using a dating app like Tinder could learn a thing or two from blow flies. "Like blow flies, humans are really good at filtering information. This means creating a good dating profile shouldn't be overlooked. Through a thoughtfully crafted profile you can attract potential partners through your interests, education and other attractive traits." The researchers in this study used an LED pulsing light at 178 light flashes per second to mimic the sexual communication signals sent by females. They found that they were able to attract males even in the absence of real female flies. "What was really surprising was that we noticed that female blow flies were most attractive to males on sunny days. On cloudy days, light flashes from the wings of flying females are absent, which explains the low mating propensity of these flies on cloudy days." The results from this study suggest that the light flash frequency, rather than any morphological characteristics of female flies, is the mate signal. "The next time you take a selfie for your dating profile make sure you have good lighting. What we've learned from blow flies is that good lighting can go a long way in helping you find the partner you've been looking for." A new study led by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science links a long-term decline in Chesapeake Bay's eelgrass beds to both deteriorating water quality and rising summertime temperatures. It also shows that loss of the habitat and other benefits that eelgrass provides comes at a staggering ecological and economic cost. Lead scientist Jonathan Lefcheck, a VIMS post-doctoral researcher, says "Not only have we lost a huge ecological resource, there have been real economic and recreational consequences for the Bay area's nearly 20 million residents. Blue crab fisheries, for example, have probably lost a year or more of catch based on the amount of eelgrass we've already lost. For silver perch, it's 10-20 years. In all, we estimate the potential economic cost to citizens at $1-2 billion." The study -- based on a comparison of VIMS' 31-year record of seagrass abundance and the Chesapeake Bay Program's long-term record of Bay water quality -- appeared in the February 3, 2017 issue of Global Change Biology. Co-authors include Professor Robert "JJ" Orth and scientist David Wilcox of VIMS, Dr. Rebecca Murphy of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and Scott Marion of the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife. The team's findings confirm a long-standing hypothesis that declines in Bay eelgrass stem from decreased water clarity, which in turn stems from increases in human activities that lead to nutrient pollution and sediment runoff. Orth, who initiated VIMS' annual Seagrass Monitoring and Assessment program in 1984, says, "It's a classic case of 'habitat squeeze.' Declining water clarity has cut eelgrass cover in half within deeper beds during the last two decades, so that the mean depth of eelgrass beds is now almost 5 inches shallower." That might not sound like much, but given Chesapeake Bay's gently sloping bottom, a 5-inch change means the Bay's fringing eelgrass beds have contracted shoreward by more than 500 feet since 1984. In fact, says Orth, it is now rare to find eelgrass growing in water deeper than about 3 feet in Chesapeake Bay. advertisement At the same time, the analysis reveals that more frequent heat waves are impacting eelgrass populations even in these shallow-water areas. The most extreme temperature-related losses were observed in 2006, when eelgrass declined 58% following the sweltering summer of 2005, and in 2011, when the VIMS team measured a 41% decline following the steamy summer of 2010. One bright spot is that eelgrass is currently able to recover rapidly after these sharp declines. In the year following the 2005-6 dieback, eelgrass acreage increased by 55%, and by 2009 had reached total cover exceeding that observed just before the dieback took place. A similar rebound took place after 2010-11, with eelgrass returning to pre-dieback acreage in less than two years. The scientists warn, however, that future recoveries are much less certain given current trends towards murkier, warmer water. They also stress that their analysis focuses on eelgrass. Other underwater baygrasses, widgeongrass in particular, have experienced recent increases in Bay coverage. But widgeongrass is known for boom-bust cycles that could quickly reverse these gains, and is unlikely to replace the ecosystem services provided by eelgrass due to its different growth habit and restriction to fresher waters. A hot and cloudy future "Our observations suggest eelgrass is responding to two main factors," says Orth. "Declining water clarity has gradually reduced eelgrass cover during the past two decades, primarily in deeper beds where lack of light already limits growth. In shallow beds, it's more that heat waves are stressing the plants, leading to the sharp drops we've seen in recent summers." But it's the combined effect of these two factors that gives the researchers their greatest concern. Says Lefcheck, "Declining clarity plus these hot summers is a real double-whammy for eelgrass." That's because eelgrasses -- which already need more light to survive than related land plants -- require even more light as water temperatures rise. advertisement "In effect," says Orth, "any increase in water temperature subjects shallowly growing eelgrass plants to light conditions similar to those that have already largely eliminated their deeper-water cohorts." The team's analysis shows the mean summertime water temperature in the lower Chesapeake Bay has already increased by more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1984 -- from 76.8 to 79.5F -- and that the frequency of extreme warm spells with water temperatures exceeding 82 has doubled in the last decade. As global warming continues to raise the area's water temperatures -- a conservative estimate is a further 3.5 F increase by 2040 -- the team predicts a further 38% decline in eelgrass cover. And if water clarity follows its current downward trajectory during the next 30 years, eelgrass would decline an additional 84%. When both declining clarity and warming are considered, say the researchers, the predicted increases in temperature and turbidity would result in a loss of 95% of Bay eelgrass -- a near total eradication. To combat this downward trend, the researchers call on resource managers and policymakers to build recognition of global warming into their management strategies. "We propose that managers must increase their water-quality targets at the local and regional levels to offset losses caused by global factors outside their immediate control," says Orth. "Our analysis suggests that eelgrass could still persist in the face of moderate increases in temperature, if the water remains clear enough" adds Lefcheck. "But that will only happen if managers adopt an integrated perspective, and continue with their efforts to curb inputs into the Bay." Life can thrive in some of the most extreme environments on the planet. Microbes flourish inside hot geothermal vents, beneath the frigid ice covering Antarctica and under immense pressures at the bottom of the ocean. For these organisms to survive and function, so must the enzymes that enable them to live and grow. Now, researchers from Georgetown University have homed in on what allows particular enzymes to function under extreme pressures. The team will present its work during the 61st Meeting of the Biophysical Society held Feb. 11-15, 2017 in New Orleans. Enzymes are proteins that speed up critical biochemical reactions in an organism. For an enzyme to work, its molecular structure has to be stable and flexible. To facilitate a reaction, an enzyme might have to assume different shapes, known as conformations, such as an open or closed conformation -- a mechanical motion that would fail if its molecular structure were too loose or too tight. "The overall shape of the protein has to be maintained, otherwise it will unfold and do nothing, but it also needs to be flexible enough so this shape can morph into different functional conformations," said Qi Huang, a graduate student in Toshiko Ichiye's lab at Georgetown University. Higher temperatures would loosen the atomic interactions in an enzyme, making it less stable but more flexible. High pressures would compress the enzyme and force it to become more rigid, making it more stable but less flexible. So for an enzyme under extreme conditions to function, it must adapt to have the right level of stability and flexibility. An enzyme adapted to high pressures, for example, might be more flexible than if it were adapted to normal pressures. To better understand the effect of pressure on an enzyme -- and, in particular, how it affects its flexibility -- researchers led by Ichiye used computers to simulate the behavior of an enzyme at the molecular level, under various pressures and temperatures. The researchers wanted to know which aspect of an enzyme's flexibility enables it to function under high pressures. An enzyme could be more flexible overall, like a bowl of jelly, or more flexible only at joints, like a robot. More likely, it could be flexible in both ways. The researchers focused on a well-studied enzyme called dihydrofolate reductase, which is found in the familiar E. coli, a bacterium that lives under normal conditions, called a mesophile. They also studied a high-pressure version of the enzyme found in M. profunda, a microbe found at the bottom of the Atlantic, making it both a piezophilic (pressure-loving) organism as well as a psychrophilic (cold-loving) organism. By comparing the two microbes, the researchers discovered that it's the collective motion involving small groups of atoms that bear on the jellylike nature of the protein that was most important. A mesophilic enzyme should work best under normal pressures while a piezophilic enzyme should work best under high pressures. The researchers found that when these enzymes worked their best, their collective motions were similar and in order for a piezophilic enzyme to adapt to high pressures, it needed to adjust its collective motion to match a mesophile's motion under normal pressure. Understanding how these so-called extremophiles thrive helps scientists gauge under what conditions life can exist -- whether it's in the ocean, deep underground, or even outer space, Huang said. These kinds of studies could even help researchers engineer proteins from mesophilic organisms to work in extreme conditions. "We can change the DNA sequence or the amino acids of a mesophilic protein and make it function under high pressure, low or high temperatures, just like those extremophiles," Huang said. That could be useful in industrial settings, for example in making biofuels and other chemicals that require extreme conditions for optimal production. Knowing the limits of microbial life could also be useful for sterilizing and preserving food by high-pressure processing. Ice loss from Canada's Arctic glaciers has transformed them into a major contributor to sea level change, new research by University of California, Irvine glaciologists has found. From 2005 to 2015, surface melt off ice caps and glaciers of the Queen Elizabeth Islands grew by an astonishing 900 percent, from an average of three gigatons to 30 gigatons per year, according to results published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. "In the past decade, as air temperatures have warmed, surface melt has increased dramatically," said lead author Romain Millan, an Earth system science doctoral student. The team found that in the past decade, overall ice mass declined markedly, turning the region into a major contributor to sea level change. Canada holds 25 percent of all Arctic ice, second only to Greenland. The study provides the first long-term analysis of ice flow to the ocean, from 1991 to 2015. The Canadian ice cap has glaciers on the move into the Arctic Ocean, Baffin Bay and Nares Strait. The researchers used satellite data and a regional climate model to tally the "balance" of total gain and loss each year, and the reasons why. Because of the huge number of glaciers terminating in area marine basins, they expected that discharge into the sea caused by tide water hitting approaching glacier fronts would be the primary cause. In fact, they determined that until 2005, the ice loss was caused about equally by two factors: calving icebergs from glacier fronts into the ocean accounted for 52 percent, and melting on glacier surfaces exposed to air contributed 48 percent. But since then, as atmospheric temperatures have steadily climbed, surface melt now accounts for 90 percent. Millan said that in recent years ice discharge was only a major component in a few basins, and that even rapid, short term increases from these ice fields only had a minor impact on the long-term trend. Millan added, "We identified meltwater runoff as the major contributor to these ice fields' mass loss in recent years. With the ongoing, sustained and rapid warming of the high Arctic, the mass loss of the Queen Elizabeth Islands area is likely to continue to increase significantly in coming decades." Although it was known that the number of alien species increased during the last decades, it remained unclear whether or not the accumulation of alien species has already reached a point of slow-down. Dr Hanno Seebens from Senckenberg, Germany, first author a new study on the topic has an answer now: "For all groups of organisms on all continents, the number of alien species has increased continuously during the last 200 years. For most groups, even the rate of introduction is highest recently. Barring mammals and fishes, there are no signs of a slow-down and we have to expect more new invasions in the near future." His outlook comes at the end of a large collaborative effort in which 45 scientists from all over the world established a database of the date an alien species was first detected in a region outside the species' native range. Using more than 45,000 of these first records of more than 16,000 alien species, they analysed the development of alien species accumulation during the last centuries. They found that 37% of all recorded alien species have been introduced between 1970-2014 and thus recently. At its peak 585 new species were recorded within one year. This corresponds to more than 1.5 new alien species per day globally. "As the date of first record is not available for most alien species, these numbers are clearly underestimating the full extent of alien species introductions," says Dr. Franz Essl from the University of Vienna, Austria, senior author of the study. The trends of increase vary among taxonomic groups, which can be attributed to human activities. "We observe a distinct increase in first record rates of vascular plants in the 19th century, probably as a result of the intensification of horticulture. The rates of new introductions of other organisms such as algae, molluscs or insects increased steeply after 1950. This is most likely a consequence of the ongoing globalisation of trade," explains Seebens. The unprecedented increase in alien species numbers can lead to an increase in regional species richness. However, these come at the cost of a variety of negative impacts on native ecosystems, the global homogenisation of floras and faunas, and the global extinction of native biota. Therefore various legislations are currently in force globally attempting to mitigate the introduction of new alien species. "However our results show that the past efforts have not been effective enough to keep up with ongoing globalisation. There is an urgent need to implement more effective prevention policies at all scales," concludes Essl. Cracks in the Greenland Ice Sheet let one of its aquifers drain to the ocean, new NASA research finds. The aquifers, discovered only recently, are unusual in that they trap large amounts of liquid water within the ice sheet. Until now, scientists did not know what happened to the water stored away in this reservoir -- the discovery will help fine tune computer models of Greenland's contribution to sea level rise. "This paper illuminates the fate of the aquifer's water," said Kristin Poinar, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Before, we didn't know if the water froze inside the ice sheet or reemerged onto the ice surface. In either of those scenarios, the meltwater would not contribute to sea level rise." Now, using a new computer model that tests whether certain meltwater-filled cracks can fracture to the base of the ice sheet, Poinar and her colleagues have shown that the meltwater does reach the ocean. Greenland contributes water to the sea mainly through surface melt and ice flow. Studies have shown that surface melt has increased in recent decades. In western Greenland, so much surface melts forms that it creates a network of rivers and lakes, which drain through the ice to the underlying bedrock, from where water flows to the ocean. But southeast Greenland is very different -- lakes and rivers do not form, although the ice does melt. Instead, vast reservoirs of water become trapped within the firn layer (a band of compacted snow). In 2011, scientists discovered these aquifers around 40 feet (12 meters) beneath the surface of the ice. Researchers calculated that these firn aquifers cover around 8,455 square miles (21,900 square kilometers) of Greenland and hold a Lake Tahoe-sized volume of water. The aquifer remains liquid year-round because the region's heavy snow fall creates a thick blanket that insulates the aquifer from the freezing air temperatures above. "These firn aquifers are the analogs to the surface water that we can see in western Greenland," Poinar said. "Southeast Greenland is perpetually covered in snow and has hardly any bare ice, so in the summer water doesn't pool up like it does on bare ice in western Greenland, forming lakes and rivers; instead, it percolates downward and disappears into places where we can't see it." Poinar studied a segment of the aquifer located in the Helheim Glacier area in southeast Greenland, where ground-penetrating radar measurements collected by Operation IceBridge, NASA's aerial survey of changes in polar ice, showed that a 2-mile long section of the aquifer had drained a large volume of water between the spring of 2012 and the spring of 2013. Directly downstream of this section of the aquifer, the researchers identified a field of crevasses (cracks in the ice); due to gravity, they thought, the aquifer water should flow into these openings. To find out whether the water refroze within the crevasses or fractured all the way to the bedrock, Poinar built a computer model of how water from the firn aquifer widens, deepens, and refreezes within the cracks. The model demonstrated that the water makes the crevasses crack faster than the water can refreeze, thus allowing the meltwater to reach the bedrock in a matter of weeks to months. "There's a limit to how much water the crevasses can hold; once they reach that limit, they fracture to the base of the ice sheet and deliver that water to the bed, from where it can travel relatively quickly to the ocean," Poinar said. "We found that the volume of meltwater drained through this particular aquifer-crevasse field system is comparable to what comes out of a western Greenland supraglacial lake or river system." Poinar said that although her study is focused on a specific section of the aquifer, there are other areas in southeast Greenland that are likely to host similar combinations of firn aquifers and nearby crevasse fields. She said that her future work will focus on how this newly discovered drainage system integrates over the entire Greenland ice sheet, and also on measuring how the water drained from the aquifer lubricates the bedrock and impacts the flow of the ice sheet. "Kristin's finding is a key component in understanding the importance of the firn aquifer system," said Rick Forster, a glaciologist at the University of Utah who was part of the field team that discovered the aquifer in 2011. "Her model shows that water is getting to the bed, and that adds a whole different level of significance to how that storage of water might affect changes in sea level rise in the future." In August 2015, University of Delaware oceanographer Andreas Muenchow and colleagues deployed the first UD ocean sensors underneath Petermann Glacier in North Greenland, which connects the great Greenland ice sheet directly with the ocean. Petermann Glacier is the second largest floating ice shelf in the northern hemisphere. Located approximately 16 to 2,300 feet below the glacier, the five ocean sensors are connected to a weather station at the surface, creating the first cabled observatory on a floating, moving, and rapidly melting Greenland glacier. The researchers recently reported in the journal Oceanography that sensor data from August 2015 to February 2016 confirms that that the floating ice shelf is strongly coupled, or tied, to the ocean below and to Nares Strait, and temperatures vary with the tides and seasons. Specifically, the paper found that the same water that has been measured in the fjord is under the glacier, lending credence to the idea that the continuity of the glacier depends on the conditions outside the glacier in the fjord. This water is warming an average of 0.03 degrees Celsius per year, with temperatures at the deepest ocean sensors sometimes exceeding 0.3 degrees Celsius or 33 degrees Fahrenheit, Muenchow said. These temperature values are consistent at various water depths, and match data from a 2003-09 study in adjacent Nares Strait, which connects to both the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. "This correlation tells us this is the same water and that this is what's causing the melting of the glacier, which could influence sea level rise," said Muenchow, an associate professor of oceanography in UD's School of Marine Science and Policy, which is housed in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE). The scientists theorize that warmer Atlantic water will continue to arrive inside Petermann Fjord and below the ice shelf from Nares Strait in the next one-to-two years. Less aggressive cancers are known to have an intact genome -- the complete set of genes in a cell -- while the genome of more aggressive cancers tends to have a great deal of abnormalities. Now, a new multi-year study of DNA patterns in tumor cells suggests that these aberrant genetic signatures are not random but reflect selective forces in tumor evolution. The findings also demonstrate that these changes drive glucose metabolism in cells, which improves the fitness of tumors and can lead to accelerated cancer growth. The new study was led by senior author Dr. Thomas Graeber, professor of molecular and medical pharmacology and member of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center's Cancer Nanotechnology Program. The first authors are Dr. Nicholas Graham, assistant professor of chemical engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, and Dr. Aspram Minasyan, postdoctoral fellow in the UCLA Crump Institute of Molecular Imaging. Copy number alteration (CNA) measurements are used to profile tumors across a wide variety of cancer types by looking for recurring patterns in how genes are amplified or deleted in DNA. Modern research has focused largely on individual cancer genes as the primary targets for DNA mutations and copy number alternations, specifically oncogenes (that when mutated or amplified are like a stuck gas pedal and can turn healthy cells into tumor cells) and tumor suppressor genes (that when not working properly are like a broken or missing brake pedal, allowing cells to grow out of control). However, scientists continue to observe many recurrent CNA patterns in tumors that cannot be fully explained by these canonical cancer genes. It has long been known that a fundamental difference between healthy cells and tumor-forming cells is reprogrammed cellular metabolism. An altered metabolism benefits a transformed cell in many ways, particularly in the ability to convert glucose into energy. This process, known as glycolysis, can fuel tumor growth and is also used to detect tumors through PET imaging. Research has further shown a strong correlation between higher levels of glycolytic activity and the most aggressive cancers. The findings tie these aspects to the disrupted genomes of cancer by demonstrating that the previously unexplained recurrent CNA patterns reflect glucose metabolism as a selective pressure for genomic changes in many cancer types, particularly aggressive forms of the disease. In the five-year study, Graeber and his colleagues used a cross-cancer analysis of CNA data from human tumors, cancer cell lines, and mouse models of cancer. The team analyzed samples from 15 different cancer types. They found that CNA patterns of DNA amplification and deletion were predictive of both increased glycolytic activity and rapid growth of tumor cells. To understand how enzymes might play a role in this process, the scientists compared the CNA patterns of human tumors and mouse models. They discovered 26 DNA regions with consistent genetic alterations, containing 11 enzymes in the glycolysis pathway as well as known cancer-driving genes. The researchers next used an experimental immortalization system and genetic engineering to directly demonstrate that glycolytic enzymes can impact the CNA signature. By sampling cells at different points in time, the researchers were able to show how these patterns evolve and thus shape the cancer genome. The study is one of the first to use high-resolution genome-wide CNA signatures to identify and define new classes of tumors to further complement sub-classes defined by point mutations in oncogenes. With these findings, researchers can build improved cancer models and advance the development of therapeutics for all types of the disease. "By focusing on such a large dataset and more than just known point mutations, we now better understand how subtle patterns of combined genetic alterations can affect glucose metabolism and are in sum key drivers of the most aggressive cancers," Graeber said. "Scientists now have a whole new sandbox where we can test and develop the tools that will lead to new treatments for people fighting this disease." The Tlingit and Haida, indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast (NWC), have used carved wooden hooks to catch halibut for centuries. As modern fishing technology crept into use, however, the old hooks practically disappeared from the sea. But they thrived on land -- as decorative art. The hook's evolution from utilitarian tool to expression of cultural heritage is the subject of a paper by Jonathan Malindine, a doctoral student in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Anthropology. In "Northwest Coast Halibut Hooks: an Evolving Tradition of Form, Function, and Fishing," published in the journal Human Ecology, he traces the arc of the hook's design and how its dimensions have changed over time. "I used to be a commercial fisherman in Alaska, and also lived in a Tlingit and Haida community," Malindine said. "So, the intersection of fisheries and Alaska Native art has always fascinated me. These NWC hooks are really effective at catching halibut, and also are intricately carved with rich, figural designs. Between the technology and the mythological imagery, there's a lot going on." Halibut hooks, often called wood hooks, are part of a sophisticated apparatus for catching the flat, bottom-dwelling fish that can weigh more than 500 pounds. Constructed in two pieces of different woods, they look something like an open fish mouth from the side, with a barb, facing backwards, lashed to the top piece. When the fish tries to spit out the hook, the barb sets in its jaw. Hooks were carefully carved to maximize their potential for catching fish, and their shape and size varied depending on the size of halibut they were used for. But as modern fishing technology displaced traditional gear, wood hooks began to change, varying greatly in design and dimension from early versions. These "art hooks" were created as decorative objects, often depicting animals important to NWC traditions and using materials such as abalone inlay. It was that transition in the hooks, from utility to art, that Malindine studied. To do so, he examined, photographed and took detailed measurements of every intact NWC hook -- 109 total -- in the collections of the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of the American Indian. He found that "in the case of NWC halibut hooks, shifting function drives the shift in materials, dimension, and meaning," he writes in the paper. "The NWC halibut hook has largely ceased to function to catch fish, and its dimensions are changing to favor decorative and symbolic content over utilitarian/functional requirements. Nowadays it is primarily designed to link Alaska Natives to their ancestral heritage, and the art buyer to a tangible representation of NWC mythological and artistic tradition." In addition to its contributions to academia, the research will benefit NWC carvers of wood hooks. Malindine has shared his work with them, allowing them to see what the hooks looked like as many as 150 years ago. "The Alaska Native carvers and Tribal members with whom I've shared these images and dimensional measurements are just happy to see them," he said. "These hooks are part of their cultural heritage, and have basically been locked away in storage facilities -- sometimes for a hundred years. "I've specifically given the images and measurements I produced to several Alaska Native artists and carving instructors, so they can use them in their classes when teaching students to carve halibut hooks," he continued. "Hopefully these images and measurements will be really useful in that type of classroom setting, especially for creating accurate reproductions." Malindine's study of the hooks came through his participation in the Summer Institute in Museum Anthropology (SIMA) program, which is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. He was one of 12 graduate students chosen from around the country to learn to use museum collections as field sites for research. "There are vast numbers of important objects hidden away in museum collections facilities that are rarely studied," he said. "The SIMA program taught us how to approach studying museum objects -- from theory of material culture, collections management, conservation and object handling, to photography, research design, data collection, analysis and eventual publication of results." As Malindine noted, wood hooks are still more than curiosities or museum pieces. "I was fortunate enough to interview two of the very few people who still fish with traditional wood hooks," he said. "One of them, Jon Rowan, claims he has as much, if not more, success using wood hooks to catch halibut than he does using modern fishing gear. These have stuck around for a reason: They're very good at catching halibut. Of course most people don't want to risk losing a valuable and beautiful carved NWC halibut hook, so almost everyone these days uses commercially produced circle hooks that cost a few dollars each." Casey Walsh, an associate professor of anthropology and Malindine's graduate advisor, called the examination of wood hooks solid science that places it in a human context. "Jonathan's paper is a great example of the explanatory strength of a holistic approach to understanding humans," Walsh said. "He skillfully combined environmental, social and cultural elements to tell us why halibut hooks matter, not only for basic sustenance, but also for people's relationships with each other and their creative, artistic lives." University of Tubingen researchers in collaboration with the biotech company Sanaria Inc. have demonstrated in a clinical trial that a new vaccine for malaria called Sanaria PfSPZ-CVac has been up to 100 percent effective when assessed at 10 weeks after last dose of vaccine. For the trial, Professor Peter Kremsner and Dr. Benjamin Mordmuller of the Institute of Tropical Medicine and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) used malaria parasites provided by Sanaria. The vac-cine incorporated fully viable -- not weakened or otherwise inactivated -- malaria pathogens together with the medication to combat them. Their research results have been published in the latest edition of Nature. Malaria parasites are transmitted by the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. The Plasmodium falciparum parasite is responsible for most malaria infections and almost all deaths caused by the disease worldwide. Most of the previous vaccines which have been tried involved the use of individual molecules found in the pathogen. However, they were unable to provide sufficient immunity to the disease. The Tuebingen study involved 67 healthy adult test persons, none of whom had previously had malaria. The best immune response was shown in a group of nine test persons who received the highest dose of the vaccine three times at four-week intervals. At the end of the trial, all nine of these individuals had 100 percent protection from the disease. "That protection was probably caused by specific T-lymphocytes and antibody responses to the parasites in the liver," Professor Peter Kremsner explained. The researchers analyzed the bodies' immune reactions and identified protein patterns which will make it possible to further improve malaria vaccines, Kremsner added. The researchers injected live malaria parasites into the test subjects, at the same time preventing the development of the disease by adding chloroquine -- which has been used to treat malaria for many years. This enabled the researchers to exploit the behavior of the parasites and the properties of chloroquine. Once the person is infected, the Plasmodium falciparum parasite migrates to the liver to reproduce. During its incubation period there, the human immune system could respond; but at this stage, the pathogen does not make the person sick. On top of that, chloroquine does not take effect in the liver -- so it is unable to prevent the parasite from reproducing. Malaria only breaks out when the pathogen leaves the liver, entering the bloodstream and going into the red corpuscles, where it continues to reproduce and spread. As soon as the pathogen enters the bloodstream, however, it can be killed by chloroquine -- and the disease cannot break out. "By vaccinating with a live, fully active pathogen, it seems clear that we were able to set of a very strong immune response," said study leader Benjamin Mordmueller, "Additionally, all the data we have so far indicate that what we have here is relatively stable, long-lasting protection." In the group of test persons who demonstrated 100 percent protection after receiving a high dose three times, Mordmueller said, the protection was reliably still in place after ten weeks -- and remained measurable for even longer. He added that the new vaccine showed no adverse effects on the test persons. The next step is to further test the vaccine's effectiveness over several years in a clinical study in Gabon funded by DZIF. Malaria is one of the biggest health threats in the African nation. The University of Tuebingen has worked with the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in the Gabonese town of Lambarene and with the neighboring research institute, the Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambarene, for many years. Malaria is one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. The World Health Organization reports that some 214 million people became infected with malaria in the year 2015 alone. Approximately 438,000 died of the disease. Around 90 percent of those malaria deaths were in Africa. Nearly three-quarters of those who succumb to the disease are children under five. The search for a vaccine has been going on for more than a century. An effective vaccine would make it easier to control malaria; vaccination campaigns could be conducted in severely affected areas to eliminate the pathogen. Such a vaccine could also help to stop the spread of resistance to the treatment, and to better protect travelers. Recently the only Russian aircraft carrier (the Kuznetsov) completed its longest and busiest cruise yet, spending 117 days at sea and carrying out 420 aircraft takeoffs using its Su-33s and MiG-29Ks jets. Some of those flights were for combat missions in Syria. That level of activity comes out to 3.6 fixed wing aircraft operations per day. While doing that two jets were lost. Russia considered this a training cruise that cost less than $200 million. That was true but while it demonstrated the Russian carrier could carry out flight operations it did them at a lower level of intensity and with far more accidents than their U.S. Navy counterparts. An American carrier averages about 24 catapult assisted aircraft operations a day over careers that last more than 40 years. The accident rate is much lower than what the Russians experienced. While the Russians may not gain much from this achievement, the Chinese are paying attention because the Chinese, unlike the Russians, already have one carrier operational and another one under construction. The Chinese, in a way, are out to finish what the Kuznetsov started. Kuznetsov has an interesting history that started back in the 1970s and eventually involved China as well. Only two ships of this class exist; the original Kuznetsov, which is in Russian service, and the Varyag, which was sold to China, by Ukraine, which inherited the unfinished ship then building in a Ukrainian shipyard when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. China rebuilt the Varyag as the Liaoning. Kuznetsov entered service in 1995, after a decade of construction. The Kuznetsov was an experiment to see if Russia could build and operate a large carrier. Kuznetsov is a 65,000 ton (full load) ship that uses a ski jump type flight deck instead of a steam catapult. The ship normally carries a dozen navalized Su-27s (called Su-33s), 14 Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters, two electronic warfare helicopters and two search and rescue helicopters. Max capacity is 36 Su-33s and sixteen helicopters. The ship carries 2,500 tons of aviation fuel, allowing it to generate 500-1,000 aircraft and helicopter sorties. Crew size is 2,500 (or 3,000 with a full aircraft load.) The crew size for the recent trip to Syria was only 2,000. Originally the Russians planned to build four or more large (similar to the American Nimitz class) nuclear powered carriers. But they soon realized (in the late 1970s) that this was beyond their capabilities or resources. By the time construction began in 1982 the design had been scaled back to what it now is and the number planned was only two. Nine years later the Soviet Union went bankrupt and dissolved. Construction of the Kuznetsov was completed by the mid-1990s but from 1995 to 2005 there was no money to send the carrier to sea much. A mockup of the flight deck was built on land so the Kuznetsov's air group could practice carrier landings. After 2000 the Russian Navy began to rebuild and again made plans to build five or more larger carriers but by 2010 it was clear the money was not there and would not be for a long time. So Kuznetsov, after nearly 40 years of effort, appears to be the end of the line for Russian carriers, at least for the next decade or so. While the Kuznetsov was undergoing a 24 month refurbishment in 2005-7, the navy realized that the Su-33 was also in need of replacement and in 2009 ordered 24 MiG-29Ks to replace the Su-33s. In 2008 the carrier version of the Russian MiG-29, the MiG-29K, made its first flight, about fifteen years later than originally planned. The MiG-29K modifications included arrestor gear and stronger landing gear for carrier landings, folding wings and rust proofing to reduce corrosion from all that salt water. Anti-radar paint is also used, to reduce the radar signature. Fuel capacity was increased 50 percent and more modern electronics installed. A more powerful engine is used, which enabled the aircraft to carry over five tons of weapons (air-to-air and anti-ship missiles, smart bombs). In 2007, after two years of refurbishment, returned to service. But the refurb, like the original construction, was sloppy. Ten years later the Kuznetsov finally got a chance to do what it was designed for (long cruises to distant waters) and demonstrated that it could go through the motions but not much more than that. The famous "Potemkin Village" is named after Russian Prince Gregori Aleksandrovich Potemkin and 18th century general who erected false fronts on impoverished villages to cover up his shortcomings as a civil administrator during the reign of Catherine the Great, in the late eighteenth century. This impressed foreign visitors (who did not realize what was going on) as well as the empress Catherine (who did realize what was going on). Catherine and her favorite prince went on to become very close friends. The war on drugs has been suspended so that the suddenly larger (or at least more visible) issue of police corruption can be addressed. While recent opinion surveys showed 85 percent of Filipinos approve of the violent crackdown on illegal drugs at the same time 78 percent were fearful they, or someone they know, may become a victim of the increased violence. This unease was based on the growing instances of corrupt cops using their new license to kill for personal gain. The fear became headline news when a group of corrupt cops were arrested in January for kidnapping and murdering a wealthy South Korean. President Rodrigo Duterte took officer in mid-2016 and admitted that he got elected because he had demonstrated as a mayor of a large city that radical solutions can work. Duterte said he would eliminate drug crime (including addiction) and the related corruption. Most Filipinos know that complete eradication is unlikely but that other countries in the region have managed to greatly reduce drug use and related criminal activity. Nearby Singapore is the best example but Singapore has never been as ethnically and culturally diverse as the Philippines nor did it have a centurys long tradition of corruption and widespread criminality. Still, most other nations in the region have less crime and drug addiction and most Filipinos see progress as a possibility. Duterte is responding to the widespread feeling that some kind of radical solution is needed. Duterte apparently realizes that he has a short period of time to make some fundamental changes before public enthusiasm wanes and his powerful opponents (major drug gangs and corrupt senior politicians and bureaucrats) get organized. He apparently sees the recent police corruption revelations as an opportunity. Catching and punishing corrupt cops is popular but the corruption is a persistent and difficult problem to eliminate. For example back in 2008 the army and national police were cracking down on corruption and sloppiness. A lot more readiness inspections, and investigations were taking place. Dozens of corrupt police were being fired each month and soldiers of all ranks were charged with corruption or incompetence. That crackdown did not gain the expected momentum and only reduced the problems a bit. Despite that the anti-corruption investigations continued and even increased when the new president took power in mid-2016. Reformers have pushed for a massive and sustained effort and now they may have some momentum. There are some underlying problems. The Philippines has only been united for a few centuries and always suffered from high levels of corruption. Currently the Philippines is not rated as one of the most corrupt nations on the planet. Instead the Philippines is seen as near the middle (101 out of 176 countries) for 2016. Somalia was rated the most corrupt nation in the world and has held that dubious distinction for a decade. Corruption in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The most corrupt nations (usually North Korea, Somalia or, since 2011, South Sudan) have a rating of under fifteen while of the least corrupt (usually Denmark) is often 90 or higher. The current Filipino score is 31 compared to 40 for China, 40 for India, 33 for Vietnam, 72 for Japan, 61 for Taiwan, 37 for Indonesia, 49 for Malaysia, 79 for Australia, 84 for Singapore, 53 for South Korea, 45 for South Africa, 17 for Iraq, 41 for Turkey, 46 for Saudi Arabia, 48 for Jordan, 28 for Lebanon, 29 for Iran, 66 for the UAE (United Arab Emirates), 64 for Israel, 25 for Afghanistan. 32 for Pakistan, 29 for Russia, 11 for South Sudan, 12 for North Korea, and 74 for the United States. A lower corruption score is common with nations in economic trouble. African nations are the most corrupt, followed by Middle Eastern ones. Fixing an existing culture of corruption has proved a most difficult challenge. The problem with reducing corruption is that it takes a lot longer than going after the drug trade and related criminal organizations. But if a lot more progress can be made in reducing corruption in the security services that would make it a much more difficult for corrupt politicians and judges to survive. Already the publicity the recent South Korean victim has received has resulted in hundreds of new tips about the activities of corrupt cops and many of the informants are willing to provide details that can lead to quick arrests. Islamic Terrorism In the southeast (Sulu and Basilan) the search continues for Abu Sayyaf factions that are holding 28 kidnapping victims (a German, five Malaysians, seven Indonesians and six Vietnamese and nine Filipinos) for ransom. The search down there has been more energetic in the last year because of Abu Sayyaf has turned to piracy and kidnapping crews from ships belonging to neighboring countries. This has brought demands that this sort of thing cease or else there would be economic repercussions (there is a lot of trade between southern Philippines and neighboring nations). That got the attention of many Moslem leaders in the south. There were other incentives to help destroy Abu Sayyaf. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) is trying to establish a larger presence in the Philippines and so far has over 500 local followers, Most of them belong to Abu Sayyaf but about a hundred are from what is left of the Manute and BIFF groups. Since early 2016 the government and MILF have cooperated (mainly in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces) on destroying rouge MILF factions like BIFF and the Maute Group. Together these two factions have fewer than a hundred active members left. Abu Sayyaf by contrast may still have as many as 400 active members. Manute was founded in 2013 by dissident MILF members who did not want peace with the government and preferred to keep fighting. By 2015 Maute had made little progress and decided to proclaim itself part of ISIL. Since then Manute became more violent and threatening. At the start of 2016 Maute had nearly 200 members. Manute has suffered heavy losses this year in part because MILF got fed up with them and quietly helped the security forces with information on exactly who and where Manute was. Meanwhile Manute found that that behaving like ISIL did not help with recruiting and fundraising but just brought more pressure on them. Since November over 70 Manute members have been killed or captured. BIFF has tried to keep up but has not been as ruthless and reckless as Manute. The actions of Manute forced the larger Moslem separatist groups MNLF and MILF to crack down on Moslems who work with the Islamic terrorists. Now Abu Sayyaf is considered unworthy of local support by the Moslem community and the Abu Sayyaf leaders know that is the worst thing that could happen to them. The Incredible Shrinking Communist Threat Until February 4th the government kept the peace negotiations with the NPA (the illegal armed wing of the local Communist Party) going despite persistent NPA demands that hundreds of jailed NPA members be freed first. The third round of talks took place in early January and were not a success. The problem is that too many NPA factions refuse to make peace and by the end of January the ceasefire was over because of many attacks by these factions. Until the NPA can regain control over (or disown) disobedient factions the government will resume its efforts to destroy the leftist rebel group. The NPA accused the military of violating the August 21st ceasefire by arresting veteran NPA rebels. The military pointed out that these were men who surrendered and brought his weapons with them and that this is part of a trend. These surrenders played a role in persuading NPA leaders to consider a peace treaty. This led to peace talks in Norway in August 2016 and progress was made. But some NPA leaders oppose peace talks and cannot accept the fact that many, if not most, veteran NPA members are fed up with their career of banditry. Thus it is no surprise that NPA violence declined since the ceasefire began and in some areas there have been no incidents since the August 21 ceasefire began. But for a minority of NPA members peace is not seen as a solution. The China Hustle China continues to insist the South China Sea areas it has seized from the Philippines and others now belong to China and it is best to take whatever China offers than to try and fight back. Most Filipinos are willing to fight but president Duterte has gotten $33 billion in loan or aid pledges from China because of vague assurances that he would expel the Americans and support Chinese claims. The Chinese are becoming reluctant to deliver any of this promised aid because of the growing fear that Duterte is playing them and dares not go against the will of his people and military advisors. The poll numbers seem to show Filipinos appreciate whats going on here even if a lot of foreign critics dont. So despite all the nice things Duterte says to China his Defense Minister openly denounces the continued Chinese efforts to build artificial islands in Filipino waters so China can claim the new islands as part of China. Duterte is seen as trying to avoid having a war between China and the United States take place so close to the Philippines. Filipino military leaders point out that the U.S. would operate at a disadvantage against Chinese military moves without access to some Filipino bases and that the Philippines would probably be attacked by China no matter what. That happened to many neutral countries during World War II and for Chinese territorial expansion to work the Philippines is an obstacle with or without Americans involved. The eventual annexation of the Philippines by China is openly discussed in Chinese media. Despite all this Duterte believes China will pay well for a few kind words. Thats how Chinese diplomacy has been conducted since the 1990s. February 14, 2017: Abu Sayyaf released a video threatening to kill a German hostage if a ransom of $600,000 were not paid by the 26th. Thats about 90 percent less than is usually demanded for foreigners but Abu Sayyaf is desperate and this particular German has not got a lot of popular support back in Germany (thats another story). February 13, 2017: In the central Philippines (Masbate province) troops clashed with NPA rebels and killed four of them and captured eight. In the south (Sarangani province) soldiers captured an NPA rebel. February 9, 2017: In the south (Tawi-Tawi province) police killed Ninok Sappari, the wanted Abu Sayyaf leader of a kidnapping operation. Sappari and an associate were apparently at a beach resort looking for a foreign visitor they could kidnap. Arrests like this are reducing the Abu Sayyaf ability to raise cash. February 7, 2017: In the south (Sulu Island) marines encountered a group of Abu Sayyaf gunmen and killed eight and captured another during a fire fight and pursuit. In the central Philippines (Capiz province) soldiers searching for NPA rebels reported to be setting up roadside bombs and mines were ambushed by the rebels, losing one dead and two wounded. The leftist rebels escaped. February 1, 2017: In the south (Davao Oriental province) one soldier was killed and another wounded during a clash with NPA rebels. Today marked the end of an NPA ceasefire that began in August 2016. January 31, 2017: In the south (Sulu Island) several clashes with Abu Sayyaf left five of the Islamic terrorists dead and seven wounded. Two soldiers were also wounded. The troops were looking for an Abu Sayyaf faction led by Alhabsy Misaya. This faction is believed to be holding many of the kidnapping victims Abu Sayyaf holds for ransom. January 30, 2017: Because of a growing investigation of police corruption, especially by police involved in anti-drug operations, the government has temporarily halted its crackdown on illegal drugs. Since the anti-drug campaign began in July 2016 some 2,600 suspects have been killed. During that time there were 53,000 arrests and some seven million locations were searched. Most of the dead were suspects who violently resisted arrest or searches but nearly 40 percent were the result of local vigilantes or drug gangs killing suspected informers or rivals. The extent and intensity of these efforts caused over 1.1 million people to turn themselves in. Since 93 percent of those surrendering were users nearly all were released, especially if they provided information about their suppliers. So far the police and military have suffered fewer than 120 casualties, mostly wounded but including 38 dead. January 29, 2017: In the south (Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur provinces) troops went looking for Abu Sayyaf and Manute Islamic terrorists over the last few days. Aerial reconnaissance spotted the enemy in several places and airstrikes and artillery fire were often used against them initially until troops could reach the location. Troops discovered that fifteen Abu Sayyaf and Manute members were killed. One of the dead was apparently Mohisen, a veteran Indonesian Islamic terrorist. The leader of the local Abu Sayyaf group was apparently wounded as were several of the other Islamic terrorists who escaped the air and ground search. The airstrikes were carried out by the recently arrived FA-50 jets on their first combat mission. In late 2013 the government ordered a dozen of these advanced jet trainers from South Korea. These arrived recently configured to serve as fighters or ground attack aircraft. January 23, 2017: The government agreed to not upgrade any of its military installations in the South China Sea. This is not a permanent thing and apparently in response to China committing to $3.7 billion for projects to address poverty reduction in the Philippines. China has pledged more deals like this, in return for some good will, or whatever, from the Philippines. At the same both Chinese and Filipino officials have to keep in mind that opinion polls in Philippines continue to show over 80 percent of the population backs opposition to Chinese claims in the South China Sea. China takes things like this as a victory and because China has managed to buy similar victories all over the region, and the world, the cumulative effort pays off. January 21, 2017: In the south (North Cotabato province) an NPA rebel died and several were wounded during an effort to ambush soldiers looking for them. Eight soldiers were killed and the search for leftist rebels responsible continued. NPA claimed the troops were violating the NPA ceasefire by entering territory claimed by the NPA. The government never agreed with those NPA control claims and the troops were answering calls for help from local villagers, who were being threatened by local NPA gunmen. January 18, 2017: The government admitted that corrupt police had been responsible for the recent kidnapping and murder of Ji Ick Joo a South Korean businessman operating in the Philippines. The dirty cops killed their victim rather than keep him alive and extorted $140,000 from his family before police investigators discovered corrupt police were responsible. Soon this investigation revealed far more police corruption related to the anti-drug effort. Amy Jacksons iPhone hacked, hackers leak personal pictures stored on iCloud Unknown hackers have hacked into British model and Indian actress, Amy Jacksons iPhone and leaked her private and explicit images online. The images leaked by the hackers are doing rounds on WhatsApp and Facebook posts in India. Amy Jackson is a British-born Indian actress who is quite famous in Tollywood the portmanteau for Tamil film industry. Amy Jackson started as an actress in the 2010 Tamil period-drama Madrasapattinam. While further pursuing her modeling career in the UK, Jackson debuted in Bollywood romantic drama Ekk Deewana Tha, which flopped miserably. She later starred in Prabhudevas Singh Is Bling in 2015 opposite Akshay Kumar which was an average hit. According to Jackson, he had given her iPhone for repair at a mobile store in London when she was not able to access her iCloud account. When Jackson returned to Chennai she found that her iPhone had been hacked and the hackers had released her personal and private images on the Internet. While she believes that her iPhone was hacked at the mobile store, should couldnt confirm it. Speaking about the incident, Amy was quoted by mid-day as saying, I was shocked when this happened. This isnt a trivial matter and has to be taken up seriously. I will register a complaint with the cyber crime cell in London and ensure the hackers are taken to task. Cyber safety is the need of the hour. The actress was performing at the Vanitha Awards in Kochi. Thanks Kerala! Next stop Chennai for Robot 2.0 shoot, she posted on her Twitter page. Indian actresses from down under have been victims of such hacks. Earlier last year, hackers had hacked similarly into Hansika Motwani and Anushka Shettys social media accounts and leaked explicit images. In both cases, the images and videos went viral while the police were unable to apprehend the hackers. A man taking a walk in Limerick, Ireland, had no idea he was about to encounter a wild local who needed a little help. The man, Jack McGrath, was crossing a bridge when he saw a rather large white swan standing there, looking a little lost, as cars rushed by. Deirdre Power "I was walking over the bridge on my way home from work and met two American tourists who were watching the swan in distress but didn't know how they could help it," McGrath told The Dodo. "So I stayed with it till it got comfortable with me and then rang Limerick Animal Welfare (LAW) to ask for advice." Deirdre Power Unfortunately, LAW was 25 miles away - and the swan needed help fast. It was rush hour and he was already a bit stunned by the traffic. Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Rescued Animals Melt Into This Woman's Arms When She Sings To Them Deirdre Power "We took the call from Jack and after making sure the bird was not sick or injured, Jack kindly guided the swan back to the river," Marie Quirke, sanctuary manager at LAW, told The Dodo. Experts at LAW talked with Jack over the phone about the possibility of either lifting or guiding the swan back to the safety of the water. McGrath waited until the swan seemed a little calmer before he tried to walk with him. Finally, the swan seemed to trust McGrath to help him. Deirdre Power And so the man and swan set off for the river. The swan was a little fickle, darting out in front of traffic. Deirdre Power Naturally, McGrath jumped out in front of oncoming cars, too, to keep the swan safe. "I helped guide him across the bridge walking side by side with him to make sure he stayed safe," McGrath said. "Then walked him down he steps to the river and stayed until he jumped in to safety." Deirdre Power "I loved the experience as I've always had a soft spot for animals," McGrath said, "so there was no way I was leaving the poor fella there in distress." Deirdre Power McGrath's good deed didn't go unnoticed. Deirdre Power When asked how he celebrated a job well done, McGrath said he "celebrated like a normal young person on a Saturday night with a few drinks then woke up Sunday morning saw 35 notifications on my phone." People from all over the world were asking McGrath about the rescue. Deirdre Power Deirdre Power "I could not believe what I was seeing," McGrath said. "I'm so humbled by the reaction this is getting - to me it's such a modest task to help an animal in need." "Now taking bookings for nightclub appearances," McGrath joked on Facebook. "PM for details." Deirdre Power Deirdre Power "Our sincere thanks to you, Jack," LAW wrote. And ours, too. Deirdre Power Deirdre Power For the past seven years On Valentine's Day, instead of sending ordinary flowers or candy, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue has been delivering what it calls "puppygrams." Brother Wolf Animal Rescue Basically, people can place orders with the rescue, based in Asheville, North Carolina, to send their loved ones roses, a card and a cupcake - all delivered by an adorable, adoptable puppy. Those who are feeling extra generous can even upgrade to two puppies, who will deliver a cupcake, a dozen roses and four handmade truffles. Dodo Shows Faith = Restored Rescued Animals Melt Into This Woman's Arms When She Sings To Them Brother Wolf Animal Rescue "We first came across the idea on a fundraising message board back in 2011, and it just took off here in Asheville the first time we tried it," Jackie Teeple of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue told The Dodo. "We also use local bakeries, chocolatiers and florists for the supplies so it's a great way to support our local businesses as well." Brother Wolf Animal Rescue All of the puppies who make the deliveries are adoptable, and this year, 10 of the puppies involved have an incredible rescue story, making their deliveries even sweeter. Morgan the pregnant dog was homeless and about to give birth, so she took shelter under a deserted home to have her puppies. Unfortunately, the little family ended up stuck under there in the freezing cold, until a construction crew working on the home heard tiny cries coming from underneath the floorboards. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue The construction workers quickly got permission to pull up the floorboards, and were able to rescue Morgan and her 10 newborn puppies. The owners of the home reached out to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue to see if they could take the mom and her puppies, and they of course agreed. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue Morgan and her family immediately went into foster care, where the puppies grew stronger and healthier every day. The puppies are around 8 weeks old now, and finally looking for their forever homes. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue "All puppies are available for adoption, and are scheduled for spay/neuter tomorrow," Teeple said. "Folks can complete an application online or at our center, work with an adoption counselor to make sure it's a good fit, then take the pups home once they're back from surgery!" Brother Wolf Animal Rescue

Animals' Angels

Many Americans probably have no idea that over 100,000 U.S. horses are sent to other countries each year just to be slaughtered. And last year, many of the over 30,000 U.S. horses trucked to Canadian slaughterhouses suffered inhumane conditions as they were sold at auction and transported, a new report found. A horse with a broken front leg in a holding pen at auction | Animals' Angels Ever since the last horse slaughterhouses here in the U.S. closed in 2007, unwanted horses have been transported long distances to meet their sad end. Much of the horse meat is exported to the European Union (EU) for consumption. But in 2015, the EU banned the import of horse meat from Mexico because sick horses, or horses with dangerous drugs in their systems, were being slaughtered and it was almost impossible to trace whether the meat would be safe for consumption by people. Now, advocates are pushing for a full-fledged ban, citing what the latest investigation of horses sent to slaughter in Canada has revealed. Dodo Shows Foster Diaries Scared Pittie Gets So Happy When He Meets This Guy And His Pack Of Dogs Crowded pens where unwanted horses are kept before being sent to slaughter | Animals' Angels Maryland-based advocacy group Animals' Angels (AA) has spent the last two years investigating the horse slaughter pipeline to Canada. The group found blind, sick, emaciated and disabled horses with sores and infections packed into trucks, which drove them for up to 20 hours to their final destinations. Some were discovered dead on arrival. Horses bound for slaughter being loaded onto transport truck | Animals' Angels Through firsthand observation of livestock auctions and transport trucks, as well as information obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), AA concluded that inhumane and illegal treatment of horses bound for slaughter in Canada is rampant. An emaciated horse being sold for slaughter | Animals' Angels At the U.S. auctions where horses are sold to "kill buyers," people who buy horses at low prices to send them to Canada for slaughter, investigators found that the horses were cruelly handled and packed into dirty pens. After horses were purchased, investigators found that almost every single kill buyer "demonstrated a complete lack of concern for the well-being and the welfare" of horses in their care. "Horses are routinely kept in overcrowded, filthy conditions without shelter. Access to necessary veterinary care ... is virtually nonexistent and wounded or ill horses are often left to die alone." Unwanted horse with severe eye infection being sold at auction | Animals' Angels AA, along with a coalition of European animal welfare groups, supplied its findings to the EU Commission in hopes that it would issue a full ban on horse meat imports from Canada. "In the field, we continue to witness the inherent cruelty of the horse slaughter trade," a release from AA stated. "The complete indifference to the suffering of the animals is shocking." Stressed horses in crowded pens sometimes turn on each other | Animals' Angels But there are several ways people can help these horses, especially now. In January, the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 113), a bill aiming to stop horse slaughter, was introduced to Congress. "We encourage everyone to contact their representatives and urge them to support the SAFE Act," Sonja Meadows, director of AA, told The Dodo. "We believe that raising awareness is the key to promoting the long-term, positive changes our horses need." Valerie Pringle, equine protection specialist with The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), added that people can have a real impact in protecting America's horses by supporting legislation that seeks to protect horses against the horse meat industry, and by making the right decisions when getting a horse. Unwanted horses and foals without shelter in frigid temperatures | Animals' Angels "The overpopulation of American horses needs to be addressed by the horse industry; [it] should focus on eliminating overbreeding and expanding and supporting adoption and horse rescues," Pringle told The Dodo. "Horse owners who can no longer keep their horse have many other options, and the HSUS has resources to help them find a humane option." She added that people interested in owning a horse "should adopt from a reputable horse rescue, whose horses deserve a second chance." Pringle's own horse, Braveheart, was saved when Pringle adopted him from an auction house. "I could not be happier with him!" she said. When Donald Trump met Justin Trudeau, the talk was of bridges instead of walls. The first meeting between the new U.S. president and the Canadian prime minister ended with a commitment to allow cargo trucks to more smoothly traverse the planned Gordie Howe International Bridge, which would cross the Detroit River to connect Michigan with Ontario. Despite the areas of agreement, including mutual co-operation between the two countries to advance free and fair trade, Americas neighbour to the north could still become a testing ground for Trumps brawny brand of economic policies. Read more: After Trump meeting, Canadian ambassador cautiously optimistic about NAFTA Donald Trump-Justin Trudeau meeting polite but inconclusive: Walkom Thats because Canada and its wealth of auto plants, steel works and iron smelters, risk bumping up against a key plank in the administrations plans to boost domestic production by promoting traditionally male-dominated industries including lumber mills, shipyards and metal manufacturing. Theres certainly a policy risk to the downside, said Randall Bartlett, chief economist at the Ottawa-based Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy. On a sector-specific basis, U.S. protectionism may help certain industries in the short run by reducing competition. Canada imports more from the U.S. than it exports when taking into account services, but that trade deficit morphs into a small surplus when only goods are included. And while that trade imbalance pales in comparison to the size of ones run by other countries, this is a case in which Canadas closeness to the U.S. long a boon could become a hindrance. Three industries stand out when it comes to Trumps plans to promote shipyards and iron smelters and in the words of Steve Bannon, senior presidential adviser get them all jacked up. Canada runs notable surpluses with the U.S. in primary metal manufacturing, wood products, and transportation equipment. Oil and gas, another area of surplus, appears less likely to come under scrutiny given the presidents enthusiasm for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would link Alberta to Nebraska. The risk is that trade imbalances in specific sectors set the stage for conflict between Trump and Trudeau, potentially fought through changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement or targeted tariffs. On Monday, in a joint press conference with Trudeau, Trump talked of tweaking NAFTA in order to make it better for both countries. What we should anticipate is incremental adjustments to certain sectors that are already sources of pressure, like softwood lumber for example, said Frances Donald, senior economist at Manulife Asset Management in Toronto. Moreover, if Trump views trade as a tactical zero-sum game, geographic proximity can become a weakness for his targets as companies seek to placate the president by shifting jobs and factories stateside. On that front, production decisions made in the Great Lakes region are of particular importance to the new U.S. administration. Four states in that area flipped in the Republicans favour in 2016, and were pivotal in delivering the victory to Trump. It wouldnt be the first time the U.S. poached factories from Canada, either. The Electro-Motive Diesel plant shifted operations from London, Ont. to Muncie, Ind. back in 2012. It may not be that simple for Trump to engineer a he-covery in the U.S. through protectionist trade policies that benefit specific sectors, according to a new report by the Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management and the Ivey Business School. Due to NAFTA as well as auto deals stretching back to 1965, the Great Lakes region on both sides of the border has become an economic unit unto itself, with vertically integrated supply chains spanning the international boundary. Generally, its more efficient to produce parts stateside and assemble them in the north so Canada runs a trade deficit of more than $13 billion in auto parts, and a surplus of more than $31 billion in passenger cars with the U.S. Surgical measures to move Canadian auto assembly jobs to the U.S. would probably have a muted effect on the balance of trade in motor vehicles and parts as a whole, the report said. Meanwhile, producing these cars would also become more expensive, and either reduce the competitiveness of the U.S. automotive industry or crimp profit margins, it added. Theres a weird perverse incentive whereby thickening borders you promote exports coming into U.S. because it gives advantages to importing completed goods rather than shipping goods back and forth across North American borders, said Mike Moffatt, co-author of the report in his capacity as an assistant professor at Ivey Business School in Ontario. Whats going to happen is youre going to increase production costs, and those are costs that wont be borne by overseas manufacturers. Other Trump administration policy priorities might be more effective when it comes to encouraging manly industries, Moffatt said, pointing to deregulation as something that could bear fruit by improving the competitiveness of the Great Lakes region. Like the Gordie Howe Bridge, we need to find ways to lower costs, he said. Having trucks delayed for less time when crossing the border by cargo pre-clearance is an amazing idea. Read more about: SHARE: Canadian TV personality Jennifer Valentyne has joined Q107s Derringer in the Morning show. Veteran host John Derringer alluded big news was coming to Q107s morning show via Twitter on Saturday. He delivered the news right off the bat on his Valentines Day broadcast. Or in this case, Valentynes day broadcast. Former Live Eye veteran Valentyne is joining Derringer, Ryan Parker and John Garbutt, weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. I think Toronto listeners will be surprised to a see a whole new side of me, Valentyne said in a statement. On todays show, she pointed out that this is the only job I applied for, adding that she had to build a resume and apply for the position. Derringer said that since Valentyne got the job on Jan. 1 after interviewing in October, but the station decided it would be appropriate to have her first show on Valentines Day. The trick would not have worked as well if she had applied in August, Derringer joked. Derringer and Valentyne both expressed a deep appreciation for each others work. Jennifer is the perfect fit to round out our existing all-star team, said Blair Bartrem, senior brand director for Q107. Weve been searching for our very own Elaine to join our Seinfeld-like cast of characters and now weve found her. Valentyne left Breakfast Televisions Live Eye in April 2016, after 23 years on the City network show. She then went on to host The Bachelorette Canada After Show on the W Network. This is not the first time Valentyne has been on the radio. She was the Cash Car Girl on Key590 while attending the Centennial College Radio and Television Broadcasting program. SHARE: LONDONHere are words millions of readers have waited many years to hear: Lyra Belacqua, and her daemon, are back. The irrepressible young heroine of Philip Pullmans fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials returns in a new novel being published in Britain and North America on Oct. 19, the first part of a new three-book series collectively titled The Book of Dust. For readers and booksellers, this is news to rival the discovery of a new Harry Potter story. His Dark Materials has sold more than 17.5 million copies around the world. It spawned a Hollywood movie, The Golden Compass with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and a hit stage adaptation. Published between 1995 and 2000, the first three novels Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass took Lyra from her home at Oxford Universitys ancient Jordan College to the North Pole and into parallel worlds on a twisting, hazardous quest. (The first book was retitled The Golden Compass in North America). In Lyras intriguingly unfamiliar world, Victorian-style technology mixes with advanced science and society is overshadowed by an oppressive religious hierarchy known as the Magisterium. Humans live alongside witches and armoured polar bears, and every person is accompanied by an animal companion known as a daemon (pronounced demon) essentially their soul made flesh. Yet the 70-year-old Pullman hesitates to call his books fantasy. I prefer to think I am writing realism, he said. Im writing realism about a different place. Speaking from his home in Oxford, Pullman scrupulously guarded the secrets of the new book. Even its title has yet to be disclosed. The new book begins a decade before the start of the original trilogy, but Pullman said it is not a prequel. Nor is it a sequel. Pullman prefers to call it an equel, or companion story. The first part will deal with something that happened when Lyra was less than 1 year old, he said. So, in that sense, shes the centre of the story, but shes not actually an agent in the story. She is acted upon, so to speak, by other people who are very important. The second part, which will come out later, will deal with events when Lyra is about 20. Theres a new hero a boy readers have encountered before if we were paying attention and a terrifying adventure that takes him into a new world. Multiple worlds abound in Pullmans complex, philosophically rich fictional multiverse. And Pullman said we will learn a lot more about the nature of Dust, a mysterious substance loathed by the religious authorities in His Dark Materials. The Book of Dust, published by divisions of Random House, will probably be one of the autumns biggest sellers. James Daunt, managing director of Britains Waterstones book store chain, said Pullman ranks with J.K. Rowling in his impact on publishing and reading. Daunt said a generation of young readers read first Harry Potter, then the complex, gripping and provocative His Dark Materials. Other books, other authors make claims and bring huge rewards, but these two imprint on everyone who calls themselves a reader, Daunt said. For fans, the mischievous Lyra is one of fictions great child characters, up there with Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn and Scout Finch from Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird. Pullman called her this awkward, difficult, prying, nosy, lying, greedy, untrustworthy child. Shes not a special child, he said. Shes not divinely gifted or anything like that. But she does have certain characteristics that lead her into trouble and which help her get out of trouble. Some critics have ranked Pullmans trilogy alongside J.R.R. Tolkiens fantasy saga The Lord of the Rings, though Pullman said he doesnt particularly like the comparison. In Tolkiens Middle Earth, he said, whats good is good and whats bad is bad and there isnt very much discussion about it. Pullman prefers fantasy that wrestles with moral ambiguity and has one foot firmly in this world. He is also often contrasted with C.S. Lewis, whose saga The Chronicles of Narnia has large doses of Christian allegory. Pullman has called himself an atheist, and some Christian groups have objected to his negative depiction of organized religion. His Dark Materialshas been pulled from some Catholic school library shelves in Canada and the United States over the years. Pullman said he thinks most objections to his books come from people who havent read them. His Dark Materials took its title form John Miltons biblical epic poem Paradise Lost and Pullmans saga has a searching spirituality running alongside its mistrust of organized religion. He said The Book of Dust centres on the struggle between a despotic and totalitarian organization, which wants to stifle speculation and inquiry, and those who believe thought and speech should be free. Global events make that a more pressing and urgent struggle than ever. Pullman said he doesnt try to draw overt parallels with the real world, but they are always present in my mind. Why do we vote into power people who seem to have the interests of themselves and other large, powerful people in mind rather than ours? he asked. Why do we vote to do something so obviously self-destructive as leaving the European Union? I might not be writing about Donald Trump or Brexit or Nigel Farage directly in The Book of Dust, he added, but the questions they pose and the situations they set up are very much part of the world that Im writing about. SHARE: Drake had a typically busy weekend he played two sold-out arena dates, won two Grammy Awards, and might have been caught up in a suicide bid. A newspaper in England reports that Torontos own rap superstar offered to help talk down a man who was standing on a Manchester overpass early Saturday in whats been described as a suicide attempt. The Manchester Evening News reported that Drakes tour bus was caught before 6 a.m. in a traffic jam caused by road closures as police tried to talk to the man standing on the Mancunian Way on the wrong side of the barriers. Insp. Phil Spurgeon told the newspaper: One officer was approached by a male from a tour van caught up in the traffic congestion, claiming to be part of Drakes entourage. He offered for Drake to speak to the male on the bridge, if that would help. The offer was declined with thanks. The man presence on the overpass was described by international media picking up the Evening News account as a suicide attempt, though the Evening News did not characterize it, one way or another. The man was eventually safely taken to hospital. Drake, currently on the Britain leg of his Boy Meets World tour, then went on to perform twice at the Manchester Arena to a total of more than 40,000 people, and win two Grammys in absentia on Sunday night for his single Hotline Bling. Read more about: SHARE: Accused serial killer Elizabeth Wettlaufer was fired from a Woodstock nursing home for a medication error that put the life of a resident at risk, according to documents obtained by the Star. The documents also reveal that her firing from the Caressant Care home on March 31, 2014, was reported to the College of Nurses of Ontario, which regulates the profession. Yet Wettlaufer, 49, continued to work as a registered nurse until October 2016, when she was charged with eight counts of first-degree murder of people in her care. Four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault were added later. Read more: Inside the troubled life of Elizabeth Wettlaufer, the nurse on the night shift Wettlaufer was fired from Woodstock home, documents show Even after murder charges, previous tragedy casts long shadow in Woodstock From caring nurse to accused serial killer: who is Elizabeth Wettlaufer? All registered nurses fired from their jobs must be reported to the college. But when the Star revealed that Wettlaufer was fired from Caressant, where seven of the alleged murders occurred, home officials and the college refused to say whether notification had occurred. A letter to the college makes clear that it did, and reveals for the first time the reason for Wettlaufers dismissal. We are reporting the termination of the above named individual (Elizabeth Wettlaufer) to the College of Nurses, says the Caressant Care letter, dated April 17, 2014. She was terminated due to a medication error which resulted in putting a resident at risk. The college acknowledged receipt of the termination notice in a letter to Caressant Care dated July 17, 2014. The College is considering the information you have brought forward to determine what further action should be taken, says the colleges letter, also obtained by the Star. The college asked Caressant to keep all documents relevant to Wettlaufers firing for up to two years pending investigation. It adds, however, that the matter will be treated as confidential, and Caressant will not be informed of any investigation into Wettlaufer the college might conduct. The college then thanks Caressant for the notification and adds: It is through actions of this kind that the College is able to fulfil its responsibility for governing the profession and protecting the public interest. Wettlaufer is accused of killing 75-year-old Arpad Horvath at a London nursing home five months after she was fired from Caressant. Police allege she then tried to kill a nursing home resident in Paris, Ont., in September 2015, and tried to kill again while providing in-home care in August 2016. Her dismissal from Caressant raises questions about whether her three alleged victims after leaving the nursing home could have been spared. Jane Meadus, staff lawyer at Torontos Advocacy Centre for the Elderly legal clinic, called on the college to reveal whether it investigated Wettlaufer once it was notified of her dismissal. Who are they protecting? Meadus said of the college. Are they protecting the public or are they protecting their members? Their job is to protect the public, and we need to know that they have done their job. Medication errors in nursing homes are unfortunately common, Meadus said, and nurses who commit them are rarely fired. That suggests Wettlaufers error must have been extremely serious or it came on the heels of a series of medication errors during her seven years at Caressant, Meadus added. What did the college do? Meadus asked. Did they get this (termination notice) and go, Oh, medication error, well just file that away. Whats clear is that there was no record of disciplinary action on Wettlaufers public status with the college until she resigned as a registered nurse shortly before being charged last October, Meadus notes. The college has said it is investigating Wettlaufers professional conduct, but refuses to say whether it investigated her at the time of the dismissal notice. Told about Caressants notification letter, the college refused to say what actions it took, if any. The College understands the publics desire for more information given the extremely serious nature of this case, the colleges director of communications, Deborah Jones, said in a statement to the Star. However, the ongoing criminal investigation, the colleges own investigation and confidentiality requirements limit what the college can say, the statement added. Jones said the college investigates all termination reports it receives and takes appropriate action based on the level of risk to the public. Friends of Wettlaufers have said she told them she got hooked on drugs from the medication cart she controlled at Caressant Care, and got fired when she gave a resident the wrong medicine while high. Meadus also wonders how much information about Wettlaufers dismissal Caressant gave to the college, and whether the family of the resident subjected to the medication error was informed. Contacted by the Star, a Caressant spokesperson, Lee Griffi, refused to comment on the letter to the college. After Wettlaufer was charged, inspectors with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care found 41 medication incidents at Caressant Care between early August and late December 2016. They include five cases where medication was given to the wrong residents, three cases where meds were given at the wrong time, six where the wrong dosage was given, 22 where prescribed meds were not given, and one where a medication was given with no prescription from a physician. On Jan. 25, the ministry suspended new admissions at Caressant because of safety concerns. The for-profit home has 193 beds. Wettlaufer appears via video link Wednesday in a Woodstock court. Read more about: SHARE: CALGARYThe judge in a triple-murder trial advised jurors Wednesday to use common sense and reminded them that the accuseds guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt if they wish to convict him. The charge to the jury is the last step before deliberations begin in the trial of Douglas Garland. The 57-year-old is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Alvin and Kathy Liknes and their five-year-old grandson Nathan OBrien. Read more: Man charged with first-degree murder of Calgary boy and his grandparents Father of triple murder suspect says son was angry over unpaid money Calgary murder trial told couple, 5-year-old grandson killed, burned on farm Justice David Gates told jurors they can use as much or as little of the evidence as they want from four weeks of testimony, but not to resort to speculation. Sympathy can have no place in your deliberations. Speculation is guessing or making things up, said Gates in his lengthy instructions. You may rely on the exhibits as much or as little as you see fit. Use your common sense or experience. If you are not sure Mr. Garland committed the offences ... then you must give the benefit of the doubt to him and find him not guilty, he said. It is not enough for you to believe an accused is probably or even likely guilty. Gates said the Crown doesnt have to prove guilt with an absolute certainty but it has to be beyond a reasonable doubt. Mr. Garland doesnt have to prove anything. Garland was charged after the couple and their grandson disappeared from the couples Calgary home on June 30, 2014. Their bodies were never recovered only bone fragments, burned flesh and teeth in the ash from a burning barrel on Garlands farm. There was also ample DNA evidence recovered at the property. You can come to the conclusion that these three individuals are dead, said Gates. The Crown argued during the trial that Garland stewed for years about a dispute with Alvin Liknes over a patent for an oilfield pump they had both worked on. The judge noted that motive is not an essential element the Crown must prove. Gates also warned the jury not to place too much weight on Internet searches found on a hidden hard drive from Garland computer or on books found that were found at the farm. The hard drive contained articles on how to do autopsies and dispose of the dead. There were also numerous photos of dead and dismembered bodies. The books were on poisons and ways of killing. You may not infer from the evidence, or how unpleasant you may find it, or however much you may disapprove of Mr. Garlands alleged Internet browsing choices that Mr. Garland is a person of bad character and likely would have committed the offences charged, Gates said. You are here to decide if the Crown has proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, the offences charged in the indictment ... nothing more, nothing less. Read more about: SHARE: HALIFAXThe Nova Scotia Teachers Union will hold a one-day, province-wide strike on Friday its first ever to protest legislation imposing a four-year contract. Union president Liette Doucet said she understands parents will be inconvenienced, but the unions 9,300 members are tired of this government bullying them. Read more:Nova Scotia government to pass bill aimed at ending labour dispute with teachers Its been 122 years and there has never been a full-out strike. Its a historic moment in the history of the NSTU, Doucet said at the legislature Wednesday. Right now teachers feel very disrespected. They are tired of Premier McNeil and his anti-education sentiments and theyre tiring of hearing the rhetoric from this government. Members of the legislature spoke all night and day Wednesday in an effort to slow down passage of the law the Teachers Professional Agreement and Classroom Improvement Act which would end a 16-month-long contract dispute. Speaking at a Halifax Chamber of Commerce event Wednesday afternoon, McNeil said he has approached the labour dispute with an open mind and an open heart. I walked into a powder keg of 20 plus years of frustration, said McNeil, responding to a question from the audience at his annual state of the province address. We as a province for far too long ... have spent our growth before weve earned it. These contracts that were arguing about are actually talking about what I have today that I can invest today. Its not about what I might think Ill get two years from now or three years from now. That would be irresponsible of me. McNeil said the legislation will bring an end to disruptions caused by the teachers work-to-rule campaign, which began Dec. 5 and stipulates teachers should only report for work 20 minutes before class starts and leave 20 minutes after the school day ends. This was about trying to get some level of normalcy back to classrooms, he told reporters. The one-day strike comes at a time Nova Scotia parents are well-used to scrambling for child-care, following a series of snow days. Monday is also a provincial holiday. Tory Opposition Leader Jamie Baillie said Wednesday hed rather not see a strike, but teachers have reached the point where they are intensely frustrated by classroom conditions. When they (the government) keep appointing more committees, when they keep turning a blind eye to todays classrooms, this is what inevitably happens and I think its on the premiers shoulders that hes pushed teachers to the breaking point, he said. NDP Leader Gary Burrill said his party supports the strike action 115 per cent, adding that McNeil should have considered arbitration as a solution to the impasse. Now, he has refused to respect collective bargaining and is forcing a rejected contract on teachers, he said. The premier must take responsibility for the situation we are in. The new contract contains a three per cent salary increase and incorporates many of the elements contained in the first two tentative agreements rejected by NSTU members. The salary package includes zero per cent for the first two years, followed by increases of one per cent in the third year and 1.5 per cent in the fourth, with a 0.5 per cent increase on the last day of the agreement. The bill also establishes a council to improve classroom conditions and a commitment of $20 million over two years to address that issue. There will also be a three-person commission on inclusive education that will be launched 30 days after the bill is passed, with recommendations to be implemented by the beginning of the next school year. Liberal house leader Michel Samson noted in the legislature that a quick passage of the legislation would avert Fridays strike, but it would require unanimous support from all members. Samson said there is public support for the bill. I think Nova Scotians will look at the fact that we had three tentative agreements that the union executive accepted. They had the option to walk away each time from the table, to call a strike, refuse to recommend it to its membership. It didnt, Samson told reporters. He noted one Tory member said he received more phone calls telling him to support the legislation than phone calls telling him not to support it. We are hearing from teachers who are saying they are sick and tired of work-to-rule. They want an end to this and they are supporting the governments efforts to put an end to this. Doucet said teachers will spend Friday protesting the provinces tactics. We understand that parents have been inconvenienced and on Friday they will be as well, however it is time to take a stand, Doucet said Wednesday. Theyve been inconvenienced over the last two years and longer because their concerns for their children in the classroom have not been addressed by this government. The third tentative deal was rejected last week by a vote of 78.5 per cent. The public was to have an opportunity to speak about the bill at the governments law amendments committee Wednesday evening and Thursday. Read more about: SHARE: Canadians were furious last April over a decision by the countrys money laundering watchdog to impose an unprecedented $1.2-million fine against a Canadian bank and then refuse to name the bank, according to documents obtained by the National Observer and the Toronto Star. I am outraged that you would withhold the name of the bank you recently fined for failing to report suspicious transactions, reads one public comment received by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and obtained through an access to information request. The agency tracked public reaction to the decision internally and online and noted nearly unanimous criticism from experts, journalists and the public. I would want to know if the bank where I do my daily banking transactions is involved in criminal activities, reads another public response. FINTRAC should be held accountable in disclosing all of the facts of this investigation and penalty. The agencys online announcement drew 548 page views on the first day a 243-per-cent increase over traffic compared with typical penalty releases, the document says. Even within government, officials were quietly worrying about FINTRACs refusal to name the bank, fearing it would cause all banks facing penalties to expect anonymity and could taint the entire financial industry with the actions of one institution. Internal emails between officials in the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), which oversees more than 400 federally regulated institutions including the countrys banks, anticipated repercussions. As soon as the penalty is published with no name, all the banks will want the same treatment if they are penalized, reads one of the emails shared between OSFI staffers trying to get a handle on the move by their colleagues at the anti-money laundering watchdog FINTRAC last April. One OSFI staffer dug up FINTRACs guidelines and wrote to her colleagues: Looks like naming is not automatic . . . Does this imply that the (administrative monetary penalties) regime is even less effective/dissuasive because public naming is discretionary??? Its the same question journalists, financial experts, lawyers and many Canadians have asked since FINTRAC announced the massive fine last April. The name of the penalized bank has been conspicuous in its absence ever since. In December, the Star and the Vancouver-based National Observer published details of the events that triggered the fine, including 1,200 suspicious transactions involving a convicted fraudster named Andrew Strempler, a Winnipegger who made millions in the online drug market. Its unconscionable, says Kenneth Rijock, a financial crime consultant in the U.S. who regularly investigates Canadian cases and trains law enforcement agencies here. Theres no reason we shouldnt know. Its not just about Canadian banks. Its about the financial industry everywhere needing this information if theyre conducting business in Canada. We need to know this. The overemphasis on privacy that pervades Canadian regulatory systems is in stark difference between Canada and the U.S., he says. Canadians are always more enlightened and less brutal. But that doesnt mean you have to give criminals a pass. In the U.S. this exact set of facts would have resulted in tens of millions in fines and the bank itself would have been required to sign a deferred prosecution agreement, meaning if you dont clean up your act youre going to be charged with a felony or a number of felonies. OFSI officials confirmed in writing that the office discussed the fine with FINTRAC but said that it is prevented by legislation from discussing the nature of those discussions publicly. In response to interview requests, FINTRAC repeated its earlier statement that its decision to withhold the name was made, to send a timely message of deterrence and that the reaction of the financial industry shows, this message of deterrence was heard loud and clear. Based on FINTRAC statements, OSFI officials believed the secrecy would expire once the judicial process concluded and all appeals had been exhausted. No name and shame until the dust settles, i.e. the appeal process has been exercised and completed, reads a note from OSFI official Christine Ring. At this point, it is all a waiting game. In December, FINTRAC officials confirmed that the legal process was complete and that the fine had been paid. But the name of the bank is still being withheld. The reasons remain unclear. A decision like this and the Orwellian doublespeak . . . , said Bill Majcher, a former RCMP financial crimes inspector who trained FINTRAC personnel. FINTRAC is 100 per cent driven by bureaucrats with the bureaucrats mindset. It is not about functionality and its not about bottom line results . . . . The biggest joke is Canada is truly the soft underbelly of global financial crime and money movements. In documents obtained previously by the National Observer and the Star, FINTRAC lays out three criteria for public naming. The mystery bank meets two: It committed a very serious violation and its penalty was greater than $250,000. Nowhere in the emails was the public interest discussed, says Richard Leblanc, a professor of corporate governance at York and Harvard universities. Naming of the institution would cause media scrutiny, but the procedural rights of the bank would remain intact. If a person or firm is charged civilly or criminally, the name of the person or firm is almost always disclosed, as a matter of public interest and transparency, at the time the person or firm is charged, not after the sentence or appeal rights have been exhausted. In emails, OSFI officials lament that withholding the banks name casts suspicion across the entire industry. After the countrys major banks denied that they were the targets of the fine, pressure mounted on smaller banks. Many of our small banks have come under considerable pressure to confirm that they do not have a . . . fine pending, either verbally or through a formal press release, reads an April 16, 2016, email written by an OSFI staffer. The media is determined, through elimination, to find out which bank has the FINTRAC penalty pending. The mystery bank also avoided potential stock price decline, loss of customer trust, investor wrath, and potential civil prosecution. Directors and officers of the unnamed bank may serve on other boards, be hired by other firms, without full knowledge of what transpired by these other firms under their watch. The unnamed bank has essentially, with regulatory consent, transferred this loss to the entire industry as a result of nondisclosure, says Leblanc. The day following the release, the tone of media coverage became increasingly negative and critical, FINTRACs internal review concludes. The key quotes from public inquiries include this: There has been an inordinate amount of bragging since 2008 about how safe and well-regulated and Canadian banking system is. You have much to do if you expect to repair the damage your action has done to this reputation. Experts agree the case cries out for action from the federal government. I suspect that there will never be another case for many years to come with such an egregious compliance record by a bank, said Christine Duhaime, a legal expert on terrorism financing. A banking licence is a privilege in Canada, not a right. Such disregard for the rule of law when it comes to maintaining the integrity of the financial system suggests that perhaps the bank ought not to have the privilege of a banking licence. Legislation should remove FINTRACs discretion and clearly lay out the criteria for naming fined institutions, says James Cohen, interim executive director of Transparency International Canada. This is a case of gross negligence or wilfulness, Cohen says. There should have been no sympathy for the bank In this specific case, transparency would have been the one and only decision. Forensic accountant Charles Smedmor says its time now the mystery bank to be given a clear choice: Disclose, by an approved media release, the situation, or have your banks name disclosed by us. Your choice. With additional reporting from Mike De Souza, National Observer SHARE: If youre a young couple, Toronto Island wants you. Thats the message from Councillor Pam McConnell whos concerned about the islands aging and declining population. Theres a demographic change going on, she said. The tradition of the island has always been families, but now were seeing more seniors. Young couples, McConnell said, are actively being encouraged to join the waiting list for homes which are some of the few remaining bastions of affordable living in Toronto. Census numbers released last week illustrate her concerns. The island saw a 5.6 per cent population decline from 2011 to 2016, leaving only 620 residents. The mainland population, meanwhile, has continued to explode over the past five years. Cityplace and South Core two of the hottest neighbourhoods for young families and young professionals grew by 97.2 per cent and 38.6 per cent, respectively. The GTAs population increased by 5.8 per cent, overall. Pushing reset on the islands demographics would mean a lot of changes. Even if young couples join the waiting list for homes they wont be young when space is offered. A 2009 analysis by the local publication Torontoist estimated it takes 35 years between joining the waiting list which is opened up every two or three years and being offered a house. Thats in part because so few people move away and because there is a federally regulated cap on the number of island dwellings. For any of that to change, a provincial agreement which protects the homes that are there and prevents additional development would have to be reopened. And the terms, reached in 1993 in a bid to protect both the land and the cottage-in-the-city lifestyle of the people living there, are near and dear to lots of hearts. Until that agreement is renegotiated a politically fraught proposition in itself the trends proving themselves now appear are likely to continue. McConnell isnt holding out much hope for progress, noting its difficult for 23 councillors to agree on anything related to the island. Perhaps at some time people will be more reasonable, she said. SHARE: It was a rotten Valentines Day for many businesses near a blaze that devoured a building in midtown Toronto. Especially hard hit were the flower and card shops that rely on sales from the holiday. Yesterday was Valentines Day and Im a greeting card store, so you can only imagine that it definitely hit us hard, said The Papery owner Marla Freedland, whose business sells cards and stationery. The six-alarm blaze, which ignited Tuesday morning, tore through the historic Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto until firefighters contained it in the evening. They stayed on-scene all night, and the fire was under control as of 5:45 a.m., said Chief Matthew Pegg of Toronto Fire Services. The two days of Valentines Day take care of the month of February. Its not quite like Christmas, but for two days its like that, she said of February 13 and 14. Her business, at St. Clair and Yonge St. was closed at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, and didnt reopen until 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The area has been quiet since the fire, she said, adding people have avoided the area. Across the street, Eden Flower Shop was also feeling the pang of a Valentines Day gone awry. Owner Pam Cho was facing the pressure of selling unsold flowers off before she had to throw them out. Her business was open on Valentines Day, but customers werent able to come to the store due to the road closures. We opened, but no business, she said. Over at Paperboy Cards & Gifts, Valentines Day had proved similarly disappointing. Though the road closures hadnt affected them, and they were able to stay open, it wasnt business as usual. Id say business was probably half of what it should have been, said longtime employee Rebecca Griffith. It certainly wasnt like a normal Valentines. Still, there was an upside. Griffith said though their regulars werent able to make it to the store, many new faces showed up because pedestrians were directed their way after Yonge St. was closed. Despite poor business, many owners were feeling the love from the firefighters who battled the blaze. The fire department was fantastic and the police were great, they escorted us out, said Freedland. And on the bright side, she added, no one got hurt and the stores standing and kudos to (the firefighters) we have no smoke or water damage so I feel lucky. Deputy fire chief Jim Jessop praised the firefighters for their work battling the blaze. When you look at the voracity of this fire and how close it was to the surrounding buildings, the job that the women and men of Toronto fire did is nothing short of spectacular, he said. We had no thermal damage and no fire damage to the condominium literally a couple feet across from it and if it wasnt for the efforts of our crews this could have been a lot worse. The clubs parking lot was also flooded as water from the firefighters hoses poured from the buildings front doors. More than 120 firefighters helped douse the flames. Everybodys exhausted, Pegg said, praising crews for their tireless efforts. The cause of the fire wasnt clear Wednesday, nor was the location where the fire started and the cost of damage. SHARE: TTC customers riding outdated streetcars may sometimes feel like theyre stuck in a transit museum, but one city councillor is reviving the idea of creating an official one. Councillor Joe Mihevc, who sits on the TTC board, has added an item to next Tuesdays board meeting requesting that the agency look into creating a TTC transit museum. If you look at the big transportation authorities globally, they all have transportation museums, Mihevc said in an interview. He argued that showcasing the TTCs heritage would help the public connect with the citys history and develop an appreciation and a love for public transit. I think it helps build our brand, and building a good public transit brand helps frankly, at the end of the day, in making the TTC bigger and better. Mihevcs motion calls for the board to create a committee made up of commission staff and other interested parties to explore the feasibility of the project. The group would report back within a year. Mihevcs goal is to have the institution set up in time for the TTCs 100th anniversary in 2021. Mihevcs motion states that the endeavour should be modest and of little or no cost to the TTC. He suggested that the manufacturers of older vehicles could donate them, and the museum could be staffed by volunteers. Chris Prentice, president of the Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation, called the idea of a TTC museum fantastic and long overdue. He said his organization would be willing to assist in gathering artifacts to stock it. Not everyone is a fan of the proposal, however. Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who also sits on the TTC board, said he wont support it. We have far more important things to deal with, he said. I think the riding public believes that we should focus our attention on service and improving and expanding our transit service rather than dealing with a nonpriority (like a museum). Councillor and TTC chair Josh Colle also expressed skepticism. My obvious concern is that with the current financial pressures we are facing I would be worried about anything that would shift staff attention or scarce dollars away from transit service, he said. Colle said he hadnt decided yet how he would vote. If the proposal were to go ahead, the TTC would have little trouble finding artifacts. The agency maintains three historic streetcars in working condition, and also owns two 30- to 40-year old buses that are being preserved. According to agency spokesperson Stuart Green, there is also a variety of uniforms and memorabilia in storage at various locations but nothing is formally catalogued. Other artifacts like maps, photos, and film footage have been housed at the Toronto Archives since the 1990s. Transit museums can be significant attractions for some cities. More than 150,000 people a year visit the New York Transit Museum, which is housed in a decommissioned subway station in Brooklyn. The London Transport Museum, which houses 450,000 artifacts spanning three centuries, attracts close to 400,000 annual visitors. The idea of a Toronto transit museum has been floated before. In 2010, the board endorsed a $5.5-million plan to create a transit visitor centre on the ground floor of a proposed new TTC headquarters at Yonge St. and York Mills Rd. It fell through when the transit agencys relocation plans were scuttled. SHARE: A Toronto judge who provided advice on defending against a First Nations land claim, in an area where his family owns a cottage, is now facing a public discipline hearing. However, because Superior Court Justice Frank Newbould had previously signalled he will retire June 1 for personal reasons, its unlikely his case will ever be heard. The Canadian Judicial Council, which handles complaints about federally-appointed judges, announced this week that a five-member review panel found the allegations surrounding Newboulds intervention . . . in the context of a court case so serious that if proven, they may warrant the judges removal from office. Newboulds lawyer, Brian Gover, said the complaints against his client had been dismissed by the council in 2015, and it was Newboulds position that the council does not have the jurisdiction to reconsider a closed complaint. The panel found it does have the power to reconsider, and said an inquiry committee should be struck in the case, including one or more members appointed by the minister of justice. But because the minister has 60 days to do so, with the possibility of an extension, its doubtful the committee would be up and running before Newbould retires. I suppose had the judge decided not to retire, then these issues could have been explored, and perhaps he would have had an opportunity to respond through the inquiry committee process, said council spokeswoman Johanna Laporte. But the judge has chosen to retire. She said the council was following protocol by making a public announcement of the review panels decision. Newbould, 73, is still presiding over cases as team leader of the Commercial List, which handles complex litigation relating to matters such as corporations and bankruptcy. Gover confirmed the judge still plans to retire June 1. The situation raised an issue involving perception, said a statement issued by Gover. It is one for which Justice Newbould apologized in 2014 due to the perception caused by the fact he is a judge. Throughout the entirety of his distinguished judicial career, Justice Newbould has carried out his duties effectively and without bias. Appointed to the bench in 2006, he is perhaps best known in legal circles for presiding over the cross-border Nortel case, which Canadian Lawyer magazine called the largest insolvency restructuring proceeding in Canadian history. The issue before the judicial council relates to a proposed land claim settlement involving the Saugeen First Nation that was discussed at a public meeting called by the mayor of Sauble Beach in 2014. Govers statement says Newboulds family has owned a cottage in the area for about 100 years, and he spoke briefly at the meeting. He then wrote a letter to council, which had requested feedback, in his personal capacity. In an eight-page 2014 letter addressed to the mayor and town council, which is posted on the website of a local radio station, Newbould indicates hes reviewed a great deal of evidence regarding the land claim and also that the lawyers for the federal and provincial governments have declined to discuss the case with him. (Gover said the letter was part of the material before the judicial council when it first dismissed the complaints.) In my view, there are strong defences to the claim of the Saugeen First Nation, Newbould wrote, going on to say: It is difficult to understand how the town could agree to the proposed settlement with all its weaknesses. He recommends, among other things, that there should be representation on any negotiating committee from Sauble Beach residents, and getting a legal opinion from another lawyer. If a satisfactory settlement cannot be made . . . the town should not shy away from defending the claim along with the Province of Ontario, he wrote. Newbould was notified of seven complaints filed against him at the judicial council. The complainants questioned whether a judge who owns property that may be affected is entitled to comment on such issues, said Govers statement. The statement says all the complaints against Newbould were dismissed in January 2015, but that the Indigenous Bar Association pushed for the matter to be reconsidered. Laporte, the judicial council spokeswoman, said the review panel received new information. The Indigenous Bar Associations president, Koren Lightning-Earle, said it would be disappointing if Newbould retires before a hearing can take place. When Canada talks about this reconciliation, are they actually going to put those things together and actually walk the talk? she told the Star. If he just retires, then the action has ended, there is no reconciliation, there is nothing. A trial date for the land claim case has yet to be set. SHARE: A York police officer has been sentenced to 16 months in jail following the sex assault of a 21-year-old woman in the back of his police cruiser. Young Min von Seefried, has now been suspended without pay and will be relieved of his duty, according to York Regional Police. The 34-year-old pulled over a young couple in January 2015, in Markham, after testifying he noticed the colour of the vehicle they were driving in, a gold Mercedes Benz, did not match the colour on the registration. Once at the side of the road, near Woodbine Avenue and Yorktech Drive, the court heard Const. von Seefried requested the woman accompany him to his cruiser. Seated partially inside the vehicle the Chinese foreign exchange student said the officer began kissing and groping her genitals before placing her hand on his penis. Const. von Seefried denied the womans account, but did admit to writing her phone number down in his notebook before calling her twice, thirty minutes later and leaving a voicemail. Justice Felix rejected Const. von Seefrieds explanation that he called the girl later that morning to make sure she was OK, claiming his defence smacks of after-the-fact justification. Const. von Seefried claimed in his testimony to have been concerned about impaired driving and the girls safety, worrying that she might have been involved in prostitution or domestic issues with the male driver. Justice Marquis Felix rejected his defence in its entirety at a hearing in November 2016 calling parts of it nonsensical. On top of the sentence Const. von Seefried will also be placed on the sex offender registry for 10 years and will be on probation for two years following his jail term. Police Chief Eric Jolliffe said the service does not tolerate this behaviour. We are committed to our value of accountability, he said, and we take any allegation against our members very seriously, he said. York police Const. Andy Pattenden said the service decided to release Const. von Seefrieds image because of a concern there are other victims. Todd Sepkowski, the president of the York Regional Police Association, said the union is currently discussing next steps with lawyers. I want to reassure that the actions of Young Min are not representative of the brave young men and women of York Regional Police who serve our community everyday, he said. Read more about: SHARE: Premier Kathleen Wynne is going on a charm offensive with U.S. governors to keep trade flowing stateside in the new protectionist Trump era. Wynne, who met with Canadas ambassador to Washington David MacNaughton on Wednesday at Queens Park, said relations with American states are on the front-burner. The premier said she would travel to the National Governors Association meeting in Rhode Island for that July 13-16 summit of state leaders. In October, she and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder will co-host a summit of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence governors and premiers in Detroit and Windsor. Ontario-U.S. trade is critical for our businesses and our workers, Wynne said, noting each day there is more than $1 billion of trade between the province and American states. Last month I sent letters to the 27 governors of states that rank Ontario as a top customer, underlining the positive impact our trade creates for U.S. and Canadian workers, she added. As I follow up by speaking directly with many of those governors this month, our government is taking several steps to ensure Ontario workers and businesses are well represented going forward. MacNaughton no stranger to Queens Park as he was principal secretary to former premier Dalton McGuinty more than a decade ago welcomed Wynnes help in promoting trade. I think weve fallen down a bit on the job in terms of convincing them about how their prosperity and their prosperity are so linked, said the ambassador, whose visit came after Mondays meeting at the White House between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and new President Donald Trump. Thats why the reaching out not just to Washington but to the governors and legislators right across the United States is so important. Read more about: SHARE: White House adviser Kellyanne Conways public endorsement of Ivanka Trumps product line appears to be a clear violation of the prohibition against misuse of position, and she should be disciplined, the U.S. governments chief ethics watchdog wrote this week in a letter to the White House. Although U.S. President Donald Trumps press secretary, Sean Spicer, said last week that Conway has been counseled about her statement, the White House has not clarified what that means. Experts in government ethics say that typically, offenses like Conways would result in a letter of reprimand, though it could be grounds for termination. It is up to the head of each agency in this case, the president to determine the punishment. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump The Office of Government Ethics has not yet received notification of any disciplinary or other corrective action against Ms. Conway, Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the office, wrote in a letter to Stefan C. Passantino, the deputy counsel to the president who is the designated ethics officer at the White House. There is strong reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the standards of conduct and that disciplinary action is warranted, the letter said. The ethics offices letter adds to the troubles piling up on Conway. On Monday, she was dispatched to the television cameras to say that Michael T. Flynn, the national security adviser, had the full confidence of Trump, just hours before he resigned. On Tuesday, she appeared to respond to criticism of her public performances, posting on Twitter that she serves at the pleasure of the president. His message is my message. His goals are my goals. Uninformed chatter doesnt matter, she wrote. Read more: Trump aide counselled after Ivanka pitch on Fox News, White House says Trump slams Nordstrom for treating daughter unfairly Ivankas dreary garments have no place at the Bay: Mallick Photos: A look at Ivanka Trump's fashion line Last week, Rep. Jason Chaffetz chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called Conways endorsement of Ivanka Trumps product line wrong, wrong, wrong, and he called on the ethics office to investigate. His response was all the more striking given that Chaffetz, a Republican, had brushed off previous calls to investigate Trump or those around him, despite his committees broad investigative powers. Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter, markets fashions under her name, and opponents of Donald Trump have called for a boycott of those and other products and services bearing the family name. Nordstrom, the department store chain, said recently that it would no longer carry her products, one of several retailers that have curtailed or ended their business with her line. Last week, Donald Trump used Twitter to accuse Nordstrom of treating Ivanka Trump unfairly. On Thursday, Conway, whose title is counselor to the president, gave an interview to Fox News from the White House briefing room, with the White House insignia visible behind her, defending the president and his daughter. Go buy Ivankas stuff is what I would say, she said. Im going to give a free commercial here: Go buy it today, everybody; you can find it online. Federal ethics rules on conflicts of interest specifically exempt the president and vice president. But for any other executive branch employee, the rules prohibit using public office for personal gain, or for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity. Shaub, who was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2013 to a five-year term to head the ethics office, has said that Trump has not gone nearly far enough in separating himself from his business interests. SHARE: On Feb. 6, Germanys most-read newspaper reported that dozens of Arab men, presumed to be refugees, had rampaged through the city of Frankfurt on New Years Eve. The men were said to have sexually assaulted women as they went through the streets; the newspaper dubbed them the Fressgass sex mob, referring to an upmarket shopping street in the city. Bilds report sparked widespread concern in Germany. The nation has taken in millions of migrants over the past few years and there had been reports of similar incidents in Cologne, Germany, and other cities the previous New Years Eve. But police investigating the crime now say that the allegations included in the article are without foundation. According to the Frankfurter Rundschau, the witnesses who spoke to reporters may be investigated themselves. Bild has now deleted the story from its website. The papers online-editor-in-chief on Tuesday said that the company apologized for our own work. There have been plenty of false stories about refugees and migrants in Germany over the past few years, in large part a reflection of divisive political views on the issue within the country and the increasingly fragmented world of online media. They include the story of the Allahu akbar-chanting mob that set Germanys oldest church alight (quickly proven false), for example, or the refugee who took a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel accused of terrorism links (also false). But most of these stories have been social media-driven, or spread by ideological websites such as Breitbart. Bild, on the other hand, is a major newspaper founded in 1952 with a print circulation in the millions the highest of any European newspaper. While it traditionally takes a centre-right position ideologically, its views on refugees have fluctuated in 2015, Bloomberg wrote that the newspaper had surprised its critics by learning to love refugees. The Local reports that Bild had largely based its report on the accounts of Jan Mai, a well-known restaurateur in Frankfurt, and a 27-year-old woman named Irina. Mai had told the newspaper that 50 Arab men had come into his restaurant, where they caused chaos, stealing coats and assaulting women. The female witness had told the newspaper that the men had grabbed her between her legs and on her breast. Their hands were everywhere, Irina told Bild. Frankfurt police were taken aback by the article they had not heard of any large-scale assaults taking place in the area on New Years Eve but a number of news outlets published aggregated versions of the story, spreading it further. When local newspapers tried to report further on the story, local business owners said they had never seen any kind of sex mob or mass sexual assault on New Years Eve. It was absolutely peaceful, one staff member at a Fressgass bar, not far from Mais establishment, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. On Tuesday, police released a damning statement on the incident that suggested the reports published in Bild were without foundation. The interrogations of the witnesses, guests, and staff have created considerable doubts about the portrayal of events, the statement read, adding that a person allegedly affected by the actions was not in the city at all when the crime occurred. The Frankfurter Rundschau reports that since-deleted social media posts from Irina seemed to suggest she was abroad during the New Years period. Meanwhile, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that Mai had published a number of posts on Facebook expressing support for far-right parties and criticizing Merkel on his Facebook pages. Prosecutors are now investigating the witnesses themselves. Reporting on alleged sexual assaults by refugees and migrants is a fraught subject in Germany. Shortly after New Years Eve 2015, rumours of alleged sexual assaults by large groups of men began to circulate on social media, but attracted little attention in the German press and from officials. It was only half a year later that the full extent of the situation became known, with a leaked police report suggesting that there were over 1,200 women assaulted by more than 2,000 men in a number of cities. SHARE: WASHINGTONPhone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to four current and former U.S. officials. U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time that they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such co-operation. Related: Trump's labour secretary built empire on ads of women eating burgers in bikinis: Wells But the intercepts alarmed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. At one point last summer, Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clintons emails and would make them public. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other associates of Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside of the intelligence services, the officials said. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified. The officials said one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trumps campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the FBI is sifting through as it investigates the links between Trumps associates and the Russian government, as well as the DNC hack, according to federal law enforcement officials. As part of its inquiry, the FBI has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews, the officials said. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the U.S. officials on Tuesday. This is absurd, he said. I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today. Manafort added: Its not like these people wear badges that say, Im a Russian intelligence officer. Several of Trumps associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia, and it is not unusual for U.S. businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business. Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Trumps advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself. A published report from U.S. intelligence agencies that was made public in January concluded that the Russian government had intervened in the election in part to help Trump, but did not address whether any members of the Trump campaign had participated in the effort. The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser, and Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. During those calls, which led to Flynns resignation on Monday night, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. But the cases are part of the routine electronic surveillance of communications of foreign officials by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FBI declined to comment. Two days after the election in November, Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy Russian foreign minister, said there were contacts during the campaign between Russian officials and Trumps team. Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage, Ryabkov told Interfax, the Russian news agency. The Trump transition team denied Ryabkovs statement. This is not accurate, Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump, said at the time. The National Security Agency, which monitors the communications of foreign intelligence services, initially captured the communications between Trumps associates and Russians as part of routine foreign surveillance. After that, the FBI asked the NSA to collect as much information as possible about the Russian operatives on the phone calls, and to search through previous intercepted communications that had not been analyzed. The FBI has closely examined at least four other people close to Trump, although it is unclear if their calls were intercepted. They are Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign; Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative; and Flynn. All of the men have strongly denied they had any improper contacts with Russian officials. As part of the inquiry, the FBI is also trying to assess the credibility of information contained in a dossier that was given to the bureau last year by a former British intelligence operative. The dossier contained a raft of salacious allegations about connections between Trump, his associates and the Russian government. It also included unsubstantiated claims that the Russians had embarrassing videos that could be used to blackmail Trump. The FBI has spent several months investigating the leads in the dossier, but has yet to confirm any of its most explosive allegations. Senior FBI officials believe that the former British intelligence officer who compiled the dossier, Christopher Steele, has a credible track record, and he briefed FBI investigators last year about how he obtained the information. One U.S. law enforcement official said that FBI agents had made contact with some of Steeles sources. The FBIs investigation into Manafort began last spring as 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. The investigation has focused on why he was in such close contact with Russian and Ukrainian intelligence officials. The bureau did not have enough evidence to obtain a warrant for a wiretap of Manaforts communications, but it had the NSA closely scrutinize the communications of Ukrainian officials he had met. The FBI investigation is proceeding at the same time that separate investigations into Russian interference in the election are gaining momentum on Capitol Hill. Those investigations, by the House and Senate Intelligence committees, are examining not only the Russian hacking but also any contacts that Trumps team had with Russian officials during the campaign. On Tuesday, top Republican lawmakers said that Flynn should be one focus of the investigation, and that he should be called to testify before Congress. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said that the news surrounding Flynn in recent days underscored how many questions still remain unanswered to the American people more than three months after Election Day, including who was aware of what, and when. Warner said that Flynns resignation would not stop the committee from continuing to investigate Gen. Flynn, or any other campaign official who may have had inappropriate and improper contacts with Russian officials prior to the election. Read more about: SHARE: PESHAWAR, PAKISTANTwo suicide bombings in northwestern Pakistan killed at least six people on Wednesday following an almost three-month-long lull in the volatile region. A breakaway Taliban faction claimed responsibility for one of the attacks a bombing that targeted the areas administrative tribal headquarters. Three policemen and two passersby died in that attack, which took place in the Mohmand tribal region near the Afghan border. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, or Freedom Movement, claimed the attack in a text message sent to The Associated Press. The same militant faction had said it was behind a deadly suicide bombing earlier this week in Lahore. The explosion went off at the main gate of the tribal headquarters in Ghalanai in the Mohmand tribal region, just as the workday was about to start, said Hameedullah Khan, a local government official. Khan, whose office is inside the compound, said the grounds are home to residences, offices and training facilities for the local administration and police employees. Hundreds of local residents come daily on business to the tribal headquarters, located 45 kilometres outside Peshawar, the provincial capital. The bombing was followed by gunshots, Khan added. The Pakistani army said the bomber was accompanied by another militant, who tried to force his way into the compound after the explosion went off but that security guards opened fire and killed him. The army statement said there was a higher level of vigilance among the local security forces following intelligence that would-be attackers had infiltrated the area from neighbouring Afghanistan. Hours later, a suicide bomber struck a vehicle carrying local judges and judicial officials in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Police official Sajjad Khan said a driver was killed and five others were wounded in that explosion. Earlier, a would-be suicide bomber died when he prematurely detonated his explosives near a security convoy about 10 kilometres from the tribal headquarters, police officer Suhail Khalid said. No one was hurt in that explosion. The Lahore bombing on Monday targeted policemen who were escorting a protest march. That attack killed 13, including seven policemen. A former chief of the provinces counterterrorism department was also among those killed. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is based in the Mohmand area part of rugged, lawless regions along the Afghan border which have long served as safe havens for local and al-Qaida-linked foreign militants. Pakistan has waged several offensives against militants in recent years, including a major operation that started in mid-2014 in the last key insurgent sanctuary of North Waziristan. The authorities declared the offensive a success, saying it uprooted militants, killed hundreds and forced many to flee across the border into Afghanistan. Others went into hiding in Pakistani urban areas where they have a vast support network of seminaries and religious groups. A U.S. drone campaign also helped the offensive by targeting the Taliban. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar emerged in late 2014, when a leadership crisis fractured the Pakistani Taliban movement which is separate from the Afghan Taliban and splintered it into various groups. The groups most recent attacks came in late 2016, after Washington declared it a terrorist organization. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is led by militant known as Omar Khaled Khorasani, whose real name is Abdul Wali Khan. A former Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, is a key commander in the group, which also has links with several Pakistani militant and sectarian groups and has expressed support for Daesh, also known as ISIS. Read more about: SHARE: NEW YORKIn the hours since Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser late Monday, two narratives emerged. One, embraced by many in the traditional legacy media, centred on what Flynn had done that led to his resignation: discussed sanctions against Russia in a conversation with the Russian ambassador and then misled Vice President Mike Pence about it. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump The other, which developed among the more right-leaning news media, focused on the leaks from Washington that had put pressure on Flynn to step aside and whether these leaks were intended to damage President Donald Trump. One narrative holds Flynn, and others who knew about his discussions, accountable. The other portrays Flynn more as a victim. Which narrative does Trump ascribe to? On Tuesday morning, he attributed Flynns resignation to illegal leaks. On Wednesday morning, Trump again denounced the leaks in a blizzard of tweets. It is not unusual for news media to promote different angles. And the division between left-leaning and right-leaning news organizations is certainly not new. But the rift between the mainstream media and more partisan news organizations has grown starker in the nearly four weeks since Trump took office, reflecting a widening political and ideological rift. The growing division means that some readers are getting their news through an ever-narrowing prism. Americans who get their information predominantly from Breitbart News, a right-wing news and opinion site, for instance, or from the conservative Fox News are getting a very different version of the news from Americans who read The Washington Post or watch CNN. Breitbart raises questions Late Monday, as the news broke that Flynn had resigned, news organizations rushed to publish articles. Not Breitbart. For roughly an hour after Flynns resignation letter began circulating, Breitbart did not change the main story on its home page, which was about immigration policy. When Breitbart made the Flynn resignation its main story, around midnight, the account hewed closely to the facts of Flynns resignation and quoted heavily from his resignation letter. The site also put up a more analytical article that raised questions about the motives behind the governments monitoring of communications between Flynn and the Russian ambassador. Democrats are clamoring for a deeper investigation of Russian ties to Trump, the article said. But the more serious question is whether our nations intelligence services were involved in what amounts to political espionage against the newly elected government. The article also raised questions about how the news media got its information, reinforcing a distrust of the press that Trump and his administration have assiduously tried to foster. The fact that the contents of Flynns phone conversation highly sensitive intelligence were leaked to the media suggests that someone with access to that information also has a political axe to grind, the article said. The emphasis on the leaks continued into Tuesday afternoon with an article at the top of Breitbarts site on the White House briefing and the assertion by Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, that the leaks were an overlooked part of the reporting on Flynn. The narrative gained more steam on Wednesday morning, after the damaging reports Tuesday night: An article on the Breitbart home page seized on Trumps early morning tweets attacking the coverage rather than the news about the Russian contacts. Foxs focus on leaks Fox News also advanced this leak-focused narrative Tuesday. Laura Ingraham, a conservative commentator and Fox News contributor, suggested on Fox & Friends that the leaks were politically motivated. The long knives were out for Flynn almost the moment that he was announced, she said. I think this really was the death by a thousand leaks, Ingraham added. The leaks that were coming out of this administration and the transition, before the administration, were at a level that I dont remember seeing for quite some time. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson also focused on the leaks during an appearance on the channel. Who tapped the phones, who was listening to it, who leaked it? I think those are legitimate questions to ask, he said. Lets face it, he said later, leaks of this nature are incredibly damaging to America, to our national security, and we need to look into it. Tuesday night ended on a predictably outraged note, with Sean Hannity, a Trump supporter, suggesting on his show that the left was willing to do anything to stop President Trump from draining the swamp and changing the status quo. Impeachment of the president is clearly the end goal for the left, Mr. Hannity added. Facts, truth, it doesnt really matter. Mike Flynn is just a small casualty of that bigger plan. On Wednesday, the main article on the Fox News home page highlighted the presidents condemnation of the leaks to the media. Praise for journalism Journalists at more centrist news organizations, including CNN and NPR, attributed Flynns resignation to the strong reporting and investigative journalism that had exposed details of Flynns talks with Russia. Scott Detrow of NPR tweeted: Evan Osnos of the New Yorker said, also in a tweet: Rather than casting aspersion on leaks about Flynn, these commentators praised their contributions to accountability journalism. Joe Scarborough, a host of MSNBCs Morning Joe, went so far as to call the person who had leaked information a patriot. The only reason were finding out about it now is because a patriot did leak this to The Washington Post, did get this information out there, or else we wouldnt have even known about it, said Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida. The Columbia Journalism Review, a publication that chronicles and analyzes the news media, was perhaps the most pointed. An article Tuesday with the headline Flynn resignation shows leaks under Trump are working. Keep em coming. described how several recent leaks had forced the Trump administration to reverse course or make changes. Some of these leaks have halted a Trump appointment and controversial policies in their tracks, the article said, and its a lesson showing how whistleblowers and leaks to the press are vital for democracy. Read more about: SHARE: WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALANDHundreds of people in New Zealands second-largest city were evacuated from their homes Wednesday as wildfires burned down several houses and threatened to encroach further into some suburbs. A helicopter pilot who was a decorated soldier died in a crash while fighting the blaze on Tuesday. The mayors of Christchurch City and the adjacent Selwyn District declared a state of emergency. Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton said changing winds had made the fires unpredictable. He said the region had been unusually dry for three years and the grass in the hills had turned brown over the Southern Hemisphere summer. Smoke and ash were being blown across Christchurch. Broughton said displaced residents were staying at evacuation centres or with relatives. They need to look after one another, and make sure they have a place to go to tonight, he said. Phil Claude told Radio New Zealand he and his family ran down a grass track to escape the fire, which destroyed their home. I could see that the smoke and the flames were being blown right up toward our house, he said. And I just yelled Get out. Get out! The Christchurch City Council reported that two or three homes were destroyed Wednesday evening after authorities said a few others were destroyed earlier. New Zealands military has been deployed to provide water tankers and engineering equipment as well as firefighters and other personnel. The helicopter pilot who died while fighting the fire, Cpl. David Steven Askin, won one of the countrys top awards for bravery for his actions in Afghanistan. Askin was a member of the elite Special Air Service and his identity was kept secret when he won the Gallantry Star medal in 2014. He was cited for efforts that included helping save guests during the 2011 siege of the luxury Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul that left at least 20 people dead. Corporal Askin was wounded by grenade and rifle fire, yet carried on his mission and rescued guests from the hotel as fire broke out, the Defence Force said in a statement. More on thestar.com Death toll rises to 11 as more than 100 wildfires rage in Chile SHARE: NEW DELHIIndias space agency said it successfully launched more than 100 foreign nano satellites into orbit Wednesday aboard a single rocket. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said the nano satellites those weighing less than 10 kilograms were sent into orbit from southern India. It said the launching of the 104 satellites was a record, overtaking Russias feat of sending 37 satellites in a single launch in 2014. All 104 satellites were successfully placed in orbit, the Press Trust of India news agency quoted ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar as saying. They included an Indian Earth observation satellite and two small technology demonstration satellites. The ISRO said in a statement that the other satellites were international customer satellites, including 96 from the United States and one each from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Israel, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the remarkable feat by ISRO is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India has been striving to become a player in the multibillion-dollar space launch market, and has successfully placed light satellites into orbit in recent years. It hopes to eventually send astronauts into space. In September 2014, India successfully guided a spacecraft into orbit around Mars. Only the United States, the former Soviet Union and the European Space Agency had been able to previously do that. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States would no longer insist on a Palestinian state as part of a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians, backing away from a policy that has underpinned the U.S. role in Middle East peacemaking since the Clinton administration. Im looking at two states and one state, Trump said, appearing in a joint news conference at the White House with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. I like the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump Trumps comments were a striking departure from decades of diplomatic orthodoxy, and they raised a host of thorny questions about the viability of his position. The Palestinians are highly unlikely to accept anything short of a sovereign state, and a single Israeli state encompassing the Palestinians would either become undemocratic or no longer Jewish, given the faster growth rate of the Arab population. Trump did not address these dynamics, preferring to focus on his confidence that he could produce a breakthrough agreement. I think were going to make a deal, Trump said, describing that as personally important to him. It might be a better deal than people in this room understand. Netanyahu embraced Trumps words, saying he preferred to deal with substance rather than labels in negotiating with the Palestinians. He noted that the concept of the two-state solution meant different things to different people in the region. And he said the Palestinians had refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state. Trump did tell Netanyahu to hold back on settlement construction in the West Bank. As with any successful negotiation, both sides will have to make compromises, he said, turning to Netanyahu. You know that, right? Trump also used the news conference to again lash out at the nations intelligence agencies, saying that his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had been brought down by illegal leaks to the media. His comments came on a day of new disclosures about Flynns dealings with Russia during and after the presidential campaign. Trump demanded his security advisers resignation, officials said. From intelligence, papers are being leaked, things are being leaked, Trump said. Its a criminal action, criminal act, and its been going on for a long time before me, but now its really going on. And people are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton. Trump and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and senior adviser, have been exploring an approach called the outside-in strategy, enlisting Arab states in the region that already have found common cause with Israel against their mutual enemy Iran to help broker a settlement with the Palestinians. But it is not at all clear that Palestinians would ever accept an arrangement that did not leave them with a state of their own. Read more: Trump White House faces further investigation over Russia amid chaos from Flynn Trump renews media attacks as controversy over Russia deepens Champion of women? Trump's labour secretary built empire on ads of women eating burgers in bikinis: Wells Until now, Trumps team has largely avoided conversations with Palestinian leaders. But Mike Pompeo, CIA director, met with Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority president, in Ramallah in the West Bank on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Bill Clinton was the first president to endorse a two-state solution, saying in a speech in January 2001, just two weeks before leaving office, that the conflict would never be settled without a sovereign, viable Palestinian state. His successor, George W. Bush, picked that up later that year, becoming the first president to make it official U.S. policy. Obama considered a two-state solution the unquestionable bedrock of Washingtons approach to the region. But momentum for the idea of side-by-side states has ebbed not just in Washington but also in the region, where many Israelis and Palestinians have given up hope or changed their minds about the concept. Netanyahu arrives at a tumultuous time at the White House, just two days after Trump forced out Flynn, for withholding the truth about a conversation with Russias ambassador. Netanyahu lost probably his most important ally against Iran with Flynns departure. During last years campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized Obamas nuclear agreement with Iran as a terrible deal, but his administration has indicated that it does not intend to rip it up, at least not immediately, even as it imposes new sanctions on Tehran over its recent ballistic missile tests. Netanyahu wants to ensure that if the deal is not scrapped, it is enforced rigorously, a goal he should find much sympathy for in the White House. But Flynns departure could mean that the conversations between Netanyahu and Trump focus more on making peace with the Palestinians than the prime minister would prefer. Netanyahu has looked forward to Trumps ascension, the first time in four terms as prime minister that he has had a Republican president as a partner. After years of tension with Obama, who pressed Israel to make more concessions for peace, Netanyahu anticipated vigorous support from the new president. But as Israel began announcing thousands of more houses in the West Bank in the weeks after Trumps inauguration, the new president modulated his posture. He told an Israeli newspaper last week that more Israeli settlements in the West Bank dont help the process and that he did not believe that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace. He also backed away from his campaign promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, saying that it is not an easy decision and we will see what happens. The comments surprised some in Israel but could also be helpful to Netanyahu, who could use them to fend off pressure from pro-settlement leaders on his right who have been pushing him to take more assertive moves. Still, if Netanyahu viewed Trumps arrival as license to do as he pleased without U.S. interference, he may be surprised that the new president seems inclined to make a serious investment in forging a peace deal. Trumps assignment to Kushner to focus on the matter has been taken as a sign of determination. Although he has no experience as a diplomat, Kushner has what other negotiators in the past have not had: the complete trust of the president. Authority matters, said Dennis Ross, who served multiple presidents as a Middle East negotiator. People in the region can smell it when negotiators dont have it, and I think having the authority counts a lot. Read more about: SHARE: BRUSSELSIn an ultimatum to Americas allies, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told fellow NATO members Wednesday to increase military spending by years end or risk seeing the U.S. curtail its defence support a stark threat given Europes deep unease already over U.S.-Russian relations. Echoing President Donald Trumps demands for NATO countries to assume greater self-defence responsibility, Mattis said Washington will moderate its commitment to the alliance if countries fail to fall in line. He didnt offer details, but the pressure is sure to be felt, particularly by governments in Europes eastern reaches that feel threatened by Russian expansionism. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump Trumps Russia policy remains a mystery for many of Americas closest international partners. As a candidate, the Republican president steered clear of criticizing Moscow for its 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea region and repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he wanted a new era of co-operation between the former Cold War foes. But that possibility grew murkier this week as Trump fired his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, over the retired Army lieutenant-generals communications with Russia before Trump took office. The departure of Flynn, who also promoted the idea of working with Moscow, has added to speculation about how the U.S.-Russian relationship might evolve. Amid the uncertainty from Washington, the Kremlin may be testing the Wests resolve. A U.S. defence official said this week that Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era nuclear arms control treaty. And violence has sporadically reignited in eastern Ukraine, where the U.S. and its partners say Moscow continues to back a separatist insurgency. No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defence of Western values, Mattis told the alliances 27 other defence ministers, according to a text of his remarks. Americans cannot care more for your childrens future security than you do. The entire alliance seemed to hang on Mattis every word Wednesday. Officials crowded around televisions at the NATO meeting in Brussels to watch the retired generals initial appearance with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Defence ministers clustered around Mattis as he entered the meeting room. Citing danger from Russia, Mattis told the closed meeting of ministers they must adopt a plan this year that sets dates for governments to meet a military funding goal of 2 per cent of gross domestic product. He called the funding increase a fair demand based on the political reality in Washington, an apparent reference to Trumps past criticism of NATO as obsolete and his much-touted America First mantra. Noting the threat posed by Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL, in Iraq and Syria, Mattis said: Some in this alliance have looked away in denial of what is happening. We have failed to fill gaps in our NATO response force or to adapt, he added. Trump has challenged the alliance to take on a greater share of military costs, even rattling European nations by suggesting the U.S. might not defend allies unwilling to fulfil their financial obligations as NATO members. Mattis didnt go that far, and Wednesdays focus appeared to be on simply increasing military funding if not fully reaching the target. Many European governments face hostility to more military spending, especially as their slow economic recoveries force belt-tightening elsewhere. The United States is by far NATOs most powerful member, spending more on defence than all the others combined. It devoted 3.61 per cent of American GDP last year to military spending, according to NATO estimates a level that has somewhat tapered off in recent years. Germany, by contrast, spent 1.19 per cent of its overall budget on defence. Ten countries commit even less, and seven including Canada, Italy and Spain would have to virtually double military spending to reach the target. Luxembourg would require a fourfold increase to get close. Along with the U.S., the other countries that do reach NATOs benchmark for military spending are Britain, Estonia, Poland and debt-ridden Greece. Britishs defence chief, Michael Fallon, said Mattis appeared to welcome a British proposal to create a road map for increased spending. An annual increase that were asking them to commit to would at least demonstrate good faith, he said. Asked about Mattis ultimatum, NATO chief Stoltenberg said allies need time to develop plans. Many are already talking about increasing commitments, he said. This is not the U.S. telling Europe to increase defence spending, Stoltenberg said, noting that allies committed three years ago already to increase spending over the next decade. He said: I welcome all pressure, all support, to make sure that happens. Despite the sharpness of his demand, Mattis appeared to recognize Europes worries and its leaders desire for clarity on Americas commitment to NATO. In a brief public statement, made while standing alongside Stoltenberg, Mattis called the alliance a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the trans-Atlantic community. Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONU.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday blamed the media and illegally leaked intelligence information for bringing down his national security adviser Michael Flynn, one day after the White House said Trump fired Flynn because he misled Vice-President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia. Flynns ouster has sparked a new swirl of controversy over Trumps potential ties to Moscow. Flynn resigned Monday night at the behest of Trump, the White House later said after reports that he had discussed sanctions with Russias ambassador to the U.S. before the inauguration, despite previously denying those conversations to Pence and other top officials. A timeline of Trumps spiralling Michael Flynn-Russia scandal In his first public comments on Flynns firing, Trump said it was its really a sad thing that Flynn was treated so badly, and that hes planning to going after those who have leaked information to the fake news media. He spoke during a White House news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump is said to favour Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a former Navy SEAL, as his next national security adviser, according to a White House official. Harward met with top White House officials last week and has the backing of Defence Secretary Jim Mattis. Flynns ouster was a blow to a White House struggling to find its footing in Trumps first weeks in office. The questions about Russia only deepened late Tuesday when The New York Times reported that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Trumps 2016 campaign team. Current and former U.S. officials who spoke to the Times anonymously said they found no evidence that the Trump campaign was working with the Russians on hacking or other efforts to influence the election. But the intercepts alarmed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. At one point last summer, Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clintons emails and would make them public. Trump didnt directly address the veracity of the report during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but lashed out at what he called the criminal act of leaking information. Earlier Wednesday, Trump tweeted that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! The president ignored shouted questions about whether his advisers were in touch with Russian officials. His spokesman Sean Spicer said he wasnt aware of any such contacts and panned the Times report for relying on unnamed sources. Democrats called for an independent investigation into Trumps Russia ties and urged Republicans to join them. This is a moment for Republicans to put country ahead of party, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said. Theres only one or two times like this in your political career where you face a moment like this where whats good for your country may not be good for your party. GOP lawmakers, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, resisted, saying that the existing congressional committees will continue their investigations into Russian interference in the presidential election. Flynn maintained for weeks that he had not discussed U.S. sanctions in his conversations with Russias ambassador. He later conceded that the topic may have come up. And Trump lashed out at the news media Wednesday morning, sending out a tweet berating some news organizations for focusing on This Russian connection nonsense. In a post on his verified Twitter account, Trump said, The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. He added that the news reporting was merely an attempt to coverup the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign. Trump also asserted in a tweet: Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?). Just like Russia. Trump initially thought Flynn could survive the controversy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the presidents views, but a pair of explosive stories in The Washington Post in recent days made the situation untenable. As early as last week, he and aides began making contingency plans for Flynns dismissal, a senior administration official said. While the president was said to be upset with Flynn, he also expressed anger with other aides for losing control of the story and making his young administration look bad. The vice-president, who had vouched for Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence became aware that he had received incomplete information from Flynn only after the first Washington Post report Thursday night. At about the same time, Pence learned that the Justice Department had warned the White House last month regarding Flynns conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said Monday there were no lines crossed in his conversations with Kislyak. The officials and others with knowledge of the situation were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity. Ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, Pence and other officials insisted publicly that Flynn had not discussed sanctions in his talks with the Russian ambassador. On Jan. 26, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates contacted White House counsel Don McGahn to raise concerns about discrepancies between the public accounting and what intelligence officials knew to be true about the contacts based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the U.S. The Justice Department warned the White House that the inconsistencies would leave the presidents top national security aide vulnerable to blackmail from Russia, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. The president was informed of the warnings the same day, Spicer said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI around the same time, according to a U.S. official who was briefed on the investigation. With files from the New York Times Read more about: SHARE: WASHINGTONU.S. intelligence agencies and Congress will continue to investigate Russias involvement in the 2016 presidential election, even after U.S. President Donald Trump fired his national security adviser for providing inaccurate accounts of his contacts with the Russian ambassador last year. Democrats said an independent investigation was the best way to answer questions about the Trump administrations ties to Russia. But Republican leaders continue to refuse to consider that option and said three congressional investigations underway were enough. Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired late Monday. The White House said he misled Vice-President Mike Pence about his contacts with the Russian ambassador. Read the latest news on U.S. President Donald Trump This isnt the first time Trump has distanced himself from an adviser in light of relationships with Moscow. In late August, Paul Manafort resigned as Trumps campaign chairman after disclosures by The Associated Press about his firms covert lobbying on behalf of Ukraines former pro-Russia governing political party. Trump has long held a friendly posture toward the long-time U.S. adversary and has been reluctant to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin, even for Putins annexation of Ukraines Crimea region in 2014. This isnt simply about a change in policy toward Russia, as the administration would like to portray. Its whats behind that change in policy, said California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, one of the congressional bodies investigating. Under the Obama administration, U.S. intelligence agencies said Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of electing Trump. Trump has acknowledged that Russia hacked Democratic emails but denies it was to help him win. The New York Times reported late Tuesday that members of Trumps campaign, including Manafort, had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the year before the election. The U.S. knew about these contacts through phone records and intercepted calls, the Times said. Reached late Tuesday, Manafort told The Associated Press he has not been interviewed by the FBI about these alleged contacts. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today, Manafort said. Officials who spoke with the Times anonymously said they had not yet seen any evidence of the Trump campaign co-operating with the Russians on hacking or other attempts to influence the election. The investigations and the unusual firing of the national security adviser just 24 days into his job have put Republicans in the awkward position of investigating the leader of their party. The congressional probes are ultimately in the hands of the Republican committee chairmen, and the executive branchs investigation is now overseen by Trump appointees. Read more: Trump renews media attacks as controversy over Russia deepens Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence Trump knew for weeks that Flynn was not telling the truth on Russia, White House says Republican leaders focused on the idea that Flynn misled Pence about the nature of his contacts with the Russian ambassador not on any questioning of the relationship between Flynn and the ambassador. Democrats said a key issue is whether Flynn broke diplomatic protocol and potentially the law by discussing U.S. sanctions with Moscow before Trumps inauguration. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said the committee had not yet seen the transcripts of Flynns calls. The Justice Department had warned the White House late last month that Flynn could be at risk for blackmail because of contradictions between his public depictions of the calls with the Russian ambassador and what intelligence officials knew about the conversations. You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the vice-president and others, said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, both Republicans, also said that more needs to be learned about Flynns discussions with the Russian ambassador and Russias involvement in U.S. politics. McCain said in a statement that Flynns White House exit raises further questions about the Trump administrations intentions toward Vladimir Putins Russia, including statements by the president suggesting moral equivalence between the United States and Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, threats to our NATO allies, and attempted interference in American elections. California Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said he was concerned Flynns rights were violated in the interception of his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Im just shocked that nobodys covering the real crime here, Nunes said. You have an American citizen who had his phone call recorded and then leaked to the media. The FBI has wide legal authority to eavesdrop on the conversations of foreign intelligence targets, including diplomats, inside the U.S. Flynn did not concede any wrongdoing in his resignation letter, saying merely that he inadvertently briefed the vice-president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador. While North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said much of the panels investigation will occur behind closed doors, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said he planned to push to make the findings and hearings public. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump did not direct Flynn to discuss U.S. sanctions with the Russians. No, absolutely not, Spicer said. With files from Bloomberg Read more about: SHARE: SEOUL, KOREAIntelligence officials believe North Korean agents assassinated leader Kim Jong Uns exiled half brother, but if the whodunit seems settled, a very big question still looms: Why now? Kim Jong Nam, reportedly killed by two female agents in a cloak-and-dagger operation in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, had long been an embarrassment to North Koreas government humiliated during a failed attempt to sneak into Japan to visit Disneyland and outspoken in opposing the rise to power of his brother, who had his uncle executed after taking over. Read more: North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns half-brother slain in Malaysia, official says Kim, who died on the way to a hospital, told medical workers that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the official said. Malaysian officials have provided few other details. Police said an autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death. Malaysian police arrested a woman Wednesday in connection with his death. Police released a statement saying the woman was carrying Vietnamese travel documents when she was arrested at the Kuala Lumpur Airport. The overweight gambler and fading playboy had kept his head down in recent years from his base in Macau. Kim Jong Nam was seen by many outsiders as only a minor distraction for North Koreas leaders, and certainly not an existential threat worth the risk of a potentially embarrassing assassination caper on foreign soil. South Koreas spy service said Wednesday that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim. But the National Intelligence Service did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to lawmakers who briefed reporters about the closed door meeting with the spy officials. The spotty South Korean intelligence community ascribed the Norths motivation in killing Kim Jong Nam, without any elaboration, simply to Kim Jong Uns paranoia. There is a more intriguing possibility floating around Seoul, however: The tipping point in North Koreas bloody calculations may have been a largely ignored South Korean news story from last week. A national daily, the Kyunghyang Shinmun, reported that Kim Jong Nam tried to defect to South Korea several years ago and had served, in the 2000s, as a middleman between disgraced current South Korean President Park Geun-hye and officials in North Korea. Kim Jong Un may have clenched his teeth and carried on when he heard reports of his half brothers exploits in Macau casinos, and even when Kim Jong Nam, often photographed in an expensive, untucked, button-down shirt and newsboy cap, questioned in 2010 the need for a third generation of the Kim family to rule in Pyongyang. But public reports in rival South Korea of alleged close dealings between a direct relative of North Koreas ruling dynasty and high officials in Seoul and possible attempts to defect to the South could have represented a serious challenge to a leader who portrays his family as the only legitimate power on the Korean Peninsula. If a person with the blood of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung flowing in his veins was considering defecting to prosperous, democratic South Korea, what message did that send to North Koreas elite, or to the millions of poor and dissatisfied? South Koreas spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, which has a spotty record in reading the goings-on in North Korea and often tries to paint the leadership as unbalanced, denied any defection attempt by Kim Jong Nam. But Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Koreas Sejong Institute, raised the possibility that the assassination was linked to the newspaper report, which cites interviews with anonymous officials from the Europe-Korea Foundation, where Park served as a board member for a decade before stepping down ahead of the presidential election in late 2012, and computer files and emails that showed exchanges between Kim Jong Nam and the foundations officials. The newspaper reported that Kim Jong Nam, who was then living in Beijing, delivered a letter that Park wrote to Kim Jong Il, North Koreas second leader and Kim Jong Uns father, in 2005. The letter, according to the newspaper, showed Park requesting help on cultural exchange programs pushed by the foundation. Jeong Joon-Hee, the spokesman of South Koreas Unification Ministry, previously said the government doesnt believe such a letter from Park, who has been impeached over a corruption scandal, was delivered to North Korea. The newspaper also cited anonymous sources to report that Kim Jong Nam explored the possibility of defecting to South Korea, and also to the United States and Europe, in 2012 before giving up. The sources said Kims talks with South Korea and the United States eventually fell through because of his excessive demands. While the South Korean news report is a fascinating potential explanation for Kim Jong Nams death, there are other possibilities including that Mondays killing was the culmination of years of effort by North Korea. Seouls spy service told lawmakers Wednesday that North Korea had for five years tried to kill Kim Jong Nam, who had kept a low profile since his uncle and former protector, the Norths former No. 2, Jang Song Thaek, was executed by Kim Jong Un in 2013. The NIS, according to lawmakers, cited a genuine attempt by North Korea to kill Kim Jong Nam in 2012, but didnt elaborate. The lawmakers said the NIS told them Kim Jong Nam sent a letter to Kim Jong Un in April 2012, after the assassination attempt, begging for the lives of himself and his family. The letter said, I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide. Kim Jong Nams links with China may have also played a role. Beijing had long protected Kim Jong Nam, according to South Koreas intelligence service. China may have been interested in propping up Kim Jong Nam as a future North Korean leader should the current government in Pyongyang collapse. Kim Jong Un would not have been pleased by knowledge that his brother was being used by Beijing as a pawn and potential replacement. SHARE: Okay. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump have met. They did not get into a slanging match. They did agree that Canada and the U.S. are the best of pals. They issued a bland but not unimportant joint communique. Now what? The consensus in Canada seems to be that Trudeaus first face-to-face meeting with the new president Monday was a success. And I suppose it was. Trump didnt tweet out anything negative about Trudeau. So thats something. The U.S. president did abruptly cut off one of the Canadian female CEOs he and Trudeau honoured earlier in the day, when her remarks went on too long. But during the public sessions at least, Trump didnt do that to Trudeau. Prime ministers and presidents dont always get on. Richard Nixon, for instance, privately derided Pierre Trudeau as a pompous egghead after the then prime minister lectured him in 1971 on the virtues of open trade between Canada and the U.S. If Trump has similar views about Justin Trudeau, he is uncharacteristically keeping them to himself. So I can understand why Trudeaus staff would be tempted to pat one another on the back after Tuesdays get-together. Nothing awful happened. The joint communique with its references to Canadas importance as a U.S. export market could have been penned by the prime ministers office and probably was. Trump stuck to his teleprompter lines and, with a few exceptions, avoided his trademark hyperbole. Most of the time, it seemed his mind was somewhere else. Given that Michael Flynn, his top national security adviser, was about to resign in disgrace, that was not surprising. Indeed, it would have been surprising if Trump, a man who rarely mentions Canada, had shown a passion for discussing the softwood lumber dispute or the merits of the planned cross-border Gordie Howe bridge at Windsor. However, the one-on-one meeting leaves most of the big Canada-U.S. questions unanswered. On the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trump reiterated what we already knew: His big beef is with Mexico, which has used cheap wages to lure American (and Canadian) manufacturers. Still, as he told reporters Monday, his administration will be tweaking the very outstanding trade relationship with Canada, in a manner that benefits both of our countries. Its hard to know what any of this means. Trump has long said he favours bilateral over multilateral deals. In his press conference he talked of working toward reciprocal trade between Canada and the U.S. Both are hints that he would like to replace the three-nation NAFTA with two separate bilateral deals one between Canada and the U.S., the other between the U.S. and Mexico. As far as Canada is concerned, such a move would not be too difficult. The 1989 Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement still legally exists and could be reanimated if NAFTA were scrapped. On security, it is not clear what more the Trump administration wants. As Trudeau pointed out, Canada is already co-ordinating with our allies, the United States and around the world when deciding which Syrian and other refugees to admit. In effect, this allows U.S. security agencies to blackball from entry to Canada any individual refugee they consider a threat. Yet Trump suggested Canada could do more. He noted that he has some wonderful ideas on immigration and some very tough ideas on terrorism. When we put them all together, he went on, we will see some very, very obvious results. On defence, the joint communique refers glowingly to Canadas role in the fight against Daesh (ISIS) as well as Ottawas decision to send troops to Latvia as part of a NATO effort to confront Russia. It says nothing about United Nations peacekeeping. It is particularly silent on Canadas promise to send 600 soldiers somewhere in Africa under the auspices of the UN, suggesting that Ottawa has not yet received Washingtons stamp of approval for such a move. On climate change, neither leader said anything. Trudeau did not talk of his planned carbon tax. Trump did not mention that he has called climate change a Chinese-inspired hoax. Trudeau did refer fleetingly to a 1991 Canada-U.S. treaty to curb acid rain a reminder that the two countries have worked together on environmental issues before and a hint that they could do so again. But, as with so much of this polite but inconclusive summit, there was no indication of how to get there from here. Thomas Walkom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Read more about: SHARE: Newly installed Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen is facing a dilemma. Each day, refugees risk their lives to cross into Canada from the United States in order to make refugee claims. They have done so at great risk to themselves; walking for days, some have already suffered severe frostbite. So great is their desperation to make it to Canada to make their claim for asylum that they are willing to take the chance. Refugees entering Canada through the United States are forced to cross in this way, avoiding detection of Canadian border officials, because the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States requires Canadian immigration officials to deny entry to Canada to most refugee claimants who come from the United States and who cross at an official land border crossing into Canada. Those who are denied entry are turned back to the United States. This agreement, which has been in place since 2004, has been the subject of much criticism by refugee and human rights groups since President Trump issued his executive orders. They have urged the Minister to suspend it because of the effect these orders have had on refugees in the United States. Certainly as the evidence mounts that the United States is not a safe country for refugees the pressure on Minister Hussen to act is increasing. A study released last week by Harvard University demonstrates the serious impact that Trumps executive orders have had on refugees increased detention; summary removal from the United States; long delays in determination of asylum claims. These measures are already in place and have not been affected by the temporary restraining order issued by the court in Washington, which suspended the ban on persons from seven Muslim countries. In response to the court orders, President Trump has promised other initiatives as early as this week, which will undoubtedly have an adverse impact on refugees. More importantly, Presidents Trumps message of hostility toward Muslims in particular and refugees in general, has made refugees feel unsafe in a country where they are viewed with suspicion and fear. Minister Hussen has so far been noncommittal on action about the Safe Third Country Agreement. Undoubtedly his inaction is caused by concern over how Canada would handle a large influx of refugees from the United States if the agreement were suspended. The Immigration and Refugee Board is already facing serious challenges. Large backlogs already exist and unless effective measures are taken to deal with this, the tribunal runs the risk of losing credibility if the delays get out of hand. But the minister can ill afford to wait much longer. The status quo is simply untenable. It is only a matter of time before further tragedy occurs and another refugee is seriously injured or dies while trying to make it into Canada. Moreover, by continuing to enforce the agreement the Canadian government is sending asylum seekers back to a country where we can have little confidence that their claims will be treated fairly. Short of suspending the agreement completely the minister does have other options. He could instruct officials that until such time as the panorama clarifies itself in the United States they should not apply the agreement and should exercise their discretion in a positive fashion in all cases. This would not be a formal suspension where the Canadian government would have to notify the government of the United States but it would still allow refugees safe-haven in Canada until the impact of the measures can be fully assessed. At the same time the minister could invite all stakeholders to a meeting to discuss measures that could be taken to deal with the growing backlog. Certainly the Immigration and Refugee Board is an independent tribunal and its independence must be respected. If the tribunal reaches out to experts to discuss how it can more efficiently process cases, this need not compromise its independence. A solution that combines additional resources with increased efficiency must be found. The minister should also respond to the vacuum created by the United States suspension of overseas refugee resettlement, and its cutting refugee resettlement target by 60,000 people in 2017. This leaves a shortfall in the worldwide resettlement quota that must be filled. Canada should take a leadership role and accept more refugees and encourage other states to do the same. Lorne Waldman is a Toronto lawyer and the Past-President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL). Erin Simpson is a Toronto lawyer and the advocacy co-chair of CARL. Read more about: SHARE: Over two decades starting in the early 1960s, as Ottawa began to phase out its Indian residential schools program, thousands of First Nations children were taken from their families, often without consent, and placed in non-indigenous care. To ensure the children would never return to their communities, death certificates were issued expunging any record of their indigenous existence. Like the residential schools, the Sixties Scoop was an attempt to forcibly assimilate indigenous children. The strategy was the same: dislocate them from their family, community and language and watch the culture atrophy. As with residential schools, the scoop has had a widespread and devastating intergenerational impact on survivors and their communities. But unlike residential school victims, survivors of the scoop received neither official acknowledgement of Ottawas wrongdoing nor any promise of compensation for their suffering. That is, until now. A Superior Court judge ruled on Tuesday that the scoop constituted a violation of Ottawas duty of care to indigenous peoples. If the plaintiffs get the damages they were seeking, the bill for Ottawas failure will exceed $1 billion. Its a just result of a nearly decade-long battle, but it should never have come to this. Since the class-action suit was filed in 2009, successive governments contested the case, claiming the scoop was a product of a different era when policy-makers genuinely believed that adopting out indigenous children to white families improved their chances of escaping poverty, getting a good education and settling into a productive middle-class life. But in his decision, Justice Edward Belobaba said Canadas submissions missed the point. Governments of the day may well have been unaware of some of the particular harms the scoop would cause to individuals, but they surely should have known the damage to indigenous culture and community and, in turn, the human toll. The issue is not what was known in the 1960s about the harm of trans-racial adoption or the risk of abuse in the foster home, Belobaba wrote. The issue is what was known in the 1960s about the existential importance to the First Nations peoples of protecting and preserving their distinctive cultures and traditions, including their concept of the extended family. There can be no doubt that that was well understood by Canada at the time. The crux of the case was an agreement struck between Ottawa and Ontario in 1965, which allowed the province to extend child welfare services to indigenous people living on reserve. As part of the deal, Ottawa assured First Nations communities that they would be consulted before provincial officials intervened. That never happened. For their part, federal lawyers argued that community members, had they been consulted, likely wouldnt have had any better ideas about how to deal with the children anyway a claim Belobaba dismissed as odd and, frankly, insulting. Odder still, and arguably yet more insulting: the lawyers making this case were representing the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau. That the Harper Tories fought the lawsuit was, if less than laudable, at least largely consistent with their adversarial approach to indigenous issues. But for the Trudeau government, which has been outspoken in its condemnation of residential schools and commitment to reconciliation, this looks a lot like hypocrisy. Trudeau has made much of his governments responsibility to repair its predecessors tragic mistakes on indigenous issues. But a new relationship requires an end to the adversarial one that preceded it. In fighting the lawsuit, he made worse what he promised to make better. He should accept the verdict and officially apologize for the Sixties Scoop, lest he give a future government yet more reason to say sorry. Read more about: SHARE: When nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer was charged last October with murdering eight elderly people in long-term care homes, it was only natural that the public would want reassurances that the system is safe. But four months later the College of Nurses of Ontario is keeping mum on the role it played or didnt play in protecting patients. That is unacceptable. How it does its job of regulating the profession is clearly a matter of public interest. As Jane Meadus, staff lawyer at Torontos Advocacy Centre for the Elderly legal clinic, says: Their job is to protect the public and we need to know that they have done their job. Disturbingly, right now that is unclear. As the Stars Sandro Contenta reported on Wednesday, the college was informed that Wettlaufer was fired from Caressant Care in Woodstock, Ont., on March 31, 2014, for a medication error that put the life of a resident at risk. Yet she continued to work as a registered nurse for another two and half years, until she was charged last October. So far the college will only acknowledge it is investigating Wettlaufer now. It wont say whether it investigated her back in 2014. That information is key, considering that Wettlaufer is accused of killing 75-year-old Arpad Horvath at a London nursing home, trying to kill a nursing home resident in Paris, Ont., and trying to kill again while providing in-home care after she was reported to the college in 2014. The public can only trust the system when it can clearly see it is working properly. Its time the college came clean and explained itself and its procedures. Read more about: SHARE: Editors' pick: Originally published Feb. 14. Starbucks (SBUX) is going to continue cashing in on your sweet tooth. The coffee giant is about to start selling Affogatos (a shot of espresso served over a scoop of ice cream) at 10 ten its elevated Reserve Bar locations in Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington, D.C. according to BI. Even though Starbucks's latest U.S. same-store sales and guidance let investors down in late January, the Seattle-based Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room popped 18% during the holiday quarter, following up on a stellar 24% increase for the quarter ended October 2. The average transaction size at the store was four times that of a typical Starbucks store, executives told analysts on a Thursday evening conference call. Schultz is stepping down as CEO in April to focus on the Reserve concept, which means Reserve will get the attention it deserves. Of note: the Affogato has been on the menu of the Reserve Seattle Roastery since June and has been a top five menu item even in the winter, so this is telling of its assumably forthcoming popularity. Affogato prices will range from $6 to $8.50, starting with the Classic Affogato for $6 to the $8.50 Cold Brew Malt, made with small-lot cold brew, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate bitters. Starbucks is also testing a less expensive Affogato menu in 100 Orange County, Calif. locations that won't be made with small batch cold brew. The most expensive variation will be a $6.40 cold brew malt made with Starbucks' Narino 70 cold brew and chocolate bitters. Starbucks is no stranger to innovating its menu. They already serve happy hour offerings wine and beer with dinner food that our editors weren't in love with. They also tried out a brunch menu that doesn't include complementary brunch drinks like bloody mary's so that's effectively worthless to most #basic Millenials. However, this caffeinated Italian dessert should bring them in UGG clad droves. President Trump signed a resolution rolling back a rule requiring energy companies to disclose payments to foreign governments aimed at curbing bribery. Put forth by Republicans Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan and Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma in late January, the joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act nullifies the Securities and Exchange Commission resource extraction rule, which was finalized in June. Trump touted the "very important signing" as a pro-jobs maneuver, telling reporters in the Oval Office that "a lot of people [are] going back to work now." The legislation, House Joint Resolution 41, scraps regulation mandated under section 1504 of Dodd-Frank in 2010. It swept quickly through both houses of Congress earlier this year, passing the House in a 235-187 vote and the Senate 52-47. "This is a big signing, very important signing," the president said on Tuesday. "This is one of many that we've signed and we have many more left." Trump said his administration is "bringing back jobs big league" at the "plant level" and at the "mine level" and cited energy jobs as well. He also touted the stock market. U.S. equities markets have rallied since his election and got a renewed boost of confidence last week when he promised a two to three-week timeframe on tax reform. "You see what's going on with the stock market. They know that we know what we're doing so it's going up," he said. The rule, which took effect in September 2016 and required compliance by September 2018, would have required extraction companies -- oil and gas, miners -- traded publicly in the U.S. to disclose payments to foreign governments. Similar rules have been enacted in the U.K., France, Norway and Canada. From the outset, the rule widely was opposed by American oil and gas companies, which argued it would put them at a disadvantage against private companies and companies not traded publicly in the United States. They said compliance would cost them millions of dollars. (SEC estimated compliance could cost $55 million to $575 million for the more than 400 companies affected.) The American Petroleum Institute successfully sued to overturn an original version of the rule in 2012, forcing an SEC rewrite. The lobbying group's membership includes ExxonMobil (XOM) , Chevron (CVX) , Phillips 66 (PSX) , ConocoPhillips (COP) and Apache (APA) . Nonprofit group Oxfam America subsequently sued the SEC over its delay in finalizing the rule. Huizenga, who appeared alongside Trump in the Oval office at the moment of the signing, said in a statement that the resolution "removes a burdensome regulation that puts U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage on the global stage." Isabel Munilla, senior policy adviser for extractive industries at Oxfam America, slammed Trump's signing of the bill in a statement as a maneuver aimed at making it "easier to get away with corruption." "President Trump is turning his back on people all around the world who have clamored for American leadership to stand up for democratic values, transparency and good governance. Signing this bill is a stain on America's reputation around the world," she said. Huizenga noted the legislation instructs the SEC to go back to the drawing board yet again on the rule to create one that "doesn't negatively impact American job creators and American workers." Six Republican senators -- Bob Corker, Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, Johnny Isakson and Todd Young -- in a February 2 letter to acting SEC Chairman Michael Piwowar explaining their opposition to the rule and encouraging it to consider "anti-competitiveness concerns" when it revisits the regulation for a rewrite. An SEC spokesman declined to comment on the matter. Repeats story published Feb. 14. Retail CEOs will descend on Washington on Wednesday to meet with lawmakers and President Trump to talk taxes, including the increasingly-contentious matter of border adjustability. Chief executives of AutoZone (AZO) , Tractor Supply (TSCO) , Jo-Ann Fabric, Target (TST) , Best Buy (BBY) , Gap (GPS) and J.C. Penney (JCP) will be in attendance, according to people familiar with the matter. Walgreens Boots Alliance (WAG) will join the group for a meeting at the White House but will not take part in meetings with Congress. While tax reform is the broad agenda, conversations will hone in on the border adjustment tax, a measure that essentially taxes imports and exempts exports. Retailers have voiced strong opposition to the tax, arguing it would put retail jobs at risk and raise consumer prices. The border adjustment tax has been pushed by House Republicans as part of the "Better Way" platform put forth by House Speaker Paul Ryan in the summer of 2016. Representative Kevin Brady, the Texas Republican at the helm of the Ways and Means Committee, is the leader of the initiative's tax reform efforts. The retail CEOs will meet with Brady on Wednesday to discuss how the GOP's "'Built for Growth' tax reform blueprint will benefit all sectors of our economy and create jobs across America," committee spokeswoman Emily Schillinger said in an email. Brady "looks forward to meeting them and hearing their feedback" on the plan, she said. The group will also meet with Republican Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. The White House confirmed the meeting with the president would take place in the morning. "Given that retail is the largest private sector American employer, retailers support sound policies that spur economic growth and job creation," said Brian Dodge, spokesperson for the Retail Industry Leaders Association, in an email, adding that discussions will entail "pro-growth policies that will benefit both American consumers and job creators." As friendly as it all sounds, talks could get contentious. RILA has come out in fierce opposition to the border adjustment tax. Association president Sandy Kennedy slammed the tax as "harmful" and "untested" in a statement in February, warning it would "put American retail jobs at risk and force consumers to pay as much as 20% more for family essentials." RILA joined more than 120 other trade associations and businesses to launch Americans for Affordable Products, a campaign against the border adjustability tax. Border adjustability is among the primary issues Republicans have to come to a consensus on before passing comprehensive tax reform, which they've said is a high priority on the agenda. The Trump administration has yet to take a firm stance on the matter. Representative Devin Nunes, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, told CNBC on Tuesday that there will be no tax reform bill without border adjustment. "I don't know any other way to do it. We've long looked at this. We've had exhaustive hearing after hearing after hearing for eight years," the California Republican said. "The only way we can get our tax code into the 21st century and make America the most competitive place on the planet is to move to a full consumption-based system." Economic development officials in rural Wisconsin spurred Gov. Scott Walkers proposal to revive a troubled state loan program that was phased out two years ago after some loans were never repaid and the state lost millions, the governor said Tuesday. We heard from a lot of local economic development folks who, particularly in smaller areas, said we are needing assistance and this is a way of doing that without adding (state funding), Walker told reporters in Madison. The Wisconsin State Journal first reported that Walker is seeking to reinstate the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.s loan program two years after calling for it to be phased out this year amid several questionable deals and a scathing audit. Walker scrapped the program in 2015 as the State Journal was preparing to publish an investigation showing that the governors top secretary pressed WEDC to offer a failing construction company a $500,000 taxpayer loan that has not been repaid. The agency couldnt provide documentation of a proper financial review of the company, and a subsequent review prompted by the newspapers investigation found documentation missing for more than two dozen other awards totaling more than $124 million. The new loans, according to Walkers 2017-19 budget, would come with a few new stipulations they can be funded only with repayments of existing loans, they cant be forgivable and they must adhere to commonly accepted commercial lending practices. We think it makes sense, Walker said. During the 2015-17 state budget cycle, Republicans and Walker limited new loans to $10 million in 2015-16 and $5 million in 2016-17 with no new loans after June 30 of this year. One specific type of loan for technology startups was separately capped at $3 million a year and allowed to continue. The agency had 189 outstanding loans totaling $73.3 million as of last June 30, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The agency received about $9.2 million in loan repayments last year, forgave $6.7 million and wrote off $2.45 million worth of loans that could not be recouped. In his new budget proposal, Walker wants to increase a tax credit eligibility threshold for new business investment from $8 million to $12 million. Walkers budget also gives the Department of Revenue the ability to claw back tax credits from companies in violation of a contract that is more than 4 years old. Walker: Insurance plan wont cost jobs Walker also dismissed the idea that switching to a state self-insurance system could result in insurance companies having to cut a significant number jobs. I dont believe that, Walker said. We still have to have people be covered. The fact is people are still going to get their health care coverage from providers across the state. Were just going to do it in a way thats more cost-effective to the taxpayer. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said last week that switching to a self-insurance model could disrupt the health insurance industry, leading to job losses. Fitzgerald also predicted lawmakers may not go forward with Walkers plan to boost K-12 spending by $649 million, which Walker has tied to $60 million worth of savings from moving to self-insurance. But Walker said Tuesday that no matter what, lawmakers will have to come up with that share of the school funding. The Legislature can make alternatives, but theyre going to have to come up with the money, he said. Act 10 advice Walker on Tuesday said he told Iowa lawmakers considering a bill diminishing collective-bargaining power for public workers there to look at the facts, not the hype over a similar measure championed by the governor that passed in Wisconsin six years ago. I just told them ultimately they are going to face some of the things we faced in terms of attention and potentially protests but I told them to look at where we are in the last six years, he said. Walker tweeted Monday that he spoke with Republican lawmakers in Iowa, encouraging them to push forward with the legislation. The governor said Tuesday he told the lawmakers schools are the same or better and taxes are down dramatically six years after the passage of the law. Syrian refugees Walker on Tuesday also said he expects vetting of refugees seeking to travel to the United States will be altered after recent federal court rulings halting enforcement of President Donald Trumps executive order stopping travel to the U.S. by people living in seven Muslim-majority countries. The governor, who once said in a letter to then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that state officials would not aid any federal attempt to resettle Syrian refugees in Wisconsin, said Tuesday that he doesnt have a problem with safe refugees settling here. As long as theyre safe, Ive got no problem with refugees, Walker said. I just want to make sure the people already here are safe. Last month Hunter Harrison stepped down from his position as CEO of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to join Mantle Ridge, a newly formed activist fund led by Paul Hilal. An ex-partner at activist fund Pershing Square Capital Management, Hilal mostly engineered a spectacularly successful insurgency in 2012 at CP that installed Harrison as CEO, orchestrating a turnaround there that led CP's Toronto-based shares to climb nearly 190% in his tenure. Together Hilal and Harrison are targeting CSX, which on Tuesday evening said it was calling a special shareholder meeting to seek guidance from investors about whether to support Mantle Ridge's proposals. The activist fund wants six seats on a reconstituted 14-person CSX board and Harrison in as CEO. Also, the activists want three incumbent directors to resign at the 2017 annual meeting and one more to step down in 2018. CSX's counteroffer: a job for Harrison as CEO and director, and board positions for Hilal and three other "mutually agreed" upon directors. The two sides appear to be squabbling over Harrison's compensation and how many board seats Mantle Ridge would have control over. Nevertheless, it looks increasingly likely that Harrison will become the next CEO at the Jacksonville, Fla.-based railroad. If a majority of shareholders back Mantle Ridge's proposals, look for CSX to abide or face a change-of-control proxy contest. Jeffrey Kauffman, an analyst at Aegis Capital and a 27-year-veteran of covering the rail sector, argues that CSX may not have a lot of leverage when it comes to negotiations with Harrison and Mantle Ridge, especially since all the railroad's directors are up for election annually. "If Mantle Ridge were to propose its own slate of directors to change the entire board then shareholders would most likely support them," Kauffman said. Donald Broughton, an analyst at Avondale Partners, said he doesn't expect Harrison and Mantle Ridge to accept any fewer than six director slots, in part because the activist team wants to give Harrison as much flexibility as possible. "They want a board that will let Hunter do what he does," said Broughton. "If he wants to fire everyone in the C-Suite or shut down a yard or weather a strike with unions, they want him to have that power. Hunter is a force of nature." With Harrison in charge, look for a focus first on operating improvements and buybacks, only later followed by M&A. Broughton said he believes that Harrison would take his first 18 months in charge and seek to improve CSX's record when it comes to picking up and delivering cargo on time. The Harrison method would focus on an approach he pioneered - and is famous for -- known as precision railroading, an operating strategy that allows the railroad company to schedule shipments in a precise way by knowing how trains move between customers and interchanges. "CSX isn't sweating the asset the way he would try to sweat them," Broughton said. Kauffman agrees that Harrison, should he get the CEO position, will take the next couple years to turnaround the railroad giant. Only after that would he likely consider M&A. "I don't see a deal proposed for two years. They have got to recreate CSX first," Kauffman said. Kauffman notes that CSX doesn't have a lot of leverage, when it comes to negotiations with Harrison and Mantle Ridge, especially since all of the railroad's directors are up for election annually. "If Mantle Ridge was to propose its own slate of directors to change the entire board then shareholders would support them," Kauffman said. Activists like Hilal's past employer, Pershing Square, often push for capital distributions. As a result Kauffman also expects about 18 to 25 cents a share in stock buybacks over the next four years if Harrison and Mantle Ridge succeed. However, most interested observers following the railroad industry agree that at some point Harrison will make a consolidation play, even if his effort doesn't ultimately succeed. Kauffman says he doesn't think it's about the money for Harrison. "It's more about legacy. He wants his legacy to be the guy that drove railroad consolidation. I expect him to try, but I don't know if he will succeed." A key goal for Harrison's M&A approach, observers say, is to expand his precision railroading approach to a broader set of railroads. "You can only apply precision railroading to your business. You can't apply it to other railroads you are connected to," Broughton said. It is a real possibility that Harrison would seek to combine CSX with Canadian Pacific down the road. Kauffman notes that both Hunter and Keith Creel, a Hunter protege who is currently CP's CEO, have similar mindsets when it comes to M&A. However, a standstill agreement signed by Hunter upon his departure from CP prohibits him from pursuing a combination with CP for three years. "It's very possible that Harrison and Creel each pursue separate deals," Kauffman said. Alternatively, Kaufman suggested that CSX could seek to combine with either the Burlington Northern or Union Pacific (UNP) railroads. "What I think they want to do is create an east-west transcontinental railroad," Kauffman said. If a deal can be done, the most likely acquisition candidate that would overcome regulatory objections would be Kansas City Southern (KSU) , a railroad whose stock was battered upon the Trump election over fears around its Mexico operations in the wake of speculation around the new administration's plan to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Nevertheless, a major deal, such as a CSX-Union Pacific merger, could face significant regulatory hurdles, particularly with the Surface Transportation Board, which writes rules governing railroad mergers. Furthermore, because of the size of the deals, these transactions would likely be structured as equity combinations requiring shareholder approval, another hurdle. For now, however, Harrison and Hilal await the verdict of shareholders - a vote of confidence from could put CSX on a course for M&A in the years ahead. Walmart Stores (WMT) said Wednesday, Feb. 15, that it had paid $51 million for private equity-backed outdoor gear retailer New Moosejaw as the company continues to refine its e-commerce operations. Madison Heights, Mich.-based New Moosejaw operates 10 physical stores and a significant e-commerce presence. The deal closed on Monday, Feb. 13, Walmart said in a statement. Walmart's latest purchase comes about a month after the retail giant's announcement that it its Jet.com unit had acquired footwear e-commerce company Shoebuy.com Inc. from Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp. (IAC) for $70 million. "Apparel and accessories is now the number one category for digital commerce, according to comScore, and we gain the experience of another well-established e-commerce player, this time in the active outdoor category," Walmart said. Further, the company's "expertise will help us further enhance our customer experience." Walmart spokesman Ravi Jariwala said by phone that the company looks for "assortment or expertise" in assessing e-commerce acquisition opportunities, and noted that Moosejaw brings 25 years of experience and deep industry relationships in the sector. In turn, he said, Moosejaw's suppliers can access a "portfolio of e-commerce sites where they can figure out who they're trying to reach and where it makes more sense to sell." Jet itself was acquired by Walmart last summer for $3.3 billion, a jolt to the company's e-commerce business. Shortly after the Shoebuy purchase, on Jan. 13, Jet co-founder and former CEO Marc Lore, now the CEO of Walmart's U.S. e-commerce division, combined the company's e-commerce operations into a single organization. E-commerce is a priority for Walmart, which has lost ground to Amazon.com (AMZN) and other upstarts. Jariwala said that Walmart.com's assortment of items has risen from 8 million in the beginning of 2016 to over 30 million today. To further compete with Amazon, Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart on Jan. 31 unveiled free two-day shipping applicable to purchases of $35 or more of any of some 2 million offerings. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC analyst Christopher Horvers wrote Wednesday that the shipping move demonstrated Walmart's "unwilling[ness] to yield turf to AMZN." In Walmart's third-quarter earnings report, on Nov. 17, the company disclosed e-commerce sales growth of 20.6% year-over-year, compared to total sales growth of 2.5%. Lower middle market private equity firm Glencoe Capital LLC backed Moosejaw in late 2009 through its Michigan Opportunities Fund, which invested $10 million or more in companies with Ebitda above $3 million. Another lower middle market PE firm, Dallas' Parallel Investment Partners LP, backed Moosejaw in 2007. Glencoe and Parallel did not respond to requests for comment. Moosejaw representatives could not be reached for comment. Time Warner (TWX) shareholders voted on Wednesday to approve the media giant's planned $85.4 billion sale to AT&T (T) . Time Warner announced on Wednesday that 99% of votes cast were in approval of the merger. The New York City-based company said it expects the deal to close by year's end. Shares of AT&T and Time Warner were mostly flat in after-hours trading on Wednesday. "I'm pleased that the Company's shareholders have approved the proposal to combine with AT&T," said Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes in a statement. "By combining Time Warner's leading brands and video content with AT&T's distribution, we will accelerate our ability to innovate, develop and deliver the next generation of video services, making our content even more valuable to consumers and business partners." The blockbuster deal is now likely to face an extensive regulatory review process, since a merger would create a powerhouse in global telecommunications, television and film. President Donald Trump criticized the deal while on the campaign trail, saying he would oppose the merger because it would "consolidate too much power in the media industry." U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said Wednesday that a special federal prosecutor is needed to investigate possible illegal communications between Russian officials and President Donald Trumps former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Baldwin, D-Madison, joined 10 other Senate Democrats in making the call Wednesday. Flynn resigned Monday after news reports based on leaked intelligence showed he discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador in December, despite Flynns initial denials. In a letter to Trumps newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the senators said a special investigator is required to maintain the confidence, credibility and impartiality of the Department of Justice. An independent investigation is now necessary to determine what General Flynn did, who knew about it, and when, Baldwin and the other senators wrote. Late Tuesday, the New York Times reported that members of Trumps presidential campaign had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to communications intercepted by U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a campaign to influence the U.S. presidential election, with the partial goal of hurting the chances of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. An official website of the United States Government - A plane carrying 120 passengers has crash landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) - Among the passengers were 3 ministers, 10 MPs and 3 Senators - No one was harmed in the incident that was blamed on a faulty engine A Daallo plane has crash landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). Passengers aboard a Daallo plane similar to the one that crash landed in Nairobi. READ ALSO: Raila Odinga ordered to speak to Anne Waiguru The Daallo plane from Mogadishu Somalia made an emergency landing at JKIA after it developed engine failure on Tuesday, February 14. The plane had 120 passengers including 3 ministers 10 MPs and 3 senators from Somalia. One of the Somali MP's said the plane had been denied permission to land at Wajir International Airport. Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE READ ALSO: Details why Donald Trump IGNORED Uhuru when he called African leaders The Daallo plane from Mogadishu Somalia made an emergency landing at JKIA after it developed engine failure. READ ALSO: Mudavadis CAMP send an anxious plea to NASA regarding the Presidential flag bearer Firefighters and JKIA security rushed to the plane to rescue the passengers. Wajir Airport did not allow our plane to land as it is required. We were directed to fly directly to Nairobi," Mohamed Jama a passenger is quoted by Radio Dalsan. Firefighters and JKIA security rushed to the plane to rescue the passengers. READ ALSO: Doctors MOCK Uhuru with an epic pose after their colleagues were released from jail (photo) One of the MP's blamed the management of the plane for the poor condition of the planes. "Its time the management of this airline look at the worthiness and safety of the flights," the MP said. Luckily no passengers was harmed in the incident that had caused panic and fear at the airport. Watch a video of JKIA below. Have something to add to this article or suggestions? send to news@tuko.co.ke Source: TUKO.co.ke - Nyatike MP Edick Anyanga wants the Kenya Navy stationed at the disputed Migingo Island - He asked president Uhuru Kenyatta to send them after Uganda President Museveni sent a new batch of military to the disputed island Nyatike MP Edick Anyanga has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to send the Kenya Navy at the disputed Migingo Island to subdue the rising tension in the area. Migingo island. Images: Courtesy READ ALSO: Workers in Nyandarua use FECES while NEGOTIATING WITH GOVERNMENT officials The request comes after Museveni deployed military forces in the small island. Anyanga asked the president to send the navy as a way of protecting the country's sovereignty. Kenyan and Uganda have had great interests in the rocky island which has an abundant supply of fish. While Kenya has maintained that the 0.5 acre is in its territory, its neighbour says the waters bordering the island is theirs. READ ALSO: Eric Omondi and his HOT GIRLFRIEND release their anticipated clip 'Adam and Eve' "We have complaints of harassment of Kenyans living along the border with Uganda in Western and Nyanza," Anyanga said. "We need a strong statement from Kenya in regard to soldiers crossing over into the country to met atrocities against citizens." Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE Uganda had announced withdrawing its military but news now have it that it plans to replace them with a new batch, a thing that has caused anxiety according to The Star which first reported the story. Uhuru Kenyatta. Image: Courtesy READ ALSO: Health CS Cleopa Mailu makes a HEART-WRENCHING confession about his PS Nicholus Muraguri "We need a strong statement from Kenya in regard to soldiers crossing over into the country to met atrocities against citizens," the MP said. "The request for the Navy is long overdue. We passed the motion during the 10th parliament to the effect. According to John Obunge who is the Migingo beach management unit chairman, bringing another batch of military has raised the tension making fish business difficult in the island. READ ALSO: You want Size 8 to get back to doing secular music? Heres why you might never see that happen Ugandan Monitor newspaper on Tuesday reported that Uganda security authorities have finalised plans to replace officers who have been stationed at Migingo. READ ALSO: KSh 100 wedding couple breaks into TEARS during the KSh 3.5 million grand wedding (photos) Migori police boss David Kirui, however, said Uganda has always been routinely changing police officers in the migingo and should not be a reason for panic. Watch: The Difficult Life At Migingo Island Source: TUKO.co.ke Sittings of three subgroups of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) to settle the situation in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, have begun in Minsk. The Foreign Ministry of Belarus wrote this on Twitter. Sittings of the working groups on security, political, humanitarian issues of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine are taking place in Minsk, reads a report. As Ukrinform earlier reported, the Trilateral Contact Group and its three subgroups at their meeting on February 1 managed to agree on some positions regarding the release of illegally detained persons. iy One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the past day. Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO issues Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a press briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Fortunately, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed over the last day. One serviceman was wounded, Motuzianyk said. As reported, Russian-backed terrorists over the past day launched attacks on the Ukrainian positions in all directions. iy The Lower House of the Federal Parliament of Canada supported the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine in the third and final reading by a majority of votes. This is reported by an Ukrinform correspondent. Now the agreement will be sent to the Upper House of the Parliament, the Senate, and then submitted for signature to Governor General, which is the final stage for a document to come into legal force. As a reminder, the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Ukraine was signed on July 11 last year during the visit of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to Kyiv. Once the ratification procedures are completed by the parliaments of both countries, Canada is to immediately abolish tariffs for 99.9% of Ukrainian imports. In turn, Ukraine is to immediately cancel 86% of duties on imports from Canada, for 7 years. ol In 2016, the Polish Oil and Gas Company PGNiG signed an agreement with the Ukrainian Company ERU Traiding and sold 400 million cubic meters of natural gas to Ukraine under this agreement. Maciej Wozniak, Vice-President of PGNiG Management Board stated this, Onet.pl reports. In 2016, we for the first time carried out significant gas exports: we sold almost half a billion cubic meters of gas to Ukraine, particularly more than 400 million cubic meters, Wozniak said and added that it was sold on good terms. According to Maciej Wozniak, PGNiG wants to supply natural gas not only to the Polish consumer, but also to actively enter aregional level. iy The trade turnover between Ukraine and the Czech Republic increased by 18.6% in January-November 2016. This was discussed by Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze and Agriculture Minister of the Czech Republic Marian Jurecka, the Governmental portal reports. "The parties discussed cooperation between the two countries in the field of agriculture and welcomed the growth of trade turnover between Ukraine and the Czech Republic by 18.6% in January-November 2016 as compared to corresponding period in 2015. Jurecka said that the Czech Republic had already provided Ukraine with more than EUR 6 million in aid and assured of the intention of his state to continue to support Ukrainian reforms," the statement reads. Klympush-Tsyntsadze thanked the Minister for this support, noting the high hopes of Ukraine for the resumption of the joint intergovernmental commission on economic, industrial and scientific-technical cooperation. ol The Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry is planning to promote an increase in soybean production output by expanding the sowing areas of soybeans. Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Kutovyi has stated this at the opening of the 'Soybeans and Their Derived Products' conference within the framework of the 7th International Exhibition 'Grain Technologies 2017', the ministry's press service reports. In fact, soybean production has increased by 20 times over 10 years, and last year we harvested the record yield of soybeans, which is more than 4 million tonnes. The Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry will expand the sowing areas for soybean growing, Kutovyi said. According to him, the introduction of advanced technologies in organic farming moved soybean production to the new level. In addition, the ministry's cooperation with leading soybean producers will enable Ukraine to enter the new markets of soybean exports. mk Administration of the White House, led by the US President Donald Trump expects Moscow to stop the violence in eastern Ukraine and return Crimea to the Ukrainian authorities. An appropriate statement was made by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to deescalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea. At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to be able to get along with Russia," the representative of the White House said. He called the situation in eastern Ukraine dire and the one that demands clear and strong condemnation of Russian actions. The Administrations official also confirmed that the current administration in Washington recognizes Crimea as part of Ukraine. ol Ukraine and Israel will establish a joint center for the rehabilitation of participants in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine. This was discussed during the meeting of Ukrainian Social Policy Minister Andriy Reva with Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine Eliav Belotserkovsky, the Government portal reports. "We intend to establish a medical and preventive treatment facility. The activity of future Israeli-Ukrainian center should be based on experiences and approaches of the Israeli experts as the country has advanced technologies for recovery and rehabilitation of combatants," the statement reads. According to Reva, first, the Israeli delegation will visit the Social Policy Ministrys division for physical rehabilitation of servicemen the Ukrainian Research Institute for Prosthetics, Prosthesis and Rehabilitation in Kharkiv. In addition, the inter-state agreement on employment is expected to be signed in short-term. According to Belotserkovsky, the Israeli side is very interested in the speedy signing of the agreement and start of work within the contract, which regulates official employment of Ukrainian experts in Israel. ol 02/14/2017 Media contacts: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu * M E D I A A D V I S O R Y * Wednesday, Feb. 15 12:30 to 2 p.m. WHAT: Human-rights leader John Prendergast, who works with actor George Clooney and other celebrity activists to expose crimes and war profiteering around the world, will lead a free program on the power of social activism for the campus and community. Prendergasts talk will draw on his 30 years of experience leading human-rights campaigns with actors Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and others, and will highlight how the public can become involved in fighting injustice wherever it occurs. Prendergast is a board member and adviser to Clooney, Pitt, Damon and Cheadles international advocacy and humanitarian aid organization, Not on Our Watch. In 2015, Clooney and Prendergast created The Sentry, an investigative group determined to follow the money in order to dismantle the financial networks that endanger lives and support human atrocities in South Sudan and other African countries. Both Not on Our Watch and The Sentry grew out of the Enough Project, founded by Prendergast to end genocide and crimes against humanity in Africa. Prendergast, who was UMass Lowells 2012 Greeley Scholar for Peace, previously served in the Clinton administration and the U.S. Department of State. He has worked for members of Congress, UNICEF, Human Rights Watch, the National Intelligence Council, the International Crisis Group and the U.S. Institute of Peace. A New York Times best-selling author, he has received the United Nations Correspondents Associations Citizen of the World Award, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award and the U.S. State Department Distinguished Service Award. As a Greeley peace scholar, Prendergast was in residence at UMass Lowell in 2012 and led programs for students, faculty, staff and the public. UMass Lowells 2017 Greeley Scholar for Peace will be on campus in April to speak at programs including the annual Day Without Violence on Tuesday, April 4. The honor recognizes distinguished humanitarians who promote peace and conflict resolution locally, nationally and globally. WHERE: OLeary Library Learning Commons mezzanine, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell. Contact UMass Lowell media relations for directions and parking information. AIRLINE INDUSTRY Flight cancellations at lowest in 22 years Airlines canceled 1.17 percent of scheduled domestic flights last year, the best performance in the 22 years the government has been tracking the data, the U.S. Transportation Department said Tuesday. The cancellation rate was a big improvement over the 1.5 percent of flights canceled in 2015. Airlines fared well in other areas, too. In 2016, the carriers had a mishandled-baggage rate of 2.7 per 1,000 passengers, down from 3.13 per 1,000 in 2015. And carriers bumped 0.62 per 10,000 passengers in 2016, compared with a 0.73 rate in 2015. Airlines reported an on-time arrival rate of 81.4 percent, up from 79.9 percent in 2015. Hawaiian Airlines ranked first in on-time flights out of 12 carriers ranked, followed by Alaska Air, Delta, SkyWest and United. Travelers also made fewer complaints. The Transportation Department said it received 17,904 complaints last year, down 11.3 percent from 2015. Reuters RETAIL Trade show companies threaten to leave Utah A coalition of major outdoor companies on Tuesday ramped up a threat to get a lucrative outdoor trade show to leave Utah unless the governor and elected officials back away from policies they say threaten public lands. Leaders of Black Diamond Equipment, Osprey Packs and 28 other outdoor companies sent a letter to Gov. Gary R. Herbert (R) that says Utah leaders are threatening the outdoor industry by pushing back against federal land control and management. We see all of these actions as an existential threat to the vibrancy of Utah and Americas outdoor industry as well as Utahs high quality of life, the letter said. The letter comes two days before Herbert is expected to meet with outdoor retailers to try to smooth the discord. Organizers of the semiannual Outdoor Retailer trade show said this year that theyre considering moving the event after two decades in Utah. Some companies said theyll boycott the show as long as it remains in the state. In the letter, the chief executives call on Herbert and Utah officials to stop pushing for the recent declaration of the Bears Ears National Monument to be rescinded and to stop pushing for state control of public lands owned by the federal government, among other actions. Associated Press Also in Business From news services Coming today What gutsy little girl wouldnt love to explore a ship on the high seas? And what audience wouldnt love to accompany her, if the reconnaissance turned up the surprises that abound in Constellation Theatre Companys irresistible Peter and the Starcatcher? At one point in this funny, rollicking fantasy-adventure tale, an intrepid young heroine named Molly prowls around a ship, peeking through doors. As she does so, vivid scenes spring to life: seamen playing cards, a chapel service, the punishment of a crew member. Also: a flying cat. A single plank represents all the doors, and a white muff depicts the cat. To signal each revelation, actors spring into position, through movement and posture conjuring up the door hinges, the sailors activities, the cats levitation. The fluid pacing and assured physical storytelling are typical of this intimate, playful staging, directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer and featuring a spirited 13-person cast, choreography by Kelly Maxner and Mollye Maxner, and delectable costumes by Kendra Rai. Written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker, Peter and the Starcatcher is based on Dave Barry and Ridley Pearsons novel, a prequel to the tale of Peter Pan. (A Broadway production opened in 2012; a touring version landed at the Kennedy Center in 2014.) Filled with irreverent humor, including wordplay and impish anachronisms, the play tells how a nameless orphan the future Peter is rescued from shipboard imprisonment by Molly, a turn of events that plunges both youngsters into an escapade involving pirates, mermaids, bloodthirsty islanders, a shipwreck and magic starstuff. Unfurling around and above the wooden platforms of A.J. Gubans set, the Constellation production benefits hugely from Megan Gravess funny, endearing turn as Molly. Dallas Tolentino is suitably wary and callow as Peter, and Michael John Casey generally swashbuckles amusingly as the pirate Black Stache. Other notable performances include Alex Vernon as Mollys redoubtable father, Lord Aster; Ian Anthony Coleman as the mercenary Capt. Slank; and Keith Richards as a blithe, weathered, accordion-playing sailor. But many of the shows best moments feature actors meshing together in ensemble sequences, such as a shipboard battle or a line of warbling mermaids. Sometimes the performers animate, or transform into, physical objects, including island boulders and the shards of a shattered mirror. Impressively, the ensemble movement never looks busy or cluttered; it simply conjures up one clear, lively image after another. (The puppetry, which includes a wonderfully menacing crocodile, is designed by Matthew Aldwin McGee, also the props designer. Guban designed the colorful lighting.) As befits the spunky proto-feminist she is, Molly does some flying of her own. The stage business that effectuates this gravity-defying coup is so simple, yet so bold and dramatic, that Tinker Bell herself might look on with admiration. Peter and the Starcatcher, a play by Rick Elice, based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson; music by Wayne Barker. Directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer; music direction, Deborah Jacobson. With Jordan Campbell, Kevin M. Collins, Matt Dewberry, Kamau Mitchell, Christopher Michael Richardson, Matthew Schleigh and John Sygar. About 2 hours. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Tickets: $20-$45. Through March 12 at Source, 1835 14th Street NW. Call 202-204-7741 or visit constellationtheatre.org. Executive Chef Enrique Limardo in the dining room of Alma Cocina Latina in Baltimore. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) A crudo of sea bass is bordered by an emulsification of jalapeno and avocado. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) (Excellent/Superlative) The best ambassadors for Venezuela in the United States right now are Irena Stein and Enrique Limardo. Theyre the owner and chef, respectively, of Alma Cocina Latina in Southeast Baltimore, an alluring young restaurant that shines a light on a style of cooking that doesnt get much play in this country. If your only encounter with the cuisine has been arepas, Venezuelas answer to (stuffed) corn bread, prepare to have your horizons broadened. And if youve never had the pleasure of ravioli de chucho, expect to be dazzled. Back in Caracas, where the principals are from, the dish is known as pastel de chucho and looks like lasagna, with fish between its layers. Limardo takes the idea and runs with it. He adds plantains to the dough to make ravioli, which he stuffs with mashed skate and serves on brushstrokes of squid ink with spoonfuls of melted telita cheese, similar to mozzarella. Black and white, they create the most harmonic version of ebony and ivory since Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. To finish the dish, the chef dehydrates salad components spinach, cilantro, onions and dusts the ravioli with the resulting green powder. You may think you know crudo. Alma Cocina Latina teaches you otherwise. The fish, in this case sea bass glossed with cilantro oil, isnt immediately visible. Limardo carpets almost half the rectangular dish with microgreens, half with crisp silverfish before framing the appetizer in dark green borders of emulsified avocado and jalapeno. Not until your fork enters the picture do you see the dewy sea bass. The combination of subtle fish, fresh herbs, crisp garnish and creamy heat in every bite is irresistible. Which is precisely the sensation the chef wants you to experience. Ravioli de chucho is Limardos interpretation of the Venezuelan dish. His features skate and plantains. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) Venezuelan food is an explosion on the palate, says Limardo, 41, who has cooked for more than half his life. The best of it is sweet, sour, savory and spicy . . . in every bite. To taste his food is to see how it borrows from elsewhere in the world Italy, Spain, West Africa and to learn how Limardo spent his time since he sold his two restaurants in Caracas a decade ago. Subsequently, as a private chef, he got to cook all over the world: Dubai, Hong Kong, Paris. The chucho and the crudo prompt a question: Is every dish on the menu as magical? My crush on the restaurant turns into deeper affection when the first of several arepas appear. Sitting at the wood counter of the front kitchen lets you see the process by which the Venezuelan staple shaped from white corn flour, water, salt and canola oil goes from a little ball of dough to a puffy hot pocket after a spell on a massive griddle and in a hot oven. The fillings run from traditional to terrific. Juicy shredded beef with caramelized plantains and inky black beans, or La Nacional, is very good. But the Korean-inspired arepa finds your taste buds dancing as they connect with smoked pork loin, green onion kimchi and wild sesame seeds. Neatniks, rejoice. Whatever your selection, its presented in a brown paper sleeve. Arepas are meant to be eaten soon after theyre made. Dont bother wrapping up leftovers. Stein mentally winces when she sees customers leaving with unfinished arepas, knowing that the snacks get tough in transport and reheating. Jorge Ortiz, foreground, fills an arepa while Yic Tam, Albani Caolo and Nacho Useche work at the arepas grill. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) The same cannot be said of the arroz con pollo y camaron, a rice dish swirled with sofrito and decked out with chicken thighs that have been stuffed with ground shrimp and deep-fried. Take it from someone who rewarmed the entree at home. The chicken remains succulent, and the rice infused with the flavors of red bell peppers, onion and tomatoes and dabbed with caper aioli stays sensational. The lush texture of the dish is explained by Carnaroli rice, the best for making risotto. Stein is a known commodity in Baltimore, where she has two other eating establishments at the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus, Alkimia and Cafe Azafran. Whenever she sold Venezuelan food at the latter, she says, People went crazy. Initially, her third restaurant was expected to serve just arepas. But the space she liked best was too large for the idea. Dreaming bigger, Stein found her chef after his plans to join a catering company in Washington fell through three years ago. Alma made its debut in Canton in April 2015. The food here is so compelling, I couldnt wait to return after my initial trip and came back the next night. The second round, beginning with a riff on a Hemingway daiquiri and embracing bison tongue and a fantasy in chocolate, proved as mouthwatering as the first. The tongue, cooked with cocoa powder and glossed with tamarind sauce, supports the chefs view of his country. Every tender bite is powerfully good. The dessert, starring Venezuelan chocolate, is a spectacle of ganache, cocoa-coconut crumble, cocoa syrup and red dots (bell pepper jam). Watch for flying spoons. One of the desserts features several expressions of chocolate on one plate. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) Server Courtney Villarreal holds a Korean-inspired arepa featuring pork and green onion kimchi. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) The only thing stopping me from booking a table for the next night was a dark restaurant. Alma Cocina Latino isnt open on Sundays. Theres one dish whose charms I can resist. The Cubano is ordinary in comparison to its bewitching peers on the menu. The upside to the pressed meat-and-cheese sandwich is a small stack of some of the best yucca fries Ive ever had. Theyre lightly crisp on the outside, fluffy in the middle and seasoned with merken, a spice blend from Chile made from ground smoked chilies. Bet you cant stop at one piece. Frankly, Id visit Alma if the dining room were a box and the staff were robots. But theyre not. The interior, an inviting jungle of plants in a setting made playful with a hammock separating bar from tables, comes courtesy of Steins husband, Mark Demshak, an architect. Yes, the room can get loud, but food this exciting brings out the whoops in some of us. Every server Ive met is a stand-in for Stein, fussing over patrons and explaining the food as if they grew up with it. Indeed, no detail appears to have been overlooked. Desserts show the same thought as what preceded them (and if you like meringue, youre going to fall hard for the tres leches). Even the website is impressive. Alma is Spanish for soul. Its a fitting name for a fantastic restaurant that gets to the very essence of hospitality. For stories, features such as Date Lab, Gene Weingarten and more, visit WP Magazine. Follow the Magazine on Twitter. Like us on Facebook. Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com. Omarosa Manigault, aide to President Trump, watches during a meeting with parents and teachers at the White House on Tuesday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) The bad blood between a veteran reporter and a White House communications official has taken a reality-TV show turn. The official former Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault, now a top aide to President Trump said she has a recording of her dispute with journalist April Ryan. For her part, Ryan said Wednesday that she was never told she was being recorded and is considering suing Manigault for slander. Manigault and Ryan engaged in a heated exchange steps from the Oval Office last week. A reporter with the American Urban Radio Networks, Ryan said she felt physically intimidated by Manigault and that Manigault had told her that Ryan was among a handful of journalists on whom the White House was keeping dossiers of negative information. The encounter was recorded by an unidentified White House media employee, according to Manigault, who said the tape backs up her claim that Ryans account is false. 1 of 19 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Who is Omarosa Manigault? View Photos A look at the career of President Trumps director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison. Caption A look at the career of President Trumps director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison. Jan. 8, 2004 Omarosa Manigault, then a contestant on The Apprentice, attends a party for the shows premiere. Rebecca D'Angelo/For The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. She came in [to the White House press-staff area] hot, hurling insults at her, Manigault said. She came in with an attitude. For her to characterize me as the bully Im so glad we have this tape . . . because its liar, liar, pants on fire in Ryans case, Manigault said. Ryan said she was not aware that the run-in was being recorded and never consented to it. I didnt know she was taping it, she said. This is about her trying to smear my name. This is freaking Nixonian. Making such a recording is legal under D.C. law; the city has a one-party consent law, which makes it legal to record a phone call or conversation if one person in the conversation consents. It is illegal, however, to record both parties if neither has consented. Manigault, who earned a villainous reputation while a contestant on Trumps reality shows The Apprentice and Celebrity Apprentice, asserted that White House media staff regularly records interviews between reporters and officials. We do it all the time, she said. When you come into [the press staffs offices], youre on the record. Several veteran White House reporters said interviews are sometimes recorded by officials but that it was unheard of to do so without a reporters prior knowledge. Fox News White House reporter John Roberts was among a handful of reporters who heard the recording Tuesday. He said via email that he heard a discussion between the two women in which some terse words and accusations were exchanged, but it didnt amount to a confrontation. He said that some portions of the recording were difficult to hear clearly or understand fully, but he did not hear the word dossier mentioned. Ryan stood by her account and charged that Manigault selected pieces of their exchange to play to journalists. She wants to spin it like its a catfight, but she edited that tape, she said. You dont hear her screaming. This is about her smearing me. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) She said Wednesday that she is considering suing Manigault. My lawyers are looking at several things [including] slander, she said. But I am waiting to see what is the right thing to do. Manigault and Ryan were formerly friends; Manigault had even asked Ryan last summer to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. But their relationship soured in the fall when Manigault, then working on Trumps presidential campaign, suggested in emails to Ryan that the journalist was accepting money from Hillary Clintons campaign for favorable coverage. Ryan vigorously denied it. Protect your legacy!! Manigault wrote to Ryan in October. You have worked too hard to have people question your ethics as a journalist. She cited a story that mentioned the Clinton campaigns efforts to woo journalists and added, This story suggests that as a reporter, you are (or were) a paid Clinton surrogate. I pray this is not true! This could be hurtful to your legacy and the integrity of your work. International visitors to Argentina should go out on their hotel balconies and belt out the good news: The government is waiving the value added tax on lodgings. This means more money to spend on tango lessons, Malbec wine and flank steak. The executive order, which went into effect Jan. 2, offers tourists a direct and automatic refund of the 21 percent tax, one of the highest in the world. It removes the tax on all lodgings throughout the countrys 23 provinces, from upscale city hotels to rugged estancias in the countryside. It also applies to breakfast services associated with overnight stays. The decision to remove the charge is part of the governments larger plan to open up Argentina after decades of insularity and political turmoil. Its a sign of good things to come, said Gonzalo Robredo, executive director of the tourism office of Buenos Aires. We are working toward strong tourism development and facilitating travel for international visitors. [There goes tradition: Las Vegas Strip casinos start charging for parking] Travelers have several other reasons to rejoice, as well. In August, Americans received an exemption from paying the $160 reciprocity fee. They can now enter the country at no charge. (No such luck for Canadians and Australians.) In 2015, the new president, Mauricio Macri, lifted controls over the Argentine peso, allowing the local currency to float freely with the U.S. dollar. The black market is out; ATMs are in. The rebate is only available to visitors who can prove, with a valid passport or identification card, that they live abroad. They must also pay with a non-Argentine credit card or bank transfer from another country. The hotel will remove the charge at the time of billing. The savings are significant. On average, midlevel properties cost $100 to $200. For example, rates at Home, a boutique hotel in the Palermo Hollywood neighborhood of Buenos Aires, start at $115; about $24 will go back into your wallet. Higher-end properties charge twice as much. A night at Faena Hotel Buenos Aires, a luxury hotel near Puerto Madero, starts at $459. What to do with the spare cash? Throw the VAT a farewell party with a tango show at Esquina Carlos Gardel or a dinner for two at La Cabrera, a popular steakhouse in BA. More from Travel: Youre Going Where? Columbus Still finding kicks on Route 66 Zapposs CEO is helping revitalize downtown Las Vegas. He took me on a whirlwind tour. A homeless man carries his possessions as he watches authorities clear out a tent encampment beneath the Whitehurst Freeway in Washington. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) First the garbage trucks arrived, then the front-end loader, then teams of D.C. sanitation workers armed with shovels and rakes. Within three hours, the small neighborhood of tents and barbecue pits that had become a mainstay this winter for homeless men and women and a nuisance for neighbors was gone. Left dangling on a tree near the end of Whitehurst Freeway, north of the Kennedy Center, were two broken Christmas ornaments. The bulldozing of the encampment took place where at least 12 people had been staying one night last month during a city count of the homeless. In the first few months after Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) took office in 2015, Department of Public Works employees repeatedly demolished encampments in Foggy Bottom and around the citys quickly gentrifying NoMa neighborhood, drawing criticism from some religious leaders and advocates for the poor. Christmas ornaments remain on a tree as authorities clear out a homeless encampment beneath the Whitehurst Freeway. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) Bowser had entered office promising to end chronic homelessness by 2020, but critics accused her of mainly trying to keep the problem out of view. Last year, as Bowser focused on winning legislative approval to construct a new network of shelters for homeless families, her administration seemed to back away from removing encampments. But Bowser spokesman Kevin Harris said the encampment along the mazelike intersection of Whitehurst, K Street NW and Rock Creek Parkway had become particularly problematic, with mounds of trash and rodents. The health and well-being of all District residents, including individuals experiencing homelessness as well as those who access the public space, is an important principle, Harris said in an email. Given the continual growing mound of trash at this location and the number of rats that were present, this site posed a health concern. Additionally, its proximity to the off-ramp also raised safety concerns, he said. Harris said six people from the site had been moved into permanent housing over the past several months. An additional 10 or so milled about Tuesday, some speaking with city workers who tried to help them sort their belongings into piles to keep. None of those present when the cleanup began at 10 a.m. took up city employees on offers of rides to shelters. Two outreach coordinators from nearby Miriams Kitchen, which feeds hundreds of homeless men and women daily in the Foggy Bottom area, watched as the demolition unfolded and said those displaced probably had simply moved elsewhere in the neighborhood. A dog named Snoop, in foreground, watches as authorities clear out a homeless tent encampment. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) Everything was amicable today, said Lara Pukatch, Miriams director of advocacy, noting that the city gave advance warning of the cleanup. But it was Valentines Day, if anyone was thinking about that. We had actually just launched a campaign to call the mayors office and ask her to spread the love and to make additional investments this year in chronic homelessness. Indeed, an hour before cleanup crews arrived at the encampment, church leaders in nearby Georgetown had emailed parishioners with the subject line, Call-in to Mayor Bowsers Office TODAY! Part of the email called for a new $17 million investment in homelessness in the mayors next budget, saying nobody should live or die on the streets of DC. According to a nightly census on Feb. 2, there were 1,079 single men, 332 single women, and 2,979 parents and children in D.C. homeless shelters and motel rooms. About 250 were in recreation centers, which open only when there is a high danger of hypothermia. Kate Coventry, who tracks homelessness spending by the city for the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, said there are many reasons some homeless people prefer to brave the elements rather than go to the citys shelters for single adults. Couples of the opposite sex cannot go into shelters together; family members cant either, such as a man and his mother who lived under the Whitehurst. In addition, the shelters often are infested with bedbugs, and those who frequent them describe unsafe conditions where theft is common and restful sleep is scarce. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who represents the area around Tuesdays cleanup, said he supported the mayors action. Encampments are illegal. You cannot camp on public land, Evans said, and its not a victimless crime. I get lots of complaints from residents in that area. . . . There are no bathroom facilities. We get instances of people defecating in yards, going out and panhandling and creating a chaotic situation. Evans said he knows city shelters have a bad reputation, but thats where they should go. We have places for folks. Thats the answer at this point in time. Pukatch said it is not a lasting solution. We have some who live in shelters, some staying in the street, and some in encampments, she said. [Removing one encampment] its not that simple to say its a good or bad thing. The solution is to connect people with housing. Thats what they deserve and what they need. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Wednesday that the handful of protesters who briefly blocked her from entering a D.C. middle school last week demonstrated hostility to change in education. The protesters behavior is a reflection of the way some seek to treat our education system by keeping kids in and new thinking out, DeVos said during brief remarks to a conference of magnet-school leaders and advocates in Washington. DeVos, a billionaire who advocates for private-school vouchers and has no professional experience in public education, has been one of President Trumps most controversial Cabinet nominees. She was barely confirmed after an outpouring of opposition from teachers, parents and others who feared she would undermine public schools. [Protesters briefly block DeVos from entering D.C. public school] On Wednesday, DeVos praised public magnet schools as the oldest form of school choice and said she was committed to supporting their success. You may not be tooting your horns enough, she said. But she declined to commit to provide more federal funding for magnet schools, saying it would be premature to do so. I think all great schools should be highlighted and should be supported, she said. That said, I dont think we should be as focused necessarily on funding school buildings as much as we should be having a conversation about funding students. Magnet schools are public schools with instructional themes such as math and science, the fine arts or international studies that set them apart from traditional schools and often make them more attractive to families. Like traditional public schools, they are run by school districts. They were established after the Supreme Courts decision in Brown v. Board of Education as a way to speed racial integration by encouraging parents to choose schools outside their neighborhoods. Now, nearly 3.5 million students attend thousands of magnet schools nationwide, according to Magnet Schools of America, which organized Wednesdays conference. (DeVos cited a lower figure in her remarks: 2.6 million.) [Influential conservatives: Trump, DeVos should dismantle Education Department and bring God into classrooms] But federal funding for magnet schools has declined over the past decade and now stands at about $91 million per year less than half the amount appropriated to charter schools. Magnet schools advocates are hopeful that DeVoss advocacy for expanding parents choices in education will mean additional federal funds. Todd Mann, the organizations director, urged attendees to keep an open mind about DeVos, who was barely confirmed amid concerns among Democrats and some Republicans that she lacks experience in public education and would seek to expand vouchers and charter schools at the expense of traditional public schools. It may be very easy to assume we have little in common with Secretary DeVos and then stand back, but I think you would all agree that would be a mistake, Mann said. It is our role as public school advocates to declare far and wide the value of what our schools offer. Mann invited DeVos to visit magnet schools to learn about them. Absolutely. I look forward to it, she said, and then she departed without taking questions from reporters. President Donald Trump talks with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos by his side during a meeting with parents and teachers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) A policy manifesto from an influential conservative group with ties to the Trump administration, including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urges the dismantling of the Education Department and bringing God into American classrooms. The five-page document produced by the Council for National Policy calls for a restoration of education in America that would minimize the federal role, promote religious schools and home schooling and enshrine historic Judeo-Christian principles as a basis for instruction. Names of the councils members are closely held. But the Southern Poverty Law Center published a 2014 membership directory showing that Stephen K. Bannon now chief White House strategist for President Trump was a member and that Kellyanne Conway now counselor to the president served on the councils executive committee. DeVos was not listed as a member, but her mother, Elsa Prince Broekhuizen, was named on the councils board of governors. Her father-in-law, Amway founder Richard DeVos Sr., twice served as president, most recently from 1990 to 1993. And she and her husband have given money to the council as recently as 2007 through their family foundation, according to federal tax records. The councils Education Reform Report says it is intended to help DeVos and Trump map a path toward change. The proposal to abolish the department dovetails with the long-held views of many Republicans, and Trump suggested during the 2016 campaign that the agency could be largely eliminated. But Trump has given no sign since taking office that he aims to act on that idea, and DeVos embraced the mission of the department when she took office last week. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Still, the councils views carry weight in the conservative movement. Its hundreds of members are a whos who of prominent figures on the Christian right, including former lawmakers and leaders in social activism, business and think tanks. Their thrice-yearly meetings are held in undisclosed locations, and every four years GOP presidential candidates show up to address the crowd and seek their favor. [These Christian teachers want to bring Jesus into public schools] A version of the councils report, created by an 11-member education committee, was posted on the councils website. The document was no longer available online as of Wednesday afternoon, after The Washington Post reported on it, but it could still be found on the Internet Archives Wayback Machine. Three committee members confirmed its authenticity. The document proposes demoting the department to a presidential Advisory Council on Public Education Reform, a sub-Cabinet-level agency that would serve as a consultant to states. New employees should subscribe to the educational worldview of the Trump administration, it says, from assistant secretaries to the mailroom. It also says states should encourage K-12 public schools to post the Ten Commandments, teach Bible classes, recognize holidays such as Easter and Christmas. promote instruction from a Judeo-Christian perspective and remove secular-based sex education materials from school facilities. It calls for the termination of the Common Core academic standards and an end to the government collection of student data, which has generated concerns among activists on the right and the left. The goal, it says, is a gradual, voluntary return at all levels to free-market private schools, church schools and home schools as the normative American practice. Think tanks routinely seek to influence new administrations. But the councils vision would be a dramatic departure for education in America. Nearly 9 in 10 students attend public schools, and the Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly that the First Amendment prohibits public schools from establishing or promoting any particular religion. The department administers and manages student loans for tens of millions of borrowers, gives K-12 schools billions of dollars a year to bolster education for children who are poor or have disabilities, and enforces civil rights laws in schools and colleges nationwide. A department spokesman said Wednesday that DeVos had not received the document and therefore had no reaction. DeVos fully supports the mission of the department and applauds the decision by the president of the United States to continue to keep the Department of Education at Cabinet level, the spokesman said. Trump, as a candidate, endorsed eliminating the Common Core. But as president he cannot do that on his own because standards are decided by states. Trump has said nothing since taking office about dismantling or downsizing the department. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) this month introduced a one-sentence bill to eliminate the agency by the end of 2018. DeVos has long advocated for taxpayer-supported vouchers to help parents pay tuition for private and religious schools. Before her confirmation and since taking office Feb. 7, she has sought to allay concerns about how she would lead the department, though she has also made clear that she is looking for ways to shrink it. I cant tell you today whats being done thats unnecessary, but I can guarantee that there are things that the department has been doing that are probably not necessary or important for a federal agency to do, she told Michael Patrick Shiels, a Michigan radio host, this week. Really, when it comes down to it, education and the provision of education is really a state and local responsibility to a large extent. In Washington, she told career employees last week that they are professionals to whom she will listen, and she said she thought that despite disagreements, we can and must come together, find common ground and put the needs of our students first. [DeVos has deep ties to the Christian Reformed community] DeVos grew up in the Christian Reformed Church and graduated from Calvin College, which is affiliated with that church. Her support for vouchers appears to be motivated by faith: She once said she believed her education-reform efforts could advance Gods Kingdom and lead to greater Kingdom gain in the long run. In light of those comments, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) asked DeVos before her confirmation to clarify her beliefs about the role of religion in public education. My faith is very important to me and informs my work. In education, it teaches me that every child is special and deserves the best we can offer them, she wrote in response to Franken. That said, I do not believe in imposing my faith on others and, if confirmed, I will implement the laws as intended by Congress. That includes the provisions about the prohibition against religious instruction in schools. E. Ray Moore Jr., a member of the councils education committee, said he thinks that Trumps election shifted the education debate toward the right, away from a focus on how to fix public schools and toward how to create alternatives. And thats what is needed, Moore said, to strengthen education. The system cant be fixed, Moore said. You dont hear Republicans and free-market people talking about fixing Obamacare. They talk about repeal and replace. We think the same argument should apply to education. [On the world stage, U.S. students fall behind] Moore is the founder of the Exodus Mandate Project, which encourages Christian families to pull their children out of public schools. He said that he was speaking for himself, not the committee, and that he does not know whether DeVos will adopt any of the committees ideas. My guess is that shes not going to want to do a lot of it. It may be a bridge too far for her, Moore said. But this is what a lot of conservatives would like to see happen. Another committee member, Donna Hearne a former teacher and author who was an education appointee in the Reagan administration said this is the councils first foray into education policy. Members were moved to weigh in, she said, out of concern that U.S. schools have fallen behind even as the federal role in education has expanded. International tests show American students trail peers from other nations, particularly in Asia. Many of us are concerned that our high rate of literacy and comprehension and analytical thinking, theyre not there anymore like they used to be, she said. That hurts a country that is based on We the people. Hearne said council members also worry children arent learning right from wrong in school. Theres a real need for a discussion in America today of what kind of education do we want, she said, because what kind of country do we want down the road? Deirdre Grimm, pictured with her son, Gavin, is among the hundreds of parents of transgender children who signed a letter to President Trump asking him to keep in place protections for transgender students. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post) Nearly 800 parents of transgender children from across the country signed a letter to President Trump imploring him to maintain protections for transgender students, saying that the protections, enacted under President Barack Obama, are critical for the safety and well-being of their children. All students deserve equal access to a safe, welcoming school and a high quality education no matter who they are and where they live, the parents wrote. The letter was organized by the Human Rights Campaigns Parents for Transgender Equality Council and emailed to administration officials Tuesday evening. This is the value at the center of our nations education policies and civil rights laws, the letter said, and it is a principle espoused by the 2016 guidance issued by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education seeking the fair and respectful treatment of transgender students in our nations schools and colleges. [Read the letter the parents sent to President Trump] The letter comes four days after the Justice Department dropped its objection to a preliminary injunction that halts the Obama-era guidance requiring schools to accommodate students in the bathrooms that match their gender identity. The move signals that the administration is changing course on transgender rights and left many parents heartbroken and scared, they wrote in the letter. You promised to be a president for all Americans, but less than 48 hours after Jeff Sessions was confirmed as Attorney General, the Department of Justice took a concrete step to undermine equality for the LGBTQ community, the parents wrote. [Trump administration signals change in policy for transgender students] Sarah McBride, spokeswoman for the Human Rights Council, said the parents hope to shift the administrations thinking on transgender rights by appealing to policymakers. You never give up hope that if people including elected officials hear from people at the center of the policy debate, that their hearts will be opened and their minds will be changed, McBride said. In an interview in May with The Washington Post, Donald Trump, then the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, said that he thought the government should protect transgender people, but that he would rescind guidance issued by the Obama administration directing schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice. Trump said that should be left up to the states. I think its something where we have to help people and hopefully the states will make the right decisions, Trump said in the interview. Opponents of the guidance said the Obama administration overstepped its authority. Some also argue that allowing students to use bathrooms that conflict with the sex on their birth certificates violates privacy and traditional values. [Trump: Rescind Obamas transgender directives, but protect everybody] Transgender students and their advocates argue that barring them from bathroom that aligns with their gender identity amounts to discrimination and endangers their safety and well-being. Parents of transgender students have long grappled with uncertainty over the rights of their children in the face of conflicting guidance from courts, the federal government and, in some cases, state legislatures that have passed laws requiring people to use public restrooms that align with the sex on their birth certificates. The Supreme Court could offer some clarity on the matter. It is scheduled to hear oral arguments in March in the case of Gavin Grimm, a transgender boy from Virginia who sued his school board after it barred him from using the boys bathroom. But the high court could remand the case if the Trump administration rolls back the guidance. [Supreme Court scheduled to hear transgender bathroom case in March] In their letter, the parents lamented that some schools have moved to bar transgender students from bathrooms that match their gender identity. Sadly, there remain some in our school environments who still choose to target our children for mistreatment and violence, the parents wrote. These policies are wrong, they hurt our children, and they violate the principle of equal protection. The parents wrote that the Obama administrations directive helped push policy changes in some schools that gave transgender students access to facilities that match their gender identity. It also reassured parents of transgender students that the federal government was working to protect their children. No young person should wake up in the morning fearful of the school day ahead. When this guidance was issued last year, it provided our families and other families like our own across the country with the knowledge and security that our government was determined to protect our children from bullying and discrimination, they wrote. Please do not take that away from us. Get updates on your area delivered via email. This 1940s photo made available by the family shows Henrietta Lacks. In 1951, a doctor in Baltimore removed cancerous cells from Lacks without her knowledge or consent. (AP/Lack Family via the Henrietta Lacks Foundation) The eldest son of Henrietta Lacks wants compensation from Johns Hopkins University and possibly others for the unauthorized use of her cells in research that led to decades of medical advances. Lawrence Lacks said that he is the executor of his mothers estate and that an agreement that the National Institutes of Health made with other family members over the years regarding the use of the cells was not valid. That agreement did not include compensation. The cells were taken from the 31-year-old from Turners Station, Md., who had an aggressive form of cervical cancer in 1951 They were the first cells to live outside the body in a glass tube. They were dubbed the HeLa cells and have become the most widely used human cells that exist in scientific research. Vaccines, cancer treatments and in vitro fertilization are among the many medical techniques derived from her cells. My mother would be so proud that her cells saved lives, Lawrence Lacks said in a statement. Shed be horrified that Johns Hopkins profited while her family to this day has no rights. Hopkins officials said in a statement that when the cells were taken there was no established practice for informing or obtaining consent from cell or tissue donors, nor were there any regulations on the use of cells in research. Today, Johns Hopkins and other medical research centers maintain strict patient consent processes for tissue and cell donation, the statement said. It is now standard practice to have an Institutional Review Board examine every research study involving human participants before it is allowed to begin. The medical institution said it hasnt profited from the cells. Johns Hopkins never patented HeLa cells, and therefore does not own the rights to the HeLa cell line, the statement said. Johns Hopkins also did not sell or profit from the discovery or distribution of HeLa cells. [Conference remembers Henrietta Lacks as unsung hero of modern medicine] NIH came to an agreement in 2013 with some of Lackss family that required scientists to get permission from the government agency to use her genetic blueprint. The agreement also required researchers who get NIH funding to use a database of Lackss genome that they can only access by applying through the federal agency. One of her grandsons and a great-granddaughter were appointed to a working group to help make the decisions. But Lawrence Lacks, 82, said he never signed off on that agreement. When he asked NIH for more information, he said it cut him out of the process. I really didnt understand what was going on, Lacks said. Instead of explaining it to me, they went three generations under me. An NIH representative said the agency could not respond to a request for comment Monday. Lawrence Lacks and his son and daughter-in-law said in an interview that they plan to file a lawsuit against Hopkins in coming weeks. The family members said they had contacted other attorneys in the past, but were told they had passed the statute of limitations. Francis Lanasa, the attorney who will represent the family, said that he would use a continuing tort argument, alleging that Hopkins had continued to violate the personal rights, privacy and body parts of Henrietta Lacks over time. They are literally the foundation of modern medical science, Lanasa said of the cells. Lawrence Lacks, a retired Amtrak engineer, said he remembers when Hopkins doctors came and asked his family for blood samples in the 1970s. They gave the samples not knowing they were being used to research the HeLa cells. Lackss story garnered national attention after Rebecca Skloot wrote a bestseller, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which is being made into a movie by Oprah Winfrey and HBO that is expected to be released this year. [Johns Hopkins Hospital inspires mistrust and fear in parts of east Baltimore] After the books release, Hopkins pointed out that when Lacks was treated, there was no fixed method of seeking consent to take patients tissue samples for research. But Ron Lacks, Lawrence Lackss son, said pharmaceutical companies, authors, hospitals and scores of other institutions have made money off his grandmothers cells. The family has even seen artwork made of pictures of her cells for sale on the Internet. Everyone else is making funds off Henriettas cells, Ron Lacks said. I am sure my grandmother is up in heaven saying, Well, what about my family? The family said they want her cells to be owned by her estate and they would set up a foundation to allow everyone to benefit from the cells. Hopkins officials said they have worked with family members to develop programs to recognize and honor Lacks, including scholarships, annual symposia and a historical exhibit on the Hopkins medical campus. The family said that is not enough to correct the wrong done to Lacks. We have been living with this for years, Ron Lacks said. It is getting to the point where it is the principle of everything. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Johns Hopkins Hospital collected cells from Henrietta Lacks after her death. The cells were collected from Lacks during a diagnostic procedure. THE DISTRICT A second bald eagle egg is found in nest And then there were two. Wildlife experts say there is a second bald eagle egg in a nest at a D.C. police facility in Southeast Washington. The Districts wildlife biologist, Dan Rauch, said Tuesday that a second egg has been found in the nest. The first was laid early last week. The parents of the eggs at the D.C. police facility are Liberty, the mother, and Justice, the father. They have kept a nest at the site for 11 years. The nest sits about 100 feet up in an oak tree at the police academy. Officials are keeping close tabs on the pair and the eggs. Liberty is mainly responsible for incubating the eggs and caring for the eaglets when they hatch, officials said. Justice has the crucial job of catching fish and bringing them for his mate and hatchlings, wildlife experts wrote on a YouTube page that tracks the live eagle camera. The eggs require incubation for about 35 days. And like any celebrity these days, the eagles have their own hashtag, #EggWatch2017, on social media. There are now at least three bald eagle nests in the District that are being monitored, including one on the Department of Homeland Security campus in Southeast and another at the U.S. National Arboretum in Northeast. Dana Hedgpeth MARYLAND Driver may have hit man on purpose Prince Georges County police are investigating whether a driver who fatally struck a man with a car in the parking lot of a shopping center acted in self-defense. Officers were called to the 5000 block of Brown Station Road about 8:30 a.m. Monday for a report of a pedestrian struck in a parking lot. When they arrived they found that Nathaniel McKinnon, 21, of Upper Marlboro, had been hit by a car, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene. It appears the driver intentionally struck McKinnon, police said. Police said a weapon was recovered from McKinnon. Police are investigating whether the driver acted in self-defense but did not detail whether the driver provided a supporting statement. The name of the driver has not been released, and police are working with the Prince Georges County states attorneys office to determine whether he will be charged. Lynh Bui Man fatally shot in car is identified Police have identified a man found fatally shot in a car in Accokeek as Timothy Sherod, 28. A neighbor in the 3300 block of St. Marys View Road saw Sherod unresponsive in a car Monday morning and alerted an off-duty officer, according to Prince Georges County police. Sherod, of Glenarden, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are still working to identify the killer and motive in the case. Lynh Bui VIRGINIA Suspect is arrested in July 2016 rape case A 15-year-old girl was raped in Fairfax County in July, and a suspect was arrested Tuesday, the county police said. They said Ronald Fabricio Herrera Contreras was charged with rape and gang participation in connection with an attack that allegedly occurred July 13 in a park in the 7300 block of Lee Highway. In November, police said Contreras was 18 years old. The matter came to light in August, when the 15-year-old told a family case worker that she had been raped the month before by someone who was a gang member, police said. On Tuesday, seven months after the alleged attack, the Fairfax County police said, one of their detectives recognized Contreras. The detective spotted him while involved in a Prince William County police operation in Prince William, Fairfax police said. The suspect was taken to the Fairfax adult detention center, where warrants were served in connection with the July allegation, Fairfax police said. Martin Weil Fairfax officials hire former FBI agent Fairfax County officials announced Tuesday that they had hired a former Federal Bureau of Investigations special agent to monitor police department investigations into cases when an officers use of force led to a fatality or serious injury. Richard G. Schott will start his $143,000-a-year job as an independent auditor in April, county officials say. He was hired as part of a series of police department changes that are underway in response to controversy stemming from the 2013 fatal shooting of John B. Geer outside his home in Springfield. County officials are also reviewing applications for a nine-member civilian review panel that will monitor police department investigations into allegations of police abuse and are also preparing to launch a pilot program this year for the use of body cameras by Fairfax police. Schott spent 27 years as an FBI agent. He was most recently a trainer for local and state law enforcement agencies, including on legal issues related to the use of force and deadly force, according to a county announcement. Mr. Schott will provide increased accountability and transparency to the Fairfax County Police Department, Sharon Bulova (D), chairman of the County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. Antonio Olivo The Montgomery County Council signed off Tuesday on the final pieces of a long-debated project that is supposed to bring jobs, housing and economic vitality to the countys economically struggling eastern sector. The council voted 8 to 1 to sell 110 acres where a sludge-processing facility once stood to the developer Percontee, which owns adjoining property near Route 29 and New Hampshire Avenue, next to the Food and Drug Administration campus. The developer will build a life sciences town center called Viva White Oak that would feature a hub of medical and science companies and attract FDA workers as well as employees and visitors to the Washington Adventist Hospital facility being built nearby. The council also approved the sale of $47 million in general obligation bonds to finance road and intersection improvements around the site. Detailed sketch plans still face review by the Montgomery County Planning Board. But Tuesdays action sets in motion the major elements of a venture that supporters believe could generate 10,000 new jobs over 25 years in an area that has never shared in the prosperity enjoyed by other parts of the county. I think this is a great day for us, said council member Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), adding that for the Eastern County, the project comes after years and years and years of nothing. But it could be many years if at all before the area, home to some of the Montgomerys highest-poverty census tracts, begins to reap the benefits of Viva White Oak. The health of the global and national economy as well as the potential impact of the Trump administration on federal spending, are critical factors. This is a big leap of faith, said council member George L. Leventhal (D-At Large). We want to make an area of the county into something that it isnt today. The agreement started in 2014 as a joint venture in which the county and Percontee would share the risks and benefits of building the life sciences center. The pact nearly collapsed when county attorneys discovered that Percontees property came with covenants agreements forged in the 1950s and 1960s with surrounding property owners that limited construction. Leggett pushed instead to sell the countys land to the developer, severing the county from the partnership to protect taxpayers from any potential lawsuits over covenant violations. The acreage was appraised at $42 million but will be sold to Percontee for $10 million. The lands remaining $32 million in value will be converted into a county loan to Percontee. The county will forgive portions of the loan as the company meets certain conditions, such as the construction of roads and schools and payment of transportation-impact taxes, collecting any remaining loan principal after 10 years. County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), who negotiated the agreement, says an unconventional approach was needed to jump-start economic development in an area that had not attracted investment on its own. Council member Marc Elrich (D-At Large) voted against the land sale, saying the pact lacked staging provisions to keep construction from overwhelming roads and other infrastructure. He also said that the deal allowed Percontee to build too much housing and not enough commercial space in the early phases. When the county was a partner, we had some control. Now thats gone, Elrich said in a text message after the vote. Later Tuesday, the council was briefed on the results of an audit evaluating the countys response to the gas explosion and fire at the Flower Branch apartment complex in Silver Spring in August, which killed seven and left 170 people homeless. The countys Office of Internal Audit gave officials generally high marks. But it recommended that in the future the county activate its emergency operations center for such incidents to help with interagency communications. The center is usually used for blizzards and other countywide emergencies. After the meeting, council member Tom Hucker (D-Silver Spring) expressed disappointment with the report, calling it a lost opportunity. Hucker, who represents the area where the fire occurred, said that emergency shelters did not have enough Spanish-speaking staff and that council members were frequently excluded from key meetings. Council members had to go to press conferences to find out what was happening, Hucker said. Marylands General Assembly on Wednesday approved blanket authorization for state Attorney General Brian E. Frosh to sue the federal government, illustrating the eagerness of Democratic legislative leaders to challenge the Trump administration over undocumented immigrants, refugees, health care and other issues. The proposal passed quickly through the legislature over the past two weeks on party-line votes that exposed an increasingly bitter partisan divide in Annapolis. It will take effect without the signature of Gov. Larry Hogan (R), whose spokeswoman accused Democrats of engaging in Washington-style party politics and philosophizing over what might or might not happen in Washington, D.C. instead of focusing on Maryland. The joint resolution, which cant be vetoed by the governor, is one in a series of Democratic measures in response to Trump administration policies, including a bill that would set aside $3 million in the state budget for Frosh to protect Marylanders from harmful federal efforts. Another measure, the Trust Act, would prohibit police and sheriffs departments from complying with federal requests to hold undocumented immigrants; bar local authorities from arresting people for immigration purposes; and try to limit federal immigration officials authority to remove people from schools, hospitals or courthouses. Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D). (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post) Republicans argued that the resolution allowing Frosh to sue was a politically motivated attempt to undermine the Trump administration and would give the attorney general virtually unchecked authority. House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County) called the measure troubling and described it as an unprecedented reallocation of powers. Under current law, the attorney general must seek a green light from the legislature or the governor to take action against the federal government. In most other states, attorneys general can take legal action to protect the public interest as they see fit, legislative analysts said. Democrats fast-tracked the resolution after President Trump issued executive orders to lay the groundwork to cut off federal funding to jurisdictions that do not comply with requests to detain undocumented immigrants and ban citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees from entering the United States. The legislation received final approval in the House on Wednesday by a vote of 89 to 50, with all Republicans in the chamber voting against it. It passed a similarly divided Senate last week after Republicans attempted to delay the vote and then stormed out in protest when that request was denied. I cannot fathom why anybody who believes fundamentally in constitutional rights would not want our attorney general in court when necessary to protect them, Del. Eric G. Luedtke (D-Montgomery) said Tuesday. Two weeks ago, Frosh asked Hogan for permission to sue the Trump administration over its travel ban, which federal courts elsewhere in the country have since put on hold. His office said the governor still has not provided a yes or no reply. Hogan spokeswoman Amelia Chasse said the governor is waiting for Frosh to explain how the entry ban violates the Constitution and why Maryland should launch a case of its own when other states have already sued to stop Trumps order. She said the administration also concluded that Frosh had decided to pursue a different legal strategy after he joined 17 other attorneys general in filing a brief in support of anti-ban lawsuits by Washington state and Minnesota. During the debate on Friday, House Minority Leader Nicholaus R. Kipke (R-Anne Arundel) said the resolution expanding Froshs authority was merely an extension of bottled-up feelings about our current political climate. He noted that the legislature didnt act similarly in response to controversial Obama administration policies, such as conducting drone strikes that in some instances killed U.S. citizens; ending a pause on deportation of Haitians who entered the country illegally after a disastrous earthquake in that country; and seizing journalists phone records. Luedtke countered that Kipkes remarks were an argument for why we should have done it years ago, and why we should still do it now. On Tuesday, Del. Robert L. Flanagan (R-Howard) offered an amendment to the proposal that would have barred the attorney general from taking legal actions against the federal government without approval from the governor or the legislatures policy committee, which consists of leading lawmakers from the House and the Senate. Democrats rejected the amendment, saying it would gut the resolution. H.C. Cal Thornton, a longtime executive with United Press International and later the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service, died Feb. 11 at a hospital in Fall River, Mass. He was 91. The cause was coronary disease, said his son Peter Thornton. Mr. Thornton began work as a reporter in the 1950s for the United Press wire service. He later moved to the business side of the industry as a sales executive for United Press International in Minneapolis when UP acquired International News Service in 1958. He served as UPIs regional manager in Boston and Chicago and in 1971 became vice president of sales. Mr. Thornton joined the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service as sales director in 1977, and within 10 months was promoted to general manager. He eventually became president and editorial director of the news service, spreading its reach across Asia and Europe as well as in the United States. He retired in 1988 and moved to Westport, Mass., where he worked part time in a bait and tackle shop. Howard Calvin Thornton was born in Lynchburg, Va., on Aug. 11, 1925. He was studying philosophy at the University of Chicago when his father died. He left school to start working as a reporter. His marriage to Audrey Laschansky ended in divorce. Survivors include his companion of 25 years, Sally Hand of Westport; five children from his marriage; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Nugget (A453882), a 1-year-old tan male Chihuahua, was surrendered by his owner because of moving restrictions. He is available for adoption. (Prince George's County Animal Shelter) Nugget (A453882), a 1-year-old tan male Chihuahua, was surrendered by his owner because of moving restrictions. He is available for adoption. The Prince Georges County Animal Shelter, 3750 Brown Station Rd., Upper Marlboro, has animals available for adoption. Adoptable animals can be seen at adoptapet.com/adoption_rescue/74710.html. The shelters viewing and adoption hours are noon to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays; 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The shelter is closed Thursdays, Sundays and holidays. Call 301-780-7200. D.C. police said Tuesday they arrested a fourth suspect in connection with the shooting of a transgender woman on July 4. [Amid downpour, family and friends remember District 22-year-old shot on July 4] At around 3 a.m. on July 4, officers responded to the 200 block of Division Avenue NE for the report of an unconscious person, D.C. police said in a statement. They found 22-year-old Deeniquia Dodds suffering from an apparent gunshot wound near her home, and she died in the hospital on July 13. In September, police said Dodds murder was the result of a robbery gone wrong, and two people were arrested and charged in the killing: Shareem Hall, 22, of District Heights, Md., and 26-year-old Jalonte Little of Southeast Washington. On Feb. 8, 21-year-old Montee Tyree Johnson of Southeast was also charged. On Tuesday, police said they arrested 21-year-old Cyheme Hall of Southeast, who is charged with first-degree murder while armed in Dodds killing. Davon Wallace was convicted of second-degree murder in the slaying of Knijah Bibb, 3. (Prince George's County Police) A Maryland man who fatally shot a 3-year-old girl after firing into a townhouse full of women and children was sentenced Wednesday to 45 years in prison, according to the Prince Georges County States Attorneys Office. Davon Wallace, 27, of Seat Pleasant, was convicted of second-degree murder in November in the death of Knijah Bibb. [Man convicted of murder in shooting of 3-year-old during fight over clothes] During his trial in Prince Georges County Circuit Court, prosecutors said Wallace recklessly fired into a house in Landover after fighting over clothes with a teenager inside the home in 2014. Wallace was dating a woman who lived in the townhouse where the 3-year-old girl and her family were visiting relatives. The girl was running and hiding from the sounds of gunfire when she was struck, according to court testimony. [He aimed at a teen after a fight over clothes, police say. He shot a 3-year-old instead.] Wallace, who took the stand in his own defense, testified that he simply wanted to scare teenagers inside the home who had previously chased and beaten him. He said that he didnt intend to kill anyone and his attorney argued that he should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Wallace eluded police for five weeks after the shooting before being caught and charged. Three members of Congress called for an investigation Tuesday after a Virginia man apparently playing Pokemon Go was shot by a security guard last month. Jiansheng Chen, 60, was fatally shot by a neighborhood security guard about 11 p.m. on Jan. 26 in Chesapeake. An attorney who represents the Chen family told local media that the man, who did not speak English well, was killed while playing Pokemon Go. That account has not been confirmed by authorities. I cannot imagine what could have justified shooting through the front windshield of Mr. Chens van five times, Greg Sandler, a lawyer representing Chens family, told News 3. Sandler didnt respond to a request for comment on Tuesday from The Washington Post. On Tuesday, U.S. Reps. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), Robert C. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Chens death, saying in a joint statement they are concerned about the manner and circumstances in which he lost his life. Many questions remain and need to be answered, and we call on local authorities to conduct their investigation thoroughly and expeditiously, the statement said. We must know how a game of Pokemon Go turned into a fatal shooting. In a statement, Andrew M. Sacks, who represents Citywide Protection Services the company whose security guard shot Chen said Chen was barred two times in the past 18 months for allegedly trespassing, and that Chen tried to run the guard down with the van he was driving. Faced with a situation in which he could not safely escape the oncoming van headed straight for him, the security guard, out of total necessity, and in reasonable fear for his life and safety, fired in an effort to stop and repel the threat to his life and safety, the statement said. In an interview, Sacks objected to the legislators statement on the killing, saying that there was no way to know whether Chen was playing Pokemon Go and that he made an aggressive, malicious, intentional maneuver with vehicle. With all due respect to the congressmen, they dont know what he was doing, Sacks said. He added that the assumption that Chen wasnt the author of his own misfortune might be due to anti-police bias. The Chesapeake Police Department and the residential community that contracted with Citywide Protection Services were not immediately available for comment on Tuesday. No charges have been filed against the security guard. [Pokemon Gos augmented reality is augmenting the reality of this small town] Since its release last year, Pokemon Go, in which players capture virtual characters for points, has caused problems that include traffic jams and trespassing arrests. A man has been charged with two crimes after D.C. police said he ran naked through the offices of WRC-TV in Northwest Washington on Saturday and bit a studio engineer who helped in the mans capture. A police report said the assailant was taken to a hospital for evaluation. A police spokeswoman said Wednesday that Mark William Baker, 20, of Northwest, was charged via citation with simple assault and unlawful entry. He has a court date Feb. 27. Police said that about 10:15 p.m. Saturday, a naked man repeatedly hit the front door to the NBC station in the 4000 block of Nebraska Avenue NW, and then went inside. Police said he hit a security guard in the face, shoved him to the ground and ran down a hallway. An engineer who runs the stations robotic cameras, along with security guards, chased down the man. The engineer told police he helped in taking [the man] to the ground, according to a police report. The engineer said the man bit him on the right forearm, breaking the skin. Maybe they wanted some cash for Valentines Day gifts. But rather than taking out some cash from an ATM, the thieves decided to take the whole machine. In two incidents Tuesday morning, an ATM was stolen from a Laurel area store while thieves tried to take one from a store in another Maryland suburb of Washington. Police are trying to determine whether the crimes are related. The first incident happened just after 4 a.m. in the 3300 block of Fort Meade Road, Anne Arundel County police said. A clerk at a convenience store said a white Ford work-style van backed into the side of the building, breaking a window. Two men got out of the van, while a third man remained in the vehicle. The men then picked up the ATM, put it in the van and drove off along Route 198 toward Route 295, police said. The thieves said nothing to the clerk, police said. The suspects in that incident are said to be black men who were all wearing dark clothing at the time. [Abandoned U-Haul truck found with multiple ATMs inside] About an hour later, thieves tried to take an ATM from a store in the 7700 block of Annapolis Road in Lanham. New Carrollton Police Chief David Rice said his officers saw a white van similar to the one in the incident in the Prince Georges case backed up to the store. A chain was tied to the ATM just inside the store and the thieves were trying to yank it out, using the van, Rice said. The stores clerks were behind a bulletproof-glass partition inside the store during the attempted robbery, and no one was injured. The thieves were nearly successful, as two bolts were later found by police on the floor of the store, Rice said. But as the thieves became aware that they were being watched, they jumped in the van, leaving the ATM behind. They took off, Rice said, noting that his officers followed them down part of Route 50 where they allegedly threw part of another ATM out of the van. At one point, the thieves bailed out of the vehicle at Southern and Pennsylvania avenues, police said. Officers searched the area, but no one was apprehended. Rice said at that point his officers pulled back and officers from other agencies, including Prince Georges County police, took over. When a federal judge in Alexandria issued a preliminary injunction Monday night against President Trumps travel ban, she limited her ruling to the state of Virginia. But Judge Leonie M. Brinkemas opinion could have much broader implications for the fight against the ban. Brinkema was the first judge in the country to actually confront the legality of the executive order barring travel from seven majority-Muslim countries. While a temporary restraining order out of Washington state put the ban on hold nationwide, the judge who issued that ruling did not delve deeply into the facts of the case. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said much in its decision about Trumps motives and the separation of powers. But, ultimately, that panel ruled on narrow due process grounds. Its opinion did not even mention the statute on which the executive order is based, which gives the president broad power over immigration and national security. Brinkema addresses that statute, as well as the record of Trumps comments and the case law to justify their inclusion. Judge Brinkema spells out a lot more; she really fleshes out one of the possible claims, and thats the religious discrimination claim, said David Martin, a professor at the University of Virginia who, for many years, helped shape immigration policy inside the government. That may well prove to be the strongest or more fruitful line of inquiry for the plaintiffs in these various cases, particularly if theyre trying to reach past green-card holders or people on immigrant visas. Its hard to get there without a religious discrimination case of some kind. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) Green-card holders and people with long-term immigrant visas have certain rights that visitors, students and others do not. But if the executive order is deemed unconstitutional on religious discrimination grounds, those distinctions are irrelevant. While one federal judges decision is not binding on any other court, experts agreed that Brinkemas thoroughness will probably make her opinion persuasive to other districts. It was a very well-reasoned, thoughtful decision. Frankly, I think, a more careful decision than the 9th Circuit decision, said Steve Legomsky, former chief counsel for immigration services in the Department of Homeland Security. In her opinion, Legomsky said, Brinkema pretty methodically went through the various statements by Trump. . . . They put great weight on the opinions of the former national security officials to show the absence of counterevidence from the Trump administration. For both of those reasons, I think the Virginia opinion is very important. Brinkema also brings to the case extensive national security experience. She presided over the trial of Sept. 11, 2001, conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui, among other high-profile cases. It was a thoughtful opinion, its well considered, it wasnt hastily done like some of these other decisions had to be in light of circumstances, said Justin Cox of the National Immigration Law Center. His group is involved in several lawsuits against the ban, including one filed in Maryland last week focused on refugees. That case is specifically focused on religious discrimination. Legally [the Virginia ruling] is actually quite significant because its the first court to squarely hold that the executive order violates the establishment clause, Cox said. The danger for opponents of the ban is that, should the Justice Department appeal Brinkemas decision, they will face the more conservative 4th Circuit rather than the left-leaning 9th Circuit. It would be a close call, Legomsky said. There is such strong evidence of religious discrimination its really hard to know. This Sept. 11, 2013, file photo shows the bridge on Western Avenue over the Cal-Sag Channel framed by the rusted supports of the closed Chatham St. bridge in Blue Island, Ill. The Western Avenue bridge was classified as both "structurally deficient" and "fracture critical" in federal data for 2012. (M. Spencer Green/AP) Ed Rendell remembers his quest to become two-term governor of Pennsylvania as something of a tale of two cities. For decades, people running for statewide office in Pennsylvania had two sets of speeches. In the eastern half of the state, they talked about jobs and education. In the western end divided by three big rivers they promised to get help for dangerously decrepit bridges. In Pittsburgh, bridges were a huge issue, he said. Its really amazing. Pittsburgh probably has more bridges per capita than any city in America. We have a huge problem, said Rendell, who co-chairs the advocacy group Building Americas Future. You look at other states, and there are very few states that are even close to it. The yearly report on bad bridges by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) was released Wednesday, and Pennsylvania ranked second to Iowa in the number of structurally deficient bridges. Nearly 20 percent of the Keystone States bridges achieved that level of decrepitude. Nationwide, 55,710 bridges were found to be deficient. Those bridges arent all about to tumble down, though there have been notable bridge collapses. In 2007, the Interstate 35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, killing 13 people; in 2013, the Skagit River Bridge in Washington state collapsed into the river after overhead support beams were struck by an oversize load. But as bridges rust or concrete crumbles, there are serious consequences for consumers and taxpayers. The more rust erodes a bridge without a fresh coat of paint, the closer it grows to needing full replacement. As bridge concrete deteriorates occasionally dropping in chunks to the roadway the choices are to patch it up or eventually face the need for a new one. The Federal Highway Administration estimates an annual investment of $20.5 billion is needed over the next 16 years to repair and replace bridges. The cost to consumers is hidden, but it can translate into most things they buy. As a bridge nears the end of its life, the first indication is a sign restricting the weight on trucks that cross over it. Rerouting trucks to less favorable routes adds to the cost of delivery for everything from gasoline to a tube of toothpaste. Truckers need to follow particular routes to destinations that avoid these hazards and restrictions, said Rick Turek, chief navigation scientist at the fleet service management company Omnitracs. For most of the destinations, there are safe routes to and from. For a smaller number of destinations, typically residential deliveries, the goods will need to be transferred to a smaller vehicle for the actual delivery. If there was good news in the ARTBA report, which was drawn from federal data, it was that the number of bridges needing repair dropped by 2,785 last year. But at that pace of improvement, it will be a generation before the last deficient bridge is addressed. [Nearly 59,000 bridges in U.S. are structurally deficient] The average life span of a highway bridge is 50 to 70 years, with newer bridges that were built to higher standards expected to achieve that higher number. Rusting alone has rendered 15 percent of the countrys bridges structurally deficient, according to the National Association of Corrosion Engineers. All the need might dovetail nicely with the White House vow to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure, some portion of which would go to roads and bridges. Though that promised investment, so far, relies on a campaign white paper that says the money could be leveraged by offering an 82 percent tax credit to private investors, people on Capitol Hill hope to round out President Trumps funding strategy. This is the first president that I can recall who talked in his inaugural address about infrastructure, said House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), who counts more than three dozen deficient bridges in his southwestern Pennsylvania district. We at the national level have to figure out how were going to make these investments, and figure out how we get it done, and now we have a president whos pounding on the table saying weve got to do it. [Finding cash for Trumps promise on roads, bridges, transit starts this week on Hill] The average bridge in Shusters state is 51 years old and nearing the end of its functional life. Though there is no shortage of rivers that need crossing in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, rivers are a dominant characteristic in the west. Pittsburgh alone counts 446 bridges. None of the spans that cross Pittsburghs famous three rivers is a toll bridge. Even with a tax credit, private investors want a return on their money, and for bridges that generally means imposing a toll. Like many of the things were talking about with the quote-unquote trillion-dollar plan of President Trump, it will fit well for some states and some projects, but certainly it will not address most of the needs we have out there across the country, said Alison Black, ARTBAs chief economist. Rendell, who once proposed creating a public-private partnership to govern the Pennsylvania Turnpike, said Trumps plan to lure private investors just wont work in Pennsylvania or most other states. It has to be government investment, no if, ands or buts, and in Pennsylvania we have 4,500 deficient bridges, Rendell said. My guess is that no more than 10 of them can be tolled. Of all the countrys 55,710 structurally deficient bridges, Rendell estimates that there are probably 500 that could be tolled. Statewide candidates in Pennsylvania no longer need to give different speeches in Pittsburgh than they do in Philadelphia. Thats changed. We have a huge bridge problem in the eastern part of the state as well, Rendell said. This year, all 10 of the most heavily traveled deficient bridges in Pennsylvania are in the east, carrying Interstate 95 for 18 miles through Philadelphia. When a bridge inspector in search of a cheesesteak shop happened to park under an I-95 bridge nine years ago, he noticed a half-inch-wide, four-foot-long crack and had the major East Coast highway shut down for several days. Had not that guy wanted a cheesesteak, we would have had a tragedy, Rendell said. In Donald Trumps new home town Sunday night, there was a homicide. Thirteen gunshots were fired in a neighborhood less than four miles from the White House. When D.C. police showed up, they found Kenny Bell, a 30-year-old black man, dead on the grounds of the Ferebee-Hope Recreation Center in Southeast Washington. The rec center is in Ward 8, which is predominantly black and scarred by deep pockets of poverty but also home to a vibrant middle class. Of the 135 homicides in the city last year, 46 were in Ward 8. During President Trumps campaign, he referred to such crime-plagued areas as a living hell. Now he was just a 10-minute motorcade ride away from one, having pledged to curb violence, reduce unemployment and improve schools in such places. I will produce for the African Americans, Trump said. Did he mean it? There are some in Ward 8 who would like to believe him. Perhaps living in a high-crime area and seeing the devastating effects of homicides, day in and day out, leaves you little choice: Cling to hope or succumb to despair. During the past 14 years, I have been to 96 funerals, mostly for young, black male homicide victims, said Trayon White Sr., 32, who represents Ward 8 on the D.C. Council. Three of them were in the past two weeks. If we can get Justice Department grants for public safety programs and mental health services, we ought to at least make an effort to do so. Nearly a month into Trumps presidency, however, Trump has shown no sign of producing anything but more misery for the nations poor and working class black and white alike. [Trumps plan to help black America doesnt look like much of a deal] His efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act could leave millions of the nations most vulnerable residents uninsured. His tax-cutting scheme would certainly enrich corporate America, but it could also reduce incentives for developers to create more affordable housing. His administration already includes appointees who have advocated for cuts in Medicaid, food stamps and Head Start programs. On the campaign trail, Trump appealed for black votes with a harshly put observation about life in troubled neighborhoods: Youre living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs. Fifty-eight percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose? The answer, so far, appears to be food, housing, health care and education. In the nations capital, slashing the federal budget would likely increase a racial wealth and income gap that is already obscenely wide. White households in the Washington area have a net worth 81 times that of black households $284,000 compared with $3,500, according to a report last year by the Urban Institute. In 2013, the top one percent of families nationally made 25.3 times as much as the bottom 99 percent, according to a study by the Economic Policy Institute released in June. Yet during the presidential campaign, those at the bottom rung were cast as the primary cause of all that was wrong with America. Trump said immigrants coming from Mexico were not the best, but rapists and criminals. He tweeted that black people were responsible for 81 percent of homicides against white people. His claims were not just divisive, they were lies. Meanwhile, immigrants fear being rounded up and deported now more than ever, the white working class continues to die of suicide and drug overdoses in record numbers and black Americans in poor neighborhoods are overwhelmed with the knowledge that they may be the only ones worried about the violence taking so many black lives. [To make black lives matter, black people need to believe it] Instead of having a president working to solve our common problems, we have one who has set up each group to hold the other in contempt on their way to the grave. On Tuesday, Valentines Day, White wasnt waiting for Trump to address the problems of his new city. He launched a Red Ribbon Safe Communities initiative in which couples gathered to discuss ways to make their communities safe. We need to build stronger families, White said. Residents need to become more active in the community because, in the end, the solution lies with us. Spread love, not bullets, was the theme. But, as White knows, there can be no separating chronic, concentrated poverty from increased violence. A few days before Bell was killed, a gunman fired 12 rounds into a crowd on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. Four people, including a 17-year-old girl, were hit and wounded. It could have been a dozen homicides. Our ward has one of the highest unemployment rates, per capita, in the country, White said. People are very stressed, a lot are desperate. If Trump can help with workforce development and job placement, then Im willing to focus on what we have in common and not our differences. What does White have to lose? To read previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/milloy. Sharon Bulova, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. (Evy Mages/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST) Fairfax County Executive Edward L. Long Jr. on Tuesday proposed a 2018 budget that would give county schools $61 million less than they are seeking, one of several hard choices he said the wealthy suburb must make as it struggles with tepid revenue and a public rejection of tax hikes. Longs proposed $4.1 billion budget reflects a local economy still feeling the effects of the 2008 recession and 2013 federal sequestration cuts and a county bracing for the possibility of further reductions in government spending by the Trump administration. County revenue generated mostly by real estate taxes increased by $88.2 million last year, not enough to cover rising pension costs, a growing public school student population and more elderly and low-income residents seeking government aid in a county of 1.1 million residents. Slow economic growth is, I think, here to stay, Long told the countys Board of Supervisors during a bleak presentation that also fell $13 million short of what agencies requested for disability services, public safety, maintenance of county trails and raises for nonschool county employees. To find the $112 million in new funding that the schools system was seeking as part of a $2.8 billion budget request, Long said, the county would have to increase residential property tax rates by 21/2 cents a move supervisors are reluctant to make after boosting the rate 4 cents last year, to $1.13 per $100 of assessed value. The other option is less money for teacher raises a perpetual worry for school officials who say they have seen a steady exodus of experienced teachers from the system of 186,000 students to higher-paying jurisdictions elsewhere. Longs budget also leaves about $21.7 million in planned police department improvements unfunded, including $5.3 million for a Diversion First program that steers people with mental illnesses to counseling instead of jail. It does not cover about $6.7 million in services for people with disabilities, and defers maintenance of county sidewalks and trails. Long predicted that the county also will have a hard time meeting funding obligations in 2019 for maintaining the regions long-troubled Metro system. I think you can describe this as a no-growth budget, said Supervisor Sharon Bulova (D), chair of the county board. Unfortunately, some of the things that we consider priorities were not going to be able to address with the funding thats available. Several supervisors expressed frustration over the funding mechanism for local governments in Virginia, which prohibits collecting a local income tax and leaves municipalities relying heavily on real estate taxes. In Fairfax, real estate taxes represent 65 percent of the countys revenue stream. Last year, voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to expand that pool of funds by adding a tax on restaurant meals and other prepared foods. That defeat, plus the potential for more federal spending cuts and the uncertain economic fallout of a possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, has left Fairfax in a financial bind, some officials said. The ability we have as a county to control our own destiny is very slim, Supervisor Catherine M. Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill) said. Supervisor John C. Cook (R-Braddock) argued that the still-wealthy county may need to rethink some of its priorities. He cited a free middle school aftercare program that is open to all, regardless of income. So we have millionaires who get free after-school care, paid for by the taxpayers, Cook said. We have to look at those things, because were starting to cut back on services for people with disabilities. Tuesdays budget session was tense at times, but also seemed familiar in a jurisdiction that since 2009 has trimmed various spending initiatives by $344 million. County unions protested outside the meeting room, and school officials vowed to keep fighting for teacher salary increases. It is unconscionable that the county executives budget proposal would balance the budget on the backs of working people, David Broder, president of a local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, told a cheering group of about 50 demonstrators. They were rallying against Longs proposal to defer market-rate-adjustment raises for county employees. Sandy Evans, who chairs the Fairfax County School Board, said she and other school officials plan to lobby county leaders for more funding for teacher salary increases. The school board is already considering increasing classroom size and making other changes to free up money for $56 million in expenses anticipated next year, Evans said. Fairfax supervisors keep saying that schools are the top priority of our county, Evans said. If its our top priority, then we need to fund it. The Trump administration is taking its first steps to put its imprint on the Affordable Care Act, reversing plans to withhold tax refunds this year from Americans who flout an insurance requirement in the law while proposing a series of rule changes to encourage insurers to remain in ACA marketplaces. The Internal Revenue Service has revoked an Obama-era instruction to taxpayers that was taking effect during the current filing season as a way to further compliance with the ACAs requirement that most Americans carry health insurance or pay a tax penalty. Under the instruction, the IRS had announced that it would no longer process tax returns for people who fail to send a notice with their returns that they have insurance, are exempt from the requirement or are paying the fine. Instead, the agency said in a statement on Wednesday, tax returns will be processed as always, even for individuals who do not provide the required information. The IRS said the decision, made earlier this month but not previously publicized, was in line with an executive order that President Trump signed hours after his inauguration, giving agencies broad authority to lighten the burden of federal rules under the ACA. The IRS confirmed the change on the same morning that Health and Human Services officials proposed a set of rules to help protect insurers and shore up ACA marketplaces in the short term while Republicans work on demolishing the law. The proposal drew swift praise from the insurance industry and condemnation from consumer advocates and congressional Democrats. Taken together, the moves by the IRS and HHS demonstrate the balancing act the fledgling administration is attempting with the 2010 law, which remains one of Trumps top targets. The administration is eager to undermine as much of the ACA as it can through executive actions, but it also is eager to stave off any abrupt collapse of the insurance marketplaces covering about 10 million people and to minimize any political fallout for the GOP. While allowing tax refunds to keep flowing, the IRS change does not affect the actual penalty most people face for not having health coverage, which can be eliminated only through a new law. The penalty is $695 per adult or 2.5 percent of a households income, whichever is greater. The proposed HHS rule would make it harder for consumers to buy health coverage outside of the laws regular enrollment periods, give insurers power to deny new coverage to people late in paying their premiums, and create more rigorous checks of applicants eligibility. At the same time, the changes would eliminate federal reviews of whether health plans in the ACA marketplaces have enough doctors and other providers of care, delegating the task to states. And by lowering how much insurers must pick up for a specific benefit package, the changes would allow them to sell plans with higher deductibles. [Health insurers warn of wider defections from ACA marketplaces for 2018] The proposal aligns with concerns voiced by the insurance industry long before the Trump administration assumed power concerns that have prompted some major insurers to stop selling coverage or to curtail their participation in the ACAs federal insurance exchange or separate, similar marketplaces run by states. Those concerns center, in essence, on the fact that the ACAs risk pools tend to have older and less healthy customers than insurers had expected and thus are more expensive to cover. Insurers complain that some customers wait to buy coverage until they are sick and in need of medical services, then drop out once they have gotten care. On Tuesday, Humana announced that, after cutting back on its ACA participation in 2017, it plans to fully withdraw from the marketplaces next year. The new rule is an attempt to deter others from following suit, Aetna chief executive Mark Bertolini predicted at a forum on Wednesday that you will see a lot more withdrawals this year of plans, though he did not address the proposed rule changes. Others in the industry had a more optimistic reaction. These proposals . . . are a good start toward improving the functioning of the marketplace, so that any longer-term reforms can begin on a better footing, said Alyssa Fox, senior vice president for policy of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. As other insurers have withdrawn, its members are the only insurer available in about one-third of the nations marketplaces. But Andy Slavitt, the Obama administration official who oversaw the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency carrying out much of the ACA, predicted that the altered rules would raise deductibles, reduce access to physicians and put limitations on the ability for people to get coverage. [HHS nominee skirts questions about impact of Trumps executive order on ACA] Ron Pollack, executive director of the advocacy organization Families USA, called the proposed rule a huge step backwards. The changes are actually going to make health coverage and care a whole lot more expensive for consumers, he said. Parts of the proposed rule would strengthen steps the Obama administration already had taken. For instance, that administration last year limited the circumstances under which people could qualify for special enrollment periods outside the normal sign-up season. The new proposal would require greater proof of eligibility for such exceptions. It also would require the 39 states relying on the federal HealthCare.gov website to screen the eligibility of all applicants instead of just half of them. Other elements would markedly shift course. Last year, the Obama administration expanded upon a regulation to try to ensure that ACA plans offer their customers enough providers nearby. Under the Trump administrations change, there would be no federal review of health plans networks. And insurers could refuse to renew coverage for customers who are behind on their bills. That change would eliminate a three-month grace period that consumer advocates say has been especially helpful to people who struggle to pay their ACA premiums. Starting in 2018, the rule also would shorten the annual ACA enrollment period from three months to six weeks. The administration is providing an unusually short window 20 days for public comment on the rule. The neo-nazi National Socialist Movement and Ku Klux Klan participate in a cross and swastika burning in Temple, Ga. in April 2016. The Southern Poverty Law Center says it has seen a rise in hate groups, though the number of KKK chapters has dwindled and many groups are trading overt symbolism for a more intellectual approach. (ERIK S. LESSER/EPA) American hate groups and particularly anti-Muslim groups are on the rise, fueled in part by the recent presidential election, according to a new report from a liberal-leaning advocacy group that tracks domestic extremism. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) attributed some of the growth to President Trump, who it described Wednesday in its quarterly Intelligence Report as having electrified the radical right, and whose campaign rallies, the reports author claims, were filled with just as much anti-establishment vitriol as any extremist rally. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the report and its conclusions. Many of the groups the SPLC identified as part of the rise in extremist activity reject the label of hate group. [How a hate-watch group is preparing for President Trumps America] According to the SPLC, the number of American hate groups has been climbing steadily for most of the past 30 years, but the new arrivals to the SPLCs list in 2016 were predominantly characterized as white nationalist and anti-Muslim groups. By far, the most dramatic change was the enormous leap in anti-Muslim hate groups, wrote the reports author, Mark Potok, an SPLC senior fellow. The report says hate groups in the United States nearly tripled, from 34 in 2015 to 101 last year. Nearly 50 of those new additions are local chapters of ACT for America, an anti-Muslim activist group that claims Michael Flynn, who this week resigned as Trumps national security adviser, as a board member. Potok argues that Trumps rhetoric throughout the campaign including calls for a ban on immigration from some Muslim-majority countries, proposals for ideological vetting of those seeking entry to the United States, and accusations that American Muslims harbor terrorists stoked popular fears in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Europe, California and Florida. Potok wrote that Trumps rhetoric has helped fuel a spike in anti-Muslim sentiment, a view that is shared by several other civil rights advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Diminished are the overt Ku Klux Klan robes and Nazi insignia sometimes associated with extremist hate groups: the number of KKK chapters fell 32 percent, and the use of symbols has diminished in favor of a more intellectual approach, Potok wrote. More prominent now are the groups born as think tanks and nonprofits, and the correlated emergence of the alternative right, which the SPLC argues is a rebranding of white supremacy for public relations purposes. Oren Segal, director of the Anti-Defamation Leagues center on extremism, said in December that he, too, had seen an uptick in white supremacist messaging, some of it targeting college campuses as part of an outreach to appeal to a younger audience. He said at the time that it appeared supremacist groups viewed Trumps electoral victory as a victory for their cause, noting that the alt-right in general thinks this is the time to pounce. [We have a right to exist. White supremacist fliers reported at the University of Maryland] Militias within the so-called Patriot movement, like the Bundy brothers, who seized control of a wildlife refuge in Oregon, also dropped by 40 percent, the SPLC reports. New arrivals to the 2016 list included white nationalist groups such as the campus-based Identity Evropa in California and the 29 clubs created by the popular neo-Nazi Daily Stormer website, which changed its masthead from The Worlds Most Visited Alt-Right Web Site to Americas #1 Most-Trusted Republican News Source the day after the election. And the SPLC warns of growing numbers of right-wing extremists [who] operate mainly in cyberspace until, in some cases, they take action in the real world, such as Dylann Roof, who killed nine people in a Charleston, S.C., black church after finding inspiration in online propaganda. [Charleston church shooter: I would like to make it crystal clear, I do not regret what I did] The FBI says it does not investigate organizations characterized by the SPLC as hate groups, or others, unless it has reason to believe that a particular individual is engaged in criminal activity. The FBI cannot initiate an investigation based solely on an individuals race, ethnicity, national origin, religion or the exercise of First Amendment rights, and we remain committed to protecting those rights for all Americans, said Carol Cratty, an FBI spokeswoman. Potok argues that more hate group activity in terms of online and physical participation yields more small level hate violence, though he acknowledges such activity is difficult to prove. The growth in anti-Muslim and white nationalist groups coincided with what Muslim and civil rights leaders have described as an ongoing spike in anti-Muslim harassment and violence. The FBI reported a 60 percent rise in hate crimes targeting Muslims in 2015. Statistics for 2016 are not yet available. The SPLC says it recorded 1,097 bias incidents, including some secondhand reports of harassment and name-calling, as well as crimes including vandalism and assault, during the first 34 days following Trumps election. More than a third of those incidents, the organization says, directly referenced either Trump, his Make America Great Again slogan, or his infamous remarks about grabbing women by the genitals. (Jayne Orenstein/The Washington Post) Two days before the entire population of Oroville, Calif., was evacuated, Jennifer Tatman knew something was wrong. Looking up at the towering Oroville Dam, she noticed something quite unusual: A cascade of water was pouring over the dams emergency spillway and into the Feather River. She walked to the fire station by her house to ask whether they expected the town to flood, and they told her not to worry. An emergency contact number she received rang busy all weekend. Im a single mom, so I wanted to know if something was going to happen, she said. Then, on Sunday afternoon, the order to get out and quickly came via a text message, as erosion from the spillway drew serious concerns. She grabbed her son Jackson, 4, who was playing outside, and scooped up her computer, photo albums and some clothes. Ten minutes later, they were headed to Chico, where they slept in a car in the parking lot of the fairgrounds. A neighbor sleeping in his vehicle nearby was robbed in the night. Jackson thinks its a big sleepover, but I was worried, said Tatman, a full-time student. A dog walks unsupervised in Oroville, Calif. Nearly 200,000 residents were evacuated from their homes Sunday evening after officials feared the weakened emergency spillway at the Oroville Dam might collapse. (Stephen Lam/For The Washington Post) [The government was warned that the Oroville Dam emergency spillway was unsafe. It didnt listen.] Tatman was among the nearly 200,000 people evacuated from around the Oroville Dam this week as state and local officials scrambled to assess failing overflow systems on the shoreline of Lake Oroville, a massive reservoir that threatened to gush from its bounds. Authorities worried that a complete failure could send a wall of water racing toward several residential communities. Authorities lifted the mandatory evacuation order Tuesday afternoon, downgrading it to a warning as water levels in the lake have subsided ahead of storms expected later this week. But now, a fresh worry: As families began going home to a place that just days before was under threat of catastrophic flooding, they were suddenly unsure whether the infrastructure that nearly failed will continue to hold back a trillion gallons of water. Of course, everyones worried, Tatman said. I never worried about the dam before. 1 of 58 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad See photos as thousands are evacuated after Oroville Dam threatens floods View Photos About 188,000 residents near Oroville, Calif., were ordered to evacuate after a hole in an emergency spillway in the dam threatened to flood the surrounding area. Caption About 188,000 residents near Oroville, Calif., were ordered to evacuate after a hole in an emergency spillway in the dam threatened to flood the surrounding area. Feb. 17, 2017 This photo shows water continuing to move down the damaged spillway of the Oroville Dam in Oroville, Calif. California Department of Water Resources/Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue. Weather forecasts project that rains will resume as soon as Wednesday and could continue for days, part of a winter precipitation onslaught that stood in stark contrast to five years of drought. While officials were cautiously optimistic that the worst of the immediate danger had passed, they emphasized that the situation remains dynamic. A pair of helicopters looped between a staging area above the Oroville Dam and the site of maximum erosion in its spillway late Monday, collecting and dropping bundles of boulders to prevent further erosion. Massive sprays of water continued to cascade over the main spillway and into the swollen and muddy river currents below. Most Oroville residents heeded the evacuation orders, but some chose to remain behind. Yailyn Delatorre, 19, and her 15-year-old brother Johnny received evacuation orders on Sunday, but their family did not budge. We didnt think it was that serious, she said. My dad is calm, and hes also really hardheaded, and he just didnt want to go. Others stayed because they had no other option. There are still people here, said a homeless man who declined to give his name. He and his partner were sleeping in an orchard outside town when they heard about the evacuation order but had no way to leave. Theyre just people that nobody else cares about. . . . Now everybody knows what its like to be homeless. In the waterfront mansions that sit beside Lake Oroville and behind the dam, several residents also had not evacuated; they sat on their porches watching bulldozers and helicopters work on repairs. Many of those who were able to evacuate could not bring their animals with them, leaving them behind or trying to get help from area shelters. Others fled with their pets only to learn that evacuation centers were not able to accommodate them. The mingled howls of almost 200 dogs spilled from an open-sided barn at Chicos Silver Dollar Fairgrounds on Monday night. The dogs were the most numerous and vocal animals in the makeshift shelter established by the North Valley Animal Disaster Group, but they were not the only ones: goats, chickens, cows, horses, cats, birds and a potbellied pig were also held in pens, crates and cages north of the fairgrounds. Evacuee Mike Hoadley of Gridley, Calif., smokes a cigarette after bicycling an hour and a half to the evacuation center at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico. (Stephen Lam/For The Washington Post) The mass evacuation spurred widespread volunteer efforts. Members of the California State University at Chico soccer team visited and played an impromptu match with some of the kids staying at the fairgrounds on Monday afternoon, and dozens of people dropped off diapers, soap, toilet paper, dog food, bottled water, snacks, and other supplies throughout the day. Lots of people have been helping, said Jacquelyne Elgen, who joined her two young children sleeping on cots at the fairgrounds for two nights. After sundown Monday, a pedicab driver from Chico named Mike Griffiths rode his bicycle taxi to the fairgrounds and spent a few hours treating young children to free rides around the facility. Dressed in pink for Valentines Day, Griffiths also wore Cupid wings and carried a small pink bow. He blasted pop songs from speakers on the back of his bike as he peddled in small loops. Theres been a lot of tears, he said. I wanted to come and try to bring joy, to lighten the mood. Things are going to be okay as long as it doesnt rain too much. A few grocery stores and gas stations reopened in Oroville late Monday. Some families stood by the roadside leading to the top of the dam holding homemade cardboard signs with messages thanking the work crews. Though the immediate crisis appeared to have passed, some residents criticized authorities for not anticipating and preventing the situation even though they were made aware of concerns 12 years ago, when environmental groups said the emergency spillway could lead to catastrophic damage if compromised. Theyve known about this for years, so why didnt they fix it? Elgen said. The city didnt want to spend $50 million a few years ago; now theyve got to spend hundreds of millions. Thats the government for you. WHILE MUCH of the country has seen dramatic growth over the past 15 years in the number of public charter schools and students, Virginia has been an outlier. Its public charter school law, enacted in 1998, has been ranked as one of the worst in the country, and today there are only nine public charter schools operating in the commonwealth. That may not be a big deal for families fortunate to live in districts with good schools, but for children trapped in chronically failing schools it has been devastating. So lets hope an effort now underway in the General Assembly for modest changes in this archaic law advances and that Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) doesnt squelch it. Both the state House and Senate have approved versions of a bill that would loosen the chokehold that local school boards have in authorizing charter schools and ease restrictions on operations. A final vote by the House on the Senate bill is expected within a week, and charter advocates are cautiously optimistic. Under the measure, the Virginia Board of Education would be able to create new regional public charter school divisions with the power to approve new charter schools in areas of the state with persistently low educational performance. The plan is carefully framed to deal with some of the objections that have undermined past efforts to reform the charter law. School systems with fewer than 3,000 students would be excluded, negating concerns that a charter could have a severe impact on small school divisions. Public charter schools would have no claim to local funding, and existing schools would continue operations unaltered, without loss of needed resources or local control. Only school divisions with one or more schools having had state accreditation denied for at least two of the past three years would be targeted, countering the notion that charters are superfluous in a state that overall has a good public education system. The sad fact, as former state school board member Chris Braunlich recently wrote in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, is that while the state has been able to brag about its rank on metrics such as SAT and Advanced Placement scores, nothing has been done to effectively deal with the school districts including Richmond and Norfolk that have persistently failed to effectively educate their students, many of them minorities or disadvantaged. There is no one easy answer, but charter schools have been shown to be effective at improving student performance and offering parents a critical choice. That Virginia has been so unwelcoming that quality charter operators dont even think about applying is to its discredit. The critical vote in winning Senate approval came from Sen. J. Chapman Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax), who crossed party lines in the 21-to-19 vote. In choosing children over politics, he set a good example that Mr. McAuliffe should follow if this bill reaches his desk. CARACAS, Venezuela Venezuelas government condemned U.S. sanctions on the countrys vice president, saying Tuesday that the Trump administrations designation of Tareck El Aissami as a major drug trafficker represented an unprecedented and highly dangerous infringement on the South American nations sovereignty. In a series of defiant messages posted on social media, El Aissami said the miserable and defamatory aggression only deepens his commitment to revolution started by the late Hugo Chavez and wont distract him from his job of rescuing Venezuelas crashing economy from what he called sabotage by its conservative opponents. Theyll never be able to defeat our unbreakable resolution to be free forever, El Aissami said. On Monday, the Trump administration froze El Aissamis U.S. assets and banned him from entering the U.S. for his alleged role facilitating cocaine shipments from Venezuela. El Aissami is the highest-ranking Venezuelan official to ever be sanctioned by the U.S. and his designation as a drug kingpin is bound to ratchet up tensions between the two countries, who have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010. But whether the action signals a hardening U.S. stance toward President Nicolas Maduros socialist government, or is just a carry-over of policies set in motion by the Obama administration, remains to be seen, analysts said. Under Obama, the U.S. was careful not to call for the unpopular Maduros removal, as the opposition has been seeking, choosing instead to support a Vatican-sponsored dialogue aimed at avoiding bloodshed. Patience has worn out, said Chris Sabatini, editor of Latin America Goes Global, a website that tracks U.S. policy toward the region. Theres a mounting sense of frustration, even in the State Department and on the Hill, that the dialogue is going nowhere. For now, no additional actions against Venezuela are in the works, said a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss policy. Its also not clear whether Trump personally signed off on the sanctions, although in conversations over the weekend with the presidents of Peru and Colombia he raised concerns about Venezuelas deteriorating humanitarian situation. Trumps newly confirmed Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, told reporters on Tuesday the sanctions demonstrate the presidents seriousness about fighting the scourge of drugs in the United States. Trump, he said, also wanted to to send a clear message to the people of Venezuela that America stands with them. In remarks carried on state television Tuesday, Maduro accused the U.S. government of committing a grave error and said Venezuela would deliver a note of protest to the U.S. Embassy in Caracas demanding the accusations against El Aissami be retracted. Maduro pledged his full support of El Aissami and said he hoped the new U.S. administration would not go down the same path of defeat and failure as the previous two U.S. presidential administrations in relations with Venezuela. Bandits, he said. They are the bandits. THE RESIGNATION of Michael Flynn as national security adviser offers President Trump an opportunity to right what has been a dysfunctional policymaking apparatus. Having previously been dismissed from a post at the Defense Intelligence Agency for erratic management, Mr. Flynn failed to prepare Mr. Trump for conversations with foreign leaders, inadequately vetted executive orders and staffed key positions with military cronies even before he lied to the media and vice president about the content of his conversations with the Russian ambassador. His self-destruction in a post that demands the steadiest of hands was widely anticipated; the only surprise was that it took just 24 days. Its not unusual for an incoming national security adviser to speak with foreign ambassadors, and its not entirely clear that what Mr. Flynn said to Russian envoy Sergey Kislyak in late December was improper. But Mr. Flynn clearly misled The Post, Vice President Pence and other senior officials when he said he did not discuss U.S. sanctions against Russia with Mr. Kislyak. He did so in the context of as-yet- unresolved questions about Russias interference in the presidential election and other possible contacts between the regime of Vladimir Putin and the Trump campaign. The affair underlines the urgency of an impartial investigation into those matters by the Justice Department, Congress or an independent commission and the full disclosure of the results to the public. The White Houses handling of Mr. Flynns deception also raises concerns. According to The Post, the acting attorney general told the White House counsel late last month about Mr. Flynns false statements and warned they could expose him to Russian blackmail. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that Mr. Trump was informed immediately afterward, but the White House did not correct the false public statements about the Flynn-Kislyak call, and Mr. Trump told reporters last Friday that he was unaware of the issue. At a minimum, the episode further undermines the credibility of an administration that has repeatedly disseminated untruths. Mr. Trump could begin to undo the damage by appointing a new national security adviser prepared for the jobs most essential work, which is serving as an honest broker in internal debates over questions of war, foreign policy and intelligence. The National Security Council chief should ensure that the unschooled Mr. Trump is fully briefed for encounters with foreign leaders and that policy steps whether a response to a North Korean missile launch or a new strategy for fighting the Islamic State are fully studied and discussed in an orderly way before a presidential decision is made. The past two weeks have seen some welcome corrections by Mr. Trump to what looked like potentially rash departures from previous U.S. policies. He calmed Asian leaders by accepting the one-China principle and strongly backing the U.S. alliance with Japan, and he retreated from suggestions that the U.S. Embassy in Israel would be swiftly relocated to Jerusalem. His U.N. envoy affirmed that sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Crimea would remain in place. (Adriana Usero/The Washington Post) However, Mr. Trump still has some fixes to make above all in U.S. relations with NATO allies, where signals from Cabinet secretaries and the White House have been conflicting, and in his dangerously appeasing stance toward Mr. Putin. A competent national security operation may not correct the presidents mistaken convictions, but it should, at least, provide him with better intelligence and options. A strange and circuitous path led retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn toward his fateful telephone contact in late December with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and the flameout of what had been a distinguished military career. Military and intelligence colleagues who served with Flynn describe him as a brilliant tactician whose work in the shadowy Joint Special Operations Command a decade ago didnt prepare him for broader challenges as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, from which he was removed in 2014, and national security adviser, the post from which he resigned Monday night. In the JSOC world, you think youre Superman, said a former Pentagon superior of Flynns. After the disappointment at DIA, he said, Flynn wanted recognition from anyone who would give it to him. The Russians paid attention, and he reciprocated. A four-star general who served closely with Flynn sees a painful lesson: Flynns is an advisory tale to naive military officers. Swim with the sharks and youre sometimes the chum. Flynn made his name perfecting the find, fix, finish tactics employed by JSOC against al-Qaeda in Iraq. The intelligence haul from one nights raid would be processed in a few hours, and the leads from cellphones and laptops would drive the next nights raids. Those inside JSOCs super-secret operations felt were conquering the world, recalled one colleague. Flynn continued to shine as intelligence chief at U.S. Central Command, then at the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and finally in Afghanistan, where I met him. His appointment to head the DIA in 2012 was the culmination of what had been a charmed rise to the top. Then bad things began to happen, some involving Russia, and Flynns path began to veer toward Mondays catastrophe. The DIA, a messy agency of nearly 20,000, mostly civilians, was famously the underachiever in the intelligence community. Flynn tried to fix everything at once. He had an ambitious but unrealistic plan for fusing the agency into mission centers. His superiors said no; Flynn went ahead anyway. Employees complained of shouting matches, bad leadership and a demoralized agency. Along the way, Flynn became enthusiastic about improving liaison with Russia, which he saw as a natural counterterrorism partner. He visited the Russian military-intelligence agency, the GRU, in 2013, and came back advocating greater cooperation in monitoring Syrian chemical weapons. Even after Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, Flynn proposed inviting the intelligence chiefs of its various theater commands to Washington for discussions. His superiors rejected what they saw as a supremely ill-timed proposal. After Flynn was forced out in 2014, he complained that his ouster reflected disagreements about Middle East strategy. Colleagues at the time say it was simply a story of management failure a good officer in the wrong job. An embittered Flynn continued to advocate closer cooperation with Russia and began issuing strident denunciations of the Obama administration. He told Al Jazeera television in August 2015 that the rise of the Islamic State was a willful Washington decision. He told the German magazine Der Spiegel in November 2015 that U.S. military operations in Iraq and Libya had been a mistake and a strategic failure. These became major themes for Donald Trump, whose campaign Flynn informally began advising in late 2015. Flynn did something in December 2015 that has haunted him ever since. He gave a paid speech in Moscow at the 10th-anniversary celebration of Russia Today, a global cable network described by U.S. intelligence as the Kremlins principal international propaganda outlet. The RT interviewer pushed him to say positive things about U.S.-Russian cooperation, and Flynn complied. Stop being like two bullies in the playground! Flynn said in Moscow. Its a marriage, whether we like it or not, and that marriage is very, very rocky right now, he said. In a separate RT interview in Moscow, he urged that the two countries share intelligence and operations centers against Islamic terrorism. Flynn sat next to President Vladimir Putin at a celebratory dinner on that 2015 trip. Friendly relations continued. During 2016, even as the Russians were mounting what U.S. intelligence described as a covert attack on the presidential election, Flynn had several contacts with Kislyak. The fateful one came in late December, when the two men discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia, even as the Obama administration was expelling 35 diplomats. Flynns fall is a painful story, with many unanswered questions. Perhaps the biggest is why a retired general, schooled in the chain of command, would have talked with Kislyak without consulting his boss, Trump. Thats the White House line, but this investigation of Russiagate is just beginning. Read more from David Ignatiuss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Regarding the Feb. 11 front-page article Trump might rewrite travel ban: The suit brought by Washington state and the subsequent ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit resurrected the dangerous concept of nullification. That is the contention that a state can refuse to follow a federal law that it disagrees with. It was a major threat to the Constitution in the years before the Civil War, championed by South Carolina, with the ultimate threat of secession. President Andrew Jackson squelched the issue during his administration by announcing that he would march into the state and hang the first traitor from the first tree with the first rope. In its modern guise, as brought by Washington state, it contends that any perceived injury to any entity in the state allows it to defy the exercise of the presidents constitutional authority in matters of national security to execute a law passed by Congress. Washington has found a tactic that South Carolina never thought of in a less litigious era: trap the executive authority in the quicksand of endless argument in the courts. If this tactic is allowed to become a precedent, the executive branch will be crippled. The progressives who celebrate this measure as a way to stick a thumb in President Trumps eye should contemplate that what goes around comes around. They should also contemplate the comparison of Jackson and Mr. Trump. Peter G. Tsouras, Alexandria President Trump spoke as a political guardian of the people rather than the representative of a people capable of self-government. He explained the matter as clearly and lucidly as anyone could: You cannot appreciate the extent of the threat unless you are president. Therefore, he knows better than we do. And so, he will and should do whats necessary, i.e., things that the people apparently are not disposed to do. Whilst saying this, at his order, federal agents engage in widespread raids against immigrants, criminal and noncriminal, felonious and of merely minor criminality. It looks for all the world like a police-state action, and, in light of Mr. Trumps remarks on political guardianship, thats because it is. As federal agents come for the immigrants, it is important that we ask now: Where is this going, and where might it all end? The answer depends on what is going on in our guardians mind. Mr. Trump has told us he is in a superior position to make a judgment, and he could readily conclude that those who protest the immigrant crackdown are jeopardizing efforts to secure the nation from terrorism and criminality. They then, too, should be subject to heavy surveillance, arrest and incarceration. There is a slippery slope built into the guardians way of thinking, which places the whole of our democracy in jeopardy. Ross Zucker, Harrison, N.Y. Sherrilyn Ifill is president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller argued Sunday that President Trump was the victim of voter fraud in the election. Voter fraud, Miller insisted, is a serious problem in this country. This statement is untrue. He also said that the White House has provided enormous evidence of this fraud. This is also untrue. The president himself has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims, from last weeks allegation that then-Sen. Kelly Ayotte lost her race in New Hampshire because thousands of voters were bused in from Massachusetts to his fact-free insistence that he lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes because of 3 million to 5 million votes cast by illegals. And when he called for a major investigation, he was hardly opaque about his aims, with his press secretary, Sean Spicer, saying that the probe would be focused on urban areas, the same areas Trump told his supporters to watch on Election Day. Lets dispense with the easy part. This issue has been studied, and every credible academic review has concluded that widespread voter fraud does not happen in this country. There are isolated incidents, such as the Iowa woman accused of voting twice for Trump. But there is no evidence that millions, thousands or even hundreds of instances of in-person voter fraud occur in the United States. One of the most reliable studies found only 31 instances of fraud in more than 1 billion votes cast over nearly 15 years. A person is more likely to be struck by lightning than commit voter fraud. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Although voter fraud has long been on the list of myths perpetuated by state-level Republican leaders to justify onerous voter ID laws, even Republican members of Congress have refused to endorse the presidents views about widespread voter fraud. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said that no federal dollars should be used to support the presidents search for voter fraud. Ayotte rejected Trumps account of her defeat. Thus, the president and his teams peculiar repetition of claims about voter fraud must be recognized for what it is: They are laying the groundwork for forthcoming efforts. We should prepare for the president to issue a sweeping executive order requiring a nationwide investigation of alleged voter fraud. The justification for it will be as unmoored from facts, as was the basis for the seven Muslim-majority countries selected for the presidents travel ban. And the results will be just as, if not more, pernicious. A presidential command to investigate the existence of a phenomenon that has been demonstrated not to exist can accomplish only one thing a nationwide system of voter intimidation authorized at the highest levels of government. The president and his team have already made clear that they will not let facts get in the way of their firm conviction that voter fraud exists. Whatever body is charged with the investigation will be certain to concoct evidence of voter fraud; the administration would not take the risk of launching an investigation unless it could be certain that it would corroborate the presidents fantasy. Along the way, any commission will be charged with aggressively probing the actions of state and local voting officials and voters in its zeal to find what study after study has been unable to find. All of this is especially alarming now that Jeff Sessions is leading the Justice Department. When Sessions was U.S. attorney in Alabama, he used the power of his office to investigate and unsuccessfully prosecute civil rights leaders for unsubstantiated voter fraud. In the black community, this generated fear about exercising the franchise that lasted decades. The results of such an investigation on a national scale could be even more devastating. Of course, there is a serious illegal voting problem in our country: voter suppression. But even that does not require an investigation. Federal courts have ruled that voter ID laws in North Carolina and Texas, respectively, illegally suppress the votes of African Americans and Latinos. In North Carolina, the U.S Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit found that state had intentionally designed its law to discriminate against minority voters. The comparison of voter suppression to voter fraud is stark. Although Texas has found only a handful of cases of in-person voter fraud since 2000, it is estimated that 600,000 eligible voters were disenfranchised by the 2013 adoption of Texass strict voter ID law. Rather than address this travesty, the president has chosen to reinforce the myth that minorities urban voters and illegals are a threat to the integrity of our election system. Trumps insistence on investigating a nonexistent threat while ignoring the reality of systematic disenfranchisement of minority voters speaks powerfully about the intentions and focus of this administration. We take the president at his word when he threatens to launch a major investigation into voter fraud. We will challenge any illegality in the presentation or execution of the program. But we had all best recognize the implications of the president of the United States launching a nationwide voter intimidation program. President Trump signs an executive order last month to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press) The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is dead, but could it have an afterlife? Maybe. Among President Trumps first acts was an order withdrawing from the TPP. This fulfilled Trumps campaign promise to torpedo the high-profile agreement between the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim countries, led by Japan and Mexico. As important, it symbolized Trumps conviction that ineptly negotiated trade agreements are at the core of the U.S. economys problems. Given this background, it seems astounding that anyone would suggest that the TPP may rise from the dead, with a new name and slightly altered provisions. Yet thats the message of a new study from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a think tank and unabashed advocate of TPP. Written by Jeffrey Schott, the study makes two general points, one political and the other economic. The political point is that, despite Trumps repudiation, TPP still has substantial backing on Capitol Hill. Schott says that both Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tex.) the chairmen, respectively, of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, the two panels responsible for trade legislation strongly support TPP, as do many other members of Congress. Similar support exists abroad, Schott argues. Since the U.S. election, the leaders of Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have emphasized the strategic importance of TPP for their countries and for leadership in the region, he writes. The main reason is China. U.S. withdrawal from TPP effectively opens the door for China to assert a more pronounced leadership role, writes Schott. The economics reinforce the politics. Contrary to Trumps opposition, Schott says, the TPP would strengthen demand for U.S. exports. Some of these sales will now be lost to foreign competitors, because they will negotiate their own free trade agreements (FTAs), lowering import barriers between them. American firms will be at a disadvantage. U.S. beef and pork exporters already face loss of market share in Japan due to the Japan-Australia FTA, he says. Meanwhile, Schott says, with American markets already open to most trade, U.S. trade negotiators gave up very little. Even a small 2.5 percent tariff on imported autos will be phased out only over 25 years. Little wonder, Schott notes, that almost every major U.S. farm and industry association supports the TPP. On its face, all this constitutes a powerful case for reviving TPP. Despite this, there is [as yet] no indication that the Trump administration would consider revisiting the pact, Schott writes. He speculates that Trump will change his mind. First hell concentrate on his still-unveiled tax and spending proposals. If Congress approves these, he will have more freedom to negotiate modest trade changes and ditch the Obama-era title of Trans-Pacific Partnership. This may be plausible or just wishful thinking. Read more from Robert Samuelsons archive. President Trump has just set the all-time speed record for scandal from zero to Watergate in 25 days. Not yet four weeks into the new administration, Washington has already revived a favorite parlor game based on Howard Bakers famous question in the Nixon era. What did President Trump know, and when did he know it? asked conservative Max Boot. What did President Trump know and when did he know it? asked liberal Joan Walsh. The Boston Globe, the Daily Mail, the Chicago Tribune and others asked variations of the same. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Its a have-you-stopped-beating-your-wife question, because there is no good answer. If Trump only just found out that Michael Flynn spoke to the Russians about sanctions, hes a dupe. If Trump knew earlier, hes been hiding something. [Admit it: Trump is unfit to serve] But the What Did He Know? game in this case may ask the wrong question. The real question is not when Trump found out but whether Flynn, in his contacts with the ambassador, was doing Trumps bidding, at least implicitly. This would fit a pattern that has already developed in this White House: Trumps aides do exactly as he orders. Flynn is no idiot. He spent a good chunk of his career in the intelligence business. He had to know that U.S. spy agencies listen to the Russian ambassadors phone calls and hes savvy enough to know that his discussions with the ambassador about sanctions the Obama administration was imposing that day would make their way up the reporting chain. Finally, he had to know he couldnt pass it off as a casual contact; the two spoke several times that day. So why do it? Perhaps for the same reason other smart people who work for Trump have done seemingly unwise things: Trump told them to. Sean Spicer is a seasoned pro, deeply experienced with the press. So why would he, in his first full day on the job, destroy his credibility by berating reporters in the briefing room and peddling the bogus claim that Trumps inauguration crowd set a record? An explanation soon emerged: Trump himself had directed Spicer to do it. Likewise, Kellyanne Conway, an old political hand, had to know she was breaking rules when she gave what she called a free commercial last week on Fox News for Ivanka Trumps fashion line: Go buy it today, everybody. A bipartisan smackdown came swiftly and Spicer said she had been counseled. Why do it? 1 of 83 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad See what President Trump has been doing since taking office View Photos The new president is expected to make his mark on an aggressive legislative agenda. Caption The beginning of the presidents term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. March 17, 2017 President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One at the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. Well, consider that the day after Conways supposed transgression, she tweeted an Associated Press report saying Trump had defended Conway to White House staffers, saying Spicers counseled rebuke was unfair to Conway, who was merely sticking up for Ivanka. On Tuesday, Conway tweeted another message indicating she parrots Trump: I serve at the pleasure of [Trump]. His message is my message. Next came Stephen Miller, the young Trump White House policy adviser who went on four Sunday talk shows and was widely pilloried for uttering extravagant untruths about voter fraud and for his attempt to assign absolute power to Trump. (The powers of the president to protect our country . . . will not be questioned.) But when the performance was done, the president made clear Miller had done as Trump wanted, tweeting: Congratulations Stephen Miller on representing me this morning on the various Sunday morning shows. Great job! In Flynns case, if he were freelancing with the Russians, Trump would justifiably be furious about the embarrassment and distraction it has caused. Trump never hesitates to attack those he thinks have wronged him. But the day after Flynns calls to the ambassador, Russia made an unusual decision: It would not take the usual course of retaliating against the Obama administrations sanctions. And Trump tweeted his pleasure: Great move on delay (by V. Putin) I always knew he was very smart! [Where is the very first place anybody should have looked for a Russia-Trump connection?] Since then, Trump has uttered nary a word of criticism of Flynn. On Wednesday, he called Flynn a wonderful man who has been treated very, very unfairly by the media. No surprise here: Flynns talks with the ambassador, Vladimir Putins subsequent decision to postpone retaliation, and Trumps applause for that decision are consistent with Trumps long-standing words and actions selling property to the Russians; declining to release tax returns that could indicate whether Russians hold any of his debt; his early musings about Ukraine and NATO that have been more friendly to Moscow; his reluctance to criticize Putins human-rights abuses or to acknowledge Russias intervention to help him win the election; his surrounding himself with men Paul Manafort, Carter Page, Roger Stone and Flynn with ties to Moscow; and, now, confirmation of frequent contact between Russian intelligence and Trumps campaign. Asking what Trump knew when, then, misses the more important question: Was Flynn acting under Trumps instructions? Twitter: @Milbank Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. White House Press secretary Sean Spicer points as he answers questions from members of the media, seen reflected in an exit sign, during the daily briefing. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) President Trumps ouster of national security adviser Michael Flynn, and the circumstances leading up to it, have quickly become a major crisis for the fledgling administration, forcing the White House on the defensive and precipitating the first significant breach in relations between Trump and an increasingly restive Republican Congress. Even as the White House described Trumps immediate, decisive action in demanding Flynns resignation late Monday as the end of an unfortunate episode, senior GOP lawmakers were buckling under growing pressure to investigate it. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that it was highly likely that the events leading to Flynns departure would be added to a broader probe into Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election. Intercepts showed that Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions in a phone call with the Russian ambassador a conversation topic that Flynn first denied and then later said he could not recall. McConnells comments followed White House revelations that Trump was aware for weeks that Flynn had misled Vice President Pence and others about the content of his late-December talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. White House counsel Donald F. McGahn told Trump in a briefing late last month that Flynn, despite his claims to the contrary, had discussed U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia by the Obama administration in late December, press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday. That briefing, he said, came immediately after Sally Q. Yates, then the acting attorney general, informed McGahn on Jan. 26 about discrepancies between intercepts of Kislyaks phone calls and public statements by Pence and others that there had been no discussion of sanctions. (Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) Trump brought in senior strategist Stephen K. Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to join the discussion with McGahn, according to two officials familiar with the conversations who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. McGahn then conferred with Yates again the following day, Jan. 27, to try to glean more information, these two officials said. Within the White House, the matter was viewed skeptically, and Trump, Bannon, Priebus and McGahn for several days remained among the few people briefed, they said. Over the next two weeks, the officials said, Flynn was asked multiple times about what exactly he had said. He brushed aside the suggestion that he had spoken about sanctions with the ambassador denials that kept him afloat within the White House even as he was being actively evaluated, they said. It was not until a Washington Post report last Thursday, in which Flynn was quoted as saying that he had no recollection of discussing sanctions but couldnt be sure that he hadnt, that the downward slide culminating in Mondays forced resignation began, several administration officials said. [National security adviser Flynn discussed sanctions with Russian ambassador, despite denials, officials say] 1 of 83 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad See what President Trump has been doing since taking office View Photos The new president is expected to make his mark on an aggressive legislative agenda. Caption The beginning of the presidents term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. March 17, 2017 President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One at the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. Weve been reviewing and evaluating this issue with respect to General Flynn on a daily basis for a few weeks, trying to ascertain the truth, Spicer said at the daily White House press briefing. He emphasized that an internal White House inquiry had concluded that nothing Flynn discussed with the Russian was illegal but that he had broken trust with Trump by not telling the truth about the talks. When asked whether Trump told Flynn to talk to Kislyak about sanctions, Spicer responded: No, absolutely not. Asked why Trump had waited nearly three weeks to act after what Spicer called a heads-up from the Justice Department, he said that once the question of legality was settled, then it became a phase of determining whether or not [Flynns] action on this and a whole host of other issues undermined Trumps trust. He declined to specify the other issues. In an interview conducted early Monday and published Tuesday by the Daily Caller, Flynn said that he did not specifically discuss sanctions with Kislyak but rather President Barack Obamas simultaneous expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats. He said he told the ambassador that well review everything following Trumps inauguration. Current and former U.S. officials have said, however, that much of the conversation was about sanctions and that Flynn suggested that Moscow not respond in kind to the expulsions advice that Russian President Vladimir Putin took in declining to take retaliatory action. Although Trump has not publicly mentioned his view of the sanctions, Spicer said that the president has made it very clear he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea, even as he hopes to cooperate with Putin on terrorism. Asked Tuesday on a flight to Brussels about Flynns ouster, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said it has no impact on his job. It doesnt change my message at all, and who is on the presidents staff is who I will work with, he said. Mattis was on his way to a meeting of NATO defense ministers, who were expected to discuss their significant concerns about Russian aggression. During his confirmation hearing, Mattis placed Russia first among threats to U.S. security. Officials inside the National Security Council described low morale and concern about the future. The worthless message at a five-minute staff meeting Tuesday morning, one official said, was: Keep working hard. Dont leave. For those who knew and liked Flynn, another official said, its sad. Hes a good man, and I hate to see this. Various accounts of the Flynn saga offered by White House officials in recent days have added to confusion about how the administration viewed Flynns actions, who knew what and when they knew it. News accounts about a Flynn-Kislyak conversation in late December the day before Obama announced new sanctions related to Russian election interference first surfaced in a David Ignatius column in The Post on Jan. 12. Asked the next day whether they had talked about the sanctions in light of Trumps campaign and post-election pledges to better relations with Russia, White House officials said the subject had not been discussed. Three days later, Pence told CBSs Face the Nation that Flynn had assured him personally that there was no conversation about sanctions. Spicer offered similar assurances in a subsequent White House briefing. On Jan. 24 or 25, based on discrepancies between comments by Pence and Spicer and what they knew from regular intercepts of Kislyaks calls, FBI agents interviewed Flynn. Details of that interview, first reported Tuesday by the New York Times, are unknown but they could expose Flynn to possible charges if he denied that he had discussed sanctions with Kislyak. That interview was followed by the Justice notice to McGahn, who immediately informed Trump and others, officials said. After Trump ordered McGahn to review the matter, Spicer said, he quickly concluded that the presidents instinctive conclusion that the discussions were not illegal was correct. But some in the White House who had long distrusted Flynn began to contemplate his departure. CIA Director Mike Pompeo and Keith Kellogg, the National Security Council chief of staff, began attending intelligence briefings with Flynn. The president was sort of like: Until this matter is sorted out, I want buttressing, said the senior official, one of several who discussed the sensitive matter on the condition of anonymity. The idea was . . . if the president decides to pull the trigger, we need to make sure that we have some options. Flynn was eventually made aware of the White House investigation, which led to alarm among senior Trump aides when he initially told The Post, in a Feb. 8 interview, that there had been no discussion about sanctions. He revised his remarks to the paper the next day, saying through a spokesman that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldnt be certain that the topic never came up. The two accounts were published by The Post on the evening of Feb. 9. His story remained the same until that night, Spicer told reporters in his office Tuesday evening. There was a story in The Post where theres a White House official that says that he could not recall. . . . Whatever that quote was is what matters. . . . His story remained the same until that night. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter told reporters that the vice president first became aware of the incomplete information Flynn had provided him by reading the same newspaper account. [Pence did not learn that Flynn misled him on Russia until last week] Flynn was then questioned by McGahn, Pence and Priebus, who the official said was so frustrated that his tone became more that of a litigator than a colleague. Asked Friday aboard Air Force One about the Post reporting that Flynn allegedly had not told the truth about the calls, Trump said he was not familiar with it. I dont know about that. I havent seen it. What report is that? I havent seen that. Ill look into that, Trump told reporters on the plane. Spicer said Tuesday that Trump was responding only to a question about the Post report and was not speaking about the overall issue of Flynns contact with the Russian ambassador and his discussion of sanctions. After discussing the situation throughout the weekend at Trumps Florida resort, a final decision was made Monday night by Trump, along with Priebus and senior advisers Bannon and Jared Kushner, to tell Flynn to resign, officials said. That is a notably different version of events than the one offered Monday night, when administration officials characterized Flynns departure as voluntary. One senior White House official said Monday that Trump had not fired Flynn but that he had made the decision to resign on his own because of the cumulative effect of damaging news coverage. Read more: Flynn episode darkens the cloud of Russia that hangs over Trump administration Flynns swift downfall: From a phone call in the Dominican Republic to a forced resignation at the White House Pence remains above the fray, but is he outside the inner circle? Robert Costa, Dan Lamothe, Ellen Nakashima and Ashley Parker contributed to this report. President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One at the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. March 17, 2017 President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One at the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post The beginning of the presidents term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. The new president is expected to make his mark on an aggressive legislative agenda. The new president is expected to make his mark on an aggressive legislative agenda. See what President Trump has been doing since taking office See what President Trump has been doing since taking office Once again, Donald Trump is embroiled in controversy related to Russia. The ouster of Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, caught by intelligence agencies speaking with the Russian ambassador about U.S. sanctions and then misleading administration officials about the interactions, marked the latest chapter in a months-long saga in which Trump has been unable to break free from the shadow of the United States longtime rival. Two advisers left the campaign amid questions about their ties to Moscow and the oligarchs that hold sway there. The FBI is probing ties between Trump associates and Russia, as is the Senate Intelligence Committee. The president himself has repeatedly praised Russias authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, while he has long expressed a desire to build a Trump Tower in Moscow and boasted of how the Trump brand holds special appeal for Russian investors. All of this coincided with Russias role in last years U.S. election, in which the Kremlin is accused by U.S. intelligence agencies of orchestrating hacks that targeted Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and her top aides to weaken her campaign. FBI Director James B. Comey also last month briefed Trump on accusations that the Russians hold compromising material about him, an unverified claim found in a dossier written by a former British spy hired by Trumps political opponents. Trump has rejected the claim as fake news. Now the foreign power that allegedly hoped to help Trump gain power is in a position to undermine his grip on it, with Flynns departure lending new gravity and intensity to long-simmering questions about Trump and Russia. (Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) [Inside Trumps financial ties to Russia and his unusual flattery of Vladimir Putin] Democratic lawmakers and a handful of Republicans escalated calls Tuesday for a thorough and independent investigation into the possible connections between Trump and Russia. The line of inquiry could result in uncomfortable questions for the White House, including demands by Democrats that lawmakers seek to make public Trumps tax returns. There was already a cloud hanging over the administration when it comes to Russia, and this darkens the cloud, said Eliot Cohen, who served as an adviser to the George W. Bush administration and has been a Trump critic. This is serious. Sen. Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Senate Republican leadership, told a Missouri radio station Tuesday that the Senate Intelligence Committee should look into Trumps Russia connections exhaustively so that at the end of this process, nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned, and shouldnt reach conclusions before you have the information that you need to have to make those conclusions. For all of us, finding out if theres a problem or not, and sooner rather than later, is the right thing to do, he said. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who had raised initial questions about Secretary of State Rex Tillersons past good relations with Putin during his time as ExxonMobils CEO, told reporters this week that senators will go wherever the truth leads us in the Russia inquiry. Trump aides stressed Tuesday that the Flynn controversy was entirely about internal dynamics in the White House and not about any larger issues related to Russia. Press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that Flynn resigned because of misleading information he gave to Vice President Pence and others, rather than the nature of his contact with the Russians. Pure and simple, it was a matter of trust, Spicer said. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) Spicer, meanwhile, sought to portray Trump as a hawk when it comes to dealing with the Kremlin. The irony of this entire situation is that the president has been incredibly tough on Russia, Spicer said, citing comments from Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who has issued recent condemnations of recent Russian military action in Ukraine. Trump, however, has done little in his public appearances as a businessman, a candidate or as president to suggest a hard line on Russia. For years before entering politics, Trump appeared to hold Putin in an especially high regard. By the way, I really like Vladimir Putin, Trump told the Russian-language magazine Chayka in 2008 as he debuted a new Trump-branded New York City condo project that was catering in part to Russian buyers. I respect him. He does his job well. Much better than our Bush. Trump continued to praise the Russian leader after President Bush left office, repeatedly citing Putin as a stronger leader than President Obama. In 2014, a year after Trump hosted the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow, he tweeted that Putin had become a big hero in Russia who would rebuild the Russian empire, even as Obamas popularity sagged. Trumps positive words about the Russian leader during last years campaign surprised some Republicans, considering that most GOP leaders said Putins rise was a threat to U.S. allies and interests around the world. In December 2015, before any ballots were cast in the primary election, Trump declared that praise he had received from Putin was a great honor and rejected allegations that Putin had killed journalists and other political opponents. Hes always denied it, Trump told ABCs This Week on Dec. 20, 2015, adding, I think our country does plenty of killing also. Trump also seemed to embrace some aspects of Russias foreign policy agenda. He spoke of partnering with Moscow to fight the Islamic State and other radical Islamic terrorist groups, while, during the Republican National Convention, his campaign sought a tweak to the GOP platform softening a call for the United States to provide Ukraine with lethal defensive weapons in its ongoing fight with Russian-backed separatists. After WikiLeaks first posted hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee, Trump refused to criticize instead inviting Russia to hack his Democratic opponent. Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, he said in July, referring to emails Hillary Clinton had deleted as personal while secretary of state. Later, after WikiLeaks posted thousands of emails from Clinton campaign chief John D. Podesta, Trump resisted findings by U.S. intelligence of Russian interference. Only in January did he say he concurred with the professionals assessment that Russia was behind the cyberhacks that plagued his opposition. As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, he said, before quickly adding. But I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people. Trump has also surrounded himself with aides who had expressed similar views on Russia. Flynn, who Trump considered naming vice president, had been particularly vocal about the potential for Russia to be a stronger ally against terrorism. Flynn was also a frequent commentator on RT, the Russian-government funded news network and had been paid to attend a gala for the network in 2015 where he was seated near Putin. Another top Trump aide, Paul Manafort, had financial ties with business and political leaders linked to Putin, including time spent advising the Putin-backed president of Ukraine. Manafort was named Trumps campaign manager in June but resigned in August, after Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators announced they discovered a black ledger showing $12.7 million designated for Manafort between 2007 and 2012 by a political party associated with the former president of Ukraine. Manafort denied any wrongdoing and rejected the suggestion that he received off the books funds from his work in Ukraine. Another Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, Carter Page, delivered a speech critical of the U.S. role in promoting democracy while visiting Moscow in July. An energy consultant who worked in Moscow for Merrill Lynch a decade ago, Page had been little known in Washington policy circles until Trump named him publicly as an adviser in March. After reports of his speech in Moscow surfaced last summer, campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said Page was an informal foreign policy adviser who does not speak for Mr. Trump or the campaign. In September, as criticism continued, Page took a leave from the campaign. Sensing vulnerability, Democrats pressed Tuesday for more investigation into whether Trump has business ties in Russia that could explain his attitudes. Trump has said he has done no deals there. But over 30 years, he has repeatedly visited Moscow and promised to one day build a tower bearing his name there. He has also bragged about selling a mansion in Florida to a Russian oligarch for nearly $100 million, and Russian investors were key to the success of several Trump-branded buildings, particularly in Florida following the 2008 crash of the U.S. housing market. Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets, Trumps son, Donald Jr., told a real estate conference in 2008, according to an account posted on the website of eTurboNews, a trade publication. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia. Trumps aides have been unequivocal that his campaign did not coordinate with Russians who meddled in the campaign. Two days after Trump was elected, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told a reporter in Moscow that there were contacts between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage, Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency. Russian officials later described those contacts as standard diplomatic interactions but at the time, they were vigorously denied by Trumps transition team, with Hicks saying there had been no contact with Russian officials. In fact, Ambassador Sergey Kisylak recently confirmed to The Washington Post that he had spoken with Flynn prior to Election Day. Asked again Tuesday whether anyone from the campaign had contact with Russians before the election, Spicer told reporters he knew nothing to suggest anything had changed with respect to that time period. Read more: Flynns swift downfall: From a phone call in the Dominican Republic to a forced resignation at the White House Flynn departure erupts into a full-blown crisis for the Trump White House Pence remains above the fray, but is he outside the inner circle? The Department of Transportation audit announcement felt like a sucker punch to the gut. Projects in the works for our state roads have cost $3 billion more than projected, $3 billion more than the Legislature planned for. This is simply unbelievable. Wisconsin roads have gone from 53 percent good to 41 percent good in just five years. How do our roads deteriorate that much in just five years? Complete lack of adequate funding. The 2011 state budget cut road funding by delaying projects, postponing large projects and cutting funds to rural roads in Wisconsin. Each and every budget since then has done the same thing. The Transportation Fund has been in crisis mode since the Legislature repealed the indexing of the gas tax and there have been no true solutions put forth by the majority party. Before the last biennial budget, this crisis was truly recognized statewide by all legislators and the governor. Governor Scott Walker even asked his transportation secretary to come up with possible solutions to this economic crisis. A group of experts met and they came up with many different options for ensuring that our immediate road needs and our long-term funding crisis could be addressed. Walker and the Republican majority rejected each and every idea this group of experts put forth. Instead, they chose to borrow once again for our roads and delayed projects, postponed large projects, and cut funding to rural roads. It is like Groundhog Day with an increasingly bumpy road. Why is funding for roads so important? First and foremost is the safety of all of us going where we need to go. Hazardous roads equal unsafe roads for our families. Second is the economy. How can we expect our lagging economy to improve if we dont have the infrastructure to support the businesses that work here? How can we expect new businesses to move into a state that has 41 percent poor roads? From farms to factories, road travel is still the cheapest and fastest way for businesses to move products and supplies. We will never catch up to our neighboring states if we do not invest in our roads. Delaying and bonding and backfilling have been used time and time again to fund our roads and it simply is not working. Over 20 cents on every dollar we are spending now to build our roads is going to financing of yesterdays projects. This credit card, funding scheme has to stop. I stand ready, as I have for the last six years, willing to work with any legislator with the strength to find a short-term and long-term solution for transportation funding. Walker and legislative Republicans need to put their money where their mouths are and help this state. No more excuses. For nearly two full weeks, nobody told Vice President Pence that he had been misled by national security adviser Michael Flynn. After privately being assured by Flynn that he had never had any discussions about Russian sanctions with that countrys ambassador, Pence went on TV in mid-January and publicly parroted Flynns denial. But on Jan. 26, President Trump and a small group of senior aides learned that the Justice Department had evidence that Flynn had, in fact, discussed sanctions and misled the vice president. Yet it would take almost a fortnight for Pence to learn the truth and only then because of a report in The Washington Post, according to Marc Lotter, a spokesman for the vice president. Throughout the campaign and now in office, Pence has largely managed to avoid the infighting and warring factions of the young White House by keeping his head down and soldiering loyally forward. But the incident with Flynn reveals both the benefits and risks of his approach he has emerged largely unharmed by the scandal that led to Flynns resignation, but his influence within the West Wing has come increasingly into question given how little he knew about his own situation. Does this episode strengthen Pence or weaken Pence? asked William Kristol, editor at large of the Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine and who served as chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle. Thats what everybody is trying to figure out. (The Washington Post) Pences decision to try to stay out of the cliques that have plagued the White House has allowed him, so far, to maintain his standing as a neutral player committed to forwarding Trumps agenda on Capitol Hill. But it also appears to have left him at times outside the inner circle of Trumps brain trust. Aides to both the president and vice president say the two men speak on the phone or in person multiple times a day. But despite their frequent communication, the president never told his No. 2 that he had been misled by Flynn and that in defending him on the Sunday shows had put himself in a publicly compromising and embarrassing situation. [Pence did not learn that Flynn misled him on Russia until last week] The vice president became aware of incomplete information that he had received on Feb. 9, last Thursday night, based on media accounts, Lotter told reporters Tuesday. He did an inquiry based on those media accounts. Several people close to him were more blunt, saying he was blindsided and frustrated. 1 of 83 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad See what President Trump has been doing since taking office View Photos The new president is expected to make his mark on an aggressive legislative agenda. Caption The beginning of the presidents term has featured controversial executive orders and frequent conflicts with the media. March 17, 2017 President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, walk to Marine One at the White House en route to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. But even as Flynn flailed, Pence did not urge Trump to fire him, or lash out against him. Instead, said two officials familiar with the situation, Pence was disappointed and suggested that Flynn could publicly apologize. Others within the White House, however, thought what Flynn had done was egregious and unacceptable. The vice president is a very forgiving man, said one White House official. On Friday, Pence, chief of staff Reince Priebus and White House counsel Don McGahn held a conference call with Flynn who had originally denied any improper communications with the Russian envoy to go over his story again, according to two officials familiar with the call. Flynn was at Mar-a-Lago, Trumps private club in Palm Beach, Fla., during the call, while the other three men were in Washington. Pence left the conversation troubled, as did Priebus, who expressed dismay both with Flynns answers and the dawning reality that Flynn had deceived Pence. By Monday, Pence was in full agreement with Priebus and others that it would be best for Flynn to go and remained involved in all top-level talks that day. Asked how the vice president could be kept in the dark about the Flynn controversy for so long, two White House officials said it was a result of the muddled and uncertain way events unfolded rather than an intentional desire to keep him out of the loop. On Jan. 26, when acting attorney general Sally Yates contacted McGahn about discrepancies of Flynns account of his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, McGahn took the information directly to Trump in the Oval Office that day. Trump quickly brought in chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon and Priebus to join the discussion with McGahn, said two White House officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly. McGahn then conferred with Yates again the following day to try to glean more information about what Yates knew and to probe the matter further. But McGahn, who has been friends with Pence since the vice president was a House member, did not share the information beyond that group because he had already informed the president and his top two advisers, with the expectation that anyone else who needed to know would be informed by those principals. Several other people within the White House described the situation as unfortunate and unintended, saying that Trump and McGahn did not mean to exclude Pence but were reacting to Yates whose information was initially viewed with some skepticism and trying to keep the information about Flynn within a tight group. At that point, Flynn was still maintaining that he had discussed nothing improper with the Russian ambassador. [Flynns swift downfall: From a phone call in the Dominican Republic to a forced resignation at the White House] Nonetheless, the two-week lag between when Trump, Bannon and Priebus learned of Flynns misdirection and when Pence himself found out through news reports has raised speculation as to Pences true clout or lack thereof within the White House. In 2010, when Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, President Barack Obamas military chief in Afghanistan, made disparaging remarks about some of Obamas senior civilian advisers, including Vice President Joe Biden, Obamas response was swift and decisive. Within 40 hours, he called McChrystal back to Washington and fired him. Pence is not the type to demand that sort of response. Those who know him said he is thinking ahead, believing that as vice president, he is likely to outlast advisers whose positions may be more tenuous. Pence is trying to play a long game, keeping his head down and keeping his powder dry, assuming some of the more flamboyant types will blow up or blow out and he will be there as a trusted counselor a year or so from now, Kristol said. But, he added, the long game can mislead you. If you end up keeping your powder dry and never using it, you end up being just another guy in the White House. A Republican who works closely with Hill lawmakers said that Pence has repeatedly gone to the Capitol to assuage fears, only to have his reassuring words upended by a tweet from Trump and upheaval within the West Wing. The question that legislators are trying to figure out, that Republican said, is if Pence like most everyone else is simply a victim to a rash and erratic president, or if he is deliberately being shut out by senior White House advisers. The latest incident with Flynn, he added, further undermines the vice president. This is hurtful to Pence, he said, speaking anonymously to offer a candid insight. Its another example of him not being totally in the loop. Pence, however, is still well-liked by lawmakers, many of whom view him as their most direct line into the White House and their best hope for enacting a conservative, Republican agenda. And they remain hopefully optimistic that he is a pivotal West Wing player. I think Pence has a lot of respect by the president and by a lot of us who have known him, said Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.). Hes solid, hes measured, and he fits the job beautifully. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said that Pences influence within the White House was evident simply from Flynns downfall. As it turned out, misleading the vice president doesnt look like it was a very good thing to do. Read more: Flynn episode darkens the cloud of Russia that hangs over Trump administration Flynn departure erupts into a full-blown crisis for the Trump White House Dan Balz: In the early weeks of the new administration, the humbling of a president Jenna Johnson, Abby Phillip and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) looks over his notes as he prepares to speak at a news conference on Feb. 14 on Capitol Hill. (Pete Marovich/For The Washington Post) One by one, Republican lawmakers stepped to the microphone and talked about the topic that was not consuming Washington on Tuesday morning: overhauling the health-care system. One committee chairman declared that Republican lawmakers were working on solutions to replace and repeal the Affordable Care Act. Another chairman was more cautious, explaining that Republicans were taking our time to get it right. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan spoke on each side of the issue, saying both that the health-care system is collapsing and needs a rescue, and promising a step-by-step approach leading to a stable transition. Its a sign of just how surreal things have become in the early days of the Trump administration that six GOP lawmakers preferred to discuss health care, the very thing that has bitterly divided them since the 2016 elections, than the more pressing news of the day: the resignation barely 11 hours earlier of President Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, after a questionable phone call with a Russian official before Trump became president. Republicans tried to avoid that 800-pound gorilla in the room, but they didnt entirely succeed. Ryan fielded questions from just four reporters, in less than three minutes, all regarding Flynn or Trump, and left. Ill leave it up to the administration to describe the circumstances surrounding what brought [Flynn] to this point, Ryan (R-Wis.) said. Four hours later, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) faced a similar onslaught at his leadership teams weekly briefing, exiting the podium after three of the first four questions were related to Trump. The controversies affecting the Trump White House are consuming Capitol Hill, distracting from the GOP agenda and pulling the partys congressional leaders into a daily vortex of new charges and countercharges regarding Trumps latest actions, from the firing of Flynn, to the presidents most recent tweet or his controversial ban barring people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. It sucks the oxygen out of the room, it really does, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told the large group of reporters who surrounded him after the Tuesday Senate GOP luncheon. We should be talking about replacing Obamacare. We should be talking about tax reform, and we are talking about it, but thats not the issue that is dominating the news, obviously. The Trump chaos is also beginning to put increased pressure on top leaders to take a more forceful approach to the charges surrounding Flynn, who discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the United States in December, current and former U.S. officials said. During roll call votes Tuesday morning, several members of the Senate Intelligence Committee convened on the chamber floor to discuss the situation. [Justice Department warned White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail, officials say] According to one member of the bipartisan huddle, the senators delivered a direct message to the committee chairman, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), that his slowly emerging investigation into Russian cyberattacks during the 2016 campaign had to be more aggressive and more expansive. Events were moving too quickly, the senators told Burr in what was an animated discussion easily seen from the galleries above the chamber. If Burr didnt act, the momentum would build into a special committee or even a blue-ribbon commission doing the investigation. By 4 p.m. Tuesday, Burr emerged from committee offices to announce that his probe would expand to include Flynns pre-inaugural discussions with the Russian ambassador. The decision to broaden the Intelligence Committee investigation also has the parallel effect of helping Republican lawmakers to steer demands for investigations into Trump-related controversies into a single panel over which they have partisan control. That will free up more time, they hope, to focus on fulfilling their legislative promises such as their seven-year-old vow to tear up the ACA if they ever got full control of Congress and the White House. As difficult as the ACA effort has been, Trumps constant controversies are draining too much energy for lawmakers to focus on the domestic policy agenda that Ryan and McConnell had been hoping for this year. And no embroilment is as distracting as anything connected to Trump and Russia, following the presidents campaign of talking soft toward Moscow and intelligence findings that allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin worked to promote Trumps candidacy. When a reporter said Tuesday that he had a question unrelated to Flynn, McCain hugged him. The senators had just seen a more than hour-long presentation with Ryan, a rare guest on that side of the Capitol, and Vice President Pence, who are aiming to forge a game plan for a critical stretch ahead. Ryans caucus holds another meeting on the ACA on Thursday, after which Congress is to adjourn for a 10-day break. [Upheaval is now standard operating procedure inside the White House] When the House and Senate return Feb. 27, Republicans have a five-week sprint to meet their first self-imposed deadline for passing a bill that would repeal the ACA and begin the long process to replace it. How close are they to unity on legislation? I think were getting there, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said. He called the Ryan-Pence luncheon swell, but said that it was not peachy. McCain was more dour, saying that things are better than three weeks ago, when congressional Republicans assembled in Philadelphia for a policy retreat. There, they squabbled over which buzzwords to use to describe the repeal effort. Now, theyre getting into more policy substance. But every advance on health care seems to be quickly eclipsed by the newest Trump distraction. Despite Republicans work to put the attention where they think it belongs on Tuesday morning, the results were less than effective. Were like small children in that we only have certain priorities. . . . Our attention span is short, McCain said, and when you take the attention away from one issue and put it on the other, then obviously it slows the progress of the issue that is not paramount at the time. Read more from Paul Kanes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Andrew Puzder, President Trumps labor secretary nominee, withdrew from consideration Wednesday amid growing resistance from Senate Republicans centered primarily on Puzders past employment of an undocumented housekeeper. The collapse of Puzders nomination threw the White House into further turmoil just two days after the resignation of Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, amid revelations that Flynn had spoken repeatedly, and possibly illegally, with the Russian ambassador last year about lifting U.S. sanctions. Puzders fate amplified the deteriorating relationship between the White House and Capitol Hill, where bipartisan support grew Wednesday for expanded investigations into ties between Trump, his presidential campaign and Russian officials. The White House, including Trump, offered no comment on Puzders withdrawal nor any indication of whom the president would nominate in the restaurant executives place. Puzder issued a statement saying he was honored to have been nominated. While I wont be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team, he said. A top Trump campaign supporter, Puzder had attracted widespread criticism regarding his business record and personal background. He was set to testify Thursday at a confirmation hearing that had been delayed for weeks to allow for the completion of an ethics review of his vast personal wealth. Donald Trump with labor secretary-designate Andrew Puzder at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., on Nov. 19. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press) Critics have railed against Puzders positions against minimum-wage increases and more generous overtime benefits. Some have also accused him of sexism, pointed to a rancorous divorce that involved later-recanted allegations of domestic abuse as well as racy TV ads run by his restaurant chains that featured scantily clad women eating hamburgers. But it was Puzders hiring of an undocumented worker for domestic work as well as his support for more liberalized immigration policies that pushed several Senate Republicans away, they said. Puzder had told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions this month that he had been unaware of the housekeepers immigration status when he hired her and that he paid federal and state back taxes after terminating her employment. Similar revelations have forced Cabinet nominees to withdraw dating to at least Bill Clintons presidency, but it was less clear this year, in the unpredictable, rule-breaking era of Trump, whether that norm would apply. In the end, the revelation was particularly troubling to lawmakers because of the job Puzder was seeking: running the Labor Department. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate health committee, said Wednesday that revelations about Puzders personal employment practices gave him serious concerns that he had conveyed to Senate leaders. Three other GOP senators on the committee, Susan Collins (Maine), Johnny Isakson (Ga.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), had also publicly voiced doubts. In the hours before Puzder withdrew, 12 Republican senators at a minimum were withholding support, according to a senior Republican who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid political retribution. The quick erosion of support compelled Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to tell the White House on Wednesday that Puzder lacked the support needed to survive, according to two senior Senate aides who requested anonymity. Shortly after that, Puzder withdrew. Senators may yet face another contentious confirmation vote Thursday, when Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), Trumps nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, is scheduled for a final vote on the Senate floor. On Wednesday, Mulvaney lost the backing of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who objects to Mulvaneys support for military spending cuts. [Trumps pick for budget director just lost a crucial backer in the Senate] Puzder has spent much of his career in the restaurant industry speaking out against wage and labor regulations. The former commercial trial lawyer has been a staunch opponent of rules finalized by the Labor Department last year and since put on hold that would have expanded the number of people eligible for overtime pay. He also has been critical of substantially increasing the minimum wage, arguing that it could push companies to cut jobs and encourage businesses to invest more money in automation. As a result, Puzders nomination immediately came under intense scrutiny from unions, labor groups and consumer advocates who worried the executive would prioritize businesses over workers. As recently as this week, workers from his fast-food chain and advocates for a higher minimum wage marched outside of CKEs restaurants to protest the nomination. Worker advocates had also hand-delivered petitions to senators local offices and organized trips for CKE employees to travel to Capitol Hill and share their grievances with senators. [Watchdog group working to unseal Puzders divorce records before his confirmation hearing ] Democrats cheered Puzders withdrawal and sought to take credit for helping pressure Republicans to withdraw support. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Puzders decision a victory for the American worker. Puzder should never have even been nominated to lead the Labor Department, and Senate Republicans clearly recognized this, too. He called on Trump to nominate someone who champions workers rights rather than suppresses them. Progressives and Democrats said they hoped Trumps next pick for labor secretary would be someone with a clear willingness to speak up for disadvantaged workers. We need a labor secretary in the mainstream who supports the workplace protections that he or she would be charged with enforcing and who cares about workers, said Emily Martin, general counsel for the National Womens Law Center, which opposed Puzders nomination because of sexist advertising run by Carls Jr. and Hardees two of Puzders restaurant chains and reports of harassment from employees working for the chain. Several names that had emerged on Trumps shortlist for labor secretary late last year began recirculating Wednesday. Among them: Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. After Puzders withdrawal Wednesday, Walker tweeted: The future is too bright in WI for me to do anything other than being Governor. Puzder would have been the first labor secretary since the Reagan era to take the job without some experience in public service. He made a minor foray into politics in 2011, when he served as an economic adviser and spokesman for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who recently endorsed his nomination. In 2016, Puzder was an avid Trump supporter. In addition to serving as an economic adviser to his campaign, he and his wife, Deanna Puzder, contributed a total of $332,000 to Trumps bid, joint fundraising committees and to the Republican National Committee, according to the Federal Election Commission. Senators often do not weigh in on a nominee publicly until after a confirmation hearing, but Republicans have been mostly in lockstep to support Trumps top Cabinet nominees. Only one other pick Secretary of State Rex Tillerson drew as much public wavering among Republicans before his hearing, when five GOP senators expressed doubts. Ultimately, all of them voted for Tillerson. Beyond the committee where Puzder was scheduled to appear Thursday, three other Republicans John Thune (S.D.), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) publicly expressed concerns about his nomination. Thunes hesitancy was notable because he is the third-ranking Senate Republican and responsible for helping to build support for big-ticket GOP causes. He told reporters Wednesday that he wanted to know more about why Puzder employed an undocumented housekeeper and how he paid her. Tillis cited the same concerns to reporters. Collins and Murkowski also voted against Betsy DeVos, Trumps choice for education secretary, forcing Vice President Pence to become the first vice president to cast a tiebreaking confirmation vote for a Cabinet member. Both senators are among several who had seen footage of a 1990 Oprah Winfrey Show episode in which Puzders former wife appeared in disguise to describe allegations of domestic violence. The health committee requested that Winfreys production company provide copies of the episode for senators to review. Puzder has always denied the allegations, and his ex-wife recanted the accusations in 1990 when the couple reached a child-custody agreement at the time of their divorce and again in a letter to senators last month. Aides said before Puzders withdrawal that Portman was still reviewing his history and did not want to weigh in yet, but the senator represents a state where labor unions were building support against the nomination. Portman won reelection last year with the endorsement of several labor unions, a rare feat these days for a Republican. [Oprah Winfreys TV network provided footage of interview tied to Andrew Puzders labor secretary nomination] Another blow to Puzders chances came on Wednesday morning when the conservative National Review announced its opposition. The publication cited Puzders past support for increased levels of legal immigration for high-skilled or seasonal workers a position at odds with Trumps calls for limited legal immigration. The magazines editors acknowledged the impulse of the White House and the Senate to try to bulldog through rather than to give obstructionist Democrats a scalp. But, they wrote, The country, and the administration, can weather a redo on this one. The National Restaurant Association which had marshaled members across the country to help Puzder called his withdrawal extremely unfortunate. Andy Puzder would have made a great labor secretary, said Cicely Simpson, the groups executive vice president. We hope that President Trumps next labor secretary nominee, like Andy, has experience creating jobs and a deep understanding how to get business and government to work together to grow the economy. Paul Kane and Ashley Parker contributed to this report. Read more at PowerPost Speaker of the House Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) speaks to the media following the House Republican conference meeting on Capitol Hill on Feb. 14, 2017, in Washington. (Pete Marovich/For The Washington Post) House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) spent Tuesday on a door-to-door tour of the Capitol in hopes of salvaging his plan to repeal and largely replace the Affordable Care Act by spring. The day-long blitz comes as Republicans in Congress have made virtually no visible progress in recent weeks on overhauling the health-care system, according to interviews with several senior GOP aides. That is largely because the party remains sharply divided over how much of the ACA should be repealed and how much if any of it should be replaced. The stalemate has lawmakers questioning whether the law known as Obamacare can be effectively gutted by Ryans self-imposed deadline of the end of March. I dont think you can fully repeal and replace it in that amount of time, said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.). It took months to write Obamacare, the original bill, and years to phase it in. It is going to take time to unwrite it and replace it with something else. Ryans efforts are being stymied by a host of factors, including a familiar revolt from his most conservative members, who want to keep their promises to eliminate Obamacare regardless of the pace of a replacement measure. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are not ready to act on any kind of repeal without a consensus replacement plan. The Washington infighting is playing out against a backdrop of rowdy GOP town halls across the country showcasing people worried about the impact on their lives of potentially losing their health insurance. For Ryan, the stakes could not be higher. While trying to satisfy his right flank, the speaker also must consider the potentially explosive impact of the health-care debate on his quest to maintain and grow the GOP majority in the 2018 midterm elections. Further confusing things is President Trump, who has both vowed to repeal and replace the ACA immediately, and said that such a process would take until 2018. Dozens of GOP members attended an afternoon briefing Tuesday on Medicaid. The issue is one of the biggest sticking points among Republicans, opening divides between lawmakers in states who have accepted the programs expansion under Obamacare and those who have opted out, forgoing hundreds of millions of federal dollars a year in protest against the law. Inside the closed-door sessions, senior lawmakers walked through a variety of options for replacement including a radical reorientation of the Medicaid program, an open-ended insurance entitlement and a fixed block grant that would let states decide how to apportion health-care dollars for the needy. They also considered an indefinite extension of the ACA Medicaid expansion that would allow those now covered to remain so. They got to see a lot of the details of the plans that were working on, said House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), who hosted the session. He added, Theres a lot of work left to be done. Republican senators who represent states that expanded Medicaid including Bill Cassidy (La.), Rob Portman (Ohio) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) huddled last week to discuss concerns that a House GOP repeal bill could leave millions of their constituents without insurance. While no consensus emerged, many lawmakers said they could not support an aggressive repeal bill that could harm so many of their constituents. Weve added 27,000-some-odd Alaskans to the covered rolls, Murkowski said Tuesday. I want to make sure whatever we do post-ACA, we dont leave these good folks hanging. The debate is playing out against a backdrop in which the proportion of Americans without health insurance through most of last year remained at the same low level as in 2015, according to survey data released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics. The data, covering January through September 2016, showed that 8.8 percent of people of all ages were uninsured compared to the 9.1 percent uninsured through 2015, according to the U.S. Censuss most recent annual report on health insurance rates. It is unclear how much of that improvement is the result of an improving economy and how much was brought about by the ACAs impact. Meanwhile, the insurer Humana announced it would stop selling individual plans under the ACA after this year. On Capitol Hill, Republicans are locked in a battle for control over the repeal process. Conservatives are seeking to reassert their influence after several weeks where more-moderate lawmakers and Trump himself have seemingly argued for a more deliberate process. Members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and conservative Republican Study Committee are insisting that a repeal bill should go at least as far as a measure they approved in 2015. That bill ended with a veto from President Obama, but GOP leaders touted it as a test run for what could be possible with a Republican president. What were trying to do is really create some urgency, said Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), chairman of the Republican Study Committee. Were okay with talking through that and hearing what they [House leaders] have for us, but ultimately, weve promised to the American people that were going to get this thing off the books as quick as possible. Thats what were asking the leadership to do. Leaders are using a quirk in the budget process to repeal Obamacare without the threat of a blockade by Senate Democrats. Budget legislation is considered under special rules in the Senate that allow a simple majority of 50 senators to support passage rather than the normal 60 needed for almost everything else. While there are 52 Republicans in the Senate, some of them are unlikely to support a rapid repeal without a replacement in place. Ryan set out Tuesday to rally the GOP to consensus, starting the day by launching several policy sessions to offer rank-and-file members some details of what could be included in the replacement plan. He outlined several common ideas that unite the GOP, such as expanding health savings accounts and allowing insurers to sell plans across state lines. He also announced plans for a Thursday meeting where members will be briefed on further details just before they leave for a week-long recess where many plan to hold events with constituents. Ryan told reporters after the meeting that the plan for a step-by-step process to replace ACA was still on track. We have to stop the collapse, and we have better ideas that have been time-tested that will make sure that we give the American people the kind of relief they deserve, Ryan said. He then headed to a closed-door lunch in the Senate where he pitched the outlines of his vision for replacement. But Republicans largely left the meetings unable to identify any specific proposals that go beyond a small number of general ideas. There was a lack of specificity, Cassidy said after the meeting. Ideas are bubbling together. The conversation was not as specific as would be expected at this point in a major policy negotiation, according to several GOP aides. One aide described the talks as remaining in the very beginning stages. Carolyn Y. Johnson contributed to this report. Read more at PowerPost Striking doctors hold placards and chant slogans outside the Court of Appeals as they wait for the release of jailed officials from the national doctors' union. (Thomas Mukoya/Reuters) In the wake of a new wave of protests by Kenyas doctors now including those in the private sector the Court of Appeals on Wednesday released seven imprisoned doctors union officials and ordered them back to the negotiating table. The officials had been given one-month sentences for contempt of court in connection to the months-long strike by Kenyas public hospitals over unkept government promises for wage increases among other demands. The officials are now free, pending the appeal of Mondays ruling to jail them. Following their jailing, Kenyas medical association, which is separate from the public-sector union, urged all health professionals to withdraw their services to protest the ruling. A majority of private hospitals shut down in solidarity. The closings, on top of the 75-day strike by public hospitals, left Kenyans almost entirely without any form of health care. During the court proceedings, which stretched into the early hours of the morning Wednesday, striking doctors dressed in white gowns and surgical caps marched through the streets protesting the imprisonment of their colleagues. We do not want money. We want the collective bargaining agreement to be implemented, they chanted in front of Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Finance. The doctors are demanding the fulfillment of a 2013 agreement between their union and the government that would raise their pay and improve working conditions. The agreement was to give them a 300 percent pay rise, review their working conditions and criteria for promotions, and address understaffing in state hospitals. The dispute between the government and the doctors has taken on a political angle, with the opposition taking the opportunity to accuse Kenyas president of not doing enough to stop the rampant corruption in the country. In October last year, Kenyans were outraged when local media reported that an audit had revealed that more than $50 million was missing from the Health Ministry. The scandal came to light just days after President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed frustrations about the fight against graft in his government. The strike has affected all public hospitals, leaving Kenyas once proud health system in tatters and people dying if they cant afford private health care. Following the court ruling, a team from Kenyas Bar Association and the National Commission on Human Rights was mandated by the court to lead mediation efforts between the government and the doctors to end the stalemate. The 2013 agreement involves boosting doctor salaries by 300 percent which the government now says is not according to the rules for civil service compensation. Read more: Kenya court jails doctors union representatives as medical strike crisis deepens 80 psychiatric patients escape from Kenyan hospital during strike Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news LOS ANGELES (TNS) Like many scientists, Aaron Parsons doesnt have a history of political engagement. Instead of focusing on earthly concerns, the University of California, Berkeley radio astronomer spent most of his time scanning the outer reaches of the cosmos, searching for the earliest stars in the universe. Were looking for when the lights turned on, he said. But after Donald Trump became the leading Republican candidate for president, Parsons turned his attention closer to home. As someone who has lectured about the atmospheres of distant planets, he was dismayed by Trumps dismissive attitude toward climate change and his claim that the science on global warming was a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese. He became distraught when he heard that the new Trump administration was considering pulling out of the Paris climate agreement to curb greenhouse emissions. And he watched with increasing despair when Trumps nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, said at his Senate committee hearing that there is no clear scientific consensus that global warming is caused by human activity. I had to do something, Parsons said. I felt like I couldnt ignore what was going on anymore. So he sent an open letter to Trump explaining the widespread consensus among experts that human-caused climate change is real and that its consequences are already being felt. The science of how greenhouse gases trap heat is unimpeachable, he wrote. He passed it around Berkeleys astronomy department to see whether his colleagues would sign on. Within a few weeks, 2,300 researchers and academics from across the University of California and Cal State University systems had added their names to the letter. When facts become politicized, then scientists have to speak up, Parsons said. We are fighting for what is knowledge, and how we know it. All science is international In ivory towers across the country, scientists are leaning in. Spurred by a flurry of executive orders and presidential adviser Kellyanne Conways references to alternative facts, certain researchers are venturing beyond the safety of the lab and into the murky political fray. Four hundred scientists took to the San Francisco streets at an American Geophysical Union conference in December to denounce Trumps position on climate change. A larger March for Science in Washington is being organized for Earth Day in April. Researchers have spoken out against new restrictions on how government scientists at the EPA and other federal agencies communicate with the public. Others have been collecting and storing the governments copious climate data for fear that it may soon become unavailable to the public or deleted entirely. Many have lamented that nearly a month into his presidency, Trump has still not selected a science adviser. Perhaps the biggest outcry came after the White House announced that travelers from seven primarily Muslim countries would be blocked from entering the United States. Hundreds of research institutions, hospitals and scientific organizations expressed grave concerns for how it would affect the future of research in the United States. It doesnt matter if you were born in Pakistan or Somalia or whatever scientists like to work with scientists, said Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Rafael Reif. If you are after facts and truth and whats real, then it doesnt matter who can help you. James Appleby, head of the Gerontological Society of America, echoed that sentiment. There is a saying that all politics is local, but I think its fair to say all science is international, he said. There is this image of the lone scientist toiling away in the laboratory to come up with the next big advance, but in reality, many of the biggest leaps come from our ability to sit down with other scholars from around the world. At home and abroad The burst of activity has been particularly gratifying to Rush Holt. As a physicist, he helped lead the Department of Energys Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory for more than a decade. Then he was elected to Congress, representing the New Jersey district that includes Princeton University for 16 years. Now he leads the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the largest organization of scientists and engineers in the world. Holt said that when his group penned a letter to President Trump decrying the travel ban, 171 other institutions quickly signed on. In my relatively long career I have not seen this level of concern about science, he said. This immigration ban has serious humanitarian issues, but I bet it never occurred to them that it also has scientific implications. Among them: Researchers from overseas are threatening to boycott meetings held in the United States. Already, Sudanese-born Mohamed H.A. Hassan, co-leader of a group of scientific academies from around the world, has said he wont travel from Europe to attend the AAAS annual meeting in Boston next week. Bill Foster, a physicist-turned-congressman from Illinois, said the political awakening among researchers is not solely a consequence of the rapid series of executive orders coming from the Oval Office. In science, if you stand up and say something you know is not correct, thats career-ending, said Foster, a Democrat. It used to be that way in politics, but not anymore. To see how far we have fallen, that is particularly disturbing to scientists. Holt agreed. Some of us have been saying for years now that ideological assertions have been crowding out scientific evidence in public debate, he said. But the willful disregard for facts is worse now than its ever been. A seat at the table To counteract this trend, some researchers are considering their own experiments with politics. The recently formed 314 Action PAC had 2,500 people with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math sign up for training on how to run for office. Thousands more have volunteered to help with their campaigns. What has motivated them? Donald Trump, said founder Shaughnessy Naughton, a trained chemist from Pennsylvania who lost two campaigns for Congress. But the bigger picture is the feeling that science is under attack. Jamie Tijerina of Highland Park is one of the scientists who signed up for 314 Actions workshop. She works in Caltechs cytometry lab and is a member of her local neighborhood council. Its important for people with a scientific background to have a seat at the table, she said. The taxpayers deserve to have someone knowledgeable about the scientific literature to offer their expertise. UC Berkeley evolutionary biologist Michael Eisen has announced on Twitter his plan to run for U.S. Senate in 2018. He hasnt filed formal papers yet, and he has no fundraising apparatus in place, but he says his campaign is not a stunt. Id been thinking about issues of science and politics for a long time, and a lot of people felt like things were coming to a head with the new administration, he said. The moment seemed to call for more engagement, so one morning I just said ... this is what I have to do. Eisen said the whole thing is kind of like one of his science experiments. Its clear that there is a lack of empirical decision-making in our politics, he said. Our hypothesis is that having more scientists involved in politics would reverse that trend. Its an untested hypothesis, but one we should test. As a realist, he doesnt expect to win. But he said he hoped his campaign would help spark a conversation about the relationship between science and politics, and possibly inspire other scientists to run for office as well. Foster, the sole physicist in Congress, said he hoped more scientists would join him there. Scientists want to know the evidence behind a statement; they want reproducible tests and verifiable facts, he said. There is a big difference in the thought process of a trial lawyer who is interested not in whats true, but what he can convince a jury is true. Parsons, the astronomer who penned the letter about climate change, said scientists had a moral obligation to speak out. I wish we lived in a world where science could live outside of the political sphere, he said. But we didnt bring this battle to them; they brought it to us. And we have to fight back. In science, if you stand up and say something you know is not correct, thats career-ending. It used to be that way in politics, but not anymore. To see how far we have fallen, that is particularly disturbing to scientists. Bill Foster, D-Illinois, congressman and physicist Malaysian police investigating the killing of the North Korean leaders half-brother held one woman in custody Wednesday and searched for other possible suspects a day after the apparent lethal poisoning in a busy airport terminal. The detention of a potential female plotter fit with Malaysian reports Tuesday saying a woman ambushed Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpurs international airport with a cloth soaked in some kind of deadly liquid. North Koreas tightly controlled state media has not made reference to the death of the 45-year-old Kim, who was estranged from the Norths leader Kim Jung Un and had lived outside the country for more than a decade. But the opaqueness in North Korea also opens room for speculation about the motives behind the killing and whether it could be traced back to high-level decisions in Pyongyang. Just three years ago, Kim Jong Un had his uncle and Kim Jong Nams mentor executed on suspicion of building an alternate power base. Meanwhile, a slew of high-profile defections have raised questions about the stability of the regime. Separately, officials from the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur objected to an autopsy being carried out on Kim Jong Nams body, officials told local reporters. But the authorities continued and completed the autopsy Thursday night. However, the results have not yet been released. Four black cars bearing North Korean diplomatic plates sped out of Kuala Lumpur General Hospital Thursday night. One, a Lexus, contained a visibly upset man in his 20s who was wearing a pink t-shirt and who honked at reporters on his way out. The man could have been Kim Han Sol, the dead mans son. Malaysian authorities described the woman detained at the airport as holding a Vietnamese passport bearing the name Doan Thi Hoang, 29. Police said they identified her from surveillance camera images showing a young woman, wearing a white shirt with the letters LOL on the front, waiting for a taxi immediately after the attack. Police are looking for a few others, all foreigners, Malaysias deputy inspector general, Noor Rashid Ibrahim, told the Reuters news agency, declining to give the suspects nationalities or gender. [Defying skeptics, Kim Jong Un marks five years at the helm of North Korea] North Korea, with its secretive and idiosyncratic leadership, is often the subject of dramatic tales that turn out to be exaggerated or flat-out wrong. But the Malaysian police chiefs confirmation suggests that at least part of this story is true. What is likely to take much longer to determine is whether the plot was orchestrated directly by Kim Jong Un, who recently celebrated five years at the helm of North Korea and is now locked in a showdown with the international community over his nuclear ambitions. Kim Jong Nam was involved in some funny business, said Michael Madden, editor of North Korea Leadership Watch, a specialist website devoted to the ruling Kim family. He was rumored to have worked in computing in North Korea now notorious for cyberattacks and money laundering throughout Southeast Asia. Analysts had long considered Kim Jong Nam, as the eldest son of second-generation leader Kim Jong Il, to be the natural heir to the family dynasty. But this assumption was thrown into doubt in 2001 when Kim Jong Nam was caught at Narita International Airport in Tokyo, trying to enter Japan with his wife and son on fake Dominican Republic passports. Kim Jong Nams bore the name Pang Xiong fat bear in Mandarin Chinese. He told the authorities that they wanted to go to Tokyo Disneyland. It was later revealed that he had never been in the running to be leader. Kim Jong Uns aunt told The Washington Post last year that the current leader was chosen as successor in the early 1990s, when he was only 8 years old. In 2010, with Kim Jong Ils health steadily worsening, Kim Jong Un was officially declared heir apparent. Both before and after the announcement, the usually reclusive Kim Jong Nam said in interviews with Japanese media that he opposed hereditary succession, something that not even Mao Zedong had done in China. But I presume there were internal reasons. We should abide by such reasons if there are any, he told TV Asahi. [The secret life of Kim Jong Uns aunt, who has lived in the U.S. since 1998] Kim Jong Nam was born in 1971, the son of leader Kim Jong Il and his consort, an actress named Song Hye Rim. But he grew up largely in secret, the result of founding president Kim Il Sungs disapproval of his sons relationship with Song. He left North Korea to live with his grandmother in Moscow in 1979, according to North Korea Leadership Watch. He spent his childhood at international schools in Russia and Switzerland before returning to North Korea in 1988, the site says. But the embarrassing incident in Japan was a tipping point, and Kim appears to have never lived in North Korea again. He reportedly lived for a period in Macau, a Chinese region. But in recent years he seems to have had homes and families in Beijing and Singapore as well. He was occasionally sighted in sushi restaurants in Singapore and swanky hotel bars in Beijing but otherwise kept a low profile. Kim did, however, return to North Korea at least one time after his younger half brother assumed the leadership for their fathers funeral at the end of 2011. [Ex-diplomat: Ive known that there was no future for North Korea for a long time] Madden of North Korea Leadership Watch said Kim Jong Nam could have been involved in financing for the regime and could have run into problems as a result. But at the same time, Madden noted that Kim had publicly said he would do anything to help the new leader. Their relationship probably took a turn for the worse in 2013, when the young North Korean leader ordered the execution of their uncle, Jang Song Thaek. Jang had been close to Kim Jong Nam and had reportedly backed him as successor. Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. Read more: Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news This May 4, 2001, file photo shows Kim Jong Nam, exiled half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, escorted by Japanese police at the airport in Narita, Japan. (Itsuo Inouye/AP) Terminal 2 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport was convulsing with its usual Monday morning chaos. Passengers were crowding around self-check-in kiosks for no-frills flights to Bali and Cebu and Da Nang, cramming belongings into their carry-ons. One of those navigating the cavernous white terminal was a rotund Asian man traveling alone, checking in for a flight to Macau after a week in Malaysia. The nearby Starbucks was full of people camped out waiting for their flights, and the noise was so loud that the workers at the cafe selling Malaysian soup and noodles did not notice anything amiss just a few yards away. There, near a counter in the check-in area, the man was suddenly set upon by two attractive young women who looked like any other travelers heading off on vacation. One was wearing a white sweater emblazoned with LOL and a short flowery skirt, her lips painted dark red and her hair cut in a femme-fatale bob. What followed was an assassination that, complete with a honey trap and a public poisoning, has focused new attention on Kim Jong Un, the 33-year-old leader of North Korea, suggesting he will stop at nothing to keep power. For the victim was his older half brother, Kim Jong Nam, traveling on an apparently fake passport that said he was a 46-year-old named Kim Chol. It was an attack that South Koreas spy chief asserted was directly ordered from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. [N. Korean leaders half brother killed in Malaysia in possible poison attack, police say] One of the women grabbed the man as the other sprayed liquid on his face and held a cloth over it for about 10 seconds. In the hullabaloo of the check-in area, no one even seemed to notice. This account of the attack and its aftermath was pieced together from interviews with staff at the airport, police and other official statements, and leaks to the local media. The women left swiftly, but not that swiftly. They went down three sets of escalators, past an H&M and a Baskin-Robbins, and out of the terminal to a taxi stand, where they needed to buy a voucher for their journey before lining up for a cab. They got in and told the driver to take them to the Empire Hotel, some 40 minutes from the airport. Where are you from, the driver asked. Vietnam, the women responded. Inside the terminal, Kim Jong Nam, feeling dizzy and apparently unable to see, stumbled to one of the counters to seek help. He was taken to a medical clinic inside the terminal, where he had a mild seizure, then was loaded into an ambulance. South Korean TV shows an image of a woman suspected of involvement in the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, who was poisoned by two female attackers at the Kuala Lumpur airport. (Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA) He didnt make it to the hospital. He died en route. And Malaysian officials soon discovered the real identity of the man who had been living in a kind of exile for the past 15 years. [Who was Kim Jong Nam?] This was not first attempt on Kim Jong Nams life. Five years ago, when he took power, Kim Jong Un issued a standing order to have his half brother assassinated, South Korean spy chief Lee Byung-ho told lawmakers in Seoul on Wednesday. It was a command that had to be pulled off no matter what, Lee said, according to some of the lawmakers. Their spy agency had consistently been preparing for the killing, and it just turned out to have been accomplished this time. One attempt, in 2012, prompted Kim Jong Nam to send a letter to his younger brother pleading with him to spare me and my family, lawmakers were told. This weeks successful attack bore many of the hallmarks of other assassinations and attempts blamed on North Korea, including a foiled 2011 plot to kill a North Korean defector at a Seoul subway station with a poison needle hidden in a Parker pen. Two days after the attack, just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning, a woman was arrested at the airport in the same terminal where the attack took place and positively identified as one of the suspects. She was traveling on a Vietnamese passport identifying her as 29-year-old Doan Thi Hoang, police said. [Police arrest third suspect in Kim Jong Nam killing] North Koreans have been caught traveling on Southeast Asian passports before, making it entirely possible that the woman is, in fact, North Korean. Police said that she was traveling alone and had told them she was tricked into the attack, which she had been told was just a prank. On Thursday morning, police arrested a second woman but were looking for four men thought to have been involved. As all this was happening at the airport, Kim Jong Nams body was being transferred in a white van, escorted by four police vehicles carrying officers with automatic weapons, from Putrajaya Hospital to Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, where an autopsy was scheduled. Black sedans bearing North Korean diplomatic plates pulled up outside the general hospital, and the North Korean ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol, emerged from one. He refused to speak to reporters. [A not-that-short history of North Korean assassinations and attempts] Police said the North Korean diplomats had tried to stop the autopsy, insisting that the body be released to them. The police refused. The autopsy was finished by Wednesday night, but the results were not immediately released. A Malaysian police official told local reporters only that the poison was more potent than cyanide but declined to say what exactly it was. Shortly after 8 p.m., four North Korean cars sped out of the hospital grounds, one driven by a visibly upset young man in his 20s wearing a pink T-shirt perhaps Kim Han Sol, the most visible of Kim Jong Nams six children. But there was no such frenzy in Pyongyang, where the regime has been preparing to celebrate the birthday Thursday of Kim Jong Uns late father, Kim Jong Il, an anniversary officially known in North Korea as the Day of the Shining Star. The central squares have been cleared of snow, and pictures of trams and computers are on display at an industrial art exhibition commemorating the anniversary. Floral baskets from as far as Africa and Ecuador have been laid at the foot of statues of Kim Jong Il and his father, Kim Il Sung, according to state media. For North Korea, it is business as usual. Read more: Ex-diplomat: Ive known that there was no future for North Korea for a long time The secret life of Kim Jong Uns aunt, who has lived in the U.S. since 1998 North Korea fires ballistic missile, first since Trump elected in U.S. Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives to board his plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Feb. 15, 2017, for a flight to Germany. It is his first trip abroad as secretary. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Germany on Wednesday on his maiden overseas trip as the top diplomat in an administration whose foreign policy overtures are mostly being conducted from the White House. Tillersons participation at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 major world economies is in some aspects his introductory foray into the world of diplomacy and its practitioners. As chief executive of ExxonMobil, Tillerson negotiated oil deals around the world, but he had never dipped into foreign policy before becoming secretary of state two weeks ago. He will be in listening mode during multilateral meetings on the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, said a senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity under protocol for briefing reporters on the trip. And it will be Tillersons first face-to-face meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, at a time when relations between Washington and Moscow are fraught with tension, uncertainty and scandal. Russia plays a key role in the Syrian war, it is suspected of trying to meddle in the U.S. presidential election, and there is concern over its recent deployment of a cruise missile in violation of a key arms-control treaty. President Trump has said he wants to get along better with Russia, but the White House says Trump expects Moscow to return Crimea to Ukraine after annexing it in 2014. Lavrovs spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said Wednesday that Moscow will not even discuss the subject. Questions about possible ties between the Trump administration and the Kremlin rose anew this week when Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser after it emerged that he had discussed U.S. sanctions against Moscow with Russias ambassador before Trumps inauguration. But lifting sanctions imposed over Ukraine and Crimea is apparently off the table for the time being. The State Department official said Tillerson will raise with Lavrov overlapping interests such as fighting the Islamic State and other terrorist groups, but will insist that Russia stop supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine and live up to other commitments it made in the Minsk agreements. The president himself has said that its too early to talk about lifting sanctions, the official said when asked whether Tillerson would signal a softer approach to Russia on Ukraine. Amid concerns among European allies over how rigorously the Trump administration will uphold traditional U.S. commitments, Tillerson also will meet separately with the foreign ministers of Italy and Britain, as well as those of Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Britain has its own concerns with Russia. Prime Minister Theresa May has warned the White House to beware of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin has accused Britain of trying to poison relations between Moscow and Washington. The tensions bubbling below the surface at the G-20 meeting come at a time when the State Department is still laboring to assert its traditional place as the chief voice for U.S. foreign policy. But the State Department has been largely silent, in part because it is still trying to fill staff positions and replace many senior political appointees who resigned as is typical when a new administration takes office. After two weeks on the job, Tillerson still lacks a deputy. His personal choice for the No. 2 spot, Elliott Abrams, was rejected by the White House, apparently because Abrams criticized Trump during the presidential campaign. Tillerson left Washington for Germany on the day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House. The State Department was represented at the meeting by Tom Shannon, the acting deputy, who served in the Obama administration. In a sign of the unsettled nature of life at Foggy Bottom, Tillerson is being accompanied on the trip by several senior State Department officials who have the word acting as part their job titles, including five acting assistant secretaries and an acting spokesman. The State Department still has not resumed its daily news briefing, an institution for decades and a vital way for the U.S. government to explain foreign policy to Americans and the rest of the world. And State often has not weighed in with its version of conversations Tillerson has had with foreign counterparts, even when those counterparts have gone on to speak publicly about the substance of their talks, leaving a one-sided narrative with no American counterweight. It is not clear whether Tillerson, who has not spoken publicly since a speech to employees when he arrived at the State Department on Feb. 2, will make any public comments in Bonn. Read more: [Trump has handed Tillerson a house of horrors] [Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world] [Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news] President Trump sent Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to Brussels to press European allies on Wednesday to do something they have long been reluctant to do: open up their wallets on defense in an era of austerity and budget cuts. The hammer-hard message a warning from Mattis that allies must significantly increase their defense spending if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance was a harsh threat to countries that have been struggling with anemic growth and high unemployment. [Defense Secretary Mattis issues new ultimatum to NATO allies on defense spending] Europes defense spending was already increasing before Trumps November victory, but only four NATO member countries apart from the United States meet the alliances budget minimums. Now, Europeans have been jolted by Trumps questioning of the basics of U.S. foreign policy since World War II. They are scrambling to do even more, motivated by dueling fears: Many Europeans worry the Trump administration may not rush to their defense if needed. But the prospect of being dependent on an erratic United States for security is also frightening to some policymakers. Mattis began the Trump administrations push at a Wednesday meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. On Friday, Mattis will be joined in Munich at a security conference by Vice President Pence, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly and more than a dozen members of Congress, many of whom have turned out to reassure U.S. allies that Washington remains committed to them. But the hammer-heavy pressure to increase defense spending will still be a major challenge for Europe, particularly in a year when elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany feature insurgent anti-establishment nationalists who, like Trump, question the need for international alliances. [Trump to meet NATO leaders amid doubts about his commitment to the alliance] What has happened is that in Europe we harvested the peace dividend very, very quickly after the end of the Cold War eliminated the need for large standing armies, said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former NATO secretary general who led the 2014 effort to secure pledges from NATO members to spend 2 percent of their annual gross domestic product on defense. Defense spending quickly withered after the breakup of the Soviet Union, as new security threats tended to be addressable through light, quick-moving forces. But capabilities eroded so deeply that the Belgian military was left asking for U.S. hand-me-down flak jackets for its soldiers when it deployed domestically in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels in recent years. The problem was even greater on NATOs eastern border, where Russian President Vladimir Putin revived fears of an old-style European ground war following his 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. The security insurance has been more expensive because of Mr. Putins actions in Eastern Europe, so we have to reverse the trend, Rasmussen said. The United States spends 3.6 percent of its GDP on defense, or $664 billion annually, the alliance leader in both measures according to NATO figures. Britain, the runner-up in dollar terms, spends $52 billion, or 2.2 percent. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced Tuesday that Washingtons allies in Europe and Canada increased their defense spending by 3.8 percent last year, or $10 billion, which is greater than originally expected. [Europes leaders gather amid fears Trump is campaigning for their breakup] But the effort to increase spending even more quickly is running headlong into European Union rules that tightly limit the amount of money governments can borrow to fuel their budgets. Following pallid economic growth and years of austerity-fueled cutbacks, defense is rarely the first priority for voters. In France, for example, far-right leader Marine Le Pen has surged to the top of opinion polls ahead of the first round of presidential elections in April by campaigning on a platform of shutting out immigrants, bolstering social spending and holding a referendum on E.U. membership. Le Pen said this month that she wants to pull out of NATOs integrated military command so that France is not drawn into wars that are not its own. Other far-right politicians, such as Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and the leaders of the Alternative for Germany party, favor staying in NATO. But their desire for rapprochement with Russia could undermine efforts to bolster European defenses against Kremlin challenges, analysts say. The spending challenges are stark in a nation like Spain, where the defense budget is less than half the NATO-pledged level, but youth unemployment stands at 42.9 percent. Italy faces similar issues. A separate difficulty for the Baltics where Estonia already spends more than NATOs baseline, and Latvia and Lithuania are soon set to achieve it is that money devoted to education and health can also be seen as a security investment, given large domestic Russian communities whose loyalties might be stronger if they feel they benefit from their governments. But leaders say that NATO is of such fundamental importance that they will meet those commitments first and address other issues later. In Latvias case, there will be no need to spend money on health and education if your country ceases to exist, said Artis Pabriks, a former Latvian defense minister who is now in the European Parliament. But even wealthy Germany has lagged on defense spending as its economy has consistently grown in recent years. That has made it a primary target of U.S. efforts for a spending turnaround. Germany now spends 1.2 percent of its annual economic output, or $39 billion. To make it to NATO guidelines would require a $36 billion annual increase. German leaders have committed to reaching that level by 2024, although many officials say privately that they see it as unrealistic. An increase of that level would require a radical reorientation of the countrys complicated relationship with its military. Many Germans grew up shunning the armed forces in the aftermath of World War II. But senior defense leaders say that major changes are necessary, and German faith in the United States is plummeting so quickly that there may be a prime political window to push for an even faster spending increase. Only 22 percent of Germans say they believe they can trust the United States as a partner, according to a poll released this month by German public television. That is down from 59 percent in November. The U.S. demand for more spending is a fair request, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said after meeting Mattis last week in Washington. Everyone has to make a contribution. [In the home of NATO and the European Union, dismay as Trump takes power] More broadly, Trumps ascendance has touched off a debate in Europe about whether it should expect American support as a safety net for issues the continent is unable to handle, analysts say. At the end of the day its a question of the level of ambition, said Markus Kaim, a security analyst at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, which advises the German government on policy issues. The question is: What role do we want to play in the international system? Europe is already in the drivers seat in resolving the crisis in Ukraine, where most peace talks have been brokered by Germany and France alongside Russia and Ukraine. On Syria, however, the E.U. is playing only a minimal role, even though the wars consequences have a more direct effect on Europe than on the United States. The Europeans are really punching below their weight, said Fabrice Pothier, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who until last year was a senior NATO official. There is the need to make a big leap forward. Read more: Even as Trump seeks warmer ties with Russia, U.S. deploys troops across Eastern Europe This Belgian bar is boycotting U.S. products because of Trump One of Europes most powerful jobs is up for grabs. Its a bad sign for the E.U. that no ones paying attention. Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news In Indias space center on the barrier island of Sriharikota, the white-jacketed scientists held their breaths. The countrys trusty red-and-white satellite launch vehicle had lifted off moments before and blasted into orbit. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-37 was about to perform a delicate maneuver carefully sending 104 satellites into the heavens in pairs, the highest number ever attempted in one mission. One Indian space analyst on television likened the complicated maneuver to dropping children at different bus stops. About 10 a.m. Wednesday, the announcement came: All the satellites had been successfully launched. The scientists breathed a collective sigh of relief, and backslapping and applause ensued. This is a great moment for each and every one of us. Today we have created history, project manager B. Jayakumar said afterward. The total number of satellites far outstripped the previous record 37 simultaneously sent into space by Russia in 2014. Wednesdays launch was another success for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which is rapidly gaining a reputation globally for its effective yet low-cost missions. India had already sent up dozens of satellites, including 20 in one launch last year. In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to send a probe into orbit around Mars, a $74 million effort that, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted at the time, cost less than what it took to make the Hollywood space movie Gravity. The fierce national pride that resulted after that success sent the Mars probe rocketing onto the face of the countrys new 2,000 rupee ($30) currency note in November. Now India is showcasing its competitiveness in the $300 billion global space market, said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, head of the Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. The 104 satellites launched Wednesday for interests in India, the United States, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates are considered small, micro and nano-size spacecraft, much easier to load onto a rocket in large numbers. ISROs commercial arm, Antrix, has charged about $3 million to send a satellite into space in recent years, far less than private companies. The ability to reuse components and some government subsidies contribute to these savings, Rajagopalan said. The complex, 90-minute mission shows that Indias space program has come a long way and gained a lot more sophistication in terms of launch capabilities, she said. India increased the budget of its space program by more than 20 percent this year in an effort to mount a second Mars mission in the coming years, as well as an orbiter mission to Venus that may be undertaken in collaboration with NASA. As the scientists in India watched anxiously on Wednesday, a group of environmentally focused techies gathered around big screens at their San Francisco headquarters with equal excitement, recording the liftoff on their smartphones. The U.S. Earth-imaging company now known as Planet owns 88 of the satellites sent into orbit Wednesday, and its flock of tiny craft called Doves will join 12 satellites already in orbit in an ambitious project to image all of Earths landmass every day, the company said in a post-launch report. Read more: India becomes first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit India set to launch Mars mission as international space race heats up Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news A Syrian rides on the turret of a tank in the rebel-held area of Daraa on Feb. 4. (Mohamad Abazeed/AFP/Getty Images) A cease-fire brokered by Turkey and Russia two months ago is fraying along Syrias southern border as rebel forces launch their largest offensive in the area in more than a year. Monitors, activists and an aid group said fighting between opposition and pro-government forces raged for a fourth day Wednesday in the southern city of Daraa, pushing the number of dead and wounded past 60. A nationwide cease-fire has largely held since late December, when President Bashar al-Assads forces recaptured the flash-point northern city of Aleppo. That victory brought what remained of the armed opposition to a crisis point, bolstering the hand of its Turkish backers to negotiate a truce with one of the Syrian governments staunchest allies, Russia. But rebel guns had been largely silent in southern Syria for more than a year, constrained by infighting and the directives of the forces powerful Jordanian backers across the border. [The strange and very cold city of Astana could be where Syrias war is solved] In an unusual development for Syrias knotty conflict, the rebel offensive in Daraa appeared to have been launched without international support. The fighters began pushing through the southwestern district of Manshiyah on Sunday, detonating car bombs and at least one powerful tunnel bomb. According to activists and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring network, the government has carried out intense airstrikes in response. Medics said at least 25 people have been killed in the fighting, six of them from a single family. Thousands have fled the area, many seeking refuge on countryside farmland and in orchards. The International Rescue Committee said a rocket attack late Monday injured four health workers and caused major damage to a clinic it supported in Daraas Balad district. Amanda Catanzano, the organizations senior director for international policy and advocacy, warned that similar attacks in Aleppo and other cities preceded heavy fighting. Its distressing to see the strategies that resulted in so many civilian deaths in Aleppo begin to play out elsewhere in Syria, Catanzano said. There can be no peace in Syria without accountability for these repeated attacks against civilians. But activists defended the fighting, insisting that the rebel offensive would bring a much-needed morale boost ahead of peace talks scheduled for Feb. 23 in Kazakhstans capital, Astana. This is a battle to bring spirit back to the opposition, said Ahmed Almasalma, a media activist from Daraas western countryside. [At Russia-led talks, Syrian rebels and government meet for the first time] Although an earlier round of talks in Astana ended inconclusively, negotiators hope that the new meetings will pave the way for a resumption of the Geneva peace process brokered by the United Nations. Syrias conflict, almost six years old, has gone through several cycles of cease-fires broken by ferocious violence. But the latest truce is playing out in a dramatically altered military and diplomatic landscape. Rebel forces mostly have been boxed into the northwestern province of Idlib. Internal tensions have boiled over into open war there, with hard-line factions allied with al-Qaeda coming out on top. Pro-Assad forces hold all the most important urban centers in the country, and the presidents departure is no longer a precondition for the rebels participation in any peace process. Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul contributed to this report. Read more: Syria has secretly executed thousands of political prisoners, rights group says Syria used gas attacks in campaign to retake Aleppo, Human Rights Watch says Syrias war creates myriad problems for Turkey Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Michael Flynn was at a beachside resort in the Dominican Republic, a stretch of sand and sun that he and his wife had visited for years, when he took a few moments out of their post-election vacation for a call with the Russian ambassador to the United States. As a veteran intelligence officer, Flynn must have known that a call with a Russian official in Washington would be intercepted by the U.S. government, pored over by FBI analysts and possibly even shared with the White House. But six weeks later, Flynn was forced out of his job as national security adviser to President Trump over what was said in that conversation and Flynns inability to be truthful about it with then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence and other officials now in senior positions at the White House. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that the level of trust between the president and General Flynn had eroded to the point where he felt he had to make a change. But Flynns removal was also the culmination of swirling forces and resentment unleashed by the 2016 election. He embodied the bitterly partisan nature of the contest, leading Lock her up chants directed at Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the Republican National Convention. His unusual association with Russia and the discovery of his secret communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak fanned suspicion among senior Obama administration officials of a more sinister aspect to Russias interference in the election. And ultimately, Flynns misleading statements about the Kislyak calls added to broader concerns about the Trump administrations regard for the truth. (Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) [Flynns firing is a scandal. But his hiring was, too.] The sequence connecting Flynns call and his dismissal came to involve two presidents warily passing power, the leaders of national security agencies including the FBI and CIA, and incoming and outgoing transition officials who regarded one another with significant distrust. Senior Obama administration officials said they felt so uncertain about the nature of the Flynn-Kislyak relationship that they took it upon themselves to scale back what they told Flynn and others on his incoming national security team, particularly on sensitive matters related to Russia. Officials emphasized, however, that there was no formal decision to limit information sharing with the Trump transition team. We did decide to not share with them certain things about Russia, a former senior Obama administration official said. We just thought, who knew? Would that information be safe? A flurry of communications Flynns rising profile in the Trump campaign appears to have coincided with a resumption of his contacts with Kislyak. The two first met in 2013, when Flynn, then the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, met with military intelligence officials in Moscow on a trip that the Russian diplomat helped to arrange and coordinate. As Moscows lead envoy in Washington, Kislyaks communications were routinely monitored by the FBI, including diplomatic reports he filed with Moscow in which he documented his interactions with Flynn, according to current and former U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. At the same time, Russian intelligence services were carrying out an assault on the election, delivering troves of emails stolen from Democratic Party servers to the WikiLeaks Web site, according to U.S. officials. U.S. intelligence agencies later concluded that the effort was designed to destabilize U.S. democracy, damage Clintons prospects and help elect Trump. No evidence has surfaced to suggest that Flynns contacts with Kislyak were in any way tied to the Russian operation. Nevertheless, by mid-December, senior officials in the Obama White House began to hear about Flynns contacts with Kislyak, both from intelligence reports and other sources. Obama administration officials werent sure what to make of the communications. To some, they appeared to be consistent with the kind of diplomatic outreach expected of any incoming administration. To others, already alarmed by the scale of the Russian interference in the U.S. election, the frequency of the contacts seemed excessive and the lack of any effort by Flynn to coordinate his calls with the State Department was regarded with growing suspicion. Susan E. Rice, President Barack Obamas national security adviser, did not give Flynn advance notice of the sanctions that the White House planned to impose on Russia over its meddling in the election. Instead, Denis McDonough, who at the time was Obamas chief of staff, waited until the sanctions were announced to inform his Trump counterpart, a former administration official said. The measures that Obama announced on Dec. 29 included the expulsion of 35 suspected Russian intelligence officers from the United States, and the forced closure of Russian-owned compounds in Maryland and New York used as resortlike retreats for that countrys spies and diplomats. Flynn had a flurry of communications with Kislyak in the days leading up to that announcement, including, by his account, an exchange of holiday greetings via text message on Dec. 25. The two also traded phone calls that Flynn said were limited to condolences over the assassination of Russias ambassador to Turkey and the downing of a Russian aircraft, as well as a preliminary conversation about setting up a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump. By that time, Flynn and his wife were in the Dominican Republic for a beachside respite before he moved into one of the most demanding jobs in the White House. It was there, at a resort on the eastern tip of the country, that Flynn fielded a Kislyak call as sanctions were announced. He got a hold of me, Flynn said in the Post interview, I was on vacation, actually, with my wife. The digital packets streaming between their phones were intercepted by the FBI, using capabilities provided by the National Security Agency, as part of its routine surveillance of Kislyak. An FBI agent prepared a brief intelligence report summing up the contents of the conversation, officials said. The report was not widely circulated and might have attracted only scant attention were it not for a Putin move that baffled Washington. Rather than retaliate against the United States with comparable sanctions standard practice during the Cold War and afterward Putin seemed to greet Obamas punitive measures with an indifferent shrug. Putins reaction praised by Trump in a tweet saying I always knew he was very smart sent officials at the White House, State Department and U.S. intelligence agencies scrambling for clues. What they began to focus on, in early January, were Flynns calls with Kislyak. Telling the Trump team On Jan. 5, FBI Director James B. Comey, CIA Director John Brennan and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. briefed Obama and a small group of his top White House advisers on the contents of a classified intelligence report showing that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump. Thats when White House officials learned that the FBI was investigating the Flynn-Kislyak calls. The Flynn-Kislyak relationship was highlighted, a former senior U.S. official said, adding that the bureau made clear that there was an actual investigation underway. The Obama administration at times seemed almost paralyzed about how to respond to Russias unprecedented attack on the U.S. election system, even as officials watched it unfold. It wasnt until weeks after the election that the Obama administration sought to punish Russia. The Obama team was similarly slow in its deliberations over whether and how to confront the fledgling Trump administration over what it had uncovered in Flynns conversations with Kislyak. The issue was forced out into the open on Jan. 12 in an op-ed by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius. The article revealed Flynns calls with Kislyak and called for an explanation from the White House on whether the two men had discussed sanctions. Pence and other members of the Trump transition team, still a week away from assuming power, checked with Flynn before they publicly denied that sanctions had been discussed during the call with Kislyak. Sally Q. Yates, then the deputy attorney general, Clapper and Brennan wanted to inform the Trump White House that Flynn had misled Pence and other officials. They were concerned that Moscow could use the lie to blackmail Flynn and didnt feel comfortable leaving Pence in the dark about being misled. On Obamas last full day in office, Jan. 19, Clapper and Brennan made the case to Comey for informing the Trump team about Flynn. The FBI director pushed back primarily on the grounds that notifying the new administration could complicate the agencys investigation. The bureau, Comey also insisted, shouldnt be the truth police, according to an official familiar with his thinking at the time. In other words, if theres not a violation of law here, its not our job to go and tell the vice president that hes been lied to. In the days following Trumps inauguration, FBI agents interviewed Flynn about his calls with Kislyak. That removed the basis for Comeys earlier objection to notifying the White House, current and former officials said. It is unclear whether Flynn gave the agents an accurate account of his calls with Kislyak. If not, officials said he could find himself in serious legal jeopardy. The FBI interview with Flynn was first reported by the New York Times. On Jan. 26, Yates notified White House counsel Donald McGahn about the concerns that she and the former intelligence chiefs had about Flynns misrepresentations to Pence and others. McGahn, in turn, informed Trump, leading to a review of whether Flynn had violated any laws. White House lawyers quickly concluded that no laws had been broken, according to Spicer. In his letter of resignation, Flynn said that he had inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador, and that he had merely sought to facilitate a smooth transition and begin to build the necessary relationships for Trump with foreign leaders. Current and former U.S. officials described that assertion as implausible, noting that sanctions were such a prominent subject of Flynns conversation with Kislyak that it seems unlikely he could have forgotten. Spicer also suggested that Flynns false account of the sanctions discussion was part of a troubling pattern, saying that a series of issues and series of statements and pronouncements had damaged Flynns standing beyond repair. Flynns version of events finally started to crumble on Feb. 7, when he was informed that The Post was preparing to publish an article about his discussion of sanctions with Kislyak, citing nine current and former U.S. officials. Flynn, at first, stood by his denials. Then, one day later, he acknowledged through a spokesman that he might have discussed sanctions but couldnt recall. Pence finally learned from The Post two weeks after McGahn that Flynn had misled him. It would appear that neither McGahn nor Trump had informed him of the false statements. After Flynn apologized to Pence, the vice president seemed open to allowing Flynn to remain in place, according to a senior administration official. But Reince Priebus, Trumps chief of staff who had also come to Flynns defense in January, didnt want to let it go, the official added. Read more: Flynn episode darkens the cloud of Russia that hangs over Trump administration Pence remains above the fray, but is he outside the inner circle? Flynn departure erupts into a full-blown crisis for the Trump White House White House Counsel Don McGahn, arriving in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York last month, has found himself at the center of the controversy surrounding Michael Flynns resignation from the national security adviser post. (Albin Lohr-Jones/Bloomberg) Less than a month into his presidency, Donald Trump has faced no shortage of controversies. Donald McGahn the fiery lawyer who has represented the president since before his election has been at the center of virtually every one. When the acting attorney general wanted to warn the White House that its national security adviser was potentially susceptible to Russian blackmail, she passed the message first to McGahn. When the director of the Office of Government Ethics wrote a letter recommending an investigation of senior adviser Kellyanne Conway for her public endorsement of Ivanka Trumps clothing line, he made sure McGahn had a copy. McGahn played a key role in helping Trump select Neil Gorsuch as his Supreme Court nominee and even told those not chosen that they had been passed over. And while it is unclear the extent to which he scrutinized in advance Trumps executive order temporarily barring refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, after it was issued he tried to dispel confusion over the ban. Justice Department lawyers have asserted that his clarifying memo should be treated as if it came from the president himself. The guidance from the White House counsel is the definitive interpretation of the order, a Justice Department lawyer said at a recent court hearing. The White House counsel speaks for the president in this context. [Trumps own Beltway establishment guy: The curious journey of Don McGahn] McGahn, 48, is a veteran campaign finance lawyer and former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission. Before taking over the role of White House counsel, he worked at the Jones Day law firm and as general counsel to the Trump campaign. He is a consummate Washington insider, but like the man for whom he works, he has an independent streak, those who know him say. He plays the guitar and once sported shoulder-length hair. Don is not a buttoned-down guy, said Bradley A. Smith, a law professor at Capital University and longtime professional friend of McGahn. On the Federal Election Commission, where he served from 2008 to 2013, McGahn repeatedly clashed with Democratic commissioners as he worked to loosen regulations on campaign spending and place limits on the commissions ability to launch investigations of violations of campaign finance law. Democratic Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub said McGahn came into this agency with the agenda of blowing it up from the inside and resisted pursuing virtually all complaints of election-related wrongdoing. One thing that does trouble me a little bit in the role that hes in now is he was never someone who was open to new ideas or people challenging his views, Weintraub said. McGahn in 2011 helped protect Trump from a possible investigation. Then mulling a run for president, Trump was accused of violating Federal Election Commission regulations by channeling money through the Trump Organization to the website ShouldTrumpRun.com. Commission staff members recommended that Trump be investigated, but the case was dismissed after McGahn and two other Republican commissioners voted against the recommendation. Trump ultimately did not run for president in 2012. As White House counsel, McGahn is supposed to provide the president with legal guidance on the thorniest issues of the day, and to manage disputes between power players inside the administration and the various executive agencies. Kathryn Ruemmler, who served as White House counsel under Obama, said it is critical that the counsel maintains a position of authority and thinks in the long term. The White House counsel has to be empowered to be the process hawk, hopefully with the full support of the chief of staff, Ruemmler said. There are a lot of short-term, win-the-day voices in the room. The White House counsel should not be focused on winning the day. The White House counsel should be the voice in the room thats thinking about the long-term institutional interests of the presidency. If his predecessors provide any indication, McGahn will not be able to dodge high-profile controversies. Obama White House counsel Gregory B. Craig, for example, was responsible for drafting the executive actions that banned torture, and he was at the center of the failed attempt to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. Alberto R. Gonzales, the White House counsel and later attorney general under George W. Bush, was involved in crafting legal guidance that critics say paved the way for the use of inappropriately harsh interrogation techniques on detainees in the war against terrorism. Then-Acting Attorney General Sally Yates first told McGahn in late January that Michael Flynn, then Trumps national security adviser, was potentially susceptible to Russian blackmail because he had misled senior administration officials about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Flynn had said publicly that he did not discuss U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia when he spoke with the ambassador in late December, when in fact he had. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that McGahn briefed the president and a small group of senior advisers soon after receiving the message and conducted his own review to determine if Flynn had acted illegally. Spicer said McGahn determined Flynn had not, although Flynn had nonetheless lost the presidents trust. Late Monday, Flynn resigned. Smith said he had talked with McGahn a few times since the election and he seemed upbeat and busy. He said he was not sure who played what role in drafting the travel ban, and he and McGahn had not discussed the response to revelations about Flynn. A White House spokesman did not immediately respond to a request to interview McGahn for this story. It remains unclear what role McGahn played in drafting the hotly contested travel ban. Trump has moved at a rapid pace to make good on some of his controversial campaign promises, including the ban. That executive order already has run into several successful court challenges, which have frozen it for now, and Trump has said he is considering rewriting it. After the ban was issued, McGahn issued a memo asserting that the ban did not apply to legal permanent residents of the United States although courts have said if that is to have true legal force, Trump must make it a part of his executive order. The White House counsel is not the President, and he is not known to be in the chain of command for any of the Executive Departments, three judges with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit wrote in an opinion upholding the suspension of Trumps travel ban. Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard Law School professor and co-founder of the Lawfare blog, said that part of McGahns job is ensuring that the president avoids legal controversy or related political controversy. The White House counsels responsibilities go far beyond technical legal compliance, said Goldsmith, a former assistant attorney general heading the Office of Legal Counsel. He is supposed to ensure compliance with ethics rules. And he is supposed to anticipate political problems related to legal issues that might adversely affect the president and take steps to protect the president. That McGahn clearly did not do. Read more: Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser The timeline of Michael Flynns resignation just looks bad for the Trump White House What will become of the National Security Council that Flynn was building? The University of Wisconsin-Madison has recognized students named to the deans list for the fall semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. Students who achieve at a high level academically are recognized by the dean at the close of each semester. To be eligible for the deans list, students must complete a minimum of 12 graded degree credits in that semester. Each university school or college sets its own GPA requirements for students to be eligible to receive the distinction. Most call the honor deans list, but some grant the deans honor list and deans high honor list. Chaseburg Katie Bluske, College of Engineering, deans honor list; Cadan Cummings, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, deans list. Coon Valley Kyle Hoff, College of Engineering, deans honor list; Andrea Oelke, School of Education, deans list; Christopher Poellinger, College of Engineering, deans honor list; Travis Schmitt, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, deans list. Genoa Alexandria Chapes, School of Education, deans list. Ontario Sarah Witt, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, deans list. Readstown Erica Howe, College of Letters and Science, deans list; Hannah Sherry, School of Education, deans list. Stoddard Christian Curti, School of Business, deans list; Alice Gardner, School of Nursing, deans honor list; Isabella Ruetten, School of Human Ecology, deans high honors. Viola Gavin Mccauley, College of Letters and Science, deans list; Jocelyn Parker, College of Letters and Science, deans list. Viroqua Sam Barendregt, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, deans list; Emma Bruland, College of Letters and Science, deans list; Mari McPheron, College of Engineering, deans honor list; Sylvie Rising, School of Human Ecology, deans honor list; Jessica Schmidt, School of Education, deans list; Cora Sheldon, School of Education, deans list. Westby Brittany Dunnum, College of Letters and Science, deans list; Herman Feller, College of Engineering, deans honor list; Logan Gutenberger, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, deans list; Ryan Gutenberger, College of Engineering, deans honor list; Samantha McGarvey, College of Letters and Science, deans list; Connor Vonruden, School of Education, deans list. Palestinians play cards in Hebron, West Bank, as a TV screen shows a joint news conference by President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Feb. 15, 2017. (Mussa Issa Qawasma/Reuters) Palestinian officials pleaded with the White House on Wednesday not to abandon the two-state solution for a possible peace deal with Israel, as President Trump signaled he could live with other outcomes. The Palestinian leadership appeared stunned that a Trump official told reporters in Washington late Tuesday that the White House was open to a new approach that does not emphasize two states one for Israelis and one for Palestinians, living side by side, as previous administrations have. At a White House news conference on Wednesday, Trump said he had once believed the two-state solution was the easier of the two options, but he said the United States could embrace alternatives, if Israel and the Palestinians agreed. I am looking at two states or one state, and I like the one that both parties like, Trump said. The comments came during the first face-to-face talks between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the November election. It also followed disclosures that CIA chief Mike Pompeo held secret talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Tuesday, according to a senior Palestinian official. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) [Watch: Trump urges Israel to hold off on new settlements] Netanyahu has been under pressure by his right-wing governing coalition to abandon the two-state solution, which he formally backed in 2009. Trumps position on the two-state paradigm has not been clear and still remains fuzzy. Its something the two sides have to agree to. Its not for us to impose that vision, a Trump official said Tuesday. A two-state solution that doesnt bring peace is not our goal, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the potential U.S. policy change. Many Palestinians would view such a shift as an abandonment of a principle adopted by preceding U.S. administrations, both Republican and Democratic, as well as the European Union and the United Nations. At Wednesdays news conference, Trump cautioned that the Israelis are going to have to show some flexibility, which is hard, its hard to do. Trump advised that Netanyahu hold back on settlements for a bit. He added, Well work something out. Saeb Erekat, a top Palestinian official and former peace negotiator, said: We believe undermining the two state solution is not a joke. Its a disaster and a tragedy for Israelis and Palestinians. Erekat, a veteran of seven U.S.-brokered peace talks with Israel, said the Palestinian Authority remains committed to the two-state goals. He said it was the Israeli leaders and supporters of the 600,000 Israelis living in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem who were opposed to a Palestinian state. [Analysis: Trump is dividing American Jews over U.S. policies, not Israel] Erekat said the alternative to the two state vision was a single democratic secular state for Jews, Muslims and Christians, with full rights for all. Such a single state, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, would hold almost equal numbers of Jewish and Muslim voters. Israelis and American supporters of Israel fear that a single state would either undermine the democratic or Jewish nature of Israel. Today, Palestinians in the West Bank live under an almost 50-year military occupation. In the Gaza Strip, the population lives under severe trade and travel controls. To those who think the current system is acceptable, having one state with two systems, this is apartheid, Erekat said. I dont think they can sustain it, not in the 21st century. Netanyahu has argued in the past that while Israel remains committed in theory to the idea of two states, now is not the time. The Palestinian leadership is weak and rejectionist, he said. Theres no partner for peace, Netanyahu said. In Washington, Netanyahu restated his claims that no peace talks are possible until Palestinians agree to accords that Israel believes are essential for its safety, including giving Israeli security forces a continued presence in the West Bank. Netanyahu has warned that a new Palestinian state could quickly by taken over the Islamist militant movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and is committed to Israels destruction. Israel and Hamas have fought three years in the last nine years. The last time Netanyahu ran for office in 2015, he promised voters a Palestinian state would never be created under his watch. He later walked the statement back. The Israeli minister for public security and member of Netanyahus Likud Party, Gilad Erdan told Israels Army Radio earlier this week that all the cabinet ministers oppose a Palestinian state, including Netanyahu. The two-state solution has often been declared moribund. But most of the world continues to think it is the regions best chance for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, speaking in Cairo on Wednesday, warned, There is no alternative solution for the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis, other than the solution of establishing two states, and we should do all that can be done to maintain this. Read more Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Photo credit: Facebook From Woman's Day For more than 30 years, American Girl has brought fun into the lives of little girls with their sweet dolls, and now this 9-year-old hopes to share the joy she's found in the toys with young cancer patients. Bella Fricker, a third grader from Georgia, fundraises money to donate bald American Girl dolls to little girls with cancer by selling her handmade bracelets through her very own business called "Peace. Love. Bracelets," according to The Huffington Post. She started her fundraising efforts just a few months ago, and she's already sold close to 500 bracelets and donated four dolls. "Unfortunately, four children in our community over the years have had cancer and really left an impression on her," Bella's mother, Valerie Fricker, told The Huffington Post. "I have been personally involved in the fundraising efforts within the community in the past." Back in October, Bella set up a work space in her playroom and began to create the handmade bracelets and "blind bags" for $3-15. All of the proceeds from her jewelry business go directly to her next American Girl doll purchase. "I think [Bella] has just taken her love and passion for American Girl dolls and turned it into her passion with wanting to make little girls feel happy when they're in the hospital and have lost their hair," her mother said. The Frickers family organizes the doll donations with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). Bella personally delivers to the dolls to girls in the hospital, and she enjoys picking out items and outfits that will speak to the new owners. "For example, if they are a softball player, then Bella will get a softball outfit. If they are a ballerina, Bella will get a ballet outfit," Valerie said. "She also likes to give them a coloring book, crayons, and a bracelet making set, so they have something to do during chemotherapy or hospital stays." Story continues All of the donated dolls come from the American Girl "Truly Me" line, which are designed for girls suffering from cancer, alopecia, or other hair loss conditions. They come without hair, and can be customized to feature various eye colors and skin tones. If the young owner wants her doll to have hair once her own hair returns, it can be arranged with the doll company free of charge. Bella's donated dolls come wearing a hospital gown, which Bella also arranged on her own. Right now, the only way to get these gowns for the dolls is to send your own American Girl doll to the company's "Doll Hospital" for repair. To assist Bella in her efforts, people have donated their own doll's hospital gowns to outfit these new dolls for cancer patients, FOX5 Atlanta reported. The third grader hopes to donate 45-50 dolls to CHOA and a few other children's hospitals across the country in the near future, and she's also considering raising money to donate Build-A-Bear stuffed animals to children who might not play with dolls. Her mother plans to create a website for "Peace. Love. Bracelets." and turn the charity business into an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. "It's been awesome," Bella told FOX5 Atlanta. "I feel really good about myself by helping somebody else." To donate to Bella's cause, visit her Facebook page for more information. (h/t The Huffington Post) Follow Woman's Day on Instagram. You Might Also Like Kim Kardashian is not happy with her belly button. (Photo: Getty Images) Kim Kardashian is back on social media, which means we know exactly how she spent her weekend: getting plastic surgery. She took to Snapchat at longtime surgeon Dr. Simon Ourians office to share her latest treatment, belly-button lasering. Anyone thats had babies understands what it does to your belly button afterwards and how much your belly button changes, then you really understand how much you need Dr. Ourian to tighten around your belly button so it looks normal, she explained. The procedure may be worth it for new moms, but it also hurts, Kardashian said. Ive never loved someone and hated someone so much at the same time, she joked of Dr. Ourian. If you havent heard of belly-button lasering before, youre not alone. Although we wouldnt put it past a Kardashian to be at the forefront of a new plastic surgery treatment, we checked in with the experts to see how lasering really works. Post-pregnancy patients can get an outie type look, often associated with a small umbilical hernia, says Dr. Sachin M. Shridharani, a New York City-based luxury plastic surgeon. It is very rare that the pre-stretched-out state is ever restored, but an improvement can be seen. Kardashian is likely referring to laser resurfacing, a treatment recommended to reduce acne scars and fine lines. Laser resurfacing is a procedure that uses a laser to improve the appearance of skin texture and quality and treat minor flaws by removing damaged skin, says Dr. Shridharani. Theyre the fix-it-all laser when it comes to skin care: Resurfacing lasers also stimulate collagen growth, help get rid of fine lines and creases, remove environmental trauma and tighten skin. Story continues But for anyone looking to turn that outie belly button inside out, laser resurfacing may not be the first recommended treatment. More invasive surgery has a higher chance of getting your belly button to its pre-pregnancy state. According to the experts, No laser is going to give as much tightening as a well- done tummy tuck or mini tummy tuck. Now who wants to tell Kim? Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Body lotion is being used to smuggle cocaine. (Photo: Getty Images) We love a good skin cream here at Yahoo Beauty and thought wed seen it all lotions infused with bee venom, masks made of bird poop but putting cocaine in your body lotion seems like one of those beauty ventures that, you know, since its highly illegal and dangerous, just isnt worth it. And thats exactly what got one Ecuadorian woman arrested Monday after authorities at Thailands Suvarnabhumi Airport found her carrying a suitcase full of cocaine-laced body creams. Narcotics police found six large jars of body lotion in the luggage of 56-year-old Jenny Pacheco after she stepped off her flight from Lima, Peru. Authorities said there was about 2.3 kg worth of cocaine in total, according to reports. Narcotics officer Wutthipong Phetkamnerd told reporters that mixing cocaine in lotions and creams is a new smuggling tactic to avoid arrest but didnt go into detail as to how the illicit drug could be extracted from the cream. It turns out, infusing cocaine into beauty products is just the latest in a long line of increasingly creative ways to get contraband across international borders. Thats according to Gregory D. Lee, an expert witness in police procedures and retired DEA supervisory special agent. As a smuggler, youre only limited by your imagination and what you think you can pull off, he tells Yahoo Beauty. But what about getting it out (assuming, of course, that you dont want cocaine-laced body lotion)? It can be extracted through chemical means, says Lee. Whoever that woman was going to deliver the lotion to, obviously they were set up to do it. And while Lee says it was clever of Pacheco to allegedly stash the drugs in body cream, he adds that carrying six jars in her luggage was a dead giveaway. He estimates that she was carrying about $3,000 worth of cocaine and likely got her flight from South America to Asia covered. Still, living in the shadow of the law comes with real risks, and Lee says that Thailand has some of the harshest punishments in the world smugglers can face the death penalty. Story continues Suffice it to say that as long as smugglers remain creative and brazen, theyll keep trying to bring illegal drugs across borders, maybe next time in a lip kit. Read More: These Designers Really Nailed It With Their Fashion Week Manicures Teen Nearly Blinded by Hair Dye Counterfeit Jergens Enters the Market. Is This the Tip of the Iceberg? Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. (Photo: Josh Rossi) Though shes just 3 years old, Nellee Rossi has already been portrayed as Wonder Woman, Little Red Riding Hood and legendary female warrior Hua Mulan by her father, Josh Rossi, a commercial photographer. So this year, for a Valentines Day surprise, he went a bit more traditional and cast her as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, his daughters current obsession. Whenever something special comes up I do something fun for her, Josh, 32, tells PEOPLE. The new Beauty and the Beast movie is coming out and shes obsessed with Belle from the movie. She loves when the Beast comes out, when they fall in love. So I was like, Okay. That could be fun. (Photo: Josh Rossi) And he just happened to be traveling in Europe earlier this year for so he was able to photograph real castles for the background, including the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle in Disneyland in Anaheim, California. I took some background shots of the castle, some surroundings, he says. We had somebody donate three of the replica dresses that they created, for a kids version. Then I got home and did a photo shoot of her. So its this magical, Disney-type series for Valentines Day. Nellee was especially thrilled when she saw the dresses, he says. (They were donated by designer Ella Dynae.) She was over-the-top excited about the dresses, he says. While we were in studio shooting her she wanted to reenact certain parts from the movie. She had seen it so many times that she had the dancing scene memorized. She got the most excited for that part because finally she could act out that scene with the Beast (me). She loved that scene so much he decided to give an enlarged portrait version of it to her as a special gift, which he gave to her on Valentines Day morning. Story continues I wanted to give that to her because it represented my love for her and how special she is to me, he says. The surprise gift was a huge success, he says. (Photo: Josh Rossi) She is little so she just jumped up and down and couldnt believe it, he says. Then she started singing, Tale as old as time, went and put on her Belle dress and now she is in a different world. Moments like those make all the time and effort he puts into the shoots worth it, he says. I want her to have something that represents the relationship she and I have, he says. A normal photo doesnt do it for me. Im constantly taking photos and videos to try and hold on to each moment spent with her. The Beauty and the Beast series is a follow-up to his eight-photo Halloween series casting her as Wonder Woman, which had more than 35 million views. (Photo: Josh Rossi) Photo credit: KMOV From Cosmopolitan The wife and stepson of a Ku Klux Klan leader found fatally shot next to a river in eastern Missouri were charged in his death Monday. Malissa Ann Ancona, 44, and her 24-year-old son, Paul Edward Jinkerson Jr., were charged with first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and abandonment of a corpse in the death of Frank Ancona. Both are jailed without bond. A probable cause statement alleges that Jinkerson shot his 51-year-old stepfather as he slept Thursday at his home in Leadwood, about 70 miles south of St. Louis. St. Francois County Sheriff's Department detective Matt Wampler wrote that after the shooting, Ancona's body was taken in Jinkerson's vehicle to an area near Belgrade, about 20 miles away. Jinkerson's attorney, Eric Barnhart, said he didn't believe his client was involved in the killing, but he declined to comment further. It wasn't immediately clear if Malissa Ancona had an attorney. A family that was fishing in the Big River found Frank Ancona's body Saturday. An autopsy conducted Sunday revealed that he died of a gunshot to the head. For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. Ancona called himself an imperial wizard with the Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. A website for the group includes an image of him in a white hood and robe standing in front of a burning cross. The website describes the group as a "White Patriotic Christian organization that bases its roots back to the Ku Klux Klan of the early 20th century." The Park Hills Daily Journal said investigators placed yellow police tape around Ancona's home in Leadwood Saturday, believing he was killed there. His safe had been broken into and the contents removed. Several of his guns were missing, police told the Daily Journal. Washington County Sheriff Zach Jacobsen said a U.S. Forest Service employee found Ancona's car Thursday on a service road near Potosi, about 30 miles from where his body was eventually found. He was reported missing Friday after his employer told Leadwood police that he hadn't shown up for work for two days. Story continues Investigators found evidence of a burn pile near Ancona's abandoned vehicle, Jacobsen said. Prior to the discovery of Ancona's body, Malissa Ancona told police her husband had left the state on a delivery job. She said he planned to file for divorce when he returned. Investigators said Malissa Ancona tried to destroy blood evidence and altered the crime scene in an effort to conceal the killing, the Daily Journal reported. Investigators said she was acting in concert with her son. You Might Also Like Photo credit: Getty From Esquire Two weeks after President Donald Trump fired acting attorney general Sally Yates, she's made breaking political news once again in a major way. The Washington Post reports that Yates informed the Trump administration late last month that she believed Michael Flynn had "misled senior administration officials about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States," adding that the national security adviser was "potentially vulnerable" to Russian blackmail after his talks with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. "Current and former" U.S. officials said, according to The Post, that Yates and a senior career national security official to the White House counsel delivered the message. The warning was prompted by a conversation Flynn had with Mike Pence, in which he said that he had "not discussed the Obama administration sanctions on Russia for its interference in the 2016 election." Former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. and former CIA director John Brennan had the same concerns at the time, "concurr[ing] with [Yates'] recommendation to inform the Trump White House": "They feared that 'Flynn had put himself in a compromising position' and thought that Pence had a right to know that he had been misled, according to one of the officials, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters." The Post notes that currently, it's unclear if White House counsel Donald McGahn did anything with this information. A senior Trump administration official added that the White House is aware of the situation and that they've been "working on this for weeks." Multiple government agencies are currently investigating Flynn's relationship with Russia, according to The New York Times: "The F.B.I. has been examining Mr. Flynn's phone calls as he has come under growing questions about his interactions with Russian officials and his management of the National Security Council. In addition, the Army has been investigating whether Mr. Flynn received money from the Russian government during a trip he took to Moscow in 2015, according to two defense officials." Story continues The news comes shortly after Yates was fired for refusing to defend the president's executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority nations. (H/T The Washington Post) You Might Also Like President Trumps Bathrobe Has Taken on a Life of Its Own with Parody Twitter Account: Oh I Exist President Donald Trump has responded to claims of repeated contact between his team and Russian intelligence officials during the 2016 presidential election election, calling the accusations conspiracy theories and an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign. He also slammed the apparent leaks from the intelligence community, tweeting that classified information was being given out like candy. Current and former American officials told The New York Times in a report published Tuesday that law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee. CNN published a similar report later in the day. Trump responded to the accusations in a series of tweets on Wednesday morning, calling the news conspiracy theories being pushed by fake news media before praising Fox News weekday morning show. The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred, he wrote. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! The 70-year-old business mogul also fired shots at the Times and the Washington Post, which has also published numerous reports citing unnamed security sources. Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia, Trump said. In another tweet, he wrote, This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign. The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Thank you to Eli Lake of The Bloomberg View "The NSA & FBIshould not interfere in our politicsand is" Very serious situation for USA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 RELATED VIDEO: Trump Denies Claims He Employed Prostitutes in Russia: Im a Germaphobe Among several senior Trump advisers regularly communicating with Russian nationals were then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former top adviser Michael Flynn, according to the reports in the Times and CNN. Story continues Flynn, who was Trumps national security adviser, was forced to resign on Monday following reports that he gave incomplete information to Vice President Mike Pence about conversations he had with Moscows ambassador in Washington. Flynn repeatedly denied that he discussed sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama against Russia for election meddling with the ambassador. However, call transcripts show that Flynn may have even suggested the incoming Trump administration would be open to lifting the sanctions. Manafort denied any contacts with Russian officials. He told The New York Times on Tuesday, I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today. Numerous members of the Senate and Congress spoke out against Trump following the allegations, some calling anyone found to have worked with Russian hackers or intelligence services to be tried for treason. Any Americans who conspired w/ the Russian hackers should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, no matter how high up the trail goes, tweeted Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro. Any Americans who conspired w/ the Russian hackers should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, no matter how high up the trail goes. Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 15, 2017 If any US citizen conspired with enemy foreign agents to subvert US democracy then that person committed treason. Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) February 15, 2017 This report should serve as a clarion call for all of Congress to demand an independent investigation into Russia's meddling in our election https://t.co/zG5bQWe8JO Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) February 15, 2017 Everything we suspected during the campaign is proving true. This is a colossal scandal.https://t.co/NythuqU4Cq Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) February 15, 2017 Okay, Republicans. The time has come. Dump this guy and protect the nation. @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/2dXEwiDvoX Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) February 15, 2017 Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan Boyle wrote, If any US citizen conspired with enemy foreign agents to subvert US democracy then that person committed treason. Although it is not unusual for communications between campaign staff and representatives of foreign governments to occur, the contact stood out to investigators due to the high frequency and level of the Trump advisers involved, according to the Times. Students at La Farge Schools are teaming up with the La Farge Lions Club once again in the Giving Back From The Heart program to help support a variety of individuals, families, programs, organizations and projects. The Lions club will donate $100 to each grade at the school for the students in that grade to choose a worthy cause, project or individual to support. The La Farge Lions Club hopes the donations allows the students at La Farge Schools to become involved in the needs of their community and the world around them. This is the sixth year of the giving back program, started by the La Farge Lions Club in 2012. Some of the recipients chosen by the La Farge students this year will include donations to the Vernon County Humane Society, American Cancer Society, Wounded Warriors Project, Lawton Memorial Library and several local families in need. Presentations of the checks by the students and La Farge Lions Club members will be made at an assembly held at the school gymnasium at 9:45 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 23. This assembly at the La Farge gymnasium is open to the public. Many of the recipients chosen by the students will have representatives at the school to receive their donation from the students at the assembly. Everyone is invited to attend the Giving Back From The Heart program. North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile launch Sunday once again raised concerns over the reclusive country's nuclear capabilities. Despite being at the receiving end of tough United Nations sanctions, North Korea has continued to stoke tensions with the West and its southern neighbor with its missile launches and efforts to bolster its nuclear program. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to "deal with" North Korea and called it "a big, big problem," but did not mention the ballistic missile the country test-fired over the weekend. Trump also did not outline any response the U.S. was planning to counter Pyongyang's threats. While both the nations have blamed each other for provocations, here is a list of threats Kim Jong Un has made to the U.S. over the years. Attack on Los Angeles: Most recently, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea said in an interview to the BBC's "Victoria Derbyshire Show" that Kim Jong Un could "press the button" and launch a missile at the California city. When asked if Kim would carry out an attack against the U.S. knowing that the Pentagon would retaliate, Thae Yong-ho, North Korea's former deputy ambassador in London, replied: "Yes." "He knows that if he loses the power then it is his last day so he may do anything, even to attack Los Angeles, because once people know that in any way you will be killed, then you will do anything. That is the human being's normal reaction," he added. North Korea will bring misery to America: In January, the reclusive country threatened to pour further misery on the U.S. after Trump announced that Washington will make a state of the art missile defense system to counter attacks from Pyongyang. The U.S. will face a position more miserable than that in the Pueblo case if it forgets that lesson and frantically pursues new ways to provoke war against the north, North Koreas Central TV station said at the time, referring to the capture of an American intelligence ship, the USS Pueblo, during the Cold War. Story continues Missile that can reach U.S mainland: Earlier in January, Kim Jong Un announced that its military is capable of test-launching an inter-continental ballistic missile that could reach the U.S. mainland at any time and from any location. Kim Jong Un's New Year speech threat: In his New Year address, North Korean leader said Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparing to test an ICBM. "Research and development of the cutting-edge tech weapons are actively progressing and strengthening our defense capabilities, including last stage preparation of tests for Intercontinental Ballistic rocket launch have been continuously succeeding," Kim said in his New Year's remarks. Pyongyang threat to retaliate to U.S.-South Korea drills: Kim said during his New Year's speech that North Korea will ramp up preparations for potential nuclear strikes against Seoul and Washington if the two fail to abandon their joint military exercises. US-South Koreas madcap mid-winter drills: North Korea warned of retaliation over South Korea's and U.S. Marines' military exercises on the ski slopes of Pyeongchang that began on Jan.15 and ended on Feb.3. Pyongyang reportedly termed the exercises, in which over 300 Marines took place, "madcap mid-winter" drills. Long-range nuclear warheads threat: A South Korean government official in December said that North Korea has long-range nuclear warheads which can reach the U.S. Pyongyang's KN-08 missile was set to have a range of more than 7,500 miles. Retaliation over U.S. hostile acts: North Korea warned the U.S. in November 2016, urging it to end its "ever-worsening hostile moves and increasing nuclear threat against" Pyongyang. North Korea's foreign affairs ministry, in a memorandum, listed what it called "the criminal acts of the U.S." "The anachronistic hostile policy and nuclear threat that the U.S. has enforced with unprecedented recklessness against the DPRK have only provoked its just and righteous countermeasures for self-defense," the memorandum, as published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, read. Joint naval drills by South Korea and the U.S.: In October 2016, North Korea condemned the joint naval drills by Seoul and Washington saying that the exercises were an advance preparation for mounting a preemptive attack. Threat to U.S. base in Guam: In September 2016, North Korea threatened Seoul and a United States' base in Guam with a nuclear attack. The provocations have pushed the situation on the Korean peninsula to the uncontrollable and irreversible phase of the outbreak of nuclear war, the statement said. Related Articles Start mapping out a movie-inspired itinerary in these iconic film settings. Memorable trips and films share a few key attributes: strong visuals, engaging characters and a good backstory. And these days, movie enthusiasts the world over can visit cinematic locations that artfully combine these elements, blending beautiful backdrops and intriguing narratives. Companies like Viator sell guided movie tours in destinations such as Las Vegas, Paris, Rome and Sydney. Film and literature fanatics can spend a week retracing Harry Potter's footsteps through the U.K. or following Frodo across New Zealand. Start planning your own bucket list-worthy trip to alluring destinations that have inspired or served as the backdrop for an Oscar-nominated film. Los Angeles Film: "La La Land" The Oscars are a Hollywood staple, so it likely comes as no surprise that LA has long been a coveted cinematic destination, featuring film locations for 10 best picture winners, including the classic "Gone with the Wind." If you're a fan of "La La Land," the irresistible love song to the boulevards, pool parties and dreams of Hollywood, there are plenty of locations to explore. Travelers who fell for Sebastian and Mia should stop at the Starbucks on the Warner Bros. Studios lot, where their courtship began before making their way to Griffith Observatory or the carpool lane at the Century Freeway interchange with Interstate 110, the location for the film's opening number. Cape Ann, Massachusetts Film: "Manchester by the Sea" "Manchester by the Sea" is a drama in which Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) returns to the fishing port of the same name to deal with his brother's sudden death. Filmed entirely on location in Cape Ann, Massachusetts, "Manchester by the Sea" and the area's brooding harbor are augmented by wintry scenes shot in Gloucester, Essex, Rockport, Beverly and Salem that accentuate the sense of loss. More authentic than Amity Island, the fictional setting of the "Jaws" franchise filmed on Martha's Vineyard, these Massachusetts towns provide opportunities to experience the serenity of the sea on whale-watching, fishing, schooner or sightseeing boat tours, offered daily throughout summer. Story continues Paterson, New Jersey Film: "Paterson" "Paterson" is director Jim Jarmusch's lyrical story of a bus driver named Paterson (Adam Driver) and his richly observant poetry about daily life in Paterson, a faded city that once inspired the poets William Carlos Williams and Allen Ginsberg. Though the small-town bar where Paterson ties up his dog each night was filmed in Queens, New York, travelers can make their way to New Jersey to admire Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, the waterfall that renews Paterson's faith in the power of art. Plan a film-inspired road trip to visit the home lab of Thomas Edison in West Orange, New Jersey, and his museum and experimental lab at Menlo Park, New Jersey. Fiji, Samoa and Oahu, Hawaii Film: "Moana" In Disney's animated feature "Moana," set in long ago Oceania, a teen uses traditional Polynesian wayfinding skills on a sailing adventure to save her people. The inspiring film settings -- Viti Levu and Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park in Fiji; the Alofaaga Blowholes on the lava fields of Samoa; and Moorea and the Teahupo'o surf break in Tahiti -- should ride a rising tide in family travel. Youngsters can learn about Oceania at Oahu's Polynesian Cultural Center, see lava fields on Hawaii or visit Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, for story time and a Moana makeup, hair and costume makeover. Miami Film: "Moonlight" A graceful coming-of-age story, "Moonlight" follows Chiron, a young black man struggling with a crack-addicted mother and self-identity in a Miami ghetto. Director Barry Jenkins embraces the city that was backdrop to "Scarface." The film was shot in Liberty City, which visitors can tour from above by following Chiron's ride on the Miami Metromover and Metrorail transit systems to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza station. Meanwhile, Chiron's joyful introduction to the sea was filmed at Virginia Key Beach, a public park with bike trails. And the beach where he finds love is between 21st and 22nd streets off Miami Beach Drive, a quiet corner of bustling South Beach. The Maldives Film: "Rogue One" After the award-winning documentary "The Island President" about government efforts to combat climate change, the Maldives is back in the limelight for another apocalyptic moment in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story." The Rebel Alliance forces make their last stand against the Death Star on the verdant tropical island of Scarif, a military base filmed on Berasdhoo Island and Gan, two of 82 islands in the Laamu Atoll. The former is uninhabited; the latter counts among its few hotels the eco-friendly resort Six Senses Laamu. If the final embrace of heroes Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor is any indication, the Maldives' popularity for destination weddings will soar. Jordan Film: "Star Wars" series Jordan has long been a popular film location, from Petra, the star of the two-time Oscar-winning action film "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" to deserts made famous by Academy Award winners "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Argo." Recently, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" used the red rock desert of Wadi Rum's national park to create Jedha, the pilgrimage site for Jedi knights and followers of the Force. Earthly travelers can sleep in Bedouin tent camps, feast on lamb barbecued in the hot sand and ride camels to explore hidden petroglyphs. Iceland Film: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Iceland, known among film fans for the acclaimed HBO series "Game of Thrones," features a prominent backdrop in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" as the place where scientist Galen Erso reports to his Death Star commander. The film's location team selected the volcanic beach at Hjorleifshofi and the caves at Hafursey in Myrdalssandur for the film's imperial outpost of Eadu. This sparsely populated region of southern Iceland has unique landscapes popular with hikers and adventurers. Plan a trip soon and benefit from cheap flights on low-cost carriers Icelandair and Wow Air. Liverpool, England Film: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is J.K. Rowling's story of British wizard and "magizoologist" Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who causes chaos when hippogriffs and other beasts escape from his luggage into1940s New York. Shot mainly on sets at the Leavesden studio in Watford, England, the movie is an especial crowd-pleaser for Harry Potter fans. Potterheads should embark on the Warner Bros. Making of Harry Potter tour in London before heading to Liverpool to see the Cunard Building, St. George's Hall, Stanley Dock and other filming locations. If you have some extra days to spare, download the U.K. Film Office's Location Guide and tour the country. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Film: "Star Trek Beyond" While some sets featured in the film "Star Trek Beyond" were built in Vancouver, the movie's locations are pure Dubai. Fans can spot several of the 900 actual futuristic skyscrapers in the Dubai International Financial Centre and the Jumeirah Lakes Towers development through the visual effects overlay. Start your tour on the 2,700-foot outdoor observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, the skyscraper Tom Cruise scaled in "Mission Impossible: Rogue Protocol." Afterward, cruise through the historic Dubai Creek aboard a wooden dhow, a traditional vessel. What's more, Dubai plays upon its cinematic history at the Dubai Mall Cineplex, which features cinemas that stay open 24/7 during holidays like Eid. Two unidentified bodies were found along a northern Indiana creek Tuesday after two 13-year-old girls went missing Monday near the same place. State Police Sgt. Kim Riley told a news conference Tuesday both the bodies were found along Deer Creek about one mile east of Delphi, Indiana. "We are investigating this as a crime scene," Riley said. "We suspect foul play." Riley said authorities hadn't yet identified the bodies. He did not comment on any injuries the deceased might have suffered or even the ages of the victims. He added the bodies were found Tuesday on the edge of the creek about three-quarters of a mile from an abandoned railroad bridge. Liberty German and Abigail Williams, the two girls who went missing Monday, had gone hiking in that same place, and were declared missing hours after they failed to return to a predetermined meeting place. Delphi Police Chief Steve Mullins said the discovery of the bodies alongside the search for the girls had shocked the people living around the place. "I know it's had a terrible effect on our people and we are grieved this sort of thing would happen here in our community," Mullins said. Following the incident, Delphi Community Schools sent a letter to the local community on Tuesday, saying they would offer bus rides to all students in the area, irrespective of where they live. "We will be providing transportation to all students to and from school. We feel that in the best interest and safety of the students, a regular schedule is best," the letter said. People living in Delphi were concerned when the two girls went missing because it is a small town in northwest Indiana and has a population of only around 3,000, with a close-knit community. "I would always be concerned about that until they find whatever murderous beast did this. I would watch my kids very carefully," Kevin Kologinski, a Delphi resident, said at the press conference. Story continues "Mine are all grown up, my grandchildren are too young to be off on their own, but for any other kids that are out I'd keep a very close eye," he added. Related Articles More than 800,000 Americans have signed a petition demanding the release of Donald Trumps tax returns. Polls show that a majority of the country wants to see the documents. On April 15, tens of thousands plan to take to the streets in protest of the presidents refusal to release his tax returns to the public. Some worry Trump is hiding financial ties to Russia. Others want to understand all the conflicts of interest that flow from his failure to divest from his business interests. Twenty thousand people say theyre going to a Los Angeles protest. Eleven thousand are signed up to attend in New York City. Folks will protest in Boise, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Raleigh, Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Salt Lake City, and other municipalities throughout the U.S. And this week, the movement got a new champion and 23 new targets for ire. The champion is Represenative Bill Pascrell, who sits on the Ways and Means Committee. He found that a rarely invoked 1924 law could be used to examine President Donald Trump's tax returns for possible conflicts of interest and Constitutional violations, USA Today reported. The 1924 law gives congressional committees that set tax policy the power to examine tax returns. It was used in 1974 when Congress looked at President Richard Nixon's returns, and in 2014 when the Ways and Means Committee released confidential tax information as part of its investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's handling of applications for nonprofit status. Recommended: Are Deep-State Leakers Defending Democracy or Corroding It? This prompted Democrats on the committee to introduce an amendment Tuesday that wouldve triggered a request for the tax returns to the Treasury Department. Unless this amendment is adopted, we will never see the president's tax returns while he's in office, Representative Sander Levin told his Republican colleagues. Before you stonewall this, I urge you to think twice. You'll only keep the issue alive. Story continues Last year, after some of Trumps worrying foreign conflicts were exposed, I argued that Congress cannot fulfill its constitutional duty to check and balance the next president, or provide adequate oversight of the federal agencies he presides over, without a full, accurate understanding of his business holdings and debts. I urged Americans to tell their representatives that they favor an exhaustive inquiry into Trumps finances to determine exactly where his interests and ours diverge. The amendment was rejected on a party-line vote by these 23 Republicans (the ones with asterisks next to their names represent relatively competitive districts; the others are thought to be in safe seats for the GOP, and only vulnerable in primaries): The vote could come back to haunt these legislators if the tax returns eventually come to light and reveal something that American voters feel they shouldve known, especially given the weak rationale offered by Republicans in defense of the vote. Recommended: What Will It Take for Republicans to Finally Act? If Congress begins to use its powers to rummage around in the tax returns of the president, what prevents Congress from doing the same to average Americans? House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady told reporters, according to CNBC. Privacy and civil liberties are still important rights in this country, and the Ways and Means Committee is not going to start to weaken them. This strikes me as wildly unpersuasive. First, the law was reportedly used decades ago in the special case of a corrupt president and no slippery slope seems to have been stepped on. Second, a bright-line question easily presents itself to keep Ways and Means off that slope: Do we have a Constitutional responsibility to check, balance, and oversee the person whose tax return we are requesting? That ought to be sufficient to protect average Americans. Third, how many average Americans would even care if Ways and Means pulled their tax return, which consists of information theyre already forced to give the federal government? Fourth, there are about six dozen steps congressional Republicans could take to end privacy abrogations that are orders of magnitude more intrusive than a remote threat of a future Congress voting to look at ones tax returns! Take ending the NSA program that collects details on the private communications of almost everyone. The president of the United States is the most powerful person in the world. For that reason alone, he or she has the least expectation of privacy of any American citizen. Tax returns are documents that every modern president has released to the public. And financial ties and relationships bear directly on Trumps official duties, particularly due to his failure to fully divest himself from his businesses. Meanwhile, multiple allies of the president have suspicious ties to a foreign government. Given all that context, it is obscene for members of Congress to eschew a lawful way to examine the presidents tax returns and make sure that he isnt selling out America. They should be judged harshly by voters and history alike. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports The Packers ruled out linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (knee) after he missed practice all week. That leaves rookie Quay Walker to wear the communication helmet on defense against the Lions. The only game Campbell has missed the past six seasons was Week 18 last season when he was inactive to rest for the postseason, not for [more] KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Taliban insurgents attacked a village in northern Faryab province on Wednesday, killing five members of the local police force, an Afghan security official said. Karim Yuresh, spokesman for the provincial police chief, said After a surprise early morning attack, the Taliban gained control of the village, located in the Shirin Tagab district, he added. Five insurgents were also killed and two others were wounded in the battle. Qari Yusouf Ahamdi, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack. In neighboring Jawzjan province, insurgents abducted about 50 local farmers in Darzab district. Mohammad Reza Ghafori, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the tribal elders are trying to secure their release. He added that the motive behind the kidnapping isn't yet clear. The Taliban have not made any statements on the abducted farmers. In another report, three people an Afghan army soldier and two civilians were killed in two separate attacks in eastern Laghman province, according to Sarhadi Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor. First, a roadside bomb against an army convoy killed one and wounded seven soldiers in Alishing district, said Zwak. Two civilians were killed in the same district when a rocket fired and struck a civilian house, he added. From Popular Mechanics Earlier today there were a rash of predictions that the Air Force's secret space plane would be returning to Earth today. Multiple signs, including orbital maneuvers spotted by ground observers and a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) notice warning pilots to stay out of the Kennedy Space Center, hinted that the bird might be coming home. But since then the Air Force has denied the unmanned plane is coming home, at least today anyway. "The X-37 is still on-orbit," said Capt. Annmarie Annicelli, an Air Force spokeswoman at the Pentagon told Florida Today. "The program is conducting a regularly scheduled exercise this week." A miniature, reusable space plane just thirty feet long, the X-37B has been in space for 636 days, a long voyage that is quickly becoming typical for the craft. What we still don't know is, what exactly it is doing up there? There are two X-37B spaceplanes, and they are launched from U.S. Air Force Atlas 5 launch vehicles. Similar to the old Space Shuttle in appearance, the X-37B is just one quarter the size. Unmanned, it lacks a crew and life support systems. A cockpit and windows aren't necessary, either, giving the craft a bullet-with-wings profile. Like the space shuttle, the X-37B has double doors that conceal a payload bay, in this case one the size of a pickup truck bed. While the original crewed Shuttle could stay aloft for just 17 days, the unmanned X-37B typically stays in orbit for hundreds of days. The current mission, OTV-4, flies high over some interesting places including Iran, North Korea, and China. That's probably not a coincidence, and leads to speculation that the spacecraft is doing so-called intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance work, training cameras, radars, and other spying devices on the ground below. The X-37B is probably more flexible than existing spy satellites, as it can return to Earth and have its payload swapped out at any time. Story continues Other possible roles recently floated by experts consulted by Air & Space Magazine include the idea that X-37B is a testing platform for spaceplane technologies including autonomous flight; a proof-of-concept test that might lead to a larger, manned craft; a temporary communications satellite over a particularly important area or testing future satellite technologies. Given that previous missions have lasted hundreds of days, it seems possible the X-37B is carrying out multiple roles. Previous missions have been 224 days, 469 days, and 674 days long, so this isn't even the longest mission by far. The Air Force isn't in the business of setting records. OTV-4 will come home whenever its mission is over...whatever that is. You Might Also Like Westby City Council spent an hour listening to comments regarding its Jan. 17 decision to go against a Jan. 4 planning commission recommendation which would have allowed Westby business owner Joanne Kjome to apply for a conditional use permit to continue adopting cats out of her downtown antique/resale shop. At the Jan. 17 meeting, the council split down the middle denying its approval of the planning commission recommendation with three aye votes (Brad Mashak, Lyle Lund, Russell Haakenson) and three nay votes (Bob Von Ruden, Mark Hendrickson, Rick Rognstad). The split board left Mayor Danny Helgerson casting the tie breaking vote. If the city had approved the planning commission recommendation and Kjome received a conditional use permit to continue to operate a cat adoption center in her downtown business, a longstanding city ordinance covering the heart of the business district would have needed to be amended. The B1 district ordinance currently has no allowances for such an animal-related service in that portion of the city. Helgersons nay vote prevented any further action regarding Kjomes request for a conditional use permit or any zoning ordinance amendment in the B1 district at this time. Instead, Kjome who was given until Feb. 28 to shut down the cat adoption center located on the second floor of the two story Main Street business, which is in violation of the present city ordinance allowances. Approximately 20 people showed up at the Feb. 7 monthly meeting in support of Kjome and Westby Mayor Danny Helgerson allowed anyone wishing to speak the chance to do so during the public participation portion of the meeting. First to speak was Erika Wilson, of Gays Mills, who on Jan. 24 after learning about Kjomes situation, posted an online petition that received more than 19,000 worldwide signatures (1,693 Wisconsin votes) supporting Kjomes cat adoption center. The petition also requested that the Westby City Council reconsider denial and instead allow Kjome to continue operating the cat adoption lounge inside her Treasures on Main business. Wilson said the business costs the city nothing to operate and brings people into the city, making it something the council should value. She said ordinances are only guidelines and asked the city to find compromise with so many people looking at what is happening in Westby right now. You have a chance to turn this into something fantastic. The cat lounge is part of Westbys small town charm and ethics and doesnt go against any of the city goals, Wilson said. Marie Glover, who operates Tabby Town cat rescue near Westby said she is at her wits end with anywhere from 50-100 cats to care for all the time. Since she and her husband, Ted, opened there cat rescue business they have spayed approximately 3,000 cats and requests for them to take in more cats never stop coming. Glover said to shut down the cat lounge in Westby would only lead to a feral cat problem, worse than the one that already exists in almost every small town. Connie Wilson, a board member for CASA (Crawford Area Shelter for Animals) said nothing that the CASA shelter has been able to do in regards to adopting out cats has been as successful as Kjomes cat adoption lounge. Since opening the cat lounge two years ago Kjome said the adoption of cats has grown from approximately 15 a year to 50 a year. Wilson asked why the city council would not want to continue something that has proven itself to be so successful and a clear draw to the community. Helgerson said Kjomes success or failure in adopting out cats is not the issue, but the location of the adoption center in the B1 district, which doesnt have an ordinance allowance for such a program is the problem. He said the city is bound by its zoning ordinances and they simply voted to uphold them. Vernon County Board of Supervisors member Karen Dahl said ordinances are laws, but exceptions are allowed. She said Westby is a gem of a community and it is unique because of its quirks. She encouraged the city council to take a second look. Helgerson said the city ordinances are a standard format used by many surrounding communities, which also do not allow for places like a cat adoption center in the heart of the business district. Alderman Bob Von Ruden said since an article regarding this issue came out in the Westby Times, that he has heard from a number of people in his ward and they all backed the councils decision. Things heated up when Ted Glover said he knows Kjome and she will move her business out of the city if they dont start looking at ways to make the cat adoption center work. City of Westby Attorney David Abt made it clear that the city council is following the black letter of the law and doing what is in the best interest of all its residents and businesses. It was also noted that the vast majority of people at the meeting were not residents in the city. Kjome fired back that the city should never have taken her money to hold a planning commission meeting if they had no intention of ever allowing her a conditional use permit or ever amending its ordinance. Helgerson said he has spent a lot of time researching this since the planning commission meeting last month and has learned plenty from the Wisconsin League of Municipalities. Westby Section 13-1-48 B1 Central Business District ordinance is intended to provide an area for the business, financial, professional and commercial needs of the community, especially those which can be most suitably located in a compact and centrally located business district. There are 51 permitted uses for B1 district businesses and 14 conditional use allowances in the city ordinance book, none of which includes operating an animal adoption center. A complete copy of the city zoning ordinance or the League of Municipality conditional use permit allowances, referred to by Helgerson, can be found at Westby City Hall. Helgerson said the city council will not be revisiting its Jan. 17 decision, nor will they be extending its Feb. 28 deadline requiring Kjome to have all 12 of the remaining cats in her adoption room adopted out or removed from the B1 district in downtown Westby. The next city council meeting is 6 p.m. on Feb. 21. By Nia Williams CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) suspended licenses on all oil and gas well facilities and pipelines belonging to Lexin Resources Ltd on Wednesday, nearly doubling the number of orphaned wells in Canada's main crude-producing province. The provincial regulator ordered privately-held Lexin to cease all production, saying it failed to comply with multiple orders and lacked enough staff to manage its more than 1,600 sites. Calgary-based Lexin also owes more than C$1 million to Alberta's orphan fund and more than C$70 million in security for its obligations to clean up its oil and gas facilities at the end of their producing life. "The closure order is the result of a year of trying to work with the company to come into compliance," said AER spokeswoman Cara Tobin. "With the number of non-compliances and the debt that was owed we felt it was important to take these steps." Lexin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alberta's Orphan Well Association (OWA) is responsible for cleaning up wells that have no owners financially able to deal with abandonment and decommissioning costs. It is overseen by the AER and funded by levies from the oil and gas industry. The enforcement action by the regulator means the 1,380 wells belonging to Lexin are now in the care and custody of the OWA, taking the total numbers of ownerless wells in Alberta to 2,970. Tobin said that at this time there is no abandonment order on Lexin's wells, and she did not have any estimate of how much crude Lexin had been producing because the company stopped reporting output last summer. Brad Herald, chairman of the OWA, said he expects a number of Lexin's wells that are commercially viable will eventually be bought by other companies, but that process could take up to six months. "This is quite an unusual situation," Herald said, adding that normally wells came to the OWA via a court appointed receiver process following a company going bankrupt. There are 1,590 other orphan wells in Alberta that are awaiting abandonment and clean-up, an issue that prompted the Alberta government in the past to say it could ask the federal government for help in covering the costs. Fully reclaiming a disused oil well can cost between C$60,000 and C$300,000 depending on factors including well depth and location. (Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Tom Brown) By Ian Simpson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Almost 56,000 U.S. bridges are structurally deficient, down slightly from a year ago, with underperforming spans including New York's landmark Brooklyn Bridge, accord to a construction industry report released on Wednesday. About 1,900 structurally deficient bridges are on interstate highways and vehicles cross underperforming U.S. spans 185 million times a day, the analysis of federal data by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association found. Rebuilding U.S. infrastructure, including bridges, was a campaign promise of Republican President Donald Trump, who has backed a $1 trillion infrastructure plan over a decade. The U.S. highway system "is outdated, overused, underfunded and in desperate need of modernization," Alison Premo Black, the association's chief economist, said in a statement. The group's report was based on an analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportations 2016 National Bridge Inventory. The builders' group said 55,710 bridges, or about 9 percent of U.S. spans, were structurally deficient, a share that is down 0.5 percent from a 2015 bridge report. "While these bridges may not be imminently unsafe, they are in need of attention," the group said. Of the most-traveled underperforming bridges, the top 14 are in California. No. 1 is the Interstate 110 bridge over Los Angeles County's Dominguez Channel, which vehicles cross 274,000 times a day. State estimates put the cost of repairing underperforming U.S. bridges at more than $700 billion, Black said in a telephone interview. "I'd say that's conservative," she added. A bridge is classified structurally deficient if one or more of the key bridge elements, such as the deck, superstructure or substructure, is in "poor" or worse condition. The Brooklyn Bridge, a New York suspension bridge built in 1883, is among the state's most-traveled underperforming spans. The landmark structure crossing New York's East River is listed as an urban freeway or expressway with 134,000 daily crossings. Story continues Among states, Iowa had the most structurally deficient bridges, at 4,968. Nevada had the fewest, at 31. At least 15 percent of bridges in eight states fell in the underperforming category, with Rhode Island heading the list with a quarter structurally deficient. (Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Andrew Hay) In February of 2015, Israels ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, was going through a rough period. Amid a contentious election in Israel, the Obama administration accused him of conspiring with Republican leaders on Capitol Hill to arrange an invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a controversial speech on Obamas diplomatic outreach to Iran before both houses of Congress, only 14 days before Israelis were set to go to the polls. Administration officials claimed that Dermer knew for two weeks that then-Speaker of the House John Boehner had invited Netanyahu to give a speech on this issue, yet didnt share the information with anyone in the administration, leading to a situation in which they learned about it from the media. Democratic members of Congress lined up to boycott Netanyahus speech, and the Israeli opposition, capitalizing on the mess to improve its election prospects, blamed Dermer and Netanyahu for damaging the U.S.-Israel relationship. Recommended: Scenes From the 2017 Westminster Dog Show As these events unfolded, rumors began circulating in the halls of the Knesset that Dermer was not long for Washington. Whatever happens in the election, one Likud minister told me at the time, I dont see how Dermer can stay the ambassador after everything that's happened. The notion that Dermer had become persona non grata in the Obama White House and a partisan actor in the eyes of many Democrats prevailed, despite constant denials from the Israeli Embassy. Perhaps the only person in the Israeli government who refused to accept it was Netanyahu. Ron is an excellent ambassador. I see no reason to end his term in Washington, he said at the time. Netanyahu went on to win the election, and stayed true to his word: Dermer remained his man in Washington, and there are no signs that hell be leaving any time soon. Story continues When Netanyahu arrives at the White House for his first meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, even some of his strongest critics will agree that, at least for now, his bet on Dermer paid off. In a town where every foreign diplomat is scrambling to gain access to Trumps inner circle, Dermer, according to recent reports, has already developed a close relationship with senior members of the Trump White Housemost notably Jared Kushner, the presidents Jewish son-in-law and senior adviser. Dermer also met with members of Trumps transition team at Trump Tower in Manhattan just days after the election, and also participated in Trumps meeting with the head of Israels Mossad agency in December. Dan Meridor, a former senior Cabinet member in two of Netanyahus governments, told me that he did not like the confrontational approach of Netanyahu and Dermer toward President Obamabut that now, with Trump in power, Netanyahu might need Dermer, whom he considers brilliant, more than ever. This is an unexpected administration. No one knows what their plans are and how they want to execute them. So obviously, having access to his senior advisers is something that any leader would like to have right now, Meridor said. But he also added a note of caution. I've seen reports saying he is very close to Jared Kushner. In any other administration, Id immediately tell you thats a great thing. With this administration, its harder to tell, because its not clear which people truly have the most influence, he said. Recommended: Why Flynn's Resignation Matters Still, an open line to Kushner is better than what many of Dermers colleagues currently enjoy, four weeks into the Trump administration. As a veteran ambassador that enjoys the trust of Israels prime minister and the close circle of the president, I would anticipate that he will play a pivotal role in building a strong, rich dialogue between the two administrations, Josh Block, the CEO of The Israel Project, a pro-Israel organization based in Washington, told me. Indeed, Netanyahu seems to trust Dermer blindly. When the Israeli Cabinet convened last week to discuss a controversial piece of legislation to retroactively legalize illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank, Netanyahu told the ministers present that he doesnt want to make any decisions before he has a chance to speak about the matter with Dermer. Dermer grew up in a Jewish family in Miami Beach, Florida, where his father, a Democrat, was mayor in the late 1960s. He immigrated to Israel in the 1990s, and became involved in politics almost immediately. His first boss was Natan Sharansky, the famous Jewish dissident who fought for Soviet Jews right to immigrate to Israel. While working with Sharansky, Dermer was introduced to Netanyahu. Then, when Netanyahu was finance minister under Ariel Sharon, he appointed Dermer to serve as economic envoy at the Israeli embassy in Washingtonan appointment for which Dermer had to give up his U.S. citizenship. Recommended: The 2017 Underwater Photographer of the Year Contest After three years in Washington, Dermer returned to Israel, just in time to become Netanyahu's senior policy adviser in the lead-up to Israels 2009 election. Netanyahu won, and Dermer, just over a decade after immigrating to the country, became his most-influential adviser. In that capacity, Dermer spent considerable time working with the Obama administration, and was involved in many of the diplomatic clashes between Israel and the United States. Headlines about tensions between him and members of Obamas team began appearing as soon as 2009, and while some were exaggerated (People in Bibis office were making up stuff and leaking it to the press in order damage colleagues they wanted to get rid of, one former senior U.S. official told me), they created the impression that Dermer was constantly fighting with the administration. According to an Israeli embassy official, that impression wasn't always true. Dermer worked closely with White House officials throughout the entire [Obama] term, the official told me. The official noted that in January 2016 President Obama, in an unprecedented gesture, attended a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, less than a year after Netanyahus speech to Congress. The official also added that top administration officials like Joe Biden and Susan Rice attended the embassys Israeli Independence Day receptions. Dermer also played a key role in convincing Netanyahu to extend a gesture of goodwill to Obama during his March 2013 visit to Israel, by agreeing to apologize to Turkish President Erdogan for an Israeli raid on a Turkish flotilla that tried to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. Senior members of the Obama administration appreciated Dermers push for this gesture to take place during the visit. And yet, many saw Netanyahus appointment of Dermer to serve as his ambassador to Washington in late 2013 as a sign that he was preparing for a confrontation: Dermer was seen by many liberal and left-leaning American Jews as affiliated with neo-conservative Republicans, who were highly critical of Obamas foreign policy. Bibi always needs an external enemy to fight against, it's part of his way of conducting politics, explained one former senior Israeli official, who worked closely with Netanyahu for more than a decade. When he sent Ron to Washington, it was clear that he was getting ready for a big fight with Obama. The controversy over Netanyahus speech to Congress was the low point of Dermers relationship with the Obama administration. Dermer, like Netanyahu, seems to feel no regrets: He believed it was the prime ministers duty to speak up on the dangers posed by Iran, and has rejected accusations that it was all part of a political ploy meant to boost Netanyahus standing ahead of the Israeli election. Robert Danin, a former U.S. diplomat who worked with Dermer in Jerusalem when the latter served as Netanyahus political adviser, said that both men seem to believe that Israel is being unfairly piled on by a hypocritical world, and that it must stand up for itself. They don't think about it in terms of hasbara [the Hebrew word for explaining, used by Israelis to describe attempts to better explain Israel's positions and complexities to the rest of the world], but as a national security issue, almost an existential one. [They think] Israel is involved in a war of ideas, requiring it to speak strongly against unjust critics, to help ensure the countrys survival. Dermer, like Netanyahu, seems to feel no regrets. The belief in speaking up, even at the expense of alienating allies and supporterssuch as pro-Israel Democrats who agonized over the speech in 2015has recently brought Dermer into friction with left-leaning supporters of Israel. In November 2016, after Dermers meeting with the Trump transition team, he publicly defended Trump's senior adviser Stephen Bannon, who has been accused of making anti-Semitic remarks. One month later, Dermer accepted an award from the Center for Security Policy, a right-wing think-tank that has been accused of racism and Islamophobia by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Dermer lashed out against those accusations in his speech and offered a strong defense of the Centers founder, Frank Gaffney, just like he did for Bannon. One public figure with staunch pro-Israel views told me that by making these statements, Dermer gave legitimacy to people who hate some of Israel's best friends in this country. The downside, and danger, of such an approach, is the effect it could have on Israel's relationship with the Democratic party going forward. The most urgent task for an Israeli ambassador in the U.S. right now is to preserve bipartisan support for our country, Danny Ayalon, Israels ambassador to Washington from 2002 to 2006, told me. It's not an easy task, when the entire political system in the United States is drifting towards extreme partisanship. Its something that will require caution and calculation at every step of the way. People close to Dermer like to emphasize that he enjoys good working relationships with many prominent Democrats in Washington, and that he regularly sits with Democratic members of Congress, just as he does with Republican ones. Yet even senior Israeli officials acknowledge that the battles of the last eight years have created a rift between Israel and large parts of the Democratic Partya rift that Dermer must be careful not to widen further, as he works to create a close working relationship with Trump. Dan Shapiro, who until recently was the U.S. ambassador to Israel, told me that he has conveyed a similar message to Dermer. As a friend, I've advised him that one of his big challenges will be, while working closely with the Trump administration, to maintain Israel as a point of bipartisan consensus and to be attentive to progressive communities who aren't going anywhere and who Israel will need in the future. It's going to take a lot of effort to strike that balance. In other words: Even if Dermer indeed becomes a favorite of the Donald Trump White House, it would be wise of him not to forget that unlike him and his boss, many supporters of Israel in the U.S. are currently longing for Barack Obama. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. The "birth plan" of an ancient Nessie look-alike didn't involve laying a giant egg, but rather delivering a live baby sea monster, a new study finds. Until now, researchers had thought that the fearsome marine reptile known as Dinocephalosaurus laid eggs, just as birds and crocodiles (its distant relatives) do. But the discovery of the remains of a pregnant, 245-million-year-oldDinocephalosaurus specimen in a Chinese fossil deposit indicates that the reptile gave live birth, the researchers said. "This is the first-ever evidence of live birth in an animal group previously thought to lay eggs exclusively," said the study's lead researcher, Jun Liu, an associate professor of paleontology at the Hefei University of Technology in China. [Image Gallery: Ancient Monsters of the Sea] Researchers discovered the specimen of the pregnant Dinocephalosaurus in southwestern China's Luoping Biota National Geopark in 2008. During its lifetime in the middle Triassic period, the 13-foot-long (4 meters) marine reptile would have swum throughout the shallow seas of ancient southern China. Dinocephalosaurus had a long neck and sharp teeth. "It was a fish eater, snaking its long neck from side to side to snatch its prey," Liu told Live Science. "It looks superficially like the legendary Nessie." The star marks the spot where researchers discovered the pregnant Dinocephalosaurus remains. Liu, J. et al. Nature Communications. (2017). Ancient embryo The researchers discovered a fossilized Dinocephalosaurus embryo in the mother's abdomen. The fetus was small about 12 percent of its mother's body size but large enough for scientists to discern that its anatomy (for instance, a long neck and elongated ribs) was similar to that of the adult Dinocephalosaurus, the researchers said. Still, the researchers went to great lengths to determine that the bundle of bones was, in fact, an embryo. First, they noted that the embryo was enclosed within the mother's body, which excluded the possibility that a foreign animal fell on top of her and then fossilized. Second, the embryo's neck was pointing forward. Usually, sea creatures swallow prey headfirst; the mother even had a partially digested fish, whose head was facing backward in her abdomen, the researchers noted. Story continues "The neck-forward position of the embryonic skeleton suggests that the included skeleton was not ingested prey, but was an embryo," the researchers wrote in the study. Finally, the embryo was curled in a fetal position, just like other known vertebrate embryos during development, the researchers said. Egg-laying animals typically deposit eggs holding embryos that are much less developed than the one found inside the mother Dinocephalosaurus, the research team noted. In addition, the researchers said that they did not see any evidence of an eggshell near the embryo, further supporting the idea that the Dinocephalosaurus gave live birth, they said. A diagram of the specimen, with the hot pink area showing where the embryo's remains were discovered. Liu, J. et al. Nature Communications. (2017). Reptilian evolution Dinocephalosaurus was an archosauromorph (Greek for "ruling lizard form"), a relative of the group that includes crocodiles, pterosaurs and dinosaurs, including birds. The new discovery pushes back evidence of reproductive biology in the Archosauromorpha group by 50 million years, Liu said. In addition, the discovery solves a mystery about egg laying in most archosauromorphs. Previously, researchers were unsure whether archosauromorphs had genetic or developmental barriers preventing live birth, but now they know there isn't a barrier most archosauromorphs just evolved to lay eggs, Liu said. [Photos: Ancient Pterosaur Eggs & Fossils Uncovered in China] The finding is an "extraordinary" one, and demonstrates how "evolution never really attains the optimal solution," said Kenneth Lacovara, a professor of paleontology and the dean of the School of Earth and Environment at Rowan University in New Jersey, who was not involved in the study. "It obtains the best solution possible based on the current situation." The finding shows that "egg laying in the group that spans crocodiles to birds is not a deficit of their nature," Lacovara told Live Science. "It appears to be a strength. The alternative was possible, but that was not selected for." Moreover, the fossils show that "Dinocephalosaurus determined the sex of its babies genetically," Liu said. "This is a noteworthy finding given that its closest extant [living] relatives, turtles and crocodilians, determine the sex of their offspring by environmental temperatures." Live birth (known as viviparity) has evolved independently at least 115 times in living lizards and snakes, and at least once in the common ancestor of mammals, the researchers said. However, Dinocephalosaurus is hardly the only ancient marine reptile that gave live birth; a 182-million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil shows that a mother died during a breech birth, Live Science reported previously. The new study was published online today (Feb. 14) in the journal Nature Communications. Original article on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations President Trumps streak of success in getting controversial cabinet nominees through a closely divided Senate broke on Wednesday, with the news that Andrew Puzder will remove his name from consideration for the position of Secretary of Labor. The news arrives in the midst of a tumultuous week for the new administration, which is facing calls for Congressional investigations into connections between the presidents campaign staff and Russian intelligence officials. Puzders nomination has long had a question mark hanging over it. The wealthy CEO of the CKE fast food restaurant chain, Puzder was very slow to submit his financial disclosure forms and other documents necessary for an ethics screening. He also faced severe criticism from both sides of the aisle in Congress for various positions he has taken over the years. Related: 4-Star General Warns of Unbelievable Turmoil in Trumps White House Democrats wanted to block Puzder because they saw his nomination to head the Labor Department as an insult to workers. Puzder is anti-union and has called for the abolition of minimum wage laws, positions Democrats saw as antithetical to the Labor Departments mission To foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. Many Republicans were baffled by the choice because of Puzders history of advocating immigration reforms that would make it easier for low-skilled people from other countries to enter the US legally and find work. Trump had campaigned on a stridently anti-immigrant platform, promising to build a wall on the Mexican border and to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. In recent days, allegations of spousal abuse that arose in a divorce proceeding decades ago were raised after former television host Oprah Winfrey provided members of Congress with a recording of an interview with Puzders ex-wife in which she made claims of physical abuse. Story continues Related: Can Trump Deliver 4% Growth? Why Most Economists Say Not This Year The decision to pull out of the nomination process came as Puzder was approaching his long-delayed Senate confirmation hearing. A source told CBS News that the nominee was very tired of the abuse. His departure deprives Trump of a Labor Department chief who shares his unique views about the way employment is measured in the US, but who was rapidly losing support from Congressional Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly told the administration on Wednesday that he did not believe Puzder had the votes to be confirmed by the whole Senate because as many as seven Republicans were planning to vote against him. Under normal circumstances, the defeat of a cabinet nominee would be a major blow to a new presidential administration. But the way things have been going for the Trump White House in the last 48 hours, theres a non-trivial chance that the failure of the Puzder nomination feels less like a defeat than a welcome distraction. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: By John Irish BONN, Germany (Reuters) - Countries opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will meet on Friday for the first time since Donald Trump's U.S. administration took office, to seek common ground ahead of U.N.-backed peace talks in Geneva next week. The talks on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers meeting come as Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, is in his strongest position since the early days of the civil war, and as Trump's policy on Syria remains unclear. "It's urgent to meet to see whether all the like-minded countries are on the same page," said a senior French diplomatic source. "It's a chance to get everyone pushing in the same direction before the Geneva talks." He said the meeting between the United States, France, Britain, Turkey and Saudi Arabia and others would be the first opportunity to "test" U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's position on Syria and how that fitted into the new administration's thinking on defeating Islamist militants. A second European diplomat said it was unclear to what extent Tillerson represented the views of Trump himself. "On the fight against Islamic State, we're comforted, but the question remains what will be the relationship with Russia? The Americans will gradually realize that everything is linked and that the fight against Islamic State and an alliance with Moscow also implies choices in the region and a long-term vision," the first source said. "You can't just do a grand deal with Moscow and hope things will be resolved." Turkey, which has been a major supporter of the rebellion against Assad, has, with Russia and Iran, brokered a shaky ceasefire. "It's also urgent that we see where Turkey stands in light of the newfound proximity with Russia and Iran," the source said, adding that it would be vital to assess how Gulf Arab Sunni states Saudi Arabia and Qatar - opposed to Assad - saw the conflict after "pulling back a little". (Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) If North Korean agents are responsible for the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, it would be the latest in a long line of targeted killings by the isolated state. Kim, whose younger brother Kim Jong-Un has ruled North Korea since the death of their father in December 2011, died after reportedly being poisoned by two female agents at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. Here are some other fatal attacks carried out by North Korea on foreign territory. - 1968 Blue House assault - At the height of the Cold War, a team of 31 commandos were sent from Pyongyang to assassinate then South Korean president Park Chung-Hee. They were stopped some 100 meters (330 feet) away from the presidential Blue House. Gunfights erupted and more than 90 South Koreans were killed including many civilians on a bus. Only two of the 31 commandos survived, one fled to the North and one was captured. - 1974 presidential attempt - In 1974, Park, late father of the current South Korean president Park Geun-Hye, survived another assassination attempt. A pro-Pyongyang Korean living in Japan, Mun Se-Gwang, opened fire with a revolver while Park was delivering a speech. He missed Park but killed Park's wife Yuk Young-Soo. Mun was executed that year. - 1983 Myanmar - North Korean undercover agents killed 21 people, including four South Korean cabinet ministers in a bomb attack in Yangon. A timed device planted under the roof of the city's Martyr's Mausoleum was intended to kill then South Korean president Chun Doo-Hwan. It exploded before the president arrived, but his entourage was badly hit. Three North Korean agents fled the scene, one was killed and two others were captured by Burmese authorities. - 1987 Korean Air - A South Korean plane flying from Baghdad to Seoul exploded over the Andaman Sea. All 115 people on board were killed. The two bombers were traced to Bahrain where a male agent committed suicide by biting a cyanide capsule hidden in a cigarette as they were about to be taken into custody. Story continues The other agent, Kim Hyon-Hee, was captured and brought to Seoul. She later confessed her attack had been aimed to hamper the 1988 Seoul summer Olympics. She was sentenced to death but later pardoned. - 1996 diplomat killing - South Korean diplomat Choi Duk-Keun was found bludgeoned to death in Vladivostok in 1996 in what South Korean media said was revenge for the death of 25 North Korean submariners who died when their vessel ran aground in the South during an infiltration attempt. - 1997 family affair - Yi Han-Yong, a nephew of Jong-Nam's mother Sung Hye-Rim, was fatally shot in 1997 outside his home. The two assailants were never caught. Yi had been living in the South since his 1982 defection, where he had published his memoir revealing details of the Kims' private lives. That book was believed to have been the trigger for the assassination. Today in 5 Lines White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the eroding level of trust between the president and his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, drove Trump to ask for Flynns resignationan account that differs from those of White House reporters. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said its highly likely that the Senate Intelligence Committee will investigate Flynns talks with the Russian ambassador. Officials said F.B.I. agents interviewed Flynn shortly after Trump took office. The Office of Government Ethics issued a letter urging the White House to investigate Kellyanne Conway, a top adviser to Trump, and consider taking disciplinary action against her for endorsing Ivanka Trumps label. And Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, asked White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to provide more information on widespread reports that sensitive information may have been shared or discussed in a common area at Mar-a-Lago by Trump over the weekend. Recommended: Are Deep-State Leakers Defending Democracy or Corroding It? Today on The Atlantic Who Knew What, and When?: Krishnadev Calamur recaps key events leading up to the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. A Ship Without a Captain: Michael Flynns resignation calls attention to problems within Donald Trumps National Security Council whose success depends critically on the ability of a competent staff working directly for the president to orchestrate it. (Eliot A. Cohen) No Time to Waste: Donald Trumps Cabinet, while growing, still has too many empty seats. Andrew McGill illustrates how Trumps Cabinet compares with his predecessors after the same amount of time in office. Follow stories throughout the day with our Politics & Policy portal. Snapshot Testifying before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the Fed will likely need to raise interest rates at an upcoming meeting. Joshua Roberts / Reuters Recommended: These 23 Republicans Passed on a Chance to Get Trump's Tax Returns Story continues What Were Reading A New Normal: The Washington Post reports that White House aides, concerned about a potential staff shake-up, are trying to avoid appearing weak or low energy. (Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker) The Political Assassination of Michael Flynn: The White House claims that Trump asked for his national-security advisers resignation because he misled the administration. But, writes Bloombergs Eli Lake, a better explanation here is that Flynn was just thrown under the bus. Facing Reality: Sarah Kliff spoke with people who struck out on their ownleft a job, started a business, went back to schoolafter the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Now, that career freedom is threatened as the law faces an uncertain future under the Trump administration. (Vox) On the Downlow: While the Trump administrations daily activities take up the national spotlight, Congress has been getting to work. Not on big-ticket campaign promises, but a hand-picked collection of discrete measures aimed at dismantling Obama-era regulations. (Lisa Mascaro, The Los Angeles Times) The Dog Who Caught the Car?: For years, Obamacare repeal has been a winning Republican messagean indictment of its polarizing namesake, of big-spending Democrats and of the boogeyman of creeping socialism all rolled into one. But how will Republicans do itand will Trump support them? (Robert Draper, The New York Times Magazine) Recommended: What Will It Take for Republicans to Finally Act? Visualized In Spicers House: The White House press secretary has upended some of the longstanding traditions of the daily press briefings. Take a look at these graphics to learn how the process has changed. (Larry Buchanan and Karen Yourish, The New York Times) Question of the Week On Monday, February 20, well celebrate Presidents Day. This week, wed like to know: What U.S. president do you admire mostand why? Send your answers to hello@theatlantic.com, and our favorites will be featured in Fridays Politics & Policy Daily. -Written by Elaine Godfrey (@elainejgodfrey) and Candice Norwood (@cjnorwoodwrites) Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. On Sunday, Feb. 26, the Friends of the Library, in conjunction with the Fine Arts Foundation of the Westby Area, will be hosting their annual Arts in the Library. For the past six years, the organizations have joined forces to showcase local artists from the Westby and surrounding area. The theme for this years event, Norwegian Arts, will highlight a multitude of very talented professional and hobby artists that specialize in the many ways that art founded in Norwegian heritage can be expressed. Painting, such as rosemaling, needlework, such as hardanger, acanthus and figure carving, Norwegian knit jewelry and metal smithing are just some of the craftsmanship that will be on display. There will also be bunads exhibited so that visitors can get an up-close look at the remarkable stitching of the beautiful Norwegian traditional costume. True bunads are considered to be works of art and are not allowed to leave the country of Norway. There is also an art to creating excellent wines and cheeses that visitors will be able to taste while attending the event. Samples of award-winning Branches Winery wines and Westby Creamery cheeses will be featured refreshments offered during the event. Wine will be served by licensed persons and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. No person under 21 years of age will be allowed to sample wine. In addition to the visual arts, live music will be provided by Susan Sweet Frank and Bob Hill. Susan majored in flute at the Eastman School of Music at Northwestern University. She has played as the principle flutist with the Chicago Festival Orchestra and has taught flute at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. She has also performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and recorded with several artists. Susan moved to the Driftless Region from the Twin Cities five years ago. Her repertoire includes both classical and improvisational styles of music. Frank exercises her vocal talents by singing with the Ridgetones. Hill is primarily a guitarist but very much enjoys playing the bass when the opportunity arises. He has no formal musical training and is self-taught by playing with a wide variety of artists in many diverse situations. Hills repertoire includes foundational jazz chording with a flat finger technique. He has provided material and performed on recording projects, and looks forward to recording again as soon as possible. He came to this area from Kansas City about nine years ago. The Friends of the Library was organized in 2011 to support the mission of the Bekkum Memorial Library. The Fine Arts Foundation (FAFWA) has conducted a successful campaign to bring a performing arts center to Westby. Both organizations promote the importance of the vitality of a strong library and an extensive arts presence in the Westby community. Arts in the Library will be held at Bekkum Memorial Library, 206 N. Main St., Westby, Sunday, Feb. 26, from 4 until 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public but donations to Friends of the Library and FAFWA are appreciated. For more information, call library director Cindy Brown at 608-634-4419. Editors note: As of this publication date, Tip Bagstad, Paula Ekern, Karen Hankee, Verda Lund, Sarah Nestingen, Adam Oldre, Ann Karen Gronbeck-Peterson, John Sutton and Patsy Vork are among the artists whose works will be on display, with more expected to participate. The doctors told Tamara Milby her newborn would not live beyond a year, and in that short span, she would neither walk nor talk. Little Paige emerged from the womb with skin the color of a boiled lobster. There was a thick, white build-up of skin covering her nose and upper lip. Read: Baby Born with 'Worst Disease You've Never Heard Of' Has Lost 60 Percent of His Skin The 21-year-old mother had no idea what was wrong with her child, and the medical staff delivering her baby didnt either. Paige was rushed to a childrens hospital in Louisville, Ky., where physicians diagnosed her with lamellar ichthyosis, a rare genetic disorder that causes her skin to form scales and peel in alarming amounts. There is no cure, the doctors said. They said she wouldnt walk, she wouldnt talk and she wouldnt live past a year, the mother told InsideEdition.com Wednesday. She is now 15 months old. Shes walking and talking and running and getting into everything you can imagine, Milby said. Paige defied the doctors predictions because her mother and grandmother refused to believe them. Me and mom decided thats just not going to happen, said Tamara. We said, 'Maybe if we did physical therapy with her, and moved her arms and legs and flexed her muscles and kept her moisturized as much as possible, maybe it will help. Apparently it has, but it has not been easy. At 12 days old, Paige had to undergo surgery to sew her eyes shut. She had no eyelids, which meant her eyes were unprotected and had no moisture. She still needs eye drops every two to four hours, but her vision appears to be fine, her mother said. Read: Teen with Brittle Bone Disease Delivers Rousing Rendition of National Anthem Paige cannot hear because her skin peels off inside her ears and piles up. She undergoes surgery every six months to remove the dead tissue. Story continues The baby is bathed twice a day to wash off her shedding skin and she is slathered in Vaseline and lotions. Tamara says she doesnt take her child out in public because people have been known to stare and say horrible things. "My mom took her to Walmart once and a woman made some comments that momma didnt like. She accused us of burning her. It was pretty bad. My mom just left." Paige is perfectly normal in the eyes of her mother and grandmother. Tamara is considering home-schooling her daughter, "so she wont be made fun of." "Its a hard road" her mother said. "Its been real hard road." Watch: Strangers Raise $100,000 for Boy with Rare Skin Disease Related Articles: Baghdad (AFP) - A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle in a Shiite majority neighbourhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least nine people, an interior ministry official said. Thirty others were wounded in the explosion in the Habibiya area, near the vast district of Sadr City in northern Baghdad, the official said. A hospital official and a colonel in the Baghdad police confirmed the toll from the blast, which struck in an area where many car dealerships are found. On Tuesday a car bomb explosion in southern Baghdad killed at least four people, according to the same sources. The Iraqi capital was rocked by a wave of deadly suicide bombings during the first days of 2017 but relatively few explosions had been reported since. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesday's blast but nearly all suicide attacks are claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, which is defending its last major Iraqi bastion of Mosul against a massive, four-month-old operation by the security forces. Memphis (AFP) - Darian King of Barbados won his opening match at the Memphis Open, surprising fifth seeded Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-4 to become the first player from his country to win an ATP Tour match. This was uncharted territory for King who is also the first player from Barbados in the 41-year history of the tournament. King, who had to go through the qualifying rounds to get into the tournament, is making just his second appearance in the main draw of an ATP Tour event. He hammered four aces, won 75 percent of his second-serve points and had no double faults in Tuesday's 66 minute match between the two 24-year olds. King, who is ranked 140th in the world, said it was a "dream come true." "Playing against Bernard, the No. 5 seed is a dream come true," King said. "The discipline in Barbados is not as big so to come from there and compete against these guys, its a lot of progress. I'm glad to get my first ATP win. "I played at least three years in Futures against college guys and Americans then basically had my first breakthrough in Cali, Colombia, in a Challenger against former top 50 player Victor Estrella [Burgos]. Then I realized I can play." King booked a second round match against Steve Darcis of Belgium who beat Radu Albot 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. During his only other main draw appearance, at the 2015 Washington ATP event, King lost in the first round. Australia's Tomic had one double fault and won just half of his second serve points. Earlier this year, Tomic reached the third round of the Australian Open and the quarter-finals of this event two years ago. In other first round matches Tuesday, Tomic's fellow Aussie Matthew Ebden rallied to beat Canadian qualifier Peter Polansky 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-1 and American Ryan Harrison eased past Russian Konstantin Kravchuk 6-3, 7-5. The National Constitution Center has announced that Vice President Joe Biden has been elected Chair of the Centers Board of Trustees, succeeding Governor Jeb Bush, whose term ended in January 2016. Previous Chairs of the Centers Board of Trustees also include President Bill Clinton and President George H.W. Bush. Vice President Bidens love for the Constitution, and passion for teaching all Americans about its enduring principles, have inspired people around the world, said Jeffrey Rosen, President and CEO of the National Constitution Center. From his service in the Senate to his time in the White House, Vice President Biden has devoted himself to educating all Americans about the founding principles of the Constitution and their timeless relevance today. The National Constitution Center is Americas leading convening place for non-partisan constitutional education and debate, and all of us here are thrilled and honored that Vice President Biden will lead us as our Chair. I am honored to chair the National Constitution Center and to succeed Governor Jeb Bush, President Bill Clinton, and President George H.W. Bush at the head of this national treasure, said Vice President Biden. The National Constitution Centers mission to teach all Americans about the great document of human freedom that unites us has never been more timely, urgently needed, and inspiring. Related Story: Biden named chair of the National Constitution Center (Philly.com) In the tradition of the Centers extraordinary leaders, Vice President Biden will help us teach Americans about the Constitutions history and enduring meaning, and about the principles of freedom that unite all Americans, said Doug DeVos, Chairman of the National Constitution Centers Executive Committee. His patriotic devotion to constitutional education has inspired Americans and we are honored that he will carry on the Centers distinguished tradition of national leadership. Story continues Once in a generation does a leader emerge with the patriotic devotion to service, reverence for our Constitution and our shared American values, and vision for educational opportunity of Vice President Joe Biden, said University of Pennsylvania President and National Constitution Center Trustee Amy Gutmann. We are all honored and excited that he will continue to provide unsurpassed expertise and a rare degree of wisdom as Chairman of the National Constitution Center. Our city, our nation, and our world stand to benefit immeasurably. Joe Biden was the 47th Vice President of the United States. On January 12, 2017, President Barack Obama awarded Vice President Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with Distinction, the nations highest civilian honor. In addition to chairing the National Constitution Center, Vice President Biden will lead the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagementa new center at the University of Pennsylvania focused on diplomacy, foreign policy, and national securityand he will serve as the Benjamin Franklin Presidential Practice Professor at Penn. He will also serve as founding chair of the University of Delawares Biden Institute, a new research and policy center focused on developing public policy solutions on issues ranging from economic reform and environmental sustainability to civil rights, criminal justice, womens rights and more. Earlier this month, he and Dr. Jill Biden also launched the Biden Foundation, dedicated to ensuring that everyone no matter their income level, race, gender, age or sexuality gets a fair shot at achieving the American Dream. The National Constitution Center is a private, independent non-profit museum and education center located on Independence Mall in Philadelphia. Chartered by Congress during the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, the Centers mission is to bring together Americans of different perspectives for constitutional education and debate. In addition to educating Americans about our founding principles, the Center plays a crucial role as a front-line responder to the constitutional debates that are emerging every day and will continue in the years to come. The cornerstone of the Centers educational efforts is the Interactive Constitution, co-hosted by the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society, which convenes the nations leading scholars from diverse perspectives to write about every clause of the U.S. Constitution. By the end of 2016, the Interactive Constitution had received nearly nine million unique visitors since its launch in September 2015, and the College Board has adopted it as a centerpiece of the new AP History and Government exams. National news outlets turn to the Center as a trusted authority to answer the constitutional questions that are arising every day. Reflecting the national hunger for constitutional conversation, the Constitution Centers web site averages 1 million viewers per month, making it the third most visited museum web site in the U.S. after the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With Vice President Bidens leadership, the Center looks forward to continue serving America as the Museum of We the People, Americas Town Hall, and the nations leading nonpartisan center for civic education. About the National Constitution Center The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia inspires citizenship as the only place where people across America and around the world can come together to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as Americas leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its Congressional charter to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis. As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As Americas Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a center for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire, excite, and engage citizens about the U.S. Constitution. The National Constitution Center has also developed the Interactive Constitution, where scholars from across the legal and philosophical spectrum interact with each other to explore the meaning of each provision of the Constitution. For Press Information Merissa Blum Chris Pigott Communications Manager DKC Communications 215.409.6645 212.981.5126 mblum@constitutioncenter.org chris_pigott@dkcnews.com Chris Hurst, the coworker and boyfriend of the Roanoke, Va., reporter who was fatally shot during a live news broadcast, has quit his anchor job to run for political office. Hurst will campaign for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, a decision he said was made to honor his slain girlfriend, Alison Parker. Her cameraman, Adam Ward, was also killed by the gunman. Im leaving my career at the station where she worked to fight for the causes she and I value the most, Hurst wrote in an op-ed for the Daily Beast. The ex-anchor will run in the Democratic primary for the 12th District seat, which is currently occupied by Republican Joseph Yost, according to NBC News. Hurst, 30, says its the best way to find purpose following the death of Parker, who he had moved in with shortly before her murder in August 2015. I started to become a shell of the person that I was because I had to numb myself in order to anchor the news, and I didnt feel that was who I wanted to be, Hurst told NBC News. I was trying to think of what can I do, where I can stay in this area where the people have given me so much help and strength when I needed it and public service is a real natural progression. Hurst admitted the career pivot will be a challenge, as he is used to remaining objective as a journalist. But he is prepared to be honest and investigate the information and gather facts and come to an objective conclusion as a politician. He said one of his main priorities will be universal background checks for guns, if elected. I think we can have healthy conversations, and the one thing I am interested in is saving lives, he told NBC, adding that he does not intend to take away firearms from properly registered citizens. Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A Brazilian judge on Wednesday overturned a ruling that barred leading newspapers from publishing reports on an extortion attempt against President Michel Temer's wife. Folha de Sao Paulo and Globo, the country's two biggest dailies, were forced to halt publication online and in print of reports giving details of the attempted extortion last year by a man convicted of hacking Marcela Temer's cellphone. The reports reproduced chat messages between the first lady and the blackmailer who, at one point, referred to a video he said he had hacked that "drags the name of your husband in the mud." On Monday, the newspapers removed reports which the judge had ruled harmed "the inviolability of the privacy" of the hacking victim. Folha reported that another judge has now overturned the ruling. In his ruling, which was posted on the Folha website, Judge Arnoldo Camanho de Assis said that the publishing ban was "apparently unconstitutional" as "it violates the freedom which is a true pillar of the democratic rule of law." "There is no indication... that the journalistic activity on the part of (Folha) was meant to follow an irresponsible or abusive editorial line," he wrote. Folha and Globo argued that the details they wished to publish regarding Temer's wife had already become available in court documents and that their suppression in the newspapers amounted to censorship. "Those who inform have to be accountable for the relevance of what they publish. Those who feel harmed have every right to appeal to the courts," Folha said. "What is not reasonable is to censor before publication, something that should be consigned to the memory of authoritarian regimes." The hacker, Silvonei Jose de Jesus Souza, was sentenced in October of last year to five years and 11 months in prison after being convicted of trying to extort $96,000 from Marcela Temer in exchange for not publishing audio and images on her phone. BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Lower House of Congress on Wednesday approved a bill that reopens a program providing an amnesty against criminal prosecution to Brazilians holding undeclared assets abroad if they pay tax and a fine. In a 303 to 124 vote, lawmakers approved legislation that is expected to yield 13.2 billion reais ($4.32 billion) in extra revenues this year. The bill, which was changed by the lower house, will return to the Senate for final approval. The extra cash would help ease the financial strains of many states struggling to pay wages and public services while also improving the fiscal position of the federal government, which has posted three straight years of hefty budget deficits. A group of governors met in Brasilia earlier on Wednesday to call for their allies in Congress to support the legislation, whose proceeds would be shared between the federal government and states and municipalities. To avoid any legal challenges over the constitutionality of the tax rate, lawmakers raised the fine to 20.25 percent from 17.50 percent, of the undeclared assets, while lowering the tax percentage to 15 percent from 17.5 percent. "Most states and municipalities are under heavy financial stress and need this money now," said Alexandre Baldy, the congressman in charge of reviewing the legislation. Lawmakers continued to debate a controversial provision in the bill that allows relatives of elected politicians to participate in the amnesty program. In the initial program, the government collected a total of 46.8 billion reais, which helped authorities meet their primary budget deficit goal for 2016. (Reporting by Cesar Raizer and Alonso Soto; Editing by David Gregorio and Leslie Adler) Britney Spears' niece, who was seriously injured in an ATV accident earlier this month, has made her first public appearance since coming home from the hospital, distributing Valentine's Day candy at her school. Read: She's Home! Photo Shows Britney Spears' Niece Leaving Hospital Following Horrific ATV Accident The daughter of Jamie Lynn Spears, Maddie, delivered Valentine's Day treats to her classmates as she continues to recover from a horrifying off-road vehicle accident. Maddie isn't quite ready to return to school, but her doctors did clear her to bring in her Valentine's Day treats to her class. Read: Jamie Lynn Spears' Daughter Seriously Injured in ATV Accident, Was Underwater for 7 Minutes Jamie Lynn posted the news on Instagram Tuesday, saying, "It made her so happy to see her friends, and be able to give them such cute treats. It was a great moment for us after everything that has happened. "We are so thankful to celebrate Valentine's Day with the ones we love, and we don't take a second of it for granted. Watch: Report Describes Desperate Effort to Rescue Britney Spears' Niece After Horrific ATV Accident Related Articles: JACKSON, N.Y. (AP) Authorities in New York are searching for a bull that escaped a livestock auction show. WTEN-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2lNOnMC ) that the bull's owner was unloading the animal from a trailer outside a livestock barn in Cambridge when it sprinted away Tuesday night. Police say the bull was almost hit by a car in the street. Cambridge police and New York State Police are currently searching for the animal. Authorities are warning people to stay away from the bull because it's agitated. ___ Information from: WTEN-TV, http://www.wten.com The following editorial was published in the Feb. 5, 2017, La Crosse Tribune. A group of Wisconsin legislators is circulating a bill that aims to take public notices out of newspapers and put them instead on government websites a bad idea that would harm transparency, democracy and public trust. For more than two centuries, governments in this country have paid newspapers to publish public notices about the actions of government. Without a third-party, independent source providing the information, there is no accountability, no check-and-balance to make sure that government is posting all the public notices it is required by law to post. Besides, relatively few people actually use government websites compared to newspaper websites and relying exclusively on individual government websites does nothing for people who dont use computers. Most Wisconsin residents continue to rely on the printed newspaper for information about their local elected governments, as they have for decades. For those who choose not to use computers, it remains the best source. For those who use computers, theres already an invaluable resource at your fingertips. Since 2005, newspapers in Wisconsin have been digitally archiving every public notice published in every newspaper in our state every day. Today, there is a database with more than a decade worth of information posted on a website thats free to use, 24/7: www.WisconsinPublicNotices.org. Wisconsin newspapers collect that information daily, archive and maintain it free of charge. That database is very user-friendly searchable by city, county, newspaper, Zip code and key word. This service is provided to citizens, courts and local government free of charge because newspapers in Wisconsin have made a substantial investment to provide and maintain the service for the sake of transparency and public trust. Businesses throughout the state use www.WisconsinPublicNotices.org to learn about projects they may wish to bid on. Just ask a contractor how efficient it would be to every day log onto the website of every local government in Wisconsin. Eliminating the usefulness of that website wouldnt be good for business in our state. So, is this a big money-maker for newspapers and are newspapers gouging government by charging an exorbitant rate for publishing notices? That rate barely covers the cost of processing and printing the information. Besides, the rate is regulated by the state the Department of Administration, to be specific. Most states dont regulate the rate that newspapers can charge for the service. To give you an idea how regulated the process is in Wisconsin, just look at the portion of the statute that regulates the type used to print notices: All legal notices shall be in Arial type face. A standard line shall be 6-point leading without spacing between the lines, and 11 picas in length. In fact, it was the newspaper industry in Wisconsin that agreed on a standard type face to help the DOA cut down on its administrative workload. The Wisconsin Legislature approved of that streamlining without opposition in 2012. The process of publishing public notices is more regulated in Wisconsin than in most states. With that said, only one state Utah briefly eliminated the requirement of publication, and it was a failure. Its also important to note that government isnt the sole bearer of the cost of publishing legal notices. In many cases, the cost is passed along by the government agency to those who are seeking government action. As Beth Bennett, executive director of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, has testified: A notice for a new license is passed along to the new licensee. Foreclosure notices are assumed by the banks and the attorneys handling the foreclosure. Court notices are passed along by the courts to the subject of the legal matter; and in many instances, public notices are required to be placed by John Q. Citizen who pays directly for the publication of the notice. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has such notices. Taking public notices out of newspapers is just another attempt by government officials to curb government transparency in Wisconsin. NAIROBI (Reuters) - The government of Burundi has said it will not attend peace talks scheduled to resume in Tanzania on Thursday, although the main opposition alliance has confirmed its participation. The talks are meant to find an end to a violent political crisis that began in 2015 after President Pierre Nkurunziza said he would seek a third term - a move opponents said violated the constitution and a peace deal that ended an ethnically charged civil war. "The government of Burundi finds some irregularities in the organization of this present session," a government statement said on Wednesday. Spokesman Phillipe Nzobonariba said the government objected to the presence of senior U.N. adviser Benomar Jamal, but did not say why. The government has repeatedly accused the U.N. of bias against it after several human rights groups have said the security forces and ruling party have committed abuses. The main opposition grouping, CNARED, said it would attend the talks although it has previously accused mediator Benjamin William Mpaka, a former president of Tanzania, of bias. Mpaka said in December that Nkurunziza was legitimate and that mediators should focus on setting up elections for 2020. The violence in Burundi has alarmed people in a region where memories of the 1994 genocide in neighboring Rwanda remain raw. (Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Proponents of free trade scored a much-needed win on Wednesday, after the EU parliament approved a landmark (and controversial) free trade agreement with Canada that was seven years in the making. But those wins may be fewer and farther in between now, with protectionist sentiments on the rise in the United States and many European countries. Members of the European Parliament easily approved the Canada-EU free trade pact, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), by a vote of 408 to 254. The vote was the last major hurdle to the deal, first signed by Canadian Prime Minister Justin (or Joe) Trudeau and European Council President Donald Tusk on Oct. 30 last year. Backers of CETA, which scraps 98 percent of tariffs between the two sides, say it will boost economic growth, create jobs, and reduce the cost of goods. The EU said it would boost EU-Canada trade, currently valued at $63 billion a year, by 20 percent, and EU exporters are slated to save $525 million annually from reduced tariffs. But CETA, which was seen as a prototype for a (now moribund) EU-U.S. trade pact, could be the last big free trade win for a while. President Donald Trump pulled the plug on a huge free trade agreement with Asia as soon as he stepped into the Oval Office. And Trumps top trade advisor said Brexit had already killed plans for the European trade deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and Trump had no plans of reviving it. We are killing ourselves with trade pacts that are no good for us and no good for our workers, Trump said on the campaign trail in 2016. He pledged to throw out all multilateral trade deals to renegotiate bilateral ones, which experts say could well turn back the clock on trade, which has underpinned decades of global economic growth. CETA sparked many of the same concerns as the TPP and TTIP. Critics argued the bill would sabotage EU environmental and labor regulations and empower corporations over the little guy. It faced stiff opposition, and at one point in late 2016 was declared de facto dead by some European lawmakers, until Chrystia Freeland, then Canadian minister of international trade, resuscitated it. Freeland was reassigned to head the foreign ministry after Trumps election. After salvaging CETA from a near-death experience, she now faces an even bigger task: ensuring that the U.S.-Canadian trade relationship, worth $2 billion a day in two-way trade, can weather the Trump administrations vows to renegotiate NAFTA. Photo credit: FRANCOIS LENOIR/AFP/Getty Images Ottawa (AFP) - The only person convicted in the 1985 Air India bombings that killed 331 people is now free, Canada's parole board said Wednesday. Inderjit Singh Reyat had been ordered to live at a halfway house following his release from prison one year ago, after serving two decades behind bars. That condition has now been lifted and Reyat may return to a normal life, including "living in a private residence," parole board spokesman Patrick Storey told AFP in an email. The Sikh immigrant from India was convicted of making bombs that were stuffed into luggage and planted on two planes leaving Vancouver, and of lying in court to cover for his co-accused. One bomb tore apart Air India Flight 182 as it neared the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people aboard, including entire families. The second exploded at Japan's Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers as they transferred cargo to another Air India plane. The blasts followed a crackdown on Sikhs fighting for an independent homeland, and those behind it were allegedly seeking revenge for the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by Indian troops. Reyat was working as a mechanic in westernmost Canada and purchased the dynamite, batteries and detonators used to construct the bombs. Two alleged co-conspirators were acquitted due to a lack of evidence and, according to prosecutors, because of Reyat's perjury. Storey said Reyat's parole officer has assessed those with whom he will live "to ensure they will not have a negative influence on him." Conditions of his release from prison also still apply, including having no contact with the victims' families nor with extremists. Reyat must also shun all political activities and take counseling for violent tendencies, a lack of empathy and exaggerated beliefs. CHICAGO (AP) Police are examining dramatic video that captured a shooting that killed a toddler and a man authorities say was the intended target. The video , streamed live on Facebook, was taken from inside a car driven by a young woman who was wounded in the shooting. The man and 2-year-old Lavontay White were also in the car. The woman and man can be seen listening to rap music before more than a dozen shots ring out. Screaming is heard as the footage becomes jumbled but shows the woman exiting the car and running toward a house. The video goes to black, but the audio continues and people can be heard yelling, "Oh my God," ''I can't breathe," and "Please, no, no." Police suspect the 26-year-old man, identified Wednesday by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office as Lazarec Collins, was the target of a gang hit. The man was Lavontay's uncle and a documented gang member with an extensive criminal history. According to the state's Department of Corrections, Collins was convicted of felony charges of burglary and armed robbery and was released on parole last June. Police have confirmed the authenticity of the video and it is part of their investigation, spokesman Frank Giancamilli said. No arrests had been made as of Wednesday. He also said that the woman, who is pregnant, was shot in the abdomen. Both she and her fetus are expected to survive. Lavontay was among at least three children shot in Chicago two of them fatally in recent days. For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. On Tuesday morning, an 11-year-old girl who was shot in the head over the weekend died. Hours after Takiya Holmes died, a 19-year-old who was being sought by police turned himself in. Antwan C. Jones was charged with first-degree murder. At a hearing Wednesday, a judge ordered Jones to be held without bond. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Jones has an extensive juvenile arrest record and a record as an adult that includes an arrest on a felony charge of aggravated assault after allegedly attacking a teacher. Story continues Jones spotted three people outside his home, determined they didn't belong there and went inside and got a handgun, police said. He came outside and started firing, striking Takiya but no one else, said Brendan Deenihan, a commander of the detectives' unit handling the investigation. Police found Jones by contacting people in a video of the shooting. Guglielmi said no gun has been recovered. Jones doesn't have a listed number to pursue comment. Authorities said Tuesday that a 12-year-old girl also shot over the weekend remained in critical condition. ___ This story has been updated to correct the first name of the 2-year-old boy who was killed to Lavontay, instead of Levontay. BEIJING (Reuters) - As many as 79 people died from H7N9 bird flu in China last month, the government said, stoking worries that the spread of the virus this season could be the worst on record. January's fatalities were up to four times higher than the same month in past years, and brought the total H7N9 death toll to 100 people since October, data from the National Health and Family Planning Commission showed late on Tuesday. Authorities have repeatedly warned the public to stay alert for the virus, and cautioned against panic in the world's second-largest economy. But the latest bird flu data has sparked concerns of a repeat of previous health crises, like the 2002 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). "It's mid-February already and we are just getting the January numbers. With the death rate almost catching up with SARS, shouldn't warnings be issued earlier?" said one user of popular microblog Sina Weibo. Other netizens in the Chinese blogosphere worried about the pace of infections, and called for even more up-to-date reports. The People's Daily, the official paper of the ruling Communist Party, warned people in a social media post to stay away from live poultry markets, saying it was "extremely clear" that poultry and their excrement were the cause of the infections. "The situation is still ongoing, and our Chinese counterparts are actively investigating the reported cases," the World Health Organization's China Representative Office said in an emailed statement to Reuters. "As the investigation is ongoing, it is premature to conclusively identify the cause for the increased number of cases. Nevertheless, we know that the majority of human cases got the A(H7N9) virus through contact with infected poultry or contaminated environments, including live poultry markets." Chinese chicken prices sank to their lowest levels in more than a decade on Wednesday. RECORD HIGH INFECTIONS China, which first reported a human infection from the virus in March 2013, has seen a sharp rise in H7N9 cases since December. The official government total is 306 since October, with 192 reported last month. But others believe the number of infections is higher. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota last week estimated China had at least 347 human infections so far this winter, eclipsing the record of 319 seen three years ago. "An important factor in the past waves of H7N9 cases among humans in China has been rapid closure of live poultry markets," said Ian Mackay, a virologist at the University of Queensland in Australia. "This season there seems to have been a slower response to the outbreak, which may be leading to greater numbers of human exposures to infected birds." Most of the H7N9 human infections reported this season have been in the south and along the coast. In Hong Kong, where two of the four patients infected with H7N9 this winter have died, health officials said they would step up checks at poultry farms. H7N9 had spread widely and early this year, but most cases were contained in the same areas as previous years, including the Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong, Shu Yuelong, head of the Chinese National Influenza Center, told state radio. Beijing on Saturday reported its first human H7N9 case this year. The patient is a 68-year-old man from Langfang city in neighboring Hebei province. A second human case was reported on Tuesday. "It is highly likely that further sporadic cases will continue to be reported," the WHO said. "Whenever influenza viruses are circulating in poultry, sporadic infections or small clusters of human cases are possible." The World Health Organization recently said it had not been able to rule out limited human-to-human spread in two clusters of cases although no sustained spread has been detected so far. The Health and Family Planning Commission of southwestern Yunnan province said a woman died from H7N9 on Tuesday night. The victim was the mother of a three-year old toddler who died of H7N9 earlier this month, the official Xinhua news agency reported late Wednesday, citing the Yunnan commission. The two had traveled to Jiangxi last month and had contact with live poultry in the southeastern province. The mother developed symptoms on Feb. 4 and was hospitalized four days later as she had close contact with her daughter, who died on Feb. 7. For graphic on bird flu strains click on http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/HEALTH-BIRDFLU-SOUTHKOREA/0100311X2BC/BIRDFLU-SOUTHKOREA.jpg (Reporting by Ryan Woo and Josephine Mason; Additional reporting by Nick Heath, Christian Shepherd, Dominique Patton and Lusha Zhang in BEIJING and Venus Wu in HONG KONG; Editing by Randy Fabi and David Evans) SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A former Communist Party boss at China's Bank of Jiangsu is being investigated for suspected corruption, the party's graft-busting body said on Wednesday. Wang Jianhua is suspected of "severe disciplinary violations", the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a brief statement, using its normal euphemism for corruption. It gave no other details. Wang had previously held the post of Communist Party Secretary of Lianyungang, a city in Jiangsu province, before taking the current role at the bank. Reuters was unable to reach Wang for comment. Calls to Bank of Jiangsu's administrative office went unanswered. (Reporting by Winni Zhou and John Ruwitch; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) BEIJING (Reuters) - China has lodged a diplomatic protest with India over a visit by a parliamentary delegation from self-ruled Taiwan, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Three Taiwanese parliamentarians, led by ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Kuan Bi-ling, began their visit to New Delhi on Monday. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing in Beijing that China had lodged "solemn representations" with the Indian government over the issue. "We have always been resolutely opposed to any country with diplomatic relations with China having any form of official exchanges, or establishment of any official institutions, with Taiwan. This position is consistent and clear cut." India's ministry of external affairs said the visit was informal. "Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them," the ministry said in a statement. A DPP official in Taipei said the legislators were scheduled to return to Taiwan on Thursday and were also in India to visit Taiwanese companies such as China Steel, Taiwan's biggest steel maker which has a plant there. Despite efforts by China and India to improve ties over recent years, deep suspicions remain, especially over a festering border dispute. China considers Taiwan a wayward province, with no right to formal diplomatic ties with other countries. Beijing has also increasingly squeezed Taiwan's international space following the election of Tsai Ing-wen as president last year. China suspects she wants to push for the island's formal independence. Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China. A longstanding African ally of Taiwan's, San Tome and Principe, switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing in December. "We have been requiring countries which have diplomatic relations with China to fulfill their commitment to the 'one China' principle," Geng said. Defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to the Communists. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. (Reporting by Philip Wen; Additional reporting by Douglas Busvine in New Delhi and Faith Hung in Taipei; Editing by Ben Blanchard, Robert Birsel) BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday warned Washington against challenging its sovereignty, responding to reports the United States was planning fresh naval patrols in the disputed South China Sea. On Sunday, the Navy Times reported that U.S. Navy and Pacific Command leaders were considering freedom of navigation patrols in the busy waterway by the San Diego-based Carl Vinson carrier strike group, citing unnamed defense officials. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said tension in the South China Sea had stabilized due to the hard work between China and Southeast Asia countries, and urged foreign nations including the U.S. to respect this. "We urge the U.S. not to take any actions that challenge China's sovereignty and security," Geng told a regular news briefing on Wednesday. The United States last conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the area in October, when it sailed the guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur near the Paracel Islands and within waters claimed by China. Dave Bennett, a spokesman for Carrier Strike Group One, said it did not discuss future operations of its units. "The Carl Vinson Strike Group is on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet-led initiative to extend the command and control functions of the U.S. 3rd Fleet," he said. "U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have patrolled the Indo-Asia-Pacific regularly and routinely for more than 70 years," he said. China lays claim to almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim parts of the waters that command strategic sea lanes and have rich fishing grounds, along with oil and gas deposits. The United States has criticized Beijing's construction of man-made islands and build-up of military facilities in the sea, and expressed concern they could be used to restrict free movement. (Reporting by Philip Wen in Beijing; Additional reporting by Matthew Tostevin in Bangkok; Editing by Ben Blanchard and Clarence Fernandez) LONDON (Reuters) - The Church of England's legislative body on Wednesday voted against a report from bishops that rejected the idea of blessing same-sex marriages, the latest row over an issue that has divided the Church for years. The wider Anglican communion, which has 85 million members worldwide, has been in crisis since 2003 because of arguments over sexuality and gender between liberal member churches in the West and their conservative counterparts, mostly in Africa. But the Church of England, where the Anglican tradition originated, is itself divided, especially over how to deal with same-sex marriages which are legal in Britain. The latest controversy stems from a report issued in January by the House of Bishops, which along with the houses of Clergy and Laity makes up the Church's legislature, known as the synod. The bishops' report re-affirmed the Church teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman, while calling for "a fresh tone and culture of welcome and support for lesbian and gay people". http://bit.ly/2kSjR5N It advocated sticking to the status quo in terms of Church law on marriage, while interpreting the law "to permit maximum freedom within it". In practice, this would exclude church blessings for same-sex marriages, angering critics who pointed out that warships, animals and pubs are eligible for blessings. The bishops' report required majority support in each of the three houses to be endorsed by the synod, but the House of Clergy voted against it during a session in London on Wednesday. A small crowd of protesters demonstrated outside the venue where the synod was meeting, holding banners with slogans such as "Proud to be gay, now make me proud to be Christian". The vote left the bishops' carefully worded position on same-sex marriage in disarray. A Church spokeswoman said that while the vote was non-binding, in practice it would make it hard to take the bishops' proposals forward. Days before the vote, a group of 14 retired bishops published an open letter to their successors criticising the report and saying it would cause deep disappointment among lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) people. "Our perception is that while the pain of LGBT people is spoken about in your report, we do not hear its authentic voice," the retired bishops wrote. http://bit.ly/2l7KbHy The Anglican communion last year slapped sanctions on one of its liberal member churches in the United States, the Episcopal Church, for supporting same-sex marriage. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Dominic Evans) Paris (AFP) - War correspondent, statesman, astronomer. Stargazing may not be what Winston Churchill is best remembered for, but a treatise he wrote on extraterrestrial life has revealed his scientific acumen six decades later. Between ruling Britain and helping the Allies win World War II, the British Bulldog was among the first to theorise about other regions of the Universe in which conditions may be conducive to harbouring life, it has been revealed. Excerpts from his essay "Are We Alone in the Universe?" were brought to light Wednesday in the science journal Nature. "I am not sufficiently conceited to think that my sun is the only one with a family of planets," Churchill wrote in the document which astrophysicist Mario Livio laid hands upon last year at the US National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri. There must be many other planets, he concluded, of "the right size to keep... water and possibly an atmosphere", and "at the proper distance from their parent sun to maintain a suitable temperature." This later became known as a star's "habitable zone". To qualify, a planet has to orbit its star at a distance far enough so that water does not evaporate in the solar heat, and near enough that it does not freeze beyond the rays' reach. Water is considered an essential requirement for life, however primitive. Churchill first drafted the paper in 1939, when Europe was on the brink of war, and revised it in the late 1950s while visiting his publisher in a village in the south of France, said Livio. As far as could be determined, the work has never been published or subjected to scientific or academic scrutiny. "What is extraordinary is his train of thought, he thinks about the problem like a scientist," Livio told AFP of the find. - 'Goldilocks' zone - The concept of habitable zones originated in the 1950s, the same decade in which Churchill finished his essay. Story continues A war correspondent and soldier turned politician, Churchill was also known for his love of science. He wrote essays and articles in the 1920s and 1930s on topics including evolution, cell biology and fusion power. Later as a politician, he regularly consulted scientists and was the first British prime minister to employ a science adviser, according to Livio. The government under Churchill funded laboratories, telescopes and technology development that spawned many discoveries. Until now, astrophysics was not known to have been one of his fields of scientific interest. "At a time when a number of today's politicians shun science, I find it moving to recall a leader who engaged with it so profoundly," Livio wrote in Nature. The hunt for potentially habitable planets elsewhere in the Universe began decades after Churchill's musings on the topic. In 2015, researchers calculated that our Milky Way galaxy alone may be home to billions of planets orbiting in their host stars' so-called "Goldilocks" zone. The Paris-based Extrasolar Planets Encylopaedia has so far compiled a database of over 3,500 planets around other stars, a few dozen in the habitable sweet spot. HOUSTON (AP) A federal judge has ordered a civil trial of the Texas prison system and its leadership in a civil rights lawsuit arising from the heat-related death of an inmate, saying state prison officials refused to provide air conditioning that could have also kept 21 other inmates alive. Larry Gene McCollum, a 58-year-old Waco-area taxi driver, was among 22 inmates who have died front the heat in Texas prisons since 1998, including 10 during a 2011 heat wave alone, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison of Houston wrote. McCollum was serving a one-year sentence in the Hutchins State Jail near Dallas for writing a bad check when he died of a heat stroke on July 22, 2011, just seven days after he arrived at the jail. In an 83-page opinion filed Tuesday, Ellison, who visited state prisons during the peak of the summer heat, wrote that prison logs showed that the day before McCollum's death, the outside air temperature was above 90 degrees for at least nine hours and above 100 degrees for at least six hours, peaking at 107 degrees and staying at 106 degrees at 6:30 p.m., when the last recording of the day was taken. Humidity never fell below 40 percent that day. Although the log represents that the heat index at 3:30 p.m. was 116 degrees, a chart provided by the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and used by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice computes the heat index was about 150 degrees. The jail utilizes air handlers for ventilation, which circulate outside air through the facility without changing its temperature, Ellison wrote. "Larry McCollum's tragic death was not simply bad luck, but an entirely preventable consequence of inadequate policies. These policies contributed to the deaths of 11 men before McCollum and 10 men after him," Ellison wrote. The TDCJ will appeal the ruling to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal, said spokesman Jason Clark. "The safety, security, health and overall well-being of offenders is of paramount importance to the TDCJ," Clark wrote in a statement. Story continues The attorney for McCollum's family, Jeff Edwards of Austin, said he and his clients are gratified that the facts will finally be heard by a jury and receive a full hearing. Of the 109 prisons in the Texas system, 30 are fully air-conditioned. State law required all county jails to be air conditioned. Many inmates have trouble acclimating themselves to a prison in the middle of summer where air-conditioning is unavailable, Edwards said. "All this is going to say is 'Let's look at the facts.' We believe they will speak for themselves" when presented to a jury, he said. The ruling was sealed Friday and unsealed Tuesday. Helsinki (AFP) - Finnish game giant Supercell saw its sales plateau last year amid harsh competition from its Japanese rival Nintendo's smash hit Pokemon Go, the company said Wednesday. Supercell's sales in 2016 were 2.1 billion euros ($2.31 billion), showing no improvement over 2015 when the company saw its revenues triple from a year before. Last June, a consortium led by Chinese technology giant Tencent bought a majority stake of 76.9 percent in Supercell from Japanese mobile firm SoftBank for $10.2 billion (9.65 billion euros). Supercell's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation grew by eight percent to 917 million euros ($1.01 billion), leading chief executive Ilkka Paananen to celebrate 2016 as the company's "best year so far". The group is not listed and did not publish a full earnings report. "We released our fourth game, Clash Royale, which has been really successful so far -- topping the charts in 131 countries right away and has now spent a total of 130 days at number one in the US," Paananen said in a statement. Clash Royale, a competitive multiplayer defence game, was released in March 2016 as a spinoff from Supercell's previous hit game, Clash of Clans, which also remained popular among players. "What makes me proud is that we've managed to stay as a small company despite this success. At the end of 2016, we were 213 people in total in our five offices across the world," Paananen continued. Supercell was founded in 2010 and saw rapid growth in subsequent years despite releasing just four games so far. BERLIN (AP) A vast trove of art which a German collector kept hidden from the world for decades will be shown simultaneously at museums in Switzerland and Germany later this year, Switzerland's Kunstmuseum Bern announced Wednesday. The Swiss museum, which Gurlitt designated as his sole heir, announced it would co-host the "Dossier Gurlitt" shows together with the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. Art collector Cornelius Gurlitt died in May 2014, months after German authorities announced they stumbled upon more than 1,000 artworks at his Munich apartment while investigating a tax case. His collection included paintings by Paul Cezanne, Eugene Delacroix, Albrecht Duerer and other world-famous artists. Experts said several of the paintings likely were stolen from Jews by German Nazis. The 2013 discovery brought renewed attention to the many unresolved cases of art that was looted from Jewish owners during the Third Reich and never returned to original owners or their descendants. Gurlitt's father, Hildebrand, was an art dealer who traded in works confiscated by the Nazis. After his father's death, Gurlitt kept more than 1,200 works in his Munich apartment and 250 more in Salzburg, Austria. The Bern museum has pledged to ensure that any pieces that turn out to have been looted will be returned to Jewish owners' heirs. A German government-backed foundation has evaluated hundreds of paintings and identified dozens already that were likely stolen by the Nazis. The Bonn part of the Gurlitt exhibition will focus on art stolen from Jewish owners, while the Bern museum will focus on art considered "degenerate" during the Nazi era. The art will be on show from November through March 2018. It's the first time the collection will be shown to the public. BOGOTA (Reuters) - A former Colombian congressman detained on accusations he received millions in bribes from Brazilian engineering firm Odebrecht SA [ODBES.UL] denied on Tuesday that a $1 million portion of the money was given to President Juan Manuel Santos' 2014 campaign. Attorney General Nestor Humberto Martinez said last week that part of $4.6 million allegedly paid to ex-Liberal Party Senator Otto Bula Bula by Odebrecht was sent to Santos' campaign management. Martinez later said his office had only the testimony of Bula, who was arrested last month on charges of bribery and illicit enrichment, to substantiate the allegations. But Bula said via a hand-written letter released by the electoral commission, which is investigating the allegations, that he had not given money to the campaign. "It is not true, it is not a fact, I have not said that the money I turned over ... was a contribution to the Santos presidential campaign," the letter said. Bula's testimony will likely end the commission's investigation into the campaign, which secured a second four-year term for Santos, judicial sources said. The campaign of Santos' right-wing rival Oscar Ivan Zuluaga is also under investigation by the commission for allegedly receiving $2 million from Odebrecht. Zuluaga was the candidate of the Democratic Center opposition party. Parties may be disbanded and prevented from backing candidates if a campaign is found guilty of electoral violations. Odebrecht pleaded guilty in U.S. court and agreed to pay a $3.5 billion penalty for paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes in association with projects in 12 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela. Bula is accused of working to ensure higher-priced tolls on a highway project on behalf of Odebrecht in exchange for bribes. Gabriel Garcia Morales, a former vice minister of transport, has also been arrested for allegedly receiving $6.5 million in bribes from Odebrecht in 2009. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Helen Murphy and Lisa Shumaker) A community has rallied around a Florida family whose 8-year-old triplets were each diagnosed with brain tumors. Read: More Than $200,000 Raised for 3 Children Whose Parents Both Died of Cancer The Coseno family, of Miami, was able to raise $5,000 to help with medical bills for 8-year-old Ellie, Gigi and Carmina during a Sunday fundraiser held at a neighborhood restaurant, Quarterdeck. "We moved to Sunrise two years ago and the support that we have found in our community has changed our life," the triplets mother, Kimberly Coseno, told WSVN. The family relocated from Ohio just after they discovered they discovered Ellie had five brain tumors when she was 5 years old. She has already undergone seven surgeries, and will need more in the future. They later discovered their two other girls, Carmina and Gigi, also had similar brain tumors. Its been a struggle, Kimberly explained. For the last few years, the Cosenos said they have endured countless surgeries, doctors appointments and chemotherapy treatments, but it was their fight against insurance claims and hospital bills that proved to be the most daunting hurdle. "After about two years of fighting this fight, quietly in our own family, doing what we had to do, just surviving, going to the surgeries, the medical appointments, it was, it was a lot, Coseno said. Read: Boy, 6, Does Happy Dance After Final Chemo Treatment Following Lifetime Battle With Cancer Quarterdeck donated 20 percent of the proceeds to the family during the Sunday fundraiser, which was also attended by former Miami Dolphins wide receiver O.J. McDuffie. "We are filled with love for everybody who has helped us out in this process to get our children healthy over the last few months, Kimberly said. I am filled with love. To donate to Ellie, Gigi and Carmina's cause, visit the family's GoFundMe page. Story continues Watch: Woman Acts as Surrogate Mother of Twins for Younger Sister Who Can't Have Kids Due to Cancer Related Articles: Damascus (AFP) - Syria's government on Wednesday fiercely denied accusations by Human Rights Watch that it used chemical weapons in its battle for Aleppo, shrugging off the group's report as "unprofessional and unscientific". In a major report released Monday, Human Rights Watch said Syrian government forces had carried out at least eight chemical attacks in late 2016 as they were fighting to capture second city Aleppo. But a Syrian foreign ministry source cited by state media said the report was based on fabricated testimony. "The government of the Syrian Arab Republic altogether denies the false allegations made in Human Rights Watch's report," the source said. "Human Rights Watch's reliance on terrorist media sources and on fake eyewitnesses... proves this report's lack of credibility," it said, describing the conclusions as "unprofessional and unscientific". HRW said it interviewed witnesses, collected photos and reviewed video footage indicating that chlorine bombs were dropped from government helicopters during the offensive from November 17 to December 13. It concluded that nine people, including four children, were killed and another 200 were injured by the toxic gases used on opposition-controlled areas of the northern city. Syria's government regained full control of Aleppo in late December, in the biggest win for President Bashar al-Assad's regime since the conflict first began in March 2011. Chlorine use as a weapon is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013 under pressure from Russia. A joint investigation by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found that several units of the Syrian army had used toxic weapons against three villages in northern Syria in 2014 and 2015. And in January, the United States announced new sanctions against 18 senior Syrian miliary officers and officials over the use of chemical weapons. President Trump taunted a group of Senate Democrats last week by declaring that Pocahontas is now the face of your party, an obnoxious reference to his chief nemeses, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), whose claim to Cherokee heritage once became a bone of contention. The former Harvard professor and consumer protection champion with impeccable progressive credentials relentlessly attacked Trump during the 2016 campaign and then led the charge against Trumps nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama to become to become attorney general. Her stock within the Democratic party soared after she was formally silenced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on the Senate floor last week for allegedly violating Senate rules by impugning a fellow senators reputation. Related: Democrats Will Regain Power If They Can Avoid Screwing Up At age 67, Warren can hardly be considered a fresh face within her beleaguered party one that is still struggling to make sense of its devastating losses to Trump and the Republicans. She and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 75, are among a handful of aging progressive leaders who clearly better understood the mood of the electorate and the importance of shifting left on economic and trade issuesthan Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton ever did. But whether Warren is the new face of the party or more likely just one facet of a blurry, emerging composite picture of the Democrats reconstituted party leadership remains to be seen. Even before the rank and file Democrats began to grasp the enormity of their loss to Trump and the GOP, veteran Democrats in the House and Senate solidified their hold on the congressional party for at least another two years. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, 66, succeeded retiring Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada as Minority Leader, while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, 76, put down a minor rebellion to claim the leadership of her party for at least another two years. Story continues While Schumer and Pelosi are both highly accomplished veteran politicians and now are showing some spunk in demanding an independent probe of the burgeoning national security scandal in the Trump White House -- both appeared to be caught flat-footed by last Novembers election when the Republicans swept to victory again in the House and Senate and took the White House. Related: Will Democrats Stand Up to Trump? Heres Their First Test Moreover, Schumer was recently put on notice by progressive Democrats who actually demonstrated outside of his apartment in Brooklyn -- that he would be making a big mistake if he supported any Trump nominees and that he should scrap his post-election pledge to seek common ground with the new president. Meanwhile, the race to chair the beleaguered Democratic National Committee after months of upheaval within that organization appears to be coming down to two candidates neither of whom is a household name. Rep. Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat and the first Muslim to serve in Congress, has drawn strong support from Sanders, the AFL-CIO and other progressive groups seeking a shift in party policy much further to the left. Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez is considered more of a moderate and big tent Democrat who has picked up an endorsement from former Vice President Joe Biden. While the outcome of the DNC election later this month no doubt will have an important impact on the future direction of the party, the race has been relatively low key and obscure and certainly has done little to fire the imagination of Democrats throughout the country. Empirically, Democrats are down, said Nathan Gonzales, a national political analyst. They have the fewest number of governors in at least a generation just 16 out of 50. They have the minority of the House, the minority of the Senate, there are just fewer Democrats in leadership positions. The bench is less full, and that filters down into the state legislatures. Can Trump Deliver 4% Growth? Why Most Economists Say Not This Year Not only is the party dealing with fewer members, but there is no clear leader, he added in an interview. And you have a battle going on [within the DNC] for the best path out of the wilderness, with at least two different factions arguing what that path looks like. And their partys prospects for making a comeback anytime soon seems dim at best. Indeed, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the former Democratic White House chief of staff and Democratic congressional party organizer, recently advised the Democrats to take a chill pill and realize party rebuilding could take years to achieve. With Democrats facing uphill battles in the Senate and House in 2018, some experts had already all but ruled the chances of the Democrats winning back either of the chambers. University of Virginia political scientists Larry J. Sabato notes that, in the wake of Trumps chaotic and highly controversial first three weeks in office, the Democrats have got more public support now than they had before the election, and you have to make hay while the sun shines. But certainly, the line-up in the Senate for 2018 is horrible for Democrats, he added, as the Democrats will have to defend 25 seats, including many in states that Trump carried, to only eight Republican seats that will be on the line. The Republicans currently hold a 52 to 48 seat majority in the Senate. The Democrats will be very lucky to lose, net, only a couple of Senate seats, Sabato said in an email. Related: The Power of the Pink Hat: Heres How Democrats Can Win America Back But when it comes to the next presidential contest, Democratic voters seemingly have much stronger views. Just as conservative Republicans and independents flocked to Trump in search of an outsider who would challenge the establishment and upend conventional wisdom, recent polling suggests that Democrats and independents want a completely fresh start in 2020. I think it will be somebody who is not even on the radar today, Ross Baker, a Rutgers University political scientist, said in an interview. Not unlike former President Barack Obamas rise from relative obscurity as a senator to the pinnacle of national power, Baker said, I think it will be somebody who is not a recognized, revered leader. The quest for novelty is not unique to Republicans, he said. I think the Democrats are looking for something different as well. Some 66 percent of Democrats and independents picked someone entirely new when given the choice of a list of potential 2020 presidential candidates, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll in late December. Only nine percent of those Democrats surveyed believe a newcomer should stay out of the race. Related: Trump Might Adopt a Democratic Plan to Crack Down on Drug Prices There was practically no interest in seeing Clinton run for a third time for president with 62 percent of the registered Democrats surveyed saying she should definitely not seek the nomination again. Sixty-one percent said they would love for former first lady Michelle Obama to run, although she has pretty much slammed the door on that possibility. Around 44 percent said they might be in favor of seeing Sanders or even Biden seek the nomination to challenge Trump, assuming he runs for a second term. But just 34 percent said they would like to see Warren run, while 27 percent hope she doesnt run which hardly makes her the face of the Democratic party. The fact of the matter is, there is no telling how the next two years will play out in Washington and who among the Democrats in politics, business or some other endeavor may rise to the surface and lead the party. For now, at least, here are six Democrats who offer a relatively fresh look who may emerge as important players in the coming years: Chris Murphy Sen. Christopher Murphy -- The first-term Connecticut senator arrived in Washington shortly after the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre in his state in December 2012, and he swiftly rose to become one of the most outspoken advocates for gun control a highly important but invariably frustrating issue to pursue in the face of the powerful gun lobby. The 43-year-old former House member and state legislator is a champion of health care reform and was a strong advocate of a single-payer national health care system similar to one sought by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Cory Booker Sen. Cory Booker The 47-year-old former Newark, N.J., mayor and prominent black politician insists hes not interested in the presidency. And he finds ways to anger both liberals and conservatives, as Politico recently noted. But his high-profile speech at the 20016 Democratic National Convention and his sharp critique of President Trump and his cabinet picks suggest Booker will be very much in the national eye as the 2020 race begins to take shape. Amy Klobuchar Sen. Amy Klobuchar The former Minnesota county prosecutor is a rising star among progressives and brings the much-admired qualities of mid-western common sense and practicality and a firm grasp of domestic and foreign policy issues. Klobuchar, the daughter of a legendary Minneapolis newspaper columnist and one-time legal adviser to former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, is a natural in dealing with the media. And speculation that Hillary Clinton had closely considered her as a running mate in 2016 will probably add to her luster as a potential presidential candidate in 2020. Kyrsten Sinema Rep. Kyrsten Sinema The 37-year old two-term House member from Arizona brings a distinctive perspective to Washington. The former state legislator and social worker grew up homeless for a time and is the first openly bisexual member of Congress. >She is one of the more dazzling Democrats from a red state. I was homeless when I was a kid, she said once at a Phoenix job fair. But I got my shot at college, I got a job, and I stand before you today. Mark Cuban Mark Cuban President Trump recently tweeted that Cuban is not smart enough to run for president! But those who have dealt with the Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank star think he is plenty smart and probably better equipped than Trump to do the kind of policy and economic analysis required of a president. Trump may have been reacting to a New York Post story mentioning Cuban as a possible challenger for Trump in 2020. Cuban, 58, responded by tweeting Isnt it better for all of us that he is tweeting rather than trying to govern? Kamala Harris Sen. Kamala Harris The charismatic Democrat from California has a number of claims to fame: She was the first woman ever elected attorney general in California and the second black woman and the first Indian American elected to serve in the U.S. Senate. Harris, 52, once said that she sought a career in law enforcement because she wanted to be at the table where decisions are made. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - German stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse on Wednesday reported strong increases in earnings and profits for 2016, as it awaits regulators' go-ahead for a tie-up with London Stock Exchange. The Frankfurt-based firm saw profits rise 14 percent to 811 million euros ($859 million), adjusting for special items, while revenues added 8.0 percent to reach 2.4 billion euros. Underlying, or operating profit before interest and taxes grew almost 13.0 percent to 1.2 billion euros. "Our ongoing measures to enhance operating efficiency have shown their full effect," finance director Gregor Pottmeyer said in a statement, with controlling costs a "major contribution to earnings growth" in 2016. Chief executive Carsten Kengeter pointed to "progress made with the planned merger" with London Stock Exchange in the statement, offering no hints about the tie-up's prospects as it faces scrutiny by regulators. An LSE-Deutsche Boerse merger would create a financial markets behemoth competing with the likes of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and ICE in the United States, as well as the Hong Kong stock exchange in Asia. The prospect of creating one of the globe's biggest groups for stock listings and market data has stoked competition fears among EU rivals. LSE formally offered last week to sell clearing house LCH Clearnet SA to European competitor Euronext if the European Commission approves the deal at the end of a competition probe. Meanwhile, Kengeter himself is under investigation for insider trading over shares in Deutsche Boerse he bought in December 2015, shortly before the LSE merger plans were announced -- sharply increasing the stocks' value. Deutsche Boerse says the shares were part of a revamped executive pay programme -- and that in any case, the two stock market operators did not open tie-up talks until January 2016. A report in German news weekly Der Spiegel last week suggested Kengeter had in fact discussed the planned merger with a German government official the month before the share purchase, although it did not cite any sources. Deutsche Boerse told AFP last week it is fully cooperating with the investigation. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Intelligence officials believe North Korean agents assassinated leader Kim Jong Un's exiled half brother, but if the whodunit seems settled, a very big question still looms: Why now? Kim Jong Nam, reportedly killed by two female agents in a cloak-and-dagger operation in a Malaysian airport, had long been an embarrassment to North Korea's government humiliated during a failed attempt to sneak into Japan to visit Disneyland and outspoken in opposing the rise to power of his brother, who had his uncle executed after taking over. But the overweight gambler and fading playboy had kept his head down in recent years from his base in Macau. Kim Jong Nam was seen by many outsiders as only a minor distraction for North Korea's leaders, and certainly not an existential threat worth the risk of a potentially embarrassing assassination caper on foreign soil. The spotty South Korean intelligence community ascribed the North's motivation in killing Kim Jong Nam, without any elaboration, simply to Kim Jong Un's "paranoia." There is a more intriguing possibility floating around Seoul, however: The tipping point in North Korea's bloody calculations may have been a largely ignored South Korean news story from last week. A national daily, the Kyunghyang Shinmun, reported that Kim Jong Nam tried to defect to South Korea several years ago and had served, in the 2000s, as a middleman between disgraced current South Korean President Park Geun-hye and officials in North Korea. Kim Jong Un may have clenched his teeth and carried on when he heard reports of his half brother's exploits in Macau casinos, and even when Kim Jong Nam, often photographed in an expensive, untucked, button-down shirt and newsboy cap, questioned in 2010 the need for a third generation of the Kim family to rule in Pyongyang. But public reports in rival South Korea of alleged close dealings between a direct relative of North Korea's ruling dynasty and high officials in Seoul and possible attempts to defect to the South could have represented a serious challenge to a leader who portrays his family as the only legitimate power on the Korean Peninsula. Story continues If a person with the blood of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung flowing in his veins was considering defecting to prosperous, democratic South Korea, what message did that send to North Korea's elite, or to the millions of poor and dissatisfied? South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, which has a spotty record in reading the goings-on in North Korea and often tries to paint the leadership as unbalanced, denied any defection attempt by Kim Jong Nam. But Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute, raised the possibility that the assassination was linked to the newspaper report, which cites interviews with anonymous officials from the Europe-Korea Foundation, where Park served as a board member for a decade before stepping down ahead of the presidential election in late 2012, and computer files and emails that showed exchanges between Kim Jong Nam and the foundation's officials. The newspaper reported that Kim Jong Nam, who was then living in Beijing, delivered a letter that Park wrote to Kim Jong Il, North Korea's second leader and Kim Jong Un's father, in 2005. The letter, according to the newspaper, showed Park requesting help on cultural exchange programs pushed by the foundation. Jeong Joon-Hee, the spokesman of South Korea's Unification Ministry, previously said the government doesn't believe such a letter from Park, who has been impeached over a corruption scandal, was delivered to North Korea. The newspaper also cited anonymous sources to report that Kim Jong Nam explored the possibility of defecting to South Korea, and also to the United States and Europe, in 2012 before giving up. The sources said Kim's talks with South Korea and the United States eventually fell through because of his excessive demands. While the South Korean news report is a fascinating potential explanation for Kim Jong Nam's death, there are other possibilities including that Monday's killing was the culmination of years of effort by North Korea. Seoul's spy service told lawmakers Wednesday that North Korea had for five years tried to kill Kim Jong Nam, who had kept a low profile since his uncle and former protector, the North's former No. 2, Jang Song Thaek, was executed by Kim Jong Un in 2013. The NIS, according to lawmakers, cited a "genuine" attempt by North Korea to kill Kim Jong Nam in 2012, but didn't elaborate. The lawmakers said the NIS told them Kim Jong Nam sent a letter to Kim Jong Un in April 2012, after the assassination attempt, begging for the lives of himself and his family. The letter said, "I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide." Kim Jong Nam's links with China may have also played a role. Beijing had long protected Kim Jong Nam, according to South Korea's intelligence service. China may have been interested in propping up Kim Jong Nam as a future North Korean leader should the current government in Pyongyang collapse. Kim Jong Un would not have been pleased by knowledge that his brother was being used by Beijing as a pawn and potential replacement. Mammals give birth to babies, reptiles pop out eggs, right? An ancient fossil unearthed in China suggests the latter wasn't always true. Paleontologists have found a 245-million-year-old fossil of a pregnant reptile and her curled-up embryo. The discovery suggests this long-necked reptile may have ditched its egg-bearing ways over time to gain a biological advantage, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature Communications. SEE ALSO: Greenland fossils may be the earliest evidence of life on Earth In its day, the Dinocephalosaurus could grow to be at least 13 feet long with the neck making up about half that length. The aquatic reptile was a relative of dinosaurs and is a distant ancestor of modern crocodiles and birds, all of which belong to the major clade Archosauromorpha. Dinosaur eggs! Image: Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images While live birth has evolved many times in mammals and diverse groups of lizards and snakes, scientists had not yet observed live birth among archosauromorphs. Jun Liu, a paleontologist at the Hefei University of Technology in China, said he and his colleagues have found the first known example of an Archosauromorpha member giving birth to live young. The team found their ancient fossil inside a chunk of limestone in Southwest China nearly a decade ago. As they steadily chipped away at the stone surrounding the skeleton, they encountered a surprise in the reptile's stomach: another reptile. (a) Photograph of three separate blocks, arranged following their original positions in the field. (b) Interpretive drawing: Dotted line indicates the rough course of the vertebral column of the adult. The different color in the cervical region aims to facilitate the association of cervical ribs with corresponding vertebrae. (c) Photo showing a close-up of the embryo preserved in the stomach region of the mother. (d) Interpretive drawing of the embryo. (e) Photo showing a close-up of the perleidid fish preserved in the stomach region of the mother. Image: Liu Et Al. (2017) Liu, the study's co-author, said at first they though it might be just an unlucky meal. But the creature was curled, and it was facing forward. The Dinocephalosaurus preferred to eat its prey head-first. "If an animal is ingested by something else, theres no way to preserve that shape," he told National Geographic. The scientists suggested the marine reptile may have evolved to deliver live babies because producing and nesting eggs was too hazardous. Its neck-to-body ratio made it harder to walk on land and burrow its progeny, like turtles do. Reptilian eggs also can't be incubated underwater, as they need oxygen. Mulan (Disney) By Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter Niki Caro, who broke through with the 2002 Maori family drama Whale Rider, will direct Disneys live-action Mulan, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. In an industry where female-helmed tentpoles are still rare, Caro will be the second woman at the studio to direct a movie budgeted at over $100 million. (Ava DuVernay is the first, with A Wrinkle in Time.) Related: Netflix Unveils First Look at Anne of Green Gables Reboot; Series Premiere Directed by Niki Caro Caros most recent film, Focus upcoming The Zookeepers Wife, has been praised for its gender-inclusive set by its star, Jessica Chastain. Disney previously worked with Caro, a New Zealand native, on the 2015 cross-country drama McFarland, USA, for which she lived in central California for nearly a year to immerse herself in the Mexican-American community there. Disney also considered other women for its woman-warrior project, including Wonder Womans Patty Jenkins and Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones). Caros hiring likely takes her out of the running for Captain Marvel, the studios first female-fronted superhero movie. THR reported last August that she was on the short list of directors for that film, along with Homelands Lesli Linka Glatter and Lorene Scafaria, who directed 2012s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Related: Hulu Nabs Mulan, Other Disney Movies in Exclusive Subscription Streaming Deal Disney and producers Chris Bender, Jason Reed, and Jake Weiner are taking pains to assure fans that Mulan will be culturally authentic. The studio had initially sought an Asian director for the project, meeting with Ang Lee (who passed, citing scheduling) and Rogue One star Jiang Wen, a hit director in his native China. Sony, which is developing a rival live-action film about the Chinese legend, also hoped to put an Asian director at the helm, but ultimately hired television veteran Alex Graves. Story continues In addition to extensive conversations with Chinese cultural consultants and working closely with Disneys own China-based team, the studio is bringing on Hong Kong-based super-producer Bill Kong as executive producer. Kong produced the most successful Chinese films to cross over Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which he received an Oscar nomination as well as many of Chinas biggest hits, including Monster Hunt, Wolf Totem, and Journey to the West. Disney hires Niki Caro (left) to direct its live-action Mulan, while Bill Kong (right) signs on as executive producer (Photos: Caro: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney; Kong: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage) Last fall, controversy briefly arose when reports surfaced that the original spec that Disney purchased, written by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, featured non-Chinese characters, including a white male lead. Disney quickly responded that Mulan and all primary characters in its movie, which has been rewritten by Jurassic Worlds Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, will remain Chinese. The studio is focusing its casting search in mainland China for the main roles, including the legendary woman warrior herself. Related: Sony Taps Game of Thrones Director to Helm Its Live-Action Mulan Caro is repped by UTA, Artists House, and Lichter Grossman. Rebecca Ford and Borys Kit contributed to this Hollywood Reporter story About one in 68 children born in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the developmental disorder that affects a number of brain functionsmost notably childrens ability to socialize and communicate. Because the first signs of autism arent obvious until children start talking and interacting with others, doctors cant definitively diagnose the condition until babies are about two years old, when language and social skills start to emerge. Experts say that may be too late in terms of treating or minimizing the effects of autism, since whatever brain changes responsible for them have already taken place. However, a new report in the journal Nature may give worried parents new hope. Heather Cody Hazlett, a psychologist at the Carolina Institute of Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina, and her colleagues used brain scans to come up with a formula for predicting which babies, from as young as six months old, might be at higher risk of developing autism. The team focused their work on babies with older siblings diagnosed with autism; these brothers and sisters have a 20% higher risk of also developing autism, compared to newborns without affected siblings. Hazlett took MRI scans of the babies at six months, 12 months and 24 months to track any changes. They then matched the scans with autism diagnoses when the infants were two years old. The researchers found that children who ended up being diagnosed with autism had brains that looked very different from those who did not develop the condition. In the infants with autism, the nerve cells in the cortex of the brain, which receives incoming information from the environment, including sights, smells and sounds, grew and expanded at a blistering pace between six and 12 months. That rapid growth led to more brain surface in these children, which in turn contributed to faster growing brains in their first year of life. By the time these children were two years old, when the first symptoms of autism emerge, their brains had already experienced a different growth pattern than those of kids who werent affected by autism. The greatest implication of this work is that it pinpoints that brain differences in autism are happening in the first year of life, says Hazlett. While other studies have relied on brain scans to document differences in brain size and nerve growth in children with autism, most have not tracked the same children from infancy to their diagnosis. Instead, they compared different babies at six months to different toddlers at two years old for insight into changes during that time. Because the 318 children from high-risk families for autism and the 117 from low-risk families in the current study were scanned periodically during their first two years of life, Hazletts team was able to analyze the data and look for patterns that set the autistic brain measurements apart. Based on that information, they came up with a formula for predicting which babies, beginning at six months or so, were more likely to develop autism by age two. When they used the algorithm in a separate group of infants at one year old who had siblings with autism, it accurately predicted that eight out of 10 of them would be diagnosed with autism. The formula needs to be validated by testing it in more infants, but it could be the foundation for a new way of understanding which babies might be at high risk of the developmental disorder. Hazlett sees the algorithm being most useful for families with older siblings already diagnosed with autism; knowing that a younger sibling is at higher risk as well may give the family more time to take advantage of behavioral therapies that could help to lessen the symptoms of the condition and perhaps even normalize autistic brains. Studies show that some learning programs may help minimize some of the learning and communication symptoms of autism, but only if they are begun early in the infants life. The results could also get more doctors and parents to appreciate that autism spectrum disorders represent an ongoing change in childrens development, rather than a one-time event that switches the disease on. This is an unfolding development process, says Dr. Joseph Piven, director of the Institute and senior author of the paper. We need to begin to think of autism more in that way. We cant compare two year olds and six year olds; we need to really look specifically at changes over time. (Adds additional quotes, details) NEW YORK, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Rumor, a German shepherd, was named best in show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday, besting more than 2,800 other dogs that competed in New York this week. It marks the second time a German shepherd has won the top prize at the show. The breed last won in 1987, which also represents the only other time a dog from the herding group has won at Westminster. Shes got a lot of beautiful details, Rumor owner, breeder and handler Kent Boyles, from Edgerton, Wisconsin, said about the features that make Rumor a winner. Boyles, who said he became German shepherd crazy as a child, has been breeding the dog for 35 years. Boyles said he and his family will drive back to Wisconsin with Rumor, where she will be retired from shows. This was definitely the ultimate type of win for her, Boyles said. Rumor, whose favorite snack is prime rib, will likely begin bearing puppies, Boyles said. Rumor won the herding category in 2016 as well, but lost the top prize to a German shorthaired pointer. "She is just magnificent," Judge Thomas H. Bradley III said, in an interview with broadcasters about his pick. Adrian, an Irish setter from the sporting group, was named runner-up. A total of 200 breeds vied for the blue ribbon at Westminster, which began in 1877, making it the country's second longest-running sporting event behind the Kentucky Derby horse race, launched in 1875. Devlin, a boxer, won the working group on Tuesday, while Tanner, a Norwich terrier, was the winner in the terrier group. On Monday, the opening night of the two-day competition, in addition to the German shepherd Rumor, a Norwegian elkhound, a Pekingese, and a miniature poodle won their groups. Devlin, the boxer, has lived with and been trained by Diego Garcia in Lillington, North Carolina for the past two years, and will return to her owner in Canada after the show to retire. "I started to cry this morning," Garcia said about returning Devlin. Three new breeds debuted in this year's competition: the sloughi, a North African sighthound; the American hairless terrier, first bred in the 1970s to hunt rats and other vermin; and the pumi, an ancient Hungarian herding breed. This year's contestants came from 49 states and 16 foreign countries. Dogs are judged on characteristics specific to their breeds. (Reporting by Laila Kearney, Editing by Richard Chang, Sandra Maler and Himani Sarkar) By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rumor, a German shepherd, was named best in show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday, besting more than 2,800 other dogs that competed in New York this week. It marks the second time a German shepherd has won the top prize at the show. The breed last won in 1987, which also represents the only other time a dog from the herding group has won at Westminster. Shes got a lot of beautiful details, Rumor owner, breeder and handler Kent Boyles, from Edgerton, Wisconsin, said about the features that make Rumor a winner. Boyles, who said he became German shepherd crazy as a child, has been breeding the dog for 35 years. Boyles said he and his family will drive back to Wisconsin with Rumor, where she will be retired from shows. This was definitely the ultimate type of win for her, Boyles said. Rumor, whose favorite snack is prime rib, will likely begin bearing puppies, Boyles said. Rumor won the herding category in 2016 as well, but lost the top prize to a German shorthaired pointer. "She is just magnificent," Judge Thomas H. Bradley III said, in an interview with broadcasters about his pick. Adrian, an Irish setter from the sporting group, was named runner-up. A total of 200 breeds vied for the blue ribbon at Westminster, which began in 1877, making it the country's second longest-running sporting event behind the Kentucky Derby horse race, launched in 1875. Devlin, a boxer, won the working group on Tuesday, while Tanner, a Norwich terrier, was the winner in the terrier group. On Monday, the opening night of the two-day competition, in addition to the German shepherd Rumor, a Norwegian elkhound, a Pekingese, and a miniature poodle won their groups. Devlin, the boxer, has lived with and been trained by Diego Garcia in Lillington, North Carolina for the past two years, and will return to her owner in Canada after the show to retire. "I started to cry this morning," Garcia said about returning Devlin. Three new breeds debuted in this year's competition: the sloughi, a North African sighthound; the American hairless terrier, first bred in the 1970s to hunt rats and other vermin; and the pumi, an ancient Hungarian herding breed. This year's contestants came from 49 states and 16 foreign countries. Dogs are judged on characteristics specific to their breeds. (Reporting by Laila Kearney, Editing by Richard Chang, Sandra Maler and Himani Sarkar) Santo Domingo (AFP) - Two journalists were shot dead during a live radio broadcast in the Dominican Republic, police and media said. Unidentified attackers burst into the 103.5 FM studio as presenter Luis Manuel Medina was reading the news on air on Tuesday and shot him dead, station employees were quoted as saying by local media. Moments before that the station's director Leonidas Martinez was killed in his office, they said. In a video of the broadcast, which was streamed on Facebook, gunfire is heard as Medina reads the news and a woman's voice is heard calling "Shots, shots!" "Two people have died and one has been injured," national police spokesman William Alcantara told reporters. He identified the injured person as the station's secretary. The attack occurred at the radio station's office in San Pedro de Macoris, east of the capital Santo Domingo. Medina was presenting the influential investigative news show "Milenio Caliente," or "Hot Millenium," on Tuesday morning in the Caribbean nation, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and is a popular beach destination for foreign tourists. The Miami-based Interamerican Press Society (SIP) condemned the 103.5 FM "tragedy" in a statement. Its press freedom chief Roberto Rock urged investigators "to shed light on the killings and bring those responsible to justice, to prevent impunity from protecting those who want to keep generating violence against the media." Media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders says that journalists who tackle corruption and drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic often fall victim to attacks. "Freedom of information is also weakened by continuing impunity for crimes of violence against media personnel and the concentration of media ownership in few hands," it said in a 2015 report. The watchdog noted that Blas Olivo, press director of the Dominican Agribusiness Association, was found murdered that year. A television cameraman was shot dead in broad daylight in 2014 and a newspaper reporter was shot at but not hurt days before that. Other journalists have said they were victims of hate campaigns after speaking up for the citizenship rights of Haitians born in the Dominican Republic. CAIRO (AP) Egypt's chief-of-staff has mediated between two Libyan rivals who refused to meet face to face in Cairo but later agreed to form a committee to renegotiate a U.N. peace deal. Col. Tamer el-Rifai, an Egyptian army spokesman, says the two the head of Libya's U.N.-backed government, Fayez Serraj, and Khalifa Hifter, the country's most powerful army commander met separately with Egypt's chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Hegazy late on Tuesday. He says they agreed to form a joint committee that would make key changes to the 2015 U.N.-brokered peace deal. Once the parliament, based in eastern Libya, endorses the changes, it would pave the way for parliamentary and presidential elections next year. Libya's east-based parliament does not recognize the U.N.-backed government set up in the country's capital, Tripoli. CAIRO (AP) An Egyptian court has ordered the detention of an activist for failing to report to a police station because he had been detained by security agents elsewhere, his lawyer and a friend said Wednesday. Abdel Azim Fahmy, a senior member of the secular, now-outlawed April 6 Movement, who is also known as Zizo Abdo, was detained for several hours last Wednesday, causing him to miss a court-ordered visit to a police station, one of the conditions of his release from custody. He was detained again on Saturday for breaching his provisional release conditions and prosecutors charged him the following day with breaching a court order, his lawyer, Mokhtar Mounir, told The Associated Press. On Tuesday the court ordered that he remain in custody, Mounir said. Abdo was charged with incitement and membership in an outlawed organization in May, part of a wide-scale crackdown on dissent that has imprisoned thousands of people, mostly Islamists but also several prominent secular activists. The April 6 movement played a leading role in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. It was outlawed after the military overthrew Mubarak's freely elected successor, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi, in 2013. Mounir said he would appeal the order extending Abdo's detention, which he called "inhumane and irrational." Activist Nour Khalil, who was detained along with Abdo last week, told the AP that Abdo had asked his interrogators to alert the police station he reports to that he was in their custody, but they refused. Abdo headed to the station immediately after his release five hours later, according to Khalil. Another leading figure in the 2011 uprising, Khaled Tallima, said this week that he was fired from his job hosting a political talk show on the private ONtv network. The network, recently purchased by a businessman allied with the government, did not announce Tallima's dismissal, and editor-in-chief Gamal el-Shennawy declined to comment. The Egyptian media, both public and private, is dominated by government supporters. Beijing (AFP) - Eight people were killed in a knife attack on a crowd in China's restive Xinjiang region, including three assailants who were gunned down by police, local officials said on Wednesday. Ten other people were injured in the attack Tuesday evening in Pishan county, according to an announcement issued by the government of the nearby city of Hotan. Police sped to the scene within a minute of the attack, which remains under investigation, the announcement said, calling the attackers "rioters". The far-western region is the homeland of the Uighurs -- a traditionally Muslim group, many of whom complain of cultural and religious repression and discrimination -- and is often hit by deadly unrest. Beijing regularly accuses what it calls exiled Uighur separatist groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement of orchestrating attacks in the vast, resource-rich region. But overseas experts have expressed doubts about the strength of the groups and their links to global terrorism, with some saying China exaggerates the threat to justify tough security measures. Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exiled World Uyghur Congress, told AFP that police arrested six people after the attack, including two young Uighurs who shared information about the incident over mobile phones. "Armed forces in the county are targeting Uighurs for investigation and demanding that Chinese people avoid leaving their homes," he said, citing his sources in Xinjiang. "I am worried the case will provide China with a new political excuse for repression and will cause more people to face discriminatory inspections or detentions." Last month police killed three "rioters" following a manhunt for suspected members of a "violent terror group" linked to a 2015 attack in Pishan county, according to the regional government's official website. Weeks earlier state media reported that three attackers were shot dead after detonating an explosive device at a local party office in Moyu County, killing two and injuring three. In November 2015, police killed 28 members of a "terrorist group" over the course of a 56-day manhunt following an attack on a colliery in Aksu two months earlier that left 16 people dead. In March 2014, 31 people were knifed to death at a train station in Kunming, in southwestern China, with four attackers killed, with Xinjiang separatists blamed and state media dubbing it "China's 9/11". As some Republican members of Congress seek to roll back the Endangered Species Act, conservation groups have taken to familiar arguments about protecting wildlife. But theres one species that is often overlooked in that defense: Homo sapiens. As it turns out, biodiversity protects against climate change and helps ensure a stable food supply. And those both have economic benefits that in some cases dwarf the value of developing land. There are other reasons to conserve things beyond just dollars, says Brad Cardinale, a professor at the University of Michigan who studies biodiversity. But there are many examples where conservation would have a huge economic valuation. Scientists say that while the Endangered Species Act focuses on individual species, it actually helps protect ecosystems that support those species. In turn, those can help keep air and water that people depend on clean, while also lowering costs on things like asthma caused by pollution. Perhaps the greatest economic value of ecosystems is the role they play as greenhouse gas sinks that absorb climate change-causing pollutants like carbon dioxide. Cutting down forests currently represents more than 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But restoring forests would allow them to absorb up nearly a third of global carbon emissions. Of course, plants do the actual absorbing of gases, but animals, including those protected under the Endangered Species Act, play a key role in keeping ecosystems intact. Read More: Why Restoring Nature Could Be the Key to Fighting Climate Change Many insect species also play a key role as pollinators that support the food supply. Bees, for instance, pollinate more than 90 commercial crops in the U.S. including nuts, fruits and vegetables, according to an Obama-era White House report. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the rusty patched bumblebee, which has lost 90% of its range in the last two decades, as an endangered species in January, but suspended that designation later in the month following instructions from the Trump Administration. Story continues A lot of people dont associate species and species diversity with food because they go to the grocery store to buy their food, says Cardinale. But there were actually hundreds of species involved. A group of Republicans who now control both houses of Congress and the White House have pushed for the most significant reform to the law since the measure was adopted in 1973. The measure received wide bipartisan support at the time with only four members of Congress voting against it. Today, Republicans argue that the measure has failed at protecting endangered speciespointing to the fact that the vast majority of species listed as endangered have not been delistedwhile also burdening landowners. Read More: The Problem with U.S. Wildlife Protection Efforts The Endangered Species Act is not working today, said Senator John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican, at a hearing on the Endangered Species Act Wednesday. States, counties, wildlife managers, home builders, construction companies, farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders are all making it clear that the Endangered Species Act is not working. Reform proposals remain in early stages, but they could include provisions that make adding a species to the list more difficult and requiring the involvement of affected states, according to an Associated Press report. In his testimony, Barasso said he hoped that the reform could be a bipartisan effort aimed at making the measure stronger. But conservation and environment groups arent buying it. In my over 35 years of experience, talk of modernizing the Endangered Species Act has amounted to one thing: a euphemism for undermining and weakening the statute, said Jamie Rappaport Clark, CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. The Endangered Species Act is not broken. It does not need to be fixed. Liancheng (China) (AFP) - Dragons several hundred metres long snake their way down pastoral roads and through country hamlets, part of centuries-old Chinese folk celebrations for a mythical creature revered as a blessing. The visually striking festival is among a range of colourful traditional observances unique to eastern Fujian province and its Hakka people and held each year in conjunction with the Lantern Festival, which fell this year on February 11. The dragon is believed to scare off bad luck and bring the rains needed by farming communities in Liancheng county, a rural area of Fujian. In the village of Gutian on Saturday, residents began their two-day dragon parade by slitting the throat of a squealing pig on the grounds of a temple, the animal's blood spouting into a pan and later poured onto the head of the paper-and-wood dragon. The giant beast was then carried by dozens of local men through farms and villages. Bringing up the rear was the dragon's tail, separated from the rest of the body because locals believe attaching it may bring too much rain. Later that night the dragon was paraded in circles outside a local government compound as fireworks crackled. The dragon was dismantled at night, but the parade resumed the next day. The dragon's head started out first, joined in succession by other sections until it was complete again. It was eventually lit up in flames on the grounds of the temple where it all started, an offering for a bountiful year ahead. A few days earlier, the well-preserved ancient Hakka village of Peitian had its own parade of eleven illuminated dragons, observances dating back to the Ming dynasty, which ruled China from 1368 to 1644. Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - The European Parliament backed a contested EU-Canada free trade deal on Wednesday, facing down protests by activists and Donald Trump-inspired calls for protectionism. MEPs hailed the deal as a rare victory for an imperilled global trade system that is under threat from US President Trump who opposes far-reaching trade deals. The accord, known as CETA, is tipped as Europe's most modern ever and a possible model for relations with Britain after its leaves the EU. EU states and Canada formally signed the deal in October after seven years of tough talks, overcoming last-minute resistance from a small Belgian region that blocked its national government from approving the accord. But it needed the backing of MEPs meeting in Strasbourg, France, who solidly approved the pact with 408 votes in favour, 254 against and 33 abstentions. "This is a watershed moment -- EU trade policy will never be the same again," said senior Scottish MEP David Martin, whose Socialists and Democrats group split on the issue. Approval by the parliament allows the provisional implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement as early as next month. It must then be approved by national parliaments. Protesters attempted to disrupt the vote, with about 700 people marching outside the European Parliament to voice their opposition to the deal. Anti-globalisation activists dressed in surgical masks dramatically blocked the entrance to the parliament building, before being dragged off by riot police. "Saying yes to CETA is a trampling of the people," said a banner. Following the approval by parliament, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will address MEPs in person on Thursday. "Looking forward to it," Trudeau tweeted on Wednesday, adding in a statement that the deal "prepares the ground for stronger ties with the EU, which will result in greater possibilities for the middle classes on both sides of the Atlantic." Story continues - 'Blow to EU' - Opponents to CETA slam the deal as a "Trojan horse" to big business and a danger to health, democracy and the rule of law. "The disconnect between MEPs and public concerns over living standards, public health and the environment is another blow to the EU," said Greenpeace's EU trade policy adviser Shira Stanton. Some of the more controversial aspects, including a much-derided investor court system, still require ratification by EU member states, which could take years. CETA will remove 99 percent of non-farm customs duties between the two sides, a big win for exporters on both sides of the Atlantic. And unlike classic trade deals, CETA harmonises regulations on matters such as health and the environment, a major concern for activists. Some industries are left untouched. The CETA deal will not remove tariff barriers for public services, audiovisual and transport services and a few agricultural products, such as dairy, which is heavily subsidised in Canada. A major flashpoint for opponents is the proposal to set up special courts to settle disputes between investors and national authorities that is central to the deal. Opponents believe this provision hands too much power to multinationals that will use powerful lawyers to undermine national regulation. "Multinationals will be able to attack governments in a privatised court system," said France's far-right presidential candidate and MEP Marine Le Pen, who voted against CETA. But the deal's EU negotiator, Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem, said many of the concerns were "myths". "You have to remember too that 28 countries, 28 governments have signed this deal and said it is a good deal. Would the 28 really sign something that was so dangerous for their citizens?" she told AFP in an interview. The vote comes at a particularly sensitive time for global trade matters, with Britain poised to leave the European Union and new US president Trump rejecting an Asia-Pacific trade deal. Trump is also widely expected to drop a similar proposed deal with the EU known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership or TTIP. Trudeau met with Trump on Monday in Washington. Trump had vowed to put "America first" and rip up the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico, but significantly toned down that rhetoric after meeting Trudeau. burs-dk/ri Pax Britannica and Pax Americana have together provided the foundation for the modern, globalized world. Yet as Americans and Europeans gather in Munich this weekend for a major conference on security affairs, the Wests two founding members the United Kingdom and the United States are backing away from the order they spent considerable blood and treasure to build and maintain. The Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump make clear that many British and American citizens have had it with the liberal international order that was consolidated after World War II. Struggling to earn a living wage, uncomfortable with the social diversity bred by immigration, and worried about terrorism, a sizable bloc of voters across Western democracies sense that they are on the losing end of globalization and want to defect from it. Fair enough. The justifiable anger of these voters makes clear that our post-industrial polities have not done enough to manage globalization and ensure that its benefits are more broadly shared across our societies. Trumps election and Britains impending exit from the European Union are alarming wake-up calls; we ignore the plight of our working classes at the peril of Western democracy. Whatever one thinks of Donald Trump, his ascent reveals that the social compact that sustains democratic centrism and popular support for a liberal international order desperately needs to be recast. The problem is that Trump and his fellow populists are not offering a new social compact; they are selling their supporters a false bill of goods. Trumps policies and rhetoric may play to his base and its anti-establishment fervor, but the course he is pursuing promises, if anything, only to exacerbate the plight of struggling Americans. There is no going back to the industrial economy of the 1950s, when manufacturing jobs powered the U.S. economy. When that reality settles in, Trump may feel the need to resort to even more irresponsible populism, imperiling whatever is left of our fact-based, deliberative democracy. Story continues A new social compact entails better managing globalization, not unplugging from it. If Washington builds a wall on the border with Mexico, slaps sizable tariffs on imports, and blocks or scares off the immigrants that help fuel growth, the main result will be an economic slow-down, higher prices for many consumer goods, and a less competitive and innovative economy. To be sure, Trump may be able to restore some manufacturing jobs to the heartland. But such jobs have been dwindling in number mainly because of automation, not because of foreign trade. Furthermore, the United States will be great again not by building the best washing machines and air conditioners (although that would certainly be welcome), but by remaining the worlds leader in innovation, technology, and education all of which thrive on newcomers. While many immigrants do work in the service sector, they are also critical contributors to the high-tech sector. A recent study of American start-ups valued at $1 billion or more revealed that half of them were founded by individuals from outside the United States and over 70 percent of them employed immigrants in high-level executive roles. The United Kingdom is driving into a similar cul de sac. The Brexiteers are pursuing a global Britain that rids itself of the political and fiscal obligations of EU membership and is free to pick and choose its trading relationships. The promised result is a resurgent economy. But as Britain breaks away from the worlds largest market and watches manufacturers and financial firms flee to continental Europe, its economy is poised to shrink dramatically. And even if the U.K. remains open to free trade, since it represents less than 20 percent of the EUs single market, it will hardly be in a position to negotiate better trade pacts on its own. With both the United States and the United Kingdom opting for the politics of illusion and disruption rather than relying on deliberative discourse and informed policy making, the era of liberal internationalism that opened in 1945 could be closing. To avert that outcome, three urgent tasks are at hand. First, centrists of all political persuasions must come together to offer a new social compact that is a credible alternative to the false economic promises of the populists. Restoring the faith of workers in the political establishment requires a comprehensive plan fresh initiatives on education, vocational training, trade policy, tax policy, and wage minimums to ensure that all enjoy an adequate standard of living and share in globalizations benefits. Globalization is here to stay. But its unequal distributional effects must be addressed for the sake of democratic politics. Second, while the United States and other Western democracies are buffeted by populist forces, the moderating effects of institutional checks and balances will be crucially important. Legislatures, courts, the media, public opinion and activism these constraints on executive authority must be fully exercised. Finally, if the United States and Great Britain are to be, at least temporarily, missing in action when it comes to defending the liberal international order, then continental Europe will have to hold down the fort. With the internal cohesion of the EU strained by the very populism the bloc needs to face down, it is not good timing for the EU to fill the gap left by Anglo-American dysfunction. But at least for now, European leadership is liberal internationalisms best hope. A version of this article is being published in La Stampa and Suddeutsche Zeitung. Photo credit: DAN KITWOOD/Getty Images Paris (AFP) - After London last year, Eurostar has installed electronic passport gates with facial recognition technology for passengers travelling from Paris. "If you're travelling from Paris to day, try our brand new E-gates," the company tweeted Wednesday. Passengers with biometric passports scan the document at a first gate and then proceed to a second gate where a camera compares their features with their passport picture before allowing them through to the departure lounge. Over half a million passengers have used the e-gates at St Pancras station in London since they were installed in mid-2016. After Gare du Nord in Paris, Eurostar also plans to roll out the technology, in use in a growing number of airports, to Brussels Midi station. Cairo (AFP) - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in Cairo Wednesday there is no option other than a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict and efforts to reach it should be preserved. Guterres's comments came after he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and a day after a senior White House official said the United States would not insist on a Palestinian state alongside Israel. "There was a complete agreement" that a resolution needs a "two state-solution and that everything must be done to preserve that possibility," Guterres said. Later, in a speech at Cairo University, Guterres said the Israeli-Palestinian problem was the "mother" of regional conflicts. "There is no Plan B than a two-state solution," he added. A senior Palestinian official denounced the White House comment on Wednesday, saying it was irresponsible. "This does not make sense," Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told AFP. "This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace. "They cannot just say that without an alternative," she added. The White House official's comments came ahead of talks between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Wednesday in Washington. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said on condition of anonymity. For the better part of half a century, successive US governments -- both Republican and Democrat -- have backed a two-state solution. PLO secretary-general Saeb Erekat said the organisation remained committed to two states and would oppose any system that discriminated against Palestinians. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Dylan Hatfield got one last chance to see his brother and five other crewmen on the Destination, a 98-foot crab boat missing and presumed sunk in the Bering Sea. The Destination was tied up Thursday in the Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor, preparing to leave. Hatfield, 29, had just come in from the Bering Sea on a different boat. He had worked on the Destination off and on for seven years, and when he left, his older brother, 36-year-old Darrik Seibold, replaced him. "We went down to the boat, brought a case of beer, said hello to everybody, gave everybody big hugs, told stories and had laughs," Hatfield said. Afterward, they all went out for pizza at the Norwegian Rat Saloon." "I got to tell the fellas I loved them, I got to hug my brother and tell him that I loved him, and then they left," Hatfield said. Early Friday, the Destination left for St. Paul Island, one of the tiny Pribilof Islands in the vast Bering Sea. On Saturday morning, Hatfield got the call: the Destination was missing 2 miles off another Pribilof Island, St. George. The Coast Guard had received an emergency location radio transmission from a device that transmits when it hits saltwater. Searchers rushed to the scene. They found an oil slick, a life ring and buoys. They emergency location beacon was floating in the slick. The lack of debris, the failure to make a mayday call, the absence of lifeboats or mariners in survival suits pointed to a sudden tragedy. "In my mind, they rolled over," Hatfield said. "I'm almost positive that those boys are still on the boat." Commercial fishing is inherently dangerous, and crab fishing in the Bering Sea is notoriously so. Fishermen work winters in icy, heaving platforms handling heavy, unforgiving equipment. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health notes that fishermen drop crab pots, each weighing 750 to 850 pounds empty, rigged to hundreds of feet of coiled line and buoys used to recover them from the ocean bottom. Story continues Just getting to the fishing grounds is dangerous. Vessels stack the heavy pots on their main deck in three to five tiers high as they travel in shallow ocean that sees big waves, high wind and icing that can make a boat top-heavy. In the 1990s, 73 people died in the Bering Sea crab fishery as the result of capsizing, sinking, falling overboard or an industrial accident. Two factors, however, have dramatically lowered that rate of nearly eight deaths annually. The Coast Guard and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in 1999 instituted an upgraded inspection program with an emphasis on stability and safety. Vessels found lacking were not allowed to leave port. Federal managers also changed the fishery. Before 2005, boats rushed out from ports "derby style," trying to catch as much crab as possible until a quota was met, even if it meant fishing in dangerous conditions. That was replaced with "crab rationalization," in which most of the catch was guaranteed to boat owners. That meant they could use fewer boats, take longer to catch their quota and sit out dangerous conditions. It also meant hundreds of crew members lost their jobs. However, safety improved. From October 1999 through last year, 10 lives have been lost, according to the national institute. The Destination was on its way to St. Paul and planned to drop off bait on the island before heading out for a week or two to fish. The boat was carrying 200 crab pots and probably about 15,000 pounds of bait, Hatfield said. The boat had just rounded the northeast quarter of St. George Island, an area known for turbulent water, when it went down. "You get the shelf shallowing-up there, and lots of tide," Hatfield said. "It's always really cold around those islands." A number of factors probably led to a capsizing, he said. The boat may have iced up from sea spray freezing in 20-degree temperatures. An alarm in the engine or steering room may have malfunctioned. The boat had three tanks for holding crab. Pumps keep water circulating to them. If a pump shut off, it could cause a tank to go slack partially emptied of water that provides stability, Hatfield said. When a big wave hits, and the boat rolls in one direction, a slack tank makes it harder to recover. "It's never the first one," Hatfield said. "They probably took a big one, laid 'em over, and they didn't recover. Then they took another one, and another one, until she probably just rolled over." The vessel owners, F/V Destination, Inc., have not released name of the six crewmen. Spokesman Mike Barcott said the company has not contacted all families to make sure they want the names public. He agreed that whatever happened probably came on suddenly. A half hour before the boat disappeared, it was in calm water on the lee of St. George Island, Barcott said by email. "If there was a problem at that time they easily could have pulled into the harbor so we assume all was good then," he said. Seibold leaves a 3-year-old son. The cause of the tragedy likely will never be known, Hatfield said. "The only people who know what happened are on the bottom of the ocean," he said. By Shihar Aneez COLOMBO (Reuters) - China will delay a planned $1.1 billion investment in a port on its modern-day "Silk Road" until Sri Lanka clears legal and political obstacles to a related project, sources familiar with the talks said, piling more pressure on the island nation. Heavily indebted Sri Lanka needs the money, but payment for China's interests in Hambantota port could be delayed by several weeks or months, the sources added. After signing an agreement last December, state-run China Merchants Port Holdings had been expected to buy an 80 percent stake in the southern port before an initial target date of Jan. 7. Beijing also has a separate understanding with Colombo to develop a 15,000-acre industrial zone in the same area, a deal that Sri Lanka was hoping to finalize later. But Colombo's plans to sell the stake and acquire land for the industrial zone have run into stiff domestic opposition, backed by trade unions and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. A legislator close to Rajapaksa is also challenging the government's plans in court. Now Beijing has linked the signing of the port deal with an agreement to develop the industrial zone, saying it would hold off on both until Colombo resolved domestic issues, officials on both sides of the talks said. "China has said that when they start the port, they want the land also," Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said, although he added that China had not made it a precondition. Yi Xianliang, Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka, said the two deals were related. "If we just have the port and no industrial zone, what is the use of the port? So you must have the port and you must have the industrial zone," he said. A source familiar with China's thinking said it may wait until May, when Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visits Beijing, to sign both deals. The Chinese foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The previously unreported setback for Sri Lanka suggests Beijing is digging in its heels as it negotiates its global "One Belt, One Road" initiative to open up new land and sea routes for Chinese goods. SPEED BUMPS, MOUNTING DEBTS President Maithripala Sirisena is struggling to contain popular opposition to land acquisition for the huge Chinese industrial zone, including from Rajapaksa, who remains an influential opposition legislator. The deal for the port development and industrial zone has also been challenged in court, which means it is stuck at least until the next hearing on March 3. Asked whether the agreement would be delayed until the court had ruled, Yi, the Chinese ambassador, said: "Oh yes. We will follow the rule of law. We have the patience to wait." Rajapaksa's role, the court case and violent protests by people afraid they could be evicted from their land underlined how Beijing does not always get its own way even in countries that badly need investment. Sri Lanka wants Chinese money to help alleviate its debt burden; the government had expected to have the proceeds from the stake sale within six months of signing the agreement before Jan. 7. Sri Lanka has been under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to cut its deficit, shore up foreign exchange reserves and increase tax revenues as part of a $1.5 billion loan agreement struck in 2016. At least part of the money from the port deal would have gone toward paying down some of the more expensive loans on the government's books, some of which are from China, a senior Sri Lankan government official said. Hambantota port and a nearby airport were built from 2008 by the Rajapaksa government with the help of $1.7 billion in Chinese loans. When Sirisena unseated Rajapaksa in an upset victory in 2015, he froze all Chinese investments, alleging unfair dealings by his predecessor. Sirisena eventually negotiated a new deal with the Chinese government that involved the stake sale and further plans for the Chinese to develop an industrial zone. The Chinese government expects to invest about $5 billion to develop the area within 3-5 years. Sirisena also agreed to give land to the Chinese on a 99-year lease. The terms did not go down well with port trade unions, which have asked the government to reduce the Chinese stake to 65 percent and lease period to 50 years. Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in January when a demonstration against the planned industrial zone turned violent. (Additional reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Paritosh Bansal) President Trumps pick for Secretary of Labor, CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder, withdrew his nomination, a senior Administration official told TIME. In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Puzder did not give a reason for his withdrawal. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put Americas workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity, he said in a statement. I want [to] thank President Trump for his nomination. I also thank my family and my many supporters employees, businesses, friends, and people who have voiced their praise and hopeful optimism for the policies and new thinking I would have brought to America as Secretary of Labor. While I wont be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team. The withdrawal comes after a week of scrutiny of decades-old abuse allegations from Puzders ex-wife, which she has since retracted. Lisa Henning, who now goes by Lisa Fierstein, alleged in 1988 divorce filings that Puzder physically assaulted her in 1986, resulting in severe and permanent injuries including bruises and contusions to the chest, back, shoulders and neck and two ruptured discs that caused her to seek medical attention, according to records of the divorce obtained by TIME. Henning also appeared in disguise to discuss her experience in a 1990 Oprah episode about domestic violence. Henning said her ex-husband (whom she does not name in the tape) vowed revenge when she made the abuse allegations public, according to a copy of the tape obtained by POLITICO. Remember my ex-husband was a public figure. Everyone knew him and knew what he was doing, Henning said in the Oprah interview. And once I made that public, he vowed revenge, he said Ill see you in the gutter, this will never be over, you will pay for this.' Story continues Puzder also came under scrutiny last week for employing an undocumented immigrant to clean his home. He said in a statement that he had not known the housekeeper was undocumented, and that once he found out, he and his wife immediately fired her and offered her help to get legal status. Puzder has been widely criticized by unions and workers rights organizations. Workers at Carls Jr. and Hardees, which are operated by Puzder-run CKE restaurants, filed 33 state and federal complaints against their employer for wage theft, sexual harassment, unfair overtime practices, among other things. The nomination process was also derailed by Puzders attempts to disentangle his financial assets from anything that might constitute a conflict of interest. In order to serve, Puzder would have to step down as CEO of CKE Restaurants and divest from more than 200 companies and funds. Puzder delayed filing the necessary financial paperwork for weeks. He has also voiced support for replacing workers with robots: Theyre always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, theres never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case, he told Business Insider in 2016. Puzder also had a long record of supporting immigration reform, which puts him at-odds with an administration thats advocating for a tougher approach. By Ginger Gibson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will meet on Wednesday with the chief executives of eight large retailers, including Target Corp , Best Buy Co Inc and J.C. Penney Company Inc , to discuss tax reform and infrastructure improvements, according to people with knowledge of the meeting. A White House official confirmed Trump will meet with retail industry CEOs on Wednesday morning to discuss economic growth. The meeting will include Target CEO Brian Cornell, Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly, Gap Inc CEO Art Peck, Autozone Inc CEO William Rhodes, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc CEO Stefano Pessina, J.C. Penney Company Inc CEO Marvin Ellison, Jo-Ann Stores LLC [NEDLEJ.UL] CEO Jill Soltau and Tractor Supply Co CEO Gregory Sandfort, according to the people familiar with the matter. This is the first time well-known retail CEOs will descend on Washington as a group to try to make the case that a controversial proposal to tax all imports will raise consumer prices and hurt their businesses. Their input has more urgency as Trump is finalizing his own tax plan that he plans to unveil in the coming weeks. The group will also meet on Wednesday with the heads of the two tax-writing Congressional committees -- Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Senator Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Reuters reported on Monday. Brady and Speaker Paul Ryan are leading a House Republican push that would cut corporate income tax to 20 percent from 35 percent, exclude export revenue from taxable income and impose a 20 percent tax on imports. Companies that rely heavily on imports, such as retailers, automakers and refiners say a border tax will outweigh the benefit of a lower headline corporate tax. "Given the retail industry's position as America's largest private-sector employer, retailers welcome the opportunity to speak with President Trump about policies that will spur job creation and economic growth here in the United States, said Brian Dodge, a spokesman for the Retail Industry Leaders Association. Story continues The trade group is leading the industry's effort to oppose House Republicans' proposal for a border adjustability tax, running a coalition of more than 120 companies and trade organizations including Wal-Mart Stores Inc . Representatives for all eight retailers headed to Washington did not respond to requests for comment. Trump has voiced some concern about the House tax proposal calling it "too complicated." But the White House also said previously that a border tax on goods from Mexico is one option under review to pay for a wall along the nation's southern border. The prospect of a big import tax is also pitting some of the largest U.S. companies against one another. A group of major exporters including Boeing Co , General Electric Co and Pfizer Inc have formed their own coalition to support the import tax. Retailers have become the most vocal opponents to the proposal, saying a 20 percent tax on imported goods would cause prices to increase for consumers and erase any profits the companies currently make. Nearly all of the nation's clothing, shoes and electronics are imported into the United States, as well as foods that cannot be grown domestically, like coffee and palm oil. The largest U.S. electronics retailer, Best Buy, for example, has circulated a flyer to lawmakers, which cites an analyst forecast that a 20 percent tax would wipe out the company's projected annual net income of $1 billion and turn it into a $2 billion loss. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson in Washington, Additional reporting by David Shepardson and Steve Holland; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Lisa Shumaker) (Reuters) - The FBI interviewed Michael Flynn in his initial days as U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing current and former officials. Flynn resigned late on Monday after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the ambassador before Trump took office and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations. [nL1N1FY1L9] The FBI interview Flynn on Jan. 26 and it was not clear what Flynn said, the newspaper reported. (http://nyti.ms/2lNjCqA) The FBI had no immediate comment. A White House spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment. 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(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 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(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) OROVILLE, Calif. (AP) Officials raced to drain more water from a lake behind battered Oroville Dam as new storms began rolling into Northern California on Wednesday and tested the quick repairs made to damaged spillways that raised flood fears. The three storms were expected to stretch into next week. Forecasters said the first two storms could drop a total of 5 inches of rain in higher elevation. However, the third storm, starting as early as Monday, could be more powerful. "There a potential for several inches," National Weather Service forecaster Tom Dang said. "It will be very wet." Nonetheless, California Department of Water Resources chief Bill Croyle said water was draining at about four times the rate that it was flowing in and the repairs should hold at the nation's tallest dam. About 100,000 cubic feet of water was flowing from the reservoir each second, enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool. Croyle said work crews had made "great progress" cementing thousands of tons of rocks into holes in the spillways. "We shouldn't see a bump in the reservoir" from the upcoming storms, he said. The reservoir has dropped 20 feet since it reached capacity Sunday. Croyle said officials hope it falls 50 feet by this Sunday. Still, officials warned residents who have returned to their homes that the area downstream of the dam remained under an evacuation warning and they should be prepared to leave if the risk increases. Some 200,000 people were allowed to return home Tuesday after being ordered to evacuate Sunday. Sandra Waters, 42, of Oroville initially fled her home with little more than the clothes she was wearing. Now, she's preparing for the possibility of another evacuation by gathering food, clothing and sentimental items like photographs. For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. "You are always cautious when you live under a big dam, but we've always been pretty confident that it was safe and that it wasn't going to fail," she said. Story continues Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said some homes in the evacuation zone had been burglarized and deputies had made arrests. He also called on private drone operators to refrain from flying their devices over the dam. Private drones can interfere with the repair work, which includes helicopters, he said. The 770-foot-tall dam is located in Oroville, a small Gold Rush-era town along the Feather River in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The region is largely rural, with its politics dominated by rice growers, orchard operators and other agricultural interests. It's dogged by the high unemployment rates endemic to farming communities. Dump trucks and helicopters dropped thousands of tons of rocks and sandbags to shore up the spillways over the weekend and avoid what could be a catastrophic failure and flood. The swollen lake reached its capacity over the weekend and spilled down an unpaved emergency spillway for nearly 40 hours, leaving it badly eroded. The problem occurred six days after engineers discovered a growing hole in the dam's main concrete spillway. Croyle said teams were working on plans for permanent repairs to the dam's main spillway that could cost as much as $200 million. As state officials puzzle through how to repair it, federal regulators have ordered California to figure out what went wrong. In recent years, construction crews patched cracks including in the area where water burrowed a huge pit last week. If the past repairs were not done properly, water could infiltrate and eventually tear through the concrete. Inspectors with the state agency that operates and checks the dam went into the half-mile-long spillway in 2014 and 2015 and did not find any concerns, officials said. Late Tuesday, President Donald Trump ordered federal authorities to help California recover from severe January storms a disaster declaration that also assists state and local officials with the dam crisis. Elsewhere in the state, officials say a reservoir in Santa Clara County is on the verge of spilling over for the first time since 2006. But unlike Oroville Dam, the Anderson Reservoir is not at risk of failure or causing major flooding, San Jose television station KNTV reported. ___ Elias reported from San Francisco. . JERUSALEM (AP) The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. The idea of two states in the Holy Land a Jewish Israel and an Arab Palestine rests on a particular logic: There are two quite different peoples of roughly equal size living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River; each wants their own nation-state to control and dominate numerically; each has shown tenacity toward this goal. This would require Israel to let go of most and maybe all of the territory it captured in the 1967 war, when it completed its takeover of all the land that British colonizers abandoned in 1948. That includes the highly strategic West Bank, where there are now islands of Palestinian autonomy, scattered Jewish settlements and overriding Israeli military control; the eastern part of Jerusalem, which Israel has fully annexed and populated with Jews; and the coastal Gaza Strip, which was actually evacuated in 2005 and is now controlled by the Islamic militants of Hamas and blockaded by Israel and Egypt. Over the years many and probably most Israelis have come around to the idea of a partition largely because they want to be considered a democracy and do not want all the Palestinian future citizens that would come along with the territory. For almost two decades, U.S. policy has been to advocate a two-state solution. But over two decades of peace talks have failed to produce agreement on the details, and many on both sides consider it impossible without a major change in circumstances massive global pressure on Israel, more upheaval in neighboring Arab countries, perhaps tectonic shifts in the prevailing world order. Ahead of Wednesday's White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Netanyahu, a senior U.S. official suggested a two-state solution was optional, bringing condemnation from Palestinian officials. But many of them have for years been quietly preparing for an alternative strategy of a single bi-national state in the Holy Land. In his White House news conference with Netanyahu, Trump said he was hoped for a deal but could live with two states or one state whichever the sides prefer. Here's a look at the scenarios: Story continues ONE STATE For years this was the goal of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and for many Palestinians it is indeed the preferred option: a single democratic state, not defined as specifically Jewish or Arab, in the area of British colonial Palestine. Many prefer it anyway to the two-state notion whereby even if Israel gives up all the land it captured in 1967 it retains almost 80% of Palestine. The problem is that almost no one in Israel is arguing for the true extension of full rights to Palestinians in the currently occupied territories because even with Gaza excluded it would leave Arabs constituting close to half the country's population and that is clearly the end of the Zionist dream of a Jewish state. This is why Israel never annexed the West Bank and why the more sophisticated nationalists profess to support a partition albeit on terms the Palestinians aren't likely to accept. If the Palestinians formally drop the two-state strategy and demand incorporation into Israel it will put Israel in the awkward position of refusing to annex territories where it has been settling Jews for decades. Or it might annex the areas but continue to deny the Palestinians there Israeli citizenship, leading to an uproar among liberal Israelis. Down this path lie coercion efforts in the form of international sanctions on Israel or Palestinian violence. INTERIM AGREEMENT Many Israelis have concluded that a final peace agreement with the Palestinians is simply not possible because the Palestinians are asking for the moon as a result of a feeling that they hold the demographic cards. It is not just about territory: the Palestinians still in theory demand a "right of return" to Israel proper for millions of descendants of Palestinian refugees living around the region and the world, which the vast majority of Jewish Israelis reject. But perhaps a partial deal is possible whereby the Palestinians would not have to forego future claims but for now get their state on, say, 80% of the West Bank, with some sort of preferred access or new regime in the Old City of Jerusalem? Even the current nationalist Netanyahu government would probably accept such a thing, but the Palestinians have ruled it out, fearing the temporary would become permanent. To get them to agree would require massive global and Arab world pressure, and risks huge internal conflict among the Palestinians. JORDANIAN OPTION Jordan took over the West Bank and east Jerusalem during the 1948-1949 Arab-Israel war that followed the British pullout, lost the areas to Israel in 1967 and then gave up all claims to them in favor of the Palestinians in the 1980s. But Jordan is a country with a majority Palestinian-descended population, and some Israelis still think that it can play a role in satisfying Palestinian national aspirations while resuming control over only a part of the West Bank. But this would probably require a collapse of Hashemite rule, founded on Jordan's Bedouin population, and as such is anathema to the Jordanian monarchy, which is beloved by many israelis for making peace with them in 1994. Adding to the difficulties, the Palestinians reject it altogether as well. PARTIAL UNILATERAL PULLOUT Under these vexing circumstances many Israelis conclude no peace is possible, but they still want to be rid of the Palestinian population of the West Bank. In the mid-2000s the government of Ehud Olmert planned a unilateral pullout from most of the territory, to follow the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. But those plans were upended when Gaza was taken over by Hamas militants and became a launching pad for rocket attacks on Israel, leading to several mini-wars. Few want to see that scenario repeated with the West Bank, which is much larger, very close to Israel's main cities and genuinely important for Israel's defense. Now talk grows of a pullout of settlers from some areas, to create a more convincing reality of partition, while the military stays for now, pending some future arrangement. NATO? A global or Arab peacekeeping force? Perpetual Israeli control? No one can say. STATUS QUO When the best that can be hoped for is the least bad option, the status quo looks attractive to some. But Israel is constantly changing the landscape by adding settlers already there are some 350,000 Israelis in the West Bank and a quarter million in East Jerusalem. This arrangement, brittle and loved by few, undermines Israel's democratic credentials by leaving millions of people without a vote for the government that has ultimate control over their fate. The Palestinians do not have a history of acquiescing for long: There were multi-year uprisings in the late 1980s and early 2000s and a spate of violence in late 2015 and early 2016. Down this path lies the very strong likelihood of more. ___ Dan Perry is AP's Middle East editor leading text coverage in the region. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) Mother Nature is again putting on a show at California's Yosemite National Park, where every February the setting sun draws a narrow sliver of light on a waterfall to make it glow like a cascade of molten lava. The phenomenon known as "firefall" draws scores of photographers to a spot near Horsetail Fall, which flows down the granite face of the park's famed rock formation, El Capitan. Capturing the sight is a challenge. Horsetail Fall only flows in the winter or spring, when there is enough rain and snow. The sun lights up the fall for only about two minutes at dusk for a few days in February. Some photographers have had success this year as pictures of the glowing falls are showing up on social media. This South Carolina firefighter will never forget the day he met his adopted daughter, as he was the one who delivered her in an ambulance while he was on the job. Read: Couple Adopts 4 Babies in Less Than 24 Hours: 'Life Doesn't Always Go as Planned' We have this bond that I think supersedes even other father-daughter relationships, said father-of-three Marc Hadden of the Myrtle Beach Fire Department. Hadden told InsideEdition.com he was responding to a 911 call about a woman suffering from abdominal pains. He and his partner quickly realized she was actually showing symptoms of going into labor. "You can talk about how cool it would be to deliver a baby, until it actually happens," Hadden said. "We werent ready. We get monthly training but we had none of that going on for us." After the mom gave birth, Hadden said he looked after the newborn as his partner looked after her mom, but they quickly realized the baby girl wasnt breathing properly, and rushed the pair to the hospital. When I heard the doctors telling the nurse shes being put up for adoption, immediately, I said, jokingly, Id like to throw my name in the hat, Hadden said. Never did I think that it would become a reality less than 48 hours later. He explained he and his wife already had two sons at the time, but dreamt of having more kids. My wife was basically told to wrap it up, that any further pregnancies could cause complications for her and for the potential baby, Hadden said. We had in our hearts that we wanted to adopt, but checking into it, we learned very quickly on a police officer, firefighter and teacher salary, we were not going to be able to afford it. But, he and his wife were granted custody of the newborn baby girl they named Gracie, and were bringing her home two days later. Despite the unexpected addition to their home, Hadden said the entire community pitched in, and gifted them diapers, baby bottles and other goods they would need to raise their little girl. Story continues Read: Teen Burn Victim Adopts a Chihuahua named Fireman That Shares Her Traumatic Past Gracie, who is now 5 years old, has seamlessly become daddys little girl, and has become the little sister her two brothers, 12 and 14, are tirelessly protective of. I love my boys more than life itself, but Gracie has me wrapped around her finger, theres no doubt about it, the father joked. Even though Hadden, who has retired from firefighting, said his daughter might still be too young to understand it, they have since brought her back to the exact ambulance she was born in. Were tight as thieves, for sure, he said. Watch: Cop Adopts 3-Legged Puppy After It Was Thrown From Moving Car: 'I Was the Right Officer at That Moment' Related Articles: Havana (AFP) - Could anything be better than a winter getaway to Cuba, complete with a stay in one of the Caribbean island's five-star luxury hotels? Actually, yes, say many of the tourists flocking to the Caribbean's new "it" destination, who complain the state-owned hotel industry is underwhelming and overpriced. Tourists have been flooding Cuba ever since its historic rapprochement with the United States was announced in December 2014. A record four million visited the communist-ruled island -- population 11 million -- last year, an increase of 13 percent from 2015. That has sent prices soaring. But, in a country where limited supply and years of underinvestment are hallmarks of the hotel industry, price doesn't necessarily mean quality. Jean Orsini, a French tourist, found his room had a rust-stained shower, and spent so long waiting for his dinner that he nearly gave up. "At the travel agency in Marseille, they told us they were sending us to the best hotel. But you pay 175 euros a night, and you just know it's not worth the price," said the 82-year-old retiree. Spanish tourist Pilar Esteras was appalled by the staff's nonchalance at her hotel. Maria Teresa Gutierrez of Colombia had no running water at times and found her $250 a night room was less than clean. Yet all three tourists stayed in four- and five-star hotels. Their experiences are an indication of the industry's problems in Cuba, even though the state now co-manages many hotels with foreign companies such as Accor of France, Iberostar of Spain and Blue Diamond of Canada. In fact, 17 private companies operate two-thirds of the hotels in Cuba. But they have little control over things like infrastructure maintenance and the availability of good staff in a country where hospitality training is scarce and wages are meager -- less than $30 a month. Orsini said his Cuba trip reminded him of traveling in the former Soviet Union in the 1960s. Story continues "You spent three hours waiting to eat," he said. "Since they were state restaurants, the staff could have cared less." - 'More expensive than Paris' - In one well-known four-star hotel in Havana, the rate has risen from $110 a night to $285 in less than two years. In another, the price jumped from $90 to $202 in a year. But if anything, surging demand has only stretched the hotels' staff and resources further. "Cuba still hasn't managed to match the international quality standards those prices imply," said Jose Luis Perello, an industry expert at the University of Havana. "The value-for-money issue... causes a lot of complaints," said a European hotel manager in Havana, speaking on condition of anonymity. Some are even more blunt. "Four-star rooms (in Cuba) are equivalent to a barely three-star hotel in Paris," said Stephane Ferrux, a Frenchman who runs a travel agency in Havana. The tourism ministry and the army -- the sole owners of Cuba's hotels -- are aware of the threat this perception poses. Tourism, Cuba's top industry, generated $2.8 billion in revenue last year. But the sector faces tough competition from other Caribbean destinations such as the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, which have more experience catering to foreign clients' expectations. Earlier this year, Deputy Tourism Minister Mayra Alvarez pledged to "work to improve hotel infrastructure, raise facilities' standards and provide a well-trained workforce." But she announced no specific plans. - Taste of private sector - There is, however, an alternative to state hotels. Since 1997, the communist government has allowed private citizens to host tourists in their homes -- so-called "casas particulares." Today they account for 16,000 of Cuba's 70,000 hotel rooms -- with an average rate of $30 a night. Some luxury "casas" have even opened recently, offering guests newly renovated quarters in sumptuous colonial-era residences. But don't look there for bargains -- the best are often full, and charge upwards of $500 a night. Former CBS anchorman Dan Rather said Tuesday Watergate was the biggest political scandal of his lifetime, but the current controversy over former national security adviser Michael Flynns pre-inauguration contacts with the Russian ambassador and the Trump campaigns possible interactions could eclipse the bungled burglary at Democratic National Headquarters that forced Richard Nixon from the presidency. Flynn resigned his post Monday after admitting he had misled Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Ivanovich Kislyak, reportedly assuring him the new administration would revisit the sanctions imposed after Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and for alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Flynn is the third Trump adviser to resign over Russian links. Paul Manafort resigned as Trump campaign chairman after it was revealed his name appeared in a secret ledger maintained by ousted pro-Russian Ukranian President Viktor Yanukovych, and Carter Page stepped down as Trumps foreign policy adviser in September amid an investigation into whether he communicated privately with Russian officials. flynn Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters Flynn famously led chants of Lock her up in reference to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the Republican National Convention. Democrats are demanding a full investigation. The American people deserve to know the full extent of Russia's financial, personal and political grip on President Trump and what that means for our national security, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. By what authority did Flynn act and to whom did he report? Pelosi asked, echoing the infamous question, What did the president know and when did he know it during the Watergate investigation. Story continues Rather, in a Facebook post, said on a scale of 1-10, Watergate ranks as a nine and the Russian story currently is at a five or six. rather Photo: Mark Blinch/Reuters We may look back and see, in the end, that it is at least as big as Watergate. It may become the measure by which all future scandals are judged. It has all the necessary ingredients, and that is chilling, Rather wrote. The Watergate burglary itself wasnt what forced Nixon from office in 1974. It was the subsequent coverup. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday President Donald Trump had been aware Flynn misled Pence for weeks. The White House counsel informed Trump immediately after the Justice Department notified him about discrepancies in Flynns accounts. He said Flynn resignation was a result of a breach of trust. Pence wasn't informed until last Thursday, 11 days later, NBC reported. Rather said the revelations now coming out about the Trump organizations contacts with Russian officials could build the same kind of cascading pressure that made it impossible for Nixon to stay in office. The White House has no credibility on this issue. Their spigot of lies can't we finally all agree to call them lies long ago lost them any semblance of credibility, Rather said. I would also extend that to the Republican Congress, who has excused away the Trump administration's assertions for far too long. Rather called for an independent investigation. We deserve answers and those who are complicit in this scandal need to feel the full force of justice, he said. Related Articles GOLD COAST, Australia (AP) Olympic swimming gold medalist Grant Hackett was detained by police on Australia's Gold Coast on Wednesday after his father called for help. Hackett's brother, Craig, said the family was struggling to cope with the 36-year-old retired swimmer's mental health issues. "The whole family have done everything that we can but now it's kind of out of our hands," Craig Hackett was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press. "The Grant Hackett that Australia fell in love with, they can still have that affection toward him. This is not 'Grant Hackett.'" Craig Hackett said his younger brother's personality had become almost unrecognizable. "This is a completely different person," Craig Hackett said. "I don't know this person, my mum and dad don't know this person. He's there in body, but he's not there in mind, soul or spirit." Hackett's father, former police detective Neville, called police to his Gold Coast home around noon Wednesday after two-time Olympic 1,500-meter freestyle champion became agitated and aggressive. The former swimming star agreed to go with police and was later released, but not before the episode had made national news. "This is now a chronic problem and it looks like it's not going to go away in a hurry," Craig Hackett said. "From a mental health perspective I hope something can be done. "To see someone who is so dominant and had the world at his feet to now, really we don't know what's going to happen it doesn't look encouraging." Hackett had a high profile as a swimmer and TV personality after winning gold in the 1,500 at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics, holding the world record in the event, and finishing with silver at Beijing in 2008. After his TV career unraveled following a series of out-of-competition troubles, he tried to make a comeback for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro last year but didn't qualify for the Australian team. Story continues Last April, he publicly apologized for a drunken incident on a flight home from the Australian Olympic trials when he was accused of groping a male passenger who reclined the seat in front of him. Hackett admitted he'd been drinking alcohol before the flight and would seek help to quit. He said his career was tarnished by "pure stupidity, making poor decisions at crucial times in my life" and he felt "a huge amount of regret." Hackett said he struggled being back in the public spotlight after six years away from competitive swimming, leading to "unacceptable" and "embarrassing" actions. "I have to live with that. It is very difficult. A deep sense of shame, guilt, embarrassment, of regret, I am so sorry for my actions and the people it has impacted," he said. Hackett traveled to the United States in 2014 to undergo treatment for a dependency on the sleeping medication Stilnox. His stint in rehabilitation followed the publication of a photograph of him partially nude and disoriented at a Melbourne hotel, searching for his young son, and the very public breakup of his marriage. BEIJING (Reuters) - A court in southeastern China on Wednesday sentenced the former Communist Party boss of the northern province of Hebei to 15 years in jail after finding him guilty of corruption, the latest senior official jailed in a sweeping crackdown on graft. Zhou Benshun was the top official of Hebei province, which surrounds Beijing and is China's most important steel producer. He had earlier worked with one-time domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, who was jailed for life in 2015 after a secret trial in China's most sensational graft scandal in 70 years. The two are not related despite sharing a family name. In a statement on its official microblog, the court in Xiamen city said that between 2000 and 2015 Zhou had directly or via family members taken more than 40 million yuan ($5.82 million) in bribes. The bribes were given in exchange for help with real estate projects, bank loans and promotions, the court said. Zhou admitted his guilt and has repented, the court said, adding that most of the bribes were handled by family members and that Zhou only found out about it subsequently. Zhou has decided not to appeal, it said. It was not possible to reach legal or family representatives for comment. The Hebei city of Zhangjiakou has won the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics along with Beijing. Zhou had attended meetings of the bid committee. Zhou became party chief in Hebei in 2013. He had worked for five years in the Central Politics and Law Commission as its secretary general, under Zhou Yongkang. The court statement made no direct mention of Zhou Yongkang, but noted that some of Zhou Benshun's crimes occurred while he was working on the Central Politics and Law Commission. Zhou Benshun's case was featured in a government-made documentary about corruption broadcast in October, describing his involvement in "superstition". Party officials are not supposed to practice religion and the charge of superstition is often leveled against the corrupt to further blacken their names. President Xi Jinping, who doubles as party and military chief, has pursued a relentless campaign against deep-rooted corruption since assuming power three years ago, vowing to go after powerful "tigers" as well as lowly "flies". (This story has been refiled to correct day of week to Wednesday) (Reporting by Ben Blanchard) By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fossils including sharks, sea reptiles and squid-like creatures dug up in Idaho reveal a marine ecosystem thriving relatively soon after Earth's worst mass extinction, contradicting the long-held notion life was slow to recover from the calamity. Scientists on Wednesday described the surprising fossil discovery showing creatures flourishing in the aftermath of the worldwide die-off at the end of the Permian Period about 252 million years ago that erased roughly 90 percent of species. Even the asteroid-induced mass extinction 66 million years ago that doomed the dinosaurs did not push life to the brink of annihilation like the Permian one. The fossils of about 30 different species unearthed in Bear Lake County near the Idaho city of Paris showed a quick and dynamic rebound in a marine ecosystem, illustrating the remarkable resiliency of life. "Our discovery was totally unexpected," said paleontologist Arnaud Brayard of the University of Burgundy-Franche-Comte in France, with a highly diversified and complex assemblage of animals. The ecosystem from this pivotal time included predators such as sharks up to about 7 feet long (2 meters), marine reptiles and bony fish, squid-like creatures including some with long conical shells and others with coiled shells, a scavenging crustacean with large eyes and strangely thin claws, starfish relatives, sponges and other animals. The Permian die-off occurred 251.9 million years ago. The Idaho ecosystem flourished 1.3 million years later, "quite rapid on a geological scale," according to Brayard. The mass extinction's cause is a matter of debate. But many scientists attribute it to colossal volcanic eruptions in northern Siberia that unleashed large amounts of greenhouse and toxic gases, triggering severe global warming and big fluctuations in oceanic chemistry including acidification and oxygen deficiency. The Idaho ecosystem, in the earliest stages of the Triassic Period that later produced the first dinosaurs, included some unexpected creatures. There was a type of sponge previously believed to have gone extinct 200 million years earlier, and a squid-like group previously thought not to have originated until 50 million years later. The researchers found bones from what could be the earliest-known ichthyosaur, a dolphin-like marine reptile group that prospered for 160 million years, or a direct ancestor. "The Early Triassic is a complex and highly disturbed epoch, but certainly not a devastated one as commonly assumed, and this epoch has not yet yielded up all its secrets," Brayard said. The research was published in the journal Science Advances. (This version of the story has been refiled to add dropped word "million" in second paragraph: 252 million years ago instead of 252 years) (Reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Sandra Maler) PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Wednesday it would not accept interference by Russia or any other state in its presidential election, and would retaliate if necessary. The pledge by Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault followed complaints by the party of election frontrunner Emmanuel Macron that his campaign was the target of 'fake news' put out by Russian media, as well as internet attacks on its databases. "We will not accept any interference whatsoever in our electoral process, no more from Russia by the way than from any other state. This is a question of our democracy, our sovereignty, our national independence," Ayrault told parliament. He said France would set clear limits, "including retaliatory measures when that is necessary, because no foreign state can influence the choice of the French, no foreign state can choose the future president of the Republic." The Kremlin said on Tuesday that allegations made by Macron's En Marche (Onwards!) movement were absurd. The centrist is currently favorite for the April/May election, ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in an assessment in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an effort to help Republican Donald Trump's election chances by discrediting his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton during last year's presidential campaign, including by hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee. While Russia denies involvement, the U.S. experience has prompted security agencies to step up their guard against cyberattacks as Europe faces major elections this year in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as France. French President Francois Hollande has called a meeting of national defense chiefs next week to discuss cyber security, demanding to see "specific monitoring and protection measures" to be taken during the election campaign, a statement from his office said. The meeting is set for Feb. 23. (Reporting by Andrew Callus and Richard Balmforth; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) Paris (AFP) - France on Wednesday issued a stern warning to Russia against meddling in its upcoming presidential elections, after US intelligence accused Moscow of interfering in America's vote to boost Donald Trump. "We will not accept any interference whatsoever in our electoral process, whether by Russia or any other state," said Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. "After what happened in the United States, it is our responsibility to take all steps necessary to ensure that the integrity of our democratic process is fully respected," he told parliament. The warning came as aides to one of the leading French candidates this week accused Russia of trying to derail his bid. A spokesman for the staunchly pro-Europe Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday accused Moscow of being behind a flurry of cyberattacks on Macron's campaign website and email servers over the past month. "Half of the attacks, and there are hundreds a day, come from Ukraine, which is known for its links to hackers and people responsible for cyberattacks in Russia," said Benjamin Griveaux, accusing the Kremlin of trying to boost conservative nominee Francois Fillon and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, both of whom urge closer ties to Russia. - Russia's favourites? - Macron's aides have also accused the state-owned Russia Today (RT) channel and the Sputnik news agency of waging a smear campaign against the 39-year-old former economy minister. They have pointed to a Sputnik interview with a pro-Fillon lawmaker titled "Ex-French Economy Minister Macron Could Be 'US Agent'" as an example of Russia's alleged bias. The article also quoted the lawmaker as saying Macron was backed by a "wealthy gay lobby". Macron, who is married, last week denied rumours of having had a gay affair. Speaking at the National Assembly, Ayrault also took aim at Fillon and Le Pen, saying it would be better if "certain candidates who see themselves favoured by, in particular, a country we know well -- Russia -- protest against this type of influence". Story continues Macron remains the front-runner in the presidential race, with 39 percent of those surveyed by Ipsos giving him a favourable opinion. In the poll released by the magazine Le Point on Wednesday, Macron was followed by Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon, with 38 percent, while Fillon tumbled 18 percentage points to 25 percent, just behind Le Pen, at 26 percent. Fillon's campaign has stumbled as it tries to fend off claims he used public funds while a senator to hire his wife and children for fake jobs. - Denials from Moscow - Moscow on Tuesday vehemently denied the Macron camp's allegations of meddling. "We never had, and do not have, the intention of interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries, and especially not in their electoral process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. RT and Sputnik echoed the denial. Earlier Wednesday, French President Francois Hollande asked his security cabinet to brief him on the "specific vigilance and protection measures being taken during the electoral campaign, including in the cyber domain", the presidency said. Hollande, who is not himself seeking re-election, did not say what kind of threat the two-stage April 23-May 7 presidential election faces, nor did he point the finger at any group or country. But the call comes in the midst of a furore over Russia's alleged interference in the US campaign that has already forced out one of Trump's top aides. Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn resigned on Monday after it was revealed that he misled top officials over his contacts with Russia during the campaign. US intelligence agencies had already accused Russian intelligence of hacking Democratic Party emails that embarrassed Trump's rival Hillary Clinton. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country will hold a general election in September, has also voiced fears that Moscow could try to influence the vote through cyberattacks or disinformation. Paris (AFP) - French presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron drew a storm of criticism Wednesday after calling France's colonisation of Algeria a "crime against humanity". In a TV interview in Algiers this week, the centrist said French actions in Algeria, which achieved independence in 1962 after eight years of war, were "genuinely barbaric, and constitute a part of our past that we have to confront by apologising". His visit also included a stop at the Martyrs' Memorial in Algiers, saying he wanted to promote a "reconciliation of memories" between the two countries. His rivals on the right for the French presidency -- due to be decided in a first round election in April and a run-off between the two top candidates in May -- pounced on the comments. Les Republicans candidate Francois Fillon on Wednesday denounced what he called "this hatred of our history, this perpetual repentance that is unworthy of a candidate for the presidency of the republic". Wallerand de Saint-Just, an official in Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front party, accused Macron of "shooting France in the back", while Gerald Darmanin, an ally of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, tweeted "Shame on Emmanuel Macron for insulting France while abroad". It was the not the first time Macron, who currently leads the polls for the two rounds of voting in April and May, has touched on the livewire issue. "Yes, there was torture in Algeria, but there was also the emergence of a state, or wealth, of a middle class," he told the magazine Le Point in October. "This is the reality of colonialism. There are elements of civilisation and elements of barbarism." And Fillon has been tripped up by his own comments on French colonialism. In August, he drew claims of trying to sanitise history, claiming that "France is not guilty of having wanted to share its culture with the peoples of Africa". Macron remains the frontrunner in the presidential race, with 39 percent of those surveyed in the latest survey by pollsters Ipsos giving him a favourable opinion. In the poll released by the magazine Le Point on Wednesday, Macron was followed by Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon, with 38 percent, while Fillon tumbled 18 percentage points to 25 percent, just behind Le Pen, on 26 percent. Beirut (AFP) - French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen will visit Lebanon next week for talks with leaders of Paris's former mandate territory, a Lebanese government source said Wednesday. "Madame Le Pen will be in Beirut on the 19th and 20th, and will meet (President Michel) Aoun and (Prime Minister Saad) Hariri on Monday," the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The latest polls for April's presidential vote show Le Pen, who heads the far-right National Front (FN) party, leading with 27 percent in the first round, but she is not expected to triumph in a run off. At her campaign launch earlier this month, Le Pen vowed to put France first and to fight "terrorism", and she has called for dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Aoun, who was elected in October, had allied himself with powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is fighting on behalf Assad's government in Syria. Hariri on the other hand is fiercely opposed to the Assad regime, which he accuses of having assassinated his father, former prime minister Rafiq, in 2005. Le Pen in a magazine interview last month said Syrians were "waiting for... Assad to win this war against Islamist fundamentalists." Rival presidential hopeful and former economy minister Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut on January 24, where he met both Aoun and Hariri. While he did not call for an alliance with Assad, 39-year-old centrist Macron advocated for a "balanced policy" towards the regime and the myriad rebels fighting it. Right-wing candidate Francois Fillon, dogged by revelations his wife Penelope was paid for years for a suspected fake job as a parliamentary aide, cancelled a visit early this month to Lebanon and Iraq. Paris had mandate power over Lebanon and neighbouring Syria during the first half of last century. PARIS (AP) French President Francois Hollande is calling for new security measures around the country's presidential race, notably to protect against hacking. Hollande's order came after the campaign of centrist Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of trying to sway the April 23-May 7 election. Hollande asked top security officials Wednesday to present electoral security measures next week "including in the cyber domain." Mounir Mahjoubi, head of digital campaigning for Macron, told The Associated Press that his team identified thousands of hacking attempts originating from Ukraine in recent weeks. Mahjoubi says the attempts coincided with what he called a fake news operation targeting Macron in Russia-sponsored media in France. Macron's leading rivals, Francois Fillon and Marine Le Pen, want to lift sanctions against Russia, while Macron has been less friendly toward Moscow. PARIS (Reuters) - Cyber security in the context of the upcoming presidential election will be on the agenda at the government's next weekly security council meeting, a statement from President Francois Hollande's office said on Wednesday. "The President wants to see presented to him at the next council meeting some specific monitoring and protection measures, including in the cyber domain, to be taken during the election campaign," said the statement. The statement was issued after this week's meeting of the council, which oversees general security and anti-terror efforts. France goes to the polls to elect a new president on April 23. This week, frontrunner Emmanuel Macron's team complained it was the victim of Russian media and internet attacks aimed at helping the election campaigns of his pro-Moscow rivals. The Russian Kremlin denied those charges. (Reporting by Andrew Callus; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta) New U.S. sanctions on Venezuela are more about fighting drug trafficking than pressuring the regime of Nicolas Maduro, and its still unclear if the Trump administration will take a harder line on Caracas than the Obama administration did, as many in Venezuela were hoping. On Monday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on Venezuelas vice president, Tareck El Aissami, and the man believed to be his primary frontman, Samark Lopez. They were sanctioned under the Kingpin Act for alleged drug trafficking. (El Aissami may also be involved in doling out passports to people in the Middle East with terrorist links.) This action demonstrates the presidents seriousness about fighting the scourge of drugs in the United States, said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Tuesday. El Aissami called the sanctions imperialist aggression and Maduro demanded a public apology, but Caracas response has been more muted many expected. The sanctions were in the works for a long time, Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Council of the Americas, told Foreign Policy. This clearly had its genesis a long while ago in the Obama administration, he said, noting that the Treasury Department would not have been able to get to the level of detail that the accusations leveled against El Aissami contain in three weeks. But they hadnt been implemented while peace talks were ongoing between Maduros government and the political opposition. Now that those talks appear to have floundered, proponents of using sanctions inside the State Department, Congress, and other agencies are pressing their case, said Harold Trinkunas, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Still, its not clear if it amounts to a meaningful shift in U.S. policy toward Venezuela. Some prominent opposition leaders have complained that the Obama administration was not tough enough on Maduro, and were hoping for a harder line from President Donald Trump. One reason for the hesitancy to sanction Venezuelan officials in the past is because it plays into the countrys anti-imperialist rhetoric. Another reason, said Trinkunas, is that Maduro surrounds himself with people who have been sanctioned or accused of being involved in illicit activities because they have the most to lose if he leaves office, and so will work harder to keep him in power. Story continues But the new round of sanctions might strike the right balance to earn support from the Venezuelan people and opposition, without provoking a rally-around-the-flag effect. Farnsworth said that identifying individuals in Venezuela who have engaged in these types of activities and [can] be sanctioned in a way thats appropriate could allow the United States to deal with Caracas in a way that garners sympathy from Venezuelans and others in the region. At any event, Maduros knee-jerk anti-Americanism, like that of former president Hugo Chavez and Cuban leader Fidel Castro before him, is getting old as Venezuelas economy spirals into free fall and violence keeps rising. Anti-imperialist rhetoric has gone stale in Venezuela around people who dont have enough to eat, Farnsworth said. Photo credit: JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California man accused of buying assault-style rifles used by a married couple to massacre 14 people at a government office in San Bernardino in 2015 has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Enrique Marquez Jr., 25, will plead guilty to conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to attack a community college and commuters on a Southern California freeway, prosecutors said. Marquez, a friend and former neighbor of Farook, has also agreed to plead guilty to making false statements about his purchase of two assault rifles used in the 2015 shooting rampage at the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center. Marquez was scheduled to enter his pleas, part of an agreement with federal prosecutors, at a hearing on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. "This defendant collaborated with and purchased weapons for a man who carried out the devastating December 2, 2015 terrorist attack that took the lives of 14 innocent people, wounded nearly two dozen, and impacted our entire nation, U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said in a written statement announcing the plea deal. Farook, 28, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, opened fire at a holiday gathering of Farook's co-workers on Dec. 2, 2015, killing 14 people and wounding 22. Farook, the U.S.-born son of Pakistani immigrants, and Malik, a Pakistani native he married in Saudi Arabia in 2014, died in a shootout with police four hours after the massacre. Authorities have said the couple were inspired by Islamist extremism. It was one of the deadliest attacks by militants in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks. Prosecutors say Marquez and Farook, who were childhood friends, plotted attacks together in 2011 and 2012 that were never carried out and it was during that time that Marquez purchased the two rifles that Farook and Malik ultimately used in San Bernardino. Marquez did not take part in the San Bernardino massacre but was arrested about two weeks later and has remained in custody ever since. He also faces immigration fraud charges in connection with his marriage to Russian-born Mariyah Chernykh, which prosecutors say was a sham. Chernykh, 26, and Farook's brother, Syed Raheel Farook, 31, pleaded guilty in January to immigration fraud charges stemming from the marriage. (This version of the story corrects first paragraph to read "conspiring to provide" instead of "providing" to comply with official correction from United States Attorneys Office, Los Angeles) (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Peter Cooney and Andrew Hay) One of the darkest times in American history has begun to repeat itself, actor and social justice activist George Takei warned. The Star Trek actor, who spent years of his childhood in Japanese-American internment camps during World War II, said hes reliving parts of his past as he watches President Donald Trump attempt to carry out an executive order that reminds him of the one that imprisoned his family and thousands of innocent people nearly 75 years ago. Its not going to happen again. It is happening again, Takei said in an interview with TIME ahead of his Broadway musical Allegiance coming to theaters Sunday. It is being repeated. Takei said Trump signed his travel ban executive order just like President Franklin D. Roosevelt did with the Japanese internment order in the early 1940s, with a broad brush characterizing one group of people as terrorists. Trump in late January temporarily banned travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering America a measure that a federal judge later halted. Trump acted in the name of national security, much as Roosevelt did in 1942 when he authorized the relocation of several thousands of Japanese Americans into internment camps after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Takei said. FDR was a great president, but he was a fallible human being, and he made a mistake, the 79-year-old actor said. We will not tolerate that kind of presidency again because we remember. Takei was about 5 when he and his family were removed from their California home at gunpoint and forced to live behind the barbed wire of an internment camp. Roosevelts executive order affected at least 117,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were born in the U.S., according to the National Archives. The experience inspired Allegiance, a musical that stars Takei and tells the story of two Japanese-American siblings at opposite ends of the political spectrum during World War II. A brother enlists for battle to prove his patriotism while his sister devotes her energy to protesting the governments treatment of her people. Story continues While the show is no longer performed live on stage, it is returning to more than 400 select cinemas across the country Sunday for a one-day showing, after it debuted in theaters in December. Takei hopes the encore showing will draw new viewers, including the leader of the free world. Takei, who has publicly opposed Trumps policies, said he had personally invited Trump to a private screening of the show while Trump was still on the campaign trail. He never answered, Takei said. This is a chapter of American history that is still little known and is certainly not known by Donald Trump. Here we are trying to educate him, and he doesnt want to be educated. Trumps administration did not respond to requests for comment. Takei, who is behind an online petition that calls for people to support the Muslim community, said he plans to bring that same message to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in New York on Sunday when he delivers a speech to mark the 75th anniversary of Roosevelts executive order. The Hyde Park location is particularly meaningful to Takei because of its ties to Roosevelts history. I will be remembering that day at the home of FDR, Takei said. I will be remembering my childhood imprisonment at the home of the man who put us there. Berlin (AFP) - The German Bundesliga's bottom side Darmstadt have invited Barack Obama to a home game after discovering the former US President follows them on social media platform Twitter. "It's a huge honour for us," said Darmstadt's German-born US international Terrence Boyd in a video message to Obama posted on Twitter. Boyd promised a warm welcome for the former 'POTUS' and revealed a Darmstadt shirt with Obama's name on the back and the number 98 -- the club was founded in 1898. "Now that you have got a little more time for yourself, we would like to invite you to a game at the Boellenfalltor," added Boyd, who scored in last weekend's shock 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. Darmstadt filmed the message after a local radio station discovered 'Die Lilien' (The Lilies) is the only club in a top European league which Obama follows on Twitter. Obama has almost 85 million followers on Twitter and follows 631,000 accounts. Darmstadt have just under 62,000 followers. The city near Frankfurt was home to a large US military base after the Second World War. FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) German politicians are expressing concern about a possible takeover of General Motors' Opel division by France's PSA Group, maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars. Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet discussed the possible consequences for German workers Wednesday. Opel employs 19,000 people in Germany out of a total work force of 38,000. And it's an election year in Germany, which means politicians are particularly sensitive to anything that might mean job losses. Labor Minister Andrea Nahles said that Opel's headquarters must remain in Ruesselsheim, Germany, the dpa news agency reported. PSA and GM said Tuesday that they were talking about expanding their current cooperation, with one option being PSA acquiring Opel. There is no guarantee a deal will happen, they said. Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries has said it was "unacceptable" that the two companies did not inform employee representatives, the IG Metall industrial union, and the local and national governments about their plans. A ministry spokesman also said Zypries would speak to her French counterpart. The French government holds a stake in PSA. Meanwhile, GM CEO Mary Barra was at the Ruesselsheim headquarters on Wednesday. Detroit-based GM has been trying to return its European business to profit. It last made a full-year profit there in 1999. GM and PSA already cooperate on several vehicle projects. A tie-up between Opel and PSA could help reduce costs by creating a bigger company that would spread fixed costs over more vehicles. BERLIN (Reuters) - Support for Germany's Social Democrats is unchanged from a week ago at 31 percent, a poll showed on Wednesday, as their support stagnated after a surge following the nomination last month of Martin Schulz as party leader for September's federal election. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives remained three points ahead of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), with 34 percent, the Forsa survey for Stern magazine and broadcaster RTL showed. The poll showed Merkel pipping Schulz if there were a direct vote for chancellor, winning by 38 percent to his 37 percent. That result marked a one percentage point rise in support for Merkel from a week ago, with Schulz unchanged. The SPD, Merkel's junior coalition partner, had been trailing the conservatives for years in opinion polls until the nomination of Schulz sparked a revival in support for the party, which last won an election under Gerhard Schroeder in 2002. "In order to succeed Chancellor Merkel, Schulz must now present a convincing program," Forsa chief Manfred Guellner said. The Forsa put the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) in third place, down one percentage point on the week at 9 percent. The far-left Linke were unchanged on 8 percent and the Greens fell one percentage point to 7 percent. The liberal Free Democrats (FDP) were at 5 percent. Forsa polled 2,502 voters from Feb. 5 to Feb. 10. (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by David Gregorio) WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Republicans' ardor for investigations and oversight, on display throughout the Obama administration, has cooled off considerably with Donald Trump in the White House. Each day seems to bring a new headache or near-crisis from Trump, the latest being the departure of his national security adviser under questionable circumstances involving Russia. Yet if there is a line too far, at which point Republicans will feel duty-bound to call for an independent investigation of their president or his administration, Trump hasn't crossed it yet. Democrats are clamoring for a full-scale probe of the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, including demanding to know what Trump knew, and when, about Flynn's pre-inauguration conversations with a Russian ambassador about U.S. sanctions. White House press secretary Sean Spicer disclosed that Trump was told in late January that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about those conversations. Rather than go along with Democrats' call for an independent outside investigation, Senate Republicans insisted Tuesday that the Intelligence Committee could look at the circumstances as part of an existing probe into Russia's interference in the presidential election. "The Intelligence Committee is already looking at Russian involvement in our election and they have broad jurisdiction over the intel community writ large and they can look at whatever they choose to," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., adding that "it's highly likely they'd want to take a look at this episode as well." The intelligence panel's chairman, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, told reporters that "aggressive" oversight would continue "privately. We don't do that in public." House Republicans were even less interested, with some shrugging off Democrats' calls for an investigation entirely. Rep. Devin Nunes of California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that the "real crime" is how Flynn's phone conversations were leaked, echoing a complaint Trump himself made over Twitter. Story continues "I think the situation has taken care of itself" in light of Flynn's resignation, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told reporters. That's a far different stance toward potential wrongdoing by the executive branch than Chaffetz took last year, when House Republicans issued more than 70 letters and subpoenas aimed at investigating Democrat Hillary Clinton over a period of less than three months after the FBI announced criminal charges weren't warranted related to her use of a private email server as secretary of state. Chaffetz did turn his attention to a different Trump administration matter later Tuesday, sending a letter to the White House seeking information about Trump's discussion of a North Korea missile launch while dining al fresco with the Japanese prime minister at a resort in Florida. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., went so far as to counsel publicly against spending too much time investigating the White House, saying that doing so could only be counterproductive at a moment when the GOP faces a daunting legislative agenda on Capitol Hill. "I just don't think it's useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party," Paul said in an appearance on Fox News Radio's "Kilmeade and Friends." ''We'll never even get started with doing the things we need to do like repealing Obamacare if we're spending our whole time having Republicans investigate Republicans. I think it makes no sense." The relatively hands-off stance of the GOP toward the Trump White House angers Democrats, who are powerless to do much except fume from the minority in both chambers of Congress. "Do you hear the silence? This is the sound of House Republicans conducting no oversight of President Trump. Zero," Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, complained at a news conference Tuesday. "That is what it sounds like when they abdicate their duty under the Constitution. We've been asking for months for basic oversight." The GOP's lack of enthusiasm about investigating the Trump White House comes as Capitol Hill Republicans struggle to come to terms with a new administration that has been engulfed in upheaval after upheaval. Republicans are trying to focus on their agenda despite the distractions. And for now, they appear to have concluded, going easy on Trump is the best way to achieve their goals, including confirming a Supreme Court justice and passing a new health care law and other legislation they want the president to sign. "We know full well that there are issues that are going to come up on a daily basis that we're going to get asked about and have to respond to," said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 3 Senate Republican, "but we're interested in repealing and replacing Obamacare, reforming the tax code, reducing the regulatory burden on businesses, confirming a Supreme Court justice, getting these Cabinet nominees through that's what our agenda is right now." White House counsel Kellyanne Conway should be investigated for using her public position to hawk Ivanka Trumps clothing line, according to the Office of Government Ethics. Under the present circumstances, there is strong reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the Standards of Conduct Act and that disciplinary action is warranted, wrote Walter Shaub, director of the watchdog agency, in a letter to government counsel Stefan Passantino, which was made public Tuesday. Read: Kellyanne Conway Endorses Ivanka Trump Products on TV, a Possible Ethics Violation Shaub instructed the Trump administration to respond with its findings, and any disciplinary actions it recommends, by Feb. 28. The Nordstrom department store chain announced last week it was dropping Ivanka Trumps clothing and accessories products because of dwindling sales. President Trump shot back on Twitter, accusing the retail company of treating his daughter unfairly. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the Seattle-based clothier was targeting Ivanka Trump because of her fathers political policies. Nordstrom denied those claims and said its decision was based solely on dwindling sales figures. But Conway went farther, telling Fox News viewers to go buy Ivankas stuff I hate shopping but Im going to go get some stuff for myself today. Im going to give it a free commercial here, go buy it today, she said during a Thursday interview. Read: The Adviser Strikes Back: Kellyanne Conway Digs at Critics of Her Inauguration Garb Her remarks prompted outcries from Democrats who said the Trumps were trying to personally profit from their White House connections. Conway later apologized. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah, said Conways remarks were over the line and wrote a joint letter with a Democratic congressman from Maryland seeking guidance from the Office of Government Ethics. Story continues The office is responsible for preventing conflicts of interest by officers and employees of the governments executive branch. There was no immediate comment Tuesday from Conway or the White House. Watch: See Kellyanne Conway Attempt Stand-Up Comedy in D.C. Back in 1998 Related Articles: RICHMOND, Va. (AP) A blunt and combative Republican who sneers at political correctness. Insurgent candidates striking populist notes. Establishment figures on the defensive. A former TV star with political ambitions. The governor's races this year in Virginia and New Jersey are unfolding in ways that powerfully echo the wild campaign for the White House. There is, for example, Corey Stewart, a tough-talking former Trump campaign chairman in Virginia who says President Donald Trump's victory has freed candidates to "simply be yourself." "You can be profane. You can be politically incorrect," said Stewart, one of three candidates challenging Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, for the GOP nomination. In Trump-like fashion, Stewart has coined a mocking nickname for Gillespie: "Establishment Ed." Stewart, chairman of the Board of Supervisors in suburban Washington's Prince William County, also held a lottery to give away an assault rifle and recently protested Charlottesville's plans to remove a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee, tweeting, "The left has no respect for our history." In New Jersey, former "Saturday Night Live" comic and Trump supporter Joe Piscopo is considering a run for governor, possibly as an independent. Both races are wide open, with Republican Gov. Chris Christie in New Jersey and Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe in Virginia leaving office because of term limits. The two contests are the highest-profile elections this year and are seen by the Democrats as a potential referendum on Trump and an important early test of the party's strength less than a year into his presidency. Also, the party holds just 16 governors' offices, and taking more of them could help the Democrats influence the redrawing of congressional and legislative districts after the 2020 census. National groups already have signaled they are willing to pour money into the two races. The Republican Governors Association recently put $5 million into its Virginia campaign account. In New Jersey, regulators expect outside spending to break records. Story continues "Everybody wants to make this a referendum on Trump," said Tarina Keene, executive director NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia. "We want to set the stage for 2018 for winning and making sure a Trump agenda goes nowhere." Republicans have uphill climbs in both states. In New Jersey, Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 800,000 voters. Virginia is more of a swing state, though Democrats have won every statewide election since 2009 and Hillary Clinton carried the state by more than 5 percentage points in November. John Fredericks, a conservative radio host who helped run Trump's campaign in Virginia, said the Democratic tilt of both states puts the pressure on the Democrats: "If the Republicans win, I think it is a huge, huge message that the Trump movement is growing." Democrats say Trump's moves targeting immigrants, refugees, abortion and voting rights should help their side, while Republicans are hoping Trump's efforts to create jobs will attract more GOP voters. In New Jersey, Democratic state Assemblyman John Wisniewski is casting himself as a Bernie Sanders-style insurgent, even though he has been in office for two decades and served as state party chairman. His chief rival for the nomination is Wall Street millionaire Phil Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive and Obama administration ambassador to Germany who represents the party's establishment wing. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he endorsed Murphy partly on Murphy's ability to block Trump's agenda. "Winter is coming," Booker said. "It is critical for us that we have a partner in Trenton who every day works in concert with us." Piscopo, who has made a career out of impersonating fellow New Jerseyan Frank Sinatra, plans to make a decision by the spring. "Donald Trump is a once-in-a-lifetime candidate, lightning in a bottle," he said. "Having said that, the thing that inspired me was the movement of the people, the will of the people." What level of involvement Trump will have in the races is unclear. A single Trump tweet for or against a candidate could alter the dynamics in a GOP primary, and Trump has already shown a willingness to back candidates in contests presidents typically ignore. "We will let you know when we have an announcement on either race," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. ___ Catalini reported from Trenton, New Jersey. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) The governor's races this year in Virginia and New Jersey are unfolding in ways that powerfully echo the wild campaign for the White House. Insurgents are making populist appeals. Establishment figures on are the defensive. In Virginia, there is Corey Stewart, a blunt and combative Republican who sneers at political correctness. There's even a former TV star in the mix: "Saturday Night Live" comic Joe Piscopo, who is thinking of running in New Jersey. The two contests for governor are seen by the Democrats as a potential referendum on Donald Trump and an important early test of the party's strength less than a year into his presidency. Despite an unusual living situation, a New Jersey grandmother has managed to keep up with a lifelong hobby. For the past year, Jill Sobocinski's 83-year-old grandmother, Joan Holland, has lived in a New Jersey hospital. To pass the time, she's painted 15 pieces of art which she plans to share with family and fellow hospital patients. SEE ALSO: These artists are painting with ink made from air pollution my grandma and her paintings! she's been in the hospital bed for a year now and this is how she passes the time. love her. pic.twitter.com/Oe6jOehxWn Jill Sobo (@jill_sobo) February 13, 2017 On Monday, Sobocinski posted a photo of her grandmother surrounded by her paintings to Twitter. Within a day, the photo picked up more than 2,600 likes and comments of support. @jill_sobo I'd buy one of these tbh adriana (@adrianaxmarisol) February 14, 2017 @jill_sobo this is gonna go viral so fast, she's precious . (@messyjourneys) February 14, 2017 Sobocinski told Mashable her grandmother has been painting all her life, and that the paintings in the photo were created with Paint By Numbers kits. "As a family, we are all inspired," she wrote. "I have never been an artist but seeing what she has done under her conditions is beautiful. "She is my motivation to try something new and now I am definitely interested in buying some paint and a canvas. We are all so proud of her." Athens (AFP) - Top EU economics official Pierre Moscovici urged Greece and its creditors Wednesday to try and reach a compromise over the cash-strapped country's bailout terms in the next few "key days". The former French finance minister spoke during a visit to Athens aimed at breaking the deadlock between Greece and its eurozone and International Monetary Fund (IMF) lenders, which has raised fears of a fresh debt crisis. His trip came five days before a meeting of eurozone ministers that is seen as an unofficial deadline to end the stalemate ahead of important elections in Europe. "We have a few key days, let's concentrate now to finish all these talks. The parameters are on the table, everybody knows them," Moscovici told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos. The EU commissioner said he was confident of progress towards a deal "if efforts are made by all sides". The IMF and Europe are split over a demand by the eurozone that Greece deliver a primary balance, or budget surplus before debt repayments, of 3.5 percent of GDP. The IMF has said only 1.5 percent is feasible. The Tsipras government refuses more pension cuts and tax hikes, which the IMF -- quietly backed by Germany -- insists are necessary for Greece to deliver on its targets. - 'Tunnel of austerity' - The feuding has blocked a tranche of loans from Greece's 86 billion euro ($91 billion) bailout that it needs for debt repayments of 7.0 billion euros this summer. Considered an ally of Greece, Moscovici said that although more reforms would be necessary, it was important to tell Greek people "that there is a light at the end of the tunnel of austerity". "We must strike the right balance between fiscal sustainability on the one hand, but also prosperity and the necessity to address... the concerns of those who suffer from poverty or unemployment," he said. Story continues Talks in Brussels between Greece and its creditors on Friday ended with no breakthrough. On Tuesday the Greek government hailed figures showing the country had returned to annual growth in 2016, using it for a fresh assault on further austerity measures. Early estimates from the national statistics office and projections from Brussels showed growth of 0.3 percent last year. Moscovici welcomed the growth and called for a "reformed Greece in the heart of the eurozone," defying concerns over the country's future in the monetary union. - More time needed - Despite the commissioner's push for an agreement next week, Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem warned on Tuesday warned that the standoff was likely to drag on. "The IMF has to come on board," he told Dutch broadcaster RTL Z. "It will take more time. People think that as there is a Eurogroup meeting next week we must have something worked out. But that has not been my planning." An IMF report obtained by AFP last week said Greece's debt "is highly unsustainable" and "will become explosive in the long run". But European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis said the outlook from the Washington-based fund was "very pessimistic". "That's why there is now a gap between our figures and those of the IMF" he told German newspaper Handelsblatt on Wednesday, expressing hope that the gap could be filled. GUATEMALA CITY (AP) Grieving relatives on Tuesday buried two Guatemalan boys whose bodies were found stuffed in sacks over the weekend, a crime that shocked the violence-weary Central American country. Ten-year-old Carlos Daniel Xiquin and 11-year-old Oscar Armando Toc Cotzajay left for school Friday but were apparently kidnapped. Their bodies were found Sunday near Ajuix, a hamlet in the township of San Juan Sacatepequez, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the capital. The boys' throats had been slashed and their hands and feet bound. There were reports that strangers had offered them a ride, and neighbors reported a ransom demand was made. The boys' caskets were accompanied to a cemetery by a parade of residents bearing white balloons and a banner reading "Enough Violence, We Want Justice." "These children were without sin," said Toc Cotzajay's mother, Maria Eurelia Toc. Guess the Guns N' Roses announcer hasn't heard of that age-old rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne, then? The bands fans in Melbourne, Australia, filled a stadium with boos after the band's announcer addressed them as Sydney (of all places) Tuesday night. Fortunately, most of the crowd found it hilarious, and not unlike a classic Simpsons moment. SEE ALSO: Dead mic silences James Hetfield at the Grammys, but Lady Gaga saves the day It went down like this. After a reported wait for 50 minutes, GNR's announcer/technician, McBob, hit the stage with a thunderous "Sydneeyyy! You wanted the best but they're stuck in traffic..." Melbourne was half offended, half amused. #gunsnroses after mixing up sydney and melbourne, I look forward to axel foley singing "welcome to Beverley hills cop" Globaldrinking (@globaldrinking) February 14, 2017 Not a brilliant start to #gnrmelbourne. "Sydney!!!" Crowd boos. Making up for it though. Slash goes off already! @gunsnroses pic.twitter.com/qUTy2K8lLM Cathy Anderson (@MsCathyAnderson) February 14, 2017 Guns N' Roses were 50 minutes late then came out on stage screaming "Sydney" I'm crying brittany (@brittarabena) February 14, 2017 According to the ABC, the last time the band played Melbourne back in 2013, the location was Sidney Myer Music Bowl, which maybe, kinda explains the mistake. The band themselves were quick to apologise, pointing out that old mate McBob hasn't misidentified a city in his 30 years of service. Melbourne! Accidentally after 30 years McBob made an error, we're truly sorry. Thank you for coming out tonight! Guns N' Roses (@gunsnroses) February 14, 2017 Hey, we get it. The hard rock lifestyle is bound to fry one's brain to some extent after a few decades. G.O.A.T guitarist Slash followed up with a more self-effacing take. Melbourne, thank you for an awesome fucking evening! Apologies for the Spinal Tap intro! But, we had a great fucking time tonight! Cheers! Slash (@Slash) February 14, 2017 Melbourne forgives you, GNR. But Melbourne never forgets. Ask Sydney. The estranged half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was killed in Malaysia, reportedly by at least one female assassin wielding poison, according to South Korean media reports. Kim Jong-nam, 45, was attacked Monday at Kuala Lumpurs airport while waiting for a flight home to Macau, where he lived in exile, officials said. Read: Kim Jong-un Commands Male College Students to Get His Hair Style A woman came from behind and covered his face with a cloth laced with a liquid, Police Chief Fadzil Ahmat told Bernama, the Malaysian state news agency. The eldest son of the late ruler Kim Jong-il was expected to succeed his father, but his younger half-brother ascended instead. The elder son has lived in exile for at least a decade, and has criticized his half-brothers rigid regime, according to reports. Read: Where Was Security: U.S. Ambassador to South Korea on Day After Knife Attack His downfall started when he was caught in 2001, along with his wife and son, trying to enter Tokyo on false passports. He told officials the family wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. Mondays assault has been reported to North Korean officials and an autopsy will be conducted, according to Bernama. Watch: U.S. Student Gets 15 Years Hard Labor in N. Korea for Trying to Steal Poster Related Articles: Nineteen-year-old Halima Aden made headlines last November when she competed in her Minnesotas Miss USA competition wearing a hijab and sporting a burkini for the swimsuit portion. Now, Adens taking her talents to another kind of stage the runway. The Somali-American teenager was just signed to modeling agency IMG and made her fashion week debut at Kanye Wests surprisingly tame Yeezy Season 5 show, where she walked for a front row that included Anna Wintour, Insta-girl Hailey Baldwin, and La La Anthony. Wests show was a relatively low-key affair, following a tumultuous year that included him canceling the remainder of his Saint Pablo tour dates, and being hospitalized for exhaustion after professing support of President Donald Trump during a November concert. West chose not to take a final bow; his wife, Kim Kardashian West signaled the end of the show by standing up at its conclusion. Kanye did not take a bow after the Yeezy Season 5 show. Instead Kim went backstage, and then told Anna Wintour to follow. Vanessa Friedman (@VVFriedman) February 15, 2017 In an interview with the Business of Fashion, IMG president Ivan Bart said that the agency was impressed with Adens commitment to her beliefs, which includes wearing the hijab and dressing modestly. I found that she was just so brave to stick to what she really believed in and yet go after the American dream of being in a beauty contest, he said. Aden will also be featured in the next issue of high fashion publication, CR Fashion Book, which is helmed by French style doyenne Carine Roitfeld. Halima is breaking boundaries of beauty and perception by being herself, Roitfeld told Business of Fashion. I find this incredibly inspiring, and I know she will be an icon. See Adens runway debut below. Love was definitely in the air for Steve McGarrett (Alex OLoughlin) and Danny Williams (Scott Caan) as they celebrated Valentines Day with their respective girlfriends, Lynn (Sarah Carter) and Melissa (Lili Simmons), in the previous episode of Hawaii Five-0 Season 7. But in the shows upcoming episode 17, the team will be entangled with a serial killers mind games and the potential comeback of Dr. Madison Gray (Elisabeth Rohm). Things seem to get messier in Hawaii Five-0 Season 7, episode 17, titled Hahai I na pilikua nui, or Hunting Monsters. Based on the episodes synopsis on TV Guide, McGarrett and the team will be getting involved in the twisted mind games of notorious serial killer, Dr. Gray. Team Five-0 will definitely be taken by surprise when Gray stumbles into the Honolulu Police Department covered in blood. Whats more baffling and interesting in Hawaii Five-0 Season 7, episode 17, however, is the fact that the blood matches Alicia Browns (Claire Forlani), not to mention Grays claims of having an amnesia. With that said, the main priority for McGarrett and the team will be finding out if Alicia is still okay and what will happen next since Dr. Gray has made an unexpected comeback. Meanwhile, as the characters struggle with a new case, CarterMatt noted the addition of recurring cast in the show has added some twists into the series case-of-the-week format. Prior to Hawaii Five-0 Season 7, episode 17, the previous episode tackled the Valentines Day event in the department. But as McGarrett and Williams attempted to take a romantic holiday with their special someone, Lynn and Melissa, the rest of the team was left to solve a murder case involving a man identified as Jeremy Holder, who was found dead in a dumpster after meeting a couple at the Vortex dance club, TV Fanatic reported. So, what do you think will happen in Hawaii Five-0 Season 7, episode 17 as Dr. Madison Gray reappears in the upcoming season with profiler Allison Brown? Dont forget to catch the upcoming episode on Friday, Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. EST on CBS. Story continues Alex O'Loughlin, Scott Caan Photo: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson Related Articles By Michelle Price HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong police are struggling to deal with digital pump-and-dump schemes targeting brokerages - a little-known type of computer-generated fraud that surged in the Chinese territory last year. Although the money involved was small - only about $20 million worth of shares - there were 81 such incidents reported in 2016, more than triple the number in 2015, according to police. In the scheme, criminals invest in thinly traded penny stocks and then manipulate their share prices by ordering trades from hacked brokerage accounts. They earn profits by selling before the fraudulent trades are reported. After last year's cyber-heist of $81 million at Bangladesh's central bank and a series of hacks of ATM's around the world, authorities fear such pump-and-dump schemes could be increasingly used for electronic theft. Hong Kong is a favored place for such attacks because of the number of thinly-traded penny stocks in the territory and because its securities industry has fallen behind other financial centers in defending against cyber fraud. At least seven brokers and eight banks have been targeted in Hong Kong, including HSBC Holdings Plc and Bank of China International (BOCI) Securities, according to regulators and people familiar with confidential investigations. A spokesman for HSBC declined to comment. A spokeswoman for BOCI Securities said he could not comment on its case but the brokerage would continue to invest in IT security. "If you ask regulators in the industry what is the number one threat, not surprisingly its all about cyber attacks," Ashley Alder, CEO of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and chairman of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, said in a speech to the local legislature last week. "We've seen that happen not only in banking but also at brokers in Hong Kong, in particular recent attacks to do with basically hijacking share trading accounts." Such schemes surfaced more than a decade ago in the United States. Charles Schwab Corp, E*Trade Financial Corp and JP Morgan Chase & Co. were identified as victims of these schemes in a 2006 complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The pace of attacks reported in the United States has slowed in recent years after big brokerages implemented a variety of strategies to thwart the hacks, said John Reed Stark, a former chief of the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Office of Internet Enforcement. Some use algorithms to identify and halt unusual trading activity, others scrutinize Internet traffic for orders coming from suspicious servers and one stopped permitting customers to use its online trading platform from buying penny stocks, said Stark, who now runs cyber-security consulting firm John Reed Stark Consulting LLC. But such protections are rare in Hong Kong, where the government has only recently started suggesting security improvements to banks and brokerages which have traditionally considered stock trading to be low-risk. TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION The Hong Kong SFC last year told firms to increase surveillance of client transactions and data protection. Authorities believe that hackers accessed brokerage accounts using stolen or guessed passwords, according to investigators. This might have been thwarted if they were protected with two-factor authentication, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has said. Two-factor authentication typically includes a password and a piece of information only the user has, for instance an electronic token with changing numbers. "Hong Kong is being targeted because they have not instituted the same cyber protections that we see in the U.S. and certain parts of Europe," said Jeff Cramer, a former U.S. prosecutor. Cramer, who is managing director with cyber-security investigations firm Berkeley Research Group, said he expects to see more attacks in Hong Kong and perhaps other Asian nations, including China, Japan and South Korea that are also behind in cyber security. FIGHTING BACK Such pump and dump cases have proven tough to crack in the United States because the masterminds are typically overseas, using surrogates and pseudonyms to make investments. Brokerages are typically not required to go public when they are hacked, so cases often only surface when the government files a complaint against suspected cyber criminals, or the hack results in litigation. The attack involving BOCI Securities year became public after it was sued by a customer that claimed its account was breached. Trading firm Fast Track Holdings Limited alleged in court documents that somebody hacked into its brokerage account on the afternoon of September 23 using a valid user ID and password. Within 18 minutes, the intruder had emptied the account by spending HK$38 million to buy 49 million shares of thinly traded Pa Shun Pharmaceutical, according to Fast Track. The stock soared more than 30 percent after the purchase, which was made at a 36 percent premium to the previous day's closing price, Reuters data shows. BOCI alerted Fast Track of the suspicious activity an hour later, but it has said in court documents it should not be held financially responsible, saying it found no evidence its systems had been compromised. Peter Pang, Pa Shun's CFO, told Reuters the management "would keep an eye to the incident and report to the regulators and the public when necessary". One person familiar with the case said Fast Track's management believes the incident was a pump and dump scam and that Pa Shun was targeted because it is thinly-traded, but it remained unclear who was responsible. Fast Track's directors did not respond to requests for comment. (Additional reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston and Jessica Yu, Katy Wong and Donny Kwok in Hong Kong; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Moscow (AFP) - After Donald Trump won the US election the Kremlin joked that it partied for three days -- but now hope that the US will go softer on Moscow seems to be fading. On his way to the White House, Trump praised President Vladimir Putin and pledged to improve ties that had plunged to a post-Cold War low as Barack Obama slapped on sanctions over Ukraine and election interference. US intelligence even went so far as to accuse Putin of personally ordering a hacking and influence campaign to get the former reality star elected. But now, in the face of growing heat over its links to Moscow, Trump's administration appears to be backing off his earlier warm words -- and for Russian officials that is proving unsettling. The resignation Monday by Trump's security advisor Michael Flynn, a key proponent of better ties with the Kremlin, over contacts with the Russian government sparked dismay among lawmakers in Moscow. Then in another blow, White House spokesman Sean Spicer insisted Trump "has been incredibly tough on Russia" and "made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to... return Crimea" to Ukraine. "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?" Trump tweeted in a follow up on Wednesday. - Back on track? - The latest statements come ahead of a first meeting between new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Germany on Thursday. The Kremlin has insisted that it is still very early days for the Trump administration and the two sides can patch up their tattered ties. "Let's not rush things... we must wait until the first contacts," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "We are still expecting that contacts will get back on track." With the FBI also probing Trump's circle over ties to Moscow, Peskov dismissed fresh reports about contacts between his campaign and Russian officials as "falsehoods and fabrications". Story continues Flynn's dismissal was a US domestic issue, he repeated. But the tougher signals from Washington have still stung. For Moscow any criticism over Ukraine, where it denies overwhelming evidence it sent troops and arms to help rebels, is a major sore point -- and questioning the status of Crimea is taboo. A top lawmaker called Spicer's statement a "cold shower" for those hoping for a quick improvement in ties. "We don't return our territories," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. - End of 'euphoria' - Early reactions in Moscow to Trump's presidential victory bordered on euphoria: the State Duma broke into applause upon the news of the election outcome. Peskov said in December, half-jokingly, that the Kremlin "partied for three days" after Trump's win, and that "any hope on anything positive (in US-Russia relations) or anything constructive makes people euphoric." The mood was palpably different Wednesday, as Vedomosti business daily wrote that Flynn was a key influence on Trump who supported working with Moscow. His departure "may considerably decrease Moscow's hopes that sanctions will be lifted," it said in an editorial. "One should not have expected that Trump would go against the political elite in his country in the beginning of his presidential career," Leonid Slutsky, the head of the parliament's foreign relations committee, told Interfax news agency. Russia's parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin was also disappointed that the US president is not following through on promises of friendlier relations with Moscow. "When people are elected, they are elected by citizens for specific promises, for methods and approaches to problems," he told Interfax, and Trump was elected because he talked about "rebuilding relations with Russia," among other things. "If he goes back on his campaign promises, that would be a question for him," added Volodin, who previously served as Putin's chief of staff. "One should follow his pre-election program, and the program talked about regulating relations with Russia, China," said Volodin. "When they start carrying out the programme it will all be okay." Logan wants you to wear sunscreen, kids. Australian actor, Hugh Jackman, shared a photo of himself with a bandage on his nose on Facebook Tuesday, covering a non-melanoma cancer which he just had removed. It's the sixth time he's had to undergo treatment. "Another basal cell carcinoma," Jackman wrote on Twitter. "Thanks to frequent body checks and amazing doctors, all is well. Looks worse with the dressing on than off. I swear! #wearsunscreen" SEE ALSO: Thor and his Aussie roommate are back, dealing with real life struggles It's not the first time Jackman's gone under the knife for skin cancer-related reasons, though. Another basal cell carcinoma. Thanks to frequent body checks and amazing doctors, all is well. Looks worse with the dressing on than off. I swear! #wearsunscreen A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman) on Feb 13, 2017 at 12:42pm PST The post comes just over a year after Jackman shared a selfie wherein he sported a bandage on his nose, where also had a basal cell carcinoma. Jackman was first diagnosed with the skin cancer back in 2013, after his wife Deborra-Lee Furness urged him to get the mark on his nose checked. He spoke to People about the ongoing issue in 2015. An example of what happens when you don't use sunscreen. Basal cell. Mildest form of cancer. USE SUNSCREEN PLEASE !! pic.twitter.com/phQsRS5QiI Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) February 8, 2016 "Its always a bit of a shock just hearing the word 'cancer,'" Jackman told the magazine. "Being an Australian, its a very common thing. I never wore sunscreen growing up so I was a prime candidate for it." Basal cell carcinoma is a non-melanoma skin cancer, and is fortunately not life-threatening. Still, always remember to put on that sunscreen, y'all. BOISE, Idaho (AP) An Idaho pastor who was imprisoned for nearly four years in Iran will have to serve community service for violating a restraining order. Saeed Abedini on Monday pleaded guilty to violation of a restraining order taken out by his estranged wife, Naghmeh. An Ada County Magistrate judge sentenced Abedini to 180 days in jail, but suspended all but five days. He will have to work off those days through community service, The Idaho Statesman reports (http://bit.ly/2lPr3hu ). Abedini was also fined $1,000, with $500 suspended, and placed on unsupervised probation for two years. On Tuesday, Abedini declined to comment on the matter. "This was a personal matter that I won't share in public," Abedini said. "I will write something in my book in the future." No details if what happened in the May 26 incident when he violated the order were provided in court documents. Abedini's hearing was held in a judge's chambers. It was not open to the public and no audio recordings were made. Two other counts of alleged violations of the restraining order on June 1 and 2 were dismissed in exchange for Abedini's plea. Abedini was one of four Americans released in Iran under a negotiated prisoner exchange on Jan. 16, 2016. The U.S. agreed to free seven Iranians as part of the exchange. The Boise man was detained for compromising national security, presumably because of Christian proselytizing. He was sentenced in 2013 to eight years in prison. Naghmeh filed for legal separation from her husband the day he arrived back in Boise. ___ Information from: Idaho Statesman, http://www.idahostatesman.com Last November tens of millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump precisely because he wasnt a normal politician and so far, his presidency hasnt proved them wrong. But can Trump act like a more normal president when circumstances require it? The Oroville Dam crisis in Northern California is a perfect test. In case you havent been following the news, heres a quick recap. The Oroville Dam is the tallest dam in the nation. It was completed in 1968. Its located between Sacramento and Chico. All winter, record-setting storms have been pummeling the Golden State; in fact, so much rain has fallen in the area that the reservoir behind the Oroville Dam recently rose 50 feet in a matter of days. Earlier this month, operators tried to reduce pressure on the dam by releasing water over a concrete spillway. Thats when they discovered a huge crater in the concrete. Even so, they continued to use the spillway and the damage got worse. On Friday, the gash was 45 feet deep, 300 feet wide, and 500 feet long. Slideshow: Damaged dam threatens northern California towns >>> Theres an auxiliary spillway at Oroville too, but it had never been used before, mainly because its just an unpaved hillside. Last week, however, it was finally pressed into service. The hope was that operators could use the backup spillway to lower the water level in Lake Oroville while working to repair the primary spillway. On Sunday, however, they noticed that the backup spillway was starting to erode. This was a potentially deadly problem: If the slope crumbled, it would send a 30-foot wall of water barreling downriver, threatening lives and obliterating communities throughout Butte, Yuba and Sutter counties. The authorities immediately issued a mandatory evacuation order for nearly 200,000 people. This is NOT A Drill. This is NOT A Drill. This is NOT A Drill, the Butte County Sheriffs Office warned on its Facebook page. Rylan Moua, left, and his uncle Christopher Vang, right, of Oroville, Calif., gather pillows as they leave a shelter Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, in Chico, Calif. (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez) With more than 100,000 local residents still displaced, crews are now rushing to repair the spillways before even more rain arrives in the region later this week. (The evacuation order was finally lifted Tuesday afternoon.) Story continues So what does this have to do with President Trump? There are two answers to that question: one short term, one longer term. Both give Trump the opportunity to demonstrate that his presidency can be more than non-stop disruption and controversy. Lets start with the short term. On Monday, California Gov. Jerry Brown officially requested a federal emergency declaration to assist in the potential failure of the Oroville spillway, saying that the situation is of such severity and magnitude that continued effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments and supplemental federal assistance is necessary to save lives and to protect property, public health and safety, and to lessen the effects of this serious situation. This February 2017 image from video provided by the office of Assemblyman Brian Dahle shows water flowing over an emergency spillway of the Oroville Dam in Oroville, Calif., (Josh F.W. Cook/Office of Assemblyman Brian Dahle via AP) Theres only one person who can approve such a request: President Trump. Trump didnt have to greenlight Browns request. FEMA and the California National Guard are already on the scene, and presidents deny this sort of disaster request all the time, for all sorts of reasons. (For instance: Barack Obama said no to Florida Gov. Rick Scott when he requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency help with an algae problem, and he also refused to declare a federal emergency over the water crisis in Flint, Mich.) But a normal president would consider Californias plea for help on its merits and decide how to proceed accordingly. The early thinking and this goes to show how far American politics have strayed from normal in the Age of the Donald was that President Trump might not. Trump and Brown not to mention Trump and the rest of Californias Democratic politicians have been feuding since the day he was elected, with Brown telling Trump not to interfere with Californias progressive policies and Trump threatening to cut off the states federal funding in response. (California is in many ways out of control, Trump told Bill OReilly.) Rob McMillan, a television reporter from Los Angeles, reports from the overflowing Feather River Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, in Oroville, Calif. (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/ AP) Californias Battle With Trump Could Impact Disaster Aid Request, read a headline from CBS San Francisco. (It is possible that Trump will take this opportunity to remind Brown of Californias independent streak, and say no or approve a limited declaration, the story added.) By Tuesday there were some positive signs from Washington, D.C., with White House press secretary Sean Spicer announcing that the presidents been keeping a close eye on the Oroville Dam situation in California. (Late Tuesday, after this article was scheduled to be published, the administration finally approved Browns request.) But while Trump has found time since Sunday to tweet about how Mark Cuban is not smart and how Obamacare continues to fail, he himself hasnt said a word about the Oroville Dam. Trumps silence isnt normal, and it helped perpetuate the idea that he would somehow limit the federal governments assistance to the ordinary people of Butte, Yuba and Sutter counties most of whom voted for Trump, incidentally just to spite the progressive politicians who run California. As the New York Times Los Angeles bureau chief Adam Nagourney recently tweeted, Is California request to Trump for emergency declaration on Oroville Dam the first test of whether CA Dems pays price for attacks on WH? Thats not a normal question to have to ask. In the short term, then, Oroville presented Trump with an opportunity to show that he isnt the sort of president who withholds aid in times of crisis to punish states that disagree with him politically. In the longer term it presents him with an even bigger opportunity the opportunity to show that hes serious about making Americas infrastructure great again. During the campaign, Trump pledged that he would spend $1 trillion on infrastructure if elected. Partisans on both sides of the aisle were cautiously optimistic, seeing a rare chance for compromise. But so far Trump has been too busy sparring with Arnold Schwarzenegger, leaving key appointed positions unfilled, and indulging in exactly the kind of unilateral executive orders for which he criticized Obama to actually try to muscle an infrastructure package through Congress. California Department of Water Resources crews inspect and evaluate the erosion just below the Lake Oroville Emergency Spillway site after lake levels receded, in Oroville, California, U.S., February 13, 2017. (Kelly M. Grow/ California Department of Water Resources/Handout via Reuters) A normal president might seize on the dire news from Oroville to start enacting the legislative agenda he campaigned on. After all, concerns about the spillways have been raised before, and both state and federal officials failed to intervene. As Bloomberg Views Conor Sen recently put it, this provides the president with the perfect Trumpian setup a crisis brought about by bad infrastructure [and left] unaddressed by all talk, no action politicians. Trump hasnt said anything directly yet. But Spicer did mention the issue during Tuesdays press conference. The situation is a textbook example of why we need to pursue a major infrastructure package in Congress, he said. Dams, bridges, roads and all ports around the country have fallen into disrepair. In order to prevent the next disaster, we will pursue the presidents vision for an overhaul of our nations crumbling infrastructure. Democrats might (correctly) point out that Trumps campaign proposal would do little to repair the 14,726 dams currently classified by FEMA as high hazard potential. Trumps plan largely means privatizing infrastructure development through the use of tax credits, writes Citylabs Kriston Capps. Armoring the Oroville Dams emergency spillway isnt the kind of investment likely to lure profit-minded private developers. But perhaps the scary situation in Oroville will inspire the president to dig in and revise his plan, in consultation with Congress, so that it really will prevent the next disaster. Or at least that would be the normal thing to do. Update, 9 a.m. ET.: This article has been updated to reflect recent news developments. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) A Mexican woman trying to avoid deportation took refuge in a Denver church Wednesday after U.S. immigration authorities denied her request to remain in the country, the latest case to rattle the immigrant community as the White House promises to boost enforcement. Jeanette Vizguerra skipped her scheduled check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in the suburb of Centennial. About 100 supporters demonstrated outside the building as her attorney, Hans Meyer, and a minister went inside. They said they were met by a lobby full of agents, a few of them armed, and were told Vizguerra would not get another extension as she tries to obtain a U visa, sometimes given to crime victims. ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer said Vizguerra was an "enforcement priority" because she had two misdemeanor convictions and a judge originally issued final deportation orders for her in 2011. Meyer said Vizguerra had been granted several previous extensions under the Obama administration because officials realize it can take two or three years to obtain the visa. "This is a big, huge red flare that the Trump administration has plans to deport as many people as possible," said Meyer, who declined to disclose details of the crime to which Vizguerra was a victim. Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a priority, declaring plans to build a border wall, threatening to cut funding to cities that don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities and issuing an executive order making it clear that just about any immigrant in the country illegally could be a priority for deportation, particularly those with outstanding deportation orders. ICE's Neudauer would not say whether denying Vizguerra's request for an extension was a change in policy. Vizguerra took refuge in the church, a common tactic to avoid deportation because authorities generally don't enter places of worship, as immigrant advocates called for the release of 23-year-old in Washington state who was detained despite participating in a federal program to protect those brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Story continues She said she was thinking of Daniel Ramirez Medina as well as Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, an Arizona woman arrested during a routine ICE check-in and deported to Mexico the next day, before taking sanctuary. Vizguerra, crying at first, spoke in Spanish by phone through a bullhorn to supporters outside the ICE building and later in person at the First Unitarian Church not far from the state Capitol. With three of her four children joining her on the altar, the former union organizer and house cleaner said her only crimes were related to working in the country illegally to support her family. She said she was arrested for not having a driver's license or current vehicle registration. Officers also discovered that she had a forged identity document, which she said had a Social Security number made up of digits from her birth date, not one that belonged to an actual person. Vizguerra said she told her children last week of her decision to stay in a basement room of the church that they had painted in 2014 in preparation for any immigrant who might need to seek sanctuary. "You can see the reasons behind me why I am fighting so hard to win my case," she said of her family. For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon Families crammed into ramshackle tents. Children playing amid garbage. Their parents, bewildered and fearful with no place to go. That is life in Jdita, a settlement center for Syrian refugees in Lebanons Bekaa Valley. What you see now is how we live every day, says Hana Khalaf, surrounded by a half-dozen young children, her nephews, nieces and cousins, huddled together on the tent floor. Life is monotonous. The situation is difficult. Imagine, you never know when your tent will catch fire. Her country has been on fire for six years. There are 4.8 million refugees from Syrias civil war. Thats more than five times the number of Palestinian refugees created by the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. An estimated 1.6 million Syrians are in Lebanon, where most cant get work permits due to onerous local regulations. Many of the children in Jdita have no school to attend. So the families wait endlessly in their tents for something to change. But nothing does. Sana Jassem clutches a crying baby, standing by a sheet-metal-covered well and a fire crackling by a tire. She and her husband, Toufic Salem-Ali, a farmer from outside Aleppo, fled the city when the shelling started in 2013. Toufic has nothing to farm now. Life is difficult when the man does not work, Sana says, looking at her husband as he stares off into space. Most days, one stays hungry when the man does not work. Moutaz Khalaf, 33, Hanas brother, has mournful eyes as he tells the tragic story of his family. He had been a senior lawyer in the Syrian Directorate of Agriculture in Aleppo. In 2013, his mother left for a trip to Lebanon and disappeared, taken captive by regime soldiers. Ill never forget that day, he says. Five months later, his brother a former soldier in the Syrian army was traveling in territory controlled by the rebel Free Syria Army (the FSA) and disappeared as well. I feel like I have bad feelings for the number seven, because my mother disappeared on the seventh of April and my brother on the seventh of September, he said. Story continues Then a friend, a fellow government employee, was arrested by Syrian Air Force Intelligence. They took him, and after 16 days, they released him as a corpse, as a result of torture and electrocution, Khalaf says. Later, he finally got word about his mother. She had been taken to Saydnaya Prison outside Damascus the same notorious facility that Amnesty International, in a report last week, dubbed a human slaughterhouse. Between 5,000 and 13,000 detainees have been executed at Saydnaya in mass hangings authorized by senior officials of Syrian President Bashar Assads government, the report says. When I asked Assad about the report in an interview last week, he said, You can forge anything these days, and then added, Were living in a fake news era a phrase he now uses for all allegations of human rights abuses by his government. Was his mother a political protester? No, Khalaf says, she was illiterate and had nothing to do with politics. But she was a Sunni and, he says, the regime had held her and 13 other Sunnis as hostages to force the release of 42 Alawites being held by the rebels. The plan for an exchange didnt work out so they executed her instead, he says. Khalaf and the rest of the residents are afraid to return to Syria and are years away from any hope of resettlement in the United States or Europe. But still, they have been following on their mobile phones and on televisions the debate in the United States about President Trumps executive order to ban all Syrian refugees from the country. I asked Khalaf if he had a message for Trump. He does, he says. He wants him to come to Jdita. I [would] tell him to come and see the Syrian refugees, who are lost between torn tents and a torn country, he says. And now there are kids who are [being] raised, a generation being raised thinking that tents are their home. Read more from Yahoo News: India successfully put a record 104 satellites from a single rocket into orbit on Wednesday in the latest triumph for its famously frugal space programme. Celebrations erupted among scientists at the southern spaceport of Sriharikota as the head of India's Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced all the satellites had been ejected as planned. "My hearty congratulations to the ISRO team for this success," the agency's director Kiran Kumar told those gathered in an observatory to track the progress of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists for achieving the feat which smashes a record previously held by Russia. "They have hit a century in space technology," Modi said at an election rally in northern Uttar Pradesh state. The rocket took off at 9:28am (0358 GMT) and cruised at a speed of 27,000 kilometres (16,777 miles) per hour, ejecting all the 104 satellites into orbit in around 30 minutes, according to ISRO. The rocket's main cargo was a 714 kilogram (1,574 pounds) satellite for Earth observation but it was also loaded with 103 smaller "nano satellites", weighing a combined 664 kilograms. The smallest weighed only 1.1 kilogram. Nearly all of the nano satellites are from other countries, including Israel, Kazakhstan, Switzerland and 96 from the United States. Eighty-eight of them are from Planet Inc - a San Francisco-based Earth imagery company - and weigh 4.5 kilogram each. Only three satellites belonged to India. Scientists sat transfixed as they watched the progress of the rocket on monitors until the last payload was ejected, and then began punching the air in triumph and hugging each other. This was PSLV's 39th successful mission, known as India's space workhorse. - World record - The launch means India now holds the record for launching the most satellites in one go, surpassing Russia which launched 39 satellites in a single mission in June 2014. Story continues And it is another feather in the cap for ISRO which sent an unmanned rocket to orbit Mars in 2013 at a cost of just $73 million, compared with NASA's Maven Mars mission which had a $671 million price tag. ISRO is also mulling the idea of missions to Jupiter and Venus. The business of putting commercial satellites into space for a fee is growing as phone, Internet and other companies, as well as countries, seek greater and more high-tech communications. India has carved out a reputation as a reliable low-cost option, relying in part on its famed skill of "jugaad" -- creating a cheap alternative solution. Experts say much of its credibility stems from India's successful launch of the Mars orbiter, which gave it an edge over its rivals in the space race. "India is proving to be a very viable option because of the cost and the reliability factor," said Ajay Lele, a senior fellow at the Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. "India has been doing these launches successfully and has established itself as a very reliable player." Mathieu J Weiss, a liaison officer for France's CNES national space agency who is currently in India, said ISRO had pulled off a major feat. "It's a great technical challenge to launch so many satellites at once into orbit on the right trajectory so that they don't make contact with each other," he told AFP. Weiss said India had become a major player in the space race by making itself so competitive with its low costs and by working with private companies which are space specialists. "India has become a space power in its own right in recent years," he added. Last June, India set a national record after it successfully launched a rocket carrying 20 satellites, including 13 from the US. The 50-year-old space agency plans to send four more rockets into space later this year ahead of its second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 slated for 2018. Modi has often hailed India's budget space technology, quipping in 2014 that a rocket that launched four foreign satellites into orbit had cost less to make than Hollywood film "Gravity". Ahmedabad (India) (AFP) - Half a million Indians have set a new world record by performing a mass rendition of their national anthem, as patriotic sentiment rises under a nationalist government. The "Jana Gana Mana" anthem was sung by 509,261 people in Gujarat, the home state of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the opening of a Hindu temple, said Guinness World Records. "The event attracted close to 1 million people according to the auditors, but only the above number could be accommodated in the record attempt area," the world record-keeper said on its website. The feat was accomplished in late January but only validated recently by Guinness World Records. It smashes the previous record of roughly 254,500 set in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka in 2014. "We feel very proud to have achieved this record, which is nearly double that of the previous record," Paresh Gajera, chairman of the organising committee overseeing the stunt in the western state, told AFP. The patriotic effort comes amid a fiery debate in India over exploitation of the anthem, and concerns about overt displays of nationalism under Modi's right-wing administration. The Supreme Court ruled in November that cinemas must play the national anthem before screening movies and audiences should stand for it, drawing angry accusations of an assault on civil liberties. There have been reports of cinemagoers being assaulted for refusing to stand, while others were arrested for failing to obey the ruling. Some liberals say freedom of speech is being stifled by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which came to power in 2014. Photo credit: ISRO From Popular Mechanics Tonight, a rocket will carry a record-breaking 104 satellites into orbit. The Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will blast off from Sriharikota, India at approximately 10:58 p.m. Eastern time. Most of the satellites being launched are small cubesats, less than a foot wide, and 88 were built by imaging company Planet. The "Dove" satellites will be used to continually photograph the Earth at high resolutions, similar to Google Earth. These satellites will join 50 already in orbit, where they will photograph all the major landmasses on Earth daily-approximately 58 million square miles. Planet hopes to sell this imaging technology to all sorts of people, including governments and corporations. The daily imaging data could be used by farmers to estimate crop yields, relief workers to respond to natural disasters, and private companies looking to purchase data aquired through the widespread Earth imaging. Photo credit: Planet Planet just purchased another small satellite company, Terra Bella, from Google this past month, according to Wired. Terra Bella came with seven satellites already in orbit, each with four to six times the imaging resolution of the Dove satellites. When one of Planet's network of Dove satellites identifies a target for imaging-such as changes in water levels or the movement of military forces-the company can point one of the bigger Terra Bella satellites at the target for a higher resolution image. With the launch of 88 new Dove satellites tonight, Planet is quickly becoming the premier company in providing Earth imaging data from space. In addition to the 88 Planet satellites, the PSLV rocket is also launching 15 additional small satellites from many international partners, including two NASA navigational satellites, an Israeli cubesat from Ben Gurion University, an experimental satellite from the EU that will test new methods of power generation in space, and the first ever cubesat from the UAE. The main payload of the rocket is the Indian Cartosat 2D, a cartography satellite designed to accurately map the Earth's geography. Story continues Because the Cartosat is the rocket's main payload, it will be deployed into its orbit first, with the remaining satellites deployed after in a timed sequence. If the launch goes smoothly and all the satellites are successfully deployed, India's PSLV rocket will snatch the title for most satellites ever launched at one time. Source: Planet via Wired You Might Also Like The cover of Vogues March 2017 issue was recently hailed by some as a sign that the magazine was embracing inclusion, thanks to a diverse range of models and a cover line that read no norm is the new norm. However, an editorial inside the magazine that surfaced Tuesday showed that theres still room for improvement, as it fashioned Karlie Kloss, a white supermodel from Missouri, in traditional Japanese style. Kloss editorial titled Spirited Away was shot by photographer Mikael Jansson in Japan and styled by Phyllis Posnick; images from the shoot feature Kloss, among other things, posing in designer clothing with a sumo wrestler, visiting a tea house and carrying a basket of cherry blossoms. Karlie for Vogue US March 2017 pic.twitter.com/Pbo9rssT8p bestkkpics (@bestkkpics) February 14, 2017 Vogues editorial registered as tone-deaf with many people, who took to the Internet to sound off about it. Some pointed out the long history of the whitewashing of Asian people in popular culture, including several recent examples. Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, and Tilda Swinton turn to Karlie Kloss. "Your turn, girl." Karlie on phone: "Hello, Vogue? Make me Asian." pic.twitter.com/zgUWIB022Q Ira Madison III (@ira) February 14, 2017 Kloss took to her Twitter on Wednesday to address the shoot, writing that she was truly sorry for participating in a shoot that was not culturally sensitive. This isnt the first time that the fashion outlet has been criticized for featuring racial stereotypes and appropriating culture; in the past, theyve caught heat for invoking orientalism at the 2015 China-themed Met Gala to French Vogues use of blackface for a shoot. Some took issue with Klosss inclusion in this shoot for a diversity issue. I just found out that the Karlie Kloss yellowface editorial was for Vogue's "diversity" issue. Diversity. Issue. Remember Theramore (@Feathermoonie) February 14, 2017 vogue hired karlie kloss to model as a geisha? did we suddenly run out of asian models and had to hire a white woman to play one instead ??? dani (@itsjustdaniii) February 15, 2017 Some had a very strong visceral reaction to the shoot. Good morning to everyone except trash goblin Karlie Kloss and Vogue Magazine. Vivian Lee (@vivianwmlee) February 15, 2017 Others pointed out how dated this editorial choice was in 2017. weird to have watched the teen vogue team on trevor noah this morning then see vogue cast karlie kloss as an asian woman John Jannuzzi (@johnjannuzzi) February 14, 2017 Some pointed out that Vogue could have chosen to cast a Japanese model for the shoot. I was gonna ask why vogue decided to put karlie kloss in geisha makeup & clothing when there are amazing japanese models but i know why (@honobonoIog) February 14, 2017 Others still drew a parallel to the other issues going on in the world. *logs in to Twitter* Karlie Kloss as a geisha for Vogue Betsy DeVos as Ruby Bridges in a Glenn McCoy cartoon *logs off* Miya Tokumitsu (@MiyaTokumitsu) February 14, 2017 Vogue has not responded to a request for comment on this story. WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. intelligence agencies and Congress will continue to investigate Russias involvement in the 2016 presidential election, even after President Donald Trump fired his national security adviser for providing inaccurate accounts of his contacts with the Russian ambassador last year. Democrats said an independent investigation was the best way to answer questions about the Trump administrations ties to Russia. But Republican leaders continue to refuse to consider that option and said three congressional investigations underway were enough. Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired late Monday. The White House said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with the Russian ambassador. This isnt the first time Trump has distanced himself from an adviser in light of relationships with Moscow. In late August, Paul Manafort resigned as Trumps campaign chairman after disclosures by The Associated Press about his firms covert lobbying on behalf of Ukraines former pro-Russia governing political party. Trump has long held a friendly posture toward the long-time U.S. adversary and has been reluctant to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin, even for Putins annexation of Ukraines Crimea region in 2014. This isnt simply about a change in policy toward Russia, as the administration would like to portray. Its whats behind that change in policy, said California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, one of the congressional bodies investigating. Under the Obama administration, U.S. intelligence agencies said Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of electing Trump. Trump has acknowledged that Russia hacked Democratic emails but denies it was to help him win. The New York Times reported late Tuesday that members of Trumps campaign, including Manafort, had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the year before the election. The U.S. knew about these contacts through phone records and intercepted calls, the Times said. Story continues Reached late Tuesday, Manafort told The Associated Press he has not been interviewed by the FBI about these alleged contacts. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today, Manafort said. Officials who spoke with the Times anonymously said they had not yet seen any evidence of the Trump campaign cooperating with the Russians on hacking or other attempts to influence the election. The investigations and the unusual firing of the national security adviser just 24 days into his job have put Republicans in the awkward position of investigating the leader of their party. The congressional probes are ultimately in the hands of the Republican committee chairmen, and the executive branchs investigation is now overseen by Trump appointees. Republican leaders focused on the idea that Flynn misled Pence about the nature of his contacts with the Russian ambassador not on any questioning of the relationship between Flynn and the ambassador. Democrats said a key issue is whether Flynn broke diplomatic protocol and potentially the law by discussing U.S. sanctions with Moscow before Trumps inauguration. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said the committee had not yet seen the transcripts of Flynns calls. The Justice Department had warned the White House late last month that Flynn could be at risk for blackmail because of contradictions between his public depictions of the calls with the Russian ambassador and what intelligence officials knew about the conversations. You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the vice president and others, said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. California Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said he was concerned Flynns rights were violated in the interception of his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Im just shocked that nobodys covering the real crime here, Nunes said. You have an American citizen who had his phone call recorded and then leaked to the media. The FBI has wide legal authority to eavesdrop on the conversations of foreign intelligence targets, including diplomats, inside the U.S. Flynn did not concede any wrongdoing in his resignation letter, saying merely that he inadvertently briefed the vice president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador. While North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said much of the panels investigation will occur behind closed doors, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said he planned to push to make the findings and hearings public. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump did not direct Flynn to discuss U.S. sanctions with the Russians. No, absolutely not, Spicer said. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Erica Werner, Richard Lardner, Chad Day and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report. Tehran (AFP) - Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday rejected the possibility of reconciliation with a "minority" that is opposed to the regime. The idea of reconciliation emerged in newspapers this week after former reformist president Mohammad Khatami mentioned it in a statement calling on people to join a march marking the 1979 Islamic revolution. "Some are speaking about the idea of national reconciliation," Khamenei told a public gathering in Tehran, without mentioning any names. "I think such talks are meaningless. People are united where Islam, Iran and fighting the enemy are concerned. "Yes, some may have political differences (but) why do you speak of reconciliation? Are people sulking?" he added. However, he dismissed any reconciliation "with those who took to the streets on the day of Ashura and ruthlessly and shamelessly undressed a young Basiji (Islamist militiaman) and beat him". The nation was angry with them "and we will not reconciliate with them," said Khamenei. He was referring to demonstrations in late 2009 following the election of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Authorities accuse protesters who took to the streets on December 27, 2009 of insulting Islam by celebrating on a day of mourning as well as attacking the Basiji militia. Khamenei said they used the election as an "excuse" while aiming to target the "basis of the revolution". "Of course, they are few... a drop in the ocean." That year's protests -- which officials call the "sedition" -- were organised after calls by two losing candidates in the elections, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karoubi. The pair, who alleged the vote was rigged, have been under house arrest since February 2011. At the time, many reformist figures were imprisoned for "acting against national security" and "propaganda against the regime". Most have since been freed. Story continues Khatami, who is accused of playing an important role in the "sedition", faces strict restrictions. The media is banned from naming Khatami directly or publishing pictures of him, and he is prevented from attending official ceremonies. Although absent from day to day events, he remains the de facto leader of the reformist camp. He urged people on February 7 to take part in this year's revolution day march to "neutralise the conspiracies", calling for "national reconciliation". "I believe that now is the best situation to put in place in the country an atmosphere of national reconciliation," Khatami wrote in his statement. "People have no doubts in resisting and confronting any threats against the basis of the (Islamic) system," he said. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country sought good relations with its Gulf Arab neighbors as he began a one-day trip to Oman and Kuwait on Wednesday, his first since taking power in 2013. Relations between predominantly Shi'ite Iran and the mainly Sunni Arab countries of the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, remain strained over their support for opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. "The basis of the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is always good neighborly relations with neighbors and the security of the Persian Gulf," Rouhani said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Rouhani also said there should be greater unity between Shiites and Sunnis, saying they had "coexisted side by side peacefully for hundreds of years", IRNA reported. Omani state news agency ONA reported that the country's ruler, Sultan Qaboos, welcomed Rouhani with a 21 gun salute when he arrived at the al-Alam Palace in the capital Muscat. Omani media showed Qaboos receiving Rouhani outside the palace, the sultan's second public appearance since he returned from medical checks in Germany in April last year. The agency said the two sides discussed ways for enhancing bilateral cooperation but gave no further details. Oman helped to mediate secret U.S.-Iran talks in 2013 that led to the historic nuclear deal signed in Geneva two years later. Qaboos became the first Arab head of state to visit Iran after Rouhani took office. In 2013, the two countries signed an agreement to supply Iranian gas to Oman through a pipeline to be built under the Gulf in a deal valued at $60 billion. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain cut diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016 after protesters torched the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates recalled their envoys in a show of solidarity with Riyadh, but Oman only expressed regret over the attack, highlighting its better ties. Rouhani was due in Kuwait later on Wednesday for talks with the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, expected to include efforts to ease tensions between Tehran and Riyadh. Kuwaits foreign minister made a rare visit to Tehran in late January and called for frank dialogue between Iran and its regional neighbors. (Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Sami Aboudi in Dubai,; Editing by Gareth Jones) Kuwait City (AFP) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday visited Kuwait as part of a lightning two-nation tour aimed at mending ties with Gulf neighbours strained by the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Rouhani held talks with Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who last month launched a dialogue with the Islamic republic to normalise Iran-Gulf relations. An official statement cited by the KUNA news agency said they discussed bolstering bilateral ties in all fields. They also held talks on "latest regional and international developments," said the statement, without giving further details. Ahead of his visit to Oman and Kuwait, Rouhani had expressed support for the latter's efforts to "resolve misunderstandings and boost relations" with Gulf countries. "In this trip, there will be discussions about the region, the situation in Iraq, Syria and in particular in Yemen," Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying. Rouhani's tour excludes regional kingpin Saudi Arabia, Iran's key rival. Tehran's ties with other Gulf states have been strained over its support for the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad and alleged backing of Yemen's Huthi rebels. Rouhani was welcomed by Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, where the two discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the region, Oman's official ONA news agency reported. "Tehran has always been in favour of resolving problems and disputes through dialogue," Rouhani said, according to Iranian media. "Iran's military power is only defensive." He appealed for a ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid and political dialogue to resolve the conflict in Yemen. "Today, the Yemenis are in a particularly disastrous situation and we all have to act as Muslim countries to help this people," he said. Iran traditionally maintains good relations with Oman, with which it shares control of the key Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Story continues "There are now good conditions for developing and consolidating relations between Iran and Oman," Rouhani said, calling for stronger economic ties. - Gulf dialogue hopes - Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah visited Tehran last month, calling for a "normalisation of ties and opening dialogue". His deputy, Khaled al-Jarallah, said in remarks published Wednesday that he hopes Rouhani's visit would lead to a dialogue between the Gulf states and Iran. The elements needed for the dialogue, which were included in the emir's letter, call for non-interference in the internal affairs of the Gulf states, respecting their sovereignty and establishing good neighbouring relations, Jarallah said in the comments published in Kuwait's Al-Qabas newspaper. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in Manama in December asked Kuwait to initiate contacts with Tehran to start a dialogue to improve ties. Kuwait, where 30 percent of native citizens are Shiites, has maintained normal relations with Tehran despite taking part in the Saudi-led military campaign on Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels. Iran has had no diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia since January 2016, when demonstrators stormed the kingdom's missions in Tehran and Mashhad in protest at the execution of a Saudi Shiite Muslim cleric. Ties were already strained between the region's leading Shiite and Sunni powers, which have taken opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Oman, which has a significant Shiite minority, has historically had good ties with Iran, with which it shares control of the Strait of Hormuz. The sultanate is the only one of the six Gulf Arab states not taking part in the Saudi-led military intervention against the Huthis in Yemen. DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's minority government on Wednesday survived a parliamentary vote of no-confidence over its handling of a policing scandal, but Prime Minister Enda Kenny faced growing calls from members of his own party to step aside. Parliament voted 57-52 in favor of the government, with the 44 members of the country's second largest party, Fianna Fail, abstaining. Independent members of the governing coalition only confirmed their support an hour before the debate in parliament. Kenny, who was heavily criticized after a poor showing by his Fine Gael party in an election a year ago, has said he does not intend to lead the party into the next election. He has not said when he will step aside and at least six members of the party have in recent months called for Kenny to step down sooner rather than later to give a new leader time to establish a position before a new election. Those calls have gathered pace since Kenny's Fine Gael support fell to 21 percent in an opinion poll last week, 11 points behind fellow centrist party Fianna Fail - by far the biggest margin of any recent polling. Fine Gael member of parliament John Paul Phelan on Wednesday was the first to suggest a concrete timetable, saying Kenny should be replaced "within six to eight weeks." "There should be a new leader of Fine Gael in the near future because I do think that we will probably have another general election in the near future," he told local radio station KCLR Live. "This week has shown that the government is in a precarious position," he said. Several commentators have suggested Kenny may make his plans clear after a visit to Washington to mark St. Patrick's Day on March 17. The third largest party, Sinn Fein, announced on Saturday it would introduce a motion of no confidence over the manner in which the government had handled allegations by members of parliament that the chief and former chief of police had orchestrated a campaign to damage the reputation of a high-profile whistleblower. The government agreed on Wednesday to establish a publicly led inquiry into the allegations, which will include the examination of police commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan's mobile phone records. She has faced calls from some opposition parties to stand down. The government has said it will widen the terms to include potential collusion between police and the state's child protection agency over a clerical error at the agency that led to false sex abuse allegations being made against the whistleblower. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Peter Cooney) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The staff to Israel's embassy in Cairo has been ordered to stay at home because of security concerns, the Shin Bet security service said Tuesday. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has declined to comment, but Israel's Channel 2 television said that for three months, ambassador David Govrin and his staff have been working from Jerusalem. "Due to security considerations, the return of the Foreign Ministry's embassy team to Cairo has been curbed," the Shin Bet said in a brief statement. Israel re-opened its embassy in Egypt in 2015, four years after it was stormed by dozens of protesters in violence that led to the evacuation of the ambassador. The ambassador then, Yitzhak Levanon, and other staff were airlifted from Egypt after demonstrators attacked the city centre embassy in September 2012, in a protest over the shooting of five Egyptian security guards by Israeli soldiers pursuing militants who had ambushed and killed eight Israelis along the border. Ties between Israel and Egypt have become closer since the Egyptian army overthrew Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi in 2013 following mass protests against his rule. The two countries, which signed a peace treaty in 1979, cooperate on security matters in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, where Islamist militants have attacked Egyptian troops and occasionally launched rockets into Israel. Israel is also involved in talks over the sale of natural gas from its offshore Leviathan field to Egypt, but a deal has not yet been signed. (Writing by Ori Lewis, editing by Larry King) Rome (AFP) - A series of deadly earthquakes that struck central Italy over the past six months has cost the country more than 23 billion euros ($24.3 billion), the nation's Civil Protection Agency said Wednesday. The agency's report has been sent to Brussels as part of Italy's request to tap the EU Solidarity Fund to help pay for recovery efforts. The estimate includes damage to homes and other privately-owned buildings, totalling 12.9 billion euros, and 1.1 billion euros of damage to public buildings. The cost to repair artworks, monuments and other historic gems in the region, home to hundreds of medieval towns and villages, was set at three billion euros. Italy had already sought EU aid in November, after a 6.0-magnitude quake hammered the mountain town of Amatrice in August, killing nearly 300 people. But the damage at the time was estimated at just seven billion euros. Since then, several powerful quakes have rocked the region, leaving thousands of people homeless for months at a time. In one deadly episode, four earthquakes hit central Italy on January 18. About three hours later, an avalanche slammed into the Hotel Rigopiano, burying the structure in rock and snow and killing 29 people. The European Commission had unblocked an initial 30 million euros on November 29, the maximum amount available while awaiting Italy's full estimate. The cost will also weigh on Rome's discussions with Brussels over Italy's 2017 budget targets. The country says the quakes, along with the influx of migrants seeking to enter Europe, are exceptional events that should allow the country to ease up on deficit reduction targets. The EU had wanted Italy to reduce its deficit to 1.8 percent of GDP, but Rome wanted to raise this to 2.3 percent. But it appears the Italian government has agreed to find an additional 3.4 billion of savings, to bring the deficit to 2.1 percent of GDP. LONDON The ongoing Twitter feud between J.K. Rowling and Piers Morgan just keeps getting better and better. SEE ALSO: 27 times J.K. Rowling was the hero we all needed in 2016 First, a quick recap: it all started on Saturday, when J.K. Rowling gleefully shared a video of Piers Morgan being told to "fuck off" by Australian comedian Jim Jefferies. Morgan then responded by saying he'd never read "a single word" of Harry Potter, the two started sparring back on forth on Twitter, and the whole thing led to Morgan being expertly trolled by a North London bookshop and J.K. Rowling setting what may be the world's greatest subtweet trap. Basically, Piers Morgan is getting quite the hammering. And this might be the final nail in the coffin. Yep, that's Piers Morgan's son Spencer, casually showing off his Harry Potter tattoo. A couple of days after that first tweet, he shared another magical pic. Clearly, Spencer doesn't share his dad's feelings about Harry Potter. In the days since, Spencer has been casually retweeting articles about how he's chosen to side with J.K. Rowling instead of his father. On Wednesday, Piers responded with this. At this point, it's impossible to know how this Twitter feud will end but given her track record our money is firmly on Rowling. VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) A 12-year-old New Jersey girl spent Valentine's Day delivering over 1,300 books donated to a children's hospital. Charlotte Olson tells the Courier-Post (http://on.cpsj.com/2lOTagL ) her original goal was to collect 1,000 children's books as a way to give back to her town of Voorhees. She started the book drive before Christmas, using social media, her family and church to help spread the word. On Tuesday, she brought boxes full of books to Children's Regional Hospital at Cooper's outpatient Voorhees site. She also gave $220 to go toward more book purchases. The books were presented to physicians and staff, who'll distribute them to patients at sites throughout the year as part of Cooper's Reach Out and Read program. The hospital says it's the largest book donation they've ever received. ___ Information from: Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, N.J.), http://www.courierpostonline.com/ A western New York judge has ordered a mother not to get pregnant again until she is able to get her life together and become a responsible caretaker for her children, issuing the controversial decision after a fourth child was taken from the woman because of neglect. The woman, referred to in court documents as Brandy F., is a sex worker and drug addict who allegedly admitted to ingesting crack cocaine, methadone and alcohol while pregnant, Monroe County Family Court Judge Patricia Gallaher wrote in the December 27 decision. The infant was removed from her custody after he was born in June 2016 prematurely and immediately showing signs of drug withdrawal. He was the womans fourth child and her third to be born addicted to drugs, court documents said. Her first child, born in 2007, has lived with his maternal grandmother after it was discovered he was not protected from access to hypothermic needle." Over and over this court has had to order children removed from the mother only to see her show up in court in a few months obviously pregnant, often by another man while the [five] Department caseworkers and the court are still working to help that very mother get her already born child or children returned, Gallaher wrote. Read: Judge: Man Must Refrain From Sex Until Marriage For Rape Of 14-Year-Old Girl In her ruling, Gallaher wrote that her goal was to allow Brandy to stabilize her life so she could one day have custody of her children. Brandys sons and daughter would most probably rejoice in having [a] mother who was clean, sober and competent, and hopefully even would love them as a mother should love her children, Gallaher wrote. The judge, who retired in December, noted the responsibility to get Brandy back on track not only falls on the shoulders of the mother-of-four, who did not appear in court, but also on caseworkers to offer family planning and contraception, as the law allows. Story continues Caseworkers cannot require a client to utilize family planning or contraception. [E]very woman has a constitutional right to choose to have an abortion, but it is a tragic choice one this court seeks to avoid having even be considered, Gallaher wrote. The best way to do this is obviously to avoid new pregnancies in neglect cases where the woman cannot take care of the children she already has, let alone a new one, and usually cannot even take care of herself. The decision has left some in legal circles divided, with some questioning it and others saying it reflects the troubling realities those in family court see every day. ... The court is not ordering somebody to get an abortion, to go against their religion, to go against privacy and not have sex, retired Judge Marilyn OConnor told the Democrat & Chronicle. OConnor issued a similar ruling in 2004 at which time Gallaher worked as a clerk in her office but it was overturned. "I understand why the judge may have had good intentions here," KaeLyn Rich, director of the Genesee Valley chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, told the Chronicle. "When it comes to interpreting here, we dont want to set a precedent that the court has the authority to tell a woman not to get pregnant or a man not to procreate." Read: Judge Outraged That Woman Appeared In Court For Sentencing Not Wearing Pants Ron Lugbill, Brandys attorney, told WHEC that they plan to appeal the decision. Gallaher acknowledged in her order that it would be difficult to enforce should Brandy violate it, noting that while jail could be a response, it was not the intent of this decision. But she also noted the best interests of children are of utmost concern in family court. A child's right to his or her own parent surely is greater than a parent's right to have more children without even the ability to raise them, be a daily presence or support, or contribute positively to their welfare, she wrote. Parent's rights to their children are constitutional protected because families are worthy of fundamental constitutional protection. However, nowhere has this court found a case where a constitutional right to procreate was protected, when there was no reasonable possibility of that parent and child becoming a family. "Could there be a constitutional protected right to abandon your baby or is it a crime? The answer appears obvious to this court. Abandoning your child is endangering the welfare of a child and it is a crime, not a constitutional right." Watch: Humorous Judge Dismisses 'Ridiculous' Ticket When Woman Parks 2 Second Early Related Articles: TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback confirmed Wednesday that he and two of his top aides received letters from the U.S. Justice Department telling them that the federal government intercepted phone calls between them and an ex-legislator's number. The Kansas Senate's top two leaders also received the same letter dealing with phone calls in 2015 from a number for then-state Sen. Michael O'Donnell, a Wichita Republican who now serves on his local county commission in Sedgwick County. O'Donnell told reporters Wednesday that he was shocked to learn that his phone was tapped in 2015. His comments came a day after businessman Brandon Steven has confirmed he's the subject of an inquiry into poker and his efforts to open a casino in southeast Kansas in 2015. Steven led a group of investors seeking the right from a state board to build the casino for the Kansas Lottery under a law that authorized only one in southeast Kansas. The board chose another developer in June 2015 during the period in which the Justice Department officials told Kansas officials their communications were intercepted. The board's members were appointed by Brownback and legislative leaders, and O'Donnell did not serve on it. O'Donnell said he is uncertain whether the matter that resulted in the letter to him is related to the inquiry about Steven. The Wichita Eagle first reported Tuesday that it and other parties had received similar letters saying communications with Steven had been intercepted. Brownback told reporters Wednesday: "We don't know what it's about." The governor's office released the copies of its letters. One went to Brownback at the governor's official residence. Another went to Kim Borchers, his appointments secretary, at her Statehouse office. The third went to Tim Shallenburger, the governor's chief legislative liaison, at the offices of a state agency that Shallenburger also heads. Story continues Each letter was signed by an assistant U.S. attorney in Kansas and was dated Feb. 1, though Brownback's office said they were not received until Wednesday. Each letter says "communications were intercepted" between June 3 and July 1, 2015. The casino board picked the developer for the southeast Kansas project June 23. Jim Cross, the spokesman for the U.S. attorney in Kansas, and Bridget Patton, spokeswoman for the FBI in Kansas City, Missouri, would not confirm or deny an investigation. "This notice does not mean that you are being charged in court with anything," each letter said. "It only means that you, or someone using a telephone subscribed to you, were intercepted talking with a person using the telephone number listed above." Senate President Susan Wagle, another Wichita Republican, received a letter there Wednesday, said spokeswoman Morgan Said. Majority Leader Jim Denning, an Overland Park Republican, also confirmed that he received one. Brownback said he spoke frequently with O'Donnell, both by phone and in person, during the period cited by the letter because O'Donnell served in the Legislature. Steven and a brother were investors in the proposed Castle Rock casino development along the state line in Cherokee County that was meant to compete head-to-head with the largest Indian casino in northeast Oklahoma. After the state casino board picked a smaller project near Pittsburg, the Steven brothers and Cherokee County sued. A Shawnee County judge dismissed the lawsuit, but the case is now before the Kansas Supreme Court. O'Donnell described the Steven family as friends and "just campaign contributors." "I'm looking into it more and should know, should have answers later," he said. ___ Also contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, and Allison Kite in Topeka. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna (Corrects name of the judge who read the ruling in para 5) By Clement Uwiringiyimana NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered the release from jail of officials from the national doctors' union so they can negotiate with the government over a strike that has paralyzed the public health sector. The strike has angered Kenyans and turned into a test of President Uhuru Kenyatta's leadership ahead of an election in August. The union, which has about 5,000 members, wants the government to implement a deal agreed in 2013 to give doctors a 150 to 180 percent pay rise on basic salaries, review working conditions, job structures and criteria for promotions and address under-staffing in state hospitals. The seven union officials were ordered to serve a one-month jail term on Monday after a lower court found them guilty of contempt of court in relation to the strike which started in December. Appellate Judge Hannah Okwengu said the seven officials would be released immediately. She said the parties in the labour dispute had seven days to find a resolution. "The applicants, respondents and interested parties undertake to resume negotiations forthwith, with a view to resolving the outstanding issues, in order to restore normalcy in the public health sector," she told a court packed with doctors. The government has offered the striking doctors a 40 percent pay rise which the union rejected. The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, who appeared as interested parties, were ordered to mediate the dispute and report back to the court. Opposition leader Raila Odinga said the strike had dragged for too long and blamed the government for the impasse. "So many innocent Kenyans have died in hospitals for lack of treatment," he told reporters outside the court. Doctors in private hospitals had agreed to stop work for 48 hours from midnight Tuesday in solidarity with the officials of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists' Union, which represents workers in state hospitals. Reuters visited three private hospitals on Wednesday which were fully operational, with doctors at work. University lecturers are also striking over pay, worsening the political crisis before elections in August, when Kenyans choose their next president, members of parliament and local governors. (Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Toby Chopra) By Clement Uwiringiyimana NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's Court of Appeal on Wednesday ordered the release from jail of officials from the national doctors' union so they can negotiate with the government over a strike that has paralyzed the public health sector. The strike has angered Kenyans and turned into a test of President Uhuru Kenyatta's leadership ahead of an election in August. The union, which has about 5,000 members, wants the government to implement a deal agreed in 2013 to give doctors a 150 to 180 percent pay rise on basic salaries, review working conditions, job structures and criteria for promotions and address under-staffing in state hospitals. The seven union officials were ordered to serve a one-month jail term on Monday after a lower court found them guilty of contempt of court in relation to the strike which started in December. Appellate Judge Wanjiru Karanja said the seven officials would be released immediately. She said the parties in the labor dispute had seven days to find a resolution. "The applicants, respondents and interested parties undertake to resume negotiations forthwith, with a view to resolving the outstanding issues, in order to restore normalcy in the public health sector," she told a court packed with doctors. The government has offered the striking doctors a 40 percent pay rise which the union rejected. The Law Society of Kenya and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, who appeared as interested parties, were ordered to mediate the dispute and report back to the court. Opposition leader Raila Odinga said the strike had dragged for too long and blamed the government for the impasse. "So many innocent Kenyans have died in hospitals for lack of treatment," he told reporters outside the court. Doctors in private hospitals had agreed to stop work for 48 hours from midnight Tuesday in solidarity with the officials of the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists' Union, which represents workers in state hospitals. Reuters visited three private hospitals on Wednesday which were fully operational, with doctors at work. University lecturers are also striking over pay, worsening the political crisis before elections in August, when Kenyans choose their next president, members of parliament and local governors. (Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Toby Chopra) UPDATE: 5:30 a.m. EST A female suspect was arrested by Malaysian authorities Wednesday in connection to the killing of Kim Jong Uns half-brother Kim Jong Nam. Malaysian police identified the woman as Doan Thi Huong and said that the 28-year-old was carrying a Vietnamese passport. Local media reported that police are still looking for more suspects linked to the assassination. Reports claim that he was poisoned by two women believed to be North Korean operatives, and authorities are now conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of Kim Jong Nams death. Original Story South Korea confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, died Monday in Malaysia of an apparent poison attack. Two women, thought to be North Korean agents, are suspected of carrying out the assassination, South Korea's spy agency reportedly said. Malaysian police said Tuesday that Kim Jong Nam was assaulted when he was preparing to board a flight home to Macau from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday and died while he was being taken to a nearby hospital. Police have launched an investigation into the death. Kim Jong Nam was the eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. "If the murder of Kim Jong Nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong Un regime," South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is also acting president, told a security meeting Wednesday, adding that Seoul was "keeping close tabs on North Korea's movements." North Korea's involvement in the killing would also make the case the most high-profile death under Kim Jong Un's regime since his uncle, Chang Song Thaek, was executed in 2013. Police have arrested a taxi driver who is believed to have picked the two suspected killers from the airport, a Malaysian police officer told the Telegraph. The arrest was made after surveillance footage from the area was analyzed. Story continues "We have already looked through the CCTV footage, hence we managed to arrest the taxi driver who had taken the two women who carried out the assassination," the senior police official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said. Pyongyang wanted to kill Kim Jong Nam for several years, according to Lee Byung-ho, the director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, but the plan couldn't be carried out as the 48-year-old was being protected by China, he told South Korean authorities. Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry reportedly said Wednesday it was closely watching the developments in Kim Jong Nam's murder case. Related Articles The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who was murdered in Malaysia, had pleaded for his life after an assassination attempt in 2012, Seoul's spy chief said Wednesday, illustrating the dangers of being born into a brutal dynasty. Kim Jong-Nam, eldest son of the late former leader Kim Jong-Il, died after reportedly being attacked by two women -- said by Seoul to be agents of North Korea -- at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. He was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched bid in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland. The Kim family has ruled the impoverished country since its creation in 1948 with an iron fist and a pervasive personality cult. But following his fall from grace Jong-Nam had lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau. Despite being the younger son, it was Jong-Un who took over the isolated and nuclear-armed state after the death of his father in December 2011. Although Jong-Nam kept his distance from domestic politics, the North in 2012 tried to assassinate him, Seoul lawmakers said, following a closed-door briefing by the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Lee Byung-Ho. "According to (Lee)... there was one bid in 2012, and Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying 'Please spare me and my family'," Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. "It also said 'We have nowhere to go... we know that the only way to escape is suicide'," he said, adding Jong-Nam had scant political support and posed little threat to Jong-Un. His murder echoed the fate of his uncle Jang Song-Thaek, who was executed in Pyongyang in December 2013 for charges including treason and bribery. Jang, an advocate of economic reform known to be close to China, played a key role in Jong-Un's rise but his growing power was believed to have irritated the young ruler. Story continues In his final days, Jang -- once one of the most powerful men in the country -- was described by state media as "despicable human scum". Rumours of his execution by anti-aircraft gun fuelled fears. The latest assassination, if confirmed as the North's work, is more an indication of Jong-Un's "paranoid personality" than a calculated move to remove a political threat, the legislator quoted the spy chief as saying. Jong-Nam was the eldest son of Kim Jong-Il with his first wife, and in the deeply patriarchal North the first son is seen as the official heir of the family. The country's founding father Kim Il-Sung passed on the helm to his first son Kim Jong-Il upon his death in 1994. But the succession instead went to Jong-Un, who was born to Jong-Il's third wife. Jong-Nam -- believed to have ties with Beijing's elite -- was a relatively outspoken figure, publicly criticising Pyongyang's political system on a few occasions. The 45-year-old, who had once studied in Moscow and Geneva, said he "personally opposed" the hereditary power transfer in his own family, during an interview with Japan's Asahi TV in 2010. One of his sons -- Han-Sol -- described his uncle Jong-Un as a "dictator" in a rare interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012 while he was studying in Europe. Now he is holed up in Macau with his family, said Seoul lawmaker Lee Cheol-Woo, another intelligence committee member briefed by the South's spy chief. "They are under the protection of the Chinese authorities," Lee said. Some of those close to the North's ruling family, fearful of an unpredictable future, chose to flee. An aunt and uncle of Jong-Un left for the US in 1998 and now live a normal existence as owners of a New York dry cleaning business. Others were less fortunate. Yi Han-Yong, a nephew of Jong-Nam's mother Sung Hye-Rim, publicly criticised the ruling Kim family in his memoir and numerous media interviews after defecting to Seoul in 1982. He was shot dead outside his home in 1997 in what Seoul's spy agency described as an assassination by North Korean agents. Yi reportedly muttered "spies" before dying. His attackers were never found. WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times EST): 7:25 p.m. President Donald Trump is calling on Venezuela to let jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez "out of prison immediately." The president tweeted the message along with a photo of himself, Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Marco Rubio and Lilian Tintori, Lopez's wife, in the Oval Office Wednesday evening. The President and first lady Melania Trump are hosting Rubio and his wife for dinner at the White House. Trump's call for Lopez's release follows the administration's decision to slap sanctions on Venezuela's vice president for his alleged role as a major international drug trafficker. Lopez is serving a 14-year sentence for allegedly inciting violence against the government during a wave of anti-government unrest. ___ 6:45 p.m. The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee are asking the attorney general and FBI director for a briefing on the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California sent a letter late Wednesday to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey requesting a briefing the week of Feb. 27. Congress is out of session next week for the Presidents' Day holiday. The senators also requested copies of the transcripts of Flynn's intercepted calls and the FBI report summarizing the intercepted calls referenced in the media. Flynn resigned Monday night following reports he misled Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat. ___ 5:05 p.m. First lady Melania Trump has taken her Israeli counterpart to one of Washington's hottest tourist attractions, the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Mrs. Trump and Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were led on a tour by David Skorton, secretary of the Smithsonian, and Lonnie Bunch, the museum's founding director. Story continues Timed-entry passes to the museum, the newest on the National Mall, are snapped up almost as quickly as they become available. During the outing, the first ladies stopped at an interactive video exhibit about the Greensboro, North Carolina, lunch counter where blacks staged sit-ins in the 1960s to protest the lack of civil rights. They also visited a large waterfall display called the "Contemplative Court." ___ 4:15 p.m. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed willingness to "resume a credible peace process" to resolve the conflict with Israel based on the two-state solution. Abbas issued a statement late Wednesday hours after the press conference in Washington with President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both Trump and Netanyahu were evasive about endorsing a two-state solution with the Palestinians. That would create an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel and has been the international community's preferred solution for nearly two decades. Abbas reiterated the Palestinian position claiming the West Bank along with east Jerusalem for parts of a future state. He called on Netanyahu to cease building settlements in that territory. Trump asked Netanyahu to "hold off" with settlements at the press conference. ___ 3:40 p.m. Andrew Puzder says he is withdrawing as President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary. The fast food executive says in a statement provided to The Associated Press that he was "honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity." Puzder says "while I won't be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team." Puzder's confirmation hearing was scheduled for Thursday. But some Republicans had raised concerns about his failure to pay taxes for five years on a former housekeeper who wasn't authorized to work in the U.S. Puzder is CEO of CKE Restaurants Inc. ___ 2:45 p.m. President Donald Trump plans to hold one of his signature rallies in Florida this weekend. Trump is promoting the event with a tweet inviting people to join him at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport for the event at 5 p.m. Saturday. It'll be Trump's first rally since he took office and his first since he took a "thank you tour" in December through states that he won in the election the month before. That swing ended Dec. 17 in Alabama. Trump's large and raucous rallies were a key part of his unconventional campaign. ___ 12:35 p.m. President Donald Trump says his ousted national security adviser, Michael Flynn, is a "wonderful man" who has been treated "very, very unfairly" by the media. The White House says Trump fired Flynn late Monday following reports that Flynn had discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. before Trump was sworn into office. Flynn and other administration officials originally denied the topic had been discussed. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday that Flynn had lost the president's trust. But Trump says in a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he thinks "it's really a sad thing" that Flynn "was treated so badly." He's also going after those who have leaked information to the press, describing it as a "criminal act." __ 11:05 a.m. President Donald Trump has told the heads of several of the largest U.S. retailers including Target, Best Buy and Gap that people will "love" his planned tax reforms. The president has provided scant details about his tax overhaul, but he assured retail CEOs Wednesday that tax rates would be lowered and simplified in a "massive" plan that "will be submitted in the not too distant future." "Other than H&R Block, I think people are going to love it," the president said. But during the public portion of the meeting, Trump provided no insight as to whether he still intends to levy a border tax on imports. Trump has threatened a border tax in order to protect U.S. factory jobs, but retailers have warned that it could cause higher prices for consumers. __ 10:40 a.m. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump plan to host Sen. Marco Rubio and his wife for dinner Wednesday. The White House said Rubio and his wife Jeanette are expected to join the Trumps at 6:30 p.m. The Florida senator was one of the large field of Republicans Trump beat out on his way to the White House. Trump famously dubbed him "little Marco" during the primary battle. Trump hosted another 2016 candidate Tuesday. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and his wife Mary Pat came to the White House for lunch. __ 9 a.m. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called a meeting of Democratic senators to discuss President Donald Trump's former national security adviser and published reports about contacts between Trump's campaign and Moscow. Another leading Democrat, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, is pressing the Democrats' case for an independent investigation. He and other Democrats say that's the best way to answer questions about the Trump administration's ties to Russia. Republican leaders continue to refuse to consider that option and say three congressional investigations underway are enough. Durbin tells MSNBC that it's a "graveyard" for investigations when congressional intelligence committees get involved because their work is largely done outside of public view. ___ 8 a.m. President Donald Trump appears to be faulting the Obama administration for being "too soft" on Russia, pointing to Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine on President Barack Obama's watch. He tweeted, "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?" In that and a series of other morning tweets Wednesday, Trump appeared to be trying to distance himself from any appearance of close ties with Russia following published reports that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and his 2016 campaign team. Trump denounced "this Russian connection non-sense" as "merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign." Trump's remarks come on the heels of the resignation of his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, after it was revealed that he'd reportedly discussed sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. before Trump was sworn in. ___ 6:45 a.m. President Donald Trump is renewing his attack on the "fake news media" amid the widening controversy surrounding the ouster of his national security adviser and talk of congressional investigations of purported Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election last year. Trump posted a pre-dawn message on his verified Twitter account Wednesday complaining, "The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred." He said, "This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign." He added in the post that "@MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great!" The latest tweet follows a pattern of social media messages that Trump has sent, chastising news organizations both during his campaign for the White House and in the more than three weeks since his inauguration. __ 6:30 a.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is likening President Donald Trump to Andrew Jackson, saying he's what the American people wanted when they elected him. The Kentucky Republican tells MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that voters "wanted a different kind of president." He adds that "I like what he's doing," particularly his emphasis on lessening government regulation of business. McConnell also said he considers Neil Gorsuch, the man Trump picked to replace the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, to be "the single best circuit court judge in the nation." He did disagree with Trump, who has asserted that millions of illegal votes in the election caused him to lose the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton. "There is voter fraud in the country," McConnell said. "But there is no evidence that there was significant enough vote fraud to affect the outcome of the election." "I'm more interested in what he's doing than what he's tweeting," McConnell said. __ 3:15 a.m. Just six days into his presidency, Donald Trump was informed his national security adviser had misled his vice president about contacts with Russia. Trump kept his No. 2 in the dark and waited nearly three weeks before ousting the aide, Michael Flynn, citing a slow but steady erosion of trust, White House officials said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI about his telephone conversations with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., a sign his ties to Russia had caught the attention of law enforcement officials. But in the White House's retelling of Flynn's stunning downfall, his error was not that he discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian before the inauguration a potential violation of a rarely enforced law but the fact that he denied it for weeks, apparently misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other senior Trump aides about the nature of the conversations. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Washington (AFP) - An influential US science advisory committee this week said genetic modification of human embryos should be allowed in the future to eliminate diseases, sparking new debate on this controversial topic. The report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) caused concern among some researchers who fear that genetic tools could be used to boost certain people's intelligence or create people with particular physical traits. "Clinical trials for genome editing of the human germline - adding, removing or replacing DNA base pairs in gametes or early embryos - could be permitted in the future," said the report, released Tuesday. "But only," it added, "for serious conditions under stringent oversight." The emergence of inexpensive and accurate gene-editing technology, known as CRISPR/Cas9, has fueled "an explosion of new research opportunities and potential clinical applications, both heritable and nonheritable, to address a wide range of human health issues," the report said. The committee of international experts was convened to examine scientific, ethical and governance issues surrounding human genome editing. The experts noted that clinical trials on gene editing for certain nonhereditary traits are already under way. "These therapies affect only the patient, not any offspring, and should continue for treatment and prevention of disease and disability, using the existing ethical norms and regulatory framework for development of gene therapy," it said. The group said using science to enhance human traits, such as physical strength, "should not be allowed at this time, and that broad public input and discussion should be solicited before allowing clinical trials for somatic genome editing for any purpose other than treating or preventing disease or disability." In 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Bioethics Committee called for a halt to human germline editing, out of concern that the technique could lead to a resurgence of eugenics, or attempts to improve the genetic quality of the human race. Story continues More than 40 countries have signed an international convention banning the use of gene-editing to modify the human race. In the United States, federal funds cannot be used for editing DNA and human reproductive cells. "The concept of altering the human germline in embryos for clinical purposes has been debated over many years from many different perspectives, and has been viewed almost universally as a line that should not be crossed," said a 2015 statement from National institutes of Health Director Francis Collins. Reacting to the new report, some experts said that times are changing rapidly, and that the NAS aims to advance discussion of the science while ensuring ethical oversight of what could be a promising technology. The report "now takes this debate an important step further," said Bruce Whitelaw, professor of animal biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh. "It is a triumph of applying caution -- with the report detailing stringent, overarching principles that should be followed -- over premature prohibition of what is an exciting technology for society." With less than two weeks to go until Lenovo takes the stage at MWC 2017 to unveil a new line of Motorola smartphone, the two headlining devices have leaked on a retailers website. VentureBeat reports that online retailer Ktronix shared images and a full list of specifications for both the Moto G5 and the Moto G5 Plus on Wednesday, although the listing were quickly removed. Thankfully, the images were saved. Don't Miss: RIP: BlackBerrys worldwide smartphone market share hits 0% If youve been keeping up with the myriad Moto G5 leaks over the past couple of weeks, you already know virtually everything there is to know about the new smartphones. The listing from Ktronix confirms that the Moto G5 will feature a 5-inch display, 1.4GHz octa-core Snapdragon 430 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 2800mAh battery and 13-megapixel rear camera. moto-g5-plus-retail-leak Upgraded specifications on the Moto G5 Plus include a 5.2-inch display, 2.0GHz octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor, 64GB of internal storage, 3000mAh battery and a 12-megapixel rear camera with dual autofocus. If you had any doubts about the photo of the Moto G5 Plus that leaked last week, these official images from Ktronix should probably put those doubts to rest. The Moto G line has proven to be one of the more dependable and successful budget smartphone lines on the market over the past several years. Providing all of the information that has leaked about the phones is true, it looks like Lenovo has another solid, affordable device on its hands for 2017 as well. Lenovo will host its Motorola event at MWC 2017 on Sunday, February 26th. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com In 1962, a young reporter named Ursula Vils signed on to The Los Angeles Times at the beginning of the most spectacular and productive period of human spaceflight in United States history. A year earlier, Alan Shepard had become the first American to fly in space, and eight months later, John Glenn would become the first American to orbit the earth. Before the end of the decade, the United States would plant the stars and stripes on the moon. As part of the papers coverage of the space program, Vils, a former womens editor who would go on to work in the Family and View sections of the Times, contributed to a series on the women who worked at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, and other NASA centers and contractors. The series profiled women in various technical and clerical positions whose work contributed to what was by the mid-1960s a vast technological enterprise and a source of national prestige. Last year, women who worked in the space program and other scientific and technological institutions throughout the 20th century were given some long-overdue attention by new nonfiction books like Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt and The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel. A third book, Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, was adapted into a film. In particular, the critical and financial success of the film, about black women computers working to calculate spacecraft trajectories for NASAs Mercury program, presented a more nuanced and complete history of the space programa history that, until this point, has been predominantly told through the accomplishments of white men. In the same way, revisiting Vilss reporting reintroduces women whose pioneering work has largely been forgotten. Sometimes, Vilss dated journalistic style confines these women to the tropes of mid-century gender roles. Yet often her stories cut both ways, getting at the heart of womens struggles to be accepted and succeed in male-dominated professions. Recommended: Trumps EPA Pick Is Poised to Slide Past a Lawsuit Into Office Many of the women Vils wrote about worked in technical positions like physiology or engineering, but others held more traditional pink collar jobs as secretaries and stenographers. Vils profiled Marilyn Bockting when she was an assistant to George Low, a high-ranking administrator at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. Bockting managed Lows calendar and correspondence, and a large part of her job consisted of responding to letters from the public. Vils portrays her as something of an informant about the lives of the families of astronauts and administrators, whose stories were highly sought-after by the press and public. The Lows have five children and Mrs. Low says she even had to schedule her last baby around Gordon Coopers flight, Vils reports via Bockting. But Bockting was no idle gossip; she went on to be one of the first women to be promoted to a management position at NASA. Women also worked for aerospace firms that contracted with the agency. Vils profiled Paula Robb, who worked in the Stowage Group at North American Rockwell during the Apollo program in 1972, just as the program was ending. Known at work as P.F. Robb, her job was to design the packing scheme for Apollo spacecraft, ensuring that all the astronauts gear was organized and stowed securely for their voyage. Vils describes Robb as not an engineer, but quotes her as saying she has always worked in engineering and notes that she had never held a secretarial job. Recommended: Are Deep-State Leakers Defending Democracy or Corroding It? Robb was openly critical of the gender hierarchy of her profession. Why should anyone be surprised that when P.F. Robb answers the phone, its a woman? she asks Vils. Why should it be more of surprise than if its a man? But Vils undermines Robbs critique somewhat when she follows this quote with a description of how North American Rockwells P. H. Robb is very much Mrs. Ronald Robb, wife of a management systems analyst. And Vils goes on to juxtapose Robbs family life and professional organizing skills by quoting Robbs description of how she planned her pregnancies so carefully that when her son was born she missed the first calculation by 23 hours and 32 minutes. Rita Rapp (NASA) Vils uses a similar framing for the work of Rita Rapp, an aerospace technologistenvironmental physiology, whose job entailed the packing and organizing of food containers onboard spacecraft. When describing astronaut food, Vils quotes Rapp to note that with the freeze-dried rehydratable foods, the astronauts can eat with a spoon, which means we can use larger chunks of food. Its the difference between baby foods and junior foods. But later, Rapp emphasizes that her job relates more to viewing food as the hardwareits my job to see its on board the spacecraft. The analogy of baby food suggests a domestic connotation for Rapps work, but Rapp shows how it is in fact part of the technology of the spaceflight. Many of Vilss pieces are studded with asides liked these that feel outdated or even sexist. Vils usually gives a physical description of the women she profiles, noting if they are pretty and their height and hair and eye color. But each profile attempts to account for the challenges these women faced working in a male-dominated environment. Vils often includes anecdotes that highlight the tension that sometimes surrounded womens position in the space program: I finally got a desk, said endocrinologist Carolyn Leach, and added that Im sure heshe nodded toward a male scientists desk that share office space with hersexpects me to hang polka-dot curtains in here. I just wish I had the time to do it. Indeed, Leach was too busy with a career: In 1994, she became the first woman director of Johnson Space Center. Recommended: These 23 Republicans Passed on a Chance to Get Trump's Tax Returns By highlighting domestic metaphors, workers personal and family lives, and assumptions her readers would have had about specifically feminine skills, Vils frames the labor of women working in the space program in the gendered terms that would have been familiar to her audience. At a time when more and more women were working outside the home and in technical professions that had been long been reserved for men, Vilss reporting is a snapshot of the ways that women negotiated new roles for themselves. As far as I know, Vils never profiled any women of color for her series, though they were undoubtedly working in many other fields besides computing. Their absence in the Timess reporting reflects the dynamics of gender and race in mid-century America. Though people of color did work at NASA before the passage of the Civil Rights act in 1964, it wasnt until that year that the agency began actively recruiting black engineers. Access to specialized education was limited for people of color, and technical education was generally reserved for men. Vilss reporting is one avenue toward recovering the contributions of women to the story of human spaceflight in the United States, but clearly there is much work left to be done. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - German airline Lufthansa said Wednesday it had agreed to boost pilots' salaries by 8.7 percent over four years, hoping to end years of disputes and costly walkouts by air crew. Pilots' first pay increase will be backdated to January 1, 2016 and the last is slated for January 1, 2019, while the agreement will remain valid until the end of that year, Lufthansa said in a statement. Pilots will also receive a one-off bonus payment of between 5,000 and 6,000 euros under the deal, or "around half a month of salary" per person, pilots' union Cockpit noted in its own statement. With around 5,400 pilots covered by Lufthansa's collective bargaining agreement, the pay hike will add some 85 million euros ($90 million) per year to the group's costs. Pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and low-cost subsidiary Germanwings are all included in the agreement. The deal is "acceptable", Cockpit spokesman Markus Wahl said in the union's statement, but must still be approved by members in a vote. Lufthansa and Cockpit turned to a mediator in December to unravel their intractable pay dispute. Disruption from the pilots' latest strike in November cost the firm around 100 million euros -- the latest in a series of walkouts that Lufthansa says have inflicted some 351 million euros of costs in total since 2014. While the airline said it was happy with the result, it warned that the additional expense meant the pilots of 40 new aircraft it is adding to its fleet would not be covered by the compromise. Meanwhile, tough talks are still to come for the two sides as they tackle remaining thorny issues including pilots' pensions. Lufthansa shares rose on news of the deal, adding 0.93 percent to trade at 12.97 euros in Frankfurt at 1350 GMT, outpacing 0.08 percent gains for the DAX index of leading German shares. While couples are busy celebrating their love on Valentine's Day by buying flowers, chocolates and more, there are a few countries that have banned the celebration since it is not part of Muslim tradition. Pakistan is the latest country to ban Valentine's Day celebrations in public spaces after the country's High Court passed a ruling, saying it was against Islamic teachings, according to local media reports. Local newspaper Dawn reported that print and electronic media have also been warned to "stop all Valentine's Day promotions immediately." Meanwhile, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has been ordered to monitor all mediums and send out notifications banning any related promotions. In a poll conducted by Dawn on its website, more than 80 percent readers agreed with Islamabad High Court's ruling to ban the celebrations. The ruling came after a petition was submitted by citizen Abdul Waheed, who said any kind of promotions on mainstream and social media for Valentine's Day ae "against Islamic teachings and should be banned immediately," the Dawn reported. It further called for a ban on celebration of this day in public places, arguing that in cover of spread of love in fact, immorality, nudity and indecency is being promoted which is against the Islamic culture. Pakistan, however, is not the only country that has banned its people from celebrating Valentine's Day. Officials and clerics in Indonesia have banned and rejected the idea of Valentine's Day saying they it is not part of Islamic culture. Local media reports suggest a number of rallies were held across the country to make young people aware that Valentine's Day is a western-concept. Protestors holding boards saying "Muslims say no to Happy Valentine's Day" held rallies in four cities in Indonesia. The ban was declared by the country's highest Islamic clerical council in 2012 saying it was contradictory to Muslim culture and teachings. In the past, a number of Muslim-majority countries have imposed bans on Valentine's Day. In Malaysia, the National Muslim Youth Association released a document a day before Valentine's Day advising Muslim women against using emoticons in text messages, simplify conversation when private messaging and avoid wearing fragrance. Story continues Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia too has joined the list of countries that have banned celebrating Valentine's Day. In the past, those wanting to celebrate found themselves buying roses from the black market for skyrocketing prices. But the ban is not just limited to Muslim-majority countries. In the past, a number of political parties in India have criticized the concept of Valentine's Day with many saying it is a bad Western influence on Indian culture. An extremist Hindu organization called Bajrang Dal has issued a warning to Orissa, a state in the Eastern part of India asking youth to stay away from Valentine's Day in any form. The activists of this organization have said that they would get young people married if caught celebrating Valentine's Day. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. Experts say a North Korea n ballistic missile test conducted over the weekend was likely not the first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, capable of threatening North America a test North Korean media has said could come at any time. But Sunday morning's test launch, which came as U.S. President Donald J. Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Palm Beach, Florida, marks a significant step forward for North Korea's ballistic missile program, including the reported use of more modern solid-fueled rocket engines that could make North Korean nuclear-capable rockets more difficult to track and target on the ground. The test , as well as Trump's muted response to the provocation, are likely the first moves in a longer game of brinkmanship that will play out over the next several months between the new U.S. president and a North Korea reportedly very close to rounding out its missile arsenal with a long-range ICBM. The missile launched Sunday morning a so-called Pukguksong-2 appears to have been an upgraded, extended-range version of a submarine-launched ballistic missile first tested successfully last year. Though the missile made a high arc before splashing down in international waters after traveling some 310 miles, some analysts place the likely maximum range of the missile at 1,870 miles (others estimate a shorter range of just 750 miles). While such a missile falls far short of the range of the ICBM North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to develop, the new nuclear-capable missile could certainly threaten American regional allies like South Korea and Japan , as well as the roughly 80,000 U.S. troops stationed there. Moreover, the test demonstrated key technology pieces that place an ICBM within North Korea's reach, said Tom Karako, a senior fellow with the International Security Program and the director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I think that this particular test, while falling short of an ICBM demonstration, ought be seen as a technological advance," Karako said. Unlike a liquid-fueled rocket that must be fueled on the launch pad, solid fueled rockets can be moved with the fuel already loaded, reducing launch preparation times and allowing them to launch quickly from mobile launch units. (Source: Kensho.com, returns for Japanese, Asian ex-Japan and US stocks one day after ballistic missile tests by North Korea dating back to 1998.) "If North Korea is getting solid rocket motors right, then that really is a potential step function to making it harder for the United States to target these things on the ground, because they're more mobile," he said. "Moreover if they can get the motors right, and they stack them and configure them with other motors in a multi-stage configuration, you may already have the pieces of an ICBM laying on the ground, even if they've not been tested altogether yet." Responding to the missile test, Trump and Prime Minister Abe issued a joint statement in which Abe called the launch "absolutely intolerable." Trump, not generally known for verbal restraint, made no direct reference to the launch at all but rather pledged "100 percent" support for Japan, calling it a "great ally." More from Global Investing Hot Spots: Money is pouring out of China, and the government can't stop it No. 1 threat to the Trump presidency may be North Korea's nuclear plans The dangerous tie between North Korea and Iran The tenor of Trump's remarks varied somewhat from his response to a fiery New Year's Day address by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in which he suggested the country was nearing a test of a very-long-range ICBM. Trump responded via Twitter the following day, declaring "It won't happen!" Trump's more muted response may reflect an acknowledgment by U.S. officials that while North Korea likely has a long way to go in proving the viability of both its proposed ICBM and its nuclear warheads, the country has in recent years made significant strides in both nuclear and ballistic missile technology. North Korea has now conducted five nuclear tests (including two last year) and ramped up the tempo of its missile testing, launching several missiles many thought to be intermediate-range Musudan missiles in 2016. Sunday's test marked the first of Trump's presidency, marking a serious foreign policy challenge for the young presidency and one for which there are few good options for response, experts say. Direct military response to such provocations risks larger regional conflict. Several administrations have urged China to put pressure on North Korea to rein in its missile tests, to no avail (the U.S. president's repeated drumming on China over trade issues and conflicting interests in the South China Sea likely won't make Beijing more receptive to any overtures from Trump). Direct negotiations between U.S. and Pyongyang are equally unlikely to bear fruit. Aside from the fact that deal-making might be seen as rewarding North Korea for violating U.N. resolutions pertaining to the missile launches, Kim is unlikely to walk back a program that is both central to his power at home and close to achieving its ultimate aim. "The hardest thing to get the North Koreans to trade away were always the capabilities they already had," said Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterrey in California. "They were often willing to not do things. But getting them to give something up that they've already done tends to be much harder. These things went from potential bargaining chips to real capabilities that they don't want to give up." Regional game-changer A North Korean ICBM launch sometime in the near future a prospect heightened by Sunday's Pukguksong-2 launch could force some changes in posture by the U.S. and its allies that would likely ripple across the region, in turn heightening tensions with China. "There's no single consequence, it's a multitude of consequences," said Joe Bermudez, chief analytic officer of AllSource Analysis, and a contributor to 38 North, an online resource that tracks North Korean affairs. "It's unknown at this point in time how it will impact relations with the U.S. in the region." A further uptick in North Korea's missile testing tempo, and especially of the test of an ICBM, would likely result in an accelerated deployment of the U.S. military's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, an anti-missile intercept system also known as THAAD. Though not designed to intercept ICBMs, the missile battery can intercept short, medium, and intermediate range missiles. Seoul and Washington have agreed to deploy the system in South Korea later this year much to the consternation of China, which worries THAAD's powerful radar could also be used to peer into Chinese territory. Any increased deployment of THAAD to Japan, for instance would further exacerbate the issue. (Source: Kensho.com, returns for Japanese, Asia ex-Japan and U.S. stocks one day after mid- and intermediate-range North Korean missiles tests dating back to 1993.) The North Korean missile threat is also driving security policy in the region in more traditional ways. Last week newly minted U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis ' first international trip since taking office made stops in both Tokyo and Seoul to reassure the U.S. allies that Trump's administration and the U.S. military stand behind them, as well as to issue a warning to North Korea that any use of nuclear weapons would be met with an "overwhelming" response by the U.S. U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has also called for increased spending on missile defense in direct response to recent ballistic missile tests by North Korea and Iran. For North Korea, capping off its ballistic missile arsenal with an ICBM isn't necessarily about launching strikes at faraway targets like the U.S. mainland, Lewis said. It's about showing its regional adversaries that it is both serious about its nuclear and missile programs, and that it has the technical proficiency to wage a very modern kind of warfare if threatened. In the event armed conflict broke out in the region, an ICBM also provides North Korea a means to push the U.S. in particular toward de-escalation rather than the kind of "overwhelming" response promised by Mattis. "It's not a guarantee, but it's a really important step," Lewis said. "It's the straw that stirs the drink. If we get any bright ideas about rolling into Pyongyang, they have this retaliatory capability. And that really enables them to use their theater capabilities much more aggressively because we're not going to want to escalate. So if they have an ICBM capability that they can rely upon, it could be very destabilizing." That said, a North Korean ICBM test is not something to panic over, but rather something to prepare for. "Folks have seen this threat coming for 20 years," Karako said. "That's why we have missile defenses in Alaska. It's a real threat, it's a growing threat, but it's one that we can and should continue to outpace." By Clay Dillow, special to CNBC.com More From CNBC Oscar front-runner Mahershala Ali is in discussions over a part in the Tom Hardy crime thriller "Triple Frontier." Hardy and Channing Tatum are already confirmed for the film, with Ali now likely to join them after a star turn in "Moonlight" brought nominations at the Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild awards, the last of which he won. Set in the area where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet, "Triple Frontier" would be directed by J.C. Chandor of ensemble thriller "Margin Call" and the Jessica Chastain/Oscar Isaac crime drama "A Most Violent Year." Mark Boal of "The Hurt Locker" and "Zero Dark Thirty" wrote the screenplay, while those two films' director, first ever Best Director Oscar winner Katheryn Bigelow, is one of several executive producers. The news was reported by Variety. KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has detained a woman holding a Vietnamese travel document in connection with the death of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, police said on Wednesday. The woman, detained on Wednesday morning at the low-cost terminal of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in the Malaysian capital, was identified on the travel document as Doan Thi Huong, police said in a statement. The "suspect was positively identified from the CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of arrest," they added. South Korea's spy agency suspects two female North Korean agents assassinated the estranged half-brother of the North Korean leader on Monday, South Korean lawmakers in Seoul have said. (Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) NEW YORK (AP) A Los Angeles man once dubbed "Porn's New King" was sentenced to over 11 years in prison Wednesday by a judge who said he lived the high life with luxury homes on both coasts as he defrauded dozens of investors of tens of millions of dollars. Jason Galanis, 46, insisted he has turned his life around before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel imposed an 11-year, 3-month sentence, citing the loss of between $25 million and $65 million by 60 investors. The Manhattan jurist said anyone who saw Galanis before his 2015 arrest would have been impressed that he owned a $7 million Bel Air mansion, an 8,000-square-foott $10 million Manhattan residence and drove a Bentley worth over $100,000. But the judge said Galanis had built his fortune with fraud "either for the thrill of the game, being on top of the world in terms of the trappings of wealth, or for his own self-esteem and feelings of accomplishment." Galanis apologized and said he had changed since he was detained without bail last May after he was charged in a separate scheme with cheating a Native American tribe and investors out of $60 million. He has pleaded guilty in that scheme and is awaiting sentencing. He said he had concluded while behind bars that "there's something in my decision making process that is deeply flawed." "My moral compass is not broken," he added. "I've ignored it. I've ignored it willfully at times." He said he understands his life in business is over and that he has become "radioactive," a word he said financial professionals use to describe someone to be avoided. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Blais said the case stemmed in part from the manipulation of the market for a publicly traded company, Gerova Financial Group Ltd., from 2009 to 2011. Galanis was portrayed as the ringleader of a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme that secretly acquired shares of Gerova and then manipulated the market by cashing out. "This is greed plain and simple, money to line his pockets so he could live the high life," Blais said. Forbes magazine labeled Galanis "Porn's New King" in 2004 after he bought the nation's biggest payment processor for internet pornography. Secretary of Defense James Mattis issued a fuzzy ultimatum to NATO allies Wednesday, demanding they shoulder the burden of defense more but failing to say what the White House would do if they dont. America will meet its responsibilities. But if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this Alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defense, Mattis said in a speech to open a meeting of NATO defense ministers. The comments made NATO officials sit up. The mood inside NATO is scared and confused, a NATO official told Foreign Policy, speaking on condition of anonymity. But no more confused than usual, the official added, citing broad European concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly questioned NATOs validity, even calling it obsolete during his presidential campaign. Mattis, who previously served as NATOs supreme allied commander transformation, didnt go that far on Wednesday. But he scolded NATO members for not taking more responsibility. Americans cannot care more for your childrens future security than you do, Mattis said. Disregard for military readiness demonstrates a lack of respect for ourselves, for the alliance, and for the freedoms we inherited, he added. Currently, only five of the 28 alliance members meet the NATO requirement of spending 2 percent of its GDP on defense: the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, Estonia, and Greece. In 2011, then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates blasted allies for not paying their fair share. But Mattis upped the ante in his remarks, said Jim Townsend, who up until January was the Pentagons top NATO policy official. Theres no doubt that he issued an ultimatum, Townsend said. But whats unclear is what exactly the United States would do if allies didnt meet that ultimatum. The Pentagon declined to clarify Mattiss remarks. If you take him literally, then the message is indeed that theres no unconditional guarantee of security any more, one European diplomat told Washington Post. Not everyone agreed. Its nothing new, to be honest, Dutch Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said. Mattis asked for milestones, so all of us will go home and work on them, she added. Story continues Wednesdays meeting marked the first opportunity for NATO allies to meet with a Trump cabinet official and gauge the administrations stance on Russia. Allies desperately needed clarification on where the United States stood on Russia, now that Trump was in office, Townsend said. What they got Mattiss warning coupled with seeming contradictory reaffirmations of U.S. guarantees to NATO may have been yet another a mixed signal for countries desperate for clarity from Washington. Mattiss trip came on the heels of Michael Flynns resignation as Trumps national security advisor, and the ensuing chaos left in its wake. But Mattis insisted it didnt overshadow his mission to NATO. Heres the bottom line, ladies and gentlemen: I am brought in to be the secretary of defense, he told reporters on a plane en route to Brussels before the meeting Wednesday. Frankly, this has no impact. Obviously. I havent changed what I am heading there [to NATO] for. It doesnt change my message at all. Vice President Mike Pence is also scheduled to visit Brussels and meet with NATO leaders on Monday. Photo credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images BRUSSELS (AP) For Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. As much he'll tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO, he also is expected to visit Europe with a hand out, hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments and greater assistance in military campaigns in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Mattis also will field questions on national security adviser Michael Flynn's resignation over his pre-inauguration discussions with Russia, and what the change means for U.S. policy on Moscow. Speaking to reporters on the way to a NATO defense ministers' meeting, Mattis said Flynn's departure "has no effect at all" on him. "Frankly, this has no impact," he said. "I haven't changed what I'm heading there for. It doesn't change my message at all. Who is on the president's staff is who I will work with. And so, you know, it's full speed ahead." Mattis also reinforced earlier comments he's made on NATO's importance. Calling it "the most successful military alliance in history," he told reporters on the plane that "our commitment remains to NATO." But he said allies need to discuss increasing their military funding to the benchmark goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. After spending his first official trip telling America's Asian allies they wouldn't be abandoned, Mattis is on a similar journey in Brussels and Munich this week, where he will have to address the mixed messages from President Donald Trump on the value of NATO before and after he took office. "I think there will be a lot of reassuring words spoken over the next week," said Derek Chollet, a former senior defense official who is now senior adviser at the German Marshall Fund. Nations want Mattis to maintain the U.S. commitment to providing military support and troops to bolster Poland and the Baltics, who feel threatened by Russia, he said. While Mattis' words may provide some comfort, Chollet said: "It will leave the question: What does the president think? If anything, the sum total of all of this will just perpetuate the confusion." Story continues Wednesday marks Mattis' first NATO meeting as defense secretary. During his Senate confirmation hearing last month, the retired Marine general said he wanted the U.S. to "maintain the strongest possible relationship with NATO." With remarks such as those, Mattis has distanced himself from Trump's criticism of the military alliance and threats that the U.S. might not defend allies that don't fulfill their financial obligations as NATO members. Mattis, however, is aligned with Trump's call for the 27 NATO members to meet the defense spending requirement. Only a few are currently hitting the 2 percent mark, while the U.S. spends more on its armed forces than all the others combined. Washington also foots more than 22 percent of NATO's commonly funded budget. The U.S. also would like to see an increased NATO commitment in Afghanistan, where forces have been fighting the Taliban for more than 15 years, since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Washington wants more trainers in Afghanistan, where about 8,400 American troops are still deployed. There also will be discussions about how to accelerate the newer, U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Europe's leaders will first be looking for clarity from Mattis. They're still rattled by Trump's declarations that NATO is "obsolete" and his repeated praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Such comments have triggered fears Trump will ease sanctions imposed on Moscow after it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and supported an insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Another concern: lessened U.S. military support for eastern European allies near Russia's border who worry about being the next target. During his confirmation hearing, Mattis told senators that he has discussed NATO with the president and that Trump was "open" to changing his position. Among Mattis' first calls after Trump's inauguration was one to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. In recent weeks, Trump's public statements on NATO have softened somewhat. After meeting Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters that he assured her he was "100 percent" behind NATO. A joint statement issued after Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone said the two agreed on the "fundamental importance that the NATO alliance has for trans-Atlantic relations" and the need for all members to pay their fair share. Trump made similar comments in a call with French President Francois Hollande. Only four countries other than the U.S. Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland are meeting NATO's spending target. Many are increasing their budgets in response to Russia's actions. As New York Fashion Week got underway, Tiffany Trump was photographed with a row of empty seats next to the presidents youngest daughter. Read: 'Hot Mugshot Guy' Makes Runway Debut at New York Fashion Week Former Wall Street Journal Fashion columnist and fashion writer Christina Binkley tweeted the image Monday. Empty seats next to Tiffany Trump. pic.twitter.com/axvYJAFupl Christina Binkley (@BinkleyOnStyle) February 14, 2017 Tiffany Trump's secret service guy says this is his first fashion show. He is going to get the wrong idea about fashion. #PhilippPlein Christina Binkley (@BinkleyOnStyle) February 14, 2017 Other fashion writers and editors took to social media to write the observation that no one appeared to be sitting near Trumps 23-year-old daughter Monday night during designer Philipp Plein's fashion show, which featured Hot Mugshot Guy Jeremy Meeks making his runway debut. Read: Model Emily Ratajkowski Comes to Melania's Defense After Reporter Makes 'Slut-Shaming' Remarks Fashion expert Katrina Szish told Inside Edition: The industry can be catty and mean. This is like a scene out of Mean Girls, and frankly, it doesnt really surprise me and it is over the top, even for the fashion industry." The area around Tiffany Trump eventually filled in as the show progressed. Watch: Newlyweds Shocked by Trump's Guest Appearance and Impromptu Speech During Mar-a-Lago Wedding Related Articles: Donald Trump is not the only head of state trying to protect against the possibility that refugees may also be terrorists. Hes just the most open about it. In an outburst of brazen hypocrisy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel blasted President Trumps temporary travel ban, saying it is not justified to put people from a specific background or faith under general suspicion to combat terrorism. Meanwhile, Merkel is doing back flips to rid her country of hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers from mostly Muslim countries who have flocked in through her open doors. Related: Under Fire, UK's May Criticizes Trump Curb on Refugees Just days after lashing out at Trump over his executive order, Merkel announced efforts to expedite expulsions of refugees who have failed to win asylum in Germany. In 2016, more than 150,000 people seeking sanctuary in Germany were rejected; only about 25,000 were expelled. Today, there are more than 200,000 people living in Germany who should be deported. Chancellor Merkel would like those people gone. Why the sudden urgency? Put it down to the terror attack in December when a Tunisian refugee drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring nearly 50 others. The attacker, Anis Amri, had sought asylum and had been turned down; apparently, Tunisia was unwilling to take him back. It wasnt the first such incident. In July last year, a Syrian who had been denied asylum and who had declared allegiance to ISIS set off a bomb outside a wine bar in Ansbach, killing himself and injuring more than a dozen. As Merkels political standing has been hit by growing concerns that her admission of one million refugees has created a security nightmare, she has gotten tough on deportations and on Muslim assimilation. In a recent speech in Cologne, she said, "Anyone who does not have a right of residence must be returned to their home country." Related: Factbox: What's in Trump's Order Halting Refugee Program She particularly targeted Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia (majority Muslim countries), classifying them as safe countries of origin in order that their applications can be processed quickly, and those rejected can be returned home asap. To coax those governments into cooperating, Merkels government hinted that development aid could be withheld. Story continues Not only does Merkel want to toss out those without legal status, but she also insists that those who do achieve legal residency must integrate properly. Merkel, whom the Financial Times says leads Europes fight for liberal values, also supported outlawing the Muslim veil, calling it inappropriate. Those comments came in late December after the arrests of two asylum seekers in connection with three sexual assaults, including the rape and murder of a medical student. Her Vice Chancellor doubled down, saying, Salafist mosques must be banned, the communities dissolved and the preachers should be expelled, as soon as possible." Yet Merkel criticizes Trump. While Germany wants to send refugees home, Australia and Kenya want to send them to the U.S. Related: Australia Causing Refugees 'Severe and Lasting Harm': Human Rights Watch Australia refuses to allow asylum seekers who arrive by boat to settle in the country. Instead, because of a law passed in 2013, the nation stockpiles refugees in Australia-run immigration detention camps in the poor Pacific island nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Two refugees desperate to get to Australia recently set themselves on fire at the camp in Nauru. It was some 1,300 of those mostly Muslim asylum-seekers that President Obama agreed to allow into the U.S. In addition, there were 370 who had been allowed into Australia temporarily for medical treatment. It appears that coincident with that offer (hatched at Obamas Summit on Refugees last September) Australias Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull agreed to take part in the U.S.-led program to resettle Central American refugees from a camp in Costa Rica mostly people who had been trying to cross into the United States. So in a politically expedient arrangement, the U.S. agreed to take refugees that Australia does not want from the Middle East, Africa and Asia and Turnbull bails out Obama by accepting Central Americans desperate to enter the U.S. who are holed up in Costa Rica. No wonder that in his first conversation with the Australian leader, President Trump described the deal as dumb even as his executive order carved out an exception so that the agreement would be honored. Related: After Three Years of Extreme Vetting, I Nearly Gave Up on My American Dream Dealing with refugees and the threat they pose is not just a problem for the developed world. Kenyas government is trying to shut down the worlds largest refugee camp, home to hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have fled their violent country. The courts in Kenya halted the closure, saying it was an act of group persecution, illegal, discriminatory, and therefore unconstitutional. The government claimed the camp had been linked to terror attacks carried out by Somalis, like the one at Westgate Mall, where 67 people were killed in September 2013. Rebutting human rights activists claims that refugees were not responsible, a spokesperson for the government said, "I will tell you for a fact, the people who carried out the terror attacks at Westgate, several of them were traced either through phone calls or through various contacts intelligence to refugee camps in Dadaab." Some 200 of those Somali refugees in Kenya were recently en route to the United States but then were blocked by President Trumps executive order calling for more robust vetting for asylum-seekers. Because of the courts intervention, those Somalis are now again heading for the United States. As the refugees from Australia and from Kenya start to arrive in the United States, our country will be torn between our humanitarian instincts and the realization that other countries have suffered heavy penalties for opening their doors. Its easy to see why a majority of our generous country thinks Trumps desire for extreme vetting makes sense. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: When President Donald Trumps National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned on Monday night, after admitting to speaking with Russias ambassador to the U.S. about sanctions in December, an obscure law was suddenly on the minds of Washington observers: the Logan Act. The law prohibits unauthorized U.S. citizens which Flynn was at the time from speaking to foreign governments about that countrys disputes or controversies with the United States. But, whether or not Flynn crossed that line, the history behind the law sheds light on why it is against the law for individuals to try to influence foreign relations. The story goes back to the late 18th century, when the French Revolution was in full swing. France and Britain were fighting, and the new nation of the United States was divided about its allegiances. France thought American ratification of Jays Treaty an unpopular peace accord with Britain violated the past treaties between France and the U.S. Within the American government, Democratic-Republicans like Thomas Jefferson tended to favor supporting France, which had supported the American Revolution. Meanwhile, Federalists like Alexander Hamilton and John Adams argued strongly against getting involved. After the diplomatic failure known as the XYZ Affair a 1797 episode in which French treatment of U.S. envoys shocked the nation, nearly leading to war between the U.S. and France George Logan, a Pennsylvania state legislator and farmer from a prominent Philadelphia family, decided to step in. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter In 1947, after former Vice President Henry Wallaces gabbiness on a trip abroad raised eyebrows, TIME took a look back at what Logan did: Logan was an 18th Century gentleman farmer, an author of pamphlets on crops and soil, and a Quaker pacifist. He lived on a 500-acre estate near Germantown, Pa., dabbled in medicine, and habitually wore homespun clothes to encourage domestic manufacture. In 1798, Logan saw the U.S., attacked and insulted, preparing for war. French warships had seized U.S. vessels. The French foreign minister, Talleyrand, had cynically tried to exact what amounted to a tribute from the infant country. Nevertheless, Quaker Logan viewed U.S. intentions with consternation, and as a self-appointed peacemaker sailed for France. He came back with the report that the French Directory only wanted peace, the chief effect of which was to soften American public opinion at the very moment when the Government was trying its best to appear strong. Congress was incensed. The well-meaning Logan got no more than a tongue-lashing, but Congress passed the Logan Act as a curb on all future self-appointed spokesmen. The act made it a high misdemeanor for a U.S. citizen, without permission from the Government, to carry on any verbal or written correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with an intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the Government of the United States Story continues In other words, even though his mission was relatively successful at achieving his own personal goals, his goals were not the same ones shared by the government and, as an individual, even a powerful one who was friends with Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, he couldnt have known what was going on behind the scenes. Logans intervention showed those in power in 1799 that they had to prevent citizens, no matter who, from taking foreign relations into their own hands. He had a great friendship with Thomas Jefferson and shared a lot of his views, so when he sees efforts by Federalists fail through the XYZ Affair, he decides to try and solve this problem, to smooth things over, knowing he had connections in France, says Dennis S. Pickeral, Executive Director of Stenton, Logans historic Philadelphia home. He does diffuse a lot of the tension, but enrages Federalists, who push through that law. Though some have argued that the Logan Act raises issues in the way it constrains citizens freedom of speech and right to travel, the concept behind it has stood the test of centuries. The Logan Act wanted one President at a time, says Richard Painter, who was chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush and now teaches at the University of Minnesota Law School. There is one foreign policy conducted by the Secretary of State, whom the President picks and the U.S. Senate confirms. There have been no prosecutions under the act since the second President John Adams signed it into law in 1799, according to a March 2015 Congressional Research Report. But, says Robert Roberts, author of White House Ethics: The History of the Politics of Conflict of Interest Regulation, that doesnt mean the law is pointless. People who are questioned about their activities in ways that may or may not involve the Logan Act can end up in violation of the False Statements Act, for example. In other words, it is highly unlikely anyone will be prosecuted for violations of the Logan Act, Roberts says. It is much more likely someone will be prosecuted for lying to the FBI. Filmmaker Michael Moorea longtime critic of President Donald Trump who predicted he would win the presidency back in Augustis rallying for the impeachment of the president and his administration on Tuesday. In a searing new Facebook post, he wrote, Its what we all suspected. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on: TRUMP COLLUDING WITH THE RUSSIANS TO THROW THE ELECTION TO HIM, Moore wrote, alluding to the latest news. He then outlined his four-point plan to move forward, starting with Democrats beginning the impeachment process. We demand that you halt all actions being taken by an illegitimately elected government until this matter is resolved, he said, addressing Democratic politicians he called spineless. Second, he requested that Attorney General Sessions appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate these potentially treasonous acts, adding that Trump could save the country a lot of time, money and pain by stepping down tonight. But the filmmaker didnt stop at Trump. In his final note, Moore wrote, Pence cant be president as he, too, was elected under this same fraud. The court has to rule either that the President is the winner of the popular vote OR the election must be held over, agitating for a re-do of the 2016 vote. In twelve hours, Moores post had received more than 80,000 reactions from his followers70,000 of which were favorableand had been shared nearly 30,000 times. Stunning bombshell right now from the New York Times Trump campaign chair, campaign officials and Trump associates Posted by Michael Moore on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Watch Late Night With Seth Meyers on Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) At least 15 Mississippi companies are heading to the Middle East next month in the hopes of establishing new partnerships. The Clarion-Ledger (http://on.thec-l.com/2lPofQX ) reports that the businesses will be visiting Dubai and Jordan in late March as part of a Mississippi Development Authority trade mission. Citing Dubai's expansive and continual growth, MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough Jr. said the region was ripe with opportunity for partnerships with Mississippi companies. Companies that will be going on the trip include Belmont-based air compressor manufacturer Wood Industries, as well as Hattiesburg-based Bio Soil Enhancers, a company that manufactures microbial products to improve crop production without fertilizers. More than 100 Mississippi companies, large and small, went on MDA-hosted trade missions last year. The group has 10 international trade missions planned for 2017. ___ Information from: The Clarion-Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com LEBANON, Mo. (AP) -- A lawyer who specialized in end-of-life matters has been acquitted in the death of her millionaire father, whom prosecutors claimed she had removed from life support by forging power of attorney documents after he survived an attack at his lake house that claimed his girlfriend's life. Susan "Liz" Van Note, 48, of Lee's Summit, Missouri, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of 67-year-old William Van Note and 59-year-old Sharon Dickson. She was acquitted on both counts late Tuesday, The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/2kx1VdE ) reports. Jury foreman Merri Hess said the panel felt Van Note was involved but that they couldn't convict her on the evidence presented. "'Not guilty' does not mean innocent," Hess said. Dickson was stabbed and shot at the couple's Lake of the Ozarks vacation house and died at the scene. William Van Note was also stabbed and shot, but he survived and was taken to a Columbia hospital. Prosecutors say Susan Van Note forged her father's signature on power of attorney documents and that as a result, four days later, he was removed from the ventilator that had been keeping him alive. Van Note was initially charged with forgery, but that charge was dropped before trial. Authorities allege Susan Van Note had filed for bankruptcy and was angry that her father had named Dickson to inherit the bulk of his estate, which had a net worth in 2009 of nearly $8 million. After his death, his daughter assumed the role of the estate's executor. Lead prosecutor Kevin Zoellner described Van Note in his closing argument as a "terrible killer" who instructed the hospital to kill on her behalf. He said a call from Van Note's cellphone to her home pinged a tower near the crime scene minutes after the lake house attack. Her attorneys pointed to another man, who has since disappeared, as the killer. No hair, blood, DNA or fibers linked Van Note to the crime scene. Susan Van Note's mother, Barbara Van Note, told investigators that her daughter was home in Lee's Summit when the killings happened 119 miles away in Sunrise Beach. Barbara Van Note went to prison in 2005 for forging her own mother's name to a power of attorney, and she was ordered to repay $108,000 to a trust fund. Story continues The trial initially was to have been in June 2015, but a mistrial was declared. A second attempt at the proceedings two months later ended when Susan Van Note's lawyers challenged the admissibility of cellphone evidence. Dickson's son, Andrew Dickson, has a wrongful death case pending against Susan Van Note. ___ Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) Moldova's intelligence agency says it has broken up a suspected extremist Islamic group that was spreading propaganda online and whose members had illegal weapons. The Intelligence and Security Service said Wednesday that agents had searched the homes of a number of Moldovan citizens in the northeastern town of Soroca, and found pistols, semi-automatic rifles and other weapons. It says members are accused of "propagating radical Islamic ideology," on social media and elsewhere and illegally possessing firearms. The agency did not provide details about the number of suspects or whether they had been detained. If found guilty, suspects face up to seven years in prison. Podgorica (Montenegro) (AFP) - Montenegro's parliament voted Wednesday to strip two pro-Russian opposition MPs of their immunity, paving the way for their arrest for alleged involvement in a foiled coup last October. The vote took place as several hundred people protested outside the assembly against the move, accusing the government of linking the opposition to what they said was a "fake coup." Prosecutor Milivoje Katnic has requested that parliament allow the prosecution and detention of Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, who are both leading members of the opposition Democratic Front (DF). The authorities have accused the alleged coup plotters, including DF leaders, of seeking to seize parliament and assassinate former premier Milo Djukanovic on the day of the October 16 elections. Mandic, 52, and Knezevic, 36, were suspected of "creating a criminal organisation ... and preparing an attempt on the constitutional order and security of Montenegro," according to a statement on the parliament website. All 42 deputies present in the 81-seat parliament voted to lift the immunity of Mandic and Knezevic. "By the decision, the Montenegrin parliament approves the opening of criminal proceedings and arrest" of the two, said parliamentary speaker Ivan Brajovic. The DF, which has 18 MPs, is a fierce opponent of Montenegro's bid to join NATO and has been behind violent protests against proposed membership of the alliance. DF leaders have repeatedly denied involvement in the plot, claiming the government set them up. - Russia blamed - "Thieves! Thieves!" chanted protestors during the arrival of MPs from the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). "These authorities came to power by force and will leave by force," Scepan, a 34-year-old unemployed man, told AFP. The two deputies joined supporters in front of the assembly, where special police and metal fences were deployed. "We decided to oppose the dictatorial regime and there is no force which could stop us ... until we free Montenegro with democratic means," Mandic told the crowd. Story continues On Sunday, Mandic, whose driver was arrested last week also on suspicion of involvement in the plot, warned the prosecutor that "clashes" could erupt if the DF leaders were charged. Authorities have accused "Russian nationalists" of orchestrating the alleged plot, saying pro-Moscow Serbs were hired to carry it out. Some 15 Serbs were arrested on the eve of the elections, while authorities have also launched a manhunt for two Russians who are on the run. Djukanovic, a veteran politician who led Montenegro both as prime minister and president for almost 25 years, quit the government after the polls, despite his party's victory. His close ally and new premier Dusko Markovic has confirmed Montenegro's intention of joining NATO this year. Russia has branded the idea "a provocation". If Podgorica joins the alliance, NATO will reinforce its presence in the Balkans as Greece, Croatia and Albania are already members. Podgorica (Montenegro) (AFP) - Montenegro's parliament voted Wednesday to strip two pro-Russian opposition MPs of their immunity over alleged involvement in a foiled coup last October, but a prosecutor ruled the pair would not be arrested. The vote took place as several hundred people protested outside the assembly against the move, accusing the government of linking the opposition to what they said was a "fake coup." The rulers of the tiny country of 620,000 people hope to join NATO this year, but their pro-Western choice is opposed by the Moscow-oriented opposition. Prosecutor Milivoje Katnic now has the go-ahead from parliament for the prosecution and detention of Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, both leading members of the opposition Democratic Front (DF). The authorities have accused the alleged coup plotters, including DF leaders, of seeking to seize parliament and assassinate former premier Milo Djukanovic on the day of the October 16 elections. Mandic, 52, and Knezevic, 36, were suspected of "creating a criminal organisation ... and preparing an attempt on the constitutional order and security of Montenegro," according to a statement on the parliament website. All 42 deputies present in the 81-seat parliament voted to lift the immunity of Mandic and Knezevic. However, in a surprise move immediately after the vote, the country's top prosecutor issued a binding order that the two remain at large. "In the concrete case the arrest should not be proposed," prosecutor Ivica Stankovic said in a statement citing notably the "presumption of innocence". - 'Dictatorial regime' - The ruling does not mean the probe against the pair is concluded but appears to be aimed at easing the growing political tensions in the Balkan country. The DF, which has 18 MPs, is a fierce opponent of Montenegro's bid to join NATO and has been behind violent protests against the proposed membership of the alliance. Story continues DF leaders have repeatedly denied involvement in a coup plot, claiming the government set them up. "Thieves! Thieves!" chanted protestors during the arrival of MPs from the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). "These authorities came to power by force and will leave by force," Scepan, a 34-year-old unemployed man, told AFP. Mandic and Knezevic joined supporters in front of the assembly, where special police and metal fences were deployed. "We decided to oppose the dictatorial regime and there is no force which could stop us ... until we free Montenegro by democratic means," Mandic told the crowd. On Sunday, Mandic, whose driver was arrested last week on suspicion of involvement in the plot, warned the prosecutor that "clashes" could erupt if the DF leaders are charged. "You should not arrest people, you will end up like Ceausescu!" Janko Vucinic, an opposition official, threatened Djukanovic during the gathering, which ended without incidents. Romania's communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was ousted and summarily executed in 1989. - Russia blamed - Authorities have accused "Russian nationalists" of orchestrating the alleged plot, saying pro-Moscow Serbs were hired to carry it out. Some 15 Serbs were arrested on the eve of the elections, while authorities have also launched a manhunt for two Russians who are on the run. Djukanovic, a veteran politician who led Montenegro both as prime minister and president for almost 25 years, quit the government after the polls, despite his party's victory. His close ally and new premier Dusko Markovic has confirmed Montenegro's intention of joining NATO this year. Russia has branded the idea "a provocation". If Podgorica joins the alliance, NATO will reinforce its presence in the Balkans as Greece, Croatia and Albania are already members. Montreal has dethroned Paris to take the title of world's best student city for 2017. After enjoying a five-year streak, the City of Light was knocked off its perch by a different French-speaking city in the fifth edition of the QS Best Student Cities Ranking, which classifies the world's top 100 student destinations. The reasons for Paris's fall and Montreal's rise are many: Montreal is emerging from a period of economic stagnation and looking ahead to positive growth for 2017, analysts note. Likewise, the city's innovation and dynamism are being noticed around the world. Last year, Montreal was named the world's most intelligent city by global research think tank the Intelligent Community Forum. The win also points to a larger trend of Canada's growing appeal among young people, with four Canadian cities climbing the ranking. The latest honor coincides with Montreal's 375th anniversary this year. As for Paris, which has been beleaguered with continuing terrorist threats, the city dropped to second place after falling in categories such as affordability and desirability. Interestingly, the survey results also showed that despite the Brexit fallout, London has grown in popularity among students, rising from fifth to third place in this year's list. A scan of the top 10 list, meanwhile, reveals the conspicuous absence of US cities, with the highest-ranking US destination, Boston, taking the eighth spot -- a result that can be traced back to affordability issues, notes the report. The same could be said of Australia, which emerged one of the biggest losers this year: All seven of its ranked cities plummeted, with Sydney dropping from fourth to 14th place, and Melbourne falling from second to fifth position in 2017. The highest-ranking Asian city is Seoul (4). The results are based on the responses of 18,000 students who evaluated cities on five key categories: university rankings, student mix, desirability, employer activity and affordability. A new 'student view' indicator was also introduced this year, polling graduates and current students about their experience in a particular city. Here are the top 10 cities for students 2017: 1. Montreal 2. Paris 3. London 4. Seoul 5. Melbourne 6. Berlin 7. Tokyo 8. Boston 9. Munich 10. Vancouver Despite having a special breed of cattle designed to cope with the cold weather, Scots have no problems believing scientists about climate change: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire More people in Scotland believe climate change is real than in England, according to a new survey. A poll by ComRes, commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), found 64 per cent of people thought global warming was happening and was primarily caused by human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. In Scotland 69 per cent of respondents agreed this was true, compared to 67 per cent in Wales and 63 per cent in England. Within England, London had the largest share of the population who think climate change is real on 71 per cent, compared to the lowest figure of 57 per cent in the North East. There was also a clear age-related pattern with 73 per cent of 18-24-year-olds backing the scientific consensus compared to just over half (54 per cent) of those aged 65 or over. Some 34 per cent of the older age group said climate change was happening, but humans were not actually responsible for it. Very few people of any age group thought climate change was not happening at all, ranging from two to five per cent. The overall figure of 64 per cent shows growing support for the idea that humans are causing the planets climate to change, up from 57 per cent in 2014 and 59 per cent in 2015, when ComRes asked the same questions. Andrew Hawkins, chairman of ComRes, said: Over just three years there has been a discernible shift in public opinion towards acceptance that climate change is both happening and mainly caused by human activity. Seven in ten now believe that almost all, or a majority, of climate scientists believe the same. The significance of this is that the public are becoming increasingly willing to see polluting energy sources phased out, to adopt alternative technologies and accept public policy changes to shift behaviour. Professor Joanna Haigh, co-director of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, welcomed the news that the public realised that global warming is happening. For people who have worked on climate change for decades, the finding that people recognise the sheer weight of scientific evidence is extremely heartening, she said. Story continues But as the climate system sends increasingly urgent signals of the stress it is coming under, this understanding must be turned into action to address to the problem. We have the means to avoid the very worst impacts of climate change, and create a cleaner, healthier society all it takes is the will. The ComRes survey also found that harm to wildlife and nature and an increase in flooding were key concerns for the majority of British people (80 per cent and 73 per cent respectively). Three in five are concerned about an increase in variation of availability and price of some foods. Marylyn Haines Evans, of the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI), agreed that climate change was a growing concern. Like the rest of the British public, WI members are becoming increasingly concerned both about the impact that climate change is having now, and that it will have on our children and grandchildren, she said. The loss of British wildlife and the impact on our countryside is one of their biggest worries. Increased risk of flooding, and the impact the changes to the climate can have on the cost of food, also highlight how the problem is becoming all too real to British people. ComRes interviewed 2,045 British adults online on 1 and 2 February. The survey and data table can be found at www.comres.co.uk. Good morning. These are todays top stories: U.S. to continue probing Russias meddling U.S. officials will keep investigating whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. A new report says President Donald Trumps campaign team had repeated contact with senior Russian officials in the lead-up to the election. Earlier this week, Trumps national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned after giving inaccurate accounts of conversations he had with a Russian ambassador. Trump hosts Israeli leader at White House Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Trump in Washington, D.C. today. The two world leaders are expected to have their first official private meeting before they hold a joint news conference. India sets new world record with satellite feat Indias space agency said it has sent more than 100 small satellites into orbit through a single rocket launch. India broke Russias 2014 record of launching 37 satellites. German shepherd beats out pack at Westminster A German shepherd named Rumor won best in show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Its only the second time a German shepherd has taken the top prize in the competition. Also: The Etan Patz murder case ended with a conviction almost 40 years after the 6-year-old boy vanished in New York. American Girl is releasing its first male doll after a call for more diversity. The Golden Compass author Philip Pullman is releasing a follow-up trilogy to His Dark Materials. The White House will reopen for public tours next month. Starbucks is about to serve ice cream at more than 100 locations. The Morning Brief is published Mondays through Fridays. Email Morning Brief writer Melissa Chan at melissa.chan@time.com. Myanmar's army has halted "clearance operations" in northern Rakhine, a senior official said Wednesday, ending a four-month crackdown by security forces the UN has warned may amount to crimes against humanity. Hundreds from the Muslim minority are thought to have died and almost 70,000 have fled to Bangladesh since the military launched a campaign to find militants who attacked police border posts. Escapees have given harrowing accounts of how security forces raped, killed and tortured Rohingya and burnt their houses to the ground during the four-month operation. A UN report based on accounts from refugees in Bangladesh said troops had carried out a "calculated policy of terror" that probably amounted to crimes against humanity. For months Myanmar has dismissed similar testimony gathered by foreign media and rights groups as fabricated and curtailed access to the region. But the UN allegations have piled pressure on Myanmar's civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to rein in the military, which still controls key levers of power. Late Wednesday her office said the troops had ended their campaign and left the locked-down area under police control. "The situation in northern Rakhine has now stabilised," newly appointed National Security Advisor Thaung Tun was quoted as saying in a statement. "The clearance operations undertaken by the military have ceased, the curfew has been eased and there remains only a police presence to maintain the peace." The government has tasked a state-backed commission led by former military man turned Vice President Myint Swe with investigating the allegations in the UN report. "We have shown that we are ready to act when there is clear evidence of abuses," Thaung Tun added in the statement. More than a million Rohingya Muslims live in Rakhine state, where they are treated as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and denied citizenship. Vicious communal conflict between Buddhists and Rohingya in 2012 drove tens of thousands of them into camps, where they live today in conditions rights groups have compared to apartheid. Story continues Suu Kyi has been criticised for not speaking out against the recent crackdown, which has sapped the goodwill she built up during years fighting for democracy under the former military government. Last week Pope Francis weighed in, saying Rohingya had been tortured and killed "simply because they wanted to live their culture and Muslim faith". Suu Kyi's power is curtailed by a junta-era constitution that gives the military control of key ministries, including defence, and a quarter of parliamentary seats. NEW YORK (AP) It was one of New York City's most enduring mysteries: A sandy-haired, 6-year-old boy who vanished on his way to school. A fruitless search that scared a generation of parents. A family that fought for years to hold one man accountable, only to be told someone else was to blame. Some questions remain in the 1979 disappearance of Etan Patz, but a jury decided Tuesday that it had enough evidence to convict a former convenience store clerk of luring the boy into a basement and killing him, after a first trial ended with a hung jury. Pedro Hernandez confessed several years ago to choking Etan, but his lawyers said that admission was the false imagining of a troubled man whose mind blurred the boundary between reality and illusion. During Hernandez's first trial in 2015, that argument won over a lone juror, who wouldn't budge and forced a mistrial. This second time around, the jury was unanimous, finding Hernandez guilty of murder and kidnapping after nine days of deliberations. "We decided he has an illness ... but that didn't make him delusional," said juror Michael Castellon. "We think that he could tell right from wrong. He could tell fantasy from reality." Hernandez, 56, didn't react visibly as the verdict was read. Sentencing was set for Feb. 28. His lawyers said he planned to appeal. "In the end, we don't believe this will resolve the story of what happened to Etan back in 1979," said lawyer Harvey Fishbein. Etan's disappearance during his morning walk to the school bus helped end an era where parents felt comfortable letting their children roam. He became one of the first missing children ever pictured on milk cartons. The anniversary of his disappearance has been designated National Missing Children's Day. His parents lent their voices to a campaign to make missing children a national cause, and it fueled laws that established a national hotline and made it easier for law enforcement agencies to share information about vanished youngsters. Story continues For decades, though, the investigation into what happened to him went nowhere. A body was never found. Unlike today's New York City, there was no network of security cameras to check for clues. For years, some detectives and the Patz family thought the killer was Jose Ramos, a convicted Pennsylvania child molester who knew a woman who had sometimes walked Etan home from school. Etan's parents even sued Ramos, winning a wrongful death judgment by default in 2005 when he stopped cooperating with the legal proceedings though he continued to deny having anything to do with the crime. Stan Patz sent Ramos annual messages saying, "What did you do to my little boy?" Hernandez wasn't a suspect until 2012. Amid renewed news coverage of the investigation, a brother-in-law came forward and told police that, decades earlier, Hernandez had confessed to a prayer group that he'd killed a child in New York. Authorities would later learn that Hernandez had made similar remarks to a friend and his ex-wife. After police went to his home in Maple Shade, New Jersey, Hernandez confessed, saying he'd offered Etan a soda to get him into the store basement and then choked him. "Something just took over me," Hernandez said in one of a series of recorded confessions to police and prosecutors. He said he'd wanted to tell someone, "but I didn't know how to do it. I felt so sorry." Hernandez told authorities he'd shoved Etan's body, still living, in a trash bag, then put it in a box and dumped it with some garbage. The boy's body was never found, nor was any trace of his clothing, nor the tote bag loaded with toys that he'd slung over his shoulder when he left his loft. And while prosecutors presented a theory that Hernandez had killed Etan after sexually abusing him, the suspect himself never gave an explanation. In the end, the confessions were enough for the jury. And they were enough for the Patz family, too. "We've finally found some measure of justice for our wonderful little boy, Etan," said Stanley Patz, choking up, after the verdict was announced. His wife Julie, who didn't attend the trial except to testify, cried when she heard the verdict. "I am truly relieved," Stan Patz said. "And I'll tell you, it's about time. It's about time." ___ Associated Press writers Larry Neumeister and Karen Matthews contributed to this report. By Praveen Menon and Emily Chow KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - North Korean officials spent hours on Wednesday trying to talk Malaysia out of conducting an autopsy on Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother, who was murdered at Kuala Lumpur airport this week, three sources familiar with the stand-off told Reuters. Malaysian authorities refused the request, said the sources, all Malaysian government officials. The events have not previously been reported by international media. The body of Kim Jong Nam was taken in the morning to a hospital for investigations into his mysterious death. North Korean embassy officials followed, and were there so long that they ordered a meal from KFC, reporters at the hospital said. According to information from Malaysian, South Korean and U.S. officials, Kim Jong Nam was poisoned in the departure hall of the airport by two North Korean female agents who fled in a taxi while he fell gravely ill and died en route to hospital. Malaysian police said on Wednesday they had arrested a woman who was carrying Vietnamese travel papers and were looking for a "few" other foreign nationals in connection with the case. Malaysian authorities refused a request from the North Koreans not to conduct an autopsy, said the three sources. They said no decision had been taken on whether the body would eventually be handed over to North Korea. "Malaysia said it won't be pressured into anything ... we will stick to procedures," one source said. Journalists at the hospital said North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol, and colleagues arrived at the hospital in the early afternoon and remained there into the evening. Police said that Kim Jong Nam, the gregarious eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, was at Kuala Lumpur airport's budget terminal on Monday for a flight to Macau when someone grabbed his face from behind. He approached a help desk, saying he felt dizzy, and then his condition worsened. According to local media reports, the two female agents splashed Kim's face with a chemical. Kim Jong Nam had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of North Korea, and had spent many years outside the reclusive state, traveling in Macau and Hong Kong as well as mainland China. A Malaysian government said Kim Jong Nam had been in Malaysia several times before, likely on holidays. Malaysia is one of a dwindling number of countries that has close relations with North Korea, which is under tightening global sanctions over its nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, the latest of which took place on Sunday. Malaysians and North Koreans can visit each other's country without visas. (Writing by John Chalmers, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson just pulled off a prank that's literally out of this world. Whitson, a veteran space traveler, is one of six people living and working on the International Space Station right now. And while astronauts are usually pretty busy in space, Whitson found time Monday (Feb. 13) to surprise her Russian crewmates with a gag you could only pull off in space. As you can see here, Whitson packed herself inside a cargo bag and enlisted two partners-in-prank (NASA's Shane Kimbrough and France's Thomas Pesquet) to surprise their Russian crewmates. [Fun in Zero G: Awesome Weightless Photos] "They were quite surprised when I popped out!" Whitson wrote in a Twitter post. Zipped inside a cargo bag @Thom_astro & @astro_kimbrough took me over to the Russian segment. They were quite surprised when I popped out! pic.twitter.com/om59WVfzwE Peggy Whitson (@AstroPeggy) February 13, 2017 Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Editor's Recommendations NASA astronauts may fly to space atop the agency's brand new mega-rocket a lot sooner than expected. On Wednesday, NASA's acting administrator Robert Lightfoot sent out a memo to employees explaining that he has asked the agency to perform a study looking into what it would take for NASA to launch people on the first flight of the giant Space Launch System rocket. This rocket system, which would be the agency's most powerful yet, is currently under development. It's generally considered a risky move to put astronauts on the first flight of an untested rocket. SEE ALSO: Watch NASA test the 'largest, most powerful rocket booster ever built' As it stands now, the SLS program has been working toward launching an uncrewed flight of the rocket and Orion spacecraft to the vicinity of the moon in a year or two, but the leaked memo, posted by the blog NASA Watch and confirmed as authentic with the space agency, throws that timetable and mission profile, called EM-1, into doubt. The current timeline does not call for humans to fly on EM-1. In fact, astronauts have not been expected to fly atop SLS until the early 2020s. Artist's illustration of the Orion capsule. Image: nasa "I know the challenges associated with such a proposition, like reviewing the technical feasibility, additional resources needed, and clearly the extra work would require a different launch date," Lightfoot said in the memo. "That said, I also want to hear about the opportunities it could present to accelerate the effort of the first crewed flight and what it would take to accomplish that first step of pushing humans farther into space." Launch vehicles, by design, are pushed to their limits in order to break the bonds of Earth's significant gravity, so there are always risks associated with using them. Even rockets considered extremely dependable can occasionally fail. Orion does have an abort system designed to quickly fly the crewed craft away from the rocket if something were to go wrong during launch. Story continues While this would be the first flight for SLS, it won't be the first flight of Orion. The spacecraft, designed to carry crew to deep space destinations like the moon or an asteroid, flew once before in 2014 during a test flight that delivered it to orbit and saw it fly safely back to Earth. That flight went well, though the spacecraft didn't have a complete life support system at the time. There have also been real questions about NASA's ability to meet its current deadlines under the SLS and Orion testing timeline today. A report released by the independent Government Accountability Office found that the SLS program will have a hard time even meeting its 2018 launch readiness goal due to technical issues and budget. Orion is also facing budget and technical issues. There is also some historical precedent for Lightfoot's study request. NASA's first flight of the space shuttle in 1981 did have astronauts onboard, and while the Saturn V rocket did have a few flights under its belt before Apollo 8, that mission did send astronauts to the moon's vicinity, farther than any Saturn V had launched a spacecraft before. Lightfoot's memo also makes mention of President Donald Trump's vision for the U.S. space program. "President Trump said in his inaugural address that we will 'unlock the mysteries of space,'" Lightfoot said in the memo. "Accordingly, it is imperative to the mission of this agency that we are successful in safely and effectively executing both the SLS and Orion programs." Breitbart News has a target in its crosshairs following the departure of former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn from the White House in a cascade of scandal over his contacts with the Russian government: White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Targeting Priebus, who leads the faction of Trump aides that is composed of experienced establishment political hands, is really just a stand-in for a larger conflict about the future of Trumpism in the White House. Breitbart News is treating Flynns ouster as the first salvo in a war against those in the administration they deem insufficiently loyal to Trump. Backing up Breitbart are legions of other Trump loyalists in the right-wing media sphere. And their angry reaction to Flynns exit signals the unpopularity of the move with a vocal segment of Trumps base. Trump loyalists meaning the true believers who supported Trump from the start, not Republican politicos who became attached later on have been privately musing about getting rid of Priebus. Now, that musing is going public. I think this is Pearl Harbor for the true Trump supporters, the Trump loyalists, said Roger Stone, a former Trump campaign adviser and longtime Republican operative who still has a relationship with Trump. I believe Reince Priebus moved on General Flynn and I think he intends to move on Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller next. He is not serving the president well. The people he hired are loyal to the Republican National Committee, not the President of the United States. Recommended: Are Deep-State Leakers Defending Democracy or Corroding It? At Breitbart, the right-wing outlet that until recently was run by White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and has served as a loyal defender of Trumpism, the narrative was set early with a piece by editor-at-large Joel Pollak questioning the role of U.S. intelligence agencies in the leaks that brought down Flynn. Pollak and other Trump defenders are arguing that the real story is the fact of the leaks themselves, and not what was leaked. Story continues The fourth and most worrying explanation is that the government was not merely monitoring the communications of Russian diplomats, but of the Trump transition team itself, Pollak wrote. The fact that the contents of Flynns phone conversationhighly sensitive intelligencewere leaked to the media suggests that someone with access to that information also has a political axe to grind. (Pollaks argument mirrors Trumps own message, delivered in a tweet on Tuesday morning: The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc?) Tuesday morning, Breitbarts Washington Political Editor Matt Boylean ardent Trump supporter and known ally of Bannoncame out with a splashy scoop: As Flynn Resigns, Priebus Future In Doubt As Trump Allies Circulate List of Alternate Chief of Staff Candidates. Boyles story cites sources close to the president and multiple sources close to President Trump with internal knowledge of White House operations blaming Priebus for not moving cabinet confirmations along quickly enough and for the botched rollout of Trumps controversial executive order banning people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. The order and subsequent fallout threw into stark relief the contrast between the Bannon-esque and more traditional wings of the White House; the staffer who bore most of the blame publicly was Stephen Miller, the White House senior policy adviser who played a key role in the travel ban and who has close relationships with Breitbart reporters dating back to the effort to scuttle the Senate Gang of 8 immigration reform bill in 2013. Recommended: These 23 Republicans Passed on a Chance to Get Trump's Tax Returns The story accuses Priebus of knowing about anti-Trump sleeper cells hidden throughout the government. White House and other government sources say there are as many as 50 of them throughout government, and Priebus has full knowledge of their whereabouts, who they are, and what potential for damage they may cause, Boyle reported. He is not doing anything about it, these sources add. Purging sleeper cells of non-political government employees would be illegal, according to Richard Painter, former chief White House ethics lawyer for George W. Bush, and former Obama White House ethics czar Norm Eisen. Its not legal to fire them if they have civil service jobs, Painter said in an email. Plenty of Bush people got those jobs in the Obama administration and they were very helpful. This sleeper cell rhetoric is highly offensive in treating people of the other political party like terrorists. You are not permitted to fire government employees willy nilly just because Breitbart accuses them of being sleeper cell members, Eisen said in an email. If some are civil servants, they are entitled to the full protection of civil service law. The story raised immediate speculation that either Bannon or Miller had planted it. Can you imagine Boyle running this against Bannon's wishes? No chance, said one prominent Washington Republican with knowledge of the White House, who spoke on condition of anonymity for professional reasons. He was the editor of Breitbart about fifteen minutes ago. This is just so brazen. How's he going to sit through meetings from Reince? Recommended: What Will It Take for Republicans to Finally Act? Boyle did not respond to a request for comment. But whether Bannon was actually involved is unclear. A source close to Bannon who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly pushed back on this idea, arguing that there is no reason to believe Bannon wants Priebus pushed out right now; Priebuss knowledge of Washington and of Capitol Hill remains useful to enacting Bannons agenda. And The New York Times reported that it was actually Bannon who asked Flynn to resign over the weekend. A senior White House official called the Breitbart story false in every single possible respect and dismissed the idea that Miller or Bannon had been behind it. Another White House official speaking on condition of anonymity also said the Breitbart story was completely false and that whoever placed it has no knowledge of the inner workings of the administration. I can also tell you that Bannon and Miller are very unhappy with the story and consider it an attack on a close friend, the official said. And Bannon himself called the story absurd in an email. Bannon and Priebus have made a show of closeness recently, even giving a joint interview to New York magazine last week in which they professed to fall asleep on the phone with each other and joked about giving each other back rubs. But the effort hasnt tamped down anti-Priebus ardor in what BuzzFeed Newss Charlie Warzel has dubbed the New Media Upside Down: the constellation of pro-Trump fringe (or not so fringe) right-wing media personalities and organizations that have grown increasingly powerful. Flynns affinity for Russia and trafficking in conspiracy theories have endeared him to many in this group. Flynns son, Michael Flynn Jr., reactivated his Twitter account the morning after Flynns firing. He had deleted it after calling the travel ban a Muslim ban last month. Flynn Jr., who was ejected from the transition team for his role in spreading misinformation like the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, has spent the day amplifying alt-right and alt-right-adjacent Twitter accounts, including Infowars editor-at-large Paul Joseph Watson, who wrote that The resignation of General Flynn is part of an ongoing effort by the military-industrial complex to sabotage President Trump and re-assert control over foreign policy. Wikileaks has also weighed in, the sometime pro-leak organization tweeting Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigns after destabilization campaign by US spies, Democrats, press. The base was not happy when [Priebus] was appointed chief of staff, said Mike Cernovich, a new right blogger and Twitter personality.We knew he'd work hard to sabotage Trump's agenda. Asked if the incident has made him lose confidence in Trump, Cernovich said Not going to give a drama kill quote like that but My loyalty has always been towards my fellow Americans and the broader movementnot Trump personally. He is the face of the movement but is help up by it as well. I do not work for him or the GOP and will criticize his decisions when appropriate. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Brussels (AFP) - US Defence Secretary James Mattis bluntly warned NATO allies Wednesday that Donald Trump's administration would "moderate its commitment" to the transatlantic alliance unless members met their spending pledges. Mattis's no-nonsense message to his counterparts in Brussels follows years of calls by Washington for allies to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defence, a goal that only a handful meet despite agreeing on it at a summit in 2014. It packs extra weight as it comes after Trump has said US help for NATO members -- already worried by the threat from Russia in the east -- might depend on how much they have paid. "Americans cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," retired Marine general Mattis said in prepared remarks to defence ministers at NATO headquarters. "If your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals need to show support for our common defence." Mattis called for "milestone dates" this year that would track NATO member contributions. - 'Very firm message' - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg denied that Mattis's words amounted to a threat, saying it was a "firm message" and that his colleagues agreed that they would do more to contribute. "Secretary Mattis conveyed a very firm message to all Allies. That message is about the importance of fair burden-sharing. It reflects a political reality in the United States," Stoltenberg told a press conference. Currently, only the United States, Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland have hit or surpassed the two percent figure. The call for more funding comes as NATO mounts its biggest buildup since the Cold War, strengthening its eastern flank following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told reporters that he had called on laggards to at least increase spending annually to "demonstrate good faith." Story continues NATO said its member countries spent a total of $892 billion (842 billion euros) in 2015, with the United States accounting for $641 billion. Russian military spending in 2015 rose to 66 billion dollars, the SIPRI institute in Stockholm said. Despite lambasting some NATO partners' spending, Mattis hailed NATO as the "fundamental bedrock" of transatlantic security as he sought to reassure allies about Trump's commitment to the alliance. Since his inauguration, Trump has taken a more orthodox stance on NATO and reaffirmed long-standing US commitment to the alliance that Mattis has previously served. Trump, who is set to meet NATO leaders in Brussels in May, had previously said the alliance was "obsolete." - Russia scandal - Mattis's visit to NATO, his first trip to Europe since being sworn in last month, comes amid a growing scandal at the White House following the resignation of Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn quit over allegations he had discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador before taking office. Mattis and Stoltenberg both insisted the Flynn scandal was not a cause for concern for the alliance, which has underpinned transatlantic security since the aftermath of World War II. But NATO partners are worried about possible ties between other officials on Trump's campaign team and Moscow, which has alarmed former communist countries with its belligerent stance since the Crimea annexation. During the previous Barack Obama administration, NATO agreed to send four multinational battalions to Poland and each of its three Baltic state members. Also hanging over the meeting was a New York Times report that Moscow had deployed a new type of cruise missile, raising fears it would violate the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. Stoltenberg said any non-compliance with the treaty was of "serious concern" while Mattis said NATO would "defend ourselves if Russia chooses to act contrary to international law." Prodded by the new Trump administration, NATO is also stepping up efforts to counter terrorist threats from North Africa and the Middle East. NATO will set up "as soon as possible" a hub with 100 staff at the alliance's Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, which will coordinate intelligence on crisis countries like Iraq and Syria, Stoltenberg said. The alliance will also deploy surveillance drones in Sicily to get a better intelligence picture. Brussels (AFP) - US Defence Secretary James Mattis hailed NATO as the "fundamental bedrock" of transatlantic security as he sought to reassure allies Wednesday about President Donald Trump's committment to the alliance. Mattis, who has been on the job less than a month, spoke as a scandal over White House officials' ties to Russia gripped the Trump presidency and claimed the job of the national security adviser. "The alliance remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community, bonded as we are together," Mattis said as he met his counterparts in Brussels for the first time. "As President Trump has stated, he has strong support for NATO," said Mattis, a former Marine general who has himself previously served with NATO. Mattis however stressed that the Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, expected NATO allies to boost their defence spending. "It's a fair demand that all who benefit from the best defence in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom," he added. The 28-member organization is trying to portray unity after Trump's previous comments that the alliance was "obsolete." - 'Transatlantic unity' - Since his inauguration, Trump has taken a more orthodox stance on NATO and reaffirmed long-standing US commitment to the alliance. Mattis has consistently voiced support for NATO and has been tougher on Russia than his boss, whose views worry the alliance's eastern European member states in particular. But Mattis's visit has been overshadowed by the resignation of Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn over allegations he had discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador before taking office. NATO chief Stoltenberg insisted the Flynn scandal was not a further cause for concern for the alliance, which has underpinned transatlantic security since the aftermath of World War II. Story continues "I am absolutely certain that the message from this meeting will be a message of transatlantic unity," Stoltenberg said when asked about Flynn's resignation. Stoltenberg said the ministers will also stress "the importance that we stand together and protect each other and a very strong commitment of the United States to NATO." Mattis said on the flight to Brussels that Flynn's departure would have "no impact" on the US message to NATO. - Defence spending priority - Mattis meanwhile praised the alliance for its enduring help for the United States in Afghanistan. "This has been the most successful alliance in military history," he said. Also hanging over the meeting was a New York Times report that Moscow had deployed a new cruise missile, raising fears it would violate the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Like the US State Department, the NATO chief said he would not comment on intelligence matters but warned that "any non-compliance of Russia with the INF treaty would be of serious concern for the alliance." Despite the message of unity, Mattis is still set to push the rest of the 28-nation group to meet their increased military spending pledges, despite many in Europe facing hard economic times. In a sign that the Trump administration's pressure on the issue is bearing fruit, Stoltenberg said on the eve of the meeting that boosting spending was a top priority. "The most important thing is that we increase defence spending and that is exactly what we are doing," Stoltenberg told reporters at alliance headquarters. Stoltenberg said the alliance in 2015 had stopped military budget cuts and last year actually increased spending by 3.8 percent, or $10 billion, but still needs to do more. Washington has long insisted that NATO members should spend two percent of their GDP on defence, a goal that few meet despite agreeing on it at a summit in Wales in 2014. NATO leaders are expected to meet Trump for the first time at a summit in Brussels on May 25. SEPTEMBER 2020 NATO began gloriously 71 years ago with the signing of the Washington Treaty by the august representatives of 12 nations committed to defend each other in perpetuity. It ended ignominiously last Thursday with the padlocking of the gate at NATOs Brussels headquarters by a Flemish security guard named Karel van Aachen. Technically, the organization still exists. The treaty is still in force; the 28 members of the alliance are still pledged, in theory, to defend each other against aggression; think tank conferences continue to endlessly debate whither NATO in ornate assembly halls; Georgia still publicly holds to its ambition of joining the alliance in some distant future. But long before NATO Secretary-General Gerhard Schroder abandoned his nearly empty HQ last month, it was clear to all observers that, over the course of just a few years, NATO had gone from the strongest and most successful alliance in history to an empty shell and an irrelevance. It was destroyed not by Russian armies but by a lack of interest from its members. The story of NATOs demise demonstrates that sometimes alliances end not with a bang but with a whimper. The long whimper In NATOs case, the long whimper of its demise began with the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump in January 2017. Throughout the endless 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had railed against American allies that he felt did not carry the burden of their own defense. He hinted darkly that as president he would not defend allies that did not pay their share. His praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin further stoked fears in Eastern Europe that he would abandon them to Russias tender mercies. Once he became president, Trumps attitude toward Europe and NATO became just as erratic as his ramshackle presidential campaign. He appointed cabinet secretaries who praised NATO in their confirmation hearings. He allowed visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May to assert that he supported NATO 100 percent. Then, just as suddenly, he would veer back toward bashing allies, calling NATO obsolete, or attacking the EU as a German plot. Story continues Each new tirade would be followed by a new round of tumult in the press and hand-wringing on the part of Europeans. And yet little changed on the ground. U.S. forces remained in Europe, U.S. planes took part in patrolling the skies over the Baltics, and U.S. soldiers still participated in NATO military exercises. Beneath the headlines, NATO quietly remained, on paper, the most powerful military alliance in the world. At first, far from breaking the alliance, Trumps threats even appeared to motivate Europeans in a way that the blandishments of previous presidents had not managed. European defense spending crept up toward their commitment of 2 percent of GDP, and Europeans established new mechanisms for defense cooperation within the post-Brexit EU. At Trumps insistence, NATO proclaimed that counterterrorism was its primary mission and embarked on multiple studies to explore how NATO might fulfill its new purpose. In the end, NATOs new mission did not shift much in the way of resources; the alliance simply stopped talking about its previous core mission of defending Europe from Russian aggression. But these cosmetic changes allowed President Trump to claim that he had succeeded in adapting the alliance to his America First philosophy. In a famous speech delivered in front of the Las Vegas facsimile of the Eiffel Tower, he proclaimed that now, instead of America working for NATO, NATO works for America. Trump no longer thought that NATO was obsolete. To the contrary, it became for him a symbol of how he could restructure American alliances to serve American purposes. Rotten to the corps But beyond the symbolism, it was not really clear that NATO worked for anyone anymore. When Russia stepped up its proxy war in Ukraine in mid-2017, NATO debated a response, but with U.S. energies focused on building a wall on the countrys southern border, it failed to find any consensus for new sanctions or for reinforcing existing deployments in the east. Poland, France, and Germany decided that the EUs new Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) mechanism for defense was more fit for this purpose. Along with most of their European partners, they began using it to supply weapons and training to the Ukrainian government. Officially, NATO declared its neutrality. Russian propaganda pivoted away from denouncing the United States and NATO and toward excoriating Germany and the EU. In early 2018, the Egyptian economy went into free-fall, and the government collapsed. As disorder reigned in Cairo, hundreds of thousands of refugees began appearing on the shores of Greece and Italy. Once again, NATO considered action in this case, a naval mission to intercept and return the refugee boats, seen as both a humanitarian and protective measure, similar to the missions it conducted in the Mediterranean in 2016. But this time, Eastern European members, stung by NATOs neutrality in Ukraine, opposed the alliances participation in the effort. The United States, embroiled in a scandal over Roger Ailess purchase of the New York Times at an IRS tax auction, did not take a side, and in the end NATO did nothing. Then, in January 2019, in response to the U.S. decision to search Iranian shipping boats in the Persian Gulf for weapons shipments, Tehran staged a coup in Baghdad. The Iranian puppet regime ordered U.S. forces out of Iraq while combined Iraqi-Iranian forces attacked Turkish forces in Iraqi Kurdistan and began arming the Kurdish insurgency in southeastern Turkey. Turkey, supported by the Trump administration, asked NATO to invoke its sacred Article V that is, to declare Irans actions as aggression against a NATO member and come to Turkeys aid. Most of the European members of NATO, including France, Germany, Poland, and Italy, flatly refused. Interestingly, these countries had met their 2 percent defense commitment and even endorsed the NATO turn to counterterrorism. But they refused to use their newfound defense muscle to oppose what the United States and Turkey saw as Iranian terrorism in northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey. NATOs refusal to respond to an Article V request triggered the resignation of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. In his resignation letter, Stoltenberg noted that there was little reason to continue running an organization that could not or would not respond to its members needs. Many in Europe agreed that NATOs time had passed, but the United States and Britain were not ready to give up. With support from Germanys Social Democratic-led grand coalition government, they found in former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder a compromise candidate for secretary-general to take up the challenge of redefining NATO for a new age, though just what that meant was left unclear. The Russians welcomed his appointment and declared that they no longer opposed NATO membership for Montenegro and even Serbia. They further said they would consider joining the alliance eventually, an announcement that the Trump administration publicly praised. Russian support, however, did not help Schroder reverse the decline. Most European members, outraged by NATOs good relationship with their enemy in Ukraine, sent their scarce staff officers to EU commands. U.S. attention was absorbed by Eric Trumps trial on charges of insider trading and the Turkish-Iranian war. U.S. officials often didnt show up to NATO meetings, and large-scale NATO military exercises just stopped happening. Most countries quietly ceased to even contribute to NATOs common budget, diverting the funds to their unilateral immigration patrols in the Mediterranean or military training in Ukraine. Struggling even to keep the lights on, Schroder got U.S. and Russian support in 2020 to relocate NATO HQ to a former military base in Bulgaria in what he hoped would eventually be the geographic center of the alliance. Europeans did not object, but most of NATOs staff did not even bother to follow him there. Its the solidarity, stupid In retrospect, it is clear why NATO faded away. For decades, NATO members had focused on what divided them. They had argued mightily over burden sharing and how to respond to Russian aggression or to disorder in North Africa. These were immensely important issues, but the disputes distracted attention from what made NATO special: the deep commitment of its members to each others security. Of course, NATO members did not always agree on what the organizations priorities should be, but NATO as a whole took seriously the threats that each individual member saw to their national security. As a result, in most of its 70 years, NATO, far from being obsolete, had been the tool that U.S. and European policymakers turned to in crisis after crisis. In the Cold War, in the Balkans, in Afghanistan, in Libya, and elsewhere, U.S. presidents and European leaders had found that NATO provided not just military capacity but also a mechanism for rallying allies and securing broader legitimacy for their own defense priorities. NATO worked because its members believed that their partners had their back. Solidarity was at its heart. It is easy to see now that President Trump solved NATOs burden-sharing dilemma by destroying its solidarity. In putting America first, and failing to pay attention to their problems, he got his allies to pay more, but he also guaranteed that they would care less. A NATO that was built to work primarily for America no longer worked at all. And so Americas European allies are not with it in its current struggle with Iran, just as America is not with them in Ukraine. Looking back at NATOs years of achievements, this seems a shame. But absorbed as we are with the new world disorder, nobody seems to care. Van Aachen, the security guard who closed NATO headquarters, was asked recently what he did with the key to the formerly glorious building. I think its at home in my top drawer, he admitted. Nobody asked me for it. Photo credit: VIRGINIA MAYO/AFP/Getty Images By Phil Stewart and Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's defence secretary warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not "moderate" support for the alliance. Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Brussels as Pentagon chief, also accused some NATO members of ignoring threats, including from Russia. "America cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," Mattis said in a closed-door session with NATO defence ministers, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters. The comments represented some of the strongest criticism in memory of allies who have failed to reach defence spending goals. Europe's low expenditure has long been a sore point for the United States, which puts up 70 percent of alliance funds. But Trump has made change a priority, saying allies have "been very unfair to us" for not spending more. Trump was sharply critical of NATO during his election campaign, making European allies nervous by calling the alliance obsolete and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has voiced strong support for NATO, comments echoed by Mattis at NATO's Brussels headquarters. Mattis called NATO "the most successful and powerful military alliance in modern history" and made a point of shaking hands with each of his European counterparts at the start of the meeting. Mattis, however, suggested U.S. support should not be seen as a given. "I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms," Mattis said. "America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence." Mattis stopped short of issuing an explicit ultimatum or say how the United States might moderate its support. The United States for years has called for European allies to spend 2 percent of economic output on defence, he said. But he added that NATO allies must show progress in 2017 and adopt a plan, with target dates, toward defence spending goals. Italy and Spain, two of Europe's larger economies, spend barely 1 percent a year on defence as they seek to curtail budget deficits following the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, three other wealthy European nations that are among the smallest spenders on defence, still need to convince centre-left political parties that do not support higher defence spending, preferring to prioritise welfare and education. But the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania, who fear a repeat of Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, are on course to meet the 2 percent goal, while Romania is also heading towards that level. HARDLY A "MAD DOG" After Mattis' address, Britain's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the former U.S. general had explained that "the impatience of the American taxpayer is a reality". Other defence chiefs appeared to back up Mattis' plea and he was broadly seen to be reassuring NATO of America's commitment after a contentious election campaign that put allies on edge. German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen told the session that "the United States is right" on defence spending, according to one official who was present at the time, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky said he was not surprised by Mattis' remarks, and described him as "absolutely calm, humble even" - far from the "Mad Dog" nickname that Trump himself has used for him. "It wasn't that dramatic," he told Reuters. "The important point is that the United States is committed to a strong NATO and that means properly financed armed forces." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also dismissed concerns about the U.S. commitment to NATO, and played down the fallout from turmoil within Trump's administration. Trump has been jolted by the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn over his contacts with Russia's ambassador. U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Tom Heneghan) By Phil Stewart and Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's defense secretary warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they must honor military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not "moderate" support for the alliance. Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Brussels as Pentagon chief, also accused some NATO members of ignoring threats, including from Russia. "America cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," Mattis said in a closed-door session with NATO defense ministers, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters. The comments represented some of the strongest criticism in memory of allies who have failed to reach defense spending goals. Europe's low expenditure has long been a sore point for the United States, which puts up 70 percent of alliance funds. But Trump has made change a priority, saying allies have "been very unfair to us" for not spending more. Trump was sharply critical of NATO during his election campaign, making European allies nervous by calling the alliance obsolete and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has voiced strong support for NATO, comments echoed by Mattis at NATO's Brussels headquarters. Mattis called NATO "the most successful and powerful military alliance in modern history" and made a point of shaking hands with each of his European counterparts at the start of the meeting. Mattis, however, suggested U.S. support should not be seen as a given. "I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms," Mattis said. "America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defense." Mattis stopped short of issuing an explicit ultimatum or say how the United States might moderate its support. The United States for years has called for European allies to spend 2 percent of economic output on defense, he said. But he added that NATO allies must show progress in 2017 and adopt a plan, with target dates, toward defense spending goals. Italy and Spain, two of Europe's larger economies, spend barely 1 percent a year on defense as they seek to curtail budget deficits following the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, three other wealthy European nations that are among the smallest spenders on defense, still need to convince centre-left political parties that do not support higher defense spending, preferring to prioritize welfare and education. But the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania, who fear a repeat of Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, are on course to meet the 2 percent goal, while Romania is also heading towards that level. HARDLY A "MAD DOG" After Mattis' address, Britain's Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said the former U.S. general had explained that "the impatience of the American taxpayer is a reality". Other defense chiefs appeared to back up Mattis' plea and he was broadly seen to be reassuring NATO of America's commitment after a contentious election campaign that put allies on edge. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told the session that "the United States is right" on defense spending, according to one official who was present at the time, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky said he was not surprised by Mattis' remarks, and described him as "absolutely calm, humble even" - far from the "Mad Dog" nickname that Trump himself has used for him. "It wasn't that dramatic," he told Reuters. "The important point is that the United States is committed to a strong NATO and that means properly financed armed forces." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also dismissed concerns about the U.S. commitment to NATO, and played down the fallout from turmoil within Trump's administration. Trump has been jolted by the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn over his contacts with Russia's ambassador. U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Tom Heneghan) World Netanyahu to visit White House in a new era of Israel-U.S. relations Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Trump on Wednesday, setting the tone for what both leaders hope to be the dawn of a new era for the U.S.-Israel relationship. Analysts say that the meeting will try to project a public theme of unity between the two governments on topics including Iran, Israeli settlements and the fate of the peace process. The Trump administration has suggested that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solution a position that could represent a dramatic shift from 20 years of U.S. policy. Both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have a very big stake in wanting to demonstrate that whatever the problems were with the last administration, theyre now gone. Dennis Ross, a diplomat and Middle East coordinator under President Bill Clinton While close security and economic ties between the U.S. and Israel continued and expanded during the previous U.S. administration, Netanyahu and then-President Obama often sparred on a number of key issues, particularly over the contours of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement and the U.S.-brokered Iranian nuclear deal, which the Israeli leader forcefully denounced. During his final White House news conference, Obama warned that the moment for a two-state solution may be passing and said the status quo is unsustainable. For North Koreas heir apparent Kim Jong Un, Oct. 10, 2010, was a glorious day. It was just two weeks since he had been unveiled before the nation as the successor to then-leader Kim Jong Il, his father, at a big conference of the ruling Workers Party of Korea. That day, journalists from around the world, even the hated United States, descended upon Pyongyang to bear witness to the unity and might of the Workers Party on its 65th anniversary. There was a military parade, and shutters clicked as Jong Un and his father waved down to the crowd from their dais. It all went according to plan, and, to top it off, the Kim regimes most hated critic, former politician and defector Hwang Jang Yop, had been found dead in his Seoul bathroom that very morning. Hwangs death was a fortunate coincidence assassins were forever chasing him, but it was age that got there first. The next day, however, didnt go nearly so well. And as is usual for the Kims, it was family who got in the way. An interview that Jong Uns estranged half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, had recorded on Oct. 9 was broadcast on Japans TV Asahi, in which he made candid comments about losing out on the leadership of North Korea (I am not disappointed), the choice of Kim Jong Un as successor (It was my fathers decision), and the speed at which the succession seemed to be proceeding (I think there are internal reasons for it). He demurred over his fathers health (I have no comment) but then added for good measure, Personally speaking, I am opposed to the third-generation succession. By the low standards of defiance in Pyongyang, this was throwing down the gauntlet. It was neither the first nor the last of Kim Jong Nams incendiary comments about his family. Like his father, Jong Nam had been brought up expecting a place at the top. His much older cousin Ri Il Nam, then a teenager, recalled playing with Jong Nam when he was a small child. It wasnt a task Ri much relished. In a florid memoir released 14 years after his 1982 defection to South Korea, Ri recalls one of his first meetings with Jong Nam in 1977. Ri was dressed in the uniform of North Koreas hyper-elite Mangyongdae Revolutionary School but the 6-year-old Jong Nam was sporting the attire of a senior military officer. My military uniform is better than yours, Jong Nam declared precociously. Is that so? asked Ri. What is yours? It is the uniform of a marshal, came the reply. My father had it made for me on my birthday. Kim Jong Il wasnt yet leader that would have to wait until his father, original dictator Kim Il Sung, died in 1994 but he was determined to make sure his son got his proper place. On his birthday each year, Jong Nam is said to have put on a military uniform and reviewed an honor guard, and every year he would be promoted one more rank. By the age of 7, he was at the very top. There was no question that Kim Jong Il adored his son. But there was a problem. Jong Nams mother, Song Hye Rim, was not married to Jong Il, which made his parentage and upbringing an awkward maneuvering point for the ruling family. Jong Il, who was struggling to ensure that he would be the one to inherit the leadership from Kim Il Sung, dared not let the truth get out. Finally, in 1974, after six years of trying to legitimize the relationship and mired in a deep depression, Song left North Korea for the Soviet Union. It is often said that Jong Nam would have inherited the North Korean throne were it not for an embarrassing incident that resulted in his deportation from Japan in 2001 for traveling on a fake passport. But even as a small child in a marshals uniform, his place in the line of succession was already insecure. By the time Ri Il Nam met Jong Nam, Jong Ils next lover, Ko Young Hee, was on her way to taking Songs place. By the late 1990s, Kim Jong Un was the one being educated about the revolutionary sites of North Korea whilst a miniature cult of personality was being built around Ko. The stock of Kos two sons, Jong Un and Jong Chul, grew, mostly at Jong Nams expense. In March 2011, Jong Nam acknowledged his obvious political decline. Pointing out that his half-siblings had been born while he was studying in Geneva back in the 1980s, Jong Nam mused that his father had probably redirected his love toward Jong Chul, Jong Un, and their sister, Yo Jong, starting many years before. I was a totally capitalist kid, he explained. I guess my father didnt expect anything from me. In the grand sweep of North Korean history, Jong Nams deportation from Tokyo is less of an issue than we tend to think. Carrying a fake passport to travel abroad was common back then for the Norths elite, eager to enjoy foreign luxuries. Jong Un is alleged to have tried it, using a Brazilian passport to enter Japan. Getting deported made headlines around the world, but for Jong Nam, It didnt change my life one little bit. The die was already cast. Soon, he would leave North Korea once and for all, sent into Asian exile as an unwelcome branch of the dynastic family and it was in exile that he met his end, poison sprayed into his eyes in a Malaysian airport. In the years leading up to his death, Jong Nam had begun to cut a rather tragic public figure. He would appear every now and then, often in airports. There, he would invariably be buttonholed on the hoof by media from South Korea and Japan, with a seemingly insatiable appetite for news of the lives of the North Korean ruling family. He didnt give too much away and besides, for all the ignominy that accompanied a life in Macau exile, he seemed to be enjoying himself. At a minimum, exile was an effective way of staying alive, for a while at least. With the death of his father, Jong Nam said he wanted to stop talking. Things had become more dangerous. In the final batch of emails that he sent to Japanese journalist Yoji Gomi, Jong Nam warned that while Pyongyang may have accepted his outspoken comments previously, during the 100 days of mourning for his late father it was imperative to remain silent and respectful. He told the Japanese journalist to ensure that no new information emerged and said after three years he would return to the idea of publishing a book of their correspondences. On Jan. 3, 2012, in his very last email, Jong Nam spoke still more critically about the succession of his brother. He questioned the concept of third-generation hereditary rule and wondered aloud whether Jong Un, with a mere two years of succession training under his belt, had the ability to manage North Korea in his fathers absence. Ignoring Jong Nams warning, Gomi published the book in Japanese a few short weeks later. It came out in Korean on March 21, 2012. Only 95 days had passed since Kim Jong Ils death. The nature of Jong Nams assassination is still unclear. One of the assassins has been caught holding Vietnamese documentation that may be as fake as Jong Nams own passport once was but we still dont know why Jong Nam was killed. Given the target and the method, which recalls the assassination of dissident Bulgarian Georgi Markov with a poisoned umbrella on Waterloo Bridge four decades ago, it is hardly surprising that all eyes are on Pyongyang. The killing has more than a hint of state sponsorship about it. But on the other hand, Jong Nam lived a troubled existence. His love life was as complicated and varied as Jong Ils had once been, and there is no doubt that he had enemies, and connections, in the shadowy, frequently criminal world of North Koreans overseas. Macau is Chinas offshore center of both gambling and the triads. Plenty of people could have wished him dead. If we can be sure of one thing, though, it is that the North Korean government doesnt take kindly to people spilling the beans on the inner workings of the Kim dynasty. When Ri Il Nam was shot dead in front of his apartment elevator in Seoul at the end of February 1997, at first there was speculation it must have been an act of retribution for the defection of the senior Workers Party secretary Hwang Jang Yop in China a few days earlier. This was plausible; Kim Jong Il was reportedly livid at the escape. But the shooting of Ri could also have been in response to the book hed written the previous year, in which he loudly and clearly exposed the Kim family in all its extravagant vulgarity, or to the defection of Ris mother, Song Hye Rims sister, who also wrote a colorful book about her experiences. There seems to be no proximate cause to take out Jong Nam now but some invisible line may long since have been crossed. At the end of the day, Kim Jong Nams death is not likely to attract much in the way of sympathy. He was no dissident, but instead a castoff aristocrat, and he didnt speak truth to power. He advanced the agenda of North Korean human rights not one iota. He had a documented interest in opening the North Korean economy but didnt make much progress in that area, either. He lived and died in exile, an occasionally outspoken symbol of the abject failure of the North Korean political system to resolve its internal differences without acts of deadly violence. Photo credit: KNS/AFP/Getty Images As a superhero, Legion is not stronger or quippier or darker. He is, however, mentally ill. At the beginning of FXs new show based on the Marvel character, David Haller (Downton Abbeys Dan Stevens) has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and locked away in Clockworks Psychiatric Hospital. There, fellow patient and love interest Syd Barrett (yes, thats her real name) helps him discover he has special abilities: telepathy and telekinesis. Are Davids delusionsa yellow-eyed devil, cutlery leaping from drawers and swirling around hima manifestation of his illness or his powers? David doesnt know and neither do viewers. Legion, a fringe comic-book character, has a backstory that is seemingly impossible to translate to the screen, which is exactly why show creator Noah Hawley chose to tackle it. When FX approached the comic book fan with the idea of doing an X-Men spinoff, Hawley decided to eschew the typical running and kicking of other superhero series, like Netflixs Daredevil or the CWs Supergirl. Legion doesnt wear a uniform or a cape. Hawleys would be a superhero show of the mind. True surrealism is still rare on television, though Hawley cites Twin Peaks and, more recently, Hannibal as exceptions. I looked to the Italian film The Great Beauty a lot when I was making this. Its a film where [the director] goes back and forth between reality and memory and dream, he says. (That director, Paolo Sorrentino, is behind HBOs fantastical The Young Pope.) None of it is treated differently cinematically, so theres no help for the audience to know when something is real and when something is surreal. If there is anyone who can adapt the un-adaptable, its Hawley. He transformed the classic, some would say perfect, Coen Brothers film Fargo into a television series that embraced the idiosyncrasies of the moviethe Minnesotan accents, the bumbling carnagebut with a completely different set of characters. The first season was nominated for 18 Emmys and won best mini-series. The show also won a Peabody. The unexpected success of Fargo catapulted Hawley to the status of auteur. He made a second season of Fargo and is now working on a third, this one starring Ewan McGregor playing rival brothers: the Parking Lot King of Minnesota, and a parole officer with a chip on his shoulder. In addition to Fargo and Legion, Hawley is also adapting Kurt Vonneguts acerbic satire Cats Cradle into a series. (Legion, Fargo and Cats Cradle will all air on FX.) Theres more: Hawley published his fifth novel Before the Fall, a Rashomon-style mystery that skewers a Fox News-like network, to critical raves this summer. Sony optioned the book before it even hit shelves. (He is writing the screenplay.) Hes also gearing up for his big screen directorial debut for a sci-fi movie called Man Alive. If that sounds overwhelming, it isespecially since Hawley is not a delegator. When Universal Studios recruited him to write a script for its upcoming monster movie franchise that will revive characters like the Mummy and Frankenstein, Hawley agreed before realizing he had simply did not have the time and left the project. This success, though seemingly hitting all at once, has been some 20 years in the making. Hawleys mother and grandmother were both writersa playwright and a nonfiction writer, respectivelybut he grew up wanting to be a rock star. In his teens, he and three other guys formed a band in New York. After college, they lived out of a van and sold home-made CDs. When he grew tired of the musicians life, he took a paralegal job in San Francisco and wrote fiction on the side. He joined a writers collective whose members worked out of a converted cat-and-dog hospital. It took Hawley three at-bats writing books before any were published. He ran two shows that didnt last a full season. (He also spent time writing for police procedural Bones.) His pitch for Fargo, a 21-page document, attempted to capture the essence of the film: Its a crime story, an allegory about what happens when a civilized man puts on his mukluks and tromps out into the wilderness. Its a dark, 3-D look at the mess he makes and the demon he brings back, it reads. It caught the brothers attention and got the green light. Hawley is one of a handful of writersincluding Shonda Rhimes (Greys Anatomy, Scandal) and Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Feud)who enjoy unprecedented creative freedom. Their slate of shows diverge in subject but share an aesthetic vocabulary. When he wrote for network television a decade ago, Hawley recalls, executives often demanded that writers clarify eventsexplain things ad nauseam rather than allow the audience to reach its own conclusion (or no conclusion at all). Hawleys work for FX defies this. The troubled mutant is played by Stevens, best known as the charming love interest Matthew on Downton. Hawley says he cast him in part for his romantic lead potentialTheres a love story at the center of this show but also because of the wicked edge he brought to the offbeat 2014 thriller, The Guest, and the humor he coaxed out of a one-episode arc on the weed-dealer comedy series, High Maintenance. Whether Legion is a good guy or a bad guy is up for debate, but Hawley cites the moral ambiguity of the X-Men movies, which pits mutants whove seen the evils of humanity and want to rule them against those who want to try to peacefully cohabitate with them. I like the idea that for Legion, his future is not set, says Hawley. Theres a question of which way hell go. Audiences familiar with Stevens may find the actors evasive mumbling and wry smile initially off-putting in Legion, but thats partly the point. Hawley posted the term uncanny all over the Legion art department and reiterated it on the set of the show, borrowing the concept from the Uncanny X-Men series in which Legion appears. He cites Sigmund Freuds essay on the uncanny and how familiar things acting in unfamiliar ways can be horrifying. A haunted house is still the most frightening story because your house is supposed to be a place of safety. Another classic example is the girl in the Exorcist spider-walking down the stairs. We know how human beings are supposed to move, and its not like that. Watching Legion is disorienting. Aesthetically, the show is more Stanley Kubrick (a hero of Hawleys) than Coen. The costumes, like Davids bright orange jumpsuit, are straight out of the 1970s, but the technology verges on 22nd century. Often the audience has no idea where they are in terms of time or space as the story moves through flashbacks, dreams and disconnected vignettes. My hope is that when you watch the first hour, though it may not always be clear what every image means, and what the information is that youre supposed to be gathering from every moment. Those answers are coming, he says. And so by the end of the first season, its going to be very clear whats going on. Thats not to say that Legion is just a puzzle. Hawleys work tends to be more tone poem than mystery. Guessing the twists, in other words, wont ruin things. I could tell you what happens in Fargo, but you still wouldnt really know because that show is so much about how it happens or who it happens to. In Legion, certain portions of the audience will guess whats going on before others, Hawley says. But what I love about the genre is the awe and whimsy. This isnt an earnest, good-vs.-evil story. Its an exercise in creativity. North Korea on Wednesday rejected a U.N. Security Council statement that denounced the country's ballistic missile test and urged it to fully comply with its international obligations to denuclearize. A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman defended the missile test, according to Reuters, which cited North Koreas state-run KCNA news agency. The official claimed that conducting the missile test was aimed at testing a self-defense measure and that it was the country's sovereign right. In a statement Monday, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the U.N. secretary-general, said: The Secretary-General strongly condemns the launch of another ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 12 February. The U.N. said North Koreas development of nuclear weapons delivery systems is increasing tension, adding that the launch is a further troubling violation of Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2321 (2016) that strengthened sanctions against the regime. The statement also said that North Korea is choosing to invest in weaponization while the country's citizens have great unmet needs. North Korea asserted Monday that the Pukguksong-2, which it successfully test-fired, is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. The missile used in the latest test traveled 300 miles before plunging into the Sea of Japan. The test had occurred during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes visit to the United States. On Sunday, Trump responded to the missile test with an assurance to Abe that Washington was committed to the security of its key Asian ally. However, Trump did not directly name North Korea in his statement. "I just want everybody to understand and fully know that the United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100 percent," he said, without elaborating. Abe denounced Pyongyang's missile launch as "absolutely intolerable" while top government spokesman Yoshihide Suge told reporters in Tokyo it was "clearly a provocation to Japan and the region." Related Articles By Julie Steenhuysen CHICAGO (Reuters) - The first national analysis of the impact of the Affordable Care Act on people with HIV showed significant increases in health insurance coverage among people infected with the virus that causes AIDS, according to a report released on Tuesday. The report comes as Republican lawmakers and President Donald Trump discuss ways to repeal the health insurance law, also known as Obamacare, which expanded insurance coverage to 20 million people. The study was based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Medical Monitoring Project, which gathers nationally representative information about people who have or are being treated for HIV infections - but not all people with HIV. It excluded the undiagnosed or those diagnosed but not being treated. According to the report, much of the increase in coverage came from the 31 states and the District of Columbia that expanded access to the federal Medicaid program for the poor and disabled. Nationwide, Medicaid coverage of people being treated for HIV rose to 42 percent in 2014, up from 36 percent in 2012, the year before the law went into effect, according to the report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. In the Medicaid expansion states sampled, Medicaid coverage rose to 51 percent in 2014, up from 39 percent in 2012, and the share of uninsured fell to 7 percent from 13 percent. "It basically demonstrates that the Medicaid expansion made a significant difference in the lives of people with HIV in providing new and expanded coverage," Kaiser health policy analyst Jennifer Kates, one of the report's authors, said in a telephone interview. The findings underscore some of the difficulties lawmakers face as they go about repealing and replacing Obamacare. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), states received funding to expand Medicaid eligibility to nearly all individuals with incomes at or below 138 percent of the official poverty level. The law also did away with other eligibility requirements, such as disability or being pregnant, that prevented many poor adults with HIV from gaining Medicaid coverage. The ACA also banned the insurance industry practice of denying private insurance coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. And it included provisions that prevented insurance companies from setting significantly higher rates for people with HIV, or imposing annual or lifetime coverage limits. These changes may have helped some people with HIV gain access to private insurance, but the biggest impact came from Medicaid expansion. "The main takeaway is that for a population that faced a pretty significant barrier to Medicaid before the ACA, expansion of Medicaid made a big difference," she said. If efforts to repeal the ACA result in the elimination of Medicaid expansion, the study said, "most people with HIV who gained coverage would likely lose it unless states adopt alternative approaches to retaining the newly covered population in the program." Disruptions in care pose significant challenges to people with HIV because they can increase the chance that the virus will become drug resistant. Studies have shown that taking drugs to suppress the virus dramatically reduces the risk of spreading HIV to others. New figures released by the CDC earlier on Tuesday show the number of annual HIV infections in the United States fell 18 percent between 2008 and 2014, from an estimated 45,700 to 37,600. CDC researchers said they believe the declines in annual HIV infections are due, in large part, to efforts to increase the number of people living with HIV who know their HIV status and are virally suppressed meaning their HIV infection is under control through effective treatment. "This is a top public health priority," CDC said in a statement. (Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Tom Brown) PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) Two suicide bombings in northwestern Pakistan killed at least six people on Wednesday following an almost three-month-long lull in the volatile region. A breakaway Taliban faction claimed responsibility for one of the attacks a bombing that targeted the area's administrative tribal headquarters. Three policemen and two passers-by died in that attack, which took place in the Mohmand tribal region near the Afghan border. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, or Freedom Movement, claimed the attack in a text message sent to The Associated Press. The same militant faction had said it was behind a deadly suicide bombing earlier this week in Lahore. The explosion went off at the main gate of the tribal headquarters in Ghalanai in the Mohmand tribal region, just as the workday was about to start, said Hameedullah Khan, a local government official. Khan, whose office is inside the compound, said the grounds are home to residences, offices and training facilities for the local administration and police employees. Hundreds of local residents come daily on business to the tribal headquarters, located 45 kilometers (28 miles) outside Peshawar, the provincial capital. The bombing was followed by gunshots, Khan added. The Pakistani army said the bomber was accompanied by another militant, who tried to force his way into the compound after the explosion went off but that security guards opened fire and killed him. The army statement said there was a higher level of vigilance among the local security forces following intelligence that would-be attackers had infiltrated the area from neighboring Afghanistan. Hours later, a suicide bomber struck a vehicle carrying local judges and judicial officials in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Police official Sajjad Khan said a driver was killed and five others were wounded in that explosion. Earlier, a would-be suicide bomber died when he prematurely detonated his explosives near a security convoy about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the tribal headquarters, police officer Suhail Khalid said. No one was hurt in that explosion. Story continues The Lahore bombing on Monday targeted policemen who were escorting a protest march. That attack killed 13, including seven policemen. A former chief of the province's counter-terrorism department was also among those killed. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is based in the Mohmand area part of rugged, lawless regions along the Afghan border which have long served as safe havens for local and al-Qaida-linked foreign militants. Pakistan has waged several offensives against militants in recent years, including a major operation that started in mid-2014 in the last key insurgent sanctuary of North Waziristan. The authorities declared the offensive a success, saying it uprooted militants, killed hundreds and forced many to flee across the border into Afghanistan. Others went into hiding in Pakistani urban areas where they have a vast support network of seminaries and religious groups. A U.S. drone campaign also helped the offensive by targeting the Taliban. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar emerged in late 2014, when a leadership crisis fractured the Pakistani Taliban movement which is separate from the Afghan Taliban and splintered it into various groups. The group's most recent attacks came in late 2016, after Washington declared it a terrorist organization. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is led by militant known as Omar Khaled Khorasani, whose real name is Abdul Wali Khan. A former Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, is a key commander in the group, which also has links with several Pakistani militant and sectarian groups and has expressed support for the Islamic State group. ___ Shahzad reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, contributed to this report. MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian long distance swimming great Grant Hackett was arrested and detained by police in the Gold Coast on Wednesday after a "breakdown" at his parents' home, local media reported. The troubled triple Olympic champion's father told local newspaper, the Gold Coast Bulletin, that he had called the police so his 36-year-old son could be given help. "Grant's got a medical problem and it manifested itself here this morning... he was raving and ranting a bit," Neville Hackett told the paper. "He's been receiving treatment from a doctor. He's big and powerful when he's not happy. We decided he needed some treatment but there was no way he was going to go and get treatment this morning, so we called the police. "The only way the police can do anything under the law of the land is to arrest him for domestic violence." Neville Hackett said the swimmer had not made any threats but was not "what you say is a normal person". Later, Grant's brother Craig told the Australian Associated Press that the swimmer posed a danger to himself and the community. "The Grant Hackett that Australia fell in love with, they can still have that affection towards him," Craig said. "(But) this is not Grant Hackett. This is a completely different person. I don't know this person, my mum and dad don't know this person. He's there in body, but he's not there in mind, soul or spirit. PAST ISSUES "We can't do it. It's getting to the point where he's dangerous. He's a danger to himself and to the community. "It doesn't look encouraging, but who knows? If he gets the right type of treatment and that's what we're really counting on, maybe, just maybe he might be able to claw himself out of it." Local broadcaster Channel Seven posted video footage of Hackett being driven to a local police station in handcuffs. A Queensland Police spokesman said a man had been arrested "following a disturbance at a Surfer's Avenue address at Mermaid Waters around midday". Grant Hackett's agent was unavailable for comment. Hackett won 1,500 meters gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and at Athens in 2004 before retiring after the 2008 Games in Beijing, where he won silver in the event. The 10-times world champion returned to the pool last year to make an unsuccessful bid to qualify for the Rio Olympics. He was questioned by airport police in Melbourne last April after an altercation with a passenger on a flight. He said he had been binge drinking in the wake of his Olympic disappointment and publicly apologized. Hackett has previously struggled with prescription drug problems and admitted he became dependent on a sleep medication. The swimmer flew to the United States in 2014 to spend time in a rehab center after he was spotted topless and disoriented in the lobby of a Melbourne casino. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Additional reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien) Speaking at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to scuttle long-standing U.S. support for a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. If Bibi and the Israelis and the Palestinians are all happy, I am looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like I can live with either one, Trump said. Abandoning the two-state solution would be a marked departure from bipartisan U.S. foreign policy of the past 15 years. The United States has explicitly supported the establishment of a two state solution since June of 2002, as former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro noted on Twitter. Ahead of the meeting, Husam Zolot, strategic affairs advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Reuters, The two-state solution is not something we just came up with. It is an international consensus and decision after decades of Israels rejection of the one-state democratic formula. Trumps utterances prompted plenty of concern about the future of the Middle East peace process and Israels own future. The extreme right won tonight. The state of Israel has lost, tweeted Zionist Union MK Erel Margalit. Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and once said to be in the running for a Trump State Department job, tweeted, Maybe Pres Trump can live with a 1 state solution but Israel could not if it wanted to remain democratic, Jewish, secure & prosperous. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres reiterated through the U.N. spokespersons Twitter account that there is no plan B to a 2-state solution. Yousef Munayyer of the the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights tweeted, The question is no longer one state or two. It is clearly one state. Question now is what kind of one state: apartheid or equality. Trump may have spoken flippantly at the press conference, not intending to signal a sharp break with U.S. policy. But the statement was not inconsistent with his campaign, and administration officials told Reuters Tuesday that Trump could support a one-state solution, suggesting that the president did not improvise on Wednesday. Story continues Netanyahu seemed nonplussed, and dismissed the semantics as a matter of labels. The prime minister said he is concerned more with substance: specifically, the substance of Palestinians recognizing Israels right to exist, and Israel maintaining security control over territory west of the Jordan River. In response to Trumps request to hold off on settlements for a while in pursuit of a peace deal, Netanyahu simply said, Well try, adding, Thats the art of the deal. Later in the press conference, an Israeli journalist asked about the rise of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States since Trumps election, and what the president would say to those who believe his administration is playing with xenophobia and maybe racist tones. In response, Trump noted that he won 306 electoral college votes and has a Jewish daughter, a Jewish son-in-law, and three Jewish grandchildren. We are going to do everything in our power to stop long simmering racism and every other thing thats going on, he said. I think one of the reasons I got elected is because we have a very, very divided nation, before concluding, Youre going to see a lot of love. Photo credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images More than a decade ago, Ron Stork, a flood management expert and policy adviser for a California environmental group, tried to get state and federal officials to pay attention to potentially catastrophic problems at the Oroville Dam, the tallest in North America. Storks concerns centered around an earthen spillway designed to divert water from Lake Oroville toward a nearby river if the dams primary concrete spillway became inundated. Stork and others argued that if officials ever used the unpaved spillway, it could erode enough to compromise a 1,700-foot-long portion of the dam protecting Oroville and other towns downstream, possibly flooding them with billions of gallons of water. It is eerily prophetic, Stork says today about the 2005 motion he authored and filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. But the pushback was, Well never use that spillway. Dont worry. Everythings OK up there. This weekend, officials used that earthen hillside for the first time after significant rainfall pushed Lake Oroville to record levels and led to a massive hole opening up in the primary concrete spillway nearby. Officials ordered more than 100,000 people to evacuate over concerns that the dam itself could give way but rescinded that order on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the state is working to shore up the earthen spillway with rocks and sandbags in preparation for more rainfall this week. The Oroville Dam, which has already led to $100 million in damage, may wind up being Exhibit A for those pushing for a nationwide infrastructure bill, something President Donald Trump has promised. Experts, meanwhile, point to the dam as an example of existing public works projects that lack proper maintenance and funding and only get attention when peoples lives are in danger. The Oroville Dam catastrophe is due to the fact that we in the United States have taken our eyes off of infrastructure, says Scott Myers-Lipton, a San Jose State University sociology professor and author of Rebuild America: Solving the Economic Crisis Through Civic Works. Story continues In 2012, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave California a D for the condition of its levees, dams and flood-control systems, estimating at least $28 billion in needed funding over 10 years just for maintenance and replacements. That grade is the same one the ASCE gave to dams nationwide. According to the group, the average age of the countrys 84,000 dams is 52 years old, almost 14,000 of which were considered high-hazard in 2012 while more than 4,000 were deemed deficient. The Oroville Dam was officially completed in 1968 to hold back Lake Oroville, the states second-largest manmade lake, while generating hydroelectricity for nearby areas and providing water for the Northern California. When the dam was up for re-licensing in 2005, three California environmental groups the Sierra Club, the South Yuba Citizens League, and the Friends of the River, where Stork is a senior policy adviser filed a motion with the FERC citing its concerns about the dams emergency spillway after noticing that officials didnt want to use the spillway following heavy flooding in 1997. The states Department of Water Resources ultimately argued that the repairs were unnecessary, and federal officials agreed. Lester Snow, an official with the states DWR during the dams re-licensing process, told The Mercury News he didnt remember details surrounding that process while saying: The dam and the outlet structures have always done well in tests in inspections. The Trump administration has signaled that infrastructure is one of its top priorities and reiterated that again on Tuesday. The situation is a textbook example of why we need to pursue a major infrastructure package in Congress, said White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday. Dams, bridges, roads and all ports around the country have fallen into disrepair. In order to prevent the next disaster, we will pursue the presidents vision for overhaul of our nations crumbling infrastructure. Last month, the White House released a list of 50 potential projects that could be part of a nationwide infrastructure bill totaling $137 billion in investments including water, transit, highway and airport projects. Democrats, meanwhile, have proposed their own $1 trillion infrastructure bill. But the concern for some experts is that maintenance for existing infrastructure like the Oroville Dam may not get the attention they need. We continually have these local disasters, which leads folks to talk about that we need to invest in infrastructure, says Myers-Lipton. And then little happens. Paris Jackson is indeed one sweet sister. Michael Jacksons daughter recently shared a rare glimpse of her childhood when she shared a throwback photo of herself and her brother Prince on Instagram. The post was Paris tribute to her brother as he celebrated his 20th birthday. Paris Instagram post was accompanied by a touching caption for her big brother. According to Daily Express, the 18-year-old daughter of the late king of pop wrote a message of gratitude for being her rock and for being the coolest brother. The coolest big brother ever and my bestest friend in the whole wide world is 20 today and I honestly can't believe how fast the time has gone by, Paris wrote. Thank you gooko for always supporting me and encouraging me to be myself. There's no one like you, you're my rock. happy birthday, I love you. It was not just Paris, however, who had good words for her sibling. Prince also took to Instagram to post a video congratulating his sister for a job well done when she presented at the 2017 Grammy Awards. So proud of my sister, not only did she address a crowd that big, but she designed a tasteful dress that expresses her individuality and uniqueness and she ROCKED it, Prince captioned the video. Proud of you @parisjackson. Speaking of the Grammys, E! News noted Paris, who wore a striped Balmain jumpsuit and a custom Jeremy Scott dress, made it to their list of best dressed stars. At the event, Paris introduced The Weeknds performance. Meanwhile, Paris also gave a tribute to her late father Michael at the 2017 Grammy Awards. On Sunday, Paris called her dad a legend and quoted one of his famous poems to the audience. As per Daily Mail, the inspiring quote that Paris said at the event came from Michaels book of reflective poetry, Dancing the Dream, which was released in 1992. A legend once said that a star can never die, it just turns into a smile and melts back into the cosmic music, the dance of life, Paris said. Story continues Paris and her sibling, Prince and Blanket, made their Grammy debut back in 2010. As International Business Times previously reported, they attended the Grammys to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of their late father. What are your thoughts on Paris and Princes Instagram tribute to one another? Feel free to comment below. Paris Jackson Photo: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni Related Articles THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) A Dutch court has upheld a mayor's refusal to issue a driver's license to a man who submitted a photo of himself wearing a colander on his head. According to a court statement Wednesday, the man wanted the photo on his license as an expression of his Pastafarian faith. Pastafarians belong to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a parody group that began in the U.S. in 2005 protesting religion encroaching into the nation's public schools. The mayor of the Dutch city of Eindhoven last year rejected the man's request, in part because he ruled that the group couldn't be considered a genuine religion. Religious headdresses are allowed on Dutch passport photos. The court agreed, saying that Pastafarian faith "did not show sufficient seriousness to be considered a religion." By Roberta Rampton and Noah Barkin WASHINGTON/BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence heads to Europe this week to meet with allies seeking clarity on the Trump administration's foreign policy strategy and its stance toward Russia after the resignation of the top White House national security aide. Pence, who has hewn more closely to Republican orthodoxy than his boss President Donald Trump, will attend the Munich Security Conference this weekend and will visit Brussels. The trip comes as turmoil swirls within the administration following the resignation of Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, on Monday. Flynn, who championed closer ties to Russia, stepped down after reports he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Moscow with Russia's ambassador. Even before Flynn's departure, Trump's calls for warmer ties with Moscow and his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin had unnerved both U.S. lawmakers at home and NATO allies. Trump has called NATO "obsolete" and said member nations were not paying their fair share for U.S. protection. Some European capitals greeted Flynn's departure with relief. Flynn was seen by some officials in Europe as one of the Trump administrations leading advocates of closer ties to Russia and a hardline opponent of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and western powers. One fear, ahead of a series of important elections in Europe, is that a Trump White House could actively promote the disintegration of the European Union, Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference told reporters in Berlin. Ischinger said he hopes Pence states clearly that the breakup of the EU is not the goal of the U.S. government. MIXED MESSAGES Pence may be unable to lay out many details about Trump's policies given the turbulence on the foreign policy team, but he could provide insight into White House views ahead of a NATO summit in May that Trump will attend. "I think from the administration's point of view, this is an opportunity to make a very major pronouncement on its foreign policy and its European policy," said Alexander Vershbow, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and a former deputy secretary general of NATO. The White House has not yet previewed Pence's remarks. Pence's comments on Russia's incursions into Ukraine will be closely parsed to see whether Trump will be willing to trade off U.S. economic sanctions to achieve other security goals, said Vershbow, now with the Atlantic Council. Trump's mixed messages on NATO have perplexed European allies. "One minute NATO is obsolete - the next minute he loves NATO. One minute NATO is an impediment and doesnt do anything for terrorism - the next minute NATO is the centerpiece of the global fight," said retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis, a former supreme allied commander of NATO. Pence is the right person to set a more reassuring tone, said Stavridis, now dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. "Because of his personality: he's calm, he's centered, he's thoughtful, he's widely regarded with respect on both sides of the aisle in the United States," Stavridis said in an interview. With Flynn's departure, European officials said they hope Pence, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson become the dominant players in Trump's foreign policy. But this remains an open question. Tillerson is also in Europe this week, meeting with G20 nations in Bonn, and Mattis traveled to NATO, warning allies that they must honor military spending pledges. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton in Washington, Noah Barkin and Andrea Shalal in Berlin, and John Irish in Paris; Editing by Caren Bohan and James Dalgleish) Everyone is celebrating right now, including some romantic penguins at the California Academy of Sciences. Biologist Piper Dwight handed out red felt Valentine's hearts to 14 African penguins during feeding time. SEE ALSO: Stop everything: the nation's zoos are in a vicious, wonderful #CuteAnimalTweetOff With adorable results, obviously. According to Dwight, the penguins will take these fuzzy hearts back to their nests to help them sit on eggs and create burrows, or they'll probably just steal them from one another to see who can collect the most. Male penguins will also use them to decorate their nests, which encourages bonding and breeding among penguin couples. The Valentines were created by the Academy's Teen Advocates for Science and are decorated with sweet messages (and cute penguin puns) like "Waddle I do without you?" and "I like long waddles on the beach." This annual event promotes conservation efforts for endangered African penguins. We're sure that if a penguin BF brings one of these hearts home for his penguin bae, he'll have a Valentine for life. [h/t Yahoo] BRUSSELS (AP) In an ultimatum to America's allies, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told fellow NATO members Wednesday to increase military spending by year's end or risk seeing the U.S. curtail its defense support a stark threat given Europe's deep unease already over U.S.-Russian relations. Echoing President Donald Trump's demands for NATO countries to assume greater self-defense responsibility, Mattis said Washington will "moderate its commitment" to the alliance if countries fail to fall in line. He didn't offer details, but the pressure is sure to be felt, particularly by governments in Europe's eastern reaches that feel threatened by Russian expansionism. Trump's Russia policy remains a mystery for many of America's closest international partners. As a candidate, the Republican president steered clear of criticizing Moscow for its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he wanted a new era of cooperation between the former Cold War foes. But that possibility grew murkier this week as Trump fired his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, over the retired Army lieutenant general's communications with Russia before Trump took office. The departure of Flynn, who also promoted the idea of working with Moscow, has added to speculation about how the U.S.-Russian relationship might evolve. Amid the uncertainty from Washington, the Kremlin may be testing the West's resolve. A U.S. defense official said this week that Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era nuclear arms control treaty. And violence has sporadically re-ignited in eastern Ukraine, where the U.S. and its partners say Moscow continues to back a separatist insurgency. "No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of Western values," Mattis told the alliance's 27 other defense ministers, according to a text of his remarks. "Americans cannot care more for your children's future security than you do." Story continues The entire alliance seemed to hang on Mattis' every word Wednesday. Officials crowded around televisions at the NATO meeting in Brussels to watch the retired general's initial appearance with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Defense ministers clustered around Mattis as he entered the meeting room. Citing danger from Russia, Mattis told the closed meeting of ministers they must adopt a plan this year that sets dates for governments to meet a military funding goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. He called the funding increase a "fair demand" based on the "political reality" in Washington, an apparent reference to Trump's past criticism of NATO as "obsolete" and his much-touted "'America First" mantra. Noting the threat posed by the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, Mattis said: "Some in this alliance have looked away in denial of what is happening." "We have failed to fill gaps in our NATO response force or to adapt," he added. Trump has challenged the alliance to take on a greater share of military costs, even rattling European nations by suggesting the U.S. might not defend allies unwilling to fulfill their financial obligations as NATO members. Mattis didn't go that far, and Wednesday's focus appeared to be on simply increasing military funding if not fully reaching the target. Many European governments face hostility to more military spending, especially as their slow economic recoveries force belt-tightening elsewhere. The United States is by far NATO's most powerful member, spending more on defense than all the others combined. It devoted 3.61 percent of American GDP last year to military spending, according to NATO estimates a level that has somewhat tapered off in recent years. Germany, by contrast, spent 1.19 percent of its overall budget on defense. Ten countries commit even less, and seven including Canada, Italy and Spain would have to virtually double military spending to reach the target. Luxembourg would require a fourfold increase to get close. Along with the U.S., the other countries that do reach NATO's benchmark for military spending are Britain, Estonia, Poland and debt-ridden Greece. British's defense chief, Michael Fallon, said Mattis appeared to welcome a British proposal to create a road map for increased spending. "An annual increase that we're asking them to commit to would at least demonstrate good faith," he said. Asked about Mattis' ultimatum, NATO chief Stoltenberg said allies need time to develop plans. Many are already talking about increasing commitments, he said. "This is not the U.S. telling Europe to increase defense spending," Stoltenberg said, noting that allies committed three years ago already to increase spending over the next decade. He said: "I welcome all pressure, all support, to make sure that happens." Despite the sharpness of his demand, Mattis appeared to recognize Europe's worries and its leaders' desire for clarity on America's commitment to NATO. In a brief public statement, made while standing alongside Stoltenberg, Mattis called the alliance "a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the trans-Atlantic community." ___ Associated Press writer Lorne Cook contributed to this report. By Manolo Serapio Jr MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday supported his environment minister's decision to cancel nearly a third of contracts for undeveloped mines, saying it was based on law. Duterte has backed Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez's tough stance against miners she says have damaged the environment, warning shortly after taking office in June that the country can survive without a mining sector. Lopez on Tuesday ordered the rescission of 75 mineral production sharing agreements, or MPSAs, because they are located in watershed zones and developing them would threaten water supply and quality in those areas. That came less than two weeks after she ordered the closure or suspension of 28 of the country's 41 mines for damaging watersheds and for siltation of coastal waters and farmlands. The Philippines is the world's top nickel ore supplier and the shuttered mines would account for about half the country's output. Duterte also backed that action, which the industry has said will affect 1.2 million people. The cancellation of the 75 agreements is consistent with Philippine laws "that mining applications are closed to proclaimed watershed forest reserves," Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement. But Abella said Lopez's agency should "establish that it has gone through due process before enforcing the applicable laws, rules, or regulations." One of the mining contracts Lopez canceled is the $1.2 billion Silangan copper-gold project of Philex Mining Corp, among the country's biggest miners, in the southern Philippines. Philex told the Philippine Stock Exchange in a filing on Wednesday that "none of the areas covered by the Silangan Mining MPSA is located in a proclaimed watershed forest reserve where mining is prohibited." The company said "Silangan Mining is, therefore, confident that its MPSA is valid and can withstand any legal challenge." Australian miner OceanaGold Corp, which runs the Philippines' biggest gold mine and was earlier ordered suspended, said it has filed an appeal with Duterte's office "which, in accordance with the rules and regulations, stays the execution of the suspension order." (Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr.; Editing by Christian Schmollinger) Police brutality protests in Paris suburbs Trash burns on the street as people hold a banner that reads, In face of police impunity lets be ungovernable, to protest police brutality after a young black man, 22-year-old youth worker named Theo, was severely injured during his arrest earlier this month in Bobigny, as they gather at a demonstration in Paris, on Feb. 15, 2017. (Christian Hartmann/Reuters) Protests continue in the Paris suburbs over the assault of a young black man allegedly sodomized with a police baton. The police accused several hundred individuals of various acts of violence and damage. The rioting capped a week of nightly clashes in the northern Paris suburb over the treatment of Theo, a 22-year-old youth worker, who claims that a police officer sodomized him with his baton after a stop-and-search check in a housing estate. One officer has been charged with rape over the affair, and three others with assault. All four have been suspended from their duties. Theos case has revived long-simmering frustrations over policing in immigrant communities, where young men accuse the police of repeatedly targeting them in aggressive stop-and-search operations and using excessive force during arrests. The police, for their part, complain of being drawn into a cat-and-mouse game with delinquents and drug dealers operating out of housing estates. (AFP) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr. DURHAM, N.C. (AP) A man being sought for violating conditions of pre-trial release was shot and killed by officers after he pulled a gun while they pursued him on foot, a North Carolina police chief said Wednesday. Durham Police Chief C.J. Davis read a statement saying three officers were attempting to arrest the man at a house. As they approached, the man ran out, she said. According to Davis, the man pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at the officers, who fired at him. He fell about 30 yards from the home he'd been visiting on the far side of a winding residential street of tidy brick ranch homes. The chief said the officers performed CPR on the suspect, but he was pronounced dead a short time later. Davis didn't identify the suspect but said a gun that had been reported stolen last December was found next to him. Carlos Cates, 22, said the dead man was his half brother, 24-year-old Kenneth Bailey Jr. Bailey was under some form of home confinement but had been visiting a relative's house in the public housing community before he ran and was shot, Cates said. Bailey was likely under police suspicion because he had money, Cates said, but the cash was earned through a family construction business where both men worked. "You can't just judge a man because he got money," said Cates, who said he is a former gang member. "We ain't no bums." He said Bailey left behind two preschool-age sons. An order for arrest was issued Wednesday based on the man having violated his pre-trial release conditions. Davis said the man was awaiting trial on charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon and felony conspiracy. She said the charges were filed in August 2016 and the order for arrest had a preset bond of $500,000. Davis said the man also was facing an indictment for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Melanie Dantzler, 24, said she heard the gunshots coming from outside the house next door but initially didn't stir because it's a common sound in the neighborhood. But her mother commented on the activity next door, so she went outside and ran across the road, where she saw Bailey bleeding from his head. Story continues "I just seen him laying there. Just laying there," she said. Bailey and police had a long, hostile relationship, she said. Three police officers are on paid administrative leave, which is standard operating procedure in a shooting where officers are involved, Davis said. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is also looking into the shooting, and Davis said her department will complete a five-day report on the incident. It's the second shooting by law enforcement in Durham in the past three days. On Sunday, a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper shot a 31-year-old man to death during what officials described as an "armed confrontation" after a traffic stop. Last November, Durham police shot and killed a 34-year-old man in a public housing complex. A preliminary report said Frank Nathaniel Clark of Durham reached for his waistband while being questioned by two of the officers, and a struggle followed. One officer fell to the ground and a second one shot Clark, who died at the scene. ___ Follow Emery P. Dalesio at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/emery-p-dalesio A Wisconsin public school principal was arrested for intimidating an alleged sexual assault victim, allegedly threatening the woman in an attempt to stop her from testifying against her boyfriend, the suspect in that case, authorities said. Valencia Carthen, 42, of Milwaukee, is accused of urging the alleged sexual assault victim to skip court and leave town in December, according to a criminal report obtained by WITI-TV. Carthens alleged attempts to stop the woman from testifying in court were meant to benefit 39-year-old Jason Cunningham, Carthens boyfriend and the suspect in the sexual assault case, the report said. Cunningham is married but Carthen is one of possibly three other girlfriends, according to police reports. The victim told investigators that Cunningham knew her family lived in Mississippi and that Carthen told [the woman] that she knew where [the womans] family was in Mississippi." Read: Mom Outraged That Principal Paddled Her Son: 'I Couldn't Do Anything' Carthen allegedly told the woman that "she knew people and students around [Milwaukee Public Schools], which cause [the woman] to fear for her childrens safety as MPS students." She is accused as to going as far as providing a letter allegedly written by the victim that said the accusations were not true. That letter was given to prosecutors in the sexual assault case. According to her LinkedIn profile, Carthen worked as an assistant principal for Milwaukee Public Schools, and reportedly served as principal at Washington High School of Information Technology. "Highly energetic and enthusiastic educator with a commitment to student development and learning," Carthen wrote on her LinkedIn page. "Professional who demonstrates strong leadership abilities. Motivated self-starter with excellent communication and negotiation skills. Active team member who effectively collaborates with all levels of staff and establishes quality relationships with students." Story continues Milwaukee Public Schools is aware of the allegations, but noted they did not involve the school or students, it said in a statement issued to WITI-TV. Read: Middle Schooler Claims Principal Tried to Make Him Confess Allegiance to ISIS "The principal was removed on an emergency basis while the criminal proceedings continue," the statement said. Carthen was charged with felony intimidating a victim. Her bail was set at $15,000 but she had bonded out of custody by Wednesday, online records show. She is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on February 21. Cunningham faces charges including second-degree sexual assault, strangulation and suffocation, as well as battery in connection to the sexual assault incident, for which he was arrested in September, according to online records. His trial is set to begin on March 27. Watch: Jewelry Store Employee Assaulted During Vicious Robbery Caught On Video Related Articles: FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) A southwest Florida man who killed a driver who was attacking a Lee County deputy will not be prosecuted. The News-Press (https://goo.gl/Ch3AHm ) reports that the State Attorney's Office determined this week that 35-year-old Ashad Russell acted lawfully last year in shooting Edward Strother on an Interstate 75 exit ramp in Estero. Sheriff's officials had previously called Russell a "good Samaritan." Authorities say Deputy Dean Bardes was assisting Florida Highway Patrol with a crash on Nov. 14 when Strother nearly hit the deputy with his car. Bardes pursued Strother, and the man eventually pulled over. Officials say Strother attacked the deputy and slammed him to the ground. Russell, who has a concealed weapons permit, arrived and officials say he told Strother to stop. The attack reportedly continued, and Russell shot Strother. ___ Information from: The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press, http://www.news-press.com London (AFP) - The Church of England's General Synod on Wednesday rejected a report which ruled out accepting homosexual marriage and had led to a gay rights protest outside the meeting of Anglican bishops. The "Marriage and Same Sex Relationships after the Shared Conversations" report, released on January 27, had called for the traditional teaching that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman to be upheld. The report also reaffirmed the view that the clergy must remain celibate if in a same-sex relationship and that they should not be allowed to bless same-sex marriages. But it did recommend "a fresh tone and culture of welcome and support" for the LGBT community. Participants in the Synod, the Church of England's legislative body, agreed overall to "take note" of the report, by 242 votes to 184. But it was rejected under Synod rules because it failed to win a simple majority among clergy, despite being backed by bishops and laity. After the vote, the Bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent, said he hoped the Church of England would continue debating the topic. "The Synod has declined to take note and so the report in its present form cannot come back to Synod for discussion, though we will still have to find a way forward for the wider discussion," he said. The issue of same-sex unions has long strained ties within the estimated 85-million-member Anglican Communion, which includes more liberal members from countries such as the United States and Britain, and conservatives from countries such as Nigeria and Kenya. Ahead of the vote 50 protesters, carrying placards reading "LGBT equality for people and priests" and "Synod should reject bigot's report," called on bishops not to acknowledge the report, saying the concessions offered were not enough. - 'Unconditional love' - "A change in tone is such a superficial proposal," Colin Coward, a minister and director of Changing Attitude, told AFP during the protest. Story continues "Christ talked about a God of infinite, unconditional love. I don't think the Church -- this is a shocking thing to say -- really understands what that is," he said. Tracey Byrne, chief executive of the One Body One Faith charity, said: "I think what we're looking for is not equal marriage at this stage, but just some really clear sign that the Church is going to bless and recognise our relationships in a formal way." Fourteen retired bishops have also criticised the report, penning a letter this week saying the call for a change of tone "does not carry conviction." "Our perception is that while the pain of LGBT people is spoken about in your report, we do not hear its authentic voice," the letter said. The report rejected on Wednesday has been seen as far more conservative than a previous set of proposals in 2013 that had argued that clergy should be allowed to bless same-sex marriages and welcomed the presence and ministry of LGBT people both lay and ordained. The Anglican church last year suspended the Episcopal Church, its US branch, for three years after it approved ceremonies for same-sex marriages. Declining church attendance in more liberal countries has put pressure on Anglican leaders to be more accommodating on issues such as same-sex marriage, but that has put them at loggerheads with conservatives. Homosexuality is either illegal or strongly taboo in several countries with large Anglican congregations. In 2014, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and principal leader of the Church of England, said it would be "catastrophic" if the mother church of the Anglican Communion accepted gay marriage. Welby argued that the association could lead to the slaughter of Christians in countries such as Pakistan, South Sudan and Nigeria. As President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker is the head of the European Unions executive branch and its public face. Speaking days before he confirmed he would not be standing for a second term in office, the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg talked to TIME about the best way to counter Russian propaganda, how the E.U. is partly to blame for the rise of populism across Europe, and President Donald Trumps highly unfriendly remarks about the E.U: TIME: President Trump has been openly critical of the E.U. and said in a recent interview that others will leave after Britains vote to quit the bloc. What was your reaction? Juncker: I dont think anyone else is tempted to take the same route. We were a little bit disappointed listening to President Trumps first declaration when he was congratulating the British for having taken that decision, and more or less inviting others to do the same. That was highly unfriendly and not helpful at all. What is the best way for Europe to respond? Do we have to respond? If we invited Ohio to leave the United States, would they respond? I dont think so, so we dont have to respond to that. We have to show to the world as far as the future of the European Union is concerned that we are united. The person tipped to be the next U.S. ambassador to the E.U, Ted Malloch, said you were a very adequate mayor of some city in Luxembourg and suggested you returned there. What do you think of Mr Malloch? I was not a mayor, I was a prime minister, but for him that doesnt make a difference. We are listening to what he is saying, and if he wants to be an ambassador for the U.S. in the European Union, he has to improve his knowledge and watch his words from time to time. How are you explaining the benefits of a strong and unified E.U. to a skeptical Trump administration? As complicated and complex and as difficult as we are, the unity of Europe is a pre-condition for a better organized world, and if the European Union would fail or decompose or other members left, the U.S. would have a more difficult role to play in the world. Story continues How damaging would it be if the U.S. removed their sanctions on Russia now? There is no other way than having the US and the European Union acting and moving together. That will happen. I dont think there will be a unilateral decision of the U.S. without having consulted the Europeans. President Trump has also said more European countries must meet the NATO goal of 2% of GDP spent on defense. Is there some common ground there? The President is right when he asks Europeans to pay their share. That is not new and we are ready to do this. But it cannot be done overnight. If the Germans had to invest 2% of their GDP in the defense effort, this would request from the German budget 24 billion expenditure. The British Prime Minister Theresa May has suggested the U.K. act as a bridge between the E.U. and the U.S. Would you welcome that? To put it brutally, we dont need the United Kingdom government to organize our relations with the U.S. and in fact according to President Obama, Britain is weaker being outside the European Union than being a member of the European Union. That is the case. On Brexit, how confident are you that a deal can be reached on the status of Britons currently living in the E.U., and vice-versa? I cant imagine that we would punish European citizens living in Britain, or that we would punish British citizens living in Europe. They are friends. Im not in a punishing mood. I am quite confident that we will easily resolve this problem. Are there opportunities for the E.U. in the current global uncertainties? The supposed stepping away by the U.S. administration when it comes to international trade relations, and the fact that the British are leaving the European Union, is opening new avenues [in trade]. We have oceans of opportunities before us. Nobody should believe that we will not use these opportunities. We will use them fiercely. There are elections in France, Germany and The Netherlands this year, and in all three populists are making gains. Why do you think they are getting support? I think this is largely due to our faults. I think the European Union and the Commission gave the impression that we are in command of everything. We were trying to have influence in so many things which are better in the hands of national, local and regional authorities. Are you concerned about Russian meddling in the upcoming elections in Europe? Im certain that the Russians are trying by all the means they have to have a propaganda influence on European and international affairs. We have to react to this. Fake news has to be countered by real facts. With the E.U. facing so many challenges, has it lost sight of its original aims? We are not proud enough of what we have achieved. This was a continent of divisions, of wars, of conflicts, of divergences, differences When I am in Asia, in Africa, people admire what we have managed to do. Europe is beautiful seen from other continents. What are you doing to win back trust? We are focusing on the big issues. That is the way we are trying to re-convince European citizens of the value of the European Union. [But] if traditional parties are following the populist parties, that is a major danger. If traditional parties are saying exactly the same thing, then we are lost. We have to say the contrary. The populists are spreading slogans. We have to offer solutions and answers. According to Foreign Policy magazine, President Trump has offered retired Vice Adm. Bob Harward the position of national security adviser, left vacant after retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynns resignation on Monday. Harward is said to be weighing the job. Harward, 60, is chief executive in the United Arab Emirates for Lockheed Martin, the aerospace company. He has worked with Secretary of Defense James Mattis, serving as his deputy commander at the United States Central Command, which oversees the militarys operations in the Middle East. A Washington Post report stated that Harward remains an ally and friend of Mattis. He also has spent time on the National Security Council, serving as the director of strategy and policy for the Office for Combating Terrorism during the George W. Bush administration. According to his official biography, the retired vice admiral comes from a Navy family. He graduated from the Tehran American High School in Iran, and speaks Farsi. After earning his bachelors degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, Harward embarked on a lengthy career that included time serving as the commander of SEAL Team 3 and as head of a special operations task force in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He holds a masters degree in international relations and strategic security affairs. According to the New York Times, Harward is obsessed with physical fitness: As the head of detainee operations in Afghanistan, he would lead weekly hikes in the mountains outside Kabul, outpacing colleagues who were 20 years younger, and has been known to challenge them to push-up contests that left them vomiting. Tommy Vietor, spokesman for the National Security Council under President Barack Obama, referred to Harward as an impressive (and nice) guy on Twitter when his name was initially rumored for the position. Harward wrote a 2013 column for the Huffington Post espousing the importance of improving education opportunities for women across the globe. The former SEAL parachuted into his 2015 retirement ceremony: Story continues Read more from Yahoo News: Andy Puzder, President Trumps embattled nominee for secretary of labor, has withdrawn his name from consideration. After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor, Puzder said in a statement on Wednesday. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put Americas workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity. I want to thank President Trump for his nomination. I also thank my family and my many supporters employees, businesses, friends and people who have voiced their praise and hopeful optimism for the policies and new thinking I would have brought to America as Secretary of Labor, he added. While I wont be serving in the administration, I fully support the president and his highly qualified team. Puzders withdrawal comes a day before his Senate confirmation hearing was set to begin. Earlier Wednesday, multiple reports surfaced that GOP officials had advised the White House that Puzder chief executive of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Hardees and Carls Jr. fast-food chains lacked the votes needed for confirmation. A top Republican official told CNN that at least four GOP senators would definitely vote against Puzders confirmation. The Washington Post reported that number to be at least seven. Related: Trumps most endangered Cabinet nominee Puzders nomination faced a series of hurdles that resulted in the most Republican resistance to date of Trumps Cabinet picks. Among other things, Puzders ex-wife reportedly leveled abuse allegations in 1990 on The Oprah Winfrey Show and he admitted to employing an undocumented worker. According to Politico, Lisa Fierstein, Puzders ex-wife, said on the show that he told her, I will see you in the gutter. This will never be over. You will pay for this. In a 1990 tape, Andrew Puzder's ex-wife told Oprah he threatened 'you will pay for this' https://t.co/r0zkfmiA91 pic.twitter.com/BZmei1vXh1 POLITICO (@politico) February 15, 2017 During the episode, entitled High Class Battered Women, Fierstein appeared alongside other alleged victims of abuse in disguise, wearing large sunglasses and a wig and using an assumed name. Fierstein later retracted her allegations of battery as part of a child custody agreement. Story continues A spokesman for Puzder dismissed the release of the Oprah tape as an attempt to smear him. [Puzder and Fierstein] are close friends today and often spend time together, but none of that context seems to matter to Andys critics, the spokesman said in a statement to Politico. Perpetuating these retracted 30-year-old allegations and an impulsive decision to appear on a talk show is nothing more than a desperate attempt to tarnish Andy Puzder at the expense of Lisa and their family. Andy Puzder departs after a meeting with President-elect Trump in November. (Mike Segar/Reuters) Also on Wednesday, the conservative magazine National Review came out against Puzders nomination, arguing that Puzders pro-immigration views made him unacceptable. We have our disagreements with President Trumps economics, but the emphasis on the interests of lower-income workers who are in competition with immigrant labor is important, the magazines editors said. Trump should find a labor secretary who agrees with it and can be trusted to try to vigorously effect policies reflecting it. Even before Puzders withdrawal was formally announced, progressives celebrated the decision. The simple truth is that given his relationship to employees at the companies he runs, he was not fit to lead a department responsible for defending workers rights, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a statement. We need a secretary of labor who is going to fight to raise the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour and pay equity for women. We dont need a labor secretary who makes millions while his workers are paid starvation wages. We need a Labor Secretary who will stand up for workers, raising the minimum wage & pay equity for women. Mr. Puzder was not that candidate. Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 15, 2017 Andrew Puzders withdrawal from consideration as Labor Secretary is a major victory for the resistance, Greenpeace USA spokesperson Travis Nichols said. Puzder was not on the side of the American people and would have been disastrous for workers in the United States. He opposed sensible protections for workers, such as providing affordable health care, overtime benefits and a livable minimum wage, while consistently showing he will sacrifice workers for corporate profits. Victory! tweeted actor and activist George Takei. This fight wasnt just about Andy Puzder and his record of mistreating workers and shocking personal history it was a repudiation of the anti-worker policies championed by the Trump Administration, Karl Frisch, executive director for Allied Progress, said in a statement. The ball is now in the court of President Trump and Senate Republicans to put forward a nominee that will fight to expand rights and opportunities for all Americans rather than working overtime to undermine them and pad the bottom lines of Wall Street special interests. More from Yahoo News: President Donald Trump offered the job of national security advisor to retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward on Monday night, and was a bit surprised when Harward responded by saying he needed a couple of days to think it over. If, as expected, Harward accepts the job today, he is likely to bring in his own team, from deputy on down, with a focus on national security types with some experience under their belts. I think he would look especially to people he knows from his time working for the George W. Bush NSC from 2003 to 2005. No more Fox News talking heads. Instead, I think he would try to take a Scowcroftian approach to trying to run the interagency policy formulation process deliberate, rigorous, careful. Just how that will fit with the style of the Twitterer-in-Chief, I dont know. I wouldnt be surprised to see J.D. Crouch and David Trachtenberg appear at the White House gate in the next few days, with Crouch the leading candidate to be Harwards deputy. Perhaps also Juan Zarate and Mike Singh. Harward is, like the ousted Michael Flynn, a retired military flag officer. But I think he would be very different from Flynn. Most importantly, he is not an ideologue, as Flynn seemed to have become in the last few years. Harward thinks of himself as a national security professional and indeed once served on the NSC staff, during the Bush Administration. Before that, early in the Afghan war, he headed the Special Operations task force in Kandahar. Harward also would work well with Defense Secretary James Mattis. When Mattis was chief of Central Command, Harward was his deputy. Mattis trusted him enough to put him in charge of planning for war with Iran. Mattis has urged Harward to take the NSA job. If Harward becomes NSA, Mattis would emerge from the Flynn mess in a uniquely powerful position: He would have two of his former deputies at the table in some meetings. The other one is John Kelly, now secretary for Homeland Security, who was his number two when Mattis commanded a Marine division early in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. At this point, Mattis has far greater influence over former military officers than the president does. His presence at the Pentagon is the sole reason some are considering climbing aboard Trumps sinking ship. Photo credit: U.S. Military/Wikimedia Commons Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Captain Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Phil Jones will all miss Manchester United's Europa League clash with Saint-Etienne on Thursday, manager Jose Mourinho revealed on Wednesday. Jones has not played since sustaining a foot injury in United's recent 0-0 draw with Hull City and Mourinho said Rooney and Carrick had "little muscular problems". The three England internationals missed Wednesday's pre-match training session at United's Aon Training Complex west of Manchester. "Phil is still recovering from the injury," Mourinho told reporters ahead of the last 32 first-leg match. "Wayne and Carrick I don't want to say 'injuries' because I don't think we are speaking about injuries. We are speaking about little muscular problems and protection of these problems. "So all three are out tomorrow and apart from that everything is right." Never has a ticket to Disneyland proved so costly. When, in May 2001, Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, was arrested at Tokyos Narita airport, he was the presumed heir to the secretive Stalinist state. But the embarrassment caused by that trip on a forged Dominican passport which he later claimed was to visit Mickey and Donald at the Happiest Place on Earth saw him fall out of favor in Pyongyang. That estrangement led Kim Jong Nam to spend most of the following years outside his homeland, usually in the semiautonomous Chinese territory of Macau, where he reportedly relished in the sybaritic delights of Asias Las Vegas. In true playboy fashion, he would also bounce around party spots in Beijing, Bangkok, Moscow and Singapore. That was until Tuesday morning, when the 45-year-olds life ended at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia as he was waiting for the 10 a.m. flight back to Macau. The circumstances of his death are hazy. Various reports say he was sprayed in the face with a toxin, attacked with poisoned needles, or that he simply collapsed. CCTV stills show one of two suspected female assassins, wearing a white top and hot pink leggings, near him at the terminal. The Japanese Kyodo news agency is already reporting the assailants as dead, and ABCs Seoul bureau chief says Malaysian police have found the bodies. But then a woman traveling on Vietnamese travel documents was arrested at the airport terminal after being identified from security footage, according to local police. A woman from Myanmar and four men are also reportedly being sought. Malaysian police suspect foul play in the death of Kim, and the South Korean authorities have been quick to lay blame at the regime led by his half brother, current North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, whom the older Kim had never met. The news has shocked many. Kim Jong Nam was, if anything, a minor irritation to the regime. According to Yoji Gomi, the author of the 2012 book, My Father, Kim Jong Il, and Me, Kim Jong Nam wanted North Korea to embrace economic reform and open its doors. He occasionally spoke to journalists of democratizing the North Korean state, but always in measured terms. While he said he had a comparatively liberal worldview owing to his lengthy education in Europe Kim Jong Un also studied in Europe but for a shorter period he never displayed any ambition to overthrow his younger sibling or create a government in exile. Story continues In 2010, Kim Jong Nam told Japanese media, Personally I am against third-generation succession, [but] I hope my younger brother will do his best for the sake of North Koreans prosperous lives. His intention to return to Macau at the time of his death hardly speaks of an interest in power grabbing. Kim reportedly owned two villas in Coloane a rapidly developing island that nonetheless passes for leafy suburbia in the densely populated former Portuguese enclave. But apart from those properties, he left little trace of his presence there, with little to distinguish him, physically from the millions of middle-aged, North Asian men who cram the territorys casinos each year. A few journalists, some from Japan, were gathering outside the villas on Wednesday afternoon, but there was little movement otherwise. The drapes in one of the villas were all closed, while a young child and a nanny occasionally looked at the people outside from the second floor of the other. Its not clear whether Kim is even the current owner these dwellings. A number of plainclothes and uniformed police officers were stationed outside another another residential complex in Macau, where Kim Jong Nam and his family reportedly live, but wouldnt confirm why they were dispatched to the location. Front-desk staff members at the old Mandarin Oriental Macau one of Kim Jong Nams favorite haunts, now taken over by Chinese investors and renamed shook their heads when they were shown his photo. A longtime worker at the Lisboa, Macaus most venerable casino, said they hadnt seen Kim ever. Says John Delury, associate professor of East Asian studies at Yonsei Universitys Graduate School of International Studies in Seoul: I would dispute the notion he was a pretender to the throne. Hes been very apolitical. Kim Jong Nams undoing, however, may have simply been his being descended from North Koreas mythologized founding father Kim Il Sung. The familys Baekdu bloodline is named after the extinct volcano considered the birthplace of the Korean people. Rumors persist that China, growing ever more wary of Pyongyangs bluster and tireless pursuit of nuclear weapons, was grooming Kim Jong Nam as a pliant puppet should regime change become unavoidable. Given his dynastic credentials, that would seem an easy sell to the North Korean leadership and people. Beijing was certainly keeping Kim Jong Nam close, presumably handing his personal security and providing a sizable stipend. One North Korean defector, citing a Chinese intelligence officer, even told TIME that Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Kim Jong Nam to size him up. That seems highly improbable, though such rumors could well have fed the regime paranoia that ultimately led to his death. On the other hand, an internal threat may have prompted a kill order. Earlier this month, Kim Won Hong, the head of state security, was mysteriously purged. There was also an unconfirmed report in the Malaysian media Thursday that Kim Jong Uns influential half-sister had also been arrested. And North Koreas ambassador to the U.K., who became the nations highest-ranking diplomat to defect last August, has said that the nations elites were turning against the younger Kim. Is [the death of Kim Jong Nam] a sign of some instability inside, or is it just the regular purging of people that are possible challengers? asks Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea specialist at Troy University in Seoul. Is it a sign of strength or a sign of weakness? Some have remarked that Kim Jong Nams death comes just two days before the birthday of his and Kim Jong Uns father, Kim Jong Il. The Day of the Shining Star is one of the biggest celebrations in North Korea, marked with floral displays, an ice sculpture festival, a hydrogymnastics performance, and a gargantuan meeting of party officials. The assassination of Kim Jong Ils eldest son so close to such an important occasion is remarkable, given the state-enshrined veneration of the bloodline, and suggests that it had the explicit approval of the Supreme Leader. Kim Jong Un, of course, has shown little regard for kinship, having purged his powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, in 2013. A South Korean think tank said in December that he had executed 340 people since assuming power. Its an indicator of how ruthless Pyongyang is and what kind of steps they are willing to take, says Pinkston. According to Wu Qiang, a political scientist formerly with Beijings Tsinghua University, the older Kims passing will not in itself change the East Asian security dynamic. But it is symbolic, he says. It shows that Kim Jong Un is a crazy opportunist. After Donald Trump took power, everything is in chaos. Kim Jong Un knows how to gain the maximum profits and political leverage. It has also robbed Beijing of a potentially useful client, and narrowed the options for regime change in Pyongyang. Who knows what might have happened if the older Kims forged Dominican passport had passed muster back in 2001, or if the Japanese authorities had chosen not to deport him? A reform-minded Kim Jong Nam might have led North Korea into the light. As such, that Disneyland ticket is looking very costly indeed. With reporting by Yang Siqi / Beijing, Stephen Kim / Seoul and Kevin Lui / Macau MOSCOW (AP) The Kremlin spokesman on Wednesday denied reports of intercepted phone calls between Russian intelligence officials and members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The New York Times said that the Russians made contact with Paul Manafort, who briefly served as Trump's campaign chairman. Current and former U.S. officials interviewed by the Times declined to identify other Trump associates contacted by the Russians. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, pointed to the anonymity of the sources, saying that the reports "are not based on any facts, do not point to actual facts." The report comes a day after U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned following reports he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia. Asked about the allegations, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday they "prove once again there is a major internal, political game, you can call it bargaining, in the United States." Russian lawmakers were more direct in trying to defend Trump. "This is not about information but about a high-precision information bomb," Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the Federation Council's information committee, tweeted. "The goal is to blow up the Trump administration." Separately, Russian officials on Wednesday dismissed a statement by White House spokesman Sean Spicer who said Trump expects Russia to return Crimea, which it annexed following a hastily called referendum in March 2014. "We never give back our territory," Zakharova told reporters. Peskov echoed Zakharova's remarks and added that Putin has been patient about explaining to his counterparts that the people of Crimea asked to join Russia because of their fears about the new government in Ukraine, and would keep delivering this message to the White House, too. While the White House reeled from a scandal that forced the resignation of National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, reports emerged on Tuesday that Russia deployed recently-developed cruise missiles, a likely violation of a key arms control treaty, and a poke in the eye to an administration that vowed it would have better relations with Moscow. The missile deployment and the lack of immediate response from the White House showcases how the understaffed and embattled new administration is ill-prepared to face security threats, experts and officials say. The first few weeks of a new presidency are always a convenient time for our adversaries to test the administration while its short-staffed and distracted, Julie Smith, a former senior White House and Pentagon official, told Foreign Policy. But this administration is particularly short-staffed, and, after Flynns resignation, particularly distracted, she added. Officials say Russias deployment of the ground-launched cruise missiles known as SSC-8, which have a range of 500 to 5,500 km or 310 to 3,420 miles, violates the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which bans all ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles in that range. Russia previously irked Washington and reportedly violated the treaty when it tested the missiles in 2014. Deploying the missiles, as opposed to just testing them, moved [them] from being a potential to an actual threat, Alexander Vershbow, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and deputy secretary general of NATO told FP. Its a very serious deepening of the problem. The missiles are nuclear-capable, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, dealing a hefty symbolic blow to nonproliferation efforts. It puts Russia in violation of a key U.S.-Russian arms control agreement that helped end the Cold War and removed a significant nuclear threat to our allies in Europe, Kimball said. Story continues Two Russian battalions now have the cruise missiles, according to the New York Times, which first reported the story on Tuesday. One of the battalions is located in southeastern Russia at a missile test site called Kapustin Yar. The New York Times did not specify where the other battalion was located. It also did not clarify when the cruise missiles were actually deployed. While Trump stumbles on policies from immigration to Russia, Flynns chaotic management style left senior officials disjointed and frustrated, government officials told FP. Some senior military officials even took the unusual move of publicly admonishing their own civilian leaders. Our government continues to be in unbelievable turmoil. I hope they sort it out soon because were a nation at war, Gen. Tony Thomas, chief of U.S. Special Operations Command, said Tuesday. When pressed on what he meant, Gen. Thomas later said, As a commander, Im concerned our government be as stable as possible. The White House didnt respond to a request for comment. Nearly 100 days after he won the presidency, Trump still hasnt named picks to top administration postings that would be first responders for any number of crises, including Russian arms treaty violations. The administration hasnt gotten anybody yet for top positions including deputy secretaries of state and defense, some senior National Security Council director positions, and other key middle management positions in the sprawling security bureaucracy. Russia will push and prod the administration, said Jorge Benitez, NATO expert at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. Moscow is probing to see how far it can get. Two other incidents involving the Russian military also occurred recently Russian military aircraft buzzed a U.S. destroyer in the Black Sea while it was conducting routine operations. And a Russian spy ship was spotted off the coast of Delaware, the first such reported deployment in two years. Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Valerie Henderson told FP the military is aware of the vessels presence, and noted it had not entered U.S. territorial waters. Experts cautioned the incidents may not be related to each other, or, of course, to Flynns resignation. The ship could no doubt be a test as well, but that doesnt happen overnight, Smith said. Photo credit: EVGENY STETSKO/AFP/Getty Images MOSCOW (Reuters) - A meeting is planned between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of a gathering of G20 foreign ministers in Germany, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman said on Wednesday. It will be the first time Lavrov meets his newly appointed counterpart and comes as U.S.-Russia relations are under particular scrutiny following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who pledged to improve ties with the Kremlin. "A meeting is planned and being worked out," Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists in a briefing. Prospects for better relations with Washington have suffered setbacks since Trump's inauguration including the resignation on Monday of national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was seen in Moscow as a leading advocate of softer U.S. policy on Russia. Zakharova did not say what Lavrov and Tillerson planned to address in their meeting, but earlier comments from the foreign ministry suggested Syria would be a topic of discussion. (Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; editing by Maria Kiselyova) Moscow (AFP) - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to meet his US counterpart Rex Tillerson for the first time Thursday in Germany, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said Wednesday. "The meeting with Secretary of State Mr Tillerson has been planned and is being prepared" on February 16, when both diplomats will be in Bonn for the G20 ministerial talks, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted by Russian agencies as saying. Lavrov will also hold his first meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who was appointed last month. The first meeting between US and Russian senior diplomats comes as Russian officials appear increasingly concerned at the shift in rhetoric coming from Washington which dampens hopes that President Donald Trump will drop sanctions and initiate other policy changes toward Moscow. It also follows the resignation of Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn over his contacts with Russian officials. Zakharova said Lavrov will "discuss bilateral relations, which were taken into a dead end by the previous administration". "The plan is to discuss the main international crises which our countries have cooperated on and must cooperate," she said. "Of course, regional issues will be examined." Trump's spokesman Sean Spicer on Tuesday said the new US president "has been incredibly tough on Russia" and "expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea." Asked to comment, Zakharova said "We don't give back our territories." Sally Jesse Raphael returned to television when she joined Matt Lauer on Today where they discussed her career, the current state of daytime talk, and, of course, those big red glasses. Its been more than 33 years since Raphael and those glasses first appeared on our TV screens, and since then, the two have become synonymous. But according to Rafael, those red glasses, seared in the collective consciousness of America, almost didnt make it onto her show. They put me on. They made a tape. They sent it to stations. Stations said, We like her. Lose the red glasses, Raphael said. But her producer, Burt Dubrow, saved the day. Raphael recalled, He went out, had my husband buy three pair of the ugliest glasses you can imagine. I put them on: one, two, three. The boss said, Red. Thats much better. Even at the age of 81, Raphael still believes she could host a successful talk show. When Lauer asked, she said without hesitation that she could easily do it. I dont think you lose that, Raphael said. I think that a good talk show host has something called soul, and that soul doesnt go away. Its there. Check out Robert Kraft talking Patriots players skipping White House visit on Today: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter. Another day, another bombshell. The U.S. intel community has collected phone records and intercepted calls showing that people surrounding President Donald Trump had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, four current and former American officials told the New York Times. The report comes a day after National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was forced to resign after lying about his own phone conversations with the Russian ambassador in the weeks before the inauguration, and casts fresh suspicion on the administration for its ties to the Kremlin. According to the reports, the F.B.I. has already obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews in its investigation into three one-time Trump advisors: Carter Page, Republican operative Roger Stone, and Flynn. Hot seat. Just days after Trumps inauguration, the New York Times reports in another huge story, Flynn sat down with FBI agents to answer their questions about his suspect calls with the Russian ambassador, in which he discussed the potential of lifting sanctions on Moscow. Soon after, the acting U.S. attorney general went to the White House to inform the Trump team that Flynn was at risk for blackmail or kompromat by the Russians over the calls. The whole thing came crashing down this week when Flynn resigned after having lied to Vice President Pence over the calls. The Washington Post has a great tick-tock of the meetings among U.S. intel officials in the days leading up to Trump being sworn in, where F.B.I. Director James Comey was reluctant to tell the White House that Flynn had lied to the veep. The team briefed the Trump administration on Jan. 26, but it appears the president kept the information from Pence, who would only find out about Flynn on Feb. 9, once it hit the media. Last words. Just hours before he was ordered to cleared out on Monday, Flynn gave a defiant and in retrospect, remarkable interview to the Daily Caller, in which he claimed Trump expressed confidence in him. He also made his only public statement about his call with the ambassador, saying, It wasnt about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out, Flynn said, referencing the Russian diplomats the Obama administration expelled over Moscows attempts to influence the presidential election. So thats what it turned out to be. It was basically, Look, I know this happened. Well review everything. I never said anything such as, Were going to review sanctions, or anything like that. Story continues Whos next? Flynns ouster creates a possible opportunity to fix one of the glaring flaws of Flynns NSC, FPs John Hudson and Paul McLeary write in a forward-looking piece. His chaotic management style left senior cabinet officials angry and out of the loop, and coupled with suspicions over his ties to Russia, turned off qualified job seekers recruited for the many vacancies in the Trump administration. The senior ranks of the NSC are not just a collection of Flynn loyalists, making it more likely that the new chief would be able to work with them, said one person who has worked with NSC officials, and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Most are not Flynn people. Some are Petraeus people, some are [Defense Secretary Jim] Mattis people, and have their own appeal to Trump and Bannon in their own right, the person said. Hill country. Are Republicans on Capitol Hill getting fed up? For the first time, several senior Republicans, including the second-highest ranking member of the Senate, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, joined calls Tuesday by Democrats for a thorough inquiry into the nature of the Trump teams contacts with Russia, and that Flynn should be investigated, FPs Dan De Luce reports. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who has tended to avoid criticizing the Trump administration, said revelations about Flynn would add momentum to congressional investigations into Russias interference in the presidential election. And Sen. Roy Blunt (R.-Mo.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said lawmakers needed to speak to Flynn and ask: What did he know? What did he do? And is there any reason to believe that anybody knew that and didnt take the kind of action they should have taken? Russian moves. While Washington is roiled by scandal, it looks like Moscow is taking to opportunity to spread its wings a bit. Several Russian aircraft buzzed the USS Porter in the Black Sea last week, in an incident the captain of the American ship called unsafe, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The three passes occurred Feb. 10 as the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer was passing the coast of Romania. The planes involved were an Il-38 sub-hunting plane, which passed at high speed, followed by two Su-24 fighter-bombers and a Su-24. FPs Robbie Gramer reports that Russia has recently deployed recently-developed cruise missiles, a likely violation of a key arms control treaty. The missile deployment and the lack of immediate response from the White House showcases how the understaffed and embattled new administration is ill-prepared to face security threats, experts and officials say. Welcome to SitRep. Send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley. Turmoil The top special operations officer in the country is concerned that the U.S. government is in a bad spot right now, and his comments at a conference in Washington on Tuesday are getting lots of attention. Head of the U.S. Special Operations Command, Army Gen. Raymond Thomas said during his speech that our government continues to be in unbelievable turmoil. I hope they sort it out soon because were a nation at war. Speaking with reporters, he added, as a commander, Im concerned our government be as stable as possible. North Korea North Korean dictator Kim Jong Uns estranged brother was assassinated on a trip to Malaysia, the New York Times reports. Accounts of Kim Jong-nams death differ, with some sources citing two women jabbing him with a poison-laced needle and another account saying an unknown assailant threw poison in Kims face. In any case, Kim reportedly fell faint and was taken away by medical personnel before he was pronounced dead. Malaysian authorities have yet to name a suspect but many suspect that the North Korean government may have had a hand in the death of Kim Jong Uns brother because he was perceived as a threat either to the regime or to Kims continued rule of the country. North Korea tested a ballistic missile but despite Trumps tweeted bravado about getting tough with Pyongyang, the reaction from the White House so far has been less aggressive than some expected. The New York Times reports that the relatively softer tone is leading to hopes among some that the Trump administration could be open to diplomatic talks with the North. North Koreas neighbors have increasingly shown openness to engagement with Pyongyang after the Obama administrations attempts at isolation failed to produce a change in the countrys behavior and Trump himself hinted at a willingness to meet directly with Kim Jong Un during the presidential campaign. NATO NATO countries are spending more on defense, according to the Wall Street Journal. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO countries spent an extra $10 billion on defense in 2016, up 3.8 percent over the previous year. The news comes amid growing anxiety over President Donald Trumps commitment to the Atlantic alliance. Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about NATO, saying the alliance was a drain on the U.S. because many of its members do not live up to targets to spend two percent of their gross domestic product on defense. Meanwhile, NATO countries are looking to James Mattis for reassurance about American commitments as he arrives on Wednesday for his first meeting with the alliance as defense secretary. Reuters reports that Mattis will echo some of Trumps talk on defense spending, telling members they need to increase their defense budgets. But the message is also likely to be tempered with attempts to soothe frazzled nerves about whether NATO has a future in Trumps foreign policy. Nonetheless, at least one NATO source tells the wire service that members might still be wary, knowing that Trump could easily negate anything Mattis tells them. I want you back White House spokesman Sean Spicer is signaling a different approach to Russia than the one candidate Trump offered during the 2016 campaign. At the White House press briefing on Tuesday, Spicer said Trump expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in Ukraine and return Crimea. Thats consistent with a recent statement from U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haleys statement saying that American sanctions from Russias annexation of the Ukrainian territory would stay in place until Moscow hands it over. During the 2016 campaign, Trump suggested that Russia did not have a presence in Ukraine, a statement quickly walked back. Iraq The Iraqi militarys battle to take the remnants of Islamic State-held Mosul are underway, according to ABC News. Iraqi security forces have already managed to clear out the eastern half of the city following long and bloody house-to-house fighting with the terrorist group. The Iraqi armys 9th Division is now moving around to the western half of Mosul in preparation for a final push but the Islamic State is still putting up a vigorous fight elsewhere, sending out waves of car bombs against Iraqi militias in the western town of Tal Afar. By David Stanway and Sue-Lin Wong SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - In its 'war' on hazardous air pollution, China's government has a dilemma: it needs to be open about air quality data to hold polluters to account, but worries that too much bad news from alternative, independent sources could stoke public unrest. Beijing has greatly improved how it collects data, made more of it available to the public and cracked down on misreporting, but it's concerned about the spread of unauthorized or inaccurate data from popular mobile apps and handheld detectors. The conflicting approach reflects a broader debate about China's appetite for political reform. The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), under a former academic, wants to create a modern regulatory system based on independent monitoring and the rule of law, but that could rub up against the ruling Communist Party's priority for stability. After scandals about fraudulent data, the government also worries that alternative sources of information on pollution levels could erode public trust in official statistics, and undermine its message that the environment is improving. Liam Bates, CEO of Origins Technology, which produces the Laser Egg handheld pollution monitor sold in Beijing's Apple store, said China has no problem with people measuring air quality; it just doesn't want the findings to be published. "Basically (China) says it's illegal to publish data from non-official sources. As far as I know there's nothing about collecting data, or processing data and using it for research," he said. China says its main concern is accuracy. In 2014, it ordered mobile phone pollution apps to drop data provided by the United States embassy and its consulates, concerned it might differ from its own. More recently, apps came under scrutiny for trying to give a more detailed picture than the government of China's air quality. In one recent example of what the government calls "rumor mongering" by individuals, a man was detained by police for five days in Chengdu in the southwest after he warned on his Weibo microblog that the city faced its "heaviest smog in its 2,000-year history", local media reported. Regulators also accused one air pollution monitoring app of spreading rumors by providing data in December indicating Chengdu was the third most polluted city in the world. While China's short-staffed environmental watchdogs are keen to involve the public in enforcing standards, authorities are wary that social media-driven protests against chemical plants, waste incinerators or nuclear processing facilities could trigger protests. "In general, there is hope at the provincial and ministerial level that they will not try to shut down all these other sources, but what they're really concerned about is that they will show something that isn't scientific," said Ma Jun, director of the Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), a non-government organization campaigning for greater transparency. "This is a challenge in this era of mobile internet and social media," he noted. The MEP did not respond to a faxed request for comment. GAPS Despite progress on official information disclosure, led, Ma says, by the environment ministry, there are still gaps, with agencies like the National Development and Reform Commission lagging and some local governments "reluctant and resistant". China still does not give out data for climate-warming carbon dioxide emissions, and offers only incomplete heavy metal pollution figures - a sensitive issue following food scandals in rice-growing regions. There is also reluctance to allow the free publication of sensitive data on the health impact of pollution. There is no database on the health impact from pollution that companies, say, could access to help them decide where to locate staff. While Chinese media have cited foreign studies on the correlation between smog and mortality - including the heavy death toll in London in the winter of 1952-53 - there have been few equivalent Chinese studies. As winter pollution gripped much of northern China last month, the health ministry told state media it had no data linking smog to cancer, and it was too early to reach any conclusions about the impact of PM2.5 - the tiny particles that form smog - on human health, though foreign researchers say the evidence was available. "The centers for disease control have this kind of data," said Dan Greenbaum of the Health Effects Institute, which has studied the links between pollution and health. Some foreign studies suggest pollution could cause more than 1 million premature deaths a year in China. PUBLIC DISTRUST Despite doing more than many countries to make real-time air quality data publicly available, China has yet to overcome public scepticism about official statistics. Recent cases of fraud have not helped. Last year, staff at a monitoring station in the northwestern city of Xi'an were accused of tampering with equipment to reduce emissions measurements. Beijing promises "zero tolerance" on statistical fraud, and has brought as many as 1,436 local monitoring stations under central government control. It also uses satellite imagery to check local governments' data accuracy. But individuals are prepared to enter a legal grey area by measuring emissions themselves. One mobile phone app, Air Matters, with over 9 million subscribers, got into trouble from at least one local government for crunching official data in alternative ways. And the government itself is starting to use data from private citizens. The IPE has its own app that allows users to report pollution on the ground, and the environment ministry feeds that information into its own official reporting platform. Monitoring water pollution presents even tougher challenges, says Ma at the IPE, noting the high cost of measuring equipment. "They (regulators) want the data to be the right data when it gets published. The next challenge will be (to see) who will be qualified to provide third-party monitoring services." "My gut feeling is that it will be no longer totally closed, but they want a more controlled opening of this space." Click here for a graphic on 'The deadly smog' http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/CHINA-POLLUTION-HEALTH/010031VY48E/index.html (Reporting by Sue-Lin Wong in BEIJING and David Stanway in SHANGHAI; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) Onderstepoort (South Africa) (AFP) - Peeling back the maize plant's leaves reveals a small brown caterpillar -- an armyworm that writhes as it burrows into the heart of the crop, producing a sticky dark paste. Eighty percent of the Prinsloo family's maize plants are under attack, as are those of other farmers in Haakdoringboom, a farming community 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of South Africa's capital Pretoria. "These worms are eating everything that they touch," said farmer Jacques Prinsloo, who held up a damaged leaf to demonstrate the alarming speed at which the fall armyworms devour the crop. Leaves are shredded and residue speckles the inside of the plants -- a tell-tale sign of trouble. The recently-arrived pests, which are proving immune to existing pesticides, are devastating crops and threatening southern Africa's fragile food supply having spread through Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as South Africa. Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia are also reported to be affected by the worms. They originate from South America and are thought to have arrived in Africa in shipments of plants or on commercial airliners, with the first fall armyworms in Africa seen in Nigeria and Togo last year. "I tried everything on the market. I spent 45,000 rand ($3,400) on pesticides alone," said Jacques, 24, who has been battling the pests for six weeks. "Last year the drought, this year the worms, what next year? Everyone thinks it's easy to farm. It seems easy until you start doing it." Jacques estimates that as many as four in five of his maize plants are affected. - 'We're fighting' - If the crop fails entirely, he estimates it will cost his family up to 700,000 rand ($53,000) this year alone. Crops in neighbouring farmers' fields are also being ravaged by the pests, according to Adele who, along with her son Jacques, employs six staff on their roughly 100 hectare farm. "We're fighting. The farm next door to us is fighting," said Adele. Story continues Across southern Africa, fall armyworms are wreaking havoc with staple crops for the first time. Key food sources like maize, wheat, millet and rice have all come under attack, raising fears of imminent mass food shortages. Nearly 40 million people in southern Africa have been affected a two-year-long drought caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon reducing food availability by 15 percent, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). David Phiri, the FAO's coordinator for southern Africa, warned experts at a crisis summit in Harare this week that the armyworm poses "a huge threat to food security". - 'Hopeless, angry, heartbroken' - Despite their proximity to South Africa's seat of power, the Prinsloos feel that their plight, and that of hundreds of other farmers, is being ignored by the government. "I'm feeling hopeless, angry, heartbroken -- it feels like I could go and sit and cry myself to death," said 50-year-old Adele who has been involved in farming for nearly half her life. "All the money and effort that's been put in there and I'm getting no help. "We were promised a visit by the farming minister on Sunday but they cancelled. Nobody is doing anything. They said they would import a poison from abroad but we've heard nothing." The region around the Prinsloo farm had only just begun to recover from one of the worst dry spells in recent history when the armyworms struck. "A year ago we had the drought but then we had good rains. Now the worms are destroying the crop," said Adele. In one badly affected field, nearly every plant is showing signs of damage. Looking out over his family's fields, bordered by tracks of rich red earth and criss-crossed with mechanical irrigation systems, Jacques is doubtful there will be a quick solution to the crisis. "(The plants) are not going to make corn because of the damage," he said of this year's crop. "The larvae is making new worms and you must fight them again. Burning it might be the only option." Kim Jong-Nam fell out of favour with the North Korean hierarchy following a botched attempt in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport Kim Jong-Nam's death described as "brutal and inhuman" by South Korea. It is thought Kim Jong-Un's half-brother was stabbed with poison-tipped needles or had chemicals sprayed in his face. SEOUL (AFP) - The assassination of the North Korean leader's half brother illustrates the "brutal and inhuman" nature of the regime in Pyongyang, Seoul said Wednesday after Kim Jong-Nam was reportedly killed in Malaysia by female agents. Two women are believed to have used some kind of poison for the Cold War-style killing, with reports from Malaysia and South Korea suggesting Kim Jong-Nam had been stabbed with poison-tipped needles or had chemicals sprayed in his face. "He told the receptionist at the departure hall that someone had grabbed his face from behind and splashed some liquid on him," Selangor state's criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying by Malaysia's The Star newspaper. "He asked for help and was immediately sent to the airports clinic. At this point, he was experiencing headache and was on the verge of passing out," said Fadzil. "At the clinic, the victim experienced a mild seizure. He was put into an ambulance and was being taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when he was pronounced dead." South Korean reports had earlier suggested the two female assassins had used poison-tipped needles during the killing, before fleeing in a taxi. A post mortem will be carried out later in Malaysia. Kim had at one time been set to assume the leadership of his isolated country, but fell out of favour after an embarrassing attempt to get into Japan on a fake passport in 2001. He has since lived in exile, mostly in the gambling haven of Macau, but he has also been spotted in other Asian countries and there have been reports of his playboy lifestyle. Kim, 45, is believed to have been in Malaysia on a passport bearing the name Kim Chol, a known alias, according to South Korean media. Story continues But Seoul on Wednesday confirmed that the dead man was a member of the Kim dynasty. "Our government is certain that the murdered man is Kim Jong-Nam," said Chung Joon-Hee, a spokesman for Seoul's unification ministry that handles inter-Korea affairs. "If confirmed, the murder of Kim Jong-Nam would be an example that shows the brutality and inhumane nature of the North Korean regime," acting leader Hwang Kyo-Ahn told a meeting of top security officials earlier, according to his spokesman. "We're taking this incident very seriously and we're keeping close tabs on the North", Hwang said. Kim's killing is thought to be the highest-profile death under the Jong-Un regime since the execution of the leader's uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. Jong-Un has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his country's nuclear and missile programmes, and regular reports have emerged on purges and executions. Jong-Nam, known as an advocate of reform in the North, once told a Japanese newspaper that he opposed his country's dynastic system of power. Cheong Seong-Jang, senior researcher at Seoul's Sejong Institute think-tank, said Jong-Nam had been living in near-exile so it was unlikely that Jong-Un saw him as a potential competitor for power. "But if Jong-Nam committed an act to damage Jong-Un's authority, I think it's possible that the Reconnaissance General Bureau may have directly conducted the assassination under the orders of Jong-Un since it has been in charge of closely watching Jong-Nam," he said. More From Business Insider By Ju-min Park and A. Ananthalakshmi SEOUL/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police on Wednesday detained a woman holding Vietnam travel papers and are looking for a "few" other foreign suspects in connection with the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother, police said. Lawmakers in South Korea had earlier cited their spy agency as saying it suspected two female North Korean agents had murdered Kim Jong Nam, and U.S. government sources also told Reuters they believed North Korean assassins were responsible. The portly and gregarious Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, was assaulted on Monday morning in the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport and died on the way to hospital, Malaysian police said. The woman detained at Kuala Lumpur airport was identified from CCTV footage at the airport and was alone when she was apprehended, police said in a statement.Media had earlier published a grainy CCTV-captured image of a young woman wearing a white shirt with the letters "LOL" on the front. Related Video: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. Documents she carried were in the name of Doan Thi Huong, showed a birth date of May 1998 and birthplace of Nam Dinh, Vietnam, police said. "Police are looking for a few others, all foreigners," Deputy Inspector-General Noor Rashid Ibrahim told Reuters, declining to give their nationalities or gender. South Korean intelligence believes Kim Jong Nam was poisoned, the lawmakers in South Korea's capital, Seoul, said. The spy agency told them that the young and unpredictable North Korean leader had issued a "standing order" for his half-brother's assassination, and that there had been a failed attempt in 2012. "The cause of death is strongly suspected to be a poisoning attack," said South Korean lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, who was briefed by the spy agency. Kim had been at the airport's budget terminal to catch a flight to Macau on Monday when someone grabbed or held his face from behind, after which he felt dizzy and sought help at an information desk, Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat said. Story continues According to South Korea's spy agency, Kim Jong Nam had been living, under Beijing's protection, with his second wife in the Chinese territory of Macau, the lawmakers said. One of them said Kim Jong Nam also had a wife and son in Beijing. Kim had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state. "If the murder of Kim Jong Nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong Un regime," South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is also acting president, told a security meeting. The meeting was called in response to Kim Jong Nam's death, news of which first emerged late on Tuesday. 'SENSE OF DANGER' South Korea is acutely sensitive to any sign of instability in isolated North Korea, and is still technically in a state of war with its impoverished and nuclear-armed neighbor, which carried out its latest ballistic missile test on Sunday. Malaysian police said Kim held a passport under the name Kim Chol, with a birth date that made him 46. Kim Jong Nam was known to spend a significant amount of time outside North Korea, traveling in Macau and Hong Kong as well as mainland China, and has been caught in the past using forged travel documents. His body was taken on Wednesday to a second hospital, where an autopsy was being performed. North Korean embassy officials had arrived at the hospital and were coordinating with authorities, police sources said. There was no mention of Kim Jong Nam's death in North Korean media. In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman said China was aware of the reports and closely following developments. Yoji Gomi, a Japanese journalist who wrote a 2012 book on Kim Jong Nam, said Kim's media appearances, which increased around the time South Korean intelligence said he was targeted for assassination, may have been an attempt to protect himself. "I now have the impression that even he may have had a sense of danger, so he began exposing himself in the media and stating his opinions to protect himself and counter North Korea," Gomi told a talk show on Japan's NTV. North Korean agents have killed rivals abroad before. South Korea's spy agency said Kim Jong Nam wrote a letter to Kim Jong Un in 2012 asking that the lives of him and his family be spared, one of the lawmakers said. "Kim Jong Un may have been worried about more and more North Korean elites turning against him after Thae Yong Ho defected to the South," said Koh Yu-hwan, an expert on the North Korean leadership at Dongguk University in Seoul, referring to last year's defection by North Korea's deputy ambassador in London. Numerous North Korean officials have been purged or killed since Kim Jong Un took power following his father's death in 2011. Those include his uncle Jang Song Thaek, who was considered the country's second most-powerful person and was believed to have been close to Kim Jong Nam. Jang was executed on Kim Jong Un's orders in 2013. (Reporting by Ju-min Park, Cynthia Kim, Hyunjoo Jin and Yun Hwan Chae in SEOUL, Joseph Sipalan, Praveen Menon and Emily Chow in KUALA LUMPUR, and Philip Wen in BEIJING; Writing by Tony Munroe and John Chalmers) (Additional reporting by Bill Rigby in Seattle; Editing by Sue Horton and Will Dunham) SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's prime minister will preside over a national security council meeting on Wednesday to discuss the death of the North Korean leader's estranged half-brother in Malaysia, an official at the prime minister's office said. The meeting will take place at 8.50 a.m. Seoul time (2350 GMT Tuesday). Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was found dead in Malaysia, according to Malaysia's police. U.S. and South Korean government sources have told Reuters he had been murdered, without giving further details. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Paul Tait) By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - The Southern Poverty Law Center said in a report released on Wednesday that hate groups in the United States proliferated in 2016 as Donald Trump's bid for the U.S. presidency energized the radical right. "Trumps run for office electrified the radical right, which saw in him a champion of the idea that America is fundamentally a white mans country," the Southern Poverty Law Center said. The nonprofit civil rights organization said in its annual census of hate groups that anti-Muslim groups nearly tripled to 101 in 2016 from 34 in 2015. It said hate groups in the United States numbered 917 last year compared with 892 in 2015. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. At a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, President Trump was asked to comment on an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States and to respond to those in the U.S. Jewish community, Israel and elsewhere "who believe and feel that your administration is playing with xenophobia and maybe racist tones." "We are going to do everything within our power to stop long simmering racism and every other thing that's going on," Trump said. "There's a lot of bad things that have been taking place over a long period of time. "As far as people, Jewish people, so many friends; a daughter who happens to be here right now; a son-in-law, and three beautiful grandchildren. I think that you're going to see a lot different United States of America over the next three, four or eight years ... And you're going to see a lot of love." NUMBER OF HATE GROUPS HIGH The report, contained in the Spring 2017 issue of the organization's Intelligence Report, said the number of hate groups in the United States in 2016 was high by historic standards. Researchers for the Alabama-based organization said the number of crimes against Muslims had risen with the number of hate groups. They cited as an example the burning of a Texas mosque after the Trump administration issued an executive order suspending travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries. Story continues 2016 was an unprecedented year for hate, said Mark Potok, senior fellow and editor of the Intelligence Report. The country saw a resurgence of white nationalism that imperils the racial progress weve made, along with the rise of a president whose policies reflect the values of white nationalists," Potok said. The report said the level of organized hatred in the United States was likely understated by the number of groups since "a growing number of extremists operate mainly online and are not formally affiliated with hate groups." In the past, some groups have criticized the organization's findings. Conservative online website Breitbart News, formerly run by current Trump strategist Steve Bannon, has accused the Southern Poverty Law Center of "manufacturing hate for fun and profit." "The radical right in the United States has more of a chance, an opportunity, to directly affect real life national policy at this moment than at any time in at least half a century," Potok told a teleconference after the report was released. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Colleen Jenkins) Photo credit: Ken Ulbrich From Popular Mechanics Photo credit: NASA The Hubble Space Telescope is arguably the most important science instrument ever built-at least in the pursuit of astrophysics-with more than 11,000 research papers written based on over a million observations in its 27-year history. Astronomers around the world vie for the opportunity to point the school bus-sized space telescope at the most intriguing objects in the cosmos. Some of the major fields of research built on Hubble data include early galaxy formation, the rate of the universe's expansion, and the study of black holes. It might be time for the invaluable telescope to get a tuneup. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the Trump Administration is considering a proposal to launch a crewed mission to Hubble to replace sensors, navigation hardware and other aging components. NASA extended Hubble's science operations for an additional five years in 2016, but whether the HST will make it through the 2020s is unclear. A mission such as the one proposed would likely extend the space telescope's operations well into the future. Sierra Nevada Corporation, the Nevada space services company that put forth the proposal, suggests using its Dream Chaser winged spacecraft for the repair mission. The Dream Chaser is a smaller craft than the Space Shuttle, but similar in overall design. The spaceship is currently undergoing flight tests and development, with a targeted maiden launch in 2019 and the goal of shuttling cargo and science experiments to the ISS shortly after. A Dream Chaser would need to be manufactured with life-support and abort systems to carry astronauts to Hubble, though design plans already exist for a crewed version of the craft. Photo credit: Ken Ulbrich Outfitting the Hubble with new components would allow the telescope to serve as an "insurance policy" against any malfunctions that might befall the James Webb Space Telescope, a $9 billion project slated for launch in October 2018. As John Wenz at Astronomy Magazine points out, the JWST "will perch itself far from low-Earth orbit (and even beyond the Moon) at a stable point called L2." Sending astronauts out there to fix any problems on James Webb might not be viable at all, and certainly not with current spaceflight technology. Story continues The Hubble Space Telescope has received five servicing missions in the past, all conducted during the Space Shuttle program. The Wall Street Journal report suggests that a sixth mission could achieve many of the goals that the Trump administration has set forth for NASA, including fostering a private-public partnership for space projects and conducting a mission that could be completed with tangible results during the president's first term. That said, the new proposal is in the very early stages of consideration, and approval might not come at all. Ultimately, the yet-to-be-announced NASA Administrator will have ultimate say over space missions-but the Trump team gets to select NASA's 13th Administrator. If Washington chooses to pursue a Hubble servicing mission, it stands to reason their new head of NASA will make the project a priority. In addition to serving as a backup for James Webb, the science benefits of keeping the Hubble operational are plentiful. Hubble could provide valuable visual observations to supplement James Webb, which will primarily be imaging the universe in infrared, to learn more about the ancient cosmos then ever possible before. Nothing is set in stone, but it seems a shameful waste not to keep Hubble up and running, photographing the final frontier for decades to come. Source: The Wall Street Journal via Astronomy Magazine You Might Also Like By Michelle Martin BERLIN (Reuters) - A Spanish film that depicts a shooting in a Madrid bar explores how people react in extreme situations - a scenario that is a reality in Europe as militants have staged attacks in Paris and other places. "El Bar", directed by Alex de la Iglesia and screened at the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday, shows a man being gunned down as he leaves a bar and another man who goes to help also being shot. "If you're confronting death, your very basic instincts are aroused and in this film it's really about survival for all of us," said Blanca Suarez, who plays one of the bar's customers. Director de la Inglesia said the film - which is peppered with humorous moments - was a "comedy of terror" and reflected a situation faced by people in Europe and elsewhere in which they are trapped with no exit route as fear and anxiety increase. After the shooting, the remaining customers wonder whether there is a gunman on a nearby roof, if a terrorist is going to kill them all, and if this attack will end up like the attack on Paris in 2015 in which 130 people were killed. They panic and turn on each other - sometimes with a gun - as they attempt to work out who the killer is. Police seal off the bar, a sick man found in the bathroom dies, the bar is torched and they are forced into the sewers to retrieve medicine. De la Inglesia said he was already writing the script for "El Bar" when Islamist militants attacked the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and bars in Paris in Nov. 2015. But he said the attack was on his mind while he worked on the film. "It's come closer to us in a very violent way and we felt we were protected before but the fear and the terror are always there in life and there are times in our life maybe when you're not aware of it every day but you cannot deny the fear and the terror now," he said. (Reporting by Michelle Martin; Editing by Angus MacSwan) Washington (AFP) - Sub-Saharan Africa, where more than a half billion people live without electricity, trails the world in government policies that promote sustainable energy, according to a new World Bank report Wednesday. Much of the rest of the world, however, has made strides toward making energy broadly available, developing renewable power sources and increasing efficiency, the inaugural Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy report said. In a survey of 111 countries, the World Bank found that through 2015 nearly 80 percent had begun to adopt policies to expand electrical grids, connecting them to solar and wind generation, and to help make electric utilities creditworthy and financially viable while keeping energy prices down. More than a third of countries, home to 96 percent of the global population, were at an advanced stage and progress was not limited to rich countries. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda outperformed their peers in access to energy, while Pakistan made progress on renewable energy, and Vietnam had developed policies on energy efficiency. Yet the report showed "on the whole that African countries are scoring very poorly on the policy environment for energy access," said Vivien Foster, the World Bank's global lead for energy economics. "As many as 40 percent of them are in the red zone, meaning they've barely begun to take policy measures to accelerate access to energy." There were bright spots on the African continent, such as South Africa, Tunisia and Morocco, she noted. UN member states in 2015 adopted a set of sustainable development goals to reach by 2030, including a guarantee of cheap, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all people. The report, which will be updated every two years, said local authorities should use its findings to compare their policies to regional and global peers in efforts to meet the development goals. Riccardo Puliti, head of the bank's energy and extractives global practice, told reporters the global lender currently had a $1.6 billion portfolio to support energy access that was mainly focused in Asia and Latin America. "But we are moving very strongly in Africa as well," he said. For the current fiscal year the bank had $260 million in new projects for off-grid power generation, in countries including Kenya, Rwanda, Niger and Zambia, he said. By Mehreen Zahra-Malik ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber from the Pakistani Taliban militant group attacked a van carrying judges in northwestern city of Peshawar on Wednesday, wounding several judges and killing the driver, police said. It was the region's second attack of the day in a new surge in militant violence. In the Mohmand agency area north of Peshawar, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a government office, killing five people. Security has improved in Pakistan over the past few years but a spate of attacks in recent days, and a threat by hardline militants to unleash a new campaign against the government, has raised fears of bloodshed. "A suicide bomber on a motor bike rammed into an official van in which some judges were traveling," senior superintendent of Peshawar police Sajjad Khan told journalists. Khan said three female judges and one male judge had been taken to a nearby hospital while the driver of the van had been killed. Earlier in the day Geo TV, citing Khan, said two people had died in the attack but that figure was later revised to one. Mohammad Khurassani, spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, said the group was behind the blast and threatened more attacks. "We would continue to target Pakistani judiciary and judges as they are helping imprison the mujahideen," a reference to the group's fighters. The Peshawar attack took place in a wealthy neighborhood of the city, where Taliban gunmen attacked a military-run school in December 2014 and killed 134 children and 19 adults. Former cricket star Imran Khan, Pakistan's main opposition leader, was due to visit the nearby hospital. Khan's media team said he was safe. Khan's party rules Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, of which Peshawar is capital. Hardline militant group Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the Mohmand blast. The same group claimed an attack in the city of Lahore on Monday in which 13 people, five of them policemen, were killed. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar said the Lahore attack was the beginning of a new campaign against the government, security forces, the judiciary and secular political parties. Separately on Monday, a bomb squad commander and another policeman were killed while they were trying to defuse a bomb in the southwestern city of Quetta. The spate of attacks has underlined the threat militants pose to the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif despite an army offensive launched in 2014 to push them out of their northwestern strongholds near the Afghan border. Pakistan had announced a 20-point National Action Plan after the Peshawar school massacre in 2014, the main thrusts of which included expanding counter-terrorism raids, secret military courts and the resumption of hangings. (Additional reporting by Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar; Writing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Tom Heneghan) Tuesday, February 14, 2017 The New York Appellate Division for the First Judicial Department affirmed the conclusion that New York has jurisdiction to consider claims related to Nazi art theft The genesis of this litigation was in 1939, when, with the Nazi invasion imminent, decedent Oscar Stettiner, a Jewish art collector, abruptly fled Paris, leaving his art collection behind. His art collection was later sold by the Nazis, including an early twentieth century painting by the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, which Stettiner's heir seeks to recover. The issue before this Court is whether petitioner International Art Center, S.A. (IAC), which purchased the painting in 1996 for $3.2 million, has standing to challenge the ancillary letters of administration issued to the heir's representative for purposes of commencing litigation to recover the painting. We hold that petitioner lacks standing, and that, in any event, the limited ancillary letters were properly issued. In the immediate aftermath of World War II, the United States and its allies took on the task of locating and returning the many great works of art systematically looted by the Nazis. While millions of works were recovered and returned to the rightful owners, individual Holocaust victims and their heirs have struggled for decades to obtain restitution. The efforts to recover these treasures have been recently popularized in movies including 2014's "Monuments Men," and 2015's "Woman in Gold," which chronicled Maria Altmann's pursuit of her family's paintings looted in Austria, including Gustav Klimt's "Portrait of Adele" (1907), of which Altmann won restitution following litigation that reached the United States Supreme Court (see Republic of Austria v Altmann , 541 US 677 [2004]). While this great theft may have taken place more than 70 years ago, a resolution was not possible until a combination of scholarship and technology allowed for the creation of databases compiling lists of missing works, and until nations agreed to international guidelines on art restitution such as those laid out in the 1998 Washington Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art. Even at the tail end of 2016, the United States Congress felt it necessary to pass additional legislation to aid victims of Holocaust-era persecution and their heirs to recover works of art confiscated or misappropriated by the Nazis, and to ensure that claims to artwork and other property stolen or misappropriated by the Nazis are not unfairly barred by statutes of limitations but are resolved in a just and fair manner. This legislation became law on December 16, 2016 (see Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 (Pub L 114-308, 130 US Stat 1524, amending 22 USC 1621 et seq. ). The painting at issue is known as "Seated Man With a Cane" (1918) and is currently owned by petitioner. It is alleged to have been confiscated by the Nazis from decedent, who resided in Paris in the 1930s. Respondents, the Estate of Oscar Stettiner (Estate), Philippe Maestracci, and George W. Gowen, as Limited Ancilliary Administrator of the Estate of Oscar Stettiner, contend that in 1930 decedent Oscar Stettiner purchased a painting, which he subsequently loaned to the 1930 Venice Biennale, a world-famous art exhibition. The painting was listed as number 35 in the exhibition, and, according to respondents, a label on the back of the painting by the Venice Biennale establishes it is the same painting as the one at issue in this case. Holding IAC also challenges whether the Surrogate's Court had jurisdiction to entertain this matter. SCPA 206(1) provides that the Surrogate's Court has jurisdiction over the estate of any nondomiciliary decedent who leaves property in the state. The Surrogate's Court should decline to exercise jurisdiction only when the controversy in no way affects the affairs of a decedent or the administration of the estate (see Matter of Piccone , 57 NY2d 278, 288 [1982]). Significantly, although the authority of the Surrogate's Court over a nondomiciliary's estate in an ancillary proceeding is generally limited to estate assets within New York (see Matter of Obregon , 91 NY2d 591, 601 [1998]), property includes a "chose in action," e.g. a cause of action in New York (see SCPA 103[44]). Accordingly, contrary to IAC's contention, SCPA 206(1) does not require the physical presence of the subject property in New York at the time the proceeding for ancillary letters was commenced. It is sufficient that the Estate had a valid "chose in action" against two New York domiciliaries (the Nahmads), a New York corporation (the Gallery), and IAC, a foreign entity alleged to be owned and controlled by New York residents and doing business in New York. IAC's reliance on cases where, unlike the "chose in action" here, the estate property was not located in New York is misplaced (see e.g. Leve v Doyle, 6 AD2d 1033 [1st Dept 1956]). IAC similarly misplaces reliance on Obregon which involved the estate pursuing claims against parties and trust assets in the Cayman Islands and not in New York. Nor is there merit to IAC's personal jurisdiction claim. Initially, Surrogate's Court did not require personal jurisdiction over IAC in order to determine whether or not to revoke the grant of ancillary letters of administration since ICA was not a respondent in that proceeding. In any event, a court may exercise personal jurisdiction over any nondomiciliary who, in person or through an agent, transacts any business within the state or contracts anywhere to supply goods or services in the state or commits a tortious act within the state or regularly does or solicits business or engages in any other persistent course of conduct (CPLR 302[a][1] and [2]). The commission of some single or occasional acts of an agent in a state may be enough to subject a corporation to specific jurisdiction in that state with respect to suits relating to that in-state activity (see International Shoe Co. v Washington , 326 US 310, 318 [1945];Daimler AG v Bauman , __US__, __, 134 SCt 746, 754 [2014]; see also LaMarca v Pak-Mor Mfg. Co. , 95 NY2d 210, 214-216 [2000]). In this case, personal jurisdiction was acquired based on IAC's admitted agreement with Sotheby's to act as its agent to sell the painting in New York in 2008. Further, personal jurisdiction over IAC may be based on respondents' allegations that IAC transacted business in New York through the Nahmads at the Gallery's office in Manhattan. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2017/02/the-genesis-of-this-litigation-was-in-1939-when-with-the-nazi-invasion-imminent-decedent-oscar-stettiner-a-jewish-art-col.html KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) An appellate court in Sweden has upheld a life sentence for a man from Rwanda who faced charges related to his role in the 1994 genocide in the East African country. Claver Berinkindi, a Swedish citizen, had been found guilty of genocide and gross violation of international law in May 2015. He appealed the ruling, saying he was innocent. Berinkindi came to Sweden as a refugee in 2002 and became a Swedish citizen 10 years later. Rwandan authorities initially wanted to prosecute him in Rwanda but since he's a Swedish citizen he couldn't be extradited. Some 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were killed by Hutu extremists during the genocide, according to the U.N. Beirut (AFP) - Syrian rebel figures were en route to the Kazakh capital on Wednesday for fresh talks on reinforcing a faltering six-week truce, a spokesman and other opposition officials told AFP. The talks are set to begin Thursday and, like an earlier round in January, will be sponsored by rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran. "We are going now to Astana as the official opposition delegation," spokesman Yehya al-Aridi told AFP by phone. Rebel figures will meet with representatives from Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations, he said. The team will be again headed by Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure of the Army of Islam (Jaish al-Islam), but would be "smaller" than the last round. "We are going there for one particular thing, an essential matter: we were promised that there is going to be affirmation of the ceasefire," Aridi said. A truce deal brokered by Moscow and Ankara in December is faltering across Syria, with clashes reported in the southern city of Daraa and bombardment in the provinces of Aleppo and Hama. The Istanbul-based National Coalition on Wednesday said these violations would make up a cornerstone of the Astana talks. National Coalition spokesman Ahmad Ramadan said the delegation will include Alloush and five other rebel figures. "The point of the delegation is... to send a message to the Russians regarding the lack of commitment to the Ankara (truce) agreement, six weeks after it was signed," Ramadan told AFP. He said violations included "aerial and artillery bombardment, forced displacement, the lack of a solution for detainees and the continued besiegement of 800,000 civilians." Alloush was also expected to insist that political matters -- like a transition of power -- be discussed only in upcoming UN-brokered talks in Geneva. Russia is sending presidential envoy Alexander Lavrentiev to Astana while Iran said it is dispatching deputy foreign minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari. Story continues Syrian state media reported Wednesday that a government delegation had arrived in Kazakhstan. UN envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura said he would not participate personally in Thursday's meeting but that his office would be represented by a "technical team". The Astana initiative has left the West on the sidelines of the latest push to end the war in Syria that has claimed more than 310,000 lives since 2011. Azraq refugee camp (Jordan) (AFP) - Almost six years into a war that has devastated their country, Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon say they expect nothing of peace talks this month but still dream of going home. "I don't think anything will come of the talks" this week in Kazakhstan and the next in Switzerland, says Ahmad al-Khabouri, 32, at a refugee camp in Jordan. But the young man, who fled Syria with his wife and children in 2014, says he still clings on to hope of returning home some day. "I don't know if my house has been destroyed or not, but I want to return home even if we've managed to make a new life for ourselves here," he says. The war has killed more than 310,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. In the Azraq refugee camp, Khabouri runs a small shop that sells shisha tobacco and bicycles, the only method of transport for around 54,000 residents in the settlement. Sitting beside him outside his shop, Khabouri's 65-year-old uncle says he still thinks about his home and surrounding fields in Daraa, the southern cradle of Syria's uprising. But he says he is just as disillusioned about the latest rounds of talks between the regime and rebels set to take place in Astana on Thursday and in Geneva on February 23. "It's all lies, whether from the regime or the opposition. They're all laughing at the Syrian people," says the man in a long white robe and a traditional keffiyeh headscarf. At a nearby electronics stall, Ali al-Ghouthani, 42, says he'll return to Syria as soon as it is safe. - 'All I want is home' - "Despite the dignified life we have here, I'll go back as soon as security returns -- even if my home is destroyed... I'll rebuild it," says the father-of-eight, who is also from Daraa. Beside him, Abdelmonem al-Muthib listens to the chirping of a caged bird brought from Syria. Story continues But he says Syria will have to be much safer for him to return. "I won't start again from scratch, even if the fighting stops... unless the situation looks at least 35 percent like it did before the war," says the father-of-six. "If not, I'll stay here." The UN refugee agency says Jordan has taken in 655,000 Syrians since the start of the conflict, but Amman says the number is much higher at 1.4 million. In Lebanon, where the UNHCR says it has registered more than one million Syrian refugees, camp residents express similar frustration at the stagnant peace process. "We're not expecting anything. They've already met five or six times without any results," says Tarek Salloum, 24, standing outside a makeshift home in a camp in east Lebanon. "There'll be no solution because no one wants to make any concessions," says the refugee, who fled to the Marj area from the Syrian town of Zabadani across the border. "The losers are the Syrians who left their country." Qasiya Ezz, who has 10 children, says all she wants from the talks is "security and a small house for me and my children". "Whether the regime falls or not, I don't care," says the 38-year-old, her head wrapped in a black scarf. "We used to have peace in our beautiful country. All I want is to go home." By Ellen Francis BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian Kurdish militias and their allies expect continued U.S. support for their war against Islamic State in northern Syria and will fight Turkish forces if they advance towards Raqqa, a Kurdish leader said. Top Kurdish politician Ilham Ahmed spoke to Reuters from northeast Syria after returning from Washington where she pressed the new United States administration for political and military support. She co-chairs the political wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance that includes the Kurdish YPG militia and has emerged as the main Syrian partner of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. "In order to eliminate Daesh, there will definitely be military aid," she said, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Some U.S. officials also believed support could be increased, Ahmed said, describing her meetings as positive. The SDF, dominated by the Kurdish YPG militia, has seized vast territory along the Syria-Turkey border. It also includes Arab and other groups in the north. With air strikes and special ground forces from the U.S.-led coalition, the alliance is in the middle of a multiphased operation to encircle Raqqa city, Islamic State's base of operations in Syria. One of the Trump administration's major decisions will be whether to provide weapons to the YPG despite Turkish objections. The U.S. says weapons provided to the SDF are so far limited to its Arab elements. Ahmed said her meetings indicated the SDF would receive continued, if not more, support from the United States. In addition to meeting U.S. State Department officials and members of Congress, she met with foreign policy advisors to the Trump campaign and she plans to head back to Washington "as soon as possible". TENSIONS U.S. support for the SDF has created tensions with Turkey, which sees the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party that has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey. The YPG forms the military backbone of self-governing regions that Kurdish groups have carved out in northern Syria since the onset of the war in 2011. Turkey deployed its army in support of rebel groups in northern Syria in August, launching its own offensive, which the Kurds view as a hostile foreign intervention. Turkey said this week that the final goal of its incursion into Syria was to cleanse a border region, including Raqqa, of both Islamic State and Kurdish YPG militia fighters. "This is unacceptable. Turkey will not be allowed" near stable areas where the SDF has driven out jihadists, said Ahmed. "This will mean heightened tensions," she said. "If they attempt to, there will be clashes, of course." Northern Syria has become one of the most complicated battlefields of the multi-sided war, with Islamic State fighting there against the Syrian army, Turkish-backed rebels, and the SDF. Islamic State is fighting hard to preserve its foothold in central and eastern Syria as it loses ground in Iraq. "We definitely need more support," said Ahmed, a member of the main Syrian Kurdish party, the PYD. "We still don't know where Daesh will go after the battle of Mosul," she added. "There's a risk they will come to Syria." EXCLUSION Syrian Kurdish groups and their allies have made moves towards autonomy in the absence of any international deal for a political settlement to the nearly six-year war. They have been repeatedly left out of U.N.-led peace talks, in line with Turkey's wishes. They approved a blueprint for a system of federal government in northern Syria in late December, reaffirming their plans for autonomy in areas they control. Still, Kurdish leaders say an independent state is not the goal. The United States has voiced opposition to the federal plan. Elections foreseen as part of the new federal system could take place in six months, Ahmed said, arguing that the model of regional autonomy in northern Syria should be the basis for ending the entire Syrian conflict. During her meetings in Washington, Ahmed asked for U.S. support for these political ambitions, but has not received any definitive reaction. "We're not only thinking of the north," Ahmed said. "We have a comprehensive Syrian project." (Reporting by Ellen Francis; Editing by Tom Perry and Tom Heneghan) Antofagasta (Chile) (AFP) - Negotiations aimed at ending a strike that has halted production at the world's biggest copper mine were postponed indefinitely Wednesday, the government and a union said. After a week on strike, union leaders had said they were ready to meet on Wednesday with managers of the northern Escondida mine, owned by Anglo-Australian giant BHP Billiton, and government mediators. But the Escondida workers' union said in a statement that "scheduling problems" had prompted the company to ask for the talks to be postponed. "There is no date set. These negotiations take time," junior labor minister Francisco Diaz said on T13 radio. A source in the union told AFP that its leaders planned to meet with government officials on Thursday in the capital Santiago. Some 2,500 workers are on strike at Escondida demanding a pay raise. They have warned the action could last up to two months. The mine supplies five percent of global copper output -- some 927,000 tonnes a year. Like other mining companies, the Anglo-Australian firm has had to cut costs as copper prices slid in recent years. But prices have rallied in recent weeks on the back of US President Donald Trump's infrastructure spending plans. Copper is a key component in wiring, and demand for heavy machinery, electrical grids and telecommunication networks drives prices up. Renewed appetite in China, the world's biggest copper consumer, is also shaping the market. By Maytaal Angel LONDON (Reuters) - Tata Steel's British workers voted on Wednesday to accept pension benefit cuts in return for safeguards on jobs and investment, although the Indian company's plan to spin off its entire UK pension scheme still faces regulatory hurdles. Wednesday's vote allows Britain's largest steelmaker to close its 15 billion pound British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) to future accrual and replace the final salary scheme with a less generous defined contribution scheme. "Steelworkers have made great sacrifices ... Those sacrifices must be repaid by Tata Steel honouring its commitments on investment and job security. Nothing less would be a betrayal and add to the deep mistrust that steelworkers now have for the company," said Tony Brady, national officer of the Unite trade union. In return for pension changes, Tata Steel has pledged to guarantee production and jobs at Britain's largest steelworks in Port Talbot, Wales, for five years and to invest 1 billion pounds in its UK business over the next decade. The company's new defined contribution scheme will cover its existing 11,000 UK employees. The firm is, however, seeking rare regulatory approval to cut benefits for all 130,000 BSPS members and to spin off the scheme into a standalone entity. Tata says its UK unit, which is set this year to post its first profit in five years, will fail if it has to keep ploughing funds into a scheme with 13 times more pensioners than paying employees. The company is also seeking to spin off the pension scheme because Germany's Thyssenkrupp , with which it is in merger talks, is not prepared to take on any UK pension liabilities in the event of a tie-up. "Steelworkers have taken a tough decision. It is vital that we now work together to protect the benefits already accrued and prevent the BSPS from free-falling into the pension protection fund (PPF)," said Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the union Community. The PPF is a lifeboat for failing UK pension schemes. Tata Steel's UK workers were under pressure to back a deal that secured jobs and investment because if the company fails, they will face deeper benefit cuts under PPF payout terms. Stephen Kinnock, member of parliament for Aberavon, Wales, said: "What we have seen today is that the workforce will strain every sinew to save our industry. If fulfilled, the package voted on today should secure the future for Port Talbot." Some industry watchers, however, remain to be convinced that the 4,000 or so jobs at Port Talbot are secure for more than five years. Thyssenkrupp has said its main goal in merging with Tata's European operations is to combat overcapacity in the steel sector, and many expect this makes jobs at Port Talbot, a vital regional employer, vulnerable in the long term. Some pension experts also say Tata faced a battle to spin off the UK pension scheme because it would have to convince the regulator that the UK unit might otherwise go insolvent - something that looks less likely now it is heading for a profit. Martin Hunter, principal at pension consultants Punter Southall, said Tata faced a "substantial hurdle" winning regulatory clearance. "Even if the Pensions Regulator can be convinced that insolvency is inevitable... the cash sum needing to be offered to achieve a separation could be substantial, perhaps even in excess of 1 billion pounds." (Reporting by Maytaal Angel; Editing by Keith Weir and Mark Potter) Leaving my school building the other day, I had an unexpected realization: Perhaps a computer was a more effective teacher than I currently was. The thought unnerved me, and still does as Im writing this. Im a nearly 13-year veteran educator dedicated to reflecting upon and refining my teaching craft. But Im now considering the real possibility that, for at least part of a class period or school day, a computer couldand maybe shouldreplace me. For the past several weeks, Ive begun class with a simple routine: Students enter the room, grab a new Chromebook, log on to the Reading Plus program, and spend roughly 20 minutes working at their own pace. I stroll around the room and help with technology troubleshooting or conference with students, quietly chatting about academic progress or missing work. Ive also found myself pausing, marveling at what this program promises to accomplish: meeting students where they are academically and, at least in theory, helping a wildly diverse group of students improve their literacy skills. Recommended: Three Reasons to Reject Trump's Criticism of Intelligence Leaks Developments in education technology promise to assist teachers and school systems in supporting struggling students by providing individualized instruction. But at what cost? As a teacher, its difficult to adapt to and embrace a machine thatat least for part of the timetakes over for me. The processes of teaching and learning are complex and innately human; I value the time I take to develop relationships with my students. But its hard not to wonder if that time could better be spent with adaptive learning technology. My third-period sophomore English class at Fern Creek High School in Louisville, Kentucky, contains a wonderful mix of students hailing from the neighborhood and around the globemy students represent Jordan, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Russia, and Mexico. Ive thoroughly enjoyed getting to know how students arrived in our classroom in addition to hearing about their hopes, fears, and dreams. With this diversity also comes a huge range of student ability. Computerized reading assessments and other benchmarked tests reveal that roughly 90 percent of my class is behind grade level in reading. Story continues How could I possibly create 27 customized lessons? About half of those students are at least four grade levels behind. My own anecdotal observations support this challenging reality as well. And across the country, only 34 percent of eighth-graders scored proficient or above in reading in 2015 according to the Nations Report Card. School districts attempts to improve literacy achievement are pervasive, and our school administrations mandate to employ Reading Plus in most of our freshman and sophomore English classes reflects this. Id love to be able to provide individual instruction to my third-period class. One problemand its a big oneis that I dont know how to teach reading to students who are either new to the language or far behind grade level. And I know Im hardly alone as a high-school English teacher in this tenuous position. Ive earned an undergraduate degree in American literature, a masters in teaching, and masters in English literature. Yet these credentials havent equipped me with the necessary background or skills to significantly improve my students reading ability. Im not trained as a reading specialist. Even if I were, how could I possibly create 27 customized lessons? Maybe Reading Plus can do some of what I cant. Recommended: Trump Kicks Off His 2020 Reelection Campaign on Saturday During the independent, silent work periods at the start of my class, the program adapts to students reading speed and comprehension ability, creating a customized scrolling illuminationimagine a rectangular flashlight beam only highlighting the text your eyes scan. Many students seem to embrace this moving target; at the least, they are more physically engaged with reading than ever before, and the program seems to be motivating a clear majority of students. Reading Plus is emblematic of a growing trend toward personalized learning in public education; its the idea that schools can better serve students by providing more customized instruction. The term personalized learning refers to a vast array of approaches to education; examples include a high school in Deer Isle, Maine, and its radical curriculum overhaul to meet needs of individual learners in more creative ways, as well as San Diegos High Tech High, where student-designed, long-term passion projects are paramount to the learning process. Personalized learning, however, often manifests itself in school districts in less dynamic ways than in Maine and at High Tech High. The initiatives often become software or technology-based, with digital instruction adjusting based on competency levels or skills of its student users. Its not about student passion or authentic projectsits all about remediating and measuring specific academic skills. Recommended: Miss Manners on Rudeness in the Age of Trump And as Ive experienced first-hand, the role of teachers shifts dramatically with the adoption of these adaptive programs. Instead of a teacher striving to know a student on multiple levelsfrom understanding the nuances of his or her academic skills, to building positive relationships and crafting learning experiences based on more than numerical reading scoreseducators are on the sidelines while a machine takes over. Personalized learning often becomes inherently impersonal; its a sterile approach to messy, complex classroom processes. And theres also big money at stake for education-technology companies and curriculum publishers who are taking advantage of pressure to increase academic achievement. While we are still a community of learners, it feels less dynamic, even if students are making incremental reading gains. According to this 2014 Education Week report, the Federal Department of Education Race to the Top competition awarded 16 school districts $350 million dollars to support efforts to personalize learning, often including adaptive software and digital tools as part of their plans. For example, Miami-Dade Public Schools plan included buying access to Carnegie Learnings Mathia, a program that tutors middle-school students in math. Carson City, Nevadas, school system included a plan to incorporate MasteryConnect, which, according to report, is updated in real time as students take assessments, looking at mastery of learning targets (or specific academic skills). I wonder if educators in these locales are feeling as conflicted as I am. Critics of the software-driven personalized-learning trend, including the author Alfie Kohn and FairTest, an organization dedicated to curtailing misuses and flaws of standardized testing, contend that there are significant problems with this approach. Kohn laments school districts focus on improving test scores as a catalyst in software adoption. One of the issues addressed in this FairTest post is that frequent online student assessments require teachers to review copious amounts of data instead of teaching, observing and relating to students. I agree with both of these criticisms, particularly the idea of losing more opportunities for human interaction in favor of customized screen time. In 2014, I wrote a piece for The Atlantic titled My Students Dont Know How to Have a Conversation, arguing that students reliance on screen time is detracting from their ability to communicate verbally. And now school systems are adopting programs designed to keep students glued to yet another screen for reading practice, which, by design, is a closed system. With Reading Plus, students do not have the shared experience and discussions after reading the same text, like when we analyze Kurt Vonneguts short story Harrison Bergeron or The Color Purple together. Its all individualized, silent work. While we are still a community of learners, it feels less dynamic, even if students are making incremental reading gains according to the program. For struggling readers and writers, its understandable that teachers, schools, and systems are striving to do whatever it takes to improve literacy levels. But whether struggling students are better off graduating from high school having been remediated by personalized-learning software versus more dynamic learning experiences, even if their reading skills marginally improve, remains an open question. Im hopeful that this blended approach to teaching and learningthe combination of using technology-assisted activity and more traditional face-to-face methodswill be useful for my students. And I wasnt always open to this possibility. When I first read Michael Godseys essay for The Atlantic, The Deconstruction of the K-12 Teacher, a few years ago, I scoffed at the idea of teachers being replaced by classroom technology facilitators. Godsey writes, The virtual class will be introduced, guided, and curated by one of the countrys best teachers (a.k.a. a super-teacher), and it will include professionally produced footage of current events, relevant excerpts from powerful TedTalks, interactive games students can play against other students nationwide, and a formal assessment that the computer will immediately score and record. In Godseys vision, those who currently serve as classroom teacherslike myselfwould be replaced or forced to make radical changes in becoming a facilitator instead. Yet in the world of software-driven personalized learning, Godseys super-teacher isnt even neededonly folks who can keep students behaved and on-task. Ive reread the piece and agree with some of its conclusions: Theres no doubt the role of teachers is changing rapidly in many school districts towards more facilitation. Like Godsey, Id struggle to tell a young teacher in training what to expect in the coming yearsbut theres no doubt that blended learning will only increase in popularity. For now, Im okay with my changing role, and its too early to tell if Reading Plus is worth the time and students effort. As I write my lesson plans for next week, I chunk out the daily time needed for students to engage with their personalized learning. I tell myself Im still needed for the 45 minutes they arent tracking the illuminated scrolling target. I can still do my best to impart a love of writing, attempt to spark passions, encourage curiosity, foster discussions, smile, laugh, and interact with the students in ways a screen cant, even if Reading Plus knows more technical information about their reading levels than I ever could. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Authorities have found two bodies in the area where two 13-year old girls from Carroll County, Ind. went missing. Abigail Williams and Liberty German were dropped off near a bridge towards the east of Delphi, Ind. around lunchtime on Monday. The girls were supposed to meet back at the bridge later on but failed to return. German posted a photo to her Snapchat showing Williams on the bridge, the last time either girl was seen. Sergeant Kim Riley of the Indiana State Police said at a press conference that foul play was suspected but did not directly identify the bodies as the two teens, The Indy Channel reports. The Delphi Community Schools Corporation did however send students home with a letter that said the bodies were those of the missing girls. It is our understanding that the two bodies found today were those of our two missing Delphi Community Middle School students the letter said. By Andrew Chung (Reuters) - President Donald Trump acted well within his authority in issuing his executive order on immigration, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told a federal appeals court on Wednesday. Paxton, a Republican, attached a brief in asking the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California for permission to argue in support of Trump's temporary ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Texas is the first state to back Trump in the closely watched litigation. A group of 15 states and the District of Columbia have filed papers with the appeals court in support of Washington state's challenge to Trump's Jan. 27 order, saying it harms their educational institutions and economies. Paxton said the full court should reconsider whether a lower court judge was justified in halting the ban. U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle suspended Trump's order across the country on Feb. 3. Washington state argued that it violated constitutional protections against religious discrimination. That ruling was upheld by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit in San Francisco last week, raising questions about Trump's next step. The appeals court will soon vote on whether to reconsider the case with an 11-judge panel. Trump's directive, which he said was necessary to protect the United States from attacks by Islamist militants, barred people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the country for 90 days. Refugees were banned for 120 days, except those from Syria, who were banned indefinitely. The rulings put the order on hold until the courts can rule on the underlying merits. Ultimately, they will have to address questions about the extent of the president's power on matters of immigration and national security. Traditionally, judges have been extremely cautious about stepping on the executive branchs authority in such matters, legal experts said. In the brief, Paxton said the order had a clear national security goal, to ensure proper vetting of foreigners seeking entry into the United States. It "reflects national-security interests implicated by the ongoing War on Terror against radical Islamic terrorists." Paxton rejected any claim that the order discriminates against Muslims while favoring Christian minorities. If that argument is accepted, he said, it would jeopardize the government's ability to help persecuted religious minorities abroad by granting them refugee status. Texas led the legal fight against President Barack Obamas plan to protect up to four million immigrants from deportation, joined by 25 other Republican-led states. The challengers won a February 2015 nationwide injunction blocking the program before it was due to go into effect. In June 2016, the Supreme Court split 4-4 in the case, leaving in place an appeals court ruling in favor of the states.. A major question in that litigation was whether Texas had legal standing to sue, an issue that the Supreme Court did not resolve. In Wednesday's brief, Texas did not address whether Washington and other states had standing to sue over Trumps ban. (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York; Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley in Washington, D.C.; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Grant McCool) In Washington, DC, only 69 percent of public school students graduate from high school on time. Many factors influence that low rate. One of the most important ones is whether the people around the students expect them to succeed. So, for the past 40 years, a DC organization has stepped in to give around 10,000 students the support and positive environment they need to thrive. This organization, called Higher Achievement, provides students a welcoming space, help with classwork, and caring mentors. More than 95 percent of students who complete Higher Achievement graduate from high school on time. Katherine Roboff is the groups executive director in the DC area. She gives several reasons for the groups success. One is timing. Higher Achievement does not work with students who are already in high school. It works with students in middle school. They start Higher Achievement at fifth or sixth grade in the U.S., that is usually ages 11 or 12. Roboff says research shows that if students are doing well academically in eighth gradearound age 13they will have a greater chance of graduating from high school and going to college. In other words, what happens in middle school has a huge impact. The years between ages 10 and 13 may affect a students future more than anything that happens academically in high school. We know from the research is that middle school is the last best chance to get on track to college." Roboff explains that students participate in Higher Achievement after school and during the summer, when public schools take a break of about two months. Higher Achievement students do homework, have community meetings, and work one-on-one with a mentor. The purpose of the program is to help them use those after school and summer hours to become better prepared academically and to develop their leadership skills and confidence so that by the time they get into eighth grade they are ready to get into some of the top high schools. Three Rs Roboff calls the focus on the middle school years right-timing. She says the other two secrets of Higher Achievements success also start with r: rigor and relationships. Rigor means Higher Achievement has high expectations of the students in the program. And relationships refer to Higher Achievements mentorship program. The mentors are volunteers who live near Washington, DC. Mentors work with students for about an hour each day on subjects such as math or literature. But Roboff says the connection the mentors have with their scholars may be as important as the subjects they work on together. The relationships are such an important part of our model. But Its especially important when youre in middle school, when so much is changing to have mentors and staff and summer teachers who are there not only to help you grow academically but first and foremost to be a support for you and to help make sure you have a safe place to go and someone who will listen to you and talk with you and help you figure out things that are going on Roboff says relationships with mentors make a very, very big difference in the lives of our scholars. Michelle Davis is a mentor for Higher Achievement. She says the mentor program allows students to practice new skills privately with someone they trust. For example, she says, they practice critical thinking. Then, Davis says, students have the confidence to think critically when they go back to class. Dimelza Gonzales-Flores directs the Higher Achievement center at Columbia Heights Education Campus, an urban DC neighborhood not far from the White House. She says some of the Higher Achievement students do not always get the attention they need to develop academically. As a result, she says, their mentor can have a major impact on their lives. They might not have that one-on-one piece or they might not have that chance to voice their opinions and to grow as individuals. And thats I think what makes Higher Achievement so special and so important in scholars lives. A partner to the schools Roboff says Higher Achievement is a partner to the public schools. She wants to support what is happening in the classroom. But, she adds, schools could learn something from Higher Achievement. She calls it culture. In other words, Roboff believes Higher Achievement provides an environment where students can do their best. She says part of their formula is a culture of high expectations for scholars. An eighth-grader named Kastenny agrees that Higher Achievement has made a big difference for her. She says participating in the program has improved all of her grades, especially in math. Higher Achievement has also helped her become involved in healthy relationships. Perhaps most importantly, it has given her a positive attitude about academics. Through Higher Achievement, I learned that I love being around other people and that I find comfort being surrounded in other people, and I love learning. I have a new passion of learning because of Higher Achievement. Higher Achievement is counting on those healthy relationships and that love of learning to carry her to high school graduation and beyond. Im Phil Dierking. This story was written for VOA Learning English by Phil Dierking. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor. Do you think mentors are the best way to support students in public schools? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story academic adj. of or relating to schools and education achievement n. something that has been done or achieved through effort : a result of hard work nonprofit n. A nonprofit is an organization that uses whatever money it earns or raises to run the organization and to do the work of the organization. mentor n. someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person piece - n. an amount of something considered separately from the rest relationship n. the way in which two or more people, groups, countries, etc., talk to, behave toward, and deal with each other rigor n. the difficult and unpleasant conditions or experiences that are associated with something scholar n. an intelligent and well-educated person who knows a particular subject very well thrive v. to grow or develop successfully Getting superhero types to face villainous everyday tasks, like paying the bills and cleaning the house, is a recipe ripe for comedy. Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi knew that when he first made a viral short film, featuring Marvel superhero Thor and his Australian roommate Darryl, last year during Comic Con. Well Thor and Darryl are back at it. Specifically, Thor's trying to convince his average Aussie buddy that Asgardian coins are enough to get him by. The follow-up short was dropped to promote the home video release of Doctor Strange. We won't spoil the rest, but suffice to say we want to see more Thor's funny bone, and no doubt we will. 'Minecraft' players design Elon Musk's secret SpaceX Tunnel for him 'Pokemon Stadium' player gets incredibly lucky with critical hits There's so much drama in the 'Feud' trailer, Kanye's probably taking notes Things get very hot when a first date features the spiciest wings on the planet Guatemala City (AFP) - Two indigenous children murdered by unidentified kidnappers were buried on Tuesday west of Guatemala's capital, in a funeral attended by thousands of people. The children, aged 10 and 11, were grabbed on Friday by abductors in a black vehicle, as they were walking from their homes to school in their village of Cerro Alto, according to several witnesses. After their poor families were unable to raise ransoms to free them, their bodies were later found by a path, stuffed into plastic bags. "He was always early to get to school for class, because he wanted to become a priest," sobbed Maria Cotzajay, the mother of one of the murdered boys, in a speech at the school. The large crowd paid homage to the boys at the school then accompanied their coffins to the local cemetery. Some held up placards demanding public safety and justice. The UN children's fund, UNICEF, issued a statement condemning the crime and called for an "end to violence" and better protection for children. Last year, a total of 943 children died violent deaths in Guatemala, according to figures from a humanitarian group, Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo, based on date from state morgues. Jakarta's Christian governor was heading for a tough run-off against a Muslim opponent in city elections seen as a test of religious tolerance in Muslim-majority Indonesia after a tight first round Wednesday. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama held a narrow lead, according to private pollsters, despite being on trial for blasphemy, but is seen as unlikely to win in April's second round against ex-education minister Anies Baswedan, who came a close second and will attract more Muslim votes. Third candidate Agus Yudhoyono, another Muslim challenger and the son of a former president, trailed far behind. Baswedan said "Thanks be to God!" on hearing he looked on course to become governor of the megacity of 10 million -- but Purnama, who has won support with his determination to clean up Jakarta, signalled he was ready for a fight. "This is not over yet," he told cheering supporters at his campaign headquarters in Jakarta. "Some pollsters said we were the candidates no one would vote for," he said, referring to himself and his running mate. "We ended up in the lead." Over 100 polls to elect local leaders were taking place across Indonesia Wednesday but the race in the capital was the most hotly contested, with the top job in Jakarta seen as a stepping stone to victory in the 2019 presidential polls. The stakes in the vote have been raised by allegations that Purnama -- the city's first non-Muslim governor for half a century and its first ethnic Chinese leader -- insulted the Koran. The claims drew hundreds of thousands of conservative Muslims onto the streets of Jakarta in major protests last year, and Purnama has been put on trial in a case criticised as unfair and politically motivated. Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, was not barred from running but his popularity was dented for a period. The vote is now seen as a test of whether pluralism and a tolerant brand of Islam in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country are being eroded. Story continues - 'Needs a miracle' - Once the favourite to win the gubernatorial election, Purnama was on about 43 percent to Baswedan's 39 in Wednesday's first round, meaning no candidate had passed the threshold needed to avoid a run-off, according to early vote tallies by private pollsters. The official results are not expected for a few weeks but the early tallies, called "quick counts", are generally thought reliable. Despite his upbeat remarks, analysts warn Purnama is unlikely to win a second round against a candidate who has appealed to voters disillusioned by the governor's alleged blasphemy and controversially courted a hardline group that organised the protests against him. "At this stage, it will be a miracle if Ahok wins," said Tobias Basuki, a political analyst from Jakarta think-tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, adding it was unlikely the first round votes for Yudhoyono would go to Purnama. Observers also warn that any run-off between Purnama and Baswedan could stoke religious tensions further after months of a dirty campaigning. "The tense situation will continue until April -- this kind of thing is dangerous," said Burhanuddin Muhtadi of pollster Indikator. Campaigning was marked by a flood of "fake news" which has mainly targeted Purnama, and included claims that a free vaccination programme he backed was a bid to make girls infertile and reduce the population. In the event that Purnama wins and is convicted of blasphemy, which could see him sentenced to up to five years in prison, he would not automatically be barred from holding office and could avoid jail for a long time by filing successive appeals. Purnama's troubles began in September when he said in a speech that his rivals were tricking people into voting against him by using a Koranic verse, which some interpret as meaning Muslims should only choose Muslim leaders. The controversy is a high-profile example of the religious intolerance that has become more common in Indonesia, 90 percent of whose 255 million inhabitants are Muslim. Purnama won popularity for trying to improve traffic-choked and chaotic Jakarta by cleaning up rivers and demolishing red-light districts, although his combative style and controversial slum clearances sparked some opposition. Photo credit: BBC From Road & Track After a rocky reboot, Top Gear looks like it's taking the right approach to Season 24. With Matt LeBlanc taking the helm, and bigger roles for Chris Harris and Rory Reid, we can't wait to see what the showhas in store. Thankfully, we won't have to wait long. BBC America just announced that Top Gear Season 24 will premiere on March 12th in the U.S., one week after its UK release on March 5th. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Top Gear, though the original format used from 1997 to 2001 was decidedly different from the revamped show that was launched in 2002. Been working on the new @BBC_TopGear for many months now. First episode airs 5 March on BBC2. Excited! - chris harris (@harrismonkey) February 14, 2017 Top Gear is always under pressure to entertain its fans, but after a disappointing 23rd season with Chris Evans as lead host, the stakes are even higher for Season 24. Based on a trailer released last week, this season of Top Gear looks like it won't disappoint. Most importantly, though, LeBlanc, Harris, and Reid seem to have some real, natural chemistrysomething the show lacked with Chris Evans at the helm. To get excited for Top Gear's 24th season, check out Rory Reid's new road-trip series, or Chris Harris' ever-excellent car reviews. Update: BBC America just announced that Top Gear will premiere a day earlier than initially announced. This post has been updated accordingly. You Might Also Like By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer called on Tuesday for an independent probe of what he called potential criminal violations surrounding the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn. Speaking to reporters in the U.S. Capitol, Schumer said law enforcement officers should question officials from President Donald Trump's campaign, transition team and administration staff, including Trump himself, about events leading up to Flynn's departure on Monday. He said Flynn, and potentially other Trump officials, could have violated federal prohibitions against citizens negotiating with foreign governments or receiving gifts and other benefits without authorization. "What I am calling for is an independent investigation with executive authority to pursue potential criminal actions," Schumer said. "There are potential violations of law here by General Flynn and potentially others." Flynn quit after only three weeks in the job, following disclosures that he discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with Moscow's ambassador to the United States before Trump took office and later misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations. Schumer appeared unlikely to win support for such a probe from his Senate Republican colleagues, who expect the scandal to be investigated by the Senate Intelligence Committee. "The Intelligence Committee is already looking at Russian involvement in our election ... it's highly likely they'd want to take a look at this episode. They have the jurisdiction to do it," Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told reporters separately. Schumer welcomed any involvement by the Senate committee but said the panel lacked the prosecutorial powers needed to hold potential wrongdoers fully accountable. He also said that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from any probe of Flynn's resignation because of his political ties to Trump. Schumer said career Justice Department investigators or an independent counsel could look into whether other Trump team members had contact with Russia and why the White House did not seek Flynn's resignation sooner. "Any attempt to lie or mislead must be countered by the full force of the law," Schumer added. "His resignation raises more questions than it answers. And the American people deserve to know the truth." (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Grant McCool and Peter Cooney) TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp <6502.T> has decided to delay the sale of shares in its chip business to the next financial year or later, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday, without citing sources. The Japanese conglomerate said on Tuesday it would book a$6.3 billion hit to its U.S. nuclear unit and may sell a majority stake in its prized flash-memory chip unit as itscrambles for cash to stay in business. Previously it had only planned to sell about 20 percent. Toshiba is the world's biggest NAND chip producer after Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS>. Potential buyers include rivals such as SK Hynix Inc <000660.KS>, Micron Technology Inc as well as investment fund Bain Capital, according to sources. (Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Alexander Smith) When Joe Trudeau sorry, "Justin Trudeau" visited the White House recently, he made everyone swoon, especially the president's daughter. Trevor Noah can empathize. As he explained on The Daily Show, Ivanka is forced to look at men all day who he describes as trolls or alternatively, "alt-handsome." SEE ALSO: What to do when you're so overwhelmed by the Trump presidency you can barely move "She looks like shes considering dressing up as a Syrian refugee just so Canada will take her in, like, Let me in, Justin!" Noah may not agree with any of her politics or anything she's done in the past day/year, but this he gets. Breaking with decades of U.S. foreign policy, the Trump administration will not insist on a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when President Donald Trump hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. Senior White House officials signaled the shift in a briefing to reporters late Tuesday in advance of the summit the two leaders first in-person meeting since Trump took office. Maybe, maybe not, one official said of the two-state solution. Its something the two sides have to agree to. Its not for us to impose that vision. But I think well find out more about that tomorrow. The official emphasized that Trump seeks to bring peace to the turbulent region, even as he has promised a far closer relationship with Netanyahu and Israel under his presidency. Netanyahu and former President Barack Obama repeatedly clashed, and in one of his final acts in office, Obama declined to veto a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israels expansion of settlements in West Bank areas claimed by Palestinians as part of a future state. A two-state solution that doesnt bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve, the official said. Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if thats what the parties want or something else, if thats what the parties want, were going to help them. The two-state solution has been a central aim of American foreign policy in the region for decades, and was embraced by both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. But in recent years it has appeared to be an ever-fleeting dream, amid demographic changes, settlement expansion, security concerns, and eroding trust between the two parties. The official said that the prospect of a future meeting between the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority leaders would be on the agenda for Trumps meeting with Netanyahu. Hes hopeful to bring the two sides together to discuss peace, the official said of Trump, adding the issue of Middle East peace is a very high priority for the new administration. Story continues Trump and Netanyahu will host a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House Wednesday, before holding a bilateral meeting and a working lunch. The official said the administration hopes the visit will usher in a new relationship between Israel and the United States something that Israel has not seen in well over eight years, a relationship that will show there is no daylight, that we are fully cognizant of the situation that Israel finds itself in. The official said that under the Trump administration, The posture that the U.S. takes at the UN under this administration would be to veto anything that is biased against Israel. The official added that the settlement issue will be also be on the agenda for the meeting. Earlier this month, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement that the White House did not believe the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders would be helpful in achieving a lasting peace accord. The statement followed a day after the Israeli government approved an entirely new settlement construction in the West Bank. Iran, its status as a state sponsor of terror, and its nuclear program, would be a crucial part of the discussion, the official said. Netanyahu was outspoken in his opposition to the Iran nuclear agreement under the Obama administration, though Trump has pledged to rigorously enforce the agreement, rather than abrogate it. Officials maintain that the agreement has rolled-back the breakout time for Iran to build a functioning nuclear weapon from a matter of months to a year. Also on tap for the meeting will be a discussion of moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem long a goal for Netanyahu and many pro-Israel Americans. While Trump repeatedly pledged support for the move as a candidate and during the presidential transition and even considered ordering it moved immediately after he took office on Jan. 20 the White House put the brakes on the effort after Trump was briefed by his aides and amid pressure from Arab allies in the region. We are at the early stages of this decision-making process, Spicer told reporters on Jan 23. When pressed if he could commit that at the end of Trumps first term that the embassy would be moved, Spicer replied, If it was already a decision, we wouldnt be going through a process. Trump follows both Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in publicly expressing support for the embassy move during the campaign, before delaying it at the behest of national-security leaders and Middle East experts as detrimental to the peace process. During his confirmation hearing in January, Secretary of Defense James Mattis told Senators he believes Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel and deferred to the Secretary of State on whether it should be moved. The capital of Israel that I go to, sir, is Tel Aviv, sir, because thats where all their government people are, he testified. The issue did not come up during the confirmation hearings for Trumps nominee to head the State Department, Rex Tillerson. Trump faces a June 1 deadline to weigh in formally on the subject when the final six-month Obama waiver of the Jerusalem Embassy Act expires. Over seven months have passed since Panamanian officials launched an expansion of the world famous Panama Canal. Officials agreed to the expansion so that many of the worlds largest cargo ships could easily pass through the canal. Yet the Associated Press reports the $5.25-billion project has problems. It says ships continue to rub against the canals walls and wear out defenses designed to protect both shipping and the waterway. The Panama Canal has been in operation for more than a century. The United States completed the canal in 1914. The waterway remained under U.S. control until the end of 1999, when it was given to Panama. A dangerous system The canal links two oceans the Atlantic and the Pacific -- through a system of locks. The locks are like steps. They raise and lower ships from one part of the waterway to another on their trip from ocean to ocean. With the old locks, which are still in use, large ships would be tied to powerful locomotives on both sides. These engines help to keep the ships in the center of the canal. In the new locks, the ships are tied to tugboats. One tugboat is tied to the front of the ship, with the other tied to the back. These boats then guide the ships through the canal. At first, pilots of the cargo ships and tugboat operators would sometimes try to rub the boats against the canal walls as a way to keep the ships straight. But this caused damage to rubber padding lining the walls. In one case, a ship called Ever Living tried to pass through the canal when one of the massive steel lock doors failed to open all the way. The ships pilots and tugboat captains decided to continue using the tugboats to guide the ship through the narrowed passageway. But to avoid the stuck door, the ship came dangerously close to the side of the lock walls. "These are things that shouldn't happen," tugboat captain Mauricio Perez said. "Sometimes the only thing we can do is pray." Not enough training Even before the expanded canal opened in June 2016, tugboat operators had expressed concern about the new system. Many asked for more training. "The fears and dangers remain, although the boats are going through," Perez said. The Panama Canal Authority reports that, between June and January 2017, there were only 15 incidents that resulted in damage to locks or ships. That represents about 2 percent of the 700 times ships have sailed through the expanded canal. Officials say the first seven months have been a learning process, but they remain hopeful. Manuel Benitez, deputy administrator of the canal, said it has been "pretty positive the way our people have been able to navigate that (learning) curve." Benitez felt that the problems that have been reported were not enough to affect the operation of the locks. Still, many ships are carrying containers with goods, and any delay because of an accident can cost them money. In perhaps the most serious incident, a Chinese ship hit a lock wall a few weeks after the expanded canal opened, and made a hole in the side of the ship. This forced a delay in the trip. The Canal Authority did not say how much money is being spent on repairing the new rubber bumpers. Captains who navigate the canal say the defenses were expected to last at least a few years before they wear out. Pilots have argued they should be replaced with a system of floating bumpers like those used in some European locks. Officials say they plan to continue operating with the current system of defenses, but changes could happen in the future. "Thanks to the expertise of our practices, these incidents are happening less and less," Benitez said. A delicate operation There have been important improvements to operations at the Panama Canal, according to the Associated Press. Tugboat pilots say average travel time through the canal has dropped to two-and-a-half to three hours. It was four hours when the locks first opened. With experience, captains have become more at ease taking ships straight down the center of the locks, especially when weather conditions are good. But it's still a delicate operation. As the 334-meter-long Ever Living moved into the 426-meter lock chamber, workers tied the ship against the walls to keep it in place while it waited to move to the next lock. The tight space left little room for the tugboats, both in front of and behind the ship. Tugboat captains still fear their boats could be crushed against the walls if things get out of control during bad weather. Captains also regret that no wall was built at the entry to the Pacific Ocean side. They say such a wall would help to keep the ships straight and protect them from fast water currents. This is where the Chinese ship had its accident. Im Phil Dierking. The Associate Press reported on this story. Phil Dierking adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Should canals still be used if they are not yet safe?? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story authority n. people who have power to make decisions and enforce rules and laws delicate adj. easily broken or damaged lock n. an area in a canal or river that has gates at each end which are opened and closed to control the level of the water in different sections of the canal or river as boats move through it locomotive n. the vehicle that produces the power that pulls a train tugboat n. a small, powerful boat that is used for pulling and pushing ships especially into harbors or up rivers cargo n. something that is carried from one place to another by boat, airplane, etc. positive adj. good or useful navigate v. to find the way to get to a place when you are traveling in a ship, airplane, car, etc. padding n. soft material used WASHINGTON President Trump on Wednesday denounced criminal leaks of classified secrets and what he called the very, very unfair news medias treatment of ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn, a day after the White House said the mercurial retired general had to go because he misled colleagues and lost his unpredictable bosss trust. I think its very, very unfair whats happened to Gen. Flynn, the way he was treated and the documents and papers that were illegally I stress that, illegally leaked, Trump said at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president praised Flynn as a wonderful man targeted by the fake media, and condemned leaks of information showing that the former Army general misled top officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about potentially improper contacts with a top Russian diplomat. Its a criminal act, Trump said of the disclosures. People are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton. It was the latest attempt by the president to shift attention away from Flynns actions as well as reported contacts between figures in Trumps inner circle and officials tied to Russian President Vladimir Putins government and toward the remarkable leaks of sensitive information related to his contacts with Russias U.S. ambassador in December. Citing unnamed current and former administration officials, the New York Times reported on Tuesday that Trump campaign aides were in regular contact with Russian intelligence officials throughout the campaign. U.S. President Donald Trump (R) addresses a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Trump removed Flynn ostensibly over the retired generals changing characterization of his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Apparently on Flynns say-so, top officials including Pence and Trump press secretary Sean Spicer denied that the conversations had touched on the question of U.S. sanctions imposed under the Obama administration in response to allegations that Russia tried to influence the 2016 election. Flynn at first expressed confidence that the sanctions didnt come up, then later allowed that they might have, after news reports cited multiple officials as saying they had. A bombshell Washington Post report on Friday disclosed that U.S. intelligence officials possessed transcripts of the calls that contradicted Flynn. Story continues After Pences public denials, then-acting Attorney General Sally Yates approached White House Counsel Don McGahn on Jan. 26 to say that the Department of Justice had information contradicting Flynns account, Spicer confirmed on Tuesday. McGahn immediately briefed the president and a small group of his senior advisers, then opened an internal investigation that determined that there is not a legal issue, but rather a trust issue, the spokesman said. But Spicer declined to say whether any White House officials had read transcripts of Flynns calls, or whether those records would be made public. Later, Pence press secretary Marc Lotter said the vice president only became aware on Feb. 9 two weeks after Yates approached the White House that Flynn misled him based on news reports that he confirmed with other senior officials. There was no sign that Pence would have learned that Flynn had misled him absent the news reporting based on the leaks. Read more from Yahoo News: WASHINGTON With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side, President Trump on Wednesday dropped the decades-old U.S. position that Middle East peace requires the creation of a viable Palestinian state. The unpredictable commander in chief also watered down campaign-trail pledges to move Americas embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and dismantle the Iran nuclear deal. Im looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like. Im very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one, Trump said during a joint press conference with Netanyahu in the White Houses East Room. I thought for a while the two-state looked like it may be the easier of the two, but honestly, if Bibi and if the Palestinians if Israel and the Palestinians are happy, Im happy with the one they like the best. The so-called two-state solution, under which Palestinians would get their own state, has underpinned Middle East peace efforts for a generation. In January 2001, Bill Clinton became the first sitting U.S. president to explicitly declare that there can be no genuine resolution to the conflict without one. Nine months later, George W. Bush became the first to make this official U.S. policy. Since taking office, Trump and his top aides had omitted it from public statements. The Palestinians are unlikely to accept a peace agreement that does not give them an independent state. While the remarks appeared to delight Netanyahu, Trump seemed to surprise his guest by calling publicly for a pause in Israeli home building on Palestinian land. Id like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit, the president said. Netanyahu said he and Trump would discuss the matter privately so we can arrive at an understanding so we dont keep on bumping into each other all the time on this issue. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during a joint news conference at the East Room of the White House on Wednesday. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) Asked about moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Trump said he would love to see that happen but was taking great care to study the question. Well see what happens, OK? Story continues Moving the diplomatic mission would bolster Israels claims on the city as its undivided capital while eroding Palestinians hopes of making the eastern part of the city the capital of their future state. Defense Secretary James Mattis is known not to favor the embassy move, seeing it as an unnecessary provocation that could inflame anti-American sentiment across the Arab world. And a Trump aide recently told Yahoo News that opposition to the embassy move from Jordans King Abdullah carried weight with the White House. Trump also condemned the nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States, Britain, Russia, France and China as one of the worst deals Ive ever seen but did not repeat his campaign promise to dismantle the arrangement. I will do more to prevent Iran from ever developing I mean ever a nuclear weapon, the president said. When it comes to the agreement, congressional Republicans and Democratic Iran hawks appear to have settled on a strategy that calls for strictly enforcing the deal and essentially daring Iran to break it. They also want to impose new sanctions on Tehran over its ballistic-missile program and counter the Islamic republics support for extremist groups. The web of sanctions has made it difficult for Iran to reap the benefits of the nuclear deal, because companies have been leery of falling afoul of sanctions linked to other aspects of Tehrans behavior. Read more from Yahoo News: In the months since he was elected and in the weeks since he has occupied the White House, President Trump has upended diplomatic relationships around the world from Mexico to Australia. Yet he has said practically nothing about Africa. That is a problem. At a time when the continent is poised to take off politically and economically, Trumps silence on Africa is deafening. It threatens to undermine decades of bipartisan support for American engagement and sideline the United States as China reaps the benefits of increased cooperation with Africa. It also holds dangers for the success of American foreign policy in general. The U.S.-Africa relationship has blossomed over the last two decades. The Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was a remarkable bipartisan effort that helped save millions of Africans from the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has become a signature initiative to boost African economic development through allowing eligible African countries to export to the U.S. market on preferential terms. The Millennium Challenge Corporation, initiated by President George W. Bush, has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in partnership compacts with African governments that show specific commitments to improvements in governance, democracy, and human rights. The United States has become a go-to partner in supporting African Union peace support operations in places such as Somalia, the Lake Chad Basin, and the Central African Republic. Power Africa, the brainchild of President Obama, has been hailed as a visionary initiative to address the electricity gap on the continent through public-private partnerships. The U.S. became the first non-African country to establish a diplomatic mission dedicated to engaging with the African Union in 2007. In August 2014, President Obama hosted an historic meeting of African heads of state and government in Washington, D.C. that was very well received by his African counterparts. He followed that up with a visit to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia a first for a sitting U.S. president in which he gave a speech about good governance in the AUs Nelson Mandela Hall that will have an enduring resonance for a generation of young Africans like President John F. Kennedys 1963 speech in Berlin had for a generation of young Europeans. Story continues President Trump is jeopardizing this important relationship not only by his silence on Africa but by his statements and actions in other areas. For example, at the latest African Union summit on January 30, AU Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said in prepared remarks to the assembled African heads of state and government, The very country to whom our people were taken as slaves during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade has now decided to ban refugees from some of our countries. Clearly the former slave-trading country to which she referred was the United States, while the countries affected by the refugee and travel ban to which she alluded were Libya, Somalia, and Sudan which are member states of the African Union. While one can take issue with the pointed tone of the chairs remarks, the statement was nevertheless factually accurate. To be fair, President Trump may have made some limited outreach with African leaders. Though the White House has not confirmed it, President Trump is reported by various African media outlets to have had telephone conversations with South Africas president, Jacob Zuma, and Nigerias president, Muhammadu Buhari, on February 13 to discuss bilateral issues such as economic cooperation and counterterrorism, respectively. Nevertheless, for a broader African audience, President Trumps repeated emphasis of America First during his inaugural speech leaves many to wonder what will be the basis for U.S.-African cooperation in in the Trump era. For example, President Trumps desire to renegotiate trade deals leaves the future of AGOA in doubt (though it is more accurately understood as an international development initiative rather than a trade agreement). The focus of his foreign policy on defeating the Islamic State and rebuilding the U.S. military, while ignoring issues of common concern like climate change or food security, leaves many Africans to wonder what type of partnership they can expect from his administration on these issues of vital importance to them. Finally, the Presidents foreign-policy team to date lacks any real expertise in Africa. He has yet to appoint an assistant secretary of state for African affairs (though it is still very early in his tenure to have made such a selection) and his choice to be the senior director for African affairs on the National Security Council Staff has been denied a top security clearance, effectively barring him from holding such a sensitive position. Meanwhile, China has positioned itself to be a steadfast partner for Africa in a time of geopolitical uncertainty and questionable American commitment to the continent. In 2009, China replaced the United States as Africas largest trading partner, and has maintained that position ever since. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) has hosted regular meetings between African ministers and their Chinese counterparts since 2000, including the FOCAC heads of state and government summit in Johannesburg in December 2015 where Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $60 billion in new Chinese investments in Africa. Africans are enjoying the benefits of Chinese-built roads, railways, airports, and even the headquarters of the African Union itself, which was a prominent $200 million gift from the government of China to the people of Africa in the heart of the continents diplomatic capital. The implications of this ambiguity in Americas Africa policy are vast and obvious. It may prove difficult, for example, to marshal the political will and material resources to strengthen African health systems to fight the next pandemic disease, as the United States did with its African partners during the Ebola crisis of 2014 and thereafter. President Trumps stated preference for bilateral trade agreements will make it difficult for American companies to benefit from the increasing integration of African markets as the continent moves to create the Continental Africa Free Trade Area (CAFTA) in the coming years. Even though the Trump administration has prioritized the destruction of the Islamic State, the vital trust that is essential for maintaining critical counterterrorism partnerships across Africa is already being eroded by a strident policy of America First that leaves no place for African concerns in joint matters of peace and security. There are also important consequences for other aspects of U.S. foreign policy. The African Union has 55 member states, every one of which (except for Western Sahara) has a sovereign vote in every multilateral institution to which they belong. Because there are always three rotating African states on the U.N. Security Council, one-fifth of the votes needed to pass any UNSC resolution are African. They do not have veto power like the five permanent members. However, the increasing tendency of the so-called A-3 to vote in concert means that pushing an affirmative agenda through the Security Council heavily depends on garnering African support. The same is true in the U.N. General Assembly, where African states comprise almost 30 percent of the membership, more than any other regional group. From the U.N. Human Rights Council to the World Trade Organization, African states are an important voting bloc that the U.S. dismisses at its peril, particularly as AU member states are becoming more sophisticated in coordinating their diplomatic positions in forums outside of the AU. Further, as the Trump administration is striking an increasingly provocative stance with China on matters as diverse as bilateral trade and regional security in the South China Sea, it is a strategic mistake to ignore a region like Africa that is being aggressively wooed by China and that can provide crucial political support to the Chinese in multilateral forums where U.S. and Chinese interests may diverge. A similar dynamic is at play in the Middle East. The only non-African foreign-policy issue on which the African Union has ever taken a position is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There is enormous sympathy for the Palestinian cause among AU member states. Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has been a guest of honor at the last several AU summits, while the African Union refuses to accept diplomatic representation from the state of Israel at its headquarters in Addis Ababa. As the Trump administration shows increasing support for the Netanyahu government while the latter moves farther away from supporting a two-state solution, there will be implications for its relationship with Africa. The AU will almost certainly show greater support for Palestinians, both at the AU and elsewhere. In the absence of deft American diplomacy, its members will see the United States as opposed to a just and equitable settlement of a conflict that has particular resonance for Africans who bitterly recall their own struggles for independence. Cuba is another area where there could be friction between Trumps foreign policy and Africas priorities. During President Obamas historic visit to the African Union in July 2015, AU Commission Chairperson Dlamini Zuma hailed the U.S. normalization of diplomatic relations with Cuba, which was historically an important partner of the continent during its struggle for independence. Should President Trump reverse course on Cuba, it will certainly be seen in Africa as yet further evidence of a new form of American hostility to Africas closest partners that will decrease Africas willingness to support matters of interest to the United States. It may well be the case that the Trump administration has not intended to send such negative signals about Americas intentions with regard to the continent. Nevertheless, its early foreign-policy moves are not being received well in Africa, and the potential implications will reverberate to other seemingly disconnected areas of Americas interests around the world. If the Trump administration sees this as problematic and is serious about reversing this negative course of events, there are several things that it should do immediately. First, the White House should issue a statement as soon as possible expressing its intent to continue to support all bilateral and regional initiatives that the United States has in Africa, to include AGOA, Power Africa, and the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, among others. This would help quell worries both in Africa as well as among Africanists in the United States that the Trump administration wants to withdraw from the continent. Second, the Trump administration should prioritize the nomination of a new assistant secretary of state for Africa and the appointment of a new senior director for Africa, both of whom should be people with deep Africa expertise and strong ties with many African leaders. Third, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson should invite the newly elected chairperson of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, to visit Washington at the earliest opportunity to discuss U.S.-Africa relations. It would be an important diplomatic signal of the importance that the new team in Foggy Bottom gives to Africa. Fourth, the Trump Administration should explore some new initiatives for U.S. business engagement in Africa to show continued American support for Africas economic rise. For example, he could launch a new program called Build Africa to facilitate the engagement and financing of American infrastructure projects in Africa. This would have the triple benefit of showing U.S. commitment to Africa, providing business opportunities for American firms abroad, and countering Chinese influence with African member states. Finally, President Trump should commit to hosting another U.S.-Africa leaders summit at some point during his tenure. The 2014 summit hosted by President Obama was a huge success, and it left most African heads of state and government hopeful that the next administration would repeat it. The failure of President Trump to host another such summit, even as the Chinese continue to support FOCAC, will harm American influence in Africa. Conversely, the commitment of President Trump to host the summit again could help maintain Americas reputation as a reliable partner for Africa. President Trump and his team have made a number of unforced errors in their early days of conducting Americas business in the world, from the folly of questioning and then supporting the One China policy to the spectacle of a hostile phone call with the prime minister of Australia, one of our closest and most reliable allies. They are in danger of making another one with regard to Africa. It need not be that way. There is still time to put Americas relationship with the continent on the right footing for the next four years if the administration takes some basic and simple steps. If it does not, it will pay the price of a loss of influence on the continent of Africa and with African diplomatic missions in important multilateral forums around the world. Should that happen, both Republicans and Democrats alike would be left to wonder how America lost out to China and others at precisely the moment that Africa was on the rise. Photo credit: SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty Images Correction, Feb. 15, 2017: Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is the recent former chairperson of the African Union Commission. Her successor is Moussa Faki Mahamat. A previous version of this article mistakenly said each served as the chairperson of the African Union, a position currently held by Alpha Conde. The article also previously misstated the value of Chinas gift for construction of the AU headquarters, which was $200 million. By Andrea Hopkins WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States would be "tweaking" its trade relationship with Canada, stopping short of calling for a major realignment in a development likely to please visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trump has pledged to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) linking the economies of the United States, Mexico and Canada to make the terms more favorable to Americans. At a joint news conference with Trudeau after White House talks, Trump said his biggest concern with NAFTA was the U.S. trade relationship with Mexico, which he has frequently accused of stealing American jobs. "We have a very outstanding trade relationship with Canada. We'll be tweaking it," Trump said. "It's a much less severe situation than what's taking place on the southern border. On the southern border, for many, many years the transaction was not fair to the United States," he said. Trump said the United States and Canada were stronger when they joined forces in matters of international commerce, and both countries benefited from having more jobs and trade in North America. "We should coordinate closely - and we will coordinate closely - to protect jobs in our hemisphere and keep wealth on our continent, and to keep everyone safe," Trump said. Trudeau carefully steered around questions about the Canadian trade relationship with the United States in what was his first meeting with the new president. He said he expected each country to always remain each other's most essential partner. "There have been times where we have differed in our approaches and thats always been done firmly and respectfully. The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they choose to govern themselves," Trudeau said. Trump's vow to renegotiate NAFTA has unnerved Canadian officials, even though he has singled out Mexico in his criticism of the free trade deal. Canada sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States. Story continues Canadians have become more supportive of NAFTA since Trump's election victory on Nov. 8, a poll from the Angus Reid Institute showed on Monday. Forty-four percent of the 1,508 surveyed said NAFTA had benefited Canada, up from 25 percent from a poll last June. Trudeau, when asked about Canadian firms' concerns about possible changes to NAFTA, said: "It is a real concern for many Canadians because we know our economy is very dependent on our relationship with the United States. "Goods and services do cross the border each day...we have to allow this free flow of goods and services and we have to be aware of the integration of our economies." Trudeau had a strong rapport with former Democratic President Barack Obama, prompting pundits to describe their relationship as a "bromance." Soon after Trump put a hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily banned travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries in an executive order on Jan. 27, citing the need to head off attacks by Islamist militants, the Canadian prime minister took to Twitter to say refugees were welcome in Canada. 'HUGE WIN' Analysts said Trudeau, who has strong incentives to build a relationship with Trump given rising anti-trade sentiment, is bound to be happy with the first meeting. "I thought it was a huge, huge win. The worst case scenario is we wound up with an Australia moment, when a relationship that should be on solid ground takes a bad turn," said Carlo Dade, director of the Center for Trade and Investment Policy at the Canada West Foundation. "Instead, we actually got an endorsement of North American jobs, of Canada-U.S. jobs, working together, no "America First" - just the opposite," he added. Details about a tense telephone call late last month between Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had created wariness. The Washington Post, citing unidentified senior U.S. officials, said Trump abruptly ended a phone call with Turnbull, even though Australia has long been a staunch U.S. ally. David Wilkins, former U.S. ambassador to Canada, said the priority of the meeting was to set a positive tone, and that was accomplished. "The president's comment on the economy and creating jobs together was a very positive sign for Canadians, especially those that had been concerned about the trading relationship," said Wilkins. "I think it was a win-win for both countries." (Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Washington and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Grant McCool and Andrew Hay) The Trump administrations focus on fighting radical Islamic terrorism could not only hamper counterterrorism efforts, but it could even embolden right-wing and anti-government extremists, experts and former government officials say. Donald Trumps transition team made clear to officials at the Department of Homeland Security after the election that it wants to reorient programs meant to counter violent extremism so that they focus almost exclusively on the threat posed by radical Islamic terrorism rather than other forms of extremism. The inference was unmistakable, says a former U.S. counterterrorism official who worked on programs to counter extremism and who is familiar with those transition meetings. Were seen as too politically correct and that we are not taking the threat head on by calling it what is, the official said. A focus on the threat of Islamic terrorism also underpinned the administrations now frozen travel ban for individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries. So far, in the administrations chaotic early days, no big changes have been made to the DHS program. A DHS official told Foreign Policy that no decision had been reached as to whether this change in focus would actually be put in place. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has not commented on the matter. But the proposal is meeting plenty of pushback, both because it could undermine government efforts to counter radicalization within the Muslim community and because it ignores a big and growing threat from far-right and anti-government groups. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) warned in a Feb. 13 letter to Kelly that such a shift could continue to give rise to the false narrative that Western Civilization is at war with Islam. Focusing solely on Islamic extremism would be a huge mistake, said David Schanzer, the director of Duke Universitys Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security. He said programs meant to counter extremism were a hard sell for the Muslim community even before the election and that Muslim communities see them as a form of surveillance. Four schools have turned down federal CVE funding citing such concerns. In all, 20 percent of a total of $10 million in DHS funds for countering extremism have been rejected. Story continues Such a shift would also downplay the threat from other forms of terrorism. Far-right and anti-government groups plan and carry out domestic attacks at a greater frequency than foreign terrorist groups, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit focused on advocacy and civil rights. On Wednesday, SPLC released its latest Hate Map, which shows that there are nearly 1,000 such groups in the United States, such as the Crusaders, which counts among its membership three men in Kansas who plotted in October 2016 to bomb an apartment complex where Somalis live. The SPLC noted an increase in hate crimes in the month following Trumps election. And since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, anti-government groups have racked up a death toll on par with that of Islamist extremists, according to New America, a think tank, which keeps a database on terrorist incidents. Until the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, in 2016, in which a New York man pledging allegiance to the Islamic State killed 49 people, far-right extremism caused more deaths in the United States than did jihad. The trend lines look very similar, David Sterman, a terrorism analyst with New America, told FP. According to a 2015 survey of nearly 400 law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, authorities considered anti-government violent extremists, rather than radicalized Muslims, to be the most severe threat of political violence that they face. And that threat may be growing. The former U.S. counterterrorism official said recent intelligence briefings showed an uptick in domestic threats associated with white nationalists and anti-government groups. Police officers are being threatened by these groups as well, the official said and are even being infiltrated by them, according to a classified FBI counterterrorism policy guide from April 2015. Theres a more regular occurrence of this kind of reporting obviously than with ISIS-inspired threats, the official said, using an alternate acronym for the Islamic State. In many respects, the Trump administration is merely trying to further a yearslong effort by conservatives to narrow U.S. counterterrorism strategy to focus on the threat from Islamist radicals. In 2009, DHS reportedly disowned a paper on right-wing extremism under political pressure from conservatives. During former President Barack Obamas administration, DHS had already cut analysts and funding and lessened intelligence sharing with state and local authorities dedicated to the issue, according to another former senior counterterrorism official. That official told FP that the day-to-day focus on right-wing extremism functionally disappeared years ago. Since then, law enforcement and intelligence work by the department has not looked at right-wing extremism in any substantive way, the official said. And while the debate over extremism plays out in Washington, refugees continue to bear the cost. The official said the Trump team is using language around the refugee vetting process that was once reserved for terrorism and extremism. [The] refugee vetting process is as close to a security scrub as getting a higher-degree, secret-level clearance in the U.S. government, the official said. White House charges that theres not enough scrutiny for refugees, including mothers and young children, is a bit more than insane thats a little unhinged. Update, Feb. 15 2017, 4:22 pm ET: This piece was updated to include the latest Hate Map from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Photo credit: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images By Luke Baker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a couple of jolts when they met for the first time on Wednesday as leaders of the United States and Israel. If there were differences, the two men each immersed in political turmoil on the home front - did all they could to mask them during a White House news conference brimming with smiles, asides and efforts to show how much they like each other. "Bibi and I have known each other a long time -- a smart man, great negotiator," said Trump, referring to the 67-year-old Israeli leader by his nickname. Netanyahu was equally effusive in response: "There is no greater supporter of the Jewish people and the Jewish state than President Donald Trump," he said, referring to the 70-year-old U.S. president who took office on Jan. 20. Trump went some distance to embrace Netanyahus views, upending decades of U.S. Middle East policy by dropping insistence on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu sought to demonstrate personal chemistry with the American property-mogul-turned-politician, an acquaintance since the 1980s, especially after eight years of awkwardness and tensions with his predecessor, President Barack Obama. But Trump caught Netanyahu off-guard, at one point saying that if a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was going to be reached, Both sides will have to make compromises. Turning to Netanyahu, he said, You know that, right? Netanyahu looked momentarily startled and replied, chuckling, Both sides. Later, while responding to a question about settlements, a particular point of tension during the Obama years, Trump said, Id like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit. Again, Netanyahus face registered surprise before he offered an ironic smile. "We'll work something out," said Trump, who has appointed his son-in-law Jared Kushner as his special adviser on the Middle East. I think were going to make a deal. It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand. Thats a possibility. So lets see what we do. Lets try it, Netanyahu said. Studying his reaction, Trump quickly interjected: That doesnt sound too optimistic, but hes a good negotiator. In a play on the title of Trumps 1987 best-selling book, Netanyahu responded, Thats the art of the deal," drawing laughter from the audience. Near the end of his comments, Netanyahu sought to show how well he knows Kushner, whose father, Charles Kushner, has donated generously to Israeli causes. "Can I reveal, Jared, how long weve known you?" said Netanyahu, looking to Jared Kushner, 36, who was sitting in the front row, next to his wife, Ivanka Trump. "Well, he was never small. He was always big. He was always tall," Netanyahu said, implying he had known Kushner since he was a baby. (Editing by Howard Goller and Leslie Adler) President Donald Trumps series of executive orders have made headlines, but their pace in the administrations first 30 days may not break a record set by his predecessor. According to data on The American Presidency Project website at the University of California, Santa Barbara, President Trump has issued 12 executive orders since January 20, 2017, the third-most issued by a President since 1829 in the first month of a new administration. With a week left in President Trumps first month in office, he could tie Harry Truman at 13 orders if Trump issues a revised immigration order this week. Barack Obama issued 16 executive orders by the end of his first month in office back in 2009, the most issued by a President during his first month in office. Overall, Trump and Obama have proclaimed executive orders at a faster rate almost twice as fast as their 10 prior predecessors. On average, Presidents starting in the Eisenhower era and ending in the George W. Bush administration issued about six executive orders in the first month of a new administration. Obama broke that pattern with a spate of orders in 2009 that pertained to the interrogation and treatment of detainees related to terrorism; and guidelines about government procurement, contracts and labor laws. Trumps orders in the past three weeks have focused on immigration policies and enforcement; crime reduction and public safety; broad directives about health-care insurance policy; infrastructure construction; and the reduction of government regulations. In historical terms, with the exception of President Truman, who assumed the presidency at the end of World War II in 1945, there isnt a precedent for the volume of opening-month executive orders issued by Trump and Obama. In 1865, President Andrew Johnson proclaimed nine executive orders after President Lincolns assassination, including several related to the military commission that dealt with the assassination conspiracy. Four years later, President Ulysses S. Grant issued six orders as he reorganized command of the Army. Story continues Two Presidents associated with executive powers in times of national crisis, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, combined to issue a total of five executive orders in their first months in the White House. Roosevelt issued all five of those orders, including one that ended a national bank holiday. Lincolns order to start the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in rebellious areas came just after his first month in office in 1861; Roosevelts orders to form the National Recovery Administration and the Public Works Administration came in the summer of 1933. President Trumans orders after Roosevelts death included provisions for war-crime trials and for his administration to take possession of coal mines, an engineering company, and several oil refineries that he felt were threatened by labor difficulties. Other noteworthy executive orders in modern times by new Presidents included Lyndon Johnsons establishment of the Warren Commission to investigate the Kennedy assassination; Jimmy Carters provisions for Selective Service amnesty; and Ronald Reagans efforts to deal with economic controls as the nation faced a recession. Executive Orders, First Month Of New Administration Year President Orders Notes 1829 Andrew Jackson 1 Army pensions 1837 Martin Van Buren 1 Surgeon General to accompany ex-President Jackson 1841 William Henry Harrison 0 1841 Martin Van Buren 0 1845 James Polk 0 1849 Zachary Taylor 0 1850 Millard Fillmore 1 Funeral closures for President Taylor 1853 Franklin Pierce 1 Construction of White House wings 1857 James Buchanan 0 1861 Abraham Lincoln 0 Writ suspension came after six weeks in office 1865 Andrew Johnson 9 Lincolns murder trial, lifting commerce restrictions 1869 Ulysses S Grant 6 Army command assignments 1877 Rutherford Hayes 0 1881 James Garfield 0 1881 Chester Arthur 1 Flag salute of British flag 1885 Grover Cleveland 1 Civil service rules 1889 Benjamin Harrison 1 Railway service rules 1893 Grover Cleveland 0 1897 William McKinley 0 1901 Theodore Roosevelt 3 Public land use, naval pay rates 1909 William Taft 0 1913 Woodrow Wilson 0 1921 Warren Harding 0 1923 Calvin Coolidge 0 1929 Herbert Hoover 2 Tax refund inspections 1933 Franklin Roosevelt 5 Ended bank holiday, farm agencies, veterans benefits 1945 Harry Truman 13 Nazi war crimes trials, post-war administration measures 1953 Dwight Eisenhower 6 Wage and salary controls lifted, efficiency measures 1961 John Kennedy 7 Food to needy families, Labor-Management committee 1963 Lyndon Johnson 7 Warren Commission, JFK Space Center, airline dispute 1969 Richard Nixon 5 Urban Affiars, Economic policy 1974 Gerald Ford 5 Export controls 1977 Jimmy Carter 7 Selective Service Act pardons 1981 Ronald Reagan 5 Petroleum price controls, wage and price controls, export regulations 1989 George H.W. Bush 2 Ethics reform 1993 Bill Clinton 6 National Economic Council, eliminated federal positions 2001 George W. Bush 7 Faith-based and community initiatives 2009 Barack Obama 16 Lawful interrogations, economic councils 2017 Donald Trump 12 Immigration controls, Obamacare repeal, regulations reform Source: The American Presidency Project website Hilary Moore Hebert had a simple idea. She knew many visitors to Washington, D.C. buy fare cards to ride the citys public transportation system. What would happen, she wondered, if visitors donated old fare cards to help poor people get to jobs, doctors offices or schools? Moore Hebert bought 56 fare cards for a group from New Orleans, Louisiana. Its members were traveling to the nations capital for the Womens March on Washington. The march was held January 21. She asked that the cards be returned after the event. She offered to donate them to a charitable group. But Moore Hebert did much more than that. She put out a request on Facebook and other social media. It was directed to the hundreds of thousands of people who attended the Womens March and the hundreds of thousands at the swearing-in of President Donald Trump the day before. Would they consider donating old fare cards to help needy people? Moore Heberts efforts paid off. More than 10,000 fare cards were donated in just over three weeks. They continue to arrive by mail from as far away as Hawaii. Three charities are receiving the cards and continue to accept them. The three are Marthas Table and Miriams Kitchen of Washington D.C., and Doorways for Women and Families of Virginia. They are providing reports on social media about the donations. What are Fare Cards? Washingtons public transportation system requires people to pay for their trips with plastic, SmartTrip cards. Each card is like a credit card, and comes with a computer chip that removes the cost of each trip from the cards value. A person with a $10 card, who takes a bus trip costing $2, would have $8 remaining for future trips. Often people visiting Washington, or any city with a fare card system, end up buying a card for more trips then they take. So unless they plan to return to that city soon, chances are that money is lost forever. Unless they donate the cards. Im very surprised and happy that it ended up with so many fare cards being donated, Moore Hebert told VOA. She lives on a farm in Germantown, Maryland, outside of Washington. Subways rides can be costly. One-way trips on Washingtons subway and bus system cost $1.75 to over $5, depending on distance and time of day traveled. SmartTrip cards have value, even if there is no balance left on the cards. That is because a person planning their first trip on the transportation system must buy a Smart Trip card. Each one costs $2. So, even a card, with no balance remaining, would save a person $2. Moore Hebert hopes to keep the program going, even when donations from the Womens March and presidential swearing-in ceremony stop. She wants Washington area hotels to ask hotel guests if they are willing to donate their fare cards. But people can help even when the city they are visiting does not have a program to collect fare cards. Some hotel guests give their fare cards to housekeepers or other hotel employees at the end of their stays. In New York City, the gift of a $15 fare card could provide someone with five one-way trips on the subway. People can also look up local groups that help poor people and ask if they could use fare cards. Im Caty Weaver. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story fare card - n. a plastic card loaded with money to enable people to ride on subways and buses inauguration - n. to introduce a newly elected official into a job or position with a formal ceremony subway - n. a system of underground trains in a city chip - n. a very small piece of hard material in a computer or other device that contains electronic circuits balance - n. the amount of money that remains guests - n. a person who stays at a hotel By Steve Holland and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump knew for weeks that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled the White House about his contacts with Russia but did not immediately force him out, an administration spokesman said on Tuesday. Trump was informed in late January that Flynn had not told Vice President Mike Pence the whole truth about conversations he had before Trump took office with Russia's ambassador to the United States, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. Pence learned of the "incomplete information" that he received from Flynn when news reports surfaced late last week, spokesman Mark Lotter said on Tuesday. Flynn quit on Monday after Trump asked for his resignation, and the president hopes to pick a new national security adviser by the end of the week, Spicer said. The departure was another disruption for an administration already repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas since the Republican businessman assumed the presidency on Jan. 20. The New York Times reported late on Tuesday that members of Trump's campaign and other associates had contact with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the Nov. 8 presidential election, although U.S. officials told the newspaper they had not uncovered any evidence that Trump's associates colluded to disrupt the election. U.S. lawmakers, including some leading Republicans, called for a deeper inquiry into not just Flynn's actions but broader White House ties to Russia. Trump has long said that he would like improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said Trump only moved against Flynn because of news media attention, not concern about any wrongdoing. "The reason they lost faith or trust in General Flynn only last night when they knew for weeks that he had been lying was that it became public," Schiff told MSNBC. A timeline of events outlined by Spicer and a U.S. official showed that Trump had known for weeks about Flynn misleading the vice president. Trump, a former reality TV star whose catchphrase was "You're fired!" has often boasted of his eagerness to get rid of subordinates. He was not quick to fire Flynn, a strong advocate of a better relations with Russia and a hard line against Islamist militants. The Justice Department warned the White House in late January that Flynn had misled Pence by denying to him that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, a potentially illegal act, a U.S. official said. Flynn did talk about sanctions with the diplomat, whose calls were recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, the official said. But Pence went on television in mid-January and denied that Flynn had discussed sanctions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Flynn in his early days as Trump's national security adviser regarding his conversations with the Russian ambassador, a White House official confirmed. Spicer stressed that the administration believed there was no legal problem with Flynn's conversations with Kislyak, but rather an issue over the president's trust in his adviser. The turning point, Spicer said, was a Washington Post story published on Thursday in which Flynn, through a spokesman, said for the first time he could not say with 100 percent certainty that he had not discussed sanctions with Kislyak. Spicer said the Justice Department sought to notify the White House counsel on Jan. 26 about the discrepancies in Flynn's accounts. "The White House counsel informed the president immediately. The president asked them to commit a review of whether there was a legal situation there," Spicer told reporters, saying it was a "trust issue." Flynn's conversations with the ambassador took place around the time that then-President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia, charging that Moscow had used cyber attacks to try to influence the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor. A U.S. official familiar with the transcripts of the calls with the ambassador said Flynn indicated that if Russia did not retaliate in kind for Obama's Dec. 29 order expelling 35 Russian suspected spies and sanctioning Russian spy agencies, that could smooth the way toward a broader discussion of improving U.S.-Russian relations once Trump took power. LEGAL FALLOUT? Flynn's discussions with the Russian diplomat could potentially have been in violation of a law known as the Logan Act, which bans private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments about disputes or controversies with the United States. There have been no modern prosecutions using the 1799 law. "The Logan Act is a red herring. The better question is whether he made any false statements to the FBI at any point, which would be a much bigger deal," said University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck, adding the fallout would likely be "political" in nature. Flynn could also face legal trouble if it emerges that he violated other federal laws in his communications with the Russians, said Andrew Kent, a professor at Fordham University School of Law in New York. The Espionage Act criminalizes sharing information with foreign governments. Democrats, who do not have control of Congress, clamored for probes into Flynn, and asked how much Trump knew about his connections to Russia. U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation of potential criminal violations surrounding the resignation of Flynn. "What I am calling for is an independent investigation with executive authority to pursue potential criminal actions," Schumer told reporters, saying such a probe could not be led by newly installed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions or White House lawyers. Two leading Senate Republicans, Bob Corker and John Cornyn, said the Intelligence Committee should investigate Flynn's contacts with Russia. But the highest-ranking Republican in Congress, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, sidestepped questions about whether lawmakers should look into Flynn's Russia ties, saying he would leave it to the Trump administration to explain the circumstances behind Flynn's departure. A broader investigation of the White House and its ties to Russia is not possible without the cooperation either of the Justice Department or the Republican-led Congress. Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia make any White House attempt to embrace Putin problematic. Senator John McCain, a leading Republican voice on foreign relations, said Flynn's resignation raised questions about the administrations intentions toward Putins Russia. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, David Morgan, John Walcott, Doina Chiacu, Lawrence Hurley Susan Heavey and Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Alistair Bell and Amanda Becker; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney) The resignation of Michael Flynn, President Trumps national security advisor, and the attendant stories about chaos and dysfunction in the White House, have highlighted the importance of personality and process in national security policymaking. But more important is the actual content of foreign policy and its here that the Trump administration seems to be most seriously lacking. Unintentionally or not, the White House still appears to have no firm policy on the greatest threats facing the United States. In order of their priority they are: 1) Russias challenge to democracy in America and abroad; 2) the proliferation of nuclear weapons to North Korea and Iran; 3) global terrorism; and 4) Chinas military bullying in the South and East China Seas. Lets dive into the first one, the one that most directly bears on Flynns downfall. The immediate threat posed by Russia to the United States is its ongoing effort to interfere with American democratic process through cyber-operations, false news stories, and the manipulation of advisors such as Flynn, Carter Page and Paul Manafort, and even President Trump. Congress, by investigating all of this, can, and should, provide not only answers to open questions, but remedies to existing vulnerabilities. In the meantime, however, the United States needs a policy towards Russia fast. Why fast? Because Vladimir Putin and his Kremlin are expecting cooperation, and possibly a deal from President Trump, and they probably see it as a matter of some urgency. Specifically, they need it before the 2018 Russian elections, when any rapprochement is liable to be chucked in favor of anti-Americanism, a complement to Russian nationalism, which is a tried and true vote-getter. If Trump is slow in offering a deal, Moscow will likely create a crisis to force the issue, and thus test the White Houses commitment to cooperation. Already there are signs of this: fighting in Ukraine has picked up and there are rumors of a new Russian offensive. Meanwhile, Belorussian President Alexsander Lukashenko, who has an independent country because Moscow lets him, has been more critical and resistant to Moscow lately; if he pushes too much, its possible to imagine Putin blatantly occupying Belarus. Alternatively, the Russian military could publicly admit to developing and even fielding a new missile in violation of the U.S.-Soviet Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty negotiated by Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev. The Trump administration can ignore yesterdays New York Times article on this, but not a Russian corroboration. What most Americans dont understand is that the Kremlin believes it is already in what I would call a soft war with the United States and major democracies. It is a war without bullets, amid what we call peace. Against the United States, they use fake news, propaganda, bribery, cyber operations, and physical harassment of our diplomats. Against other countries, they use all of these plus invasion, occupation, murder, and, in Syria, bombing civilians into dust. They ally with far-right, populist, nationalist movements, generally, and share messages and other tactics globally. Russia is doing all of this illegally, breaking international laws and challenging the international system. Russia is operating in this fashion in order to obtain a free hand to do as it wishes in Europe and elsewhere. The key to making Russian gains stick, and Russian power prevail is to make a deal with the president of the United States, something the Kremlin also sought from Obama. A deal from Trump is urgent and important to Putin. So far Moscow has not used military force against the United States or our allies. But the risk that the Kremlin might do so as a result of an accident and misunderstanding rises with each Russian violation of European and Japanese airspace (three Russian bombers attempted to commit such violations as recently as Jan. 24) or buzzing of U.S. military ships and planes. The threat of miscalculation is equally dangerous. Russian military doctrine affirms the right to nuclear first strike, and alarmingly, military escalation in order to shock an opponent into surrender or not fighting at all. An escalatory attack could involve use of cyber weapons on an opponents society, economy and critical infrastructure or even use of a tactical nuclear demonstration explosion or attack. The idea that the United States would capitulate in the face of such attacks is sheer stupidity. But the Russian military believes it is a necessary counter in the face of U.S. overwhelming superior conventional power. Americas Russia policy should be designed to give us sufficient leverage to get a deal in keeping with U.S. interest and values. We need to continue to bolster forces and capabilities in the NATO countries in order to deter Russia from military intervention. We must also arm and train the countries experiencing Russia occupation and military intervention like Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and Syria in pursuit of a negotiated a peace in those countries. We must initiate a new dialogue about nuclear and issues related to the balance of military power between the United States and Russia (strategic stability) and bring Russia back into compliance with arms control agreements and international law. Finally, and perhaps most important, the framework for these policies must be articulated now, not in a time and place and crisis of our adversaries choosing. Photo credit: MATTHIAS HANGST/Getty Images Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump hailed the United States' "unbreakable" bond with Israel on Wednesday and promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran would never be permitted to build a nuclear weapon. Trump's vow was designed to address Israeli concerns over the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, which Netanyahu has warned expires too soon to permanently remove the threat. "With this visit the United States, again, reaffirms our unbreakable bond with our cherished ally, Israel," Trump said. Related Video: For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android. "The security challenges faced by Israel are enormous, including the threat of Iran's nuclear ambitions, which I've talked a lot about," he said. "One of the worst deals I've ever seen is the Iran deal. My administration has already imposed new sanctions on Iran, and I will do more to prevent Iran from ever developing -- I mean ever -- a nuclear weapon." The Iran nuclear deal was reached in July, 2015 and went into effect the next year. Under its terms Iran agreed to dismantle part of its nuclear program, surrender enriched fuel and submit to international inspection. But critics of the agreement, including Netanyahu, have argued then when some of the terms of the deal expire in 10 and 15 years it will leave Tehran on the threshold of building a bomb. Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump shelved Washington's years-long quest for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying he would back a single state if it led to peace. The new president warmly welcomed Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House and hailed the "unbreakable" bond between their countries. And while he urged Netanyahu to "hold back" from building Jewish settlements for a "little bit," Trump broke with international consensus insisting on a future that included a Palestinian state alongside Israel. "So I'm looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one that both parties like," he said. "I can live with either one." Trump said he had thought a two-state solution "looked like it may be the easier of the two. But honestly, if Israel and the Palestinians are happy, I'm happy with the one they like the best." This change in the US stance was calculated to please Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition. "I think the Palestinians have to get rid of some of that hate that they're taught from a very young age," Trump said, echoing Netanyahu's argument that the Palestinians are not ready for peace. Netanyahu had warm words for the Israeli-US alliance, and hammered home his own prerequisites for peace. "First, the Palestinians must recognize the Jewish state. They have to stop calling for Israel's destruction," he said. "Second, in any peace agreement, Israel must retain the overriding security control over the entire area west of the Jordan River." This region contains the entire West Bank area that would represent the heart of any Palestinian state as conceived in all previous international agreements. - Arab capitals - The previous US administration of Barack Obama had warned Israel that if it did not reach a two-state deal with the Palestinians, it would never reach an accommodation with the Arab world. Story continues But Netanyahu insisted he was already developing closer security ties with his Sunni neighbors, who share Israel's concerns about Iranian subversion and "radical Islam." And he urged Trump's administration to get on board. "For the first time in the life of my country, Arab countries in the region do not see Israel as an enemy, but increasingly as an ally," he told Trump. "I believe that under your leadership, this change in our region creates an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen security and advance peace." In a joint statement, the two sides proclaimed "a new day" in US-Israel relations and that there was "no daylight" between them. Whatever the view in Cairo and Riyadh, the shift in Washington's position, which was revealed overnight by a White House official, triggered Palestinian despair and consternation in international capitals. The second-ranking official in the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saeb Erekat, denounced it as an attempt to "bury the two-state solution and eliminate the state of Palestine." And he implicitly warned Israelis that any single nation that emerged would not be specifically Jewish. "There's only one alternative," he told a news conference. "A single democratic state that guarantees the rights of all: Jews, Muslims and Christians." - Victory cry - The new US message deliberately echoed the long-standing Israeli position: no peace deal can be imposed from outside and the agenda for talks must reflect the reality on the ground. Naftali Bennett, the right-wing leader of the hardline Jewish Home party and an opponent of any Palestinian state, cried victory. "A new era. New ideas. No need for third Palestinian state beyond Jordan and Gaza. Big day for Israelis and reasonable Arabs," he tweeted. "Congrats." But Trump's decision flew in the face of an international consensus that any final status agreement must be based on a return to Israel's 1967 border -- albeit with land swaps. Just five days before Trump's January 20 inauguration, the United States was among 70 countries to endorse this vision at a peace conference in Paris. One month before that, Obama's UN ambassador allowed a Security Council motion that criticized Israeli settlement building to pass without the usual US veto. Addressing a US-Israeli conference in December, the then secretary of state John Kerry called settlements a "barrier" to progress. Under Trump, that vision appears dead, and Washington has aligned itself with Netanyahu's government and its supporters in the right-wing settler movement. After the White House talks, Netanyahu met with US congressional leaders in the US Capitol, where he addressed Trump's call to slow settlement expansion. "I think we'll try to find a common understanding that is consistent with the pursuit of peace and security," he said. Speaking in Cairo after talks with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that "everything must be done" to preserve the two-state solution. France, which organized the January peace conference, was also unimpressed. Its UN ambassador Francois Delattre told reporters "our commitment to the two-state solution is stronger than ever." Trump has tapped son-in-law Jared Kushner and lawyer Jason Greenblatt to lead peace efforts. Netanyahu had dinner Tuesday with Kushner -- a long-time family friend -- and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The who, what, where, and why of the Trump administrations first major scandal Michael Flynns ignominious resignation on Monday as national security advisor have all been thoroughly discussed. Relatively neglected, and deserving of far more attention, has been the how. The fact the nations now-departed senior guardian of national security was unmoored by a scandal linked to a conversation picked up on a wire offers a rare insight into how exactly Americas vaunted Deep State works. It is a story not about rogue intelligence agencies running amok outside the law, but rather about the vast domestic power they have managed to acquire within it. We know now that the FBI and the NSA, under their Executive Order 12333 authority and using the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as statutory cover, were actively monitoring the phone calls and reading text messages sent to and from the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. Although the monitoring of any specific individual is classified TOP SECRET, and cannot be released to foreigners, the existence of this monitoring in general is something of an open secret, and Kislyak probably suspected he was under surveillance. But a welter of laws, many of them tweaked after the Snowden revelations, govern the distribution of any information that is acquired by such surveillance. And this is where its highly relevant that this scandal was started by the public leaking of information about Mike Flynns involvement in the monitoring of Kisylak. The way its supposed to work is that any time a U.S. person government speak for a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, even a U.S. company, located here or abroad finds his or her communications caught up in Kislyaks, the entire surveillance empire, which was designed for speed and efficiency, and which, we now know, is hard to manage, grinds to a halt. Thats a good thing. Even before Snowden, of course, the FBI would minimize the U.S. end of a conversation if analysts determined that the calls had no relevance to a legitimate intelligence gathering purpose. A late night call to order pizza would fall into this category. Story continues But if the analyst listening to Kislyaks call hears someone identify himself as an agent of the U.S. government Hi! Its Mike Flynn certainly qualifies a number of things have to happen, according to the governments own rules At this stage, the actual audio of the call and any transcript would be considered Raw FISA-acquired information, and its distribution would be highly restricted. At the NSA, not more than 40 or so analysts or senior managers would be read into the classification sub-sub compartment that contains it, called RAGTIME-A,B,C D or P, where each letter stands for one of five different categories of foreign intelligence. For anything out of the ordinary and this qualifies the head of the National Security Division would be notified, and he or she would bring the raw FISA transcript to FBI Director James Comey or his deputy. Then, the director and his deputy would determine whether to keep the part of the communication that contained Flynns words. The NSA has its own procedures for determining whether to destroy or retain the U.S. half of an intercepted communication. In this case, there were three sets of communications between Flynn and Kislyak, at least one of which is a text message. The first occurs on Dec. 18. The last occurs on Dec. 30, a day after sanctions were levied against people that the Russian ambassador knew namely, spies posing as diplomats. The factors FBI Director Comey and his deputy would have had to consider in this case are complex. Flynn was a former senior intelligence official not in power at the time of the communications, though he did have an interim security clearance. Then there was the policy context: The United States wanted to know why Russia decided not to retaliate, according to the Washington Post. But the most important factor would have been that Flynn was talking to the ambassador of a country who has been credibly accused of interfering in the election of his boss. Regardless of the content of Flynns side of the call, it would be negligent if the FBI decided to minimize, or ignore, these calls, simply because Flynn is a citizen who is not subject to surveillance himself. But what Flynn said in the calls would have played a role in the FBIs determination to keep the transcripts unminimized a fancy way of saying unredacted. The Justice Department would then decide whether to pursue the matter further. If they thought Flynn was acting as an agent of a foreign government and theres not a gram of evidence for this they could apply for a normal surveillance warrant under Title III of the U.S. code. It is rare for the FBI or NSA to distribute raw, unminimized FISA material outside of controlled channels. But given the intelligence questions at stake, they would have had an obligation to circulate the Flynn transcripts to the National Security Council, which, during most of January, was peopled with President Obamas staff and detailees from other government agencies. Sometime before January 12, the fact that these conversations had occurred was disclosed to David Ignatius, who wrote about them. That day, Sean Spicer asked Flynn about them. Flynn denied that the sanctions were discussed. A few days later, on January 16, Vice President Mike Pence repeated Flynns assurances to him that the calls were mostly about the logistics of arranging further calls when Trump was President. At this moment, we are four days away from Trumps inauguration. The FBI agents and analysts who monitored the calls, as well as some NSC officials in the Obama administration, along with a few senior Justice Department attorneys, all knew with certainty that the content of the calls contradicted Flynns account of them. The transcript of the Dec. 30 call proved as much. For reasons unclear to us, the FBI director, James Comey, did not believe that Flynns misrepresentations amounted to a sufficient national security risk on January 16 to spring FBI investigators on the Trump team, or even on Flynn. Perhaps he felt that doing so right before the inauguration would have been too unseemly. But he did want to know more. In an extraordinary turn, agents were sent to the White House to interview Flynn just a few days after Trump was sworn in, according to the New York Times. We dont know what they learned. But by January 26, Comey had dropped his objections to notifying the White House. (In the interim, Sean Spicer was asked about the calls again, and repeated the Flynn untruth.) Acting attorney general Sally Yates informed the White House counsel, Don McGahn, that their account of what Flynn said did not match what Flynn insisted he said. McGahn had the clearance to see the transcript, but its fair to assume that many members of Trumps team probably did not. But that does not explain why it took 11 days for Vice President Pence, who certainly did have such clearance, to learn about the Justice Department warning. And it does not explain what the White House was doing as it mulled over this information for weeks. Here we have to leave the realm of reasonable conjecture, but the best explanation might be the easiest: incompetence or ineffectiveness from the White House counsel, and an inability to foresee the real world consequences of their own decisions by White House principles. The countrys intelligence agencies, by contrast, were far-more clear-sighted in the use of their prerogatives and power. Photo credit: ALEX WONG/Getty Images Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law a measure scrapping anticorruption regulations long opposed by the oil industry. Part of a blitz of recent White House maneuvers against regulation and perceived red tape, the move undoes the requirement for international oil, gas and mining companies to disclose payments to foreign governments. Created by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the rule, which had not yet taken effect, targeted an area long plagued by bribery and corruption. It was called for in the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation. Industry advocates had been trying to overturn the payments rule, saying it put US-traded companies at a competitive disadvantage, since they must reveal information other companies may not have to and because compliance was costly. However, similar rules currently are in effect in Canada, the European Union and Norway. Trump has touted his closeness to the oil industry, naming prominent oil industry figures and advocates to key positions in his administration, reviving pipeline projects rejected by the prior administration and signaling a marked shift away from climate policies. Jack Gerard, head of the American Petroleum Institute, an industry lobbying group, hailed the move to kill the payments rule as a "welcome step forward." He said the rule could have achieved its goal without placing an undue burden on US companies. Transparency campaigners condemned the action, but said the fight was far from over. "In the short term, we lost a tool that can help track the billions of dollars lost to corruption and tax evasion in the developing world," Eric LeCompte, executive director of the religious development organization Jubilee, said in a statement. Jana Morgan, director of Publish What You Pay US, told AFP the Dodd-Frank law requires the SEC to impose such a rule. "They are required to produce a new regulation. The statute requires them to do that within a year," said Morgan, noting that the US is now behind the curve on a policy where it had once led. Story continues "Norway I think has been disclosing for about three years. The EU is now in its second year and Canada is disclosing for the first time." Earlier this month, six Republican senators, including Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Corker, wrote to the SEC saying that while they planned to vote to junk the rule, they supported its underlying purpose and hoped to see a viable newer version. "We are of course strong supporters of policies to combat US companies' participation in corrupt financial practices abroad," they wrote. President Trump accused U.S. intelligence agencies of illegally leaking information to the New York Times and Washington Post on Wednesday, following reports that members of his presidential campaign were in contact with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election. Amid a flurry of early morning tweets, Trump likened those leaking the information to the Kremlin. Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?), Trump tweeted. Just like Russia. Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy, Trump continued. Very un-American! The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 On Tuesday night, the Times reported that intercepted phone calls showed members of Trumps presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to current and former U.S. officials. The only official named in the Times report was Paul Manafort, his former campaign manager with ties to pro-Kremlin interests in Ukraine. Manafort told the paper that the story was absurd and that he had never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers. A Washington Post report quoted Eliot Cohen, President George W. Bushs former adviser, saying the cloud hanging over the administration when it comes to Russia is darkening. Story continues Trump dismissed the reports as a partisan effort to undermine his election victory. This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign, Trump tweeted. This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 In October, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Moscow was behind hacks that resulted in leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee and members of Clintons campaign. In December, President Obama announced sanctions against Russia over the Kremlins meddling in the presidential election. And a report from those intelligence agencies made public in January concluded that the Russian government had interfered in an effort to tip the election in Trumps favor. President Trump, joined by chief of staff Reince Priebus, Vice President Mike Pence, senior adviser Steve Bannon, press secretary Sean Spicer and national security adviser Michael Flynn, speaks by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office last month. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) In response, Trump lashed out at the intelligence communitys assessment, calling it a card being played by the Democrats to undercut him. Can you imagine if the election results were the opposite and WE tried to play the Russia/CIA card, Trump tweeted at the time. It would be called conspiracy theory! And as president-elect, Trump also likened intelligence community leaks to Nazi Germany. 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 Earlier this week, Michael Flynn, Trumps national security adviser, resigned following a report in the Washington Post that Flynn had discussed American sanctions imposed on Russia during the transition and had misled the administration about his conversations with Moscow. Lawmakers, including several Republicans, called for an immediate investigation. Apparently watching cable news shows Wednesday morning, Trump blasted the fake news media for covering it all. The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred, the president tweeted. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Trump then name-checked a pundit who appeared on Fox News and criticized the leakers more than what the leaks contained. .@EliLake: We trust the @NSAGov & @FBI to use these powers to catch criminals & terrorists, but that should not interfere in our politics. pic.twitter.com/bPMDB9dr9k Fox News (@FoxNews) February 15, 2017 Thank you to Eli Lake of The Bloomberg View "The NSA & FBIshould not interfere in our politicsand is" Very serious situation for USA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Trumps criticism of leaks is a departure from his stance on them during the presidential race. During the month leading up to the Nov. 8 presidential election, Trump talked about WikiLeaks and emails obtained through the Russian hacks of the DNC and Clinton campaign at least 164 times, according to an analysis by ThinkProgress, the Washington-based progressive think tank and news organization. Over a three-day span in October, for example, Trump professed his love for WikiLeaks at his rallies, marveling at his ability to broadcast the leaked material and directing his supporters to read it on the whistleblower website for themselves. One of the big advantages of me having a rather large microphone, Trump said at a rally in Ocala, Fla., on Oct. 12, meaning a lot of people are listening, is that I can talk about WikiLeaks, and we are live. Its amazing. Boom, boom, boom. Ill tell you, this WikiLeaks stuff is unbelievable, he said a few hours later at a rally in nearby Lakeland. It tells you the inner heart you gotta read it. More from Yahoo News: The president was tuned in to the network morning shows Wednesday as he tweeted from the White House following a bombshell report in The New York Times that claims his aides had contact with Russian intelligence before the election. Read: Has 'SNL' Gone Too Far? Show Under Fire for 'Fatal Attraction'-Inspired Kellyanne Conway Skit President Trump blasted the report in a Twitter rant in which he said The Times was "failing" and called MSNBC and CNN "unwatchable" while endorsing Fox and Friends on the Fox News Channel. The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Thank you to Eli Lake of The Bloomberg View - "The NSA & FBI...should not interfere in our politics...and is" Very serious situation for USA Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Trump also lashed out at the U.S. intelligence agencies, which he accused of leaked the story to The Times. The bombshell report came on the heels of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's resignation. The turmoil inside the White House is starting to rattle top Republicans like John McCain. Obviously theres an administration that is in significant disarray, he told members of the press on Tuesday. Veteran newsman Dan Rather is comparing the crisis to the Watergate scandal that resulted in President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974. "Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, he wrote on Facebook, until maybe now." Rumors are rife that Trump is planning a major shake-up in his administration. New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie and his wife paid a Valentines Day visit to the White House as rumors swirl he is under consideration to replace Reince Priebus as White House Chief of Staff. The visit came amid a report that Trump believes Priebus is "in over his head." As the turmoil in the White House hits fever pitch, the identity of the Times reporter who referred to the first lady as "a hooker" at a New York Fashion Week event has been revealed. Read: Government Ethics Office: Trump Counsel Kellyanne Conway Should Be Investigated The reporter was identified as Jacob Bernstein, the son of legendary Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein and the late Nora Ephron. Bernstein owned up to making the remark about Melania Trump during a conversation with model and actress Emily Ratajkowski, who later tweeted, "Sat next to a journalist from the NYT last night who told me 'Melania is a hooker.'" Bernstein took to Twitter to apologize Tuesday, saying, I want to take ownership of a mistake I made. Speaking at a party in what I thought was a personal conversation, I nevertheless made a stupid remark about the first lady. I apologize profusely." Watch: Model Emily Ratajkowski Comes to Melania's Defense After Reporter Makes 'Slut-Shaming' Remarks Related Articles: A two-vehicle crash near Eicher Road has closed one lane of Highway 20 while emergency crews work in the area. Democrats and national security experts warn the Trump administrations lax handling of security matters could pose a risk of leaks and cyberattacks. Complaints peaked Saturday after President Donald Trump took a phone call about North Koreas missile test while surrounded by guests at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Politico said Tuesday his staffers used cellphone flashlights to examine government documents later that day, apparently oblivious that such devices can be hacked to transmit video. This is mind-bogglingly irresponsible, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a member of the Intelligence Committee, told Politico. Trump threatens national security by letting anyone who pays to get into his club photograph sensitive deliberations. The White House denied Trump discussed anything secret in public, saying the only thing discussed in full view of guests was the logistics of a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Pictures posted to Facebook by Richard DeAgazio, a guest at Mar-a-Lago, showed chief strategist Stephen Bannon and former national security adviser Michael Flynn hovering nearby. He never should have had such a sensitive discussion in such a public place, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., agreed. Republicans railed against Hillary Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, and the FBI investigated the issue. Trump claimed during the campaign her cavalier treatment of security matters disqualified her for the presidency. Mar-a-Lago also briefly posted a photo to Facebook that showed the U.S. military official responsible for holding the nations nuclear launch codes. mar-a-lago Photo: Carlos Barria Story continues Concerns were raised earlier about Trumps use of an Android cellphone to tweet since that could give hackers entree into other parts of his phone and allow his movements to be tracked. Think about the impact an attacker could have if they could access POTUSs phone microphone, or that of his aides, during key briefings such as the meeting in Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night, said Mike Murray, a vice president at the mobile security company Lookout. Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Tom Carper, D-Dela., have asked the Defense Department to explain why Trump hasnt been given a secure phone. The national security risks of compromising a smartphone used by a senior government official, such as the President of the United States, are considerable, they wrote. Trump last week left the key to the lockbag containing intergovernment information sitting on his desk as press photographers snapped pictures, giving foreign intelligence a look at how Trump works. Its against best practices of operational security, Jonathan Wackrow, a private security consultant and former Secret Service agent, told Politico. The people he surrounds himself with should know better. I dont see that voice of reason anywhere. Related Articles President Trump responded to a question from an Israeli reporter over the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States by citing his Jewish friends and family members and his election margin. We are going to have peace in this country, said the president in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We are going to stop crime in this country. We are going to do everything within our power to stop long simmering racism and every other thing thats going on because a lot of bad things have taken place over a long period of time. Trump then turned to highlight his daughter Ivanka Trump, who converted to Judaism when she married Jared Kushner, now a White House adviser. I think one of the reasons I won the election is we have a very, very divided nation very divided. Hopefully Ill be able to do something about that. As far as Jewish people so many friends, a daughter who happens to be here right now, a son-in-law, three beautiful grandchildren. I think that youre going to see a lot different United States of America over the next three, four or eight years. I think a lot of good things are happening. Youre going to see a lot of love. Youre going to see a lot of love. Trump began his answer by recounting his election victory, asking Netanyahu if he was aware of many prognostications leading up to Nov. 8. Well I just want to say were very honored by the victory that we had, 306 electoral college votes, we were not supposed to crack 220. You know that, right? There was no way to 221, then they said theres no way to 270. Trump did not address the subject of the question, the reported spike in hate crimes following his election. Since your election campaign and even after your victory weve seen a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents across the United States, said Israeli journalist Moav Vardi in the final question of the event. I wonder what do you say to those among the Jewish community around the United States, and in Israel, and maybe around the world who believe and feel your administration is playing with xenophobia and maybe racist tones? Story continues The two American outlets Trump called on during the joint press conference represented the Christian Broadcasting Network and Townhall, continuing the presidents trend of taking questions from conservative outlets over wire services, broadcast networks or major newspapers. Read more from Yahoo News: By Luke Baker and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday dropped a U.S. commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longstanding bedrock of Middle East policy, even as he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb settlement construction. In the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Trumps victory in the 2016 election, the Republican president backed away from a U.S. embrace of the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, upending a position taken by successive administrations and the international community. "I'm looking at two states and one state, and I like the one both parties like," Trump told a joint news conference with Netanyahu. "I can live with either one." Trump vowed to work toward a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians but said it would require compromise on both sides, leaving it up to the parties themselves ultimately to reach the terms of any agreement. But he offered no new prescription for achieving an accord that has eluded so many of his predecessors, and Palestinian anger over his abandonment of their goal of statehood could scrap any chance of coaxing them back to the negotiating table. Dropping a bombshell on Netanyahu as they faced reporters just before sitting down for talks, Trump told him: I'd like to see you pull back on settlements for a little bit. The right-wing Israeli leader, who may have expected more decidedly pro-Israel rhetoric as the two sought to get past years of feuding with Trump's Democratic predecessor Barack Obama, appeared startled. Netanyahu insisted that Jewish settlements were not the core of the conflict and made no commitment to reduce settlement building in the occupied West Bank. Trump echoed Netanyahus calls for Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state something they have refused to do and to halt incitement against Israelis. But even as Trump promised to pursue peace between the two sides who have had no substantive peace talks since 2014 he offered no new ideas for unblocking the peace process. Setting an initially chummy tone, Trump greeted Netanyahu on a red carpet rolled out to the White House driveway. The two leaders smiled, shook hands and chatted amiably before heading inside the executive mansion, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and Netanyahus wife Sara. Among the questions that figured prominently on the agenda was the future of the two-state solution the idea of creating a Palestine living peacefully alongside Israel. Foreshadowing Trumps policy shift, a senior White House official said on Tuesday that peace did not necessarily have to entail Palestinian statehood. Palestinians responded by warning Trump that such a move would seriously damage U.S. credibility. Giving a vague, meandering response to a question on the issue, Trump suggested that he could abide by whatever path the two parties decided. "I'm happy with the one they like the best," Trump said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday against abandoning the idea of a two-state solution, saying there was "no alternative". Netanyahu committed, with conditions, to the two-state goal in a speech in 2009 and has broadly reiterated the aim since. But he has also spoken of a "state minus" option, suggesting he could offer the Palestinians deep-seated autonomy and the trappings of statehood without full sovereignty. At the news conference, he never ruled out a two-state solution, but also made it sound as if it was an almost impossible ideal. He said there were preconditions for it to happen, including the Palestinians recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and Israel retaining security control "in the area west of the Jordan River" - which would encompass all of the West Bank. Netanyahu and Trump shared several warm handshakes during the news conference, especially after Trumps opening remarks, when he said the United States was Israels greatest friend. But Trump also managed to catch Netanyahu off-guard, at one point saying that if a solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict was going to be reached both sides will have to make compromises. The president then turned to Netanyahu and said: You know that, right? Netanyahu looked momentarily startled and replied with a chuckle, Both sides. The two leaders agreed that there was an opening for enlisting Israel's Arab neighbors - who share its concerns about Iran - into any future peace process, though they offered no specifics on how that could be done. But a retreat from the principle of a two-state solution would cast doubt on the chances for cooperation from the broader Arab world. PALESTINIANS ALARMED Palestinians reacted with alarm to the possibility that Washington might ditch its support for an independent Palestinian nation. "If the Trump administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad," Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in response to the U.S. official's remarks. "Accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy," she said in a statement. Husam Zomlot, strategic adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinians had not received any official indication of a change in the U.S. stance. "Its another nail in the coffin of the peace process, which already had a lot of nails in it," said Martin Indyk, a former Middle East negotiator under Obama and now at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington. The one-state idea that Trump referred to would be deeply problematic for both sides. One concept would be two systems for two peoples, which many Palestinians would see as apartheid. Another version would mean equal rights for all, including for Palestinians in an annexed West Bank, but that would compromise Israels Jewish character. For Netanyahu, the talks with Trump are an opportunity to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with Obama. The prime minister, under investigation at home over allegations of abuse of office, spent much of Tuesday huddled with advisers in Washington preparing for the talks. Officials said they wanted no gaps to emerge between U.S. and Israeli thinking during the scheduled two-hour Oval Office meeting. Trump, who has been in office less than four weeks and whose foreign policy apparatus is in disarray following the forced resignation of his national security adviser Michael Flynn, brings with him an unpredictability that Netanyahu's staff hoped would not impinge on the discussions. The two leaders, who seemed to strike up an emerging bromance in social media exchanges since the election, sought to demonstrate good personal chemistry face-to-face as well, both sporting smiles and exchanging asides. Meetings with Obama were at best cordial and businesslike, at worst tense and awkward. In one Oval Office encounter in 2011, Obama grimaced as Netanyahu lectured him in front of the cameras on the suffering of the Jewish people through the ages. (Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Arshad Mohammed, Ayesha Rascoe and Doina Chiacu in Washington and Maayan Lubell and Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Howard Goller) Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump's pick for labor secretary Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration Wednesday, after facing intense scrutiny for his business record and controversies about his personal past. The 66-year-old fast-food executive is the first of Trump's cabinet nominees to withdraw, dealing a new blow to the president on the heels of the resignation of his embattled national security chief. "I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor. I'm honored to have been considered and am grateful to all who have supported me," Puzder tweeted. In a statement to US media, Puzder said he reached his decision "after careful consideration and discussions with my family." "While I won't be serving in the administration, I fully support the president and his highly qualified team," he said. The White House confirmed Puzder's departure, with press secretary Sean Spicer simply saying: "He withdrew." Concern swelled this year about Puzder's labor practices and positions, with critics blasting him for opposing a minimum wage for US workers. He also admitted he had failed to pay taxes on an undocumented employee -- although he paid back taxes long afterward. And he faced embarrassing questions related to a messy divorce that he went through several years ago. To be confirmed in his post Puzder needed the support of at least 51 out of 100 Senators. But he was staunchly opposed by Democrats and had lost the support of several of the chamber's 52 Republican Senators. "Andy Puzder made the right and honorable choice by withdrawing from consideration as labor secretary," Republican Senator Marco Rubio said in a tweet. The top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer, described the withdrawal as "a victory for the American worker." "Puzder should never have even been nominated to lead the Labor Department, and Senate Republicans clearly recognized this too," he said. "If President Trump is remotely serious about standing up for workers, he will nominate someone for Labor Secretary that champions workers' rights rather than suppresses them." Puzder's confirmation hearing, after a number of postponements, had been set for Thursday, when Democratic and Republican senators alike would have had a chance to grill him over his record as head of the parent company of the Hardee's and Carl's Jr restaurant chains. His withdrawal comes just two days after the explosive resignation of Trump's top aide Michael Flynn, who is accused of lying to White House colleagues about his contacts with Russian officials. Washington (AFP) - A cloud of intrigue over ties with Moscow has hovered over President Donald Trump since US intelligence alleged the Russian government interfered with the presidential election last year against his opponent Hillary Clinton. On Monday, Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign over his private conversations with a Russian diplomat, and on Wednesday the New York Times reported that Trump aides and associates had "repeated" calls with senior Russian intelligence officials during the election campaign. But many questions remain. Here's what is known: Trump's longstanding Russian ties As a real estate developer, Trump long sought to develop property in Russia, first studying a possible luxury tower near the Kremlin in 1986. Several ensuing visits led to nothing, but by the 1990s Trump was expressing praise for the country's strongmen leaders, including now President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Russians, some linked to Putin, have invested in US properties bearing the Trump brand. In 2013 Trump took his Miss Universe contest to Moscow, saying he hoped to meet Putin. The meeting never happened, but Trump worked with other businessmen close to the Russian leader. Throughout the presidential campaign Trump rejected reports that Moscow was behind the hacking of Clinton's campaign, instead attacking US intelligence for trying to undermine him. He praised Putin and promised better relations. Russia's hacking US intelligence agencies alleged as early as July 2016 that the Russian government was involved in hacking Democratic Party communications and releasing files embarrassing to Clinton. By October the agencies had implicated Putin as the mastermind, and on December 29 President Barack Obama announced retaliatory measures, including new sanctions and the expulsion of 35 alleged Russian spies. Meanwhile, a still-unproven dossier on links between the Trump campaign and Russia, compiled by a former British intelligence agent, cited Russian sources in alleging that the hacking effort was focused on helping Trump to victory. According to recent reports, US intelligence has corroborated some of the dossier's details. Story continues Phone calls with the Kremlin On Wednesday the New York Times reported that US law enforcement and security agencies intercepted numerous phone calls between Trump aides or associates and Russian intelligence officials during the campaign. The Times named one of the aides as Paul Manafort. Manafort, Trump's presidential campaign manager, was a lobbyist and businessman who for years served as an adviser to pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician Viktor Yanukovych and Ukraine's pro-Russia opposition. Manafort resigned as campaign manager 11 weeks before the November 8 election after Ukrainian authorities said records showed the ousted autocrat's party had paid him $12.7 million, which Manafort denied. The Trump-Russia dossier claimed that Manafort maintained "cooperation" with Russian leaders during the campaign through Carter Page, a campaign foreign affairs consultant. Page, previously a Moscow-based investment banker, visited Moscow last July and December on what he said were private matters. The Trump-Russia dossier alleges he met with top officials and Putin associates to discuss sanctions and energy issues. In the Times report, Manafort denied knowingly speaking to any Russian intelligence or government officials. Michael Flynn The former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency was an early Trump adviser on security issues. After leaving the military, Flynn appeared on Russia's RT television -- which US intelligence says peddles Kremlin propaganda -- and in December 2015 was paid by RT to speak at a Moscow gala where he sat next to Putin. During the presidential campaign Flynn urged better relations with Russia, and after Trump's victory, he had telephone conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. Some of those conversations took place in late December just before and as Obama was announcing new sanctions over Russia's election interference. Flynn initially denied having discussed sanctions or signaled that Trump would be more friendly with Moscow. After receiving assurances from Flynn, Vice President Mike Pence appeared on television on January 15 to defend Flynn, insisting he had not discussed sanctions with Kislyak. But US law enforcement agencies had monitored the calls, and found that the sanctions were in fact discussed. On January 26, acting attorney general Sally Yates alerted Trump's top legal adviser to Flynn's inconsistencies and warned that they could make him vulnerable to blackmail. Trump took no immediate action. But when the Washington Post and the Times last week wrote that transcripts showed Flynn had discussed sanctions and then lied to Pence, Flynn's support in the White House dissolved. He then said he could not recall all the details of the calls, and apologized to Pence. On Monday he resigned. A grand jury has indicted Jason Allen Garlinghouse, 33, of Lebanon, for the murder of his estranged wife, Sparki Garlinghouse, 34. She was fou WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump asked for the resignation of his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, after his level of trust in Flynn eroded to the point that he felt he needed to make a change, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on Tuesday. A day after Flynn's resignation, Spicer said Trump had been concerned that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence over his contacts with Russian officials before Trump took office on Jan. 20. Trump had been reviewing Flynn's situation for a few weeks, he said. Amid congressional calls for an investigation into the extent to which Flynn discussed the possibility of lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Spicer said the White House legal counsel had reviewed the situation and believed Flynn's case was viewed "not as a legal issue but a trust issue." Spicer said Trump was informed of Flynn's conversations with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak and asked counsel to review the case. "The erosion of that trust, frankly, was the issue," Spicer said. He said Trump had not told Flynn to discuss U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian diplomat. (Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan Oatis) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia has deployed a new cruise missile despite complaints by U.S. officials that it violates an arms control treaty banning ground-based U.S. and Russian intermediate-range missiles, a senior Trump administration official said on Tuesday. Russia had secretly deployed the ground-launched SSC-8 cruise missile that Moscow has been developing and testing for several years, despite U.S. complaints that it violated sections of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, the official said, confirming a story first reported by the New York Times. We know that this is an old issue. The Russians have been building and testing these things in violation of the INF treaty going back to the Obama administration, the official told Reuters, asking to remain anonymous to speak freely. "The issue now is the things are deployed and its an even greater violation of the INF treaty, the official added. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Times story. The U.S. State Department concluded in a July 2014 arms control report that "the Russian Federation is in violation of its obligations under the INF Treaty not to possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500 km (310 miles to 3,420 miles), or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles." Russia accused Washington of conducting "megaphone diplomacy" after the accusation was repeated by the State Department in 2015. Moscow also denied it had violated the INF treaty, which helped end the Cold War between the two countries. The previous U.S. administration of President Barack Obama had protested in an attempt to persuade Moscow to correct the violation while the missile was still in the testing phase, the Trump administration official said. Based on open-source information such as Russian bloggers, they were deployed in the central military district, the administration official said, adding: We are reviewing it. Story continues Russia now has two battalions of the cruise missile, the Times report quoted administration officials as saying. One is located at Russia's missile test site at Kapustin Yar in the country's southeast. The other cruise missile battalion has been located at an operational base elsewhere in Russia, the Times quoted one unidentified official as saying. (Reporting by David Alexander and Steve Holland; Editing by Susan Heavey, Grant McCool and Lisa Shumaker) By Phil Stewart BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday played down any impact that White House national security adviser Michael Flynn's resignation might have on Mattis' debut trip this week to Europe to meet NATO allies. "Frankly, this has no impact. Obviously, I haven't changed what I'm heading there for. It doesn't change my message at all," Mattis told reporters shortly before landing in Brussels, as he praised the NATO alliance but stressing its need to adapt to the challenges posed by Russia. "And who's on the president's staff is who I will work with," he said. Flynn resigned late on Monday after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office and had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations. Flynn's resignation occurred hours after it was reported that the Justice Department had warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail for contacts with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak before Trump took power on Jan. 20. Mattis has taken a dimmer view of the prospects of partnership with Moscow than Flynn did during the presidential campaign or Trump has since taking office, while not ruling out areas where U.S. and Russian interests might align. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mattis said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization needed to adapt to the challenges posed by Russia after 2014, when Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula upended the alliance's assumptions about cooperation with Moscow. "2014 was a watershed year. It was a year when many of our hopes for some kind of partnership with Russia were shown to be unavailing," Mattis said, extolling NATO as "the most successful military alliance in history." "We've got to adapt and make certain that the trans-Atlantic bond remains strong," he said. In his January Senate confirmation hearing, Mattis accused Russia of trying to break the NATO alliance. [nL1N1F218B] Flynn, in contrast, frequently raised eyebrows among Washington's foreign policy establishment for trying to persuade Trump to warm up U.S. relations with Russia. One U.S. official said Flynn's departure, coupled with Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia, removes Trump's most ardent advocate of taking a softer line toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. Flynn's leaving "may make a significant course change less likely, at least any time soon," the official said. [nL1N1FY1L9] Another official said Flynn's departure might strengthen the hands of some Cabinet secretaries, including Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres named a new head of U.N. peacekeeping operations and retained three senior U.N. officials as part of his campaign to reform the world bodys peace and security programs. I have announced that reforming the secretariat peace and security strategy, functioning and architecture would be a key priority, Guterres, who took office in December, said in a statement. "This important work will require both expertise and experience from principals and all staff members." The secretary-general said the personnel moves were made in anticipation of an internal review of peace and security operations that will be completed in June and then shared with U.N. member states. Guterres named French diplomat Jean-Pierre Lacroix to a one-year term as the head of U.N. peacekeeping operations, according to the statement. His predecessor, Herve Ladsous, had declined an offer to stay on. Lacroix will take office on April 1. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, the assistant secretary general for peace-building support; Atul Khare, the U.N. chief of field support; and Jeffrey Feltman, the U.N. chief for political affairs, accepted Guterres request to stay on through April 2018. (Reporting By Ned Parker; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By Kristina Cooke and Dan Levine SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - U.S. immigration authorities on Wednesday said the arrest of a Mexican man who had permission to work in the country was consistent with a years-long policy to target threats to public safety. Daniel Ramirez Medina, 23, was taken into custody last week at his father's home near Seattle by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, according to a lawsuit he filed challenging his detention. He was brought to the United States illegally as a child and given a work permit during the administration of former President Barack Obama. Ramirez's lawyers have said this could be the first time under U.S. President Donald Trump that a person covered by a policy known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, has been taken into immigration custody. Ramirez's lawsuit in Seattle federal court argues that the government violated his constitutional rights. He asked a judge to order his release immediately. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday. After Reuters reported Ramirez's lawsuit on Tuesday, ICE issued a statement saying officers took him into custody "based on his admitted gang affiliation and risk to public safety." ICE declined to elaborate further on how it established the man was a member of a gang. Ramirez's lawsuit said he has no criminal record. One of his attorneys, Ethan Dettmer, said Ramirez "unequivocally denies" being in a gang and said ICE agents repeatedly pressured him while in custody to "falsely admit his affiliation." In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security said that since 2012, when Obama was president, about 1,500 DACA recipients have had their permits terminated due to a criminal conviction or gang affiliation. "This case illustrates the work ICE fugitive operations teams perform every day across the country to remove public safety threats from our communities when they encounter them," the statement said. Story continues Attorneys for Ramirez could not immediately be reached for comment. Under 2014 guidance from the Obama administration, someone would be a deportation priority for gang activity only if they had been convicted of an offence in connection with the gang, although there was room for discretion on the part of immigration officials. Reuters could not determine whether gang members who had not committed crimes were deported during Obama's tenure. DACA was established in 2012 by Obama to allow those brought to the country while young to attend school and work. The program protects from deportation 750,000 people who were brought to the United States illegally as children. People in the program are sometimes called "dreamers," in reference to the proposed Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors legislation, aimed at setting up a path to permanent residency for immigrants, which failed to pass. Trump has promised a crackdown on the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, most of whom come from Mexico and other Latin American countries, but he has also hinted at lenience for those covered by DACA. In an interview with ABC News last month, Trump said his administration was devising a policy for dealing with "dreamers," without indicating any concrete plans. "They are here illegally. They shouldn't be very worried. I do have a big heart. We're going to take care of everybody. We're going to have a very strong border," Trump said at the time. Although the reasons for Ramirez's arrest are in dispute, a broad move against DACA recipients would represent a significant change in immigration enforcement under Trump. Ramirez's detention has prompted an outcry from immigrant advocacy groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and Democratic lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said on Twitter that DACA recipients should not be an enforcement priority and ICE should "release Daniel immediately." The DHS statement on Wednesday said agents apprehended Ramirez at a home during operations "targeting a prior-deported felon." The agency did not say whether that person was Ramirez's father or offer details about the nature of the felony. (Reporting by Dan Levine; Editing by Bill Rigby) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) The United Arab Emirates says its ambassador to Afghanistan has died of wounds sustained in a January bombing that also claimed the lives of five other Emirati nationals. The official WAM news agency on Wednesday cited the Ministry of Presidential Affairs in announcing the death of Ambassador Juma Mohammed Abdullah al-Kaabi. The ambassador was wounded in a bombing in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Jan. 10. Kandahar Gov. Homayun Azizia was among others wounded in the explosion. The Taliban denied they were behind the blast, which the militant group blamed on an "internal local rivalry." Abu Dhabi (AFP) - The United Arab Emirates' ambassador to Afghanistan has died of wounds sustained in a January 10 bombing in Kandahar that also killed five other UAE officials, state media said Thursday. Ambassador Juma Mohammed Abdullah Al Kaabi had been leading a UAE delegation to the provincial governor's office in the southern city when the bomber struck, killing 12 people instantly. Both he and governor Humayun Azizi suffered serious burns. The UAE's official WAM news agency described the ambassador as a "martyr". He had returned to the UAE on a military plane two days after the attack. The bombing was one of a spate of attacks that hit three Afghan cities on January 10, killing 57 people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for twin bombs that hit a parliamentary annexe in Kabul and a suicide bombing in Lashkar Gah, capital of restive Helmand province. But it did not claim the Kandahar attack. The UAE has historically had good relations with the Taliban. It was among only three governments that recognised the Taliban administration that ruled in Kabul between 1996 and 2001. Security in Afghanistan has become increasingly precarious as US-backed forces struggle to combat a resilient Taliban insurgency as well as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State group jihadists. Provincial police chief Abdul Raziq blamed the Kandahar bombing on the Haqqani network, a group separate from but allied with the Taliban. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was "deeply saddened" by the envoy's death, his office said. "The UAE ambassador and his colleagues paid the ultimate sacrifice in promoting peace and development in Afghanistan to be remembered forever," it said in a statement. "The president expresses his condolences and sympathies to the family of the late ambassador as well as to the government and the people of United Arab Emirates." Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine said Wednesday it was falling victim to a growing number of sophisticated cyberattacks of the type that saw a regional power grid paralysed by computer codes the US said were developed in Russia. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said 2016 saw a record number of state agencies and infrastructure sites penetrated by hazardous computer systems that could only be developed with the know-how of a government and its trained computer scientists. "There are signs that these programme codes were developed by specialists who were involved in developing the virus that belongs to the Black Energy family," Ukrainian media quoted SBU chief Oleksandr Tkachuk as saying. "As you know, earlier in 2016, the Black Energy class of viruses infected regional power stations and other energy objects." Parts of Ukraine's west first went temporarily dark in December 2015 as a war raged between government forces and Kremlin-backed insurgents in the separatist east that has claimed more than 10,000 lives. The US government concluded that Black Energy was the code responsible for the attack. A detailed and prolonged investigation by Washington found that the computer strike came from Moscow but Kiev's arch-foe denied any involvement. Russia has also brushed off charges of backing insurgents in Ukraine's east in a 33-month war that has also injured more than 23,000 people and driven about two million from their homes. Relations between the two former Soviet neighbours are now frozen and Moscow's ties with the West are at a post-Cold War low. - Cash-strapped nation - Western powers have warned that they must develop protective mechanisms against cyberattacks on critical infrastructure such as power grids and telephone systems in times of war. But cash-strapped Ukraine is one of Europe's poorest countries and was unprepared for the computer onslaught that came its way in 2015 and 2016. Tkachuk never blamed Russia directly for the failures of its various systems because it takes highly specialised analysts to determine the origin of an attack. Story continues But he said there was concern over the facilities whose computers were frozen or had been penetrated because they included such vital agencies as the Finance Ministry and the Central Bank. "A series of other government bodies were also affected," Tkachuk said. He did not say whether any particularly sensitive information was stolen or how long the outages lasted. Ukraine is not currently known to be developing any protections from future attacks. Moscow (AFP) - An international mediator on Wednesday said Ukraine's warring sides had agreed to withdraw heavy weapons from the volatile frontline by February 20 in line with a tattered peace plan. Martin Sajdik, the lead negotiator from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the crisis, said Ukraine, Russia and the eastern rebels agreed to the move after a fresh round of talks in Minsk, Russian and Belarussian news agencies reported. The agreement comes after a surge in violence earlier this month saw several dozen people left dead around the flashpoint town of Avdiivka and both sides shift heavy weaponry forward. Under the Minsk plan -- agreed in the Belarussian capital in 2015 -- the warring parties are meant to withdraw their big guns to create a buffer zone along the frontline. The Minsk agreement has been repeatedly violated by both sides as no progress has been made towards a political resolution of the conflict. The war in eastern Ukraine has cost some 10,000 lives since 2014, with Kiev and the West accusing Russia of arming rebels and pouring its troops over the border. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Wednesday demanded armed groups in the Central African Republic immediately halt fighting and join peace talks after UN airstrikes targeted rebel fighters. UN attack helicopters opened fire over the weekend on gunmen advancing on the central city of Bambari. UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the council there were about 300 fighters moving towards the city in pickup trucks mounted with machine guns. He said it remained unclear how many fighters were killed in the airstrikes, which destroyed at least four of the seven pickup trucks. Following a meeting, the council "urged the armed groups to immediately halt the fighting and join the peace and reconciliation dialogue," said Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, this month's council president. The United Nations has deployed 12,000 peacekeepers to the Central African Republic to help restore stability following a war in 2013 that erupted after the overthrow of leader Francois Bozize. The council "took note of the fragility of the security situation in the CAR due to the ongoing activities of armed groups" and the dire humanitarian crisis in the country, said Yelchenko. Ladsous told reporters that France was deploying surveillance drones to the country to step up monitoring of the armed groups and help deter attacks. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. Security Council is urging key players in Guinea-Bissau to implement a road map to resolve the political crisis in the country that political leaders agreed to on Sept. 10. Council members stressed "the urgent need to ensure an inclusive dialogue among key national actors to ensure effective functioning of the government." The council statement followed a briefing Tuesday by U.N. envoy Modibo Ibrahim Toure, who said that "despite the political crisis, Guinea-Bissau's economic performance has been remarkable." He said the economy is estimated to have expanded by 5 percent in 2016, reflecting a bumper cashew harvest, the country's main export. Guinea-Bissau has had so many coups and countercoups that no elected leader has been able to complete his term since the country won independence from Portugal in 1974. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The United Nations Staff Union says 32 people working for the world body were killed in the line of duty in 2016, including 26 peacekeepers. The union's security committee said Tuesday that in the past five years almost 240 U.N. personnel have died in deliberate attacks. Last year's death toll was lower than in 2015, when at least 51 U.N. and associated personnel were killed in the line of duty, the highest number ever recorded by the committee. For the third year in a row, the committee said, the greatest loss of life in 2016 was in Mali, where at least 23 U.N. personnel were killed by ambushes, landmines and bombings. The committee called on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to mobilize resources to ensure the safety of U.N. personnel. By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - A newly unearthed essay by Winston Churchill shows Britain's wartime leader was uncannily prescient about the possibility of alien life on planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. The 11-page article was drafted on the eve of World War Two in 1939 and updated in the 1950s, decades before astronomers discovered the first extrasolar planets in the 1990s. Yet Churchill pinpointed issues dominating today's debate about extraterrestrial life, proving that the former prime minister "reasoned like a scientist", according to an analysis of his work published in the journal Nature on Wednesday. The hunt for life on other worlds has taken off in the last 20 years as observations have suggested the Milky Way alone may contain more than a billion Earth-size planets that could be habitable. Churchill was already thinking along similar lines nearly 80 years ago, writing that "with hundreds of thousands of nebulae, each containing thousands of millions of suns, the odds are enormous that there must be immense numbers which possess planets whose circumstances would not render life impossible". He also honed in on the importance of liquid water for life, saying that a suitable planet would have to be "between a few degrees of frost and the boiling point of water". Modern scientists are busier than ever looking for signs of life in such environments, both in our own solar system and in the wider universe. So far they have found nothing. Churchill's essay was probably intended as a popular science piece for a newspaper, although it never appeared in print. The famous polymath had already written similar science articles for newspapers and magazines, including one on fusion power in 1931. The type-written essay entitled 'Are We Alone in the Universe?', was uncovered last year in the archives of the U.S. National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri, and passed to astrophysicist Mario Livio for expert examination. In his analysis in Nature, Livio praised Churchill's clear thinking, as well as his support for science as a tool of government policy. Churchill was the first prime minister to employ a science adviser. "At a time when a number of todays politicians shun science, I find it moving to recall a leader who engaged with it so profoundly," Livio wrote. Churchill's vision of life on Earth in the first half of the 20th century, however, was far from rosy. "I, for one, am not so immensely impressed by the success we are making of our civilization here that I am prepared to think we are the only spot in this immense universe which contains living, thinking creatures, or that we are the highest type of mental and physical development which has ever appeared in the vast compass of space and time." (Editing by Angus MacSwan) Los Angeles (AFP) - US immigration authorities arrested a Mexican man without residency papers even though he has special status protecting him from deportation, lawyers and the government said. Lawyers for Daniel Ramirez Medina said his arrest -- for the purpose of expulsion -- was a first among people included in the so-called DACA program protecting unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. The arrest also raises questions about the future of the estimated 750,000 immigrants who have filed for this special status since then-president Barack Obama introduced it with an executive order in 2012, the lawyers said. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Ramirez, 23, was arrested Friday by immigration enforcement agents near Seattle in the northwestern state of Washington. US immigration authorities arrested at least 680 people across the country last week for expulsion as part of President Donald Trump's pledge to crack down on people, mostly Latinos, who are in the country illegally. Officers showed up at Ramirez's house to arrest his father, who also lacks papers and had already been deported once, and ended up taking in both of them, said human rights lawyers working for Ramirez. Ramirez came to the United States with his parents when he was seven. He first applied for and obtained protection under the DACA program in 2014, and renewed it in 2016. This allows Ramirez, who now has a toddler son born in the US, to live and work legally in the country for at least two more years. "The unprecedented and unjustified detention of Daniel... violates the solemn promises made to him and other DACA recipients," said Mark Rosenbaum, one of his lawyers working for the pro-bono firm Public Counsel. DACA was created as a temporary measure to avoid the deportation of hundreds of thousands of youths who came illegally to America as children with their parents, have lived almost their entire lives in the US and are integrated into US culture. Story continues But immigration authorities say Ramirez confessed to being a member of a street gang, and this can be grounds for being denied DACA status. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers "took Mr. Ramirez into custody based on his admitted gang affiliation and risk to public safety," said ICE spokeswoman Rose Richeson. Ramirez's lawyers say the confession was obtained under duress and that Ramirez has never committed a crime and has no criminal record. A hearing on Ramirez's case is scheduled for Friday in Seattle. Mexico City (AFP) - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security chief John Kelly will visit Mexico on February 23 to reestablish "constructive" ties after a diplomatic crisis, Mexico's government said Wednesday. Ties have been strained by US President Donald Trump's vow to crack down on migration from Mexico and revise trade relations. The Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement that the two US officials would make a working visit aimed at building "a respectful, close and constructive relationship between the two countries." During his election campaign, Trump branded immigrants from Mexico rapists and criminals. His plan to build a wall along the countries' border to keep illegal immigrants out and make Mexico pay for it has enraged many Mexicans. He has also threatened to end Mexico's privileged trade relationship with the United States, blaming Mexico for the loss of American jobs. - Anti-Trump protests - Mexico is one of the countries most concerned by Trump's tough approach to foreign relations. It sends 80 percent of its exports to the United States -- nearly $300 billion in goods in 2015. His stance has driven US-Mexican relations to their lowest point in decades. Tens of thousands of Mexicans staged street protests against Trump on Sunday. They also criticized their President Enrique Pena Nieto, saying he was being too soft on Trump. Pena Nieto has vowed Mexico will not pay for the wall. He cancelled a planned meeting with Trump in Washington last month and called for respectful relations. Trump has demanded a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. He has threatened to block remittances sent home by Mexican workers in the United States. Pena Nieto vowed to defend Mexico's interests in the negotiations, which his economy minister said would start in May. He said in January that Mexico would reach out to other countries to seek alternative trade accords. Story continues - Crime, migration - The foreign ministry said the US visit was the result of the two presidents' agreement to launch a "dialogue" during a telephone conversation on January 27. It said Tillerson and Kelly would meet with various Mexican officials and the agenda for the visit would be released in the coming days. Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray met with Tillerson and Kelly last week in Washington. The State Department said Tillerson and Videgaray had a "constructive" conversation about law enforcement, migration and security. Videgaray told reporters afterwards: "The Mexican government will continue to work with a positive and constructive attitude to reach good agreements, as long as it is in an atmosphere of respect for Mexicans." - Border security - Jesus Velasco, an expert at Tarleton State University in Texas, said the February 23 visit was "a good sign" for bilateral relations. "The United States is going to try to get something out of it and so will Mexico, and the Mexican government has the weapon of security" at the border, he told AFP. Velasco argued that Mexico could pressure Washington to cooperate with it by threatening to "simply make no effort to hold back" migrants heading to the border. Chicago (AFP) - The Native American tribe at the center of protests against the Dakota Access pipeline in the northern United States, on Tuesday asked a federal court to reverse the Trump administration's decision to let the project proceed. The Standing Rock Sioux said in a court filing that the federal government, which under President Donald Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, had committed to a full environmental impact review of the oil pipeline route, had abandoned that promise in a way that was "arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law." Federal authorities reversed course, because of a directive from Trump to "'review and approve' pipeline permits on an expedited basis," the tribe said in its motion, asking the court to vacate the final permits issued to Dakota Access. During the first week of his presidency, Trump signed two executive orders to revive two controversial pipeline projects that were hobbled by the Obama administration: Dakota Access and Keystone XL. The US Army Corps of Engineers -- having approval authority over the pipeline's route under the Missouri River in North Dakota last week issued the final permit necessary, and construction on Dakota Access resumed almost immediately. Energy Transfer Partners, the developer of the 1,172-mile (1,886-kilometer) oil pipeline, said it expected to begin operation in less than three months. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the latest court filing. But it has claimed that the project is safe and that there are already other pipelines operating under the disputed waterway. The Standing Rock Sioux argue that the pipeline's route threatens its drinking water supply and nearby sites the tribe considers sacred. "The Trump Administration is circumventing the law: wholly disregarding the treaty rights of the Standing Rock Sioux and ignoring the legally required environmental review," the tribe's attorney Jan Hasselman said in a statement. Last week, the neighboring Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, whose reservation is near the waterway as well, also filed a court motion to stop the pipeline. "The pipeline will desecrate the waters upon which Cheyenne River Sioux tribal members rely for their most important religious practices," the tribe said. Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela pulled CNN's Spanish-language television channel off the air on Wednesday, accusing it of spreading "propaganda" about an alleged visa racket at the country's embassy in Iraq. The state National Telecommunications Commission ordered "the immediate suspension of broadcasts by the news channel CNN in Spanish" in Venezuela, a government statement said. President Nicolas Maduro had earlier said he wanted the US-based news channel "out" of the country, where state media dominate. Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez told reporters the government had "ordered the relevant authorities to take action" against the channel. Shortly after she spoke, the government made its announcement and the channel disappeared from the air, AFP reporters in Caracas said. She branded one of the channel's sources in the report, embassy employee Misael Lopez, a "delinquent." - Iraq visa claims - CNN en Espanol on February 6 broadcast a report alleging that Venezuelan passports and visas had been sold at the Baghdad embassy to Arabs who the channel said may have been linked to terrorism. The report named Maduro's new hardline vice president, Tareck El Aissami, as one of those behind the racket. Hardline former interior minister El Aissami, 42, is next in line to Maduro and would take over if the opposition succeeded in its bid to oust the leader in a vote. El Aissami was targeted separately on Monday by US authorities who announced sanctions against him for alleged drug trafficking. Rodriguez said the CNN report was "based absolutely on falsehoods." The channel "has launched an operation of psychological warfare, a war propaganda operation," she said. - Diplomatic row - The US Treasury Department on Monday accused El Aissami and an ally, businessman Samark Jose Lopez Bello, of being major cocaine traffickers. The drug allegations against El Aissami had already raised tensions between Washington and Caracas, which had so far been cautious in its stance towards the administration of new US President Donald Trump. Story continues Maduro on Tuesday demanded the United States apologize for the sanctions and vowed to respond "forcefully." Rodriguez lodged a diplomatic complaint on Wednesday with the US Embassy in Caracas. On Sunday the socialist president said in his own television program: "I want CNN out of Venezuela." - Drug trafficking allegations - The US Treasury department froze the US assets of El Aissami and Lopez Bello, and banned US nationals from doing business with them. The Caracas government credits El Aissami with cracking down on drug trafficking while serving as interior minister. But the US Treasury says he actually oversaw shipments of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico and the United States. The Venezuelan armed forces also threw their weight behind El Aissami on Wednesday. In a statement, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez called the sanctions "a new act of interference by the United States" aimed at destabilizing Venezuela. - US-Venezuela tension - US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday's move against El Aissami was part of a broad crackdown on drug trafficking and "terrorism." The accusations triggered the latest in a series of rows over the years between Venezuela's leftist leaders and Washington, the "imperialist" power it loves to hate. Trump has not yet personally detailed his stance on the situation in Venezuela. A severe economic crisis in Venezuela driven by falling prices for its crucial oil exports has contributed to food shortages and deep economic disarray, raising pressure to remove Maduro from power. Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela lodged a diplomatic complaint with the United States on Wednesday over Washington's sanctions against its vice-president for alleged drug trafficking. Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez handed over official protest notes during a meeting with Lee McClenny, charge d'affaires at the US Embassy in Caracas. "The protest notes that were handed over reject the actions" of the US Treasury Department in slapping sanctions on Venezuelan Vice-President Tareck El Aissami, the ministry said on Twitter. The Treasury Department on Monday accused El Aissami and an ally, businessman Samark Jose Lopez Bello, of being major cocaine traffickers. It froze their US assets and banned US nationals from doing business with them. Hardline former interior minister El Aissami, 42, is next in line to President Nicolas Maduro and would take over if the opposition succeeded in its bid to oust the leader in a vote. The ministry said Rodriguez demanded "due respect" for El Aissami under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. Maduro on Tuesday demanded the United States apologize for the sanctions and vowed to respond "forcefully." The government credits El Aissami with cracking down on drug trafficking while serving as interior minister. But the US Treasury says he actually oversaw shipments of cocaine from Venezuela to Mexico and the United States. The Venezuelan armed forces also threw their weight behind El Aissami on Wednesday. In a statement, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez called the sanctions "a new act of interference by the United States" aimed at destabilizing Venezuela. Venezuelan Vice President Tarek El Aissami, blacklisted Monday by the U.S. Treasury Department for his alleged role in aiding narcotics trafficking, on Tuesday characterized the drug charges and sanctions imposed on him as an imperialist aggression. We shall not be distracted by these miserable provocations, El Aissami said in a tweet. We will see this vile aggression dispelled. May we not be distracted by these miserable provocations, he wrote in another tweet. Our principal job is to work with @NicolasMaduro in the economic recovery. The vice president, who is accused of playing a significant role in international narcotics trafficking by the U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the agency in charge of enforcing U.S. sanctions, was also defended by Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro in a state television address Tuesday. Venezuela will respond, step by step, with balance and force ... they will retract and apologize publicly to our vice president, Maduro said. He defended El Aissami by asserting that under the campaigns led by the vice president, more than 100 drug kingpins were caught, and many of them were extradited to the U.S. Maduro also ordered his foreign minister to urge a complaint with the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. Characterizing the charges as a plot to undermine the government, Venezuelas Foreign Ministry issued a statement Tuesday that said they [U.S. government] constitute an infamy against the highest authority of the state, and constitute without doubt a false positive against a decent and dignified Venezuelan, according to the New York Times. In addition, the Venezuelan Minister for Foreign Affairs reportedly said that the U.S. actions seek to "oxygenate the weak and extinct Venezuelan opposition, to consummate a political coup against the democratic institutions of Venezuela." The sanctions imposed on El Aissami by OFAC, under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, freeze his assets estimated by various accounts to be ranging from tens of millions of dollars to $3 billion. Story continues OFACs action today is the culmination of a multi-year investigation under the Kingpin Act to target significant narcotics traffickers in Venezuela and demonstrates that power and influence do not protect those who engage in these illicit activities, OFAC Acting Director John E. Smith said. Venezuela vice president kingpin narcotics Trafficker Photo: US Treasury Website OFAC accused El Aissami of facilitating shipments of narcotics from Venezuela, to include control over planes that leave from a Venezuelan air base, as well as control of drug routes through the ports in Venezuela, and associating with Los Zetas, a violent Mexican drug cartel ... Colombian drug lord Daniel Barrera Barrera and Venezuelan drug trafficker Hermagoras Gonzalez Polanco. This case highlights our continued focus on narcotics traffickers and those who help launder their illicit proceeds through the United States, Smith added in a statement. Denying a safe haven for illicit assets in the United States and protecting the U.S. financial system from abuse remain top priorities of the Treasury Department. The United States also sanctioned El Aissamis frontman Samark Lopez. Lopez issued a statement denying the charges. Mr Lopez is not a government official and has not engaged in drug trafficking, said a statement on his website describing him as a legitimate businessman. Related Articles By David Shepardson and Jessica Toonkel (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc is close to a revised deal to buy Yahoo Inc's core internet business for $250 million to $350 million less than the original agreed price of $4.83 billion, according to a source briefed on the matter. Since last year, Verizon had been trying to persuade Yahoo to amend the terms of the acquisition agreement to reflect the economic damage from two cyber attacks. A source told Reuters that the deal, which could come as soon as this week, will entail Verizon and Yahoo sharing the liability from potential lawsuits related to the data breaches. Another person familiar with the situation said the price cut was likely to be around $250 million, a figure that Bloomberg reported earlier on Wednesday. A representative from Verizon declined to comment. Yahoo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Maybe this isn't quite as much of a discount as initially thought, but it's at least something," said Dave Heger, senior equity analyst at Edward Jones. Verizon hopes to combine Yahoo's search, email and messenger assets, as well as advertising technology tools, with its AOL unit, which Verizon bought in 2015 for $4.4 billion. Verizon has been looking to mobile video and advertising for new sources of revenue outside an oversaturated wireless market. But Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo has been under scrutiny by federal investigators and lawmakers since disclosing the largest known data breach in history in December, months after disclosing a separate hack. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a probe into whether Yahoo should have disclosed the breaches, which occurred in 2013 and 2014, sooner, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal last month. On Wednesday, Yahoo sent a warning to users whose accounts may have been accessed by intruders between 2015 and 2016, as part of a data security issue related to the breach it disclosed in December. A person familiar with the matter said notifications have gone out to a mostly final list of users. Yahoo shares rose 1.5 percent to $45.69 in afternoon trading. Verizon shares fell 0.7 percent to $47.93. (Additional reporting by Anjali Athavaley and Tim Baysinger in New York; Editing by Tiffany Wu, Bernard Orr) A "diversity issue" of a magazine definitely should not provide more examples of the diverse ways the media can completely let down the people fighting for representation. Vogue's latest gives themselves a pat on the back for a cover featuring a few models that don't look like Kendall Jenner alongside Kendall Jenner. But it's a different story once you start turning the pages and see supermodel Karlie Kloss who is certainly not Japanese get a full spread playing a Geisha. SEE ALSO: Bill Nye reveals his new Netflix series with a mic-dropping trailer Karlie for Vogue US - March 2017 pic.twitter.com/Pbo9rssT8p bestkkpics (@bestkkpics) February 14, 2017 The March 2017 issue of Vogue is the magazine's first to feature an Asian model on the cover, people were already noting how that victory was diluted by Liu Wen sharing the space with six other models. To pour salt in the wound, this also comes just after Gigi Hadid (one of the issue's cover models) was recently called out for a racist Instagram story mocking Asian features. But rest assured, Twitter is not letting Kloss get away with cultural appropriation. Between confusing Destiny's Child and TLC and dressing like a geisha it appears that Karlie Kloss has been kancelled Ian (@muddymudskipper) February 14, 2017 Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, and Tilda Swinton turn to Karlie Kloss. "Your turn, girl." Karlie on phone: "Hello, Vogue? Make me Asian." pic.twitter.com/zgUWIB022Q Ira Madison III (@ira) February 14, 2017 People of color need publications like you @voguemagazine and white people like you @karliekloss to do better. Especially in this admin. Chris Lam (@OneWingedChris) February 14, 2017 I just saw the Karlie Kloss editorial in US Vogue and want to throw up Josie (@CrosbysStache) February 14, 2017 Kloss is a repeat offender. Back in 2012, Kloss walked down the Victoria's Secret runway in a Native American headdress, so she's just sticking to the rivers and the lakes that she's used to. Story continues She later apologized on Twitter, but that clearly doesn't mean she learned her lesson. Jakarta voters lined up at polling booths on Wednesday to cast their votes in the Indonesian capitals gubernatorial election, which has exposed religious and racial fault lines in the worlds most populous Muslim nation. The vote is one of the 101 regional elections to be held simultaneously across the archipelago, but has hogged all the attention. The citys incumbent governor is Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Christian. Known by his Hakka nickname Ahok, he is in court on blasphemy charges after he said, in a campaign speech, that voters were deceived by hard-line Muslims who cited a Quranic verse in support of their view that non-Muslims shouldnt hold office. Ahok is running against two candidates. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono is the eldest son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and Anies Baswedan, a former Education Minister who served in the administration of current President Joko Jokowi Widodo. Agus is backed by his fathers centrist Democratic Party, while Anies is backed by the right-wing Gerindra Party of Prabowo Subianto Jokowis main rival in the 2014 presidential election. Gerindra aligned with conservative Islamic party PKS in the previous presidential election and has done so in the Jakarta polls. Ahoks candidacy is supported by Jokowis party the centrist and secular PDIP. Having accusing Ahok of insulting Islam, hard-line Muslim groups, like the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), have been organizing massive anti-Ahok protests since last October and now find themselves courted by his rivals. Agus and Anies, who were once seen as moderate Muslim figures, have been hoping to win support from hard-liners. They attended the latest anti-Ahok protest a prayer rally at the Istiqlal Mosque on Saturday, and even reiterated the claim that Muslims shouldnt have non-Muslim leaders. Its always intimidating how easily the mob can be provoked and how quickly things for minorities can take a turn for the worse, Sonia Eryka, a Chinese-Indonesian style blogger who plans to vote for Ahok, tells TIME. I think this [election] is one of the defining phases for us and this country. Story continues Indonesian democracy is constitutionally based on secularism, guaranteeing equal rights to all of its citizens regardless of religion as well as ethnicity. But Suratno, the chairman of Paramadina Universitys Lead Institute think-tank in Jakarta, tells TIME that the Jakarta election will test whether Islamic populism is having an effect at the polling booths. Ahoks victory, he says, is important for the fight to safeguard democracy and to prevent the rise of political Islam and Islamic populism. Ahok has been languishing in the opinion polls for months because of the blasphemy case, but he is surging back. A survey by pollster Indikator on Friday showed he led the polls with around 39% of respondents favoring him. Anies came in second at nearly 35.4%, followed by Agus at about 19.5%. If no candidate wins more than 50% vote, there will be a second round of voting in April. The Jakarta governor may be further helped by a scandal embroiling rival Agus father. Less than 24 hours before polls were set to open, the former head of Indonesias anticorruption agency, Antasari Azhar, held a bombshell press conference. Antasari, who served nearly eight years of an 18-year sentence for a murder he says he didnt commit, told journalists that former President Yudhoyono orchestrated the trumped-up charges that saw him languishing in jail until he was granted clemency by President Joko Jokowi Widodo last November. I demand SBY open his mouth. He knows my case, Antasari said on Tuesday afternoon, referring Yudhoyono by his initials. I want him to open up to the public on what he did and who he ordered to criminalize me. Antasari also claims that, weeks before his arrest, he was asked by tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibjo a Chinese-Indonesian politician and a business partner of U.S. President Donald Trump not to detain Agus father-in-law on graft charges. (In this election, Tanoesoedibjo signaled his support to Anies.) Yudhoyono has vigorously denied the accusations. He alleges that Jokowis clemency was politically motivated and Antasaris statement is an attempt to discredit him and to ruin the chances of his son Agus in the election. The slanderous attack and character assassination are directly related with the regional election in Jakarta, the former President said. Results, which will begin trickling in Wednesday afternoon local time, will show whether or not he is believed. No one knows exactly what to expect from the first official meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump on Wednesday. The two men have known each other for years and Netanyahu has made no secret of his relief at seeing the back of President Obama, but administration policy is hard to discern from the contradictory tweets, comments and hints on the Middle East emanating from the White House. This first encounter could set the tone for their future relationship, says Michael Oren, now a deputy minister in Netanyahus coalition, who as Israels ambassador attended most of the discussions between the Israeli prime minister and President Obama. The first meeting between an American president and an Israeli prime minister is always significant, Oren tells TIME. I can tell you from personal experience that much of what occurred in the relationship between Netanyahu and Obama was presaged in their first meeting. Trump has made comments which can be interpreted differently, whether its in regard to moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, or a two-state solution and the settlements. I think the prime ministers going to go and listen, first and foremost, and see what the president has on his mind, Oren says. During the election campaign, Trump castigated Obama for abandoning Israel, endorsed the embassy move and selected David M. Friedman, a high-profile settlement fundraiser, as his new ambassador to the Jewish state. But since the inauguration, Trump has walked back much of his rhetoric. In an interview last week with Israel Hayom, the mass-circulation Hebrew daily owned by Sheldon Adelson, a major supporter of both Trump and Netanyahu, the U.S. President revealed that the promised embassy relocation is not an easy decision and that he is not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace. Story continues Late Tuesday, the White House signaled the Trump would not insist on a two-state solution but by then critics of Netanyahu had already smelled a conspiracy, accusing the Israeli prime minister of encouraging Trump to water down his previous enthusiasm. Moshe Feiglin, a former Likud legislator who now heads the right-wing Zehut movement, says Netanyahu manipulated the Trump administration back to Obamas positions and is planning a strategic catastrophe. The vocal criticisms underscore the vulnerable position the Israeli leader currently finds himself in. Although he will soon become Israels longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu is currently the subject of three separate corruption investigations. The police are considering whether to recommend he is indicted. Against this backdrop, and buoyed by the election of Donald Trump, right-wing politicians now want to seize on what they see as a historic opportunity to cement Israels control of the West Bank and put an end to the idea of a two-state solution once and for all. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Netanyahus former aide who now heads the right-wing Jewish Home Party, has threatened to quit the coalition unless Israel drops its official policy of commitment to a two-state solution, which he described at Sundays conference as delusional. Yisrael Katz, a minister from Netanyahus Likud, called for the immediate transfer of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, rejected the idea of a settlement construction freeze and demanded the extension of Israeli sovereignty to the major settlement blocs around Jerusalem to begin with. Bennett is putting Netanyahu under a lot of pressure, says Dennis Ross, a veteran State Department official and Middle East peace envoy now at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, in a conference call with reporters. He wants him to come [to the U.S.] and walk away from two states, which I dont think hes going to do. Netanyahu asked his right-wing colleagues on Sunday to damp down their excitement over the White House visit. He is eager to keep the status quo on a potential Palestinian state, for now at least, if only to satisfy the growing roster of moderate Arab states with whom he is quietly building unofficial trade and diplomatic relations in an effort to create an unofficial regional coalition to defend against the threat of ISIS and perhaps most importantly of all the growing influence of post-sanctions Iran. The prime minister will give precedence to the Iranian issue which he views as existential, says Oren, the former ambassador. Hes coming with specific ideas about how to grapple with the Iran nuclear deal and the broader threat of Iran throughout our region. If Netanyahu and Trump can forge a tough policy on Iran that has the backing of moderate Arab states, that would give the Israeli prime minister some good news to offset the criticism from the right though it may not be enough to satisfy the increasingly fractious pro-settler movement. President Trump and I see eye to eye on the dangers emanating from the region but also on the opportunities, Netanyahu assured reporters on Monday as he flew to Washington. On Wednesday, he will have a chance to find out how accurate that is. NASAs Kepler Space Telescope may be the most well-known instrument helping astronomers in their hunt for alien planets, but it is far from the only one. Another such instrument is the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, which has, using the High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer (HIRES) mounted atop its 10-meter telescope, made over 61,000 individual measurements of over 1,600 stars over the past two decades. This treasure trove of data, which contains clues to the existence of over 110 potential exoplanets, has now been made public along with an open-source software to make sense of the observations, as well as a tutorial to use it by an international team of astronomers. In doing so, the researchers, which include astronomers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Carnegie Institution for Science, hope that fresh exoplanet candidates can be discovered in the coming months and years. This is an amazing catalog, and we realized there just arent enough of us on the team to be doing as much science as could come out of this dataset, Jennifer Burt, a postdoctoral fellow in MITs Kavli Institute for astrophysics and space research, and a member of the team involved in compiling the data, said in a statement released Monday. Were trying to shift toward a more community-oriented idea of how we should do science, so that others can access the data and see something interesting. The dataset can be accessed here (the tutorial link is on the same page), and the software needed to process the data can downloaded from this website. Anyone can download the velocities published on our website and use the open source Systemic software package and try fitting planets from the data. A tutorial on how to use Systemic will be available, too, team member Gregory Laughlin from Yale University explained. Unlike Kepler, which detects exoplanets by measuring the dip in their parent stars brightness (the transit method), the Keck Observatorys HIRES instrument looks for signs of alien planets by gauging the effect an orbiting objects gravity has on its star. Story continues As a planet moves in orbit around a star, the formers gravity tugs on the latter, changing its radial velocity. HIRES, which is designed to split a stars light into its component colors, detects these tiny changes, which, more often than not, are indicative of an object locked in orbit around the star. HIRES was not specifically optimized to do this type of exoplanet detective work, but has turned out to be a workhorse instrument of the field, team member Steven Vogt from the University of California, Santa Cruz, said. I am very happy to contribute to science that is fundamentally changing how we view ourselves in the universe. After poring over the observations, the researchers, who provided details of the dataset in a study to be published in the Astronomical Journal, have found over 100 potential exoplanets. This includes one orbiting GJ 411 which, at just over 8 light-years away, is the fourth-closest star to our solar system. I think this paper sets a precedent for how the community can collaborate on exoplanet detection and follow-up, Johanna Teske from Carnegies department of terrestrial magnetism, said. With NASA's TESS mission on the horizon, which is expected to detect 1000+ planets orbiting bright, nearby stars, exoplanet scientists will soon have a whole new pool of planets to follow up. Related Articles Ashton Kutcher attended a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Wednesday morning to deliver a speech against modern slavery. The 39-year-old actor passionately testified on how to put an end to sex trafficking, discussing his work as co-founder of Thorn, an organization that seeks to better use technology to locate victims of the practice. As part of my anti-trafficking work, Ive met victims in Russia, Ive met victims in India, Ive met victims that have been trafficked from Mexico, victims from New York and New Jersey and all across our country, he said. Ive been on FBI raids where Ive seen things that no person should ever see. Following Kutchers remarks, Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker thanked him for his words, calling his work inspirational, and a true testament to entrepreneurialism and people taking a risk toward social good, according to CNN. And Sen. John McCain even managed a light-hearted joke about the Hollywood star. Ashton, you were better looking in the movies, he joked, prompting Kutcher to blow him a kiss in reply. Watch the clip above. scholarship, news and new ideas in legal history President Trump calls Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Jan. 28 as Michael Flynn, then-national security adviser, and chief strategist Steve Bannon look on. (Photo: Alex Brandon/AP) The number of hate groups in the United States rose for a second consecutive year (from 892 in 2015 to 917 in 2016), according to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which cited Donald Trumps presidential campaign as one reason for the spike in activity among the radical right. The most dramatic change documented in the civil rights watchdogs annual Year in Hate and Extremism report, published Wednesday, was the near-tripling of anti-Muslim hate groups from 34 to 101. SPLC senior fellow Mark Potok, who authored the report, said the swelling of hate groups coincided with Trumps rise and the surfacing of the alt-right movement as white nationalists celebrated the presidents appointment of Breitbart founder Steve Bannon as his chief strategist. The Trump phenomenon has really unleashed right-wing hate in this country in a way that is difficult to remember, Potok said during a press call Wednesday. What were seeing is the rise of right-wing populism. This isnt at all a phenomenon limited to the United States. Were seeing the very same thing, the rise of right-wing populism, all over Europe, Potok said. While this is not Germany in the 30s, there are some real parallels. I think its fair to say that the radical right in the United States has more of a chance, an opportunity to directly affect real-life national policy at this moment than at any time in at least half a century. The SPLC report attributes the leap in anti-Muslim hate partly to Trumps provocative rhetoric, including his threats to ban Muslim immigrants and his call for a Muslim registry. Other contributing factors have been the genuine threat of violent Islamists and the unrelenting propaganda of well-paid ideologues, according to the report. Hating on Muslims pays rather well in the United States these days, Potok said. Despite former Ku Klux Klan imperial wizard David Dukes endorsement of Trump and a renewed focus on white nationalists in the media, that organization has actually gotten smaller. The number of KKK chapters dropped from 190 to 130 (32 percent) from 2015 to 2016. But the number of neo-Confederate groups climbed from 35 to 43 (23 percent). Story continues Despite the rise in hate groups, there was a significant decrease in extremist rallies. The SPLC report suggested there is not much of a reason for extremist groups to organize their own rallies when they can simply attend a Trump rally with just as much anti-establishment vitriol. According to the SPLC, however, the election of Trump and similar developments in Europe are actually the culmination of long-developing trends: The increasingly globalized economy resulted in a huge migration that shook the industrial sectors in Western democracies, and the Syrian Civil War created the enormous refugee crisis. The things that we have seen coming out of the Trump campaign and more recently the Trump administration do have effects, Potok said. We cant blame Donald Trump or his aides in a criminal fashion for the people who are hurt, but I think theres no question at all that that is ultimately what happens. This kind of statements, these kinds of claims, ultimately translate into criminal violence. Read more from Yahoo News: An embattled White House faced growing demands from lawmakers Tuesday to explain its contacts with Russia, one day after national security advisor Michael Flynn was forced to resign for lying about the nature of his conversations with Moscows ambassador to Washington. Flynns sacking the third Trump advisor accused of questionable ties or contacts with Russia forced to step aside failed to extinguish mounting political pressure on the Trump administration over its dealings with Russia and its consistently friendly rhetoric on Moscow. Instead, the White House struggled to answer a cascade of questions over who else, if anyone, in the administration may have endorsed Flynns overtures to Russia to possibly lift some U.S. sanctions, as well whether there had been other inappropriate or illegal communications with Russian President Vladimir Putins government before or after the 2016 presidential election. For the first time, several senior Republicans, including the second-highest ranking member of the Senate, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, joined calls Tuesday by Democrats for a thorough inquiry into the nature of the Trump teams contacts with Russia, and that Flynn should be investigated. Sen. John Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who has tended to avoid criticizing the Trump administration, said revelations about Flynn would add momentum to congressional investigations into Russias interference in the presidential election. And Sen. Roy Blunt (R.-Mo.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said lawmakers needed to speak to Flynn and ask: What did he know? What did he do? And is there any reason to believe that anybody knew that and didnt take the kind of action they should have taken? Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.), often an outspoken critic of the new president, told CNN a key question was whether Flynn was acting on orders. I think most Americans have a right to know whether or not this was a General Flynn rogue maneuver, or was he basically speaking for somebody else in the White House? Graham said. Story continues But other Republicans scotched the notion of broader inquiries or ordering Flynn to testify, saying the case was effectively closed. Sen Rand Paul (R.-Ky.) said that investigating fellow Republicans makes no sense and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.) said there was no need to investigate Flynn as the White House had made the right decision and asked him to resign. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) dismissed the idea of using his position as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to pursue Flynns case, saying that seems to have resolved itself with the White House taking some decisive action. (His panel, however, has inquired why the government is using Sid the Science Kid, a cartoon show on public television, to warn of the dangers of the Zika virus.) Still, the calls for prompt investigations of Flynn from some senior GOP figures reflected growing unease in the Republican majority over the political fallout from the issue, even as the White House insisted there was no wider scandal behind the episode. White House spokesman Sean Spicer told a news conference on Tuesday that the president had not instructed Flynn to raise the subject of U.S. sanctions in his communication with the Russian ambassador, and rejected accusations that Trump or his aides had in any way colluded with Moscow before or after the November election. When asked if Trump had told Flynn to raise the sanctions issue with the Russian ambassador, Spicer said: No, absolutely not. The press secretary also pushed back against the idea that Trump is too soft on Moscow, saying that the president had been incredibly tough on Russia. Spicer also was grilled by reporters about why the president had chosen to keep Flynn in his job three weeks after the Justice Department informed the White House that Flynn had given a misleading account of his phone conversations with the Russian diplomat, Sergey Kislyak, and that Flynn could be at risk of blackmail. Spicer said it took time to review the legal questions but White House lawyers concluded Flynn had not broken the law. However, Trump in the end decided to ask for his resignation as it was a matter of trust, Spicer said, adding that he wasnt aware of any other contacts by administration officials with the Russians. As far as we were aware, it was an isolated incident, he said. Leading Democrats, however, said Flynns phone calls with the Russian ambassador could represent the tip of a proverbial iceberg. General Flynns resignation does not obviate the need for a broad investigation into Russias interference into the 2016 election and this administrations opaque relationship with the Kremlin, said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I have significant questions about what President Trump knew about Mr. Flynns communications with Russia and when he knew it. I also have questions about the Trump campaigns communication with Russian officials throughout last years election period, Cardin said in a statement. The Justice Department was so concerned about Flynns misleading accounts of his conversations with the Russian envoy that it warned the White House the retired general could be vulnerable to blackmail from Moscow. President Trump learned of the Justice Departments concerns on Jan. 26. But Vice President Mike Pence was kept in the dark about the issue until Feb. 9, NBC News reported, illustrating the workings of an often dysfunctional White House. Despite the Justice Department warning, the details of Flynns phone calls only came to light publicly after intelligence and other officials divulged them to the Washington Post and other news organizations. President Trump, trying to shift the focus away from Flynn and his teams possible ties to Russia, complained about officials leaking to the news media. The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc? Trump tweeted. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a strong Trump supporter and chair of the House Intelligence Committee, also focused on the leaks and not Flynns actions. He said he would demand the FBI explain why it was eavesdropping on Flynns phone conversations with a Russian envoy and then leaking the details. Legal experts say that its routine for the United States to eavesdrop on Russian diplomats and officials and Flynn, as a career military intelligence officer, would have been aware of that. The Breitbart website, an ardent pro-Trump outlet formerly run by the presidents chief strategist, Stephen Bannon, alleged that officials who had been appointed by the Obama administration and who remained in government posts were acting to sabotage the new White House, describing them as sleeper cells. In reality, the White House has asked some officials from the previous administration to stay on at the Defense Department and agencies as the Trump team has struggled to fill an array of senior positions, partly due to infighting between rival camps in the administration. Apart from losing his job after less than a month in the position, Flynn also faces potential legal trouble depending on how he answered questions from FBI agents who interviewed him last month. Lying to federal investigators is a felony and likely would carry a prison sentence. Before Flynn, two other Trump advisors previously had to step aside because of questions over their Russia ties. Paul Manafort resigned as Trumps campaign manager in August, after a New York Times report alleged he had been paid $12.7 million for advising a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine. Carter Page left the campaign as an advisor over his pro-Russian statements and his consultant work in the Russian energy sector. Manafort, the former campaign manager and lobbyist, appears in a dossier compiled by a former British intelligence agent about the Trump campaigns alleged ties with Russia. U.S. intelligence agencies have not confirmed the dossiers accuracy, but said last week they have managed to corroborate some elements of the documents. The Trump administration has called the dossier pure fiction. The dossier alleges Manafort managed contacts between the campaign and Moscow and received kickback payments from former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych throughout last year. Photo Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images In a particularly nasty bit of irony, a pair of news stories about the possibility that the security of U.S. elections may have been compromised have in large part overshadowed a story about an effort in Congress to defund the Election Assistance Commission, a move that experts warn would almost certainly leave the electoral system less secure. President Donald Trump and his staff last week continued to insist that there is massive voter fraud in the United States, although the administration has presented no real evidence of the millions of illegal votes the president has claimed were cast. Related: 4-Star General Warns of Unbelievable Turmoil in Trumps White House At the same time, news organizations are focused on alleged connections between aides and associates of Trump and Russian intelligence officials during the election. U.S. intelligence agencies have now said repeatedly that they believe Russia actively interfered in the U.S. election by stealing confidential information related to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her staff, and then slowly releasing it in the final months of the campaign. So it raised some eyebrows last week when the House Administration Committee voted to eliminate the EAC, which among other things provides states with assistance in understanding federal election law and both tests and certifies voting technology. The EAC has 30 employees and an annual budget of $10 million. Republicans have been eager to do away with the agency for years, but the effort never went anywhere with a Democratic president in the White House. Now, however, Republicans are taking another run at getting rid of an agency they insist has outlived its usefulness, in the hope that President Trump will sign off on it. Writing in Wired this week, Dan S. Wallach and Justin Talbot-Zorn argue that the move is evidence of a radical disconnect between a handful of influential House Republicans and nearly everyone elseincluding the scientific community, leading cybersecurity experts, and even the White Housewho contend that voting vulnerabilities are a serious problem. Story continues Related: With Flynn Out, Trump Faces Pressing Questions About National Security Wallach is a professor in the computer science department at Rice University and a Rice Scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. Talbot-Zorn is a Truman National Security Fellow and public policy consultant who previously worked on Capitol Hill. Wallach and Talbot-Zorn point out that the move to get rid of the EAC comes at a time when 40 states are using electronic voting machines that are at a minimum 10 years old and that use computer systems highly vulnerable to outside intrusion. Across the country, independent observers have found electronic voting systems to be astonishingly insecure, they write. These problems have yet to be fixed. They say that the situation is fixable but will require a bipartisan effort to develop new standards and best practices for both the machines Americans use to count their votes and the overall way in which elections are conducted. Related: Intel Officials Increasingly Worried About Trump However, they add, Any new voting security overhaul would almost certainly have to be implemented, at least in part, by the Election Assistance Commission, the very entity the lawmakers are attempting to gut. Thats worth remembering the next time a Republican member of Congress stands up to complain that widespread voter fraud is a real problem. Because its hard to believe that and believe the EAC should be eliminated at the same time. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: By Gene Emery (Reuters Health) - A national comparison of emergency room physicians has uncovered a broad range of prescribing patterns for painkillers, and high-volume prescribers may be encouraging long-term use of the drugs among their elderly patients. Based on medical histories of more than 377,000 Medicare recipients, researchers found that doctors considered frequent prescribers were 300 percent more likely to give out prescriptions for painkillers than low-volume physicians in the same hospital, and those heavy-prescribers were 30 percent more likely to give their patients prescriptions for longer periods. Yet their patients were only 3 percent more likely to show up at the hospital to be treated for a long-term drug problem, compared with the patients of doctors who were more restrained in their prescribing habits. "These results suggest that an increased likelihood of receiving an opioid for even one encounter could drive clinically significant future long-term opioid use and potentially increased adverse outcomes among the elderly," the research team writes in the New England Journal of Medicine. But it's not clear "whether this variation reflects overprescription by some prescribers and whether it is amenable to intervention," they conclude. A 3 percent increase in hospitalization for opioid problems "isn't necessarily a large volume, but a little bit of a lot is still going to be a lot" which is why an increase in risk for the elderly is a reason for concern, said Dr. Evan Schwarz of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who was not involved in the research. "To us, I think it's a bigger effect than it seems," lead study author Dr. Michael Barnett of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston told Reuters Health. "These are elderly folks who are coming to the emergency room who haven't been using opiates at all. This is not a high-risk population. We expect low rates." Among elderly Medicare patients, opioid overdoses quadrupled from 1993 to 2012. Not only does excessive opioid use spark addiction in this group, it increases their likelihood of deadly falls. Whether the rates are increasing because doctors have become too quick to prescribe the drugs is a matter for debate, particularly when doctors often have little guidance for how to best use them. "It's not like there's one approach that's going to magically not overtreat or not undertreat pain. It's hard," Barnett said. "But I think right now it's really a Wild West of guesswork in terms of how we make decisions." The study focused on emergency room physicians because patients coming into the ER usually don't know who will be treating them, and the researchers looked at Medicare records from 2008 to 2011. Among the "high-intensity" prescribers (who gave out the drugs to 24.1 percent of their patients), the rate of long-term opioid use for six months or more - in their patients was 1.51 percent. In comparison, among "low-intensity" prescribers (who were giving out opioid prescriptions to 7.3 percent of their patients), the rate was 1.16 percent. The patients given more drugs were only 3 percent more likely to show up at a hospital within 12 months with an opioid-related drug problem, but the rates were high in both groups - 9.96 percent with high-prescribing doctors versus 9.73 percent with low-prescribing physicians. The odds of a hospital visit for a fall or fracture were also significantly higher for the patients of high-prescribing doctors, but not spectacularly so. "The thing this study doesn't tell us is, was the prescription appropriate or why the high-volume providers are providing prescriptions," said Schwarz. "We don't want to assume that all of this is inappropriate." Both Schwarz and Barnett noted that the problem of overprescribing may be lessening. "These data are coming from the peak of opioid prescribing because I think we've started to see a downturn, starting in 2015 or so," Schwarz said. "It may mean the pendulum is slowly starting to swing back in the other direction." Contributing to the problem, he said, is the fact that "doctors frequently don't tell patients that opioids have a risk of developing some kind of dependence or chronic use. Many people might take a second look at whether they really want that prescription if the doctor actually told them about that risk." SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2l1Vtzr New England Journal of Medicine, online February 15, 2017. Always check those pockets before you donate your old clothes. Bob Hoffmann of Placentia, California had saved up a total of $8,000 and intended to use the money to take his wife on a romantic getaway when tragedy struck: Bob's wife Linda Hoffmann had donated some old clothes to a local Goodwill, and inside of one of the shirts contained Bob's secret stash of cash. I didnt think anybody would look in there, Bob told the OC Register. SEE ALSO: Lucky woman wins lottery days after quitting her job Bob says that he planned on saving $10,000, and after retiring as an operations manager at Ford in 2018, he intended to take his wife Linda, who he married in 2011, on a dream vacation to Italy. According to the Register, Bob initially had the money tucked away safely in a bank, but withdrew his funds a few weeks ago after a a relative had fallen on hard times and was going to be evicted from their home. Bob took the money out of the bank, and intended to give it to his relative later in the week, so he stuffed it in the old shirt for safe keeping. Later that night, Linda told her husband that she was going to donate some clothes to Goodwill, so he decided to help her out, and scooped up a bunch of old shirts from his closet, including the outdated orange shirt stuffed with $8,000 in cash. Two days later, Bob realized the mistake he had made when he tried to add another $100 to the stack. After confessing the whole thing to Linda, the two rushed over to Goodwill where a team of employees helped them search for the orange shirt. "Bob is an extremely strong human being," Linda told the Register. "I don't want to hurt his male ego ... but he was crying. I haven't seen him that distraught since his parents died." The two left empty-handed that evening, but Goodwill rang the couple the next morning with good news: Bob's shirt and the money had been discovered in the warehouse. Story continues Linda retrieved the money and tried to convince Goodwill to let her give them a reward. Goodwill declined, but after some negotiations, the couple and Goodwill agreed that a pizza party for the staff would be acceptable. As for the relative, Bob found out that they no longer need the money, so now the money is back safely in the bank hopefully until the dream vacation is booked. As a yoga teacher, I have hope that there's a yoga class for everyone. But as someone who's seen trendy yoga classes come and go, and preachy yoga enthusiasts make others uncomfortable, I also understand how yoga might not appeal to everyone. If you're one of those people who's trying to give yoga a fair chance -- or who just wants some of the same benefits of yoga without actually doing it -- you have options. Here's what I suggest: 1. Try a different style. What are your goals? What types of exercise have sparked your interest in the past? If you're an former athlete who thrives on fast-paced workouts, try hot vinyasa or flow yoga. This style provides movement and less conversation about alignment and the benefit of the poses. In vinyasa class, you are in motion the entire class. If you appreciate routine, try Bikram yoga. It's a sweaty, intense class that's the same every time. Rather than "flowing" through poses, Bikram classes demand that you hold them. It's heated and the tone is more militant and straight forward than cerebral and abstract. Restorative, yin and gentle yoga, meanwhile, are more slow-moving and decompressing. If you want to get more flexible without the sweat and physicality of the other styles, try these methods. They are great classes to help you de-stress and recover from a busy lifestyle. [See: 8 Ways to Relax -- Now.] Recently, there's been a surge of specialty classes -- beginner's yoga, yoga for men, yoga for weight loss, yoga to eliminate back pain, yoga for the elderly, yoga for kids and so on. Do some research to see if there's a class that suits your identity and needs. 2. Find the right teacher. Practicing yoga can be unbearable if you don't resonate with the teacher. Whether the instructor's dialogue or style rubs you the wrong way, disagreeing with his or her philosophy can make it difficult to continue -- even if you've found the right type of yoga for you. To find a good match, look at a yoga studio's schedule and make it a point to try all of the core teachers' classes to see who appeals to you most. Generally speaking, you will be drawn to the teachers who are most like you, be it in their age, body type, history or view of the world. Story continues 3. Practice at home. Indian music, chanting and yoga jargon are just some of the quintessential aspects of a yoga class that can drive people -- particularly men -- away. Then, there's the idea of being in a room full of attractive people wearing spandex, all of whom seem more advanced and attuned than you as a beginner. It can be a lot for new students to handle. [See: How to Be the New Kid in Fitness Class.] Instead, try starting with a DVD, a YouTube class or logging onto a website like YogaGlo at home. You may eventually find yourself in a class. While there's no substitute for working in groups under the observant eye of a teacher, anything that gets more people trying yoga is positive in my book. Practicing at home also saves you the time and energy of traveling to and from class. 4. Try a different type of exercise. If you decide that yoga just isn't enjoyable, there are plenty of options that provide similar benefits. Body weight calisthenics, for example, are low impact and provide a more aggressive, strength-focused approach to movement. Kettlebell training, meanwhile, is dynamic and gives you a full-body workout that requires your full attention on your form and breath. Any movement that requires breath-body awareness and demands that you are completely present will provide a meditative benefit. Whatever type of exercise suits, consider doing it with a group in order to hold yourself accountable and present. Develop a stretching and myofascial release routine before and after your workouts too so that you maintain a healthy range of motion and eliminate aches and pains. Avoid going to the gym and staring at your phone. Instead, shut your phone off and challenge yourself to unplug and focus on your body and mind. 5. Test new relaxation techniques. You can use simple techniques to get grounded without going to yoga. For instance, get into the habit of meditating for 10 minutes when you wake up in the morning. Sit or lie down and focus on your breath. Count your breaths up to 10 and then back down to zero. If you lose count, just start at the beginning. Do not have any expectations to clear your mind of thoughts; just have an experience. During your daily life, notice when you are short of breath and practice taking a couple of deep breaths in through your nose and back out the mouth. Relax your jaw and notice how you feel. [See: 8 Ways to Stick to Your Meditation Routine.] Make self-care a priority by, for example, practicing self-massage with essential oils. Or, soak your feet in warm water and Epsom salts. Spend evenings connecting with those you love and go to bed early. Learn to enjoy your life and flourish in it. That's the goal of practicing yoga -- and you can achieve it without even rolling out your mat. Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trumps presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing four current and former U.S. officials. U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said, according to the Times. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election, the newspaper said. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said they had seen no evidence of such cooperation so far, it said. However, the intercepts alarmed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about Russian President Vladimir Putin. The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser, and Sergei I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, the Times said. During those calls, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. Flynn misled the White House about those calls and was asked to resign on Monday night. The White House did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment on the Times story. The Times reported that the officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other Trump associates. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside the intelligence services, the officials told the Times. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified, the newspaper reported. Story continues The officials said one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trumps campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine, the Times said. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the U.S. officials in a telephone interview with the Times on Tuesday. Several of Trumps associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia. It is not unusual for U.S. businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society, according to the Times. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business, the Times said. Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Trumps advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself, the Times said. Credit: Walter McBride/WireImage With over 25 years of stage experience, Cate Blanchett is a veteran when it comes to the theater. But while the Oscar-winning Australian actress has performed in stage productions around the globe, her recent Broadway debut in The Present managed to keep her on her toes. Written by Blanchett's husband, Andrew Upton, the limited-run play was initially performed in Sydney before it made the move to New York City in December--and for Blanchett, the new setting offered a completely fresh perspective on the project. "It's very interesting to perform the play for an American audience now, because everyone--no matter who you voted for--is in such a state of turmoil," she told InStyle last week while celebrating the launch of Giorgio Armani's new Si Rose Signature fragrance (she's the face of the collection). "There are uncertain days; it's very fragile. And the play deals a lot with the fragility and lack of time." Blanchett's character, Anna, is facing those topics head-on in The Present. The entire play focuses on the widowed Anna's 40th birthday, which she's celebrating with a group of friends at her Russian country house. With time to kill and plenty of booze to go around, things soon spiral out of control as Anna and co. reminisce about the past and revisit old relationships while trying to figure out their next steps in life. Credit: thepresentbway/Instagram Blanchett explains that she relates to her character's fear of the unknown the most. "She's very unresolved about her past and uncertain about her future," said the 47-year-old star. "I probably share her uncertainty about the future, and I don't think I'm alone there." While Blanchett is similar to Anna on that front, she's more interested in the ways that she's unlike her stage persona. "I'm always looking for the points of difference, I think, between me and a character," she said. "So it's not necessarily that I share personality traits with her, but I definitely connect with her preoccupation with time being so precious and so important; spending time with people, and how little we do it. That's probably where I connect with her most." Story continues RELATED: Cate Blanchett Appointed as UN Global Goodwill Ambassador Anna's perspective on aging--and, specifically, turning 40--is wrought with mixed emotions, but for Blanchett, it's simply a non-issue. "It's funny, but I just didn't have that same mentality ," she said. "I felt like I should, if only because everyone talks about it. I think men get talked about in a slightly different way--their age means something different. They're somehow liberated when they're in their forties, whereas women are meant to be sort of fixing themselves up and trying to stave off the inevitable." Credit: thepresentbway/Instagram That wasn't the case for Blanchett, who found herself unfazed upon hitting the big 4-0. "When I reached 40, I was actually sort of relieved and excited," she said. "You approach it with such a sense of fear because it's built up to such a degree, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We're so full of fear, but these situations are often the opposite of what we expect." While it might be tricky to predict how she'll feel on special occasions, there's one thing that Blanchett can expect: memorable gifts from her family. "During the first couple of years of our marriage, my husband gave me a vacuum cleaner and a blender on our anniversaries," she said. "I think he was trying to give me a few hints about being a bit more active in our domestic life." Other than appliances, the presents that really rate with Blanchett inherently pack a special meaning. "In the end, I love the things that people--especially my children--have made," she said. "They make things out of matchsticks, and my middle child once made a clay skull that he had drawn a bit like the Day of the Dead. It's the handmade things that I really love." Credit: Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan RELATED: Cate Blanchett's Top 5 Red Carpet Moments of 2016 And, unsurprisingly, it's family time that ranks highest on her list of favorite activities. When she's not busy performing, Blanchett relishes relaxing with her kids at home--in one spot, specifically. "I'm growing to love my bed more than any other item of furniture in the house," she said. "The best thing is when all four of the kids and my husband and I are just sitting there. I think we probably have our best conversations as a family in our bed. Thank god it's enormous." Of course, there are a few culturally-relevant books taking up space on her nightstand at the moment. "I'm reading Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue, which is about an immigrant family living in America," said Blanchett. "And then the other book I have is Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, which is about the disconnect between the white working class and the sort of perceived privileged classes," said Blanchett. "So it's a book for both Democrats and Republicans. It's about the state of the nation, really, and how America has got to where it is." Topical, indeed. In a much-needed step forward for diversity in fashion, IMG has signed hijab-wearing model Halima Aden. The Minnesota teen made her Fashion Week debut, walking in Yeezy Season 5 and is slated to appear in the next CR Fashion Book. Photo: Instagram/kinglimaa According to Business of Fashion, Aden is Somali-American and has lived in the U.S. since she was 7, when her family relocated from a refugee camp in Kenya. (Minnesota, according to census data, has the largest Somali community in the U.S.) Aden is now 19, attends St. Cloud State University, and is about to be the chicest girl on campus. (Photography Mario Sorrenti/Fashion Carine Roitfeld) The contract with IMG didnt quite come out of nowhere. Last year, Aden competed in the Miss Minnesota beauty pageant and made headlines for appearing in her hijab. During the swimsuit portion, she wore a burkini, a first for the state. I didnt really have modeling in mind, Aden said of decision to enter the beauty pageant. I wanted to spread a positive message about beauty and diversity, and to show other young Muslim women that there is room for them. Her thoughtful decision has led not only to success for Aden, but also to a victory for the Muslim community. We just needed one more thing to unify us, she told Minnesota Public Radio at the time. This is a small act, but I feel like having the title of Miss Minnesota USA when you are a Somali-American, when you are a Muslim woman, I think that would open up peoples eyes. Ivan Bart, president of IMG Models, has clearly taken Adens instincts on both fashion and politics into consideration. By representing Halima, I would hope that the next 10-year-old girl wearing her hijab right now will feel included in the experience of fashion, and know that she could do that too, he said. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Style + Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice. Ivanka Trumps fashion brand is getting a lot of attention not to mention free advertising from her fathers presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway but all the hubbub isnt translating into full-price sales online. Discounting is rife online for the brand, with 44 percent of all Ivanka Trump products being sold at prices that are on average 49 percent off, according to Edited. WWD asked the fashion-focused big data firm, which tracks more than 90,000 brands and retailers worldwide, to dig into the brands online standings given all the media attention it has received over the last few weeks. Katie Smith, senior fashion and retail market analyst at Edited, said the brand has low market penetration, with almost half the goods that arrived in the online market between the start of 2015 and mid 2016 ending up being discounted by 60 percent or more. On average, 10 percent of goods in the U.S. see such steep price cuts. Ivanka Trump doesnt rank highly on the lists of most-stocked brands at department stores Jessica Simpsons brand out-stocks it, for example, Smith said. The Ivanka Trump line is not such a high performing brand that retailers will forfeit large profits by scrapping it. Its too early to tell if the brand will struggle due to the recent boycotting and thats in part because its now linking to its stockists via its own web site, which it was not back in October. The Shop page on the Ivanka Trump web site links out to merchants such as Dillards, Lord & Taylor, Amazon, Macys, Zappos and more. Editeds data showed that 15 merchants still carry the brand online. Hudsons Bay and Lord & Taylor, corporate siblings at Hudsons Bay Co., carry the largest assortments. Thirty-five percent of Hudsons Bays offering of the brand is marked down, by an average of 53 percent, and 60 percent of Lord & Taylors assortment is on markdown, by an average of 46 percent. Story continues Elitify in India and El Corte Ingles in Spain have stopped carrying the brand from a year ago and in the U.S., Rue La La and Nordstrom-owned HauteLook in the U.S. have dropped the label. Nordstrom, which recently said it will drop the collection, saying it wasnt performing, has only two products online from the brand. Nordstroms decision set off a firestorm of controversy, with President Trump tweeting, My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible! The brand was further defended by Conway in a TV appearance a defense that has gotten the presidential insider into ethical hot water. My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2017 The first daughter as taken a formal leave of absence from her company and the Trump Organization and has decamped to Washington where her husband, Jared Kushner, serves as senior adviser to the president. And the brand appears to be adjusting to her absence. New arrivals from the Ivanka Trump brand over the past month were down 32 percent from a year ago. While the labels biggest categories online are accessories and footwear, the brand now seems to be pushing more tops, a category thats seen the number of new product offerings rise 79 percent from a year earlier. Editeds Smith predicted that the brand would most likely pivot and will better harness the attention and find ways to sell direct to its shoppers. Related stories Retail CEOs Talk Border Tax, Regulations With Trump Meeting the Media with the Netanyahus, First Lady Melania Trump Chooses Karl Lagerfeld Ensemble Ethics Office: Disciplinary Action for Ivanka Trump Plug 'Warranted' Ivanka Trump might have stepped down from her fashion label, but that doesnt mean her style game has suffered. Now that the 35-year-old daughter of President Donald Trump has relocated to Washington, D.C., shes often spotted in on-trend looks in her daily appearances from the White House to the Capitol Building (and the Trump Hotel too). From everyday work looks to extravagant gowns for upscale events, the first daughters outfits are generally always sophisticated and refined. Recently, the mother-of-three shared an image alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and her father wearing a sleek black dress an sleek option she often sticks with. On the same day, the three participated in a discussion on women in business, a platform the 35-year-old mother is passionate about, and helped to launch The Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders. Check out some of her most recent looks. Slideshow: Melania Trump Style File Read More: Lara Trump Says Shes on #TeamIvanka With Tank Top Related: Ivanka Trump Supporters Are Boycotting Nordstrom: #BuyIvanka Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Style + Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Among the 200,000 people evacuated from their homes near Lake Oroville in California on Sunday was one couple who had a very different week planned. Leotta Litke and Henry Rueda were going to get married on Valentines Day. Though the threat of flooding from the Oroville Dam meant they were still in a shelter on Tuesday, their wedding happened after all in front of 300 new friends. Photo: Placer County/Placer.ca.gov I was just going to have a small little wedding for me and her, a couple of our friends, Rueda told Fox40 News. The Oroville Dam, that destroyed our Valentines Day. When the couple of 10 years told fellow evacuees at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville of their dashed plans, community members rose to the occasion and pitched in to plan a wedding in mere hours. Photo: Placer County/Placer.ca.gov This young couple, Leotta and Henry, planned to be getting married today at their home church in Olivehurst, read a post on the Placer County Facebook page on Tuesday. Instead, theyll be honoring us today at our evacuation shelter. To help Leotta and Henry. To make this day as special as it should be, we need a wedding dress and suit ASAP! Message us if you can help, and please join us in wishing them congratulations! A local Mens Wearhouse and Davids Bridal donated attire for the bride, groom, and wedding party. Origin Coffee & Tea donated refreshments. Pastor Braden Kok of nearby Locality Church officiated. Others donated flowers, live music, and a limo ride to a hotel room for the night. Photo: Placer County/Placer.ca.gov Photo: Placer County/Placer.ca.gov Photo: Placer County/Placer.ca.gov I just want to thank everyone. Im just happy to be Mrs. Rueda, Litke told CBS Sacramento. The water level dropped on Monday, and the evacuation order was downgraded to a warning, but many residents stayed away from their homes for one more day while engineers inspected the 770-foot-tall Oroville Dam, and the people of Roseville were still eager to donate and lend a hand at the shelter. Photo: Placer County/Placer.ca.gov Photo: Placer County/Placer.ca.gov Photo: Placer County/Placer.ca.gov We often dont meet our neighbors, we dont know the people around us, and here we are able to help out, so its really cool, an attendee told CBS. Story continues What started as bringing coffee to those who had been evacuated turned into something way bigger than I could have imagined, Kok wrote on Facebook after officiating the wedding. We were able to help pull off a last minute wedding to make a brides dream of a Valentines day wedding come true. Read More: This Woman Wore Her Wedding Dress for Her 65th Anniversary Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration, delivered fresh to your feed, every day. First Lady Melania Trump was by President Trumps side on Wednesday as they welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, to the White House. The moment marked Mrs. Trumps first official appearance at the White House since her husband was sworn in as president nearly a month ago on Jan. 20. Mrs. Trump, 46, has decided to continue living in New York City with her 10-year-old son, Barron, while he finishes the school year. Mrs. Trump greeted the Netanyahus with kisses when she and her husband met their guests outside the South Portico of the White House at noon. The two couples chatted and posed for photos before heading inside for the president and prime ministers news conference. After leading Mrs. Netanyahu to her seat in the Oval Office, Mrs. Trump sat down next to daughter-in-law Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. Following the press conference, the Trumps and Netanyahus spent some time together in the Oval Office, where they posed for more photos. The first lady then escorted Mrs. Netanyahu around the White House while their husbands had private meetings. Later, the two women visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where they were given a tour. After the museum visit, the two women said their goodbyes, holding each others hands as they spoke, according to a pool report. Nice to see you. Thank you for coming to D.C., Mrs. Trump told Mrs. Netanyahu before they left in separate cars. The two women will be reunited later Wednesday night, when the Trumps will throw a private dinner for the Netanyahus. Florida Senator Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette, will co-host. RELATED VIDEO: Watch: Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack This isnt the first time Mrs. Trump has hosted a foreign leader. Last weekend, she and her husband entertained Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie, at the presidents Mar-a-Lago estate. A spokeswoman for the first lady recently shut down rumors that Mrs. Trump would remain in New York City indefinitely. Story continues Mrs. Trump will be moving to D.C. and settling in to the White House at the end of the school year, splitting her time between New York and D.C. in the meantime, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, acting as senior adviser to the first lady, told CNN. Mrs. Trump is honored to serve this country and is taking the role and responsibilities of first lady very seriously, she added. It has only been a short time since the inauguration and the first lady is going to go about her role in a pragmatic and thoughtful way that is unique and authentic to her. Photo credit: Getty From Town & Country Spending a night in the freezing cold is not a choice many people would make. Stranded hikers, yes; paying tourists, not so much. But if said night is spent inside the famous Ice Hotel in northern Sweden, 125 miles above the Arctic Circle, in the little town of Jukkasjaarvi, then one might make an exception. I did. Twenty-seven years ago, the very first Ice Hotel was built entirely out of blocks of ice harvested from the Torne River, which runs alongside the site of the hotel. And every winter since, the Ice Hotel has been sculpted by artists from all over the world from those same blocks of ice, and then left to melt each spring when the sun is finally out for more than a few hours a day. This year, for the first time ever, people are able to stay at the Ice Hotel year round, thanks to the new Ice Hotel 365, a permanent structure that maintains a temperature between 19 and 23 degrees Fahrenheit. The original Ice Hotel is still sculpted every winter, so the property now has a total of about 65 rooms and suites; 22 are year-round suites. Each room is sculpted by a different artist, making the Ice Hotel a veritable ice gallery. Photo credit: Martin Smedsen During peak season, rates for a cold room are upwards of $640, and getting a booking can be difficult, but companies like Off the Map Travel, which specializes in Swedish Lapland, can do everything from getting you a reservation in a deluxe suite with a private sauna to flying in hundreds of roses for an on-site marriage proposal. They can also help you plan the rest of your stay, arranging activities like dog sledding, seeing the Northern Lights, and learning about the indigenous Sami culture, all of which are highlights of the region. So what's it like to actually sleep in the Ice Hotel? Much cozier than you might think. Upon arrival, I was directed to the heated service building, where it's nice and warm. I was given a key and told it was for my changing room and locker. This building houses a lounge area, bathrooms, saunas, and private changing rooms for each guest and it's open and staffed 24 hours a day. I quickly realized I wouldn't have to sit on a frozen toilet. You could say I was relieved. Story continues But I still didn't know which room I'd be staying in. That's because guests can't book specific rooms-they just book a type of room: warm room, basic cold room, cold art suite, cold art suite 365, or cold deluxe suite 365. Because each room is an individual work of art, guests and visitors can roam the hallways all afternoon, popping into the various rooms to see which one they like best. The entire hotel and all its rooms are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Hence the changing rooms and lockers where you can store you things and have a moment of privacy.) Walking into the first art suite was truly magical. Who knew there were so many shades of white and blue? The room, called Dancers in the Dark, was by Tjasa Gusfors and Patrick Dallard. Music played and there were little spheres of ice suspended from the ceiling, twisting and shimmering, creating ethereal shadows along the blue walls. Two whimsical dancing figures stood in front of the bed, whose base is made entirely of ice, and then topped with a thick mattress and several reindeer hides. Photo credit: Design Tommy Alatalo. Photo Asaf Kliger. Each room is unique and ingeniously crafted. There was Don't Get Lost (above), a labyrinth with the bed in the center, and Dreamscape, which featured a gleaming ice staircase to get up to the bed. The Ikebana Room, where I would ultimately sleep, was inspired by the Japanese art of flower arranging and featured a large, crystal-clear cherry blossom tree behind the bed. After an incredible dinner in the (heated) restaurant featuring the hotel's Ice Menu, which highlights local delicacies like caviar, arctic char, and reindeer, and a few drinks at the glinting Ice Bar (out of ice-carved glasses, of course), I headed to my changing room. The Ice Hotel recommends sleeping only in your base layer thermals, and they provide an expedition-level thermal sleeping bag. I also borrowed a snowsuit and boots for the walk to my room. Photo credit: Courtesy of Ice Bar As I walked down the sparkling hallway, carved entirely out of ice and decorated with frozen chandeliers, the air was silent and serene. Entering my vault-like room was thrilling. The qualities of ice-its sheen, clarity, and radiance-were highlighted by the bluish lighting in the room. As I settled into my sleeping bag, and looked up, I noticed that even the ceiling was meticulously carved. I was warm and snug in the sleeping bag, and the reindeer hides provided an extra layer of protection against the frost. The next morning, I was awakened by a cheerful voice asking if I wanted some hot lingonberry juice. Of course I did. It was time to head back into the heat. For more information on the Ice Hotel, visit icehotel.com. You Might Also Like Getting a single satellite into space can be difficult as Japan recently demonstrated so consider the logistics of India s plan to send a record 104 satellites into orbit today, and try to keep your jaw from hitting the floor. The countrys Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is scheduled to head skyward soon and, if it successfully completes its mission, it will absolutely crush the previous record for number of satellites launched in a single mission. Don't Miss: Astronomers open massive database of stars to the public The missions 104 satellites come almost entirely from other countries, including 96 from the United States alone, with Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Israel also contributing to the payload. The countries pay for their share of the mission, with Indias for-hire space program acting as something like a low-cost space taxi service. The biggest single contributor of satellites to this particular mission is Planet, an Earth-imaging company that endeavors to have the most up-to-date photographic data of every square foot of the planet. The company provides its data to clients in a number of different industries, from agriculture to defense. Planet also builds its own satellites, which it calls Doves and are launched in groups called Flocks. The company has raised over $180 million to get its satellites off the ground, and todays 88 new cameras will join 55 satellites already in orbit. The previous record for satellites in a single launch was set by Russia in 2014 when the country sent a rocket carrying 39 satellites into orbit. Now we all just have to cross our fingers and hope the mission goes off without a hitch. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com US actor Christian Slater fronts a 6-minute short for computer hardware manufacturer HP, "The Wolf," in which he explains how the lowly office printer can provide a way in for would-be corporate hackers. As co-star of "Mr. Robot," Slater delivers a Golden Globe-winning performance as the title character, a software and social system hacker, idealogue, and father to the series' lead. For HP Studios, he plays "The Wolf," a sharp-suited cybersecurity expert who works his way into a financial firm's network, gaining access to printers, network, data and highly confidential information. HP uses the short to push features like built-in malware protection and user authentication. The company got in a spot of bother in September 2016, when an automatic firmware update pushed out six months early intentionally blocked the use of unofficial or refilled ink cartridges. "The Wolf" starring Christian Slater: youtu.be/U3QXMMV-Srs The Galaxy S8's release date could be made clear in a matter of weeks. According to a report from Korean news outlet Hankyung, Samsung may unveil the hotly anticipated flagship's launch date at its Mobile World Congress press conference, which kicks off on Feb. 26. Photo Credit: Evan Blass/VentureBeat Photo Credit: Evan Blass/VentureBeat Samsung's MWC event is expected to be focused on new tablets, including the Galaxy Tab S3 and possibly the Galaxy TabPro S2. However, The Korea Herald reports that Samsung might play a short teaser for the Galaxy S8 at the end of the presentation, which could give us a firm release date for the upcoming smartphone. While Samsung typically debuts its new flagship phone in full at Mobile World Congress, the company has reportedly delayed the phone's launch to avoid another Note 7-esque battery disaster. One of the more prevalent Galaxy S8 rumors is that the phone will be officially unveiled at a Mar. 29 event in New York, with an April release to follow. MORE: MWC Preview: What to Expect at Biggest Mobile Event Samsung's upcoming flagship is expected to launch in two variations: the Galaxy S8, and the larger Galaxy S8 Plus. Both phones are rumored to pack nearly borderless displays, sharper dual-lens cameras, rear-facing fingerprint readers and a baked-in virtual assistant dubbed Bixby. Other potential features include a beastly Snapdragon 835 processor, improved batteries and the ability to double as a desktop PC. If Samsung does indeed plan to reveal the Galaxy S8 release date at MWC 2017, we only have a handful of days to wait. We'll be on the ground at the year's biggest mobile show, so stay tuned for updates straight from Barcelona. See also : Most Anticipated Phones of 2017 Its been over half a decade since Japans Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station suffered a catastrophic meltdown which topped the International Nuclear Event Scale due to its severity. Radiation loves to hang around, and researchers conducting operations with robots inside the damaged reactors were met with radiation levels at their highest point since the actual meltdown back in 2011. In fact, the radiation level is so elevated that the robot operators had to quickly recall one of their robotic probes because it began to literally go blind. Don't Miss: Science proves how superficial humans are, just in times for Valentines Day Like sending a rover to another planet, the mission for robot operators from the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is to monitor the status of the failed reactors and the nuclear materials housed within. Unfortunately, the radiation level of the reactor units was high enough to actually begin to damage one of the robots camera system, and could have completely blinded the view for the operator and left the bot stranded in the radioactive hellscape. However, TEPCO was able to study some of the readings taken by the robots before things went awry. The scientists have estimated the level of radiation to be anywhere from 530 sieverts per hour to 650 sieverts per hour. Those numbers are representative of the amount of radiation an object would expect to be bombarded with over a specific period of time. To add a bit of scope to that, its estimated that just one sievert will cause fatal cancer in approximately 5% of people, while a dose of five sieverts will kill 50% of people exposed to it within a month. As little as 90 millisieverts (0.09 sieverts) accumulated over time can increase cancer risk in both adults and children. Later this month TEPCO plans to send yet another probe into the reactor to take additional readings and hopefully paint a clearer picture of just what exactly is going on inside. Story continues Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com LEXINGTONKindness has been a big theme this month for students at Lexington Public Schools. Students have been taught about the importance of kindness on a daily basis by guidance counselor Michelle Flynn at Pershing Elementary School. Also, special education teachers Lori Pflaster and Kellie Cetak with Morton Elementary and Pershing schools respectively have started an effort to shine a light on bullying and are emphasizing kindness within the schools. Students at Pershing Elementary School showing kindness are given a wrist band to signify kindness, to wear for the whole school day. At the end of each school day, students must return the wristband, because kindness must be done everyday, staff said. With Pershing paraprofessional Cyndia Boesch set to leave for a one-week mission trip to Haiti Feb. 17, Flynn partnered with her to get students involved. Flynn encouraged students to help fill one of Boeschs suitcases with items to show their kindness. Its been real cool to see what students bring, Boesch said. Boesch is going to Haiti for a Missions trip with eight other team members in collaboration with Parkview Baptist Church in Lexington. The team will be in Haiti from Feb. 17 to 24. The team will be working on a school and church project and will be involved with hurricane repairs and clean up in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, which hit the island Oct. 4 last fall, according to Parkview Baptist Church. Students were asked to voluntarily donate an item or write a letter or enclose a photo. Boesch said some items students have donated include notebooks, pens, pencils, crayons, jump ropes and soap. Flynn said students had donated enough items to fill the suitcase. Ive been teaching about kindness, empathy and helping others. This (giving items for Haiti kids) goes perfectly with what Ive been teaching, Flynn said. Flynn said Boesch was given a suggested list of items from the school she will be visiting in North Haiti called Jeanton. For students who were not able to give something they could buy, Flynn said they were encouraged to write a letter or include a photo of themselves to put in the suitcase. The timing at the school, when she, Cetak and Pflaster were teaching about the importance of being kind, served to further reinforce very similar lessons, Flynn said. We were both teaching the same thing. Its exciting that its not just me telling them this, she said. Giving doesnt always have to be monetary or an item. Being kind is a gift, Flynn said. Hackers affiliated with the Russian government are believed to have hacked the DNC last year with the purpose of influencing the presidential election. Reports last year revealed that the same hackers who pilfered the DNC servers were responsible for a piece of Android malware that turned phones belonging to the Ukrainian army into location trackers that sent information to the Russian military. With that in mind, it shouldnt be surprising to hear that the same group has also developed a highly sophisticated malware for Macs that can be used to retrieve sensitive information from Apple computers, including iPhone backups. Don't Miss: This tiny box lets Alexa control anything that plugs into a wall Called APT28, the Russian hacking group has tools capable of cracking a variety of operating systems, Ars Technica reports, including Android, iOS, Mac, Linux, and Windows. APT28 is comprised of mostly Russian-speaking hackers who work during Russian business hours. They have targeted Ukraine, Spain, Russia, Romania, the US, and Canada, Bitdefender explained in a report last year. The security company now says that APT28 created a modular backdoor for Mac called Xagent. The tool can be used to log passwords, capture screenshots, and steal iPhone backups stored on a Mac. Why would hackers target Apples desktop platform rather than going for Windows or Android? Well, keep in mind that APT28 is believed to be acting on behalf of the Russian government, which means its not looking to steal data from regular individuals. Instead, the group might be developing tools for all sorts of operating systems, including the ones that are deemed to be more secure than others. And whenever you hear that a certain government or company is switching from Android to iPhone, you should know that hackers are also listening to the same news. Hacking an iPhone is more difficult than an Android phone, but not impossible. Still, obtaining access to someones Mac, which can contain unencrypted iPhone backups, is much easier. On that note, if youre not encrypting your iPhone backups, you should start doing it, especially if youve been given a government-purchased iPhone (or iPad). Story continues In other words, this piece of Mac malware might not affect regular Apple computer users, especially after Apple finds ways to prevent it from working, so you shouldnt freak out about someone stealing all your sexting pics from your Mac. However, if youre a government employee, you should pay extra close attention to everything youre doing on your Mac. These hackers still have to trick you into installing the backdoor yourself before they can actually steal any data, but you would be surprised at how often that happens. Read more about this new macOS threat over at Bitdefender. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com On a highway in Munich, Germany, a Tesla owner recently sacrificed his car to rescue another driver having a stroke. According to Muenchner Merkur, the Tesla driver saw a VW Passat swerving erratically, hitting the guardrail several times. On closer inspection, he noticed that the driver appeared to be unconcious. So, the Tesla driver maouvered his car in front and slowed down gradually, forcing a gentle collision and bringing both cars to a halt. Don't Miss: Pioneers new headphones solve the iPhone 7s dumbest problem The fire driver was able to extract the driver successfully, and German media reports that he was likely suffering a stroke. According to newspaper reports, the combined damages for both vehicles were minor bumper damage to the Tesla and the Passat but totalled around $10,000. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has since said that Tesla is covering all repair costs in recognition of the heroism: Its a rare, unvarnished act of heroism from the Tesla driver to put his own safety (and car!) on the line to try and save a stranger. Its also a good answer to the occasional question about why Tesla drivers are still able to override the cars safety mechanisms when necessary. If the car was programmed to always use its sensors to avoid collisions, the Tesla driver wouldnt have been able to pull off the stunt. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com FILE PHOTO - A Verizon sign is seen at a retail store in San Diego, California, U.S. on April 21, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo (Reuters) By David Shepardson and Jessica Toonkel (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc is close to a revised deal to buy Yahoo Inc's core internet business for $250 million to $350 million less than the original agreed price of $4.83 billion, according to a source briefed on the matter. Since last year, Verizon had been trying to persuade Yahoo to amend the terms of the acquisition agreement to reflect the economic damage from two cyber attacks. A source told Reuters that the deal, which could come as soon as this week, will entail Verizon and Yahoo sharing the liability from potential lawsuits related to the data breaches. Another person familiar with the situation said the price cut was likely to be around $250 million, a figure that Bloomberg reported earlier on Wednesday. A representative from Verizon declined to comment. Yahoo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Maybe this isn't quite as much of a discount as initially thought, but it's at least something," said Dave Heger, senior equity analyst at Edward Jones. Verizon hopes to combine Yahoo's search, email and messenger assets, as well as advertising technology tools, with its AOL unit, which Verizon bought in 2015 for $4.4 billion. Verizon has been looking to mobile video and advertising for new sources of revenue outside an oversaturated wireless market. But Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo has been under scrutiny by federal investigators and lawmakers since disclosing the largest known data breach in history in December, months after disclosing a separate hack. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a probe into whether Yahoo should have disclosed the breaches, which occurred in 2013 and 2014, sooner, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal last month. On Wednesday, Yahoo sent a warning to users whose accounts may have been accessed by intruders between 2015 and 2016, as part of a data security issue related to the breach it disclosed in December. A person familiar with the matter said notifications have gone out to a mostly final list of users. Yahoo shares rose 1.5 percent to $45.69 in afternoon trading. Verizon shares fell 0.7 percent to $47.93. (Additional reporting by Anjali Athavaley and Tim Baysinger in New York; Editing by Tiffany Wu, Bernard Orr) After Monster Trucks proved that you can get a movie idea from a 4-year-old, Stephen Colbert invited a think tank of kids to The Late Show to come up with the next blockbuster. The kids cooked up a lot of great ideas, including robot monster pigs, a German spy who is caught in Idaho, and babies who are made by recipes. Young Annabelle had a lot of thoughts on the bad guy, like that the bad guy was not actually a man, but a woman. The bad girl figured out that the two leads (Bob and Bob) are really nice, so then she revealed that shes a girl, and shes actually a slave for her father in the German war, so they chased after the robot monster. With this movie practically made already, Colbert was kind enough to present us with a trailer for this upcoming hit, Teenage War. It starred Andrew Garfield and Idina Menzel as the lead characters, Bob and Bob, while John Malkovich and Priyanka Chopra portrayed the bad guy/gal. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on CBS. Watch Shailene Woodley discuss her regrettable post-protest mug shot on The Late Show: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Cynthia LuCiette, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Im a little sick of seeing photos of President Obama on vacation with Richard Branson, John Oliver told Seth Meyers last night on NBCs Late Night, speaking for us all. Tone it down with the kitesurfing pictures from Bransons personal island, the HBO late-night star complained to Obama in absentia. Im glad hes having a nice time America is on fire! I know people have accused him of being out of touch with the American people during his presidency. I dont think hes ever been more out of touch then he is right now, Oliver described: Were losing public schools whee! Youre fiddling while Rome burns whee! Oliver seemed particularly irked by the photo of Obama clowning around with billionaire Branson, as the rest of us grapple with billionaire President Donald Trump and his billionaire Cabinet. Later in the interview, Oliver observed that Trump always acted like the most powerful man in the world. Thats how he carries himself. Now he actually has the power to go along with that. Its like The Secret was real, and it worked for one person, and unfortunately it was him. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL3JaFQ0aDI&w=620&h=340] Related stories Sean Spicer: Donald Trump Says Michael Flynn Removed Over Trust Issues, But Press Sources On Flynn Reports Pose Real Threat To National Security 'Celebrity Apprentice' Ratings Hit Finale Low, 'Jane The Virgin' Up, '24: Legacy' Falls Foreign Disservice: How The Policies Of President Donald Trump Have Weighed On The Foreign Language Oscar Race LEXINGTONDawson County Hero Flight announced the crew for its third flight. In all, the crew consists of eight Korean War veterans and 17 Vietnam veterans with four services representedAir Force veterans, 5; Army, 11; Navy, 8; and one National Guardsman. The upcoming flight is set to depart April 26 from the Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles in Lexington and return late April 29. The crew will fly non-stop from Omaha to Washington D.C. where they will visit the various memorials, including the WWI, Korean and Vietnam memorials and Arlington National Cemetery. Dawson County Hero Flight is organized for the sole purpose of honoring American veterans for all of their sacrifices and service above self. Our mission is to honor our veterans by flying them to Washington D.C. and enabling them to visit their memorials, the DCHF committee said in a press release. During past flights, Nebraska elected officials met the crew at the U.S. Capitol. A flight was put together by a leadership class in 2009, which consisted entirely of World War II veterans. The first flight from the current committee (Spring of 2016) included the first Vietnam veterans to be included in a Hero Flight. The Hero Flight concept began locally in Custer County and was adopted by Dick Pierce of Miller for nearly a dozen Buffalo County flights. Pierce helped get the Dawson County effort off the ground last year. Each flight is supported by donations, with the first flight funded completely by Dawson County citizens, businesses and civic organizations. Each flight consists of 25 veterans and their escorts. The escorts are required to pay a small fee but everything else is paid for through the donations. A business after hours is scheduled for early April to raise funds for this and possible additional flights. More details will be released at a later date. Several employees at Southeastern University in Lakeland are protecting their students from the unthinkable a mass shooting on campus. Employees at Southeastern in Lakeland received gun training Instruction came from the Polk County Sheriffs Office Day was part of the Sheriffs Sentinel Program Seven employees are training with the Polk County Sheriffs Office to become special deputies and carry concealed firearms at the school. Its part of the Sheriffs Sentinel Program, the first of its kind in Florida. The goal is to prevent a mass shooting like the one that happened at Virginia Tech. We pray it will never happen, said Chris Owens, vice president of student development at Southeastern University. We dont want it to happen, but if it does, we will be fully prepared to respond accordingly. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. And we want to stop a bad guy with a gun before they get into the campus and before they hurt student or staff. We're serious about it. It is illegal to carry concealed or open firearms on college campuses in Florida. But once the employees at Southeastern complete background tests and 100 hours of training, they can be sworn in as special deputies. They will then be allowed to carry weapons at the school. We don't ever want the conflict, but if you show up on campus with a gun, we're going to shoot you graveyard-dead if you're trying to hurt our kids, said Sheriff Judd. They will blend into the college campus. They won't create any angst or excitement, but should an emergency occur they will be like Superman on the scene. The first seven employees are expected to graduate from the Sheriffs Sentinel program at the end of May. As expected, a line of showers and thunderstorms quickly moved through our area and is now gone. Cooler Thursday Still breezy Weekend rain chance Clouds will continue to linger until sunrise. Then drier air will move in, which will push the clouds out of the area. Morning lows will be a little cooler, dropping into the 50s for most of the area at sunrise. Thursday will feature a return of sunny skies, but it will come with a cool breeze from the north. High temperatures will top out in the 60s. Thursday night will be clear and chilly with lows in the 40s, and 30s for northern counties. After the chilly start, Friday will shape up to be a gorgeous afternoon, with partly cloudy skies and highs in the low 70s. Another rain chance is on the way this weekend, with the likely arrival during the day Saturday. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp; Two Manatee County school employees have been disciplined as a result of a breach at Manatee County schools. 2 Manatee school employees disciplined for data breach Employee W-2 forms sent to hackers Scam committed against school districts across country The two employees are responsible for releasing nearly 8,000 W-2 forms for employees who worked in the district in 2016 to an email hacker. Officials said an email scammer sent one of the employees an email that appeared to be from Superintendent Diana Greene, requesting the information. The scam has been perpetrated against school districts across the country and the IRS issued a warning about it on Feb. 2, just one day before Deputy Superintendent Ron Ciranna and other district officials learned of the breach in Manatee's system. The district is providing identify protection and credit monitoring for all affected employees, whether retired or currently with the district, for the next two years. At a school board meeting Tuesday night, Superintendent Diana Greene said district officials take full responsibility for the data breach. Greene said she empathized with the employees who were angry over their personal information being stolen. She said she understands the impulse to send emails at 4 a.m., criticizing district officials for the situation, and she encouraged employees to reach out to her, Ron Ciranna, or other school board members. "I was indeed very angry and frustrated, you know, how could this have happened? Greene said. Know that this hasnt gone to deaf ears. Whatever youre probably saying in that email, I may have said it to myself 10 times. It doesnt matter that it has happened across the country, it doesnt matter, you just dont want it to happen to you. One of the employees responsible for the hack was reassigned to another position that doesn't have any access to sensitive material. The other employee was given a written warning. A Disney employee who lives in Mascotte was arrested Monday after he admitted to downloading child pornography and sexually abusing a child, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said. Detectives received tip about man downloading child porn Search of man's computer revealed images of child pornography Disney World placed man on unpaid leave Detectives said there could be more victims Richard Alton Morgan, 59, of Lake Jackson Drive, is charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography, 287 counts of production of child pornography, 34 counts of lewd or lascivious molestation and three counts of sexual battery. He is being held without bond. Detectives served a search warrant at the man's home early Monday. Twenty images of child pornography were found and collected, according to an arrest affidavit. An updated arrest affidavit with new charges states there are seven videos of Morgan molesting an infant. In an interview at the jail on Monday, "he admitted to sexually abusing this child in his residence," the affidavit states. Morgan admitted to having downloaded child pornography for years, deputies said. Joan Allman lives next door to Morgan and said he kept to himself. "I'm so disappointed in him, disappointed and shocked. I couldn't sleep last night I was so upset. I couldn't believe... he has been in my house. I have taken him to doctor's appointments," Allman said. "He told me that he had met with a woman on the internet and when he brought her here with the three children, I met her and the children. He has a boat. He would go out on a boat and take the kids. "He told me that he should be a father because he enjoys the children. He likes the children so much," Allman said. As detectives continued to review the evidence during the search, images were found of a young girl who was being molested by Morgan, they said. Detectives said the child, whom Morgan admitted to molesting, is now in California. California authorities late Monday night found the child and arrested her mother on molestation charges, deputies said. Its thought that the girl's mother and Morgan met online. Morgan is a stage tech with Disney, according to an arrest report. "He has been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the charges," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. The investigation is ongoing. Detectives have at least two more victims they are working to identify who possibly range in age from 10 months old to 15 months old (at the time the images were made). Detectives said there could be more victims and want to hear from any parents of children who have spent time with Morgan. Paradise Island, The Bahamas Hon. Obie Wilchcombe, Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), chaired his first meeting of the Council of Tourism Ministers and Commissioners since being elected Chairman last September, resulting in positive discussions on best practices, funding cooperative regional activities and hosting the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Conference on Building Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism for Development next November. The Council of Ministers meeting took place during the recently completed Caribbean Travel Marketplace on Paradise Island, Bahamas. As the policy-making body of the CTO, the Council of Ministers worked as a team during the January meeting to decide on matters related to funding on behalf of the Organization's Dutch, English, French and Spanish-speaking members. The Minister also discussed using the latest technology for more effective passenger facilitation, and maximizing the benefits of public sector/private sector partnerships to improve the Caribbean's competitive position. The meeting also determined the way forward in regard to championing the cause of Caribbean tourism at the highest levels in the Caribbean and around the world. Committing to Sustainable Tourism The Council of Ministers then endorsed the hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Global Conference on Building Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism for Development and will have the event for the first time in the Caribbean on Nov. 27 - 29, 2017 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. "We are pleased Jamaica will serve as the host destination for the event. This UNWTO global conference is a first for the Americas and will bring together high-level decision-makers from 157 countries. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is scheduled to address the gathering," said Minister Obie Wilchcombe. "While all nations face common global challenges, CTO fully supports practices to cooperatively sustain the livelihood of our tourism product through protecting social, economic, and environmental developments," he added. This important conference comes at a time when CTO is celebrating 2017 as the Caribbean Year of Adventure, which coincides with the UNWTO celebrating 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism. "The Caribbean's active role in the UNWTO provides an opportunity for our members to access a range of essential resources and to form partnerships with tourism leaders from every Continent. We commend Jamaica for its role in securing this event for the region" added Minister Wilchcombe. "We also are pleased that Jamaica will serve as the host destination for such an important gathering of public and private sector representatives dedicated to sustainable tourism in the Caribbean - and the world," said Edmund C. Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica. "As this is the first time that this global conference will be held in the Caribbean, it is crucial that all our member nations bring their best to the deliberations next November," Bartlett added. "The strong support of this event from Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Jamaica is an indication of their commitment to sustainable tourism and protection of the environment for citizens in Jamaica and tourists alike," said Hugh Riley, Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. The Global Conference on Building Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism for Development is designed with the following overall goals: Share replicable best practices of partnerships in/for tourism Develop list of international development and funding opportunities and share worldwide Provide governments enhanced development/investment roadmaps to enhance success with donors/investors Foster exchange among governments, investors and donors to identify priorities/obstacles Support governments in preparing investment opportunities to announce worldwide Attendees will be able to participate in sessions designed to educate about sustainable partnerships with the following topics: Inclusive and sustainable economic growth Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change Cultural values, diversity and heritage Mutual understanding, peace and security Presentation of investment project opportunities will be featured focusing on the following central themes: Tourism infrastructure (e.g. BOT) Privatization (e.g. parks, heritage, airports, etc.) Concessions Visitor Services & Destination Management For more information about the UNWTO Global Conference on Building Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism for Development, visit http://know.unwto.org/event/unwto-global-conference-building-partnerships-sustainable-tourism-development. For more information on the Caribbean Tourism Organization please visit www.OneCaribbean.org. Get the latest CTO updates on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ctotourism. Connect with CTO on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CaribbeanTourismOrganization. About The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados, offices in New York and London and representation in Canada, is the Caribbean's tourism development agency comprising membership of the region's finest countries and territories including Dutch, English, French and Spanish-speaking, as well as a myriad of private sector allied members. The CTO's vision is to position the Caribbean as the most desirable, year-round, warm weather destination, and its purpose is Leading Sustainable Tourism - One Sea, One Voice, One Caribbean. Among the benefits to its members the organization provides specialized support and technical assistance in sustainable tourism development, marketing, communications, advocacy, human resource development, event planning & execution and research & information technology. Johnson JohnRose CTO (246) 427-5242 Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. MGM Resorts International will support Art Basels public art project in Hong Kong, strengthening its ongoing partnership with the worlds premier international art show. The companys multifaceted arts program, MGM Resorts Art & Culture, is a partner of the 5th edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong, held from March 23 to 25, and will support Twenty-Five Minutes Older by local artist Kingsley Ng. Twenty-Five Minutes Older will turn two of Hong Kongs iconic public trams into moving camera obscuras, creating an altered reality and allowing passengers to experience Hong Kong in a new way: in reverse. Moving images of Hong Kongs city life will be accompanied by spoken extracts from Liu Yichangs popular novella Tete-beche, according to a press release issued by MGM Resorts Art & Culture. The art project follows the success of its first presentation as part of Human Vibrations: The 5th Large-Scale Public Media Art Exhibition, which celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Arts Development Council in Hong Kong in 2016. This year, MGM Resorts and Art Basel will reintroduce the artwork to audiences during Art Basel in Hong Kong by commissioning a nine-day public exhibition presented free of charge. Twenty-Five Minutes Older will be presented from March 20 to 28, 2017. BBAM donates mop 60,000 to local schools scholarship fund The British Business Association of Macau (BBAM) presented a cheque for MOP60,000 to the School of The Nations Scholarship Fund. The money was raised at BBAMs 10th Anniversary Ball held last year. The schools principal, Vivek Nair, accepted the cheque addressed to a special scholarship account, established by the school to assist one local Macau resident student identified as needing financial support to complete his or her studies. The donation will assist the realization of this students dream of attending university upon reaching 18 years of age, stated BBAM in a press release. BBAM organizes a variety of events throughout the year, from networking evenings to business lunches, focus group working lunches to hosting visiting delegations, and arranging business matching services. Another session in the trial of the regions former top prosecutor, Ho Chio Meng, took place yesterday at Macaus Court of Final Appeal, following an adjournment since last Monday. Yesterdays session concluded at 11 a.m., earlier than previous sessions, with only one witness called to court to testify. The witness, Lo Sio Lan, is currently a technician at the Office of the Prosecutor General. Lo, commonly addressed as Stella, was Hos former secretary, and also used to assist former Chief of Office of the Prosecutor General, Antonio Lai. Assistant prosecutor Kuok Un Man raised many questions regarding the northern Europe trip at issue in Hos case. Lo said that she recalled some details about the trip only when raised by the prosecution. Lo attested that she did not book flight tickets or reserve hotels for departments other than the one she worked for. She further said that Ho requested that she contact a public relations company and travel agencies for flights to and accommodation in northern Europe. During the process, Lo made no proposals regarding the tickets and hotels. During previous trial sessions, Lo explained that Lai asked her to sign the flight ticket receipt. Lo is related to one of the defendants in the case, Mak Im Tai. The presiding judge, Sam Hou Fai, informed Lo that she was lawfully entitled to refuse to answer questions concerning the shelf companies and the allegedly problematic outsourcing of MP contracts, because Mak Im Tai is charged with running some of those shelf companies. As such, Lo declined to answer questions related to those cases due to her relationship with Mak Im Tai. Ho Chio Mengs lawyer, Leong Weng Pun, interjected that the flight tickets were also related to contract outsourcing. The prosecution thus chose to dismiss Lo Sio Lan as a witness. Ho made his statement before the court officially concluded the morning hearing. He said that Beijings Chinese Culture Promotion Society and the Macau MP have an equal relationship, with both sides paying for each others hotels and flight tickets whenever events take place. Judge Song Man Lei informed the parties that, after due investigation, the court decided to add additional facts to the agarwood case. In particular, the court revealed that one agarwood case was completely handled by prosecutor Wu Hio, while another was jointly handled by Wu and a second prosecutor Lao Ian Chi. Song clarified that Ho Chio Meng did not interfere in either of those cases, that no written records could be found in the MP which indicated otherwise. The afternoon session started at 3 p.m. with witness Wong Wai San appearing to testify. Wong currently works for the MP in the area of public relations. In particular, she helps the department book flight tickets and host guests. Wong previously worked for Chan Ka Fais department, and also made proposals for the MPs outsourcing of contracts. Wong said that during Hos administration, MPs services were generally outsourced through two methods: the MP would either consult three companies regarding the prices of certain services, or would directly outsource work to one specific company without ever making public tenders. According to Wong, Chan would give her blueprints upon which she would base the proposals. Prosecutor Kuok questioned Wong about the results of the services provided by some of the alleged shelf companies in Hos case. Wong said that she was only responsible for paper work, and that other issues were overseen by other colleagues. Kuok also observed that many of Wongs accommodation and hotel proposals did not carry the names of those intended to use them, instead being addressed to MP employees. However, one proposal clearly reads that the MP booked a room in a hotel in Zhuhai for an 18-year-old person. Kuok noted that this person could not have been a member of MP staff. Wong explained that she reported the situation to Chan, and that she did not approve the invoice for that booking. Wong claims she assumed Chan might have forwarded the invoice to a third colleague in order to obtain approval. She believed that the companies would only request payment if they had actually provided services. Wong told Kuok that the MP would sometimes label services confidential or urgent to outsource them to a specific company directly. Wong did not dispute the price of a remote service in a proposal she made, which was presented as evidence by the prosecutors. Wong said that her superior gave her the quotes according to which she made the proposal. Wong also told Hos lawyer, Leong Weng Pun, that, on several occasions when booking flights for the MP, she did not always know who the tickets were intended for because she booked the flights through a public relations company. Wong told Leong that her former higher official, Chan Ka Fai, had been her colleague before he was employed by the MP. Chan later invited her to work for the MP. Prior to being hired, Wong said that Lai Kin Ian interviewed her for a position at the MP. Wong hosted mainland prosecutors in the past, including those from the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate of China. However, Wong was unaware of whether these guests had been to the Hotline Centers 16th-floor Teachers Resting Room, or to the Cheoc Vans accommodation villa. The witness said that she never received any complaints regarding the MPs outsourced services. Presiding Judge Sam Hou Fai remarked that Wong did what Chan asked of her without attempting to verify the authenticity of the contents of each contract. The trial continues at 9.30 a.m. today. The British Government has launched a new decimal currency across the country. The familiar pound (), shilling (s) and pence (d) coins are to be phased out over the next 18 months in favour of a system dividing the pound into units of ten, including half, one, two, five, ten and 50 pence denominations. Chairman of the Decimal Currency Board (DCB) Lord Fiske told reporters: The general picture is quite clear and the smooth and efficient changeover so many people have worked for is now in fact being achieved. But he expected it would take several months to adapt the five million machines affected by the new coinage. According to Chairman of the Joint Trade Committee of the London Cab Trade, John Welland, it will take 15 months to convert all the fare meters for Londons 9,000 taxis. Banks have been closed for the past two working days to prepare for the implementation of the new currency on what has become known as D Day. Some traders such as luxury London department store Fortnum and Mason have been well-prepared for the switch, with dual pricing on many items. But reporters noted some men have continued to spend their old pennies in the public lavatories in Piccadilly. Chairman of the British Bankers Association decimalisation committee, Bernard Sharpe, made clear old coins would not last. There is no case whatever for the retention of the sixpence in a decimal currency system, except for sentimentality for the dear old tanner, he said. A few market-stall holders were concerned by the size of the new halfpenny, but Lord Fiske explained: It is not unduly small by world standards. It has an important role to play particularly in price-shading of low-priced goods. Work on the new system began in earnest in March 1966 when the Treasury made the practical and legislative preparations for setting up a Whitehall department a year later. Courtesy BBC News In context A survey carried out by the British Market Research Bureau on D-Day showed 12% of the 1,040 questioned thought money had been unfairly converted, but the majority were satisfied with pricing. Secret British Government documents published on the 30th anniversary of decimalisation revealed the concerns the Decimal Currency Board had about the changeover. They included rejection by public transport workers and problems if the Queen died unexpectedly before the new coins were fully circulated. The 20 pence piece was introduced in 1982. The half penny was withdrawn from circulation in 1984. A smaller, lighter 10 pence piece was circulated from 1993 and similar changes were made to the 50 pence in 1998. In June 1998 the 2 coin came into general circulation. The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) will create bilingual classes to combine Chinese and Portuguese language material. The revamp aims to give priority to the training of bilingual talents for the government under the development strategy One Center, One Platform, and comes in response to the high demand for professionals with bilingual skills. The new scheme will take effect during the academic year of 2017 and 2018 for two official schools Flora Primary School and Zheng Guanying. DSEJ hopes that the scheme will better prepare students to pursue their studies locally or abroad in higher education courses where fluency in Chinese and Portuguese are required, such as law, translation and interpretation, foreign relations, public administration and commerce, among others. For the coming academic year, DSEJ will introduce bilingual classes in the first year of primary and secondary (Form 1) education at the Zheng Guanying Official School, and in the first year of primary education at the Luso-Chinese Primary School of Flora. It is expected that the program will be progressively expanded to include other year levels in the future. According to DSEJ, these bilingual classes will be able to break with traditional teaching methodology, adopting a flexible curriculum and pedagogic design, with Mandarin and Portuguese vehicular languages. In addition, schools will provide special curriculums and other supplementary measures for beginner Portuguese language learners who enroll in the bilingual classes in the first year of secondary education, taking note of their existing Portuguese language knowledge. RM The Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM) held its Career Day 2017 on Monday, attracting 39 exhibitors from the public and private sectors. As approximately 700 IPM students will graduate this June, the event aimed to draw 1,200 potential graduates and students from the local university. Apart from the exhibition, the institute is also holding 13 seminars and workshops before the end of month to aid students in their career planning. The sessions and workshops will relate to mock interviews, resume writing and information about the prospects of economic development and youth entrepreneurship in Macau. The career talks will be held by senior representatives of local entities. Vivian Lei, head of the institutes Academic Affairs Department, told the press that there has been a slight increase in the number of exhibitors and number of job vacancies offered to students compared to the previous year. Last year there were 32 exhibitors but this year its 39 and they [will] provide 1,500 vacancies for the students, Lei said, adding that the exhibitors last year had 1,300 job vacancies. As the event was held for only one day, Lei said that it would only match students with careers to which they may be suited, however she noted that many students do receive calls from employers after the event. Lei also said that the institute has received nearly 4,000 local applicants. IPMs Registry stated that more than 250 local students had been recommended for admission by their school principals. The course areas of IPM are highly related to local companies. For example, gaming and leisure management, directives related to gaming industry and several courses in management, she said. Lei also remarked that the institute would launch a new bachelor program which will be recognized by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau this 2017/2018 academic year, targeting local Portuguese-speaking students who wish to be Portuguese language teachers. Nearly 80 percent of the institutions 2015/2016 graduates found jobs in fields related to their undergraduate programs. JC Human Resources Consulting, a human resources company, was an exhibitor yesterday for the second time in IPM. Managing director Jacinto Ho said that yesterday was first time they showcased the firms theme for 2017, Sustain the Future, at a local university . Ho explained that every year the company aims to send out different messages to students and job seekers. The firms 2017 theme aims to raise awareness about the sustainability of students careers, the regions economy and the environment. These are the major areas of sustainability that we want to showcase and raise awareness amongst students [because] the future of Macau depends on the students, Ho shared. The human resources firm is seeking between 150 and 200 applications from IPM students. According to Ho, the company has 30 vacancies this year for fresh graduates. The areas of employment include administration, marketing, retail and design. Ho also revealed that this is the first time the company is recruiting non-local students. We have a few positions because we also do some overseas recruitments. We have some clients who are not in Macau [] and they are also looking for people who speak good Chinese and good English and have experience and understanding about the gaming industry, she said. Ho recalled that students who do not possess a Macau ID find it difficult to find companies in Macau as a result of quota issues. Another human resource company, Sun-Career.com, also participated in IPMs career day for the first time. The job site offers a variety of positions, mostly in the retail sector, but also as business sales representatives. According to the talent acquisition manager, Jess Sou, most of the companys vacant positions are for fresh graduates. Sun-Career.com is mainly targeting local students and hopes to receive over 200 applications. The Health Bureau (SSM) has responded to a press conference regarding a study conducted by the University of Macau (UM) on the casino smoking ban, which was commissioned by the six gaming concessionaires. The bureau stated that the establishment of smoking rooms with high air quality standards complies with the progressive smoking control policies and is a further step into the Legislative Assemblys procedures [to amend the law]. The response follows the press conference organized by the gaming concessionaires in which it was claimed that approximately 60 percent of those surveyed expressed support for policies allowing smoking lounges. Close to 90 percent of employees working in gaming areas reported an improvement in air quality in their work environments following anti-smoking measures taken by the concessionaires over the past few years. Such results were cited to persuade the government not to institute plans to roll out a full smoking ban. While the SSM has said they are prudently analyzing the proposals presented by the concessionaires, they also remarked that it was possible to make a few preliminary comments. Firstly, SSM acknowledged the credibility of the study, noting that they consider UM to be a credible, neutral and academic source. They further acknowledged that the sample of the study has enough representation since the results cover all gaming concessionaries. The bureau also noted that the results reveal that 55 percent of workers interviewed accept or support the installation of smoking rooms, which they considered a result with great referential value. Generally speaking, according to laws currently in force regarding the conditions and specifications of smoking lounges, the specifications of the smoke rooms presented by the six gaming concessionaires have feasibility, according to the SSM. Secondly, in response to criticism that the establishment of smoking rooms capitulates to companies interests, SSM defended the government for accepting smoking rooms (as proposed by the concessionaires). The bureau noted that on multiple occasions, smoking ban laws had been discussed at the Legislative Assembly (AL) with several lawmakers presenting contrary arguments against their enforcement and challenging the governments proposals to authorize the creation of smoking lounges in casinos. The health authorities recalled that more recently in May last year, the Second Standing Committee of the AL approved, with 7 votes in favor and 2 against, the creation of smoking rooms in casinos. At the same time they recalled that some associations of workers of the gaming sector have stated that the creation of smoking rooms in casinos is considered an acceptable proposal. Remarking on the governments openness to amend the law, SSM reminded that the bill has not been approved by the AL. For that reason, the measures to control smoking in casinos remain in force that is, smoking is strictly prohibited in common areas of gaming. However, smoking rooms may be created, and in VIP rooms, smoking areas can be kept as well as previously authorized smoking rooms. RM Seven Hong Kong police officers were convicted yesterday of a lesser charge in the assault of a pro-democracy activist whose videotaped beating during the height of 2014 pro-democracy protests sparked outrage. A judge found the seven officers guilty of one joint count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in their attack on Ken Tsang. He was part of a group of protesters involved in a pre-dawn clash with police over Beijings plans to restrict elections for the semiautonomous Chinese city. The officers, who are due to be sentenced later, face up to three years in prison. During the scuffle on Oct. 15, 2014, TV news cameras caught officers kicking and punching a handcuffed Tsang in a dark corner of a nearby park. Tsang himself was convicted last year of assaulting police and resisting arrest in relation to the incident and sentenced to five weeks in prison. Prosecutors in that case accused Tsang of splashing liquid from a bottle on police as they tried to clear protesters from an underpass next to government headquarters, while Tsang said the charges were politically motivated. The incident occurred during the Umbrella Movement protests that brought streets in the Asian financial hub to a standstill for 79 days. District Court Judge David Dufton said he was satisfied with the prosecutions case that officers carried Tsang by his arms and legs and took him behind a park building, where he was dumped on the ground and immediately assaulted by five officers stamping and kicking him while two others watched, according to a press summary of the ruling. Dufton said Tsangs injuries, including circular reddish bruises on his neck and back, did not amount to grievous bodily harm, a more serious charge that carries a maximum life sentence. When Tsang was later taken to a police station, he was slapped twice by one of the officers, who was convicted of a separate charge of common assault, which is punishable by up to one year in prison. Kelvin Chan, Hong Kong, AP Residents of Jakarta vote today in an election for governor that has become a high-stakes tussle between conservative and moderate forces in the worlds most populous Muslim nation. Religion and race, rather than the slew of problems that face a car-clogged and sinking Jakarta, have dominated the campaign. The Jakarta vote is by far the most heated of the more than 100 elections for mayors and governors that will be held in Indonesia today. Voters are polarized about incumbent Jakarta Gov. Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, a minority Christian and ethnic Chinese, who is on trial for allegedly blaspheming the Quran. Ahok, the first ethnic Chinese governor of Jakarta and the first Christian in more than half a century, had seemed unassailably popular until the accusation of blasphemy, a criminal offense in Indonesia, surfaced in September. Protests against him in November and December, organized by hard-line Islamic groups, drew hundreds of thousands to Jakartas streets and shook the centrist-minded government of President Joko Jokowi Widodo. Ahoks blasphemy trial and the ease with which hard-liners attracted huge crowds to protest against him have undermined Indonesias reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam. Calls for Ahok to be killed and anti-Chinese sentiment were disturbing elements of the protests, one of which turned violent, with dozens injured and one person dying from the effects of tear gas. Defeat for Ahok would further embolden hard-liners, who say a non-Muslim should not lead Muslims, though also deprive them of the cause celebre that has allowed them to capture a national stage. The governorship is also seen as a launching pad into national politics and possibly the presidency. Ahok rose from deputy governor in 2014 after Jokowi, who was Jakarta governor at the time, won the presidency. Middle class Jakartans adored Ahok, 50, for his campaign against corruption and efforts to make the city livable. But brutal demolitions of some of the slum neighborhoods that are home to millions and ill-considered outspokenness on sensitive issues would become his Achilles heel. Opponents seized their moment last year when a video surfaced of Ahok telling voters they were being deceived if they believed a specific verse in the Quran prohibited Muslims from electing a non-Muslim as leader. That led to the blasphemy charges and mass protests that sunk him in the polls, though his support has risen again following a series of televised debates. Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, a former army major is the son of ex-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Local media say he was instructed by his father to resign from the army and campaign for governor. The photogenic 38-year-old surged to a lead in opinion polls during the anti-Ahok protests in November and December, which were also given vocal backing by his father. He performed poorly in the televised debates and recent polls show his support melting away. He attended mass prayers Saturday at Jakartas Istiqlal Mosque, where clerics urged people to vote for Muslim candidates. Anies Rasyid Baswedan is a political party hopper who was education minister in Jokowis government until being dumped in a reshuffle last July. Baswedan, 47, unsuccessfully sought to be the candidate for Yudhoyonos Democratic Party in the 2014 presidential election and then joined Jokowis campaign team. AP Kim Jong Nam, the older brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was attacked at Kuala Lumpurs airport and died on the way to a hospital, a senior Malaysian official said yesterday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the incidents diplomatic sensitivity, said Kim Jong Nam was sprayed with a liquid in the shopping concourse on Monday and sought help at an information counter, complaining of pain. He was taken to the airport clinic and then died en route to the hospital, he said. District police chief Abdul Aziz Ali said the man was waiting for a flight to Macau. Kim Jong Nam reportedly fell out of favor in North Korea after being caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. He was believed to be in his mid-40s and has reportedly been living in recent years in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. South Korean media reported that Kim Jong Nam was assassinated by two women. TV Chosun, citing unidentified multiple government sources, said the women were believed to be North Korean agents. It said they fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police. Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un have the same father, late dictator Kim Jong Il, but different mothers. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a reign of terror. Kim Jong-nam, starting from around 2001, spent most of his time living quietly in Macau with his immediate family. He was believed to live in a luxury dwelling between the beaches of Hac Sa and Cheoc Van with a sunflower plaque on its exterior symbolizing loyalty to the North Korean regime. He was also believed to own another apartment in downtown Macau, close to the Military Club. It was reported by Ponto Final in 2009 that his children were members of the Macau Lusophone Scout Group, though organizers of the association had declined to confirm this. Kim Jong-nam told Japans Asahi TV in 2010, shortly before his father died, that he was against third-generation succession and that it had only been proposed to support the stability of the secretive regime. I hope my younger brother will do his best for the sake of North Koreans prosperous lives, he said at the time. DB, with AP A continuing sense of paranoia Mark Tokola, vice president at the Korea Economic Institute in Washington, said it would be surprising if Kim Jong Nam was not killed on the orders of his brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate Kim Jong Nam in the past. It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong Un, which may be a well-placed paranoia, Tokola wrote in a commentary yesterday. Although there was scant evidence that Kim Jong Nam was plotting against the North Korean leader, he provided an alternative for North Koreans who would want to depose his brother. Mongolian lawmakers have told the government to revoke a private companys purchase of a stake in a major copper mine, prompting the president to warn they might scare away investors as the country tries to reverse an economic slump. The move highlights the political sensitivity of Mongolias copper, gold and other mineral wealth, the source of more than 90 percent of the North Asian countrys export revenues. Legislators approved a resolution last week calling on Prime Minister Jargaltulgyn Erdenebat to revoke a Mongolian investors USD400 million purchase of a Russian state companys 49 percent stake in Erdenet Mining Corp. They want the government, which owns the rest of Erdenet, to take full control. Investor confidence has been shaken by previous disputes over the role of foreign mining companies and complaints too little of Mongolias mineral wealth makes its way to the poor majority. Pressure to perk up the economy has mounted as weak global demand for Mongolias minerals dragged down growth to a 1.6 percent contraction in the latest quarter. Mongolias national debt stands at about $23 billion, or twice annual economic output, and a $580 million payment to foreign bondholders is due March 21. Mongolian leaders are deciding whether to pursue a potential emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund. Last weeks vote followed a change of government in June elections and a parliamentary inquiry that concluded the real buyer was a Mongolian bank that violated lending rules by hiding how much money it put up. It was the first time parliament has called for the government to take over a company since the end of Soviet-style communist rule in the early 1990s, when Mongolia sold off state assets. Approval of the Erdenet sale was announced June 28 by then-Prime Minister Chimediin Saikhanbileg. But the next day, his Democratic Party lost control of parliament to the rival Mongolian Peoples Party in national elections. It was unclear whether Erdenebat was obliged to act on parliaments demand, but President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, a Democratic Party member, warned the vote might hurt the economy. The resolution could drive away foreign investors and entrepreneurs and further isolate Mongolia, Elbegdorj said in a statement. Still, Elbegdorj said authorities should root out the hidden and illegal business operations of Erdenet. Earlier, global miner Rio Tinto Ltd. delayed development of a gold and copper mine, Oyu Tolgoi, due to disagreements over revenue sharing and the foreign role in mining. After that dispute was settled, Rio Tinto announced last May it was ready to go ahead with a $5.3 billion expansion. Saikhanbileg said that showed Mongolia was back to business. Erdenet, Mongolian for Treasure, operates a mining complex about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Ulan Bator. Until last years sale, it was one of Russias biggest assets in Mongolia. Controversy over the sale was fueled by complaints a Mongolian bank, Trade Development Bank LLC, was the real buyer and violated lending rules by financing the acquisition. The purchase was led by a 28-year-old lawyer, Tsooj Purevtuvshin, owner of Mongolian Copper Corp. Purevtuvshin, also known by the nickname Tush, said MCC bought Erdenet using financing from a group of investors. However, a report by parliament concluded the money came from TDB, which put up $354 million, and a bank owned by a TDB shareholder, which put up $55 million. That violated rules that should have limited TDB to lending about $70 million, according to Jargalsaikhan Dambadarjaa, an economist and journalist. Parliament also found the central bank lent money to a company in Purevtuvshins investment group without official approval. The central bank governor at the time was a former TDB board member. Purevtuvshin denied violating financial rules and said only about $75 million came from TDB. We strongly reject these findings and action by parliament, he said in a phone interview. TDBs chairman and CEO, Orkhon Onon, also denied wrongdoing. In a written statement, he said his banks role was limited to partial financing and investment advice. All the allegations made against TDB by the parliamentary working group are misleading, baseless, politically motivated and deliberately fabricated, said Orkhons statement. Dambadarjaa opposed the Erdenet sale but criticized parliaments latest action as a possible threat to property rights. The government must protect both private and public property, he said. Grace Brown, Ulaanbaatar, AP Just in time for Valentines Day, the Thai government is handing out pills it calls very magical vitamins to prospective mothers to boost the countrys falling birthrate. Government employees took to the streets of Bangkok yesterday to distribute 1 million bahts worth (USD28,600) of prenatal vitamins containing folic acid and iron to women between the ages of 20 and 34. The giveaway is part of a program called the campaign for red-cheeked Thai women to have children for the country using very magical vitamins. Thai couples are getting married less often and later in their lives, meaning fewer children each year. The Thai way of life is changing, said Dr. Wachira Pengjuntr, director of the Department of Health. Thai women are receiving higher education and the newer generation are placing a higher value on being single. Thailands population grew only 0.4 percent in 2015, down from 2.7 percent in 1970. South Korean prosecutors are attempting for a second time to arrest Samsungs de facto leader, who faces bribery allegations in connection with a massive political scandal. Special prosecutors investigating the influence- peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of the president said yesterday they have asked a court to issue an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-yong, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics. They also are seeking an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics president Park Sang-jin, who oversees the companys external relations. Seoul Central District Court said it will hold a hearing tomorrow to review the arrest request. This is the second attempt by prosecutors to arrest Lee, the heir to the Samsung Group. Last month, a court said there was not enough evidence to justify Lees arrest at that point. The prosecutors argued that the 48-year-old billionaire offered a bribe of $36 million to President Park Geun-hye and her long-time friend to win government backing for a controversial merger. The merger of Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries in 2015 was opposed by minority shareholders, who said it would benefit the Samsung founding family while hurting other shareholders. Samsung narrowly secured shareholder approval, thanks in part to support from the National Pension Fund, its key investor. The pension funds current chief was arrested last year on suspicion of pressuring the fund to back the merger, which helped Lee increase his influence in Samsung Electronics without spending any of his money. Lee admitted that Samsung transferred funds to a company and foundations controlled by Choi Soon-sil, President Parks secretive friend, but denied allegations that he expected to win any government favors. The courts rejection last month of the arrest request dealt a blow to the prosecutors, who have until Feb. 28 to investigate unless parliament extends the deadline. In seeking Lees arrest for the second time, the prosecutors said the Samsung heir faces new charges in addition to bribery, embezzlement and lying under oath. They did not elaborate. South Korean media reports said the prosecutors are looking at whether Samsung purchased a costly horse for Chois daughter, who is an equestrian, an allegation that Samsung has denied. The investigators are also reportedly looking at whether South Koreas fair trade commission gave any favors to Samsung related to a complex cross shareholding structure that allows the Lee family to exert an outsized influence on Samsung Electronics and its dozens of affiliates, while holding a small stake. The anti-trust regulator was raided earlier this month by prosecutors. Samsung did not respond to a request for comment. AP The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned North Korea over its latest ballistic missile launches and warned of further significant measures if Pyongyang doesnt stop nuclear and missile testing. A council statement agreed to by all 15 members followed strong condemnation by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the latest launch and U.S. President Donald Trumps pledge to deal with North Korea very strongly. The Security Council yesterday [Macau time] condemned Saturdays launch and a previous test Oct. 19, saying North Koreas activities to develop its nuclear weapons delivery systems violate U.N. sanctions and increase tensions. It called on all U.N. members to redouble their efforts to implement U.N. sanctions. North Korea has repeatedly flouted six Security Council resolutions demanding an end to its nuclear and ballistic missile activities and imposing increasing tougher sanctions. The latest missile test is seen as an implicit challenge to Trump, who has vowed a tough line on North Korea but has yet to release a strategy for dealing with a country whose nuclear ambitions have bedeviled U.S. leaders for decades. North Korea is a big, big problem and we will deal with that very strongly, Trump said at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Nikki Haley, his U.N. ambassador, said in a statement later: We call on all members of the Security Council to use every available resource to make it clear to the North Korean regime and its enablers that these launches are unacceptable. It is time to hold North Korea accountable not with our words, but with our actions, she said. There was no indication of what actions the Trump administration has in mind, and Ukraines U.N. ambassador, Volodymyr Yelchenko, the current council president, and Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho wouldnt comment on possible further significant measures. Those same words were used in the last Security Council statement on the unsuccessful Oct. 17 missile test by North Korea. That was followed by the latest sanctions resolution Nov. 30 targeting North Koreas hard currency revenues by placing a cap on coal exports, cutting them by at least 62 percent or by an estimated USD800 million. The council statement issued Monday was almost exactly the same as the one adopted Oct. 17 a practice that makes it much easier for members to reach quick agreement. Guterres called the latest launch a further troubling violation of council resolutions and urged North Korea to comply with its international obligations, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. The secretary-general appeals to the international community to continue to address this situation in a united manner, Haq said. The United States, Japan and South Korea requested the urgent Security Council meeting. Japans Bessho told reporters the key is implementing sanctions to get North Korea to change course. I think we need to keep pushing because were not looking for a military solution, he said. We have to have a peaceful solution, and the Security Council is the body that is most suited for that role. Mondays council statement stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in northeast Asia at large and expressed members commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation. South Korea earlier condemned what it called serious military and security threats and predicted more such tests. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is also the acting president, said his country would punish North Korea for the missile launch. In previous Security Council actions on North Korea, the United States and China, a neighbor and ally of Pyongyang, have been the key negotiators. China said Monday that the root cause of North Korean missile launches is friction with the United States and South Korea. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China opposed the launch. North Korea already has a variety of land-based missiles that can hit South Korea and Japan, including U.S. military bases in those countries. It has also successfully tested a submarine-launched missile and development of such missiles would add a weapon that is harder to detect before launch. Edith M. Lederer & Eric Talmadge, United Nations, AP A political odd couple, President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resolutely played up their similarities at their first meeting, even as obvious differences lurked behind their public smiles. After their White House meeting, the North American neighbors emerged to hail their close ties, with Trump promising to build upon our very historic friendship and Trudeau noting the special bond between the countries. But it was hard to escape their contrasting worldviews. Speaking to reporters, Trump defended his restrictive refugee and immigration orders, saying that we cannot let the wrong people in. Trudeau, on the other hand, said Canada continues to pursue our policies of openness. Trudeau later acknowledged that there are times when the two countries differ. But he said, The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they chose to govern themselves. During their post-meeting news conference, the reporters Trump called on did not ask about two pressing issues of the day the future of embattled National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and North Koreas reported ballistic missile launch. The stakes for Trudeau in his Washington visit are high: He is seeking to ensure Canada is not crippled as Trump re-negotiates the North American Free Trade Agreement. And he got much of what he was looking for. Trump praised the outstanding trade relationship between the United States and Canada and said he would only be tweaking it going forward. Well be doing certain things that are going to benefit both of our countries. Its a much less severe situation than whats taking place on the southern border, said Trump, who has been strongly critical of Americas trade situation with Mexico. Trade relations with the U.S. are crucial to Canada as more than 75 percent of Canadas exports and 98 percent of its oil exports go to the U.S., while 18 percent of American exports go to Canada. The meeting was billed as one the most important for a Canadian leader with a U.S. president in decades because of Canadas heavy reliance on its southern neighbor. Justin Trudeau, age 45, and Trump, age 70, have vastly different outlooks on the world. Trudeau is a liberal who champions free trade and has welcomed 40,000 Syrian refugees. He calls himself a feminist and women make up half his Cabinet. Trump has few women in his Cabinet. He has taken a protectionist stance on trade and wants to crack down on the inflow of migrants and refugees. His order to temporarily halt entry into the U.S. by people from seven predominantly Muslim nations is currently tied up in court. Trump already has been good for Canada as he has said hell expedite approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline from Alberta through Americas midsection would carry more than one-fifth of the oil Canada exports to the United States. Former President Barack Obama turned down the pipeline, a major blow to Canadas oil industry. Canada has the third largest known oil reserves in the world and needs infrastructure to export its growing oil sands production. The country is Americas largest supplier of foreign oil. In addition to private meetings, the leaders held a roundtable discussion with female executives from the U.S. and Canada and announced a task force focused on women in the workforce. Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump was in attendance at the meeting and helped recruit participants and set the agenda, fresh evidence of her policy influence. AP Fired by one American commander in chief for insubordination, Michael Flynn has now delivered his resignation to another. President Donald Trump had been weighing the fate of his national security adviser, a hard-charging, feather-ruffling retired lieutenant general who just three weeks into the new administration had put himself in the center of a controversy. Flynn resigned yesterday [Macau time]. At issue was Flynns contact with Moscows ambassador to the United States. Flynn and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak appear to have discussed U.S. sanctions late last year, raising questions about whether he was freelancing on foreign policy while President Barack Obama was still in office and whether he misled Trump officials about the calls. The center of a storm is a familiar place for Flynn. His military career ended when Obama dismissed him as defense intelligence chief. Flynn claimed he was pushed out for holding tougher views than the Obama administration about Islamic extremism. But a former senior U.S. official who worked with Flynn said the firing was for insubordination, after the Army lieutenant general failed to follow guidance from superiors. Once out of government, he disappeared into the murky world of mid-level defense contractors and international influence peddlers. He shocked his former colleagues a little more than a year later by appearing at a Moscow banquet headlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Given a second chance by Trump, Flynn, a lifelong if apolitical Democrat, became a trusted and eager confidant of the Republican candidate, joining anti-Hillary Clinton campaign chants of Lock Her Up and tweeting that Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL. As national security adviser, Flynn required no Senate confirmation vote or public vetting of his record, and his tenure was brief but turbulent. The Washington Post and other U.S. newspapers, citing current and former U.S. officials, reported last week that Flynn made explicit references to U.S. sanctions on Russia in conversations with Kislyak. One of the calls took place on Dec. 29, the day Obama announced new penalties against Russias top intelligence agencies over allegations they meddled in the U.S. election process to help Trump win. While its not unusual for incoming administrations to have discussions with foreign governments before taking office, the repeated contacts just as the U.S. was pulling the trigger on sanctions suggests Trumps team might have helped shape Russias response. They also contradicted denials about such discussions of the sanctions by several Trump administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence. Flynn later backed off his adamant denials. On Friday, he said he no recollection of discussing sanctions policy but cant be certain, according to an official, who wasnt authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity. He apologized to Pence, who, apparently relying on Flynns denials, vouched for him on television. In his resignation letter, Flynn said he held numerous calls with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. during the transition and gave incomplete information about those discussions to Pence. For days, Trump was publicly and unusually quiet on the matter. While his aides were declaring the president had confidence in Flynn, Trump privately told associates he was troubled by the situation, according to a person who spoke with him recently. Flynns sparkling military resume had included key assignments at home and abroad, and high praise from superiors. The son of an Army veteran of World War II and the Korean war, Flynn was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1981 after graduating from the University of Rhode Island. He started in intelligence, eventually commanding military intelligence units at the battalion and then brigade level. In the early years of the Iraq war, he was intelligence chief for Joint Special Operations Command, the organization in charge of secret commando units like SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force. He then led intelligence efforts for all U.S. military operations in the Middle East and then took up the top intelligence post on the Joint Staff in the Pentagon. Ian McCulloh, a Johns Hopkins data science specialist, became an admirer of Flynn while working as an Army lieutenant colonel in Afghanistan in 2009. At the time, Flynn ran intelligence for the U.S.-led international coalition in Kabul and was pushing for more creative approaches to targeting Taliban networks, including use of data mining and social network analysis, according to McCulloh. He was pushing for us to think out of the box and try to leverage technology better and innovate, McCulloh said, crediting Flynn for improving the effectiveness of U.S. targeting. A lot of people didnt like it because it was different. It was typical of the determined, though divisive, approach Flynn would adopt at the Defense Intelligence Agency, which provides military intelligence to commanders and defense policymakers. There, he quickly acquired a reputation as a disruptive force. While some applauded Flynn with forcing a tradition-bound bureaucracy to abandon old habits and seek out new, more effective ways of collecting and analyzing intelligence useful in the fight against extremist groups, others saw his efforts as erratic and his style as prone to grandstanding. In the spring of 2014, after less than two years on the job, he was told to pack his bags. According to Flynns telling, it was his no-nonsense approach to fighting Islamic extremist groups that caused the rift. A former senior Obama administration official who was consulted during the deliberations disputed that account. Flynn was relieved of his post for insubordination after failing to follow guidance from superiors, including James Clapper, Obamas director of national intelligence, said the official, who asked for anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Plunged into civilian life for the first time in 33 years, Flynn moved quickly to capitalize on his military and intelligence world connections and experience. He did so in an unorthodox way. I didnt walk out like a lot of guys and go to big jobs in Northrup Grumman or Booz Allen or some of these other big companies, Flynn told Foreign Policy magazine in 2015. Instead, he opened his own consulting firm, Flynn Intelligence Group, in Alexandria, Va. He brought in his son, Michael G. Flynn as a top aide, and began assembling a crew of former armed forces veterans with expertise in cyber, logistics and surveillance, and sought out ties with lesser- known figures and companies trying to expand their profiles as contractors in the military and intelligence spheres. One team member listed on the firms site was James Woolsey, President Bill Clintons former CIA director. Woolsey briefly joined Flynn on Trumps transition team as a senior adviser, but quit in January. Another was lobbyist Robert Kelley. Kelley proved a central player in the Flynn Groups decision to help a Turkish businessman tied to Turkeys government. At the same time that Flynn was advising Trump on national security matters, Kelley was lobbying legislators on behalf of businessman Ekim Alptekins firm between mid-September and December last year, lobbying documents show. It was an odd match. Flynn has stirred controversy with dire warnings about Islam, calling it a political ideology that definitely hides behind being a religion and accusing Obama of preventing the U.S. from discrediting radical Islam. But his alarms apparently didnt extend to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government as it cracked down on dissent and jailed thousands of opponents after a failed coup last summer. Erdogans power base is among Turkeys conservative Muslim voters and many affected by his crackdown are secularists. Shortly before Trumps election, Flynn wrote an op-ed saying Turkey needed U.S. support and echoing Erdogans warnings that a shady Turkish Muslim cleric living in Pennsylvania should not be protected by the United States. Erdogan accuses the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, of orchestrating the coup attempt and has requested extradition. Obama officials widely described Turkeys evidence of Gulens wrongdoing as insufficient. Alptekin, the businessman, told The Associated Press he met Flynn several times starting last summer. He wouldnt detail their conversations. Alptekin said he met mostly with Kelley, a former chief counsel to a congressional subcommittee, who registered with Congress as a lobbyist for Inovo BV, a company Alptekin established in the Netherlands in 2005. Alptekin also is a member of a Turkish economic relations board run by an Erdogan appointee, though he says he has no official relationship with Turkeys government. Kelley said Flynns consulting firm could help do something about improving the relations between Turkey and the United States, Alptekin told the AP. He said he didnt consider any need for his firm or Kelley to register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent in this context because his firm was not a government entity. Kelley also was a registered foreign agent for the National Mobilization Force, a Turkish-backed militia fighting the Islamic State group in Syria. Documents filed with the Justice Department show Kelley was paid USD90,000 to convey the views of the armed group to Congress, federal officials and the media. The Justice records do not cite any Kelley affiliation with the Flynn Group. But a December letter from Democratic senators Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., to top federal intelligence officials raised questions about whether Kelley inappropriately represented the militia on behalf of Flynns firm, which they said raises the potential for pressure, coercion, and exploitation by foreign agents. Like many former military officials, Flynn boosted his profile by appearing on television news and talk shows, including several networks connected to foreign governments. They include Qatar-backed Al Jazeera and RT, the news network aligned with the Russian government. Stephen Braun & Robert Burns, Washington, AP CHINA Residents in an oil town near the Russian border protest against a planned aluminum plant over pollution fears, in the latest example of rising demands for clean air among Chinas citizens. HONG KONG Seven police officers are convicted of a lesser charge in the assault of a pro-democracy activist whose videotaped beating during the height of 2014 pro-democracy protests sparked outrage. TAIWAN Investigators are looking into excessive speed as the possible cause of a bus crash in Taiwan that killed 32 people and injured several others in the islands worst road accident in more than three decades. The bus flipped over while cornering on an expressway ramp in Taipei after taking a tour group to view cherry blossoms. SOUTH KOREA prosecutors attempted for a second time to arrest Samsungs de facto leader, who faces bribery allegations in connection with a massive political scandal. INDONESIA Residents of the Indonesian capital vote today in an election for governor that has become a battleground in a high stakes tug-of-war between conservative and moderate forces in the worlds most populous Muslim nation. More on p13 PAKISTAN Markets and businesses are closed across much of the countrys Punjab province in mourning for 13 people killed in a suicide bombing claimed by a breakaway Taliban faction. THAILAND-US The highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Thailand since a 2014 coup urged the country to restore democracy while reaffirming the partnership between the two nations, saying America needs a strong and stable ally in Southeast Asia. MYANMAR A court in western Myanmar sentenced to death a man arrested for his part in an attack on a border guard post that triggered a crackdown by security forces on the countrys Muslim ethnic Rohingya minority. THE PHILIPPINES environment chief ordered 75 mining contracts canceled because the projects are located in watersheds, intensifying her crackdown against mines that she says harm the environment. CONGO Witnesses say at least four people have been killed in a police clampdown on a separatist political and religious group in Congos capital. A police operation against members of the Bundu Dia Mayala movement at its founders home left at least two members dead, according to witnesses. Jean Onema Wembo, mayor of the Ngiri-Ngiri commune south of the capital, said two others were killed elsewhere in clashes between police and suspected members. FILER The Magic Valley chapter of Mule Deer Foundation will hold its 19th annual banquet and auction Feb. 25 at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds merchants building in Filer. Doors open at 4:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m. and an auction at 7 p.m. Archery hunter Jim Burnworth, a television personality from Western Extreme, will attend. This years early-bird prize is a Dutch oven and contents. Banquet reservations need to be received by Saturday to be eligible for the drawing. Several options are available for banquet ticket packages, including regular membership with a single dinner ticket for $60 or with two dinners, $85; a life member dinner ticket for $25 or for two dinners, $50; and a sponsorship package is $300 with regular membership, two dinner tickets and $100 in raffle tickets. Youth dinner tickets for ages 8-12 are $10, and its free for children 7 and younger. The nonprofit Mule Deer Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitats, a chapter announcement said. The Magic Valley chapter is working with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Bureau of Land Management on projects to restore habitat in the Magic Valley. The group has spent funds on local projects that include purchasing grass seed to be used by Fish and Game for restoration and Unit 45 guzzler repairs with help from High Desert Pointing Dog Club. Tickets and information: Kirby Butler, chapter chairman, 208-420-4881 or kirbyrbutler@yahoo.com; Ron Bishop, co-chairman, 208-948-0603 or stephron.bishop@gmail.com; or muledeer.org. POCATELLO A Rupert man who produced child pornography of a 10-year-old girl and possessed hundreds of other child pornography videos and photographs was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison. Erik Rodriguez, 25, was also ordered to pay counseling costs to his victim in U.S. District Court. Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered 15 years of supervised release after his prison term. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charge in August. Homeland Security special agents searched Rodriguezs home in April 2015. They found 133 images and 302 videos of child sexual abuse on Rodriguezs computers and other electronic devices in addition to the explicit images Rodriguez admitted that he produced of the girl. The U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement and Homeland Security investigated the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to fight the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. TWIN FALLS The Twin Falls County prosecuting attorney is considering whether to seek the death penalty against two Buhl men charged with murdering a high school student last year. Grant Loebs has 60 days to make his decision, though he told a judge Wednesday he hoped to make a decision before the deadline. I told the judge I would try to decide it as soon as I could, Loebs told the Times-News. That decision could be made by March 27, the next time the suspects are due in court. Gerardo Raul Chavez, 19, and Jose Daniel Alvarez, 20, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony counts of murder and intimidating a witness. Theyre accused of the drive-by slaying of Canyon Ridge freshman Vason Lee Widaman, 15, who was gunned down May 7 while riding his bicycle on Northern Pine Drive and North College Road West. The shooting shocked the community and remained unsolved until Chavez and Alvarez were arrested more than seven months later, on Dec. 20. During Wednesdays hearing, attorneys said Chavez and Alvarez will likely be tried together beginning July 11. They each face up to life in prison on the murder charge and could face the death penalty depending on Loebs decision. We look at the crime, look at the defendants as much as we can, look if there are any aggravating circumstances surrounding the crime, Loebs said of what goes into his decision. We also look at what mitigating factors might be used in favor of the defendant in a sentencing context. Loebs said he cant disclose whether hes leaning toward seeking the death penalty or not. Ive been giving it thought since the crime first occurred, the prosecutor said. But I have not been seriously considering all of the factors. Both men are being held without bond, as is typical in first-degree murder cases. But Chavez informed the court this week he would seek a hearing on his bond, though the issue was not addressed Wednesday. His attorney said Chavez is finishing a 90-day jail sentence on a probation violation, and he would argue for a bond once that sentence is fulfilled. Chavez and Alvarez are due in court March 27 for a status conference. A jury trial was set for July 11 through July 21. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy TWIN FALLS John E. Hayes, perhaps the most unappreciated pioneer in the history of Twin Falls, is finally getting his due. Local artist Dave LaMure Jr. will soon create a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of Hayes, the surveyor who chose the location for the city. LaMure based his design on a 1903 photograph of Hayes taken at what would become the intersection of Main Avenue and Shoshone Street what Curtis Eaton calls the belly button of Twin Falls. Preservation Twin Falls Inc. partners Eaton, special assistant to the president of the College of Southern Idaho, and Paul Smith, past chairman of the Twin Falls City Historic Preservation Commission, pitched the project to the Twin Falls Urban Renewal Agency, and landed a $20,000 contribution toward the project out of funds designated for public art for its Main Avenue Redevelopment project. Other contributors are kicking in money to complete the sculpture. The two in turn pitched the idea to the city. Its a noble project to honor our history, Mayor Shawn Barigar said in January. That evening, the city council approved the project, and the sculpture, when finished, will be gifted to the city. The man Hayes contributions to the Magic Valley were many, said Niels Nokkentved, a former Times-News reporter and editor whose book A Forest of Wormwood Sagebrush, Water and Idahos Twin Falls Canal Company wears the Hayes photo on its cover. Besides locating and surveying the city, Hayes played several key roles in the Twin Falls tract, Nokkentved said Tuesday. Hayes conducted topographic surveys of dams, canals and laterals for the 240,000-acre Twin Falls irrigation project, the 70,000-acre Salmon Dam project, the 50,000-acre Oakley Dam project and the 25,000-acre Cedar Creek project, in addition to site surveys of Buhl, Burley, Milner, Hansen, Jerome, Wendell and Hollister. Prior to coming to Idaho, Hayes was on the crew that surveyed the boundary for Glacier National Park in Montana, including the 49th Parallel, according to his resume. The sculpture LaMure first modeled a small maquette a preliminary design from oil-based clay, then cast a limited edition of 30 bronze sculptures of Hayes. He plans to start modeling the final design soon, starting with a nearly eight-foot metal armature a skeleton of sort. Clay will be applied to the armature, then the details will be carved and manipulated into place. LaMure said he will pay particular attention to the authenticity of the piece how Hayes handkerchief blows in the wind and how his clothes fit on his body. Hayes wore his hat backward when he look through a transit, so LaMure placed a sage grouse feather in the hatband to indicate the hats direction. Bronze sagebrush growing from the base will show off the terrain of the land. When finished, LaMure will haul the clay model of Hayes to a fine-arts foundry in Joseph, Oregon, where it will be cut into about 60 pieces. Molds will be pulled from each piece and wax patterns will be made from each mold. The wax patterns will then be dipped in a slurry and fired in a kiln to create molds: the hot kiln hardens the slurry and melts the wax simultaneously. Molten bronze will be poured into the cavity left by the wax. The 60 or so bronze pieces will then be broken out of the molds, then assembled and welded into place. Location, location, location Just as Hayes looked for just the right location for Twin Falls, the city is looking for just the right place for the sculpture, spokesman Joshua Palmer said. Eaton first talked to the Idaho Department of Transportation about placing it on a roundabout in the center of the intersection of Main and Shoshone, where the photo was taken. But that was a short conversation, he said. Another preferred location would be in the downtown plaza, where the Rogerson Hotel once stood. But nothing is set in stone, Palmer said. The city is still looking at safety and maintenance issues. LaMure has become enamored by Hayes. Ive felt the spirit of John the essence of who John was. TWIN FALLS A political debate over climate change is playing a role in what Magic Valley children will learn in science class. An Idaho House panel approved new kindergarten through 12th grade standards Thursday meant to help with teaching science literacy, but only after striking key references to climate change caused by human behavior. Teachers will have to align their lessons to the new standards. But in classrooms, theres often an emphasis on using researched-based information and letting students form their own opinions. Our teachers try to teach so that students are the ones that do the thinking, said L.T. Erickson, director of secondary programs for the Twin Falls School District. Its a great opportunity for students to dig into the research thats out there. Erickson said teachers obviously will teach the standards. Politically, he said he doesnt know what legislators motives are for eliminating some language about climate change. Carrie Carson, who teaches a ninth-grade physical science at Burley High School, said she was surprised to see the proposed standards come out. She wasnt expecting changes until 2018. Carson who has been a science teacher for 20 years said shes actually quite excited about the changes. I think theyre good standards. The new standards will help with teaching science literacy going beyond memorizing facts, and applying knowledge and using creative thinking, she said. It will help children become better thinkers, Carson said, and will allow for more real-world applications with what theyre learning. Carson said she thinks its a good thing the human impact on climate change isnt included. Its highly debatable within the scientific community itself, she said. It narrows our instruction and it doesnt give the students all of the information. She said standards should be broader. And she said teachers have to careful theyre educating students about multiple ways of thinking and must allow them to make their own decisions. This is the third year the Idaho Legislature has struggled to agree on science standards for public schools. Previous efforts that included references to global warming and the origin of the universe have been rejected by Republicans unhappy that the language didnt offer alternative views. The last time Idahos science standards were updated was in 2001 sparking criticism from educators that the current system is too vague and lacks depth. Science teachers, state officials and other stakeholders have spent years drafting various versions of the rules. After lawmakers rejected the standards in 2016, a working group announced that they wouldnt introduce a new version until 2018. That changed suddenly when the State Board of Education approved the rules in December. However, the rules presented earlier this month have a one-year expiration date. Theres been a lot of work done trying to get to this point, Erickson said. The Twin Falls School District is preparing to adopt new science materials, such as textbooks, within the next couple of years. Were kind of preparing to look at new science curriculum that will align better with the standards and thats a little more up-to-date, Erickson said. School science department leaders are already starting to look into curriculum options. Theyll start requesting sample materials from publishers over the next few months, Erickson said. And this spring, theyre traveling to a national science teaching conference, where theyll get a better idea of options. Science teachers will review new curriculum for part of next school year. Theyll try out materials for either half of next school year or the entire 2018-19 school year. But materials wont be adopted until Twin Falls educators are sure the statewide science standards will be in place for at least a few years. BOISE A Twin Falls lawmakers bill to let people speed when passing didnt hit any roadblocks Tuesday, while a bill to shift gas tax money from the Idaho State Police to transportation had a bumpier ride out of committee. Committee Chairman Joe Palmers bill would shift, over the course of five years, the fuel tax money ISP gets to road funding. Filer Republican Rep. Clark Kauffman, the only Magic Valley lawmaker on the panel, joined three of his Republican colleagues plus the committees three Democrats to vote against it. It still passed 10-7. ISP gets a little more than a quarter of its budget, roughly $17 million a year, from a small portion of fuel tax revenue that is dedicated to its use. Palmers bill would move a fifth of that every year, starting in the 2018-19 budget year, to transportation, the idea being that lawmakers would make up the difference from general fund monies. The extra transportation money would be split evenly between the state and local highway districts. I have no intention to take any money whatsoever away from ISP in any form, Palmer said. (But) our transportation system is in dire straits. The Legislature increased transportation funding by about $95 million in 2015, but is still far behind what the Idaho Transportation Department says it needs to maintain the current road system, let alone expand or improve it, and the need will likely be even greater after this years harsh winter. While there are two proposals out there this year to renew the surplus eliminator that directs some excess revenues to transportation, the committee shot down a proposal to raise the gas tax last week. ISP Deputy Director Kendrick Wills asked the committee not to pass the bill. ISP already lacks enough troopers to cover the ground they have to patrol, he said. He pointed to Oregon in the 1980s, when state police werent made whole after a similar funding shift and their patrol division ended up being cut in half. For us in ISP, were interested in not having more roadways necessarily in Idaho, were interested in having safe roadways, he said. Some Republicans have called for moving more transportation money to the general fund rather than dedicated sources like the fuel tax and registration fees, an idea that has more support in the House than the Senate. Wayne Hammond, lobbyist for Idaho Associated General Contractors, referenced this history in his testimony in favor of Palmers proposal. Hammond said he doesnt want to see the state polices funding cut, but this is a safety issue. Our roads are falling apart. Speeding to pass Rep. Lance Clows bill would let motorists on two-lane roads where the speed limit is already 55 mph or more exceed the speed limit by up to 15 mph when passing. It passed the House Transportation and Defense Committee with just one No vote from Rep. Kelley Packer, R-McCammon. Clow said he worked with the Idaho State Police to develop the bill and got mostly positive feedback from law enforcement. I think this is a reasonable and prudent effort to improve safety in the state of Idaho, said Rep. Brandon Hixon, R-Caldwell. AAA Idaho spokesman David Carlson testified against the bill, giving the example of Idaho 55, the busy mountain road he takes to McCall, where people frequently pass unsafely. Carlson worried the bill was too vague, would encourage more unsafe driving and provides no clear commercial or safety benefit that outweighs the increased risk in the situations weve outlined. Clow replied his bill would at least set some parameters and that police already use their judgment about what is and isnt safe driving and how to enforce traffic laws. Its something they make judgment calls every day about and try to enforce the law, he said. Both bills now head to the full House. OAKLEY U.S. Army Corp of Engineer officials are assessing the Oakley dam and flood channel but say there is no emergency. Engineers met Tuesday with state, Cassia County, flood district and Oakley Canal Company officials to discuss the work they will perform in the next three days. Rapid snowmelt last week caused worry about the water level at the dam. An emergency flood channel that is diverting water from the reservoir to Murtaugh Lake was cleaned and opened. The water being released in the flood channel on Tuesday was still only about half way to the lake. The engineers were called to the county to take a look at the Lower Goose Creek Reservoir and dam and make recommendations on how to increase the capacity to release water in the event of a rapid snowmelt that could otherwise cause the water level to top the spillway and flood farmers, ranchers and the cities of Oakley and Burley. The flood channel needs to be about three times its current size in the case of an emergency. It sounds like from my end its not an emergency but a project, said Curtis Been, engineer with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Randy Robinson, president of the Oakley Canal Company, said the creeks feeding the reservoir have gone down, and the water going into the reservoir and the water being released from the reservoir have equalized. Although there will be substantial runoff I think well be ok unless we have another event, Robinson said during the meeting. The state is facilitating a request to the engineers so they can also look at installing a vent at the dam that will allow more water to be released and increasing the capacity of the flood channel or a second option of putting another flood channel in the Cottonwood drainage. The engineers main purpose for visiting is flood mitigation downstream of the dam. But, I agree it needs to be looked at, and you need to have more control of the flow, Been said. Cassia County Commissioner Paul Christensen said there was a problem in 1984 of diverting water to Murtaugh Lake to prevent flooding from the dam because Cottonwood Creek and Big Cedar Creek had already filled the lake. County residents had to cut a 22-mile channel in three days over mostly private property from the reservoir to the Snake River to prevent a flood that would have devastated the area below. There are 10,000 people living in the Goose Creek flood plain. Maintaining the integrity of the canal system is also a concern, Christensen said. If the sediment is stirred up it will be carried down the canals, he said. The county, flood district and canal company may be able to get some funding for the project, Been said, which should fall into the flood control category. RUPERT County officials are trying to put a dollar figure on this months devastating floods, and theyre asking residents for help. Minidoka County wants residents who had flooding at their homes, farms, ranches and businesses to report their losses. The information is being collected by the countys emergency management officials to document the economic and structural impact to the county, according to a statement from the Minidoka County Sheriffs Office. The county commissioners approved a local disaster declaration on Feb. 9, and the county was added to the state disaster declaration. The preliminary damage assessment will not guarantee any type of assistance but will be used to identify opportunities for assistance. The damage must have taken place on or after Feb. 9 to qualify. Forms can be found at https://ioem.idaho.gov/. They can be emailed with photo attachments to minidokacountyflood2017@gmail.com or mailed or delivered to the Minidoka County Courthouse, 711 G. St., P.O. Box 368, Rupert, Idaho, 83350. Questions: Call the Minidoka County flood hotline at 208-436-7111. The hotline is staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Community information about the flooding can be found on Facebook by searching Minidoka Flood Forum 2017. When Donald J. Trump won the presidential election in the fall, you could almost hear the death knell for health care reform in Idaho. With national Republicans pledging to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, state lawmakers saw no reason to try to come up with a new Idaho program. The feds would almost certainly revamp health care, they thought, so no sense in designing something new that might not jive with whatever comes out of Washington. Better to wait. But thats not whats happening now in the Idaho Statehouse. Just this week, Republicans have introduced two similar bills that arent necessarily fix-alls as weve said before, expanding Medicaid is the best solution but go a long way toward addressing health care needs for some of the states most vulnerable residents. So whats changed? Why now? First, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans arent acting as fast as people thought they might to dismantle Obamacare, mostly because they still havent settled on a plan to replace it. Second, real human beings in Idaho continue to suffer because there is no viable state solution to their health care problems. Were talking mostly about the people in the so-called gap, who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to get subsidies to join the government health insurance exchange. That amounts to about 78,000 people, some of whom are likely to die this year because they cant afford to seek treatment for preventable diseases. Rep. Fred Wood, a Burley Republican, is one lawmaker who hasnt given up on those folks. Woods bill, introduced Monday, would cover people with incomes below the poverty level who are not covered by any other government or employer-sponsored health care. On the Senate side, lawmakers are reviewing a similar proposal by Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett. His bill would also provide primary care with money from the Millennium Fund, the account set up to handle settlements with the big tobacco companies. But Thayn wants to focus on patients with chronic conditions. Woods plan is more broad, serving people on a first-come, first-served basis regardless of condition. Wood said his plan would also help to further the states goal of moving away from a volume based, fee-for-service model to a value-based system of care, because it focuses on treating patients with primary care a model that helps to prevent health problems, not just treat them once theyve happened. We still regret Idaho didnt expand Medicaid when it had the chance. As a result, its missing out on millions of federal dollars a year that could easily go toward these residents the state is now trying to protect. And were especially frustrated the Legislature didnt act last year, after squabbling about health care the entire session and scrapping a plan by Gov. C.L. Butch Otter only to break on the last day without a fix. Its unlikely lawmakers will find a perfect solution this session. Far too many legislators still lack the guts to adopt federal solutions because of the weird paranoia of anything federal that still permeates the Statehouse. But were encouraged legislators like Wood havent given up. So lets celebrate and recognize the small victories when they happen. Wood and Thayn are on to something. Lets hope other lawmakers see their wisdom and continue to work the problem. Does Gov. Otter recognize the irony in his support of Trumps anti-refugee policies and preference for Christian migrants? The Christ whom we follow when we call ourselves Christians taught that when we see others hungry and give them something to drink, see strangers and welcome them, and clothe the naked, we do so to Jesus himself (Matthew 25). Jesus never taught his followers to sort people by ethnicity, religion, or place of origin. The only preference we encounter in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures is a preference for the vulnerable. If we are to use the words preference and Christian in the same sentence, it is only to welcome and give preference to those in need regardless of religion, skin color or place of origin. Greece Debt Crisis Outrageous Malevolence Earlier this week I was talking in Athens to a guy from Holland, who incidentally with a group of friends runs a great project on Lesbos taking care of some 1000 refugees in one of the camps there. But thats another topic for another day. I was wondering in our conversation how it is possible that, as we both painfully acknowledged, people in Holland and Germany dont know what has really happened in the Greek debt crisis. Or, rather, dont know how it started. That certainly is a big ugly stain on their media. And it threatens to lead to things even uglier than what weve seen so far. People there in Northern Europe really think the Greeks are taking them for a ride, that the hard-working and saving Dutch and Germans pay through the teeth for Greek extravaganza. Its all one big lie, but one that suits the local politicians just fine. By accident(?!), I saw two different references to what really happened, both yesterday in the UK press. So lets reiterate this one more time, and hope that perhaps this time someone in Berlin or Amsterdam picks it up and does something with it. There must be a few actual journalists left?! Or just ordinary people curious enough, and with some intact active neurons, to go check if their politicians are not perhaps lying to them as much as their peers are all over the planet. What Im talking about in this instance is the first Greek bailout in 2010. While there are still discussions about the question whether the Greek deficit was artificially inflated by the countrys own statisticians, in order to force the bailout down the throats of the then government led by George Papandreou, there are far fewer doubts that the EU set up Greece for a major league fall just because it could, and because Dutch, French, German politicians could use that fall for their own benefit. The reason to do all this would have been -should we say ostensibly or allegedly?-, to get Greece in a situation where the Germans and the French could abuse the emergency they themselves thus created, to transfer the Greece-related bad debts of their banks to the EU public at large, and subsequently to the Greek public, instead of forcing the banks to write these debts down. That is still the core of the Greek problem to this day. Its also the core problem with the IMFs involvement: the funds statutes prescribe it should have insisted on writedowns long ago, from the very first moment it got involved. The bailout, as Yanis Varoufakis repeats below, was not -and never- meant to help Greece. Instead, it was meant to do the exact opposite, to enable Europes richer countries -and their banks- to escape the only just punishment for reckless lending practices, by unloading their debt onto the Greek people. Varoufakis Accuses Creditors Of Going After Greeces Little People Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis [..] said that the country has been put on a fiscal path which makes everyday life unsustainable in Greece. The German finance minister agrees that no Greek government, however reformist it might be, can sustain the current debt obligations of Greece, he said. Earlier in the day, Wolfgang Schauble told German broadcaster ARD that Greece must reform or quit the euro. A country in desperate need of reform has been made unreformable by unsustainable macroeconomic policies, Mr Varoufakis said. He said that instead of attacking the worst cases of corruption, for six years now the creditors have been after the little people, the small pharmacists, the very poor pensioners instead of going for the oligarchies. Greece in 2010 was given a huge loan that Mr Varoufakis said was not designed to save the bankrupt country but to cynically transfer huge banking losses from the books of the Franco German banks onto the shoulders of the weakest taxpayers in Europe. The Financial Times, in a rare moment of lucidity, and with an unintentionally hilarious headline, puts its fingers on that same issue, as well as a few additional sore spots, and with admirable vengeance and clarity: Conflict Over Athens Surplus Needles The IMF First of all, to put Greece and sustainable growth together in one sentence is as preposterous as it is to do the same with Greece and surplus. But more importantly, the FT is right in just about every word here. Europe de facto decides what the IMF does. So despite all the recent conflicts between the Troika members (though they reportedly just announced they agreed on what to dictate to Greece over the weekend), its really all EU (i.e. Germany, France) all the time. Greece never stood a chance, and neither did justice. The point about upcoming elections in Holland, France and Germany gets more important by the day. Since former EU parliament chief Martin Schulz left that post to head the socialist SPD in Germanys elections, hes seen his poll numbers soar so much that Merkel and Schaeuble are getting seriously nervous about their chances of re-election. Like in all countries these days, certainly also in Europe, their knee-jerk reaction is to pull further to the right. Which is the opposite of setting the record straight with regards to. As for Dijsselbloem, Schaeubles counterpart as finance minister for Holland, his Labor Party (PVDA) -yes, that twit claims to be a leftie- is down so much in the polls that you have to wonder where he gets the guts -let alone the authority- to even open his mouth. PVDA has 38 seats in the Dutch parliament right now and are predicted to lose 27 of them and have just 11 left after the March 15 vote, taking them from 2nd largest party to 7th largest. And out of power. And he still heads the eurogroup, including in the negotiations with Greece and the IMF?! Its a strange world. Dijsselbloem proudly proclaimed this week that without the IMF being involved in the next bailout, Holland wouldnt give Greece another penny anymore. Think Dijsselbloem and Schaeuble dont know what happened in 2010? Of course they do. They know better than anyone. Its simply better for their careers -or so they think- to further impoverish the entire Greek nation and the poorest of its citizens than it is to come clean, to tell their people the whole story has been based on dirty tricks from the start. And since their media refuse to tell the truth, too, the story will last until at least after their respective elections. Thing is, Dijsselbloem will be out of a political job by March 16, so whats he doing, setting himself up for a juicy job at one of the banks whose debts were transferred to Greek pensioners in 2010? No conscience? Perhaps Greeces best hope is, of all people, Donald Trump. Yeah, a long shot if ever you saw one. But Trump can overrule the IMF board simply because the US is the biggest party involved in the fund. He can tell that divided board to get its act together and stop harassing a valuable NATO member. At least he has the business sense to understand that a country with 23% unemployment -and thats just the official number- and 50-60% youth unemployment cannot recover no matter what happens, and that sustainable growth, any kind of growth, is an impossibility once you take peoples spending power away. Meanwhile, elite and incumbent Europe seems to think that publicly agitating against Trump is the way to go (they may come to regret that stance, and a stance it all it is). Trumps apparent choice for EU ambassador, economist Ted Malloch, was accused by European Parliament hotshots Weber and Verhofstadt -in a letter, no less- of outrageous malevolence towards the values that define this European Union, for saying the Union needs a little taming. For some reason, they dont seem to like that kind of thing. Outrageous malevolence, were talking Nobel literature material here. Malloch also said EU president Juncker was a very adequate mayor, I think, of some city in Luxembourg. And that he should go back and do that again. And Malloch said on Greek TV this week that Greece should have left the eurozone four years ago. Why is Greece again on the brink? It seems like a deja vu. Will it ever end? I think this time I would have to say that the odds are higher that Greece itself will break out of the euro. Why would he say that? How about because of the numbers in this by now infamous graph, straight out of the IMF itself, which shows EU countries have conspired to plunge one of their fellow Union member states into a situation far worse than the US was in during the Great Depression? Would that do it? And we havent even touched on the role that Goldman Sachs plays in the entire kerfuffle, with its fake loans and derivatives, yet another sordid tale in this Cruella De Vil web of power plays spun by incompetent petty men. And Americans think they got it bad Guess that Goldman role makes it less likely for Trump to interfere in Greeces favor. Which would seem a bad idea, for everyone involved, not least of all because of rising tensions with Turkey over islands and islets and rocks (I kid you not) in the Aegean Sea. It would be much better and safer for Trump, and for all of Europe, to make sure Greece is a strong nation, not a depressed and demoralized penal colony for homeless and refugees. That is asking for even more trouble. But nary a soul seems to be tuned in to that, its all narrow windows, short term concerns and upcoming elections. No vision. Or perhaps Merkel will do something unexpected. Word has it that Greek finance minister Tsakalotos is meeting with Angela this weekend, a move that would seem to bypass Schaeuble, who once again said yesterday that Greece can only get a debt writedown if it leaves the eurozone. And thats something Merkel is not exactly keen on. If only because it means unpredictability, volatility, not a great thing if your popularity as leader is already on shaky ground. But to summarize, the Greek people didnt do this. Of course plenty of Greek citizens borrowed more money than they should have in the first decade of the millenium, stories about credit cards in peoples mailboxes with a free 5000 credit on them are well known in Athens. But they were by no means the ones who profited most. And the country has a long history of corruption and tax evasion. Which is what the French and German banks cleverly played into as their politicians acted like they had no idea. Still, none of that comes even close to a reason or an excuse for completely eviscerating a fellow member of both the EU and NATO. And it makes little sense. Do these people really want to risk peace in the eastern Mediterranean, or inside Greece itself (which will inevitably explode if this continues), just in order to keep Commerzbank or BNP Paribas out of the trouble they rightfully deserve to be in? No, its not Tim Mallochs statements that reveal outrageous malevolence towards the values that define this European Union. Its the actions of the European Union itself that do. By Raul Ilargi Meijer Website: http://theautomaticearth.com (provides unique analysis of economics, finance, politics and social dynamics in the context of Complexity Theory) 2017 Copyright Raul I Meijer - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. Raul Ilargi Meijer Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Hours before US president Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in Washington, a senior White House official said, under the condition of anonymity, that a two-state solution that doesnt bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve even though Washington continues to aim at peace as the ultimate deal. The remarks underlie a possible policy shift in the trailing Israeli-Palestinian conflict considering that the US has long supported a two-state solution with the demarcation of borders and the fate of the al-Naqba refugees being the main obstacles. The senior official stated that peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if thats what the parties want, or something else if thats what the parties want. He pointed out that Washington is not going to impose the terms as he claimed that thats going to be up to them, we are not going to dictate what the terms of peace are going to be. Palestinians have accused Israel of trying to suffocate the possibility of a two-state solution over the past decades by extending settlements into occupied Palestinian territories. The remarks of the anonymous White House official were termed as unreasonable by Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee. This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace, she lamented before opining that this does not make sense. Former US president Barack Obama had repeatedly warned that Israeli settlements could make a two-state solution impossible, and that a one state solution would put the future of the Jewish state in question. Ashrawi said bypassing the two-state solution would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad. Trump and Netanyahu are expected to have close ties but the PLO official deplored that accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy. Immigration issues dominated talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed with focus on how to process the repatriation of Tunisians from the European country. Merkel told reporters that they discussed how the repatriation process can be improved as she revealed that around only half of the 3000 Tunisians in Germany are allowed to stay in the country. Cooperation with Germany works very well now Chahed said but stressed that Tunis needs clear evidence from Berlin that those being expelled are Tunisians. The issue of illegal migrants of Tunisian origin has been a thorny issue especially after last years Berlin Christmas market bombing that killed 12 people. The assailant, Anis Amri, was a Tunisian awaiting deportation. Germany claims his deportation has been slowed by Tunisian authorities failure to finish the paperwork. Chahed declined any responsibility of Tunisian authorities stressing that they have not made any mistakes with regards to the attack. He stressed that illegal immigrants who use false identity documents make it difficult and delay the process. He had told the German paper Bild that the biggest problem for Europe is refugees who go from Libya to Italy. The Tunisian prime minister sidelined Merkels proposal for migrants centers to be held in Tunisia stating that setting up camps or reception centers was not an issue (in our talks). In her statement to reporters after her meeting with the Tunisian premier, Merkel unveiled a package of incentives to voluntary repatriation, including educational incentives and financial support for entrepreneurs. Yet, she warned that whoever does not choose to return of their own free will then have to be returned involuntarily, insisting that the process must be quicker. In 2016, only 116 failed-asylum seekers were deported, a figure the German Chancellor deemed as not enough. Tunis and Berlin seem entangled in a conflict of interest. Merkel wants to assure Germans as to their security and safety ahead of polls, following her open-door migrant policy, which contributed to an increase in attacks committed by immigrants. Meanwhile, Tunisia needs the remittances of its expatriates as its economy and finances experience difficult times. Details of a failure of mediation efforts between Libyas Prime Minister-designate Fayez Serraj of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army in Cairo, spearheaded by Egyptian chief-of-staff Colonel Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Hegazy, have begun to emerge. The two sides did not have direct talks on Tuesday as initially planned and the Egyptian mediator talked to each party separately. However, they have reportedly agreed on forming a committee to renegotiate the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) reached in 2015 under the auspices of the UN. Egyptian Army spokesman Mohamed Samir said the two sides have also agreed on holding fresh parliamentary and presidential elections in early 2018. Haftar, who is loyal to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR) and the latters president, Ageela Saleh, declined to commit himself to the agreement stating that he would study the idea. According to the agreement, the 2018 elections would be preceded by the review of the 2015 LPA agreement and its endorsement by the HoR. Other reports on the discord between the two authorities revealed that Haftar refused to accept Serrajs plan for a three-man presidency, a separate government, the position of commander-in-chief to be held jointly by the heads of the Presidency Council, the HoR and the State Council and a supreme military council, where the field marshal would participate. Observers have noted that the plan to sideline Haftar as per the 2015 agreement has Ashraf Al Tulty contributed to political impasse in the country. GNA Spokesman said there will be a 180 degree turn if Haftar accepts the agreement. The Egyptian mediation is among many other efforts trying to end the war in Libya but the main tussle continues to be dividing the views of Tobruk and Tripoli authorities. 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. Gambia is going to rejoin the Commonwealth, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday as he visited the West African nation. In 2013, Former autocrat Yayah Jammeh who has ruled for 22 years withdrew Gambia from the Commonwealth, the 54-member grouping including Britain and most of its former colonies, branding it a neo-colonial institution. However, the newly elected president Adama Barrow said he would reverse all of these moves. We want to expedite everything. Gambia lost a lot, so we wanted to make sure we join all international organizations. Gambia will be back again, Barrow said recently. The British Foreign Secretary heralded the return as he set off for a two-day visit to Gambia and Ghana. I am very pleased that Gambia wants to rejoin the Commonwealth and we will ensure this happens in the coming months, Johnson said. The strength of our partnerships shows that Global Britain is growing in influence and activity around the world. Johnsons trip to Gambia is the first ever by a British Foreign Secretary, according to government records. Georgia to implement Bitcoin-backed land registry program Georgia has become one of the first countries in the world to use the Bitcoin currency and platform to complete property-related government transactions.This week, the Georgian National Agency of Public Registry (NAPR) signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with Bitcoin mining company Bitfury Group to develop and use a system for registering land titles.Transactions, deposits and other financial operations related to land titles will be processed by Bitcoin wallet, Blockchain.The first phase of cooperation started in April of 2016 when the government inked a deal with BitFury Group to develop a pilot system in Georgia. The aim of the initiative is boost transparency in real-estate transactions and the prevalence of fraud.This is the first time a national government has used Bitcoin and Blockchain in conjunction to secure and validate official transactions. Furthermore, the project aims to reduce property registration fees in Georgia by 95 percent.The NAPR will use the worlds latest technology [to] guarantee [. . .] safe transactions, transparency and flexibility. The process is electronic, in which human agents will not interfere, ensuring its security, said NAPR chairman Papuna Ugrekhelidze.In other words, Blockchain technology will bring security to real estate transactions because there is no central point of failure. The ledger is distributed among many computers, so a would-be hacker would need to simultaneously attack at least 51 percent of the network in order to fraudulently alter records.The software is expected to become fully operational this year. via @learyreports WASHINGTON -- Florida's congressional delegation, which stretches from the far left to the far right, has successfully joined together to fight oil drilling efforts. Now the lawmakers are seeking common cause on a broader array of water quality issues facing the state. A group of Republican and Democratic members met this morning to discuss algae blooms, red tide, Everglades restoration and Apalachicola Bay, even the sewage situation in St. Petersburg. Lets get the politics out of this and make a difference, said Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, co-chairman of the delegation. We should be doing all we can to preserve the natural beauty of our states beaches and waterways. Coasts, lakes and rivers are key contributors to Floridas thriving economy and serve as a vital habitat for plants and wildlife. It was the first meeting of the delgation this year and members posed questions to officials from the Army Corps and NOAA. Attending the meeting was Buchanan, Neal Dunn, Gus Bilirakis, Darren Soto, John Rutherford, Francis Rooney, Charlie Crist, Al Lawson, Ted Yoho, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Frederica Wilson, Brian Mast and Lois Frankel. "We are a powerful delegation when we united together," Wasserman Schultz said, recalling the effort to fight oil drilling. She and Buchanan are preparing new legislation against drilling. Buchanan said he wants the group to develop a multi-year plan. "A lot of things have been brushed under the rug for too long and now we need to get a comprehensive vision." --ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn met with Gov. Rick Scott in Tallahassee on Tuesday to strategize over how he can help save Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida from Republican critics in the Florida House. (Jeremy Wallace/Tampa Bay Times) @JeremySWallace A day after attending a rally with Gov. Rick Scott, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn was in Tallahassee on Tuesday meeting with the governor yet again. Buckhorn and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, both Democrats, said they met with the governor to offer their help in protecting Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida - two agencies that some state lawmakers have vowed to eliminate. Id be more than happy to go anywhere and speak to anyone about the importance of these incentives for us to be able to grow our economy, Buckhorn said after his meeting with Scott. House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land OLakes, has called the incentive programs forms of corporate welfare that put too much government influence in the marketplace. Last week a House subcommittee voted to kill both agencies. The bill still has a long way to go, but supporters of the two agencies are pulling out all the stops to protect both. Buckhorn said on Tuesday that if Florida doesnt have job incentive money to offer companies, other cities and states will have a competitive advantage in convincing them to go elsewhere. Buckhorn acknowledged hell take some heat from Democrats who question him being on the same side as the Republican governor and even sounding a little like him in defending the programs. There will be people who are mad at me because I stand up there with the governor, but ultimately its to the benefit of my city and its what I was hired to do - what I was elected to do, Buckhorn said. On Monday, Buckhorn attended a meeting with Scott in Tampa that had all the feel of a pep rally for Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida. At that event, Buckhorn told the crowd the incentives have benefited Tampa and need to continue. via @jayhweaver U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer, who served almost seven years in the longest tenure for South Florida's top law enforcement official, said Wednesday that he will be stepping down on March 3. Ferrer, who will be replaced temporarily by his first assistant, career prosecutor Ben Greenberg, announced his resignation so he can begin considering other opportunities in the legal community while the newly elected president, Donald Trump, decides his permanent successor. Ferrer, the son of Cuban immigrants who rose to the top of his class at Hialeah Senior High School and the University of Miami before obtaining his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania, told the Miami Herald that it has been a sad day, but it was time. Ferrer, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2010, oversaw an office with nearly 250 lawyers that stretches from Key West to Fort Pierce. It has been recognized for decades as one of the busiest and most colorful districts for federal criminal prosecutions in the country. More here. Senate President Joe Negron named eight Republicans and one Democrat to the powerful Constitution Revision Commission Wednesday that he said each have a "tireless work ethic" and a commitment to revising the state constitution to reform state education laws. "The appointees are strong advocates for school choice opportunities that celebrate the power of the parents to determine what form of education is best for their child,'' Negron said in a statement. Negron and House Speaker Richard Corcoran each have nine appointments to the 37-member commission that meets every 20 years to put constitutional amendments directly on the 2018 ballot. Gov. Rick Scott has 15 appointments to the panel, and will name its chair, and Supreme Court Justice Jorge Labarga made his three appointments to the panel last week. Attorney General Pam Bondi is also automatically a member of the commission. Negron made his selections from a list of 100 applicants and among those he rejected were two sitting senators, Dana Young, R-Tampa and Greg Steube, R-Sarasota. Negron and Corcoran have both indicated they will choose applications to the panel who are committed to education reform and increasing school choice options for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Corcoran has said he wants the panel to recommend disabling the "Blaine Amendment," which prohibits state money from going into religious education programs, and both have been vigorous defenders of Florida's school voucher programs and the state's expansion of charter schools. An Ohio insurance-rating company has warned that recent court rulings and skyrocketing losses from water-damage claims have created an uncertain operating environment for Floridas property insurers and that it will downgrade the financial stability of 10 to 15 Florida-based companies, potentially threatening the solvency of thousands of homeowners policies. Demotech, Inc., a company which rates the financial strength of 400 companies nationwide including 57 in Florida, said Tuesday that the company is likely to reduce the financial stability rating of the Florida-based companies from A to B, below the level needed for federally backed mortgages, beginning in March. The decision could put the mortgages of thousands of homeowners in jeopardy because mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require property insurance to be A-rated or the policies could be in default. Story here. @PatriciaMazzei Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette, will dine privately Wednesday night with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The Rubios will join the Trumps at 6:30 p.m. in the Blue Room, according to the White House. Trump has met with a number of lawmakers in Washington, but none has had a one-on-one dinner, wives included, on the schedule. Trump and Rubio put aside the colorful exchanges they had during the Republican presidential primary (think "Little Marco" and...hands) once Rubio sought reelection to the U.S. Senate and received Trump's endorsement. Rubio also backed Trump's candidacy, even after a slew of controversies, though he didn't publicly campaign with him. Rubio harshly questioned Rex Tillerson when Trump nominated him for secretary of state but ultimately voted for his confirmation. Photo credit: Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press In the heated battle over job incentives and tourism money, Gov. Rick Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran are goading each other with tweets, press releases and Scott's media events, like the ones in Tampa on Monday and Panama City on Tuesday. But are these two strong-willed Republicans actually talking to each other? No, and that's rarely a good sign in Tallahassee. Corcoran spokesman Fred Piccolo said the speaker called Scott's cell phone late last week before the governor launched a statewide tour in which he has publicly criticized two GOP House members in their districts, Reps. Paul Renner (left) and Jay Trumbull, for supporting the elimination of Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida. "The speaker had reached out to the governor in the past week prior to the governor's state tour," Piccolo said. A phone conversation wouldn't change either man's mind, but the deepening rancor over incentives and tourism could easily spread to other policy areas, such as the budget, tax cuts and education. Scott's office did not deny that he got the call from Corcoran, and spokeswoman Jackie Schutz did not directly address the question of Scott giving him the brush-off. She said that before last week's vote by a House subcommittee to ax the programs, Scott chief of staff Kim McDougal and legislative affairs director Kevin Reilly walked the halls and visited with every Republican member of the panel but one to express Scott's view that the agencies must survive. "He's been very clear how he feels about it," Schutz said. Meanwhile, the back-and-forth continues. First-term Rep. Alex Miller, R-Sarasota, fired back at critics in a guest column in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Rep. Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater, tweeted: "The Gov is a good man and I agree with him on many things, but he is wrong to go after good House members." Scott will hold two more "Fighting for Florida Jobs" roundtables Wednesday in Sunrise and Riviera Beach. Two of five House members who sided with Scott in a 10-5 subcommittee vote last week are Democrats from Palm Beach County. Corcoran has referred the bill to the full House Appropriations Committee in advance of a scheduled Feb. 21 vote. Michael-in-Norfolk disclaims any and all responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, completeness, legality, reliability, operability, or availability of information or material displayed on this site and does not claim credit for any images or articles featured on this site, unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyrighted to it's respectful owners. Information on this site may contain errors or inaccuracies, and Michael-in-Norfolk does not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the site's content. If you own rights to any of the images or articles, and do not wish them to appear on this site, please contact Michael-in-Norfolk via e-mail and they will be promptly removed. Michael-in-Norfolk contains links to other Internet sites. These links are provided solely as a convenience and are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information or content in such site has been endorsed or approved by this blog. CASTLE BRUCE, Dominica My next few stories will be sent in from the tiny island nation of Dominica, population 70,000. Dominica isnt blessed with the blinding white sand beaches of many of its Caribbean neighbors. This has spared it from the tourist hordes and deprived it of the income they would have brought in. The narrow roads are potholed and unmarked. Old men pass their evenings playing banjo on dimly lit street corners. With its stunted tourist economy, and few exports, Dominica is a living laboratory for how a Caribbean culture might evolve with minimal outside influence. Subsistence farms dot the steep volcanic hillsides. While the supermarket shelves of neighboring islands are stocked with imports, Dominica is a place where local food isnt a buzzword. By and large, its the only option, which makes it something of a locavores paradise. Meals like goat water, a thick goat stew, or chicken kweme made of lemongrass-smoked chicken in coconut sauce, are served alongside a revolving cast of provisions, a broad category of wild or cultivated roots, tubers, and starchy above-ground plant parts like breadfruit. The clean rivers are flush with crayfish the size of lobsters. One noteworthy exception to the local foods rule of thumb is the widespread use, and love, of lentils. Its actually a Caribbean-wide phenomenon, especially in the English-speaking countries like Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and, of course, Dominica. A legacy the British and African involvement in the Caribbean, lentils have hung on, in part, because they are one of the cheapest forms of protein on earth. Being dried and shelf-stable, they can be shipped with a minimum of expense, as there is no rush, and no refrigeration required. They could be imported by sailboat, as they once were, for a virtually carbon-free import, making them about as environmentally friendly as they would be if grown on-site. And being legumes, they require no fertilization. If farmed properly, they can leave the soil better than it was before they were planted. The virtues of lentils are covered extensively in the 2015 book "Lentil Underground," by Missoula native Liz Carlisle. It details how a small group of gritty Montana farmers banded together during the 1980s farm crisis to save their struggling farms, and their depleted soil, by growing lentils. Its an inspiring story that provides a road map for how small farmers can survive in a corporate-dominated playing field, and really makes a guy want to eat some lentils. In those northern lands of snow and ice and thaw, and floods that I left behind, winter is traditionally a time where lentil soup is a comfort food. And as Im learning here, its a good warm weather food too. Here is a lentil recipe given to me by Tapa, who runs an Airbnb in the tiny village of Castle Bruce. He learned it from a Jamaican woman who once rented him a room in London. When she cook, he reminisced, you leek ya fingas. The recipe calls for two specialty ingredients which can be purchased online, or easily substituted for: Jamaican lerk paste and Adobo seasoning powder. The jerk paste is made from thyme, ginger, green onions, garlic and Scotch bonnet (aka habanero) peppers. But all of these ingredients except the ginger and pepper are already in Tapas recipe, so if you dont have jerk paste, simply add crushed ginger, and as much minced hot pepper as you wish. But note: the Scotch bonnet pepper, in addition to having legendary heat (it was once widely considered the worlds hottest), also has exceptional and unique flavor. So it cant properly be replaced by any other type of chile. A homemade Adobo seasoning can be fabricated from: 1/4 cup sweet paprika, 3 tablespoons ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican), 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and 2 tablespoon garlic powder. Tapas recipe isnt identical to that of his esteemed Jamaican mentors, he explained. My cooking have a touch of Jamaican cuisine, but its my own initiative, what I do. I use my own discretion, adding and changing things according to how the food tastes. You should feel free to do the same, as lentils are as forgiving a dish as they are healthy and cheap. Tapa's Lentils 2 pounds lentils cup olive oil 1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning 10 whole cloves 5 garlic cloves, crushed 2 teaspoons jerk sauce 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon curry teaspoon paprika 4 turns ground allspice 3 drops Angostura bitters 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 stalk celery, minced 3 green onions, chopped 5 sprigs parsley, chopped Cover the lentils with water. Add all of the ingredients except the thyme, green onion and parsley. Bring to a simmer and keep it there for about 45 minutes with the lid on, adding water as necessary to keep the lentils covered, until they are cooked but not mushy. You dont really want your lentil falling apart. You want a little body in it. As its cooking you can take your spoon and turn it over and see what its like. When its cook, you take all your final seasoning. Which is to say, add the green onion, celery and parsley, cook for another 15 minutes. Season with salt and serve. And heres another recipe, courtesy of Liz Carlisle, author of the aforementioned "Lentil Underground." It has an Ethiopian twist, thanks to the berbere spice mix, for which there is no acceptable substitute. Ingredients 1 cup red or yellow lentils 1 medium or larger onion, minced 2 cloves fresh garlic 1 tablespoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons berbere mix cup olive oil salt A key step to this recipe, Carlisle explains, is to let the onions, water and berbere enjoy each others company for a few minutes. Thus, add a minced onion to a pan with enough water to cover it. Add your berbere mix. Simmer the onion, spice and water for 30 minutes. Then add olive oil, garlic, and salt. After another five minutes, add lentils, and more water or stock as the lentils start to swell. Keep adding water or stock as the lentils swell, and cook until they are done to your desired tenderness. A man who took nearly $25,000 from investors after promising to use the money to make a cowboy documentary narrated by Clint Eastwood has been sentenced to 10 years with the Department of Corrections, with nine of those years suspended. Matthew McClintock, 70, will also have to pay back the money he bilked from investors, said Brett ONeil, an attorney with the Office of the Montana State Auditor who helped prosecute the case. In August 2015, McClintock was charged with six felonies after securities officials found he spent the money he raised on personal expenses. McClintock promised investors the documentary would air on PBS and told them proceeds of the film would go to the Western Montana Breast Cancer Fund, which doesnt exist. In November, he pleaded guilty to not being registered to sell securities and offering to sell an unregistered security. The plea was part of an agreement that dismissed his other charges. On Feb. 8, Missoula County District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps handed down McClintock's sentence. More than 70 Montana residents invested money in the project, including one who fronted more than $10,000, according to court documents. McClintock is on probation for a deceptive practices conviction in Madison County and had a prior fraud conviction in Oklahoma. In that case, he used online dating sites to scam women out of thousands of dollars, and was nicknamed the Casanova Con by securities officials. MISSOULA What is home without a Mother? Irene Alice Chenard was born (Desnoyers) to Arthur and Alice (Legault) Desnoyers in Fall River, Massachusetts on July 22, 1921. She was recognized in her youth for her lovely singing voice and care of the family home. Irene married Joseph Harvey Chenard of the United States Navy on May 15, 1944. The US Navy sent orders for Irene to join her husband in Honolulu, Hawaii. With their 5-month old son, Paul, Irene traveled from Boston to San Francisco by train and on to Pearl Harbor by ship. Three of their five children were born in Honolulu where Irene was recognized for her beautiful wardrobe, international cuisine and hospitality. In 1953, the family flew over the Pacific Ocean to San Diego, California in the USN MARZ sea-landing aircraft. While their house was being built, the family drove across-country to Massachusetts AND BACK with 5-month old daughter, Jane, in a Nash Rambler in the winter!! Life in San Diego was filled with careers, schooling, friends, accomplishments, retirements while dwelling at the family home on Tulip Street for 61 years. In 1970, son Peter was born, the apple of their eyes. Irene was recognized by the City of San Diego and all knew her for her many contributions to the young people of San Diego. Irene has been living at Grizzly Peak Independent Living since 2014 where she is recognized for her mothers heart, sweet spirit and youthfulness. She enjoyed playing balloon volleyball and taking trips especially in the van. She participated faithfully in four campaigns as a prayer volunteer for 40 Days for Life Missoula. Irene passed away early Saturday morning, Feb. 11, with her daughter, Diane holding and loving her with music and prayers from the Word of God. Irene is preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Harvey (2012); sons Peter (2015) and Paul (2012.) She is survived by her Hawaiian family: Diane Rotering (Missoula,) Fred Chenard (Seattle, Washington), and Jane Tapley (Sutton, Alaska.) She was the eldest of 5 generations, leaving 6 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandson. A memorial service to honor Irene will be held at Grizzly Peak, 3600 American Way, Missoula, MT on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. with Scott Koljonen providing musical features. Reception following. In May, the family will hold a posada to Ft. Rosecrans military cemetery to join Irene with Harvey in their final resting place. For inquiries e-mail: chenardhome@gmail.com. Memorials in her honor may be sent to Partners in Home Care, 2687 Palmer St. Ste. B, Missoula, MT 59808. University of Montana President Sheila Stearns highlighted the UM Health and Medicine Initiative in a news conference Tuesday with faculty and other campus officials, the first such forum in a series. At the media events, Stearns intends to share some of the nationally significant and world-class work taking place at UM, the president said. "It's not just puff and fluff. It's things that really affect our economy and affect our students," Stearns said. Former President Royce Engstrom launched the Health and Medicine Initiative in February 2016 to highlight the health education available at UM and career paths open to students. At the first forum hosted in the Skaggs Building, Stearns noted the following: Academic advising for pre-medical students is topnotch at UM. UM's Mark Pershouse said after the briefing that the university bests the national average of acceptance for students heading to graduate school to become doctors, dentists, veterinarians and physician assistants. At UM, nearly 70 percent of the students applying to professional schools in those areas get accepted, compared to 40 percent nationally. The Montana Board of Regents approved a Neural Injury Center for UM in 2013, and Stearns said it's helping veterans and their families. She did not discuss a related and controversial pig research facility proposed for UM but is expected to make a decision on the lab and faculty hire this month. UM is enhancing the growth of biomedical research in the Missoula community, and it has proposed a Center for Translational Medicine, which would coordinate multidisciplinary research on campus. The proposed center is being created out of a $20 million transfer of equipment and grants from GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines in Hamilton to UM, a boon for faculty, the community, and students. The Skaggs Scholars Program has helped fund five pharmacy students a year who are Native American, Alaska Natives or another underrepresented minority. UM notes all 30 practicing pharmacists in the state who identify as Native American or Alaska Native graduated from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy. This week, UM announced the ALSAM Foundation permanently endowed the scholarship with $1.25 million. "Think about what a difference that will make for the numbers of students and the communities they will serve, most of them here in Montana," Stearns said. *** Stearns took the helm at UM in December after Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian asked then-President Engstrom to resign following six years of declining enrollment at the Missoula flagship. The downward enrollment trend continued as UM dealt with federal investigations in 2012 stemming from allegations the campus had failed to properly investigate rape reports. Campus rape is a national problem, and UM made changes in response to the the feds, but it also received unwanted publicity. In recent months, campus officials have been talking about "changing the narrative" for the university. Once Stearns stepped into the position, she said she found "star power" at UM and wanted to highlight faculty and their groundbreaking work. A search for a permanent president is underway; Stearns will serve as interim, but she is not seeking the permanent post. *** While Stearns highlighted science at the kickoff forum, UM often highlights its outdoorsy setting and recreational opportunities in its recruitment efforts, online and in printed material. The president said it's important to show non-resident students that Missoula is an appealing place to study. However, Stearns said Tuesday she had just laid out the university's recruitment materials on her desk, and she believes they do stress learning and curricula as well as locale. UM does not yet know whether its Health and Medicine Initiative is drawing more students since it is a relatively new structure. However, Dean Reed Humphrey of the College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences said through the new initiative, UM is identifying career paths early, and students interested in related fields leave with more than a GPA; they leave UM with real clinical experience having seen patients treated in clinics. "This is the place where they'll get the broadest range and the deepest resume," Humphrey said of potential students. New programs include a Ph.D. in public health and undergraduate degree in neuroscience. Roberta Evans, dean of the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Health Sciences, said the speech and language pathology program recently made room for an additional group of students because it had 220 applications for 25 spots. She said UM has seen "tremendous growth" at the undergraduate level including in exercise science and community health. *** After the meeting, Pershouse, program director for pre-medical students, said 40 to 60 students a year apply to professional schools under UM's advising, and they do so from a variety of majors, from photography to mathematics. He works with students applying to medical, dental, veterinary and physician assistant programs. "Nowadays, medical schools want diversity," Pershouse said. In 2009, former President Engstrom sought to revise the program, Pershouse said. Since then, students from UM have been accepted into professional programs at higher rates than the national average, he said. UM has nine advisers who guide them, and their philosophy is to work with schools that already like UM students, and to be humble in applying. "If they're a 2.9, we don't have them apply to Harvard," he said. On the other hand, UM students have recently been accepted to programs at Duke University, Cornell University, and Northwestern University. As I see it, health care in the United States is a failed experiment. What I mean is that prior to 1972, we had price controls on health care costs. The Nixon administration removed those price controls and we began an experiment of converting what is a need medical care into a commodity like any other thing to be bought and sold. We should recognize that this was a mistake. When it comes to hospital care its usually a need, not a want. Consider this: We have been using a market model for decades and there is still no wide array of choices, there is still no price transparency, and there is no competition when it comes to hospital care. If I get hit by a bus, the ambulance is going to come and scrape me off the pavement. Do I get a choice of which ambulance company picks me up? Do I get a choice of which emergency room I go to? Do I get to choose my emergency room physician? The answer to all of these questions, of course, is no. Simply stated, hospitals have been monopolies since 1972, and prices at hospitals have been increasing at an unreasonable rate ever since then. It now costs thousands of dollars a night just for a room in a hospital and that doesn't include the care you get. God help you if you end up in the intensive care unit because that could to cost tens of thousands of dollars per night. This is ridiculous. Hospitals have become one of the most profitable enterprises in the economy. It is disturbing to me that they have been using their economic power to purchase private medical practices and consolidate the industry under their management. I think it's time to recognize that hospitals are behaving like monopolies. As such, we need to control them like monopolies. Thats why I have drafted legislation to do just that: treat hospitals like the monopolies they are. House Bill 395 redefines hospitals as public utilities just like electric utilities, railroads and water systems. Public utilities rates are controlled by our Public Service Commission because there's a recognition that there is a need to protect the public from predatory pricing. By defining hospitals as public utilities, the PSC can set their rates. While that may seem complicated, there is a system that sets rates already; all hospital procedures and costs are currently defined, coded and priced by the Medicare system. Recognizing that Medicare rates are too low, HB 395 would allow hospitals to charge rates that are somewhat higher than standard Medicare rates. For private hospitals, the charge would be set at 1.5 times the Medicare rate. For the so-called "nonprofit hospitals the rate would be lower, at 1.38 times the Medicare charge. This bill is scheduled for a hearing in the House Human Services Committee on Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. in the Capitol. If you have something to say about hospital bills, I encourage you to testify at this hearing. If you cant make that, Im inviting Montanans to share their stories of outrageous hospital prices for via the web. Ive set up a web portal on my Facebook page (Representative Tom Woods) for just that. Montanans can confidentially share their stories on that page. Make your voice heard. Your examples will help make the case that this kind of legislation is needed. I'm certain that hospitals will not be happy about rates being imposed on them, but to that I would respond that we the people are sick and tired of their rates being imposed on us. They, the hospitals, would still have the option of going before the Public Service Commission to justify a request for higher rates. This would be just like other public utilities who have to present their costs in order to justify their profits. Thats a fair system that protects us, the people who pay the rates. Remember when unfettered industry polluted the Big Sky? Will similar events return if Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt becomes Environmental Protection Agency administrator? Since being elected attorney general in 2010, Pruitt has sued the EPA 14 times to diminish its role several of those cases ending in failure. Recently, even though Oklahomas Department of Environmental Quality said the state could meet the EPAs 2015 rule reducing ozone from 75 parts per billion to 70 ppb by the 2020 to 2037 deadlines, Pruitt joined four other states suing to block the rule. That case is pending. Automobiles, power plants and industrial facilities are the biggest cause of ozone. It benefits humans high in the atmosphere. However, when it accumulates at ground level (as sunlight heats nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds), it can worsening asthma and cause premature death. The American Lung Association labels it one of the most dangerous U.S. pollutants. Thus, his litigation record does not show that Pruitt used transparent, smart regulations to protect our air and water without stifling development of Americas abundant natural resources. Yet thats what National Association for Manufacturers advertisements claimed when urging his confirmation. Pruitt led legal challenges against America's Clean Power Plan, claiming it would be too expensive. No so. NorthWestern Energy just signed a contract for $0.03763/kWh wind electricity produced near Reed Point, Montana. Thats far below the $0.058/kWh or higher cost of coal-fired electrons generated at Colstrip. Pruitts creating expensive electricity again wont make America greater. During confirmation hearings, Pruitt verified donations to his campaigns from several energy companies and groups that support fossil fuel energy production. He also acknowledged that a letter he sent opposing EPA efforts to limit the wasteful leaking of $300 million annually in publicly owned methane gas from drilling sites was mostly written by natural gas lobbyists. Upon hearing all this, Democrats on the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee walked out pending receipt of information on potential conflicts of interest that might be revealed in 52 outstanding Open Records Act requests to Pruitts office. One January 2015, Center for Media and Democracy request seeks over 3,000 emails between the nominee or his staff and Koch Industries and others regulated by EPA. Republicans were keen to get Hillary Clintons emails. Pruitts, not so much. Without waiting for the additional facts, Senate Republicans suspended the rule that at least one Democrat had to be present for a committee vote and sent Pruitts nomination to the full Senate. It did not matter or maybe it did that budget documents confirm the funding for "environmental law" in the Oklahoma attorney general's office fell from $463,000 in 2010 before Pruitt arrived to zero in 2014. Pruitt will review environmental rules that Trump just froze. Trump also stopped all outbound communication from the EPA and suspended all federal environmental grants and contracts, stalling billions headed to pollution monitoring and environmental research. So, will Trumps policies and Pruitt enhance our country? Or will they just make Americas air and water dirty again? "In all ages wherever a tyrant has shown himself he has always found some willing judge to clothe that tyranny in the robes of legality, and modern capitalism has proven no exception to the rule."Samuel Gompers, 1894. While the world chortles at the missteps of our imbecile president, we hear criticisms of his failures to go far enough to suit those who advocate the law of the jungle. A Feb. 1 letter from David Benson points out how survival of the fittest would be best in a world of over 7 billion population. This while asking for "laws" to protect him and his. Which way is it Trump's law or no law? Some law? A little bit of law as time passes and the need arises? Some jungle? Next thing you know you have civilization back. It's not hard to visualize the chaos that would erupt if men were expected to roam the Earth seeking to unseat established males of their fiefdoms. Chase him off, take his mate and his property, do away with his offspring and everyone "wisely accept" that misfortune without emotion. Life goes on (not for long) build a good fence at whatever boundary he establishes. That is to keep out whom? Good neighbors? That could change at the next visit from a marauding male. Yes, many do come to Montana to enjoy the big sky, open spaces and country life. And some do come to seek a place where skin color, eyes and hair are predominately fair. Those born with the foresight to have selected parents of that fair hair must be gifted and of extraordinary intelligence. Naturally. The animals. Herbert Myers, Missoula Steve Daines will not meet with more than two constituents at a time, and has no town hall meetings scheduled in the coming weeks. He received $46,500 as a campaign donation from Betsy Devos and voted to confirm her, according to an article in the Missoulian. This tells me he is her senator, not mine, and senators votes can be purchased. Jon Tester says his office received thousands of calls from folks in Montana asking him to vote no on this woman's confirmation. I would hazard a guess that Daines has gotten as many or more than Tester. The days of politicians voting with their donors and against their constituents is over. If Steve Daines is such a coward that he is afraid to meet with his constituents who do not agree with him, perhaps he needs to find another job. Have a town hall meeting, Daines, with all of your constituents who show up and stay until all of their questions have been answered. Do not be afraid of dissent, it is the reason America is great already. If we set up a GoFundMe page and raise $46,501 will you listen to us then? Barbara Parker, Lolo Over the past few weeks, weve watched in dismay as President Donald Trump has trampled on fundamental American values and our Constitution, including his discriminatory executive order on refugees and immigrants. As parents of two young children, proud Missoulians and attorneys who value the rule of law, we strongly believe that the United States must have an independent judiciary to serve as a check on extreme and unconstitutional policies that threaten our democracy. We urge U.S. Sen. Jon Tester to strongly oppose Trumps nominee for the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch. The Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter of the Constitution and guarantees every person equal justice under the law. We are not convinced that Gorsuch would be able to put aside partisan ideology to dispense equal justice and serve as an independent check on the types of discriminatory attacks weve seen in the first two weeks of the Trump administration against which millions of Americans have taken to the streets to make their voices heard. Americans are demanding justice, including a court system that will uphold our fundamental values without fear or favor. Its the duty of senators like Jon Tester to take seriously their constitutional obligations and fully evaluate the record and fitness of the president's judicial nominees, who serve lifetime appointments that could affect generations to come; that record shows that Gorsuch is the wrong choice for the Supreme Court. Katie Carlson, Tyler Gernant, Missoula Three Montana medical marijuana providers indicted on federal drug charges are asking a judge to throw out the case, claiming a 2016 court ruling means the U.S. Department of Justice cannot prosecute them since they followed Montana laws. The DOJ says it does have a right to prosecute, alleging the Montana Buds defendants broke state medical marijuana laws, but have refused to specify how until a hearing at Missoulas federal court house on Friday. Jesse Walter Campbell, Michael James Mason and Charlton Victor Campbell face felony drug charges after a DEA raid on their Bozeman-based statewide medical marijuana dispensary network Montana Buds in May 2016. Their lawyers claimed in motions filed in December and January that a unanimous ruling by three 9th Circuit judges in August 2016 sets precedent that the DOJ cannot prosecute medical marijuana providers if they are obeying state medical marijuana laws. That ruling, in USA v. McIntosh, was based on an obscure federal regulation called the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment that bars the DOJ from spending money to prevent states that have legalized medical marijuana from implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana." The judges in the McIntosh ruling said the amendment covers DOJ prosecutions of medical marijuana providers who are not breaking state law, as the Montana Buds defendants claim, and that its up to the district courts to decide whether state law has been broken. Judge Dana Christensen will hear motions by the defendants to dismiss their cases or prevent the DOJ from prosecuting during Friday's hearing. The McIntosh ruling didnt set precedent for how the district courts must determine whether a defendant was following state law, and both the defense and prosecution in the Montana Buds trials dont think the burden of proof is their responsibility. Montanas medical marijuana laws have changed substantially four times since the DOJ began its investigation. When Montana Buds was raided in May the state medical marijuana law said one thing. By September when the defendants were indicted the law said another, and in the November election a citizens initiative changed the law again. December saw some parts of the initiative come into effect earlier than planned, and the Legislature is mulling over several bills that could further change Montanas medical marijuana laws. Chuck Campbell and Mason were indicted together, and Jesse Campbell was indicted in a separate case. The DOJs response to each partys motion to dismiss or enjoin is sealed, as according to the DOJ each refers to confidential information. In a brief supporting Jesse Campbells motion to dismiss, Campbell took umbrage at elements of the DOJs response, shining a light on some of the prosecutions strategy. According to Campbells brief, the DOJ asserts he was not in compliance with the statute of the Montana Marijuana Act mandating the amount of marijuana cardholders are allowed, but failed to cite the remainder of the statute which mandates how much marijuana providers can possess per cardholder registered with them. Due to the injunction and the stay of the Montana Supreme Courts decision, at the time alleged in the indictment, there was no limit to the number of registered cardholders a provider could assist, the defenses brief reads. Campbell also objects to the prosecutions assertion in their response that he is not contesting his guilt or innocence in this motion, and should bear the burden of proving he did not break state medical marijuana law. Of course the Defendant is contesting his guilt in this motion, Campbells attorney wrote in the brief. He was in compliance with the MMA. The defendants brief requests Christensen find the burden of proving compliance or lack thereof with Montana medical marijuana laws is on the government, not the defendant. The Government must prove that it can lawfully spend money in prosecuting Campbell. The government will be attempting to claim the benefit of the implied exception in McIntosh which allows the expenditure of funds to prosecute someone who is not in compliance with state law. The party who claims the benefits of an exception to the prohibition of a statute has the burden of proof, the brief read, citing case law. According to Keri Leggett at the U.S. Attorneys Office in Montana, the prosecution disagrees. If the defendant challenges an indictment pretrial, however, he carries the burden of demonstrating a reason it should be dismissed, Leggett said. Leggett and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson deflected attempts to clarify what authority the DOJ had to indict Campbell in September of 2016 considering the Ninth Circuit decision on McIntosh came a month earlier in August 2016 and the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment was made law in December of 2014. Johnson said the McIntosh ruling gives the authority to prosecute if Campbell broke state medical marijuana law, but did not specify what provisions of the Montana Marijuana Act they allege Campbell broke. As will be explained at the hearing, those actions were clearly out of compliance with the state medical marijuana regulatory scheme, and thus the case is a priority drug violation under the jurisdiction of federal law, Johnson said. Senior legislative counsel of the Marijuana Policy Project Chris Lindsey said that the DOJ has put itself in an interesting new position by in effect arguing that citizens can grow medical marijuana as long as they follow state laws that regulate it. Previously the DOJ completely ignored defendants pleas that they were following state law and doing nothing wrong, with licensed medical marijuana providers prosecuted by the federal government as simple drug dealers. Lindsey knows this distinction all too well he was one of four partners in medical marijuana dispensary Montana Cannabis that got swept up in a series of DEA raids on providers in 2011. Lindsey pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to maintain a drug premises, and was sentenced to five years of probation. Laws could change again before the Montana Buds cases reach resolution, as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment has to be voted on annually as part of the spending bill. Orange County Congressman Dana Rohrabacher spent over a decade trying to pass legislation barring the DOJ from spending money on interfering with states implementing medical marijuana laws. He finally succeeded in 2014 by attaching a last-minute amendment to a routine trillion-dollar spending bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in December 2014. Rohrabachers rider has managed to remain law notwithstanding DOJ attempts to sidestep its enforcement. The congressman seemed confident during a Jan. 11 speech on the floor of the House of Representatives praising the appointment of Jeff Sessions as attorney general. The provision currently remains in effect through April 28, though I expect it to be renewed moving forward. With the House and Senate both on record, and Mr. Trumps stated position that the issue should be left to the states, I am confident that the provision will be renewed, Rohrabacher said. Even if Rohrabacher's amendment is kept on the books, legalized medical and recreational marijuana in the states is still illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Hedging his bets and supported by the Marijuana Policy Project, Rohrabacher introduced on Feb. 8 the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act and make it inapplicable to those following state medical marijuana laws. Rohrabacher's two previous attempts to pass the act were unsuccessful. HELENA Montana legislators turned their focus Tuesday on allowing school employees to carry concealed weapons on campuses and allowing lawmakers to arm themselves when conducting business at the state Capitol. Legislators said both measures were meant to defend against active shooters. On a 53-47 vote, the Republican-controlled House voted to advance a bill that would allow legislators to carry concealed weapons on state property, including the Capitol. Earlier in the day, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on a bill that one Montana legislator said would make schools safer by allowing employees with concealed weapons permits to bring their firearms to campus. Republican Rep. Seth Berglee of Joliet argued that his bill would allow school employees to "defend and protect" students. Berglee said his bill would not require anyone to carry a gun and wouldn't allow students to bring firearms to campus. But a parade of parents and educators argued otherwise, saying that guns on campus could lead to tragic consequences particularly if mishandled by an employee under the duress of a crisis, or if the gun found itself in the hands of a student. "It's too easy to make a mistake when it comes to guns in schools. ... It only takes one mistake," said John Moffatt, who was shot in 1986 when a student opened fire at Fergus High School in Lewistown, where Moffatt was the vice principal. A substitute teacher was killed. He described that fateful day and when he encountered the 14-year-old shooter. "We passed each other in the hall in a matter of a second," he recounted. "And at that time, he raised the gun and he shot me in the abdomen. I was severely wounded. I was down on my hands and knees on the floor." He doubts whether an armed school employee would have been effective in thwarting the shooter. "I know absolutely that there was nothing I could have done even had I been armed at that time," Moffatt said. Moffatt was joined by more than a dozen people from a group calling itself "Moms Demand Action," a national organization seeking to curb gun violence in the wake of the December 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. A gunman shot and killed 20 young children and six adults. According to the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, there have been at least 215 school shootings in the United States since 2013. But despite the spate of campus shootings, the group argues that schools remain safe. "The argument is that we don't need it. We don't need guns. But what happens when we do?" said Berglee, a reserve police officer in Red Lodge. Berglee was also one of 35 legislators sponsoring the bill allowing lawmakers to carry concealed arms on state property. Rep. Randy Brrodehl, a Republican from Kalispell, said the only defense now available against an active shooter is the exit doors that lead out of the House floor. The Congressional death in 1945 and the appointment of a federal judgeship appointment in 1969 triggered two Montana special Congressional elections like the one well have in 2017 once Rep. Ryan Zinke is sworn in as Interior Secretary. On January 15, 1945, beginning his fifth term, Montana Congressman James F. OConnor of Livingston, 66, passed away in Washington, DC. OConnor had been a Montana District Judge, served one term in the Montana Legislature, and unsuccessfully tried three times in Democratic primaries to get to Congress. He lost in 1922 to Senator Burton K. Wheeler, in 1932 to Congressman Roy Ayers and in 1934 to Senator James Murray. In 1936 OConnor was finally elected to Congress where he remained until his death. The 1945 Legislature had established a June 5 statewide bond levy election. Governor Sam Ford then piggy-backed the special Congressional election on the same date to save the $40 thousand cost of a separate election. Attorney General Bottomly asked the Montana Supreme Court to require primary nominating elections, but the court declared that the political parties should nominate by convention. Lewistown hosted both partys conventions, Democrats on April 14th and Republicans on the 16th. Democrats nominated Leo Graybill, Sr. of Great Falls and Republicans nominated Wesley DEwart of Park County. Park County farmer Edgar Spriggs, of the Socialist Party, and Independent Robert Yellowtail, a Crow Tribal official were also on the special election ballot. On June 5, DEwart defeated Graybill by a 4032 margin (26,126 to 22,126 with the minor candidates getting 3619 votes). DEwart was re-elected four times but then, in 1954, was defeated when he challenged Senator James Murray for his Senate seat. On February 27, 1969, new President Richard Nixons first federal judgeship appointment went to Montana Congressman James Battin. Battin had been elected to Congress five times, starting in 1960 when he defeated Leo Graybill, Jr. On March 4, 1969, Governor Forrest Anderson proclaimed a special Congressional election for June 24. Again, both political parties held nominating conventions in Lewistown, Democrats on April 11-12 and Republicans on April 18-19. Competing for the Democratic nod were John Melcher, 44, a veterinarian and former Forsyth Mayor, State Senator and Representative who had run unsuccessfully against Battin in 1966; Harold Gerke, 57, former Billings Mayor who served eight terms in the Montana House, two as Speaker; Jerry Cate, 29, Billings attorney who headed Bobby Kennedys 1968 Montana presidential efforts and was later a Constitutional Convention delegate; and Jack McDonald, 40, a State Senator from Belt and chair of the Constitutional Revision Commission. At the convention, Melcher prevailed on the first ballot, getting 41 of 80 votes; Gerke got 21 votes, Cate 12 and McDonald 6. A week later, Republican aspirants were Bill Mather, 46, Billings attorney, who served 4 terms in the Montana house and was 1969 House Majority Leader; Jack Rehberg, 39, Billings businessman-rancher who served 5 terms in the Montana House and later ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1970; Dr. M.F. Keller of Great Falls, who resigned as Republican Party State Chair to try for Congress and also served three terms in the Montana House; and Hank Cox, 46, a Billings teacher who served a total of three terms in the Montana House. Mather won the nomination on the third ballot with 80 votes to 69 for Rehberg, 4 for Keller and 0 for Cox. Darby Witmer, a wheat farmer from Dawson County was on the ballot as the candidate of the Americanist Party, George Wallaces 1968 presidential party. On June 24th after a campaign of a little over 2 months, John Melcher was elected to Congress by a margin of 2032 votes (45,473 for Melcher - 43,411 for Mather - 539 for Witmer). Melcher was reelected three times and then ran successfully to replace Mike Mansfield in the US Senate in 1976, where he served two terms. In 1945, with a Democratic President, a Republican replaced a Democrat in Congress and in 1969, with a Republican President, a Democrat replaced a Republican in Congress. Voter turnout compared to the previous general election was 46% in 1945 and 72% in 1969. How will the 2017 special election compare with 1945 and 1969 once it is over? I am writing on behalf of Montanas elderly and the compassionate caregivers that diligently strive to care for them. A legislative appropriations subcommittee recently voted to slice the budget of the Department of Public Health and Human Services by $93.4 million over the next two years, with the largest chunk coming from the senior and long-term care program. $93.4 million! Thats a shocking number in itself. Whats even more shocking is that $52 million of these proposed cuts will directly impact our seniors with $42 million in cuts targeted to Medicaid core services. Nursing homes across Montana will be dealt a crippling blow if these cuts are implemented. 61% of nursing home residents are covered by Medicaid. Facilities are losing an average of $34 per day on Medicaid patients due to inadequate reimbursement from the State of Montana. Across Montana, nursing homes are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. 15 years ago, our state had over 100 nursing homes. Today, we have only 77. And costs continue to rise. From 2014 to 2016, patient acuity levels have gone through the roof. Drug and alcohol admissions are up 189%. Bariatric/obesity admissions have doubled. Patients on dialysis have increased 300%. Residents admitted with psychological or mental disorders are up 88%. IVs have nearly tripled. I cannot believe the Legislature is proposing to cut funding for nursing home residents. I, for one, would not want my name associated with a vote to cut funding for our vulnerable elderly. I believe the mark of a civilized society is how and to what extent it cares for those who cannot care for themselves. A vote to approve these proposed cuts is, quite frankly, unconscionable. Brent C. Smith, Heritage Place Healthcare Community, Kalispell BILLINGS A bill that would require hunting and fishing outfitters to report information about who their clients are, where they take them and the animals their hunters harvest met stiff opposition from the outfitting industry on Tuesday. House Bill 290, carried by Rep. Tom Jacobson, D-Great Falls, had its first hearing before the House Business and Labor Committee. No action was taken. This is the heavy hand of government, said Jean Johnson, lobbyist for the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, and flies in the face of a bill two years ago meant to reduce paperwork for licensing boards. She said the hunting information could be gathered by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks through its annual surveys. Proponents of the bill, like retired Conrad farmer Joe Perry speaking for the Montana Sportsmen Alliance, said the information is vital to the public. It basically boils down to managing public trust critters and how youre able to do that without a set of data available, Perry said. According to testimony in the hearing, the Board of Outfitters had been supplying the information to FWP until outfitters in the group outvoted public interests on the board to do away with the requirement. Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, asked Jacobson if the bill is meant to settle the dispute on the board. He responded he didnt know what she meant, but Perry said, Yes, thats essentially true. Although MOGA spoke against the bill, five fishing outfitters and the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana spoke in favor of the measure. They see the reporting of where they fish with clients as necessary information that allows FWP to manage public and outfitted use on rivers that are becoming increasingly more crowded. Our support is grounded in the fact that outfitters make private income on a public resource, said Robin Cunningham, executive director of FOAM. He said that 413 Montana outfitters, 49 percent of all outfitters in the state, provide fishing services. Those small businesses already provide information on the stretches of stream they float as part of their operation plans. Craig-area fishing outfitter Mark Raisler also noted that tensions between outfitters and the public can sometimes be strained. He said that greater transparency can help build trust between the groups. Without this information public perception could fall even farther, he said. And I dont believe thats the right way to go. Ken McDonald, Wildlife Division administrator for FWP, said the information would be helpful in crafting river recreation rules as well as provide a greater understanding of new extended elk hunting seasons and how they are meeting three-year requirements to extend access to private lands to reduce elk populations where they are over population objectives. Part of that assessment will be looking at the balance between the regular season harvest and the so-called elk shoulder seasons. We need to have as much information as we can to know if were meeting or not meeting that performance criteria, McDonald said. Yet Johnson said she couldnt remember FWP ever requesting the data when the Board of Outfitters gathered the information in the past. She added that although she could see where the fishing outfitters were coming from, there was no need to codify the requirement in state statute. She asked the committee to table the bill. Jacobson said the state would want to know how much timber a company had cut from state land, since thats a public resource. Outfitters should be no different since they also harvest a public resource, he added. I dont think thats too much to ask, he said. I would like to think an entity could be forthright and transparent. Butte-Silver Bow commissioners will fill an open seat soon and if the recent past is repeated, more people will seek the appointment than usually run for a council spot in the first place. I think the election process kind of makes some people uneasy, Council Chairman John Morgan said Wednesday. I dont know they might think its easier to get the job without having to run for it. The District 5 seat became vacant when Commissioner Dennis Henderson died Feb. 6 after battling cancer. He was 71 and had been re-elected to the seat this past November with no opposition. Commissioners agreed Wednesday night to start accepting resumes on Monday and they plan to interview all candidates March 8. They will appoint a successor soon afterwards, but the person will have to win election next year to keep the seat and then run for a full four-year term in 2020 if they want to stay on. The largely rural district covers much of southern Silver Bow County, including areas southeast of town below Mount Highland Drive. A map of it and the other 11 districts can be viewed at http://www.co.silverbow.mt.us/DocumentCenter/Home/View/8709 Commissioners have had to fill a few open seats in recent years, including the District 5 seat in 2009 when Don Kronenberger stepped down just seven months after being elected. Four people applied and after interviews, commissioners selected Charlie OLeary, who had represented the district from 1990 to 2008. But OLeary had to run for the seat again in 2010 and Henderson beat him that November by eight votes. Henderson then won a full term in 2012 with no opposition. In late November 2012, 14 people applied for an open District 1 seat that became vacant after incumbent Glen Granger was elected Butte City Court judge. The council tapped Mark Moodry, who had previously represented District 7 before moving to a house in District 1, as his replacement. No council seat on the actual ballot drew more than three candidates in 2012, 2014 and 2016. And nobody filed in time to get on the 2016 ballot for District 6, which incumbent Jim Fisher later won as a write-in candidate. Morgan said running for council is not like seeking national office, but it can still take a lot of time and work. You will get people who apply that wont run for it officially, Morgan said. The county will start advertising the position Monday in The Montana Standard and will begin accepting resumes that day. They will take them through 5 p.m. March 6 but they must be received not just postmarked by then. Candidates must be 18 or older, a U.S. citizen and Montana resident who has lived in Butte-Silver Bow or at least a year and lived in the district at least six months. The person cannot hold any other elective office or work for the county and he or she must continue living in the district to keep the seat. The whole council plans to interview candidates March 8, with all getting the same questions on the same evening to keep the playing field even. It could be a long night, Morgan said. MUSCATINE, Iowa The Muscatine Police Department responded to a report of shots fired near two Muscatine schools Wednesday morning. Multiple gunshots were reported at 7:49 a.m. near Woodlawn Avenue and Orange Street, according to Lt. Jeff Jirak of the Muscatine Police Department. Jefferson and Grant Elementary Schools went on precautionary lockdown for about an hour, until about 9 a.m. "The police were great as far as working with us and the situation, keeping us updated," said Mike McGrory, the assistant superintendent for the Muscatine Community School District. Cory Spies, the principal at Jefferson Elementary, said the doors to the schools remain locked throughout the school day, but students were gathered inside the building for the lockdown. No injuries have been reported, according to the police department. The Muscatine Police Department is asking anyone with information related to the incident to call 563-263-9922, ext. 608. Emily Wenger MUSCATINE, Iowa When Za Siang Tial left her village in Southeast Asian country of Myanmar in 2008, she did not know what awaited her. She did not know if or when she would see her two children again. She did not know she would spend seven months in Malaysian prison, and she did not know that her journey end in Columbus Junction, Iowa. Tial was a Christian rice farmer in Myanmars poorest areas. At least twice a month, soldiers would come to her village, forcing her and others to carry heavy equipment by foot for miles across the mountains. Speaking Tuesday through an interpreter, she said she paid smugglers to help her cross the border. She would eventually reach Malaysia, where she was arrested for being a refugee. United Nations officials got her released from prison and helped her start the process that would bring her family to the United States. Tial and her two children are among 85,000 refugees who entered the United States in 2016. But before they could enter the country, Tial and her children, who joined her in Malaysia in 2012, had undergone an extensive screening process, which took seven years. Director Carly Ross of the Des Moines office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, an organization that helps settle refugees in Iowa, said displaced people have to register with the United Nations as refugees before the screening process begins. They will go and register with the United Nations and then if they are approved for refugee status, that sort of triggers many other steps before they would actually be approved for resettlement, she said. Refugees, she said, dont get to choose where they will be resettled, but agencies try to place them in countries where other family members already live. Tials older sister already settled in Kentucky and other family members live in Columbus Junction. The process that followed involved multiple in-person interviews and numerous security checks. After that point, they have to clear all the security processes including in-person interviews, biometrics, intra-agencies security clearances, medical screening before they would actually board that plane, Ross said. If any of the background check raises red flags, the refugee could be denied entry to the United States. We have to remember that less than one half of one percent of all the refugees in the world get approved for resettlement (in the U.S.) so its a small number, Ross said. Tial and her children passed the security checks and landed in Indianapolis in July 2016. They settled in Columbus Junction with other family members. 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 [] Nyandarua County Government officials this week learnt a very invaluable lesson dont piss off your casual workers. Disgruntled workers on Monday dumped faecal matter at the entrance of the county public service board offices, effectively paralyzing operations. According to Nation, they were protesting violation of a tripartite agreement between them, the county management and the board on promotions and confirmation. They further refused to resume duties until they were served appropriately, meaning there was no body to clean up the place after them. We had an agreement with the county management board and the public service board that by the 19th of December our promotions and confirmations would have been issued. It has been more than two months now and nothing to show for it, Earnest Macharia, the chairman of the Nyandarua county branch of the Kenya County Government Workers Union told Nation. The workers, totaling more than 100, complained that they had been lied to by the government. They said that most of them were yet to receive appointment letters 3 years down the line. Four suspected robbers were on Monday night killed in a shootout with police in Nairobis Kayole area. The four had robbed a motorist of his vehicle and beat him up before throwing him off the moving car. The carjacking took place in Dandora before the car was traced to Kayole where a shooting ensued. Police officers recovered the car, a gun, handcuffs and two sets of fake number plates. The Toyota Voxy was later spotted in Kayole where the men were all shot as they ignored orders from police to surrender, said Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome. The police boss added that the suspects were linked to a number of robberies in the area on Sunday. The bodies were taken to the mortuary for post-mortem and identification. Another suspect was killed in Shauri Moyo area and a gun found on him. According to police, the man popularly known as Jackie was wanted over a number of robbery claims in the area. He was trailed to a hideout along Kericho Road after a botched robbery. YOUNTVILLE Its pruning season in the vineyards, and at this years Napa County Pruning Contest the only thing sharper than the shears were the whetted skills of the contestants handling them. Braving a steady downpour Wednesday afternoon, a record turnout of more than 100 contestants competed among the vineyard rows at Beringer Vineyards Gamble Ranch property for the 16th iteration of the annual contest. This year is wet, said contestant Roberto Juarez, vineyard manager at Moulds Family Vineyard. We thought, Were not going to make it. But by noon, the contest, hosted each year by the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation, was well under way, and Juarezs brother, Jesus Juarez, had already competed. Sharing his time of just over two and a half minutes, Jesus Juarez said he felt confident in his work. I think its very good pruning, Juarez said. Very nice, clean. I think its good time. He feels pretty comfortable, Roberto said of his brother, who in 2008 pruned his way to first place and has since taken second-, third- and fourth-place honors in various years. Given five vines each to prune, contestants were accompanied in the vineyard by an official who timed their work. After the pruning concluded, judges would inspect the vines, docking points for things such as poor-quality cuts. Roberto estimated that, for each vine, a contestant would make around 20 cuts, for a total of close to 100 for the five vines. Officials noted the average contestants time fell between two and three minutes. For the Juarez brothers, their years of practice in the vineyards of Napa is key. When you have practice, it automatically (comes) to your mind what youre going to do, Roberto said. So when you see the vine you know what youre going to do And its easy, Jesus chimed in. Jennifer Putnam, executive director of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers said, Pruning is the most important and the most under-recognized practice in the vineyard in general, because it sets the vine up for this growing season and the next. The farmworkers who do the pruning, Putnam said, are also under-recognized, because they have to make very technical, strategic decisions and they need to have a high level of understanding and training and education to be able to do it. A total of 104 contestants were split into two divisions, 86 in the mens division, and 18 in the womens. From the first round, eight would be chosen from each division and a semi-final round would follow to yield four final winners. Contestants in the womens division Guadalupe Avalos, Adrianna Cervantes and Celia Perez sat at a table under a large tent that offered a respite from the rain. The trio said they had each already competed in the first round. Avalos translated for Perez, who explained in Spanish that she felt the same excitement competing in this years event that she did in her pruning contest debut. Excited, nervous and everything together, Avalos translated. Perez won first place in the womens division in 2014, its inaugural year. Perez explained in Spanish why she had come for this years competition. Avalos translated: She (came) for first place. And me, just the second, Cervantes said with a laugh, adding, Everybody comes to learn more. The (pruning) is different, so you learn more. The trio agreed the rain in particular made the pruning different from their typical work and, thus, more difficult. Apart from clouding their glasses, the women said the rain dampened the branches, making clean cuts harder to achieve. Despite the days challenges, Avalos said she considered herself lucky if only to get the additional experience. I already win, she said. The city of American Canyon is preparing to allow hikers to bring their dogs with them when visiting the Newell Open Space preserve. Parks and Recreation Director Creighton Wright informed the Open Space Advisory Committee Monday night that he has devised a plan that will allow dogs to accompany visitors, with some limitations. Dogs will only be allowed in a certain portion of Newell Open Space, due to the presence of cattle that graze throughout the preserve. They also will have to be leashed at all times. Rancher Ralph Azevedos cattle have roamed the preserves 640 acres since before American Canyon received the property from Jack and Bernice Newell in 1999. The city also inherited Azevedos lease with the Newells that has him paying $7,000 a year for the grazing rights to the land. The presence of the cattle has prevented the city from allowing dogs on the property until now, in deference to Azevedos wishes, according to Wright. Wright explained to the Open Space Advisory Committee that dogs can upset cows, particularly in the spring and summer, when they have young calves. Despite this concern, Wright said Azevedo is willing to keep his cattle out of the lower section of the preserve so hikers can walk with their dogs on leashes. This area, which Wright called an exclusion zone for cattle, would be 130 acres in size. However, about 60 acres consists of tree covered hillside thats of little use to cattle. So what we are really talking about is approximately 70 acres of grazing land that Azevedo wont be able to use, said Wright. Existing fences and gates in the preserve would suffice in keeping the cattle from the new zone, said Wright. The new cattle-free area would include the picnic and campgrounds inside Newell Open Space. Members of the Open Space Advisory Committee were pleased to hear the news. They had previously told Wright of their desire to make Newell open to dogs. It will make a lot of people happy, said committee member Barry Christian. A lot like to walk their dogs. His colleague, Todd Novak, supported the move to allow dogs, while emphasizing that residents will need to follow the rules. We absolutely need to have dogs on leash, said Novak, who recommended the city keep tracks of incidents of people not leashing their dogs and, if necessary, revoke the policy in the event people abuse the privilege. Wright told the committee that before he can moved forward on the plan, he will need to consult with the citys wildlife biologist, Geoff Monk, to ensure the presence of dogs wont impact sensitive habitats and species. The California Red Legged Frog has been found in areas near, but not in the Newell preserve, which is considered transitory habitat for the frogs. Wright warned the committee that if the species is found there, our lives change forever with regard to environmental regulation of Newell Open Space. He also plans to consult with the Land Trust of Napa County to get their approval because it controls the conservation easement for the preserve. There is no timeline yet for the new dog policy to begin. Wright intends to bring the matter back to the Open Space Advisory Committee so it can formally recommend the change to the City Council. The American Canyon Parks and Recreation Department is accepting nominations for community service recognition awards until Wednesday, March 22. The five awards open for nominations are: Certificate of Community Appreciation: Community organizations may recognize several individuals for their volunteer work and contributions to the community. Please limit the number of nominations to 10. Additional certificates may be purchased for $5.00 each (max 10). Organizational Award: Community organizations may nominate one member from their organization to recognize significant and outstanding contributions. (Note: Each organization will be asked to pay a reduced price of $25 for the award winners dinner (regular $35). Scholarships are available should a school/organization need assistance. Contact Parks and Recreation at 648-7275 for more information. Gateway Award: American Canyons most prestigious award honors those that have played a significant role in the development of American Canyon over a number of years. See nomination form for the criteria. Business of the Year Award: This award honors an American Canyon business that has played a significant role in the community over the past year. See nomination form for the criteria. Youth of the Year Award: This award honors a youth who has been involved and made significant contributions within the community. See nomination form for the criteria. Nomination forms are available at the Parks and Recreation Office, 100 Benton Way or online at the Citys website at www.cityofamericancanyon.org/CommunityRecognitionBall. Volunteer and Community Service Awards will be presented at the 18th Annual Community Recognition Ball held on Saturday, April 29 from 5:3010 p.m. at the Community Center Gym, 100 Benton Way. Tickets are $35 each ($25 for award winners). Organizations are asked to pay for their organizational award winner ($25). The Community Recognition Ball includes a no-host social hour, catered dinner, and awards presentation. In a 3-2 vote, the St. Helena City Council agreed Tuesday to review the recently approved water and wastewater rate hikes, in hopes of easing the burden on customers whose bills are set to increase sharply. The council voted to form an ad hoc committee and hire experts to review the rate increases that were approved in November and started taking effect this month. Councilmember Mary Kobersteins motion was supported by Geoff Ellsworth and Paul Dohring, and opposed by Mayor Alan Galbraith and Peter White. Ever since the council approved the rate hikes last November, a group of residents who came together to oppose the rate hikes has been asking the city to look for alternative ways of funding expensive repairs and upgrades to St. Helenas aging water and wastewater systems. Pat Dell, chair of St. Helena Residents for Fair Water and Wastewater Rates, gave the council a petition signed by 812 residents urging the council to reconsider the rate hikes. Tom Belt, one of the groups founders, said residents want another opportunity to voice our concerns, to ask questions, and hopefully get some answers as to why the rates have to be so high. He and other critics say the proposed rates are unnecessarily high because the city is relying too heavily on cash, rather than debt, to fund expensive long-term projects starting in the next five years. Koberstein motion was to: - Appoint an ad hoc committee, including residents, to review last years rate study and make recommendations to the council, if any, for revisions to the study and the rate schedule; - Hire a public-sector financial consultant to advise the committee on financing options for the citys capital improvement plan; - Hire the citys rate consultant, Hansford Economic Consulting, to help the committee analyze the apparent inequity in rate increases between residential and industrial ratepayers, recommend corrective measures if required, and generate alternative rate models; and - Complete the analysis before the next round of rate increases take effect in November. Koberstein said the goal is to accomplish the same objectives but at a lower cost, which might end up reducing the rates. If you could do that, in my mind, why wouldnt you? Koberstein said. She made it clear that the rate hikes will proceed as planned unless and until the rates are changed. Galbraith and White said they werent opposed to hiring a financial advisor, but they opposed the rest of the plan. They asked the rest of the council to defer action until the councils Feb. 28 meeting, when staff will report on the status of the citys bond covenants. Galbraith said the city is out of compliance with those covenants, which require the water and wastewater systems revenues to exceed their operating costs. Even if we could reduce the rates which I dont think at the end of the day is going to be feasible at all we cannot do it legally until we come into compliance with our bond covenants sometime in 2018 at the earliest, Galbraith said. The citys capital expenses might be even higher than the rate study had anticipated, due to potential unforeseen costs of more than $1 million associated with the spray fields at the wastewater treatment plant, Galbraith added. I see, quite frankly, no evidence that would justify a re-look at what we did last fall, he said. Koberstein and Ellsworth hadnt joined the council yet when the rates were approved on Nov. 29, and at the time they both told the council to give the matter more thought. Dohring went along with the councils 5-0 vote at that meeting, but sided with the new councilmembers on Tuesday. I think we need to move forward because time is urgent here with the next rate increase in November, he said. Subsidies Also at Tuesdays meeting, the council voted unanimously to offer new water and wastewater rate subsidies for low-income customers. Details will be available on the citys website next Tuesday. The citys old subsidy program was only available to single-family residential customers, but the new one will be available to residents of apartments and mobile homes, including Vineyard Valley Mobile Home Park. The council allocated $80,000 from the General Fund to pay for the subsidies, which will be based on income qualifications. Subsidies of 50 percent of the base rate will be available to the following customers: - 1 or 2 members of household: gross annual income of $35,000 or less - 3 members: $40,320 or less - 4 members: $48,600 or less - 5 members: $56,880 or less, and so on. Except for the households of 1 or 2 members, the income limits are identical to PG&Es CARE program. Streaming Country Movies Related Posts NATO Defence Ministers began two days of talks in Brussels on Wednesday (15 February 2017), focused on ensuring NATOs strength and flexibility in the face of evolving challenges. Today, Ministers will review progress in deploying NATOs deterrent forces in the eastern part of the Alliance and assess what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism. Ministers are expected to agree on a new regional Hub for the South, based at NATOs Joint Force Command in Naples. This will help Allies coordinate information on crisis countries and address other challenges in the Middle East and North Africa. On Thursday (16 February 2017), Ministers will discuss the next steps to modernise NATOs Command Structure. They will also address how NATO can better counter cyber-attacks, which are becoming more frequent and complex. Later in the day, Ministers will meet with Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria to assess the security situation in Georgia and review the governments ongoing reforms. NATO remains strongly committed to helping Georgia improve its defence capabilities and advance on its path towards NATO membership. NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will host the Vice President of the United States of America, the Honorable Michael Pence, at NATO Headquarters on Monday, 20 February 2017. Media Advisory 15:30 NATO Secretary General and the Vice President Pence will jointly meet the press Main entrance The press point will be streamed live on the NATO website and available free of charge on satellite in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (EU7B or EU10A), the Americas (NS806 or IS34) and Asia (Asiasat5). The technical parameters of this transmission are available at www.eurovision.net/synopsis. The press conference will be available during live transmission and after the event in original sound, English, French, and Russian. Still and video imagery of the meeting will be available after the event on the NATO website. Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg) Accreditation Access by the media is encouraged as of 13h30. Media representatives should bear in mind that security checks will take some time, and that space in the main entrance is limited. When full, media representatives will be able to follow the joint press point from the media filing centre on closed circuit television. Journalists holding a 2017 NATO media pass will have access to the press conference as usual, upon presentation of their pass. Media representatives who do not hold a 2017 NATO media pass will need to request accreditation directly at the main entrance of the NATO Headquarters on 20 February, starting from 12h00. They will have to present an ID and a valid press card (provided by a recognized national professional body of a NATO country - i.e. government, professional association or union, etc.) Media representatives that do not hold a valid press card (as listed previously) are invited to send a signed letter from their editor to NATO Press & Media Service, not later than 16h00 on Friday 17 February 2017 (Fax:+32.2.707.1399, email: moc@hq.nato.int). Please note that a security check will take place, and security personnel will examine equipment and personal effects carried onto the site. Points of contact Front Office Tel: +32 (0)2 707 50 41 Accreditation Mr. Thomas Bellanger Tel: +32 (0)2 707 14 31 TV/Radio issues Mr. Henk Dekens Tel: +32 (0)2 707 50 51 Post-event Video distribution content@natochannel.tv Tel: +32 (0)2 707 12 27 Head of Media Operations & Special Events Mr. Damien Arnaud Tel: +32 (0)2 707 50 38 United States Mission to NATO Office of Public Affairs Mr. Jack Hillmeyer HillmeyerJJ@state.gov Tel: +32 (0)2 724 31 12 (As delivered) So, good afternoon. Secretary Mattis, its great to welcome you to NATO Headquarters. We spoke on the phone on the first day when you had taken up your position as Secretary of Defence, but its great to welcome you here at NATO Headquarters and be able to congratulate you on your appointment and to say to you that I really look forward to working together with you. You are an accomplished leader, you know NATO very well. You served as our Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation, and you made sure that NATO adapted to a new and more demanding security environment. But NATO has to continue to adapt and thats exactly what we are going to address at our meeting today. How NATO continues to adapt to a new security environment. This is a crucial time for our transatlantic Alliance. The challenges we face are the most complex and demanding in a generation. Neither Europe nor North America can tackle them alone. A strong NATO is good for Europe, a strong Europe is good for North America. And therefore, I welcome the US commitment to the transatlantic bond. This is a commitment which we can see not only in words but also in deeds. US troops and equipment are now arriving in Poland and the Baltic countries. This is a clear demonstration of US determination to stand with Europe in these troubled times. At the same time, the US has been clear that we need more defence spending, and fairer burden-sharing. This has been my top priority since I took office in 2014. After many years of cuts, I am glad to say that we have turned a corner. Our latest figures, which we published yesterday, show that defence spending among European Allies and Canada increased by 3.8% in real terms in 2016. And that is roughly 10 billion US dollars. This is significant, but it is not enough. We have to continue to increase defence spending across Europe and Canada. So, we need to keep the momentum. At our meeting, we will also assess what more NATO can do in the fight against terrorism. This is a concern to our people on both sides of the Atlantic and NATO must play our full part. We have been helping to fight terrorism in Afghanistan for almost 15 years. We are training Iraqi officers and supporting the Counter-ISIL Coalition with AWACS surveillance planes. Today, we will decide to set up a new Hub for the South at our Joint Force Command in Naples. This will help us assess and address threats from the region. And it will complement the work of our new Intelligence Division here at NATO Headquarters. So Secretary Mattis, this will be an important meeting. We have a lot of work ahead. And I really look forward to working with you, and once again welcome, I should rather say welcome back to NATO. JIM MATTIS (United States Secretary of Defense): Thank you Secretary General, thank you very much for the warm welcome back to my second home. It is an important meeting as you point out and I think were here as you all know to chart the course of the alliance in the future. The events of 2014 were sobering and we must continue to adapt to whats been revealed to us in terms of our security challenges. The Alliance remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community bonded as we are together. As President Trump has stated he has strong support for NATO. And NATO is in the midst of transformation; it has always been adapting to the security challenges - this is nothing new. Perhaps the pace of change has certainly picked up a bit but this is something that we can deal with. And its absolutely appropriate as a European minister of defence said last week: its a fair demand that all who benefit from the best defence in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom. And we should never forget ultimately it is freedom that we defend here at NATO. And I do have confidence that we will prove once again that we can react to the changing circumstances; weve done so in the past - theres every reason for confidence that we will move out purposefully together once again. I am here to listen to my fellow ministers, to have an open conversation among friends and allies about where were going and our shared level of commitment. Thank you Secretary General Stoltenberg. JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you so much. UC Santa Cruz music professor David Dunn has joined forces with two forest scientists from Northern Arizona University to combat an insect infestation that is killing millions of trees throughout the West. They are applying the results of nearly a decade of acoustic research in an unconventional collaborative effort to stop bark beetles from tunneling through the living tissue of weakened, drought-stressed pine trees. The trio has now received a patent for a device that uses sound as a targeted sonic weapon to disrupt the feeding, communication, reproduction, and various other essential behaviors of the insects. Dunn explained how this research came about. When massive tree death started occurring in Northern New Mexico where I was living, I became curious if there were sounds associated with such a large amount of biological activity, said Dunn. At that time there was still the assumption that this was the result of a local bark beetle infestation due to drought conditions. Since then, we have come to realize that this was not just a local outbreak but one of many outbreaks across all of the western states and Canadian provinces that has been driven by climate change conditions. Many scientists think that we are experiencing the largest insect infestation of North America in the fossil record of the Earth, he added. Dunn spent a few weeks thinking about how to listen to the interior of trees and soon came up with a simple listening device that cost less than $10 to build. Designing unique and inexpensive devices in order to listen to sound had long been a part of his artistic work. After making hundreds of hours of recordings inside hundreds of trees, I made a large sound composition that represented the incredible diversity of sounds made by a couple of species of bark beetles and their changing responses to the life cycle of tree hosts that they invade, said Dunn. This was released as a CD (The Sound of Light in Trees) that garnered a lot of attention from both the sound, art, and music community, as well as various scientists involved in bio-acoustic research. After that interest emerged, I was approached by my future colleagues at Northern Arizona University who not only wanted to replicate what I had done, but to collaborate on how to push this research further. These further results led to the device and protocol that we have just patented. Dunn noted that it is very unusual for a scientific patent to be awarded to an artist and added that there are very few examples of concrete results from collaborations between artists and scientists. My contribution to the project mostly concerned the technical design aspects of the audio, electronic circuit designs, and the novel sound gathering techniques, Dunn explained. In a very real sense, this represented a kind of reverse "tech transfer" from the arts to the sciences. Historically, it has usually been the other way around. We have now entered into a period of common interests between art and science largely driven by the commonality of digital tools, Dunn added. Artists are now just as involved in designing such tools as the scientific community and often create software and instrumentation in order to facilitate their creative visions that may ultimately be of even greater value to scientific research. I think that this was one of those instances and a couple of fortuitous events conspired to allow something interesting to happen. Dunn observed that one important aspect of art/science collaborations is the peculiar ability of artists to trust their imagination over their rational faculty. Most of the best scientists I know have fantastic and expansive imaginative capacities but often have to strategically mask those skills in order to operate within disciplinary and professional constraints, said Dunn. I personally believe that science must be a deeply rigorous enterprise, but it is not an either/or issue. It is the balance between the rational and imaginative that will ultimately solve the most serious problems that threaten us. Artists can sometimes ask the pithy or embarrassing question that needs to be asked, or cuts across disciplinary constraints, or politics, without paying a professional price. As Gregory Bateson, a former faculty member of UC Santa Cruz put it: rigor alone is paralytic death, imagination alone is insanity." Dunn said that he and his colleagues at Northern Arizona UniversityRichard Hofstetter and Reagan McGuire--hope to produce a range of products as a result of their patent to combat bark beetles, as well as other insects related to them. He added that scaling up the device to be effective in saving large forests might be possible through the use of local wireless or FM broadcast to protect select areas of forest, depending on how cheaply they can produce an effective system that can be applied to individual trees. One major obstacle is the issue of how to miniaturize the analog circuits and sample playback, said Dunn. One of my brilliant graduate students, David Kant in music, has been working on putting all of this into digital form and has largely succeeded. If we can solve that problem and come up with viable output transducers, amplification, and solar power solutions, it's very doable. Share this story: TwitterFacebookLinkedInReddit Leading venture debt and specialty lending business InnoVen Capital in its India Startup Outlook Report 2017 highlights the perspective of founders and CXOs of Indian startups with respect to fundraise and investor sentiment, business focus and challenges, and on policy and government initiatives amongst others. The survey by InnoVen captures responses from over 170 startup leaders across bootstrapped as well as funded ventures. As per the report, 65 percent believe that Indian startup is in a technology bubble, of which 18 percent felt that it was close to bursting soon. On the fundraising environment in 2016, 63 percent of the respondents who attempted to raise funds confirmed that they had an unfavorable funding experience in 2016 with almost half of these not being able to raise any funding and the rest raised either a sub-optimal external round or a bridge round. It says that the respondents believe that what is most likely to improve investor sentiment in 2017 is more companies with robust business models followed by more exits and the least likely factor to better the funding environment is Indian unicorns raising more money at a higher valuation. 94 percent are looking to raise funding in 2017, with VC backed companies aiming to raise a median of USD 12.5 million. The average expectation on how long it could take to close the round is four to five months. Although difficulty in raising equity funding was voted as the top business challenge, followed by difficulty in managing talent and market creation, it seems however uncertain whether fundraising will be more challenging in 2017 or less as the group was equally divided on this when specifically asked. Focus in 2017 for majority respondents will be growth, however VC backed companies opted for profitability as the primary factor to solve for. Only 38 percent of the cash burning companies had a higher burn rate in 2016 as compared to 2015 and overall, the median timeline for achieving profitability is expected to be one to two years. Separately, the preferred mode of exit for majority startups is to publicly list either in India or offshore with 30 percent selecting M&A as the top choice and another 30 percent opting to continue to remain private. In all, ~64 percent of the respondents expect an exit event in the next six years. Workforce hiring and representation was another aspect covered in the report. Of the companies observed, 24 percent had women representation on the board, 18 percent had women in CXO positions, and 33 percent were actively looking to hire women in senior roles. Sales, Technology and Marketing were areas in which hiring top executives has been or is expected to be the toughest. More than a quarter of respondents would prefer to relocate to another city with Bangalore being the top choice destination. GST was selected as the most helpful recent government initiative, especially by founders in Retail consumer brands and logistics sector. Media and content sector found the push towards Digital India a shot in the arm and Fintech companies were appreciative of digital payment tools such as UPI. Interestingly, demonetization policy was seen as favorable in the short term by only 22 percent respondents, increasing to 52 percent in the long term. The entrepreneurs converged on the following three major measures that can make India more appealing for startups: better tax policy, facilitation of cheaper financing and investment in digital infrastructure. "The startup outlook report is part of our continued effort to understand and communicate the nature of the Indian entrepreneurship ecosystem. In this report, we explore the mood and outlook of Indian startups given the recent budget, cautious investor climate and an uncertain global economy," said Group COO and CEO India, Ajay Hattangdi. "We hope this report helps all stakeholders including entrepreneurs, investors and lobbying groups create more effective outcomes in engaging with the innovation economy," added Hattangdi. (ANI) New Delhi [India], Feb. 15 (ANI-BusinessWire India): In order to combat the public health threat of intestinal worm infections in children aged 1-19, the Government of India is observing the third annual National Deworming Day on February 10, 2017. A mop-up day will be held on February 15, 2017, to deworm any child who could not be dewormed on National Deworming Day. Last year, around 30 crore children were dewormed within in a span of six months. In February, 2015, around 9 crore children were dewormed in 11 states/union territories. "Currently the largest single day, public health program in the world, the National Deworming Day this year is set to reach approximately 34 crore children in 34 states and union territories in government and government-aided schools, anganwadis, and private schools," said C K Mishra, Secretary (Health), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India has the highest burden of worm infections in the world, with the World Health Organisation, estimating in 2014 that over 22 crore Indian children aged 1-14 years are at risk. Intestinal worm infections can act as a deterrent to children's growth and development, and can adversely impact performance in school, and livelihood potential later in life. Preschool and school-based deworming programs are globally recognised as a 'development best buy'. Deworming with the safe and beneficial Albendazole 400 mg tablet is an effective solution to controlling worm infections. "The NDD is being implemented through the combined efforts of Department of School Education and Literacy under Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. All stakeholders are committed towards achievement of the National Deworming Day objectives, as reflected in the joint directives signed for the National Deworming Day program by the Secretaries of the MoHFW, MHRD and MWCD," Mishra revealed. "The Health secretary further informed that Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri JP Nadda has also sent letters to the Chief Ministries of all States/UTs and all members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for their assistance in key tasks related to the Deworming efforts for health and well-being of children," added Mishra. In an effort to improve child health scenario of the country, National Deworming Day aims to reach every child, regardless of their socio-economic circumstance. Schools and anganwadis are ideal platforms for such a program, reaching children in their natural environment in a coordinated, cost-effective, and systematic way. In addition, through extensive awareness generation and community mobilisation efforts at state, district, and community levels, children who are out of school, live in hard-to-reach areas, and are from vulnerable populations are also mobilised to be dewormed at anganwadis on National Deworming Day. A coordinated effort is rolled out across the country with tablets, communication material, and reporting forms delivered to the very last school and anganwadi well in time. Officials and functionaries at all levels are trained, including teachers and anganwadi workers, who are pillars of the program. This results in lakhs of anganwadi workers and teachers, who are trusted by the community, administering the deworming tablet to crores of children on a single day across the country. Deworming may have very few side effects and some children, especially those with high worm infections, might experience nausea, mild abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and fatigue. In line with the guidance from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, comprehensive adverse event protocols have been put in place. Apart from being dewormed, maintaining healthy and hygienic practices will help children and communities remain safe from worm infections. National Deworming Day is conducted with technical assistance from WHO, National Centre for Disease Control and Evidence Action. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare envisions an open-defecation-free India which holds the capacity to reduce the overall worm burden in a community. The efforts of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan will further facilitate the progress and benefits of the National Deworming Day. (ANI-BusinessWire India) Rana Daggubati, who is set to portray Lieutenant Commander Arjun Varma in upcoming flick 'The Ghazi Attack,' has written a letter to the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. The film is inspired from true events, a classified mission conducted by the Indian Navy, against their Pakistani counterpart in 1971 that not much people know about. Daggubati character in the film, Arjun Varma, is said to have remained underwater for 18 days during the war. During the course of working on the film, the actor met some real navy officers, who were on board. The actor was extremely moved on hearing about their challenging experience, and decided to write a letter to the President for acknowledging the Indian armed forces, as they are the unsung heroes, whose immense contribution the nation must know about. The 'Baahubali' actor said, "Post Ghazi, civilian like me have understood a lot about victorious battles that have been fought by all our armed forces on the borders so as to keep us safe. As a civilian I did not know about these victorious tales and like me there are many others who did not know much about it, to us it's a letter to acknowledge these heroes and make sure we know more about these unsung heroes and their tales of victory." The upcoming movie rekindles the mystery of what happened on the night of December 3 and what exactly caused the sinking of the PNS Ghaz attack from the Indian Navy. The trailer of the flick has already garnered huge appreciation. It stars Rana Daggubati, Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Panu and late veteran actor Om Puri. India's first War-At-Sea film 'THE GHAZI ATTACK' slated to release on February 17, 2017. (ANI) Art is mightier than sword, when it comes to protest against some socio-political issue. It will once again be proved when, hours before the Oscar night, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's Oscar nominated film 'The Salesman' will have a free premiere screening at Trafalgar Square, London. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is all set to organise a screening of the film, which was affected by Donald Trump's travel ban, reports The Guardian. Farhadi, who will not attend this year's Oscar ceremony in solidarity with those who had been affected by the ban, believes that the screening of the movie at Trafalgar Square has a great symbolic value. "The gathering of the audience around 'The Salesman' in this famous London square is symbolic of unity against the division and separation of people," he said. The director also thanked the mayor and the cinema community for taking this initiative, "I offer my warmest thanks to the mayor of London and the cinema community for this generous initiative. I welcome and appreciate this invaluable show of solidarity." The Palme d'Or-winning director Mike Leigh, who will also be attending the screening said, Farhadi is "one of the world's greatest film-makers". "For those of us who make movies about real life, real people and real issues, he is a master, a true inspiration to all of us. We must show solidarity with Asghar and his principles, against divisiveness and hate," Leigh said. He will also address an expected audience of up to 10,000 people in central London. The announcement came after actors and film-makers including Julie Christie, Kevin Macdonald, Keira Knightley, Ridley Scott and Terry Gilliam wrote to the Duke of Westminster, seeking permission to hold a screening outside the U.S. embassy to protest against President Trump's order that puts a ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. On a related note, 'The Salesman' is nominated for 'Best Foreign Language Film' at the 89th Annual Academy Awards, which will take place February 26, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles . (ANI) "The road that Akhilesh's government has constructed on which the fighter jets can also land and take off is really laudable. It is very good thing to know," Thackeray told ANI in an exclusive interview. The Shiv Sena supremo further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is involved in a politics of double standard. "Before elections they say something else and post elections they say something else. They are doing politics of double standard," he added. After snapping ties with BJP in civic polls, the Shiv Sena and BJP alliance has been going through a rough phase. Alleging that there is no transparency in the government led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Shiv Sena yesterday threatened to pull out of the coalition in the state. The Shiv Sena threatened to withdraw its support to BJP for the third time in a row. Thackeray had earlier said that the Maharashtra Government is on notice period, adding his party members are ready with their resignations. (ANI) Hitting out at its political rivals for being immersed in corruption, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asserted that none of the party Chief Ministers has ever been involved in any scams, adding that it was unfortunate of Uttar Pradesh to be governed by such (corrupt) governments. "If one is accused of such charges, he should quit politics and should not rejoin till he comes up as clean," Singh said while addressing a rally here. Urging the people to come out in party's support, Singh said Uttar Pradesh voted for the BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections also. "Barring a few parliamentary regions, the entire Uttar Pradesh voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014," he said. Hitting out at the Samajwadi Party (SP), Singh said Uttar Pradesh did not witness any development despite of 15-20 people of a family in power. "Why did development not take place in the region which had 15-20 people of the same family in power?" he said. Singh also put his focus on other requirements that the state has been longing for including waiving off farmers' loans, free education for girls till graduation etc. The campaigning for the second phase of assembly elections ended yesterday evening. The voting will be held on February 15. 67 seats spread over 11 districts will go to polls in this phase. The first phase of polling was held on Saturday with a 64 percent voter turnout. The first phase included 73 constituencies with a total of 839 candidates in the fray.(ANI) As the political crisis in Tamil Nadu escalated, AIADMK MP and interim chief minister O. Panneerselvam supporter V. Maitreyan will meet Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao at 7 p.m. today. This comes as Rao gave appointment to AIADMK legislature party leader Edapadi K. Palanisamy to discuss government formation in the state. "Edapadi K.Palanisamy is not a fit person to hold the post. He is fit for nothing," said S. Semmalai, AIADMK MLA and supporter of Panneerselvam. Palanisamy was earlier in the day declared the legislature party leader by AIADMK general secretary V. K. Sasikala following her conviction by the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case. Addressing the media earlier this afternoon, Palanisamy said that he was eagerly waiting for the Governor's invitation, adding that the party's priority at the moment is to form a government that follows the footsteps of late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa. "Minister Dindigul Srinivasan chose me as the leader of the AIADMK party in the meeting after which all the MLAs unanimously elected me. In order to form a government which follows the path shown by Amma, we have sent a letter to the Governor and are eagerly waiting for his invitation," Palanisamy said. "I would also reiterate that Chinnamma also accepted me as the leader of the party," he added in a bid to end all speculations. Earlier today, the apex court upheld the trial court's verdict that sentenced Sasikala to a four-year jail term her in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case. Late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa was accused in the case along with Sasikala and two others. A bench of Justices P.C. Ghose and A.K. Roy directed them to surrender forthwith to the trial court in Bengaluru and serve the remaining part of the four-year-jail term. Sasikala cannot contest the elections for the next 10 years. The bench, however, abated the appeal proceedings against Jayalalithaa owing to her death. Hours after the verdict, Sasikala expelled 20 other leaders including caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam from the party. Meanwhile, Panneerselvam has appealed to all the AIADMK MLAs and cadres to unite together in the prevailing situation to continue the works left by Jayalalithaa. He has also asked his party cadres not to fall into the ploys of the opposition that tries to create division in the AIADMK. (ANI) "This is a victory for the people of Tamil Nadu and a victory of truth and the judicial system," Prasanna told ANI. He also stated that both late AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa and Sasikala had accumulated public money by using the coveted Chief Minister's position. "Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and two others made a wrong commitment, they encroached public money. They took the public money and covered it up from the state of Tamil Nadu using the position of the Chief Minister," he said. Sasikala has been convicted in connection with a 19-year-old disproportionate assets case dating back to 1996. The case posed a legal hurdle against her ambitions of taking over as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Sasikala has been ordered to serve the remainder of her four-year jail term and has also been barred from contesting elections or holding public office for ten years. The verdict came in the backdrop of the ongoing power struggle between Sasikala and incumbent Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. (ANI) Guntur Collector Kantilal Dande informed that the certificate was obtained by fraudulent means and should be cancelled. Vemula's family has been intimated about the findings of the inquiry and a response has been sought as to why the certificate should not be cancelled. Rohith, 26, had committed suicide by hanging himself in the University of Hyderabad's campus in January last year. He was earlier suspended from the university hostel in August 2015 by the administration for allegedly attacking an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader. University's vice-chancellor Appa Rao, along with BJP-led government in the state, was accused of being anti-Dalit which led Rohith to take such an extreme step. (ANI) However, accused Manoj and Sandeep have been sent to jail. In a major breakthrough, the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) earlier on February 9 busted an international call racket that allegedly helped ISI agents to spy on India's military operations. "Two men were arrested in Jammu in November '16 for collecting and using information of strategic interests for espionage. They were being funded by a person in Satna. Five persons from Gwalior, three from Bhopal, two from Jabalpur and one from Satna arrested," MP ATS chief Sanjeev Shami told the media. Shami said the accused converted internet calls to cellular network and acted as medium for overseas handlers to contact people in India. "The arrested men are accused of supplying information regarding army and Air Force in Madhya Pradesh. Complicity of some employees of telecom companies also surfaced," he said. In January, the Uttar Pradesh ATS had arrested 11 people who were running a similar exchange. (ANI) Putting the speculation of entering into alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to an end, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday said her party would rather choose to sit in opposition than joining hands with the saffron party. "We are ready to sit in opposition but will not form government with the help of BJP. No question to go with Samajwadi Party, Congress. There is no question of either supporting or extending support to the BJP or the SP-Congress alliance," Mayawati said while addressing a rally in Kanpur. The BSP chief further hit out at BJP alleging that the latter is spreading rumours through social media that both the parties are going to form government together. Proclaiming that her party would win the popular mandate in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, Mayawati added that she did not require anybody's help to form government in the politically crucial state. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also claimed that BSP candidates had received the lion's share of votes during the first phase of polling and the same thing would happen in the second phase as well. "BSP will remain number one. This is the reality. The BJP is building castles in the air and after the results are out, it will be at the bottom of the table," Mayawati said. Taking a jibe at BJP president Amit Shah, Mayawati said the saffron party's chief was spending sleepless nights after the first phase of polling adding that the former had spread the rumours of a possible partnership with the BSP. Around 63 percent voter turn out was recorded in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh polls which was held on February 11. The second phase of the polls will be held on February 15. (ANI) One Sasikala is out, another Sasikala is in. This Sasikala supports OPS, the caretaker Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The adverse verdict against V.K. Sasikala has given new hope for L. Sasikala Pushpa to come to the frontline of Tamil Nadu politics. Sasikala Pushpa, a rebel AIADMK member and Rajya Sabha MP, has been in the news for opposing the appointment of V.K. Sasikala to the post that late party supremo J. Jayalalithaa once held. She has been a close aide of Panneerselvam. With the Supreme Court verdict coming as a setback for V.K. Sasikala in her ambition for the coveted post of the Chief Minister, Sasikala Pushpa has enough reasons to be on cloud nine. Sasikala was expelled from the AIADMK by the late chief minister after she allegedly slapped Trichy Siva, a Member of Parliament from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on August 1, 2016. Sasikala Pushpa who was the one who first cried foul when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam passed a unanimous resolution to work under the leadership of Jayalalithaa's friend and confidante V.K. Sasikala. Post Jayalalithaa's death, Sasikala Pushpa had moved the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe or a judicial investigation by an apex court judge into the same. She alleged that Jayalalithaa's death was "suspicious" as her actual medical condition was not disclosed, adding no one was allowed to visit her, and her funeral photographs showed embalming marks and everything from her hospitalisation to her death "was kept under wraps". Sasikala Pushpa's lawyers were attacked by the party workers and her husband was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Police a day after the ruckus outside the AIADMK's office in Chennai just before the party was all set to announce the successor of Jayalalithaa, who breathed her last on December 5, 2016. Party spokesperson C.R. Saraswathi had then said, "Pushpa is no more with the AIADMK and has no right to be present in any meetings." After Jayalalithaa's death, Panneerselvam was once again promoted as the Chief Minister, the post he had filled in twice for her when she had to take leaves of absence from office because of charges of venality. In the weeks that followed, the state's ruling AIADMK appeared to be running smoothly. Gears began grinding two week ago when Panneerselvam said that he would not allow V.K. Sasikala to replace him as the Chief Minister as decided by the party. The Supreme Court's judgment on Tuesday convicting V.K. Sasikala in a disproportionate assets case has added suspense to the ongoing chaos for the Chief Minister's chair. At one hand, it will scuttle V.K. Sasikala's chances of becoming the Chief Minister as the Constitution mandates election to the assembly within six months of assuming office and on the other hand it will give a new chance to Sasikala Pushpa for re-entering the AIADMK from which she was expelled. Sasikala Pushpa might be taken back into the party only if Panneerselvam proves majority in the house and becomes the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu yet again in the coming days. For Sasikala Pushpa, a ray of hope has also arisen because V.K. Sasikala will not be able to contest the elections for 10 years or hold public office. A former Mayor of Tuticorin city, Sasikala Pushpa, comes from Mudalur near Sathankulam in Tamil Nadu. She was elected to the Rajya Sabha on April 3, 2014. A couple of days after her expulsion from the AIADMK, she alleged in the Parliament that some forces within the party were threatening her and that she was being forced to resign. The political tussle between V.K. Sasikala's camp and OPS loyalists has not yet stopped as immediately after the verdict, the former faction elected the serving PWD Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy as the new Legislature Party Leader. He was elected by the MLAs owing allegiance to V.K. Sasikala in a meeting held at the Kuvathur resort near Chennai. V.K. Sasikala, who was also present in the meeting, endorsed Palaniswamy as the new legislature party leader and also removed Panneerselvam from the party's primary membership. The attempts of V.K. Sasikala's camp to take over the reins of the state from Panneerselvam is not just being seen as a simple plot to grab the power, as many feel that this may also lead to turn the course of state politics. The energetic youth, who shook the entire nation for eight days from January 17 to 23, protesting a Supreme Court ban on the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu and settled only after getting the result in their favour is now watching the drama scripted by Sasikala Natrajan. The young age Tamil people must be frustrated to see the political turmoil and a power tussle in the AIADMK after the death of their beloved leader Jayalalithaa. Questions are now being asked as to who is going to hold the reins of the government in Tamil Nadu - Sasikala loyalists or OPS? Interestingly, both of them are hell bent to defeat each other with a simple concept and spirit of "flight or fight", a reminder of the bull taming sport Jallikattu. Clearly, the Chief Minister's chair in Tamil Nadu has become "Salli" and Sasikala and Silvam factions are fighting to get the post as "Kattu". In Jallikattu, which is also called Sallikattu, "Salli" kassu (coins) is tied to the horns of the bulls and a package or "Kattu" is given as the prize money as per Tamilian tradition. The comparison of Sasikala-OPS feud with the recent Jallikattu episode in Tamil Nadu has one thing in common and that is the people of state. While they were seen agitating and protesting with remarkable energy thereby compelling the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly to convene a special session to pass a bill on January 23 this year allowing Jallikattu, but the same people are now watching the political developments silently through their television channels. Now, since one Sasikala is opposing OPS and the other is supporting him, all eyes are on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, who has to take decision about whom to give a chance to form the next government in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP Government at the Centre cannot overlook the developments taking place in Tamil Nadu, which has a total of 37 members in the Lok Sabha and 13 members in the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling BJP is not in majority. As of now, the BJP has taken a stand of "no interference" in whatever is happening in Tamil Nadu. Terming the apex court's decision as historic, BJP general secretary Murlidhar Rao said the verdict will have consequences for Tamil Nadu polity and will also have an impact on national politics. He said that the AIADMK now has to introspect and select a leader who can provide clean politics and administration. Rao said the BJP will support any constructive move in the interest of Tamil Nadu. The Congress also echoed similar sentiments on the issue with party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala firmly stating that this is the only way forward and added that the Tamil Nadu Governor must call a special assembly session and ask both factions to prove majority in the house.(ANI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] on Tuesday welcomed the verdict given by the Supreme Court on All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) general secretary V.K. Sasikala in connection with the 19-year old disproportionate assets case and urged the constitutional machinery to immediately form a government in Tamil Nadu. "The Supreme Court judgement regarding Tamil Nadu is a judgement against corruption in high places. With this judgement the political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu must end," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told ANI. Yechury further hoped for the constitutional powers of the state to rush to form the government in Tamil Nadu. "Those who can prove the majority on the floor of the house of the assembly must be called to form the government and all necessary measures in this direction must be taken by the Tamil Nadu governor," he added. Earlier, Sasikala suffered a major jolt with the Supreme Court upholding the trial court's judgment convicting her in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case against her. With this, Sasikala stands disqualified to take over as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.(ANI) The removal of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) general secretary V.K. Sasikala escalated into a movement under Sasikala Pushpa, who apart from having personal issues with the former, has been a close aide of the caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. With the Supreme Court pronouncing its verdict that poses a legal hurdle for the graduation of Sasikala as the chief minister of the state, Pushpa is mightily happy. Dubbing Sasikala as 'criminal' even as she expressed her faith in the Indian judiciary, Pushpa on Tuesday held her responsible for everything that went wrong in the AIADMK politics. "Everybody loved Amma, that's why the whole state progressed under her. The state would not have progressed under a lady like Sasikala who has been convicted for a case. Nobody is sympathetic towards Sasikala. She's a criminal. She has very bad name in the state. She used to produce false evidences against anybody who was close to Amma and tried to instigate her against the person," Pushpa said. "I earned good name under Amma. That's why she has done this to me. I have spearheded the movement against Sasikala and I am very happy for her conviction," she added. Talking about the consequences of the verdict, Sasikala said she hoped that Panneerselvam would soon be sworn-in as the Chief Minister. "She cannot enter into politics for 10 years. So, she cannot be the chief minister of the state. Nobody liked her anyway. I hope O. Panneerselvam will now be appointed as the Chief Minister of the state," she said, adding, "I congratulate the Supreme Court. I personally had faith in the system. Now, in Tamil Nadu, goondaism, rowdyism will come to an end. Everybody knows three-four false cases were put against me by this lady. The family politics is over now in Tamil Nadu. " Earlier in the day, Sasikala was adjudged as guilty in connection with a 19-year old disproportionate assets case and was ordered by the apex court to serve the remainder of her four-year jail term, which comes out three-and-a-half years. The verdict gives Panneerselvam a boost in staking claim to be Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister. (ANI) After the Supreme Court on Tuesday convicted All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) V.K. Sasikala in connection with the disproportionate assets case, legal experts opined that the former now cannot aspire to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Senior advocate Ashwani Kumar said, "I don't think Sasikala can aspire to become the chief minister after the conviction order pronounced by the highest court of the country. This order is not subject to appeal as it is the final order. Sasikala cannot be a sworn in as chief minister." Kumar further said the impact of this verdict will be seen on the AIADMK politics. "The primary need is to make the government in Tamil Nadu. Majority floor test is the only way to see who will be the chief minister," he added. B.V. Acharya, special public prosecutor in the case against Sasikala, has expressed his happiness after the apex court upheld the trial court's judgment convicting her in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case. "I can only say that justice has been done in this case and it shows that in our country judiciary is independent and powerful. Therefore, even an accused who is very powerful both in terms of money and power cannot escape the clutches of law. Sasikala cannot hold an elective post for next 10 years because four years in imprisonment and thereafter the disqualification continues for another six years," he said. Constitutional expert P.P. Rao said, "Sasikala cannot contest for six years after her four-year sentence. So for 10 years, her political career is obliterated." "For ten years, she should forget any political opportunity or political office as she cannot contest now during the term of her imprisonment and also for six years further there is disqualification because of conviction of corruption. So, for 10 years she cannot aspire to be the candidate of the chief minister. If she has got her following and who want to support her through them, she can be active in politics but not directly but indirectly," he added. Earlier, setting aside on earlier Karnataka High Court order, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court convicted All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) general secretary V.K. Sasikala in connection with a 19-year old disproportionate assets case. She has been ordered to surrender to the law enforcement authorities immediately to serve the remainder of her four-year jail term. She also will not be able to contest elections for 10 years or hold public office. The verdict comes in the backdrop of the ongoing power struggle within the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu - between Sasikala and the incumbent Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. The disproportionate assets case that posed a legal hurdle against Sasikala's taking over as the chief minister, dates back to 1996. Late J. Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and her two relatives, Ilavarasi and Sudhagaran, were convicted in the case that alleged that the former chief minister owned assets far exceeding her known sources of income. (ANI) "I think the situation is very clear. Whosoever is able to show their strength, the Governor should invite to form the government without delay," Congress leader K. C. Mittal told ANI. Expressing his bafflement over the delay shown by Rao in the entire development, Mittal added that now after the Supreme Court judgment, the scenario has changed. "The Governor should immediately administer the oath of the office rather than delaying any further," he stated. On Tuesday, AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala Natarajan suffered a major jolt after the Supreme Court upheld the trial court's judgment convicting her in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case against her. Former Tamil Nadu chief minister late J. Jayalalithaa, along with Sasikala and two others were involved in the case. The Bengaluru trial court had convicted Jayalalithaa on September 27, 2014 and ordered her four years of imprisonment along with Rs. 100 crore fines, with Rs. 10 crore fine on the other three. The conviction disqualified her as an MLA requiring her to step down as the chief minister. She, however, returned as the chief minister after Karnataka High Court on May 11, 2015 acquitted her and the others in the case. (ANI) Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for criticizing the newly formed Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance for the Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress on Wednesday said the truth behind the alliance is to highlight the weaknesses of the former and make people aware of the shortcomings of the Bharatiya Janata Party. "Modi's claim is that Rahul ji and Akhilesh forged an alliance to hide the shortcomings of the party. But the truth is that the alliance was created to highlight the weakness of Modi ji," Congress leader Dwijendra Tripathi told ANI. Expressing confidence, the Congress leader said that both party president Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will not only form a government in the state, but will also uproot the BJP from Indian politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has firmly maintained in his rallies in the Uttar Pradesh that Akhilesh had made a lot of promises in the past but had failed to deliver on them. "Akhilesh Yadav was busy striking alliances when he should have been working for the state's development," PM Modi said at a BJP rally in Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh. The Prime Minister was referring to the alliance struck between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress ahead of the UP Assembly elections. However, this alliance has failed to save the fortunes of both parties, PM Modi claimed. "It's become evident after the first phase of polling that no alliance can redeem your past misdeeds," he said. Taking a dig at the SP's 'Kaam Bolta Hai' slogan, PM Modi brought up the high rates of crime in the state when he remarked, "You say 'Kaam Bolta Hai' (Work speaks for itself) but projects are incomplete. What is speaking volumes are the instances of women harassment in the state." The Prime Minister asked if the frequent cases of rape, murder and riots are what Akhilesh Yadav calls his 'work.' He then turned to the crowd and said, "The people of Uttar Pradesh are not fools. They're well aware that criminals are still operating their gangs from behind bars." (ANI) With Tamil Nadu PWD and highways minister Edappadi K Palaniswami staking claim to form the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday lashed out at AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala Natarajan, saying that she was trying to 'take hold' of the Tamil Nadu government even after her conviction by the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case. "Sasikala, even after the conviction, is trying to take hold of the Tamil Nadu government by putting up a proxy candidate of her own choice. The new incumbent has already met the governor and sought his permission to form the govt. I am sure the uncertainty in TN politics will soon end and new government will be in place," BJP leader S. Prakash told ANI. He added that both the factions of AIADMK will have to respect the sentiments of late chief minister Jayalalithaa, and unite to form the government. "Edappadi K Palaniswami and O. Panneerselvam have to fight between themselves to prove who has the upper hand and Sasikala is bound to play the role though she is convicted," Prakash said. Hours after the Supreme Court upheld the trial court verdict that sentenced V.K. Sasikala to a four-year jail term, AIADMK general secretary on Tuesday expelled 20 other leaders including caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam from the party. The expelled leaders are AIADMK lawmaker K. Pandiarajan, former Assembly speaker P.H. Pandian and his son P.H. Manoj Pandiyan, N. Vishvananthan and senior party leader C. Ponnaiyan, K.P. Munusamy, J.C.D. Prabhakar, ex- MLA K. Thavasi,B. Mohan, K.A. Jaypal, S.K. Selvam, K.P. Rajendra Prasad, K.A.K. Mugil, former minister Parithi Elamvaluthi, Ex-MP E. Ponnusamy, V. Neelakandan, ex-MLA V. Neelankandan, ex- MLA Ko. Ayyappan, M. Muthuramalingam and S. Muthuselvi. The AIADMK leadership has also appointed Edapadi K. Palanisamy as the new legislative leader. Earlier, Sasikala suffered a major jolt after the Supreme Court upheld the trial court's judgment convicting her in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case. Late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa was accused in the case along with Sasikala and two others. (ANI) Claiming that Tamil Nadu acting chief minister O. Panneerselvam did not have the support of enough MLAs to stake claim to form the state government, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday said if OPS failed to prove his majority, then Edapadi K Palanisamy should be appointed chief minister of the state. "Yes he (Palanisamy) met him (Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao) and gave him a list of majority of the MLAs and with signatures and Panneerselvam has not been able to give any list as usual. So, the Governor has no alternative than to invite Palanisamy to form a government without any delay," Swamy told ANI. He further said that Palaniswamy should be the chief minister and that there should be absolutely no delay. "Sasikala will continue to be the leader even if she is in jail and there are many legal options which have to be explored yet. But the fact of the matter is that Palaniswamy should be the chief minister and that there should be no delay," he added. Swamy also welcomed the Supreme Court judgment convicting AIADMK chief V.K. Sasikala in the disproportionate assets case. The complaint against late Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa and Sasikala was first filed by Swamy in 1996. Palanisamy met Governor Rao yesterday evening and claimed to have the support of 126 MLAs. He has handed over the list of MLAs to the governor. However, Panneerselvam has sought time to prove majority and two members from his camp are set to meet Governor Rao soon. Sasikala was sentenced to prison for four years in the case by the Supreme Court earlier on Tuesday and will not be able to stand for elections for six years after she is released from jail. She will serve three years and six months in jail as she had already served six months in 2014. (ANI) India and the UK have formally begin talks on transfer of technology for the state of art STARtreak missile, a weapon which cannot be jammed by any counter measure. Thales from the UK and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), a Government of India enterprise, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to assess the opportunity to transfer the technology of the missile capability at Aero India biennial airshow which began here yesterday. The STARStreak missile is in service in the UK Army and has been procured by the defence forces of a number of countries worldwide. The fastest missile in its category, STARStreak is unique due to its three laser-guided darts, which is immune to any jammer. It has the capability to defeat any air target even armoured helicopters, as the last line of defence. Thales is investing in the transfer of technology to India for the STARStreak missile. In the spirit of cooperation between the two countries, including under the Indo-UK Defence Equipment Cooperation MoU, this initiative has the full support of UK government, a press statement said. Alex Cresswell, Executive Vice President for Land Air Systems activities at Thales, said that sharing technology has been one of the key ingredients of Thales. The technology is important for India as the STARStreak missile operates at a speed in excess of Mach 3 to defeat fast-moving threats and those with short unmasking times. The three-dart 'hittile' configuration maximises lethality and the highly-accurate laser beam riding guidance enables engagement of low-signature targets and is immune to all known counter measures. STARStreak has already been integrated with a wide range of Radar, IR Sensors, and Command and Control systems. It can be used in a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPADS) role as a single or multi-launcher configuration and is also available integrated into both light and heavy High Mobility Vehicles.UNI MK SHS SB 0936 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0094-1150768.Xml In a mobile phone shop in Tianjin, northeast China, Jiao Zhiwen sells about 220,000 yuan ($32,000) in small loans each month, one of hundreds of thousands of loans agents helping to fund the country's unprecedented consumer spending spree.Though seven in 10 customers have never financed a purchase before, most loans are processed in 25 minutes, with a basic ID check and proof of a bank account.Jiao's store on a busy commercial road, among furniture and enamel factories, is on the frontline of a consumer finance revolution in a country with a fast-growing borrowing culture, a government keen to boost spending, but still no provision for personal bankruptcy."They are factory workers, construction labourers and shop assistants," Jiao says of her clients."They need to feel they should only dig a little money out of their pockets each month and not too much at one time."Jiao works for Home Credit China, among the handful of small-loans firms to receive national licences over the last three years to offer modest, mostly high-interest, loans to bring China's roughly 300 million under-banked adults into its $3.9 trillion consumer finance market.Beijing wants its high-saving population to have greater access to credit, so personal consumption can take over from industry and infrastructure spending as the key driver of growth.Zhang Xiao, 22, a student at Shanghai University, embodies the change in attitudes, taking a 500 yuan loan to buy clothes over the Lunar New Year holiday."If, before, the price was quite high, I might just have chosen not to buy something. Now with this sort of loan I can buy first and only then have to think about paying the money back slowly."But in a country where credit records are scattered, most adults don't have a borrowing history and collecting delinquent loans can be slow, the transition could usher in a wave of personal defaults.Mao Wanyuan, who helps supervise non-bank financial institutions at China's banking regulator, told reporters in December that inclusive finance firms still lacked adequate experience to manage risk.For Home Credit and other nationally licensed consumer finance firms like Suning Consumer Finance Co, big data, as employed by Jiao on her tablet, is the answer - determining how much they can lend, to whom, and when."The banks wouldn't touch a lot of our clients," said Ondrej Frydrych, chief executive of Home Credit China, which is backed by Czech billionaire Petr Kellner's investment firm PPF Group and has 145,000 point-of-sales (POS) operations in 312 cities."Our choice is either we can play it safe, have low risk, and approve only people with a good record or people we think can repay - or be more inclusive."His bet is that as customers become wealthier, loans will become bigger and more profitable.For now, mobile phone loans are the industry's big mover - Home Credit finances 8 percent of all Apple iPhones sold in China.MANAGING RISKJudging by developments in emerging markets like Brazil and India, there are big risks in small loans.John Chen, China managing director for credit rating services firm FICO, says lenders need to use "alternative data", from mobile phone charges to travel bookings, to compensate for the lack of credit bureau coverage.Home Credit uses a scoring engine based on items from the predictable disposable income and age of the borrower, to the shop's own history of bad credit to determine risk levels.It also checks with the central bank's own credit database to ensure applicants haven't previously defaulted.Home Credit chases delinquent borrowers through three call centres employing 5,000 people, before handing them over to collection agencies. It also maintains a 20-person anti-fraud unit.At Suning Consumer Finance Co - backed by home appliances retailer Suning Commerce Group, Bank of Nanjing Co and BNP Paribas Personal Finance - a spate of frauds when the firm launched 21 months ago led to a tighter customer verification system, said general manager Chen Ming.Suning's system now uses facial recognition, real-name and bank-card authentication software, alongside online consumer information from its shopping website to verify applicant identities and then track loans after they're issued.So far, the volume of bad loans has been limited, averaging 4.1 percent at the end of September for licensed firms. Home Credit says its "loss of sales" fell below 4 percent in November for POS loans, and slightly higher for cash loans.But industry executives expect the figures to deteriorate at all firms as portfolios mature and coverage widens.Consumer finance firms started receiving China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) licences only in 2010 and still account for less than 1 percent of the total personal lending offered by commercial banks, petty loan companies, and online platforms.Nationwide, total outstanding consumer lending in 2016 reached 26.76 trillion yuan ($3.9 trillion), up 282.5 percent on 2011, according to Euromonitor International, which is forecasting it could reach 35 trillion yuan by 2021."People's ideas about borrowing are changing," says Jiao in Tianjin. "A customer borrowing a few thousand yuan today may return later for a bigger cash loan." ($1 = 6.8830 Chinese yuan renminbi) REUTERS AKC 0446 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1150666.Xml Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi on Wednesday praised the Supreme Court for delivering a firm verdict against AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala, in connection with a disproportionate assets case. He said the verdict signifies that corruption at the highest level will be dealt by the apex court. He further said the actual test of majority in the house should be conducted on the floor of the house only. "It is a path breaking verdict, as it shows that if corruption takes place even at the highest level, then the court will take action with a heavy hand," he said. Rohatgi said now it is the governor of the state who has to act to appoint the next government in the state. "The governor did the right thing by waiting for the Supreme Court verdict. The governor now in his discretion to appoint the chief minister, he can either have composite floor test between the heads of two rival groups in next couple of days and decide who will be the chief minister or if he finds that one group has overwhelming majority. He may also sworn in that person and then ask him to prove his majority in the floor of the house," he added. Rohatgi also suggested that Sasikala should surrender at the earliest. "Court has not set any time limit, so she has to surrender at the earliest and judgement has come yesterday. According to me she should surrender it today so that the judgement is complied with," Rohatgi told ANI. He said he expected the situation in Tamil Nadu to normalise over the next two days. (ANI) The Tripura cabinet headed by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today approved the proposal for filling up of at least 300 posts reserved for persons with disability (PWD) which were lying vacant in various government departments. Information Minister Bhanu Lal Saha said here that after a long exercise in various government departments, assessment of the possible vacant posts for PWD aspirants were identified and except technical vacancies and highly professional requirements, social welfare department will select them. "The Grade III and IV employees will be employed based on their academic record, age and magnitude of economic need, as prescribed by the High Court of Tripura two years ago in regard to employment in government sector," Mr Saha said. He, however, pointed out that in the appointment of technical posts, the PWD candidates should have the required qualification and technical knowledge for getting into the service in such posts and there will be no preference except offering job in PWD reserved posts. According to report, Tripura now has less than a thousand of job seeking PWD candidates and of them 300 would be employed very soon and rest of them will be taken into service in phases.UNI BB AD1108 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1150828.Xml Acting on forewarning, a team led by Additional SP of Gomati Nabadwip Jamatia yesterday raided the house of one Mithu Chakma and detained three citizens of Bangladesh. All three along with the house owner were brought for interrogation and arrested last night. The detainees were identified as Nayan Chakma (23), Bihoban Chakma (26) and D Chakma (26). Nayan and Bihoban hailed from Khagragachi and D Chakma from Rangamati district of Southern Bangladesh. The trio had entered into India illegally. Allegedly, they are involved in spying and working for United Peoples' Democratic Front (UPDF) which is fighting against Peace Keeping Forces in Bangladesh. UPDF is reportedly involved in smuggling contra banned drugs, arms and mindless murders. In the localities of Karbook Sub-division, many Panchayats are located nearby Indo-Bangla border. Unscrupulous elements collected money from Chakma Community of Bangladesh and allegedly provided them with documents like Aadhar cards, school leaving certificates and others for getting Indian citizenship illegally.UNI BB AD1113 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1150839.Xml The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) backed youth group under the banner of Vivekananda Yuba Sena has protested in the Book Fair here alleging selling of books containing anti Indian flavour by a Kolkata based publisher and book sellers. They demanded immediate closure of the stall and withdrawal of the book titled "Kashmir" written by one Siddhartha Guha Roy, a professor of Thakurpukur college in Kolkata, alleging that the book was on Indian's stand against Pakistan and India's approach against secessionist movement in Kashmir valley. The book fair authority has directed the publisher to stop selling of the book and assured the protesters that no books will be sold which violates nationalism. The incident triggered serious reaction among the intellectuals and opposition parties. The protesters, however, alleged that the book stated that India has been persuading undemocratic strategies and the Indian Army has adopted inhuman role to contain terrorism in Kashmir, which has given birth to secessionist in the valley. "The actual happenings in Kashmir and torture perpetuated on the people were suppressed by the Indian media and mislead the people of other regions with concocted and motivated stories. Both India and Pakistan did not address the legitimate demands of the citizens. As a result, military administration was installed in Kashmir that created an undemocratic atmosphere across the valley," the book allegedly depicted. The protesters underlined that the publisher was warned earlier to withdraw the book as it might create tension among the nationalists and encourage the fundamentalists to unite against the state due to such inauthentic and instigating texts but they denied it. However, publisher of the book Dipak Kumar Mallik said the book was published in 2009 and several editions have come out by this time. The text of the book does not have anything against India but it is a well researched publication based on facts and understanding. Nobody including the government ever asked for any censor in the text, he claimed. Meanwhile, the Tripura Publishers Guild condemned the incident and said the writers have full freedom to express their thought and ideas on any issue and the way they protested, it indicated interference on freedom of expression, which would not be tolerated. In a separate statement, Information and Cultural Affairs Minister and Chairman of the book fair committee Bhanu Lal Saha condemned the protesters and said, "The government would take appropriate steps against such intolerance. The writers have full freedom to write about his understanding and thought like a reader to choose the text." BJP spokesperson Arun Chandra Bhowmik said the party was not informed about the incident but any Indian citizen and nationalist has the right to protest against any attempt to destabilise India's democracy and integrity.UNI BB AD1125 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1150852.Xml In a bid to step continuity on Trade and Economic Cooperation between both nations, India and Croatia have signed an agreement, aiming to promote and develop bilateral trade. "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on Economic Cooperation was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Martina Dalic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Government of the Republic of Croatia in Zagreb, Croatia," the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement. In 1994, both the countries had signed an agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation in September, 1994 with an aim to promote and develop bilateral trade and economic relations. This agreement was expired in November, 2009. India's bilateral trade with the Republic of Croatia during 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 stood at 148.86 million dollars, 205.04 million dollars and 148.44 million dollars, respectively. The bilateral trade during the last three years has remained stable despite global slowdown. UNI ASH SB 1333 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0388-1151029.Xml Acting on the complaints by the AAP regarding security and safety arrangement of polled EVMs in Punjab, the Election Commission has decided to send a team comprising of Election officers from Himachal Pradesh and Delhi to visit strong rooms at Ludhiana for Gill, Nabha and Patiala (Rural) in Patiala District, Jalandhar District and Taran Taran District.The team is directed to submit their report of the security arrangements as per the poll panel instructions. The team further directs that the team will hold a meeting with the political parties in these districts and take note of their concerns. The team is to submit their report to the poll panel by February 17.UNI NY ADG SNU 1509 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0099-1151175.Xml In a circular, Mr Marak have entrusted Magistrate of the district Tennystar R Marak to carry out the order with effect from tomorrow. Though, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya in April 2014, but illegal coal mining and timber smuggling from the reserve forest have been reported by numerous civil organisations in the past two years. In a few instances, militants overpowered forest guards to carry out illegal activities. In fact, forest officials have even brought the illegal activities to the notice of different stakeholders. UNI RRK AD1532 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0108-1151270.Xml After a service life of 57 years, including over three decades for India, aircraft carrier INS Viraat will be given a ceremonial farewell on March 6. A befitting ceremony is planned for the occasion with "whose who" in the Navy and a large number of delegates from number of countries on the invitation list, sources in the Navy told UNI. "At the sunset, Navy's flag will be lowered and wrapped, bringing curtains down on the illustrious journey of the aircraft carrier," said the sources. The aircraft carrier remained in service for over five and half decades -- first as HMS Hermes in the Royal British Navy and in its present avatar with the Indian Navy since 1987. Viraat saw action in the Falklands War and remained for well over a decade the sole aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean region following the decommissioning of the first Indian carrier INS Vikrant in 1997. The Carrier holds the Guinness Record for being the oldest serving warship. The Aircraft Carrier was towed back to Mumbai on completion of its last Essential Repairs and Dry Docking (ERDD) at the Cochin Shipyard. INS Viraat was commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 12 1987. The ship operated Sea Harrier (White Tigers - fighter aircrafts), Seaking 42B (Harpoons - Anti Submarine helicopters) and Seaking 42C (Commando Carrier helicopters) and Chetak (Angles - SAR helicopter) as its main air elements. The Sea Harrier fleet was also decommissioned at Goa in May last year.Under the Indian Flag, various aircrafts have flown more than 22,034 hours from the decks of INS Viraat. The Carrier spent nearly 2,250 days at sea sailing 5,88,288 NM (10, 94,215 KM). This implies that Viraat has been at sea covering the entire globe about 27 times. The Carrier played a major role in the Operation Jupiter in 1989 (Indian Peace Keeping operations in Sri Lanka) and Operation Vijay in 1999 (Kargil War). The ship also participated in various international joint exercises like Malabar (with US Navy), Varuna (with French Navy), Naseem-Al-Bahar (with Oman Navy) and has been an integral element of all major naval exercises. The last operational deployment of the ship was for participation in International Fleet Review (IFR-2016) at Visakhapatnam. Having served the country and the Navy for nearly three decades, INS Viraat handed over the mantle of carrier operations to INS Vikramaditya which was commissioned in 2013.UNI MK ADG SNU 1727 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1151486.Xml "After Prime Minister Modi's visit to Mexico in June 2016, this year a Mexican parliamentary group will visit India," Pria said during an interaction with the media here. "The Mexican President is expected to visit India in 2018," she said. Stating that Mexico-India relations have been good and friendly for many years now, she said that bilateral trade stood at $6 billion. "Mexico is the first destination of Indian investments in Latin America," Pria said. "Mexico is the largest investor from Latin America in India. Last year, we surpassed Brazil." The Ambassador said that Mexico and India were cooperating in a number of areas, including water technology and in space research through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "Tourism is flourishing on both sides," she stated. Regarding Mexico's stand on India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in view of China blocking it, Pria said that it was her country that put India's attempt back on track. "For Mexico, India's membership in the NSG is important," she said. As for Mexico's position on UN Security Council reforms, she said "we do not want more permanent members" but more non-permanent members. Mexico is among a group of countries called Uniting for Consensus (UfC) that backed a resolution against expansion of the UNSC permanent members seats. The others are Canada, Italy, Colombia, Pakistan, Argentina, Costa Rica, Malta, South Korea, San Marino, Spain and Turkey. The UfC resolution opposed the push by the G4 countries -- India, Brazil, Germany and Japan -- to reform the UN's apex body. Pria, however, clarified that Mexico's position on this issue has "nothing to do with India's view of UNSC reforms but it is our view of the UNSC". --IANS ab/dg ( 327 Words) 2017-02-15-18:52:07 (IANS) Ambassador of Bulgaria to India, Petko Doykov, today called on Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary and discussed a gamut of matters, including Bulgaria's investment in Assam. Doykov said Bulgarian firms were keen to invest in the state, especially in the pharmaceutical sector. He expressed desire of exploring other areas of investment here, an official statement said. Mr Patowary assured the Bulgarian Ambassador of full cooperation and support to facilitate their investment in Assam. The minister added that the current business environment in the state is investment-friendly and conducive with a healthy industrial ecosystem all around. Doykov, while stating that Bulgaria has the highest GDP among the EU nations generating the highest income from the services sector, expressed his keenness in fostering economic bilateral relationships between the two nations in which North-East figures prominently. Additional Chief Secretary (Industries and Commerce) Ravi Capoor and Commissioner and Secretary of the Department Ashutosh Agnihotri were also present in today's discussion.UNI SG KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1151865.Xml At present, the famed hill shrine is connected only by road. The Cabinet entrusted the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation to carry out a study on the proposed airport, an official statement said here today. Though there was a proposal for Angamali-Sabari Railway line, the project was delayed due to shortage of funds and necessary clearances from the Centre. The airport is expected to reduce traffic congestion during the November-January Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrim season.UNI CR CS 1833 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0324-1151710.Xml The Shiv Sena today charged the BJP with trying to marginalise the allies and regional parties and said the saffron party's big brother approach is pushing the former to make adverse remarks against the BJP leadership."I have nothing against Prime Minister Narendra Modi...What can I have personally against Modi?" Mr Thackeray told Times Now in an interview.But, he said there was "no justification" in BJP taking exceptions to the Sena leadership meeting Hardik Patel, a known anti-Modi leader from Gujarat."Once Mamata Banerjee was your (BJP) friend...Nitish Kumar was your friend. Even Naveen Patnaik was your friend....Today they are not with you....So does it mean they should be enemies also," Mr Thackeray said.In the same context, he said, "I also have a question...Sharad Pawar can meet PM Modi....but I cannot meet Hardik". He said in the Assembly elections in 2014, Sena was not in favour of breaking alliance with the BJP. "But we had no option. This Sena-BJP alliance was more than an alliance. We worked together with Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari...We were like family members," he said adding, that warmth is no longer there.UNI DEVN SNU 1916 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1151629.Xml "The polling was 65.5 per cent till 5 p.m. and was continuing," Deputy Election Commissioner Vijay Dev told reporters here. He said that Election Commission had made cash seizure of Rs 16.5 crore, liquor worth Rs 9 crore and drugs worth Rs 1.1 crore. The official said gold and silver have also been seized. Officials in Lucknow said that maximum voting was reported from Saharanpur and Lakhimpur Kheri. Barring some places where Electronic Voting Machines developed some snags, polling was smooth and peaceful in most of the 67 assembly constituencies across 11 districts. Polling began on Wednesday morning amid tight security at 7 a.m. Long queues of women, differently-abled and elderly voters were seen in most parts outside the poll booths. In the 2012 assembly polls, the average polling in these constituencies was 64 per cent. A total of 721 candidates were in the fray. --IANS ps/rn ( 187 Words) 2017-02-15-19:56:06 (IANS) ''Shouting slogans against hospital authorities, locals staged protest over shortage of staff and other basic facilities in Surankote Hospital of Poonch,'' official sources here said. They said that protestors raised anti-government slogans and criticised state health department for poor facilities in the Sub District Hospotal. Following protest, SDM Surankote Afzal Mirza rushed to the spot and placed nine officials of Sub District Hospital under suspension for unauthorised absence.UNI VBH CJ RSA 2252 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1152188.Xml Former state president of the Samajwadi Party and estranged uncle of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, contesting election from the pocketborough Jaswantnagar assembly constituency in Etawah district seems to be in deep trouble, said senior SP leader and minister Azam Khan here today. ``Shivpal Yadav will have to work hard to win the assembly election. Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) had campaigned in Jaswantnagar only to help his brother and unite the party cadre there'', said Azam Khan after casting his vote here. Asked whether he will campaign for Shivpal Yadav he said `` I will certainly go to Jaswantnagar if invited, it's also possible that my campaign may hurt the electoral equation of the candidates''. Shivpal Yadav is seeking re election from the Jaswantnagar constituency for the fifth consecutive term in state assembly. All is still not well within the first family of the Samajwadi party was evident when Shivpal Yadav after filing his nomination papers in second week of January had said that he will float new party after the assembly election results are announced on March 11. Later his elder brother and Samajwadi patron Mulayam Singh Yadav had sought to downplay the matter saying `` Shivpal might have said this in a fit of anger and no inferences be drawn from his statement''. Ram Gopal Yadav, the SP general secretary, who is bitter rival of Shivpal Yadav in the power struggle within the first family, had warned that if Shivpal floats new political party then he will lose the membership of state assembly. After campaign by Mulayam Singh Yadav in Jaswantnagar, Ramgopal Yadav had said there was no need for the chief minister to campaign in Jaswantnagar. Akhilesh Yadav will campaign in Etawah and Mainpuri tomorrow. He will not campaign in Jaswantnagar. Azam Khan denied that he ever compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Ravana. `` How can I compare Ravana with the prime minister as Ravana was a mahapandit and we are still in dark whether the degrees of the prime minister are genuine or fake, so there can be no such comparison''. Countering the charge by the Prime Minister that ``its not the `kaam' but `karnama' of Akhilesh Yadav that speaks for itself, Azam Khan said ``Modi Ka Na to kaam bolta hai na to karnama bolta hai''.UNI MB RSA 2310 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1152221.Xml As the US space agency NASA prepares to send its next Mars 2020 mission in search of signs of life on the Red Planet, a Pasadena-based company is busy developing the rover's robotic arm which, it says, will be more efficient than the one currently deployed on the Curiosity rover. Motiv Space Systems has received an $11 million-plus contract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to build the robotic arm for Mars 2020 which is slated for launch in July 2020 aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket from the Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. "NASA has made planet Mars a priority since the mid-90s and they have had a lot of initial successes. The next one is Mars 2020. That is a roving machine on the surface of Mars that is going to explore, take samples and prepare them for return to Earth," Chris McQuin of Motiv Space Systems told IANS. Mars 2020 -- expected to arrive on the Red Planet in February 2021 -- will investigate a region where the ancient environment may have been favourable for microbial life. Scientists have shortlisted three potential landing sites for the rover that include Northeast Syrtis (a very ancient portion of Mars' surface), Jezero crater, (once home to a Martian lake), and Columbia Hills (perhaps once home to a hot spring and explored by NASA's Spirit rover). "Our part is to build an efficient robotic arm that needs to clutch Maritian rock in a better way. Success for us will be Mars 2020 sitting on the surface, taking samples, doing science and teaching us more about the planet," McQuin said last week on the sidelines of SOLIDWORKS World 2017 here -- an annual conference organised by global 3D experience major Dassault Systemes. Before joining Motiv, McQuin had worked on several robotic projects in the Mobility and Robotic Systems Section at JPL. To achieve better results, the Motiv team has been able to enhance the capacity of the robotic arm this time. The turret at the end of Curiosity's robotic arm holds five devices: a tool to collect powdered samples from rock interiors; a brush device named Dust Removal Tool; Mars Hand Lens Imager; Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer and a multi-purpose device named Collection and Handling for In-situ Martian Rock Analysis (CHIMRA). "Mars 2020 has upped that turret size by 50 per cent over the last mission. It is a pure 42 kg of science instruments at the end of the arm. So the previous arm, previous design optimised for smaller payloads, just will not be able to hold. So we are developing the new arm to enable that mission," McQuin said. "The arm will search for life and water. NASA's strategy has been to follow the water, look for the signs of the presence of life and prepare for the eventual human exploration of the planet Mars," McQuin said. Throughout its investigation, Mars 2020 will collect samples of soil and rock and cache them on the surface for potential return to Earth by a future mission. "This mission marks a significant milestone in NASA's Journey to Mars -- to determine whether life has ever existed on Mars, and to advance our goal of sending humans to the Red Planet," said Geoffrey Yoder, Acting Associate Administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "Mars 2020 rover is the first step in a potential multi-mission campaign to return carefully selected and sealed samples of Martian rocks and soil to Earth," Yoder noted in a recent NASA statement. Motiv is also building RoboSimian -- a unique quadruped robot modelled after a simian morphology and is designed to operate in hazardous and extreme environments. It is capable of tethered or fully wireless operations in functional modalities ranging from full autonomy to tele-operation. "It was originally designed for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) robotics challenge by JPL. The idea is to perform human-like tasks in a degraded environment where people cannot go," McQuin stated. RoboSimian has four identical robotic legs. Each of these legs are dextrose and strong enough for mobility. Advanced vision systems and control algorithms allow RoboSimian to navigate varied terrain and perform complex tasks, thereby extending the users' presence into arenas which are either unsafe or inaccessible. (Nishant Arora was in Los Angeles at the invitation of Dassault Systemes. He can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in) --IANS na/gb/vm/sac ( 747 Words) 2017-02-15-12:04:06 (IANS) Islamabad urged North Korea to refrain from any step that undermines the prospects of regional peace and stability. "Pakistan has consistently supported a nuclear weapons free Korean Peninsula, as agreed by all parties. It calls upon the DPRK to refrain from actions which run counter to the objective of reaching a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the issue within the framework of the Six Party Talks, said a statement from Foreign Affairs Ministry. North Korea fired a ballistic missile earlier on Sunday in what was termed as a 'show of force' against U.S. President Donald Trump, as reported by the Guardian. According to South Korean military sources, the missile was launched from an area in the country's western region around Banghyon, North Pyongan province, the same area where the midrange Musudan weapon was tested by the country on October 15 and 20, 2016. (ANI) The Director General (SA & SAARC), Dr. Mohammad Faisal, condemned the alleged cease fire violations on the LoC in Thub area (Bhimber Sector) and urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding. He also asked India to investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations. Faisal told Singh to ask the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC. (ANI) Members of the Senate select committee on Tuesday unanimously adopted all amendments and recommendations of the bill after reviewing it clause-by-clause. The existing right to information law at the federal level, the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002, will get replaced by the RTI Bill 2016. People of Pakistan will now be able to get access to information about the activities of the government as the newly-adopted law recognises citizens' right to know under the Constitution. The bill has ensured that information is given in written on missing persons by the concerned authority within three days of a request for information being filed, reports the Dawn. There is also a provision for the protection of whistleblowers including those from security institutions in the bill. The RTI requests would be heard by a three-member commission with the authority to direct public bodies to disclose information and provide records. The members to the commission will be appointed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The commission is likely to one member of civil society, one from the bureaucracy, and one from the judiciary. Authority to remove the members of the commission has been given to the standing committee of the Senate and National Assembly. The Bill will be presented to parliament for further discussions. (ANI) Speaking to media in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan would continue to work with international community and the Afghan Government to make 2017 a year of cooperation for peace, security and stability in the region. He said Pakistan's resolve to defeat terrorism remains unwavering and the emerging terrorist networks, like the Islamic State would not deter it from continuing the valiant struggle against this menace. He said Islamabad welcomes the sentiments of all those who have expressed a desire to work with Pakistan to eliminate terrorism. "We have taken note of the voices recommending a holistic review of the U.S. policy to see how Islamabad and Washington can work together to promote peace and security in the region for the benefit of both countries," Zakaria said. However, he expressed disappointment over some of the assertions made in the recent discussions about terrorist safe havens in Pakistan and termed these as misplaced and not in sync with the current situation on the ground. (ANI) "This is unacceptable and runs counter to Japan's position. We sent a note of protest to Russia through diplomatic channels," TASS quoted, Yoshihide Suga, the Secretary General of the cabinet as saying at a news conference in Tokyo On Saturday, the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, signed a decree naming five small islands of the Kuril Islands. Moscow and Tokyo have been holding, with shorter or longer intervals, the talks on elaborating a bilateral peace treaty. The problem of sovereignty over the southern part of the Kurile chain - the islands of Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan and the Habomai archipelago - that went over to the USSR upon the end of World War II remains the biggest stumbling block to the signing of the treaty. Tokyo does not recognize Russia's sovereignty over the islands. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said many a time in this connection there is no question about Russian sovereignty over the islands, which has an appropriate international legal groundwork. (ANI) The officials in Moscow defended President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn post his resignation over controversy on his Russian links and said that the U.S. administration may be infected by Russophobia. According to TASS, senior Russian Senator Konstantin Kosachev wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday that Flynn can hardly be considered a pro-Russian politician. He added that Flynn was, however, "open for dialogue and was in Moscow" and had contacts with the Russian ambassador unlike other high ranking U.S. officials. Kosachev, who chairs Russia's Federation Council (upper house of Parliament) Committee for International Affairs, noted: "Dismissing the national security adviser for contacts with Russia's ambassador (ordinary diplomatic practice) is not just paranoia, but something much worse." "Either Trump has not gained the desired independence and he is being consistently (and not unsuccessfully) pushed into a corner, or Russophobia has already engulfed the new administration from top to bottom," he added in the post. Another official Alexei Pushkov, who is the chairman of the Federation Council Commission on Information Policy, tweeted: "Flynn out, but ross.problema remains in the White House Trump" - written by his enemies. Expulsion Flynn was the 1st act. Now the target - Trump himself." "Flynn's "left" not because of his slip, but because of the aggressive campaign unfolded. "Russian on the way out!" - Noisy newspaper. Paranoia and witch hunt," he said in another tweet. Flynn resigned on Monday following allegations of illicitly discussing sanctions with a Russian envoy. He had initially denied discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador during the transition. Vice-President Pence also defended him in front of the media. But when reports suggested last week that sanctions may indeed have been discussed, he conceded that he could not remember with 100 percent certainty. Pence was said to be also troubled by the possibility that he was misled post the reports. In the resignation letter, Flynn said it was 'unfortunate' he 'inadvertently' briefed Vice President Pence with incomplete information regarding his phone calls with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn said that he has apologised to the President and the Vice-President regarding the same, adding that his apology has been accepted. (ANI) The conservatism in Pakistan universities is becoming more pronounced than ever on Valentine's Day as at several public universities in the country, wearing red on campus is unacceptable on February 14. "Even if you and your male friend are accidentally seen wearing the same colour - not necessarily red - you are in hot water," Dawn quoted a Karachi University student as saying. According to the Dawn, there is a similar sense of fear among women on campus of all universities. At the University of Peshawar (UoP), "Most girls will stay at home on Tuesday and those who attend will ensure that they do not wear anything red," said journalism student Mamoona Akhtar. At Punjab University (PU), IJT representatives started distributing pamphlets for the counter event, the Haya (modesty) Day' in advance. Haya Day has been an annual event at campuses across Pakistan in the recent past. Every year, IJT activists hold rallies and discourage any Valentine's Day celebrations. A student, Sana Naqvi, was quoted as saying, that members of the IJT Women's Wing begin visiting women's hostels in the run up to February 14, warning them against 'immoral' Valentine's Day activities. "If anyone resists their ideology they get thrashed," she says, adding that the university administration turns a blind eye to such incidents. Nazim Furqan Khalil, a member of Punjab University IJT, however, was in denial over the allegation of activists thrashing students or stopping others from celebrating the event. "Valentine's Day does not match our culture and social norms. We [instead observe] Haya Day all over the country and organise walks, rallies and seminars for awareness," he said. On Monday, the Islamabad High Court on Monday banned Valentine's Day celebrations across the country and its promotion on social media after accepting a petition which argued that it was un-Islamic. (ANI) Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari has warned leaders of all political parties that the nation faces a possible constitutional crisis if they do not go in for elections at the earliest. In a meeting held with these leaders at Sheetal Niwas, her official residence, President Bhandhari reminded them on Monday of their constitutional duties, obligations and responsibilities. The Kathmandu Post quoted her, as saying that "I don't need to shed more light on the fact that local, provincial and federal parliament elections must be held by January 21 next year. The responsibility of holding these elections has not emerged only lately. This is a constitutional provision that was finalised at the time of the promulgation of the constitution. There is no alternative to elections. Periodic elections are citizens' right." Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Kamal Thapa, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal Co-chairman Rajendra Shrestha, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Loktantrik Chairman Bijay Gachhadar and Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur were present in the meeting. (ANI) Media reports in America said that the announcement was made by the United States Department of Treasury under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (FNKDA). This is the Trump Administration's first crackdown on an official of the Venezuelan government, which is lead by President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. Department of Treasury said in a statement that apart from El Aissami, the FNKDA is also being applied to his associate Samark Jose Lopez Bello, as he has been accused of providing material assistance and financial support for El Aissami's activities. The Treasury Department said that it is set its sights on an international drug network spanning the British Virgin Islands, Panama, Britain, the United States and Venezuela. It has claimed that El Aissami oversaw or partially owned narcotics shipments of more than 1,000 kilograms from Venezuela on multiple occasions, including shipments to Mexico and the United States worth tens of billions of dollars. (ANI) The Kathmandu Post quoted local police, as saying that the body of one of the Nepali students has been found, while the body of the second student is still missing. Australian news agencies reported a jogger had discovered the body of a girl and had reported to police early on Tuesday. The girl has been identified as 23-year-old Shristi Bhandari, a resident of Kathmandu. The missing person missing is said to be Sudip Upreti, 25, of Nepal's Jhapa district. Australian rescue personnel are still searching for Upreti and are being hampered by poor weather and visibility. (ANI) The Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), a major separatist political party in Sindh, Pakistan, has issued a global appeal to all civilized nations to apply both political and diplomatic pressure on the Government of Pakistan to stop it and China from establishing what it described as "Their imperial, genocidal, military-strategic aggression over Indian Ocean (area) by constructing the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In a statement issued here, JSMM Chairman Shafi Muhammad Burfat also appealed to the international community to step forward and stop Pakistan from sponsoring religious extremist terrorism in the region. "I appeal to the entire international community to stop the China-Pakistan nexus from genociding and cleansing historic Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun, Waziristan nations and support the independence of these natural secular nations chained in the theocratic, fascist, tyrant, unnatural state of Pakistan," Burfat said in his statement. According to the minutes and reports of the APEX Committee, JSMM has been declared the only threat and hindrance to the CPEC project in Sindh. In the statement, Burfat also made a mention of how other political parties in Sindh, including Sindhi nationalists are cooperating with state institutions in their design to neutralise the JSMM by isolating it. He said the JSMM is a serious, democratic and political front protecting the rights of the Sindhi nation and has always prioritised the interests of the people of Sindh in its actions and struggle. "Either that is the struggle against the CPEC, religious extremism, plunder of Sindh's resources, dams on Indus, deployment of paramilitary forces in the academic institutions, abductions, state patronised forced conversions and marriages of Sindhi Hindu girls, Genocide of Hindu, Christian, Shia, Ahmedi religious minorities, struggle for the unification of all the ethnic groups including Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto-speaking inhabitants of Sindh by recognizing their birthright. In a broader perspective, it has always advocated and struggled for the independence of Sindhi, Baloch, Pashtun, Waziristan nations chained in the framework of theocratic, fascist, unnatural state of Pakistan," he added. The statement also recalled the spate of extra-judicial killings, illegal imprisonments and abductions of JSMM activists taking place in Sindh and Balochistan, besides in other parts of Pakistan under the aegis of the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). "We consider these anti-JSMM plans of state institutions as open state terrorism, tyranny and a conspiracy to genocide Sindhi nation and appeal to the international community to step forward to stop these blood thirsty institutions of the tyrant Pakistani state from genociding the Sindhi people. We are sending this copy of official documents including minutes of meeting and decrees of APEX committee attached with our appeal to all the institutions, governments, intellectuals and media personnel of the civilized nations to keep them on record of the history that how this theocratic tyrant fascist Punjabi state of Pakistan is planning to shed the blood of JSMM activists, and genocide and cleanse historic Sindhi nation," Burfat said. His appeal went out to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, President of European Parliament Antonio Tajani, US President Donald J. Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UK PM Theresa May, France President Francois Hollande, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE President Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and others. (ANI) Inspector General of Police (IG) Punjab Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera confirmed that six police officials were among the dead, including two senior officers, reports the Dawn. The Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. SSP Operations Zahid Gondal of Punjab Police and DIG Traffic Lahore Capt (retd) Ahmad Mobin were among those killed in the attack. A large group of chemists and pharmaceutical manufacturers were gathered in front of the provincial assembly to protest a government crackdown against the sale of illegal drugs. There was a significant presence of law enforcers in the area while the protest was ongoing. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has condemned the attack. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa instructed local military commanders and intelligence agencies to provide all necessary assistance to civilian authorities and arrest those responsible, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) read. (ANI) However, Deutsche Welle citing local media reports said that Merkel the cancelled the meeting over Israel's latest legislative attempt to legalize settlement activity in the West Bank. An Israeli government spokesman confirmed the meeting had been canceled by the German side, saying it was due to the "variety of international appointments within the context of the German presidency of the G20." Although officials said the annual meeting between both governments' cabinets had been forfeited this year due to the German federal election in September, Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" reported it was also due to Merkel's alarm over the settlement legalization law. However, the daily reported that another unnamed senior Israeli official noted that the law "had not been brought up" when Berlin notified Israel of the cancelation. The law, passed by parliament last week, allows for the expropriation of private Palestinian land by retroactively legalizing 4,000 settler settlements homes. The move has been criticized by the international community for undermining a UN-backed two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.(ANI) US authorities have arrested an immigrant from Mexico who was brought to the United States illegally as a child and later given a work permit during the Obama administration in what could be the first detention of its kind under President Donald Trump.Daniel Ramirez Medina, a 23-year-old with no criminal record, was taken into custody last week at his father's home in Seattle by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The officers arrived at the home to arrest the man's father, though court documents did no make clear the reason the father was taken into custody.Ramirez, now in custody in Tacoma, Washington, was granted temporary permission to live and work legally in the United States under a program called the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, established in 2012 by Democratic President Obama, according to a court filing.The program protects from deportation 750,000 people who were brought to the United States illegally as children, sometimes called the "dreamers," and gives them the temporary right to work legally in the United States.Trump, a Republican who took office on January 20, has promised a crackdown on the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, most of whom come from Mexico and other Latin American countries. A move against DACA recipients like Ramirez would represent a significant broadening of immigration enforcement under Trump.Ramirez filed a challenge to his detention in Seattle federal court on Monday, arguing that the government violated his constitutional rights because he had work authorization under the DACA program.Ethan Dettmer, a partner in the law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher who is one of the lawyers representing Ramirez, said he is not aware of any other DACA recipient who has been arrested."We are hoping this detention was a mistake," Dettmer said.A BROKEN PROMISE?Another one of his lawyers, Mark Rosenbaum of the legal advocacy group Public Counsel, characterized the DACA program as a promise from the federal government's executive branch that DACA recipients would not be targeted for deportation."We have no reason to believe that promise will be broken. This case should not see the inside of a courtroom," Rosenbaum said.Ramirez was in custody and unavailable for comment. Representatives for Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined immediate comment on the lawsuit.Emily Langley, a spokeswoman for the US attorney's office in Seattle, said the Justice Department is still reviewing the case.US immigration officers last week arrested more than 680 people in the country illegally. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said the operations, conducted in at least a dozen states, were routine and consistent with regular operations. But immigrant advocacy groups and Democrats have expressed concern that the Trump administration will escalate immigration enforcement efforts in line with the president's tough stance toward illegal immigrants.Trump campaigned on a promise to roll back Obama's executive actions on immigration, but since assuming office he has kept his public comments on DACA vague.In an interview with ABC News last month, Trump said his administration was devising a policy on how to deal with people covered by DACA. "They are here illegally. They shouldn't be very worried. I do have a big heart. We're going to take care of everybody. We're going to have a very strong border," Trump said at the time.Under DACA, the government collected information including participants' addresses that potentially could be used to locate and deport them if the program is reversed.Ramirez was brought to the United States from Mexico in about 2001 at about age 7, according to the lawsuit. The government granted him a DACA card in 2014 and renewed it in 2016, finding that he was no threat to public safety. He has a 3-year-old son, according to the complaint.Ramirez in his lawsuit is seeking his immediate release and an injunction forbidding the government from arresting him again. A hearing in the case has been scheduled for Friday.According to the lawsuit, Ramirez was asleep at his father's home last Friday morning when ICE agents arrived and arrested the father. When they entered, they asked Ramirez if he was in the country legally, and Ramirez said he had a work permit, the lawsuit stated.ICE agents took Ramirez to a processing center in Seattle and he again disclosed his DACA work permit, the lawsuit stated."It doesn't matter, because you weren't born in this country," one of the agents said, according to the lawsuit.Ramirez was fingerprinted, booked and taken to a detention center in Tacoma where he was still in custody yesterday, Rosenbaum said.REUTERS AKC 0414 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-1150662.Xml The agreements were signed in the presence of the Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka and Australia -- Ranil Wickremesinghe and Malcolm Turnbull - after bilateral talks held at the Parliament House here on Wednesday. Addressing media, Turnbull said Australia and Sri Lanka enjoy a very deep relationship with a focus on maritime cooperation, economic development, trade and cooperation in sports. The Colombo Page web site quoted him, as further saying that as Indian Ocean neighbors, both have a shared interest in a secure, stable and prosperous region. The Australian Prime Minister said that the economic relationship between Canberra and Colombo is growing and the trade between Sri Lanka and Australia was worth around a billion dollars last year. He said he was encouraged to hear that Australian companies are investing in Sri Lanka, taking advantage of that island-nation's reforms. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka has no better friend than Australia. "We have worked together, we have been together in the most difficult times, and have stood with us during the internal conflict in Sri Lanka," Premier Wickremesinghe said. (ANI) German police today raided the apartments of four imams suspected of conducting espionage on behalf of the Turkish government against followers of US-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of organising a failed coup last July.The raids, in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, could further strain relations between the two NATO allies, which need each other to tackle issues ranging from militant Islamist attacks to Europe's migrant crisis.The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office (GBA) said in a statement that the imams had acted on an order issued on September 20 last year by the Turkey-based Diyanet religious authority which said the Gulen movement was behind the putsch attempt.German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said the four imams were members of Ditib, Germany's largest association of mosques which brings imams from Turkey to serve the community of some three million people with a Turkish background who live here."It is very clear that the influence of the Turkish state on Ditib is big. The association must plausibly disengage itself from Ankara," Maas said in a statement.Last month the GBA launched an investigation into Turkish intelligence operations on German soil after a lawmaker filed a criminal complaint. Austria is also investigating whether Turkey has been operating an informer network targeting Gulen followers on its soil, via its embassy in Vienna.Turkey has accused Germany of harbouring militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and far-leftists of the DHKP-C, which has carried out attacks in Turkey. German officials reject the accusation.The GBA said today's searches were aimed at finding more evidence to link the suspects to espionage activities."The suspects are suspected of having collected information about members of the so-called Gulen movement and passed it on to the general consulate in Cologne," the GBA said.Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of masterminding the abortive coup, in which at least 240 people were killed, and wants the United States to extradite him. Gulen denies any involvement in the coup attempt.Since July Turkey has arrested tens of thousands of people over suspected ties to Gulen in a wide-ranging crackdown criticised by Germany and other European Union nations.REUTERS SDR 1456 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1151186.Xml China has lodged a diplomatic protest with India over a visit by a parliamentary delegation from self-ruled Taiwan, the Foreign Ministry said here today.Three Taiwanese parliamentarians, led by ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Kuan Bi-ling, began their visit to New Delhi on Monday.Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular news briefing here that China had lodged "solemn representations" over the issue with New Delhi ."We have always been resolutely opposed to any country with diplomatic relations with China having any form of official exchanges, or establishment of any official institutions, with Taiwan. This position is consistent and clear cut."The External Affairs Ministry said the visit was informal."Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them," a MEA statement affirmed.More REUTERS RP1555 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1151295.Xml Gunmen in Afghanistan kidnapped 52 farmers today, most of them members of the minority Uzbek community in the remote northern province of Jowzjan, regional officials said, but the motive for the abductions was not immediately clear.Afghanistan's once-stable north has become a hotbed of kidnappings and shootings in recent years, as the militant Taliban gains ground, along with small groups loyal to Islamic State, mostly defectors from the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban.The men seized in today's incident were kidnapped from three villages in the district of Darz Ab in Jowzjan, while they were at work on their land.Provincial police blamed Taliban fighters that control most of the district."The Taliban is responsible for this act, as they are leading those areas," said Mohammad Riza Ghori, a spokesman for the police chief of Jowzjan."A number of elders from Darz Ab, including the police chief, are trying to talk to the Taliban to release these people, and if this does not work, we will launch an operation."He did not give further details of plans for such a rescue operation, however.A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said he was aware of the report, but could not confirm it as he was gathering information.Jowzjan is the same province where gunmen last week killed six employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross as they helped deliver emergency relief after heavy snow storms.Two workers were also kidnapped in that attack, which prompted the ICRC to suspend operations in Afghanistan.Regional officials blamed last week's attack on Islamic State fighters and the Taliban denied involvement.However, police spokesman Ghori said there was no Islamic State presence in the area where the farmers were kidnapped, only Taliban.REUTERS SDR AN1718 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1151525.Xml The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, will not attend talks on the Syria crisis in the Kazakh capital Astana, his spokeswoman Yara Sharif said today.Sharif said de Mistura was instead sending a team of five people to the Astana talks, which will be attended by representatives from Russia, Iran and Turkey.A new round of UN-backed peace talks is due to begin in Geneva next week.REUTERS SDR AN1913 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1151870.Xml In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Malaysian police said the woman was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport where Kim Jong-nam was targeted in an apparent poisoning on Monday. The arrest was made around at 8.20 a.m. (local time), the statement said adding that the suspect, identified from CCTV footage taken at the airport, was alone at the time of her detention. The woman, a 28-year-old named Doan Thi Huong, was in possession of a Vietnamese passport, Malay Mail Online reported. Investigators were awaiting the results of an autopsy on the body, believed to be of Kim Jong-nam. Kim is believed to have been poisoned, South Korea's National Assembly Intelligence Committee Chairman Lee Cheol Woo told a press briefing. Lee did not say how Kim was poisoned or how South Korea obtained the information. Kim was boarding a flight to the island of Macau, a Chinese territory, to visit his family when he was attacked, Lee said. South Korea's Unification Ministry said it was working with Malaysian authorities, while the country's acting President and Prime Minister discussed the death at a National Security Council meeting. Meanwhile, North Korean embassy officials and North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol were seen entering the mortuary at Kuala Lumpur Hospital where the body, believed to be of Kim Jong-Nam, was sent for autopsy, reported the Sun. --IANS soni/dg ( 259 Words) 2017-02-15-20:32:06 (IANS) US troops deployed in Bulgaria on Wednesday and armoured vehicles and heavy equipment are to arrive by the end of the week under a planned NATO operation to support its Eastern European allies, the Bulgarian defence ministry said.The U.S. deployment at the joint U.S.-Bulgarian military base at Novo Selo in the east of the Black Sea country is part of operation Atlantic Resolve, aimed at showing Moscow Washington's commitment to its allies, the ministry said.In moves agreed last year under former U.S. President Barack Obama, NATO is expanding its presence in the region to levels unprecedented since the Cold War, prompted by Russia's annexation of Crimea and accusations - denied by Moscow - that it is supporting a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine.Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Europe as U.S. defense secretary, said on Wednesday President Donald Trump firmly backed NATO. As a candidate, Trump fiercely criticised the alliance and appeared to question its value.But Mattis warned NATO allies in Brussels they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States did not "moderate" its support for the alliance.Bulgaria's Defence Ministry said up to 120 U.S. troops were accommodated at the Novo Selo training range, with a company of the 3rd armoured combat team from Fort Carson, Colorado, being deployed."Joint drills and training at Novo Selo training range will be increased this year. The U.S. army troops will be rotated for the drills," it said.The U.S. deployment to NATO's eastern flank includes more than 80 main battle tanks and hundreds of armoured vehicles. The military unit will rotate through several countries, including Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania.As part of the largest U.S. military reinforcement of Europe in decades, around 2,700 troops, out of 3,500 planned, arrived in Poland in January, vexing the Kremlin, which said the troops' presence is a threat to Russia. REUTERS CJ PM223 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1152223.Xml - Italy won the backing of 10 mayors from towns in the desert south of Libya this week to fight people smuggling as part of an agreement signed earlier this month between Rome and the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli.The mayors secretly flew to Rome on Monday, where they met Interior Minister Marco Minniti, who asked them to combat human trafficking in exchange for training, equipment and economic aid."They expressed their support for executing and implementing the agreement," a senior ministry source told Reuters. "It's an important step because of the difficulty in controlling such a vast territory."Also on Monday, Italy's new ambassador to Tripoli held the first meeting with Libyan authorities about putting the agreement into practice, the source said.Libya descended into chaos after the 2011 toppling of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi, enabling smuggling gangs to develop entrenched networks that sent more than 160,000 boat migrants to Italy last year. More than 4,500 perished at sea.Before being loaded onto flimsy boats on Libya's coast, they pay smugglers to cross the Sahara Desert. Most West Africans enter Libya from Niger in open desert, which has no border posts. Italy wants this area and the path north patrolled to stop smugglers from bringing migrants to the coast.But putting the agreement into effect will depend on the cooperation of local authorities along the smuggling routes, because the Tripoli government exerts little effective control over much of the country.Among the mayors who were flown to Italy for the meeting were those from the cities of Sabha, a major smuggling hub, Murzuq and Ghat, which is on the border with Algeria.Some of the mayors told Reuters last week that they had not been informed of the Feb. 2 deal before it was signed by Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Prime Minister Fayez al-Seraj in Rome.Many, including Sabha Mayor Hamed Al-Khyali, said last week they opposed the idea of EU-funded detention centres in Libya to hold migrants before the leave for Europe."Our priority is to support our own sons instead of allowing for illegal migrants in centres," Khyali said.But the agreement offers millions of euros, without saying exactly how much, for "development programmes" to create jobs and build infrastructure in areas where people depend on smuggling for their livelihoods, aid that may help win the support of local authorities.In exchange, the Libyans will be provided with "technical and technological support" to help close off the southern border and fight people smuggling, the agreement says. REUTERS CJ BD2327 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1152247.Xml The United States Secretary of Defence has told NATO members gathered in Brussels that the Washington government is prepared to reduce its input into the alliance if they do not boost their spending on defence. James Mattis echoed President Donald Trump's demand that participating members increase defence spending to 2 per cent of their gross domestic product, otherwise the US would moderate its commitment, EFE news reported. "It's a fair demand that all who benefit from the best defence in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom," Mattis said in a transcript of his speech made available by NATO. Mattis said that he was confident that the alliance would react to changing circumstances, as it had done in the past. He added that Trump had stated his strong support for NATO. "The alliance remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community, bonded as we are together," Mattis said. "We're here as you all know to chart the course of the alliance in the future," Mattis said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance needed more defence spending and a fairer burden-sharing. "After many years of cuts, I am glad to say that we have turned a corner," Stoltenberg said. He said that NATO's latest figures, published on Tuesday, showed that defence spending among European allies and Canada had increased by 3.8 per cent in real terms in 2016. --IANS lok/ ( 259 Words) 2017-02-16-01:20:07 (IANS) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) and U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis give a joint press statement prior to a NATO Defence Ministers Meeting at its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) BRUSSELS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- NATO defense ministers are to tackle defense spending and the fight against terrorism at the organization's upcoming meetings, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday. Briefing media on the agenda of the meeting over the next two days, Stoltenberg stressed the importance of strength and unity of the alliance in addressing security challenges. "NATO is founded on the bond between North America and Europe, and in good times and bad, that bond has been unbreakable," he said. He welcomed that defense spending among European allies and Canada had increased by 3.8 percent in real terms in 2016 and underlined "the importance of fair burden-sharing and higher defense spending". Stoltenberg also said "ministers will also focus on the fight against terrorism, and threats stemming from the Middle East and North Africa." New U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will attend the two-day meeting which starts on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has referred to NATO as "obsolete", said during his campaign that he would decide whether to come to allies' aid only after reviewing if those nations had "fulfilled their obligations to us". SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) - - Four militants and four troopers were killed Tuesday in two separate gunfights in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir. Three militants and an Indian army officer were killed Tuesday late afternoon at village Kralgund of Handwara in frontier Kupwara district, about 72 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. This was the second gunfight during the day and a total of eight deaths were reported in these gunfights. "In another gunfight today we have killed three militants in Handwara," Indian military spokesman in Srinagar, Col Rajesh Kalia told Xinhua. "One of our soldiers of the rank of Major who was leading the fight against militants was also wounded in the firefight but later on he succumbed to his wounds in hospital." Earlier in the day three Indian army troopers and a militant were killed in a fierce gunfight in region's Bandipora district. According to army officials five troopers were also wounded in the standoff. Local media reports said four policemen, an officer of paramilitary and a civilian were also wounded during the gunfight and subsequent protests. Indian Defense and police officials said the locality was cordoned off on specific intelligence information suggesting presence of militants in a house. On Sunday four militants, two troopers and two civilians were killed in a similar gunfight and subsequent protests in the region. A guerilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian- controlled Kashmir since 1989. The gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. GENEVA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned Tuesday that it has received "troubling reports" that recent clashes between Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) troops and a local militia have resulted in the death of at least 101 civilians. Fighting between government troops (FARDC) and members of the Kamuina Nsapu militia loyal to a local chief killed by the army in August last year is purported to have broken out in the territory of Dibaya in Kasai Central Province between Feb. 9 and Feb. 13. Most of this latest round of violence is thought to have taken place in and around the town of Tshimbulu. "According to information from several sources, FARDC soldiers opened fire indiscriminately with machine guns when they saw the militia fighters, who were armed mainly with machetes and spears," OHCHR said in a statement. "Some 39 women are reported to have been caught in the fire and are among the dead," it added. While condemning the use of excessive force by FARDC, the UN rights body also urged the Kamuina Nsapu militia to stop recruiting children and end the targeting of state symbols and institutions including government buildings, police stations and churches. GENEVA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The UN's Children Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday that thanks to recent repairs to the municipal system, water is slowing returning to the northern Syrian town of Aleppo. "For almost a month, 1.8 million people in and around the city were deliberately cut off from the public water network," UNICEF said in statement. "The most recent water cuts in Aleppo took place on January 14 when the Al-Khafse pumping station in eastern Aleppo stopped working," it added. According to the UN body, children have been particularly affected by water shortages since they are the most prone to contracting waterborne diseases. They are also often the ones tasked with fetching water from various water sources. "Children are forced to queue at wells and distribution points for hours while the city continues to experience random shelling," UNICEF continued, adding that "this negatively impacts their health, puts their lives at risk and takes away from time they could spend studying or playing." According to estimates, at least another 10 days are needed to finalize repairs enabling water to be pumped regularly to all neighbourhoods of the war-torn city. UNICEF said that all parties to the Syrian conflict have used water as a weapon of war, either by contaminating water sources, targeting equipment and critical infrastructure such as pipes, or withholding fuel to power water pumps. ARUSHA, Tanzania, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- A new and unique species of frog has been discovered in eastern Tanzania, a development which is expected to boost tourism potential for amphibian lovers and researchers in the east African nation. Charles Meshark, Executive Director for Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) said on Tuesday that the new species has been discovered in Ruvu South Forest Reserve, located some 45 kilometers from the country's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. Meshark said that in 2001 a group of scientists working for the non-governmental organization Frontier-Tanzania collected a strange looking reed frog from Ruvu South Forest. Sixteen years later, a genetic and morphological analysis by British scientists, Chris Barratt and Simon Loader, revealed that the frog is new to science. The frog has been named Hyperolius ruvuensis or the Ruvu spiny reed frog. The frog was found on reeds and bushes in a swampy area of open grassland within the reserve. The frog has not been seen since 2001, despite a rapid survey in 2015. "The discovery of this new frog species highlights the importance of Ruvu South Forest Reserve for tourism particularly for amphibian lovers and researchers," Meshark said, calling the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) to chip in and protect the natural forest and wetlands in the reserve. According to him, more than 40 percent of the forest in Ruvu South Forest Reserve was lost between 2000 and 2011. Fire and illegal charcoal production continue to cause damage to the natural habitat of the new species. The recently described frog offers an interesting account of the evolutionary history of a group of reed frogs in this region with its close links to forest species of the Eastern Afromontane mountains. "The frog we see today in Ruvu South is likely to be a relic of a formerly widespread forest habitat that has, through historical climate change and human impact, become isolated, and alone in the coastal forest of Ruvu," explained scientist Dr Simon Loader, Regional Chair of the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. ACCRA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo on Tuesday appointed 11 persons to the Council of State in accordance with the constitution of the country. The Council of State is a body mandated to counsel the president in the performance of his functions. The council may also upon request or on its own initiative consider and make recommendations on any matter being considered or dealt with by the president, a minister of state, or any other authority established by the constitution. President Akufo-Addo also appointed General Joseph Boateng Danquah, a former Chief of Defence Staff, and Nana Owusu Nsiah, an ex-Inspector General of Police (IGP) to the Council subject to the approval of parliament, a release signed by Eugene Arhin, Acting Director of communications at the presidency said. Since there is no living former chief justice, the president is unable to propose a name for the approval of parliament, the release said. The president of the National House of Chiefs Togbe Afede XIV is an ex-officio member of the Council of State which is also mandated to advise the president or any other authority in respect of any appointment which is required by the constitution. The composition of the Council will be complete with the election of the regional representatives due to be held on Feb. 16, 2017. ACCRA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ghanaian economist Professor Ernest Aryeetey Tuesday urged the government to attract Chinese investment into agriculture and manufacturing sectors to boost economy and employment. The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, identified agriculture as the main area that could be improved upon within the short and medium term, while encouraging growth of the manufacturing sector in the long term. "Manufacturing is key to the expansion of every economy in processing not only agricultural products but many other items that are currently being imported," he told the Graphic Business/Stanbic Breakfast Meeting in Accra. Aryeetey said in view of the capital and technology-intensive nature of the manufacturing sector, the government must liaise with other nationals such as Chinese and Indians who were ready to establish such industries. "There are Chinese and Indian investors looking for places to do manufacturing. You've got to give them the right incentive, you've got to give them skill sets, you've got to give them the right infrastructure and they will do it." he said. GENEVA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday, in its World Trade Outlook Indicator (WTOI), suggested that global trade growth will continue to build moderately in the first quarter of 2017 after having strengthened in the final quarter of last year. With a current reading of 102.0, the WTOI points to above-trend trade growth in February-March. The WTOI has risen further above trend since the last release three months ago, when the indicator stood at 100.9 in November 2016. According to WTO statistics, trade-related indicators including air freight, automobile sales, export orders and container shipping have all registered solid gains in recent months, auguring for faster growth in merchandise trade volumes in the first few months of the year. However, electronics and agricultural raw materials trade are both slightly below trend. The WTOI is a leading indicator of world trade, designed to provide "real time" information on the trajectory of merchandise trade three to four months ahead of trade volume statistics. It combines several trade-related indices into a single composite indicator to measure short-run performance against medium-run trends. A reading of 100 indicates trade growth in line with trend, while readings greater or less than 100 suggest above or below trend growth. WARSAW, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Polish government on Tuesday approved the new Strategy for Responsible Development which will enable Polish families to increase income so that by 2030 it can get close to European Union's average, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski announced at a press conference. Glinski, who presided over the government meeting in absence of Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, who was hospitalized after Friday's car crash, said that the strategy will focus on promoting innovation, providing capital for investments, preparing plans for sustainable development and increasing the volume of export as well as certain reindustrialization initiatives. The strategy envisioned that the average income of Polish households will reach 76 to 80 percent of the European Union average by 2020 and come close to the EU average by 2030. The plan also called "Morawiecki Plan" named after deputy PM and Development and Finance Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. He said at the same day that demographic and institutional problems, the middle income trap, the average product trap and the dependent development trap were the main obstacles that need to be overcome. DUBLIN, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Irish cabinet on Tuesday approved a legislation to ensure that all drivers detected drink driving receive a disqualification. Under the legislation brought forward by Irish Transport Minister Shane Ross, such drivers, instead of three penalty points, will get a three-month disqualification. "What I am now proposing is that the existing provision allowing people to get penalty points rather than a disqualification for drink driving sends the wrong message and should go," Ross said in a statement. "This is quite proportionate," he said, adding that he hopes that this draft bill can be passed quickly by parliament and without amendment. A research conducted by the country's Road Safety Authority cites alcohol as a contributory factor in 38 percent of fatal collisions in the four-year period examined. Moreover, a recent campaign against drink driving by Irish police, which took place over six weeks in December of 2016 and into the New Year, resulted in 961 arrests for drink driving. This is a 35 percent increase in arrests on the same period in 2015. Ireland are among European countries having the highest consumption rates of alcohol. In 2015, the average Irish person aged beyond 15 drank 10.93 litres of pure alcohol. DUBLIN, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Irish government will set up a public tribunal of inquiry into an alleged smear campaign against police whistleblower Maurice McCabe, Prime Minister Enda Kenny said on Tuesday. "I can confirm that we have agreed in principle that we are to set up a tribunal of inquiry under the 1921 Act," Kenny told the parliament. "Was there an organized smear campaign against McCabe by senior police officers?" will be the central question, he said. He added he hopes the terms of reference for the public inquiry will be concluded within the next 48 hours. "When we proceed down the road of having a tribunal of inquiry under 1921 act, we have to be very clear that it is right down the middle in respect of everybody," Kenny said. He said it is very important that all main players go into the probe with a presumption of innocence. On Monday, McCabe issued a statement saying he strongly opposed an inquiry that would be held in private. In the statement, McCabe and his wife Lorraine said the truth had now emerged of the "false and shocking campaign" to vilify them. They said there is now "no reason to have any secret or private inquiry". McCabe is a police Sergeant, recognized for being a whistleblower on penalty points system irregularities within Ireland's national police force. In 2014, material revealed by McCabe, as well as the handling of the material and of the whistleblowers, led directly to the resignation of Ireland's then Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter. It was also part of the background leading up to the resignation of the Police Commissioner, Martin Callinan. Irish opposition Sinn Fein has tabled a motion of no confidence in Kenny's minority government over its handling of the police whistleblower controversy. The opposition party says the government is not capable of dealing with the issues around McCabe and that an election is needed. WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia has secretly deployed a new type of cruise missile in violation of an arms control treaty with the U.S., the New York Times reported Tuesday. The deployment of a fully operation unit of the SSC-8 ground-launched intermediate-range missiles presents a major challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S.-Russia relations, the report said. Quoting U.S. government officials, the report claimed that Russia now has deployed two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile, one is still located at Russia's missile test site at Kapustin Yar in southern Russia near Volgograd, while the other was shifted in December from that site to an operational base elsewhere in the country. The previous Obama administration charged in 2014 that Russia had tested this type of missile in violation of a 1987 treaty. In 1987, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and then Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which bans intermediate-range ballistic missiles based on land. The Obama administration tried to persuade Moscow to correct the violation while the missile was still in the test phase, but the Russians have moved ahead with the system, the report added. Russia has so far not responded to the Times report. Despite the U.S. intelligence reports that Russia intervened in the U.S. presidential election with hacking activities, Trump has vowed to improve ties with Moscow so that they could cooperate on fighting terrorism. The report came as Trump's National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned on Monday over the controversy about his phone conversation with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak before Trump's inauguration in January. Flynn, discussed the U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia in late December by the Obama administration, reportedly indicated that the Trump administration would change its policies toward Moscow. U.S. President Donald Trump listens to a question at a joint press conference with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (not in the picture) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb. 13, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia has secretly deployed a new type of cruise missile in violation of an arms control treaty with the U.S., The New York Times reported Tuesday. The deployment of a fully operation unit of the SSC-8 ground-launched intermediate-range missiles presents a major challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S.-Russia relations, the report said. Quoting U.S. government officials, the report claimed that Russia now has deployed two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile, one is still located at Russia's missile test site at Kapustin Yar in southern Russia near Volgograd, while the other was shifted in December from that site to an operational base elsewhere in the country. The previous Obama administration charged in 2014 that Russia had tested this type of missile in violation of a 1987 treaty. In 1987, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and then Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which bans intermediate-range ballistic missiles based on land. The Obama administration tried to persuade Moscow to correct the violation while the missile was still in the test phase, but the Russians have moved ahead with the system, the report added. Russia has so far not responded to the Times report. Despite the U.S. intelligence reports that Russia intervened in the U.S. presidential election with hacking activities, Trump has vowed to improve ties with Moscow so that they could cooperate on fighting terrorism. The report came as Trump's National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned on Monday over the controversy about his phone conversation with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak before Trump's inauguration in January. Flynn, discussed the U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia in late December by the Obama administration, reportedly indicated that the Trump administration would change its policies toward Moscow. by Matt Walsh CANBERRA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- More Australian restaurants, cafes and wineries should offer Chinese language menus to capture a larger slice of the immense Chinese outbound tourist market, the deputy CEO of Restaurant and Catering Australia (RCA) told Xinhua on Wednesday. RCA's Sally Neville said she has noticed that some Australian restaurants were offering Mandarin menus in an attempt to draw more Chinese tourists into their businesses. Neville said savvy Australian retailers should begin to follow suit, following a revelation that a record number of Chinese tourists visited Australia in 2016. On Tuesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said a record 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Australia in 2016, making China Australia's second-largest inbound tourism market behind New Zealand. "In destinations where there are already significant numbers of Chinese tourists, the recognition of their contribution is already seen. It's clear there is a (place) for translated menus," Neville told Xinhua. Neville said she would encourage Australian restaurants, particularly tourist hotspots, to implement more strategies to draw a greater proportion of the not only 1.2 million Chinese visitors already visiting Australia, but of the overall 125 million Chinese visitors who visit overseas countries each year. "Tapping into the increase in demand from the Chinese will make Australia a preferred location for Chinese visitors which will convert to spending," she said. "The 1.2 million visitor figure is great, but there are 125 million outbound Chinese tourists each year, so ideally Australia will become better at attracting them and gain more than our fair share of that number." "The potential for Australia to grow the economic benefit from that activity is immense." Earlier in the week, Neville told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that, aside from being Chinese language-friendly, businesses could do more to make Chinese visitors feel more comfortable in their restaurants and cafes. She said she had heard of some restaurants who had offered staff training in order to make sure employees were culturally aware of differing customs. "Some restaurants have introduced translated menus, but they have also trained their staff in the kinds of eating that the Chinese visitors enjoy, usually communal dining," Neville said. "Also (important) is a respect of the oldest person on the table. Wait staff are now ensuring they defer to them despite the fact a younger person may have better English." Neville told Xinhua it was an exciting time for Australia's hospitality sector, particularly in tourist hotspots. "If there is demand, (restaurant operators) will identify the opportunity of becoming for China-friendly," Neville said. "In the wine regions, we are seeing a spike in visitation so the larger venues are already attracting the Chinese market. I am confident that others will follow." CANBERRA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Employees of Australia's government-owned air-traffic control organization have warned that recent job cuts could lead to a "major aviation accident", with one executive saying it is "only a matter of time" before an incident occurs. Following the implementation of a cost-cutting venture called Accelerate, Airservices Australia slashed more than 700 jobs, leaving some employees concerned about the "huge risk to public safety". One anonymous employee told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday that some airports were critically understaffed; on the night of one major storm event in December last year, passenger flights near Melbourne were forced to remain in holding patterns for more than an hour as just two controllers attempted to land flights among testing conditions. "It's only a matter of time before we have a major aviation incident," the employee said. The ABC also obtained emails being sent between Airservices employees following that night, with one describing the air-traffic control system as being at "breaking point". "There is a culture of cover-up and deceit which means problems are ignored and fingers are pointed," the email said. "Attempting a night like tonight with only two on shift is sheer lunacy. What happens when there are only two staff? "Do we need to wait for a mid-air collision or can we deal with this proactively?" South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said the revelations were a "mayday" for air-traffic control in Australia and urged the government to take action. "When those on the inside say that there's a very real risk to public safety, that we are looking at a catastrophic event unless these matters are dealt with then that has to be dealt with as a matter of absolute urgency," Xenophon said. Meanwhile Airservices chief executive Jason Harfield refuted the claims, telling the ABC that "any suggestion that Airservices is compromising on safety is totally incorrect". "There is no risk to the traveling public," he said. SYDNEY, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A "sugar tax" could prolong the lives of Australians by more than two years, researchers have found. Modelling undertaken by the University of Melbourne's Centre for Public Health Policy concluded that taxing foods that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fats would save Australia 2.6 billion U.S. dollars in public healthcare costs every year. The study, published in the Public Library of Science (PLOS) on Wednesday, also suggested that fruit and vegetables should be subsidized by the government. "The study suggests that taxes and subsidies on foods and beverages can potentially be combined to achieve substantial improvements in population health and cost savings to the health sector," the study said. "The modelling illustrates the potentially large benefits of combining food taxes and subsidies for improving population health and reducing health sector spending." A tax on sugar alone would add 1.2 years to the life of an average Australian, the study found, while a combination of taxes and subsidies would mean people would live for 2.1 years longer. The report used data from a number of Australian sources and employed models from Denmark, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States to measure how customers would behave when prices fluctuated. "This is a feasible intervention," Tony Blakely, the report's co-author, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday. Under the modelling, foods were taxed based on the units of sugar, saturated fats and salt they contained. "Some foods that had all - high salt, high sugar, high saturated fat - would have a bigger price increase than those that had, say, just saturated fat, but not high sugar or salt," Blakely said. Saturated fats were taxed at a rate of 1.05 U.S. dollars per 100 grams, excess salt at 23 U.S. cents per gram, sugar-sweetened beverages at 36 U.S. cents per litre while fruits and vegetables were subsidised at a rate of 10 U.S. cents per 100 grams. Under the tax rates used, the price of a common chocolate bar would increase by 10 percent while the cost of a kilogram of apples fell by 25 percent. "You need to include both carrots and sticks to change consumer behavior and to encourage new taxes," Blakely told the Guardian Australia on Wednesday. "That's where this paper is cutting edge internationally." "We have worked out the whole package of taxes with minimal impact on the budget of the household, so you can see an overall gain for the government. The government would be less interested in the package if it was purely punitive, but this provides subsidies and savings to health spending that could be reinvested back into communities and services." He said that taxing junk foods would prompt manufacturers to change their products so they were healthier. "For those who might say this is an example of nanny state measures, let's consider that we don't mind asbestos being taken out of buildings to prevent respiratory disease, and we're happy for lead to be taken from petrol. We need to change the food system if we are going to tackle obesity and prevent disease." Geoff Parker from the Australian Beverage Council described the proposal as "a new Goods and Services Tax." "It's really disappointing that in 2017, the only solution being put forward to address a complex problem like obesity is tax, then another tax, then another tax," Parker told the ABC. "We need to be having a smarter dialogue around how to address the nation's expanding waistline." YANGON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has reached a memorandum of understanding with Myanmar to provide technical support in the country's industrial waste disposal system, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Wednesday. Signed with the Myanmar Food Processors and Exporters Association on Tuesday, the WWF will begin giving training on its technology starting March in Yangon's Shwepyithar Industrial Zone, the association's Vice Chairman U Sein Thaung Oo was quoted as saying. Myanmar Country Director. A Christy Williams stated that WWF will also provide support in harnessing raw power from waste disposal, proper harnessing of natural water and saved consumption of raw energy. He called on business owners to adhere to the laws on waste disposal already promulgated. Parliamentarians also urged inspection on the factories' waster disposal management by experts, MPs and members of civil society. Meanwhile, the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) is also making efforts to apply a waste collection system for Yangon through a public-private partnership which will utilize the latest collection technology to create a cleaner and healthier environment for the commercial city. KAMPALA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Burundian government has started a regional campaign to ask the country's refugees to voluntarily return home despite tension in the east African country. Government officials on Tuesday started their campaign in Uganda, the host for over 45,000 Burundian refugees who have fled violence at home since May 2015. "The government has made efforts to restore peace and deal with development now. We want the refugees to return home to contribute to our country's development," Pascal Barandagiye, Burundian home affairs and civic education minister, told reporters after meeting Ugandan government officials. Hillary Onek, Uganda's minister for disaster preparedness, refugees and relief, said the campaign should be supported. "We are sure the situation in Burundi is improving. We encourage the refugees to return home voluntarily. We warn those who might misguide people from not going back," said Onek. The Burundi government team will visit the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in the western district of Isingiro where a few refugees will be taken home to study the situation in their home country and report it to other refugees. The team will also visit neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Tanzania for the same mission. At least 327,000 Burundi refugees have fled to the DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia since violence broke out in capital Bujumbura. Military members patrol on the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Feb. 14, 2017. Around 9,000 soldiers from the Brazilian army were deployed to Rio de Janeiro Tuesday ahead of a potential police strike, the Ministry of Defence announced. (Xinhua/Fabio Motta/AGENCIA ESTADO) RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Around 9,000 soldiers from the Brazilian army were deployed to Rio de Janeiro Tuesday ahead of a potential police strike, the Ministry of Defence announced. Minister of Defence Raul Jungmann told a press conference that the soldiers will patrol Rio de Janeiro and the nearby cities of Niteroi and Sao Goncalo until Feb. 22, although their deployment could be extended until after Carnival. On Tuesday afternoon, their presence could be seen in the tour areas of Copacabana and Ipanema, as well as along the main highways in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's second-largest city. This deployment comes after Rio state Governor Luiz Fernando Pezao appealed to President Michel Temer to reinforce security, as a number of military police battalions stayed in their barracks in protest against the freezing of their salaries and against their labor conditions. In a statement, Temer said the armed forces are "ready to re-establish public order" in case of more strikes and described the situation in Espirito Santo as an "insurgency" by military police. XIAMEN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Zhou Benshun, former Party chief of northern China's Hebei Province, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption, a court in southeast China's Xiamen city said Wednesday. According to Xiamen Municipal Intermediate People's Court, Zhou's personal assets, worth 2 million yuan (291,545 U.S. dollars), will be seized, along with other illegal gains and property. The court found that Zhou took advantage of his official posts from 2000 to 2015 to seek benefit for others in real estate development, project payments, fire control project approval, bank loans and personnel promotions. He accepted bribes of over 40 million yuan directly for himself or through his family. The court decideded to hand down a lighter penalty to Zhou as he confessed to his crimes, expressed remorse and cooperated in returning the bribes. Zhou said he would not appeal. PANAMA CITY, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Panama has reinforced security in resort areas of eastern Bocas del Toro province, following the recent death of an American tourist. The head of the state-run Panama Tourism Authority (ATP) Gustavo Him on Tuesday met with national security officials on increasing police presence and patrols at the islands, where the 23-year-old Catherine Johannet was found strangled with her own swimsuit on Sunday, two days after being reported missing. Some eight people have been arrested as part of the investigation into her death, according to the daily La Estrella de Panama. Her body was discovered along a wooded trail on the Bastimentos island. Last week, the National Police sent some 40 agents as reinforcements, and in the next few days, the National Naval Air Service is to send more units to patrol beachfronts. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) helped local authorities find the victim, the daily said. Panama's Caribbean coast is frequented by tourists for its crystal-clear waters and palm-lined beaches. NEW DELHI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- India on Wednesday launched a record 104 satellites in a single space mission from the spaceport of Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The satellites were launched into space on board state-owned Indian Space Research Organisation's workhorse rocket, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C37, at 9.28 a.m. (local time). Among the 104 satellites are many belonging to international customers, the primary being the Earth-mapping Cartosat 2 series satellite, which weighs 714 kg. Others are small satellites belonging to the U.S., Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. If successful, this will be the Indian Space Research Organisation's second attempt after the launch of 23 satellites in a single space mission in June 2015. In the past, the Russian Space Agency had launched 37 satellites at one go. PHNOM PENH, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A China-funded military automobile repair shop was inaugurated here on Wednesday after a two-year construction. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo jointly unveiled the garage at the No. 99 Trucking Battalion on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Well-equipped with the latest technology, the 500-square-meter garage is crucial to maintain and repair transportation vehicles for the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), said Gen. Tea Banh. "This is a new testament to the fruitful relations and cooperation between Cambodia and China," he said. The deputy prime minister also extended his profound gratitude to the government and people of China for having supported Cambodia in all circumstances. "The government and people of Cambodia will keep in mind forever the great support of China to Cambodia for socio-economic development," Gen. Tea Banh said. At the request of Cambodia, during a visit to Cambodia in May 2014, Xu Qiliang, vice-chairman of China's Central Military Commission, agreed to help build the garage for the RCAF, said Xiong. "This is a new achievement born from the friendly relations and cooperation between the Chinese People's Liberation Army and the RCAF," he said. "The garage will increase the capacity of maintenance and repairs for military cars." He said the garage also contributed to further deepening friendly relations and cooperation between the two armies. CARACAS, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday demanded a retraction from the U.S. government, after it imposed sanctions on his vice president for alleged ties to drug trafficking. Maduro called on his Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez to summon the U.S. charge d'affairs in Venezuela to deliver a note of protest and demand "the accusation be retracted." On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury accused Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami of aiding drug trafficking in the region, naming him a "Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker." The designation bars U.S. individuals and entities from doing business with him, and freezes any property and assets held by him in the United States. "Venezuela is going to activate all national and international legal, diplomatic and political means, in the United States itself, to counter, to undo this disgrace," said Maduro, adding the U.S. Treasury Department "has become the police, judge and jury." During El Aissami's term as interior minister between 2008 and 2012, he dealt "the biggest blows ever to drug lords in Venezuela," said Maduro. A total of 102 drug lords were captured in that time, and 21 wanted by the United States were extradited, according to Maduro. HOUSTON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Storms with several tornadoes hit the greater Houston area in the U.S. state of Texas on Tuesday, killing one person. The U.S. National Weather Service confirmed later Tuesday that at least six tornadoes touched down in the greater Houston area early Tuesday, causing damage in the cities such as Van Vleck, Missouri, Rosenberg and Stafford. In southwest Montgomery County, a high school student was killed in a crash during the storms. In Van Vleck, a small town about 96 km southwest of Texas' largest city of Houston, a tornado with winds of up to 160 km per hour damaged homes and injured at least six people. In Missouri City, Fort Bend County, a tornado damaged about 40 homes. In Houston, about 25,000 customers lost power, mostly in Fort Bend and southwest Harris counties. The Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby Airport, Houston's two main airports, were also affected by the stormy weather with about 150 flights being delayed. BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's table-salt price will remain stable and keep within a low price range due to large stockpiles and overcapacity, the top economic planner said Wednesday. Zhao Chenxin, a spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission, said that China could ensure the table-salt supply even in extreme scenarios, after salt system reforms. Starting from 2017, China scraped table-salt price controls and ended a state monopoly on the production and sale of table salt, dismantling a 2,000-year-old system. China's table salt reserve stood at 1.55 million tonnes by the end of 2016, according to Zhao. China's reserves of rock salt hit 1.3 trillion tonnes, which would enable 26,000 years of continuous exploitation at the current annual output of 50 million tonnes. China sold 10.5 million tonnes of table salt in 2015, far less than the annual capacity of 48 million tonnes. SYDNEY, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Australian city of Sydney held a commemoration on Wednesday to commemorate the fall of Singapore 75 years ago. Ar least 100,000 allied troops, including Australians, were taken prisoners when Japan invaded Singapore in 1942. One of the attendees, 96 year old ex-prisoner of war Joe Coombs, spoke about his experiences during World War II, where he spent three and a half years in Prisoners of War (POW) camps, including Singapore's Changi Prison, and Nagasaki in Japan. Coombs went off to fight the war at the tender age of 21, just three weeks after marrying his wife. He was one of the first Australian POWs moved to Japan. New South Wales Governor David Hurley was in attendance, he thanked the veterans for everything they endured. "How to attempt to sum up in words what will convey the deep gratitude that we hold for our veterans, our warriors, who lived through and suffered so much in defense of our nation," Hurley said. "There are no words we can say, except to say, thank you." NEW DELHI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Voting for the second phase of local elections in northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh Wednesday began amid tight security and adequate arrangements, officials said. Polling in the 67 constituencies spread over 11 districts started at 7:00 a.m. local time (0130 GMT) and would go on until 5:00 in the evening. Reports said long queues of people including women both young and old were seen waiting to cast their ballots at the designated polling booths. Over 64 percent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of elections in the state. According to officials, 721 candidates including 82 women and one third gender are in the fray. "Polling is going on peacefully and until 9:00 a.m. around 10.69 percent votes were casted," election commission officials said. On Tuesday Indian police arrested an editor of a news website for violating election norms by publishing an exit poll of the first phase of voting in the state. Police officials have registered a case against the editorial board of the website and managing director of Resource Development International (RDI) - a consulting firm which actually carried out the exit poll survey - on the complaint of election commission officials. Election Commission of India has put a ban on media houses from publishing or broadcasting exit polls so that the results portrayed should not influence voters in poll bound states. Uttar Pradesh with a population of 200 million is the most populous state in India. The local elections in Uttar Pradesh is seen as a referendum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision of demonetisation - a step to ban high value currency notes. Modi's Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) won 71 seats from Uttar Pradesh during 2014 India's general election. Modi, who is basically from the western state of Gujarat, also managed to get elected from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi constituency. Modi's radical move in Nov. last year led to a cash shortage and was opposed by all opposition parties besides common people, who faced lotS of hardships in banks. Ahead of elections, regional Samajwadi Party which was ruling the state, forged an alliance with Congress Party to regain power for the second consecutive term. Political analysts say BJP is facing competition from the alliance besides another regional player - Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has following among the low-caste Dalits and some Muslims. Meanwhile, another northern state of India Uttarakhand also went to polls Wednesday morning. The elections in the state will be completed in the single phase. "There are 70 constituencies in the state and today polling will take place for 69 Assembly seats and for the remaining one constituency - Karnprayag voting has been rescheduled for March 9, following the death of a candidate," an official said. Counting of votes according to India's Election Commission would be carried out on March 11. SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) - Conservative politicians in South Korea are trying to politicize security issues, with early presidential race looming large ahead of the constitutional court's ruling on the motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye. Since the impeachment bill was passed on Dec. 9, the court has been deliberating whether to permanently force Park out of office or reinstate her. The final decision is forecast to be made before the middle of next month. A presidential election must be held in 60 days if the court upholds the bill. The rejection will delay the election to an originally scheduled date in December. Amid the high possibility for the upholding, conservative politicians have been trying to politicize security issues as support for them tumbled with the presidential impeachment, caused by a corruption scandal that has derailed the conservative bloc in recent months. Escalated tensions on the Korean Peninsula and greater importance placed on a military alliance with the United States tended to grant election victories to the conservative camp. This time around, politicians of the ruling Liberty Korea Party and its splinter conservative Righteous Party attempt to increase public fears toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and tout Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. The governing party's floor leader on Wednesday called on the Park government to complete the deployment of the U.S. missile shield, which Seoul and Washington agreed to in July last year, as rapidly as possible. Rep. Yoo Seong-min, one of the two Righteous Party presidential contenders, even claimed 2-3 THAAD batteries to be installed in South Korean soil by purchasing the anti-missile systems from the U.S. Growing calls for THAAD in the conservative bloc followed the DPRK's test-launch of a new Pukguksong-2 ballistic missile on Sunday, which South Korea sees as a fresh nuclear missile threat that can target its entire territory and Japan. Conservative politicians claim that the new DPRK missile can be fired at a high angle to curtail a range and strike the South Korean territory. There is little possibility for the DPRK to launch the missile at a steep angle as it takes time and raises chances to be intercepted. The DPRK test-fired the Pukguksong-2 at an angle of 89 degrees to raise it as high as about 550 km and make it fly around 500 km toward eastern waters. It was aimed at testing its capability and getting technology to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The DPRK's KCNA news agency said the Sunday launch re-confirmed the separation of vehicles at the stages and verified the position control and guidance in the midcourse and reentry sections. The THAAD deployment will escalate arms race in Northeast Asia as more shields will bring more spears, such as nuclear missiles, to the region. For fear of the arms race, the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty was signed in 1972 between the Soviet Union and the U.S., which later repealed it unilaterally. Conservative politicians are forecast to emphasize the need for the THAAD deployment as they may believe rising concerns about the DPRK's nuclear threats and the subsequent calls for U.S. weapons can help them win support from conservative voters. Such political ploy will leave no diplomatic room for the next South Korean government as the hurried installation increases tensions between South Korea and its neighboring countries. China and Russia have strongly opposed the THAAD deployment in South Korea as it breaks regional balance and severely damages security interests of the two countries. The biggest opposition Minjoo Party has claimed a final decision on the THAAD deployment should be relayed to the next government for negotiations with neighboring countries and open discussions at home. FUZHOU, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Brexit would not impact China-UK relations, said a visiting British minister describing bilateral ties as entering a golden era. UK Minister for Asia and the Pacific Alok Sharma said that leaving the European Union presented the United Kingdom with many opportunities when it comes to other friends such as China "We have the opportunity to start dialogue and talk to China about what our trade relations might look like once we have left the European Union," he said after unveiling an expanded UK Visa Application Center Tuesday in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province. Fuzhou is the second leg of Sharma's four-stop China visit. His delegation, which contains UK healthcare and life science business leaders, is visiting Xiamen Wednesday. In Fuzhou, Sharma reassured Chinese investors that Britain is a good place to do business and remains "very much open for business" as the British economy continues to remain strong after last year's Brexit referendum. "We have seen growth forecasts for Britain upgraded. We have seen a lot investment across the world flowing into UK, particularly from Asia and China," he said. The minister has also said there was a wealth of investment and export opportunities for the UK across southern China. He particularly highlighted room for cooperation in health and education. Sharma's delegation has been meeting Chinese hospital and university officials during the visit. This year marks 45 years of bilateral ambassadorial relations between the two sides. China is Britain's second largest trading partner outside the European Union, while Britain is home to more Chinese investment than any European country. KABUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 26 militants were killed and eight others injured after Afghan army, police and intelligence agency personnel launched wide-scale operations within the past 24 hours, said the Afghan Defense Ministry on Wednesday. "During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conducted joint operations against the insurgents in different parts of the country. As a result, 26 insurgents were killed and eight others wounded," the ministry said in a statement. Among the killed were 22 militants of Islamic State (IS) militant group, the statement said, adding that the joint forces also discovered and confiscated rounds of light and heavy ammunition during the raids launched in 11 of the country's 34 provinces. The joint forces also detained nine persons during the above raids. The Afghan security forces had beefed up security operations recently as militants were attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions during the winter in the mountainous country. HANOI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A cargo ship whose nationality is Panama caught fire while docking at Cai Lan port in Vietnam's northern Quang Ninh province late Tuesday. No casualties have been reported, said local authorities on Wednesday. Ta Quang Viet, deputy chief of Cai Lan port, said on Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA that the flame erupted suddenly in the bedroom cabin of the ship's chief engineer. No one was in the cabin at that time. As soon as learning about the incident, the crew members used hoses to put out the fire. Local firefighters and the port's special fire-fighting boat also got to the site and the fire was extinguished after 25 minutes. Hoang Van Hoan, head of safety and maritime inspection of port authorities in Quang Ninh province, some 120 km east of capital Hanoi, said the ship with payload of four tons, arrived at the port at around 23:30 on Monday (1630 GMT). The ship caught fire while loading woodchips to export to Japan, reported VNA, adding that there are 23 crew members on board, all of whom are Chinese. Local authorities are working to look for the cause of the flame which caused no casualties. The property damage is under verification. SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) - South Korea's exports of information and communications technology (ICT) products posted a double-digit increase last month on the back of strong demand for locally-made semiconductors, a government report showed on Wednesday. The ICT exports reached 13.83 billion U.S. dollars in January, up 16.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It was the country's second-biggest monthly expansion following an 18.6 percent increase in May 2013. Semiconductor exports registered the biggest monthly figure of 6.41 billion dollars in January, up 41.6 percent compared with a year ago. Display panel shipments jumped 15.6 percent to 2.32 billion dollars, with those for computers and peripheral devices growing 7.9 percent. Mobile phone exports tumbled 36.4 percent to 1.21 billion dollars as negative effect continued from Samsung Electronics' discontinuation of its flagship Galaxy Note7 smartphone. The country's ICT product imports advanced 14.8 percent to 7.79 billion dollars, sending the January trade surplus in the sector to 6.05 billion dollars. It almost doubled a 3.2 billion-dollar surplus in all industries. ZHENGZHOU, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chen Yifan, 17, a high school student in central China's Henan Province, never expected praise after he left a letter of apology and some cash at the scene of an accident. Chen hit a luxury SUV on February 4 in Xinmi city on his way to deliver some food, leaving a 20 centimeter scratch and a broken rearview mirror. With nobody else at the scene, Chen left all his money, 311 yuan (45 U.S. dollars), for compensation, and a letter of apology. "I am so sorry and feel sad I hit your car by accident. I am a student and doing a winter vacation job. I know the compensation is far from enough, but I really have no more money left. Sorry." When the owner Xue Zhanmin found his car the next day, he was initially angry and called police, but after seeing the money and letter, he was touched by the student's honesty and decided to return the money. "The money was all change. I guess the student was from a poor family. It is maybe a big money for him," Xue said. Media reports about the letter soon went viral, with many web users trying to find the student. Chen finally contacted the car owner. "I saw the owner's telephone number on the car window, but I dared not call him. I was afraid to be blamed and decided to leave a short letter," Chen said. "I was relieved after I called him." The teenager is a high-school student from a low-income family, and does part-time delivery jobs to earn money during vacations, earning 60-70 yuan per day. Chu, Chen's mother, was proud after hearing of her son's actions. "My son is a good boy and his behavior was right. We will definitely pay for the repairs," Chu said. But Xue refused to accept money for the repairs, totaling 13,000 yuan. "Some people would leave without words after hitting a car, but the boy left money and an apology letter. I was deeply touched by his behavior." Xue has since offered 10,000 yuan to help fund Chen's future studies. "He is a kind boy and should be rewarded for his honesty," Xue said. SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's economy posted trade surplus for 60 months through January thanks to a double-digit growth in exports, which account for about half of the economy, customs data showed Wednesday. Revised figure for trade surplus reached 2.8 billion U.S. dollars in January, staying in the black since February 2012, according to Korea Customs Service (KCS). Exports increased 11.2 percent from a year earlier to 40.3 billion dollars, while imports soared 19.7 percent to 37.5 billion dollars. Overseas shipment in oil products and semiconductors surged 66.3 percent and 41.5 percent respectively, leading the January export expansion. Ship exports tumbled 17.9 percent, while shipments of telecommunication devices such as smartphones declined 26.6 percent as negative effect continued from Samsung Electronics' discontinuation of Galaxy Note7. Exports to China, the European Union (EU) and Japan logged the double-digit growth last month, but those to the United States dipped 1.9 percent. Imports of consumer goods rose on solid demand for winter clothing and home appliances, with those for capital goods growing on demand for chips and tech products. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday claimed responsibility for suicide Pakistaning in a northwestern tribal region which killed at least three security personnel. The military said earlier that a terrorists' bid was foiled in Mohmand tribal agency as the security agencies had the intelligence about intrusion of suicide bombers from neighbouring Afghanistan inside the area. "One suicide bomber blew himself up once spotted and challenged by security agencies at the gate of Political Agent office while another was shot by the sentries at the gate," an army statement said. A search operation was also carried out in the area. Jamaat ul Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, said it was behind the attack. The group's spokesman Asad Mansoor said in a statement sent to the local media that two bombers took part in the attack. On Tuesday the Islamabad's Red Mosque described the Ahrar group of the Taliban as anti-Islam and said the group's terrorist activities have nothing to do with the religion. Ahrar uses the name of a senior religious scholar Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in an operation by the security forces in 2007. The mosque said it cannot endorse the terrorist acts of the group. PHNOM PENH, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Labor Minister Ith Samheng said on Wednesday that about 1.15 million Cambodians are working abroad, sending home 1.7 billion U.S. dollars per year. The minister revealed the figures during the Labor Ministry's annual conference and added that those laborers are working mostly in Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore. Labor Ministry spokesman Heng Sour said last week that some 1.06 million Cambodians are working in Thailand, sending home about 1 billion U.S. dollars a year. He added that about 360,000 of the Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand were undocumented. JERUSALEM, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Israel's science ministry said on Wednesday that two Israeli nanosatellites were launched from India, amidst a record launching of 104 satellites on a single mission. The milk carton-size satellites "entered a 500-km-high orbit, minutes after the launch," Libi Oz, a spokeswoman for the science ministry, said in a statement. Science Minister Ofir Akunis said the satellites were designed "to assist in advancing medical and environmental research for the benefit of the entire humanity." The BUGAST satellite was built by the Israel Aerospace Industries and Ben Gurion University in southern Israel. It carries cameras and other equipment that will monitor climate changes. The other satellite, manufactured by Israel-based SpacePharam Inc., carries a lab controlled from the earth by an app. "The data would be transferred back to the earth and the researchers could see them in real time and control the experiments via their smartphones," Oz said. The experiments were designed to explore the effects of microgravity on different materials. The launch, operated by the Indian Space Research Organization, took place in Sriharikota space center in eastern India. The PSLV-37 rocket put into orbit 104 small satellites from the United States, India, Israel, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland and the Netherlands. BANGKOK, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) - A Thai air force pilot was seriously injured after he jettisoned himself from an Alpha Jet trainer plane in northeastern Thailand on Wednesday. Air force spokesman Pongsak Semachai identified the pilot as Sukhothai Srisomsai, who was found lying on open ground in Loei province, about 520 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. Local villagers scrambled to send the injured pilot to hospital. Sukhothai, who was flying as the second pilot, instantly ejected himself from the two-seater Alpha Jet plane as he was helping the first pilot, identified as Flying Officer Puri Chulapallop, with a flying exercise aboard the French/German-built trainer aircraft. However, the trainee pilot stayed aboard and managed to fly the Alpha Jet plane safely back to Air Wing 23 in Udorn Thani province, where both air force officers are based, according to the air force spokesman. Air force officers at the northeastern air wing are yet to investigate the possible cause which immediately made the trainer pilot jettison himself off, Pongsak said. Last month, an air force pilot was killed when a JAS-39 Gripen jet fighter crashlanded at Hat Yai airport in southern Thailand during an air show watched by hundreds of children on the National Children's Day. The pilot, identified as Dilokrit Pathavi, did not jettison himself from the Swedish-made fighter which had immediately swooped down seconds before the crash. by Chris Mgidu NAIROBI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan Appeals Court on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of the seven officials of the doctors' union jailed on Monday pending determination of their case. Appellate Judges Wanjiru Karanja, Hannah Okwengu and Jamilla Mohamed said return-to-work negotiations should take place over seven days and that the parties will return to court on Feb. 23. The order was issued following an application by a team of lawyers representing the doctors to set the seven union officials free to allow for the stalled negotiations to resume. The talks to be spearheaded by rights group, the Kenya National Human Rights Commission and Law Society of Kenya (LSK), are to come up with a report aimed at calling off the strike that has lasted 73 days and has been joined by private doctors. The seven Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials were jailed for 30 days on Monday by the Employment and Labour Relations Court for contempt of court orders, which required them to end the strike that had been declared illegal. However, the doctors who have been on strike since December 5, 2016, had pleaded with the judge to suspend the sentence to allow them more time to negotiate with the government. The standoff between the KMPDU and the government continues with union officials maintaining a hard-liner stance, refusing to call off the strike until the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is fully implemented. KMPDU is demanding a 300-percent salary increase for its members as agreed in the CBA, which will see the lowest-paid doctor earn 3,450 U.S. dollars while the highest earn 9,450 dollars. The government offered a 500 dollar or 40-percent increase for the lowest-paid doctors, which has been rejected by union officials. The doctors said the industrial action was occasioned by three-year industrial dispute concerning the CBA signed on June 27, 2013 and effective July 1, 2013. They accuse the government of failing to show any good will in the negotiation process but instead threatening them with law suits. COLOMBO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has dispatched 5,000 metric tonnes of rice to Sri Lanka as over 700,000 people remain affected by severe drought in many parts of the country. A Foreign Ministry statement said here Wednesday that the President of Indonesia Joko Widodo launched the dispatch of the rice to be donated to Sri Lanka after a request from Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. Widodo said he responded quickly because the situation in the island country required immediate action. "As a friend and as one of the biggest countries in Asia, it is deservedly for Indonesia to join together with Sri Lanka to face this situation," the statement quoted Widodo as saying. The consignments which are to be shipped in a few days are expected to arrive in Colombo in March, the Ministry said. KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Malaysian police said Wednesday that a female suspect was arrested in the investigation related to the death of a man from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement that the suspect was arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's second terminal, where the man looked for help after feeling unwell on Monday. He died on the way to hospital. The female suspect, who was carrying a Vietnamese passport, was identified from the surveillance video footage at the airport, Khalid said, adding that the suspect was alone at the time of arrest. The Malaysian police said earlier that the 46-year-old man who died Monday was holding a DPRK passport under the name Kim Chol. But South Korean media reported that the man was Kim Jong Nam, the elder half-brother of DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un. His body was taken to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday for postmortem to ascertain the cause of his death. KABUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Afghan law enforcement agencies have detained nine drug traffickers within a week, as the war-hit country struggled to fight the narcotics, authorities said on Wednesday. "The Counter-Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA) in collaboration with Afghan security forces have captured nine drug traffickers in Kabul, Nangarhar, Ghor and Nimroz provinces within the last one week," the Counter-Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force of Afghanistan (CJTF) said in a statement. They also seized some 29 kg of heroin, over 220 kg of opium, and 810 kg of hashish over the period, according to the statement. Among the arrestees was one woman, the statement said, adding the CNPA also confiscated four vehicles and six mobile phones from the arrested persons. Further investigations were underway into the cases, according to the statement. Much of the world's opium poppy is cultivated in militancy-hit Afghanistan, particularly in western and southern parts of the country, where government security forces have little presence. MOGADISHU, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The African Union envoy in Somalia said Wednesday that Somalia would make tremendous progress under the new leadership formed following the drawn-out electoral process that ended last week. The Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia Francisco Madeira said President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmajo) has already spelt out issues his government would prioritize including security, tackling corruption and promoting peace and stability. "He has made it his priority the need to ensure Somalia has functioning national security service, that is, the army, police and the intelligence," Madeira said in a statement issued in Mogadishu. "He has made it his priority the need to ensure soldiers are paid timely, receive uniforms and equipment needed to do their work properly," he said, noting that Somalia is destined for brighter future following the successful electoral process. Farmajo was declared the winner on Feb. 8 after two rounds of voting by the Somali Parliament in Mogadishu. The runner-up, incumbent President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, chose to withdraw from a third and final round. Farmajo has expressed commitment to bringing government closer to the people and also to working with development partners to provide essential services, among them, roads, schools, health centers, markets and jobs for the youths. The head of the mission described the electoral process as historic, adding that AMISOM was proud to be associated with the exercise. Securing the electoral process was not without challenges, the main one being the threat posed by Al-Shabaab terrorists to disrupt the process and compromise its credibility, according to Madeira. "We had an enemy that was sneaky, invisible and opportunistic. We had to deal with such an enemy and at the same time observe the most strict humanitarian law, human rights principles and human rights due diligence policy," he said. The AU supported the process by brokering peace between warring clans, organizing diplomatic engagements with the Somali leaders and securing the elections by working closely with the Somali national security forces. Meanwhile, he acknowledged securing Somalia goes beyond having a national army and police, adding that other critical institutions must supplement the role of the security forces. He said the AU mission's focus will now be on supporting the government, mainly by helping build capacity for the Somali security institutions in preparation for the drawdown of African Union troops from Somalia, beginning October 2018. BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- China has urged India to honor its commitment to the one-China policy and cautiously handle issues regarding Taiwan, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday. Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks while responding to a question concerning an India visit by three Taiwan lawmakers, during which they asked to upgrade Taiwan office in India. "China has always been opposed to any official contact between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China," Geng told a routine press briefing. China also opposes setting up any official organization between those countries and Taiwan, he added. India has a commitment on issues regarding Taiwan, Geng said. "We hope India respects and understands China's core concerns, sticks to the one-China policy and properly handle issues regarding Taiwan, in a bid to maintain healthy and stable growth of China-India relations." BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve will pay an official visit to China from February 21 to 23 at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang announced on Wednesday. Cazeneuve will meet President Xi Jinping and top legislator Zhang Dejiang and hold talks with Premier Li, Geng said at a regular press briefing. Besides Beijing, Cazeneuve will also visit Wuhan, according to Geng. China is willing to work with France to maintain the sound and stable development of bilateral relations and contribute to world peace, stability and development, he said. "China hopes Cazeneuve's visit will further deepen our friendship, promote pragmatic cooperation in all areas and have a positive impact on China-EU relations," the spokesperson added. BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday urged the Japanese side to respect facts and teach the young generation with correct historical views. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the remarks at a daily press briefing, responding to a reporter's question on Japan's new curriculum guidelines involving China's Diaoyu Islands. Geng said that the Diaoyu Island and its adjacent islets are inherent Chinese territory and China has firm determination and will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty. "No matter what it does or says, the Japanese side cannot change the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China," said Geng. "China urges the Japanese side to respect historical facts, cease provocative behavior, teach the young generation with correct historical views, and show its sincerity in improving Sino-Japanese relations with concrete actions," Geng said. Japan's education ministry on Tuesday released a draft of new curriculum guidelines which require elementary and junior high schools to teach that China's Diaoyu Islands and a group of disputed islands currently under the control of the Republic of Korea, are "inherent" territory of Japan. Related: China urges Japan not to quote Diaoyu Islands documents out of context BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday blasted Japan over its claims that a new collection of documents "proved" its sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks in response to recent reports covering the claim by the Japanese government that it had collected 750 pieces of documents showing the Diaoyu Islands were an integral part of Japan's territory. Full story China urges Japan not to distort facts about Diaoyu Islands BEIJING, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's defense ministry on Friday urged Japan not to distort the facts about the Diaoyu Islands issue. ANKARA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Embassy in Ankara has expressed anger over the awarding of the prestigious World Press Photo Award for an image of an Turkish policeman assassinating the Russian envoy to Turkey last year. The decision by the jury was "demoralizing" and showed "complete degradation of ethics and moral values," the Russian embassy said Tuesday in a statement on its official Facebook page. "Propaganda of the horror of terrorism is unacceptable," it added. The controversial image, which was taken by Burhan Ozbilici, a photographer for the Associated Press, also winning first prize in the spot news stories category, captured off-duty Turkish police officer shouting while holding a gun after shooting Russian envoy. Mevlut Mert Altintas, the 22-year-old Turkish police officer, drew a handgun and shot Andrei Karlov dead at a photo exhibition in Ankara on Dec. 19, 2016. Altintas was killed at the scene by the security forces. Three more people were injured in the shooting. Meanwhile, the head of the foreign affairs committee of the Russian senate Konstantin Kosachev said the choice was "on the edge of morality," RIA Novosti reported. Alexei Pushkov, chief of the information policy committee in Russian parliament, slammed on his Twitter account that this is "a moral mistake." Ozbilici's images of the ambassador's assassination appeared on newspaper front pages worldwide and were shared widely on social media. The World Press Photo competition is judged by a jury of internationally recognized photography professionals. The winners were announced on Monday at a press conference in Amsterdam. Mevlut Mert Altintas shouts after shooting Andrei Karlov, right, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, at an art gallery in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. (Reuters photo) ANKARA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Embassy in Ankara has expressed anger over the awarding of the prestigious World Press Photo Award for an image of an Turkish policeman assassinating the Russian envoy to Turkey last year. The decision by the jury was "demoralizing" and showed "complete degradation of ethics and moral values," the Russian embassy said Tuesday in a statement on its official Facebook page. "Propaganda of the horror of terrorism is unacceptable," it added. The controversial image, which was taken by Burhan Ozbilici, a photographer for the Associated Press, also winning first prize in the spot news stories category, captured off-duty Turkish police officer shouting while holding a gun after shooting Russian envoy. Mevlut Mert Altintas, the 22-year-old Turkish police officer, drew a handgun and shot Andrei Karlov dead at a photo exhibition in Ankara on Dec. 19, 2016. Altintas was killed at the scene by the security forces. Three more people were injured in the shooting. Meanwhile, the head of the foreign affairs committee of the Russian senate Konstantin Kosachev said the choice was "on the edge of morality," RIA Novosti reported. Alexei Pushkov, chief of the information policy committee in Russian parliament, slammed on his Twitter account that this is "a moral mistake." Ozbilici's images of the ambassador's assassination appeared on newspaper front pages worldwide and were shared widely on social media. The World Press Photo competition is judged by a jury of internationally recognized photography professionals. The winners were announced on Monday at a press conference in Amsterdam. GUANGZHOU, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- An autopsy has been conducted on an endangered Chinese white dolphin that died last week after it swam up a river in south China's Guangdong Province. Staff with Hong Kong Ocean Park will report the findings of the autopsy as soon as possible, according to a Guangdong reserve for the dolphins. The mature dolphin, around 30 years old, swam into the Baisha River, a tributary of the Pearl River in Jiangmen, on Feb. 1. Wildlife experts attempted to rescue it but its health deteriorated noticeably over the 10 days it spent in the river. It is thought that the dolphin may have been suffering navigation issues due to its age. Each year, Guangdong reports two to three cases of elderly white dolphins mistakenly entering freshwater rivers. Chinese white dolphins can be found in just a handful of coastal areas and only in small numbers. There are about 2,000 at the mouth of the Pearl River. Plastic products are displayed at international plastic and food processing fairs in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Feb. 15, 2017. Two concurrent international fairs covering plastic, packaging, printing and food technology industries kicked off in Dhaka on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Mohammad Manowar Kamal) DHAKA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Two concurrent international fairs covering plastic, packaging, printing and food technology industries kicked off in Bangladesh capita Dhaka on Wednesday. Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) in association with China's Taiwan-based Chan Chao Int'l and China's Hong Kong-based Yorkers Trade and Marketing Service organized the four-day fairs in Dhaka's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). BPGMEA president Md Jasim Uddin said more than 400 exhibitors are present at the fairs from 14 countries. He said an estimate of over 11,000 trade visitors are expected to participate in the event, making it powerful platforms for extensive business contacts and fruitful business exchanges among all the parties associated with the entire industrial chains. "Exhibitors came from 14 countries and regions, namely Bangladesh, China, India, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, UAE, Thailand and Vietnam have joined the fairs," he added. "The fairs will create opportunities for technology transfer, investment, getting latest development in international arena, one to one meeting and mostly a bonding among the businessmen of the participatory countries," Md Jasim Uddin said. Bangladesh Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu inaugurated the fairs on Wednesday morning. by Ejidiah Wangui NAIROBI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Joy Kimani spent most of her childhood helping her mum hawk groundnuts. A slum resident in Kenya's Nairobi, she did not go to school due to her family's poor financial situation. Her only childhood memory related to school life was two weeks in kindergarten, before she was sent back home to collect fees. Now 24 and a mother of three, Kimani tried to make up for the lost time by joining Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), a community-based organization that provides free adult classes in basic literacy in slums around Kenya. "I have always desired to attend school against the odds that are weighed against me, but I'm determined to soldier on. The program has helped me garner basic reading skills and simple calculations in the last two years," Kimani who lives in the Kibera slums told Xinhua. Kimani's wishes are as simple as to be able to fill government forms with minimal assistance and helping her children with their homework. "I feel embarrassed whenever I have to be assisted to fill in even from people younger than me like my niece did when I was opening a bank account," she said. Victoria Mumbi, 35, and a mother of two is another beneficiary who joined the program with dreams of running her own business after completing the course. Mumbi, whose parents did not take her to school, was raised in Kibera slums where she has spent most of her time doing house chores and looking after her younger siblings. "My parents could only afford food and shelter from their daily earnings of about 2 U.S. pence. Only our last born out of eight siblings had a chance to go to school and is a candidate this year," Mumbi said. The program has benefited women who have been strong enough to share classes with, and to be taught by people even younger than them. Another student of the program Joyce Anyango said the stigma attached to adult education has been on the wane compared with three years ago when her friends frowned about her decision to seek education. "Most of my friends were of the opinion it was a waste of time, questioning why I would close my business to attend classes that I should have attended as a young girl many years ago," Anyango observed. "Initially it was hard, but the gains far much outweigh the stares I received when I started. I am able to help my son with his homework and this is something I'm really proud of," she said. The Kenyan government in January announced plans to conduct a national literacy study to establish the current literacy rates and impact of literacy skills in livelihoods of Kenyans. More than 7.8 million youth and adults in the country lack the minimum literacy level required for participation in national development, according to the country's ministry of education. Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has said there was an urgent need to re-evaluate the strategies and mechanism of reducing the worrying figures. Kenya has not had notable progress in attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal No.4 of ensuring that 95 percent of youth and 80 percent of adults are literate by 2030. Matiang'i said his ministry will address issues surrounding attitude and stigma that literacy programs faces. MADRID, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish Interior Ministry on Wednesday confirmed the arrests of two more jihadist suspects in Spain. The first arrest took place in the Basque city of Vitoria on a 41-year-old Moroccan man, who had returned from the conflict zone in Syria and was allegedly dedicated to recruiting for the Islamic State (ISIS). According to the ministry, the man mainly targeted young Moroccans, who were more susceptible to his ideas. Among the people he recruited, a young man with no previous strong religious feelings finally traveled to Syria in 2013 and died there two years later. The second arrest was made on a 36-year-old woman in Alicante, eastern Spain. According to official sources, the woman also collaborated with the Islamic State and had intended to travel to Syria with her four children to be reunited with her husband. She had been publishing pro-jihad propaganda on social network sites using "very aggressive jihadist emblems and publishing videos (of an extremely violent nature) she herself had edited." Wednesday's detentions followed two arrests made on Tuesday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Bilbao and bring the total number of jihadist sympathizers arrested in Spain to 12 for 2017 and to 190 since the country was placed on a level four anti-terrorist alert in June 2015. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has summoned a senior Afghan diplomat and conveyed grave concern over attacks by a terrorist group from its "sanctuaries inside Afghanistan," the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group of Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the deadly attack in Lahore on Monday that killed nearly 16 people including two police officers. The group also carried out an attack on an office of a local administrator in Mohmand tribal region on Wednesday and killed three security personnel and two civilians. Afghan Deputy Head of Mission, Syed Abdul Nasir Yousafi was summoned on Tuesday and "conveyed the grave concern of Pakistan about the continuing terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil by the terrorist outfit, Jumaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) from its sanctuaries inside Afghanistan," a Foreign Ministry statement said. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar's spokesman Asad Mansoor claimed responsibility shortly after the Wednesday attack. "Attention of the DHM was also drawn to the earlier actionable intelligence shared by our authorities with the Afghan side," the Foreign Ministry said. Afghanistan was urged to take urgent measures to eliminate the terrorists and their sanctuaries, financiers and handlers operating from its territory, the statement further said. An Aide-Memoire containing details of the terrorist attacks and supporting information was also shared with the Afghan Deputy Head of Mission. Pakistani security officials have long been insisting that Pakistani militants have fled to Afghanistan after the army conducted major operations in the tribal regions. BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Some 34 km east of Tian'anmen Square in the heart of Beijing, new premises for the municipal government are taking shape. At the end of this year, four city departments will move to the office complex in Lucheng Town, Tongzhou District. The move is part of wider efforts to address overcrowding, congestion and pollution in the capital, as its population exceeds 21 million. Another major project under construction is the new international airport, 46 km south of Tian'anmen Square. Designed to relieve the strain on Beijing Capital International Airport, the 11.6 billion-U.S.-dollar airport in Daxing District will open in 2019. The administrative complex and the airport will support the integrated development of the region covering Beijing; Tianjin, a port city 120 km southeast of Beijing; and Hebei Province. The central authorities required that the Tongzhou complex must employ international standards while retaining Chinese characters throughout its planning, design and construction. "The subcenter construction should adopt most advanced concepts, highest standards and best quality," said Beijing Mayor Cai Qi. Residents must enjoy practical benefit from urban planning and development, said Lian Yuming, president of Beijing International Institute of Urban Development. Beijing will progress with the construction of 20 subway lines or sections, spanning over 350 km in 2017. Currently, the city's subway network is among the world's busiest, with 19 lines covering 574 km, and transporting an average 10 million passengers per day. "Beijing is becoming a world city with a convenient subway service", said Yang Guangwu, a municipal official. With water diverted from the Yangtze River, lakes and underground water in Beijing have been supplemented and the environment has improved. Meanwhile, Beijing has closed more than 1,000 polluting factories and transferred some plants and markets to neighboring areas. HIGHER EFFICIENCY OF MANAGEMENT Remarkable progress has been made in the capital's management, too. In early February, more than 100 officials from Beijing's various departments were despatched to support the Tongzhou project. It is hoped their experiences will be an invaluable asset to the construction project. In July last year, the restructured Beijing City Management Commission was allocated more functions. It now manages all energy-supply management, spanning coal, power, petrol, gas and heating. Other areas it now overseas include all garbage and sanitation work, which had previously been run by many different departments. "In the past, a bag of rubbish was the responsibility of one department if it was on a road, another department if in the roadside greenbelt and a third if on the riverside," said Ren Fang, a cleaning volunteer in Xicheng District. "Now it is much better. All garbage falls under the big 'chengguan'(city management)," said Ren. Sun Xinjun, director of the commission, said there was still room to improve city management, especially the way in which the commission interacts with residents. In this regard, Chaoyang District sets a good example. Residents in Chaoyang are well known for providing information on crimes such as drugs or prostitution. The district even has an app in development, Chaoyang Resident HD, which allows users to pass information on to the police. "We provide information on drug addicts, public security, disputes and hidden dangers among other duties," said Sun Chenghu, 68, a volunteer in Chaoyang. So far, there are more than 850,000 public security volunteers in Beijing. In 2015 alone, they filed 410,000 reports and volunteers successfully mediated 97 percent of disputes, official statistics showed. Beijing should focus more on people's lives and infrastructure when preserving its historical areas, said Wang Wei, a senior city planning official. "The city is determined to enhance living and environmental standards for residents," said Mayor Cai Qi. MANILA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A draft bill that would reduce the age of criminal liability from 15 to 9 in the Philippines has been under fire, the latest critic being the UN children's agency in the country. Lotta Sylwander, the country representative of the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Manila, slammed the move as "wrong from every angle." "If they grow up spending their teenage years in a prison, they most probably will be damaged for life," Sylwander told the British newspaper The Guardian last weekend. The draft bill has been filed by two Philippine congressmen, who last year described "youth offenders who commit crimes knowing they can get away with it." But Sylwander said a 9-year-old is simply unable to fully comprehend the consequences of a crime. "Apart from the fact that it's against human rights, it's very unfair to a child, to punish them in such a harsh way as the criminal system would be, for something that they never understood was that serious," she told the newspaper. Currently, children in the Philippines at the age of 9 and above are already liable to arrest and detention like adults but cannot be convicted. It's unclear whether lawmakers would seek to apply the death penalty to children. YANGON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities on Wednesday announced one more suspect involved in conspiring the Jan. 29 assassination of a prominent legal advisor of the ruling party, according to a press release of the President's Office. Aung Win Khaing, aged 45 and served as Lt-Colonel in the military till 2014, is the third suspect in the case. Aung Win Khaing, whose suspected movement at the Yangon International Airport hours before the incident was recorded by CCTV cameras, was said to be escaping and wanted by the authorities. The authorities' investigation for other suspects in the case is underway in cooperation with the police and the military. U Ko Ni, legal advisor of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party and an advocate, was gunned down at the Yangon international Airport on Jan. 29 afternoon upon his arrival back from a senior leadership program in Indonesia's Jakarta. He was shot in the head by a pistol at a close distance at the airport's taxi stand near arrival terminal-1. The gunman also killed a taxi driver who had tried to capture him before he was arrested by the police and bystanders. The police force had arrested and charged the gunman, U Kyi Lin, 52, who was further identified as an ex-prisoner from Mandalay prison and was sentenced to 27 years' jail term for stealing Buddha statue, but was once released in 2014 under amnesty order after serving 11 years' term. Through initial investigation, the police force had arrested a second suspect Aung Win Zaw, 46, who was blocked and captured 12 hours after the incident on Thanlwin Bridge in Hpa-an, Kayin state on Jan. 30 when he ran away from Yangon to Hpa-an . The prior two suspects confessed the involvement of Aung Win Khaing who offered them 100 million kyats (over 76,000 U.S. dollars) in cash last year to plot the assassination. The release called on the public to be beware of religious and racial incitement, asking them to promptly report to the authorities if there is disruption of peace and stability. TOKYO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- SoftBank Group Corp. announced Wednesday it will acquire U.S. investment company Fortress Investment Group for 3.3 billion U.S. dollars as the Japanese tech conglomerate continues to expand its foreign acquisitions by stepping into the investment fund market. The actual investment percentage for the acquisition has not been decided yet, SoftBank said, adding that there were other investors also involved in the takeover deal. Fortress Investment Group's senior managers will be kept on to maintain the firm's fund performance, SoftBank said, adding Fortress will remain based in New York. The acquisition will be completed by December, the Japanese telecommunications and internet firm said in a statement Wednesday. "Fortress' excellent track record speaks for itself, and we look forward to benefiting from its leadership, broad-based expertise and world-class investment platform," SoftBank's Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son said in a statement. "We join a company with tremendous scale and resources, and a culture completely aligned with our focus on performance, service and innovation," Fortress'co-chairmen were quoted as saying for their part, in a joint statement which also lauded Son as being a "visionary." SoftBank, based in Tokyo, was the first carrier in Japan to offer Apple's iPhone and the Japanese telecom giant now owns U.S. carrier Sprint, as well as stakes in some 1,000 companies including Yahoo! Japan and Alibaba. The company was founded in 1981. BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese economist has suggested more tax cuts and less administrative fees for businesses to stimulate the economy. "The government should cut taxes and lower fees more vigorously to bring down corporate burdens and increase profit margins," Tsinghua University professor Bai Chongen said Wednesday at the annual meeting of Chinese Economists 50 Forum (CE50). Bai said businesses would then be encouraged to invest more and improve productivity, relieving some downward pressure on the economy. Policymakers have pledged fiscal support to stabilize growth and maintain a proactive fiscal policy this year. While some analysts are inclined to pay more attention to huge spending on infrastructure, Bai believes it is tax breaks and other such policies that can truly revitalize the economy. Government-driven investment has resulted in falling business profits and efficiency for nearly a decade, since global financial crisis prompted the Chinese government to spend big to fend off risks, according to Bai. Bai advised the government to earmark more funds for social security as firms are suffering from making high social security payments for their employees. China's economy expanded 6.7 percent in 2016, a slowdown from the 6.9 percent growth registered in 2015 but within the government's target range, and more indicators for January have shown the economy is gaining a firm footing at the start of 2017. Founded nearly two decades ago, CE50 is a civil academic organization and think tank that brings together around 50 prominent Chinese economists, including officials and academics. STRASBOURG, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament (EP), meeting Wednesday for its plenary in Strasbourg, has voted its approval on the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which aims to increase trade and investment flows between the two parties. Approved by 408 votes in favor to 254 against, with 33 abstentions, the extensive trade deal would unlock commerce between the European Union (EU) and Canada by removing tariffs on most goods and services, while also opening up Canada's public procurement market. "By adopting CETA, we chose openness and growth and high standards over protectionism and stagnation," declared the European Parliament's CETA rapporteur Artis Pabriks, who's also a member of the EP for Latvia, after Wednesday's vote. "Canada is a country with whom we share common values and an ally we can rely on. Together we can build bridges, instead of a wall, for the prosperity of our citizens. CETA will be a lighthouse for future trade deals all over the world," said Pabriks. EU suppliers of services from sea shipping through telecoms and engineering will have access to the Canadian market. CETA also provides a framework for allowing professional qualifications to be recognized, so that legal, accounting, architectural and other services can be supplied across markets. Certain exceptions and protections have been put in place, including the recognition of over 140 European geographical indications for food and drinks sold on the Canadian market, such as Feta cheese from Greece and Parma ham from Italy. Tariff barriers will also remain in place in the fields of public services, audiovisual and transport services, and a few agricultural products, such as dairy, poultry and eggs. Members of European Parliament (MEPs) also approved the conclusion of an EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) as a complement to CETA. The deal establishes bilateral cooperation on an array of non-trade issues, including foreign and security policy, counter-terrorism, fighting organized crime, sustainable development, research and culture. The EU-Canada SPA was passed by 506 votes to 142 against, with 43 abstentions. CETA negotiations were first launched in May 2009 and concluded in September 2014. The agreement could be applied as early as April 2017. PARIS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Three suspects arrested last week in the southern French town of Montpellier have been placed under formal investigation, local media reported. Anti-terrorist judges late on Tuesday placed under formal investigation Thomas Sauret, 20, his underaged girlfriend, Sarah, and Malik Hammami, 33, on charges of "criminal conspiracy in connection with a criminal terrorist enterprise" and "manufacture and possession of explosives in an organized gang." The three suspects had been planning "an imminent attack," targeting the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Comedy Square in Montpellier, according to local reports. Sauret had tried to join Islamist insurgents in Syria in November 2015. His 16-year girlfriend had recorded a video in which she pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) on Feb. 8. Last Friday, four people were detained in and around Montpellier. Three of them were suspected of preparing violent action on the territory during a raid by anti-terrorism units. Risks of terrorist attacks remain high in France where a state of emergency has been in effect since a group of terrorists killed 130 people in a series of explosions and shootings on Nov. 13, 2015. HEFEI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have developed a hypothesis that poisonous gas from the deep ocean may have driven one of the severest mass extinctions on the planet. Sulfureted hydrogen in the depths of the sea may have contributed to the end-Permian extinction that wiped out more than 80 percent of marine life about 250 million years ago, according to the University of Science and Technology of China. Scientists have posited many hypotheses explaining the mass extinction, including a possible celestial impact and volcano activity. Through the study of samples of deep-sea sediment, the Chinese team believe they have found evidence indicating the presence of rich sulfureted hydrogen, a poisonous gas, said Shen Yan'an, head of the research. The interaction between the gas in the deep water with oxygen-rich water on the surface is a deadly mixture, Shen said. "Today, sulfureted hydrogen exists in some waters in Gulf of Mexico, California and India", said Shen, adding that the findings could also give insight into climate and environmental changes and inform policies. The findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Zhang Dejiang (R), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), holds talks with Speaker of Mozambican Parliament Veronica Macamo in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Top legislatures of China and Mozambique agreed Wednesday to enhance ties in various fields. Top Chinese legislator Zhang Dejiang and Speaker of the Mozambican Parliament Veronica Macamo signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between China's National People's Congress (NPC) and the Mozambique Parliament. Hailing bilateral long-term friendship, Zhang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, called on both sides to fully implement important consensus between the two heads of state, and connect the Belt and Road Initiative with Mozambique's development strategy. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Mozambican counterpart, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, decided to lift bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation last May. Both sides should firmly support each other on issues related to their core interests and major concern, according to Zhang. He also called on the NPC and the Mozambican Parliament to exchange views on rule of law, improving people's well-being, developing economy and other topics. The legislative bodies could create more favorable conditions for cooperation between the two countries' companies, Zhang said, calling on both sides to create better conditions for Chinese investment in Mozambique. In addition, Zhang called on the legislatures to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Mozambique. For her part, Macamo stressed that the Mozambican Parliament was willing to strengthen exchanges and collaboration with the NPC and is ready to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Invited by Zhang, Macamo is on a five-day visit to China from Monday to Friday. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (R) meets with Russian natural gas company Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller in Beijing, China, Feb. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli met with Russian natural gas company Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller Wednesday, calling for steady development of bilateral engery cooperation. Zhang said China and Russia should conduct further research on the west-route gas pipeline and the Far East gas supply projects adhering to the principle of shared benefits and risks, and expand cooperation in natural-gas-burning power generation, underground gas storage, engine fuel and other areas. He called on both sides to ensure the success of major projects like the China-Russia crude oil trade and increased crude supply, east-route gas pipeline project and the Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. Recent years have witnessed continuous achievements in energy cooperation including in natural gas field between China and Russia under the strategic guidance of the two countries' top leaders, said Zhang. For his part, Miller said Russia viewed China as an important energy cooperation partner. Russia is willing to work with China on the current projects and explore new areas of cooperation so as to jointly lift the energy cooperation partnership to a new high, he said. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has appointed Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry as the country's new ambassador to the United States, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The newly-appointed ambassador has served as foreign secretary of Pakistan since December 2013. He is a career foreign service officer with over 36 years of bilateral and multilateral experience in the field of diplomacy, a Foreign Ministry statement said. Earlier he served as the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry. Chaudhry has served as additional foreign secretary for UN and Disarmament Affairs, and director general for relations with South Asian countries, in which capacity he has remained closely associated with the peace process with India, the statement said. Overseas, he served as ambassador of Pakistan to the Netherlands, where he engaged in active public diplomacy in cooperation with Pakistani community to win friends for Pakistan. Chaudhry also served as deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York, chef de cabinet to the secretary general of Economic Cooperation Organization in Tehran, and Pakistan Embassies in Washington, Doha and Cairo. Chaudhry will join his new assignment in Washington, D.C. next month. He will replace Jalil Abbas Jilani. LUSAKA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Authorities have announced new measures for Zambians intending to travel to Tanzania, a senior Zambian official said Wednesday. Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Elwyn Chomba said the measures followed discussions held by authorities of both countries. She said in a statement that the new measures include lifting the business pass requirement for Zambian truck drivers entering Tanzania, who will only be required to obtain a visitors' pass. Meanwhile, Zambian traders will still be required to obtain a business pass and be entitled to 90 days per year, which will however not be issued at once. Others include limiting Zambians intending to enter Tanzania for a visit to 90 days per year, while those intending to spend more than 90 days in the country will be required to apply for a resident permit or others in line with laid-down immigration regulations. JUBA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A South Sudanese expert said on Wednesday that the youngest nation was now more divided by conflict which erupted in December 2013, than the period before independence from its northern neighbor Sudan in 2011. South Africa-based law expert Remember Miamingi told Xinhua in an interview that ethnic groups that have for long decades co-existed in harmony were now distrustful of each other due to several local grievances over land, political representation and access to national resources. "The Dinkas and Nuers (tribes) that have for centuries considered themselves as cousins became archenemies. The Shulluk and the Dinkas that lived in relative peace for years in the former Upper Nile region now are at each other's throat. The Fertit, Balanda and other ethnic groups that co-existed in the former Bahr el Ghazal region now do not see eye to eye," he revealed, warning that this was threat to national identity. He added that in the once peaceful Equatoria region that has witnessed countless atrocities including rapes, killings in the Yei town South West of the capital has further heightened tension between ethnic groups. President Salva Kiir since 2015 decided to order for creation of new 28 states that were split from the former 10 states, and these have led to tension among various ethnic groups over boundaries amid allegation of land grabbing by powerful elites from dominant tribes. "In the former Equatoria region, the hatred for our brothers and sisters from the Dinka tribes has reached dangerous and unprecedented levels. So the longer Salva Kiir stays in power, the sooner the idea of a united South Sudan will disappear," Miamingi said. He added that in the period before independence there were few South Sudanese refugees, but of late the number has risen to 1.5 million refugees. "At the inception of the country, South Sudan had billions of U.S dollars in oil and development support monies. Today the country is in billions of U.S dollars of debt and no development support. South Sudanese could feed themselves, but today there are 4.9 million South Sudanese who are extremely food insecure," he disclosed. South Sudan has been shattered by civil war that broke out in December 2013 after President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Machar denied the accusation but then mobilized a rebel force. A peace deal signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a transitional unity government in April, but was again devastated by fresh violence in July, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed, with over 2 million displaced and another 4.6 million left severely food insecure, since December 2013. by Maria Spiliopoulou ATHENS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Greece and its international lenders can reach a deal to conclude the pending Greek bailout review as long as more efforts are made by all sides, EU Commissioner for economic and financial affairs Pierre Moscovici said during a visit here on Wednesday. The next scheduled EuroGroup meeting on Monday may be a good day for Greece, he said. "I am confident if efforts are made by all sides, yes, we can make very good progress and move towards an agreement," the EU official told media after talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. "We need to show and tell the Greek people that there is light at the end of the tunnel of austerity," he underlined responding to the Greek prime minister's remark during their meeting "the message is: enough with austerity in Greece." "All sides must acknowledge the numbers and respect Greek people's sacrifices," Tsipras said, calling for relief measures. On his part, Moscovici praised Greece for the progress achieved in fiscal consolidation and stressed the need for more focus on reforms to make the Greek economy more competitive. "We cannot consider Greece outside the core of the European Union (EU) and the eurozone," the EU Commissioner stressed when Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos decorated him with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix "for defending the unity of the EU and the eurozone." The medal is the highest award given to foreigners who have contributed to improving Greece's stature abroad, according to the Greek presidency. Moscovici's visit also included a meeting with main opposition New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Later he was given an honorary doctorate at the University of Athens. MOSCOW, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Bonn, Germany on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The top diplomats are expected to meet for the first time on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers' meeting, the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a weekly briefing. Lavrov and Tillerson will possibly discuss bilateral and regional issues, said Zakharova. Zakharova declined to disclose whether the two sides will discuss the Crimea issue, but she stressed that "We do not devolve our territory." The long-anticipated talk comes as a spurt of incidents have added uncertainty to the proposed reestablishment of Russia-U.S. ties, including the resignation of U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn on Monday over his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States. On Tuesday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at a briefing that U.S. President Donald Trump expects the Russian government "to de-escalate violence in Ukraine and return Crimea." In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Crimea's return to Ukraine was not discussed and will not be discussed. U.S. media reported earlier this week that Russia had secretly deployed a ground-based nuclear cruise missile in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) signed by top leaders of the two countries in 1987. Peskov denied the accusation, saying that "Russia was and remains committed to its international obligations, including the INF agreement." The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday denied the Pentagon's claim that Russian aircraft flew close to a U.S. destroyer in the Black Sea last week. U.S. media also reported that a Russian spy ship was spotted patrolling in international waters off the U.S. east coast on Tuesday morning, fanning fresh Russophobia in Washington. Certain circles with an anti-Russian agenda are ratcheting up pressure on Trump, said Valentina Matvienko, speaker of the upper house of Russia's parliament. RAMALLAH, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official called on U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday to urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop settlement building and bring peace process back on track. Saeb Erekat, Secretary General of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told "Voice of Palestine" Radio that "We hope when President Trump meets Netanyahu, he would urge the latter to halt settlement and make peace." "We hope that President Trump tells Netanyahu stop your policy of dictation and that there us an opportunity to make peace by establishing an independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital," said Erekat. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are scheduled to meet in Washington on Wednesday. The meeting between the two is the first ever since Trump has taken office last month in the White House. "The two-state solution "is an American, Israeli, Palestinian and regional interest and the cornerstone for achieving peace, security and stability in the region." Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli radio reported that Netanyahu arrived in Washington, where he held a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Sate Rex W. Tillerson before meeting President Trump. According to the Radio, the talks between Trump and Netanyahu would focus on the Palestinian cause, the Iranian file and the situation in Syria, besides boosting the bilateral ties between the two countries. Meanwhile, Reiad Mansour, the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, stated earlier that the UN Security Council will hold its regular monthly session and it is scheduled to debate the situation in the Palestinian territories. BAGHDAD, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed and 30 others wounded on Wednesday in a suicide car bomb attack at a Shiite bastion in eastern the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua. TOKYO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japanese education ministry's move to issue new curriculum guidelines to teach students that China's Diaoyu Islands and a group of disputed islets controlled by South Korea are "inherent" territories of Japan has riled the international community, and is further evidence of Japan's continued efforts to whitewash history. In an unprecedented move, the education ministry is now opting to state in its legally binding guidelines that China's Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea and the Takeshima islands in the Sea of Japan, known in South Korea as Dokdo, are "inherent" parts of Japanese territory. In doing so, it threatens to severely warp historical facts and the minds of future generations here. The controversial guidelines will be formally published in March and fully implemented for elementary schools from fiscal 2020 and for junior high schools in fiscal 2021. The most prominent revision was that Japan's official position on the Diaoyu Islands is that there is "no dispute" over their sovereignty. Ties between Japan and its closest neighbors have been particularly strained of late regarding Japan's unrelenting effort to whitewash its history, not just in terms of its diplomatic and political stance on issues of history and territory, but also owing to its ardent push to institutionalize its wrongful agenda. The education ministry has repeatedly implemented the dilution of facts in its humanities textbooks such as downplaying the Nanjing massacre in line with the rightwing, revisionist agenda of the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe has, on a number of occasions, stated that Japanese young people do not have to keep apologizing in the future for Japan's atrocities committed before and during World War II, exposing his absolute reluctance to face up to history, and his dedication to delivering misguided and unsound messages to the younger generations here. In March, 2016, the education ministry revised some passages of junior high school text books regarding Japan's World War II barbarities, much to the consternation of the international community and historians, who have presented the truth of the matter on countless occasions and through numerous reputable outlets, including highly respected history books, journals and through international media. Experts close to the textbook controversy have stated that Japan daring to dispute the facts of the Nanjing Massacre is nothing short of churlishness and a reflection of the current administration's ever-right leaning ideology and obsessive fixation with trying to rewrite history. The Nanjing Massacre in 1937 saw the Imperial Japanese Army steamroll through the then capital of China and savagely murder as many as 300,000 civilians and unarmed combatants in one of the bloodiest, most barbaric campaigns known in history. "Senior politicians and bureaucrats connected to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have publicly declared their skepticism or outright denial that the Nanjing Massacre ever occurred, and for those of us who speak with authority on matters of history and undertake our own independent studies to achieve the truth, while conversing with the best historical minds the globe over, such attitudes are disgusting," pacific affairs research analyst, Laurent Sinclair, previously told Xinhua. "The events that occurred in 1937 involving the hundreds of thousands of lives lost at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Army is one of the world's most unforgivable tragedies, and the massacre was well documented by global media including the New York Times, the Associated Press, the Chicago Daily News and other respected outlets," Sinclair said, adding that refuting the incident, the severity, or the numbers of civilians slaughtered is wholly undignified and a clear sign of Japan's inherent inability to face up to its past. In 2015, the education ministry announced it had authorized textbooks for use in junior high schools' social studies classes that contained content that served to fan the flames of historical and territorial disharmony between Japan and its closest neighbors. Two years ago, as is still the case now, at the crux of the controversy is the textbooks' content overtly toeing the rightwing, revisionist line of the current administration. The approved textbooks reflected the government's equivocal view that the contested islands are inherently Japan's and the teachers who use them will now be under legal pressure to pass on the government's misguided message. "Territory-related descriptions in school textbooks have certainly been on the rise in the recent past and this is worrisome, as teachers are duty-bound to teach a prescribed curriculum even if it's one that has been politicized by the government," David McLellan, a professor emeritus of postgraduate Asian Studies formerly told Xinhua. "Disputes over land or territory are nothing new in the world, but in terms of education, progressive countries tend to firstly concede there is in fact a dispute in the first place as a point of historical fact, and then present a balanced view of the situation to better inform the students, rather than dictate to them," he said. Political observers have highlighted further instances of, not just the whitewashing of historical acts of aggression and brutal behavior by Japan, but, again, the removal of Japan as the perpetrator. Previous content in the textbooks that stated, "...Japan's acts of atrocity were condemned..." have been entirely deleted from the latest editions. On the land survey during Japan's occupation of Korea, previous textbooks stated that the move was, "under the banner of modernizing Korea," but subsequent books described the move as, "...with the purpose of modernization..." And the Imperial Japanese Army forcing Okinawans to commit mass suicide at the end of the Battle of Okinawa has been phrased in new textbooks as, "...many Okinawans falling into a hopeless situation of suicide..." Education experts like Hidenori Fujita have stated that historical and geographical education here is rapidly going awry. The Kyoei University professor has said that textbooks here lack balance and fail to represent the feelings of unjustness from countries like China and South Korea, and are lacking in detail about the specific claims from non-Japanese parties regarding issues of territory and history. In one such example, the Manchurian Incident was barely mentioned on one page in a textbook, and the Nanjing Massacre, "comfort women" issue and even the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are barely footnotes in the textbooks. Some experts speaking with authority on the matter have accused Abe of flaunting his revisionist, militaristic and imperialistic stance and in doing so mocking his detractors. They also maintain the textbooks and the education ministry in particular are also forcing nationalism onto children by way of requiring them to "get familiar with the national anthem and flag..." both of which have overt militaristic connotations. "Of course subjects like mathematics and science are taught differently, particularly the former, as learning a particular formula will always lead to the same objective results. Put simply, one plus one will always equal two," explained McLellan. "But the social sciences are supposed to develop critical thinking and interpretation, not spoon feed children rewritten governmental indoctrination. This is hugely irresponsible and dangerous and not in the best interests of raising and educating children to become balanced global citizens," said the expert. NICOSIA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations (UN) official warned on Wednesday that time was running out for a solution to reunite Cyprus, after a negotiators meeting was cancelled on Tuesday due to disputes over historical accuracy. "We've had a window of opportunity open for quite some time...But it will not remain open for ever and we have to use it while we have it or something less pleasant might happen in this volatile region," said UN Secretary-General's special adviser on Cyprus, Espen Bart Eide. Eide made his remarks after separate meetings he had with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci in a bid to defuse tensions that unexpectedly sprang up between the eastern Mediterranean island's communities. "The inter-communal climate is not optimal right now, and this is something that worries all of us because despite the significant progress in this process, the leaders need support of some kind of broader community in order to be able to move forward and go the last mile...the most difficult one," Eide said. He was referring to high pitched statements made by the Turkish Cypriot community and Turkey after the all-Greek Cypriot parliament voted on a bill amendment last Friday instructing schoolteachers to make a brief mention of a referendum 67 years ago in which Greek Cypriots almost unanimously voted in favor of Cyprus uniting with Greece. The amendment was introduced by an extreme right party that holds only two seats in parliament, but other parties allowed it to pass as a trade off for the approval of a bill introducing important educational reforms. In spite of protestations by President Anastasiades that the vote was immaterial and that he did not object to Turkish Cypriots celebrating the anniversary of a Turkish military operation that split the country in two, the Turkish Cypriot side cancelled a negotiators meeting in the context of negotiations for a Cyprus solution. Tensions mounted when Turkey said that its 1974 military operation in Cyprus in reaction to a coup by the military rulers of Greece was a peaceful operation that put an end to Greek Cypriot dreams to turn the island into a part of Greece. But this statement inflamed Greek Cypriots. Eide said that the inter-communal climate was something that worried the UN as it may undermine unprecedented progress achieved in 22 months of negotiations. But he added that despite this setback he remained convinced that it was "perfectly possible to solve this dispute." Eide said he was encouraged by recent talks he had with Greek and Turkish government officials on security arrangements after a solution. He added that he did not achieve an agreement between the two sides but he believed that clinching a final settlement was possible. "A solution is within the realm of the possible if there is enough will and creativity to think outside the box and give new answers to some new questions as well," he said. Eide also said the UN was about to convene an international conference in Geneva to consider the thorny security issue. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday presided over a high level meeting of senior civilian and military officials to review security situation following a series of attacks that killed and injured dozens of people, officials said. The outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and a splinter group of Pakistani Taliban Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the attacks in Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and the Mohmand tribal agency over the past three days. There had been a pause in the terrorist incidents in Pakistan because of the security forces operations but the recent attacks have shocked the country. The meeting made a resolve that terrorism emanating within the country or executed and harbored from outside the country would be eliminated and those posing threat to peace and security would be liquidated by the might of the state, the PM office said. It was agreed that the gains of operations executed by military, civil armed forces and police will not be lost and the state would ensure that terrorists do not re-surge, at any cost. The meeting reinforced that the overall situation in the country has improved including the tribal regions, Balochistan province and the country's commercial hub of Karachi as a result of the state's offensive against terrorists and miscreants. A car was damaged in a suicide car bomb attack in eastern Baghdad, capital of Iraq, on Feb. 15, 2017. At least nine people were killed and 30 others wounded on Wednesday in a suicide car bomb attack at a Shiite bastion in eastern Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, a police source told Xinhua. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) BAGHDAD, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed and 30 others wounded on Wednesday in a suicide car bomb attack at a Shiite bastion in eastern Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, a police source told Xinhua. The attack took place shortly before sunset when a suicide bomber blew his explosive-laden KIA minibus at Habibiyah commercial area for selling cars in the heavily populated neighborhood of Sadr City, the source said on condition of anonymity. The massive explosion set fire, destroyed many civilian cars and caused damages to many shops and buildings, the source said. The death toll could rise as ambulances, police and civilian vehicles were evacuating the victims to the town's hospital and medical centers, it added. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, is responsible for such suicide attacks targeting crowded areas, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq. Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 382 Iraqis and wounded 908 others in January across Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said. The attacks came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS militants from its last major stronghold in and around Mosul. COPENHAGEN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Siemens has decided to close its wind turbine blade factory in Denmark's Engesvang and lay off all of its 430 employees, local media reported Wednesday. Michael Hannibal, the CEO for offshore wind at Siemens Wind Power, said the blades on the markets were growing faster than anticipated and there was not enough demand for the blades manufactured in the factory, according to Danish news agency Ritzau. Hannibal explained that larger blades cannot be manufactured in the factory as it can not be expanded. However, Siemens' two other factories in Brande and Aalborg will maintain their production, Ritzau reported. After the closure of the plant, Siemens will employ a total of 8,000 people in Denmark, including 6,500 in the wind turbine business. BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- China is closely following developments concerning the reported death of Kim Jong Nam, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Wednesday. Geng said China was aware of coverage of the issue. "As far as we know, the incident happened in Malaysia. The Malaysian side is conducting an investigation," he told a routine press briefing. Media reports said Kim Jong Nam, the elder half-brother of the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, was found dead in Kuala Lumpur Monday. The Malaysian police said Wednesday that a female suspect had been arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport terminal two, where Kim Jong Nam requested help after feeling unwell Monday. He died on the way to hospital. The suspect, who was carrying a Vietnamese passport, was identified from the surveillance video footage at the airport, according to the Malaysian police. WINDHOEK, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- For many years, Abel Phillip, 57, had lived in a cramped one-bedroom shack with his wife and six children in an informal settlement on the outskirts of capital Windhoek. He could not afford to buy a decent house. As such, when it rained, the family would run up looking for ways to keep water leaking from his shack roof from flooding his home made out of corrugated iron. "The children would seek ways to place buckets strategically at leaking points to prevent water from filling our small home. It was thwarting," he said. But the life of the war veteran changed in February when he received the donation of a house from President of Namibia Hage Geingob. Today, the family enjoys the rain as it drizzles on the roof instead of running around looking for buckets. The donation marked the launch of the Harambee Housing Initiative, aimed at mobilizing resources and advocating for new strategies and building alternatives to address housing shortage and backlog that the country faces. The donation, said Geingob, is an effort by the government and stakeholders in its quest to provide decent housing to Namibians. "If all stakeholders across all sectors commit to helping other Namibians and look beyond own circumstances by considering the need of others, we will be able to meet the demand for housing," said the president. The house was constructed by the German Polycare Research Technology and a local company named Kavango Block Bricks, using the modular assembly technology and alternative building materials introduced to Namibia at the Investment Conference held in Windhoek in November 2016. A standard two-bedroom house such as that of Phillip would cost from 600,000 to 800,000 Namibian dollars (45,000 to 58,000 U.S. dollars), but the modular assembly technology would bring down the cost by 200,000 Namibian dollars (15,000 U.S. dollars). Phillip applauded the government for helping people living in shacks like him who are struggling to make ends meet and cannot afford decent housing. "I was in awe when I heard that government have donated a house to me and my family. I asked how much we would have to pay, and to my relief I was told that it was free donation. I am grateful," said Philip on Tuesday afternoon at his new home in Otjomuise. The government has reiterated that it's committed towards the provision of decent housing. "I am sure that the handover of this house is just the beginning and our housing delivery initiative is a work in progress and we hope to announce similar housing success in a few months and years," said Geingob. As such, more houses would be built using modular assembly technology in the central town of Okahandja once a Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the Namibian and German governments. Meanwhile, Minister of Rural and Urban Development Sophia Shaningwa called on local authorities in which the project will be rolled out to avail serviced land to property developer for the government to be able to deliver affordable housing to all citizens to eradicate homelessness. "I long, pray and wish for my fellow people who have been living in shacks to also get a decent home like I have," said Phillip. VIENTIANE, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Laos plans to construct the nation's first vehicle quality inspection center aiming to scrutinize and ensure the safety of road transport in the country. The project will focus on developing a facility that inspects and guarantees the quality of vehicles in Laos, Director and Chief Executive officer of UMG Lao, Chalongchai Chayutrapong told Lao state-run media Vientiane Times on Wednesday. The project costing over 10 million U.S. dollars will start in 2018 with investment by UMG Lao. The new inspection center will be established on a five-hectare site with testing facilities, offices, storage and a training center for drivers, Chalongchai added. He said the new center would serve as a hub for resource development, facilitate inspection services and field standards research, and play an important role in assuring vehicle quality in the country. Acting Director General of Department of Standardisation and Metrology under the Ministry of Sciences and Technology, Viengthong Vongthavilay said the ministry and UMG Lao had been working together so construction of the facility could begin some time next year. GENEVA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- In light of the many challenges the world is currently facing, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) launched on Wednesday a 253 million U.S. dollars extra-budgetary funding appeal for its 2017 program of work. This would supplement the 107 million dollars already provided to the OHCHR through the UN's regular budget allocation. "In numerous countries, even the rules are under attack -- xenophobia and calls for racial and religious discrimination have entered mainstream discourse," OHCHR chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, said in a statement. "A collective failure to prevent, minimize and resolve conflicts and proxy wars is feeding brutal extremist groups and creating wave upon wave of the most shocking human suffering, including forcing millions of people to flee their homes and everything they have ever known," he added. The top UN official highlighted that investing in human rights today can help avoid future problems. He also reminded that his office is "dramatically and chronically under-funded." It is against this backdrop that Zeid urged both states and private entities to increase their donations so as to enable the UN body to carry out its global mandate. "More and more people are suddenly realizing we can no longer afford to be complacent about human rights, and that the erosion of other people's human rights will sooner or later lead to the erosion of our own," Zeid continued. "The time to stand up for human rights is now. We are counting on your support," he said. KABUL, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani expressed condolences and sorrow for the death of United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to Afghanistan, said the Afghan Presidential Palace on Wednesday. "President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is deeply saddened over death of Juma Mohammed Abdullah al-Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan," the palace said in a statement. Earlier on Wednesday, al-Kaabi succumbed to injuries received following a terrorist attack in Afghanistan's southern province of Kandahar on Jan. 10. Some five other UAE diplomats together with six Afghan officials were killed and 17 people were injured after the attack which occurred in a governor guesthouse in provincial capital of Kandahar city. "The Ambassador and a number of UAE Diplomats who visited Kandahar last month to open Al-Nahyan Charitable Foundation were targeted in a terrorist attack as a result of which the Ambassador sustained severe injuries. "The Emirati Ambassador and his colleagues paid the highest sacrifices during a humanitarian mission for peace and development of Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan will never forget their sacrifices," the statement noted. The Afghan leader was quoted in the statement as saying that "since Afghanistan and United Arab Emirates have strong and enduring relations, the terrorist attack on UAE diplomats will not sour our relations." President Ghani also offered his condolences and sympathies to late al-Kaabi's family and the government of UAE, the statement reads. File photo taken on Jan. 7, 2017 shows Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) prepare food at a temporary camp near Juba International Airport in Juba, capital of South Sudan. (Xinhua/Gale Julius) JUBA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A South Sudanese expert said on Wednesday that the world's youngest nation was now more divided by conflict which erupted in December 2013, than the period before independence from its northern neighbor Sudan in 2011. South Africa-based law expert Remember Miamingi told Xinhua in an interview that ethnic groups that have for long decades co-existed in harmony were now distrustful of each other due to several local grievances over land, political representation and access to national resources. "The Dinkas and Nuers (tribes) that have for centuries considered themselves as cousins became archenemies. The Shulluk and the Dinkas that lived in relative peace for years in the former Upper Nile region now are at each other's throat. The Fertit, Balanda and other ethnic groups that co-existed in the former Bahr el Ghazal region now do not see eye to eye," he revealed, warning that this was threat to national identity. He added that in the once peaceful Equatoria region that has witnessed countless atrocities including rapes, killings in the Yei town South West of the capital has further heightened tension between ethnic groups. President Salva Kiir since 2015 decided to order for creation of new 28 states that were split from the former 10 states, and these have led to tension among various ethnic groups over boundaries amid allegation of land grabbing by powerful elites from dominant tribes. "In the former Equatoria region, the hatred for our brothers and sisters from the Dinka tribes has reached dangerous and unprecedented levels. So the longer Salva Kiir stays in power, the sooner the idea of a united South Sudan will disappear," Miamingi said. He added that in the period before independence there were few South Sudanese refugees, but of late the number has risen to 1.5 million refugees. "At the inception of the country, South Sudan had billions of U.S dollars in oil and development support monies. Today the country is in billions of U.S dollars of debt and no development support. South Sudanese could feed themselves, but today there are 4.9 million South Sudanese who are extremely food insecure," he disclosed. South Sudan has been shattered by civil war that broke out in December 2013 after President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Machar denied the accusation but then mobilized a rebel force. A peace deal signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a transitional unity government in April, but was again devastated by fresh violence in July, 2016. Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed, with over 2 million displaced and another 4.6 million left severely food insecure, since December 2013. JUBA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Wednesday launched 28 projects under the National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs), making Juba eligible to acquire funding of up to 50 million U.S. dollars for implementation of programs seeking to address climate change. Joseph Bartel, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, said the government has indentified five projects toward developing environmentally friendly agriculture, early warning system, wetland protection, renewable energy and mainstreaming environmental policies and laws. Bartel urged the government to enact legislations that can protect the environment by ensuring increased funding to environmental conservation efforts and enforce stringent punishment and also ensure that increased funding to the 28 projects listed in the NAPAs. "Once we get the environmental law, we are going to go after anybody including the oil industry that is currently not being monitored," he said. NAPA is an initiative of the UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCC) that provides a process for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to identify priority activities that respond to their urgent and immediate needs to adapt to climate change. So far 51 countries have responded to it. Environment Minister Josephine Naphon said NAPAs would help guide the country to stop over-reliance on thermal energy and shift to renewable energy by 2020. Asrad Khan, UN Environment Program (UNEP) South Sudan Program Manager, said South Sudan remains one of the countries in the world with the highest deforestation rates, which has made it prone to disasters such as drought and flooding that have severely devastated crop and livestock production in the eastern and northern parts. He said implementation of NAPAs would strengthen efforts to combat negative effects of climate change on livelihoods and boost food security. "Climate change has no boundaries. So you it is very important for a country like south Sudan which is prone to disasters to adapt the NAPA to ensure that we use the natural resources wisely and start to take action now," Khan said. South Sudan is prone to recurrent floods every year in the rainy season -- May to October -- which threatens the lives and livelihoods of the local population and their communities, according to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Origination (UNESCO). The agency said destruction of homes, schools, crops and agricultural lands lead to a loss in potential income, food insecurity, disrupted educational opportunities and delayed delivery of basic services in South Sudan. BANGKOK, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A chain collision involving four vehicles killed nine people on Wednesday in northern Thailand, local media reported. The accident happened Wednesday afternoon in Chiang Rai when a cement truck veered off the road median strip and collided with an incoming van and a car behind it. According to Thairath Newspaper, the truck was swerving out of its lane just to avoid rear-ending a motorbike. The van hit was carrying nine people. A pickup was involved in the crash as it failed to brake. Local media said four people were also injured and rushed to hospitals including a 13-year-old girl, who is the only survivor in the van. Details are under investigation. VIENTIANE, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lao Ministry of Public Security said on Wednesday that 33 suspected drug dealers in Laos have been arrested recently. Thonglek Mangnomek, Director of the General Department of Police under Ministry of Public Security in capital Vientiane, said anti-drug police of the General Department in cooperation with relevant authorities, have arrested 33 suspected drug dealers, including five drug kingpins in a major crackdown launched on Sep. 16, 2016. Among them, a transnational drug kingpin Xaysana Keophimpha was arrested along with three countrymates in Bangkok, Thailand on Jan. 19, after escaping an attempted arrest by Lao police. Asked if Laos will request Thailand to extradite Xaysana to be prosecuted in Laos, the Brigadier General said there would be a need to look into the relevant laws of the two countries first. On Jan. 10, Khonepasong Soukkaseum, alias Xiengtheu, a Lao drug lord Lao police claim is bigger than Xaysana, was arrested along with three associates, in Lao capital Vientiane. On Feb. 14, 2017, police officers detained people who had tried to bribe police officers in exchange for the release of the arrested drug lords for around 860,000 U.S. dollars per drug lord, said the Lao police officer. WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The number of women serving in state legislative bodies across the United States hit new high, according to the federal data released Wednesday. As many as 1,830 American women are now in elected office, holding 24.8 percent of the 7,383 seats in the country's 99 state legislative chamber, data from the U.S. National Conference of State Legislatures show. However, the surge is very small from the previous zenith. In 2010, 1,808 women held legislative seats across the country. Out of the total, 1,109 women in state legislatures are Democrats, compared with 704 Republicans. There are also four members of minor parties, and 13 women in Nebraska's nonpartisan, unicameral legislature, according to a news report of The Hill. American women hold a larger share of seats in state legislatures than they do in Congress: 21 members of the United States Senate are women, while women account for 83 voting seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, or 19 percent. Women have held at least 50 seats in every U.S. Congress since 1993. In comparison, over 40 percent of parliamentary bodies in Finland, Norway and Sweden are made up of women. More than 30 percent of those holding seats in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, Austria and the United Kingdom are women, said the report, quoting World Bank statistics. "There are 100 nations that surpass us in terms of the number of women in the national parliament," said Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women and Politics Institute at American University. The first woman to hold national office in the United States is Jeannette Rankin (June 11, 1880 - May 18, 1973). She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916 by the state of Montana as a member of the Republican Party. She won a second House term 24 years later, in 1940. SOFIA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria should make tourism a national cause because of its importance to the national economy, the country's Minister of Tourism Stela Baltova said here on Wednesday. "Tourism is the sector that has the greatest impact on all other sectors in Bulgaria and has the potential to give the highest growth in gross domestic product," Baltova said at the opening ceremony of the 34th edition of the international tourist fair Holiday & SPA Expo. Bulgarian Caretaker Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdjikov, who also attended the ceremony, said that last year was extremely fruitful for Bulgarian tourism. Over eight million foreign tourists visited the country and revenues from international tourism exceeded six billion BGN (3.2 billion U.S. dollars), Gerdjikov said. These great results were due primarily to the beautiful nature of Bulgaria and increasingly better use of natural resources, he said. The three-day event gathered together over 350 exhibitors. ALGIERS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Algerian counter-terrorism troops on Wednesday killed five armed militants and retrieved weapons in a wide-scale operation in the province of Bouira, 110 km east of Algiers, said a statement of the defense ministry. The operation has been launched in the dense woods of Laadjiba in Bouira with accurate information of a terrorist group there, said the statement. The troops clashed with a group of armed men, killing five of them, and retrieved machine guns and ammunition. The operation is still underway, the statement added. Located in a region plagued by unprecedented security and political instability, Algeria faces ongoing terrorist threats. A few militants affiliated to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and recently established Islamic State affiliated group of Caliphate Soldiers are still taking refuge in the dense woods in the north of the country, as well as remote desert areas near troubled Libya and Mali. HELSINKI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A survey published on Wednesday showed that Finns have been increasingly uncertain about whether or not their country should join NATO, the U.S.-led military alliance. About 28 percent of respondents could not say if they supported Finland's NATO membership or not, according to a poll commissioned by the Finnish national broadcaster Yle and carried out by Taloustutkimus, a market research company. The share of the uncertainty over the membership has been rising steadily over the past few years. The figure was 16 percent in 2014 and 23 percent in 2015. Matti Pesu, a researcher from the University of Tampere, told Yle that the new U.S. president's position on NATO could partly explain the reason behind the increase. During the election campaign, Donald Trump said, among other things, that the defense of other member states may be waived if countries failed to fulfill their obligations. What Trump said about NATO in his speeches has aroused speculations about the alliance, said Pesu, adding that media reports about the issue would certainly exert an influence on people's thinking. The survey manifested that the support for Finland's membership of NATO remained at 21 percent, while 51 percent of respondents said they opposed joining the military alliance. In the past 25 years when NATO membership has been discussed in Finland, the supporting rate had been at a very low level. The Swedish viewpoint on NATO also affect Finns. Some 38 percent of Finnish respondents said that Finland should join the military alliance if Sweden did, while 44 percent of them were against the membership, even if their western neighbor joined. Teemu Hakkinen, a researcher from the University of Jyvaskyla, told Yle that it would change the situation in the Baltic Sea area if Sweden joined NATO. According to the poll, a clear majority -- 60 percent of Finns -- believed that a referendum would be the best way to decide Finland's NATO membership. The survey was conducted at the beginning of February 2017. More than 1,000 people participated. NAIROBI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Somalia has a chance to forge a new beginning after peaceful election of the new President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmajo) on Feb. 8, said the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) for Somalia, Francisco Madeira. Madeira said in a commentary published by Kenya's Daily Nation on Wednesday that election of a new president will enable Somalia to shake off its tragic past and chart a new beginning marked by peace, stability and development. "The successful conclusion of the presidential election heralds a new dawn for a country that has been plagued by years of instability, internal strife, cyclical drought and violent extremism," said Madeira. Abdullahi Farmajo trounced the incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamud after a hotly contested race to become the new president of Somalia. His victory was cheered by Somali citizens, regional blocs and the international community who expressed confidence in his leadership skills that were tested when he served as the country's prime minister for eight months from 2010 to 2011. The 54-year-old Farmajo holds a dual Somalia-U.S. citizenship and his reformist credentials will be crucial to restore political and economic institutions that crumbled during two and half decades of turmoil in the horn of African state. Madeira hailed the peaceful transfer of power in Somalia against a backdrop of huge uncertainties about its future due to sectarian wars and under-development. "Let 2017 be the year of firsts for Somalia. There is an opportunity for leaders to work together to spearhead reconciliation and national unity," Madeira remarked, adding that dialogue on resource sharing, job creation, security, women and youth empowerment will be reactivated under the new president. Madeira who is also the head of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said that an end to violent conflicts and terrorism in the country is possible if grassroots leaders and ordinary citizens rally behind the new president to annihilate the twin evils. He stressed that African Union in partnership with the international community will continue to support counter-terrorism and peace building initiatives in Somalia. "With a new government in place, one of our key priorities with the national security forces is to intensify our offensive against terrorists. We will not relent until the war against violent extremism is won," said Madeira. The Mozambican diplomat said the establishment of vibrant security apparatus in Somalia to deal with old and emerging threats is a key priority of the AU and its multilateral partners. He added that the continental body will also support provision of critical services like education and health to eliminate conditions that would create a fertile ground for violent extremism to flourish inside Somalia. CAIRO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian president and visiting United Nations chief vowed here Wednesday to continue cooperation and solve regional problems. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, expressing readiness to further cooperate with the UN, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a press conference with Guterres after the meeting. "Guterres has wisdom since he was a statesman, a former prime minister...Egypt will definitely be continuously in touch with the UN through our permanent mission," Shoukry said. He explained that Egypt has supported the peace process in Syria as well as the efforts of the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura, stressing the importance of the Syrian opposition in the Geneva peace talks. The minister also asserted that the international community cannot accept any preconditions from all sides to reach a settlement in Syria, adding that a peaceful solution that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people must be reached. Meanwhile, Shoukry said he met on Wednesday with a delegation from the Libyan High Council of State, and the delegates praised the road map, which means a notable development that supports the legal institutions and the national army. Guterres said Egypt is a central player in the Middle East and an essential contributor to the solutions of regional problems. He stressed that there is no plan B to the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis but two-state solution, adding that everything must be done to preserve that possibility. "We also need to find political solutions for the crises of the region," Guterres said, stressing the determination to move ahead with Geneva talks in relation to the Syrian situation and resume the policy of national reconciliation and unity in Iraq. He said that he will be totally committed to support the countries of the region to come together in order to create the conditions for both Yemen and Libya able to overcome the present crises. Guterres took the post as UN secretary-general on Jan. 1. He arrived in Cairo on Wednesday after visiting Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, expressing readiness to further cooperate with the UN. (Xinhua/MENA) CAIRO, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian president and visiting United Nations chief vowed here Wednesday to continue cooperation and solve regional problems. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, expressing readiness to further cooperate with the UN, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a press conference with Guterres after the meeting. "Guterres has wisdom since he was a statesman, a former prime minister...Egypt will definitely be continuously in touch with the UN through our permanent mission," Shoukry said. He explained that Egypt has supported the peace process in Syria as well as the efforts of the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura, stressing the importance of the Syrian opposition in the Geneva peace talks. The minister also asserted that the international community cannot accept any preconditions from all sides to reach a settlement in Syria, adding that a peaceful solution that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people must be reached. Meanwhile, Shoukry said he met on Wednesday with a delegation from the Libyan High Council of State, and the delegates praised the road map, which means a notable development that supports the legal institutions and the national army. Guterres said Egypt is a central player in the Middle East and an essential contributor to the solutions of regional problems. He stressed that there is no plan B to the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis but two-state solution, adding that everything must be done to preserve that possibility. "We also need to find political solutions for the crises of the region," Guterres said, stressing the determination to move ahead with Geneva talks in relation to the Syrian situation and resume the policy of national reconciliation and unity in Iraq. He said that he will be totally committed to support the countries of the region to come together in order to create the conditions for both Yemen and Libya able to overcome the present crises. Guterres took the post as UN secretary-general on Jan. 1. He arrived in Cairo on Wednesday after visiting Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman. ACCRA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) assured Ghanaians here on Wednesday there was no basis for fuel shortage in the country any time soon. It said there was enough fuel reserves to meet demands, dispelling rumors of imminent fuel shortage in the west African country. "The current stock position in the country indicates there is over 200 million liters of gas oil and more than 100 million liters of petrol at various depots throughout the country. These stocks are expected to last up to 6 weeks," the NPA said in a signed statement by its Public Relation and Consumer Service Manager, Yaro Kasambata. Additionally, it said over 73 million liters of gas oil and 46 million liters of petrol were expected to be delivered into the country from Feb. 13th to 18th. "There are no challenges at the discharging terminals at the country's ports and ensures that there is fairness in the process leading up to the discharge of cargoes of all importers. The NPA continuously monitors the weekly schedule of fuel imports to ensure that there is constant supply of fuel for the country," it said. A think tank, Institute for Energy Security (IES), had warned of an impending shortage of petroleum products in the coming weeks due to the shutdown of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and the congestion at the ports which had compelled many oil companies to postpone their imports. A statement by Richmond Rockson, Principal Research Analyst at the Petroleum Unit of IES, said on Tuesday that, due to the unanticipated shutdown of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and port congestion, the oil companies were being compelled to postpone their import and export programs amid acute discharge and loading constraints that had the potential to interrupt with Ghana's fuel supply. Figures show that two million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished, 550,000 of them severely malnourished. (AFP photo) KHARTOUM, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF), Sudan office, on Wednesday launched an appeal to raise 110 million U.S. dollars to meet humanitarian needs for children in Sudan. The appeal is part of a UNICEF annual global Humanitarian Action for Children, which aims at mobilizing resources and drawing attention to the plight of children worldwide, Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF representative to Sudan said in a statement Wednesday. UNICEF in Sudan is planning to reach over two million children this year across the country, he added. About 13 percent of African children who suffer from severe acute malnutrition are in Sudan, the statement said. Figures show that two million children under the age of five are acutely malnourished, 550,000 of them severely malnourished. Conflict-related displacements, El Nino, epidemics, floods and droughts exacerbated the nutrition and food security situation of Sudanese children, the statement said. Earlier statistics by Sudan's Health Ministry indicated that malnutrition surpasses eight known causes of children's deaths including malaria, blood poisoning, pneumonia, dehydration, gastroenteritis, anemia and heart disease. Sudan's government is working with its partners to implement national priority programs addressing malnutrition and reducing children's mortality rates. TALLINN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Center Party regained its position as Estonia's most popular political party, boasting 27 percent voter support in February, a public opinion poll published Wednesday showed. The Reform Party was second with 25 percent voter support and the Social Democratic Party (SDE) was third with 16 percent, according to the survey conducted by Kantar Emor for Baltic News Service and Postimees daily. Estonia's Conservative People's Party (EKRE) was the fourth most popular party, supported by 13 percent of the surveyed voters in February, the Free Party was fifth with 10 percent and the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (IRL) was sixth with 7 percent voter support. The Center Party rose to the top position in February as its popularity rating moved up 1 percentage point against December 2016, while the Social Democrats' rating slipped 3 percentage points. The Reform Party, EKRE and the Free Party each saw their rating rise by 2 percentage points from the December poll, and the rating of IRL stayed unchanged. Also, 50 percent of respondents in the poll voiced support for Estonia's incumbent government coalition comprising the Center Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, down 2 percentage points from December. Kantar Emor conducted the poll from Feb. 3 to 13, surveying 882 eligible voters aged 18 to 74. JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The South African Competition Commission said Wednesday they have referred 17 banks to their tribunal for prosecution of collusion. Among the 17 banks, 3 of them are South Africa's biggest banks who face prosecution of collusion for price fixing of the South African rand. The country's consumer watchdog has been investigating the banks for the past two years and has resolved to refer the case to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution. The Competition Commission said the banks manipulated the price for bids and offers through an agreement to abstain from trading and creating fake bids and offers at given times. The collusion happened through groups chats. The South African Banks involved in collusion includes Standard Bank of South Africa, Absa and Investec. The foreign banks involved are JP Morgan Chase Bank, Barclays Capital, Barclays Bank, HSBC Bank and Bank of America Merril Lynch International, among others. Tembinkosi Bonakele, one of the Commissioners from the Competition Commission said "the referral of this matter to the tribunal marks a key milestone in this case as it now affords the banks an opportunity to answer for themselves." The Commission said the banks had a general agreement to collude on prices for bids, offers and bid-offer spreads for the spot trades in relation to currency trading involving U.S. dollar and rand currency pair. According to the Commission, some banks used trading platforms such as the Reuters currency trading platform to carry out their collusive activities. Some used Bloomberg instant messaging system (chatroom), telephone conversation and had meetings to coordinate their bilateral and multilateral collusive trading activities. The banks coordinated trading times and helped each other to reach desired prices. The Commission applied to the Tribunal to declare that the 17 banks as having contravened the Competition Act and are liable for the payment of an administrative penalty equal to 10 percent of their annual turnover. South African ruling party, African National Congress spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the actions by the banks are an attack on the constitutional mandate of the South African Reserve Bank to protect the value of the South African currency. "The African National Congress takes an extremely dim view of the activities of the listed banks, understanding the banking sector as being instrumental to our quest for economic growth and development," he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting with his Afghan counterpart in Moscow on February 7, 2017. (AFP PHOTO) MOSCOW, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Bonn, Germany on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The top diplomats are expected to meet for the first time on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers' meeting, the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a weekly briefing. Lavrov and Tillerson will possibly discuss bilateral and regional issues, said Zakharova. Zakharova declined to disclose whether the two sides will discuss the Crimea issue, but she stressed that "We do not devolve our territory." The long-anticipated talk comes as a spurt of incidents have added uncertainty to the proposed reestablishment of Russia-U.S. ties, including the resignation of U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn on Monday over his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States. On Tuesday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at a briefing that U.S. President Donald Trump expects the Russian government "to de-escalate violence in Ukraine and return Crimea." In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Crimea's return to Ukraine was not discussed and will not be discussed. U.S. media reported earlier this week that Russia had secretly deployed a ground-based nuclear cruise missile in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) signed by top leaders of the two countries in 1987. Peskov denied the accusation, saying that "Russia was and remains committed to its international obligations, including the INF agreement." The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday denied the Pentagon's claim that Russian aircraft flew close to a U.S. destroyer in the Black Sea last week. U.S. media also reported that a Russian spy ship was spotted patrolling in international waters off the U.S. east coast on Tuesday morning, fanning fresh Russophobia in Washington. Certain circles with an anti-Russian agenda are ratcheting up pressure on Trump, said Valentina Matvienko, speaker of the upper house of Russia's parliament. HARARE, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe expects to produce up to 1.8 million tonnes of the staple maize in 2017 from 512,000 tonnes last year due to good rains received this season, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) said on Wednesday. An increase in production of other cereal crops was also forecast this year following a devastating El-Nino induced drought in 2016 which left 4 million of the nation's 14 million people in need of food aid. RBZ governor John Mangudya said the favorable rains would boost agricultural productivity and help stimulate economic growth given that the country's economy was agriculture based. "The good agricultural season that is anticipated to produce around 1,500,000 - 1,800,000 tonnes of maize and other cereals from 1,595,000 hectares requires government to mobilize funding for the Grain Marketing Board to purchase grain from farmers," the governor said in the 2017 first-half monetary policy statement. He said cotton seed output was also forecast to rise to 100,000 tonnes from 32,000 tonnes last year. Tobacco leaf output, the country's largest foreign currency earner, was expected to jump to between 200 million and 215 million kg from 183 million kg in 2016 due to an export incentive scheme introduced last November, the governor said. The export incentive scheme is being financed through bond notes whose circulation now stands at 94 million since introduction in November. The bond notes, also introduced to ease current cash shortages in the economy, are trading at par with the U.S. dollar. Mangudya said the export incentive will also be extended to tourism to encourage foreign currency generation by the sector. RIGA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Foreign students' contribution to the Latvian economy is nearly 170 million euros (179.4 million U.S. dollars) each year, according to a study conducted by Certus think tank on foreigners studying at Latvia's universities and colleges. Daunis Auers, Certus research director and an associate professor at the University of Latvia, said on Latvian public radio on Wednesday that among other things, the study analyzed the foreign students' impact on the Latvian economy. Citing research data, Auers said that the foreign students spend 84 million euros a year in Latvia, but that in combination with indirect factors which provide another 80 million euros, their total contribution to the Baltic country's economy is roughly 170 million euros. At the time when the research was carried out, Latvia's institutions of higher education had 5,500 foreigners registered as students. The number of foreign students in Latvia has risen to 6,300 this year, Auers said, adding that the figure keeps growing. Meanwhile, Riga Stradins University (RSU), whose medical study programs are especially popular among foreign students, is already "full" and cannot enroll more foreigners unless substantial investments are made to boost the university's capacity. The Certus expert said the 848 foreign students surveyed as part of the study like to live and learn in Riga. "They are very satisfied with their life in Riga and the quality of their studies," Auers said, noting that RSU students were particularly happy. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollars) KIEV, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The National Guard of Ukraine said on Wednesday it had agreed to develop security cooperation with the Chinese People's Armed Police Force. The agreement was reached during the meeting of Yuriy Allerov, the Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, and Cao Xiaojian, the Military Attache of the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine, the National Guard said in a statement. The two sides have agreed to strengthen cooperation on the issues of safeguarding the internal security, ensuring public order and protecting important state objects, the statement said. Cao and Allerov also discussed the possibility of exchanging experience between the National Guard of Ukraine and the China's police force on the use of special units to ensure security. SANAA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemeni dominant Houthi rebels killed at least 11 women in an airstrike on a funeral house north of the capital Sanaa on Wednesday, a medic and security official said. Ten others, also women, were critically wounded "when the airstrike hit the funeral in Shira area in Arhab district," the medic added, saying that the death toll is likely to increase. The targeted funeral house was completely destroyed and scores of adjacent homes were damaged. This is the latest in a series of airstrikes hitting Yemeni civilians since the war began in 2015. Three days ago, the Saudi-led airstrikes killed a family of six in the Red Sea coast city of Mokha, according to medics and officials. Last year, coalition airstrikes hit a funeral hall in the capital Sanaa, killing 140 mourners, including children, and wounded over 600 others. Since March 2015, the coalition has been fighting the dominant Houthi rebels, who have seized control of most of northern Yemen, including Sanaa, to restore power to the expelled, internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The war has killed more than 10,000 people, half of them civilians, and displaced over two millions, according to humanitarian agencies. SANAA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi forces said they fired a long-range ballistic missile at the airport of Abha of the Saudi province of Asir on Wednesday night, Houthis said in a statement carried by state Saba news agency. Houthis said the "missile attack came as a retaliatory attack to revenge the Saudi air strike on a funeral house north of the capital Sanaa few hours ago." On Wednesday afternoon, the Saudi-led coalition killed at least 11 women in an air strike on a funeral house in north of Sanaa, a medic and security official said. "Eleven women were killed and about ten others, also women, were critically wounded when the air strike hit a funeral in Shira area in Arhab district," the medic told Xinhua by phone. The security official said the air strike took place at 4 p.m. local time (GMT 1300), when women began arriving at the house where the funeral was held, about 30 km north of Sanaa. Residents were shocked at the air attack. The targeted funeral house was completely destroyed and scores of adjacent homes were damaged. This is the latest in a series of air strikes hitting Yemeni civilians since the civil war began in 2015. Since March 2015, the coalition has been fighting the dominant Houthi rebels, who seized most of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, to restore power to the expelled but internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The war has killed more than 10,000 people, half of them civilians, and displaced over two millions, according to humanitarian agencies. by Ronald Ssekandi, Samuel Egadu KAMPALA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has started to feel the pinch of hosting an influx of refugees amid acute funding pressures and says international support is urgently needed to help it accommodate the refugees. Uganda is host to over one million refugees, half of them from neighboring South Sudan where fighting is still continuing. On average 4,000 South Sudanese are said to cross the border daily into Uganda. The east African country has gained global acknowledgment for its open refugee policy at a time when more and more countries are closing their doors to refugees who are fleeing for their lives. The other refugees hosted in different parts of the country are mainly from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi while some are from Eritrea and Ethiopia. At the African Union Summit in Ethiopia late last month, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni met with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and they agreed to hold conference on the refugee situation next month. Museveni, according to a State House statement, told the UN Chief that the refugee situation was a posing a growing challenge to the country each day. On Tuesday, Uganda and the UN refugee agency re-echoed that appeal for international assistance, saying the refugee burden was heavy for the country to carry alone. "It's getting a little heavy for us to manage the refugee situation. We are constrained and overwhelmed with the numbers," Hillary Onek, Uganda's minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, told reporters. "We have budgetary constraints for hosting, providing food, shelter, water, sanitation, health services, school for children and physiological support to the refugees," Onek added. Ajit Fernando, deputy country representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) here said the refugee agency is facing acute funding shortages. "We are chronically facing underfunding to handle the refuge situation. The magnitude is increasing daily. We are asking more donors and countries to be part of this cause. We need more support," he said. The refugee agency and Uganda are appealing for over one billion U.S. dollars to help address the refugee crisis. However since they launched the appeal last year, they have only been able to raise only 36 percent of the money. The UN World Food Program last year warned that it was going to be forced to cut food aid to refugees in the country further than the current 50 percent due to severe funding shortages. Uganda, whose refugee resettlement process is said to be a model for other nations, now hosts one of the largest number of refugees in Africa, putting a significant burden on relief agencies, Ugandan authorities and local populations. The country argues that there is urgent need by regional leaders and the international community to seek political settlement in South Sudan, which is the biggest generator of refugees. "We hope peace will return to South Sudan. We need the Gambia model [regional military intervention] for those mismanaging their country and causing problems. The world must come and act. It's a disgrace to the region," said Onek. The regional leaders under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decided to deploy troops from its member states to Gambia following the refusal by former President Yahya Jammeh to leave office after his defeat in the December elections. Jammeh finally bowed to pressure and left office for the new leader Adama Barrow. The violence that broke out again in South Sudan in July last year between the troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar has captured the world's attention, with refugee numbers crossing the 1.5 million mark, UNHCR figures show. MINSK, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Trilateral contact group on Ukraine agreed to withdraw heavy weapons from the line of separation in Donbas by February 20, an OSCE envoy said here on Wednesday. Martin Sajdik, the envoy of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, said that at the contact group meeting, the representatives paid a special attention to complete ceasefire on the contact line, and the conflicting parties agreed to withdraw the equipment prohibited under the Minsk agreements by February 20. Sajdik stressed that since the previous meeting of the Contact Group the volume of hostilities in the conflict zone was reduced significantly. Sajdik also said the negotiators continued discussions on the release of persons illegally detained in connection with the conflict and they decided to apply to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Geneva. The next meeting of the trilateral contact group on Ukraine will be held in Minsk on March 1. U.S. President Donald Trump(R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference at the White House, in Washington D.C., the Unite States, Feb. 15, 2017.(Xinhua/Yin Bogu) WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Israel should "hold back" on building new settlement "for a little bit," U.S. President Donald Trump told visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. "As far as settlements, I'd like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit. We'll work something out but I would like to see a deal be made," Trump said at a joint press conference with Netanyahu at the White House before their meeting. In response, Netanyahu played down the issue of settlement building. "I believe that the issue of the settlement is not the core of the conflict, nor does it really drive the conflict. I think it's an issue that has to be resolved in the context of peace negotiations," Netanyahu said. Israel approved last month the construction of 3,000 housing units in West Bank settlements, amidst a spate of settlement expansion in the wake of Trump's inauguration. Israel's settlement-building in disputed territory is a major dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians. The settlements are illegal under international law because they are built on lands seized by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War, where the Palestinians wish to form their future state. The former U.S. administration criticized Israel's continuous expansion of the settlements, which it considered as a major obstacle to peace. In a White House statement earlier this month, the Trump administration said "the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful" in achieving Middle East peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) speaks at a joint press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump(R) at the White House, in Washington D.C., the Unite States, Feb. 15, 2017.(Xinhua/Yin Bogu) On Wednesday, Trump also said that he is open to either a one-state or two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a departure from U.S. stance in previous administrations. "I'm looking at two-state, one-state, and I like the one that both parties like. ... I can live with either one," Trump said. The previous U.S. administrations have pushed for the two-state solution to the Middle East peace process, an idea of establishing an independent Palestinian state that lives side-by-side with Israel. On another controversial issue of moving U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Trump said, "as far as the embassy moving to Jerusalem, I'd love to see that happen. We're looking at it very, very strongly." But he added that the U.S. is looking at the issue "with great care." Israel claimed all of Jerusalem as its "eternal and undivided capital." But the international community has never recognized East Jerusalem, a territory Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast War and later annexed. The Palestinians see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. TIRANA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Albania should step up the pace of judicial reform as a key to starting EU accession negotiations, local media cited European Parliament members as saying on Wednesday. European Parliament adopted Wednesday by 546 votes to 85, with 62 abstentions, a resolution on Albania drafted by member of European Parliament (MEP) Knut Fleckenstein. In the resolution, it was clearly highlighted that credible implementation of justice reform, good progress in fighting organized crime, corruption and holding free and fair elections in June 2017 could prove to be a key to advancing the EU accession process and starting negotiations, media reported. Fleckenstein said in his speech that Albania has been making constant progress since summer 2014 after becoming an EU accession candidate. MEPs welcomed Albania's progress on EU-related reforms and further efforts to reform the judicial sector such as the vetting and decriminalization law aimed at excluding criminal offenders from public office. However, they expressed concerns about selective justice, corruption, the overall length of judicial proceedings and political interference in investigations and court cases in Albania, according to media reports. On the other hand, MEPs also called on Albanian politicians to make efforts and address the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations before the upcoming elections. The approval of the resolution was commended by Albanian authorities who reaffirmed that Albania is on the right track of reforms. Albanian integration minister Klajda Gjosha said in a press statement that Albania remained committed to its top priority which is EU integration. TEHRAN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned as "meddlesome" a recent U.S. State Department statement on the 2009 post-election unrest in Iran, Press TV reported. Iranians have "very bitter memories" of the U.S. officials' occasional interference in Iran's domestic affairs, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying. Qasemi condemned the U.S. statement as "biased, suspicious, unwarranted and politically-motivated," stressing that Iran will never accept such meddlesome approaches by the United States. In a statement on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department asked Iran to put an end to the house arrest of Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi, two of the candidates in the 2009 presidential election who lost the race according to the official results but claimed that the results had been rigged. The two remain under house arrest on charges of provoking the public and harming the national security since 2011. BRASILIA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian federal police dismantled on Wednesday an international human trafficking network in Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceara. In a statement, the police said that Operation Marguerita targeted a ring that sent Brazilian women to Slovenia and Italy, where they were forced into prostitution. Involving 92 police officers, the operation was allegedly named after the main club where the victims were sexually exploited in Slovenia. According to the statement, the ring was made up of "individuals responsible for recruiting, transporting, organizing trips abroad, housing and sexually exploiting the women in their countries of destination." Police from Slovenia and Italy also participated in the operation. While the victims travelled from Ceara, many of them came from other states, including Bahia, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, where police also carried out raids. The police stated that the crime of international people smuggling is a "severe violation of human rights," especially considering the vulnerability of the victims, who went to Europe expecting dignified employment but were treated in degrading conditions. The number of people arrested in the raids was not revealed but those responsible faced charges of international people smuggling with the aim of sexual exploitation, criminal association and money laundering, with jail terms of up to 25 years in prison. RAMALLAH/GAZA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians slammed on Wednesday United States President Donald Trump's remarks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict he made in the joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. Ahmed Majdalani, the official in Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said that Trump's remarks are a retreat in the traditional positions of former U.S. administrations, adding that remarks from the press conference "indicated that there is intersection in the political positions of both sides." He said that the U.S. is moving from "the position of being biased to Israel" to "the position of becoming a partner with Israel" in supporting settlement and the military occupation of the Palestinians territories. The PLO official accused the U.S. of backing the Israeli government and providing a cover to impose a political and a diplomatic unilateral solution. "Such a unilateral solution would only serve the interests of the two sides and never achieve just peace," said Majdalani, voicing refusal of this solution. Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to curb settlement activity but avoided any explicit endorsement of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longstanding bedrock of U.S. Middle East policy. The two leaders met face-to-face for the first time since Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election, as Palestinians urged the White House not to abandon their goal of an independent state. Speaking at a joint news conference, Trump vowed to work toward a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians but said it would require compromise on both sides and it would be up to the parties themselves ultimately to reach an agreement. The last direct bilateral talks sponsored by the U.S. between Israel and the Palestinians stopped in 2014. The talks lasted nine months and end with deep differences over the issue of Israeli settlement, security and recognizing an independent Palestinian state. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem in Gaza said that "all U.S. administrations, including Trump, have been always biased to the Israeli occupation and have never been one day seriously acting to give the Palestinian people their rights." UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- A mission led by officers from the UN Department of Political Affairs and the UN Development Programme is in Gambia on Wednesday to assess the situation with regard to peace and security and analyze the new government's priorities going forward, a UN spokesman said here. "It will also assess governance and institutional capacities in the country, map support by international stakeholders engaging in peacebuilding, and identify areas of enhanced UN support to national authorities and civil society organizations," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here. The mission, which arrived in Gambia on Tuesday, on Wednesday met with President Adama Barrow after meeting with the vice-president, the foreign minister, the UN's Country Team working in Gambia, and representatives of the diplomatic community in the West African country, Haq added. On Jan. 19, Barrow was sworn in as Gambian president at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal. Barrow, staying in Dakar since Jan. 15, won Gambia's presidential election on Dec. 1, 2016. However, his election win was challenged by the former Gambian president, Yahya 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. On Jan. 19, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Barrow to discuss latest developments in Gambia and congratulated him on his inauguration, according to a statement by UN Spokesperson's Office. Barrow returned to Gambia as the new president in late January. UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday said that more than 3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in eastern Ukraine, and the UN agency will continue to help 220,000 people in conflict-affected areas in the region throughout 2017, a UN spokesman told reporters here. "Nearly three years after the start of the conflict, the security situation remains tense, with more than 3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance," the deputy UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, said at a daily news briefing here. WFP has provided emergency food assistance to people in eastern Ukraine since late 2014, with nearly 850,000 of the most vulnerable people having received food from the agency, he said. "WFP urgently needs more than 30 million U.S. dollars to provide much-needed food assistance in eastern Ukraine until the end of this December," Haq said. "The situation is becoming even worse as prices are increasing quite rapidly compared to incomes, which limits families' ability to afford the food they need," said the WFP representative in Ukraine, Dorte Ellehammer. "Food prices are increasing at a time when household incomes are impacted by unemployment, and we see many families resorting to negative coping strategies in the face of economic hardship." In 2017, WFP will continue to distribute food assistance to 70,000 of the most vulnerable people, based on the severity of needs. WFP aims to target elderly people, families headed by single mothers, people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, along with those who are not receiving any other form of humanitarian assistance. As the conflict has continued, many Ukrainians have become more vulnerable due to the lack of sufficient social benefits to cover food and other living expenses, said the UN agency. WFP will continue to scale up the use of cash-based transfers where possible, depending on availability of financial institutions and market conditions. During spring and summer, WFP and its partners will implement small-scale early recovery projects aimed at enhancing local livelihoods, increasing incomes, diversifying crops, and rehabilitating productive assets. "Without medium- and long-term interventions, more people would require humanitarian assistance in the months and years to come," said Ellehammer. Up to 150,000 people identified as moderately food-insecure, meaning they struggle to find or buy enough food on a daily basis to lead a healthy life, will be engaged in food-for-training and food-for-assets activities, which will be tailored to the local context and based on available funding. Since November 2014, WFP has provided emergency food assistance to internally displaced people, returnees and residents in eastern Ukraine, distributing monthly food packages and food assistance through cash-based transfers or vouchers. To date, nearly 850,000 of the most vulnerable conflict-affected people have received food from WFP, in spite of the ongoing conflict and a volatile security situation that has restricted humanitarian staff movement. PARIS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- An 18-year-old student suspected of preparing a terrorist assault was arrested on Tuesday morning in Wattignies, north France, a regional TV channel reported on Wednesday. Based on elements found in the suspect's computer, the man planned to attack a metro station or shopping centre in Lille, France 3 Hauts-de-France said. "He would have been planning attacks without being able to realize them for logistical reasons," a police source was quoted as saying. Identified as Ismael Z., the man was placed into custody, according to the report. France has been a target of terrorist cells due to its military operations in Iraq, Syria and the Sahel region. The country has declared a state of emergency after a group of terrorists killed 130 people in a series of explosions and shootings on Nov. 13, 2015. Last year, tightened security rules helped police foil 17 terrorist attacks, Interior Ministry figures showed. CARACAS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela on Wednesday said it had summoned the U.S. top envoy in Caracas to lodge formal protest over Washington's accusation of its vice president on drug trafficking. "We delivered two letters of protest, as the head of state (President Nicolas Maduro) instructed, and we demanded respect for the vice president, Tareck El Aissami, a high-level Venezuelan government official," Foreign Affairs Minister Delcy Rodriguez told foreign correspondents at a press conference. Rodriguez met with the charge d'affairs at the U.S. embassy, Lee McClenny, at the ministry's offices in the capital. The first letter rejected the accusations against El Aissami as "unilateral and extrajudicial measures," and the second demanded the U.S. embassy publicly apologize to the vice president via its social networks, she said. On Monday, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) named El Aissami a "Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker," a designation that bars U.S. individuals and entities from doing business and otherwise dealing with him, and freezes any property and assets held by him there. Maduro on Tuesday condemned the move as politically motivated, and accused the Treasury Department of taking on the role of global "police, judge and jury." He also defended El Aissami, saying that during his term as Interior Minister, between 2008 and 2012, he dealt "the biggest blows ever against drug lords in Venezuela." JERUSALEM, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Israeli cabinet ministers welcomed United States President Donald Trump's statement on Wednesday to end the long-held two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Washington would no longer insist that any peace deal leads to a recognized Palestinian state, Trump said in the first meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the presidential elections. "I am looking at two states or one state, and I like the one that both parties like," Trump said in a joint press conference with Netanyahu. "I can live with either one... The 'two states' looks like it could be the easier of the two... I'm happy with the one they like the best," Trump added. Israeli leaders welcomed the statement as "the end of the two-state epoch," calling to push forward with annexation of the West Bank. "The Palestinian flag was taken off the mast today and replaced with Israel's flag," said Naftali Bennet, education minister and leader of the pro-settler party of the Jewish Home. Israeli Interior Security Minister Gilad Erdan said that "it's a very important day," adding that Trump's statements "prove we are in a new era." Trump's approach was widely seen as a defiance of international pressure to state a Palestinian country alongside Israel as a solution to the conflict. Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East War and has controlled these territories ever since, despite international condemnations. The Palestinians wish to build their future state on these lands, with its capital in East Jerusalem, a territory Israel annexed and claimed part of its "undividable and eternal" capital," in a move not recognized by the international community. DAMASCUS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) about the Syrian military use of chemical weapons during the battles in Aleppo city, according to state news agency SANA. The Syrian government completely denied the "allegations" made in a report by the HRW, which claimed that the Syrian government used chemical weapons at least eight times during the siege of rebel-held areas east of Aleppo city in northern Syria. According to HRW statement, the accusation was based on "phone and in-person interviews with witnesses and analysis of video footage, photographs, and posts on social media." It said Syrian government helicopters dropped chlorine gas on residential areas in Aleppo at least eight times in November and December of 2016. In its statement, the ministry said the report was based on sources from "the terrorists media sources." It added that "this report is unprofessional, unscientific and distorted facts." It continued that the report cannot "stand a chance" before any scientific study or legal evidences. The ministry said the HRW report came to serve foreign agendas and to affect the upcoming intra-Syrian talks in Geneva. Meanwhile, the ministry stressed the government's commitment to its pledges to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). ROME, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Italy's Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan on Wednesday said the government would push forward with its privatization plan this year. Meanwhile, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Wednesday in a survey that Italy's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by one percent in 2017, slightly up from a previous forecast of 0.9 percent. The report was launched by OECD's Secretary-General Angel Gurria in a press conference alongside the Italian economy and finance minister here. "Italy's economy is recovering from a long and deep recession," the OECD stated, adding, "Structural reforms, accommodative monetary and fiscal conditions, and low commodity prices have helped the economy to turn the corner." The Paris-based organization also forecast a one-percent growth for Italy in 2018. Yet, it pointed out recovery remains weak, and crisis-related issues such as a wider social inequality and increased poverty had to be tackled urgently. It also called on Italy to insist on structural reforms to fully heal from the long recession, not least addressing its huge public debt, and the bad loans burdening the banking system. The OECD report was "rightly critical where it was needed, and yet encouraging where it had to be," according to Padoan. "The Italian government's tools to reduce the public debt -- including the privatization plan -- are relevant and will continue to be used," the minister told the press conference. "Our idea of privatization has not changed: our goal is not only to raise money, but also to increase the management efficiency in companies facing major challenges on the market," he added. Despite having emerged from an eight-year-long recession in late 2015, Italy's economy still bears the scars of the crisis, the OECD survey noted. The organization, however, also acknowledged Italy's efforts in latest years. "The (implemented) reforms are producing results, this is a key message I would like to send," state broadcaster RAI News 24 quoted Gurria as saying. While growth was indeed recovering, some tough challenges would persist, according to the OECD chief. "The Italian government must keep tackling evasion, which remains the Achilles heel (great weakness) of the country's tax system," Gurria warned. DUBLIN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny said on Wednesday that he continued to believe "Brexit is bad for Britain, for Ireland and for Europe." "Brexit is a British policy, not an Irish policy or a policy of the European Union (EU)," Kenny said in a keynote address to the think-tank Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin. "But I respect the referendum result, and I recognize that Brexit is now going to happen," the Irish prime minister said. "Unfortunately, its most severe impact could well be felt on this island," he said. "That is why protecting the peace process and the Common Travel Area between Ireland and Britain are priority objectives for the government," he added. For many people in Northern Ireland, there is deep concern at the prospect of being removed from the EU, Kenny said. "It is not just that there was a strong "remain" majority of over 55 percent in the North. Fewer than 350,000 people voted for Brexit in Northern Ireland, out of a total population of over 1.8 million," he said. "But every man, woman and child in Northern Ireland will be affected by the outcome. And the vast majority of those affected are entitled to be Irish, and therefore EU citizens," he added. The Irish government will oppose a hard border, argue for free movement on this island, seek EU funding for cross-border projects and protect the rights of EU citizens, whether from North or South, Kenny said. "But this requires the support of all strands of opinion if we are to succeed. We have no choice but to work together, North and South, all of us," he said. "I am confident that the EU will not bring us back to a border of division," Kenny said. He said Brexit is a serious, direct threat to Ireland's economic prosperity. The potential impacts are profound, right across the economy, Kenny said. Key sectors, such as agri-food and fishing, face particular risks and challenges, according to the prime minister. These sectors are among Ireland's priorities as the agri-food sector has traditionally been reliant on the British export market, while fishing depends enormously on access to the waters around Britain. "Other areas, like tourism, and energy, also face significant challenges, as do many of our small and medium enterprises across the economy and across all parts of the country," he said. "All these challenges require a hard-headed, radical and innovative response," the prime minister said. Kenny said Ireland needs to negotiate hard for the best possible economic outcome from the Brexit negotiations. "For us, that continues to mean the closest possible economic and trading relationship between the EU and the UK, even if it will not now involve UK membership of the Single Market. I believe that close relationship is in the interests of not just Ireland, but of all of our fellow EU member states," he said. PARIS, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault on Wednesday warned Russia or any other state not to interfere in its upcoming presidential election after allegations that Russian hackers have been targeting presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron. "We will not accept any interference whatsoever in our electoral process, no more from Russia, by the way, than from any other state. This is a question of our democracy, our sovereignty, our national independence," Ayrault told lawmakers. The French top diplomat warned that the country would take "retaliatory measures when that is necessary, because no foreign state can influence the choice of the French, no foreign state can choose the future president of the Republic." "After what's happened in the United States, it's our responsibility to take all the measures so that integrity of our democratic process will be fully respected," Ayrault added. French defense chiefs will meet on Feb. 23 to discuss cyber security and implement "specific vigilance and protection measures" during the election campaign after allegations that Russian hackers have attacked presidential candidate Macron who pleaded for stronger European front to face Moscow. On Tuesday, Richard Ferrand, Macron's party chief accused Russia-based hackers of attacking databases and e-mail servers of the candidate's party. Russia called these accusations as "absurd," according to media reports. Moscow was accused of hacking U.S. Democratic Party and campaign staff email and spreading fake news to influence the Nov. 8 election in which Republican Donald Trump, who wants to reset relations with Russia, was elected the 45th president of the United States. Policeman remains in custody He was held on allegations of fraud committed against an elderly man over a period of several months. Investigators are awaiting instructions from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on how to proceed against the 22-year-old officer who has two years service. The officer was wanted in connection with a number of fraudulent offences including uttering false documents, obtaining credit via a valuable security (altering cheques and cashing it), larceny and money laundering. It was reported that at 9 am on Monday, the officer was removed from his desk inside the chargeroom and taken to the Fraud Squad office in San Fernando. Following his arrest, two houses one in San Fernando and the other in Marabella were searched and a number of household appliances seized. The case file was sent to the DPP yesterday. 6 years for chopping Dyer was before Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor and a jury of nine, on trial for chopping Kwasi Lewis, 16, on November 6, 2005, at Market Street in Fyzabad. It took 12 years for the case to move from the magistrates court to the High Courts for trial. During the long wait, Lewis passed away. It was not disclosed to the jury, the cause of Lewis death. Lewis evidence during the Preliminary Inquiry in the magistrates court, was read to the jury during the trial which was prosecuted by Maria Lyons-Edwards and Sarah De Silva. Sergeant Ablacksingh who laid the charge, gave evidence at the trial. Attorney Jason Jackson and Persuha Lord represented Dyer who opted not to go in the witness box and testify on his own behalf. Dyers defence was that he was provoked by Lewis during an argument at which, stones were thrown at him (Dyer). The prosecution also proffered bad character evidence in which it was revealed that Dyer has a propensity to violence having been charged with assaulting a police officer and escaping unlawful custody. On December 8, the jury found Dyer guilty of wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. In passing sentence on Monday, Justice Windsor said Dyer is currently in custody on a charge for which he is awaiting trial. She sentenced him to six years and four months imprisonment with hard labour and said he must undergo anger management counselling. State to pay 15 months worth of pension Although Dydan Sahadeo of Chaguanas had enquired from the Central Public Assistance Board (CPAB) to provide him with information on the suspected income he was earning, they never did. It was only when his attorney Anand Ramlogan SC, requested the information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), did they disclose that Sahadeo was earning $5,000 a month. Justice Robin Mohammed, presiding in the San Fernando High Court, granted Sahadeo leave on September 26, to seek judicial review of the ministrys decision and when the case came up for hearing yesterday, attorneys acting for the ministry said that the decision to refuse him, had been reversed. In fact, the judge was told by attorneys acting for the ministry, that Sahadeo will be paid all of his pension retroactively from November 2015 a total of 15 months worth of pension. On turning 65 in February 2014, Sahadeo applied for Old Age pension and according to documents filed in the High Court by his attorney Ramlogan SC, the CPAB rejected his application. When he enquired as to the reason, he was verbally informed that he used his vehicle as a taxi. Sahadeo again petitioned the CPAB offices in Chaguanas and the Public Assistance office in Caroni, where he told personnel there that though his vehicle was H, he used it for family outings and for transporting villagers to the temple where he lives. A social welfare officer visited Sahadeos home and told him that because his vehicle was licensed as a taxi (H), the presumption was that he worked the vehicle as such and was earning an income. Ramlogan pleaded on Sahadeos behalf that he (Sahadeo) had changed his vehicles registration from H to P and in April 2015, reapplied for pension. He was again denied. Sahadeo then petitioned the Minister of Social Development and Family Services Cherrie-Ann Crichlow Cockburn, but to no avail. De : Samantha Jackson < reveredandrewwashingtonsn@aol.com > Envoye le : Je, 19 Jan 2017 7:25 Sujet : International Conferences Meeting UN / WVI Conferences Registration Informations Dear Applicants, In appreciation to your mail and interest to Participate in this forth coming International Conferences meeting, I wish to inform you that your request to Participate has been accepted by the UN / WVI Organization. The forth coming International Conferences meeting is open for everyone who is interested to Participate. The International Conferences meeting is scheduled to take place from 11th to 16th April, 2017 International Conference Center in ST LOUIS Missouri, USA / Ottawa , Canada. The theme of the International Conference meeting is to teach our society the importance of "Promoting Human Rights through Economic Development". The forth coming International Conferences meeting is organized by the UN / WVI Organization of Human Rights and Economic Development here in United States of America / Canada. Delegates are accepted to Participate together as a group of 5 to 10 persons from each Country or Organization; you can also Participate as an individual if you don't have a Competent group. the Independent Donors and the Organization Sponsors are responsible for Participants Traveling Documents (Visas) Application Processing and Air round Trip Tickets to attend the International Conferences meeting. Note that Participants will only be responsible and to pay for their Hotel Accommodation Charges with the recommended Hotels. Your Registration File will be open after we have received your filled Registration Forms A and B and your Hotel Booking Confirmation Receipt. You are to contact the Hotel Management immediately and make your room booking to secure your Hotel Accommodation. We shall send you an Official Invitation Letter immediately after the confirmation of your Registration to enable you obtain the U.S / CANADA Visas to Participate in this Events. Your Visas Documents will be process here in United States / CANADA and the Approval Letter of your Visas will be sent to the U.S / CANADA Embassies in your country for the collection of your Visas. Since you are not an American , Canadian, UN / WVI Conference Registration involves the payment of $350 US Dollars per single UN / WVI Conference Applicant. and a competent Group Application Processing Fees involves the sum of $ 650 US Dollars .note that,it is also possible for you to apply as a single UN / WVI Conference Applicant, in case you are not capable of forming a group of Competent Team. Mode of Payment: Money Gram / Western Union WESTERN UNION / MONEY GRAM Receiver Names : Latrice Robinson Receiver Address : St. Louis, Missouri, COUNTRY - USA You must provide Scan Copy of your MONEY GRAM / WESTERN UNION Payment Receipt urgently via Email Attachment to enable the US / CANADIAN / Embassies issue your Visas Seal into your various International Passports accordingly. Provide us with the following informations below : MTCN. . . . . . . . . . . . Receicer Country. . . . . . Sender Names. . . . . . . . Receiver Names. . . . . . . Question. . . . . . . . . Answer. . . . . . . . . . . Amount Sent in USD. . . . . . . Sender Country. . . . . . . All participants are requested to make a Paper Presentation on the Events topics which is "Promoting Human Rights through Economic Development" as it affects your Society, for all Documentation will be published by the Organization of Human Rights and Economic Development and Certificate will be giving to all Participants as a representative of 2017 International Conferences meeting. All filled Registration Forms and Hotel Booking receipt should be submitted to the International Conferences Secretariat Office reveredandrewwashingtonsn@aol.com worldvisioninter@aol.com natashanicholaswvidcusa@aol.com renveredpeterbro@aol.com which is the deadline date to receive filled Registration Forms and Hotel Booking Receipt. Below is the selected Hotel Contact to secure your Room Booking and send us the Booking Receipt along with your Filled Forms with the scan copy of your International Passport / National Identity Card data page. Radisson Blu Hotel 717 Carlson Parkway ST LOUIS MISSOURI, M0 55317 U.S.A. radissonbluhoteldakarseaplaza@gmail.com Note : immediately after your Registration Files is opened, your Registration Documents will be forwarded to the U.S Bureau of Immigrant Affairs (Visas Processing Office) here in United States and CANADA Home Immigration Office for the Authorization and Approval of your Visas Documents before faxing / emailing the Visas Documents to U.S / CANADA Embassies, Consulate Offices in your Country of resident and you shall be called by the Embassies for Visas Appointment date to secure your Visas for the UN / WVI International Conferences meeting. We thank you for the interest to participate in this UN / WVI Conferences and we hope to see you at the meeting venues. Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer,WVI . America / Canada / Australia / Europe. De : Miss Sophie Salva < renveredpeterbro@aol.com > Envoye le : Ve, 27 Jan 2017 10:31 Sujet :UN / WVI Conferences Registration Informations Dear World Vision InternationalParticipants, We accept you to participate in the forth-coming WVIconferences, which will be held fromMarch 10th - 15th,2017 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza,Route de la Corniche, Dakar 16817, Phone: +221-77-461-6820, WestAfrica, email : radissonbluhoteldakarseaplaza@gmail.com and April 15th - 20th 2017 at the WVI Convention CenterMICHIGAN, USA. Thereafter, to CANADA and Australia, address :100 WVI and St. The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia. The theme of the forth coming World Vision International Conferences is to equip participants with the strategies and policies against Economic Crisis, Child Protection, HIV / AIDS & EBOLA Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work, job opportunities with well satisfied certified, forced Labor, trafficking of women and children; violence against women; women's economic issues, critical issues affecting world in the 21st century governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. These events are being Organized and sponsored by the World Vision International (WVI) in collaboration with other benevolent Organisations in the USA, CANADAand Australia. AREAS OF INTEREST : Violence and the Sex Trade, Children and Teen Victims of Trafficking, International Trafficking, HIV & other Health Related Risks, Programming Models and Funding, Domestic Trafficking, Personal Experiences in the Sex Trade, Drug Addiction and the Sex Trade, Men & Boys in the Sex Trade, Children of Women in the Sex Industry, Neighborhood & Community Responses, Emotional Health, Target Assessment & Effective Intervention, Paradigms, Perspectives & Policies, Advocacy & Social Action,Survivor Experiences and Stories, Law Enforcement Perspectives, Coalition building and Consciousness raising. Concerted efforts and contributions by individuals, Governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and the various international bodies and specialized agencies will be necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Conferences, and to provide long-lasting solutions.It will also afford participants to meet the donor communities, strike Affiliations and partnerships and explore better ways of sourcing funds for their various activities among others. The WVI conference organizing committee injunction with the donor sponsoring committee has mapped out some financial rewards to group participants that distinguished themselves in their areas of discipline. Panel of Judges has been appointed to oversee and to select participants of merit. Awards and gifts will be given to participants on merit. You are hereby advised to equip yourselves and exhibit your God given talents to the fullest. We welcome delegations, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations to the International Conference against Economic Crisis, Child Protection, HIV / AIDS & EBOLA Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work and forced Labor. This is the start of the formal phase of the Conference process, although a number of useful informal meetings have already taken place in different parts of the world we expect that this event can and should give a powerful impetus to the work of laying the foundations for a successful combat against Economic Crisis, Child Protection & HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work, forced Labor, trafficking of women and children; violence against women; women's economic issues, critical issues affecting world in the 21st century, governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. To help us do all that we reasonably can to meet the demands of our registered delegates, our staffs are working day and night to make this event a success. REGISTRATION OF PARTICIPANTS : Only a minimum of one (1) as an individual or a maximum of six (10) persons are expected to participate together as a group or organization to represent in the forth-coming events. None of them should be less than eighteen years of age, as from eighteen to older age are allowed to participate and must participate in all conferences (United States, Canada, Australia andDakar (Senegal). It is not necessary that one must belong to an organization to be eligible to attend this events. Any one (1) as an individual orten (10) persons forming a group to represent a country or organization etc. are eligible to participate in the forth-coming conferences. For registration to participate in this WVI events, you may forward the names and passport scanned copies of your group members to us, as soon as possible, as all participants visa assistance request will be forwarded to the US Department of Statefor same day visa authorization which shall be sent by email to the consular section of the US / CANADA / AUSTRALIA Embassies, in your country of residence. All WVI registered participants are entitled to a round trip air tickets, meals and accommodation during their stay in the US / CANADA / AUSTRALIA only.Delegates will only be responsible for their own hotel booking in Dakar (Senegal)where the first phase of the conference will be held due to the inability of our partner organizations to mobilize enough funds to sponsor the number of expected delegates to attend both conferences. If you are interested to participate in the forth-coming International Conferences, you may forward your details as mentioned below forWVI registration as soon as possible : a A scanned copy of international passport(s) a Place of birth a Country of residence a Country dialing code a Occupation a Marital status a Phone contact a Postal address a Who invited you ? a Email address Since you are not an American, Canadian or Australian, registration involves the payment of $350 US dollars for single WVI Applicant and a competent Group Application Processing Fees involves the sum of $650 US dollars However note that it is also possible for you to apply as a single WVI Applicant, in case you are not capable of forming a group of competent team. Mode of Payment: Money Gram / Western Union WESTERN UNION / MONEY GRAM Receiver Names : PAUL GABRIEL Receiver Address : DAKAR,SENEGAL Text Question: WVI Text Answer: FEES Amount Sent in US DOLLARS :$ . . . . . USD Telephone +221.774616820 You must provide scan copy of your MONEY GRAM / WESTERN UNION Payment Receipt urgently via email attachment to enable the US / CANADIAN / AUSTRALIA Embassies issue your Visa Seal into your various International Passports accordingly.Provide us with the following informations below : MTCN. . . . . . . . . . . . Receiver's country. . . . . . Sender Names. . . . . . . . Receiver Names. . . . . . . Question. . . . . . . . . Answer. . . . . . . . . . . Amount sent in US$. . . . . . . Sender's country. . . . . . . Sincerely, Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer, WVI America / Canada / Australia / Europe Address: United States Washington, DC Office World Vision 311 "I" Street Ns Washington, DC 20011 Fax:+206-666-3412 De : worldvisioninter < worldvisioninter@aol.com > Envoye le : Sa, 28 Jan 2017 11:28 Sujet :UN / WVI Conferences Registration Informations Dear World Vision InternationalParticipants, We accept you to participate in the forth-coming WVI conferences, which will be held from March 10th - 15th, 2017 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza , Address: Route de la Corniche O, Dakar 16817 , Phone: +221-77- 461 - 6820, West a Africa , Email : radissonbluhoteldakarseaplaza@gmail. com reveredandrewwashingtonsn@aol.com w orldvisioninter@aol.com natashanicholaswvidcusa@ aol.com renveredpeterbro@aol.com and April 15th - 20th 2017 at the WVI Convention CenterMICHIGAN, U.S.A. Thereafter, to CANADA andAustralia. Address: 100 WVI and St, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia. The theme of the forth coming World Vision International Conferences is to equip participants with the strategies and policies against Economic Crisis, Child Protection, HIV / AIDS & EBOLA Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work, job opportunities with well satisfied certified , forced Labor, trafficking of women and children; violence against women; women's economic issues, critical issues affecting world in the 21st centuryagovernance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. These events are being Organised and sponsored by the World Vision International (WVI) in collaboration with other benevolent Organisations in the United States of America . CANADA and Australia AREAS OF INTEREST : Violence and the Sex Trade, Children and Teen Victims of Trafficking, International Trafficking, HIV & other Health Related Risks, Programming Models and Funding, Domestic Trafficking, Personal Experiences in the Sex Trade, Drug Addiction and the Sex Trade, Men & Boys in the Sex Trade, Children of Women in the Sex Industry,Neighborhood & Community Responses, Emotional Health,Target Assessment & Effective Intervention, Paradigms, Perspectives & Policies,Advocacy & Social Action,Survivor Experiences and Stories,Law Enforcement Perspectives,Coalition building and Consciousness raising. Concerted efforts and contributions by individuals, Governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and the various international bodies and specialized agencies will be necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Conferences, and to provide long-lasting solutions.It will also afford participants to meet the donor communities, strike Affiliations and partnerships and explore better ways of sourcing funds for their various activities among others. The WVI conference organizing committee injunction with the donor sponsoring committee has mapped out some financial rewards to group participants that distinguished themselves in their areas of discipline. Panel of Judges has been appointed to oversee and to select participants of merit. Awards and gifts will be given to participants on merit. You are hereby advised to equip yourselves and exhibit your God given talents to the fullest. We welcome delegations, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations to the International Conference against Economic Crisis, Child Protection, HIV / AIDS & EBOLA Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work and forced Labor. This is the start of the formal phase of the Conference process, although a number of useful informal meetings have already taken place in different parts of the world we expect that this event can and should give a powerful impetus to the work of laying the foundations for a successful combat against Economic Crisis, Child Protection & HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work ,forced Labor,trafficking of women and children; violence against women; women's economic issues,critical issues affecting world in the 21st centuryagovernance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. To help us do all that we reasonably can to meet the demands of our registered delegates, our staffs are working day and night to make this event a success. REGISTRATION OF PARTICIPANTS : Only a minimum of One (1) as an individual or a maximum of six (10) persons are expected to participate together as a group or organization to represent in the forth-coming events. None of them should be less than eighteen years of age, as from eighteen to older age are allowed to participate and must participate in all conferences. ( United States, Canada Austalia & Dakar ( Senegal). It is not necessary that one must belong to an organization to be eligible to attend this events. Any One (1) as an individual or six (10) persons forming a group to represent a Country or organization etc. are eligible to participate in the forth-coming conferences. For registration to participate in this WVI events, you may forward the names and passport scanned copies of your group members to us, as soon as possible, as all participants visa assistance request will be forwarded to the U.S Department of States for same day visa Authorization which shall be sent by email to the consular section of the U.S. / CANADA / AUSTRALIA Embassies, in your country of residence. All WVI registered participants are entitled to a round trip air tickets, meals and accommodation during their stay in the U.S. / CANADA / AUSTRALIA. Delegates will only be responsible for their own hotel booking in Dakar-Senegal where the first phase of the conference will be held due to the inability of our partner organizations to mobilize enough funds to sponsor the number of expected delegates to attend both conferences. If you are interested to participate in the forth-coming International Conferences, you may forward your details as mentioned below for WVI registration as soon as possible. a A Scanned Copy Of International Passport (s) a Place of Birth a Country of Residence a Country Dialing Code a Occupation a Marital Status a Phone Contact a Postal Address a Who invited you? a Email Address Since you are not an American , Canadian or Australian, Registration involves the payment of $350 US Dollars for single WVI Applicant. and a competent Group Application Processing Fees involves the sum of $ 650 US Dollars .however note that,it is also possible for you to apply as a single WVI Applicant, in case you are not capable of forming a group of competent team. Mode of Payment: Money Gram / Western Union WESTERN UNION / MONEY GRAM Receiver Names : PAUL GABRIEL Receiver Address : DAKAR, SENEGAL Text Question: WVI Text Answer: FEES Amount Sent in US DOLLARS : . . . . . . . . .$ USD +221.774616820 You must provide Scan Copy of your MONEY GRAM / WESTERN UNION Payment Receipt urgently via Email Attachment to enable the US / CANADIAN / AUSTRALIA Embassies issue your Visa Seal into your various International Passports accordingly. Provide us with the following informations below : MTCN. . . . . . . . . . . . Receicer Country. . . . . . Sender Names. . . . . . . . Receiver Names. . . . . . . Question. . . . . . . . . Answer. . . . . . . . . . . Amount Sent in USD. . . . . . . Sender Country. . . . . . . Sincerely, Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer,WVI . America / Canada / Australia / Europe. Address: United States Washington, DC Office: World Vision 311 "I" Street Ns Washington, DC 20011 Fax:+206-666-3412 De : natashanicholaswvidcusa < natashanicholaswvidcusa@aol.com > Envoye le : Di, 29 Jan 2017 22:41 Sujet : Re: UN / WVI Conferences Registration Informations Dear World Vision InternationalParticipants, We accept you to participate in the forth-coming WVI conferences, which will be held from March 10th - 15th, 2017 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Dakar Sea Plaza, Route de la Corniche O, Dakar 16817, Phone : +221-77- 461 - 6820, West a Africa, and April 15th- 20th2017 at the WVI Convention CenterMICHIGAN , US A. Thereafter, to CANADA andAustralia. 100 WVI and St. The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia. The theme of the forth coming World Vision International Conferences is to equip participants with the strategies and policies against Economic Crisis, Child Protection, HIV / AIDS & EBOLA Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work, job opportunities with well satisfied certified , forced Labor, trafficking of women and children; violence against women; women's economic issues, critical issues affecting world in the 21st centuryagovernance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. These events are being Organized and sponsored by the World Vision International (WVI) in collaboration with other benevolent Organisations in the United States of America. CANADA and Australia AREAS OF INTEREST : Violence and the Sex Trade, Children and Teen Victims of Trafficking, International Trafficking, HIV & other Health Related Risks, Programming Models and Funding, Domestic Trafficking, Personal Experiences in the Sex Trade, Drug Addiction and the Sex Trade, Men & Boys in the Sex Trade, Children of Women in the Sex Industry, Neighborhood & Community Responses, Emotional Health, Target Assessment & Effective Intervention, Paradigms, Perspectives & Policies, Advocacy & Social Action,Survivor Experiences and Stories, Law Enforcement Perspectives, Coalition building and Consciousness raising. Concerted efforts and contributions by individuals, Governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and the various international bodies and specialized agencies will be necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Conferences, and to provide long-lasting solutions.It will also afford participants to meet the donor communities, strike a ffiliations and partnerships and explore better ways of sourcing funds for their various activities among others. The WVI conference organizing committee injunction with the donor sponsoring committee has mapped out some financial rewards to group participants that distinguished themselves in their areas of discipline. Panel of Judges has been appointed to oversee and to select participants of merit. Awards and gifts will be given to participants on merit. You are hereby advised to equip yourselves and exhibit your God given talents to the fullest. We welcome delegations, inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations to the International Conference against Economic Crisis, Child Protection, HIV / AIDS & EBOLA Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work and forced Labor. This is the start of the formal phase of the Conference process, although a number of useful informal meetings have already taken place in different parts of the world we expect that this event can and should give a powerful impetus to the work of laying the foundations for a successful combat against Economic Crisis, Child Protection & HIV/AIDS Treatment, Prostitution, Sex Work ,forced Labor, trafficking of women and children; violence against women; women's economic issues, critical issues affecting world in the 21st century, governance and law, economic development, women's empowerment, environment, and regional cooperation. To help us do all that we reasonably can to meet the demands of our registered delegates, our staffs are working day and night to make this event a success. REGISTRATION OF PARTICIPANTS : Only a minimum of one (1) as an individual or a maximum of ten (10) persons are expected to participate together as a group or organization to represent in the forth-coming events. None of them should be less than eighteen years of age, as from eighteen to older age are allowed to participate and must participate in all conferences (United States, Canada , Australia & Senegal) . It is not necessary that one must belong to an organization to be eligible to attend this events. Any One (1) as an individual or ten (10) persons forming a group to represent a Country or organization etc. are eligible to participate in the forth-coming conferences.For registration to participate in this WVI events, you may forward the names and passport scanned copies of your group members to us, as soon as possible, as all participants visa assistance request will be forwarded to the US Department of Statesfor same day visa Authorization which shall be sent by email to the consular section of the USA / CANADA / AUSTRALIAEmbassies , in your country of residence. All WVI registered participants are entitled to a round trip air tickets, meals and accommodation during their stay in the USA / CANADA/ AUSTRALIA. Delegates will only be responsible for their own hotel booking in Dakar-Senegal where the first phase of the conference will be held due to the inability of our partner organizations to mobilize enough funds to sponsor the number of expected delegates to attend both conferences. If you are interested to participate in the forth-coming International Conferences, you may forward your details as mentioned below for WVI registration as soon as possible. a A Scanned Copy Of International Passport(s) a Place of Birth a Country of Residence a Country Dialing Code a Occupation a Marital Status a Phone Contact a Postal Address a Who invited you? a Email Address Since you are not an American, Canadianor Australian, registration involves the payment of $350 US Dollarsfor single WVI Applicant and a competent Group Application Processing Fees involves the sum of $650 US Dollars,however note that, it is also possible for you to apply as a single WVI Applicant, in case you are not capable of forming a group of competent team. Mode of payment: Money Gram / Western Union WESTERN UNION / MONEY GRAM Receiver Names : PAUL GABRIEL Receiver Address : DAKAR,SENEGAL Text Question: WVI Text Answer: FEES Amount Sent in US$ . . . . . . . US$ Telephone +221.774616820 You must provide scan copy of yourMONEY GRAM / WESTERN UNION Payment Receipt urgently via email attachment to enable the US / CANADIAN / AUSTRALIA Embassiesissue your Visa Seal into your various International Passports accordingly. Provide us with the following informations below : MTCN. . . . . . . . . . . . Receicer Country. . . . . . Sender Names. . . . . . . . Receiver Names. . . . . . . Question. . . . . . . . . Answer. . . . . . . . . . . Amount Sent in USD. . . . . . . Sender Country. . . . . . . Sincerely, Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer, WVI America / Canada / Australia / Europe United States, Washington, DC Office World Vision 311 "I" Street Ns Washington, DC 20011 Fax : +206-666-3412 De : Samantha Jackson < reveredandrewwashingtonsn@aol.com > Envoye le : Di, 5 Fev 2017 17:52 Sujet : Email him for more informations You have to contact the World Vision International Conference Director PAUL GABRIEL in Dakar (Senegal,West Africa, Sub Region) tosend your WVI Conference Registration Fees from the Western Union Money Transfer Bankor Money Gram Transfer Agentto his address below so he can start working on your completed WVI Conference Application Forms and approve your WVI Conference Reference File Number to the WVI Training Conference inSenegal, Washington DC, USA, Ottawa(Canada), Australia andUnited Kingdom depending on the one you are eligible to attend immediately. Paul GABRIEL WVI Conference Director World Vision International 1, rue Ramez Bourgui, Dakar (Senegal) paulgabrielusrp@gmail.com paulgabrielusrp@hotmail.com worldvisioninter@outlook.com +221-781017043 +221-774616820 I have to inform you about that h e is in Dakar (Senegal) at the moment planningfor the World Vision International Conference there in Senegal, i don't know the transfer process of receiving money there, because he is t he World Vision International Conference Director Dakar. Every of your travel documents, completed WVI Application Forms must come from him, he has to sign on your Conference WVI Application Forms before i will have to approve your WVI Conference Reference File Number here in Washington DC, USA, CANADA , AUSTRALIA and UNITED KINGDOM, you have to send him your payment informations from t he Western Union Money Transfer Bank or Money Gram Transfer Agentfor your WVI Conference R egistration fees and make him to understand that you are applying as a Single Candidate or Team from your country. So you have to email him with his address above for more informations to enable him to proceed further with your WVI Conference file s . Thank you for your co-operation. Success is your limit, we do hope to hear from you soon. Yours in service, Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer, World Vision of the USA Washington, DC. USAOffice World Vision 311 "I" Street Ns Washington, DC 20011 Fax:+206-666-3412 De : worldvisioninter < worldvisioninter@aol.com > Envoye le : Sa, 11 Fev 2017 20:26 Sujet : Re: UN / WVI Conferences Registration Informations The WVI Offices in UNITED STATES , CANADA , UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA Subsidize World Vision International Conference Fees to Applicants who wants to Participate in the next WVI Training Programmes in DAKAR SENEGAL , UNITED STATES , CANADA UNITED KINGDOM and AUSTRALIA .currently the Fees is $175 USD Per Applicant. Candidates who cannot come up with the Complete World Vision International Global Conference Fees are expected to Send the sum of $175 , USD Per WVI Conference Applicant. Via Western Union / Money Gram to the WVI Conference Director PAUL GABRIEL in Dakar Senegal,West Africa Sub Region. You must email him Scan Copy of your Money Gram / Western Union Payment Receipt urgently via Email Attachment to enable him Approve your WVI Conference File Number accordingly. Remember you have nothing to loose by placing order for the World Vision International Global Conference in UNITED STATES , CANADA , UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA as you are completely covered by 30 a DAYS MONEY BACK GUARANTEE i.e you are free to ask for a Refund of your Registration money if after obtaining the World Vision International Global Conference Forms and if you think that you cannot make it to the WVI to Training Conferences in UNITED STATES , CANADA , UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA. . that is to let you know how confident we are about the informations contained in WVI Training Conferences in in UNITED STATES , CANADA , UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA. Thank you for your co-operation: success is your limit, we do hope to hear from you soon. Yours in service, Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer,World Vision of the USA Address: United States Washington, DC Office: World Vision 311 "I" Street Ns Washington, DC 20011 Fax:+206-666-3412 worldvisioninter@aol.com , natashanicholaswvidcusa@aol.com , renveredpeterbro@aol.com ) Emails( reveredandrewwashingtonsn@aol.com De : worldvisioninter < worldvisioninter@aol.com > Envoye le : Lu, 13 Fev 2017 7:57 Sujet :UN / WVI Conferences Registration Informations Dear World Vision InternationalApplicants. Greetings with peace and love from the World Vision International Headquaters in UNITED STATES/ CANADA . you are welcome to the WVImontly Training Programmes. be informed that presently we are almost done with the acceptance ofCandidates. however, since your recommendation comes from our top WVIColleague, we shall approve your WVI Global Membership and grant you the opportunity to work with the WVI. Secondly, be aware that the WVI is only responsible for your Flight Tickets, Accommodation, and Feeding when you arrive here to the montly WVITraining Programmes. this is after your successful Registration as a full member of WVI Organization,that is if you have been Registered as one of WVI Global Members, intended Applicants can been given the opportunity for a WVI Work Permit, WVI Global Membership Card , US Green Card and Canada Pamanent Resident Cardfor two months WVI Training Programmes beforecommencement of the project in their various Countries and you will also be enlisted into the WVI and be working with us Globally with a US Green Card and Canadian Pamanent Resident Card. you are therefore advised to get your International Passports ready because it would be needed during Registration and Visa processes. you will also have to get other nine (9) official members to form a competent group of nineapplicants including yourself and get your team email addresses and telephone numbers sent. since you are not an American or Canadian , Registration involvesthe payment of - $250 US Dollars for Single WVIApplicant. and a competent Group Application Processing Fees involves the sum of - $500 US Dollars however note that,it is also possible for you to apply as a Single WVIApplicant, in case you are not capable of forming a group of competent team. please note that we will open your file as soon as your names, telephone numbers , email addresses and CV gets to us here inWVI Headquaters, for your full participation and Visas approval from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). STEP ONE :Recommended WVI applicants should form a group of 10 or a family of 7 persons and forward their datas, email addresses to obtain their WVI application Reference File Numbers toWVI Training Programme in USA/Canada.Kindly use the Western Union / Money Gram Informations to send your WVI Registration Fees to DAKAR, SENEGAL . Mode of Payment : Money Gram / Western Union WESTERN UNION / MONEY GRAM Receiver Names : PAUL GABRIEL Receiver Address : DAKAR, SENEGAL Text Question: WVI Text Answer: FEES Amount Sent in US DOLLARS :. . . . . . . $ USD +221.781017043 +221.774616820 paulgabrielusrp@gmail.com , paulgabrielusrp@hotmail.com , worldvisioninter@outlook.com You must provide Scan Copy of yourMONEY GRAM / WESTERN UNION Payment Receipt urgently via Email Attachment to enable the US Embassy in Dakar Senegal issue your Visa Seal into your various International Passports accordingly. Provide us with the following informations below. . MTCN. . . . . . . . . . . . Receicer Country. . . . . . Sender Names. . . . . . . . Receiver Names. . . . . . . Question. . . . . . . . . Answer. . . . . . . . . . . Amount Sent in USD. . . . . . . Sender Country. . . . . . . STEP TWO : Send the following details below by e-mail attachment.These includes the followings : 1)Names of applicants in the group/family 2)Passport numbers for each applicants if available 3)Name of country of origin and resident country 4) Group/family contact telephone numbers 5)Email addresses of WVI Applicants Members without International Passport should forward the following requirements for processing of United Nations Emergency Travelling Certificate. 1) Applicant's scanned passport size photograph by e-mail attachment. 2) Names, dates of birth and name of resident country 3) Height measure and color of eyes Note informations for those with International Passports and those without International Passports, email addresses and telephone numbers of all Participants should be sent together same time.On receipt of the above requirements, your WVI group Application Files will be approved and certified. your WVI group / family Application Reference File Numbers will be forwarded to you. FOR IMMEDIATE APPROVAL :5 persons is the least number we can receive from any group / family. your WVI group/family application will automatically be approved and certified to the WVl Training Programmes If you can forward your group / family informations that consist of 10 persons with their email addresses and telephone numbers sent also. that means no other Applications will be accepted from your country after yours. interested WVI Applicants without International Passports can also apply along with those with International Passports as provisions for the United Nations Emergency Travelling Certificatehave been made available for WVI Applicants without International Passports. Thank you for your co-operation : success is your limit, we do hope to hear from you soon. Yours in service, Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer,WVI America / Canada / Australia / Europe. Address: United States Washington, DC Office: World Vision 311 "I" Street Ns Washington, DC 20011 Fax:+206-666-3412 De : Miss Sophie Salva < renveredpeterbro@aol.com > Envoye le : Lu, 13 Fev 2017 14:05 Sujet : WHAT IS PAUL GABRIEL DOING IN SENEGAL ? WHAT IS PAUL GABRIEL DOING IN SENEGAL? You have to contact the World Vision International Conference Director PAUL GABRIEL in Dakar Senegal West Africa Sub Region to send your WVI Conference Registration Fees from the Western Union Money Transfer Bank or Money Gram Transfer Agent to his address below so he can start working on your completed WVI Conference Application Forms and Approve your WVI Conference Reference File Number to the WVI Training Conference in , SENEGAL , Washington DC , USA / Ottawwa , CANADA , AUSTRALIA and UNITED KINGDOM depending on the one you are Eligible to attend immediately ok, PAUL GABRIEL WVI Conference Director World Vision International 1, rue Ramez Bourgui, Dakar Senegal + 221-781017043 +221-774616820 paulgabrielusrp@gmail.com paulgabrielusrp@ hotmail.com worldvisioninter@outlook.com reveredandrewwashingtonsn@aol.com worldvisioninter@aol.com natashanicholaswvidcusa@aol.com renveredpeterbro@aol.com I have inform you about that, h e is in Dakar Senegal West Africa Sub Region at the moment planning for the World Vision International Conference there in Senegal West Africa Sub Region, i don't know the transfer process of receiving money there, because he is t he World Vision International Conference Director Dakar Senegal, West Africa Sub Region, Every of your Travel documents, completed WVI Application Forms must come from him he has to sign on your Conference WVI Application Forms before i will have to approve your WVI Conference R eference File Number here in Washington DC, USA / CANADA , AUSTRALIA and UNITED KINGDOM , you have to send him your Payments informations from t he Western Union Money Transfer Bank or Money Gram Transfer Agent for your WVI Conference R egistration Fees and make him to understand that you are applying as a Single Candidate or Team from your country. So you have to email him with his address above for more informations to enable him Proceed Further with your WVI Conference File s . Thank you for your co-operation: Success is your limit, we do hope to hear from you soon. Yours in service, Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer, World Vision of the USA Address: United States Washington, DC Office: World Vision 311 "I" Street Ns Washington, DC 20011 Fax:+206-666-3412 De : Miss Sophie Salva < renveredpeterbro@aol.com > Envoye le : Lu, 13 Fev 2017 14:10 Sujet : UN/WVI Conferences Registration Informations UN / WVI Conferences Registration Informations Dear Applicants, In appreciation to your mail and interest to Participate in this forth coming International Conferences meeting, I wish to inform you that your request to Participate has been accepted by the UN/WVI organization. The forth coming International Conferences meeting is open for everyone who is interested to Participate. The International Conferences meeting is scheduled to take place from 11th to 16th April, 2017International Conference Center in ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, USA/Ottawa, CANADA. The theme of the International Conference meeting is to teach our society the importance of "Promoting Human Rights through Economic Development". The forth coming International Conferences meeting is organized by the UN / WVI Organization of Human Rights and Economic Development here in United States of America / CANADA. Delegates are accepted to Participate together as a group of 5 to 10 persons from each Country or Organization; you can also Participate as an individual if you don't have a Competent group. the Independent Donors and the Organization Sponsors are responsible for Participants Traveling Documents (Visas) Application Processing and Air round Trip Tickets to attend the International Conferences meeting. Note that Participants will only be responsible and to pay for their Hotel Accommodation Charges with the recommended Hotels. Your Registration File will be open after we have received your filled Registration Forms A and B and your Hotel Booking Confirmation Receipt. You are to contact the Hotel Management immediately and make your room booking to secure your Hotel Accommodation. We shall send you an Official Invitation Letter immediately after the confirmation of your Registration to enable you obtain the U.S / CANADA Visas to Participate in this Events. Your Visas Documents will be process here in United States / CANADA and the Approval Letter of your Visas will be sent to the U.S / CANADA Embassies in your country for the collection of your Visas. Since you are not an American, Canadian, UN / WVI Conference Registration involves the payment of $350 US Dollars per single UN / WVI Conference Applicant. and a competent Group Application Processing Fees involves the sum of $ 650 US Dollars, note that it is also possible for you to apply as a single UN / WVI Conference Applicant, in case you are not capable of forming a group of Competent Team. Mode of Payments :Money Gram / Western Union WESTERN UNION / MONEY GRAM Receiver Names : Latrice Robinson Receiver Address : St. Louis Missouri, COUNTRY - USA WESTERN UNION / MONEY GRAM RECEIVER NAMES - SHARON BYRD STATE - SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTRY a USA You must provide Scan Copy of your MONEY GRAM / WESTERN UNION Payment Receipt urgently via Email Attachment to enable the US / CANADIAN / Embassies issue your Visas Seal into your various International Passports accordingly. Provide us with the following informations below : MTCN. . . . . . . . . . . . Receicer Country. . . . . . Sender Names. . . . . . . . Receiver Names. . . . . . . Question. . . . . . . . . Answer. . . . . . . . . . . Amount Sent in USD. . . . . . . Sender Country. . . . . . . All participants are requested to make a Paper Presentation on the Events topics which is "Promoting Human Rights through Economic Development" as it affects your Society, for all Documentation will be published by the Organization of Human Rights and Economic Development and Certificate will be giving to all Participants as a representative of 2017 International Conferences meeting. All filled Registration Forms and Hotel Booking receipt should be submitted to the International Conferences Secretariat Office reveredandrewwashingtonsn@aol.com worldvisioninter@aol.com natashanicholaswvidcusa@aol.com renveredpeterbro@aol.com which is the deadline date to receive filled Registration Forms and Hotel Booking Receipt. Below is the selected Hotel Contact to secure your Room Booking and send us the Booking Receipt along with your Filled Forms with the scan copy of your International Passport / National Identity Card data page. Radisson Blu Hotel 717 Carlson Parkway ST LOUIS MISSOURI, M0 55317 U.S.A. radissonbluhoteldakarseaplaza@gmail.com Note: immediately after your Registration Files is opened, your Registration Documents will be forwarded to the U.S Bureau of Immigrant Affairs (Visas Processing Office) here in United States and CANADA Home Immigration Office for the Authorization and Approval of your Visas Documents before faxing / emailing the Visas Documents to U.S/CANADAEmbassies (Consulate Offices) in your Country of resident and you shall be called by the Embassies for Visas Appointment date to secure your Visas for the UN / WVI International Conferences meeting. We thank you for the interest to Participate in this UN / WVI Conferences and we hope to see you at the meeting venues. Kevin Jenkins. President and Chief Executive Officer,WVI . America / Canada / Australia / Europe. If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more.... Bandits in shirt and tie, rob PH driver According to police reports, at about 10.45 am, the victim of Carapichaima was plying his Nissan Note for hire near St Marys, Freeport district when two men boarded the car . The men who were clad both in long sleeve shirts and ties asked to be taken to the Waterloo district . Reports are that while in the vicinity of Waterloo Road the men pulled out guns and announced a hold-up. The bandits ordered the driver to hand over his cash . The driver was robbed of $1,500 by the men who then jumped out and ran off. I never once thought that these two welldressed men could be bandits, the driver later told police. No arrest has been made and Freeport police are investigating . Father, son arrested for drunk driving Headed by Cpl Nichols Davis of the South Highway Patrol Operations Unit, six people were arrested in Central Trinidad during a police exercise on Friday and Saturday nights. The 11 who were arrested along the SS Erin Road and in San Fernando on Friday and Saturday nights, appeared before Magistrate Natalie Diop in the San Fernando Magistrates court. Among them was a 71-year-old father and his 46-year-old son, both charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The elderly Zainool Manoo pleaded guilty having been stopped along the SS Erin Road, Debe on Saturday night. It was revealed that a breathalyser test showed that the level of alcohol in his breath was 66 micrograms. Manoo told the magistrate that he was celebrating his birthday and had some drinks. The magistrate fined him $1,700. After the magistrate dealt with the father, who pleaded for leniency on the grounds that he was a pensioner, three other accused appeared before her and she imposed fines on all for drunk driving charges. Later, Manoos son Fareed stood before Magistrate Diop and pleaded guilty to exceeding the legal limit while driving along the SS Erin Road. The prosecutor said that when tested, Fareeds breath gave a reading of 100 micrograms of alcohol. Magistrate Diop fined him $7,500 or in default 15 months in jail. In the Chaguanas Magistrates court, six DUI charges were postponed to February 22 for facts and sentencing after six motorist pleaded guilty. The police exercises in south and Central Trinidad included PCs Shiraz Ali, Wayne Ali, Bridgemohan, Mohammed, Paul and Mahadeo. NCC head denies over-selling tickets Asked to respond to the claim made in another daily newspaper as well as complaints over the unavailability of Grand Stand tickets, de Silva said: Absolutely not true! The NCC did not oversell tickets for Sundays show nor did we say that grand stand tickets were not available. The article also stated that Pan Trinbago PRO Michael Joseph accused the NCC of being the cause of Panorama going till after 4 am Monday. Joseph admitted in the article that they wanted to give small bands the opportunity to play to the big stage audience but that never happened since the stands remained almost bare for more than half of the small bands presentations. Small bands took from 9.30 am on Sunday until 5.26 pm to get through their paces, after which the medium bands played from 5.46 pm to 10.20 pm, then came the start of the 14 large bands. Recalling a time when small bands had their day to shine with much larger audiences wherever the semi final was held on the day before the medium and large band semi finals, de Silva too, wondered why small bands were listed to appear on Sunday. He then added that the NCC will be putting out an advertisement in all dailies within 48 hours to clarify their position on panorama. Unattached calypsonians sing about crime The first calypsonian was Dave Voisin who delivered New Investment. His performance was followed by Natasha Jenny Edmund singing, Youth Power. In the song, Edmund spoke about youths who are often over looked in society. Edmund said that it was the vibrancy of the youth which at times makes a positive difference in a country. Youths, she added are a vehicle for change. Delivering a powerful rendition, Still Colonial, young Miguella Simon sang that she would not stand silent as many try to bring back colonialism. So long slavery has banished and they still living in the stone age, stop your colonial ways, she sang. Simon recalled situations in the country where persons were discriminated for their hair texture and religious garments. Terrance Daniel aka Big Youth, called on parents to be responsible for their childrens behaviour. What a child see his/her parents do, they want to do. Teach your children as a mother and father, dont watch your children doing wrong, correct them, he sang. Results are expected to be released soon Minister: North Stand safe When Richards asked if there were any safety issues at the North Stand last weekend during the Panorama semi-finals, Gadsby-Dolly replied, To the contrary, there have been no reports of safety incidents posed or any unsafe incidents posed to patrons at the North Stand during the semi-finals of the Panorama competition PM: Canadians looking for TT drivers Responding to a question from Couva South MP Rudy Indarsingh, during sitting of the House of Representatives, Rowley said, The company is due here in short order for discussions and possibly signing an agreement. Rowley said he was unaware of any commitment made by Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste- Primus that 35,000 locals would get employment in Canada through this company. Rowley said he was unaware of allegations by Indarsingh that Hire Pro was under investigation in the Canadian province of British Columbia with respect to its offshore recruitment processes. In the 2016/2017 Budget debate in the Senate last October, Baptiste- Primus said her ministry was exploring, overseas employment opportunities for retrenched workers and those who are unemployed. Against this backdrop, she said then, I am pleased to report today that this ministry, we are partnering with Hire Pro Drivers of Canada, a Canadian-based recruitment agency. Checks by Newsday indicated that this agency, established in collaboration with Mountain Transport Institute Ltd, provides a comprehensive turnkey solution to carriers seeking professional, experienced, class one drivers, mechanics, welders and other trade-related skilled professionals. Baptiste-Primus said then Hire Pro will be sending a team to TT last December and they have indicated to us that they have identified 35,000 vacancies in Canada for long-haul drivers and they have welcomed the opportunity to partner with us. AG wants money laundering dealt with Al-Rawi said government has taken this approach because crime is fuelled by profit. Therefore, in the near future, the government will introduce a wave of new legislation to combat this type of crime. For instance, Al-Rawi said that a new compulsory system for registration of land will be tabled in Parliament which will replace the voluntary approach of the Real Property Ordinance. He elaborated that this will apply to private land and public land. Furthermore, he said that Tobago will be used for the pilot project and the funding for that US$7 million has already been secured. Another piece of legislation to be tabled soon is one that will make it compulsory to register the beneficial owner of a piece of property. Al Rawi could only say that he hopes that these laws will take effect this year. On the topic of the Cyber Crime Bill, however, he said that it will be discussed next week. It will also target those who report false crimes. Pension motion fails in Senate The 15 Government senators voted against the motion, eight Independent senators voted for, and five Opposition senators and one Independent senator abstained. Wrapping up the debate, the mover of the motion, Independent Senator Dr Dhanayshar Mahabir said it was not about compensation contrary to Government Senator Paula Gopee-Scoons assertion, but was about a participatory pension plan that discriminated against the majority of senators. It was also not about any senator in the current Parliament but about the future of the Senate and who should populate it, he said. Noting that the Parliament of 1969 decided on the pension plan, he said, I ask myself, how could they have formed a select committee without including members of the Senate to fix themselves, and to exclude the senators. Looking at the contributions by the Parliament 47 years ago, Mahabir said, I am grateful for all of those senators who contributed. I apologise to people like (former senator) Nicholas Simonette, who would have served for 15 years and who would not have benefited from the pension plan. Noting that the International Labour Convention defines parttime work as being 30 and 35 hours a month, Mahabir said the legislative and oversight work of senators exceeds 35 hours. He said many senators leave tenured position to give public service and asked how many could afford to do that. On Gopee-Scoons comment that serving in the Senate was about volunteerism and public service, Mahabir said that public service was not about charity. If that is the case we become very aristocratic. We make the Senate as a chamber only for the very wealthy because these are the ones with the money and the lords of the land, he said. Senator: Security before money In his contribution to debate on a motion by Independent Senator Dr Dhanayshar Mahabir to amend the Legislative Retirement Allowances Act, Roach said he could not support the motion in its entirety. According to Roach, the Parliament should be focusing on the apparent runaway level of murders in the country and threats to the vulnerable in society, especially young women in recent times. Rather than deal with increased pay for parliamentarians, he said crime was the issue which takes top priority in TT. We as a Parliament should be preoccupied with and pressing the Government to do much better now, Roach said. He asked his senatorial colleagues, What is the purpose of having economic betterment when you will not be safe enough or free of criminal activity to enjoy same? Roach, who is wheelchair bound, also told senators that differently abled people in TT far outnumber senators without portfolios and suffer daily injustices while trying to eek out a living in a hostile and indifferent environment. He said he was prepared to forego any increase or emolum ent at this time to ensure that the concerns of differently abled people are addressed. Recalling recent industrial issues at State oil company Petrotrin, Roach said the Oilfields Workers Trade Union was not justified in threatening strike action or demanding wage increases during the current economic climate. He added that Petrotrin was underperforming and unprofitable at this time. Earlier in the sitting, Independent Senator Sophia Chote SC expressed her full support for the motion. We are not here, cap in hand, asking for a pay hike, she said, adding that many people do not know the quantum of work which Independent senators are required to do. She said some people devalue the contributions Independent senators make to the Parliament. Half back pay possible, POA told Members of the three Associations have since last year been calling for back pay for the period 2011-2013, to be paid. Imbert via letters to the three associations indicated the first half of the back pay will be paid by September. This commitment was kept. Imberts letter also indicated that the second half of the back pay will be paid by March 31. However, officials from the accounting departments of the three associations indicated to association heads that no new information was forthcoming from the Finance Ministry on the second part of the back pay. I had a discussion with minister this morning and based on that we are to believe the monies will be released on a timely basis to facilitate payment by March 31. We will not accept anything less than what arose out of a written agreement coming from that minister to all three associations, Richards said on Monday. Secretary of the Police Social Welfare Association (PSWA) Ag ASP Anand Ramesar, asked to comment on the issue said, this ambiguous response in relation to the commitment to pay police officers their back pay is most disconcerting. The Minister must know that there was a clear accommodation by the protective services affording him the option to pay the back pay in two parts, Ramesar said. Given that the demand of the membership was full payment up front and that a split in payment was always in the interest of the Minister and not in the interest of workers, the Police Association expects nothing less than full compliance to pay the back pay at the end of March. Anything less will not be tolerated, Ramesar warned. Attempts to reach President of the Fire Services Association (FSA) Leo Ramkissoon for comment, proved futile Corporations support more municipal police Advertisements are expected to be placed within a week to recruit 894 new municipal police officers with each of the countrys 14 municipal and regional corporations expected to get 100 officers to improve citizen safety and curb crime across the country. Point Fortin Mayor Abdon Mason said there is, always a need for additional personnel, as there are only 19 active municipal police officers to service his corporation. I did a survey with our municipal police force and discovered that we have 19 active officers... that is way below the requirement, so I think given that initiative (of Minister Hosein) we should get ourselves another 81 officers to reach the goal of 100 for this municipality, Mayor Mason said. Its a welcomed development because we have a large area to serve from a policing perspective and an additional number or strength will really help the Point Fortin area because during the period April-May, we have Borough Day celebrations where a number of persons from the entire country converge in Point to celebrate our anniversary. We have to ensure law and order and the safety of the general public, persons performing in Borough Day activities, specially invited guests, tourists...its a tall order and the additional strength is both timely and welcomed. Mayor Mason said a redesigned plan for Point Fortin Carnival celebrations has been developed to stem the loss of visitors to other celebrations in other regions. You would recognise that Point Fortin, over the last six or so years, the Carnival celebrations have become scaled down with the various neighbouring Carnivals drawing the crowds. What we have done is look at that and the product we call Carnival in Point Fortin and redesigned it so as to attract a greater crowd and get better community participation. So we will have a bigger Carnival this year for sure, Mason said. Chairman of the UNC-controlled Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation Glen Ram who said that while the corporation possessed one of the larger geographical regions, there were only four active municipal police officers. We applaud this initiative because, speaking on behalf of the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation, we are one of the corporations that are really starved for municipal police officers, Ram said, adding, at this time we only have 4 officers and two persons in training. I just hope we will get a cadre of officers to really run the municipal police the way it is supposed to be run. The Mayaro/ Rio Claro is one of the larger regions with a lot of communities within so I am saying a minimum of 50 officers would greatly assist, he said. Its time the municipal police take an active role in terms of the communities because with all the crime that is taking place within the country right now, Mayaro/ Rio Claro is not immune to it and we really need to have this municipal police presence within the region also at the assets- our recreation ground and other facilities, we need to have the police there, he said. Chaguanas Borough Corporation Mayor Gopaul Boodhan said the central boroughs municipal police force remains grossly understaffed with a mere seven officers on duty. An audit was done ten years ago when the Borough did not have 110,000 persons living and working in it and at that time it was suggested a strength of 50 officers. That was ten years ago and right now we have seven officers on duty. The Borough has grown by leaps and bounds and I am hoping for at least 50 officers, Mayor Boodhan said. "If it rains today, Alpaca the cart, and you push it." Kevin Wehrer was this week's winner. The winner's name will be put into a drawing for a free month subscription or extension. Look for a new photo Monday. The Spanish Interior Ministry Tuesday announced the arrest, in coordination with Moroccan security forces, of several members of a cell involved in human trafficking in Gibraltar Strait. The cell members, mostly Nigerians, are also suspected for commercial sexual exploitation of young women also largely from Nigeria. The arrest of the traffickers was possible thanks to Moroccos General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) and was carried out in two phases, the ministry noted in a statement. The first phase led to the arrest on Spanish territory of the seven men operating in the commercial exploitation of women, coming from Nigeria. The Spanish police in August 2015 launched a probe into the case of a 16-year old Nigerian girl in a reception center for minors in Ceuta. She was reportedly victim of human trafficking. The probe according to the ministry led to the criminal cell based in Torrevieja, south-eastern Spain. The investigation also helped to discover 39 young Nigerian women living in dire conditions and sexually exploited every day under the supervision of the criminal gang. According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, the young women lived only on bread and were forced to produce shopping receipts to prove that they did not buy any other thing. They were maltreated and crammed into one single room, the Ministry added. The second phase of the investigation enabled security forces to nab members of the cell in Morocco and in Nigeria. Egyptian diplomacy failed Tuesday to snatch a bold and promising agreement between Head of Libyan Presidency Council Faiez Serraj and self-style Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar to end the political deadlock. The talks in Cairo only hashed out agreements for fresh parliamentary and presidential elections to be held by February 2018, reports say. Direct talks between Serraj and Haftar due to take place Tuesday eventually did not occur and Egyptian officials continued indirect talks with both protagonists. According to press reports, both rival accepted to put in a place a 15-member committee with members coming from the countrys parliament, House of Representatives (HoR) and the State Council to look at changes to the Libyan Political Agreement. Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, aligned with GNAs rival government based in the East, reportedly refused Serrajs proposal for a three-man presidency, a separate government, the position of commander-in-chief to be held jointly by the heads of the Presidency Council, the HoR and the State Council and a supreme military council which would include the field marshal. Serraj reportedly flew back to Tripoli after Haftars refusals. The Libyan Political Agreement signed in Morocco in December 2015 and expected to lift the country out of the abyss has been stumbling over the position of Haftar who has become a figurehead in the crisis. Haftar has objected working with Serraj and took actions, which severely undermined the PCs survival. In September he overran the countrys oil ports protected by Serraj forces. Though commanding from the East, Haftar who now enjoys Russias support has threatened to capture Tripoli, which, he says, is awash with terrorists. The Senegalese private TV channel 2Stv has received a warning from the countrys authorities for airing a program calling for armed protest against Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, reports say. The private channel reportedly aired on January 20 a program in which Ahmed Vall Messaoud, a former Mauritanian governor and now a human right champion, called on anti-slavery activists in Mauritania to take up arms against President Ould Abdel Azizs regime. The program called Grand Rendez-vous was addressing the arrest of 53 Senegalese fishermen in Mauritanian waters. The arrest had nearly caused a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. The Senegalese National Broadcasting Regulatory Council (CNRA) has slammed the channel for inciting armed revolution in Mauritania. The program nearly sparked another diplomatic tension between Dakar and Nouakchott and the Mauritanian leader complained to his counterpart Macky Sall. The Mauritania regime has been facing opposition from anti-slavery movement IRA (Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement) which has vowed to bring down the regime. In October last year, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz asked his Burkina Faso counterpart Marc-Christian Kabore for explanations for letting IRA leader, Birame ould Dah ould Abeid, speak on the West African countrys public channel. The Mauritanian President had, in a phone conversation, scolded Kabore for letting a gangster and a criminal criticize him on the Burkina Fasos state channel. Kabore replied to the remonstrance that he himself came to power through a revolution and that the constitution neither allows him to suppress freedom of speech nor freedom of movement. The polisario separatists can no longer conceal their bitter disappointment and growing anxiety following Moroccos return to the African Union, even if they tried to keep up their composure, saying it is victory for them. However, in reality, they know that Moroccan diplomacy has won and scored big points thanks to the Kingdoms African strategy, spearheaded by King Mohammed VI and underpinned by South-South cooperation and genuine solidarity with African people. Sensing that their future in the African organization is in danger with the North African Kingdom retaking its legitimate seat within its African family, the secessionists seem to be in a complete loss and disoriented. They know, their days are numbered and the countdown started. Their despair is all the greater as they view as a bad omen the arrival of Portuguese Antonio Guterres to the helm of the United Nations in replacement of Ban Ki-moon. The polisario separatists concern was clearly expressed by their representative to the UN Ahmed Boukhari who urged Mr Guterres not to be intimidated by Morocco. I hope, he (Guterres) will engage, take up the challenges and not be intimidated by the strategy of +either with-me-or-against-me+, he told reporters in New York. According to Boukhari, the new UN Secretary-General must guarantee full respect of the organization, its institutions and its peacekeeping mission (MINURSO). Does he think that Morocco is expecting something different from the UN Chief? In his ambivalent discourse, the polisario representative said at the same time that the Sahrawis have confidence in the work to be carried out by the Portuguese diplomat, but warned against the obstacles awaiting him. I know that Morocco is using a strategy of intimidation. They used it with Ban Ki-moon. I hope that Guterres will be spared, he said, referring to the diplomatic brawl between Morocco and the former UN chief who had described the presence of Morocco in the Sahara as occupation, irking the Moroccan people and triggering widespread demonstrations. Bans missteps caused a row that pushed the MINURSO mission to the edge. Actually, in reaction to Bans blunder, Morocco expelled the 84 international civilian personnel of MINURSO. It was only few months later that the North African Kingdom and the United Nations reached a deal for their return. The MINURSO was established in 1991 to monitor a cease-fire and organize a referendum on the status of the Saharan provinces. The plebiscite never took place due to irreconcilable disagreements over who is eligible to vote. The option was described as unfeasible and is therefore obsolete. In 2006, the Moroccan government proposed a plan for regional autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty that Washington supported as serious, realistic, and credible, but Algeria has persisted in backing the Polisario and opposing any proposal short of independence. Algerias stand has been protracting the regional conflict for more than a quarter-century, and threatening the stability of the whole region, especially with the disenchanted youths stranded in the refugee camps in Tindouf that many analysts have described as a North African tinderbox. Oh God. A rare and deadly illness linked to rats has infected three people in the Bronx, killing one. New York City health officials are investigating this cluster of leptospirosis the name of this bacterial disease, which is spread through the urine of infected animals which broke out over the past two months in a one-block radius in the Grand Concourse section of the Bronx, reports the New York Post. According to the Department of Health, all three infected individuals were hospitalized with severe symptoms, including kidney and liver failure. The illness proved fatal in one individual, who has not been identified. The other two survived, and have since been released from care. Leptospirosis is not totally unheard of in New York City in the past decade, from 2006 to 2016, the city recorded 26 cases across five boroughs. But the clustering is unusual and the last time a mini-outbreak occurred was in 2009, among city dogs. The bacteria that cause the disease are found in other animals, but this being a city of rodents, theyre the likely culprit behind these infections. The illness is very rarely passed between humans, and people often catch it when the infected rat pee gets into water or soil, where the bacteria can survive for up to months. The New York Times says officials are working now to reduce the rat population in the Bronx neighborhood, and to educate residents on the symptoms which resemble those of every other disease such as vomit, diarrhea, fever, chills, and muscle aches. Leptospirosis is treatable with antibiotics, and the severity of the recent Bronx infections is also uncommon. Health officials recommend, among other common-sense hygiene tips, avoiding contact with rats or places where rats have urinated, so really sorry if you just read this on the subway. Apparently if Daddy doesnt get what he wants when he wants it, his chief of staff is to blame. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images In this day of wild events in the Trump White House, featuring the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and all sorts of finger-pointing from the president on down, one pointed finger requires some attention. Its wielded by breitbart.coms Matthew Boyle, or perhaps his close-to-POTUS sources, and its aimed right at White House chief of staff Reince Priebus. In Breitbart World, Priebus is identified with the GOP establishment forces inside President Donald Trumps White House [who] forced out National Security Adviser retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, so there could be an element of simple factional payback here. But Boyle goes on to blame Priebus for basically all the trouble the new administration is encountering in trying to impose its will on Washington and the country at large. You might think Priebus would be well below, say, Stephen Bannon and Stephen Miller and Donald McGahn on the list of people responsible for the chaos surrounding the abruptly released travel ban on January 27. But no: Reince is responsible, ultimately, for the rollout of the immigration executive order, one source said. He failed to get [Attorney General Jeff] Sessions on the calendar in the Senate in time for what he knew would be a highly controversial executive order. He was supposed to be this wizard in dealing with congressional Republicans, but has not been successful in getting anything serious done. So McGahn, the Stephens, and ultimately Trump werent to blame for rushing out the travel ban before the legal infrastructure was in place to implement and defend it. Priebus was also somehow supposed to force immediate Senate confirmation of Sessions, presumably the moment Trump was inaugurated. Boyle applies the same strange reasoning to blame the chief of staff for the trouble Republicans at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue have encountered in figuring out how and when to repeal and replace Obamacare. Seriously. [Priebus] is not effectively working Republicans on Capitol Hill like his friend House Speaker Paul Ryan to push through key legislative items that Trump campaigned on, like the repealing and replacing of Obamacare and tax reform among other initiatives. Sources close to the president question whether Priebus will be able to stomach pushing through major pieces of legislation down the road, like the presidents infrastructure plan, a plan for the promised border wall, or the building up of the military among other things. Also breaking late Monday was the revelation that House conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus and Republican Study Committeeled by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), a key Trump agenda ally on Capitol Hillare now going to pressure House GOP leadership on repealing Obamacare faster since Ryan, and by extension his friend Priebus, have failed to get the Trump healthcare agenda moving in the first few weeks of the new administration. Apparently Priebus is responsible not only for failing to crack heads throughout Washington to make everyone snap to and implement the presidents imperial will instantly. He is also responsible for the stubborn resistance of objective reality, since the big problem with Obamacare repeal-and-replace isnt a bunch of Republicans sitting around while there is work to be done, but the simple fact that you cannot keep GOP promises (including Trumps) to replace Obamacare with something cheaper and better without costing a lot of people their health insurance. Thats the problem with tax reform, too, since even supply-side dynamic scoring fans are reluctant to claim you can slash corporate and individual taxes without the kind of domestic or defense spending cuts Trump has more or less ruled out. For what its worth, Bannon called the story absurd in an email to The Atlantics Rosie Gray. However, Voxs Andrew Prokop views Breitbarts take on the problems of the administration as an exercise in factional projection, with the Bannon Wing of the Trump White House attributing the chaos it has wrought to, well, someone else namely the top figure in the inner circle who was not part of the original band of disrupters who made the long march through the primaries with Trump. That could be the case. But its also quite plausible that someone with a big title will have to take a fall whenever Trump is perceived to have stumbled. After all, The Boss is never wrong. Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images When Rodrigo Duterte was elected president of the Philippines, in May, his victory came at the end of a campaign in which he had launched a series of violent threats at the countrys drug dealers and users, promising a bloody war on drugs if he were elected Go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful, he said of drug users at one point. He has kept that campaign promise: Since his inauguration, an estimated 7,600 people have been killed as part of his administrations drug war. While the policy ostensibly targets drug dealers and traffickers, human-rights groups and journalists have shown convincingly that a wide swath of Filipinos, some with little or no connection to the drug trade at all, and many of them simply users, have been summarily executed by both the police and by vigilante groups working either in coordination with, or the tacit approval of, law enforcement. Duterte, a bombastic figure, has bragged about the deaths, positively comparing himself to Hitler along the way (though he later apologized for that remark). Now, Reuters reports that Duterte is looking to ramp things up further by lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 all the way down to 9. A bill that would do just that was actually introduced right around the time he was sworn in, and one of its co-authors says he expects it to be approved by the nations congress within the next six months. You can ask any policeman or anyone connected with the law enforcement: We produce a generation of criminals, Duterte said in December. Lowering the age, he insisted, would help teach Filipino youth to understand responsibility. Naturally, human-rights groups are opposed to the measure, pointing out that while there are other countries with low ages of criminal responsibility its ten in England, Northern Ireland, and Switzerland, for example these tend to be places with much more developed, smoothly functioning criminal-justice systems than the Philippines and places where there hasnt been an epidemic of extrajudicial killings. Duterte faces some internal criticism of his plan as well: Among the opponents of the bill is a member of Dutertes cabinet, Judy Taguiwalo, secretary of the [Department of Social Welfare and Development], notes Reuters. The legislation runs counter to scientific knowledge about child development and would result not in lower crime rates but in more children being detained, Taguiwalo wrote in a letter to the House of Representatives in October. Still, Duterte and his allies insist that the action is necessary given the number of children involved in the drug trade, even as the numbers tell another story: From 2011 to 2016, according to the countrys own statistics, just 80 children under the age of 15 were rescued from drug-trade activity by Filipino authorities. Michael Flynn. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images When discussing Michael Flynns resignation on Tuesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer was not clear on whether White House counsel needed 17 days to figure out if the national security advisers December calls with Russias ambassador were legal, or if he made that determination immediately. Regardless, it seems unlikely that Flynn will be prosecuted under the 218-year-old Logan Act, which bans private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments. However, Flynn may be in legal trouble if he lied to the FBI. The New York Times reported on Tuesday evening that FBI director James Comey sent FBI agents to interview Flynn on his calls with Sergey Kislyak during his first few days on the job. The FBI had briefed the Obama administration on the potential Logan Act violation after the calls were intercepted as part of routine U.S. surveillance. New concerns were raised when Spicer denied that Flynn had mentioned sanctions on the calls during his first full press briefing on January 23. Its not clear what Flynn said in the interview, whether his lawyer was present, or if the Trump administration knew about the interview beforehand. But if Flynn told the agents that he hadnt mentioned sanctions on the call, as hed been saying publicly, that would be a felony. On January 26, acting attorney general Sally Yates informed new White House counsel Don McGahn that there were discrepancies between the intercepted calls and what Flynn was claiming publicly. Spicer said President Trump was informed immediately, and directed McGahn to look into the matter. [Flynn] is at serious risk of being prosecuted if he told the FBI what he told the vice president, former Obama White House ethics lawyer Norm Eisen told Politico. However, others questioned whether Flynn would actually face legal trouble if he did lie to the FBI. Politico noted that the final decision on criminal charges lies with the Justice Department. Democrats are pressuring new attorney general Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from investigations into the Trump teams relationship with Russia owing to his role as a Trump surrogate on the campaign trail. However, advisers to Sessions told the Times they see no reason for him to remove himself from the case. Emmanuel Macron acknowledges the crowd at a campaign event in Lyon, France, on February 4, 2017. Photo: Chesnot/Getty Images At first glance, Frances upcoming presidential election looks a bit like an arty reenactment of the one we just lived through in the U.S. The leading candidate is a reactionary white nationalist bent on dismantling international institutions and cracking down sharply on immigration, especially by Muslims. An embattled member of the political Establishment is fighting to overcome a nepotism scandal as a center-left party searches for a positive message. On the left, a socialist is proposing a radical agenda to fix inequality and protect the rights and interests of the working class. A talented woman who worked her way to the top of her party in spite of a loudmouth male relative is now vying for the title of first female president, but many feminists doubt that a win for her would be one for all women. In certain respects, France is actually having the race the U.S. wishes it could have, but never could, owing to the two-party system and the dominance of baby boomers in our politics, among other issues. If the U.S. election were a contest between mainstream conservatism (Jeb!), center-left liberalism (Clinton), right-wing nationalism (Trump), and democratic socialism (Sanders), Frances is much the same, except in the French version of the film the characters are younger, better looking, and more compelling. The election is shaking up the political Establishment, with fresh faces outperforming career politicians and traditional parties being forced to reckon with new political realities. Yes, far-right National Front candidate Marine Le Pen is currently leading in the polls, but its only with about 25 percent in a four-way race. And whereas our system enabled Trump to win on a technicality with a minority of the vote, the structure of the French election makes it harder (though by no means impossible) for a divisive candidate like Le Pen to take the presidency. To say that the characters in this story are more compelling is, first of all, to note that Marine Le Pen is much smarter than Donald Trump, and a genuine ideologue rather than a shouty manifestation of white, male boomer resentment. Like Trump, she has benefited from worker displacement, terrorism, and the backlash against political correctness; indeed, her populist crusade against globalization and Islamism is essentially Trumpism with a higher-than-seventh-grade reading level. Of course, her greater competence makes her that much more dangerous if she wins: Le Pen has pledged to pull France out of NATO and the E.U., to abolish the euro and reintroduce the franc, among other radical and potentially destabilizing ideas. She, too, is buddies with Russian President Vladimir Putin (naturally). A Le Pen victory in May could well precipitate the collapse of the European project. If Bill Clinton was a liability for Hillary last year, Jean-Marie Le Pen Marines father and the founder of the National Front is an even bigger albatross around his daughters neck. On Monday, the elder Le Pen was charged with inciting religious hatred over an alleged anti-Semitic pun and it was far from his first offense. Coming just days after Marine Le Pen stoked outrage among French Jews by saying that she would force Franco-Israelis to give up one of their nationalities, the indictment may remind voters of the ugly antecedents of her reactionary nationalism. Marine Le Pen delivers a speech in Lyon, France, on February 5, 2017. Photo: Aurelien Morissard/Getty Images On the other side of the political spectrum, Frances Socialist Party has shifted leftward, just like Americas Democrats seem to be in the process of doing. Benoit Hamon, who defeated former prime minister Manuel Valls in the second round of the partys primary, has been described as the Bernie Sanders of France, but the 49-year-olds platform is much more in tune with the newest, boldest, and most innovative ideas of the left: The guy wants to tax robots to fund a universal basic income, invest massive sums in renewable energy, legalize pot, and reduce the workweek to 35 hours even as mainstream politicians insist it must increase. Hamons candidacy got an infusion of star power on Saturday when the left-wing economist Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the 21st Century and a leading critic of inequality, joined his campaign team. Unfortunately for the Socialists, Hamon still looks likely to come in fourth in the first round on April 23, meaning he probably wont be president but he has ousted the neoliberals from the Socialist Party, reoriented its platform, and gets to preach basic income and radical green politics in a general election, which is a hell of a lot further than the American left got last year. Until recently Le Pens likeliest rival in the second round, which takes place on May 7, was Francois Fillon, the nominee of the center-right Republicans (a rebranding of former president Nicolas Sarkozys party). Fillon is a Mitt Romney type: A paternally handsome former prime minister who thinks gay marriage and abortion are unseemly but wont bother trying to re-outlaw them as president because hell be too busy cutting taxes on the wealthy, raising the retirement age, and firing civil servants. Polls show Fillon beating Le Pen in a head-to-head matchup roughly 60-40. Alas, Fillons future was thrown into doubt a few weeks ago when state financial prosecutors revealed that they were investigating him for possible misuse of public funds after a newspaper published claims that his wife, Penelope, was paid half a million euros of government money for a job she never did. Fillon has apologized for hiring his family members but he maintains that the job his wife was hired to do was real and has refused to drop out of the race. The new star of the film is 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron, an investment banker turned senior adviser and later economy minister under the incumbent Socialist president Francois Hollande. A political outsider who has never held elected office, Macron eschewed the Establishment parties and launched his own movement with a youthful and energetic brand (En Marche!, or Lets Go!). A defender of both market capitalism and the welfare state, Macron has narrowly eclipsed Fillon in the polls in recent weeks and is now looking like the most likely challenger to Le Pen in round two, where head-to-head polls show him beating her by a slightly wider margin than Fillon. He is the Obama-like character America didnt get this time around: the good-natured left-liberal wunderkind who believes good government is possible and is eager to roll up his sleeves and start solving problems. Though polls show Le Pen ultimately losing, they also suggested Brexit wouldnt pass and that Hillary Clinton would become the leader of the free world. Such a rapidly escalating series of implausible outcomes first Brexit, then Trump invites a narrative that suggests Le Pens inevitability. The polls could be wrong again. A successful attack by terrorists on Paris like the one authorities foiled just days ago could refocus the race on security and make Le Pens France first ideology more palatable to the electorate. The great and terrible thing about democracy, however, is that no outcome is inevitable: When Election Day comes, the French have a choice. Mad Mad Dog. Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images Defense Secretary James Mattis told his counterparts from 27 other NATO nations Wednesday to increase defense spending by the end of the year or the United States will moderate its commitment to the alliance. No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of Western values, he said at his first NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels. Americans cannot care more for your childrens future security than you do. The warning echoed remarks that President Trump has continually made about NATO nations not paying their fair share. We are getting ripped off by every country in NATO, where they pay virtually nothing, most of them. And were paying the majority of the costs, he said last March. But while Trump has called NATO obsolete, Mattis praised the alliance as a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the trans-Atlantic community. In further contrast with his boss, Mattis also called Russia out by name, chiding the nation for using force to alter the borders of one of its sovereign neighbors. The calls for NATO members to increase their defense spending are not new. President Obamas Defense Secretaries, Robert Gates, Chuck Hagel, and Ash Carter, all pushed for more spending to strengthen NATO. Still, Mattiss threat that the U.S. may back away from its commitment if allies dont pony up by a set date appears to go further than his predecessors ever did. Now former. Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images Late Monday night, Michael Flynn became the first major Trump appointee to bite the dust. Officially, the president asked for Flynns resignation due to waning trust in the national security adviser: While Trump had no problem with Flynn chatting about sanctions with Russias ambassador to the United States (on the very day that president Obama ordered new sanctions against Putins regime), Trump did object to Flynn withholding that information from Vice-President Mike Pence. But is that really what got Flynn canned? After all, Trump (officially) knew about Flynns dissembling 17 days before he sent the man packing. And the White House has suggested that other questionable incidents factored into the presidents decision. What were these incidents? And would they have mattered absent press scrutiny? These arent idle questions. Discerning precisely what one has to do to be kicked out of the Trump White House (a place where a history of mendacity, corruption and/or conspiratorial theorizing is not necessarily disqualifying) would not only shed light on the administrations internal power struggles but also offer insight into another pressing question who will be the next to hear the presidents favorite catchphrase? And so, five members of New York Magazines politics team Jonathan Chait, Ed Kilgore, Olivia Nuzzi, Eric Levitz, and Margaret Hartmann joined NYMag.com deputy editor Jebediah Reed Tuesday to try and discern just that. Jebediah Reed: Flynn is out after 24 days the quickest firing of a cabinet-level official in American presidential history. There are a number of narratives circulating about what happened: It was a deep State hit. Or this was something Trump and Bannon wanted anyway. Or this was the White House caving to media pressure. What story of Flynns firing do you think is most convincing? Ed Kilgore: Flynn got caught lying to the 46th president of the United States. Jonathan Chait: I think media pressure has a clear effect on Trump, though whether it was decisive in this case is hard to know. Olivia Nuzzi: If you look at what the White House was saying last night and into this morning, amid the confusion of the news breaking, it was quite different than what Spicer was saying today during the briefing. A senior official told The New Yorker they couldnt withstand the drip, drip of information. And if you couple that with the fact that Trump knew about the questions surrounding Flynn for weeks, I think it confirms this was about a bad news cycle putting pressure on Trump and others more than it was about dishonesty if it even ever was about dishonesty. We still have so many questions unanswered. Margaret Hartmann: Id like to think that the independent press still has some power to hold the Trump administration to account even if its very sporadic so far. Nuzzi: I think this episode is sort of confirmation of that, Margaret. That journalism actually does matter to this administration. Although I wonder if its for a superficial reason is it just that President Trump is upset the spotlight has been diverted onto someone else? Eric Levitz: Flynn had ambitions to reform and restructure the intelligence agencies in ways that many powerful people within them are not interested in. He seems to be a sloppy administrator, who failed to ensure that [CIA Director Mike] Pompeo saw Trumps executive orders before they were signed. A very high percentage of the people who have worked with Michael Flynn do not like him. And he has reportedly been possessive of his access to Trump and resentful of those crowding in on his territory. I think he may have survived the news cycle absent these liabilities. But a bad, ongoing story + many people within the administration who wanted him gone = resignation. Kilgore: Theres a fine line between havoc which I think Trump, Bannon, and Miller savor and chaos, and maybe somebody had to take the fall for the latter. Chait: Let me add in a smart point on this from our colleague, via Twitter: Feel like Trump might've let Russia thing slide if Flynn hadn't told everyone and their mom about his 3am phone call https://t.co/CK5xoNUCrA Jessica Pressler (@jpressler) February 14, 2017 Hartmann: Yes! The news about the 3 a.m. phone call came out just one day before the Russia news cycle started. Nuzzi: I could absolutely see Trump interpreting that leak as an ultimate act of disloyalty from Flynn. That said, I havent heard anything from my sources about that being a consideration. Chait: Im guessing Flynn told others, who told the media. Nuzzi: Yeah, Jon, I agree. Levitz: Per the Times, the administration is considering surveilling itself to crack down on the leaks: Mr. Trumps top advisers are considering an insider threat program that could result in monitoring cellphones and emails for leaks. Reed: By firing Flynn, has Trump stopped the bleeding for now on questions about Russian influence inside his administration? Or did this make the problem worse? Nuzzi: I think if an investigation is opened up on Flynn, this only worsens the Russia problem for the administration, because well be talking about it every day. Hartmann: I agree. Raises the question of whether Flynn brought up sanctions on his own or was directed to do so by Trump, or other top advisers. Chait: CNNs report, that elements of the famous dossier have been confirmed, came and went very quickly (like many huge stories have under Trump), but its pretty significant. Hartmann: And further legitimizes the idea that Russia is worth examining. It had a concrete effect beyond intel agencies announcing theyre looking into it. Levitz: If I understood [White House press secretary Sean] Spicer correctly, the Trump White Houses official line is that it was totally appropriate for Flynn to talk about the sanctions with his Russian counterpart. The only problem is that he wasnt forthright with [Vice-President Mike] Pence about it Nuzzi: Thats their official line at this moment. I wonder if it will change again. Reed: Which brings us to our headline question: Who gets shitcanned next in the Trump White House? Kilgore: Well, Breitbarts using Flynns departure as a lever to demand [White House chief-of-staff Reince] Priebus be dismissed for causing all the chaos. Nuzzi: Weird, considering [chief strategist Steve] Bannon and Priebus actually love each other. Hartmann: Sean Spicer is easier to get rid of or rather, just shift him into the role of communications director. Since its insane hes supposed to be doing both jobs anyway. Nuzzi: I agree that Spicer seems likeliest. Levitz: I actually thought Spicer was kind of impressive today. I dont think hes done well previously, but considering the degree of difficulty I thought he spun his heart out. Hartmann: Can you really come back from the disgrace of being portrayed by a woman on SNL? Chait: Priebus will be next. Trump mocked him months ago. He also does not look like a chief-of-staff (a key Trump requirement.) He was clearly forced on Trump. And hes the person putatively in charge of organizing an administration for which organization is the central problem. Kilgore: I find the Breitbart argument that Priebus is responsible for the whole outside world not cooperating with The Boss a good leading indicator. Hartmann: I actually think this helps Priebus. Two high-profile firings close together creates a bad image. I think this has extended his tenure by at least a few months. Nuzzi: I think its generally smart to assume that the real power in the White House lies with those who are not on television spinning for the president. The people out there performing on his behalf are also constantly being assessed by Trump in a way that I imagine Bannon, Priebus, [Stephen] Miller, and obviously [Jared] Kushner, arent. So I think Spicer and Kellyanne [Conway] are inherently more vulnerable. Also I would add that Kellyanne apparently accidentally RTd a white nationalist today. Levitz: Happens to the best of us (or, of them, anyway). Hartmann: Hasnt the president done that too though? Nuzzi: Who among us. Levitz: I think Spicer gets moved behind the curtain, before Kellyanne gets axed. Nuzzi: I agree with that. Also Kellyanne has the benefit of having helped shepherd Trump to victory in a way that Spicer cant really take credit for. Levitz: Yeah. Spicers hiring was just a favor to Reince, from what I understand. Kilgore: Priebus is getting blamed for Congress, the bureaucracy, the whole world not adjusting to what Trump wants. Nuzzi: I assume Priebus is being blamed for a lot of things that are probably not his fault, or not entirely his fault. From what I understand from my sources, Trump himself is ungovernable. So Priebus is in this impossible position of trying to create order in a place, with a leader, that much prefers chaos. Hartmann: Were talking about a guy who went through three campaign managers. Chait: Right. Hes the putative chief-of-staff in an administration that doesnt really have a chief- of-staff (a role that implies a certain structure). Levitz: Any chief-of-staff who isnt prepared to confiscate Trumps Android, delete his Twitter account, and crush sedatives into his food will fail to produce order. Nuzzi: Were all trying to figure out whos pulling the strings or whatever, but if theres something we know for sure about Trump it is that he likes to talk to and survey as many people as possible. Remember, he asked his Mar-a-Lago guests, over Thanksgiving, who he should pick for secretary of State. When he called Flynn at 3 a.m. to talk about monetary policy, that was also a form of this. He likes to bat ideas around with lots of people, and then he decides on his own opinion. Reed: Last question: going back to the joke that Ed made to start this Pence as the 46th POTUS does anyone buy the now-rampant speculation that Pences long game here is enabling a Trump impeachment? Nuzzi: I dont know that I believe anyone in the White House has a long game. Kilgore: I do not agree that Pence is planning on impeachment. Maybe Trump gets tired/bored after one term. Hartmann: Yeah, I think anyone looking at the chaos of the Trump administration and trying to impose a plan is very foolish. Pence would have to literally be Littlefinger. Chait: Boy, that would be a tough gig. If Trump is an embittered, impeached, and removed former president, then the party is split, in which case, how would Pence govern? Kilgore: I will point out Gerald Ford damn near got reelected in 1976. Chait: Ford did not get Nixon impeached, though. Hartmann: I think Pence certainly has his eye on the presidency, but taking over after Trumps impeahment probably isnt how he wants to do it. Nuzzi: All of my predictions about Trump have been wrong for 20 months. But having said that, I think its unlikely he quits or is impeached his first term. Kilgore: You are more honest than most of us, Olivia. Chait: Trump does seem physically and mentally unequal to the job, and I wouldnt be shocked if he cant make it all the way through. Levitz: It seems like Trump probably doesnt really like this job, and that (almost) everyone around him knows he really is not up to doing it. But I think its more likely that Trump slowly forfeits most of the non-figurehead portions of the job than formally leaves it. Donald Trump and Paul Manafort at the Republican National Convention. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc. With the Trump administration still dealing with the fallout from National Security Adviser Michael Flynns resignation over his calls with Russias ambassador to the United States, the New York Times dropped another bombshell on Tuesday night: Phone records and intercepted calls show members of the Trump campaign and other Trump associates were repeatedly in contact with senior Russian intelligence officials during the campaign, according to four current and former U.S. officials. The communications were scooped up during routine intelligence collection as U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies were investigating Russias alleged hacking of the Democratic National Committee. CNN reports that the communications during early summer raised a red flag owing to their frequency, and the aides proximity to Trump. According to the Times, the intelligence agencies tried to determine whether the Trump associates were colluding with the Russians on their efforts to influence the election, but so far officials have seen no evidence of that. The communications are being investigated as part of the FBIs ongoing probe into ties between Trump associates and the Russian government. CNN reported that thencampaign chairman Paul Manafort and then-adviser Michael Flynn were among the aides regularly communicating with the Russians. Manafort, who has business ties to Ukraine and Russia, denied the report, but also hinted at a possible defense, telling the Times its hard to know whos a Russian operative: This is absurd, he said. I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today. Mr. Manafort added, Its not like these people wear badges that say, Im a Russian intelligence officer. The officials would not disclose how many Trump associates were in regular contact with the Russians, or what topics were discussed. However, CNN reports the Trump aides communications were considered serious enough that both President Obama and President Trump were briefed on the matter. President Trump and members of his administration have repeatedly denied that there was any contact between Russia and his campaign. Heres Kellyanne Conway on Face the Nation in December: Mike Pence gave Fox News Chris Wallace a similar response on January 15. Of course not. Why would there be any contact between the campaign [and Russia]? said the vice-president-elect. This is all a distraction, and its all part of a narrative to delegitimatize the election and to question the legitimacy of [Trumps] presidency. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked if in light of new revelations about Flynns calls to the Russian ambassador during the transition, Trump still stands by his insistence that his team wasnt in touch with Russia prior to November 8. Theres nothing that would conclude me that anything different has changed with respect to that time period, said Spicer. .@PressSec Sean Spicer tells @jonkarl nobody on the Trump campaign had contact with Russia before the election https://t.co/LBw3Bd5Htk pic.twitter.com/S9H8fgFA2j ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 14, 2017 This post has been updated throughout. Robert Harward. Photo: US Navy Donald Trumps cabinet appointees tend to fall into one of two categories: the ethically questionable and the delusionally bigoted. Rex Tillerson, Tom Price, and most of the Goldman Sachs gang fit into the first category; Jeff Sessions, Steve Bannon, and Michael Flynn fit into the latter. But now that Flynn has been ousted, Trump appears set to reach into the former bucket for his replacement: Reuters reports that the president has asked former Navy SEAL and current Lockheed Martin executive Vice Admiral Robert Harward to be his national security adviser. Beyond Harwards current association with a defense contractor (whose bottom line could, ostensibly, be impacted by his national-security advice) theres little cause for alarm on his resume. Or, at least, his CV contains less conspicuous cause for alarm than Michael Fear of Muslims is rational Flynns once did. Harward has long-standing ties to Defense Secretary James Mattis, whos seen as a relative moderate on Trumps national security team. When Mattis led U.S. Central Command, Harward was his deputy. The Rhode Island native attended school in Tehran before the Iranian Revolution, and served on the National Security Council under George W. Bush. Harward has deployed on combat missions as a SEAL, and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a Lockheed executive, Harward has overseen the defense contractors business in the United Arab Emirates and the broader Middle East. As of this writing, it is unclear whether he has accepted Trumps job offer. Rally time. Photo: Paul Vernon/AFP/Getty Images An airplane hangar in Melbourne, Florida, will be the site of Donald Trumps first rally as president. The event, scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday, was added Wednesday to Trumps campaign website, which allows those wishing to attend to register for tickets. Join me in Florida this Saturday at 5pm for a rally at the Orlando-Melbourne International Airport! Tickets: https://t.co/9jDy1tYkgE pic.twitter.com/GDhO6GGxwt Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 This weekend will be Trumps third in a row spent at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where hell be before and after the rally. Each of Trumps visits, to what the White House is desperately trying to get people to call the Winter White House, costs a reported $3 million. But the publicity for the club, where membership fees recently doubled to $200,00, is priceless. Saturdays rally in Melbourne will be at the site of a September campaign event where Trump spoke to an estimated 8,500 cheering fans and played all of his biggest hits, including Build that wall, Third-world airports, and Make America great again. Meanwhile, outside the hangar, about 50 anti-Trump demonstrators gathered in a First Amendment zone. Seems like everyone should prepare for the protesters to turn out in bigger numbers on Saturday. I came here to eat bubblegum and give unconvincing spin and Im all out of bubblegum. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images On December 29, the Obama administration announced new sanctions against Russia, as retaliation for its meddling in the 2016 election. That same day, incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn spoke over the phone with Russias ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. During that call, Flynn discussed the new sanctions with his counterpart. Less than 24 hours later, Vladimir Putin decided not to hit the U.S. with retaliatory sanctions a move that the president-elect cheered. Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2016 But Flynn was not forthright about his conversation with the ambassador, according to the Trump White House even after that phone call became a subject of press scrutiny. The retired general led Vice-President Mike Pence to believe that the sanctions had not come up in his conversation with Kislyak. Pence then told CBSs Face the Nation that Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss anything having to do with the United States decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia. On January 26, acting attorney general Sally Yates told White House Counsel Donald McGahn that this wasnt true: The exchange had been intercepted by a routine wiretap of diplomats calls, and the transcript showed that sanctions had been discussed. A little over two weeks later, the Washington Post relayed that same information to the public. Hours after the Posts report went live, the president was asked about Flynns apparent dissembling. I dont know about that, Trump said. I havent seen it. What report is that? I havent seen that. Ill look into that. But on Tuesday, Sean Spicer said that Trump did, in fact, know about that. While the president was unaware of the specific report in question, he had known about Flynns apparent lie since January 26. Trump had no objection to the substance of Flynns action. His job is to discuss issues with his counterparts, Spicer said. Thats what hes supposed to be doing. Press Sec. on Flynn: "I think the president had no problem with the fact that he acted in accord with what his job was supposed to be doing" pic.twitter.com/8N7iXVTMkV ABC News (@ABC) February 14, 2017 But the president was disconcerted by Flynns apparent dishonesty with Pence (Flynn, for his part, claims that he unintentionally omitted any mention of the sanctions from his summary of the call). Trump was also uncertain whether Flynns action was illegal, so he asked the White House counsel to investigate the matter. This was part of why Trump did not immediately fire Flynn, Spicer explained: He wanted to give the investigation time to confirm or contradict Yatess claim. But also, the White House counsel immediately determined that Flynns action was perfectly legal, as Trump had always suspected. Spicer contradiction: 1) Flynn lasted 17 days cos counsel had to review legalities 2) Counsel determined Russia call was legal "immediately" Glenn Thrush (@GlennThrush) February 14, 2017 Anyhow, after 17 days of reflection, Trump asked for Flynns resignation late Monday night a decision-making process that Spicer described as unbelievably decisive. Per Spicer, the fact that Flynn resigned hours after the Washington Post reported Yatess warning to the White House counsel was a total coincidence. Rather, the evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents just happened to reach a breaking point Monday night. Spicers strange tale was undermined by more than its own contradictions. On Tuesday morning, Kellyanne Conway told NBCs Today Show that Flynn had chosen to resign because he knew he had become a lightning rod. The night before, Conway had claimed that Trump had full confidence in Flynn. It isnt entirely unusual for a White House to avoid admitting that the timing of a personnel decision was determined by negative media attention. At this point, the precise cause of Flynns ouster remains uncertain. If Trump didnt object to the substance of Flynns action if talking to the Russian ambassador about the sanctions was no big deal its hard to see why Flynns failure to divulge this (ostensibly insignificant) detail to Pence would constitute a fireable offense. It seems more likely that Flynns other liabilities deep unpopularity with the intelligence community, domineering personality, failure to set up a well-functioning National Security Council, and apparent blabbing about a 3 a.m. phone call he received from Trump all eroded the presidents sense of loyalty to the retired general. So, when the Russia story raised the political costs of retaining Flynn, Trump had little interest in footing the bill. Alternatively, Trump may have decided to oust Flynn right after learning Yatess news, but wished to line up a replacement before letting him go. Those are just a couple plausible accounts of Flynns ouster, which is two more than Spicer offered on Tuesday. Barack Obama. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images A major theme of my book, perhaps the central one, is that a fixation on all sides with fleeting short-term events obscured the breadth and depth of the transformative change wrought by the Obama administration. Large and even revolutionary policy changes received little attention because they were not attached to whatever political drama had captured the attention of the political media, and those game-changing dramas, in turn, frequently had little or no ultimate importance. That same fixation with immediacy has continued to color our perception of Obama since he departed. Donald Trumps election is the most compelling and immediate story in American politics, and correctly so, but its drama has caused Obamas presidency to be refracted through the lens of Trump. What does Trump tell us about Obama? What does Obama tell us about Trump? The easy assumption since November has been that Trump would rapidly erase Obamas legacy. Obamas legacy is toast, gloated conservative commentators. That conclusion, reached immediately in the wake of the election, has continued to form the entirety of right-wing thought about Obama. Trump won, ergo, everything Obama did is gone, close the books. Ben Domenechs review of Audacity for National Review takes the premise that Obamas legacy is toast as so obviously correct it requires no substantiation. Domenech begins with some mockery about how the book arrive[d] just as its central thesis is dashed against the sharp rocks of reality, and that it has the unfortunate distinction of having gone on sale 72 hours before Donald J. Trump took the oath of office, rendering it utterly irrelevant as anything but a cultural artifact demonstrating the hubris of American liberalism. From there Domenech pays little attention to the books argument that Obama accomplished large-scale change, and none whatsoever to its case that most of that change will likely survive Trump. Domenechs review was available online less than two weeks after Trump took the oath of office. It appears in the print edition of National Review, which means given the schedule of print magazines it was almost certainly written mostly or entirely before Trump took office, allowing Domenechs argument to treat Trumps imminent vanquishing of the Obama legacy as a certainty. But the events of the last month have already suggested a very different outcome. Obamas measures to prevent a second Great Depression after the 2008 financial crisis the stimulus, the stress tests of the banks, and auto bailout are safe from Trump by definition. The Dodd-Frank financial reforms will be temporarily weakened through lax enforcement, just as labor, environmental, campaign, and other regulations conservatives disapprove of are typically weakened during Republican administrations. But Republicans do not have anywhere close to the 60 votes they need to wipe Dodd-Frank off the books. Obamas education reforms are likely safe as well. Republicans promised Trump would immediately pull out of the Paris climate agreement and destroy Obamas environmental strategy. But Trump hasnt pulled out yet, a delay that implies he is at least considering the domestic and international blowback such a move would provoke. He has certainly handed out a series of favors to the fossil-fuel industry, the latest enabling American oil companies to bribe foreign governments. Were bringing back jobs, big league, he announced. Were bringing them back at the plant level. Were bringing them back at the mine level. But, as I argued in the book, both the green-energy revolution that Obama helped set out, and the international diplomatic consensus in favor of limiting climate change he helped assemble have a life of their own. Rather than use Trumps election as an excuse to renege on their own commitments, world leaders insisted after the election their agreement was irreversible. Trump will slow down the pace of the green-energy transformation, but he has neither the inclination nor the ability to destroy the changes of the last eight years. Over the last few weeks, two of the largest coal-fired power plants have announced plans to shut down. The Republican indictment of Obamas energy policies revolved around the failure of Solyndra, a solar firm that received a $585 million loan as part of the $90 billion green-energy investment in the stimulus. Solyndra became a symbol of Obamas alleged failure not because anything untoward took place to allow it to receive a loan it was once considered a cutting-edge firm and had been selected for a smaller-scale loan under the Bush administration but because other solar firms that also got support from the stimulus quickly out-innovated it. The old conservative mental image of green energy as an unaffordable hippie daydream is hopelessly quaint, in a world where the cost of solar has plunged 85 percent, and wind 66 percent, since the stimulus, and these technologies now produce energy for less than coal. Since 2008, wind power has more than quadrupled, and solar-power capacity has increased 4,000 percent. Battery-storage technology is a crucial factor to the greening of both the electric power sector and the transportation sector. Affordable batteries are the key component to making electric cars cost-competitive with the gasoline-powered kind. And battery storage is an enormous factor in allowing renewable energy to completely displace fossil fuels. Solar and wind power can already generate electricity more cheaply than coal, but battery storage is necessary for those sources to replace the need for fossil-fuel power when the sun isnt shining and the wind isnt blowing. The price of advanced batteries has fallen by more than half in the last three years alone: Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance And the Republican notion that subsidizing an infant industry violates the principles of a free economy, and amounts to crony capitalism, has been utterly abandoned in the face of an administration where the president uses his office for self-enrichment and White House employees literally use their office to gin up customers for his family business. And then there is Obamacare repeal, the Holy Grail of the quest to erase Obamas legacy. My book argues that Obamacare will be difficult to repeal by bringing 20 million previously uninsured Americans into the system, Republicans can no longer ignore them. Events since its publication have borne out that analysis. Republicans have promised to replace the law with a plan that has lower deductibles and premiums and better choices. A plan like that would require spending more money than Obamacare, and Republicans are coming face-to-face with the reality that theres no mechanism to finance such a plan that their party could support. (Conservative intellectuals support cutting or eliminating the tax deduction for employer-sponsored insurance, which would work in theory, except its massively unpopular with voters, lobbyists, and members of Congress in both parties.) Financing the alternative plan is the largest obstacle facing Republicans, but hardly the only one. There are innumerable problems that must be resolved whether to keep the Medicaid expansion, whether to defund Planned Parenthood, whether to repeal Obamacares taxes, and on and on. Republicans have to find near unanimity on every single one of them in order to pass a bill out of both chambers of Congress. They have resolved none of them so far. Republicans in Congress have made no more progress in developing a partywide alternative in the three and a half months since the election than they made in the seven years before that. Their only options are to keep the current system, or some version thereof, or inflict cruelty upon millions and massive disruption to an industry that accounts for a fifth of the economy. I would say its not that easy to repeal it, concedes Representative Peter King. The entire repeal is in mortal danger, admits Representative Trent Franks. Republican messaging heavily emphasized the notion that Obama governed largely through the issuing of executive orders, which supposedly left his agenda vulnerable to a quick reversal. Trump has illustrated how fallacious that notion was. The new president has issued a flurry of executive orders, but with the exception of the immigration order, which was a fiasco these orders have mostly been symbolic vehicles for communicating goals, rather than actual policy changes. The notion that Obamas presidency could and would be erased with a few strokes of the pen was a form of Republican propaganda that Republicans themselves came to believe. Conservatives took Trumps grandiose rhetoric about repealing Obamacare and replacing it with something terrific, or bringing back coal jobs, at face value because they wanted to believe it. (Many despondent liberals yielded to the same conclusion out of characteristic fatalism.) But one of the lessons gained from a close study of Obamas presidency, or any presidency, is that governing is hard. The reforms his domestic policies have wrought do not come easy. Even a highly competent Republican presidency would have difficulty unwinding them. And Trump has shown no signs so far of being even a minimally competent president. The expectation of a rapid erasure of Obamas presidency looks like to pick a cliche I read somewhere hubris dashed against the sharp rocks of reality. Cant imagine why this is happening. Photo: KNS/AFP/Getty Images With his older brother dead after a poison attack in Kuala Lumpurs airport, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has seen yet another potential rival drop dead. Does that mean the 33-year-old is behind the murder of his half-brother? Yes, almost certainly, North Korea expert Van Jackson told Bloomberg. He lives a nightmare version of Machiavellian court politics every day, and bloodline is still the strongest claim to legitimate rule in North Korea: Eliminating potential centers of power is cold but shrewd. Though Kim Jong-nam had been living in exile for more than decade by the time of his murder Monday, his role as Kim Jong-uns elder and his occasional criticism of his younger brother made him a possible alternative if elites ever moved to oust Dennis Rodmans biggest fan, Bloomberg says. As The Wall Street Journal reports, Kim Jong-nam was the object of persistent speculation that China was grooming him as a kind of ruler-in-waiting. Lee Byung-ho, the leader of South Koreas National Intelligence Service, reportedly told lawmakers in Seoul Wednesday that Kim Jong-un has had a standing order to kill Kim Jong-nam since he took over North Korea in 2011. This is not a calculated action to remove Kim Jong-nam because he was a challenge to power per se, but rather reflected Kim Jong-uns paranoia, Lee Byung-ho reportedly said in a meeting with South Koreas National Assembly. While Kim Jong-un is widely considered to be behind his brothers murder, the only person in trouble so far is a 28-year-old woman, who allegedly attacked Kim Jong-nam while wearing a shirt that said LOL. Now, Kim Jong-un has only three living siblings, none of whom are seen as threats to his power. Neither of his sisters, who are thought to be part of the North Korean government, would stand much of a chance of rising to power in the highly patriarchal country. And older brother Kim Jong-chul isnt seen as a main threat to usurp power, Bloomberg says. In fact, hes not seen much at all, except for that time in 2015 when he showed up at an Eric Clapton concert in London. Melania Trump. Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images A few weeks ago, a clip of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump interacting on Inauguration Day made the rounds, suggesting that there may be icy relations between the two. Now, a new report in Us Weekly gives additional insight into what may be going on behind the scenes: Melania is apparently miserable in her role as First Lady. Citing a Trump family source as well as family friend and stylist Phillip Bloch the report claims Melania is unhappy with the added pressures and scrutiny that come along with her new life in the political spotlight. She reportedly never expected to one day be serving as First Lady when she moved to the U.S. in 1996 to pursue fashion, and has largely been holed up in her $100 million Trump Tower apartment since the inauguration. This life wasnt her dream. It was Donalds. Truthfully, its a lot to cope with, Bloch told Us Weekly, explaining that Melania has also been staying hidden more in recent weeks. A family source added, Melania is unhappy with how her life ended up. The family source told Us Weekly Melania has stopped accompanying her son Barron to and from school (in a chauffeured SUV) because of the protesters outside of Trump Tower. Yet, she has left her apartment a few times to run errands and visit Mar-a-Lago in Florida, where the First Lady was recently photographed while Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie were visiting the Palm Beach estate. Dont let her smile in those photos fool you, the family source told Us Weekly. She hates this. However, a Melania source denied the claims, saying she is very happy with her life and supporting her husband and family. Dr. Bill Clancey Computer Scientist - Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Dr. William J. Clancey received a Mathematical Sciences B.A. at Rice University and Computer Science PhD at Stanford University specializing in artificial intelligence. His research relates cognitive and social science in the study of work practices and the design of automated systems. Over a forty-year career he has developed applications for medicine, education, finance, robotics, and spaceflight systems, and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. A founding member of the Institute for Research on Learning (1987-1997), he co-developed ethnographic methods for observing, analyzing, and simulating how people interact with each other, computer tools, and facilities in work environments. At NASA Ames Research Center (1998-2013), he served as Chief Scientist, Human-Centered Computing in the Intelligent Systems Division, leading several projects with Johnson Space Center, notably automating file management between Mission Control and the International Space Station, for which his team received the Exceptional Software Award. His study of Mars mission scientists, Working on Mars: Voyages of Scientific Discovery with the Mars Exploration Rovers, received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2014 Gardner-Lasser Aerospace History Literature Award. At NASA, Bill participated in 17 field science expeditions, including Mars mission simulations during five field seasons on both Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic and the Mars Societys Desert Research Station in Utah, where he served as the mission commander. At the Smithsonians Carrie Bow Cay Field Station in Belize, his team experimented with a voice-commanded scuba system for surveying coral reefs. Recently, Bill has collaborated with Okeanos Explorer scientists in Exploration Command Centers at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and the University of Manoa, studying and advising about the telepresence exploration system. During the 2017 American Samoa Expedition, he will be exploring onboard operations, particularly the collaboration among engineers and the lead scientists. Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body Two professors in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University are the first to receive new endowed professorships established by Regions Financial Corporation. Associate Professor Brian Via is the Regions Professor in Forest Products, and Professor Tom Gallagher is the Regions Professor in Forest Operations, Utilization, Management and Economics. The recently designated professorships will be awarded every five years to associate or full professors who demonstrate a strong commitment to students and the provision of high quality instruction, research and service. Both accomplished researchers, Via's research focuses on forest product development from either bioenergy and/or biobased processes while Gallagher specializes in industrial forestry, timber harvesting and transportation of forest biomass. As a major owner and manager of forest land in Alabama, Regions has a vested interest in maintaining a robust forest products industry, which contributes more than $15 billion annually to the state's economy. With the creation of the professorships, Regions has partnered with the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences to ensure that the forest industry continues to be developed through strong research and education programs at Auburn University. "Staying on the leading edge is important to the thousands of private forest landowners in Alabama," said Don Heath, Regions senior vice president of natural resources and real estate. "Having an exemplary academic program at Auburn University can help us achieve and maintain that leading edge in forest products development." The Regions professorships are designed to strengthen and enhance the university's programs through the quality of the faculty members' work and their ability to serve as positive role models for their colleagues and students. They must have a record of distinguished academic or professional work in their field of study in comparison to their colleagues at peer institutions. "Our faculty are cutting-edge in terms of forestry enterprise and product innovation," said School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Dean Janaki Alavalapati. "In addition to this important research, our efforts to develop leaders to serve these industries will assure the sustainability and growth of Alabama's economy, both in timber sales and employment." He was so good in Moonlight. Reply Thread Link It's funny to me seeing him finally breaking through because I had a couple moments last year where I saw him in different things and I though "They have him so typecast. He must be so bored having to play the security guard-type serious dude with no personality in everything." And now he's actually having a moment. Reply Thread Link We have the same thoughts lol I loved him in Hunger Games and Predators even though he just played the security detail but then he gives these layered performances in Kicks and Moonlight and i knew we were watching a future star in the making. He better steal that oscar. Reply Parent Thread Link mte Reply Parent Thread Link I had a couple moments myself where I was like...wait a minute, this man was in that awful Predators movie and Benjamin Button! Now look at him! Lol Praying for his continued success in Hollywhite. Edited at 2017-02-15 04:15 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link I was laying in bed the other night thinking about moonlight and I realized he was the step father of Dane Dehaan's character in that Ryan Goslin movie where he does like motorcycle tricks but Ali raises him? He was good in that even though it was a tiny part I guess it's true what they say, there are no small parts Reply Parent Thread Link He is so fine. Reply Thread Link He needs to creampie me tbh Reply Parent Thread Link I know, it stresses me out. And he's talented to boot! Reply Parent Thread Link He was so so good in Moonlight I'm going to buy a digital copy when it comes out . Reply Thread Link It's out now on iTunes and VUDU and other digital retailers if you're in the USA Reply Parent Thread Link Thanks , Moonlight can have all my cash Reply Parent Thread Link I'm going to buy a bluray and I rarely buy physical movies. I recently I donated most of my DVDs and just kept favorites/classics Reply Parent Thread Link I want it where do I get, gotta go get it. Reply Thread Link he is so gorg omg Reply Thread Link His mustache looks so much better when he has a beard. Every time I see him with just a mustache I want to shave it off. Reply Parent Thread Link Thats how I feel about most mustaches tbh. Reply Parent Thread Link He really is. Reply Parent Thread Link I didn't watch House of Cards season 4. Was Remi back? I kind of hated Jackie so I thought when he left at the end of s3 that was his freedom from those assholes and he wouldn't return because yay happy ending. Reply Thread Link iirc he does get dragged back into everything Reply Parent Thread Link omg that's where I've seen him on! he's been in so much stuff omw Reply Parent Thread Link Sort of. Not enough screen time, but so worth it. Reply Parent Thread Link So clearly he's fine as all fuck but I love how thoughtful he seems to be too, SIGN ME UP Reply Thread Link He's so damn fine. I love the way he talks about his roles and just ugh, he's pretty perfect. Reply Thread Link The fact that he tears up talking about Moonlight/Juan all the time is so incredibly endearing. <3 Reply Parent Thread Link I love the way he talks about Juan. I get the sense that he identifies with the character more than he let's on. It's such a layered role and he just sinks in and dissolves. It's one of those performances I will never, ever forget. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Blessed image Reply Parent Thread Link a man Reply Parent Thread Link my heart Reply Parent Thread Link *__* men w/ cats=amazing Reply Parent Thread Link Aww I miss my lazy cat doing that to me Reply Parent Thread Link Lol he dresses like a 20-year-old hipster. Reply Parent Thread Link A CAT. A MAN. AN ICONIC PHOTOGRAPH. Reply Parent Thread Link OMG, this is adorable. Reply Parent Thread Link i have loved him since the 4400 <3 Reply Thread Link Same. As well as his role in Crossing Jordan. Reply Parent Thread Link He also just joined some movie with Tom Hardy and another white man, so time to learn the name and watch it when it comes out. Reply Thread Link Triple Frontier! Reply Parent Thread Link Now that more people finally love him and Ben Mendelsohn because of Rogue One, I might go back to yelling about The Place Beyond the Pines all the time. idg why no one appreciates it :( Reply Thread Link Wait, he was in the place beyond the pines? Jfc he's been in everything. I loved that movie but I've forgotten a lot of it, haha. Reply Parent Thread Link He's the guy Eva gets with after ya know and raises Jason Reply Parent Thread Link whaaaat?? who was he in that movie? it's too long ago for me lmfao and I can never remember faces if I watched them in small roles before they exploded on screen. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Oh my God I was just trying to think of this movie while commenting I'm like that motorcycle tricks movie... but yes I love when he quotes Star Wars to Jason. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link handsome, talented and smart get oscar bb! Reply Thread Link i never got the chance to see Moonlight in theaters :-( i need to see it asap. also, he was wearing the fuck outta that white suit at the SAG awards. Reply Thread Link It's on digital platforms (iTunes, VUDU, Amazon Video) and it's out on DVD/Bluray in two weeks. Reply Parent Thread Link Cynthia Coffman, the Attorney General of Colorado, has filed a lawsuit against Boulder County, following weeks of threats over the countys refusal to remove a moratorium on oil and gas exploration in unincorporated areas. Boulders ban stipulates that the local authorities will not accept and process any new oil and gas exploration permit applications. The moratorium was first introduced back in 2012 and since then has been extended eight times, the Denver Channel recalls. The latest extension is until May this year. According to the Attorney General, however, Boulder is overstepping its authority, and no county has the power to ban oil and gas exploration. In the suit, Attorney General Cynthia Coffman referred to two cases from 2015, in both of which the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that counties cannot act as regulators of the oil industry. The court struck down the moratoriums on fracking approved by voters in Fort Collins and Longmont at the same time, prompting anti-fracking activists to plan future moves aimed at amending Colorados constitution in a way that would clip the wings of the local oil and gas industry or give local governments the powers to do so themselves. The Boulder County Commissioners reacted to the news with a statement saying the moratorium was consistent with Colorado law, accusing the states Attorney General of acting in favor of the oil and gas industry. Related: U.S. Crude Inventories Reach Record High After EIA Reports Significant Build Its a sweetheart deal for the oil and gas industry, but a massive waste of Coloradans tax dollars for the state to sue us on industrys behalf, and we are prepared to defend our right to safeguard the health, safety and wellbeing of our constituents, the statement read. According to the Colorado Supreme Court, in its ruling on the Fort Collins and Longmont cases, such bans do actually clash with state legislation. As the court wrote in its opinion in the Longmont case, the City of Longmonts ban on fracking and the storage and disposal of frackingwastes within its city limits operationally conflicts with applicable state law. Chances are that the Boulder County ban will meet the same fate at the hands of the court. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The filibuster is the least understood and most abused parliamentary maneuver in the United States Senate. It has a rich historical pedigree that dates back to ancient Rome where Cato the Younger, a Roman senator, was said to have used it to resist the emperor, Julius Caesar. Sen. John Calhoun D-SC first introduced it in the United States Senate in 1841. It is famously depicted in the Jimmy Stewart movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The filibuster was used notably by Democrats to resist abolition of slavery and thereafter to resist the Civil Rights Act. In its simplest form a filibuster is a lengthy speech(es) on virtually anything for purposes of delaying or defeating consideration of legislation. So long as the filibuster lasts the subject legislation as well as all other business of the legislative body is stalled. Under Senate rules a filibuster can be ended by a cloture vote requiring a super-majority under Senate rules that is a three-fifths vote. Absent a cloture vote the filibuster can continue until the proponents are exhausted and once they are exhausted and cede the floor, the business of the Senate continues. The last time that a senator was actually required to hold the floor was when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) sought to derail funding of Obamacare. Because not a soul in the United States Senate likes Mr. Cruz there were always enough votes to evoke cloture and he was forced to hold the floor himself no one even stepped forward to join him. But thats not good enough for the laziest institution on earth the United States Senate. The idea of requiring a member to actually stand and speak is apparently to difficult for the worlds greatest deliberative body. It is simply unbecoming to ask these great orators to orate God forbid that we may find them to be boring, ill-informed and unable to deviate from their cue cards and talking points. So the rules have been changed. Now any member of the Senate can claim the right to filibuster and the burden shifts to the rest of the body to demonstrate that it has sixty votes for cloture. That change has caused the Senate to morf from the greatest deliberative body to the place where ideas (good or bad) go to die. It is all due to fundamental laziness. Be assured I still believe in the filibuster. If you believe in a principle you should be able to stand and debate that principle. If you are any good at your job, you should be able to persuade others to join you. But if you are simply a primadonna grown indolent on privilege and perks, a prince of the realm drawing support for your title rather than your abilities, or a miserable S.O.B. still angry that your plans for being President have been quashed numerous times, the current rules allow you to hide your short-comings. Lets take the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court a nomination which Republicans will come to rue when key issues like Roe v. Wade (abortion) and Friedrichs v. CTA (mandatory contributions to public employee unions) come before the court. The Democrats have vowed to filibuster his approval not for any good reason other than politics. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) should refuse to hold a cloture vote and instead require the Democrats to hold the floor until exhaustion and thereafter approve the nomination with a simple majority. Thats right, the actual approval of legislation or nominations is still done by a majority vote. Yes, the Democrats may delay consideration but it will require them to do two things. First, give up the three day workweek and two hour workday, to remain in session continuously until exhaustion. And second, to explain to the American people why they are acting like petulant children instead of approving an obviously qualified nomination. Forcing members of the Senate to actually hold the floor rather than threaten to filibuster will, for other matters, dampen the enthusiasm of either side to play politics with the peoples business. Instead, it will promote the likelihood of compromise which is exactly what the founders intended. But nothing is going to change. The Senate is run for the comfort of the Senators, not for the business of the people. The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher, News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-11-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. QUEENSBURY A Vermont man who was arrested for possessing crack cocaine in Lake George last summer is headed to prison for up to 3 years. Desmond D. Feurtado, 28, of Rutland, pleaded guilty to a felony count of criminal possession of a controlled substance for an August arrest on Route 9 in Lake George. He was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for a traffic violation, and was found to have 9 grams of crack cocaine, according to State Police. Feurtado, who has a lengthy record of drug arrests in Vermont that includes a felony, will serve 2 years on parole after he is released. State Police from New York and Vermont will continue search efforts Wednesday after Tuesday's efforts failed to find two missing snowmobilers from Vermont who disappeared on Lake Champlain. Jonathan Ryan and Brandon Barrett have been missing since Thursday night. Their snowmobiles have been found. Just like Tuesday's search, Wednesday's area of focus will be on the New York side of Lake Champlain in Putnam Station. The search will continue to use sonar equipment and state police divers, with the search area likely heading north. EASTON The Town Board will name a new highway superintendent March 6, following the unexpected resignation of Steve Mueller. Well appoint someone for the rest of the year, then the people will get to vote in November the way they should, board member Tom Skiff said Wednesday. Mueller, who was elected in November 2015, resigned Feb. 7, the day after a Town Board meeting at which a number of residents complained about the roads. He didnt give any reason. He just came in the day after the meeting, dropped off a short letter, and that was it. Skiff said there were two issues in play regarding Mueller. From a Town Board point of view, we were concerned about documentation. The state and the town were not getting the documentation thats required and that has to happen, he said. Skiff also acknowledged a number of residents at the meeting had issues with the way roads were being maintained. There were some people at the meeting who were upset, yes, Skiff said. Residents complained that Wright Road was often washed out and was, at times, impassable from Route 113 to McGowan Road. There were also complaints about Becker Road and the condition of Lees Crossing, a main route to Willard Mountain. Between now and March, Skiff said, a highway foreman will have overall responsibility for the department. From inside and outside her district, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is being hit with emails, calls, letters and rallies. In response to a query from Post-Star reporter Maury Thompson, we heard from Stefaniks spokesman, Tom Flanigan, that she received more than 5,000 calls, letters and emails this January compared with a little more than 2,000 last January. Flanigan said many of the people reaching out to the congresswoman were from outside the district, and our priority is serving the needs of families across New Yorks 21st district. On Tuesday, constituents from the district gathered at Stefaniks office in Glens Falls, calling for a town hall meeting to discuss their concerns over the way the government is being run under President Donald Trump. It was a chilly February afternoon, in the middle of the day and the middle of the week, but about 80 people showed up. On Monday, we spoke with a woman LoisAnne Jahne of Cambridge who planned to go to the rally. She has not been politically active since the 1960s, she said, but has been motivated by alarm over the Trump administration to speak out. People are motivated that havent been in the past, she said. The younger generation is getting involved as well. Flanigan says Stefanik will continue to meet with small community groups, business people and farmers, as she has in the past, but will not meet with larger groups where the sole purpose is political theater. Heaven forbid that a meeting with a politician would become political. We remember a few years ago when Rep. Scott Murphy held a town-hall type meeting at West Mountain and confronted angry constituents concerned about the implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act. Murphy had not made up his mind at that point, but he was clearly under attack because he was a Democrat in a mostly Republican district. As the representative of a large and diverse group like we have here in the North Country, you should try to hear from everyone. We agree with Mr. Flanigan that Congresswoman Stefaniks top priority must be the concerns of people who live in her district, but that is who is asking for the meeting. She should not be ducking them. We are hearing from many readers that Rep. Stefaniks office has been unwilling to answer simple questions about where she stands on certain issues or on executive orders signed by the president. For a congresswoman who regularly touts her transparency efforts, this is not acceptable. We realize no member of Congress can give one-on-one treatment to every resident, especially when thousands have contacted your office, but Stefanik sends out a weekly email that discusses what she is working on. She could use that forum and her website to answer the tough questions that are being asked. Its relevant, too, that other U.S. citizens are worried about the Trump administration and are appealing to Rep. Stefanik. When youre in Congress, youre a representative not just of your district but of the American people. You are expected to stand up for core American values, even if that means opposing a president of your own party. Were not discounting local concerns. But issues such as national security are a top priority for every American. What the people who want to meet with Rep. Stefanik are asking is that she do her job. Were asking, too: Meet with these people and listen to them. Its your duty. Local editorials represent the opinion of the Post-Star editorial board, which consists of Publisher Terry Coomes, Editor Ken Tingley, Projects Editor Will Doolittle, Controller/Operations Director Brian Corcoran and citizen representatives Tim Robinson, Dan Gealt and George Nelson. QUEENSBURY The Warren County jury that will decide whether a central New York man was guilty of murder for the death last summer of Glens Falls resident Kevin Jenks began its deliberations late Wednesday afternoon. County Judge John Hall sent the panel home for the day shortly before 5 p.m., after it had deliberated for about a half-hour. Hall directed members to return at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. The panel heard closing arguments earlier Wednesday, after defendant Robert M. Divine Henry and his counsel decided not to present any witnesses. Deliberations began after the panel heard vastly different opinions of Henrys guilt or lack thereof from the prosecution and his lawyer. Defense lawyer Tucker Stanclift spent much of his 40-minute statement to the jury talking not about his client but about co-defendant Kevin S. Chapman, who he said the evidence shows killed Jenks. Stanclift said Chapman who pleaded guilty to murder last fall and blamed Henry for Jenks strangulation lied repeatedly to police, prosecutors and Judge John Hall, and was clearly responsible for Jenks death. Any versions were made up by suspects who were trying to deflect and avoid, he said. I think all of the evidence demonstrates it was Mr. Chapman. Stanclift said there was no plan to kill Jenks, but the homicide was a spontaneous act by Chapman. That spontaneous act, he (Henry) could not control, stop or change if he wanted to, he said. He claimed Henry also wasnt guilty of burglary or robbery, two felony counts that would net him a sentence as weighty as the one for murder, given his criminal record as a four-time felon. He would face mandatory sentencing as a persistent felon if found guilty of either count. Stanclift pointed out that Jenks allowed the men to enter his home, because he believed they were there for a sexual rendezvous. Warren County Assistant District Attorney Matthew Burin argued the use of deception made the entrance into the home burglary. Burin showed the jury snippets of video from Henrys questioning, including a portion where he told investigators he was responsible for robbery but not murder. But under the law, being involved in a felony like robbery when the victim is killed by one or more of the participants makes all of them guilty of murder, Burin told the jurors. The truth is, the defendant is guilty of murder. He is just as guilty as Kevin Chapman, Burin said. The evidence showed Henry, who claimed to know Jenks, planned the thefts, telling friends beforehand that he was headed to Glens Falls to steal from someone. Overwhelming evidence of credit card transactions and from witnesses who saw the two men with cars full of stolen electronics, alcohol and other items showed what they stole, Burin pointed out. Burin also asked the jury not to judge Jenks because he arranged what he thought would be a sexual encounter with two men, who he did not know had nefarious plans. Kevin Jenks didnt deserve to die, didnt deserve to be robbed, didnt deserve any of what happened to him, Burin said, Henry, 46, of Ilion, is accused of choking Jenks to death, or assisting Chapman in choking him, depending on which version of events one wants to believe. He faces a count of second-degree murder as well as lesser charges of robbery, burglary, grand larceny and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Jenks, 58, was killed in his Dix Avenue home last July 6. Henry knew him, and is alleged to have set up a robbery through an online posting Jenks made seeking a sexual encounter. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik took to Facebook late Tuesday morning to write a 500-plus-word post explaining how she communicates with constituents while also criticizing some she dubbed small special interests for disruption and harassing her staff. Stefanik was adamant in her belief that she provides ample opportunities for those she represents to voice concerns and ideas directly to her. She pointed to more than 500 district events, hundreds of constituent meetings at her office in Washington, D.C., and nine telephone town halls during her first term as confirmation that she is communicating at a consistent level with her constituents. Having these respectful dialogues is important to me, the Republican from Willsboro wrote on Facebook, and I believe they are the most effective way for me to take your voice and priorities to Congress. Others across New Yorks 21st Congressional District disagree. Several protests calling for Stefanik to host local town halls have sprouted up across the North Country in recent weeks. One was attended by a dozen Tri-Lakers outside the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lake Placid last Thursday. A few activists also carried picket signs calling on Stefanik for town hall meetings at Saturdays Saranac Lake Winter carnival parade, in which Stefanik was scheduled to march but did not appear. A similar protest was held Tuesday outside Stefaniks district office in Glens Falls. At the time of the the Crowne Plaza protest, a spokesman for Stefanik did not confirm several Enterprise requests asking whether the congresswoman was there then. Since, Stefaniks office retroactively posted her schedule for last week, which details a staff planning session in Lake Placid last Thursday and a visit to Adirondack Health in Saranac Lake the next day. As of early Tuesday evening, there were no posted events on the congresswomans official schedule. The lack of listed events for current and subsequent weeks was a primary concern of protesters in Lake Placid last week. We dont know what shes doing until shes done it, said Joe Zeman, one of the protesters in Lake Placid. The schedule is two weeks behind. In the Facebook post Tuesday morning, Stefanik said that in coming months she will continue to invite groups of constituents to meet at her Glens Falls, Plattsburgh, Watertown and Washington offices. She said hundreds of groups have effectively advocated for their issues in this constructive format. And this week, my office will continue to be proactive in reaching out to numerous groups who have contacted us, she continued. Hearing their concerns and listening to their ideas is very important to me, even if we disagree. I believe in free speech and our ability to gather together and make our voices heard. The congresswoman, though, then said the activism against her is unfortunate and counterproductive, describing the protests as hijacks and ambushes of community events for the sole purpose of political theater. Many members of various protest groups have repeatedly harassed my hardworking staff and have personally targeted specific staff members, Stefanik wrote. This type of intentionally disruptive behavior is unacceptable and unhelpful to civil public discourse. If it gets out of hand, we will continue to contact local law enforcement and U.S. Capitol police. Stefanik said the disruptions have challenged her staffs ability to serve constituents. As a result, she said she plans to invest in additional resources to address the thousands of calls her office receives weekly. Those Tri-Lakes locals who Stefanik seemingly criticized fired back as well on Tuesday. Now What?, an Adirondack-based grassroots progressive group that organized last Thursdays protest in Lake Placid, posted a reply to Stefanik on its Facebook page, saying it seems Stefaniks goal is to paint groups like Now What? as a crazy liberal mass that is damaging democracy. However, most of us in this group are trying to build bridges in our daily lives with people who see the world differently, the group wrote. Many of us have had constructive conversations with our neighbors and family members. It would be great for such dialogue to get attention because it is this sort of endeavor that will help the region thrive. Saranac Laker Emily Martz, one of the founders of Now What? who protested in Lake Placid last week, also responded to Stefaniks post. Martz said groups like hers are protesting because they are concerned that hate speech from President Donald Trump is trickling down to the local level. You have a tough job, theres no doubt about it, Martz said of Stefanik. But we trusted you by voting you into office. Now you need to trust us to have a conversation. More than 125 Facebook users commented on Stefaniks post in the seven hours after it went online, some in support, some critical. To wrap up the post, Stefanik wrote that if constituents want to meet in her office, they should submit requests to https://stefanik.house.gov/contact/request-appearance. She added that she plans to post weekly updates of the number of calls and letters her office has responded to. Stefanik, 32, just began her second term representing the North Countrys 21st Congressional District after easily defeating Democrat Mike Derrick and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello in November. She defeated Derrick by more than 35 percent of the vote and won all 12 counties in the district. American immigrants Albert Vanderwyst and Jacob Kitzinger never knew each other, but its a good bet they would have had a lot to talk about had they met. Both men launched barrel and drum businesses in the Midwest more than a century ago with little more than basic work skills and a drive to succeed. Vanderwyst, from the Netherlands, had a cooperage in Cleveland, Ohio, that evolved into Greif Inc. Kitzinger, from Hungary, founded Kitzinger Cooperage in St. Francis. Years later, it was bought by Mid-America Steel Drum Co., which is part of Greifs EarthMinded network. Kitzinger came to America in 1913 aboard a ship on which he was apprenticed to a cooper, or barrel maker. Skipping the return voyage home, he stayed in Wisconsin and ended up making barrels in Madison. By 1930, Kitzinger was living in Cudahy where he worked for Cudahy Brothers making pork barrels. He also started a barrel business in his garage the beginning of Kitzinger Cooperage. When he moved to whats now St. Francis, he was making wine and beer barrels. His family had two cows, chickens and no running water, according to the St. Francis Historical Society. Kitzinger Cooperage closed during World War II. Barrel-making materials were scarce during the war and Jacob Kitzinger opened a tavern in South Milwaukee. After the war, however, Kitzingers sons, Carl and Jacob Jr., resurrected the barrel business. In 2011, they sold it to competitor Mid-America Steel Drum. Greifs origins are similar. In the late 1800s, Vanderwyst partnered with William Greif of Cleveland. U.S. Census records from 1860 describe Vanderwyst as a laborer who owned personal property worth $60, but no land. By 1870, he was listed as a cooper who owned $3,000 worth of real estate and had $1,000 in additional personal property. Vanderwyst died in 1882 from a wasting away disease called marasmus, now thought to be cancer. After Vanderwysts death, William Greifs brothers Charles, Louis and Thomas joined the business, which was renamed Greif Brothers Company. The cooperage made barrels strong enough to ship heavy spikes to railroads in the booming American West. As business flourished, Greif Brothers purchased nearly 300,000 acres of timberland to provide raw materials for its manufacturing plants. The company still owns and manages forests in the U.S. and Canada. Greif Inc., the successor to Greif Brothers, was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2002. Eight years later, it established the Container Life Cycle Management joint venture, which now includes the Mid-America Steel Drum operations in Milwaukee, St. Francis and Oak Creek, as well as drum reconditioning facilities in Indiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. The aforementioned trio are the foremost hospitals in Ghana; in fact they are the best the country has to offer. But as it stands now, even these hospitals appear not to be up to standard. A hospital is supposed to be a place where lives are saved, however, the situation in Ghana is gradually appearing otherwise per the recent turn of events. It was one of Ghanas darkest days in the recent times when news broke that five patients of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) had died in the last seven days as a result of oxygen shortage. A letter written by Dr. Michael Leat Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA) to the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital stated that the KATH had become a death trap, and that the doctors are tired of presiding over deaths. The letter further revealed that the hospital lacked several basic things that doctors needed in order to discharge their duties diligently. According to the letter, five patients had been lost in the last seven days as a result of a shortage in oxygen. As one of the top-three hospitals in the country, the KATH should be offering far better. But as it stands, it serves up a recipe for serious thought. More worrying is the fact that the other two hospitals that should be setting the pace the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) and the 37 Military Hospital are also entangled in this sort of deficiency. Last year, there was a shortage of doctors at the KBTH which forced the hospital into attending to only specialized cases, to the detriment of other patients. Earlier in January this year the National Intensive Care Unit of the hospital was again hit by water shortage. The situation was so bad that nurses and other health officials had to walk long distances with plastic barrels (gallons) in search of water. The 37 Military Hospital although better off than the others is also still fazed by petty, avoidable problems. In the end, the story is the same as it has always been. The long speeches, the unending complains and a careless approach to solving issues; that is why Ghanas foremast hospitals are gradually becoming death traps and it leaves much to be desired. For a country looking to improve in the health sector, the maintenance of hospitals should be a priority. However, that has been relegated, and it is the ordinary citizen that faces the consequences. The death trap is not only a faulty, falling bridge on top of a gutter; neither is it a dangerous building waiting to collapse. Any hospital that cannot supply enough oxygen to its patients is a death trap. If a health facility lacks water supply to cater for its intensive units, it immediately becomes a death trap; and if any hospital is short of doctors, then it is also a death trap. Enough has already been said with very little action backing the words. But if five citizens can die in the space of seven days due to a lack of oxygen, then Ghanas hospitals are reaching a point when they will eventually become death traps. Update March 9, 2017 A faulty oxygen producing machine that has reportedly been abandoned at the Tamale Teaching Hospital has resulted in at least seven deaths. Repairs for the oxygen supply point of the health facility requires a little below GHS 30,000. Seven babies at the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) reportedly died on Monday, March 6, 2017 due to the lack of sufficient oxygen supply to the unit. The Head of the Oxygen Unit, Godwin Nyanyo explained the reason for the constant shortage of oxygen at the health centre to Accra-based Starr FM: The pump has the bearings broken in them and we need to replace the bearings on the pump and the seals and the motor is also a challenge; it heats up after some hours of running so ideally we will need to change the electric motor. The dryer also has some leaking problems so we need to reconfigure the pipelines so we can work on the dryer, take the condenser out and repair the leakage. The policy is set to begin in September 2017 and is estimated to cost GHS3.6 billion yearly, analyses by the B&FT have shown. About 1.6 million eligible students between the ages of 15-17 years across the country are expected to benefit from the policy when it begins in September this year. Currently, there are about 432,780 SHS students in the country per the 2015/16 academic year data, and the government spends GHS2, 312 on each student per year. The president, Nana Akufo-Addo over the weekend said the free public SHS education was aimed at building an educated populace for speedy national development and progress. "By free SHS, we mean that in addition to tuition, which is already free, there will be no admission fees, no library fees, no science centre fees, no computer laboratory fees, no examination fees, no utility fees. There will be free textbooks, free boarding and free meals and day students will get a meal at school for free. "Free SHS will also cover agricultural, vocational and technical institutions at the high school level," Nana Addo said. Many have since kicked against the move, saying it will not be feasible. A retired Ghanaian diplomat, K.B Asante said the implementation will not be sustainable especially with the financial situation of the country. The Head of Economics at IMANI, Patrick Stephenson has also said the government's implementation of the free Senior High School (SHS) policy will fail due to the current economic conditions. Some analysts believe the country should rather focus on accessibility and retention of students in schools due to questions over how the policy can be sustained. But speaking to Journalists on Tuesday on the sidelines of a Graphic-Stanbic breakfast forum, Mr. Marfo said: We are going to look at the Heritage Fund. The Heritage [Fund] implies for the future. We want to introduceand the president mentioned it last week [Free Senior High School] and it is likely to be funded through the Petroleum Act [Heritage Fund]. He said the government will amend the Act to allocate some portions of the fund to the implementation of the policy. Heritage Fund Speaking at a lecture in Kenya dubbed Mind Speak ex-president Mahama said African leaders who leave power when the applause is loudest earn the respect of their citizens. Leave when applause is loudest, Mahama said this was contained in a letter his father, a minister in the Nkrumah regime, had written to the then Head of State, General Kutu Acheampong, telling him to leave when the applause is loudest. READ ALSO: Registrar of Health Facilities Regulatory Agency dismissed Throughout the course of my Presidency, I was both applauded and criticised. I was both revered and reviled. When you find yourself standing at the centre of all that sound and fury, it is difficult to determine when it is, indeed, the loudest. When the ball is in your possession, you do your best to move it forward, but then you must inevitably pass that ball to the next player and wish him or her the best in making progress because the victory that comes is not claimed by you or any of the other players. He cited the 2016 electioneering in Ghana when President Nana Akufo Addo was declared the winner. He said the positive responses he gave and developments after the December 7 general election when he called the winner, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to concede defeat to him, was one major reason the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) requested him to participate in two missions to Banjul, The Gambia to get Yahya Jammeh to accept the will of the Gambian people and hand over power to Mr Adama Barrow, but which he refused. READ ALSO: Tema General hospital throws weight behind mortuary attendant in seized corpse saga He added that he was applauded by many when he was introduced at the swearing-in ceremony of Nana Akufo Addo on January 7, 2017. Last month, I attended the inauguration of President Akufo-Addo. When I exited my vehicle and my arrival was publicly announced, there was a loud round of applause. Again, I thought of my father and those words: Leave when the applause is loudest. Suddenly, I understood those words in a way I never had before, he said. Former president Mahama said even though democracy is non-negotiable, it must not be a one-size-fits-all system. Each country has to find the type of democracy that best fits the needs of its citizenry; each democracy has to be shaped by the will of the people, by their collective voice, he stressed. He, however, emphasised that regardless of the form that democracy took, each democracy, at its core, is a system of governance that is fuelled by the will of the people. We need to work at it, we need to stay the course of structural reform. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! The Confide messaging app is used by White House staff members to talk about the Trump administration in private, The Washington Post and Axios reported. The reason staffers chose Confide over other secure messaging apps like Signal is that Confide erases messages as soon as they're read. This feature has led to a spike in Confide users not only within the government, but also within journalism. "Suddenly popular among White House reporters: Confide," Olivier Knox, a Washington correspondent for Yahoo, tweeted on Tuesday. "It's absolutely bananas over here," Confide President Jon Brod told Business Insider about the attention the small New York-based company has received after the recent reports. Confide is also introducing a new, free verified-badge program for reporters around the world, Brod said in a Confide message. The blue checkmark will go next to the journalist's username, similar to Twitter. Here's what you need to know about Confide, the self-destructing-messages app: This is what Confide looks like. Those blocks mean you've received a message but haven't opened it. It's available on most platforms, including Mac, iOS, and Android. To read a message, you hold your finger on the blocks, which reveals the message underneath, line by line. This makes it harder to screenshot or photograph the entire message. When you've finished reading or some time has elapsed, the message disappears, and the app shows an animation of the blocks crumbling. Confide is also useful because these self-destructing and limited-viewing features can also be applied to images and documents. It's free, but you can pay to unlock additional features, including message retraction. The self-destructing feature especially is why White House staffers worried about being caught leaking have adopted the app. According to Axios, "numerous senior GOP operatives and several members of the Trump administration have downloaded the app, spurred by the airing of hacked Democratic emails." White House staffers are using Confide because they're worried about being accused of leaking information to the media, The Washington Post reported. Confide says it deletes all messages from its servers and wipes them from people's devices after they've been read. Still, some security researchers are skeptical about Confide's cryptography bona fides, mostly because the app is not open-source like Signal and may use old protocols. You can download Confide for iPhone, Mac, Android, and Windows. Toshiba on Tuesday issued a grim preliminary earnings forecast, which prompted its chairman to resign as it hinted at a fresh accounting scandal. Toshiba warned it was on track to report a net loss of 390 billion yen ($3.4 billion) in the current fiscal year to March, as it faced a huge writedown topping 700 billion yen at Westinghouse. The Japanese industrial giant said that lawyers and an independent auditing firm were probing an acquisition by its US atomic division Westinghouse Electric, just hours after it missed a deadline to publish its financial results. A whistleblower had complained that Westinghouse executives exerted "inappropriate pressure" over accounting at the firm, Toshiba said. Toshiba failed to report its results as scheduled and later said it had requested a one-month extension for submitting the April-December earnings to market regulators. READ ALSO: Celebrity Wedding The adorable baby, Lorde has been made brand ambassador of Royal Monopoly diapers. READ ALSO:Photo Of The Day Speaking at the press conference, the General Manager of Royal Group company revealed that, the Royal Monopoly Diaper is the highest product you will ever find on the market.We felt there is no better combination for this product than Kafui and Baby Lorde, so after our internal deliberation, we decided to go for Baby Lorde as the face of the product Royal Monopoly Baby Diaper. READ ALSO:Wife Over Girlfriend Kafui had also taken to her Instagram page to share the news. We will always complement each other....And that's how we monopolized ROYALTY. LORDE is Royal#BabyLorde. #RoyalMonopoly#BabyDiapers #BrandAmbassador. We're grateful". READ ALSO: Feud He emphasized that God will punish these men who mistreat their wives emotionally and physically through their words and actions. The 33-year-old listed some of the things women want from their husbands and how the men can ensure peace and harmony in their matrimonial home and strengthen their relationship. READ ALSO:Photo Of The Day "5 Val's day tip for men..... 1. Give her attention, she loves it 2. Listen to her even if you are not in the mood. She will eventually fall asleep. 3. Don't tell her she's become fat...tell her you both need to start gyming. (That's a much much better way of saying she's put on weight) READ ALSO:Celebrity Wedding 4. When women get angry, they will insult even your ancestors, my brother, take it in good faith. 5. Even if she's not the only one, treat her with respect. Don't give your girlfriend $1000 and your wife $200. God will punish you. He was speaking after a private meeting with President Nana Akufo-Addo on Wednesday (February 15, 2017) at the Flagstaff House in Accra. We hope to have an even deeper friendship going forward and particularly we want to make sure that British firms come here in greater numbers and in greater strengths to invest in Ghana and, if I may say so, take advantage of the fantastic opportunities there are in this country, Boris said. He admitted that the UK and Ghana have similar interest in terms of foreign policy and security as well as ensuring stability of the region, which affects us in Europe as much as anybody else. He praised the many Ghanaians who have contributed to the success of the UK during his tenure as the Mayor of London. As you know, I used to be Mayor of London and in our great city, we were fortunate beneficiaries of many Ghanaians who contributed massively to our society.We have several MPs in the UK of Ghanaian extraction as you may know and it is a huge pleasure to be able to congratulate you personally, on your triumph and to see your government fluidly underway to meet the challenges the people of Ghana want you to meet, he stated. READ ALSO: Barrow welcomes British Foreign Minister for first time since independence President Nana Akufo-Addo also described the talks with the British Foreign Secretary as fruitful. He said it was mainly on foreign policy, security in the sub-region and trade cooperation. I think that a lot of work has been done to make sure that the relations between us and Great Britain continue to be on an even keel and that the areas for greater trade cooperation and business cooperation; both sides are looking at that to see what can be done to improve. At the end of the day, we are both concerned about what we can do to improve the lives of our various people, and that is the main consideration, President Akufo-Addo added. The Member of Parliament for Windsor and the UKs Prime Ministers Trade Envoy to Ghana Adam Afriyie accompanied Johnson on the visit. According to him, the car was an old car which he had used for nine years. A list revealing 70 former government appointees who bought state vehicles prior to the exit of erstwhile Kufuor administration on January 7 2009 circulated on social media on Monday. Nana Akomea in a Facebook post on Monday, February 14, 2017, said "This official car offered me was a nine-year-old (S reg) Skoda Octavia, which l was given as official car in 2001, and which l used for 9 years. That GHC800 in August 2008 was equivalent to eight hundred dollars ($800)". READ ALSO:Mahama releases list of vehicles handed over to Nana Addo His statement follows claims by the government that over 200 vehicles have gone missing at the Flagstaff House. Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin in an eralier interview said "President Akufo Addo is currently using a 2007 BMW model purchased by the state during the Ghana @50 celebrations...That is what he is using. So where are the cars?" he questioned. He was in Kenya to address private sector at a High Tea event hosted by the Kenyan Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA). Mahama in his address said the tendency of new governments in Africa to cancel agreements signed by a former government did not auger well for business growth. He also said politics should be about serving the people of a country and not a do or die affair. Over the weekend, he took time off his busy schedule to relax at Kenyas Maasai Mara National Reserve. READ MORE: Driver petitions Nana Addo to sack Chief Justice Togbe Agorkoli IV, who was accompanied by the President of Ghanas House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, and 9 other Paramount Chiefs from Togo and the Volta Region, noted that his visit to President Akufo-Addo was to extend fraternal greetings from the people of Notsie, the ancestral home of Ewes, and the people of Togo, to Ghanaians. He noted that the decision by President Akufo-Addo to accept his request for a meeting is indicative of the respect Ghanas President has for the institution of Chieftaincy. As Chiefs, Togbe Agorkoli indicated that their responsibility is to adhere to the vision of their respective Heads of State, and, thus, admonished all Ghanaian traditional rulers to extend their full support and co-operation to the government of President Akufo-Addo so development, progress and prosperity can be extended to all parts of the country. Togbe Agorkoli IV also used the opportunity of his visit to invite the President to the well-known September 9, 2017 festival of the people of Notsie. Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, who also addressed the meeting, indicated that one of the reasons for the courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo by Togbe Agorkoli is because "he was inspired by your pledge and commitment to the Ghanaian people to be a Father for all." He added that the boldness of vision already espoused by President Akufo-Addo is one which will ensure that all ethnic and religious groupings are united with the common goal of developing the country. READ MORE: President Akufo-Addo, taking his turn to address the delegation, thanked Togbe Agorkoli for the courtesy of his visit, and reciprocated the goodwill messages extended to him by the King of Notsie. The investigative ad-hoc committee formed by Parliament will begin sitting on Wednesday, February 15, 2017. READ ALSO: Suhuyini apologises to Appointments Committee The committee has 30 days within which to present its report. The four other members are MPs Ben Abdallah Banda (Offinso South), Ama Pomaah Boateng (Juabeng), Magnus Kofi Amoateng (Yilo Krobo) and Benson Tongo Baba (Talensi). Mahama Ayariga said on Accra-based Radio Gold that the Energy Minister Agyarko sent money to the minority side in an attempt to influence their decision on his approval after he was vetted for the position. The NDC Member of Parliament said they (the minority) received the money thinking it was sitting allowance for being part of the Appointments Committee only to be told it was coming from the minister designate. He said they rejected the money and asked that the money is returned to him. But the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Osei Owusu, subsequently denied this allegation and described it as illogical and ill-motivated on the floor of parliament. These motorists who call themselves okada group stationed at Madina Station have called on the NPP Government to intervene on their behalf. According to them, riding okada is what they do to feed themselves and families, notwithstanding helping ease traffic congestion in Accra. Their cry follows a decision from the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, to kick against the proposed legalization of the commercial use of motorbikes known as Okada operations. They argued that the open sided nature of motorbikes exposes riders and patrons to danger and legalizing its commercial use could increase motorbike accidents which are already high. The DVLA and MTTD suggested that mass transport, roads and other means of transport should be prioritized to enhance the transport system in the country instead of legalizing an operation which would promote lawlessness. Some motorists in Madina, however, told Pulse.com.gh the Okada business is their only source of livelihood. Ibrahim a 33-year-old rider told Pulse Ghana on Wednesday: We are helping the country greatly. If we should tell you the people who come here for our services, you would baffle. This morning we had a police officer, bank manager, lawyer and a soldier come for us to take them to Accra but I told my boys to refuse because they were arresting Okada riders in Accra.Chairman of the Okada group named Morro, added:We thought we were voting for change, now that the change is here Nana wants to ban Okada. Nana Addo please we are pleading with you, allow us to do our work in peace. Musah Adama, a motorist with the group said We are here helping people and easing traffic and DVLA wants us banned, no problem. We would just gather in front of banks and rob people to survive. I just dont understand why they won't leave us alone. When you go to Kumasi, you would see a lot of robbers there who have been left unarrested but here we are working and you claim you want to ban it. What is the reason? Pulse.com.gh also spoke to other people who had different opinions to the ban or legalization. Madam Magdalene, a cosmetic dealer at Madina mentioned that these riders should be banned. They are the major cause of accidents in the country lately. They should be banned. Kwaku Osei also said his concern was the way some of them are careless with their driving. He continued that many of them are thieves as well, snatching bags when passengers are not even looking. However, Nana Osarfo argued that "Okada business is someones job and so it is important that government puts regulations in place." We should remember that people are complaining of unemployment in the country already. If they should ban the riders, we should ask ourselves where would they go? Osarfo questioned. Meanwhile some Members of Parliament (MPs) from rural constituencies, on the floor of Parliament on Friday, February 10 that motorbikes were faster, convenient and cost effective means of transport in their constituencies. Appearing before the first public hearing of the ad-hoc committee investigating the alleged scandal, Mr Osei Owusu narrated what happened at a closed-door meeting on the matter. In the conclave, after they had shown that they [Minority] were satisfied and were willing to withdraw their objection and agree for their report to be amended that Hon Osafo Maafo and Boakye Agyarko be passed by consensus, we were going to leave and I said no, there was this allegation already in the public domain, and Honourable Ayariga is the one alleged to have made that allegation so we should discuss that matter after meeting, all the Minority members said was Mr. Speaker cool down , cool down and I said ; How can I cool down? This allegation is already in the public domain. It was at that point that Okudzeto Ablakwa said because Agyarko said our President [Mahama] was corrupt, we were spreading the corruption allegation. The mood in the room changed afterwards. Mr. Osei-Owusu was however not able to tell whether Mr Okudzeto was joking about his statement or not. Meanwhile, the ad-hoc committee has stated that they will invite only 4 witnesses during their sitting. They include Chairman of the Appointments Committee Joe Osei-Owusu, Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak, Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga and Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko. Mr Mahama Ayariga had earlier said that the Energy Minister Agyarko sent money to the minority side in an attempt to influence their decision on his approval after he was vetted for the position. The NDC Member of Parliament said they (the minority) received the money thinking it was sitting allowance for being part of the Appointments Committee only to be told it was coming from the minister designate. READ ALSO:Boakye Agyarko considers legal action against Mahama Ayariga READ ALSO: But, during the maiden public sitting of the committee on Wednesday, 15 February, the Essikado Ketan MP and now substantive Minister of state said: The conflict of interest of members of the committee as Members of Parliament investigating their own members has been answered by the comments that have been made. [As regards] conflict of interest of the chairman who appeared before the Appointments Committee, I dont see any conflict of interest. Article 284 of the Constitution says that a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with the performance of the functions of his duty. I am a public officer as Member of Parliament. Unfortunately I dont agree with those who think that my sitting as chairman poses a conflict of interest. I will, therefore, not recuse myself. READ ALSO: Prof Mike Ocquaye on Tuesday, January 31, 2017, constituted a five-member committee to investigate the corruption allegation made by some members of the minority in parliament. The committee will be chaired by former attorney general and MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey, and has 30 days within which to present its report. The four other members are MPs Ben Abdallah Banda (Offinso South), Ama Pomaah Boateng (Juabeng), Magnus Kofi Amoateng (Yilo Krobo) and Benson Tongo Baba (Talensi). 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. READ ALSO: The eight others include: the Jaubenhene Nana Otuo Siriboe II, Nana Kofi Obiri Egyir II, Mrs. Alberta Cudjoe, Alhaji Aminu Amadu, Dr. Margaret Amoakohene, Alhaji Sahanun Moqtar, Mrs. Georgina Kusi, Alhaji Sule Yiremiah and Mr. Paa Kofi Ansong. The Council of State must also include a former Chief Justice, a former Chief of the Defence Staff and a former Inspector General of Police and the President of the National House of Chiefs. President Akufo-Addo has therefore appointed General J.B. Danquah, a former Chief of Defence Staff of the Armed Forces, and Nana Owusu Nsiah, a former Inspector General of Police, to the Council pending approval from parliament. READ ALSO: The President of the National House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, is also an ex-officio a member of the Council. Currently, there is no living former Chief Justice, thus the president was unable to propose a name for the approval of Parliament. The composition of the Council of State will be completed with the election of the regional representatives, scheduled to come off on Thursday, February 16. They are Mr Joe Osei Owusu, the First Deputy of Speaker and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bekwai who has already appeared before the committee on Wednesday morning. Others are Alhaji Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, the Minority Chief Whip and MP for Asawasi, Mr Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central and Mr Boakye Agyarko, Energy Minister and MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon. READ ALSO: Mr Joe Ghartey, Chairman of the committee who made this known at the first public hearing on Wednesday said any other member of the committee who has any information that would be useful to the committee should submit a memoranda by Friday. Upon receipt of the memoranda we will decide whether it is necessary to call that person as a witness or we shall just examine the memoranda that the person has submit and prepare our report, he said. The Committee will meet again after Wednesdays meeting. Meanwhile, Joe Ghartey, has said he will not recuse himself over a potential conflict of interest situation. Some Ghanaians raised issues of conflict of interest about Mr Ghartey following his appointment as chair of the investigative committee prior to his own vetting as Minister-designate of Railway Development. But the Essikado Ketan MP and now substantive Minister of state said: The conflict of interest of members of the committee as Members of Parliament investigating their own members has been answered by the comments that have been made. [As regards] conflict of interest of the chairman who appeared before the Appointments Committee, I dont see any conflict of interest. In a Facebook post on his timeline, he said the Joe Ghartey-led committee have not formally invited him as a witness for the investigation. So how come the Hon Joe Ghartey Committee is sitting today and I still do not have my invitation? Ah well, maybe my truth will not matter. Mahama Ayariga said on Accra-based Radio Gold that the Energy Minister Agyarko sent money to the minority side in an attempt to influence their decision on his approval after he was vetted for the position. The NDC Member of Parliament said they (the minority) received the money thinking it was sitting allowance for being part of the Appointments Committee only to be told it was coming from the minister designate. He said they rejected the money and asked that the money is returned to him. But the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Osei Owusu, subsequently denied this allegation and described it as illogical and ill-motivated on the floor of parliament. The Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and his counterpart representing Tamale North Constituency Alhassan Suhuyini supported Ayarigas claim. Suhuyini says because of this he expects that is the other two have been invited he should have been invited as well. Meanwhile, the ad-hoc committee has stated that they will invite only 4 witnesses during their sitting. The sale, which leaves Buffett with nearly no shares in Walmart, comes as the US's largest traditional retailer has been rushing to catch up to Amazon and other online competitors. Amazon's market value is now $356 billion, compared with Walmart's $298 billion. Last year, Buffett acknowledged that traditional brick-and-mortar retailers were struggling in the face of competition from the e-commerce giant. "It is a big, big force, and it has already disrupted plenty of people, and it will disrupt more," Buffett said at his annual shareholders' meeting in 2016, according to Bloomberg. Buffett has been paring his stake in Walmart since. He first bought shares in Walmart in 2005. He said Amazon's competitors, "including us in a few areas, have not figured the way to either participate in it or to counter it." Since the end of 2014, Walmart shares have fallen 21%, compared with a jump of 119% in Amazon. Former Walmart CEO Mike Duke said in 2012 that his biggest regret as CEO was not investing more in e-commerce to better compete with Amazon. "I wish we had moved faster. We've proven ourselves to be successful in many areas, and I simply wonder why we didn't move more quickly. This is especially true for e-commerce," Duke said at the time. "Right now we're making tremendous progress, and the business is moving, but we should have moved faster to expand this area." While Walmart has since invested billions in e-commerce, it holds a tiny share of the market compared with Amazon. Walmart's online sales were $13.7 billion in 2015, compared with Amazon's $107 billion. Walmart is still ahead in overall sales with $482 billion, more than four times as much as Amazon's revenue. Buffett's retail instincts have proved correct before he predicted the downfall of Sears and Kmart in 2005. "Retailing is like shooting at a moving target," Buffett said at the time. "Turning around a retailer that has been slipping for a long time would be very difficult. Can you think of an example of a retailer that was successfully turned around?" Sears has since closed hundreds of stores and seems to be headed for bankruptcy. Macy's and JCPenney are also closing hundreds of stores across the US. While Walmart's footprint hasn't shrunk, many analysts say the US is still over-stored. Elected officials and party operatives have used language related to the scandal that sank Richard Nixon's presidency, and even mentioned it outright. The statements came after Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser on Monday night after having misled the White House about the content of his communications with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office. In addition, The New York Times reported Tuesday that intercepted phone calls showed that members of Trump's campaign had multiple contacts with Russian intelligence officials before the US election. Trump and his administration had denied that such communication took place. "The parallels to Watergate here are eerie, I have to say," Robby Mook, who was Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, said on CNN on Wednesday. The Watergate scandal began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, in 1972, which Mook said was comparable to Russian intelligence hacking into the DNC's email system and releasing the emails through WikiLeaks. "Now, at every step, we're learning more and more, and it's getting closer and closer to the president himself," he said. The DNC itself went further than Mook, saying the ties between Trump and Russia had already eclipsed the Watergate scandal, which resulted in several Nixon aides being criminally convicted and serving sentences in either jail or prison. "This is already bigger than Watergate," DNC senior adviser Zac Petkanas, who formerly worked on the Clinton campaign, said in a statement. "The sanctity of our democracy demands an immediate, independent, transparent investigation into the connections between Donald Trump, his staff, and the Russian government." When speaking about Flynn's resignation zeroing in on a Washington Post report that said the acting attorney general had warned the White House weeks earlier that the national security adviser could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail elected Democrats including Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware repeated a phrase made famous during the Senate's Watergate hearings: "What did the president know, and when did he know it?" The comparison also made waves outside of the Democratic Party. Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather posted a Facebook status on the subject that was shared widely. "Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, until maybe now," he wrote. "It was the closest we came to a debilitating constitutional crisis, until maybe now. Speaking at a military conference in Maryland, Gen. Raymond Thomas told attendees: "Our government continues to be in unbelievable turmoil. I hope they sort it out soon because we're a nation at war." Thomas didn't mention any specific issues with the government. But his remarks came less than a month into the Trump administration and less than a day after Michael Flynn abruptly resigned as national security adviser over the fallout of his having discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the US before Trump took office. A New York Times report published Tuesday evening also said Trump campaign officials spoke with Russian intelligence officials often before the election, and a Times investigation into Trump's National Security Council revealed a chaotic decision-making process. From The Times: "Three weeks into the Trump administration, council staff members get up in the morning, read President Trump's Twitter posts and struggle to make policy to fit them. Most are kept in the dark about what Mr. Trump tells foreign leaders in his phone calls. Some staff members have turned to encrypted communications to talk with their colleagues, after hearing that Mr. Trump's top advisers are considering an 'insider threat' program that could result in monitoring cellphones and emails for leaks." When asked later about his comments, Thomas told The Times: "As a commander, I'm concerned our government be as stable as possible." It's rather uncharacteristic for a top active-duty military officer to offer such public critiques, but it's not the first time. A military judge said earlier this week that Trump's campaign rhetoric about Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl on the campaign trail was "disturbing." The video of the dastardly act which became viral on the social media and drew condemnation from Nigerians has actually catapulted the man, Tobias Chijioke Uraku, into a celebrity as he is being feted by many, including the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, who invited the victim to the state house. When Uraku who is a native of Ikwo Local Government Area in Ebonyi, visited the Governor during the state Executive Council meeting, he was treated to a dinner and at the end of the day, he was given the sum of N500,000 by Umahi who also promised to set up a business for him. Before visiting Governor Umahi, Uraku was also invited by the military authorities where he met with top military officers who also promised to make sure the soldiers are adequately punished for what they did. Meanwhile, Governor Umahi has called on the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai to make sure the two soldiers are sacked from the army as well as prosecuted immediately. Do not answer just yet because the lover's holiday has been banned in Pakistan? A court in the populous Asian country has banned Valentine's Day activities in public in Islamabad, the country's capital city. It was banned because it was successfully argued that Val's Day has no part in Muslim culture. The court has also directed the media not to cover any Valentine related event. According to Dawn Newspaper, the petition to ban the lover's day argued that it celebrated immorality, nudity and indecency. This is the first time a ban has been placed on Valentine's Day in the city. The ban will however not affect restaurants and shops. A year ago, President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain said Valentine's Day should not be embraced because it was not part of the country's culture. In some highly religious countries, fragrances, condoms and chocolates have been banned for Valentine's Day celebrations. Believe it or not but in Malaysia which is predominantly Muslim, females have been told to avoid the excessive use of emoticons and fragrance by The National Muslim Youth Association. In 2015, the Islamic clerical body in Indonesia threatened a fatwa against condom and chocolate sales during Valentine's Day. Nigeria is a conservative society but it is highly unlikely that the government would ban Valentine's Day on religious grounds. Also, there hasn't been any history of religious bodies actively discouraging people not to celebrate Val's. Valentine's Day is a big day for most businesses across the country. In terms of sales, it is probably up there in terms of the amount of money spent. Musa admitted before Justice B. O. Quadri, who convicted him, that he has been smoking weed for the past 15 years. The convict who used to be a fruit seller, however, pleaded with the court to temper Justice with mercy, saying he has three children and an aged parent. Quadri sentenced Musa after he pleaded guilty to the charge levelled against him. He said based on the confessional statement of the defendant and his admission in the court, the convict is hereby found guilty as charged. Though the convict is a first time offender who seems remorseful, however he must be punished to serve as deterrent to others." The convict is hereby sentence to two years imprisonment with hard labour and without an option of fine, he said.The convict, according to the NDLEA prosecutor, Mr Mike Kassa, was arrested at the Fruit Market Zuba, Abuja, on May 12, 2016 with 5kilogrammes of cannabis sativa. Medina Wahab, a resident of Shao area of ilorin, had prayed the court to dissolve her marriage because her husband, Alabi Wahab, was in the habit of assaulting and battering her and failed in his responsibility to cater to her need. She said her marriage was contracted in 2007 and had produced four children. My husband always beats me to unconsciousness whenever I ask him for money or food" My lord, I want to end this marriage because I cannot continue to stay with an irresponsible husband, she said. The presiding Judge, Mr. Ibrahim Abdulkadri, noted that the defendant was absent in court after being invited by the court three times. The Nigerians who had cried out to their government to save them from the hell they were living in were deported back to the country on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, and they have been narrating their woes. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the deportees, some of whom broke down in tears while others gave praises to God on arrival, revealed how their search for a better life turned into a nightmare for them. The returnees who numbered about 161, voluntarily returned to the country assisted by the International Organisation for Migration after being detained for several months in Libya. Some of them said they had traveled to the North African country with the hope of crossing into Europe through the Mediterranean Sea in search of jobs. One of the returnees, Bridget Akeamo, who hails from Anambra State, said her parents decided to send her to Italy when all hopes of securing a job after graduation faded. Akeamo who said she left Nigeria in August 2016, came back home with a four-months-old pregnancy, a result of rape. She said she was arrested by immigration officials while trying to cross to Italy from Libya. Ever since my arrest, I have been moved from one prison to another until I was taken to a detention camp in Tripoli. We were subjected to inhuman treatment while in prison, from the food we ate to the water we drank. Most of the young ladies in detention camp were repeatedly raped by Libyan officials; and if you refused their advances, it would be hell for you. Thank God I am back in Nigeria. I know all hope is not lost, but it is painful that I will begin from scratch again with my unborn child. 34-year-old Stanley Iduh, an indigene of Delta State, said he was tricked by an agent who promised to facilitate his journey to Spain through Libya. Iduh said that when his hopes of crossing into Spain were dashed in Libya, he decided to stay back and work there. I worked in a tile producing company and their salary was good, but unfortunately, I could save my money in the bank. I lived with other Nigerians. I dug a hole in the ground and hid my money in it. Unfortunately, one day, some Libyans came, kidnapped us and inflicted punishment on us. They asked us to call our relations back in Nigeria and tell them to send N300,000 as our ransom. The $200,000 that I saved disappeared; they moved us to another place until we got to a detention camp. Nigerians should be discouraged from traveling to Libya because they dont see us as human beings. Our ladies were dehumanized by Libyan officials. It is very painful. Iduh added that he had to sell the house left for him by his late father before traveling to Libya, urging the federal and state governments as well as wealthy Nigerians to create jobs for the youths. It was because I was jobless for three years that I was cajoled to travel abroad to look for greener pasture. I am back in the country after eight months, devastated and humiliated. I have gone to look for greener pasture, but here I am today; I have brought nothing green back home, he said, with tears running down his cheeks. For Paul and Marvellous Isikhuemhen who are twin brothers, their journey to Libya to look for greener pastures in March and May 2016, respectively, ended in a nightmare. Marvellous said he regretted traveling out of the country because of the bitter encounter he and his brother had in Libya. The brothers urged the Nigerian government to stop young ladies from traveling to Libya, saying they were molested by Libyan immigration officials. They said most Nigerian ladies bribe Nigerian immigration officers to secure travel documents to travel to Libya, adding that most of the children brought back home by these ladies have no fathers. Anthony, who gave the advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, said that blood in urine might or might not be accompanied by pain. According to her, bladder is a hollow organ that collects urine from the kidneys through the ureters for storage and eventual removal from the body through the urethra. According to Anthony, bladder cancer is an abnormal growth of bladder cells common among men and women, adding that men had higher risk of having the disease than women. The medical practitioner said that painful blood in the urine could be caused by a number of disorders, including infections and stones in the urinary tract. Anthony said that painless blood in the urine could also be due to many causes, including cancer, adding that blood in the urine could also be referred to as hematuria. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is bleeding in the urine, while cigarette smoking is the most significant risk factor with smokers having three to four times more likely to get the disease than non-smokers. The initial treatment for bladder cancer is transurethral resection of the bladder tumour (TURBT), which removes the tumour from the bladder through the urethra and provides information on stage and grade of the tumour. Bladder cancer is staged and graded on how abnormal or aggressive cells appear under the microscope, to determine treatment and estimate prognosis for individual patients, she said. Anthony said that radical cystectomy provides the best chances of cure in patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer. She also said the prognosis of bladder cancer ranged from good to poor, depending on the stage and grade of the cancer. Dr Ibrahim Adamu, the Director of Public Health in the states Ministry of Health, made this disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lafia. Adamu said: Of the 11 confirmed cases recorded since the index case in November 2016, eight have died while three others are responding to treatment at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia. The three survivors in DASH are recovering very fast, two of them will be completing their treatment today Tuesday to be discharged while the other will complete his treatment by the weekend. Adamu also said that the number of people, who had contact with the patients and were being monitored, had risen to 82 from 66. All those identified contacts now under surveillance, have been placed on oral drugs and we monitor their temperature twice daily, he added. He said the State Government had shown commitment towards fighting the outbreak by providing the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and drugs for the treatment of the disease. According to him, the insinuation that health personnel are complaining of not having access to PPE is not true as the State Government has provided adequate PPEs to the hospitals. He explained that the PPE was meant to be given only to the health personnel giving service to the affected patients. There is a lot of anxiety for the disease, which makes everybody in any hospital where there is a confirmed case to want to wear the PPE. However, there is also a clear method of the transmission of the disease that people should be aware of and when the need to wear the PPE arises, he said. Adamu said that in order to allay the fear on the spread of the disease at the hospital, some wards at DASH had been designated as isolation centres for the Lassa fever patients. He added that the State Government had also approved the creation of a disease isolation centre along Shinge road in Lafia. The spokesman of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr Jude Nwauzor, made the announcement in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that AMCON had on Feb. 9 taken over the airline following its huge indebtedness to the company and other creditors, both local and foreign. Nwauzor said the suspension would enable Arik Air to find permanent solution to problems facing its passengers and carry out a thorough assessment of its situation. He said :The strategic business decision is meant to realign our operations and refocus on satisfying our domestic and West Africa and other international passengers. It will also present Arik with excellent opportunity to engage and discuss with creditors who have become restive since the intervention and have also understandably exhausted their patience due to non-payment of accumulated debt and non-performance on services and contracts. Nwauzor said consequent upon this, arrangements were being made to refund all international passengers of the airline that were affected by this decision. To our international creditors, Arik is most grateful for your patience and understanding. We reassure them that all pending issues with the airline will be duly addressed as a matter of priority as we plan to engage them in this regard, he added. ALSO READ: Passengers assault Arik Air staff over delayed flight According to him, the international route is very critical for the strategic turn around, growth strategy and stability of the airline. We appeal to all passengers to kindly bear with us as the decision is to ensure that the airline adheres strictly to international aviation best practices, he said. On behalf of the people of Agatu Local Government, I condemn the act carried out by some Agatu boys in Olegadamkolo village, which led to the death of a soldier and left two others injured, on Feb 11. I promise that the people will do everything necessary to bring out those responsible, he told the News agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Makurdi, while reacting to the incident. He appealed to the Chief of Army Staff to take it calmly with the people of Agatu, and assured the Army that his people would cooperate with the soldiers by offering information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators. The lawmaker condoled with the family of the deceased, and wondered why anyone would seek to attack soldiers deployed to protect the people from insurgents. He condemned the carrying of arms by youths not licensed to do that, and warned that anyone caught would not be spared. ALSO READ: Audu advised youths to take advantage of the amnesty programme by the Benue governor and submit weapons in their possession to avoid being arrested. As'ad's Bio As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants. This was disclosed by Kano coordinator of the group, Kabiru Ishaq Sa'idu to Daily Trust. We will observe two raka'at prayers at emir's palace and pray extensively for President Buhari. We wish our president quick recovery and safe return to Nigeria, he said. The Buhari supporters, under the umbrella of Citizens Support for Good Governance in Nigeria, had announced, on Monday, February 13, that they would hold rallies in Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Kaduna. As a people, we witnessed the systemic looting and raping of our collective resources and consciousness by a few, with far-reaching psychological damages which has rendered us bitter, bruised, battered and hopeless, co-convener of the rally, Moses Abdullahi, said in Abuja. We have a leader who we all know is different. We know he will not steal our resources, we know he will not sleep until things are made right for us and our children. We know he means well, what then must we do to help get it right faster? We must support President Muhammadu Buhari because with him, it can only get better, he said. According to the organizers of the rally, the event is necessary to show support for President Buhari who they say is setting Nigeria on the path of growth. The rallies come one week after citizens took to the street to protest against the policies of the Buhari administration. The protests, tagged I Stand with Nigeria held across the country and saw citizens demanding transparency and accountability from the government. President Buhari has been away from Nigeria since Thursday January 19, when he departed for a 10-day medical vacation in London. ALSO READ:Aisha Buhari takes photo with President Buhari in London During the vacation, the President will also undergo routine medical check-upsWhile away, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, will perform the functions of the Office of the President, a statement from presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina read at the time. The presidents silence during his vacation has however given rise to fears that he is in worse condition than the presidency wants to reveal. The government has also been forced on numerous occasions to dismiss rumours that the president had died. Its only in this part of the world that you wake up in the morning and you say the president of the country is dead. I will not join that kind of debate at all, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed said on January 25. Concerns about Buharis health status were heightened when he wrote the Senate, on Sunday, February 5, 2017, to extend his vacation indefinitely. President Buhari has extended his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors, a statement by Adesina read. However, various government officials have assured Nigerians that the president is hale and hearty. The President is hale and hearty. I spoke to him just this afternoon and we had a very long conversation, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo said on Monday, February 6. Hajiya Rakiya, Buharis only surviving elder sister also told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that her brother needs the prayers of every Nigerian for him to succeed in the task of addressing the problems facing the nation. I just returned from the lesser Hajj, and even while in Saudi Arabia, I was communicating with him every day, Rakiya popularly called Amadodo said. Senate President, Bukola Saraki also revealed that he spoke to Buhari on Wednesday, February 8, adding that the president was in good spirits. Lawal stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, February 14, while speaking with a group of pro-Buhari protesters under the auspices of Citizens Support for Good Governance in Nigeria (SGGN). He said the foundation being laid by Buhari is so solid that no one can destroy it long after the Presidents eight-year term. Lawal said: "Baba Buhari didn't anticipate the problem that we are in. The people who caused this problem are the one challenging the government. I tell you that they will fail in the name of God. "Shamelessly, they accused the president of not performing. And in fact, some of them wished him dead. But I can assure you that by the grace of God, he will outlive all of them. "I assure you that by the grace of God, in the next one year, Nigeria will have a booming economy. The foundation being laid by the government is solid. And nobody, even after the president has finished his eight years, can ever take us back to the pre-2015 days. This, I can assure you." ALSO READ: Buhari tells Senate he cant sack Babachir Lawal despite fraud allegations On Monday, February 13, the Nigerian Presidency released a statement highlighting the discussion that ensued between Buhari and Trump. Confirming the telephone conversation between the two Presidents, the White House Press Secretary and Communications Director, Sean Michael Spicer, in his introduction of Tuesdays White HousePress Briefing, mentioned that Trump spoke with Buhari of Nigeria and Jacob Zuma of South Africa on Monday. He added that the US President also received the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau on the same day. ALSO READ: Will Trump treat Nigeria better than Obama did? Buharis spokesman, Femi Adesina, had said that the Buhari-Trump conversation was cordial, adding that Trump invited the President to Washingtonat a mutually convenient date. Okorocha also said that the South East has been marginalized and denied federal appointments. He made the comments on Tuesday, February 14, when Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo visited Owerri.No other group in Nigeria that had invested as much into our nationhood can sing the song of marginalization as much as Ndigbo has been made to sing it. We have nothing to show that we are part of the Nigerian project; neither do we have any sense of belonging in the present government at the national level, Okorocha said. We have been marginalized both in terms of projects and appointments. In Imo State, for instance, all we have is a Minister of State to show for all the efforts and extreme sacrifices we made to ensure that the All Progressive Congress (APC) had a good outing in the last general elections. I know you are the Acting President and has the ears of the President. So, there is no better person to tell our painful story than you. You need to take a second look at what is happening in the South-East. No serious political appointment, no visible federal infrastructure so far, to show the presence of Federal Government in the South- East in general. I beg that as the government gives subsequent appointments, let the qualified sons and daughters of the state and region be considered. Imo State played major role in bringing APC to power because if what had taken place in other states was allowed to happen in Imo State and other states in the South-East, probably we wouldnt have had the APC government today. Given the roles that I personally played as a sacrificial lamb in the South- East during the elections, my state deserves a better deal," he added. Okorocha also said that none of the youths in Imo benefited from the Federal Governments Amnesty Programme. He also urged the federal government to refund the money spent by the state on Imo International Cargo Airport and on some federal roads in the state. The second time I shared a room with Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, he was charming the audience, working the crowd and inspiring hope. The third time.... Ok, that's enough. But I'm sure you catch my drift. Osinbajo is often in his elements when in a room full of people. He is after all, a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. Communicating effectively comes naturally to him. Plus, years of practice from the pulpit haven't hurt his speaking abilities. But Osinbajo is more than an eloquent communicator. Nigeria's Vice President transmits charisma and aura with the ease with which internet sensation, Salt Bae, dispenses seasoning on slabs of beef in mid-air. We've been forced to see plenty of Osinbajo lately as he stands in for President Muhammadu Buhari who is away in London on a vacation that has since morphed into a Nollywood movie, complete with photo-ops. And we like what we've seen of Osinbajo. In Buhari's absence, Osinbajo has shown glimpses of the modern day, 21st century leader we've always yearned for around here. When Nigerians took to the streets to vent their frustrations in the face of economic hardship, Osinbajo responded with "we hear you loud and clear". When labour leaders led a protest to the gates of the seat of power in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) city of Abuja, Osinbajo abandoned his work desk to chat with them. Buhari would have sent a member of his kitchen cabinet or an aide to meet with the Union leaders. Osinbajo has been representing Buhari in the Niger Delta where he's been saying all the right things and hitting all the right notes. The crowds in the restive Delta warmed up to him because he wore his heart on his sleeves. Or appeared to wear his heart on his sleeves. He is reprimanding the locals for vandalising oil installations on one hand and reminding them that they are stake-holders in the Nigerian project, on the other. Why destroy what is essentially yours?, he's been asking aloud. The messaging has been crisp and clear. He's the diplomat where Buhari is the enforcer. And diplomacy is what scores you points on the streets these days, not the butt of a gun. What you are about to read are excerpts of a speech Osinbajo delivered in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, earlier in the week: "We must admit to ourselves that damage to pipelines and export facilities are also damage to infrastructure. "Such damage also affects gas supply and if we are unable to generate electricity, all our demands for electrification may come to nought since there will be nothing to distribute. "Your Excellencies and the good people of Rivers State, the future is here. There is no time to waste. We must all re-commit to working together to making the Niger Delta a vibrant and dynamic economic zone. "On its part, the Federal Government will use its forthcoming Economic Recovery and Growth Plan to restore growth, diversify the economy and promote social inclusion. We intend to do so through dedicated spending on capital and by paying particular attention to ensuring supply of power and petroleum products in addition to using small businesses to drive our push for industrialization. "As you have challenged the Federal Government to action, I challenge the State and communities too, to play their part faithfully. If we do, we will change the trajectory of the history of neglect and attain the glorious manifest destiny of the people of this State". It was classic Osinbajo. ALSO READ: The point to be made is that it is not what Osinbajo says, but how he says them, that has drawn similarities between himself and his boss. A leader must own the text of a speech submitted by speech-writers. Buhari's speeches often come across as though there are owned by the speech-writers. Buhari communicates as though he doesn't believe what he reads out loud. Osinbajo delivers his speeches with conviction. His leadership style seeks to engage. He shows some empathy. Buhari's leadership style is aloof and distant. Like the famed village headmaster, Buhari seeks to scold with a scowl and whip. Osinbajo is the charmer-in-chief. And by jove, it is working. It is part of the toolkit of a modern day leader to possess some feelings. Buhari would rather be cold. The difference between the President and the Vice President's leadership styles stem from the demographic they rely upon. Buhari relies on the likes of Mamman Daura for undefinedon life and leadership. Buhari relies on characters who cut their teeth in the traditional media, to drive his media and communication strategies. 59-year-old Osinbajo has surrounded himself with Ipad and smartphone wielding millennials who form the core of his media and strategy teams and upon whom he leans on for communication and governance strategies. Osinbajo's view of the world is modern and zeitgeist. Buhari is stuck in the '80s--he's a relic of an era long gone. Let's admit it--we've warmed up to the Law Professor because he's the kind of President we've always wanted and exactly the kind of character the major political parties in the land won't affix on the ballot paper because he doesn't have bags of money or because he has no affiliation to the leadership cabal that has held this nation hostage since 1960. According to Daily Post, this is coming after youths in the community reportedly killed a soldier on duty. Residents also said that the soldiers have chased indigenes of six villages, namely Olegadakolo, Ikpele, Otugologwu, Iwali, Okpanchenyi and Egba, away. An eyewitness who spoke to reporters said This is genocide on our people; as Im talking to you now, six villages have been sacked, children and women have moved out of the affected villages, while many people have been arrested by the invading soldiers. Reacting to the reports, the Benue Police spokesman, Moses Yamu said I only heard that the community attacked and killed one soldier. I have not heard about soldiers attacking the community. Maybe you can contact the military. The Brigade Commander of the 707 Special Force, Brig. Clement Apere, also said The operation we conducted in the area was carried out in a professional way. ALSO READ: Legislator vows to fish out youths that killed soldier in Agatu The Sole Administrator of Agatu LGA, Mike Inalegwu debunked the reports saying There is no iota of truth in that; no one was killed, the military were only on the mission to recover their arms and ammunition. Or not. The problem with 'The Donald' is that he's unpredictable and spontaneous. So, we have to read as much meaning into his conversation with Buhari as we would the rising and setting of the sun. But he could have snubbed Nigeria altogether and heavens won't fall. It was within his rights not to ring the leader of Africa's most populous country. Making that phone call to the Presidents of South Africa and Nigeria may signpost better bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United States than former U.S President Barack Obama offered. And Obama was good for Africa in more ways than one. America's first black President hosted the first U.S-Africa leadership summit which was attended by 37 heads of state, launched "Power Africa" which was aimed at lighting up a continent plagued with electricity woes and launched "Trade Africa"-- a programme set up to improve trade relations between the United States and Africa. But Obama didn't deem it necessary to visit Nigeria as he made stops across the continent in all of eight years. The former U.S President visited Africa five times but Nigeria didn't make it to the White House itinerary under Obama. It was a snub felt round the country. Johnnie Carson who served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the first Obama administration, noted that Obama not visiting Nigeria for eight years was an opportunity missed. According to Carson: "President Obama has traveled to Africa five times during his presidency but he has not visited Nigeria, the continents economic, political, communications and petroleum giant, and its most important state. It is the continents largest economy almost twice the size of South Africas and a third larger than that of Egypt. "It is also the continents most populous state, with 180 million people, its largest Muslim country, and its largest democracy. "The President has visited every major country on the continent except Nigeria, and it would be a mistake for him to leave the White House without a stop in Lagos or Abuja. "Some have suggested that security may be a concern because of but if the president can travel safely to wherehas carried out high profile attacks in the center of the city, he should be able to travel safely to Abuja or Lagos. "He is bound to make one more trip to Europe, and a stop in Nigeria similar to his 2009 visit to Ghana would not be a major diversion". Under Obama, the United States also cited poor human rights record and corruption for why it wasn't throwing its full weight behind Nigeria's efforts to root out terrorist sect Boko Haram. At some point, the U.S refused to sell badly needed weapons to Nigeria as the West African country battled an insurgency that has claimed close to 30,000 lives and displaced millions since 2009. But if Trump is to be believed, all of that may just be about to change. According to the Nigerian Presidency's version of what was discussed in that famous phone conversation between Trump and Buhari, "President Trump assured the Nigerian President of US readiness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism". Will Trump be better for Nigeria than Obama was? Given his love for "alternative facts" and "fake news", it would be wiser not to read too much into what Trump does or doesn't do. Trump doesn't strike one as a character to be relied upon in the long term. A man with a disposition for going off script, shouldn't be trusted to save the world. However, it's still early days in the Trump administration. At this point, all bets should be off. But calling the Nigerian leader during his first few weeks on the job and inviting Buhari over to the White House, may just suggest that Nigeria can look forward to better days and better bilateral relations with Trump as America's number one citizen. Or not. "Something Wicked tells the story of a widow Hauwa (Ireti Doyle), whose recently orphaned nephew Abel (Okey Uzoeshi), moves into her home from the violence-riddled Northern Nigeria, after the murder of his parents. Hauwa is a single mother to Daniel (Gabriel Afolayan), Becca (Beverly Naya) and Esther (Ivie Okujaye) . Whilst she struggles with the challenges of balancing a failing business and single parenthood, a strange Abel, who rarely speaks struggles to fit into his new family. There is also the free-spirited Claudia (Adesua Etomi), Hauwa's colleague and friend who is willing to sell her virginity to save Hauwa's failing business. ALSO READ: undefined "Something Wicked" is well-made and well-intentioned movie, told with a blend of coldness and humour. Even when it seeks to frighten, it still evokes laughter from viewers. It doesn't start with so much action. For a psycho-drama, it's first and second acts are hampered by a slow-paced script and doesn't kick off with enough scares to build tension from the start. Most of the first and second acts is just about a worried Hauwa trying to save her business alongside her chatty employee and friend, Claudia. However, viewers are kept glued to the screen by hilarious moments offered by the weird relationship between Daniel and his girlfriend Vivian (Omawumi Dada) andthe friendship/banter between Hauwa and Claudia. We are also introduced to Clarissa (Bisola Aiyeola) a neighbour who is addicted to alcohol, wrong parking and getting into daily altercations with Hauwa. There is also the on and off relationship between Becca and Oscar (Timini Egbuson). All of these characters slowly create a third-act that is redeeming, entertaining and chilling. With a perfect resolution, the third-act of "Something Wicked" redeems it, offering the darkness, spooky music, anticipation and fear of the unknown that provoke fear as well as tears. ALSO READ: undefined The cast, especially Okujaye and Uzoeshi, turn in fine, layered performances, and keep the movie on its track. As a hearing and speaking impaired Esther, Okujaye gives an applaudable raw performance, uttering just a word in the whole movie. Okujaye delivered a character obviously worthy of her 2017 AMVCA 'best supporting actress' nomination. As Abel, Uzoeshi is perfect, strange and intriguing. Whether he is being nice to Esther, giving Oscar a chilling look or rejecting Clarissa's advances, the actor effectively communicates and gets the audience to respond to his deadpan expressions. Afolayan brings life into all his on-screen characters, and as Daniel, he is talented, hilarious and lively. Small and surprising details take on great importance in the movie - like the back door which Hauwa had asked Daniel to fix in the first minutes of the movie. The movie comes with twists. Some you'll see a mile away, while some are so unexpected. Nevertheless, they all trigger plenty of loud shouts of applause and awed sounds of surprise. As a thriller, when the answers start to come in and the action kicks off, you're hoping to learn more about the villain. You're hoping that there is a traumatic reason behind the actions exhibited by this character. The disappointment that comes with the unanswered questions is suddenly excused by a twist. A movie which was headed toward a predictable conclusion takes an unexpected turn with an unexpected twist. A twist that makes "Something Wicked" seem like the beginning of something more. You immediately entertain the thought of a sequel. ALSO READ: undefined "Something Wicked" has occasionally eye roll-inducing moments, all thanks to Claudia's sometimes exaggerated sense of humour. But, it's at the end of the day, an entertaining and chilling whodunit kept in track by its lead performances. "Something Wicked" isn't arduous or complicated to watch. It is simple, as it does what it sets out to do - be a psycho-drama. Despite its faults, "Something Wicked" is an excellent debut for first-time producers Okey Uzoeshi and Isioma Osaje. With good directing, cast, performances, and a surprisingly satisfying jolting end, the movie packs a punch. A media/VIP screening of the movie held on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, at the Filmhouse Cinemas, Surulere. The screening was attended by celebrities including Kiki Omeili, Daniel K Daniel, Yolanda Okereke, Aramide, Somkele Idhalama, Lota Chukwu, Etinosa among others. Produced by Isioma Osaje, Okey Uzoeshi and Yemi Morafa, the movie stars Uzoeshi, Ireti Doyle, Keira Hewatch, Timini Egbuson, Emem Ufot, Adesua Etomi, Ivie Okujaye, Omawumi Dada, Beverly Naya, Gabriel Afolayan and Bisola Aiyeola. ALSO READ: undefined Something Wicked tells the story of a widow (Hauwa), whose recently orphaned nephew Abel, moves into her home from the violence riddled Northern Nigeria, after the murder of his parents. Abel has a difficult time fitting into his new family, whilst Hauwa struggles with the challenges of balancing a failing business and single parenthood. This family's bond is tested when they are thrown in a life threatening situation and we see how easily misunderstandings lead to misconceptions and premonitions are sometimes the only warning we get, in this game of life and death. ALSO READ: undefined "Something Wicked" is produced by JAF Alliance; a collaboration between Jack of Aces, Agency 106 and Film Boyz INC. 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. 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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. 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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 ... 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The $25.2 million (24 million euros) will be used to improve water and sanitation in refugee camps, fight gender-based violence and ensure ongoing protection. Malac called for other countries to "step up and provide support" for the UN refugee agency and refugee-hosting countries. Saying that there appeared to be "no end in sight" to the violence in South Sudan, Malac urged "more of a response from the international community, not just from the usual actors." The UN says more than 52,000 South Sudanese refugees have been arrived in Uganda since the start of the year and the numbers are currently growing by over 4,000 per day. The Ugandan minister for refugees, Hilary Onek, said the the scale of arrivals is stretching the capacity of one of the world's poorest countries. "We are worried about the load we are bearing," Onek said. "It's getting a little heavy for us to manage." Uganda has been praised for offering one of the most favourable refugee protection environments in the world -- providing for freedom of movement, the right to work and land for refugee camps. However, there have been isolated incidents of local politicians rallying people against refugees. Lawal also said that Buhari will live longer than those who have been spreading rumours that he is dead. The SGF made the comments on Tuesday, February 14, while addressing a group of pro-Buhari protesters at the Unity Fountain in Abuja. Baba Buhari didn't anticipate the problem that we are in. The people who caused this problem are the one challenging the government. I tell you that they will fail in the name of God," Lawal said. "Shamelessly, they accused the president of not performing. And in fact, some of them wished him dead. But I can assure you that by the grace of God, he will outlive all of them. I assure you that by the grace of God, in the next one year, Nigeria will have a booming economy. The foundation being laid by the government is solid. And nobody, even after the president has finished his eight years, can ever take us back to the pre-2015 days. This, I can assure you, he added. President Buhari has been in London since January 19 when he left Nigeria for a 10-day medical vacation. Rumours that the president had died began to spread due to his silence while on vacation. The Presidency has however denied the rumours and insists that Buhari is hale and hearty. Concerns about the president's health escalated further when, on February 5, he wrote the Senate to extend his vacation indefinitely. According to the letter, Buhari will not return to the country till his doctors rule out "certain factors." ALSO READ: Buhari tells Senate he cant sack Babachir Lawal despite fraud allegations Alhaji Bala Kubaraci Garkuwa, the Kaduna State Coordinator of the Kwankwaso Organization, explained that the feud between the two men is more serious than imagined. This is purely a case of betrayal. Somebody made you somebody when you were nothing; after making you a deputy governor, he took you to the Ministry of Defense, then to Niger Delta and Darfur; if he wasnt a good man he wouldnt do that, he told journalists in Kaduna. Why I think reconciliation will not be possible is because of the people benefitting from the situation. After the Katsina meeting of the APC, a committee was constituted in Kano to investigate Senator Kwankwaso on his visit to Katsina, these are the kind of actions I am talking about. The APC should even be happy that it has somebody like Kwankwaso who always pulls crowd for the party, and they should know that the affection is not something that is planned but was spontaneous due to the goodwill he enjoys, hence there is hardly anything anybody can do about it, he added. Kwankwaso and Ganduje have been involved in a long running feud which saw the latter threatening to expose his predecessors atrocities. In September 2016, the Head of Librarians of Radio Kano, Habibu Musa Gwangwazo, was suspended for allegedly airing a song in which Kwankwaso was praised. Osinbajo was in Rivers state on Monday, February 13, 2017 as part of his tour of the Niger Delta region. According to Daily Post, Wike said the meeting was ill-conceived and aimed at destabilising the state. The Rivers state Governor also described Amaechi as a Chameleon, psychiatric patient. Wike said Since the Acting President began his tour of the Niger-Delta, this is the first time he will be sleeping in a state. This is the first time he will be passing a night outside his region. What does that tell you. It means Rivers state is safe. But you know Satan will never sleep. Lucifer will always stay awake. Anywhere Satan sees light, he will always want to turn it into darkness. You are all aware that the Acting President came and held a stakeholders meeting with all of us irrespective of affiliations. Even the Minister of Transportation was there. But as you know, chameleon will always be a chameleon. Just because the Acting President decided to stay in Rivers state Lucifer went on rampage. I had no problem with the fact that Prof. Osinbajo wanted to hold a meeting with his party member. They are all members of APC but I was surprised that a meeting they tagged APC stakeholders meeting turned out to be something else. They left what they gathered for and started making demands for the people of Rivers state. Who sent them? If I were them, they should go for psychiatric test. I have never been treated by a psychiatrist. I dont even have one as my Doctor but when your personal Doctor is a psychiatrist, then you should know there is a problem. I dont want to talk about what his boys (Dakuku Peterside and Magnus Abe) were saying but I was happy for one thing. I was happy that the Minister of Transportation could not believe his eyes when he came into Government House. It was like a paradise. When he came to the Presidential lodge, he couldnt believe it. ALSO READ:Wike caught threatening to kill INEC officials over Rerun Election Remember this was a man who said over his dead body will I become a Governor but he entered my car, my 7 BMW series with the acting president. The shutdown, which began on January 17, 2017, is yet another example of an African government flagrantly misusing its powers and infringing on human rights - something that is fast becoming commonplace on the continent. In 2016, citizens were cut off from the internet a total of 11 times across Africa. By any metric, that is an astonishing number - people losing money, being denied their basic right to expression and communication just because a government (which they may have even 'elected') feels threatened by its own people? Ridiculous. But what led to the Cameroon situation? Well, Cameroon is as diverse as it gets, for starters. The central African nation is home to over 200 linguistic groups, numerous major ethnicities and considerable Christian, Muslim and animist populations. But the most prominent difference within the nation's population is between the majority French-speaking regions and minority English-speaking regions. It even has parallel education and legal systems that operate in either region of the country. That's a lot of differentiation. The country's constitution equates both English and French as its official languages and says they hold "the same status." But most of the business, government and administration is done in French - the country's President Paul Biya rarely speaks English in public - and residents of the Anglophone regions have long complained of economic and political marginalisation. Those complaints reached a crescendo in November 2016 when lawyers in Bamenda, the capital of the Anglophone Northwest region, publicly protested an alleged imposition of French courts in the Anglophone region. Teachers also joined in with sit-in protests in the Northwest and Southwest regions. Cameroon runs two parallel schooling systems (Anglophone and Francophone) and the English-speaking teachers were fighting against French speakers with poor English skills being hired in Anglophone schools. According to various reports, several people were arrested during the protests which saw clashes with security operatives. The following month (December 2016) four people were allegedly killed when security operatives used live ammunition and tear gas to dislodge an alleged protest in Bamenda. This led international organisations to call for an investigation. By January 16, 2017, the government had started issuing statements warning social media users that they could face "criminal penalties" if they were found "issuing or spreading fake news" on social media. The government, via the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, also sent text messages to Cameroonians, warning them of two-year prison sentences if they published information "that you can't prove" on social media. The next day, on January 17, Internet services in the Northwest and Southwest regions were cut off. The government has refused to give an official reason for the ban, but a lot of people (including Edward Snowden) believe it is linked to the protests. Two leading figures in the protest; Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla, President of the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, and Dr Fontem Neba, secretary general of the group, were arrested the same day and airlifted to the nation's capital Yaounde. The ban has left about 20 percent of the nation's 23 million strong population without Internet access. Activist group Internet Sans Frontieres says the ban has cost the country's economy about 443 million West African CFA Francs (about $723, 000). This worrying pattern of arbitrary arrests, detention and harassment of civil society members is entirely at odds with the international human rights law and standards that Cameroon has committed to uphold, said Ilaria Allegrozzi, Central Africa researcher at Amnesty International. President Paul Biya, who has been ruling Cameroon since 1982, said in a new year's eve national address that while Cameroonians should feel free to express legitimate concerns - even through strike actions - violent protests would be crushed by security forces whilst emphasising that Cameroon is "one and indivisible." The Internet shut down has prompted a #BringBackOurInternet campaign from Cameroonians in the unaffected areas of the country, tech stakeholders in the country such as Rebecca Enonchong and aggrieved Cameroonians abroad. So far, the only positive story to emerge from the entire situation is that of Collins Nji, a 17-year-old Cameroonian teenager who, despite the internet shut down in his hometown of Bamenda, is now the first African to win Google's Code-In hacking for pre-university students between the ages of 13 and 17 where the students are given a variety of bite-sized tasks to hack open source software. "We negotiated and we made compromises to preserve stability" in Lebanon, he said in an address to a packed hall in Beirut. "We have not made, and will not make, any compromise on principles such as the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, on our point of view on Assad's regime, our stand on illegitimate arms and on Hezbollah's implication in Syria," he said to loud applause. The Hague-based tribunal is responsible for trying Rafiq Hariri's assassination. Saad Hariri and his allies demand the disarmament of Hezbollah and its withdrawal from Syria where the Shiite group that also forms part of the Lebanese government has been battling alongside Assad's forces. Hezbollah, the only group not to have disarmed in the aftermath of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, insists its arsenal is essential to defend the country against Israel, with which it fought a devastating 2006 summer war. Five Hezbollah members have been accused by the international court of involvement in the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri, himself a former Lebanese premier. With calls for an independent investigation gathering pace, the White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that national security advisor Michael Flynn may have misled colleagues about his Kremlin contacts. The retired three-star general and former head of US defense intelligence initially denied discussing sanctions strategy with Russia's ambassador Sergey Kislyak before taking office. That may have breached US law on negotiating with foreign powers, and at minimum was a significant break with the norm that incoming administrations accept the US has "one government at a time." Flynn was asked to resign on Monday, after what the White House said were weeks of internal investigation that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing but "eroded" trust. Law enforcement and intelligence agents intercepted calls and obtained phone records showing that members of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and other aides had repeated contacts with top Russian intelligence officials in the year that preceded the November 8 presidential election, The New York Times reported. After finding evidence that Russia was seeking to disrupt the election, US intelligence agencies tried to determine whether the Trump campaign was cooperating with Moscow on hacking and other related efforts, according to the Times. However, the newspaper said, the current and former US officials it cited have not yet found evidence of such collusion. Paul Manafort, a former Trump advisor who was among those campaign officials picked up on the calls, dismissed the claims as "absurd" in an interview with the Times. Misleading the vice president The White House had painted Trump's final decision as based on Flynn having misled Vice President Mike Pence. But it emerged Tuesday that Trump kept his deputy, who publicly defended Flynn and repeated his claims, in the dark for two weeks. Spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence only became aware of the issue on Thursday, in media reports. Flynn is the third Trump aide to step back amid questions about his ties to Russia since the mogul began his improbable White House bid. His departure follows those of Manafort and Carter Page, an early foreign policy advisor to the candidate. The unprecedented early resignation of a key member of staff has rocked an administration already buffeted by leaks, infighting and legal defeats. Amid the tumult, the White House denied that Trump had instructed Flynn to discuss the possibility that Obama-era sanctions would be rolled back. "No, absolutely not. No, no, no," said White House spokesman Sean Spicer, when asked whether such a conversation took place. 'Eroding trust' When first informed, on January 26, that Flynn may have made misleading statements about his talks with Russia's envoy, Spicer said the president "instinctively thought that General Flynn did not do anything wrong." "The White House counsel's review corroborated that," Spicer said, and "determined that there is not an illegal issue, but rather a trust issue." "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for General Flynn's resignation." Trump took to Twitter to insist that "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?" The White House also insisted that Trump -- despite repeatedly professing admiration for Vladimir Putin and suggesting sanctions could be lifted -- "has been incredibly tough on Russia." In a new hardening of the US line on Russia, Spicer added that "President Trump has made it very clear he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea." The State Department, meanwhile, expressed concern that Russia is in breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, after reports that Moscow had deployed an operational ground-launched cruise missile unit. Inquiries and missteps The White House's efforts are likely to do little to assuage concerns on Capitol Hill about Russia's influence in US politics. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have now called for an investigation into what occurred, although they differ sharply on the scope and powers. "This. Is. Not. Normal." said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, insisting "Trump owes Americans a full account" of his administration's dealings with Moscow before and after the 2016 election. The US Senate's top Republican Mitch McConnell said it was "highly likely" that Flynn would have to testify before an intelligence panel, potentially heaping pressure on Trump. The New York Times also reported that the FBI had interviewed Flynn on his calls with the Russian diplomat days into his job. The CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies have already investigated Moscow's influence over the 2016 vote, concluding the Kremlin tried to sway it in Trump's favor. Various committees in the Republican-controlled Congress are looking into Russia's election-related hacking and the Trump campaign's links to Moscow. Potential permanent Flynn replacements reportedly include three retired military brass: lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, who is filling in temporarily; retired general and former CIA director David Petraeus; and former vice admiral Robert Harward. Some 2,500 workers have been on strike for six days at the Escondida mine in northern Chile to demand a pay raise and have warned the action could last up to two months. Escondida Workers' Union spokesman Carlos Allendes told AFP his side had accepted an invitation from the labor department to sit down with management for government-mediated negotiations. "We have examined the proposal and responded positively. We understand it is an effort to bring the sides together and we will attend with good intentions," he said. Government spokeswoman Paula Narvaez said the department invited unions to the talks because "it is in our greater interest for the sides to reach an agreement so that this strike can be resolved." The mine supplies five percent of global copper output -- some 927,000 tonnes a year. Like other mining companies, the Anglo-Australian firm has had to cut costs as copper prices slid in recent years. But prices have rallied in recent weeks on the back of US President Donald Trump's infrastructure spending plans. Copper is a key component in wiring, and demand for heavy machinery, electrical grids and telecommunication networks drives prices up. Renewed appetite in China, the world's biggest copper consumer, is also shaping the market. The price of copper was stable on Tuesday at just over $6,000 a ton. The "red notice" denoting an internationally wanted person has gone out from France-based Interpol to its 190 member countries, he said. The Interpol website, however, did not include the two names on the wanted list as of late Tuesday. Panama's special anti-corruption prosecutor, Tania Sterling, requested the red notice two weeks ago for the brothers, whose whereabouts are unknown. Media reports quoting sources close to the investigation into the Odebrecht bribes said Martinelli's sons are suspected of receiving more than $20 million from the Brazilian construction company. Odebrecht has admitted to paying $788 million in bribes to win fat construction contracts in 12 countries. It has agreed with the US Justice Department to pay a world record $3.5-billion fine. King Salman hosted a luncheon banquet for Erdogan, who arrived in Riyadh late Monday, the official Saudi Press Agency said. It gave no details of their discussions, but said Erdogan also met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the interior minister, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is defence minister. The two Sunni powers have become increasingly close over the past year, sharing in particular a backing for the opposition in Syria's war. As Erdogan held talks in Riyadh, his Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told his ruling Justice and Development Party lawmakers in Ankara that Al-Bab in northern Syria was "largely" under the control of Turkish-backed Syrian rebels after months of clashes with jihadists. Al-Bab was the Islamic State group's last stronghold in Aleppo province. Ankara has taken on an increasingly important role with Moscow and Iran as a powerbroker in the Syria conflict. Analysts say the capture late last year by Syria's army of the country's second city Aleppo, backed by Russian air strikes, was a setback for Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Gulf states have supported rebels whose struggle to oust President Bashar al-Assad seems increasingly fruitless. In January, Turkey, along with Assad allies Russia and Iran, sponsored talks in Kazakhstan between Syrian rebels and government officials. There was no breakthrough, but another round is expected in Astana this Wednesday and Thursday, before United Nations-sponsored peace talks resume in Geneva on February 23. On Monday in Bahrain, Erdogan called for a "safe zone" in northern Syria for people displaced by the war. The positions of Saudi Arabia and Turkey are "absolutely identical" on Syria, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said last week in Ankara. He was attending the first meeting of a coordination council to enhance ties between the two countries. Later Tuesday Erdogan will be in Qatar, with which Turkey has maintained strong ties for years. Qatar also hosts a Turkish military base. "Madame Le Pen will be in Beirut on the 19th and 20th, and will meet (President Michel) Aoun and (Prime Minister Saad) Hariri on Monday," the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The latest polls for April's presidential vote show Le Pen, who heads the far-right National Front (FN) party, leading with 27 percent in the first round, but she is not expected to triumph in a run off. At her campaign launch earlier this month, Le Pen vowed to put France first and to fight "terrorism", and she has called for dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Aoun, who was elected in October, had allied himself with powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is fighting on behalf Assad's government in Syria. Hariri on the other hand is fiercely opposed to the Assad regime, which he accuses of having assassinated his father, former prime minister Rafiq, in 2005. Le Pen in a magazine interview last month said Syrians were "waiting for... Assad to win this war against Islamist fundamentalists." Rival presidential hopeful and former economy minister Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut on January 24, where he met both Aoun and Hariri. While he did not call for an alliance with Assad, 39-year-old centrist Macron advocated for a "balanced policy" towards the regime and the myriad rebels fighting it. Right-wing candidate Francois Fillon, dogged by revelations his wife Penelope was paid for years for a suspected fake job as a parliamentary aide, cancelled a visit early this month to Lebanon and Iraq. "To the esteemed people who are listening to us... we have the right to give advice. Let the public space to be open and allow us to speak," Sawiris told a news conference in Cairo. Egypt's second-richest man with a net worth of $3.8 billion according to Forbes, Sawiris founded the liberal Free Egyptians party soon after the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. "I was very sad and distant... (but) not sad about the Free Egyptians party. I'm sad about the whole system," he said. Sawiris, who runs a business empire across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, said he was fighting a takeover by the president of the party, whom he accuses of being a rubberstamp for the authorities. Criticism by political parties is rare in Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's supporters are quick to name critics as traitors who may be aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi, the former Islamist president ousted by Sisi in 2013. Sawiris says the party's board of trustees was prepared for a long legal "battle" to take control of the party. "We don't have to agree with the authorities on everything," said the 62-year-old. "We are saying to the state from here that we are not against the state. We obey the law," he said. Sawiris cited legislation he said party lawmakers should have opposed, or tried to amend or have scrapped. The party should have moved against a law banning "contempt of religion which they are using to imprison people including intellectuals," said Sawiris. An economic crisis sparked by falling oil prices has sparked opposition demands for a vote to remove Maduro. He has refused to allow such a vote, which the opposition says is one of its conditions for holding talks. "The pope has expressed his availability, if (the sides) consider it useful" for him to meet with them, the Vatican's envoy in Caracas Aldo Giordano told reporters. But the White House also grabbed headlines with a striking move on the diplomatic front, saying it would not insist on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here are five takeaways from the day: Weeks in the making As pressure mounted for an independent probe into allegations that Flynn discussed sanctions with Russia's ambassador, the White House revealed that Trump was told three weeks ago that his aide may have misled colleagues about the calls. Trump's national security advisor was finally asked to resign after what the White House said was a weekslong internal investigation that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing but "eroded" trust. The White House indicated that Trump's final decision was based on Flynn having misled Vice President Mike Pence about the substance of his calls with Sergey Kislyak. But in a further twist, it emerged late Tuesday that Trump kept his deputy -- who publicly defended Flynn -- in the dark for two weeks. If indeed Flynn discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy, it could have breached US law on negotiating with foreign powers, and at minimum was a significant break with the norm that incoming administrations accept the US has "one government at a time." The US Senate's top Republican Mitch McConnell said it was "highly likely" that Flynn would be asked to testify before an intelligence panel on the subject. Trump himself has remained uncharacteristically silent on the scandal rocking his young administration -- although he took to Twitter early Tuesday to insist that "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?" Two-state no more? On the eve of a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House signaled a sharp break with decades of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A senior White House official said the United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement, but would support what the two sides agree to together. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said on condition of anonymity. "Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want or something else if that's what the parties want." For the better part of half a century, successive US governments -- whether Republican or Democrat -- have backed a two-state solution. But since coming to office, Trump has sought to show that the United States is an unwavering ally of Israel, trying to draw a contrast with President Barack Obama. Obama often warned that Israeli settlement construction could make a two-state solution impossible, and that a one-state solution would put the future of the Jewish state in question. Not a good look The US Office of Government Ethics has urged the White House to investigate Trump's key aide Kellyanne Conway for plugging the fashion brand of his daughter Ivanka -- saying she should likely face disciplinary action. Conway sparked an uproar last week when she gave Ivanka Trump's clothing a rave review on television. The White House said after the fact that Conway had been "counseled" over the potential ethics breach. But on Monday, OGE director Walter Shaub wrote to the White House stating that: "Under the present circumstances, there is strong reason to believe that Ms Conway has violated the standards of conduct and that disciplinary action is warranted." "I recommend that the White House investigate Ms Conway's actions and consider taking disciplinary action against her," he said. Conway had urged shoppers to "go buy Ivanka's stuff" after retailer Nordstrom announced it was dropping the first daughter's line. The president had previously hit out at the high-end store, saying his daughter had been treated "unfairly." How safe is that phone? Alarmed by reports that Trump was still tweeting from an old Android handset, two US senators said they have requested details on the president's smartphone security, fearing he could jeopardize national secrets. "Did Trump receive a secured, encrypted smartphone for his personal use on or before Jan. 20? If so, is he using it?" Senator Tom Carper asked in a series of tweets. "Trump should be well aware by now of the appropriate and necessary protocol to safeguard our nation's secrets." Carper and fellow Democrat Claire McCaskill released a letter they sent to the administration, dated February 9, requesting information on the president's device. "The national security risks of compromising a smartphone used by a senior government official, such as the president of the United States, are considerable," they warned in the letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis, Homeland Security chief John Kelly and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers. The New York Times reported last month that while Trump received a new, secure device after his inauguration, he still relied on his older device despite protests from aides -- and warnings from numerous security experts. White House welcome Since Trump took office on January 20, the White House has been closed to the public -- with no news on when it might reopen -- triggering rumblings of complaint in some quarters. Melania Trump lifted the suspense by announcing that public tours of the 224-year-old presidential residence would resume March 7. White House tours are highly popular with visitors to Washington, a perk arranged by members of Congress for their constituents and foreign embassies for their nationals -- and some lawmakers had begun complaining about the long delay in restarting tours. The first lady, who plans to continue living at Trump Tower in New York until her 10-year-old son Barron finishes the school year, stressed her dedication to the "remarkable and historic site." U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time that they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation. But the intercepts alarmed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. At one point last summer, Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clintons emails and would make them public. The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other associates of Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside of the intelligence services, the officials said. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified. The officials said that one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trumps campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the FBI is sifting through as it investigates the links between Trumps associates and the Russian government, as well as the DNC hack, according to federal law enforcement officials. As part of its inquiry, the FBI has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews, the officials said. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the U.S. officials in a telephone interview on Tuesday. This is absurd, he said. I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today. Manafort added, Its not like these people wear badges that say, Im a Russian intelligence officer.' Several of Trumps associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia, and it is not unusual for American businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business. Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Trumps advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself. A published report from U.S. intelligence agencies that was made public in January concluded that the Russian government had intervened in the election in part to help Trump, but did not address whether any members of the Trump campaign had participated in the effort. The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael T. Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser, and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. During those calls, which led to Flynns resignation on Monday night, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. But the cases are part of the routine electronic surveillance of communications of foreign officials by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FBI declined to comment. Two days after the election in November, Sergei A. Ryabkov, the deputy Russian foreign minister, said that there were contacts during the campaign between Russian officials and Trumps team. Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage, Ryabkov said in an interview with the Russian Interfax news agency. The Trump transition team denied Ryabkovs statement. This is not accurate, Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump, said at the time. The National Security Agency, which monitors the communications of foreign intelligence services, initially captured the communications between Trumps associates and Russians as part of routine foreign surveillance. After that, the FBI asked the NSA to collect as much information as possible about the Russian operatives on the phone calls, and to search through troves of previous intercepted communications that had not been analyzed. The FBI has closely examined at least four other people close to Trump, although it is unclear if their calls were intercepted. They are Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign; Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative; and Flynn. All of the men have strongly denied they had any improper contacts with Russian officials. As part of the inquiry, the FBI is also trying to assess the credibility of information contained in a dossier that was given to the bureau last year by a former British intelligence operative. The dossier contained a raft of salacious allegations about connections between Trump, his associates and the Russian government. It also included unsubstantiated claims that the Russians had embarrassing videos that could be used to blackmail Trump. Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg Russia and Iceland will hold bilateral consultations on February 14-15 to discuss trade and economic cooperation, Mikhail Zenin, an attache at the Russian embassy in Iceland, told RIA Novosti. Due to the EU-imposed sanctions against Russia (Iceland, though not part of the EU, joined the sanctions and fixed them into its laws) and the follow-up countermeasures imposed by Moscow, the trade turnover between the two countries has shrunk eightfold. The mutual restrictions have slashed fish imports from Iceland, which used to form the bulk of bilateral trade, to a virtual zero. "A Russian delegation under Deputy Director of the Department for Europe, North America and International Organizations at the Ministry of Economic Development Dmitry Sazhin is heading to Reykjavik. Iceland will be represented at the talks by Director of the Department for External Trade and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Unnur Orradottir," Mr. Zenin said. The sides are expected to focus on the current state of bilateral trade and prospects for broadening it, including in agriculture, fisheries, science, innovations and geothermal energy. The Russian delegation is also planning to visit Iceland's oceanic cluster, a cutting-edge platform for innovations in fisheries. This is already the 17th round of similar consultations. Held every year or every two years, they are hosted by Iceland and Russia alternately. The previous round took place in Moscow in July 2015. In 2014, bilateral trade amounted to almost $270 million (fish imports to Russia stood at around $230 million). After Russia responded to the sanctions with counter-measures, the mutual trade turnover plummeted to $123 million in August 2015 and then to a mere $33 million in 2016. But with Russia accounting for just 10-15 percent of Iceland's overall fish exports, the counter-sanctions have cost Iceland less than one percent of its GDP. "Nevertheless, there is a mutual understanding that we should continue and develop our cooperation in the branches and spheres not affected by the sanctions," Mr. Zenin explained. Russia and Iceland traditionally cooperate in the Arctic within the framework of various structures, including the Arctic Council, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council under the Northern Dimension partnership program and the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Still grappling with regulations resulting from the 2008 financial crisis, some Quad-City community banks and financial institutions are hopeful that a new review of those regulations in Washington, D.C., will bring relief to their overburdened institutions. The 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which created some of the most significant regulatory changes since the Great Depression, has become one of the targets of the new Trump Administration. Designed to promote financial stability and protect customers, the law has impacted the entire financial industry with new rules, regulations, processes and procedures. But advocates say meeting those requirements is placing a heavier burden on community banks and other small institutions that lack the staff and resources of their larger regional and national counterparts. "Dodd-Frank is a bill that was 2,000 pages and issued 22,000 pages of regulations with more to come," said Joe Slavens, president and CEO of Northwest Bank & Trust Co., Davenport. "They still haven't issued all the regulations of Dodd-Frank. They are still writing them." With just 50 employees to run the family-owned bank with $180 million-assets, a banking software company and wealth management division, he said some staff has had to be hired "to consume 22,000 pages of regulation." Estimating the industry now spends $1 of every $4 on compliance, Slavens said the regulations are "killing the industry they intended to help." Compliance challenges As President Donald Trump makes good on his vow to dismantle the web of regulations ordering a review of Dodd-Frank by his new Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, Quad-City financial leaders hope it will be replaced with new rules that are less complex and cumbersome, and recognize that one set of rules does not work for all sizes of financial institutions. Todd Gipple, executive vice president of QCR Holdings Inc., the parent company of Quad-City Bank & Trust, said some smaller banks are challenged to keep up with the regulations and compliance. "We're $3.5 billion (in assets). Imagine being a $35 million bank and trying to swallow that. Some banks on choking on that." The Moline-based multi-bank holding company faced its own added costs with new compliance staff, but the staff's knowledge is being shared across its multiple banks in the Quad-Cities and other markets, he said. Gipple said there was no doubt legislation was needed to improve oversight and tighten controls in the industry. "Yet what happened, which is not all that unusual in Washington, D.C., is the pendulum swung too far. It got over-done and complex and went past what needed to happen. Our expectation is what people in D.C. are trying to do now is find a middle ground." He hopes that the replacement policy for Dodd-Frank will streamline the regulatory oversight and find a more balanced approach to dealing with the different size institutions that make up the banking industry. "It's helpful to have a better perspective to the issues in front of a $50 million bank in small town Iowa, a $3.5 billion bank with four charter banks like QCR, and a Bank of America. There really needs to be some scale to those rules for the three types of banks." Mortgage lending Some of the most significant changes have come in the area of mortgage lending. Financial institutions now face a number of new regulations including a new licensing requirement, underwriting rules and more processes and procedures. Gas & Electric Credit Union CEO and President Daryl Empen said the Rock Island credit union "has always done a good job of underwriting, making sure our members could pay." But now it has faced "a great deal of cost and training around mortgage lending" because of required new training, software, added procedures and more paperwork." "It's ironic we're at a point that we have to now prove the member has the ability to repay the mortgage," he said of one of the regulations. "You'd think that would have been the rule all along. It tells you how many people weren't proving that." Also a believer that more oversight and change was needed, Empen said "What's frustrating for us as a small credit union is we're being punished for the deeds of large banks and creditors." Slavens is just as concerned with what the regulations do to the strong relationship culture of community banking. "We've had people banking here longer than I've been alive and now they are getting asked for identification on occasion. When you've been doing business somewhere for 50 to 60 years and somebody asks for your driver's license, it's a bit insulting." Industry consolidation One of the common criticisms of Dodd-Frank is that the regulation requiring banks to have larger financial cushions to protect against potential losses is reducing the money banks have to loan. Both Slavens and Gipple say that is not an issue that materialized for their banks. But as the regulations cause the community bank industry to shrink, Slavens said it will reduce the amount of credit available particularly to small businesses. "By its nature, having fewer community banks means people will have less options. Some are going to get turned away." In Iowa and Illinois as well as across the country, the number of small, local banks have seen a significant decrease since the Great Recession. The Iowa Bankers Association reports the number of community banks has dropped from 401 in 2006 to 308 in the second quarter of 2016. In Illinois, when Dodd-Frank was enacted in 2010 there were 610 FDIC-insured banks and thrifts. That number has declined 20 percent to 490 as of September 2016. According to statistics from the Independent Community Bankers of America, the number of U.S. community banks stood at 5,521 as of Sept. 30, which is a 25 percent decline from 7,442 at the end of 2008. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has reported nearly 500 bank failures since 2009, most of them small banks. "We've always had banks sell, we've always had banks that have failed, but the most interesting statistic is we just aren't seeing new banks created," Slavens said. "You used to see banks being born and we're not seeing that." Neither Iowa or Illinois has had a new banking charters since Dodd-Frank. "Before Dodd-Frank, there were 100 new banks being formed in the U.S.," he added. "After that, I think we've had two nationwide and zero have been formed in Iowa.'' (The Associated Press contributed to this report.) If you havent seen the original 2014 John Wick, you still can enjoy the sequel. But you should see it, because its a darned fine action movie. And so is John Wick: Chapter 2, a hard-boiled actioner whose violence earns it an R rating. In the first show, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a hit man on a mission to avenge the death of a puppy that was a gift from his late wife. At the end of the first movie, we thought our hero hit man had retired in the company of his new dog. But not so fast. The movie opens with an incredible action sequence, along with a brief retrospective of just who Wick is. Finally, we see Wick at home. And Santino DAntonio (Riccardo Scarmacio,) the son of a powerful crime boss, pays him a visit to hire John for one more job a tough one, considering that the target is Santinos own sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini) who is just taking her seat to represent the family at the table of a mob syndicate . Santino has a brutal way of, uh, encouraging Wick to agree to the assignment. And so John ends up talking with Winston (Ian McShane), the leader of the hit-man network and the high-class hotel where they stay and prepare to slay. Wick ends up back at the Continental Hotel, the exquisite club for suave, impeccably dressed and highly armed assassins (yes, Bond himself would fit right in here). Where else is a 24/7 weapons sommelier available (I know your fondness for the German varietals, he tells Wick). Car chases, foot chases, glorious party scenes, a mirror-maze exhibit called Reflections of the Soul all serve as backdrops for expertly choreographed fights and blood-spattered dances of violence. Its stylish, slick and incredibly engaging. Some of the finest fight sequences and there are many involve rival hit man Cassian, played by John Common, who at one point pursues Wick though a string of parked cars and again in a subway terminal. Not until they come to the Continental does the manager (Franco Nero, Django Unchained) put a temporary stop to their rivalry. Color, silhouette, texture and even the subtitles, which have their own colors and unusual font style, mix in a splendid array of visuals. Gone is the overwhelming presence of obvious computer-generated imagery thats become a sad constant in so many action movies. Theres even a shout-out to Reeves in The Matrix franchise. When you get a phone call, an email and a snail mail, all from different people who are asking the same question, it's time to find an answer. The letter went like this, "A LeClaire resident has learned that the city leaders are about to sell the sewer/water treatment plant to a private, for-profit company with very little, practically no notice to the public. "Could someone from the paper please publish an article about this as soon as possible before action is taken?" Sure. Here you go: Leadership in LeClaire is asking for bids for an appraisal of the city's wastewater treatment plant to use during negotiations for a possible sale. They need to know what their asset is worth before they go to the table. Iowa American Water took a pass on a proposed buyout in 2009, but former mayor Bob Scannell and City Administrator Ed Choate went back to the utility in late 2015 after $15 million in upgrades and expansions were made and asked again whether a deal could be reached. Choate said earlier this week that the City Council hasn't yet been asked to endorse the possible privatization, but one alderman was present during renewed talks with the utility company late last month. "We didn't get approval to go to them (Iowa American)," Choate said early this week. "If you need to spend money on something, you go to the council, otherwise, no need." Besides, the possibility of selling the plant has been no secret and is included in a citywide analysis that was adopted by the council last fall. The matter is addressed in the report as something to consider, "as fees are not covering full cost." Even so, Mayor Ray Allen framed the proposition differently, saying, Were not actively marketing it. Were just reacting to a potential opportunity, and well see where it goes." Confusing, right? Asked why he portrayed the possible sale as a "reaction" to an opportunity, rather than acknowledge the fact the city pursued the sale, Allen said he didn't know how privatization came up. "I didn't go to anyone; that's all I'm saying," he said. "I didn't do anything to initiate this action. Maybe somebody else did, but that doesn't concern me. I don't know what difference it makes." Here's the difference: When a property owner approaches a potential buyer, it means the property owner has an interest in selling. Scannell said Tuesday the city definitely had an interest in selling when he was mayor, provided Iowa American could "guarantee they wouldn't blow up user rates." Regardless who first pursued privatization, Allen said he would have done the same thing. "I would have wanted to approach them, just to see," he said. "I wouldn't call it pursuing a sale. I'd call it pursuing facts." Lisa Reisen, manager of external affairs for Iowa American, categorized the sale status as "in the very preliminary stages at this time." One such preliminary measure is seeking bids on the appraisal of the plant, which are due Feb. 22. On March 6, the council is expected to review the bids and award the appraisal contract, which Choate estimated will cost $30,000 to $50,000. According to the public notice he penned, "The desired and anticipated completion date of this sale and the transition of the system ownership and operations is July 1, 2017." The words "desired" and "anticipated" may strike some as placing the cart well ahead of the horse, given the council hasn't taken so much as a straw poll on selling. But Choate had to give potential bidders a general timeline. A little ripple of uncertainty in LeClaire is understandable. Privatization of a publicly owned utility comes with baggage for a reason: City-owned systems are cheaper to operate, because municipalities neither intend nor expect to make a profit. Privatization means profit. As Alderman Barry Long pointed out, "This is going to set a precedent in Iowa, because they (Iowa American) don't have any (wastewater) plants." True. Although American Water does not own any Iowa wastewater facilities, Reisen said the company lists 100 such plants among its assets elsewhere. Bottom line: A sale is being considered, but a fact-finding mission must precede negotiations. The city has been quite transparent about its plans, including the analysis that advises pursuing privatization, which has been on LeClaire's website for about six months. And, according to the draft minutes of the Feb. 6 City Council meeting, "Mayor Allen commented that the Super Bowl last evening was one of the better Super Bowls in recent years, and discussed the possible sale of the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP)." So, there you go. Rock Island County prosecutors on Tuesday dismissed felony official misconduct charges against Hillsdale Village Clerk Jane Lundquist. In a written statement to the Quad-City Times, Rock Island County States Attorney John McGehee said that new, credible and material evidence creating a reasonable likelihood of Jane Lundquists innocence was recently discovered by the Rock Island County Sheriffs Department. The evidence had not been made available to the grand jury that indicted Lundquist in March, McGehee said in the statement. As with any good investigation, it does remain open throughout the entire criminal process, McGehee said. This evidence was not for want of diligence by the investigator, but only came to light after some time and reflection by certain individuals of all the past unrecorded procedures at the Village of Hillsdale. Prosecutors had said Lundquist, in her role as village clerk, is required to collect all money due or payable to the village for fees from various funds, such as the sewer fund. They further claimed that she wrote off or excused credit in the amount of $1,140 to two women in the village in April and July 2015. Lundquist was not accused of pocketing the money that was written off. The sheriff's office launched an investigation in early September 2015 into allegations from village officials regarding the sanitation fund account and credits issued to numerous individuals between July 2010 and July 2015. A forensic audit paid for by the village also was conducted. Sheriff Gerry Bustos said in a news release Tuesday that two witnesses were developed who gave statements that corroborated Lundquists explanation of events. Lundquist has been clerk since 2000 and was re-elected to another four-year term on April 7, 2015. She declined comment when reached by phone. In a written statement provided by her attorney, Brian Brim of Sterling, Lundquist said, "I am and always have been innocent of the accusations that were made against me. I was disappointed, to say the least, when the charges were filed. However, I am grateful that the Rock Island County State's Attorney's investigation of this case did not conclude with the accusations. In the end, the Rock Island County Sheriff's Department and the Rock Island County States Attorney have done the right thing. The sheriffs department continued to investigate the case and Im thankful for that. The full and complete investigation of this matter revealed just what I have maintained from the beginning: I did not break the law. A Davenport woman has entered into a plea agreement in connection with the November 2014 death of an 18-month-old who was in her care. During a hearing Tuesday in Scott County District Court, Stephanie Leshanta Harris, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment resulting in serious injury, a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. She also pleaded guilty to a charge of child endangerment resulting in bodily injury, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of up to five years. A count of child endangerment resulting in death will be dismissed at her sentencing hearing, according to the plea agreement. That charge, a Class B felony, carries a prison sentence of up to 50 years. Because she pleaded guilty to a forcible felony, Harris bond was revoked and she was booked Tuesday into the Scott County Jail to await sentencing. According to the plea agreement, incarceration in the Iowa Department of Corrections is mandatory under Iowa law for pleading guilty to the Class C felony child endangerment resulting in serious injury. According to the arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police Detective Tim Murphy, on Nov. 6, 2014, medics and police were dispatched to Harris address, 811 W. 14th St., regarding a child having trouble breathing. The child, an 18-month-old girl, was taken to Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport, and then transported to University Hospitals, Iowa City. There was no brain activity and the child never regained consciousness. The child died Nov. 8. An autopsy showed the cause of death as bleeding on the brain, according to Murphys affidavit. There also were other marks and injuries to the childs body that indicated neglect. According to Murphys affidavit, Harris told officers she had left the 18-month-old at home with the child's 2-year-old brother. The girl fell down a flight of stairs in the home, but Harris could not specify a date. The child had trouble walking and swelling on her forehead and behind both ears and had suffered several seizures before paramedics were summoned, Murphys affidavit said. Harris never attempted to get medical attention for the child despite the symptoms, Murphys affidavit states. A sentencing date for Harris will be set after a pre-sentencing investigation is completed. As Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher began his State of the City address, he caught himself as he recited the vision and mission statement of the city. He along with members of the City Council and staff have become used to calling for Bettendorf to become a premier, vibrant, livable city with cultural, recreational and educational amenities for everyone. "This hasn't changed a lick in the five years I've been here," Gallagher said. "It encompasses what we continue to do on a daily basis." As Gallagher would explain, the strategic planning and goals set by the Council have been set in motion, evidenced by the growth and development within the city. Gallagher cited the upcoming development at the site of the former Twin Bridges Motor Inn downtown as well as potential projects at The Lodge Hotel and Town Square as top priorities that have seen major progress. Another project that Quad-Citizens can see rise from the depths is the construction of the Interstate 74 bridge. Pilings will be visible from the bedrock as work begins after July 4 and will stretch until 2021. The city also has set as a priority riverfront development and land acquisition. "We understand that to be a premier city in a premier community in a premier region, we must continue to celebrate our best asset: the Mississippi River," Gallagher said. With the city's location, Gallagher also spoke to the work being done with respect to port development. "We're working with our partners from Clinton to Muscatine to create an authority where we can be an offload spot for grain by container or barge down the Mississippi," Gallagher said. "We met last week with our friends at the state Capitol where we discussed the importance of renovating our lock and dam system. It's on their radar." One change that has received little fanfare, but one Gallagher was enthusiastic about is the upcoming zoning ordinance, which will focus more on density. The proposed zoning changes explore a healthy mix of uses to not only maximize the economic impact downtown, but also support the projected increase in its population. "This is forward thinking, and we are beating people to the punch," Gallagher said. "We want to be an example for the folks in Iowa." Gallagher said the ordinance could pave the way for more tract development and housing projects all the way up to million dollar homes. While these projects represent exciting developments to look forward into the future, Gallagher also stressed the importance of having strong finances in order to carry them out. Gallagher said Bettendorf $5.07 general fund levy is the lowest of any municipality with more than 10,000 residents in the state, which averages $7.8591 per $1,000 valuation. Development at the I-74 Technology Park also will help increase the tax base with two more site plans already approved. "We expect it to be built out at the cost of $17 million, and that increases our tax base," Gallagher said. "That brings employment to our area and gives us the ability to continue to strive to be that premier city." U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday the idea of Russian involvement in U.S. election is bothersome, but he added the United States doesn't come to the table with clean hands, noting the CIA's involvement in an Italian election in the 1940s. Grassley, R-Iowa, on a conference call with Iowa reporters, was responding to questions about new revelations that the Trump campaign had contacts with Russian intelligence agents before Election Day. The New York Times, citing unidentified sources, reported Wednesday that four Trump aides and associates had contacts with Russian agents. But the newspaper also reported those sources said they had found no evidence of collusion in order to affect the result of the election. For months, Democrats have been raising concerns about Russian involvement in the election. Those concerns have amplified in recent days. In Iowa, the state's lone Democratic congressman, Rep. Dave Loebsack, said Wednesday that Americans are demanding accountability and a new investigation ought to be launched into the matter. "It has become clearer with each passing day of the Trump Administration that there must be a full, independent investigation of his administration and campaigns connection to Russia," Loebsack said. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., also has called for an independent investigation. On the conference call Wednesday, Grassley said that Russian involvement in U.S. elections should be taken seriously, but he also added it's not new that Russia has tried to influence U.S. public opinion. He said the French are worried about Russian meddling, too. And he also told about reading how the CIA supported one political party in Italy's 1948 election, while the Soviet Union backed another. "We don't come to this table hands free," Grassley said. Still, he added, "None of this should be going on, so the answer is, yes, it is bothersome to me." Later, Grassley tweeted that "ANY Russian meddling in US election UNACCEPTABLE." On the conference call, Grassley also expressed concerns about leaks to the news media, which played a part in the abrupt resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. The Republican senator also said Wednesday that Flynn also had to be held to account for misleading statements to Vice President Mike Pence, which led to his resignation late Monday. Grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat, requested the Justice Department provide documents and a briefing on the circumstances leading up to Flynn's resignation. President Donald Trump is renewing his attack on the "fake news media" amid the widening controversy surrounding the ouster of his national security adviser and talk of congressional investigations of purported Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election last year. Trump posted a pre-dawn message on his verified Twitter account Wednesday complaining, "The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred." He said, "This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign." He added in the post that "@MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great!" The tweet follows a pattern of social media messages that Trump has sent, chastising news organizations both during his campaign for the White House and in the more than three weeks since his inauguration. In that and a series of other morning tweets Wednesday, Trump appeared to be trying to distance himself from any appearance of close ties with Russia following published reports that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and his 2016 campaign team. At the same time, he appeared to validate leaks in his administration. "Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?). Just like Russia," Trump tweeted, later adding: "The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by 'intelligence' like candy. Very un-American!" Trump later said his ousted national security adviser, Michael Flynn, is a "wonderful man" who has been treated "very, very unfairly" by the media. I don't know how many young women come to this blog or how many are parents of teenage or young adult women, but here are some safety tips from Kelsey's Army: T I P S 1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.Remember the acronym TIPS:ake Chargenform others of your whereaboutsrepare for any situationurvival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen)For more information, go to Kelsey's Army A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017: EMERALD ASH BORER: State officials confirmed Tuesday that tree-killing pests have spread to two more counties Jackson and Clayton in Iowa, bringing the total to 41 counties. Officials with the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said the emerald ash borer, a highly destructive insect that attacks and kills ash trees, has been confirmed in Bellevue and Marquette. Native to Asia, the insect is responsible for the death of tens of millions of ash trees nationwide. The adult emerald ash borer is a metallic green beetle measuring about a half-inch long and one-eighth-inch wide. Trees attacked by the insect usually die within two to four years. Nationally, the borer has spread to 29 states since being discovered in Michigan in 2002. LAKE MACBRIDE: A House subcommittee balked Tuesday at establishing an alcohol ban and a closing time in state law for the Lake Macbride State Park near Solon. While acknowledging there may be issues at the park for state regulators to deal with, a three-member House Natural Resources subcommittee decided the issues were best resolved by state agencies and commissions that oversee the park rather than by state law. The Iowa Natural Resource Commission voted last year to ban liquor, beer and wine at beaches at Lake Macbride State Park near Solon and Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area near Palo, but a bipartisan group of legislators decided in September to delay implementing rules for the ban until the end of the 2017 session to allow the Legislature to weigh in if lawmakers so desired. State Department of Natural Resources officials said they were taking action after a recent analysis of citations found a substantial number of incidents involving public intoxication, assault, littering and interference with official acts on those two beaches. The alcohol ban would not apply to any rental facilities within the 200-foot buffer surrounding the sand or fenced-in areas that were officially reserved. MOTOR SIZE: Members of the Iowa Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee voted 10-3 Tuesday to lift long-standing outboard motor size restrictions on Lake Macbride in Johnson County. Current Iowa law forbids outboard motors of 10 or more horsepower on Macbride between Memorial Day and Labor Day. There also is a year-round no-wake law. Senate File 126 would allow the operation of motorboats with power units exceeding 10 horsepower at any time on Lake Macbride so long as the boats are operated at no-wake speed. I think no wake means no wake, said Sen. Tim Kapucian, R-Keystone, the bills floor manager who likened the situation to vehicles with a 50-horsepower engine and one with a 500-horsepower motor that both are subject to the same highway speed limit. Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, said the 10-horsepower limit has worked for years at Macbride, adding, I dont see why we need to change. The bill now goes to the full Iowa Senate for consideration. GIVING NOTICE: Senators heard support for allowing local governments to post public notices required by state law on the internet rather than paying to put them in newspapers. After hearing from local government groups, newspaper publishers and others, sponsor Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, said he and other Local Government subcommittee members will look to modify SF 158. Posting those notices on the internet would be cheaper and, he said, reach more citizens because the only people who can access the newspapers are those who pay to subscribe to the paper. However, a number of speakers said that not every Iowan has reliable access to the internet. Jess Mazour, an organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, said that would create a patchwork across the state, which she knew is something Republicans want to avoid. Representatives of Iowa State Association of Counties, the Metropolitan Coalition, Linn County and the League of Cities said internet posting would save local governments money. The Iowa Newspaper Association, however, argued Iowans are looking for those public notices either in newspapers or online at a website maintained by the association. LIABILITY PROTECTION: A Senate subcommittee agreed Tuesday to give fairs in Iowa liability protection from damages sought by anyone who claims an injury or death caused by a pathogen transmitted from an event where an animal is kept for more than three hours. Senate File 210 initially applied to county and district fairs, but bill sponsor, Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan, said the measure would be amended to include the Iowa State Fair before it was taken up by the full Senate Agriculture Committee. Zumbach said he introduced the bill to protect fair participants and volunteer fair workers from liability for damages arising from the transmission of pathogens associated with animals housed on the fairgrounds. The bill requires appropriate warning signs to be posted and other precautions to remain in effect, but he said the legislation expands on protections already in place to deal with situations in which spectators may get stepped on or kicked by show animals. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate on Tuesday announced the annual National Change of Address process to update and maintain Iowas voter registration records is under way. Over the next few weeks, voters who have filed a change of address with the U.S. Postal Service will receive a card in the mail from their county auditor saying the USPS indicates they have moved. Voters that receive these cards in the mail should indicate if the new address is incorrect and quickly return the card to the county auditors office, Pate said. The mailing is being conducted at the direction of Pate to ensure full compliance with the National Voter Registration Act, which requires periodic contact with voters to ensure the most accurate information is on file. QUOTE OF THE DAY: I find it a cruel irony that today on St. Valentines Day you choose to break the hearts of workers by really massacring their rights in the workplace. Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, commenting Tuesday on a bill revamping Iowas collective bargaining law. Times Bureau DES MOINES A Republican whose support for Iowas collective bargaining law is frequently cited by Democrats has called on them to quit misquoting him. Dont speak for me. I can speak for myself, Jeff Kaufmann, a former state representative and now chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, said in an email read during House debate Wednesday by his son, Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton. The younger Kaufmann read the comments from his father during the second day of debate in the House and Senate on House File 291 and Senate File 213, respectively. The identical bills would take away public employees bargaining rights, according to opponents. Majority Republicans call the changes necessary to restore local control to local government elected officials. Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, and other Democrats have cited a comment Kaufmann made in a March 2008 newsletter to constituents in defense of Chapter 20, the current public employee collective bargaining law. Hunter, Kaufmann said, is deliberately misquoting me and he knows it. In 2008, the elder Kaufmann said the Iowa collective bargaining laws have always been a balance between employer and employee; management and labor. When legislation happens without any input from the minority political party or the affected citizens, bad things are bound to happen. Thats the argument Democrats, now in the minority, are making today about House File 291, which they say would take away most public employee bargaining rights. Democrats say the legislation was written without any input from them or representatives of public employee labor unions. Those comments were about the egregious steps of the Democrats in 2008, including Hunter, when they dropped a shell bill before Easter and only presented the strike after amendment which was the real bill the day of debate, Kaufmann said. I wished the Democrats would have this passion then, Kaufmann said in his email. The process this year was a good one, thorough one and one in which all people got to speak, he wrote in his email. I am a public sector employee, added Kaufmann, a professor at Muscatine Community College and a member of the Cedar County Board of Supervisors. I am in bargaining unit. I am a teacher for over 25 years. Listen carefully: This is a good bill and one that is good for Iowa and good for Iowa students, Kaufmann said. Now you know what Jeff Kaufmann thinks, the younger Kaufmann said. DES MOINES Legislation to make sweeping changes to Iowas 43-year-old public employee collective bargaining law is either a much-needed breath of fresh air or vendetta politics, according to opening arguments of what the floor manager said is likely to be a spirited discussion. Senate File 213 will put taxpayers back in charge, Senate Labor and Business Relations Committee Chairman Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, said Tuesday afternoon in opening what is likely to be a days-long debate. However, Sen. Nate Boulton of Des Moines, ranking Democrat on that committee, called the bill the point of no return in attacks on collective bargaining and said Democrats were fighting to stop this freight train that is barreling toward our public workers. After nearly 41/2 hours of debate on the first of more than a dozen amendments Boulton told senators this bill is not modernizing, its marginalizing. This isnt tweaking this is destroying. The Senate voted down his amendment 29-21 and adjourned until Wednesday. The House continued to debate past 10 p.m. before adjourning for the night. Schultz called the changes necessary to allow state and local official to develop employment contracts that make sense for taxpayers and employees (and) innovate with the times, reward their best employees and manage their finances without fear that unions or unelected arbitrators will stand in the way. Shortly after 8 p.m., the House opened debate with Republicans offering an amendment that reinstated some of Chapter 20 provisions removed in the original. Weve had public hearings, weve listened to our constituents, weve listened at public hearings, weve listened at subcommittee, weve listened throughout the process, so we think these are good decisions to make, floor manager Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, said. The amendment reinstates proper cause for suspensions and dismissals, makes grievance procedures, seniority and any benefits related to seniority, and release time permissive topics for bargaining, clarifies that public employers must provide health insurance coverage for fulltime employees as well as part-time employees if they are currently doing so and reinstates the right of appeal of civil service commission decisions to district court, but requires the court to give deference to the commissions ruling. It also gives Department of Transportation enforcement officers the same bargaining rights as police and firefighters. We made a decision based on the difference between a controlled and uncontrolled environment, Holt said. When a firefighter goes into a burning building when a police officer approaches a vehicle in the middle of the night or a domestic violence call theres simply no OSHA regulations. Its a totally uncontrolled environment so that led to the reason we categorized them the way we did. It also makes changes to ensure federal transit funds to Iowa cities will not be jeopardized, Holt said. The amendment makes it a little better, but its still a bad bill, according to Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, ranking Democrat on the Labor Committee. Its nice that theyve moved some items to permissible, but the bottom line is that when you go into a negotiation and want to talk about safety equipment or something that is on the permissible list, youre giving up something to do that, he said. Theres nothing to give up any more. If Republicans were really listening they would scrap the bill, because of the estimated 1,100 people at the House Labor Committee public hearing Monday only four spoke in favor, Hunter said. However, Holt said that was to be expected. At public hearings youre going to hear predominantly from those who are opposed to something, Holt said. The folks that are good with what youre doing are not the ones who are going to make the trip up here. Instead of listening to those who were there Monday, Hunter said, Republicans were listening to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who talked to GOP lawmakers via Skype during the hearing, and the Koch brothers and corporate backers. Theyre the ones who want this bill. Not the people of the state of Iowa. Senate Democrats are listening, too, Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, said, And there is not a single management side person who has told me they want this bill. Not a single one. One management side person who wants the bill is Gov. Terry Branstad. He weighed in again Tuesday evening on a radio call-in show, saying there are some egregious things in our present law that need to be corrected. I think its the right thing to do, he said. Several speakers referred to the historic nature of Chapter 20, which was approved by a GOP-controlled Legislature and signed by a Republican governor. It was, Boulton said, a system of reason and compromise that has served our state well for decades. Now, Republicans seem intent on seeing it gutted and replaced by one which throws away reason and does so in a way that only compromises Iowas future, Boulton said. Iowas Chapter 20 bargaining law has been hailed as a bipartisan achievement for the long-term benefit of our state, he said. History will judge us by where we take our stands today. Leaders on both side of the legislation, predicted the debate will continue today, but were unsure how many more days. Were going to be talking as long as we have to, Hunter said. And the debate wont be pretty, warned Sen. Rich Taylor, D-Mount Pleasant. They say alls fair in love and war. Well, the wars just starting and Im hoping that youre really prepared for that because this isnt going to be pretty, Taylor said after nearly four hours of debate on the first of more than a dozen amendments. Youre attacking people in their homes, youre attacking their kids. Youre making decisions that are very serious and its not just about tearing down collective bargaining. Youre ruining peoples lives and you need to be aware of that. Azerbaijani forces made 45 ceasefire violations in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, firing various caliber machine guns, the Nagorno Karabakh defense ministry told. STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: The ministry released a statement, saying: On February 14 and overnight February 15 Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire regime 45 times, firing more than 600 shots from various caliber machine guns at NKR positions. In addition to machine guns, Azerbaijani forces fired 3 shells form 60mm and 82mm mortars in the eastern direction. PIERRE | The state House of Representatives gave final approval Tuesday for a new state board that will govern South Dakotas public technical institutes. The vote was 65-2. If Gov. Dennis Daugaard signs Senate Bill 65, it will become law. Rep. Mark Mickelson described it as "a follow-on" to constitutional Amendment R, which voters approved in November, allowing four postsecondary technical education facilities to be governed separately from the South Dakota Board of Regents. Mickelson, R-Sioux Falls, said Amendment R wasnt necessary for the Legislature to establish the board. But, he said, without it the state Board of Regents could have exerted control over the technical institutes. The fear that the technical institutes have had is, being turned into universities by the Board of Regents, he said. There are four such public institutes Western Dakota Technical Institute in Rapid City, Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, Mitchell Technical Institute and Southeast Technical Institute in Sioux Falls. They are now managed by the local K-12 school districts, and the state Board of Education governs their course offerings, tuition, fees and building plans. Nine citizens appointed by the governor would make up the new board, with four to be chosen from lists submitted by the four institutes. Mickelson said the board would have the same authority that the secretary of education and the state Board of Education currently have. Rep. Larry Zikmund, R-Sioux Falls, recalled his time as state director of vocational education for eight years. Those tech institutes have come into their own, Zikmund said. Weve tried to really answer the call of what business and industry want and need. Rep. Nancy York, R-Watertown, said Lake Area sometimes gets put on the back burner because of the many other duties in a 3,000-student K-12 school district. Rep. Tona Rozum, R-Mitchell, said the tech schools havent had much representation in the Legislature other than from their directors. Rep. Liz May, R-Kyle, explained her past opposition. She said she is more pro-tech school than college but questioned the need to spend on a board and an executive director. A fiscal analysis prepared by the Legislatures staff estimated the costs at $16,125 for the board and $76,502 for the executive directors salary and benefits. My biggest concern is taking this out of the local control, May said. After further remarks, she drew laughs at the end: As much as I hate to, Im going to have to support this bill. Replied Mickelson, I welcome the scrutiny, agreeing with May's focus on protecting local control. Voters approved Amendment R with 178,187 yes and 173,924 no. Mickelson had proposed the amendment. May wrote the ballot statement against it. PIERRE | A spoof by two volunteer lobbyists was funny to some of the legislators who received a candy-filled "gold" watch as a gift Tuesday, but not so funny to supporters of Initiated Measure 22. The watches were actually made of yellow plastic, and the lobbyists Linda Schauer and Cindy Flakoll of Leola said Tuesday the watches were a response to the IM22 campaign that, in part, sought to curtail corruption in government. It was passed by voters Nov. 8 but repealed by a law passed by the Republican-majority Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard on the argument that parts may have been unconstitutional. It was a joke, Schauer said. Schauer and Flakoll put the watches on legislators desks Monday, then mentioned it to a news reporter, who took a photograph showing four legislators wearing the watches. The reporter posted the photo on a blog Monday night. On Tuesday morning, there was a backlash from supporters of IM22, who said the picture was offensive. The four Republican senators in the photo Jeff Partridge of Rapid City, Deb Peters of Hartford, Jordan Youngberg of Madison and Terri Haverly of Rapid City all voted last month to repeal IM22. Schauer and Flakoll represent Concerned Women for America at the legislative session. Schauer said she bought the watches for 67 cents apiece. Moments after the photo was taken, another senator, Democrat Troy Heinert of Mission, told the reporter he didnt think the watches were funny, that they were an insult to the voters who supported IM22. IM22 would have created a publicly funded campaign system for candidates for the Legislature and state offices and would have established lobbyist gift limits, changed campaign contribution laws and set up an ethics commission. Perhaps ironically, the House of Representatives approved gift restrictions Tuesday. The national organization behind IM22 issued a public statement attacking the lawmakers and the photo. These legislators are thumbing their noses at the 180,000 South Dakotans who called for greater transparency and stronger anti-corruption laws at the polls last year, said Doug Kronaizl, spokesman for the local chapter, Represent South Dakota. The image is tasteless and tone deaf given the outpouring of opposition to the repeal effort. This behavior and culture of voter disrespect is precisely what South Dakotans sought to put an end to last November. The worst part: It is likely the legislators in that picture will not apologize to their constituents. They will, instead, talk about how it was a joke, how the campaign ads last year offended them, or they will offer up ad hominem attacks as a form of defense. They will not apologize because they do not believe they have done anything wrong, and that is a problem. PIERRE | The Legislatures budget panel turned down the governor Wednesday on his plan for a state park in Spearfish Canyon. The Joint Committee on Appropriations tabled his request for $2.5 million. The park proposal riled many people in the Black Hills. The final straw was state tax revenues that havent met expectations. Hunter Roberts, an aide to the governor, testified to the committee and asked that the legislation be killed. Within a span of about 20 minutes, several other bills also failed or were delayed by the budget committee. We dont have a blank check to work with, Sen. Larry Tidemann, R-Brookings, said. He is a co-chairman of the committee. Gov. Dennis Daugaard wanted to buy property from the state Office of School and Public Lands to swap for federal property owned by the U.S. Forest Service. It was in trouble in Washington, former Sen. Jerry Apa, R-Lead, said afterward. He was opposed to the parks creation. The governor shot his own dog, so its over, said Frank Carroll, a retired U.S. Forest Service employee who also writes a column for the Rapid City Journal's editorial page. Carroll was part of the opposition. STURGIS | The Sturgis Community Center gym was packed on Friday night, Feb. 10, as CBH Cooperative held its annual meeting and dinner. Tables were filled with patrons from the cooperative as they enjoyed a delicious pork and beef dinner catered by Dutch Oven Catering Co. of Piedmont. The tables were decorated in anticipation of the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday in red and white with special centerpieces and candy to mark the occasion. Following the buffet-style meal, which included meat, potatoes and gravy, beans and coleslaw as well as a German chocolate cake for dessert, the 85 members, staff, board members and guests moved into the theater for the business meeting. Board chairman Cliff Jensen started things out with door prizes for those with the lucky number on their ticket. The door prize drawings were divided up into three segments throughout the night. Jensen then recognized Diane Keffler and Lynn Tarrant of Union Center for their years of service to the cooperative. Both will be retiring in March. Keffler has served in her position for 18 years and Tarrant had been with the company for 45 years. CBH General Manager Jeff Dragseth shared a power point presentation on the cooperative's financial status which showed an upward trend in income and patronage checks to members over the past several years. It included an average of $58 million per year was shown in the areas of agriculture sales, C-store business, bid sales, farm/home items, services and petroleum. The company holds $27.5 million in assets. CBH invested in a new fertilizer plant, a new warehouse and potential retail upgrade in Union Center and an upgrade in the south location in Belle Fourche. "We have been under a little stress in agriculture with the commodity prices," said Dragseth. Following the financial presentation and before the election process got underway, Jensen recognized outgoing board member Dan Conner. Board member Tammy Basel came forward to present Conner with a wool blanket from the Center of the Nation Wool Warehouse as a thank you for his years of service. Election time brought a bit of confusion in the open spots on the board. Jensen was re-elected to his spot on the Belle Fourche area position and Tammy Basel was re-elected as the At Large position. Kenneth Snyder was re-elected to the Sturgis Area position. The confusion came as Casey Miller was nominated first for the Belle Fourche position which he declined. "I really would like to run for the open position," said Miller. His nomination was then removed by a motion and he was nominated instead for the open position for the Belle Fourche area. Steve Mc Amis was also nominated and a ballot was taken. At the end of the evening it was announced that Miller was the ballot winner and named to the board. Tammy Basel presided over a change to the CBH bylaws. This was basically a change to the election process and would result in nominations prior to the annual meeting with no further nominations to the board from the floor during the meeting. Debora Dragseth, Dickinson State University professor, gave a presentation called "South Dakota-A State of Happiness." "Did you know that South Dakota was named as the Fifth Happiest State in the Union this year?" asked Dragseth, who is a statistical guru. She spoke of the topic of Out Migration and why so many young people planned to leave the state as soon as they graduate college or tech school. Dragseth shared about Projective Instrument and how we can project others opinions as our own when we really don't want to share how we really feel. "In a survey of hundreds of students nationwide, they were asked what a truck driver was thinking," Dragseth said referring to a photo of a moving truck she was showing. People answered with the determination that the driver was thinking about how happy he would be when he got where he was going. Dragseth said that President Theodore Roosevelt said there are two things we need to do to be happy -- have a good time and do something worthwhile, work hard and do what you can for others. "So," Dragseth finished, "The key is meaningful work. We have that here." She challenged those gathered to change the word nowhere to Now Here and start to be happy. Quick action from bystanders may have saved an off-duty Rapid City firefighter's life when he was severely injured in a motorcycle crash earlier this week. Robert Rendon, a nine-year veteran of the Rapid City Fire Department, was hurt when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a pickup at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the 1900 block of West Main Street. The fire department identified Rendon on Wednesday in a blog post, which also said that his injuries necessitated surgery to amputate his right leg below the knee. He is being treated at Rapid City Regional Hospital. Rapid City police posted on social media that the crash blocked traffic on West Main from Mountain View to Jackson Boulevard. But, as bad as it was, fire department spokesman Lt. Jim Bussell said some local heroes kept it from getting even worse. Several motorists and bystanders stopped to help Rendon, who was bleeding profusely from his injuries. Bussell told the Journal a good Samaritan stopped at the scene and fashioned a tourniquet out of a belt to stem the bleeding. When city police Sr. Officer Jerred Younie and Sr. Officer Mark Weyer arrived, they applied a medical emergency tourniquet. "(For) that, he and the department are profoundly grateful," the statement says. Bussell said officials don't know who the Good Samaritans on the scene were, but they would like to be able to say thank you in person. "Its very possible that those actions could have saved Roberts life, or at the very least, their actions certainly helped," Bussell said. Rendon is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux tribe and is a firefighter/paramedic assigned to the downtown fire station. He also serves as a paramedic on the Rapid City/Pennington County Special Response Team, and as a paramedic field training officer training new paramedics as they join the Rapid City team. Bussell said Rendon is "one of our brightest," embodying a persistently positive attitude and a "dogged determination." "This is a situation where were following his lead, so morale around here is actually a lot better than you would expect, because Robert is leading the way with his positive attitude and determination," Bussell said. "And thats just the kind of guy he is." Rendon is already trying to use his experience to help others, Bussell said. Rendon told fellow firefighters that he remembers his head hitting the pickup involved in the crash, and that wearing a helmet saved his life, or at least saved him from suffering a serious head injury. He wants other motorcycle enthusiasts to take that message to heart. "If nothing else, Robert hopes that the community especially his family, friends, and fellow firefighters realize the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle," the blog post says. While Bussell said the department felt it was important to let the community know about Rendon's injury, he said now it's time to "let him rest so that he can recover from this." "While (the community's) support is greatly appreciated, Robert, his family and the RCFD respectfully ask for the community to respect their privacy during this time," the post reads. Bussell added: "When the time comes to tell the rest of the story well do that, but for now were going to let our brother rest." Once he's rested, however, Rendon wants to get back to work. The veteran firefighter/paramedic plans to test for operations lieutenant in the spring; he also plans to pass the department's physical standards test to return to full duty, which Bussell says is "absolutely possible" with a prosthesis. "The guys got just a phenomenal backing right now, between his family, his relatives, the people that love him, and his family at the Rapid City Fire Department," Bussell said. "Theres not a person out there that should count him out right now. Well see him riding fire engines again." U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota wants to eliminate a consumer-protection agency that his predecessor helped create during the fallout from the Great Recession. The release said the legislation, if approved, would bar the transfer of money from the Federal Reserve System the CFPB's principal funding source and would require the CFPB to turn over all penalty funding and other money it has received to the federal treasury. I look forward to working with my colleagues to roll back the CFPBs power and prevent the agency from imposing any further harmful regulations, Rounds said in the release. The release mentioned no specific examples of harmful regulations, but Rounds has said CFPB-issued regulations are particularly burdensome for small community banks and credit unions. A related bill that Rounds introduced this week, the Taking Account of Institutions with Low Operation Risk (TAILOR) Act, seeks to shield small financial institutions from excessive regulations by requiring risk profiles and business models to be considered when regulations are written. The CFPB has about 1,700 employees and fields consumer complaints about financial services including loans, bank accounts, credit cards and debt collection. Its Office of Communications did not respond immediately to a Journal request for comment Tuesday, but in a fifth-anniversary report in July, the bureau touted its record and said its actions had resulted in $11.7 billion in relief for more than 27 million harmed consumers. One of the highest-profile examples of the bureau's work was its role in imposing $185 million in fines and penalties on Wells Fargo, a nationwide bank with a home office in Sioux Falls. The banking companys employees artificially boosted sales figures by secretly using customers names and money to create millions of unauthorized accounts from 2011 to 2016. Besides the fines imposed, the company was ordered to issue thousands of customer refunds that were expected to surpass $2.5 million. Critics of the CFPB have downplayed the bureau's role in exposing the Wells Fargo scandal. Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., said in October that he had seen "no evidence that the CFPB even knew about issues at Wells Fargo until 2013, after the Los Angeles Times exposed what was happening at the bank and the LA city attorney filed a lawsuit." Rounds has received $15,750 in campaign contributions from individuals and political action committees connected to Wells Fargo, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. That amount is among $276,960 that Rounds and his leadership PAC have received from donors with ties to commercial banks, and $325,358 received from donors in the securities and investment industry. Some financial institutions dislike the CFPB, which was established in 2010 as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The law stiffened financial regulations in response to rampant subprime mortgage foreclosures, major investment-bank collapses and other financial disasters associated with the Great Recession. South Dakotas U.S. senators then were Tim Johnson, a Democrat who voted in favor of the Dodd-Frank bill and has since retired, and John Thune, a Republican who voted against the bill and is still in the Senate. In 2011, Johnson became chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and helped overcome Republican opposition to the nomination and confirmation of the CFPBs first director, Richard Cordray. Later, as Johnson was about to leave the Senate in 2014, he said Americans need a diligent CFPB. Johnson retired rather than seek re-election in 2014. Rounds won the seat and was appointed to a seat on the Banking Committee. Johnson's son, Brendan, said Tuesday that the 70-year-old former senator, whose speech and mobility are still affected by a cerebral arteriovenous malformation suffered in 2006, did not wish to comment on Rounds bill and is declining most interview requests. In an email response to the Journal, Johnson's former chief of staff, Drey Samuelson, decried Rounds' anti-CFPB bill. "I am convinced that, when South Dakotans voted Mr. Rounds into office, they didn't do so in the hope that he would author legislation to make them more vulnerable to big business scams," Samuelson said, in part. "This is an awful bill, and I hope that he reconsiders his introduction of it." Rounds, in his Tuesday release, called the CFPB an unaccountable regulatory agency ran by unelected bureaucrats with no oversight from Congress. The release did not go into detail, but critics frequently equate the CFPB's relatively automated funding stream with a lack of accountability. The bureau receives transfers from the earnings of the Federal Reserve System, up to limits set in the Dodd-Frank law. For the 2017 fiscal year, the transfer cap is $646.2 million. Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America Raffi Hamparian held a meeting with U.S. Senator Robert Menendez , ANCA told. STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: During the meeting the sides discussed the priorities of the Armenian-American relations, as well as the prospects of signing new U.S.-Armenia Double Tax Treaty. Deputy of Argentina parliament Nilda Garre submitted a bill to criminalize denialism in Argentina this week, a project that would include the Armenian Genocide denial as Garre confirmed in an interview with Prensa Armenia. February 15, 2017, 14:04 Argentina MP submits bill to criminalize Armenian Genocide denial STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: The project, which is based on the legislation of a number of European countries, plans to include in the Criminal Code the criminalization to anyone who publicly denied, minimized, justified and/or approved any form of genocide or crimes against humanity. The proposal claims to be compatible with freedom of expression when justified in protecting the rights of victims, in maintaining public order or national security, or to prohibit the apology of hatred and violence. Nilda Garre is a Deputy of the Front for Victory party. She was Minister of Defense during the term of late President Nestor Kirchner and was later appointed Minister of Security under the mandate of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Garre is currently the Argentine Representative for the Organization of American States. The project arose in the context of statements of two officials of the current government, who issued denial statements about the genocide committed by the last Argentine military dictatorship, and that the country's judiciary has already determined that those were crimes against humanity. The National Congress passed Law 26,199 in 2006 recognizing the genocide of which the Armenian people were victims. Consequently it is clear that this is included in the project we propose, said Nilda Garre in an interview with Prensa Armenia. When asked about the recent visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Argentina, she said that I am not clear how Turkey could react. What I do know is that the Argentine Republic is a sovereign nation and the National Congress is the representation of one of its powers." The Russian embassy in Azerbaijan is taking all possible measures to help blogger Alexander Lapshin. February 15, 2017, 14:25 Russia MFA: We are taking all possible measures to protect Lapshins rights STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 15, ARTSAKHPRESS: Official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Maria Zakharova, stated the above-said, reported TASS news agency of Russia. Despite the Russian position of the impermissibility of its citizens extradition to third countries has reached Minsk several times, Lapshin was extradited [from Belarus] to Azerbaijan, on February 7, noted Zakharova. In her words, however, Russia is in constant contact with Azerbaijans law enforcement agencies, Prosecutor Generals Office, MFA, and the Israeli embassy in this country. We are taking all possible measureswithin our powerfor the protection of the Russian citizen, added the Russian MFA representative. We keep this matter under constant watch, a qualified legal assistance is provided to Lapshin; a judicial clarification is ahead. In December 2016, Israeli Russian blogger Alexander Lapshin was detained in the Belarusian capital city of Minsk. The reason was his being on the international wanted persons list, due to a search which Azerbaijan had declared. Baku accuses him of visiting Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) without its consent. And on February 7 of the current year, Belarus extradited the blogger to the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku, where he was taken into custody. Fearing contamination of its drinking water, the Oglala Sioux Tribe has entered the legal fray against the Dakota Access pipeline. Attorneys working for the tribe filed a lawsuit Monday in U.S District Court in Washington calling for the Army Corps of Engineers to halt construction of the controversial oil pipeline until an environmental impact statement is completed. After the Corps granted the easement for the DAPL to cross under Lake Oahe and stopped the environmental impact statement process, we really had no choice but to go to court to protect our rights under the 1851 and 1868 Fort Laramie Treaties to safe drinking water, tribal President Troy Scott Weston said in a statement. The Oglala Sioux filed their complaint the same day that a federal judge in Washington, D.C., denied a similar request from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Situated on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwest South Dakota, the Oglala Sioux Tribe draws its drinking water from the Missouri River, as do more than 200,000 Native and non-Native American people in the state. The waters of the Missouri River are sacred to the tribe, the Oglala Siouxs suit states. These waters give life to all of the creatures and plants on the tribes lands. The tribe has treaty- and statute-protected property rights to the waters of the Missouri River. The tribe gets its water from the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Supply System, which draws water from the Missouri River. Owned and operated by the tribe, the Mni Wiconi rural water system is one of the largest in North America, measuring more than 4,000 miles and serving about 55,000 people in western South Dakota, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Starting from an intake at the Oahe Reservoir near Fort Pierre, the system stretches 150 miles to Pine Ridge, where it provides drinking water for an estimated 21,500 tribal members. The Mni Wiconi water system also supplies water to the Rosebud Sioux and Lower Brule Indian reservations, as well as non-Native communities including Fort Pierre, Murdo, Kadoka, Wall, Philip and Midland. In 2015, the system supplied those communities with a total of about 78.4 million gallons of water. On Dec. 4, under the Obama administration, the Army Corps ordered a complete environmental impact statement on the pipeline project. But when the Trump administration took over, the Corps reversed its decision and granted the final easement to allow the completion of pipeline construction near the site of a massive protest movement outside the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The Oglala Sioux lawsuit states that the Army Corps never consulted the tribe about how an oil leak or spill from the Dakota Access pipeline might impact the water from the Mni Wiconi rural water system, the construction of which was completed last September at a federal investment of more than $450 million. The tribe is deeply concerned about the risk of a DAPL spill and the threat that the 570,000-barrels-per-day pipeline poses to its sacred treaty- and statute-protected waters, the lawsuit states. A crude oil spill from the DAPL into Lake Oahe would damage the ecology of the river basin, impair the tribes rights, and contaminate the drinking water of the tribes citizens. The Mni Wiconi water system does not have the ability to treat chemical contaminants from a crude oil spill, said Mni Wiconi program director Frank Pope Means. Mario Gonzalez, the attorney who drafted the 1988 federal legislation that created the Mni Wiconi system, wrote in an email: Are all future infrastructure projects involving oil pipelines on or under navigable rivers and waterways going to now be permitted by an Executive Order? Bad precedent. What both downstream Indian and non-Indian communities along the Missouri River should be concerned about is the extent to which a DAPL oil spill will affect both human and animal use of water, and the growth and edibility of crops irrigated with contaminated water. Also in Washington, the Standing Rock Sioux asked the U.S. District Court to overturn permits issued for the pipeline. Tribal lawyers filed for a summary judgment on the permits issued by the Corps. The tribe said it is seeking the judgment in hopes of getting a decision before the pipeline starts operating. In this arbitrary and capricious reversal of course, the Trump administration is circumventing the law: wholly disregarding the treaty rights of the Standing Rock Sioux and ignoring the legally required environmental review," Jan Hasselman, the tribe's attorney, said in a statement. It isn't the 1800s anymore. The U.S. government must keep its promises to the Standing Rock Sioux and reject rather than embrace dangerous projects that undercut treaties. When Gov. Dennis Daugaard last week signed the death warrant for Initiated Measure 22, the law passed by voters last November that seriously reformed South Dakota's campaign and governing procedures, he was unequivocal about one thing. Said the governor upon signing House Bill 1069, "I will work with legislators to honor the will of the voters." Our collective decision as expressed at the ballot box is utterly irrelevant to most of our governing class, so they've taken it on themselves to write a spectrum of laws that they believe are more closely aligned with what they deem to be "the will of the voters." Or have they? Sure, about a dozen or so bills are in the hoppers of both houses that are connected to government reform. The two year hold on lobbying activities by officials exiting government is a nice one to see, as is the thinly (mostly Democratically) sponsored bill establishing a government accountability board. Progress on that bill (HB 1076) will be a true test of Pierre's commitment to "honor" the voters' will. Others seem vague and limited in effect about what you'd expect from legislators who write laws that will affect their longstanding operations. One example? In the spirit of reform (and redundancy isn't there already a law like this in place?), Senate Bill 27 makes it a crime for public officials to take any actions that "result in a direct financial benefit" to themselves, which I think leaves the door open to "indirect" financial benefits being OK. Even casual students of the English language would understand that a word like "direct" can be subjected to a wide range of interpretations and legally-parsed manipulation. Another example? House Bill 1073 keeps IM 22's $100 gift limit from lobbyists to elected officials intact, but waters down the voters' intent by restricting fewer potential recipients and not mentioning legislative or executive staffers. And, oh yes, meals with beverages worth up to $75 don't count as gifts. "Bon Apetit!" If the sense of wiggle-rooming their way out of honoring the will of the voters is starting to creep into the conversation, there's also a stalling device to liven up maybe "deaden" is a better way to put it the discussion. Similar bills in both houses (SB 171 and HB 1141) will set up a task force to study government accountability and report back to Pierre in time for next year's legislative session. Both bills envision a task force consisting of government officials and a small number of hand-picked (by them) state residents. The House bill calls for the state Chamber of Commerce to have a seat. Nothing against the Chamber, a great organization of which I am a longstanding member, but the representation on these proposed task forces doesn't reflect much in the way of a broad swath of South Dakotans. It looks to me like the only task this force, laden with entrenched state officials, is likely to undertake is finding a way to sustain the status quo under the guise of "honoring the voters' will." STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 15, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: President of the NDRU, Doctor of Political Science, Professor, Lieutenant-General Hayk Kotanjian welcomed the guests. He highlighted the support provided by the NATO expert group for the defense education reforms underway in Armenia, Professor Hayk Kotanjian noted that the target of the Second Strategic Defense Review (SDR) of Armenia, launched in 2014, is the review of the National Security Strategy (NSS) of Armenia. This work will be implemented through the adoption of Armenias National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS) based on the Draft NCS, which was developed at the NDRU and reviewed by the experts of the U.S. National Defense University (NDU) and the NATO PfP Consortiums Working Group on Cyber Security Reference Curriculum Writing. NDRUs Vice President for Research, Head of the Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) of the NDRU, PhD in History, Beniamin Poghosyan presented the Universitys main activities and work done after the visit of the expert group in March, 2016. Head of the Center for National Security Policy and Information-Communication Technologies of the NDRU Arman Grigoryan presented the main results of the Centers activities. The coordinator-consultant of the NDRUs educational activities, Doctor of Political Science, Professor Arthur Atanesyan presented the work done aimed at launching the Interagency Executive Education Certificate and Master Programs. The steps taken towards the organization of strategic-operational-level military education in the NDRU, suggested by the NATO DEEP experts in March 2016, were also touched upon. The Head of the Academic-Educational Center of the NDRUs National Institute for Strategic Defense Security Education Anna Gevorgyan presented the main activities of the Center. The presentations were followed by Q&A session and a professional discussion ensued. At the end, the NATO DEEP expert group expressed satisfaction over the visit. Ex-Russian MP charged with large scale fraud - report MOSCOW, February 15 (RAPSI) Russias Investigative Committee charged former communist lawmaker Denis Voronenkov, who had allegedly fled to Ukraine, with large scale fraud in absentia, Kommersant newspaper has reported. Investigators claim that the ex-lawmaker was involved in a raid aimed at seizing a two-story building in central Moscow in 2011 owned by Otari Kobakhidze, founder of the company TOMA. The allegations were reportedly based on the testimony of a group of people who had been convicted and sentenced in the case, according to the newspaper. After Kobakhidze delegated full control of the company to its CEO Marina Vladimirskaya, she took advantage of the situation. She reportedly decided with her acquaintance, a retired police officer, Vyacheslav Polozkov, to alter the registration documents and sell the building valued at $5 million. Voronenkov was reportedly offered to take part in the corporate raid. He arranged the deal for $2 million, according to Kommersant. Kobakhidze turned to court and managed to regain control of the company and the building. Those involved in the raid pleaded guilty, agreed to cooperate with investigators and testified against Voronenkov. Voronenkov claimed that the criminal prosecution of him had been politically motivated. According to media reports, Voronenkov fled to Ukraine with his wife several months ago, and received the Ukrainian citizenship. Victims demand $745,000 from alleged organizer of 2002 Moscow theater hostage crisis MOSCOW, February 15 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova) - Victims in the case over hostage taking at the Dubrovka theater in southeast Moscow in 2002 that left 130 dead have demanded 43 million rubles (about $745,000) from Khasan Zakayev, an alleged mastermind of the terrorist attack, lawyer Maria Kurakina told RAPSI on Wednesday. There are 912 injured persons in the criminal case. Earlier, injured persons lodged several claims seeking 27 million rubles ($467,600) in compensation from Zakayev. During the Wednesday hearing four more lawsuits demanding 16 million rubles ($277,100) were filed. Earlier, Zakayev pleaded guilty to transfer of weapons in 2001 and 2002. He received about $4,000 and a mobile phone for weapon delivery. However, he noted that he did not know what he was supplying and for what purposes. Zakayev also denied his complicity in terrorist attacks, killings, and taking hostages. Investigators claim that Zakayev was a member of a criminal gang headed by Chechen separatist leader Shamil Basayev and assisted in organizing the terrorist attack and taking of hostages at the theater. In 2002, he allegedly organized transportation of weapon and homemade explosive devices to Moscow for terrorists. A group of terrorists led by Movsar Barayev took hostage the audience and participants of the Nord-Ost musical on October 23, 2002. 40 attackers were killed. Zakayev is the only one who was arrested, victims lawyer Igor Trunov said earlier. The majority of hostages were released in an operation planned by Russian security services. Shamil Basayev who was reportedly killed in 2006 and Gerikhan Dudayev who is still at large are among the organizers of the attack, according to investigators. Moscow court to review appeal against seizure of WADA informants property MOSCOW, February 15 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) The Moscow City Court will consider an appeal against a lower courts ruling ordering the seizure of property belonging to Moscow's anti-doping laboratorys ex-head Gregory Rodchenkov, who is involved in a criminal case over abuse of office, on March 1, the Basmanny District Courts spokesperson told RAPSI on Wednesday. Earlier, Moscows Basmanny District Court for the second time ordered the seizure of a double-stored house owned by Rodchenkov. During the hearing, investigators withdrew their motion to seize a land plot belonging to the defendant. In December, the Moscow City Court overturned a lower courts ruling to arrest Rodchenkovs land plot and cottage. The issue was sent for reconsideration. In May 2016, The New York Times published an article citing Rodchenkov, who maintained that at least 15 Russian athletes winning gold medals in Sochi were involved in a Russian doping program aimed to dominate its home Olympics. Later a criminal case over alleged abuse of office was launched against Rodchenkov. However, charges have not been brought against him; Rodchenkov is still a suspect in the case. Earlier, the Investigative Committee of Russia announced that Rodchenkov, who had fled to the U.S., was unlawfully selling prohibited medicines and deliberately destroyed doping tests of Russian athletes. The Investigative Committee has launched a probe into mass media reports about violations of anti-doping rules by Russian athletes. Russian upper house approves fines for failure to block sites with banned information Context Internet providers to face fines for failure to block websites with banned information MOSCOW, February 15 (RAPSI) The Federation Council, Russias upper house of parliament, on Wednesday approved a bill introducing fines of up to 100,000 rubles (about $1,700) for Internet providers failed to restrict access to websites which distribute prohibited information. The blacklist of websites was launched in Russia on November 1, 2012. The respective law envisages that websites may be blacklisted by the Federal Service for Drug Control, the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare (suicide-related content) and the Federal Agency for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (child pornography). Starting February 1, 2014, the register also includes websites promoting extremism and mass riots. In 2016, the State Duma passed an initiative allowing to restrict access to websites containing information about potentially dangerous psychoactive substances potentially dangerous psychoactive substances. According to the legislation, providers must block web pages containing prohibited content within 24 hours after their blacklisting. However, current law does not fix penalties for failure to restrict access to prohibited information spread online. Under the approved bill, such violations would result in fines ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles ($50-83) for officials, from 10,000 to 30,000 rubles ($167-500) for businessmen and from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles ($834-1,700) for companies. The legislation is to amend the Code of Administrative Offences. In a 4-3 ruling, the Montana Supreme Court found that Ravalli County District Judge James Haynes was wrong to deny a defendants request to release a video-recorded interview with the victim in a 2013 attempted homicide case. The court also ordered Haynes to determine appropriate sanctions against County Attorney Bill Fulbright's office for committing discovery abuse at the trial of Jody Jake Pope. A jury found Pope guilty in 2014 of felony assault with a weapon for hitting a woman hard enough with his van to knock off both her shoes and break several ribs. Pope was acquitted on a charge of attempted deliberate homicide. The videotaped statement in question was taken by a county attorney investigator just before the 48-year-old woman was set to testify in the case. According to court records, the woman had written a letter earlier to the district court stating that Pope had not hit her and she wasnt afraid of him. But the woman told the investigator during the video-recorded interview that she had a bad broken rib from the incident and that she had attempted to get out of the path of the van being driven by Pope. Deputy County Attorney Thorin Geist told Popes counsel, Jennifer Streano, about the recorded interview shortly before the woman was about to testify. Streano brought the issue to Haynes attention, asked the state to produce the video and allow her some time to review it before the woman testified. Geist objected to that request. Haynes ultimately denied Streanos request to view the video on grounds that it did not contain exculpatory evidence and the recorded interview may be a work product. After the woman testified, Streano told the court that she was caught completely off guard by the womans testimony, which Streano claimed had changed 180 degrees. In his majority opinion, Justice James Jeremiah Shea noted that the state conceded on appeal that it was required to produce the recorded interview of the alleged victim upon Popes request. "There is no question, therefore, that the District Court erred when it denied Popes request that the State be ordered to produce it," Shea wrote. In his dissent, Justice Jim Rice said the woman was the alleged victim of an intra-relational crime of violence. It included the not-uncommon occurrence of a victim recanting her original report and providing inconsistent statements about the incident. Right up to the time of her testimony, Rice wrote it was uncertain what she would say. Ultimately, she offered testimony that was similar to her original report. The jury assessed (the womans) conflicting statements and rejected the most serious charge against Pope, attempted deliberate homicide, Rice wrote. I do not believe Pope was prejudiced under the circumstances and would not remand this matter to the District Court for consideration of discovery sanctions. Our partners have always been an integral part of the development on Bougainville and we are very appreciative of this, Mr Angamata said. Buka town mayor John Angamata thanked the governments for funding the building which would go a long way in the drive to develop Buka town. The building, costing K600,000, was co-funded by the New Zealand and Australian governments - and New Zealand's foreign minister, Murray McCully says his nation is assisting Bougainville "for the long haul". THE launch of the new Buka urban council office complex this week will ensure the continuing progress of the towns facelift. He further stated that he hopes this partnership with these two nations will continue to help Bougainvilles further development. New Zealand foreign minister Murray McCully said the people of Bougainville and New Zealand have a long shared history as Pacific neighbours. It is a history that New Zealanders are very proud of, particularly the peace process and the reconstruction period, and we are trying to play an active partnership role, Mr McCully said. My visit to Bougainville is to check on the relationship that we have to ensure we have thought our way forward and ensure our support arrangements are relevant. Mr McCully said one of the important aspects of the partnership with the Australian government has been its support of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. In terms of capacity building, the role of the urban council is very important, he said. The New Zealand government takes its responsibilities as partners seriously and weve been in this for the long haul and we will stay for the long haul especially as Bougainville deals with challenging and exciting times ahead. An attorney retained by three present and former employees of the Town of Darby will file a Montana Human Rights Bureau claim against the towns mayor this week. Ellie Hill Smith of Missoula notified the town council's chair and city attorney Monday about the discrimination claim on behalf of former town clerk and treasurer Nancy McKinney, current police Chief Larry Rose, and the towns deputy marshal, John Ringer. In a telephone interview, Smith said she would file the claim late Tuesday. The claim will seek immediate injunctive relief from the council to protect the three from additional and further discrimination and retaliation from Mayor J.C. McDowell, Smiths letter said. McDowell said Tuesday that he had been advised by the town's legal counsel to not comment on the issue at this point. Smiths letter to the council alleged McDowell, the owner of Bandit Brewery in Darby, had been engaged in a deliberate and public campaign to terminate the services of varying members of city hall, before being elected mayor. The letter claimed McDowell had made statements about his disdain for the Darby police and its propensity for bar checks and issuing citations for liquor law violations, including DUIs, before taking on the mayors position. Following the election, Smiths letter claimed that McDowell had attempted to force out the three by endlessly demeaning and harassing them, in numerous public settings, creating an unbearably toxic and hostile work environment and subsequently retaliating against them. Smith said McDowell had recently attempted to remove or cut hours of Rose and Ringer through the budget process, but the council had not supported that effort. McKinney resigned her post suddenly last September in a move that temporarily shut down town hall for a period of time. McKinney had worked for the town for 20 years. At the time, McKinney said she chose to resign due to the stress of running a short-staffed office and a challenging work environment under the towns new mayor. In September, McDowell said there had been tensions over budgetary proposals that he had put forth. He said budget changes were needed so the town could begin building financial reserves for unexpected repairs, capital improvements and potential upgrades to its wastewater treatment plan. Rose has been employed by the town since 1984. Ringer was hired in 2014. Dallas Erickson has been a longtime advocate of some type of early warning system on two of the largest dams in the Bitterroot Valley. With the latest scare of a near catastrophic dam failure at Oroville, California, the Stevensville man is hoping that people will take another look at the issue. The operators at both Painted Rocks and Lake Como said those structures are checked on a regular basis for any abnormalities and inspected frequently by specially-trained engineers. Erickson recently formed a group he calls SOS the Bitterroot that will advocate for some type of early warning system on both of the earthen dams. If either one of those dams were to fail, Erickson said they could send a wall of water up to 50 feet high that would destroy infrastructure past Corvallis. The scary part to me is that many people dont even know that they are under that threat, he said. Larry Schock is the Montana Department of Natural Resources engineer charged with managing the dam at Painted Rocks, which was constructed in 1939. Under state dam safety rules, any dam whose failure would cause damage downstream is considered a high hazard dam. Dams managed as state water projects like Painted Rocks and Lake Como are required to be inspected annually by licensed professional engineers. The rules are in place to ensure public safety, Schock said. Over the years, Schock said there have been upgrades to Painted Rocks Dam. A feasibility study is just getting underway to decide the next round of rehabilitation for the structure over the next decade. If the community wants an early warning system, Schock said thats something that could be considered during this next round of rehabilitation work. We are always willing to work with the community, he said. We worked with a group in Gallatin County and installed an early warning system on Hyalite Canyon when we did some rehabilitation work there. Schock and others spend a good deal of time throughout the year checking water levels and the general condition of the dam. Unlike the dam at Oroville that ran into troubles when water began to run over a secondary spillway, Schock said Painted Rocks primary spillway is designed to handle the probable maximum flow during high water events. Manager of the Bitter Root Irrigation District John Crowley operates the dam at Lake Como. This is a Bureau of Reclamation project, Crowley said. We operate under very stringent rules. If this dam was going to do anything, we would be there and know about it. The 107-year-old dam went through a number of safety modifications between 1991 and 1995. There is also an emergency action plan thats been developed with input from local, county, state and federal officials. I lose a lot of sleep when I hear rain on my roof, Crowley said. We all know that we have to be constantly watching it. If anything goes on, even a small hiccup, we are right there. HELENA People who spoke in opposition to a bill that would limit where drones can fly said they were worried the legislation, if not amended, would prohibit the production of films and the use of aircraft by companies like railroads who use the technology to inspect their track. AT&T uses drones to inspect its wireless towers, company lobbyist Mark Baker told the Senate Judiciary Committee, which heard the bill Tuesday. Its a much safer approach than sending personnel up on the tower for initial review," he said. Senate Bill 170 is being carried by Rep. Steve Hinebauch, R-Wibaux. As written, it creates a civil penalty for anyone who flies a drone over private property below 500 feet. Most drones cannot fly above that altitude, either because of how they are built or Federal Aviation Administration regulations. In Eastern Montana, Hinebauch said hes seen drones used to harass property owners. Its people coming down and snooping on industry to a certain extent, he said. There were pipeline people that had some anti-pipeline people flying down with drones trying to be an obstacle as far as building pipeline. Proposed amendments would allow drones to fly for commercial purposes and land surveying, and exempt law enforcement and insurance companies. They would also increase the fine, which is set at a minimum of $500, to $2,500 for those who fly over a critical infrastructure facility. If you dont have a right to be on the surface, you shouldnt be on the air above that property, said Chuck Denowh, representing United Property Owners of Montana, who spoke in support of the bill. Most who opposed the bill said they may support it if the amendments are adopted. Steve White, of Bozeman, has flown drones for more than 20 years. He said the FAA already has good rules on the commercial use of drones and that requiring people who use drones recreationally to register their vehicles would do more to protect rights than what the bill proposes. If somebody is a peeping Tom and somebody is using a drone for that, the first thing he needs to do is have it registered." Others expressed concerns about if a drone was blown onto private property or other accidental trespass. Sen. Jen Gross, D-Billings, asked Hinebauch if hed be open to an amendment that permitted drones flown by news organizations or film crews. Hinebauch said he couldnt say without seeing a draft, but emphasized his goal to protect property rights. A news organization does not have the right to just enter your backyard or your home to film a news segment. They have to ask permission. They should have to ask permission to fly a drone above your property as well. The committee took no action Tuesday. HELENA Dustin Schneemann, 17, was driving his younger brother and a nephew in June 2011 when he picked up his phone to text. He lost control of his vehicle, went through the road sign, then a fence and finally came to rest, his mother Leona Schneemann of Forsyth said Tuesday. A few days after his accident, we received his cellphone. Three letters ended my sons life: lol. The passengers lived. During testimony Tuesday, Schneemann urged the House Judiciary Committee to pass House Bill 380. The measure to ban texting while driving also was supported by doctors, pediatricians, auto manufacturers, AAA, AT&T, commercial truck drivers, the Montana Highway Patrol and the Montana Department of Transportation. No one spoke in opposition to the bill. Driving is serious business. There is no room for error. It requires our full attention, MDT Director Mike Tooley said, noting there were about 7,000 crashes in Montana in 2015 that were the result of distracted driving, including 80 deaths and about 200 linked to cell phone use. Highway Patrol Lt. Col. Jason Hildenstab suspected hundreds or thousands more of those crashes involved texting because he said drivers will rarely admit what distracted them when they wrecked, and subpoenas to prove cell phone use are only sought if a death or serious injury resulted. Nationwide, the number of traffic deaths rose 7 percent between 2014 and 2015, according to the latest federal figures. It is the largest single-year increase in decades and one that many experts link to an 8.8 percent increase in distracted driving incidents over the same period. Rep. Virginia Court, D-Billings, said her bill would be a first step toward reducing the number of crashes and deaths. She carried a similar bill last session that was more expansive, broadly banning handheld cell phone use rather than just texting. It passed the House but died by one vote in the Senate, with a colleague later telling her his no vote was a mistake. A week after I got home from session in 2015, I picked up this article out of the Billings Gazette: Texting driver crashes into Laurel police vehicle,' she said, holding up a copy as she read. The texting driver crashed head on into a Laurel police car after going across two lanes of traffic and jumping two curbs. She described texting as being more dangerous than other forms of distracted driving, such as eating or making a phone call, because not only are you not paying full attention, but at least one hand is taken off the wheel and the drivers gaze is removed from the road. The use of voice-activated assistants, such as Siri, or other hands-free tools to send texts would not be banned under the proposal. We love our freedoms we have in this state, she said. But does that freedom put others at risk? It is unclear whether the bill will advance out of committee this year. Statewide cellphone bans, partial or targeted, have failed to reach the governors desk every session since at least 2001. Last month, the House Judiciary voted 10-9 to approve a bill that would have gone a step in the opposite direction and overturned the cellphone bans created by several Montana cities. That measure later died in the House. Three and a half weeks into the Trump Administration, Michael Flynn is gone from his post as the national-security adviser. In a piece published Tuesday morning, my colleague Ryan Lizza wrote that a White House official he spoke to made Flynn out to be a rogue operative, duping everyone in the White House about his contact with Russian officials. This contact includes calls between Flynn and Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to Washington, on December 29th, the day that the Obama Administration imposed sanctions on some of Vladimir Putins cronies in response to revelations about Russian hacking during election season. Flynns calls, which he and the White House originally claimed were no more than exchanges of pleasantries, turned out to have been recorded, presumably by the National Security Agency. We dont know precisely what Flynn said to Kislyak, although reports say that the White House, the Justice Department, and the F.B.I.s counterintelligence division have had access to transcripts. Last Thursday, the Washington Post reported that Flynn discussed the Obama Administrations sanctions with Kislyaka clear breach of diplomatic protocol and a possible breach of the law. In retrospect, the revelation in the Posts report made Flynns departure inevitable. But the more important point to grasp, as Lizza suggests, is that the Flynn went rogue narrative is risible. He was always a bit player in the much larger and more consequential story of Trumps efforts to cozy up to Putin. His resignation, far from putting an end to that story, only makes more urgent the need for a proper investigation into the Presidents ties to Russia. As recently as last Friday, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump claimed not to have seen the reports that Flynn brought up sanctions in his conversations with Kislyak. We now know, however, that F.B.I. agents interviewed Flynn in late January, and that the Justice Department then warned the White House that Flynns accounts of his phone calls were misleading and could potentially open him up to blackmail by the Russians. On Monday night, the Washington Post reported that Sally Yates, then the acting attorney general (whom Trump subsequently fired for refusing to defend his anti-Muslim travel ban), and a senior career national security official had delivered this warning to Donald McGahn, the White House Counsel. Its far from clear what happened after Yates delivered this message. According to Sean Spicer, the White House spokesman, senior officials had been reviewing and evaluating this issue on a daily basis, trying to ascertain the truth. But what truth was there left to ascertain? If Trump regarded Flynns telephone diplomacy not as a rogue operation but as a faithful carrying out of his wish to curry favor with the Russians, there would be no reason to punish him. The only danger was that details of the FlynnKislyak conversations would leak, which would place Vice-President Mike Pence in an invidious position, as he had publicly claimed that the two men did not discuss sanctions. ADVERTISEMENT One line of inquiry, then, is this one: Who knew whatand whenduring the past couple of weeks? And, while the White House press corps gnaws at that bone, a much larger issue also needs to be addressed: What lies at the bottom of Trumps Putinophilia? The benign explanation is that Trump and his aides think normalizing relations with Russia would serve Americas strategic interests and enable it to team up with the Kremlin in various parts of the world, such as in Syria. After Trump and Putin spoke in January, the Kremlin issued a statement saying, The presidents spoke in favor of setting up genuine coordination between Russian and American actions with the aim of destroying Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Syria. Although the policy of pursuing a rapprochement with Russia is unpopular in American foreign-policy circles, it does have some defenders. Unlike China, Russia is not an emerging peer competitor to the United States, Anatol Lieven, a British foreign-policy analyst, wrote in the Times on Tuesday. A reduction of tension with Russia would allow the United States to concentrate on more important geopolitical issues. Another explanation for Trumps behavior is that he sees the authoritarian Putin as a role model. Republican Senator Bob Corker, of Tennessee, who interviewed with Trump for the post of Secretary of State, offered a cautious endorsement of this idea in an interview with Politico on Monday. I do think there is a degree of admiration for a strongman, Corker said. Im sorry. And I think that part is somewhat real. Corker also said that Trump is eager to demonstrate that he is a transformative figure, and that for him to create a different kind of relationship with Russia, and especially someone who is strong like Putin, I think he views that as something that would show that he has the ability to do things that no other President has been able to do. A third theory is that the Russian government has some kind of hold over Trump. The unverified opposition-research dossier put together by a former British intelligence agent which was published by BuzzFeed, in January, said that the Kremlin may have gathered compromising material about the new President. On the Internet, there is now a cottage industry devoted to tracking and illustrating Trumps alleged connections to Russian individuals and firms. Trump, of course, strenuously denies having any ties to Russia, and he has dismissed the dossier as phony. This is an area heavy in speculation and light on confirmed facts, but we do know some things for sure. For one thing, American intelligence services believe that Russian intelligence agencies, at Putins direction, tried to help get Trump elected . It is also well-established that Trump has had numerous financial dealings with rich and well-connected Russians. (For details on these dealings, see a long piece in The American Interest by the author and investigator James S. Henry.) There are also stories that havent been publicly confirmed but which havent been denied by Trump or his Administration, either. Last month, the Times reported that the F.B.I. was investigating contacts between Russian officials and at least three people who worked for Trumps campaign or had close ties to it. (The Times named the individuals as Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager; Carter Page, a Wall Street financier; and Roger Stone, a longtime political operative and ally of Trump.) And, last week, CNN reported that U.S. counterintelligence officials continue to investigate the claims made in the opposition-research dossier, and have corroborated some of themalthough not the most salacious allegations about Trump. The only way to clear things up is to hold a proper independent investigation, with a broad remit to look at Russian interference in the election, Trumps ties to Russia, and the Administrations emerging Russia policy. To this end, the best option would be to set up a bipartisan select committee in the Senate, made up of representatives from various other committees. Back in December, after a round of revelations about the Russian hacking, Senator John McCain and a few other Republicans said they would support this idea. But Mitch McConnell, the Senator Majority Leader, squashed it In the wake of Flynns resignation and the efforts of at least some people in the White House to portray him as a lone operator, it is time to set partisanship aside. Americans deserve to know the truth. America must return to conservative principles of less government,reduced taxes, less spending and a balanced budget! Cut,cap and balance! In a letter released to the media, CEO Gudmundur (Gummi) Fridriksson (above) and director Stanley Kuli Liria demand that Tkatchenko immediately retract what they refer to as defamatory and baseless statements in relation to our squatter resettlement initiative and title acquisition by the end of today. The company accused Tkatchenko of diverting attention from his own inaction and stirring the political pot for [his] own selfish purposes. Tkatchenko (far right) is a local parliamentarian in Port Moresby and is believed to be seeking re-election at national elections in June this year. THE Paga Hill Development Company is contemplating legal action against government minister Justin Tkatchenko after he attacked the treatment of squatters who were removed from Paga Hill to enable a major urban development in Port Moresby. The statement says that the company has title over Paga Hill which cannot be undone and that it has won every legal challenge in the District, National and Supreme Courts in Papua New Guinea. It also says the company treated the squatters properly and resettled them in a way that won commendation from the head of the United Nations in PNG. Despite not being required to do so, PHDC spent millions in humanely resettling the illegal Paga Hill squatters, the statement says. This included the donation of blocks of land (which in some cases have been on-sold), as well as the provision of civil works, water, power and ablution facilities. In addition, PHDC provided business and literacy training through the Ginigoada Foundation, community governance support and security at site. Following this extensive and prolonged support, the community was officially handed over in a ceremony in October 2014. PHDC continues to provide support to the resettled community but says it cannot be held responsible for its continuing welfare in the face of land shortages and persistent urban drift into Port Moresby. The statement says it is politicians like Tkatchenko who should be addressing these issues. Rather, you completely failed in your role as the local Member of Parliament, it says. In no way have you, these peoples elected representative, assisted any of these landmark efforts, and to attend the site now, so close to an election, is a blatant and shallow attempt to discredit these achievements, divert attention from your own inactions and stir the political pot for your own selfish purposes. The company also says the issues Tkatchenko raised were in stark contradiction to PNG Cabinet decisions to which he was a party which declared Paga Hill a project of national significance in 2012 and made it the preferred location for the hosting of APEC 2018 (which also happens to fall within your ministerial portfolio) and acknowledged the development of a Tourism City at Paga Hill as means of attracting foreign investment. Your bizarre and incomprehensible actions serve to potentially undermine our and governments efforts, deterring foreign investment and job opportunities for the likes of your own constituents, it says. Your recent actions stand to hinder this process and are in contrast to government decisions that you were party to. Worse, they are a shallow attempt at chasing votes at the expense of a genuinely exciting project that will benefit all Papua New Guineans. The company statement concludes by saying that PHDC has spent tens of millions to date [on Paga Hll] and is now pursuing approximately K3 billion funding to pursue a transformative vision for Port Moresby, one that will create thousands of jobs, uplift the citys tourist infrastructure and trigger a more diversified local economy. It demands an immediate retraction to what are termed Tkatchenkos defamatory and baseless statements. Winning the poetry prize in 2013 against formidable writers like Michael Dom, Jeff Febi and the bush poet Jimmy Drekore was a considerable achievement. The women had shown this in overwhelming style by taking out the majority of the prizes in the 2012 contest. In 2013 the category was retired because the women writers of Papua New Guinea had clearly demonstrated that they did not need any special consideration. LAPIEH Landu won the inaugural prize for womens writing in the first Crocodile Prize in 2011. Lapieh stepped into the mainstream as an important national poet, capable of writing that was at the same time elegant and forceful. A poet of real class. As it happened, the judges in 2013 identified four strong contenders for the award, all women. Lapiehs poem just pipped the other three - Diddie Kinamun Jackson, Pamela Toliman and Jessica Dobb. Diddie went on to win the category in 2014. Lapieh had been a strong and consistent writer since the inception of the Crocodile Prize. She has a keen sense of herself and her Papua New Guinean people and uses a sharp intellect to express her thoughts and emotions. Her poem is made up of excellent couplets containing a question that is answered at the end. The short, almost terse, responses are confident and proud. The diction in the poem is strong and each couplet is a gem of description. The poem is presented in a simple format, which is very effective and well expressed. _________ I am Woman LAPIEH LANDU A poem inspired by the national haus krai. What does it mean to be a woman, a woman of the world and a woman of our country? What does it take to know our roles and to be respected for our role in society? - LL I am woman! What does it mean? To be woman. My womb that cradled A place for where he lay My breasts, that fed my young An ardour for my compeer My hands, that served the needs of others That prepares his repast for indulgence My legs that stood so firm As he lingered outside his abode My face, hope for my emerging offspring The reflection of his foundation My voice, whispering words of wisdom Comfort and alimony for his doubts My spirit, the fireplace of our refuge Gentle, benevolent and tenacious I am woman! This is what it means, To be woman. Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepal Press Union (NPU), a trade union of democratic journalists and media workers, has been protesting against the central leadership of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) for unilaterally enrolling new members to influence the election results. The elections in Tanahun district chapter of the FNJ has been put off due to strong protest of the district chapter of the NPU. The NPH has been launching nationwide protest against the FNJ leadership even padlocking the office to protest the unilateral decision. As the journalists and media workers loyal to the CPN UML and the CPN Maoist Center had been forging alliance since few years, the democratic journalists and media workers have alleged the FNJ leadership for monopolizing the institution. An error occurred while processing your request. The page you are looking for on this website is unavailable, has moved, or does not exist. Please visit collinsaerospace.com to find the product or service you are looking for. I know I may have said this before but I used to think that a school was only as good as the three-legged stool that it is - parents, teachers/staff and principal. I soon learned that without a good principal, you might not ever want to sit on that stool. I have also often wondered if Seattle Schools had just bad luck/poor judgment about principals or if other districts have the same kind of churn. And principals aren't the same category as teachers. They don't have a union per se but in SPS, they have their own org, PASS (Principals Association of Seattle Schools). They oversee hundreds of students, not a single class. They have to juggle multiple balls of budget, discipline, curriculum and governance of a staff. That plus make parents and students feel good about the school. It was also an interesting fact for Seattle Schools that only until recently, they had three principals who had all graduated from the school that they now oversaw. That was Martin Floe at Ingraham High Deputy Minister of Science: Polish science should be promoted in the UK Ministry of Science and Higher Education, in cooperation with the Federation of Polish Student Societies in the UK (PolSoc), wants to promote Polish science in the United Kingdom by financing visits of prominent Polish scientists at British universities. We want to interest the British students and researchers in Polish research. To that end, we will finance visits and lectures of eminent Polish scholars at British universities - said in an interview with PAP Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, ukasz Szumowski. In an interview with PAP, Deputy Minister of Science ukasz Szumowski said that in late January in Cambridge he participated in the congress of Polish student societies in the UK. "I\'m very impressed with what young active people can do!" - commented ukasz Szumowski. He added that Polish student organizations were really thriving at British colleges, many of which were top European universities. Deputy science minister said that the Ministry of Science in cooperation with PolSoc wants to organize visits of eminent Polish scholars to the UK. These scientists could talk about their research - during lectures and meetings with students and scientists. "The best Polish scientists with outstanding achievements, recognized worldwide, are excellent ambassadors of scientific quality in Poland. They will be able to show that good things are happening in Poland when it comes to science" - he said. He added that perhaps this could create the image of Poland as a country that can be an interesting partner in science and an interesting place to study. "In countries where Polish associations are not as active, organizing visits or lectures of scholars would be more of a challenge for the ministry" - noted Szumowski. He added that the ministry wants to offer financial and organisational support to such initiatives of Polish student associations, as well as facilitate contacts with the best scholars. "But their stay and lectures have to be organized by the students themselves" - he emphasised. Szumowski is aware that at Britain\'s best universities, Polish scientists will have to fight for attention with scientists from many other countries. "Competition is large, but if these universities are the best places to practice science, we should be there" - he commented. The ministry of science wants also Polish students who have studied at foreign universities to continue their academic careers in Poland. "For those who want to return, we are creating the National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej, NAWA), which will be a powerful tool supporting returns" - noted deputy minister. NAWA will not only facilitate the returns of Polish students and researchers to Poland, but also support foreign researchers who want to work in our country. NAWA will also facilitate academic exchanges of students and scholars between Poland and other countries. PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland, Ludwika Tomala lt/ mrt/ tr. RL Biaystok/ Bialystok University of Technology students are building racing car for international competition Students of Bialystok Technical University are building a racing car that will take part in an international automotive industry competition for students - Formula Student. The first race will take place during the summer. Formula Student is a competition between teams from universities and technical faculties from all over the world. Their task is to design, or design and build a prototype race car, and sign it up for the competition. Then, throughout the year, cars built by students race on eleven Formula 1 tracks. Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Bialystok Technical University Prof. Andrzej Seweryn told PAP that 530 teams from all over the world would compete in this year\'s races. He added that in the current ranking of all teams, the team from Bialystok University of Technology ranked 35th; last year the university car took second place on the track in Italy. Nearly 30 students from the team are currently working on the car CMS-04. Team coordinator Dariusz Szmuro told PAP that it would be the fourth car built at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He added that it should be ready in early April, so there would still be time for tests before the competition. Compared to the previous vehicle, the construction of which took two years, this one will be designed and built in a few months - added Szmuro. He said that the previous car "took the best" of the two earlier cars: the first car\'s engine durability and "lightness (weighing 217 kg) and agility" of the second car. The fourth car - according to Szmuro - will be the "evolution" of the third design. He explained that the main goal was to reduce the weight of the car, go below 200 kg. He added that the current design used new materials, solutions, the aerodynamic package was optimised and significant modifications to the engine would be introduced. The car will have a motorcycle engine with an estimated power of 85 horsepower, which would allow to reach the speed of 100 km per hour in less than 3.5 seconds. This year, the car will race in Italy, the Czech Republic and Hungary, possibly in Spain. Seweryn believes that the car will be much better than the previous one. Dean added that the university was still looking for sponsors to be able to finish the vehicle and arrange travel to the competition. During the event, the car will be tested in several competitions. The most important, but also most difficult task - according to the students themselves - will be two laps on the 11-kilometer race track with mandatory driver change (the competition rules require that drivers are selected from among the car constructors). In addition, the car will be checked, among other things, for short distance speed and cornering, so-called figure eight drill. The jury will also assess structural engineering solutions used in the car, construction cost valuation and business plan. Bialystok University of Technology students have been successful in international competitions; their Mars rovers repeatedly won prestigious competitions held at the Mars base in the Utah desert in the US. PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland swi/ agt/ jjj/ tr. RL From Jutin Kurzel's Snowtown in 2011 to Ben Young's recent Hounds of Love at last year's Venice Biennale, Australia has developed a real knack for messed up cinema, and Cate Shortland's recent Screen Australia and Film Victoria supported skin-crawler is right on the money there. It's one of those disturbing experiences you just can't stop thinking about after you have seen it. I'm not entirely sure why Australians are so great at envisioning tales of awful social, mental and physical torture, but it's clearly something that the local industry is fully on board with, and when the results are as compelling as Berlin Syndrome, you can probably understand why. As the title suggests, though, Shortland's movie moves out of the troubled Australian suburbs of her predecessors, and like an eerie Gothic novel (in this case literally an adaptation of a book of the same name) Berlin Syndrome relocates itself somewhere real but distant, familiar but exotic: the melancholy capital of Germany. As a result, the film must have been a no-brainer for inclusion in Berlinale's Panorama Special selection, but the impression we get of the city in this gripping life-or-death thriller isn't necessarily always positive. If Sebastian Schipper's Victoria was an ode to the coolness and life-changing freeness of the metropolis, then Berlin Syndrome is very much the anti-Victoria. Instead, it pictures the capital as a seat of anger and dysfunction, a place where happy-go-lucky foreign girls can quite easily lose their freedom to cold, brutish locals. In this case, the girl in question is Clare (Teresa Palmer), a young, outgoing woman from Brisbane. In other words, one of the 24 million Australian backpackers who seem to be perpetually making their way round Europe at all times. For the first third of the movie or so, it therefore looks a bit like Clare's experiences in this film are not going to be all that dissimilar from Schipper's heroine. Clare enjoys the delights of the city, and even attends a roof party with some cosmopolitan locals, just as Victoria does. Unfortunately for Clare, however, her path also crosses that of Andi Werner (Max Riemelt), a native who takes a bit too much of an instant liking to the foreigner as she is touring the city. What follows is a bit of a whirlwind romance filled with lots of beautiful, yet cold colourful cinematography by Germain McMicking (whose visual signature you will definitely recognise if you have previously seen Ariel Kleiman's Partisan), something which slowly lays the seeds of doubt in this movie. Plus, if it wasn't already obvious that you should never trust a fully grown man called "Andi," the character also occasionally mutters sinister things under his breath in German, which in a great bit of dramatic irony, we get to understand whilst Teresa does not. Before long, Clare is waking up in a renovated flat in one of those big Kreuzberg apartment blocks, as moody cello music weeps in the background. Unluckily for her, the flat is in an abandoned building and the renovations mostly included thick reinforced-glass windows and a big, black metal brace that sits at chest height on the front door, preventing anyone from leaving without a key. In a moment of spine-tingling clarity, it becomes apparent that she has been locked in the terrifying Berlin equivalent of Josef Fritzl's basement, and she is at the complete mercy of a smart and well-prepared lunatic. What's worse, it seems like he may have done this with other girls before, and they may not have made it out alive. So it may be dawning on you at this point that yes, yes we are again looking at a film which uses a character with a German accent to represent a creepy, sadistic maniac. Stick with it though, because (as always) it totally works. Foolish jokes aside, Riemelt's performance as a controlling psychopath is really rather masterly, and the same is also true for Palmer, who in her more victimised spells almost looks a bit Carrie White on a bad day (but in a very good way). But maybe this is where Berlin Syndrome does become a bit problematic, because we have probably all seen a whole bunch of films where women are physically or mentally abused, and maybe it is time for this to stop? Maybe it really is just time for us to rewrite this cultural leitmotif altogether? The film is made by a female director though, so maybe what do I know? Either way, Clare is definitely one of those strong, resilient female protagonists (and that's always all that matters, right?). So before long she becomes locked (pun intended) in a battle of wills and wits, and the two ex-lovers fight tirelessly to gain control over one another. The story therefore becomes something of a brutal riposte to the idea behind the so-called Stockholm Syndrome, because Clare never becomes one of those hostages who develops a deep attachment with her oppressor. That said, there are fleeting moments where the violence subsists in this film and Andi comes to look more human, and in those moments Clare's thoughts or feelings do almost immediately sometimes turn to lust or affection, just as they would in a case of Stockholm Syndrome. The fight literally never leaves Cate though, and that is exactly what makes Berlin Syndrome such a compelling watch. I not even sure I understand why Prison Break-esque scenarios where individuals must fight for freedom using their ingenuity are so compelling (except for maybe a basic human love for problem-solving), but my God are they enthralling. It's that absolute "what if" scenario, where you just can't help but ask yourself what you would do if an unstable German man tied you to a bed until you soiled yourself. Even if you wanted to, you can't not ask yourselves these kinds of questions as Shortland's movie unfolds. As a film, Berlin Syndrome is therefore terrifying in many more ways than one, and there really are some particularly unflinching scenes involving a screwdriver and a door. The door one is particularly bad. Socially speaking, however, the film's male-female dynamic is maybe a bit problematic, and that is perhaps what compels me to ever so slightly send it up. In all seriousness though, these kinds of dark sides of human nature do exist and there's no point trying to pretend that isn't the case. So as purely a case study of a never over-explained male psychopath and genuinely traumatised female victim, this thriller is brilliant, and definitely ripping, tangible viewing throughout. Visitors to Berlin beware, Andi Werner is out to get you and he won't let you leave alive if he can help it... Sally Potter is not normally known for comedy; her most famous film, Orlando (which put Tilda Swinton on the map) certainly has its comedic moments, but her work (such as The Tango Lesson and Yes) tend to more serious examinations of what my colleague Sophie Mayer calls the politics of love. In her latest film The Party, however, she turns her astute eye in a most hilarious way to this politics of love (and the love of politics). Part biting satire, part drawing room farce, its frenetic vision of the most disastrous celebratory dinner is a masterpiece, and a timely commentary on recent political events and the said politics of human emotion. Janet (Kristen Scott Thomas) has just been appointed Shadow Minister of Health in the UK Parliament, fulfilling a life-long dream supported by her husband Bill (Timothy Spall). They have invited various friends for a dinner: the cynical April (Patricia Clarkson) and her more spiritually inclined partner Gottfried (Bruno Ganz); feminist theory professor Martha (Cherry Jones) and her pregnant partner Jinny (Emily Mortimer); and Tom (Cillian Murphy), the financier husband of their friend Marianne, who will be arriving late. In the midst of the celebration, Bill drops the first of several devastating bombshells. As each new piece of news is revealed (and several characters tried to hide things even more distastrous), the party goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. Potters gives the audience about 10 minutes to settle into the scenario before the setting off at a frenetic pace. At 71 minutes total running time, this gives little time for the audience to breathe, especially as laughter is almost continuous. There characters are the so-called liberal elite, so their lives might seem somewhat privileged (which they are), and so perhaps sympathy is a bit elusive, but Potter is taking to task not only those who think themselves above petty concerns, but also the language with which they communicate: by transferring the academic/intelligensia into a farce normally reserved for more superficial concerns, and forcing the characters to emotional and physical extremes. As stated, Potter is more known for experimental work, so using such a classic genre is for her an experiment. By drawing on both British and French traditions of drawing room farce (and television tropes of bottle episodes), Potter sets herself quite a task of containing not only a huge amount of information in a small space and span of time, but also creates a challenge for her actors. But that is no matter for The Party: with a stellar cast such as this, relishing in roles that for some are in their wheelhouse (Thomas, Spall, Jones), and others cast more off-type (Murphy, Ganz), making this seem at once both a stage play and a film is finely tuned. Especially as these are mainly actors not normally associated with this kind of farcical comedy, which adds to the humour (and three cheers for nasty women). By using monochrome (not unheard of with directors today), and a series of close-ups that seem almost done with a fish-eye lens, Potter focuses our attention on the shadows, hidden lies and emotions, and the blunt black and white of the situation. And while the script was written pre-Brexit, no doubt those stirrings had an influence on the political undertones (and indeed, the Brexit vote occured during the two-week shoot). Anyone with an interest in the current political quaqmires of the western world will no doubt both laugh and slightly despair at the discussion, mirrored in the professional and personal. Party politics, gender politics, age, privilege, nothing gets unexamined and deliciously skewered for how these characters see themselves in relation to their positions in life, and the (argubaly often) petty concerns that leave them unable to cope when things go so terribly wrong. With a hint of Rebecca thrown in for good measure, Potter has made not only her first comedy an incredible success, but alongside recent European films such as Toni Erdmann, a distinctly feminist perspective on political and personal disaster. But it's still very much a Sally Potter film, full of witty and intelligent dialogue, fascinating characters, great actors, and the fine balance of love and liberty. By the time 1926 had rolled around, German expressionism, and the horror films it produced, was already in full swing. The time of the horror film as a viable form of filmmaking had begun. However, there are several elements of import that need to be addressed before moving onto expressionism. By this point, French impressionism was the source of the eras most important works in the evolution of film technique, language and style in Europe. However, by this point it had begun to lose steam. Most filmmakers who had attempted impressionism had not found the success to which Abel Gance (La Roue), Jean Epstein (Coeur fidele) and Germaine Dulac (La Souriante Madame Beudet) had achieved. Though this would be the year that Jean Renoir would release his second feature film (but first significant impressionist work) Nana, based on the ninth book of the same name in Emile Zolas Les Rougon-Macquart series; impressionism would only survive as an active artistic movement for roughly four more years. A significant film that would be brought to French audiences in 1926, may stand as one of the most important works of impressionist filmmaking and impressionist horror in history. Though terribly obscure now, the short film Menilmontant by Dimitri Kirsanoff radically influenced the design of horror films of the later 20s and early 30s. While this work wasnt intended as a horror film, its effect was nevertheless horrific. The movie is the culmination of the entire foundation of European filmmaking to that point. To specify, Dimitri Kirsanoffs childhood in Russia exposed him to the psychological realist movement, giving him an understanding of real human drama and a more sophisticated approach to manipulating fear. Upon his moving to France, he was employed by a local movie theater where he would assist the live orchestra of film screenings by playing the cello. This is where he was exposed to the romantic films of the United States, impressionist films of France and Italy, the early expressionist films of Germany, and also where he came to understand how a film is paced and how that pacing can be manipulated. The techniques Kirsanoff pioneered throughout his work was very much inspired by the concurrent career of Abel Gance, who was the leading impressionist of the day, and the critiques of Louis Delluc, one of the most important French film critics of the 20s. All of these prior elements together helped create Menilmontant. It can be argued that Kirsanoff had a reactive influence on Gance, providing the evolved character framework, psychiatric realism and exploratory camera techniques laiden into impressionist imagery Gance would employ in his masterpiece Napoleon (1928). In the very opening frames of Menilmontant, we witness a brutal axe murder of a couple by a deranged man. While F.W. Murnau and Robert Wiene were experimenting with shadows and sharp, jagged angles to create a mood second-to-none in the art of invoking fear, their works were also hindered by many characters being pantomimes or overly flamboyant deliveries, as that was the norm still in most cinema of the day. In Menilmontant, initially we are given genuine appearances of rage, fear, and confusion. All shot in direct sunlight with angles and focus rapidly intercutting between a number of different perspective. While expressionism was the seat for atmospheric horror, Kirsanoff had was the pioneer of human horror. Because we do not understand yet the context for the insanity of these rapid and frantic shots at the films opening, the unknown adds a further layer of fear for the viewer, amping up the anxiety for what is to come. However, as quickly as the scene opens, the violence ceases, instead focusing on the stillness and lingering void left in the murders wake. Rather than gruesomeness of the killing being the object of our horror, the loss of life is seen as the true grisly aspect of the scene. The same approach in cinematic horror have been employed in films such as Mark Robsons The Seventh Victim (1943), Charles Laughtons The Night of the Hunter (1955), and Pier Paolo Pasolinis Salo: or The 120 Days Of Sodom (1975). Immediately, the next scene is in stark contrast, as it is of two girls (Nadia Sibirskaia and Yolande Beaulieu) playing and climbing a tree. The area is bathed in bright and glowing sunlight, the girls are dressed in spotless white clothes, as opposed to grey muddiness and grime of the opening. This contrast is of violence and cruelty against naivete and innocence, also standing as a metaphor for the cynical realities of adulthood meshing against the optimism of youth. The worlds collide in a sequence of editing genius. As Nadia arrives at the house where the murders have just taken place, we are given a close-up of her face. The camera pushes in closer with a series of rapid cuts; with each cut her emotion evolves from curiosity and confusion to realization and horror. It becomes apparent that the couple who were murdered were her parents. She returns to Yolande, and though she prods Nadia for information, she cannot even speak. I consider this to be one of the greatest displays of naturalistic horror in a film of this period. As the story continues we see the sisters grieving their late parents in a graveyard. With the tonal shift in lighting and wardrobe, we can see that their parents were not the only casualty, but also of the sisters lost innocence. They have forgone their white dresses with their hair down and curly, resigning to wearing black with their hair tightly restrained. As if to reinforce this point, much more time and attention is spent on this scene than the prior ones, suggesting not only was the act horrific, but also that the true horror and pain is those who survive afterwards. Much of the imagery in this scene focuses on the overgrown weeds and decay of the graveyard, suggesting that this moment is occurring some time after the opening scenes, and adding a deeper feeling of neglect and hopelessness. Now. At this point, you could say that the only element of typical horror thus far would be the opening sequence. But it isnt. Just as Roman Polanskis Rosemarys Baby (1968), Brian De Palmas Carrie (1976), and J. A. Bayonas The Orphanage (2007), this is the type of horror that enters the audience through deep-rooted emotional empathy with the characters. In this kind of horror, to make the audience fear what will happen, the audience must be invested in how the protagonists feel. If the main character is scared, then we should be. By orphaning the sisters, they are already placed in a position of vulnerability for the rest of the movie, not only because of their shattered ignorance, but (as the imagery concluding the graveyard scene provides) because of how alone they are in the world. The sequence ends with a series of rapid and multi-layered superimpositions of constantly moving cameras. This is impressionism at its best. We are given a personal look into the frantic minds of the sisters, of their unfocused attention and anxious thoughts. This also is a perfect depiction of memory, how we remember not in complete scenes, but in instances of fragments of moments. The true atmosphere of Menilmontant is how its characters (and then likewise the audience) find value in the mundane, and appreciate such value. After establishing that the sisters are employed assembling flower arrangements, they wake the next morning with their hair down, bedclothes white. They are cheery and optimistic on their current life, even though their home is in a slum. Nadia then receives a letter from a suitor (Guy Belmont), to which the both of them rejoice, jumping together on the bed. However, though this scene is simple by itself, its placement here illustrates another element of Kirsanoffs genius. As the previous scene depicted in the same light scheme and intensity was before the sisters found their dead parents, Kirsanoff mirrors this in the latter part of this sequence with Nadia meeting Guy. At first it is cheerful and carefree, but it quickly turns uncertain, Nadia becoming quite visibly apprehensive. At first it can be assumed from nerves, though the reason that becomes prevalent is Guys unwanted sexual advances. As the uncertainty builds, the film moves to being shot in high contrast, the camera is positioned so everything begins sprouting in sharp and intersecting angles, very much mimicking its expressionist cousins in Germany, but using the actual architecture of the Parisian neighborhood from which the movie gets its name. The film then splits along two coinciding storylines, one of Nadia and one of Yolande. The audience sees the subtle torments and pleasures of the characters through seemingly innocuous actions, (such as Nadia not coming home for many nights but not telling Yolande, thus causing her to worry and wander the streets looking for her), adding a further psychological complexity to the relationship between the characters, and to the film as a whole. The films perspective also shifts further inward, utilizing close-ups with a longer lens detailing the intensity of character emotion at the same time providing a symbolic separation of them from the world. As the sisters further alienate themselves from each other, so do they from those they are surrounded, till they feel that they are alone even if in a crowd. Intercutting footage of the surrounding areas, minute details of objects, and flashbacks creates a parallel between what we as the audience see, to what the character perceives, involving us in the characters thought process and mental condition. This is a highly involved cinematic experience, one that required the audience to be an active participant. As a result, we experience a highly invasive form of cinema; one where comfort is an illusion and uncertainty, timidness and fear are the natural states of life. Nadia then discovers she is pregnant by Guy roughly about the same time she discovers his affair with Yolande. This is sequenced with flashbacks surrounded by stark shadows and dark water, trapping and isolating Nadia in her heartbreak. Though having grown to be a striking, independent and willful woman, Nadia now displays sincere vulnerability, betrayal and jealousy. She is as broken as the cobblestone streets that are constantly referenced throughout the film. Her world has gone cold as we can now see the breath of the actors. The world is no longer sunny, but overcast and shadowed, plunged into a bitter winter both in metaphor and in reality. Such bleak imagery tied directly into the mental state of the protagonist would play directly in future films such as Roman Polanskis Repulsion (1965), Adrian Lynes Jacob's Ladder (1990), and Gregory Reads Like Minds (2006). After she has given birth, Nadia can hardly bring herself to even look at her child. She instead stares at the ever-present cracks in the sidewalk. The audience is then thrown into the most intense scene of the film (and equally the most horrific). We are greeted by a moment of sheer terror, not because of what has happened to Nadia, but what has the probability to happen. The tension built is very real and human, having elements playing out much like a Victor Hugo tragedy. With Nadia approaching a riverside walkway, the picture is awash in frantic superimposed images with rapid editing, as she is contemplating throwing the child into the freezing waters of the Seine River. Nadia is terrified over the desperation of her situation and is looking forlornly for a way out, but is deathly afraid of the consequences. None of this sequence is played up for melodrama. There isnt an ounce of mannerist acting. This is raw, uncompromised life reflected on her face. The despair of her situation and how she got there is explained without any need for words (this film also includes no intertitles). After Nadia retreats from the rivers edge and takes a seat on a park bench, she is joined by an old man. Seeing how cold and hungry Nadia is, her hair messy and her tightly gripping her coat, the man gives her bread. At first she looks away, ashamed, tears in her eyes, reverting momentarily to her proud individualistic self before she was swept away by Guy. But as he places a slice of salami on the bread, she relents and begins to eat. But as she does, she loses her composure and breaks down. This is one of the most heart wrenching images in silent movie history. Kirsanoff holds the shot longer than what would be expected, showing that just because the moment is over, the emotions remain. He focuses on the haunting aftermath of all subtle forms of cruelty now, not just blatant violence. The subtlety in Nadias sorrowful smile as she nods in thanks to the old man brings a deeper level of melancholy that most films cannot achieve. This humanizes our characters even further; from Nadias sorrow, to Yolandes blissful ignorance, to Guys manipulation. And in turn it compounds the effects each character has on another. Significant works that have reprised this similar theme in horror have been Georges Franjus Eyes Without a Face (1960), Sam Peckinpahs Straw Dogs (1971), and Michael Hanekes Funny Games (1997/2007). The last portion of the film takes place at night, the first time any nighttime scenes are featured in the movie. The shadows have hard contrasts, characters and elements lit from streetlamps and windows of nearby buildings. What must be noted here more than any other part of the movie, for unlike expressionism, the camera is an active part of telling the story in impressionism. Kirsanoff makes each motion or angle of the camera and each focus of every shot play an integral role in not only revealing information to the audience, but equally propelling the story. When Nadia and Yolande find each other again, Yolande embracing her long lost sister and her niece, for the last time in the film the sisters are bathed in light. They almost glow against the background, which is almost a complete sea of black. This is Kirsanoff ending their arc. It is the Rule of Threes (as opposed to the Rule of Thirds). And just as he utilized the same lighting twice before, this time alludes to impending danger. However, this time, it changes the formula. As the sisters retreat from the world of the dark and the cruel, once again comforted by each other, Guy is then made the ironic final victim of Menilmontant. He is being followed by a pair of drunk penniless drifters and is jumped and beaten to death as the sun rises. We are given rapid glimpses of the sisters returning to their previous lives assembling flower arrangements. Kirsanoffs films (particularly Menilmontant) were experiments in manipulative optical editing. He always strived to manipulate the image to display an underlying complexity where the details of places and things hold a higher significance to the narrative than characters. This wasnt overly exaggerated and gothic. Everything was skewed so even the casual scenes are unsettling to a subtle degree. This was horror in the mundane, how though we have moments of happiness, it is due to being unaware of the realities of each individual. That we find solace in things that are inert or minimally impactful. The film is steeped in metaphor. It doesnt disguise it, nor deny anything about the darkness of the human mind. However it isnt outfront with it either. This was the dawning of a brand new subgenre, psychological horror. Though this wasnt the first film to experiment with the idea of psychological horror in history (as my previous installments have concluded), this film was the first to do it without the need to place the context of the story in that of a supernatural (or supposed supernatural) phenomena. The impact of this work would be felt throughout Europe almost immediately. This was due not only to the content of the film, but to the independent methodology of Kirsanoffs work, as he never utilized a studio to make his movies. His style and approach have notably bled through to other works, notably influenced probably the most important and influential expressionist horror story ever filmed besides Robert Wienes seminal 1920 opus, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. That film was Paul Lenis 1928 masterpiece, The Man Who Laughs. Documentaries tend to do well at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and each year several manage to get into the audience top-10. The 2017 edition has proven to be no exception, as there are three documentaries in the top-5 alone. One of these is Jung Joonsuk's, which shows some of the exploits and motivations of a controversial duo of South Korean musicians.Consisting of drummer "mastermind" Kwon Yong-man and bass player "informant minion" Jang Sung-geon, the Bamseom Pirates are a band whose music is not easy to peg. What they do is, in their own words, "just garbage and noise", but they're always selling themselves short. You can call their act punk, or black metal, or experimental, or performance art, or the official name "grind core", though you can debate about each of these. But whatever it is, the guys infuse it with lots of intelligence, humor, wit, and social commentary. With their tongue-in-cheek approach and propensity for playing it loud, they're almost like a less glamorous (no-budget) Rammstein.Take for instance the song in the trailer below, called "All Hail Kim Jong-il!". While at first glance it would seem to be an ode to the leader of North Korea, it actually hails several other Kim Jong-ils in Korean history, as the name Kim Jong-il isn't exactly a rare one in that region. And in a song about outsourcing of labor, Kwon and Jang invite two audience members to switch places with them so the music will become "better and more efficient", to the hilarity of the crowd. Also, as both artists acknowledge that the loud music and grunty vocals prevent people from hearing the lyrics properly, each song is accompanied by power-point presentations, which are often laugh-out-loud funny.The clown act hides a lot of talent and national criticism though. The Bamseom Pirates play gigs which are often linked to anti-establishment demonstrations, whether it's students protesting the privatization of a college, the re-development of an old neighbourhood, the building of a new army base or general corruption. Indeed, the band actively invites discussion and controversy in equal doses.In his film, Jung Joonsuk follows the Bamseom Pirates from 2010 onward, just as the guys are becoming more and more notorious, and the footage is often both hilarious and surprising. Things even turn grim during one performance when construction companies send paid rioters and armed thugs to break up a peaceful anti-eviction demonstration, with police not intervening. Jung doesn't show his two leads as heroic supertalents though, and instead of banking on a perceived air of awesomeness, he keeps asking them for the motives behind the band's behaviour. Kwon and Jang both keep saying they're not in it for money and fame, and indeed even tell the audience where their music can be downloaded (or pirated) for free.At two hours long,isn't a short documentary, but it's never a boring one, and is interspersed with some very inventive videoclips. Just when you start to wonder what Jung Joonsuk will fill the second half with, the Bamseom Pirates get involved in an incident which chillingly makes clear just how dangerously close to the edge of the law they get with their act. The fun quickly leaves the film, and you can only watch with incredulity as "National Security" gets invoked to start an almost farcical trial.All in all,is great, and kept with me until long after the screening ended. I would definitely appreciate a second viewing to check for things I missed, now that I know how it ends.Audiences in Rotterdam also loved the film, and awarded it a fantastic 4.5 out of 5, making it indeed end up in the festival's top 5 If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Hard-to-believe harshness in prosecution of Virginia teen receiving underage pics | Main | Repeat rape and murder for sex offender subject to monitoring shows limits of GPS as incapacitation tool February 15, 2017 Interesting Q&A about Prez Obama's clemency efforts with former White House counsel Neil Eggleston The Marshall Project has this notable new piece that reviews Prez Obama's clemency work via an interview with former White House counsel Neil Eggleston. The piece is headlined "The Man Who Ran Obama's Clemency Machine: 'He felt strongly that this was a gift, and the gift had to be earned.'" Here are excerpts: From one angle, former President Barack Obama was the most merciful president in U.S. history, granting commutations to more than 1,700 federal prisoners.... But his final tally was also far below earlier expectations, given that former Attorney General Eric Holder once speculated that the final number of clemency grants could reach 10,000 one of every 19 federal prisoners. Obama also received more petitions for clemency than any recent president. Blame has been passed around, much of it centering on the bureaucracy that emerged to handle the deluge of potential cases, as well as the role federal prosecutors played in the process. In the end, attorneys who felt they had submitted strong cases to the president often wondered why they lost. In granting so many fewer petitions than originally projected, the administration may have done more to exacerbate the arbitrariness of the sentencing regime writ large than to remedy it, one of those attorneys, Sean Nuttall, wrote recently at The Marshall Project. One key figure in the process was Neil Eggleston, who served as White House counsel from April 2014 through the end of Obamas term. We asked him to discuss the process from the inside.... How closely did President Obama look at each of the applications for clemency he received? And what did you learn about him based on how he handled them? I would give him memos on the cases, and he would spend a long time on each one. For a significant number, he was fine with my recommendation. For others, he would say: Why are you recommending this person to me? Look at his conduct in prison, look at his prior convictions. Im uncomfortable that this guy is going to take advantage of a second chance. Or the alternative: There were times when the deputy attorney general may have recommended in favor of a commutation, and I recommended against it, and [Obama] would call me in and ask: Why dont you agree with this one? Or hed say: Look theres this prior conviction, Im troubled by it, can you get me more information? He was really into the details. There were two parts to the way he thought. The first was he just thought a lot of these sentences from the 90s and 2000s were excessive. But he also felt very strongly about the idea of rehabilitation and second chances. It wasnt enough that the person had just gotten too lengthy a sentence. He also wanted make sure these were people who would benefit from a second chance. So if someone didnt do any programming, got into fights, had a lot of infractions, etc., I think the president was concerned they would be unlikely to do anything but go back to their life of crime when they got out. He felt strongly that this was a gift, and the gift had to be earned. One common criticism of the process was that there were arbitrary outcomes, that two people with similar cases could be granted and denied clemency. I think the thing the outside commentators didnt really understand was that I had more information about these people than others did, including, frankly, their lawyers. I had records of how they performed in prison, and information about their prior crimes. And when people say there was arbitrariness its because they didnt know factors that I knew. All 1,700 went through me and the small group of lawyers underneath me. And ultimately I didnt want people in jail thinking to themselves, How can this be? So is there some arbitrariness? Humans making decisions will not always be perfect. But I reject the notion that there was arbitrariness.... Were you afraid that a single heinous crime by one of these released men or women would derail the whole program? We never mentioned the words Willie Horton. But the answer is yes very much so. The president wanted to make sure these were people who would take advantage of their second chances, but part of that was making sure they wouldnt go back to jail. In the letter the president sent to released prisoners, he wrote to them that their choices will also influence...the possibility that others in your circumstances get their own second chance in the future. He was saying: If you mess up, I may not be able to give clemency to other people. Its pretty explicit.... One criticism was that it was strange to have prosecutors from the same department who got these sentences in the first place weigh in on clemency decisions. Did you think about this? I think that criticism was completely misguided and based on some sort of theoretical, potential problem. The fact is that Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, a 27-year Department of Justice prosecutor out of Atlanta, was a very strong supporter of this initiative. Loretta Lynch, too. The people who criticized their involvement did so on a theoretical conflict not an actual conflict. Its just not true. That suggests the Department of Justice under incoming Attorney General Jeff Sessions could rapidly go in another direction and oppose the use of clemency. I know Sessions publicly opposed our initiative. I hope that Im wrong, but I worry that given his comments, this will not be pursued by the new administration. Its going to require them to decide this is something they want to continue. I hope they do. February 15, 2017 at 08:46 AM | Permalink Comments Well, one guy has re-offended. Surprised Mr. Eggleston wasn't asked about that. Posted by: federalist | Feb 15, 2017 9:34:46 AM "A gift has to be earned" what an odd way to put it. Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Feb 15, 2017 9:36:09 AM One could really be harshly critical of Obama here--he apparently thought that the sentences in general were unjust (that's what he said when he wanted to smear people who had supported them in his "im the wisest guy in the room" shtick), but then he didn't have the guts to follow through on his beliefs. Im not surprised. Posted by: federalist | Feb 15, 2017 9:43:54 AM federalist: if you as chief executive thought a crack dealer got an unfairly harsh sentence in 2000 --- say 25 years when every comparable cocaine dealer got 15 or less --- but then was a lousy prisoner in lots of ways for 15 years, would you still think it appropriate to grant a commutation to make that unfairly harsh sentence "fair" even though it would lead to release of a person who had not "earned" his gift of clemency? As you know, Wendell Callahan was a recipient of an across-the-board cut of crack sentences that were only loosely screened for obvious public safety concerns. In this clemency setting, the screening seems even more thorough and were more central to how Obama decided which crack offenders would get breaks. It seems you are eager to damn both approach, and so I am curious to know how you think a system should approach remedies for extreme (and costly and perhaps counter-productive) sentencing schemes that later are repealed after been seen by nearly everyone as unfair. Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 15, 2017 12:41:38 PM Again, and again. Someone is doing well on insulin for years. Let's stop the insulin. Someone is doing well inside the structure of prison. Let's stop prison. Diabetes is a chronic condition involving a missing hormone. It will never be naturally replaced. Antisocial personality is a chronic condition involving missing brain functions. They will never be naturally replaced, as known since the 1850's. What would you call a doctor who suggests the first? A moron. What would you call the Harvard Law grad President Obama? A huge moron, a mental cripple, stupider than a student in Life Skills class. The latter student would know better than to pull the stunt President Obama did. Posted by: David Behar | Feb 15, 2017 12:48:55 PM Doug, I don't think it's improper to criticize the gulf between Obama's statements and what he actually did without taking a position on whether his policy was good or bad. Obama, in his annoying way, acted like some Solomon dispensing judgment on previous policies--then he, in a sense, acted basically the same way. I know you see the hypocrisy here, so I don't see much need to go deeper. As for Wendell Callahan, a prosecutor and federal judge had to sign off on the reduction, so what I pointed out there was that a promise that only non-violent people would be released turned out to be false. Obama tried to have his cake and eat it too. I would think, Doug, that you would have seen this and commented on it. My approach to clemency would be to acknowledge that there are two types of unfairness--one, where a criminal got an unjust sentence to start with, and there would be a strong presumption that the sentence would be cut and two, those who, in light of subsequent events (good behavior, etc.) have shown that a sentence was no longer necessary. I wouldn't try to score cheap political points (and smear people) and then turn around and leave a lot of those sentences in place. I'd be interested in seeing a Doug Berman post on exactly what you think of the Eggleston interview. Would be interesting. Posted by: federalist | Feb 15, 2017 1:09:56 PM federalist, Congress passed the FSA in 2010 with lots and lots of statements that the old 100-1 crack/powder ratio was unjust. It also enabled more than 10,000 persons sentenced under the 100-1 guidelines get retroactive relief, but it did not provide for retroactive relief for some offenders subject to 110-1 mandatory minimum who really got hammered by the trial penalty or in other ways. Against that backdrop, I do not see how Obama granting clemency relief to a good number (but not all) crack defendants is "act[ing] like some Solomon dispensing judgment on previous policies." Indeed, I sense he started with "a strong presumption that the sentence would be cut" in most of those case, but I have not been in a position to do a systematic review of all the decision here. I am not really defending Obama here, as I think it would have been wise from the start of the Obama term to create a clemency board independent of prosecutors to implement the kind of clemency approach you recommend, federalist. But I do think it at times too easy to sit on the sidelines and criticize the Prez (of either party) for the way they seek to balance principle and politics. I know you are eager to criticize Obama for "tr[ying] to have his cake and eat it too," and I am eager to criticize him for not creating a better and more enduring process for revitalizing clemency in the 21st Century. But I do think Obama should get credit for doing something here. As for the Eggleston interview, it struck me as the typical DOJ/Beltway insider interview that does little more than make the case for why an insider approach to a problem should be considered satisfactory. Is there something else that jumped out as noteworthy to you, federalist? Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 15, 2017 5:11:10 PM Doug, once again, I think you read my comment too quickly. I was pointing out the gulf between Obama's statements about federal law generally (i.e., his obnoxious mix of "holier than thou" and his condescending "I am more wise than all you people who concocted this mean sentencing regime) with his actions here. If, as he posited, sentences were flat-out unjust (with plenty of aspersions against those with responsibility), then there is a gap between his commentary and his actions. In other words, he's a hypocrite. And what makes it even worse---he gets a trifecta: he gets to slam the ancien regime, look nice (by prettying up many of the people who got clemency) and protect his back end by keeping in place many of the sentences resulting from a system he decried as unjust. It's cynical. The reality is that the crack-powder distinction resulted from a perceived crack epidemic and serious violence in our cities (remember, NYC had well over 2000 murders per year back in the day). So Obama's post hoc attacks were unfair. And lo and behold, Obama's actions here actually validated the ancien regime--if there were so many substantively unjust sentences, why not more clemency? Like I have always said, I don't necessarily disagree with Obama's decisions here--I presume that people looked at these sentences and made sound judgments. What I don't like is the propaganda (non-violent), the failure to acknowledge the disconnect between his extreme anti-gun positions and clemency for criminals and the cynical strategy of railing against the system, yet, in the vast majority of cases, agreeing with it. Posted by: federalist | Feb 16, 2017 10:12:35 AM federalist, I know you like to attack Obama for everything, but his was not the only one attacking the crack-powder 100-1 ratio --- indeed, everyone from current AG Jeff Sessions to the full bipartisan US Sentencing Commission starting in 1995 to the near unanimous 500+ voters in Congress for the FSA concludes that old crack sentences "were flat-out unjust." Obama's decision to grant clemencies to only about half of those still serving prison sentences under the old crack ratios is not a validation of that regime as much as a (proper?) recognition that his clemency power --- at this particular political and legal moment --- ought to attend to the factual particulars of each case rather than be a means for categorical reductions. I get you dislike Obama's propaganda, just like you dislike most everything that gets said and done by Democrats. Just another example of your essential partisan lens. Moving forward, how would you urge Prez Trump ought to use his clemency powers? Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 16, 2017 3:45:26 PM Doug, Obama's railings against the criminal justice system were over-the-top and involved nasty demagoguery. You can name-call about partisanship all you want--don't care. If Obama had limited his criticism to saying that a reaction to the crack scourge led to a sentencing regime that turned out to be unjust, that would be ok--but Obama's demagoguery (e.g., "just-us" system) was ugly and nasty. As for clemency being individualized--that doesn't seem to comport with his fierce urgency of now BS and his demagoguery. As for Trump, I'd love to see him use the pardon power to restore civil rights for people who have lived crime-free lives for a long time. And Doug, I don't like propaganda from elected officials. Full stop. Posted by: federalist | Feb 16, 2017 4:45:41 PM I hear what you are saying, federalist, about propaganda from elected officials. Seems like an especially big problem in recent years. Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 16, 2017 6:33:16 PM "propaganda from elected officials" How has it been different in "recent years" as compared to the past? Those charming black and white films you can find on YouTube funded by the government etc. can be deemed "propaganda" if you want. The term implies something misleading. Was government back in the Reefer Madness days less misleading about things? Posted by: Joe | Feb 17, 2017 11:24:05 AM Maybe the operative word is "seems." Posted by: Joe | Feb 17, 2017 11:24:57 AM Joe, here are two for starters: "non-violent" and "one mistake" and the Obama clemency. Or how about Xochitl Hinojosa spouting nonsense that USERRA enforcement was a high priority for DOJ. No one believes that. Or the NOAA and chucking valid buoy data for unreliable ship data. Posted by: federalist | Feb 17, 2017 12:01:45 PM Doug Berman: "Seems like an especially big problem in recent years." me: how different has it really been? [past propaganda cited] federalist: provides a couple alleged examples of recent propaganda Not overly helpful to get a sense of perspective of now & the past. Posted by: Joe | Feb 18, 2017 9:36:10 AM or Joe, I was responding to your "seems" comment . . . . but no matter--you wanna defend those examples by invoking reerfer madness---go for it you hack Posted by: federalist | Feb 18, 2017 11:18:10 AM Post a comment Interesting Q&A about Prez Obama's clemency efforts with former White House counsel Neil Eggleston | Main | "Emotional Judges and Unlucky Juveniles" February 15, 2017 Repeat rape and murder for sex offender subject to monitoring shows limits of GPS as incapacitation tool This article in my local paper about a local murder that has received a lot of attention provides a cold reminder that GPS monitoring typically cannot and will not alone serves as fool-proof crime prevention tool. The article is headlined "Ex-convict charged in slaying of Ohio State student was on GPS monitoring," and here are the details: A sex offender who is accused of abducting, raping and killing an Ohio State University student was on GPS monitoring. Brian L. Golsby, 29, who was released from state prison on Nov. 13 after serving six years for robbery and attempted rape, had special conditions of supervision under his post-release control for five years. "I can confirm that he was on GPS monitoring, which is not uncommon due to the fact that he did not have a permanent residence upon his release," said JoEllen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Golsby was living in a state-contracted residential housing program that granted him a temporary residence. Grove City police arrested Golsby after 21-year-old Reagan Tokes' body was found on Feb. 9 near the entrance of Scioto Grove Metro Park. Detectives say Golsby abducted Tokes after she left work Feb. 8 in the Short North. He forced her to withdraw $60 from an ATM, raped her and fatally shot her twice in the head before dumping her body. Investigators already had Golsby's DNA from prior offenses and matched it to a cigarette butt left in Tokes' car. Tokes was set to graduate from OSU in May with a degree in psychology. Smith said state law prevents her from going into details of the conditions Golsby had to follow. All offenders are prohibited from carrying guns, but it's unclear whether travel restrictions were placed on Golsby in addition to what sex offenders have to abide by. "DRC contracts with community providers for electronic monitoring and GPS services. The level of monitoring depends on the offender and circumstances for which the service is requested," Smith said. She would not specify which vendors are used or describe the level of monitoring that offenders like Golsby could have. It's unclear whether he triggered an alert while wearing the bracelet, or, if he had discarded the monitor, how parole officers would have been notified. It's also unknown how often parole officers check the movements of offenders assigned to them, or how far back the monitor records travel. "DRC is not providing specifics relative to this case due to the ongoing criminal investigation," Smith said. Columbus police have been looking at Golsby as a possible suspect in a series of attacks on women in German Village and near Nationwide Children's Hospital. February 15, 2017 at 09:02 AM | Permalink Comments The hits just keep coming. This guy NEVER should have been out on the streets. Surprised that OSU leadership isn't asking hard hard questions about: (1) the prosecutors, (2) the judge, (3) the mayor and (4) the cops/supervisors. This is why what is sold as "smart on crime" is often very very dumb on crime. Letting a guy like this out so quickly was dumb, and the failure to supervise was even dumber. Query Doug: what's your sense on what prosecutors in Union County or Delaware or Pickaway would have done with the crimes that got Golsby 5 years? Was there a Franklin County discount? Posted by: federalist | Feb 15, 2017 9:15:34 AM Showing again that use of buzz phrases is not a policy. Saying that we should use GPS monitoring as part of release is merely the start of the conversation. The rest of the conversation are what restrictions go with placement on GPS monitoring (otherwise GPS monitoring is merely a way of finding somebody after the fact); who gets notice when the monitoring system shows a violation of those restrictions, and what authority does law enforcement have to detain a person who violates those restrictions. Aside from whether defendant should have been out on the streets (a difficult question not knowing the circumstances of his prior case -- it is easy to Monday Morning Quarterback the prosecutor and judge, but any person who has prosecuted a case knows that there are some cases in which you gladly take a minimum sentence to avoid real risk of acquittal at trial), the question is what did GPS monitoring mean in Mr. Golsby's case. Assuming that Mr. Golsby was not on house arrest, he might never have violated the conditions of his monitoring during the offense. (Only part of story that makes it seem like there might be a violation was dumping the body in the entrance of the park as parks are typically restricted areas for individuals on GPS monitoring after a sexual assault.) Posted by: tmm | Feb 15, 2017 11:38:49 AM "six years for robbery and attempted rape" What should people who are guilty of robbery and attempted rape get? Six years seems like the "going rate" (to use a common term) and not some slap on the wrist. I don't know the details of the "attempted rape," but many here seemed to be okay (some upset at liberal critics) of a student getting very little jail time for what to many looked like rape or at least the early stages of rape if he wasn't stopped. Was it expected that he would kill? Rape is horrible, but rapists don't generally kill. So, we are left with the robbery. Robbery and use of force should get how much prison time? Is there something about this particular offender that warranted more than six years? If robbery and attempted violence crime will get you more than six years, perhaps it would be good to free up slots by changing our drug laws. Posted by: Joe | Feb 15, 2017 11:40:27 AM "unclear whether travel restrictions were placed on Golsby" etc. Details are a tad vague. If you are going to monitor people, got to do it with some skill. Posted by: Joe | Feb 15, 2017 11:42:35 AM tmm, it's so funny to me--people who get all worked up about harsh outcomes never seem to have the outrage when a completely innocent person has her life snuffed out--instead, those who ask hard questions are portrayed as Monday morning QBs. Whatever. Read the details of this guy's priors--they ain't pretty, and the plea deal (which is not the measure of what the guy actually did, since the plea deal is a discount) doesn't cover the prosecutor's office with glory. This guy raped a woman (pled to attempt), kidnapped her and robbed her. As for Joe, once again, the typical rhetorical devices to deflect criticism of a lenient justice system. But it's pretty easy to pick Joe's nonsense apart. (1) Golsby's priors involved two victims. So why were the sentences concurrent? Seems that prosecutors likely had more leverage. (2) Joe is defending a 5 year sentence for rape/robbery/kidnap. Nice try. Fine, Joe, let those criminals live around people you care about. (3) The reference to the Stanford rapist is interesting. If Joe seriously thinks that the two cases are remotely similar, then he should just say so--instead, the reference is just so much sophistry. A young woman is dead, and the first instinct of you twerps is to serve up some lame rhetorical non-defenses of what appears to be overly lenient treatment of a dangerous criminal. Posted by: federalist | Feb 15, 2017 11:54:47 AM This murder is 100% the fault of the lawyer profession. They showed malice (knowledge), given the prior criminal record. The estate should be allowed to sue the lawyers, the judges, and the legislature for gross negligence, and to seek exemplary damages to deter. It is time to rein in this totally out of control, highly dangerous, intensely stupid, and careless profession. Let the lawyers carry liability insurance, as they force everyone else to do. If the self dealt immunities of the lawyer profession are not ended, then violence by direct action groups has full justification in formal logic. If liability is a substitute for endless cycles of violent vendetta, then immunity fully justifies those. Posted by: David Behar | Feb 15, 2017 12:25:05 PM tmm is a long term vet of the criminal justice system and the agnosticism shown without knowing all the details is appropriate. I don't think tmm lacks concern about the victim. tmm and others are trying to judge the situation to see what the good of society as a whole warrants. And, we don't know all the details here. Citing "two priors" when many defendants have priors and for various reasons getting relatively short sentences (those without them in cases like this getting less than five years in many cases) or some other single data point of limited value. As to "leniency," five years in a state park plus limits when released is not some walk in the park. As compared to other countries in the Western world, our system is quite strict. Again, when certain liberals opposed the sentence of the Stanford rapist -- I myself noted the case was more complicated than some made it out to be -- they were criticized. I don't think the critics lack concern for the victim necessarily, but it goes to show how "attempted rape" alone without knowing all the details is incomplete. Posted by: Joe | Feb 15, 2017 12:31:03 PM state parks ... state prisons No dig intended. Again: "unclear whether travel restrictions were placed on Golsby" etc. Details are a tad vague. If you are going to monitor people, got to do it with some skill. Why? Because if you don't use skill, people can get hurt or even killed. Posted by: Joe | Feb 15, 2017 12:35:22 PM Joe. Without invading your privacy, can you tell us the fraction of your income that comes from government? I need to explain something to myself. Posted by: David Behar | Feb 15, 2017 12:41:26 PM Joe, five years, for that offender, was way too lenient. That it wasn't a walk in the park isn't really the point. I wouldn't want to do five years in a state pen either, but then I don't kidnap someone, rape her in front of her 2 year old child, then force her to withdraw money from an ATM. I also don't make a habit of it robbing people either. And Joe, you really ought to argue without the use of strawmen--I didn't say tmm had no concern about the victim, I said that he had an odd emotional response to my criticism that could be compared to a lack of outrage about questionable lenience. As for tmm's appeal to authority, yeah, it's hard to prosecute cases, and yeah, sometimes you have to eat a bad deal, but so what? It's not the case that only prosecutors can "really know" and that all other criticisms are therefore invalid. And Joe, you don't take a position---do you think five years was an appropriate sentence for this offender? Posted by: federalist | Feb 15, 2017 12:59:05 PM He was convicted of "attempted rape." Why? I don't know all the details, like tmm said. You cited "two priors," now you talk about "a habit." Is this based on other info? I'm not going to determine if this was an appropriate sentence for this specific person. I was wary of liberal critics in the case cited and am wary of conservative critics here. Single cases that come in the news are of some limited value but at the end of the day mislead as much as they shed life. Again, without saying anything profound, this works both ways. Yes, it's quite possible, given everything, it was sound. Hard to know. "So what." I surely agree not only "prosecutors" know best, especially when I often put forth the defense side. But, the "what" is that repeatedly, even when the deal looks bad, it is actually the best taking everything into consideration especially under the current system. Likewise, some bad looking civil deals are the reasonable given everything. I'm sure you yourself can cite examples in your career in that regard. Finally, "odd emotional response to my criticism that could be compared to a lack of outrage about questionable lenience." I didn't actually say you said etc. But, however you want to phrase it, the basic message is that tmm "emotionally" or whatever is not appropriately outraged about the victim. But, tmm's overall position to me is a concern about the good of society, including victims. As is mine, including my comment showing concern about how the monitoring went on. Posted by: Joe | Feb 15, 2017 1:24:26 PM This blog is also about sentencing and policy. This is likely to focus attention on those convicted of crimes. Victims surely factor in there, but less so as compared to some other blog. It's appropriate to cite them and their needs. OTOH, the best approach there is unclear as shown by many who work to protect victims who oppose various punishments. Appeals to victims only takes us so far there. Posted by: Joe | Feb 15, 2017 1:29:37 PM tmm, I would think the firearm in the latest offense is a far greater violation than whatever travel restrictions might have been in place. And also, once proven, far more clear-cut. Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Feb 15, 2017 1:53:31 PM The Third Reich had MANY shortcomings A PROPERLY applied Night & Fog protocol was not among those shortcomings Air drop that thug into Eastern Siberia or Northern Mongolia with a set of Boy Scout merit badge manuals , a first aid kit , with instruction on how to behave and be kind Wait a few decades , then check to determine whether he has changed his attitude on civility Kindly & Respectfully submitted , DJB aka Kind Soul* Nemo Me Impune Lacessit * Ohio , 8/20078/2017 Posted by: Docile aka Kind Soul | Feb 15, 2017 2:01:56 PM Funny how Joe uses a lot of words to say essentially nothing. There is a dead young woman who should not be dead. Why don't we start by getting that right? So, we have a dead young woman--working backwards, we have a plea deal that took two separate episodes of criminal behavior, which included a rape (yes, he was convicted of attempted rape, but once again, we look at the conduct, not how it was reduced to conviction via plea deal when we are evaluating how a prosecutor handled the case), kidnapping and two separate robbery incidents. This came out to five years in the pokey. After release, we seem to have a spate of robberies, and no one thought to check on this guy. That's harder to evaluate, but certainly there are questions. As for the "this is a policy blog"--well, yeah, but part and parcel of sentencing policy is incapacitation. And why do we incapacitate--so we don't have dead young women. It's no wonder average people don't give a fig about what supposedly more erudite people think about sentencing policy. This thread is exhibit A. We have federalist who looks at a criminal, sees what he did before, and says WTF. Then we have tmm whining about Monday Morning Quarterbacking and Joe making weak niggling points and referring to what the guy was convicted of (as opposed to what he actually did). The average person, who is interested in, I don't know, sending his daughter to Ohio State, would look at this debate and wonder at the surreality of it. We have Joe talking about five years in the pokey not being a walk in the park ("No shit, Sherlock") and tmm whining about Monday Morning Quarterbacking when the guy's dangerousness should have been manifest from his prior (kidnap/rape/robbery). The average person would look at tmm and wonder, gee, is incapacitation even important to him? As for Joe, the average person would think what the Bard was getting at in this: "Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice. His reasons are as two bits of wheat in two bushels of chaff. You shall seek all day ere you find them, and when you have them, they are not worth the search." Me, on the other hand, knows that Joe is just engaging in sophistry because deep down he believes that society should take a chance on violent criminals because some of them won't recidivate. Of course, he cannot come out and say that, so we get niggling points and odd attacks on the unassailable position that Ms. Tokes should be alive because Golsby should have been in prison on that fateful night. Posted by: federalist | Feb 15, 2017 2:37:12 PM Soronel, but I don't know how GPS would catch that the defendant had a firearm (unless the gun manufacturers are willing to include some type of device on their guns that would somehow be picked up by a nearby GPS bracelet). Despite the tendency of folks to go off on tangents, my key point is that "GPS monitoring" is a big term that can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different folks. A "house arrest"-type GPS monitoring can be very incapacitating, especially if officers get quick notice when the defendant leaves home without permission. On the other hand, if the GPS monitoring only places minimal restrictions (don't go near parks, don't go near schools or daycare centers) and violations of those terms only go to the probation officer who rights a violation report weeks later, the incapacitation aspects are somewhat less. Posted by: tmm | Feb 15, 2017 3:00:39 PM The article does not (or can not) furnish enough details for you or anyone to conclude that GPS was insufficient or deficient. For all we know the company or entities responsible for monitoring the SO were negligent. We don't know, because as the article clearly states, no one is revealing nothing. It looks like after their investigation is concluded they will reveal things. At that point, you can conclude, if the facts support, that GPS failed or has limitations. Not before. Posted by: Stephen Douglas | Feb 15, 2017 5:00:15 PM I think maybe even Abraham Lincoln would find Stephen Douglas' comments pretty sound. Posted by: Joe | Feb 15, 2017 6:31:58 PM All lawyers that caused this catastrophic consequence of lawyer stupidity must resign or be fired. The original judge, and any involved in the release of this super predator should be removed. These lawyers should also lose their law licenses. They are totally unfit for any legal practice. A constitutional amendment must remove all self dealt immunities of these careless and incompetent lawyers, including all judges, prosecutors, and legislators. Posted by: David Behar | Feb 16, 2017 5:07:58 AM Notice how Joe abandons the field. He serves up the idea that the guy was only convicted of "attempted rape" and ties that to the idea that five years in a state pen isn't a walk in the park. All in a lame attempt to undercut the surpassing obvious conclusion that (a) this guy should have been in jail when he murdered Ms. Tokes and (b) there is legitimate criticism of the actions that led to him only spending five years in jail. Posted by: federalist | Feb 16, 2017 2:00:34 PM I'm sure the GPS device, if it was working, will help convict him if it confirms that he was in the locations where the victim was found. Posted by: John Deere | Feb 16, 2017 5:54:34 PM Why not just advocate locking all convicts up forever? Unless and until you are willing to adopt such an argument, this is all nothing more than Monday morning quarterbacking. If you realize the ridiculous posture such an argument places you in, then you must necessarily accept the fact that such a human construct as sentencing will not ever be perfect. Posted by: Mark M. | Feb 17, 2017 1:59:52 AM Mark M. Locking people up forever is a waste. The violent repeat offender should be hunted and killed by the public at the earliest age acceptable, like 14. That would cause severe unemployment among lawyers, but no one cares about the lawyer profession. We do care about the loss of great kids like this beautiful girl that was murdered. Your profession is an abomination. It is protecting, privileging, and empowering the criminal, all for a lousy rent seeking low pay. Your profession is stealing a $trillion a year, and returning nothing of value. Posted by: David Behar | Feb 17, 2017 3:42:15 AM Joe needs to disclose the fraction of his income that comes from government. Posted by: David Behar | Feb 17, 2017 3:44:35 AM Perhaps Joe would "disclose" whatever is it is you believe he should when others "disclose" the diagnosis from their mental health treatment provider. Posted by: Mark M. | Feb 17, 2017 8:17:47 AM Mark M. Calling dissenters insane. More KGB, less lawyerly. Posted by: David Behar | Feb 17, 2017 9:18:06 AM Except, Mark, it's not Monday morning quarterbacking. I think that people who kidnap/rape/rob women, particularly when they have a long record already, are dangerous criminals and need to be locked up. What about that guy, as a 23 year old, said that he was going to stop taking physical control of women and doing things to them after 6 years? From what I can tell, absolutely nothing. This isn't locking up a drug dealer--this is a violent criminal who did more than simply take property from people. He NEVER should have been out. This isn't a close call. I get that sentencing involves human decisionmaking--but any sentient person should have looked at what this guy did at 23 and developed a hatred for him and a desire to see him punished as much as possible. People who sexually assault women in front of children need to go away for a long time. Posted by: federalist | Feb 17, 2017 9:48:49 AM All I know about quarterbacking is that after scoring 28 points in a little over a half a game of football, don't stop scoring. This was Sunday night quarterbacking on my part. Also, Monday Night Football makes that label a bit out of date. Posted by: Joe | Feb 17, 2017 10:17:56 AM Post a comment "Maryland prosecutor sentenced for hotel sex acts in front of glass door in Ocean City" | Main | Hard-to-believe harshness in prosecution of Virginia teen receiving underage pics February 14, 2017 "The American Death Penalty Decline" The title of this post is the title of this new paper recently posted to SSRN and authored by Brandon Garrett, Alexander Jakubow and Ankur Desai. Here is the abstract: American death sentences have both declined and become concentrated in a small group of counties. In his dissenting opinion in Glossip v. Gross in 2014, Justice Stephen Breyer argued todays death penalty is unconstitutional, noting that from 2004 to 2006, just 29 counties (fewer than 1% of counties in the country) accounted for approximately half of all death sentences imposed nationwide. That decline has become more dramatic. Just fifty-one defendants were sentenced to death in 2015 in thirty-eight counties. In 2016, just thirty defendants were sentenced to death in twenty-seven counties. In the mid-1990s, by way of contrast, over three hundred people were sentenced to death in as many as two hundred counties per year. While scholars and journalists have increasingly commented on this decline and speculated as to what might be causing it, empirical research has not examined it. This Article reports the results of statistical analysis of data hand-collected on all death sentencing, by county, for the entire modern era of capital punishment, from 1990 to 2016. This analysis of death sentencing data from 1990 to 2016, seeks to answer the question why a few counties, but not the vast bulk of the others, still impose death sentences. We examine state and county-level changes in murder rates, population, victim race, demography, and other characteristics that might explain shifting death sentencing patterns. We find that death sentences are strongly associated with urban, densely populous counties. Second, we find that death sentences are strongly associated with counties that have large black populations. Third, we find homicide rates are related to death sentencing in three ways: contemporaneously within and between death sentencing counties, lagged within and between death sentencing counties. and that counties with more white victims of homicide have more death sentencing. Fourth, we find that death sentencing is associated with inertia or the number of prior death sentences within a county. These results suggest what remains of the American death penalty is quite fragile and reflects a legacy of racial bias and idiosyncratic local preferences. We conclude by discussing the practical and legal implications of these trends for the much-diminished death penalty and for criminal justice more broadly. February 14, 2017 at 09:42 PM | Permalink Comments The Supreme Court runs the death penalty. It is organized as a bunko operation to generate jobs for the appellate judiciary and for appellate lawyers. They rake in $billions while protecting, privileging, and empowering the most vicious, cruel, and inhuman super-predators. The short term solution is to begin to impeach Justices and appellate judges for their specific decisions. After Trump, an American Duterte or Duterte himself will become President. Duterte is as qualified to run for President of the United States, as Obama ever was, and would be far more loyal to our country. The Supreme Court will then become irrelevant, and will lose this lucrative business, as the public kills the criminals. The executive branch prosecutor has full discretion to refuse to prosecute vigilante parties of citizens. The Democratic Party lawyer did that in several rounds of Democratic Party terrorism when they refused to prosecute lynch mobs that operated in front of hundreds of witnesses, during several eras of KKK rampage. Posted by: David Behar | Feb 14, 2017 10:16:57 PM The academic papers on the death penalty are so boring and pointless. Have these supposed statisticians ever heard of power calculator? Posted by: justme | Feb 15, 2017 12:35:35 PM Post a comment As you may have heard, among Donald Trump's atrocious, government-despising cabinet nominees is Carl's Jr./Hardee's CEO Andrew Puzder, a man reportedly opposed to hikes in the minimum wage, and whose company has been implicated in retaliating against workers who tried to organize for better wages. His nomination may indeed be in jeopardy for some other reasons namely that he's admitted to employing an undocumented housekeeper, and now Oprah's come after him with old tape of an ex-wife accusing him of domestic violence but on Monday in Oakland about five dozen labor activists entered a Carl's Jr. at 3770 Telegraph Avenue to disrupt business and call attention to Puzder's poor record on labor. As CBS 5 reports, protesters included workers at other Carl's Jr. locations, like Connie Betancourt, who has worked at the Alameda location for 14 years. She told the station that she often works six days a week but only gets paid for five, accusing the company of wage theft. Another worker at a San Jose location says she is forced to work through her government-mandated break time. Kathryn Lybarger, the outspoken president of the California Labor Federation and also president of the state's largest employee union, Local 3299, gave a statement on Puzder saying, "He doesn't believe the people behind the counter are worth anything, but they're the ones making him his money. He's depending on people's poverty. And this is the guy who's supposed to be in charge of workers in the country." Monday's protest in Oakland was just one of dozens happening all over the country calling attention to Puzder's record on labor. Salon reported in January on the multitude of wage and labor violations attributed to CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Hardee's and Carl's Jr., of which Puzder has served as chairman and CEO since 2000. President Trump has promised that Puzder will "save small businesses from the crushing burdens of unnecessary regulations." Despite a significant amount of litigation against the company and specific store location, CKE issued a statement in regard to these criticisms saying, "Wed like to offer a reminder that CKE Restaurants is nearly 95 percent franchised. Each of these 2,769 franchise stores are run independently and solely responsible for their employees, management and adherence to regulations and labor practices." As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, prior to he CEO position, Puzder was a private attorney who was known as one of the top anti-abortion lawyers in Missouri, representing anti-abortion activists pro bono and helping pass a state law declaring that life begins at conception. He has no moral qualms about using sex to sell burgers, though. Carl's Jr. has that ad campaign featuring hot models in bikinis eating huge sloppy burgers, and Puzder claimed that these ads actually reflected his personality in an interview with Entrepreneur Magazine. "I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think its very American," he said. Wonder how much they got paid. An armed man robbed a pharmacy on a quiet Outer Richmond street Monday, escaping with an unspecified amount of medication. Police say that the robber, a man in his 40s, entered a drugstore on the 300 block of 32nd Avenue at 11:01 Monday morning. There's only one pharmacy on that block: A CVS at 377 32nd Avenue, at the corner of Clement Street. Per policy, however, the San Francisco Police Department could not confirm the name of the business at which the crime occurred. The suspect, who was armed with a handgun, proceeded to the drugstore's pharmacy and "demanded medication," police say. A worker at the pharmacy complied, handing over an undisclosed type and amount of drugs. The suspect then fled on foot, and remains at large. According to the SFPD, no arrests have been made in this case. California's Red Light Abatement Law, a classic early 1900s vice law, has been used as recently as 2015 to shut down illegal gambling dens, but it's been a long time since the City of San Francisco has filed a civil suit under violation of that law to shutter a place of alleged prostitution. Yet tactics old and new are needed to put a halt to one pernicious alleged brothel, according to the office of City Attorney Dennis Herrera. According to the complaint filed by Herrera's office, Queen's Health Center at 325 Kearny Street "is a massage parlor brothel operated by the defendants under the guise of a legitimate massage establishment." There, since April 2010 and despite numerous health code violations, the defendants have regularly solicited prostitution online and in advertisements from backpage.com to SF Weekly, Herrera contends. Numerous undercover officers have interviewed clients who claimed they sought sex at the establishment and some officers further claim that they were solicited for sex themselves, according to the complaint. Massage parlors operating as fronts for prostitution are a blight on our neighborhoods and put women and the community at risk, Herrera said according to a press release. Queen's Health Center is one of the worst offenders. Over the years, city agencies have found multiple violations, issued fines and even suspended its business permit. But the business owner, Jie Qin Zhou, has repeatedly come up with new ways to hide and flout the law. No more. " According to the Examiner's coverage, from 2008 to 2013 the Department of Public Health revoked 73 permits against similar operations massage parlors operating as brothels but 45 of them reopened. So to target the alleged repeat offender, Herrera's suit takes aim at both the business owner, Jie Qin Zhou, and the Kearny Street buildings owner, Frank B. Iavarone. This tactic, according to City Attorney Herrera, "puts property owners on notice that they have a responsibility to ensure their commercial tenants are not exploiting women.... I want to be clear: This lawsuit takes on the business owner and the property ownerthe people who profit off the exploitation of women. Herrera's motion calls for a civil injunction: The business would have to vacate the space for a year, sell its fixtures and movable property at an auction and give the money to the city to fund enforcement, and levy penalties against the property owner and the business owner. Those would be up to $25,000 for allowing prostitution to occur on the premises, at least $200 for each day in violation of the Planning Code, and finally, $2,500 for each unlawful business act. That's a lot more than the $320 a San Francisco police officer was quoted for "group sex" with masseuses when he entered the premises undercover. According to the complaint, investigators found masseuses wearing lingerie at Queen's on several occasions, found more lingerie and sex paraphernalia on site, and even discovered one masseuse naked in a massage room with her client. Yelp reviews allude variously to the legal and allegedly illegal activities at Queen's Health Center, with one Yelper in 2012 claiming that a "code word" was "boom boom." Women who work in massage parlors must be protected against coercion and exploitation, San Francisco Director of Health Barbara Garcia said according to the release regarding the City Attorney's motion for a civil injunction. I'm proud of our health inspectors and their dedication to protect these workers, in partnership with law enforcement. Related: East Bay Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Sex Trafficking After Luring Women To Fake Fitness/Modeling Agency A new theoretical look at housing markets around the country suggests what the prices of housing would be if there were less (or no) land regulations things like planning departments and design reviews, etc. No drumroll necessary, San Francisco gets singled out as having the greatest discrepancy when it comes to what housing should cost versus what it does cost, but the New York Times points out that all of coastal California has this in common, with the same issue seen (per the graph below) in Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Diego. The research comes from a pair of Wharton Business School economists, Ed Glaeser and Joe Gyourko, who discuss in a new paper how there was a sea change over the last several decades in how America's most desirable cities including New York regulate building, and consequently how they respond to economic growth. "For most of U.S. history, local economic booms were met with local building booms, so labor could follow shocks to local productivity," they write. "However, between the 1960s and the 1990s, it became far more difficult to build in the nations most desirable locations, especially those along the coasts. Higher economic productivity in San Francisco now leads to higher prices, not more homes and more workers." So, in addition to there being greater demand to live in these highly desirable places, like California's coastal cities, you have city governments responding to demand over the last 50 years with a greater need for control not a new idea, but the chart below is nonetheless interesting. The long-view argument being made by the economists is that once upon a time, say pre-1960, houses cost pretty much the same everywhere, and this is highly debatable event without getting into the uneven distribution of wealth prior to the rise of the American middle class, but during its various booms, as discussed here before, San Francisco has always been an expensive place to live, sometimes ridiculously so, regulations or not. By their estimates and based on construction costs, land-use restrictions and other factors aside, houses should now cost about $200,000 apiece, on average, with sizes varying by local market, and due to higher demand/desirability, a San Francisco home should cost about $281,000. In reality, median home prices here (based on 2013 data) are closer to $800,000, and this, the economists argue, is due mostly to the costs associated with regulation. The New York Times takes things further to say that if cities were to open the floodgates to development, "The economy would grow, and by a lot." They cite this paper by UC Berkeley economist Enrico Moretti and University of Chicago economist Chang-Tai Hsieh that suggests that land-use regulation is reducing the nation's overall economic output by 10 percent, or $1.5 trillion a year. Also, mobility would increase as housing costs evened out from place to place, the economists argue people would seek out job opportunities with less concern for cost of living, and you wouldn't see the same cachet for places like SF and New York. But where's the fun in that? If every city were the same and none were more exciting or cool than the other, wouldn't this be, like, Belgium or something? Related: San Francisco Has Always Been A Pretty Expensive Place To Live Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation Tuesday to block the implementation of a fee for single-use shopping bags in New York City, but in a lengthy statement added that he's seeking a statewide solution to the problem. The measure signed by Cuomo is a one-year moratorium on the five-cent fee, which was adopted by the New York City Council. State legislators, however, acted quickly to postpone the tax. Cuomo said the New York City plastic bag fee proposal was flawed, mainly because it would allow store owners to keep the revenue from the tax. It also exempted certain businesses, including food trucks and liquor stores. Despite his concerns, Cuomo acknowledged there is a problem. The New York City Department of Sanitation, he said, collects an average of 1,700 tons of plastic bags each week. The costs to dispose of the bags total $12.5 million annually. While New York City is seeking to address the issue, Cuomo said it affects the entire state. New York residents use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags each year. "The impact of this usage results in the significant expense of cleaning up this plastic through litter collection programs and beach and ocean cleanup efforts," he said. To develop a statewide solution, Cuomo is launching a task force. He intends to ask the state Legislature to appoint co-chairs for the panel and he hopes to have a proposal by the end of the year. "I look forward to New York state leading the way on this issue," he said. There was a mixed reaction to Cuomo's decision to sign the one-year moratorium. Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan thanked the governor for "doing the right thing." State Sen. Simcha Felder, a Democrat who caucuses with the Republicans, pushed for the postponement of the tax and sponsored the bill in the Senate. "If allowed to go forward, this onerous bag tax would have hurt low- and middle-income residents the most, making it even more difficult to make ends meet in what is already the most expensive city in the world," Flanagan, R-Long Island, said. State Sen. Liz Krueger, a Democrat, was disappointed with Cuomo's action. She said New York City was ready to implement the fee, but Albany has "chosen to kick the bag down the road." She also believes the legislation signed by the governor sets a dangerous precedent for municipalities seeking to address local environmental problems. "This is simply unacceptable," she said. "If the Legislature is unable or unwilling to tackle the unprecedented environmental challenges we face, they should at least get out of the way so local people can solve their own problems." A SUV belonging to a driver who police say was fatally shot in the head smashed into multiple parked cars and caused a tree to topple before coming to a stop near San Francisco City Hall Wednesday morning. According to the San Francisco Police Department, the male driver of a silver SUV was shot by an unknown suspect near the intersection of Eddy Street and Van Ness Avenue at 2:14 Wednesday morning. Following the shooting, the victim's vehicle continued to move, striking two parked cars, one of which hit a tree hard enough to topple it, the Chron reports. When police arrived at the scene of what they initially thought was a simple vehicle collision, they discovered that the driver was dead, and had "head trauma...consistent with [a] gun shot wound," SFPD spokesperson Sargent Michael Andraychak says. According to the SFPD, the victim was a 34-year-old male. As of publication time, the San Francisco Medical Examiner's office had yet to publicly identify him, which they typically decline to do until family members of the deceased have been reached and notified. Confirming that this is a homicide investigation, Andraychak asks anyone with information on the case to call SFPD Anonymous Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or to text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. Breaking-appears one car slams into side of another. San Francisco. No arrests. Male victim died @kron4news pic.twitter.com/NqA0kdaV0l Will Tran (@KRON4WTran) February 15, 2017 Breaking-San Francisco police at murder scene on van ness and eddy. Two car collision. Male victim @kron4news pic.twitter.com/eBAfPRLJq1 Will Tran (@KRON4WTran) February 15, 2017 Breaking- murder San Francisco on eddy just off of van ness. Victim SUV slams into parked cars. Shot @kron4news pic.twitter.com/EuY9yj2pYi Will Tran (@KRON4WTran) February 15, 2017 Related: Vallejo Man Killed In Shooting Inside San Francisco Liquor Store Oh #SFBay, you so dirty! this news! San Francisco Bay turns brown after nonstop storms https://t.co/9U26n7ACLR via @SFGate @bayareamoms Erica Maharg (@BackwardGraham) February 15, 2017 Sediment sent into the San Francisco Bay by this winter's seemingly endless wave of stormy weather has turned its waters an unappealing shade of brown and has prompted the US Coast Guard into issuing a debris warning for local boaters. SF Gate reports that the Bay, which is typically "emerald green," has been turned brown by "fine sediment washed by back-to-back storms from the slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the soils of the Central Valley and into rivers" which then "carry the fine silt into the Bay where it's dumped along with surges of fresh water and is further stirred up by wind, tides and wave action." Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California, tells the Gate that photos like the comparison ones from NASA that you see above "are great because you're seeing this once-a-decade kind of event when we get very large flows on the two main rivers of the Central Valley the Sacramento and the San Joaquin...When these flows are high, they carry high amounts of very fine clay sized particles. That's what you're seeing." Though it looks less photogenic than the water's typical coloration, the sediment influx is actually good because they "help build up the mud flats and marshes at the Bay's edges," both areas that preserve wildlife and protect against rising sea levels. According to James Cloern, a senior scientist with the USGS who spoke with the Gate, "If we took away the sediment, those mud flats would disappear. Those mud flats are important habitat for birds that migrate along the Pacific Flyway. They either stay in San Francisco Bay or use it as a resting area. There are about a million shorebirds that come to the Bay during spring migration. They feed on small shrimp and fish." Incoming Debris! The Bay is loaded w/ garbage & plants from winter storms floating from Delta. pic.twitter.com/6kf1vIiByK Cbarnard (@CornellBarnard) February 15, 2017 But this stormy upheaval isn't all upside for the Bay, as ABC 7 reports that the "Coast Guard will be issuing a warning Wednesday to anyone on or near the San Francisco Bay--beware of debris." That's because "debris is floating down through the San Pablo Bay from the Sacramento Delta after big storms and high water," leading to "an endless train of garbage from the Richmond-San Rafael bridge." ABC 7 claims that a "giant floating blob of debris washed up on the water at Pier 27 in San Francisco," and that similar issues have struck the Berkeley Marina, a boat launch on Mare Island, and even a navigational buoy near Antioch. A Berkeley boat owner characterizes the Bay's sudden junk problem as "very unusual" and says she's seeing "logs in the water, even pieces of wood from a dwelling maybe." "Be on the lookout," Coast Guard Lieutenant Megan Mervar warns boaters on the Bay. "Know that when you go out. These hazards exist." Aquatic Park Cove and the shoreline are littered with what appears to be storm debris @kron4news pic.twitter.com/UUwEJsEKyf Philippe Djegal (@pdjegal) February 15, 2017 Showing bravery and solidarity in the face of threats, thousands of Latinos, immigrants, refugees and their supporters rallied outside of the Milwaukee County Courthouse on Monday to resist the anti-immigrant agenda of President Donald Trump and to call for the resignation of Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. We will not stand by while you realize discrimination and break up families," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, the primary organizer of the rally. At least 150 businesses around the state closed Monday as part of A Day without Latinos, Immigrants and Refugees to highlight immigrants importance to our economy. Workers from meat-packing plants, the dairy industry, construction, agriculture, hotels and restaurants took the day off to protest Clarkes alleged plans to make his deputies part of federal immigration law enforcement under a federal policy known as 287g. Clarkes Facebook page states his office hasnt enrolled in the federal program, but he broadly supports Trumps anti-immigrant agenda. Many local law enforcement officials, including MPD Chief Ed Flynn, say forcing officers and deputies to do federal immigration checks undermines public safety. I think we can add this one extra thing to the list of reasons why Sheriff Clarke should resign now," Milwaukee County Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde said to wild applause at the rally. Immigrants of disputed legal status are concerned about the impact of Trump and Clarkes targeting of immigrants, but theyre not letting fear stop them from protesting. In fact, immigrant groups are joining forces with allied organizations and local elected officials to resist the new regime. I want you to stand proud and dignified," Janan Najeeb, head of the Milwaukee Muslim Womens Coalition, told the crowd. We have shown Trump and his bigoted advisors the power of people. They thought they could ban immigrants, Muslims and refugees and no one would care." Abby Jeanne has been very busy for the past six years. She has been writing, producing and recording her own musicall while traveling the world, singing for the local hip-hop jazz group Foreign Goods and playing festivals around the city including PrideFest and Mitten Fest. Jeannes songs are a harmonious mixture of soul and emotion. Her voice is powerful and moving, yet in her live performances she remains poised and calm. Even though she calls Milwaukee her home, she is a world traveler and is almost constantly performing her music and exploring abroad. Shes currently traveling in the Himalayan Mountains of India, which made finding time for an interview with her especially interesting. After multiple dropped calls and lost signals, we finally had the chance to discuss her latest release, Rebel Love, as well as some of her past experiences while traveling. Jeanne has been singing since she was a child, but she didnt always want to pursue her musical talents. She recalls being very young and asking herself: Are you really going to give your soul to the spirt of music? She answered yes and ever since that moment she knew she had an important purpose in this world. Im a bad student, a rebellious person and I dont like to work normal jobs, but I have always tried to figure out what I can do for the world, she says. Jeanne hasnt always lived in Milwaukee, however. At the time, I didnt really care about anything in Milwaukee, she recalls. I didnt want to be in one place, and my heart was telling me to leave. I wanted to escape because my perception has always been outward, not inward. There was no specific reason I wanted to leave, its just that my heart was on fire, and I knew I had to. So she left. Friends of the Shepherd Help support Milwaukee's locally owned free weekly newspaper. LEARN MORE Ever since she was 16 years old shes traveled all over the world, performing her music, exploring and meeting new people. When I travel I really get to see the clarity of how simple things can be, and how important it is not to get lost in translation, she says. Traveling has shown me how everyone is just trying to survive and figure out how to use their gifts for the world and spread more love. All of this traveling has had an impact on Jeanne as well. She made it clear that all of the various people she met have impacted her to not just think about herself or her situation: Im telling people about Donald Trump, and I have a friend from Iran who is talking about living under a dictatorship, she says. Its just so important to talk about each others political situation and spread the love. Thats why Jeanne is so excited to release her latest album. When I asked her why its called Rebel Love, she explained that the title is how she describes herself. Rebel love describes someone who holds and gives light but is also full of edge and constant rebellion, she says. Even if you are bright and happy, we all have this jaded edge, and we are all a little messed up. Rebel Loves first single, Aged Young (2016), is a slow and mesmerizing track that Jeanne explains was released to describe her feelings towards the horrible 2016 she and many other people had. Its about how my soul feels old from seeing the things I have seen, but also how we can all move forward and experience love once again! As Jeanne told me about her latest release she couldnt hold back a smile. I cant wait until you and everyone gets to hear it, she shared. Its one big story. The album starts off poetic and innocent and then switches to a harsh and straightforward anger. Her album, she says, acts like a rollercoaster, and we as listeners get to decrypt the meaning. Abby Jeannes Rebel Love is out on Friday, Feb. 17. Shell play a release show on Friday, March 10 at the Cactus Club. Senators shuffle by the desk on Tuesday to cast their votes on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education, chattering like kids returning from summer break to find that everything has changed. Somehow even the victors seem confused. None of them really expected the world to look like this. Except, maybe, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. He is standing toward the front of the Senate chambers, his hands behind his back, at ease. There is a grin on his face. He has just cast what will be his final vote as senatorto confirm DeVos. Though he is not attorney general yet, he was instrumental in planning the flurry of authoritarian executive orders marking Trumps first weeks in office, including the now-contested Muslim ban. Sessions wanted to go even harder, hoping for a shock and awe approach, overwhelming the opposition with the dramatic pace of change. In a Washington Post story that called Sessions the intellectual godfather of Trumps hard-line actions, the director of a conservative immigration think tank compared the Republican senator to a guerrilla in the hinterlands preparing for the next hopeless assault on the government who suddenly learns that the capital has fallen. With his dark suit, white hair, and wrinkled white peach of a face, Sessions does not look like hes spent much time training in the jungle. But he does seem surprisedstunned almostthat the next vote his colleagues cast will make him attorney general of the United States. He walks slowly to his seat. Sitting down, he bows his head. His eyes seem to be closed, as if praying. He brings the tips of his fingers together, facing upward, on his lap. A few moments later, he takes out a silver object and holds it gingerly between the first two fingers and thumbs of each hand, almost as if unwrapping foil on a stick of gum. But it doesnt seem to be gumits impossible to tell what it is from the press gallery above the Senate floorand he does not unwrap it, he just fingers it, his head bowed. Then the vote is called. He puts away the silver object. It is 50 to 50. As expected, Vice President Mike Pence confirms DeVos with a historic tie-breaking vote. It is a huge blow to anyone who cares about competency, public education or ethics in government. The Democrats spent the last 24 hours complaining about all of these issues, but that doesnt matter now. They have no control. The whole process demonstrated that the new regime can do as it wishes on the Hill. Across the room, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) acts like he is charging someone with a podium, making a clear reference to Melissa McCarthys Saturday Night Live skit satirizing Sean Spicer, the presidents communications director and press secretary. Republican senators John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina sit beside each other talking quietly, as if conspiring or gossiping. McCain says something and sucks his bottom lip. Graham scans the room from left to right. Sessions gets up and looks around the room again before he heads toward the door. Nevertheless, She Persisted When he returns to the Senate later that day, Sessions is the nominee under consideration. He sits behind Majority Leader Mitch McConnell while Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren quotes the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, who called Sessions a disgrace to the Justice Department during a 1986 confirmation hearing, when Sessions was denied a federal judgeship because of allegations of racism. Now Warren reads from a letter that Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr., sent to the Senate during that same failed confirmation. Mr. President. Mr. President, McConnell interrupts, defending Sessions. The senator has impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama, as warned by the chair. Senator Warren said, Mr. Sessions has used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens in the district he now seeks to serve as a federal judge. I call the senator to order under the provisions of Rule 19, McConnell says. The crazy thing about Rule 19, in this context, is that it was created in 1902, after the notorious white terrorist and Senator Pitchfork Ben Tillman beat up a colleague who had defected to the other side of a debate. Tillman founded a group called the Red Shirts, which terrorized African Americans as Reconstruction bled into Jim Crow. He was an early mentor of white supremacist Strom Thurmond, who, as the chair of the Senates judiciary committee, was the guy who both smashed Sessions hopes of becoming a federal judge and the guy who kept Kings 1986 letter out of the Senate record. When Warren read the letter, she was correcting Thurmonds 30-year-old error. So it is grimly fitting that McConnell, who has learned to manipulate the Senate in order to grab control of the judiciary for his party, cites Rule 19 to defend Jeff Sessions, the old-school law-and-order white supremacist who stuck around long enough to make it mainstream again. During the exchange (in which McConnell now famously uttered the iconic sentences She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted), Sessions blows his nose, rubbing it with a handkerchief, making sure he gets it all, blowing again. Nearly 24 hours later, McConnell uses the last few minutes of debate to offer a cornpone encomium to his departing colleague, calling Sessions a true Southern gentleman, like thats an unquestionably good thing, eliding the difficult history connecting Sessions home state and the fight for civil rights. Finally, in a Thursday morning ceremony, Pence swears in Sessions, who cites a dangerous permanent trend of increasing crime and pledges to end lawlessness. The trend lines on crime dont back up his claims. Like Sessions, Trump regularly exaggerates the increase in violent crime. He uses the occasion of Sessions swearing in to sign three executive orders that further empower the already vast police state, now overseen by Sessions. Neither man mentions the epidemic of African Americans shot and killed by police. A new era of justice begins, and it begins right now, Trump says. Baynard Woods (@baynardwoods) is editor at large at the Baltimore City Paper, and his column, Democracy in Crisis, will appear regularly in the Shepherd to provide original coverage of the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. You can listen to his weekly podcast at shepherdexpress.com. State Transportation Commissioner Matthew Driscoll said Wednesday that a new study commissioned to examine options for replacing the Interstate 81 viaduct in Syracuse will last at least six months. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the independent study in January. The purpose of the new study is to review five options for the I-81 project a community grid, a depressed highway, a tunnel, a combination of the community grid and depressed highway and a combination of the community grid and tunnel. WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff, an internationally renowned firm, will conduct the study. The cost is $2 million. The funds for the study were provided through the state Department of Transportation's budget. Driscoll told legislators at a budget hearing Wednesday that the study recently started and will last at least six months. He didn't have any other updates on the study. "We'll hear more from the consultant as they move along," he said. The elevated portion of I-81 that runs through Syracuse reaches the end of its useful life this year. The state Department of Transportation previously narrowed the options to two: a community grid or rebuilding the viaduct. Members of central New York's state legislative delegation expressed concerns about the proposals, particularly the community grid. Critics of the community grid, or boulevard option, say it will increase truck traffic on local roads in smaller towns and villages, such as Owasco in Cayuga County or Skaneateles in western Onondaga County. After the lawmakers' call for another look at other alternatives, including a tunnel, Cuomo decided to move forward with another study. When the state Department of Transportation narrowed its options for the I-81 project, it ruled out a tunnel option. One of the main reasons it was eliminated from consideration is the cost. A tunnel could cost as much as $3.1 billion. By comparison, the community grid would cost $1.3 billion and rebuilding the viaduct would cost $1.7 billion, according to Department of Transportation estimates. The community grid and viaduct proposals are in a current draft environmental impact statement with federal highway officials, Driscoll said. The state Department of Transportation planned to have a final decision on the project this year. The study could impact that timeline, but a determination on how to proceed is expected by the end of the year. "We would not move for a final record of decision on (the community grid or rebuilding the viaduct) because certainly we want to understand what the result (of the study) is," Driscoll said. Expand Photo by iPrimages Flickr CC After cutting more than $1 billion from the states K-12 public schools since 2011, Gov. Scott Walker plans to add $648 million to schools in his next two-year budget, a promise he crowed about in his budget address and one hell promote as hes expected to run for a third term in 2018. Walker would add $509 million as a per pupil funding increase. In the first year of Walkers proposed budget, this new funding would initially be an additional $200 per student, in the second year, an additional $204. This additional money is being distributed outside of the usual manner that state education dollars are allocated. For the past several decades, Wisconsin has utilized an equalization formula that provides thousands of dollars per student each year driven by a formula that provides more money to property-poor school districts, school districts that do not have the property tax base to support decent funding of public schools. Although the additional funds were welcomed by public school advocates, some, including State Superintendent of Public Schools Tony Evers, are concerned about the details of the governors proposal. I think $650 million is a good trajectory, Evers told the Shepherd. Do I want it to be distributed differently? Yes. Are others concerned because it doesnt get us back to where we were? I get that. But its still $650 million for kids and thats an important thing. Evers had proposed increasing funding $707 million in the next two years, a bit more than Walkers boost. But theres a world of difference between the two proposals. Walker is helping out wealthier districts, while Evers would continue the states commitment to providing more aid to districts with a high percentage of disadvantaged students. And only one will go to the LegislatureWalkersalthough it could be radically altered by the time the entire state budget is finalized. Money Going to Wealthier Districts The states funding formula for education can be complicated, but, put most simply, the state tries to send more money to poorer districts and less money to wealthier districts, since wealthier communities have more taxable property to support their schools than poorer communities. The general state aid and local property taxes make up the vast majority of a school districts revenue. Outside of those limits, theres categorical aid in various forms to help districts with, for example, high levels of poverty, special education or transportation. The bulk of Walkers new funding comes in the form of flat, per pupil aid payment outside of the traditional school funding formula. While that may seem fair on the surface by treating each student the same, Walkers plan actually rewards high-income school districts. Friends of the Shepherd Help support Milwaukee's locally owned free weekly newspaper. LEARN MORE Tamarine Cornelius, a research analyst with the Wisconsin Budget Project, found that the biggest proportion of Walkers boost would go toward wealthy districts. Cornelius found that districts whose school population includes less than a third of low-income students would see their state aid rise 6.3%. Schools that have between one third and two thirds of low-income students would see a 4.8% increase. In contrast, districts that have more than two thirds of their student population made up of low-income kidssuch as Milwaukee Public Schools, which has 80% of its students living in povertywould see just a 3.6% boost in state aid. Its untargeted, Cornelius told the Shepherd. It moves the state away from the commitment to provide more assistance to districts with less capacity to boost local property tax revenues. In contrast, Evers proposed budget would increase state aid while also tweaking the funding formula to factor in poverty. Hed also increase per pupil aid, but also weight it for factors including poverty and students with disabilities, Evers said. The bottom line is that I believe equity should be our value on school funding, Evers said. Equity in my worldview means that kids who struggle mightily need more resources. Thats important to me. Frankly, its important to those kids. The total amount of revenue each district can spend on its students will remain unchanged in Walkers proposal except that districts could raise the cap to pay for energy efficiency projects. Evers, in contrast, would raise the cap 2% in each year of the budget, so districts could spend more on their students. The current revenue cap fluctuates wildly from district to district. For example, Milwaukee Public Schools current revenue limit is $10,261 per pupil. But some wealthy suburban districts can spend much more on their students. For example, Whitefish Bays revenue limit is $11,248; Elmbrook School District, $11,568; Glendale-River Hills, $12,752; and Nicolet School District, an eye-popping $17,794 per student. And, yes, each of the students in these wealthy districts will receive the same amount of Walkers per pupil aid as the less financially advantaged students in Milwaukee. In addition, Walker attached some strings to his increased aid and, not surprisingly, theyre linked to public employee benefits. School districts can only qualify for their increased per pupil aid if their employees pay at least 12% of their health care costs. That seems to target schools in Madison, but also potentially Wauwatosa and West Allis-West Milwaukee schools. This is totally micromanaging the locally elected school boards. So much for all the talk about local control of our schools. Whats more, a small amount of the increase is tied to savings from creating a self-insurance model for state employees. Evers, who is facing two challengers in the Feb. 21 primary election, disagreed with linking the new state aid to Act 10 mandates. We are facing a looming or already existing teacher shortage, Evers said. One of the reasons we are facing that is because of the disrespect weve provided the teachers and teaching profession that kind of grew out of Act 10 and was used to implement Act 10. This re-energizes that issue. He also said the state was reaching too deeply into the running of local school districts. Tying it to the health insurance piece seems to me to be an over reach, that a state government would reach into school districts and say your personnel policies are inadequate, therefore youre not going to get this increase, Evers said. Thats a stretch. Nasser Ali has decided to die. After rejecting the conventional forms of suicide as messy and undignified, he simply takes to bed, refuses food and waits for the inevitable visit of the angel of death. Nasser was once a great concert violinist but his career has evaporated. His marriage is an unpleasant silence broken by outbursts of bitter anger. His life is gradually deflating like a tire from many small puncturesuntil a pair of disappointments entirely flattens his will to continue. In that bare synopsis, Poulet aux prunes (Chicken with Plums) suggests Ingmar Bergman at his most dire. But the French-language film by Iranian expatriate-in-France, Marjane Satrapi, is shot through with dark irony, yet without denying sympathy for the major characters. Although leavened with humor, Chicken with Plums is a tragedy of loveless marriages and the lofty pursuit of art that fails to deliver either happiness or satisfaction. In Chicken with Plums, Satrapi moves beyond the relatively straightforward autobiography of her best-known film, Persepolis, an animated feature that illustrated her self-imposed French exile from her homeland, which fell to Ruhollah Khomeini when she was just 14. With a more complicated narrative and a richer emotional palette than its predecessor, Chicken with Plums is sometimes reminiscent of Jean-Pierre Jeunets Amelie in its quirky blend of the hyper-real and the surreal, its characters who inhabit a world that often resembles a montage of moving postcards. The story is largely set in Tehran, 1958, recreated with deliberate artifice on the soundstage of Berlins famed Babelsberg studio. The city is at the threadbare cusp of modernity and tradition; Islamic zealots are nowhere to be seen and a giant poster of Sophia Loren dares passersby from the wall of the Persepolis cinema. The sad eyes of Nasser (Mathieu Amalric) flare easily into anger or even madness when confronted by what he sees as his failed life. He never cared for his wife, who was madly in love with him, but was nudged into marriage by his mother. Frustrated by Nassers rejection, she becomes a thorn of constant recrimination in his side. The one he loved returned his feelings, but was forbidden him by her father, who believed a musician could give her no future. You dont remember me? he asks a woman who might be her in a chance encounter. To tell the truth, not at all, she replies coldly. It was the beginning of Nassers end. One other heartbreak prompted his death wish. His brother, a Communist and a serious-minded fool, triggers it by sending him to a shop to buy a Stradivarius. Its a dark place of wonder filled with ouds and carpets and saffron, with a whiff of opium in the air and a trickster shopkeeper who gladly relieves the musician of his savings in exchange for a mysterious package. Nasser opens it upon returning home to discover a broken old fiddlea mocking symbol of his life. Chicken with Plums is an agile juxtaposition of styles. Animation shows stories from Nassers childhood and fables from the angel of death; there are wordless scenes told through yearning eyes that could have come from a great silent film; German Expressionism envelopes a flashback to Nassers unhappy grade school, which resembles a set from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari; the realism is infused with magic. But the films visual mastery reveals an emotionally complex web of unfulfillment, a melancholy that resonates beyond the surface theme of loveless marriage. Nasser is both tragic and nasty, touching in his love for his daughter and comically pretentious as he solemnly imparts to his children a morsel of deathbed wisdom. It is through art that we understand life, he informs them. They giggle in response and little wonder. Nasser Ali has understood very little. Chicken with Plums screens at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19 at the UW-Milwaukee Union Cinema as part of the Festival of Films in French. Admission is free. It began modestly in the UW-Milwaukee French department and has grown into an anticipated annual event. This year, the Festival of Films in French marks its 20th anniversary with 20 films. They range from 1920s silent movies by pioneering feminist filmmaker Germaine Dulac through Lola (1961) by new wave director Jacques Demy and a recent sequel to the popular Belle et Sebastien. Also on tap is the U.S. premiere of Demain, a globe-spanning documentary on environmental activists. Most films are from France, butas the festivals title suggeststhe programming seeks to encompass the entire French-speaking world. This years films includes selections from Quebec, Senegal and Morocco and others that were filmed in Haiti and Madagascar. Asked about the process of choosing the lineup, festival co-organizer Anita Alkhas says, Were in competition for French films that might make it into the mainstream American market. And we stay away from films that are too localizedinside jokes dont play well here. We try to balance classics with recent films. Admission is free to all films. Screenings are Feb. 17-Feb. 26 at the UW-Milwaukee Union Cinema. An opening night party will take place from 5-6:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts, Room 250, 2419 E. Kenwood Blvd. For opening night party reservations, information on the festival and a complete schedule, visit uwm.edu/french-film-festival. DAKOTA DUNES | Tyson Foods announced a shakeup of its top leadership team on Tuesday that includes the departure of Donnie King, president of the meat giant's North American operations, and two other longtime executives. Also leaving the Springdale, Arkansas-based company are Sara Lilygren, executive vice president corporate affairs, and Gary Cooper, chief information officer. The three departures will be effective over a period of months to allow sufficient time for a seamless transition, the company said. Noel White, a former leader of Tyson's Fresh Meats division based in Dakota Dunes, was promoted to chief operations officer of Tyson Foods as part of the changes announced Tuesday. White, who served as senior group vice president of Fresh Meats before leaving to become president of Tysons poultry division in 2013, is part of a 10-member leadership team that will report to Tyson President and CEO Tom Hayes. The new lineup also includes: Sally Grimes, president, North American retail; Andy Callahan, president, North American Foodservice & International; Monica McGurk, chief growth officer; Dennis Leatherby, chief financial officer; Scott Rouse, chief customer officer; David Van Bebber, general counsel; Devin Graham, interim chief technology officer; and Mary Oleksiuk, chief human resources officer. These important changes better align our management structure to our purpose and strategy, Hayes said in a statement Tuesday. This new structure will facilitate efficiency and growth, as well as lay the foundation for strong leadership and management continuity. Todays announcement underscores our commitment to having the best possible management team in place, which will be crucial to achieving our objectives and continued excellence, Hayes said. Hayes took over as president and CEO from Donnie Smith last year. Hayes and King visited the company's Dakota City beef plant in September to join a companywide celebration of the plant's 50th anniversary. King started at Tyson in 1982, Cooper began at the company in 1985 and Lilygren joined in 2002. White has worked for Tyson and its predecessor, IBP Inc., since 1983. REMSEN, Iowa -- Ann Muller wanted to know if her controversial coleslaw was worthy of a thumbs-up at Three Sisters' Bistro. "For a long time, I'd been featuring a pasta salad as one of the side dishes on our lunch menu," she said. "I was getting bored with pasta and decided to make a sweet and sour slaw instead." So far, more customers approve of Muller's side dish switch-up than disapprove. Which is good news for the first-time restaurateur. "I like getting feedback from our regulars," said Muller inside the kitchen of her 203 S. Washington St. bistro. "They're not shy about sharing their opinions." A Remsen native, Muller returned to Plymouth County following a 38-year career as a special needs teacher and administrator with the San Antonio, Texas, school district. "I wanted to go back to my hometown after I retired," she said. "But I knew retirement didn't mean not working." Muller initially planned on opening a small coffee shop and bakery. Instead, she opened a full-service restaurant. Located inside a former German Savings Bank and First Trust & Savings Bank building, Three Sisters' Bistro opened last spring. "When it came time to name the bistro, I kept on coming back to something with 'family' or 'sisters' in it," Muller said. "One night before I fell asleep, I thought of Three Sisters' Bistro. My sister Joan lives in San Francisco and my sister Barbara lives in Arizona, and I liked the way 'Sisters' and 'Bistro' went together." The following day, Muller received a gift from sister Joan in the mail. It was a decorative pillow with a caricature of three little girls on it. Above the girls' feet was the inscription "Three Sisters." "I took that as a sign I was going in the right direction," she said. Luckily, the former bank building had been in Muller's family since the late 1960s. "My parents (Mary Lou and the late Francis Muller) had owned a furniture store for more than 40 years," Muller said. "They used this building for furniture storage while renting the east end to various other businesses." However, many longtime Remsen residents still remember the building -- which was built in 1887 and added onto in 1908 -- as a bank. "This place has a long history," Muller said. "It was always a beautiful building. Turning it into a bistro, I wanted to enhance its character." To that end, she retained as much century-old tin ceiling and hardwood floors as possible. The bank's former teller station is now the bistro's coffee stand and cashier station. Perhaps the restaurant's most unique feature is a private dining area inside an old bank vault. "I'm too claustrophobic," Muller admitted, standing beside a wooden table inside the brick vault. "But people love to eat here." There is no wrong place to sample Muller's delicious down-home food. Menu items like "Dad's Pick" (a house salad and a half-sandwich) is already a hit with Three Sisters' Bistro regulars as is "Mom's Favorite" (chicken salad or a grilled chicken breast sandwich served with Havarti cheese, lettuce and tomato). Likewise, "Sisters' Signature" (homemade roast turkey served in a wheat wrap with cranberry cream cheese) and "Brothers' Club" (bacon and chicken served on wheat bread) are both scrumptious sibling sandwiches. But we can personally recommend Three Sisters' delicious apple raspberry pie, meaty French Dip sandwich and, yes, Muller's tangy take on coleslaw. As the last of her lunch customers finished their meals, Muller reflected for a moment. "When I retired from education, I thought I'd take it easy for a while," she said. "Instead, I'm as busy as ever." Yet Muller doesn't seem disappointed in the least. "I enjoy cooking and I love the response I've been getting from my customers," she said. "This has been a wonderful experience for me." LAKE VIEW, Iowa | A Lake View man and woman died Tuesday after the pickup truck they were riding in slid broadside into a semi on a frost-covered road in Sac County. The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday at the intersection of M-54 and 280th Street in Sac County, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report. According to the report, 73-year-old William Fewell, of Lake View, was driving a 2008 Dodge pickup northbound on M-54 when the driver lost control while rounding a curve on the frost-covered road. The vehicle crossed the center line and slid broadside into a southbound semi. Peggy Behrens, 65, of Lake View, who was a passenger in the pickup, died at the scene. Fewell was transported by Mercy Air Care to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, where he was later pronounced dead, the report said. The driver of the semi, 42-year-old Maxwell Stall, of Lytton, Iowa, was uninjured, according to the report. The Sac County Sheriff's Office and Lake View first responders assisted at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. From his time in his hometown of Auburn and his years at Harvard University in Massachusetts to his current home of West Virginia, something has followed author Dr. Ron Iannone his entire life: his perfectionism about what he commits to the page. "For me, writing is hard work. And I'm one of those people that, when I write something, I have to do 10 drafts of it or I'm not satisfied," Iannone said. Iannone, who grew up on Seymour Street, is the professor emeritus at West Virginia University's Department of Curriculum and Instruction. He has published five books, the last two of which were "Consequences: Short Stories, Poems, Commentaries," a series of poems and musings on life released last November, and the "psychological self-discovery" novel "A Boston Homecoming," released last month. The latter work focuses on a professor in Boston who deals with family issues and a bizarre murder. The story came out of some "characters" Iannone met in Boston while doing postdoctoral work at Harvard University, he said. He took the stories they recounted to him and made a fictionalized narrative out of them. Iannone said he loves to talk to people and listen to their tales, which he believes came in handy while he was conversing with the people who inspired the book. "Consequences" came from his various musings over the years, often from observations about the world around him. He had a particular method for keeping track of these concepts. "Over the years, as ideas would come to me, I would write them down on index cards and I would throw them in a drawer," Iannone said. These scribbled thoughts ranged from everything from heavy snow to the "deep, penetrating eyes of friends," in his own words. The author estimated he had written on around 2,000 index cards, though only some of those ideas helped form "Consequences." Iannone loves creating narratives, and often in different forms, as he has created plays and screenplays in addition to books. His journey as an author began when he started writing in a little black notebook as a third-grade student at St. Aloysius, an Auburn church that is no longer active. "My goal is tell a story," Iannone said. Iannone credits his grandfather, Pasquale Del Santo, for instilling that love of storytelling in him. Del Santo, a florist who also lived in Auburn, often performed baby-sitting duties, so when he went somewhere, he usually had his grandson with him. Iannone said Del Santo was affectionate and interested in people, and would often give accounts of Italy and life in Auburn. His grandfather also emphasized the importance of listening. Iannone strongly believes that a scribe must write every single day, he said. His wife, Mary Iannone with whom he lives in Morgantown, West Virginia, and has been married for over 50 years is one of the first people to be exposed to a new draft of his work. He described his advice to aspiring wordsmiths: "First thing I would tell people is first write about things you know and don't generate themes about things you don't know," Iannone said. A part of his editing process is weeding out lines that sound too similar to the voices of some of his favorite writers, like Emily Dickinson, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and replacing them with what springs from himself. "What I have to do is get rid of those ghosts and find my own voice," Iannone said. SOUTH SIOUX CITY | City officials said Tuesday the results of additional testing shows there are "no issues" for homes with the ongoing odor problems in South Sioux City. In a news release late Tuesday, the city also said any payments given to the dozens of homeowners who have sought legal counsel because of the dilemma have ended. In the release, the city said samples tested for 22 different sulfur-related compounds in three of the homes showed "no issues" as well as tests for hydrogen sulfide traces in the Sheetrock. Tests were conducted in three homes to represent about a dozen others that are vacated. The odor originally tied Big Ox Energy to hydrogen sulfide gas that was believed to be emanating from sewer lines flowing from the city's Roth Industrial Park. A separate sewer line was installed and levels of the harmful gas in homes have been deemed safe. But additional tests were called upon before residents were to return. Big Ox stopped footing the bill for temporary housing and expenses on Feb. 7. The city extended the payments for a week, but payments stopped Tuesday for any residents that have sought legal counsel. The 35 residents with lawyers were advised to reject an offer by the city Monday to work through the city to move forward with remediation and re-entry to their homes. The costs of combating the noxious sewer odors and covering living expenses for the displaced residents passed the $1 million mark earlier this month. SIOUX CITY | A Siouxland man sought by the U.S. Marshals Service was arrested Tuesday morning in Georgia. Danny Barnes, 44, was arrested by local police after he checked in to a homeless shelter in Gordon, Georgia. Barnes was wanted by the Iowa Department of Corrections for parole violation. He had been living at the Residential Treatment Center in Sioux City after being convicted of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse when he cut off his ankle bracelet and fled. The U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force issued a request to the public for information on his whereabouts Monday. A news release from the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force said deputy U.S. Marshals tracked Barnes to Chattanooga, Tennessee, "where the trail went cold." Barnes then checked into a homeless shelter in Gordon, Georgia, and came into contact with police, who discovered he was wanted and arrested him. Barnes is awaiting extradition back to Iowa, the release said. "Disheartening and demoralizing," wailed Judge Neil Gorsuch of President Trump's comments about the judges seeking to overturn his 90-day ban on travel to the U.S. from the Greater Middle East war zones. What a wimp. Did our future justice break down crying like Sen. Chuck Schumer? Sorry, this is not Antonin Scalia. And just what horrible thing had our president said? A "so-called judge" blocked the travel ban, said Trump. And the arguments in court, where 9th Circuit appellate judges were hearing the government's appeal, were "disgraceful." "A bad student in high school would have understood the arguments better." Did the president disparage a couple of judges? Yep. Yet compare his remarks to the tweeted screeds of Elizabeth Warren after her Senate colleague, Jeff Sessions, was confirmed as attorney general. Sessions, said Warren, represents "radical hatred." And if he makes "the tiniest attempt to bring his racism, sexism & bigotry" into the Department of Justice, "all of us" will pile on. Now this is hate speech. And it validates Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's decision to use Senate rules to shut her down. These episodes reveal much about America 2017. They reflect, first, the poisoned character of our politics. The language of Warren -- that Sessions is stepped in "racism, sexism & bigotry" echoes the ugliest slander of the Hillary Clinton campaign, where she used similar words to describe Trump's "deplorables." Such language, reflecting as it does the beliefs of one-half of America about the other, rules out any rapprochement in America's social or political life. This is pre-civil war language. For how do you sit down and work alongside people you believe to be crypto-Nazis, Klansmen and fascists? Apparently, you don't. Rather, you vilify them, riot against them, deny them the right to speak or to be heard. And such conduct is becoming common on campuses today. As for Trump's disparagement of the judges, only someone ignorant of history can view that as frightening. Thomas Jefferson not only refused to enforce the Alien & Sedition Acts of President John Adams, his party impeached Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase who had presided over one of the trials. Jackson defied Chief Justice John Marshall's prohibition against moving the Cherokees out of Georgia to west of the Mississippi, where, according to the Harvard resume of Sen. Warren, one of them bundled fruitfully with one of her ancestors, making her part Cherokee. When Chief Justice Roger Taney declared that President Abraham Lincoln's suspension of the writ of habeas corpus violated the Constitution, Lincoln considered sending U.S. troops to arrest the chief justice. FDR proposed adding six justices to emasculate a Supreme Court of the "nine old men" he reviled for having declared some New Deal schemes unconstitutional. President Eisenhower called his Supreme Court choices Earl Warren and William Brennan two of the "worst mistakes" he made as president. History bears Ike out. And here we come to the heart of the matter. Whether the rollout of the president's temporary travel ban was ill-prepared or not, and whether one agrees or not about which nations or people should be subjected to extreme vetting, the president's authority in the matter of protecting the borders and keeping out those he sees as potentially dangerous is universally conceded. That a district judge would overrule the president of the United States on a matter of border security in wartime is absurd. When politicians don black robes and seize powers they do not have, they should be called out for what they are -- usurpers and petty tyrants. And if there is a cause upon which the populist right should unite, it is that elected representatives and executives make the laws and rule the nation. Not judges, and not justices. Indeed, one of the mightiest forces that has birthed the new populism that imperils the establishment is that unelected justices like Warren and Brennan, and their progeny on the bench, have remade our country without the consent of the governed -- and with never having been smacked down by Congress or the president. Consider. Secularist justices de-Christianized our country. They invented new rights for vicious criminals as though criminal justice were a game. They tore our country apart with idiotic busing orders to achieve racial balance in public schools. They turned over centuries of tradition and hundreds of state, local and federal laws to discover that the rights to an abortion and same-sex marriage were there in Madison's Constitution all along. We just couldn't see them. Trump has warned the judges that if they block his travel ban, and this results in preventable acts of terror on American soil, they will be held accountable. As rightly they should. Meanwhile, Trump's White House should use the arrogant and incompetent conduct of these federal judges to make the case not only for creating a new Supreme Court, but for Congress to start using Article III, Section 2, of the Constitution -- to restrict the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, and to reclaim its stolen powers. A clipping of the court's wings is long overdue. WASHINGTON -- When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell silenced Elizabeth Warren last week as she was reading Coretta Scott King's 1986 letter denouncing Jeff Sessions, he jogged the memory of another Massachusetts Democrat, Rep. William Keating. "I went to bed that evening seeing what was occurring," Keating said in an interview, "and when I woke up in the morning, my mind immediately went back to the outrage of an amendment that had been passed in the House," almost entirely with Republican votes. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Dave Schweikert, R-Ariz., and approved on May 9, 2012, was aimed at preventing the Justice Department from using its funds "to bring any action against any state for implementation of a state law requiring voter identification." In other words, even if the Department of Justice thought a voter ID law discriminated against African-Americans or Latinos, it could not sue to protect them. In defending the amendment, Republicans sounded like the old Southern segregationist Democrats who stood up for states' rights -- meaning, among other things, their "right" to disenfranchise people of color. The segregationists loved to denounce Washington, and that's what Schweikert did that day. "I'm tired of this," he said, "and I think the American people are tired of there being this battle between the federal government suing our states and costing the residents, the citizens of these states, these litigation costs." The amendment never made it through the Senate, but for Keating, the episode underscored the dangers Sessions poses as attorney general. During the Obama years, the Justice Department tried to block state laws plainly aimed at suppressing turnout among minority groups. Now, voting rights advocates will no longer have the attorney general as their ally. "Acts of omission," noted Keating, a former prosecutor, are often as serious as "acts of commission." Cutting off Warren under the irregularly observed Rule 19 was an outrage on many levels. Under the rule, senators cannot "impute to another senator or to other senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a senator." But the confirmation of then-Sen. Sessions was the very focus of the discussion. Carried to its logical conclusion, the idea that a senator can't speak ill of a president's nominee who happens to be a senator could shut down debate altogether. But what Warren was reading when she was muzzled goes to the heart of the matter. Here is the key passage of King's letter opposing Sessions' nomination as a judge in 1986: "Anyone who has used the power of his office as United States attorney to intimidate and chill the free exercise of the ballot by citizens should not be elevated to our courts. Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters." The Senate rejected Sessions as a judge 31 years ago. But now that he is our chief law enforcement officer, holding him accountable for how he vindicates or undermines civil rights and voting rights is a central task. So is rallying against all efforts in Republican-controlled states to pass new laws restricting the franchise, as many of them already have. The Department of Justice can't be counted on to stop them. And the struggle for democracy is also at stake in the fight over President Trump's nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow last week of "an eerie feeling" he had when he spoke with Gorsuch. "Here was a judge, well-groomed, intelligent, very polite, very, very articulate who wouldn't give his views on anything," Schumer said. This reminded him of someone else. "Justice [John] Roberts, then Judge Roberts, assured us he would call balls and strikes," Schumer said. "He gets in office, and his court does Citizens United, a huge break with precedent that ruins, ruins the politics of America. He repeals, basically, the Voting Rights Act by eliminating Section 5 ... and I am very worried that Judge Gorsuch is similar." The court's action on voting rights made it far harder to police abuses, while Citizens United undercut the regulation of big money in politics. So if you wonder why there is skepticism among liberals about Gorsuch, consider what conservative Supreme Court justices have already done. Think also about what it would mean to have a Supreme Court, an attorney general and a Congress all prepared to gut what had long been the basic rules of democracy. Bill Keating is not alone in his nightmares. You are no ordinary person. ... Each person is loved. Each person is willed. Each person is necessary. This year, our Catholic community kicked off Catholic Schools Week with profound statements proclaiming that every life is beautiful. At St. Joseph School and Tyburn Academy, we took the opportunity to celebrate together this year. We shared activities, celebrated Mass together, and spoke about the schools and our connection to the Auburn community, whose history is rooted deeply in Catholic education. We sent a message to the Auburn community about who we are and we invited families to join us. The invitation to learn about St. Joseph School and Tyburn is always open, and visitors are welcome at any time. In this Catholic Schools Week, Tyburn students attended the Life is Very Good youth rally on their trip to Washington, D.C. Sister Miriam James Heidland and others spoke directly to the hearts of students. They came home inspired by the testimony of thousands of teens just like themselves and were excited to share their message. Students from St. Joseph School and Tyburn delivered donated items to the Pregnancy Care Center in Auburn and the message to the parents was, Your babys life is willed by God. You and your baby are loved and are necessary. You are not alone. We will help you. Then, Tyburn students visited The Home to play Jeopardy games with the residents. The message to these elderly residents was, You are loved. You are necessary in teaching our generation some of lifes greatest lessons. St. Joseph School celebrated Special Persons Day in each grade, where most of the visitors were parents and grandparents. The students said to them, You are no ordinary person. You have had a special influence in our lives. There was also a letter-writing campaign during the week to men and women on active duty in the military: Thank you for your sacrifice. You are loved. You are necessary to keep our country safe. This was the message to our troops. The week wouldnt be complete without recognition of the teachers, so there was a teacher appreciation luncheon. The message to the teachers was, You are definitely no ordinary person! You are loved. You are necessary to each students formation academically and spiritually. The week ended with a fundraiser for St. Joseph School called Flavors of the Fingerlakes. Businesses from around the area donated delicious foods to make this event a success. Thank you to these businesses who said, Catholic schools are necessary in our community. Young people are the window through which the future enters the world. Pope Francis Catholic school students are humanitarian; they work zealously to make other peoples lives better. It is not something that is forced or trite, political or self-serving. It is something that they witness through the light of the Gospel, that God created every person in His likeness, which means that every person is a part of God, who is infinitely good. This is what they believe, so naturally, they learn to live it. Students in Catholic schools witness Gods love every day and are inspired to spread this love in their families, communities and in their world. They are the hope for a better tomorrow: a more peaceful nation, a more compassionate nation, a more unified nation. During Catholic Schools Week, one student gave this inspirational testimony: My favorite subject is lunch, because at my school everyone has a seat at the table. A student at the youth rally in DC expressed how awesome it is to be a part of something greater than yourself. In a world that views teenagers as self-centered, unmotivated and lazy, the Catholic school student brings hope for something better. In a world where teenagers face domestic violence, divided families, bullying, addictions and loneliness, the Catholic school brings hope for something better. Catholic school teachers are also humanitarian. Each teacher creates a joyful atmosphere that inspires students to search for truth and goodness. The vocation of a teacher is to nurture the capabilities of each student. At St. Joseph School and Tyburn, all students who desire to live out the mission of the Catholic school are accepted. These schools encourage students from all religions, all socioeconomic backgrounds and all different academic backgrounds. They are communities that respect the dignity of each student and aim for excellence in learning and living. At St. Joseph School and Tyburn Academy, your child is no ordinary child. Your child is loved. Your child is willed. Your child is necessary. In support of safer roads across the state, a bill to make texting while driving a primary, rather than secondary, offense is making progress within the Iowa Legislature. We are hopeful lawmakers of both chambers will take the ultimate, overdue step of passing this legislation at a time when distracted driving - in particular, the use of cellphones while driving - is at an epidemic level. Iowa's highway death toll rose from a five-year low of 317 in 2013 to 403 last year (2016 was the first year since 2008 the state's traffic fatalities exceeded 400). We do not believe it's a stretch to suggest the increased practice of texting while driving contributed. In fact, the National Safety Council reports use of cellphones by drivers causes 26 percent - or roughly one in four - of the nation's car accidents, resulting in some 1.6 million crashes each year. Because public safety is one of the primary responsibilities of government, we support passage of a ban on use of a hand-held cellphone while driving - something 15 states have done. At a minimum, however, we urge the Legislature this year - as we have in this space on multiple occasions in the last several years - to crack down on the menace of texting while driving by making it a primary offense. (Iowa is one of only five states to classify texting while driving a secondary offense.) One concern we have about this bill, though, is size of the fine for the primary offense of texting while driving. To us, a $30 fine isn't enough of a deterrent. If texting while driving poses a danger on our roads similar to drunken driving - as many, including the members of our editorial board, believe - punishment for texting drivers should be strengthened accordingly. Having been on both sides of the union bargaining issue, I say please do not mess up the process by changing the Iowa public employees bargaining laws. I worked for Woodbury County for 20 years. When we were able to bring in the AFSCME union to county workers it ended the practice of rewards in promotion, salary and other benefits to employees who gave the boss favors. The benefits offered by the union contract agreement with the county attracted better applicants. Thus, the department heads were able to hire better workers. Some department heads even expressed gratitude for the help the contract afforded them in dealing with employee problems. As a three-term school board member, I was on the other side of contract bargaining. I can say firsthand that unions give management a tool to work things out when employee problems occur. The public should not be misled about arbitration. The arbitrators are selected from a list of neutral people by both management and the union, not by the union alone. Both sides need to agree on the arbitrator. The gutting of Chapter 20 would be a dire mistake and not necessary in a state where few, if any problems have ever been attributed to contract bargaining. - Judy Peterson, Sioux City Thanks to the writers of well-written Letters headlined "Let's give him a chance" and "The right stuff" in the Feb. 5 Journal. There are a lot of adult Americans who are thinking the same things. For many years we heard from Dems that the Republicans were a party of no." Oops. Talk about spitefulness. And then there was the voiced nonsense that Republicans were just a bunch of rich people. Hold on. I cannot think of any poor people in Hollywood. Nancy Pelosi is an extremely wealthy woman on a list of many others. Both of these opinions are totally not the case. Dems are having a royal little snit with rioting and vandalizing, which makes the case even better. Delaying confirmations of new cabinet members is so disappointing (I'd hoped that they would want to extend the same courtesy as from the Republicans toward Barack Obamas choices, thus demonstrating some indication of getting the country on a better working level). If you were listening, even Hillary Clinton's concession speech endorsed this idea. What is rather laughable, yet appropriate is that the very processes Democrats think they are so cleverly creating to stick it to the Republican Party, like the nuclear vote (compliments of Harry Reid) and the committee to investigate President Nixon may very well come back to bite them in the derriere. I may not be completely in the tank for President Trump, but why not at least give him a chance? Keep in mind, he is not a professional politician, therefore we should expect that he is bound to do things way differently than weve seen before. - Janice Brady, Dakota Dunes, S.D. DES MOINES | There was no divine intervention Tuesday at the Iowa Statehouse, but it came close as four Catholic bishops pressed the GOP-led Legislature and Gov. Terry Branstad to consider "the common good" in making collective bargaining changes that limit some rights public workers currently have. Iowa's diocesan bishops - Archbishop Michael Jackels of Dubuque; Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City; Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport, and Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines - walked a fine political line by declaring neutrality on House File 291 and Senate File 213 but making clear that Catholic social teaching supports the rights of workers and their ability to bargain collectively. "We're kind of in the middle because we can see good on both sides," said Nickless. The bishops made their annual sojourn to the Statehouse on the day the Iowa House and Iowa Senate began debate on like bills to revamp Iowa's 1974 collective bargaining law and used the occasion to push for moderation by both political parties to act in the best interests of Iowa families and communities. "What we are really looking for is the common good that benefits everybody," said Pates, noting that requires balancing the limitations on public finances with the rights of workers to form unions and negotiate recognizing "compensation is not only determined by what is in your pay envelope but other things like health care, vacations, retirement." Last week the Iowa Catholic Conference issued an official statement that was sent Gov. Terry Branstad, who is a Catholic, and every legislator expressing concern about provisions of the 68-page legislation which would limit the items that can be bargained as well as what an arbitrator can award for a pay raise. The bishops also affirmed the role of labor unions in helping workers receive fair pay and benefits and improved working conditions that can help set standards for workers in other situations. Pates, who offered the morning prayer at the start of House proceedings by referencing the teachings of St. Thomas of Aquinas that "in the middle stands virtue," said he did not get a lot of feedback from majority Republicans other than "they're listening. They haven't been too specific in their reactions." Jackels conceded there is "a lot of power" when both houses of the Legislature and the governor's office are held by one political party, but he noted there are "two other powers above that: God and the power of the people." The bishops said they have a good relationship with the governor on a personal level but they do not compromise their positions in talking with him and he understands that. "We're not Republican and we're not Democrat and we're very forthright with him about that," Pates noted. Jackels said he understands the political "drama in this building" and the external influences, but he added "I would hope the governor would be swayed by reason and by the common good and, if he were, I can't think how reason and the common good could lead you to support this bill." DES MOINES | Secretary of State Paul Pate is counting on technology to save his office, but that will take additional appropriations from the Legislature, he told lawmakers Tuesday. Technology will save us in the end, he told the Administration and Regulation Appropriations Subcommittee, or we wont be able to keep pace. The business services division of his office processes 800 to 1,000 filings every day, handles 61,000 phone calls a year, processes 500,000 searches and filing requests, deals with 12,500 walk-in customers and processes 81,000 credit card transactions and 55,000 paper checks. We dont need people opening letters all day. We need them online helping people because business customers want government on their schedule -- available online 24/7. The challenge, however, is that the Secretary of States computer hardware is so old Oracle will no longer service it after May 31. Pate said his office likely will be going out on Craigslist and other services to look for parts to keep technology running until it can be replaced. Pate requested $1.44 million base budget plus ongoing operational support of $300,000 for status quo staffing. Personnel costs and pass-through expenses -- Capitol Complex Association fees, IT expenses and other shared services have increased about 34 percent in the business services and election services divisions, he said. Pate asked for $575,000 to cover an annual operational deficits on top of the $1.44 million base budget for election services, which is involved in about 260 elections a year. Part of the increase would be used to maintain state- mandated election night reporting, he said. After eight years of frozen appropriations, his office will experience staff reductions without additional funding, Pate said. That will increase the time needed to deliver services to Iowans and Iowa businesses. AUBURN Church Street Apartments in Port Byron could be changing ownership, with potential plans to demolish an old school gymnasium and auditorium attached to the complex. The Cayuga County Legislature is moving forward on a memorandum of understanding between two co-developers from the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Rochester and Syracuse and the village of Port Byron, though with some reservations. Located at 27 Church St., the 40-unit low-income housing complex is currently owned by Silver Street Development Corporation. Mark Greisberger, executive director of Providence Housing Development out of Rochester, said his organization along with Christopher Community Inc., were approached to purchase the property. Silver Street Development Corporation could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday. Greisberger said while they are interested in purchasing the property and keeping it as affordable housing, the separate tax-delinquent parcel attached to the units, an old Port Byron school gymnasium and auditorium, is deteriorating. They wish to purchase the housing complex and renovate it with the current tenants in place, but only if the attached parcel is demolished. "We don't want to buy someone else's problem," Greisberger said. "We want to have a plan in place to fix it." According to real property tax records, Jeffrey R. Koon owns the gymnasium and auditorium parcel and has failed to pay property taxes since 2006. He owes the county about $33,000, said County Attorney Fred Westphal at the county Legislature's Planning Committee meeting Tuesday night. The county has not foreclosed on the parcel, partially due to the approximately $1.4 million demolition cost, Westphal added. According to the proposed memorandum, the hope is that the state of New York will continue to fund the Restore New York Communities Initiative. The program provides state assistance to revitalize residential and commercial properties. The idea is that should those funds be allocated in the state's budget this year, the village of Port Byron would apply for a $1.4 million grant to cover the demolition cost. Should those funds be secured, the county would foreclose on the auditorium and gymnasium parcel. Then, Christopher Housing Inc. and Providence Housing Development would purchase that parcel from the county, and utilizing the Restore New York funds, would demolish that parcel, keeping the housing units intact. Should all that come to fruition, the two co-developers would purchase and revitalize the existing apartment complex. "It's a little elaborate, but you have to start somewhere," Greisberger said. "It's a needed project. They (Church Street Apartment tenants) live in the village. They're neighbors. And their building is slowly crumbling around them because of situations beyond their control." While legislators at the Planning Committee passed a resolution to enter into the memorandum of understanding, there were some concerns. Legislator Ben Vitale said while he's in favor of the idea, there's liability concerns between when and if the village of Port Byron receives state funding and when it passes to the hands of the co-developers. "We just have to make sure at every step things get done," Vitale said. Westphal agreed. He said the county is not at a point where it would enter into an official agreement with the co-developers yet, though it's something he's working on. "It's a precarious situation at best," Westphal said. In other news: The county Legislature's Public Works Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to cut take-home vehicles for the county highway department from five to four. Should the measure pass at the Ways and Means Committee meeting, the current general foreman's take-home vehicle will be cut. Legislator Terry Baxter said that is the vehicle not actively used outside of working hours. Three other vehicles are used to check roads, and the fourth one is utilized by Highway Superintendent George Wethey. Legislator Joe Bennett said he thinks the Legislature should take a closer look at the take-home vehicles after learning that the highway employee who checks roads at the northern end of the county at the town of Ira barn lives in the city of Auburn. "That's 40 minutes wasted," Bennett said, about the worker's commute time to take the vehicle up north. Wethey was not at the meeting Tuesday night. Whether its a case of the Mondays, a workweek slump or just surviving to the weekend, most all of us have experienced the dread (at one time or another) of having to go to work. Everyone but Floyd Ellais of Sioux Center, IA. Hell tell you that his job at ServiceMaster is something he looks forward to every day. I love to be busy. It keeps me on my toes, and I dont have to be bored. What makes Floyd so happy to get up early every morning, go to work, stock shelves, load vans and clean up after people? The chance to pay his own bills. Thats right. Floyd finds sheer joy in having the opportunity to earn his own livelihood and to bring value to his community through an honest days work. I just like to pay my own bills, have a nice life and be with my friends more. Floyd is one of the many individuals who found community-based employment, thanks to the partner agencies of Sioux Rivers Partners. This unique partnership of five Iowa agencies works together to bring awareness to local businesses about Iowas untapped and very capable workforce. Ask anyone in town and theyll tell you staffing is a big issue, says Sioux Center ServiceMaster manager, Josh Christians. We had a need to have someone help us out with all sorts of taskswe contacted them and it worked. said Christians. Floyd makes work fun. Hes energeticmore energetic than anyone Ive ever met. Hes a huge part of our culture here. Thanks to Sioux River Partners both ServiceMaster and Floyd had their needs metone found a valued employee and the other found dignity and value in being able to pay his own bills and be with his friends more. Im more of a people-person, I like to be with people For more information on Sioux Rivers Partners, please visit our website at SiouxRiversPartners.org. GoDaddy Inc. engages in the design and development of cloud-based technology products in the United States and internationally. The company provides domain name registration product that enables to engage customers at the initial stage of establishing a digital identity. It also offers shared Website hosting products that provide various applications and products, such as web analytics, Secure Sockets Layer certificates, and WordPress; Website hosting on virtual private servers and virtual dedicated servers products, which allows customers to select the server configuration suited for their applications, requirements, and growth; managed hosting products to set up, monitor, maintain, secure, and patch software and servers for customers; and security products, a suite of tools designed to help secure customers' online presence. In addition, the company provides presence products, such as Websites + Marketing, a do-it-yourself mobile-optimized online tool that enables customers to build websites and e-commerce enabled online stores; a range of marketing tools and services designed to help businesses acquire and engage customers, and create content, as well as search engine optimization that helps customers get their websites found on search sites; and social media management services. Further, it offers business application products, such as Microsoft Office 365, email accounts, email marketing, and Internet-based telephony services; online store capabilities that allows customers to transact business directly on their websites; GoDaddy Payments, a payment facilitator; and point-of-sale (POS) devices, as well as software for POS. The company serves small businesses, individuals, organizations, developers, designers, and domain investors. GoDaddy Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. SOCIEDAD ASIATICA THE ASIAN SOCIETY COMISION DIRECTIVA THE DIRECTIVE BOARD PRESIDENTE: Liliana Garcia Daris Universidad del Salvador. Argentina VICEPRESIDENTE: Won-ho Kim Universidad de Hankuk de Estudios Extranjeros. Corea SECRETARIO: Luis Diaz Brougton Universidad de Santiago, Chile PROSECRETARIO: Martha Barriga Tello Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru VOCALES: Mauricio Martinez Universidad de los Andes, Colombia Juan Uriburu Quintana Universidad de Chenchi, Taiwan CONSEJEROS ACADEMICOS ACADEMIC ADVISERS ASH NARAIN, Roy, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi. India GARCIA BAZAN, Francisco, CONICET, Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi, Universidad de Kobe, Japon MIEMBROS FUNDADORES FOUNDING MEMBERS ALBERT, Liliana Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina ANTON PACHECO, Jose Antonio Universidad de Sevilla, Espana ANTONIJEVIC, Ingrid Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile BARRIGA TELLO, Martha Universidad Nacional de San Marcos, Peru BERGMAN, Sergio Melton Institute de Jerusalem, Israel BERTOLINI, Luis Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina CABEZON, Jose Universidad de Santa Barbara, Estados Unidos CAGNI, Horacio Universidad Catolica de La Plata, Argentina CARRANZA, Francisco Universidad de Dankook, Corea CASTLETON, Barbara Ohio State University of Athens CASTRO, Jorge Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina CHAOUL-REICH, Alejandro Universidad de Texas, Estados Unidos CHELMICKI, Hanna I. Universidad del Salvador, Argentina DIAZ BROUGHTON, Luis Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile FRANCO, Raul Universidad del Salvador, Argentina GADRE, Vasant Universidad Jawaharlal Nehru, India GARCIA DARIS, Liliana Universidad del Salvador, Argentina GLUCK, Carol Universidad de Columbia. Estados Unidos HOPKINS RODRIGUEZ, Eduardo Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru KIM, Wonho Universidad Hankuk de Estudios Extranjeros, Corea KO, Heysun Univesidad de Dankook, Corea LOPEZ DEL CARRIL, Luis Maria Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina LUCO, Enrique Universidad del Salvador MARTINEZ, Mauricio Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia MASATERU, Ito Universidad Nacional de Osaka, Japon MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi Universidad de Kobe, Japon MINKOWICZ, Gabriel Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires MONETA, Carlos Juan Universidad del Salvador, Argentina MORROW, John Andrew Minot State University, Dakota del Norte, USA NGUYEN, Thiet Son Academia de Ciencias Sociales de Vietnam, Vietnam OVIEDO, Eduardo CONICET. Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina PEREIRA, Ronan Alves Universidad de Brasilia. Brasil PEREYRA, Violeta Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina REMETE, Andrea Universidad del Salvador, Argentina RIMOLDI DE LADMAN, Eve Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina ROMERO CASTILLA, Alfredo Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico TEDIN URIBURU, Virgilio Universidad de Harvard, Estados Unidos UEHARA, Alexander Universidad de Sao Paulo. Brasil URIBURU QUINTANA, Juan Universidad de Chenchi, Taiwan VITTOR, Luis Alberto Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy XU, Shicheng Academia China de Ciencias Sociales, Republica Popular China The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. The Pride Center on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m., will host a special cycle-spin Ride For Pride event to raise funds for their AIDS Walk and Music Festival team. The Pride Center and CycleBar Fort Lauderdale are partnering up for this special charity ride to raise funds that will go toward costs associated with the AIDS Walk that takes place March 20 in Wilton Manors. The Ride For Pride donation is set at $35 per ride, and additional donations will be accepted at the door. The ride is expected to last about 50 minutes and will be followed by a light celebration afterward. Roger Roa, Director of Development for The Ride Center, tells SGFN why Ride For Pride is so important to what his group does. As a community center, we always look for ways to bring together diverse individuals. We find strength through connecting our community in healthy ways, Roa said. Ride for Pride is a great way to get fit and support a great cause. The class is a lot of fun. Were using this event to raise monies for The Pride Centers Florida AIDS Walk team. Every cent our specific team raises through the Florida AIDS Walk will return to The Center for use in our vital HIV services. You can come out, pedal away some calories and help raise monies to impact the HIV epidemic locally. The annual AIDS Walk raises funds that The Pride Center uses to provide both year-round life-enhancing HIV services to those in need of support and care, as well as preventive educational services to high-risk sexually active adults. The AIDS Walk will also feature a musical performance by DNCE. Celebrity Ambassador Lamman Rucker, star of the hit OWN drama series, Greenleaf will also be on hand to help with the event. For years The Pride Center has provided the LGBT community with a welcoming, safe space an inclusive home that celebrates, nurtures and empowers LGBT members, their friends, and their South Florida neighbors. Last year alone, The Pride Center raised funds that helped 5,000 individuals get tested for HIV/AIDS, and provided over 35,000 youth with activities, education, and support at the center. Those interested in joining in on the ride for a great cause can visit fortlauderdale.cyclebar.com to reserve their Ride For Pride seat. Donors may also donate in advance of the charity event at FloridaAidsWalk.donordrive.com. For more information about the AIDS WALK email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 954-463-9005. Check out the latest news from around the world! Chicago's Surgery Museum Plans Sex Reassignment Exhibit (AP) A Chicago museum chronicling the history of surgery through medical artifacts, paintings and sculptures is planning to open an exhibit later this year on sex-reassignment procedures. Curators at the International Museum of Surgical Science said the issue has become more prominent in social, cultural and political conversations and the museum hopes to contribute to the discussion in medical and surgical terms, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Collin Pressler, the museum's director of exhibitions, said he hopes to "demystify" the "relatively obscure" topic. "The museum doesn't shy away from real and accurate depictions of surgery," he said. "That's how you educate." He hopes the exhibit will open before the end of the year as museum officials work on fundraising and designing the display. About 700,000 people in the United States identify as transgender, according to a 2016 University of California study. Up to 500 sex change operations are performed annually in the country, according to the online Encyclopedia of Surgery. The museum near downtown Chicago features over 7,000 medical artifacts that cover centuries of medical history, from acupuncture to X-ray treatments. Artist renderings also depict procedures, including a life-size painting of a woman undergoing a cesarean section in Colombia in 1844. John Oliver Wants RuPaul to Run for President, #MakeAmericaFierceAgain (EDGE) Could the Supermodel of the World also become the leader of the free world? If it was up to John Oliver, RuPaul would become the 46th President of the United States. Oliver returned to "Last Week Tonight" Sunday and had a lot to say. In his epic takedown of President Donald Trump, the host suggested Ru could defeat Trump in the 2020 presidential election and #MakeAmericaFierceAgain. "The notion that our leaders should be able to pass on mistruths with impunity should be alarming to absolutely everybody, regardless of politics," he said. "Republicans should badly want our sense of objective reality to remain intact, just in case the Democrats ever find their own appealing reality star to win back the White House. RuPaul, for instance. Make America fierce again. #MakeAmericaFierceAgain." Ru took to Twitter Monday morning to respond to Oliver. Condragulations, @iamjohnoliver you are the winner of this weeks challenge. #MakeAmericaFierceAgain ACLU Is Seeing A Trump-Era Surge In Members And Donations (AP) The nearly century-old American Civil Liberties Union says it is suddenly awash in donations and new members as it does battle with President Donald Trump over the extent of his constitutional authority, with nearly $80 million in online contributions alone pouring in since the election. That includes a record $24 million surge over two days after Trump banned people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. The organization said its membership has more than doubled since the election to a record of nearly 1.2 million, and its Twitter following has tripled. "It feels like we're drinking from a fire hydrant," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, adding that the election has brought immigration, refugee, reproductive, civil and voting rights "to a high boil." "What's really heartening is people are paying attention. They're aware of the crisis on the horizon," he said. "There's a real sense of urgency." After Trump's election, the ACLU greeted the age of Trump on its website and magazine with a fresh slogan: "See you in court." That was the same expression Trump used in his tweeted response to a federal appeals court's decision refusing to reinstate the travel ban. The ACLU has won court orders in New York, Massachusetts and Maryland against the president's travel ban. It has also filed a Freedom of Information Act request for documents on the billionaire's potential conflicts of interest. And it intends to bring a legal challenge accusing him of violating the Constitution's Emoluments Clause by accepting payments from foreign governments at his hotels and other properties. No, you cant have marijuana yet. But be patient, that joint you want to bogart is right around the corner. On Nov. 8, 2016, Florida citizens voted to allow medical marijuana in our state. While it is limited to a certain number of specified debilitating conditions, there is also an exception, which empowers doctors to broaden the candidate pool for good cause shown. That may mean you. Already, built into the statute is an exemption for anyone living with HIV. Why, for the first time we may have guys bragging about being positive. Not only do you get all the good steroids to build up your immune system, but you can now score some excellent bubble hash with high THC levels as well. Oh, the parties you can throw- but wait! On a serious note, while the law has passed and became effective on Jan. 3 of this year, the dissemination of any medical marijuana to anyone is on hold while the Department of Health crafts the statewide rules for its distribution. That can take a while, and that is why the agency is travelling statewide to hold public hearings on the best way to implement the law. The good thing about the new law is that the legislature and the health agency must put those rules in place and implement them within nine months, or you, as a citizen, will have a right to get cannabis on your own simply with a note from your doctor. Me, as a lawyer, if the state fails to act, on a timely basis, I will have an absolute right to sue them for you. By building this safeguard into the law, you can expect we will get rules, but based on what we are seeing so far, we may be getting rules that are limiting and unfair, ones that do not express the will of the voters. Whats shaking out is a monopoly for the powerful, not a new industry for the people. Amendment 2 had a higher approval rating than almost any candidate that sought office, and I dont mean that as a pun. Cannabis medicalization won 72 percent of the vote, but cities are not hurrying to put regulations into place. They are stalling, passing moratoriums. While some of their reasons make sense, on one hand, they could be playing with your rights on the other. You see, while the state has up to nine months to come up with guidelines, they can do so in a shorter time. If their rules are enacted in May, and you live in a city, which has passed a moratorium on dispensaries until July, then your constitutional right to use marijuana as a medicine will be illegally denied by that municipality for at least two months. It then becomes lawyer time. Its understandable that many cities want to impose a moratorium on dispensaries in their communities until they see what the state regulations will be. However, legislators and city commissioners must start treating marijuana as a medicine, not a menace. Its coming to Main Street, and these small-minded municipalities drafting ordinances restricting the prospective locations of medical marijuana treatment centers to fringe corners of their communities are short sighted. Related: Oakland Park Commission Places Moratorium On Medical Marijuana I know a little bit about this topic. I have served as the Chairman of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and I am currently the vice chair. I have been doing this my whole life, since I was a college senior at Hofstra University. What my mom and dad thought was a childhood indiscretion has now become my lifelong achievement. Thirty states have decriminalized, medicalized, or legalized. We are ending the drug war that wrongfully arrested, unjustly prosecuted, and unconscionably incarcerated so many for so long. There is a new day in America. Kids on skateboards smoking a joint wont be stopped and searched, detained and denied their civil rights. Parents with children suffering from ALS or MLS wont have to hide their medicine any longer. A soldier dealing with PTSD wont have to go to trial and risk losing VA benefits because he smokes cannabis. The world will be a safer place, and our government will prosper. The planes and trains will still run on time. Well, if they dont it wont be because an engineer is high. Nothing about the new law stops a state agency from establishing rules and regulations for their employees. If you want to know what you can do to make the new constitutional amendment fairer, let your legislator know that you will not stand for a monopoly that makes a few corporations very rich. Let the Department of Health know that you want rules which empower many entrepreneurs to open businesses that dispense marijuana lawfully. Our state, our governor, our legislature, all seems headed in the wrong direction. They are talking about letting only seven farms grow cannabis to serve the entire state, and these entities will then control every facility that can open. It would be clearly limited, frighteningly restrictive, and undoubtedly inhibit fair pricing. We may need to start a revolution against the law if that happens. In Wilton Manors, the city commission passed a law, which unduly restricts free enterprise, limits business opportunities, and inhibits reasonable access to cannabis. Only Julie Carson has stood up against it. Why? Pot got more votes in this community than any of you did running for office. Our state attorney also needs to do a better job with this new law in place. When Michael Satz ran for reelection for the 39th time last year, he actively sought and acquired the support of leaders in the LGBT community. Unfortunately, his offices policy on pot has never been progressive. It's been regressive. When Washington State decriminalized pot a few years ago, King County's prosecutor, including Seattle, dismissed over 1,300 municipal prosecutions. No such thing happened here. In fact, here in Broward, a young kid with HIV who was skateboarding on Dixie Highway on Christmas Day got popped for a few joints. In court on Monday with this young man, the State Attorneys office not only refused to drop the charge, they asked for a fine, 25 hours of community service, and a 16-hour drug class. I mean, really? Come on, he is immediately exempt under the new law. You know who needs a class on the new law? The old state attorney. Finally, for you to acquire cannabis as a medicine, your doctor will first have to take a statewide course, pay a thousand dollars for it, and only then can he prescribe you pot. Isnt that stupid? Like doctors can give you chemo for cancer, morphine for pain, and insulin for diabetes, but they need to take a special class to prescribe you a joint? Please. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has said they will leave this decision up to individual doctors. They are proactive on so many issues. There is no reason why they cant be upfront on this as well. Advocate loudly, publicly and openly for easy access to cannabis for their many HIV patients. So, there it is. Medical marijuana is coming your way. There are administrative hurdles we must overcome in Florida, obstacles that should not be put in your way. Your duty today is to speak out and be heard, from your doctors offices to city commissions. Demand reasonable access to cannabis as a medicine. The freedom you save may be your own. They wont let acts of intolerance stop them. On Sunday, an unidentified person threw a canister of tear gas into the gay night at a Croatian club. One day later, hundreds gathered in pro-LGBT protest. The attack took place at the Super Super club, causing two injuries among the 300 patrons. The two were injured while trying to leave the club. Of course, Saturdays attack has come to us as a reminder we should improve our security measures, as standard club procedures which are used in Croatia are clearly not enough once you become someones target, Super Super told Gay Star News. And we are already working on that part. Our friends wellbeing (sic) in Super Super premises is our top priority now. Police in this Eastern European country are currently investigating the incident, and have not revealed whether there are any suspects. Shortly after on the following Monday, Zagreb Pride held a demonstration in Trg Zrtava Fasizma Square to promote acceptance of the LGBT community. GSN reports that there were a thousand people in attendance. Protesters held up flags and signs spreading the message of love and the rejection of intolerance. We are unstoppable, read one banner held up in protest. Croatia has LGBT protections included in their anti-discrimination laws, preventing people from discriminating based on gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation. It is also legal for citizens to change their gender. Same-sex couples can register as life partners, however the 2013 referendum of the Constitution explicitly bans same-sex marriage. People may only adopt children as individuals, not as a same-sex couple. Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. Laser communications NASA Thought your Internet speeds were slow? Try being a space scientist for a day. The vast distances involved will throttle data rates to a trickle. Youre lucky if a spacecraft can send more than a few megabits per second (Mbps) a pittance even by dial-up standards. But we might be on the cusp of a change. Just as going from dial-up to broadband revolutionized the Internet and made high-resolution photos and streaming video a given, NASA may be ready to undergo a similar broadband moment in coming years. The key to that data revolution will be lasers. For almost 60 years, the standard way to talk to spacecraft has been with radio waves, which are ideal for long distances. But optical communications, in which data is beamed over laser light, can increase that rate by as much as 10 to 100 times. High data rates will allow researchers to gather science faster, study sudden events like dust storms or spacecraft landings, and even send video from the surface of other planets. The pinpoint precision of laser communications is also well suited to the goals of NASA mission planners, who are looking to send spacecraft farther out into the solar system. Laser technology is ideal for boosting downlink communications from deep space, said Abi Biswas, the supervisor of the Optical Communications Systems group at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. It will eventually allow for applications like giving each astronaut his or her own video feed, or sending back higher-resolution, data-rich images faster. Science at the speed of light Both radio and lasers travel at the speed of light, but lasers travel in a higher-frequency bandwidth. That allows them to carry more information than radio waves, which is crucial when youre collecting massive amounts of data and have narrow windows of time to send it back to Earth. A good example is NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which sends science data at a blazing maximum of 6 Mbps. Biswas estimated that if the orbiter used laser comms technology with a mass and power usage comparable to its current radio system, it could probably increase the maximum data rate to 250 Mbps. That might still sound stunningly slow to Internet users. But on Earth, data is sent over far shorter distances and through infrastructure that doesnt exist yet in space, so it travels even faster. Increasing data rates would allow scientists to spend more of their time on analysis than on spacecraft operations. Its perfect when things are happening fast and you want a dense data set, said Dave Pieri, a JPL research scientist and volcanologist. Pieri has led past research on how laser comms could be used to study volcanic eruptions and wildfires in near real-time. If you have a volcano exploding in front of you, you want to assess its activity level and propensity to keep erupting. The sooner you get and process that data, the better. That same technology could apply to erupting cryovolcanoes on icy moons around other planets. Pieri noted that compared to radio transmission of events like these, laser comms would up the ante by an order of magnitude. Clouding the future of lasers Thats not to say the technology is perfect for every scenario. Lasers are subject to more interference from clouds and other atmospheric conditions than radio waves; pointing and timing are also challenges. Lasers also require ground infrastructure that doesnt yet exist. NASAs Deep Space Network, a system of antenna arrays located across the globe, is based entirely on radio technology. Ground stations would have to be developed that could receive lasers in locations where skies are reliably clear. Radio technology wont be going away. It works in rain or shine, and will continue to be effective for low-data uses like providing commands to spacecraft. Next steps Two upcoming NASA missions will help engineers understand the technical challenges involved in conducting laser communications in space. What theyll learn will advance lasers toward becoming a common form of space communication in the future. The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD), led by NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is due to launch in 2019. LCRD will demonstrate the relay of data using laser and radio frequency technology. It will beam laser signals almost 25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers) from a ground station in California to a satellite in geostationary orbit, then relay that signal to another ground station. JPL is developing one of the ground stations at Table Mountain in southern California. Testing laser communications in geostationary orbit, as LCRD will do, has practical applications for data transfer on Earth. Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), led by JPL, is scheduled to launch in 2023 as part of an upcoming NASA Discovery mission. That mission, Psyche, will fly to a metallic asteroid, testing laser comms from a much greater distance than LCRD. The Psyche mission has been planned to carry the DSOC laser device onboard the spacecraft. Effectively, the DSOC mission will try to hit a bullseye using a deep space laser and because of the planets rotation, it will hit a moving target, as well. http://go.nasa.gov/2gBzbyx NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 10 February 2017. NASA The Expedition 50 crew is gearing up for three different spaceships in two months to resupply the International Space Station. The crew also worked today on a variety of research hardware and practiced an emergency drill. Two U.S. companies are getting their rockets ready to deliver food, fuel, supplies and new science gear to the crew. SpaceX is first in line with a plan to launch their Dragon spacecraft atop its Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than Feb. 18. Next, Orbital ATK is targeting March 19 to launch their Cygnus spacecraft on its seventh resupply mission to the station. Both spaceships will be captured by the Canadarm2 robotic. The Dragon will be installed to the Harmony module and the Cygnus will be attached to the Unity module. Russia is preparing its Progress 66 (66P) cargo craft for a Feb. 22 launch from Kazakhstan. The 66P will take a two-day trip to the orbital laboratory before automatically docking to the Pirs Docking Compartment. Onboard the station, Flight Engineer Thomas Pesquet spent the day in Japans Kibo lab module working on science gear maintenance. NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson installed a leak locator in Kibos airlock that will be used to locate the source of an ammonia leak outside the Japanese lab. Commander Shane Kimbrough and his Soyuz crewmates cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhikov got together in the afternoon an emergency descent drill. The trio practiced the procedures necessary to evacuate the station quickly in the unlikely event of an emergency and return to Earth inside their Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft. On-Orbit Status Report Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) ORU Transfer Interface (JOTI) and Robotics External Leak Locator (RELL) Installation on JEM Airlock (JEMAL) Slide Table: The crew installed the JOTI on the JEM A/L Slide Table. Afterwards, the crew installed the Robotics External Leak Locator (RELL) onto the JOTI, and retracted the Slide Table inside the JEMAL. RELL operations are scheduled for this weekend to try and locate the source of the ammonia leak on External Active Thermal Control System (EATCS) Loop B. JEM Pressurized Module (JPM) Thermal Control Assembly (TCA) Accumulator Package Remove & Replace (R&R): Today, the crew replaced the JPM TCA Accumulator package. They disengaged Cabin Ducts and rotating the Environmental Control Life Support System / Thermal Control System (ECLSS/TCS) rack. They then removed the Accumulator Package and installed a spare. After mating the rack umbilical and attaching the accumulator, they rotated the rack and engaged the Cabin Ducts. The removed Accumulator Package was packaged for return to the ground. Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE) Removal: The crew removed the PBRE from the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) and packed it for return on SpX-10. The PBRE investigation studies the behavior of gases and liquids when they flow simultaneously through a column filled with fixed porous media. The porous media or packing can be made of different shapes and materials and are used widely in chemical engineering as a means to enhance the contact between two immiscible fluid phases (e.g., liquid-gas, water-oil, etc.). Packed columns can serve as reactors, scrubbers, strippers, etc. in systems where efficient interphase contact is desired, both on Earth and in space. Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) Light Remove & Replace: The crew translated the Optics Bench out in the FIR rotating it to 60. They then removed and replaced both FIR White Light Lamps in the FIR White Light Chassis on the back of the Optics Bench. The Optics Bench was then rotated back to vertical position and translated into the rack. The White Light Lamps were close to their expected end of life, and to prevent a burn out during the Light Microscopy Module (LMM) Biophysics experiment, which is arriving on SpaceX-10 (SpX-10), the light was changed out early. LMM Biophysics 1 (The Effect of Macromolecular Transport of Microgravity Protein Crystallization) will launch on SpX-10. When installed, investigators will use the results from LMM Biophysics 1 to examine the movement of single protein molecules in microgravity. By studying the crystals of a higher quality that can be grown in microgravity, scientists will be able to better understand their structure and how they work. 48 Soyuz (44S) Emergency Egress Drill: The crew participated in an emergency decent drill. This training session focused on off-nominal procedures that would be used in the event the crew needs to egress the ISS and perform an emergency descent. The drill is scheduled when the crew has been aboard the ISS for 12-14 weeks, then once every 2.5 months. Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Operations: Overnight, Robotics Ground Controllers powered up the MSS and walked the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) off the Node2 Power Data Grapple Fixture (PDGF) and onto Mobile Base System (MBS) PDGF1. They then unstowed the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) from MBS PDGF2 and maneuvered the SSRMS (holding the SPDM) to a translation configuration. Finally, Ground Controllers translated the Mobile Transporter (MT) from Worksite #4 (WS4) to WS7. The MSS is now in position for the start of the Robotic External Leak Locator (RELL) operations scheduled to begin this afternoon. Treadmill 2 (T2) Secure Digital (SD) Card Recovery On February 9th T2 was declared non-operational. The ground teams were not successful in performing the nominal weekly powercycle and later on that day crew was unable to get the T2 treadbelt to spin. T2 had been operating in debug mode, due to previous anomalies, which increased the amount of data files stored on the SD card. Teams determined that yesterdays failed powercycle was due to the SD card being too full. In order to recover T2, crew and ground teams executed a successful recovery of the SD card and unmanned activation and checkout. T2 is GO for operations. Extravehicular Activities (EVA) Pistol Grip Tool (PGT) Torque Analyzer Kit (TAK) Data Gather: The crew installed the TAK onto each of the PGTs and recorded their torque output for ground analysis. This activity is part of a 6-month requirement for all on-orbit PGTs. Todays Planned Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. Video for Russia Today TV Channel DUBRAVA. Observations and photography Preparation of Reports for Roscosmos Web Site and Social Media EKON-M. Observations and photography Inventory Management System (IMS) conference Treadmill 2 (T2) SD Card Recovery Fluids Integrated Rack Doors Open JEM Cabin Duct Disengagement RELAKSATSIYA Hardware Setup Glisser-M Video Battery (2) Charge (GoPro HERO3 No.6): setup and initiate battery charge Crew will bag Actiwatches on the HRF Rack 2 front and stow for return. VIZIR. Experiment set up and start using P/L Crew will access and save the VUE error logs for drives E and F by using the MSG laptop -2 control panel software installation JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side JEM Airlock (AL) Slide Table Passive Capture Mechanism Removal JPM TCA L Accumulator Package R&R RELAKSATSIYA. Parameter Settings Adjustment Structures and Mechanisms JEM ORU Xfer I/F and Robo Ext Leak Locator Installation RELAKSATSIYA. Observation RS2, RS3 Laptops Inspection And Cleaning RELAKSATSIYA. Closeout Ops and Hardware Removal maintenance Fluids Integrated Rack Rack Doors Close Glisser-M Video Battery (2) Charge (GoPro HERO3 No.6): Terminate charge and stow RS1 Laptop Inspection and Cleaning Structures and Mechanisms (S&M) JEM ORU Xfer I/F (JOTI) and Robo Ext Leak Locator (RELL) Assist 1 JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side SEISMOPROGNOZ. Cable Disconnect from Autonomous Temperature Monitoring Module [] 4 cnctr JEM Airlock Depressurization Meteor hard drive swap Space Headaches Weekly Questionnaire JEM ECLSS/TCS1 Rack Umbilical Mate SEISMOPROGNOZ. Cable 17.42 -8242-9130 Disconnect from 4 SEISMOPROGNOZ. Removal of [] unit and Control and Data Acquisition Module () SPHERES USB Download JEM Cabin Duct Engagement Packed Bed Reactor Experiment Hardware Stow IMS Update VIZIR. Closeout Ops ISS Emergency OBT Drill (Soyuz 732 Descent) Life On The Station Photo and Video JPM Accumulator Package-FSE Attaching To Removed Accumulator Package JEM Airlock Vent Robotic Workstation (RWS) Lab Setup Robotic Workstation (RWS) High Definition (HD) Monitor Downlink JEM Airlock Vent Confirmation Treadmill 2 (T2) Cable Secure In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) QD27 Remate SPHERES USB Stow ISS HAM Service Module Pass Consolidate MSG spare hardware from two CTBs into one CTB. Remote Workstation Monitor HD Video Downlink Deactivation RWS. Completed Task List Items Veg-03 Pillow Water EVA PGT TAK Data Gather P/L Hardware Relocate EVA EHDC Inspection Ground Activities All activities were completed unless otherwise noted. RELL Operations Battery Capacity Test 3A3 JEM Airlock Depressurization Three-Day Look Ahead: Saturday, 02/11: Housekeeping, Crew Off Duty, RELL Operations Sunday, 02/12: Crew Off Duty, RELL Operations Monday, 02/13: Rodent Habitat Install, ELF Sample Remove, MSG Setup QUICK ISS Status Environmental Control Group: Component Status Elektron On Vozdukh Manual [] 1 SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1) On [] 2 SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2) Off 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 Standby 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 Backyard Worlds Zooniverse NASA is inviting the public to help search for possible undiscovered worlds in the outer reaches of our solar system and in neighboring interstellar space. A new website, called Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, lets everyone participate in the search by viewing brief movies made from images captured by NASAs Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. The movies highlight objects that have gradually moved across the sky. There are just over four light-years between Neptune and Proxima Centauri, the nearest star, and much of this vast territory is unexplored, said lead researcher Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Because theres so little sunlight, even large objects in that region barely shine in visible light. But by looking in the infrared, WISE may have imaged objects we otherwise would have missed. WISE scanned the entire sky between 2010 and 2011, producing the most comprehensive survey at mid-infrared wavelengths currently available. With the completion of its primary mission, WISE was shut down in 2011. It was then reactivated in 2013 and given a new mission assisting NASAs efforts to identify potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs), which are asteroids and comets on orbits that bring them into the vicinity of Earths orbit. The mission was renamed the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). The new website uses the data to search for unknown objects in and beyond our own solar system. In 2016, astronomers at Caltech, in Pasadena, California, showed that several distant solar system objects possessed orbital features indicating they were affected by the gravity of an as-yet-undetected planet, which the researchers nicknamed Planet Nine. If Planet Nine also known as Planet X exists and is as bright as some predictions, it could show up in WISE data. The search also may discover more-distant objects like brown dwarfs, sometimes called failed stars, in nearby interstellar space. Brown dwarfs form like stars but evolve like planets, and the coldest ones are much like Jupiter, said team member Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. By using Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, the public can help us discover more of these strange rogue worlds. Unlike more distant objects, those in or closer to the solar system appear to move across the sky at different rates. The best way to discover them is through a systematic search of moving objects in WISE images. While parts of this search can be done by computers, machines are often overwhelmed by image artifacts, especially in crowded parts of the sky. These include brightness spikes associated with star images and blurry blobs caused by light scattered inside WISEs instruments. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 relies on human eyes because we easily recognize the important moving objects while ignoring the artifacts. Its a 21st-century version of the technique astronomer Clyde Tombaugh used to find Pluto in 1930, a discovery made 87 years ago this week. On the website, people around the world can work their way through millions of flipbooks, which are brief animations showing how small patches of the sky changed over several years. Moving objects flagged by participants will be prioritized by the science team for follow-up observations by professional astronomers. Participants will share credit for their discoveries in any scientific publications that result from the project. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 has the potential to unlock once-in-a-century discoveries, and its exciting to think they could be spotted first by a citizen scientist, said team member Aaron Meisner, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in analyzing WISE images. Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 is a collaboration among NASA, UC Berkeley, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Arizona State University in Tempe, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and Zooniverse, a collaboration of scientists, software developers and educators who collectively develop and manage citizen science projects on the internet. NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena manages and operates WISE for NASAs Science Mission Directorate. The WISE mission was selected competitively under NASAs Explorers Program managed by the agencys Goddard Space Flight Center. The science instrument was built by the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah. The spacecraft was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. in Boulder, Colorado. Science operations and data processing take place at IPAC at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. For more information about Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, visit: http://backyardworlds.org For more information about NASAs WISE mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/wise PHOENIX The Internal Revenue Service recently reminded taxpayers that the next couple of weeks, especially around Presidents Day, marks the busiest time of year for IRS toll-free phone services. Taxpayers can avoid the rush by getting answers to their questions on IRS.gov. The IRS will be issuing an Avoid the Rush series of news releases that provide tips related to the most common questions asked by taxpayers during the February peak. The IRS will staff its toll-free telephone service Saturday, Feb. 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., callers local time, and Monday, Feb. 20, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., callers local time. To save time and find answers faster, taxpayers should make IRS.gov their first stop. A good place to start is the IRS Services Guide for a quick overview of online services and resources. IRS information and some tools are also in Spanish. Here are some reasons people call the IRS as well as faster and easier ways to get answers on IRS.gov: Wheres My Refund? The IRS issues more than 90 percent of refunds in less than 21 days. IRS representatives cannot provide individual refund information before then. Taxpayers can easily find information about their refund by using the Wheres My Refund? tool. Its available on IRS.gov and on the mobile app, IRS2Go. Wheres My Refund? provides taxpayers with the most up-to-date information available. Wheres My Refund? Begins Updating Feb. 16 for EITC and ACTC Filers By law, the IRS must hold Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit refunds until Feb. 15. Taxpayers will begin to see refunds claiming EITC/ACTC the week of Feb. 27. Wheres My Refund? will update for EITC/ACTC refunds beginning Feb. 16, with the vast majority updating by Feb. 18. Do IRS Phone Assistors or Transcripts Have More Up-to-Date Refund Information? The IRS phone assistors do not have additional information on refund dates beyond what taxpayers have access to on "Where's My Refund?". Given high call volumes, taxpayers should not call unless directed to do so by the refund tool. In addition, a common myth is that people can get their refund date earlier by ordering a tax transcript. There is no such "secret" option to find a refund date by calling the IRS or ordering a transcript; just check "Where's My Refund?" once a day. Need to Visit a Local IRS Office? Most taxpayers must make an appointment before visiting a Taxpayer Assistance Center. However, this time of year also is a peak time for TAC visits. The vast majority of people seeking an appointment can find answers to their questions on IRS.gov. Need Answers to Tax Law Questions? Taxpayers with questions about what filing status means, whether to file a tax return or who can be claimed as a dependent can use online tools. Theres the Interactive Tax Assistant that takes taxpayers through a series of questions just like a customer service representatives would. Taxpayers may also do a keyword search on IRS.gov; use Publication 17, the annual, searchable income tax guide; or the IRS Tax Map, which allows users to search by topic or keyword to find tax-law information by subject. How Do I Find 2015 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)? If taxpayers changed tax software products this year, they may need to manually enter their 2015 adjusted gross income to complete the electronic filing process. On a 2015 tax return, the AGI is on line 37 of the Form 1040; line 21 on the Form 1040-A or line four on the Form 1040-EZ. See Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return for options for taxpayers who did not retain a copy of their 2015 return. Didnt Get a Form W-2? Employers are required to send their employees a Form W-2, Statement of Earnings, by Jan. 31. Employees should allow enough time for their form to be mailed to their address of record. If form W-2 is not received by the end of February, employees should first contact their employer to ensure they have the correct mailing address on file. After exhausting all options with the employer, employees may contact the IRS. The IRS will send a letter to the employer. However, the IRS urges taxpayers to wait until after Feb. 27 to avoid long wait times on the telephone. Need a Copy of a Tax Return or Transcript? Taxpayers can easily order a return or transcript on the IRS.gov website. See the Get Transcript tool to download a transcript or have a transcript mailed. More information on these options is available at IRS.gov. Cant Pay a Tax Bill? For taxpayers whose concern is a tax bill they cant pay, the Online Payment Agreement tool can help determine whether they qualify for an installment agreement with the IRS. Need Help Preparing Your Taxes? Free tax return preparation is available nationwide from volunteers and on IRS.gov with Free File. Local community partners operate about 13,000 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) sites nationwide. Find a location nearby by searching Free Tax Help on IRS.gov. IRS Free File is offered by 12 tax software companies that make their brand-name products available for free to the 70 percent of taxpayers who earned $64,000 or less last year. Free File Fillable Forms is available for those whose earnings are more than $64,000 and are comfortable preparing their taxes. Taxpayers may also use a searchable directory on IRS.gov for help on finding a tax professional with credentials and select qualifications to help them prepare their tax returns. Nouakchott (Mauritania), February 13, 2017 (SPS) - President of Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and Secretary General of the Frente POLISARIO Brahim Gali has called on the United Nations to assume its responsibilities and put an end to "Morocco's provocations in the region of Guerguerat." In an interview to the Mauritanian independent news agency "El-Akhbar," the Saharawi leader said the "United Nations and its Security Council must assume their responsibilities and exert pressure on Morocco to get it to abide by UN decisions and resolutions, which provides for holding a referendum on Western Sahara people's self-determination." The UN "should also get Morocco to respect the ceasefire agreement and allow MINURSO to immediately resume work," the Saharawi official said. Gali denounces the "shameless complicity" of France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, "through its support of the intransigent position of Morocco, which refuses to abide by the international legality." "Morocco's provocations in the region of Guerguerat and its violation of the ceasefire" have also been condemned by President Gali. SPS 125/090/700 Standardbred Canada is calling for entries for the 2017 International Media Awards competition which is a component of the World Trotting Conference to be held in Charlottetown, PEI this August. No cash prizes are associated with the awards and no entry fees are required. Competition will be held in nine categories, and the programs, advertisements, or photos must have been published, originally broadcast or otherwise distributed between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016 on a broadcast station, cable system, website, newspaper or magazine in Canada during that time. A single submission per entrant will be eligible in a category. Standardbred Canada will appoint a committee that will select one Canadian finalist in each category, which will be judged against entries from other countries. The final judging will be conducted by International Trotting Association Delegates attending the 2017 WTC in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Entries should be received at Standardbred Canada not later than noon (EST) on Friday, March 10. All entries should include a cover letter with the name, address, phone number, and email address of the producer, author or photographer, and the name of the station, cable system, or publication on or in which it appeared, along with the date of broadcast/publication. Send entries to: Kathy Wade Vlaar Standardbred Canada 2150 Meadowvale Blvd. Mississauga, ON L5N 6R6 Please direct any questions, via email, to [email protected]. The nine categories are as follows: BEST NEWS ARTICLE For articles written 'on deadline' about 'breaking' events, including reporting about races, racing industry happenings and so forth, and published in daily or weekly newspapers or online publications. Please send an electronic version of the article (DOC or PDF). BEST MAGAZINE ARTICLE For 'long-form' articles written as 'features' and published online or in magazines. Please send an electronic version of the article (DOC or PDF). BEST PHOTOGRAPHY Photos, not enhanced by any computer-aided special effects, other than those used to clarify the subject matter contained in the photograph; must be submitted as an 8-inch by 10-inch print, along with a high resolution digital version of the photo (minimum 300dpi JPEG file). BEST PRINTED OR WEB-BASED ADVERTISEMENT For advertisements promoting races, breeding services and any other product, service or activity related to the sport of harness racing or Standardbred horses. Please send an electronic version of the ad (PDF). BEST VIDEO OR FILM (ONLINE VIDEO INCLUDED) ADVERTISEMENT Video or film-based advertisements for racing, breeding or any other product or service related to the standardbred industry. Please send a DVD or provide a link via email to the video/film and provide a short summary of what the submission is about. BEST TELEVISION PROGRAM OR DOCUMENTARY (ONLINE OR BROADCAST) For programs that air on broadcast or the internet, whether long or short-form that do not include advertising content. Please send a DVD or provide a link via email to the program and provide a short summary of what the submission is about. BEST POSTER For printed posters used to promote racing, breeding or any other industry-related activity, product or service. Please mail the actual poster and email an electronic version (PDF). BEST WEBSITE For publications, organizations or non-commercial entities that appear on the internet. BEST SOCIAL MEDIA (NEW CATEGORY) For demonstrated excellence in social media usage and innovation. Tirade Hanover will put his three-race win streak on the line and Tough Mac will look to extend his unbeaten streak to three during Dover Downs $20,000 Open Handicap Trot on Wednesday (February 15) at Dover Downs. The card will kick off with a 4:30 p.m. first-race post time. Also, Tim Tetrick will be back from vacation and is scheduled to steer four charges during the program. After having started slowly this meet, Tirade Hanover, with driver Yannick Gingras, is now at the top of his game. He is carrying a three-race winning banner into this weeks top trot. Owned by trainer Leigh Raymer, Moss and the Solomons, Tirade Hanover already is a $761,921 career winner of 34 races. Mike Casalinos Tough Mac, meanwhile, is also in rare form with consecutive wire-to-wire wins with Corey Callahan at the controls. Im So Striking (to be driven by Eddie Dennis) is also fresh from an impressive victory for Lois and Earl Walters and E&K Stable. The only female in the octet of performers is Bill Cantrells Classic Belisima with driver Art Stafford Jr., who has won two of her last three. Tim Tetrick will drive the steady Il Mago for CC Racing, while Vic Kirby handles Rich Pollucis Sold Frost Free Hanover. Uva Hanover piloted by Tony Morgan, owned by Martin Sternberg and Stake Your Claim Stable and local favourite I Like My Boss, drew the rail for trainer Bob Shahan and the Parsons. In the $15,500 4&5-Year-Old Winners-Over trot sub feature, Richard Gutnick and TLP Stables Moonlight Cocktail (Morgan) tries to get back in the win column after last week when her four-race win streak came to an end. Mike Casalinos Earls Speeder (Callahan) won this event with Jim Moores Royal Becca J (Jack Parker Jr.) and Bluebird Reverend (Montrell Teague) third for trainer Bob Reeser, Dan Dennis, Jay Johannsen and Holly Case. (Dover Downs) The Flagstaff City Council voted 5-2 against holding a special election in May on a citizen initiative to repeal the citys $15 minimum wage law that was approved in November. Elevate Flagstaff, backed by local businesses and the Chamber of Commerce, gathered enough signatures to put a repeal initiative on the ballot. However, the council had the option Tuesday night to call a special election at a cost of $156,000 for May 16, 2017 or wait until the next general election, in November 2018. Councilman Jim McCarthy said he would like to see the council discuss an amendment to the current law specifically removing the $2 escalator requirement until 2021, but said he did not support an off-year election, which historically have much lower turnout than general elections. I know that this approach will not satisfy either of the polarized sides, but I also know that it is rational and that it will provide reasonable closure to this divisive issue, McCarthy read from a prepared statement. The repeal initiative will be on the 2018 ballot, giving voters time to reflect on our council action. I suggest that if we all have empathy for both those in poverty, and those trying to run a business, that preventing the $2 bump in July would be a wise course of action. Only councilmembers Charlie Odegaard and Scott Overton voted for holding the special election, and both men voiced concerns that potentially amending the existing law, known as Proposition 414, might violate the Arizona Voter Protection Act, which requires any changes made to a citizen initiative only be made to further the intent of the initiative. However, when the council was presented with the second option, which was to not do anything regarding the special election, which automatically places Elevates initiative on the November 2018 ballot, and direct city staff to return with a proposed legal amendment to the current law, all councilmembers except Overton voted in favor. A standing room only crowd was evenly divided between their the possibility of a May special election at the council's meeting. City spokeswoman Meg Roederer said 285 people attended the meeting, filling the council chamber and spilling into an overflow room in the lobby. A total of 72 citizens addressed the council, and of those who voiced an opinion on the election, 36 people requested a special election in May, and 34 people spoke against the possibility. Those who spoke out against the election said holding a special election would set a dangerous precedent about holding a special election to overturn an outcome that initiative sponsors do not like. Many of those who spoke against the special election said they felt insulted when those in favor of the special election said voters did not understand the ramifications of their votes. "I voted for 414 and I knew what I was voting for," Kelly Poe Wilson said to the council during the public comment period. "I would be willing to pay 30 cents more for my tacos if I knew the person making them was living with dignity. There is no reason to give a special interest, like the Chamber of Commerce, a special election that me and my fellow taxpayers have to pay for." Frankie Beesley, another citizen who spoke against the special election, said not only did she feel the election would ignore the will of the voters who approved the minimum wage initiative in the first place, and said she did not support Elevate Flagstaff's ballot language that would have eliminated the city office for citizens to file complaints about wage compliance, which was included in Proposition 414. Bobbi Wilson, a manager at Flagstaff Soap Company, a company that supported Proposition 414 in November, said she opposed the special election because she felt that the people circulating petitions for Elevate Flagstaff were disingenuous to people they asked to sign the petition. Wilson said she was approached by a petition circulator who she said tried to intimidate her in order to get her to sign the petition, and said she questioned the validity of the signatures collected if the circulator used the same tactics. Wilson told the council she decided to get a full time job at Flagstaff Soap Company after working there in college because she knew they supported high wages for workers. The higher wages translate to happier, more helpful workers who are more invested in their jobs overall, she said. Those who spoke in favor of the special election cited issues including the burden faced by businesses facing two increases in the minimum wage within a year, and the problems faced by nonprofit organizations that receive money from the state and do not have the option of raising prices. The CEOs of Goodwill, Hozhoni and Quality Connections all spoke at the meeting, and all advocated for the special election. David Hirsch, the president and CEO of Goodwill of Northern Arizona said his organization is "teetering on the brink" of being unable to make payroll, even with only the statewide minimum wage increase in effect. Armando Bernasconi, the CEO of Quality Connections, said he would like to see the law amended, but said if an election must be held to change the increase schedule, he would support the special election. Several business owners also voiced their support for the special election, citing their own experiences in their businesses and their payroll costs. Karan Patel, the owner of Northern Pines restaurant and Horseman's Lodge, said he spent much of his winter collecting signatures for Elevate Flagstaff's petition. Patel said if the minimum wage had been increasing at the rate it is now when he opened Horseman's Lodge, he would have had to close within eight months due to the amount of money that the restaurant was making at the time. Nancy Baca, an economics professor at Northern Arizona University, said she supported the special election from an economist standpoint. "The cost of $150,000 is huge," she said. "But it is a bargain compared to what is going to happen to the community if we allow 414 to reach its full impact." Baca said she wanted the voters to have another chance to weigh in because more information has been discussed since the election. "We should give them the opportunity to do better because they know better," Baca said. The council will discuss options for amending the current law at a future meeting. More than 60 businesses have benefitted from the program, which was extended through May 1 while a permanent program is in the works. Last Tuesday, in an hour-long oral argument conducted over the telephone, three judges from the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals listened to a Justice Department lawyer urge them to reinstate President Trumps ban on travel from seven largely Muslim nations. The lawyer, August E. Flentje, offered several reasons why they should do this, but one in particular seemed to disturb the judges. The judiciary, Flentje claimed, must defer to the executive branch when it comes to national security. This is a traditional national security judgment that is assigned to the political branches, Flentje declared. Are you arguing then, asked Judge Michelle T. Friedland, that the presidents decision in that regard is unreviewable? Yes, said Flentje. This sounded eerily familiar an echo from another legal controversy long ago. On Aug. 9, 1950, in a D.C. federal courthouse, a lawyer for the widows of three civilian engineers who died in the crash of an Air Force B-29 requested the accident report, expecting it would shed light on the cause of the disaster. An assistant U.S. attorney balked, insisting the report cannot be furnished without seriously hampering national security because the aircraft in question was engaged in a highly secret mission and carried confidential equipment. In response, a skeptical U.S. District Judge William Kirkpatrick said, I only want to know where your argument leads. The governments attorney made plain where it led: We contend that the findings (of the executive branch) are binding upon the Judiciary. You cannot review it or interpret it. That is what it comes down to. Kirkpatrick was having none of that argument. In June 1950, he ordered the government to hand over the accident report and all related documents. He wanted it known that the type of executive immunity from judicial review asserted by the government had been fully considered and held not sustainable. In an appeal filed to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in April 1951, the government did more than challenge Kirkpatricks ruling: It challenged Kirkpatricks very right to make a ruling. Most fundamentally, the government now questioned whether any judge could force the executive branch to hand over documents it considered privileged: We believe that the determination of what documents should not be disclosed is necessarily within the discretion and distinctive knowledge of the executive branch. At a hearing Oct. 19, 1951, that assertion received much attention from a three-judge appellate panel led by Judge Albert Maris. What bothered Maris most was the governments assertion of unilateral executive power, free from judicial review, to decide what qualified as a national security secret. In a unanimous opinion filed two months later, upholding Kirkpatrick, Maris wrote: The government of the United States is one of checks and balances. One of the principal checks is furnished by the independent judiciary which the Constitution established. Neither the executive nor the legislative branch of the government may constitutionally encroach upon the field which the Constitution has reserved for the judiciary. More echoes: On Thursday, the 9th Circuit panel, in refusing to reinstate Trumps ban, unanimously rejected the administrations claim that courts cannot review a presidents national security determinations. It is beyond question, the judges said, that the federal judiciary retains the authority to adjudicate constitutional challenges to executive action. Courts owed substantial deference to the executive branch on matters of national security, but there is no precedent to support this claimed unreviewability, which runs contrary to the fundamental structure of our constitutional democracy. For the moment, Trump is weighing his options. (On Friday, administration officials gave contradictory information.) Eventually, however, this matter will get to the U.S. Supreme Court. Thats what happened in the B-29 case, titled U.S. v. Reynolds. The chief justice back then was a Kentucky politician named Fred Vinson, a poker and drinking buddy of President Truman who in his seven years on the court displayed a pronounced inclination to support the government against any challenge to its power. Nowhere was this tendency more apparent than in cases involving matters of national security. In U.S. v. Reynolds, his perspective prevailed. After hearing oral argument, the justices, by a vote of 6 to 3, decided to reverse Maris and formally recognize, for the first time, the governments state secrets privilege. On March 9, 1953, Vinson, from the bench, announced and read from the decision hed written. The courts, Vinson said, cant abdicate control over the evidence to the caprice of executive officers, but if the government can satisfy trial judges that a reasonable danger to national security exists, they shouldnt insist upon examining the documents. Vinson, in other words, was asking jurists to fly blind. Which is precisely what he did in U.S. v. Reynolds: Certainly, he concluded, there was a reasonable danger that the accident investigation would contain references to the secret electronic equipment which was the primary concern of the mission. But Vinson couldnt truly know for certain, because the Supreme Court justices never read the disputed Air Force accident report. If they had, they would have seen that the report declassified 50 years later contained no references to a highly secret mission involving confidential equipment. Rather, it documented an airplane crash caused by cockpit errors and shabby maintenance. At bottom, Vinsons opinion represented an act of faith. We must believe the government, Vinson held, when it claims this B-29 accident report would reveal state secrets. We must trust that the government is telling us the truth. As the litigation over Trumps travel ban bounces around the judicial system, everyone involved should keep in mind the chief lesson from U.S. v. Reynolds: Dont trust the government. The Kelso School Board filled its vacant position at Monday's meeting after interviewing two candidates for the position. Karen Grafton, a parent and Rose Valley PTO member, was unanimously chosen to replace former member Patty Wood. Wood was elected to the Washington State Board of Education in December and resigned her Kelso board position at the Jan. 9 meeting. Grafton was interviewed by the board during the public board meeting along with another candidate, Kuyler Devine. A third candidate, David Matney, withdrew himself from consideration Monday morning. Grafton has a bachelor's degree in business and accounting from Portland State University and has a history of working in the health care field. Grafton has served on directing boards before, including the Lower Columbia CAP Board of Directors and the Lower Columbia College Medical Assistant Oversight Board. "We are thrilled to have Karen join us on the board and delighted to have had two highly qualified candidates to choose from," Board President Bob Lucas said in a prepared statement. "We believe Karen will help us move forward in our work to serve our students, staff and community." The operator of Mossyrock Dam, the tallest dam in Washington state, has proposed lowering the lake behind it by 30 feet into the next decade as a hedge against damage from a large earthquake. The action by Tacoma City Light has nothing to do with the current emergency situation at Oroville Dam in Northern California. There is no impending emergency at Mossyrock Dam and there is no structural damage, Tacoma City Light said in a press release issued Tuesday. Mossyrock Dam, built on the upper Cowlitz River in 1968, stands 606 feet above bedrock. The dam forms 23.5-mile-long Riffe Lake, which is used as a major storage reservoir to prevent floods on the lower Cowlitz River. Tacoma announced its action is based on a new review of earthquake hazards assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey, which recently revised its earthquake predictions for the Cowlitz River basin. While the probability of a large earthquake is very low, the revisions showed an increase to the potential impact just on the spillways of Mossyrock Dam (not to the dam structure itself). To protect public safety, Tacoma Power has proposed to hold Riffe Lakes elevation down approximately 30 feet lower than full (778 feet) at least into the next decade. Approval by the federal agency that regulates the utility is pending, the utility said in a press release. Mossyrock is a curving arch dam made of concrete. No concrete arch dam has failed due to an earthquake, Tacoma said. However, its possible a strong earthquake could damage the piers that hold the spillway gates in place, making it them useless. Failure oft the gates could cause considerable downstream flooding. Lowering the lake level will limit the impact, according to Tacoma Power. We are looking at seismic retrofits. The development and implementation of possible solutions involves substantial analysis, planning and federal approval. The process required for making changes to a federally licensed hydroelectric dam is long and arduous, Tacomas statement says. Lowering the lake 30 feet is nothing unusual. In fact, Tacomas federal operating license requires it to lower the lake more than that each winter so Riffe Lake can absorb high runoff and reduce flooding downstream. But the utility typically allows the dam to refill in the spring for recreation purposes. Tacoma Power operates two campgrounds on the shoreline of Riffe Lake: Mossyrock Park is located on the southwest shore near the dam; Taidnapam Park sits on the east end where the Cowlitz River flows into the lake. Boating, swimming and fishing will remain possible on Riffe Lake, although access could be limited. Two Tacoma Power-owned boat launches are anticipated to be usable during the summer at the lower lake elevations. The Taidnapam Park north boat launch has a dock servicing these lower elevations. Both the Kosmos and Taidnapam Park south boat launches will remain closed. Tacoma Power said it is considering other modifications to enable use at lower lake levels, including updating the existing boat launch at Mossyrock Park to accommodate a new dock and a new swim beach at Mossyrock Park. tech2 News Staff The past few months we have seen a bunch of speculations saying that Apple will launch a new third variant of the iPhone this year. Almost everyday we head something around the iPhone and today we are hearing that the third variant will be the iPhone 8 featuring a stainless steel frame and a glass front and back finish. The tip comes from Taiwanese website DigiTimes, which is known to keep tabs on Apple's supply chain. The three smartphones are being referred as the iPhone 7s, iPhone 7s Plus and the iPhone 8 (or iPhone X). The three smartphone strategy has been confirmed in the past by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities and Japanese website Nikkei. However they believe that all three models will feature glass casing. On the other hand, Japanese website Mac Otakara says that the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models will continue to have an aluminum design like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, with new internals including the addition of a new A11 chip. This lines up to what DigiTimes suggests. Apple going with the same design as the last year's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus sounds legit as the company has done this in the past for older models. The company could possibly announce a new variant marking the smartphones tenth anniversary with high features including an OLED display and a close to $1000 price mark. Of course we are just speculating over the leaks and rumours. Things could be entirely different if and when Apple decides to launch the new iPhones. Aditya Madanapalle The PSLV-C37 mission was a resounding success and Isro now holds the world record for the most number of satellites launched on a single mission. The 88 satellites of Planet Labs that form Flock-3p is the most number of satellites belonging to a single constellation launched at once. Isro has another feather in its cap, but the PSLV-C37 is just the opening launch for 2017 and there are a number of launches scheduled by Isro in the months ahead. Here is what is coming. GSLV-Mk III-D1 / GSat-19 During the first quarter of 2017, Isro has scheduled the launch of a developmental flight of the indigenous GLSV-Mk III-D1. The GSLV has a higher launch capacity than the PSLV. The GSat-19 is expected to carry Ka and Ku band recievers, as well as a Geostationary Radiation Spectrometer (GRASP). The GSat series of satellites are in Geosynchronous orbit and provide essential communications services. Audio, video and data is broadcasted through these satellites. The GSat-19 will be launched on the maiden flight of the GSLV MK III. A number of GSat satellites were launched by the Ariane-5 rocket by Arianespace and so, using indigenous launch vehicles should considerably lower the costs of launching communications satellites for India. GSLV-F09/ GSat-9 The GSat-9 carries 12 Ku band transponders to fill a growing need for such transponders. The GSLV-F09 launch is also slotted for the first half of 2017. GSat-9 has the power handling capacity for 3,000 watts, and has a lift mass of 2,195 kg. The satellite is expected to be operational for 12 years. Considering Isros insistence on extending mission life, and making the maximum use of available resources, the actual life of the satellite could be extended much beyond its planned life. The GSat-09 is also known as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) satellite. All the South Asian countries in SAARC have given their consent to the program, except for Pakistan. The Satellite is Prime Minister Narendra Modis pet project, and is a gift from India to its South Asian Neighbours. Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan will benefit from the satellite, and Afghanistan may be brought on board as well. IRNSS backup satellite The atomic clocks on Indian and European satellites saw a sudden series of mysterious failures. Though there is no established link yet, the atomic clocks that failed were supplied to both India and Europe by Spectratime. The failure was seen in only one of the seven satellites in the Indian IRNSS constellation, which is Indias version of the constellation of GPS satellites by the United States. As a way to remedy the situation, Isro plans to launch one of the backup navigation satellites it has on the ground. The launch is scheduled for some time in the middle of the year. The failed satellite is IRNSS-1A, and Isro has denied reports of problems in the rubidium clocks used on other satellites in Indias navigation constellation. The launch vehicle is expected to be the PSLV. PSLV Launch A PSLV launch on 28 December, will see moon rovers from the Indian Team Indus and the Japanese Team Hakuto rideshare on the same PSLV. The two teams are attempting to bag the LunarX prize, by being the first private companies to land a rover on the surface of the Moon and move 500 meters across the surface. Team Indus has interesting plans to monetise the Moon voyage. Team Indus will brew beer on the surface of the Moon, place a small token with the names of sponsors and attempt to bring back material from the surface of the Moon to sell on Earth. Despite the exciting experiments by Team Indus, it is unclear if they will actually qualify for the Lunar XPrize. The deadline for the feat is December 2017, and Team Indus will only be landing on the moon on Republic Day 2018. While this is a roundup of the most exciting missions to look forward to in the year ahead, Isro plans to have more missions during the course of the year. Regular launches of satellites are peppered throughout the year, considering the ever increasing demand of satellite-based services in the country. This story is a part of a series on the world record launch of 104 satellites on a single mission by Isro. The stories in the series are: tech2 News Staff Karnataka seems understandably keen on getting Apple to start manufacturing in Bengaluru. A recent report states that Karnatakas Industries Minister has urged the Government of India to support Apple in its plans. Addressing the delegates at the Make in India conference in Bengaluru, Karnatakas Industries and Infrastructure Minister RV Deshpande welcomed Apple to Make in India. He also requested the Government to provide all assistance to them, reports The Economic Times. Apple, in partnership with Wistron Corporation, a Taiwanese ODM (original design manufacturer) intends to start assembling iPhones in India in the Peenya district in Bengaluru. This is expected to be a pilot project as Apple assesses the feasibility of manufacturing in India. The assistance that Deshpande is referring to relates to Apples long list of demands before manufacturing in India. This includes 15 years of tax concessions, streamlined customs processes and more. The government already grants a great deal of concessions under the Make in India program and other manufacturers, including Samsung, Oppo and Xiaomi, have complied with the requests. Apple is asking for an exception to be made in its case, though its not entirely clear how much of a benefit itll have for the country. Particularly because other companies are likely to demand the same exceptions. hidden Microsoft President Brad Smith on Tuesday pressed the world's governments to form an international body to protect civilians from state-sponsored hacking, saying recent high-profile attacks showed a need for global norms to police government activity in cyberspace. Countries need to develop and abide by global rules for cyber attacks similar to those established for armed conflict at the 1949 Geneva Convention that followed World War Two, Smith said. Technology companies, he added, need to preserve trust and stability online by pledging neutrality in cyber conflict. "We need a Digital Geneva Convention that will commit governments to implement the norms needed to protect civilians on the internet in times of peace," Smith said in a blog post. Smith outlined his proposal during keynote remarks at this week's RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco, following a 2016 US presidential election marred by the hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party emails that US intelligence agencies concluded were carried out by Russia in order to help Republican Donald Trump win. Cyber attacks have increasingly been used in recent years by governments to achieve foreign policy or national security objectives, sometimes in direct support of traditional battlefield operations. Despite a rise in attacks on governments, infrastructure and political institutions, few international agreements currently exist governing acceptable use of nation-state cyber attacks. The United States and China signed a bilateral pledge in 2015 to refrain from hacking companies in order to steal intellectual property. A similar deal was forged months later among the Group of 20 nations. Smith said President Donald Trump has an opportunity to build on those agreements by sitting down with Russian President Vladimir Putin to "hammer out a future agreement to ban the nation-state hacking of all the civilian aspects of our economic and political infrastructures." A Digital Geneva Convention would benefit from the creation of an independent organisation to investigate and publicly disclose evidence that attributes nation-state attacks to specific countries, Smith said in his blog post. Smith likened such an organisation, which would include technical experts from governments and the private sector, to the International Atomic Energy Agency, a watchdog based at the United Nations that works to deter the use of nuclear weapons. Smith also said the technology sector needed to work collectively and neutrally to protect internet users around the world from cyber attacks, including a pledge not to aid governments in offensive activity and the adoption of a coordinated disclosure process for software and hardware vulnerabilities. Reuters tech2 News Staff According to the rumoured specifications that were leaked earlier, Qualcomm will be launching a new mid-range chipset, the Snapdragon 660, which could have similar specifications as the Snapdragon 820. This means two Kryo cores, four Cortex A73 CPUs clocked at 2.2GHZ and four Cortex A53 CPUs clocked at 1.9GHz. It will also be made on a similar 14nm process along with an Adreno 512 GPU, X10 baseband, two channel LPDDR4X-1866 memory and UFS 2.1 flash memory. The leaked specifications sheet also said that it will be used by Chinese vendors Oppo and Vivo and that it will arrive in the second quarter of 2017. However, according to a new leak, the new SoC could make its way to Xiaomi's upcoming flagship budget smartphone. The information was leaked on Gizmochina, which says that Xiaomi is likely to launch a new Redmi smartphone, possibly the Redmi Pro 2, loaded with the new chipset. This new chip is said to have MSM8976 Plus as its model number. This is somewhat similar to the Snapdragon 652 (MSM8976) and Snapdragon 653 (MSM8976 Pro). The Redmi Pro was launched last year in China and was limited to its hometown. The Redmi Pro 2 was recently leaked,which suggested that the phone would skip the dual-camera for a single lens with improved specifications. It will feature a new sensor, the 12MP Sony IMX 362. This is a 1/2.55 sensor with large 1.4m pixels and Dual Pixel autofocus. Other features include a larger 4,500mAh battery, which is up from the earlier 4,050 mAh unit, two storage and RAM variants including one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage which could cost CNY 1,800 (around Rs 18,000). The other one would be a 4GB RAM and 64GB storage which would be the base version priced at CNY 1,600 (around Rs 16,000). tech2 News Staff Toshiba is facing a crisis after the company announced its plans to stop building nuclear power plants and writing off about $6.3 billion relating to that business. The Japanese conglomerate had to postpone its fourth-quarter earnings report for a month. This doesn't come as a surprise as just last month Toshiba had announced its plans to sell stakes in its memory chip and SSD businesses to cover the nuclear write-offs. Last year the company sold an 80 percent stake in its domestic appliances business, Toshiba Lifestyle, for $450 million. On 14 February, the company published provisional figures showing negative shareholder equity, instead of announcing its final results. Speculations say that the results were delayed because auditors refused to sign off on the accounts. This is a huge problem for the company and if it doesn't manage to cover up, there is a chance that it will have to sell off its laptop and PC business. Other Japanese companies like Sharp and Sony had sold off their PC and laptop business years ago and there is a possibility that Toshiba might be planning to do the same. Back in December 2015 a report by the Wall Street Journal suggested that the company had approached other manufacturers, including Vaio and Fujitsu but with no fruitful results. Toshiba still has a bunch other businesses including tablets, TVs, Blu-ray disc players, hard disks and image sensors. Apart from being IT-related the company is also involved in power generation, railroads, industrial control systems and 'hydrogen economy', a long-term bid to make hydrogen fuel cells an easy and economic source of electrical energy for isolated homes and island communities. hidden Data breaches are becoming more pervasive and damaging and are now affecting every department within an organisation -- leaving a lingering, if not lasting, imprint on an enterprise, a new report said on Tuesday. The report by the US wireless communications service provider Verizon found that humans were still at fault in data breaches and cybersecurity incidents, fulfilling the roles of threat actors, targeted victims and incident response stakeholders. "In working with victim organisations, we find that breaches touch every part of an organization up to and including its board of directors," Bryan Sartin, Executive Director, the RISK Team at Verizon Enterprise Solutions, said in a statement. "Companies need to be prepared to handle data breaches before they actually happen in order to recover as quickly as possible. Otherwise, breaches can lead to enterprise-wide damage that can have devastating and long-lasting consequences," Sartin added. The "Data Breach Digest" by Verizon is designed to help businesses and government understand how to identify signs of a data breach, important sources of evidence and ways to quickly investigate, contain and recover from a breach. The report also found that there is a finite set of scenarios that occur with data breaches but many permutations occur within each, leading to an expansive range of damage that can be observed in the aftermath of a data breach. IANS tech2 News Staff Vodafone is investing heavily in the deployment of its 4G LTE network in India. The most recent deployment contract has been awarded to Ericsson and is worth $300 million. The Economic Times reports that the contract (around Rs 2,000 crore) relates to the deployment of 4G services in the UP West, Rajasthan, Odisha, North East and Assam telecom zones. Earlier, Vodafone had given out a similar Rs 3,600 crore contract to Nokia and similar such contracts to Huawei and others as well. These contracts cover various telecom circles and include Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi. Ericsson is a Swedish company that manufactures telecom equipment. Speaking to ET, an unnamed source tells the publication that Ericsson will deploy the network by Q3 2017 and that its radio equipment will improve energy efficiency by 50 percent. Vodafone is facing stiff competition from new entrant Reliance Jio and is currently in talks with Idea Cellular for a merger. The two telecom operators suffered a major loss in revenue last year owing to Jios entry into the space. Rival Airtel is still going strong, though it did suffer a 55 percent reduction in profits over the same period. Disclaimer: Reliance Jio is owned by Reliance Industries, who also own Network18, the publisher of Firstpost and tech2. : , , , , - 28 . Cairoscene.com Egypt has announced that 144 female preachers will start carrying on lecturing tasks at premium mosques around the country starting in March. In an unprecedented move, Egypt's Endowments Ministry has announced the appointment of 144 female preachers that will perform their tasks at the women oratories. The announcement was made by Sheikh Gaber Tayei, Head of the Religious Department at the Ministry, and is the first of many new steps by the ministry to combat religious extremism Al Sharq Al Awsat reports. In January 2015, Egypts Endowment Ministry announced it would be offering volunteer positions for women preachers, and have followed through on the promise appointing 144 female preachers. The move follows President El Sisi's calls for renewing the religious speech to eliminate extremism, with the appointment constituting a first in a field that is traditionally reserved for men. "There are more steps in the upcoming period to activate the women preaching work," Tayei explains. Female preachers will be giving religious lectures starting from March in major mosques around the country. According to the Tayei, the appointment comes as one of the first steps in the ministry's plan to combat extremism. Gluten-free bakery brand Genius has unveiled a soft breakfast biscuit that it claims is a first for UK free-from aisles. Rolling out now at 1.99, the breakfast biscuits are available in multipacks of five individually wrapped 28g portions in three variants Cranberry & Oat, Chocolate Chip & Oat and Honey, and Raisin & Oat. The brand has described the range as ideal for morning consumption, as they aim to tap into the trend for consumers seeking appetising fast and functional breakfasts. Dave Shaw, commercial director for Genius, said the company wanted to develop a unique product to meet demand for eating breakfast on the go. The free-from biscuit category is now worth 100m, with healthy biscuits growing ahead of the category at 31% (IRI Total Free From Value to 28 January 2017), making our new Breakfast Bakes the ideal solution for retailers. The launch will be supported by a digital campaign and consumer sampling. In December 2016, former Genius boss Roz Cuschieri was appointed chairman of snack brand Emily Crisps. Trump will not insist on two-state solution as Netanyahu visits AFP, Washington : President Donald Trump welcomes Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on Wednesday after an administration official signaled a break with US support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement, but would support what the two sides agree to together, a senior White House official said. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said late Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else if that's what the parties want." "That's going to be up to them, we are not going to dictate what the terms of peace are going to be," said the official. For the better part of half a century, successive US governments-both Republican and Democrat-have backed a two-state solution. It was the basis of peace talks at Oslo and Camp David. But since taking office in late January, Trump has sought to show that the United States is an unwavering ally of Israel and tried to draw a contrast with the policies of president Barack Obama. In Ramallah, senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said that the change in US policy "does not make sense." "This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace," Ashrawi told AFP. "They cannot just say that without an alternative." Trump has yet to speak directly to the Palestinian leadership since taking office Trump is expected to tell the Israeli prime minister that he hopes to help broker a solution to the conflict. He has already tapped son-in-law Jared Kushner and lawyer Jason Greenblatt to lead his peace drive. But major questions remain about how to achieve that goal. Netanyahu won re-election in 2015 by insisting he would not accept the creation of a Palestinian state, a vow that considerably soured relations with the Obama White House. Obama often warned that Israeli settlement construction could make a two-state solution impossible, and that a one state solution would put the future of the Jewish state in question. Trump has shied away from criticizing Netanyahu's settlement policies as an impediment to peace, instead offering Israel some scope to build on land already under development. "The construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal," the White House said in a statement earlier this month. Saeb Erakat, a senior Palestinian official, said it was not enough for Trump to say settlements were "unhelpful" but he must order an end to new building. Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday and dined with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday. After meeting Trump at the White House on Wednesday is scheduled to meet lawmakers. Aside from winning support for policies that will help him at home, Netanyahu will want to gauge Trump's appetite for better relations with Russia. Trump has signaled his willingness to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria. That could de facto mean furthering the goals of Russian allies Bashar al-Assad and Iran. Israel sees Iran and its Lebanese ally the Hezbollah militia as its greatest existential threat, a view shared by the leaders of the main Sunni Arab states of the region. Dennis Ross, a US diplomat who worked on Middle East policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations, said Netanyahu's diplomatic goals will initially be modest. Israel wouldn't oppose a rapprochement with Moscow, but would urge Washington to use this as leverage to push Russia away from Iran. "What he'd like to see is a distancing of Russia from Iran within Syria, maybe more of a move towards Turkey and less towards Iran in Syria," Ross told reporters on Monday. Trump appears to have back-pedaled on a threat to tear up Obama's Iran nuclear deal, which Israel bitterly opposed, but his administration has "put Iran on notice." This appears to mean a more robust stance against military provocations and a determination to impose tough sanctions on Iran's missile program and covert support for militants. Observers expect Trump and Netanyahu to get on well in public. But personal chemistry aside, the relationship will only be successful if it overcomes the disagreements that poisoned ties under Obama. Chef and author Prue Leith is a contender to replace Mary Berry as a judge for The Great British Bake Off (GBBO). Leiths agent, Hilary Knight Management Ltd, has confirmed to British Baker that she is among those being considered for the role on the show when it relaunches on Channel 4 this year. She is a contender, but no way have we been given the green light that it is happening and we know that there are various others being considered as well, Hilary Knight, MD and owner of the company told British Baker. I think that she has been slightly under the radar compared to some of the bigger names that had been spotted as they went for their shoot, but thats all I know. Knight added that Leith was currently on a long-planned weeks holiday. Leith co-founded and later sold the Leiths School of Food and Wine, and is the author of cookery books and novels. She has experience of judging culinary shows after appearing on the BBC series of the Great British Menu followed by Best of British. GBBO is seeking a new judge after Mary Berry stepped down from her role following the announcement in September 2016 of the shows move from the BBC to Channel 4. The show is also looking to replace presenters Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, who also stepped down. British Baker has contacted GBBO producer Love Productions, which has yet to comment. Russia tells White House it will not return Crimea to Ukraine The Rostov-On-Don submarine sails past the guided missile cruiser Moskva during the Navy Day celebrations in Sevastopol, Crimea. Reuters, Moscow : Russia said on Wednesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine or discuss the matter with foreign partners after the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump expected the annexed Black Sea peninsula to be returned. Moscow says an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kiev. Ukraine says the referendum was a sham held at gunpoint after Russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula, that Russia-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by people power, and that Moscow should return Crimea. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing on Wednesday. The 2014 annexation prompted the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the Cold War. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that Trump expected and wanted to get along with Russia, but was expecting Moscow to hand Crimea back. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about Spicer's comments, said President Vladimir Putin had already explained why Crimeans had turned to Russia. "The theme of returning Crimea will not be discussed ... Russia does not discuss its territorial integrity with foreign partners," Peskov told a conference call with reporters. Trump had not raised the Crimean issue in a Jan. 28 phone call with Putin, Peskov noted, saying the Kremlin would try to make contacts with the Trump administration to try to improve ties which he said were in "a lamentable state." Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, told MPs any talk of Crimea's status amounted to a challenge to Russia's territorial integrity. Volodin, a close Putin ally, told the Interfax news agency Trump had promised in his election campaign to work to improve relations with Russia. "Let's wait for some first-hand words from the U.S. president," said Volodin. "When people get elected by voters it's not merely for warm words and the ability to speak, but for concrete promises ... that will be fulfilled." Country has 11,101 female cops Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said some 11,101 female police personnel are working with Bangladesh Police at this moment. Of the total, some 1,215 female police personnel are under training, he said this, while replying to a tabled question from a treasury bench member Begum Jebunnesa Afroz of Barisha-5 in the Jatiya Sangsad. Dr Azad new ED of BB Staff Reporter : Dr. Abul Kalam Azad , General Manager of the Bangladesh Bank (BB), had been promoted as the Executive Director in the same institution says a press release of the BB issued on Tuesday. Prior to this promotion, he worked in the agro-credit, the secretariat and the inspection departments of the bank. Dr. Azad joined the Bangladesh Bank in 1988 and successfully executed his responsibilities. He wrote a number of articles on finance, banking , insurance and remittance, and worked as councillor in the Global Trust, a Sweden based research organisation. Significant drop in Jute goods export to India anti-dumping duty Business Desk : Export of jute goods from Bangladesh to India slumped by 52.15 per cent in January in the current financial year 2016-17 compared to the same month of last year due to the anti-dumping duty imposed by the neighbouring country on January 5. Total earnings from jute goods exports stood at only $7.65 million in January against $15.99 million in the same month of FY16, according to Export Promotion Bureau data. Exporters said that the earnings from jute goods export to India had been on a declining trend in July-December of the FY17 but the situation aggravated in January following imposition of anti-dumping duty by India. Exports of jute goods (jute Yarn, twine, sacks, bags and febrics) to India in the July-December period of the FY 17 decreased by 23.81 per cent to $62.60 million from $82.16 million in the same period of FY 16 and the export witnessed further decline in January this year. India imposed anti-dumping duty ranging from $ 6.30 to $ 351.72 a tonne on jute goods from Bangladesh on January 5. 'Due to the anti-dumping issue the exports of several jute mills decreased by 50-70 per cent in the month of January,' Abul Hossain, vice-president of Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association. He said that if the situation continues a good number of jute mills will be shut down. Abul Hossain said that exporters were awaiting prime minister's instruction on the issue and they also hoped that the issue would be discussed during prime minister's visit to India. He said that exporters wanted to challenge the anti-dumping duty but they were still in an indecision considering the high cost and long time for the procedure. Abdul Bari Khan, Secretary of Bangladesh Jute Mills Association, said that some of the Indian importers were getting delivery of few consignments of jute goods with the payment of duty but the quantity was very small. He said that the jute mills owners requested government to impose duty on raw jute export as Bangladesh's raw jute export is mostly concentrated to India. The hard truth about foreign aid David Sogge : For recipients aid has been a very mixed blessing, but for donors it's been a bonanza. It's astonishing when you think about it. Why should an old and poorly-performing industry carry on, burdened with even more tasks, and provided with yet more money? I'm talking about foreign aid, whose mixed results have been reconfirmed countless times in the last 70 years. For aid's backers, such skepticism is unfair or at best premature. Successes, from combating diseases to promoting the 'green revolution,' are held as self-evident. With new, smarter policy formulas and management focused on results, failure is soon going to be minimized. Across most of the Left-Right spectrum, aid still enjoys political backing. Western spending continues largely upward. New aid donors from Turkey to Thailand are joining in. And tasks are expanding.To achieve the 169 targets of the world's 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030, global leaders concur that foreign aid is vital. For aid's critics, however, 'mixed results' is a euphemism for badly designed, poorly-managed efforts guided by donor hobbies and flip-flopping policies that ignores the graveyards of failed programmes, the histories of waste, and the sometimes toxic outcomes of aid born of coercion and incoherence. China and Vietnam reduced poverty significantly with almost no Western aid, while aid-dependent countries like Malawi and Timor-Leste have fared badly-in which case why does the aid industry keep on prospering? To answer that question we have to look at the drivers and navigation systems at work upstream in the system where the captains of the aid industry confer. These drivers get little serious probing, but the knowledge we do have points to an inconvenient truth: the main systems of development aid chiefly serve the donors. The aid system colludes in redistributing wealth from poorer to richer. Under an aura of beneficence, aid is harnessed to self-interest. To buy goodwill from others or coerce them, aid provides a classic tool of statecraft. For the biggest donors it can buy votes at the United Nations, keep client regimes 'onside', punish troublemakers and open doors to powerful people. As a former senior US aid official put it, "Foreign aid is like political campaign contributions: it can facilitate the access of those providing it to those receiving it." Giving aid helps governments to look good in diplomatic forums while encouraging taxpayers to feel good about their generosity. In addition, 'our security' is at stake. Since 9/11 development and humanitarian aid has increasingly been subordinated to hard power aims-that is 'securitized.' European aid, for example, is now supposed to help curb irregular migration from Africa. Meanwhile, military doctrine and operations have become 'developmentalized,' complementing older practices in which aid lubricates access to strategic assets as in Kyrgyzstan, where western aid was exchanged for use of an airbase serving NATO operations in Central Asia. Boosting exports and investments are major objectives of aid providers. A scholarly consensus, backed by many studies, holds that the mercantile interests of aid givers usually enjoy priority over the interests of aid recipients. For donors the pay-offs are many. For example, for every 10 the Dutch provide in bilateral aid to an average recipient country, Dutch exports to that country increase in the short run by 7 to 9. In the longer run, as goodwill and force of habit take hold, aid-induced sales then become even more lucrative. In the period 1988-2004, each dollar in Western bilateral aid yielded 2.15 dollars in additional exports of goods and services by Western businesses. Donors use aid to gain footholds for their industries, like Japanese fishing fleets in the South Pacific, French uranium mining in Niger and oil and gas companies in emerging producers of hydrocarbons. Aid providers work assiduously to lower costs and risks for their business investors using subsidies like low-cost loans, insurance and market advice. In recipient countries they add to physical infrastructure and occasionally skilled-up workforces. But the aid system's most powerful contributions involve the transmission and enforcement of 'sound policy', meaning policy that is suitable for investors.The formulas are well-rehearsed: sell-offs of public property; weaker protection of labour rights and environmental safeguards; and taxes shifted from foreign flows to domestic sources. Under the World Bank's 'competitive cities' approach, municipalities are pushed to compete for outside investment by offering tax 'sweeteners', land and other subsidies. With the rise of financial sector power, donors have facilitated the growth of stock markets and hot money flows. Key to these investor-friendly climates has been austerity-driving down public spending in recipient countries. Acting almost as bailiffs, donors also help to extract payments to big pharmaceutical and software firms who own patents, copyrights and other kinds of 'intellectual property.' In the years 2012-2015, sub-Saharan African countries together paid about $10 billion to these private interests, up from about $8.7 billion in the years 2007-2010. But because rich country tax laws allow firms to hide profits, these World Bank data may actually understate the true scale of extraction. Under vigorous donor pressure, poorer countries have poured trillions of dollars into Western banks under a rationale of self-insurance. As the economist C. P. Chandrasekhar has pointed out "This reverse flow of capital essentially means that excess savings in emerging markets are being 'recycled' in ways that put the responsibility of allocating that capital in the hands of a few financial decision makers sitting at the apex of a concentrated global financial system." Consistent with their promotion of rent-seeking from 'intellectual property', donors show almost no interest in curbing cartels and other anti-competitive practices by transnational firms. Research is scarce, but it points to massive losses for poorer countries. One study estimates that annual losses are equivalent to at least 50 percent, and could equal as much as 300 percent of aid disbursed. Donors have also invested in knowledge, but gains can flow back disproportionately to themselves. Aid for the 'Green Revolution', for example, helped boost crop yields in poor countries, but major beneficiaries have been western agribusinesses. Up to the early 1990s, estimated returns to such firms were forty times the amount of aid paid out originally by the US for research and development of the 'Revolution's' higher-yield technologies. Contrary to the belief that aid-financed programmes target diseases that mainly affect people in the tropics, research shows that "development aid is intended to alleviate the threats to populations within the donor state." And since the 1960s, foreign aid has brought hundreds of thousands of students from poorer countries to study at universities in Europe and North America. Today, student fees and expenses annually absorb more than $3 billion in aid-virtually all of it spent in donor countries. Where the longer-term benefits from aid-funded scholarship programmes go isn't known with much precision, but there is some evidence that former scholarship holders from Africa tend to stay in richer countries, or to work abroad in Western firms and other organisations. In sum, poorer countries routinely put more resources at the disposal of donor country interests than they receive in foreign aid, yet it isn't easy to demonstrate this inconvenient truth conclusively. Estimating the extent of the aid system's collusion in 'perverse' aid is often guesswork because the system's upper reaches lack transparency. Laws, rules, political agreements and sheer inattention shield many counter-flows from public view. Every year, thousands of evaluations of aid's 'downstream' activities take place but I know of no formal evaluation of aid mechanisms 'upstream' that would indicate with precision who benefits and by how much. In 1943, at a time of enormous human suffering, one of the 20th century's greatest activist-philosophers, Simone Weil, wrote about the characteristics of practical compassion for others. She insisted that help must be concrete and authentic: "All human beings are bound by identical obligations, although these are performed in different ways according to the circumstances. The obligation is only performed if expressed in a real, not a fictitious, way." Today, in framing debates about obligations across borders, that plea has lost none of its relevance. It calls for lucidity, and hence the rejection of pseudo-solutions promoted through the foreign aid system. Activists, academics, journalists and NGOs in a number of fields are already focusing on counter-flows and the legal gimmicks and non-transparency that promote them. Although based outside the mainstream aid system, these initiatives are getting respectful attention from some donors, notably in Norway but also in a few knowledge centres of the United Nations. A prime example is the movement for tax justice.These combined efforts have begun to pay off as better tax enforcement and new rules yield more revenues for public purposes. Meanwhile a bloc of non-Western governments at the United Nations led by Ecuador is pressing to create a global tax body. A system of global taxation won't be with us soon, but as this idea gains traction it may open up a pathway towards an authentic system of redistribution across national borders. In so doing it could help to replace today's machinery of upward redistribution, re-build decent social contracts, and ultimately sideline foreign aid as we know it. (David Sogge works as an independent researcher and writer based in Amsterdam, where he is affiliated with the Transnational Institute). CCTVs in city points to combat crime THE government will install 5,000 closed-circuit television cameras and a CCTV control room to bolster security in the Dhaka North City Corporation wards. The CCTV cameras would be set up at 1516 locations of the DNCC under a project worth Tk 442.14 crore. The project was approved on Tuesday by the Executive Committee on National Economic Council (ECNEC) at the Planning Commission with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The government will provide Tk 353 crore from the exchequer while the rest will come from the DNCC. Several thousand control units will also be installed for light-emitting diode fittings in the DNCC. Following the meeting, Planning Minister AHN Mustafa Kamal told reporters that the people living in the DNCC would come under the new security system after completion of the project in December 2018. A control room and data storage centers would also be installed under the project so that the authorities concerned could take action quickly in case any violation occurred, he said. The United Kingdom is one of the most enthusiastic proponents of CCTVs, with an estimated 1.9 million cameras in 2011 - one for every 32 U.K. residents - and the number continues to rise. But what were the results? A meta-analysis examined 93 studies on surveillance systems to see how effective they are at reducing crime and deemed 44 to be sufficiently rigorous for inclusion. Many of the studies were based in the United Kingdom, while others were in US cities such as Cincinnati and New York. The analysis found that surveillance systems were most effective in parking lots, where their use resulted in a 51 percent decrease in crime. Systems in other public settings had some effect on crime - a 7 percent decrease in city centers and in public housing communities, and a 23 percent drop in public transit systems - but the results weren't statistically significant. When sorted by country, systems in the United Kingdom accounted for the majority of the decrease; the drop in other countries was insignificant. In the US it's a different story. A 2013 Chicago Tribune opinion piece quoted a city spokesman as saying that surveillance cameras helped solve 4,500 crimes over four years, but the writer notes that more than a million are estimated to have taken place over that time period - meaning that the cameras' contribution was 0.05 percent at best. In other words except in the UK its final applicability remains either slightly positive at best, or ambiguous. In our country so many CCTVs would require constant monitoring to prevent their disuse and specially trained personnel to figure out whether crimes were occurring by constant monitoring. Are such situations likely to happen? It seems unlikely and overall a simple waste of public expenditure which could be put to better use. New EC takes oath CEC firm to discharge duties in line with Constitution Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha poses for photograph with newly appointed CEC and four other Election Commissioners after oath taking held at the Supreme Court Judgesa Lounge on Wednesday. Staff Reporter : The newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Wednesday said they are determined to discharge their all responsibilities in line with the Constitution. "We are determined to hold free, fair and impartial polls according to the Constitution," he told journalists at the Election Commission Secretariat in city. Earlier, the CEC and four other Election Commissioners took oath at Supreme Court Judges' Lounge. Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha administered the oath of office at a function, conducted by Supreme Court Registrar General Syed Aminul Islam. The other four members of the EC are former Additional Secretary Mahbub Talukder, former Secretary Md Rafikul Islam, retired District and Session Judge Begum Kabita Khanam and Brigadier General (retd) Shahadat Hossain. The CEC said they will be uncompromising in discharging their Constitutional duties. "We have taken oath for discharging Constitutional responsibilities. However, our main challenge is to arrange free, fair and credible elections," the CEC added. Replying to a query he said he does not belong to any political parties. "I don't belong to any political party and I was not an activist of Janatar Mancha," he mentioned. He added taking experience and knowledge from the Election Commission and using its skill they will do their job. "I'm seeking supports from the government, all political parties, civil society members and media. We want to achieve all political parties' trust and confidence by creating a friendly environment. Nobody can influence us," the CEC said. President Abdul Hamid on February 6 formed the new EC with former Secretary KM Nurul Huda as the new CEC. The President appointed the five from the ten names referred by the search committee. Polls to these 18 Upazilas are due on 6th March and the EC headed by newly appointed CEC K M Nurul Huda will conduct those. Though BNP has reservation about the new EC, led by KM Nurul Huda, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said their party will join the local body polls under the EC as they did it during the Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led Commission. Besides, the first test for the newly constituted EC is to hold a municipal poll in the hill district Rangamati's Baghaichhari on Saturday. Polls will be held for the post of chairman in Kurhigram sadar, Barisal's Banariparha, Gouranadi, Jhalakathhi's Kanthhalia, Patuakhali's Rangabali, Comilla's Adarsha sadar, Pabna'a Sujanagar, and Kishoreganj's Hossainpur. Top 10 Best Student Cities 2017 UNB, Dhaka : The global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds declared top 10 Best Student Cities in 2017. The cities are Montreal, Paris, London, Seoul, Melbourne, Berlin, Tokyo, Boston, Munich and Vancouver. In the rankings, Montreal in Canada has ended Paris's five-year run as the world's best student city. This year's ranking features a 'Student View' indicator for the first time. Seoul is Asia's best student city, rising to 4th, followed by Tokyo (7th) , Hong Kong (11th) and Singapore (14th). Findings for the United Kingdom provide reassurance to those concerned about the potential effects of the UK's impending exit from the EU on its higher education sector. Montreal's success is the latest of a series of propitious signs for a city beginning to escape a period of economic stagnation, following positive growth forecasts for 2017, and the recent announcement of its selection as the 'World's Most Intelligent City'. Its first-place ranking is also the highlight of a series of positive performances from Canadian cities: four of the country's five ranked cities improve their position. The results suggest that UK cities remain excellent study destinations in the face of Brexit, with rises in QS's Affordability indicator a major contributor to all eight of its ranked cities improving their rank. Australia's high cost-of-living and tuition fees are proving disadvantageous: all of its seven ranked cities drop, with Sydney plummeting from fourth to thirteenth, and Melbourne falling from second to fifth; Berlin rises to 6th; Munich (9th), and Vancouver (10th) complete the top 10. UAE envoy to Kabul dies in Afghan blast Al Jazeera News : The ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Afghanistan died on Wednesday of wounds sustained in a bomb attack in Kandahar last month that also killed five Emirati aid workers, the UAE's foreign ministry announced. "With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn the martyr of the nation and his duty, the righteous son Juma Mohammed Abdullah al-Kaabi, who gave his pure soul for the sake of humanity," the ministry said in a statement quoted by official news agency WAM. The diplomats were expected to open a number of UAE-backed projects as part of an aid programme in Afghanistan. The Taliban denied carrying out the bombing, saying the attack was a result of "internal local rivalry". Auto-rickshaw driver kills passenger in Comilla Staff Reporter : A passenger of an auto-rickshaw was allegedly hacked to death by its driver centering a dispute over the fare in Maizkhar village of Chandina upazila in Comilla district on Wednesday afternoon. The victim has been identified as Mohammad Masum Mia, 24, son of Fazlur Rahman. Masud's elder brother Masud Alam and his cousin Abu Seyed also received severe injuries. Driver 'Sumon' went on hiding after committing the murder, police said. Chandina Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nasir Uddin Mridha said, "A clash took place between the driver and the passengers for demanding Tk 140 instead of normal fare of Tk 80. At one stage, Sumon attacked the passengers with a sword around 13:30pm." Locals recovered the body of Masum in a pool of blood and took the two injured passengers to the Comilla Medical College and Hospital, the police official said. We are trying to arrest Sumon after filing of a case, the OC said. The deceased's body was handed over to family members, he said. craigslist: thailand jobs, apartments, for sale, services, community, and events craigslist provides local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, services, local community, and events Multi-client seismic survey report in Bay may be delayed Anisul Islam Noor : The conducting of the multi-client seismic survey in the Bay of Bengal may be delayed for one year, as the Cabinet Economic Affairs Committee has not yet submitted its report, sources said. The seismic survey is a long standing initiative of the Energy Division, since the settlement of maritime boundary with neighboring India and Myanmar, the project has remained pending for last six months with the high level review body. Oil and gas exploration is a top priority project of the government to meet growing domestic demand. But the committee is delaying to summit its report, Energy Division sources said. After missing this winter, the government has to wait for another winter to conduct survey. Following the settlement of dispute, the state-owned Petrobangla invited a bid for awarding contract. Five international companies named TGS-Schlumberger JV, Geotrace Technologies, Dolphin Geophysical, BGP INC, China and DMNG Joint Stock Company (Russia) submitted their respective bids on March 29 in 2015. Petrobangla and its bid evaluation committee members completed their bid evaluation before Mid-April'15 and submitted the report to Energy Division. But when the relevant file was placed to the Prime Minister's Office, it cancelled the whole process without any reason and asked the Energy Division to go for a fresh tender. Again the Energy Division took a fresh move and the state-owned Petrobangla selected an international firm for conducting multi-client seismic survey to assess hydrocarbon potentials in offshore gas blocks. In this round of tender process, five international companies namely Norway-French joint venture TGS and Schlumberger, Chinese company BGP, Russian firm Dalmorneftegeophysica (DMNG) and Russian Marine Arctic Geological Expedition (MAGE), and UK-Based Spec Partners Ltd submitted the offers. Of them, TGS and Schlumberger, the Norwegian-French joint venture, came out to be top qualified bidder in the evaluation process and the Energy Division received Prime Minister's approval for awarding the contract to the company. But when the proposal was placed for Economic Affairs Committee meeting, it again faced trouble as an influential member of the committee raised objection. Finally, the committee formed a 5-member review committee headed by Law Minister Anisul Haque. Sources said the committee sat in a number of meetings and finanlised its proceedings. But in last six months, the committee did not submit its report to the Cabinet committee. As a result, the top priority project remained stuck up. The idea of multi-client survey is that the selected firm will conduct survey in the country's maritime boundary at its own cost. But after completion of the survey, it will share its findings with state-owned Petrobangla at a free of cost. The selected firm will have a right to sell the findings and seismic data to aspirant international oil companies who want to participate in oil and gas exploration in the Bangladesh territory. Bangladesh has long been trying to award its offshore gas blocks to international oil companies since its settlement of maritime boundary disputes with neighboring India and Myanmar, but its effort were not very successful. Many officials blamed the lack of seismic data of the gas blocks for failing to attract the international oil companies for the exploration of gas. However, neighboring India and Myanmar have been successful to award their offshore blocks because of available data, said the Petrobangla officials. 15th day of Boi Mela Sale not satisfactory Rayhanul Islam : At least five hundred and twenty two new books on poems landed this year during the first fifteen days of the Boi-Mela. But the sale of these books is not satisfactory, said the publishers. Book-lovers are in general search for the books of poets like Kazi Nazrul Islam, Rabindranath Tagore, Jibanananda Das and Ruddro Muhammad Shahidullah. The readers of classic poems is very poor, they said. The publishers said that most of the book lovers who come to the Boi Mela are young. They search for novel, story, science fiction, historic books and books on travel, but do not respond to poems. On the special days like Pahela Falgun and Valentine's Day, the book lovers came to buy some books on romantic poems. But its number was not satisfactory, they said. Robin Ahmed, Publisher of Shrabon publication told The New Nation that the poems of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam have specific theme. Rabindranath Tagore wrote emphasizing the contemporary period and romanticism and Kazi Nazrul Islam wrote against the then British role, oppression and inhumanity. But now the writers who write poem have no theme and the writing is not rich. That is why the readers have lost their interest to buy the books on poem, Rabin said. "I have read all the poems of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Rabindranath Tagore, Jibanananda Das, Shamsur Rahman and other noted poets'. I buy at least twenty or thirty books on different subjects at every year's Boi Mela. But last five years I did not buy books on poem from Boi Mela. Because, now poems of new writers do not maintain proper quality. They do not know what should be the perfect theme of poem,'' Rakib Khandoker, lecturer of a private College said. On, the 15th day of fair, 143 new books landed in the fair yesterday. Of them, 15 were Story books, 25 Novel, 7 Article, 52 Poetry, 5 Thesis, 5 Rhyme, 4 Child Literature, 1 Biography, 2 Liberation War, 2 Excursion, 1 History and 20 Miscellaneous. Some of new books are ``The Art of War'' of San Zuu translated by Sabedin Ibrahim published by Oitezza publication, ``FIXI'' of Anis Ahmed published by Muktochinta, ``Bangabandhu O Bangladesh'' of Selina Hossen published by Mawola Brathers, ``Bishmoyer Bishopoth'' of Hanif Sonket published by Anonna publication and ``Oboshese Rat Pohalo'' of Nadir Hossen published by Kakoli publication, among other books. A discussion titled ``Samor Sener Jonmo Shato Barshiki'' was held at 4:00 pm in the main stage of Academy. Ahmad Rafiq presided over the function, while Professor Begum Akter Kamal presented the keynote paper. Abul Hasnat, Professor Rafiqullah Khan and Piash Majid participated as the discussants. Later, a cultural function was held in the main stage of Academy. At 4:00 pm, a discussion titled ``Sattur Dashoker Kobita'' will be held today (Thursday) in the main stage of Academy. Asim Shaha will preside over the function, while Mojibul Haque Kabir will present the keynote paper. Ikbal Hossain and Khaled Hossain will participate in the discussion. At evening, a facinating cultural function will be held. 20-yr-old bus won't be allowed to ply from next month Staff Reporter : Passenger buses of more than 20 years old will not be allowed to ply in the Dhaka South City Corporation area from March this year. Besides, no one will be allowed to drive buses without minimum educational qualification of class eight. DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon said it yesterday after a meeting with officials from different agencies aiming to reduce traffic gridlock in the city. "The buses of more than 20 years old will not run in the city from March. Besides this, none will be allowed to drive buses without qualification of minimum class eight. To achieve sufficient civic knowledge, it is important to have minimum class eight degree," Mayor Sayeed Khokon said. Replying to the journalists, Sayeed Khokon said, DSCC, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (traffic), Bangaldesh Roads and Transport Authority and Dhaka District administrations will take joint action to implement the decisions. DSCC mayor said also that many buses are found parking hither and thither at Motijheel, Azimpur, Bahadur Shah Park and many other busy places, it caused huge gridlock. "It will not be tolerated any more. The meeting decided that no buses will park in streets for rest. The BRTC buses must go back to depots. The extra buses which may not be accommodated in the depots must go to certain other spaces in the city," he said. Replying to a question, the mayor said, the buses will park at Balurmath, Sadek Hossain Khoka playground and behind the Bangladesh Bank Bhaban. About the private car parking in Motijheel and other busy areas, mayor said, no one will be allowed to park in streets. He said, "The vehicles' drivers have violated rules for long taking advantage of the relaxations of concerned departments." The mayor also said that they are taking measures one after another to free Dhaka from hazards. "If we take many steps at a time it may not be successful. So we are doing one after another that we may achieve success," he said. Republicans join calls for investigation Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) sits next to retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn (L) as they attend an exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of RT (Russia Today) television news channel in Moscow, Russia. Leading members of the US Republican Party have joined calls for a wide investigation into the former national security adviser's links with Russia. Michael Flynn quit on Monday over claims he discussed US sanctions with Russia before Donald Trump took office. On Tuesday, a White House spokesman said Mr Trump knew weeks ago there were problems with the Russia phone calls. But calls for an independent investigation have encountered a cold response from some senior Republicans. The development came as the New York Times reported that phone records and intercepted calls show members of Mr Trump's presidential campaign, as well as other Trump associates, "had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election". However, officials spoken to by the newspaper said they had not yet seen evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia on the hacking of the Democratic National Committee or to influence the election. As well as an FBI investigation, both the Senate and House intelligence committees are already examining Russian involvement in the election. It is not yet clear whether the latest claims will be included in their scope. He stood down over allegations he discussed US sanctions with a Russian envoy in December, before Mr Trump took office. The conversations took place about the time that then-President Barack Obama was imposing retaliatory measures on Russia following reports it attempted to sway the US election in Mr Trump's favour. Mr Flynn could have broken a law - known as the Logan Act - by conducting US diplomacy as a private citizen, before he was appointed as national security adviser. The retired army lieutenant-general initially denied having discussed sanctions with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. Vice-President Mike Pence publicly denied the allegations on his behalf. The White House admitted it had been warned about the contacts on 26 January but President Trump initially concluded Mr Flynn had not broken any law. White House lawyers then conducted a review and questioned Mr Flynn before reaching the same conclusion as Mr Trump, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, but the trust had gone. "In the end, it was misleading the vice-president that made the situation unsustainable," White House Counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Tuesday. Mr Flynn was also reportedly questioned by FBI agents in his first days as national security adviser, according to US media. In an interview conducted with the conservative website The Daily Caller on Monday, but published only on Tuesday, Mr Flynn said he "crossed no lines" in his conversation with the ambassador. He said he discussed the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats over alleged hacking ahead of the election, but "it wasn't about sanctions". He said he was concerned that the apparently classified information had been leaked. "In some of these cases, you're talking about stuff that's taken off of a classified system and given to a reporter," he said. "That's a crime." However, in his resignation letter, Mr Flynn said "the fast pace of events" during the presidential transition meant that he had "inadvertently briefed the vice-president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador". Media captionKellyanne Conway said Gen Flynn either "misled" or "could not completely recall" his conversation. In his first public comments about the controversy, President Trump tweeted on Tuesday: "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N Korea etc?" US House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes told reporters on Tuesday he wanted to examine the leaks, and said the FBI should explain why Mr Flynn's conversation had been recorded. But the Senate's second-ranking Republican,John Cornyn, and other Republican senators have called for an investigation into Mr Trump's connections with Russian officials. Republican John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Mr Flynn's resignation was a "troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus", which raised questions about Mr Trump's intentions towards Russia. Meanwhile, the Senate's most senior Republican, Mitch McConnell, said the intelligence committee was already looking into Russian influence on the election, indicating there was no need for a new investigative panel. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would not be commenting on the resignation. "This is the internal affair of the Americans, the internal affair of the Trump administration," he added. "It's nothing to do with us." Gen Flynn's resignation comes just as senior US officials are mounting a major effort to reassure uncertain allies in Europe about the Trump administration's intentions. The new US Defence Secretary General James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Vice-President Mike Pence are all in Europe over the coming days. Gen Mattis is in the vanguard - he meets his Nato counterparts in Brussels on Wednesday. There will be few tears shed within the alliance over Gen Flynn. His was widely seen as a bizarre and destabilising appointment. But his demise and the rumbling row over team Trump's contacts with Russia continues to cause unease at Nato where many governments wonder at the Trump administration's resolve in standing up to what they see as a new assertiveness from Moscow. Many key US officials are still to be appointed and the continuing chaos at the heart of the Trump administration is a cause for concern among Nato countries whatever reassurance the heavyweight US diplomatic trio may bring. Democrat Adam Schiff, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, has said Mr Flynn's departure will not end questions about contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia. But there are various ways that these questions could be answered. Two Democratic members of the House of Representatives have demanded a classified briefing to Congress on Michael Flynn by the justice department and FBI. Several House Democrats had already called on Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz to launch an investigation into Mr Flynn's ties to Russia. 14-party to seek $1b compensation Staff Reporter : The ruling Awami League has taken tough stance against the global lender World Bank apparently to give a 'befitting answer' to its corruption conspiracy theory for which US$ 3billion fund in Padma Bridge project was stopped. Already several ministers, senior AL leaders and high officials have expressed annoyance over the WB activities, while the cabinet has thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her firm decision to construct the bridge with own monetary source. In the unscheduled discussion, the PM after cabinet meeting said that her family members, including son and daughter, were also harassed in the incident. In the latest incident, the AL-led 14-party alliance on Wednesday demanded US$ 1 billion [Tk 8000 crore] compensation from the WB. Besides, the AL high-ups expressed determination to take action against the persons who were behind the conspiracy. Several senior AL leaders, including party president and PM Sheikh Hasina, have categorically blamed Dr Muhammad Yunus to initiate the conspiracy involving former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to stop WB funding in Padma Bridge. "The Banglee is not a nation of thief. WB will have to answer why it blamed Bangladesh without any proof. Bangladesh's loan receiving from WB in the future will depend on WB answer," Road and Bridges Minister and AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the AL-led 14-party alliance yesterday demanded the WB to pay US$ one billion in compensation for delaying the start of the construction of the Padma Bridge bringing graft allegation. Spokesperson of the 14-party alliance Mohammad Nasim, also Health Minister, made the demand at a meeting at AL President's political office at Dhanmondi in the capital. Nasim, also an Awami League presidium member, said the country has been affected badly financially due to false allegation involving the Padma Bridge funding made by the World Bank and demanded the Bank to pay US$ one billion in compensation for the loss incurred due to several years' delay in starting the project. Besides, Nasim demanded the Speaker to call Dr Muhammad Yunus and others involved in the conspiracy and explain their position. He alleged that Muhammad Yunus took steps to influence the World Bank to stop financing the Padma Bridge. He also warned that those involved in anti-state activities and falsehood campaign against the country would not be spared. 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. If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs. A former detective with the Ville Platte Police Department was sentenced to a year and a half in prison this week after pleading guilty to filing a false report to cover up a theft, according to U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley. According to release issued by Finley's office: Nathaniel Savoy, 39, pleaded guilty to the crime in November 2016. At the plea hearing, Savoy admitted that he conspired with a civilian to burglarize a local hardware store, and used his official authority as a law enforcement officer to cover up his criminal activity. Around midnight on March 8, 2015, Savoy and his accomplice drove to Doug Ashy Building Materials in Ville Platte, La., in Savoys police department-issued truck. An on-duty police officer who was patrolling the area noticed their suspicious behavior and drove over to investigate. Savoy falsely told the officer that he was checking on local businesses to prevent burglaries. Satisfied with Savoys explanation, the police officer drove away. Savoy then dropped off his accomplice and instructed him to break in and steal 20 packs of shingles for a construction project Savoy was working on in his spare time. Savoy then responded to a traffic stop across town to create an alibi, and as the senior officer on the scene, ordered the other officers to check houses and local businesses on that side of town, which was miles from the hardware store. Savoy then returned to the hardware store with his accomplice and loaded the shingles onto the bed of his pickup truck and drove off. The next day, having realized that he might have been caught on surveillance video, Savoy wrote and filed a police report in which he falsely stated that he happened to find several packs of shingles by the side of the road, and he loaded them onto his truck for safekeeping. Savoy filed the false police report with the intent to obstruct an investigation into his conspiracy to deprive the hardware store of property. The vast majority of American law enforcement officers conduct themselves with honor, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Wheeler. But when an officer violates his or her oath and breaks the law, as did Mr. Savoy, the Department of Justice stands ready to enforce the law and protect the civil rights of all Americans. The people of this District deserve to have law enforcement officers working in their communities who follow the laws they are sworn to uphold, said U.S. Attorney Finley. Savoys actions are not representative of the majority of officers who risk their lives every day to protect and serve. We will continue to work with our local and federal partners to investigate and prosecute those who violate their oath to protect and serve their communities. This case was investigated by the FBIs Lafayette Division and was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christopher J. Perras of the Civil Rights Divisions Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla Bynog of the Western District of Louisiana. With opening day formalities behind them, lawmakers and Gov. John Bel Edwards sat down Tuesday in hopes of negotiating a deal to close Louisiana's $304 million deficit during a 10-day budget-rebalancing special session. The Democratic governor met Tuesday morning with top House and Senate leaders in closed-door talks, a day after he spoke to a joint session of the Legislature and urged them to consider compromise. Another similar meeting was scheduled for the afternoon. The central point of contention in rebalancing the $27 billion operating budget for the financial year that ends June 30 is whether to use Louisiana's "rainy day" fund to help close the gap and if so, how much to take from it. Edwards wants to use the full one-third available, nearly $120 million. Senate leaders support that approach. But House Republican leaders are reticent to tap the savings account at all, saying the state needs to permanently shrink its spending to better match its income. Use of the rainy day fund requires a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate. With only about four months left in the budget year, refusal to use the savings account would cause deep, unnecessary cuts to programs and services, Edwards told lawmakers in his session opening speech. "That's not fear-mongering, a scare tactic or an exaggeration. It is reality," he said. Attending the meeting with Edwards were 13 lawmakers, according to the governor's office, including Senate President John Alario; House Speaker Taylor Barras; the chairmen of the budget committees; leaders of the black caucus, Republican delegations and Democratic caucus; and others. In the afternoon, the Senate Finance Committee considers the rainy day fund legislation, while the House Appropriations Committee starts sifting through cut proposals. The House committee will be looking to go beyond the reductions recommended by Edwards. Alario, R-Westwego, said he supported using the rainy day fund but wouldn't push to advance that legislation through the full Senate until "we give the House an opportunity to offer some legitimate cuts." Rep. Lance Harris, head of the House GOP delegation, who attended Tuesday's meeting, said the state needs to start looking at where to eliminate programs to lessen spending. "I want to look at every single option, leave no stone unturned, before I look at voting for using rainy day," he said. Edwards' proposal to eliminate the deficit would cut about $60 million from agencies, use nearly $120 million from the rainy day fund and tap into another $120 million in tobacco tax revenue, reserves and other available financing. Colleges, prisons, K-12 public schools, the TOPS college tuition program and the state child welfare agency would be shielded. The largest cuts would fall in the state health department. Tuesday is the second Valentine's Day in a row that lawmakers have spent in a special session called by Edwards to deal with financial problems. "I'm sorry about that," the governor told lawmakers Monday night. Jeffrey Baehr, 50, of Fremont. Memorial Services will be held on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 9th Street and Dexter, Clay Center, Kan.. Burial will be in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Pickrell, Neb., at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the St. Paul Lutheran Church or Zion Lutheran Cemetery in care of the funeral home. Robert Dean Baehr, 82, of Beatrice. Memorial services Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 at 11 a.m. at the American Lutheran Church of Filley with Pastor LuRae Hallstrom officiating. Inurnment at 10 a.m. in the Evergreen Home Cemetery of Beatrice. Memorials are suggested to the familys choice with Ervin Huls and Ron Weiss in charge. Military graveside honors will be conducted by the United States Marine Corp and Fisher Post #367 of the American Legion of Virginia. A guestbook for signatures will be available until 9 p.m. Thursday at the Fox Funeral Home, where the family will receive visitors from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday. Gilbert Dike, 76, of Lincoln. Memorial services at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017 at the Adult Day Services building for Community Alternatives of Nebraska, 2801 N. 27th Street in Lincoln, with Reverend Holly Schmidt officiating. Burial of his ashes will be at the Oak Grove Cemetery, DeWitt. Ada E. Nolte, 98, of Lincoln. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 at the Oak Grove Cemetery in DeWitt with Reverend Sean Koos officiating. In lieu of flowers, a memorial to the family's choice with the funeral home in charge. Frank D. Williamson Sr., 63, of Table Rock. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, at the Church of Christ in Table Rock. Visitation will be from 9 a.m.-8 p.m., with family present from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, at the Church of Christ in Table Rock. Inurnment in the Table Rock Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials to familys choice. A new University of New Orleans telephone survey of more than 919 respondents finds widespread dissatisfaction with the state Legislature and a lingering willingness among Louisiana voters to heap much of the blame for the state's ongoing fiscal crisis at the feet of former Gov. Bobby Jindal. The poll's margin of error was 3.2 percent. The poll found that by a two-to-one margin poll participants disapprove of the Legislature's performance, which overall received an approval rating of 24 percent, with 50 percent disapproving and 26 percent undecided. The dissatisfaction with the state lawmakers' performance is fairly consistent among whites, males, Republicans and independents. One interesting note: Democrats give the Legislature higher approval than do Republicans even though the GOP controls both chambers. Louisiana voters also accept the reality of a budget crisis in Baton Rouge, according to the poll: Three quarters believe the state is facing financial difficulties, with widespread agreement across demographic groups within the poll. Among respondents who agreed the state is facing a financial crisis, a solid majority blames former Gov. Bobby Jindal for the state's fiscal issues 60 percent with about one quarter spreading the blame equally between Jindal and the Legislature. Only 13 percent blame current Gov. John Bel Edwards, whose approval rating slipped to 49 percent in the poll. Reviewed by Geoff Wittig Landscape photography is one of those pursuits that sound easy. I mean, how hard can it be to take a gorgeous photograph of Mount Rainier or Half-Dome, right? ...Until you try it, that is. Even the latest digital cameras lack a sublime button. Translating a perfect moment in an achingly beautiful location into a photograph that conveys more than a pale echo of the experience is surprisingly dicult. It generally requires multiple visits to a site just to earn a chance at catching it in perfect light, with foliage at its best, or a waterfall at full ow. Easy familiarity with gear and technique are essential to avoid wasting a 15-second opportunity. I live within 25 miles of two spectacular State parks. I visit and photograph them frequently, trying to catch a bit of the magic in the form of a print. After more than 20 years and countless visits, Id say I have maybe 20 to 25 photographs Im completely happy with. I have lots more near-misses, and thousands of frames that deserved swift deletion. And this in my backyard, at sites Im intimately familiar with. This is a long-winded expression of my admiration for QT Luongs accomplishment with Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America's National Parks. Over the course of more than 20 years, Dr. Luong visited every one of Americas extant 59 National Parks, and photographed them in depth. On large format lm. The simple physical eort required boggles the mind. The consistently high quality of the photos is striking; hundreds of ne photographs, and no ller shots. Quang-Tuan Luong, known as QT (Tuan to his friends), born in France of Vietnamese parents, was a high-level scientist before arriving, through his interest in mountain climbing, at his passion for photography. He also runs the Large Format Forum (LFF), the primary online resource for LF photographers. Portrait by B. Squires. The foreword is written by Dayton Duncan, who partnered with Ken Burns to lm the PBS Television series "The National Parks: Americas Best Idea." Duncan notes that their team traveled with Tuan Luong to some sites, and came to use some of his images as part of their project. QT's introduction explains how he came to this intense photographic survey of the Parks. Like the late Galen Rowell, Luong backed into landscape photography from mountain climbing. Growing up in France, he found climbing the Alps the only way to experience wilderness. Traveling to the U.S. for a career in computer science, the National Parks were a further revelation, and he eventually left computer science for full-time photography after embarking on his project to photograph every National Park. The book is organized by region. Each section begins with an introduction describing the geology and biomes of the region, followed by beautifully reproduced color plates from each park. The large images are followed by a map of the park showing where each photograph was taken. This is followed by thumbnails each accompanied by narrative text including trail access, weather, and engaging anecdotes about taking the photographs. You can see this as a generous invitation to try your hand at shooting these sites yourself. Some of the photographs are well-known motifs, such as wildflowers below Mount Ranier, or Yosemite Valley in winter. Sunrise under Mesa Arch is my personal bete noir and, yep, its here. But most others are unique images, and all are beautiful. The visual sthetic is one of vivid (but not neon) color, meticulous sharpness, and classical composition. Im quite familiar with Badlands National Park, and can attest to how dicult it is to reach the sites Luong photographed in the southern Stronghold unit of the Park on the Pine Ridge Reservation. And thats just one park; Luong photographed the other 58 too, just as deliberately. The entire book is a testament to the virtue of obsession. Physically its a very ne piece of work, printed on heavyweight semi-matte paper with gloss varnished photo-reproductions. The text is set in a small point size of digital Baskerville font, but it remains quite readable. Inside the heavy dust jacket, the book itself is covered in a panoramic reproduction of giant sequoias, a very nice touch. I was tempted to include a few images, but its probably better just to direct readers toward QTs very nice website for the book, as it includes an excellent viewer for browsing through the chapters. I'm aware of at least five other relatively recent photo books explicitly covering America's National Parks. Each has its virtues and some very nice images. Clyde Butcher's Celebrating America's National Parks is a treat for those who love black and white. But all of them pale in comparison to the remarkable depth and breadth of QT Luong's project. Every one of the parks is gorgeously rendered, from the giant Alaskan parks to the tiny "pocket parks" in the east, and the ancillary information is a delight. I can't recall any other photographer including detailed notes and maps demonstrating how to reach every one of his or her subjects, including the most remote locations. Pure catnip for landscape photography hobbyists. Highly recommended. Geoff 2017 by Geoff Wittig, all rights reserved Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. Like what you read? Buy yourself something nice (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.) Featured Comments from: Ken: "I'll second this reviewnot that it needs seconding. We ordered the book a couple of months agoit was out of stockand it just arrived about a week ago. It's a magnificent overview of the national parksand well worth the price." RubyT: "I have learned from past experience that if a book featured here lists 'one left' I must buy it immediately, so I did. National Parks are my charitable focus this year, so this recommendation was perfectly timed." Joe Decker: "An exhibition of prints from this body of work has been making the circuit as well. I caught it in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the prints hold up to the incredibly fine standards you'd expect from the work. Highly recommended." Dave Van de Mark: "One November morning many years ago, I found myself racing up to 70mph on roads in darkness I probably shouldn't have been going above 25 on, and then hiking furiously to near exhaustion, just to reach Mesa Arch minutes before the beginning of a lovely sunrise. Knowing my gear at the timelike the back of my handhad me ready in time, and I was rewarded with some exposures I feel very good about. But I nearly knocked myself out getting them and know just how lucky I was, what with the weather and light all being with me. The timing was on me but just barely! This makes me appreciate immensely the effort QT Luong had to make to capture the magnificent photos Geoff describes. Geoff's review makes me really want this book." David Evans: "$40, I thought. That's a very good price for such a bookat the official rate it's 32. So I look on Amazon UK. 51.89! I suppose I will buy it, but I resent that someone is making an awful lot of money out of me." Mike replies: Think about what you're saying for a sec. Tuan worked for 20 years with a 5x7 view camera and traveled to 59 National Parks in 27 States, packing his gear to numerous wild and remote locations. For every picture in the book there were probably at least three rejects and quite likely many more than that. Can you imagine how much work and expense that represents? The book has 456 pages and copious amounts of spot-varnished color illustrations. Finally, are you aware of how much it costs to ship 7.2-lbs. books across the Atlantic in bulk so Amazon UK can stock it in its warehouses? That cost is not trivial. All that, and you're being exploited? You're going to begrudge an extra 19.89 on a book that you yourself say started out at "a very good price for such a book"? You're plenty tight with a twenty, man, is all I can say. :-D GUY PERKINS: "I think Mike that your response to David Evans is a little strong, and frankly unfair. We in the UK routinely pay more for identical products than you pay in the USA. And that is the same whether that product has been made and shipped from the Far East, from the EU, or from the US. It needles us. And to try and justify a 20 excess the price just on transport costs, when Amazon ships gazillions of product by container daily, is not on. What you say about the amount of work and skill the book represents is true, but you can't apply that argument to us over here while enjoying a bargain price yourself." Mike replies: I've long noticed the "gouging" of your entire nationyou do pay more for comparable products. But that's not something I can do anything about, and I don't think it's something that Tuan should take the blame for. He'd like for his books to sell, I'm sure. I still think it's a pretty good bargain despite the tariff, but then that's not up to meyou (and David) have to make your decisions rationally and for yourselves. Sorry about the situation, though. It's not fair and I've never seen it explained satisfactorily. Tom Bell: "Excited. Live on Dartmoor National Park here but never been to your great parks. Just ordered it." Dave Karp: "I too participate on QT's Large Format Forum. His LF Home Page [AKA LFphoto.info Ed.] was a godsend when I first entered into the large format world. I still refer to parts of it regularly. We large format photographers owe him a great debt. I have met QT only once, at a gallery showing of Ray McSavaney's beautiful work. QT is a heck of a nice guy, generous (what a gift that Large Format site is), and a heck of a photographer. His national parks book is a treat." QT Luong: "Thank you to Geoff and all the commenters for the kind words. Regarding the value of the physical object alone, please compare to the book that Aperture released to celebrate the National Park Service centennial, with pricing quite typical for photo books. [Smaller, less than a third as many pages, less than one third the weight of Treasured Lands Ed.] It gives some perspective to the third Amazon customer review of Treasured Lands: 'I would have paid triple the price to add this book to my collection.' By the way, said customer acted on his words by subsequently purchasing a limited edition. "Note also that Treasured Lands is from the same printer who produced Salgado's Genesis. Regarding the price outside the US, if you look at my own signed/limited offerings, I charge $12 for shipping to the US and $66 for shipping to the UK. Those are my actual costs via USPS Priority Mail." The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. An inmate at the United States Penitentiary in Marion was sentenced Wednesday in United States District Court in Benton to a term of imprisonment of 27 months for possessing a homemade knife in the facility, according to a news release from Donald S. Boyce, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Christopher Leon Hainta, 45, had previously pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with that offense, which occurred July 22. At the time he possessed the weapon, Hainta was serving a 46-month sentence, imposed in the Western District of Oklahoma, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The 27-month sentence was imposed consecutively to that sentence. Hainta was immediately returned to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to resume serving his sentences. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin. The Southern The Beatrice American Legion Auxiliary Unit #27 met Feb. 13 at the Veterans Club with hostesses Faye Hagan and Carolyn Junker. President Loree Dienstbier presided over the meeting. Chaplain Linda Sturgill opened with prayer, led members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and sang our National Anthem. Roll call revealed 6 officers present and 3 absent. President Dienstbier gave a program on Membership for 2017. Nebraska Department Membership Chairman Barb Meyer provided the plan of action that includes the 5 steps. 1) Support, Honor and Provide Assistance for Veterans, 2) Develop Leadership Skills at all levels, 3) Retain, Renew and Recruit new members, 4) Promote Goodwill in the organization at all levels, 5) Be Billboards for the American Legion Auxiliary. Membership stands at 214 members paid to date. Four memorial wreaths were given. Birthday cards were sent to shut-in veterans. Faye Hagan and Sharon Nies attended the January Mid-Year Conference in Grand Island. Marian Melcher and Loree Dienstbier will attend the Feb. 26 District #11 Convention in Exeter. The American Legion birthday dinner is March 12 at the Veterans club. Reservations are required. The ALA National President Mary Davis will attend along with Nebraska President Deb Albers and Barb Washburn. The Auxiliary chicken supper is Wednesday, Feb. 22. The next meeting is March 13 with hostesses Jan Wade and Marsha Young. The program is Community Service by Roxanne Saathoff. Editor's note: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the number of confirmed deaths nationwide due to the drug known as "pink." According to DEA statistics, there have been 46 confirmed deaths nationwide related to the drug. An earlier version incorrectly stated that there had been 100 deaths from the drug in Illinois. MARION As the heroin epidemic continues to spread, officials in Williamson County are monitoring the use of an opioid they say was recently introduced in the area and poses a higher threat of overdose. U-47700, also referred to as "U," "U-4," "Pink," or "Pinky," is a synthetic opioid with morphine-like properties that is eight times stronger than heroin and can be purchased online from Chinese manufacturers at a low cost, officials say. The new drug was introduced throughout Illinois in 2016. Since then, according to DEA statistics from this past November, it has claimed the lives of at least 46 people nationwide. One of those cases currently under investigation is in Williamson County, the county's state's attorney, Brandon Zanotti, said. Zanotti said officials have been monitoring the new drug, which can be medically used as a painkiller, since it surfaced in November of last year. Despite being banned in Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Wyoming, Zanotti said the drug is technically legal in most states, including Illinois. "It's very dangerous and very strong and, until recently, it is technically legal because it's being made in Chinese labs and people are ordering it online," he said. "So, in November of last year, the federal government made it a scheduled drug, so awareness is already starting to grow." Illinois Senate Bill 702, introduced by Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Decatur, works to include U-47700 as a Schedule I controlled substance, which marks the drug as having a risk for potential abuse. "Like heroin, it's not legal and it can be in a powder or tablet form when it is in its natural powder state, and it kind of has a light pink (color) to it, hence the nickname," Zanotti said. The drug can be snorted, ingested, and incorporated into heroin, which increases the likelihood of an overdose. "What they do, cutting it into heroin, it lowers the cost for the dealers while also making it more potent, and I guess gives more of a euphoria for the person buying it," Zanotti said. "The issue we have is heroin on its own is already deadly enough, but with this U-4 it is raising the bar and making it extremely deadly. I think there has been around 100 deaths directly related to U-4, that we know of, and probably more." Williamson County Coroner Mike "Junior" Burke said he can confirm only one case in which the synthetic substance was identified in toxicology reports. "I've been fortunate that I've only had one," Burke said. "And I know it's coming, it just hasn't hit here yet, at least in Williamson County." Although there have been no arrests in relation to the new drug in Marion, Sgt. Justin Dwyer, who spearheads the Marion Police Department's Narcotics Unit with Officer Jesse Thompson, said officers are conscious of its potential threat. "We know that it is coming prevalent in the use of cutting heroin in as a replacement due to its toxicity or its potency," Dwyer said. "Somehow, even over the last couple weeks, it's became a pretty common conversation among our drug users. Even though it has been around for 30 or 40 years, it is becoming new to the area." Among roaches, rats, mold and despair, people in Cairo continue to wait for answers a year after the Department of Housing and Urban Development took possession of the Alexander County Housing Authority, citing years of mismanagement. In print Sunday and online Saturday, explore The Southern s People still live here investigative story and documentary video package. SPRINGFIELD Sen. Paul Schimpf struck an optimistic tone after Gov. Bruce Rauners budget address on Wednesday afternoon, saying Senate Democratic and Republican leaders negotiating a budget deal in the upper chamber understand that this needs to get done in weeks rather than months. The Senate deal in the works often referred to as the grand bargain is for this current fiscal year, which is fiscal year 2017, while Rauner outlined a budget proposal for fiscal year 2018, which begins July 1. But Schimpf said Rauners budget speech gave further guidance to Senate negotiators on what he would like to see in a deal. And if the parties could reach a compromise this year on new revenue sources, pro-business reforms and government cuts and consolidation, it could ease the path forward into fiscal year 2018, he said. Illinois has gone 19 months without a complete budget, yet the vast majority of state spending has continued by a combination of legislative action, court orders and consent decrees. Public universities, including Southern Illinois University, and social service agencies have been hammered the hardest by the failure of lawmakers to agree to a full years budget. I would expect that negotiations are going to continue and perhaps even ramp up a little bit, said Schimpf, R-Waterloo. In a joint news conference after Rauners speech, Schimpf and state Sen. Dale Fowler, R-Harrisburg, both freshmen senators in the first year of their terms, said they agree with Rauner that any grand bargain compromise and fiscal year 2018 budget must include government cuts and consolidations and pro-business reforms to earn the support of Republicans for new taxes. Phelps critical of governor Others did not warm so much to the words of the governors third budget address since he assumed office in January 2015 with a promise to shake up Illinois. Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, said in a statement that Rauner should put aside his extreme agenda and come back to the negotiating table. For the third year in a row, the governor has not done his constitutional duty of putting forward a balanced budget, Phelps said. I want to work cooperatively with the governor, and Ive met him halfway on supporting items like freezing property taxes and reforming the workers compensation system. While I also agree that we must work together to make Illinois a more business friendly climate, if we just deliver the governors corporate agenda, we will be entering Illinois into a race to the bottom. Lowering wages and cutting benefits to increase profits for businesses are not the way to bring more jobs to Illinois. Despite Rauners call in his budget address for Republicans and Democrats to put a stop to blaming each other for the impasse something Rauner has engaged in frequently in the past there still seems to be a wide gap in what legislators from the two parties see as the path forward, at least where the rhetoric is concerned. Fowler: Business reforms bring jobs Fowler said hes talked to several company owners who are interested in moving their businesses to Southern Illinois. But he said theyve told him they arent willing to do it unless Illinois improves its business climate, and so he seconds what Rauner said on Wednesday and has been saying for months about the need to take action to grow the economy, create jobs and slow the out-migration of Illinois residents to other states. Fowler said that one of the company owners he has spoken to is currently operating the business in Kentucky, though would like to have the business in Illinois because thats where the owner lives. But Fowler said the No. 1 roadblock he hears from company owners, including this one, about why they wont move into Illinois is the cost of workers compensation insurance. Fowler said he believes pro-business reforms would translate into immediate results for the Southern Illinois economy through the addition of jobs. The time to seize the moment is now, he said. SIU hurt by impasse Meanwhile, a top employer and economic driver in the region Southern Illinois University is suffering from a lack of stable state funding that has resulted from the clash between Rauner and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate. SIUs enrollment decline and potential future staff cuts, if the budget impasse forces major layoffs has and will continue to cause painful economic consequences. The effect is on not only those employed by the university, but the thousands of private-sector workers the university indirectly supports. Schimpf said hes sensitive to the concerns of SIU leaders and others whose livelihoods are closely connected to the universitys viability. I am in very close contact with President Dunn. I speak with him a couple of times a week. I understand if we were to go another two years without a budget that the impacts could be devastating for SIU, Schimpf said. Thats one of the reasons why I have said I feel like doing nothing is not a realistic option. That is one of the reasons it is an absolute priority for me to get some kind of a deal worked out. But Schimpf said he voted against the package floated in the Senate two weeks ago "because I didnt feel like it was at the point where I could support it. Still, he said that work on an agreement is ongoing, and his take on the situation is that positive developments are afoot. He also noted that in Rauners State of the State speech in January, the governor mentioned he would be looking to SIU and the University of Illinois to turn the state into the Silicon Valley of the central United States. Rauner recognizes how important higher education is, Schimpf said. Dunn outlines bright spots SIU System President Randy Dunn said in listening to the governors address on Wednesday in Springfield, he heard several things on which he could agree with the governor. Among them, Dunn said he is supportive of Rauners call for a 10 percent increase in Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant funding that helps low-income students pay for college. That would benefit an additional 12,000 students statewide. Dunn said he also agrees with the governors call for procurement reform, as the university has sought greater flexibility and local control in this area. As it relates to state support for higher education proposed by the governor, Dunn said his latest budget blueprint could be characterized as "making a little progress. In his first term, the governor proposed a 30 percent cut to state support for public higher education. His fiscal year 2018 budget proposes a 15 percent cut, which would equate to a $30 million reduction as compared to fiscal year 2015, the last year universities received a full years funding. Dunn said the governors budget recommendation also appears to propose a way for universities to receive some additional funds via performance-based budgeting. Dunn said he would await further details on what that might entail before commenting on how it might affect SIU. Dunn also said he agrees with the governors assertion that Illinois needs to grow its jobs base. Dunn said that fully funding universities would be a great way to do that, as many positions have gone unfilled in recent years over the states financial issues. He said Rauner also recognized the need to catch up on deferred maintenance projects. Moving forward with critical building and renovation repairs could also result in thousands of new jobs, Dunn said. What we continue to say in every setting, to every audience, is that we need a budget, Dunn said. We need a budget. The Captain was the largest coal shovel ever built and was a Southern Illinois mining fixture until it was destroyed by fire in 1991. Those of us who have been around here remember that the biggest machine every built and it was here in Southern Illinois. First, I did not object to President Obama's "return policy" of refugees from Cuba because the old policy made no sense. The "hell" of Syria and/or Mexico, for example, seemed much worse. Living in Cuba may be difficult, but by every measurable standard (life expectancy, health care, education), Cubans do much better than our neighbor to the south. The rate of violent death in Cuba is 0.66 for every 100,000 in population; in Mexico, it is 6.32 deaths for every 100,000. Neither compare to the current suffering now experienced by those in Syria. If we have room on our soil for "those living in hell," Cubans have no reason to be in front of the line, much less be allowed in without application or any vetting. We, the People of the State of Illinois grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and seeking His blessing upon our endeavors in order to provide for the health, safety and welfare of the people; maintain a representative and orderly government; eliminate poverty and inequality; assure legal, social and economic justice; provide opportunity for the fullest development of the individual; insure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense; and secure the blessings of freedom and liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois. The preamble of this states constitution is a lengthy list of promises that our leaders are duty-bound to fulfill. The preamble is lengthy as preambles go, but given Illinois current state affairs there should be one other clause: The people are owed the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Last weeks editorial board meeting with Gov. Bruce Rauner was somewhat frustrating. Rauner was in Southern Illinois to promote education in the state a noble enterprise. He was also touting a new structural approach for K-12 funding. As many lawmakers Rauner included see it, the state should take a larger role in funding our schools, making local districts less reliant on property taxes. The theory being that increased participation by the state will eliminate the inequities between rich and poor districts. In essence, that state wants to make sure that a students zip code isnt a barometer of quality of education. Again, its an admirable goal that we applaud wholeheartedly. The disparity in funding is shameful. Some school districts spend less than $10,000 per year per student, others spend nearly $30,000. Thats simply unconscionable. And, to be fair, the matter is being addressed in the General Assembly. Gov. Rauner said the solution to the problem is simple math and, we agree to an extent. It's obvious that fixing the problem will take money, and lots of it. Thats an issue. As most Illinois residents know, money is in short supply in the state. When that matter was broached to Gov. Rauner, he replied that K-12 schools in Illinois are fully funded. There is an element of truth to that, but it isnt the whole truth and nothing but. The state has made good on its current school funding obligations. That ignores the fact that only partial payments were made in previous years. Illinois schools, particularly in poor and rural areas, have been dropping music, art, agriculture and industrial arts programs because of financial woes, caused in part by the state not meeting its obligations. To make the claim that schools are fully funded, in light of that reality, is applying a degree of spin were uncomfortable with. Rauner suggested that his turnaround agenda lowering taxes on businesses, freezing property taxes and streamlining state government would provide a stream of revenue to revive a sagging public school system. This is the frustrating part: When pressed about where additional funding for schools would come from, Rauner began a continuous loop reply, touting his turnaround agenda. Unfortunately, there is a difference between an agenda and a plan. The agenda is clear, but the details are hazy. The nebulous explanation concerning additional revenue certainly wouldnt pass muster as a mathematical proof in sophomore geometry. Frankly, the plan seems long on wishful thinking and short on facts and figures. It bears a startling resemblance to what is happening in Kansas. Gov. Sam Brownback introduced massive tax cuts in that state with the promise that increased business would pump millions of dollars into the economy. It didnt happen. Either the governor or the General Assembly has to produce and pass a plan that will address educational shortcomings immediately. In theory, the governor's plan sounds great. But, theories don't pay bills and Illinois schools need help now. Dear Doctor: Because I had an ulcer, three years ago a doctor wrote me a prescription for Prilosec and told me I had to take it for the rest of my life. But lately, articles in the newspaper have seemed to contradict his thinking, suggesting that Prilosec and similar medicines can cause heart problems. What's your opinion? Dear Reader: Prilosec is one of many proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) that include Prevacid, Aciphex, Protonix, Nexium and Dexilant. These drugs work by blocking the formation of hydrogen chloride in the stomach. This very strong acid is necessary to break down proteins so that they can be absorbed by the small intestine. I don't know the specifics about the causes of your stomach ulcer -- the size, the depth, whether it was a bleeding ulcer or caused by aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medications -- but I do agree with your doctor that a proton pump inhibitor would be necessary for the healing of the ulcer. These drugs decrease the acidity of your upper gastrointestinal tract, allowing for an ulcer to heal. The normal duration for treatment is from two to 12 weeks. In some circumstances, a PPI needs to be continued indefinitely, such as when an ulcer doesn't heal, when an older patient has an ulcer that's larger than 2 centimeters, or when a patient has three or more ulcers per year. People with recurrent acid reflux also need to be on prolonged courses of proton pump inhibitors. While there are benefits to these medications, there also are downsides. Any drug that changes the normal physiological process of the body can have unintended consequences, and PPIs are no exception. With prolonged use, the decreased formation of hydrogen chloride in the stomach can decrease calcium absorption and bone strengthening, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Prolonged use can also reduce the absorption of magnesium and B12, and increase the risk of intestinal infections, such as those caused by Clostridium difficile, leading to severe diarrhea. As for your specific question about proton pump inhibitors and heart disease, a 2014 study published in the International Journal of Cardiology compared more than 126,000 people who took PPIs with an equal number who didn't. After 120 days, researchers found a 58 percent increase in the risk of heart attacks among those who took them. The biggest problem with this study is that the authors couldn't assess whether those in the study smoked cigarettes, were obese or had a family history of heart disease. A 2015 study published in the journal PLOS One analyzed large amounts of data both from people who used PPIs for gastroesophageal reflux and those who didn't. In this study, researchers found a 16 percent increase in the rate of heart attacks among those who took PPIs. The authors didn't find this risk in those taking acid-reducing histamine-2 blockers, such as Zantac, Pepcid or Tagamet. The authors, however, did note that people who take proton pump inhibitors may be sicker patients to begin with and thus may have an increased risk of having a heart attack. Then there was a 2016 study in The American Journal of Medicine that focused on people taking Prilosec with two blood thinners after having either angina or a heart attack. After 110 days, researchers found no increase in the risk of heart attacks. Finally, an analysis of 11 studies -- with a total of more than 84,000 patients -- looked at use of proton pump inhibitors in people taking the blood thinner Plavix after having an angioplasty. The authors found a 37 percent increase in the rate of heart events among those taking the proton pump inhibitor Clopidogrel with Plavix and those taking just Plavix, but they found no difference in death rates. The findings suggest that PPIs decrease the ability of a blood thinner, like Plavix, to work. Overall, it's clear we need better studies of the potential link between proton pump inhibitors and heart disease. Your worry about taking Prilosec for the rest of your life is understandable, but you're probably on the drug for a good reason. Just know that there can be long-term side effects, and be aware of them. You can also ask your doctor to keep you apprised of any new research on long-term use of PPIs. LINCOLN If youre a cancer patient and your doctor says Your best hope for a cure is in another city, your first thought may be, Where am I going to stay and how am I going to pay for it. The American Cancer Society partners with hotels through its Hotel Partners Program to provide complimentary or reduced rate rooms to cancer patients who have to travel out of town to receive treatment. The American Cancer Society will recognize the New Victorian Inn as the 2016 Top Hotel Partner of the Year in Lincoln, for their ongoing support of cancer patients and their caregivers traveling to the area for treatment. The presentation will be made at 1:30pm, Wednesday, February 15th, in the main lobby of the hotel located at 225 N 50th St, The Hotel Partners Program provides a unique opportunity for area hotels to help people battling cancer receive life-saving treatment, said Christine Bleich, Program Manager, Mission Delivery. Hotels that partner with the American Cancer Society show a commitment to their communities and to patients struggling with cancer. They can be proud that their hotels are taking an active role in the fight against cancer. In 2016, the New Victorian Inn, through the Hotel Partners Program provided 88 complimentary nights of free lodging in its properties, serving 10 different patients and their care givers in the Lincoln area. Nationally, nearly 6,500 patients were served through the Hotel Partners Program with more than 62,000 nights through participating hotels nationwide. To be eligible to receive lodging through the Hotel Partners Program, patients must be traveling for a cancer-related medical appointment, be in need of lodging near their treatment center, have a permanent residence and be able to care for their personal needs or travel with a companion who can assist them. For information about American Cancer Society programs and services, including lodging, please visit cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345. A bill that would allow students from Nebraskas lowest-performing schools to get vouchers to attend private schools drew a crowd Monday, including proponents who argued it would level the playing field for low-income students and opponents who said it would hurt public education. Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who introduced LB608, said Nebraskas current open enrollment policies that allow students to attend schools outside their attendance areas or districts cannot accommodate all students. For instance, 87 students requested to opt in to Elkhorn Public Schools, she said, but there were only 13 seats available, and the same situation exists with high-performing schools in Omaha Public Schools. Clearly there are more parents and students wanting better options than there are currently afforded them by open or option enrollment, she said. Consequently, to say that choices arent currently limited to your income or zip code are disingenuous. More than 20 people testified in opposition to the bill during the nearly four-hour hearing, raising questions of its constitutionality, the lack of state accountability required of private schools, the potential for discrimination and the damage opponents said it could do to public education, especially high-poverty schools. I am adamantly opposed to having my tax dollars used for a private school, said Michele Tilley of Lincoln. Its not in the best interest of the state or our students. If she lived on a private road, Tilley said, she wouldnt expect taxpayers to pay for it. LB608 would allow students in 87 schools in the state classified by the Nebraska Department of Education as needing improvement to get vouchers -- or scholarships -- to attend private schools. The vouchers would equal 75 percent of the districts per-pupil revenue or the cost of private school attendance, whichever is less. The remaining 25 percent would go toward lowering property tax rates in the district. A fiscal note attached to the bill estimates that if 10 percent of students in those 87 schools -- 3,047 students -- opted for vouchers school districts would pay $23.8 million to private schools. About $7.8 million would be available for property tax relief. Linehan said shed be willing to look at returning that money to the schools, when senators questioned whether a loss of students would cause financial hardships for public schools. Amy Shane, the superintendent of ONeill Public Schools, said although her district isn't currently one of the lowest-performing, losing 30 students to vouchers could cost $100,000 and it could jeopardize the good relationship between O'Neill's public and private schools. I think this is a very dangerous thing, she said. This is a bill that could divide our community." Lincoln Board of Education member Kathy Danek said she was concerned that the bill would transfer public money to a private school without the same requirements for public accountability. While private schools must be approved or accredited by the state, their students don't have to take statewide tests, which are used to classify school performance. Danek said shes also concerned private schools dont operate under the same budget transparency rules required of public schools, nor do they have publicly elected boards. Michael McHale, general counsel for the Nebraska Catholic Conference, was among those who said they supported the bill because it put parents in charge of their students education. Parents have a fundamental right to direct the education of their children, he said. In answer to questions of the bill's constitutionality, Linehan said theres been no legal test to see if the bill would pass state constitutional muster, but federal level courts have determined theres no conflict between church and state. Two officials with a school choice organization in Wisconsin said despite the political debate, school choice programs have continued to grow in Wisconsin because of parent interest. Christine Starr Davis, who works at LPS, said test scores say more about the demographics -- the number of children living in poverty, with disabilities, who move frequently -- than the quality of the education. I just want to hoist the flag that scores on schools dont tell you theyre bad schools and (students) should be able to get out of there, she said. What they tell you is theres a population in that school thats more diverse. And thats not a crime in this country. An official with Zeus Industrial Products Inc. in Orangeburg is leading the Alzheimer's Associations South Carolina effort in 2017 to call attention to the disease and those battling it. Danny Johnson Sr., manager of project management and market analytics at Zeus, will be The Longest Day statewide event chair for South Carolina. The Longest Day is a team event to honor the strength, heart and endurance of those facing Alzheimers disease during Alzheimers and Brain Awareness Month in June. The June 21 event rallies around the summer solstice to symbolize the challenging journey of those living with the disease and their caregivers. Participants raise funds and awareness to advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimers Association. While not affected by this disease personally, Ive watched many friends go through the heartache associated with a loved one having Alzheimers disease. Knowing that any of us could be impacted by this disease at any moment compelled me to get involved to assist in the efforts to help find a cure. Volunteering with the Alzheimers Association and helping spread the word about The Longest Day is my way of fighting back, Johnson said. There are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimers disease, including 84,000 in South Carolina. Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month in June is a time to shine a purple light for those people living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers. The Alzheimers Association and its South Carolina chapter invite you to take action by mobilizing friends, families, neighbors, co-workers and customers to help bring an end to Alzheimer's disease by participating in The Longest Day. To join a team or learn more about The Longest Day, visit alz.org/thelongestday or facebook.com/fightalz. For more information about Alzheimers disease, visit the Alzheimers Association at alz.org/sc. WASHINGTON -- Imagine how Republicans would have reacted if former President Barack Obama had attacked a retailer for dropping his daughter's product line. Or asked senators to confirm a Cabinet pick who said guns are needed in schools to defend against grizzly bears. Or tried to undermine the independence of the federal judiciary. Or equated the United States' moral standing with that of Vladimir Putin's Russia. There would have been howls of outrage, of course, and multiple investigations, and even calls for impeachment. But it's President Trump doing all those things, so Republicans in Congress are as meek and quiet as mice. Perhaps the most striking thing about the chaotic and exhausting first three weeks of the Trump administration is the degree to which Republicans have held together, placing loyalty above all else. The party of Lincoln has sold its soul -- and like all Faustian bargains, this one will not end well. At present, Trump looks likely to get every one of his Cabinet nominees approved. Billionaire Betsy DeVos gave the worst performance in memory, surely one of the worst in history, at her confirmation hearing, displaying a level of ignorance that was truly shocking. Only two Republican senators -- Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska -- had the integrity to vote against her. Vice President Pence had to break a 50-50 tie, but DeVos is now the secretary of education. And that was the closest thing we've seen to a GOP revolt in these confirmations. Not one Republican voted against confirming former Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general, despite his ugly history on civil rights. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell went so far as to formally squelch Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., so she could not read aloud a letter criticizing Sessions written decades ago by the late Coretta Scott King. Trump's pick for the Labor Department, fast-food magnate Andrew Puzder, has conflicts of interest and a nanny problem. Ben Carson has zero qualifications to lead Housing and Urban Development. But if DeVos got through, it's hard to imagine who would be deemed unacceptable by the GOP majority. Over in the House, meanwhile, all the zeal for holding the executive branch accountable has gone poof. Remember how eager House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, was to investigate every real or imagined question about the Obama administration? Remember how he went after Hillary Clinton over her emails? Suddenly -- and this is rich -- he declines to launch any probe that might be seen as a "fishing expedition." Trump's attack on a private company, Nordstrom Inc., for no longer carrying his daughter Ivanka's line of merchandise? "Not a big deal," Chaffetz said. Trump's hotel lease for the Old Post Office Building, which makes him both landlord and tenant? Chaffetz is "curious" but wants to wait for an opinion by the General Services Administration, which now reports to Trump. The many potential conflicts of interest posed by Trump's worldwide business interests? Chaffetz stifles a yawn. And only a few Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, have shown any interest in investigating the biggest question hanging over the Trump administration: What role did Russia play in the election? This abdication of duty is cynicism of the highest order, or perhaps I should say the lowest. The GOP's lockstep unity has been impressive, and it may eventually allow the party to achieve some of its long-held policy goals: cutting taxes, eliminating regulations, repealing the Affordable Care Act. But there are enormous risks. The dawn of the Trump presidency has inspired a groundswell of progressive activism around the country. The energy generated by the massive Women's March on Washington and its satellite marches last month has been sustained. Republican members of Congress have been deluged by phone calls at their offices and confronted by protesters in their home districts. "The women are in my grill no matter where I go," Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., complained. If opposition to Trump unites and motivates Democrats the way opposition to Obama did for Republicans, GOP strategists should be very worried. Beyond the political risk, there is the existential risk of blindly following a man who continues to demonstrate his unfitness for the presidency. Trump shows no respect for American institutions or traditions. He sees those who disagree with him as "haters" and dismisses inconvenient facts as "fake news." He deliberately stokes fear. He bristles at constitutional checks on his power. And to think, there once was a Republican president who summoned "the better angels of our nature." A blog for students in my introductory classes in government, and any interested passersby. You'll find news items and random stories that illustrate any of the topics we cover in class. Special attention will be paid to the constitutional issues associated with contemporary issues and disputes. Feel free to send me stories you find important. Please note that due to spam, I'm limiting the ability of people to comment on these pages. My apologies. Fairbury Jack Neihouse, of Meridian High School, recently won the Optimist Club of Fairburys essay contest based on a theme of Chasing Optimism in the Face of Challenges. Neihouse was awarded $150 and a gold medallion for the honor. In addition, the essay will be sent to the district level to be judged along with winners from other Optimist Clubs in the district. College scholarships up to $2,500 are available for top winners at the district level. Neihouse did a wonderful job of articulating this years theme. He expressed himself well through the essay and deserved the honor of first place, Club President Diane Schutt said. Julie Johnson of Thayer Central High School was named 2nd place and awarded $75 and a silver medallion. Mary Lawrence of Fairbury High School placed 3rd and received a bronze medallion. MicKael Halverstadt of Thayer Central High School was named Honorable Mention. All four finalists were invited to read their essays during the club's annual Mid-Winter Social. The Optimist Club of Fairbury has been participating in the Optimist Essay Contest for many years and has been active in the community since 1954. Other programs and service projects that the Club is involved in include the annual Oratorical contest; Punt, Pass and Kick; Pitch, Hit and Run; and Youth T-Ball to name a few. Optimist International is one of the worlds largest service club organizations with 93,000 adult and youth members in 3,200 clubs in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico and throughout the world. Carrying the Mission Statement By providing hope and positive vision, Optimists bring out the best in youth, our communities and ourselves Optimists conduct positive service projects that reach more than six million young people each year. To learn more about Optimist International, please call (314) 371-6000 or visit the organizations website at www.optimist.org. 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 Trend Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy at the US Department of State Robin Dunnigan will represent the country in the meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council to be held in Baku Feb.23, Trend learned from the US Department of State. The Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council held its first meeting on Feb. 12, 2015, and the second meeting on Feb. 29, 2016. The Southern Gas Corridor envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region to Europe via Georgia and Turkey. The gas will be exported through expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline. Further, in response to the question about who will serve as the special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs in the new US administration, a source in the State Department said that the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Mary Burce Warlick is the acting special envoy. The role of Energy Advisor is one that is filled by political appointment. We refer all questions about political appointments to the White House, said the US Department. Dale Kruse doesnt fit the stereotype of someone youd expect to suffer a heart attack. The Beatrice resident exercises six days a week, eats healthy, watches his weight and has monitored his cholesterol for more than a decade. But last November Kruse learned the hard way what countless others have found out. Heart attacks dont discriminate. They can strike anyone, anywhere at any time. I remember thinking I was going to close my eyes, Kruse recalled. Then after what I remember being like 15 second I thought Id better open my eyes back up and see whats going on. As Im on the bed and open my eyes theres a paramedic on top of me pounding my chest giving me CPR. Then someone said welcome back Dale. I had gone into cardiac arrest. The incident occurred the morning of Nov. 10. Kruse, 67, was rounding out his regular workout at the YMCA when he got a funny feeling. There was no pain. There was a cold sweat and an odd sensation in the left side of his torso and arm. It was brief, only around 10 seconds. Kruse, a former superintendent of Beatrice Public Schools, initially thought he had just strained himself exercising and went home to shower. But then the pain came back a second time. Still believing it was exercise related, Kruse went to the kitchen to read the paper and have some juice. When the funny feeling struck a third time, Kruse went for the phone. I said, Dale, dont be stupid. Your body is trying to tell you something, he recalled. I said I thought I was having a heart attack. The dispatcher was wonderful. He did a great job. He got the information he needed right away, and said he was sending people and staying on the line to talk until the paramedics got here. Kruse prepared for their arrival by unlocking the door, gathering his prescription medications so they could see what he was taking, and sat on the bed. The paramedics arrived, and Kruse remembers a brief conversation. Then he felt like closing his eyes for a few seconds. After what he found out later was around two minutes, he opened them to find rescue workers performing CPR. Kruse was transported to the Nebraska Heart Institute in Lincoln, where doctors told him just how lucky he was. All the people who came in and the doctors and nurses said, We cant believe that youre alive, Kruse said. I wondered how could this be. I exercise an hour a day six days a week. At NHI, Kruse received five stints. He was released a few days later and started the cardiac rehab program at Beatrice Community Hospital and Health Center, which helped get him back to his daily routine. I went three days a week on a program and they gradually increased the walking on the treadmill and stepper machine, he said. They gradually increased the speed and amount of time, and it was wonderful. They do a great job. Kruse finished the program this week, and is also back to a regular routine exercising at the YMCA. Reflecting on his experience, he stressed that if someone thinks theyre having a heart attack to not wait. Call 911 immediately. Have them come do what theyre trained to do and take care of it, he said. Looking back, should I have called 911 when I got out of the shower after the second episode? Probably. But I was still thinking I just worked too hard. Your body is trying to tell you something. If you just listen to your body it will tell you if something is going well or not going well. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of congratulations to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, whose country is celebrating its public holiday. On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my most sincere congratulations to you and the people of your country on the public holiday of the Republic of Serbia, the Azerbaijani President said in his letter. I believe that the friendly relations between our two countries, our cooperation, which is based on mutual trust and support, will continue to develop and expand in the best interests of our peoples, the head of state said. By Azernews By Rashid Shirinov Sudan backs Azerbaijan's fair position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, said President Omar al-Bashir as he received credentials of Azerbaijan`s incoming ambassador Tural Rzayev on February 14. Al-Bashir said Sudan remains committed to UN Security Council's resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and expressed regret that Armenia does not comply with the documents, Azertac reported. 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. In 2014, the Sudanese parliament passed a bill recognizing the Khojaly genocide, committed by the Armenian armed forces in the early 1990s towards the civilian population of the Azerbaijani town. Speaking about Azerbaijani-Sudanese relations, the President said his country is interested in developing them in political, economic, cultural and educational spheres. He also praised high-profile international events held in Azerbaijan, saying they contribute to establishing peace around the world. Ambassador Rzayev, in turn, praised the Sudanese parliament`s recognizing Khojaly genocide. The ambassador promised to do his utmost to develop cooperation between Azerbaijan and Sudan. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Sudan were established in February 16, 1993. As a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Sudan opened its embassy in Azerbaijan in 1993. However, Sudan had to suspend the activity of its diplomatic mission in Baku in 1999 due to financial difficulties. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 32 times violated the ceasefire in various directions along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on February 15. The Armenian army was using large-caliber machine guns. The Azerbaijani army positions located in Qizilhajili village and the nameless heights of Azerbaijans Gazakh district underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in Berkaber, Paravakar villages of the Ijevan district of Armenia. The Azerbaijani army positions located in Alibayli and Agbulaq villages of Azerbaijans Tovuz district also underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located in Ayqepar and Chinari villages of the Berd district of Armenia. Moreover, the Azerbaijani army positions underwent fire from the Armenian army positions located near the Armenian-occupied Chilaburt village of the Tartar district, Marzili village of the Aghdam district, Kuropatkino village of the Khojavand district, Horadiz, Ashagi Seyidahmadli villages of the Fuzuli district, Mehdili village of the Jabrayil district, as well as from the positions located on nameless heights of the Goranboy, Khojavand, Jabrayil and Fuzuli districts of Azerbaijan. 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. By Azernews An action plan was approved as 2017 was announced a Year of Islamic Solidarity" in the country. The relevant order was undersigned by Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, Azertac reported. Under the action plan, the Service of State Adviser on Multinational, Multicultural and Religious Affairs will coordinate the organization of the implementation of the Action Plan. The action plan also highlights events to be held in the country and abroad with the aim of promoting Islamic solidarity and strengthening solidarity between Islam and other religions. In early January, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on declaration of year of 2017 a Year of Islamic Solidarity. The aim of the order is to provide the strengthening of Azerbaijan`s unique position in re-establishment of the Islamic solidarity. The Order says Azerbaijan was one of the main centers of Islamic Civilization for many centuries. The country played an important role in spreading out religion of Islam and re-establishing the Islamic Renaissance. All of these created conditions for formalizing the material and non-material heritage of religion of Islam. By being elected as the member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, ISESCO, as well as other prestigious organizations Azerbaijan established mutually fruitful relations with the Muslim world. Azerbaijan also acted as an organizer of the several important global cultural forums. The country also gave great contributions to forming the tolerant environment, establishment of the multiculturalism and inter-cultural, inter-civilizational dialogue and popularization of the Islamic values in the world. Holding the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku in 2017 creates fruitful condition for taking other steps for strengthening the Islamic solidarity of the country. By Trend Baku has sharply criticized Amnesty International for its position over blogger Alexander Lapshins case. The statement of Amnesty International on Lapshins case is a perverse example of double standards, said Hikmat Hajiyev,Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys spokesman . By Trend Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov mulled topical issues of bilateral trade and economic relations in a phone conversation, the press service of the Russian government reported. The sides also touched upon the schedule of upcoming contacts, according to the message. Medvedev congratulated Berdimuhamedov on his convincing victory in the presidential election held Feb. 12, and wished him further success in his state activities. It was earlier reported that Russias Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to hold talks in Turkmenistan and upon reaching a concord, sign an agreement on industrial cooperation. The purpose of the agreement is to create mutually beneficial competitive environment in the two countries markets of industrial products. Russia and Turkmenistan intend to cooperate in this sphere to implement joint programs and projects, enhance the competitiveness of enterprises of the two countries and facilitate the development of industrial cooperation. By Azernews By Kamila Aliyeva The Astana talks on the Syrian crisis brokered by Russia, Iran, and Turkey scheduled to start on February 15 have been delayed by one day due to the late arrival of the delegations of Turkey and the Syrian opposition, Kazakhstan's foreign ministry reported. Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman said that the delegations will hold working meetings in the bilateral format on February 15 to clarify the positions of the sides and to announce proposals to ensure the ceasefire regime in Syria. The meetings are expected to focus on the implementation of the ceasefire regime in the Syrian Arab Republic, the measures to stabilize the situation in particular areas and the adoption of rules for a joint operational group. The final document could be approved at the Astana talks on February 16, a senior official of the Russian Defense Ministry said, RIA Novosti reported. The final document could be agreed upon at a plenary session with the participation of all delegations which is to be held tomorrow [February 16]," he said. The document to monitor the ceasefire in Syria is expected to provide the sanctions for its violation while the ceasefire monitoring will be carried out under the auspices of the UN and it is planned to consolidate this principle during the negotiations in Geneva, RIA Novosti reported with the reference to a source in one of the delegations. Most of the Syrian experts have already admitted that the Astana peace talks promote an early settlement of the Syrian crisis and contribute to the restoration of the UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva. The delegations of Damascus, Syrian armed opposition, UN representatives, and representatives of Jordan and the United States were invited to the high-level meeting. All participants of the meeting have already arrived. The UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura will not participate in the talks. The participation of representatives of Jordan in the talks is an attempt to further decrease the flow of weapons into Syria as this country used to be a transit point for weapons and insurgents. It was not clear until the very last moment whether the delegation of the armed opposition will take part in the talks, while the Free Syrian Army expressed its readiness to come to Astana on Tuesday night [February 14]. The U.S. will be presented at the meeting at the ambassadorial level. The State Department has received an invitation from the government of Kazakhstan to participate as an observer in the negotiations on Syria, Embassy spokesman said adding that the U.S. Embassy in Astana will represent the United States at the talks. He added that the U.S. remains committed to a political resolution of the Syrian crisis. Despite all the arguments between politicians about the importance of the results of Astana meeting it lays the groundwork for the much-anticipated reconciliation of Geneva peace talks. The first Astana talks on Syrian settlement brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran took place in the Kazakh capital on January 23- 24. They came as the first since the beginning of Syrian civil war in 2011 when the government of Syria and the armed opposition sat together at the negotiations table. The talks resulted in Moscow-Tehran-Ankara agreement on the establishment of a tripartite mechanism to monitor the ceasefire in Syria. Many experts assessed the agreement between Russia, Turkey, and Iran on the establishment of a tripartite mechanism as a step to a political solution which might end the six-year war. Armed conflict continues in Syria since March 2011. Government troops are confronted by militants of different armed groups. Russia has begun airstrikes on terrorist facilities in Syria since 30 September 2015. The Russian military involvement follows an official request from President Bashar Assad to President Vladimir Putin. The UN has repeatedly tried and failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed 300,000 and displaced 11 million since its beginning 6 years ago. Property taxes are without a doubt the number one topic I hear about as I travel the state. No matter where you go, Nebraskans feel the impact of the high property taxes that have earned our state the unpleasant distinction of ranking 5th highest in the nation according to USA Today. Nebraskas number one industry, agriculture, has been hardest hit by property taxes with a 137 percent increase between 2003 and 2013. Last week I shared with you the details of my plan to cut income taxes, and this week Im sharing my plans for property tax reform for agricultural land. In my first two years as Governor, I have made property taxes my number one focus. Working with the Legislature in 2015, we increased the property tax credit relief fund by over 45 percent, and returned over $400 million in direct property tax relief. In 2016, we added an additional $40 million over two years directly targeted at ag property taxpayers, and provided incentives for responsible budgeting by our school districts. In recent months, the Revenue Department issued guidance on how to identify property sales that distort market information used for tax purposes. We didnt get into this high property tax situation overnight, and its going to take several additional steps to get out of it. During this legislative session, Im working with Ag Committee Chairwoman Lydia Brasch on LB338, the Agricultural Valuation Fairness Act. This proposal is long-term, structural reform of our method for assessing property value for ag land. The Agricultural Valuation Fairness Act would move assessments for ag land from a market-based system to an income-potential approach, helping valuations to better reflect the income of Nebraskas ag producers. Income potential is a much fairer measure, and will slow the growth of ag land valuation increases. If this system were in place for 2017, it would have reduced ag land valuations by about $2.2 billion. The income-potential valuation system is one Nebraskans have suggested to me during my travels across the state. In conversations about property taxes, many people have noted how similar ag states have benefited from an income-potential valuation system. Ag states with this system include North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. This system is much fairer, more standard, and will help make us more competitive. Thats why this concept is supported by many ag groups including Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Cattlemen, Nebraska Pork Producers, and the Nebraska Corn Growers. Long-term, structural ag property valuation reform is not only important to Nebraskas farm and ranch families, but also to Main Street. In fact, one in four Nebraska jobs is tied to agriculture. Current, commodity prices have contributed to a downturn in state revenues and the need to bring our state budget back into balance. When agriculture is strong, Nebraska is strong. Addressing high property taxes has to be a partnership between state and local governments. While state government may set the framework for how property taxes are collected, local government makes the spending decisions that impact taxes. Only local governments like schools, cities, and counties have the authority to levy property taxes. When the ag values increased, some local governments did not lower the local levies which caused increases in taxes. It is important that local governments do not see sharp increases in valuation as an opportunity to spend more. It is critical that you, the taxpayer, engage local government boards and officials and support their efforts to control spending and provide tax relief to help alleviate our high tax burden. If we are going to get major, structural reform of ag property taxes done this session, urban and rural senators will have to come together on an overall tax reform package. That is why I have offered both income and property tax reform proposals this year. If you want to see the Legislature take action on tax reform, I encourage you to contact your state senator. You can find all of their information at www.NebraskaLegislature.gov. As always, you are welcome to contact my office on any matter by emailing pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or by calling 402-471-2244. Tehran and Baghdad have agreed on designing and building industrial townships in some Iraqi provinces, a report said. The agreement was reached in a meeting between Iranian Industry Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh with his Iraqi counterpart Mohammad Shiya Al Sudani in Baghdad on Monday, Irna reported. Industrial townships will provide the opportunity for the Iraqi investors to invest in these regions, Nematzadeh said. He said that there a total of 750 industrial townships where over 40,000 industrial and producing units are active. We are ready to build several sample industrial townships in this regard in Iraq, he added. The Iranian industry minister also voiced his countrys willingness to invest in industrial and technological areas as well as supplying of manufacturing machinery in Iraq. His Iraqi counterpart said that construction of industrial townships is among priorities of the Iraqi industry and mining ministry. Bahri, a global leader in logistics and transportation, has signed a contract with Saudi Rail Company (SAR), for the provision of transportation and shipping services from around the world as well as customs clearance support through Bahri Logistics, one of the six business units of Bahri. The agreement was signed by Khalid Abdulrahman Abanami, the chief financial officier and designate executive VP (Common Services) SAR and Ahmed Mohammed Al-Ghaith, the president of Bahri Logistics, in the presence of Wael Al-Sarhan, VP (Marketing and Communications) Bahri, Abdulrahman Alghamdi, the director of Procurement and Contracts, SAR and other officials. As per the agreement, Bahri Logistics will provide SAR with transportation and shipping services for all types of cargo and an electronic system to track all shipments from the country of origin to the final destination in warehouses or worksites of the company besides making necessary arrangements with the concerned export/import port through Bahris vast network of offices and agents, and also offering consultancy services in accordance with industry standards and international best practices in the field of maritime transportation. On the strategic deal, Al Ghaith said: "We are pleased to sign this contract with SAR, one of the leading national companies dedicated to continuously enhancing its services." "It also falls in line with Saudi Arabias 2030 Vision, as Bahri is constantly working to strengthen and expand its services to further reinforce the transportation sector in the kingdom and play an important role in its economic diversification efforts," noted Al Ghaith. "We are confident this deal will positively contribute to the Kingdoms economic growth," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Japan's Sojitz Corporation, a major trading enterprise, has signed an agreement to study the production of steel sheets in Iran's southeastern port of Chabahar in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, a report said. The project would be a milestone in Irans bid to raise its steel product output to 55 million tons per year, Mehdi Karbasian, managing director of Iran's Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO) was quoted as saying in the Iran Daily report, which cited Irna. Karbasian said that Sojitz would present its research findings to IDRO by September, adding that this would be followed by two months of negotiations to seal a final agreement on production of steel sheets. The agreement would be implemented under a credit line of above $10 billion that Japan has allocated for Iran, he added. Another Japanese company Kobelco is developing Mokran Steel Complex in Chabahar with a production capacity of three million tons of sponge iron per year, he noted. The project that Sojitz is studying will be launched once Mokran Steel Complex reaches the production capacity of 1.6 million tons per year, he added. Sadara Chemical Company and Saudi National Automobiles Manufacturing Company (SNAM) have signed a cooperation agreement for SNAMs planned automobile manufacturing cluster in PlasChem Park. Under the agreement, Sadara will work with SNAMs auto cluster tenants who will include automobile parts manufacturing companies primarily Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and automotive Tier1 and Tier2 manufacturers - and identify potential third-party investors who are able to utilize Sadaras slate of specialist chemicals and plastics products to manufacture automotive parts locally. Spread over an area of 1 million sq m, the Auto Cluster is expected to be the largest manufacturing cluster to be located in PlasChem Park, an industrial zone located adjacent to the Sadara site in Jubail Industrial City II. The Park is being developed in collaboration with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbuand will consist of downstream chemical and conversion industries supplied with products from Sadara and others in Jubail. Ziad Al-Labban, CEO of Sadara, said: This is an exciting partnership for us as it will help drive development of an emerging sector within Saudi Arabias downstream manufacturing industry. Our specialty chemical products can be utilized by third-party investors to make components used in automobile manufacturing. With SNAM on board, we have a catalyst for manufacturers to come in and quickly begin to realize value on their investments. D. Fahd S. Al-Dohish, president and CEO of SNAM, said: The project will include basic facilities such as a press shop, welding (body) shop, paint shop, and general assembly shop, in addition to support facilities such as a logistics warehouse, test track, and admin building. Furthermore, another one million square meters next to SNAMs factory has been allocated for automotive Tier1 suppliers. In order to create a sustainable automotive industry ecosystem, SNAM researched local companies with operations related to automotive industry in order to activate Tier2 and Tier3 suppliers who can do business with international Tier1 suppliers. Another important aspect of SNAMs plan is to utilize the local resources in manufacturing the automotive parts as much as possible, he added. TradeArabia News Service Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products (Camelicious ) plans to unveil an array of innovative products based on camel milk at the upcoming Gulfood 2017, the worlds largest food and beverage exhibition in Dubai, UAE. The event is taking place between February 26 and March 2 at Dubai World Trade Center. Saeed Juma Bin Subaih, general manager of Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products said: We are proud to be part of the participating national companies. During the exhibition we will be launching new products that are made from the best quality camel milk in the world. We are always looking forward to new collaboration with international distribution companies in the field of FMCG; plus experts in the hospitality sector. Mutasher Al Badri, deputy general manager & business development manager of Emirates Industry for Camel Milk and Products said: Through our participation in Gulfood we are looking to strengthen our position in the local and international markets. We are always looking to shed the light on international quality standards which we follow in making of all our products. Camelicious is planning to launch a huge variety of new camel milk products including the instant camel milk powder. This will be available in the local market as well as in Netherland, North America and more. We intend to follow it by more products in the future. The milk production at the EICMP facilities is closely monitored matching the highest international standards. The operation obtained ISO 22000 certification for both the farm facilities and the dairy processing, and follows HACCP procedures. The whole operation fulfils the strict EU requirements for export into the European Union, in addition to Malaysia and Russia. TradeArabia News Service The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce has announced that 18 Brazilian companies will highlight products and services in the upcoming International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex) 2017 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The biennial show takes place from February 19 to 23 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The participating companies are being hosted by the Brazilian Defence and Security Industries Association (ABIMDE) at a dedicated 312-sq-m pavilion. The Ministry of Defence of Brazil along with Embraer, one of the worlds largest aerospace companies, will also attend the biennial arms and defence technology event. Brazil is a leading supplier of lethal and non-lethal weaponry, vehicles, armoured vehicles, and aircrafts in the Middle East. Its participation in Idex 2017 will further strengthen its presence in the region as it showcases domestic solutions such as command and control systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, and armour plating. Brazilian companies will also look to establish partnerships with regional firms to further penetrate the market. According to a recent report by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Services of Brazil, the country exported $146.7 million worth of defence and security products to the Arab World in 2016, registering an increase of 14 per cent over 2015. With imports of $65.5 million last year, Saudi Arabia remains Brazils largest market in this segment in the region. The UAE trailed close behind with $36 million worth of defence imports at an increase of 89 per cent over the previous year. Dr Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO, Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: The Middle East has been a key market for defence and security solutions for Brazil and therefore, the presence of Brazilian companies at Idex will enable them to establish new partnerships with companies from the region. It is a perfect platform to meet new clients, give live product demonstrations, and get insights on the latest technology and products that are in demand in the region. We are confident that Brazilian firms will cater to unmanned systems and technologies requirements and secure deals with some of the leading players in the region. Brazilian companies representing the aerospace engineering, simulators, drones, command systems, control and combat, personal ballistic protection, armour products, ammunition, non-lethal weapons, temporary shelters, naval engineering, rockets, drone and cell phone jammers, signals, military logistics, and light weaponry segments will be present at Idex 2017. These include A.S. Avionics Service, Akaer Engenharia, Altave, Atech, BCA, CBC, Cecil, Condor, Domus, Emgepron, Fly Sistemas, Gespi, IACIT, Indios Pirotecnia, M&K, Safety Wall, Smart Power, and Taurus. TradeArabia News Service General Motors is considering the sale of its Europe-based Opel and Vauxhaul brands to French automotive manufacturer PSA Group, the parent company of Peugeot and Citroen. The two companies are exploring numerous strategic initiatives aiming at improving profitability and operational efficiency, including a potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall by PSA, a statement said on GM website. There can be no assurance that an agreement will be reached, GM cautioned. Combining PSA Group with Opel and its British brand Vauxhall would create the second-largest carmaker by market share in Europe, with 16.6 per cent of sales according to 2016 figures, Fox News reported. The merger would be second only to Volkswagen, with 23.9 per cent, and would surpass the Renault-Nissan alliance, which had 13.9 per cent, according to the report. Oman plans to drill a number of exploration wells in Blocks 3 & 4 targeting prospective hydrocarbon resources, Swedish based international oil and gas firm Tethys Oil was quoted as saying. The Swedish company said it also plans to acquire new acreage as part of its growth strategy in the Sultanate, reported Oman Observer. The partner group for Blocks 3&4, Oman, have now agreed upon the work programme for 2017, Magnus Nordin, managing director, was quoted in the report. The budget will be in line with 2016, but more attention will be given exploration activities. We are targeting to drill a number of explorations wells. There is no expiration date on a good idea. As a state senator in the Nebraska Unicameral, I developed innovative approaches to solving funding challenges for our states surface transportation needs. One of these proposals aimed to give local communities more control over the highway construction process. My legislation, which was later signed into law, tasked the Nebraska Department of Roads with developing the Federal Funds Purchase Program. In exchange for giving up a portion of federal transportation dollars, Nebraska counties and towns can now receive funds with more reasonable regulatory requirements. Because of this program, transportation projects, like the longstanding bridge replacement in Buffalo County and a major arterial street in South Sioux City, are up and running. Another initiative I championed at the state level was the Build Nebraska Act. It directed a fraction of each cent of sales tax revenue toward maintaining Nebraskas roads and highways. Because of it, more than $1 billion will be available to meet Nebraskas infrastructure needs over the next 17 years. I am now bringing these ideas to the U.S. Senate. Called the Build USA Infrastructure Act, my legislation is modeled on Nebraskas successful laws, and it offers real solutions to our national transportation challenges. Those challenges are significant. According to the March 2016 estimates by the Congressional Budget Office, by the year 2026, the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) will face a cumulative shortfall of approximately $107 billion. The HTF allocates federal transportation dollars on an annual basis to states to help pay for vital infrastructure projects. States and communities across our country depend on certainty in this crucial funding for highway, road, and bridge infrastructure projects. My Build USA Infrastructure Act would directly address the near-term solvency of the HTF. Specifically, it would divert $21.4 billion annually in revenues collected by the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) on freight and passengers into the HTF. The agency only uses a portion of this revenue for operations, so allocating it to transportation would not affect the CBPs operating budget. These diversions would take place for five years following the expiration of the latest long-term highway bill. To help states get projects up and running at a faster pace, the act also establishes voluntary state remittance agreements with the Federal Highway Administration. As part of these agreements, states may choose to return some of their allocated federal highway dollars for greater control over certain design, permitting, and construction aspects of federal regulatory approval for highway projects. Bottom line: the Build USA Infrastructure Act will address the near-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund without raising taxes on Americans. It will also give states greater flexibility in meeting transportation needs. In the Senate, I serve as the chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. I am also a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. At a recent EPW committee hearing, I highlighted the Build USA Infrastructure Act and invited feedback from state transportation leaders. Like its Nebraska namesake, this bill earned positive reviews for bringing certainty into questions about funding and offering greater flexibility to states in initiating critical transportation projects. Few Americans understand the value of surface transportation better than Nebraskans. We rely on our roads and highways to connect families, bring goods and services to market, and feed a hungry world. We carry on this important work across more than 97,000 miles of public roads. Nebraska acted prudentially to care for its roads and surface transportation infrastructure. I am excited to bring that same idea to Americans nationwide. I look forward to working with the White House and my colleagues in Congress to do just that. Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week. State oil giant Saudi Aramco said construction is now in full swing at the Jazan Economic City (JEC) and also work is going at a steady pace at its refinery complex which is now about 70 per cent complete. The massive projects coming up at Jazan in the southwest of Saudi Arabia, will transform the region and further boost Saudi Aramcos already proven track record in delivering mega-projects designed to fuel a diversified economy for the Kingdoms future and provide a solid platform for its Saudi Vision 2030 economic road map. The 106 sq km JEC is seen as pivotal to the economic development of the Jazan region and as a key future driver for foreign direct investment into the Kingdom, said a statement from Aramco. The Jazan refinery complex will be equipped with a state-of-the-art port and a 4GW power plant that will make the refinery entirely self-sufficient and provide power to locally owned manufacturing and service companies, it stated. Members of Saudi Aramcos management team, led by president and CEO Amin Nasser, visited the JEC last week to review the work at its refinery and terminal projects. Saudi Aramco management also toured the under-construction port, where massive dredgers could be seen at work. The site consists of a wide range of complex engineering and construction packages that will integrate to reach a processing capacity of more than 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, providing fuels for domestic and international customers. During the tour, the group stopped to meet young trainees from the Jazan Contractors Alliance for Training and Employment at Maharat. Over the next four years of the refinery projects construction phase, Maharat is expected to train and place roughly 5,000 Saudis for construction-related jobs, said the company statement. The almost fully constructed 4.9 kilometer corniche for the new JEC was the final part of the visit, it added. At the Jazan Project Management Office, Nasser and his team was given an update on the overall project progress in terms of construction and operations. Nasser, lauding the project management team for the dedicated work, said: "This project is very important for the region and we should be proud of the positive impact we are creating in terms of enabling an ecosystem." We need to bring business and investment here, light industry and medium-sized industry. You are creating an ecosystem, creating opportunities for investment and job opportunities. In five years time, you will see a very different city. We need to execute the project safely and we are proud we are building this mega-project, he added.-TradeArabia News Service A. Lange & Sohne will once again be present at the 2017 edition of the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition, which opens next week, featuring its watchmaking ingenuity, craftsmanship and uncompromising dedication to precision. This years presentation of A. Lange & Sohne in Doha will focus on horological masterpieces that blend ingenious mechanical solutions with elaborate functionality and striking designs, the company said. The Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition runs from Febraury 20 to 25 at the Doha Exhibition and Conference Center. Highlights of A. Lange & Sohne's collection include the Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon, sporting a flyback chronograph, a perpetual calendar and a stop stop-seconds tourbillon; the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds with its rare combination of jumping-second mechanism and constant-force escapement; as well as the understated yet sophisticated Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar in white gold with grey dial, it said. A Lange & Sohnes approach to fine watchmaking, which seeks to take precision engineering craftsmanship and aesthetics to the highest possible level, is reflected in every design detail of the stand. Visitors of the A. Lange & Sohne booth will also get the chance to witness the brands excellence in the field of Haute Horlogerie through an engraver from the Glashutte-based manufactory, who will perform a live demonstration of the traditional craft by cutting the floral pattern into the balance cock, a detail that makes every Lange timepiece a unique piece of art. Selected models from the emblematic Lange 1, the elegant Saxonia and the classical 1815 watch families will round out the appearance of A. Lange & Sohne at the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition. We are delighted that together with our retail partner Al Majed we can realise once again our successful joint appearance at the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition. The fair has become a fixed date in our yearly events calendar and has proven itself as an excellent platform to converse with the Qatari watch collectors and enthusiasts, says Ramzi Nael, brand director Middle East, Africa & India. - TradeArabia News Service Careem, the Middle Easts leading ride-hailing app, has confirmed that its Ride Now booking service will be available again in Abu Dhabi, UAE, starting from today (February 9). Careem users will be able to book on-demand rides through the app, with a new service called Careem Limo. This service offering will be operated under the regulations for limo services in Abu Dhabi, making Careem the only ride-hailing app service in the city, said a statement from the company. On launching the new Careem Limo service, Aura Lunde, general manager of Careem UAE, said: Abu Dhabi is a special market for Careem- being home to many of our team members as well as being the second ever city launched when we first started out in 2012. Our mission is to simplify and improve the lives of people. We are fully committed to offering a great service for people in the UAE capital, as well as supporting our captains who are the lifeblood of our business. "We will continue to work in close partnership with the local authorities to enhance the transportation network for all residents and visitors to Abu Dhabi and hope to introduce new services in the near future, Lunde said. - TradeArabia News Service For the third consecutive year, Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars has received IHGs Ten Club Award for the its outstanding performance in 2016. Ten Club Award is an InterContinental Hotels Group regional award which the hotels receive based on achieving outstanding performance of the Winning Metrics; a way to measure hotels performance. Pascal Gauvin, chief operating officer, IHG India, Middle East & Africa; Simon Stamper, director of operations, Africa and area general manager InterContinental Hotels Group Cairo Citystars; and Islam A. Samad, executive assistant manager of Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars attended the celebration along with hotels department heads and the winning team. Stamper thanked the hotel team saying: The success we have achieved came through your hard work and motivation it came through because you have stood strong in challenging times and I consider it as a recognition that we are successful in building a winning culture within the team, and truly "work better together." Samad added: I am extremely proud of the success that Staybridge Suites has achieved in 2016 together with our partners. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all colleagues for their dedication and tireless pursuit of excellence. I would also like to extend my gratitude to our valued guests for their loyalty. Staybridge Suites Cairo Citystars is the first upscale extended-stay hotel opened by InterContinental Hotels Group in the Middle East and Africa. The Staybridge Suites is designed to meet all the various needs of travellers, or those looking for the luxurious comforts of a home away from home while on holiday. The suites are also ideal for those relocating or seeking a temporary home during household renovations. - TradeArabia News Service Despite continued economic slowdown and low oil price environment, the hotel market segment in Saudi Arabia continued to display a positive trend with a number of new luxury hotel openings in 2016 as well a positive growth projected for 2017, said a report. According to Saudi Arabia Full year review by Colliers International, the regions of Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Khobar, Dammam, and Dhahran witnessed a boost in hotel supply, with the highest growth recorded in Makkah. By the end of 2016, Makkah registered a total number of 13,911 hotels, an increase of 21.13 per cent over the total supply in 2015. This included the opening of the 1,624-key Swissotel Al Maqam in Q4 2016. Riyadh followed close behind with 8,363 hotels (up 23 per cent) at the end of 2016, followed by Madinah with 6,421 hotels (up 14.9 per cent), Jeddah with 5,646 hotels (up 25 per cent) and Khobar, Dammam and Dhahran with 4,001 hotels (up 7 per cent). The majority share of the total branded hotel supply remained in the five-star and four-star category, pointing out the opportunity of increasing the share of mid-market hotel segment, especially under the present market conditions. Occupancy levels, however, remained far from positive in 2016, dipping due to market conditions owing to the economic slowdown. Khobar, Dammam and Dhahran recorded the steepest fall (down 18 per cent), followed by Jeddah (down 11 per cent), Riyadh (down 7 per cent) and Madinah (down 3 per cent). Makkah was the only region to report a positive growth (up 3 per cent). Looking ahead, occupancy levels across the kingdom are not expected to increase drastically as market conditions carry forward. Hotel supply, however, will see a boost over the next two years with Makkah taking the lead (15,103 new hotels by 2019). Jeddah will have an additional 5,147 hotels over the next two years, Riyadh will have 4,776 new hotels, and Khobar, Dammam and Dhahran will have 2,048 new hotels by 2019. The new supply across the kingdom can expect to be balanced out by increased visitor levels over the next two years as Riyadh is expected to see the opening of a Six Flags theme park and two major malls, while the King Abdulaziz Airport Expansion (2017) in Jeddah and Jeddah Economic City (2020/21) will be among the key demand drivers in the region going forward. Makkah will also see a boost in visitor numbers following the removal of restrictions on quotas for foreign pilgrims. Furthermore, the Haramain High Speed Railway (2017) and the Makkah Mass Rail Transit System are expected to improve accessibility to and within Makkah, which in turn will open up areas for hospitality development opportunities. Khobar, Dammam and Dhahran will also see an increase in domestic leisure travel as emerging areas of interest for hospitality development exist in half Moon Bay. - TradeArabia News Service Flydubai has announced the addition of three new destinations for the upcoming summer season. Batumi in Georgia, Qabala in Azerbaijan and Tivat in Montenegro are the latest destinations to join flydubais growing network and will operate from June to September 2017. Following the launch of its latest popular destination, Bangkok, at the end of 2016, flydubai continues to diversify its network with the addition of more popular summer destinations for passengers from Dubai and across the region. Flydubai will be the first carrier to offer direct flights from the UAE to Qabala and Tivat, and the first from Dubai to Batumi. GCC nationals will not need a visa to any of these three new destinations, while UAE residents will receive visa on arrival. We would like to thank the authorities in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Montenegro for making it easier for the residents of the UAE and GCC to visit these countries by facilitating their visa requirements, said Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer at flydubai, commenting on the announcement. We continue to look for opportunities to further expand our network and offer our passengers more options to travel especially for the summer holiday season. These popular new routes will complement our existing comprehensive network and will be a gateway to explore this part of the region, added Al Ghaith. Supported by new aircraft deliveries in 2017, flydubai continues to widen its network, which comprises 93 destinations in 44 countries spanning from Yekaterinburg in the north, Bangkok in the east, Zanzibar in the south and Prague in the west. Batumi, which will be served by three flights a week, will be flydubais second destination in Georgia following Tbilisi. Qabala, which will be served by two fights a week, is flydubais second point in Azerbaijan after Baku. The start of two weekly flights to Tivat will mark flydubais first entry to Montenegro following the successful promotional trip that was held in October 2016 in partnership with Porto Montenegro. We are confident that the demand for these new summer flights will be strong in both Business and Economy Class. The interest in affordable, popular and off-the-beaten-track holiday destinations continues to grow especially from the GCC markets and these routes offer alternative options for those seeking a beach holiday or city breaks, said Jeyhun Efendi, senior vice president commercial (UAE, EU, ME, CIS) at flydubai. Batumi, Georgia Flydubai will operate three weekly flights between Dubai and Batumi from June 22 to September 30, 2017 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Batumi is the second largest city in Georgia, located on the coast of the Black Sea in the country's southwest region. Batumi is a popular tourist destination known for its bustling seaside resorts during the warm months of the summer. The city is also an important sea port with thriving shipbuilding, food processing and light manufacturing industries. Qabala, Azerbaijan Flydubai will operate two weekly flights between Dubai and Qabala from June 22 to September 17, 2017 on Thursdays and Sundays. Qabala, also known as Gabala, is the capital of the Gabala District one of the richest archeological and historic regions of Azerbaijan. Qabala is considered a popular tourist destination due to the combination of a mild climate, woods along the mountains, excellent wildlife and recreational resorts. Tivat, Montenegro Flydubai will operate two weekly flights between Dubai and Tivat from 23 June to 25 September 2017 on Mondays and Fridays. Already a popular tourist resort, Tivat is set to become a nautical tourism centre for the southern Adriatic. This coastal town in southwest Montenegro is renowned for its pleasant climate and natural beauty and is conveniently located a short drive away from Dubrovnik in Croatia and Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina. - TradeArabia News Service Welcome to Transfigurations! This blog is intended to serve the orthodox Anglican community and the wider Christian community. We pray that all that is posted here will be faithful to the Scriptures as the inspired word of God, speak the truth in love, edify, bless and transform this local body of Christ, and be an impetus for revival, repentance, prayer and intercession! The coal bed methane boom ended with thousands of orphaned wells littered across northern Wyoming, unpaid taxes, frustrated surface owners and bankruptcies. But roughly six years later, the CBM bust is far from over. State and federal regulators continue to plug abandoned or orphaned wells. Operators whove failed to fulfill their obligations to plug or maintain wells have either skipped town or are wading through the maze of bankruptcy while their idle wells and cleanup costs are held in limbo. But state regulators think they may have found a solution: identify bad players and prevent those operators from slipping into Wyoming again under a different company name. Operators who have failed to meet their responsibilities or have a history of insolvency before the commission may have to report to state regulators if they try their hand in the Wyoming oil and gas business again. This would allow the state to increase bonding or put in other protective measures before issuing permits to those companies. It would not, commission staff added, preclude the operator from working in Wyoming. *** The idea to make certain operators report to the state came up in Tuesdays commission meeting in Casper, during a show cause hearing for Enpro/Medallion Exploration. The companies have both failed to properly plug abandoned wells and test existing wells as per state law. Theyve been before the commission on multiple occasions. President Jake Harouny of Utah did not appear for the hearing Tuesday. State regulators, with commission approval, will immediately seal the one producing well to stem the flow of money to the company until other wells are plugged or tested. Harouny will have 60 days to comply before the remaining bonds are forfeited. But the commission staff would like to take one more step: require Medallions principal to notify state regulators if he attempts to operate in Wyoming in the future. Staff has really lost faith in the ability of Mr. Harouny to operate an oil and gas company, said Joe Scott, natural resources program supervisor for the commission. This is a practice thats done in other states and we think it would help us identify potential problem areas. The commissioners present were amenable to the idea but unsure of how to carry it out. I very much think this is something we should be doing, but we need to make sure we have the legal authority, said commissioner Bridget Hill. Probably we need to have some basis upon which we determine who it is we are going to make notify us so we can apply that consistently. The commissions lawyer, Eric Easton, said he believed requiring some producers to alert the commission was within the commissions right. It would not restrict operators from working in Wyoming, a concern raised by commissioner Tom Fitzsimmons. A phone number listed for Medallion is disconnected. However, Medallion is not an isolated case in the coal bed methane story. Storm Cat Energy, a former coal bed methane company, was also called before the commission on Tuesday to explain why it hadnt plugged or tested its wells. It has a trail of tax delinquencies going back to 2007. The hearing over testing and reclamation for Storm Cats 2,432 wells in Campbell and Sheridan counties was delayed until its bankruptcy and the sale of some of its wells to another company is finalized. More than half of those wells are on private land. In May of 2016, the lawyers of three local ranchers wrote asking the commission to revoke Storm Cats bonds. They also asked that the companys pit bonds be revoked and the money be used for immediate reclamation on the private property. Padlock Ranch Co., one of the landowners named in the case, had 302 CBM wells on its property and 34 off-channel pits. Of the $13.6 million bonding required for idle well, only $2.8 million has been posted. In May, Storm Cat was called before the commission to account for its failure to report production and conduct mechanical integrity testing. That was the first time the company was given a continuance due to the bankruptcy. The companys lawyer, Tom Throne of Sheridan, promised that the bankruptcy would be tied up by November, but even then commissioners were skeptical about the ability of Storm Cat to finish the legal side of its bankruptcy. It seems like weve been delayed and delayed and delayed, said commissioner Tom Drean in a later hearing. When are we going to be in a position to move forward here? Storm Cats president, Chris Naro, said he was committed to finding a way to get the wells taken care of. The sale of the wells will not benefit Storm Cat, he said. We would be financially indifferent, Naro said in the May hearing. The only benefit we have to selling or assigning the assets over to Summit Gas is simply being able to sleep at night and not being a bad citizen by just kind of walking away from our remediation responsibilities. Deferrals were granted again in September, November, December and January as the bankruptcy proceedings have lingered. *** About 4,480 wells have been orphaned in Wyoming since 2014, according to state records. Wyoming had plugged 1,560 by the end of 2016 and turned a number into water wells. A typical CBM well costs the state between $5,000 and $7,000 to plug. Since the CBM boom, well bonding regulations were strengthened, said Kim Mazza, spokeswoman for the commission. When a company is selling, the WOGCC has the ability to hold their bond along with the buying companys bond for six months, she said. This allows opportunity to evaluate the new company. The changes also allow the supervisor to evaluate the economics of a well to determine if it is a legitimate producer or needs to be bonded. If it is not producing in an economic manner, the Oil and Gas Commission has the right to request a $10 per foot bond or require the company to plug the well. The blanket bonds were also increased from $75,000 to $100,000, with no grandfathering allowed, she said. But some of those who watched the CBM boom and bust with frustration argue that the cost of reclamation should be covered up front to avoid situations like Medallion and Storm Cat. The cycle is predictable, said Jill Morrison, an organizer for the Powder River Basin Resource Council. Small operators strike a new field. Larger producers come in and buy, taking the early, high-producing wells. When the market starts to turn, they move out and shed those liabilities, she said. This is not new. Its a boom-bust industry, and this is why we pushed so hard for increased bonding, Morrison said. What was new about it was the scale. Coal bed methane was such a huge number of wells and operators. Wyoming regulators are tougher and their rules are stricter, but they havent gone far enough, she said. The blanket bond is simply too low to cover costs, she said. Operators argue that requiring the full cost of cleanup inhibits industry that a few bad apples dont spoil the bunch. Environmental advocates, however, say it is likely that the cycle will repeat itself only with the deeper wells being drilled now. The coal bed methane saga is just a precursor if bonding isnt stronger up front. Those are going to make coal bed methane look like a picnic, Morrison said. The CBM wells are relatively shallow. (Now) wells are 10,000 feet deep and the well pads are 20 acres or more Taco fundraiser Tacos for Shrove Tuesday! Christ Episcopal Church, 415 West Cedar in Glenrock, invites everyone to come for a Taco Dinner to celebrate Mardi Gras, served from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at the church. Instead of the traditional pancakes, sausage and eggs, this year FCCLA and FBLA members will serve up tacos, including gluten-free tortillas and sides. The free-will donation will benefit these two clubs from Glenrock High School. For more information, call Deacon Leigh Earle at 258-2524. Financial Peace course St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 7th and Wolcott, will have classes on money management, using the Financial Peace plan, starting in February. The classes will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the church from Feb. 18 to April 25, 2017. To register, please contact Dorothy Brown at 307-377-3509 or via e-mail Wyo_nana@yahoo.com. UU Casper Events The public is invited to attend the Unitarian Universalist Community of Casper services and other events at 1040 West 15th Street, just north of the CY Avenue Albertsons. "UU Casper" is a welcoming, doctrine-free church that fosters individual spiritual growth, ethical living, and inclusive fellowship. "UUs" are people of many beliefs and backgrounds, but are aligned in the desire to make a difference for the good. Services are Sundays at 10 a.m. On Feb. 19, Laura Gossman will present Whose Right of Conscience Matters More: Mine or Yours? and on Feb. 26 Don Benson will lead a discussion forum on the fifth UU Principle: The Right of Conscience and the Democratic Process. On March 5 Rev. Kee will introduce the monthly worship theme of World Community. Childcare and a youth religious exploration program are available, and refreshments and conversation follow each service. The UU weekly coffee talk is held Tuesdays at 10 a.m., and the weekly meditation group meets Sundays at 4 p.m. The next session in the "Kindred Spirits" The next Care N Share potluck will be held Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m., and will feature a round table discussion on the monthly worship theme. Participants are asked to bring a dish to share and donations for the Teen Literacy program at the Natrona County Library. For more information about these events or about Unitarian Universalism, visit uucasper.org, email info@uucasper.org, visit us on Facebook, or call Laura at 307-259-4469. Celebrate Recovery every Friday Looking for a nontraditional approach to recovery from your hurts, habits and hangups? Celebrate Recovery meets at 5:30 p.m. every Friday at Highland Park Community Church, just south of Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital on East Second Street. We start with a family meal, followed by praise and worship. At 7 p.m., there's either a lesson from Celebrate Recovery's planned curriculum or a testimony by a person who has found recovery through Christ. Then, people go to gender-specific small groups until 8:30 p.m., when dessert and fellowship conclude the evening. Child care is available at no cost. For more information, contact Chris at 265-4073. Senior Stompers meet Mondays Free only for Seniors 60+ who like to have fun, love music and like to dance, tapping and stomping to the beat. Join Joyces Senior Stompers on Monday mornings at 10:50 a.m. and exercise your mind and body. Call Joyce for more information 237-4908. Fun month at Mountain Plaza Mountain Plaza Assisted Living, 4154 Talon Dr., has a packed month of February planned for residents, guests and those interested. Feb. 24: International Margarita Day at Happy Hour, 2 p.m. Virgin and non-virgin Margaritas will be served. Feb. 28: Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Lively music and masquerade costumes or masks. Music will be provided by the Twang Gang. For more information, call 232-0100. OLLI hand sewing Sewable Circuits (OLLI 2052) is an exciting new class that will take hand sewing to the next level by using sewable circuit materials in sewing projects. Offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Center at Casper College, fabric creations will be spiced up using conductive thread and LED lights. The result will be two-and-three-dimensional fiber pieces with an extra flare. The class, taught by Leah Ritz, will be held on Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 15 to March 15. No prior hand sewing or electrical circuits experience is necessary. Students are welcome to bring their fabric scraps, embroidery hoop, and thimble, but supplies will be available as well. For more information or to register, contact Karen Arnold at 268-2099 or karnold@caspercollege.edu. What Washington wore The Historic Bishop Home celebrates Presidents Day Weekend with a special evening on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017. The early evening event will feature a presentation on What George Washington Wore. Rosalind Grenfell will share the fascinating history of the clothing and social culture of our first president, George Washington. Grenfell is an expert in apparel, fashion history, and related arts. She received her graduate degree from Virginia Tech and has taught apparel, textiles, and fashion history at various institutions throughout the United States. The lecture and light supper are Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 from 6 to 8 p.m. Salad, sandwiches, dessert and iced tea will be served. Tickets are $25 per person. Please call 235-5277 or email info@cadomafoundation.org for your reservation by Feb. 15, 2017. All reservations are confirmed upon payment. Payment should be made to the Cadoma Foundation and mailed to 220 East Midwest Suite B, Casper, Wyoming 82601. The Historic Bishop Home is located at 818 East 2nd Street on the north side of 2nd Street between Lincoln and Jefferson. Parking is available on Jefferson and Lincoln Streets or in the parking lot directly behind the house off Lincoln Street. Parking is available in the homes driveway for persons with limited mobility. Apply for Mrs. Casper The Mrs. Wyoming Pageant is seeking applicants for the title of Mrs. Casper. Once selected, the successful applicant will advance to represent her community in the 2017 Mrs. Wyoming Pageant to be held on May 6 in Cheyenne. Local titleholders will compete to win a prize package valued at over $8,000 including an all expense paid trip to the national Mrs. America Pageant. Applicants must be at least 18 years old (no age limit), married at the time of competition and a Wyoming resident, no performing talent required. Celebrating its 41st year, the Mrs. America pageant is the only competition to recognize Americas married woman. To request the official application or for information, call Sheree Cooke, Wyomings state director, at 720-549-0440 or visit www.mrswyomingamerica.com. New member exhibit opens The Art 321/Casper Artists Guild, 321 W. Midwest, February Exhibit features the guilds newest members (three years as members or less). The New Members Exhibit will give the community a chance to get to know some new artists who may be exhibiting for the first time, as well as many already seasoned artists who have become new members of our organization. The exhibit will hang until Feb. 25. Art321/Casper Artists Guild is a non-profit organization that offers many art opportunities and experiences for the citizens of Casper and surrounding communities, offering exhibits, classes, workshops and the chance to meet fellow artists and art lovers. Please visit the gallery and see what becoming involved as a member has to offer. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 265-2655. Nostalgic display at Senior Services The Senior Center, 1831 E. 4th St., is featuring a display that features nostalgic items back to the late 1800s. The display will be up through February and March. Items include baby plates and cups, antique dolls, Steiff collectibles, and many other items, thanks to Tom and Lida Volin. For more information, call 265-4678. Wednesdays HighlightsWednesday support meetings Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 5:09 P.M., 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 1124 Elma, Imitate the Image Church; 7 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 8 p.m., 328 E. A; 8 p.m, 328-1/2 E. A, closed; 8:23 p.m., 719 3rd St., Evansville. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back); 7:30 p.m,. 805 E. Richards, Ste. 1. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688. Al-Anon: Stepping Stones to Recovery, 303 E. 2nd St., First United Methodist Church, east doors, downstairs, room 12. 7 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous: noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 8 p.m., 302 E. 2nd St., Methodist Church, enter east side. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org. Nicotine Anonymous: noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club. Info: Pam M., 577-0518; Troy Y., 267-6326. OIF/OEF Support Group: 6:30-8 p.m., Casper Vet Center, 1030 N. Poplar St., Ste. B. All OIF/OEF Veterans are invited to attend. No need to pre-register. Info: 261-5355. Teen Addiction Anonymous: 7- 8 p.m., 12-24 Club Teton Room. Info: 258-7439. TOPS #35 Weight Loss: 6:45 a.m., First Christian Church, 520 CY Ave. Weight Loss Support Group, Weigh-in is from 6:30 a.m.-8 a.m. Info: 258-2603 or 234-5644. TOPS #162: 8:30 a.m., United Methodist Church, 1880 Poplar. Anyone interested is invited to join. Info: 472-4926. Free tax help The Natrona County VITA Program, a United Way of Natrona County initiative, is open through April 12, for free tax return assistance. This is a first come, first serve program, no appointments will be scheduled. Individuals must bring their Social Security card, photo identification and the appropriate paperwork with them. For a complete listing of required paperwork, please visit the website www.wyomingfreetaxservice.org Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Aspen Creek Building, 800 Werner Ct., Ste. 206. Closed Sunday and Monday. For more information, call (307) 333-5588 during hours of operation or look on Facebook. The initiative is supported by funding from the Wyoming Free Tax Service and local United Way. OLLI offers hand sewing Sewable Circuits (OLLI 2052) is an exciting new class that will take hand sewing to the next level by using sewable circuit materials in sewing projects. Offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Center (OLLI) at Casper College, fabric creations will be spiced up using conductive thread and LED lights. The result will be two-and-three-dimensional fiber pieces with an extra flare. The class, taught by Leah Ritz, will be held on Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 15 to March 15. No prior hand sewing or electrical circuits experience is necessary. Students are welcome to bring their fabric scraps, embroidery hoop, and thimble, but supplies will be available as well. For more information or to register, contact Karen Arnold at 268-2099 or karnold@caspercollege.edu. After school at the library The Natrona County Library will host a Clifford celebration for elementary-age students at 4 p.m. Come celebrate Clifford the Big Red dog with a dog party, including dog crafts, dog stories, dog games, and more! All supplies provided. Call 577-READ ext. 5 for more information. Meeting launches trails advisory group The public is invited to the Platte River Trails Trust Annual Meeting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., at the Tate Pumphouse Trail Center. Mingle with the board and learn more about 2017 projects and events. The official meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m., and will include the launch of the new Friends of the Platte River Trails advisory group. Trail users and lovers may Friend Us and join the advisory group and assist the PRTT Board in planning, maintaining, enhancing, fundraising and advocating for trails in Natrona County. This group will meet quarterly to learn about upcoming projects and events and help assist us with our mission to maintain and develop our community trail system. Monthly community dinner Every community needs a time and place to come together. What better way to do this than with warm food around tables in friendship, laughter, and connectedness? Every third Wednesday of the month (Feb. 15, March 15, April 19) from 5 to 7 p.m., the Wyoming Food for Thought Project will provide a give as you can community meal to everyone at 900 St. John. Donations are welcome but not required. Follow Wyoming Food for Thought Project on Facebook, or check the website at www.wyfftp.org for updates on the meal menu, and any other fun activities that will take place. For more information, call Cassandra at 337.1703 or email cbush@wyfftp.org. Community impact at Pizza Ranch Pizza Ranch, 5011 E. Second St., hosts Community Impact nights from 5 to 9 p.m. normally on Mondays and Wednesdays. Members of nonprofit groups bus tables for tips, and 20 percent of meal tickets from diners who mention the group are donated as well. Dine-in, delivery or pickup orders qualify. Wednesdays nonprofit is ASSW. UU holds potluck The public is invited to attend the Unitarian Universalist Community of Casper services and other events at 1040 West 15th Street, just north of the CY Avenue Albertsons. UU Casper is a welcoming, doctrine-free church that fosters individual spiritual growth, ethical living, and inclusive fellowship. UUs are people of many beliefs and backgrounds aligned in the desire to make a difference for the good. The next Care N Share potluck is at 6 p.m., and participants are asked to take a dish to share and donations for the Teen Literacy program at the Natrona County Library. For more information about these events or about Unitarian Universalism, visit uucasper.org, email info@uucasper.org, see the group on Facebook, or call Laura at 259-4469. Pulled pork at Elks Wednesday Night Special at the Casper Elks Lodge is pulled pork with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn and roll. All you can eat for $7, children 5 to 12 are $3, serving from 6 to 7 p.m., or until gone. Members, significant others and guest accompanied by a member. For more information call 234-4839. The menu is subject to change. All proceeds go to Elks Charities. Saratoga, Wyoming October 10, 1937 January 31, 2017 Roderick David Laird of Saratoga, Wyoming, passed away on the morning of January 31, 2017, at the Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, after three months of battling an infection following knee surgery. His loving wife of 45 years was by his side. Rod was born in St. Francis, Kansas, on October 10, 1937. He was the cherished only child of Dorothy Dunn Laird, a native of St. Francis, whose grandfather established the first newspaper in Cheyenne County, and Lorence David Laird who grew up in the Wichita area and was a lifelong respected educator. Rods family moved to various towns in Kansas as his fathers career advanced, finally ending up in Bird City where Rod graduated from high school in 1955. Upon graduation he received a Senate appointment to the first Air Force Academy class, but did not qualify due to a heart arrhythmia, so instead he enrolled at Colorado School of Mines for a year and then Kansas Wesleyan University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government. Rod also earned a Master of Education in Secondary Education and History at Colorados Adams State College, and a Master of Science in Deaf Education at Eastern New Mexico University. During his lifetime, Rod worked in many school districts in New Mexico and Wyoming. As a teacher, assistant director and innovative multimedia creator, his work at the Wyoming School for the Deaf was well known throughout the state of Wyoming. It was in Carbon County, Wyoming, while teaching middle school in Saratoga that Rod was named Wyomings Teacher of the Year in 1990. It was common for his family to hear stories of how he changed a students life with his dynamic and caring teaching methods and he continued, throughout his life, to enjoy hearing from many of his former students. He was a pioneer in creating and using film and media in teaching and understood the need for hands-on learning. In 1989 he also received the Readers Digest National Endowment for the Humanities Award which allowed him a one year sabbatical to travel to Russia and do research concerning the most recent findings on the peopling of the Americas. Rod had a deep passion for the study of early man and archeology. He wrote several books on the topic including: Window In Time: The Story of the Discovery of the Casper Site, The Finders, and The Atlatl Book. He has been called the father of the modern atlatl movement which is still thriving today. Rod was not only an avid outdoorsman, jewelry maker, author, and beloved teacher, but also a hero to his four children and best friend to his wife. One of the most important things Rod taught his family is that happiness doesnt come from money and material objects, but instead from relationships, love of family, and enjoying the simple moments of life. Rod is survived by his loving wife, Pat; and his children: Jennifer Montoya (Donald), Tracey DuVall (Dusty), Susan Bustos (Scott), and Roderick Scott Laird (Sheree); as well as eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Rod was a gentle and amazing human being who will be greatly missed. Cremation has been conducted and his remains will be scattered at a gathering in early summer. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to The Craig and Susan Thomas Foundation, PO Box 22246, Cheyenne WY 82003. A man jumped out of a moving vehicle Tuesday night outside of the Bank of the West building in east Casper, police said. The man was taken to the Wyoming Medical Center from the scene near the intersection of Wyoming Boulevard and East Second Street. Police are continuing to investigate the incident and will release more details as they become available, Sgt. Mike Ogden said. Police blocked off one lane of traffic on Wyoming Boulevard for more than an hour Tuesday night as they investigated the scene. CHEYENNE A driver fleeing from officers is one thing. Its another when a driver fleeing from officers in a reckless way injures someone or damages property. Thats the premise of a bill moving through the Legislature that makes aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer a felony punishable by up to 10 years in jail and/or a $10,000 fine. The existing law that makes fleeing or eluding police a misdemeanor would remain in place, but Senate File 113 would add the felony provision for more serious cases. In order to be charged with a felony under the proposed law as amended, a driver would have to cause serious bodily injury to any other person, cause at least $10,000 worth of damage to someone elses property or violate Wyomings reckless driving law. Reckless driving is more than missing a stop sign, Sen. Tara Nethercott , R-Cheyenne and the lead sponsor of the bill, told the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. You have disregarded the safety of all others for your own benefit. Currently, no felony provision specifically related to evading or eluding police exists, though Wyomings neighboring states do have varying felony provisions. In Utah, for example, evading police in a vehicle is a felony. Wyoming Highway Patrol administrator Col. Kebin Haller said his conversations with law enforcement in Utah indicated that state has seen fewer fleeing and eluding cases because of the felony provision. Haller said WHP has seen the number of pursuits increase in recent years, from 28 in 2012 to 53 in 2016. He estimated about 10 to 15 percent of pursuits would rise to a level to be charged with the proposed felony provision. Highway patrol representatives showed committee members videos of some of those pursuits. In one, a driver in an SUV is seen driving the wrong way on Interstate 25 near Mills with speeds at about 90 mph. In another, a driver attempts to elude police by causing the officer to drive off a two-lane road. When other troopers catch up to the driver, the driver leads them on a chase on Interstate 80 with speeds hitting 120 mph. Haller said the majority of fleeing drivers are between 22 and 34 years old. Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak said the capital citys police department saw 33 pursuits last year and the average age of those fleeing drivers was 29. He said nine of those pursuits reached the level of the proposed felony. Of those, three were called off because the pursuit was too dangerous and the other six drivers were apprehended. Pursuits are one of the most dangerous things to ask officers to do, he said. Senate File 113 was passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday and will go to the full House of Representatives. It had already been passed by the Senate. A Senate budget provision that would cut $91 million from schools in Wyoming could result in a bloodbath of layoffs in Natrona County, the school board chairman said Tuesday. The amendment is one of three actions the Legislature is considering to tackle the education funding crisis, superintendent Steve Hopkins told the board Monday night. In addition to the budget amendment, the Senate advanced a bill to cut between $60 million and $80 million, and a House omnibus measure would address the problem through savings, a potential sales tax increase and cuts, which after three years would reach around $80 million. Aside from a few questions from board member Dave Applegate, the trustees were silent. The fact that there would be cuts wasnt news. The Legislature is trying to grapple with an education funding shortfall that could reach $400 million annually in the coming years. Gov. Matt Mead has called it a crisis. And the cuts would be significant to Natrona County: Tanya Southerland, the spokeswoman for the district, said the $91 million provision would mean an $11 million cut to the district, the entirety of which would come next year. The omnibus would result in a $4.1 million hit. The exact impact of the Senate bill is unknown, Southerland said. Those numbers are significant, but Hopkins reminded the trustees that neither the bills nor the amendment were final. All three were still subject to legislative negotiations. And the imposing $91 million cut, advanced by the Senate on Friday, appears to be a bargaining chip: Senate Majority Leader Drew Perkins said Monday that it was a vehicle for negotiations with the House. Boyd Brown, the superintendent of Campbell County School District No. 1, speculated last week that the amendment would be used to get rid of the sales tax provision in the omnibus bill. If the $91 million is just a bargaining chip, that may be good for Natrona County. Board chairman Kevin Christopherson said Tuesday that if the $91 million cut rolled into effect next year, it would be a hammer that would force the district to lay off faculty and staff. It would be impossible to handle that level of loss without layoffs, he said, and it would be a bloodbath, here and across the state. Christopherson said what Hopkins has repeated in the past. The district knows there will be cuts, and officials here want those reductions to be phased in over two to three years. The omnibus bill would do just that. It would still mean $4 million in cuts per year, Christopherson and Hopkins said, but the chairman said the district could handle that. The district has been preparing for two years, Christopherson said, and everything is on the table to survive the crisis. The central office has cut more than 20 positions through attrition, Hopkins has said. The district has been reviewing its programs, and a study of the districts facilities recommended selling several buildings. Grant Elementary School also will close at the end of this school year. Grant needs significant repairs and is the victim of a drop in enrollment likely caused by the downturn in the economy. Hopkins announced Monday night that compared to this time last year, district enrollment is down 200 elementary students and 100 students overall. Thats just a first look, Hopkins stressed repeatedly, and its consistent for where the district has been this year. But it means the districts capacity issue isnt going away. We already had excess capacity even after cutting Grant back, Christopherson said. There might be changes, where were headed. It also means the district might lose funding. The amount of money distributed to school districts is determined by a measurement of attendance, called average daily membership, or ADM. A drop in enrollment means a potential drop in funding from the state. On top of that, both the Senate and the House bill would change how ADM is calculated. Currently, a student is counted as full time if he or she is at school for more than 50 percent of the day. Under both bills, that student would have to be at school for 80 percent of the day to be considered full time. That would affect around 500 high school students in Natrona County, officials said. Each full-time student is worth about $15,000 in funding. Speaking Monday night at the board meeting as members talked about the potential rule change, Christopherson said the board needed to focus on whats best for the student, rather than doing something for the money. On Tuesday, he said he was confident in the districts ability to get through the crisis. He noted that the districts had been well funded by the state for years, and that the situation might be an opportunity to trim fat and waste in the education system. This is making everybody step back and look at what they dont need, Christopherson said. Thats not necessarily a bad thing. It is a bad thing if you have to start laying off teachers and employees. We can do it, he added. Im not even nervous about it. We can get it done. CHEYENNE A flood warning remains in effect for the Bighorn River between Worland and Greybull. Kelly Ruiz of the Wyoming Homeland Security Office says concerns for flooding have shifted from Worland in Washakie County to the small towns of Manderson and Greybull in neighboring Big Horn County. But so far, there have been no reports of flooding in the Big Horn County communities. Ruiz says more than 100 state National Guard members and state firefighters are helping sandbagging efforts to shore up levees and flood prone areas in Manderson and Greybull. The river jumped its banks in Worland over the weekend because of rapid snowmelt and ice jams, forcing the evacuation of more than 100 homes. Residents were allowed back in their homes on Tuesday as the flood threat moved northward. CHEYENNE A group of lawmakers advanced a bill Tuesday evening that would allow a captive breeding program for greater sage grouse on a farm owned by Casper oilman and former Wyoming Senate President Diemer True. The Senate Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee advanced House Bill 271. The measure now heads to the Senate floor for consideration. The bill already passed the House. Diamond Wings Upland Game Birds, which started in 1995, has raised pheasants and different species of partridges and quail for people to hunt, said farm manager Karl Bear. Theres a declining population of sage grouse, not only in Wyoming (but in) Montana and Canada, Bear said. Theres a lot of effort, millions of dollars being spent in habitat development and various conservation. Wildlife officials in Colorado are trying to breed small numbers of Gunnison sage grouse in captivity. The Calgary Zoo also has a program. Bear said that if HB271 is successful, Diamond Wings could add to that effort at its farm in Powell. Why not us, when were the largest number of sage grouse in the world? he said of Wyoming. We have 37 percent of the whole population. Bear told the committee his employer is True, who was Senate president in 1991 and 1992. True was not at the meeting. Attorney Sam Yemington, who also spoke on behalf of the proposed project, said the immediate objective would be to discover whether a captive breeding program could be successful. The birds could perhaps be used for hunting someday in the future. Or the oil and gas industry could invest in birds for conservation credits, Yemington said. New Bureau of Land Management rules indicate that industries that want to operate on public lands may have to invest in environmental projects that would result in net conservation gains. But its unclear how the Trump administration will implement specifics of the rule, he said. HB271 would create provisions for how a bird farm can obtain a license from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Workers from licensed farms would go into the wild with Game and Fish biologists and collect eggs from nests. The bill originally allowed 250 eggs. The Senate Agriculture committee amended the bill Tuesday, increasing the number to up to 1,000 eggs. Most sage grouse lay between four and 12 eggs per year, said Wyoming Game and Fish Director Scott Talbott. Of those eggs, usually three to six chicks hatch per hen. Wyoming has 250,000 to 500,000 sage grouse, Talbott estimated, adding researchers have a difficult time counting the birds. Bear said that allowing 1,000 eggs would help the farm hatch a large population sooner, preventing them from having to go out every spring to find more eggs. Jerimiah Rieman, Gov. Matt Meads natural resource policy director, reminded the committee and members of the public of an executive order the governor signed in 2015 that restricted development on 15 million acres identified as high-priority lands important for conservation of the bird. I hope this is wildly successful, but I dont want to give the impression that were going to roll back the executive order, Rieman said. The Wyoming Wildlife Federation opposes the bill, said Joy Bannon, a field director with the organization. Long-term sage grouse captivity has failed, Bannon said. Problems with captivity include potential for cross species and disease transfer, stress related to predation, financial impacts on (the Wyoming Game and Fish Department) and state, and its extremely labor-intensive, she wrote in an email to the Star-Tribune. WWF believes that private game bird farms are not the answer to maintain or increase sage grouse populations, but conservation of core sage grouse habitats is. Follow political reporter Laura Hancock on Twitter @laurahancock Mrs. Bessie Marie Matula LaVictoire, age 88, a resident of Washington and a former resident of Aurora died Tuesday February 14, 2017 at Vidant Beaufort Hospital.A graveside funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Friday February 17, 2017 at Oakdale Cemetery officiated by Owen Peele. The family will receive friends 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday February 16, 2017 at Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington.Mrs. LaVictoire was born in Wharton County, TX on December 8, 1928 daughter of the late Julius Chester Matula, Sr. and the late Cecelia Sulak Matula. On October 6, 1949 she married the love of her life, Robert Leroy "Bob" LaVictoire, who preceded her in death on August 15, 2001. In 1966 she, along with her children, supported her husband by relocating to Aurora for his career with the former Texas Gulf. While a resident of Aurora, Mrs. LaVictoire was very active in her community by serving as a Town Commissioner and owner/operator of Merle Marie's Candle & Gift Shop. She was also a member of Aurora United Methodist Church. Following her husband's death, she moved to Washington where she volunteered at Vidant Beaufort Hospital and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Washington. Mrs. LaVictoire loved reading, knitting, playing cards and dancing.Survivors include a son: Dr. Robert LaVictoire and his wife Tammy of Washington; a daughter: Donna LaVictoire and her wife Louise Skillman of Greensboro and two grandchildren: Perry LaVictoire of Greenville and Leslie LaVictoire of Raleigh.In lieu of flowers the family kindly asks for memorial contributions to be made to Beaufort County Medical Center Foundation, c/o Lights of Love Annual Fund, 628 East 12th St., Washington, NC 27889, Aurora United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 69, Aurora, NC 27806 or First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 715, Washington, NC 27889.Online condolences may be offered to the family by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the LaVictoire family. CHEYENNE Evacuated residents of a northern Wyoming community alongside the Big Horn River were allowed back home Tuesday after an ice jam that caused flooding broke up overnight, but flooding concerns immediately shifted to communities downstream. The flooding left huge slabs of ice littered around the streets of the small city of Worland that had to be removed by heavy equipment operators, said Washakie County government spokeswoman Kami Neighbors. Officials were assessing damage to homes and businesses. They were also monitoring the ice jam that moved about 10 miles downstream, said National Weather Service meteorologist Trevor LaVoie. A rapid melt of low elevation snowpack that sent water into a river still choked with ice caused the river to rise about 5 feet above its flood stage last Saturday. Next in line for possible flooding were the small Big Horn County towns of Manderson and Greybull. About 40 Wyoming National Guard members were being moved from Worland to Manderson, said Kelly Ruiz, spokeswoman with the Wyoming Homeland Security Office. Two teams of firefighters who normally fight forest fires in the summer are in Greybull, Ruiz said. They are sandbagging and preparing for the rising water, she said. Residents in Big Horn County have been warned by local authorities to be prepared to leave their homes if the river tops its banks, Ruiz said. Editor: An uprising of Wyoming citizens was able postpone a proposed amendment that would lay the ground work for the states takeover of the public lands. The same ranching lobby and legislators that gave us ag-gag and the bighorn sheep removal laws are now trying to grab our public lands. The state simply does not have the resources or the money to manage the public lands and disposal would be the inevitable outcome. U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney is leading the attack at the federal level. 1) Cheney voted for a rule to devalue public land thus setting the groundwork for disposal. 2) Congressman Jason Chaffetz of Utah sponsored H.R.621 which would direct the sale of almost 700,000 acres of public land in Wyoming. I cant imagine he is doing this without Cheneys blessing, and Ill bet those lands, if disposed of, arent sold to the highest bidder. 3) Legislation by Liz Cheney has passed the house and will be taken up by the Senate. This legislation limits public input into issues regarding public lands. The Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Alliance reported a statement made by the executive director of the Wyoming Grazing Board: Those directly affected [ranchers and developers] need to have a seat at the table, and not be lumped in with the public. There should be delineation between the interested public and stakeholders. My response: The public has subsidized and protected the ag industry in far more ways than can be listed here. Now, they want to take the public out of public lands. Are you kidding me? The energy industry is voicing some support for the disposal of public lands citing burdensome regulations. However, regulations can be loosened without disposal, especially under this administration. Common citizens need to make their voices heard or endure the consequences. Romania 500 US troops arrive to prop up defenses MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU Five-hundred U.S. troops are arriving at a Romanian Black Sea port with tanks and hardware to bolster defense in the East European NATO nation. The U.S. Embassy said the Fighting Eagles, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, will be stationed in the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base in eastern Romania on a rotating basis. Vatican city Criticism of pope sparks rally of support THE VATICAN Pope Francis top advisers are rallying to his defense amid an unprecedented wave of conservative criticism that represents the biggest challenge to his mercy-over-morals papacy. In an unusual gesture, the nine cardinals from around the world who advise Francis on running the church made a public show of support for the pope and his teachings this week after posters featuring a scowling Francis appeared around Rome. The posters referenced some perceived heavy-handed moves against conservatives and asked Wheres your mercy? On Tuesday, the Vatican published a book by the Holy Sees top canon lawyer fully endorsing Francis controversial opening to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics the main bone of contention between the pope and conservative and traditionalist Catholics. venezuela Politician dismisses US drug allegations CARACAS Venezuelas government condemned U.S. sanctions on the countrys vice president, saying Tuesday that the Trump administrations designation of Tareck El Aissami as a major drug trafficker represented an unprecedented and highly dangerous infringement on the South American nations sovereignty. In a series of defiant messages posted on social media, El Aissami said the miserable and defamatory aggression only deepens his commitment to revolution started by the late Hugo Chavez and wont distract him from his job of rescuing Venezuelas crashing economy from what he called sabotage by its conservative opponents. The Trump administration on Monday froze El Aissamis U.S. assets and banned him from entering the U.S. for his alleged role facilitating cocaine shipments from Venezuela. Mexico 2 men, still alive, are found tied to bridge CIUDAD VICTORIA In a rare occurrence, two men found beaten and tied to a bridge in the Mexican border city of Reynosa turned out to be alive. Reynosa and other border cities wracked by drug turf battles have seen the lifeless bodies of drug gang victims hung by their necks from bridges. But this time, the bound men were tied to a bridges railing Tuesday but apparently not by their necks. Accompanying the men was a banner signed by a reputed drug capo promising to catch common criminals and leave them for police. Wire reports In Tucsons bar universe, when one comes, one leaves. And this weekend, that will literally occur within hours. At the end of business Sunday, Feb. 19, in the wee hours of Monday, Nancy Kuhlmann and her staff will wipe down the bar and turn off the lights for the last time at her 16-year-old namesake Fort Lowell Pub, 746 E. Fort Lowell Road. Ten hours later, around noon Monday, Feb. 20, shell open the doors of her new joint, Nancys Boondocks, around the corner at 3306 N. First Ave. We have zero downtime, said Kuhlmanns daughter April, who manages the bar with her sister, Jodey Bingham. The Kuhlmanns have been painting the interior of Boondocks and making minor fixes since buying the property three weeks ago, April Kuhlmann said. They also are updating the kitchen and plan to begin serving food breakfast, lunch and dinner in about a month. The menu will include popular Nancys Fort Lowell Pub fare as well as burgers, fries and a few other items, Kuhlmann said. Nancy Kuhlmann became interested in buying the Boondocks not long after it was put up for sale in October, weeks after longtime Boondocks operators Bill and Cathy Warner closed the bar. The Warners, who ran Boondocks for 20 years and turned it into a vital live blues venue, now manage the Hideout Saloon East near East 22nd Street and South Pantano Road. April Kuhlmann said her mother had always wanted to own her own property and not be beholden to a landlord. The sentiment goes back to her experiences with the Chaparral Lounge, which she ran for nearly 20 years from 1980 to 1998 at Oracle and Magee roads before Oro Valley annexed the area. Kuhlmanns bar became outlawed under town zoning ordinances that required that bars serve food. April Kuhlmann said her mother then bought 18 acres in the middle of nowhere beyond SaddleBrooke and the fork in the road at Oracle Junction, where Arizona 179 heads toward Florence. Nancy Kuhlmann cleared the land, put up a horse arena and a 5,000-square-foot building, and 13 years ago opened the Cadillac Chaparral Steakhouse & Saloon off South Highway 79 and East Ballesta Road, her daughter said. She opened Nancys Fort Lowell Pub but kept a distant eye whenever a building nearby would go up for sale. They bid on a couple locations to no avail, until the Boondocks came up. The bar were in now literally has one bathroom for the men, one bathroom for the women, two pool tables and a juke box, April Kuhlmann said. When that opportunity became available, we became really excited. Kuhlmann said plans for the Boondocks are still a work in progress. Eventually, they would like to host live music much like the Warners did, but that will have to wait until they find their business rhythm in the new place and can afford the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) licensing fees. National Hippo Day (Feb. 15) got its start on Second Life, an online virtual world where the hippo is a hero or sorts as well as the unofficial mascot. However, even if you've never been a Second Life resident, it's still a great excuse to look at adorable photos of baby hippos. Happy National Hippo Day! More information 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Jim was born on Nov. 14, 1929, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Lyal and Winifred Patten and spent his childhood there. After graduation from high school, he attended college at the University of Iowa, where he met his first wife, Janne Tyler. A summer job out west during college made him want to move to Big Sky country and in 1950, an overnight stop in Missoula gave him the opportunity to check out the University of Montana Law School, where he was accepted after an interview with the dean. After graduating from UM Law in 1953, he worked for the Public Service Commission until 1957, the Montana Motor Transport Association, then as a lobbyist for the Petroleum Association for four legislative sessions in the late fifties and early sixties. These were the days of watering holes, where lobbyists created relationships with legislators by getting to know them, and Jim had stories to tell. He returned to Helena in 1965, serving as the administrative assistant to Governor Tim Babcock until 1969, when he was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney and moved to Butte. He and Janne raised a family of five children in Billings but were divorced in 1970. Also in 1970, Jim married his second wife Betty Wilcox. Jims work as a lawyer for Occidental Petroleum relocated them to Washington D.C. and then Tripoli, Libya. After sailing a boat from the south of France to Corfu, Greece, they spent several vacations exploring the Ionian Islands. London was home next, followed by Scotland, and then Guangzhou, China before a final stop in Bakersfield, California. He once said he preferred the work in Libya over other Occidental locations because of the opportunity to do actual work in the oil fields, in contrast to the London office, where they mostly played gin rummy. After Jim retired in 1985 they built a home on the Bitterroot River, and except for a five-year residency in Arizona, called western Montana home. After Betty passed away in 2010, Jim met his last companion, Rosemarie Neuman, while taking guitar lessons from her. They shared over six years together, traveling to Switzerland, New Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest. Jim tried to improve his guitar playing skills but preferred to listen to Rose sing. The family will be forever grateful for her loving companionship with our father during these last couple of years. Jim had many interests which usually involved the acquisition of tools or nifty gizmos. He collected a variety of cameras, which led to a black and white darkroom and portraits of his children. He enjoyed hunting, which evolved into reloading equipment and specialty rifles for competitive shooting. A childhood love of fishing not only lured him to Montana but also to fly-tying and river rafting. After retirement, he needed a tractor for the apple orchard he planted, and a woodshop to build things. Jim loved the people and the open spaces of Montana. He loved his trucks, his dogs, his friends and his politics. He loved to read newspapers and books, and meeting his old buddies for coffee at Curleys. He read voraciously and remembered history well. He had stories to tell about lobbying, and hunting camps, and writing oil leases in the Libyan desert, and a few about Watergate. It was our loss that the cruelty of dementia conquered his memories. After this fortunate and bountiful life, Jim passed away peacefully on January 30 while residing at Beehive Homes in Missoula. We are extremely thankful for the wonderful care he received while in Aspen House, as well as the tremendous support offered by the Hospice of Missoula team. Jim was preceded in death by his first wife Janne, and his second wife Betty. He is survived by his older sister Kathleen Banks of Santa Fe; his companion Rosemarie Neuman of Stevensville; his children Tom (Vicki) Patten, Andy (Judy) Patten, Katie (Leonard) Tinnell, John (Liz) Patten, Bill (Carol) Patten; and step- daughter Kim Skufka, along with 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The family is planning a private gathering at a later date. We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Feb. 15 papers in history. The agribusiness giant Monsanto has withdrawn its proposal for a property tax arrangement with Pima County that would have substantially reduced property tax payments at a planned greenhouse near Marana. Thats according to a Feb. 15 letter sent to the county by government affairs director George Gough. I am writing to inform you that after much thought, the Monsanto Company has decided to withdraw our Foreign Trade Zone Payment In Lieu of Taxes Agreement proposal scheduled for consideration by the Pima County Board of Supervisors at their February 21, 2017 meeting, the letter reads. Monsanto Company remains committed to partnering with the community in Pima County and we look forward to working with you in the future, it goes on to say. In response, County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry requested that all of the items slated for discussion next Tuesday be removed from the supervisors agenda. Monsanto said in an email that it was going to continue with the project to build and operate the greenhouse to grown corn on seven acres of land near Marana. Monsanto has already purchased 155 acres at the intersection of Twin Peaks and Sanders roads. A company official said it would move forward with its commitment to the area, including a contribution in lieu of lower property taxes of $500,000 to the Marana Unified School District Foundation, creating a community advisory panel and to voluntarily report the usage of restricted-use pesticides at the greenhouse. The supervisors were to consider whether to support Monsantos application for foreign-trade-zone status, which would substantially reduce its property tax burden over the next 10 years. In exchange for receiving that support, the company would commit to spending at least $90 million on the development and hiring at least 50 people at an average salary of roughly $44,000. A foreign-trade-zone designation would drop the propertys assessment ratio from 15 percent to 5 percent. The annual difference in property taxes paid to the county after $96 million in development would be around $370,000 lower with the FTZ rate, documents show. The U.S. Commerce Department, not the county, approves FTZ applications. The property tax reductions are established by state law, according to an earlier memo from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry to the board. After delaying its vote on Monsanto, the county held several public meetings earlier this year to discuss the issue. Most of those speaking at the meetings were opposed to Monsanto. Editor Curt has been with the Star since 2015. He covered the border, immigration and federal courts. He now is the Opinion editor at the Star. He previously worked at the Nogales International. More than 100 people showed up at TUSD's governing board meeting, expecting a discussion on the future of the superintendent's employment. But they soon found out, as the board returned from executive session, that the item was being pulled from the agenda. Dozens of crowd members stood up and cheered when Michael Hicks, president of the Tucson Unified School District board, announced Tuesday evening that the agenda item to consider the employment contracts of Superintendent H.T. Sanchez and legal counsel Todd Jaeger would be pulled off. Some audience members spoke in support of Sanchez and of continuity in district leadership. Others, including Betts Putnam-Hidalgo, who previously ran for a seat on the board, later said during call to the audience that theyd like to see the item put back on. The item was put on the agenda at the last minute, just before deadline, at the request of Rachael Sedgwick, a governing board member who first took office at the beginning of the year. Sedgwick did not publicly address the issue at the board meeting. Hicks, the board president, said he didn't know why Sedgwick requested the item to be put on the agenda and that he couldn't say what was discussed during executive session about why it was pulled off. He said he assumed the issue of Sanchez's employment or its termination may come up again in future meetings. "I'm not going to do it," he added. The board meeting Tuesday evening resumed with a presentation on Davis Elementary Schools bilingual program and a performance from the schools mariachi band. Earlier on Tuesday, Sanchez told the Star that he hadnt received any direct or indirect communication prior to the board meeting about what Sedgwick wanted to discuss relative to his and Jaegers employment with the district. "I really don't know what it's about," Sanchez said. Sanchez was hired by the district in 2013. Hes paid a base salary of more than $200,000 a year to oversee about 52,000 students in schools across the city. His contract is up for renewal in 2018. Tucson Education Association President Jason Freed said he thought the district had been moving in the right direction. This is not the right time for us to change direction, he said. A Tucson Meet Your Birds event at Sweetwater Wetlands on Saturday, March 4, aims to introduce area residents to the wonders of winged wildlife in Southeastern Arizona a region that attracts more than 500 bird species throughout the year. The free event, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the wetlands near Prince Road and Interstate 10, is hosted by the Tucson Audubon Society and Tucson Water, operator of the wetlands. Birding experts from the Audubon Society will be stationed around the tree-lined paths and ponds at the 20-acre wetlands, employing spotting scopes to help visitors get a close-up view of birds. Binoculars will be available for visitors to borrow while touring the site. Wildlife rehabilitation groups plan to have live hawks, owls, reptiles and desert animals available for viewing, and water experts will provide information on water conservation and wetlands operations. Food trucks will provide refreshments for sale. YEAR OF THE HUMMINGBIRD Tucson Audubon has designated 2017 as the Year of the Hummingbird, and the tiny, colorful little birds will get special attention at Saturdays event. Hummingbirds are incredibly easy to get to know, said Keith Ashley, resource development director for Audubon. You dont need binoculars just a feeder or a couple of native plants will bring them into your yard. Once they get comfortable, theyll buzz right up to your face and say hello especially if the feeder is empty. What a great little ambassador for connecting with all the amazing birdlife we have here in the Tucson area. A large number of hummingbird species flit and flutter around southeastern Arizona. The number we use is that every year, 13 species show up reliably, Ashley said. There are four more species that are occasionally found. Some of the species commonly spotted around Tucson are Annas, broad-billed, Costas and black-chinned hummingbirds. Tucson Audubon is encouraging hummingbird hotspots throughout the city, in both private yards and public venues. The organization also has created a citizen science project in which Tucsonans can help gather scientific data about hummingbird populations and species distribution. U.S. Rep. Martha McSally held her second telephone town hall on Tuesday night, talking with about a dozen people while thousands listened. The two-term Republican spent most of the hour-long phone call trying to stay on message, talking about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, addressing national security issues and helping her constituents, and repeatedly giving out her office number. But McSally again found herself on the defensive as some callers pressed her to take a position on whether shed support a congressional inquiry into President Trumps alleged ties to Russian investments. Here are five takeaways of McSallys positions from the telephone town hall: Congress will repeal ACA McSally was short on specifics on how Congress would repeal and replace the ACA, and largely echoed comments she made on the campaign trail. During comments before taking questions, McSally told callers that she has been talking to the House GOP leadership about the issue. She cited various flaws of the ACA, including policies in place that only cover catastrophic coverage and the relatively few choices in the ACA marketplace, especially in rural counties. Flynns resignation was the right decision Asked to weigh in on Michael Flynns resignation Monday as national security adviser, McSally noted she met with Vice President Mike Pence over lunch on Tuesday. She didnt disclose the details but said Flynn was discussed. I believe it was the right decision, she said of the resignation. She added she hopes a new adviser will be appointed quickly. Wont commit to a congressional inquiry A caller from Sierra Vista asked McSally to support a formal congressional investigation into Trumps business interests, specifically in Russia. McSally was noncommittal, saying she has to read such legislation before she would support it. Id be happy to take a look at it, she said. We will give it a look. Defends vote to repeal Obama rule on guns McSally defended her recent vote to repeal an Obama administration rule that would block gun sales to certain people. McSally railed against what she called inaccurate media coverage even asking the caller for the source of her information before saying why she voted to reverse the Social Security Administration rule. The flawed rule, McSally said, automatically forwarded names to the National Instant Criminal Background Check system of anyone on Social Security disability or SSI who received assistance from a representative payee to help manage their benefits. Labeling them as mentally ill is unfair and gives too much power to unelected bureaucrats, McSally argued. She isnt backing down on town halls Anyone expecting McSally to apologize for declining to participate in an in-person town hall next week left disappointed. At Tuesdays telephonic town hall, McSally didnt specifically discuss her last telephone town hall, in which she labeled the organizers of a Feb. 23 town hall as activists seeking to ambush her. McSally talked up various public meetings she has had, noting she has met with numerous groups, including those that disagree with her, since taking office. Earlier in the evening while talking to a different caller, McSally said she hopes for more forums where people could discuss issues and disagree but without personal attacks. Here comes the big one. Starting in the wee morning hours this Wednesday, and lasting for an estimated 25 months, motorists will not be able to pass under Interstate 10 on Ina Road or exit from the interstate in either direction. This column covered the basics of the closure last December, when the Feb. 15 date was formally announced, so well do just a brief recap here. The $148 million project paid for largely by the Regional Transportation Authority with an additional $25 million from Marana will provide a number of improvements, chief among them an elevated roadway that takes Ina over the interstate and railroad tracks, two additional lanes on Ina west of the interstate, and space for more interstate lanes. Its really going to have a tremendous impact on that local community, the states district engineer, Rod Lane, previously told the Road Runner. Local and state agencies are taking some measures to lessen some of those less-savory impacts. The Road Runner learned Friday of one such effort that will ease the situation for drivers: The new West Sunset Road and bridge west of I-10 will be opened to traffic Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 4 p.m. The projects contractor, Borderland Construction, will still be working on the new road that runs from North Silverbell Road to I-10, so reduced speed limits and other traffic controls will be in place, but Sunset will still provide an Ina alternative for drivers. County officials said the early opening is specifically intended to facilitate traffic impacted by the Ina closure, and the road will be fully complete by the end of spring. Shortly after that announcement, the Arizona Department of Transportation sent out an email stating the westbound I-10 off ramp at Orange Grove Road will close Wednesday as well, and that traffic will be directed to exit further south at Sunset. While the westbound frontage road from the Orange Grove on-ramp to Cortaro Road will be closed for the same period, the eastbound frontage road will remain open from Ina south. The county transportation department and others have base traffic counts for the likely alternative routes displaced drivers will take and, once new patterns settle in, theyll take new counts and adjust traffic signals or take other measures accordingly. Priscilla Cornelio, Pima Countys transportation director, said an estimated 25,000 cars pass through the Ina-I-10 traffic interchange daily, adding We wont know whats going to happen until they actually close it. But if past experience with a similar closures at the interstate are any indication, things may be a little chaotic during the first few weeks. Everybody thought Armageddon was going to happen, and it didnt because people went everywhere, Cornelio said. I think the same thing is going to happen here. And that gets at the problems many of the more than 200 businesses along the Ina corridor where business access will be maintained throughout the life of the project are going to face over the next two years. Much of the business in the area comes from spur-of-the-moment decisions of passing drivers, meaning that lower traffic volumes spell less business. Mark Janezic, who owns the Auto Wash Express on Ina just east of the interstate, said he expects to see a sizable impact on customers for the automatic wash service, though his self-service customers are largely loyal patrons who live nearby. However, with a number of other Tucson locations and three decades on Ina, Janezic expects to weather the storm well. He also predicts that within six months of completion, traffic will be right back to where it was. To minimize the hit businesses like Janezics take during the project, there are a number of efforts underway. Marana and the local chamber of commerce paired up to push the message that the area is open for business, chamber president Ed Stolmaker told the Road Runner. Town officials have loosened sign ordinances along the corridor to help businesses get their message out more easily and have suspended fees for putting up those signs, according to Stolmaker and an article in the Marana News. The city also developed a smartphone application, Project Ina, that provides construction updates and information about area businesses, including deals they may be having. The same can be found on the Twitter hashtag: #ProjectIna. The RTAs MainStreet Business Assistance Program has also been active in the area. With a $10 million budget over 20 years, that effort has helped local businesses impacted by a number of major transportation projects, like the downtown streetcar. Its coordinator, Britton Dornquast, said that a custom access map was created for all of the Ina corridor businesses so that they can tell customers how to best get there with the interchange closed. Additionally, most of the over 200 corridor businesses qualify for a wide range of free consulting services. Javier Avalos, who owns Spectrum Ina Road Auto Collision, said he appreciates Marana and the RTAs efforts, and has taken advantage of the consulting services and other assistance offered. But what hes banking on more than anything is the customer loyalty hes won over 26 years at the same location. Thats what is going to carry us along, he said, adding that he has no doubt his business will do OK. Beyond that, he has been reaching out to longtime customers and offering pickup service for some customers to make it as convenient as possible for them during the two years. But once the Ina project is complete and the roadways closest to his business can handle more cars more efficiently, Avalos says the payoff is going to be tremendous. DOWN THE ROAD North- and southbound travel on North Stone Avenue at its intersection with Speedway will be on hold Tuesday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. while crews carry out final paving. Both directions of traffic on Speedway will be reduced to one lane. City officials suggest Main or Sixth avenues as alternatives. Nightly lane restrictions on I-10 at its bridge over South Craycroft Road will start Monday and last through Friday. Left lanes in both directions will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. every night. Though a specific start date was not provided, a Southwest Gas contractor will start pipeline work on South Pantano Road between East Broadway and East 22nd Street in mid-February. Work will take place between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. You can expect some traffic restrictions. The candidate list for the new Oro Valley town manager is down to two. The Oro Valley Town Council will meet behind closed doors on Wednesday afternoon to discuss who should fill the vacancy left by Greg Caton, who took a new job in Colorado last year. The two in the running are Joshua Wright, who has been the town manager of Wickenberg, Ariz., for the last five years, and Graham Mitchell, the city manager of Escondido, Calif. The men were named finalists after a nationwide search, said Oro Valley spokeswoman Misti Nowak. Wright has previous experience in Southern Arizona, working in a number of positions with the town of Marana from March 2007 to November 2011. He has a masters degree in public administration and a bachelors degree in psychology, both from the University of Arizona. Mitchell has been a city manager for a number of communities in California, including Lemon Grove and Farmersville, over the last 16 years. He has a masters degree in public administration from the University of Southern California and bachelors degree in international relations from Brigham Young University. A final decision from the Oro Valley Town Council is expected in the next few weeks. PHOENIX The Arizona Board of Regents will remain intact, and with all its powers, after a legislator agreed not to try to break it up this year. Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, said Tuesday he will not force a vote on his legislation to create separate governing boards to make policy, funding and tuition decisions for each of the three state universities. HB 2359 would have reduced the regents authority to a strictly advisory role. Finchem said his decision came after some folks from the Board of Regents agreed to create a working group to try and sort through some of the questions of accountability and some of the accusations of largess. He contends the board is so far removed from the needs and financial realities faced by students that it fails to control its spending. Finchem also called for discussion of whether the university system should be involved in ventures outside of its basic role of educating students. But Regents Chairman Greg Patterson said the agreement Finchem said he has does not exist. His bill has no support and he pulled it, Patterson said. Asked specifically if there was any promise to have talks with Finchem about changes in university oversight, Patterson responded, Of course not. Finchem said he recognizes there is a danger in not pushing ahead with his legislation now based on the promises he got, or believes he got, from the regents. Are we being strung along? he asked. Thats a risk Im willing to take. Even if there are no talks and compromises, Finchem said the delay provides time for him to craft legislation that really resolves the problems he sees. Finchem said hes under no illusion that regents, appointed by the governor, are about to negotiate away any of their control over the university system. Thats part of the problem, isnt it? he said. At least part of the issue for Finchem and other lawmakers is the sharp increase in tuition Arizona residents have to pay to attend the universities. Regents President Eileen Klein has said at least part of that blame can be laid at the feet of legislators, who have cut the states share of funding what it costs to educate a student from 72 percent a decade ago to about 33 percent now. Even with some new dollars promised by Gov. Doug Ducey, that ratio will barely change. Finchem, however, said he believes the universities could charge a lot less if they would stick to their basic mission. He contends that having separate governing boards, each interested in attracting students, would go a long way to cutting costs. When you have consolidation of power, when you have consolidation of authority, Im not convinced you have better government, he said. The death of Finchems legislation is the second setback this session for lawmakers who say they want to find ways to rein in the high cost of university education for students. Earlier this month, Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, agreed to scrap her proposal to limit year-over-year tuition hikes to 2 percent. That measure, too, faced opposition from the regents, who said higher charges are the net effect of less state aid. TUCSON, Ariz. University of Arizona political scientists are looking at how people become refugees, including what tipping points make them decide to actually leave their homes. The university says researchers Alex Braithwaite and Faten Ghosn will use a nearly $1.4 million Department of Defense grant to study mass displacements of people from conflicts since 1990. According to the university, an aim of the research is to improve understanding of complex relationships between refugees and their host communities. Braithwaite and Ghosn say there can be ill-informed policy decisions and interventions because government agencies and relief groups can't always predict why people decide between staying in their homes or fleeing conflict areas. Conflict is considered a key motivator but the researchers say contributing factors may be personal, social, economic, religious or political. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing to renew the grazing lease for the Vandalia Wildlife Management Area until 2023. Comments are being sought on the draft environmental assessment concerning the grazing renewal, a system that has been in place since 1994. Vandalia WMA is comprised of 310 acres bordering the south side of the Milk River, and consists of sagebrush grasslands, cottonwood and green ash stands, and wetland and riparian areas. The WMA is located approximately 2.5 miles southeast of Hinsdale. Grazing would continue to be managed under the current rest-rotation grazing system. The draft EA can be found on the FWP website at http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/. A copy of the EA may also be obtained by contacting the FWP Glasgow Regional Office at 406-228-3700 or by emailing dhenry@mt.gov. The public comment period on the draft EA will be accepted until 5 p.m. on March 14. Comments can be submitted online, emailed to dhenry@mt.gov, or written comments and can be mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Attn: Vandalia WMA Grazing Lease Renewal, 1 Airport Rd., Glasgow, MT 59230. Gusty winds swirl around in front of the University of Arizona Main Library as freshman Kelcey Cavarra, a business major from Colorado, waits for a friend before heading off to class on Feb 15, 2017. Winds were as high as 25 mph but are expected to diminish later Wednesday, according to the weather bureau. Winds may return on Friday with a chance for showers this weekend. Gusty winds swirl around in front of the University of Arizona Main Library as freshman Kelcey Cavarra, a business major from Colorado, waits for a friend before heading off to class on Feb 15, 2017. Winds were as high as 25 mph but are expected to diminish, according to the National Weather Service. However, showers and colder temperatures are expected as early as Friday night. The weekend is expected to be a wet one with a storm system bringing cooler weather and the increased chance of rain. The National Weather Service said Saturday will be windy with a 50 percent chance of showers, which increase to 70 percent by Saturday night. The highs will be in the upper 50s to low 60s Saturday. Sunday will remain mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 50s and a 50 percent chance of rain in the Tucson area. The Rex Hotel was constructed in 1910, built by Alfred Heimer, who cooked for Buffalo Bill Cody at his Wild West Show. Initially, Heimers dining room fare offered cold beer and good German lunches. The Rex became a meeting place for colorful Western characters, including Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane and Will James. A third floor was added in 1917. During Prohibition days, the bar didnt disappear, it just moved from room to room. Ron Larsen sounds positively excited when he talks about the job he started this month at Montana State University Billings. He also seems down-to-earth about the challenges of becoming interim chancellor midyear while the Legislature is debating a state budget that will likely leave gaps in the Montana University System budget. Larsen, who was been part of the MSU Bozeman senior leadership team since 2011 and a chemical engineering professor since 1985, says hes happy to be in Billings, and looking forward to the usually warmer, less snowy climate of the Yellowstone Valley. In his new job, he is focused on higher student recruitment and retention. Those are important goals. MSU Billings has seen a decade of enrollment decline. The university has identified below-average retention as a major factor for that decline. Larsen understands that for MSUB to thrive, it must help students succeed as freshmen so they return as sophomores and so on. Larsen said that new retention strategies are already under way, including: - Putting tutors in classrooms to identify and assist struggling students. Early success in a history class has encouraged expansion to more classes. - Co-requisite courses that place students in a 100-level college math class for credit at the same time they take a developmental math class. Students taking these double-math classes have done well, so the co-requisite approach will expand to writing courses in the fall, saving many students the need to take remedial classes before they can take a college credit class. On recruitment, Larsen said MSUB is trying to boost dual high school-college enrollment by: Developing a nine-credit sequence of classes for high school teachers to become qualified to teach the dual-enrollment courses. Encouraging continued partnerships between City College and the Billings Career Center. Working with the regions tribal colleges to serve Native American students. Enrollment goal Larsen expects an enrollment increase in the upcoming biennium, and he expects to be leading MSUB as interim chancellor for at least a year and a half the time it will take to deal with the new university system budget and then search for a permanent chancellor. Asked if he will be a candidate for the permanent job, Larsen said, Its on my radar. If people in Billings are happy with his work and want him to stay, he would like to stay. Larsen has made an amazing effort to meet the Billings community since he and his wife moved to town a few weeks ago. He joined the Billings Chamber of Commerce executive board, met with Big Sky Economic Development Authoritys board, attended several meetings with Yellowstone County lawmakers in Helena. He traveled to Crow and Lame Deer to meet with the presidents of Chief Dull Knife College and Little Bighorn College. Larsen has met with business leaders and potential donors for the Yellowstone Science Building. He talked knowledgeably and enthusiastically about expanding MSUBs nursing program. Hes gung ho for dual enrollment and expansion of distance learning and apprenticeships. We look forward to hearing more from the interim chancellor. Hes making a good start at reaching out to the MSUB community. Lets give him a chance to be the savvy, energetic leader this good institution needs to achieve greatness. Gazette Editor Darrell Ehrlicks Feb. 23 column attempts to reprimand U.S. Sen. Steve Daines for not allowing a letter written by Coretta Scott King to be read on the floor of the Senate. Unfortunately, Ehrlick gets the facts wrong and, more importantly, fails to realize that King or her letter arent the issue. To be clear, Americans of from all walks of like, including Daines, have great respect for King and the sacrifices she and her family have endured for the just cause of civil rights for all. The real issue here is whether Washington begins to work for the American people or remains stuck in partisan gridlock. In November, the American people spoke out loud and clear for a new direction in Washington, one where their government works for the people and not the other way around. Montanans and millions of other Americans chose Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States. One would think that three weeks would be enough time for a new president to nominate and the Senate to approve President Trumps team so they can start working for the American people and begin keeping the promises made during the campaign. Unfortunately, Democrats in the Senate didnt hear the American people. In fact, they have doubled-down on business as usual, finding ways to delay and disrupt the efforts of the new president. Just eight years ago, the Senate confirmed more picks on the first day of President Obamas presidency than have been confirmed in the first three weeks of Trumps term. This isnt what the American people voted for and Daines was absolutely correct to stand up for Montanans and say enough is enough. So what happened the other night? Democrats had been forcing the Senate to remain in session 24 hours day, using hours on the Senate floor for their own political purposes, rather than legitimate debate about Trumps nominees. While Daines presided over the Senate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts one of the most left-leaning Democrats in Congress rose to speak against the nomination of fellow Sen. Jeff Sessions to be the next attorney general. But Warren didnt take the Senate floor to debate or engage another senator in any meaningful discussion. She instead, was speaking to an empty room and the cameras, trashing the integrity of another senator to promote herself, her book and her political ambitions. She knew that she could not have gone down to the senate floor and made the same attacks using her own words so she instead veiled her attack by using the word of others. Warren was advised that she was violating the rules, but she continued her tirade against the presidents nominee. Having been warned, the chair had no choice but uphold the rules and advise Warren that her time had concluded. When Senator Warren appealed the ruling of the chair, the Senate voted to uphold the ruling of Daines. Just as we are a nation of laws, the U.S. Senate is a body governed by a set of rules. Rules that ensure that differences on the Senate floor are focused on policy and not each other. Rules that keep the U.S. Senate from becoming a middle-school playground where name calling is the norm. Rules that have established the Senate is the greatest deliberative body in the world. One can understand why Warren and Ehrlick want to focus your attention on a letter from King they want you to focus on the branch, not the forest for the trees. Its disgraceful tactic by Warren and her fellow Democrat senators. And the editor is clearly unhappy that Montana chose the populist Trump over the so-called progressive policies of Clinton by 101,531 votes statewide and 18,749 in Yellowstone County. But to quote former President Obama, elections have consequences. We need leadership in Washington to get things done for the American people. Montanans and Americans voted for that leadership in November and Daines should be congratulated for doing what was right and serving the people of Montana well. A Busby man estimated Wednesday that he drank about 12 beers before driving and causing a rollover crash last year that killed a passenger who was a relative. Torren Jon Russell, 20, told U.S. District Judge Susan Watters in Billings that he had about 12 beers, I think on May 21 when he drove and then rolled a 2004 Ford F350 near Busby. The crash killed a person identified as P.F., whom Russell said was his first cousin. Russell pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. There was no plea agreement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sullivan said three other people also were passengers in the vehicle. The wreck happened in the early morning hours. When a Northern Cheyenne Tribal Police officer arrived at the scene, two of the passengers were outside the vehicle and were hysterical and crying, he said. The two people identified Russell as the driver. A third passenger was curled up next the truck and in pain and also identified Russell as the driver. P.F. was trapped inside the vehicle and already dead, Sullivan said. Russell was trapped under the dashboard, in pain and smelling of alcohol, Sullivan said. Russell told the officer that he was driving and expressed concern for the passengers. Russell was taken to the Indian Health Service hospital at Crow Agency where a blood draw showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.139 percent. The legal limit is 0.08 percent. Russell, Sullivan said, told the doctor that it was first time he had consumed alcohol in a few months and drank, probably a lot. One of the passengers told investigators that Russell went off the dirt road while the group was heading back to Busby, overcorrected and rolled the vehicle. The passenger also said the group had been drinking before the crash and although they had asked Russell not to drive, they eventually allowed him to do so. Russell told the judge he didnt remember telling the doctor he probably drank a lot or being asked not to drive but that he had no reason to dispute the witnesses. Russell faces a maximum eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Watters set sentencing for June 14 and continued Russells release. A Lame Deer area woman admitted on Wednesday she was driving drunk near Busby last year when she swerved into the oncoming lane and crashed head on with another vehicle, killing an occupant. Ethel Marie Brady, 38, of Muddy Cluster, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in U.S. District Court in Billings. A plea deal calls for a charge of assault resulting in serious injury to be dismissed at sentencing. Prosecutors said Bradys blood alcohol concentration shortly after the crash was 0.302 percent, or more than three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sullivan said the crash happened on Sept. 1 about mid-day on U.S. Highway 212 outside of Lame Deer. Brady was driving a Honda sedan when she swerved into the oncoming lane and struck a Ford Focus in which the victim, identified as K.K., was an occupant. K.K. died at the scene from injuries in the wreck, while two other passengers in the Ford were transported to the Indian Health Service for treatment. Brady was the driver and sole occupant of the Honda, Sullivan said. A Bureau of Indian Affairs officer who made contact with Brady indicated that she smelled of alcohol and that a nearly empty bottle of MD 20/20 was later recovered from the car. Brady was treated at IHS for minor injuries, Sullivan said. A blood draw showed her blood alcohol concentration to be 0.302 percent and that she had methamphetamine in her blood, Sullivan said. In an interview after the crash, Brady told an FBI agent that she argued with her brother on the morning of the wreck and that he kicked her out of his residence. She and two others got together and she shared with one of them five large cans of Steel Reserve and a half liter of Lewis and Clark vodka. Brady blacked out from drinking and her next memory was of being transported to the hospital after the crash, Sullivan said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan said he would recommend Bradys plea be accepted by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters, who will set a sentencing date. Brady faces a maximum eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She remains in custody. The Tucson Airport Authority announced that on Oct. 14, 1948, it signed a lease with the city of Tucson for a vacant landing strip. Now, it's known as the Tucson International Airport. The Star has a Tucson history email newsletter! Sign up >> tucson.com/timemachine By TCN News A three-member team of United States Embassy, New Delhi visited the Aligarh Muslim University on Wednesday, February 15, under the leadership of Minister Counselor Ivan Boelelheide and met the Vice Chancellor Lt. Gen. Zameeruddin Shah (Veteran) in his office. The US team, accompanied by Dinesh Dubey of US Embassy, discussed the prospects of academic collaboration and cooperation between AMU and various US universities, in addition to a mutual exchange of their faculty members and students. Support TwoCircles Highlighting the objectives of his visit, Boelelheide affirmed that the Aligarh Muslim University held an important place amongst Indian universities and his country would like to extend cooperation in academics and research with AMU in various fields of education. The Vice Chancellor of AMU, Lt. Gen. Shah said that there were prospects of mutual cooperation amongst the universities in US and India for higher academic and research pursuits. He said that such cooperation was need of the hour and any development in this direction will facilitate stronger ties between the two countries. He said that the visit will open new vistas of educational support. The visiting US team also took a round on the University campus and expressed happiness on the healthy, clean and green academic environment prevalent in the university. AMU Public Relations Officer Omar Peerzada was also present in the meeting. LINCOLN This years lone woman, Laurie Warren, pulled into Lincoln at 8:54 p.m. Monday night as the champion of the Montana Race to the Sky 300-mile sled dog race. Fifteen-year-old Spencer Bruggeman of Great Falls, believed to be the youngest musher to finish the long course in a Race to the Sky, was 82 minutes behind, coming in at 10:16 p.m., 10 seconds before his father, Brett Bruggeman. The other three teams that started the race withdrew along the way. Warren, 53, has trained pack mules for more than 25 years at her ranch near Council in the high desert of West Central Idaho. Her victory made it five in a row for women mushers after Alaska's Alea Robinson in 2013, Jenny Greger of Bozeman in 2014 and Iditarod veteran Jessie Royer the past two years. None of the three competed in Race to the Sky this year. It was the first 300-miler for Warren, who competed in the Adult 100 the past three years. She said the hardest part of the race for her team came Monday evening when they passed the Whitetail Ranch east of Ovando for the third time. This time we went by and the dogs thought we were going to rest. They were really sad when we went past the checkpoint, Warren said as she unharnessed her team Monday night. This year's course was rerouted due to avalanche danger between Seeley Lake and the traditional turnaround at Owl Creek, near Holland Lake. Teams traveled the almost 50 miles between Whitetail and Seeley Lake four times. This takes a race-hardened team and driver ... back and forth on the same trail over and over. It kinda messes with your head if you let it, Race to the Sky veteran Laura Daugereau wrote on the races Facebook page Monday. Warren, 53, pulled out of the last checkpoint Monday at 9:27 a.m., with 70 backcountry miles ahead of her to the finish line in Lincoln. The Bruggemans pulled out within 10 seconds of each other an hour after Warren left, following a mandatory six-hour layover in Seeley Lake. Warren never faltered, adding to her hour lead on the final stretch. Rick Larson of Sand Coulee won the Adult 100 from Lincoln to Seeley Lake early Sunday. From what Rick told me of the trail just coming off the 100 mile race. It is HARD! Like concrete hard. This takes a lot of team management, Daugereau wrote. Extra care to keep your team hydrated and protect feet and wrists and because of the booties to protect feet, risk shoulder soreness from slipping on the Ice. Mark Stamm of Riverside, Washington, seeking to become just the second three-time winner, withdrew from the race after reaching Seeley Lake in the early-morning hours Monday. Neal Bowlen of Park City, Utah, also withdrew at Seeley Lake. That cut in half the original starting field of six after Clayton Perry of Power was injured on Saturday night and hospitalized with a concussion. Larson finished the Adult 100 at 7:16 a.m. Sunday, followed by Joe Carson of Wasilla, Alaska, at 7:40 a.m. In third place was Roy Etnire of Seeley Lake at 8 a.m. Fourth went to Dave Bush of Bend, Oregon, at 9:10 a.m. Fifth place went to Steve Riggs of Olney at 9:15 a.m. and sixth was Steve Madsen of Cougar, Washington, at 9:18 a.m. Bino Fowler from Bend, Oregon, came in at 1:30 p.m. in seventh place followed by Adam Buch of Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, at 2:32 p.m., earning him the Red Lantern Award as the last-place team. Notes: Royer, who lives and works in Darby and Fairbanks, Alaska, raced in the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest for the first time. The leaders were approaching the finish line in Fairbanks at noon Tuesday. Royer was in eighth place, roughly 180 miles from the end. She's entered in her 15th Iditarod in Alaska, starting March 4. ... Meg Conklin of Boise, along with the Herbst family, received the Sportsmanship Award. Conklin, a 13-year-old junior musher, helped get Bozemans Maeva Waterman and her team into the next checkpoint after Waterman took a wrong turn early in the race. Kali Herbsts family helped bring in Perrys team after he was injured. ...The Best Cared for Team Award was presented by Dr. Kathy Topham to Carson for excellence and professionalism taking care of his team. ... An awards ceremony for the 300-mile race was set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in Helena at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Written by A. H. on 15 Feb 2017 We're used to seeing Japanese licensors make decisions or stipulations to prevent or deter reverse importation of anime - for example, enforcing a long holdback on a home video release (or for a specific format of that release) to deter Japanese fans from importing a cheaper western edition of a series or movie rather than buying the more expensive domestic release. However, something we don't see so much of is Japanese companies trying to prevent exports to other countries, which makes a recent decision from publisher Avex Pictures all the more notable. Online retailer CD Japan confirmed in a message to customers yesterday that they - as part of a blanket restriction across all retailers - would no longer be able to ship CDs, DVDs or Blu-rays from the publisher outside of Japan from today: Unfortunately, Avex Pictures, the publisher of popular anime titles such as Yuri!!! on Ice and Osomatsu-san and others is restricting exports of Blu-ray, DVD, and CD titles. This restriction has been applied to all online shops within Japan, including CDJapan. In accordance to the restriction, majority of titles published by Avex Pictures will become unavailable for shipment outside of Japan as of the following time. Restriction begins to apply at: 6:00PM (Japan Time UTC+9) on February 15, 2017 After the above indicated time, it will no longer be available for any order to be shipped outside of Japan. As a publisher of music and anime pertaining to a number of notable series as references above, this is a disappointing turn of events for western fans, particularly given the difficulties in legally acquiring music from a lot of anime series outside of importing discs from Japan. Ironically, western fans most likely aren't even the direct target of this restriction, which is more likely to be aimed to stem exports into other Asian territories that Avex Pictures are looking to penetrate. It also isn't a restriction that is likely to put off determined fans, with proxy services and the like which will allow for goods to be shipped to a Japanese address before being sent elsewhere providing a way to workaround such restrictions. All we can hope is that ultimately some good comes from this situation in the form of serving as a precursor to making anime music in particular more readily available in the west, if only in digital form on the likes of iTunes. This morning (16th January) there was a shooting outside a primary school in Glasgow. Although Chief Inspector Simon Jeacocke described what happened as a "highly unusual incident", it does raise further questions about the use of guns and the safety of those in our decent society. Guns in Scotland and the US As the Independent newspaper reported, a man was shot at around 9.05am UK time near St. George's primary school in penilee. Although the man is being treated in hospital, what is of obvious concern is that police believe it was a "targeted attack". What is also important to state is that parents, staff and pupils were all "alarmed" by what happened. This may well be the case because gun attacks/deaths are not common in the area. The Evening Times newspaper reported that in 2015/6 there were only 26 gun crimes in Glasgow; a trend that has occurred across Scotland. This in stark contrast to the United States (US). The website 24/7 Wall Street stated that the gun homicide rate in the US is 25 times higher than the rate in other high-income nations. According to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine, of all gun fatalities in the twenty-three countries reviewed, 82 percent occurred in the United States. The differences between the two It is as a result of this that there is no great surprise when a gun attack occurs in the United States. There is horror and disbelief when a mass shooting occurs as was the case at Fort Lauderdale airport shooting on January 6th of this year. The problem with gun crime is that gun ownership is enshrined in American culture. 24/7 Wall Street reported that across the US an estimated 30 per cent of adults own at least one firearm. This is not the case in Scotland or England for that matter. There is no great affection towards possessing a gun in the United Kingdom. Although crime does occur, it is not that often with a firearm. It is as a result of this that there was such shock at what happened in Glasgow. An exception to the rule I do believe that what happened today is an exception to the rule. There is not and should not be a major concern for gun crime going forward. We do not need to make drastic changes to how our society is governed. But we should promote decency within society and ensure that gun crime continues to decline in coming years. That is the least of what we should expect as a civilised nation. On New Year's Eve a man killed thirty-nine people in an Istanbul nightclub. But what the attack demonstrated was the more modern form of terrorism that has been used throughout the world in recent times. This is the form of terrorism used by groups such as Islamic State (IS). But I think the more leading question is why such a form of attack has been used more regularly in recent times? Let us investigate. The evolution of attacks The man who carried out the attack was called Abdulgadir Masharipov and as reported by the Guardian, acted on behalf of Islamic State. In addition to this was the revelation that Masharipov not only had training in Afghanistan but entered Turkey illegally last year. But what is most significant is not only that he acted alone but also that this form of terrorism represents a change with the past. In the immediate period post 9/11 the main form of attack was suicide or bomb attacks. Examples include the Bali bombings in 2002, the Madrid train bombings in 2004 and the London train bombings in 2005 as stated on the Newsone website. Although there have been a few further instances, this form of attack has been far less frequent in recent years. And this I believe is due to the increased security within Europe and the West. The presence of police at the airports and on the streets, the sharing of Intel by the major intelligence agencies and greater efforts made to preserve the safety of such nations has helped greatly. Altering their tactics It is as a result that groups such as Islamic State have had to alter their tactics. They cannot longer simply walk into a busy shopping centre and set off a bomb. They can no longer do or act as they wish. It is because of this that we have seen more recently 'lone-wolf' attacks. An example of such a method can be found in the attack of an Orlando nightclub in June of last year by Omar Mateen which killed forty-nine people. What is significant is that Mateen claimed that he was working on behalf of IS and even went further to pledge allegiance to the terrorist group as reported on The Wall Street Journal. The Islamic State has even gone further to promote such types of attack. The Australian newspaper revealed that IS urged its followers to "burn, shoot and kill" people in Sydney and Melbourne. How to look at the situation I believe that there are two ways of looking at the situation. On the one hand such lone-wolf attacks are a cause for real concern. It is hard to stop and the damage can be extensive. But on the other hand, the fact that terror groups such as IS have resorted to such attacks is an illustration of how far they have fallen. They can no longer conduct far reaching large-scale attacks and are restricted to killing less. They are still dangerous but the fact that the international community has become far more effective in dealing with such attempts to kill is the reason why such attacks are being used more regularly in recent times. The Times (London) and the German tabloid newspaper paper Bild held an English language interview with President-Elect Donald J. trump over the weekend, just a few days before he becomes Commander in Chief and chief executive of The United States. Many of his comments have stirred great concern and confusion in European capitals. Art of the Deal Students of business negotiations and "The Art of War" will recognize the possibility that all of Mr. Trump's seemingly strange and highly provocative statements are actually just a negotiation ploy putting opponents and friends alike off their stride and making it easier to reach an agreement favorable to your side. Viewing the following statements in that light may give you a more comfortable feeling for the year ahead. Russia vs Germany When asked who he trusted more, German Chancellor Angela merkel or Russias President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Trump said that at present he "trusts them both equally, for now." DW Akademie reports online that German leaders are "dismayed and bewildered" by things the President-Elect said in the weekend's interview. NATO is obsolete NATO was formed after WWII to counter the U.S.S.R.s aggressive policies in Europe. Mr. Trump told The Times that it was now obsolete. The President-Elect also complained that the U.S., the UK, and four other countries were the only member countries in NATO which met their financial obligations out of the 22 NATO members of the European defense organization, saying the remainder weren't meeting their 2% GDP commitment to supporting the military organization. The reporter from Bild reminded Mr. Trump there are actually 28, not 22 members of NATO. Although the President-elect calls it obsolete, NATO has a major role in fighting terrorism and also in training pro-Western military forces. Of apparently small comfort to many European heads of state, Trump has also stated in the past that despite his rejection of the usefulness of NATO he is committed to the defense of Europe. Strangely, The Independents website quotes Mr. Trump as also saying, NATO is very important to me." Mixed signals indeed. Trump on EU Mr. Trump also said he expects the EU to break up and told The Times and Bild that he blamed the massive influx of refugees for the building instability and for the Brexit vote. On Brexit The President-Elect said he thought the UKs exit from the EU was a wonderful move, telling The Times, "I think Brexit is going to end up being a great thing," and "The fact that your pound sterling has gone down? Great. Because business is unbelievable in a lot of parts in the UK." Mr. Trump also said he wants to immediately build closer ties to the UK with a bi-lateral trade agreement. While Presidents usually enter office with a positive rating by most of the public - obvious if you think about it since they were just elected - President-Elect trumps ratings are dropping fast as inauguration day approaches. Fewer than half of U.S. voters approve of him. Latest poll numbers Multiple opinion surveys agree that his popularity is low and dropping. In particular, the January 10 Quinnipiac University national poll finds exiting President Obama with a 55% approval rating but incoming President Donald Trumps performance so far is already disapproved of by 51% of American voters and he has only a 37% approval rating. Further, only 34% say he will be a better President than Obama, while 52% are optimistic about the next four years. All of Mr. Trump's personal ratings including honesty and intelligence have dropped since the last Quinnipiac poll on November 22, even though most still remain at or above 50%. Why this matters to governing Mr. Trump is not improving things with constant feuds. He attacked Civil Rights Icon Rep. John Lewis over the weekend. Today is a Federal holiday in the U.S., Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. While the Trump transition team keep insisting he has a great mandate from the voters, Republicans are becoming very concerned with his falling ratings and growing public opposition to his recent actions. That translates to personal concerns about the next election cycle which is in two years for some and to dwindling support for President-Elect Trumps agenda. Although Republicans have a majority in both houses of Congress, it is a bare majority in the Senate and if only two or three Republicans oppose drastic changes to existing laws they wont pass. Second thoughts As the Republican Congress is moving to immediately revoke the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obama Care), many of the recently insured under the ACA are Trump voters in the critical mid-West industrial states which put candidate Trump over the top in the Electoral College, despite falling more than 2 million votes short in the election totals. But while President-Elect Trump and a few Senators keep promising almost same day enactment of a great replacement health care system, there isnt actually any widely accepted Republican plan, therefore millions of Trump voters face the possibility of losing their insurance since it can take months or years to work out all the complex details of a new health care insurance plan. Gun control Although many Trump voters are strongly in favor of the right to keep and bear arms (own guns), as the Second Amendment to the U.S. constitution guarantees, the latest news on the legislative front is surprising many. The Hearing Protection Act, which Trump insiders praise, seems innocuous until you read it and discover that it removes virtually all restrictions on purchase of Gun silencers (technically suppressors) which are currently almost impossible to legally buy or own. Blame the mainstream media It was no secret among experts that it would be virtually impossible to replace Obama care with a new set of laws and regulations which would let people keep the most popular provisions including a guarantee that those in their early 20s can stay on their parents insurance and that companies cant deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, the mainstream media, especially TV campaign coverage failed to make this clear. Another major hole in the TV coverage of what Trump policies would actually mean was the gun situation in the U.S. Although voters knew Trump wanted to block any additional restrictions on gun ownership such as requiring background checks for sales over the Internet or at gun shows, very few knew that he intended to remove many existing laws and regulations including the near total ban on silencers. The great wall Finally, the promised "fantastic wall" which Candidate Trump promised would be paid for by Mexico looks to initially cost U.S. tax payers $10 billion and Mexico may never pay. Donald Trump is coming up to a month as President of the United States (POTUS) and ever since the inauguration, controversy hasnt been far behind. After several destructive and divisive executive orders, he has become the fastest president to have a negative approval rating. However, the latest controversial leak is the information that Michael Flynn, Trumps former National Security Advisor, gave false assurances over contact with a Russian diplomat. Michael Flynn resigned from his position over growing pressure that he had spoken with Russian diplomats, citing the fast pace of events over accidentally giving the President and Vice-President incomplete information Frequent contact with Russian officials Donald Trumps campaign team has been denying that there was frequent contact between them and the Kremlin. Since Michael Flynns resignation there have been fresh allegations from American intelligence and law enforcement agencies, that there were repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence operatives by Trumps campaign staff and associates. However, there was no evidence from the communications of the Trump team colluding with Russia to influence the election result. The communications were intercepted at the same time evidence of Russian involvement of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) hack. A former US marine, Seth Moulton, has said that the unconfirmed reports could amount to treason. Senior Republicans and Democrats have called for an independent investigation into Michael Flynns conduct with Russia, with John McCain stating it is a troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus. Further questions raised over Trumps administration This raises serious questions over Trumps stance as it is claimed that he has been aware for weeks that Flynn withheld the truth about the extent of Russian links. Law enforcement agencies havent stated the extent of the alleged contact by Trumps team and Russian officials. Sean Spicer has repeatedly been denying the allegations, stating that Flynns contact with Russian officials was an isolated incident. If they do turn out to be true, the extent of the problem will raise serious question for global security, not just American, with Finland concerned that Russia is gearing to invade them. Trumps failing administration Trumps presidency has been dysfunctional at best and this could be the worse scandal since Watergate, and be significantly worse. With White House officials burying their head in the ground and continuously issuing denials, the concerns are what his campaign team discussed with Russian intelligence operatives if it werent about influencing the election. A weaker NATO and EU will benefit Russian military ambition, and global organisations need to act fast because if they are awaiting a finding of clear and present danger, then it could be too late because the danger has never been so clear and its presence hasnt been as imminent since the Cold War. For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a war-time discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match. John F. Kennedy, The President and the Press: Address before the American Newspaper Publishers Association, April 27, 1961. It turns out totalitarian North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has an estranged half-brother, Kim Jong-Nam, and hes just been killed by two assassins in an airport in Malaysia. The airport was the Kuala Lumpur airport. The assassins were two women using poisoned needles. The report is coming in from South Korean media outlets. Assassins are believed to be North Korean agents The two assassins are thought to be agents sent from North Korea. They escaped the scene in a taxi and remain at large. They still have yet to be caught by authorities. One news outlet from the area, Yonhap News, has also confirmed the killing of Kim Jong-Nam. They cite a source in the South Korean Government with providing the information. Police in Malaysia told reporters that a North Korean man had died on his way to a hospital from the airport in Kuala Lumpur. The police did not disclose the mans identity or his cause of death. However, an employee at the emergency room he was being rushed to has spilled the beans on the details of his death. The employee roused suspicion by confirming that the dead Korean man was born in 1970 and had the surname Kim, the same as the North Korean dictator. The Prime Minister of Malaysia confirmed the death of Kim Jong-Nam, half-brother of nuke-toting Kim Jong-Un, in an interview with the BBC, and also confirmed that an autopsy was underway on Kims body. Kim had been in hiding Kim was in hiding in Malaysia, trying to stay away from the limelight given the unpopularity of his family name and politics and the volatility of his totalitarian half-brother. He decided to go into hiding after the wakeup call of his uncles execution (that uncle being Jang Song-Thaek) made him realise how dangerous it is to be a Kim in the Koreas. Kim was renowned for travelling a lot and spending very little time actually in the country. He had spoken out publicly against his familys control over North Korea, which is probably what ticked off his brother and got him assassinated. There had been a previous attempt on Kims life in Macau back in 2011, which he narrowly avoided. Kim is the eldest son of deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, whose finest work can be found in Team America. The north korean Kim Jong-Nam, the half-brother of the North Korea dictator was assassinated at the Kaula-Lumpur Airport by two females who either punctured him with poisoned needles or sprayed something in his face, according to Malaysian police. Hereditary monarchy rules - kill all heirs Following the attack the two females escaped, reportedly in a taxi, and have not been apprehended. The Malaysian police are still investigating. Nam was a gambler and a playboy who lost the confidence of his father when he embarrassed the North Korean government by sneaking into Japan on a false passport - he was expelled. Until then he was the presumptive heir trained to take over as hereditary head of the government. After that he often spoke against the hereditary model of leadership but also repeatedly said that he had no interest in returning to his country and taking over as head of government. That was probably a good idea although it apparently didnt keep Nam far enough below the radar because his step-brother is consolidating his hold on the government by eliminating anyone who seems to be poised to compete for power. His uncle Jang Song-Thaek was tried and executed for treason, apparently with his wifes collusion, as a part of Kim Jong-Uns removal of the old guard of 70-year-olds who were cluttering up the 33-year-olds control of the government apparatus. But since his wife Kim Kyong Hui, 68, died soon afterwards after complaining about the execution, the rumors may not be true. Or she may have been complaining that she didn't get rewarded. She reportedly died of a stroke during an argument about his death, but later reports say she was poisoned. In another example of the dear leader's approach to problems, after a skyscraper in Pyongyang collapsed, all the engineers and architects involved in its construction were executed by machine gun. Proximity is proximal cause of death. Being anywhere near Kim Jung-un is widely recognized as being a very dangerous location, just ask the ghost of Defense Minister Hyon Yong-Cho who fell asleep in a meeting and was rumored to have woken up strapped to the barrel of an anti-aircraft gun. Thats actually not true, he was apparently tied to an execution pole and shot from a distance. Here is one dramatization of the event. That might be seen as an internet legend if it werent for the other confirmed execution methods used by Kim: > Death by flamethrower > Execution by machine gun (Uncle Jang) > Proverbial cup of hemlock (Kim Kyong Hui poisoned) > Execution by Machine gun - engineers and designers of a failed building. > Flamethrower again (Deputy Public Security Minister O Sang-hon, friend of Hyon Yong-Cho > Mortar (vice minister of the Army Kim Chol) President Trumps dilemma The challenge for the new president is just how to deal with someone this bloodthirsty and paranoid who already has nuclear weapons. Tweeting threats won't cut it, but the dear leader's apparent desire to be linked with celebrities may help. Perhaps Dennis Rodman can help. The point not mentioned in any of the news reports Ive seen is the critical aspect of the missile test being a solid fuel rocket. Commentators have talked about how this means there will be virtually no warning with this kind of fuel since it is already in the weapon and doesnt have to be loaded just before firing but that's a minor point. What everyone seems to have missed is that a solid fuel rocket of the kind reportedly shown firing the other day is launched from a container into the air before the rocket fires. That means it could be carried on a cargo ship or submarine so even a short range weapon can be extremely dangerous since it can be launched from just a hundred miles off the coast of the US. The trump administration's ties to the Russian government has once more come to light following a new report. President Donald Trump's election campaign aides had regular contact with Russian authorities and intelligence officials during the course of last year, the report alleges. The report was published by the New York Times a mere twenty-four hours after Michael Flynn resigned from Trump's administration due to his ties to Russia. The report states that four US intelligence officials are not guilty of attempting to influence the result of the election. However, the regular contact between Trump's team and Russia raises further questions. Furthermore, a CNN report stated that 'senior advisers to Donald Trump were in daily contact with Russia throughout the duration of the presidential campaign'. Potential repercussions Despite the ambiguity of the report, they pose a threat to the Trump administration on a number of levels: The report contradicts Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, who claimed that there was no contact between the Trump team and Russia. Last month, the President also denied links to Russia. who claimed that there was no contact between the Trump team and Russia. Last month, the President also denied links to Russia. The report puts pressure on the Republican party to launch an investigation into links with Russia. to launch an investigation into links with Russia. The leaking of more documents highlights intelligence officials' willingness to leak information against Trump. to leak information against Trump. The leaked documents corroborate reports leaked last year by Christopher Steele of the MI6. Steele claimed that Trump and Russia colluded to influence the election-if this is the case, Trump could face trial for constitutional treason. Rekindling of election campaign tensions The resurfacing of Trump's alleged collusion with Russia has rekindled the flames of battle. Senior officials in Hillary Clinton's campaign believed that Russia hacked her emails days before the election to purposefully sabotage her campaign. Clinton's former spokesperson, Brian Fallon, took to Twitter to state: 'Everything that we suspected throughout the course of the election campaign is proving to be true. This is a colossal scandal that must be thoroughly investigated'. After allegations of treason by Democrats and senior Republicans calling for an independent investigation in Michael Flynns association with Russia, you would assume the President will lay low. However, it true Trump fashion he prefers to tweet the blame elsewhere and this is becoming a serious cause for concern that he would dismiss possible acts of treason from his own campaign team. Michael Flynn resigned due to pressure mounting over contact with a Russian intelligence operative, plus, further allegations that several campaign staff and associates contacted Russian officials. Donald Trump lashes out Donald Trump has been expressing his views on Twitter on the whole matter, after previously ignoring the whole Flynn resignation and tweeting that Obamacare (ACA) is failing. Trump finally responds but in a very dangerous manner because as usual he lashes out at the media, stating that CNN and MSNBC are reporting fake news and conspiracy theories. He then proceeds to blame Hillary Clintons campaign, calling it a cover-up over mistakes made during her campaign. The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 The dangers of these tweets are that there will be many supporters who will believe his claims of fake news. He even stops to blame Obama for Russias actions in Crimea, claiming he was too soft seemingly forgetting that his own campaign team have been accused of frequently contacting Russian officials. This deflection of blame is concerning because he repeatedly finds accuses that could cause security issues that affect the world, not just America. CHEYENNE The $91 million that the Wyoming Senate cut from public education will be used as a bargaining chip with the House as the two chambers negotiate the budget bill and other legislation, the second-ranking Republican in the upper chamber of the Legislature said late Monday afternoon. I dont think the majority of the Senate is interested in having all $91 million (in cuts) coming in the next school year, said Senate Majority Floor Leader Drew Perkins of Casper. But I think what were trying to do is create a vehicle for negotiations with the House. The Wyoming Senate passed a budget bill Friday that cuts from public education and employee salaries and benefits. It slashes $91 million to K-12 schools, effective next school year. At the same time, Senate File 1 also provides more money than previously proposed to suicide and substance abuse prevention, the University of Wyoming and the states community colleges. The House was still working on its version of the budget bill, House Bill 1, Monday evening. The Legislatures lower chamber was debating amendments at press time. The Senate finished its work on the budget Friday. Usually the House finishes the same day. Gov. Matt Mead made $250 million in cuts over the summer. The Legislature is now debating cutting or spending savings for another $156 million to balance the states two-year, $3 billion budget. Schools are funded separately from other government, and face an anticipated $400 million annual shortfall in coming years for a budget thats now sits at $1.5 billion annually. On Monday, the House didnt get to the budget bill until the afternoon. The Legislatures lower chamber discussed other bills in the morning and early afternoon, leaving representatives confused as to why a bill thats so exigent has been delayed. Democratic Rep. Stan Blake of Green River posted to Twitter: 2:37 in the afternoon and now we are starting to finish House Bill 1, 3rd reading amendments. Dazed and Confused. If the House adopts a budget bill, then both chambers will begin the process of reconciliation the bills differences. The final budget bill has to be the same in both chambers. Education cuts Perkins said the $91 million reduction to education was just $12 million more than what is proposed in House Bill 236 or Senate File 165, legislation that originated in each chamber that proposes sweeping changes and cuts to schools. The cuts in the House and Senate education bills would be made over a number of years. The cut advanced Friday during the Senates budget discussions would be immediate if adopted by the full Legislature, said Perkins, the Senate leader. The difference was it accelerated it, it would be in the next school year, Perkins said. Were trying to find some ways that will have some meaning for negotiations for the House. The House education bill comes with a 0.5 percent sales tax increase if the rainy day fund is drained below $500 million. The sales tax goes away under certain financial conditions, too. But in the Senate, the House bills sales levy is in peril because Senate President Eli Bebout, R-Riverton, has said he opposes any tax increases. The House, meantime, is not considering any measures to decrease school funding by $91 million. Employee cuts The Senate also passed a budget amendment Friday that would take 2 percent from the pot of money that pays for employee salaries or benefits, Perkins said. Gov. Matt Mead and his agency heads will be able to choose how to realize those figures which will save the state over $6 million a year starting July 1, if the House agrees to a similar measure. Senate budget The original version of the budget bill had $2.1 million in cuts to the contract for substance abuse and suicide prevention. The Senate restored that cut by $1 million from some unexpected Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund money that came to the state, Perkins said. The House rejected a similar measure Friday and the differences will have to be settled in negotiation between the two chambers. The Senates budget also provides an additional $1 million to the University of Wyoming and $600,000 to the states community colleges that had been cut out of the budget bill. Scientists and doctors have been warning for years that we are losing the battle against bacterial diseases caused by superbugs because of misuse of the antibiotics used to fight them. Nevada woman dies of infection An otherwise healthy woman in her 70s died last September according to a recent CDC report, after returning to the U.S. for treatment for an infection picked up when she broke a bone in India. Doctors tried 26 different antibiotics, including the most extreme and dangerous ones in an effort to treat the infection but failed to save the woman who had a bacterial infection which is resistant to all known antibiotics. The infection was carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), specifically Klebsiella pneumoniae. Despite intensive treatment the woman developed septic shock and died in hospital. I wasnt able to confirm whether or not the recently discovered last ditch effort treatment for septic shock - a chemotherapy drug, Camptothecin, was used but every antibiotic treatment was tried. India is known to have many resistant bacteria and superbugs because poor sanitation leads to the massive legitimate use of antibiotics to treat infections. A U.K. report commissioned by MP David Cameron found that if the trend to over treat with antibiotics and the lack of research into new treatments are not reversed by 2050 more people could die of infections than from cancer at an estimated global economic cost of $100 trillion. Animal antibiotics In many countries antibiotics are routinely sold in bulk to ranchers who raise the meat animals we consume often leaving some residue of the Medicine in the packaged meat from the animal. The benefit to the rancher is small, just a slight increase in growth weight, but bulk antibiotics are so cheap that it is worth it. In factory farms and feedlots where animals are crowded into unsanitary pens or fattened in mass groups antibiotics are actually necessary to keep them reasonably healthy - but the bottom line is that making antibiotics generally available to ranchers was a bad choice promoted, of course, mostly by the drug companies. Sanitizers and antibacterial soap When you see an ad saying some product will kill 99 or 99.9% of all bacteria on surfaces remember that the ones it doesnt kill will continue to multiply and eventually become the dominant bacteria in a local ecosystem - bugs which ordinary treatments wont kill. This can eventually lead to the creation of superbugs which no medicine can kill. Hand wash products, in particular, are dangerous because many of the ones advertised as antibacterial are actually mutagenic - that is, they contain chemicals which not only kill bacteria but actually trigger mutations, potentially creating new and deadly infections. The virtue of dirt The rise of asthma has been tied to children living in too clean an environment - adults who were raised on farms tend to be the most healthy as are those who had dogs as children - both groups are exposed to a greater variety and concentration of bacteria during the early development of their immune systems. Immune power As antibiotics lose potency against newly discovered or mutated bacteria the human immune system is rapidly becoming the last line of defense as it already is with virus infections - moving us back to a pre-WWII medical era. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is asking the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to overturn permits issued for the Dakota Access Pipeline. Tribal lawyers filed for a summary judgment on the permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following an executive order by President Donald Trump that expedited the 1,172-mile crude oil pipelines approval. The Tribe said it is seeking the judgment in hopes of getting a decision before the pipeline can go into operation. The corps issued the final easement allowing the pipeline to be constructed under the Missouri River, half a mile upstream of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, on Feb. 8, reversing an earlier decision to withhold the easement while the agency completed an environmental impact statement. In this arbitrary and capricious reversal of course, the Trump Administration is circumventing the law: wholly disregarding the treaty rights of the Standing Rock Sioux and ignoring the legally required environmental review. It isn't the 1800s anymore the U.S. government must keep its promises to the Standing Rock Sioux and reject rather than embrace dangerous projects that undercut treaties, Jan Hasselman, the Earthjustice attorney who is representing the tribe in its challenges against the pipeline, said in a statement. The action comes on the heels of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who denied a request for a temporary restraining order to halt pipeline construction while the legal battle plays out. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is honored for his contributions, but not just for African-American rights. He furthered civil rights for all Americans. MLK Jr. Day also commemorates the "I Have a Dream" speech famously given at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963. That speech might not have happened if not for the goddess of gospel Mahalia Jackson goading Dr. King, says Yahoo! Music. And, the Lincoln Memorial wasn't the first platform at which Dr. King spoke those words. Detroiters heard them first on June 23rd of that year, commemorating the 1943 race riots. Detroit "Arsenal of Democracy" implodes In 1943, Detroit and other industrial cities experienced a spate of racially motivated violence. WWII war production and Detroit's booming auto industry made the Motor City a mecca for job seekers, black and white. From 1940-1943, Detroit saw a northward migration similar to that of 1915 before WWI. The city had more jobs than workers to fill them, and the Dust Bowl sent 500,000 southerners to Detroit, including farmers, sharecroppers, impoverished Appalachians, and other unemployed. The exodus has been called Detroit's "Grapes of Wrath. The 10-percent African-American population didn't fare any better with immigrant whites up north than they had in the south. "Detroit is Dynamite" The Motor City was working full tilt in war production. One-third of all military equipment was produced in Detroit, earning it the title "Arsenal of Democracy." But all those people needed homes the city didn't have. Overworked, under-housed Detroiters were tense and exhausted, and that sparked always-simmering racial issues. A 1942 LIFE magazine article, "Detroit Is Dynamite" predicted race riots in the powder-keg city. Riots might have been inaccurate because essentially, it was one race, whites, bullying blacks. On a sweltering hot Sunday, June 20, 1943 -- Father's Day -- the keg exploded. From Sunday to "Bloody Monday," June 21, thousands of angry whites trashed Detroit's black neighborhoods to protest the building of a black housing project. Detroit can't live together, or separately In 1943 there was one seriously overcrowded Brewster housing project for blacks. White housing projects were crowded too but there were many more of them. In those Jim Crow days, black Americans couldn't legally live with whites. When the city announced it was building another segregated black Sojourner Truth housing project, furious whites marched up Woodward Ave., and Vernor Highway, through black neighborhoods of Paradise Valley and Black Bottom, leaving a trail of destruction. In all, 34 people died. The Civil Rights Movement grew out of atrocities like this. Martin Luther King praises, exhorts Detroit In the spring of 1963, the Detroit Council for Human Rights called for a "Walk to Freedom" to commemorate the incident. Many embers still burned from the 1943 conflagration. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther, Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh, former Michigan Gov. John B. Swainson, and 125,000 people gathered. They marched up Woodward Avenue to Cobo Hall, where Dr. King praised Detroit's "Walk to Freedom" for its non-violent protest of oppression and police brutality. Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and MLK Jr. King discussed his dream of whites and blacks "walking together, hand in hand" in harmony and equality. This was the same vision, the same dream he shared in Washington, D.C., two months later. He would have rejoiced at the election of the first black President, Barack Obama. Sadly, just a few short years after the speech, Detroit would be alight again over civil rights. Dr. King would not be alive to see the dream, his life ended by a bullet. Many hope the election of President-elect Donald Trump won't set civil rights back. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day observances exhort people to keep the torch burning in memory of the past, and hope for the future. Bangladesh is the creation of India. The then Indian PM Indira Gandhi (in consultation with the Indian CinC Field Marshal Sam Maneckshaw) made the grand plan to cut Pakistan in size. In a swift operation, the Indian army decimated the Pakistan army inside 13 days and liberated East Pakistan. The state of Bangladesh came into being, and, except for a 300 km with Burma, the new state is surrounded by India. There is no threat of any sort to Bangladesh. It is a matter of intrigue that China has sold 2 attack submarines to Bangladesh. The bigger surprise is that Bangladesh has gone in for submarines when it faces no military threat. Submarines are attack ships and having them is cause for alarm to India. The submarines The submarines sold to Bangladesh are the type O-35 refurbished vessels. The Bangladesh navy personnel were given training in China. The warships have been purchased at a cost of $203 million. That's a lot of money for an impoverished nation like Bangladesh with a per capita income which is among the lowest in the world. The submarines have been named BNS Nabajatra and BNS Joyjatra. Theoretically, they will defend Bangladeshi interests in the Bay of Bengal. The question is against whom? The naval border and interests between India and Bangladesh are clearly demarcated and there are no problems with India. Internal militancy Bangladesh is facing an internal militancy from homegrown ISIS supporters. Many terror acts have been committed. This extremist group does not want Bangladesh to be friendly with India. It has been attacking Hindus and non-Muslims. The USA is alarmed and coordinating help, along with India to the Bangladesh government. It is clear that the only threat Bangladesh faces is an internal threat as there is no threat from India or Burma. Last word One can see that selling these diesel submarines to Bangladesh is part of China's grand plan to encircle India. With the 99 year lease of a port in Sri Lanka, China is well on its way to achieving its strategic objectives in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. #Jeremy Meeks. Convicted felon. And now runway star. New York Fashion Week isn't simply getting political. It's also getting legal. Since there is nothing unlawful about sending a hot ex-inmate down the catwalk. Which is just as well, since the whole of #New york fashion week are falling for the petty criminal's pouty lips and smoldering eyes. Petty theft and obstructing justice Meeks rose to fame after his handsome mug shot was posted on Stockton Police Department's Facebook page. Arrested and charged for 'street terrorism' as well as resisting or obstructing justice, #Meeks became an Internet sensation when his mug shot went viral. It racked up 75,000 likes and thousands of comments. He had already served a nearly ten-year sentence for grand theft. Walking the walk The 33-year-old blue-eyed hunk walked in designer Philipp Plein's show on Monday, hitting the runway in a dark pants and a black fur-trimmed puffer coat. He stared at the cameras with his famous bright blue eyes as women from #downtown to the Upper East Side swooned in joy. Ten members of whats being described as very violent street gang are facing federal drug trafficking and extortion charges after a series of raids by Federal and local authorities in Northern California. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security say after five years of investigating, teams of its special agents and local police officers arrested ten suspected members of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13 gang, during raids early Monday in Santa Cruz, in nearby Watsonville, and in Daly City, just outside of San Francisco. MS-13 is an international criminal gang that originated in Los Angeles before spreading to other parts of the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Central America. Suspects believed to be involved in murders, drug trafficking Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Dan Flippo says Homeland Security was the lead agency in the investigation, with the arrests being made in conjunction with Santa Cruz police and other local agencies. The suspected gang members arrested are believed to be involved in at least two murders, extortion, and trafficking of heroin and methamphetamine. The suspects -- all men between the ages of 20 and 40 -- appeared in federal court Monday afternoon after being arrested in the raids earlier in the day. Some of the suspects are facing up to 40 years in prison if convicted of all the charges against them. Though the arrests of the suspected gang members come as federal immigration officials over the past week have arrested nearly 700 people described as convicted criminal aliens and gang members, Flippo says the arrests Monday in Santa Cruz and nearby were not related to those raids. Police: 'No way an immigration raid' "Let me be very clear, this was in no way an immigration raid, Flippo told KSBW-TV. We were focusing on a very violent gang that has been preying on our city streets for over a decade," he said. "This investigation into this very violent gang focused on the shootings, murders, extortion, and sales of both heroin and methamphetamine in our community," Flippo told the station. Indeed, just last month, the Santa Cruz City Council and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors re-declared the city and county as "sanctuaries" for illegal immigrants. In recent days, a cloud of controversy has hung over the Donald Trump administration in the form of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. After Flynn abruptly announced his resignation on Thursday night, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decided to offer her thoughts. Clinton on Flynn When President Donald Trump defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton last November to become the new commander in chief, it was only a matter of time before the billionaire real estate mogul started to announce the team that would end up surrounding him in the White House. One member of that team was retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who was added as the national security adviser. While it was expected that Democrats would be critical of Flynn due to his strong opposition to radical Islam, it was reports linking the general to Russia that acted as the final straw. As seen on her Twitter account on February 14, Clinton decided to chime in. Philippe's got his own way of saying things, but he has a point about the real consequences of fake news... https://t.co/a02sXiaHfp Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 14, 2017 Former advisor to Hillary Clinton, Philippe Reines, took to his Twitter account and decided to troll Michael Flynn, targeting his promotion of the debunked conspiracy "Pizzagate" story that alleged the Clintons were involved in a child sex traffic scandal based out of the Comet pizza shop. "Dear Mike Flynn & Mike Flynn Jr., What goes around COMETS around," Reines tweeted. In response, Clinton shared Reines tweet, while adding a comment of her own. "Philippe's got his own way of saying things, but he has a point about the real consequences of fake news...," Clinton wrote on Twitter. Dear Mike Flynn & Mike Flynn Jr., What goes around COMETS around. And given your pizza obsession...https://t.co/rmyO7wyJKX xo Philippe Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) February 14, 2017 Flynn's last days The story that ended Michael Flynn's short time in the White House was when he allegedly spoke to Russian officials about lifting sanctions against them, which were put in place by then President Barack Obama. At the time, Flynn was still a private citizen, which would violate the Logan Act that forbids unauthorized individuals from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States. In his resignation letter to Trump, Michael Flynn defended his conversations with the Russian ambassador https://t.co/BWwqYWKTvP Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 14, 2017 Recent reports suggest that Flynn was dishonest about the incident during a conversation with Vice President Mike Pence, which only added to the pressure. As of press time, Donald Trump has not offered a public comment on Flynn's resignation, but a statement is expected in shortly. A man thought he was texting a hitman to kill his Wife and 4-old daughter. The pair is alive today because the text went to the wrong person. Instead of the order going to the hitman, the Monroe, Washington man's text went to his ex-boss. According to police reports, Jeff Lytle was arrested and held on a $1 million bond for two counts of criminal solicitation for first-degree murder and domestic violence. The former employer called 911 immediately after receiving the text message with information and instructions about carrying out the two murders. Lytle told where his wife worked and the time she would be leaving. He instructed the potential killer to make the hit look like an accident. He also discussed how the hitman would be paid. Apparently, the reason for the hit was to collect the wife's $1.5 million insurance payout which Lytle promised to evenly split with the killer. The hitman was told that if he wanted a bonus he could kill the daughter also because she has a $500,000 insurance policy. Husband's admission At first the 42-year-of husband denied sending the text about having his wife and daughter killed. He later admitted to sending the text. He explained that he did it just to vent because at the time he was angry with his wife. Lytle said the text was written months ago after he and his wife had an argument. He further explained that he usually deletes his text messages, and his daughter must have sent the messages that might have been in his drafts folder. Statement from Lytle's wife Lytles wife of seven years told police she and her husband had no such argument, and she was not aware of anything going wrong in their marriage. She did admit that they had financial problems because her husband was unemployed. Nothing was revealed about what will happen when Lytle gets out of jail if he does. Will his wife be comfortable living with him again? Will she be leery of leaving him with their 4-year-old daughter? Even though no murder took place, the thought of the possibility must be weighing heavily on her mind. When General Michael Flynn "threatened" Iran during the middle of the Trump administration's second week, the consensus view was that military action was on the table. It took the media speaking with various officials to confirm that this was the case, but the administration was less-than-vague as to the actions they were going to take. What followed instead were more sanctions against iran. Michael Flynn wants Iran regime change, of that he has made no secret. But sanctions are hardly a start for the kind of regime change he wants. Last December, the Obama administration refused to sign a renewal of the Extension of the Iran Sanctions Act, which caused it to default into law for which they also said that doing so did not violate the Iran Nuclear deal. The effort to renew the Iran Sanctions Act was deliberately pushed by conservatives hardliners against Iran. The Trump White House isn't as tough as they seem While the Trump administration has imposed new sanctions against Iran, various reports say that anything harder would mean that the United States violates the Iran nuclear deal. The Trump White House has already walked a thin line with tradition, with the law and with many of their actions on a daily basis which clearly, they are not afraid to do. This being the case, why not just go ahead and violate the Iran nuclear deal Trump believes is so terrible"? So far, it seems that with Michael Flynn's threat from the podium to build the illusion that the Trump presidency is being "tough," they've only repackaged the same provocations as strength because according to a report by The Hill on the new sanctions, the sanctions themselves aren't much of a departure from the Obama administration's handling of Iran's missile program. Trump's sanctions on Iran are the same as Obama's Iran says U.S. sanctions stop American oil firms taking part in projects https://t.co/6DHCpYNOg9 pic.twitter.com/GphLiaehtn Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 6, 2017 In a February 8 interview with House Speaker Paul Ryan on PBS NewsHour, he said he was glad that the Trump White House had enforced sanctions and that the Obama administration should have done it a year ago. But The Hill continues to say that in January 2016, nearly a dozen Iranian-linked entities were sanctioned by the Treasury Department for their involvement in Iran's ballistic missile program, just like the move the Trump White House made. So it would not only appear that the claim that President Obama refused to enforce sanctions on Iran is incorrect but, that these sanctions are also no different from those imposed before. The Trump administration says that the ballistic missile program is a violation of the Iran nuclear agreement because those missiles could deliver nuclear warheads. But Iran disputes this and Russia who are supporters of Iran also disputes that they violated the deal, saying that the resolution itself is a call rather than a ban. A change in tune The article also points out that the latest sanctions are violating the intent rather than violate the resolution. During the sanctions expansion incident with President Obama last year, the administration made the point that they wanted other nations to follow through and put their own sanctions on Iran. This appears to be the case now with reports that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also wants other nations to do the same. In his visit to Downing Street during his first week, he made a similar call on the agenda for everyone involved with sanctions on Iran according to The Guardian. ... I welcome President Trump's assistance of new sanctions against Iran, I think other nations should follow suit, certainly responsible nations. And I'd like to talk to you about how we can ensure that Iran's aggression does not go unanswered. British PM Theresa May said that they had agreed after the meeting that they support the nuclear deal. Despite Netanyahu being the most persistent with wanting to stop the deal the Obama administration made, he has also chimed in with those who agree that the deal should stay. Despite Michael Flynn's stance, it looks as if the tension is for nothing. One of the strongest images of the presidential campaign won by #Donald Trump was the then Republican candidate praying with a number of Episcopalian Ministers before a rally. The message was one of support from the ministers for. the businessman become politician. Yet the actions of President Trump give a message that should be abhorrent to any representative of a religion; that being a member of a certain religion is illegal. Moslem ban One of the first executive orders signed by the newly installed President was a ban on Moslem immigration from seven at risk countries in the Middle East. The reason for the ban was to install a system of extreme vetting of refugees to ensure that no potential terrorists were amongst them. At the same time in public statements, particularly to National Christian Broadcaster the President stated that preference would be given to Christians from those countries. With those statements the ban became an issue of religious freedom that was one of the reasons that it has been blocked in the courts. As could be expected the ban was greeted enthusiastically by Trumps core supporters. Sadly, some of them harassed Moslems within the country as widely reported in recent weeks. Effectively, in the minds of some Americans the ban became a de facto ban on the religion itself. Protection of rights These are issues that the White House beginning with President Trump should and must address. The image of the then candidate praying with ministers in campaign mode must not be taken as meaning that some select religions are suitable but others, even if only one, are not. America has numerous religions in every town, from the Moslems to Scientology, the Jews to Sikhs and it must not be forgotten that the word Christian covers a wider range of differing beliefs and theologies all revolving around the man born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day. Strangely, even now there still conflicts within the Christian groups with some that do not recognize others as Christians, as sometimes happens towards Catholics in particular. The perception of a ban on Moslems could open the door for directing antagonism against others based in their religion. Judgments and executions The Moslem ban points the spotlight on a basic right that is at the core of the freedom of religion enjoyed in the United States and all the modern Democracies. Each and every individual must be judged on his or her individual behaviour and not because of their religion, skin colour or origins of any kind. The United States already passed through a phase where a nationality suffered prejudice because of the actions of a small group that today would be called terrorists. In the early decades of the last century the actions of the anarchists with bombings and assassinations caused alarm within the community and since many of them were Italian led to open discrimination by the authorities against newly arrived Italian migrants. This was the background for the famous Sacco and Vanzetti trial that ended with their executions in the electric chair. Any reading of court documents would clearly show that the case was decided on their beliefs and origins and not due to any evidence provided during the trial. Yet, the Italians who suffered prejudice during this period would go on to become a mainstay of the United States and some of their descendants would even go on to positions of authority. We should not need to look up history to remember this lesson. We should all realize that each and every one of us has the right to decide whether or not to believe in a God and which God we decide to follow. Exercising this right must not be reason for suffering prejudice and the White House should remember this when undertaking any action which could make people believe that any religion could be illegal. The simple message is having a religion is not a crime. The Easter store at Seeds of Hope Thrift and Gift Store is opening Monday. Located in the lower level of the store at 520 E. Main, the Easter store has hundreds of Easter baskets, bunnies and decorative items at a reasonable price. We have an extreme amount of new egg dye and Easter basket, said Lisa Ternes, Seeds of Hope manager. You will be amazed at the unique items Seeds of Hope has to offer. Whether you are decorating your home or office, hosting an Easter egg hunt or looking for that perfect gift, we have everything you need. New items are always added daily so every day is a new shopping experience. The American Constitution was not born from some men gathering in a dark room to discuss a new world order as they saw it. In the light of the President #Donald Trumps executive order for a Moslem ban, we should remember the background for why the Courts have blocked the ban. Refugees The Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 were an important part of American history. The colony they founded is still celebrated today and many seek to trace their roots to these important pioneers. Yet many pretend to forget that in modern terms these Pilgrims would today be considered refugees fleeing from religious persecution in England. They were not the only group to seek religious freedom in what would become the thirteen British colonies that formed the United States and are remembered in the red and white stripes of Old Glory. This background then provided the basis of the Constitution drawn up by their descendants a century and a half later. Although much of the American independence movement was based on the taxes as exemplified by the Boston action that some members of the modern Republican Party try to exploit by using the term Tea Party, their history of religious persecution was also a major consideration. Amongst the thirteen colonies were many different Christian denominations and not all were in accordance regarding fundamental religious beliefs. At some stage they had all suffered religious persecution and none wanted that this to become part of the new country that would come out of the revolt against the British crown. Fundamental right For this reason we now find that freedom of religion is enshrined in the American Constitution. This right is considered precious as it is a fundamental part of the freedom that Americans enjoy and which attracts migrants from all over the world. In fact, we have had proof of how important the American court system regards this right when it blocked the Moslem order as it had infringed a part of the Constitution that goes back to the very origins of the United States of America. On Inauguration Day President Trump and his Administration swore on the Bible to uphold the Constitution, therefore he should not be shocked or angered that the courts have held him to his word. In basic terms the Constitution is what makes America a Democracy and for this reason must be protected. In the wake of President #Donald Trumps executive order for a Moslem ban, many in the United States hope that Christian ideology would be the sole basis or government action on issues such as abortion, marriage equality and other issues. While we await the next developments on the ban we should look back at the fate of the Christian Dictatorships of the past. Oliver Cromwell Singing and Christmas were once banned in England by a Christian fundamentalist. In the 17th century Oliver Cromwell was the Lord Protector of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland as a result of his victory in the Civil War that followed the execution of Charles I in 1649. Cromwell was a Puritan who tried to impose his religious beliefs with laws against blasphemy, cursing, drunkenness, and adultery and his power was enforced by a large standing army. He was firmly in power when he died in 1858, but the power structure he created soon fell apart after his death and the bloody struggles that followed were based on religion. Inevitably the final outcome was a return to the Monarchy, but with one vital condition, until last year by law the British Monarch was not allowed to marry a Catholic. It is no coincidence that many of the Pilgrims and other sects moved to the British colonies in the Americas to find freedom that they did not enjoy in their country of birth. John Calvin Frenchman John Calvin was an important part of the Protestant Reformation who tried to put into effect the teachings that Martin Luther began when he posted his 95 theses in Wittenberg in 1517. These theses were in reply to corruption within the Church of Rome and were aimed famously against the indulgences where rich people could literally buy forgiveness and be guaranteed a place in heaven. Like Cromwell in England Calvin had the opportunity to put his beliefs into action in Geneva where the only art permitted was music, but without instruments. Interestingly impiety and any opposition to his version of Christianity were punished. In fact the first five years of his rule saw 58 executions and 76 others exiled for religious reasons. Although Geneva would remain an important city for Protestantism his severe form of the religion did not long survive his death. Papal Dictatorship For centuries Rome was a Catholic theocracy ruled by the Pope as an effective absolute monarchy where the ruler did not inherit by right of birth but was chosen by the Cardinals. As rulers the Popes played politics with other rulers and often took part in power games between warring monarchies. Like the Dictatorships of Cromwell and Calvin the Papal State was not a benign power and ruled with an iron fist where execution and imprisonment were the punishment for those who opposed the Popes authority. The Papal State or the Pope King as he was known to the Romans ended in 1870 when the Italian army took Rome 10 years after the proclamation of the Italian state. The last two executions of the Papal State were two years before when Giuseppe Monti and Gaetano Tognetti were put under the guillotine for having placed a bomb in the barracks of the papal mercenaries killing at least 25 of them. An example which shows that terrorism is not a modern phenomenon. When we look at Moslem terrorism now promoted by fanatic groups and the activities of ISIS and the Taliban, we must bear in mind Christian History. Our own past is no less blood thirsty. Happy Monday "Days Of Our Lives" peeps. We're back at you for a brand new week of spoilers, and we're starting off with the new January 17th,2017 scoops. We've got about four storyline reveals to share with you, today, form our wonderful TV Guide sources, and they sound really drama-filled and intense as we'll be seeing Kayla just picking up her things and heading to Prague after getting a startling phone call! There's a big plot that's in effect to ambush Stefano at some point, and more! Anna's getting hunted I'll start things off with this crazy Anna situation. Apparently, Austin and Carrie are going to be extremely eager to find her, so they are going to launch a little search party of their own. It's also revealed that, apparently, Anna has made an escape, and is just out there being all crazy and what not. Will they be able to track her down before something awful happens? Or will this story have a very sad ending? These are but a few burning questions that we have for this one. Eric Brady is back Next, we learn that someone Hope knows, will end up, taking care of her at some point as they describe that she is going to find herself in the care of a familiar face. There's not really much else to say about that situation other than it'll be a little intriguing to find out who this familiar person will be. Oh, scratch that, because we've just learned from our Soapcentral sources that Eric Brady is going to be this familiar person that gives Hope some assistance, so that should serve up some interesting scenes. Will they catch him? From there, we've got a storyline that revisits the whole Stefano situation. Apparently, Paul, Steve and Rafe are going to be very busy, plotting out a big plan that will entail them, trying to ambush or capture Stefano! Will their big, elaborate scheme work? Or will Stefano find a way to slip through their fingers? Hopefully, we'll see those questions get answered in this episode. However, I think that we'll have to see a couple more episodes for this plotline to fully play out. We'll see. She's going to Prague Alright, so now we've arrived at the last storyline reveal of the day. It turns out that someone is going to give Kayla a call in regards to Steve. Whatever they have to tell her, is going to be incredibly shocking and require her immediate attention as it's revealed that she will immediately head to Prague over it. What will this big news be about? Is Steve in some major trouble? If so, will Kayla be able to help? Oh, so many questions. Hopefully they'll get answered sooner rather than later. Stay tuned. Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald welcomed their second son last week. It was a very special moment for the entire Duggar Family. Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard are also expecting their second child, also a little boy. Up until this point, the family has been quiet about the new addition to the family. Jill and Derick send their love Yesterday, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard posted a video sending their congratulations to Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald on the birth of Henry Wilberforce Seewald. Dillard commented how cool the name was and the two gushed over their newest nephew. Jill talked about how Israel is excited to have another cousin and how welcoming Henry has been a blessing and gotten the Dillards excited for their upcoming arrival. It was revealed that Jill and Derick will be headed back to the mission field in El Salvador before the baby is born. They will return home for the birth in July but have not given a definitive date on when they plan to head back to the field. Fans have been voicing concern over Jill heading their while pregnant, but it seems the couple wants to go and do what they love the most. The unique name explained When Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard complimented the name Henry Wilberforce, they knew what it was from. It had likely been chosen before the baby was born but not announced until the following week to help boost ratings for "Counting On." Henry and Wilberforce are both names taken from people who Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald found inspired them. While it is unique, it is more normal than Spurgeon was for sure. As the Duggar girls and their husbands embark on the adventure of raising two boys together, fans are waiting on baby news from Jinger Duggar. Next week is the wedding special, with bonus footage. The wedding was aired last November but now, it will be airing again. There is speculation that an announcement will be coming from Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo. If she is indeed expecting, all three married sisters will have a baby born in 2017. A woman has been arrested in the investigation concerning the recent death of kim jong nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. What do we currently know about the investigation? According to reports, investigators are currently awaiting the results of an autopsy, although Malaysian police have said that they believe poisoning was the cause of death. That said, if poison had been used, police have said that they are unsure if it was injected through a needle or through a chemical spray. Nam had been boarding a flight to the Chinese territory of Macau to visit family before his death. It is believed that he had been attacked at the Kuala Lumpur airport, where he sought help at the counter, claiming to have been attacked by an unseen assailant. He would later die while he was being taken to an airport clinic. It is also believed that Nam had been using the identity Kim Chol while traveling. A woman who had been using a Vietnamese passport under the identity, Doan Thi Huong, was arrested by police in connection to the assassination. Reportedly, she was identified with the use of the airport's security footage. Two women were believed to have been involved in the attack, and police have also said they are on the lookout for other suspects. A photo of the woman currently in police custody has been released on social media, using a screenshot of the security footage. Kim Jong-nams alleged killer wore a t-shirt that read LOL - the Star https://t.co/yruAzzJqsd pic.twitter.com/O8wsQFvD2D Patrick Boehler (@mrbaopanrui) February 15, 2017 What could a possible motive have been? Kim Jong Nam had been a figure of political controversy in recent years, leading to questions of a possible motive of the assassination. Reportedly, he had lost favor with his father, Kim Jong-il, due to an incident in 2001 in which he was caught trying to enter Japan and visit Tokyo Disneyland with a fake passport. He had been living in exile from North Korea since 2003, and his younger half-brother, Kim Jong Un, had been made heir apparent, despite Kim Jong Nam being the eldest son. In the years preceding his death, Nam was also said to have spoken out against his fathers military first policies. It is believed that the two half-brothers never met each other during their lives due to the North Korean practice of raising the successors separate from each other. As a response, acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo Ahn said during a meeting of security officials that the incident could showcase the controversial "brutality and inhumane nature of the North Korean regime" if Nam's death was proven to be an assassination, according to USA Today. News media has reportedly kept Nams death under-wraps, and it's unlikely that the story will be released to the public. PLEVEN, Bulgaria - Bulgarian wine production sector is stable and wants to increase its exports to China, Minister of Agriculture and Food Hristo Bozukov told reporters here on Tuesday. After a period of stagnation, things have been stabilized thanks to European aid and subsidies, Bozukov said during the celebration of the feast of the wine growers, which was held at the vineyards of the Institute of Viticulture and Enology. Areas of new vineyards and the production of wine increased, the minister said. Meanwhile, Bulgarian wine was competitive in global market thanks to its quality and relatively low cost, Bozukov said. Bozukov told Xinhua that Bulgaria exported to China more than five million liters of wine in 2016. "We hope that the export to China will increase," he said. Statistics from his ministry showed that 38,712 hectares of vineyards were harvested in the country, production of grapes reached 261,820 tons, and the production of wine has amounted to 1.3 million hectoliters. Wine production is a traditional occupation for people in the Bulgarian lands since the time of the Thracians. US President Donald Trump's first phone call to President Xi Jinping shouldn't be overinterpreted, experts on China-US relations said, while urging that both countries strengthen cooperation on issues ranging from defusing tensions on the Korean Peninsula to increasing "reciprocity" in bilateral relations. In their "lengthy and cordial" telephone conversation on the evening of Feb 9, Trump agreed to honor the one-China policy, a shift from his earlier stance that he might not do so unless China made big concessions on trade. Trump and Xi also agreed that the two countries should discuss and negotiate issues of mutual interest. "Reiterating its commitment to the one-China principle is the least Washington can do to maintain its relations with Beijing," said Niu Jun, a professor of US studies at Peking University. "It should not be overinterpreted, because it marks no significant breakthrough but a return to normal." On future cooperation, combating cross-border terrorism and defusing tensions on the Korean Peninsula are likely to see closer interaction between both sides, Niu said, adding that both countries share increasing concerns over the two issues and would seek to avoid increasing their differences. Both Washington and Beijing expressed their opposition to last weekend's test launch of a missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Beijing "has been striving for a settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue by proactively engaging in mediation and promoting peace talks", while Trump vowed to deal with DPRK "very strongly". Simon Lester, trade policy analyst of the Washington-based Cato Institute, a think tank, agreed that the presidential phone call was a sign of a good relationship, "but there are still many hurdles to overcome", he added. "Recognizing the importance of the one-China policy as a foundation stone of the relationship gives me greater optimism for a more fruitful dialogue on equally vital issues, specifically, trade and investment relations and agreements to combat climate change," said Nicholas Hope, former director and China program director of the Center for International Development at Stanford University. The intense interdependence shared by the world's largest and second-largest economies means that bilateral trade and financial cooperation is also inevitable, according to Zhu Feng, director of the Institute of International Studies at Nanjing University. With Trump's diplomatic approach showing a distinctive tendency for "negotiations", it's important that Beijing responds to and addresses Washington's concerns about the Chinese market, Zhu said. As many of Trump's cabinet picks are proven trade hawks obsessed with reversing the US trade deficit, two-way trade remains the most vulnerable to confrontations, said Zhang Zhixin, head of American political studies at the Institute of American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. Zhang said that besides traditional agendas such as nonproliferation and fighting pirates, there is plenty of room for both countries to cooperate on infrastructure and energy. "But that depends on the political importance the Trump administration attaches to them," he added. In addition to developing relations with the US, Shi Yinhong, a director of the Center of US Studies at Renmin University of China, said, "China should also accord priority to neighborhood diplomacy and improve its ties with major regional powers, especially those in alliance with the US." David M. Lampton, a professor and director of China Studies at Johns Hopkins University, said he had told The Wall Street Journal that there is a long tradition of politicians running on anti-China bumper stickers, and that Trump would probably have to "negotiate back from some of these positions". "Welcome as his reaffirmation of the long-standing one-China policy of the US is, the US administration's move has at least two downsides," the former president of the National Committee on US-China Relations said. "To start, what is the policy process that leads to such volatility in foundational policy statements? It is hard to have confidence in any decisions when the process is so sloppy and subject to change," Lampton told China Daily. Secondly, "I do worry about credibility. Will the administration be taken seriously when it counts in a crisis, whether with China or any other country?" Lampton said he had called for the US' China policy to be "broadened and modified" in the direction of achieving more "reciprocity". "Building a Sino-American dialogue on the themes of achieving a stable balance in Asia geopolitically, cooperation between China and America to jump-start global growth, and bilaterally achieving more reciprocity in Sino-American relations is an agenda that could stabilize bilateral relations and appeal to Americans and the Asia-Pacific region," he said. Contact the writers at huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com (China Daily USA 02/15/2017 page1) Gov. Doug Burgum has rejected a plea by North Dakotas American Indian tribes to give them exclusive rights to host internet gambling and sports betting in the state. But Burgum did endorse the tribes appeal to lower the legal gambling age from 21 to 19 at American Indian casinos and to allow use of credit or debit cards to bet. The tribes asked Burgum to approve the gambling expansion under tribal-state agreements. The tribes wanted gamblers using mobile devices to place bets that would be funneled through computer servers on tribal land. Burgum says state law doesn't allow that. In Donald Trumps inauguration, he said that there is no room for prejudice in a patriotic heart, stating that his intent was to unify the country, not divide it. Since then, some have questioned the truth of such statements, and his promises to all Americans that they should be able to expect the same glorious freedoms. Fortunately, Republican legislators from North Dakota have great opportunities to step up and show their commitment to these ideals, and the overwhelming American belief in liberty and justice for all. They can start by voting against House Bill 1427. HB1427 is an attempt to prevent refugee resettlement in North Dakota, and its requirements are clearly slanted with the belief that immigrants, especially those fleeing war-torn countries, are bad for a community. Those of us with deep roots in North Dakota should already know that, except for our Native American neighbors, all our ancestors came from other countries, for similar reasons: fleeing oppression and dreaming of a better life. Its hard to see any basis for this bill except for the kind of prejudices once aimed at our own immigrant ancestors. Karen Joan Kohoutek, Fargo A bill to provide funding for western North Dakota communities failed in the state House Tuesday, but lawmakers said they plan to address funding for the oil-impacted areas in the second half of the legislative session. House Bill 1366, which relates to the way oil tax revenue is distributed to cities, counties and schools in the Bakken, failed with a 37-54 vote. House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, urged lawmakers to vote no to the bill, emphasizing that it would be better to address funding for oil-impacted areas after the March revenue forecast is released. A no vote doesnt mean youre against the west, Carlson said. Rep. Gary Sukut, R-Williston, the primary sponsor of the bill, said communities in the Bakken rely on oil tax revenue to pay for expanded law enforcement facilities, new water plants and other infrastructure they added to meet unprecedented growth spurred by oil development. Officials from so-called Bakken hub cities of Dickinson, Williston and Minot, as well as smaller communities in the oil patch, testified during a hearing on the bill that the funding is essential so they can continue making debt payments. Initially the bill had a $33.5 million fiscal impact to keep the communities receiving the same amount of funding they received last biennium. The bill was amended to have a $7.65 million fiscal impact. In addition, the bill includes funding for airports in Williston and Dickinson and other oil impact grant funding that was approved during the last session but has not yet been delivered due to budget shortfalls. Several legislators from western North Dakota spoke in favor of the bill. Many people feel that things are dead or dying in western North Dakota, but it couldnt be further from the truth, said Rep. Denton Zubke, R-Watford City. Carlson and other legislators said theyll discuss funding for western North Dakota again in a different budget after they have an updated picture of the revenue forecast. It does not need to be decided today. It needs to be decided in the second half, Carlson said. FARGO -- Security at Sanfords urgent care clinic in south Fargo found a woman dead in the passenger seat of a car in the parking lot earlier this month. She had overdosed. Someone had brought her to the clinic in the middle of the night on Feb. 2, authorities said, but when the clinic was closed, whoever brought her abandoned the car and left. They didnt call 911. This month, the Grand Forks Police Department put out a reminder that those using and possessing drugs who are present at the time of an overdose will not be prosecuted if they call and cooperate with first responders. In North Dakota and Minnesota, Good Samaritan laws are on the books that give immunity to those who call in drug overdoses if the caller remains on scene until first responders arrive and cooperate with medical services and law enforcement. The person must be in need of emergency medical services. Up to three people can be granted immunity. The law also applies to people overdosing from alcohol consumption. We want people to be focused on saving a life, said Lt. Jeremy Moe with the special resource bureau. In 2016, Grand Forks Police responded to 28 calls for overdoses. Three of them were fatal. State Sen. Howard Anderson Jr., R-Turtle Lake, was a sponsor of the Good Samaritan laws that passed in North Dakota in 2015. The former director of the North Dakota Board of Pharmacy, Anderson said he wanted to sponsor the law to give people a better chance to survive. Information provided by companions can be key to successful care. Its hard to find out what they took or what the situation is, so by the time doctors get a chance to figure out what it is, its too late, Anderson said. In the process of passing the law, legislators heard testimony from a man whose companions had abandoned him in a dumpster, thinking hed overdosed, Anderson said. But too few people know about the law, Anderson said. He also believes law enforcement have been overzealous in pressing charges against people, despite the law. Theyre using the Good Samaritan laws as an excuse to charge people because, obviously, if I gave you drugs, then Im guilty of providing them for you. Its like a sale even if I gave it to you free, he said. So we need a little better education with police. If youre trying to save somebodys life for crying out loud, back off a little bit. Catch the crook the next time. Anderson said users speak to one another, and if law enforcement is too aggressive, it might deter people from calling for help. Grand Forks Police said they were not aware of any specific incidents in town where immunity had been granted based on the Good Samaritan laws. Forum News Service contributed to this article. While North Dakota struggles with implementing its newly approved medical marijuana status, a U.S. Navy veteran was cited in Morton County for possessing a few grains of marijuana from an out-of-state licensed dispensary. Matthew Crane, 33, of New York, was cited Friday while trying to reach the anti-Dakota Access Pipeline camps in what he describes as a humanitarian mission to feed and assist veterans who are in the camps and help with the clean-up effort. Crane served from 2001 to 2006 in avionics and ordnance support for a decorated combat search-and-rescue mission in Kuwait and Iraq. His honorable discharge was followed by a rough slide into civilian life. He is a recovering addict and had repeatedly attempted suicide. His brother, also a veteran, committed suicide four months ago. He said of that prescription and those bits of marijuana in his medical kit: It saved my life, pure and simple. Crane and three others in the vehicle encountered police while on the wrong side of the Highway 1806 protest roadblock after depending on a phone navigation system and following other local traffic doing the same thing. According to the police report: The four occupants included Matthew Crane, co-founder of the VeteransRespond group, which is known to be at the Dakota Access Pipeline protest camps. One of the occupants turned over a smoking device identified as a pipe used to ingest marijuana. At that point, all occupants and their luggage were removed from the vehicle and searched by the K-9. A bag of marijuana was located with Cranes name on it. Crane acknowledged that possession of marijuana is illegal in North Dakota. He was cited for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. Crane said he was looking for police because he knew he was lost and describes his encounter with law enforcement as respectful and friendly. He said they all shook hands and the officers took his VeteransRespond business card to contact him if they encountered any veterans in need of assistance. Crane said his marijuana was in his medicine bag, along with other VA prescriptions, properly labeled. He said he was dumbstruck when Morton County later released a press statement on Monday, with him as the headliner for being cited with drug possession. The same release cited a South Dakota occurrence Feb. 9 when another veteran, and his friend, also on their way to the camp on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, were arrested for possession of hash oil, used for medicinal purposes. That man, Travis Biolette, had his vehicle and camping gear confiscated by police and was released Monday, according to VeteransRespond. The combination of both arrests and the press release emphasis on the mens veteran status make Crane believe that camp-bound veterans are being unfairly targeted by local police. If so, its disgusting, absurd and discouraging, Crane said. Im honestly appalled at how I was treated by Morton Countys public relations team and their leadership. His citation carries a March 28 court date. Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said the officers werent targeting the veterans for their connection to the protest camps. Its just that was the reason that they were here. Weve had no contact with them and with what they want to do. We dont know their intentions, or if they are associated with that Stand with Standing Rock group, Kirchmeier said. Kirchmeier said whether the marijuana was a prescription and for a medicinal purpose was not an exception his officers could make. I dont know if its my place to comment on what it was being used for. All I know is what the law says, and its not legal in North Dakota, prescription or not, he said. Mark Sanderson is executive director for VeteransRespond and said his group shouldnt be confused with VeteransStand, the group that poured into the protest camps in December raising more than $1 million in crowdfunding and vowing to protect protesters from police actions. He, too, wants to know why Crane was called out in a press release for what amounted to a ticketable offense. Why put out a press release with our name on it? We dont really understand why were being targeted and were already in contact with the ACLU," he said. Sanderson said the VeteransRespond mission at the protest camps on Standing Rock Sioux Reservation is similar to when the U.S. Air Force 82nd Airborne went to assist after the Haiti earthquake. We did not come to get into conflict with law enforcement. We do not advocate nonviolent direct action. Theres a lot of trash at the camp, and we want to help clean up, Sanderson said. There are so many homeless and stranded veterans still there from December. Were feeding them, and weve already evacuated about 12 of them to a retreat center in Wisconsin. Sanderson said the police emphasis on the veterans possession of drugs casts both their mission and their medical history in an unfair light. He said the groups main message to North Dakota and to law enforcement is: We come in peace, not to cause harm. Image: CBS Youtube video screenshot In a weekend interview, President-elect Donald Trump commented that he is nearing completion of a plan to replace President Obamas signature health-care law with the goal of insurance for everybody, and has made a vow to force drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on costs and prices in Medicaid and Medicare. Theyre politically protected, but not anymore, he said of pharmaceutical companies. In response to conservative Republicans who are dubious about his pledge to ensure coverage for millions, the President-elect pointed to several interviews he gave during the campaign, where he promised to not have people dying on the street. Its not going to be their plan, he said of people covered under the current law. Itll be another plan. But theyll be beautifully covered. I dont want single-payer. What I do want is to be able to take care of people, he said Saturday. Trumps plan, which is likely to face questions from both the right and left, will come after the House has taken more than 60 votes in recent years to eliminate all parts of the Affordable Care Act to adopt more conservative health-care policies, which usually rely more heavily on the private sector. I think we will get approval. I wont tell you how, but we will get approval. You see whats happened in the House in recent weeks, Trump said confidently. As he has developed a replacement package for Americans, Trump said he has paid attention to critics who say that repealing Obamacare would put coverage at risk for more than 20 million citizens covered under the laws insurance exchanges and Medicaid expansion. Were going to have insurance for everybody, he said. There was a philosophy in some circles that if you cant pay for it, you dont get it. Thats not going to happen with us. People covered under the law can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better. Republican leaders have said that they will not strand people who gained insurance under the ACA without coverage. However, it is still not quite clear from either Trumps comments in the interview or recent remarks by GOP leaders in Washington on how they can ensure that keep that promise. But what could Trumps replacement for Obamacare look like? CBS News This Morning reported that Trump said he would use executive power if necessary to replace the Affordable Care Act. White House correspondent for Bloomberg News talks about it here in the clip below: Then the question is, will Trumps plan be a better one than the Affordable Care Act? In what seemed like something out of a police state from Nazi Germany or the former Soviet Union, a new report has emerged that in the immediate aftermath of the shutdown, armed park employees placed a number of international tourists in lockdown under armed guard to prevent them from leaving the park. The incident was reported by the Newburyport Daily News, which related the tale of Pat Vailancourt, who along with others had taken a tour bus to Yellowstone National Park prior to the government shutdown that began on Oct. 1. The News reported that Vailancourt, one of thousands of people across the country who found themselves in a national park when the shutdown officially went into effect. However, rather than simply being told to leave the park after the shutdown commenced, she, along with other members of her tour group which included senior citizen visitors from Japan, Australia, Canada and the United States were detained and locked in a Yellowstone National Park hotel under armed guard for several hours. The tour was reportedly treated so harshly by armed park employees that some of the foreign tourists that possessed limited English skills believed they were under arrest. Vailancourt said when the bus was finally allowed to leave, it was not allowed to halt anywhere along the 2 1/2 hour trip out of the park, including stopping for the private bathrooms that were open along the route. Weve become a country of fear, guns and control, Vailancourt said. It was like they brought out the armed forces. Nobody was saying, were sorry, it was all like as she clenched her fist and banged it against her forearm. At the time of the incident Vailancourt was taking part in a nine-day tour of Western parks and sites along with approximately four dozen senior citizen tourists. One of the tour highlights was Yellowstone National Park, which they arrived at just as the shutdown went into effect. Following the shutdown, Rangers systematically sent visitors out of the park while allowing some groups such as Vailancourts which had hotel reservations to stay for two days. However she noted that it was apparent from the start that their stay would not be an amicable one and was apparently done by park officials under protest. When the bus stopped along the road to observe a large herd of bison that were passing nearby so that seniors could get out to take pictures, an armed park ranger immediately came by in order to get back in the bus saying they couldnt recreate. The News reported that the tour guide, who just a day before had paid a $300 fee to bring the group into the park argued with the guard that the seniors werent recreating, they were just taking pictures. After returning to the Old Faithful Inn where they were staying, the seniors were subsequently locked inside the hotel with armed rangers staying at the door. On Oct. 3 they were finally allowed to leave. 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. DEVILS LAKE -- A rate hike to house inmates at a Devils Lake jail will be proposed to the counties it serves, with its home county giving the plan the greenlight. The Ramsey County Commission last week unanimously approved a $5 increase that Rob Johnson, director for the Lake Region Law Enforcement Center, said would boost funds by $90,000. Johnson told commissioners Tuesday he was afraid the LEC would end the year in the red if the increase wasnt approved, despite attempts to cut costs and looking at implementing programs to generate revenue. There is some concern we wont be able to sustain our expenses based off of what our current counts have been, Johnson told the commission. I dont want to come in with my hands out at the end of the year looking for a lump sum because we arent making it. Recently, the jail has seen a spike in its population, with its inmate count averaging in the 80s the past several weeks. Thats likely due to the U.S. Marshals Services renewed interest in housing federal prisoners there, as well as overflow from other counties. The Marshals Service began housing inmates late last year at the LEC after going on a monthslong hiatus due to several escapes in recent years. A review of the facility gave the federal agency confidence the LEC had improved its security measures and could house federal inmates. Other counties also have sent prisoners to the jail. As of Friday, the LEC had 10 inmates from Ward County, nine from Burleigh County and two from Cass County. Its been a significant bump from when we were sitting in the 50s, Johnson said of several months last year. Johnson acknowledged the increase but felt it would be short-lived. The Marshals Service numbers could increase, but the number of inmates from other counties could drop, he added. The Wards and the Burleighs, those are just very temporary, Johnson said. We cant rely on them. The jail charges $70 a day to house each inmate, Johnson said. The increase would bump that to $75 a day, slightly above the regional average of $72 a day, Johnson said. Johnson noted there also are capital improvement projects the jail needs to address, adding surplus from the increase would go toward those improvements. The building was built in 1976 and likely will need to be replaced in 10 to 15 years, Johnson said. Aside from Ramsey County, the jail serves the city of Devils Lake, as well as Benson, Towner, Eddy and Nelson counties. The governmental bodies also will have to approve the rate increase. Another increase last year was shot down by leaders in Towner and Nelson counties. Johnson asked each county and Devils Lake to increase the mills given to the jail by a half mill, which would have raised $73,000 each year. That would have gone toward capital improvement projects. Towner County commissioners previously said they would prefer a rate increase for inmates over the mill increase. Johnson told the Devils Lake Journal the other entities will support the inmate rate increase. I Got The Clap! (a birding tale) If you bird long enough, you will acquire a nemesis. Whats a nemesis? Mirriam-Webster gives us a few choices, but one definition hits the nail on the head as far as were concerned here: a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent. We dont often think of birds as opponents when birding, but it happens. Eventually, there will be a species that you want to see, that you try for and fail. Do that multiple times, and you have a nemesis. And it so happened that I had acquired a formidable foe. A nemesis: Clapper Rail (CLRA). This saga begins in April of 1977. My first, real, far away from home birding trip (I was 14). A circumnavigation of northern California, starting in San Francisco. Two weeks of hard core, non-stop birding. It was fantastic. But I have no idea why we didnt target CLRA, as they were certainly to be had in the Bay area, which we birded for two days. And it would have been a very nice armchair tick 37 years later. But we drove right on past what was to become Ridgways Rail. Next, in July of 1978, in Delaware. My very first mega-twitch was a successful White-winged Tern, and with a day and a half left over, we hit the coastal marshes. Im not sure how many Clapper Rails we heard as we bounced from Little Creek, to Prime Hook, and then south to Assateague Island. But it was more than a few. More than a few that I did not see. Then to Florida that December, for a Florida birding odyssey, that started in Jacksonville, went down the outside, out in the keys, up the inside, and finished in the panhandle. Only one expected species was missed: Clapper Rail (though we did try hard for Bachmans Sparrow, we couldnt pull one up but that species can be quite difficult in winter. More on that later.) My Rallus crepitans hopes then laid dormant for 35 years, when I once again found myself in suitable habitat, this time in south Texas. A very quick attempt on South Padre Islanda Mecca for the species, I am toldturned up nothing. The next crack at CLRA came the following year, this time in Delaware with ace birder (and ABA president) Jeff Gordon. We went to places that were slam dunk and yes we did hear several. Quite a few, actually, in 3 different locations. But would one, just one, stick its rattling little noggin out to say hello? Hell no. The next year, back in Texas: second verse, same as the first! Clapper Rail is not an uncommon species. Some places are positively thick with them. Yes, like all rails, they are very good at hiding. But CLRA, more than any of our other Rallidae, except maybe Sora, likes to come out and show off on mudflats. Never far from grass or mangroves to hide in but they do come out to say hi. By now, my birding community buddies had picked up on what had become not just a nemesis, but an epic nemesis. From Cape May, to Florida, and the Gulf all the way back to South Padre I had standing offers to come on out, and guaranteed Clapper rails await. Social media can really be wonderful at times. Quest continues. November 2016. Back in Texas, South Padre Island, again. There was quite a posse of us, including ABA staffers John Lowry and Liz Gordon. We stepped out of the car at the beginning of the SPI Convention Center Nature Trail, and immediately heard one, no two Clapper Rails. Excitedly, I headed out on the boardwalk. This spot is one of the slam dunks. The tide was out, and there were a lot of mud flats. Another bird called from the tall grass and mangroves. I spent the next hour pacing the 1500 foot boardwalk, listening and hoping. At one point, a CLRA called from almost at my feet, deep in the mangrove roots. Yup, you guessed it. I went home to Chicago the next morning, without a Clapper Rail. But, another opportunity was on the horizon. Just 8 weeks later, I found myself working the ABA booth at the Space Coast Birding Festival in Titusville, Florida with miles of salt marsh and mangroves just across the bay. January 24, 2017. I met Bill Stewart (ABAs Director of Conservation and Community) at the Orlando airport in the mid afternoon, and we very quickly got to our hotel in Titusville, dropped our stuff, changed clothes and headed out to get a rail. Last year, I had been told of an excellent spot, but wasnt able to get to it. This time, we had just enough on the clock before it got dark and it was beautiful. The water level was perfect. There were birds everywhere. There had to be a Clapper Rail here! There were herons and egrets, snipe, sandpipers and plovers, gulls and terns, ibis and spoonbills but no rails. We left, railless, when the sun finally let us down. But the next morning Bill, John and I were leading a tour out to the very same area. And now wed have a whole lot more eyes. Our trip was a bus tour of Black Point Wildlife Drive. Into the heart of Merritt Islands salt marshes, and CLRA habitat. Bill was in the bus with the group; I was with John in the support vehicle, following behind. At one point the bus stopped ahead of us, and we got out and scoped a bit, as the group milled about in front of the bus. Bill walked back. Youre not gonna like this the dude in front of us had a Clapper Rail about a hundred yards back, just minutes ago, he said. The group seemed in good hands for the moment, so I hoofed back down the road. Surely it was still there I posted that picture on Facebook, and tagged a few people that were out with us, noting that I missed Clapper Rail by moments. John and I had to get back to the booth, as the birding festival was opening in about 15 minutes, so we left Bill to stay with the bus as they hit the restrooms, and also headed in. When Bill got to the booth, he told us that the group had a Clapper Rail walking around in the grass by the restrooms! That afternoon, the hashtag #ClapperFail was a thing. That evening, some of my friends did an intervention. I needed help. This required a team! John, my partner in crime once again, along with Bill, Opticrons Tom Dunkerton (Dunk), and Leica Marketing Manager Jeff Bouton, decided enough was enough. All have extensive experience birding this area, and know exactly where this nemesis lurks. Were gonna put this thing to rest. Now. Interlude January 27, 2017. Over dinner conversation, Dunk discovers that I have never seen a Bachmans Sparrow, and even though they are very difficult to get in the winter (or at least can be); hes got a spot. So our plans shape up. First thing in the morning, well go to the spot, and get me my Bachmans Sparrow the next morning: DENIED! The gate was closed. But we only had a short wait until the Tosohatchee WMA opened, and then we were the first people in that morning. It was a beautiful, crisp start to the day. Birds singing everywhere, but we were listening for the very high pitched, almost kinglet-like tssip! call of Bachmans Sparrow. We spread out and slowly walked the open pine woods, the waist-high cabbage palm scratching and scraping, sounding like paper grocery bags being loaded in a car. A sparrow popped up in front of Dunk and he softly yelled, got it!; I got enough of a look to know we hit paydirt. We formed a loose circle around the point where the bird had dove into the scrub, and waited. Except Jeff. He had wandered a few yards away, while we watched where Dunks bird had disappeared. We watched. We waited. We shuffled about. And from behind me I hear Jeff go, pssst, pssst, nodding at his scope as he gets my attention. I look to where his scope is pointed and see nothing. Theres a bird right in front of me. I know its right there. Pssst, pssst, hey. Okay. I walk over to Jeff, the others right behind me, and peer into his scope CLRA Heady with our success, we hopped in our vehicles and quickly made the 22 mile drive to Dunks slam dunk Clapper Rail spot. Dismounted, we spread out along the dike road, working the mangroves of Gator Creek. We had about an hour before we all had to be back at the festival. We peered into every nook. Every cranny. Every root clump The A Team had failed. This foethis nemesiswas evil to the core. Dunks slam-dunk was bunk. The birding godz despise me, and anyone with me. #ClapperFail once again. Back at the Space Coast Birding Festival, the show was rockin. The weather had turned. A strong north wind carried scudding clouds, and the temperature was dropping, eventually into the low 50s. Inside, people were having a good time. Lots of people stopped by the booth to join or renew. Birding festivals are fun. But this one ended that Saturday afternoon. We packed everything up, and headed out. But, there was still some daylight left. John and Bill decided were going to give this one last try. We had about an hour or so of light left, and headed back out to Gator Creek. We picked a different spot from the mornings attempt along the dike roads, spread out and started searching. I was farthest down the road, about 75 yards from our vehicles, when a lunatic appeared. Seriously, this dude was driving at speedin reversekicking up a dust cloud on the narrow gravel dike coming right at me! I stepped off the road into the grass to let him pass, but the dark SUV ground to a halt and the driver shoved the back of a camera out the window at me. It was Dunk! and the picture on the back of his Canon was, a Clapper Rail, of course. I just stood there gaping and he said, get in. We took off. John and Bill quickly saddled up and chased after us. About a quarter mile on, we stopped. Right there, Dunk said. It was right there, with a Sora. We looked. We scoped. We prowled and we then spread out. Twenty minutes later, I was about 50 yards from where Dunk had the bird, and all I could do was laugh to myself. Seriously??!!?? Is this really happening again? myself said to me. We were running out of daylight, and time. We had made dinner plans, and had people to meet. CRAP! I really thought I had it this time. We were now back at the parked vehicles, discussing our plan for the evening. Well, actually, John wasnt. He was standing back at the original spot, staring at something Hey Greg, get over here. I got over there. There was a rail moving in the mangrove roots a Sora. No, John said quietly. Look to the left. I looked to the left. Decades of study and preparation allowed me to instantly deduce that this was indeed a Clapper Rail. But seriously after all this. THAT is going to be my lifer look??? I couldnt even see its head, really. So I sat, and watched. John, meanwhile, was live-streaming the event on Facebook. Eventually, it came out The A Team came through as the buzzer sounded. Nemesis down. Now, about Chihuahuan Raven it takes a village, you know. HA NOI The Government plans to provide wide-ranging assistance to the domestic supporting industry so that they can increase supplies of parts and components to both local and foreign firms and better participate in the global production chain. Decision No 68/Q-TTg signed by the Prime Minister envisages sustained assistance to the industry over the next 10 years (2016-2025). Accordingly, the Government will assist the industry in research and development, technology transfer and renewal, and human resources development. It will also promote foreign direct investment in the industry. The plan is to have the local supporting industry meet 45 per cent of the domestic production demand by 2020, and 65 per cent by 2025. In the 2020-25 period, Viet Nam will focus on developing the industry in three key areas: spare parts; garment, textiles and footwear; and hi-tech equipment. The aim is to reduce the domestic production costs as manufacturers increase localisation. The decision also says favourable conditions will be created for supporting industry businesses to access loans towards expanding research and production. Modest growth The Ministry of Industry and Trade has said that the supporting industry in Viet Nam has seen modest growth over the past several years. For example, the automobile industry had targeted increasing the localisation rate for 9-seat vehicles to 60 per cent, but the current rate is just 7-10 per cent. The localisation rate in the garment and textile industry is estimated at 51 per cent, while that of footwear at 20-25 per cent. Truong Thanh Hoai, director of the Ministrys Heavy Industry Department, said Viet Nam has 1,383 businesses in the supporting industry, mostly using simple technologies and offering low value-added products. While some companies have paid attention to advanced technology and developing new products, this has not been the norm. A survey conducted by the State Agency for Technology Innovation under the Ministry of Science and Technology showed that only 51 out of 200 spare parts supply firms were keen on renewing their technology, and that this interest is mostly in purchasing new equipment and training staff. The ministry said this situation was caused by policies that have not paid attention to production realities, especially those relating to tax cuts on imported spare parts and initial support for businesses joining the global supply chain. Sakurada, a Japanese expert heading a R&D project on developing Viet Nams spare parts industry, told the Ha Noi Moi (New Ha Noi) Newspaper that Viet Nam can try a Japanese model. Under this model, small companies can access a lot of public support mechanisms including local Kohsetushi technology centres that provide research, testing, training and guidance for firms for nominal fees. The centres help small firms improve their manufacturing operations, technology and products. In Japan, the industry is divided into raw material suppliers, machine suppliers, spare parts suppliers, assembly suppliers and packaging material suppliers. Each locality would choose a suitable key sector, based on their strengths, to develop the parts supply industry and establish support centres, he said. "The centres support businesses in monitoring the quality of products and connecting with institutes, universities and research centres, as well as large importers of spare parts," Sakurada said. Supporting industries are defined as a group of industries to supply manufactured inputs, which are mostly intermediate goods. In the framework of business, supporting industries manufacture production parts as well as tooling to produce those production parts. VNS HA NOI The number of cars of nine seats and less imported from Thailand and Indonesia soared in January, sparking fierce competition between importers and local automakers. According to figures released by the Vietnam Customs Office on Monday, Viet Nam imported 3,408 cars from the two countries in January, accounting for 62.8 per cent of total imports of cars with nine seats or less. In just the first month of the year, the volume of imported cars of nine seats and less equalled 45 per cent of total imports in 2016, the office said. The spike has been attributed partly to a drop in import tax on this auto segment (nine seats and less) for ASEAN members, from 40 per cent to 30 per cent, from January 1, 2017. The drop in import tax is part of the 2016-2018 ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement. It is expected that by 2018, when the import tax becomes zero per cent, prices will fall a further 20-25 per cent over current levels. Thailand and Indonesia are the only two countries from the ASEAN bloc that exports cars to Viet Nam. In January, Thailand shipped 1,585 cars of nine seats and less worth US$31 million to Viet Nam, an increase of 55 per cent in volume and 209 per cent in value over the same period last year. Meanwhile, auto imports from Indonesia have seen a major explosion. Indonesia exported 1,823 units worth $35 million in January. In the same period last year, just one car priced at $10,000 was imported. Viet Nam imported a total of 7,400 cars in January, of which 5,425 units were nine-seats and less worth $97 million, a year-on-year increase of 121 per cent in volume and 92 per cent in value. ASEAN is still the countrys largest supplier. As mentioned earlier, Thailand has been the leading exporter of cars to Viet Nam with 2,605 units, followed by Indonesia with 1,823 units and India with 1,006 units. Indian cars were the cheapest, at an average price of $3,708, while those imported from France had the highest average price of $57,000. Cars imported from the UK and Germany carried average prices of $52,219 and $50,000, respectively, the office said. VAMA sales down Industry insiders said the reduction in import tax had put heavy pressure on local automakers who, for the most part, assemble their cars here. If domestic automakers do not reduce their prices, they will no longer be competitive against importers. By 2018, when the import tax becomes zero per cent, the volume of imported cars will rise dizzily because many businesses will stop assembling cars in Viet Nam and shift to importing as a way to cut costs, Ninh Huu Chan, General Secretary of Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) told anninhthudo.vn. A VAMA sales report released on Monday showed its members sold 20,323 cars in January, a year-on-year drop of 13 per cent. Of the cars sold, 15,504 units were locally-assembled, 11 per cent lower than the same period last year. VAMA has forecast that its 2017 sales volume will be about 10 per cent higher than 2016. Due to the attraction of strong price cuts in 2018, many auto businesses feel the trend of buying imported cars will not see a significant increase in 2017. Nguyen Tuan, Director of Thien An Phuc Company, a car importer, said the reduction in import taxes from 30 to zero per cent was steep. Furthermore, imports offered more variety than locally-assembled ones, so its totally understandable that people wait for the tax cut. It is estimated that car prices in 2018 can fall by between VN100 million VN300 million each. "If people buy cars in 2017, they will lose hundreds of millions dong in comparison with next year," Tuan said. VNS HA NOI Although Viet Nams exports to China in the first month of 2017 surged nearly 40 per cent, trade deficit with the Chinese market remained high at US$2.45 billion. The Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that Viet Nams exports to China increased by 38.6 per cent to $1.85 billion while its imports from the country rose by 9.3 per cent to $4.3 billion. In January, Viet Nam also saw high trade deficit of $1.64 billion with South Korea as its exports to the market valued at $860 million while its import revenue rose to $2.5 billion. Viet Nam mainly imported computers, electronics products, spare parts, machines and equipment. According to the General Statistics Office, Viet Nams export turnover touched $14.34 billion in January 2017, of which mobile phones and components were still the leading export products, accounting for 16.2 per cent of the total earnings, followed by textiles and garments at 15 per cent and computers, electronics and components at 10.5 per cent. VNS A NANG Construction of a new terminal at a Nang International Airport is due to be completed in March 29. The terminal will serve delegates to meetings held within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Year 2017. The VN3.5 trillion (US$154 million) project will be put into trial operation from April to September before being officially inaugurated to serve the high-level APEC Week in November 2017. The project, which is among the citys key infrastructure projects to celebrate the citys liberation day, has three main components - an international passenger terminal, an overpass and a parking area. Beside these facilities, the Vietnam Airlines Corporation is also investing in a VIP lounge at the airport, which aims to serve high-level delegations to a Nang, especially those attending APEC meetings. Deputy director of a Nang International Airport Management Board Hoang Viet Ha said with more than 1,000 workers at the construction site, contractors have to date completed some 80 per cent of the work. With the construction begun in November 2015, the 48,000sq.m terminal has a designed capacity of four million passengers per year by 2025 and provides parking space for over 400 automobiles. VNS Held annually in February and September, New York Fashion Week is one of the most anticipated events in the industry and attracts hundreds of brands and famous designers across the world. Vietnamese designer Luong Minh Son is one of the designers involved, showcasing his fashion brand Son Collection of modern designs in traditional Vietnamese silk at the Nolcha Shows, an award-winning event held as part of New York Fashion Week, from February 13 to 16. Son started his journey in the Viet Nam fashion industry in 1994 and has secured his position in the fashion design world with the Son Collection, which specialises in high-end bridal designs, extravagant cocktail and evening gowns, and couture traditional Vietnamese ao dai. Son talks to Luong Thu Huong about his preparations to introduce Viet Nams traditional silk to fashionistas from around the world. How did you feel on receiving the invitation to New York Fashion Week? It was such a great honour. It shows that Viet Nams fashion has gained the attention of international friends. However, I also felt pretty nervous, having to prepare everything perfectly to showcase my collection. What are the inspirations behind your designs, especially the ones planned for display at the Nolcha Shows? My inspirations come from everywhere. Sometimes I was inspired by some passers-by I encountered on the streets of Sai Gon, or even in Bangkok or California. And sometimes the inspiration simply originated from talks with my customers, on seeing them trying new clothes or hearing them complaining about their bodies. All of these observations have been integrated into my collection. Creating clothes with good aestheticism is one thing, but whats more important is providing the wearers with confidence. How did you prepare for the trip? My production team and I had to work extremely hard. The clothes had to be selected carefully in keeping with international trends. I have had many chances to travel to the US and show my collections at musical shows for overseas Vietnamese, and therefore I had opportunities to observe and catch up with the latest modern trends. I have chosen the evening and cocktail gowns with unique designs and cut-out patterns to create the impression of both charm and elegance. Viet Nams traditional silks have been fully exploited to bring out the best effects. Besides, accessories like shoes and jewelery have been created by hand to highlight the clothes. All the material for my collection is totally natural silk produced in Bao Loc City in the central province of Lam ong by Vietnamese artisans, with the help of advanced techniques from Italy and Japan. Why did you choose silk as the material for this collection? On contacting other designers from other countries, I realise that most of them think about China, a country with a long tradition of silk production. I then thought that Viet Nam also possesses many kinds of traditional silks, which are hardly known in the world. So why not take advantage of this chance to introduce such beautiful material to the world? Moreover, I frequently use silk in my collections as it creates a look of grace, elegance and subtlety for the wearers. Is this a good opportunity for you to step into the world of fashion globally? It is a pretty difficult question, because my expectation in attending the New York Fashion Week is to leave a good impression of Viet Nams fashion, and to gradually confirm my position in international fashion. However, introducing a Vietnamese fashion brand to the world is still a long process that requires great effort and support by Viet Nams fashion industry. How impressive do you expect your collection to be at the Nolcha Shows? I myself find that many Vietnamese designers and brands are of high quality. Their trend and status are equivalent to other famous names worldwide. I hope that via this event, Viet Nams fashion will attract more attention globally and gradually acquire its own position in the international fashion world. Your future plans? I will continue to promote my fashion career and my brand in Viet Nam with professionalism, and at the same time establish myself in Americas fashion market. VNS HA NOI The upcoming State visit to Viet Nam by the Emperor and Empress of Japan will be a memorable milestone in bilateral relations, cementing the close friendship and co-operation enjoyed by both countries, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said yesterday. Receving Japans Ambassador to Viet Nam, Kunio Umede, in Ha Noi, the Prime Minister said Viet Nam-Japan relations were experiencing their best times ever. Viet Nam placed great importance on fostering its ties with Japan under the spirit of extensive strategic partnership, he said, adding that this would promote peace and prosperity. Viet Nam was preparing for the State visit by the Emperor and Empress as an important event, he said, asking functional agencies on both sides to do their best. Ambassador Kunio Umede told the PM that the Japanese Embassy was actively co-ordinating with relevant Vietnamese agencies in preparing for the upcoming visit by the Emperor and Empress. He agreed with the PM that the visit showed that bilateral ties were enjoying their best-ever period and deepening in a more comprehensive manner. He also informed the PM about coordinating with Vietnamese agencies in preparing a large-scale programme to promote investment in Viet Nam with the participation of around 1,000 Japanese businesspeople. The Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the Ministry of Planning and Investment were working closely to ensure the programmes success, he said. VNS HA NOI The Ministry of Education and Training will soon officially ask that schools nationwide review their facilities and stop using any deemed to be unsafe, according to the vice head of the ministrys Department of Facilities and School Equipment, Pham Hung Anh. The move was made following an accident at a kindergarten in the Central Highlands province of ak Lak in which a 5-year-old boy suffered from head injuries when the floor collapsed under the toilet he was using. The boy was sitting on the toilet at his school Krong Na Kindergarten - when it suddenly sank. He fell five metres and cracked his skull and pelvis as rocks and bricks rained down on him. Hung Anh told Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper that almost all schools across the country had toilets that met standards issued by the Ministry of Science ad Technology and the Ministry of Education and Training. However, he said that many schools had installed temporary toilets. Some school toilets failed to meet standards, as the schools were converted from other buildings, he said. The kindergarten in ak Lak that prompted the review was one of the converted schools, he said. The conversion was made to save money, especially as the education sector faces shortages in funding to develop school facilities, he said. The conversion must be controlled and overseen more closely to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the work, he said. Pham ang Khoa, director of the ak Lak Provinces Education Department said that 30 per cent of toilets at kindergartens in the province were built 20 or 30 years ago. The old toilets were in poor condition but the province had failed to provide sufficient funding for repairs, Khoa said. Each year, the province gave the education sector about VN800 billion (US$35.2 million). Around VN1.2-1.7 billion was spent on building new toilets. Kpa Y Khoa, father of a second grader in the provinces Buon Ma Thuot City said that he was worried to see his child studying in old and degraded classrooms. Khoa and other families had donated funds to repair the classrooms, he said, asking schools to report the problems to the provincial Peoples Committee. However, the long-standing problems had not been addressed, he said. VNS HA NOI The investor of the Ha Noi Hai Phong Expressway could collect toll fees for 28 years, 8 months, and 27 days, about one year less than originally envisaged. This is one of the conclusions announced by the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV), after auditing the expressway project from October 3, 2016 to December 1, 2016. The 105-km expressway starts from Ha Nois Belt Road 3 intersection, passing through Hung Yen and Hai Duong provinces, and ending at the inh Vu seaport in Hai Phong. The project was undertaken using a Build-Operate-Transfer contract. The projects cost was first estimated in 2008 and updated in 2014, as total investment and other major figures changed. The project investor Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment JSC (VIDIFI) submitted the projects adjusted estimate to the Construction Ministry and Transport Ministry. According to the SAV, VIDIFIs estimate was not exact when compared with documents provided by Viet Nam Development Bank (VDB) which lends to the company, and the Transport Ministry which assessed the project. For example, VIDIFI reported a debt of VN32.123 trillion (US$1.42 billion) but VDB stated a loan of VN 27.558 trillion ($1.21 billion). The Transport Ministry claimed total investment for the project is VN44.818 trillion ($1.98 billion) but the company produced a figure of VN45.487 trillion ($2 billion). The different data resulted in changes to the duration that VIDIFI could collect toll fees from drivers who use the Ha Noi Hai Phong Expressway. The average distance-based toll fee along the expressway is VN2,000 per km for standard vehicles. It allows people to go between Ha Noi and Hai Phong in 1.5 hours, instead of 2.5 hours. The SAV also found that construction under the project was slower than it should be, resulting in long delays. Construction was supposed to start in September 2008 and end in April 2012, but began earlier, in May 2008, and ended later in December 2015. According to a VIDIFI report, by last April, about 17,000 18,000 vehicles used the route daily, paying total tolls of about VN1.8 billion. VNS HOI AN With the number of street vendors increasing along with the exponential rise in popularity of Hoi An Town, the very factors that made it attractive its pristine settings and quietness are under threat. Authorities are now planning to take firm steps to restore some of the original tranquility of the town by rearranging street venders and reorganizing coracle services in Cam Thanh Village, touted as an eco-tourist destination. Nguyen Van Son, vice chairman of the city Peoples Committee, said they started planning these moves last July and would start executing them this month. Son said street vendors selling snacks and souvenirs was part of the old image of Hoi An Town, but their profusion was disturbing the quiet lifestyle of Hoi Ans original traders. He said some illegal vendors were harassing tourists and charging very high prices, and creating chaos in the process. Street vendors carrying their wares on shoulder poles used to sell tofu, sweet soup, clay toys and handmade souvenirs in Hoi An. Its a part of the towns culture, residents bringing their own products to sell. These vendors were quiet, but the situation has gone from bad to worse in recent years as many vendors occupy pedestrian streets and paths, and urge tourists to buy their products, Son said. He said authorities had warned vendors about such behaviour before deciding to take action. The town has banned floating restaurants along the Hoai River bank on Bach ang street. At first, only a few boat owners modified their boats into floating restaurants serving tourists for short periods of time, but over the last five years or so, 20 boats have been operating illegally. These boats often dock for days and nights on the river banks and spoil the scenery of the Hoai River in the eyes of tourists, Son said, adding that these restaurants were also discharging untreated waste into the river. The plan The town plans to eject vendors selling products of unclear origin including Chinese toys and unsafe snacks from the old quarter Cam Pho, Minh An and Son Phong streets which are usually crowded with tourists. The sale of unsuitable tourism souvenirs will also be stopped. Authorities will encourage local vendors selling traditional, handmade products like lanterns, terracotta toys, bamboo souvenirs and snacks that are typical to Hoi An and surrounding regions. Coracle mess The nipa palms in Cam Thanh village a favourite eco-tourism site have also become a noisy, messy place with the illegal operation of coracles in a section of the Thu Bon River. Providing coracle rides has been a good source of income for villagers and fishermen in recent years, but several residents have started offering the service without a licence. Tran Van Khoa, who runs the Jack Tran tours company, said the coracles were operating illegally in waters off the Van Lang Hamlet. They (owners of illegal boats) dock their boats in the nipa palm area. They install loud speakers on the coracles, disturbing the quiet, Khoa ranted in his Facebook page. "Furthermore, they do not require tourists to wear life-jackets as required," he said. The illegal service providers also undercut legitimate firms by offering low prices to lure tourists, Khoa said. Nguyen Tuan Lien, who runs a travel agency, said around 90 households with 110 coracles charged VN100,000 (US$4.4) each trip, but the unlicensed boat owners were offering the same service for VN75,000 ($3.3). Officials have acknowledged the situation. Le Thanh, Chairman of Cam Thanh Commune, admitted unfair competition was happening in the eco-tour site. He said strict regulations on tour services in the site would be issued soon to settle the disturbance of recent months. Khoa suggested that Hoi An bans all illegal actions like fishing, catching crabs and cutting leaves of nipa palms in Cam Thanh. He also wanted training courses held for local residents on tourism services and skills. Strict safety measures had to be imposed for coracle paddling services in the river, he said. The UNESCO-recognised world heritage town welcomed 2.6 million tourists last year, half of them foreigners. VNS Workers pack Indian jujube (Vietnamese apple) at the Ba Moi Vineyard in Phan Rang-Thap Cham City, Ninh Thuan Province. VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Thanh HA NOI The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will tighten control over company equitisation and impose strict penalties on irresponsible leaders who delay this process, Deputy Minister Ha Cong Tuan said at a conference in Ha Noi yesterday. Deputy Minister Tuan said inefficient equitisation that creates losses of State capital and properties at fully-funded or partly-funded State enterprises would be subjected to compensation payment and held responsible under the law. According to the deputy minister restructuring of several firms has been implemented slowly. Some equitised companies are unable to sell out their shares on schedule and have not made major changes in terms of production efficiency, while their structure, operations and management have shown shortcomings. Nguyen Nam Hai, general director of Viet Nam Coffee Corporation, said that during the 2012-2015 period, three fourths of the companys units were equitised. One unit went into liquidation while two units conducted divestment. Four more units have not divested their capital. Viet Nam Southern Food Corporation and Viet Nam Rubber Group also faced divestment difficulties, especially in searching for competitive investors to purchase capital. A representative of the Finance Ministry said at the conference that in 2017, units must take active roles in restructuring and equitisation. The ministry will mobilise officials to help enterprises address problems that arise. Deputy Minister Ha Cong Tuan said MARD leaders attached importance to strategies attracting investors to agriculture. However, implementation of investment policies faced difficulties and the ministry was determined to work out measures to address them. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyen Xuan Cuong, said that renewal in enterprise management is a chance to revive State-owned firms. The ministrys plan in the 2017-2020 period is to seriously implement equitisation, capital transfer and divestment. The process will be carried out with respect of the law and transparency to avoid losses. Enterprise restructuring must be conducted along with production, Cuong said. Representatives of enterprises at the conference agreed that 51 per cent of stock of efficiently run companies should be kept, while 100 per cent of capital at ineffectively-run enterprises must be withdrawn. According to MARD, 12 State-owned companies under the ministry have so far equitised successfully. Three, namely Viet Nam Southern Food Corporation, Viet Nam Rubber Group and Viet Nam Agricultural Materials Corporation, are setting up equitisation plans. In 2016, the total divestment grew to VN1.53 trillion (US$68.1 million). VNS February 14 is the chosen birthday of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), one of Americas greatest champions of individual liberty. Here are five facts you should know about this writer, orator, statesman, and abolitionist: 1. Douglas was born into slavery in Maryland circa 1818. (Like many slaves, he never knew his actual date of birth and so chose February 14 as his birthday.) He was given the name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey but decided to change it when he became a free man. Although he was set on keeping his first name Frederick, he asked his friend Nathan Johnson to help him choose a last name. Johnson had been reading Sir Walter Scotts narrative poem, Lady of the Lake, and recommended the name of a main character: Douglass. 2. In his youth, Douglass taught himself to read, aided by scraps of reading material he found and with the help of some white children he came into contact with in his neighborhood. Soon after, while hired out to a Maryland farmer, he surreptitiously taught other slaves to read the New Testament at a weekly Sunday school. It was during these meeting that he plotted his first escape attempt, for reading and writing sparked a desire for freedom. Once you learn to read, he would later write, you will be forever free. In 1845 he wrote about his life of bondage in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. The book became an instant bestseller and the preeminent example of the literary genre known as slave narrative. 3. After escaping to the North, Douglass settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts where he became a preacher in an African Methodist Episcopal Zion church. Honed in the pulpit, his oratorical skills would make him one of the most sought after abolitionist speakers of his day. Douglass was associated with a school of the antislavery movement that believed slavery should be ended through moral persuasion, and he attempted to use his writings and speaking events to educate slaveholders and Southerners about the evils of slavery. 4. Douglass spent nearly two years traveling in Great Britain speaking for the abolitionist cause. He was even encouraged to settle in England because his fame made it risky for him to return to the U.S., where federal law gave his slavemaster the right to seize Douglass. Two of his English friends, however, raised $710.96 to buy his freedom. At the age of 28, Douglass finally became a free man. 5. Even before the Civil War brought an end to the American slavery, Douglass became active in the womens suffrage movement. He became so famous within the womens rights movement that in 1872 he was nominated for Vice President of the United States at the Equal Rights Party convention. Although he declined the nomination and refused to campaign, he became the first African American to be listed on a presidential election ballot. In 1888, he also received one vote from the Kentucky Delegation at the Republican Convention in Chicago, making him the first African American nominated to be a U.S. presidential candidate for a major political party (he had also received a single vote to be a U.S. presidential candidate during the National Liberty Party Convention in 1848). HA NOI The Ministry of Health has asked people across the country to take protective measures against hand, foot, and mouth disease after data from the ministrys General Department of Preventive Medicine showed that over 2,100 people had contracted the disease in 57 localities this year. Nonetheless, the total number of cases is still 38.6 per cent lower than in the same period last year. Most of the cases were recorded in the south, the department said. In HCM City, more than 30 people fell ill during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays. In Ha Noi, Nguyen Thien Hai, deputy head of the Viet Nam National Hospital of Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Department, told the Voice of Viet Nam (VoV) online newspaper that the hospital was treating several children with hand, foot, and mouth disease. The head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine, Tran ac Phu, said the disease was easily spread, especially in wet weather, and parents and teachers should keep children away from those who have contracted it to prevent it spreading in schools. The disease typically peaks between March and May, Phu said. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common viral illness that usually affects infants and children younger than five. However, it can sometimes occur in older children and adults .There is no vaccine to protect against the virus. The ministry issued recommendations on how to prevent children from getting the disease: Wash childrens hands often with soap and water, especially after changing diapers and using the toilet; give children cooked food and boiled water; clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and soiled items, including toys; dont let children have contact with people suspected of having or infected with the disease; collect and dump patients waste in sanitary latrine; take your children to the nearest health clinic if symptoms occur. In response to the recommendations, schools, especially primary schools in HCM City and Ha Noi, sprayed Chloramine B to disinfect classrooms, kitchens and toys, as well as washing hands with soap and water. Nguyen Hoa Binh, 32, of Ha Nois Thanh Xuan District, said last year, her two-year-old daughter got the disease and she had to take her daughter to hospital for treatment. This year, after hearing warnings from the ministry about the disease, Binh washed her daughters hands with soap and water and gave her salt-water mouth rinse several times every day, she said. Symptoms and treatment Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses that belong to the Enterovirus genus (group), including polioviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, and enteroviruses. The disease usually starts with a fever, reduced appetite, sore throat, and a sense of malaise. One or two days after the fever starts, painful sores can develop in the mouth. A skin rash with red spots, and sometimes with blisters may also develop over one or two days on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; it may also appear on the knees, elbows, buttocks or genital area. According to medical experts, parents should take their children home once symptoms occur and treat childrens waste by using Chloramine B for disinfection. They should wear masks and gloves to avoid contact with the waste, doctors said. If children show symptoms such as high fever, vomiting or convulsions, parents should quickly take them to hospital for treatment to avoid dangerous complications. VNS HA NOI A new technique that helps improve water drainage in urban areas has been proposed by a Japanese company. The technique will help clean underground pipelines without digging them up, saving energy and cost, and can be applied in emergencies. The technique has been tested at a number of wastewater treatment plants in Ha Noi and the provinces of Quang Ninh and Ha Nam. Unlike conventional wastewater treatment techniques, it does not require skilled manpower and has been proven to be effective immediately. Kobayashi Noboru, director of the Sekisui Viet Nam Pipe Solutions Company, said yesterday that the technique can be applied along with conventional wastewater treatment system in Viet Nam in order to improve the quality of the water drainage system. Viet Nam is going to be the first country in the world to apply the technique, he said at a conference on solutions for wastewater treatment and improving environment in Viet Nam. The country had 800 urban areas by the end of last year and the urban population will reach 44 million by 2020 and 52 million by 2025, accounting for 45 and 50 per cent of the total population, according to official forecasts. These changes require more efficient water supply and water drainage systems. However, there is currently no synchronisation between the systems since they were constructed over different periods of time without coordinated planning. Some of the sewers have degraded, resulting in insufficient drainage capacity. Most of the wastewater is not treated before discharged. Statistics from the Ministry of Construction show that there are currently 37 wastewater treatment plants in urban areas with a total capacity of 890,000cu.m per day, treating 12-13 per cent of the total amount of wastewater. One water drainage system is being used for all types of wastewater and rainwater in urban areas. Several urban areas either have not built or are building domestic wastewater treatment plants. Domestic wastewater is only pretreated in septic tanks before discharged into receiving waters. The percentage of households whose domestic sewers are connected to the water drainage system is extremely low in some areas. Water drainage is being hindered by sewers that are not wide enough and by the concreting of canals and trenches, leading to urban flooding in HCM City and Ha Noi after heavy rains, and in cities where floods rarely occurred before like a Nang, Can Tho, Quy Nhon, Hai Phong, and Nha Trang. The development of industrial parks results in a major increase in the amount of wastewater. Surface water pollution in rivers, lakes and canals near industrial parks and craft villages such as the basins of the Nhue, ay and ong Nai rivers is getting more and more severe, affecting urban water supply. Reuse of rainwater A 2014 Government decree on water drainage and wastewater treatment encourages re-use of rainwater in order to reduce floods, saving water resources and reducing exploitation and use of groundwater and surface water sources. It provides preferential loan policies for organisations and individuals offering equipment and technologies for the treatment and re-use of rainwater. The Ministry of Construction has signed an agreement with Japans Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on strengthening the collaboration on wastewater system management between the two ministries. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Viet Nam is implementing several projects on improving water environment in the urban areas of HCM City, Ha Noi, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, a Nang, Binh Duong and Hue. VNS BEN TRE Flood tide during the past three days has caused serious erosion in the coastal area of Thanh Hai Village, Bao Thuan Commune, Ba Tri District, in southern Ben Tre Province. The erosion area is more than 500m in length and over 50m in depth, with some parts some 100m in depth. The flood tide destroyed a house and caused a depression in 500m of dyke and 250m of road. Many electric poles fell, leaving the Con Nhan coastal area in the village without electricity. Huynh Van Ngoat, a resident, said this was the highest flood tide he had seen in his 30 years living here. The highest wave was more than 10m. Another unusual occurrence was that normally, the highest flood tide occurred in the last month of lunar years. But this year, the highest flood tide occurred in the first month of the lunar year, Ngoat said. The flood tide destroyed 2,000sq.m of vegetables and farm products of the locals, which were going to be harvested. Lam Van O, deputy chairman of Bao Thuan Commune Peoples Committee, said the district had conducted different measures to limit the losses. One of the most important tasks was moving residents, especially the elderly and children, to safe areas. Police, militiamen and border guards were on hand to assist in addressing problems caused by the flood tide, O said. VNS BINH PHUOC A woman and her six-year-old son were killed in a fire that broke out in their clothing store in Binh Phuoc Province on Wednesday. The blaze reportedly occurred at around 1am, engulfing Thuy Trinh store in the ong Xoai night market with a family of four trapped inside. The store had three electrical doors, all of which were shut tight and could not be opened as the power tripped. Hearing screams for help, neighbours rushed across and managed to open a door, helping Tran The Tam, 41, come out with his three-year- old daughter in his arms. However, his wife Tran Thi Thuy, 34, and their six-year-old son Tran The Long were trapped deep inside and could not escape. Preliminary investigations show that the fire was probably triggered by an electrical fault. VNS LAI CHAU The number of victims in the largest food poisoning incident in the new year has shot up to 38, including seven fatalities, the provincial hospital announced. Lai Chau General Hospital director o Van Giang told reporters on Tuesday evening that 31 patients were still receiving treatment at the hospital and the Health Centre in Phong Tho District where the mass food poisoning occurred. Ministry of Healths Food Safety Department head Nguyen Thanh Phong, meanwhile, said there was still no final conclusion on the cause of the posioning as tests on the food sample to identify the toxic substance were still underway. Phong also expressed doubts over assumptions that excessive alcohol was the cause, as the symptoms of the seven victims before dying were not similar to those in typical alcohol poisoning cases. The first victim of the tragic food poisoning incident was a 60-year-old man named Phu Van Leng in Ma Ly Chai Commune. After a house party on February 10, he said he had a headache, following which he began vomiting repeatedly. He died later that night. His family had held a three-day funeral from February 11 to 13, where food and alcohol were served for the whole village according to traditional customs. By Monday evening, dozens of people who attended the funeral were suffering from headaches and nausea. Two later died at home, one while working in the field, two at the hospital and another one was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Lai Chau authorities provided financial support of some VN17 million (US$755) to each family to hold a funeral and gave VN2 million each to those undergoing treatment. VNS BAC LIEU The Bac Lieu Province Peoples Committee on Tuesday organised a meeting to discuss measures to repair two dykes that were breached by seawater in the last few days. Also attending the meeting were experts from the Southern Institute of Water Resources and Research, a consulting firm run by the Water Resource University, and the Hydraulic Construction Institute. They suggested piling rocks to plug the breaches and building a wall inside each of the dykes. Underground dykes should be built, they said. The experts said three-foot concrete blocks weighing a tonne or two each should be placed on the dykes to absorb the energy from waves. But local authorities, warning that the blocks could be swept away or cause the dykes to subside, said the solution should be carefully considered in the case of Ganh Hao Beach. Chairman of the province Peoples Committee, Duong Thanh Trung, said local authorities should take immediate measures to ensure the safety of people in the affected areas. As a long-term solution, authorities should build breakwaters in the alluvial grounds at Nha Mat and Ganh Hao beaches to protect the dykes, he said. Lai Thanh An, chief of the Bac Lieu Province Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Prevention and Control, said dyke sections more than 50m long have been damaged including parts that have collapsed. The 11-year-old dykes are not robust enough to withstand the frequent strong winds and huge waves, he said. The two dykes play an important role in protecting the Bac Lieu coast from the sea. VNS WASHINGTON The White House battled Tuesday to insulate Donald Trump from a scandal over his top aides contacts with Russia, as it emerged that the president was aware of the problem for weeks before acting. With calls for an independent investigation gathering pace, the White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that national security advisor Michael Flynn may have misled colleagues about his Kremlin contacts. The retired three-star general and former head of US defence intelligence initially denied discussing sanctions strategy with Russias ambassador Sergey Kislyak before taking office. That could have breached US law on negotiating with foreign powers, and at minimum was a significant break with the norm that incoming administrations accept the US has "one government at a time." Flynn was asked to resign on Monday, after what the White House said were weeks of internal investigation that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing but "eroded" trust. The White House had painted Trumps final decision as based on Flynn having misled Vice President Mike Pence. But it emerged Tuesday that Trump kept his deputy, who publicly defended Flynn and repeated his claims, in the dark for two weeks. "The Vice President became aware of incomplete information that he had received on February 9, last Thursday night, based on media accounts," said spokesman Marc Lotter. Flynn is the third Trump aide to step back amid questions about his ties to Russia since the mogul began his improbable White House bid. His departure follows those of election campaign manager Paul Manafort and Carter Page, an early foreign policy advisor to the candidate. The unprecedented early resignation of a key member of staff has rocked an administration already buffeted by leaks, infighting and legal defeats. Amid the tumult, the White House denied that Trump had instructed Flynn to discuss the possibility that Obama-era sanctions would be rolled back. "No, absolutely not. No, no, no," said White House spokesman Sean Spicer, when asked whether such a conversation took place. Eroding trust When first informed, on January 26, that Flynn may have made misleading statements about his talks with Russias envoy, Spicer said the president "instinctively thought that General Flynn did not do anything wrong." "The White House counsels review corroborated that," Spicer said, and "determined that there is not an illegal issue, but rather a trust issue." "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for General Flynns resignation." Trump took to Twitter to insist that "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?" The White House also insisted that Trump -- despite repeatedly professing admiration for Vladimir Putin and suggesting sanctions could be lifted -- "has been incredibly tough on Russia." In a new hardening of the US line on Russia, Spicer added that "President Trump has made it very clear he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea." The State Department meanwhile expressed concern that Russia is in breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, after reports that Moscow had deployed an operational ground-launched cruise missile unit. Inquiries and missteps The White Houses efforts are likely to do little to assuage concerns on Capitol Hill about Russias influence in US politics. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have now called for an investigation into what occurred, although they differ sharply on the scope and powers. "This. Is. Not. Normal." said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, insisting "Trump owes Americans a full account" of his administrations dealings with Moscow before and after the 2016 election. The US Senates top Republican Mitch McConnell said it was "highly likely" that Flynn would have to testify before an intelligence panel, potentially heaping pressure on Trump. The New York Times also reported that the FBI had interviewed Flynn on his calls with the Russian diplomat days into his job. The CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies have already investigated Moscows influence over the 2016 vote, concluding the Kremlin tried to sway it in Trumps favour. Various committees in the Republican-controlled Congress are looking into Russias election-related hacking and the Trump campaigns links to Moscow. Possible replacements Until quitting, Flynn had been instrumental in Trumps inner circle. He was an early supporter of his improbable bid for the presidency and had encouraged tougher policies on Iran and a softer line on Russia. That was a sharp break from the Obama administration, which introduced sanctions over Moscows integration of Ukraines Crimea, support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, and what US intelligence says were its attempts to sway last years election in Trumps favour. Washington and Moscow had also clashed over alleged war crimes in Syria, where Russia is accused of aiding the bombing of hospitals and other civilian targets. Despite this, Flynn had argued for rapprochement. After Flynn quit, the White House said Trump had named retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, a decorated Viet Nam war veteran and a director on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to be interim national security advisor. Potential permanent replacements reportedly include three retired military brass: Kellogg; retired general and former CIA director David Petraeus; and former vice admiral Robert Harward. Spicer said Trump hoped to make the new appointment by the end of the week. AFP BANJUL, Gambia UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited The Gambia on Tuesday, where he hailed the arrival of a new government and its bid to rejoin the Commonwealth group of former British colonies. Johnson met President Adama Barrow and Interior Minister Mai Fatty to reset ties with the impoverished West African nation after years of tension with former president Yahya Jammeh. The visit was his first to Africa as Britains top diplomat, becoming the first British foreign minister to visit The Gambia since it gained independence in 1965. His talks with Barrow cemented moves by The Gambia to rejoin the Commonwealth, Johnson told journalists. "President Barrow is determined to take Gambia back to the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth is ready to welcome Gambia back," Johnson said, vowing to do whatever possible to "speed up" the process. In a video message posted on Johnsons Twitter account after the meeting, he celebrated the British embassy soon becoming a High Commission to reflect The Gambias return to the Commonwealth fold. Jammeh frequently railed against Britains colonial rule of the tiny nation and withdrew his nation from the Commonwealth in 2013, calling it "an extension of colonialism". By contrast, Barrow worked as a security guard in Britain when he was younger and has made no secret of his wish to rekindle ties. The foreign secretary has hailed the December elections that saw Barrow unseat Jammeh from 22 years in power, saying they "highlight the continuing strengthening of democracy in West Africa". In his video message, Johnson praised the arrival of the Barrow administration: "They got rid of a guy who was really holding things up, and they will take the country forward." Britain to support justice reform During his visit the foreign secretary also said tackling the migration crisis was "something that is absolutely vital for Europe as much as Africa," in a nation that accounts for more citizens per capita taking boats across the Mediterreanan to Italy than any other. Johnson additionally promised support for justice reform in The Gambia, after the new government declared it would overhaul its prisons after shocking footage was released of conditions inside. A British special advisor will be appointed to aid the justice ministry and attorney-general as The Gambia reforms a sector tarred by allegations of rights abuses, a diplomatic source said. Fatty led a tour of The Gambias Mile Two prison on Monday for local journalists that revealed concrete cells in almost complete darkness where prisoners were living in squalor, and apologised on camera for the conditions. The Gambia has just notified the United Nations it will rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), reversing another controversial Jammeh move from last year. Controversial comments Johnsons trip to The Gambia followed his history of controversy with Britains former territories in Africa. In a news column published in 2002, Johnson characterised the Commonwealth as having "crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies," to welcome Queen Elizabeth II, using a derogatory term for black people that caused outrage. He also parodied reaction to Tony Blairs arrival in Congo saying that "the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down". The comments came back to haunt him when he ran for London mayor in 2008, and then again when he was named foreign secretary last year after Britains shock Brexit vote. Gambian journalists had questions vetted for a brief press conference with Barrow in The Gambia and could not question him about the comments, they said. In a show of confidence in the Gambian tourist industry, which is dominated by British sunseekers, Johnson took a commercial flight to Banjul, and also met with Tourism Minister Hamat Bah. Britain could help develop the tourism sector to help give Gambians greater economic security with Britains help, Johnson said. Tourists were flown out of the country en masse in January after Jammeh declared a state of emergency when he lost the election to Barrow but refused to stand down. On Wednesday morning, Johnson will head to Ghana to meet President Nana Akufo-Addo and visit the Blue Skies company, a juice-maker which has received financial support from Britain. AFP SEOUL South Korea confirmed Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns half brother has been murdered in Malaysia, confirming reports of his assassination at Kuala Lumpurs airport. "Our government is certain that the murdered man is Kim Jong-nam," said Chung Joon-hee, a spokesman for Seouls unification ministry that handles inter-Korea affairs. Two women are believed to have used some kind of poison for the Cold War-style killing, with reports from Malaysia and South Korea suggesting Kim Jong-nam had been stabbed with poison-tipped needles or had chemicals sprayed in his face. "He told the receptionist at the departure hall that someone had grabbed his face from behind and splashed some liquid on him," Selangor states criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying by Malaysias The Star newspaper. "He asked for help and was immediately sent to the airports clinic. At this point, he was experiencing headache and was on the verge of passing out," said Fadzil. "At the clinic, the victim experienced a mild seizure. He was put into an ambulance and was being taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when he was pronounced dead," he said. South Korean reports had earlier suggested the two female assassins had used poison-tipped needles during the killing, before fleeing in a taxi. Kim had at one time been set to assume the leadership of his isolated country, but fell out of favour after an embarrassing attempt to get into Japan on a fake passport in 2001. He has since lived in exile, mostly in the gambling haven of Macau, but he has also been spotted in other Asian countries and there have been reports of his playboy lifestyle. Kim, 45, is believed to have been in Malaysia on a passport bearing the name Kim Chol, a known alias, according to South Korean media. Kims killing is thought to be the highest-profile death under the Jong-un regime since the execution of the leaders uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. AFP St. Isaacs Cathedral in St. Petersburg is one of the tens of thousands of churches seized, shuttered, or destroyed following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Instead of leveling it the fate of so many other houses of worship the communists turned the architectural wonder into a Museum of Atheism, then a museum in its own right. It has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by 3.5 million people last year. In January, Governor Georgy Poltavchenko announced that he would transfer ownership of the cathedral from the state to the Russian Orthodox Church, a seemingly commonsense move that has drawn massive backlash from those who hope the government will refuse to relinquish the holy site. More than 200,000 people have signed a petition demanding that the government retain control of its property. The two sides clashed on Sunday, as hundreds of Orthodox Christians held a procession around the cathedral. A handful of counter-protesters tried to interrupt, and, at their own protest later in the day, approximately 2,500 people held hands in front of the churchs entrance. AFP reports: They carried placards with slogans including Russian Church: Hands off Isaacs and Russia is a secular state, and chanted Museum! Museum! The Church, theyre just parasites who are after money, said one demonstrator, 50-year-old Natalya Gorokhova. The crowd also complained that clerics will admit visitors to the museum for free No one charges people for entering a church, said Orthodox Church spokesman Vladimir Legoida depriving the city of revenue and denting its budget. [1] The injunction that Christians get their hands off property that had been purloined from them seems unnatural. Yet such a mindset has become ingrained after decades of cultural conditioning both from state-enforced atheist indoctrination as well as a longstanding belief in communal ownership, which holds that all property is our property, to be repossessed and repurposed as those wielding the most power decide. That which is publicly owned is subject only to the whim of the controlling governmental authority, which is so often subject only to itself. Private property upholds freedom of conscience it reinforces religious liberty by setting the boundaries of state intervention. Without private property, citizens have no means of resisting government encroachments. When the Marxists finally seized control of a given country, they first reappropriated the disarmed populations property before denuding the populace of its remaining rights. This is not to say that the right to property is superior to freedom of religion, nor that economics determine our actions; that is precisely the Marxist tenet the West rejects. The human race, created in the image of God, is motivated by love. However, the ability to prioritize higher ends over lower ones and to live according to conscience is possible, Friedrich von Hayek wrote in The Road to Serfdom, only in such a free economy. Purely economic pursuits are less important to us than many things precisely because in economic matters we are free to decide what to us is more, and what less, important. Or, as Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote, Money is coined liberty. (Interestingly, Leo Tolstoys great-grandson, Pyotor, is involved the fracas over St. Isaacs from his seat in the Duma, where he has urged the state to restore the property to church use.) The understanding that higher values rest upon private property requires that we reevaluate the threat economic collectivism poses to all pursuits, not simply material ones. We should dismiss, Hayek wrote, the erroneous belief that there are purely economic ends separate from the other ends of life. Economic control is not merely control of a sector of human life which can be separated from the rest; it is the control of the means for all our ends. And whoever has sole control of the means must also determine which ends are to be served, which values are to be rated higher and which lower in short, what men should believe and strive for. Such power, he wrote, is almost unlimited. For the Christians of St. Petersburg, the drive for boundless power is fueled by a technicality that dates back to the time of Czar Peter I (conventionally known as Peter the Great, although he persecuted faithful clergy and despoiled the Church of her property). Due to the system he established, the cathedral formally belonged to the state rather than the Church when it was completed. After the four-decade-long building process came to an end in 1858, the czars repeatedly refused ecclesiastical requests to cede full ownership to the Church, although Christians used it exclusively for worship. Now, protesters cite that example of state interference in the spiritual life of Russians as a precedent for perpetual interference. In the Gospel, Zacchaeus gained eternal salvation by returning everything he embezzled while acting on behalf of the government. St. Petersburg a name only recently restored after an interlude as Leningrad may profit by his example. Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church did not immediately respond to inquiries for comment. ENDNOTE: St. Isaacs is, alas, not the only controversy over returning church property. A similar dispute is taking place in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, where a monastery is asking for the free use of 24 buildings that once belonged to its monks, but which communists turned into Chersonesus Archaeological Museum. (When an attempt to turn ownership back to the monastery failed in 2015, the New Yorker cheered, civilization appears to have defeated obscurantism.) (Photo credit: Dennis Jarvis, modified, CC BY-SA 2.0) CHARLES CITY A Charles City man arrested in December for allegedly harboring a 14-year-old runaway now faces a felony charge of enticing that same girl for a sexual purpose. Mark Lynch, 34, is accused of enticing or attempting to entice a minor younger than age 16 with the intent to commit an illegal sexual act or sexual exploitation, according to the trial information filed last week by the Floyd County Attorney Rachel Ginbey. His arraignment is set for Feb. 28. Lynch was arrested Dec. 10 on a misdemeanor charge of harboring a runaway after police found a 14-year-old Ohio girl who was listed as a runaway or missing child, according to a Charles City Police Department statement. Lynch pleaded not guilty to the harboring charge, and his trial was scheduled for Thursday. However, a motion to postpone the trial has been filed as well as a motion for that case to be combined with the enticing a minor case as they are both part of one alleged occurrence. Teens plead to federal charges WATERLOO Two Waterloo teens pleaded guilty to federal firearm charges in connection with gunfire in 2016. Trials for Jamonse Jaquan Moore and Zavyon Brian Nix, both 19, were scheduled to begin Monday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids, but the two pleaded in late January. Moore entered a plea to possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user Jan. 19, and Nix pleaded to the same charge Jan. 25. Sentencing hearings will be at a later date, and both remain detained. The charge carries up to 10 years in prison. Moore, who police said is associated with the Del Mob neighborhood gang, was found with a .380-caliber Bersa handgun and a 9mm Beretta handgun hidden in an SUV door following a disturbance on West Fourth Street in October. Police found a .22-caliber Sentinel Deluxe revolver with an obscured serial number hidden near Nix following a shooting on Reed Street in July. Investigators later searched Nixs cell phone and found pictures of him holding a revolver that appeared to be the same as the weapon that was recovered. One injured in night shooting WATERLOO Waterloo police are investigating an overnight shooting that sent one woman to the hospital. Officers were called to the 800 block of Kern Street around 11 p.m. Monday and found a woman had been shot in the leg in a drive-by shooting. Tonya Jean Taylor, 50, suffered non-life threatening wounds, and paramedics with Waterloo Fire Rescue took her to an area hospital for treatment. No arrests have been made in the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the Waterloo Police Department at 291-4340 ext. 7 or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers at 855-300-TIPS (8477). 2 die in fire in Benton County KEYSTONE A father and son died in an early morning fire in Benton County while a daughter was able to jump out a window. The fire started around 2 a.m. Tuesday on 16th Avenue north of Keystone. Firefighters said an elderly family was living in the home, and three people were stuck inside. A woman was able to jump to safety out of a window, but her father and brother did not make it out. The woman did suffer injuries and was taken to the hospital. Their names have not been released. Firefighters are searching for a cause. Board seeks help identifying birds TOLEDO -- Tama County Conservation Board is seeking help with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society "Great Backyard Bird Count" on Saturday. People are welcome to come to the Tama County Nature Center at Otter Creek Lake and Park at 2283 Park Road from 10 a.m. to noon to help ID the birds at the feeder. There also will be hot cocoa and treats by the fireplace and activities for the kids. This is a free event for the whole family. For more information, email canderson@tamacounty.org or call (641) 484-2231. Genealogical Society to meet CEDAR FALLS -- The Northeast Iowa Genealogical Society will have a meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Cedar Falls Public Library. Thomas Connors, a professor at the University of Northern Iowa, will talk about Native, Russian and American cemeteries in Alaska. People are invited to come for a meeting and then asked to join. For more information, go to https://sites.google.com/site/neigsblackhawkcounty/home. VINTON -- A former office manager of North Benton Ambulance Service in Vinton has been arrested for first-degree theft in connection with the misappropriation of thousands of dollars from the organization. Amber M. Bonlander, 37, was arrested in Knox County, Ill., by the Knox County Sheriffs Office on the complaint Wednesday, the Iowa Department of Public Safety reported. She is awaiting extradition to Benton County. She was employed as the ambulance service office manager from March 2009 until her termination in August 2014. An investigation began in December 2014 related to several suspicious financial transactions made by Bonlander during the course of her tenure there, the DPS reported. According to a criminal complaint, an audit completed in December 2014 identified "questionable transactions" totaling more than $21,500, "consisting of unaccounted for funds" related to the reloading of a prepaid bank card, "an unauthorized payroll check, unauthorized pay increases and unauthorized payroll advances." The audit identified $17,118 in "unaccounted funds" paid to Bonlander and her husband, Jeff Bonlander, a former employee of the ambulance service, plus a $1,500 unauthorized extra paycheck to her and $2,900 in "unauthorized payroll advances" to both of them, of which $2,200 were repaid. The affadavit lists Amber Bonlander's current address as Sharonville, Ohio. WATERLOO With a proposal moving through the Legislature to limit public employee bargaining rights, Superintendent Jane Lindaman on Monday sought to reassure Waterloo Community Schools staff. In comments at the end of the Board of Education meeting, she called the bill a significant change for educators and other public employees. The proposed legislation, for lack of a better word, its shocking, said Lindaman. She sent an email to district employees expressing solidarity with them. We are Waterloo Schools. We have to work together, said Lindaman. Just because something is being proposed and districts have the opportunity, or because they can do something, doesnt mean that they should, and it doesnt mean that they will. And so Ive tried to give some sense of calm and some sense of Hey, listen, weve got a lot of things going, and were going to continue to do that, she said. For most public employees, including educators, the bill would limit collective bargaining to base wages. They would no longer be able to bargain for insurance, hours, vacations, holidays, overtime compensation, health and safety matters and other provisions previously negotiated. Identical bills in the Iowa House and Senate would make the changes to Chapter 20 of the Iowa Code. Im not trying to get political in any way, shape or form, but I do know whats best for kids. Its when we work together, said Lindaman. And so I really urge everybody especially employees, but the community as well weve got to come together and make sure that we are keeping kids first, regardless of what happens, she added. Because were still going to do whats right. Educators across the state have harshly criticized the bill. I am beyond angry today. Im actually mortified (and) floored by the disrespect and animosity that drove through the authors to introduce such a punitive piece of legislation, said Tammy Wawro last week. The Cedar Rapids teacher is president of the Iowa State Education Association, which represents 34,000 Iowa school employees. At University of Northern Iowa, United Faculty, which represents educators there, stated its opposition nearly immediately after Republicans introduced the legislation last week. The UNI Faculty Senate, the Northern Iowa Student Government, Graduate Council and Professional and Scientific Council all passed resolutions in opposition to the changes. WATERLOO Former Waterloo Police Chief Junior Grimm passed from this life the way he charged through it straight ahead with his eyes wide open. So says Don Page, a former Black Hawk County supervisor and United Auto Workers Local 838 president who saw Grimm in hospice care in Arizona shortly before he died Sunday at age 90. He said Don Page! Come on in! Im on my way out, Page said, meaning Grimm knew the end was near for him. His attitude was tremendous. It made you feel good. He was the same old Junior. His attitude was great and he was ready to go. He said he had a good life and did a lot of things other people hadnt. Grimm and Page were in the Naval Reserves together in the late 1940s; Page took training from him. Grimm had made master chief petty officer and won many distinctions for his service. Grimm, joined the Waterloo Police Department in 1950. He was promoted to sergeant in 1959, lieutenant in 1968 and captain in 1975. He served as chief from 1980 to 1982. Former Waterloo Police Chief Tom Jennings, who served under Grimm as an officer, said Grimm was always in command regardless of his position in the department. You always knew where he stood, Jennings said. He wasnt afraid to voice his opinion. But Grimm was chief during a difficult time. It was when Waterloo officers Wayne Rice and Michael Hoing were shot and killed by James Michael T-Bone Taylor in July 1981 as the officers were responding to a noise complaint. Additionally Black Hawk County sheriffs deputy William Mullikin was killed in an auto accident during the manhunt for Taylor in the days following the shootings. Taylor was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the Waterloo officers deaths and died in prison in 2014. He had turmoil, Jennings said of Grimm. That was tough in the summer of 81. Grimm retired the following April. Page recalled Grimm sometimes clashed with then-Waterloo Mayor Leo Rooff on police matters. Grimm faced a no-confidence vote at one point, as the department went through three different chiefs in six years. Jennings said it was a period of change and budgetary challenges for the department. Page said Grimm was opinionated, even outspoken, but usually had a good base for his opinions which he continued. After retirement, Grimm made it a personal mission to monitor gas prices in Waterloo compared to surrounding cities. In 1989 he presented the Waterloo City Council with a petition with 2,300 signatures seeking city support to ask the state to look into the matter. Grimm also was active in the 40 and 8 organization, a historic group dedicated to preservation of World War I boxcars, so named because they could hold 40 soldiers or eight horses. Grimm and his wife, Peggy, had just celebrated a 70th wedding anniversary in September. Locke Funeral Home is in charge of Grimms funeral arrangements. DES MOINES Four Roman Catholic bishops pressed the GOP-led Legislature to consider the common good in making collective bargaining changes Tuesday at the Iowa Statehouse. Archbishop Michael Jackels of Dubuque, Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City, Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport and Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines walked a fine line, declaring neutrality while making clear Catholic social teaching supports the rights of workers to bargain collectively. Were kind of in the middle because we can see good on both sides, said Nickless. The bishops made their annual sojourn to the Statehouse on the day the House and Iowa Senate began debate on revamping Iowas 1974 collective bargaining law. They used the occasion to push for moderation by both political parties. What we are really looking for is the common good that benefits everybody, said Pates. He noted that requires balancing the limits of public finances with the rights of workers to form unions and negotiate. Compensation is not only determined by what is in your pay envelope but other things like health care, vacations, retirement, Pates said. Last week the Iowa Catholic Conference sent an official statement to Gov. Terry Branstad, who is a Catholic, and every legislator expressing concern about the 68-page bill to limit bargaining and cap pay raises awarded by arbitrators. The bishops affirmed the role of labor unions in helping workers receive fair pay, benefits and working conditions that can help set standards for workers in other situations. Pates offered the morning prayer at the start of House proceedings. He referenced the teachings of St. Thomas of Aquinas that in the middle stands virtue. He said he received little feedback from majority Republicans other than theyre listening. Jackels conceded there is a lot of power when both houses of the Legislature and the governors office are held by one political party but noted there are two other powers above that: God and the power of the people. WATERLOO The threat of underground contamination led Black Hawk County to reconsider a jail parking lot repair. The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to rescind its Jan. 24 decision to repair the lot along the West Fifth Street side of the jail. Building Maintenance Superintendent Rory Geving had previously estimated it would take $500,000 to remove rubble from the former Ellis Hotel, which is buried under the lot and causing it to sink. Further research indicated the hotel rubble likely contains cancer-causing asbestos, which is more costly to remove. That is a game changer, Geving said. I think its safe to say there is something in there, asbestos. How much? I have no idea. We wont know until we expose it. Waterloo city officials buried the rubble on site when they tore down the Ellis Hotel in 1986. The county built the parking lot over the debris in 1993 and has faced multiple repairs as the material decays and causes the ground under the lot to settle. Geving presented three options to the supervisors Tuesday to deal with the situation and expects to return next week with more information. One option involves digging down 2 feet and replacing it with compacted material and a new parking lot for $175,000. A second option digs down 4 to 6 feet, removing some of the rubble, for $300,000. A third option would go down 8 feet and remove all of the estimated 4,500 tons of asbestos-laden material for a cost of $700,000. This is the most positive approach to minimize the risk of slab on grade settlement, Geving said. You are basically eradicating the problem before moving forward. The change in course will make it much more difficult to complete the repairs this year. Geving and Sheriff Tony Thompson dont want the lot out of service at the same time a different contractor is replacing the jail security system. That project is slated to start in July. Board members suggested it might be better to start the parking lot project in 2018. County Finance Director Susan Deaton said the boards proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-18 does not include any funding for the parking lot project. The supervisors could approve a bond issue to cover the costs if work is done next year, or the county could take the money from its cash reserves. DES MOINES -- State officials confirmed Tuesday that tree-killing pests have been spread to two more counties Jackson and Clayton -- in Iowa, bringing the total to 41 counties. Officials with the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said Emerald Ash Borer -- a highly destructive insect that attacks and kills ash trees -- has been confirmed in Bellevue and Marquette. Native to Asia, the insect is responsible for the death of tens of millions of ash trees nationwide. The adult emerald ash borer is a metallic green beetle measuring about one-half inch long and one-eighth inch wide. Trees attacked by the insect usually die within two to four years. Nationally, the borer has spread to 29 states since being discovered in Michigan in 2002. Lake Macbride A House subcommittee balked Tuesday at establishing an alcohol ban and a closing time in state law for the Lake Macbride State Park near Solon. While acknowledging there may be issues at the park for state regulators to deal with, a three-member House Natural Resources subcommittee decided the issues were best resolved by state agencies and commissions that oversee the park rather than by state law. The Iowa Natural Resource Commission voted last year to ban liquor, beer and wine at beaches at Lake Macbride State Park near Solon and Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area near Palo, but a bipartisan group of legislators decided in September to delay implementing rules for the ban until the end of the 2017 session to allow the Legislature to weigh in if lawmakers so desired. State Department of Natural Resources officials said they were taking action after a recent analysis of citations found a substantial number of incidents involving public intoxication, assault, littering and interference with official acts on those two beaches. The alcohol ban would not apply to any rental facilities within the 200-foot buffer surrounding the sand or fenced-in areas that were officially reserved. Motor size Members of the Iowa Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee voted 10-3 Tuesday to lift longstanding outboard motor size restrictions on Lake Macbride in Johnson County. Current Iowa law forbids outboard motors of 10 or more horsepower on Macbride between Memorial Day and Labor Day. There also is a year-round no-wake law. SenateFile126 would allow the operation of motorboats with power units exceeding 10 horsepower at any time on Lake Macbride so long as the boats are operated at no-wake speed. I think no wake means no wake, said Sen. Tim Kapucian, R-Keystone, the bills floor manager who likened the situation to vehicles with a 50-horsepower engine and one with a 500-horsepower motor that both are subject to the same highway speed limit. Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, said the 10-horsepower limit has worked for years at Macbride, adding I dont see why we need to change. The bill now goes to the full Iowa Senate for consideration. Giving notice : Senators heard support for allowing local governments to post public notices on the internet rather than paying to put them in newspapers. After hearing from local government groups, newspaper publishers and others, sponsor Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, said he and other Local Government subcommittee members agreed to amend SF 158 www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=SF158&ga=87 to give local governments more flexibility in meeting state public notice requirements. Posting those notices on the internet would be cheaper and, he said, reach more citizens because the only people who can access the newspapers are those who pay to subscribe to the paper. However, a number of speakers said that not every Iowan has reliable access to the internet. Jess Mazour, an organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, said that would create a patchwork across the state, which she knew is something Republicans want to avoid. Representatives of Iowa State Association of Counties, the Metropolitan Coalition, Linn County and the League of Cities said internet posting would save local governments money. The Iowa Newspaper Association, however, argued Iowan are looking for those public notices and finding it either in newspapers of online at a website maintained by the association. Jess Mazour, an organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, said that would create a patchwork across the state, which she knew is something Republicans want to avoid. Representatives of Iowa State Association of Counties, the Metropolitan Coalition, Linn County and the League of Cities said internet posting would save local governments money. The Iowa Newspaper Association, however, argued Iowan are looking for those public notices and finding it either in newspapers of online at a website maintained by the association. Fair liability protection A Senate subcommittee agreed Tuesday to give fairs in Iowa liability protection from damages sought by anyone who alleges an injury or death caused by a pathogen transmitted from an event where an animal is kept for more than three hours. Senate File 210 initially applied to county and district fairs, but bill sponsor, Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan, said the measure would be amended to include the Iowa State Fair before it was taken up by the full Senate Agriculture Committee. Zumbach said he introduced the bill to protect fair participants and volunteer fair workers from liability for damages arising from the transmission of pathogens associated with animals housed on the fairgrounds. The bill requires appropriate warning signs to be posted and other precautions to remain in effect, but he said the legislation expands upon protections already in place to deal with situations where spectator may get stepped on or kicked by show animals. Voter changes Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate on Tuesday announced the annual National Change of Address process to update and maintain Iowas voter registration records is underway. Over the next few weeks, voters who have filed a change of address with the U.S. Postal Service will receive a card in the mail from their county auditor saying the USPS indicates they have moved. Voters that receive these cards in the mail should indicate if the new address is incorrect and quickly return the card to the county auditors office, Pate said. The mailing is being conducted at the direction of Secretary Pate to ensure full compliance with the National Voter Registration Act, which requires periodic contact with voters to ensure the most accurate information is on file. QUOTE OF THE DAY: I find it a cruel irony that today on St. Valentines Day you choose to break the hearts of workers by really massacring their rights in the workplace. -- Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, commenting Tuesday on a bill revamping Iowas collective bargaining law. CHARLES CITY The Floyd County Board of Supervisors is asking Gov. Terry Branstad and the Iowa Legislature to make changes in the states master matrix that is used to regulate concentrated animal feeding operations. Supervisors took the action at their meeting Tuesday. Supervisor Mark Kuhn of Charles City, who helped develop the matrix when he was in the state Legislature, introduced the resolution seeking the changes. Environmental groups such as Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement have lobbied for tougher standards and for local control of animal confinement policies. Last year, Cerro Gordo County supervisors denied a request for a proposed hog confinement operation because they thought it was too close to residences and a wildlife area. But the Iowa Department of Natural Resources rejected the countys recommendation because the proposed operation met the requirements of the state matrix. Also last year, a proposed Prestage Farms hog processing plant in Mason City was voted down by the City Council in a 3-3 vote in part because of citizens concerns about the environmental impact. The company then received approval to build the plant in Wright County. Floyd County is the third county in which supervisors have formally called for changes in the state matrix, joining both Allamakee and Winneshiek counties. Last year, Webster and Pocahontas county officials wrote letters to legislators and the DNR calling for a moratorium on factory farms and changes to the master matrix. In addition, Johnson County officials also called for more local control. CCI members and concerned residents are hopeful actions by boards of supervisors will help pressure legislators to change the matrix. Hamas Members Defect to ISIS | Main | Israel and U.S. Military Aid February 15, 2017 Jewish Voice for Peace Hosts Convicted Palestinian Terrorist Jewish Voice for Peace, the misnamed anti-Israel organization, will be hosting a convicted Palestinian terrorist at its upcoming conference in Chicago on March 31 to April 2, 2017. Rasmea Odeh, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist group will be a featured speaker at the event, according to an Algemeiner report by Lea Spyer (Jewish Voice for Peace to Host Convicted Palestinian Terrorist at Upcoming National Conference,? Feb. 6, 2017). Odeh will be speaking, along with three other speakers, during a workshop titled All In!? In addition to Odeh, another panelist at the JVP conference is Linda Sarsour, an anti-Israel speaker who, among other things, has called to remove the vaginas of her female critics (#WomensMarch Co-Chair Linda Sarours Twitter attack on victim of female genital mutilation,? Legal Insurrection, Jan. 27, 2016). Odeh was convicted for her role in two terrorist attacks: In 1969, she set up explosives in a grocery store, murdering two Hebrew University students and wounding nine others. Four days later, she set up explosives targeting the British consulate. In 1970 she was sentenced to life in an Israeli prison for her crimes, only to be freed in a prisoner swap ten years later. The Anti-Defamation League has described JVP as the most influential anti-Zionist group in the United States.? ADL has asserted that JVPs role in the anti-Israel boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) effort is to provide the movement with a veneer of legitimacy? and camouflage against identification as antisemitic. Despite ADLs apt characterization, JVP is often misleadingly described as a left-leaning? or progressive? Jewish group by many major U.S. news outlets. As CAMERA has noted, JVP has often been given Op-Ed space by The Washington Post, The Hill, and others (Jewish Voice for Peace Repeats anti-Israel Cliches; Post Provides a Platform,? June 29, 2016). Similarly, Sarsour, a co-organizer of the Jan. 21, 2017 Womens March on Washington D.C.,? has been feted by journalists who often fail to disclose her history of inflammatory statements, including accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing and dismissing reports of al-Qaeda terror attacks as conspiracy theories (see, for example CAMERA Rebuts Zogby Op-Ed in The Hill,? Aug. 27, 2015). A Jan. 23, 2017 article in Elle Magazine, for instance, claimed that conservative news sites? and Islamophobes? were attacking Sarsour for her role in organizing the womens march. However, the article by Mattie Kahn failed to note Sarsours decidedly anti-feminist, anti-human rights exhortations. It remains to be seen if future news reports treating JVP as a credible source will inform readers of the groups associations and advocates. Posted by SD at February 15, 2017 10:36 AM I wonder if there will be any Israelis present holding up flags and trying to shout Odeh down? The ADL is committed to free speech but is it hate speech? It think calling for the removal of your critics vaginas is pretty high n the list of things one might say if they want to convey hate. Ever try to have a rational conversation with a truther filled up with this Muslim Brotherhood approved propaganda? Conspiracy theory exploitation, you have to admire their ability to manipulate the 68% (Harvard study) of conspiracy theorists who want or even need to believe the 9-11 was a Bush, CIA, and Mossad operation and tried to blame it on poor old dead Osama. They are crazy like a fox and must be laughing themselves stupid at how useful American idiots are. "Peace" is the most abused word in the English language. Posted by: jeb at February 18, 2017 05:54 AM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment WATERLOO The Black Hawk County Gaming Association is likely to oppose two new Cedar Rapids casino proposals submitted to state regulators this week. The market in Iowa is saturated. In fact, its saturated across the country, said Tim Hurley, BHCGA president and former Waterloo mayor. The Black Hawk County group receives 5.75 percent of the Iowa Casino Hotel Waterloos adjusted gross revenues for community projects and tax relief. The Cedar Rapids Development Group and Peninsula Pacific submitted an application to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission for a casino in Cedar Rapids. The proposal includes two options: Cedar Crossing on the River, located in the Kingston Square neighborhood across the Cedar River from downtown, approximately where the state rejected a similar proposal in 2014. Cedar Crossing Central, located next to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel on First Avenue downtown. Additionally, a $42 million Wild Rose Cedar Rapids boutique casino across First Avenue from the hotel was proposed in September. Hurley said any Cedar Rapids casino would hurt the Isles gaming receipts. Our revenues are at the sustainable level, where we could keep doing things at the rate weve been doing. Calendar year 2016 was a very good year, he said, but the last two or three months, revenues were below what they had been. Admissions are down all across the state, though amounts wagered per visitor are up. Its not a growth industry, he said. Iowa has 22 casinos. Hurley expects casino proponents will do a market study and the Racing and Gaming Commission will do its own. He expects BHCGA and the Isle will speak at public meetings this fall. A decision from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission could come by November. In terms of fairness, I dont wish Cedar Rapids or Linn County any ill will, Hurley said. But 12 or 13 years ago the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission darn near begged them to authorize gaming in Linn County because there was a void along the corridor in eastern Iowa, and Linn County voters turned it down. Linn County voters approved a gambling referendum in March 2013 almost five years after the 2008 flood that devastated downtown. I know things were a lot different then. But time didnt stop, Hurley said. That perceived void in the market was filled by Riverside Casino and the Isle, both of which are within an hours drive of Cedar Rapids, with other gambling in Dubuque the Quad Cities and Tama. Previous studies showed the Waterloo casino derived 12 to 17 percent of its visitors from Linn County. Even if it were just 10 percent, Hurley said, that would mean a $500,000 loss in grant revenue to BHCGA for projects here. Hurley was asked if the proposed Cedar Rapids casino sites in and near downtown pose less of a potential revenue loss than would a site on the north side of the Cedar Rapids metro area within easy access of Interstate 380. It might ameliorate our loss, but I dont think by much, he said. Proponents of the previously rejected, now-reintroduced Cedar Rapids proposal on that citys flood-stricken west side, had said that plan would help Cedar Rapids the most and impact casinos in other communities the least. By WestKyStar & PTHS Staff Feb. 14, 2017 | 07:46 PM | PADUCAH, KY Of the nearly 3.5 million high school seniors graduating this year, fewer than 4,000 students from across the country have been selected to participate in the prestigious recognition program. Walden is a National Merit Commended Student, an AP Scholar with Distinction, and a Paducah Sun Teen of the Week. She is a National Speech and Debate Association Academic All American and a three-year member of the Kentucky All-State Speech Team. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the distinguished PTHS choir, and the female a cappella group, Concordia. Michael-Ellen is also an active member on Tilghmans academic team, in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and in the Young Democrats Club. She is a volunteer and staff employee at Camp Barnabas, and is active at the Reidland Church of Christ. She is the daughter of Kelly and Wayne Walden. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by executive order of the President to recognize and honor some of the nations most distinguished high school seniors. Students are selected based on academic success, leadership, and service to school and community. The Commission on Presidential Scholars will select 500 semifinalists from the national pool of honored students. In April, 121 students, including one male and one female from each state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and from families of U.S. citizens living abroad, will be named U.S. Presidential Scholars. These students will be recognized at the White House later this summer. Michael-Ellen has been a student in the Paducah Public Schools since kindergarten, and her diligent work all along the way is now culminating in one of the countrys highest honors, said Superintendent Donald Shively. From lighting up the stage in Clark Schools Affair of the Arts productions to helping found Paducah Middles speech team where she was named state champion as an eighth grader, she has blazed significant trails. The positive impact she has had in the school system and most recently at Tilghman is beyond impressive. Michael-Ellen Walden, senior at Paducah Tilghman High School, has been named a candidate in the 2017 United States Presidential Scholars Program by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the United States Department of Education. By The Associated Press Feb. 10, 2017 | 11:18 AM | PADUCAH, KY A judge has sentenced two teen parents to probation for leaving their newborn girl in a trash bin in Paducah. According to media reports, McCracken Circuit Judge Craig Clymer said during the sentencing hearing Thursday that he had to follow the juvenile code because a jury convicted the pair of wanton endangerment, criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence. They were acquitted of attempted murder. Clymer said both have already served more time in a juvenile facility than he could impose, so he sentenced them to 12 months' probation. He also ordered them to complete a moral therapy program. The crying infant was found in a dumpster in July 2015 with its umbilical cord still attached. The baby was hospitalized and later released into state custody. By The Associated Press Feb. 10, 2017 | 11:55 AM | FRANKFORT, KY Linus could still explain the true meaning of Christmas to Charlie Brown under a bill approved by the Kentucky Senate. Senators voted Friday for the measure that defends the rights of students to express religious beliefs in public schools and allows the Bible to be used for the study of religion. It now moves to the House. The bill also would permit school boards to allow schools to sponsor "artistic or theatrical programs" that advance the learning of cultural or religious heritage. That provision is in part a response to a Kentucky school's decision to cut Bible passages referenced in a performance of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The bill sets guidelines for schools to allow religious beliefs to be expressed on school grounds. It allows teachers to use the Bible for the study of religion, its history and role in the U.S. Jewish Voice for Peace Hosts Convicted Palestinian Terrorist | Main | Success: PBS Ombudsman Blogs About Miko Peled Interview February 15, 2017 Israel and U.S. Military Aid One common narrative in media reports about Israel is that Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid. The Brookings Institutions Shibley Telhami, for example, made the claim in Newsweek in September (Is America Giving Too Much Aid to Israel? Key Poll Findings,? September 16, 2016). That same month the month that the most recent U.S. aid package to Israel was finalized CNN wrote the US has made Israel its largest recipient of military assistance for decades? and the New York Times called Israel already the largest recipient of American aid...? (Largest-ever US military aid package to go to Israel,? and U.S. Finalizes Deal to Give Israel $38 Billion in Military Aid,? both September 13, 2016). In the past, CAMERA has been one of the few to question this conventional wisdom. In 2006, CAMERAs Alex Safian wrote that the costs of U.S. military personnel stationed in Europe and Asia are gigantic costs that truly dwarf what we spend on aid to Israel.? He noted at the time that Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, in their paper that year lambasting The Israel Lobby,? ignored the tremendous financial cost of U.S. troops abroad. Now, the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies has reexamined this claim. Professor Hillel Frisch has written: The response to the charge [that, at $3.1B per year, Israel is the largest recipient of US military aid] is simple: Israel is not even a major beneficiary of American military aid. The numerical figure reflects official direct US military aid, but is almost meaningless compared to the real costs and benefits of US military aid which include, above all, American boots on the ground in the host states. There are 150,500 American troops stationed in seventy countries around the globe. This costs the American taxpayer an annual $US85-100 billion, according to David Vine, a professor at American University and author of a book on the subject. In other words, 800-1,000 American soldiers stationed abroad represent US$565-665 million of aid to the country in which they are located. Once the real costs are calculated, the largest aid recipient is revealed to be Japan, where 48,828 US military personnel are stationed. This translates into a US military aid package of over US$27 billion (calculated according to Vines lower estimation). Germany, with 37,704 US troops on its soil, receives aid equivalent to around US$21 billion; South Korea, with 27,553 US troops, receives over US$15 billion; and Italy receives at least US$6 billion. The post-World War II agreement between the U.S. and Japan, pursuant to which the U.S. stations troops there, includes a U.S. pledge to defend Japan in the event of an attack.? It wasnt until 2015 that the agreement was updated to permit Japan to come to the aid of the U.S. or other allies. Its clear, therefore, that Japan directly benefits from U.S. troops stationed in its country, at U.S. taxpayer expense. As Professor Frisch explained, the in-kind military aid given to many nations around the world, including Kuwait, Qatar, and the Baltic states, puts U.S. service members on the line. In contrast, the cash aid given to Israel puts no U.S. service members in danger. Posted by kabe at February 15, 2017 10:53 AM Thanks for getting this story right, people were so locked into the Middle East they didn't even give Iraq and Afghanistan priority at the height of our military efforts in those countries. Posted by: jeb at February 16, 2017 03:33 PM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment TWH On June 17, 2015, violence ripped through a South Carolina community in one of the worst ways imaginable: the perpetrator joined his victims for a Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and then shot nine people dead, wounding a tenth. The shooter, a white man, hoped to bring about a race war through his execution of his black victims. He was sentenced to death in federal court for those actions, but is now seeking a new trial. The case has received a significant amount of press coverage, and the nature of the crimes themselves targeting victims during a religious service in the hopes of igniting further racially-motivated violence appears to typify one of the most serious cultural problems in the United States today. It is in the context of these recent stories that we decided to speak with a number of Pagans to examine views on the death penalty. Like members of the overarching society, those interviewed had varied and nuanced positions on this complex topic. Is taking a persons life ever appropriate, and if so, under what conditions? Donna Donovan, of Appalachian Pagan Ministry , has cultivated her views while working with condemned prisoners. I try [to] make it a point not to know the charges of the inmates I work with, she wrote, but on death row that proves difficult, as most of their cases are very public, especially if execution is upcoming. I have to suspend my personal feelings and do what I was called to do by my gods and ancestors, and give that inmate spiritual service. Its hard. Its not hard for Artemisia Barden; shes opposed to the death penalty across the board. According to Barden, the prospect of innocent people being put to death, which she asserts is 10% of all those executed in the U.S. even with a lengthy appeals process, is too high a price to pay, and particularly given that the sentence is given disproportionately to people of color. Bardens concern about wrongful convictions is echoed by Aline Macha OBrien, a longtime prison chaplain. In a guest post for the California Correctional Crisis blog, she wrote, One of those so sentenced, a man named Carillo, who was convicted by no fewer than 16 eyewitnesses, later was exonerated by DNA evidence in testing that was not available at the time of sentencing. However, DNA exists in only 20% of homicide cases. How many other innocent people may have been executed? Is there any justification for executing an innocent person, no matter how convincing the evidence? No. Byron Ballard, who serves as elder priestess of the Mother Grove Goddess Temple, recognizes that misuse of the death penalty intentionally or not is its biggest limitation. My study leads me to think that some crimes should not be forgiven, and some people who perpetrate these crimes cannot be rehabilitated. In an ideal system, most of these people could be housed in a humane way and kept from the general public. But for some, their actions have stripped them of their humanity and death for the perpetrator may begin the healing of those that had been victimized by them. However, Ballard isnt confident that justice will always be done. I believe the death penalty has value and a place in a free state, but I also believe our government and its penal system are basically corrupt and cant be trusted to execute it (if youll pardon the pun). Worse still, wrote OBrien in her article, the death penalty is inequitably applied: far more minorities are sentenced to death than are Euro-Americans. When the color of the convict determines the sentence, this is not blind justice. It is not justice at all. She was not alone in voicing deep and abiding concerns about the racial inequity in capital convictions. Patrick McCollum, Californias first Pagan prison chaplain, recalled noticing that many of the condemned inmates were from minorities, as well, and research bears their experience out. The ongoing South Carolina case notwithstanding, most people executed in the U.S. are not white. Ballard argued that there are times when an execution is necessary to allow healing to begin for victims and survivors, and while she was not entirely alone in that opinion, others questioned whether killing the perpetrator does that at all. Donovan recalled, I was asked once by an inmate, who had completely admitted guilt, if I thought he should die for what he did. I asked him, Are you asking me as a mother? Or as someone who is providing spiritual guidance? He said, Both. I was honest with him. I said, As a mother, I would have killed you myself. You would not be on death row. But I am not here as a mother. I am here to help you get yourself right and prepare for the next step in your journey. We cant change what happened.' For her part, OBrien observed, Killing the perpetrator, which I consider to be state-sanctioned homicide, does not bring back the dead loved one. In the words of the San Diego County District Attorney, the death penalty is a hollow promise to victims.' I am a favour of restorative justice, wrote Dr. Gareth Thomas, a New Zealander who also lived for some years in the U.S. No one has been executed in New Zealand since 1957. This is because restorative justice favours and empowers the victims, something which modern laws do not seem to do in most cases. While there may be some closure in seeing a murderer executed, there is also a certain level of horror associated with this, Thomas explained. Reading stories and statements from the families of victims who witness the permanent removal of killers from society, you often find that the closure is minimal. There is no opportunity to heal, just the relief that perhaps this will not happen to another family. The flip side of retribution is deterrence, or the idea that the very threat of the death penalty will prevent crimes from being committed. Deterrence doesnt work well, according to Barden, because in a democracy (as opposed to, say, a fascist/authoritarian regime) there have to be many legal safeguards to ensure as much as is possible that the person convicted is guilty, which takes so many years that I dont think the prospect deters very many criminals considering committing a capital crime. McCollum is in agreement, saying that many promote the idea that the death penalty provides a deterrent to capital crimes, [but] my direct personal experience with condemned inmates was that none of them had reflected on that potential punishment before committing their crimes.Instead, each and every one of them feared life in prison far more than being executed! An argument that often resonates with conservatives and liberals alike is the economic one: imprisoning someone for life is costly, but the automatic appeals and other requirements for death-row inmates are even costlier. It just costs society so much more per person to put a prisoner to death (after keeping them for years through the legal processes) than it does to hold them for life without parole that it just fails in terms of money, pointed out Barden. Capital convictions entail further expense because they carry an automatic appeal, wrote OBrien. It is these appeals that cost the state thousands of dollars. In fact, capital cases cost twenty times more than non-capital cases to pursue and bring to conclusion. She also noted that daily visits from a mental health professional are standard on death row. Further, OBrien argued, By abolishing the death penalty, California could save a billion dollars in only five years. Think of the many ways that kind of money could be used. It could put more cops on the streets. It could be used to solve crimes. It could be used for education and after-school programs, giving at-risk youth knowledge and skills so they have a better chance at success in their lives. Accomplished, learned, self-assured people have more hope and less despair, and are less likely to be lured into lives of violence. Another concern related to cost was raised by McCollum, who worked with many prisoners who were often underrepresented and underfunded in their cases. It should come as no surprise that a topic as controversial as the death penalty yields a multitude of perspectives from the panoply of Pagan beliefs. Prison ministers such as Donovan must try to set aside their personal feelings while serving on death row, but that doesnt mean those opinions go away. I am not Wiccan, nor do I follow any rede; I am human and a mother, and as such I have human failings such as judgment, she observed. McCollum, too, emphasized that aspect of the job. It is important to note that as a chaplain my job wasnt to judge, but rather to listen and counsel those on death row. And so I simply interacted with those before me as fellow human beings. Nevertheless, he reports that his time doing such worked moved him from supporting capital punishment in some cases to complete opposition, largely because he saw evidence of compassion even in those so convicted. A core belief I live by is that all things are interconnected, responded Rev. Rowan Fairgrove, who is working to get the California death penalty abolished. I truly believe that we are all one human family, and being kin doesnt only mean the pleasant connections we cherish, Fairgrove said. Being kin means being part of all that is. Everything that happens affects the whole. Whether it is storms a world away caused by a butterflys wing or an unkind word that ruins someones day, or the smile that lights up a world, or an inmate put to death by the government. Mahatma Ghandi observed that, All humanity is one undivided and indivisible community. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul.' Thomas observed, Im certainly not morally against the idea of final justice. My gods are not pacifists, and the legends of my ancestors and heroes are replete with tales of someone settling a balance. Similarly my ancestors put faith in a group of individuals (Druids) who were the judges of these matters. If Paganism is thought of as a tapestry, the thoughts about justice and capital punishment stitch out a complex pattern in black, white, and many shades of grey. While preventing such heinous acts is preferable, the question of how to deal these perpetrators will reach no easy consensus among Pagans and polytheists. * * * The work of journalist Terence P. 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29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) Retiring Judge James Swanger will be succeeded by Willamette Laws Chad Sleight JD03 on the Clark County (Washington) District Court. The Clark County council appointed Sleight to the position after interviewing four candidates. He begins in March. Sleight said he was shocked and humbled to be chosen. I finished in the middle of the (Clark County Bar Associations preference poll), Sleight said. On paper, my resume is pretty good because of my legal experience and work as (judge) pro tem. I hoped this day would come someday. Sleight currently works as a criminal defense attorney for his own practice. He also serves as a judge pro tem for the District Court, filling in when the sitting judge is gone, and is the president of the Clark County Bar Association. The council appointed him unanimously to the District Court, noting his experience and passion for law. He had great enthusiasm, said Marc Boldt, council chair. He seemed to really have a little more empathy for the people in front of (the judges). He is the kind of person who will bring change to the court, if we need it, in terms of budget and policy. Sleight has lived in Clark County his entire life, aside from his years at Willamette Law. He worked for the Vancouver Defenders and Wheeler, Montgomery & Boyd law firms before opening his private practice. He earned his bachelors degree from Western Washington University in 2000 and his JD from Willamette in 2003. To keep his seat, he will have to run for election in November 2018. Read the full story. About Willamette University College of Law Opened in 1883, Willamette University College of Law is the first law school in the Pacific Northwest. The college has a long tradition at the forefront of legal education and is committed to the advancement of knowledge through excellent teaching, scholarship and mentorship. Leading faculty, thriving externship and clinical law programs, ample practical skills courses and a proactive career placement office prepare Willamette law students for today's legal job market. According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Willamette ranks first in the Pacific Northwest for job placement for full-time, long-term, JD-preferred/JD-required jobs for the class of 2014 and first in Oregon for the classes of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Located across the street from the state capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court, the college specializes in law and government, law and business, and dispute resolution. Feb 15, 2017 | By Julia Belgian diamond brand Baunat has teamed up with Twikit, an Antwerp-based mass customization startup, on a new initiative that brings handcrafted jewellery and 3D printing together for one of the first times ever. The two Belgian companies have just launched the Twikit Tool for Baunat Customized, an online tool that lets shoppers design their own diamond name necklace. Using 3D printed molds and expertly handcrafted diamonds, customers can have their name cast in G VS2 diamonds, on their choice of 18 karat gold chain. Depending on the length of the name, the whole product is priced starting at 1,800. Compared with the soaring prices of the Antwerp Diamond District though, a couple thousand euros for a diamond collier looks like pennies. That affordability is one of the driving forces behind Baunats company vision. Founded in 2008 by Stefaan Mouradian and Steven Boelens, Baunat is one of the few high-quality diamond brands geared entirely towards online sales. By pairing online retail with direct trading and sourcing, the Belgian jeweller has been able to effectively compete with the three thousand-plus diamond cutters and merchants that crowd Antwerps Diamond District. For its newest venture, Baunat has paired with the fast-growing startup Twikit to bring customization to online diamond buying. Known for its previous partnerships with brands like Philips and Auchan, Twikit is an online tool for designing and customizing products. The key is in the companys 3D printing model. In Twikits own terms, we guide companies into 3D customization and digital manufacturing. For Baunat, that guidance has taken the form of a user-friendly interface on the jewellers webstore, which allows customers to see what theyll be buying and its online price in real time. Shoppers enter their name (or text of their choosing) and select a chain in either white, yellow, or rose 18 karat gold. A visualization of the product is rendered instantly, along with a price. Once the customer is satisfied with their order, the design files are then sent to a 3D printer. A 3D printed mold of the name is created and lost-wax cast. Finally the piece is polished, and outfitted with hand-cut diamonds. The entire production takes place in Antwerp, in the heart of the citys Diamond District. An official Twikit update details that Baunat is doing well with its Twikit implementation and will continue to work hard to bring transparency and direct prices to diamonds. [The jewellers] transparency and affordability cuts through the cloak of the traditionally opaque world diamond sales, Twikit says. Their direct model and efficiency also means that Baunat can guarantee unmatched prices in diamonds. And for about two thousand bucks a pop, theyre not kidding around. Baunats diamonds are G VS2, certified and conflict-free. Check out the Twikit Tool for Baunat Customized and customize your own 3D printed diamond collier here. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Feb 15, 2017 | By David London mayor Sadiq Khan today announced his vision for the future of the creative industries in the city, centred around a regeneration and transformation of the Thames Estuary region, and 3D technology was a key part of the proposal. The UKs largest 3D printing centre will be established in a new state-of-the-art facility in Silvertown, built for the production of large scale artworks and sculptures. The plans were detailed in a document produced in conjunction with South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), and they are intended to turn the Thames Estuary into a 'global centre of excellence' for the creative industries. The area, which stretches from outer London boroughs to Essex and Kent on the south-eastern coast of England, will be transformed in a way not dissimilar to the development of Canary Wharf in the 1980s, which repurposed its existing industrial infrastructure for use by the financial sector. The mayors office recognised the influence of the manufacturing legacy of East London and the Thames Estuary on their new proposal, and hoped that they would be able to build on the regions current status as a cultural and creative powerhouse, which is contributing around 35 million annually to the citys economy. Khan envisions the Thames Estuary becoming a 'world-class centre for creative production- leading global innovation, developing the talent of the future and cultivating world-changing ideas.'' According to a report by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, there are now 1.3 million people working in the creative economy in London and the South-East, and around 1.2 million new workers will be required over the next decade. Importantly, the creative industries are least at risk from the increasing automation of the workplace, according to research by Nesta. The chairman of SELEP, Christian Brodie, stressed the importance of harnessing 'the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of the creative sector enabling its growth and extending its global reach.' The industrys boom is, however, currently being threatened by the rising land values and rent prices that blight the capital, as well as a skills shortage and a lack of large-scale production space and artist studios. Khan is seeking approval for his new scheme to combat these factors, hoping that it will form part of the governments plan to secure the countrys growth and its future as a competitor on the global stage. The mayors proposal will, if implemented, see the provisioning of creative production facilities and investment in a skilled workforce, as well as limiting the carbon footprint left by the economy. The new facility in Silvertown, where the UKs largest 3D printing centre will be located, is just one of many exciting prospects for the future of the Thames Estuary area. Woolwich will see the creation of a new national centre for experiential arts, while Dagenham will become the home of Londons largest film studio complex. A new hub for digital creativity and gaming will be established at the University of Essex in Colchester, and a new industrial research laboratory for prototyping, skills development and production across multiple creative disciplines will be built in Kent. Ambitious as these plans may seem, the ongoing growth of the economy depends largely on the people in charge investing in the kind of innovation that 3D printing represents. If they continue to see its potential to contribute to the success of their creative industries, the future of the technology certainly looks bright, both in the UK and internationally. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Carole Cadwalladr in The Guardian: I meet Daniel Dennett, the great American rationalist, on the day of Donald Trumps inauguration, as good a day as any to contemplate the fragility of civilisation in face of overwhelming technological change, a topic he examines in his latest book. Dennett is a singular figure in American culture: a white-haired, white-bearded 74-year-old philosopher whose work has mined the questions that erupt at the places where science, technology and consciousness meet. His subject is the brain and how it creates meaning and what our brains will make of a future that includes AI and robots. Hes in London with his wife, Susan, to mark the publication of his latest book From Bacteria to Bach and Back and I find him in a rented flat in Notting Hill, scowling at his laptop. I was about to send a tweet, he says. Something like, Republican senators are in an enviable position. How often does anybody get a real opportunity to become a national hero? Whos going to step up and enter the pages of history? Dennett has the intellectual heft for his pronouncements to have impact: a star speaker on the TED circuit and friend to many of the Silicon Valley elite, hes also that rare breed, the mythical creature of publishers dreams a writer of meaty, serious books that also sell. Its clear that his latest was conceived and written in a different time. Dennett, a close ally of Richard Dawkins (and a similarly quasi-militant atheist), had decided to look at culture from an evolutionary perspective. His last chapter, where he contemplates our technological future, was intended to be thought-provoking. Instead, its quietly terrifying: were only just starting to wake up to the potential outcomes of the technology that were inventing but increasingly dont understand, he writes. Human co-operation and trust arent givens. Theyre the byproducts of a cultural process that can be reversed. And civilisation is far, far more fragile than any of us want to realise. More here. Whether you're a loud-proud club kid or prefer to bust your moves in the shower, many of us spend a good amount of our lives dancing. When done with confidence, it's one of the best ways to let go and enjoy life, if only for the duration of a song. Shy about your skills? There are a variety of classes in the city teaching styles from classic to K-Pop. Grab a friend, get your dancing shoes on, and prepare to shake your thang. Samba Dance with Live Percussion at ODC See on Instagram Make like you're at Carnaval and learn this vivacious Brazilian dance at ODC, where live percussion guarantees you'll be immersed in an uptempo world. Leave your shoes at the doorthis carefree dance is best done barefoot. // Fridays at 6pm, ODC Dance Commons, 351 Shotwell St. (Mission), odc.dance What else they teach: Everythingjazz, ballet, tap, hip hop, Afro-Haitian, flamenco, belly dancing, and more. Hip Hop at Dance Mission Build your confidence with some hard-hitting hip hop. At Dance Mission, Allan Frias' class will teach you some killer moves to your favorite club tunes. // Mondays at 6:30pm, Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St. (Mission), dancemission.com What else they teach: Salsa, samba, vogue, and folk dances from Cuba, Haiti, Brazil, and India Pole Dancing at SF Pole & Dance See on Instagram Pole dancing requires an incredible amount of strength, flexibility, and poise, so you'll definitely want to start with the basics. First get limber with a few key stretches, then move on to pole spins and floor work. You'll be choreographing exciting routines before you know it. // Pole Foundations (intro) offered daily at various times, SF Pole & Dance, 301 8th St. (SoMa), sfpoleanddance.com What else they teach: Aerial straps, handstands, active flexibility, and lyra K-Pop at City Dance Yep, Korean pop music is still a thingin fact, it's more popular than ever. Learn the specifics of dancing to the genre, which mixes moves from jazz, rock, hip hop, and, of course, impossibly catchy pop. //Multiple class levels on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings;The Annex, 1420 Harrison (SoMa), citydance.org What else they teach: Hip hop, popping, jazz, and even turfing. Bollywood at Duniya Dance & Drum Company See on Instagram Learn some seriously fun footwork at Duniya's Bollywood classes, which combine fabulous Bollywood music with a variety of moves from Indian folk dances to modern hip hop. Combined, they form a diverse routine to make you dance like a star.//Fridays at 10:30am, Community Wellness Center, 1001 Potrero St. (Mission), duniyadance.com What else they teach: Bhangra as well as West African drumming and dance. Pop Star Booty Camp See on Instagram Admit it: You already know a move or two from your favorite pop hits. Well, Pop Star Booty Camp exists exclusively for those who want to bop out to the likes of Ciara's "1-2 Step" (8:30-10pm Tuesdays, Nov. 19, 2019 through Jan. 21, 2020); Missy Elliott's "Get Your Freak On" (5:30-7pm Tuesdays, Nov. 19, 2019 through Jan. 21, 2020); and Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted" (5:30-7pm Mondays, Nov. 18., 2019 through Jan. 20, 2020). In just a few weeks time, you can perform the song for your friends. // Newbies can register for one free dance class at Eventbrite; Pop Star Booty Camp series ($160) are held at LevyDance, 19 Heron St. (SoMa), popstarbootycamp.com Tasty events for the week ahead. Rooh Opens in SoMa Rooh, the latest modern Indian restaurant to land in SF, opened last week in SoMa. It's the first US restaurant from the Good Times Restaurant Group, which is based in India, and joins the ranks of recently opened Babu Ji on Valencia and and August 1 Five on Van Ness. The menu balances California ingredients with the rich regional flavors of India and features dishes such as potato tikki with kale tempura, charred sweet potato with Malai broccoli, salsa verde and lentil fritters, and a tandoori snapper. // Open Monday-Saturday, 333 Brannan St (SoMa), roohsf.com Glena's Tacos Opens in Dogpatch A new lunch spot opened Wednesday in the Dogpatch serving delicious tacos. Chef Michael Gaines (Kin Khao, Manresa) spent the last year doing pop-ups around San Francisco to perfect the food and concept for his newest spot. You can expect tacos (of course) with your choice of carne asada, al pastor, pescado, and tofu, as well as larger plates such as ceviche tostadas and a fried chicken torta that we're particularly excited about. // Open Monday-Friday, 11am-3pm, 632 20th St (Dogpatch), glenassf.com Off the Grid Town Hall Meeting Since February 2015, Off the Grid has been fighting for a permit to bring 3-4 food trucks every Monday/Wednesday/Friday to the Financial District (101 California St). In September 2016, the DPW Director denied the permit and Off the Grid has since appealed his decision. There is an Appeals Hearing scheduled for tonight! Let your voice be heard if you want more affordable, delicious lunch options in the FiDi. For those unable to participate, the petition can be signed here. // Wednesday, February 15, 5pm, City Hall 416 (Civic Center), offthegrid.com/bringfoodtrucks Pho Cookbook Party at Omnivore Join author Andrea Nguyen at Omnivore this Thursday as she reads from her new book The Pho Cookbook. The cookbook provides easy recipes for Vietnam's favorite breakfast food and has over 50 recipes for variations on the iconic noodle soup. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase. // Thursday, February 16, 6:30pm-7:30pm, 3885a Cesar Chavez St (Noe Valley), omnivorebooks.com La Mar's Pisco Party La Mar is hosting their first pisco party of the year next Thursday. The Peruvian-themed party will feature live music, unlimited Pisco Sours, and access to the appetizer bar from Chef Victoriana Lopez, which will feature ceviche bites, grilled meat skewers, and other things that will help soak up the pisco! // Thursday, February 23, 6:30pm-10pm, Pier 1.5 (Embarcadero), Get tickets here. Alba Ray's Does Fat Tuesday Alba Ray's, the newly opened Cajun restaurant in the Mission, is celebrating Mardi Gras with a festive Fat Tuesday feast. There'll be live music, a welcome hurricane cocktail, beads, and delicious New Orleans fare such as boudin balls, pimento cheese, gumbo, jambalaya, and more. // $65, Tuesday,February 28, 7pm-10pm, 2293 Mission St (Mission), Get tickets here. Ingrid Kurtz/Stocksy Yes, many heterosexual men are attracted to younger women. But, according to new research, they also tend to be attracted to women of their own age. The study, published in the January-March issue of Evolutionary Psychology, largely debunks widespread assumptions about age differences in sexual attractions, notably the notion that older guys are obsessed with younger women to the exclusion of others. Its more complicated than that, the study concluded. Whether or not you're expecting it, getting news that you've been laid off can be jarring. You might be worried about everything from paying the mortgage to saving what's left of your career. Your mind starts racing: How will I get my next job? Will I receive severance pay? Whom can I ask for references? You feel angry, hurt or even in a state of shock. But making a graceful, educated and professional exit is critical. Keep these things in mind when you are being let go. 1. Carefully review a severance agreement. There's no law that requires an employer to give you severance pay, although some companies have a formal severance policy. The point of a severance agreement is usually to keep you from suing for wrongful termination down the road. Donna Ballman, author of Stand Up for Yourself Without Getting Fired: Resolve Workplace Crises Before You Quit, Get Axed, or Sue the Bastards, says you shouldn't feel pressured to immediately sign anything put in front of you. Your soon-to-be former employer can't make you sign an agreement. "You don't work there anymore," Ballman says. 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If you're over 40, your employer has to give you at least 21 days to review the agreement or the company may not be able to get a release of your age discrimination claims, Ballman says. If you sign a release, that means you're giving up your right to sue your employer, so make sure what it's offering you is worth what you're forfeiting. 2. Get copies of anything you sign. Your employer may ask you to sign your final disciplinary document. Here's Ballman's advice: "Ask for a copy and tell them you want to review it. If they won't give a copy, take good notes about what it says (or snap a photo with your camera before they have time to snatch it away). If you sign, get a copy. It may tell why they say you were fired. This could be evidence for a potential lawsuit against them, and you might need it for unemployment or other assistance benefits." Also, if you sign, Ballman suggests signing "As to receipt only" so that your former employer can't say you agreed to the document. 3. Be wary of signing a resignation letter. Unless the firm is giving you a generous payout to leave, never sign a resignation letter if you've actually been fired. You may be giving up unemployment benefits, and the letter can be used against you if you claim you were fired due to discrimination or whistle-blowing or in breach of your contract, Ballman explains. You may have heard the millennial generation described as lazy, entitled and even disrespectful. On the surface, it's easy to understand why: They are tethered to their devices, they can be impatient for results, they seem to crave recognition. But experts agree that if you put aside your own frame of reference and play to their strengths, you'll have a win-win working relationship and a more successful workplace. Srsly. Let's look at what's really behind these common stereotypes and how to leverage the awesome potential of millennials. 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Alternate interpretation: They like being as efficient as possible. Lazy might be the biggest stereotype about millennials and it's one that they strongly reject. Boomers are proud of their work ethic and 80-hour workweeks. Gen Xers followed in their footsteps, struggling to do it all without looking like they were breaking a sweat. And now millennials have entered the workplace with the mentality of working smarter, not harder. "Millennials think, 'If it takes me five minutes rather than five hours to complete a task, why should I be penalized?' " says Anna Liotta, author of Unlocking Generational CODES. She shares a story about a boomer who created a spreadsheet that could create a report in 30 minutes, significantly reducing the manager's time investment each week. A millennial asked if he could take a crack at retooling the spreadsheet. He went off on his own and five days later had created a new version that pulled the numbers in less than a minute. Look for ways to reward these kinds of efficiencies instead of penalizing them. Stereotype #2: They are entitled. Alternate interpretation: They thrive with more flexibility. Iowa State (ISU) officially recognizes a student chapter for NORML, a marijuana advocacy group. All ISU student groups can use ISU trademarks on merchandise if they comply with the Guidelines for University Trademark Use by Student and Campus Organizations, as approved by ISUs Trademark Licensing Office. In 2012, the TM Office approved this design by the ISU NORML student chapter (Ill call it design #1): [Note: Rebeccas blog post has other images, including other rejected designs] Shortly thereafter, on Nov. 19, 2012, the Des Moines Register wrote an article about marijuana reform efforts nationally. The article cited an ISU NORML group student rep as saying his group has gotten nothing but support from the university. He even got approval from the licensing office to make a NORML T-shirt with the ISU logo; the red shirt features Cy the Cardinal on the front, and a pot leaf on the back . . . . The article included a photo of the shirt. That morning, a GOP staffer from the Iowa legislature sent a formal legislative inquiry asking if the TM Office had approved the shirt. This inquiry caused consternation among university brass. At 3pm, the University president asked if the permission could be revoked. At 3:19, the University president emailed [w]e need to deal with this. . . . What were they thinking? The next day, on 11/20, a representative from the governors Office of Drug Control Policy inquired about the Des Moines Register article. The University president explained his attitude about this inquiry: anytime someone from the governors staff calls complaining, yeah, Im going to pay attention, absolutely.we are a state entity and hes the chief executive of the state, and so directly or indirectly were responsible to the governor. The following day, on 11/21, the university told the governors office that the T-shirt was permitted under university policies but this procedure is being reviewed. On Nov. 24, the NORML student chapter asked if it could reprint the T-shirt. Its request was put on hold. On Nov. 29, university reps met with the students and told them the university would not approve any designs featuring both ISU trademarks and a marijuana leaf. The reps also said the students needed special pre-approval before submitting further designs to the TM Office. On 12/3, the university vetoed reprints of T-shirt design #1. On 1/16, the University revised its TM policies to prohibit designs that suggest promotion of the below listed items . . . dangerous, illegal or unhealthy products, actions or behaviors; . . . [or] drugs and drug paraphernalia that are illegal or unhealthful. They acknowledged this policy modification was due to the NORML situation. Applying the new policy, the TM Office rejected all further NORML T-shirt designs featuring a marijuana leaf, as well as designs where the M in the NORML mark was replaced with M******** or M[CENSORED]. However, the TM office did approve subsequent designs that included just the unmodified NORML acronym. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals easily finds a First Amendment violation here. The court says the TM policy for student groups creates a limited public forum. [Its odd to apply a physical space concept to a pool of intangible assets. I think this bothered Rebecca too.] Defendants actions and statements show that the unique scrutiny they imposed on NORML ISUs trademark applications was motivated by viewpoint discrimination. Among the supporting evidence: * not allowing reorders of a design that had been previously approved * putting a hold on the reorder request when other groups werent similarly treated * the requirement to get pre-approval before submitting new designs to the TM office * no other rejected requests from student groups were based on political messages * the substantial evidence that ISU acted because of the inquiries from the legislature and governors office. ISU argued that it was engaged in government speech, but the court says that exception doesnt apply to limited public fora. Furthermore, ISU allowed 800 student groups to take advantage of its trademark policy and those groups had opposing views (e.g., both Democrat and Republican student groups)which means that ISU clearly isnt doing the speaking. Rebecca has issues with this analysis because she thinks ISU, as a trademark owner, should be allowed to control its brand. To me, this is an easy case because everything snowballed after the legislature and governors office made inquiries. This is a fairly typical path towards censorship. Even if the legislature or governor never demanded that the university take action, everyone understood these inquiries were not made benignly or neutrallyespecially when they are coming from sources of university funds. But to Rebeccas point about brand control, how should public universities proceed in light of this ruling? The most obvious approach would be to shut down the limited public forum, i.e., not allow student groups to use the universitys trademarks at all. This would be an overly restrictive and draconian approach, so perhaps universities could allow licenses only for a very narrow class of trademarks based on pre-approved templates. Otherwise, providing any more freedom to student groups, without descending into a policy that lets student groups do whatever they want, inevitably creates arbitrary policy boundaries that can lead to free speech challenges. In other words, what sounds like ordinary quality control in the commercial setting translates into unconstitutional policies in the public university setting. Because they seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place, I doubt other public university trademark licensing departments are cheering this ruling. Case citation: Gerlich v. Leath, No. 16-1518 (8th Cir. Feb. 13, 2017). The initial complaint, along with Exhibits B and C. How many people have already voted absentee in South Dakota ahead of Election Day? Report offers the current size of the spirit market in the world and in the top 10 global countries. It also provide growth rates of the overall spirit market and different product segments over the period of 2010-2021. Report offers the most up-to-date industry data on the actual market situation, and future outlook for spirits in the world and in the top 10 global countries. Along with a global spirit market report the package includes country reports from the following countries: China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States The research includes historic data from 2010 to 2016 and forecasts until 2021 which makes the reports an invaluable resource for industry executives, marketing, sales and product managers, consultants, analysts, and other people looking for key industry data in readily accessible documents with clearly presented tables and graphs. The reports help answer the following questions: What is the current size of the spirit market in the world and in the top 10 global countries? How is the spirit market divided into different product segments? How are the overall market and different product segments growing? How is the market predicted to develop in the future? What is the market potential compared to other countries? Read Complete Report With TOC: http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-spirit-market-to-2021 The latest industry data included in the reports: Overall spirit market size, 2010-2021 Spirit market size by product segment, 2010-2021 Growth rates of the overall spirit market and different product segments, 2010-2021 Shares of different product segments of the overall spirit market, 2008, 2014 and 2019 The market data is given for the following product segments: Gin Liqueurs Rum Vodka Whiskies Other spirits Request A Sample Copy Of This Report at: http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-spirit-market-to-2021/request-sample Among the key reasons to purchase include the following: Gain an outlook of the historic development, current market situation, and future outlook of the spirit market in the world and in the top 10 global countries to 2021 Track industry developments and identify market opportunities Plan and develop marketing, market-entry, market expansion, and other business strategies by identifying the key market opportunities and prospects Save time and money with the readily accessible key market data included in the reports. The data is clearly presented and can be easily incorporated into presentations and internal reports. Explore Other Reports By Radiant Insights,Inc at: World Spirit Market- http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/world-spirit-market-to-2021 Spirit Market in Europe- http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/spirit-market-in-europe-to-2021 Spirit Market in Asia- http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/spirit-market-in-asia-to-2021 About Radiant Insights,Inc Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions. Media Contact Company Name: Radiant Insights, Inc. Contact Person: Michelle Thoras, Corporate Sales Specialist USA Email: sales@radiantinsights.com Phone: (415) 349-0054, Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Address:28 2nd Street, Suite 3036 City: San Francisco State: California Country: United States Website: http://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-spirit-market-to-2021 Toro Energy is a modern Australian uranium company with progressive project development, acquisition and growth. The company is based in Adelaide, South Australia with a project office in Perth, Western Australia.Toros flagship and wholly-owned Wiluna uranium project (includes existing mining lease) is 30 kilometres southeast of Wiluna in Central Western Australia.Wiluna contains two shallow calcrete deposits, Lake Way and Centipede, with prefeasibility and optimisation studies completed and a definitive feasibility study underway. Toro has advanced the Approvals process with an anticipated date of mid-2012, construction through 2013 and first uranium sales in 2014.Toro has a new uranium project at Theseus in Western Australia, and owns uranium assets in Northern Territory, South Australia and in Namibia, Africa. Rep. Don Young's amendment would allow trophy hunters to use aircraft to scout and chase grizzly bears and then land and shoot them. It would also allow the use of giant leghold traps and snares to kill grizzly bears and black bears. Photo by Alamy 14.8K shares Today, The HSUS launched a television advertising campaign to expose a hard-to-stomach and hard-to-comprehend effort in Congress to overturn a federal ban on the most inhumane and unsporting practices seen in the recent history of American wildlife management. This gambit involves the sanctioning, among other deplorable practices, of private citizens going into dens and killing hibernating bears and shooting wolf puppies at point-blank range. Since January, Republican leaders have been pursuing an anti-regulatory agenda, saying that federal regulations are burdening business and a correction is warranted. But repealing this U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule, developed by professional wildlife managers to stop despicable practices, wont save one job and wont bring one dime into Alaska. H. J. Res. 69 is a cruel, mean-spirited, and duplicitous legislative maneuver, and masking it as a pro-hunting measure or a regulatory reform effort is a joke. Rep. Don Young Alaskas sole Congressman, formerly a licensed trapper is seeking to unwind a carefully crafted decision by experts working on the ground and managing our national wildlife refuges in Alaska. His resolution, enabled under the Congressional Review Act, would not only allow killing of bears and wolves in and around their dens, but it would allow trophy hunters to use aircraft to scout and chase grizzly bears and then land and shoot them. It would also allow the use of giant leghold traps and snares to kill grizzly bears and black bears. These are all outlier practices in American wildlife management, and its jarring to think they were ever permitted on national wildlife refuges the one category of federal lands set aside principally for wildlife. Only Maine allows bear trapping, and no other states allow the use of aircraft to chase down grizzly bears. Only Idaho allows shooting wolves around their dens. Yet, as I mentioned, the peddlers of this effort in Congress are trying to cast this measure as pro-sportsmen. Thats like a chicken farmer defending cockfighting by saying its part of American agriculture. These are extreme practices, beyond the pale of decency, and no true sportsmen would ever defend or participate in this conduct. Our HSUS television commercial explains whats at stake with this vote, but doesnt show the actual cruelty that bears and wolves endure. If we did show a hunter shooting a wolf puppy at point-blank range, or a grizzly bear thrashing to escape a steel-jawed trap, viewers would recoil and the networks would pull the ads off the air. And thats part of my argument: if you cannot watch it or broadcast it, it certainly shouldnt be allowed on lands labeled as national wildlife refuges. Killing hibernating bears, shooting wolf pups in their dens, and chasing down grizzlies by aircraft and then shooting them on the ground is not the stuff of some depraved video game. It is real, and the policy forbidding or green-lighting these activities is scheduled to come up for debate and a vote tomorrow on the House floor. The National Rifle Association and Safari Club International are pushing for the green-lighting of these practices, to their great dishonor. The purveyors of this misguided resolution are engaged in all sorts of other phony arguments, including the claim that only the state of Alaska can decide these issues. But they conveniently fail to mention that these are national wildlife refuges, and there are multiple court cases that establish that the federal government is the final decider on wildlife management decisions for federal lands. When the wildlife protection rule was made final in August, USFWS director Dan Ashe, himself a hunter, said it best: Over the past several years, the Alaska Board of Game has unleashed a withering attack on bears and wolves that is wholly at odds with Americas long tradition of ethical, sportsmanlike, fair-chase hunting, in something they call intensive predator management. H. J. Res. 69 would also block the administration from ever issuing a similar rule, leaving the power to prohibit these outrageous hunting methods solely in the hands of Congress. Congressman Young, whos been in office for nearly a half century, is badly out of touch with the mood in his state. Most Alaskans favor the rule and object to these barbaric practices. A 2016 poll conducted by Remington Research Group showed that Alaska voters strongly support eliminating these cruel and unsporting practices used to kill bears and wolves on national wildlife refuges in their state. Driving down grizzly bear and wolf numbers on refuges is a prescription for tamping down tourism and hurting gateway communities to national wildlife refuges that benefit immensely from visits from people throughout the world who hope to catch a glimpse of a wolf family or a mama bear with her cubs. Wildlife watchers contribute over $2 billion to Alaskas economy. Contact your U.S. Representative today and urge him or her to oppose H. J. Res. 69. The Young resolution is indecent in the extreme, and we must raise our voices against this policy change in the loudest way we know. Vango Mining Limited (ASX:VAN) is a minerals exploration mining company with ambitions of becoming a high-grade WA gold miner by developing the 100% owned Marymia Gold Project (Marymia) in the mid-west region of Western Australia. The Project comprises 45 granted mining leases over 300km. It has an established high-grade resource of 1Moz @ 3g/t Au, underpinned by the Trident Deposit, whose resource is 410koz @ 8g/t Au, with immediate extensions open at depth/along strike. The Marymia Project has the potential to become one of Australia's largest high-grade producers. The Greenstone Belt in the Marymia region includes six major gold corridors, which remain largely un-tested beyond 100m depth - supported with an extensive drilling and geophysical database. Previous mining between 1992-2001, produced 580,000 ounces of gold almost entirely from open-pits. Vango is focused on growing its high-grade gold resource to support a proposed stand-alone gold mining and production operation at Marymia. The Project is located along strike, immediately to the north of Superior Gold's (CVE:SGI) Plutonic Gold Mine which has produced more than 5.5Moz of gold. High Grade Zinc and Silver Intersections at Mayfield Project Perth, Feb 15, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Capital Mining Limited ( ASX:CMY ) ("Capital" or "the Company") is pleased to announce high grade assay results from its recently completed reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling program at the base and precious metals, Mayfield Project (EL6358) in south-eastern New South Wales. Highlights - Capital Mining has intersected high grade zinc and silver in its recently completed drill program at the Mayfield Project in NSW - Significant high grade intersection: o 7.20m @ 4.31%Zn, 0.58% Cu and 16g/t Ag from 198.50 metres in hole MAY2 - Assay results from drill hole MAY2 include: o Zinc values to 28.7% o Copper values to 2.20% o Silver values to 48.9 grams/tonne - Drilling has identified a significant high grade zinc zone and confirms that the prospect is open along strike to the north and down dip - Down hole EM Survey completed as part of planning for next drill program - results pending The Mayfield Project (EL6358, ELA5415) covers a significant gold-copper skarn deposit, and is located within a highly mineralized part of the Lachlan Fold Belt as illustrated in Figure 1 (see the link below). The drill program targeted down-dip and along-strike extensions of known mineralisation at the Mayfield Project (see Figures 2 and 3 in the link below), and was designed to confirm the continuity and consistency of the high-grade mineralisation within the project area. The program was highly successful and intersected significant high grade base metals and silver mineralisation in the targeted skarn zones, including a highlight intersection of; 7.2m @ 4.31% Zn, 0.58% Cu and 16g/t Ag from 198.50 metres, in drill hole MAY2. Assay results from drill hole MAY2 graded as high as; 28.7% Zinc, 2.20% Copper and 48.9g/t Silver. In addition, the entire skarn zone exhibits strong copper values with peak copper values located higher on the hanging wall of the skarn. An intersection of 17.97 metres @ 0.75% Cu from 187.03 metres in drill hole MAY2 was recorded. These assays have successfully identified a high grade zone of zinc located at the base of the skarn zone and confirm that the target area is open along strike to the north as well as down dip. In drill hole MAY1, assay data results have highlighted an extensive down hole intercept with anomalous lead (Pb) and (Zn) zinc values within the entire extent of the skarn zone, as well as within the footwall and hanging wall. Maximum Pb and Zn are 0.224% and 0.265% respectively over a 33-34 metre interval, commencing from 216 metres downhole. Anomalous tin and silver values were also noted. The results of geological logging of both drill holes are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 attached (see the link below), with the assay data for MAY2 attached as Table 3 (see the link below). Background to Mayfield Drill Program During the December quarter, two angled (-60 deg) drill holes were completed - MAY1 and MAY2. These two holes were commenced initially as Reverse Circulation (RC) percussion holes but due to poor ground conditions, were completed as diamond drill holes. MAY1 was terminated at 261.6 metres and MAY2 was terminated at 216.5 metres. The location of these two drill holes are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 (see the link below). Next phase of Field Work Based on the highly successful results from the drill program, Capital has completed a downhole electro-magnetic (DHEM) geophysical survey of MAY1 and MAY2 drill holes, in order to better define the extent and tenor mineralisation - and to help generate targets for the next phase of drilling. The results from this survey are pending. The Company will also assess and interpret newly acquired geochemical and geophysical data in the context of historic information to assist its drill targeting process. Capital will advise of plans for the next phase of drilling at Mayfield in due course. About the Mayfield Project The Mayfield Project is located in the minerals endowed Lachlan Fold Belt of eastern Australia within the highly prospective Braidwood Granodiorite geology, and hosts a significant gold-copper skarn deposit (see Figure 5 in the link below - Project Location Map). Capital has a 51% equity interest in the Project. The remaining project ownership is held by Rutila Resources (46.5%) and Roberts Consulting (2.5%). The Mayfield Project forms part of an active exploration area, and is situated in close proximity to the world-class Majors Creek Gold Field, which hosts the significant Dargues Reef Gold Project, near the town of Braidwood. To view tables and figures, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/6F8I446W About Capital Mining Limited Capital Mining Limited (ASX:CMY) is an active ASX listed junior mineral resources company focused on the acquisition and exploration of key, demand driven commodities. Its project portfolio includes lithium prospective assets in Western Australia and the Republic of Ireland, plus gold and base metals projects in New South Wales. Boorara drill results of 163 metres at 1.94 g/t Gold (24 g/t top-cut) / 163 metres at 4.29 g/t Gold (uncut) Boorara Drill Results 163m at 1.94 g/t Gold Perth, Feb 15, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - MacPhersons Resources Ltd ( ASX:MRP ) ("MacPhersons" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the first deep diamond drill results from the drill program at the Boorara southern stockwork deposit have confirmed gold mineralisation is open at depth and there is increase in grade. - Outstanding Diamond Drill result from recently drilled hole BODH 025 intersected near continuous gold mineralisation of 163 metres grading 1.94* g/t from 28 metres downhole, drilled perpendicular to high grade sheeted vein mineralisation within quartz granophyre unit of the Boorara Dolerite to a vertical depth of 165 metres. Note that the grade of 1.94 g/t assumes a 24 g/t top cut and internal dilution allowances. - An un-cut grade of 4.29* g/t would be realised by inclusions of the following intercepts: 1m @ 37.4 g/t between 144m and 145m and, 1m @ 394 g/t between 171m and 172m. - Deepest MacPhersons drill hole intersection at Southern Stockwork Deposit and confirms an increase of grade at depth. - BODH 025 intersects 5 stacked high grade quartz vein arrays which are open at depth. - Company confidence in its efforts to grow the size and increase the grade of the current Boorara Gold Resource is high. - Alteration, mineralisation and quartz veining seen in BODH 025 has similar geological controls to the 6 Million ounce Mt Charlotte Gold Deposit. - Reverse circulation drilling of this new zone is planned commence immediately. - BODH 025 is located 250m south east of the Boorara Trial Pit which recently produced 30,000 tonnes of ore at a recovered grade of 1.73 g/t. Diamond drill hole BODH 025 at the Southern stock work deposit was drilled perpendicular to high grade quartz vein arrays intersected 163 metres grading 1.94 grams per tonne (g/t) cut grade (refer to Appendix 1 for all the 1 metre gold assays, see link below). The two high grade intervals below have increased the overall grade of the uncut intersection to 163m @ 4.29 g/t. - 144 -145m 1 m @ 37.4 g/t - 171-172m 1 m @ 394 g/t BODH 025 diamond core visible gold in NW dipping quartz veins at the below down hole intervals; - 83.5m - 136.7m - 144.23m - 171.39m This hole is the deepest MacPhersons has drilled at the Boorara southern stockwork deposit and was planned to be drilled perpendicular to NW dipping quartz vein arrays within the Boorara dolerite that are associated with gold mineralisation in the Boorara trial pit. This mineralised zone was extended to a vertical depth of 165 metres and is located 250 metres south west of the Boorara trail pit that recently produced 30,000t of ore grading 1.73 g/t. In this program, two additional diamond holes were drilled at the Northern stockwork deposit to target Western Contact mineralisation and confirm stratigraphy in that area, the first hole BODH 024 intercepted mineralisation including 1 metre grading 5.79 g/t. Western contact mineralisation has been intersected in BODH 024, we await drill results from the second Northern stock work diamond hole. BODH 024 Western Contact significant composite intervals (>0.3g/t Au): - 63-64m 1m @ 2.61 g/t - 72-80m 6m @ 1.14 g/t - 86-89m 3m @ 1.52 g/t Quartz veins in diamond hole BODH 025 were measured using a core orientation device that confirmed the dominant quartz vein geometry was shallow NW dipping similar to those seen in the Boorara trial pit (see figure 3, in link below). The 25 ounces of coarse gold recovered from a NW dipping quartz vein in the Boorara trial pit clearly validates the potential of high grade quartz veins intersected in BODH 025 to upgrade the Boorara deposit. The drill program again demonstrated that Boorara gold mineralisation is hosted by quartz-dolerite in moderately NW-dipping quartz-carbonate-sulphide veinlet arrays with iron-carbonate alteration halos controlled by bounding shear zones and late cross faults similar to the 6 million ounce Mount Charlotte gold deposit part of the nearby Kalgoorlie Golden Mile. Western Mining Corporation Ltd ( LON:GWMO ) recognised the importance of drilling perpendicular to the NW dipping quartz veins at Mt Charlotte and the resulting increase in gold grade, this same strategy has been adopted by MacPhersons at Boorara. The new Boorara structural geological model is an important step for MacPhersons to increase the grade and size of the existing Boorara resource based on interpretation of mineralised NW dipping quartz vein arrays identified in Boorara Trial Pit and BODH 025. To add credence, the Southern stockwork gold zone extends some 600 metres in strike length from this diamond hole. MacPhersons reported in 22 September 2016, a reverse circulation drill hole BORC 118 to a vertical depth of 90 metres also within the Southern deposit at Boorara and close to BODH 025 reported from surface the best intercept discovered at that time of 66 metres grading 1.89 g/t. The intersection was still in ore with the final metre of 1.1 g/t and the 66 metres zone also commenced 30 metres downhole. The final 23 metres grading 1.66 g/t contained primary hard sulphide gold ores. The one metre results of diamond drill holes BODH 024 and 025 can be found in a table as appendix 1 (see link below). Managing Director Jeff Williams today commented: "We are pleased to confirm these higher gold grades at the Southern stock work deposit, following visual identification of a number of stacked quartz vein arrays of mineralised dolerite within the broader Boorara dolerite about 50 metres in width. This drill hole is the best reported hole in the Boorara field and the results are extremely encouraging both in demonstrating depth extension with increasing gold grade. Adjacent to this hole in the Southern stock work we previously reported BORC 118 - 66 metres grading 1.89 g/t and still in mineralisation at 99 metres downhole. "The southern area of Boorara is becoming a priority exploration target as higher grade mineralisation is intersected. We will now plan for a Reverse Circulation drill program to target depth extensions to 200 metres vertical. *(composite interval >0.3 g/t bottom cutoff, top cut 24g/t & includes up to 2m of internal dilution including one 4m interval of internal dilution) To view tables and figures, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/JF202QSV About MacPhersons Resources Ltd MacPhersons Resources Ltd (ASX:MRP) is a Western Australian resource company with a number of advanced gold, silver and zinc projects. The company's long term objective is the development of its existing assets and unlocking the full potential of its 100% owned highly prospective Boorara/ and Nimbus projects. For more information on MacPhersons Resources Limited and to subscribe for regular updates, please visit our website at: www.mrpresources.com.au Significantly Rerated by European/US Analyst's Report Melbourne, Feb 15, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Immuron Limited ( ASX:IMC ) ( IMROY:OTCMKTS ) (the "Company") wishes to advise investors that European and US-based Life Sciences Research and Analyst firm Van Leeuwenhoeck Institute ("VLI"), has published an updated in-depth Research Report on the Company and its R&D programs. The report provides a full valuation of Immuron's Intellectually Property Assets including its current pipeline of development programs. VLI provides institutional investors and other professional investors with independent, un-biased research on the real value of innovative Life Sciences companies. To view the Research Report, please visit: http://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/M2MHXP1K About Immuron Limited Immuron Limited (ASX:IMC) (OTCMKTS:IMROY) is a microbiome company focused on developing and commercialising oral immunotherapeutics for the treatment of a many gut mediated diseases. Immuron has a unique and safe technology platform that enables a shorter development therapeutic cycle. The Company currently markets and sells Travelan(R) for the prevention of travellers' diarrhoea, whilst its lead product candidate IMM-124E is in Phase 2b clinical trials for NASH and ASH. These products together with the Company's other preclinical immunotherapy pipeline products targeting immune-related diseases currently under development, will meet a large unmet need in the market. For more information visit: Immuron Website Kidston Solar Project Phase One 50MW Closes $100M Finance Deal Sydney, Feb 15, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Genex Power Limited ( ASX:GNX ) (Genex or Company) is pleased to announce that it has successfully achieved Financial Close for its Kidston Solar Project Phase One 50MW (KSP1 or Project). HIGHLIGHTS - Project Financial Close reached for Kidston Solar Project (Phase One 50MW) - Approximately $100m project finance from Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Societe Generale ( EPA:GLE )( SCGLY:OTCMKTS ) - Project Finance Equity and ARENA Funding in place to fund project development costs - Project construction remains on target for first generation and cash flow by Q4 2017 Project Financial Close Genex has entered into a Debt Funding Arrangement for a total of approximately $100 million with Societe Generale (Soc Gen) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), finalising all necessary funding requirements for the Engineering, Construction and Procurement (EPC) and the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs of the Project. The Project is the latest project to have received finance under the CEFC's large-scale solar financing program, following CEFC's recent $150 million commitment to three NSW projects (not Genex owned). Additional non-Genex CEFC-financed large-scale solar projects are nearing financial close, with the program on track to exceed its initial $250 million target. CEFC Large-Scale Solar lead Gloria Chan said: "The CEFC is delighted to be part of the Kidston Solar Project Phase One, with our tailored finance helping accelerate the construction and delivery of the 50MW large-scale solar farm on this unique site. Energy storage solutions such as pumped hydro are one of the next steps in our clean energy transition. With the cost of solar generation continuing to decline, we are committed to working with developers such as Genex to finance opportunities that can complement Australia's growing renewable energy capacity, by adding energy storage and grid stability services." Financial Close for KSP1 occurs following Genex's successful capital raise announced to the ASX on 03 February 2017. Project Financial Close now ensures construction of the Project remains on track with first generation from the solar panels into the grid expected in Q4 2017 and practical completion in Q1 2018. In addition to the debt and equity funding, Genex will also draw on $8.85 million of grant funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), provided through its Large-Scale Solar Competitive Round, for project development costs (refer ASX Announcement 8 September 2016). ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the Project would contribute towards ARENA's vision for a smooth transition to a renewable energy future by increasing the reliability and security of renewable energy. "Kidston holds the tantalising proposition of being Australia's first large-scale solar project capable of delivering renewable energy into the grid around the clock. The plant could potentially contribute towards powering an adjacent 250MW pumped hydro storage plant Genex is developing with ARENA support. This would allow renewable energy to be stored through the day and delivered when needed most," Mr Frischknecht said. With Project construction underway for KSP1, Genex will turn to securing financial arrangements for its 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project, as well as the completion of technical feasibility studies for its 270MW Kidston Solar Project (Phase Two). Project Summary KSP1 will produce approximately 145,000MWh each year, providing enough energy to power 26,484 Australian homes entirely with renewable energy, offsetting 120,000t of CO2per annum, equivalent to removing up to 33,000 cars off Australian roads. Genex has entered into a 20-year Revenue Support Deed with the Queensland State Government, as part of its Solar 150 Program. The program guarantees a minimum energy floor price (refer ASX announcement 8 September 2016). All energy produced will be supplied directly into the National Electricity Market (NEM). About ARENA ARENA was established by the Australian Government to make renewable energy technologies more affordable and increase the supply of renewable energy in Australia. Through the provision of funding coupled with deep commercial and technical expertise, ARENA provides the support needed to accelerate the development of promising new solutions towards commercialisation. ARENA invests in renewable energy projects across the innovation chain and is committed to sharing knowledge and lessons learned from its portfolio of projects and information about renewable energy. ARENA always looks for at least matched funding from the projects it supports and to date has committed $1.1 billion in funding to more than 270 projects. For more information, visit www.arena.gov.au. About the Clean Energy Finance Corporation: The Clean Energy Finance Corporation invests, applying commercial rigour, to increase the flow of finance into the clean energy sector. Our mission is to accelerate Australia's transformation towards a more competitive economy in a carbon constrained world, by acting as a catalyst to increase investment in emissions reduction. We do this through an investment strategy focused on cleaner power solutions, including large and small-scale solar, wind and bioenergy; and a better built environment, with investments to drive more energy efficient property, vehicles, infrastructure, and industry. The CEFC also invests with co-financiers to develop new sources of capital for the clean energy sector, including climate bonds, equity funds, aggregation facilities and other financial solutions. The CEFC operates under the Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act 2012. For more information, visit cleanenergyfinancecorp.com.au. About Societe Generale Societe Generale ( SCGLY:OTCMKTS ) is one of the largest European financial services groups. Based on a diversified universal banking model, the Group combines financial solidity with a strategy of sustainable growth, and aims to be the reference for relationship banking, recognised on its markets, close to clients, chosen for the quality and commitment of its teams. Societe Generale has been playing a vital role in the economy for 150 years. With more than 145,000 employees, based in 66 countries, we serve on a daily basis 31 million clients throughout the world. Societe Generale's teams offer advice and services to individual, corporate and institutional customers in three core businesses: - Retail banking in France with the Societe Generale branch network, Credit du Nord and Boursorama, offering a comprehensive range of multi-channel financial services at the leading edge of digital innovation; - International retail banking, insurance and financial services to corporates with a presence in developing economies and leading specialised businesses; - Corporate and investment banking, private banking, asset management and securities services, with recognised expertise, top international rankings and integrated solutions. Societe Generale is currently included in the main sustainability indices: DJSI (World and Europe), FTSE4Good (World and Europe), Euronext Vigeo (World, Europe and Eurozone), Ethibel Sustainability Index (ESI) Excellence Europe, 4 of the STOXX ESG Leaders Indices, MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index. About Genex Power Ltd Genex Power Limited (ASX:GNX) is focused on developing a portfolio of renewable energy generation and storage projects across Australia. The Company's flagship Kidston Clean Energy Hub, located in north Queensland, will integrate large-scale solar generation with pumped storage hydro. The Kidston Clean Energy Hub is comprised of the operating 50MW stage 1 Solar Project (KS1) and the 250MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project (K2-Hydro) with potential for further multi-stage wind and solar projects. The 50MW Jemalong Solar Project (JSP) is located in NSW and provides geographical diversification to the Genex Power Limited portfolio. JSP was energised in early December 2020 and commissioning is now underway. Genex is further developing its energy storage portfolio via the early stage development of a 50MW/75MWh standalone battery energy storage system at Bouldercombe in Queensland. With over 400MW of renewable energy and storage projects in development, Genex is well placed as Australia's leading renewable energy and storage company. Lekki Lagos, February 1st 2019. Rilla Web Hosting, one of the top players in domain registration and web hosting has announces its full ... For the third time since she was confirmed as education secretary , Betsy DeVos spoke with a Michigan media outlet to discuss her confirmation process and her priorities. And she made it clear shes looking for ways to reduce the size and scope of the U.S. Department of Education. In a Tuesday interview on the Michael Patrick Shiels radio program, DeVos said the confirmation was an interesting and protracted process, and that she was glad to get started as secretary. Asked by Shiels about the education departments responsibilities, DeVos noted that it was only her fourth day on the job at the department. Then she said: I cant tell you today what is being done thats unnecessary. But I can guarantee that there are things that the department has been doing that are probably not necessary or important for a federal agency to do. Well be looking at that. Well be examining and auditing and reviewing all of the programs of the department and really figuring out what is the core mission, and how can the federal department of education really support and enhance the role of the departments in the states. Because really, when it comes down to it, education and the provision of education is really a state and local responsibility to a large extent. You can listen to the full interview with Shiels here , or listen in the player below. Listen to Betsy DeVos, United States Secretary of Education @BetsyDeVos on Spreaker. DeVos did not specify which programs or policy areas at the department where she might explore or be potentially interested in cuts. Right now, the department has an approximately $68 billion annual budget , and just under a third of that is taken up by discretionary Pell Grants for higher education. Lawmakers and the Obama administration already cut a number of K-12 programs when they passed the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. That means there are fewer small programs for DeVos to target than there were just a few years ago. Civil rights advocates are worried that DeVos wont vehemently enforce Title IX and other protections for students. Funding for the departments office for civil rightswhich now stands at $107 million, a fraction of overall spending at the agencycould be a key indicator to watch as DeVos provides input on the budget she wants at the department. As a school choice advocate whos lobbied states to expand vouchers and tax-credit scholarships, and as a long-time major donor to Republican Party candidates and causes, its not surprising that DeVos would highlight the power of states and districts. Her supporters say shes knowledgeable and an experienced advocate who will focus on creating more educational opportunities for students. Critics, however, say that she defers to state and local authority too quickly and have questioned her commitment to using federal oversight to ensure robust accountability. DeVos also told Shiels that the biggest goal for education should be continuing to stoke and enhance a childs creative and curious nature. They are really entranced with education and learning more when that curiosity continues to be fed and continues to be engaged, DeVos said. Photo: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos addresses Education Department staff, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, at the Education Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Molly Riley) Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . The Air Force is accepting nominations for the 2018 Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons.This award is presented annually by the secretary of state to no more than five individuals or organizations in recognition of extraordinary efforts to combat human trafficking.Organizations and base-level personnel must contact their major command, combatant command, field operating agency or direct reporting unit for applicable suspense date and additional information regarding nomination procedures.Complete application procedures and deadlines are available on myPers. Select Any from the dropdown menu and search Trafficking. Each MAJCOM, COCOM, FOA and DRU may submit one nomination to the Air Force Personnel Center no later than April 28, 2017.For more information about Air Force personnel programs, go to myPers . Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following these instructions Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody testified on the importance of Airmen and their families before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel Feb. 14 on Capitol Hill.It is imperative we put them first, inspire them and support them as they face the challenges inherent to serving the profession of arms, he said. Its not an easy task, which is why focusing on our Airmen and their families is so important.The modern landscape is unpredictable and requires the Air Force to constantly improve recruitment and retention of talent, while continuing to explore opportunities to strengthen the force.To meet global demands, resource emerging requirements and repair and sustain the force, the Air Force must increase our active-duty strength up to 321,000 by the end of 2017, and up to 350,000 over the next seven years, he said. To do this, we must address mission and readiness demands, increase our accessions and strengthen our retention, while never sacrificing quality for quantity.Families are often the catalyst to an Airmans decision to stay or leave the Air Force.These selfless families make many sacrifices and the Air Force remains clear in its commitment to them, Cody said. Our Airman and Family Readiness Centers serve as a crucial bridge with our families and military missions, encompassing 14 core programs to ensure resiliency and readiness of Airmen and their families.The Air Forces top enlisted leader expressed concern for how financial stress can impact Airmen.This is certainly a key factor today as our nation continues to face fiscal uncertainty, which has already eaten at an Airmans compensation, he said.The Air Force continues to educate Airmen on the newest program, the Blended Retirement System, to ensure Airmen are prepared to make educated financial decisions. He said the Air Force is also developing comprehensive financial training across the military lifecycle.Cody mentioned the benefits of the Defense Departments, which provides education and career guidance to military spouses worldwide. More must be done, Cody said, pointing out spouses with careers that require recertification they have to pay for after every move.He then discussed the recent Spouse and Family Forum conducted by the secretary of the Air Force and chief of staff of the Air Force, showing leadership commitment to addressing the issues spouses brought up, including support for exceptional family members, spouse employment, schools and deployments.Cody then switched topics to focus on single Airmen resilience, which impacts readiness. He cited the Air Forces Single Airman Program Initiative as one example of how the Air Force seeks to revitalize squadrons and optimize Airmen performance.He said the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act could affect Air Force basic allowance for housing, which would reverse nearly 20 years of legislative action to keep compensation competitive and could severely limit talent recruitment and retention.The chief master sergeant of the Air Force, who retires Friday, also touched on the need and improvement on programs to allow a military license or certification to easily transition into its civilian sector equivalent so that Airmen separating or retiring would have a smooth transition into civilian employment.The talented men and women of the Air Force are called upon each day to perform crucial missions around the world, Cody said. In every one of those mission areas, Airmen are the key to our success. Taking care of those Airmen must always be our first priority; every one of them earn their current pay and compensation.Codys full witness statement is available Elections were held in 69 seats of Uttarakhand and 67 seats in Uttar Pradesh respectively. Residents of Uttarakhand have chosen Congress and BJP alternatively in the recent years. Harish Rawat of Congress is the current CM of the state. Congress is trying their best to retain power in the state. BJP will be waiting to form their government after five years of long wait. Both the parties have already ruled the state in the past and they have an idea about peoples choice. Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress are the main parties in the state. Apart from both these parties; Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and independents are also contest the elections. But others may win three or four seats. The main fight is between BJP and Congress. Many survey agencies, news channels and pollsters have already conducted opinion polls. These polls are a way to predict the mood of voters of a state. Some of the agencies have conducted more than one survey for Uttarakhand. As per the latest polls conducted by various media houses and survey agencies BJP will win most seats and might score majority. INC is shown at second position while others only managed to score in single digit number. Election results of Uttarakhand are anticipated to come in favour of BJP. Congress is lacking here. Most of the surveys are predicting that Congress might have to step down and BJP will emerge victorious this time. Uttarakhand election results 2017 can never be judged by these surveys; however they give a rough idea taken from a number of people. The main issues of the state includes migration of residents, unemployment, bad condition of roads, limited job opportunities, and other infrastructure related issues. The state has seen a very large migration rate. Around 1100 village of this beautiful state are empty with no hope of residents coming back. The condition is not good in Garhwal region, where more than 650 villages have limited residents left. The main reason for such a large amount of migration is the limited job opportunities. People have to migrate due the lack of basic employment. Other states in plain areas offer more opportunity. The employment rate is severe; around 7 lakh people have no job according to data shared by employment exchange bureaus. Among these people, around 90 per cent are educated. These figures could be worse on the ground level. The political fight of the state will be very unpredictable, considering the support BJP got during Lok Sabha Elections. BJP will be trying to prove that the support they got in 2014 elections remains intact. Congress has been in its low times since last couple of years. The party is running its campaign in full flow. If the result of Uttarakhand elections comes in their favour, it will boost the morale of Congress. In the first phase of polling over 50 per cent voting was held. The second of the seven-phase polling in Uttar Pradesh a phase crucial for the ruling Samajwadi Party, which holds 34 of the 67 constituencies went to polls. In Uttarakhand, where the polling for 69 seats is being held in a single phase, the voters turnout was marginal. The BJP is hoping to unseat the states ruling Congress government, which is battling corruption charges. Polling was high in Haridwar, the most crucial seat of the hill state from where Chief Minister Harish Rawat is contesting. In Uttar Pradesh, stakes are high for the ruling Samajwadi Party, which is facing the BJPs challenge. Most of the districts which voted on Wednesday are part of Uttar Pradeshs Rohilkhand region a paddy and sugarcane belt, in which cane dues are expected to be a big issue. The notes ban, which the BJP claims has huge support from the people, is a key issue in Pilibhit, where 95 per cent of Indias flutes were once produced. The other crucial district is Bijnor, which witnessed communal tension prior to polling. About 74 lakh electors casted votes for 628 candidates on Wednesday. The polls have been held on 69 of the 70 seats, since the polls on the Karnaprayag seat have been postponed to March 9. While there are 10,685 polling booths across the State, 458 booths have been set up in snow covered regions where, the difficult terrain makes the setting up of a poll booth a challenge for the election commission teams. In the absence of any third forces the main contest is between the Congress and the BJP. However, the BSP is a challenge, especially for the Congress, in the 20 seats of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts. In UP a turnout of 64.22% was reported in the largely incident-free first phase of polling for the Assembly elections. For the Congress, it is a battle to retain power in one of the only half dozen states where it is now ruling. The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to wrest power in Uttarakhand which has not returned any party with a clear majority in the last two elections. Several leaders in the BJP have made a claim for the Chief Ministers post. On the contrary, in the Congress, the campaign has been a one-man show centred on Rawat, the partys chief ministerial candidate. The BJP, which won all five Lok Sabha seats in the State in the 2014 elections, is again banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a victory in the Assembly elections. But the Congress, under Chief Minister Harish Rawat, is giving it a tough fight. Throughout the campaign, Modi, who delivered five election speeches in the State, targeted Mr. Rawat for alleged corruption. The Prime Minister promised the voters more employment opportunities, improved roads, enhanced tourism potential, and setting up of small-scale industries in the plain areas of the state. He referred to the surgical strikes and implementation of the one rank, one pension scheme in all his speeches to attack the Congress and woo the voters since a major part of Uttarakhands workforce is employed with the armed forces. Also, the State has over two lakh ex-servicemen. BJP had undertaken door-to-door campaigning, especially in the hilly village regions. The Congress, however, had a strong social media campaign which was being handled by the team of the partys poll strategist, Prashant Kishor. (Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com) The wife of BSF trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that she had met her husband and was convinced that he was safe. Yadav, whose social media video clip on substandard food triggered an uproar, got to meet his wife at the battalion Jammu and Kashmirs Samba area where he was posted, she told the court. A division bench of Justice GS Sistani and Justice Vinod Goel subsequently disposed off Sharmila Devis habeas corpus plea to find her missing husband as she had no information about his whereabouts. Appearing for the Border Security Force, advocate Gaurang Kanth told the court that Yadav purchased a new mobile phone and there was no restriction on him from talking to his family. The BSF had taken away Yadavs personal mobile phone that he used to upload the videos and said it was part of the investigations. After the High Courts direction on February 10, the BSF allowed Yadavs wife to meet him and also to stay overnight for two days. Sharmila Devi filed a habeas corpus plea after she and other family members failed to contact the BSF trooper for three days. At that point, she said that she last spoke to him on February 7, when he told her that he was being taken to an unknown location. The BSF had told the court that Yadav was not missing and just transferred to another battalion and his wifes apprehension was baseless and unfounded. In January, Yadav posted a video clip on social media complaining about the quality of food served to BSF personnel and accused unnamed officers of illegally selling food supplies meant for troopers. The family earlier alleged that the trooper was being threatened and tortured mentally. After Yadavs video went viral, the Prime Ministers Office and the Home Ministry sought details on the incident from the BSF. The trooper faces an inquiry on various charges, including indiscipline. His plea for voluntary retirement was also rejected by the authorities. Voters in Uttar Pradesh should not trust BSP as it might join hands with BJP after the assembly elections, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said on Wednesday. Buaji (aunty Mayawati) is saying she will sit in the Opposition if she is unable to form government. Elections are not over yet, but she is ready to sit in the Opposition. She cannot be relied upon. She can join hands with anyone. She had celebrated Raksha bandhan with a BJP leader earlier and she can do it in the future also, Akhilesh said at an election rally. His remarks came after the BSP supremo said that she would rather be in the Opposition than form an alliance with BJP to form the government in Uttar Pradesh and accused the saffron party of spreading rumours of a coalition with BSP. The chief minister also asked policemen to vote for him, stating that his government gave maximum promotions and made recruitments in the force. He, however, cautioned policemen against taking bribe and said anyone accepting money from the people would be tracked if any complaint was received on Dial UP 100 platform. Akhilesh also highlighted schemes launched by his government for the welfare of the people and sought their support in the election. However, pitching the Bahujan Samaj Party as the only one capable of stopping the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, former chief minister Mayawati on Tuesday urged the people to prefer a bedaagi chehra (untarnished image) like hers over that of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, whom she described as the daagi face of the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance. Only my government can stop the BJP as well as act against Sapa ke gundey (criminal elements in the SP), the four-time former chief minister, who is desperately eyeing a Dalit-Muslim combine to ride to power, said at a party rally on Lucknows outskirts. Like the BJP and the SP-Congress alliance that have promised the moon to the voters, Maya too joined the sop opera, promising loan waiver of up to Rs. 1 lakh to the poor, release of innocent people behind bars, fruits, eggs, milk and cake to school students as part of the mid-day meal, cash to poor meritorious students and a traders commission. China plans to launch its first cargo spacecraft to transport supplies to its future space station in April, the media reported on Tuesday. The Tianzhou-1 will be able to transport six tonnes, which exceeds the capacity of current Chinese spacecraft that can carry a maximum of three astronauts and 300 kg of material, Efe reported. The module will arrive next week at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre, located in Hainan, where it will be assembled and tested, according to the China Manned Space Agency that oversees manned space missions. The Tianzhou-1 will be launched aboard the Long March-7 Y2 carrier rocket, which China tested successfully recently to transport modules of the space station. The Tianzhou-1 has a take-off weight of around 13 tonnes and can remain in orbit for three months, during which it will dock at the Tiangong-2 space lab to refuel and conduct research. Two astronauts have already spent 33 days in the Tiangong-2 space lab, located 393 km from the Earths surface, the countrys longest manned space mission yet. Tianzhou-1 has been designed to carry large quantities of food, water, oxygen and support materials for resident astronauts when Chinas permanent space station becomes fully operational. China is expected to send the central module of the orbital space station in 2018 and hopes to have an 80-tonne preliminary structure in place by 2020 and the station completed and operational by 2022 before the International Space Station retires in 2024. INS Viraat the worlds oldest aircraft carrier in active service will be decommissioned on March 6 with a ceremonial send-off in Mumbai, informed sources said. The ships name is entered in the Guinness World Records for being the oldest serving warship. The decommissioning ceremony will be attended, among other dignitaries, by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The gala event will see the lowering and wrap-up of the naval flag installed on the warship at sunset, marking an end to a long sea odyssey lasting 55 years, including 30 years in the Indian Navy. A decision on the warships future has not been taken yet, the sources said. Talks are on with the Andhra Pradesh government which has expressed interest in taking in the ship. Referred to as the Grand Old Lady in the naval community, Viraat was completed and commissioned in 1959 in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom as HMS Hermes. It was decommissioned in 1984 and subsequently commissioned in the Indian Navy on May 12, 1987. Aircraft like Sea Harriers, White Tigers, Seaking 42B, Seaking 42C and Chetak helicopters have been operated from the warship. The Sea Harrier fleet was recently decommissioned in Goa in May 2016. Under the Indian Navy, aircraft have clocked more than 22,034 hours of flying from INS Viraats decks. The ship spent nearly 2,250 days at sea, sailing 5,88,288 nautical miles, thereby implying that Viraat has been at sea for over six years and sailed around the globe about 27 times. The warship played a major role in Operation Jupiter in 1989, a mission of the Indian Peace Keeping Force operations in Sri Lanka and Operation Vijay in 1999 during the Kargil War. As HMS Hermes, it was the flagship of the Royal Navy during the Falklands campaign in 1982. Do public schools have a responsibility to stay politically neutral? If so, how do teachers balance that with their responsibility to have students problem solve, discover facts and develop theories? The issues of free speech for students and faculty, alike, seem to settle and then get kicked up again like dust. Tightly woven into that issue is the discussion of the current political moment. Why cant we talk about it? Teachers are being told by principals and superintendents not to talk about the election or its unfolding aftermath. We noticed an article published November in EdWeek that noted this was happening. Now, we continue to hear from teachers that students are misinformed, confused, and upset about what they are hearing or catching snippets of on the news or in social media. Not surprising because many adults are also confused and because alternative facts and misinformation abound. The clear and safe path is to avoid classroom discussions around the swirling events. That way no questions or concerns will arise from parents or board members or community leaders or media. But, they will arise anyway. Last week, the new Secretary of Education is blocked from entering a public school in DC. The Wall Street Journal reports today that the new Attorney General is considering a rollback of the Obama administrations policy around transgender students. And, immigrant children are increasingly afraid that a knock on their door may be immigration officers coming for their parents. This Is Public Education This is a moment in our history when educators must show up and demonstrate what public education is about. It is not about quieting voices. It is about creating safe space for all voices to be heard, for perspectives to be shared, and for minds to be opened. Public schools are supposed to be places that lack bias and that serve all. Isnt that one of the reasons for concern about public dollars going to religious schools through vouchers? Perhaps we arent good at multiple perspective teaching. It is difficult when each person holds strong personal beliefs about policy and politics and religion and values. How can one allow space to explore if the opposite view has merit? It has been the practice to teach one perspective. This practice is reinforced by textbooks and curriculum. But the rubber meets the road when current events unfold rapidly and student lives present themselves with daily disruptions or misinformation. Then, we are on our own. The yearning for simplicity overrides the desire for understanding of actual complexity. And, fear infiltrates everything and complicates rationality and clarity of thought. We, now, see Mexican immigrants, being carted off, away from their families here and returned to Mexico. Who didnt see the mother in the bus while her American children watched? Images take up residence in our minds. They become snapshots that dont go away. Cant we all bring up the KKK images of men in white hoods destroying lives and property and instilling fear as an image of our racist past? As we write this we wonder why hate was hidden under white sheets. But other images exist too. Cant we all pull up the image of Sully landing the plane on the Hudson River and the passengers lining up on the wings? Cowards and courage...visuals capture it all. They create a mental picture. And, without adult led discussions, new images of Mexican immigrants, of Syrian refuges, and black boys and men are tainted in the minds of those who are not paying attention. Make The Difference Public education can make a difference. That takes courage, conversation, and information and our own work to hear and hold both sides of the debate. It is not easy when we live in a right and wrong world. But, silenced voices is not a good answer. Courageous voices are needed and respectful disagreements can happen. Civility of discourse, we hope, has not become a 20th century artifact. There are schools with many Hispanic students, and those with few or none. There are schools with many African American students and those with few or none. There are schools with many Middle Eastern students and some with few or none. Should efforts be made to comfort the frightened Hispanic child who is afraid of being deported or of a family member being deported? How can a child in the grips of fear learn? We know he/she cant. Shouldnt we educate all students about the complexities of these events and examine the other moments in our history and the worlds history where similar moments happened? Certainly the age of the children is a factor. But for leaders, now, an educated and courageous and sensitive faculty and staff is central. This is not only a factor interfering with the learning of these three groups of students, it is a factor in the learning of all students. This is a student achievement challenge as much as it is a citizenship challenge. This is a teacher effectiveness problem at the very least and it is a student success problem at the most. Student success, we have all argued is not measured on standardized tests alone. Student success, when educators are asked, involves developing independent learners who can investigate problems, determine creative solutions, communicate well, collaborate, and demonstrate their learning. There is a plethora of information flying around beyond school walls that is misinforming and that is not being addressed or investigated. Have you seen the new apps that allow one to exchange faces in a photo or to morph children into animals? Facts and truth are becoming more and more difficult to determine. This is a 21st century challenge for schools. This is a real world moment for a true education in citizenship that will be missed if teachers are silenced. It is not an easy move...because discussions about what the adults know and think and believe take time. Agreement on how things will be handled and where takes time. But silence is not the answer. Ann Myers and Jill Berkowicz are the authors of The STEM Shift (2015, Corwin) a book about leading the shift into 21st century schools. Connect with Ann and Jill on Twitter or Email . Resources: SALOM NEIGHBOR, a documentary shot in a Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. 13th (as we mentioned in a previous post on race) is a documentary about the 13th Amendment and the unfolding purposeful incarceration movement that followed. The recent news for reports and photos of towns in Syria that have been leveled and for Mexicans being rounded up and sent back to Mexico. Photo by janeb13 courtesy of Pixabay Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant took a jibe at Shiv Sena, BJP and said that both parties are misleading voters by calling off the alliance ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. According to him, both outfits are fooling people by issuing statements against each other. Sawant is confident that Sena and BJP will have an alliance after the conclusion of BMC polls. He added that Shiv Sena is merely threatening BJP by planning to quit the government. The Congress leader asked why Sena is not stepping down and only issuing statements about withdrawing support to BJP? Recently there were reports about several Sena leaders keeping their resignation letters ready to quit the Fadnavis government. Sawant said that Sena is trying to garner publicity ahead of the civic body election to remain in limelight. The party always criticises the functioning of the BJP government at the centre and state but doesnt withdraw its support he added. Sawant said that Sena is hungry for power and wants to retain power in the civic body at any cost. Sena and BJP had fought the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation election singlehandedly but later they mended their differences and came together. The scenario will be no different after the outcome of BMC polls as they will form alliance after falling short of numbers required for mandate. Thus, both these parties are trying to fool voters but citizens will give a befitting reply to them. Sena and BJP must work for the development of Mumbai and not play with the sentiments of people, said Sawant. Sena had severed ties with BJP ahead of the 2014 state assembly polls as the latter emerged as the single largest party. Initially BJP had relied on outside support from NCP but after few months the latter had withdrawn support. Subsequently, Sena officially joined the Fadnavis government in December 2014. Both these parties take voters for granted and always try to take them for a ride. However voters are smart and they will teach a lesson to Sena and BJP. Why is Sena not issuing any clarification about the corruption prevailing in the civic body? If the party is keen to go solo in BMC polls why doesnt it quit the Maharashtra government, asked Sawant. Sawant said Sena will bury the hatchet with BJP after civic body polls. He said, Sena has not undertaken any developmental work and has no results to show to citizens. Therefore the party keeps on attacking BJP for hiding its own failures. After the end of BMC polls both Sena and BJP will reconcile their differences. I agree with these researchers that the correlation between anorexia, OCD, tic disorder, anxiety disorder and vaccinations warrants further scrutiny. This study suggests that the seemingly inexplicable increase we have seen in brain disorders among young children may not be so mysterious after all. However, children who had been vaccinated were 80 percent more likely to be diagnosed with anorexia and 25 percent more likely to be diagnosed with OCD than their non-vaccinated counterparts. Vaccinated children were also more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and with tics compared to the controls. More than 95,000 children in the database that were analyzed had one of seven neuropsychiatric disorders: anorexia nervosa, anxiety disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorder. This new study, which raises important questions about whether over-vaccination may be triggering immune and neurological damage in a subset of vulnerable children (something parents of children with autism have been saying for years), was published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, Jan. 19. Analyzing five years' worth of private health insurance data on children ages 6-15, these scientists found that young people vaccinated in the previous three to 12 months were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with certain neuropsychiatric disorders than their non-vaccinated counterparts. A team of researchers from the Yale School of Medicine and Penn State College of Medicine have found a disturbing association between the timing of vaccines and the onset of certain brain disorders in a subset of children. First of all, something that will get absolutely no recognition in the mainstream media is this announcement by RFK in EcoWatch.com: Yale University Study Shows Association Between Vaccines and Brain Disorders This should warrant at least a modicum of coverage by the press. Isnt Yale a prestigious institution whose research would be considered cutting edge? Isnt vaccine safety a critical topic in the minds of parents everywhere? Unfortunately the press doesnt see it that way. To them, the only possible news about vaccines is the same old same oldvaccines are safe, vaccines save lives. Besides, the major news outlets are currently too busy trashing the idea of a vaccine safety panel under Donald Trump headed by Robert Kennedy, Jr. Recently there was a Pew survey showing that 82 percent of parents trust todays vaccine schedule and back the vaccine requirements for children to attend school. And on February 8 the big news was that 350 national groups had sent a joint letter to President Trump supporting vaccines and challenging anyone who raised questions about safety. Lena Sun at the Washington Post wrote the piece, More than 350 organizations write Trump to endorse current vaccines safety. The effort, organized by the American Academy of Pediatrics, reflects the growing alarm among a wide array of groups over Trumps embrace of discredited claims about vaccine safety. After a meeting in January with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a proponent of the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism, a Trump spokeswoman said he was considering creation of a commission on autism. It continues: Claims that vaccines are unsafe when administered according to expert recommendations have been disproven by a robust body of medical literature. Following their meeting last month, Kennedy said that he and Trump had discussed creation of a vaccine commission, which he would chair. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already has a well-established expert panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which follows a scientifically rigorous and open process to evaluate all aspects of vaccine safety. Of course the Washington Post is spinning the truth. Nothing is said about the real issue here. That robust body of medical literature that disproves any link to side effects is whats in question. The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, that well-established expert panel, cant be trusted if we consider the charges of corruption, collusion, and cover-up swirling around the CDC. Sun and everyone else in the press is knowingly misleading parents. As journalists they tell only one side of the storythe pro-pharma side. Whats scaring everyone at the major papers and networks is the possibility that a panel looking at scientific integrity at the CDC would publicize everything the press has covered up with phony news stories for decades. Wed hear about all the shady conflicts of interest waivers for members of that expert panel at the CDC. Wed hear about the independent science that raises serious concern about vaccine safety claims. Wed learn that a lot of toxic additives in vaccines have never been tested for safety. Wed be told that safety claims are based on research by a wanted felon from Denmark, and wed wake up to the truth about a CDC whistleblower who says he was ordered to cover up a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Wed all end up asking why the agency that approves our vaccines is also in charge of vaccine safetywhy they literally have oversight over themselves. Its desperation time for health officials and the media. Defending vaccines Expect lots and lots of stories telling us about the virtues of being vaccinated and demonizing anyone who dares to say otherwise. On February 8 the New York Times ran the op ed piece, How the Anti-Vaxxers Are Winning, by Peter Hotez. (Hotez is both a physician and the father of a daughter with autism.) Hotez spends most of the article singing the praises of mass vaccination and denying that anything is wrong. Its looking as if 2017 could become the year when the anti-vaccination movement gains ascendancy in the United States and we begin to see a reversal of several decades in steady public health gains. The first blow will be measles outbreaks in America. Measles is one of the most contagious and most lethal of all human diseases. A single person infected with the virus can infect more than a dozen unvaccinated people, typically infants too young to have received their first measles shot. Such high levels of transmissibility mean that when the percentage of children in a community who have received the measles vaccine falls below 90 percent to 95 percent, we can start to see major outbreaks, as in the 1950s when four million Americans a year were infected and 450 died. Worldwide, measles still kills around 100,000 children each year. The myth that vaccines like the one that prevents measles are connected to autism has persisted despite rock-solid proof to the contrary. Donald Trump has given credence to such views in tweets and during a Republican debate, but as president he has said nothing to support vaccination opponents, so there is reason to hope that his views are changing. Hotez even mentioned Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe but fails to say what the movie is about. However, a leading proponent of the link between vaccines and autism said he recently met with the president to discuss the creation of a presidential commission to investigate vaccine safety. Such a commission would be a throwback to the 2000s, when Representative Dan Burton of Indiana held fruitless hearings and conducted investigations on this topic. And a documentary alleging a conspiracy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe, has recently been shown around the country. As a scientist leading global efforts to develop vaccines for neglected poverty-related diseases like schistosomiasis and Chagas disease, and as the dad of an adult daughter with autism and other disabilities, Im worried that our nations health will soon be threatened because we have not stood up to the pseudoscience and fake conspiracy claims of this movement. Hotez attacks anyone raising questions. He predicts life-threatening outbreaks of disease if parents dont vaccinate, and most of all, he does not want anyone looking into the workings of the CDC. I fear that such myths will be used to justify new rounds of hearings or unwarranted investigations of federal agencies, including the C.D.C. This would only distract attention from these agencies crucial work, and the real needs of families with children on the autism spectrum, such as mental health services, work-entry programs for adults and support for the research being done by the National Institutes of Health. Hotez does mention autism in passing. He cites genetics, chemicals in the environment or infections, or possibly certain drugs. All we really need to know is that it cant be vaccines. So whats going to happen when a federal panel reveals how untrustworthy and nefarious the official science and the management of the CDC really are? Anyone who knows what a house of cards the safety claims really amount to has got to be worried that it can all collapse in an instant. Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism. Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, is calling on the nations big-city mayors to set up safe havens for immigrants after federal agents arrested nearly 700 undocumented residents in a series of raids conducted over the past week. Child advocates say the recent immigration sweeps and future actions on immigration policy by the Trump administration could disrupt home lives, separate families, and have a chilling effect on children and communities. The raids could be just the first step in President Donald Trumps promised crackdown on undocumented immigrants. We at the American Federation of Teachers are worried about the chilling effects these ICE raids have on our communities. More specifically, we are concerned about the psychological impact the raids have on children because, as educators, we know that circumstances outside the classroom have a major impact on our students educational success, Weingarten wrote in a letter to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The AFT calls on the mayors of Atlanta; Austin and Dallas, Texas; Oklahoma City and other cities across the country who have not yet reiterated their support for undocumented immigrants to resist these attempts at inflicting terror on communities of people who simply want to share in the American dream. Mayors in those have not declared themselves sanctuary cities, which prohibit police officers from enforcing immigration laws or cooperating with federal immigration officials. Trump has vowed to cut federal funding to municipalities that make the declaration. John Kelly, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that 75 percent of the people who were swept up in the raids were criminal aliens, and that the enforcement actions led to the arrests of more than 680 individuals who pose a threat to public safety, border security, or the integrity of our nations immigration system. He emphasized that the sweeps were part of a series of targeted enforcement operations that have occurred regularly for years. Weingartens letter also references a White House executive order that temporarily suspended residents of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. A federal district court halted the travel ban and a federal appeals court declined the Trump administrations request to reinstate it . President Trump is now considering a revised executive order. In addressing the two-page letter to former Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a Democrat and the past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Weingarten bypassed the current president, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornet, a Republican. In December, Cornett meet with then-president-elect Trump in New York to discuss immigration and law enforcement among other issues. Nothing frustrates mayors more than having immigration policies that arent being enforced, Cornett said in a Jan. 20 interview with the Atlantics City Lab . Watching immigrants in our city, [we] know that [immigration] leads to a stronger economy. Most of us in the United States are either immigrants or the sons and daughters of immigrants. I dont think the United States is anti-immigrant, he also said in the interview. Weingarten calls out Cornetts city in the letter to Rawlings-Blake. Take a look the letter here . Related Stories Educators to Trump: ELL, Immigrant Students Need Safe, Well-Funded Schools Educators and Advocates Brace for Harsher Stance on Immigration Under Trump After Trump Immigration Order, Schools Draw Line in the Sand on Student Rights Trump Orders on Immigration Rattle Some Educators When I first went to Mongolia in 2013, my idea was to shoot it in black and white, because I didnt want to repeat some of my earlier color projects, says San Francisco-based photographer Lyle Owerko . I went with one assistant on that trip Jose and when we got there we found ourselves standing in this airfield in the middle of nowhere with all my gear around us, and I said to Jose, God damn it, I really did it this time where the hell are we? I dont even know where we are on the map! We had traveled for two and a half days, and we ended up in this remote place, and there were a bunch of guys dressed in Russian military coats standing around. It was crazy. I looked around and I said, This is definitely not going to be black and white. And Jose said, No, brother, this is not black and white. Sometimes not knowing where you are on a map is a good thing: Owerko was in fact right where he wanted to be. Getting lost in the middle of nowhere in Mongolia was more or less the point of his trip. Hed started thinking about traveling to Mongolia in 1999, when he was working as a designer at an advertising agency in New York and shooting pictures and music videos on the side. I had had enough of being in a cubicle 16 hours a day, grinding out ads, and I decided to go traveling, he says. He didnt get to Mongolia then. Instead, he went to Southeast Asia and Africa, where, he says, he taught himself photography. I shot only transparency film so that I would get really good, he notes. He returned to New York just in time for a tragedy. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Owerko was in his Tribeca apartment, jet lagged and unable to sleep, when he heard an unfathomable sound. An American Airlines jet had just hit the World Trade Centers north tower. He grabbed his camera bag, with a 35mm SLR and a medium-format Fujifilm GA645zi camera, and ran toward the disaster. There he used the SLR with a 400mm lens to photograph people jumping from the burning tower. Then he saw a second plane approaching the south tower. Using the medium-format camera, he shot two frames as it hit. One of the photos ended up on the cover of Time magazine. In 2005 the American Society of Magazine Editors ranked it among the 40 most important magazine covers of the last 40 years. Such was the beginning of Owerkos professional photography career. He might have gone on to become a globetrotting photojournalist, if not for some advice from a friend hed made Magnum photographer Gilles Peress. He said, Youve already had the cover of Time. Now maybe you should reinvent yourself, Owerko recalls. Following Peresss advice, Owerko returned to Africa as part of economist Jeffrey Sachss Millennial Promise initiative documenting the lives of the Lau people of Sauri, Kenya. In 2006, back in New York, he reinvented himself again by starting a personal fine-art project about vintage boomboxes. He had been collecting specimens since the 1990s and was fascinated by the cultural history they represented. The result was The Boombox Project, an acclaimed book from Abrams and a body of work that has become a favorite with collectors. Its like the hit album that you can tour on forever, Owerko says. After the boombox book came out in 2010, Owerko decided it was finally time to go to Mongolia. What he found once he got there three years later was everything hed hoped for and something completely unexpected. Mad Max Imagery Its a magical place where you can be all day and not hear an airplane or see a contrail, he says. Mongolia is sort of the last frontier. Owerko, who grew up in Calgary, Canada, says the landscape of Mongolia tapped into the journeys of my youth through western Canada with my dad. I went to school with kids from the Sarcee and Blackfoot tribes, he says, and going to Mongolia fit into the Canadian-wilderness-meets-Farley Mowat upbringing I had. The least densely populated country in the world, Mongolia has seen tourism climb since the 1990s while becoming a go-to destination for photographers drawn by its rugged landscapes and the nomadic culture of its people. Among the attractions are the Kazakhs, who have been hunting with golden eagles in western Mongolia for thousands of years. When Owerko arrived in Mongolia, he was confronted by a reality that sparked his considerable curiosity. He says he was determined to avoid the trap of cultural imperialism or, as he puts it, telling bullshit backstories about trekking off into the wild to document these indigenous people. Rather, he wanted to capture the sense of adventure and strangeness he experienced at the airfield in the middle of nowhere. The imagery is almost post-apocalyptic like Mad Max imagery, Owerko says. You go there and you see a guy on a motorbike wearing a Russian army overcoat with an eagle riding on back. I couldnt make that up. I couldnt style a weird picture like that. I didnt want to photograph indigenous people wearing traditional outfits I wanted to photograph that guy with an eagle on a motorbike. It doesnt get much more badass than that. He shot portraits with a Hasselblad H4D-50 and action photos with a Canon DSLR. The look of the finished images reflects Owerkos conception of a mythology in which eagles serve as the connection between earth and sky, between man and a higher life order. In post-production I pushed everything so that the skies went white and yellow, and I introduced jewel tones and the color purple into the images because purple is the color of royalty, and the eagles there felt so regal, he says. A New Eden Owerto says he grew up painting and drawing; it wasnt until his late teens that he became interested in photography and then only as an information-gathering tool. The camera was just a sketching device for me, he says. Photography was a way for me to annotate life. He moved from Canada to New York City to get his MFA in design from the Pratt Institute. But, he notes, he always carried around a Ricoh GR1v point and shoot in his pocket. I would take pictures on my way to work and on my way home, he says. I shot the 90s that way street stuff, saving negatives, just building and building, then eventually I bought some lights and started experimenting. The images Owerko made in Mongolia bear comparison to his work from Africa in the 2000s both avoid cliches in order to capture an unsentimental portrait of a contemporary culture. When I was in Africa, he says, I was like, I love the idea that the guy Im looking at is wearing a wrist watch and has a beaded case for his Blackberry. Its a mix of traditional and current. His work has also invited comparisons to that of Peter Beard, who has come to be a friend and mentor to Owerko. He was really fascinated with my 9/11 work, and he always challenged me as a young photographer, Owerko says. In 2008, Owerto penned an appreciation of Beard for Photo Icon magazine that puts his own photography in perspective. Peters Africa does not exist anymore, Owerko wrote. We can search for it, we can climb for it, we can drive for it, but its not there. The innocence of the African Eden is gone. We can only hope to maintain what remains of its great swaths of nature. Each trip I make to Africa, I feel like I am running into a burning house, taking pictures of vanishing beauty. Owerko found his Eden in elsewhere. What I tell people is that if Peter Beard were coming up now, he wouldnt be in Africa. Hed be in Mongolia, Owerko says. The Aldi location in Aiken will re-open the first week of May. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 8:25 a.m. Thursday, May 4. Susan Selden, center, behind heart, executive director of the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons, accepts pocketbooks filled with toiletry items Tuesday from Circle 6 of the United Methodist Women at St. John's United Methodist Church. The project was called Purse of Love. Rep. Joe Neal, D-Richland, speaks during a special session of the state legislature at the South Carolina Statehouse, Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Columbia, S.C. Neal, who served in the House for 24 years, died Tuesday night, Feb. 14, 2017, at a Columbia hospital, said Rep. John King, whose funeral home is handling the services. He was 66. Pedestrians stroll along storefront sidewalks on Laurens Street in downtown Aiken on Friday evening. One of the aims of the Aiken Renaissance is to increase pedestrian traffic downtown. The Sesame Workshop hopes the friendly faces of Sesame Street characters will help refugee children navigate the complex social and emotional effects of trauma and displacement. The organization is teaming with the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian organization, to deliver transformative early learning and social-emotional support to millions of refugee children in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, it said in a news release Thursday: Of the 65 million displaced people around the world, half are children and 12 million of those are younger than eight. These children suffer the daily effects of violence and neglect, frequently leading to toxic stress, which can have lifelong damaging effects on learning, behavior, and health. But children are resilient, and damage can be reduced if they are reached early. In a partnership announced last May at the World Humanitarian Summit, Sesame Workshop and the IRC will create multi-media content featuring the trusted Sesame Street Muppetsadapted to reflect the experiences of refugee children and their parentsto meet critical developmental needs and mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences in crisis settings. Digital platforms, as well as printed materials, will be used to reach the largest possible number of children and families, through multiple avenues such as schools, community centers, social protection programs, and health clinics. The initiative will create programs and culturally relevant content for children, as well as tools and strategies to help parents and caregivers more effectively engage with them to build resiliency and support learning." The project has been selected as a semi-finalist for a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation , but the organizations have committed to moving forward with the project even if they dont receive the grant. The broader programming will build on a 15-month pilot project the organizations launched in January. Heres a video that explains more about the project and includes plenty of footage of adorable children meeting Muppets. As weve written previously, childhood trauma for children in refugee camps or children facing difficult circumstances in the United Statescan affect brain development and lead to adverse outcomes later in life. Researchers have found that interventions, including supportive adult relationships, can help counteract those effects. Photo: Sesame Workshop. Related reading on refugee students and child trauma: Follow @evieblad on Twitter or subscribe to Rules for Engagement to get blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. Kurds Keeping Assyrians and Yazidis From Going Home Iraq's Assyrian Christians and Yazidis face an uncertain future, and advocates claim that the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) intends to prevent the minority groups from returning to the lands they fled in 2014 when ISIS took over. They also don't forget that the KRG and its Peshmerga militia fighters refused to defend them from the ISIS onslaught in 2014. The Kurdish Peshmerga disarmed Christians and Yazidis prior to ISIS's June 2014 rampage across Iraq. Survivors of the ISIS onslaught told the Daily Beast in August 2014 that Kurdish authorities and the Peshmerga misled them and abandoned them when they came under attack. Bitter feelings remain even after Kurdish and Yazidi forces and ended the terrorist group's presence in the Sinjar province in December 2015 where most Yazidis lived and freed several Christian towns from ISIS control last October. Khalid Hayder, a Yazidi living in West Virginia after serving as a translator for the U.S. Army in Iraq, expressed bitterness about how the Kurds "betrayed" the Yazidis and the Christians by leaving them to be wiped out. "My fellow Yazidis and my brothers and sisters the Christians are going to face the same horrific tragedy once again if the Kurds dominate the region unless there is international protection," Hayder said. State Department officials formally designated both religious minorities as genocide victims last year. Prior to June 2014, Iraq's Christian community numbered around 350,000, a fraction of the estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million Christians from various sects who lived in the country prior to the 2003 U.S. invasion. The history of the Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria offers little expectation that the Kurds will protect them, Hayder said. He claims that many crimes against the Christians and Yazidis were committed under the Kurdish flag. Not everything is simple. Hudson Institute religious freedom expert Nina Shea notes that the Kurds feel overextended and that they are stretched very thin by their approximately 500-mile front line. "They [claim they] cannot take more security responsibility for Nineveh unless they claim Nineveh," Shea said. A law passed by the KRG since ISIS invaded allows Kurds to take ownership of abandoned Christian or Yazidi buildings, said Jeff Gardner, director of operations for the Restore Nineveh Now Foundation. "The Kurds are keeping the Yazidis out of the Sinjar; they won't even let them bring food and spare parts in for things like cars and people. And they are moving into cities that the Islamic State has been driven out of and saying, 'See these are abandoned' and making legal claims," Gardner said. "Many of those making legal claims [for the abandoned properties] are Kurdish businessmen." For example, in October a Kurdish court ruled in favor of a Kurdish man who occupied the home of an Assyrian Christian. U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., complained about "reports of land confiscation and statements you have made regarding Kurdish territorial claims to the Nineveh Plains region" in a letter last May to Kurdish President Masoud Barzani. No one seems to want to help the Assyrians reclaim their properties, Kaldo Ramzi, foreign relations director of the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM), told the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) in an email. His people feel trapped between the "big sharks" -- the Shias, Sunnis and Kurds -- without much of a voice of their own, Ramzi said. Kurdish officials need to explain their blockade and their allowing these businessmen to seize Yazidi and Christian homes, Gardner said. Complaints made to the Kurdish government in Erbil have fallen on deaf ears, Ramzi said. Ensuring that the Assyrian Christians and Yazidis can return to their homes is in the U.S. national interest and the State Department should take steps to ensure this happens, Shea said. "If they feel that they don't have any hope there, if they don't have justice and rights to their land -- the lands that they own -- then they will disappear; they will leave," Shea said. "They will emigrate out of there, and that will be the end of diversity and pluralism in Iraq." A KRG representative told the IPT that Christians and Yazidis are being kept away for their own good, claiming that ISIS littered their villages with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). That's not true, Gardner said. "I have been through the liberated areas. I have sent reporters into the liberated areas, and they are not full of IEDs," Gardner said. "And even if they were, they have a force trained by the American military -- trained by the forces of Delta Force -- that can deal with the clearing of the IEDs and explosives." Kurdish authorities also keep the Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU), one of two ethnic based armed units legally recognized by Baghdad, bottled up in refugee camps rather than letting them into areas freed from ISIS control. Moreover, the Iraqi Kurds blocked an Assyrian request to recruit 1,000 extra troops for the NPU under the umbrella of their joint command. The NPU currently has somewhere between 400 and 500 men. Kurdish security forces also try to prevent NPU soldiers from returning to their units when they get back from leave, an NPU representative told the IPT. The U.S. government has tremendous leverage over the Kurds, Shea said, and should review Kurdish treatment of Assyrian militia members. "There is no other solution for security for Christians other than their own militia," Shea said. "Unless there is a big plan on how to make the Christian areas and the Yazidi areas of Nineveh safe, they have to have their own militia. Otherwise it stands to reason that they cannot live there." Obama administration officials never bothered to develop a plan to protect the Christians, Yazidis and other minorities from the major powers in Iraq, Shea said. Since the end of the 1991 Gulf War, Barzani has worked to permanently displace religious minorities and increase the Kurdish population the Nineveh province, Gardner said, as part of a long-term plan to build a greater Kurdistan. Sunni Kurds have settled into Assyrian Christian and Yazidi areas to help stake a claim to their land. This plan aims to extend Kurdish authority beyond the firm boundaries found in Iraq's 2004 constitution by expanding its de facto control westward to the Syrian border and southward into the Sinjar region where most Yazidis live, Gardner said. Two weeks after capturing areas around Khazir in Nineveh governorate last June, Peshmerga commander Hadi Halabjayi declared them "Kurdistan's now. We will not give them back to the Iraqi army or anybody else." Human Rights Watch cited Halabjayi's statement in a report last November, noting that Assyrians, Yazidis and other minorities complained about heavy-handed tactics against those opposed to the Kurds expansionist plans. These tactics included arbitrary arrests, detentions and intimidation. This is nothing new. Assyrian Christians complained about the illegal settlement of Kurdish families on Assyrian land in the early 1990s. The ultimate strategy aims to unify Iraq's Kurds with those in Syria and Turkey in a broader Kurdish state, Gardner said. But Turkey considers Kurdish independence a nonstarter, so realizing the Kurdish dream is sure to incite the Turks and put ending Syria's civil war out of reach. The Peshmerga have Assyrian and Yazidi units, the KRG office in Washington told the IPT, and it called Gardner's claim that the Kurds have been harsh to the religious minorities "completely false." The best possible solution would be the creation of a separate province for Assyrians and other minorities, Ramzi said. This also includes Catholic Assyrian Christians known as Chaldeans. "... [A]ll the Cha[l]dean Syriac Assyrian political parties ... demand [an] International protected zone to monitored by international community," Ramzi wrote in an email. "The popular demand for Nineveh Plain is to become new province and for sure we should ask Iraqi government for that." Jane M. Quenneville, the principal of a public school that serves children and youths with severe disabilities, was among the parents and educators invited to the White House Tuesday for what was billed as a listening session with President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The guestswhich also included teachers, parents who have children enrolled in public and in private schools, and home-schooling parentsdid much of the listening, Quenneville said. There wasnt a lot of conversation at the table, said Quenneville, the only education administrator at the event. (One of the participants, Julie R. Baumann, introduced herself as a 5th grade special education teacher in New Jersey.) The conversation lasted about 30 minutes, she said. But Quenneville said she did have conversations with staff members before and after the session about two areas that concern her: special education teacher shortages and children with disabilities educated separately from their general education peers. Students with mild disabilities continute to be in segregated settings throughout this country, said Quenneville. A board member of the Council for Exceptional Children, Quenneville is the principal of the 80-student Kilmer Center in Vienna, Va., which serves students with autism and intellectual disabilities. But before taking that position in 2015, she held special education leadership positions in the school districts of Alexandria, Va., and Virginia Beach. During her time in Alexandria, we worked really hard on our inclusive practices, she said: The percentage of students with disabilities who spent most of the school day in regular education classes rose from around 40 percent to over 70 percent during her tenure. (Note: I interviewed Quenneville in 2015 for an article about Alexandrias work in improving its postsecondary transition program for students with disabilities.) Quenneville also said that she renewed the councils invitation to DeVos to meet with its leadership. She was very receptive, Quenneville said. Were looking forward to another conversation. Trump Asks About Autism Prevalence At the start of the session, the press was allowed in long enough to hear the guests introduce themselves. Quennevilles mention of her schools autism program prompted Trump to ask if she had seen a large increase in the population of students with autism. So whats going on with autism? When you look at the tremendous increase, ... its really a horrible thing to watch, he said. Do you have any idea? Quenneville mentioned the prevalence numbers of autism , calculated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 1 in 68 nationwide. Well, maybe we can do something, Trump said. Many experts suggest that at least a portion of the increase in autism prevalence is due to increased awareness of the development disorder , as well as children being diagnosed with autism who in prior years may have been labeled as having a learning or intellectual disability. Trump has shown interest in autism before. On the campaign trail, Trump spoke in favor of spacing out vaccines , repeating the disproven claim that vaccines cause autism. C-SPAN has provided a video of the start of the meeting, which is viewable below: Photo: President Donald Trump listens as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a meeting with parents and teachers on Tuesday at the White House.Evan Vucci/AP February 14, 2017 Two 7-year-old girls enter the Artellewa Art Space and sit down on wooden chairs, telling the attendant they would like to read Mickey Mouse magazines. The attendant finds the magazines among dozens of books placed orderly on the shelves and gives them to the girls who start reading with a smile. The cultural center is located in the densely populated and poor district of Ard el-Lewa in northwestern Giza province. The district is located in between the rundown areas of Boulak el-Dakrour and Imbaba. Ard el-Lewa is a maze of crowded, narrow streets full of tuk-tuks (three-wheeled motorized vehicles), donkey carts and street vendors who make it difficult for private cars and pedestrians to navigate the streets. Egyptian visual artist and curator Hamdy Reda founded the Artellewa Art Space; the center occupies the ground floor and two floors of his five-story house. "With this space I have created a bridge between the inhabitants of the area and culture and art," Reda, 45, told Al-Monitor. "The middle- and low-class residents can enter the world of art and interact with it for free." Reda graduated from the Department of Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Cairos Helwan University, and his own work was exhibited at several solo and group exhibitions in Egypt and also abroad, including in Germany, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Algeria, Sweden, Italy, Finland and Denmark. In 2007, he established Artellewa, deriving its name from the populated area. Since its founding, the cultural venue has been offering all types of art. The ground floor that opens up onto the street hosts over 100 oil paintings and photographs of local and international artists. Reda said that Ard el-Lewa residents were astonished initially. They were curious to find out about our activities and what we were doing. They entered the gallery and watched the colorful paintings on the walls while raising their eyebrows. As a local to the area, Reda has a good relationship with most of the residents in the neighborhood, which facilitates the center's mission. They regularly visit the place and ask about new activities to attend," Reda, who is also a freelance photographer, said. In addition to the exhibitions, Artellewa hosts film screenings, free workshops by local and international artists in fields such as acting, video making, creative thinking, puppetry and theater performance. The center's library houses dozens of books and novels for children and art lovers. Artellewa also provides an artist residence program that hosts local and foreign artists. The aim of the program is to give artists a chance to interact with the community of Ard el-Lewa, produce artworks at the center and also build networks with the Cairo arts community. Claudia Egholm Castrone is a Danish illustrator and designer who is an inhouse artist for a month. She is working on her project that is titled "I am twenty-nine," a series of portraits of women around the world who are 29 years old. She heard about Artellewa from Residency Unlimited, which supports the creation, presentation and dissemination of contemporary art through a residency program and year-round public programs. During her one-month residency, she will interview and portray a host of 29-year-old Egyptian women to study the expectations and tension that come with this age, and challenge the idea of normality. To find 29-year-old women in Cairo, she posted a message on the Artellewa Facebook page about her project. "I like this neighborhood. I think it is more interesting to be in a neighborhood that is different from what I'm used to, Castrone told Al-Monitor. I have the feeling that Ard el-Lewa is a community where everyone knows each other and that makes me feel safe here," she said. Amr Abdel-Aziz is a mime artist who lives in Imbaba. He told Al-Monitor that the idea of visiting an art center in a poor area is something he dreamed of when he was a child. He said, "I heard about the center on social media. I have been coming to the center and attending its events for three years now." Abdel-Aziz has become a member of Artellewa's team and now works part-time as a social media manager at the cultural center. I hold a storytelling workshop for children aged between 8 and 12 once a week. I narrate folktales and modern-day novels to the children," he said. He noted that most cultural venues in Egypt are located in the wealthy districts and are frequented by famous people and the well-to-do only. He said, Artellewa succeeded in providing a space among residents of poor areas to interact with all types of art and meet local and international artists as well. I hope the idea of an art space like this will spread to every poor neighborhood in Egypt." February 15, 2017 Over the past week or so in Iran, Reformists have been putting forth a plan to fully reintegrate themselves within the political establishment, calling it a "national reconciliation." Former Reformist President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) first brought up the plan Feb. 7, and it was subsequently pursued by Reformist members of parliament. The national reconciliation plan entails the freeing of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi from their house arrests so as to forge national unity particularly in the face of threats by US President Donald Trump. In the disputed 2009 presidential elections, which saw President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-elected by a landslide, Mousavi and Karroubi both of whom ran as candidates were of the view that the vote was rigged. The elections were followed by an unrest that had not been seen in decades, and Mousavi and Karroubi were eventually, in 2011, placed under house arrest. Since the announcement of the national reconciliation plan, conservatives have vocally opposed it, opining there is no dispute among the people and, thus, no need for reconciliation. On Feb. 15, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated his view about the Reformists' reconciliation plan. Addressing a crowd from East Azerbaijan province ahead of the Feb. 18 anniversary of the 1978 popular uprising in Tabriz against the shah, Khamenei said, "Some people talk about national reconciliation, however, that does not make sense to me. The people are already united. So why do you talk about reconciliation? Are the people against each other? Khamenei continued, "The people are against those who took to the streets on the day of Ashoura, beating and stripping the young basiji shamelessly and brutally. They are against them, and they will not reconcile with them." Ashoura is a day in the Islamic calendar in which Shiites mourn the A.D. 680 martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein bin Ali, who was killed in battle against forces loyal to the Umayyad caliph Yazid in Karbala. When supporters of Mousavi and Karroubi marched on the occasion of Ashoura in 2009, conservatives say they disrespected Hussein bin Ali by taking to the streets and clashing with deployed members of the paramilitary Basij forces. Khamenei also addressed Trumps recent string of remarks on Iran. Noting Trumps comment that Tehran should not be "playing with fire" after its Jan. 29 test of a ballistic missile, the supreme leader described the US warnings against Iran about the "military option" as a "ploy" used by both former President Barack Obama's administration and Trump's government. Khamenei further emphasized, "A European official said to one of our officials that 'if it was not for the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action], a war on Iran would be certain.' This is just a lie! Why are they talking about war? Because they want to engage the minds in war; however, the real war is an economic war, sanctioning and ruining the levels of employment activity and the field of technology within our country. They draw our attention toward a military war so we may forget about these other wars. A real war is the cultural war." It should be noted that before the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany), which came to a conclusion on July 14, 2015, the UN Security Council had passed multiple resolutions against Tehran. After the signing of the JCPOA, Western powers became obliged to lift nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran, but Tehran believes that the other side, especially the US, is putting obstacles in the way of the deals implementation. Dollar-based transactions remain one of the major problems that Iran is protesting. February 15, 2017 ERBIL, Iraq The city of Mosul has not been completely liberated yet and risks still abound in the liberated areas, but the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration announced Feb. 2 that about 46,000 displaced Iraqis have returned to the city's recently liberated east bank. Mohammed Jumaili, who was displaced from the district of Aden to the Hassan Sham camp in eastern Mosul, is waiting for approval to return to the house he was forced to flee when the battles erupted between the Iraqi counterterrorism forces and the Islamic State (IS) and led to the liberation of the district Nov. 19. Jumaili had a vegetable shop in the Nabi Yunus market, located on the east bank of the city, and although the city was occupied by IS on June 10, 2014, and he was harassed by IS militants, he continued to work until the Iraqi forces launched their military operations Oct. 17. He stayed home until the Iraqi forces entered his district and fled for fear of the indiscriminate rocket and mortar shelling launched by IS on the liberated neighborhoods. Jumaili told Al-Monitor, Although I heard that IS destroyed my shop before fleeing the east bank, I am adamant to return home because life in the camp is very tough and there are no job opportunities. Our areas have been liberated and security has been restored, so why stay here? He added, The procedures are taking forever. I filled out a form more than 20 days ago and its still not my turn. According to the Khazir and Hassan Sham camps' administration in eastern Mosul, the displaced people wishing to return to the liberated areas must submit a request to the camp administration, fill a return form, provide their thumbprint and then wait for approval. The administration will then call the Iraqi security forces and government agencies to verify that the region the displaced people want to return to is fully secure. If the region proves to be secure, approval will be issued and buses operated by the Iraqi Ministry of Transport and Communications will drive the displaced people home. Jumaili is not the only one who got excited to return when the Iraqi forces announced the complete liberation of the east bank of Mosul on Jan. 24. Mariam Salman, who was displaced from al-Samah district and is waiting to go back, told Al-Monitor, Our relatives returned to the area a few days ago, and they told us that the situation is okay but most of the houses were looted, so we want to go back to check on our belongings. We want to return as soon as possible to protect our houses from thieves. Returnees report that these areas are still suffering from a severe shortage of key services such as electricity, health care, education and drinking water. A great deal of debris has accumulated from the bombings and battles that raged for three consecutive months between the Iraqi forces and IS gunmen. Karim Younes, a citizen from Mosul who recently returned to the district of al-Bakr in Mosul's east bank, told Al-Monitor, The situation is very difficult in the liberated areas. Electricity is still cut off, and we are relying on the water we find in wells owned by some houses in the area and there are shortages of fuel. But no matter the circumstances, living in a house is much better than in a tent. Aed Ismail, who was displaced from the Kokjala district, the first liberated area in eastern Mosul, dreads returning home for fear that the situation will destabilize. Our region was liberated as soon as the Mosul liberation operations were launched about four months ago, but I have concerns over the deterioration of the situation and the return of terrorist operations. When it was liberated, our region witnessed three explosions on Dec. 22, so the situation is still precarious, which is why I will stay in the camp, he told Al-Monitor. The displaced who return home are entitled to take all the materials and supplies they received while in the camp except for the tents, which the camp administration said must remain in place to receive other displaced families. The director of the Hassan Sham and Khazir camps, Amin Obaid, told Al-Monitor, A hundred to 150 displaced families return on a daily basis from the Khazir and Hassan Sham camps to the east bank districts of Mosul, and the number of returnees has thus far amounted to 3,500 families. These families returned to the town of Qayyarah, south of Mosul, and the districts of Kokjala, al-Samah, Sawmar, Gelyuhan and the village of Tob Zawa. Obaid denied that the displaced are compelled to return to their areas, saying, The displaced voluntarily demand to return, so we do not hinder their return process unless their region is still not safe. The camp director revealed that a small number of the displaced who chose to return home has ended up returning to the camps due to IS' indiscriminate shelling on the liberated districts and to the lack of services in the liberated areas. The camps are still taking in newcomers from areas that are still under IS control. We receive between 50 to 80 families a day from the Rashidiyah and Al-Arabi districts. The number of displaced in Hassan Sham and Khazir camps amounts to about 58,000 so far, Obaid said. February 14, 2017 WASHINGTON Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long hoped to work with a Republican US president, finds himself arriving to a Trump White House in open crisis, with the resignation of Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, the night of Feb. 13. Netanyahus acting national security adviser, Yaakov Nagel, had met with Flynn earlier that day to prepare the agenda for the Feb. 15 meeting between Trump and Netanyahu, Israeli Channel 2s Udi Segal told Al-Monitor. After they wrapped up their talks, they hugged and said they would see each other the next day. Two hours later, Flynn was out, Segal said. The Israeli delegation was stunned. The White House, for its part, said Iran would be a key part of the conversation on Feb. 15, and reiterated that Trump wanted to advance Middle East peace, but would not seek to dictate the terms. "We're looking at the two sides to come together to make peace together and we'll be there to help them," a senior administration official, speaking not for attribution, told the White House press pool Feb. 13. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said. "Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want or something else, if that's what the parties want, we're going to help them." "We're not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be," the official continued, "President Trump has very much indicated that he wants to achieve peace." Netanyahu is arriving at a White House in utter turmoil, former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro wrote in a series of tweets Feb. 14. Flynn gone. Vicious staff infighting. More heads likely to roll." Precious planning hours spent with Flynn [are] now out the window, Shapiro wrote. There are major unanswered questions on Russia and still important business to be done on Iran, [the] Palestinians, Syria and security coop[eration]. But who in the [White House] can focus on it with the fires burning? Despite the turmoil in the West Wing, Netanyahu sees clear advantages in getting to influence the Trump administration early and before it has formulated several of its policies, said David Makovsky, a former State Department Middle East peace adviser now with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. For Netanyahu it is important that he is coming early, before policies are kind of set in concrete, Makovsky said on a call with journalists organized by the Washington Institute on Feb. 14. Things are very much in flux here in Washington. For Netanyahu, This will be a chance to influence thinking here before there are policy reviews, so its the best time for him, Makovsky said. Its also a time when media expectations are bound to be low, because no one is expecting them to come out with any announcement at this early phase of this administration. So you have the advantages from Netanyahus perspective on trying to influence thinking in Washington, and no pressure on the Washington side for any deliverables. So it's kind of a sweet spot. In terms of what thinking Netanyahu will try to influence, at the top of the list will be Iran, said Makovsky. But rather than urging that the Iran nuclear deal be scrapped outright, Its clear the US is in the enforcement school, Makovsky said. Israeli national security officials are also much more focused on enforcement. For Netanyahu 80 to 90% of their concerns about the nuclear deal are more about what comes after the sunset provisions fade out after 10 to 15 years, Makovsky said. Netanyahu is likely to press Trump on how the United States and Israel can prepare to work together on these things. The second cluster of issues Netanyahu will want to discuss with Trump concerns Russia and how do you drive a wedge between Russia and Iran in Syria, Makovsky said. Israel has internalized this idea that Trump is a dealmaker and wants to do a deal with Russia to fight [the Islamic State]. Israel wants to know what that deal is and how it affects them. Clearly, from [the Israeli] point of view, what they want out of a [US-Russian] deal is to drive a wedge between Moscow and Tehran, Makovsky said. Is there a way to keep Iran and Hezbollah away from Syrias border with Israel, he added. So this is something [where] Israel is trying to put its points across early. They want to know what the deal is and how it affects Israel. Netanyahu may also raise the strategic convergence between Israel and the more pragmatic Sunni states, driven by a shared sense of threats such as IS and Iran, Makovsky said. How do you somehow use this under-the-table convergence to have some more overt, over-the-table cooperation. I think that is going to be a key question, he said. And Netanyahu will try to link this very much to the Palestinian issue and say, well, maybe if we do what he calls the outside-in, versus the inside-out approach, of getting regional players to be supportive, this would give Palestinians political cover to make concessions that they could not make in a bilateral context. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, at a meeting with an American Middle East Institute delegation this month, had very warm words for Israel, said Gerald Feierstein, the former principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs. One of the things that was very much present in the meeting with Sisi he had very warm words about Israel and about the Israeli policy and [said] the Israelis are the only ones that understood us, Feierstein told Al-Monitor. February 14, 2017 Turkey took over the Syrian border town of Jarablus from the Islamic State (IS) with not much effort in August 2016, with the approval of Moscow. Today, however, it is sustaining heavy casualties from unexpected stiff resistance at al-Bab. Nevertheless, Ankara is making strong efforts to participate in an operation to take Raqqa. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke in a 45-minute phone call with US President Donald Trump on Feb. 7, just 18 days after Trump took office. Meanwhile, new CIA Director Michael Pompeo made his first trip to Turkey and received the details of Turkeys proposal. The Turkish plan the same as it was during President Barack Obama's time is based on assaulting Raqqa without Kurdish assistance. According to details leaked to the Turkish media about these meetings, the key elements of the plan are as follows: Ankara proposes to contribute Turkish special forces to the Raqqa operation, to persuade the United States to give up its cooperation with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). Turkish special forces are currently performing coordination, reconnaissance and target-acquisition actions at al-Bab and supposedly could contribute 150-200 personnel to the Raqqa operation. After al-Bab is captured, selected elements of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) could be deployed to Raqqa. Arab personnel of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) could be separated from the YPG elements that constitute the core of that force, and a 10,000-strong army could be set up with those redeployed from al-Bab. A 1,930-square-mile area could be cleared in the Azaz-Jarablus-al-Bab triangle and opened for civilians to settle there. Reports claim Trump saw merit in the plan, which Turkey has been advocating for some time, and asked teams from both countries to work on it. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have been steadily making announcements with generous numbers on targets hit and IS militants killed. This unconfirmed picture that IS is being torn to pieces cannot, however, conceal the reality of 64 Turkish soldiers killed. We dont know how many tanks and armored vehicles the TSK has lost at al-Bab. For Turkey's Raqqa plan to be taken seriously, the TSK first has to achieve its objectives at al-Bab. According to the Turkish media, al-Bab is almost liberated, and if you listen to Erdogan, the road is open for the Turkish army to roll on. TSK and FSA elements, which have been struggling at al-Bab for 100 days now, have so far captured some stretches of road to the north, a hospital, Aqil Hill, and the towns of Kabasin and Bzaa. On the day Pompeo began establishing his contacts in Ankara, and while the media was reporting "the FSA entered al-Bab supported by the TSK," two events reminded everyone once again what a minefield Operation Euphrates Shield has become. A Russian airstrike hit a building used by Turkish soldiers, killing four and wounding 10. To avoid new tension, both sides said the event was an accident. Parties decided to set up a joint commission to investigate. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peshkov said, Unfortunately, as our military was conducting an air attack against terrorists, it was following the coordinates supplied by our Turkish partners. There should not have been any Turkish soldiers at those coordinates; hence, [it was] an unintentional attack. Some media in Turkey, however, interpreted the attack as a Russian warning to Turkey about trying to enter a partnership with the United States at Raqqa. In the second major development, the Syrian Human Rights Observatory reported that the Syrian army and Turkish forces clashed northwest of al-Bab. Muhammed Abdullah, a political notable who works with the groups Turkey supports, said five Turkish soldiers were wounded and two armored vehicles were destroyed. Turkish officials kept silent. The risk of potential confrontations between the two forces is increasing. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was aware of the risk of clashing with the Syrian army when he said, It is true that regime forces are advancing. By coordinating with Russia we are taking the necessary steps to avoid clashes with them. Leaving aside whether the bombing of Turkish troops was an accident, this reality must be acknowledged: It would be naive to expect Russia, which controls the airspace, to tolerate a US-Turkey partnership formed without Moscow's blessing. The current situation at al-Bab, while amplifying doubts of Turkeys control of the ground, did not stop Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu from adding Iraq to Turkeys targets, augmenting Ankaras ambitions. Trump and Erdogan last night had an extremely useful phone conversation. One of the topics was fighting [IS], which is our common goal. In the coming days, [IS] has three critical towns [in which it has to defend itself]: al-Bab, Raqqa and Mosul [in Iraq]. They [the presidents] expressed determination to oust [IS] from these towns," Cavusoglu said. He added, "That is why the operation at al-Bab must be completed soon. The TSK and the FSA made serious strides at al-Bab; the next target is Raqqa. The Raqqa operation must be conducted by the right forces. We said from the outset that our special forces can participate. We have to use them. When the going is so tough in Syria, there is no indication that the United States will enter a partnership with Turkey at Mosul. Mosul, with its local and regional dynamics, is a different matter altogether. Several factors could hamper the success of an operation based solely on the Arab elements of the SDF and Turkey-supported groups: As the TSK and the FSA can't yet cope with IS at al-Bab, what are the odds of their success at Raqqa, a much bigger city? Former US Ambassador to Iraq and Turkey James Jeffrey says for the United States to achieve success it has to work with Russia, Iran and Syria. He notes the United States has to devise a way to have the SDF and Turkish forces cooperate in the field. Although Trump might favorably consider the Turkish proposal for Raqqa, for him to give up the cooperation with the Kurds initiated by Obama, he would need powerful alternatives. The Turkish proposal does not fulfill that requirement. The Pentagon still needs the combat and organizational capacities of the Kurds on the ground. The Kurdish issue that emerged with US air support to the YPG at Kobani, and then with small deliveries of weapons, is expanding. Some observers believe Washington wants a long-term partnership with Syria's Kurds, as it once had with the Kurds in northern Iraq. For Turkey, this means that for a new element of cooperation between Ankara and Washington, Ankara will have to rethink its approach to the Syrian Kurds after the vote on its constitutional referendum set for April 16. As for in the field, the Turkish option cant work unless the road to Raqqa is secured. Even if the TSK/FSA fully take over al-Bab, the road to Raqqa is now under Syrian army control; hence, a decision has to be made whether to cooperate with that army or fight it. Neither Damascus nor Moscow are willing to grant an easy victory to the United States and Turkey, when Raqqa is seen as leverage to shape the future of Syria. On possible routes to Raqqa that Turkey could move on, there are the Kurds. If there is cooperation with the Kurds, the TSK could reach Raqqa via Kobani or Tell Abyad. Turkey had cooperated with the YPG to evacuate the Tomb of Suleiman Shah in 2015. But Raqqa requires a spirit of cooperation Ankara is not ready for. Discussions of all these options often overlook the potential spoiler effect of Iran, which provides the Syrian army with massive support as much as Russia supplies. The perils of a Raqqa operation for Turkey are abundant. And let's not forget the looming debate about what will happen after Raqqa is liberated. As with Mosul, although all the elements needed for a successful field operation might be available, one must consider that the "day-after" scenario could upend the entire process. February 15, 2017 In a country starved for happy news, the story of a marooned puppy has offered welcome respite from the steady drip of terrorist attacks that have shaken Turkey and helped remind a deeply polarized nation that compassion and human kindness still exist. It all began when residents of Beykoz, a verdant neighborhood skirting the Bosporus Anatolian shores, first heard the whimpers. They soon discovered the source. A puppy had fallen 70 meters (230 feet) to the bottom of a borehole, and it was too narrow for any human to squeeze through to retrieve him. Professional help was needed, so the people reached out to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the government-run disaster relief outfit that is globally hailed for its work with earthquake victims and more recently with millions of Syrian refugees. For 10 days, AFAD struggled to get the puppy out, using thermal cameras to monitor his location. Images showed a brown Anatolian shepherd with a black muzzle and big anxious eyes. He was adorable. Animal lovers and rights groups rushed to the scene. The nation waited breathlessly as news of the puppys plight spread via social media and national TV. The public began referring to the pup as Kuyu or well. The hashtag #DirenKuyu, ResistWell, began to trend on Twitter. The dog seemed healthy, but he would need to lose weight to be lifted out through the neck of a hole so narrow that it seemed incredible he fell through at all. Thus the puppy was fed sparingly while the team grappled with ideas to extract him. As hopes began to flag, President Recep Tayyip Erdogans son-in-law, Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, intervened. Albayrak ordered the Turkish Coal Institute to dispatch its rescue team to the scene. Based in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak, which is home to Turkeys biggest coal mines, the group has honed its skills during deadly earthquakes and mining disasters that recur with tragic frequency. The men used a technique said to be devised by a Turkish high school student: They fashioned a lasso from a long steel coil through which they threaded a rubber hose. They dropped it down the hole and over the puppys head, but the terrified animal wriggled free. Hours later, when the puppy fell asleep, they tried again and succeeded. Kuyu was pulled out this morning amid loud cheers. Veterinarians who had been standing ready rushed to give him oxygen and fluids. He was swaddled in a pink tartan blanket. Hearts melted. Bystanders jockeyed to smother him with kisses. The baby dogs salvation reminded us of the value of hope and toil, of Allahs mercy and of the beautiful side of humankind, tweeted Yildiz Ramazanoglu, a prominent Islamist theologian and feminist. Thanks to all those who took part. Others injected politics into the moment. Be it a wounded dog or a wounded country, whatever falls to the bottom of a pit can only be salvaged through science, technology and education, tweeted Radikal columnist Can Gurses in an apparent swipe at government efforts to discredit evolutionary theory. Amid the blaze of publicity, Kuyu has found a new forever home: the Beykoz fire department. February 14, 2017 Despite Turkey's fast-developing political and economic ties with Russia and the cooperation between the two countries in Syria, doubts are emerging on the Turkish side. Russian statements also show that the relationship is not a bed of roses. Moscows push for a secular constitution for a federated Syria has ruffled Turkish feathers. Ankara wants Syrias Islamic character preserved and is cool toward any federated settlement that includes the Kurds. Turkish suspicions about Russia's motives were amplified last week after a Russian airstrike on Feb. 9 killed four Turkish soldiers and left others wounded on the outskirts of al-Bab. In a flurry of phone calls to Ankara including one from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Moscow acknowledged that Russian jets had carried out the strike and offered words of regret. The incident comes at a time when Turkey and Russia are said to be coordinating their military activities in Syria, especially around al-Bab. There is an effort to prevent a military standoff between Turkish-supported Free Syrian Army (FSA) elements and the Syrian army south of the town as well as a potential Turkish-Syrian confrontation. Russia did not offer a full apology, trying instead to pin the blame for the incident on the Turkish side. The Russian position was put forward hastily by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told the Russian media, "Unfortunately, our military, while carrying out strikes on terrorists, was guided by coordinates given to them by our Turkish partners, and Turkish servicemen should not have been present on those coordinates. The Turkish denial came fast: Turkish forces had been in the same place for 10 days, and their coordinates had been provided to the Russian military both in Syria and in Ankara. The coordinates were supplied again Feb. 8 a day before the friendly-fire incident after a missile was launched from Russian-held territory toward opposition groups supported by Turkey. Ankara is trying to downplay the incident, clearly not wanting a crisis with Moscow at this critical moment in Syria. Turks, however, are upset and confused, even angry. Right-wing Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli had harsh words. Russia martyrs our soldiers and tries to brush this aside with a simple Pardon me, Bahceli said. It also comes out and brazenly blames our military. This is wrong. This is shameful. This disregards international law. What is Russias aim? What is it trying to do? he asked furiously. Akif Beki, a former press secretary for Erdogan who now writes for Hurriyet, believes Moscow must take full responsibility for the incident. In a Feb. 12 article, he recalled that Moscow had turned the downing of a Russian jet by Turkey in November 2015 to its advantage. Beki argued that Turkey should do the same now, especially after the Turkish militarys statement. If this was not a planned act that was given the appearance of an accident, they should come out and apologize, Beki wrote. He went on to touch on another issue that has the potential to cloud ties between Ankara and Moscow: reports that Moscow is mediating between the Syrian Kurds represented by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, also confirmed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. They should also explain properly why they dont recognize the [Kurdistan Workers Party] PKK as a terrorist organization, and what it is that they are mediating between the PYD and Assad. Lavrov told the Russian press that the government believes such intra-Syrian dialogue is useful, stressing significant potential for agreements between Damascus and the Kurds. Turkey sees the PYD and its military wing, the People's Protections Units (YPG), as terrorist groups linked to the outlawed PKK. Turkeys problem is compounded, however, by the fact that the United States is working closely with the YPG against the Islamic State (IS), and the United States believes, like Russia, that the Kurds must have a say in any settlement. Ankaras main effort in Syria is focused on preventing these groups from gaining political or territorial ground. It was already riled after a senior Russian diplomat went on record recently as saying that Russia doesnt see the PKK or the YPG as terrorist groups. These two organizations are not accepted officially as terrorist organizations. This is a fact and thats the way it is, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, the head of Fourth European Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told the RIA agency. Erdogan, however, continues to tread lightly with Russia. Government supporters are also trying to deflect blame from Russia for the friendly-fire incident. Nuri Elibol, who writes for the Islamist daily Turkiye, blamed Iran and the Assad regime, who he wrote are working day and night to spoil Turkish-Russian ties. Elibol, who has links to official circles, claimed this is the way the Turkish government sees the matter. Meanwhile, Erdogan is keeping public attention focused on the push by Turkish forces and FSA fighters in al-Bab, where important advances have reportedly been secured against IS. He is saying this operation will have new targets after the liberation of the town. A Russian announcement that an agreement was reached with Ankara over a line of demarcation just south of al-Bab means, however, that further Turkish and FSA advances to the south will not be possible. Russia reportedly intervened to stop clashes between the Turkish and FSA forces and the Syrian army, which is also approaching al-Bab. There was no official statement from Ankara, but government sources confirmed the demarcation line to the press. Putting a positive spin on it, they also said the Syrian armys advance toward al-Bab had been stopped. Erdogan said in late January that once the job was concluded in al-Bab, there would be no need to move farther south. Retired Ambassador Unal Cevikoz believes the demarcation line south of al-Bab shows that Turkeys Operation Euphrates Shield has reached the limit acceptable to Russia and the Syrian regime. Cevikoz argued in an article for Hurriyet that the friendly-fire incident can also be seen as a warning in this context. Erdogan told reporters on Feb. 13 during a visit to Bahrain that the next target of Euphrates Shield after al-Bab would be Manbij and then the IS stronghold of Raqqa, if agreement can be reached with the US-led coalition. It will require working closely with the United States, whose allies, including the YPG, are holding Manbij, where they are preparing to move on Raqqa. However, Washington seems unlikely to meet the Turkish demand that the YPG leave Manbij. Nevertheless, sources close to the government say that Ankara was encouraged by Erdogans recent phone conversation with US President Donald Trump and his talks with the CIAs new chief Mike Pompeo in Ankara Feb. 9. A Western diplomat speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said Turkey may veer toward the United States again soon out of necessity. He said a clear sign of that would be if a formula can be found for Turkish participation in the Raqqa operation, which will also include the YPG. Turkey keeps wavering between Russia and the United States but cant seem to find the sweet spot between them, the diplomat said. In the final analysis, Turkeys reliance on Russia in Syria appears to be exaggerated. Botsan-Kharchenko said there are still many differences between the two countries despite their efforts to work together more closely. Correction appended. One of the big hurdles to pushing for education change in states is that, oftentimes, its not exactly clear whos in charge. This has become a big issue as states craft their accountability plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The law dictates who has to be consulted, but doesnt specify who has the final say and state constitutions arent always clear. Enter Washington state, where an ongoing legal battle over school funding and the pending ESSA plan has collided in a way that could lead to fundamental changes to the Evergreen States power structure for the coming years. Currently, local school board members and the states superintendent of public instruction are elected. Seven of the states 12 school board members are appointed by the governor and the other five are appointed by local school board members. Local school board members report to the state superintendent, who reports to the state school board. But who crafts and approves policy has been pretty murkyand it could soon get murkier. The legislatures House of Representatives heard a bill Monday that essentially would gut the state board of most of its powers and hand those powers to the states superintendent. House Bill 1886 takes from the states board of education and places in the hands of the state superintendent the power to identify and take over low-performing schools and establish some standards for high school graduates, and appoint charter authorizers. Most importantly, the bill would put the states superintendent in charge of creation and execution of the states accountability system and many of the states federally funded programs. In an interview with Education Week last week, the recently elected state superintendent of public instruction (the office is non-partisan), Chris Reykdal, (a former legislator himself) said that because legislators will soon be paying the majority of the states education costs under a soon-to-be recalibrated funding formula, it should be the legislature that crafts the majority of the states education policy. Im very sincere about telling our legislature that if were expected to set up a few billion dollars more for education, you should have an opinion about accountability, Reykdal said. The state is under a 2012 state supreme court order, McCleary v. Washington, to take on more education costs, including teacher pay. The state is expected to pour up to $2 billion more into its funding formula this year, though party leaders cant come to an agreement over how to do it . Since being elected, Reykdal said he has moved with lightning speed on the creation of the states ESSA plan and taken much of the policymaking out of the department and state board meeting rooms and straight to the states House and Senate education committees. Ben Rarick, the state boards executive director, said board members are best suited to craft the details of the states accountability policy, not legislators. Were entering an era, with the importance of ESSA, where most of the boards signature authoritiy in terms of state accountability systems is being stripped, Rarick said. The board has been a significant player in improving the states accountability system, and its the main way that stakeholders see transparency in public deliberations on these topics. Rarick pointed out that state boards meet year round and have the ability to respond to federal regulatory guidance. So much has changed in just the last two to three weeks, Rarick said, referring to the regulatory rulemaking process at the federal level where congress has moved to scrap its current accountability regulations. My view is that the legislature has the authority and the right to set accountability policy. But theres a certain point at which ... state boards of education should be left to craft the nuances and the complete picture of our accountability system. In past years, a bill was proposed to totally eliminate the state board of education, and in 2014 the legislature considered making the board solely appointed by the governor. Washingtons state school board is one of many that are struggling to hold onto their powers. ESSA, which devolves significant policymaking power from the federal government to state governments, is being seen by state board members and their advocates as an opportunity to reassert their authority. Kristen Amundson, the president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education, told me last week that one of the biggest reasons state boards of education are best suited to craft education policy is that, increasingly, they are the most permanent fixture in state government, and state board members often have the longest tenures and most extensive education experience. As I point out in a story this week , a quarter of House and Senate education chairs this year are new to the job, and a quarter of state superintendents have been in the job for less than a year. (The average state superintendent has been in the job for just two and a half years, according to the Council of Chief State School Officers.) Fewer than half the lawmakers who head up their chambers education committees have K-12 education experience, such as teaching or serving on a local school board. Ten state superintendents have never taught in a classroom. I wrote about the power dynamics between state government powers last year shortly after ESSA was passed, but as the deadline for submitting ESSA plans to the federal government approaches, battles between state superintendents, state board members, and legislators has intensified. Examples abound. Louisianas state board and superintendent has an entirely different ESSA draft plan than its governor-appointed task force. Arizona, where the governor-appointed board has legally sparred with the states elected superintendent, rushed through an accountability plan that devolves most power to local school board members and superintendents. And New Mexico last week rejected a bill that would have re-established a state board to oversee its state superintendent. Correction: This post was corrected to accurately capture the makeup of the state board, and the bills proposed role for the state board of education over graduation standards and charter schools. Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics. Decatur is joining forces with a Mobile-based fiber optic infrastructure provider to offer high-speed commercial broadband throughout the city. Southern Light, which operates more than 6,000 miles of fiber optic networks in the Southeast, announced Wednesday it has secured a franchise agreement with the City of Decatur to provide fiber optic services to area businesses, nonprofits, financial institutions and government entities. Andy Newton, president and CEO of Southern Light, told AL.com his company is spending $10 million toward the fiber optic expansion in Decatur. "That will grow as demand grows," he said. "We certainly have the capacity to build and invest a lot more into the city." Since the agreement was signed in 2015, Southern Light has built a central business district network that serves the City of Decatur and other entities over a 10-mile radius. Phase II of construction will include additional underground fiber along the city's main thoroughfares. Newton said the network will offer bandwidths up to 100-gigs per second. "It is absolute certainty to say Decatur is on the stage at a national level and can compete at a national level with next-generation communications infrastructure for any company that's looking at coming to the Decatur area," he said. "You can be assured that their communication needs can be met." Southern Light does not have a Decatur office at this time, but Newton expects to open one with local employees as demand for broadband grows. 3-GIS, which provides Web-based fiber network design and management software, is one of Southern Light's first clients in Decatur. 3-GIS CEO Tom Counts said they have been searching for high-speed bandwidth since the business opened in 2006. "It's been one of the most personal, easiest experiences we've had to get fiber," he said. Southern Light, founded in 1998, has invested $300 million so far in fiber optic networks across five states. The company, which added about 700 miles of fiber last year, has a heavy presence in Huntsville and Madison. Newton said they are currently building fiber infrastructure in Florence, Athens, Birmingham and Dothan. Cullman is on the horizon for expansion, according to Southern Light spokesman William Hanes. Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling said they anticipate to see a residential fiber expansion in the future. "How that will come into play has yet to be determined," he said. "Decatur is No. 8 in the state as far as engineering services are concerned. Just by having up to 100 gigabit service will mean more businesses will see the benefit of locating in Decatur and the Internet capabilities that we can provide to meet their needs." Tim Hontzas, the loquacious chef and owner of Johnny's Restaurant in Homewood, had a rare moment when he was at a loss for words. Hontzas, who opened his popular meat-and-three restaurant in 2012, found out that he is among the semifinalists for best chef in the South from the prestigious James Beard Foundation. It's an honor typically reserved for chefs at fine-dining restaurants, not usually meat-and-threes. "I have goosebumps," Hontzas told AL.com. "I think for once in my angry Greek life, I'm almost speechless. I never thought something like this would happen on collard greens and field peas, but it makes working 90 hours a week worthwhile, my friend." Other Alabama chefs who made the list of 20 semifinalists for best chef in the South are Rob McDaniel of SpringHouse in Alexander City, David Bancroft of Acre in Auburn and Bill Briand of Fisher's Upstairs at Orange Beach Marina in Orange Beach. All three of those chefs have been James Beard Foundation semifinalists before, but it's the first time for Hontzas. "It's totally out of the blue," he said. "We've worked our (behinds) off at this restaurant. I knew if we kept dropping the hammer and grinding the gears, to quote Jason Isbell, we would persevere in some fashion." The semifinalists will be narrowed to five finalists on March 15, and the overall winners in all the categories will be announced on May 1 in Chicago. Semifinalists from Alabama in the other categories are Highlands Bar and Grill, which is again up for outstanding restaurant, and Highlands' pastry chef Dolester Miles, who is again up for best pastry chef. The Beard voters likely recognized something Hontzas' customers have known all along -- Johnny's Restaurant is not your average meat-and-three. In addition to such Southern favorites as turnip greens, fried green tomatoes, purple hull peas, catfish and chicken pot pie, the menu includes such Greek specialties as chicken souvlaki, rolo kima (Greek meatloaf with lamb), keftedes (Greek meatballs) and yiaourti (Greek yogurt) cheesecake. "With our attention to detail, the way we treat the product and know who the farmers are and where the food comes from -- for a meat and three, I don't think there is any other that does it the way we do it," Hontzas said. Johnny's Restaurant, which Hontzas affectionately refers to as "Your favorite Greek and three," is named after the original Johnny's Restaurant that his Greek grandfather, father and uncle opened in Jackson, Miss., in 1954. Last year, AL.com included Johnny's on its list of 50 Essential Birmingham Restaurants. It has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal. Hontzas, whose restaurant is open for lunch Sundays through Fridays, won't celebrate his James Beard recognition long. "I'll have a whiskey with my wife, and then we will get up at 4 in the morning and start all over again," he said. state house mug by julie.JPG (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com) The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill tonight that would set up a way to block funding for state colleges and universities that establish "sanctuary" policies and don't follow state or federal immigration laws. The bill passed by a vote of 72-28 at about 9 p.m. after a two-hour debate. Rep. Phil Williams, R-Huntsville, the sponsor of the bill, said he did not know of any Alabama colleges planning to adopt such policies. Williams said that could change because he said he believes there is growing sentiment to defy laws among college students and young people who are swayed by the media and other influences. "I believe we will see a time come when they openly defy more and more laws," said Williams, who said his bill, which he called Americans First, was a proactive measure. Democrats denounced the bill as part of what they said was a meaningless political agenda by the Republican-led House. Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, said Williams' bill was "a solution in search of a problem." The bill was the second and last order of business for the House today, coming after a resolution in support for President Trump's agenda. Republicans passed the pro-Trump resolution over the opposition of Democrats after more than three hours of debate. Today was the third day of the legislative session and the first that lawmakers can pass bills. House Democrats said the state faces serious problems such as what to do about overcrowded prisons, funding for Medicaid and other issues. They accused the Republican majority of wasting time on empty legislation. "This political agenda is insulting," Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery, said. ... "We have no business here at 8 o'clock at night talking about a silly bill like this." Williams' bill would be an addition to the controversial immigration law the Legislature passed in 2011, often referred to as HB 56. Federal courts blocked much of that law, including a provision that required public schools to check the immigration status of students. But Williams said much of the law remains on the books, including provisions prohibiting "sanctuary" cities. Williams said his bill would expand those prohibitions to cover public colleges and universities. Last week, in urging the State Government Committee to approve the bill, Williams said one reason he decided to sponsor it was a call by some students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for sanctuary policies. But Williams said his bill was not intended to stymie student movements. He said it would only apply to universities that adopted official "sanctuary" policies or did not follow state and federal immigration laws. Under his bill, funding could be blocked to a college if the attorney general certified it was intentionally not following state or federal immigration laws. Authorities have now released the name of a man who was killed when he was hit by a train Sunday night in Hoover. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as John McAvoy McGregor. He was 32, and the son of well-known former Jefferson County assistant district attorney and former assistant federal prosecutor Bob McGregor who died in 2010. Hoover 911 received a call about the accident from CSX Transportation at 6:33 p.m., said Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector. CSX officials told police one of the trains had struck a pedestrian near a tunnel, in the area of South Shades Crest Road and Brocks Gap Parkway. Hoover police and firefighters were able to find the victim - later identified as John McGregor - who was pronounced dead at 7:39 p.m. Authorities said he was found just inside the tunnel next to the railroad tracks. Authorities have not said how the accident happened. He was a U.S. Marine who served two tours in Iraq, and also was an advocate for the homeless in the Birmingham area. McGregor had been reported as "missing" by his family on Saturday afternoon, February 11th. Friends and Hoover officers had been actively searching for him as as recently as late Sunday afternoon, said Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector. . No foul play is suspected in his death. "The Hoover Police Department sends its deepest sympathies to the McGregor family during this difficult time.,'' Rector said. Reilly Birditt.jpg Reilly Birditt, a senior at Chambers Academy, tells an Alabama Senate committee that he has benefited from an Alabama Accountability Act scholarship. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com) A bill that would add new options for tax credits for donors to scholarships created by the Alabama Accountability Act was approved by a Senate committee after a public hearing today. The bill, by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, who led the controversial passage of the Accountability Act four years ago, moves to the Senate. The Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee approved the bill on a 9-4 vote, with Democrats opposing it. The bill would not raise the $30 million annual cap on tax credits that can go to scholarship donors. But it would allow companies to receive a credit on their utilities gross receipts tax, in addition to the income tax credit already allowed. It would make other changes, including allowing taxpayers to take a credit on up to 75 percent of their income tax liability, up from 50 percent now. Marsh said the goal is to make it more likely that the $30 million cap is reached so that students who receive scholarships don't lose them in subsequent years because donations fall off. Donors gave $19.9 million to the scholarship granting organizations last year, down from $25.8 million in 2015, according to the Alabama Department of Revenue. Money claimed as tax credits would otherwise go to public education, which is a key reason the Accountability Act has been controversial. Scholarship granting organizations must use at least 95 percent of the tax-credit funded donations for scholarships, which cover tuition and mandatory fees. Marsh's bill would also allow scholarship money to be used to pay for school uniforms, school supplies, tutoring, transportation and certain other costs associated with attending private schools. Those costs could not exceed $800 and would come from the 95 percent share. Alabama Association of School Boards President Pam Doyle, School Superintendents of Alabama Executive Director Eric Mackey and public education advocate and blogger Larry Lee all spoke against the bill. Speaking in favor of the bill were Reilly Birditt, a senior at Chambers Academy who receives an Accountability Act scholarship, Hansell Gunn, chancellor at Gunn Christian Academy in Birmingham, and Mary Coleman, whose granddaughter receives an Accountability Act scholarship. Democrats have generally been opposed to the Accountability Act since it passed in 2013. That came after the tax credit-funded scholarship program was added on to a bill about other school system policies in a conference committee and passed hurriedly over the shouts of Democrats. Under the law, students who meet income requirements can receive the tax credit-funded scholarships to attend private school. Students who are zoned for schools designated as failing get first priority for the scholarships. The Accountability Act was originally billed as a way to help students zoned for failing schools. Critics say it hasn't worked out that way, as about two-thirds of the roughly 4,000 students who received scholarships this year were not zoned for failing schools. Failing schools are defined as those that rank in the bottom 6 percent statewide on standardized tests. Marsh's bill would change the term "failing" to "underperforming" in the law, a change he said came at the request of those in the education community who opposed the failing label. Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, said it was wrong to give scholarships to private school students that exceed the state's per pupil spending on public school students. The Accountability Act allows scholarship of up to $6,000 for elementary students, $8,000 for middle school and $10,000 for high school. The average state per pupil expenditure for public schools is in the range of $5,500 to $5,800, according to a representative from the Legislative Fiscal Office who was at the meeting. "You know that ain't right, what we are doing to these students," Smitherman said. Smitherman said programs that take money from public schools, like the Accountability Act, would ultimately lead to the demise of public education. Marsh responded by saying he was an advocate for public education and said the amount of the scholarship program amounted to less than 0.5 percent of the $6.3 billion that will be spent from the Education Trust Fund this year. "We're talking about not raising the cap, not changing a thing, taking less than one-half percent of the total education budget to say there should be a segment of school choice," Marsh said. Most would say getting a good nights sleep is critical to success at school. But a new study argues that social media and the lack of proper bedtime routines are making it increasingly difficult for students to get the sleep they need to thrive and even function at all in the classroom. The study entitled, Sleepless in school? The Social Dimensions of Young Peoples Bedtime Rest and Routines , was published last month in the Journal of Youth Studies. The researchers studied 850 young people who were divided into two cohorts of adolescents ages 12-13 and 14-15. The students were participating in a larger longitudinal study and were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their sleep habits. Their parents were also invited to participate. About a third of all the students surveyed said they almost always go to school feeling tired, while another third said they go to school feeling tired at least once a week. The survey indicated that 1 in 5 adolescents routinely wakes up during the night to engage with social media sites. These students are three times more likely than their peers who dont interrupt their sleep to log on to these sites to feel constantly tired at school . Its not surprising because if your sleep is disrupted and youre not getting enough sleep, then youre going to have the consequences the next day of feeling tired or not feeling well, said Lisa Meltzer, an associate professor of pediatrics at National Jewish Health. Young people who are waking up at night to check their phones or their tablets are interrupting their sleep, and that can make functioning more difficult. Meltzer was not involved with this study, which took place in Wales, but she has studied and written extensively about adolescent sleep disruption. The study found that girls were more likely to wake up during the night and check social media sites than boys. This was particularly true among students in the younger cohort. Twenty-six percent of 12-to-13-year-old girls reported always waking during the night to check their phones or tablets for messages, while only 17 percent of boys reported the same. The study also found that family income played a role in students use of social media at night. Students who were eligible for free school meals were less likely to have these technologically based sleep disruptions than their more-affluent peers, but these students were more likely to report feeling tired during the school day. The researchers noted that these students were less likely to have stable bedtime routines, which may help account for their fatigue at school. In Wales, free school meals function similarly to free and reduced lunch in the United States as a social program to help children from low-income families. Sleep Routines In addition to looking at the impact of social media on sleep disruption, the researchers also examined students regular bedtime routines. The researchers key questions centered on whether or not these routines were in place. So students were asked if they went to bed at the same time each night and if they got up for school at the same time each day. Perhaps not surprisingly students with regular bedtimes reported going to bed earlier than those without them. Nearly 60 percent of 14-and 15-year-olds who reported always having a regular bedtime said they went to bed before 11 p.m., while only 11 percent of those who said they never have a regular bedtime reported the same. Having a consistent bedtime and wake time will ensure that children are getting enough sleep, which then ensures their best success at school and in daytime functioning, said Meltzer. There is plenty of research showing that parent-set bedtimes lead to better outcomes for youth. In particular, adolescents who continue to have parent-set bedtimes have lower rates of mental health concerns, depression, suicidal risks. Related stories: Many parents struggle with deciding when to keep their sick children home from school. Thats according to a report based on the findings of the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Childrens Hospital National Poll on Childrens Health . Three out of four parents surveyed reported that their child stayed home for at least one sick day during the past year. The nationally representative poll found that parents top consideration for keeping a child home was concern that the illness will get worse (60 percent) followed by concern that the illness will spread to classmates (47 percent). Two out of five parents of high school students also say missing tests or instruction are very important considerations in keeping a child home. But parents didnt give much consideration to their children missing after-school activities. Only 6 percent said that was very important. Parents ability to get time off work or to secure child care did factor into their decisions. Eleven percent cited not wanting to miss work as very important, while 18 percent said not being able to find a sitter to stay at home with their child was very important. These factors primarily affected parents of younger children. Thirty-two percent of parents of older children allowed their children to stay home alone while sick, while virtually no parents of younger children permitted their children to do the same. Parents also tended to look at their childrens symptoms when deciding if their child should go to school or stay at home. Eighty percent of parents would not send a child to school with diarrhea, while 58 percent would not send a child who had thrown up once with no other symptoms. Both of those will cause a lot of interference with kids being able to focus on their learning and to prevent them from having a successful school day, said Dr. Gary Freed, a pediatrician at the University of Michigan and the co-director of the Mott poll. However, parents tend to view typical cold symptoms differently. Only 16 percent of parents survyed would keep home a child with red watery eyes and no fever, while only 12 percent would keep a child out of school due to a runny nose and dry cough without a fever. The survey was administered during October of 2016, and the report is based on the responses of 1, 442 parents who had at least one child between the ages of 6 and 18. Most books about whiskey are about whiskey: how it's made, the history of a distillery, tasting notes, and the like. But as whisky/whiskey grows as a category and a cultural phenomenon, authors have found interesting new angles with which to talk about it. Or at least put it in the titles of their books. Here are three new whiskey books with unique takes on whiskey narrative. (The descriptions are provided by the publishers and are not reviews.) The Christian Whiskey Novel: The Angels' Share by James Markert Some believed he was the second coming of Christ. William wasnt so sure. But when that drifter was buried next to the family distillery, everything changed. Now that Prohibition has ended, what the townspeople of Twisted Tree, Kentucky, need most is the revival of the Old Sam Bourbon distillery. But William McFee knows itll take a miracle to convince his father, Barley, to once more fill his familys aging house with barrels full of bourbon. When a drifter recently buried near the distillery begins to draw crowds of pilgrims, the McFees are dubious. Yet miracles seem to come to those who once interacted with the deceased and to those now praying at his grave. As people descend on the town to visit the Potters Field Christ, William seeks to find the connection between the tragic death of his younger brother and the mysterious drifter. But as news spreads about the miracles at the potters field, the publicity threatens to bring the depth of Barleys secret past to light and put the entire McFee family in jeopardy. The Angels Share is a story of fathers and sons, of young romance, of revenge and redemption, and of the mystery of miracles. The Whiskey Mystery and Treasure Hunt: Breakfast Tea & Bourbon by Pete Bissonette Solve this novel's mystery to find real treasure worth $50,000! Follow five best friends who sign up for a treasure hunt, rent a dilapidated RV, and head out on the search. This funny and quirky novel is a story within a story, because woven between the lines are clues to an actual treasure hidden for you to find. After experiencing enough losses for a lifetime, Nels Ware does not take things for granted, especially his family of friends. So when a $50,000 treasure hunt grabs his attention, he recruits them for the rollicking quest. Nels is certain he has deciphered the clues to the treasure's location. But has he? Is he leading his friends on a cross-country wild-goose chase? Will their dilapidated RV even deliver them to the treasure? Or will someone else beat them to it? Might that someone be you? Woven within the pages of the book are real-life clues leading to an actual physical treasure hidden somewhere in the United States worth $50,000. The Inspirational Whiskey Book: Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit, and Whiskey by Troylyn Ball and Bret Witter Ankaras plans to push further east and south of Al Bab might face serious diplomatic challenges, say analysts. In recent weeks, the Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield has made significant progress against ISIL around the city of Al Bab in northern Syria. Russia, a key ally during the operation, has provided Turkey with military and diplomatic support. The takeover of Al Bab would effectively prevent Kurdish forces from establishing a land corridor between the two territories they control in northern Syria one of the main goals of Turkeys military operation. It would also provide Turkey with an important strategic advantage in possible operations against the ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which is also known as ISIS, and Kurdish forces. But analysts say that Ankaras plans to push further east and south might face serious diplomatic challenges. READ MORE: Kurds and refugees behind Turkeys Syria offensive On Sunday during a press conference, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkish troops had entered Al Babs city centre and that it was only a matter of time before they took it over completely. According to Can Kasapoglu, a defence analyst at the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies in Istanbul, Euphrates Shield forces have already broken the first line of ISILs defence. However, it will take a few weeks for them to take full control of Al Bab, he says. I think it's fair to assume that Turkish reluctance to get further involved in the Aleppo fight was linked to its understanding with Russia regarding Euphrates Shield. by Noah Bonsey, Senior researcher, International Crisis Group As the Turkish operations go deeper into [fighting] street-by-street, [] there will be more intensified, nastier defence by the ISIS elements, said Kasapoglu. We always see this. We saw this in Iraq, we saw this in Ramadi. When ISIS feel that the tide is turning against them they go apocalyptic, but it cannot stop the operation. Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield in August 2016 with a coalition of Syrian Arab and Turkmen forces, backed by a few hundred Turkish troops. As fighting progressed, Ankara had to send reinforcements and currently, according to Kasapoglu, Turkish troops on the ground in northern Syria are in the thousands. The Operation Euphrates Shield forces started their advance on Al Bab in November 2016. In early February, ISIL was completely encircled after armed forces fighting for Bashar al-Assads regime cut off its last remaining supply route connecting it to the rest of its territories south and east of Al Bab. This positioned regime forces in close proximity to FSA factions, and according to Kasapoglu, that resulted in minor clashes. Osama al-Koshak, an independent Syrian researcher and activist, says there is very little risk of more serious clashes happening between FSA affiliates and regime forces in Al Bab. He added that there has been agreement between Turkey and Russia on Syrian regime forces halting their progress at the village of Tadif, just 2km southeast of Al Bab. In mid-January Russia and Turkey launched their first joint air operations, hitting ISIL positions in Al Bab. The military cooperation between the two countries suffered a temporary setback, when Russian air strikes killed three Turkish soldiers. Despite these issues, Koshak says Russian-Turkish cooperation in northern Syria has been growing and will continue to grow, as Turkeys western allies take a step back. This pushed Turkey to consider Russia a more suitable coalition partner in the pursuit of its interests. Russia offered air support against ISIL in Northern Syria, as the US retreated, explains Koshak. According to Noah Bonsey, International Crisis Groups senior analyst on Syria, Russias support of Turkeys operation in northern Syria is part of its strategy to cash in politically on the significant military progress it has made and also prevent overstretching of its military capabilities by seeking to de-escalate the conflict in certain places. Aleppo could also have been part of a deal between Turkey and Russia on Al Bab. There are steps that Turkey could have taken to improve the rebel defences of Aleppo that it did not take, says Bonsey. I think its fair to assume that Turkish reluctance to get further involved in the Aleppo fight was linked to its understanding with Russia regarding Euphrates Shield. OPINION: The FSAs demands ahead of Geneva During Mondays press conference, Erdogan announced that the next goals for Operation Euphrates Shield are Manbij and Raqqa. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), took over Manbij from ISIL in August 2016 with heavy air support by the US. As an affiliate of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the YPG is considered a terrorist organisation in Turkey. In the past, the Turkish air force has hit YPG positions in Manbij, but a full military offensive on the city against one of the US key anti-ISIL allies would put Turkey in a complex diplomatic situation. According to Kasapoglu, Turkey would not launch such an operation unless there are favourable diplomatic conditions to do so. After putting troops on the ground and waging a successful campaign against ISIL, Ankaras diplomatic leverage within the western anti-ISIL coalition has grown, he notes. In his opinion, the Turkish military might also focus on an offensive on Raqqa, which would be a much larger operation than the one in al-Bab. But Raqqa is also a major target for the US that has been supporting SDF forces advancing on the city. According to Bonsey there are currently discussions in Washington on how to best approach taking over Raqqa. Most American officials that I have spoken to and I think the general opinion in Washington is that the YPG and its allies are best equipped to take the city in the short run, he says. There are some in Washington who would rather take a more gradual approach and work with Turkey and Turkish backed-forces to take the city. Bonsey says that the US in the end is more likely to work with the YPG, but it is still under question. If Turkey proceeds with its operation against the Kurdish forces in Manbij or ISIL in Raqqa, it risks overstretching, he says. As Turkish forces and their allies expand their areas of control, those areas may become more difficult to [control]. Maintaining security in these areas may become more difficult, he explains. Bonsey points out that if Turkey launches an offensive on Manbij and the Kurds, that could give ISIL an advantage and allow it to attack both the Kurdish and Turkish forces while they are engaged in fighting each other. Follow Mariya Petkova on Twitter: @mkpetkova US President Donald Trumps choice for secretary of labour, Andrew Puzder, has prompted anger among workers rights campaigners and labour groups across the United States. Puzders confirmation hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. Adam Shah, a senior policy analyst at the Jobs With Justice union rights organisation based in Washington, DC, described Puzder as the fox guarding the henhouse, and said that his nomination was an indicator that Trumps general approach to labour organisations will be unfriendly to workers. Puzder is chief executive of CKE Restaurants, which includes the popular fast-food chains Hardees and Carls Jr and has been accused of numerous violations of workers rights and discriminatory workplace practices. Puzder has a record not only of opposing expansions to labour rights such as the minimum wage and making overtime rules more enforceable but he is also a serial violator of labour laws, Shah told Al Jazeera. In a letter published online, current and former labour department employees called on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) to oppose Puzders nomination, citing allegations of anti-worker business practices and sexism. In the anti-discrimination context, Hardees and Carls Jr have had more federal discrimination lawsuits brought against them since 2000, when Mr Puzder took over, than any other major hamburger chain, the letter reads. The Secretary of Labour should be a leader in opposing employment discrimination, not the head of a company that is a leading defendant in discrimination lawsuits. Puzder recently admitted to employing an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper for several years and never paying legally mandated taxes on her wages until shortly before his nomination. After these revelations surfaced, more than 130 organisations labour groups and workers rights advocates, among others released a statement last week demanding Puzder withdraw his nomination for labour secretary. If he cannot be trusted to follow even one of the most basic laws of employment in his own home, there is no way we can expect him to enforce the crucial laws the Department of Labor oversees on behalf of working people, the statement reads. Puzders confirmation hearing has been delayed four times. With at least four Republican senators reportedly withholding support, his confirmation is expected to be a struggle. OPINION: Why cant Muslims talk about the Muslim ban on US TV? Minimum wage struggle George Thompson, Puzders spokesman, rejected criticisms of the nominee as anti-workers rights. Andy Puzder has an excellent record for protecting workers and creating jobs despite the fake news being spewed by his critics, he told Al Jazeera by email, arguing that Puzder is a proven jobs creator. Thompson added: Andy Puzder supports rational increases in the minimum wage and he is proud that people at his company do not make minimum wage for very long, as good workers move up quickly and earn promotions. Yet labour advocates and analysts point out that Puzder has repeatedly opposed efforts to increase the federal minimum wage, making him an opponent of many unions and campaigns to raise the minimum wage. IN PHOTOS: Washington DC Womens March for equal rights Puzder has also been critical of expansions to paid sick leave and overtime pay, as well as the Affordable Care Act, the federal statute on healthcare enacted in 2010. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, although individual states within the US can set their minimum wage regulations higher. Fight for $15, a national campaign to raise the minimum wage, has protested against Puzders nomination. On Monday, the campaign held protests attended by thousands of workers in 24 cities across the country. In St Louis, Missouri, an estimated 500 people demonstrated against Puzders nomination outside Hardees former corporate headquarters, while hundreds more assembled at CKE Restaurants corporate offices in Anaheim, California. The protests were huge, they were militant, said Kendall Fells, the national organising director of the Fight for $15. People are upset and outraged that someone like Andy Puzder would even be nominated. Under Puzders oversight, CKE Restaurants has also been accused of wage theft, sexual discrimination and retaliation and intimidation against workers who attempted to organise unions. Referring to Puzders opposition to raising the minimum wage, Fells said: There is no city in the country in any state where you can survive on less than $15 an hour you dont survive off of $7.25 an hour. You live in homeless shelters, you sleep in your car and you go into debt; but you dont survive. He added: Puzder is clearly someone who has stood in the way and been an obstacle to the 64 million workers in this country who have been trying to pull themselves out of poverty. Violations While the labour department is in many ways less consequential for workers than federal departments, Puzder could still do much more harm to workers and unions, according to Stephanie Luce, a professor of labour studies at City University of New York. Everything weve seen from him including public statements where he says he does not support minimum wages or laws requiring mandatory break to the functioning of his companies, suggests he will be looking to restrict workers rights, Luce told Al Jazeera. The Department of Labour could cut back inspections, cut back data collection, redirect resources and eliminate important programmes. The Century Foundation, a progressive think-tank, analysed and mapped the available data on CKE Restaurants Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations since 2000 and investigations by the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) since 2004. READ MORE: More Americans joining socialist groups under Trump The map shows that 52 percent of 166 WHD and OSHA investigations together found at least one violation, while while 51 percent of OSHA investigations found a total of 91 violations affecting at least 576 employees. Between 2004 and 2016, CKE Restaurants had to pay $145,310 in back wages to 877 employees for WHD violations. The Century Foundation concluded: What is clear is that CKE is a representative of the kind of corner-cutting that hurts workers. Two-thirds of female fast food workers at restaurants operated by Puzder reported that they endured sexual harassment, according to a survey conducted by Restaurant Opportunities Centre United. The growing anger over Puzders nomination comes amid a flurry of measures targeting workers and labour unions, which hit an all-time low in 2016, with only 10.7 percent of the national workforce carrying union membership. Among private sector workers, only 6.4 percent are union members. Trump signed an executive order to begin removing restrictions on Wall Street, effectively reversing a law that overhauled the financial industry in 2010 after the economic crisis that affected the US and much of the world. Earlier this month, Republicans introduced a national right-to-work bill in Congress. If passed, that bill will prohibit requiring workers to support a union. Citing Trumps early policies and noting that his administration is made up of billionaires and millionaires, Adam Shah, of Jobs With Justice, concluded: The department of labour is a crucial branch that should be representing working people nonetheless. Follow Patrick Strickland on Twitter: @P_Strickland_ Activists and undocumented people describe the chaos and terror of predawn deportation raids taking place across the US. Los Angeles, United States It usually begins with a startling knock at the door before dawn. Most people in Los Angeles are asleep at around 4 or 5am. But in the undocumented community, many are already awake, preparing for longer-than-average workdays, making breakfast for their children. This is also typically when immigration authorities arrive on doorsteps often in predominantly Latino neighbourhoods, activists and undocumented people familiar with raids say. Police, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers sometimes announce themselves as from behind the door, according to testimony from undocumented people interviewed by Al Jazeera. Immigrant rights advocates and also the Mexican government, which tells Al Jazeera it is redoubling efforts to support its people say theyre rushing to inform people that this part can be misleading: ICE officers are not the kind of local law enforcement charged with protecting and serving local communities; they are federal agents who deport people. They do occasionally work together with, but are not to be confused with, local police forces. The activists and undocumented people who spoke to Al Jazeera say that sometimes undocumented people on the other side of the door assume theres a burglar or rapist in the neighbourhood, or perhaps a fire and that the police are there to protect them, not to ship them back to their country of origin. So, they open the door. And legally, thats when the agents are allowed to enter, apprehend the suspected undocumented person, potentially have them make declarations revoking their residency and eventually repatriate them to their country of origin. A series of raids in a number of cities in at least six states across the country were launched late last week. More than 600 undocumented people were held. Of that number, ICE has told local media that 160 were from the Los Angeles area. Never before, many say, has there been a nationwide sweep like the one conducted under the auspices of the newly inaugurated administration of US President Donald Trump. Even under former President Barack Obama, dubbed deporter-in-chief by many in this community for a record 2.5 million deportations of undocumented US residents, there had never been a nationwide campaign like this, they explain. The raids mark the latest in a series of policy shifts targeting Mexican Americans, analysts say. In June 2015, Trump launched his campaign with a pledge to bar undocumented immigrants. When Mexico sends it people, theyre not sending their best, he said. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. Nowhere to run Last month, Trump signed an executive order calling for the construction of a bigger, more impenetrable border wall across the US border with Mexico. He plans to deport as many as 8 million undocumented Americans, according to a Los Angeles Times newspaper report, citing calculations of presidential directives. These bellicose developments dismissed before as unconstitutional and highly improbable are beginning to affect the everyday lives of Mexicans and other communities of Americans living without papers in Los Angeles and across the country. I know of cases of people who happened to answer the door when ICE showed up to their house. They describe it as the most horrifying moment of their life. Nowhere to run to, no one to scream to for help by Jenny, undocumented young woman Activists complain about a lack of transparency in ICEs proceedings many are confused about whether the coordinated sweep across the country is a sign of more to come. ICE did not respond to a series of questions on its practices at time of publication. The only indication of what these raids look like comes from a composite of what undocumented community members describe as their and their neighbours interactions with ICE. Al Jazeera spoke to a series of undocumented people and their advocates to better understand what it means to be swept up in a raid. When ICE comes knocking, agents rarely break down the door unless the undocumented person behind it is considered armed and dangerous, activists say. Many undocumented people do not know that they dont need by law to open the door at all. I know of cases of people who happened to answer the door when ICE showed up to their house. They describe it as the most horrifying moment of their life. Nowhere to run to, no one to scream to for help, said an undocumented young woman, who asked to remain anonymous. For the purposes of this article, she will be called Jenny. The raids target large neighbourhoods, particularly neighbourhoods with large amounts of Latinos, Jenny said. We see people answering the door and although [ICE agents] are not there for that person, they end up taking them also. And where ICE once only targeted undocumented people who had been convicted of criminal activity, now they are detaining those without criminal records, Jenny and a number of activists who deal with undocumented peoples legal cases told Al Jazeera. WATCH: Dreamer Mums Divided by US Deportation (25:00) Before the knock What comes before that unannounced visit from ICE is described by community advocates as chronic, all-consuming fear among undocumented people. As a young undocumented American who usually campaigns for her community, Jenny said that this is the first time in her life that she has asked to remain anonymous. Its just been a roller-coaster with the Trump administration, she said. Jenny came to the US when she was one year old, and is now a college student holding down two jobs and campainging for other undocumented Americans. She spoke to Al Jazeera via telephone, late in the evening, on a break from one of her jobs. As a mother of three, I think I am a good citizen, I contribute to this country. I went to school here and graduated from the university because I wanted to succeed and not be on public assistance or anything like that by Undocumented woman Undocumented Americans contribute $11.6bn to the US economy in taxes annually, according to a February 2016 study by US think-tank the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Unlike raids under Obama, Jenny feels raids under Trump carry an overwhelming sense of hatred with them. Thats the only difference. Since the raids began, her precarious immigration status has begun to creep into her dreams. I actually had a nightmare two days ago. I was caught in a raid at a public mall and ICE took me. I can vividly describe what I felt in my dream: I was crushed, destroyed, panicked, begging the officer to let me go, telling him Im a good person with no record, and how great of a student I am. I woke up in tears. I can only imagine how much worse the feeling is in real life, she said. Jennys fear is not hers alone in less than a week since the raids, it has become a social phenomenon in cities with large undocumented populations like Los Angeles. What concerns us is that it is happening in multiple locations at the same time. It looks like something coordinated to create fear in the community, said Anabella Bastida, director of the Council of Mexican Federations, known by the Spanish-language acronym COFEM, an organisation that campaigns for the political, economic and social empowerment of Mexican and other Latino American communities. The community is being terrorised they think everyone is being deported, Bastida added. Bastida spoke to Al Jazeera at her office beside Olvera Street a cluster of Mexican cultural and tourist attractions. Los Angeles, Olvera serves to remind people, used to be part of Mexico, before the Mexican-American War began in 1846. The Mexican culture its food, music and people are not just ubiquitous in California and much of the southern US, they are endemic. Many of the visitors and callers to Bastidas office are asking frantic questions about what the raids mean for individual lives and families. People dont even want to go out any more. Even permanent residents are cancelling trips to Mexico, because they are afraid even if they have a green card, Bastidas sister and COFEM development associate, Maria Bastida, said. An undocumented woman told Al Jazeera, in a statement obtained anonymously by COFEM, that she was without hope, following the raids that she fears returning to Mexico, a country she is no longer accustomed to. As a mother of three, I think I am a good citizen, I contribute to this country. I went to school here and graduated from the university because I wanted to succeed and not be on public assistance or anything like that, she said. As with Jenny, Al Jazeera chose to withhold her identity to ensure that her participation in this report does not affect her US residence status. READ MORE: Donald Trump doubles down on deportation plan Once detained If the undocumented person opens their door, that is where the trouble starts, explained Francisco Moreno, COFEM community director, who works with people affected by raids. Imagine children crying screaming. If the person opens the door, they can register everyone that's inside - even non-criminals by Francisco Moreno, COFEM community director Imagine children crying, screaming. If the person opens the door, they can register everyone thats inside even non-criminals, he said. There is typically a Spanish-speaker the agents are mostly whites and Latinos, Moreno said, adding that he has received reports that some undocumented immigrants are unsure what agents are trying to say in Spanish. From there, detainees are removed from their homes in handcuffs, taken to a vehicle outside, and asked questions, Moreno explained. They ask who you are. Are you undocumented? We are trying to tell people not to say anything, Moreno said. COFEM like the American Civil Liberties Union and other immigrant rights groups is advising community members to remain silent and request legal representation. They take them to the ICE station, they are booked, they take fingerprints. They cross-check fingerprints with the FBI and others then the person is detained, Moreno said. At the detention centres, the detainee and their families on the outside await an uncertain fate. Alexandra Suh, director of community advocacy group the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), an organisation that advocates for Koreatown residents who are of both Latin and Asian American origin, described a trip to one such detention centre. One of the most difficult parts is, of course, being deported but when you are in detention, you dont know how long youre going to be in detention. I remember visiting a Korean woman in a detention centre. It was freezing cold. She didnt have enough clothing to keep warm and had no idea how long that would last. She wasnt able to take care of her family here. Its just dealing with that uncertainty. Dealing with the difficulty of being apart from your loved ones, Suh said. About 20 percent of the Korean American community is undocumented, Suh said. But no one confides it [to other Korean American community members], so everyone is living in this silent fear. Loved ones on the outside also suffer, Suh added. Another KIWA case, months before Trumps inauguration, involved a Guatemalan woman. She had diabetes and her family members did not know how long she was being detained. They didnt know about her physical condition or if she had access to medication. In detention, ICE asks people if they want to voluntarily return when they are not criminals. They ask immediately if they want to return to their country of origin, Moreno said. If they sign documentation, they are taken to a separate centre to be prepared for deportation and eventually put on an unmarked ICE plane back to the regional hub closest to their city of origin, Moreno explained. It depends on where the immigrant is from. Talking about Mexico, if you are from the southern part of Mexico, they send you by plane to Mexico City and leave you there. If you are from the north, they deport you through any of the nine gates Tijuana is one, theres Nogales. READ MORE: Immigrants and Donald Trump Its a complicated story Struggling to cope Mexico, a main destination for deportees, is struggling to answer the question of what happens to people after they have been deported. In recent weeks, the country has established a programme called Somos Mexicanos We are Mexicans designed to inform freshly deported or otherwise returned citizens from the US of programmes available to reintegrate them into society. It informs returnees to Mexico of a series of benefits recuperation of belongings left behind in the US, food and healthcare. It also directs the recipient to employment and educational services. We want to inform them about the resources available to every Mexican national that goes back to Mexico, whether as a result of the deportation or if they voluntarily decide to return, Felipe Carrera Aguayo, Consul for Protection at the Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles, told Al Jazeera. The consulate is offering legal aid to Americans of Mexican origin, as well as encouraging people to apply for US residency. We have been aggressive as well in defending the rights of human beings. This is not new, Carrera said. Although we have been doing it for a while, at this time we are putting extra effort on programmes and resources [than we have] for past decades, he added. Mexico has been struggling in recent weeks to cope with a sudden influx of refugees from across the country and around the world from El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and countries in Africa to its northern border towns, hoping to cross over into the US before the Trump administration further tightens border controls. Despite the sudden added pressure on its resources, Mexico has managed to offer Haitian refugees and others papers where the US has made it clear it will not. It would be great to get feedback from people actually deported to see if the programme is working, said COFEMs Anabella Bastida of Somos Mexicanos. Her team together with other Mexican American groups plans to continue to lobby the Mexican government to ensure that it keeps its pledge to offer support to fresh returnees. The enactment of the Somos Mexicanos programme may take some time. Hugo Castro, a migrant labour rights advocate in Tijuana with the group Border Angels, said he was not yet familiar with the programme. Castro says he visits five shelters a day, and that there has of late been an increased flow of new deportees from the US. COFEM and KIWA are also struggling to find ways to prepare people for the possibility of future raids and deportations. Both told Al Jazeera about pushes to prepare undocumented people to cope with a sudden separation from their families. Its hard to overstate how disruptive this is, how wrenching this can be people picked up in a raid might be the only source of income for a whole family, dressed their kids for school in the morning, cooks for their family, they might be a person supporting an elder parent or young baby. To imagine that person would be ripped away imagine how it could affect everyone around them is extremely serious, KIWAs Suh said. Bastida is helping to circulate a document allowing undocumented parents to temporarily entrust their children to relatives or friends in their absence. We cant hide Betty is an undocumented American with a mixed family of undocumented people, residents and also full US citizens. When Donald Trump was elected, she says, she was depressed worried for the future. But when her children, US citizens, awoke the next day, she was cracking jokes about the wall, she says, to lift their spirits. You want to deport me? Deport me! I'm going to be one of those people dead at the border by Betty, undocumented American They didnt say I am stupid, but they almost said it. Then, they were mad at me. And I started crying. I said, Do you know who is the most vulnerable here? Its not you. Its me.' Betty has long campaigned for people in her community to know their rights. During our conversation, she bursts into tears. You want to deport me? Deport me! Im going to be one of those people dead at the border. Despite her frustrations, Betty is resolute that she will not cower in the shadows. She insisted that, if only using her first name, Al Jazeera use her real name. She will continue her activism, on the streets if she has to, despite being vulnerable. We cant hide. I think a lot of people know who I am. I just hope Im not going to be the next target. Netanyahu hopes for achievements relating to both the Palestinians and Iran, say analysts. Jerusalem Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet US President Donald Trump on Wednesday with the aim of winning major concessions on the two issues highest on his agenda, Iran and the Palestinians, say analysts. It will be the two mens first face-to-face meeting since Trumps inauguration as president last month. The discussions are expected to set the tone of the US administrations policy towards Israel and the Middle East over the next four years. Trumps unequivocal backing for Israel during his presidential run generated great excitement on the Israeli right, and was seen as promising a decisive break from the clashes that marked relations with his predecessor, Barack Obama. Hopes were heightened further by Trumps choice of David Friedman, an outspoken supporter of the settlements, as US ambassador to Israel. But in recent days, Trump has appeared to backtrack on key campaign promises. That was especially evident in an interview published at the weekend in the Israel Hayom newspaper, widely seen as a cheerleader for Netanyahu. OPINION: Israel An inspiration for Trump Trump described settlement construction as unhelpful and urged Israel to act reasonably. He added: Every time you take land for a settlement, less territory remains. In recent weeks, Israel has announced thousands of new homes in the occupied territories, as well as a decision to build the first new settlement in more than two decades. The parliament, meanwhile, has passed the Regulation Law, which retroactively sanctions a massive land grab by the settlers. There is no way the Palestinians can accept what is really a no-state option, packaged to cover up a system of bantustans in the occupied territories. by Mustafa Barghouti, Palestinian politician In the interview, Trump appeared to pour cold water on his pledge to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, which it is widely feared could inflame the region. Menachem Klein, a political scientist at Bar Ilan University, near Tel Aviv, said Trumps newfound caution was the result of recent talks with Arab leaders. Trump has finally banged up against reality in the Middle East, he told Al Jazeera. He understands that there is a wider picture he has to take account of. In response, Netanyahu has tried to lower expectation among his more extreme ministers. Settler leader Naftali Bennett, the education minister, has demanded that Netanyahu refuse to discuss Palestinian statehood with Trump. He has also pushed for Israel to start annexing the biggest settlements. But at a meeting of the security cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu reportedly warned that Trump was determined to revive peace talks with the Palestinians. In comments that were leaked in Haaretz, he said: Trump believes in a deal We have to make every effort to avoid a confrontation with him. Yaron Ezrahi, a politics professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said Netanyahu would play a shell game on the Palestinian issue to buy time. He will say one thing to Trump about being willing to make concessions for peace and something else to his domestic base and his government coalition partners, for whom talk of peace is anathema, he told Al Jazeera. Ezrahi added that it was a risky strategy, given Trumps personality. He has the capacity to be aggressive and vengeful if he feels crossed much more so than Obama. Klein said it was nonetheless vital for Netanyahu to return with a policy prize from Trump. That would help the Israeli prime minister ward off potential challengers from within the governing coalition as he struggles against a mounting corruption scandal. He is under investigation for accepting gifts from billionaires, including cigars and champagne. The mantra from Netanyahus office is that he alone enjoys a special relationship with Trump that can benefit Israel, and that it would be ridiculous to oust him at this crucial moment over a few cigars, said Klein. Analysts believe Netanyahu is hoping for achievements relating to both the Palestinians and Iran. His most important task will be to constrain Trumps room to advance a peace deal with the Palestinians. The US president has indicated that his son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, will be in charge of any renewed talks. Netanyahus approach, according to analysts, will be to appear to accommodate Trump with what the Israeli prime minister has termed a state-minus. The idea, on which Netanyahu has so far not elaborated, was unveiled shortly before the two leaders spoke by phone after Trumps inauguration. According to the leaks, Netanyahu will follow the pattern he used with Obama: declare support for limited Palestinian statehood, reiterate that settlements are not an obstacle to peace, and require the Palestinians to recognise Israel as a Jewish state. Netanyahu is also likely to demand Israeli security supervision over the Palestinians for many years, claiming it is necessary to prevent the emergence of violent Islamic groups in the West Bank. But he will hope for more from Trump, said Klein. Netanyahu wants to come back with an announcement that he has reached a strategic understanding a grand design for the West Bank, he said. That would include a green light from Trump to build in the settlement blocs, the largest in the West Bank, as a prelude to their formal annexation. Highest on his agenda will be the strategic settlements of Gush Etzion and Maale Adumim. They would complete the severing of occupied East Jerusalem from the West Bank, while also dividing the West Bank in two destroying any hope of Palestinian statehood. Indications that Trump might agree to something less than a Palestinian state were confirmed by an unnamed official in Washington on Tuesday. According to the daily, Haaretz, Trump told reporters that the goal of any talks would be peace, but that did not necessarily entail a two-state solution. If thats what the parties want, were going to help them, he said. Were not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be. Morton Klein, head of the World Zionist Organisation and close to key figures in the new administration, said separately that Trump would cut $600m annual aid to the Palestinian Authority unless it severed ties with the Hamas leadership in Gaza. Menachem Klein added that, with Trumps backing, Netanyahu would hope to silence European opposition. Meanwhile, Netanyahu hopes to recruit Trump to win over the Arab states. They would then use their influence to lean on the Palestinians to accept his state-minus plan. The New York Times reported last week that Trump might offer in exchange a promise to help in their regional struggle against Iran. Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian politician in the West Bank, said Netanyahus state-minus plan was camouflage for apartheid. He told Al Jazeera: There is no way the Palestinians can accept what is really a no-state option, packaged to cover up a system of bantustans in the occupied territories. READ MORE: Donald Trump is wrong about Israels security wall Barghouti also dismissed the idea that Kushner, whose family foundation has made large donations to the settlements and the Israeli military, could serve as an honest broker in negotiations. However, Mouin Rabbani, a Jordanian-based fellow of the Institute for Palestine Studies, said the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas would be unlikely to risk alienating Trump by rejecting a peace drive, even on such poor terms. The PA is eager for more contacts with the new administration, he told Al Jazeera. It is focusing on that rather than how best to confront and contain the new policies that may emerge from this meeting. The other prize Netanyahu is expected to seek from Trump is a tough line on Iran. On that score, he may find an open door. During the presidential campaign, Trump echoed Netanyahu in calling to tear up the nuclear deal Obama signed with Iran in July 2015. Trumps new CIA director, Mike Pompeo, has in the past strongly backed Israels stance, tweeting in November that he looked forward to rolling back the agreement. According to CBS News, in December, Netanyahu announced that he had five things in mind to tell Trump about how they could work to undo the nuclear agreement, though he did not disclose details. However, Ezrahi warned that even an achievement on this front might rebound on Netanyahu. The Israeli security services believe aggression towards Iran would increase, not diminish, the regional dangers for Israel, he said. Israeli intelligence assessments reportedly show that Iran is adhering closely to the agreement. According to Israeli analyst Ben Caspit, Netanyahu has been warned that overturning the accord would unite Iranians behind the regime and encourage Tehran to consider a nuclear breakout to fend off a possible attack. Amos Yadlin, a former Israeli chief of military intelligence, told the Haaretz newspaper last month that renewed hostilities with Iran would also anger the accords other signatories, especially China and Russia. They would blame us for dragging Trump into doing this. They will not come to our aid, he said. And then, noted Klein, Netanyahu would have to circumnavigate Trumps wish to forge closer ties with Russia. President Vladimir Putin has a long-standing strategic alliance with Iran that may force Trump to choose between Moscow and Israel. Klein said: There are complex global interests on this issue. Netanyahu will have to tread more lightly than he is used to doing. With Trump in office, Israel is encouraged to speed up its colonisation of the Palestinian territories. Jerusalem The rise of the right in Israel and beyond, particularly in the United States, is helping Israels colonists seize more Palestinian land and displace more Palestinians from their homes. Nowhere has this land grab been more apparent than in the Israeli parliaments passage last week of a law that will retroactively legalise 16 West Bank outposts that were, like the recently evacuated Amona outpost, built by Israeli settlers on private Palestinian land, which was illegal under Israeli law. Unfortunately, US President Donald Trump has given Israel several encouraging signs to accelerate its project of colonial expansion. On Tuesday, Trumps administration suggested that a solution to the conflict may not come in the form of two independent states, making it difficult to envision the US taking any action against the settlement enterprise. Since Trumps inauguration, Israel has approved the construction of more than 6,000 homes for Israeli citizens in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT). In what seems to be a major break with former US policy that has positioned itself firmly against the building of settlements, Trumps first and slightly critical statement about the settlements was that he did not consider settlements to be a good thing for peace. With Trump and his administration emboldening Netanyahu, Israel is encouraged to disregard even more than it has done for the past 50 years its international legal obligations and speed up its colonisation of Palestinian lands. The settlements, which are illegal under international law, have nullified the prospects of establishing an independent Palestinian state as Israel continues to transfer its citizens to the territories it occupies and seizes more land to build homes for them. Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, the state has used legislation, military orders, administrative decisions, and other state-sponsored instruments to displace Palestinians. These instruments dispossess Palestinians of their properties, often using security as a pretext, while restricting Palestinian construction. For example, in 1950, Israel introduced the Absentee Property Law; the property of Palestinians who were not present on their lands when the state was established in 1948, was taken over by the state, which declared the property abandoned. Furthermore, Israel has consistently limited the number of Palestinians who can enjoy the right to live in their homeland by denying them a legal status. For example, Israel considered Palestinians who remained in East Jerusalem after its occupation in 1967 as only residents, and then proceeded to revoke their residency status. Since 1967, Israel has revoked the residency status of at least 14,000 Palestinians in East Jerusalem, robbing them of their right to live there. At the same time, construction of homes for Jewish citizens is encouraged and facilitated. READ MORE: Israels settlement law Consolidating apartheid The new Israeli legislation is a grave violation of international law; the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits an occupying power from transfer[ing] parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies. This prohibition aims to protect the rights of the occupied people and the occupied nation from being exploited. It is consistent with the prohibition of expanding borders by force. This action has been condemned as a war crime since the second world war. The United Nations has consistently maintained that Israels construction of settlements in the OPT is illegal, as was recently reaffirmed by the UN Security Council resolution 2334 , which the US, under former President Barack Obama, refused to veto. Once the outposts are validated by the Israeli legal system, the state will deal with them in the same way it does with settlements in the West Bank. It will cement the settlers presence and begin plans for expansion at the expense of Palestinians. It will give Israeli settlers the green light to trespass private land, knowing they could eventually own it. The law provides no recourse to Palestinians who live under Israels military legal system in the West Bank. If not challenged, these practices will result in their permanent dispossession, the restriction of movement for Palestinians, and the solidification Israels apartheid regime. While the law is only the latest chapter in Israels book of colonial policies, it is particularly significant as it applies, for the first time, Israeli civil law to the OPT, where it has no jurisdiction. Three human rights organisations have filed a petition to Israels Supreme Court in the hopes that it will declare the law unconstitutional. The rights groups emphasise that the law strengthens the domination of one group over the other, amounting to the crime of apartheid. The cases lead lawyer, Suhad Bishara, said that the law not only puts Palestinians at risk of losing their property, but may even represent a step toward a de facto annexation of these territories to Israel. By applying its own civil law extraterritorially, Israel appears to be attempting to show sovereignty in the areas it occupies. Indeed, according to Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, a grouping of illegal Israeli settlements, the law creates a framework that will allow the application of Israeli civil law in these areas. (Samaria is the Biblical term Israel uses for that part of the West Bank). The Israeli parliaments enactment of this law is alarming, not only to Palestinians, but to the international community as a whole. For decades, the US, along with other world powers, has been facilitating negotiations between a powerful occupier and a vulnerable occupied people to bring about a solution, but this peace process has proven a sham and a failure. Since the signing of the Oslo Accords, the number of Israelis living on occupied Palestinian territory has more than doubled, reaching approximately half a million today. Though the agreement was meant to lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, the settlement activities have only meant more Israeli control over the land and resources of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Now, with Trump and his administration emboldening Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other right-wing Israeli leaders, Israel is encouraged to disregard even more than it has done for the past 50 years its international legal obligations and speed up its colonisation of Palestinian lands. Munir Nuseibah is a Policy Adviser at Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network and cofounder and Director of the Al-Quds Human Rights Clinic. South Sudan Once a symbol of peaceful coexistence between South Sudanese from different origins, Central Equatoria, on the southern border of South Sudan has become a scene of a massive exodus of the local population towards neighbouring Uganda. Thousands of civilians have fled, and continue to flee, the area as a result of increasing insecurity in the region, due to an escalation in violence in and around Kajo-Keji between the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to the government of President Salva Kiir, and the SPLA-in-Opposition forces loyal to the former First Vice President Riek Machar. Uganda has seen the rate of new arrivals increasing over the last weeks, with a total of 25,400 South Sudanese refugees being received in Uganda between the February 3 and 9, with an average daily rate of 3,657 new arrivals, bringing the total number of South Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers in the country to 736,953. UN: Refugees from South Sudan cross 1.5 million mark Newly arrived refugees entering Ugandas northern region report that armed soldiers wearing the uniform of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) are perpetrating systematic and widespread attacks against civilians moving towards Ugandan border, forcing civilians to travel through the bush and to use a number of informal border crossing points in Moyo district. Refugees crossing the Ugandan border at Lefori and Afoji areas report that thousands of people from different locations are sheltered in several internally displaced persons sites outside Kajo-Keji, while many elderly people remain trapped in their villages, as they cannot make the journey towards the Ugandan border. UN officials have been warning since last November that ethnic cleansing is under way in the Central Equatoria region and in Yei River State, specifically, and that the conditions are being created for a genocide in South Sudan, with Juba strongly denying such claims. Guilty Verdict in Infamous 1979 Etan Patz Child Kidnapping, Murder Case Today, a child kidnapper and murderer was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a child back in 1979. Pedro Hernandez confessed to the crime in 2012, and after 5 years, two trials, and one hung jury, was finally convicted. Hernandez's first trial resulted in a hung jury due to one lone holdout juror who just could not believe that Hernandez's confession was genuine. However, after the re-trial, the jury was able to unanimously convict on the kidnapping and murder charges. The verdict brought a much needed end for the young boy's parents who have waited nearly 40 years for justice to be done. However, Hernandez's counsel did mention a potential appeal. Details of the Crime In 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz was on his way to school, alone, for the very first time. At the bus stop, Hernandez lured the boy away from the bus stop with a soda and into the bodega where he worked. Once inside, Hernandez strangled Etan to death, then put the child inside a garbage bag, and put the bag inside a box, and threw the box into the trash in the alley. Etan's body was never discovered and no physical evidence was ever recovered from the scene. However, in 2012, Hernandez's brother-in-law called police after suspecting that Hernandez was involved in Etan's disappearance. While interrogating Hernandez, he confessed to the crime in enough detail that prosecutors were able to successfully reconstruct the crime for the jury to convict, despite Hernandez and his defense recanting his confession. The Not So Silent Suspect Generally, the prosecutors must prove their case. If a defendant does not say anything to police, then a prosecutor must find other evidence to prove the case. In Hernandez's case, the entire prosecution rested upon his confession. Although Hernandez's failure to exercise his right to silence is what allowed prosecutors to get the conviction, this case should serve as an example for any and all criminal suspects. Exercising your right to silence is critical when it comes to defending yourself against criminal charges. In the famous Miranda warning, people are advised that they have the right to remain silent, and that if they say anything, it can be used against them. Most criminal defense attorneys advise their clients to heed that warning. Related Resources: Homeland security is the main talking point for all candidates hoping to become the next French president in May. According to latest opinion polls, security issues remain the primary concern of French voters for Mays presidential elections. Security stands ahead of social issues, including unemployment which is cruising at an average 10 percent, and the future of the social security system that is threatened by the need for further cuts in public finances. This stems from the context of the persistent terrorist threats weighing on the country after the wave of attacks which started in 2015, furthered by presidential candidates who are fuelling fear to lend credence to their programmes and rally a very dubious and volatile electorate. Focusing on Frances specific concept of secularism something no one knows how to implement any more has become a convenient way for candidates to avoid addressing the sensitive issue of Islam in France head on. As such, the candidates are also avoiding the risk of facing accusations of Islamophobia and creating an amalgam between Islam and terrorism. Secularism is de facto used as an adjustment variable to define how to reassert French identity, culture, tradition, roots, and secure France from any attempt to change its core DNA. This definition marks the split, dividing French society into two camps in a political battle: is todays diversity of race and religion, globalisation and immigration an opportunity or a threat? Fearmongering against Muslims For Marine Le Pens far-right National Front, which, with 26 percent, currently leads voters intentions in the first round, France must barricade itself from outsiders to guarantee both its unity and security. In accordance with the Appeased France campaign slogan, she is casting her traditional net wider. Muslims are not our enemies but Republic-compatible citizens, provided that they accept assimilation as secular Muslims in a Christian-rooted society. The real enemy of the nation is radical Islam, that she pledges to bring to its knees, and its twin brother, jihadism. On the domestic front, she maintains that shutting down Salafi mosques, kicking foreign imams preaching hate out of the country, forbidding foreign funding to Muslim organisations, deporting dual citizens with jihadi links and stripping them of their French nationality when they return to France from the jihadi fronts. All these positions are equally shared by the candidate of the main right-wing party, The Republicans, Francois Fillon whose fate is still uncertain since the Penelopegate scandal with some minor differences. For the former prime minister Fillon, running on a stand-up vision for France, banning the radical expression on French soil as part of the fight against Islamic totalitarianism includes Salafism, as well Muslim Brotherhood and Wahhabism. The two candidates agree on the need to reinforce controls over national borders and to stop welcoming refugees for security and social reasons. Fillon also calls, for reviewing our diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and expects clarifications on its ambiguous role in exporting extremist ideologies worldwide, including to Europe and France. Le Pen has conveniently avoided addressing this issue in public. Yet she and Fillon both consider Russia as an ally in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria and Iraq, breaking with the Socialist governments line under Francois Hollandes presidency, shared by Benoit Hamon, the Socialist primarys elected candidate, which denounces Russian operations as war crimes. Hamon was part of the defiant trend within the left-wing party. The security front Advocates of the hardline secularism waging war against the useful idiots of Islamism political jargon for an ignorant or naive person used by propagandist leaders to spread their message refer to Benoit Hamon as Bilal Hamon. Indeed, Hamon calls for a more effective and preventive approach to defeat radicalism and terrorism rather than a solely repressive approach, which he feels exposes France to more terrorism as it discriminates and divides, thereby serving the enemys agenda. Unlike his opponents, Hamons campaign slogan Make Frances heart beat refers to traditional left-wing values and more specifically to a tradition of generosity and tolerance or what remains of them. The state of emergency, which has been extended five times since November 2015, cannot become a permanent extraordinary response to meet terrorist threats. by He advocates investing in efforts for social cohesion rather than increasing prison capacity, using diplomatic initiatives to resolve crises rather than military engagements, and the better integration of refugees rather than targeted accusations that they are damaging Frances soul and its security. Seemingly close to his stance, is Emmanuel Macron, who served two years as Hollandes minister of the economy, before quitting last August to launch his own independent movement Forward and entering the presidential race as an unidentified political object as a former investment banker he disclaims any political affiliation, promoting a neither right nor left political stance. Despite not yet delivering his political programme, he is currently second in the polls, ahead of Fillon thanks to the Penelopegate, which has damaged the self-proclaimed person-of-virtues popularity. Fillons campaign has been based on public morality and his own alleged probity. For the young Macron he is 39 it is a mistake to consider that the programme is the heart of an election campaign, given that style and heart are more decisive. However, when it comes to security matters, he distils a more general formula, mainly echoing Hamons proposals. Despite these divergences, points of convergence emerge from the two dividing camps in Frances current presidential campaign on how to tackle terrorist threats. OPINION: Fillons victory A political earthquake in France The state of emergency, which has been extended five times since November 2015, cannot become a permanent response to meet terrorist threats. The capabilities of intelligence and security forces need to be reinforced and better coordinated. As for addressing the real roots of radicalisation and terrorism in French society such as social and economic marginalisation, inequality of opportunities, foreign policy choices efforts that would outlast a generation are needed. It is far longer than a five-year presidential mandate, so lets pass the buck to our successors Anne Giudicelli is an international expert on geopolitical and security issues. She runs International Intelligence Cluster Terr(o)Risc, a consulting organisation she founded in 2005. She previously worked as a security analyst for the French foreign office in Paris and in the MENA region. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. India and other South Asian nations should be unambiguous in their condemnation of Myanmars treatment of the Rohingya. Even by the standards of a region that has seen more than its fair share of xenophobic violence, forced migrations and displacements, the grim plight of the Rohingya of Myanmar stands out as an abomination of the worst sort. Here are a people who have lived for generations on what are now the borderlands of Myanmar and Bangladesh, both of which, in their present national forms, are relatively recent historical creations. The Rohingya have been hounded out of the former, rendered non-citizens through legal machinations and treated poorly by the latter, which either tries to push them back or corrals them into ramshackle camps with poor accommodation, hygiene and little access to healthcare or education for children. There are now resurrected plans, denounced by Human Rights Watch as cruel and unworkable, to relocate them to Thengar Char, an undeveloped coastal island that floods regularly. The Rohingya, whose very existence has been denied by the Myanmar state, have also sought and been refused shelter in Southeast Asian countries, after risking dangerous journeys on the high seas, which many did not survive. Some of the leaders of these nations rightly identify Islamophobia as a contributing factor to the Rohingyas misery, but are less eager to offer refuge. Only a small number have been accommodated in India. Slow genocide A United Nations report, which came out earlier this month, offers a scathing indictment of all concerned, noting, perhaps with a touch of understatement, the devastating cruelty to which the Rohingya people, children in particular, have been subjected (PDF). Whole areas of Rohingya habitation have been burned to the ground, while women have been gang-raped by Myanmars security forces as well as Rakhine civilian vigilantes. The Rohingya have been subjected to regular massacres, including of their babies. Their mobility has been severely restricted and severe malnourishment is rife. They have also been subjected to draconian marriage and childbearing regulations intended to curb their numbers. The word persecution is wholly inadequate to describing a population which is clearly being targeted for systematic elimination from the body politic of Myanmar. While Desmond Tutu has already called the situation a slow genocide, and the Simon-Skjodt Centre for Prevention of Genocide has raised the alarm, noting carefully that many preconditions for genocide are already in place, big global actors have steadfastly refused to use the term, which would then trigger the international Convention on the Punishment and Prevention of the Crime of Genocide. It is fair to say that a world, which was riveted by the spectacle of a beautiful woman under long years of house arrest in that country, has chosen to discreetly avert its eyes from the ongoing systematic persecution, and, barring a few retaliatory actions, one-sided bloodshed. Rather than just pandering to the manifestly brutal and authoritarian military, India - and other South Asian nations - should be unambiguous in their condemnation of the bloodletting and ravaging being visited upon an entire population. by Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi herself, who is now Myanmars elected civilian leader, has either remained silent on the worsening situation or scandalously and unforgivably participated in official denials issued from the military, charging critics with focusing on the negative side. We rightly denounce those who deny past genocides, yet surely those in a position to observe and act but still deny the fact of ongoing ethnic cleansing accompanied by stigmatisation and dehumanising laws are even more culpable? No religion, of course, would admit to violence being sanctioned in its scriptures but there is something especially depraved about Buddhist monks inciting violence, manifestly violating the Buddhas unambiguous repudiation of hatred as a form of relating to others. Ashin Wirathu, the rabid hate preacher who has repeatedly incited attacks on the Rohingya, can plausibly be listed as one of the worlds great terrorists. Indias pragmatic engagement What of the land of the Buddhas birth? India, the major South Asian player, critical of Myanmars military junta in the past, now chooses to undertake a pragmatic engagement with it, which includes selling military hardware. India certainly has one eye on Myanmars considerable oil and natural gas reserves as well as its expanding market, but its softly-softly approach in the face of impending genocide is heavily tied up with the fear of the increasing influence in the region of China, not a nation known for an interest in human rights. The two countries are involved in a race for resources and markets while the Indian state seeks bulwarks against Chinas militarisation of the Indian Ocean. There is reason to fear what may turn out to be a competitive regional and global silence on the fate of the Rohingya. India has suggested that the matter is an internal affair for Myanmar, the stock phrase that has enabled it to refuse international scrutiny of some of its own more questionable policies. OPINION: Aung San Suu Kyis inexcusable silence Setting aside the question of whether anything can be strictly an internal affair in these global times, there is one important historical strand that India should not ignore: the stigmatisation and rejection of the Rohingya and the attempts to push them westwards into the Indian subcontinent draws on anti-Indian racism a long-standing hatred and sanctioned racism against those perceived to be of Indian descent, disliked for being favoured by the British colonial rulers. Vilified in explicitly racist terms as dark-skinned Bengalis, the Rohingya are falsely described as post-Independence migrants from East Bengal who should be returned there. Of course, the stark fact is that the Rohingya a term that Myanmar refuses to use as part of denying them legitimacy are explicitly persecuted as a Muslim minority. For the current Indian regime, with its heavily Hindu support base, there is little to gain by coming to the vocal defence of adherents of Islam. This is in obvious contrast to its vocal calls for protection for Hindu minorities targeted by Islamists and majoritarians in Bangladesh, and the manifestly politicised moves to offer Indian citizenship to Pakistani minorities. However, now that the danger of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group preying on the situation to establish a base in South Asia has been raised, there are stirrings in the Indian media, with editorials calling for more attention to be paid to the Rohingya situation as a security problem. Last October, insurgents alleged to be Rohingya managed to kill nine Myanmar border guards, an act that has brought an even more vigorous and brutal counterinsurgency or clearance operation to the area. The danger of Islamist radicalisation on its doorstep has certainly garnered more interest in India than the ongoing scandal of systematic ethnic cleansing. IN PICTURES: Rohingya Chased from Myanmar, unwelcome in Bangladesh If it continues to espouse any formal commitment to democracy and pluralism, India cannot remain silent on what is happening in West Myanmar or simply treat it as a strategic concern. A persecuted, effectively stateless and hounded people like the Rohingya make moral claims on all of us. Rather than just pandering to the manifestly brutal and authoritarian military, India and other South Asian nations should be unambiguous in their condemnation of the bloodletting and ravaging being visited upon an entire population. Above all it is time for India, along with other international players, to engage more robustly with Suu Kyi and put enormous pressure on her to undertake her primary duty: bringing the people of Myanmar back on to the true democratic path and the only genuinely Buddhist one of humane co-existence. For in the misery of the Rohingya is writ large the great battle of our times: that between the lethal forces of populist bigotry and the lifegiving ones of actual democracy. Priyamvada Gopal teaches in the Faculty of English at Cambridge University. She is the author of two books, Literary Radicalism in India: Gender, Nation and the Transition to Independence, and The Indian Novel in English. She is currently working on a book called Insurgent Empire: Anti-Colonialism in the Making of Britain. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Incumbent governor to face former education minister in second round of voting in April, according to unofficial counts. The Christian governor of Indonesias capital, Jakarta, is heading for a tough run-off against a Muslim opponent, according to unofficial counts, following a divisive election campaign marred by religious intolerance and racial bigotry. More than 13,000 polling stations opened across Jakarta on Wednesday to accommodate the 7.1 million people eligible to vote, one of dozens of elections taking place across the Muslim-majority country. Early vote tallies by private pollsters showed incumbent Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, whose campaign was hurt by blasphemy charges, holding a narrow lead over Anies Rasyid Baswedan, a former education minister. The other candidate, Agus Yudhoyono, the son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was in third place with 16.78 percent. A candidate needs to get more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round to win outright. Officials are expected to announce the final results in about two weeks, while a second round will be held is April. Blasphemy allegations Ahok, an ethnic Chinese Christian, has been dogged by a blasphemy case following comments he made about the Quran that were deemed insulting to Islam and Muslims. In September, he told a crowd of his supporters that if they were afraid of going to hell if they elected a non-Muslim as their leader, they need not worry as they had been lied to using Surah Al-Maidah verse 51. Some Muslims interpret the Quranic verse in question as prohibiting them from electing non-Muslims as their leaders. Ahok has denied that he intended to insult the Quran, saying he was referring to those who misused religion for political purposes. After two massive protests by conservative Muslims, he was charged and is now on trial for blasphemy, though he remains free to contest the poll. It has been a polarising election here for the highest office in Indonesias capital, Al Jazeeras Step Vaessen, reporting from a polling station in Jakarta, said. With religion playing an unprecedented role, many fear that the outcome has not only been determined by the quality of the candidate but also by his beliefs. Jakarta issues The campaign period was also marked by rising anti-Chinese sentiment sparked by false news spreading online, including rumours that millions of Chinese were coming to Indonesia illegally. Ahok has won praise from many Jakartans for cleaning up rivers clogged with rubbish, as part of his flood prevention programme, and building more parks. With around 10 million people, Jakarta is one of Asias most densely populated cities, Vaessen said. The capital battles yearly flooding and daily traffic congestion. Before Ahoks blasphemy trial, his approval ratings for tackling problems was more than 70 percent. But Ahoks critics say his moves to evict squatters and slum dwellers to make way for development have increased poverty and caused dispossession. Ahoks closest rival, Baswedan, has courted the votes of conservative Muslims despite his past reputation as a liberal Muslim reformer. Support from conservatives rose after he visited the headquarters of the Islamic Defenders Front, whose leader, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, was a key member of the anti-Ahok protests. Guterres says two-state solution is only way for peace between Israel and Palestine, ahead of Netanyahu-Trump meeting. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that there is no alternative to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, after a White House official said peace did not necessarily have to entail Palestinian statehood. There is no alternative solution for the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis, other than the solution of establishing two states and we should do all that can be done to maintain this, Guterres said during a visit to Cairo, echoing statements by Palestinian officials on Wednesday. On Tuesday, a senior White House official said that the administration of US President Donald Trump would no longer seek to dictate an eventual peace settlement by insisting on a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if thats what the parties want, or something else, the official said at a press briefing, adding that Trump, while giving peace high priority would not try to dictate an agreement. A two-state solution the idea of Israel and Palestine living side-by-side and at peace has been the bedrock of US diplomacy for the past two decades. Palestinian officials also issued their warnings to the US against abandoning a two-state solution. If the Trump Administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said in response to the US officials remarks. Accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy, she said in a statement. PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat said the organisation remained committed to two states and would oppose any system that discriminated against Palestinians. Israel refuses one democratic secular state where Jews, Muslims and Christians can be equal, and those in government in Israel want to destroy the two-state solution, he told a press conference. OPINION: Trump and Israel Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are due to meet in Washington later on Wednesday for the first time since the US election in November that brought the Republican to office. Al Jazeeras Bernard Smith, reporting from West Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera that Netanyahus right-wing coalition partners were hoping that he would announce that he was abandoning a two-state solution during his visit to Washington. Netanyahu was asked on his way to Washington if he still supported the idea of two-state solution and he did not make any comments, Smith said. However, he told his cabinet meeting on Sunday in Jerusalem that he was not going to raise the issue of annexing parts of the West Bank or [the] idea of abandoning a two-state solution. State-minus While Netanyahu has said he is committed to a two-state goal, he has broadly reiterated the aim since bringing it up since 2009. The right-wing Israeli leader has spoken of a state minus, suggesting that he could offer the Palestinians deep-seated autonomy and the trappings of statehood without full sovereignty. The Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, with the capital in East Jerusalem, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war. OPINION: Israel An inspiration for Trump In their meeting, Trump and Netanyahu are expected to discuss peace efforts between Israel and Palestine, as well as expanding settlements, the Iran nuclear deal and the war in Syria. Trumps campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that would infuriate Palestinians and the Muslim world, will also be a discussion point. US presidents have long maintained a close friendship with Israel, lavishing the country with aid and advanced weaponry. But Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, also highlighted Israeli actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank. Mexican immigrant, protected from deportation under programme established in 2012, sues government after being arrested. A Mexican immigrant is suing the US government after being arrested, even though he has special status protecting him from deportation. Daniel Ramirez, who has no criminal record, was arrested in his fathers home in Seattle on Friday. His lawyers say the arrest violates his constitutional rights to live and work in the US without the fear of arrest and deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) arrived at the home to arrest Ramirezs father, but also took him into custody, even though he has a work permit under Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, court documents said. The DACA programme was established in 2012 to protect children, who were brought into the US without documents, from deportation. It allows recipients, sometimes called the dreamers, to attend school and work. Ramirezs lawyers say this could be the first time under US President Donald Trump that a person covered by DACA has been taken into immigration custody. READ MORE: Trump to put limits on refugees, immigration ICE spokeswoman Rose Richeson said in a statement that Ramirez, 23, had told agents he was a gang member and was taken into custody for being a risk to public safety. In response, one of Ramirezs lawyers said that his client unequivocally denies being in a gang. While in custody, he was repeatedly pressured by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to falsely admit affiliation, Mark Rosenbaum said. Trump, a Republican who took office on January 20, has promised a crackdown on the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, most of whom come from Mexico and other Latin American countries. US immigration authorities arrested at least 680 people across the country last week, and a move against DACA recipients like Ramirez would represent a significant broadening of immigration enforcement under Trump. READ MORE: US colleges move to protect undocumented students In an interview with ABC News last month, Trump said that his administration was devising a policy on how to deal with people covered by DACA, without indicating any concrete plans. They are here illegally. They shouldnt be very worried. I do have a big heart. Were going to take care of everybody. Were going to have a very strong border, Trump said at the time. Rallies were planned in response to Ramirezs detainment by grassroots movements, such as United We Dream and One America, asking for his immediate release. Powerful blast kills at least nine people and wounds dozens in crowded street of mainly Shia suburb of Iraqi capital. A suicide bomber detonated a pick-up truck packed with explosives in northern Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least nine people, according to Iraqi officials. Thirty more were wounded in the powerful blast in the Habibiya area, near Sadr City, a Shia-majority neighbourhood in the Iraqi capital. The explosion targeted a crowded street full of garages and used car dealers. The attack came a day after a car bomb explosion in southern Baghdad killed at least four people. The Iraqi capital was rocked by a wave of deadly suicide bombings during the first days of 2017 but relatively few explosions had been reported since. IN PICTURES: Fighting the flames of ISIL in Iraq There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesdays blast, but nearly all suicide attacks are claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group. On January 2, ISIL, which often targets crowded areas to maximise casualties, claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that killed 39 people in a busy market in Sadr City. ISIL is defending Mosul, its last major stronghold in Iraq, against a massive, four-month-old operation by an alliance of forces. Malaysian police say first female suspect was carrying Vietnamese passport and was alone at the time of arrest. Malaysian police have detained a second woman believed to be connected to the death of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported. Police Inspector General Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed the detention on Thursday and said an official statement would be released later in the day, state news agency Bernama said. On Wednesday, a woman carrying Vietnamese travel documents bearing the name Doan Thi Huong was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the scene of Mondays poisoning. Police are also hunting for further suspects. READ MORE: Kim Jong-nam poisoned with chemical spray Kim died on Monday after suddenly falling ill at Kuala Lumpur airport. He had been on his way to the Chinese territory of Macau, where he had been living. He was reportedly living under Chinas protection. He died on his way to hospital. An autopsy was to be performed on Wednesday, police said. Police and authorities were working with diplomats from North Korea and Vietnam to confirm whether or not the suspect is a Vietnamese citizen, local media reported. Al Jazeeras Karishma Vyas, reporting from Kuala Lumpur, said police are looking for several others suspects, including four men who might be involved in the murder of Kim Jong-nam. Kim had lived in exile for many years and kept a low profile. He never publicly expressed interest in challenging his half-brother Kim Jong-un for the North Korean leadership, however, he has been critical of the regime. He did not support the dynastic style of the political rule [and] that may have been perceived as threat. Brutality of Kim Jong-un regime South Koreas spy agency suspects that two female North Korean agents assassinated Kim, South Korean MPs in Seoul have said. If the murder of Kim Jong-nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong-un regime, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is also the countrys acting president, told a security council meeting. Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said: The National Intelligence Service here says this is a long-standing order from the North Korean leadership. There was [reportedly] an attempt in 2012 to kill him. There have long been efforts to eradicate this family member. While there was speculation over the timing of the incident, the head of Seouls spy agency has said that North Korea probably just made the most of an opportunity that presented itself, said Fawcett. Kim, 46, was targeted in the shopping concourse at the airport and had not yet gone through immigration for his flight to Macau, said a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy. Kim told medical workers that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the official said. Although Kim had been tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his father, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Attackers burst into the studio and shot the presenter mid-broadcast, a shooting that was also caught on Facebook live. Police in the Dominican Republic have arrested three men after two radio journalists were shot dead during a Facebook Live broadcast, according to officials. The shooting took place on Tuesday in San Pedro de Macoris, east of the capital Santo Domingo. The attackers burst into the 103.5 FM studio and shot dead presenter Luis Manuel Medina as he was reading the news on air. Gunfire and a womans voice shouting, Shots, shots! can be heard on a Facebook live video streamed by one of the journalists there at the time. Moments earlier, the stations director Leonidas Martinez was killed in his office, witnesses at the radio station told local media. Two people have died and one has been injured, national police spokesman William Alcantara told reporters. He identified the wounded person as the stations secretary. No charges have yet been filed against the arrested men. According to media rights watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, journalists who tackle corruption and drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic often fall victim to attacks. Kim Jong-nam told medics before he died that he was attacked with a chemical substance, South Korean media reports. South Koreas spy agency said on Wednesday that Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was poisoned by two suspected North Korean female agents, according to MPs briefed by the intelligence agency. The agency also said North Korea had long prepared for the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the MPs said, although they did not explain how the agency knows that. Kim fell suddenly ill at an airport in Malaysias Kuala Lumpur on his way to the Chinese territory of Macau, where he had been living, the MPs said, adding that he had been given Chinas protection. He died on his way to hospital. Police reports said the two female agents fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police. Malaysian authorities detained a woman from Myanmar in connection with the investigation, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported. Meanwhile, police were checking surveillance tapes for more clues over his death, a senior official said. An autopsy will also be performed on the body of Kim Jong-nam on Wednesday, police said. If the murder of Kim Jong-nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong-un regime, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is also the countrys acting president, told a security council meeting. Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said: The National Intelligence Service here says this is a long-standing order from the North Korean leadership. There was [reportedly] an attempt in 2012 to kill him. There have long been efforts to eradicate this family member. While there was speculation over the timing of the incident, the head of spy agency has said that North Korea probably just made the most of an opportunity that presented itself, said Fawcett. Chemical spray Kim, 46, was targeted Monday in the shopping concourse at the airport and had not yet gone through immigration for his flight to Macau, said a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy. Kim told medical workers that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the official said. Although Kim had been tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his father, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. OPINION: Trouble for Trump in North Korea? He reportedly fell further out of favour with the current North Korean leader when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a 46-year-old North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. Investigation is in progress and a post-mortem examination request has been made to ascertain the cause of death, the statement said. Kim Jong Uns paranoia Ken Gause, who has studied North Koreas leadership for 30 years at the CNA think-tank in Washington, said Kim Chol was a name that Kim Jong-nam has travelled under. He is believed to have been born May 10, 1971, although birthdays are always unclear for senior North Koreans, Gause said. Mark Tokola, vice president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington and a former deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Seoul, said it would be surprising if Kim was not killed on the orders of his brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate Kim in the past. It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong-un, Tokola wrote in a commentary on Tuesday. Although there was scant evidence that Kim Jong-nam was plotting against the North Korean leader, he provided an alternative for North Koreans who would want to depose his brother. The reported killing came as North Korea celebrated its latest missile launch, which foreign experts were analysing for evidence of advancement in the countrys missile capabilities. READ MORE: North Korea declares ballistic missile test success For the next several days, North Korea will be marking the birthday of its late leader Kim Jong-il, the brothers father, though they have different mothers. The major holiday this Thursday is called the Day of the Shining Star and will be feted with figure skating and synchronised swimming exhibitions, fireworks and mass rallies. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong-un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a reign of terror. The most spectacular was the 2013 execution by anti-aircraft fire of his uncle, Jang Song-thaek, once considered the countrys second-most powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. Gause said Kim Jong-nam had been forthright that he did not have political ambitions, although he was publicly critical of the North Korean regime and his brothers legitimacy in the past. Defence Secretary tells NATO that US will moderate its commitment, if fellow members do not increase military spending. US Defence Secretary James Mattis has told fellow NATO members to increase military spending by the end of the year, or risk seeing the US curtail its defence support. The ultimatum came on Wednesday during Mattis first visit to the NATO headquarters in Brussels, since he was sworn in last month. If your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence, Mattis said. He told the alliances 27 other defence ministers to adopt a plan that sets dates for governments to meet a military funding goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Mattiss message to his counterparts in Brussels follows years of demands by the US for allies to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defence, a goal that only a handful meet despite agreeing to it at a summit in 2014. Currently, only the United States, Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland have hit or surpassed the 2 percent figure. READ MORE: EU nations react to Donald Trump\s remarks Asked about Mattis ultimatum, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that allies needed time to develop plans. Many are already talking about increasing commitments, he added. Stoltenberg denied that Mattiss words amounted to a threat, saying it was a firm message and that his colleagues agreed that they would do more to contribute. That message is about the importance of fair burden-sharing. It reflects a political reality in the United States, Stoltenberg told a press conference. Despite lambasting some NATO partners spending, Mattis hailed NATO as the fundamental bedrock of transatlantic security as he sought to reassure allies about President Donald Trumps commitment to the alliance. Even though, Trump had previously said the alliance was obsolete and that US help to NATO might depend on how much they have paid, since his inauguration, he has taken a more orthodox stance and reaffirmed the long-standing US commitment to the alliance. Sexting With a Minor Is a Major Offense Yesterday, Jerry Sandusky's adopted son Jeffrey was arrested and charged on a multitude of child sex charges. Although there was no physical sexual contact involved, Pennsylvania police say the younger Sandusky solicited nude photos from a then-16-year-old girl last year and sought oral sex in 2013 from her then-15-year-old sister, all via text messages. Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse in 2012, and is currently serving a 30-year minimum sentence in prison. As of this morning, his son was charged with 14 felony and misdemeanor counts and remained in county jail on $200,000 bail. Texting Trouble The investigation into Jeffrey Sandusky began when one girl showed text messages to her father, who in turn showed them to police. When confronted by the victims' mother, Sandusky allegedly told her it was "role play" designed to get her daughter off the internet before admitting that what he did was "wrong and inappropriate." District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller also said she spoke with Sandusky and that he "made statements. I wouldn't classify them necessarily as directly inculpatory, but I don't think they helped him much." Both girls rebuffed Sandusky's text advances. One told Sandusky to stop making the requests, and when he requested to talk, she replied, "You did what you did and I'm not going to give you a chance to try and justify it." The trooper that reviewed the text messages said the teen also told Sandusky: "You literally tried to guilt me into doing it and you even told me specifically what I 'needed' to do. You know who does that? Rapists and abusers. ... I don't know how many times I need to tell you no and to stop before you get it." Sexting Statutes The younger Sandusky apparently never got the responses he wanted, but he did get hit with 14 sexual assault and child abuse charges under Pennsylvania law: Solicitation of statutory sexual assault (first degree felony); Solicitation of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse (first degree felony); Six counts of unlawful contact with a minor (third degree felony); Two counts of solicitation to photograph or depict sexual acts (second degree felony); Two counts of sexual abuse of children (second degree felony); and Two counts of corruption of minors (first degree misdemeanor). All told, Sandusky is looking at between 80 and 90 years in prison for his attempted sexting. Related Resources: Millions expected to cast their ballot for the capitals governor following campaigning marred by religious disputes. Millions of Indonesians are heading to the polls to elect the capitals next governor following an election campaign marred by religious intolerance and racial bigotry. More than 13,000 polling stations opened across Jakarta on Wednesday to accommodate the 7.1 million people eligible to vote, one of dozens of elections taking place across the Muslim-majority country. The Jakarta election pits incumbent governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama against Anies Baswedan, a former education minister, and Agus Yudhoyono, the son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Ahok, an ethnic Chinese Christian, has been dogged by a blasphemy case triggered by comments he made about the Quran that were deemed insulting to Islam and Muslims. In September, he told a crowd of his supporters that if they were afraid of going to hell if they elected a non-Muslim as their leader, they need not worry as they had been lied to using Surah Al-Maidah verse 51. Some Muslims interpret the Quranic verse in question as prohibiting them from electing non-Muslims as their leaders. Ahok has denied that he intended to insult the Quran, saying he was referring to those who misused religion for political purposes. After two massive protests by conservative Muslims, he was charged and is now on trial for blasphemy, though he remains free to contest the poll. The 50-year-old led opinion polls in the run-up to the election, but according to analysts is not expected to win more than 50 percent of the votes, making a run-off unavoidable. Al Jazeeras Step Vaessen, reporting the capital, said turnout would be high with so much at stake. The situation is currently calm, which is in huge contrast to how things were during campaigning. Religion was used as an instrument in the build up to the vote and this has created tension among religious groups across the country. Analysts are calling the vote a test of Indonesian democracy but also of Indonesian religion and pluralism, she added. Fake news The campaign period was also marked by rising anti-Chinese sentiment sparked by false news spreading online, including rumours that millions of Chinese were coming to Indonesia illegally. Ahok has won praise from many Jakartans for cleaning up rivers clogged with rubbish, as part of his flood prevention programme, and building more parks. But critics say his moves to evict squatters and slum dwellers to make way for development have increased poverty and caused dispossession. Ahoks closest rival, Baswedan, has courted the votes of conservative Muslims despite his past reputation as a liberal Muslim reformer. Support from conservatives rose after he visited the headquarters of the Islamic Defenders Front, whose leader, Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, was a key member of the anti-Ahok protests. Official results will not be announced until the end of this month, but pollsters were expected to reveal so-called quick counts later on Wednesday. Quick counts have proved to be accurate in predicting the results of past elections. A second round election between the two candidates with the most votes is scheduled for April 19. Families camp out in cars and tents as engineers rush to fix the tallest dam in the US before more rain arrives. Nearly 200,000 Californians faced an indefinite stay in shelters on Tuesday, as engineers worked around the clock to fix the United States tallest dam before more rain arrives. After what looks to be the wettest winter in Northern California following years of drought, more rain was forecast for as early as Wednesday and will continue until Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Hundreds of families were camped out in cars and tents at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, in Chico, about 40km northwest of Oroville. I left everything in my house. Ive got a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house and I dont know whats going to happen to it, said William Rigsbay, 53, of Thermalito. Crews were working to shore up an emergency overflow channel at the Lake Oroville Dam, using helicopters and heavy construction equipment to place rocks and other materials into areas of erosion, the California Department of Water Resources said. The agency said the reservoir was draining at a rate that should allow it to absorb inflows from forecasted rain. The repair work was being done on the back-up channel, known as the emergency spillway, which allows water out of the reservoir when capacity is reached. The primary spillway is also damaged, but it is still usable, officials said. Water authorities had been relieving pressure on the dam through the concrete-lined primary spillway last week, but lake levels rose as storm water surged in and engineers moderated use of the damaged primary spillway. The rising water topped over the earthen back-up spillway, which has a concrete top, for the first time in the dams 50-year history over the weekend. When the emergency spillway showed signs of erosion, engineers feared a 9 metre-high section could fail, and about 188,000 people were ordered to leave their homes in the Feather River valley below the dam, 105km north of Sacramento. Both spillways are next to the dam, which itself is sound, engineers say. As of Tuesday, officials had yet to indicate when it would be safe for people to go home. Shopfronts and malls were closed and traffic was light on Californias state highway 99 near Oroville. The packed car park of a 7-Eleven store in nearby Live Oak was one of the few signs of life along the route, other than emergency personnel. Authorities said they had averted the immediate danger of a catastrophic failure at the dam that could unleash a wall of water three stories high on towns below. Were doing everything we can to get this dam in shape that they can return and they can live safely without fear. Its very difficult, California Governor Jerry Brown told a news conference on Monday evening. That day, Brown had sent a letter to US President Donald Trump asking him to issue an emergency declaration that would open up federal assistance for the affected communities. White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Tuesday told reporters that the administration would make sure we are doing everything we can to attend to this matter and help people who have been impacted, adding that the dam was evidence that the US needed to overhaul its infrastructure, one of Trumps domestic goals. In the meantime, people living beneath the dam were homeless. Yolanda Davila, 62, of Thermalito, ended up at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, one of only five places in the area taking people with pets. She left home without medicine and dog food in the rush to find shelter before the evacuation deadline. She said areas such as Sacramento had been issued with flood warnings earlier in the week and that authorities should have warned residents near Oroville much sooner. We didnt have a plan. All we knew is to head north towards Chico, Davila said. If I knew we had to get out earlier I would have went to the Bay area. The earth-filled dam is just upstream and east of Oroville, a town of about 16,000 people. A new round of talks on the Syrian conflict led by Russia, Turkey and Iran were set to begin on February 15. Talks on the Syrian crisis involving Russia, Iran, and Turkey that were due to start in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on Wednesday have been delayed by one day, Kazakhstans foreign ministry said without explaining the reason for the delay. The negotiations have been moved to February 16 for technical reasons, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told AFP news agency by telephone without elaboration. Syrian rebels cast doubt on Monday over whether they would attend the talks, accusing Russia of failing to get Damascus to comply fully with a ceasefire or take any confidence-building steps. READ MORE: Syrias Civil War Explained Kazakhstan, Moscows close political ally, said last week the two-day talks, to which the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, had also been invited, would focus on consolidating the Syrian ceasefire. A new round of UN-backed peace talks is due to begin in Geneva next. The closed format negotiations come after representatives from Damascus and the armed opposition failed to make a breakthrough at indirect talks in the city in January. The meeting, pushed by key regime-supporter Moscow, is viewed as a warm-up for UN-led negotiations on the protracted war that are due to begin in Geneva on February 23. While Kazakh officials said they invited both the Syrian government and rebels for the new talks, several of the regime opponents who took part in the previous Astana talks told AFP that they have not received invitations. OPINION: How far is Russia willing to go in Syria? Russia is sending Alexander Lavrentiev, presidential envoy, while Iran said it is dispatching Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari. De Mistura said he would not participate personally in the latest Astana meeting but that his office would be represented by a technical team. Jordan will also be represented by a high-level delegation government spokesman Mohamed Momani said. The Astana initiative has left the West on the sidelines of the latest push to end the war in Syria that has claimed more than 300,000 lives since 2011. Moscow has invited the United States to participate as an observer but the US Department of State has yet to confirm Washington will be involved. READ MORE: Rebels focused on ceasefire at Astana peace talks Talks are likely to focus on bolstering a shaky ceasefire on the ground after Moscow, Tehran and Ankara agreed to establish a mechanism aimed at ensuring the truce. The Geneva negotiations are expected to be wider-ranging, focussing on the key issues that divide the government and rebel sides, including the fate of President Bashar al-Assad. Russia and Iran have helped turn the tables on the ground with their military backing for Assad, while Turkey has supported rebels fighting to oust the leader. Explosion was detonated when two suicide bombers were stopped from entering the tribal headquarters in Mohmand Agency. A suicide bombing, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban faction, has killed three policemen and two passers-by in the administrative headquarters of a tribal region in northwestern Pakistan, officials said. The explosion went off at the main gate of the tribal headquarters in Ghalanai, in the Mohmand tribal region, just as the workday was about to start on Wednesday, said Hameedullah Khan, a local government official. A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group, claimed the attack in a statement sent to media. Khan, whose office is inside the compound, said the grounds contain homes, offices and training facilities for the local administration and police employees. READ MORE: Pakistan mourns victims of Lahore rally blast The Pakistani army said the bomber was accompanied by another fighter, who tried to force his way into the compound after the explosion went off but that security guards opened fire and killed him. Hundreds of local residents come daily on business to the tribal headquarters, located 45km outside Peshawar, the provincial capital. Wednesdays attack, and another suicide bombing that killed 13 in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Monday, reflect an increase in attacks by armed groups after almost a three-month lull. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar group claimed the Lahore attack. Seven police officers died in that bombing, including a former chief of the provinces counterterrorism department. A spokesman for the group warned in a statement that the blast was just the start. At least one killed and several wounded in blast claimed by Pakistani Taliban as violence across country rises. Peshawar, Pakistan A suicide bomber targeted a government van in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least one person and wounding several others, officials said. Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek e-Taliban, claimed Wednesdays attack which follows a recent surge in violence across the country. We claim responsibility for the suicide attack on the vehicle of the judiciary. The man who carried out the suicide attack was the brave warrior Sabir Swati, the group said in a statement, as it warned of further attacks. Remember that the Pakistani judiciary and those [] who work for it are an obstacle to the imposition of an Islamic system. These people are the reason for mujahideen [fighters] being imprisoned or executed. The attacker, who rammed his motorcycle into the van, appeared to be targeting government judicial employees in the Hayatabad area, police officials said. There was a suicide bomber on a motorcycle the driver of the van has been killed, and four others have been wounded, said senior police official Sajjad Ahmed, speaking to media at the site of the explosion. Tauheed Zulfiqar, a spokesman for the nearby Hayatabad Medical Complex where the wounded were being treated, confirmed the death toll. Images of the blast showed the mangled wreckage of the van crashed into a low wall, with its windows and doors badly damaged. Police cordoned off the site and deployed a security perimeter. We have found body parts of the bomber as well as his motorcycle, which hit the van, said Ahmed. We have started a search operation, we will be able to share more information after it is completed. Muhammad Tahir, Peshawars police chief, said: The initial analysis shows that at least 15kg of explosives were used in this attack. Prominent opposition politician Imran Khan was due to visit the nearby Hayatabad Medical Complex later in the day, and police had been directed to secure the area. A bomb disposal unit team and additional security had been dispatched to the area hours earlier, police sources said. Security was on high alert, because [Imran Khan] had to go to this hospital, provincial Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani told local television channel Dawn. The attack came hours after a suicide bombing at a government office in the nearby Mohmand tribal area, which killed at least five people, including three policemen and two civilians. On Monday, at least 13 people were killed when a suicide blast targeted police officers at a protest in the eastern city of Lahore. Follow Asad Hashim on Twitter: @AsadHashim Netanyahu to meet Trump at White House, as US suggests it may abandon efforts of creating independent Palestinian state. US President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday, their first meeting since the inauguration and one that could shape policy in the region for years ahead. Trump and Netanyahu are likely to discuss peace efforts between Israel and Palestine, as well as expanding settlements, the Iran nuclear deal and the war in Syria. Trumps campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that would infuriate Palestinians and the Muslim world, will also be a discussion point. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump was working to achieve a comprehensive agreement ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The way forward toward that goal will also be discussed between the president and the prime minister, he said. Trump, who is relentlessly pro-Israel and has repeatedly spoken disparagingly about Palestinians has challenged the legitimacy of Palestinian demands for a state. OPINION: Trump and Israel On Tuesday, a White House official said that Trump supported the goal of peace between the Israel and the Palestinians, even if it does not involve the two-state solution. A two-state solution the idea of Israel and Palestine living side-by-side and at peace has been the bedrock of US diplomacy for the past two decades. While Netanyahu has said he is committed to a two-state goal, he has broadly reiterated the aim since bringing it up since 2009. The right-wing Israeli leader has spoken of a state minus, suggesting he could offer the Palestinians deep-seated autonomy and the trappings of statehood without full sovereignty. The Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, with the capital in East Jerusalem, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war. Hanan Ashrawi, an executive member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the Trump administrations stance on the two-state solution does not make sense. This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace, she told AFP news agency. They cannot just say that without an alternative, she added. OPINION: Israel An inspiration for Trump Netanyahu, who is under investigation at home over allegations of abuse of office, spent much of Tuesday huddled with senior advisers in Washington preparing for the talks. Officials said that they wanted no gaps to emerge between US and Israeli thinking during the scheduled two-hour Oval Office meeting. The Israeli prime minister is also scheduled to have breakfast on Thursday with Vice President Mike Pence before returning to Israel. American presidents have long maintained a close friendship with Israel, lavishing the country with aid and advanced weaponry. But Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, also highlighted Israeli actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank. US President says one-state or two-state solution possible as long as sides agree, after meeting Israeli PM Netanyahu. US President Donald Trump has said that a peace deal between Israel and Palestine can be a one-state or two-state solution as long as both sides agree on it. Looking at two-state or one-state, I like the one that both parties like. Im very happy with the one both parties like. I can live with either one, Trump said, replying to questions during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Wednesday. The United States will encourage a peace and really a great peace deal We will be working on it very, very diligently. But it is the parties themselves who must directly negotiate such an agreement, Trump said. A two-state solution the idea of Israel and Palestine living side-by-side and at peace has been the bedrock of US diplomacy for the past two decades. Netanyahu said that he wanted to focus on substance and not labels, when asked about support for a two-state solution. Rather than deal with labels, I want to deal with substance, Netanyahu said during the news conference. There are two prerequisites for peace. First the Palestinians must recognize the Jewish state Second, in any peace agreement, Israel must retain the overriding security control over the entire area west of the Jordan River, he said. Trump said that Washington was working to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I would like to see that happen. We are looking at it very very strongly. We are looking at it with great care. Lets see what happens. In a major policy shift, US president says he would back a single-state solution, after meeting Israeli PM Netanyahu. President Donald Trump has dropped Washingtons commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, backing away from a long-held position of the US and the international community in the Middle East. In a joint press conference on Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he would back a single-state solution if the two sides agreed to it. Looking at two-state or one-state, I like the one that both parties like. Im very happy with the one both parties like. I can live with either one, Trump told reporters after meeting Netanyahu in Washington. The United States will encourage a peace and really a great peace deal We will be working on it very, very diligently. But it is the parties themselves who must directly negotiate such an agreement, Trump said. AL JAZEERAS SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST, MARWAN BISHARA: On Trumps comments about a two-state solution: The problem is Netanyahu doesnt agree to two states and does not agree to one state. This whole one state thing means that Jews, Christians and Muslims, Palestinians and Israelis will live in one democratic state. Netanyahu and his coalition do not agree to one state and they reject the two-state solution. The Palestinians agree to one state and they are happy with two states; what they disagree to is an apartheid system, where there are two systems in one land: one superior for Israelis and one inferior for the Palestinians. On Trumps comments about settlements: I think this statement by Trump is absolutely meaningless at this point in time, because the Israelis have already made their plans for 6,000 units that they need today in the West Bank. If Trump was serious, he would have said you need to put a hold on those settlements you just declared while I was busy putting together my administration. A two-state solution the idea of Israel and Palestine living side-by-side and at peace has been the bedrock of US and international diplomacy for the past two decades. Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from the White House, said Trumps comments marked a very dramatic development in the search for peace in the Middle East. Now, for the first time upending long-standing US policy, Trump says he is not wedded to a two-state solution, and thats a fundamental change basically ripping up the long-standing roadmap. Its going against UN Security Council resolutions; its going against the agreed position of the international community. Netanyahu said that he wanted to focus on substance and not labels, when asked about his support for a two-state solution. There are two prerequisites for peace. First, the Palestinians must recognise the Jewish state Second, in any peace agreement, Israel must retain the overriding security control over the entire area west of the Jordan River, he said. Trump also said that Washington was working to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I would like to see that happen. We are looking at it very very strongly. We are looking at it with great care. Lets see what happens. Id like to see you pull back on settlements for a little bit, Trump told Netanyahu on the illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. Earlier on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had warned that there was no alternative to a two-state solution to the conflict, after a White House official said peace did not necessarily have to entail Palestinian statehood a day before. There is no alternative solution for the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis, other than the solution of establishing two states and we should do all that can be done to maintain this, Guterres said during a visit to Cairo on Wednesday. Palestinian officials also issued their warnings to the US against abandoning a two-state solution. If the Trump administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said in response to the US officials remarks. Accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy, she said in a statement. The Palestinians want an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, with the capital in East Jerusalem, which Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war. Netanyahu committed, with conditions, to the two-state goal in a speech in 2009 and has broadly reiterated the aim since. But he has also spoken of a state minus option, suggesting he could offer the Palestinians deep-seated autonomy and the trappings of statehood without full sovereignty. Many commentators who follow the events in the region would say theres some doubt to whether Netanyahu ever fully believed to a two-state solution, Al Jazeeras Bays said. Netanyahu has made clear that the Israelis have to have total control over security in the area What the Israelis perhaps are pushing for is the status quo in a permanent form, so Palestinians having some autonomy in their various villages and areas under Israeli control. Most Palestinian and Arab commentators would describe that as occupation, and quite possible as apartheid. Ambassador Al-Kaabi was critically wounded in Kandahar attack that also killed five Emirati aid workers. The ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Afghanistan died on Wednesday of wounds sustained in a bomb attack in Kandahar last month that also killed five Emirati aid workers, the UAEs foreign ministry announced. With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn the martyr of the nation and his duty, the righteous son Juma Mohammed Abdullah al-Kaabi, who gave his pure soul for the sake of humanity, the ministry said in a statement quoted by official news agency WAM. The diplomats were expected to open a number of UAE-backed projects as part of an aid programme in Afghanistan. The Taliban denied carrying out the bombing, saying the attack was a result of internal local rivalry. Figures collated by British news agency show big increase in attacks after Britons voted to leave the European Union. Hates crimes in the UK reached record levels following a June vote to leave the European Union, according to new figures collated by a British news agency. The number of reported hate crimes for the July to September quarter rose from 10,793 in 2015 to 14,295 for the same period last year. The report on Wednesday by the Press Association said 33 out of the UKs 44 police forces had witnessed record numbers of such crimes. Authorities in three areas recorded more than 1,000 incidents during the period. READ MORE: Theresa May and the Brexit divide Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire police forces dealt with just over a 1,000 cases each, and Londons Metropolitan police force recorded 3,356 cases. The British government said it was working on ways to tackle hate crime and provide help to its victims. Crime motivated by hostility and prejudice towards any group in society has no place whatsoever in a Britain that works for everyone, a Home Office spokesman said. The action we are taking is working and more victims are finding the confidence to come forward to report these crimes. Anti-European attacks Eastern European migrants to the UK were particularly affected in the aftermath of the vote to leave the EU, or Brexit. Within days of the June 23 referendum, Polish communities reported a series of incidents, including the distribution of leaflets describing them as vermin and racist graffiti outside a cultural centre in London. In September, a group of 20 youths attacked a Polish man In the northern English city of Leeds in, leaving him needing hospital treatment. In another attack in the town of Harlow, near London, in December, a Polish man was beaten to death in a suspected hate crime attack after, his family members said, he was heard speaking the Polish language. A spokesperson for the anti-racist activist group, Hope not Hate, said the referendum exposed hateful ideas already present in British society. We do need to expose those encouraging such hatred, whether on the political fringe or inside extreme right-wing groups. The authorities must ensure any perpetrators face the full force of the law, the spokesperson said. Its also imperative to sensibly discuss issues such as immigration away from hyperbole and invective. Brexit: The view from Englands Little Poland The campaign to leave the EU was criticised for its heavy anti-immigration rhetoric, and the issue of immigration played a big part in the decision to leave the bloc. Nigel Farage, the then leader of the anti-EU UK Independence party (UKIP), unveiled a poster featuring a queue of hundreds of refugees entering Europe with the caption Breaking Point. The image was roundly condemned by British politicians, including members of his own party, and some activists on social media compared it to propaganda images used by the Nazis. Reacting to Wednesdays report, Paul Nuttall, the current leader of UKIP, said the data, which was collected by the police forces themselves, was fabricated. He told the Independent newspaper the figures were overblown specifically to try to rubbish Brexit. Facebook Sued in Germany for Selfie Linked to Fake News Stories about Terrorism With one selfie, a Syrian refugee has brought Facebook to a day of reckoning. A German judge will soon decide what to do about Anas Modamani, who took a selfie with chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015 and posted it on Facebook. The photo went viral as a symbol of Germany's open-door policy to refugees, but some fake news stories used the photo to link Modamani to terrorism. Modamani, who sued for injunctive relief in Wurzburg, wants Facebook to prevent the photo from being shared and to delete all false news stories that have used it. Facebook's attorney told the judge it is not possible. Billions of Postings "There are billions of postings each day," said attorney Martin Munz. "You want us to employ a sort of wonder machine to detect each misuse. Such a machine doesn't exist." Chan-jo Jun, Modamani's lawyer, said Facebook has the technical ability to identify and police photos on its site. It should be able to stop his client's photo from proliferating as well. "If it's about breasts or child pornography, Facebook is very well able to detect all pictures," he said. Judge Volkmar Seipel said the law has not kept up with all the questions raised by the case, and that the court may not be able to answer them all. He said he will issue a ruling by March 7, 2016. In the meantime, German legislators are considering a law that would fine Facebook $500,000 a day for fake news stories if the company does not delete them promptly. Facebook, in response, has launched a fake-news filtering system ahead of the country's national elections. "I Want Peace" Facebook has also updated its Trending Topics feature, which offers links to popular subjects, to promote links to reliable news sources. Teaming up with news organizations such as the Washington Post, Facebook wants to offer curated news reports to its users. During the two-hour hearing in Wurzburg, the judge stopped the arguments and urged the parties to settle. They declined. Modamani, for his part, said he just wants his life back. "I want peace in my life," the 19 year old told reporters after the hearing. "Not everyone believes that. Many people hate me, but all I did was take a selfie with Ms. Merkel." Related Resources: The poignant stories of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and the effects of imprisonment on them and their families. Filmmaker: Mustafa Al-Nabih There are an estimated 7,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Since 1967, around 750,000 Palestinians have been in custody. Lost Time hears the deeply personal stories of some of the prisoners and their families, exploring the social, emotional, financial, physical, and psychological effects of long-term imprisonment. Diaa and Mohamed Al-Agha were imprisoned in 1992 and 2003, respectively, and their mother, Najat, feels that she lost precious years with her boys. When Mohamed was released, Diaa went on hunger strike. I hope God grants me life to see them like any mother would see her children. Ive missed 46 Eids and 23 Mothers Days. It is unfortunate that I dont get to celebrate, laments Najat, whos husband was also detained in 1973. A prisoner is like a caged bird. Once released, it tries to fly, only to fall again. by Mustafa Musulmani, Palestinian prisoner As trauma and stress affect Palestinian prisoners, they also affect members of their families. Mohamed Hashashs mother wasnt allowed to visit him for 15 years. When she did, she suffered three strokes and is now confined to a single room the size of her sons prison cell. Prisoner Mohammed Al-Basyouni smuggled his sperm out of jail when his wife, Ahlam, decided she wanted to have in-vitro fertilisation. Now she has twins but they dont know their father, are not allowed to visit him and are considered illegitimate under Israeli law. While her immediate community was against the idea, Ahlam says her daughters, Nadia and Maysaa, fill my life with joy. Before them, she had experienced bouts of depression and feelings of emptiness, but I dont count these days as part of my life. For me, time has stopped. But, at the end of the day, using a simple idea, I managed to cut that time short, by giving birth, says Ahlam. READ MORE: Smuggled child meets father in Israeli jail Reem Anbar only knows her father, Rami, through photographs. He was detained in 2002 for armed action against Israeli forces and is serving an 18-year sentence. A tearful Reem admits her weakest moments come when my classmates father shows up to school. I feel sad, she says. I try to hold myself together. When people are around, youre happy. You shouldnt project your sadness on them. You try to remain composed and share their happiness. Her mother, Fidaa, had to wait six years before being granted permission to visit her husband. Recalling that day, she says: I began to search for him, as he was searching for me. We didnt recognise each other. The visit became very difficult and I was crying the whole time. I couldnt listen to what he was saying. Even after their release, many prisoners struggle to shake off the effects of serving time in jail. Mustafa Musulmani describes life outside of prison as just as painful as it was behind bars. A prisoner is like a caged bird. Once released, it tries to fly, only to fall again. By sending us to the Gaza Strip, the occupation wants to shatter our will and determination, and kill our fighting spirit and our resistance, and feelings of belonging to our country, he says. But we tell the occupation and anyone who can hear, Our dream will never fade. It lives in us, our dream to go back to our country one day and be with our parents and the people wholl pray for our souls if we die. He was released in 2011, but exiled to Gaza instead of returning to his family and birthplace in Tubas, a Palestinian city in the northeastern West Bank. Unable to visit family because of Israeli travel restrictions, an emotional Mustafa explains: Living alone is like being in prison, or even worse. He hasnt seen two of his three daughters for over 17 years and finds it most difficult during the holidays. Sometimes, I find myself sitting and tears start rolling down my face, especially during Ramadan and holidays. Everyone celebrates with their families, cousins, siblings and parents but Im alone. I stay at home alone. Hasan Salame has been in jail since 1996. Ghefran Zamel has never met him but the two got engaged in 2010 after they exchanged photographs. Seven years on, they still intend to marry when Hasan is eventually released. Ghefran describes their engagement as an act of defiance against the Israeli occupation. This is our message to the occupation: If you sentence us to death, well face death with life. It was a message of hope for all the prisoners, not just Hasan, she says. An anonymous artist in a gorilla mask drew a crowd of about 600 people to a UF auditorium on Tuesday. The artist, who used the pseudonym Frida Kahlo, traveled from New York to deliver a message of inclusion, namely that of women in art museums. UFs Art History Association coordinated the event. Kahlo, whose name is a tribute to the famed Mexican-born artist, is one of the founding members of Guerrilla Girls, a group of feminist activist artists that aims to expose gender and ethnic bias, among other causes all while wearing gorilla masks, according to its official website. Dressed in all black and standing in front of a PowerPoint presentation, she spoke to attendees at Carleton Auditorium about the groups history of activism and why its members continue to wage battle against sexism in the arts. We like to think our work makes a difference, she said. Since its inception in the 1980s, the group has protested in front of museums and publicized statistics showing the underrepresentation of female artists. She spoke about how in 1989 she presented statistics of women artists and nude bodies featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Less than 5 percent of the artists in the Modern Art sections are women, but 85 percent of the nudes are female, her statistics read. In 2011, the group went back and found similar numbers; 4 percent of artists were women and 76 percent of the nudes pictured are of women. UF art professor Coco Fusco, who helped organize the event, said the event had to be rescheduled after the speakers flight was delayed, but she was pleased by the attendance. This is the largest audience we have ever had in a visiting artist lecture, she said. Helen Lehrer, 22, said she felt motivated by the groups fight for equality. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Thats inspiring for young people who have dreams, said the UF digital arts and sciences senior. @merylkornfield mkornfield@alligator.org Artist Frida Kahlo talks to more than 600 audience members in Carleton Auditorium about the founding of Guerrilla Girls and women in the art world. The Guerrilla Girls exhibit is currently being shown at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art. A new website is offering to help college students find their perfect jobs. On Feb. 7, TransparentCareer launched a national website to help students compare types of jobs and salaries with alumni from their university. Students and alumni from more than 2,000 universities currently use the platform to create public profiles and filter through lists of companies and positions based on salaries and work hours, said Kevin Marvinac, the chief operating officer and cofounder of the website. The goal is for someone to log on and say, Hey, Im a student at this school, Im concentrating on this what are my options? What can I get paid with this position at this company? Marvinac said. The website will introduce a job-matching feature in March, which will let recruiters con- tact students directly through the site, Marvinac said. Its like Match.com, but for your career, Marvinac said. We want to give students a good sense of where they stack up and smartly recommend other companies and opportunities based on their preferences and skills. Unlike the website LinkedIn, TransparentCareer is research-based, he said. We dont imagine we are replacing LinkedIn, Marvinac said. We are not a networking site. The company currently employs outreach interns at 12 universities across the country, including UF. Phillip Ahn, a 20-year-old UF philosophy junior, said he became an intern with the website in January after hearing about it from the UF Entrepreneurship Club. Ahn said he thinks TransparentCareer will be an effective resource for UF students because its focused on exposing all aspects of a job. For millennials, job satisfaction is really important, so its great to have data from other people on how they like their position, Ahn said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Maggie Moskal, an 18-year-old UF psychology freshman, said shes interested in making an account on the website because she wants to pave her own path as she searches for a job. I have a problem with finding reliable websites, she said. I think it would be good to have another resource where you can be an individual and take charge of your own career. Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe and UF President Kent Fuchs signed an agreement Tuesday promising to turn Gainesville into a new American city. The agreement came during the annual State of the City Address, held at the Gainesville Police Departments Hall of He- roes. City officials, UF administrators and community members were in attendance. The agreement, called a memorandum of understanding, is between the school and city the first of its kind honoring a strategic development plan, which aims to consistently improve Gainesville in the coming decades, focusing on joint projects that will both culturally and economically help the city. These partnerships are ones that enrich and sustain our university and our community, Fuchs said. Fuchs said by partnering with the city, UF is closer to accomplishing its most important goal of becoming one of the nations greatest public research universities. Now, with our visions and plans for the coming decades outlined in greater depth than ever before, we are fortunate to take this partnership to the next step, Fuchs said. Poe ended the address by highlighting the citys achievements in the past year, including the opening of Depot Park, substantial economic growth in east Gainesville and a decline in violent crime and juvenile arrests. The state of our city is strong, Poe said, although adding that there is much more work to be done. Poe said Gainesville continues to have the highest concentration of poverty in the state and one of the highest rates of income disparity in the nation, adding that the city must work to become a complete community for people of every ethnicity and background. We are only as strong as the most vulnerable among us, he said. @molly_vossler Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now mvossler@alligator.org UF President Kent Fuchs spoke before city officials, UF administrators and Gainesville community members at the 2017 State of the City Address at Gainesville Polices Hall of Heroes on Tuesday. Afterward, Fuchs and Mayor Lauren Poe signed a memorandum of understanding between the university and the city. Following the death of a UF student at a bus stop outside Campus Club Apartments on Saturday, the stops safety has come under scrutiny and will be investigated. Karan Kullar, a 22-year-old computer engineering student, was killed after a drunk driver sped over a curb near the bus stop and hit him, according to a sworn complaint filed by Gainesville Police. Two of his friends suffered minor injuries in the accident, which occurred on Southwest 37th Boulevard. While the surviving victims of the crash voiced concerns about the stops proximity to the road its about two feet away it is unlikely to be changed because there had been no recorded accidents there prior to Saturdays, said Chip Skinner, a spokesperson for Regional Transit System. People just need to be aware of their surroundings especially at night, he said. The distance from a bus stop to the road is determined by the speed limit of the road, the Florida Department of Transportation and federal laws, Skinner said. Saurabh Prasad, a friend of Kullars who narrowly avoided the drunk driver Saturday, said the bus stops current proximity to 37th Boulevard is a hazard. That bus stop needs an upgrade, the UF computer science graduate student said. Dana Liguori, 19, said she heard the crash of a car and a scream from her Campus Club apartment Saturday night. The UF neuroscience sophomore said she takes the bus to class every day and often sees cars speed by. GPD spokesperson Officer Ben Tobias said police have not had complaints about speeding on 37th Boulevard. Liguori said the stop isnt the issue; bad drivers are. I think the bus stop is safe but people who drive down this road arent, Liguori said. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now @merylkornfield mkornfield@alligator.org A student who will lead soldiers into battle after graduating was unanimously approved Tuesday by UF Student Senate as the next Student Government Veterans Affairs executive cabinet director. Sean Titus, 21, was nominated by Student Body President Susan Webster after Student Body Vice President Brendon BJ Jonassiant suggested him, Webster said. Titus, a member of UFs ROTC program, was an Impact Party District B senator from Fall 2015 to Fall 2016. After he graduates, Titus said hell become a ranked second lieutenant commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. BJ and I feel that he is more than qualified to fill the role, Webster said. He was the only candidate in consideration, she said. Titus said hes worked with UF Collegiate Veterans Society. In Fall 2014, he applied for the position but was denied. He plans to rebuild a fountain in the Reitz Union pond and dedicate it to veterans, he said. The focus is on our veterans, he said. We cant wait to help them. The Senate meeting was canceled last week due to a lack of pressing business, said Senate President Smith Meyers. UF Student Body Constitutions Article III Section 6 states Senate must meet once every two weeks. Senate also approved $1,400 in traveling fees for Gator Bhangra, an Indian dance group associated with the Indian Student Association, and $360 for the Vegan Eating for Gators student organization. A resolution stating Senate support for the $2.2 million Plaza of the Americas renovations also passed. @paigexfry pfry@alligator.org Spring SG Election Dates: Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now February 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. February 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Locations: Broward Hall library Health Science Center C2-041C Heavener, Room 202 Jennings first-floor library Bruton-Geer Hall side hallways by the cafeteria Marston Science Library main room Murphree Area Commons Conference, Room 106 Norman Hall Education Library Reitz Union computer lab Southwest Recreation Center Cafe near entrance on left side Springs Area Office, Room C202 Any conversation about intimacy would be remiss to ignore the subject of sex, and I think it is vital to examine a longstanding social trend known as purity culture. Society has deemed sex as the single act in human experience which is detractive. The term virginity has no parallel in our language. You dont avoid learning to swim because you can never again be a non-swimmer. Lets take a look at why. Sex and shame are incredibly effective means of control. When you can convince a population that premarital sex is shameful, you reduce the number of children born outside of marriage. Why would anyone want to do this? Given modern alternatives, we often forget that for most of history marriage has been a religious institution, which required pledging to raise ones children in accordance with the church. Proselytizing religions evolved to out-breed opposing faiths by discouraging non-procreative sex. These tactics are out of date. The dominant religions of the world are no longer fighting for numbers. What other factors perpetuate sex-negative attitudes? Lets clarify for a moment. What I am talking about here is the physical act of sex only. Arguments exist for abstinence on the basis of pregnancy, disease and other manageable risks. I credit my readers with enough intelligence to understand that failure to communicate with your partners, get tested regularly and use protection is irresponsible. These issues aside, what is the argument for purity? A key motivator is the notion of innocence. What does that mean? Innocence itself is defined as freedom from wrongdoing, or else as the absence of guile or deceit. It is often equated with naivete. The first definition presupposes that sex is morally wrong. There are two roads to this way of thinking: Either one believes that morality is objective, decreed by some higher power, or one believes in subjective morality. Regarding the former, I have already demonstrated that proponents of higher morality stand to gain from these claims. We would reject this conflict of interest in any other circumstance, and I will not dignify it here. What were left with is subjective morality, where we must consider whether a thing is right or wrong based on the real-world effect it has. The next definition assumes one who is not innocent is deceitful, and that to be naive is preferable. Any action can be done deceitfully, but what of those who participate in sex without lying to themselves, their partners or others? If sex can be done honestly, then we must discard the idea that sex is inherently deceitful. The second assumption is still more disturbing: that naivete is desirable. Naivete is derived from old French, meaning ones original disposition, without learning or change. Naivete is the state of a child, and yet we hold it up as a virtue, that adults should aspire to be unlearned and inexperienced. Where the populace considers knowledge shameful, it should be no surprise that they believe sex is detractive and corrupting. If such things were true, why would knowledge about sex be discouraged? Surely such dangers would make themselves apparent upon inspection. Sexual purity is a baseless notion. So what do we do now? Lets start by treating sex like any other experience. As countless people have learned, sex doesnt change you overnight, just like having your first drink, smoking marijuana or anything else that is sold to us as life-changing. These are all just experiences, and they become part of who we are one piece at a time. Experience does, however, lend us perspective and understanding, and those things are invaluable. The more of life we experience, the more we can empathize with others, the more we can draw on our experiences to create, discuss, and take informed action. To close ourselves off from an entire arena of life limits us immeasurably, and its not something we should do simply because we are told. This column is the third in a series of four. David Billig is a UF linguistics masters student. His column appears on Wednesdays. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Feminist activist artists called the Guerrilla Girls combat and expose inequality in politics, art and pop culture through their artwork all while wearing gorilla masks. Tonight, the Guerrilla Girls will bring their performance to the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art where a member of the group, who goes by the name Frida Kahlo, will give a lecture. The Harn event, which will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., is only open to students and faculty within the UF School of Art + Art History, but the talk will be live-streamed to the Harns classroom spaces which will be open to the public. Women and artists of color have been in art school for a long time, and so we questioned why they werent getting the same opportunities as white men, Kahlo said. Every member of the group goes by the pseudonym of a previously deceased female artist, showcasing that, like the masks they wear, everything the group does is done for a reason to represent anonymity, but also to allow the artists to focus on the subject they are presenting. Frida Kahlo, a founding member of the Guerrilla Girls, said she chose the name of the influential Mexican painter because, at the time, Kahlo wasnt very well-known in the U.S. She wanted to preserve Kahlos memory and bring attention to her work. As women, were often underrepresented and even when we do have accomplishments, often times theyre overlooked or written out of history, Kahlo said. Its so important that we get credit, that we have role models, that we continue fighting and that our voices are heard. Through their art, the group has been known to call out the oppression of marginalized groups within the art world. Their most well-known piece specifically addresses the drastic lack of women artists exhibited, yet abundance of female nudity. Displayed on a neon yellow poster, a naked woman wearing a gorilla mask is provocatively posed, asking viewers the question: Do women have to get naked to get into the Met. Museum? Jason Wilkotz, a UF art and political science junior and Harn volunteer, said it was this piece that stood out to him the most and confirmed his interest to go to the exhibit. I love art history, and I study art history, so Im really familiar with the serious gender inequality that has existed within the history of art, Wilkotz said. What Guerrilla Girls do, which is pretty exciting, is that theyre bringing to attention that not only is there gender inequality in the history of art, but that theres even current gender inequality in the art world, and recognizing that contemporary female artists should be recognized. It was this inequality that inspired the the Guerrilla Girls movement to forge in spring 1985 in New York City, when the group of seven women artists realized the art displayed in galleries and museums lacked variety. If we want the art world and culture to properly reflect who we are as a population, there has to be diversity, otherwise were just listening to one part of the story, said Kahlo, who stresses that intersectional feminism is a central part of their movement. Sydney Martin, a UF art junior specializing in drawing, said it was the groups ability to call out oppression, sexism and racism within the industry that stood out to her. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now Theyre not afraid to speak their minds, and I think the fact that they wear the masks doesnt mean theyre hiding, Martin said. Theyre focusing on the message rather than the individual, because its not about the individual, its about women together and women artists as a whole. After the election of President Donald Trump, Martin said she hoped the Guerrilla Girls message of revolution and resistance could help motivate people to do something productive. Were in a very turbulent time, and I think there is a lot to be done right now, it can seem hard at times to just get up and start doing something because a lot of the problems seem so large, Martin said. I think hearing people like the Guerrilla Girls talk would give a lot of people motivation to actually do something about everything theyre feeling. While Kahlo said she couldnt give away too many details, she assured that their performance will include new satirical pieces featuring the recent decisions of the Trump administration. Although the election of Trump was a huge setback in terms of progression, it wont stop the group from fighting, Kahlo said. We really thought that diversity was something that our culture and government would recognize, and so whats coming out of Washington is a huge backward step, Kahlo said. Its initially depressing, but it just means that we need to figure out new ways of confronting it, to keep pushing forward and to not allow things to go backward. While Kahlo said she hopes students leave the event with the drive to resist and to get more involved in political activism, she also said the Guerrilla Girls are not looking for any new members, but instead urges people to start their own unique movements. The world needs more than one feminist organization, because isnt it scarier to have a lot of them? Kahlo said. Think of some really unusual, unforgettable way to get your point across, to communicate with people, and keep in mind that our approach has always been to not preach to the converted, but to transform peoples thinking. English News ExxonMobil fine highlights Chadian budget woes and challenges for upstream operators, says GlobalData Alwihda Info | Par Matthew Jurecky - 15 Fevrier 2017 Matthew Jurecky, Head of Oil & Gas Research and Consulting for GlobalData, Will Scargill, Senior Analyst for GlobalData, and Carl Fuller, Analyst for GlobalData. In October 2016 a Chadian court ordered a consortium led by ExxonMobil to pay a fine of US$74 billion for allegedly underpaying royalties on their operation in the country and the parties have entered into negotiations over the issue. The fine relates to the statistical royalty on exports on production from two licenses, held under concession agreements issued in 1988 and 2004, which currently account for over 40% of production in the country. Production operations have been ongoing since 2003 from seven fields from which the court alleges the consortium has underpaid US$800 million in royalties. The disagreement stems from a past arrangement, which the government claims is invalid, to pay a reduced rate of export royalty instead of the usual 2% rate. The hydrocarbon industry in Chad is an important sector for state income, which prior to the fall in oil prices in 2014 represented more than 60% of state revenues. The recent sustained low price environment, coupled with the expectation that production will begin to decline into the medium term, has led to severe budgetary problems for the government and pressure to raise additional revenues, with receipts falling by more than 50% from 2014 to 2015. The position of the upstream sector as a major revenue source leaves the industry exposed in times of economic difficulty to attempts to increase state take at the expense of contractors holding existing contracts and those looking to negotiate for new licenses. The forecast of fiscal take and production highlights the disconnection between the two as the price fell from 2014. Even as production has increased, government receipts fell considerably up to 2016, after which they begin to recover as total production from existing fields began to plateau. Production from CNPCs planned Daniela Complex, which unlike the Exxon operated concession agreements is licensed under a production sharing agreement, offsets the decline of existing fields. Fiscal take is forecast to reach a post-crash peak in 2021 as a result of the new production, but this is insufficient to offset losses from the low oil price despite production forecast to match the historic peak of 180 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (mboed). Beyond 2021 declining production from current and planned fields will continually erode government income from the upstream sector unless there is upward movement in the oil price over the medium term or new large projects are brought online. Over the longer term, a strategy of increasing state take may create problems as the fiscal regime loses competitiveness. The undiscounted state take for a comparative development scenario is currently in line with regional peers under the older concession regime and the current production sharing framework. Any significant upward movement in the state take may reduce interest from foreign investors and undermine exploration efforts in the country, possibly adding to budgetary pressures in the future. Past frictions between the government and operators are similar to the current case, where the government has imposed strong measures in response to alleged infractions by licensees. A dispute in 2006, centered on the interpretation of a tax benefits agreement with Petronas and Chevron, led the president to expel the companies from the country. The matter was only settled once the companies agreed to pay back more than US$280 million and the tax agreement was invalidated. More recently, CNPC had a license cancelled after they were issued a US$1.2 billion fine for alleged environmental violations in 2013. This issue was only resolved after a reduced fine of US$400 million was paid and the license terms were renegotiated, which increased the liquids royalty rate by 1.75% and granted a 10% equity share to the state for current producing fields and 25% for future discoveries. For a full version of this analysis, please visit the GlobalData Energy website. Dans la meme rubrique : < > China enhances efforts to promote biodiversity conservation China stress its commitment to push ahead peace and development for humanity at 20th CPC National Congress CPC's governance experience is worth learning from Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) English News Political flaws escalate rising tide of anti-globalization: People's Daily Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 15 Fevrier 2017 Anti-globalization, favored by extreme right-wing politicians, will only cause more problems, as economic globalization is a natural outcome of productivity and technological progress rather than a creation of any individual or country, it pointed out, stressing that economic globalizations contributions to human progress could not be denied by complaints of some politicians. Source: People's Daily Economic globalization does encounter some challenges, but it is irresponsible to create conflicts by exaggerating those problems, Peoples Daily commented on Wednesday, refuting the malicious voices against the economic globalization by some Western politicians. The commentary, under the byline of Zhongsheng, came after French far-right leader Marine Le Pen attacked globalization in her presidential election manifesto last weekend. As candidate of the National Front, Le Pen told supporters in Lyon, the third largest city of France, that globalization was slowly choking communities to death. Globalization, she said, meant "manufacturing by slaves for selling to the unemployed". She is the latest European politician to preach anti-globalization in mainstream politics of the Western world by making use of public's dissatisfaction with the current situation, the article said. Such examples over the past year also included the Brexit, 2016 US election, and the presidential campaigns of France and Germany, the paper added. Sluggish economy, which has resulted in aggravated contradictions between growth and distribution, capital and labor, as well as efficiency and equity, is the root cause of the rising trend of anti-globalization in the Western world, the commentary noted, but it pointed out at the same time that politics is also a reason that cannot be ignored. Most of the countries in favor of anti-globalization are first of all hindered by economic development and wealth distribution. Thereafter, these economic issues are politicized, ultimately leading to severe social disruption. Populists are at their weakest in the tedious matter of sound government, said Financial Times column writer Janan Ganesh in his recent article. Such point of view is indeed a timely reminder for the European countries which have lost their direction. Rome mayor Virginia Raggi is a better example to interpret the difference between catharsis and governance, the paper said, explaining that the performance of the far-right mayor was far worse than her commitments during the election campaign in 2016. Even the waste disposal of the city was in a mess under her governance. National elections of France, Germany, the Netherlands and many other European countries will fall in the year of 2017, meaning that they will stand at a new crossroad for their countries development. The paper believed that reform will still be the theme of the campaigns given that development fatigue is still prevalent in the continent. However, these countries should think twice before they make a decision. Anti-globalization, favored by extreme right-wing politicians, will only cause more problems, as economic globalization is a natural outcome of productivity and technological progress rather than a creation of any individual or country, it pointed out, stressing that economic globalizations contributions to human progress could not be denied by complaints of some politicians. The paper suggested that facing with the irresistible trend of economic globalization, the wise choice would be to start from national conditions and follow the tide. Each party should make efforts to bring benefits of economic globalization to countries and people around the world by integrating itself into the globe and pursuing efficiency and equity, the article concluded. Dans la meme rubrique : < > China enhances efforts to promote biodiversity conservation China stress its commitment to push ahead peace and development for humanity at 20th CPC National Congress CPC's governance experience is worth learning from Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) English News Trevor Noah: Any leader tweeting policy is ridiculous Alwihda Info | Par Info Alwihda - 15 Fevrier 2017 The Daily Show host Trevor Noah joined Talk To Al Jazeera on Saturday, one day after his autobiography, Born a Crime, won the Debut Author and Outstanding Biography/Autobiography prizes at the NAACP Image Awards. Born in 1984 to a black mother and a white father in apartheid South Africa, at a time when interracial unions were still illegal, Noah began his life considered a crime by his own government. At 18, after South Africas transition to democracy, he starred in the popular Isidingo soap opera, then went on to host his own radio show, Noahs Ark, on YFM, which he eventually quit to focus on comedy. After moving to the US in 2011, he became the first South African comedian to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Show With David Letterman. In 2015, Jon Stewart handpicked him as his successor on The Daily Show, one of Americas top political satire programs. Talk to Al Jazeeras Dareen Abughaida started by asking about Noahs recent comment relating current events in the US to what he has already lived through in his life. In response, the comedian expressed concern that a culture of segregation and oppression is brewing under President Donald Trump. He is proud to put forth a white nationalist agenda that is becoming more and more something that a lot of Americans are excited about - but more Americans are not, which is the one beacon, the light you have to keep aiming towards. Its actually frightening to see how quickly you can repeat the ills of the past when enough people are afraid and hungry and those are two things that if you combine them and use them in the right way you can get people to commit the most heinous crimes against each other, he added. When asked about Trumps stated strategy to strengthen libel laws, Noah called it a scary place to be in but added, The closer you get to censorship, the more comedy thrives. Freedom of speech is something that people pursue regardless of the laws. As human beings, we want to speak our minds, whether its whispered in back alleys or proclaimed from a pulpit. As human beings, we want to tell the truth about what we see. Dick Gregory once said to me, 'The truth is way funnier than any joke you can try to concoct.' So essentially it doesnt become harder, because as a comedian I just tell more of the truth. Among other criticisms, he called Trump somebody who is all about themselves, adding, Donald Trump spent the first day of Black History month speaking about himself and how well he has been doing and his contribution, as opposed to what the month is supposed to be about He added, People always say, What would you have done if you were around when Hitler was coming up? And everyone has theories. Now were in a time when there is someone who is presenting the same rhetoric, who is discrediting democracy, who is saying there are imaginary voters and a rigged election. Where does that lead? The question I always ask myself is: If Donald Trump acts like this when he has won an election, how will he act when he loses an election? On the topic of whether the media has contributed to Trumps rise through the free exposure they have given him, Noah said there was a distinct difference between unchallenged platforms and critiques of current affairs. "It's one thing to have Donald Trump on TV saying something and criticize that, call him out and fact-check him, dispel myths," he said. "It's another thing to put his podium on TV for two hours before he comes out, an empty podium ... what are you doing? You're giving the man free promotion As a comedy show, your job is to look for the truth, find the laughter and speak truth to power. Donald Trump will always be somebody that The Daily Show is looking at, as long as he is involved in the realm of politics." Speaking about Trumps fondness for Twitter, he said, Trump today is having conversations on a platform where he genuinely shouldnt be. Any leader who is tweeting policy is ridiculous. He also speaks about being the target of racist tweets. Thats social media. I feel like if youre on social media, youll be the target of racist tweets. I always tell people, Man, I come from a country where racism meant teargas and dogs and rubber bullets. So someone saying something to me online is really the most timid form of racism I have come across in a long time. 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) Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only legislator to vote against Senate Concurrent Resolution 3, which sets the framework for budget negotiations in the 115th Congress. His vote was dismissed as an alleged example of libertarian extremism, but I suggest this vote is a measure of the extent to which legislators have lost touch with their constituents. Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 proposes to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without changes to other parts of the budget. The truly surprising (and disappointing) part of the legislation is it exempts future health care legislation replacing the ACA from current budget rules meant to impose fiscal discipline. In other words, although the legislation would repeal ACA, it would also allow the government to continue spending money at ACA-imposed levels. Because we can expect health care spending to grow at even higher rates than those projected by the Congressional Budget Office, this legislation is particularly problematic. Even more shocking is Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 assumes business as usual in future budget negotiations. Total spending is projected to grow from $3.2 trillion to $4.9 trillion over the next decade. Annual deficits will roughly double to more than $1 trillion; and total debt will increase from $20 trillion to $29 trillion. In a press release, Paul explained his no vote on Senate Concurrent Resolution 3: As a physician, I cannot wait to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a health care system that relies on freedom to provide quality, comprehensive, and affordable care. But putting nearly $10 trillion more in debt on the American peoples backs through a budget that never balances is not the way to get there. It is the exact opposite of the change Republicans promised, and I cannot support it, even as a placeholder. In January, Paul introduced S. 222, the Obamacare Replacement Act, which would repeal Obamacare and balance the budget by 2024. In this legislation, Paul calls for fundamental reforms of Medicare and Medicaid, significantly reducing the cost of these entitlement programs. There is no question such reforms are essential to address the current federal fiscal crisis. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates rising health care costs are the single most important cause of the projected increase in deficits and debt in coming decades. Unfortunately, the prospects for passage of the health care reforms proposed by Paul are not good. The universal support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 3, with Paul the lone dissenter, suggests legislators are not willing to enact the fundamental reforms in Medicare and Medicaid required to balance the budget. Nor should we look to Trump for leadership on this issue. He has made it clear entitlement reform is not on his agenda, stating, A balanced budget is fine, but sometimes you have to fuel the well in order to really get the economy going. Paul Krugman and the Neo-Keynesians must be screaming bloody murder over Trumps theft of their mantra. For those of us expecting more from the 115th Congress, passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 is a bitter pill to swallow. As I argued in Capitulation before the first shots are fired, published February 2, Republicans in Congress have chosen a budget process likely to result in deficits and debt. This is a familiar story that we have witnessed for decades. For example, in 2016, Republicans in the House drafted a concurrent resolution calling for significant reductions in federal spending, which they said would help balance the budget, over the next decade. But later in the year, they approved budgets calling for significant increases in spending. In 2016 alone, legislators proposed 192 bills to address budget deficits and the national debt. Pauls bill, the Cut Cap and Balance Act of 2015, was one of only a dozen of these bills to be reported out of committee, and like other similar measures, it was rejected by his fellow members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. On second thought, perhaps it is not surprising Paul was the only legislator to vote in opposition of Senate Concurrent Resolution 3; supporting a balanced budget in the face of legislative apathy is a losing proposition. Despite his failures to get significant reforms passed in Congress, it is Paul, not his colleagues, who is in touch with his constituents. Nationwide polls conducted on behalf of the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force, of which I am a founding member, reveal 83 percent of citizens support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. If Paul is the only legislator in the Senate willing to stand up for a balanced budget when the chips are down, perhaps it is time for citizens to look for an alternative solution to the federal fiscal crisis. Twenty-eight state legislatures have now passed resolutions proposing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Only 34 states are needed to call an Article V convention, which, given the current restraints in Washington, D.C., may be a better option than waiting for Congress or the president to act. Barry W. Poulson (think@heartland.org) is emeritus professor of economics at the University of Colorado and a founding member of the Balanced Budget Amendment Task Force. Ivanka Trump and her fashion line are in liberal crosshairs these days and they are making no secret of the fact that this is a form of payback for the triumph of her father, an election victory that derailed progressive dreams of completing under President Hillary Clinton the fundamental transformation of America. The irony here is that it has been the liberals and so-called feminists who have said that Donald Trump and the GOP are afraid of strong, independent women. Like her father, Ivanka Trump earned her place in the world. Unlike Chelsea Clinton, Ivanka did not benefit from her parents selling their offices to the highest bidder, as occurred under the pay-for-play operation at the Clinton Foundation. Bill and Hillary amassed a fortune without holding a job or running a business. Ivanka had a job and ran a business. Compare the brouhaha over Ivanka Trump allegedly profiting from her fathers presidency to sell her fashion line and jewelry to the firestorm that erupted when it was alleged that Chelsea Clintons wedding and lifestyle was paid for by the Clinton Foundation. Oh, thats right, there was no firestorm, over the use of charitable donations to Bill and Hillarys foundation to benefit their daughter: Chelsea Clinton used her family foundations cash to pay for her wedding, living expenses and taxes on gifts of cash from her parents, according to a bombshell email made public Sunday. Doug Band, formerly a top aide to President Bill Clinton, griped about the former first daughters spending in a Jan. 4, 2012, email released by WikiLeaks. The investigation into her getting paid for campaigning, using foundation resources for her wedding and life for a decade, taxes on money from her parents, Band wrote to John Podesta, now Hillary Clintons campaign chairman. Nor was there any grilling of Chelsea Clinton over her father being a sexual serial predator, which included credible charges of rape by Juanita Broaddrick as there was of Ivanka Trump over her fathers alleged groping and comments on the infamous Access Hollywood tape. It depends, as they say, on whose ox is being gored. Last fall, Ivanka was pilloried for wearing one of her pricy baubles during her fathers 60 Minutes interview and promoting that fact afterwards: Ivanka Trump's company came under heavy criticism this week when it began promoting sales of a $10,000 bracelet that she wore on "60 Minutes." And now, the future first daughter's company is seemingly backtracking after being accused of conflating her father's presidential interview with her own personal business. A "fashion alert" was initially sent to journalists on Monday by Monica Marder, vice president of sales for Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry. It promoted Ivanka Trump as wearing "her favorite bangle from the Metropolis Collection" on the CBS News show. The bracelet costs $8,800 to $10,800. "Please share this with your clients" the email said. That criticism seems fair enough, but it smacks of the snarky criticism of First Lady Nancy Reagan for accepting dresses from fashion designers on loan, dresses and gowns later donated to museums and such. No one seemed to object when Jacqueline Kennedy was a fashion icon. Did the designer fiends of JFK benefit from this free advertising? Now the target is Ivanka Trumps fashion line. Ivanka was first accused of profiting from wearing one of her dresses at the 2016 GOP Convention that nominated her father: Looking to model yourself after the daughter of the Republican nominee for president? Ivanka Trump is here to help -- marketing her "look" on Twitter the day after delivering a speech at the GOP convention. Trump, known for her business savvy, tweeted, "Shop Ivanka's look from her #RNC speech" -- likely the first time the daughter of a major party nominee has promoted a clothing line in conjunction with her father's presidential campaign. The dress, called "Ivanka Trump Sleeveless Studded Sheath Dress," retails for $138 and is currently sold out on the site. The dress is also sold out at the department store Nordstrom. Nordstrom has been in the news lately as one of the retailers, along with Nieman Macus and others, who have dropped her fashion line, allegedly for poor sales performance. Yet the dress she wore at the convention sold out and Nordstrom ordered Ivankas spring lines, only to cancel them after an organized anti-Trump campaign organized by activist Shanon Coulter: Yesterday, Racked reported that Nordstrom would no longer be selling Ivanka Trumps clothing line due to a dip in sales following the campaign to boycott retailers that carry Trump brands. Today, the Ivanka Trump brand has responded. As per a spokesperson, Nordstrom did order both shoes and apparel for spring, and moved forward with purchase of apparel. Nordstrom canceled the shoe order and kept the apparel order, though decided to only sell the apparel in stores, not online. It is likely the spring order was placed in late summer or early fall, before the November election and also the #GrabYourWallet boycott, which began in mid-October. So it was only after Trump won that critics raised the charges of profiteering at Ivanka. In the capitalist world, the only crime Ivanka can be accused of is great product placement. Unlike ObamaCare, we were never compelled to buy what she was selling. Unlike Solyndra, she received no government subsidies. If this was strictly a marketing decision, it would have happened quietly, Product lines come and go every day. But the Nordstrom decision was announced with great fanfare, almost delight, and certainly as part of a nationally organized anti-Trump campaign. That Nordstrom had motives other than allegedly poor sales is seen in a memo sent to employee about President Trumps immigration policies days before the chain dropped Ivankas line. As Fox Business reported: Yet, while the luxury department store chain says there were no political motives involved, on January 30, just days prior to the announcement, the companys three presidents sent a memo to employees addressing President Trumps executive order on immigration, as first reported by Seattle newspaper The Stranger. Last Friday an Executive Order was signed by the President of the United States related to immigration. This subject is one we're watching closely -- our familys heritage, the companys roots, and the diverse employees and customers we serve are top of mind, the memo began. Its important that we reiterate our values to all of you and make it clear that we support each of our employees. We will continue to value diversity, inclusion, respect, and you can count on that. Ivanka is being punished by Nordstroms and others because of the perceived sins of her father. Chelsea was not punished for the very real sins of her father, nor was Hillary, who rode in the spirit of feminism her husbands coattails to political prominence. As noted in the Federalist: Isnt this what we were told repeatedly about Hillary Clinton? It didnt matter what Bill did. Hillary was her own woman. She didnt have to answer for her husbands shortcomings and immoral behavior, particularly toward women. Yet this is what we get about Ivanka: While she is not her dad, she is complicit in his actions, especially considering her husband is her dads advisor. Complicit in his actions? Which illegal or immoral actions is she involved in, exactly? Unlike Hillary, who actually took active steps to silence her husbands accusers of sexual assault and rape, Ivanka has done nothing even remotely similar. She has supported her dads candidacy, and she continues to support him, but she is not actively complicit in anything. Women are independent of men, right?... Ivanka Trump is a successful, beautiful, strong woman who should be celebrated and supported for the example she sets for young women as a wife, mother, business woman, and, yes, even daughter. Is she perfect? No, none of us are. But to put a target on her merely because she loves and supports her father is the opposite of what feminism represents. Feminism is supposed to be about respecting a womans choices, seeing her independent of a man, and celebrating her on her own merit. Ivanka deserves that. We all do. Ivanka has long championed equal pay for women as well as paid maternity leave As Judge Jeanine Pirro opined on her Fox News opinion show, liberals are feminists are that in name only. They oppose women who are truly empowered, not dependent on any man, or even on government: The #GrabYourWallet campaign, founded by Shannon Coulter, is specifically targeting merchandise associated with Donald and Ivanka Trump. "This week a female Nordstrom's executive proudly trumpeted they were dropping Ivanka Trump's fashion line. They could have done it quietly, phasing it out. Instead they chose to publicize it," Pirro said. The judge continued that Ivanka is a strong woman committed to helping millions of women advance in the workplace. "The very feminists who marched and purport to advance strong independent women are the very ones rallying to suppress another who epitomizes every quality they claim to champion. I challenge you all to put your money and your hashtag where your mouth is," she said. Ivanka is all about the genuine empowerment of women and on Monday was with her father hosting Canadian President Justin Trudeau at a White House conference unveiling a bilateral initiative aimed at boosting women entrepreneurs: Trump and Trudeau's announcement of the Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders came at an event reportedly arranged by Trump's daughter, Ivanka. Ivanka Trump has been outspoken about issues facing women in the workforce, particularly access to child care and maternity leave. Participants in the Canada-United States Council include Carol Stephenson of General Motors Company, Elyse Allan of GE Canada and Julie Sweet of Accenture North America. One suspects liberals fear more than hate Ivanka Trump, since she is a self-made strong woman who rocks liberal feminism to its fraudulent core and reveals by her success its hypocrisy. Liberals who bemoan the fact that Ivankas father derailed the campaign of the first female president, ironically may be criticizing the first one in Ivanka Trump. Daniel John Sobieski is a free lance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications. The Trump White House continues to receive advice solicited and unsolicited, in letters to the editor, op-eds, essays, and policy papers as to what its foreign policy priorities should be. It is tempting to presume that problems called "priorities" can be resolved with just a little more savvy or a little more will. But if they could have been, they would have been. Instead, the administration might consider priorities for American behavior political, economic, and military. First, there are three questions to be asked: What should the United States do to ensure that allies feel secure and adversaries don't? How can America encourage countries that are neither allies nor adversaries to cooperate on issues of importance? How can Washington encourage countries to want to be "more like us" (politically and economically free with more transparent government) and "less like them" (totalitarian, communist, jihadist, and less transparent)? And if they choose to be "more like them," what are the limits of American encouragement or coercive capabilities? OK, that's four questions, but when they are answered, the first priority that emerges is creation of a clear statement of American goals and desired outcomes. In the broader Middle East, the United States is engaged in lethal operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia while being at war with none of them, and in each, the outcome we seek is unstated. As the military and diplomatic objectives are formulated, the second priority is "public diplomacy," stressing what made/makes America what it has been and should be a beacon of hope for people around the world. Individual freedoms including rights to property and to profit from one's creativity and work; constraints on government enshrined in the Bill of Rights and the checks and balances of the system; free expression, including the right to criticize the government; and opportunity for all resulting in (at least relative) prosperity for most are what people admire. This should not be confused with "democracy promotion" a failed concept. The U.S. should promote and advance specific human rights and freedoms for citizens without trying to determine the nature of the political system of any country. Messaging is a two-way street. On the one hand, the United States should be clear and vocal about what it does support, and on the other hand, it must be clear about threats to the American body politic contained in the messages of radical Islamist-jihadist ideology. The U.S. must develop strategy to discredit and defeat Islamic triumphalism that includes clarifying the expansionist-totalitarian nature of jihadism. This is a reasonable place to consider Israel, a country that fits squarely among U.S. allies. The U.S.-Israel alliance should be understood within the context of Israel's essential contribution as an innovative, experienced, and successful front-line fighter against Islamic radicalism. Most important, Israel, unlike other "helpers" in the region, is impregnable politically to Islamism and its insidious influence. The same cannot be said of a single E.U. country. While the above priorities do not require military action indeed, they necessarily and deliberately lean heavily on trade and public diplomacy a strong U.S. military is the third priority. America needs military resources constructed to match current and projected levels of threat to convince adversaries and would-be adversaries that the U.S. has the military force to meet aggression from low-scale and low-tech along the spectrum to high-tech, cyber, and nuclear. Nuclear modernization is an absolute priority, as the Russians have been engaged in modernization for years, and Iran's legal breakout of the Iran deal is no more than eight years away and may be much closer. Primary Strategic Challenges: Russia, China, and Iran Russia: The goal should be ensuring that America's friends and allies in both Central Europe and Central Asia are not inhibited in their growth and development by the actions of the Russian government. This requires enhancing trade and other relations with the newer and peripheral NATO countries. At a farther remove, the goal should be to ensure that Russian influence in the Middle East is not threatening to American allies and friends. Russia's pursuit of naval bases in Libya as well as Syria should be understood in the context of a minimal U.S.-NATO naval presence in the Mediterranean. The United States should engage with its NATO allies in an in-depth review of purposes, membership, cohesion, and military modernization and membership in the organization. This should include limits to expansion and out-of-area operations. China: What is true for Russia and the countries surrounding it is equally true for China and the countries surrounding it. Ensuring that America's friends and allies in the region are not inhibited in their growth and development by actions of the Chinese government will involve both messaging activities and ensuring freedom of navigation, freedom of association, and strong trade relations between the U.S. and "periphery" countries South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. Iran: American concerns about Iran break in two directions: nuclear and hegemonic. Both need to be addressed. The fact is that the current set of nuclear violations by Iran is fairly small and the violations are likely to remain fairly small because Iran's short-term goals have to do with regional hegemony, not nuclear weapons. After 8-10 years, Iran can legitimately become a nuclear weapons breakout state and 8-10 years is a very short period of time. Contrary to some, there are no "snap-back" sanctions and little chance that the U.N. would reconstruct sanctions against Iran. At the same time, there remain U.N. and U.S. congressional sanctions that have not been and will not be lifted. The United States should be holding up the evidence of Iranian violations, and for each there should be a cost. It could be in trade, banking, visas, or something else, but there should be some cost to Iran beginning with being called on the violations. Iran claims that it will withdraw from the JCPOA if Washington holds it accountable. That's fine. On the conventional/terror support side, Iran occupies whole swaths of Iraq, fields a sizable foreign army inside Syria, and engages in a variety of military and terror-sponsoring activities in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region. Iran harasses American ships in the Persian Gulf, and, absent an American response, Iran controls the Persian Gulf to the east of Saudi Arabia and through its support of Houthi rebels in Yemen (on the Red Sea west of Saudi Arabia). Thus, it is close to controlling both water access routes for Saudi (and other) oil from the region to the oceans. The United States should make clear its commitment to freedom of navigation along both waterways and take steps to ensure that it can meet the commitment, including responding to incidents of harassment. The U.S. should also strengthen relations with and strengthen the capabilities of anti-Iranian Arab countries vis-a-vis Iran and internationally work to suppress nuclear cooperation among Iran, North Korea, and Pakistan, and dual-use trade with the West, and restricting as much as possible regime access to the international financial system. As a general matter: America should diminish attention to and reduce the influence of the United Nations. Defund and withdraw from troublesome and incorrigible sub-agencies including the U.N. Human Rights Commission, UNRWA (and the five U.N. committees devoted to Palestinian "rights"), UNESCO, and the International Court of Justice. At the same time, Washington can build a de facto alliance of democracies, starting with Anglo-democracies the United States, the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and building outward to others: India, South Korea, Israel, Poland, Japan, the Baltic states, etc. This should be done at first informally, but publicly for public diplomacy purposes, security consultations on terrorism, migrant flows and crises, mutual assistance planning for natural disasters, mutual defense, and cultural exchanges and promotions. Non-members, adversaries, and U.N. bureaucrats will get the point which is the beginning of the restoration of the United States to its role of international guarantor of international trade and navigation and defender of American interests and allies abroad. From the moment absurdity is recognized, wrote Albert Camus, it becomes a passion, the most harrowing of all. In politics the extent and irrationality of that passion has often been exhibited, and none more so than in attitudes to the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Those attitudes have increasingly taken the form of political fiction. Even ardent advocates of free expression may be troubled by the fact that Amazon is selling books that promote the motifs that the Holocaust was a hoax and that the alleged genocide of Jews was exaggerated or fabricated. Noted propagators of this absurdity include the American Arthur Butz, Professor of Electrical Engineering at Northwestern University who concocted The Hoax of the 20th Century: the Case against the Presumed Extermination of European Jewry, and a British member of the British National Front who raised the question, Did Six Million Really Die? Such absurdity in politics is familiar and often inexplicable. Why did so many supposedly intelligent people deny the reality that Joseph Stalin was a brutal murderer and that the Stalinist Soviet Union committed unspeakable atrocities? Why do so many in the British Labour Party today suffer from absurdity and the disease of anti-Semitism? Why do some politicians in the U.S. refuse to utter the words Radical Islam or to acknowledge the danger of Islamist terrorism? It is a continuing disgrace that international organizations approximate this level of absurdity about the history of the Jewish people when dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. This unfortunately has become the case with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), created in 1945 to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration. Instead, it has spent undue amount of time passing resolutions condemning the occupation of "Occupied Palestine" by Israel, deciding that the Jewish Temple Mount be addressed as Al-Haram Al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary), and that the holy place there is Al-Aqsa Mosque. Jews apparently have no connection with the area in which they have historically lived. UNESCO has been active in deconstructing Jewish ties to the land of Israel and the disputed territories. Its members have essentially agreed with the Arab arguments that Jews are only a religious community, not a national one, that the area of Palestine has been settled since the 7th century by Arabs, and that Palestinians can even be equated with the ancient Canaanites, five or six thousand years ago. Only a few examples are needed to illustrate the point. In October 2011 the Palestinian Authority was accepted as a full member of UNESCO by vote of 107 to 14 and 52 abstentions. Encouraged by this, Arab states pressed further. On October 21, 2015 Israel was strongly condemned for mishandling holy sites in Jerusalem, for aggression, and illegal measures preventing access of Muslims to their holy sites. By contrast, Jewish holy sites, including the Jewish Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachels tomb that Israel wanted listed as national heritage sites, were in an area that UNESCO held was an integral part of Palestine, though the Western Wall was not listed as a Muslim site. UNESCO referred to Al -Haram al-Ibrahm, and Al-Asqu Mosque as integral parts of the occupied Palestinian territories. It also asserted that any unilateral action by Israeli authorities will be considered violations of international law. Thus, an important part of the Jewish heritage, that of the founders of the Jewish nation Abraham, Issach, Sarah, and Rachel was not considered part of that heritage. The irony here is that while Israel affords access to religious sites for people of all religious faiths, Jews under Jordanian occupation of the area after 1948 were denied free access to the holy places. In October 13, 2016, UNESCO reaffirmed that the two concerned sites located in Al-Khalil/Hebron and in Bethlehem are an integral part of Palestine. Communication these days is swift, almost instantaneous, as is shown by tweets emanating from the current White House since January 20, 2017. But sometimes messages do take a long time to be delivered. It has long been argued that the area of Palestine was part of the Arab homeland, and that Palestine was part of the greater Arab nation. Not surprisingly, it was not until after the year 1967 that the Palestinian component became strong, and that Palestinians discovered that the Cave of Patriarchs and Rachels Tomb were really on Palestinian territory. There is no need to enter the thorny dispute of the exact number of Arabs who lived in the area that was the three districts of the Ottoman Empire. Certainly of the 400,000, many of whom were Bedouins, who were residents in the early 20th century there was no Palestinian nation or meaningful separate Palestinian identity. The Arab population increased, whether by natural family increase, or by the migration of Arabs outside the area is arguable. What is certain is that the increasing number benefited from economic opportunity in the areas of Jewish settlement. The fundamental problem is that the international community under Palestinian pressure is dismissing or minimizing the heritage of the Jewish people, and accepting the Palestinian Narrative of Victimization. Perhaps absurdity might not prevail. Interestingly, UNESCO strongly disapproved of the ongoing illegal excavations that it said were harmful and affected the integrity of the Hebron site. By coincidence Israel on February 9, 2017 announced the discovery of a new cave, the 12th, on the cliffs west of Qumran, near the Dead Sea. The cave once held some of the Dead Sea scrolls. The area of Qumran cliffs in the West Bank is managed by Israel. Between 1946 and 1956 Bedouins had discovered the 11 caves that held 981 texts, since known as the Dead Sea scrolls. The findings included almost the oldest surviving manuscripts of what came to be part of the Hebrew bible. Most of the texts, mostly in parchment, are written in Hebrew, and some, about 15% in Aramaic and a small number in Greek. About a quarter are biblical commentaries and rules governing community life. The scrolls date back to the 2nd temple period, 250 B.C. to 70 A.D., and are the first copies of biblical texts, revealing vital information on Judaism and Christianity. None refer specifically to Jesus. They illustrate the importance of religion and the beliefs of groups, though not necessarily of the Jewish sect of Essenes as was once thought. For Jews the findings are extraordinary importance because the biblical scrolls are partial or complete copies of most of the Hebrew bible, and contain Jewish religious writing, texts, hymns and prayers, as well as non-biblical manuscripts. Archaeologists found signs that scrolls were once hidden in the 12th cave. Though the cave was looted more than 60 years ago they found many jars that once held the scrolls, hidden in niches , and strings and leather straps that tied the scrolls, and other objects such as pottery shards. No scrolls were found, only parchment rolled up in a jug. The controversy over the land continues. On February 6, 2017 the Israeli Knesset passed by vote of 60 to 52 the controversial Regulation Bill that will allow Israel to recognize some 4,000 illegally built settler homes on what is considered private Palestinian land. People will differ on the crucial question, to whom does the land belong, and on the expropriation of privately owned Palestinian land. But as the Deas Sea scrolls inform us, there should be no difference on the historic association of Jews with the disputed land. Henceforth, members of UNESCO should read, or be conscious of those scrolls, and abandon the absurdity of their recent resolutions. Blacks, women, Millennials liberals in each sub-group are now led by an uncompromising cadre of the hard left, who through their "mass actions" are attempting to turn the country against Donald Trump and brand him an illegitimate president. Most Americans are concerned about unvetted refugees from jihadi countries. Those who are Democrats have no say in their party anymore. Obama yanked the party hard left. He personally championed the jihadi movement, be it by trying to install the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt or giving the pariah state Iran billions of dollars and the obsequious Iran deal. Obama's legacy: Hard-left Muslim-Americans are rising to positions of prominence in the Democrats' grassroots organizations. This alliance between Western socialists and Islamists dates back to the Cold War, but it has gained traction in America since 9/11. One case, among countless others: The anti-Trump women's march was co-led by an Islamist in a hijab. It is well worth reading the front-page expose on Linda Sarsour, because she is a leader of so many of the causes that Obama promoted as president: Occupy Wall St., BDS, Black Lives Matter, the Muslim Brotherhood. After 9/11, Sarsour rose in power by promoting the jihadi fiction of "Islamophobia." The Democratic Party uses this accusation to fight Republican national security measures and accord itself unmerited moral superiority. Sarsour's Islamic group was a big success. It prevented the New York Police Department from conducting surveillance of Muslim groups and mosques the police suspected of promoting terrorism. For her work, Ms. Sarsour was honored by President Obama as a "White House Champion of Change" and was invited to the White House seven times. She was a delegate to the Democrat National Convention. Sarsour is a radical Palestinian who supports international terrorism and the destruction of Israel. There are photos of her on the web flashing the ISIS sign. Sarsour is, as the New York Times puts it, "deeply involved in the Black Lives Matter movement," a movement founded by three self-identified Marxist revolutionaries who revere the convicted cop-killer and longtime Marxist fugitive Assata Shakur. Sarsour supports sharia law in America. You'll know when you're living under Sharia Law if suddenly all your loans & credit cards become interest free. Sound [sic] nice, doesn't it? There are outstanding Arab-American women fighting the jihadi threat here at home, having suffered firsthand from Muslim barbarism in their native countries. Most prominent are Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Brigitte Gabriel. President Obama and the Democrats consider them enemies. Here is a tweet from Obama's White House Champion to these moderate Muslim women: Sarsour's attack was especially cruel because in her memoir, Infidel: My Life, Ali describes how her grandmother, against her parents' wishes, cut off her clitoris and sewed her vagina shut. Somali culture requires that girls be maimed so that their vaginas appear smooth as the palm of your hand. (This horror is being done, as you read this, here in the good old U.S. of A, by Somali and other African- and Arab-Americans. Shame on us for not stopping it.) Brigitte Gabriel is a Christian Lebanese, whose life story, told in Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America, made me think of an Anne Frank who survived. Ali finally had an opportunity to respond [on Fox.] ... [S]he slammed Sarsour's "fake" feminism and asked why these women at the march haven't activated to march against "mass rape," attacks on religious minority Yazidi women, mass gendercide in China or for the victims of FGM [female genital mutilation], which she rightfully categorized as being part of the "real war on women." According to an American researcher in Cairo, Cheri Beren, there were 100 Muslim Brotherhood front groups who took part in the Women's March. Cheri Berens describes the scene in a coffee shop in Cairo, staying up all night to watch Trump's inauguration and the Democrats' post-inauguration protest as did thousands of Egyptians. She writes a fascinating account on her blog: The coffee shop roared loudly with cheers when Trump said "radical Islam will be eradicated from the planet". We here in Egypt have experienced many terror attacks and all of us have experienced the death of a friend or family member ... who fight ISIS[.] On the third night ... we sat in silence and horror[.] ... [W]e saw protesters smashing windows and torching cars. Hushed murmuring began around me as every single Egyptian in the coffee shop could be heard saying the words: "Muslim Brotherhood". ... Then on the TV we began to see video of the "Women's March". The entire coffee shop gasped in disbelief at the vision of American women donning the headscarf. And worse, some of the headscarves were made of the American flag. ... The women in the coffee shop began to get visibly agitated. "The headscarf will take your rights!" one woman shouted at the TV. Democrat champion Linda Sarsour is not a fluke. She did not sneak into the White House or get placed on the podium of the Women's March by mistake. The Democratic Party rejects moderate Muslims and is happy to ally itself with Muslim-American radicals. Calling President Trump, and all Republicans, racist and Islamophobic has become a central weapon for Democrats on campuses and among coastal and media elites. This is the political context for the extraordinary some would say extralegal decision of two liberal West Coast courts to bar our president from regulating immigration to protect our national security. The new head of the DNC is likely to be Keith Ellison, another anti-Semitic Muslim who supports cop-killers and is funded by Muslim Brotherhood groups. Linda Sarsour is the face of Barack Obama's new Democrats. Expect to see more of her and others like her. She is one of many. Four journalists were killed in Myanmar since last years military coup, and five others were killed before the putsch dating back to 1999, with the... California's Governor Jerry Brown (aka Governor Moonbeam) has got a lot of nerve. A case in point is his request of the federal government for $162 million to cover the recent damage from a series of intense winter storms. And that was before the recent damage at the state's Oroville Dam. While asking for emergency federal physical assistance (trucks, helicopters, tents, etc.) for the crisis is entirely appropriate, Moonbeam wants President Trump to use maybe $200 million of federal funds for repairs to the damaged structure, one owned and operated by the State of California, incidentally built by the current governor's father, Pat Brown, when he was governor in the 1960s. If the political leadership of the State of California, all Democrats, were frugal stewards of the state's expenditures, with every tax dollar wisely allocated to pressing needs, perhaps a helping hand might be extended. But let's take a look at the state government's 2016-2017 budget to see if some luxuries might be cut to cover the state's costs for flood and infrastructure repair expenses. The first glaring item is that the state budgets $261 million for drought relief this fiscal year. Hmmm? Maybe that $22.7 million for emergency drinking water won't be needed. And $30 million to remove dead trees from public lands? How did Gaia do it before the State of California came along? Actually, most of the line items in this category could be legitimate expenditures at some level for a state, but the $2 million for a "Save Our Water" publicity campaign looks like an easy cut. Let's look farther afield for ways for California to pay for California's problems. Crossing off one single "climate change" item would pretty much cover Brown's request. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is getting $363 million for "low carbon transportation." This is largely subsidies for electric and fuel cell car purchases and heavy equipment upgrades, and even an Obama-style "cash for clunkers" program for state residents. By hitting up Trump for money, Brown is telling us he thinks electric car subsidies are a better use of state taxpayers' money than emergency dam repairs. Elon Musk probably doesn't own any dams. One item that was popular with Democrat voters nationwide in the 2012 election was Obamaphones. California will now subsidize your cell service, too. Lifeline Program. The budget includes $483 million (Universal LifeLine Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee Fund) for the California Lifeline Program, which provides discounted telephone services to lowincome households. This amount is roughly the same as the revised 201516 spending amount, but reflects a more than 150 percent increase in spending relative to 201314 spending ($192 million). The recent increases in the costs for the program are largely driven by an increase in program enrollment associated with expanding the program in 2014 to include wireless telephone service. I hate to get too libertarian, but spending $33.1 million to hire 134 permanent positions to implement new medical marijuana laws seems unnecessary, given the longstanding robust free market in the commodity. Just walk a block on Haight Street in San Francisco to find out how robust. I will grant that the $700,000 for research on better pesticides for marijuana cultivation is a constructive expenditure, useful worldwide. Thanks, California Dudes! Frankly, President Trump should just say no to cash for California. The state's political leadership is like that drunken relative who always has a carton of Camels and a quart of Jim Beam in the house but hits you up for money for milk for his kids. Time for some tough love for the Golden State from the rest of the country. Joseph Somsel is a former California citizen and taxpayer. Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, spoke to a crowd of 300 at Columbia University Monday night, hosted by the Columbia University chapter of Students Supporting Israel. A large anti-Israel crowd outside Lerner Hall protested the event. The groups Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, Barnard Columbia Socialists, and Columbia Against Trump coordinated the protest on the Facebook page "Racists Not Welcome: Protest the Israeli Ambassador at Columbia." Reasons given to protest Danon included his desire to "annex the West Bank" and his "abandoning even the pretence [sic] of the 'two-state solution.'" They also accused Danon of being "a cheerleader for Trump and the Republican fight" and alleged that "from racist walls to repressive border policing, Trump copies Israel." And that "Danon is the official representative of a state born, like America, through savage ethnic cleansing" and that "his is a state that has besieged and bombed the Palestinian people since its inception." The protesters outside Lerner Hall shouted slogans such as: "Stop your murder, stop your hate; Israel is an apartheid state!" "No peace on stolen land! Justice is our demand!" "Danny Danon, you can't hide; we charge you with genocide." ...proving that at least an education at Columbia University ensures the ability to chant protest slogans that rhyme. And although security tried to keep the protesters outside, about 100 made their way into Lerner Hall and disrupted Danon's speech, chanting: "Palestine, we'll be free, from the river to the sea!" "Israel is a terrorist state!" "Israel has no right to exist!" Not deterred by the protesters, Danon succinctly stated, "The age of Jews sitting quietly is over." He proved that to be true as he went on to say, "We will not be quiet in the face of the lies that you spread about Israel. We will continue to make our voice heard and will continue to insist on our righteous truth." Before the hall could be cleared of the protesters, Danon suggested to them, "Instead of inciting and lying, sit down in the seats and maybe you will learn something." He continued: "This is precisely the problem of the Palestinians. They lie, incite, and don't recognize Israel's right to exist. But I have an announcement for those students. The people of Israel will never leave the land of Israel." In the past, Columbia University has been ranked at the top of the list as the university with the "worst antisemitic activity in the United States," according to the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Other universities at the top include Cornell University, George Mason University, and San Diego State University. The planned protest at Columbia University is a preview of what we can expect to see across college campuses and across the world in a few weeks, when BDS activists will be in full stride, during Israel Apartheid week. It will be a time when anti-Israel, anti-Semitic activity gives new meaning to March madness. Democratic Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Elijah Cummings issued statements calling for an investigation into the activities of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, citing a tweet that suggested that other people were involved in the incident. The New York Times also cited the tweet in their reporting. The problem for Pelosi, Cummings, and the Times is that the tweet originated on a fake Michael Flynn Twitter account. USA Today: "I believe we need to hold a public hearing with Flynn to get to the bottom of this," Cummings said during a news conference on Capitol Hill, citing the parody tweet. Pelosi said, "The inference to be drawn from his statement is that other people had blame that should be shared in all of this." The tweets came from an unverified account that launched this month. It has since been labeled a parody account by multiple news outlets and Snopes. Here are the fake tweets cited by Pelosi, et al.: While I accept full responsibility for my actions, I feel it is unfair that I have been made the sole scapegoat for what happened. (1/2) Michael Flynn (@GenMikeFlynn) February 14, 2017 But if a scapegoat is what's needed for this Administration to continue to take this great nation forward, I am proud to do my duty. Michael Flynn (@GenMikeFlynn) February 14, 2017 The New York Times was forced to issue a correction. Only someone completely besotted with partisan hate could have taken that tweet seriously. They desperately wanted it to be true because Democrats smell blood in the water and are circling for the attack. Needless to say, Trump supporters had a field day pointing out Pelosi's egregious error. LOL @NancyPelosi quotes a FAKE tweet from a unverified account. Nancy stop saying FAKE, FAKE, FAKE when you have NO idea who really tweeted. PappyKorn (@PappyKorn) February 14, 2017 When are both sides going to learn? Checking the provenance of social media information should be second nature to politicians by now. It really isn't that difficult to check and see if a Twitter or Facebook account is real or fake. It may take a little more time, but saving the politician from an embarrassing walk-back is worth it. Besides the Department of Justice, the Central Intelligence Agency, and perhaps former national security adviser Michael Flynn himself, the latest name to emerge in the spreading swamp of connivers who did Flynn in this week is none other than the Obama administration's former National Security Council deputy adviser for strategic communications, Ben Rhodes. According to a report in the Washington Free Beacon, Flynn's resignation: ... is the culmination of a secret, months-long campaign by former Obama administration confidantes to handicap President Donald Trump's national security apparatus and preserve the nuclear deal with Iran, according to multiple sources in and out of the White House who described to the Washington Free Beacon a behind-the-scenes effort by these officials to plant a series of damaging stories about Flynn in the national media. The effort, said to include former Obama administration adviser Ben Rhodes[.] The Beacon goes on to discuss Rhodes's interest in preserving the atrocious Iran deal fiasco as part of the Obama legacy. But what stands out here is the colossal irony of Rhodes, a creative writing major in college who served as Obama's "mind meld" to have a role in attacking Flynn for the awful act of...dialogue, this time with the Russians. As the intellectual author of the Iran deal with the country's oppressive mullahs, and the brains behind the Obama's administration's no-strings-attached apertura, or opening, to Cuba, Rhodes's attack on Flynn stands out for its duplicity. Both fiascos involved years of behind-the-scenes "dialogue" with gamy dictatorships to achieve their failed results. And all of these acts were justified by the Obama administration as part of the importance of "dialogue." Now Flynn gets done in for just such an effort to dialogue with the Russians. Suddenly, it's treason. Glenn Greenwald has pointed out that Democrats have made it an ugly "narrative" (Rhodes's specialty) to accuse anyone who speaks with the Russians as a Kremlin agent, and he cited the hypocrisy of Bill Clinton's still unexplained visit to Moscow during his student days. The left and its media minions, led by Rhodes, have seized on the idea of talking with the Russians as somehow dangerous, treasonous, and absolutely beyond the pale. It's the height of hypocrisy that Rhodes, Mister Dialogue himself, to now take to plotting political ruin for anyone caught in "dialogue" with the Russians. Apparently, dialogue with America's enemies and rivals is acceptable...only if Rhodes does it. The ink on national security adviser Michael Flynn's resignation letter wasn't even dry when former Obama chief strategist David Axelrod announced the left's new target. Speaking with CNN's Don Lemon Monday night, Axelrod essentially told the host that President Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, is next on the hit list. After speaking of Flynn with Lemon, Axelrod suddenly and unexpectedly shifted to Bannon. From the Daily Caller (video), Axelrod said: You know, a name that we haven't heard mentioned tonight in all of these discussions [is] the name of Steve Bannon, who has taken a role on national security. That is highly unusual for a person in his position. Two weeks ago, Axelrod defended himself when President Trump's press secretary, Sean Spicer, brought up the fact that Axelrod himself sat in on national security committee meetings during Obama's presidency. In a CNN op-ed, Axelrod minimized his involvement, insisting that he "did not speak or participate" during meetings. Axelrod wrote that he "sat on the sidelines as a silent observer" in order to gain an understanding of the issues and the processes by which the president would make critical decisions. Axelrod also stated he was barred from highly sensitive meetings, unlike Mr. Bannon. As Obama's master spin-meister, anything Axelrod says should be taken with enough grains of salt...to fill an ocean. But if true, and he really did merely sit in observation at meetings, so what? Axelrod was as much a de facto president as Valerie Jarrett was during Obama's first term. It's highly unlikely he was not consulted on most foreign policy decisions, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, whether he attended classified meetings or not. In fact, Obama and Axelrod are so close that the latter slobbered all over his former boss in a post-election interview last December. "I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I love you, man, and I'm so..." (He broke off mid-sentence.) "Love you back, brother," Obama responded. President Trump's historic win has brought out the long knives from Axelrod and other Alinskyites working feverishly to destroy President Trump. Born to a far-left radical mother and trained by Chicago communists, Axelrod has CNN as his own private propaganda machine, and he's making the most of it. During the Lemon interview, Axelrod repeated the left's latest talking point: "what did the president know, and when did he know it?" It's the same question the boot-licking propagandists in the media refused to pummel Obama with when it came to Benghazi and Operation Fast and Furious. The orchestrated ouster of Gen. Flynn, and Trump's acquiescence to it, is just one more bit of proof that a shadow government exists and is hard at work doing evil deeds: taking out anyone its members oppose via personal destruction. These traitors within our government bureaucracy are willing to expose current intelligence techniques, illegally used to wiretap a private citizen, in order to bring down a member of the Trump administration. They will not stop at one. They are emboldened by their success at taking out Flynn and will only set their sights on their next target. Obama loyalists who remain in positions of power have literally transformed America into something unrecognizable. The will of the people be damned. The two must-read articles of the week are by Eli Lake and Paul Sperry. Both explain what has transpired. Obama and his league of Alinskyite agitators are ready at the call of a tweet, Facebook post, or Instagram post to show up and protest, scream, yell, or riot. No understanding of the issue at hand necessary. Many are paid by groups funded by George Soros. Few, if any, of the mob scenes of late have been spontaneous. Protest a Trump nominee for the Supreme Court? No need to know his name or qualifications; signs will be provided upon arrival. Protest the deportation of illegal immigrant criminals? Scream that families are being torn apart. That the deportees may be racists or murderers is of no concern. What is good for the country is of no interest to these people. They are bent on doing anything and everything to weaken, harm, and eventually destroy the Trump presidency. They give no thought to the potential consequences of their mind-numbed quest to undo Trump. Trump was elected to "drain the swamp." The Washington, D.C. establishment, a conglomeration of both parties, is a swamp, a morass of corruption, abuse of power, and ignorance of and contempt for most of the people outside the Beltway they inhabit. One would think the election of Trump was been a wake-up call, but it was not. For the left, it was a thoroughly unexpected outcome, and they have reacted so hysterically, so viciously, that their tactics are bound to be deleterious to their party. Sen. Schumer has become downright satanic. For the Republican establishment, the shock at his victory has left them floundering like fish out of water. Many of them cannot bring themselves to get behind the elected president, so they find themselves in alignment with the disoriented, despicable left. McConnell, Cornyn, Graham, Blunt, etc. want to investigate Flynn? Not the leakers of transcripts of a private citizen? Every Republican who gets on board with that plan should be voted out of office. They still have not grasped why Trump won. People really do want the swamp drained, the stables cleaned. Hercules was ordered by Eurystheus to clean out the stables of King Augeas, an impossible task, since the king owned thousands of animals that lived in them. Hercules offered to do the job in one day if the king would give him one tenth of his herds. Believing that to be impossible, Augeas agreed. Hercules redirected two rivers to flow through the fetid stables and flushed them clean. Trump needs to get up to the task of Hercules. He has got to identify and dispose of the Obama radicals left over in the DOJ and State Department. If only he could do it by diverting a river not the Potomac, but the Mississippi. It's going to take a really powerful river of single-minded dedication to the Constitution and to the people who elected him for him to succeed. Today marks the day nine years ago that the highly respected Karen leader, Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan was gunned down by two men at his home in Mae Sot, Thailand. It is widely believed that Padoh Mahn Sha was killed on Thursday February 14, 2008 on the orders of Burmas military regime, who feared that the Karen leader was capable of uniting the countrys divided armed groups into a coherent political force. In the 2008 interview Padoh Mahn Sha said that Burmas problems were not only a problem for its ASEAN neighbors, but also the international community needed to be concerned. Padoh Mahn Sha explained that under the military regime rule Burma had become the worlds number one narco-state, it had displaced 500,000 ethnic people, drove 140,000 ethnic people into refugee camps in Thailand and Malaysia, it allowed the trafficking of its people, while another two million people had left the country as economic refugees and the lack of an effective health infrastructure meant its disease controls were useless. But what his opponents feared most about Padoh Mahn Sha was his proven ability to unite the countrys ethnic people, regardless of their politics or religion. Padoh Mahn Sha believed in youth and his ability to mentor, train and prepare future leaders for a role in politics was another reason his enemies wanted him gone. Padoh Mahn Sha said that his life was for his people and he fought, so all the people of Burma could live in a democratic society with justice, dignity, human rights and respect. In the weeks leading up to his assassination in 2008, Padoh Mahn Sha spoke of the futility of the many UN human rights missions to appeal to Burmas military regime. Gambaris (the UNs special rapporteur on Burma at the time) trip was a waste of time, let him visit the Karen, we can show him whats really going on. To his credit Gambari did show his concern for the (recent) Burma Army attacks in Karen State. Karen villagers have started a petition to urge the UN to put a stop to the [Burma Army] attacks in Karen State (Brigades 3 and 2). Despite the lack of any successful intervention by the international community that would stop the Burma Army attacks on the ethnic people Padoh Mahn Sha still took time to thank them. Our revolution is supported by international groups, they dont give us material support, but that has always been the way their morale support is enough. Padoh Mahn Sha said the military regime had identified and targeted a number of ethnic leaders as weak links in the political struggle. Individuals cause splits. These people lack any political conviction. Theyre dangerous for the Karen people and the Karen people dont accept the divisions created by a few selfish individuals. These individuals are working for their own private agendas and are prepared to sell our 58-year struggle for their own profit. Padoh Mahn Sha said the decade long struggle had taken its toll on the resolve of many and they now looked to their own immediate gain. We know they have tried to negotiate for their own peace zone and have made development and businesses, factories and logging their priorities. But the regime is not stupid they want a mandate that reflects the whole of the KNU. Many of these individuals are naive, are not very political sophisticated, they dont understand politics. They are tired of fighting and they want to do business. Padoh Mahn Sha pointed out that it was in the interests of the ethnic people to train their young people in politics. The regime has tried to divide our unity. We need all our brigade commanders to stay strong. The regime doesnt think about the people, they only want to protect their interests and power. We Karen have to focus on our four principles of our revolution. We have seen many news articles saying the KNU is finished, but we are secure knowing our young people are becoming awake to politics and are getting involved. What Pado Mahn Sha identified in 2008 as a danger to the Karen National Unions unity is is still an issue for the political organization in 2017. The regime wants to finish us but they cant. Its a concern for us that individuals within our organization are holding so called peace talks without having any mandate from the people, its dangerous even if their intentions are well intended, its very dangerous as it could cause a split and weaken our struggle for freedom. Back in January 2008, Pado Mahn Sha identified that the military regime wanted to divide the KNU. Its obvious the regime wants to talk to our army (KNLA) leaders, not the KNU, they want to divide our unity. We need all our leaders and all our people united behind the KNU. The KNU is their main target. The objective is to now divide us any way they can and a few individuals play into their hands General Bo Mya said many times to enter the legal fold is to surrender. You can say that these individuals are a disgrace to the memory and the name of General Bo Mya. Padoh Mahn Sha said that military regime was more interested in what the signing of a peace agreement, irrespective of who signed it as long as they were ethnic, would mean to international observers and investors. What it does give the regime is that it allows the regime to say they now have all the ethnic groups willing to sign a peace agreement. The regime wants this position so if they can say they are ready for democracy and they can also say they are engaging in talks with the KNU. In reality there is no peace talks. How can there be when we still have mass displacement in Eastern Burma. Padoh Mahn Sha spoke about the dams proposed to be built on the Salween River and predicted that they would be built on the back of human rights abuses and forced displacement. In Burma, development project is shorthand for forced labor, forced relocation, extortion and land confiscation. Mahn Sha pointed out that it was not only the Karen against the dams, but the Shan, Mon and Thai. By supporting the dams investors are supporting the regime. Our people are being killed and their lands destroyed, how can they say their investments are worth it. Mahn Sha says by focusing on mega dam projects the regime was only generating more trouble for the country. Theyre not workable, theyre problematic, see what has happened in China. The people and countries downstream lose access to water, teak and other forests are destroyed, villages drowned, waterways polluted and fish stocks ruined. Padoh Mahn Sha was well aware from regional intelligence sources that his life and that of other leaders were under threat because of their political smarts and their organized opposition to the military regime. A media statement released by the Phan Foundation said Sa Thu Hlaing Win was chosen for his work in preserving and promoting Western Pwo Karen literature. Sa Thu Hlaing Win is a founding member of the Western Pwo Karen Culture and Literature Group and is active in the Karen community in South Korea, where he now lives. Sa Thu Hlaing Win spoke to Karen News after receiving the award. I began to work on Western Pwo literacy online after I arrived to South Korea in 2014. I dont think I deserved this award because the name of Padoh Mahn Sha is a huge honor to me as it represents not only the Karen, but all ethnic nationalities and the whole democratic movement. However, I am pleased for the recognition of my work for my people. I would like to encourage our youth that you can work for your people not only when you are educated, but you can do your best where the need is great. The Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader Award is given annually to outstanding young Karen leaders and comes with a grant of US$2,000 to help support their work. The Phan Foundation said in its media statement that Sa Thu Hlaing Win returns to his home whenever he can and in 2015, he played a leading role in establishing the Western Pwo Karen Culture and Literature Group. He began research to identify villages that didnt have Karen literature teaching and then initiated a Karen literature study program by organising summer schools including curriculum of Pwo Karen teaching, text books and other school materials and financial support for teachers. By the end of 2016, he and his group had successfully provided Karen literature and culture training to 3,000 students from 60 schools across 13 townships in Irrawaddy Delta region. Slone Phan, Director of Phan Foundation and the youngest son of Padoh Mahn Sha quoted in the media statement said. We are very proud to have a remarkable young Karen leader like Sa Thu Hlaing Win, who refuses to let the ethnic identity of Karen people die, especially in the Irrawaddy Delta. Despite many years of oppression from the central government, the culture and literature of Western Pwo Karen is still alive because of hard working people like Sa Thu Hlaing Win and the Karen community there. This is exactly what my father Padoh Mahn Sha would want to see. Mahn Kenneth Moe, a Board member of Western Pwo Karen Culture and Literature Group, who nominated Sa Thu Hlaing Win was quoted in Phan Foundation media statement said. In the Irrawaddy Delta, the place where our Karen martyr, Padoh Mahn Sha was born is also a place where the culture, tradition, language and literature of the Karen people is in danger of being lost. I believe that through the work of Sa Thu Hlaing Win, this can be prevented. Although Padoh Mahn Sha is gone, there are remarkable and intelligent young people like Sa Thu Hlaing Win, who are working hard to inspire the next generation. The Phan Foundation was founded by the children of Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan in memory of their father and mother, Nant Kyin Shwe, with the aim to support the Karen people through poverty alleviation, education and human rights and culture preservation. Previous winners of the award were Naw Paw KBla Htoo from Kler Lwee Htu District in 2008, Saw Nyunt Win from Mutraw District in Karen State in 2009, Naw December Paw from Tenasserim Division in 2010, Saw Htoo Htoo Eh, from the Free Burma Rangers in 2011, Nant Thandar Aung from Karen Women Empowerment Group in 2012, Naw KNyaw Paw from the Karen Womens Organisation in 2013, Naw Hsa Moo from the Karen Student Network Groups who is now working for the Karen Environment and Social Action Network in 2014 and Sa Shine, a community worker in Hpa-an in 2015. This is so much bigger than Watergate. America has not seen a political crisis of this magnitude for generations. The other shoe drops on #Flynngate tonight. Trump, Manafort, and Flynn's activities "raise a red flag." The U.S. government is in "unbelievable turmoil." Who is in charge of America? CNN, The New York Times (which has a #FlynnGate ticktock here), and Washington Post are all reporting that the Trump White House is in freefall. "Flynn's ouster has White House in crisis mode." Top Trump team members including Paul Manafort and Mike Flynn were in "constant contact" with senior Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign in which Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton, but somehow ended up in the White House anyway. No comment on any of this tonight from the White House as of the time of this blog post. A "Dark Cloud of Russia" now hangs over the administration. Chilling. And this is real. Your nightly reminder that at the center of this strengthening hurricane are the tax returns. Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 15, 2017 From CNN: High-level advisers close to then-presidential nominee Donald Trump were in constant communication during the campaign with Russians known to US intelligence, multiple current and former intelligence, law enforcement and administration officials tell CNN. President-elect Trump and then-President Barack Obama were both briefed on details of the extensive communications between suspected Russian operatives and people associated with the Trump campaign and the Trump business, according to US officials familiar with the matter. Both the frequency of the communications and the proximity to Trump of those involved "raised a red flag" with US intelligence and law enforcement, according to these officials. The communications were intercepted during routine intelligence collection targeting Russian officials and other Russian nationals known to US intelligence. Officials emphasized that communications between campaign staff and representatives of foreign governments are not unusual. However, these communications stood out to investigators due to the frequency and the level of the Trump advisers involved. Investigators have not reached a judgment on the intent of those conversations. Adding to US investigators' concerns were intercepted communications between Russian officials before and after the election discussing their belief that they had special access to Trump, two law enforcement officials tell CNN. These officials cautioned the Russians could have been exaggerating their access. In other words, FBI went public w/ fruitless concerns about loose handling of emails while holding back actual conspiring w/ a rival power. Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) February 15, 2017 CNN says they have names of Trump campaign officials who communicated with Russian operatives. Not releasing yet because seeking comment. Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) February 15, 2017 When Comey argued against telling the White House about Flynn, his thinking was apparently that the FBI shouldn't be "the truth police." pic.twitter.com/bIgSb9xw3r Eric Geller (@ericgeller) February 15, 2017 Trump administration caught in lie about campaign contacts with Russia https://t.co/RkFQNqha90 pic.twitter.com/PpBiUdhbpX Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) February 15, 2017 my theory is that Manaforts denials may be technically true because he was talking to Ukraine proxies. just a theory mind you. Tim Dickinson (@7im) February 15, 2017 Post story also says FBI intercepted Flynn/Kislyak call "using capabilities provided by the [NSA]," though not sure what exactly that means. pic.twitter.com/j3zvunVXF5 Eric Geller (@ericgeller) February 15, 2017 @MikeIsaac RT has the best Flynn coverage by far tonight pic.twitter.com/tF63ONrkyn Andrew Blake (@apblake) February 15, 2017 Jeff Sessions resists pressure to remove himself in Russia investigations https://t.co/DxwEzkxvIx The New York Times (@nytimes) February 15, 2017 In retrospect picking fights with journalists and the intelligence community simultaneously may have been a poorly considered move. dan sinker (@dansinker) February 15, 2017 Senior Obama officials, briefing the Trump team during transition, withheld Russia info from Flynn and other aides. https://t.co/HnXaxTOJqi pic.twitter.com/qYIPOaM7MI Eric Geller (@ericgeller) February 15, 2017 It's a race now between the NYT, CNN and the Washington Post on this story. https://t.co/zq9UA5myT4 Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) February 15, 2017 When does the GOP get sick of this roller coaster and finally just impeach him and take their chances with the base? Mark Gongloff ? (@markgongloff) February 15, 2017 Remember this from 12/18/16 between Conway and @jdickerson: pic.twitter.com/bJKfrzJ74s Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) February 15, 2017 The Timeline of Michael Flynn's Phone Call With Russia: Who Knew What, and When https://t.co/cPZWeXNfvK Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) February 15, 2017 HE SAID THIS TODAY https://t.co/DP3LNUvGAF Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) February 15, 2017 "It's not like these people wear badges that say, 'I'm a Russian intelligence officer.'" @PaulManafort https://t.co/toB5vgJ3eK Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) February 15, 2017 US Allies In Europe Have Literally No Idea What's Going On With The Trump Administration https://t.co/GGKyW0Tvru via @mitchprothero toomas hendrik ilves (@IlvesToomas) February 15, 2017 Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee want to investigate Flynn, but chairman deferred to Intel Cmte. https://t.co/hcsL19R9X7 Eric Geller (@ericgeller) February 15, 2017 By delaying federal aid for days while he partied at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump failed evacuees threatened by a failing spillway in Northern California's Oroville Dam complex. Some 188,000 people from counties that mostly supported him were evacuated when authorities said the risk of a sudden and dramatic overspill became too high, but Orange Julius remained silent for days after California governor Jerry Brown requested he declare a federal emergency in the state. This winter has been one of the wettest in recorded west coast history, and has slammed California's aging infrastructure. While the welcome water has refilled reservoirs and left a massive snowpack, weather has also destroyed roads and left the State's second largest reservoir in real danger of a catastrophic collapse, flooding the Feather River and destroying thousands of homes in the waters' path. County officials made the difficult decision to evacuate around 188,000 residents on Sunday. Since then, conditions have improved, but not enough that it is safe to allow those evacuees to return home. More rain is expected on Wednesday. Last Friday, Governor Brown asked Trump to declare a federal emergency. Evidently, POTUS was watching the situation closely on television, but it took him days to decide that California deserved any help. The minority-elected reality television star has stated his intentions to withhold funding from California as punishment for successful immigration policies that allow the world's sixth-largest (and growing) economy to prosper. In other words, it looks like Trump took his time acknowledging the crisis out of personal spite. Interestingly, the California counties most impacted by this disaster are some of the reddest in the Bear Republic. Many of the evacuees are Trump supporters, and they will pay the price of his vengeful policies. California will figure it out either way, but lets hope the Oroville Dam spillway doesn't fail. Via the Sacramento Bee: There is a certain irony to California needing the federal government's help after openly challenging so many of the policies coming out of Washington, D.C. Trump isn't happy with the state and more than a few of his supporters have pointed that out. "Let the libtards drown," or some variation of that heartlessness, was actually a popular tweet on Sunday night. Seriously. People in other states love to paint California with a broad liberal brush. But we Californians know better. We know that Oroville is squarely in the very red State of Jefferson. Voters there, along with most of Butte, Yuba and Sutter counties, bought into Trump's plan to shrink and shake up the federal government and Make America Great Again. But, as it turns out, shrinking and shaking up the government comes with price, even for the loyal. Not long after the November election, I wrote a column asking Trump supporters if they were feeling guilty about their vote for president. Most of the responses I got were a decisive "no," followed by a curt explanation that the president was just getting started, but he clearly was going to keep his campaign promises unlike normal politicians. Lo and behold, those readers were right. Trump is keeping his campaign promises. But my guess is his supporters weren't counting on the president keeping all of his promises; just the ones they cherry-picked. Take, for example, the hundreds of demonstrators who showed up at a town-hall meeting hosted by Rep. Tom McClintock earlier this month. The Republican-dominated district went for Trump, but constituents wanted McClintock to do more to save Obamacare, as well as reject the president's plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico and his ban on visitors from Muslim countries. "What do you expect seniors and people with disabilities with low income to do if you take away our Medicare and Medicaid that we rely on to literally stay alive?" asked Amanda Barnes, who was paralyzed from her waist down after a hit-and-run accident in a crosswalk five years ago. Or farmers in the Central Valley who voted for Trump, but are now uneasy with the administration's promised crackdown on undocumented immigrants, who work in their fields. Last week, U.S. immigration agents conducted raids in several cities, including Los Angeles, nabbing people from their homes and their cars on their way to work. In a particularly troubling shift, agents picked up immigrants with no criminal record, capitalizing on a Trump executive order that substantially broadened the scope of whom immigration agents can target for deportation "If you only have legal labor, certain parts of this industry and this region will not exist," Harold McClarty, a fourth-generation farmer in Kingsburg, told The New York Times. "If we sent all these people back, it would be a total disaster." He's right to be worried. It's not like millions of Trump supporters on the other side of the country, the unemployed workers in the industrial Midwest, are about to take jobs picking fruit in 115-degree California heat. So much for campaign talk being just talk. Hopefully, the Trump supporters evacuated on Sunday and now crashing in hotel rooms, on friends' couches and in community centers won't get thrown under the bus, too. It's possible, though, which has got to hurt. #TrumpRegrets anyone? PHOTO: FEB 13, 2017. 65,000 cfs of water flow through a damaged spillway on the Oroville Dam in Oroville, California. REUTERS/Max Whittaker Since the neoliberal reforms of the Reagan era; the rollback of trade unions; the elimination of defined-benefits pensions (in favor of "market-based" SIPPs and 401(k)s); the termination of national minimum wage increases and real earnings collapse for working people; the finance-industry fraud that stole so many working peoples' homes during and after the subprime bubble; the massive increases in healthcare costs, the possibility of retiring after 45 or 50 years in the workforce has been snuffed out for nearly everyone. There is cash to be found to bail out the banks, cash for foreign wars, and cash enough to let companies like Google pay 0.21% tax (with working people picking up the shortfall in the public coffers) by claiming to earn all its profits in Ireland. But libraries, schools, unemployment assistance, and healthcare are unaffordable luxuries. Besides, the intellectuals of the neoliberal movement remind us, retirement is "ageist" people like to work! The intergenerational resentment between the millennials who've inherited climate change and bad jobs and precarity and the boomers who will work until the grave takes them needs to be replaced with intergenerational solidarity. The problem isn't other workers it the billionaires who've looted the treasuries and pitted us against each other. There's clearly a lot of intergenerational resentment towards retirees at the moment. The perception is that they've pulled the ladder up on the millennials who are struggling in low-paid jobs, will never own a house and are laden with awful student debts and even reports that they're better off than workers. The disgruntlement is understandable. But it also plays into the hands of those trying to end retirement, a divide and conquer tactic that has been remarkably effective in allowing some draconian policies to flourish. What we really need is an intergenerational alliance to be forged around the issue. Any attempt to protect the right to retire (with a pension) will also have to address the dire developments in the employment sector that are seriously disadvantaging younger people and now creeping into jobs held by 40-somethings too. Welcome to the new dark ages, where only the wealthy can retire [Peter Fleming/The Guardian] (via Naked Capitalism) So, if you know something is amiss in your arm of the State if you want to blow the whistle on corruption and waste handing data to a journalist will land them in prison. And it gets worse. The Register says places will be deemed to be off the news grid: British Embassies abroad, intelligence and security offices, and data centres not officially publicised by the government would be designated as prohibited places or protected sites, making it an offence to publish information about them or to approach, inspect, pass over or enter for any purpose prejudicial to national security. (ANSA) - Rome, February 14 - Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said after Vatican-Italian talks marking the anniversary of the Lateran Pacts Tuesday that "all the issues that Italy and the Holy See hold dear were tackled, in the sense of being attentive to people's needs, to social emergencies" such as jobs, young people and migration. "There is concern" on these issues," he said. Parolin emerged from the talks saying that he had voiced "concern" over an end-of-life bill now before parliament. "More space for dialogue between doctors and patients is needed," he said. The talks focused on Italy's stronger role on the international scene and the need for the EU to rediscover its founding values to be relaunched, as well as the persecution of Christians around the world, sources said. Youth unemployment, and the need for Europe to find a new strategy to reduce it, was also part of the talks. CAIRO - Egyptian news agency MENA announced Tuesday night that Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and Libyan General Khalifa Haftar, in indirect meetings in Cairo, "have agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections" in Libya "in February 2018, in line with the Libyan political accord" signed in Shikrat in December 2015. However, the Libya Herald online cited sources "in Haftar's camp" that maintain the general didn't accept the proposal. MENA, in its Arab-language service, cited "a statement released at the conclusion of meetings held with Fayez Sarraj, president of the House of Representatives Aqila Saleh, and General Khalifa Haftar". On Tuesday an official source in Tobruk, where Haftar is based, said that the general had refused to meet with Sarraj. ANSA sources at the Cairo airport as well as the Libya Herald said that Sarraj has left Cairo. MENA also said that the leaders agreed to "form a joint committee of the Libyan Parliament and the High Council of State to examine issues agreed upon for amendment in the political accord" signed in Morocco in 2015 and also "to reach a consensus on a draft to send to parliament for approval". "The Libyan Parliament will make the necessary amendments to include the Shikrat political accord in the constitutional declaration. The accord also affirms that all holders of the main offices in Libya will continue their work". Migrants: sad paradox record 2016 Med deaths, Frontex Boats from Libya 'unequipped to reach European coasts' (ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 15 - A record high of at least 4,500 migrants died trying to reach Europe last year, the head of the EU's border agency Frontex Fabrice Leggeri noted Wednesday. He was speaking at the presentation of a report analyzing migration risks for 2017. Leggeri said that despite a considerable deployment of operations on the Central Mediterranean route, a record high number of deaths occurred had led to a ''sad paradox''. He added that the largest number drownings had occurred near Libya, often in the country's territorial waters where Frontex cannot operate. The higher death toll was due to a gradual change in the method used by traffickers, who after finding themselves with a lack of boats and wanting larger profits have begun load huge numbers of migrants together on the dinghies, he said. The boats are unequipped to reach any European coast, he said, urging greater collaboration with the Libyan Coast Guard and other African countries. (ANSAmed). NATO hub in Naples 'particularly important' - Pinotti Requested by Italy, we'll work for 'proper' implementation (ANSAmed) - Brussels, February 15 - A new NATO southern defence hub to be approved by alliance ministers Wednesday is "particularly important," Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said upon her arrival at NATO HQ. "Italy asked for it, we fought at all levels," said Pinotti, underscoring that "I personally fought and I requested this thing at every opportunity." She said Italy's permanent representative at NATO, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, and defence chief of staff Claudio Graziano "worked on it too". "We believe it is a first important result. I express satisfaction on this. Obviously there will be work to do to make sure this decision is properly implemented". NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday he personally had proposed creating a southern defensive hub at NATO's allied interforce command centre in Naples. A new NATO southern defence hub to be approved by alliance ministers Wednesday is "particularly important," Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said upon her arrival at NATO HQ. "Italy asked for it, we fought at all levels," said Pinotti, underscoring that "I personally fought and I requested this thing at every opportunity." She said Italy's permanent representative at NATO, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, and defence chief of staff Claudio Graziano "worked on it too". "We believe it is a first important result. I express satisfaction on this. Obviously there will be work to do to make sure this decision is properly implemented". NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday he personally had proposed creating a southern defensive hub at NATO's allied interforce command centre in Naples. The new hub would be tasked with "increasing the capacity to identify threats and improve situational awareness," he said. It would be a centre of coordination for anti-terrorism, intelligence and defence capacity building to stabilise North Africa and the Middle East as well as warding off threats from the south, he said. (ANSAmed). Libya 2018 elections accord confirmed, says MENA news agency Media says Haftar doesn't accept. Agreement to amend Shikrat (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, FEBRUARY 15 - Egyptian news agency MENA announced Tuesday night that Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and Libyan General Khalifa Haftar, in indirect meetings in Cairo, "have agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections" in Libya "in February 2018, in line with the Libyan political accord" signed in Shikrat in December 2015. However, the Libya Herald online cited sources "in Haftar's camp" that maintain the general didn't accept the proposal. MENA, in its Arab-language service, cited "a statement released at the conclusion of meetings held with Fayez Sarraj, president of the House of Representatives Aqila Saleh, and General Khalifa Haftar". On Tuesday an official source in Tobruk, where Haftar is based, said that the general had refused to meet with Sarraj. ANSA sources at the Cairo airport as well as the Libya Herald said that Sarraj has left Cairo. MENA also said that the leaders agreed to "form a joint committee of the Libyan Parliament and the High Council of State to examine issues agreed upon for amendment in the political accord" signed in Morocco in 2015 and also "to reach a consensus on a draft to send to parliament for approval". "The Libyan Parliament will make the necessary amendments to include the Shikrat political accord in the constitutional declaration. The accord also affirms that all holders of the main offices in Libya will continue their work".(ANSAmed). PLO says 'without two states, either one state or apartheid' Ashrawi says no peace without Palestinian state (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, FEBRUARY 15 - Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said on Wednesday that the alternative to a two-state solution is "either one state with equal rights for all or apartheid", according to Palestinian news agency WAFA. Ashrawi was responding to comments by a White House official that the US may not press for a two-state solution as the only option for peace. "If U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to create alternative realities, then he should spell out what the options are," she said. "If the Trump Administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad". Jibril Rajoub of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party said "the United States must not forget that peace in the region depends on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian question and that there is no alternative to the establishment of a Palestinian state".(ANSAmed). NEW YORK - US president Donald Trump urged Israel to slow construction of settlements in the West Bank during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu at the White House. ''As far as settlements, I'd like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit,'' Trump told Netanyahu. ''We'll work something out, but I would like to see a deal be made. I think a deal will be made.'' He added that his administration rejected unilateral, unjust actions by the UN against Israel and that he didn't care whether it was a one-state or two-state solution with Palestinians so long as peace was achieved. Netanyahu said that he expected the alliance between the US and Israel to be even stronger under Trump. NEW YORK - A White House official presented US President Donald Trump's position regarding a two-state solution in Israel ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington by saying that "a two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal: peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution, if that's what the parties want, or something else". "We're not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be," the official said. The leaders will meet on issues including settlements, possibly moving the US Embassy in Israel, and a possible meeting between the Israelis and Palestinians. "We hope to bring the two sides together to discuss peace". If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both Flydubai will be the first carrier to offer direct flights from the UAE to Qabala and Tivat, and the first from Dubai to Batumi. GCC nationals will not need a visa to any of these three new destinations, while UAE residence will receive visa on arrival. We would like to thank the authorities in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Montenegro for making it easier for the residents of the UAE and GCC to visit these countries by facilitating their visa requirements, said Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer at Flydubai, commenting on the announcement. We continue to look for opportunities to further expand our network and offer our passengers more options to travel especially for the summer holiday season. These popular new routes in will complement our existing comprehensive network and will be a gateway to explore this part of the region, added Al Ghaith. Batumi, which will be served by three flights a week, will be Flydubais second destination in Georgia following Tbilisi. Qabala, which will be served by two fights a week, is Flydubais second point in Azerbaijan after Baku. While the start of two weekly flights to Tivat will mark Flydubais first entry to Montenegro following the successful promotional trip that was held in October 2016 in partnership with Porto Montenegro. We are confident that the demand for these new summer flights will be strong in both Business and Economy Class. The interest in affordable, popular and off-the-beaten-track holiday destinations continues to grow especially from the GCC markets and these routes offer alternative options for those seeking a beach holiday or city breaks, said Jeyhun Efendi, senior vice president commercial (UAE, EU, ME, CIS) at Fydubai. Batumi, Georgia Flydubai will operate three weekly flights between Dubai and Batumi from 22 June to 30 September 2017 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Batumi is the second largest city in Georgia, located on the coast of the Black Sea in the country's southwest region. Batumi is a popular tourist destination known for its bustling seaside resorts during the warm months of the summer. The city is also an important sea port with thriving shipbuilding, food processing and light manufacturing industries. Qabala, Azerbaijan Flydubai will operate two weekly flights between Dubai and Qabala from 22 June to 17 September 2017 on Thursdays and Sundays. Qabala, also known as Gabala, is the capital of the Gabala District one of the richest archeological and historic regions of Azerbaijan. Qabala is considered a popular tourist destination due to the combination of a mild climate, woods along the mountains, excellent wildlife and recreational resorts. Tivat, Montenegro Flydubai will operate two weekly flights between Dubai and Tivat from 23 June to 25 September 2017 on Mondays and Fridays. Already a popular tourist resort, Tivat is set to become a nautical tourism centre for the southern Adriatic. This coastal town in southwest Montenegro is renowned for its pleasant climate and natural beauty and is conveniently located a short drive away from Dubrovnik in Croatia and Sarajevo in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The state-owned carrier said it would retire its last four remaining A340-300s and two B777-200(ER)s from service in August this year. Kuwait Airways is in the process of renewing its narrow- and wide-body fleets with ten B777-300(ER)s (four of which have been delivered) and ten A350-900s (the first of which is due in 2019). The services and spares that will be provided within the framework of the agreement will be based in Turkish Technics Istanbul base and supply stations throughout the world. The LRU components will be serviced in the state-of-the-art facilities of Turkish Technic at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. The contract will also serve to enhance the strong business relationship between the two parties and will be a substantial step for Turkish Technic in the Middle East region. Royal Jordanian Airlines CEO Suleiman Obeidat said: We are pleased to cooperate with a pioneer MRO company in the region, Turkish Technic. We believe their contributions and technical services will back our endeavors to provide a continued on-time, efficient operation, all for a better passenger satisfaction. Ahmet Karaman, CEO of Turkish Technic, said: We are glad to be reaping the fruits of our labour with this win-win co-operation model. Turkish Technic has reached a fleet size of about 800 aircraft in the component pool market with the signing of this agreement. Co-located with the Airport Show 2017, WTCEME, will offer its largest ever platform to global travel catering players with an expected over 70 exhibitors and more than 15 per cent increase in the number of visitors this year. Demand for travel catering and onboard services in the Middle East continues to increase backed by the consistent and strong growth in the regions aviation sector. Saeed Mohammed, CEO, Emirates Flight Catering, EKFC, said: We are excited about the potential for growth in the Middle East travel catering segment. The rise of low-cost carriers and stability of our main carriers means Dubai and the broader region is more accessible and affordable to visit than ever before, and were seeing that positively reflected in visitor numbers to Dubai. The growing interest in the region as a tourism destination, particularly with the launch of new attractions, necessitates a deeper understanding of the needs and preferences of airline passengers and drives companies to introduce new and innovative inflight products and services. There has also been a shift in focus in terms of the type of holidays offered in the region, and the vast range of things visitors can do while here. Dubai, for example, now offers a huge range of family friendly attractions - Dubai Parks and Resorts, IMG World and the many waterparks, to name a few. All of this adds to the attraction of the region, said Saeed. For us, turning this potential into results means deeply understanding what our airline customers value and expect, and delivering a memorable product and service that leaves a lasting impression on them and their customers, he added. In its 4th edition, WTCEME will bring together over 70 exhibitors. The expo will also benefit from access to over 7,500 trade visitors who attend the Airport Show and Global Airport Leaders Forum. We are proud to support a growing, local event like WTCEME, to help to bring the local industry together and encourage business from outside the region, said Penny Butler, Radnor Hills International Sales Manager. We are one of the first to introduce this brand-new drinks concept to the on-board hospitality market. Our pure juice range Fruella and the UKs leading School Compliant drinks range Radnor Fruits are all ideal new options for caterers on-board and we will be introducing this new format at this years WTCEME. WTCEME provides us the perfect platform to launch our brand-new pack formats specifically designed for on-board consumption. Being able to meet with local buyers for this fast-growing industry is extremely exciting for us. The growth of aviation industry in the Middle East has been generating tremendous interest from international players. The Middle East is estimated to record an annual growth of 5 per cent and see an extra 258 million passengers a year on routes to, from and within the region by 2035, according to the latest statistics from International Air Transport Association (IATA). Airlines in the region are also actively pursuing expansion. The growth of the sector will fuel opportunities for the travel catering segment. The region is also expected to be the fastest-growing in the world for the airline industry this year, according to Moodys recent forecasts. An increase of 10 per cent is expected in the number of seats in the region, which will increase demand for travel catering requirements. Anais Maillard, export business developer, France-based PLEIN NORD/ BAYART INNOVATIONS, said: We are highly optimistic on the potential of travel catering industry in the Middle East countries. We have indeed observed a growth in the airline sector and have received many more requests from Middle East customers recently, which is why participating in WTCEME is very important for us. Through WTCEME we will benefit from direct proximity with airlines companies, discuss about new projects and to know better their needs. It's a real opportunity to show them our latest collection. WTCEME is the leading global travel catering event and we consider it a must to be there to further build our business network. Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: WTCEME has established itself as an ideal platform that connects travel catering and onboard services providers from across the world, while offering tremendous opportunities to tap into the growing travel catering requirements in the Middle East. Being co-located with another leading aviation event like Airport Show further increases business opportunities for our exhibitors. Exhibitors will highlight a wide range of travel catering services and solutions, including food, snacks, beverages, food packaging, processing, preparation and preservation equipment, tableware and chinaware, accessories, toiletries and travel amenities at WTCEME. The expos visitors will include chefs, consultants, food & beverage managers, health & safety managers, in-flight service managers, operations managers, procurement managers, production managers and purchasing managers from airports, hospitality, airlines, charter and business jet operators, cruise operators, flight catering and large scale catering companies. TEO. Timeless Everyday Objects Design Handmade in Germany 15/02/2017 - Timeless Everyday Objects as its name implies stands for high quality products designed with a simple beauty and a passion for detail, suitable for everyday life. TEO offers long lasting products of premium materials like mouth blown glass and hand spun metal. Its product portfolio comprises lighting, furniture and home accessories, the vivid colors and different materials will add unique character to your home.The Awa Seriess design is inspired by inflatable Japanese construction site lamps and by the concept of blowing itselflike to blow glass or to blow up a bubble-gum.In Japan, Awa literally means bubble and as a name giver it refers to the soft volume of the glass body in contrast to its delicate and minimalistic fixture system. Awa is build modular, the same fixture can be used for large and small pendants, as well as for table and floor lights. Modu stands for modularity, the basic concept for this pendant light family. The upper and lower part may be freely combined with each other.The upper part is available in three sizes and two different materials: mouth-blown glass and painted steel; the lower shade is made of painted steel and available in several colors. Its vivid colors, simplicity in shape and possibility of variation let Modu fit perfectly in various interior environments.This compact table light is ideally placed on a bedside table or sideboard or used as a night light in a childs room. Cap is a little elf with a large hat enchanting your room with cosy ambient light.Playfulness and the inverse order of glass and metal elements give this table light a special character. The upper cover functions as a reflector that diffuses light softly through milky glass. Duo is a candle holder that is suitable for both, candles and tealights. The distinctive parting line between colors and materials emphasizes the functionality of the product.Loosely arranged on the table, in clusters of long candles and compact tealights Duo creates an elegant presence. Yoko brings a warm and gentle feeling to every room. Combining an inner glass body with an outer metal cover, Yoko offers both direct and indirect light.Taking inspiration from ancient japanese tea-pots, Yoko combines eastern and western influences. The result is a traditional yet modern pendant light with a friendly and unique character.With, the designerr andaim at creating simple yet emotional products, with a strong and distinctive brand image. Working hands-on with mock-ups, prototypes and experimenting with materials are vital parts of their creative process. Lena Billmeier and David Baur combine their down-home German roots with international influences and challenge themselves to create fresh, innovative and most of all beautiful design projects. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called upon the Department of State to oppose the third-party transfer of sensitive U.S. equipment and technology as part of a reported Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system sale to Azerbaijan. In a February 13th letter sent to the State Department Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the ANCA asked for formal U.S. opposition to the Iron Dome Sale on the grounds that it would: undermine U.S. interests by raising the risks of regional conflict, setting back the cause of peace, and potentially allowing advanced weapons technology to fall into the hands of anti-American powers. Separately, the ANCA has, under the Freedom of Information Act, requested any official records related to the Iron Dome sale to Azerbaijan. In Ilham Aliyevs hands, Iron Dome is a first strike weapon, said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, one that will only embolden him to escalate his aggression. He added: Green-lighting this sale would undermine all that America and our OSCE partners have done to promote peace and prevent weapons proliferation, raising the very real risk that advanced technology that will both destabilize the Caucasus and potentially end up in the hands of anti-U.S. countries from Belarus to North Korea, he said. Rumors began circulating that Israel will sell the Iron Dome anti missile system to Azerbaijan after PM Benjamin Netanyahu met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev in December, 2016. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Leaving the protections of Nagorno Karabakh only on the shoulders of the Defense Army is wrong, Emil Babayan, advisor to the President of Nagorno Karabakh, told reporters at the international expert workshop entitled Breakthrough of Stepanakerts blockade: after 25 years. All of us have things to do in our spheres, all of us have our own so-called trenches. I can say human rights experts and lawyers carried out significant works in terms of addressing the European Court of Human Rights regarding issues related to the April War, however there is a problem here: in fact, regarding these developments, which happened in the territory of Nagorno Karabakh, in international courts, namely in ECHR, the voice of Nagorno Karabakh isnt heard: why? Because formally Nagorno Karabakh isnt yet a recognized state, he said. Babayan assured works are underway to find possible ways of solving that issue. All those developments occurred in our territory, and in our opinion, it would be very good for the court itself to hear the voice of Nagorno Karabakh and the people of Nagorno Karabakh in order to correctly solve the cases. Criminal cases were initiated on the deaths of every soldier, investigations were carried out, and all documents are in Nagorno Karabakh: Our approach is that the voice of Nagorno Karabakh must be heard, Emil Babayan said. According to him, in terms of diplomacy Nagorno Karabakh has always been present in the negotiations process, although it isnt formally recognized. We know that no problem can be solved without the agreement of Nagorno Karabakh. I think there is no alternative to diplomacy, the alternative is war, which we are obliged to avoid, he said. The Rifftides staff will soon be crossing the Cascade Mountains and heading west through the Columbia River Gorge to report on the Portland Jazz Festival. To be accurate, the reports will cover some of the festival. It runs eleven days in large and small halls, intimate clubs, a university lecture room, clubs, restaurants and at least one hotel lounge. As with most large jazz festivals these days, events often overlap, making it impossible to hear everything. We will take in as much music as we can and make our reports as timely as the crunch allows. One of the sidebar features at the PDX festival is a series of public conversations with featured artists. Impresario Don Lucoff has asked me to chat with tenor saxophonist Javon Jackson (pictured right). That will be on Friday, February 17 at 4:30 p.m. at the Art Bar in the lobby of the Portland Art Center, which houses the Newmark and Winningstad Theatres, the festivals primary stages for major events. Jackson shares a bill the next night at the Newmark with brothers Jimmy and Tootie Heath. Among other musicians the festival will feature are the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Branford Marsalis and Kurt Elling together, drummer Ralph Peterson featuring the Curtis Brothers, the Yellowjackets and guitarist Mike Stern, and a parade of prominent pianists including Bill Mays, Craig Taborn, Aaron Parks, Amina Claudine Myers and the Russian Andrei Kitayevin separate gigs. In addition, there will be appearances by many of the Pacific Northwests most prominent musicians. The veteran drummer Mel Brown (pictured left) will lead his big band with trumpeter Jon Faddis as a guest soloist. Pianist Ezra Weiss will head his Monday Night Big Band. Trumpeter Dick Titterington (pictured right) and pianist Randy Porter will appear with their John Birks Society. Not to be outdone, trumpeter Thomas Barber will present his quintet in a concert billed as Barber Does Dizzy. To scroll through the PDX Festivals full calendar of events, go here. If you are going to be there, I hope to see you in Portland. I always look forward to visiting one of my favorite former hometowns, especially under these circumstances. An Introduction to Doing Business in Singapore 2022 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in Singapore, compiled by the professionals at Dezan... Funds will be used for growing the team and technology platform New Delhi: Co-working space provider Innov8 has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from a clutch of investors, including Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Google's Rajan Anandan and FreeCharge founder Kunal Shah among others. The angel round also saw participation from LetsVentures, Venture Catalysts, Girish Mathrubhootham (Freshdesk), Punit Soni (ex-Flipkart CPO), Anand Chandrasekeran (Facebook), Sunil Kalra (Via Projects), Utsav Somani (Angel List India), Vishal Gondal (GOQii) and Vikram Limaye (IDFC Bank) as well. Launched about a year and a half ago, the company is backed by Y Combinator. It has three centres in Delhi, Chandigarh and Bengaluru. "The funds will be used for growing the team and technology platform. We are an asset-light company and we are looking at expanding to major cities like Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune by December-end," Innov8 co-founder Ritesh Malik told PTI. While he declined to disclose the revenue numbers, Malik said the company is profitable across its centres. "We had started as an alternative for startups to get office space without investing in huge sums of money. However, now we get not just startups but other companies as well who are looking for space for their remote corporate teams... In fact, our fourth will come up soon in Mumbai," Innov8 co-founder Shailesh Gupta said. He added that its members are a mix of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and start-ups, to artists, small businesses and even divisions of large corporations across its three centres that has a capacity of about 700 people. Co-working is a fairly new concept where companies can rent office space and get access to facilities like high-speed internet as well as opportunity to build a community and network with others. The company claims that the trailer made an objectionable, derogatory remark about their product. Mumbai: The makers of Akshay Kumar's 'Jolly LLB 2' are laughing all their way to the bank with the brilliant collections of the film in the first few days, but it seems they have a problem at hand. Following the defamation case that footwear giant Bata had filed against the film, a Delhi court has issued summons to Akshay Kumar, Annu Kapoor, producer Fox Star Studios India Private Limited, Executive Producer Naren Kumar, writer Subhash Kapoor and others to appear on February 22. In the legal notice, Bata has claimed that the trailer has made an objectionable, derogatory remark about the brand which, according to them, deserves a personal as well as apology on public platforms like mainstream media. The scene in question is the one where Annu Kapoor and Akshay Kumar are engaged in a legal argument and the former comments on Akshays attire, saying: Varna kya.Bata ka joota pehan kar, tuchhi si terricot ki shirt pehan kar, saala humse zabaan lada rahe hain. An angry Akshay retaliated with a thundering slap. In the petition, the footwear baron said, The dialogue is intended to convey that the brand BATA is adorned only by lower strata of society and one should feel humiliated if one wears BATA footwear, in fact the expression and reaction to such a dialogue by Akshay Kumar in the trailer shows that even the person to whom such a statement is hurled took the same extremely negatively and slapped Annu Kapoor in Open Court as if he has been severely abused in the dialogue or he has been hurled with deliberate effort to tarnish the brand image of Bata, perhaps at the instance of some competitors of [Bata] whose products are promoted by Mr Akshay Kumar as a brand ambassador. The petition also highlighted the fact that Bata is a well-established 86 year-old brand with a huge clientele and boosts of being the parent company to over 1000 retail stores across India. Contrary to the trailers allegedly defamatory remarks about the chain, BATA enjoys impeccable reputation amongst all classes of the Indian public which include a common middle class men, those from the higher strata and even the elitist of the elite lot of the Indian society. The little one felt she had to be thanked for the pizza date as she suggested they go out together. Mumbai: The mega star's Blog post, which is no less than a window to his inner-world, had a major chunk of that date night, narrated beautifully. It all started with the little one's desire to have Pizza at an Italian restaurant. The 74-year-old actor, describing Aradhya's dignified aura at the restaurant, wrote, "The grand daughter here at home, has most politely expressed a desire to eat a Pizza at an Italian restaurant and there is a flurry of activity to make her desire ...we just didand Miss Aradhaya has quietly and in most dignified manner, sat at her table, spread the napkin across her legs, ordered the menu by drawing the attention of the waiter giving instructions of just how crisp she wanted her Pizza to be and when it has arrived she has most politely turned to the waitress, thanked her for the dish and then 'wish you a very happy Valentine's Day...' musically departs her tender lips, as she settles in to devour her favourite .." Further speaking about the five-year-old kid's maturity, Big-B described why his granddaughter feels 'Dadaji' should thank her and not the vice-versa, for the dinner and driving her back home. He wrote, "Deed over she has desired her Dada ji to drive her back home, which he willingly does and on getting home when other family ask her to thank me for taking her out, goes quiet and puts on a sulk .. Why .. ? She replies : "I should not thank all, all must thank me for it was I that suggested we must go out for dinner" .." Aha! With this conversation, it looks like the Shehenshah of Bollywood has an apt description of his little princess, "She is 5 with an additional 0 50 !!" On the work front, the 74-year-old actor will next be seen in Ram Gopal Varma's 'Sarkar 3.' Kamal Haasan is willing to let go of his own fees, but cannot forego his teams fee. Theres some sour news for Kamal Haasans fans. The superstars much talked-about Vishwaroopam is nowhere close to releasing. Reason? The films producer Aascar Ravi hasnt been able to provide funds needed to pay the pending salaries of the films crew and cast. Says the actor, I have six months of post-production work on the project left. My producer Oscar Ravi was busy bringing Arnold Schwarzenneger to release a Tamil films music and even busier buying rights for distribution of various films. Till he pays his due, the film stays mine on contract. Kamal Haasan is willing to let go of his own fees, but cannot forego his teams fee. To work ahead, the crew needs to be paid. I cant let my cast and crew suffer for my idealism, says Kamal who is willing to talk things out with Oscar. We meet regularly and theres no indication of any animosity regarding Vishwaroopam. Its just that hes busy with other ventures. For us, it is years of hard work. For him its just one more business venture. Mr Oscar wants us to cut our budgets but we cannot cut on budgets unless people are paid their pending salaries. This is a film, not a vegetable stall. The actor feels extremely honoured about the recognition his character has received. Benedict Cumberbatch feels 'honoured' as 'Sherlock' has topped the worldwide poll of most popular BBC television characters. Cumberbatch said, "I'm honoured to hear that my portrayal of Sherlock has been internationally recognised as viewers' favourite BBC TV character," reports the Mirror. Adding, "Who would have thought a high-functioning sociopath could be so popular with people all over the world?" Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth bagged the accolade, after having some stiff competition from the likes of Fawlty Towers' Basil Fawlty, the Doctor in Doctor Who and Hyacinth Bucket. The reports further said that the grand title came after BBC Worldwide surveyed more than 7,000 people, between the age of 18 to 64, from seven countries, including Australia, France, the U.S. and Japan, with almost 30 percent of them all backing Cumberbatch 's 'Sherlock.' The 40-year-old actor also bagged top-prize for most memorable scene as Sherlock, for his fall to apparent death, at the end of the show's second series. Sabiha adds that Kalki also introduced her to some interesting people in Mumbai. We speak to Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar and actress Kalki Koechlin about Aazmaish, a documentary that explores what binds India and Pakistan, culturally and socially. Sitting in Mumbai, two friends one Hindu and another Muslim discuss the Hinduisation of India being a mere political game while the real problem is the poverty that can be witnessed on streets. Similarly, few people in Pakistan are seen talking about the Al Qaeda and Taliban being a part of international conspiracy and how they have nothing to do with the everyday lives of common people. These are two different scenes from the upcoming documentary, Aazmaish directed by Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar. The film also features actress Kalki Koechlin expressing her views on the bilateral relations. Aazmaish is a Persian word for trial and the documentary explores how the two neighbouring countries are reeling under the effects of international power games and being torn by politics and yet there is unity when seen from cultural and social lenses. We all are going through a trial in this life and we grow as we go through these trials. The film explores the trials that the two counties as well as the world is going through. Its also my search as a woman for the direction my nation should take, Sabiha says. While Sabiha has been shooting for this project for three years, she invited Kalki Koechlin to be a part of this project in 2016. After meeting Kalki at the MAMI film festival, Sabiha asked Kalki to get associated with this project. Sabiha, who has earlier directed Khamosh Pani, says, I wanted Kalki to be in the documentary because I had seen the kind of work she had done. She came across as a very strong and forthright person. These qualities really appealed to me. She also liked my work and we were connected by the fact that we were both asking questions regarding what was happening in our countries. Kalki shares that it was very interesting to shoot this documentary as she got to meet so many people from different backgrounds. She agrees that her being a celebrity definitely affected the way the documentary shaped up. There were times when it was better for me to take a backseat and then there were times that me being a celebrity, also helped. It was interesting to see that people in Pakistan had seen my films and recognised me. It was also helpful as people were more forthcoming because of that, says the actress. Sabiha adds that Kalki also introduced her to some interesting people in Mumbai. The films proposal was initially floated on an international platform but got successfully funded only when the proposal was floated on an Indian crowdfunding website. Enough funds poured in from both sides of the border reiterating the fact that people want harmony and peace. It also told me a lot about how human beings are connected on one level, the filmmaker says. Adding to her experience of being part of the project, Kalki says, I cant compare the two countries. In the film too, we were looking more at what connected us rather than what separated us. One thing that I observed was that Pakistan is still grappling with the Zamindari system and their economy is mostly dependent on agriculture. At this point Sabiha, adds, Both the countries have not been able to shed their colonial past entirely. The level of inequality that is part of both the societies comes from a time long gone by. The Indian bureaucracy was supposed to suppress other Indians and it is still in place. Similarly the education system in Pakistan is very divisive and follows the colonial model. But wasnt it difficult for a Indian star to be part of the documentary by a Pakistani filmmaker at a time when Pakistani artistes are currently banned from working in India? On this, both women almost said in unison that no matter what, the film shooting had to go on. Aazmaish is scheduled to release this year. An emotional Ms Sasikala addressed supporters and said she was sure her party would get the invite to form the government. AIADMK leader Edappadi Palanisami calls on Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Tuesday to stake claim for the formation of government. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: Tamil Nadus acting CM O. Panneerselvam and AIADMKs new legislature party leader Edappadi K. Palanisami met governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao on Tuesday to stake claim for the states top job. While the governor is keeping his cards close to his chest, the mood in both camps was completely opposite. After the SC verdict, Mr Panneerselvams supporters broke into celebrations, bursting crackers and distributing sweets, while Ms Sasikalas supporters looked dejected and quietly went home. Former CM J. Jayalalithaas niece Deepa Jayakumar accompanied Mr Panneerselvam and hundreds of supporters on a march to Jayalalithaas memorial in Chennai late night. He said he was confident that truth will prevail. An emotional Ms Sasikala addressed supporters and said she was sure her party would get the invite to form the government. The OPS camp rejected Mr Palanisamis election and met Mr Rao to demand Mr Panneerselvam be allowed to prove his majority on fthe floor of the House since it is the only place where the MLAs can act according to their conscience. Before the OPS camp met and put forth its views, Mr Palanisami and his colleagues rushed to Raj Bhavan and submitted a letter of his election as the leader of the AIADMK legislature party. OPS appealed to the MLAs to forget the temporary bitterness. Latest reports from Hajin said that massive protests have erupted in the area following the killing of the militant. Srinagar: Four militants and three soldiers were killed in two encounters in J&K on Tuesday. Three Army jawans and a militant were killed in Kashmirs Bandipore district, while in a separate encounter in the frontier district of Kupwara later during the day, three militants and a Major were killed. A CRPF officer, four J&K policemen and a civilian were also injured. The encounters come two days after four militants of LeT and Hizb, two soldiers and a civilian were killed in J&Ks Kulgam district. Army sources said security forces laid siege in Bandipores Hajin at dawn on Tuesday following inputs about the presence of militants in a private house. The terrorists were challenged and asked to lay down their arms, but they responded by opening fire at the search party, triggering the encounter, said a defence spokesman. He confirmed the death of three Army jawans and one militant, reportedly a top commander of LeT. Police sources said that the lone militant holed up in the house hurled a grenade at security personnel causing deaths and injuries before he was shot dead. Latest reports from Hajin said that massive protests have erupted in the area following the killing of the militant. The civilian injured during the encounter has been identified as Hilal Ahmed. Eight persons were injured in police action in Saderkot, Bandipore. Rawat urged locals to extend their support to the security forces trying to maintain peace in the Valley. New Delhi: Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said those Kashmiris supporting terrorists would be considered anti-national. "People who have picked up arms, the local boys, if they want to continue with such acts of terrorism and display flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. Our relentless operations will continue," General Rawat said while paying tribute to the bravehearts of the Handwara and Bandipora encounters. Urging locals to extend their support to the security forces trying to maintain peace in the Valley, Rawat said they won't be spared if they continue resorting to negative acts. "Our idea is not kill these young boys, but to bring them into mainstream. But, if they wish to remain in this manner, we will target them with harsher measures," he warned. General Rawat expressed his disappointment about the involvement of local people in terrorist acts, whether directly or indirectly. He said such actions are the reason for the high number of casualties among security forces. Four army personnel, including a major lost their lives in two encounters in the Bandipora and Handwara areas of North Kashmir yesterday. Three other officers and three civilians sustained injuries as well. Four militants were also neutralised. Madurai MLA S Saravanan filed the case against her and Palanisamy at Kuvathur Police Station. Chennai: In more trouble for V K Sasikala, AIADMK MLA from Madurai, S Saravanan on Wednesday filed a kidnapping case against her and Palanisamy in Kuvathur Police Station. He alleged that the MLAs were put up in the resort by her against their will. Police booked the AIADMK General Secretary and its Legislature Party Leader Edappadi K Palaniswamy in connection with the alleged detention of party MLAs at the resort. The two were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to abduction and wrongful confinement. Saravanan, who represents Madurai South, landed up at acting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's residence late night on Monday this week, and told reporters that he had escaped the Koovathur resort by scaling a wall. Saravanan also claimed that he had to disguise himself to escape from the resort. He alleged that party MLAs "were being detained" at the Koovathur resort and claimed he had given a slip by wearing a "t-shirt and Bermuda (shorts)". "If a floor test is held today, Panneerselvam will win it. Both those who have come to his side and those who have not will vote for him," he had said. The Supreme Court on Tuesday had dashed Sasikalas hopes of becoming the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by convicting her in the DA case and sentencing her to four years in jail. Sasikala is on her way to Bengaluru to surrender herself. The 62-year-old leader, who was locked in a bitter tussle with AIADMK's O Panneerselvam for Tamil Nadu's chief ministership, took the inevitable journey to the Karnataka capital after the Supreme Court refused to give her further time to surrender. Before heading to jail, Sasikala paid a floral tribute to late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa. Bengaluru: Former AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala Natarajan on Wednesday reached Bengalurus Parappana Agrahara jail to surrender after being convicted in a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case by the Supreme Court. Sasikalas husband M Natarajan and supporters were present at Bengaluru jail. Trial court has also been shifted to jail for Sasikalas surrender. Before heading to jail, Sasikala paid a floral tribute to late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa and sought her blessings. She travelled to the Karnataka capital by road. Sasikala was on Tuesday sentenced to 4 years in prison by the apex court, in Rs 66 crore DA case. The former AIADMK chief appointed Edappadi K. Palanisamy as leader of the legislature party and her nephew Dinakaran as the deputy general secretary of the party, as her final official act before heading to Bengaluru. Sasikalas lawyer had on Wednesday asked the apex court for more time for her to surrender, but this was rejected. Before she left Golden Bay resort on Tuesday, Sasikala addressed the MLAs who have been staying inside the luxurious resort since last week and asked them to ensure that the AIADMK remains united. I may go to jail, but my heart will always here. I will continue to perform my duties as the AIADMK General Secretary from wherever I am, Sasikala told her legislators. She also launched a veiled attack against Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao asking why he has not invited Mr Palanisamy to form the government as yet. They can't jail my thoughts. Whether I'm here or in another state, I will work for the party 24 hours a day. Our enemy Karunanidhi lodged this case and we should ensure that his party DMK does not come to power again in Tamil Nadu, she said. There is no need for anyone to be afraid. We must do good for the people and we must only think about how to help the people. I request you to smile and not cry, Sasikala said. She also sacked acting CM O Panneerselvam from the party and appointed E Palanisamy as the new AIADMK Legislature Party leader. It is most unlikely that the apex court will grant her any time for surrender. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed V.K. Sasikala, V.N. Sudhakaran and Ms Ilavarasi to surrender forthwith before the special court in Bengaluru. Indications are they will move an application in the apex court seeking four weeks time for surrender citing health and party work, now that she is the general secretary of the AIADMK. It is most unlikely that the apex court will grant her any time for surrender. Once they surrender they will be sent to a jail in Karnataka to serve out the remaining period of the four year sentence. She was in jail briefly for two months, soon after the initial arrest and after she was convicted by the trial court in September 2014. Once they are lodged in Karnataka jail, it is open to Sasikala to seek transfer to a jail in Tamil nadu by seeking such a direction from the Karnataka High Court, which may or may not be granted. She has the option of filing a review petition in the apex court within 30 days for reconsideration of the judgment. If the review by two judges is dismissed, then last option is to file a curative petition which will be heard by five judges. If curative is also dismissed then she will have to remain in jail to serve out the sentence period. On Tuesday morning court room no 6 in the Supreme Court was filled with lawyers mostly from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, who occupied the seats even at 9.30 am. The main petitioner Subramaniam Swamy and Karnataka advocates Dushant Dave, Aristotle, DMK lawyers V. Pragasan, R. Shanmugasundaram were seated in the front row. The court master brought the bulky judgment to court at 10.25 am. The Two judges came to court at 10.32 am, the sealed cover was opened. Initially Justice Ghose said it is fatty judgment. I will read the conclusions He then rendered the operative portion of the judgment and Justice Amitav Roy said he had supplemented to the main judgment and the entire proceedings lasted just eight minutes. Security features of the new Rs 2000 notes seem to have been imitated to create the counterfeit currency. New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday recovered three fake, but high quality currency notes of Rs 2000 denomination and arrested a native of Malda in West Bengal. According to reports, a senior NIA official said, Following the introduction of new currency notes of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500, there have been around half a dozen cases where fake currency notes in the denomination of Rs 2,000 were recovered but their quality of far inferior. Most of them were just scanned copy of the note. But the recovery made on Tuesday by our investigators appears to be of high quality. Umar Faruq, a man from West Bengal, who was accused in a case of Fake India Currency Notes (FICN) smuggling, has been arrested. Faruq was on his way to hand over the samples of the fake Rs 2,000 notes to another FICN racketeer when he was picked up, said the report. Security features of the new Rs 2000 notes seem to have been imitated to create the counterfeit currency. The notes have been sent for forensic examination, the report said. The West Bengal police have also registered a case in connection with a recovery of 40 fake Rs 2000 notes, made by the BSF at the Indo-Bangladesh border earlier this year. However, the quality of the notes seized on Tuesday appears better than that of ones recovered by Bengal police, said the report quoting an official. The NIA takes up probe of only those cases where the recovered fake currency is of high quality, and thus was not involved in any earlier cases of seized fake notes of Rs 2000. The Modi has argued that smuggling of the FICN from across the border was one of the reasons of demonetisation of old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 on November 8 last year. Panneerselvam had the support of late Jayalalithaa that ensured absolute cooperation from his Cabinet colleagues. Chennai: Court cases may have spelt doom for the political career of late J. Jayalalithaa twice and now her aide V.K. Sasikala, but caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam is one politician who has always benefited from the conviction of his leaders. The million-dollar question that is on the minds of everyone in Tamil Nadu is whether Mr Panneerselvam will be third time lucky? Mr Panneerselvam, who was thrust into limelight when he was sworn in as Chief Minister in September 2001 when late Jayalalithaa's appointment as Chief Minister was struck down by the Supreme Court, was second time lucky when he was again chosen to rule Tamil Nadu. This time again, he was forced into the Chief Minister's chair after late Jayalalithaa was sent to four years in jail by a trial court in the DA case. But, the road may not be easy for Mr Panneerselvam this time around since has rebelled against the AIADMK leadership, particularly Ms Sasikala and her family. Even a week after he raised a banner of revolt against Ms Sasikala, the number of MLAs supporting him is just 10, though the figure is little higher when it comes to MPs. In 2001 and 2014, Mr Panneerselvam had the support of late Jayalalithaa that ensured absolute cooperation from his cabinet colleagues, but he himself admitted last week that many ministers defied his orders during his two-month tenure after the death of the AIADMK icon. With Jayalalithaa and Sasikala no more, the party will suffer without a leader who can command the cadre, political analysts said. They feel though Mr Panneerselvam would be acceptable to majority of the AIADMK MLAs, it would still be difficult for him to get the backing of 118 MLAs, the magic number that is needed to install a government in Tamil Nadu. I feel Mr O. Panneerselvam is not able to get through and ironically time has caught up with him like it has caught up with Ms Sasikala. And any day O. Panneerselvam is shrewd politician and his time has gone. He has really misread the situation and now he has exhausted all options, Prof Ramu Manivannan, head, department of politics and public administration, University of Madras, told The Asian Age. However, lawyer Ravindran Duraisamy feels the Sasikala camp led by her husband M. Natarajan, who is a wounded Tiger now, will go all out to spoil the chances of Mr Panneerselvam becoming the Chief Minister. There was a likelihood of OPS emerging as a compromise candidate but since he has rebelled against Sasikala, Natarajan is making all moves to ensure Mr Panneerselvam does not become Chief Minister. I don't know how will he overcome these forces? he asked. General Rawat briefed the PM on the incidents in which the casualties took place. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat during the ceremony for pays tribute to security personnel who lost their lives in encounters with terrorists in J&K. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Amid reports of locals actively aiding militants in the Kashmir Valley and rising casualties of men in uniform, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday issued a strong warning to those who obstruct operations, and called the waving of ISIS and Pakistan flags acts of terrorism. All such elements, he said, will not be spared. Those who obstruct our ops (operations) during encounters and are not supportive will be treated as overground workers of terrorists We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them, General Rawat said during a wreath-laying ceremony for four Army men, including a Major, who were killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir on Tuesday. The Army chief admitted that there has been a higher toll in the security forces in J&K because the local population prevents them from conducting operations and at times even supports the terrorists to escape. The modus operandi is that local youth resort to stone-throwing to distract the security forces engaged in the operations in a bid to help the militants escape. Army spokesperson in Srinagar Col. Rajesh Kalia told this newspaper: We exercise maximum restraint to avoid collateral damage. During an encounter, we request the locals through loudspeakers not to wander to the encounter site. The number of active militants in the Valley is believed to have increased during the widespread disturbances and shutdown in the Kashmir Valley in the aftermath of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wanis death on July 9. A security source told this newspaper: These attacks are all happening in the Valley away from the LoC which is largely snow-bound now. So these attacks are by terrorists who are already in the Valley. From January 1, of the at least 15 militants killed in the Valley, 10 have been found to be locals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid wreaths on the bodies of the soldiers at the Palam Airport where the mortal remains were brought on Wednesday. General Rawat briefed the PM on the incidents in which the casualties took place. Major Satish Dahiya and three other soldiers were killed on Tuesday in two encounters in Kashmir. While the three army men were killed in an encounter in Hajin in Bandipora after security forces cordoned off the area following information about the presence of militants there, another army team killed three terrorists before Major Dahiya was shot in the abdomen in an encounter in Kralgund in north Kashmirs Kupwara. Alluding to videos circulating in social media showing some Army vehicles being stone pelted as they make their way out from some village, security sources said: The videos are of old vintage and has no connection with any recent operations or of the past few months in the Valley. It is a clears cut attempt by Pakistanis and separatists to espouse such reaction. Another very major and calculated aim of the separatists has been to ruin education in the Valley. A woman wails near the coffin of her son Ravi Kumar, an Indian Army soldier who was killed in a gun battle with suspected rebels in Hajin Village, at Sarore, India, February 15, 2017. Kumar was among three Indian soldiers who were killed Tuesday in a gunbattle in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. One militant was also killed. (Photo: AP) The killing of Hizbul Mujahideens young, social media-glorified leader Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016, sparked off anti-Indian protests, which spread to all 10 districts of the Kashmir Valley, where the government imposed curfew from July 15 and suspended mobile services. Protesters defied curfew and began rioting against security forces and destroying public properties. Over 90 civilians were reported killed and over 15,000 were injured in over three months. While two security personnel died and over 4,000 were injured during the months of rioting, many more were killed in encounters between Pakistan Army-supported Pakistani and Kashmiri terrorists during that period. Separatist leaders loyal to Pakistan and on the payroll of Pakistan Army/Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) under S.A.S. Geelani, issued calendars specifying types and areas of rioting, motivated/instigated public, particularly youth and paid them fixed sums of money for pelting stones, robbing rifles and robbing and lobbing grenades. Another very major and calculated aim of the separatists has been to ruin education in the Valley. While every year precious school days were lost owing to strikes and shutdowns called by the separatists, in the 2016 rioting, 32 were destroyed by burning, even as many parents who could afford to, sent their children out of J&K, or at least out of the Valley. The only schools which ran uninterruptedly in the affected parts of the Valley were 30 of the 46 Army Goodwill Schools established in J&K by the Army as part of its civic assistance programme, Sadbhavna, since the early 1990s. The Army also launched a campaign on Twitter hashtag #School Chalo, which began catching on. However, that resulted in a desperate reaction from separatists who burnt more schools. After four odd months of mayhem, sudden demonetisation on November 8, 2016 came as a rude shock to the entire combo of ISI, terrorists, separatists/their agents, hawala operators, etc. Huge amounts of unaccounted Indian currency meant for organising terror and rioting, often sent in gas cylinders, became waste paper overnight. Since the 2003 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan there was a progressive decline in fatalities in J&K. While in 2002, there were reportedly about 3,022 fatalities of security personnel, terrorists and civilians; by 2015 the figure had reduced to 174. But in 2016, 233 persons died in terrorist related violence, of which 148 were terrorists, 74 security personnel and 11 civilians. Also in 2016, there was a three-fold increase in infiltration into the Kashmir Valley, with 364 attempts, as many as over 120 terrorists succeeded to infiltrate, as against 33 in 2015. Minister of state for home affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir informed the Rajya Sabha that additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were also deployed to support the J&K police, which registered 2,513 FIRs in which 4,372 accused were arrested. Further, 525 notices under Section 25 of the Police Act were served; 472 persons were detained under the Public Safety Act, including terrorists, over ground workers, separatists, stonepelters, instigators, criminals and others. Recently the government also reportedly approved the following schemes for the employment of youths of J&K: (a) engagement of additional 10,000 SPOs in the state, (b) vacancies of 1,206 constables for CAPFs/riflemen for Assam Rifles, (c) about 4,300 posts of constables for raising of five India Reserve Battalions in J&K. Besides the following two schemes are reportedly under implementation: (a) Special Industry Initiative (Udaan) to enhance skill and employability of graduates and three year engineering diploma holders and under the scheme, with nearly 23,676 candidates having joined training, of whom 16,576 had been trained and more than 9,500 offered placement, (b) Skill Empowerment and Employment Scheme (Himayat) to provide options and opportunities to school/college dropouts for salaried or self-employment and under the scheme 68,910 candidates have been trained and 51,895 placed in food retail chain, BPOs, retail mart, electricity, pharma sales assistant, physician assistant, etc. While these achievements/figures have been claimed, it remains to be seen if these schemes have made a significant difference to the foul mood of youth in the Valley who have been much influenced by social media. On receiving inputs that Wanis successor, Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Musa, used one of the rooms of a house in Batipora Dadsara village in South Kashmir, where Wani hailed from, to record videos to threaten policemen and their informers, the J&K police raided the house. While some clothes and other material used by Musa in different videos and photographs were recovered, neither Musa nor the house owner could be traced. Since the attack by Pakistani terrorists on an Army unit in Uri and following the two subsequent incidents of heinous mutilation also indicating Pakistan Army and its terrorists frustration, the midnight surprise strikes, misnamed surgical strikes, and the retaliatory punitive pounding of over 20 posts of Pakistan Army/rangers hit them hard enough for Pakistani Army cry out for talks. Donald Trumps taking over as the US President, incidentally timed with Indias demonetisation, was followed by his brief telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On February 8, 2017 when defence minister Manohar Parrikar spoke on telephone to the new US defence secretary, James Mattis, they expressed satisfaction at the progress in defence cooperation between India and the US, specially in recent years, and noted its significance in the regional and global context. They emphasised the special significance and high priority placed by both countries to the relationship, and resolved to work together to further consolidate and expand this partnership in the future. Despite Mr Trumps initiative against Jaish-e-Muhammad head Masood Azhar, stymied again by China and Pakistan governments cosmetic house arrest of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba/Jamat-ud-Dawa head Hafiz Saeed, there is going to be no reduction in attempts by the Pakistan Army to pump in more terrorists in the Valley/direct those who already infiltrated till December 16. While heavy snow in January this year and the Indian Armys strong anti-infiltration measures may have brought down figures of terrorist initiated incidents to only four in January 2017, it is quite obvious that attempts to activate ISI agents in other states of India are on. Two groups of JeM have been reported to be camping in Zaffarwal, Pakistan to try to create chaos during Punjab elections. Agents and rings of the ISI have been busted but there are many more sleepers, who will await opportunities whenever fresh stocks of Indian currency or fake notes are available. As it is there are enough terrorists already in the Kashmir Valley who will strike whenever/wherever possible, as in Kulgam a few days ago. It is all the more important now for the Indian Army and security forces to be on guard not only on the borders but in all Indian states and to ensure that there is no let-up in modernisation and acquisition of necessary arms ammunition and equipment. While alongside, the diplomatic offensive should vigorously and relentlessly be maintained, if the Pakistan Army/ISI direct more terrorist attacks, which it will, New Delhi must not hesitate to approve a repeat of covert surprise strikes at least across the Line of Control legally Indian territory. The accused, who worked as a plumber, has been arrested and he told police that he suspected his wife of having an illicit relationship. New Delhi: In a shocking incident that came to light on Valentine's Day, a 40-year-old man allegedly beat his wife to death, then hacked her body into two parts to dispose it off in east Delhi's Madhu Vihar area. The accused Subodh (40), who worked as a plumber, has been arrested and he told police that he suspected his first wife Manisha (35) of having an illicit relationship and he thrashed her on the intervening night of February 10 and 11 so that she would speak the truth, said a senior police officer. The accused beheaded his first wife with a saw and kept the head in a bag in the bed-box. He had plans to cut the remaining body into pieces to dispose it off but he was arrested today. He thrashed his first wife to death in front of his second wife Muniya and his three children, including Muniya's two-month-old baby, he said. The officer said that Subodh's family members said that he was acting like a maniac and kept thrashing Manisha with lathis between February 10 and 11. When Muniya and the children tried to intervene, he even threatened them. Manisha lived with her two children in Shakurpur area while Subodh lived with Muniya and their only child in Madhu Vihar. The accused allegedly called Manisha to his house on February 10 to talk to her. "Even though he is claiming that he thrashed Manisha in a fit of rage, we suspect that he had planned to kill her in advance and that's why he called her to his house in Madhu Vihar," said the officer. He kept thrashing her despite pleas from Muniya and his children. She lost consciousness and even had fever due to the extreme torture, following which he called a 'quack' to treat her. Later, he again thrashed her and it is suspected that she succumbed to her injuries on February 11 afternoon. It is alleged he thrashed Muniya as well. "He was wary of taking the body outside. He first beheaded her using the saw that he used for his plumbing job. He had plans to chop the remaining body in pieces," said the officer. However, after foul smell started emanating from the body, locals got suspicious and informed police and Manisha's brutal murder was discovered. Further investigation is underway, he added. They had taken an insurance amount of Rs. 1.20 crore as cover for the boys life, police said. Ahmedabad: An NRI couple has been charged with murdering of their adopted son, so as to pocket the insurance amount of Rs. 1.20 crore that they had taken as cover for the latter's life, police said. Police lodged an FIR against Arti Loknath, 53, and her husband Kanwaljitsinh Raijada, 28, currently living in London, for allegedly being part of the conspiracy to murder Gopal, 13, said Keshod police inspector Ashok Tilva. "Arti and Kanwaljitsinh conspired with one Nitish Mund to adopt Gopal (13), get him insured and then kill him so that they could get insurance money. Nitish, who also lived in London before shifting here after his visa expired, had planned along with the couple since 2015 to kill Gopal," Inspector Tilva said. The NRI couple's role was revealed after police arrested Nitish on Monday in connection with the murder. The boy had died at a Rajkot hospital on Monday, days after he was attacked with knife by unknown accused riding two motorcycles on the night of February 8 in Keshod in Junagadh district. Gopal was returning from Rajkot to his home town Maliya along with Nitish, Harsukh Patel, and one Mahadev, Inspector Tilva said. He was living with Nitish, who planned the attack by hiring two assailants for Rs. 5 lakh each, Inspector Tilva said. "Hired assailants attacked Gopal and Harsukh Patel after they came out of a vehicle at a pre-decided place at Keshod. We have initiated process to arrest the NRI couple who are at present in UK," Inspector Tilva said. 720 candidates are in the fray in this phase in UP with a maximum of 22 from Barhapur (Bijnor) and a minimum of four nominees from Dhanaura. Voters stand in a queue to cast their votes at rural polling station in Shahabajpur Dora village in Uttar Pradesh. (Photo: AP) Lucknow/Dehradun: Polling began this morning in 67 Assembly constituencies spread over 11 districts of western Uttar Pradesh figuring in the second phase of voting and in 69 seats in Uttarakhand. Uttar Pradesh 54.27 per cent turnout of voters was recorded till 2 pm in 67 Assembly constituencies across 11 districts of western Uttar Pradesh figuring in the second phase polling on Wednesday. The districts where polling is on, amid tight security arrangements, are Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun. In the second of seven-phase election, 2.28 crore voters, including over 1.04 crore women, are eligible to cast their ballots in 14,771 polling centres and 23,693 polling stations. Official sources said polling was dull initially but picked up as the day wore on. They said till midday there was no report of any untoward incident and polling was going on smoothly. "Polling is going on peacefully at all polling stations. We are keeping a close vigil. The poll percentage is likely to increase as the day proceeds," UP Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh said. At certain places long queues were seen outside polling stations. First time voters were found to be enthusiastic, taking selfies proudly showing indelible ink imprint on their fingers. Muslim women in burqas were seen outside several booths, while the picture of a newly married couple going to cast vote in Bareilly went viral on social media. Elaborate arrangements have been made for free and fair polling with deployment of 51,771 police constables, 52,598 homeguards, 5,397 sub-inspectors and 3,666 head constables to maintain law and order. Of the 67 seats at stake, ruling Samajwadi Party had won 34 in 2012, followed by BSP 18, BJP 10, Congress three and others two. In this phase, 720 candidates are in the fray with a maximum of 22 from Barhapur (Bijnor) and a minimum of four nominees from Dhanaura (Amroha). Prominent contestants include controversial SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar seats respectively, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati have campaigned extensively in these constituencies. This time, Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a three-way contest among Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance, BJP and BSP. While the Samajwadi Party seeks to retain power albeit with Congress prop, BSP and BJP hope to regain power in the state after five and 13 years respectively. The Election Commission has barred political parties and candidates from publishing advertisements in newspapers today and tomorrow without its approval. The poll body has asked them to get the advertisements pre-certified from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee at the state and district levels before publication. The decision has been taken in view of past instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature in print media on such occasions which vitiate the elections. The next five phases of polling will be held on February 19, 23, 27 and on March 4 and 8. Counting of votes will be taken up on March 11. Uttarakhand Polling began to the 69 of the 70 assembly seats of Uttarakhand amid tight security today with people queuing up outside polling booths since early morning to cast their votes. The hill state recorded a voter turnout of 53 per cent till 3 pm. Polling schedule for Karnaprayag seat in Chamoli district has been revised to March 9 due to the death of BSP candidate Kuldeep Singh Kanwasi in a road accident on Sunday last. Over 74 lakh voters will seal the fate of 628 candidates in EVM machines between 8 AM to 5 PM when polling concludes, state Election office informed. All arrangements are in place to ensure free and fair elections in the state with a deployment of nearly 30,000 security personnel and 60,000 polling officials on a total of 10,685 booths across Uttarakhand out of which 460 are in snowbound areas. On most of the seats ruling Congress and BJP are locked in straight contests but rebel candidates of both parties who have entered the fray as independents may play a crucial role in upsetting the calculations of the official nominees of their respective parties. 12 former Congress MLAs contesting as BJP candidates and two former BJP MLAs travelling in Congress boat have made these elections interesting. Chief Minister Harish Rawat who is seeking a second stint in office is contesting from two seats, Haridwar (rural) and Kichha in Udhamsingh Nagar district. BJP heavyweight Satpal Maharaj is contesting from Chaubatakhal whereas Pradesh BJP president Ajay Bhatt is battling it out in Ranikhet. Making corruption its main poll plank BJP has asked people to vote for change whereas Congress is seeking a second term in power to carry out unfinished development work. Congress nine rebels are trying their luck as the BJPs candidates. While most opinion polls have predicted that the BJP would come to power, Harish Rawat-led Congress is giving it a tough fight in most constituencies. New Delhi: The Congress and the BJP are locked in a straight contest in Uttarakhand where polling for 69 of the total 70 Assembly constituencies will take place on Wednesday. In Karanprayag, polling has been deferred due to the death of a candidate. Last time, the Congress managed to win just one seat more than the BJPs 31, and later wooed Independents and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal to form the government. Mayawati-led BSP also has some influence in a few constituencies, mostly in the terai region. While most opinion polls have predicted that the BJP would come to power, Harish Rawat-led Congress is giving it a tough fight in most constituencies. Rebel candidates have emerged as a major cause of concern for both parties. Congress nine rebels are trying their luck as the BJPs candidates. In all, 11 Congress leaders, including Mr Harish Rawats predecessor Vijay Bahuguna, had joined the saffron fold after going against the Congress governments state Budget. Chinnamma cant contest polls for 10 years. AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala consoled by a lady on the way from Koovathur Resort to Poes Garden at Koovathur, outskrits of Chennai. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: In a huge setback to the political ambitions of AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala, the Supreme Court on Tuesday found her guilty of corruption in the Rs 66-crore disproportionate assets case and sentenced her to four-year imprisonment. Under the Representation of the People Act, convicts in corruption cases cant contest elections for six years after completing their jail sentence. This means that Ms Sasikala is disqualified from contesting elections for a total of 10 years, effectively ending her bid to become Tamil Nadus chief minister. The two-judge bench ordered Ms Sasikala to surrender immediately to the authorities in Karnataka, where she will serve her prison sentence. The bench of Justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Amitav Roy set aside the Karnataka high court order of May 2015 that had acquitted the main accused former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, Ms Sasikala and her relatives V.N. Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi and restored in full the trial courts conviction of September 2014. The magnitude of the nefarious gains as demonstrated by the revelations in the case are, to say the least, startling, the judges wrote in their verdict. The ruling also said there was incriminating evidence against Jayalalithaa, but since she had died on December 5, 2016, the appeals filed by the Karnataka government insofar as she is concerned had come to an end. While upholding the trial courts directive to confiscate the properties, the bench said this should be treated as an order of the Supreme Court. The main petitioner, Subramanian Swamy, and Karnataka advocates Dushant Dave, Aristotle, DMK lawyers V. Pragasan, R. Shanmugasundaram were seated in the front row of Court Room No. 6 when the verdict was delivered. After 20 years, I won, Mr Swamy tweeted later. The corruption case dates back to the late 1990s when Jayalalithaa and Ms Sasikala were accused of profiting from the chief ministers office and amassing wealth beyond their income. They were jointly accused of owning several bungalows, luxury cars, tea estates, eight tons of silver, nearly 30 kg of gold and thousands of saris that could be not accounted for. A trial court had, in 2014, sentenced Jayalalitha, Ms Sasikala, Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran to four years imprisonment for criminal conspiracy to acquire and possess assets grossly disproportionate to their known sources of income, and slapped a fine of Rs 10 crores on each. Writing the main 570-page judgment, Justice Ghose said it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused entered into a conspiracy and had come into possession of assets disproportionate to known sources of income of Jayalalithaa during 1991 to 1996. The 1977 case law, quoted by the high court, had held that an offence was not made out if disproportionate assets were found to be less than 10 per cent of the income. Faulting the high courts calculation, the Supreme Court judges pointed out that in 1991, the assets of the accused were valued at Rs 2.01 crores. By 1996, the accused were worth Rs 66.44 crores. It agreed with the findings of the trial court that the accused had amassed Rs 53.60 crores as disproportionate assets to known sources of income and failed to account for the same. Ms Sasikala has also has the option of filing a review petition in the court within 30 days for reconsideration of the judgment. If the review by two judges is dismissed, then the last option is to file a curative petition, which will be heard by five judges. If a curative petition is also dismissed, she will have to remain in jail to serve out the sentence period. Jaitley said if the BJP forms a government, the Centre and state government will work together to develop the state. Lucknow: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said the Modi government had not given any relaxation to businessmen as was being alleged by the Congress. The finance minister alleged that the main culprit behind these loan defaulter cases was the Congress, and it was in its regime that huge amount of money was given to these businessmen, which was later not recovered. Those who are raising fingers at the BJP should know that our government never provided any loan to big businessmen. The amount that these entrepreneurs have to pay is the interest on the loans given to them under the Congress rule, Mr Jaitley said while addressing a press conference here. Talking about the ongoing Assembly elections, the minister said the BJPs main competition was with the BSP in the first phase but said the party was way ahead with around 50 seats. Those who have always supported communal politics and focused on their vote banks have now joined hands to form an alliance. The people of UP will support the BJP and not this opportunist alliance, he said. Mr Jaitley said if the BJP forms a government, the Centre and state government will work together to develop the state. Replying to a question, he said the Union budget was focused on relieving the country from the continuous increase in prices. We did not touch the indirect taxes in the Budget, and ended the practice of increasing prices in every Budget. Demonetisation and GST will have a long-term impact on Indian financial structure. Our first priority is to spend on rural population of the country, he said. Responding to another question, he said the UP chief minister has realised his party will not be able to retain power in UP. SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has humiliated his brother Shivpal Yadav to handover the party leadership to his son Akhilesh. The SP-Congress manifesto was a complete copy of the earlier BSP government, he said. The Prime Minister attacked the Congress-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow: Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi clashed yet again in battleground Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a rally in Kannauj, Mr Modi said, There is one leader who does not know that potatoes are not produced in factories. He took out kisan yatras and talks of setting up potato factories. You think he can help farmers in any way? The Prime Minister attacked the Congress-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, saying it was like a typical Hindi film in which two enemies fight, but come together after interval. It was Mr Modis first election rally in Kannauj in 46 years. He also recalled an attack on SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1984 and said, I am shocked how Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav could join hands with forces responsible for the attack. Have you heard of a son who would unite with a party that tried to kill his father? he asked. Mr Gandhi, who addressed a gathering in Barabanki, said that work is not Mr Modis cup of tea. One can only expect Modi jis to give speeches. Work is not his cup of tea. Work will be done by Akhilesh Yadav, he said. Promising a better Uttar Pradesh, Mr Gandhi said the SP-Congress alliance if voted power will work for the youth. Two rounds of elections have concluded in UP. The upcoming five phases for 263 Assembly seats will take place on Feb. 19, 23, 27 and March 4 and 8. Congress members protested for about 20 minutes in the House before staging a walkout along with Left Front members. Kolkata: Despite its earlier announcement of boycotting the entire budget session, the Congress today returned to the West Bengal Assembly, but staged a walkout protesting against the eviction of Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan by marshals from the House last week. Congress MLAs along with their Left Front counterparts continued their protest demonstration inside the Assembly against the eviction of Mannan from the House by marshals last week leading to his illness and subsequent hospitalisation. With posters and placards demanding the Speaker to spell out the reasons behind Mannan's eviction, Congress members protested for about 20 minutes in the House before staging a walkout along with Left Front members. The Congress Legislature Party had yesterday decided to boycott the entire budget session protesting against the eviction and alleged assault on their leader. Carrying on with their demonstration outside the House, Congress also organised a 'March to Assembly' programme protesting against Mannan's eviction. Leading the march, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the Trinamool Congress of running the state government with the help of the Police. "They have killed poor farmers at Bhangor, which showed that the TMC is not with the people," he said. "But, Congress can't be cowed down. We are on the streets to counter the violence and terror unleashed by TMC," the WBPCC chief said. Accuses agency of killing 2 key Malegaon blasts accused during 26/11. Mumbai: The lawyer of Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit has told the Bombay high court that key accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, Ramji Kalsangra and Sandip Dange, were allegedly killed by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The duo has been accused of planting the bomb. Purohits lawyer Shrikant Shivde told the court, I have unimpeachable evidence which can prove my allegation. In August 2016, suspended police inspector of ATS, Mehboob Mujawar, had submitted an application in a Solapur court, claiming that Kalsangra and Dange, who are wanted in three other blast cases, were killed by ATS officials. Mujawar had said he had filed an application and submitted evidence before the chief judicial magistrates court in Solapur on August 19, 2016. Mr Shivde added, I have a post-mortem report of two dead people who didnt die due to bullet injuries during the 26/11 terror attack. Those two bodies are of Kalsangra and Dange. Questioning Mr Shivdes claims, the NIA lawyer, Sandesh Patil told the high court that Mr Shivde had not submitted any documents in the court to prove his allegation. He further added, If the accused, Purohit feels that there is any change in circumstances, then he should withdraw his plea and file a new bail application before the trial court. A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi was hearing a bail plea filed by 2008 Malegaon blast accused Prasad Purohit. Purohit was arrested for procuring RDX to carry out the blast and hatching the conspiracy. Purohit has claimed that he was working as an army intelligence officer and was not part of the blast conspiracy. Last year, NIA had filed supplementary chargesheet in 2008 Malegaon blast, in which it had dropped MCOCA charges against Purohit. After that, Purohit had filed for a bail application but the NIA court rejected his plea. Purohit then moved High Court, filing an application against NIA court order. Since his arrest, Purohit has applied for bail several times. Why should we not get homes from developers constructing building and profits on government land? questioned Mr Chavan. Mumbai: The lack of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authoritys (Mhada) houses has raised questions over whether the blame might lie with Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sena leaders had held a rally outside the Mhada office in 2012, when the then government decided to ask houses from developers, while redeveloping Mhada colonies, instead of a premium (money) for giving a No Objection Certificate (NOC). However, the current government led by BJP changed it to premium and officials along with former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan claim that the biggest reason for lack of Mhada houses is this. Mr Chavan, when he was the chief minister had come up with a proposal that for redevelopment of any of the 56 Mhada layout buildings, the developer would be giving a certain amount of housing stock to Mhada. Earlier, the developer would give money in terms of premium and get the required NOC. The aim, Mr Chavan claims, was to get housing stock that could be sold to the common man via lottery. There was a lot of builder pressure, the builder lobby wanted to give money and not give flats to us. There were builders who came to meet me with leaders from Sena-BJP, even Congress and NCP leaders. I asked them, why were they supporting builders, and none of them had any answer. All the builders waited for me to go and was expecting a new CM to overturn my decision, said Mr Chavan. Mr Chavan claimed that had his proposal not been overturned by the BJP-led government, the scarcity of housing stock would not have come up today. The BJP-led government came up with a decision last year that it instead of demanding housing stock from developers, they would give the NOC for a premium. Why should we not get homes from developers constructing building and profits on government land? questioned Mr Chavan. A senior Mhada official claimed that, had the housing stock decision not been changed, today the authorities would not have had a problem in holding a lottery for homes in Mumbai. Many BJP leaders and RSS cadre are unhappy that BJP chose to field Laxmiputra instead of original party men. In several areas, senior BJP leaders and the RSS cadre are not happy with the choice of the candidates the party is fielding for the forthcoming civic polls. Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is still trying to pacify its rebels. According to party leaders, the BJP is worried that rebels in the BMC elections may spoil their chances, as many of the rebels are old party workers. One such worker who has fielded his wife claimed that he is still being pressured by the BJP leadership to not go ahead with the campaigning. Even the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) workers seem miffed with the BJP for choosing Laxmiputra well-moneyed candidates over original party workers. The BJP is persuading the RSS cadre to help them ahead of the civic polls. Viral Shah, a former officer bearer of the Mumbai BJPs north-east district, has fielded his candidate from Mulund as a rebel. He claims that till today hes under pressure from senior BJP leaders to stop his campaign. Top BJP leaders are continuously calling and asking me to withdraw my wife from contesting the elections, but then I have now decided to go ahead, said Mr Shah, who is considered to be close to the local MLA Sardar Tara Singh from Mulund. In several areas, senior BJP leaders and the RSS cadre are not happy with the choice of the candidates the party is fielding for the forthcoming civic polls. A senior party functionary, said, Many old timers are upset that, this time tickets are being given to laxmiuputras over original party workers. The old timers are the one, who know the wards and drag voters to the polling booth. Hence, these people become more important. Attracting community leaders is one more thing that the party is focussing its strength on. The BJP leaders have asked their local cadre to find out community leaders, who influence voters in their favour. The BJP claims that Saamana is an official mouthpiece of the Sena and the party is contesting elections. Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a ban on Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana on February 16, 20 and 21 as it allegedly violates the election code of conduct, since the state will go to the polls on those dates. The BJP claims that Saamana is an official mouthpiece of the Sena and the party is contesting elections. However, the Sena has ridiculed the BJPs demand and questioned its affiliation with the Tarun Bharat newspaper. On Tuesday, BJP leader and education minister Vinod Tawde had refuted any such demands. We respect freedom of the newspapers and they should also work within the framework. We have not made any complaint of banning Saamana, he had said. However, Shweta Shalini, spokesperson of BJP Maharashtra, who wrote the letter said, Saamana is Shiv Senas mouthpiece, and look at the articles being printed in it. They are all propaganda articles that can influence voters. This is a clear violation of the code of conduct. The demand is that action be initiated and an immediate ban on the mentioned dates be imposed. Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai has called the BJP demand ridiculous. Saamana is an independent newspaper. The demand is ridiculous, he said, raising questions about Tarun Bharat, which allegedly runs on the BJPs ideology. In her letter, Ms Shalini has said, The state election commissions guidelines clearly ban political parties from printing and distributing any material or any form of campaigning that can influence voter before 48 hours of the election. We would like to bring to your kind attention that on February 16, 2017 there is election in 15 zilla parishads and campaign in any form stops from 5 pm on February 14. She alleged that Sena violated the code of conduct in Aurangabad where the Saamana was distributed on February 15 although polls were scheduled the next day. All other political parties adhere to this guidelines and stopped advertisement but by printing Saamana newspaper and especially the Sambhaji Nagar, Aurangabad edition, the Sena has clearly violated the model code of conduct, she said. Ms Shalini has demanded ban on printing of Saamana newspaper on February 16, 20 and 21. She has also demanded action against the newspaper's editor for violating model code of conduct on February 15. The sources in ED suspect that a big chunk of the donations was spent for religious conversions. Mumbai: Several bank accounts belonging to televangelist Zakir Naiks Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and its media arm Harmony Media Private Limited allegedly received donations worth Rs 200 crore between 2013 and 2016. Out of the Rs 200 crore, around Rs 60 crore came from Saudi Arabia, and the preferred route for sending funds was via Dubai, according to the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The sources in ED suspect that a big chunk of the donations was spent for religious conversions. The ED is conducting a probe against Naik and IRF after it registered a money-laundering case against them in November 2016. The ED officials said that they are in the process of getting the list of those who converted and as the investigation progresses their statements would also be recorded to ascertain the quantum of funds given to them. The probe into the money trail has revealed that the bank accounts of the two entities and Naik received at least Rs 200 crore in last four years. The 70 per cent of the money transferred into accounts was from India. We are also probing the source of these funds, said a senior ED official, requesting anonymity. Meanwhile, the officials have questioned at least ten people including the past and present employees of the IRF, its accountants and Naiks personal assistant. The agency is now working on the leads that have emerged from these statements. The investigators said that all the money that came from overseas was routed via Dubai. The officials are in the process of ascertaining the countries from where the money came to Dubai and are suspecting that maximum funds came from Saudi Arabia. About donations received from within India, ED officials said that many of the donors are individuals who follow and support Naik and his ideology. The ED officials added that the donations were received for religious purposes and were diverted for other purposes. Bieber's latest jaunt is in support of his fourth album, the critically acclaimed Purpose. Indian fans of Justin Bieber would defintiely rush to get the tickets for the performance. (Photo: AFP) New Delhi: The wait is finally over and Beliebers can rejoice! It is officially confirmed that Grammy award winner and global pop sensation Justin Bieber is making his way to India this summer. In a statement, White Fox India, who is the sole promoter of the tour, confirmed that they will be bringing the 22-year-old Canadian megastar's Purpose World Tour to India's DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai on 10th May 2017. Bieber's latest jaunt is in support of his fourth album, the critically acclaimed Purpose, wherein he experimented with more exploratory electronic sounds. Apart from India, the Asia leg of the tour comprises Tel Aviv in Israel and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Concert goers can preregister for tickets at www.bookmyshow.com for the hotly anticipated event. Tickets will go on sale from 22nd February 2017 and will be priced INR 4,000/- upwards. Concert goers can look forward to a set list that will surely comprise worldwide smash hits including Where Are U Now, Boyfriend, Love Yourself, Company, As Long As You Love Me, What Do You Mean?, Baby, Purpose, Encore: Sorry amongst others. "Justin Bieber is the biggest artist of our time and attracts a universal fanbase across all ages. This tour is one of the most successful in the world at the moment and will further enhance India's current cultural repertoire. Justin Bieber will be bringing an extraordinarily epic show propelled by state of the art production and of a magnitude that the country has not witnessed in recent times. We are the sole promoters of the Purpose Tour in India and after 6 months of negotiation we have finally closed the India leg of the tour. We are expecting a full house on May 10 with one of the biggest arena tours witnessed in recent times," Arjun Jain, Director of White Fox India said in the statement. The Purpose World Tour has already mesmerized fans and critics alike across the United States, Canada and Japan last year and will tour throughout Europe before landing in Australia and New Zealand this year. With no other Indian cities to be added in the tour, concert goers best act quick for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the international superstar in action. 25-year-old to plead guilty for buying weapons for San Bernardino attacker in 2015 which killed 14 people. Enrique Marquez Jr, 25, will plead guilty for conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to attack a community college and commuters on a Southern California freeway, prosecutors said. (Photo: Pixabay) Los Angeles: A California man accused of buying assault-style rifles used by a married couple to massacre 14 people at a government office in San Bernardino in 2015 has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Enrique Marquez Jr, 25, will plead guilty for conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to attack a community college and commuters on a Southern California freeway, prosecutors said. Marquez, a friend and former neighbor of Farook, has also agreed to plead guilty for making false statements about his purchase of two assault rifles used in the 2015 shooting rampage at the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center. Marquez was scheduled to enter his pleas, part of an agreement with federal prosecutors, at a hearing on Thursday in US District Court in Los Angeles. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. "This defendant collaborated with and purchased weapons for a man who carried out the devastating December 2, 2015 terrorist attack that took the lives of 14 innocent people, wounded nearly two dozen, and impacted our entire nation," US Attorney Eileen Decker said in a written statement announcing the plea deal. Farook, 28, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, opened fire at a holiday gathering of Farook's co-workers on December 2, 2015, killing 14 people and wounding 22. Farook, the US-born son of Pakistani immigrants, and Malik, a Pakistani native he married in Saudi Arabia in 2014, died in a shootout with police four hours after the massacre. Authorities have said the couple was inspired by extremism. It was one of the deadliest attacks in the United States since the September 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks. Prosecutors say Marquez and Farook, who were childhood friends, plotted attacks together in 2011 and 2012 that were never carried out. It was during that time that Marquez purchased the two rifles that Farook and Malik ultimately used in San Bernardino. Marquez did not take part in the San Bernardino massacre but was arrested about two weeks later and has remained in custody ever since. He also faces immigration fraud charges in connection with his marriage to Russian-born Mariyah Chernykh, which prosecutors say was a sham. Chernykh, 26, and Farook's brother, Syed Raheel Farook, 31, pleaded guilty in January to immigration fraud charges stemming from the marriage. New York: An Indian-origin woman has pleaded guilty for her role in an H1B visa fraud scheme under which foreign workers were recruited by two IT firms here but were not employed full time or paid according to federal rules. Hiral Patel, 34, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty before US District Judge Kevin McNulty in the Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to obstruct justice as part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain foreign worker visas, US Attorney Paul Fishman said. Patel could potentially be jailed for a maximum of five years in prison and fined of USD 250,000 when sentenced in June. Patel was the human resources manager for two information technology companies SCM Data Inc and MMC Systems Inc, which offered consultants to clients in need of IT support. Both companies recruited foreign nationals, often student visa holders or recent college graduates, and sponsored them for visas under the H-1B program that allows businesses in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers with specialised or technical expertise in a particular field, such as accounting, engineering or computer science. Patel's conspirators recruited foreign workers with purported IT expertise who sought work in the US. They sponsored the foreign workers' H-1B visas with the stated purpose of working for SCM Data and MMC Systems' clients throughout the US. When submitting the visa paperwork to the US Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS), the conspirators represented that the foreign workers had full-time positions and were paid an annual salary, as required to secure the visas. However, contrary to these representations and in violation of the H-1B programme, the conspirators paid the foreign workers only when they were placed at a third-party client who entered into a contract with SCM Data or MMC Systems. The conspirators told the foreign workers who were not currently working that if they wanted to maintain their H-1B visa status, they would need to come up with what their gross wages would be in cash and give it to SCM Data and MMC Systems so the companies could issue payroll checks to them. The conspirators asked the foreign workers to submit bogus payroll checks to USCIS as proof that the workers were engaged in full-time work despite the fact that they were not working for the companies. As the US Department of Labour (USDOL) launched an audit of SCM Data and MMC Systems, the conspirators fabricated leave or vacation slips to USDOL for the time periods that the foreign workers were not working to conceal the fact that they were not paid during those time periods as required by federal law. Patel, who was the human resources manager for SCM Data and MMC Systems, admitted that in February and March 2015, she was involved in preparing false leave slips for the foreign workers on behalf of SCM Data and MMC Systems. The case comes amid a strong criticism of the abuse of the H1B visa programme, which US lawmakers say is used to bring in cheap labour from foreign markets like India and replace American workers. US President Donald Trump has vowed to reform the immigration system to ensure Americans dont lose their jobs and are given priority by companies before bringing in foreign workers. Beijing is opposed to any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries with whom China has diplomatic relations. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which has diplomatic relations with it. Beijing: China on Wednesday said it has lodged a diplomatic protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation and asked it to deal "prudently" with Taiwan-related issues to maintain sound Sino-India ties. "China lodged representations with India" over the Taiwan parliamentary delegation's visit to New Delhi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media. "We hope that India would understand and respect Chinas core concerns and stick to the 'One-China' principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations," Geng said. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which has diplomatic relations with it. "We are always opposed to any forms of official contacts and exchanges between countries that have diplomatic ties with China and Taiwan (simultaneously) and we are also opposed to the establishment of any official institutions," he said responding to Taiwan's announcement that it plans to upgrade its office in India. Geng said that "the Indian side has made commitment on the Taiwan-related issues." The three-member member Taiwanese delegation visited India from February 12. Taiwan currently has Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre located in New Delhi. India's office in Taiwan is called India-Taipei Association. Elaborating further on Chinas stand on Taiwanese Parliamentary delegation to India, Geng said "those who are visiting India are so called legislators from Taiwan" and Beijing is opposed to any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries with whom China has diplomatic relations. "The reason why China lodged the representation is because that we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the 'One China' principle," he said. "So by making our representation we are urging the Indian side to stick to the 'One China' principle and take concrete actions for steady development of China-India relations," he said. He also declined to answer a question about when the protest was lodged with India, saying that "not all the information about diplomatic activities are open to the public". "All I can tell is China has lodged diplomatic representation with India," he said. Earlier, Chinese media too warned India against playing the Taiwan card. "By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed article titled 'New Delhi will suffer losses if it plays Taiwan card'. The case is about alleged illegal money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as Prime Minister to purchase assets in London. Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday today asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's family to produce documentary evidence to establish ownership of flats in London that are under the scanner following the Panama papers leak. The apex court after a hiatus of two weeks resumed hearing of the high-profile Panamagate case involving Prime Minister Sharif and his children. The case is about alleged illegal money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as Prime Minister to purchase assets in London. The assets surfaced when Panama papers showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. The five-member bench hearing the case asked the Sharif family to produce documentary evidence to establish Prime Minister's son Hussain Nawaz as beneficial owner of Park Lane flats in London, in accordance with the family's claim. "Where is the document which could show Hussain Nawaz is the beneficial owner of Landon flats?" Justice Azmat Saeed Shaikh asked Sharif family's counsel Salman Akram Raja. The Express Tribune reported that the top court judge also asked the Sharifs' counsel to provide the family's agreement with Minerva Services Limited, a company which the Premier's family claims is a service provider to Nielsen and Nescoll offshore companies owned by his son. "Let's call a spade a spade and show us relevant documents that could reveal who gave payment to service providing company (Minerva)," Justice Azmat said. Meanwhile, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is heading afive-judge larger bench of the apex court in the Panamagate case, in his remarks said, "This is the stage which will make or break the Panamagate case". Justice Khosa expressed wonder that four apartments in London's upscale area were acquired for two students --Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz -- in 1990s. On this, the Sharif's counsel said Prime Minister Sharif's nephew Hamza Shahbaz was also studying in the UK at that time. However, he expressed his inability to provide complete documents regarding the ownership of London apartments. "It will not be possible to give every document regarding the money trail," Raja told the larger bench, which is hearing a slew of petitions against Sharif family's alleged corruption. Justice Khosa observed that the issue was not related to dependency of Prime Minister's daughter Maryam Nawaz but it pertained to the ruling family's integrity. The top court judge also observed that there was no document which could show how bearer shares regarding the ownership of London flats were transferred to Sharifs by the Qatari royal family. It is believed that the outcome of the case is make or break for Sharif ahead of election due next year. Card John Tongs article on the future of Sino-Vatican dialogue continues to make waves. For one underground priest, the article encourages them to join the Patriotic Association. For an official priest, the Chinese government retains the authority to appoint bishops. Both clergymen believe that there is no difference between "full freedom" and "necessary freedom". The bishop of Shanghai stands as a bitter example. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) Changing the essence of the Patriotic Association is a vain hope" and asking for a "necessary freedom" without "complete freedom" can lead to no freedom, this according to two priests, one from the underground community, the other from the official community. The two spoke to AsiaNews about Card John Tongs article on "The future of Sino-Vatican dialogue from the ecclesiological point of view". What they say is indicative of the doubts and weariness found among members of the Chinese Church vis-a-vis the many statements made about the dialogue between China and the Holy See. The names of the two priests have been changed for obvious security reasons. Fr Wang In his article, Card Tong suggests that the Church can sacrifice some principles in order to evangelise and protect itself in various ways. From this point of view, the bishop of Shanghai (Mgr Thaddeus Ma Daqin) has admitted his mistake. His fidelity to the Holy See has brought chaos to the diocese of Shanghai. Perhaps the Holy See does not want him to be so faithful. Card Tong explains his vision from the ecclesiological point of view and underscores its theological foundations. I think that his article will have a great impact on the Church in China. It is obvious that the points raised by Tong are in line with the thinking of the official Church, and with the groups that seek compromise and independence from the Holy See. Of course, there are some points that the government likes. Card Tongs seems to suggest three winners. In other words, his text will benefit three groups, namely the official Church, the groups in favour of compromise and independence from the Holy See, and the Chinese government. In my personal opinion, Tongs article encourages people to join the Patriotic Association. However, I disagree with the notion that the Church should sacrifice its full freedom for the sake of necessary freedom. If the Church does not have absolute freedom, maybe it cannot even have necessary freedom. Truth and freedom are related. Freedom is not true if it does not draw from the truth. Our underground Church has endured all kinds of pressure from the government to achieve true freedom. In short, Card Tong expresses ideas full of super-optimism and self-glorification, but he did not grow up in mainland China and so cultivates illusions about the Communist Party. Moreover, he does not mention "sinicisation". Has he forgotten perhaps? Fr Li Although Card Tongs analysis has good fundamentals, it is far from reality. Any hope the Holy See has to change the essence of the Patriotic Association is a vain hope. China retains the authority to decide the election of bishops. Approval by the Holy See is only formal. In addition, the "necessary freedom" that Card Tong cites is just misleading propaganda to himself and others. In fact, the idea itself is detrimental to the notion of a local Church that adheres to the truth, and harms all the faithful who suffer humiliation when they bear witness. Istanbul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - In the last two days the Turkish security forces have arrested at least 600 people, including several political activists, for alleged links with an outlawed Kurdish group. Another crackdown on dissidents and opponents, as the country prepares for the constitutional referendum [in April] on the transition to the presidential system and the further strengthening of the powers for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (the pro-Kurdish movement HDP), the arrests aim to further weaken the opposition ahead of the referendum. Half the people detained are HDP members, bringing the total arrests in the ranks of the party - in recent months - to over 5 thousand. Along with many Kurdish leaders, the Turkish authorities have arrested or dismissed mayors of towns with a Kurdish majority, concentrated mainly in the south-east of the country. In a statement HDP leaders - among the staunchest opponents of the constitutional reform - stress that "we will never bow down in the face of this pressure and persecution." "What they are trying to prevent - the statement continues - through detentions and arrests is a 'no' (in the referendum)". A government source says that behind the arrests are suspected links between the HDP members and representatives of the Workers Party of Kurdistan (PKK), considered a terrorist organization and banned by Ankara. In over 30 years of conflict the leaders of the Kurdish movement have perpetrated a series of bloody attacks across the country. In the last elections in 2015 the Kurdish HDP party won more than 10% of the vote and the possibility to enter Parliament; until a few months ago it was the second political opposition force in the country, but today it has been decimated by arrests and expulsions. In the aftermath of the failed coup dEtat in Turkey last July, President Erdogan and the Turkish government have launched a campaign of repression against its alleged perpetrators. These include supporters of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, believed to have masterminded the coup that left 270 people dead, and thousands wounded. In response to the failed coup, in recent months the Turkish authorities have arrested more than 41 thousand people, including teachers, soldiers, intellectuals, opposition politicians, businessmen, journalists, activists and ordinary citizens. About 100 thousand public sector officials have been suspended or laid off. West and pro human rights activists groups renew the alert for the purges taking place in the country, in violation of human rights of citizens. The widespread opinion is that the authorities exploit the state of emergency - and the recent wave of attacks - to eliminate any voice of dissent and opposition to the president. In this context, the country is going through an institutional change that will transform the nation from the presidential parliamentary republic, with further expansion of Erdogan's powers. The city of Dara'a is the scene of fierce fighting between Syrias regular army and armed rebels. An intervention by Jordan seems a possibility. Jihadis want to liberate the country. Meanwhile, discussions centre on a possible Sunni zone from Dara'a to Deir Ez Zor. Damascus (AsiaNews) In the last few days, fighting has intensified in Daraa, southern Syria, pitting armed rebels against Syrias regular army with most of the action centred outside the city. A sudden attack by the recently created Jihadi group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham* sparked the new outbreak of violence. On Sunday, Hay'at forces led by Abu Jaber (Hashim al-Shaikh), known for his excellent relations with Ankara and Riyadh, launched the military operation, code-named "Death rather than humiliation" (Al mowt wala al muzuleh). The attack in Dara'a coincided with the official visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Saudi Arabia, which began on Monday. The violation in Dara'a of the ceasefire agreement between Jordan (and Turkey) and Russia is not the first. However, it is different from the others because it occurred at a time when talk in Amman and Washington is increasingly about an eventual Sunni zone in Syria, from Dara'a to Deir Ez Zor. Indeed, a federalisation of the country seems to be on the table, as US General David Petraeus recently suggested. Although nothing has been confirmed, top Jordanian diplomatic figures are also talking about a direct involvement of Jordanian forces along the lines of Turkeys action in the north. Such a plan aims at repeating Ankaras success in Operation Euphrates Shield when it militarily occupied the city of Al Bab, Daeshs last bastion north of Aleppo, this despite the veto of the Syrian government. Meanwhile, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham has launched attacks in Idlib and Hama against Jund Al Aqsa (Soldiers of al-Aqsa), a Syrian Jihadi group, in what is a sign of generalised fighting in a fragmented context. Purges and shake-ups among and within Syrias Jihadi groups are at a crescendo, especially after Hay'at chief Hashim al-Shaikh made a clear choice to unify all Jihadi groups under a single command. This, he said, means abandoning, at least temporarily", the idea of creating a Caliphate as called for by the international Jihadi movement, to focus on a war of "liberation" of all Syrian territory. The fighting in Dara'a against the regular Syrian army is apparently led by Hay'at with 300 men. In fact, the al Nusra Front is involved since the Nur ad-Din az-Zanki group is not present in southern Syria, with the contribution of another 200 men from Ahrar al-Sham, plus some fighters from Bait al-Maqdis and many mercenaries. Troubles on its border might give Jordan the pretext to enter southern Syria and repeat what Turkey did in the north. Together with Egypt, Jordan was fiercely criticised by the Saudi Foreign Ministry for concluding an agreement with Russia. Now it finds itself under the obligation of getting directly involved in the Syrian conflict, with all the consequences that this might entail. However, what interests the most the al Nusra Front is not becoming the scapegoat of the deal with the Russians, and losing out as it did in northern Syria with Turkey. Reports from the battlefield indicate that the Syrian army is holding its ground, successfully repelling Jihadi attacks; however, this is just one battle in a still long war that may yet reserves surprises. What transpires is that with this action, Hay'at is trying to weave new international and regional ties so as to be recognised as an essential party in any future reconciliation or solution to the Syrian crisis. (PB) * Organisation for the Liberation of the Levant. by Shafique Khokhar Top Commission officials issue a joint statement. The suicide attack killed 13 people, including two policemen. A prayer and candlelight vigil was held at the cathedral. The NCJP calls on the government to enforce the National Action Plan against terrorism and provide security forces with the right equipment. Lahore (AsiaNews) - The National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan has strongly condemned last Mondays attack in Lahore that killed 13 people, including two policemen, and wounded 85. In a joint statement, NCJP President Mgr Joseph Arshad, NCJP National Director Fr Emmanuel Yousaf, and NCJP Executive Director S. Cecil Chaudhry state that "the killing of innocent protesters and security officials is unacceptable." In extending their condolences to the victims, they paid their respects to the slain officers and prayed for their families and the injured. The leaders of the Catholic Church noted that once again Punjabs provincial capital was brutally attacked by extremists. The suicide attack took place in front of the Punjab Provincial Assembly when a protest by some 400 pharmacists was underway. Islamist group Jamat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack. The extremist group warned that it would continue to target government offices in retaliation for the latters crackdown on terrorism. The NCJP and the diocese of Faisalabad organised a candlelight and prayer vigil at Lahore Cathedral to show solidarity to the martyrs and closeness to their families. Priests, nuns, students, teachers, and many civil and political figures took part in the event. Participants asked the government to take decisive action against terrorists and to ensure that the rule of law is respected in the country. The NCJP urged the government to "bring to justice the perpetrators of the act, investigate the origin of extremist intolerance, and strengthen the measures to protect all citizens." Despite warnings of possible attacks, "the government has failed, the NCJP said. As a Commission, we demand the implementation of the National Action Plan*. This must be a top priority if the government wants to eradicate terrorism and extremism from the country." Finally, the NCJP statement ends saying that the government "must provide adequate equipment to law enforcement personnel to perform their risky and courageous task of defusing explosive devices around the country." * The National Action Plan was adopted in 2015 after a Taleban attack against a military school in Peshawar. Beijing (AsiaNews) - Five people were killed and as many injured in a violent knife attack yesterday in the troubled Chinese region of Xinjiang. According to Hotan authorities three men, armed with knives, attacked and stabbed several people in the county of Pishan. The three attackers were then killed in a shootout with police. Ten people were injured in the attack. Five of them have died after transport to the hospital. The investigations are ongoing and the identities of the attackers have not been made public. The motive remains unknown, although for such attacks, the Beijing government usually blames Islamic separatists. The Xiniang, Chinese autonomous region, is home of the ethnic minority Uighurs, a Muslim majority. According to authorities, and the state media, many of the deadliest or high profile attacks throughout China in recent years are linked to Xinjiang. The region has in fact been hit by several violent Uighur separatist attacks. In December, a car full of explosives, carrying several "terrorists" crashed in the yard of the local committee of the Communist Party offices in the county Karakax. One person was killed with the four bombers. In 2013, three Uighurs aboard a jeep ploughed into pedestrians near Tiananmen Square, symbol of the secular Chinese government in Beijing, killing five people. The following year, five assailants armed with knives killed 31 people in a train station in Kunming, Yunnan Province. 141 other people were injured in the attack. Four of the attackers were killed on the spot. Another four were then tried and sentenced to death. Their names suggested they were Uighurs. Human rights groups claim that the attacks are born from the frustration of the Uighurs who consider the current cultural and economic policies oppressive and discriminatory, a claim that Beijing strongly rejects. The Uighurs also denounce a growing number of Han Chinese who are attempting to "colonize" their homelands. Even after the change of the one child law, the forced sterilization campaigns continue to affect Chinese citizens. Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Yunnan health authorities are investigating the case of a man who forced to undergo a vasectomy during the Chinese New Year Because of the three children he had with his wife during her first marriage. According to the Beijing Youth Daily, the man was kidnapped on February 8, while he spent his holidays at the home of friends in Zhenxiong County, Yunnan. After the kidnapping, the family called the police but his wife and son were already held in custody by the authorities. Family members reported that if he had refused surgery, he would have to serve 15 days in prison on charges of "disturbing public order". The man has been sterilized at a clinic in the county of Luokan of Zhenxiong. An official told media that during his first marriage, the man had broken the laws on birth control and that the operation is a procedure established by law. For years, the government has led forced abortion campaigns on men and women found guilty of violating the one-child law. Since January 1, 2016, the state has allowed couples to have two children to increase the number of births in the country and reduce the aging of the population. Despite the change of policy on births, some experts say that this will not improve the demographic situation. by Fady Noun Behind the resignation of the Grand Master, the false invocation of a papal order. A commission of five people named to shed light on the affair. The exception of "sovereignty" raised by former Grand Master inadmissible. The reform promoted by Francis in line with the renewal of the Church. Beirut (AsiaNews) - The resignation of the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Fra Matthew Festing, was provoked by the false invocation, by the latter, of an order issued by the Holy Father. This was clarified yesterday by a source close to the Lebanese Knights of the Order of Malta, in Beirut. To remove the Grand Chancellor (Treasurer) from office, the Grand Master stated that his resignation had been "imposed by the Holy Father." Something that was entirely false. After the news was made public, Pope Francis was forced to counter this argument made in his name with an official denial. At the same time, the pontiff announced the appointment of a commission of five members to clarify the matter. These include the president of the Lebanese Order of Malta, Marwan Sehnaoui. According to the source quoted above, the exception of "sovereignty" raised by former Grand Master to oppose the appointment of a commission of inquiry is inadmissible. There is no interference, the source added, in the sovereignty of the Order in this matter. This is a matter of a disciplinary nature. The Pope would never have become involved if the Grand Master had not lied to the Chancellor ensuring him that the Pope had called for his resignation. The source continues that "it is unthinkable to say that the sovereign Order of Malta, as an institution of pontifical nature and whose constitution is approved by the Holy See, can go against the Pope. Instead, the Order has always been and will always be faithful to Papal authority. " "In the context of the latest crisis - adds the same source - only a few prominent personalities and in the minority in the Order, including the Grand Master, were opposed to the Holy Father's decision to appoint a commission". "That in itself, moreover, that the spiritual reform of the Order promoted by the Pope is in line with the general project of the pastoral renewal of the Church. It is not an attack on its sovereignty. The authors of anonymous billboards that make fun of the Pope, placed on the streets of Rome, should in no case be related, in the public eye, to the Order". Finally, it is important to stress that the true face of the Order is independent of the fate of some of its members. The humanitarian needs which it meets far outweigh the individual financial capabilities; the Order lives exclusively from donations, and these come both from private individuals and from public associations. Its agenda is the protection of human dignity - without the slightest discrimination of racial, ethnic, political or religious nature- through its works, to serve the poor, the sick, the elderly, the disabled, refugees in the spirit of Christian charity. The Order of Malta's humanitarian activities are carried out in 120 countries worldwide. This network of institutions is based on the services of about 100 thousand people, including volunteers and professional workers in the health sector. Of the three great orders of chivalry only the order of St. John of Jerusalem, founded in 1048, and now known as the Sovereign Order of Malta, has been able to adapt to the times and circumstances, returning to its original function: the practice of Christian charity through the works of assistance. In fact, some say the Order of Malta is a precursor of the Red Cross and is the oldest humanitarian institution in the world. Today it fulfills this vocation thanks to its care facilities all over the world and, secondly, through the mobile medical units (bus, train and air ambulances) to bring relief to victims of disasters and populations involved in conflicts . Obviously, the Order of Malta is a subject of international law on the basis of a decree (the papal bull) and whose prerogatives, privileges and honors are mostly nominal. Moreover, this "sovereign" order has neither state nor citizens, nor territory, but emits stamps and can also print money. Finally, while affirming its sovereign character in the first article of its charter - the current founding charter was approved in 1936 - it remains as a Catholic religious order under the spiritual authority of the Holy See. Seoul (AsiaNews) - Lee Byong-ho, head of South Koreas secret services today confirmed before parliament that the brother of the leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un has been murdered and poisoned in Malaysia. Lee also said that over the past five years Pyongyang has tried several times to assassinate Kim Jong-nam, who was under the protection of the Chinese government. The director of the National Intelligence Service explained that Kim was poisoned, although he still cannot confirm whether it was by injection or with a spray to the face. Already in 2012 there was an attempt to assassinate Kim Jong-nam. Since then his half-brother pleaded with Kim Jong-un to let him live with his family. Kim Jong-nam has two wives, the present lives in Beijing with a son; the second lives in Macao with a son and a daughter. Both are under the protection of the Chinese government. According to Lee, the murder did not appear due to possible threats to the regime by the brother, but at Kim Jong-uns "delusional disorder". Also according to various political figures in the new Kim dynasty drama it is a new sign of the leaders "instability". The killing comes as North Korea celebrates the launch of a new surface-to-surface missile and the birthday of late leader Kim Jong-il, the father of both Kims. The culmination of the festival is tomorrow, called "The Day of the Shining star", with skating and synchronized swimming performances. Meanwhile, the Malaysian police only speak about a 46 year-old North Korean man that was killed in the shopping area of Kuala Lumpur airport, before the immigration area, with a plane ticket to Macau. Airport videos show the man was grabbed from behind or his face covered from behind and then fainting and falling. He died while being taken to the hospital. Since 2011, when he took power, KIm Jong-un has ordered the execution of many of his competitors for power, and many analysts say its a "reign of terror". The last dramatic execution was that of Jiang Song-Thaek his uncle, hit by an anti-aircraft missile. Jang was considered the second most powerful figure in North Korea and had been accused of treason. by Melani Manel Perera The protest has been going on for more than two weeks. Women have taken action on behalf of 84 families displaced during the countrys civil war. Children are losing days at school. A group of Catholics and activists brings solidarity and reassurance. For one priest, "these women are not like us men. They will not give up until the government meets their demands." Colombo (AsiaNews) A group of courageous Tamil women has occupied an area in front of an army base and refuses to leave until they get back the land taken from them during the countrys civil war. Speaking to AsiaNews, they said "we are tired with suffering and forced displacement." They launched their peaceful protest (sathayagrah) on 31 January after President Maithripala Sirisena cancelled a visit to the area, scheduled for 25 January. They have with them their children who are missing out on school. They have taken this action on behalf of 84 families living in Pillavukudirippu, Mullaitivu district. During almost three decades of civil war between Sri Lankas armed forces and Tamil Tiger rebels, many local residents were forced to flee. Their homes, land and properties were confiscated by the military and have been occupied for years by the Air Force. For the past seven years, the displaced have been demanding the return of their land. After they were forced out, they have been living in a makeshift village called Keppapilavu without adequate services. Yesterday, the Mullaitivu District Secretary visited the area and invited the women to stop their protest whilst announcing talks on the issue in question. The Tamil women turned down the request, saying "We are tired of statements." Most women lost their husbands during the war and are now left with children to raise. For the past two weeks, the children have not been to school. One girl, Yalinin, said that she and her sister have not been attending classes because "our mother is involved in the protest. There is no one who can take care of us." The local education department has organised evening classes for the children, but this is not the same as regular school. A group of Catholics and activists from Colombo visited the protesters as a token of solidarity and reassurance. "We very much appreciate the courage of these women, said Sister Rasika Pieris. We urge the government to return the land. This way they will be able to live after so much suffering." President Sirisena must immediately resolve the situation, partly because he was elected with Tamil votes, said Hermaan Kumara, coordinator of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO). According to Fr Father Sujaharan, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate, "these women are not like us men. They will not give up until the government meets their demands." (Photos 1, 5 - 10 Garikaalan) Messages You have no messages Big brands M&A in global elephants dance In the period immediately following the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, the US stock market experienced an upward surge. At the same time, there has been significant merger and acquisition activity involving large global food and beverage brands. This article reports on some of the bigger acquisition bids and the Australian links or implications. Heineken acquires Brasil Kirin Amsterdam based brewer, Heineken, has entered into an agreement with Japans Kirin to acquire its Brazil business for EUR 664 million. Brazil Kirin owns one of Brazils largest beer brands, Schin. Schin is not currently sold in Australia. Heineken and Kirin beer are both distributed in Australia through Lion. Brazil Kirin is also responsible for Baden Baden beer and Eisenbahn beer, along with Itubaina soft drink, few of which are known in Australia. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Heineken, Jean-Francois, said the acquisition represents a step-change in scale in an exciting beer market. It reiterates our commitment to the Brazilian market and confidence in our ability to generate attractive returns over the long-term across all segments of the market, he said. Dr Pepper Snapple Group acquires Bai Brands On the 31 January 2017, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group completed its acquisition of Bai Brands for US $1.7 billion. Bai is a line of antioxidant infused flavoured drinks. After the company was first founded in 2009 in New Jersey by a man called Ben Weiss, it has expanded to sell a carbonated version of Bai, bottled water, iced tea and other beverages. Larry Young, Dr Pepper Snapple Group President and Chief Executive Officer, said the Bai team has been hitting the bulls eye in meeting consumer demand in better-for-you beverages. Now that theyre part of the DPS family, were going to let them continue to fly and build on the entrepreneurial spirit thats driven their success while providing them access to the full complement of Dr Pepper Snapples resources and capabilities, he said. The Dr Pepper Snapple Group does not currently operate within Australia but some of its beverages, like Dr Pepper soft drink, are parallel imported and often sold through speciality confectionery retailers. Within the US, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group sells 7-Up, Sunkist and Schweppes branded beverages. Within Australia, these brands are controlled by Japans Asahi beverages. Bai is not currently sold in Australia. Other acquisitions Since the start of 2017, Bega Cheese has acquired Vegemite from US Mondelez International. Mars US also acquired pet-care company, VCA in January 2017. Related articles CCA signs responsible alcohol marketing code in Australia Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) has signed the Alcohol Beverages Responsible Alcohol Marketing Code (ABAC). The ABAC is a code designed to regulate alcohol advertising and marketing within Australia. It is operated by a management committee which includes industry, advertising and government representatives. Over 90 per cent of alcohol advertising in Australia is currently produced by signatories to the ABAC. In becoming a signatory, CCA will commit to following the scheme, provide funding and will participate in the service for checking of proposed advertisements or packaging of products. Chair of the ABAC Scheme, the Hon. Alan Ferguson, welcomed CCAs decision to sign the ABAC. The involvement of Coca-Cola Amatil, a s a large manufacturer and distributor of alcohol products in Australia, was very much welcomed by the ABAC Management Committee, he said. CCAs alcoholic beverage portfolio includes Jim Beam, Canadian Club, Yenda and Pressmans. Related articles Fed gov responds to Horticulture Code of Conduct review The Australian Federal Government has announced its response to the review of the Horticulture Code of Conduct. Announced by South Australian Senator, Anne Ruston, she said the government carefully considered the recommendations from the review and choose those which will help address concerns are around the Code. The government says its response includes provide better guidance to make it easier for traders and growers to comply with the Code, allow the ACCC to better identify and rapidly respond to breaches and removing unnecessary regulation. Our response demonstrates an appropriate balance between the need for transparency in the trading relationship and the need for the code to ensure that trade is not tied up in red tape, Minister Ruston said. The government said its response to the recommendations will: Provide better guidance to make it easier for traders and growers to comply with the Code Ensure that growers and traders have a fair, binding horticulture produce agreement in place to support a more productive and fair trading relationship Allow the ACCC to better identify and rapidly respond to breaches to further support compliance with the Code Remove unnecessary regulation where appropriate and allow growers and traders greater flexibility in the trading relationship Related articles Acting President on NZ Visit Anthony Kaybing 150217 The Referendum to decide Bougainvilles political future remains the focal point of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. The ABGs expectations are not limited to the issue but consider a wide spectrum of issues that will uphold the successful implementation of the referendum. Acting ABG President Raymond Masono in meeting with the New Zealand Minister for Foregin Affairs, Murray McCully said Bougainville has a long history of shared cooperation, from your their support in the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement to ongoing development cooperation. Through ongoing cooperation we can do much more, for the ABG we want to see our relationship strengthened and enhanced further, drawing on continued opportunities for practical support, Masono said. Specific examples I have in mind include, examining ways that New Zealand can provide additional support for the upcoming referendum and the newly established Bougainville Referendum Commission, he added. There are also other avenues such as exploring ways that we can enhance trade ties, potentially through the establishment of a New Zealand Trade Office in Bougainville; and Looking at opportunities for enhancing ties between ABG Ministers and their New Zealand counterparts to help our Ministers understand the complexities of working with an advanced bureaucracy and exercising ministerial powers, Masono said. I would particularly like to place on record my appreciation for the diverse range of development projects which have been, and are being support by the New Zealand government in cooperation and partnership with other development stakeholders and non-government organisations, Masono stated. Masono said these projects are helping to enhance security and policing, governance, electoral support, infrastructure development, economic mobilsation and health and education outcomes. Through this work Bougainville has enhanced development outcomes and genuine improvements in the lives of its people. By working in partnership we are progressing down the path of autonomy, building our own capacity and learning how to develop our own priorities, Masono said. All of this has led to a strong foundation of partnership and bilateral cooperation. Through the ongoing support of the New Zealand Government Bougainville is increasingly being seen by the National Government and its development partners as being firmly on the right path a path of economic growth, development and stability. Ends//// Low pricing hits Coles bottom line L-R: Wesfarmers' current Managing Director Richard Goyder, succeeding Managing Director Rob Scott and Chairman Michael Chaney The supermarket price wars has hit Coles 2017 half yearly financial profits with the supermarkets earnings before interest and tax falling. When compared to Coles first half 2016 financial year results, its EBIT fell by 2.6 per cent to AUD $920 million with parent company, Wesfarmers, saying investing in value has negatively impacted earnings. Despite the Coles troubles, Wesfarmers reported a strong net profit after tax of AUD $1.5 million for the half year ended 31 December 2016, an increase of 13.2 per cent on the prior corresponding period. Other Wesfarmers investments Bunnings Australia and New Zealand, Kmart and Officeworks performed well. Stationery and office supplier chain Officeworks is performing so well Wesfarmers said it is considering selling or listing it on the Australian Securities Exchange. Coles Although Coles earnings fell due to price cutting, Wesfarmers reported that its overall food and liquor recorded sales grew 2.2 per cent on the corresponding 2016 first half results. Coles steadfast commitment to its customer-led strategy delivered continued growth in comparable transactions, basket size and sales per square metre during the half, with record results achieved on key feedback measures over Christmas trading period, Wesfarmers Managing Director Richard Goyder said. He however said the decline in earnings were driven by lower margins following increased investments in value, which he said were weighted towards the second quarter, including through the absorption of cost price increases in meat. Costs of doing business were well managed, partially offsetting lower gross margins, despite Coles continuing to proactively invest to enhance the customer experience through better quality, availability and service, Goyder said. Bunnings Bunnings Australia and New Zealand (BANZ) delivered an earnings growth of 9.8 per cent to AUD $770 million. The BANZ results for the half reflect its strong market position, which has been further supported through continued investment in customer value, stores and online, Goyder said. Bunnings UK reported a loss of AUD $48 million with Goyder saying they have made very good progress to separate Homebase from its former owner. Target and Kmart Things did not fare well for Target which earnt AUD $16 million in the first half of the year, AUD $58 million lower than the prior corresponding period. Kmart however fared well with a 16.3 per cent growth in earnings to AUD $371 million. Officeworks Officeworks earnings were AUD 62 million, 5.1 per cent higher for the period. Growth in sales and earnings reflected continued improvements in merchandise layouts, new and expanded product ranges and ongoing price investment, Goyder said. Industrials Earnings in the Industrials division of Wesfarmers were AUD $377 million, AUD $355 million higher than the prior corresponding period with the increase attributed to a significant increase in coal prices and strong production in the second quarter of the financial year. Rob Scott to take on Wesfarmers Managing Director role The Wesfarmers financial results were announced one day after the company announced that internal candidate Rob Scott will be taking over Richard Goyders Managing Director role by the end of 2017. Goyder has decided to retire after being in the MD role for more than 12 years. Scott becomes the Groups Deputy Chief Executive Officer immediately and will join the board in November 2017. He holds position as head of Wesfarmers Industrials division until 1 July 2017. Chairman of Wesfarmers, Michael Chaney, said Scott has shown himself to be an outstanding executive in several senior roles within Wesfarmers. Rob has a proven capability to deliver improved business performance and to lead change through building great teams around him, he said. Chaney paid tribute to Goyder, who first joined Wesfarmers in 1993. Richard has been an extraordinary leader at Wesfarmers and is a highly respected and admired leader of the Australian business community, he said. About Rob Scott Scott first began working for Wesfarmers in 1993 as a financial accountant but later moved into investment banking roles outside the company with Deutsche Bank. He later re-joined Wesfarmers in 2004 in business development before being appointed Managing Director of Wesfarmers Insurance in 2007 and then Finance Director of Coles in February 2013. He was appointed as Managing Director of Financial Services in October 2014. Scott was born in Perth and holds a Master of Applied Financed from Macquarie University, Bachelor of Commerce from the Australian National University, Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance in Investments and has completed the Advanced Management program at Harvard Business School. He is also a former Olympic rower, winning a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Related articles Law firms working with Hewlett Packard will be required to meet its diversity standards or risk losing up to 10 per cent of their invoiced fees.Corporate Counsel reports that Kim Rivera, HPs general counsel, has informed law firms that as diversity is an explicit business goal for the firm, she expects outside counsel to drive diversity at all levels. Rivera says that women make up 55 per cent of HPs workforce.HP says that it hopes its partners will accept the diversity holdback in the spirit in which it is intended.Ashurst has been named as one of Australias best places for new graduates to work.The ranking has been awarded by the Australian Association of Graduate Employers and Ashurst is the only law firm to make the 2017 Top Graduate Employers List."Many of our most inspiring and successful lawyers joined Ashurst as graduates and it is important to recognise the valuable contributions that our graduate pool makes to the firm, commented Head of HR Australia Richard Knox. For this reason, attracting and retaining the best talent at a graduate level remains a key focus across the entire business."The firm ranked 59th out of the 75 employers on the list which includes businesses across all industries and professions.Gibson Dunn has launched an aerospace and related technologies industry group to formally integrate the firms efforts for clients in the sectors. The group will be led by co-chairs William Peters and Karen Manos along with David Wilf and Perlette Jura, all US-based partners.Chairman and managing partner Ken Doran says the new group is responding to increased demand from clients: "We are seeing unprecedented growth in the aerospace industry due to, for example, the increasing privatization of space activities, demand for satellite-based services, and the commercial use of drones. There is currently no termination clause between the Australian and Chinese partnerships of King & Wood Mallesons,can reveal.recently reported that the firm has delayed a review of the successes and failures of its Sino-Australian merger, a process which could have led to the triggering of a five-year break clause which was part of the agreement when the two firms combined.There is no termination clause or formal five-year review underway. The China, Hong Kong and Australian practices are aligned around our global strategy and future direction of the firm, KWM toldThe firm does have an International Management Committee and various other global working groups, but these groups have always been tasked to look at improving the global network.The mention of a breakup clause comes as KWM deals with the aftermath from the closure of its Europe, UK, and Middle East (EUME) partnership formed largely from legacy SJ Berwin, which merged with KWM in 2013. KWM was formed in 2012 when Australias Big Six firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques combined with Chinese Red Circle firm King & Wood PRC Lawyers.KWM has established a new presence in Europe and had earlier confirmed to the identity of 17 of its 33 partners who are staying with the new business unit.Recently, a group of around 200 former staff of KWM EUME, which includes lawyers, sued over the handling of redundancies after the appointment of administrators on 17 January. Weil Gotshal & Manges has become the third international firm in two weeks to confirm the closure of one of its offices in the Middle East. The US law firm is closing up shop in Dubai, its sole base in the region.The firm told Legal Week that the office will be shuttered by the end of the second quarter, with clients in the region to be serviced through its London office. That leaves Budapest, Frankfurt, London, Munich, Paris, Prague and Warsaw as the remaining offices of the law firm in the Europe and the Middle East area.The Dubai office, which was opened in 2009, has three resident lawyers managing partner Joseph Tortorici and associates Diana Froyland and Natalie Kirk. The office specializes in private equity, mergers and acquisitions, business finance and restructuring, international arbitration and corporate governance.Tortorici will continue to oversee the firms Middle East operations from Europe.Weil isnt alone in closing up a Middle East office. Last week, Herbert Smith Freehills and Clifford Chance said they are closing their offices in Qatar. HSF said it will close its office in Doha this summer while Clifford Chance is shutting down its office in the city at the end of February. However, Dentons had recently opened a new office in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.Weil has more than 350 lawyers outside of the United States. In Asia, it has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. By David Glance, Director of UWA Centre for Software Practice, University of Western Australia Perth Writers Festival Clementine Ford and Lindy West, doyennes of the internet and social media, feminists, and writers, are travelling to Perth, Western Australia to appear at the Perth Writers Festival. Both of these writers are truly at ease communicating their thoughts and opinions across most platforms, including articles, books, and through engagement with a global community of women on social media, especially on Twitter. I had the opportunity to talk to them about their views on Twitter at a time when this platform is struggling to find a commercial model to support its business, made all the more difficult by its systemic problems with online abuse. Twitter highlights one of the biggest differences between life in the online and physical worlds. Whilst at a writers festival it is possible that a person opposed to Fords and Wests views might conceivably turn up and argue or heckle, and someone, such as security, festival organisers, the audience or the writers themselves, would probably deal with them. Not so on Twitter. Despite already failing attempts to deal with the all-pervasive levels of abuse on the platform, Twitter has largely turned a blind eye to the problem. The fact that abuse on the platform is one of the biggest factors in preventing anyone buying the company, means this is a problem Twitter can no longer ignore. Lindy West finally decided to take a break from Twitter declaring that the platform is unusable for anyone but trolls, robots and dictators. She later told me, The breaking point for me wasnt the trolls themselves it was the global repercussions of Twitters refusal to stop them. A more salient tipping point for West however was Donald Trumps use of Twitter during the US election and his major role in normalising and legitimising lies, hate and abuse of almost everyone. West commented, What finally got me to leave is the way Donald Trump is using that platform as President. He is using it in a way that I think is dangerous to human life on earth. Lindy West is not planning to return to Twitter whilst Trump is still an active user. A bonus for her has been reclaiming the many hours she would devote to Twitter. Plus there are gains to her wellbeing, as she noted that when on Twitter, she was mostly in a state of anxiety and irritation. This again is the difference between Twitter and real life. On Twitter there are countless numbers of people willing to spend enormous amounts of time seeking out people, including West and Ford, to abuse. Clementine Ford has found her own way of dealing with Twitter, and for her, the benefits still outweigh the negatives. She told me, Despite all of the horrible downsides and despite all of the ways the platform can be used to proliferate abuse, it is the most effective way we have ever had of connecting women with each other. Women were now able to support each other on the platform, and confidently find ways to resist bad online behaviours. She still believes that social media can be used as a force for good. For Clementine Ford, the Internet is a fundamental part of life, especially for anyone who runs a business or are creatives, writers or activists. In fact, she says, You cant live [solely] in an offline world now and expect to be part of the mainstream culture. This was perhaps best demonstrated for her by the use of social media to organise resistance against Trump and in particular the rallying and coordination of women for the Womens Marches. Ford is conscious of the fact that social media globalises political and social concerns, especially as people rally around the world against Trump and the alt-right. As an Australian however, she is still keen to remind people here that their own government is capable of unacceptable behaviour by banning refugees and locking them up. Both women see Twitter as unique and its functionality cannot be replaced by a platform like Facebook. Both use Facebook to promote their work but find it less easy to engage people in conversations like they might do on Twitter. However, Facebook is little better than Twitter in dealing with abuse. Ford says, Facebook has the hypocrisy of pretending to want people to use their real names whilst turning their backs to obviously fake accounts or burner accounts that people set up so that they can repeatedly spam peoples pages after they have been blocked. Both women published successful books last year: Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West and Fight Like a Girl by Clementine Ford. They will both be appearing at the Perth Writers Festival talking about their work, politics, activism, women and of course, the Internet. Disclosure UWA is a partner organisation of the Perth International Arts Festival. PIAF staff assisted with the interviews of Lindy West and Clementine Ford Originally published in The Conversation. Tougher rules in Australia mean that more than 1,000 foreign nationals who committed crimes were stripped of their visas in 2016 and removed from the country.With American immigration policy under scrutiny at present and the UK also wanting to limit immigration when it leaves the European Union, Australia is also getting tougher.Under strengthened provisions of section 501 of the Migration Act the Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has more powers to remove those who get involved in crime.Dutton said Australia welcomed millions of visitors on short and long term visas each year and the overwhelming majority abided by the law and enjoyed holidaying or residing in Australia and being part of the Australian community.'Unfortunately there is a small minority who involve themselves in criminal acts. We strengthened section 501 of the Migration Act in 2014 to deal with these serious lawbreakers and since then have cancelled the visas of more than 2000 non-citizens, this includes 138 members of criminal bikie gangs,' said Dutton.He confirmed that in 2016 there were 359 visa cancellations in New South Wales, 301 in Queensland, 173 in Victoria, 168 in Western Australia, 41 in South Australia, seven in the Northern Territory, four in the ACT and three in Tasmania.They included those convicted of murder, manslaughter, sexual offences against children, violent crimes such as assault and grievous bodily harm, armed robbery, serious drug offences, kidnapping, people smuggling and for involvement in organized crime.Dutton said that the Government is determined to do all it could to protect the Australian community. 'Foreign nationals who think they can flout our laws, harm our citizens or commit terrible crimes should get a clear message,' he pointed out.'Your ability to remain in Australia will be removed; we will cancel your visa and get rid of you from our country,' he added. She is American. It turns out I hope (think), that their badly worded letter implied we both had to provide proof. In reality, I'd forgotten to upload my divorce paper, although it had been scanned last year... Meanwhile I still can not get the eMedical referral letter to print. I wish one could download it first, but the internet is so weak here, I usually can get it, unless I walk 200 metres up hill. Don't have a power lead that long for the printer though. I will try and book her Bupa medical without it, and hope for a miracle ;-) We recently applied for my partner visa. My Aussie husband is sponsoring me. He has just received an email with a PDF attached requesting Australian and Canadian police checks and to supply them within 28 days!! We were however advised to wait a bit before getting these as they are tricky to get and if expire before used would be a ball-ache to get again. There is no way we can get the Canadian check within 28 days!! Does this mean we are going to be rejected. And can anyone advise the best course of action if we are rejected because of this? Thanks in advance. Launch of new Buka Urban Office Anthony Kaybing 150217 The launch of the new Buka Urban Council Office Complex will ensure that the progress of the towns continuing facelift is on point. The building which is worth more than K600,000 was co-funded by the New Zealand and Australian Governments as part of the former Governance Implementation Fund (now PGF) that provides development support in the autonomous region. Buka Town Mayor, John Angamata graciously thanked the New Zealand and Australian Governments for funding the building which would go a long way in Town Councils drive to develop Buka Town. Our development partners have always been an integral part of the development on Bougainville and we are all very appreciative of this, he said. He further stated that he hopes this partnership with these two nations would continue to help Bougainvilles further development. The New Zealand Minister for Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully said that Bougainville and people of New Zealand have shared a long history as neighbours in the pacific. It is a history that New Zealanders are very proud of, particularly the peace process and the reconstruction period and we are trying to play an active partnership role, Mr McCully said. My visit to Bougainville is to check on the relationship that we have with Bougainville to ensure that we have thought our way forward and ensure that our support arrangements are relevant, he further stated. McCully said that one of the important vehicles of the GIF program in partnership with the Australian Government has been their support of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. In terms of capacity building that needs to take place on Bougainville including the role of the Urban Council is very important and the contribution to this development is part of the mechanism that is GIF and its functions on Bougainville, he said. It is my pleasure on behalf of the GIF partnership to launch this important office complex and I further thank those who have been involved in its development, he said On behalf of the New Zealand Government I would like to say that we take our responsibilities as partners very seriously and weve been in this for the long haul and we will stay for the long haul especially as you deal with challenging and exciting times ahead, he said. Ends//// Procurements involvement with fleet has grown deeper and its scope of responsibility in fleet management has expanded. Currently, 28% of all fleet managers in the U.S. work in procurement or report up through procurement with the anticipation that this percentage will grow in the coming years. Looking ahead, how will procurement and fleet evolve in the future? My prediction is there will be market forces (both internal and external), along with technological enhancements, that will facilitate a much closer collaboration between the two disciplines using a combination of in-house and outsourced expertise. When making predictions, if you want to know where we are going, it is critical to understand from where we came. Corporate purchasing departments have been involved in fleet vehicle acquisition and supplier selection prior to the advent of strategic sourcing. Many fleets prior to the 1980s were company owned and it was logical for these operations to be managed by the department that bought the vehicles, namely purchasing. Today, procurement occupies a pre-eminent position in the corporate hierarchy; however, this wasnt always the case. As recently as the 1980s, purchasing departments were dismissively viewed at many corporations as order placers and order takers. But, over the past three decades, the purchasing function has evolved into a sophisticated procurement process known as strategic sourcing, which continuously improves and re-evaluates both direct and indirect procurement. When strategic sourcing proliferated in the 1990s, it rapidly transformed corporate purchasing at many companies by reexamining all spend categories, including fleet. There were a number of factors that elevated procurement to be viewed by senior management as a strategic business process. A watershed realization occurred when General Motors put Ignacio Lopez, an engineer from the companys European operations, in charge of procurement. Lopez literally threw out existing supplier contracts and demanded drastic reductions in prices. This drama played out on the pages of Automotive News almost like a weekly soap opera. But, in the course of a year, Lopez and his procurement teams added a billion dollars to the bottom line of General Motors. This got everyones attention. Without selling one additional car, Lopez generated a billion dollars in profit by using a strategic sourcing process to renegotiate contracts with Tier One suppliers. Shortly thereafter other major corporations transformed their purchasing departments into strategic procurement teams. In short order, major strategic sourcing initiatives were emulated at other companies, such as Sears, American Honda, American Airlines, FedEx, and Staples. In the fleet world, pharmaceutical companies were in the vanguard of fleets employing strategic sourcing initiatives. The earliest to implement strategic sourcing initiatives were Pfizer, Bristol-Myers, and Eli Lilly. Another watershed moment occurred in the mid-1990s after the telecommunication industry was deregulated and AT&T was broken up into Baby Bell companies. One of the Baby Bells was Bell Atlantic, which, through a strategic sourcing initiative, implemented a dramatic procurement-driven transformation of its massive fleet operations. During the current decade, procurement has evolved beyond sourcing by expanding its operational oversight of fleet management supplier relationships using service level agreements (SLA) that are enforced by non-compliance penalties. As a result, procurement has gained a greater voice in operational considerations. In many cases, the sourcing organization even gained actual ownership of the fleet management process. A Data-Driven Fleet and Procurement Synergy Any discussion about the future of procurement and fleet management must include the role data analytics and Big Data will play. In many respects, these technology initiatives will facilitate a closer convergence of both of our data-driven disciplines. As Big Data and Big Data Analytics increasingly influences the corporate decision-making process, best-in-class procurement organizations will employ greater utilization of advanced data mining and analytics techniques to increase visibility, transparency, and compliance. Similarly, advanced analytics will play a significant role in fleet management decision-making. (Advanced analytics is the analysis of fleet data using exploratory and predictive data mining to produce actionable data.) Just like procurement, fleet professionals believe predictive and prescriptive analytics will revolutionize fleet management. In procurement, predictive analytics tracks purchasing patterns over time and helps forecast future purchasing patterns. This information allows teams to anticipate issues and react proactively. Similarly, fleet analytics will be the cornerstone in cost containment, safety management, and productivity initiatives. For both fleet and procurement, Big Data analytics will provide the ability to examine large data sets to uncover previously unrecognized patterns and interconnections, along with other actionable information. These market forces are also coalescing the mindset of forward thinking procurement and fleet professionals. For instance, at some multinational companies, procurement and fleet management teams now recognize the need for central leadership to drive a global strategy, while ensuring engagement is locally driven. My prediction is that the adoption of integrated technology functionality and changing mindsets will even further intertwine fleet and procurement by creating a much deeper data-driven synergistic relationship. Let me know what you think. [email protected] Ranger Design has donated $100,000 to the Montreal Neurological Institute to help the hospital launch its Neuro-Palliative Care program, the upfitter has announced. The donation "was made possible by the companys collective efforts and led by Ranger Design's management team," the company said in a release. Ranger Design is based in Rochester, New York, and maintains an office in Montreal. The Moto G5 and G5 Plus are attracting a lot of spectators just two weeks before the Mobile World Congress on February 26 at Barcelona, Spain. The news about the latest Lenovo smartphones' photo leaks, specification updates and launch are all over the social media websites. According to Gadgets NDTV, there were rumors about the leaks of Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus being circulated on social media websites but Motorola denies this. However, some Tech fans are saying they already saw the leaked photos. BGR mentioned that even before Roland Quandt of WinFuture tweeted about the specs of Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus, there were already some Weibo users who showed the leaked photos of the smartphones.The photos contain information that apparently the smartphones will carry a Sony IMX362 sensor and F1.7 lens. The Moto G5 Plus has a 5.2-inch display while is slightly smaller in 5.2-inch, both are in Full High Definition. For the main specs, G5 plus is much faster with the 625 Snapdragon 2.0 GHZ octa core with 625 processor compared to G5's 430 processor. Although they both have a 32 GB storage, what sets them apart is G5' 2GB RAM and G5 plus' 4GB RAM, GSM Arena cited. The Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus are also similar to Honor 5c that carries a metal unibody, rear camera with a Motorola logo. The smartphone has a 12-megapixel main camera that can capture videos at 30 frames per second with the same sensor of Asus Zenfone and 5-megapixel front cameras. Since the picture of the smartphone has already been circulating in Tech websites, some observers are actually thinking that it might affect the reception that it will receive in the Mobile Congress. However, with the great specifications, it offers the Moto G5 and G5 Plus surely make every tech aficionado interested to have a glimpse of it in the event. The next Air Force One should be anything other than a Boeing 747; even Northrop Grummans next-generation stealth bomber would be a better choice, says a report by Wright Williams & Kelly (WWK). President Trump has tweeted that he finds the $3.2B projection for the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program to replace the Air Forces Boeing 747 based VC-25 to be out of control. The report by WWK, a cost-reduction consultancy based in Northern California, focused on the Boeing 737 and the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, winner of the Air Force Long-Range Strike Bomber development contract, as possible alternatives to the heavy Boeing jet. Variants of Boeing 737 are already in service with the U.S. military as the Air Force C-40 Clipper executive transport and the Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft. Its the 737s to lose if we were to go to a civilian aircraft, Danny Lam, a spokesman for WWK, told Aviation Week, referring to the aircrafts low cost to operate, the work recently done to militarize other variants of the 737 and that aircrafts ability to operate out of smaller airfields around the world. The B-21 appears to be a tongue-in-cheek exercise in how to create a transport aircraft that could survive in contested airspace rather than a serious contender to replace the VC-25. Lam told Aviation Week the B-21 has stealth built in, its nuclear-rated and heavily shielded right off the bat. Referring to his suggestion to convert the compact, windowless and unpressurized bomb bays into a passenger area, its going to be terribly cramped but man, it would be a survivable platform, Lam said. Commenters noted that significantly higher speed and similar comfort could be achieved using the Air Forces excess intercontinental ballistic missiles for the same purpose. 15 February 2017 12:00 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Over 50,000 people have undersigned a petition to the UN Security Council demanding to recognize Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan as a war criminal. The petition was published on the website of Avaaz on January 28. The U.S.-based Avaaz is a civic organization that promotes global activism on different issues such as human rights, corruption, poverty, conflicts, climate change, animal rights, etc. Unfortunately, Serzh Sargsyan, current President of Armenia, still remains unpunished by international organizations for his policy of attacking Azerbaijan for several times, the petition reads, noting that he commanded groups that organized Khojaly Massacre, in which hundreds of Azerbaijanis were killed by Armenians. Khojaly, the second largest town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, came under intense fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran already occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces in 1992. About 613 civilians mostly women and children were killed in the Khojaly Massacre, and a total of 1,000 people became disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown. The petition further reads that Serzh Sargsyan was also directly involved in the occupation of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions back in 1990s. His military, political aggression has to be deprecated by the international community, it says. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 12:44 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova French Alstom Transportation S.A., which provides the complete range of systems, equipment and services in the railway sector, will supply electric locomotives to Azerbaijan till the end of 2017. Spokesperson for the Azerbaijan Railways Sevinj Gadirova told Trend that the French company will supply some 50 locomotives, while 40 of them being freight and 10 dual voltage passenger locomotives. The supply will be possible thanks to a credit worth 276.8 million issued by a consortium of French Societe Generale and BNP Paribas, as well as the French branch of the HSBC Bank for Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan Railways will purchase locomotives to modernize its locomotive park. The manufacture of locomotives has already been started, she said. The AZ8A electric locomotives with the capacity to pull up to 9,000 metric tons at a speed of 120 km per hour are considered to be one of the most powerful in the world. The new locomotives will run along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway road, which is expected to expand multi-modal transportation opportunities, ensure the growth of passenger and freight transportation and boost the transit potential of the regional countries. Gadirova went on to say that update and renewal operations are dictates of time, which are needed to meet demand in freight transportation, increase quality of service, attract additional volumes of cargo and provide for their secure delivery. Azerbaijan Railways launched a long-term program for the sustainable renovation and modernization of its railways in 2006. The program stipulates reconstruction of infrastructure and gradual switch from direct current to alternating current as well as gradual replacement of obsolete trains running on existing lines. Also, Azerbaijan Railways ordered 30 Stadler cars for use on the BTK, the commissioning of which is planned for 2017. The contract inked in 2014 is not only about the delivery of the cars between the middle of 2016 and the middle of 2017, but also includes an extensive spare-part package and the training of staff that will operate and maintain the vehicles. In addition, the contract also includes an option for 70 more units. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 13:30 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova A new Iranian bank may be established in Azerbaijan in the short run, as the two countries are expanding their banking cooperation. Iran's Central Bank Chief Valiollah Seif, who is on a visit to Baku, told Trend that a new bank with 100 percent Iranian capital is planned to be created in Azerbaijan. Seif has already met with Azerbaijan`s Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev and the sides discussed cooperation in financial field, exchanged views on the current state of cooperation and prospects of further boosting ties between the banking sectors of the two countries. Chairman of Azerbaijan`s Central Bank Elman Rustamov, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Financial Markets Supervisory Body Rufat Aslanli were also present in the meeting. The official also talked about long-perspective plans, under which a branch of the Iranian Bank Melli will turn into a developed and independent Azerbaijani bank, while all the shares of the new bank will be owned by Bank Melli Iran. The branch of Bank Melli Iran started to operate in Azerbaijan in 1993. Currently, 32 banks (including 15 banks with foreign share) operate in Azerbaijan and 36 banks (including branches of five foreign banks and one joint bank) operate in Iran. Seif added that the issue will be on agenda during the visit of Azerbaijani delegation to Tehran next week. Besides, the heads of central banks of Iran and Azerbaijan, Valiollah Seif and Elman Rustamov, earlier signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) envisaging the integration of the two countries card systems. The integration mechanism will allow both countries citizens to use their bank cards in the two countries territories .The issue is currently being studied by a special expert commission. Seif also talked about the plans to switch to the use national currencies (the manat and the rial) in trade operations. Iran is already carrying out foreign trade settlements in national currencies with a number of countries, and is interested in expanding this tendency with Azerbaijan. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz News / Africa by Staff reporter Winds starting to pick up and heavy rain starting to fall in Inhambane, Mozambique. Thank you Thomas Keating. pic.twitter.com/49fj0MhBzx Storm Report SA (@StormReportSA1) February 15, 2017 Zimbabwe has activated its disaster management teams as Cyclone Dineo intensifies and is expected to bring heavy rainfall to Matabeleland South, Masvingo and Manicaland provinces over the weekend.In a statement, the MSD said the cyclone may result in extreme flooding."The Meteorological Services Department wishes to issue a high alert for tropical cyclone-type rainfall that is forecast from Thursday 16 to Monday 20 February 2017."The areas likely to be impacted most are Masvingo and Matabeleland South provinces as well as the southern areas of Manicaland Province," read the statement."Tropical cyclones are preceded by very strong and damaging winds followed by extreme flooding. The MSD is closely monitoring the situation and will issue another alert as soon as the level of significance warrants it."The MSD said in case of heavy rains and flooding, if possible, people should stay indoors and off the roads."Avoid crossing flooded rivers and swollen streams where the depth is unknown. Avoid driving on a road covered by water and be very cautious at night when it's harder to recognise flood dangers. In case of severe thunderstorms, if outdoors, seek shelter immediately but do not seek shelter under a tree or in isolated sheds," the MSD said.Most parts of the country have experienced heavy rains that have resulted in flooding and damage to property in some areas.Some people have also lost their lives while attempting to cross flooded rivers while others have been struck by lightning.Late last month, Umzingwane River and its tributaries notably Insiza, Nkankezi and others were flooded. Part of the BulawayoBeitbridge highway was flooded blocking traffic for nearly 12 hours.In 2000 Cyclone Eline, with speeds of up to 120km per hour, hit Zimbabwe with devastating effects.During the Cyclone Eline-induced floods, a total of 136 deaths were reported while 59 184 houses and huts were destroyed, 14 999 toilets caved in, 538 schools and 54 clinics were damaged. About 230 dams burst while a total of 20 000 head of livestock were lost.The tropical cyclone, which first appeared on February 9 and lasted until about March 2 in 2000, was termed the worst in 50 years. 15 February 2017 17:47 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova The ongoing privatization process, launched in 2016 and designed to attract both foreign and local investors to Azerbaijan, will also create new work places. Chairman of the State Property Issues Committee Kerem Hasanov said that so far that the process has allowed to open more than 300,000 new work places. Hasanov made the remark during "Investments in Privatization: New Opportunities and Challenges" forum in Baku on February 15. Bringing together representatives of the Confederation of Entrepreneurs (ASK) and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO), as well as representatives of more than 100 largest holding companies, associations, groups, companies and unions, the event provided the information about the order of participation in privatization and new opportunities to raise investments in the country. Hasanov further added that more than 1.2 million citizens of the country participated in the privatization process, mentioning that over 250 individuals became shareholders of the state objects. Besides, foreign investors from the USA, the UK, Turkey, Germany, China, and Finland also participated in the process. He stressed that the state property privatization resulted in emergence of such enterprises as Holcim Azerbaijan cement plant, beer plant Baltika Baku (Carlsberg Azerbaijan), AzNar juice production plant, a number of furniture factories and others. The state property privatization is defined as an important direction of the economic in Azerbaijan. Over 300 new state-owned enterprises and facilities declared open for privatization in the country last year. The official also gave an insight in new mechanisms, applied in the sphere of privatization, saying that manufacturing enterprises will further be put up for privatization via investment tenders. Potential buyers will have to pursue special programs and business plans. This will allow the enterprises to operate in line with international standards, became more competitive and as a result create new working places, he clarified. Hasanov said that new proposals, including expansion of means of privatization, reduction of cost of enterprises, which have already been put up for sale in auctions, and others, have already been submitted for the consideration of the Government. The forum saw a signing ceremony of MoU between the State Committee and ASK on holding of conferences, forums and info tours in enterprises offered for privatization. The Committee will hold the next auction on state property privatization on February 28, 2017. Seventy-five state properties (20 joint stock companies, 29 small enterprises and facilities, 25 non-residential areas and one incomplete building) - will be put up for auction. The majority of small enterprises to be put up for the auction are located in the cities of Baku, Sheki, Mingachevir, Sumgait, Lankaran, as well as Azerbaijani districts. Deputy Economy Minister Niyazi Safarov, addressing the event, said the mechanisms developed for investment and export promotion will create a new environment for the regulation of entrepreneurial activity in the country, mentioning that the mechanisms have already provided an impetus for a strong economic activity in the country. He mentioned that so far some 98 entrepreneurs (88 legal persons and 10 individual entrepreneurs) have received 106 documents of investment promotion for the implementation of different projects in the non-oil sector. The documents allowed to implement a number of projects in such spheres as industry and agriculture. More than 1 billion manats will be invested in these projects, he said, further elaborating that most of the projects will focus on the production of goods that are currently being imported to the country. Safarov also talked about significant changes in the state control over entrepreneurial activity, mentioning a reduction in the number of business inspections, facilitation of licensing procedures and others. Only 60 inspections on entrepreneurship activity were carried out in 2016, (as compared to 60,000 in 2015), while the number of required licenses dropped from 59 to 37. Safarov said that the industrial development in the country has already switched to a new stage of development. In 2016, non-oil industry grew some 5 percent as compared to the figures of 2015. The deputy minister mentioned that the role of strategic road maps is of utmost importance in this regard. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 11:46 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Seoul has hosted an exhibition dedicated to Azerbaijan, featuring the countrys culture, history and traditions. Entitled "Azerbaijan Realities: From Past to Present", the exhibition is organized by Azerbaijani Embassy to South Korea. The event was held in the National Assembly of South Korea, Report.az reported. The event was attended by Azerbaijani Ambassador to the country Ramzi Teymurov, President of the Korea-Azerbaijan Inter-parliamentary Friendship Group as well as a number of deputies of the Parliament of South Korea. The relations between Azerbaijan and South Korea cover many areas, including politics, economics, culture, and other fields. The diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Korea was established in March 1992. South Korea's exports to Azerbaijan are mainly automobile, plastic, and electronic products, while the South Caucasus republic exports oil, aluminum, and copper products to Korea. There is great potential for cooperation in the tourism sector as well. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 17:02 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Model Narmin Safarova represents Azerbaijan at international beauty contest "Queen of Brilliancy International - 2017", Trend Life reported. The beauty contest is taking place in Taiwan's capital, Taipei. Safarova informed that Contest's President Christian Juan familiarized with a portfolio of the young model and highly appreciated it. The 22-year-old model is the winner of the international modeling competition Miss Maxim 2014. To travel to Taiwan the model had a new photoshoot, which was conducted by Ismail Rzayev. The beauty contest will run until February 28. Currently, contestants actively prepare for the final night. Besides rehearsals, the event organizers have also arranged for the girls tours to enjoy Taiwan's attractions. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 15:50 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova The price fluctuations in pharmaceuticals market of the country is linked with the changes in the rate of the national currency of Azerbaijan, Tariff Council announced, refusing alleged deficiency in medical products. The Council reminded that the price regulation was last time implemented in the market on November 28, 2016. As for the concerns about the deficiency in the market, the Council clarified that in all countries medicines, passing the state registration are divided into two groups active (those available on the market) and passive (not on offer). The status of a medicine may change on a regular basis due to different reasons, including import, distribution, and marketing activities. Passive medicines have their alternatives (with analogous structure) in the market. The mechanism of price regulation is transparent and importers are not able to artificially increase the prices, by means of transferring certain drugs to the group of passive medicines, the agency said. The Tariff Council began to adjust and approve prices for a number of medicines from September 2015. To date prices for over 10,000 drugs were approved, which make up 99 percent of the registered medicines in the country. Establishing single prices for medicines is aimed to improve the level of medical services provided to the population and combating price gouging. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov earlier said that there is no deficiency in medical products, mentioning that the fact that certain drugs are not on sale in certain pharmacies, does not imply that these drugs are absent in the country. He said that the government carries out certain measures to provide for timely supply of all medicines. Import of drugs to the country increased some 20 percent in 2016 as compared to 2015, with some 80 percent of drugs being imported from the European countries and the remaining part falling to a share of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The Council also emphasized that biologically active additives (BADs) are a kind of food additives, which cannot be used as an alternative to medicines. Prices for BADs are not regulated by the government, therefore they are not included into the list of medicines approved by the council. In late 2015, the government announced that Azerbaijan will create own enterprises that will manufacture medicines to cease dependence on imports. Within the next three years, a number of pharma plants will be put in operation in the country. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 11:23 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Sudan backs Azerbaijan's fair position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, said President Omar al-Bashir as he received credentials of Azerbaijan`s incoming ambassador Tural Rzayev on February 14. Al-Bashir said Sudan remains committed to UN Security Council's resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and expressed regret that Armenia does not comply with the documents, Azertac reported. 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. In 2014, the Sudanese parliament passed a bill recognizing the Khojaly genocide, committed by the Armenian armed forces in the early 1990s towards the civilian population of the Azerbaijani town. Speaking about Azerbaijani-Sudanese relations, the President said his country is interested in developing them in political, economic, cultural and educational spheres. He also praised high-profile international events held in Azerbaijan, saying they contribute to establishing peace around the world. Ambassador Rzayev, in turn, praised the Sudanese parliament`s recognizing Khojaly genocide. The ambassador promised to do his utmost to develop cooperation between Azerbaijan and Sudan. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Sudan were established in February 16, 1993. As a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Sudan opened its embassy in Azerbaijan in 1993. However, Sudan had to suspend the activity of its diplomatic mission in Baku in 1999 due to financial difficulties. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 14:05 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Double standard on the aggressor is symptomatic of the international communitys view. The long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and non-punishment of the occupant Armenia can be a typical example of the double standard prevailing in the policy of world powers, including the United States. Independent analyst Kamal Makili-Aliyev, in his article for the analytical platform Modern Diplomacy, pointed to the fact that the U.S. is not applying the same rules and actions to all the states in the world equally when it comes to the international law. "The stark example is the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions of Azerbaijan by neighboring Armenia," said Makili-Aliyev, who is also a scholar specializing in international relations, armed conflicts, security and defense. The conflict between the two countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations that have been unsuccessful so far. This occupation has been reflected in the multiple international legal documents and even in the decision of international judicial body that works specifically with international law. However, the U.S. has not recognized Armenia as an aggressor state and has not imposed any sanctions on the aggressor despite the fact that this situation has been protracted since the early 1990s, the article reads. "On the other hand, the U.S. has imposed sanctions against Russia with practically no international legal documents or decisions of international organizations to support them," the article said. Makili-Aliyev believes that if the U.S. can impose sanctions on Russia, which is a nuclear power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it is obvious that it can do so in regards to Armenia. Then, that brings us to the conclusion that the point of sanctions of the U.S. was not to uphold the international law and its principles, but to take steps on international arena that would show discontent with its adversary, the expert claims. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 11:08 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova A commemorative event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was held at Azerbaijan`s Embassy in Jordan, Azertac reported. The event brought together ambassadors of foreign countries, members of Azerbaijan-Jordan Friendship Society, the country`s alumnus studied in Azerbaijan, and media representatives. Azerbaijan`s Ambassador to Jordan Sabir Agabayov stressed that the Kohjaly massacre perpetrated by the Armenian Armed Forces is the crime against the humanity. He reminded that Khojaly genocide is one of the most terrible and tragic pages of Azerbaijan history. The event also featured a demonstration of documentary on Khojaly massacre. Khojaly, the second largest town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, came under intense fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran already occupied by the Armenian armed forces in 1992. About 613 civilians mostly women and children were killed in the massacre, and a total of 1,000 people were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 12:27 (UTC+04:00) The OSCE mission will hold a monitoring on the state border of Azerbaijan and Armenia on February 16 in accordance with the mandate of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Azertac reported. Azerbaijan`s Defense Ministry reported that the monitoring will be held on the Azerbaijani side by field assistants of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ghenadie Petrica and Peter Svedberg . On the Armenian side, the monitoring will be conducted by field assistants of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Jiri Aberle and Hristo Hristov. Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 12:50 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will discuss the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement with the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group. Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend that the meeting will be held within the Munich Security Conference. Earlier, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that Moscow is trying to organize a meeting of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia, and Baku gave its consent to the meeting. He added that Munich Security Conference will be held on February 17-19 and it is planned to hold a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs as part of the conference. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 13:09 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The liberated Jojug Marjanli village will welcome heads of diplomatic missions of foreign states and international organizations accredited in Azerbaijan on February 15. Organized by Azerbaijans State Committee for Refugees and IDPs, the trip will allow diplomats to get acquainted with the situation in the village, which was freed from the Armenian occupation in April 2016. Earlier, representatives of foreign media outlets visited the Jojug Marjanli village, where they witnessed facts of Armenian vandalism and familiarized with the Azerbaijani states plans on the restoration of Jojug Marjanli. The village was fully liberated from the Armenian occupation in April 2016, when Azerbaijani Armed Forces prevented an Armenian provocation on the contact line. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani army launched counter attacks and as a result, the Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Leletepe hill located in the direction of Fizuli region. In late January, President Ilham Aliyev ordered to restore Jojug Marjanli. Under the order, 4 million manats were allocated from the President`s 2017 Contingency Fund to the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs for the construction of 50 private houses, a school building and relevant infrastructure at the first stage. Moreover, President Aliyev signed an order on additional measures to construct the road leading to the liberated Jojug Marjanli village and allocated 4.3 million manats from the state budget for the construction of 9 km long highway in the village. More than 190 families out of 400 families, who once lived in the village, have already expressed desire to return to their homeland. The construction work in the village will begin soon, as first 50 families out of 190 will be settled in this village at the first stage. Currently, Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) carries out operation on mine clearing in the village. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz News / Local by Mary Charamba The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has chided Zimbabweans for spending about $206,7 million on DSTV subscriptions describing the habit as 'illogical'.That is for a six month period between July and December last year.The central bank said the wasted funds should have been preserved as " foreign exchange for raw materials and other foreign payments that include education"."A substantial amount of the US$206.7 million... for example, for card and DSTV transactions paid through the nostro accounts between July - December 2016 should have been settled locally and thus preserving foreign exchange for raw materials and other foreign payments that include education." In fact, card transactions which require prefunding of nostro accounts - were the second largest user (after fuel) of foreign exchange during the second half of the year."Use of hard earned foreign currency in this manner is not sustainable for the economy" said the central bank in a monetary policy statement posted on its official website.The bank said "spending more foreign exchange on DSTV subscriptions than on raw materials to produce cooking oil, for example, is not only counterproductive but also illogical". 15 February 2017 14:49 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov An Australian parliamentarian raised the issue of the Khojaly genocide, committed by Armenian militaries against the civilian population of Azerbaijan in February 1992, at a meeting of the Senate. In a few days the people of Azerbaijan will mark the 25th anniversary of what has been one of the bloodiest events in their country's history, when more than 600 civilians, including women and children, were killed in the town of Khojaly, located in the now occupied territories of Azerbaijan, senator Chris Back, member of Australia-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship Group, said in his speech. Khojaly, the second largest town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, came under intense fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran already occupied by the Armenian armed forces in 1992. About 613 civilians mostly women and children were killed in the massacre, and a total of 1,000 people were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown. The senator stressed that events of this nature are tragic and they are horrific, and of course they do no country any good in terms of its future and in terms of its relations with its neighbors or indeed with the wider community as represented through the United Nations. Chris Back said that the discussion of Khojaly genocide gives everyone a chance to think and recognize that such events lead to large losses, and their impact will be felt for generations. The senator further added that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its consequences have become an example of the worst form of humanitarian crisis. Without successful mediation there is a threat of a military conflict in the territory it will lead only to the destabilization of the situation between two countries, and in particular, to the destabilization in the whole Caucasian region, Back said. Reminding that Armenia still controls the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, he said that ethnic Azerbaijanis should be allowed to return to their lands. Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war. Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal. Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 15:13 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Russian diplomats have received no complaints from blogger Alexander Lapshin regarding his detention conditions in Baku, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on February 15. Noting that the Russian Embassy in Baku immediately contacted Lapshin, who is being rendered qualified assistance, Zakharova said that the Russian side is in constant contact with Azerbaijan on this issue. The blogger, who was extradited from Minsk in early February, will stand trial in Baku for his illegal visits to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. Lapshin, who owns citizenships of several countries, illegally visited Azerbaijan`s Armenia-occupied lands and now is charged under the articles 281.2 (appeals directed against state) and 318.2 (illegal border crossing) articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Helped by his accomplices in the occupied territories, Lapshin, paid a number of visits to Azerbaijan`s occupied lands, where he voiced support for "independence" of the illegal regime, and made public calls against Azerbaijan`s internationally recognized territorial integrity. Zakharova further urged reporters not to use unverified information while covering the issue. Meanwhile, bloggers lawyer Safar Huseynov said that Lapshin's wife Catherine has called him to learn about status and conditions of his detention. I have informed her about his condition, the conditions of detention and the course of the investigation, the lawyer said, adding that the embassies of Russia and Israel in Azerbaijan closely follow the case. Baku has repeatedly warned foreign officials and diplomats of unauthorized visits to its territories that are occupied by Armenia, calling them contradictory to international law. Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions pay special attention to the illegal activity in the occupied areas of Azerbaijan. The work is constantly carried out to prevent such illegal actions. Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 21:45 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov Representatives of diplomatic missions of foreign countries and heads of international organizations accredited in Azerbaijan visited the liberated Jojug Marjanli village in the country's Jabrayil region on February 15. The village was fully liberated from the Armenian occupation in April 2016, when Azerbaijani Armed Forces prevented an Armenian provocation on the contact line. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani army launched counter attacks and as a result, the Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Leletepe hill located in the direction of Fizuli region. The State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs informed that the delegation got acquainted with the ongoing reconstruction work in Jojug Marjanli. Besides, the diplomats visited the Hajiyevs, the only family living in the village. Deputy Prime Minister, Committee Chairman Ali Hasanov briefed the delegation members about the atrocities committed by Armenians while the Jojug Marjanli was under the occupation, as well as about the reconstruction work, which is carried out in the village in compliance with the presidential decree. In late January, President Ilham Aliyev ordered to restore Jojug Marjanli. Under the order, 4 million manats were allocated for the construction of 50 private houses, a school building and relevant infrastructure at the first stage. Moreover, President Aliyev signed an order on additional measures to construct the road leading to the liberated Jojug Marjanli village and allocated 4.3 million manats from the state budget for the construction of 9 km long highway in the village. Ali Hasanov further added that a new residential settlement consisting of 150 houses will be built in the Jojug Marjanli village, along with educational, medical and cultural centers. In Azerbaijan, people are already returning to the liberated villages, while the Armenians are leaving Karabakh in large numbers, Ali Hasanov said. Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions of Azerbaijan are under the control of the Armenian military and separatists since a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended in 1994. Negotiations lasting for about 30 years have brought little progress in resolving the conflict, though a fragile truce has been in place. Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin, who was among the visitors, said that the visit to Jojug Marjanli was a very enlightening experience We came here with a professional goal to obtain information about what is happening here and we, of course, reached this goal, he said. We saw with our own eyes how hard and complex this conflict is. It's one thing when you read, listen about it, and another thing when you see yourself, talk to people. The diplomat added that Russia has been engaged in a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and should continue its efforts. Russia along with the U.S. and France is a co-chairing country at the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh problem. However, the Minsk Group could not gain significant progress in finding solution to the problem for more than twenty years. I was very impressed by what I saw in Jojug Marjanli. This visit is of great importance, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan Aurelia Bouchez told reporters. The Ambassador stressed that the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be found. France as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group supports peaceful solution of the problem, Azertac quoted the envoy as saying. Bulgarian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Maya Khristova, in turn, said that the organization of the visit to the liberated Jojug Marjanli was a good idea. She added that the ambassadors were impressed with the spirit of that place. The family that never left this place for so much time shows the love of the Azerbaijani people to their land. This is the spirit of patriotism that we felt, she told local media. The ambassador wished all the best to Azerbaijan and expressed hope to see more people and houses in the village in future. Ali Hasanov said that all the ambassadors invited by the Committee joined the visit to Jojug Marjanli, and only 5-6 ambassadors could not come. Some of them are absent for legitimate reasons. The U.S. Ambassador and the Head of Baku office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) did not come. I'm sorry that they are not here, Hasanov said, noting that the aim of the visit was to show the real face of the conflict. Hasanov mentioned that the Azerbaijani sides wants the foreign ambassadors and representatives of international organizations the Council of Europe, EU and OSCE see firsthand what atrocities the Armenians committed in the settlement during the occupation. It's one thing to have it on paper, and another to see with your own eyes, he said. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 10:15 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of congratulations to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, whose country is celebrating its public holiday, Azertac reported. On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my most sincere congratulations to you and the people of your country on the public holiday of the Republic of Serbia, the Azerbaijani President said in his letter. I believe that the friendly relations between our two countries, our cooperation, which is based on mutual trust and support, will continue to develop and expand in the best interests of our peoples, the head of state said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 16:46 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova A twinning project Upgrading the National Environmental Monitoring System (NEMS) of Azerbaijan on the base of EU practices was presented in Baku on February 15. Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Huseyn Bagirov, Head of the Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan Yeroen Villems and Harri Pietarila, the Member State Project leader from Finland participated in the meeting, the ecology ministry reported. The project aims to strengthen environmental monitoring system ensuring provision of the high quality information that does support strategic environmental policy planning and compliance control. It will contribute to the improvement of Azerbaijan's environmental performance, especially regarding the air quality. The project's duration is 27 months. Twinning project will be carried out in four directions: the institutional framework, ecological monitoring systems, capacity building and training, pilot experiments. The consortium of the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) in cooperation with Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC), Umweltbundesamt GmbH (Environment Agency Austria, UBA) and Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) will provide the implementation assistance. Azerbaijan takes significant steps to solve the problems regarding environmental protection and rational utilization of natural resources. There were realized large-scale state programs for the sanitation of the ecological situation in the country. The 2016 Environmental Performance Index, compiled by researchers from Yale University and Columbia University that evaluates how nations protect their ecosystems and human health, placed Azerbaijan 31st among 180 countries. Azerbaijan improved its performance jumping 32 ranks compared to 2014. The report that comes out every two years showed the Land of Fire has made significant progress by 18.1 percent for the last 10 years scoring 83.78 points in 2016. Moreover, the country also ranked second in climate and energy category, reducing gas emissions from 73 to 51 million of tons since 1990. Strengthening security measures and increasing its tree cover areas up to 11.8 percent, Azerbaijan achieved good results in forest resources assessment category ranking 5th. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 11:29 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy at the US Department of State Robin Dunnigan will represent the country in the meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council to be held in Baku on February 23, Trend learned from the US Department of State. The Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council held its first meeting on February 12, 2015, and the second meeting on February 29, 2016. The Southern Gas Corridor envisages transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region to Europe via Georgia and Turkey. The gas will be exported through expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline. Further, in response to the question about who will serve as the special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs in the new US administration, a source in the State Department said that the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Mary Burce Warlick is the acting special envoy. The role of Energy Advisor is one that is filled by political appointment. We refer all questions about political appointments to the White House, said the US Department. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 13:51 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova The recent comment of Deputy CEO of Russias Gazprom Alexander Medvedev about the possibility of using the Trans Adriatic Pipeline to export gas to Europe has aroused a number of questions. One of the key issues is whether the Russian oil major may be a competitor for Azerbaijans state energy giant SOCAR in terms of gas deliveries to Europe. A source in SOCAR, commenting on the issue, told Reuters that Gazprom is not a rival of Azerbaijans energy company in terms of gas supplies by means of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). "Gazprom is not SOCAR's rival in TAP. Half of the pipeline capacity would be reserved for Azerbaijani gas, he said. TAP is a part of the ambitious Southern Gas Corridor which is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. The project envisages transportation of gas from the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas and condensate field to the EU countries. T he pipeline will be connected to the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italy's south. The project is currently in its construction phase, which started in 2016. Medvedev earlier said that Gazprom was discussing the possibility of using Poseidon (the offshore section of the Interconnector Turkey-Greece-Italy (ITGI)) and TAP to export gas to Europe. He added that Russia has sufficient capacity to deliver more than 100 bcm of extra gas to Europe, mentioning that the main obstacle is infrastructure problem. Commenting on the issue, TAP Head of Communications Lisa Givert said that the consortium is fully committed to transporting Shah Deniz phase II volumes initially 10 bcm of gas per year from the Caspian Sea through Greece, Albania and into Italy. Moscow seeks to be the one that fills TAP pipeline capacity, but experts say that Russian hopes to use the TAP go counter to the purpose of the project to diversify European gas imports routes. EU sources also said that Russian gas flows via TAP may jar with the terms set by its financial backers, such as the European Investment Bank. "We see the Southern Gas Corridor foremost as a major source of diversification: new gas, new route, new supplier," European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic told Reuters. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 18:03 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova The ambitious Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), one of the European Union's priority energy projects, is assessed as a strategically important initiative that will allow Europe to secure its energy security. Vice-President of the European Commission Marosh Shevchovich told Caspian Energy News that the project, which stipulates transportation of gas resources of the Caspian Sea to the European market, has a pivotal and strategic importance, mentioning that the main objective is diversification of supply routes. The diversification objective has been emphasized both in the European Energy Security and the Energy Union strategy. Azerbaijan is an important energy partner for the EU, currently supplying around 5 percent of the EU's oil demand but the pivotal role of the country is related to its position as an enabler of the SGS, he said. He stressed that the projects timely completion is critical, so that gas from the new suppliers can flow to Europe by 2020. Natural gas occupies a lions share in the energy mix demand of the European countries. Some of the EU countries are heavily reliant on a single source or a single transport route for the majority of their gas. In this regard, any disruptions along the route, caused by infrastructure failure or some other reasons can endanger supplies. Diversification policy of the EU includes identifying and building new routes that decrease the dependence of the European countries on a single supplier of natural gas and other energy resources. Energy diversification is crucial for ensuring secure and resilient energy supplies to EU citizens and companies. In this context, the EU is particularly committed to diversification of gas suppliers (countries), counterparties (companies) and routes, Shevchovich said. The Vice-President recalled that the key projects of the SGC, the expansion of the South-Caucasus Pipeline, TANAP and TAP have been identified as Projects of Common Interest and have been also included in the list of critical projects under the European Energy Security Strategy. Being one of the biggest construction projects of our times SGC, covering the area of 3,500 km, is expected to bring some 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas from the Caspian region to Europe. Reflecting the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor for all countries involved in the program, a number of international financial institutions are supporting the project. The official also hailed the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council, co-chaired by the EC, recalling that the third ministerial meeting of the council is scheduled for February 23 in Baku. The invited participants to the meeting are energy ministers of Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey, representatives from the UK and the USA, as well as senior executives of shareholder companies of the Shah Deniz, the South Caucasus Pipeline Expansion projects, TANAP and TAP projects, as well as other participants. The Council held its first meeting on February 12, 2015, and the second meeting on February 29, 2016. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 12:40 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva The Caspian littoral states authorized representatives, heads and leading specialists of the relevant ministries and departments have convened in Ashgabat to mull the environmental challenges. The meeting was organized by the Foreign Ministry, State Committee for Fisheries and the State Enterprise for the Caspian Sea under the President of Turkmenistan, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH) reported. The main issue on the agenda of the two-day meeting is approval of the draft Protocol on cooperation in the fight against illegal exploitation of biological resources (poaching) in the Caspian Sea. The document developed by the Turkmen side is aimed at supplementing the agreement on security cooperation in the Caspian Sea, signed at the Third Summit of Heads of Caspian littoral states in Baku in 2010. The document put emphasize on preservation and reproduction of marine fish resources and the regulation of fishing activities in the Caspian. The meeting participants called for the adoption of a set of joint measures intended to preserve and enhance the natural biodiversity of the Caspian Sea. The urgent tasks include the implementation of systematic monitoring of the state of biological resources and the marine environment of the sea. The Turkmen side notes that only a responsible, strictly scientific approach to marine activities will ensure the successful development of fisheries in the long term, and prevent negative affection of the fish fauna of the region. At a previous meeting of authorized representatives, the Turkmen side initiated establishment of a permanent Caspian Economic Forum which is to be an effective meeting place for representatives of government and business circles of the Caspian region. The Caspian Sea is surrounded by the five coastal countries of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. The Sea has a total surface area of 371,000 km, holding 78,200 cubic km of water. The legal status of the Caspian Sea has 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 projects. Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan hold to the principle of dividing into national sectors based on the median line principles since it is an international boundary lake, and leaving the sea surface for general use, i.e. they are for demarcation of mineral resources and the Caspian Sea shelf, but against dividing up its waters. Iran seeks an equal division of the Caspian into 5 even sectors, mainly because most of the offshore energy resources are located away from the Iranian coastline. Turkmenistan also demands the division of the Sea into equal parts between the pre-Caspian countries so that each country has 20 percent of the sea. 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. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 14:17 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyayev will pay an official visit to Russia in April. This was announced during the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Russia, which began in Tashkent on Wednesday. The Russian delegation at the meeting is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak. Relations between Uzbekistan and Russia are characterized as the strategic partnership in the wide range of cooperation in political, economic and humanitarian spheres. 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. In 2016 the trade turnover between the two states, according to the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan amounted to $ 4.2 billion. The commodity structure of Russian exports to Uzbekistan includes 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 includes 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. As many as 961 enterprises with the participation of Russian investments, including 810 joint ventures and 151 enterprises with one hundred percent Russian capital were established in Uzbekistan. The country has accredited representatives of 64 Russian enterprises and companies. At the same time, 569 enterprises with the participation of residents of Uzbekistan were established on the territory of the Russian Federation. Moreover, in the recent years, Russian investments in Uzbekistans economy amounted to more than $6 billion. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Chris Soules Interview On Online Dating And The Farming Lifestyle Here's What Small-Town Dating Is Really Like, According To Bachelor Chris Soules When people think "reality TV star," they typically think of vapid, self-interested people who got briefly famous but contribute nothing lasting to America. Which is to say, when people think "reality TV star," they're probably not thinking of reality TV star Chris Soules. The 33-year-old farmer, born and raised in small-town Arlington, Iowa, is anything but. Soules jumped into the spotlight after his stint on The Bachelorette in 2014 snagged him a starring role on The Bachelor's 19th season the following year. The nation watched him weigh his romantic options for nine weeks, ultimately choosing Whitney Bischoff in the series finale. But the couple ended up calling off their engagement only months later. So for the time being, Soules remains the nation's most eligible farmer. AskMen caught up with him recently to pick his brain on what the farm life is all about, and what it's like for guys whose backgrounds have more to do with the fertile soil of the fields than the cracked concrete of the big city to date and fall in love in a modern dating culture that seems increasingly out of touch with small-town, down-home American tradition. What do you do, for instance, when your Tinder bio reads "farmer" rather than "lawyer" or "businessman"? And what can the average American male learn from his farming counterparts? Well, for one, consider diversifying your skill sets. According to Soules, one of the defining characteristics of the farming lifestyle is having to master many different fields in order to thrive. "We're accountants, we're economists, we're all different halves we manage employees, and also we grow things and care for the land. You don't just have one single label. Farmers are unique in the fact that they have to have lots of different skill sets. Most farmers that you meet, you would never know and they would never even talk about the challenges and the different talents that they have." That feeds into his second note about farmers: Their integrity, something that can be easy to lose sight of for those stuck in the rat race. "I know multi-millionaires that you would think would be middle-income wage-earners, that you wouldn't have any idea about the amount of success they've had in their lives just because of the amount of humility that they have," says Soules. "They do what they do for the love of what they do, not because they want to buy a Maserati or a new Lamborghini to keep up with the Joneses." The integrity and humility that Soules loves about farmers have also made it trickier for him to date people from other backgrounds, he explains. Viewers who saw The Bachelorette, where Andi Dorfman opted for another contestant over Soules because she couldn't see herself adapting to his small-town Iowan roots, will know that, but it's evident from his passion that Soules is true-blue when it comes to the farming lifestyle. "Finding somebody who has that certain perspective on life about the simple things and what really matters and family and not being devastated because there's not a Starbucks within an hour of where I live," was tricky, he says. "People sort of look at farming and have an unrealistic view of what it really does look like I think. They think we're having picnics and sitting on the porch and drinking tea every day. We get up and work really hard like any other people who want to get ahead in life." That being said, even Soules will admit that the rural background he cherishes has been tough for his dating life. "On the show they made a really big deal about me not being able to meet people in rural areas, and even though they highlighted that, I don't think people can even put it into perspective how challenging it is," Soules admits. "If you live 2 miles from a town of 450 people [where the majority of people are] 55 and over, the demographics are very steered toward having a bad dating experience." That scarcity of rural singles in his age range also led to Soules trying to make things work out in one long-term relationship that ultimately didn't pan out. "I spent seven years dating one person who I met in college and intended to marry, and I thought it would happen, but it didn't work out. After that I had to go back to square one, and that was pretty scary," says Soules. "I kind of had this feeling in my gut that this was the only chance I would have to meet somebody, so it may have led to me rushing into things a little bit." When it comes to the future of dating, Soules doesn't think small-town Americans necessarily need to compromise and get with the times. For instance, an online dating site like Farmers Only is a great option for those with a farming background to find other, similar-minded singles who might feel out of place exclusively trying to date city slickers on Tinder. "I've never gone on Farmers Only but I've had friends that were, and I've gone on Match or eHarmony [in the past]. In order to find the right person you really do need to be willing to put yourself out there, no matter if you live in a rural area or a city," he says, adding that, "Dating sites are helpful and give you the opportunity to meet people without having to bars. It's great for finding other people who are serious about finding somebody." And for any guys getting down about dates that aren't going well, Soules has an optimistic take. "With every conversation or with every first awkward date that I had that resulted from an online dating app, I learned a little bit more about what I was looking for." 15 February 2017 17:08 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva The Astana talks on the Syrian crisis brokered by Russia, Iran, and Turkey scheduled to start on February 15 have been delayed by one day due to the late arrival of the delegations of Turkey and the Syrian opposition, Kazakhstan's foreign ministry reported. Russia's Defense Ministry spokesman said that the delegations will hold working meetings in the bilateral format on February 15 to clarify the positions of the sides and to announce proposals to ensure the ceasefire regime in Syria. The meetings are expected to focus on the implementation of the ceasefire regime in the Syrian Arab Republic, the measures to stabilize the situation in particular areas and the adoption of rules for a joint operational group. The final document could be approved at the Astana talks on February 16, a senior official of the Russian Defense Ministry said, RIA Novosti reported. The final document could be agreed upon at a plenary session with the participation of all delegations which is to be held tomorrow [February 16]," he said. The document to monitor the ceasefire in Syria is expected to provide the sanctions for its violation while the ceasefire monitoring will be carried out under the auspices of the UN and it is planned to consolidate this principle during the negotiations in Geneva, RIA Novosti reported with the reference to a source in one of the delegations. Most of the Syrian experts have already admitted that the Astana peace talks promote an early settlement of the Syrian crisis and contribute to the restoration of the UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva. The delegations of Damascus, Syrian armed opposition, UN representatives, and representatives of Jordan and the United States were invited to the high-level meeting. All participants of the meeting have already arrived. The UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura will not participate in the talks. The participation of representatives of Jordan in the talks is an attempt to further decrease the flow of weapons into Syria as this country used to be a transit point for weapons and insurgents. It was not clear until the very last moment whether the delegation of the armed opposition will take part in the talks, while the Free Syrian Army expressed its readiness to come to Astana on Tuesday night [February 14]. The U.S. will be presented at the meeting at the ambassadorial level. The State Department has received an invitation from the government of Kazakhstan to participate as an observer in the negotiations on Syria, Embassy spokesman said adding that the U.S. Embassy in Astana will represent the United States at the talks. He added that the U.S. remains committed to a political resolution of the Syrian crisis. Despite all the arguments between politicians about the importance of the results of Astana meeting it lays the groundwork for the much-anticipated reconciliation of Geneva peace talks. The first Astana talks on Syrian settlement brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran took place in the Kazakh capital on January 23- 24. They came as the first since the beginning of Syrian civil war in 2011 when the government of Syria and the armed opposition sat together at the negotiations table. The talks resulted in Moscow-Tehran-Ankara agreement on the establishment of a tripartite mechanism to monitor the ceasefire in Syria. Many experts assessed the agreement between Russia, Turkey, and Iran on the establishment of a tripartite mechanism as a step to a political solution which might end the six-year war. Armed conflict continues in Syria since March 2011. Government troops are confronted by militants of different armed groups. Russia has begun airstrikes on terrorist facilities in Syria since 30 September 2015. The Russian military involvement follows an official request from President Bashar Assad to President Vladimir Putin. The UN has repeatedly tried and failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed 300,000 and displaced 11 million since its beginning 6 years ago. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 17:54 (UTC+04:00) By Kamila Aliyeva Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes that Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the international coalition forces should work together on fighting ISIS terror in the Middle East. Turkey needs the support of the Persian Gulf countries and especially of Saudi Arabia to ensure stability in the region, TASS reported with the reference to Erdogan's interview with Al Arabiya. When we will liberate the city of Rakka from the "Islamic State", we will be able to convey the region to its people, our Arab brothers, he said adding that the considerable support from the countries of the Persian Gulf and especially Saudi Arabia is needed to achieve this goal. Currently, Erdogan is on his days-long tour to the Gulf countries to discuss mutual cooperation and is expected to return to Turkey from Qatar later on Wednesday. On February 13, Erdogan visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was reported that the King and Erdogan discussed bilateral relations and aspects of cooperation between the two brotherly countries and key regional issues. Syria was a focus point for the president during his meetings with top Saudi officials. The ongoing civil war in Syria and related war against the Islamic State has been of much interest to Saudi Arabia. Although the Gulf nation has not directly participated in the multilateral fight, Riyadh has expressed concern over Irans growing influence in the region. The first meeting of the council, co-chaired by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, was held recently in Ankara. The positions of Saudi Arabia and Turkey are absolutely identical on Syria crisis and other regional problems, Al-Jubeir said last week in Ankara following the results of the meeting. The talks ahead of the UN-brokered Syria peace dialogue, have added significance in terms of efforts that have been directed to reach a political solution to end the six-year conflict in Syria. The aim of the military operation "Shield of the Euphrates," which Ankara conducts in northern Syria, is to create a safety zone of 5,000 square km. Armed conflict continues in Syria since March 2011. Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The IS, YPG, and PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria. 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. The UN has repeatedly tried and failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed 300,000 and displaced 11 million since its beginning six years ago. --- Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 15 February 2017 17:27 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Dubai-based flydubai has announced that it will launch flights to Gabala, a touristic region of Azerbaijan. Batumi in Georgia, Gabala in Azerbaijan and Tivat in Montenegro are the latest destinations to join flydubais growing network and will operate from June to September 2017. flydubai will be the first carrier to offer direct flights from the UAE to Qabala and Tivat, and the first from Dubai to Batumi. GCC nationals will not need a visa to any of these three new destinations, while UAE residence will receive visa on arrival. We would like to thank the authorities in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Montenegro for making it easier for the residents of the UAE and GCC to visit these countries by facilitating their visa requirements, said Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai. Gabala, which will be served by two fights a week, is flydubais second point in Azerbaijan after Baku. The company will operate two weekly flights between Dubai and Qabala from June 22 to September 17, 2017 on Thursdays and Sundays. Gabala is one of the richest archeological and historic regions of Azerbaijan. The region is considered a popular tourist destination due to the combination of a mild climate, woods along the mountains, excellent wildlife and recreational resorts. Gabala has already become a world-famous for international cultural events, including the International Music Festival and International Jam Festival, it hosts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Yishai Fleisher is the international spokesman of the Jewish community of Hebron. Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..New York Times..14 February '17..HEBRON, West Bank Last week, Israels Parliament passed a controversial bill that allows the government to retroactively authorize contested West Bank Jewish communities by compensating previous Palestinian land claimants. Opposition parties warn that this law could open Israel to prosecution at The Hague, and the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said, Israels Parliament has just approved a law to legalize theft of Palestinian land. This theme has been echoed recently at the Paris peace conference, in a United Nations Security Council resolution and by a major policy speech by then Secretary of State John Kerry, which all condemned settlements.Israel never seems to have a good answer to accusations against the settlement enterprise. Whenever the claim that Israel stole Palestinian lands is heard, Israels answers inevitably are: We invented the cellphone, We have gay rights, We fly to help Haiti after an earthquake. Obvious obfuscation. And when pushed to explain why the much-promised two-state solution is perennially stuck, the response is always to blame Arab obstructionism.This inability to give a straight answer is a result of 30 years of bad policy that has pressed Israel to create a Palestinian state in the historic Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria, which the world calls the West Bank. This policy has worked to legitimize the idea that the territory of Judea and Samaria is Arab land and that Israel is an intractable occupier. Today, as Israel is beginning to walk back the two-state solution, it is not easy to admit we were wrong; and many peoples careers are on the line. This is why Israel mouths the old party line, yet takes no steps toward making a Palestinian state a reality.But for us settlers, the truth is clear: The two-state solution was misconceived, and will never come to pass, because Judea and Samaria belong to the Jewish people. Our right to this land is derived from our history, religion, international decisions and defensive wars. Jews have lived here for 3,700 years, despite repeated massacres, expulsions and occupations by the Romans, Arabs, Crusaders and Ottomans. And the world recognized the Jewish peoples indigenous existence in this land in the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the San Remo Accords of 1920.When Israel declared independence in 1948, Jordan, along with five other Arab states, attacked Israel, occupied Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem, and drove out Jewish residents. Again, in 1967, Jordan attempted to wipe out the Jewish State, but this time, Israel forced the Jordanian army back across the Jordan River. While the government of Israel was ambivalent about whether to retain the newly emancipated areas, the settler movement was not. We set about holding and developing the land, just like the pioneers of the Kibbutz movement.Today, the estimated number of Arabs living in Judea and Samaria is 2.7 million, though some researchers dispute the data and argue that the figure is far lower. Yet the presence of these Arab residents alone does not warrant a new country. Arabs can live in Israel, as other minorities do, with personal rights, not national rights. But many Arabs reject that option because they do not recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish State, with or without settlements.This pervasive intolerance was laid bare in the aftermath of Israels 2005 withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, when Hamas seized control in 2007 and turned the territory into a forward base for jihad, starting three wars in seven years. As a result, most Israelis, however pragmatic, no longer believe in a policy of forfeiting land in hopes of getting peace in return. While a Hamas-controlled Gaza is now a reality, no Israeli wants an Islamic State of Palestine looking down at them from the strategic heights of Judea and Samaria.Therefore, most settlers say without ambivalence that the two-state solution is dead, and the time has come for a discussion of new options by which Israel would hold onto the West Bank and eventually assert Israel sovereignty there, just as we did with the Golan Heights and eastern Jerusalem. Yes, Israel will have to grapple with questions of the Arab populations rights, and the issues of the countrys security and Jewish character, but we believe those questions can be worked out through the democratic process. At least five credible plans are on the table already.The first option, proposed by former members of Israels Parliament Aryeh Eldad and Benny Alon, is known as Jordan is Palestine, a fair name given that Jordans population is generally reckoned to be majority Palestinian. Under their plan, Israel would assert Israeli law in Judea and Samaria while Arabs living there would have Israeli residency and Jordanian citizenship. Those Arabs would exercise their democratic rights in Jordan, but live as expats with civil rights in Israel.A second alternative, suggested by Israels education minister, Naftali Bennett, proposes annexation of only Area C the territory in the West Bank as defined by the Oslo Accords (about 60 percent by area), where a majority of the 400,000 settlers live while offering Israeli citizenship to the relatively few Arabs there. But Arabs living in Areas A and B the main Palestinian population centers would have self-rule.A third option, which dovetails with Mr. Bennetts, is promoted by Prof. Mordechai Kedar of Bar-Ilan University, near Tel Aviv. His premise is that the most stable Arab entity in the Middle East is the Gulf Emirates, which are based on a consolidated traditional group or tribe. The Palestinian Arabs are not a cohesive nation, he argues, but are comprised of separate city-based clans. So he proposes Palestinian autonomy for seven non-contiguous emirates in major Arab cities, as well as Gaza, which he considers already an emirate. Israel would annex the rest of the West Bank and offer Israeli citizenship to Arab villagers outside those cities.The fourth proposal is the most straightforward. Caroline Glick, a Jerusalem Post journalist, wrote in her 2014 book, The Israeli Solution: A One State Plan for Peace in the Middle East, that, contrary to prevailing opinion, Jews are not in danger of losing a demographic majority in an Israel that includes Judea and Samaria. New demographic research shows that thanks to falling Palestinian birth rates and emigration, combined with opposite trends among Jews, a stable Jewish majority of above 60 percent exists between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean (excluding Gaza); and this is projected to grow to about 70 percent by 2059.Ms. Glick thus concludes that the Jewish State is secure: Israel should assert Israeli law in the West Bank and offer Israeli citizenship to its entire Arab population without fear of being outvoted. This very week, Israels president, Reuven Rivlin, announced his backing for the idea in principle. If we extend sovereignty, he said, the law must apply equally to all.Israels deputy foreign minister, Tzipi Hotovely, similarly advocates for annexation and giving the Palestinians residency rights with a pathway to citizenship for those who pledge allegiance to the Jewish State. Others prefer an arrangement more like that of Puerto Rico, a United States territory whose residents cannot vote in federal elections. Some Palestinians, like the Jabari clan in Hebron, want Israeli residency and oppose the Palestinian Authority, which they view as illegitimate and corrupt.Finally, there is a fifth alternative, which comes from the head of the new Zehut party, Moshe Feiglin, and Martin Sherman of the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies. They do not see a resolution of conflicting national aspirations in one land and instead propose an exchange of populations with Arab countries, which effectively expelled about 800,000 Jews around the time of Israeli independence. In contrast, however, Palestinians in Judea and Samaria would be offered generous compensation to emigrate voluntarily.None of these options is a panacea. Every formula has some potentially repugnant element or tricky trade-off. But Israeli policy is at last on the move, as the passing of the bill on settlements indicates.Mr. Kerrys mantra that there really is no viable alternative to the two-state solution is contradicted by its manifest failure. With a new American administration in power, there is a historic opportunity to have an open discussion of real alternatives, unhampered by the shibboleths of the past. Jim Aplin, "North Light" - 14 x 18, oil on board Cindy Procious, "Indulgence" - 10 x 8, oil on panel Terry Rafferty, "Stargazers" - 12 x 12, oil on panel. GOLD MEDAL Best in Show winner in Oil Painters of America national exhibition. Ann Currey, "River Gorge" - 12 x 16, oil on canvas Bill Johnson, Standing desk - 38 x 14 x 36, Walnut, Quartersawn Sycamore, with Rosewood and Bubinga inlay Ellen Franklin, "I've Got the Blues" - 40 x 30, acrylic on canvas Leah Salerno, "Orchid and Earrings" - 18 x 14, oil on linen panel Maddin Corey, "The Princess" - 20 x 16, oil on canvas Virginia Webb, "Storm Over Moccasin Bend" - 24 x 30, black and white photograph David Salerno, "Wild Turkey" - 16 x 12, oil on linen panel Previous Next Artists on the Loose is a group of 11 professional artists who share studio space on Chattanooga's Southside. In addition to their Loose Fridays (ongoing Friday open house 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.), Artists on the Loose are mounting a group exhibition of realistic oil paintings, black and white photography, and fine wood furniture at the Exum Gallery located at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Chattanooga, 305 West Seventh St. at Pine, 5-7 p.m. nightly from March 3-April 16. "Artists on the Loose share an authentic passion for creating high quality fine art in shared studio space. We create opportunities for art collectors and casual buyers to have exposure to the finest representational artwork in the Chattanooga regional area. Our artists thrive in a professional atmosphere where we encourage, support and promote each other to excel and prosper."Each Loose artist is committed to the philosophy that original art is an important asset to our community and homes, therefore we offer art for every budget."Members of Artists on the Loose are involved in prestigious art societies and have shown work both regionally and nationally, garnering many national awards. Jim Aplin is a nationally recognized portrait painter, and Terry Rafferty is a guest blogger for the Oil Painters of America."The Exum Gallery at St. Paul's offers an excellent professional venue space for artists showcasing new work. Their support to the arts has been an important contribution to Chattanooga's lively art scene. Artists on the Loose are excited to be showing there from March 3 to April 16," officials said.Artists on the Loose are: Jim Aplin; Maddin Corey; Ann Currey; Ellen Franklin; Bill Johnson; Cindy Procious; Terry Rafferty; David Salerno; Leah Salerno; Virginia Webb; and Janis Wilkey. Proposed changes to Polk's Roosevelt Academy in Lake Wales have set off a backlash among parents of ESE (Exceptional Student Education) students at the school. Roosevelt only school in Florida that exclusively offers ESE Initial changes would integrate non-disabled students into Roosevelt's high school A meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday Roosevelt is currently the only school in the state that exclusively offers ESE to its students. Proposed changes by the district would eliminate that status. "It's the one safe place outside of home, said parent Kristina Breckel, whose daughter is a 9th grader at Roosevelt Academy. That will just create a possible bully situation. Initially, the Polk School Board proposed eliminating the middle school entirely, and integrating non-disabled students into the high school. Parent Chuck Baker, who has a son in the 10th grade at Roosevelt Academy and a daughter hes enrolling into the 6th grade, said hes against both of those ideas. "I have seen first-hand the benefits of this school, Baker said. If they decide to go the course that they're planning on, it's not going to be good for the students, the parents or the community." The backlash against the proposed changes earned the attention of the Polk County School Board, which called for an informational meeting at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at the district office in Bartow. Several parents have shown interest in going to the meeting. They're curious whether the state or the district came up with the ideas. "The district, the county and the state are just pointing fingers, Breckel said. Nobody knows who or why." "So, no one has come out from the district and said, 'Hey, I made the decision,' or 'We made a decision and this is why we made a decision,'" said Baker. The parents are tired of not having answers for these issues." Polk school board officials declined a request for an interview. They did, however, issue a statement that shed some light on the matter. "The Polk School District, along with the Florida Department of Education, have been working for more than a year to have all students receive standard diplomas," according to spokesman Jason Geary. Students at Roosevelt Academy currently receive special diplomas. Geary also said Roosevelt Academy will continue to serve 6th grade students and operate as a middle/high school campus. No decisions have been made to discontinue the middle school program. However, Polk School Board member Lynn Wilson, who represents the district in which Roosevelt Academy is located, said the 6th grade will likely be eliminated after one more year. Wilson said the reason is because the state suggested 6th graders might be too young for that environment. Educational leaders, Wilson added, also determined that non-disabled students should attend the school to provide as normal an environment as possible. Parents said theyre worried students with behavioral problems will get transferred to Roosevelt Academy. "My issue with non-ESE students being integrated is I am being told that these students would be students that have behavioral issues, or are basically kicked out of school, Baker said. That, in itself, would be a huge mistake to blend them, because of possible problems with bullying or anything along those lines." Wilson said he would strongly oppose blending ESE-students with behavioral problem students. The board member also said the intent was positive, but the district did not do a good job with messaging. Breckel said Roosevelt Academy should become the standard for ESE students, not the only statewide exception. As a parent of a child whose educational needs are special. I strongly encourage this to actually be a model and put one in every county, she said. Because the school encourages and part of graduation is going to work." Too much testing and too little teaching was the concern voiced by parents inside of the Manatee County School District's boardroom on Tuesday. "Teaching is an art, its not a science," said Chairman Kennedy Manatee is reconsidering their policies on standardized tests "What ultimately that can do is put these kids into testing fatigue, and making them test so much that when it comes to the actual big day, theyre done," said Amy Lee, a concerned parent. Board Chairman Charlie Kennedy proposed placing a moratorium on non-state mandated testing in the county. "Teaching is an art, its not a science, and every teacher knows what is best for their room and best for their students," he explained. Specifically, Kennedy hopes to eliminate tests known as "benchmark assessments." These tests are designed to look like the state mandated Florida Standards assessments test, and are meant to show teachers how students are doing so far. Eliminating them will cut down on hours of exams, and let the individual schools and teachers decide what students should be tested on. "Its all unfortunately tied up in this testing regime and this testing world that Florida schools has become," Kennedy said. Superintendent Diana Green stands by district testing, saying the tests measure how well every student is doing along the way. "When we get to a point where we could be actually going down the wrong road, we actually stop, and we take a benchmark and find out if what we're doing working," Green explained. "Because if it's not working, it really is not going to help us to find out at the very end." After hearing from principals from many of the districts schools, the school board decided it will take up the topic again at a meeting set for Feb. 27. Trent Development is seeking a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) tax break for a planned apartment complex on Highway 58. The Flats at 58 is a project costing over $17 million across from Linda's Produce and just up from Central High School. Alex Trent said rents will range from $595 for two-bedroom and $835 for three-bedroom. There will be 120 units in the complex that will include a 2,800-square-foot clubhouse with a gym and learning center. The project also includes a playground, green space, a gazebo and grill. It will feature nine-foot ceilings and crown molding, it was stated. Units will have balconies. The project is to be eligible for an Energy Green certificate, the developer said. It will be 100 percent affordable workplace housing and will take housing vouchers, Mr. Trent said. The Trents have produced 2,600 affordable units, it was stated. The project is seeking a 15-year tax abatement. The property now pays $11,000 per year in taxes and will be going to $50,000 per year for the school tax, officials said. The Nursing and Allied Health Division at Chattanooga State offers monthly information sessions for students interested in the health care professions. The sessions are held at the main campus; some sessions are required for program admittance while others are strongly encouraged. Visit the Nursing and Allied Health website at www.chattanoogastate.edu/nursing-allied-health for important details about program specifics, information sessions and admission requirements. Program directors will explain the process for applying, what to expect once admitted, discuss job opportunities, and answer questions. The following program sessions are scheduled during March: March 1: Emergency Medical Services, CBIH-109- 10 a.m. March 2: Dental Assisting, HSC-2028- 5:30 p.m. March 3: Dental Hygiene, HSC-2031- 1 p.m. March 3: Health Information Management, HSC-2106- 10 a.m. March 14: Physical Therapist Assistant, HSC-2029- 12 p.m. March 15: Emergency Medical Services, CBIH-109- 10 a.m. March 16: Radiologic Technology, HSC-2060- 5:30 p.m. March 21: Health Information Management, HSC-2106- 5:30 p.m. March 27: Veterinary Technology, OMNI-298- 4:30 p.m. March 29: Emergency Medical Services, CBIH-109- 10 a.m. Ben Simpson Yarnell Beatty Dave Chaney Previous Next The Tennessee Medical Association has bolstered its government affairs division with a new hire and elevated two other staff members on its executive team. Ben Simpson, JD has joined TMA as associate director of Government Affairs. Mr. Simpson will work strategically with TMAs lead lobbyist to promote better healthcare policies in the Tennessee General Assembly. He previously spent three years as legislative liaison and attorney for the Tennessee Department of Health and also worked as a claims examiner for the Tennessee Department of Treasury. Mr. Simpson earned a degree in political science from the University of Tennessee and a JD from the Nashville School of Law. He is a 2015 graduate of LEAD Tennessee, the states leadership development program, a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and a volunteer mentor with the Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program. We are fortunate to have Ben join our staff," said Russ Miller, CAE, TMA chief executive officer. "He brings a great blend of experience and knowledge to our legislative team. He has hit the ground running in preparation for the upcoming session." Yarnell Beatty, JD, has been promoted to senior vice president. Mr. Beatty was previously vice president of Advocacy and has served as general counsel since joining TMA in 2001. He will continue to oversee TMAs government affairs, legal, insurance and regulatory efforts. Mr. Beatty formerly served as staff counsel to the Tennessee Department of Health, was executive director of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners and director of Health Related Boards. He earned a bachelors degree from Vanderbilt University and a law degree from the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta. Yarnell has proven himself time and again to our leadership and the medical community throughout the state," said Mr. Miller. "His depth and breadth of medico-legal knowledge and experience is a much valued asset to the members of TMA. During the past 15 years he has developed an invaluable respect among our physician members and staff as a steady, reliable counselor and leader. Dave Chaney has been promoted to vice president. Mr. Chaney joined TMA in 2014 was most recently director of Communications. He manages all facets of the organizations strategic communications, membership recruitment and retention efforts, and events. Prior to joining TMA, Mr. Chaney held senior PR and corporate communications roles with Lam-Andrews, a Nashville-based healthcare marketing and PR firm, Passport Health (now Experian Health), a leading national healthcare IT company, and McNeely Pigott & Fox, a Nashville-based communications firm. Mr. Chaney earned a bachelors degree from Western Kentucky University. He is a graduate of the American Association of Medical Society Executives Leadership Academy and holds memberships in the Tennessee Society of Association Executives and AAMSE. Dave has transformed our communications, sales and marketing efforts in a short period of time, while assembling a great staff team," said Mr. Miller. "His efforts for the TMA have led to the largest number of members in more than a decade." Richard Albright Matthew Fisher Andrew Harnsberger Mary Mathias-Dickerson Brian Peterson Randy Sheeks Arlie Tagayuna John Wykoff Previous Next Following its annual board meeting in January, the Lee University Board of Directors awarded tenure to eight faculty members effective August 2017. The new tenured faculty members are Richard Albright, Matthew Fisher, Andrew Harnsberger, Mary Mathias-Dickerson, Brian Peterson, Randy Sheeks, Arlie Tagayuna, and John Wykoff. Dr. Albright is an assistant professor of psychology in Lees Department of Behavioral & Social Sciences. He obtained his Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD), his Master of Education (MEd), and his Bachelor of Science (BS) from The Pennsylvania State University. At Lee, Dr. Albright is the director of the school counseling program and teaches many graduate classes, including School Counseling Internship, Group Counseling, and Counseling Children and Adolescents. He also teaches several undergraduate psychology classes, such as Writing for Psychology and Child Development. Dr. Albright has developed a particular interest in adventure-based counseling and bullying. He is a certified bullying prevention specialist and a nationally-certified counselor through the American School Counselor Association. Mr. Fisher joined the Lee Department of Communication Arts in 2011. An assistant professor of digital media studies, he teaches classes on screenwriting, directing, film theory, and film criticism. Mr. Fisher holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Savannah College of Art and Design in dramatic writing and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Lee University. Short films he has written and directed have screened at festivals internationally, such as the Nashville Film Festival, Cannes Court Metrage, and the Short Shorts Film Festival in Tokyo, along with winning several awards. His 2015 film, Pilgrim, was shot in Reykjavik, Iceland, and screened at the Cine Gear Expo and LA Shorts Fest. Dr. Harnsberger is an associate professor of music and percussion coordinator at Lee. He earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he also received the prestigious Performer's Certificate. He received his Master of Music (MM) and his Bachelor of Music (BM) from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Harnsberger is a performing artist and clinician for Malletech Instruments and Mallets, Remo Drum Heads, Sabian Cymbals, Ltd., and Grover Pro Percussion. Dr. Harnsberger is in demand as a recitalist and clinician across the country and internationally, presenting clinics and masterclasses at as many as 40 universities per year. He has performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, among others. Ms. Mathias-Dickerson moved from northeastern Arizona to join the art faculty of Lee University in 2011 and help launch the new art major. She earned her MFA from Bradley University and her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Bowling Green State University. She also studied color theory, art history, and Renaissance painting techniques at the Atelier Neo Medici in Monflaquin, France. Ms. Matthias-Dickersons artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums at local, national, and international levels. She has conducted painting and drawing workshops and demonstrations in the United States, Mexico, and France. As a believer in cross-cultural experiences, she created and coordinates the Atelier Neo Medici Semester Abroad program for Lee University art students interested in traditional drawing and painting techniques to study abroad with a master painter while working on their degrees. Dr. Peterson joined the Lee School of Religion faculty in 2011 as an assistant professor, where he presently teaches a variety of Old Testament classes and Hebrew at the undergrad and master's levels. He received his PhD from Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto, his Master of Arts (MA) from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, his Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Biblical Studies (BB) from Zion Bible College. Dr. Peterson previously taught at Gambia Theological Institute in West Africa, as well as spending a year as an assistant professor of Old Testament at Prairie Bible College in Alberta, Canada. Peterson spends a portion of his summers involved with archaeology in Israel where Lee students often join him for several weeks. Dr .Sheeks, an assistant professor of music, joined the faculty of Lee University's School of Music in fall 2010. He currently coordinates the undergraduate studies in church music and worship at Lee. He received his DMA from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, a MM from Samford University, and his BA from Lee College. Before coming to Lee, Dr. Sheeks spent 23 years in local church music ministry. He received the Distinguished Musicianship Award from the Church of God in 2004 recognizing his work at the Metropolitan Church of God in Birmingham, Alabama, where he served for 16 years and built a large and effective music program. His passion for the local church continues as he instructs students at Lee in the church music curriculum. Dr. Tagayuna joined Lees Department of Behavioral & Social Sciences in 2011 as an assistant professor of sociology. He earned his PhD and MA from the University of Hawaii-Manoa and his BA from the University of the Philippines. His research and teaching stands at the intersection of inequalities, crime, delinquency and punishment, race and ethnic relations, culture, disability, social stratification, and community development. Prior to Lee, Dr. Tagayuna started and coordinated the criminal justice program at New Mexico Highlands University. He also taught at University of Wisconsin-Madison, California State UniversityMonterey Bay, and the University of Hawaii-Manoa. Dr. Wykoff, assistant professor of music theory & composition, received his PhD from the City University of New York, his MA from Queens College, and his BA from Covenant College. Before joining the Lee faculty, he taught music theory and musicianship at the Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College. Dr. Wykoff has composed works for the Presidential Inauguration, solo piano, small ensemble, voice, choir, orchestra, and more. His chamber music has been performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble, Cygnus, Second Instrumental Unit, and the MIVOS Quartet. His sacred music, including choral works and congregational song, is sung in churches across the U.S. and in Canada. Joe Tant, treasurer for the Sabine Neches Region CASA, which helps abused and neglected children in Hardin and other Southeast Texas counties, said he started noticing problems with the non-profit's books a month ago. A bank account that was supposed to contain $39,000 held $13,000, he said. After more investigating, Tant determined about $55,000 of the group's funds were spent using credit cards. Almost half of the charges were made at Louisiana casinos, Tant said. Of the cases of embezzlement from Southeast Texas charities and non-profits in recent years, several involved volunteers stealing money from the groups to gamble. On Jan. 18, a district judge in Jasper County sentenced Kathern D. Molt, 50, to five years' probation for stealing nearly $50,000 from the Magnolia Festival in Kirbyville. Molt, the festival's former treasurer, pleaded guilty to the charge of theft of fiduciary funds or property of a financial institution, a third-degree felony. She told Kirbyville police she had been writing herself checks for several years to cover gambling debts. Molt was ordered to make restitution to the festival. In December, Lumberton police arrested Helen Cox, 46, the former treasurer for the Lumberton Band Booster Club, alleging she gambled away more than $70,000 of the club's money at four casinos over five months. Cox has not been indicted. The affidavit said Cox spent about $85,000 at the Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles and wanted to get out of the hole "by gambling more hoping to earn back when she had lost." "(Gambling) is an addiction, but it's a hidden addiction. It's very similar to substance abuse. They develop tolerance and preoccupation and loss of control," said Keith Whyte, the executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, a Washington, D.C., non-profit that aids people with gambling addictions. About 70 percent of people with the addiction commit a white collar crime to fund the habit, he said. Whyte said while men still make up the majority of gambling addicts, the number of women affected has increased in the past decade with the proliferation of slot machines in casinos. "They can sit in front of that machine for hours and escape," he said. "You need to have more and more money." Some non-profit organizations can make up the loss. Tant said his organization will recover quickly because it has an insurance policy that will cover the lost funds. Other groups haven't been so lucky. The Lumberton Band Booster Club has had to host fundraisers and solicit donations to try to recover some of its lost funds. NKrebs@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/natalie_krebs Ozzie Nelson Ibarra, 40 , was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone, on Tuesday, for for Federal Violations Related to the murder of Allison Neil Clark of Port Acres. "According to information presented in court, beginning in 2001, Ibarra and others started robbing women in the parking lots of stores and businesses in Port Arthur, Texas," a release from the U.S. Attorney's office stated. "During the investigation of these crimes, it was discovered that Ibarra and his co-defendants were responsible for the May 2010 death of a Port Acres, Texas woman who was shot while driving on West Port Arthur Road." Rooftop terraces, an infinity-edge pool with a sundeck and a spacious fitness center sound like amenities in a lux downtown loft, but they're actually just a taste of what a new student apartment complex will soon offer Trinity University Tigers. As the name implies, City Vista at 655 E. Hildebrand Ave, boasts panoramic sights of the San Antonio skyline in addition to other luxurious features. The property is currently operating as a public apartment complex, but will become exclusive to Trinity juniors, seniors and graduate students as early as the fall 2017 semester, University Spokeswoman Sharon Jones Schweitzer said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO A day after a massive manhunt locked down the area around North Star Mall, police and federal officials announced Wednesday they had made three arrests, fitting the mall incident into a four-day chain of shootings that began with the robbery of a mail carrier in Spring Branch last weekend. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said a SWAT team, acting on information received Tuesday night, arrested two men and a woman at the Sunset Inn Motel at the intersection of Roosevelt and Steves Avenue. There was a relatively complicated saga between the (initial) shooting and today, McManus said. The suspects were identified as Bradley J. AHearn, 22, Sara Richford, 26, and Piper Allan Lee, 40. They were in federal custody pending a bail hearing set for Thursday morning, according to court records. RELATED: SAPD, DPS, feds surround North Star Mall during massive manhunt AHearn (who is listed in previous court cases as Ahearn) and Richford are charged with one count of assault of a federal agent, one count of carjacking, one count of interfering with commerce by violence, and one count of mail theft, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release late Wednesday. Lee is charged with one count of aiding and abetting the assault of a federal officer. The news release said AHearn shot a female postal worker delivering mail at a cluster of mail boxes in Spring Branch, in suburban Comal County, when she wouldnt turn over her cell phone. AHearn stole the womans truck, which still had her purse, other property and mail she was delivering, followed by Richford, who was driving a maroon or brown Toyota Venza, the news release said. The letter carriers truck was found abandoned the same day. The woman was shot in the legs and remains in the hospital. READ MORE: Local, state law enforcement search for wrong-way driver who may have fired at trooper near Stone Oak On Monday, agents spotted the Toyota Venza near the scene and a postal inspector gave chase as the Venza raced south on U.S. 281 in the northbound lanes. According to witnesses and the news release, AHearn allegedly fired repeatedly at the postal inspector and at another agent and police whose vehicles joined the chase. The federal agents returned fire in a running gun battle, said several law enforcement source familiar with the investigation. The suspects eluded their pursuers in Stone Oak. On Tuesday, the news release said, agents were notified by employees of a local motel that they found a large amount of mail destined for Spring Branch, and a gun, in one of the rooms. That day, officers recovered the abandoned Toyota Venza, and learned the suspects were now using another vehicle, a yellow Volkswagen, the news release said. Agents watched the suspects leave the motel in the Volkswagen and called SAPD to stop them. The suspects fled instead and shot at police, the release said. The bullets hit a Jims Restaurant, a tire shop and a moving U-Haul vehicle near Broadway and Loop 410, sources said. Then, the suspects fled to North Star Mall, where the Volkswagen was abandoned in a multi-level parking garage, the news release said. Two male suspects could be seen on surveillance video entering JC Penney, but dont appear to have entered the rest of the mall. They fled the mall before the entrances and exits were secured by police and federal agents on Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement sources said. The mail carrier, meanwhile, is recovering well, said Michael Martinez-Partida, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspectors Service. She has asked that her name not be released, and that her privacy be respected, Martinez-Partida said. Google Maps It was the second attack in two months on a postal carrier. On Jan. 10, another postal worker, Deborah Brimmer, 69, was beaten with a cedar post, allegedly by Daniel Thomas ODell. ODell also allegedly damaged her private vehicle she uses for mail delivery, and the vehicle of another resident along FM 473 north of Spring Branch. He remains in custody facing state aggravated assault charges and charges of damaging mail that Brimmer was carrying. Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com cdowns@mysa.com Twitter: @calebjdowns WASHINGTON Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn joined other Republican lawmakers Tuesday in calling for an investigation into the resignation of retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn as President Donald Trump's national security adviser. Cornyn, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, said he expected the Senate Intelligence Committee to take up the matter, which has led to a firestorm in Congress since allegations surfaced that Flynn discussed sanctions relief with the Russian ambassador to Washington. "I think there's an orderly process to make sure we get accurate information and we can get the appropriate oversight, and that's what we ought to do," Cornyn told reporters on Capitol Hill. Cornyn's Texas counterpart, Sen. Ted Cruz, called the situation "unfortunate," but stopped short of calling for an investigation. "I think the central concern should be ensuring that we have in place a strong, serious national security team that is prepared and committed to defending this nation," Cruz said. "After eight years of foreign policy weakness, our enemies are emboldened, radical Islamic terrorism is on the rise, and American citizens are vulnerable as we never have been before." The split reflected larger divisions among Senate Republicans, where some conservatives have called for an investigation into the leaks over Flynn's talks with the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, which were recorded, as is routine, by U.S. intelligence services. Flynn resigned his position Monday following reports that the Justice Department had warned the Trump administration last month that he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about the nature of his conversations with Kislyak regarding U.S. sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama. Some officials have warned that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians for covering up details of their talks, which he initially said he could not remember. Among other Republicans calling for a Senate probe were Sens. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of the intelligence committee, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. "I think Congress needs to be informed of what actually General Flynn said to the Russian ambassador about lifting sanctions," Graham told CNN's Kate Bolduan on "At This Hour." "And I want to know," Graham, added, "did General Flynn do this by himself or was he directed by somebody to do it?" Cornyn said he had not seen the transcripts of the calls, but called the situation a case of "somebody with a distinguished military making a bad mistake." Senator Lamar Alexander on Tuesday released the following statement on his vote to confirm Linda McMahon to lead the U.S. Small Business Administration: Im glad to vote for Linda McMahon today so she can get to work supporting Tennessees 580,000 small businesses and helping to reduce the burden of overregulation that our entrepreneurs face. The Small Business Administration also plays a major role in helping small businesses recover from disasters and has already started helping those affected by the East Tennessee wildfires by approving 70 loans totaling over $6 million for individuals and businesses in Sevier County. The U.S. Small Business Administration was created in 1953 to help small businesses, and today maintains a network of district offices across the country. On Dec. 16, as a result of the presidential disaster declaration for the Sevier County wildfires, the U.S. Small Business Administration began offering assistance to businesses, homeowners and renters to help them recover. Minneapolis-based Allina Health saw revenues increase in 2016, but the 13-hospital system's operating income plummeted in the 12 months that ended Dec. 31. Allina revenues increased 4 percent year over year to $3.9 billion in 2016, which was attributable to net patient service revenue growth, according to recently released bondholder documents. Although inpatient admissions and surgery volume decreased year over year, Allina said outpatient admissions were up last year compared to 2015. The system recorded an operating loss of $30 million in 2016. That's a significant change from the operating gain of $149 million Allina posted in 2015. Allina's operating loss was largely attributable to expenses related to two strikes called by the Minnesota Nurses Association. Allina said it incurred $149.3 million of strike expenses in 2016. However, that number could change, as Allina is still working out costs with vendors it hired during the strikes. The system said the final number will be published in late March. The nurses association authorized a strike in June after Allina nurses overwhelmingly rejected an offer by the health system that would have eliminated union-backed health insurance and moved the workers to its corporate plans. During the seven-day strike, Allina brought in 1,400 replacement nurses. Health benefits were again the sticking point when Allina nurses went back on strike September. The six-week strike ran from Sept. 5 to Oct. 16. Due to strong performance by its investment portfolio, Allina ended last year in the black. Allina recorded net income of $46.9 million in 2016, down from net income of $130.5 million in 2015. More articles on healthcare finance: 100 things to know about Medicare reimbursement | 2017 Kaiser Permanente operating income grows as membership booms A state-by-state breakdown of hospital adjusted expenses per inpatient day The Internal Revenue Service has quietly stopped rejecting tax returns where the filer does not fill out their health coverage status, according to a report from Reason, a libertarian blog and magazine. Under the ACA's individual mandate, people were required to indicate if they maintained health insurance throughout the year prior on their tax returns on line 61 of their form 1040s or face a tax penalty. If line 61 was left blank, the forms were dubbed "silent" and were rejected, according to the report. However, Reason's Peter Suderman noticed the IRS changed its rules and will now accept silent returns, as a direct response to President Donald Trump's executive order to lessen the economic burden of the ACA. The IRS provided Reason with the following statement: "The recent executive order directed federal agencies to exercise authority and discretion available to them to reduce potential burden," the statement said. "Consistent with that, the IRS has decided to make changes that would continue to allow electronic and paper returns to be accepted for processing in instances where a taxpayer doesn't indicate their coverage status." By allowing silent returns to be processed, the IRS is essentially not enforcing the individual mandate, according to the report. However, it is important to note the IRS is technically still enforcing the mandate if people volunteer on their 1040s that they didn't have health coverage in 2016. "If the IRS turns a blind eye to people's status, that isn't quite not enforcing it," Ryan Ellis, a Senior Fellow at the Conservative Reform Network, told Reason. "It's more like the IRS wanting to maintain plausible deniability." Read more here. More articles on finance: 7 latest hospital credit downgrades Ascension records $795M net gain on higher patient volume: 5 things to know Certive records gross revenues of nearly $500k in January: 10 things to know There were 31 healthcare data breach incidents in January, averaging one breach for each day of the month, according to the Protenus Breach Barometer, which utilizes information from DataBreaches.net. Protenus' analysis is based on incidents reported to HHS or disclosed to the media or other sources in January 2017. Here are five additional findings from Protenus' analysis. 1. Approximately 59.2 percent of breached records 230,044 records were attributable to insiders. Insiders including employees stealing patient information or snooping in patient files caused nine incidents in January. Five of them were the result of insider wrongdoing and four were the result of insider error. 2. Twelve incidents in January were caused by hackers. Protenus has data for 10 of these incidents, which affected 145,636 patient records. 3. Twenty-five incidents 80.6 percent of all reported entities involved healthcare providers. Another four incidents involved health plans and two involved third parties. 4. Including only the incidents for which Protenus has data, it took an average of 174 days for an entity to report a breach to HHS. Forty percent of entities took longer than the allotted 60-day window to report a breach to HHS. 5. The January breaches occurred in 21 different states. California reported the most breaches (six), and Maryland had the second highest number of breaches (three). Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., selected Julie Freischlag, MD, as its new president and CEO, effective April 2017. She currently serves as University of California, Davis' vice chancellor of human health sciences and school of medicine dean. Dr. Freischlag joined UC Davis in February 2014. In her current roles, she oversees UC Davis Health's academic, research and clinical programs, including the school of medicine, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, the 1,000-member physician practice group and UC Davis Medical Center. Prior to joining UC Davis, she served as the first female surgeon-in-chief at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Freischlag is presently the president of the Society for Vascular Surgery Foundation. She is the immediate past president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and a past president of the Association of VA Surgeons. She completed her surgical residency and vascular fellowship at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Freischlag succeeds John D. McConnell, MD, who will transition to a new position at the medical center. The Senate confirmed David Shulkin, MD, as secretary of Veterans Affairs Monday night in a unanimous vote, reports USA Today. Here are four things to know. 1. Dr. Shulkin most recently served as the VA undersecretary for former President Barack Obama's administration, a position he was appointed to amid the ongoing challenge to address major wait time issues within the agency's health system. 2. Prior to joining the VA, he was president of Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center and its Goryeb Children's Hospital and Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute, all of which are part of Morristown-based Atlantic Health System. He also served as president and CEO of New York City-based Beth Israel Medical Center from 2005 to 2009. 3. During a recent Senate confirmation hearing, Dr. Shulkin indicated he would seek to reform, not privatize, veterans' healthcare. "VA is a unique national resource that is worth saving," Dr. Shulkin told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, according to The New York Times. He added, "The Department of Veterans Affairs will not be privatized under my watch." 4. More specifically, Dr. Shulkin said he wants veterans to have access to care in the private sector when needed, but he also wants to maintain core VA services, reports USA Today. More articles on leadership and management: MGMA elects Ronald W. Holder Jr. board chair, names new members 5 insights for designing a human-centered pediatric experience Founding family of Cleveland Clinic denounces health system's Mar-a-Lago fundraiser The Cancer MoonShot 2020 initiative launched by biotech billionaire physician Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, may not be all its cracked up to be, according to a report by STAT. STAT reviewed hours of video, poured over scientific presentations and consulted a number of scientists and found the initiative has made "very little scientific progress" and likened it to an "elaborate marketing tool." The Cancer MoonShot 2020, recently renamed Cancer Breakthroughs 2020, was launched last year, shortly after former Vice President Joe Biden launched the White House's unrelated initiative of a similar name, Cancer Moonshot. Dr. Soon-Shiong's Cancer Breakthroughs 2020 may be falling short in several ways, according to STAT's investigation. It appears to be a promotional tool for a cancer diagnostic product called GPS Cancer, according the report. This tool is sold by a company owned by Dr. Soon-Shiong and the initiative has been paying researchers to use it, STAT claims. The moonshot has also advertised partnerships with companies like Pfizer and Merck KGaA, though those companies have been unable to verify their involvement. And the moonshot also attributes progress in 23 clinical trials to its success in its first year, despite that 13 of those trials predate the initiative, according to the report. "When you look closely, Soon-Shiong's moonshot initiative looks less like a diverse coalition than a roll call of his tangled web of business interests," STAT's Rebecca Robins wrote. Read the full story here. More articles on leadership and management: 3 thoughts on ACA repeal, replacement from health reform consultant Dr. Jonathan Gruber The 20 most affordable regions for healthcare jobs Cleveland Clinic CEO delivers State of the Clinic address: 7 takeaways Walker County will be sending a small group to a blood drive in Catoosa County in honor of Prison Fire Chief Matthew Mann on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. The group will include Walker County Fire Chief and Emergency Services Director Blake Hodge. Many of firefighters have already given blood in support of Chief Mann, so not all are eligible this time. Chief Mann continues to recover from injuries suffered during a serious crash on Jan. 19. He received over 50 units of blood while in the ICU. Blood Assurance will be holding the blood drive at the Catoosa County Fire Department from 12-5 p.m. at Fire Station 1, 5282 Evitt Street in Ringgold. When she first entered the healthcare field as a hospital volunteer in high school, Liz Concordia, president and CEO of Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth, could already identify where the industry had room to improve. Anyone who has waited in the emergency room for an hour or more, encountered difficulty when deciphering a medical bill, or wandered alone while navigating a hospital's winding corridors to visit a loved one knows hospitals do not typically earn high marks when it comes to providing a great customer experience. At the helm of UCHealth a $3.2 billion, seven-hospital system Ms. Concordia seeks to change that. Since stepping into her role in September 2014, Ms. Concordia has led UCHealth through a variety of achievements. Most recently, the health system launched a rebranding campaign designed to emphasize the patient experience and innovation. Under Ms. Concordia's leadership, UCHealth has ramped up its focus on forging new strategic partnerships, expanding the system's market reach, developing new models of care, improving patient access and convenience, and supporting the academic mission. The system is also working to create innovative techniques and technology to support population health. Prior to joining UCHealth, Ms. Concordia was executive vice president of Pittsburgh-based UPMC and president of its Hospital and Community Services Division, where she helped lead the strategic direction, clinical operations and financial success of the larger system. She was also tasked with leading patient care operations for the system's 20 hospitals and 17 senior community facilities. Before that, Ms. Concordia held senior leadership roles at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore and the Montefiore Medical Center's Jack D. Weiler Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Here, Ms. Concordia took the time to answer Becker's seven questions. What's one thing that really piqued your interest in healthcare? My first experience in healthcare was when I was in high school and volunteered at Temple University Hospital's emergency room in Philadelphia. It was eye opening and showed me just how important healthcare was, and also how much opportunity there was to improve. There was a lot of waiting and down time between each event that occurred in the hospital. There wasn't as much effort around treating patients in the friendliest or most efficient manner. This is why I am passionate about UCHealths focus on improving the experience for patients and their family members. What do you enjoy most about Colorado? I moved here from the East coast. I love it out here the sunshine, the amazing weather, the mountains. Our state has a growing population, as well as a strong focus on health and wellness. From a professional perspective, it's really nice because it's a great match for what UCHealth wants to do and what the population of Colorado is really interested in: staying healthy and implementing wellness projects. If you could eliminate one of the healthcare industry's problems overnight, which would it be? I would choose to eliminate the roadblocks patients face when trying to interact with the system. We are so far behind other industries when it comes to putting our customers first. We have to figure out how to improve those experiences. When you think about shopping online, booking airlines and hotels, healthcare is far behind in customer service. We must think about how we can use technology to interact with patients, such as for scheduling appointments or holding virtual visits. What do you consider your greatest talent or skill outside of the C-suite? I can't say this is a skill, but I'm most proud that I have three great kids and an amazing husband. In my office I have a five-foot by five-foot board covered with pictures of my family. I think it's really important for people to recognize that work-life balance is important and being a mom is something to be proud of. How do you revitalize yourself? Exercise is an important stress reliever for me. I like to swim, run and hike. I also like to spend as much time as possible with my family. I always carve out a couple of nights per week dedicated to my family so I can make sure I'm home for dinner with them. What's one piece of advice you remember most clearly? Never compromise your values. Integrity, honesty and your reputation are priceless. They can take a lifetime to establish and a day to lose. What do you consider your greatest achievement at UCHealth so far? We're a young system. When I arrived here, we just had a little amount of clinical integration among our hospitals and clinics. Over the last couple of years, leaders and providers have come together to drive clinical integration, expand access to clinical trials and dramatically improve quality and safety. Now, the University of Colorado Hospital is ranked among the top 20 hospitals in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report, and all of the system's hospitals are among the best in the state. This really speaks to the hard work that happens here every day from our talented staff. As Republicans continue efforts to dismantle the ACA, a group of conservative physicians in Congress the GOP Doctors Caucus could play a key role in replacement plans, reports Kaiser Health News. Here are six things to know. 1. When former President Barack Obama was in office, the caucus regularly tried to overturn the ACA, according to the report. 2. Mona Mangat, MD, an allergist-immunologist and chair of Doctors for America a 16,000-member organization that favors the current health law told Kaiser Health News views of the caucus "are driven more by political affiliation." She added, "It doesn't make me feel great. Doctors outside of Congress do not support their views." 3. However, Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, a caucus member first elected in 2003, told Kaiser Health News the anti-ACA Republican physicians do represent the views of the profession. "Doctors tend to be fairly conservative and are fairly tight with their dollars, and that the vast proportion of doctors in Congress [are] Republican is not an accident," Rep. Burgess said. 4. Several obstetrician-gynecologists in the 16-member House caucus are anti-abortion and oppose the ACA provision providing free prescription contraception, according to the report. 5. The report also notes most members of the GOP caucus are male, and only eight of them are physicians. Other caucus members include a registered nurse, a pharmacist and a dentist. 6. On the Senate side, there are three physicians who are all Republican, the report states. For more on this story, read Phil Galewitz's full report here. A divided House Federal and State Affairs Committee in Kansas failed Wednesday to move a bill that would ban concealed handguns from buildings belonging to the University of Kansas Health System to the House, according to The Kansas City Star. The panel debated the legislation the day before arriving at the decision. Rep. John Barker, R, refused to break an 11-11 tie vote, which would have let the bill move from the committee to the House floor, according to the report. Earlier in the debate, Rep. Barker proposed an amendment that would expand the exemption from the conceal and carry law to all public hospitals and community mental health centers in Kansas. The panel rejected the amendment on a voice vote, according to the report. The Kansas Legislature passed a conceal and carry law in 2013. Under the state law, which goes into effect for public hospitals and colleges in July, buildings can uphold gun bans only if they have certain security measures in place, such as a metal detector or armed security guards, according to the report. Jose Ignacio Lopez, MD, has been awarded $1.5 million in a lawsuit he filed in 2014 alleging Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group's OptumRx incorrectly included him on a list of physicians banned from Medicare participation. In 2013, an OptumRx vendor compiled a list of physicians barred from the Medicare program using records from HHS' Office of Inspector General. The records showed Jose I. Lopez, who worked at a Miami-based billing company, was barred from participating in Medicare, as he was convicted of fraud in 2003. However, the vendor mistakenly included Dr. Jose Ignacio Lopez a Tampa, Fla.-based internist who had never been in legal trouble on the banned providers list, according to a WUSF news report. The vendor sent the list of physicians banned from Medicare to pharmacies, informing them that any prescriptions written by the physicians on the list would not be covered by Medicare in 2013. In December 2013, Dr. Lopez contacted OptumRx about updating the list. Five months later, OptumRx sent letters to more than 100 of Dr. Lopez's patients, warning them that he was excluded from participating in federal health programs and offering to help them find new providers. After Dr. Lopez hired a law firm to represent him, OptumRx sent out a second letter to patients in June 2014 retracting the first letter, according to the report. Dr. Lopez subsequently filed a slander suit, naming UnitedHealth Group, UnitedHealthcare and OptumRx as defendants. On Dec. 30, 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida sent the case to arbitration in accordance with a contract the parties entered into in November 2004. The arbitration evidentiary hearing occurred before a three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association in Tampa from June 7 through June 9, 2016. A final arbitration award of $1.5 million, consisting of $500,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages, was entered Aug. 11, 2016. The arbitrators determined OptumRx had published false statements about Dr. Lopez that injured his reputation in the community. Although the final award was entered in August, it was not made publicly available until December, according to the report. More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits: Ex-hospital administrator faces up to 70 years in prison for role in kickback scheme Lawyer sentenced to prison for stealing $1.2M in patient payments from St. Luke's Texas psychiatric hospital pays $860k to settle false claims case A new anti-opioid advertising campaign in Minnesota targets families and friends of potential opioid abusers and aims to bring awareness to the increasing epidemic of drug abuse, according to MPR News. Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, who is spearheading the "Dose of Reality" ad campaign, is urging TV stations and movie theaters to run it. The ad shows a woman trying to wake up an unconscious teenager and shows an open pill container nearby. "Michael, Michael, wake up!" she cries, according to the report. "It's an ad that is intended to be jarring," said Attorney General Swanson, according to the report. "It's an ad that is intended to get people's attention to this really significant problem." Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna terminated its merger agreement with Indianapolis-based Anthem and filed a lawsuit against the insurer for roughly $14.85 billion. Here are three things to know. 1. After a U.S. District Court decided Feb. 8 to block Anthem's proposed $54 billion merger with Cigna over antitrust concerns, Cigna said Tuesday the "transaction cannot and will not achieve regulatory approval and that terminating the agreement is in the best interest of Cigna's shareholders." 2. In addition to terminating its merger agreement, Cigna sued Anthem in the Delaware Court of Chancery, arguing that as noted under the original agreement, Anthem must pay Cigna a $1.85 billion breakup fee for failing to successfully complete the merger. Cigna also plans to sue the insurer for an additional $13 billion in damages, including the amount of premium Cigna shareholders did not realize as a result of the failed merger proceedings. 3. An Anthem spokesperson told CNBC that Anthem extended the merger agreement deadline until April 30 and Cigna "does not have a right to terminate the agreement" unilaterally. Anthem called the termination "invalid" and said it "will continue to enforce its rights under the merger agreement and remains committed to closing the transaction," according to the report. Anthem filed an appeal of the federal judge's decision Monday. State health officials warned McLaren Flint (Mich.) Hospital on Tuesday for the second time in little more than month to provide evidence of efforts taken to reduce the amount of Legionella bacteria in the hospital's water supply, according to The Detroit News. From 2014 to 2015, 91 cases of Legionnaires' disease were reported in Genesee County, Mich., after the county switched its main water source to the Flint River. According to the state health department, McLaren Flint Hospital was associated with 21 Legionella cases in 2014, 29 cases in 2015 and two cases in 2016. The health department also says the hospital was associated with 45 of 46 inpatient healthcare-associated Legionnaires' disease cases during the Flint water crisis. The CDC made recommendations to Genesee County and McLaren Flint in October and November 2016 on how to reduce Legionella in the water supply. On Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon said, "While we have attempted to work with McLaren Flint to address the ongoing health risk of healthcare-associated Legionella at its facility, we are issuing this order today as a result of McLaren Flint's insufficient response to our requests, as well as to request additional information regarding how they implemented the CDC recommendations made in October and November 2016." McLaren Flint is reportedly reviewing the state's order and plans to be fully responsive, according to a statement from the hospital emailed to Becker's Hospital Review. According to the statement, the hospital has invested "hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment and ongoing testing and treatment" of the water it gets from the city. "In short, we have and will continue to do the right thing for our patients and community," the statement reads. The hospital took some jabs at the states' handling of the Legionnaires' disease outbreak in its statement. "Now that criminal charges have been made against several state and city employees and additional indictments are possible, the state is taking an aggressive role in retroactively casting blame for cases it knew about and did nothing about for years," the hospital's statement reads. "Despite the fact that dozens of Legionnaires' disease cases have been reported in patients that have had absolutely no contact with our facilities, and despite the growing consensus among public health and infectious disease specialists that the city's use of the Flint River as a water source is the prime contributor to our community's Legionnaires' disease epidemic, the state refuses to broaden its perspective and hold itself and others accountable for the inaction of prior years." More articles on infection control: New lawsuit alleges mold killed 2 more patients at third UPMC hospital 11 key infectious disease terms to know Fresno nursing home reports Legionnaires' death Robert Califf, MD, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, recently shared his thoughts on drug development and improving the approval process with Kaiser Health News. Here are four takeaways. 1. On President Trump's call for faster drug approvals. He noted it can take years for drugmakers to develop a new drug and argued the development process rather than the regulatory process is what needs a boost. "What I'm concerned about is that when people hear 'faster approval,' you get an image of the FDA sitting on this application and, you know, twiddling thumbs. That's not what happens," Dr. Califf said. "The real action [occurs] before the application gets submitted and that can be a time frame from years to decades as people try to figure out what will work and what will not." While faster drug development could bring development costs down, Dr. Califf said, "There's not a direct relationship between the cost of development and the price of drugs or devices." 2. On the 21st Century Cures Act. Dr. Califf called the 21st Century Cures Act a "very well-rounded piece of legislation that will speed up product development." The act encourages the FDA to consider several pieces of information not just traditional clinical trial data during the approval process. This information includes real world evidence and biomarkers, such as measuring tumor shrinkage to assess cancer survival. "Using real world evidence in clinical trials is one that I'm particularly excited about as a way to get better answers at a lower cost and faster at the same time," Dr. Califf said. 3. On maintaining patient safety. Dr. Califf expressed the importance of a thorough clinical trial process and said judging the safety of drugs on limited information is "treacherous." "The concept of safety is much more complex than most people think about until they look into it deeply," he said. "All drugs have risk. None of them are absolutely safe. And the actual safety risks are only revealed through clinical trials with the same quality and number of patients involved as it takes to look at efficacy." 4. On the federal hiring freeze. Dr. Califf said the agency requires new staff to meet the faster approval timelines and help advise companies developing drugs so they don't make "bad mistakes." "A hiring freeze at this time when we are just revving up with 21st Century Cures is unfortunate," said Dr. Califf. "I hope that the dust will settle soon and the FDA can get back to its hiring." More articles on supply chain: Marathon pauses launch of muscular dystrophy drug following price scrutiny: 6 things to know Glassdoor ranks supply chain manager as 18th best job in US A look into the supply chains of classic Valentine's Day gifts Teladoc is a telehealth provider based in Purchase, N.Y. Here are 10 things to know about the company. 1. Teladoc was founded in 2002 with a threefold goal: improve patient access, lower costs and improve healthcare quality. It has been operational since 2005 and went public in July 2015. The company has two sectors: Teladoc Inc. and TelaDoc Physicians, P.A.: Teladoc Inc. administers services for TelaDoc Physicians, P.A. TelaDoc Physicians, P.A. is an organization that employs or contracts with physicians licensed to practice medicine. 2. Jason Gorevic serves as president and CEO of Teladoc, a position he's held since 2009. He also sits on the company's board of directors. 3. Teladoc boasts being the first provider of telehealth medical visits in the country. With 17.5 million members and more than 1.6 million visits since its inception, the company has a 10-minute median response time before patients are connected with a physician. Approximately 92 percent of patients that use Teladoc have their issues resolved. 4. Teladoc's national network consists of more than 3,600 licensed healthcare professionals who each have 20 years of experience on average. Physicians in Teladoc's network can diagnose a variety of issues, from general health to behavioral health to dermatology. Bronchitis, diarrhea, pink eye, fever and the flu represent a small sampling of the issues Teladoc doctors have treated in the past year. 5. Teladoc has received numerous honors and awards over the years. In April 2016, the company won Frost & Sullivan's 2016 Product Line Strategy Leadership Award for Virtual Telemedicine Services. In 2015, Teladoc was listed 27th on MIT Technology Review's list of the "50 Smartest Companies." 6. On March 1, Teladoc released its 2016 financial results. The company's full-year 2016 revenue was $123.2 million, an increase of 59 percent from 2015. Teladoc also reported a net loss in full-year 2016 operating income of $74.2 million compared to $58 million in 2015.* 7. In December 2016, the American Hospital Association exclusively endorsed Teladoc's telehealth technology platform. The endorsement comes out of Health Forum, AHA's strategic business enterprise, which awards the AHA Endorsement to products and services that help member hospitals and healthcare organizations promote operational excellence. 8. Teladoc has more than 7,500 clients, which include 30 health plans, more than 110 health systems and hospitals and more than 220 Fortune 1000 companies. A few of Teladoc's notable members include Oscar Health, Blue Shield of California, Driscoll Health System, Philadelphia-based Einstein Healthcare Network, PepsiCo and T-Mobile. 9. In June 2015, Boston-based American Well filed a patent infringement suit against Purchase, N.Y.-based Teladoc in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. American Well alleged Teladoc used a similar algorithm to connect consumers with physicians. One year later, the Massachusetts federal court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that major elements of American Well's patent were "too abstract," and thus invalid. At the request of Teladoc, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office also invalidated parts of American Well's telemedicine patent in August 2016. 10. Beginning in 2011, Teladoc and the Texas Medical Board were entwined in a battle over telemedicine rights and services in the state. The companies went back and forth for years regarding whether Teladoc's practices violate Texas regulations. Most recently, in October 2016, the Texas Medical Board voluntarily dismissed its appeal, which asked the 5th Circuit Court to "bar [Teladoc's] antitrust challenge of a state rule that requires physicians to see patients face-to-face before providing remote care," according to a Law360 report. *These financial results were updated March 2. The global 3-D printing for medical sector market totaled $412.2 million in 2015, according to a Coherent Market Insights analysis. Here are five notes: 1. The market will likely grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.7 percent through 2024. 2. The reasonable price of 3-D printed medical products will spur market growth. 3. In the United States, the government is funding and creating manufacturing hubs for healthcare innovations, such as 3-D printing. 4. The Japanese government also backs the manufacturing of professional-grade 3-D printers. 5. Supportive government policies and funding will increase global market growth. Beginning this week, hundreds of middle and high school students from across the state will compete for the right to participate in Tennessee History Day. History Day is a competition in which students submit projects, either individually or in groups, on historical topics of their choice related to an annual theme. This years theme is Taking a Stand in History. Students may compete in one of five categories: papers, exhibits, documentaries, websites or performances.Judges evaluate student projects, rank them within their categories and divisions, and provide the students with feedback. Each year, the competition begins in individual schools and continues with six regional competitions held across Tennessee. Students with the top-ranking projects at the regional competitions will advance to compete in Tennessee History Day, the statewide contest sponsored by the Secretary of States office and Humanities Tennessee. The competition is organized by the Tennessee Historical Society. this Friday . Here are the other regional competitions: The North Middle Tennessee regional, hosted by the Austin Peay State University history department, is scheduled for Feb. 22 . . The West Tennessee regional, hosted by the University of Memphis history department, is scheduled for Feb. 25 . . The Southeast Tennessee regional, hosted by the Museum Center at 5ive Points in Cleveland, is scheduled for March 2 . . The East Tennessee regional, hosted by the East Tennessee Historical Society and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, is scheduled for March 3 at the universitys conference center. at the universitys conference center. The Northeast Tennessee regional, hosted by Tusculum College in Greeneville, is scheduled for March 6 . The regional competition for Middle Tennessee, hosted by the Middle Tennessee State University history department, will be held. Here are the other regional competitions: "I believe all students who participate in History Day benefit, regardless of how far they make it in the competition, said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. "History Day has been proven to help students develop skills that they can use in school and later in their careers. Studies have shown that History Day participants tend to be better informed and more actively engaged as citizens after they become adults. Tennessee History Day will be held at various locations in downtown Nashville April 8 . The top finishers at that competition will advance to the National History Day finals, which will be held in College Park, Maryland, in June. For more information, visit For more information, visit www.tennesseehistoryday.org Bend, Ore.-based Desert Orthopedics notified patients that a former employee allegedly stole at least two patients' information and stole their identities to make online purchases, according to a KBND report. Here are five key notes: 1. The practice warned patients last week to look out for issues with their bank account after an employee was arrested on multiple counts of identity theft. 2. The employee is accused of stealing at least two patients' credit card and personal information to shop online. 3. When the breach was discovered, the employee was terminated from the practice and has been arrested. The employee worked for Desert Orthopedics from July 1, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2017. 4. In their letter to patients, the practice said it has "taken immediate steps to reinforce and enhance all financial fraud protocols" going forward. 5. The practice includes orthopedic care, X-ray, MRI, ultrasound technology and EMG. The surgeons perform cases at Bend Surgery Center and St. Charles hospital. To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below Chancellor Philip Hammond has been urged to create a tax system that is fit for the age of internet shopping Business leaders are calling on Chancellor Philip Hammond to tackle anomalies in the tax system that see high street shops pay higher rates on small premises than online giants do for vast warehouses. The Institute of Directors (IoD) said the Chancellor should use next month's Budget to set up a New Economy Tax Commission to make the system fit for the modern age of internet shopping and the "platform economy". With many small shops and pubs bracing themselves for sharp rises in their tax bills due to business rate revaluations this year, the IoD called for further relief for businesses based in properties worth up to 100,000. In its Budget submission, the IoD also urged Mr Hammond to commit to matching US President Donald Trump if he slashes corporation taxes to 15%, as he has promised. At present, the Government is promising a cut to 17% by 2020. And it called for: :: An increase from 200,000 to 1 million in the cap on the Annual Investment Allowance, which offers tax relief on plant and machinery purchases. :: The creation of a "white-list" of acceptable tax-planning schemes. :: Consultation on simpler taxes for small businesses, with company owners paying a fixed rate, rather than differing rates of income tax, national insurance, corporation tax and dividend tax. :: Consultation on liberalising complex investment schemes for start-ups. IoD director general Stephen Martin said: "The Chancellor must take the chance at his final spring Budget to re-energise the UK business community, whose confidence has fluctuated since the vote to leave the European Union. "In the short term, the Government must take action to relieve some of the pressure on the small businesses facing hikes in business rates and encourage companies to bring forward productivity-boosting investment. "But we should also look to the future, launching a new Tax Commission to look at what the growth of self-employment and online business mean for the tax system. The goal must be a much more level playing field, which treats both high street and online businesses fairly and adapts to the growth of the 'platform economy', which is leading to an increase in flexible work." The Treasury pointed out that the retail sector as a whole would see a 6% fall in its business rates bill - a saving of 400 million - following the revaluation, with a third of all businesses never having to pay rates again. A spokesman said: "All taxes are kept under review and any changes are announced at fiscal events." Watchdogs said 'in no other parts of the service industry' would operators get away with such poor service One in five passengers is "resigned to poor service" on Britain's railways, according to a new study. Long-term issues have resulted in "high levels of disillusionment", a report by dispute resolution organisation Ombudsman Services found. Complaints about rail services increased by almost a third (31%) to two million last year, its survey of 2,477 people suggested. The most common complaints were over punctuality, poor customer service and overcrowding. Public transport campaigners said it was "simply unacceptable" that some passengers were paying "thousands of pounds for poor service". The survey reflects r ecent figures published by regulator the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) showing that the rate of passenger complaints per 100,000 journeys between July and September last year was 13% higher than the same period in 2015. The ORR noted that methodology changes might have affected the data. Campaign for Better Transport campaigner Lianna Etkind said late or overcrowded trains can "genuinely blight people's lives" and claimed no other service industry would " get away with treating its customers so appallingly". She went on: " Regulators need to ensure that when people complain about their train service, they aren't just fobbed off with a copy and paste response but that real action is taken." Rail passengers with a complaint must contact the relevant train operator in the first instance, before going to Transport Focus or London TravelWatch if they are not happy with the response. In December, Conservative MP Tim Loughton introduced a Bill to Parliament calling for a law change to establish a rail ombudsman, which would oversee a simplified scheme aimed at hitting train operators harder financially to act as an incentive to improve services. The Department for Transport (DfT) said more than 40 billion was being invested to improve Britain's railways. A spokesman added: "The Department for Transport monitors the performance of all train companies against a number of areas, including delays, cancellations and short formation of trains. "There are penalties for those who do not meet the desired standards." The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train operators and Network Rail, accepted that on some parts of the network passengers are not getting the service they expect. It noted that punctuality has been hit in London and the South East owing to congestion, industrial disputes and major upgrade work. An RDG spokesman added: " The long-term trend is one of falling complaints from rail passengers but we know we must do better which is why we're delivering a raft of improvements." Customers made an estimated 55 million complaints to all businesses last year - up 6% from 2015, the Ombudsman Services study found. The most commonly complained-about sector was retail at 24%, followed by telecoms (13%), energy (10%) and transport (7%). Some 17% of people say they have complained about problems before but nothing has changed. Chief ombudsman Lewis Shand Smith said: "Co nsumers feel that complaining is often a waste of their time, because they see no change in the behaviour of big business." Engines firm Rolls-Royce said it was on track with efforts to slash costs and is expecting a 'modest' performance improvement in 2017 Engine maker Rolls-Royce has reported its largest ever loss and one of the biggest in UK corporate history after being hit by the pound's plunge and a corruption scandal. The blue chip giant slumped into the red with a pre-tax loss of 4.64bn for 2016 after a 4.4bn writedown caused by the collapse of the pound since the Brexit vote, as well as a 671m penalty to settle bribery allegations. On an underlying basis, it reported pre-tax profits of 813m - nearly half the 1.4bn recorded in 2015. Rolls said it was on track with efforts to slash costs and is expecting a "modest" performance improvement in 2017. But chief executive Warren East warned that there was still much to be done in turning the troubled business around. He said: "2017 remains a challenging year and we have lots of operational improvements to do." Shares in the FTSE 100 heavyweight fell 3% after the scale of its losses was revealed. However, its underlying performance was better than most analysts had expected. The huge annual loss follows a tough past two years for Rolls-Royce after a string of profit warnings. Former Harland and Wolff boss Sir John Parker is to step down as chairman of mining giant Anglo American after eight years in the role. The company said it will begin the process of searching for a replacement, with Sir John, who is from Co Down, remaining in place until the new appointment is effective. Sir John, who is also a board member of aerospace giant Airbus, said: "Having seen Anglo American emerge in a strong position from the mining industry downturn, with its sharp falls in commodity prices between 2014 and 2016, I believe that the time is now right for the board to seek my successor during the course of 2017. "The company, with its much-restored balance sheet and a world-class board and management team, led by our chief executive Mark Cutifani, is well placed for the future." Sir John will step down this year, Anglo said. He recently led a review which concluded that large listed companies should include at least one person of colour by 2021, after finding "disproportionately" low levels of diversity across UK boardrooms. And last year Sir John pledged to take a "fresh look" at Anglo's pay policy and to put it to a vote at the 2017 AGM after more than 41% of the mining giant's shareholders opposed Mr Cutifani's 3.4m pay package for 2015. Sir John joined Harland and Wolff as an apprentice aged 16 and later served as its chairman and CEO, leading the yard's absorption into the private sector. The industrialist has chaired five FTSE 100 companies, including National Grid. He has also chaired the Court of the Bank of England and is a former president of the Royal Academy of Engineers. Fraud and cyber crime now account for nearly half of all crime in the UK British businesses are facing a fraud "epidemic" that is costing the UK 125 billion per year, new research shows. Fraudsters have taken advantage of technology and corporate inaction and sent the total annual losses linked to fraud and error to record levels - up 43% since 2008. A report by tax and advisory firm Crowe Clark Whitehill and the University of Portsmouth's Centre for Counter Fraud Studies found that those losses are now equivalent to 6.54% of UK business expenditure. On a global basis, the financial cost of fraud now stands around 3.55 trillion - which is two thirds more than UK gross domestic product (GDP). Jim Gee, head of forensics and counter-fraud at Crowe Clark Whitehill, said: "Fraud is a pernicious problem which affects every area of society. "Businesses are less financially stable and profitable, the quality of public services is diminished, and even charities do not get the full benefit of the donations which are made. "Organisations constantly analyse costs and seek to reduce them to the point of optimal efficiency, but fraud is being overlooked." Official statistics released in January showed that fraud and cyber crime now account for nearly half of all crime in the UK. However, proper fraud protection that cut losses by at least 40% would free up more than 50 billion each year for the UK economy, the report said. That is more than the UK Government spent on defence or education in 2016. It said that organisations that pay greater attention to the problem are shown to have "consistently lower loss rates," but those losses will persist without adequate scrutiny. Mr Gee added: "Organisations' behaviour towards measuring and countering fraud can be the difference between a mediocre annual performance and stable growth. "Businesses can no longer afford to bury their heads in the sand." The Government is understood to be seeking crunch talks with Peugeot-owner PSA Group as fears grow over the future of thousands of British jobs at Vauxhall. Business secretary Greg Clark wants to speak with the French automotive giant at the earliest opportunity following news that General Motors (GM) could sell Vauxhall and Opel to PSA Group, the Press Association has learned. It comes after Mr Clark spoke to GM president Dan Ammann on Tuesday to raise concerns about a potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall. Vauxhall employs 4,500 staff at plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton, with a further 300 people working in a customer contact centre and 120 at its OnStar headquarters. Around 23,000 people also work in Vauxhall's retail network, while 7,000 jobs rely on the firm's UK supply chain. It comes amid reports that the GM chief executive Mary Barra has flown to Germany in a bid to head off union concerns over potential job losses at Opel. PSA chief executive Carlos Tavares is also looking to meet with the German chancellor Angela Merkel and union representatives this week as he looks to push the deal through , according to the Financial Times. Such a deal would see GM exit UK and Europe, while transforming PSA Group into Europe's second-largest carmaker with a 16% share of the European market. The US motor giant behind Chevrolet and Cadillac has acknowledged talks were taking place, but cautioned that ''there can be no assurance that an agreement will be reached". Unite general Len McCluskey has called on the Government to extend the assurances offered to Nissan over Brexit to the rest of the UK car industry to help secure jobs at Vauxhall. Following a meeting with Mr Clark, Mr McCluskey said Unite had stressed to the Government that it ''will not accept any job losses or plant closures as a result of this move''. He said ''without shadow of doubt'' Vauxhall's UK plants must be offered the same level of certainty over their future as Nissan. Nissan announced in October that it was investing in production of new Qashqai and X-Trail models at Sunderland after receiving Government assurances that EU withdrawal would not affect the plant's competitiveness. Mr McCluskey said the future of UK car workers' jobs should not lie in the hands of French government-backed Peugeot, as he urged ministers to take decisive action. ''It does seem as if Brexit is a factor in this decision as GM does rely heavily on its links throughout the EU supply chain, so once again I stressed to the minister that we need them to be clearly committed to securing access to the single markets for the UK autos industry. ''This can be done, in our view, while controlling access to the labour market so it is vital that the Government thinks again about its priorities for UK manufacturing. ''It also makes it even more vital that the Government takes this opportunity to work with the sector to bring the production of car components back to the UK so that we can run our businesses without facing bruising tariffs.'' Mr McCluskey said he will now seek talks with GM and PSA Group as ''a matter of urgency'' to better understand their plans for the UK workforce. GM said last year that it had to raise UK car prices by 2.5% after the plunge in the value of the pound following the EU referendum result caused the British car industry to hit a ''speed bump''. Announcing its full-year results last week, the Detroit-based firm said GM Europe had narrowed losses to 257 million US dollars (206 million) in the year to the end of December, from a loss of 813 million US dollars (651 million) the year before. GM and PSA Group formed an alliance in 2012 in an attempt to make production more efficient by combining purchasing power and larger scale. GM will make Citroen's forthcoming subcompact crossover vehicle beginning later this year at its plant in Zaragoza, Spain. A spokeswoman for the Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) declined to comment on potential talks between Mr Clark and PSA Group. She added: "The UK's automotive sector is one of the most productive in the world and we want to see it go from strength to strength. The Government will continue to make the case for keeping manufacturing in the UK." Mr McCluskey is to meet GM President Dan Ammann on Thursday. He said: "I am looking forward to getting some answers for Unite members to the question of what is GM's intention towards its UK workforce. "I will also be seeking reassurances on behalf of the 35,000 workers across the UK that rely on this company for a job. "The GM president has previously given Unite and me personally such assurances, so I will be pressing them to stand by their commitments. "I repeat, we will not accept a single job loss from this process because these plants and their workforces are world-class and deserve a future." Peugeot owner PSA Group said it was 'exploring strategic initiatives' with GM PSA Group said it could buy Vauxhall and Opel from General Motors (GM) in an agreement that would transform Europe's car market. The owner of Peugeot is in talks over a "potential acquisition" of GM's European car business, as it explores "strategic initiatives" aimed at boosting profits and cutting costs. However, it said there could be "no assurance that an agreement will be reached". GM employs around 35,000 people in the UK under the Vauxhall brand, including 4,500 staff at plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton. A spokesperson for PSA said it has been working with GM on three projects across Europe since 2012, which delivered "substantial synergies" for both groups. "Within this framework, General Motors and PSA Group regularly examine additional expansion and cooperation possibilities, as well. "PSA Group confirms that, together with General Motors, it is exploring numerous strategic initiatives aiming at improving its profitability and operational efficiency, including a potential acquisition of Opel. There can be no assurance that an agreement will be reached." TennesseeR Riverwalk Lake Road Wilcox Tunnel 3rd and 4th Street improvements Previous Next Three Chattanooga-area projects and one Cleveland project are among those being considered in the 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards competition, presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee (ACEC Tennessee). The award is one of the highest honors an engineering firm can receive and is considered the Academy Awards of the engineering industry. Chattanooga area projects competing for 2017 awards are: 3rd and 4th Street Improvements Project Masterplan Completed by WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff for City of Chattanooga/TN Dept. of Transportation Lake Road Distribution Topo Cleveland Completed by Power Consulting Associates, LLC for Cleveland Utilities Tennessee Riverwalk Completed by Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon, Inc. for Hamilton County Government Wilcox Boulevard Tunnel Modifications Completed by Volkert, Inc. for City of Chattanooga Project entries from across the state are up for consideration. The winners of the 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards will be announced on the evening of Tuesday, March 7, during the awards gala at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin. Additional information about the Awards can be found at www.acectn.org. In 2016, The TDOT Fast Fix 8 project, completed by Nashville engineering firm Gresham, Smith and Partners, won the top prize. The deal is expected to pave the way for a 1 billion investment Tata steelworkers have voted massively to accept reforms to their pensions, clearing the way for investment in the company. Members of three unions backed changes by around 3-1, giving a mandate to "move forward" following months of uncertainty. Roy Rickhuss, leader of the Community union, said steelworkers had taken a "tough decision", adding that Tata was now expected to deliver a 1 billion investment plan. Members of Community voted 72% in favour, on a turnout of 70%, Unite reported a 75% vote in favour on a 69% turnout, while GMB said its members voted yes by 74% in a 51% turnout. Mr Rickhuss said: "This result provides a mandate from our members to move forward in our discussions with Tata and find a sustainable solution for the British Steel Pension Scheme. "Steelworkers have taken a tough decision and have shown they are determined to safeguard jobs and secure the long-term future of steelmaking. "Nobody wanted to be in this situation but, as we have always said, it is vital that we now work together to protect the benefits already accrued and prevent the BSPS from free-falling into the Pension Protection Fund. "This ballot involved an extremely personal decision for everyone that voted. Whichever way our members cast their votes, we know they will not have taken that decision lightly and everyone's opinions must be respected. "We now expect Tata to make good on their promises and deliver the investment plan for the whole of their steel business. The UK Government still has an important role to play and we fully expect them to deliver tangible support for steelmaking in the UK." Unite national officer Tony Brady said: "Steelworkers have made great sacrifices to ensure the UK's world-class steel industry has a future. Those sacrifices must be repaid by Tata Steel honouring its commitments on investment and job security. Nothing less would be a betrayal and add to the deep mistrust that steelworkers now have for the company. "The UK Government in Westminster must also repay the sacrifices and the commitment shown by steelworkers to their industry by stepping up to support steel and secure its future. "The UK Government must now work in lockstep with the Welsh Government and put steel at the heart of a manufacturing industrial strategy which ensures UK steel is used in all major infrastructure and defence projects." Dave Hulse, of the GMB, said: "Now that steelworkers have done their bit, it is time for the Government step up and do theirs. "Thousands of skilled jobs rely on steelmaking and the industry supports the whole UK manufacturing sector. Instead of insulting steelworkers by classing their industry as a low priority, the Government should set out a strategy for steel that recognises it as a high priority for investment and innovation." Leaders of the three unions recommended acceptance of the changes as the best that could be achieved through negotiation. The changes include the introduction of a defined contribution (DC) pension scheme, with maximum employer contributions of 10%, following the closure of the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) to future accrual. The unions said their independent legal and pension advisers, as well as the BSPS Trustees, advised that the scheme has to close to future accrual because it is heading for the Pension Protection Fund - a lifeboat for failing schemes - and the company into insolvency. The company intends to close the BSPS to future accrual on March 31 and introduce a defined contribution pension scheme with maximum employer contributions of 10%, based on employee contributions of 6%. The company's original proposal was to bring in a DC scheme with contributions of 3% from the employer and 3% from the employee. The BSPS is one of Britain's largest pension schemes, with 130,000 members. Tata inherited the scheme when it bought Corus, formerly state-owned British Steel, in 2007. The Indian conglomerate said last year that it would sell its UK business but it has since decided to seek a partner and has been in lengthy talks with German firm ThyssenKrupp. The pension scheme trustees have warned that the current deficit of more than 400 million is set to rise to between 1 billion and 2 billion at its next actuarial valuation. A Government spokesman said: "This positive vote is an important step forward for the future of Port Talbot and Tata Steel in the UK and it is now vital that all parties work together to deliver on the agreed proposals. "It is testament to the commitment of its workforce that they are willing to work so constructively with the owners to secure the future of the plant. The Government will play its role in supporting the steel industry to help deliver a sustainable future." First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones said: "While I appreciate this has been a difficult decision for the trade unions and their members, today's announcement is a significant step forward in securing a sustainable future for Tata's UK business. "We continue to work closely with Tata to implement our significant financial support package in order to maintain steel jobs and production at all the Tata sites in Wales. "We also repeat our calls for the UK Government to urgently tackle the UK's high energy costs and continue to push for greater recognition of the steel industry in their new Industrial Strategy." A Tata Steel spokesman said: "We acknowledge the result of the trade unions' ballot. "We recognise this has been a difficult decision for employees. "It shows employees are doing everything they can to develop a sustainable future for the business. "We will continue to work with the trade unions and other stakeholders to deliver Tata Steel UK's transformation plan and develop a sustainable future for the business." Shadow steel minister Gill Furniss said: "Steel is a vital foundation industry for the UK. "That is why it is important that today we have got a way forward for the Port Talbot steelworks, and that is why Labour will keep pressing the Government to give the steel sector the support it deserves. "That means not marking steel 'low-priority' in the Brexit negotiations and not giving steel just one mention in the whole industrial strategy green paper. "Actions matter, and this Government has done nothing to show it will actually support the UK steel industry." What part of the Royal Exchange scheme in Belfast city centre could look like once the redevelopment of the area is finally completed A long-awaited 400m revamp of Belfast city centre could break ground this summer and will include a 'tall building' which could feature a mixture of apartments and retail. The Royal Exchange development is a 12-acre site based around Royal Avenue. And fresh plans from new owners Castlebrooke Investments show a move away from a retail-led scheme to include offices as well as accommodation, as part of a so-called 'mixed use' development. Developers are eyeing up two possible sites for a 'tall building', - which could be anywhere from a dozen storeys upwards in size. That includes a site at Rosemary Street and another off Bridge Street. That building could include a hotel, as well as apartments, in a similar style, but not in scale, to Beetham Tower in Manchester. It includes a Hilton hotel, and more than 200 luxury apartments. It's understood the first phase of Royal Exchange, which will take in Garfield Street and North Street, could begin as soon as July. That includes a mixture of residential, retail, cafes and restaurants, as well as office space. It's due to be followed by work around Rosemary Street. But work on the large mixed-use 'tall building' is unlikely to begin until 2021. It had been hoped that Royal Exchange would become a shopping village able to compete with Victoria Square, with hopes that John Lewis could be attracted to the spot. However, a move away from a retail-led scheme means it's less likely that is a viable possibility now. The idea of a 'tall building' as part of Royal Exchange was not part of the plans when they were initially envisaged by the William Ewart group. Plans for what would become one of Belfast's biggest redevelopment projects in the last decade have been in the works for around five years. The team behind Castlebrooke's plans includes Chapman Taylor, built heritage specialists Consarc Design Group, planning consultants Savills and commercial property firm Colliers. The public was offered the chance to view the fresh plans during a consultation in Belfast yesterday. Two other events will be held at the MAC theatre on February 27 and 28. Last year, Castlebrooke submitted a reworked planning application for the scheme, with changes which include phasing work across a longer period of time. It is believed some of the loans relating to the Royal Exchange scheme had once been owned by US vulture fund Cerberus. Veteran actor George Segal said Dame Elizabeth Taylor had "kind of a dirty mouth" and hailed Richard Burton as the greatest actor he ever worked with as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 83-year-old starred opposite Hollywood's golden couple in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in the 1966 film. After being honoured on Hollywood Boulevard, Segal described Burton as "a total great". He told the Press Association: "With Burton, that was Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and I always thought of that as a pyramid - with Burton on the top. "He's by far and away the best actor I've ever worked with." Describing Dame Elizabeth, he added: "The best. Funny. Kind of a dirty mouth but always funny." Comedian David Spade and filmmaker Kevin Smith were among the guests watching Segal as he was presented with the 2,602nd star on the walk of fame. On stage, Segal said: "You know I was 83 yesterday so this is some birthday party with all these people I love. That's a lot of people to love." He added: "It's a nice feeling because I've always been aware of this but never specifically. It's nice." Dame Elizabeth won her second best actress Oscar for her role as Martha opposite her then-husband Burton in the adaptation of Edward Albee's play about a middle-aged couple whose marriage is breaking down. Burton missed out on the best actor Oscar for his role in the film, while Segal - who played young biology professor Nick - lost to Walter Matthau for the best supporting actor award. Segal went on to star in a host of Hollywood films including The Hot Rock and A Touch Of Class, for which he won the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy in 1974. He also appeared opposite Spade in TV comedy series Just Shoot Me! from 1997 to 2003 and currently stars in The Goldbergs, which aired on Channel 4 in the UK. Spade said: "Sometimes when we were shooting I'd forget he was in so many great movies and he worked with Elizabeth Taylor and he was up for an Academy Award. "Luckily he reminded me of this every day." He then joked: "I have some more nice things to say but I'm running out of time so I'll save the rest for the funeral." Segal was joined at his walk of fame ceremony by his wife Sonia. Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock beat figures such as Basil Fawlty and the Doctor to be named the world's favourite BBC television character Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch has said he is honoured the "sociopath" detective has been named the world's favourite BBC TV character. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fabled spy beat competition from acclaimed British television figures, including Basil Fawlty, the Doctor in Doctor Who and Hyacinth Bucket, to take the accolade. BBC Worldwide surveyed more than 7,000 18 to 64-year-olds from seven countries including Australia, France, the US and Japan in the public vote, with almost 30% backing Cumberbatch's Sherlock. In second place was the Doctor, while Idris Elba's murder detective DCI John Luther came in third. Cumberbatch also took the crown for most memorable scene as Sherlock for his apparent fall to death at the end of the show's second series. It was named most iconic BBC moment with 26% of the vote, ahead of Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch in second. Colin Firth's Mr Darcy emerging topless from the lake in Pride And Prejudice also made the top 10 in fifth while David Brent's improvised dance at a comic relief party in The Office came in eighth. Cumberbatch said: "I'm honoured to hear that my portrayal of Sherlock has been internationally recognised as viewers' favourite BBC TV character. "Who would have thought a high-functioning sociopath could be so popular with people all over the world?" The contemporary reimagining of Conan Doyle's Sherlock, co-starring Martin Freeman as Dr Watson, has been sold by the BBC to 240 territories internationally. The series, created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, has received numerous accolades since its debut on the BBC in 2010. Earlier this year the fourth series, rumoured to be its last, benefited from one of the biggest boosts in ratings ever caused by people recording a TV programme and watching it later. The series' penultimate episode, broadcast on January 8, had an overnight audience of just six million in Britain. But consolidated ratings published, which include those who recorded the show and saw it later, bumped the figure up to 9.5 million. Paul Dempsey, BBC Worldwide president of global markets, said: "This survey demonstrates the love and affection audiences have for our shows around the world and those defining TV moments that get viewers talking, wherever they are." :: The research was carried out in the lead-up to the BBC Worldwide Showcase 2017 which takes place between February 19 and February 22. David Tennant will bring the curtain down on the Glasgow Film Festival on February 26 The 13th Glasgow Film Festival got under way on Wednesday with a sell-out opening gala featuring the European premiere of Irish comedy-drama Handsome Devil. The screening of the movie at the Glasgow Film Theatre starring Sherlock and Spectre actor Andrew Scott marks the start of an 11-day celebration of film and one of the festival's biggest-ever programmes. Directed by John Butler, the coming-of-age film follows two schoolboy opposites who are forced to share a bedroom at their boarding school, forming an unlikely friendship until it is tested by the authorities. Speaking to Press Association Scotland on the red carpet, Butler said the movie was based on his own personal schoolboy experiences. He said: "It's a modern story set in the here and now but it's certainly based on my own experience and childhood and pretty much of every boy who goes to a single-sex school and deals with these pressures so it's definitely autobiographical in some parts. "Its about the experience in general of boys going to rugby-playing schools where there are notions about what a man is and how that can sometimes grate against what you might believe in yourself." Speaking of the importance of home-grown films, Butler said they were "vital" to a country's sense of identity, cultural recognition, tourism industry and economy. Butler, who comes from Dublin, added his pride was "wounded" following Ireland's 27-22 rugby match defeat to Scotland in the opening match of the RBS 6 Nations tournament on February 4. The Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) will feature more than 300 events and screenings, showcasing more than 180 movies from 38 countries. It will feature nine world and international premieres, three European premieres, 65 UK premieres and 67 Scottish premieres. David Tennant will bring the curtain down on the festival on February 26 with the world premiere of his latest movie Mad To Be Normal, about a pioneering Scottish psychiatrist. On February 22, the festival will stage the world premiere of Benny, the story of Benny Lynch, widely considered the greatest boxer Scotland has ever produced. The festival will also cater for music fans, with the sold-out screening of Lost In France at Sauchiehall Street's O2 ABC looking at the rise of Scotland's independent music scene and bands such as Mogwai, Arab Strap and Franz Ferdinand. There will also be a live performance from Scottish stars including Alex Kapranos and Stuart Braithwaite. As well as enjoying screenings at the GFT, the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Cineworld and the Grosvenor, audiences can also savour films in more unusual locations at pop-up cinemas from the slope at the Snow Factor to the Barras Art and Design centre. About 40,000 people attended the 2016 festival, with organisers expecting a similar audience this year. Festival co-director Allan Hunter said: "It's always great to get to the opening night and kick it off. "We've got a really joyous, uplifting film as well that I think sets the tone. "There are a lot of people talking at the moment about the misery and anxiousness in the world, so to kick-off with something optimistic and uplifting is a good choice." A Northern Ireland schoolgirl who stunned the world with her version of the Leonard Cohen classic Hallelujah, has spoken of the excitement of her first performance in America. Kaylee Rogers, a pupil at Killard House School in Co Down, became a star when her performance with the school choir went viral last year. Hundreds of thousands of people watched the recording of the 10-year-old at First Newtownards Presbyterian church. Many of those there were left in tears. Even Hollywood A-lister Susan Sarandon joined in the chorus of praise of Kaylee. More: Read More Kaylee, who has autism, has just returned from America where she performed at the Boston Winter Ball for a charity dinner. "It was really exciting," she told UTV, "I loved doing it." "There was a lot of people, but I was not nervous. It makes me happy to see so many people." Her music teacher Lloyd Scates from Killard school also travelled to the States. He said: "We were half-way across the room and she was performing in front of people she did not know and she was just brilliant." Mum Tracey said she did not know how Kaylee would cope with the travel and the performance. "But she soared," she said. Acclaimed author Philip Pullman will publish his long-awaited follow-up to the His Dark Materials trilogy in October, 17 years after the last instalment. A new trilogy of books, which he describes as an "equel" rather than a prequel or sequel, begins with The Book Of Dust which will be published on October 19 by Penguin Random House Children's and David Fickling Books. It will return to the story of Lyra Belacqua, based in a parallel Britain of alethiometers, daemons and the Magisterium, and will begin 10 years before the first His Dark Materials book, with the trilogy eventually picking up again 20 years after her story last ended. Pullman is keeping the plot of The Book Of Dust a closely guarded secret, but left some hints for his readers that will leave them speculating about what could take place. He said: "I've always wanted to tell the story of how Lyra came to be living at Jordan College and, in thinking about it, I discovered a long story that began when she was a baby and will end when she's grown up." The writer also suggested that fans may be able to work out who another central character will be. He said they should look out for "an ordinary boy (a boy we have seen in an earlier part of Lyra's story, if we were paying attention) who, with Lyra, is caught up in a terrifying adventure that takes him into a new world". Explaining more about the book's themes, he said: "At the centre of The Book Of Dust is the struggle between a despotic and totalitarian organisation, which wants to stifle speculation and inquiry, and those who believe thought and speech should be free. "The idea of Dust suffused His Dark Materials. Little by little through that story the idea of what Dust was became clearer and clearer, but I always wanted to return to it and discover more." The His Dark Materials trilogy, which included Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, has sold more than 17.5 million copies in around 40 languages. Pullman's last book in the series was published in October 2000. He said: "I know from their letters and tweets that my readers have been waiting patiently (mostly) for The Book Of Dust for a long time. "It gives me great pleasure and some excitement at last to satisfy their curiosity (and mine) about this book." The original trilogy is currently being adapted for BBC1, following a 2004 National Theatre adaptation and the 2007 film The Golden Compass, which was adapted from first book Northern Lights and starred Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. He's the award-winning artist who has created everything from tiny postage stamps to huge church mosaics, but now PJ Lynch, the latest all-Ireland children's laureate, has admitted he has a hankering to paint murals in his native Belfast. Not ones depicting the paramilitary hard men with their masks and their rifles, but rather ones reflecting Lynch's self-avowed obsession with history, myths and legends of a much older and different kind. The 54-year-old illustrator, who now lives in Dublin with his wife and three children, was recently back in Belfast for the first time in his capacity as Laureate na nOg, holding a special drawings workshop, organised by BookTrust NI, with pupils of Lagan College, an integrated seat of learning close to his heart. His post is funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Arts Council of Ireland in Dublin, with other partners. Its aim is to promote creativity among children and to encourage more of them to read books for pleasure. "My brief is to communicate my enthusiasm for kids' books to as wide an audience as I possibly can. We are calling my laureateship The Big Picture and, as well as my visits to schools, I am using social media to get my message across," Lynch says. "Modern technology is a major distraction for children but I am sending out video podcasts via computers, smartphones, and iPads which are sometimes seen as the enemies of old-fashioned books." The multi-channel TV world is obviously something else which is blamed for keeping youngsters away from books and Lynch says: "My own kids think it's hilarious that in my youth there were only two channels on the TV - and in black and white to boot. "There weren't anything like the same distractions in those days and if you wanted to read a book you got stuck into it. "But today everyone has a little magic box - the smartphone - in their pockets and it does stuff that even 20 years ago nobody could even have guessed." Lynch, who is a second cousin of playwright Martin Lynch, concedes that it's a battle to keep children interested in books and he tries to persuade parents and teachers to start the reading habit early and get the youngsters "falling in love with the feel of a real book". However, he concedes: "There are some children who simply aren't reading books and that's very, very sad. I want them to not only read again but also to make their own books." In his younger days, Lynch was quick on the draw, so to speak. From the age of three he was sketching Native Americans in his home in north Belfast where his mother and his siblings still live. "I was the kid who loved to draw," says Lynch, who spent his youthful summers with his mother's people in Dunloy in Co Antrim. "That really got me in touch with a different kind of culture," he explains. "There was a lot of storytelling and a rural tradition that was really important to me. I worked really hard and I got in touch with the earth." Back in Belfast the Troubles were intensifying and he escaped the horrors around him in the city through his artwork. "It was easy for me to retreat into a fantasy world," says Lynch, and initially at school, it was thought that his drawing skills would make him a prime candidate for an architect's career, but at St Malachy's College two teachers Mr McFadden and Mr Maguire - "I still call them mister" - were major influences on him having other ideas. "I could have drawn the whole day instead of having to do French and physics and the upshot was that I went to Art College in Belfast where I first really thought about illustration as a possible job," says Lynch, who was happy to get away from the Troubles and move to Brighton in 1981 for the start of a three year stint at the local College of Art. It was an artistic match made in heaven. For in Brighton one of Lynch's tutors was Raymond Briggs, the man behind the iconic children's picture book The Snowman, which became a hit movie and, along with its famous track Walking In the Air sung by Aled Jones, is now a Christmas classic. "He made a big impression and a lot of us went on to become illustrators," says Lynch, whose first book A Bag of Moonshine, a collection of English and Welsh folklore tales by Alan Garner, won the prestigious Mother Goose award for the most exciting newcomer to British children's book illustration. And the award really was a golden egg as it introduced Lynch to a new publisher, Walker Books, with whom he is still associated three decades later. But the real game-changer for Lynch was the publishers' decision to ask him to illustrate a book, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, by American writer Susan Wojciechowski. The book has sold over two million copies and the story has been turned into a movie, a musical and a play. To date Lynch has illustrated over 20 publications including modern editions of classics like Dickens' A Christmas Carol and The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. He admits that his books take a long time and hard work to complete. Rush jobs they are not and part of that is due to the extensive research that he undertakes into all the stories that he illustrates. It was only a short time ago that he actually wrote his first book after 30 years of bringing other people's stories to life. "I never thought my writing would be good enough but when I was reading about the history of the Mayflower which brought the Pilgrim Fathers to America I was intrigued by the story of John Howland who fell off the ship, but was rescued," he says. It's estimated that in the US today there are 10 million descendants of the Pilgrim Fathers. Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt and George Bush Snr and Jnr came from that stock and Donald Trump has been invited to England in three years' time to join in the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's sailing. Lynch's newest book, which has a storyline written by RTE presenter Ryan Tubridy, also has a Presidential theme as it follows JFK's visit to Wexford in June 1963. "That was right up my street," he says. "And I also did another book about Abraham Lincoln that really opened my eyes to his family's story before his assassination. It was fascinating," adds Lynch, who has produced posters for Opera Ireland and the Abbey Theatre in Dublin as well as a range of stamps for An Post, the Irish postal service. But at the other end of the scale, he has also completed one of the biggest mosaics of its kind in Europe at the Basilica at the Marian shrine in Knock in Co Mayo. The imposing mosaic which depicts the Apparition at Knock in 1879 is five storeys high, measuring 14m by 14m, and was designed by Lynch and completed by 16 skilled artisans in Italy before it was inlaid last year on the wall behind the sanctuary close to where John Paul II celebrated Mass during his Papal visit in 1979. He recalls: "I worked on a smaller scale version of the mosaic for over a year and I had to roll it up in a sewage pipe and take it across to northern Italy to the mosaicists who were lovely people." Lynch says it was a humbling experience to watch the unveiling, especially as the experts' opinion is that a mosaic can last for anything up to 10,000 years. In 2006 he completed two large Gulliver's Travels murals for a new County Library in Cavan and he is also having discussions about him and groups of children painting big murals on walls in Belfast and Dublin, but agreement is still a long way off. The bloodthirsty images in the Belfast murals never appealed to him, but he says he has long admired the artistry of the muralists and he has welcomed the recent trends to paint sporting and cultural heroes on gable ends rather than the men of violence. Like them or loathe them, Lynch says the murals are a unique part of the Northern Irish tradition, but as he travels the world as part of his laureateship he makes a point of concentrating on the achievements of writers and illustrators from his own backyard. "I take great pride that Northern Ireland has produced some of the greatest contributors to children's books ever - CS Lewis, Martin Waddell, Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram and the biggest name of today, Oliver Jeffers, plus plenty of other up-and-coming stars." The Troubles haven't featured in Lynch's work. "I think that would be a tricky subject for an illustrator of kids' books and I would find it difficult to address. But I wouldn't rule it out. The Troubles were a big important part of my childhood." Lynch's visit to Lagan College wasn't his first as an artist. Twenty years ago he was there to present the college with 1,000 worth of books, part of his reward for winning the Kate Greenaway award for children's illustration. "I picked out the college because I loved the idea of integrated education and coming back two decades later it has been tremendous to meet all these kids who don't care about each other's religions. They just get on great," says Lynch, who admitted the college was unrecognisable from his last trip when it was housed in a pre-fabricated building. The library where Lynch interacted with the children on his latest visit is now an ultra-modern space with banks of computers and work stations which sit side by side with easy chairs. But while most things had moved on apace, he was pleased to see that some of the books that he donated to Lagan College 20 years ago were still on the shelves. A little more dog-eared perhaps but still avidly read nonetheless. DUP leader Arlene Foster speaking yesterday at an event organised by the NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry DUP leader Arlene Foster says she wants to abolish a controversial Stormont procedure that has been used by her party to block motions. The petition of concern was introduced as part of the Good Friday Agreement, designed to protect minority rights in the Assembly. However, it has been used by the parties to block decisions on a range of issues. According to figures compiled by investigative website The Detail, over a five-year period from 2011 to 2016 a petition of concern was used 115 times. Mrs Fosters party has been one of the most frequent users of the mechanism. It has stopped votes on same-sex marriage being passed and prevented motions of no confidence going through. But now the DUP leader has said she wants to look at getting rid of the petition of concern after the election. We talk a lot about the petition of concern and our opponents talk a lot about the petition of concern, she said. We would actually like to see the petition of concern got rid of for everything, but I think our opponents would like to keep it for the things they want to use the petition of concern for, and not allow us to use it. Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry called on to DUP to stand by its pledge after the votes are counted. During the negotiations around the Justice Ministry last May one of Alliances conditions was reform of the petition of concern, he said. We wished to see a limit placed on the veto, so it would be used as it was originally envisaged relating to matters of either national identity, the legacy of the Troubles or the Good Friday Agreement institutions. Therefore, it is quite obvious to ask if this is an actual commitment or yet more pre-election talk from the DUP, which we will hear no more about after polling day? Meanwhile, Mrs Foster earlier said she did not want to see Irish given equity with English, but denied she was against the Irish language. The DUP leader said she was the first to acknowledge that mistakes have been made and things could have been handled better in relation to the collapse of Stormont. Speaking about the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) controversy, she said: Whatever the rights and wrongs of that scheme, while it became the excuse, it is of course not the cause of the election. I have absolutely no doubt that this election is about Gerry Adams reasserting control of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland. Some in Sinn Fein saw it (the election) as an opportunity to damage me, to damage the DUP, to refight the last election and to precipitate a whole new round of negotiations. For Sinn Fein, it means putting the needs of the party ahead of the public. Mrs Foster said the Assembly election on March 2 will be close, probably far closer than it has been over the last decade. She added That is why every vote matters in this election. Mrs Foster described her experiences over the past two months both personally and politically as brutal. The level of respect for difference, the level of tolerance, isnt there at the moment. I deeply regret that, she said. Her defence over her position on Irish language came after she said her party was vehemently opposed to an Irish Language Act. Speaking yesterday, Mrs Foster said: Some people had taken the view that because I had said I wouldnt be in favour of an Irish Language Act that I was anti-Irish language, which of course is not the case. My difficulty with the Irish Language Act is around the cost, around the fact that it would have equity and equality with the English language. In terms of the Civil Service, there would have to be affirmative action for people who were Irish speakers, that there would be criminal offences if people didnt co-operate with an Irish language commissioner. Beginning fall semester there will be more incentive for students who take rigorous science, technology, pre-engineering, and mathematics classes at Dalton State. State legislators passed a bill that goes into effect this year allowing schools to give students a half-point grade boost in some STEM classes, which could mean more students remain eligible for HOPE while also making more students eligible to graduate with honors. We hope this will be an incentive for students to choose more STEM majors and graduate to fill high-demand jobs, said Dr. Randall Griffus, dean of the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics. I hope it helps with retention in these programs as well. There is a lot of rigor in these classes. It will include most of our introductory STEM classes. Most of our classes required for our pre-engineering program will also receive the boost. STEM enrollment is up at Dalton State. From spring 2016 to this semester there is a 5.4 percent increase in majors in those fields, Griffus said. If a student has a grade of B, C, or D, .5 will be added to the final grade. That means, a B, which is a 3.0 would become a 3.5 when calculating the students overall GPA. A C would go from a 2.0 to a 2.5, and a D would go from a 1.0 to a 1.5. More of our students should be able to retain HOPE with this boost, Griffus said. For students in a STEM field, half of the classes they need for an associate degree are eligible for the boost. So this could make a large impact on their overall GPA. The weighted grades for STEM classes only applies to those courses typically taken in the first two years of college. At Dalton State this includes introductory biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, physics, and programming courses, as well as all the calculus and pre-engineering courses. Georgia's commitment to addressing the workforce needs of the state are at the core of this initiative, said Dr. Pat Chute, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Dalton State College's close ties with community partners in areas supported by STEM careers will make this change one that provides students with more access and better knowledge and skills to become successful citizens. Dalton State students have many opportunities in the STEM fields, including internships and undergraduate research. The School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics also works with local industry to continue providing graduates who can fill open positions. Because these STEM career fields are important to the manufacturing region we serve, we are proud that this may assist more of our students in earning degrees in these high demand career fields, said Dr. Margaret Venable, president of the College. Two Londonderry unionist election candidates have had a very public falling out over transferring votes. A ferocious social media spat ensued after the DUP's Gary Middleton posed a question to UUP candidate Julia Kee about transferring votes to him in the March 2 poll. The query came after Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt announced that he intends to give the SDLP his second preference vote in a move which sparked controversy within his party. Fellow Ulster Unionists Harold McKee and Danny Kennedy said that they would not be following Mr Nesbitt's example, leading Mr Middleton to take to social media to ask the UUP's Julia Kee about her position. The row quickly escalated with Mr Middleton calling Ms Kee "pathetic" and Ms Kee firing a shot over his bow about RHI and calling her opposition "arrogance personified". Mr Middleton said he was simply pointing out what other candidates had done, and wanted to know her position on vote transfers and that he did not wish to engage in a Twitter row. "I have gathered now that, obviously, her opinion is that she wouldn't be transferring votes to unionist candidates," he said. Responding to Ms Kee's comments that she was 'fed up with scandals, local and national, oil and wood pellets, he continued: "I have nothing to hide, I have done nothing wrong. The RHI scheme, yes, everyone recognises that it is a serious issue. At the same time that's why we need our assembly back to ensure that that is addressed. "The only way to do that is to ensure that there is an assembly in place. I don't see that as an issue as to why she won't transfer to me, but again she has made her position clear. "I can assure you that there are a lot of people who are angry at Mike Nesbitt's comments. This isn't a sectarian thing. I am a believer in the United Kingdom and the Union. And that's why I want to ensure that there is a unionist representative in Foyle. "It will be a disaster if we went back to zero unionist representation here, and that is what my fear is." But Mr Middleton said that, as far as he is concerned, there are no hard feelings. "It might seem like myself and Julia have fallen out, certainly in a public arena," he commented. "But if I see Julia tomorrow I will greet her in my normal fashion and have manners." Ms Kee said she was just being 'brutally honest', and felt the argument was 'childish and pathetic'. "I didn't say that I wasn't going to transfer votes to Gary," she said. "I asked what anyone would ask when someone is asking for your vote. Why should I vote for you? I was being brutally honest. Then he came back with 'pathetic'. Is that what he thinks of his voters? That we are pathetic? I thought his terminology was really derogatory. He came back as if it was a fight. "He can't even give me a decent answer as to why I should transfer." Ms Kee refused to be drawn on whether she would encourage her voters to transfer votes to the SDLP or DUP, but that voters should instead listen to their conscience. A woman who made more than 50 hoax bomb calls narrowly escaped going to jail and was instead ordered to spend two years on probation. Freeing 44-year-old Joanne Elizabeth Mitchell at Antrim Crown Court on Wednesday having taking what he said was "an exceptionally lenient course," Judge Desmond Marrinan told her that had it not been for her significant mental health issues, "I would have been sending you to prison for up to 18 months." "You are putting people's lives at risk" by diverting vital police resources, said the judge. In addition to the probation order, the judge also imposed a 30-month Anti-social Behaviour Order which bars Mitchell from owning or using any device which has internet access or wifi capability. "I hope you take this chance I'm offering you because if you come back before me you will be going to prison for 18 months at least," warned Judge Marrinan. Mitchell, from Greenview Avenue in Antrim, had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of causing bomb hoaxes by communicating information she knew to be false to Crimestoppers which caused a "false belief that a bomb or other thing liable to explode or ignite" on 17 February and 25 September last year. Opening the facts prosecuting lawyer Michael Chambers said while there were single counts on two separate bills of indictment, there were also "well over 50 counts of her doing the same thing" to be "taken into consideration". He told the court that on February 17 the police received a report from Crimestoppers that there was a bomb on the Dublin Road in the town, adding that the supposed site was "about 150 yards from the defendant's home". Police enquiries led them to Mitchell and although she initially denied making the hoax call, her iPad was seized and when it was examined, they discovered she had used it to make an internet call to the charity. When that evidence was put to her, Mitchell admitted that incident along with "a large number of other" similar incidents. Dealing with the incident last October, Suzanne Gallagher for the prosecution outlined how on that occasion, two calls were made in quick succession at 4am claiming there was a bomb and then "shots fired" at Mitchell's home with the caller even giving the name of "Joanne Mitchell". Similarly to the other case Mitchell initially denied she was the caller but when other evidence was put to her she confessed. Ms Gallagher revealed that Mitchell was in breach of two suspended sentences arising from other incidents in Belfast and Enniskillen, adding that the large majority of the entries on her eight page criminal record were for causing bomb hoaxes. Submitting that Mitchell's offences while serious "were not the most difficult to investigate," defence barrister Richard McConkey said the best way describe them were "unsophisticated, a waste of time and a waste of money". He said Mitchell had spent a "very long eight weeks" on remand before getting bail, adding that while in prison "she was subjected to significant bullying" but that since her release, Mitchell is receiving therapeutic care from mental health services. "If she's put back into custody it may do more harm than good as it would cost the public purse to keep her there and would interrupt the help she's getting which will hopefully break the offending cycle," argued the lawyer. Imposing the probation and ASBO, Judge Marrinan said it was clear that Mitchell suffered from mental health difficulties and that while "I don't hold a large degree of hope" that the help she's getting will see the end of her offending, "I think the best thing from societies point of view would be if you undergo a period on probation". Even with those mental difficulties the judge told Mitchell in no uncertain terms that if she reoffended or breached the orders, "I will have to send you to prison because the police have limited resources and it's vitally important for them to be able to get to the scenes of real crimes". Talk about a bargain - a three-bedroom house in Donegal is listed to go under the hammer for 30,000. The semi-detached property at Ard Caoin, Manorcunningham, is ten minutes' drive from Letterkenny and 25 minutes' journey from Derry. The house is to be sold at public auction next month, with a reserve price of 35,000 (30,000) - the amount some would fork out for a new car. It will go up for sale at 1pm in The Leopardstown Pavilion, Dublin 18, on March 2. At a time of massive housing shortages on both sides of the border, the Donegal semi-detached house has been described as "real value". It has certainly been getting plenty of interest. "It has most definitely generated a lot of inquiries since the property came to the market last week," said Kiara Rainey, of Sherry FitzGerald Rainey. "The auction price represents real value at a time when, nationally, house prices are on the rise again," she commented. Ms Rainey added: "There is some cracking on the external walls of the property and we are advising all intending purchasers to make their own structural and financial investigations prior to making contact with our office." According to the property listing, the house overlooks a large green area with views of Lough Swilly. It features a large kitchen and dining room area as well as a master bedroom. "Ard Caoin is close to a range of local amenities including convenience store, post office, resource centre, two pubs and a national school, while Letterkenny town itself is around ten minutes' drive," according to the estate agent. The property is available for viewings today at 2:15pm, Saturday, February 18 at 11:30am and Wednesday, February 22 at 2:15pm. The Government last week unexpectedly announced that just 350 children will be given a home in the UK under the so-called Dubs amendment The UK's four children's commissioners have written to the Government to tell of their "deep concern" at the decision to end a scheme to bring lone child refugees to Britain. The Government last week unexpectedly announced that just 350 children will be given a home in the UK under the so-called Dubs amendment - far lower than the 3,000 campaigners had hoped for. The move has sparked widespread outcry and the children's commissioners of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have written to Home Secretary Amber Rudd urging her to rethink the plan. They tell of their "deep concern" at the decision and urge Ms Rudd to "consider carefully the plight of the many thousands of lone child refugees in Europe who are currently at risk of exploitation and trafficking". They add: "The Government made a welcome commitment through the scheme to taking some of the most vulnerable lone child refugees who are rootless in Europe. "The number that have been brought to the UK under the scheme thus far falls significantly short of expectations and we consider that, as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, the UK should play a far greater role in both offering protection and security to lone child refugees in Europe and in resolving the crisis that children are facing in Europe, especially in Greece and Italy. "We urge the Government to act humanely and responsibly, and to maintain a positive commitment to the Dubs scheme within a comprehensive strategy to safeguard unaccompanied child refugees within Europe." The letter is signed by Anne Longfield, Children's Commissioner for England, and Tam Baillie, Sally Holland and Koulla Yiasouma - her counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively. Yvette Cooper, Labour MP and chairwoman of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee, welcomed the intervention. She said: "This is a very serious response from the children's commissioners. They make clear that far from avoiding traffickers, by ditching the Dubs scheme, the Government risks pushing more children back into the arms of smuggler gangs. "The Government should listen to this call from the commissioners whose very purpose is to protect the welfare of vulnerable children and reopen the Dubs scheme now." Ms Rudd has said the scheme is closing amid fears it is backfiring and encouraging child refugees to put their lives in the hands of people traffickers and make the perilous journey to Europe. But critics say the opposite is true and ministers are leaving vulnerable children languishing in refugee camps at the mercy of traffickers. The letter, which comes after interventions from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, and the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, piles further pressure on the Government to reverse its decision. A legal challenge against ending the scheme is expected to reach the High Court in May. A Government spokeswoman said: "Our commitment to resettle 350 unaccompanied children from Europe is just one way we are helping. "We have also committed to resettle up to 3,000 vulnerable children and family members from the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and 20,000 Syrians by the end of this Parliament. "We have a proud history of offering protection to those who need it and children will continue to arrive in the UK from around the world through our other resettlement schemes and asylum system. "The Government has significantly increased the funding it provides to local authorities who look after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. "It's vital that we get the balance right between enabling eligible children to come to the UK as quickly as possible and ensuring local authorities have capacity to host them and provide them with the support they will need." A community has been left devastated after a 10-year-old boy passed away after suffering a suspected heart attack. John Joe Toner collapsed at St Malachys Primary School in Ballymoyer, Co Armagh last Thursday morning, it was reported. He was rushed to hospital in Belfast but sadly died on Tuesday evening. Tributes have been paid to the boy and his family on social media. "The close knit communities of Clady, Ballymoyer and Whitecross have heavy hearts this morning as little John Joe Toner lost his battle for life last night," said one friend on a Facebook post. "Our hearts are broke for John Joe's family and are prayers are now with his parents Cormac and Maria Toner, his brothers Michael and Daniel and entire family circle. "Little John Joe was too young to die but God must have had another plan for him, he will always be in this community's heart. May he rest in peace." "Fly high little Angel," said another in a tribute, "Precious child called home early." A prayer service will be held in John Joe's memory and to support his family on Wednesday St Malachy's Church Ballymoyer. Loughgilly Parish said: "Fr Murphy together with the people of the Parish and beyond wish to extend their sympathies and heartfelt prayers to Maria, Cormac and all the Toner and McParland families on the sad passing of their son John Joe. "The pray vigils that have been held will now be the greatest of comfort and support to all John Joe's family and friends in the coming days. "May the Holy Family and the Divine Mercy Bless and comfort them in their tragic and sad loss." Terence Duffin was held at knifepoint and had his car stolen. Pic: BBC A victim of crime who had his car stolen at knifepoint has told of his disbelief after three personal injury claims were made against him by police officers. Terence Duffin's car was written off during a police chase in August 2016. Mr Duffin told the BBC two armed men forced their way into his Newcastle home before pushing him into the kitchen. He was then threatened with carving knifes before the home was ransacked and his car taken. The car was traced in Clough in Co Antrim and police then chased it to Belfast where it was rammed into the PSNI car. It wasn't until the car reached the Seven Mile straight in Antrim that police were able to stop it with a road block. Mr Duffin said he was traumatised by the ordeal and "couldn't believe" it was happening to him. However, now he has received civil claims from three police officers for their injuries - even though he was not in the car. Mr Duffin said it has served to bring back the memories of his theft. Read more Read More A PSNI spokesman said each incident depended on "individual circumstances" and that it did not hold information on officers making compensation claims against owners of stolen vehicles. He said: "Each incident would very much depend on the individual circumstances and the insurance arrangements in place. Therefore this would be a private matter between the individual officer, like any other citizen injured by a stolen car, and the insurance company involved. "Such information is not recorded or required by police. "As with any collision the issue of the fault of the driver is also relevant, so for example, if an officer was held to be negligent, then other parties (even if this involved a stolen car) would direct their claims against the PSNI. "It is important to note that the same rules apply for any individual wanting to pursue a civil claim, whether they are a police officer or member of the public." Mr Duffin said his no-claims bonus was likely to be affected and expressed fears that his car insurance premiums could increase. Confirming this may be the case, the PSNI spokesman added: "Although the victim is entirely innocent and someone else has stolen the vehicle, their insurance may go up as a result of a claim under their policy - that is simply the nature of car insurance." Mr Duffin now has a new car and will wait to see what his insurance bill will be like. He said: "I just have to live with it. It's bad enough with the criminal case coming up and now having this on top of me as well." A father-of-one remains in a critical condition in hospital after he was shot in the head at a house in Carrigart Crescent in Craigavon. Named locally as Ty McGuire, the 31-year-old was at his home in Craigavon when a gunman fired at least 20 shots through a living room window. Mr McGuire, who is originally from England, was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital where he continues to fight for life. Police said that an automatic rifle was used in the attack and that at least one of the bullets wounded him in the head. The attack happened at a house in Carrigart Crescent at around 1.45am on Monday. No one else was in the house at the time. The victim has been living in the Craigavon area but is originally from Tilbury in Essex. Police said that the shooting was "orchestrated and carefully planned". They are investigating a link to a silver Skoda Octavia which had been stolen in Dublin in December last year. The car, which was bearing false number plates, was discovered burnt out about a mile away from the house in the New Line area of Lurgan. On Wednesday police renewed their appeal for information about the attempted murder. Detective Inspector Stephen Harvey from the PSNIs reactive and Organised Crime Branch said: "We are working to establish a motive for the attack and I would ask anyone with any information about the incident itself or any ongoing issues in the area to contact detectives in Lurgan on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 64 of 13/02/17. Information can also be given anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Kelly in her dress on her wedding day with husband Jordan Kelly, her husband Jordan McGeown and children (from left) Jack, Georgia and Alexander with the wedding dress A Co Antrim mum is auctioning off her wedding dress to raise funds for a charity that provided vital support for her autistic son. Mum-of-three Kelly Roberts (29), a health trust PA from Crumlin, married sweetheart, Jordan McGeown, in January. She is selling her beautiful tulle wedding dress on eBay to "give something back" to Caudwell Children after the national charity funded vital sensory equipment for her son, Alexander (8). "I have three children, and I used to work with children, and I just knew there was something different about Alexander," Kelly said. "His main problem is that he has a lot of sensory problems with noise and lights and touch. He will touch too hard or bang his feet too hard. He just was different, really. "We used to say to ourselves he's still only wee - he will grow out of it. But then he was getting older and he still displayed a lot of problems." After seeking help from their GP, the family had to wait for two years before Alexander could be assessed, during which time they could see his symptoms get worse - and then he was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. "He can still do the same things that anybody else can do, but he struggles a lot emotionally and he needs a lot of guidance and support to go out and socialise with people," Kelly said. "His wee brain just works differently and it takes a lot longer to come round to things than anybody else's." Alexander's needs are mostly sensory so, at the end of 2015, the family got in contact with Caudwell Children, the national charity that provides practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families. "The lady who assessed Alexander told me how sensory equipment often has a calming effect on children with sensory conditions," Kelly said. "When she told me that Caudwell Children could provide fundraising support to secure a light sensor pack, which would normally cost over 1,300, I made a note of their name and finally got in touch with them at the end of last year." The charity agreed to provide the 80% funding needed to allow Kelly, and her husband Jordan, to buy the pack and, after receiving the specialist kit, Kelly was determined to give something back. "The pack includes a bubble tube, acrylic mirrors, an LED light source, a projector and a bubble fish tube," Kelly said. "Alexander struggles with his emotions but the kit has really helped to calm him down when he's been anxious or frustrated. "It's somewhere dark and quiet that he can go and just chill out when he gets anxious and stressed. It's a quiet place for him to go on his own. "He just loves it - you can just see him chilling out and zoning out. "You can see his wee body settling down and calming down when things are getting too overwhelming," she explained. Part of the package was a weighted blanket which has helped Alexander to calm down and sleep through the night, Kelly added. The family had a big day on January 14 when Kelly married engineer Jordan (34), at the Belfast Loughshore Hotel in Carrickfergus, with children Georgia (6), Alexander (8) and Jack (12) in attendance. Alexander took part in the ceremony as a page boy. "Everybody was so pleased that he did it and took part. It was great," Kelly said. "We decided we wanted something good to come out of the dress - there was no point putting it in the attic and just forgetting about it. "I also work for Crossroads for Carers, a charity based in Newtownards, which helps support sick and disabled children and adults, so I know how important fundraising is to charities. "Unfortunately, with the cost of the wedding, we're not in a position to give money. However, it suddenly occurred to me that I could raise some cash by auctioning my dress on eBay." The size 10-12 tulle gown originally cost 1,400 and will be a bargain for whoever snaps it up. "When I contacted Caudwell Children about the idea, they said they had never done anything like that before and they were excited about doing something new. I am really just hoping it's successful and raises some money for the charity." The former Crumlin High School and Belfast Metropolitan College student says the whole family is behind her fundraising auction. "They love it. They think it's a great idea and they want to see some good come out of the sale of the dress," Kelly added. Kelly has put a reserve price on the dress and you can bid for the elegant item on her eBay page here: ebay.eu/2kFxnYd. For more information on Caudwell Children visit: www.caudwellchildren.com The Queen arrives with Prince Philip to officially open the National Cyber Security Centre The Duchess Of Cambridge in a training aircraft The Duchess of Cambridge has shown off her flying skills during a visit to an RAF base. Sat at the controls of a flight simulator, Kate revealed she has what it takes to become a military pilot, and was dubbed "a natural" by her instructor. The Duchess had come to meet air cadets taking part in a half-term skills development camp at RAF Wittering, near Peterborough, in her role as royal patron and Honorary Air Commandant of the RAF Air Cadets. Under the guidance of Flight Lieutenant Michael Salter, she was soon tuned into the task of piloting the mock motor glider. Flt Lt Salter said: "She was extremely good - she was a natural." Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) and Georgia Military College (GMC) held an articulation agreement signing ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Floyd County Campus in Rome. The goal of the articulation agreement is to provide Associate of Applied Science (AAS) graduates of select Georgia Northwestern Technical College programs with an opportunity to continue with Georgia Military College to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree. Under the agreement, any GNTC student graduating with their AAS degree and having at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of technical/occupational credit accepted as transfer credit by GMC, is guaranteed admission into one of GMCs BAS degree programs in Business Management or Supervision and Management. Georgia Northwestern Technical College is very pleased to enter into an articulation agreement with Georgia Military College to offer our students a pathway to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree, said Pete McDonald, president of GNTC. As an institution of higher learning GNTC recognizes the on-going need for continuous education throughout ones career. This collaborative agreement will open many career options for our GNTC students after achieving their Associate of Applied Science degrees. The ever increasing partnership between the institutions of higher education in Georgia will advance the workforce of our state and region. Under the leadership of Gov. Nathan Deal, Georgia has been recognized as the Number One state in the United States for doing business. By institutions working together, Georgia will continue to be the Number One place for business expansion and job creation, continued McDonald. This agreement formally recognizes that Georgia Northwestern Technical College and Georgia Military College are committed to the establishment of an educational partnership to better serve currently enrolled and future students at both institutions, as well as, support economic and workforce development in the communities served by these educational institutions. We are thrilled to launch this partnership with Georgia Northwestern Technical College to serve the students of Georgia, said Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV, president of Georgia Military College. Our BAS degrees are designed to build upon the occupational/technical education provided by an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program and provide an excellent pathway toward completion of a bachelor degree. Our BAS degree programs prepare students for career advancement opportunities and management and supervisory roles in their technical or occupational field. This partnership with GNTC is another step in providing greater opportunities and a brighter future for the citizens of Georgia and is consistent with Gov. Nathan Deals Complete College Georgia initiative designed to provide an improved educational pipeline from high school through college graduation. A father-of-one is still fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot in the head. Named locally as Ty McGuire, the 31-year-old was at his home in Craigavon when a gunman fired at least 20 shots through a living room window. Mr McGuire, who is originally from England, was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital where he remained in a critical condition last night. Police said that an automatic rifle was used in the attack and that at least one of the bullets wounded him in the head. The attack happened at a house in Carrigart Crescent at around 1.45am on Monday. No one else was in the house at the time. The victim has been living in the Craigavon area but is originally from Tilbury in Essex. Police said that the shooting was "orchestrated and carefully planned". They are investigating a link to a silver Skoda Octavia which had been stolen in Dublin in December last year. The car, which was bearing false number plates, was discovered burnt out about a mile away from the house in the New Line area of Lurgan. Detective Inspector Stephen Harvey appealed for information: "We are working to establish a motive for the attack and anyone with information about the incident should contact police in Lurgan." The front window of a house in Fashoda Street in east Belfast was smashed in an overnight attack The front window of a house in Fashoda Street in east Belfast was smashed in an overnight attack Neighbours have blamed paramilitaries for a terrifying sledgehammer attack on an east Belfast property while a young mother and daughter were at home. The incident happened around 8.30pm on Monday in Fashoda Street, just off the Beersbridge Road. It is understood the hammer-wielding gang entered the back of the property, smashing kitchen windows and causing further damage inside. No one was hurt in the attack and the gang fled the scene soon afterwards. Yesterday afternoon, the damage was still visible, with the front window of the house smashed and broken glass on the pavement outside. The young mother, believed to be in her early 20s, was not at home but neighbours said they were angered by the attack. One mum said she feared the involvement of paramilitaries in the incident, which had caused alarm in the area. "Kids here are frightened going to school in the morning, it's absolutely ridiculous, and it was definitely paramilitary," she said. "The police said there was an incident around the back, apparently they went in there with sledgehammers while the mum was in there with a wee one. I've heard the whole house is smashed up." She added: "I feel for her having her wee daughter there, still in her pram. For them to come in with sledgehammers, it's not called for." Another man, who has lived on the street for six years, said it was the first time he had experienced any trouble. He added that the woman had been living in the house for only about four months. Another neighbour, who lives with two children aged under five, said she didn't want to comment but was angered by the disturbance so close to her family home. DUP councillor George Dorrian said there could be no justification for possible paramilitary intimidation. "If there's ever any cases of anti-social behaviour, I would urge people to go to the police," he commented. "It's certainly not for paramilitaries to be knocking on people's doors and issuing threats or, in this case, actually going in to wreck the house. "I know Fashoda Street well, it's somewhere that's been improving with a new development of social housing. "It's disappointing to hear that paramilitaries are continuing to wreck houses." Police have appealed to anyone who witnessed the incident, or anything suspicious, or who has any information about it, to contact them. Michelle O'Neill said Sinn Fein will not support the DUP leader in an executive office until an inquiry into the botched renewable energy scheme is complete Sinn Fein's new leader in Northern Ireland has insisted that the party will not immediately enter into power-sharing with Arlene Foster after the March election. Michelle O'Neill said the party will not support the DUP leader in an executive office until an inquiry into the botched renewable energy scheme is complete. Launching Sinn Fein's manifesto in Armagh, Michelle O'Neill said while there is a "cloud over Arlene Foster" in relation to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scandal the party "will not be supporting her position of first minister or deputy first minister in an executive office". "We have to have a full investigation. We have public concern and outrage and demands for answers. The RHI scheme has been all of the DUP's making," Mrs O'Neill said. She also said that an Irish Language Act will be a very important issue in any post-election talks, but refused to say if it could be a deal breaker. Recently Mrs Foster said she would not be supporting the introduction of an Irish Language Act. Speaking at the launch of her party's election campaign in Lurgan, she said: "If we have an Irish language act, maybe we should have a Polish language act as well because there are more people in Northern Ireland who speak Polish, compared to Irish." Referring to Sinn Fein demands, she said: "If you feed a crocodile, it will keep coming back for more." However, Mrs O'Neill said: "The Irish Language Act is an important issue for Sinn Fein. Look at Scotland and Wales. They still have a health service and education service alongside a language act. So we will not be detracted. "We know what the DUP are trying to do, to take away from the fact this election is about arrogance, disrespect and contempt for the public." Northern Ireland will go to the polls on March 2 to elect a new Assembly after the executive collapsed over the botched RHI scheme. Stormont was plunged into crisis after the resignation of Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister. The catalyst was the RHI programme which is likely to cost taxpayers 490 million. The row over the scheme has revived a range of other issues, including the Irish language and gay rights, which divided the DUP-Sinn Fein powersharing executive. A period of negotiation between political parties is likely after the elections before devolved government is reinstated. Sinn Fein has said the Secretary of State cannot chair any talks, accusing him of being "partisan". "James Brokenshire has shown himself to be partisan with his comments in relation to legacy. His refusal to accept the wishes of the majority of people here in relation to Brexit have shown he is not an honest broker," said Mrs O'Neill. Mr Brokenshire faced criticism after he wrote in a newspaper column that investigations into killings during the Troubles are "disproportionately" focusing on members of the police and Army. Mrs O'Neill said: "His crass comments on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in relation to soldiers receiving immunity are totally not befitting his role, so he can't be an honest broker in these negotiations. We would prefer to have an external chair." She laughed off comments by Mrs Foster that she was just a puppet for party president Gerry Adams. "I know what my job is as a leader. I intend to lead this party into the election and into the future on the basis of equality, on the basis of delivering in terms of integrity and respect. People can try to sidestep and bring this into different areas. "This election is clearly a must and necessary election because of the actions of the DUP, so any attempt to try and bring us into different territory, I'm not interested." During the manifesto launch, chaired by Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, Mrs O'Neill said a key issue for the party is an all-Ireland referendum as soon as possible. "We want to see a border poll as soon as absolutely possible. We want to see a new and agreed Ireland and nobody has anything to fear from Irish republicanism," she added. Gerry Adams has been accused of hypocrisy amid a deepening political row over an alleged smear campaign against a high-profile garda whistleblower. Senior figures in the Republic's Fine Gael-led minority government are under mounting pressure to formally explain what they knew about the Sergeant Maurice McCabe affair. Sgt McCabe was at the centre of an unfounded and false report on a Tusla (Child Protection Service) file of allegations of sex abuse against him. A counsellor working for the Health Service Executive (HSE) has claimed the error was made when details from a different case were cut and pasted on to a file. Sgt McCabe has rejected an apology issued by the Republic's health service body at the weekend. Yesterday, Mr Adams was heavily criticised by Taoiseach Enda Kenny after claiming the Irish government had failed miserably to handle the latest element of a lengthy crisis in the Garda. Mr Gerry Adams told the Dail that garda whistleblowers were smeared, bullied and maligned and suffered eight years of public defamation and vilification. In response to Mr Adams, the Taoiseach said he was "an absolute hypocrite after what (he) said and did to former senator Mairia Cahill". Mr Adams has strongly denied being part of any "cover-up" regarding Ms Cahill's claims she was raped as a teenager by a suspected IRA member and later interrogated by the IRA, who covered up what happened. Yesterday, Mr Adams accused Mr Kenny of playing politics with "a sensitive and personal issue." He accused Fianna Fail of propping up a crisis-stricken government and he called upon the Taoiseach to call a general election immediately. Amid angry scenes, Mr Kenny hit back by claiming that Sinn Fein had already caused chaos in Northern Ireland by forcing an unnecessary general election. "You want to call an election simply because you want to cause chaos down here as well," the Taoiseach said. Mr Adams responded: "Get rid of the Commissioner. Get rid of all that hierarchy. "Let's start afresh. Let's find some of them outside the country, or a civilian." "There was a time when Fine Gael were seen as the party of law and order. Well do you know what, you've rubbished that." The Taoiseach has said a public tribunal of inquiry will be established to find out if there was a smear campaign against Sgt McCabe orchestrated by senior gardai. Sgt McCabe issued a statement yesterday, saying he strongly opposed an inquiry that would be held in private. Speaking during Leaders' Questions, Mr Kenny said he hopes that the terms of reference for the public inquiry will be concluded within the next 48 hours. In a statement on Monday, Sgt McCabe accused Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan of privately discrediting him while publicly declaring her support over his horrific ordeal. Ms O'Sullivan insisted she played no role in the peddling of false rumours of child sex abuse against Mr McCabe in order to blacken his name for exposing wrongdoing in the force. A second garda whistleblower has demanded that his case is included in a public inquiry into an alleged smear campaign against Sergeant Maurice McCabe. Keith Harrison claims he and his girlfriend endured covert and overt surveillance, referrals to Tusla - the Child and Family Agency, and that they were the victim of rumour, innuendo and malicious falsehoods. Garda Harrison issued a lengthy statement through his solicitor after Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed a tribunal was being set up into the scandal of unfounded and false sex abuse claims being peddled against Sgt McCabe. Mr Harrison claimed there is an "orchestrated system and culture" among senior management of the force that dictates the treatment of whistleblowers. Mr Harrison said: "The efforts of this Government to restrict the inquiry/commission of investigation to the very traumatic story of Sergeant McCabe absolutely ensures we will not get to the bottom of the culture of management failures and ill-treatment of whistleblowers within An Garda Siochana." The Government was effectively forced into ordering the tribunal with hearings to be public . The decision was taken after Mr McCabe and his wife Lorraine said they would not accept any investigation into the controversy being held behind closed doors. "There's nothing worse in this country than to be called a sex abuser, nothing worse," the Taoiseach told the Dail. The terms of reference of the tribunal are expected to be finalised in the next 48 hours with the Government now under deepening pressure to extend it to include other whistleblowers. Garda Harrison, who was previously nominated for a Scott Medal for bravery but has been on extended sick leave, was stationed in Athlone when he stopped a colleague on suspicion of drink-driving in 2009. He also raised concerns about drug-dealing investigations. In the statement issued on behalf of Mr Harrison and his partner Marisa Simms, their solicitor claimed that since then both he and his family suffered victimisation, bullying, and intimidation. He has also faced disciplinary action and threatened criminal prosecution. The officer was prosecuted for having no insurance on his car and he was reported to Tusla. Garda Harrison has spoken out before and some of his claims have been put on the record in the Dail. "It is our belief that senior management within An Garda Siochana set out to attack and destroy our family because I sought to speak out about malpractice within the force," Mr Harrison said. "In doing so they tried to discredit me, and also reported 'concerns' regarding the well-being of my partner's children, leading to a Tusla investigation, which revealed no risk whatsoever." Garda Harrison said his treatment bears similarities to the experience of Sgt McCabe and his family. "It is clear to us the incidents contained in the disclosures of Superintendent (David) Taylor and Sergeant McCabe are not isolated but rather, along with our experience, identifies a common approach within the senior management of An Garda Siochana to whistleblowers," Mr Harrison said. Amid the second whistleblower going public, the Government is under pressure for ministers, including the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Children's Minister Katherine Zappone, to formally explain what they knew and when they knew about the McCabe affair. The sergeant was at the centre of an unfounded and false report on a Tusla file of an allegation of sex abuse against a colleague's daughter. A counsellor working on behalf of the agency has claimed the error was made when details from a different case were cut and pasted on to a file. Sgt McCabe has rejected an apology issued by the Health Service Executive at the weekend. And in a four-page statement issued on Monday, Sgt McCabe accused Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan of privately discrediting him while publicly declaring her support over his horrific ordeal. The officer claimed the police chief's lawyers set out to discredit him at the O'Higgins Commission which investigated and vindicated a series of allegations by Mr McCabe of negligence in policing in the Cavan-Monaghan district. Ms O'Sullivan again insisted she played no role in the peddling of false rumours of child sex abuse against Mr McCabe in order to blacken his name for exposing wrongdoing in the force. The McCabes set out a number of questions they want answers to. They include a demand that the Taoiseach, Justice Minister and Children's Minister and other members of government disclose if they were ever "briefed formally or informally" about the false abuse allegations. Several attempts were made to interview the woman, the court heard. A woman arrested at Dublin Airport after stepping off a flight from the United States has appeared in court charged with dangerous driving in relation to a crash which claimed the life of an Armagh teenager almost five years ago. Coleen McCann (21), with an address at Drumacon, Castleblayney, appeared at a sitting of the District Court in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan court on Wednesday. She is charged with dangerous driving causing the death of Ciaran McKenna (17) from Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, in a road traffic accident at Maghernakill, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, on July 30 2012. She was refused bail by Judge Denis McLoughlin after a detective-garda told the court he believed she would be a "flight risk. Detective-Garda John Ogle said several previous attempts to interview, or charge the woman, who also used an address at Crossmaglen in Northern Ireland, were unsuccessful. He claimed that on one occasion when a relative told gardai she would be available at her residence on a specific date, he later learned she had, in fact, gone to America on that date. The garda officer also told the court the womans father had tried to block access to the family residence, to prevent gardai from visiting, and he also ordered them to keep away from the house, which led to the necessity for an arrest warrant having to be obtained. Wavebreakmedia Ltd/iStock/Thinkstock(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) -- An American Airlines flight bound for Gulfport, Mississippi, had to make an emergency landing in North Carolina on Wednesday after striking a deer upon takeoff, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA said the crew aboard flight 5320, operated by PSA Airlines, reported striking the deer as it left Charlotte Douglas International Airport around 11:45 a.m. today. The FAA said the plane landed safely at the Charlotte airport at 12:05 p.m. after declaring the emergency. The flight was headed to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in Mississippi. In a statement, American Airlines said the plane, a CRJ 700 aircraft, was carrying 44 passengers and four crew. "The airplane came immediately back to the airport and landed safely. There was fuel leaking from the aircraft, so passengers deplaned on the runway and firetrucks did hose the plane down. The passengers have been bused back to the terminal and will get a new aircraft," American Airlines said in its statement. In October 2010, a US Airways jet arriving from Miami, Florida, plowed through a herd of deer shortly after landing at the same Charlotte airport. No injuries were reported on the plane. According to ABC affiliate WSOC-TV, Wednesday's incident occurred on runway 36 center -- the same runway where the herd of deer was struck in 2010. PHOTOS: A small plane declared an emergency after hitting deer while departing @CLTAirport, FAA says. SLIDESHOW: https://t.co/imJsG4B2Uh pic.twitter.com/zbLKXXrDKy WSOCTV (@wsoctv) February 15, 2017 ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) announced that Michael D. Newton of the law firm, Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC has successfully achieved re-certification as a civil trial advocate. Mr. Newton has been a NBTA member in good standing for ten (10) years. The NBTA was formed out of a strong conviction that both the law profession and its clients would benefit from an organization designed specifically to create an objective set of standards illustrating an attorney's experience and expertise in the practice of trial law. Mr. Newton is part a growing number of trial attorneys that have illustrated their commitment to bettering the legal profession by successfully completing a rigorous application process and providing the consumer of legal services with an objective measure by which to choose qualified and experienced legal counsel. Mr. Newton graduated with his Bachelor of Science from Birmingham- Southern College in 1989. He went on to graduate from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys, School of Law with his Juris Doctor in 1992. He is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), The Defense Research Institute (DRI)(Trial Tactics Committee), Tennessee Bar Association (member, Litigation Section), Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association and Georgia Bar Association. He has been selected as a Mid-South Super Lawyer since 2013, and is past president of the Chattanooga Civitan Club. Police said on Tuesday they believed the allegations were 'completely baseless' (AP Photo/Michael Probst) Prosecutors are investigating two people for allegedly fabricating an account of a mass sex attack by Arab migrants in Frankfurt. Claims that a sex rioting mob of around 50 men assaulted a group of women over the new year were reported by German tabloid Bild earlier this month. The report, which suggested the attackers lived at a refugee shelter in central Hasse, was widely re-circulated by right-wing news sites. In an article since taken down from its website, Bild interviewed a chef who runs a restaurant in Fressgass, a busy shopping district, as well as a 27-year-old woman. The chef alleged that dozens of Arab men came into his restaurant in, stole his customers' jackets and sexually assaulted multiple women. The 27-year-old female told the paper: They grabbed me under my skirt, between the legs and on my breast everywhere. Yet, police said on Tuesday they believed the allegations were completely baseless. One of the purported victims of the alleged attack was not in Frankfurt at the time of the purported crime, they said. Interviews with alleged witnesses, guests and employees led to major doubts with the version of events that had been presented, police told German daily Frankfurter Rundschau. Read more Read More One of the alleged victims was not even in Frankfurt at the time the allegations are said to have taken place. They concluded: Masses of refugees were not responsible for any sexual assaults in the Fressgass over New Year. The accusations are completely baseless. No sexual assaults were reported to police from the the area over New Year before the Bild report, they said. Investigators were looking into whether the pair had made up the story. Bild's editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt issued an apology on behalf of the tabloid, writing in a tweet: We apologise for our own work. Ill shortly announce what Bild will do about it." Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign over his contacts with Russia (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) President Donald Trump has criticised intelligence officials and the media over what he called "very, very unfair" treatment of his ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and for "illegally leaked" information about reported contacts between his campaign advisers and Russian officials. Mr Trump's comments come amid a new swirl of controversy over his ties to Russia. Mr Flynn was forced to resign this week after misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other Trump aides about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the US before the inauguration. In his first public comments on Mr Flynn's firing, Mr Trump said it was "really a sad thing that he was treated so badly". He spoke during a White House news conference with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Late on Tuesday, The New York Times reported that US agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Mr Trump's 2016 campaign team. Current and former US officials who spoke to the Times anonymously said they found no evidence that the Mr Trump campaign was working with the Russians on hacking or other efforts to influence the election. Mr Trump did not directly address the veracity of the report, but lashed out at what he called the "criminal act" of leaking information. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Trump tweeted that "classified information is illegally given out by 'intelligence' like candy. Very un-American!" The White House has not commented on the report, though officials denied as recently as Tuesday afternoon that campaign advisers had communicated with Russia during the election. The White House said Mr Flynn was fired not because of his communications with the Russian ambassador, but because he had not been truthful with Mr Pence about the content of those discussions. Mr Flynn maintained for weeks that he had not discussed sanctions in the calls, but later conceded that the topic may have come up. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Mr Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by US intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Mr Pence, who had vouched for Mr Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. At the White House on Tuesday, press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters: "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation." Mr Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said on Monday "there were no lines crossed" in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The explanation of the episode left many questions unanswered, including why Mr Trump did not alert Mr Pence to the matter and why Mr Trump allowed Mr Flynn to keep accessing classified information and taking part in the president's discussions with world leaders up until the day he was fired. White House officials also struggled to explain why Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway had declared the president retained "full confidence" in Mr Flynn just hours before the adviser had to submit his letter of resignation. Mr Flynn's firing heightened questions about the president's friendly posture toward Russia. Democrats called for investigations into Mr Flynn's contacts, and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Congress needed to know whether he had been acting with direction from the president or others. Trump initially thought Mr Flynn could survive the controversy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the president's views, but a pair of explosive stories in The Washington Post in recent days made the situation untenable. As early as last week, he and aides began making contingency plans for Mr Flynn's dismissal, a senior administration official said. While the president was said to be upset with Mr Flynn, he also expressed anger with other aides for "losing control" of the story and making his young administration look bad. Mr Pence's spokesman Marc Lotter said Mr Pence became aware that he had received "incomplete information" from Flynn only after the first Washington Post report on Thursday night. Mr Pence learned about the Justice Department warnings to the White House around the same time. Ahead of the January 20 inauguration, Mr Pence and other officials insisted publicly that Mr Flynn had not discussed sanctions in his talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. On January 26, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates contacted White House counsel Don McGahn to raise concerns about discrepancies between the public accounting and what intelligence officials knew to be true about the contacts based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the US. The Justice Department warned the White House that the inconsistencies would leave the president's top national security aide vulnerable to blackmail from Russia, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. The president was informed of the warnings the same day, Mr Spicer said. Mr Flynn was interviewed by the FBI around the same time. Mr McGahn, along with chief of staff Reince Priebus and strategist Steve Bannon, also questioned Mr Flynn multiple times in the ensuing weeks, a White House official said. Top aides also reviewed transcripts of Mr Flynn's contacts with the ambassador, according to a person with knowledge of the review process. At the same time, the official said Trump aides began taking steps to put some distance between the president and Mr Flynn. CIA director Mike Pompeo and retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, a top Flynn aide, started taking part in Mr Trump's daily security briefings. AP President Donald Trump has asked Israel's prime minister to "hold off" on building Jewish settlements in land the Palestinians claim for their future state, yet held back from explicitly endorsing support for a future independent Palestine. After weeks of dancing around the issue of expanded Israeli settlements, Mr Trump made the request to Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint news conference at the White House preceding their private discussions. It is Mr Netanyahu's first trip to Washington since Mr Trump became president. While Mr Trump's call echoed that of past US presidents, who have considered Israeli housing construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank an obstacle to a Mideast peace deal, the American leader broke with his predecessors on the idea of a two-state agreement. While such an accord may have once appeared to be the "easier of the two" options, Mr Trump said he would be open to alternatives if the two sides propose something better. The two leaders were to discuss peace efforts as well as Iran and Mr Trump's campaign pledge to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Relocating the embassy would signal American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would infuriate Palestinians. They claim the eastern sector of the city, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, as their capital. Mr Trump said on Wednesday he would like to see the embassy moved but that he is studying the issue closely. American presidents have struck a delicate balance in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing the close US friendship with Israel and lavishing the Jewish state with bountiful aid. But recent presidents also have called out Israel for actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements. On Tuesday, a senior White House official said Mr Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hopes to bring them together soon. It will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entail, said the official. Peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal, the official said. State Department officials said they were not aware of any policy shift on the desirability of an agreement establishing an independent Palestine side-by-side with Israel - long the bedrock of US policy in the region. Three officials said the department was seeking clarification from the White House's comments, which came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was having dinner with Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday. AP The Government has insisted Donald Trump will be extended the "full courtesy" of a state visit to Britain later this year, despite a 1.85-million strong petition calling for it to be abandoned. Downing Street said Theresa May yesterday afternoon spoke by telephone with the US president - whose administration has been rocked by the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn. Earlier, the Foreign Office rejected the petition calling for Mr Trump's trip later this year to be downgraded, stripping it of the trappings of a state visit. In a statement, it said the Government "recognises the strong views expressed by the many signatories of this petition, but does not support this petition". Support for the call to downgrade the visit of Mr Trump because it would be "embarrassing" for the Queen snowballed after he imposed a travel ban on nationals from seven mainly Muslim countries. The Government was compelled to reply to the petition because it garnered more than 10,000 signatures. MPs will debate it in the House of Commons on Monday alongside a rival 300,000-strong petition in support of the state visit after they both reached the 100,000 signatures threshold to be considered for discussion in Parliament. Responding to the anti-state visit petition, the Foreign Office statement said: "HM Government believes the President of the United States should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. "We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalised. HM Government recognises the strong views expressed by the many signatories of this petition, but does not support this petition." Meanwhile, outgoing Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has warned ministers must make extra resources available for policing the visit, which is expected to trigger mass protests. The backlash against the visit has also caused controversy in Parliament, where Commons Speaker John Bercow is facing calls to resign after branding Mr Trump "racist" and "sexist" and effectively banning him from addressing MPs and peers in Westminster Hall during the trip. Once again, on March 2, under the guise of an election, the carousel is coming to the village where we simple folk live. It is less than a year since its last visit. Last time the posters were bright and glossy and full of promise, and we simple folk lapped it up. But last year, following its departure on May 5, we realised we had been conned. Those involved in the carousel were shallow and self-promoting and looked on us as useful idiots who would provide them with a comfortable lifestyle with no responsibility. On March 2 this down-at-heel carousel, masquerading as responsible political parties, will visit our village, but this time we will be ready. When they leave, we wont expect anything, so we wont be disappointed. WILSON BURGESS Londonderry Hackers request that payments be moved to a different account, allowing the criminals secure control over deposits (File image) Cybercriminals are hacking the email accounts of Irish solicitors in an attempt to dupe unsuspecting home buyers into transferring funds to criminals' bank accounts. The Law Society of Ireland has confirmed a number of Irish-based legal firms have been subjected to this kind of high-tech assault. Dubbed 'Friday Afternoon Fraud', the conveyancing scam has been known to take several forms, but generally occurs when the hackers intercept emails between home buyers or sellers, and their solicitors. They generate lookalike emails which allow them to pose as the solicitor involved. During the final stages of a property purchase or sale, they inform potential victims by email that certain bank account details have changed. They then instruct that payments be moved to a different account, allowing the criminals secure control over deposits. A solicitor's own email may be hacked or impersonated, so clients are directed to send money to accounts other than the solicitor's client account. Alternatively, the lawyer may receive a telephone call, purportedly from the bank's anti-fraud team, asking for account details and passwords. They may be told to transfer the contents of an account elsewhere. The criminals then withdraw the money. The amounts involved can be substantial, representing a down payment on a property, or possibly the proceeds of a sale. The activity typically takes place on a Friday afternoon, when the scammers know client accounts are likely to hold large amounts of cash. This particular conveyancing scam is currently the number one cybercrime in the UK legal sector. But it has now been confirmed that conveyancing fraudsters are also targeting Irish firms. In a statement, the Law Society of Ireland said legal practices have been subject to similar "attacks". While it is believed the number is "small", the prevalence of such activity is unknown as "exact statistics are not available." In order to "protect solicitors against these frauds" the society has launched a new cybersecurity section on its website, to advise members on how to protect themselves from cybercriminals. A recent survey found a near 50pc increase in the number of cyberattacks reported by Irish firms in the past year. And three firms out of every 10 have been subject to a cyberattack in the past 12 months Rory O'Neill, an investigating accountant with the society, says the continued integration of technology has "significantly increased the risk" of attacks. He highlighted cases in which "external emails" between solicitors and their client have been "intercepted" and read by criminals. "When a genuine email is sent with bank account details enclosed, the fraudster intercepts and amends the details of the bank account. This amended email is then forwarded to the appropriate recipient from the spoofed email account." If the recipients "act on the emails", the money will be transferred to the fraudulent account. The Tennessee Department of Revenue will be holding a series of free tax workshops for new businesses in Chattanooga, Johnson City, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville in March. Details on the bi-monthly workshops are below. Chattanooga: March 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET at the Department's Chattanooga regional office, located at 1301 Riverfront Parkway, Suite 2.250. Johnson City: March 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET at the Department's Johnson City regional office, located at 204 High Point Drive. Knoxville: March 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET at the Department's Knoxville regional office, at 7175 Strawberry Plains Pike. The workshops will be held on the third floor. Memphis: March 2, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT at the Renaissance Business Center, located at 555 Beale Street. The workshop will be held in the Memphis Training Room. Nashville: March 15, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT at the Department's Andrew Jackson State Office Building location at 500 Deaderick Street. The workshop will be held in the Hearing Room (G.201) on the ground floor. These free workshops are designed to assist those encountering business-related taxes for the first time. Tax specialists from various local and state agencies will provide the basic information needed to comply with registration and tax requirements. During the session, attendees will have the opportunity to listen to these tax specialists, ask questions and receive materials explaining tax responsibilities. Areas of discussion will include business tax, sales and use tax and collection procedures. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information, please call (800) 342-1003 (toll-free inside Tennessee) or (615) 253-0600 (local Nashville-area and outside Tennessee). You can find more information about the workshops here. Rules the Waves: Dystopian Wars Battleship Trio 7 Minute Read Advertisement Three new DW Modular Battleships Arrive this month for Antarctica, France & Russia. Check out the latest terrors of the Dystopian seas, just out from Spartan Games: The Covenant entered the Great Conflict, reluctantly, to stymie the swell of destruction and halt the nightmare of a world at war. Years of brutality later, it has become logically evident to the Lord Marshals of Antarctica, that this nightmare has crested the edge of hell and the Old Nations must be brought to heel with a far greater prejudice. As their enemies develop their craft of death, so must the Covenant cultivate its own and has surged with development set to counter these new audacious threats. The Descartes Class hull is designed to deliver powerful and focused devastation to the troublesome foes of Antarctica. The Mk I Descartes Harrier Battleship is the first in this new principle objective. A ruthlessly swift vessel, driven by a powerful advanced engine and gliding on a light wave lurking frame. Crested with a trio of powerful Energy Turrets, the MK I can effortlessly cripple and harass priority alpha vessels with audacious hit-and-run tactics before it dives swiftly below the surface line. The hull sporting the most brutal Sturginium-laced broadsides ever devised and a fore torpedo payload, the Descartes makes short work of enemy vessels across all spectrums of an engagement. The addition of an on-deck Time Flow Generator allows the Battleship to surge itself and its allies swiftly into position, a should its thunderous volley fail to outright annihilate the enemy, crippling its ability to counter-position as their engines are wracked with sloth! As Antarctican War Ministers suffered increasing frustrations with the protracted battles and grinding engagements that had surged in occurrence as the war prolonged, a solution was debated in the Vault as to how to answer such a bloody conundrum. With complicated rationale left off the table, a less subtle and far more brutal termination was concluded to Shock and Awe! The Mk II Descartes Assault Battleship brings a powerful Energy Blaster hastily to bare on enemy fleets, searing enemy vessels to ruin in a corona of deadly plasma fire. To further ratchet the finality of this powerful weapon to bare, a long-range Energy Painter Generator was placed at its fore, ensuring that its desolating payload hits heavy. Advertisement Yet the true might of the Mk II lies in its elite Robotic Assault Automata. Given enhanced thruster packs and hurled out from rows of assault launcher-tubes, these merciless soldiers can assail an enemy position at distances thought unthinkable. No enemy crew will be safe from their calculated attacks! The Descartes Class Battleships usher the Covenant of Antarctica into a new era of dominance and prove to the leaders of the Old Nations that they are a military force not to be trifled with Subscribe to our newsletter! Get Tabletop, RPG & Pop Culture news delivered directly to your inbox. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Having suffered heavy setbacks through the onset of the World War, Armada Command of the Republique of France charged the Royale Scientist Guild with aiding in reversing its fortunes. A new approach to war was needed. Traditional conventions quickly becoming outpaced as the ambitions of the Great Powers heightened innovations on the battlefield. Looking to not be outdone by the likes of less prodigious, nor sophisticated countries, the Royale Scientists Guild created what they viewed to be a work of perfection: The sleek and deadly Gascony Class Battleship. Swift and graceful, and able to dart about the waves as if it were dancing, the Gascony is able to effortlessly engage enemies with its powerful fore Torpedoes, while its Retardant Armour plating lends the vessel a degree of durability in a firefight. The Gascony Mk I Hunter Killer Battleship is a warship the Admiral of any fleet would be proud to field. With an impressive anti-aircraft cannon, gyro-angled broadsides and heavy flak guns, no airship, no matter how mighty, would be safe from her wrath. Sporting a modified Heavy Torpedo Turret, capable of linking with its already formidable fore tubes, no nautical menace would be able to cower in the cold, shadowy depths. With an elite swashbuckling crew trained for aggressive boarding actions and possessing an incredible duellists-edge to their marksmanship, the Mk I has well earned its nom de guerre: Le Chasseur! Advertisement After witnessing the bewilderingly swift and devastating results of the Mk I Gascony during its naval trials, Republique Armada Command threw open their coffers to the Royale Scientists Guild, giving them full reign over a retrofit to the prodigious vessel. Changing them to bring the full might of their Heat Lance technology to bare in the form of a heavy armour destroyer. Maddened with confidence and drunk on accolades, the Guild fitted the Mk II Chaleur Class with a grim array of Heat weaponry. Using reverse engineered concepts stolen from a prized Covenant vessel during the aftermath of the Iron Scorpion campaign, French scientists managed to create a powerful Heat Flash Broadside system for the Gascony. Infusing the broadsides not with an energy payload, but a concentrated blasting heat shockwave, capable of incinerating enemy vessels that dare tread too close! When coupled with the Mk IIs formidable pair of Heat Lances, no earthly ship can survive such a magnitude of infernal destruction! Powered by a massive Fury Generator encased in its centre hull and tended to by a team of experienced engineers, this vessel trophy hunts the prides of enemy fleets, setting them ablaze with raging fires from across the battlefield. The Gascony Mk II Chaleur Class Battleship steams into troubled waters, filling the seas with the molten remains of all who dare challenge the Repulique! The Gascony Battleship is the pinnacle of French design. Potent and purposed. Pride and perfection. With such innovation and power now in the hands of Le Grand Admiral, no nation will dare disrespect the Republique of France! As the sciences and technologies of the worlds grow in power, so too must the might of the Great Bear! Under personal review of the Tsar himself, the munitions and navy of the Russian Coalition went into a furious re-development during 1875. A new hull, modern and able to keep pace with an ever-evolving enemy was designed in secret shipyards of the Coalitions frozen north. Flanked with a massive, thunderous broadside, the Pakhtusov class Battleship charges mightily into battle with massive over-clocked engines, boosted with a powerful, yet unstable, Sturginium fuel load. Bolstered with thick layers of ablative armour plating, the fortified hull is impossibly tough and is further protected from enemy attack by a powerful Target Jammer Generator, ensuring that this bloated beast of a ship arrives unscathed to the enemy lines so it may deliver the Tsars wrath with devastating effect! Advertisement Traditional gunnery, long the staple in Russias war-machine, was in need of improvement if they hoped to remain a threat to their enemies and their potent new vessels. Markov, the Antarctican Traitor, having proved himself time again to be the genius messiah of the Motherland, secreted himself away to a hidden laboratory in the cold miserable Island of Yuzhny. He had long planned to develop a new form of cannon, a terror weapon with which to break the will of proud enemy commanders and with the Tsars enthusiastic support the Pakhtusov Mk I Terror Battleship rolled out of dry dock, allowing him to realise his design. After many months of testing horrifying new forms of shrapnel warheads, he unveiled his mighty Fore Kannon design to the Tsar and his High Kommand personally. Presented upon the Pakhtusov Mk I, this Kannon sends forth a terrifying payload at velocities so potent it pierces hulls as easily as it shatters morale! Coupled with a powerful pair of heavy caliber turrets, the world is unaware at the horrors that steam from the shadows of the icy north! Yet as the Russian Coalition spreads its warfront to all corners of its expansive empire, protracted coastline sieges have begun to tax heavy on the White Navy. To bring a definitive strike to these stagnant conflicts, Russian High Kommand ordered a modification to the newly crafted Pakhtusov Battleship. With its powerful engines, de-burdened of towing a massive deck cannon, the Mk II can bring a more sizable complement of assault marines to the front lines. Protected in a towering fortified Keep, these Air Cossacks are equipped with gear more suitable for long-reaching port assaults, the superstructure providing them an incredible platform for launching attacks! With a truly Russian number of broadsides blistering the sides of this mini-fortress and supported by two towering keep Mortars, the close in punch of this formidable Assault Battleship is second to none. To better aid in breaking the will of their foe and to provide yet another layer of durability to the Russian fleet, the Pakhtusov Mk II Assault Battleshiphouses one of the most potent Glacier Generators ever conceived, able to instantly fill the seas with massive chunks of immovable ice, shielding its hulking silhouette from the sights of the enemy! With the Pakhtusov bringing newfound power and innovation to the Russian Coalitions mighty fleet, soon no nation will be able to stave off the ambitions of the Tsar and the glory of Mother Russia! ~ These are available in Spartans Store right now, with free shipping on orders over 100 Author: Mars Garrett Pop culture staff writer that has been on the BoLS team since 2010. Contributor on the One of Us podcast. Marvel, Vertigo, and dystopian sci-fi fan. Enjoys bad movies, amazing stunt performances, and the internet. Hates rom-coms. (she/they) Advertisement Read the Comments (1) Rahm Emanuel Details Federal Want List With Jeff Sessions: Report By Stephen Gossett in News on Feb 14, 2017 11:00PM Mayor Rahm Emanuel was in Washington D.C. on Monday to meet with several of the Trump administrations top officials, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions. During the meeting, Rahm reportedly made a rather big push for federal resources. Unnamed mayoral sources told the Sun-Times that Emanuel floated police-training funds, money for law-enforcement technology, and mentoring and jobs programs for young Chicagoans. He also reiterated the need for more stringent federal prosecution of gun offenders. The Mayors office shined a little bit of light on the Emanuel-in-D.C. proceedings as well. "Public safety is a top priority for everyone, and over the course of the day the mayor reiterated his request for added federal resources including ex-offender programs, mentoring and increased federal gun prosecution in Chicago, as well as additional federal agents," mayoral spokesman Matt McGrath told the Tribune in a statement. Along with Sessions, Emanuel also met with President Donald Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, among other high-ranking officials. The meeting came at a critical time between Sessions and Emanuel. The city of Chicago is negotiating a consent decree on how to implement recommendations from a scathing, 13-month-long investigation into the Chicago Police Department by the Department of Justicethe agency Sessions now heads. Sessions in the past has been skeptical of consent decrees and cited low police morale as a contributor toward violent crime in cities like Chicago. Also coloring the backdrop, of course, is Trumps habitual flogging of Chicago and its violent crime. He recently said the undocumented immigrants were fueling Chicago gangs and said that the city is worse than war-torn places in the Middle East after infamously threatening to send in the feds. Now that Emanuel is indeed jockeying for how best to take advantage of federal assistance, it looks like he has his eye on quite a bitat least in the first rounds of negotiation. Sabri Ben Ali (left) appears with his mother Saliha Ben Ali and younger brother in an undated photo. Her son Sabri was just an ordinary teen growing up in Belgium, until he began to become reclusive and serious about Islam, Saliha Ben Ali recalled. The 18-year-old Belgian boy of Tunisian heritage drifted away from his family and could not resist the lure of radicalism that his mother is fighting against today as the founder of a Brussels-based NGO, the Society Against Violent Extremism (S.A.V.E.) Belgium. Her son, who vanished in August 2013, ended up being killed in Syria in December of that year, she said. He died fighting for the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, against which Ben Ali has since declared war, as she told the French newspaper Le Figaro last year. Sabri was very much curious. Thousands of questions whirled inside him. He fell prey to the wrong people at the wrong time, and could not recover, Ben Ali told a seminar at Dhaka University on Tuesday. Ben Ali has made it her mission to fight against the indoctrination of young minds by radical groups such as IS, and is visiting Bangladesh this week to spread this message in the predominantly Muslim country that has seen a rise in Islamic radicalism, where scores of youths from across the social spectrum apparently joined local extremist groups. Ben Ali said she wanted to make mothers in Bangladesh aware of changes she noticed in Sabri before she lost him. Recruiters from radical groups spread venom in the name of religion. They find conspiracies in everything, Ben Ali said. She told the story of how she lost her son, while appearing on a panel titled Campaign to Counter Violent Extremism: Learning from S.A.V.E. Belgium, organized by the American Center in Dhaka and the Innovation for Well Being Foundation, a Bangladeshi NGO that promotes mental health nationwide. Youngsters are identified after getting involved with militancy, but the question is why should they become involved? said Bangladeshi journalist, Julfikar Ali, who spoke at the seminar. [P]olice alone cant fight militancy. Militants dont only fight with machetes, bombs or grenades. They are also radicalizing social and cultural sectors into fundamentalism. They have taken on a mission to ruin the secular values, he said. Another speaker, Mekhla Sarkar, a professor at the National Mental Health Institute, explained some of the psychology behind the appeal of radicalism to young minds. When youngsters get involved with militancy, they are always very curious at that age. They want to show heroism. They want to prove that they are now grown and mature enough, he said. Parents and family members need to listen to them with patience. A mothers story During her visit to Bangladesh, Ben Ali will meet with families who have lost children to radicalism or whose children have gone missing and are feared to have been recruited into extremist ranks. She also will meet with police officials and representatives of various ministries. On Tuesday, she told her audience in Dhaka how her son grew into a frustrated youth, after he dropped out of high school and could not land a job. He tried to enlist in the Belgian military, but it wouldnt take him, she said, alleging that her son was a victim of anti-Muslim discrimination. Sabri lamented to me that he could not secure a job even though he knew three languages. He was always under vigilance. While boarding a bus, police used to frisk him. He could not escape police surveillance while coming out of cinemas along with his girlfriend, Ben Ali said. Her sons frustration pushed him toward religion and he was lured into radical circles by some people who frequented a local mosque, she said. Ben Ali blames local imams for not paying enough attention to her son, saying they could have intervened to stop Sabri from being pulled into the black hole of radicalism. After he disappeared in August 2013, his mother heard from him just once, when Sabri contacted her over Facebook. Mom, please forgive me. I am in Syria. I will help the people here, Sabri wrote to me. I urged him to return. But he told me that he was in a place where he was being monitored every time, Ben Ali said. In December, she received the worst news a mother could get. A stranger called, and her husband picked up the phone. Are you the father of Abu Torab? the caller asked, according to Ben Alis account. No. I am the father of Sabri, Ben Ali recounted. He has been martyred just now, the stranger said and then hung up. A suspect (white shirt) in the murder of Kim Jong-Nam is seen in CCTV footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2, Feb. 13, 2017. Updated at 2:44 p.m. ET on 2017-02-15 Malaysian police said Wednesday they had arrested a woman carrying a Vietnamese passport and were looking for five other suspects in the alleged murder of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. The arrest took place at the budget terminal of Kuala Lumpurs international airport where, two days earlier, a man whom South Korean officials have identified as Kim Jong-Nam died en route to hospital after a woman reportedly attacked him with a chemical spray. On 15 February 2017 at about 0820 hours, the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) arrested a female suspect at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2). She was in a possession of a Socialist Republic of Vietnam travel document, said a statement issued by Malaysian police. The body of the victim was taken early Wednesday to Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, the countrys largest and best-equipped government hospital, where an autopsy was conducted, a police source told BenarNews. Sepang district police chief Abdul Aziz Ali said the post-mortem on the deceased had been completed but declined to comment on the cause of death. An official close to the investigation told BenarNews that North Korea had requested the Malaysian government to release the victims body without a post-mortem. But we turned down their request, the official familiar with the case said. Another police official said Malaysian police would pursue their investigation and release the body only after a post-mortem and related procedures were completed. "[The] incident happened here so we have to follow the rule of the land," the officer said. Malaysian authorities have not officially confirmed whether Kim Jong-Nam was the man who died in Mondays airport attack. So far, they have identified the victim from his passport as a 46-year-old North Korean man, Kim Chol. Hunt on for other suspects The suspect in custody, 28-year-old Doan Thi Huong according to her passport, was positively identified from the CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of her arrest, the statement said. Apart from her, Malaysian authorities were searching for several more suspects, including a female accomplice and four men allegedly connected to the murder, The Star newspaper quoted Deputy Police Inspector-General Noor Rashid Ibrahim as saying. The arrested suspect is to appear on Thursday morning for a remand order at the Shah Alam Magistrates Court in Selangor, according to a police official. Murdered man is Kim Jong-Nam: Seoul On Wednesday, South Korean officials said they had no doubt the victim was the estranged brother of the North Korean leader. Our government is certain that the murdered man is Kim Jong-Nam, said Chung Joon-Hee, a spokesman for Seouls unification ministry that handles inter-Korea affairs. If the murder of Kim Jong-Nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong-Un regime, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the country's acting president, told a meeting of security officials in Seoul. A U.S. government source told Reuters that Washington strongly believed that North Korean agents carried out the assassination. An earlier version gave wrong information about the location of the magistrates court. Chicago Public Schools Slaps State With Civil Rights Lawsuit By aaroncynic in News on Feb 15, 2017 5:50PM Demonstrators in front of Chicago Public Schools headquarters on Madison Street during the Chicago Teachers Union "day of action" on April 1, 2016. Photo by Aaron Cynic. In the latest of a long battle between the Chicago Public Schools and Governor Bruce Rauner, the Chicago Board of Education filed suit against the governor and the Illinois State Board of Education on Tuesday. According to the Sun-Times, the suit cites the landmark civil rights case of Brown v. the Board of Education, accusing the state of "separate and unequal systems of funding for public education in Illinois." "The state treats CPS's schoolchildren, who are predominantly African American and Hispanic, as second-class children, relegated to the back of the state's education funding school bus," the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit is the latest in a battle between the District and Rauner over funding for CPS. Despite having more than 20 percent of the states students, CPS only receives 15 percent of the states education funding. An overwhelming number of students in Chicago are people of color in economically disadvantaged areas, while students statewide are predominantly white. Due to Rauners veto of a bill in December that wouldve provided $215 million for pensions, the District says it was forced to make cuts. Most recently, CPS announced a $46 million freeze in discretionary spending. "The clock is ticking for our schools and our kids, and for CPS, CEO Forrest Claypool told reporters at a press conference, the Tribune reports. The point of the lawsuit is, under the civil rights clause of the state of Illinois, the way education is funded is in violation of the civil rights of our children, said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In a statement, Rauners education secretary Beth Purvis said the state was reviewing the suit. It is important to remember that the bipartisan, bicameral school funding commission just issued its report, which recommends an equitable school funding formula that defines adequacy according to the needs of students within each school district...The governor remains focused on moving forward these recommendations and hopes that CPS will be a partner in that endeavor Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Overcast. High near 80F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. 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. Despite Nearly 2 Years Without A Budget, Rauner Gives 3rd Budget Address By aaroncynic in News on Feb 15, 2017 9:45PM Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner delivered his third state budget address Wednesday, despite the fact that the state is going on nearly two years with no budget. For decades, our state passed unsustainable budgets, spent money we didnt have, borrowed and taxed to chase the spending and drove job creators out of state, said Rauner, after he opened the speech by quoting Lincoln. Rauner lightly praised the legislature for attempts its made to work toward an agreement on the budget impasse. Then, he laid out his plans for ending the impasse, which include being open to income and sales tax increases, a permanent property tax freeze, a hard cap on spending, workers compensation reform and term limits. But while the governor made attempts to appear as if political aisles had been crossed, several bouts of open laughter in the chamber during some points of his speech highlighted whats still a very broad divide. This isnt about pointing fingers or assigning blame, said Rauner, who also urged both Republicans and Democrats not to run to the media to say the opposite party has never passed a balanced budget. We are where we are. Rauner has been pushing the grand bargain, between Republicans and Democrats, which would entail accepting workers compensation reforms and a property tax freeze with an increase in state income and sales taxes. The final result must be a good deal for taxpayers and job creators: a grand bargain that truly balances the budget once and for all, and really moves the needle when it comes to job creation, Rauner said. While he said he was willing to accept sales tax increases in some areas, he said he would not accept tax hikes on groceries or medicine. Rauner also proposed increases for MAP grant and early childhood education funding, a $200 million increase in transportation funding, and training and hiring additional state police officers which he said would allow the ISP to send more patrols to the Chicago area expressways to counter the violence that has spilled over on to the highways. But while he mightve tried to appear somewhat of a populist, (again dropping dozens of gs from words like he does in many of his public speeches) Democratic lawmakers and others saw Rauners speech as another in a very long line of attempts to justify forcing his turnaround agenda on Illinoisans. In addition to raucous laughter at several of Rauners claims, Democrats taped up a handful of signs in the chamber that read Rauner budget = fake news. We have an advanced copy of Rauner's budget speech. No surprise here. Rauner Budget = Fake News pic.twitter.com/copq1HrURT Emanuel Chris Welch (@RepChrisWelch) February 15, 2017 House Democrats display signs saying "Rauner budget = fake news" and "Rauner budget = alternative facts." pic.twitter.com/CQxnqEPBQk Haley BeMiller (@haleybemiller) February 15, 2017 Rauner had to pause his speech briefly when the teleprompter malfunctioned. Anyone have a good story? he asked, and later joked that the Speaker said it was the Russians. Representative Emanuel Chris Welch later took a second dig at the governor on Twitter to blame the teleprompter woes on what he called alternative facts. When your speech is full of alternative facts, the TelePrompTer stops working! #signfromabove Emanuel Chris Welch (@RepChrisWelch) February 15, 2017 Rauners speech was also roundly criticized by a multitude of labor and other community groups. The only promise the Governor has kept is that he would create a crisis in Illinois, which he has accomplished by refusing to pass a balanced budget, said Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery. Social services are turning people away and young people are abandoning their dreams because they have no access to college due to his cuts to student aid. The group Common Cause Illinois, which helped push Automatic Voter Registration that Rauner vetoed and is now backing Senator Daniel Bisss bill to create a small donor public financing system, commended Rauner for calling out politicians beholden to special interests. Yet, the Governor has a track record of personally making multi-million dollar political donations to influence our elections and stopping good policy recommendations, it said in a statement. United Working Families, a progressive PAC, called Rauners Grand Bargain a a Raw Deal for the 99%. Bruce Rauner says he is an 'outsider' who wants to shake things up, but he's just another political boss looking out for his friends and donors, said the group. Today was no budget address, but a 'non-budget' address made up of the same stale ideas and recycled propaganda that got us into this mess in the first place. The Responsible Budget Coalition called the speech a "missed opportunity for the governor to lead." "The human toll resulting from the governors failed leadership is widespread and well-documented," the coalition said in a statement. "Instead of providing leadership, Governor Rauner today attempted to shift blame and made excuses. Our state needs the chief executive to show leadership in this crisis, not deflect responsibility." A Look At The Effectiveness & Legal History Of Mass-Transit Bag Checks By Stephen Gossett in News on Feb 15, 2017 7:18PM Getty Images / Photo: Tim Boyle When CTA riders encountered random bag checks at the Addison Red Line Stop on Tuesday, rumors soon swirled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was involved in the screenings rumors which ICE confirmed were false. The random bag screenings place a Mobile Explosives Screening Team at train stations, unannounced and at random. As was the case on Tuesday, local law enforcement often partners with Homeland Security personnelunder the VIPR programon the security checks. As we noted on Tuesday, the program has been in place since 2014. Even as similar protocol in New York, which dates back to 2005, was upheld to be constitutional after a challenge from the ACLU, some civil-liberties advocates still harbor doubts about the program after all this time. Weve looked at this program and have always been concerned about ensuring people have the option of not submitting to a search, Ed Yohnka, Director of Communications and Public Policy of the American Civil Liberties Union, told Chicagoist. Weve always wanted to hear if anyone has been coerced or forced into a search by one of these teams. Yohnka however said the ACLU-IL has not received any complaints of such coercion in two-plus years since the program was initiated. Riders do have the option of not submitting to a searchin which case he or she is not allowed to board the train. That option to decline was one of the central elements a legal determinationMacWade v. Kellythat ruled the similar program in New York City did not violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Other factors that led to the search being ruled minimally intrusive were police being able to search only containers capable of holding explosives, searches being conducted in the open, typical searches usually lasted only a matter of seconds, and authorities employ a formula that ensure they do not arbitrarily exercise their authority. Although a subway rider enjoys a full privacy expectation in the contents of his baggage, the kind of search at issue here minimally intrudes upon that interest, the ruling stated. The NYCLU of course saw things differently. Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the NYCLU said in 2005 when the organization initially filed its challenge: "It is essential that police be aggressive in maintaining security in public transportation. But our very real concerns about terrorism do not justify the NYPD subjecting millions of innocent people to suspicionless searches in a way that does not identify any person seeking to engage in terrorist activity and is unlikely to have any meaningful deterrent effect on terrorist activity." In 2009, the NYCLU filed another related suit, on behalf of a Brooklyn man who claimed he was stopped an excessive number of times by NYPD21 times in three yearsbecause he looks Middle Eastern. He settled with the city for $25,000. The searches seem to have turned up little evidence of terrorist activity in Chicago and some other cities. Washington DCs transit search program has been criticized as security theater. In its first 18 months of operation, the program yielded no arrests. (The city's Metro Transit Police Chief argued that lack of arrests should not be read as ineffectiveness.) And here in Chicago, in the programs first four months, officials found no explosive material in more than 2,500 bags searched. Police arrested one person in that time after he tried to pass through a turnstile after not submitting to a bag search. The Chicago police chief communications officer referred to Chicagoist to the Department of Homeland Security for the most recent statistics. The Transportation Security Administration declined to provide figures. "Specific information regarding the frequency with which the VIPR Program utilizes explosives detection capabilities and the results that have been achieved is considered Sensitive Security Information," TSA said in a statement. This post has been updated. We're sorry we can't find the page you're looking for. Perhaps some birds are nesting in the servers, or maybe we just crossed some wires ... The page may have moved, may no longer exist or is temporarily unavailable. If you typed the URL yourself, make sure to check for any misspellings. If you got here by clicking on a broken link, please report the error so that we can fix it. We've got our A-Z Links directory below, which might be able to point you in the right direction. If you still cant find what you are looking for, use our contact form to get in touch with the appropriate party. 2022 election guide: Here are Pueblo County's top races, ballot issues Here's what you need to know about the local candidates and ballot questions in the 2022 election, as well as how to vote in Pueblo, Colorado. For Immediate Release, February 15, 2017 Contact: Kristen Monsell, (914) 806-3467, kmonsell@biologicaldiversity.org Cook Inlet Gas Pipeline Leak Shows Risks of Offshore Drilling Hilcorp Alaska Has Been Fined for Disregarding Regulations, Seeks to Build Massive Liberty Project in Beaufort Sea ANCHORAGE, Alaska Hilcorp Alaska LLC, the operator of the leaking natural gas pipeline in Cook Inlet, has been warned by federal regulators to improve maintenance of its gas pipelines. State regulators have also repeatedly fined the company and said disregard for regulatory compliance is endemic to Hilcorp's approach to its Alaska operations. Hilcorp is seeking to build the controversial Liberty project, which involves a 5.6-mile pipeline in the Beaufort Sea. The company's Cook Inlet pipeline is currently leaking and diverting maritime traffic around waters bubbling with the flammable gas. Federal officials have said the pipeline leak could harm endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales, which number just 340 animals. This leaking gas pipeline may be a warning. Liberty is a huge, complex project that can't be trusted to a company that recklessly disregards regulations, said Kristen Monsell, a Center for Biological Diversity attorney who has raised concerns about the Liberty project. Offshore drilling in the treacherous waters around Alaska is inherently dangerous, and it's no place for operators who ignore safety rules. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued Hilcorp warning letters over its gas pipelines in September and January of 2016 and December 2015, citing improper maintenance, corrosion control and control-room management. The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has also repeatedly cited Hilcorp for violating safety regulations for its oil and gas operations in the state. In December 2016 the commission fined Hilcorp $30,000 for failing to calibrate its gas meters or submit required reports from August 2014 through December 2016. In its order the commission wrote, Hilcorp's history of noncompliance and its failure to take the rudimentary measure of entering AOGCC's requirements in its regulatory tracking system preclude any claim that Hilcorp has acted in good faith. Just seven months earlier, the commission fined Hilcorp $20,000 for failing to test crucial blowout-prevention devices, calling its communications over the incident misleading and incomplete and writing disregard for regulatory compliance is endemic to Hilcorp's approach to its Alaska operations. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is currently considering an application by Hilcorp Alaska to build the Liberty project, which was initiated by oil giant BP more than 10 years ago. That project would involve constructing a nine-acre artificial island in the Beaufort Sea, drilling horizontal well to tap underwater oil reserves, and building an underwater pipeline more than five miles long to send the oil to onshore facilities. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. For Immediate Release, February 14, 2017 Contact: Patrick Sullivan, (415) 517-9364, psullivan@biologicaldiversity.org Trump Administration Waives Water-protection Rule for Three California Oilfields Exemptions Will Allow Oil Companies to Dump Waste Fluid Into Aquifers SACRAMENTO, Calif. The Trump administration this week granted requests from Gov. Jerry Brown's regulators to exempt three aquifers near the Fruitvale, Round Mountain and Tejon oilfields in California's Kern County from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Approval of these aquifer exemption applications by Trump's Environmental Protection Agency gives oil companies permission to dump contaminated waste fluid into these underground water supplies. Gov. Brown's legacy will be deeply tarnished by this deplorable decision to let the most anti-environmental administration in history decide the future of California aquifers, said Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity. Trump's EPA is clearly eager to help state oil regulators give California's water away to the petroleum industry. In the dry decades to come, we're going to bitterly regret the governor's willingness to sacrifice this water to oil companies. The applications were drafted by oil companies and then submitted to the EPA by California's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources. California officials plan to submit dozens of additional exemption applications for other aquifers across the state, including underground water sources in Alameda, Monterey, Ventura, Kern and other counties (see interactive map). If the EPA approves the state's applications, oil companies would be allowed to operate injection wells and dump waste fluid into these underground sources of drinking water. Oil waste fluid commonly contains cancer-causing benzene and other pollutants. The aquifer exemption process also shrugs off the risk that oil industry injections could trigger manmade earthquakes. Scientists recently linked oilfield injections in the Tejon area to an earthquake swarm. Even minor tremors could endanger other nearby water supplies by opening up pathways to contamination. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. For Immediate Release, February 15, 2017 Contact: Patrick Sullivan, (415) 517-9364, psullivan@biologicaldiversity.org California Shrugs Off Deadline for Shutting Down Illegal Oil Industry Injections Brown Administration Lets 1,650 Oil Wells Continue Polluting Aquifers SACRAMENTO, Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown's oil regulators today failed to meet their own deadline for shutting down 1,650 oil industry injection wells that are violating water-protection laws by dumping toxic fluid into protected California aquifers. Governor Brown's administration has decided not to protect our water from illegal contamination by the oil industry, said Hollin Kretzmann of the Center for Biological Diversity. By failing to meet their own lax deadline for shutting down these polluting wells, state oil regulators have given Californians another reason not to trust a word they say. All illegal oil-industry injection activities were supposed to be halted by Feb. 15, 2017, according to a promise made two years ago by California's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources. The state could be imposing fines of up to $25,000 a day for every well that continues to operate in a protected aquifer. But as of today, the state has shut just a portion of wells operating in aquifers that should be protected by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. State officials quietly announced the indefinite delay in enforcing the law in mid-January. In March of 2015, state officials testifying before the California senate pledged to stick to the February deadline and other aspects of a schedule approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. John Laird, the state's secretary of Natural Resources, told senators that the Brown administration was fully committed to meeting these deadlines. The promises came in the wake of admissions by the Brown administration that state regulators had let oil companies operate thousands of injection wells that have been dumping wastewater into scores of protected underground water supplies in Monterey, Ventura, Kern and other counties (see interactive map). But instead of halting most of the illegal injections, state officials have moved forward with plans to exempt as many as 40 of these aquifers from water-protection laws. If these aquifer exemption applications are approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the oil industry would be allowed to make permanent use of these water supplies for the disposal of contaminated waste fluid. The Brown administration will go down in history for this failure to enforce the law and safeguard our water from oil industry pollution, Kretzmann said. It's a shocking abdication of the governor's most fundamental duty to the people and environment of this state. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.2 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. The Estee Lauder Companies has partnered with Nigerian online retailer Jumia to launch three of the company's brands Clinique, Estee Lauder and Aramis. Commenting on the partnership, Jumia Nigeria's CEO Juliet Anammah had this to say: With this new partnership on the Jumia platform customers and beauty enthusiasts all over Nigeria can now access the premium products from Clinique, Estee Lauder and Aramis with the assurance of Jumia's buyer protections. Each of our visitors will enjoy country-wide delivery, 7-day free returns, and varied payment options including cash on delivery. The Estee Lauder Companies is excited about this partnership with Jumia in Nigeria. Many of our consumers currently do not have regular access to our products, specifically in Lagos and Abuja. Our fully branded stores-in-store on Jumia will provide women and men all over Nigeria with the opportunity to enjoy our brands via an educational and convenient online shopping experience, and with full confidence on our products authenticity, said Mario Lazzaroni, country manager for The Estee Lauder Companies, sub-Saharan Africa. LAGOS, Nigeria - Dangote Rice, a subsidiary of Dangote Group is set to launch in Sokoto state with a multi-million naira 25,000 hectare rice outgrower scheme, with a prospect of hundreds of thousands of employment opportunities for rural inhabitants. Image by Pixabay.com President of the group, Aliko Dangote, disclosed at the weekend that the company will launch with a pilot project of 500 ha near Gonroyo dam, in Goronyo community. Gonroyo dam is the second largest in the country, after Kainji. The launch ceremony which will witness seedlings being distributed to the primary local farmers who will in turn plant the seed, after which Dangote Rice company will purchase from them for milling and final processing. Sokoto state is the second after Jigawa, out of the 14 states spread across the state where Dangote Rice plans to operate outgrower scheme to empower local farmers and create job opportunities for community dwellers and reduce migration to the cities. Dangote Rice projects in the 14 states, when operational, will generate a significant number of jobs and increase take-home income for smallholder farmers, all while diversifying Nigerias economy and reducing the nations food import bill. Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) estimates that rice demand in Nigeria reached 6.3 million MT in 2015, with only 2.3 million MT of that demand satisfied by local production. This local production shortfall leaves a gap of 4.0 million MT that is currently being filled through formal importation of rice or illegal imports over land borders. By year-end 2017, Dangote Rice plans to produce 225,000 MT of parboiled, milled white rice. This will allow it to satisfy 4% of the total market demand within one year. The model can then be successfully scaled to produce 1,000,000 MT of milled rice in order to satisfy 16% of the domestic market demand for rice over the next five years. Due to the current economic crisis, domestic prices for agro-commodities have risen dramatically over the last 12 months, making local agriculture an attractive investment. Dangote Rice seeks to take advantage of this economic trend and the favourable policies laid out in the FMARDs Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Through the Dangote Rice Outgrower Scheme, DRL will partner with outgrowers (smallholder and contract rice farmers) to cultivate and grow rice paddy. Specifically, DRL will provide inputs, technical assistance, extension services and land preparation services and equipment directly to farmers. At harvest, DRL will recoup the costs of inputs and services in-kind and will act as a guaranteed offtaker for paddy that meets certain pre-agreed quality standards. Smallholder farmers will provide land and labour. The centralised outgrower model enables a high level of control over product quality and quantity. The purchasing price given to farmers will reflect each seasons market price and will be set after an extensive market price survey and consultation with all stakeholders. In the short-term, Dangote Rice will be responsible for importing all of the inputs needed for cultivation and making them available to the outgrowers. By end of 2017, Dangote Rice will have 25,000 Ha under rice cultivation across three sites in Northern Nigeria, having identified rice-growing communities in Jigawa State (5,000 Ha); Sokoto State (10,000 Ha); and Zamfara State (10,000 Ha). The 25,000 Ha will be farmed by nearly 50,000 outgrowers in the selected site areas. These outgrowers are already organised into cooperative associations. There will be contracts with each farmer. Upon harvest, Dangote Rice will offtake rice paddy and transport the paddy to be processed. One centralised mill will mill the stored paddy rice from all three sites. Dangote Rice plans to produce one million MT of rice from 150,000 Ha in the next five years. They intend to accomplish this by scaling the business model described above to more sites and rice growing communities. These communities have been identified and relationship building and sensitisation has already begun. In addition to scaling the above model, DRL will establish and manage a high-quality seed development farm at Numan in Adamawa to reduce the costs of seeds. Dangote Rice will also establish raw material reception, drying, hulling, parboiling units and silos in strategic areas throughout the country near additional outgrower communities. Each site will store dried, hulled, parboiled bran rice. DRL will then transport this bran rice to a mill, where finished rice will be produced. Whether one is considering taking a leap into entrepreneurship or thinking of adding to one's growing business portfolio, investing in the fuel retail sector might offer the financial independence and wealth creation opportunities one has been seeking. James Noble Service stations are an integral part of modern society. More specifically, they enable mobility; affording people many fundamental rights, such as going to work, attending school and transporting life-blood goods and services around the country. In South Africa, with many communities based in rural areas, the importance of enabling mobility and the impact this can have on peoples livelihoods and futures is immense. Industry contributes +6% to GDP With the outlook for the South African fuel industry looking strong, exploring business opportunities around service stations could be a step in the right direction. According to a report by the South African Petroleum Industry Association (SAPIA) the sector (as a whole) contributes in excess of 6% to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) and supports employment of over 100,000 people directly or indirectly. There are approximately 4,600 service stations (owned or controlled by oil companies and operated by fuel retailers) that pump on average 300,000 litres of fuel per month. Importantly, the industry recognises they have a positive role to play in society, spending upwards of R64.2 million on corporate social investment initiatives. While service stations offer the budding and experienced entrepreneur a viable business opportunity, there are many factors to consider before taking the plunge, particularly as it remains a capital-intensive and cash-flow dependent industry. Investing in a service station entails one of three business opportunities: investing in the physical building, land and associated assets (prop-co), purchase of the business operation only (op-co) or purchase of both (prop-co / op-co). High cost/time factor To date, the asking price of a service station business can vary from R1 million to R35 million. In addition, the average working capital requirement of a service station can fluctuate between R1.2 million and R1.5 million. If, however, one wants to develop a service station from the ground up, ones physical set-up costs could range anywhere from R10 million to R100 million with highway sites commanding the greatest capital spend. The cost of these investments is based on the usual appraisal criteria of a commercial property such as the profitability of the operation and the evaluation of the physical real estate, including its assets and location. As an entrepreneur you understand that time is money. Therefore another point to bear in mind when planning a new service station development is the length of time it will take to tick all the red-tape boxes - with some developments taking up to 10 years to finalise. This includes establishing land use rights for the purpose of a service station through the local authorities, conducting environmental impact assessments and applying for site and retail licenses through the Department of Energy. While the investment from a time and financial perspective is immense, service stations are still regarded as a profitable business opportunity. Operators can maximise revenues, through the addition of alternate profit centres to the forecourts, such as quick-service restaurants, convenience stores and car washes. Although fuel margins are lower, fuel sales remain the primary income of a business, accounting for approximately 80% of an operations turnover and usually delivering greater profit than the other goods and services. Natalia Klenova via 123RF Franchise versus independent If you are looking to invest in a service station, another important factor to consider is whether you would like to operate as a franchise, under a major oil company brand, or as an independent. Pros and cons exist with both options, but with any franchise versus independent decision, it comes down to personal choice. In general, franchising has become an important player in the South African economy. With over 600 franchise systems and approximately 39,000 franchise outlets in operation around the country covering a broad range of industry sectors from fast food chains, retail, childcare and education to name a few franchising contributes 12.5% to South Africas GDP and provides employment for 325 000 people. Buying into one of the major South African oil franchise operations provides the back-up and security of working with an established brand, with no need to build up brand reputation or design new operating processes and procedures. The parent company provides tried-and-tested concepts, along with marketing and buying support and a degree of business guidance and mentorship. All one will need to do is staff the business and maintain ones service station, based on the oil companys criteria. Other benefits of operating as a franchise include insurance against any environmental risks that may occur, with the oil company generally taking responsibility for these costs. The retailer is responsible for normal business interruption and short insurance risks. It is also worth bearing in mind, in most cases, the franchisee will be required to sign an agreement to purchase fuel related products from the associated oil company. In addition, if you decide to sell your franchise, the oil company will need approve your buyer. Independent route On the other hand, if you are interested in exploring the independent route, you will be afforded the freedom and flexibility to run your own operation as you wish from the services you offer, to the hours that your station is open. Moreover, when you are ready to sell your business, you can sell it to whomever you like without input or oversight from the parent company. On the flipside, you are entirely responsible for the business from the branding and marketing to meeting very stringent environmental standards, which can be daunting and expensive, particularly when things go wrong. Semi-independent option If one is leaning towards functioning as an independent, however, apprehensive about the time it will take to build ones brand, there is another interesting trend to consider. Making strides, particularly in the rural areas of Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, is the forging of partnerships between independent service stations and big fuel wholesaler brands. While non-refinery wholesalers, such as Puma Energy, cannot legally hold a retail license in South Africa, this flexible agreement enables the independent owner to enjoy the benefits of being associated with a big national brand with the provision of branding and signage while at the same time, giving the owner the freedom to operate their businesses on their own terms. This less restrictive relationship with independents is not only confined to non-refinery wholesalers, but we are seeing this business model being rolled out by smaller up and coming petroleum retail brands like Viva Oil, MBT Petroleum, Quest Petroleum and Elegant Fuel. Watertight business plan Once one has decided on the type of service station business one would like to invest in, the next step is ensuring that one has a watertight business plan to present to ones financier or bank and that all of the pre-work has been completed and approved. Whether one seeks finance assistance from a bank, private funders or a collaboration of investors, it is critical that one works with a finance team that has a deep understanding of the fuel retail sector. Finally, whether one is uninspired by the shackles of corporate life or specifically looking for a new venture in the fuel retail sector, owning and/or operating a service station offers the entrepreneur an attractive business opportunity. However, before handing over a deposit, it is critical that one asks one last question. How ready is one to commit to the demands of the always on fuel retail industry 24 hours a day, 365 days a year? If the answer is yes, the personal and professional gains will be worth it. Gold Brands Investments has agreed to purchase a 50% stake in Hot Hot B Holdings, which owns Hot Hot Burger Bar, a themed burger restaurant chain operating in Greece and Crete, for 800,000. The purchase is payable in cash against profit warranties of 916,753 for the year ending 31 January 2017. Finalisation of the transaction is subject to the findings of a due diligence process. The founders of Hot Hot will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the business as 50% shareholders. The brand has grown to 15 restaurants, since it was founded in September 2012, and serves more than 7,500 customers per day. Its menu is based on traditional gastronomy burgers with modern touches. Innovative products are the result of continuous research and highly skilled operators. It has enjoyed solid growth, as consumers have been drawn to its high quality yet affordable products and its American diner concept, which is unique in its geographic target markets. The agreement is also expected to bring growth opportunities for Gold Brands homegrown brands in new markets. Furthermore, Gold Brands is confident that there will be a two-way transfer of knowledge and experience, to the benefit of the new and existing brands in the companys portfolio. Commenting on the agreement, CEO Praxia Nathanael, said, This deal comes hot on the heels of our partnership agreement with Casual Dining Group, which was announced last week. We are excited by the value proposition of the chain, as American diner themed burger restaurants are rare in Greece and Crete, and as such the product offers a unique experience to local consumers. The innovative menus provide a modern twist on the traditional burger and the decor and music offer an entertaining dining experience, which resonates with our flagship South African brands, Chesanyama and Black Steer. Based on the agreed profit warranties, we are confident that Hot Hot will be earnings accretive in its first year, with the added advantage of introducing a currency diversification aspect to our revenue streams. We have known the founders of the business for some time; they are like-minded operators. We have every confidence that they are the right people to drive the continued growth of the brand, with further downstream opportunities to take our locally-grown brands into Greece. Vasillis Haritakis, co-founder of Hot Hot said, The deal with Gold Brands, a public company with a proven track record of conceptualising and growing successful franchise brands, will take Hot Hot Burger Bars into another dimension. The prospect of being part of a bigger group, with a larger portfolio of brands to increase our penetration in Greece and Crete is exciting. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Gold Brands. The agreement delivers on Gold Brands vision to become a leading food services company, with both company-owned and franchise brands within the South African market and internationally, by offering customers unique and authentic brands with unbeatable value. Wits has launched its Campus Personal Navigator Challenge which aims to develop innovative systems to assist students with visual and physical disabilities to independently navigate Wits' vast campus. Professor Barry Dwolatzky, director of the JCSE The initiative is calling on developers and entrepreneurs with innovative ideas on how to solve the challenge to submit their entries at www.tshimologong.joburg/challenge before applications close on 3 March 2017. The Wits Campus Personal Navigator Challenge is the first in a series of four annual digital innovation challenges led by the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering (JCSE) at Wits University with sponsorship from the Carl and Emily Fuchs Foundation (CEFF). 'Personal navigator' The first such challenge sets its focus on new ways to assist students with visual and physical disabilities, by providing them with a personal navigator to help guide them from one campus location to another. Professor Barry Dwolatzky, director of the JCSE, explains that in 1986 Wits University established the Disabled Students Programme with the aim of supporting students with disabilities. This programme, now called the Disability Rights Unit (DRU), has grown to assist over 1000 students and staff with a broad range of disabilities. He notes that the challenge for developers and innovators will be to create a system that safely guides students between locations using predefined accessible routes, bearing in mind the well-documented inaccuracies of commercially available GPS systems. The system could be a simple standalone device that attaches to a walking cane or wheelchair or be a wearable device. This unique navigation system may work independently or in conjunction with relevant existing or future systems (software, apps, maps, etc.) to provide visual or audible directions and information to the student. To do this the proposed system might also use multiple sensors installed at key points on campus which will provide location information and alerts to a base unit installed on a walking cane, wheelchair or wearable device, Dwolatzky says. Apart from coming up with an innovative solution, those entering the challenge will be assisted in turning their idea into a viable start-up. Weekend-long hackathon The Wits Campus Personal Navigator Challenge will see approximately 100 aspiring digital entrepreneurs benefit from further training and the opportunity to participate in a weekend-long hackathon. Following this, the top ten entrants will each be given three months membership in the Tshimologong Precinct incubation programme, and the top three an additional seven months membership. In addition, one start-up in will spend four weeks at one of the Tshimologong Precincts international partner hubs located in Canada, USA, Netherlands, UK or India. This initiative will encourage young developers to refine their skills in location technology while also benefiting their fellow students and the greater university community and we encourage aspiring digital entrepreneurs not to miss out on this great opportunity, says Dwolatzky. The continued drought throughout East Africa has had a significant impact on maize harvests and pushed the prices of staple foods and cereals to very high levels, burdening households and posing special risks for pastoralists. According to the latest Food Price Monitoring and Analysis Bulletin (FPMA), the prices of maize, sorghum, and other cereals are approaching record high levels in swathes of Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Oxfam East Africa via Wikimedia Commons Inadequate rainfall in most areas of the sub-region has put enormous strain on livestock and their keepers. Poor livestock body conditions due to pasture and water shortages and forcible culls mean animals command lower prices, leaving pastoralists with even less income to purchase basic foodstuffs. "Sharply increasing prices are severely constraining food access for large numbers of households with alarming consequences in terms of food insecurity," said Mario Zappacosta, FAO senior economist and coordinator of the Global Information and Early Warning System. The trends in East Africa, where prices of staple cereals have doubled in some town markets, stand in marked contrast to the stable trend of FAO's Food Price Index, which measures the monthly change in international prices of a basket of traded food commodities. The difference is due to the drought that is hammering the sub-region, where food stocks were already depleted by the strong El Nino weather event that ended only last year. Poor and erratic rainfall in recent months, crucial for local growing seasons, are denting farm output. Somalia's maize and sorghum harvests are estimated to be 75 percent down from their usual level, and some 6.2 million people, more than half of the country's total population, now face acute food insecurity, with the majority of those most affected living in rural areas. Soaring prices The FPMA Bulletin tracks food price trends on a granular level and in local terms, with an eye to flagging instances where the prices of essential food commodities increase sharply or are abnormally high. In Mogadishu, prices of maize increased by 23 percent in January, and the increase was even sharper in the main maize producing region of Lower Shabelle. Overall, in key market towns of central and southern Somalia, coarse grain prices in January have doubled from a year earlier.With an earlier than usual depletion of household stocks during the coming lean season and preliminary weather forecasts raising concerns for the performance of the next rainy season, prices are likely to further escalate in the coming months. Maize prices in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, have almost doubled since early 2016, while they are 25 percent higher than 12 months earlier in the country's largest city, Dar Es Salaam. In South Sudan, food prices are now two to four times above their levels of a year earlier, exacerbated by ongoing insecurity and the significant depreciation of the local currency. In Kenya, where eastern and coastal lowlands, as well as some western areas of the Rift Valley, all suffered below-average rainfall, maize prices are up by around 30 percent, with the increase somewhat contained thanks to sustained imports from Uganda. Cereal prices aren't the only ones rising. Beans now cost 40 percent more in Kenya than a year earlier, while in Uganda - where maize prices are now up to 75 percent higher than a year earlier - and increasing around the key border trading hub of Busia, the prices of beans and cassava flour are both about 25 percent higher than a year ago in the capital city, Kampala. Double jeopardy for pastoralists Drought-affected pastoral areas in the region face even harsher conditions. In Somalia, goat prices are up to 60 percent lower than a year ago, while in pastoralist areas of Kenya the prices of goats declined by up to 30 percent over the last twelve months. Shortages of pasture and water caused livestock deaths and reduced body mass, prompting herders to sell animals while they can, as is also occurring in drought-wracked southern Ethiopia. This also pushes up the prices of milk, which is, for instance, up 40 percent on the year in Somalia's Gedo region. Lower income from livestock collides with higher prices for cereals and other staple foods in a wrenching shock to terms of trade for pastoralist households. A medium-sized goat in Somalia's Buale market was worth 114 kilograms of maize in January 2016, but at today's prices can be traded for only 30 kilograms of the grain. FAO uses its proprietary FPMA Tool, accessible to the public online, to monitor local markets and gather data for more than 1,350 domestic price series in 91 countries around the globe in order to produce its Indicator of Food Price Anomalies US researchers have come up with a new method of estimating crop yields from small farms in Africa using high-resolution images from the latest generation of satellites - a development which could help cut hunger in poor parts of the world. Improving agricultural productivity is one of the main ways to lift people out of poverty but without accurate data, it's difficult to identify the farmers who need help, scientists from Stanford University said. Images from new, inexpensive satellites could be used to estimate yields and test interventions in poor regions where data is scarce, they said in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday. To improve agricultural productivity, we first need to measure it "Improving agricultural productivity is going to be one of the main ways to reduce hunger and improve livelihoods in poor parts of the world," said Marshall Burke, an assistant professor at Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. "But to improve agricultural productivity, we first have to measure it, and unfortunately this isn't done on most farms around the world," he said in a statement. While Earth-observing satellites have been around for more than three decades, most of their images haven't been detailed enough to show the small agricultural fields common in developing countries. But with satellites becoming cheaper and offering improved image resolution, it is now possible to capture very small areas, the researchers said. David Lobell, an associate professor at the school, said in a video that satellites which were once the size of school buses were now the size of fridges or even shoeboxes. "You can get lots of them up there, all capturing very small parts of the land surface at very high resolution," added Lobell, who co-authored the study. "Any one satellite doesn't give you very much information, but the constellation of them actually means that you're covering most of the world at very high resolution and at very low cost. "That's something we never really had even a few years ago." The researchers focused on Western Kenya, where smallholders farm maize or corn on small half-acre or one-acre plots, to test if images from the new satellites were detailed enough to provide reliable estimates of crop yields. "Just combining the imagery with computer-based crop models allows us to make surprisingly accurate predictions," Burke said. The researchers plan to scale up their project across Sub-Saharan Africa. Reporting by Magdalena Mis @magdalenamis1. Editing by Emma Batha. Traditionally held in the US, the Sage Summit Tour is bringing personalised and interactive experience to cities and business builders around the world this year, and will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from 7-9 March 2017. Anton van Heerden, Managing Director and Executive Vice President, Africa & Middle East at Sage Top speakers, including Sage CEO Stephen Kelly, will share insights about how entrepreneurs can energise the success of their businesses. Joining Stephen Kelly are: Anton van Heerden, Managing Director and Executive Vice President, Africa & Middle East at Sage; Nick Goode, Executive Vice President: Product Management, Sage; Ivan Epstein, Chairman of Sage Foundation; Dr. Cheick Diarra, Astrophysicist, Businessman and Malian Politician; Luke McKend, Country Director at Google South Africa. The Sage Summit Tour is designed to encourage learning and networking, while celebrating the power of the global entrepreneurial business community. For more information, visit: https://www.sage.com/sage-summit/en-za/ Owning a property does not mean that the owner is entitled to do whatever they want to the property. Every property in South Africa that is privately owned is subject to certain control measures, which may restrict the owner from making the changes they desire. Before purchasing a home it is in the buyers best interest to check the title deed to see whether there are any restrictive conditions that exist on the property, especially if they plan on building on or changing the property in any way. The aim of restrictive conditions in a title deed is to create a property or neighbourhood with specific characteristics that appeal to a certain demographic of resident. Some examples of restrictions include that the property may not be sub-divided, the buildings may not be higher than two storeys, no business use of the property, only 50% of the stand may be covered or built on, all exterior wall must be a certain colour and all structures must have a particular style roof, etc. Restrictions on sale of property There might also be restrictions regarding the sale of the home and not just on the property itself. In some instances, parents will stipulate in their will that the property that they left to their children cannot be sold until they reach a particular age. This stipulation will be registered against the title deed of the property. Control measures and restrictions are governed by several laws and regulatory bodies. If a statutory law or written law of the country does not deal with a particular situation, then common law will apply. Each town will have a general plan or guideline as to how it has been set out with regards to residential, commercial and industrial areas. The local authority plans will set certain rules in place where particular types of building can be built, such as shopping malls and residential developments. A property may not be used for purposes that contravene that of its initial intended purpose. Land and scheme clauses A town planning scheme is created to ensure the general welfare of a community, as well as the overall appeal of the area. The town planning scheme will consist of a map showing the zoning of the land and scheme clauses, which should be read in conjunction with the map. Each municipality will have its own town scheme, which is available to the public for viewing. The development controls within the town plan include the use of zones, which controls what is built on a property and what that property is used for. It will also deal with density zones, which will dictate the minimum size requirement of a stand and the number of dwellings that may be erected on the stand. Other aspects include the number of storeys a building may be built, the total floor space that may be used for building, the percentage of the stand that is allowed to be covered, the minimum distance between the boundaries of the property and buildings and parking. It is possible to have a restriction lifted on a property, however, this will entail applying to the High Court for an order authorising the restriction to be lifted. This is provided of course that there is a good enough reason for the High Court to grant the request. The buyer can stipulate that the are putting in an Offer to Purchase on the property subject to the restriction being lifted. Alternatively, they can accept the conditions and purchase the home with its subsequent restrictions. The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training says it is satisfied with the student-centred model introduced by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for funding applications. NSFAS appeared before the committee on Wednesday. Through the student-centred model, students are now required to apply directly to NSFAS and this has resulted in an increased number of applications. This model was piloted in 2015. NSFAS revealed that 380,000 new applicants have registered on the NSFAS website. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Connie September, said the student-centred model has a lot of potential, but that NSFAS should perfect it and curb any challenges relating to applications. The transition [from the old model to the new model] wasnt smooth but it has not been bad either. The efforts made to make sure that poor students are accommodated and given access to higher education is most welcome. The committee welcomes the improved resources and the attention TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) students are getting, as well as the increased funding availed to individual students. NSFAS is in constant contact with all the stakeholders to make sure that the programme is successfully implemented, said September. She said the committee had noted that where there had been demonstrations this year, it has not been as a result of NSFAS. The scheme has already intervened at Walter Sisulu University, even though the matter involved late applications for placement. If you haven't paid MAReSOL, a new restaurant in one of the prime spots at the V&A Waterfront, a visit yet, it's time. Fantastic views, a social atmosphere and some of the tastiest Portuguese dishes with a Mozambican flair is what you can look forward to. We recently had the pleasure of attending the official launch of the restaurant and shared (being the keyword) a tasting menu - in regular portions - that left me with an urge to go back for more. The restaurant was cleverly designed by Wolff Architects with an emphasis on the views and surroundings. No matter where you sit, you'll have a great view of two of Africa's most visited destinations, as Andrew Matterson, operations manager at MAReSOL says - Table Mountain on the one side and the V&A on the other. You'll even be greeted by the unexpected view of a monstrous seal sunbathing - happily fattened with offcuts from the fish cleaning station by the Portuguese tuna fishers docking here. These are the views we got to enjoy while feasting on MAReSOL's fresh and generous bowls and plates. Though of fine dining quality, this is comfort food, home food. The flavours passionately produced by Executive Chef Eva de Jesus, was inspired by her grandmothers very own tried and tested family recipes, making the taste that much more authentic and special. A menu made for sharing This menu was made for sharing - whether between friends or family - and share we did as each dish made its way to the table in quick succession. Some freshly baked Portuguese rolls also found its way to our tables and we used these to mop up the sauce - and saucy it was. Further enhancing the taste of the food, each table is provided with MAReSOL's mild hot sauce, made fresh every day. (Please note: Mild in MAReSOL means "will burn your lips off"). We started off with calamari and chorizo - now most of the food here has a bit of bite, but this bite was just right. Perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth calamari balanced with the sharper chorizo taste makes the perfect combination. This was followed by a milder, more classic calamari with lemon garlic butter. If you asked me to choose, it would not be possible. Next up were crunchy, flavourful prawn and veg rissoles followed by chorizo shaped in a horseshoe with roasted peppers marinated in a sauce of garlic, thyme and sherry vinegar (cue fresh Portuguese rolls) and presented on the cutest mini cast iron skillet. Now, I'm admittedly not the biggest chicken liver fan, but I always taste what is given to me and this was a pleasant surprise... at least at first. The chicken livers were delivered to the table shortly after the chorizo, which I blamed for the burn. I only found out after the livers were taken away, that they are the ones to blame. If you can't handle spicy, beware, if you can, indulge. Up next was perfectly cooked trinchado - a traditional dish that apparently if you don't get it right, diners that know it well and grew up with it will judge you, tell you that you got it wrong and that it's not like their mother used to make it. The sauce in which the trinchado is braised takes three hours to make and truly heroes the garlic - and I mean this in a good way. Already at bursting point, we were presented with a neat row of chicken prego and, like the rolls, tasty freshness is what charactarises this dish and if you stop by for a quick lunch definitely give them a try - delicious. Now stay with me, because we've only just finished with the starters. At MAReSOL, you go big or you go home. For mains we were treated with an old favourite - free range, eyes-rolling-back-in-your-head delicious PiriPiri chicken. Basted in the house PiriPiri sauce, grilled to perfection and just the right level of spicy, you are encouraged to forget all manners related to eating in public and use your hands. The chicken was cooked perfectly - done, but juicy - which is critical. They say if you get your PiriPiri chicken right, you've made it and boy, did they make it. Our second main was intriguing and mysterious - served in a closed, bronze bowl, you are left in the dark if you don't know what Cataplana is. Upon opening it up, you happily discover that it's a seafood feast of mussels, prawn, calamari and fragrant rice. Half dazed from fullness, they were still not done with us. Luckily we were allowed a break before they brought out the dessert. After the food-induced coma wore off, they brought out plates of sweet things that finished the deal. These included Pasteis de Nata (a Portuguese pastry tart), and an almond tart picked proudly by Matterson. Lastly, we were served with a sweet treat made especially for us - Canutillo, the lightest pastry shaped like an ice cream cone and filled with a delicious, equally light cream which we eagerly munched on while trying to figure out how to pronounce its name. What makes these desserts winners, other than the superb taste, is that they aren't too sweet, just the perfect ending to a spectacular meal. Well-fattened, much like the seal outside, we rolled out of MAReSOL with every intention of visiting again and sharing it with our friends and family. More and more South African organisations are looking to profit from IoT. According to Vodafone's 2015 M2M Barometer Report , 35% of organisations in Africa now have M2M deployments in place, and IDC predicts significant potential for M2M growth across the African continent in energy, utility, and security services. Taduuda via Unsplash Introducing a new connected network of sensors and devices to enhance the customer experience and automate business processes is creating new opportunities and risks. IT managers are facing a computing world turned upside down due to the decentralisation of information inputs and control. Here are some new twists to conventional wisdom that can enable a smooth transition to and monetization of IoT. Work under the radar: Typically getting management buy-in from the outset of a new project is highly recommended. However, since IoT technology is still rather new to most executive thought processes, a small IoT monetisation proof-of-concept project may be necessary to demonstrate the potential. Until the benefits of IoT are well understood, it might be more prudent to have only a few collaborators involved instead of trying to educate, evangelise, and integrate the input from several high-level managers. Leverage existing systems: While current market hype suggests that you must obtain a new IoT monetization platform in order to successfully monetize IoT, the reality is that many existing ERP systems and integration platforms already have capabilities to handle IoT monetisation. By using your existing systems, you can avoid a major new implementation. Dont stick to the plan: While conventional wisdom suggests that you should have all of the details in place and everything perfectly designed down to the subroutine before you begin developing your IoT solution, the reality is that waterfall style development projects often fail, especially in dynamic new market areas. Using third-generation development tools combined with Agile or Agile SCRUM development techniques can enable rapid prototyping. Allow stakeholders to provide input all along the process so that the project can be modified quickly to reflect the realities of new IoT applications. Dont rely solely on outsiders Conventional wisdom also suggests that your internal resources dont have the knowledge or skill sets to manage the monetization of IoT. The reality is that many of the skilled professionals you already have in your organisation may be the ideal people to work on your IoT monetization projects. While you may supplement your team with outside resources and service providers, nobody knows your business better than you do. IoT offers the chance for South African enterprises to deliver new applications that improve product delivery and customer service, and increase sales opportunities but these new applications will also bring new challenges and expectations. While some of the best project management strategies for IoT monetization may be considered mistakes under normal circumstances, new innovations like IoT require creative project management strategies to help realise the full opportunity with an acceptable level of risk. On Tuesday, 14 February 2017, Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated Britain's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), spearheading the country's efforts to combat a growing wave of cyberattacks notably from Russia. Dmitriy Shironosov via 123RF The 90-year-old monarch formally opened the London hub alongside her husband Prince Philip, 95, and a host of government ministers including finance minister Philip Hammond. "The cyberattacks we are seeing are increasing in their frequency, their severity, and their sophistication," Hammond said at the official opening. "In the first three months of its existence, the NCSC has already mobilised to respond to attacks on 188 occasions." The finance minister vowed to "invest the necessary resources" and called for a "team effort" to counter the attacks against businesses and individuals. 100 posts opening at the new hub The centre is one element of a 1.9 billion (US$2,38 billion, 2,24 billion euros) government strategy unveiled in November to tackle cyber threats. As part of its bid to tighten security, the government is opening 100 posts at the new hub to be filled by private sector employees on secondment from their permanent jobs. Part of Britain's communications spying agency, GCHQ, the London hub is aimed at implementing preventative measures such as better securing state websites and email accounts. At the opening, agency chief Robert Hannigan said: "this morning began a new chapter in nearly 100 years of GCHQ's service to the country." Preparing for "category 1" cyberattack Staff are also preparing for a major "category 1" cyberattack, which is expected to happen sooner or later, CEO Ciaran Martin said in a Sunday Times interview. The centre chief accused Moscow of targeting political institutions and parliamentary organisations in incidents "well evidenced by our international partners". "Over the last two years there has been a step change in Russian aggression in cyberspace," he told the newspaper. Martin's comments come after US intelligence agencies accused Moscow of interfering in the country's November elections, which prompted the outgoing administration to impose sanctions on Russian agencies. Cyberattacks on government departments seek information on policy, including energy and diplomacy, while state-sponsored attacks on companies can be aimed at stealing intellectual property, Martin said. Source: AFP Electric carmaker Tesla announced the opening of a new Gulf headquarters on Monday in Dubai, aiming to conquer an oil-rich region better known for gas guzzlers than environmentally friendly motoring. Elon Musk, the co-founder and chief executive of the American firm seeking to revolutionise the electric car market, was in the affluent city-state to oversee the launch of the Gulf sales push. "The time seems to be good to really make a significant debut in this region starting from Dubai," Musk told the World Government Summit under way in the emirate. Services and logistic support Dubai's official media office said that Musk met UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who welcomed Tesla's decision to set up its regional headquarters in the city-state. Mohammed, who is also the ruler of Dubai, instructed local authorities to provide Tesla "with the services and logistic support" it needs, said the media office. Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. The emirate has a population of 2.5 million people, most of them expatriates. Despite a state-of-the-art metro, many people in Dubai and across the energy-rich Gulf region prefer to get around in SUVs or other luxury cars known to burn a lot of petrol. More cars per person than New York or London Official figures released by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority in 2015 showed that the number of vehicles in Dubai had doubled over the past eight years, leaving the Gulf emirate with more cars per person than New York or London. If that trend continues, the number of vehicles registered could reach 2,2 million by 2020, when the emirate is due to host the Expo international trade fair. Tesla announced last year plans to build self-driving technology into all its electric cars. "My guess is probably that in 10 years it will be very unusual for cars to be built that are not fully autonomous," Musk told the Dubai summit on Monday. Source: AFP At the Ubuntu Awards ceremony, held last week in Cape Town, Heineken South Africa, as a lead sponsor, further pledged to raise awareness on responsible alcohol consumption and road safety. The awards, hosted by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), saw government ministers, members of the diplomatic corps, high profile members from the community and business stakeholders attend the gala event. Ubuntu Awards recognise and honour South African industry leaders, organisations and extraordinary citizens for their distinguished service and contribution to promote South Africas national interests and values throughout the world. Each award was given to an organisation and/or an individual, who through excellence, innovation, creativity, social responsibility and patriotism, distinguished themselves as exceptional ambassadors of South Africa. Campaign on road safety Heineken fully recognises the impact of alcohol consumption in society if not consumed responsibly. While the vast majority of people consume alcohol responsibly, tackling harmful drinking is a priority for the group, which has a long history of encouraging responsible consumption and taking this role seriously. For Heineken, the goal is to make moderate, responsible consumption aspirational. When brands communicate directly, in a positive manner, the message resonates more strongly with consumers. Zodwa Velleman Heineken South Africa has embarked on a corporate and brand campaign to educate and encourage people to consume alcohol responsibly. To support various initiatives of reducing irresponsible alcohol consumption, the local company will contribute to the Heineken Group ambition to invest 10% of Heineken media budget and utilise the various global initiatives and platforms that it has available, for example, When you drink, you never drive, campaign. We are committed to addressing the role that alcohol plays when it comes to drinking and driving. We acknowledge the need for intervention programmes and initiatives to raise awareness. Alcohol, when not consumed responsibly, can have harmful consequences not only to those using the product, but to our society as well, says Zodwa Velleman, Heineken SA corporate affairs director. Alcohol abuse in South Africa is a great concern not only for government and for NGOs, but also to our industry, as misuse of alcohol threatens the sustainability of our business. It is only by working in partnership and joining forces and expertise that we will make a difference in South Africa. Anglo American chairman Sir John Parker announced his intention to step down on Tuesday, 14 February, after eight years at the helm of the mining group. Sir John Parker Anglo said its senior independent director Sir Philip Hampton would lead a process to identify candidates with appropriate global listed company boardroom experience. Parker would continue to chair the board until such appointment was effective. "Having seen Anglo American emerge in a strong position from the mining industry downturn, with its sharp falls in commodity prices between 2014 and 2016, I believe that the time is now right for the board to seek my successor during the course of 2017. The company, with its much restored balance sheet and a world-class board and management team, led by our CE Mark Cutifani, is well placed for the future," Parker said in the statement. "Chairing Anglo American has been an enormous privilege and it has also appealed to my close interest in engineering, technology and corporate turnarounds. The ability of companies to adapt, innovate and think creatively about the role they can play in society is a key ingredient of long-term competitive advantage. These are qualities at the heart of Anglo American's DNA." Source: BDpro The Dag Hammarskjold Fund for Journalists is now accepting applications from professional journalists working at media organisations from developing countries, for its 2017 fellowship program. The application deadline is March 20, 2017. Image by 123RF The fellowships are available to radio, television, print and web journalists, aged 25 to 35, from developing countries who are interested in coming to New York to report on international affairs during the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly. The fellowships will begin in early September and extend to late November and will include the cost of travel and accommodations in New York, as well as a per diem allowance. Four journalists are selected each year after a review of all applications. The fellowship program is open to journalists who are native to one of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America/the Caribbean and are currently working for media organisations. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and commitment to international affairs and to conveying a better understanding of the United Nations to their readers and audiences. They must also have approval from their media organisations to spend up to three months in New York to report from the United Nations. In an effort to rotate recipient countries, the Fund will not consider journalist applications for 2017 from nations selected in 2016: Argentina, Indonesia, Iran and Tajikistan. Journalists from these countries may apply in 2018. Four journalists are selected each year after a review of all applications. The journalists who are awarded fellowships are given the opportunity to observe international diplomatic deliberations at the United Nations, to make professional contacts that will serve them for years to come, to interact with seasoned journalists from around the world, and to gain a broader perspective and understanding of matters of global concern. Many past fellows have risen to prominence in their professional and countries. The program is not intended to provide basic skills training to journalists - all participants are media professionals. Full fellowship eligibility criteria and documentation requirements as well as the fellowship application form can be found on the Funds web site at www.unjournalismfellowship.org. These Yoga Asanas Help Fight Fatigue & Tiredness Efficiently Disorders Cure oi-Luna Dewan Are you feeling too tired or fatigued just after a slight walk? Or, an hour or two at your work and then you suddenly start feeling tired. This is because you have poor stamina. If you are one among those who fall in this category then here is a solution for you that actually works. For sure you might have heard about yoga asanas to treat certain health conditions like respiratory problem or migraine. But there are also certain yoga asanas that help to build up your stamina and prevent one from getting tired too. Also Read: Yoga To Reduce Stress So today in this article we will be discussing how to get rid of fatigue and beat tiredness with yoga asanas. What exactly leads one to get fatigued? When the body lacks in adequate oxygen, the organs and body parts cannot function normally. This leads to fatigue and tiredness. Since ancient times yoga is being practised for treating conditions like this. So, here is a list of these few yoga asanas that help to fight fatigue and tiredness efficiently. Check it out. 1. Setubandhasana (Bridge Pose) Step-by-step procedure to perform Setubandhasana: a. Lie down entirely on your back and then fold your knees. b. Place your arms on either side with the palms facing down. c. Slowly lift your back from the floor till your chin touches your chest. d. Make sure that both the thighs are parallel to each other. e. Balance the body and then hold on to the position for a few seconds. 2. Ustrasana (Camel Pose) Step-by-step procedure to perform Ustrasana: a. Kneel down on the floor. Keep your hands at the back of your pelvis with your palms supporting the hips. b. Slowly draw your tailbone towards your pubis and make sure that you feel the pull at the naval. c. Slowly lean down with your head up and arms straight and hold your foot with the hands. d. Make sure that you do not strain the neck. e. Hold on to the position for about 30-40 seconds and then slowly come out. 3. Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose) Step-by-step procedure to perform Supta Virasana: a. Kneel down on a mat with your hands placed on either side of the thigh. b. Lie down in backward position towards the floor and take a deep breath. c. Leave your weight on the hands. Then gently shift the body weight to the elbows and forearms. d. Slowly put your hands at the back with your buttocks and lower back pushed down towards the tailbone. e. Hold on to the position for a few seconds and then come out. 4.Shalabhasana (Locust Pose) Step-by-step procedure to perform Shalabhasana: a. Lie down with your stomach on the floor, toes flat on the floor and chin firmly placed on the ground. b. Keep your knees and elbows straight. c. Take a deep breath and slowly lift your chest, arms, legs and thighs off the floor. d. Gradually, stretch your hands and legs as much as you can. e. Hold on to the position for a few seconds. Exhale and then come back to the normal position. f. Do this 3-4 times. GET THE BEST BOLDSKY STORIES! Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 6:30 [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 You are here: Home In a farmer's home in north China's Hebei Province, resides an well-preserved imperial decree issued over 300 years ago. Wu Ruxiang, 75 of Linxi County, said the decree was granted to his ancestor during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) praising him as an official and his wives. The decree was written on 1.2-meter scroll and endorsed by Emperor Kangxi in 1684, said Yang Zunyi, a local history enthusiast. Composed of 325 Chinese characters and a Manchu version, the decree describes county head Wu Chenglong of Nanchuan county in Sichuan province as "capable" and "never forgetting his responsibility to the people." His late wife surnamed Liu and second wife surnamed Chen were described as "virtuous and devoted" for preserving excellent house-keeping traditions. In the decree, the emperor conferred Wu the title of "Wenlinlang," a bureaucratic rank, and honored his wives as "ruren," a title usually conferred on officials' wives. Zhang Xia, curator of the county cultural center, said Wu was a renowned family in Qing Dynasty, with six members in four generations being officials. "The decree has provides historical references to the official ranks and the social culture of Qing Dynasty," said Zhang. Australia's University of Newcastle recently announced the setting up of a scholarship program supported by China's Jack Ma Foundation. The foundation will give $20 million to fund a first-of-its-kind scholarship program, marking the largest philanthropic commitment in UON's history and the Jack Ma Foundation's first philanthropic contribution in Australia. Alibaba founder Ma was joined by New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, UON Chancellor Paul Jeans and others at the announcement in Newcastle. As a teenager, Mamet Ken Morley and his family, who were on a tour with the Australia-China Friendship Society in Ma's hometown, Hangzhou. Ma and Morley remained close friends until Morley's death in 2004. "I am very thankful for Australia and the time I spent there in my youth," Ma says. "The culture, the landscape and most importantly its people had a profound positive impact on my view of the world at that time." He says the foundation was delighted to honor the experience and the special relationship he had formed with the Morley family. "Alibaba was built by young people and we are committed to lifting up and empowering students so they can reach their dreams and ambitions." In its initial year, The Ma& Morley Scholarship Program will support 30 new UON scholarships, 20 scholarships to support students throughout the duration of their degree, including access to a unique and comprehensive engagement and enrichment program, and 10 one-off scholarships to support educational exchange, internship or immersion activities. When the program reaches full capacity, it will support 90 students per year. The university's vice-chancellor, professor Caroline McMillen, said the scholarship program would have a transformational impact on the lives of students and shape the next generation of leaders. Morley's son David, who still lives in Newcastle and attended the announcement event, said the family was really happy to see that Ma remember his Newcastle connection and to be honoring their dad's egalitarian values through the scholarships. "This scholarship program will exemplify the shared values between Mr Ma and Mr Morley, and aims to develop the next generation of globally aware and socially conscious Australian leaders," McMillen says. The first round of the program will be advertised in mid-2017 for students who would commence their first year of an undergraduate degree at UON in 2018. Photo taken on Nov. 19, 2015 shows a height monument of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world which stands at an altitude of 8844.43 meters, in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua] There will be free public Wi-Fi service at the top of the world, on Mount Everest, the Nepalese authorities have announced. Digambar Jha, chairman of state-run Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), said they plan to install a number of free Wi-Fi hotspots along Lukla-Everest Base Camp and Annapurna areas. Mountaineers can then post their messages and photos on social media instantly after they have conquered the peak, Hindustan Times reported. Wi-Fi service will be available on the highest point as the Everest base camp is located 5,360 meters above sea level and the signals will be available at even higher altitudes including the peak. The Nepalese authorities will implement the plan in the next 6 months. Currently climbers can only receive Wi-Fi signals in certain areas up to 5,200 meters above sea level. Many are using expensive satellite phones for communication. After setting up Wi-Fi in the Everest and Annapurna regions, the NTA also plan to expand Wi-Fi services in other areas of the Himalayan regions as well, Jha said. "This will make communication easier for mountaineering and it will also help in rescue efforts in case of natural disaster and other disasters in these areas," he said. The Everest Wi-Fi plan is part of the Nepalese government's general plan to improve the free Wi-Fi coverage in the tourist areas of the country. Mount Everest, also known as Qomolangma, the highest point on earth, is located at the Sino-Nepalese border, with the north part and the peak in China and the south part in Nepal. The mountain attracts thousands of tourists and mountaineers every year. An ancient doctrine by the country's prominent philosopher Confucius considered a man without offspring a top violator against filial piety virtues and asked people to marry and have children at appropriate ages. But the old dogma has lost its appeal in modern times, which is even less appealing to many during a day like Valentine's Day, when lovers in China are eager to buy roses and chocolates at considerably high prices for a commercialized celebration inherited from the Western hemisphere. Yu Fei, a Beijinger who divorced five months after her marriage, said she found that she was totally unable to integrate into her husband's family. "I started to realize that the marriage was not only between us two but also our parents and relatives; but I was not prepared at all to become a member of an unfamiliar family," Yu said. Li Yinhe, a sociologist from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), observed the young people's growing tendency to stay single as an emerging social trend that conflicts with the traditional view of their parents' generation. "The parents of the graying generation must be shocked and outraged when they hear their children declare that they prefer to be single. In their opinion, marriage means sustaining families with future generations," Li said. According to the Social Blue Book issued by the CASS in 2010, the country is expected to see a surplus of 24 million men against women at marriageable ages by 2020, indicating an unbalanced gender structure that may engender an increasing proportion of bachelors. Qi Zong, a man of 36 working in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, has lost his parents and experienced a lonely Spring Festival by heading to Yunnan Province. Having thought it over for several times, he has told his family that he would rather remain a bachelor. Although his relatives offer their understanding and respect, they haven't given up persuading him to change his mind. "I won't hide my true thoughts when dating girls, most of whom expect me to develop the relationship into a marriage," said Qi. The disagreement has led to numerous spilt-ups, and the longest relation that Qi has sustained in the past couple of years lasted no more than four months. According to Qi, people always think that he hasn't met a girl that he truly likes. But for many bachelors like Qi, to be single and stay free is simply the true voice of their hearts. China's divorce rate has soared since 2002, and the figure has more than tripled to 2.8 in 2015. Moreover, a rise in women's social status has also resulted in the growing number of singles. During the sixth nationwide demographic census in 2010, the rate of unmarried women above 30 doubled to 2.47 percent within a decade, during which more women proactively choose to be single. Pan Yunkang, director of the Tianjin Research Institute of Marriage and Family, said, "The challenges facing today's marriage that have been caused by the transformation of society, especially the society of migration, cannot be simply judged by moral standards." Disagreements between attorneys at law and Judicial officers is far from over and could throw the judiciary into the third year of crisis, Botswana Guardian has observed. The judicial crisis has been experienced in the past two years with both sections at each others throats over processes and procedures and professional conduct. Anticipation has been that given the two-year war, 2017 would be a different one. However, as things played out at the commencement of the legal year on Tuesday this week, it was evident that the duo still lives in different worlds.Attorneys at law represented by Law Society of Botswana (LSB), judges represented by Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo and judicial officers supported by Attorney General on behalf of government sang opposing tunes on the state of the countrys judiciary. The only issue that the trio found common ground on was the resolution of forum shopping. As for appointment of judges, dispensation of justice (timeline for completion of cases and delivering of judgement) and governments reluctance to review the Legal Practitioners Act, views remained divergent. The society this week through its Chairman, Kgalalelo Monthe has once again stated that Judges should be appointed on merit as well as integrity and suitability of character and temperament. He explained that knowledge of the law, the balance of mind, the ability to brush aside the inessential and drive to the heart of a case are crucial. The work of the judiciary is too important to entrust to those of doubtful competence and a bad Judge may do irreparable damage since there are some judicial errors which even the most elaborate system of appeals cannot remedy. This is particularly so because bad Judges are capable of shaking public confidence in the judiciary, said Monthe. Even though Chief Justice Maruping Dibotelo has indicated that through the Judicial Case Management Committee chaired by Justice Tafa there has been some improvement, LSB tells a different story. Dibotelo has stated that timeframes for completion of cases including the delivery of judgements are generally being observed. He said where non-compliance was observed; oversight mechanisms for redress have been put in place. The society however says many legal practitioners; litigants and accused persons have a different story to tell. Monthe revealed that the Society has therefore resolved to create measures to name Judges whose judgments are delayed beyond the 90 days from the time that the matter is concluded. The 90 days is a measure that the High Court has set for itself for delivery of judgments. According to Monthe, the Society will publish details of the cases indicating dates when the matter was concluded as well as the name of the concerned Judge. This statement could be observed to have sent some elements of displeasure and distaste among judges and magistrates who attended the legal year opening.Another matter which the LSB is not pleased with, is the participation of the chief justice in cases where he is a party. The Society has ongoing litigation with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) on issues relating to its mandate, said Monthe adding that they have expressed concern that in such cases, it is either the Chief Justice, who is Chairman of the Commission, who empanels the bench to decide a matter in which he is a party. The society says this practice is wholly unsatisfactory as it creates a perception of conflict of interest. Similarly, the Society notes that in appeals in which the Judicial Services Commission is a party, the Judge President (Ian Kirby) who is a member of JSC, empanels the court to hear a matter despite being a party. Again, this creates a perception of conflict of interest. At the ceremony of the Opening of the Legal Year in 2016 the Society announced that it intended to launch litigation challenging the then recent appointment of one of the Judges of the Court of Appeal. Indeed, the Society went ahead and filed a Statutory Notice in terms of the State Proceedings Act, he said. Monthe revealed that whilst the Society was yet to proceed with the action, the announcement caused quite some agitation to the extent that Kirby publicly called our then Chairman rude and offered a public apology to the affected Judge. He said it was surprising that Kirby included the said Judge in all three (3) appeals of the LSB during the just-ended session. This also seemed to have caused a stir as the chief Justice warned Monthe to wrap up his address since he had run out of his allocated time. The tension could be felt within the two courtrooms which were used for the proceedings of the day. The LSB chairman would however not call it a day without responding to Kirbys utterance over separation of powers at the opening of the just-ended court of appeal session. LSB has questioned the value these comments brought. Monthe said their hope is that whatever the intention was it has not been achieved. The Society notes that if the credibility of the Judiciary in Botswana is to be ensured episodes such as these need to be avoided at all costs, he argued.The Society believes that the role of the Court of Appeal is to interpret the law in order to ensure clarity and certainty. Its role is not to provide a stabilising factor as stated by the JP. This role as envisaged by the JP sends a somewhat chilling and sinister message to those who litigate against the Executive and Judges who preside over the matters. Acting Attorney General Morulaganyi Chamme with a mediatory tone called for respect and professionalism when handling differences. He said there is nothing wrong in addressing the issue of appointment but it would be a problem when an individual is targeted and addressed specifically. Attorney cum politician, Duma Boko told Botswana Guardian at the end of the proceedings that it is evident that the judiciary is still in crisis. He said the issues of lack of transparency and accountability in relation to appointment of judges has been persistent. He revealed that the Chief Justice conveniently sidestepped on the issues of concern but fortunately the Law Society brought them back into the fore-ground.One hopes that from today issues as ventilated by LSB chairman will occupy centre stage and society (public) will reflect on and debate these issues robustly going forward and come up with lasting solutions. In his response to last years State of the Nation Address, Boko who is the President of Umbrella for Democratic Change and Leader of Opposition in Parliament, called for intervention to rescue the Judiciary. He said from the perspective of the UDC all institutions of society including the judiciary will undergo reform to ensure they best serve Batswana. After 40 years in politics, Member of Parliament for Mahalapye East Botlogile Tshireletso will resign from active politics, she has told Botswana Guardian. The plan, she says, is to consult her constituents and the entire democrats in May this year. Tshireletso says her journey in active politics has been a learning curve full of ups and downs. Perhaps her number one observation is that women are refusing to stand and campaign. She says women feel intimidated by men and are not courageous. Politics is not for the faint-hearted, and if you are not bold, you are going to quit prematurely, she says. She says women list, among other issues, not understanding how to balance family with politics, handling the pressure of being insulted by other politicians, and the tendency where people dig others past to de-campaign them. She says women can be each others worst critics. In politics, there is no respect. Whether you are young or old, they will bash you. I have been condemned for my not-so-good English and not being an intellectual, but I stood firm and served my country, she says. Her main worry, she explains, is that she does not see women coming forth from her constituency to stand in 2019. When I joined politics at the age of 24, I knew what I was getting myself into, she says, urging women in politics to grow a thick skin. A free spirit, Tshireletso says that being in the executive committee has limited her from talking about some issues that she believes must be challenged. Thats where policies are made and one feels limited sometimes, she says, without wanting to divulge much. The MP has often caused mixed reactions over her sentiments that abortion should be legalised. While some people see the view as a welcome gesture for women that are not ready to be mothers, or those that did not plan on having more babies, others feel Tshireletso is encouraging murder and irresponsible behaviour. But she has remained unfazed. I find it pointless that a woman should be forced to keep a child she does not want, only for her to turn to unprofessional personnel for help or resort to throwing the child in dustbins immediately after birth. She says should a legal clinic be made available, clients will be counselled and attended to by trained professionals. Her next move Tshireletso says that she wants to relax outside politics while still in Botswana. She says that she will fully get engaged on her new foundation that aims at mentoring young men and women who want to venture into politics. Under this initiative, her mentees would get to appreciate that politics is not about money but national service. A lot of them get frustrated along the way because they get broke. Their expectation is that they will become rich and when it does not happen, they become bitter and miserable, she says. Additionally, she will use her retirement to assist the vulnerable in the society. She is confident that she was born a leader. Meanwhile, Tshireletso is the president of Democracy and Human Right Committee of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU). Economic analysts say the budget presented by Finance minister, Kenneth Matambo this week is vulnerable to external trade shocks hence the country must speed up economic diversification drive and widen the revenue base. Speaking during the FNB 2017/18 budget review meeting this week, First National Bank research manager, Moatlhodi Sebabole, said the biggest source of government revenue is mainly minerals and Southern African Custom Union (SACU) however, the two were susceptible to external shocks. The composition of our budget for the past six years is that almost 60 percent of its revenue is coming from SACU and minerals and its a weakness that needs to be addressed, said Sebabole. He said the budget is also focusing to get more revenue from SACU than minerals and against that background, it means the country is at the mercy of recovery of international trade and of South Africa, which contributes almost 90 percent to the customs union. Sebabole added that if South Africa does not do more international trade outside the SACU bloc, Botswana will face budgetary headaches. Last year South Africa didnt do well on the international trade because of the low commodity prices and we didnt collect much from SACU. If you are presenting a budget that says that the majority (revenue) will come from SACU, it means the external vulnerability will very much hit us, he said. Sebabole also highlighted that diamond sales depend almost 60 to 70 percent on the US market, and this also presents a challenge if the market crumbles. The economist reiterated that Botswana is predominantly a mineral dependent economy, and there is need to diversify the economy and widen the revenue sources. He expressed concern why Botswana is not getting much Foreign Direct Investments as compared to other countries in the region despite the country being stable and receiving many international accolades for being the safest country to invest. Sebabole said it beats logic how a country like Mozambique is getting the lions share of the FDI inflow into the region yet the country is not politically stable. We should look at our regulations and business environment and see how best we can attract foreign direct investments, he pointed out. Speaking at the same occasion, FNB Chief Executive Officer, Steven Bogatsu, said the global economic instability of 2016 hurt most economies. On the home front, the ripple effects of the closure and liquidation of companies such as BCL will manifest this year, said the banker. Against the background of uncertainty, Bogatsu said there is need to cautiously remain optimistic. We need to put up strategies .....and the key to the success of these strategies lie in dedicated implementation of the strategies. The key to successful strategy implementation is to step out of the ivory tower and look at what Batswana are saying on the ground, said the CEO. He said there is need to equip the SMMEs with knowledge and skills that they need to better manage their businesses and catalyse and stimulate the economy. Governments funding agency- CEDA - has skilfully manoeuvred its way to reclaim the majority shareholding of the countrys only steel plant - Pula Steel. Had this not happened, the plant would have gone under the hammer together with its former parent company -BCL- when the latter was placed under provisional liquidation. Not only has CEDA taken control of Pula Steel, but it has appointed an audit firm, Grant Thornton to appoint qualified personnel to executive management as well as to do status records with the aim of reporting any wrongdoing to the law enforcements agencies. The appointment of Grant Thornton to probe Pula Steel is the second following the appointment of another audit firm, Pricewaterhouse Botswana, to investigate BCL investment into the company by Minerals Development Company Botswana (MDCB). The multimillion Pula plant has never operated since the shareholders invested in it. It was hoped it would start production after dilution of the BCL shares following a new capital call. The shareholders set the date for production of the much in demand billets for 1st February 2017, but that was postponed to ensure the atmosphere was conducive for production including paying the employees outstanding salaries for December and January. Last week the plant employees decided to take the law into their hands by locking their CEO and Investor, Ranvir Kumar Verma inside the plant as they demanded to be paid their salaries as well as the removal of the Verma family from key managerial positions. The situation calmed down after the intervention of Thabo Thamane, the chief executive of CEDA who assured them that theyd receive their dues as investors have injected new capital. Botswana Guardian investigation has established that the latest capital call of the Pula Steel which saw all the shareholders, except for BCL, injecting capital in order to save the company from collapsing, elevated CEDA to the majority shareholding at 49 percent after they bought equity. This automatically diluted BCL from 64.5 to 22 percent shareholding. Other shareholders are the Verma family and a citizen-owned company, Wealth Generation who own 23.5 and 5.5 percent respectively. BG News has it on good authority that although BCL was represented at the board meeting when capital call was made, its representative, Nigel Dixon- Warren, who is the provisional liquidator, could not commit BCL as he does not have the mandate to either sell or buy on behalf of the company. It is said that the total capitalisation of Pula Steel is P29 million, and when CEDA bought equity, they did not only become the majority shareholder, but they took control and proposed to other shareholders that a management company should be appointed at Pula Steel. BG News has learnt that CEDA has appointed a local audit firm, Grant Thornton which started last December. The first assignment of the latter was to do status records, meaning that the audit firm was mandated to scrutinise every document to ensure that all is in order. Part of the conditions that CEDA has set is that should Grant Thorntons findings reveal any transgression when they scrutinise Pula Steel, then CEDA will refer such infractions to law enforcement agencies such as DCEC and others. CEDA has also proposed that Thornton should help to find suitable personnel for the positions of CEO, Chief Financial Officer and Technical Manager for Pula Steel. Current shareholding BG News has established that the meeting that the CEDA did not attend led to their shares being diluted to 5.5 percent as they had not injected any capital. The same meeting led to BCL majority shares increasing to 64.5 percent, while Verma family went high to 23.5 percent with Wealth Generations staying at 6.5 percent. BCL provisional liquidator, Nigel Warren- Dixon could not say much save that, I am aware of what is taking place at the Pula Steel board because I sit there in my official capacity as provisional liquidator representing BCL. But, I am unable to discuss because Pula Steel is a private company and discussing such matters with other parties will be a breach of my duties in accordance with the Companys Act. The CEO of CEDA Thabo Thamane could not be drawn into much discussion but confirmed that Pula Steel will turn around and CEDA is committed to ensuring that jobs are protected and even more will be created as the plant operates. Demonstrators participate in a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order barring U.S. entry to all regugees and seven Mideast and North African countries' citizens, in front of the White House, in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 4, 2017. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Washington on Saturday to demonstrate against an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Donald Trump has started his presidency showing a sincere will to keep many of his pre-election promises while also testing the checks and balances system of American politics. As far as migration is concerned, he has encountered opposing court decisions in his effort to ban citizens of some countries from entering the U.S. All this has sparked unprecedented disagreement between the president and the judges challenging America's already divided democracy. Whoever prevails in the end, the trauma won't be easily healed. Apart from the domestic and international interpretation of the debate, Trump's migration agenda was formulated before the presidential election. His speeches, interviews and remarks were published and widely distributed. So there is no element of surprise here. His decision to bar citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering the country for 90 days and the suspension of the admission of all refugees for 120 days and for an indefinite period for those coming from Syria gives a practical taste of his approach. Within this framework, security procedures will be reviewed and the visa-issuance procedure will become more complicated and difficult, also with regard to travelers from the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) designated countries. Trump's restrictions vis-a-vis migrants and refugees can hardly be assessed if no reference to modern American history is made. Specifically, in 1980, Congress passed The Refugee Act which created a program for the effective resettlement of refugees and the provision of assistance to them to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Approximately 3 million refugees have been resettled in the U.S. since then. It is important to mention that Trump is not the first U.S. president to stop the admission of refugees. George W. Bush adopted similar measures after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Historically, the total number of refugees coming to the U.S. has fluctuated over the past few decades. Different global events such as the end of the Cold War or the Balkan Wars and different priorities of Washington have influenced this fluctuation. Under Trump, the total number of admissions is expected to be around 50,000 for the year. An analysis of data gathered by the Migration Policy Institute for the 21st century shows that this number does not significantly vary from that of many years of George W. Bush's and Barack Obama's administrations. In 2005 and 2006 - under normal circumstances in the aftermath of 9/11 - the number was 53,813 and 41,223 respectively. Also, it was 56,424 in 2011 and 58,238 in 2012 respectively. In the last years of his presidency, Obama was more generous, attempting to keep his promises from his first year in office and also responding to the humanitarian crisis stemming from the Middle East turmoil. This being said, 70,000 refugees were admitted in fiscal year 2015 and 84,995 in fiscal year 2016. At first glance, Trump's policy is consistent with American norms in the 21st century. It only differs from Obama's targets in the last years and is therefore considered as extreme by mainstream media. What is perhaps more problematic with Trump's travel ban is that it targets Muslims, although not exclusively. State Department's Processing Center data demonstrate that Muslims made up nearly half (46 percent) of refugee admissions in 2016. And now Trump's executive order is concerned with several Muslim countries where extremism and terrorism are on the rise. No specific Muslim ban can be found in the official document. But this is certainly implied. A characteristic excerpt also states that when admissions of refugees resume, the U.S. will "prioritize refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual's country of nationality." The good news for Donald Trump is that the ongoing negative media coverage does not necessarily reflect public opinion in the U.S. A Quinnipiac University national poll conducted in January shows that a 48 percent of American voters support "suspending immigration from terror prone regions, even if it means turning away refugees from those regions," as opposed to a 42 percent which disagree. The bad news for the U.S. president, however, is that his method will not necessarily prevent more terror attacks or boost the U.S. economy. Last but not least, Trump is further widening the gap between himself and other world leaders. Many politicians and prominent figures have blasted him for employing divisive, insulting and discriminatory practices. George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. U.S. President Donald Trump (C) gestures to media before boarding Marine One departing for Andrews Air Force Base en route to West Palm Beach, Florida, at White House in Washington D.C.,the United States, Feb. 3, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) "I fully understand the 'One China' policy," said Trump, appearing on Fox News Sunday's December 11 broadcast, "But I don't know why we have to be bound by a 'One China' policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade." Trump previously incited controversy when he ignored four decades of diplomatic protocol between the United States and China with his phone call to Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen on December 2, 2016. Following Trump's comments on Fox News Sunday, a Global Times editorial accused Trump of being as "ignorant as a child in terms of foreign policy," and also taking a firm stance in dismissing any negotiations surrounding the One China policy. According to a Financial Times article, Beijing "warned Donald Trump that the two countries will have 'nothing to discuss'" if any mention of negotiating the policy continued, hinting that diplomatic relations might be suspended outright. Roughly two months after suggesting that the widely regarded bedrock of Sino-U.S. relations should be reconsidered, "Trump used a Thursday night (February 9) phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping to say that he would honor the so-called 'One China' policy," says Zeeshan Aleem writing for Vox.com. A Whitehouse press release issued on the same day states, "The two leaders discussed numerous topics and President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honor our 'One China' policy," stressing that "President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes." According to Aleem, "The call took place one day after Trump first extended his hand to China, when National Security Adviser Michael Flynn hand-delivered a letter to China's ambassador saying the U.S. was looking forward to building 'constructive relations' with China." Trump seems to have suddenly become aware of what foreign policy experts already knew; threatening the One China policy jeopardizes any hope of continued relations and strangles the long existing diplomatic protocol between the two countries. The policy has been a key feature for a number of reasons, the chief of which is, simply, because of the complexity of Sino-U.S. relations. "Every U.S. president since Nixon has come into office promising to be tough on China, and every single one of them has backed off when they realize the complexity of the situation," said David Kang, a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California, during an interview in January with Aleem. China might see Trump's apparent reversal as a calming reassurance given the two countries' increasingly complex relationship. In a Foreign Policy article titled, The Chinese Learned that Trump Blinks, the writers cautiously remind everyone that "talk is cheap." Given Trump's infamously erratic and unpredictable behavior and the Taiwanese leader's continued refusal to affirm the 1992 consensus regarding the One China policy, China might think twice before reflecting on any calming reassurances. The truth is, there's a long march backwards for Sino-U.S. relations if there's any hope for a return to the relaxed, tieless diplomacy practiced by Obama and Xi at the Sunnylands estate in 2013. With the current and future trends of Sino-U.S. relations perhaps existing as a bellwether for global stability, any political or economic landscape where Trump and China can build ties is becoming increasingly valuable real estate. However, as Trump's stance on China continually suggests an impending trade war, tensions are likely to remain relatively high. Climate change, cyber security and counterterrorism remain practical however contentious areas in the ongoing policy debate between China and the United States. Hopefully, these topics will prove important grounds for continued collaboration and win-win cooperation. Having previously lived in Beijing working as a journalist and editor, Kyle Calandra is currently based in America reporting on Sino-U.S. Relations as a contributor for China.org.cn. Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. BENGALURU (PTI): A breathtaking display of thrilling manoeuvres by military aircraft and aerobatic teams left the audience spell-bound at the 11th edition of Aero India air show that started here on Tuesday. The Bengaluru skies over the Yelahanka airbase were dazzled with somersaults and stunts by metal birds with the daredevilry of world famous aerobatics teams in full flow. Billed as Asia's premier air show, the biennial edition of International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition - Aero India 2017 was inaugurated by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Betting high on the Defence market in India, global aerospace giants are hard selling their wares with potential deals worth billions of Dollars on offer. Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba were also present. Enthralling stunts were performed by helicopter display team "Sarang", Indian Air Force's "Surya Kiran" and 'SKYCATS- Scandinavian Air Show' aerobatics teams. It was a special occasion for Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT) as they marked their 500th public display since formation in 1996. SKAT, with a fleet of brand new single engine, jet powered advanced Hawk aircraft and redefined manoeuvres was back after having skipped two editions of the Aero India. Hawk aircraft are faster and more manoeuvrable than the Kiran aircraft SKAT used earlier. Embraer 145 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft equipped with the first ever Active Electronic Scanning Array (AESA) radar, and LUH were displayed for the very first time at the Aero show. The air display began with Mi-17 helicopters trooping in the Indian tricolour, Indian Air Force and Aero India flags. It was followed by indigenously built HAL products comprising Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) flanked by Cheetal helicopter, Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH). A formation comprising Dornier Do 228, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, HTT-40 (Basic Trainer Aircraft) and Hawk then followed. A total of 549 companies are taking part in the event, of which 270 are Indian and 279 foreign. About two lakh business visitors are expected to attend the show, in which 72 aircraft are participating, according to the organisers. Enthralling manoeuvres were performed by HTT-40, LCH, LUH, Tiger Moth, homegrown LCA (Tejas), Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Gripen fighter, Rafale fighter, F16, Pilatus PC-7 aircrafts. Also there is a static display of HTT-40, upgraded Jaguar and Mirage 2000, LCH and LUH at the air show. Indigenously developed Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) 'Netra. Photo: MoD. BENGALURU (PTI): As the indigenously developed Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) 'Netra' was inducted into the Air Force on Tuesday, a group of women scientists were smiling from ear to ear as their hard work of more than a decade was finally seeing the light of the day. The AEWS&CS was developed by the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), a laboratory under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) headed by woman scientist J Manjula. Netra has the capability to detect hostile missiles and jets at land, sea and air within the range of 200 kms. It is mounted on a Brazilian Embraer-145 jet. "The system has much more capabilities than what Pakistan currently has, it is also relatively cheaper," said DRDO chairman S Christopher. Interestingly, a chunk of the work related to the project was done by women scientists. This was acknowledged by Air Force chief B S Dhanoa during the induction ceremony at the Yelahanka air base here. The Netra project is headed by Rajlaxmi who has been working with the DRDO for the last 28 years. She was a part of the project since its inception in 2004. Another senior scientist Manisha Sharma worked on the system integration and communication, while scientist Bhagyalaxmi looked after computer mission of the project. "It is only in DRDO you can find women scientists heading laboratories in such large numbers," Manjula said. At least two DRDO labs are headed by women. Another system similar to Netra will be inducted into the Air Force in coming months. High-level military officials from various countries visiting the BrahMos Aerospace pavilion at Aero India 2017. BENGALURU (BNS): High-level military officials from various countries visited the BrahMos Aerospace pavilion on the second day of Aero India 2017 being held at Bengaluru. The officials were briefed about the advanced BRAHMOS weapon system and its capabilities by CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace, Dr. Sudhir K Mishra. BrahMos Aerospace, the JV entity between Indias DRDO and Russias NPOM, is displaying the land, sea and air variants of the formidable weapon at the 11th edition of Aero India show. The air-to-land version of the supersonic cruise missile is at an advanced stage of being flight tested from the Sukhoi-30 fighter of the Indian Air Force. The land-attack and anti-ship variants of the weapon have already been inducted in the Indian Armed Forces. Many countries have expressed keen interest in acquiring the world-class BRAHMOS. India and Russia have agreed in principle to export the weapon to friendly countries. Bestgreenscreen/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- ABC News will be chronicling the experience of Alaa Ali Alali, a 48-year-old single mother who fled war-torn Aleppo in 2012 with her 14-year-old son, as she tries to navigate her way to the U.S. as a Syrian refugee following President Donald Trump's executive order, which banned Syrian refugees indefinitely from entering the country. She had been cleared to come to the U.S. in February, but the executive order threw that into limbo. She will share her journey through videos, text messages and phone calls. Alaa Ali Alali had been vetted for nearly two years before her asylum application was approved. Feb. 15 Once again, Alali's travel to the U.S. has been postponed. She said the International Organization for Migration had told her to prepare for travel tomorrow, but today the organization informed her that she will not be traveling as planned. IOM declined to comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told ABC News the department was not able to provide information on specific resettlement cases to the media. "The travel was postponed again until the 21st of this month," she told ABC News in Arabic over the phone. "Today I spent four to five hours waiting in the street outside the U.S. Embassy while case workers from the International Organization for Migration were inside trying to fix the problem. The U.S. has a list of names of who is able to travel tomorrow and apparently my name is not on it. My son Mohammad and I had been so happy because we were finally going to the U.S. We had made a deal that we were going to the Pyramids today. It was going to be our last memory from Egypt. Our bags are ready. I have prepared everything and weighed the bags. Now I'm crying and my son is upset. I don't know if I should unpack or not. My family in the U.S. had been so happy and was expecting us. My son was so happy. He's very attached to his granddad who's in the U.S. He's like a father to him." Alali said she had paid around $300 to change her son's plane ticket after their scheduled trip on Feb. 9 was cancelled. She has to purchase his plane ticket herself because he's not part of the refugee program like his mother due to his dual Canadian and Syrian citizenship. "I dont know if I should still send him to the U.S. tomorrow or not," Alali said. "Currently I can't send him to school here. I took him out of school because I thought we were leaving and I have to pay to send him back to school and I don't know what to do. If I could be sure that he'd be able to enter the country with no problems I'd do it. But I'm afraid theyll stop him in the airport and ask him why he's traveling alone and how old he is. I spoke to the travel agency and they told me that the fee for changing the ticket would probably be higher this time, but that they'll get back to me. My son really wants to go, but at the same time he wants to be with me. He's afraid like me. I'm afraid theyll keep postponing the travel until the American president will be able to make a new decision that will stop me from traveling." Feb. 8 Alali was supposed to board a plane headed to the U.S. on Feb. 9. But today she received a call from the International Organization for Migration, informing her that she will not be traveling after all. "They told me that they would call me back with a new date. They postponed my travel. Others will be traveling tomorrow, but not me. They told me that they dont know why my travel was postponed and that they will call me back soon to set a new date," she told ABC News in Arabic. Alali's son was born in Canada and is a dual Syrian and Canadian citizen, meaning that he is not part of the refugee program like his mother. After Alali learned that she was flying tomorrow, she booked a ticket for her son on the same flight. Now, she says she doesnt know if she should let him travel alone. I begged them [to let me travel tomorrow] because I already booked a ticket for my son. I dont know what to do now. Im very distressed. Im afraid that I wont be able to travel at all. My son is very upset. He doesnt want to leave me. Earlier in the day, before her travel was cancelled, Alali had a meeting with the IOM. She said she was happy but worried -- the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals still hadnt made a decision on whether President Trumps travel ban should be reinstated. We have to be at the airport tomorrow at 6 am. And God willing we will depart at 10:30, she said following the meeting. We are going to New York tomorrow. Im going to buy a suitcase now and then go home. Ive already weighed my bags so I just need to move things to the new bag and then Ill be ready. Im very happy, but Im also a little afraid. The court still hasnt made a decision. Im scared that something I havent expected will happen, that the ban will come back into effect. But Im very happy because Im going to see my brothers that I havent seen for about 10 years and my dad who I havent seen for almost five years. My son is also happy that he might get a better life. My dad is happy because he needs me. Feb. 6 The decision by a federal judge to place a temporary restraining order on Trumps ban has failed to allay Alalis fears. "As a single mother without any kind of support, loneliness and fear accompanies me for now, but I still trust the people and I hope things will change because justice and mercy are what makes us humans. I think this cruel decision will face refusal by the court. But the process will take a long time. Now, I'm waiting for a call from IOM [The International Organization for Migration] to set a new date for departure. They promised to do the best they could before 'The Ban' starts once again. So I'm in terror of what's next to come." UPDATE: Later in the day, Alali sent ABC News the following message in Arabic: "The IOM just called me and told me that they booked me a flight on Feb. 9. So that's in three days. They told me that if anything happens or if they cancel the flight, they will let me know. UPDATE 2: The International Rescue Committee was assigned Alalis case in January and is involved in the planning of her arrival in the U.S. Karen Ferguson, IRC executive director in northern California, told ABC News on Wednesday: This is a perfect example of how timing will determine the fate of the unification of this family. It would never have occurred to me that all of a sudden this familys case would be interrupted. Isnt she the exact type of person we would want here? Shes a dentist, shes a survivor. She ran her own clinic in Syria. She fled terrorism. She has family here whos willing to support her. And this is the person were going to bar? Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Beijing, the capital of China, is undoubtedly one of the most visited places in the world, with hundreds of millions of tourists every year. The city's long history and glorious culture endow the city with a great number of tourist attractions and historical sites.This gallery shows the the beautiful scenery of the city in four seasons. [China.org.cn/Photo by Yang Dong] 1 2 3 4 5 Next MUMBAI (PTI): Indo-Pacific is emerging as the "power centre" of the world as some crucial sea routes pass through this "fastest" growing region, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba has said. The region was also facing the challenges of "contradictory stance on border disputes", he said. "Almost 60 per cent of the world population is from Indo-Pacific region. Some of the most important sea routes pass through this region along with 60 per cent of global exports in terms of tonnage and volume takes place here. "This is the fastest growing region in the world; hence the region is becoming power centre," Lanba said. He was on Tuesday addressing a dialogue on "Indo-Pacific: Possibilities and Portents" organised here by the Gateway House. This year's agenda for the programme is: The Gateway of India Geoeconomic Dialogue. "Though the region is also facing challenges of contradictory stances on border disputes, traditional and non-traditional issues, it affects the trade and growth of the region," the Naval chief said. In 2016, five incidents of piracy and 80 arms robberies took place in the same region and most of the incidents had connection with the Philippines, he added. Stating that the Centre has already started the Sagarmala project with huge investment, Lanba said the concept envisages development of largescale ports and to promote tourism. "Such projects are helping the region to grow further," he said. Sagar Mala project is a strategic and customer-oriented initiative aimed at modernising the ports so that port-led development can be augmented and coastlines can be developed to contribute in the country's growth. When asked about the Navy's preparations for cyber command to avoid hacking, the Admiral said, "Government of India is developing cyber security agency. Tri-party agency is being set up and eventually it will be a cyber-command." PTI ND NSK Lanba outlined the significance of Indo-Pacific region by laying out its peculiarity in terms of conflict, population density (60% of the world population), peculiarity of maritime trade routes, availability of natural resources and economic prowess (fastest-growing economic region in the world). The Navy chief said the region is confronted with both traditional and non-traditional maritime challenges. Unresolved sovereignty issues, territorial disputes, contradicting positions on international norms, maritime muscle flexing and general militarisation are issues of traditional challenges in the region, he added. Speaking on non-traditional threats such as piracy and maritime terrorism, Lanba said any disruption of trade in the region will have an adverse effect on both regional as well as global economy. Lanba said India is charting its course of economic growth using a civilisational ethos of realism, co-existence, cooperation and partnership. In achieving this role, the Navy will continue to be `net security provider' in the Indian Ocean Region. To achieve these goals, Indian Navy has taken a number of initiatives such as humanitarian assistance and disaster Relief (HADR) operations, anti-piracy missions, Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) and resource-sharing with other navies, Lanba maintained. India's economic growth and our aspirations of empowerment of our masses would be adversely effected by any disruption of peace and stability in the region, Lanba said. He hoped the Indo-Pacific emerges as a `region of opportunities' and assured the audience the Navy will do its utmost to play its role as India's maritime power. BENGALURU (PTI): Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said it was not his concern that some companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin could find themselves torn between the slogans of "America First" of US President Donald Trump and "Make in India" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These companies can sign military contracts by quoting from any plant existing around the globe, he told reporters after inaugurating the five-day Aero India air show at Yelahanka airbase here. "These companies are multinational in all regards. They may have a plant in Europe. They may have plant in some other parts of the world. They may have a plant in the US. They can quote from any of these areas. So, it is not my concern and I do not worry about it much because interpretations are taken wrongly. "Let things be more clear but basically my requirement is the government has to agree to it, whichever government agrees to it," he said. Parrikar said he was nowhere concerned with restrictions, if any, on the movement of the companies from US to India. "If a company head wants to shift his facility from anywhere else it is his choice whether he sets up a new one. I am nowhere concerned if there is a restriction on some movement. As far as I am concerned, as of now, there is no so such issue. No one has written to me. I am only hearing it in the media," he added. Some industry experts have raised concern that Trump's push for "America First" rhetoric could intervene when the companies like Lockheed and Boeing go ahead with shifting of manufacturing units to India, responding to Modi's "Make In India" slogan. Parrikar said it is for the original equipment manufacturers, which provide technology and help strategic partner set up joint venture with Indian companies, to get approvals from their country. Meanwhile, Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju said the Airports Authority of India has decided to invest Rs 17,500 crore in the next five years for improving the existing airports. If the growth rate has to be sustained and taken forward, the country needs to innovate and invest, he said. "I am very happy that the Ministry of Defence has now partnered with civil aviation so that synergies of development help not only them but also our civil aviation because the sector is basically job creator," Raju said. He said the sector needs to increase connectivity within the country and hence the civil aviation ministry recently brought out the regional connectivity scheme. If the country is able to bring in 50 more active airports to the exiting 70-odd active airports, India can become the third largest civil aviation market in the world, the minister said. "Right now, we are ranked ninth. So we are working on it and trying to bring this synergy along with our defence synergy," he added. NEW DELHI (PTI): Months after India and US signed a key logistics pact, Reliance Defence and Engineering on Monday announced an agreement with the American Navy for repair and alteration services for warships of the largest forward-deployed Seventh Fleet operating in the region. The Seventh Fleet's area of responsibility includes the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean and at any given time there are roughly 50 70 ships and submarines, 140 aircraft and approximately 20,000 sailors under its command. A statement by the Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) controlled RDEL said it has signed the Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) with US Navy. It added that earlier in January, Reliance Shipyard was qualified by US Navy as an approved contractor to perform complex repair and alteration services for the US Navy's Seventh Fleet vessels operating in the region. Reliance Shipyard at Pipavav, Gujarat is the first shipyard in India to have received MSRA Certification to undertake servicing and repairing works for the vessels of Seventh Fleet. It is estimated that the potential business for RDEL will be very high. The fleet has about 100 vessels of different types, including auxiliaries. Currently, the vessels of US Navy's Seventh Fleet visit Singapore or Japan for such works. Reliance Shipyard has been selected after a detailed site survey by US Government representatives in end October 2016, the statement said. After over a decade of negotiations, India and the US had in August last year signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), a tweaked India-specific version of the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), which the US has with several countries with close military-to-military ties. The pact enables their militaries to use each other's assets and bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, making joint operations more efficient. LEMOA facilitates the provision of logistical support, supplies and services between the US and Indian militaries on a reimbursable basis and provides a framework to govern them. This may include food, water, billeting, transportation, petroleum, oils, lubricants, clothing, medical services, spare parts and components, repair and maintenance, training and other logistical services. BENAGLURU (PTI): Thales and defence PSU Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) on Tuesday signed an agreement to assess opportunities for transfer of technology of the flagship STARStreak missile capability to India. Under the MoU, Thales, a global technology player in aerospace, transport, defence and security markets, and BDL seek to jointly offer a 'Make in India' solution to help grow international demand for this product. The MoU was signed in the presence of UK government representatives at AeroIndia 2017 air show, which began at the Yelahanka airbase here on Tuesday. The STARStreak missile is in service in the UK Army and has been procured by the defence forces of a number of countries worldwide. The fastest missile in its category, STARStreak is unique due to its three laser-guided darts, which cannot be jammed by any known counter measure. It has the capability to defeat any air target even armoured helicopters as the last line of defence, a Thales release said. Thales is investing in the transfer of technology to India for the STARStreak missile. In the spirit of cooperation between the two countries, including under the Indo-UK Defence Equipment Cooperation MoU, this initiative has the full support of the UK government, it said. The association will play a strategic role not only in supporting the 'Make in India' vision of the Indian government, but also in giving a boost to the excellent bilateral relations between India and the UK, it said. Alex Cresswell, Executive Vice-President for Land and Air Systems activities at Thales, said: "We are proud to join hands with Bharat Dynamics Ltd for the strategic transfer of technology of our flagship STARStreak missile from the UK." "Sharing technology has been one of the key ingredients of Thales' strategy for India. We would continue to work in this direction and realise our objective to make in India and export from India through such endeavours," he said. V Udaya Bhaskar, CMD, BDL, said the company is "strongly" looking forward to business opportunities outside India to supply the latest defence equipment. With 62,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of euro 14 billion in 2015. BENGALURU (PTI): With an RSS affiliate-body vehemently opposing the NDA government's policy on Foreign Direct Investment, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said there would be no damage to the national interest and each such case was being viewed rationally. He said Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is not allowed in those sectors where there is a direct competition to the Indian industry. "We will take the concerns into consideration and will not damage any national interest. We are not doing (it) irrationally and studying every case. Where there is competition in defence, we have said no to 100 per cent FDI," Parrikar said when asked about the opposition of RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) to the policy. A case in point, he said, was manufacturing of stents, where FDI is not permitted. "But the route is open. If someone comes to manufacture an engine, whose technology is not with us, I will definitely consider it. I will welcome FDI in (such) areas. "But by letting it (technology transfer through FDI) hanging in balance, and importing (the equipment) does not make sense," Parrikar said. Apart from its opposition to FDI, the SJM has also locked horns with the Central government over the commercial release of genetically modified crops. You are here: Home Flash Kim Jong Nam The half-brother of top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un has been killed in Malaysia, South Korean cable news channel TV Chosun reported on Tuesday citing multiple government sources. Kim Jong Nam, the older half-brother of the DRPK leader and the eldest son of late leader Kim Jong Il, has been found dead in Kuala Lumpur early Monday, the Chosun TV said. He has been based outside the DPRK since he was caught trying to enter Japan on a fake passport in 2001. Multiple South Korean government sources were quoted as saying that the half brother seemed to have killed at a Kuala Lumpur airport at about 9 a.m. Malaysian time (0100 GMT) Monday. Yonhap news agency reported that South Korea's foreign and unification ministries declined to confirm the killing. Flash At least four people were killed and 10 others injured when an IS-claimed car bombing targeted a gathering of the Shiite Houthi group in Yemen's central province of al-Bayda on Tuesday, a security official told Xinhua. The suicide attacker slammed his explosives-laden truck into an exhibition displaying photos of killed pro-Houthi fighters in the town of Radaa in al-Bayda province, causing casualties, the security source said on condition of anonymity. The soldiers tasked with guarding and protecting the photos exhibition opened fire and detonated the car bomb before it reached its target, the source said. Medical sources in the area confirmed to Xinhua that at least four people were killed and nearly 10 others injured at the scene. The Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in the Houthi-controlled town of Radaa. In a statement posted via its accounts in Twitter, IS-Yemen branch said Tuesday's attacker, who it identified as Abdullah Madhari, detonated his explosives-laden vehicle amid a gathering of Houthis in the Ahmadi club. The jihadist group didn't mention further details about the death toll caused by the terrorist operation. Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East. The Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions. The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen. Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition. Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians. President Higgins has arrived in Havana, Cuba for an official state visit where he is due to meet with President Raul Castro. It is the final leg of his 3-country visit to South America. There has been a breakthrough in the Dublin Bus dispute. The NBRU has called off tomorrow's planned strike ballot following talks with the management in a row over pay and pensions. Siptu said that a potential dispute has been averted after they got written confirmation today that management intends to honour an agreement on pensionable pay. Siptu's John Murphy said: "Siptu has today received written confirmation from the management of Dublin Bus that it intends to honour settlement terms, agreed at the Workplace Relations Commission in September 2016, which resolved a dispute on pay. "Dublin Bus had sought a deferment of applying agreed increases in basic pay to our members pension entitlements. This deferment was to allow discussions to take place between trade unions and CIE Group management in an effort to resolve pension issues within the Groups schemes. This deferment was agreed until the end of January 2017. "Where unions and companies make agreements, particularly where the parties are tasked with the delivery of a vital public service, it is vital that they are honoured fully. "This is particularly the case with public transport, as the impact of any dispute will not only affect the employees and the company involved but also the travelling public who are dependent on their services." There are fears that Des Cahill won't be dancing up a storm this weekend on Dancing with the Stars Ireland. The RTE Sport presenter is suffering a bout of conjunctivitis, a sinus infection, fluid on the knee and a calf strain. That's quite a lot to content with, without adding a new dance number on top. A doctor told him to rest and he has been unable to train for the upcoming round of the dancing competition. If he's in top shape in time he'll be dancing to 'Quando, Quando, Quando' but that seems unlikely. It was tweeted that Des got sick trying to keep up "with his much younger and cooler new friends." So Des got sick trying to keep up with his much younger and cooler new friends. He'll probably ask where he can get ripped jeans next... pic.twitter.com/knvvD1JDYA Paul Cahill (@paulcahill13) February 15, 2017 Des retweeted this, so we'll take it his new hobby is the cause of his injuries, yeah? Recently, he told RTE Entertainment that continuing to work, while training with DWTS Ireland, has been taking its toll on him. "I was home around 11:40pm Monday night," he told them. "I was in work at 5:30am on Tuesday morning, left [for dance training], got home again at 8pm. Then back in at 5:30am this morning." You'd think that with the main event on Sunday their day of rest would be Saturday, but that's not the case. "We're all in Ardmore for the rehearsals but I've to come in and do a four-hour Saturday Sport programme," he said. He continued, saying his age and fitness levels were working against him but it was trying to do it all at once that was really dragging him down. Here's wishing Dancing Dessie well and hoping we'll see him take to the floor in good health soon. A 72-year-old man has been jailed after admitting abducting and indecently assaulting a child more than 15 years ago. The six-year-old girl was taken from Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire, in March 2001 and assaulted. Arnold Baxter, of Bath Street, Rugby, Warwickshire, was caught after he was arrested for drink-driving on his birthday in September 2016 and his DNA profile matched samples taken from the coat of the victim. Baxter admitted driving to the village in a black Ford Mondeo with false registration plates, snatching the young girl and indecently assaulting her before dumping her in another village where she was found half an hour later by a passing motorist. He pleaded guilty to kidnap and indecent assault and was sentenced to nine years at Stafford Crown Court on Wednesday. Speaking after the sentencing, the victim's mother said: "My daughter has spent these last 15 years of her life growing into the beautiful and successful person that she is today and will continue to be in the years to come. "In spite of - or perhaps because of - her kind and generous nature, my daughter fully deserves to have this moment - to know that the man who is none of these things, a man who thinks it's acceptable to kidnap, assault and abandon a vulnerable six-year old child, has finally been called to account for his actions and will now be punished for them. "Mr Baxter has spent the last 15 years of his life continuing to go about his day-to-day business and taking advantage of the things he enjoys in life. "I can only imagine that even the most mundane of pleasures must always have been tainted somewhat by the knowledge that one day his enjoyment of them must come to an end." Claire Nicholls, from the CPS, said: "For over 15 years Arnold Baxter thought that he had got away with his crime, however, today he has been brought to justice and will now have to face the consequences of his actions. "Once the prosecution was able to demonstrate the DNA match of the defendant to the indecent assault, Baxter had no other option but to plead guilty to what he had done." The European Parliament voted in favour of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada, The move concludes the ratification process of this deal at the EU level of the controversial and wide-ranging trade deal, which has provoked widespread protests in many EU countries. Welcoming the outcome of the vote held in Strasbourg, President Jean-Claude Juncker said: "Today's vote by the European Parliament is an important milestone in the democratic process of ratification of the agreement reached with Canada and it also allows for its provisional entry into force. "As a result, EU companies and citizens will start to reap the benefits that the agreement offers as soon as possible. "This trade deal has been subject to an in-depth parliamentary scrutiny which reflects the increased interest of citizens in trade policy. "The intense exchanges on CETA throughout this process are testimony to the democratic nature of European decision making. "This progressive agreement is an opportunity to shape globalisation together and influence the setting of global trade rules. The best example of this is the work that we are already doing with our Canadian friends to establish multilateral rules to deal with investment issues. "I now call on all Member States to conduct an inclusive and thorough discussion at national level with the relevant stakeholders in the context of the national ratification process of the agreement". Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said: "This vote is the start of a new era in EU-Canada relations - together we are sending a strong signal today. "By building bridges rather than walls, we can face the challenges that confront our societies together. In these uncertain times, with rising protectionism around the world, CETA underlines our strong commitment to sustainable trade. "Canada is a close ally of Europe. We share values and ideals, and a commitment to open markets and fair social policies. Canada is an important economic partner, with yearly trade between us worth nearly a trillion euros. "Once the Canadian parliament has ratified this agreement, the next step is to put it provisionally in place, which I hope can be done swiftly and effectively. "Citizens and companies on both sides of the Atlantic should start reaping these benefits very soon." Police were called to investigate an altercation involving Diego Maradona and a woman at a hotel in Madrid, authorities said. Officers were dispatched after a call from the hotel, but found no evidence of any serious disturbance after talking to Maradona and the woman. They said neither Maradona nor the woman showed signs of having been involved in a confrontation, and neither wanted to make a formal complaint. Authorities said they could not confirm if the woman was a hotel guest or Maradona's girlfriend, Rocio Oliva. They also did not say if the call came from one of the guests or from hotel employees. Spanish media said police was called in after a "strong argument" involving guests at the hotel. It was not clear if police talked to Maradona at his room or somewhere else in the hotel. The 56-year-old is in the Spanish capital with his girlfriend to watch former club Napoli play Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League. He is a guest of Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis and is expected to give a pep talk to the players ahead of the match. Napoli's players are staying at the same hotel. Spanish media on Tuesday released a video of Maradona threatening a reporter who tried to talk to him at the hotel in Madrid. After the reporter said that he was struck by the former player as he passed by, Maradona came back and said: "I didn't hit you, if I hit you, you will lose your nose." "Know that if I fight you one-on-one, I'll destroy you," Maradona is heard telling the reporter. In the discussion that lasted several seconds outside a lift, Maradona said all he wanted to do was "eat in peace", and that the reporter was not welcomed because he was not a guest at the hotel. The outspoken former Argentina great has been involved in a long list of controversies, both on and off the field. His tumultuous personal life is often a target for local media in Argentina. In 2014, he slapped a journalist in the face and called him an "idiot" outside a theatre in Buenos Aires. Ten years earlier, Maradona fired an air gun at reporters and was given a two-year suspended sentence. Maradona, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986, was banished from the 1994 World Cup for doping after testing positive for five types of stimulants and diet pills. In 1991, he was suspended for 15 months for testing positive for cocaine while playing for Napoli. AP A landmark case involving a severely disabled man born from incestuous rape has reached the British Court of Appeal. Last year, the Upper Tribunal said the 29-year-old, who can only be identified as Y, was eligible for an award under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. Y, whose mother was abused from the age of 11 by her own father, was born with a genetic disorder and has epilepsy, severe learning and development difficulties and hearing and sight problems. In 1991, the father - Y's grandfather - pleaded guilty to incest and was jailed for three years. Y's mother brought a successful claim under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme . There is no dispute that the unlawful sexual violence against her was a criminal injury giving rise to compensation. However, when Y tried to get compensation on the basis that he had sustained personal injury directly attributable to a crime of violence, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) rejected his application. CICA said that Y could not be considered to be a victim of a crime of violence because he did not exist at the time of the incident and his condition was not a result of the crime of violence against his mother. That decision was backed by the First Tier Tribunal but the Upper Tribunal sent the case back to CICA, which launched its appeal today. CICA's counsel, Ben Collins QC, told Sir Brian Leveson, Lord Justice McFarlane and Lord Justice Henderson that, on any analysis, it was a very sad case. "While, on the one hand, it requires the parties and the court to deal with complex and difficult issues of law, the authority remains acutely conscious that it arises out of grave suffering on the part of Y and, in particular, his mother. "The authority's approach to the law in no way detracts from its recognition of that." The contested appeal is expected to last a day. Judge Levenson, of the Upper Tribunal, said the scheme provided for compensation to be payable to "an applicant". He added: "Clearly, at the time of the claim the applicant is a person. There is no provision in the scheme that the applicant must have been 'a person' at the time that the crime of violence was committed. "In everyday terms and in common parlance, it seems to me that he has suffered injuries. Those injuries have been sustained in and are directly attributable to a crime of violence." Mr Collins said the Upper Tribunal's reasoning was wrong and its decision flawed. If the crime of violence had not been committed, Y would not have existed, he added. "The harm of which Y complains was done not when Y was in the womb but in the very act of creating him. "It is his own genetic make-up of which he complains." The judges reserved their decision to a later date. Several people remain unaccounted for after an explosion and fire at a block of flats in England. At least two people were injured when the blast ripped through the building in Oxford, causing it to collapse. It is not known what caused the incident in the west of the city on Tuesday afternoon. Oxfordshire County Council said around 40 firefighters joined the rescue operation, with the help of urban search and rescue teams from Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. A spokesman said: "The emergency services were contacted at 4.45pm following reports of an explosion, a fire and the collapse of a property. "Two people have been treated for minor injuries and one was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. "A small number of people are unaccounted for in this ongoing investigation." A number of surrounding buildings were evacuated and members of the public were advised to avoid the area. South Central Ambulance Service said a male was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and a female has been taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries. Emergency services were called to the Osney Lane and Gibbs Crescent area at 4.45pm on Tuesday, Thames Valley Police said. Thames Valley Police Chief Inspector Marc Tarbit, deputy local police area commander for Oxford, said: "Our officers are currently on the scene working closely with our colleagues from the other emergency services. "We are continuing to ask members of the public to please avoid the area to allow the emergency services to work at the scene. "I also appreciate incidents of this nature cause disruption to the community so I would like to thank people locally for their patience and understanding while we are working to respond to the incident." President Donald Trump has asked Israel's prime minister to "hold off" on building Jewish settlements in land the Palestinians claim for their future state, yet held back from explicitly endorsing support for a future independent Palestine. After weeks of dancing around the issue of expanded Israeli settlements, Mr Trump made the request to Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint news conference at the White House preceding their private discussions. It is Mr Netanyahu's first trip to Washington since Mr Trump became president. While Mr Trump's call echoed that of past US presidents, who have considered Israeli housing construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank an obstacle to a Mideast peace deal, the American leader broke with his predecessors on the idea of a two-state agreement. While such an accord may have once appeared to be the "easier of the two" options, Mr Trump said he would be open to alternatives if the two sides propose something better. The two leaders were to discuss peace efforts as well as Iran and Mr Trump's campaign pledge to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Relocating the embassy would signal American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would infuriate Palestinians. They claim the eastern sector of the city, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, as their capital. Mr Trump said on Wednesday he would like to see the embassy moved but that he is studying the issue closely. American presidents have struck a delicate balance in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing the close US friendship with Israel and lavishing the Jewish state with bountiful aid. But recent presidents also have called out Israel for actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements. On Tuesday, a senior White House official said Mr Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hopes to bring them together soon. It will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entail, said the official. Peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal, the official said. State Department officials said they were not aware of any policy shift on the desirability of an agreement establishing an independent Palestine side-by-side with Israel - long the bedrock of US policy in the region. Three officials said the department was seeking clarification from the White House's comments, which came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was having dinner with Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday. A detainee who got his partner pregnant after he escaped Canberra's jail and went on the run for eight days will be behind bars when his baby is born. Jacob MacDonald, 21, will serve 15 months behind bars for fleeing the remand section of the Alexander Maconochie Centre with another inmate, Patrick McCurley, 28, in September last year. Jacob MacDonald, 21, and Patrick McCurley, 28, will spend more time behind bars after September's jailbreak. The prison break-out, which was the first successful escape from the Hume jail since it began taking prisoners in March 2009, sparked an extensive cross-border search and prompted Corrections Minister Shane Rattenbury to announce a full internal review. MacDonald was sentenced to a maximum of four years and one month imprisonment for the escape and a string of other offences including aggravated burglary and theft in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday. Qatar Airways plans to begin flying between Doha and Canberra in February next year, Visit Canberra executive director Ian Hill has revealed. "They're working through details and schedules; there's a lot of logistics that goes into new routes," Mr Hill said. Flights will run daily from Canberra to Sydney, before continuing to Doha. Credit:Krisztian Bocsi "They'll be looking at an extended sales period, which is typically six months on international services. "I think we can expect to see more details emerge in the coming months in terms of the number of flights a week and the scheduling of those flights." A one-of-a-kind manuscript by Sir Alexander "Alick" Downer from his time in a World War II prison camp is the latest addition to the collection of the Australian War Memorial. From 1942 to 1945, before becoming a minister in the Menzies government and high commissioner to the UK, Sir Alexander was incarcerated in Changi prison camp where he wrote Government in Two Worlds: An Introductory Survey of the Governments of Britain and Australia. Sir Alexander Downer's daughter, Stella Downer, and granddaughter Georgina Downer with the manuscript he produced during his captivity in Signapore's Changi prison camp. Credit:Jamila Toderas Sir Alexander's son, High Commissioner to the UK and former Howard government foreign minister Alexander Downer, expressed his happiness about the acquisition via video from London. "I'm delighted the Australian War Memorial has acquired this manuscript of my father's thoughts during his time in the Changi prisoner of war camp, this was a hugely transformative experience for my father," Mr Downer said. The Australian dollar has surged higher overnight, easily clearing the US77 mark to its highest since the US election, and positive January jobs data could solidify its advance, according to NAB economists. The currency rallied more than 1 per cent from an overnight low of US76.37 to jump over the US 77 cent mark. It was further boosted by Thursday's employment figures, reaching a high of 77.32 US cents just after 11:30 AEDT. The Aussie, which has risen 6.8 per cent so far in 2017, managed to press through a key technical trading level, said NAB economist Rodrigo Catril, adding it "now has more freedom" to move still higher. In Washington, Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen testified before US lawmakers for a second day, reiterating her expectation that the central bank will be looking at lifting interest rates in the months ahead as the world's largest economy expands bolstering both the labour market and inflation. Clive Palmer has told a court he can't remember why he ordered Queensland Nickel to pay $US15 million into a personal bank account he held in Hong Kong, saying it might have been for parties. The former federal MP, who's being grilled in court over the company's collapse, also said he authorised Queensland Nickel to pay $US8 million to his Bulgarian father-in-law "in exchange for natural love". Liquidators are questioning Mr Palmer in the Federal Court, as they continue to wind up the company which failed last year with debts of $300 million and the loss of 800 Townsville refinery jobs. Barrister Walter Sofronoff QC, for liquidators FTI Consulting, quizzed Mr Palmer about a range of payments made from Queensland Nickel's coffers to him personally, to his father-in-law, and to other companies he owns. One of Sydney's well-known watering holes, The Marlborough Hotel in King Street, Newtown, is on the market as owners and good mates Geoff Dixon and John Singleton look to reshape their pub portfolio. Owned by Riversdale Group, which was founded by Paddy Coughlan and is managed by Mr Dixon, Mr Singleton and another partner, Mark Carnegie, the Marly, as called by the locals, is expected to reap as much as $35 million. Investors and other pub operators are likely to take an interest in the property. It is being sold by Ray White Asia Pacific director Andrew Jolliffe, who said with upside in all departments, none more apparent than operational improvements in the gaming room, and the activation of the development-approved rooftop terrace, investors and other pub operators would be taking an interest in the property. The potential sale comes as the pub sector is having a golden year of high demand. The retail job losses continue to pile up, with the shut-down of 13 Marcs and David Lawrence stores putting at least 20 more staff out of work, and another 50 facing an uncertain future as the administrator tries to secure them new roles in the shrinking store network. Four David Lawrence stores and one Marcs outlet in Victoria will shut by next week, along with one David Lawrence boutique and one Marcs shop in Sydney. The job losses from the two Australian fashion chains come just days after 10 staff were axed from smart suit-maker Herringbone and sister brand Rhodes & Beckett after administrator Cor Cordis turned out the lights in seven of its boutiques, including three Sydney stores, one Victorian outlet and both its Perth shops. The collapse of six high-profile apparel brands since December has triggered a jobs rout that threatens to push close to 4000 workers onto the unemployment line, and insolvency professionals warn there are more retail failures on the horizon as Australian chains without the scale, distribution infrastructure or brand identity to compete with global giants like Zara falter. Supermarket giant Coles is on a war footing, with boss John Durkan defiantly declaring the Wesfarmers-owned chain would be "competitive forever" and "never give up" after Woolworths' billion-dollar investment in prices and Aldi's national expansion slashed earnings. As the conglomerate circles the wagons around its prized supermarket business, Wesfarmers has put its Officeworks chain up for sale through a sharemarket listing at the same time as it works through indicative bids for its coal operation. The sale of coal and a potential float of Officeworks could deliver Wesfarmers more than $4 billion, a valuable war chest as it fights off a resurgent Woolworths, invests in rebuilding the Target chain and converting British shoppers to its Bunnings hardware store model. Mr Durkan revealed promotions and price cuts were "pulled forward" in the second quarter in response to increased competition from arch rival Woolworths and Aldi's rollout in South Australia and Western Australia. While Canberra's lawyers and Attorney-General, Gordon Ramsay, were quick to dismiss the Liberals' call for a review of the ACT bail system as unnecessary, there is much to be said for giving it a health check. Liberals spokesman Jeremy Hanson made the call during the Legislative Assembly's first sitting day of the year on Monday, noting other jurisdictions were already conducting such reviews. They have been prompted by nationwide community concern over the apparent failure of bail legislation in Victoria ahead of the killing of six people in Melbourne in January. The alleged perpetrator had been released on bail, reportedly against the wishes of the police, a week before. Reef Beach in Sydney. Credit:Cameron Spencer Without such storms, the corals face a deadly brew should temperatures exceed certain threshholds. If they do, corals expel the zooxanthellae algae living in their tissues that provide as much as 90 per cent of the energy they need to grow and reproduce, draining them of colour and also increasing mortality. Greg Torda, an ecologist based at the centre posted early pictures of the bleaching on Twitter, noting that, unlike last year, 2017 is not starting in the midst of an El Nino event that typically raises bleaching risks. In a follow-up comment, Dr Torda tweeted that the bleaching he witnessed was on the "back reefs of Pelorus and Orpheus, affecting many species. Looks bad". Reef mortality Coral bleaching affected much of the Great Barrier Reef last year, particularly north of Cairns. The region north of Cairns has had 11-83 per cent coral mortality. The bleaching drew international attention to the health of the reef and also stoked opposition to development plans for the state including the potentially massive coal mines of the Galilee Basin. Burning the coal produced in the mines would not only add to global warming but also trigger a huge increase in shipping activity, opponents say. The mines have the backing of the state and federal governments which claim thousands of jobs will be generated and the coal will help ease poverty in places such as India. The prospect of more bleaching, though, may reignite those debates. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, eastern Australia waters are unusually warm, adding to the risk of bleaching. (See NOAA chart below showing warning alerts and areas that are most at risk.) Susceptible corals Current readings suggest waters are only moderately warmer than average along the Queensland coastline, with temperatures about 1 degree warmer than usual. (See Weatherzone chart below, based on NOAA data.) Andrew Baird, a reef ecologist also at the James Cook University centre in Townsville, said that, while research on corals' ability to recover from an event like last year's was still to be worked on, it was reasonable to assume some species would be susceptible if temperatures rose again to dangerous thresholds so soon. "It can take two years for egg quality and fecundity [of corals] to recover," Professor Baird said. Dr Wachenfeld said "just because a coral survived a bleaching event last year does not mean all is well". "It may be alive but it could be severely compromised," he said, with corals' immune and reproductive systems particularly vulnerable. "We're seeing higher than normal reports of coral disease out there which is quite likely a legacy of the heat stress from last year, as well as the accumulated ongoing heat stress," he said. The past year's weather had been "completely unprecedented", Dr Wachenfeld said, with climate change the underlying threat to the reef. He urged the public to contribute the Eye on the Reef program to help the authority monitor the reef's health. Unusual warmth While cyclones may bring relief in coming months, recent air and sea temperatures have been abnormally warm. Townsville, for instance, was "baking" in 37-degree heat on Tuesday, he said. That reading is about 6 degrees above average for February, according to Bureau of Meteorology data. The bureau's own forecasts point to a couple of more months of warmer-than-usual waters. (See chart below showing predicted temperature anomalies for coming months, in degrees.) Sydney and NSW While the Great Barrier Reef's corals will draw much of the attention if bleaching returns, reefs off the NSW coast or even in Sydney Harbour may face a more immediate threat. Professor Baird noted that hot spots in terms of water temperature anomalies were greater than Queensland, potentially affecting the harbour's corals - which suffered their first recorded bleaching last year. Sea temperatures off Sydney have touched 26 degrees in recent days, according to the Beachwatch website. The city is also in the midst of what's increasingly likely to be its hottest summer on record, and NSW broke its record average state-wide maximum temperature two days in a row. One researcher told Fairfax Media that a recent visit to two harbour reef sites did not yet reveal signs of bleaching but they would be monitored closely. Weatherzone's chart below, also based on NOAA data, indicates temperatures are more than 3 degrees warmer than average off parts of the NSW South Coast. Also at risk were corals near Lord Howe Island, where some rare species could face particular threat, said Professor Baird, who has recently been documenting another new species there. "If the bleaching at Lord Howe Island is bad, we'll see extinctions," he said. Last year's El Nino helped drive global temperatures to an annual record for the third year in a row. While the conditions in the Pacific had shifted back to more neutral conditions, worldwide temperatures have not eased much. The Japan Meteorological Agency overnight declared last month to be the second-hottest January in records going back to 1891. Sea and land temperatures were 0.39 degrees above the 1981-2010 baseline it uses, pipped only by January 2016's 0.52-degree anomaly, the agency said. The big El Nino boosted temperatures by 0.12 degrees in 2016, building on the background warming from climate change to make it the hottest year on record, NASA said last month. Dr Wachenfeld said the state of the reef was a reminder of the importance of the Paris climate accord, to which Australia and almost 200 nations committed to keep temperatures to within 1.5 to 2 degrees of warming compared with pre-industrial levels. At 1.5 degrees, "reefs will be stressed but there is some hope for management to retain them as productive, functioning eco-systems", particularly if efforts to limit the impacts of agricultural chemical and soil run-off in the reefs are maintained, he said. Loading Actor Harrison Ford has had a potentially serious run-in with an airliner at a Southern California airport, according to media reports. Ford, 74, was told to land his single-engine plane on a runway at John Wayne Airport in Orange County on Monday, but he mistakenly landed it on a parallel taxiway, passing over an American Airlines jet holding nearby, NBC reported. "Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?" the Star Wars actor is heard asking air traffic controllers in a recording, NBC reported. American Airlines Flight 1456, with 110 passengers and six crew, departed safely for Dallas a few minutes later. If there's one questionable trend that fashion can't seem to quit it has got to be "homeless chic." Yes, the trend made famous by Zoolander (really more of a documentary than a film) with its 'Derelicte' show took its inspiration from John Galliano's 2000 couture show for Christian Dior and adopted by the likes of Vivienne Westwood (2010) has popped up again at New York Fashion Week. Twice, in fact. A model walks the runway during the N. Hoolywood NYFW show. Credit:Randy Brooke First Japanese streetwear label N.Hoolywood sent models down the runway in creations inspired by "the various ways in which people there lived on the streets and the knowledge they have acquired while doing so" at men's fashion week. And this week Gypsy Sport created a 'pop-up village' replete with people playing drums on overturned buckets to celebrate "people who live on the street." Curiously, the reaction to both shows has been mixed. N.Hoolywood's designer Daisuke Obana was generally roasted for his collection (which retails at a luxury price point) with reviews calling it tasteless and tone-deaf. Writing for Fashionista, Steve Dool noted, "To put it plainly, Obana's efforts, focused purely on aesthetics, erased the humanity and the dignity of homeless people. It was always going to be a tough ask for Myer to top its spectacular autumn-winter 2016 launch, which was held at Barangaroo on Sydney Harbour and involved a fake rainstorm, models on motorbikes and an exclusive dinner for just 120 guests. And yet, Thursday's launch at the University of Melbourne marking the department store's return to the southern capital for its soirees is shaping up to do just that. Face of Myer Jennifer Hawkins will star in Thursday night's season launch, which will take place at the University of Melbourne. Credit:Daniel Munoz Details seen by Fairfax Media include models arriving at the two "fashion moments" in Tesla cars, which the store will be selling on the top floor of its Melbourne flagship from Friday. But one model not riding in the electric cars is the face of Myer, Jennifer Hawkins, who is contracted to Land Rover and cannot be photographed with any other car brand. Only 129 public servants have applied to be part of the Tax Office's controversial excursion to the NSW central coast. The underwhelming response, from the 19,000-strong revenue agency to requests for expressions of interest in transfers to Gosford, raises the prospect of forced relocations for more than 400 Tax Officials to the regional town. Deputy Leader of the Nationals Senator Fiona Nash: "With many rural newsrooms understaffed, this makes no sense and also produces a Sydney-centric view of the world." Credit:Andrew Meares The revelation comes as the Coalition defended its policies intended to push hundreds of Canberra-based public servants to rural and regional Australia. The policy of moving federal public servants to Gosford has been controversial since it was first announced as the Coalition tried to win the seat from Labor before the 2013 election. NSW Labor is being accused of a lack of credibility on coal seam gas policy after accepting $2250 in donations from Santos, despite handing back a similar amount from the energy company before the last election. Less than two weeks before the March 2015 poll, NSW Labor announced it was returning a $2200 donation from Santos after criticism from the Greens amid a fierce battle for the seat of Ballina. Labor had announced that if elected it would permanently ban coal seam gas activity across the Northern Rivers. The Greens' candidate Tamara Smith went on to win the seat. Data published by the Australian Electoral Commission reveals Santos donated $2000 to NSW Labor in January last year and $250 the following March. With her sleek black blazer, long blonde hair and inner-city office job, Alina Antal did not fit the stereotype of a drug ring director. But, from within her humble brick home in Sydney's western suburbs, that is exactly what police allege she was, alongside her on-again-off-again boyfriend, an accused Assyrian gang associate. While alleged DLASTHR gang figure Oliver Merza, 26, was doing his bit from within Silverwater prison, Ms Antal is accused of directing the operations of a cannabis syndicate. Among those under her direction were youths, including a 15-year-old boy, police will allege. Senad Kaminic was buying a pizza when the call came through to say "the tyres are done". In criminal code, this meant Michael McGurk had been murdered. Kaminic, a former Bosnian soldier, has become the second Crown witness to allege it was property developer Ron Medich who wanted those tyres done. Senad Kaminic arrives at the Supreme Court in 2013 before being sentenced. Credit:Brendan Esposito Mr Medich, 68, has pleaded not guilty to ordering the hit on Mr McGurk, his former business partner, who was gunned down in the driveway of his north shore Sydney home in 2009. The NSW Supreme Court has heard from Lucky Gattellari, 66, another former business associate, who alleges Mr Medich was the ultimate "big boss" paying for the operation. The online advertisement proclaimed: "By having a regular visit to a chiropractor, people can rest assured that they are prevented from having cancer." Sydney chiropractor Hance Limboro is the first person in the country to be prosecuted by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency for misleading advertising, relating to a series of ads on a website called Cancer Cure Sydney. Chiropractor Hance Limboro has been fined for false or misleading advertising, which claimed chiropractic treatment could cure cancer. Credit:Facebook Included in the lengthy advertisements which linked to the website for his CBD clinic were claims that spinal adjustments could cure cancer because posture issues are "believed to be the root problem of all diseases and disorders, including cancer". One article also said chiropractic treatment was "worth a try" to treat brain tumours. The government has committed $265 million over six years and an extra 329 full-time staff to Queensland Corrective Services and another 18 staff for Queensland Health for rehabilitation, drug, alcohol and mental health services. The announcement comes as part of sweeping changes to parole to be implemented following a review of the system conducted by Walter Sofronoff QC. Queensland Corrective Services will get more than 300 extra full-time staff. The government commissioned the review following the death of 81-year-old Elizabeth Kippin in Townsville in July 2016. A man on parole was charged with her murder. Real-time reporting of local government political gifts may be on its way - but the authority that will run the system is keen to ensure it does not have a meltdown akin to the Census debacle. A parliamentary committee is considering a bill that would create a real-time online system to disclose local government election donations. The ECQ is doing testing to prevent a Census fail-style meltdown with its real-time political donations website. Credit:Joe Castro If passed, it will mean that any donations of $500 or higher will need to be reported by the candidate and the gift-giver, and voters will not need to wait months until after the election to find out who got what. A real-time system for disclosure of election donations on the state government level is expected to come online in 2017. The first pitch I heard was for a device that purportedly stops wool from knotting. Next came the flyer about a motorbike charity ride for disadvantaged children. Then there was the woman pitching ladies underwear in a male style "to prevent chafing". If you're spending a lot of time in Uber rides lately listening to unconventional product pitches, rest assured you're not alone. Jo-Jo's restaurant, a Queen Street Mall landmark for 37 years, will close its doors next month, its flamboyant owner Stefan Ackerie announced on Wednesday. Having originally opened as a small cafe in 1980 to service clients of Mr Ackerie's hair salon, Jo-Jo's grew rapidly to become one of the CBD's best-known and long-lasting eateries. Jo-Jo's has been a mainstay of the Queen Street Mall for decades. Credit:Cameron Atfield That is to end on March 5, when the rainbow-themed entrance will close for the final time. But Mr Ackerie said the brand would live on at Stefan headquarters at South Brisbane. Decades-old, family-owned bus contracts could be cast aside as the Victorian government tries to turn around the least popular form of public transport. Twelve of the 13 contracts for Melbourne's bus network will be opened to competition for the first time in generations, in a bid to get more people using the city's lagging bus services. Melbourne's bus contracts are set to be overhauled. Credit:Michael Clayton-Jones Bus passenger numbers have been falling since 2014, despite rapid population growth across the city, particularly in the outer suburbs where buses are often the only available public transport. In an effort to reverse the declining use of buses, which cost taxpayers $600 million a year, the Andrews government is preparing to kill off the old system of exclusive, heavily subsidised contracts that have existed since the mid-1970s. A mosquito warning for the Goulburn Valley has been issued after Kunjin virus was detected in Shepparton. People in the northern Victoria region have been urged to wear long, loose-fitting clothes, use insect repellent containing picaridin, and remove stagnant water from around the home. Aedes notoscriptus - better known as the common backyard mosquito. Credit:Stephen Doggett, NSW Health Pathology The Victorian Health Department has warned that the virus, which is from the same family as Murray Valley Encephalitis (MVE), can cause mild but more significant illness than other viruses associated with mosquitoes, like Ross River Virus. Symptoms include fever, sore muscles and/or joints, fatigue and headache. The health department has advised people experiencing any of these symptoms to seek immediate medical attention. Symptoms can occur anywhere from two days to a fortnight following a mosquito bite. Five people have been injured after a V/Line train carrying about 80 passengers derailed when it hit a car abandoned on tracks near Bendigo. The train hit a four-wheel-drive on the track about 2pm on Wednesday The 4WD hit by the train. Credit:Courtesy of Nine News All services to and from Melbourne have been cancelled. V/Line said the car was illegally crossing the tracks, when it became stuck. A 32-year-old man has been charged over allegations he sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl in Scarborough on Tuesday. Sex Assault Squad detectives have been investigating an incident reported to have happened at a park on Harvest and Bazaar Terraces in the coastal suburb. A 32-year-old man has been charged over allegations he sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl. Credit:Cathryn Tremain Police will allege that sometime between 8pm and midnight the man sexually assaulted the girl at the park. Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up to our daily newsletter for the latest local and breaking news in Bristol. The new 12-sided pound coin will come in to circulation in six weeks time in a bid to beat the forgers. After that, we will have just eight and a half months to spend the old ones before they cease to be legal tender. These are the key dates: March 28 - new coin comes into circulation - new coin comes into circulation October 15 - shops are told not to accept old 1 coins or distribute them in change - shops are told not to accept old 1 coins or distribute them in change After October 15 - for a limited period, banks and post offices will still allow customers to deposit old 1 coins into their bank account Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Baroness Neville Rolfe paid a visit to the Royal Mint on Wednesday. She said: "The introduction of a new pound coin, the most secure coin in the world, is a historic event. "The fact this coin is made in Wales makes it even more special as it underlines the importance of the Union. "Our message is clear: if you have a round one pound coin sitting at home or in your wallet, you need to spend it or return it to your bank before 15 October." The Royal Mint is producing 1.5 billion of the new coins. They are being introduced as around one in thirty 1 coins in circulation is fake. The design The new design was created by Walsall schoolboy David Pearce, who was just 15 when he won the public competition. His design shows the English rose, the Welsh leek, the Scottish thistle and the Northern Irish shamrock emerging from one stem within a royal coronet On the alternate side, the portrait of the Queen is the fifth to be done during her reign and was done by Royal Mint coin designer Jody Clark. Key facts about the new coin The outer ring is gold-coloured nickel brass The inner circle is silver-coloured nickel-plated alloy It has an image like a hologram that changes from a symbol to the number 1 when seen from different angles It is micro lettering on the lower inside rim It has milled grooves on alternate sides There is a hidden high-security feature to beat counterfeiters The size is also changing The new coin will be thinner, at 2.8mm It will also be lighter at 8.75g And it is larger at 23.43mm diameter Ahead of today's visit, Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, said: "It is particularly exciting to get a sneak preview of history being made today at the Royal Mint as the new pound coin is prepared for circulation. The presence of the Royal Mint in Wales as the creator of our currency as well as being a major employer underlines how central Wales is to the union. "The Royal Mint is also blazing a trail as an exporter. The UK Government will shortly hold a conference for exporters in Wales, and companies like the Royal Mint are a great example to follow." This is the first time the 1 coin has been changed in over 30 years. Around 1.3 billion worth of coins are stored in savings jars across the country, and the current 1 coin accounts for almost a third of these. 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 Jason Back , managing director of the Australian Lending & Investment Centre (ALIC), is due to hold a fully co-facilitated training day which aims to fast track the development of brokers and the admin staff supporting them. The program, Broker Essentials, focuses on the daily functionality of being a broker or supporting staff member including skills, processes and behaviour, Back told Australian Broker. This is about accelerating hands on skill development, reducing rework and increasing efficiency; More deals, higher quality, less avoidable settlement delays. Back hopes participants will come out of the program with knowledge of how to increase their revenue, sharpen their technical skills and create habits that support writing more deals. This is not about turning a $20m writer into a $200m writer. This is about taking them from $10m to $20m or $30m to $40m. Brokers going through the course will also leave with a clear plan around their current pain points, Back said, as well as the quick wins and long-term solutions which can add value and increase sales in the business. The course will be held in Melbourne on 28 March and will be broken down into three core subject areas: process fundamentals, measurement/management analytics, and the client journey. The program will also provide a quick reference guide and other materials for users that will allow them to set up a consistent and efficient business model. The focus is on practical, relevant and real-time implementation of new skills, he said. Having spent the past five years re-engineering and implementing change at ALIC, Back said he was keen to share his experience in developing successful brokers and strengthening the industry. Motivation for running the course stemmed from market demand as well as the desire to improve the core skills of those in the industry. There is a clear gap in our industry around core skills development. Certified programs which focus on theory (Cert IV and Dip FMBM) can be overwhelming and hard to access and apply on a day-to-day basis whilst the plethora of marketing, social media and lead generation programs (though important) are only part of the solution. Back said the fundamentals of how to run a brokerage were missing from this equation including training on creating efficient processes, delivering a great customer experience, and securing referrals through service excellence as opposed to Facebook ads. Most of the training that brokers get access to comes from their BDMs and aggregators and this is not their core skill, Back said. They do not live and breathe the full day as a broker and so can only supply part of the picture. Mentoring can be a good option however the quality of the training can be hit and miss. 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 The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ( ANZ ) has announced a relief package for customers impacted by the recent New South Wales bushfires that includes suspended mortgage repayments for mortgage holders. Its devastating to see the impact of the bushfires over the weekend with authorities fighting over 200 fires around NSW, said Stuart Hancock , the head of regional business banking in NSW. This is a very difficult time for our staff and customers in NSW who have lost livestock and property. We hope this assistance package provides them with the financial relief and support they need. ANZ will suspend repayments on mortgages for three months, a bank spokesperson told Australian Broker. In exceptional circumstances, this period may be extended. On mortgages, interest still accrues during the three month period. However we waive any late payment fees, she said. The relief package also eliminates fees associated with restructuring business loans, early access to term deposits, replacing damaged credit/EFTPOS terminals, and life insurance premiums for a limited time. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams 62nd Precinct BensonhurstBath Beach Disgruntled employee Police arrested a woman who they say swiped $600 from an 18th Avenue bakery on Feb. 6 and kicked the owner in the nuts, police said The man told police that the woman was previously employed at the pastry shop between 82nd and 83rd streets and at 4:45 pm the disgruntled employee casually walked behind the counter, took $600 from the register, and kicked the owner in the groin before attempting to flee the location. An employee stopped her and called the police, who arrested the woman on the scene, officials said. Rough robbers Two ruffians robbed a man on Bath Avenue on Feb. 6, authorities said. The man told police he was walking to work between Bay 19th and Bay 20th streets at 6:25 am when the two goons pushed him to the ground and began punching and slapping his head. The thieves rummaged through the mans pockets and made off with his cellphone and wallet, which contained $2,000, according to a police report. The men then fled toward Bay 20th Street in a sedan with tinted windows, officials said. Ambushed Two miscreants robbed a woman on 19th Avenue on Jan. 31, said police. The woman told police that she was walking between Benson Avenue and 86th Street at 8 pm when a woman approached her from behind and a man stepped in front of her. The man snatched the victims cellphone right out of her hands, officials said. The two thieves fled in opposite directions, according to police. Opportunist A purse snatcher grabbed a womans purse on Shore Parkway on Feb. 4, said police. The woman told police that while shopping in a store near Bay 38th Street at 7 pm she placed her pursed on a shelf and walked away for a moment. But when she returned the purse was gone. The sneak thief made off with the womans credit cards, cash, and cellphone, according to a police report. Caroline Spivack Your digital subscription includes access to all content on our agricultural websites across the nation. Access unlimited content and the digital versions of our print editions - This Week's Paper. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams 68th Precinct Bay RidgeDyker Heights My car is on fire An arsonist set fire to a car parked on 80th Street on Jan. 17, said police. The baddie set a black German luxury car left between Shore Road and Narrows Avenue ablaze at 6:30 pm, according to a police report. The fire-starter fled the scene on foot, officials said. Personal grooming A thief ransacked an 86th Street drugstore on Feb. 9 and made off with $2,600 worth of razor blades and teeth whitening strips, officials said. The man broke into the pharmacy between Fourth and Fifth Avenues at 6:45 pm, authorities said. The miscreant grabbed Crest white strips and Gillette razor blades, according to a police report. Jewel thief A burglar swiped jewelry and cash from a Fourth Avenue apartment on Feb. 11, police said. The woman living in the apartment between 79th and 80th streets told police that she didnt know how the man got in, but he busted the lock on her bedroom door. He fled with three designer watches, a pair of diamond earrings, and $400. Caroline Spivack Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams They were thinkin Lincoln! Fourth-graders from Brooklyn Heights Packer Collegiate Institute dressed in beards, stovepipe hats, and ill-fitting suits trekked to the distant island of Manhattan on Monday to celebrate Abraham Lincolns 208th birthday. The young Rail Splitters recited the presidents famed Gettysburg Address and answered questions from curious passersby, which their teacher say was educational for all involved. In telling others about Lincoln, my students understand Lincoln better themselves, said educator Tim Jensen, whose fourth-grade social studies classes have been performing such full-costume public readings since 2009. Previous classes have performed inside the majestic central hall at Grand Central Station, but on Monday this years crop appeared at the new Oculus mall, where Jensen says it was easier to obtain permission for the performance. Each of the 22 doppelgangers recited a small portion of the address, followed in turn by another classmate, and then another, until theyd recited the entire iconic Civil War-era speech before an audience around 100 commuters who stopped to listen. The young Lincolns all aged 9 or 10 followed up their speech by holding up small signs that read, Hello, its my birthday, ask me any question. Some of the queries that came from the audience included, How tall are you? How many sons did you have? and When were you killed? to which they answered 6-foot-4, four, and April 15, 1865, respectively. The kids say the exercise really helped them memorize facts about Honest Abe. Doing Tiny Lincolns, youre not just sitting and learning it, because if you just sit and learn, you forget it, said one student. But if you learn and dress up and tell people about it, its more fun that way. Youll remember it more. And even the cosutmes helped, said another. If we were just in our normal clothes, it wouldnt be the part, it wouldnt be Lincoln, said the pupil. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Call it a schmear campaign! The owner of popular Boerum Hill bagel and lox joint Shelskys is creating a buzz in the neighborhood and on social media with sidewalk signs that poke fun at President Trump and his bungling administration the latest of which is Thanks to customer feedback, we no longer sell Ivanka brand lox, whitefish, or herring, in reference to Nordstrom dropping the First Daughters clothing line. I see people all day walking past the sign, stopping to take a photo and giving me the thumbs up from outside, said Peter Shelsky, co-owner of the Jewish deli on Court Street. Ive been getting more Instagram hits than Ive ever gotten on any of my photos. The deli don says more people have been coming inside since he started writing snarky sandwich boards. He changes the signs each week, drawing comedic inspiration from the administrations so-called alternative facts, with past slogans including, Brooklyns place for bacon, ham, lobster, and shrimp #alternativefacts, and 100 percent of this weekends profits are going to the victims and families of Bowling Green. Passersby say they appreciate a free laugh in these tumultuous times. Its funny, said Park Sloper Zach Zohlman. I enjoy a little whimsy in a dark time. Normally its a bad idea to mix business and politics, Shelsky acknowledges, but he says he feels morally obliged to mock the commander in chief in any way he can. I dont see this as making this sort of statement about politics, he said. Its just making a statement about whats right, and a simple way I can do that is with comedy on the signs. Reach reporter Lauren Gill at lgill @cngl ocal.com or by calling (718) 2602511. Follow her on Twitter @laurenk_gill 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... I dont usually cry during This Is Us. I know a lot of people do. Ive come close before, though. At the end of this episode, titled Jack Pearsons Son, when Kevin makes a bold decision, I certainly come close again. Meanwhile, Randall continues to struggle with all the stress in his life, Toby and Kate get to know each other, and Jack and Rebecca have a fall-out about her band tour. Why Do This Is Us Fans Hate Miguel So Much? >>> The Calm Before the Storm Its Valentines Day, and Rebecca is leaving lists of things Jack needs to take care of while shes on tour for a month. Jack assures her that he and the kids will be fine. But that doesnt stop her from writing more lists. That day at work, Miguel asks Jack how he really feels about Rebecca leaving with the band. Jack finally opens up and says that he thinks its crazy she is leaving her family. He feels like her gigs at home should be good enough, but he would never tell her that because she would resent him. He also confesses to Miguel that hes worried about her band mate Ben. Miguel assures Jack that he has nothing to worry about, as Rebecca only has eyes for him. Miguel then asks Jack if hell be his wingman the following weekend. So Jack invites Miguel to Rebeccas gig that that night so he can possibly meet someone. Before she goes, Rebecca gets ready for the gig that night. As she gets ready, she hears the kids come home and overhears Kate tell Randall that Sophie and Kevin are having sex. Of course, Rebecca freaks out. Later, she and Jack have the safe sex talk with Kevin, but its interrupted by Randall, who is freaking out about a project at school. And its here we see that Randalls panic attacks have been going on since he was a teenager. Rebecca has another mini freak-out about leaving the kids, but once again, despite his true feelings, Jack insists that Rebecca needs to go on tour. It All Unravels At the Valentines Day show, Jack cant help but notice the flirtation on stage between Rebecca and Ben. Miguel, while distracted with another woman, once again assures Jack that he has nothing to worry about. After the show, Ben says hello to Jack and accidentally reveals that he and Rebecca dated in the past. It takes all of Jacks might not to cause a scene, as Rebecca wants to continue their Valentines Day plans. But he cuts the night short. Rebecca confronts Jack at home. He wants to know why she lied to him about Ben. She claims they dated for two months when they were 19 and it meant nothing. She adds that she didnt tell Jack because she knew hed flip out and be jealous. Jack tells her he doesnt want her going anymore, that he never wanted her to go. They both say some pretty hurtful things, which leads to Jack at the bar eating a bacon cheeseburger by himself. Toby and Kate: The Deep Dive Kate does knock on cabin 13, but its not to hook up with Duke; its to tell him off. However, in doing so, she gets kicked out of the camp because his parents own and run it. Kate goes to see Toby at the hotel to apologize and get their relationship back on track. Toby finally accepts her apology and is relieved that she didnt give in to Dukes charms. He then confesses that they really dont know much about each other. He says that since their relationship has been so rocky, they dont really know about each others pasts. So Kate declares a deep dive into their past to get to know each other better. The questions range from which do you like better, cats or dogs, to celebrity crushes. However, Kate digs real deep and asks Toby about the time he had suicidal thoughts. He explains that he had always struggled with depression, and it spiraled out of control when he got divorced. When Toby digs deep, though, and presses Kate for details on her fathers death, shes at a loss for words. She explains that she wants to tell him, but shes just not ready to uncork the bottle of emotions shes kept locked away for so long. Later on, at Kevins play, Toby tells her that he thinks they should get rid of their summer wedding date and just enjoy being engaged. He realized that they both need to be fully comfortable with each other to be married, and they shouldnt rush learning about each other just to meet a deadline. Once again, Toby says and does the right thing. Quiz: Who is Your TV Boss? >>> A Breakdown William is on the verge of having another one of his panic attack/nervous breakdowns. Everything in his life is going haywire. His work is suffering because of his personal life, and his boss is noticing. As a result, most of his work is being given to Sanjay, another person at his firm. A day before a big meeting, Randall preps at home, but Beth needs to go to DC when her mother breaks her hip. This leaves Randall to take care of William, so he hires a hospice nurse. When Randall finally gets to work late, his boss informs him that the big meeting has been moved to that afternoon. But instead of preparing, Randall deals with an impromptu visit from Kevin, who is solely focused on his play, and a call from Williams nurse, who is locked out of the house. Randall runs home and yells at William for getting upset with the nurse. He flat-out tells William that he doesnt want him to die when no one is around. William, despite his body failing, understands and agrees to do what the nurse says. By the time the Randall gets back to the office, the big meeting is underway. He tries to collect his thoughts and present his facts, but he struggles and tears up. Sanjay sees him struggling and continues the presentation for him. That night, Randalls vision goes blurry and he starts to cry. He calls Kevin all confused to inform him he wont be at his opening night. What Would Jack Do? Throughout most of the episode, Kevin whines about opening night. He worries hes going to blow it. And it doesnt help that Sophie wont be there, and hes having nightmares. It also doesnt help when Sloane informs him that the New York Times will be there to review the show. Kevin first calls Kate to whine, but shes preoccupied with Toby. Then he goes to see Randall, who is preoccupied with everything else. Finally, Kevin goes to see Rebecca but ends up unloading onto Miguel. He does this reluctantly since its been made clear that Kevin does not like Miguel. But we know that Miguel is a good guy. So he tries to give Kevin advice, despite knowing that Kevin doesnt like him. He tells Kevin that he reminds him of his father and that, whenever he was nervous, he used to seek out Jacks advice. Miguel recommends that if Kevin is nervous before curtain call, he should just think of what Jack would do. A few minutes before the curtain goes up, Kevin takes the call from Randall informing him that he wont make it. Kevin is clearly upset, but something clicks. He realizes something is off with Randall. So just as hes about to go on stage, Sloane asks him what hes thinking about. He replies, Im thinking about what my dad would do. The lights go down, and Sloane heads out. When she turns around, though, Kevin isnt there. At first thought, we think that Kevin has stage fright. But then we realize that hes doing what Jack would do and that is to go to Randall and comfort him, which is exactly what Kevin does. He runs to Randalls office and finds him crying on the floor. He picks him up and just holds him, just as Jack would have done. Jack Pearsons Son Its funny that Miguel sees Jack in Kevin because I always thought Kevin is the opposite of Jack. Kevin is selfish and always thinking about himself, while Jack always put his family first, even when he didnt want to, like the tour. Though, I have a feeling theres more to that story that needs to be revealed. But its Miguels words that finally trigger the good in Kevin. He finally opened his eyes to realize that Randall needed him, needed someone, needed his father. So he got the next best thing: his brother. Im so happy that Kevin is possibly growing up. Randall needs professional help. Its clear he takes on too much. Beth revealed that to William a few episodes back. This isnt the first time hes done this. But Beth should have seen this was coming. She should be helping him too. Though, when more than one family crisis occurs, there needs to be a balancing act, which is stressful on everyone. Im glad that Toby and Kate are slowing down. And Im glad she didnt cheat on Toby with Duke. Rebecca needs to be a little nicer to Jack. While I can understand her point of view of wanting to do something for herself, I dont think that touring with an ex-boyfriend and leaving your husband with your teenage triplets is the best idea. Perhaps a girls spa weekend would do the trick? Or a weekly dance class? Shes already got her band gigs and practices. But my question is, what does Jack get to do for himself? Im sure all of this will get revealed in due time on This Is Us. What did you think of Jack Pearsons Son? Did you tear up when Kevin ran to Randall? Were you pissed at Jack or Rebecca or both? Who do you think is right in that fight? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. This Is Us season 1 airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC. Want more news? Like our This Is Us Facebook page. (Image courtesy of NBC) Catholic Health awards Buffalo native and son of immigrants, scholarship to attend UB medical school Buffalo-born Dean Salem, the first in his family to attend college and a former volunteer and employee at Catholic Health, is now in his first year at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB. Scholarship is the first of three Catholic Health will fund over the next 12 years The University at Buffalo is where my interest in science was fostered and I am happy to be able to continue my education in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. BUFFALO, N.Y. A Buffalo native who is the son of immigrant parents and a first-year student at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, has been awarded a Western New York Medical Scholarship, thanks to a generous gift from Catholic Health. Its the first of three scholarships Catholic Health has committed to fund over the next 12 years, for a total pledged commitment of $384,000 to support UB medical students and the local medical community. The Western New York Medical Scholarship Fund provides four-year scholarships to local students to attend the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in order to train and retain more doctors in the eight-county area, stemming a steady decline in the number of physicians who practice here. Catholic Health is committed to investing in the professional development of our associates and proud to be part of this innovative scholarship program at UB that supports our efforts, said Joe McDonald, president and CEO of Catholic Health. In contributing to the scholarship fund, he said that Catholic Health is looking to support a local medical student who has ties to the health system, either as an associate or family member of an associate, and is willing to affiliate with Catholic Health for the commitment period following their residency training. A life of firsts This years scholarship winner, Dean Salem, has lived a life of firsts: a first-year medical student in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, he is the first in his family to study medicine. Hes also the first in a family of five children and the first to go to college, graduating from UB in 2014 with a BS in medical technology. Before going to medical school, he landed his first fulltime job as a medical technologist at Catholic Healths Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo, where he also was a volunteer. We are pleased to be able to fund a scholarship that helps one of our former associates realize his dreams, addresses the decline of physicians in our community, and gives local medical students the opportunity to practice in their own hometown, which benefits us all, McDonald continued. Salems parents immigrated to the United States from Yemen, where they had grown up in a village farming community. They came here in the hope of providing a better life for their children, and I think they have succeeded, says Salem, who adds that he earned his undergraduate degree for himself and for his family. When I graduated, I felt as if I had lifted up my entire family with me, he says. My experience at UB demonstrated to my younger siblings the opportunities that college brings. Salem is very grateful to Catholic Health and the Western New York Medical Scholarship program for giving him this opportunity. Scholarship means a weight lifted off my shoulders Medical school is stressful enough without having to think about the debt that you are incurring while you attend, he says. This scholarship allows me to focus singularly on my education rather than on financial constraints, and I believe that I will be a better physician for it. It truly is a weight lifted off of my shoulders. The University at Buffalo is where my interest in science was fostered, he adds, and I am happy to be able to continue my education in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The scholarship recipients are awarded about $30,000 annually, and must pledge to practice in Western New York for five years upon finishing medical school and resident training. The highly select criteria require recipients to have excelled academically, to have graduated from a high school in the eight-county region of Western New York and to have demonstrated financial need. Making their own mark on the future landscape, Grown in Britain (GiB) staff, supporters and licence-holders came together to begin planting the Grown in Britain Grove, part of the Sylva Foundations Future Forest, in Oxfordshire on 10 February. Some 300 productive tree saplings were planted during the day, which also included a tour of the Sylva Centre. The Centre is clad in thermally-modified home-grown sycamore and ash, financed through a research grant from GiB. The Grown in Britain Grove is a focus point for celebrating the future of British timber, said the campaigns chief executive officer, Dougal Driver. Many of our licence holders are forest owners and sawmillers in their own right, already contributing to the future of Britains productive forests through their re-planting programmes. We want the Grown in Britain Grove to be somewhere that licence-holders further along the supply chain, in joinery manufacturing, construction and retailing, can come, participate in planting, and feel part of the continuing story of sustainable British woodlands and timber production, Mr Driver affirmed. The Grove is financed through donations to GiB, and the campaign is particularly grateful to Orpago bespoke furniture and Vastern Timber for their contributions. Picture caption: L-r: John Weir, Forestry Commission; Laura Sceal, GiB; Judith Millidge, Small Woodland Owners Group; Helen Bentley-Fox, GiB; Dougal Driver, GiB; Tom Barnes, Vastern Timber; Dr Gabriel Hemery, Sylva Foundation (seated); William Jackson, Certainly Wood; Jen Hurst, Sylva Foundation. A divisional manager with over 35 years service with a family-owned Shropshire firm is to retire from his role. Kevin Gardner will leave Tudor Griffiths Group this month after 38 years with the company. During his time with the company, he has played a key role in establishing the Group as a major player in the builders merchants sector. Managing director Tudor Griffiths said Mr Gardner would be a real loss to the team, and praised him for his dedication and commitment over nearly four decades of service. When Kevin joined, we had just two builders merchant branches in Ellesmere and Tattenhall. Since then, under Kevins guidance, we have added branches in Northwich, Oswestry, Nantwich, Welshpool, Kidderminster, and our latest in Bridgnorth, which opened just last year. Kevin has successfully managed the business over this period of sustained growth to take us to our current position as a significant regional player in the builders merchants sector with a flourishing network of eight branches. I am very grateful for all the hard work and dedication that Kevin has put in to achieve this. He will be a tough act to follow and will be missed throughout the Group. Mr Gardner has spent much of the last two years working on the new Bridgnorth branch, right through from the design and planning stage, to ensuring it was open for business and trading well. He said: Tudor Griffiths Group has been a huge part of my life, and it will be very strange not to come into work after all these years. Ive been privileged to have had the opportunity to help build up the builders merchant side of the business from its humble beginnings to the thriving network we now have in place, and Id like to thank the Group for the confidence it has shown in me during my time with the company. Mr Gardners role as divisional manager will now be taken up by Mark Evans, who will work with the rest of the management team to drive the business forward. Mr Evans has worked for TG Group for over 20 years in a variety of roles, most recently as group sales manager. Mr Griffiths concluded: I am sure that with everyones support Mark, like all the managers within our Group, will continue to run the business as successfully as we have in the past and we are looking forward to further steady growth into the future. Picture caption: Kevin Gardner (right) who is retiring with Tudor Griffiths (centre) and Kevins successor, Mark Evans. Representatives of Chinese real estate giant Dalian Wanda, which plans to invest $10 billion in India, met DIPP officials here on Wednesday to press for certain concessions as well as relaxation in some regulatory norms. According to sources, the world's largest property developer wants to bring $10 billion into India as external commercial borrowings (ECBs) as against the $750 million limit permitted by RBI. During the meeting with DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek, the company officials are understood to have sought concessions for the industrial park that the firm is planning to develop in Haryana and other investments including breaks on corporate and service tax besides customs and import duties similar to special economic zones. The Chinese real estate major is also seeking permission to sell plots that are underdeveloped or only partially developed in its proposed industrial park in Haryana. A group of official who attended the meeting declined to comment on the development saying "it is something that is in process". According to officials, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is pursuing the concessions sought by the firm with other ministries, departments and regulators since many of these demands are outside the current overseas investment policy framework. The Group is owned by one of China's richest men Wang Jianlin. 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. Dubai-based multinational business conglomerate Darvesh is planning to set up a processing unit in Odisha with an investment Rs 500 crore for production of isolates and concentrates from marine fish. "The company is keen to set up the unit at Deras Seafood Park coming up at Khurda. They will be requiring an assured supply of 500 tonne of oil sardines and other low value fish costing less than Rs 25 per kg", said Bishnupada Sethi, secretary, fisheries and animal resources development, Odisha. Indias military plane-maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is looking at commercial borrowings to fund part of its Rs 17,500 crore planned expenditure to build new fighters and helicopters for the armed forces. Boeing expects Indias aeroplane market to grow significantly, as the market expands. Last month, it won a $22-billion order for 100 Boeing 737s from low-cost carrier Spicejet, narrowing its gap with rival Airbus. Passenger growth at 23 per cent is unprecedented when global growth is only five per cent, Dinesh Keskar, senior vice-president, Asia Pacific and India sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, tells Alnoor Peermohamed and Raghu Krishnan. Hyderabad-based construction company IVRCL, which is under strategic debt restructuring (SDR), has reported a 18.5 per cent decline in a net loss at Rs 249.27 as compared to a net loss of Rs 307.16 crore in the corresponding quarter previous year.Total income from operations during the quarter under review declined 11.21 per cent at Rs 397.88 crore from Rs 448.13 crore in the corresponding previous quarter.Total expenses fell 19 per cent to Rs 479.88 crore from Rs 590.18 crore in the year ago period.For the nine-month period ending December 2016, the company's net losses decreased to Rs 755.59 core as compared to Rs 802.33 crore in the year ago period.The accumulated losses stood at Rs 2,768.10 crore for the 9-month period. Please read Novelis' clarification on this at the end of the article. Hindalco Industries' American subsidiary Novelis will be reducing the number of its employees, as part of cost cutting. The cut is likely to be a little less than five per cent of the total. Tata Motors, the countrys largest automobile company by revenue, has seen its consolidated net profit shrink by 96 per cent in the third quarter on a steep decline in profit at its overseas unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and higher losses in domestic operations. Slump or not, is looking at the future: In a bid to make cars for the future, the company is poised to get into a tie-up with global technology major Microsoft. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is campaigning for the liquor ban, the state government in Chhattisgarh appears to be puzzled on the issue. The industrial cluster around Tata Motors' Nano plant witnessed a major clash on Tuesday when a rally of protesting against allocation of water to industries from a Narmada dam canal was dispersed by police using force. Police cane-charged the and burst some 40 teargas shells to disperse the rally as well as roughed up some media persons covering the event following pelting of stones by a section of participants in the rally. At least seven men in uniform sustained injuries in the stone pelting. The incident occurred near Sanand on the outskirts of Ahmedabad when some 5,000 from 38 villages in Viramgam, Bavla and Sanand talukas, under the banner of Khedut Adhikar Manch, took out the procession and headed state capital Gandhinagar to present a memorandum to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani demanding water for irrigation. They pointed out that while the industrial cluster around Sanand, including Tata Motors' Nano plant and units of other automobile giants, had been allowed to draw water from the Narmada canal, no irrigation facility had been provided to the agricultural fields close to the Narmada canal that takes water to the Saurashtra region. Police claimed that farmers were denied permission for the rally and were first politely informed. "But when they did not budge, we had to use force to disperse them," Ahmedabad Rural District Superintendent of Police R V Asari said. According to him, seven policemen, including him, sustained injuries in stone pelting by the farmers. "Police had denied them permission and so when the rally reached Sanand, we tried to convince their leaders not to go ahead. Even as talks were on, some persons started pelting stones. Several of my men, including me, were injured and we had to resort to mild lathicharge and fire teargas shells to disperse the mob," Asari said. Some media persons covering the event were beaten up by cops and camera chips and other photography equipment of two local television news channels were snatched by the police. About 50 farmers were also arrested on charges of attacking government officials on duty. The lathi charge on unarmed farmers and media persons was widely condemned by the Congress and other political parties. State Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki said the issue would be taken up in the assembly beginning its budget session from February 20. "The BJP is not accustomed to face any opposition. Instead of giving justice to the farmers, they ordered lathi charge on them. I condemn the action," Leader of the Opposition in state assembly Shankersinh Vaghela said. "It is unfortunate that the farmers were beaten up for raising a legitimate demand. Such atrocities prove that this government is anti-farmer. It is their known method of remaining in power by terrorising people and suppressing every voice of dissent," Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel asserted. Other Backward Classes Manch Convenor Alpesh Thakore said the OBCs would not allow the BJP leaders to move freely in Ahmedabad district if they continue with their high-handed attitude instead of meeting legitimate demand of the farmers. The Manch, with the support of PAAS, has given a call for "Sanand Bandh" on Wednesday to protest against the police action on farmers. An Indian-origin human resource manager has become the third person connected with two outsourcing companies to be convicted of H1-B visa fraud in a scheme that also ripped off tech employees, according to Paul Fishman, the federal prosecutor for New Jersey. Hiral Patel, who worked for SCM Data and MMC System, admitted her guilt before federal judge Kevin McNulty in Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday, prosecutors said. She was found guilty of obstructing justice in connection with the scheme. Patel, 32, was arrested in May. Sunila Dutt, a lawyer in Virginia, was convicted of involvement in the fraud in October. In December, Hari Karne, the immigration manager for an Indian company was found guilty in the same scheme. Prosecutors said that he was from Hyderabad and worked for SCM Private Limited in India, which had agreements with SCM Data and MMC System to provide staff. Sowrabh Sharma, the New York-based owner of the two companies was arrested in September and Shikha Mohta, 31, of Jersey City who was the head of finance for the two companies, in May and both have been charged with fraud in the scheme, according to prosecutors. The two companies recruited student visa holders or recent graduates as consultants, obtained H1-B visas meant for professionals with specialised skills and placed them with other companies requiring information technology support, according to the prosecution. Under the terms of the H1-B visas, the consultants had to be given full-time positions and paid an agreed salary. But they were paid only when they were working at the third party companies that contracted with them, the prosecution said. To show the government they were being paid as full-time employees, they were asked to give SCM and MMC cash equal to the salaries for periods they were not at the third party companies and their employer, the two outsourcing companies, did not pay them, according to the prosecution. The two companies then issued them checks for those amounts, which they were made to show to the immigration authorities as proof they were working full time and receiving the wages they were supposed to for the H1-B visas, the prosecution said. Prosecutors said in December that there were six co-conspirators in the scheme, but did not identify them. SCM Data is based in New Jersey and MMC System is headquartered in Virginia. Surujmuni Marandi, 24, had decided to deliver her baby at the Godda district hospital in north-eastern Jharkhand. Like many other women, she was drawn to the idea of free medical assistance, medicines, nutrition and postnatal care for poor, pregnant women promised by Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), the government programme aimed at reducing Indias high rate (MMR). An NRI couple was booked for allegedly murdering a boy, whom they adopted in 2015, so as to pocket the insurance amount of Rs 1.20 crore which they had taken as cover for the latter's life, police said. Police lodged an FIR against Arti Loknath (53) and her husband Kanwaljitsinh Raijada (28), currently living in London, for allegedly being part of the conspiracy to Gopal (13), said Keshod police inspector Ashok Tilva. "Arti and Kanwaljitsinh conspired with one Nitish Mund to adopt Gopal (13), get him insured and then kill him so that they could get insurance money. Nitish, who also lived in London before shifting here after his visa expired, had planned along with the couple since 2015 to kill Gopal," Tilva said. The NRI couple's role was revealed after police arrested Nitish yesterday in connection with the . The boy had died at a Rajkot hospital yesterday, days after he was attacked with knief by unknown accused riding two motorcycles on the night of February 8 in Keshod in Junagadh district. Gopal was returning from Rajkot to his home town Maliya along with Nitish, Harsukh Patel, and one Mahadev, Tilva said. He was living with Nitish who planned the attack by hiring two assailants for Rs 5 lakh each, Tilva said. "Hired assailants attacked Gopal and Harsukh Patel after they came out of a vehicle at a pre-decided place at Keshod. We have initiated process to arrest the NRI couple who are at present in UK," Talvia said. MADISON A federal court has ordered the Wisconsin Legislature to redraw voting districts in time for the 2018 elections. This is a victory for voters, who have been voting in gerrymandered districts that were ruled unconstitutional in November. Although the court did not specify how the Legislature should redraw the maps, the League of Women Voters urges lawmakers to choose a method that will minimize undue partisanship. The League filed a brief in the case offering possible ways to accomplish that. The Wisconsin constitution gives the legislature the responsibility of redistricting, which takes place every ten years after the census. Unfortunately, when you have one-party rule, as was the case in Wisconsin in 2011, the majority party is able to choose the voters by drawing meandering district boundaries designed to include some voters and exclude others. Of the nonpartisan redistricting methods we proposed, the most practical is the procedure followed successfully in Iowa, which has a similar constitutional provision. There, a nonpartisan legislative agency drafts the district maps for the Legislature, which retains final responsibility for enacting (or rejecting) the proposed maps. The Wisconsin Legislature could direct its Legislative Reference Bureau, the nonpartisan service agency which drafts all legislation, to create new maps. The agency would have to follow the usual districting criteria mandated by state and federal law, such as compactness, contiguity, respect for existing municipal boundaries and non-dilution of minority voting power. The plan should also provide for public input. Iowas Legislative Services Agency is advised by a nonpartisan commission and must hold at least three public hearings about the plan in different regions of the state and report on the hearings to the Legislature. The Legislature then brings the redistricting bill to a vote shortly after receiving the report. Only corrective amendments are allowed. If the initial plan is rejected, the agency must submit a second version within 35 days. Again, the Legislature votes, with only corrective amendments allowed. There is plenty of time for such a process to take place in Wisconsin before the court-ordered deadline of Nov. 1. Since its creation in 1980, the Iowa process has operated smoothly and with the support of both parties. Each decade the Legislature has enacted the first or second proposed plan. No plan has been challenged in court, saving Iowa taxpayers millions of dollars in litigation fees. Iowas plan has resulted in some of the most competitive districts in the nation, offering voters a choice of two or more viable candidates. In Wisconsin, none of our eight congressional districts is considered competitive, and Common Cause in Wisconsin reported in 2016 that just one in 10 of our legislative districts could be considered competitive. That leads to uncontested elections and less choice for voters. There are currently proposals before the Wisconsin Legislature to adopt the Iowa plan. Lawmakers should do so this session. They also should apply the plan now to redraw the current, unconstitutional districts in a way that will give voters confidence that they are not being manipulated by politicians seeking an unfair partisan advantage. Commuters in Delhi NCR had a harrowing time reaching their destinations on Wednesday as the impasse between Ola and Uber continued for the sixth straight day. According to certain reports, cab aggregation unions in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai are also planning to go strike, however no decision has been taken by the unions till now. Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said those Kashmiris supporting terrorists would be considered anti- . "People who have picked up arms, the local boys, if they want to continue with such acts of terrorism and display flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti- elements and go helter-skelter for them. Our relentless operations will continue," General Rawat said while paying tribute to the bravehearts of the Handwara and Bandipora encounters. Urging the local people to extend their support to the security forces trying to maintain peace in the Valley, Rawat said they won't be spared if they continue resorting to negative acts. "Our idea is not kill these young boys, but to bring them into mainstream. But, if they wish to remain in this manner, we will target them with harsher measures," he warned. General Rawat expressed his disappointment about the involvement of local people in terrorist acts, whether directly or indirectly. He said such actions are the reason for the high number of casualties among security forces. Four army personnel, including a major lost their lives in two encounters in the Bandipora and Handwara areas of North on Monday. Three other officers and three civilians sustained injuries as well. Four militants were also neutralised. In an investment push to the oil sector, the Union Cabinet has awarded 31 oil and gas exploration blocks (44 fields) to 23 companies, of the 46 contract areas put on offer under the discovered small and marginal fields (DSF) round of auction. This is likely to bring in a gross revenue of Rs 46,000 crore over a period of 15 years, of which the governments share is likely to be Rs 9,600 crore. Blocks not cleared for awarding are likely to be put on offer during the second round of DSF. Of the 23 companies, about 15 are entrants to the sector. Of the 31 contract areas awarded, 14 had only single bidders and 17 had multiple bidders, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told journalists. The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), arm of the petroleum and natural gas ministry, conducted the bidding and shortlisted the companies for award. After the Cabinet clearance, the companies would be signing contracts with Oil & Natural Gas Corporation and Oil India, original licensees of these blocks. During the round that happened in November, 42 companies took part, 37 being private entities. Forty six blocks got a total of 134 e-bids. These areas have estimated total reserves of 88 million tonnes of oil equivalent, which if produced could cut the countrys import bill by Rs 3,500 crore annually. These areas were discovered long before but could not be monetised for various reasons - isolated locations, small size of reserves, high development costs, technological constraints, fiscal regime, etc, went an official statement. For the blocks awarded, the expected in-place reserves are 40 million tonnes of oil and 22 billion cubic meters of gas, to be monetised over 15 years. Among the players that won multiple blocks include Bharat PetroResources, Prize Petroleum Company, Pfh Oil and Gas, Indian Oil Corporation, KEI-RSOS Petroleum & Energy, Megha Engineering & Infrastructures, Ramayana Ispat, BDN Enterprises, Duggar Fiber, Mahendra Infratech, Oilmax Energy, Nippon Power and Hindustan Oil Exploration Company. On the other hand, the companies that got single blocks are Sun Petrochemicals, Adani Welspun Exploration, Vijayasri Bhaskar Industries, South Asia Consultancy Fze, Gem Laboratories, Oil India, Adbhoot Estates, EnQuest Drilling and SKN Haryana City Gas Distribution. This time, the bidding criteria and the process has been extremely smooth for players, which resulted in a lot of start-ups entering the fray. For the first time in the oil industry, we are participating in an online bidding process, which was efficiently conducted by the DGH with the help of MSTC, said P Elango, managing director of Hindustan Oil Exploration. He said the revenue share bidding model had only three parameters number of wells to be drilled, amount to be shared at lower revenue point and higher revenue point. Though the government had conducted road shows in America, Britain, Canada, Singapore and UAE, only five foreign entities had bid. While all the 26 onland contract areas received e-bids, only eight of the 20 offshore contract areas did. Joseph Weiss, president of Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd (IAI), is bullish on India. His company is developing the medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM) with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and it has been expanding business. The government has fixed a target to procure 33 million tonnes of wheat this rabi season, almost 10% higher than last year. The decision was taken on Wednesday at a meeting of state foiod secretaries, chaired by Preeti Sudan, secretary at the central government's department of food & public distribution. A record output is estimated this time. The previous rabi season saw 22.96 mt of wheat procured. A little over 80% of the buying will come from Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh The second Advance Estimate of the ministry of agriculture was a record 96.64 mt, as compared to 92.29 mt in 2015-16. Imports have increased, following zero import duty, and record output has farmers relying on state agencies for procuring before prices crash. There are indications that the Centre will restore the import duty once state agencies start buying in full force and the new crop comes into the market. "This abolishing of import duty is a temporary measure," a senior finance ministry official had told a group of reporters some time earlier. For 60-year old Ramesh Tyagi in Shamli, UP, the cloud surrounding this year's rabi production due to the cash crunch from demonetisation just during the peak sowing season seems to be abating. With god weather, his eight acres of wheat crop is in a healthy condition. For millions like him across northern India, the standing crop offers hope of a good return; last year's harvest was hit by unseasonal rain and hail around March, the peak harvest time. Last year, when wheat flour (atta) prices reached around Rs 30 a kg, the government cut the import duty to zero in two stages. If import duty is not restored, wheat farmers this year might be at the mercy of state agencies, as private trade is not expected to actively buy, having filled their inventories through import. India will open a second production line for its light combat aircraft, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Tuesday, pressing ahead with a home-grown plane the military has had doubts over for years. The Indian government will maintain ties with the (BMGF) and will continue to get grants from the organisation for its health and immunisation projects, even after the project deadline, which expires at the end of this month. BMGF has set the elimination of malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, malnutrition, preventable deaths and inequities in health as its priorities for 2017. Newspaper reports suggest that the Bharatiya Janata Party plans to use bikers to explain the benefits of note ban to Uttar Pradesh voters the state which is in the midst of an Assembly election. The question is what are the benefits that they can flaunt? Technology changes quickly. But the Cadott School District, like other rural districts, has to move at a measured pace. We have kind of limited our purchases in technology, Cadott Superintendent Damon Smith said Tuesday. We have to be really cautious about how quickly we move with technology. The reason: High-speed internet service is not available in all of the school district. If there is service available where students live, it is often the much slower dial-up internet access. Smith said if the district moves too quickly with technology, students might not be able to do their homework. The economic development in rural areas is being inhibited by a lack of technology, Smith said. A group of Republican lawmakers on Tuesday said people in rural parts of Wisconsin cant wait any longer for faster internet access, more health care providers and better jobs. Members of the Rural Wisconsin Initiative held a news conference to present their plans for improving life in rural Wisconsin and retaining young people who are choosing big cities over small towns. Its high time our rural areas and our small towns had our attention, said freshman Rep. Ron Tusler, of Harrison. Residents of these areas are waiting without rioting, without yelling in somebodys ear. Theyre waiting patiently for us to focus on the issues they have. The group has proposed a bill that would allocate $15.5 million in broadband grants to underserved rural areas. Almost a quarter of Wisconsinites live in rural areas and around 40 percent dont have broadband, or high-speed internet access, at home. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Romaine Quinn and Sen. Howard Marklein, directs the Public Service Commission to prioritize areas not already benefiting from federal grants. The Rural Wisconsin Initiative is a year old and has 26 Assembly Republicans as members, including state Rep. Rob Summerfield (R-Bloomer) of the 67th District and Rep. Kathy Bernier (R-Lake Hallie) of the 68th District. It was created to address the downward spiral in rural areas when young people move away, causing the populations to drop, businesses to fail and job opportunities to decrease. The group believes investments in technology, health care and workforce development can reverse the trend. Ive heard too many stories about students that graduate from a university like UW-Stevens Point but think they have to move to places like Milwaukee, Chicago or Minneapolis to succeed, freshman Sen. Patrick Testin, of Stevens Point, said. Medical help At the news conference, Quinn praised Gov. Scott Walker for allocating $200,000 in his proposed biennial budget to send medical students to residencies in rural parts of the state. A bill the group supported last session that would have given $250,000 to the program failed to pass. Quinn said bills addressing workforce shortages in rural areas are coming soon. One would allow high school students to earn credit for apprenticeships, which he believes will make jobs at manufacturers and other rural companies more attractive to young people. Blue collar work is just as dignified as any other and we need to treat it that way, Quinn said. Cabinet approves signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Rwanda The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Air Services Agreement between India and Rwanda. The Agreement has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange between India and Rwanda, bringing it in tune with developments in the civil aviation sector. It will provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security. DG Army Aviation Flies the LCH On 15 Feb 17, Lt Gen Kanwal Kumar, DG Army Aviation Corps flew the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) at the Aero India 2017. The LCH is indigenously developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and will soon be inducted into the Indian Army. This combat helicopter is light, manoeuvrable and armed with devastating fire power. It has the capability to manoeuvre through narrow valleys, mountains and high altitude areas, providing effective support to ground operations. The LCH, armed with its turret mounted gun, rockets, air to air missiles and air to ground missiles is a potent force multiplier and shall greatly enhance the Indian Army's military capability. Col Aman Anad PRO (Army) Dr. Mahesh Sharma launches pre-loaded Sim Card for Tourists arriving in India on E-visa Dr. Mahesh Sharma,Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Culture, launched the initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India for providing pre-loaded Sim Card to foreign tourists arriving in India on e-Visa here today. Addressing on the occasion, he said that this unique initiative will facilitate the foreign tourists in communicating with their acquaintances immediately after their arrival in India. Earlier, the Ministry of Tourism had also launched a 24 x 7 Tourist Helpline 1800111363 in Twelve foreign languages so that the foreign tourists can get the required information in their own language. The Minister presented the First Kit containing Sim to a representative of Travel and Tourism sector. Shri Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Shri J. S. Deepak, Secretary, Ministry of Communications and senior officers were present on the occasion. This initiative has been launched in association with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., (BSNL), wherein BSNL would distribute pre-loaded SIM Cards to foreign tourists arriving in India on e-Visa. This facility will be initially available in the Indira Gandhi International Airport (T3 Terminal), New Delhi and later cover remaining 15 international airports, where e-Visa facility is currently available. To avail pre-loaded Sim Card, BSNL will collect e-Visa copy and the first page of passport from foreign tourists on arrival at the airport. This facility is only available for tourists arriving in India on e-Visa. Sim cards will be pre-loaded with a value of Rs. 50 talk time and 50 MB data and will be activated on immediate basis so as to enable them use this facility instantly. This initiative is also aimed at providing connectivity to foreign touriststo enable them to stay in touch with their near and dear ones and also help them to contact with the 24x7 Multi lingual toll free helpline of Ministry of Tourism for any assistance and guidance during times of distress / medical emergency, etc. * * * * * Sanjay Kumar/Tourism/15.02.2017 Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Science Dr. Harsh Vardhan has said that clean energy initiatives being taken by Government should be perceptible and bring measurable change in the lives of the common man. Inaugurating the International Conference on "NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel Industries" [NxGnMiFu-2017] in New Delhi today, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that this conference must look at the working conditions of the poorest of the poor/ the have-nots/ downtrodden and see how much scientific research can change and improve their lives. . . The Inaugural Function of the conference was also addressed by Dr. V. K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog as Guest of Honour and presided over by Dr. G. Sahni, DG, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR. Eight distinguished luminaries from the mining and fuel sectors viz., Shri Rahul Guha, Director General Mines Safety; Shri Gopal Singh, CMD, Central Coalfields Ltd., Sri Laxman Shekhawat, COO, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., Dr. N. K. Nanda, Director, National Mineral Development Corporation, Prof. V. R. Sastry, NIT Surathkal, Karnataka, Prof S. Sampath, IISC, Bangalore, Shri K. K. Sharma, Director, NTPC and Shri Sanjiv Singh, Director, IOCL were felicitated for their outstanding contribution towards growth of the respective industries in particular and the Nation as a whole. Both the mineral and energy sectors today are at a critical juncture. The rapid expansions of both these sectors are necessary for inclusive growth of the country. At the same time the effects of these growth on the environment, landmass, forest inhabitants, etc. need to be simultaneously addressed. With a view to encourage initiative and make the mining and minerals industry more competitive, the Government of India has opened up the sector to private entrepreneurs. Efforts are also being made to boost the 'Research and Development' in these sectors because of the availability of the untapped potential in India. . . In this milieu, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad has organised the International Conference on "NexGen Technologies for Mining and Fuel Industries" [NxGnMiFu-2017] during February 15-17, 2017 at New Delhi on the occasion of CSIR-Platinum Jubilee Celebration to commemorate 75th year of its foundation.. . The conference will focus mainly on issues related to Innovative Mining Technologies for Complex Geo-mining Conditions; Mine Safety, Monitoring and Risk Management; Clean Coal Initiatives; Coal to Liquid, Methanol and Urea; Harnessing Coal Bed Methane, Shale Gas and Underground Coal Gasification; Technological Developments in Oil and Gas Sectors and Alternate Clean Energy Initiatives. During these three days, it will be aimed to deliberate and identify the R&D needs to innovate new techniques, technologies and applications for clean, safe, symbiotic sustenance of society, environment and industries in post-2020 era.. . Around 800 delegates from India and abroad have confirmed participation in the conference representing policy makers, regulators, thought leaders, managers, entrepreneurs, administrators, practicing engineers, geo-environmentalists, researchers, academicians and technocrats. The startups, young researchers and students have been specially invited. Around 50 delegates from countries like, UK, Australia, China, Republic of Korea, Czech Republic, Germany, USA, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Nigeria etc. have registered as participants in the event. More than 170 papers will be deliberated in the Conference which includes 9 keynote papers by eminent personalities who have made significant contributions in their respective areas and 141 oral presentations and 21 poster presentations. The outreach of the conference is further augmented by two workshops, preceding the main event on Challenges and Opportunities of Underground Coal Gasification" and Emerging Mining Technologies and Low-Carbon Footprints with Waste Management" . . The event has got the support and sponsorship of various PSUs, Private Entrepreneurs and Multinationals, like, Coal India Limited, Vedanta-Hindustan Zinc Limited, Solar Industries India Ltd., National Thermal Power Corporation, National Mineral Development Corporation, Singareni Collieries Company Ltd., Tata Steel, Cotecna India Pvt. Ltd., Reliance Power, Maharashtra Power Generation Company Ltd., Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Co. Ltd., DVC, Jindal Steel & Power Limited and many others.. . During the Conference, an industrial exhibition is also being organised in the Vigyan Bhawan lawns and will run in parallel with the technical sessions from February 15-17, 2017. Various PSUs and multinationals have booked thirty stalls to showcase their Companys profile and to network with global participants from the Industry, its suppliers and its customers. The list includes, National Thermal Power Corporation, Coal India Limited, Insmart Systems, National Mineral Development Corporation, AIMIL Pvt. Ltd., Solar Industries Pvt. Ltd., Ansari Precision Pvt. Ltd, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., South Eastern coalfields Ltd., etc.. . ---x--- . . RDS/nb Navy Wives Welfare Association (NWWA), celebrated the 31st NWWA Diwas with great zeal and enthusiasm at Delhi on 14th Feb 2017. The event was attended by over 400 NWWA members. The theme of the event being health and fitness everyone grooved to the beat of Zumba. There was a yoga session also to promote spiritual well being. Everyone including President NWWA participated with great enthusiasm in both events proudly sporting their smart costumes with the new NWWA logo. An interesting quiz on the history of NWWA and the Indian Navy got a good response from the crowd. A fun filled game was organised for the helpers too. Mrs Reena Lanba, President NWWA, while addressing the ladies reiterated the importance of health and fitness amongst the ladies. She also highlighted the various initiatives taken by NWWA to empower the Navy wives. Like the Early child education and Train the trainer courses from TISS and upcoming ones under skill India and a tie up with the reputed design institute NIFT.. . In its thirty ninth flight (PSLV-C37), ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle successfully launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 103 co-passenger satellites today morning from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the thirty eighth consecutively successful mission of PSLV. The total weight of all the 104 satellites carried on-board PSLV-C37 was 1378 kg. . . PSLV-C37 lifted off at 0928 hrs (9:28 am) IST, as planned, from the First Launch Pad. After a flight of 16 minutes 48 seconds, the satellites achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 506 km inclined at an angle of 97.46 degree to the equator (very close to the intended orbit) and in the succeeding 12 minutes, all the 104 satellites successfully separated from the PSLV fourth stage in a predetermined sequence beginning with Cartosat-2 series satellite, followed by INS-1 and INS-2. The total number of Indian satellites launched by PSLV now stands at 46. . . After separation, the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed automatically and ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration following which it will begin to provide remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras. . . Of the 103 co-passenger satellites carried by PSLV-C37, two ISRO Nano Satellite-1 (INS-1) weighing 8.4 kg and INS-2 weighing 9.7 kg are technology demonstration satellites from India. . . The remaining 101 co-passenger satellites carried were international customer satellites from USA (96), The Netherlands (1), Switzerland (1), Israel (1), Kazakhstan (1) and UAE (1). . . With todays successful launch, the total number of customer satellites from abroad launched by Indias workhorse launch vehicle PSLV has reached 180. . . recently said in an interview with The Sunday Times that he will start his presidency trusting both Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel, before adding that such trust might not last long. Given Russian interference in the US presidential elections and the general distrust of Putin in the West, Trumps excessively pro-Putin statements and his readiness to trust his Russian counterpart naturally created some backlash. But where states dont trust each other, personal trust between their leaders is often crucial. And Trump is only proposing to do what many of his predecessors did, both in the Cold War and since: to build a trusting relationship with their Soviet/Russian counterparts. John F Kennedy went to Vienna in 1963 to size up Nikita Khrushchev. Richard Nixon met Leonid Brezhnev in Moscow in 1971, and Barack Obama visited Putin in 2009 for the same reason. Still, trust is only an effective foreign policy tool if its established slowly and carefully. If one leader extends too much trust too early in their relationship with another, the trustee will rarely value it. In 1964, the new collective Soviet leadership was quick to assure Lyndon Johnson that it trusted him, but its goodwill evaporated after a few months due to what the Soviet leadership saw as Johnsons duplicity and harmful intentions. Brezhnevs early trust in president-elect Jimmy Carter withered after Carter repeatedly failed to demonstrate any empathy for the needs of a Soviet leader. Trust can also prove dangerous if its one sided, which leaves the trustor vulnerable to betrayal. Mutual trust requires that actors entertain some affinity for one another and prove themselves able, honest and benevolent. This is a problem for Trump, whos already known for inexperience, inconsistency, a volatile temperament, and an inability to see things through other peoples eyes. This is not the character of a trusted partner. Likewise, Putins lack of warmth and sometimes open contempt for Western leaders might not appeal to Trump, while his very public machismo and ruthless pursuit of Russian interests are more likely to incite a competitive spirit rather than a co-operative one. So in the long term, US-Russia relations are likely to deteriorate rather than improve. But should a real crisis arise, the two leaders do still have a trust-based device to fall back on: the Moscow-Washington hotline. Call me if you need me The hotline, also known as MOLINK or the Direct Communication Link (DCL), was established in 1963 as a leader-to-leader communication channel to help Soviet-American leaders resolve such serious confrontations as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Originally, the hotline was a written teletype connection, but today Russian and American leaders may choose from various options, including email, phone, and a videolink, to contact each other. At its birth, the hotline was not only conceptualised as an instantaneous communication device, but also as a last resort that would allow the superpowers to trust the peaceful intentions communicated through it even when all other channels of communication had been contaminated with untrustworthy messages. The DCL has been used several times since 1963. It was first used in 1967 when, at the outbreak of the Arab-Israeli war, Premier Kosygin contacted President Johnson to inform him of peaceful Soviet intentions. Four years later, Nixon contacted Brezhnev through the hotline to ensure the interests of Pakistan, a US ally in the Indo-Pakistani war. But while Nixon and Brezhnev at first enjoyed a genuinely trusting relationship, the 1973 Yom Kippur war undercut that trust to the point where Brezhnev, no longer certain of Nixons intentions, was forced to use the hotline to make sure an already agreed ceasefire was implemented. The DCL also helped prevent a confrontation in 1984 when Moscow contacted Washington about a mistakenly launched cruise missile that ultimately crashed in Finland. Little is known about the hotlines use in more recent years, but we do know that presidents Obama and Putin conferred over the hotline in April 2013 as part of the effort to tame Irans nuclear ambitions. Should an emergency arise, it remains at Trump and Putins disposal. But if they are able to trust each other, they may not have to use it at all. Eszter Simon, Research Fellow in International Relations and Psychology, University of Birmingham Malaysian police hunted the killers of the half-brother of North Korea's leader on Wednesday as they tried to unravel the Cold War-style assassination which the South said was carried out by two female agents. Pathologists in Kuala Lumpur were examining the body of Kim Jong-Nam for clues to how he died, as South Korea's spy chief told lawmakers he "strongly suspected" he had been poisoned. CCTV images from the airport that emerged in Malaysian media of one of the suspects showed an Asian woman wearing a white top with the letters "LOL" emblazoned on the front. The assassination, which analysts said could have been ordered over reports the dead man was readying to defect, illustrates the "brutal and inhumane" nature of the isolated regime, South Korea said. If proved, the killing would be the highest-profile death on young leader Kim Jong-Un's watch since the 2013 execution of his uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in a country with a long record of meting out brutal deaths. South Korea's spy chief Lee Byung-Ho said the two women struck on Monday morning as Kim was readying to board a flight to Macau where he has spent many years in exile. Malaysian police said Kim, a portly 45-year-old, was walking through the departure hall at Kuala Lumpur Airport when he was attacked. "He told the receptionist. Someone had grabbed his face from behind and splashed some liquid on him," Selangor state's criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying by Malaysia's The Star newspaper. "He asked for help and was immediately sent to the airport's clinic. At this point, he was experiencing headache and was on the verge of passing out," said Fadzil. "At the clinic, the victim experienced a mild seizure. He was put into an ambulance and was being taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when he was pronounced dead," he said. The head of Kuala Lumpur Hospital's forensics department, Mohamad Shah Mahmood, was taking part in the autopsy, according to an aide who asked not to be identified because they were not authorised to speak for the department. Outside the forensics department, a black Jaguar sedan bearing the North Korean flag pulled up on Wednesday afternoon, followed by another vehicle. Two men who emerged from the vehicles declined to speak to waiting media as they entered the building. "The investigation is in progress. It covers everything including hunting down the possible suspects," Abdul Samah Mat, chief of police of Selangor state which surrounds the capital, told AFP. Kim had at one time been set to assume the leadership of his isolated country but fell out of favour after an embarrassing attempt to get into Japan on a fake passport in 2001. He has since lived in exile, mostly in the gambling haven of Macau, but he has also been spotted in other Asian countries and is believed to have enjoyed some protection from Chinese security forces. The City Council is expected to pass sweeping changes Wednesday to a law that has allowed the city's police department to force people from their homes and businesses without warning, sometimes over flimsy allegations. Chippewa County Clerk Sandi Frion has accepted an offer to become Bloomers first city administrator/clerk/treasurer. The Bloomer City Council will vote on her appointment Wednesday, Feb. 22. Her resignation as Chippewa County Clerk will take effect April 28, well after the April 4 election. I want to make sure everything runs smoothly, Frion said Tuesday. Its been a great opportunity for me, she said of the clerks job. Frion was selected from three finalists out of the 12 people who applied for the Bloomer job. The city created the position because Sue Stoik, the city clerk, Mike Meindel, the citys street department head, and Pete Paulson, the citys electric department head, are retiring. It just looked like a challenging position to further grow my career, Frion said of the administrator position. Before becoming clerk, Frion worked as a human resources-finance integrated specialist for the Chippewa Falls School District. She has an administrative assistant associates degree from Lakeland College. Frion, who lives in the town of Auburn, was appointed as the county clerk in March 2011 by the Chippewa County Board. She succeeded Kathy Bernier, who was elected as the state representative from the 68th Assembly District. She has been re-elected since, including running unopposed in the Nov. 8 election, where she received 23,691 votes. During her tenure, Frions office worked with the downsizing of the County Board from 29 to 15 members and legislative redistricting. County Board Chairman Anson Albarado said the county will likely need an interim clerk after Frion leaves for the Bloomer job. We will probably take a look at how Kathy was replaced, he said in finding a successor to Frion. Supporting rail Chippewa County remains on track on backing the revival of passenger rail in western Wisconsin. The county board gave its support in a 11-3 vote Tuesday night. Voting against were supervisors Chuck Hull, Dean Gullickson and Leigh Darrow. The board had been scheduled to consider the project in January, but that session was postponed because of a storm. The resolution passed by the board does not obligate the county to pay for the rail service. Gullickson said the county was giving support for the proposal without first seeing a business plan. We dont have enough knowledge of it to comfortably give that support, he said. David A. Christianson, executive director of the group proposing the rail plan called the Organizing Council, said the rail service will be run privately. It would not require public assistance or subsidy, he said. Christianson said his group is trying to line up support from counties to secure federal approval. He said his group has approached the Union Pacific railroad about using the UP line, and the railroad has given conditional approval. He said the group would next move to get a contract with the railroad. The rail operation would include run from Eau Claire to St. Paul, Minnesota. The projected fare would be from 20 to 37 cents a mile, or $32 for a one-way trip from Eau Claire to St. Paul. There would be stops in Menomonie, Baldwin, Hudson, Stillwater, Minnesota and then St. Paul. The estimated travel time for the 85.5 miles from downtown Eau Claire to the St. Paul Union Depot would be one hour and 20 minutes. Four round trips a day would be offered. The West Central Wisconsin Rail Coalition supports the concept of a self-sustaining, privately run rail service. The start-up and capital costs would be between $140-$450 million. The board heard from Al Vorhees, who opposed the rail plan.It will not take long for (there will be) a fiscal impact on Chippewa County citizens, he said. This resolution is a stepping stone, Vorhees said. He also the board to consider the long-term effect of supporting the plan. The board also had a first reading on a policy governing social media use by county departments and employees. Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's family to produce documentary evidence to establish ownership of flats in London that are under the scanner following the Panama papers leak. The apex court after a hiatus of two weeks resumed hearing of the high-profile Panamagate case involving Prime Minister Sharif and his children. The case is about alleged illegal money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as Prime Minister to purchase assets in London. The assets surfaced when Panama papers showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. The five-member bench hearing the case asked the Sharif family to produce documentary evidence to establish Prime Minister's son Hussain Nawaz as beneficial owner of Park Lane flats in London, in accordance with the family's claim. "Where is the document which could show Hussain Nawaz is the beneficial owner of Landon flats?" Justice Azmat Saeed Shaikh asked Sharif family's counsel Salman Akram Raja. The Express Tribune reported that the top court judge also asked the Sharifs' counsel to provide the family's agreement with Minerva Services Limited, a company which the Premier's family claims is a service provider to Nielsen and Nescoll offshore companies owned by his son. "Let's call a spade a spade and show us relevant documents that could reveal who gave payment to service providing company (Minerva)," Justice Azmat said. Meanwhile, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is heading a five-judge larger bench of the apex court in the Panamagate case, in his remarks said, "This is the stage which will make or break the Panamagate case". Justice Khosa expressed wonder that four apartments in London's upscale area were acquired for two students Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz in 1990s. On this, the Sharif's counsel said Prime Minister Sharif's nephew Hamza Shahbaz was also studying in the UK at that time. However, he expressed his inability to provide complete documents regarding the ownership of London apartments. "It will not be possible to give every document regarding the money trail," Raja told the larger bench, which is hearing a slew of petitions against Sharif family's alleged corruption. Justice Khosa observed that the issue was not related to dependency of Prime Minister's daughter Maryam Nawaz but it pertained to the ruling family's integrity. The top court judge also observed that there was no document which could show how bearer shares regarding the ownership of London flats were transferred to Sharifs by the Qatari royal family. It is believed that the outcome of the case is make or break for Sharif ahead of election due next year. Toshiba, the embattled technology conglomerate, said it planned to write off more than $6 billion and withdraw from the business of building nuclear power plants as the impact of a disastrous bet on American nuclear energy continued to rock a mainstay of corporate Japan. America has long been the land of innovation. More than 13,000 years ago, the Clovis people created what many call the first American invention a stone tool used primarily to hunt large game. This spirit of American creativity has persisted through the millennia, through the first American patent granted in 1641 and on to today. US Defence Secretary James Mattis bluntly warned allies today that Donald Trump's administration would "moderate its commitment" to the transatlantic alliance unless members met their spending pledges. Mattis's no-nonsense message to his counterparts in Brussels follows years of calls by Washington for allies to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defence, a goal that only a handful meet despite agreeing on it at a summit in 2014. It packs extra weight as it comes after Trump has said US help for members already worried by the threat from Russia in the east might depend on how much they have paid. "Americans cannot care more about your children's future security than you do," retired Marine general Mattis said in prepared remarks to defence ministers at headquarters. "If your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence." Mattis called for "milestone dates" this year that would track NATO member contributions. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg denied that Mattis's words amounted to a threat, saying it was a "firm message" and that his colleagues agreed that they would do more to contribute. "Secretary Mattis conveyed a very firm message to all Allies. That message is about the importance of fair burden-sharing. It reflects a political reality in the United States," Stoltenberg told a press conference. Currently, only the United States, Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland have hit or surpassed the two percent figure. The call for more funding comes as NATO mounts its biggest buildup since the Cold War, strengthening its eastern flank following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told reporters that he had called on laggards to at least increase spending annually to "demonstrate good faith." NATO said its member countries spent a total of USD 892 billion in 2015, with the United States accounting for USD 641 billion. Russian military spending in 2015 rose to 66 billion dollars, the SIPRI institute in Stockholm said. Despite lambasting some NATO partners' spending, Mattis hailed NATO as the "fundamental bedrock" of transatlantic security as he sought to reassure allies about Trump's commitment to the alliance. Since his inauguration, Trump has taken a more orthodox stance on NATO and reaffirmed long-standing US commitment to the alliance that Mattis has previously served. Trump, who is set to meet NATO leaders in Brussels in May, had previously said the alliance was "obsolete. A number of businesses have stepped forward to oppose Donald Trumps executive orders and the infamous travel ban, in particular. CEOs have denounced it on social media, including Nike, Twitter, Netflix, Microsoft and . Lyft, a ride-sharing company, pledged to donate US$1m to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) over the next four years. Starbucks committed to hiring 10,000 refugees. Google created a crisis campaign, matching donations of users and directing the funds towards several human rights organisations. An abduction case was filed against All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary V. K. Sasikala based on a complaint filed by the party MLA S.S. Saravanan. The Madurai legislator filed the complained at Koovathur Police Station in Kanchipooram under the Section 342, 343, 365, 353 & 503 (1) of the Indian Penal Code. Saravanan joined caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's camp on Monday evening where he revealed that he was one of the MLAs who were caged in private resort at Koovathur. The Madurai legislator claimed that he was 'traumatised' and had to disguise himself to escape from the resort. In a major blow to Sasikala earlier today, the Supreme Court rejected her plea for more time to surrender before a Bengaluru court. She may, however, seek two weeks time on health grounds. The Supreme Court had convicted Sasikala in connection with a 19-year old disproportionate assets case. A bench of Justices PC Ghose and AK Roy directed them to surrender forthwith to the trial court in Bengaluru and serve the remaining part of the four-year-jail term. Consequently, Sasikala will not be able to contest for 10 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aksh Optifibre Limited , the leading Indian manufacturer of Optical Fibre (OF), Optical Fibre Cables (OFC), Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) and a major e-Governance service provider reported its Q3 FY17 results. During the quarter, the company has achieved multiple milestones in terms of higher operational efficiencies, efficacy through disruptive market strategies resulting in recording highest quarterly revenue of Rs. 133 Crore. The OFC division of the company has reported highest ever optical fibre consumption. The worldwide optical fibre cable deployment reached an all-time high of 420 Million Fibre-Km in the year 2016.The global preform capacities being fully utilised has led to a worldwide shortage of optical fibre, creating a demand-supply gap and firming up of the optical fibre prices across the globe. This situation has put an adverse impact on the margins in the OFC . However, this situation will improve with the proposed global expanded capacities of preform becoming operational in forthcoming quarters The Company's diversification plan to manufacture ophthalmic lens is progressing as per schedule and will be operational by Q1 2017. Aligning with the vision of present Indian government towards digitisation and digital economy the recently announced budget has allocated an additional budget of Rs. 10,000 Crores for laying of OFC under Bharat Net program. The Finance Minister announced that by end of 2017-18, high speed broadband will be available in additional 150,000 gram panchayats via Wifi hotspots. These announcements would have a positive impact on the industry as a whole. Another healthy sign of rising demand is the installation of optical fibre cable by Local Internet Service Providers in the metros to provide high speed internet to individual consumers. As per a leading industry report, the average internet speed in India has for the first time crossed the 4 Mbps mark. This is a very positive sign to gauge the growing potential not just in the Indian market but globally as well. There has been a massive surge in demand for Optical Fibre Cable in many European Countries such as France, Poland and Germany. "We are investing heavily in expansion and modernisation of manufacturing facilities, human capital development coupled with a transformational change in strategies. This has enabled us to achieve the highest ever turnover, FKM consumption and exports in the current quarter," said Satyendra Gupta, Deputy Managing Director. "The acquisitions in FRP Business made in the past and planned in the future will help in inorganic growth for the company. We firmly believe that our relentless and persistent efforts would lead us to achieve our vision to become a global leader," added Gupta. 1 STOP AKSH, the service division of the company has further extended its footprint in the green energy space with the recent launch of Emergency LED Bulbs in Rajasthan. The company will soon expand its product portfolio in the LED lighting space to offer a wide range of choices to its consumers. 1 STOP AKSH plans to sell these products through its vast network of over 10,000 Kiosks across all 33 districts of Rajasthan. The company will soon sell these products across the country in the coming months. The recently announced demonetisation will have a positive impact on the e-payment business of 1 STOP AKSH with sustainable growth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Asia's leading Travel Trade Show SATTE 2017 witnessed the launch of India Assist-first of its kind mobile app in the country to assist foreign travelers who may need assistance at the time of any distress. After the grand success of carrentalassist.com, the company has set up another mark in the Indian travel tourism industry with this unique platform 'India Assist'. Leading the way in the country, India Assist is the "First-Call Assistance" for any foreigner in distress, channelized through a mobile application. IA or India Assist just connects any traveler in distress to the correct people with the best solution to their issues. "Most foreign travelers take travel insurance before travelling, but that only covers a set of things like cancellation of trips, medical emergencies abroad, emergency evacuations, baggage loss (only bigger pieces) and that's most of it. But what about major situations like when one gets into an altercation while travelling, or if he gets lost in the city and doesn't find a soul for help. And that's where India Assist comes in. We bridge this gap and are there for the tourists whenever they need assistance," said founder India Assist, Harish Khatri. Conceptualized by Harish Khatri and co-founded by Moqierish Tak, India Assist is all set to create its own niche in the tourism Industry through its innovative approach and service to address the security concerns of the foreign travelers. The duos first project in the travel and tourism industry is 'CARRENTALASSIST.COM'. It provides a comprehensive listing of cost effective car hire on best rental rates possible around the globe. Together they hope to carry the baton forward confident of their new venture - India Assist. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Benedict Cumberbatch feels 'honoured' as his 'Sherlock' has topped the worldwide poll of most popular BBC television characters. Cumberbatch said, "I'm honoured to hear that my portrayal of Sherlock has been internationally recognised as viewers' favourite BBC TV character," reports the Mirror. Adding, "Who would have thought a high-functioning sociopath could be so popular with people all over the world?". Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth bagged the accolade, after having some stiff competition from the likes of Fawlty Towers' Basil Fawlty, the Doctor in Doctor Who and Hyacinth Bucket. The reports further said that the grand title came after BBC Worldwide surveyed more than 7,000 people, between the age of 18 to 64, from seven countries, including Australia, France, the U.S. and Japan, with almost 30 percent of them all backing Cumberbatch 's 'Sherlock.' The 40-year-old actor also bagged top-prize for most memorable scene as Sherlock, for his fall to apparent death, at the end of the show's second series. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sara Jo Schneider and Hickle, along with fellow Girl Scouts Jayna Kelley and Autumn Helgeson, were killed when a pickup truck crashed into them as the scouts cleaned up debris on the west side of Highway P at about 11 a.m. Nov. 3, 2018. All four were killed at the scene. A fifth girl was injured but later recovered. The girls attended Southview Elementary and Halmstad Elementary in Chippewa Falls. On Wednesday, a 20-foot-tall memorial was dedicated at the crash site, honoring the three scouts and mother killed that day. Toned legs are like the double edged swords! They add to the appeal and the beauty quotient, while ensuring that the body is in the prime of health, able to endure more distance and hence get more things done. In fact, American Heart Institute suggests 30 minutes of daily workout to ensure good . Legs can be toned easily, either by doing the specific exercised mentioned below or adding weights in the workout. Without much ado, let us straightaway jump to the exercises one may follow in order to achieve the most coveted and toned legs. On this note, Kiran Krishnakumar, a Delhi based fitness trainer, has shared the following schedule that might help you to take a step towards being the 'perfect' leggy lass. Squats, Squats, Squats: Squatting has to be your best friend on your pursuit of the perfect thighs. Although simple to do, squats are a great workout for building the muscles of the body. In addition to taking care of the thighs, squatting also looks after the hip and the glutes. To begin with, stand with your feet apart as per the width of the hips. Lower your body down, keeping your back straight and bending thighs parallel to the ground. Ensure that the knees are not crossing your feet. Hold that position and stand back up right, breathing out. You can increase the hold or hold weights in your hands to have a greater impact, if your body starts getting comfortable with the regular workout. Abduction: Here is another simple exercise to tone the muscles of your thigh. Lay down on your back, perhaps over a Yoga or Pilates mat. Now, lift up one of your leg as high as you can. Hold that posture and breathe normally. Take it back to the resting position and repeat with the other leg. If the exercise sounds too simple, add ankle weights and repeat. Lunge Walk your way to toned muscles: A walk for 30 minutes has a positive effect on the body and is especially advised to avoid risk of obesity and diabetes and have a good strong heart. Besides, when you add a lunge walk to the fitness routine for another half an hour, it results in overall fat loss, along with toning the leg muscles. It is fairly simple to do lunge walk: stand with your hands on either sides, holding a dumbbell in each of them. Take a step forward, while dropping the back knee, keeping it slightly above the ground, ideally parallel to it. Repeat the movement with the other leg and keep altering as you go on lunging you way forward to toned legs. Side Lunges: For the perfectionist that you are, only lunges would not be enough. Here comes the side lunges to give you a 360 degrees lunges workout, taking care of the entire toning of the leg. Start with standing in a position that your feet are kept wide apart than the width of the hips. Now, put one foot further on the side and simultaneously lower yourself down to the ground, while keeping your other leg straight. You will now feel a little stretch in inner thigh area, by which position you should stop, hold for a bit and return to the first position of rest. Follow the same routine for the other leg. This leads us to the roundup of the thigh workout. All these exercises can be done at home without supervision of the gym instructor. However, for best results, do get in touch with a fitness trainer, to learn the exact way for doing these exercises and completely negating any chance of injury. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following the transition from military to democratic rule, Myanmar's economy is experiencing a boom. With a population of some 50 million people, the country is looking forward to large scale of development. However, in rural areas, education remains underdeveloped. The Zin Kyan Taung Monastic School is located in Bago Region, which is around 300-kilometers northwest of capital Yangon. In Myanmar, monastic schools are approved by the Ministry of Education. Here, the goal is to provide education to financially challenged students. The curriculum in these schools is similar to public schools. The operation solely relies on donations from the local temples and communities. The tuition is free, unlike public schools. Founded in 1999, Zin Kyan Taung Monastic School is one of the largest schools in the area. It enrolls over 700 students from the nearby areas. JCB, the Japanese international credit card brand entered the Myanmar market in 2016. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, the company supported the construction of the new school building. Hiroshi Terada, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications Department, JCB Co.Ltd., said, "Along with expanding our businesses in Asia, in order to contribute to local society, JCB has been active in CSR activities." At a ceremony on completion of construction, the officials of education department, JCB staff visited the school and held discussions with the school management. The event was attended by the students, parents and local community members. The children showcased cultural performances. Terada further said, "After Myanmar, we are considering making similar contributions to other areas in Southeast Asia." With its population of 3.7 million, Yokohama is the largest city in Japan. The Hokubu Sewage Treatment Center is a facility that processes approximately half of the sewage sludge accumulated in Yokohama. Collaborating with JFE Engineering Corporation, which is handling the infrastructure including the construction of water and sewer services and energy plants around the globe, manages a large portion of the design, construction, and operation of the Hokubu Sewerage Treatment Center. In Japan, the sewage is not only processed based on water quality standards, but also the generated sewage sludge is being utilized as a source of energy, such as electricity or construction materials. Makoto Nagamine, an official of the JFE Engineering Corporation, said, "In this center, the fully effective utilization technology has been implemented for the sewage sludge generated by sewage treatment." By the sewage sludge fermented in the egg-shaped digester tanks, taking out the digester gas that is the main component of methane gas is, it is possible to generate power up to approximately 4,500kW with a gas engine. With the digest gas removed, after the dehydrating and burning process, the sewage sludge becomes ash. Most of it is recycled as improved soil which is used for construction. Nagamine further said, "In the future, with the carbonization of sewage sludge, there are plans to utilize the sewage sludge as the heat source in the cement-making process." Katsuyoshi Murakami of the Hokubu Sewerage Treatment Center Environmental Planning Bureau in Yokohama, said, "At this center, it has been over 30 years since the establishment of our current treatment method. With the appropriate management, the operation is running smoothly. Our center is a plant that implements the advanced technologies in sewage sludge treatment. It has attracted attention by comprehensively outsourcing the operation originally handled by local officials to private sectors, or operating as PFI service combined with construction. There have been many international and domestic people visiting the facility." In future, JFE Engineering Corporation will keep on playing an important role in the sewage, environment and energy fields in many countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The oldest half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un was killed in Malaysia, according to South Korean officials. Kim Jong Nam died on Monday soon after getting ill at Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) before an outbound flight to Macau, as reported by CNN. Lee Cheol Woo, chairman of South Korea's National Assembly Intelligence Committee, told a press briefing that Kim had been poisoned, but he did not say how. It's not clear how he obtained that information. Police have described the incident as a 'sudden death', pending the results of a postmortem investigation. Kim Jong Nam fell out of favour with his father after he was caught trying to enter Japan using a fake Dominican Republic passport in 2001 to visit Disneyland. Kim has carried out a series of executions since he took to power in 2011, the most high profile of which was the 2013 killing of his uncle and one-time deputy Jang Song Thaek. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The head of United States Special Operations has claimed that that the U.S. and its allies have eliminated more than 60,000 ISIS fighters. "We have killed over 60,000," Gen. Raymond "Tony" Thomas, commander of US Special Operations command, told a symposium Maryland, reports CNN. Thomas oversees America's elite Special Operations troops, including Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets, which plays a crucial role in combating the terror organization, including raids against key leaders. His estimate represents a sharp increase over recent numbers provided by the US and its allies. The US-led coalition has increased airstrikes against ISIS' self-declared capital in Raqqa, Syria, in recent weeks, while Iraqi troops, backed by US air power, have continued their assault on Mosul. They have so far succeeded in driving ISIS from the eastern part of Iraq's second-largest city. However, multiple American officials have told CNN in the past that the Pentagon does not officially tally body counts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Nigerian drug smuggler Okey Chikoo Mathew was arrested on Monday by Kullu district police of Himachal Pradesh with 1 kilogram drug and 550 grams heroin drug. He was arrested from Nawada area under Uttam Nagar police station in Delhi from a private house after the tip of a youth Parveen, belonging to Odisha, who earlier worked for him and was arrested by Delhi Police last week. "Last week during patrolling in Kullu, our patrolling team arrested a youth Parveen who belongs to Odisha. He was arrested with 15 grams of heroin here after investigation he disclosed that he is working for some Nigerian (Okey Chikoo Mathew) who supplies drug to Himachal Pradesh. On his tip, our team visited the Delhi location given and arrested Mathew with 1550 grams of heroin (approximate cost of over 4 Crore Indian rupees). He was also arrested in 2014 in Manali with 20 grams of heroin and was later released in 2015 after trail," said Padam Chand, the Superintendent of Police Kullu District Police. According to the police, the estimated cost of this drug is over Rs. 4 crore. This Nigerian man was also arrested in 2014 in Manali with 20 gms heroin and later released after trial. The case has been registered under section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar stated that Pakistan needs to shut down its terrorism factory, Defence Expert Major General (Retd.) P.K. Sehgal on Wednesday categorically stated that Islamabad is the greatest threat to human kind, peace and tranquility and therefore it is now a global phenomenon. Major General (Retd.) Sehgal told ANI that Pakistan is producing thousands of Osama Bin Laden on a yearly basis who is creating mayhem not only in the neighbouring country but across the globe. "The entire world is fully aware of the fact the Pakistan has become the production centre of terrorism world over. They are not producing one Osama Bin Laden, they are producing thousand of Osama Bin Laden on a yearly basis, who are creating mayhem not only in the neighboring country but across the globe..hence, the greatest threat to human kind, peace and tranquility is from the terrorist factory Pakistan and hence the need for Pakistan to close down these terrorist factories in a major way," he added. Pakistan needs to shut down "terrorism factory" and there is now international concern about it, Jaishankar said on Tuesday. He also asserted that India has not given up on SAARC, but it will keep looking for other opportunities for regional integration "since SAARC is stuck". Emphasizing that it is the security concern which makes India urge Pakistan to put an end to terrorism, Jaishankar said the former cannot live with sudden on and off of this issue. "The thinking on Pakistan is necessarily security centric because the fact is we can live in a situation of very little threat but not in a situation of terrorism on and off, which will be the case as long as the factory keeps running," he added. Pointing out that terrorism is now not only India's concern, Jaishankar said it is now a global phenomenon. "Terrorism in the past was seen as our problem but now it's a bigger problem. There is today international concern (on terrorism)," he said. India, on many occasions, has used global platform to bring into notice Pakistan's endorsement of terrorism to the world community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Valentine's Day sure gives fodder for memes on the internet, but no one expected the White House to produce such massive ammunition for the Twittersphere, highlighting President Donald Trump's daughter nonetheless. Pictures of Ivanka Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a roundtable discussion about women in the workforce have gone viral this week, reports the Guardian. The meeting between Donald Trump and Trudeau at the White House had already set the meemsters hard at work- particularly one about his handshake with Trump. Plus the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, appearing to call him "Joe" Trudeau, did not help. Mischief-makers suggest the President's daughter may be swooning a little over the Canadian Prime Minister, who is known for his dashing looks. Across the globe, Trudeau is essentially regarded as a Disney prince come to life, and there are several pictures of him with celebrities appearing to be clearly smitten by his charm, including the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. In the pictures, which have now produced a cornucopia of punch lines and witty banter, a visibly delighted Ivanka can be seen staring intently at Trudeau during the meeting of female entrepreneurs and business leaders. However, the meeting itself had already attracted some controversy after Ivanka tweeted a picture of herself alongside her father and Trudeau in the president's seat. Ivanka, who holds no official role in his administration so far, she has participated in a number of official events. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State Bank of India (SBI) on Wednesday announced its collaboration with the Korea Development Bank (KDB), which was inaugurated by the State Bank's Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya and Vice Chairman Dai Hyun Lee (KDB) in the presence of H.E. Soung-eun Kim, Consul General of the Republic of Korea for set up of a 'Korea Desk' in Mumbai. The bank aims to be the window to inbound Korean Investments in India and vice-versa, which will facilitate the establishment of banking relationship with the Korean corporates and the Korean nationals, provide information on industries, sectors etc. However, such information can be utilized by the Korean corporate for taking an appropriate decision for their expansion and securing rupee funding in India etc. The Project advisory and appraisal, rupee funding, forex hedging and other treasury services will all be made available through the window of the Korea Desk. With its strong presence overseas, the State Bank of India has its overseas operations covered under International Banking Group which accounted for 14.69 percent of the Bank's Balance Sheet and 42.06 percent of the Bank's profit in FY 2016. Trade between India and South Korea is rising steadily over the period of time and trade between both countries in 2015-16 was USD 16.89 billion. The signing of revised India-South Korea Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CEPA) envisages a greater co-operation between the two countries and renewed interest amongst the Korean corporate. Emphasis by the Government of India on "Make in India" has thrown open numerous opportunities to the Korean Corporates to invest in India in areas such as technology, defence, ship building, etc. As a premier bank of India, SBI is keen to be a partner in the growth of economic relations between India and Korea and has taken the initiative to set up a Korea Desk in Mumbai in collaboration with the Korea Development Bank, to cater to the needs of the Korean Corporates in India. The Korea Development Bank is a leading bank in Korea providing credit facilities to the Korean Corporates. This collaboration between SBI and KDB would provide opportunities to the Korean Corporates to leverage the strengths and reach of SBI to expand their in India. Korea Desk is headed by Woong Soo Choi, a representative of the Korea Development Bank. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to hear the Punjab Government's plea to adjourn the SYL- Canal matter till the elections results are announced and posted the matter for further hearing till February 22. Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, appearing for the Punjab government, sought an adjournment which the top court refused. A Bench headed by Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh refused the plea and asked, "What has the Supreme Court to do with the election results." In January, the apex court asked both the Haryana and Punjab Governments to file their replies on the issue within three weeks. The Punjab Government had earlier sought more time from the court to file a detailed reply on the same. A bench of the court headed by Justice Ghosh and Justice Amitava Roy granted the decision. The apex court had in November last year, termed the law passed by the Punjab government in 2004 to terminate the SYL canal water sharing agreement with neighbouring states as 'unconstitutional'. Holding that the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004 was not being in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution, the top court answered in the negative to all the four questions referred to it in a presidential reference. A constitution bench of the court ruled that Punjab could not and should not have taken a 'unilateral' decision to terminate the agreement with Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh to share of the Ravi-Beas river waters. The court ruling was also followed by resignations of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Captain Amarinder Singh and state Congress MLAs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a major setback to Air India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) suspended pilot head and executive director captain A Kathpalia license for three months as he failed in Breath Analyser (BA) test on January 19. Captain A Kathpalia was positioned as executive director operations in . According to law its mandatory to all pilots to examine pre-flight medical check-up before taking flight. "Captain A Kathpalia operated AI DEL-BLR on January 19 without undergoing BA examine test which is contravention to the contain in CAR section-5 series-F part I'm issue I'm dated 4 August 2015," DGCA said in an order. "Now in exercise of the power delegate under clause (a) of sub rule (3) of Rule 19 of aircraft rule 1937 read with ministry of tourism and civil aviation notification no. so 727 (E) of October 1994 undersigned hereby suspend in public interest the privileges of the pilot license held by captain Kathpalia for a period of three month," the order added. The number of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan, already at the highest level in years, may increase this year if Pakistan maintains its forceful policies, Human Rights Watch said on Monday. Last year, hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees left Pakistan, a 12-year-high that the rights group called the "world's largest unlawful mass forced return of refugees in recent times". Aid workers and Afghan officials worry that the returnees are coming back to a country in conflict and economic crisis, led by a government already struggling to maintain basic living standards. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will undertake a four-day official visit to Germany from Thursday. She will be attending the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and will hold bilateral talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Dhaka Tribune has reported. Her accompanying entourage and she will depart from Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:45 p m by a Etihad Airways flight. She will reach Munich International Airport on Friday morning. Bangladesh Ambassador to Germany Imtiaz Ahmed will receive the prime minister at the airport. Sheikh Hasina will stay at the Munich Marriott Hotel during her visit. Over the past five decades, the Munich Security Conference has become the major global forum for the discussion of security policy. Every year in February, it brings together over 450 senior decision-makers from around the world, including heads of state, ministers, leading personalities of international and non-governmental organisations as well as high-ranking representatives of industries, media, academia, and civil society, to engage in intensive debates on current and future security challenges. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking a swipe at the Samajwadi Party Government in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the people of Uttar Pradesh doesn't support the SP-Congress alliance, adding that the alliance would shatter the dreams of the people. "The public did not support the alliance of Samajwadi Party and Congress. Did you see what happened in Uttar Pradesh? The BJP won the MLC elections; this shows Uttar Pradesh didn't like their 'saath'. SP-Congress alliance will shatter the dreams of the people," said Prime Minister Modi while addressing a rally here. "I want to ask how Akhilesh forgot the attack carried out on Mulayam Yadav by Congress in 1984. It is shameful to befriend those who tried to murder one's father. Has the Indian politics stooped down to this level?" he asked. The Prime Minister further said that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister is not that experienced and hence failed to understand the cleverness of the Congress Party. Prime Minister Modi even accused the Samajwadi Party Government for not paying heed to the grievances of the poor and said that instead of working for the benefit of all, the latter only supports people from their own clans. "The Samajwadi Party never showed interest in making a list of people below poverty line so that we can sanction them money for their basic requirements. The state government is such a deep sleep, that they are not even spending the money allocated for feeding the poor in orphanage," he said. Further taking a jibe at the opposition in the state, he said the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress are favouring each other in some way or the other in the elections. "Though UP means "up", nothing here is going UP. Development is going down, women security is going down, farmer well-being and employment is also down, road conditions are down," he added. Taking a dig at Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Prateek Yadav, the Prime Minister said, "I don't own a single car but these people who call themselves socialists, have many expensive cars." Prime Minister Modi further said that the BJP Government which is committed to work for the welfare of poor would ensure that their loan is waived off once it comes to power. Asserting that tax reform is a great way to change the economy, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed to remove regulations that cost jobs and substantially reduce the corporate tax rates. Trump made these remarks after meeting with eight retail CEOs to discuss border taxes, trade and infrastructure spending. "My administration remains very focused on economic growth issues," NBC News quoted Trump as saying to reporters. Trump described his meet with the CEO's as a great listening session. "Great listening session with CEO's of the Retail Industry Leaders Association this morning!" Trump said in a tweet. Emphasising on the 42 million jobs by jobs retail industry provides, Autozone CEO William Rhodes on behalf of the other CEOs later expressed their concerns over the impact of proposed policy shifts. He said the CEOs stressed on the importance taking a thoughtful approach to tax reform for both individuals and corporations during the meet. Rhodes said that President Trump understood their support for his pro-growth policies which they consider would lead to greater domestic investment. The meet also discussed pushing back of plans to raise taxes on imports. The meeting included Target CEO Brian Cornell, Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly, Gap CEO Art Peck, Autozone CEO William Rhodes, Walgreens CEO Stefano Pessina, J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison, Jo-Ann Stores CEO Jill Soltau and Tractor Supply Company CEO Gregory Sandfort. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) High-level advisors, close to then-presidential nominee Donald Trump, were in constant communication with Russians known to U.S. intelligence, multiple current and former intelligence, law enforcement and administration officials, during the campaign trail. According to CNN, frequency of the communications and the proximity to Trump of those involved cautioned the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement. The communications were intercepted during routine intelligence collection targeting Russian officials and other Russian nationals known to U.S. intelligence. Officials emphasised that communications between campaign staff and representatives of foreign governments are not unusual. These communications, however, stood out due to the frequency and the level of the Trump advisors involved. The extensive contacts drew concerns of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials in part because it came at a time of Russian cyber activities targeting mostly Democratic Party political organisations. The FBI and U.S. intelligence agencies continue to try to determine what the motive for the communications were. One concern was whether Trump associates were coordinating with Russian intelligence operatives to release damaging information about the Hillary Clinton campaign. Earlier, the US national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned amid a flow of intelligence leaks that he had secretly discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to Washington and then tried to cover up the conversation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The White House had stated that President Donald Trump was fully aware for weeks, before National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign Monday night, that Flynn had misled White House officials and Vice President Pence about his talks with the Russian ambassador. Addressing a press conference, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that Trump had been briefed "immediately" about the discrepancy late in January that Flynn, despite his claims to the contrary, had discussed U.S. sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, "We've been reviewing and evaluating this issue with respect to General Flynn on a daily basis for a few weeks, trying to ascertain the truth," Spicer said. However, Spicer's comments contrast with the impression Trump gave on Friday that he was not familiar with a Washington Post report that revealed that Flynn had not told the truth about the calls. "I don't know about that. I haven't seen it. What report is that? I haven't seen that. I'll look into that," Trump told reporters on the plane. Spicer further emphasized that "the evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of a series of other issues is what led the president to ask for General Flynn's resignation," adding that the President had an "instinctive" belief that Flynn had not broken any laws. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A military professor at the United States Naval War College has urged U.S.-led Coalition Forces in Afghanistan to cast off the illusion of Pakistan being a most important ally in the war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and rather see that country essentially as one of its worst enemies because it has acted in ways inimical to Coalition troops, its Afghan allies, and the aims of the Afghan state. "After 15 years of duplicity and death, a menu heavy on sticks and light in carrots is required for Pakistan, to tap into the enduring Thucydidean triad of fear, honor, and interests," says Colonel Robert Cassidy in article published in the realcleardefense.com website. Maintaining that Islamabad is and acts as an "incubator for Islamist insurgents", Colonel Cassidy, the author of three books and several articles about irregular warfare and Afghanistan, has suggested eight steps for changing this politico-military equation between Washington, the Coalition and Islamabad, which are: . Stop paying for malice . Stop major non-NATO ally status for Pakistan . State intention to make the Line of Control in Kashmir permanent . Shut down ground lines of communications via Pakistan . Declare Pakistan a state-sponsor of terrorism that it is . Issue one last ultimatum to help end the sanctuary (given to terrorists) and not impede success . Invite the Indian armed forces into Afghanistan for security operations in the Pashtun east and south and . As a last resort, reciprocate Pakistan's malice and perfidy. To support his contention that Pakistan cannot be trusted or be relied upon, Colonel Cassidy, in his article, uses two quotes, one by Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai ("Those who would ignite the fire in our country, will burn themselves."), and the other by Sir Francis Bacon, a courtier of England monarch Elizabeth-I, ("He who will not apply new remedies must expect new evils.") to: . Reflects the consequences of Pakistan's decades of delusion and dissembling support for some of the most virulent strains of Islamist proxies in Afghanistan, Kashmir, India and Pakistan, which has significantly resulted in the net detriment of Pakistan's security and regional stability, and . An admonition to the Coalition and the U.S. to understand that Pakistan is neither an ally nor a friend, and that seeing the latter as being one, makes the West partly complicit and malfeasant in Islamabad's machinations. "Years of tactical and operational gains in taking away the Taliban's capacity have been fleeting because defeating an enemy means taking away its capacity and its will. Strategic momentum has been absent because the will of the Taliban and the Haqqanis rest in their regenerative potential and leadership, all protected in Pakistan's sanctuary. Pakistan has created this contradiction to prevent the defeat of the Taliban, protract the war, and erode the Coalition's will, to potentially make the capacity of the Coalition irrelevant," claims Colonel Cassidy, who has done four tours of Afghanistan and one of Iraq. Tracing Pakistan's history from the time of the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, Colonel Cassidy describes it as being utterly disastrous, traumatic and catastrophic because of the convoluted security and strategic policies it has adopted, that in turn, have bankrupted its economy and diverted resources away from development. He further states that following its defeat to India in the 1971 war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh from what was then East Pakistan, Pakistan has shifted "more markedly and deliberately from direct conventional conflict with India, to fully employing militant proxies for strategic depth in Afghanistan and to fully pursuing the nuclear weapons option." "For the last fifteen-plus years, Pakistan has employed irregular warfare to promote its chimerical notion of strategic depth by supporting the Taliban and more lethal proxies in Afghanistan. The sanctuary in Pakistan is the most significant obstacle to strategic success. This war will not end, or it will end badly if Pakistan does not stop its perfidy," he warns. He said, "Pakistan has been an epicenter and an incubator of Islamist insurgents and terrorists.. The ISI has maintained links between Al Qaeda, its longtime Taliban allies, and a host of other extremists inside Pakistan. It is only possible for Pakistan to become a genuine strategic partner to the U.S. if it changes, and eschews its support of proxy terrorists and insurgents. The fact that America has paid Pakistan in tens of billions of dollars for Pakistan's malice and perfidy since 9/11 is disconcerting and vile." He concludes by saying, "That one crucial lesson of the last three decades is that stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan are interlocked. Chaos on one side of the border breeds chaos on the other. The jihadists cannot be fought effectively with partial or short-term measures, or on one side of the border only. The Coalition and its Afghan partners need to be ruthless, clear, and compelling. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its order on the bail plea of LIC agent Anand Chauhan in a money laundering case. A Delhi court earlier in August last year dismissed Chauhan's bail petition. Chauhan was arrested in July last year in Chandigarh by the Enforcement Directorate under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for not cooperating with the agency. The Enforcement Directorate, in September last year, filed a charge sheet against Chauhan in a money laundering case involving Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and others. He was instrumental in investing Rs. five crore in LIC polices in the name of the family of Singh including his wife and children. The Delhi court earlier in November last year extended the custody of Shukla till November 24, 2016 in connection with the same case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Republican senators are seeking a probe into ties between President Donald Trump and Russia, and have called on former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to testify. Senator John Cornyn, who has called for an investigation into Trump's tie to Russia before Flynn resigned, said on Tuesday that the Senate standing committees with oversight of intelligence need to investigate Flynn, reports CNN. Senator Lindsey Graham also said he wants an investigation into Flynn's conversations with a Russian ambassador about sanctions. "I think Congress needs to be informed of what actually Gen. Flynn said to the Russian ambassador about lifting sanctions. And I want to know, 'Did General Flynn do this by himself or was he directed by somebody to do it?" the South Carolina Republican said. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intel, told reporters he hasn't made a decision yet on whether Flynn should testify. Flynn resigned from his position as national security adviser Monday following reports that the Justice Department warned the Trump administration last month that he misled administration officials. Flynn had conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States before he was a government employee causing some to fear that he was potentially vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) European aerospace major Airbus on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government, the National Skill Development Corporation and Aerocampus France to set up an aerospace skill development centre in Hyderabad. The MoU was signed in the presence of Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and K. Taraka Rama Rao, Telangana's Minister for Industries and Commerce. "This first of its kind centre of excellence aims to enhance the employability of young aspirants by imparting the required skills to them," Rudy was quoted as saying in a statement issued here. The centre, likely to come up at the Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, will provide short and long term Certificate and Diploma courses on aircraft manufacturing, logistics, maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), ground handling and special aviation processes. "The centre will not only provide training on aircraft maintenance but also on aerospace manufacturing and assembling," he added. Rao said the state had taken a lead in setting up India's first centre of excellence in aerospace manufacturing. "We understand the importance of skill development in creating a comprehensive and successful aerospace ecosystem," he said. He also said the central government will "up-skill the local youth as per international norms". Ashish Saraf, Vice President and Make in India officer for Airbus, asserted that the company was sensitive to India's ambition to have a "thriving indigenous aerospace industry". "This centre will play a role in translating this ambition into reality by feeding the industry with a trained talent pool," Saraf said. Telangana government will provide space and the initial seed fund for the project, the release said. The National Skill Development Corporation will channelize the candidates to the training centre. --IANS rs/ruwa/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a stern message, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the army operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir will continue and warned locals against supporting militants. "Our aim is to bring peace and tranquility in the Kashmir Valley. These terrorists have now entered villages and we are conducting operations against them. We find the local population is somehow not supporting security forces' action," General Rawat told the media here after paying homage to four Army personnel, including a Major, killed in two gunfights in Kashmir on Tuesday. Speaking on the high casualties among the security forces in anti-terrorist operations, the Chief of Army Staff said: "Our aim has been to conduct operations in a way that don't endanger the civilians. However, sometimes locals prevent us from conducting military operations - at times even supporting terrorists to escape." "It leads to higher casualties among the security forces," he added. Warning locals against supporting militants, General Rawat said: "We will request locals in Kashmir that people who have picked up arms -- and these are local boys -- and if they want to continue with acts of by displaying flags of the Islamic State and Pakistan, we will treat them as anti-national elements and go after them." "They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. And our relentless operations will continue," the Army chief added. Four soldiers and as many militants were killed in two gunfights in the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday. --IANS rs/tsb/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a surprising discovery, astronomers have observed a producing cold, star-making fuel from hot plasma jets and bubbles. The researchers found that powerful radio jets from the -- which normally suppress star formation -- are stimulating the production of cold gas in the galaxy's extended halo of hot gas. This newly identified supply of cold, dense gas could eventually fuel future star birth as well as feed the itself, said the study published in the Astrophysical Journal. The researchers studied a galaxy at the heart of the Phoenix Cluster, an uncommonly crowded collection of galaxies about 5.7 billion light-years from Earth. The team analysed observations of the Phoenix cluster gathered by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), a collection of 66 large radio telescopes spread over the desert of northern Chile. The researchers believe that the new findings may help to explain the Phoenix cluster's exceptional star-producing power. They may also provide new insight into how supermassive black holes and their host galaxies mutually grow and evolve. "With ALMA we can see that there's a direct link between these radio bubbles inflated by the supermassive black hole and the future fuel for galaxy growth," said study lead author Helen Russell, an astronomer with the University of Cambridge in Britain. "This gives us new insights into how a black hole can regulate future star birth and how a galaxy can acquire additional material to fuel an active black hole," Russell said. What the researchers believe to be happening is that, as jet inflate bubbles of hot gas near the black hole, they drag behind them a wake of slightly cooler gas. The bubbles eventually detach from the jets and float further out into the galaxy cluster, where each bubble's trail of gas cools, forming long filaments of extremely cold gas that condense and rain back onto the black hole as fuel for star formation. "It's a very new idea that the bubbles and jets can actually influence the distribution of cold gas in any way," said study co-author Michael McDonald, an astrophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. Brexit would not impact China-UK relations, said a visiting British minister, describing bilateral ties as entering a golden era. UK Minister for Asia and the Pacific Alok Sharma said on Tuesday that leaving the European Union presented Britain with many opportunities when it comes to other friends such as China, Xinhua news agency reported. "We have the opportunity to start dialogue and talk to China about what our trade relations might look like once we have left the European Union," the India-born British politician said after unveiling an expanded UK Visa Application Centre in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province. Fuzhou is the second leg of Sharma's four-stop China visit. His delegation, which contains UK healthcare and life science business leaders, will be visiting Xiamen city on Wednesday. Sharma reassured Chinese investors that Britain is a good place to do business and remains "very much open for business". "We have seen growth forecasts for Britain upgraded. We have seen a lot investment across the world flowing into UK, particularly from Asia and China," he said. The minister has also said there was a wealth of investment and export opportunities for Britain across southern China. He particularly highlighted room for cooperation in health and education. --IANS soni/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Burundian government has started a regional campaign to ask the country's refugees to voluntarily return home despite tension in the east African country, a media report said. Government officials on Tuesday started their campaign in Uganda, the host for over 45,000 Burundian refugees, who have fled violence at home since May 2015, Xinhua news agency reported. "The government has made efforts to restore peace and deal with development now. We want the refugees to return home to contribute to our country's development," Burundian Home Affairs Minister Pascal Barandagiye told reporters after meeting Ugandan government officials. Hillary Onek, Uganda's Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Refugees and Relief, said the campaign should be supported. "We are sure the situation in Burundi is improving. We encourage the refugees to return home voluntarily. We warn those who might misguide people from not going back," said Onek. A Burundi government team will visit the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro where a few refugees will be taken home to study the situation in their home country and report it to other refugees. The team will also visit neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Tanzania for the same mission. At least 327,000 Burundi refugees fled to these countries since violence broke out in capital Bujumbura. --IANS in/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He fought in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war at the age of only 21 and later rose to critical acclaim as an artist, exhibiting his works around the globe. This master artist -- a national pride for the people of Bangladesh -- is soon to present his works at Rashtrapati Bhavan here. Shahabuddin Ahmed, settled in Paris for nearly four decades, has been invited by President Pranab Mukherjee to be a resident-artist at Rashtrapati Bhavan and also display his select work for public viewing. Titled "Shanti," this exhibition of 12 large-scale works has been presented by Ganges Art Gallery and will be on view at the Rashtrapati Bhawan Museum Art Gallery from February 18-22. Shahabuddin, 67, is a celebrated international persona. Above all, he is a "Mukti Joddha," a platoon commander, who fought in the liberation war alongside Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. Young Shahabuddin was the first to host the Bangladesh flag on the Office of Radio Pakistan, now the Dhaka Radio office. His artworks express his deep admiration for India and several Indian personalities, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Mother Teresa. Shahabuddin has also successfully highlighted the pathos of war and the struggle of the people of the sub-continent and the freedom movement of India and Bangladesh through recurring portraits of Gandhi and Mujibur Rahman, among others. "Shahabuddin first exhibited his works with us almost 22 years ago and it has been a very fulfilling journey for both the gallery and the artist. I saw in the art of Shahabuddin a very strong link not only between India and Bangladesh but also a bridge to the western world as Shahabuddin had in the latter part of his education been greatly influenced by European and English painters alike. "When the President inaugurated his show in Kolkata, he hoped these works could be shown in Delhi and other parts of the country as well. With this invitation, we are being able to take that first step," Smita Bajoria, Director, Ganges Art Gallery, informed IANS. Shahabuddin studied at the Academy of Fine arts in Dhaka before obtaining a scholarship to study at the Ecole Superieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris. Sharing his perspective on art, he said: "The experience of war has guided my path, but contrary to what many believe, I don't paint war and war is in no way my creed. What I want to depict is the human suffering in defiant postures, borderline situations, in which the individual has to reach his limits. Nor do I choose death as a subject, because deep down, the nature of my interest is rather optimistic. And in the cracked attires of my characters, that some consider to be the reflection of the 'freedom fighter' or the athlete, is nothing more than the manifestation of the state of one's suffering." In 1992, he was one of the Fifty Master Painters of Contemporary Arts, an award bestowed on him at the Olympiad of Arts, Barcelona. He also received the Shadhinota Padak in 2000 (The Independence Day Award for his contribution during Bangladesh liberation war) and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2014 for his contribution to Art in France and globally. His creations are in the collection of the Museum of Bourg-en-Bresse in France, the National Museum of Bulgaria, the Olympic Museum of Lausanne, the Seoul Olympic Museum, the National Museum of Taiwan, Bangladesh National Museum, among others. --IANS ss/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Wednesday lodged a protest over an ongoing visit by Taiwanese MPs to New Delhi and asked India to honour its commitment to "One China policy". Beijing also warned New Delhi to be cautious in dealing with Taiwan. "China has urged India to honour its commitment to the One China policy and cautiously handle issues regarding Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shunag said. India has a commitment on issues regarding Taiwan, Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which it has vowed to reunite some day. India is among the countries that have no diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island. "China has always been opposed to any official contact between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China," the spokesperson said. Three Taiwanese lawmakers are on a visit to India. "We hope India respects and understands China's core concerns, sticks to the One China policy and properly handles issues regarding Taiwan in a bid to maintain healthy and stable growth of China-India relations." --IANS gsh/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Wednesday moved the Election Commission demanding a probe into allegations by civil rights activist Irom Sharmila that she was approached by a BJP functionary with offer of money to contest the Manipur assembly poll as a party nominee. In a complaint to the poll panel, Secretary of the Legal and Human Rights Department of the Congress K.C. Mittal said the allegations made by Sharmila were "grave" and "very serious". Mittal said Sharmila had told the media that she was "really selected" as BJP candidate and "a condition requiring Rs 36 crore" was put to her, with the sum being either produced by her or "arranged from the Centre". The Congress complaint said Sharmila had told the media that she had turned down the suggestion. It also said that BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav had termed Sharmila's allegations as "baseless" and "an absolute lie" but Sharmila had subsequently reiterated her remarks. "It is requested that an independent investigation may be conducted by the commission by a high level team," the Congress said in its complaint. The party said the probe team should collect all relevant material and "prosecute persons found responsible for such offer of bribe for electoral purposes". It also called for other appropriate action. Sharmila, who fasted for 16 years to demand the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), had announced in January that she will take on Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh in the assembly polls. Manipur will go for two-phased assembly polls in March. --IANS ps/vgu/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Police on Wednesday said it had detained four youths in connection with the murder of two cousin brothers in the capital the previous day in what they believe is a love-triangle case. The bodies of Ashu and Ankush were found at Japani Park in north Delhi on Tuesday night at around 8:30 p.m. during the checking of the park. The bodies were lying at a distance of 80 metres from each other, which suggests they were trying to escape their attackers. Ashu and Ankush, both between 19 and 20 years of age, were residents of Shiv Vihar in Rohini area. They were students of 10th class. They had left their residence on Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. after their common friend Bobby called them. They told their family that they would be back within half an hour, police said. Bobby, a meat shop owner in Rohini, is among the four detained. "Their bodies had half a dozen stab wounds. Three mobile phones and a ladies' slipper were found at the spot. Prima facie, love triangle and illicit relations may be the reason behind this brutal murder," a senior police officer said. During investigation, it was found that Ashu was in relationship with a girl but his father did not approve of it. There seems to be involvement of two to three persons in the case, police said. --IANS sp/gsh/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The DRDO on Wednesday said it will develop a new version of the Naval Light Combat Aircraft, which is likely to fly by the end of 2020. At a press conference here, Director of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) C.D. Balaji said they were aware of the shortcomings of the naval version of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), adding that a new version was being worked upon. The ADA is the nodal agency for the design and development of LCA. "The overweight aircraft is the Mark 1. We will work on Mark 2 aircraft, which will have enhanced thrust engine. It will meet the requirements of the take-off," Balaji added. He said the lessons on the arrestor gear and a catapult launch that would be emphasised upon for the next version, were learned. "We are re-configuring this aircraft, the preliminary design is complete, the detailed design will take 18-20 months. By the end of 2020, the revised configuration should fly," he said. According to sources, the Navy wanted a twin-engine aircraft, but they were told that developing it would take longer. Naval Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba had said in December 2016, that the LCA was "not up to the mark yet", due to which they were searching for another fighter aircraft for carrier operations within the next five years. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said the Indian Navy would continue to fund development of the naval variant of Tejas. --IANS ao/in/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A female suspect has been arrested in Malaysia in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Malaysian police said the woman was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport where Kim Jong-nam was targeted in an apparent poisoning on Monday. The arrest was made around at 8.20 a.m. (local time), the statement said adding that the suspect, identified from CCTV footage taken at the airport, was alone at the time of her detention. The woman, a 28-year-old named Doan Thi Huong, was in possession of a Vietnamese passport, Malay Mail Online reported. Investigators were awaiting the results of an autopsy on the body, believed to be of Kim Jong-nam. Kim is believed to have been poisoned, South Korea's National Assembly Intelligence Committee Chairman Lee Cheol Woo told a press briefing. Lee did not say how Kim was poisoned or how South Korea obtained the information. Kim was boarding a flight to the island of Macau, a Chinese territory, to visit his family when he was attacked, Lee said. South Korea's Unification Ministry said it was working with Malaysian authorities, while the country's acting President and Prime Minister discussed the death at a National Security Council meeting. Meanwhile, North Korean embassy officials and North Korea's ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol were seen entering the mortuary at Kuala Lumpur Hospital where the body, believed to be of Kim Jong-Nam, was sent for autopsy, reported the Sun. --IANS soni/dg (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.) Hundreds of police personnel on Wednesday reached a resort near here where AIADMK MLAs backing the now beleaguered V.K. Sasikala are housed after one legislator accused her of abduction. S.S. Saravanan, a legislator from Madurai South constituency, slapped the complaint against both Sasikala and E. Palanisamy, who was elected leader of the AIADMK legislature wing in place of Sasikala. Saravanan landed up at acting Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's residence here on Monday and told the media that he scaled a wall at the resort and jumped down to escape. He said he had to disguise himself to get away from the resort where he alleged he was held against his wishes. Sasikala supporters insist that the MLAs backing her faction against Panneerselvam are at the resort on their free will. Many of the legislators made the same point to the media on Wednesday. But after Saravanan's complaint, a large number of police personnel reached the resort. One of the legislators, Thenarasu, told the media that the legislators would vacate the resort once the Tamil Nadu Governor invited their leader to form a government. He said the legislators could also vacate the resort if Palanisamy told them to do so. Thenarasu said the police made some enquiries and had left. But others at the site said they were still massed outside the complex. Sasikala, who remains the AIADMK General Secretary, earlier left for Bengaluru by road to surrender, a day after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction for corruption. Also held guilty were the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and two Sasikala relatives. --IANS vj/mr/sar (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gov. Scott Walkers proposal to do away with the subscriber-supported Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine fits a pattern that included suppressing articles on climate science and endangered species that started after Republicans took over state government, the magazines former editor said Monday. Meanwhile, two former Department of Natural Resources secretaries said eliminating the magazine would undermine volunteer conservation groups and public understanding of DNR programs in ways that will harm the environment over time. The bimonthly magazine would be shuttered as part of Walkers 2017-19 state budget plan. One reason the proposal is drawing criticism is that it wouldnt save any tax dollars. The nearly 100-year-old publication is supported entirely by its 88,000 subscribers. Spokesmen for Walker and for the DNR on Monday defended the proposal by saying the DNR must become more efficient and narrowly focused, and government shouldnt be in the publishing business. They denied that closing down the magazine was evidence of an anti-science agenda despite previous budget cuts targeting DNR scientists and educators, a climate-related gag order at a state agency, and the removal of climate science pages from the websites of the DNR and the state Public Service Commission. The magazine covers hunting, fishing and the science behind the DNRs work and the efforts of volunteer conservation groups. When the state began publishing it in 1919, it was called The Wisconsin Conservationist. After Walker took office in 2011, his appointees and other top managers at the DNR insisted on seeing every article before publication, said Natasha Kassulke, who left the DNR last summer after 15 years, including five editing the magazine. The scrutiny grew tighter after the magazine carried a special section on climate change produced by the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Kassulke said. DNR managers spiked an article on how climate change affects Wisconsin mammals, as well as a piece on an endangered species whose primary habitat was around the proposed site for a controversial iron mine that was being promoted by Walker and GOP lawmakers, she said. I sort of got the message to stop even trying, said Kassulke, a former Wisconsin State Journal reporter who now works for UW-Madison. Kassulke said employees in the DNR communications office were told not to use terms like climate change and global warming when writing for publication. However, the term our changing climate was deemed acceptable, she said. Not part of core mission Walkers spokesman denied cutting the magazine was part of an anti-science, anti-environment agenda. Thats a ridiculous claim, spokesman Tom Evenson said in a statement. The DNR is realigning to become more efficient and effective. This magazine is not a part of the DNRs core mission. It is not the governments role to produce magazines that duplicate what is available in the private market. DNR spokesman Jim Dick denied that DNR managers have suppressed certain topics in the DNR magazine. He listed 12 recent articles that deal with some sort of science, environment or environmental education topics. The articles covered geology, invasive species, a summer program for tribal youth, birds, volunteers who monitor water quality, and more. Under a recent reorganization aimed at coping with about two decades of budget cuts, DNR employees no longer have time to write for the magazine, Dick said. But former DNR secretary George Meyer scoffed at the notion that the DNRs 2,500 employees dont have time to write occasional articles about their research and their work. Some of these (DNR) programs probably write one article a year, said Meyer, who now directs the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, adding that many of the articles are contributed by writers outside the department. I really strongly disagree that public education isnt part of their core functions, Meyer added. The magazine plays a big role in recruiting volunteers who help DNR scientists count wildlife, monitor the quality of water in streams and lakes, and raise money for state parks and other department operations, said another former DNR secretary, Scott Hassett. Magazine fills niche Hassett said the magazine fills an important niche that hunting and fishing journals dont touch. Getting rid of it would make it easier, however, for Republican elected officials to continue cutting DNR staff and budget, he said. You have these legislators beating up the agency who dont know what the agency does, or they are playing on public ignorance of what the agency does, Hassett said. Walkers budget proposal said shutting down the magazine would save money not for taxpayers, but for individuals who buy conservation patron licenses. About 40,000 people each year buy the $165 licenses, which allow holders to hunt and fish, and include subscriptions to the magazine. About $6 from each patron license went to the magazine in 2015. More recent figures werent available. Walkers proposal states that purchasers of patron licenses would save $375,000 during the two-year budget period. The $6 would be subtracted from the patron license fee. In addition to the license holders, the magazine has roughly 48,000 individual subscribers who pay $8.97 a year for six issues. A 2014-15 DNR survey of 660 patron license holders found that 63 percent said they read most or all of the magazine, 25 percent read some of it and 13 percent read little or none. The survey had a margin of error of 3.7 percent. The DNR is realigning to become more efficient and effective. This magazine is not a part of the DNRs core mission. Tom Everson, Gov. Walkers spokesman A HTTPS-based website is a safer way to protect users from possible security attacks, the security director at Google has said, emphasising that major South Korean search engines do not support this system. "Top websites in (South) Korea that don't support HTTPS are Naver and Daum. It's not just a problem for (South) Korea but a challenge for the world and the developers," said Parisa Tabriz. Tabriz heads the team who protects Google Chrome and its billions of users from criminal hackers, Yonhap news agency reported. Google began adding security warnings for websites that do not use strong encryptions beginning in 2017, putting a clear "Not secure" warning next to online websites that use unencrypted HTTP connections rather than encrypted HTTPS connections. Tabriz said HTTP websites, which account for nearly half of the world's websites, are vulnerable to attacks that Google calls in security terms, "man in the middle." "Encryption will give the security we need. HTTPS does not solve all security problems, but it provides a foundation for this," she said. As to some complaints that Google's HTTPS policy may be expensive and time-consuming, the security expert said switching to HTTPS is not easy but necessary. "It is just a misconception that there is cost. It was true 10 years ago, but cost is no longer true for today," the Iranian-American hacker who protects Google said. "Without the HTTPS, there is no privacy. We also published a transparency report," she said, adding that HTTPS websites have steadily increased during the past one year with Google's effort. As for general security, she advised Internet uses not to reuse or use the same password for different websites since hackers know this, and they will attack the weakest website to obtain personal data. "Don't login on shared computers and verify your account security setting," she added. --IANS qd/na/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Assembly elections in Uttarakhand ended on Wednesday in a fight mainly between the ruling Congress and the BJP, with officials saying the vote percentage will be more than in 2012. Polling in 69 of the 70 constituencies in the hill state ended on a peaceful note, Election Commission officials said. While the final vote percentage is not known, officials said it was expected to be better than what was recorded five years ago. After a slow start, people poured out of their homes all across the state in large numbers to vote. Maximum voting was reported from Haridwar (65 per cent) -- where Chief Minister Harish Rawat is a candidate in one of the constituencies -- followed by 63 per cent in Uttarkashi. Voters turnout in Uddhamsinghnagar was 63 per cent, followed by Nainital (57), Rudraprayag (54), Bagheshwar (53), Pithoragarh and Dehradun (51), Chamoli and Tehri (50) and Almora (47). This is the fourth assembly polls in the state where 7.5 million voters decided the fate of 628 candidates. Men and women braved inclement weather at some places and voted in large numbers, officials said. Polling in Karnprayag was suspended due to the death of the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. Voting there will be held on March 9. According to an official, postal ballots will be received till March 11 morning, the day votes will be counted in all five states including Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand had 10,685 polling stations. A total of 1,409 of them were classified "very sensitive", an official euphemism to mean trouble could be expected there. A polling station at Yamunotri was located at a height of 9,800 feet above sea level. Although the Bahujan Samaj Party is also in the race, the Uttarakhand contest was dominantly between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). --IANS md/mr/gsh (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripura's Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Bhanulal Saha on Wednesday said the government will not tolerate protests at a book fair, after a Hindutva group shouted slogans and demonstrated against a book on Jammu and Kashmir at the fair. Around 20 people belonging to 'Tripura Vivekananda Juba Sena' shouted and carried the national flag inside the Agartala Book Fair ground here on Tuesday night, for allegedly portraying the Indian Army in a poor light. "We will not tolerate such kind of protest inside the book fair ground. Such happenings have never been witnessed in the Agartala book fair for the past 36 years," the Minister told the media. The Minister said the people of Tripura are not used to such "intolerance". The book "Kashmir", published in 1998 by Kolkata-based Progressive Publishers and written by Sidhartha Guha Roy, narrates the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the role of the Army. Tripura Sanskriti Samannay Kendra, a socio-cultural body, Vice-President Gautam Das condemned the incident and said that since 1981 people of the state have never seen such kind of "fanaticism". Local newspapers said the Tripura Vivekananda Juba Sena is close to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sena spokesman Jaydip Chakraborty said the book's author "wrote against the Indian Army and Indian government", the reason why they organised such a protest. Tripura BJP spokesman Victor Shome denied the party had any links with the right wing group. He said: "Tripura Vivekananda Juba Sena might be a local organisation and has no relation with BJP. However, we support the cause of the protest as the Indian Army has been termed as terrorist in the book." The publishers said that since publication of the book in 1998, no one had objected against it and its content. --IANS sc/sm/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor was involved in a "potentially serious" incident while piloting his private plane, which is now being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The incident took place on Monday, reports variety.com. According to reports, the actor mistakenly attempted to land on a taxiway at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, which put him near a full passenger plane. The FAA officials said that it does not identify people involved in aircraft incidents or accidents, and issued a statement on Tuesday. It read: "Air traffic controllers cleared the pilot of a single-engine Aviat Husky to land on Runway 20L at John Wayne Airport Monday afternoon." "The pilot correctly read back the clearance. The pilot then landed on a taxiway that runs parallel to the runway, overflying a Boeing 737 that was holding short of the runway. The FAA is investigating this incident." The passenger plane, American Airlines 737, was reportedly loaded with 110 passengers and a six-person crew. Ford was reportedly heard on an air traffic control recording saying: "Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?" Controllers then informed Ford that he was landing on a taxiway instead of runway 20-L. The 74-year-old has had decades of flying experience, but has also had a series of crashes and close calls, variety.com said. The fourth Indo-Bangla Trade Fair-2017 is going to be held here on Thursday, with an aim to promote bilateral trade between Bangladesh and India, media reports said. Organised by the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI), the event will be inaugurated by Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed. More than 3O companies related to automobile, processed food, banking, insurance, consumer goods, power, paints, electronics, textiles, cement and lubricants manufacturing sector will exhibit their products and services in six pavilions and 3O stalls at the Pan Pacific Sonargoan Hotel, bdnews24.com reported. The fair will become "a landmark event" for the bilateral business relation between the neighbours, IBCCI CEO Jahangir Bin Alam said at a press briefing on Tuesday. Bangladesh and India two-way trade was $6.14 billion in 2015-16, which was heavily tilted towards India. In the last two years, however, Bangladesh's exports to India have seen a huge increase after India allowed duty-fee market access. In 2015-16, Bangladesh's exports to India surged 30.8 per cent to $689.62 million and Indian exports declined by 6.3 per cent. The fair will remain open from 1O a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. There is no entry fee. --IANS vgu/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Bengaluru-based Dynamatic Technologies Ltd. (DTL) on Wednesday signed an agreement to manufacture mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in India. The agreement will allow the transfer of technology and production capabilities from IAI to DTL to produce mini UAVs as per the Indian requirements under the Make in India initiative. The agreement was signed at the ongoing Aero India here. IAI is Israel's largest aerospace and defence company and prime manufacturer of missiles, drones, satellites, weapon systems and munitions, unmanned and robotic systems and radars, among others. India is one of IAI's major customers. Speaking on the occasion, IAI's Military Aircraft Group General Manager Shaul Shahar said: "India is one of IAI's main strategic customers... our intention is to transfer a significant part of our UAV activity to India in the near future, in accordance with the 'Make in India' policy. We will jointly offer best-of-breed solutions for India." "Our company already manufactures major complex assemblies for global OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and we have already built a robust supply-chain ecosystem in India," said Udayant Malhoutra, CEO and Managing Director, DTL. "This is the foundation upon which the industrialisation of world-class UAVs will be developed," he added. DTL builds high-precision systems and sub-systems for aerospace, automotive, hydraulics, and homeland security and defence sectors. The company also manufactures complex assemblies for aviation majors like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Airbus, Boeing and Bell helicopters. --IANS rs/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Millions of Indonesians cast their votes in the Jakarta municipal elections on Wednesday amid tensions between Muslim protesters and Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is seeking re-election. Basuki, an ethnic Chinese Christian popularly known as Ahok, is the first non-Muslim governor of the capital and in November 2016 was accused of blasphemy for his comments with which he rejected criticism from opponents based on a verse from the Quran. During the investigation of the case, Basuki claimed that the video in which he appeared making the controversial statements had been manipulated and apologised if he had offended Muslims, Efe news reported. The Governor was leading the polls with a large majority before the judicial process began. However, although Ahok remains at the top of the electoral race, he will need to go to a second round of voting for the re-election, according to the latest polls. Ahok is running for the five-year office along with Anies Baswedan, former Minister of Education, and Agus Yudhoyono, the third son of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. More than 27,000 security personnel were deployed in the capital to prevent the sporadic protests, experienced during the election campaign, from becoming violent, although Jakarta reported no protests by mid-morning. On the same day, municipal elections were also held in seven other provinces, 17 cities and for 76 district leaders, including in the semi-autonomous province of Aceh in northern Sumatra, and in the eastern region of Java island, among others. The polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0.00 GMT) and will close at 1.00 p.m. (6.00 GMT). The results will be announced in mid-March. --IANS soni/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood star Keanu Reeves, who stars as the hitman in "John Wick" and its sequel "John Wick: Chapter 2", says he enjoyed exploring a script in which John "literally had to fight for his life" as it meant he could develop his character further. "We wanted to come to a place that John literally had to fight for his life, and that he's starting to become a little anti-establishment. And that's really where the character starts to develop. It's like the rules and world that he lived by, aren't starting to work for him, and they're not working," Reeves told Cinema Blend magazine. "There are people who are out to get him because of his transgressions. And we liked that idea because we like John -- when I say 'we' I mean the producers, the writer, the director -- we like to see him suffer," he added, reports femalefirst.co.uk Reeves also shared that writer Derek Kolstad and director Chad Stahelski wanted to end the new movie in a place that left John's character vulnerable. "We wanted to put him in another vulnerable... 'How's he going to get out?! How's he going to survive?! What's it mean?! What's he going to do?!' I don't know! We have some ideas. Maybe he needs to go to Jerusalem! Or he's in the middle of the desert. Or whatever," he said. --IANS ks/dc/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities in Pakistan have formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe Monday's suicide blast here that killed more than a dozen people. The police also arrested at least 43 suspects, mostly Afghan nationals, media reported on Wednesday. "The JIT is comprised of officials from the CID, ISI, IB and police. The team will review statements of the injured and eyewitnesses and examine CCTV footages," Pakistan Today reported. Meanwhile, the Pakistan police conducted search operations and arrested 43 people including Afghan nationals on Tuesday. "The officers conducted raids in various areas in a search operation for the Lahore blast suspect's accomplice and detained 40 Afghanis," the report said. Pakistan's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police has also shifted the van of a private news channel to the police station for further investigation. The forensic official said that various parts of the human body were recovered from the blast spot however, it is difficult to identify the terrorist from them, it said. The blast which killed at least 13 people, including six police officers -- occurred on the busy Mall Road and apparently targeted the police. A Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar had claimed responsibility for the attack. --IANS ruwa/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People in rural parts of Wisconsin cant wait any longer for faster internet access, more health care providers and better jobs, a group of Republican lawmakers said Tuesday. Members of the Rural Wisconsin Initiative held a news conference to present their plans for improving life in rural Wisconsin and retaining young people who are choosing big cities over small towns. Its high time that our rural areas and our small towns had our attention, said freshman Rep. Ron Tusler, of Harrison. Residents of these areas are waiting without rioting, without yelling in somebodys ear. Theyre waiting patiently for us to focus on the issues that they have. The group proposed a bill that would allocate $15.5 million in broadband grants to underserved rural areas. Almost a quarter of Wisconsinites live in rural areas, and around 40 percent dont have broadband, or high-speed internet access, at home. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Romaine Quinn and Sen. Howard Marklein, directs the Public Service Commission to prioritize areas not already benefiting from federal grants. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, of La Crosse, said the group is trying to make up for Gov. Scott Walkers rejection of $23 million of federal stimulus money to expand broadband access in 2011. She said the group ignored the meat and potato issues of declining wages, growing child care costs, food insecurity and public school funding cuts that impact rural residents and city dwellers alike. Six years of Republican majorities in the state have been very bruising for rural communities, she said. At the news conference, Quinn praised Walker for allocating $200,000 in his proposed biennial budget to send medical students to residencies in rural parts of the state. A bill the group supported last session that would have given $250,000 to the program failed to pass. Quinn said bills addressing workforce shortages in rural areas are coming soon. One would allow high school students to earn credit for apprenticeships, which he believes will make jobs at manufacturers and other rural companies more attractive to young people. Blue-collar work is just as dignified as any other, and we need to treat it that way, Quinn said. The Rural Wisconsin Initiative is a year old and has 26 Assembly Republicans as members. Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Peter Barca, of Kenosha, said some of the groups proposals for helping rural areas could have bipartisan support. We will offer additional creative ideas this session that hopefully Republicans who control every element of government will be open to teaming up with us on, he said. Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday congratulated the ISRO for launching 104 satellites, saying it was a glimpse of the potential Indian science holds. "Today, India created world record of sending maximum satellites, 104 in a single launch. Awesome feat by ISRO. Congrats to the scientists," the minister tweeted. "The whole country is proud of our scientists. We've created history. "The whole world now looks at India for touching lives of people with science and technology and it's philosophy of 'Vasudeva Kutumbuakam'." The Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on Wednesday lifted off with a record 104 satellites, including the earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 series. The co-passenger satellites comprised 101 nano satellites, one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UAE and 96 from the US, as well as two nano satellites from India. Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar added: "Congratulations to ISRO scientists and team for launching a record 104 satellites in a single mission. It's a proud moment for the nation." Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also hailed ISRO. --IANS mg/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lenovo Mobile Business Group (MBG) -- that comprises Lenovo and Moto-branded devices -- has emerged as the number two smartphone brand in India with 8.9 per cent and 9.8 per cent market share by volume and value, respectively, a new report revealed on Wednesday. Lenovo MBG comprises of Lenovo and Moto-branded smartphones. According to 'Smartphone Market Report' released by the global research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), Lenovo MBG has registered a 14.8 per cent (year-on-year) growth in 2016. "We have emerged as the number one challenger brand in the Indian smartphone market, owing to our customer centric approach and the drive towards real innovation, ensuring that needs across the market segments are catered to," said Sudhin Mathur, Executive Director, Lenovo Mobile Business Group India. Lenovo MBG has maintained its leadership in the online channel by 23 per cent in volume and 23.5 per cent in value market share in current year 2016. "The Indian smartphone market is growing at a fast pace and we see ourselves growing faster than the market," Sudhin added. --IANS qd/na/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Wednesday urged schools to eliminate corporal punishment by following the guidelines issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The NCPCR under the authority of the Union WCD Ministry has developed and issued guidelines for eliminating corporal punishment in schools. "Corporal punishment has been banned under Section 17 of the Right to Education Act. The WCD Minister has urged the Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar that the government as well as private schools may be suitably directed to ensure that these guidelines are strictly observed," the WCD Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. The guidelines call for setting up special monitoring cells to take prompt action in cases of physical punishment or harassment of children. They also suggest that Corporal Punishment Monitoring Cells (CPMCs) should hear grievances related to corporal punishment within 48 hours of the occurrence. According to these guidelines, school teachers should provide a written undertaking that they would not engage in any action that could be construed as amounting to physical punishment, mental harassment or discrimination. They also direct schools to have annual social audits of physical punishment, harassment and discrimination. Gandhi expressed concern at the disturbing incident in Uttar Pradesh where girl students faced tormenting corporal punishment in the school for not completing their homework. She has asked the HRD Ministry to ensure a widespread circulation and implementation of the guidelines for elimination of corporal punishment in schools. --IANS mg/vgu/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The wife of BSF trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that she had met her husband and was convinced that he was safe. Yadav, whose social media video clip on "substandard food" triggered an uproar, got to meet his wife at the battalion in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba area where he was posted, she told the court. A division bench of Justice G.S. Sistani and Justice Vinod Goel subsequently disposed of Sharmila Devi's habeas corpus plea to find her "missing husband". Appearing for the Border Security Force, advocate Gaurang Kanth told the court that Yadav purchased a new mobile phone and there was "no restriction" on him from talking to his family. The BSF had taken away Yadav's personal mobile phone that he had used to upload the videos and said it was part of the investigations. After the High Court's direction on February 10, the BSF allowed Yadav's wife to meet him and also to stay overnight for two days. Sharmila Devi filed a habeas corpus plea after she and other family members failed to contact the BSF trooper for three days. At that point she said that she last spoke to him on February 7, when he told her that he was being taken to an unknown location. The BSF had told the court that Yadav was "not missing" but just transferred to another battalion and his wife's apprehension was "baseless and unfounded". In January, Yadav posted a video clip on social media complaining about the quality of food served to BSF personnel and accused unnamed officers of illegally selling food supplies meant for troopers. The family earlier alleged that the trooper was being "threatened and tortured mentally". After Yadav's video went viral, the Prime Minister's Office and the Home Ministry sought details on the incident from the BSF. The trooper faces an inquiry on various charges, including indiscipline. His plea for voluntary retirement was also rejected by the authorities. --IANS gt/in/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After playing an ardent devotee of Lord Balaji in his Telugu release "Om Namo Venkatesaya", actor Akkineni Nagarjuna will be playing a mentalist in horror-thriller "Raju Gari Gadhi 2". "His character has been designed in such a way that it will be a treat for his fans. He plays a mentalist. He will be seen riding a fancy bike in the film. He will be in a very different avatar and, contrary to rumours, he is not playing an extended cameo," a film unit source told IANS. Being directed by Ohmkar, the film is a sequel to his own 2015 sleeper hit "Raju Gari Gadhi". The sequel also stars Seerat Kapoor, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Shakalaka Shankar. The source clarified that Samantha and Nagarjuna are not paired together. "No, they're not playing a couple. Also, Samantha is not playing the ghost... She will be seen in a very emotional role." Nagarjuna will commence shooting in March. The film is being produced by PVP Cinema and has music by S.S. Thaman. --IANS hp/rb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington to renew the US-Israel ties after eight strained years during the Obama administration. The Israeli leader and President Donald Trump could both use a boost when they meet on Wednesday, CNN reported. Though both men have declared their mutual support and outlined similar views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the realities of the region and entrenched positions on all sides are likely to intrude on the relationship at some point. "It's going to be an absolute love fest," said Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, speaking of the meeting. "They both know the likelihood is that in the long run there will be tensions and an argument," he said, given that Trump had indicated he wanted to tackle a Middle East peace agreement and has sent conflicting signals on Israel, according to the report. "But for now, there are no major issues between them. It's going to be a honeymoon," he said. The President was also considering helping Israel attempt to normalise its relations with Sunni Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, according to the report. Netanyahu had a tense and at times bitter relationship with former President Barack Obama. Now, he is looking to bolster his perch as Israel's steward of the relationship with Washington, in part to defend himself against challenges from right-wing members of his party. CNN quoted a source as saying that the White House was still figuring out what its policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be. "I think they don't know yet," the source said. Regarding the concept of the two-state solution to the conflict, a bedrock of current US policy, a senior US official said, "Maybe, maybe not. It's something the two sides have to agree to. It's not for us to impose that vision." The Trump-Netanyahu meeting at the White House will cover Iran, Syria, ISIS and the two countries' ties, said White House spokesman Sean Spicer. He also said the two leaders will discuss the prospects for Middle East peace, an effort that Trump has said he wants his son-in-law Jared Kushner to lead. The "administration will work to achieve comprehensive agreement that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security," Spicer said on Tuesday. --IANS soni/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least nine drug traffickers have been detained by Afghan law enforcement agencies within a week, as the war-ravaged country struggled to combat narcotics, authorities said on Wednesday. "The counter narcotics police have captured the traffickers in Kabul, Nangarhar, Ghor and Nimroz provinces," Xinhua news agency reported. They also seized about 29 kg heroin, over 220 kg opium, and 810 kg hashish over the period. The police also confiscated four vehicles and six mobile phones. Much of the world's opium poppy is cultivated in militancy-hit Afghanistan, particularly in western and southern parts of the country, where government security forces have little presence. --IANS py/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said on Wednesday the government has been unable to get land in four states to set up medical facilities on the lines of the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here. He said the states were Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Assam. According to the ministry, though it has identified land in Assam, an issue related to the National Green Tribunal has cropped up. --IANS rup/sm/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After China protested against the visit of a Taiwanese delegation, including parliamentarians, to India, New Delhi on Wednesday said no political meaning should be read into this. "We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. "Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes," he said. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them." China on Wednesday lodged a protest over the visit by the Taiwanese delegation and asked India to honour its commitment to the "One China policy". Beijing also warned New Delhi to be cautious in dealing with Taiwan. "China has urged India to honour its commitment to the One China policy and cautiously handle issues regarding Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shunag said. India has a commitment on issues regarding Taiwan, Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which it has vowed to reunite some day. India is among the countries that have no diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island. "China has always been opposed to any official contact between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China," the spokesperson said. The three-day visit of the Taiwanese delegation, comprising three women parliamentarians, and members from the academic, business and computer sectors, concludes on Wednesday. The three parliamentarians are all members of the Taiwanese parliament's Taiwan-India Friendship Association. --IANS ab/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan has decided to boycott a key meeting of South Asian Speakers to be held in India later this month. The two-day meet begins on February 18 at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. It will discuss poverty, development, environment and gender concerns in South Asia, home to more than 25 per cent of the world population. Pakistan has decided to give it a slip in an apparent tit-for-tat over India's refusal to attend a Saarc summit in Islamabad in November last year that got axed after many other member countries too pulled out. "No delegation is coming from Pakistan," a source in Pakistan's High Commission here told IANS. The source said Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had received an invite from India but "it was decided not to participate because the atmosphere is not conducive" between the two countries. In 2015, India boycotted a Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) meeting in Islamabad to protest against Pakistan's decision not to invite the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly. Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after the September terror attack on an army base Uri in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army accused militants who crossed over from Pakistan for the strike that killed 19 soldiers. Days later, the Indian Army hit back and destroyed some terror launch pads in Pakistan, killing terrorists and their sympathizers. The two countries also expelled each other's diplomats after accusing them of spying. Pakistan attended a conference on Afghanistan India hosted in December, triggering hopes of an end to their tensions and resumption of bilateral talks. But Pakistan's decision to skip the Speakers' conference indicates that the tensions between the two countries are yet to ease. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will inaugurate the Indore meeting on achieving sustainable development goals -- organised jointly by the Indian Parliament and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global organization for multilateral political and legislative discussions. An official of the Lok Sabha Speaker told IANS that the presiding officers of Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka have confirmed their participation. The Saarc also includes Bangladesh. --IANS bns/sar/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday resumed the Panamagate case hearing, involving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his children, after a span of two weeks. The hearing was adjourned due to unavailability of Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed on health grounds. The case is about alleged illegal money laundering by Sharif in 1990s, when he twice served as Prime Minister, to purchase assets in London. The assets surfaced when Panama papers showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. Salman Akram Raja, counsel of Sharif's children, resumed his arguments and said that the record of the Sharif family's 40 to 45 years old business dealings could not be produced as "it was lost during the 1999 martial law", the Dawn reported. "I will only argue this case based on the evidence present," said Raja, who represented Hassan and Hussain Nawaz. Counsel said that the available record has been provided in the court. He also said that it has been proved that London flats were not owned by the Prime Minister neither by the Sharif family in year 1999. "There is no charge against the Prime Minister, so there is no charge against his children either," he continued. Raja argued that the flats in London were bought by the Al Thani family between 1993 and 1996. Raja said the Sharif family has ties with more Qatari royal families than one but he cannot disclose their names before the court due to certain reasons. "The Sharif family did not own the flats in 1999, as Hussain Nawaz was given the bearer certificate to the flats by the Al Thani family," Raja argued. He added that the shares for the flats were given to Minerva Financial Services in 2006. Upon hearing this argument, Justice Azmat Saeed asked counsel to provide a paper trail for these transactions, and said, "You have been moving from one point to the other since the beginning, but have failed to provide any evidence in this regard." During the break in then hearing, Pakistan Tehreek Insaf party's representative Fawad Chaudhry expressed the view that Sharif family did not answer a simple question, and added that the Sharif family referred to documents harking back to 1980s but failed to present those documents. The apex court has adjourned the hearing till Thursday and Salman Akram Raja would be continuing his arguments to justify the money trail of Sharif family. --IANS soni/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor-filmmaker R. Parthiepan has landed an important role in filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon's upcoming Tamil spy thriller "Dhruva Natchathiram". However, he won't be playing an antagonist. "He has been signed on for an important role. The rumours that he plays the prime antagonist are baseless because he isn't. Gautham has given him an interesting role and audiences are in for a surprise," a source from the film's unit told IANS. Starring Vikram and Ritu Varma in the lead, "Dhruva Natchathiram" stars the former in the role of a secret agent. The project was officially announced with Suriya a few years ago. After he walked out of the film for reasons unknown, it's now being revived with Vikram. The film has music by Harris Jayaraj, and is gearing up for release in August. --IANS hp/rb/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed the voters in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to exercise their franchise and participate in the "festival of democracy". "Today (Wednesday) is the polling day in Uttarakhand. I appeal all the voters to cast their vote and participate in the festival of democracy," Modi tweeted. Making a similar appeal to the voters in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said: "Today (Wednesday) is the second phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh. I request all the voters to participate in the festival of democracy in huge numbers and exercise their franchise." Voting for 69 seats of the Uttarakhand assembly began at 8 a.m. on Wednesday amid tight security. This is the fourth assembly poll in the hill state where 75,13,547 voters will decide the fate of 628 candidates. Polling for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, spanning 67 constituencies in 11 districts, began on Wednesday morning amid tight security. The fate of 721 candidates is to be sealed by balloting of 2.28 crore voters. --IANS am/py/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Rana Daggubati, who has written a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee drawing attention to the need to acknowledge the country's unsung heroes, says civilians need to know about tales of bravery. Rana's forthcoming film "The Ghazi Attack" features him as Lieutenant Commander Arjun Varma, who was part of a mission conducted by the Indian Navy against the Pakistani naval force in 1971. Varma is said to have remained underwater for 18 days during the war. During the course of working on the film, Rana met some real navy officers who were on board. Hearing their experiences moved the actor to write a letter to the President. Talking about it, Rana said in a statement: "Post 'Ghazi', a civilian like me has understood a lot about victorious battles that have been fought by all our armed forces on the borders so as to keep us safe." "As a civilian I did not know about these victorious tales and like me there are many others who did not know much about it. To us, it's a letter to acknowledge these heroes and make sure we know more about these unsung heroes and their tales of victory." His movie rekindles the mystery of what caused the sinking of the PNS Ghazi. It also features Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Panu and late veteran actor Om Puri . --IANS rb/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia does not return its territories, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said in response to the White House statement that US President Trump was expecting Moscow to return to Kiev. "We do not return our territories. is Russian territory," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday, reaffirming Moscow's long-standing position that the issue is permanently closed. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that Trump expected Russia to "return Crimea" to Ukraine. "President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea," Spicer said at a daily news briefing. "At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his country's sovereignty over the peninsula could not be discussed as "Russia does not discuss issues related to its territory with foreign partners", reported Sputnik. According to him, the issue of had not even been raised in the phone call between Trump and President Vladimir Putin on January 28. The spokesman said Moscow expected the issue to be discussed calmly and in a constructive way once relations with Washington were more positive. He said Putin would patiently explain to the US the so-called coup in Ukraine, which led Crimean citizens to apply for admission into Russia. Crimea re-joined Russia after a 2014 referendum, when almost 97 per cent of the region's population voted for the reunification. The referendum was not accepted by Kiev or by the community. During the election campaign, according to the report, Trump claimed he would "consider" recognising Crimea as part of Russia following the referendum in the peninsula, adding that the Crimeans wanted to live in Russia. The US President has repeatedly advocated establishing a political dialogue with Moscow, particularly in regard to the fight against terrorism, and expressed readiness to build positive relations with Russia. Moscow has long been promoting the idea of fruitful cooperation with Washington. AIADMK General Secretary V.K. Sasikala on Wednesday appointed nephew T.T.V. Dinakaran as party Deputy General Secretary, ahead of preparing to surrender before the court. The appointment of her nephew in the newly-created post was announced in a statement prior to Sasikala leaving for Bengaluru to surrender before the court there. The development comes a day after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. In a statement issued here, Sasikala said former Member of Parliament (MP) Dinakaran is appointed as Deputy General Secretary of the party and party men are requested to extend their cooperation to him. Reacting to the development K.C. Palaniswamy, former MP of AIADMK, told IANS: "Sasikala wants to keep the party under her control and is also playing the caste card." He said Sasikala and Dinakaran are Thevars and have retained the key party posts, while propping up Public Works Minister Edapadi K. Palanisamy - who belonging to the Gounder community - as leader of the legislature party for the Chief Minister post. According to him, the rival camp led by acting Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has to counter balance that now. Panneerselvam belongs to the Thevar community. Prior to Dinakaran's appointment as Deputy General Secretary, Sasikala had re-admitted him and another nephew S. Venkatesh as members of the party. In a statement she said the two had expressed apology for their past acts in person and in writing and requested for re-admission into the party. Incidentally Dinakaran and Venkatesh were dismissed from the party's primary membership by former General Secretary and Chief Minister late J. Jayalalithaa. --IANS vj/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities on Wednesday deployed heavy security forces here and other parts of the Kashmir Valley to prevent a separatist called protest march, police said. Separatists called for a march to Kulgam district where four militants and two civilians were killed during a gunfight between militants and the security forces on Monday. Two army soldiers were also killed in the gunfight. According to police, no restrictions were imposed here. "We have made adequate deployment of security forces here and in south Kashmir areas to maintain law and order in the valley," a senior police official said. At least 17 persons, including nine militants, six soldiers and two civilians, were killed since Monday in three different gunfights in the valley. According to intelligence agencies, the spurt in violence is attributed to 2016 infiltration from across the border and joining of militant ranks by educated local youth. Jammu and Kashmir police chief S.P. Vaid said the security forces were fully alert to meet all challenges and separatist efforts to repeat 2016's unrest would not succeed. Meanwhile, public and private transports, shops and other business establishments functioned normally here. Life in south Kashmir districts of Kulgam, Anantnag and Shopian was adversely affected because of the tension following the separatist call to march. --IANS sq/py/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The chief of South Korea's spy agency on Wednesday confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother was murdered with poison in Malaysia. National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Lee Byong-ho told lawmakers that for the past five years Pyongyang has been attempting to assassinate Kim Jong-nam, who was under the protection of the Chinese government, Yonhap reported. During a meeting with the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, Lee confirmed that Kim was killed with poison at the airport, although it still needs to find out whether a needle or chemical spray was used. The agency conceded it was notified of the incident about four hours after it occurred. Kim was at the airport to take an airplane heading to Macao when he asked the staff for help after interacting with two "Asian" women. Kim died on the way to a nearby hospital. The Malaysian authorities presume Kim was poisoned, although details will be revealed only through an autopsy. The agency said the suspects are presumed to be still at large in Malaysia. "There was also an (assassination attempt) in 2012," Lee was quoted as saying by Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the Democratic Party. Lee said the North's latest action is presumed to have been based on Kim Jong-un's "delusional disorder," rather than on any calculation that his half-brother is a threat to the regime. The NIS head also told lawmakers that Kim sent a letter to the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2012, asking his brother to spare his and his family's lives. Kim Jong-nam's wife is currently staying in Beijing with a son, while his second wife is living in Macao with a son and a daughter. All of them are currently under the protection of Chinese authorities. The agency said Kim had never asked South Korea for asylum, nor was there an effort within North Korea to place Kim Jong-nam as the leader. South Korea's Unification Ministry also said it was certain that Kim has been killed in Malaysia. "Police in Malaysia are conducting a probe into the killing, and they have yet to announce the results (of the investigation)," Jeong Joon-hee, spokesman at Seoul's Unification Ministry said. "Seoul is closely cooperating with the Malaysian government." Experts said that Kim might have been killed due to the North Korean leader's move to strengthen his reign of terror by eliminating any potential rivals to his iron-fist rule. Kim Jong-nam -- the eldest son of late former leader Kim Jong-Il -- had been living in foreign countries for years after apparently falling out of favour with his father for attempting to enter Japan on a fake passport in 2001. He was critical of the power succession to his brother Kim Jong-un. --IANS soni/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The South Korean government on Wednesday convened an urgent meeting among its top defence and intelligence officials to discuss the alleged assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother, a media report said. Media reported Kim Jong-nam's death in Malaysia. He is elder to the North Korean leader, Efe news reported. The 45-year-old eldest son of late Dictator Kim Jong-il, died on Monday, according to intelligence sources cited by Yonhap news agency, although Seoul has not yet officially confirmed the news. Malaysian police on Tuesday reported the death of a North Korean citizen named Kim Chol, who was born in 1970, after being transferred to a hospital by ambulance from Kuala Lumpur Airport. At the moment they are trying to confirm the identity of the deceased as well as to determine the causes of his death. Hwang Kyo-ahn, the Prime Minister and acting President of South Korea, will analyze on Wednesday the existing information together with the Defence, Foreign and Unification ministers, according to government sources. Sources cited by South Korea's KBS broadcaster and TV Chosun said that Kim's death came after he was attacked with poisoned needles or with a toxic aerosol - according to different versions - by two women at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, adding that the suspects fled by taxi. South Korean analysts point out that this could be a murder orchestrated by the Kim Jong-un regime to get rid of an uncomfortable figure and possible rival to power, a scenario that has already been speculated on several occasions since the rise of the young dictator. Kim Jong-nam had been considered best placed to replace his father as the head of the North Korean regime until he fell out of favour at the turn of the century, and since then it is believed that he resided mainly between Hong Kong, Macao and Beijing without holding any official position in the North Korean regime. The eldest son of the former dictator definitely lost his father's backing in 2001 when he was detained at Tokyo airport with a false Dominican passport, which he was allegedly using to enter Japan for a visit of Disneyland, near Tokyo. Born to the dictator Kim Jong-il and his first mistress, actress Song Hye-rim, Kim Jong-nam has attracted attention in recent years with his criticism against the North Korean regime's policies and its succession system through correspondence with a Japanese journalist and in statements to a television station of the same country. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least six persons were killed and many injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan on Wednesday. Two suicide bombers were on a motorbike -- one blew up while the other was shot dead by security forces -- at the main gate of Mohmand Agency headquarters in Ghalanai town, The News International reported. "Security agencies had the intelligence about intrusion of suicide bombers from Afghanistan," Dawn online quoted the Inter Services Public Relations as saying. --IANS py/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 52 civilians have been abducted by Taliban militants in Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, an official said on Wednesday. "Armed militants abducted the civilians from some villages in Darzab district on Tuesday afternoon and took them to an unknown location," Xinhua news agency reported. According to the official, the local administration was making efforts to secure their safe release. Taliban militants have not made any comment in this regard so far. --IANS py/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She is an octogenarian and lives all alone in the Unesco-tagged Great Himalayan National Park in the picturesque Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh. The authorities say she is the only human who lives in the park that is spread over 754 sq km -- one of the richest biodiversity sites in the western Himalayas. The reason she cites for not moving out of the park is her emotional bond with her small wooden house and a piece of agricultural land. 'I have spent more than three decades here; why should I now move out from this park,' Chatri Devi, 83, asked while speaking to this visiting IANS correspondent. The authorities say hers is the only landholding that still exists in the park, which Unesco declared a World Heritage Site in 2014 in recognition of its outstanding significance for biodiversity conservation. The other families moved out of the park's core area to a 250 sq km buffer zone before it was declared a national park in 1999. Chatri Devi's traditional clay and wood hutment, sans electricity and mobile phone connectivity, is located on the southwestern side of the park, an eight-km-long uphill trek from this village along the trout-rich Tirthan river. Hers is a classic case of 'wild animal bondage'. Scared of predators, she's not! She does not cross their path; and they do not cross hers. Complete harmony! 'Leopards and black bears do come near to my house, even with their cubs, but they never attacked me as I am not their prey. Why should I be afraid of them? They go on their way (pointing towards a thick forest adjoining her house),' Chatri Devi said. According to her, dogs and livestock normally attract the leopards to human habitations, while agricultural fields draw bears, monkeys and blue sheep. Sitting outside her house, she said: 'It's really sad that the park officials are forcing me to move out of the place where I spent almost my entire life.' 'If the park authorities want to relocate me, it will be possible only after my death,' she asserted. 'This house was built by my husband more than 20 years ago. This land where we used to grow wheat, barley, potato, corn and rajmah belonged to us. After his death, I stopped tilling the land,' said Chatri Devi, who starts her day as early as 5 a.m. and retires by 10 p.m. Her family, comprising three married sons and their wives and nine grandchildren, stay outside the park, a one-and-a-half hour trek from her house. Her husband Chande Ram died of lung cancer. 'One of my family members normally comes daily these days before sunset to enquire about my well-being and goes back the next morning,' said the wizened Chatri Devi, who measures time without a clock and possesses an Aadhar number. She's never bored or lonesome. 'These birds and animals are also part of my family. Every winter 'jujuranas' or western tragopans and gorals descend here. So I enjoy watching them,' she said. Last year she constructed a toilet near her house with the permission of the park authorities. She is not suffering from any major disease. 'My only problem is pain in my knee joints. The pain will only go with my death, so I stopped taking painkillers,' she added. Divisional Forest Officer Krupa Shankar told IANS Chatri Devi's is the only rights holder's settlement that is pending in the park. 'We have offered her a piece of land outside the park but she is not willing to vacate the current possession,' he said. With magnificent glaciers, lofty mountains and gurgling streams, the Great Himalayan National Park is one of the richest biodiversity sites in the western Himalayas. The park is home to 203 bird species and 31 mammal species, three reptiles, nine amphibians and 127 insect species, besides 425 species of plants. The famous mammals in the park are the leopard, the Himalayan black bear, the brown and black bear, the rhesus macaque and various herbivores like the goral, a small antelope, and the Himalayan tahr, a wild goat that lives on the steepest cliffs. One of the most elusive species in the park is the snow leopard. It can be spotted in the higher reaches, adjoining the Pin Valley National Park. (Vishal Gulati trekked to the Great Himalayan National Park at the joint invitation of Unesco and the Wildlife Institute of India. He can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in) --IANS vg/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lobsang Sangay, Prime Minister of the Tibetan administration in India, on Wednesday urged Japanese lawmakers to back the 'middle-way approach' of autonomy for the Tibetan people. Addressing the Japanese Parliament, Sangay congratulated Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's successful meeting with US President Donald Trump. "As Abe has said Japan will play a leading role in the international community by coordinating its foreign policies with the US, I urge him to support our 'middle-way approach' towards seeking genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people," he said. Reiterating that Beijing has no legitimacy in recognising the next Dalai Lama, Sangay said: "Look at their track record. They have destroyed 98 per cent of the monasteries and nunneries. So what credibility they have in recognising the reincarnation of His Holiness. "Tibet is a litmus test for countries for their moral standard and their expectation for human rights. It is a collective responsibility of the Asian countries who share Tibet's Buddhist civilization and those who depend on Tibet for water to address the issue of Tibet," Sangay added. In his address, Shimura Hakubun, Chairman of the Japanese Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet, underlined the need to support the preservation of Tibet's Buddhist culture. The Japanese Parliamentary Support Group for Tibet comprises 87 members of Parliament, the largest parliamentary support group in the world. Describing Japan as a country which respects human rights, democracy and morality, Yoshiko Sakurai, head of the think tank Japan Institute of National Fundamentals, urged Tokyo to step up its efforts to support the Tibetan people. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan administration is based in Dharamsala. --IANS vg/in/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While the New York Fashion Week continues to push for diversity on the runway, Vogue Paris is making its own statement by featuring its first transgender model on the cover of the fashion magazine's March issue. Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, the model Valentina Sampaio was seen on the cover wearing a bold metallic dress and donning a smokey eye look, NBC news reported. Translated from French, the cover reads "Transgender beauty: How they're shaking up the world." The cover of the March issue, which will hit the stands on February 23, was revealed in an Instagram post by Vogue Paris captioned: "This month we are proud to celebrate transgender beauty and how models like Valentina Sampaio, who is posing for her first ever Vogue cover, are changing the face of fashion and deconstructing prejudice." In the issue's editorial note, Vogue Paris Editor-in-Chief Emmanuelle Alt describes the moment Sampaio arrived at the studio, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, as stunningly beautiful as any Vogue beauty. "She is the absolute equal of Gisele, Daria, Edie or Anna. Apart from one small detail: Valentina, the femme fatale, was born a boy," Alt wrote. Alt's decision to put a transgender model on the cover of the March issue of Vogue is meant to send a powerful message about the importance of human rights, which Alt told Holgate "aren't going in a good direction". Though this kind of visibility is a step forward for both Vogue Paris and the fashion industry, Alt finished her editorial note by reminding readers that there is still a great amount of progress to be made. "Only when a [transgender] person poses on the front cover of a fashion magazine and it is no longer necessary to write an editorial on the subject will we know that the battle is won," she concluded. --IANS sm/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump asked for National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's resignation because he had lost confidence in him after revelations regarding his contacts with Russia prior to the inauguration, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said on Tuesday. In his daily press briefing, Spicer denied that Flynn's departure was due to a "legal" issue regarding his conversations with Russia's Ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak, the content of which he lied about to Vice President Mike Pence and other top government officials, EFE news reported. The President's spokesman said that Trump was informed weeks ago that Flynn had not told the truth about his contacts with Kislyak and, after evaluating the matter, his confidence in the former general "eroded" to the point where he felt that "he had to make a change". To date, it had not been clear whether Trump was aware that the Department of Justice had warned the White House in late January that Flynn could be in a compromising position as a result of the contradictions over his contact with the Russian envoy, perhaps even finding himself to be vulnerable to blackmail by the Kremlin. But on Tuesday Spicer said that Trump was indeed aware of the situation from the start and, although he concluded with his legal team that Flynn had not violated the law, he ultimately decided to ask for his resignation due to a "matter of trust". Nevertheless, the spokesman said several times that Flynn said nothing improper or illegal in his calls with Kislyak, adding that "the President had no problem with the fact that he acted in accord to what his job was to be doing". Spicer's version contrasts with the one related by one of Trump's closest advisers, Kellyanne Conway, who on Monday, hours before the announcement of the resignation, said that Flynn had the President's "full confidence" and on Tuesday remarked that the former adviser had tendered his resignation voluntarily. Flynn, a decorated general who advised Trump on foreign policy during the election campaign, held conversations with Kislyak during the transition period prior to the mogul's inauguration and even before the November 8 election. Some of those telephone calls were intercepted by the US intelligence services and, according to the transcripts, Flynn and the Russian Ambassador spoke about the sanctions on the Kremlin that former President Barack Obama imposed before leaving the White House in reprisal for alleged Russian interference in the US election. While the rumours about the content of those calls were making the rounds in Washington, Flynn assured Pence and other top government officials that he had not discussed the sanctions with Kislyak. Flynn resigned on Monday evening, writing in his resignation letter that he "inadvertently briefed the Vice President-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador". On Tuesday, Spicer categorically denied that Trump had instructed Flynn to discuss the sanctions with the Russian envoy. --IANS lok/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 23-year-old Mexican man who was brought to the US illegally at the age of seven has been arrested and detained, despite having a valid work permit, the media reported. Daniel Ramirez Medina was protected from deportation under one of former US President Barack Obama's policies, BBC said. He has a job, a young son and no criminal record. Ramirez was taken into custody on Friday and is being held in Tacoma, Washington. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had intended to arrest his father at home in Seattle, but also detained Ramirez. In a statement, an ICE spokeswoman said the 23-year-old had told agents he was a gang member, and was taken into custody for being a "risk to public safety". Mark Rosenbaum, one of Mr Ramirez's lawyers, said he "unequivocally denies being in a gang". He said Ramirez had been "repeatedly pressured" by customs agents to falsely admit to gang links while in custody. Ramirez's legal team say this could be the first time under the Trump administration that a person covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, has been taken into immigration custody. DACA was established in 2012 by then President Barack Obama to allow those brought to America while young to attend school and work without fear of deportation. There are more than 740,000 people in the programme. The arrest is being seen as significant given US President Donald Trump's long-standing promise of an immigration clampdown. In January, he issued an executive order expanding the remit of Homeland Security officials so they can target not only immigrants with serious criminal records, but also those with minor offences or no convictions to their names. Hundreds of undocumented migrants have been arrested in recent days, in at least 11 states. "The crackdown on illegal criminals is merely the keeping of my campaign promise," the President wrote on Twitter. "Gang members, drug dealers & others are being removed!" Trump said he would scrap DACA during his election campaign, but his policy on those it already covers is not yet clear. In an interview with ABC News last month, Trump said they "are here illegally" but "shouldn't be very worried". --IANS gsh/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chandrakeshwar Prasad, father of three brothers allegedly killed at the instance of mafia don-turned-politician Shahabuddin, and Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan in Bihar's Siwan district, have expressed happiness after the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that the RJD strongman be shifted from Siwan jail to Tihar Central Jail to ensure fair trial. Prasad, alias Chanda Babu, whose three sons were allegedly killed at Shahabuddin's orders, has welcomed the apex court's order to shift Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongman Shahabuddin to Tihar jail. "Now, we will live here without any fear and hope to get justice," Prasad, who along with his wife Kalavati Devi has been living at their house in Siwan town despite threats, told IANS over telephone. He also expressed happiness that at last Siwan will be free from Shahabuddin's terror. "Shahabuddin's presence in Siwan jail for years was enough to create terror among people. We have been demanding for long to shift him from Siwan jail to Tihar jail in Delhi for free trial to ensure justice to us." Both Prasad and his wife said they had faith in the justice of the Supreme Court. "After God, we have our hopes pinned on the apex court for justice," they said. Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, allegedly ordered killed by Shahabuddin last year, said it is like a victory for her. "Shahabuddin's shifting from Siwan to Tihar jail in Delhi will provide us a sense of relief and peace. There will be no fear or threat," she said. Rajdeo Ranjan was the Siwan Bureau Chief of Hindi newspaper Hindustan, which is part of the Hindustan Times Media company. He was shot dead in May last year at a busy market place near Station Road, 145 km from state capital Patna. Asha, a contractual teacher in a government-run school in Siwan, said she had appealed to the apex court to shift Shahabuddin from Siwan to Tihar jail last year. --IANS ik/sm/dg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hundreds of thousands voted on Wednesday in Uttarakhand to elect a new assembly in a contest mainly between the ruling Congress and the BJP. After a slow start, balloting picked up steadily in the hill state across 69 of the 70 constituencies. By 2 p.m., the average voting recorded in 13 districts was around 48 per cent, an Election Commission official said. This is the fourth assembly polls in the state where 7.5 million voters will decide the fate of 628 candidates. Men and women braved inclement weather at some places and came out in large numbers to vote, officials said. Maximum voting was reported from Kotdwar (51 per cent) where former Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, who switched loyalty to the Bharatiya Janata Party last year, is contesting. Brisk voting was reported in Haridwar, where Chief Minister Harish Rawat is contesting from a rural seat. Polling in Karnprayag was suspended due to the death of the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. Voting there will be held on March 9. According to an official, postal ballots will be received till March 11 morning, the day votes will be counted in all five states including Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand has 10,685 polling stations. A total of 1,409 polling stations have been classified as "very sensitive", an official euphemism to mean trouble could be expected there. A polling station at Yamunotri is located at a height of 9,800 feet above sea level. --IANS md/mr/sar (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I was recently invited to attend a seminar entitled "Gandhi Returns -- Back to Basics" at Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad. Gujarat Vidyapith was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in the 1920s and mostly deals with Gandhian subjects. Three themes were discussed and deliberated upon in the seminar: Education, Non-violence and Constructive Sustainable Development. About 200 participants took part in the conclave for two days. I took part mostly in the session on "Value-based decentralised production systems and constructive work", though for a short time also sat on the education panel. However, in both these panels, and also in the general session, I was very surprised by the anti-technology stance of quite a number of the participants. One participant, who graduated as an engineer (long ago) from one of the IITs, even went to the extent of telling the group that the worst exploitation of poor people has happened because of technology and suggested that everybody should defecate in the open because sun removes the odor and detoxifies the fecal matter better than sewage treatment. Similarly, another participant suggested that mechanisation of agriculture will bankrupt the farmers and will ruin the land. He also suggested that simple pastoral farming is the solution. Yet these and other anti-technology participants were continuously checking their smart phones and most of them came to the conference in planes, trains and cars. This is the hipocracy that I have seen in many such forums and seminars. I think they understand neither Gandhi nor his thoughts. Gandhi preached what he mostly practiced and was very transparent in his conduct. These anti-technology people who frequent the Gandhi seminars preach one thing (don't use technology) and practice something else (they use the very same technology). So what makes such "so-called" Gandhians anti-technology? Was it Gandhi himself who knowingly or unknowingly spread the message of simple technology or is it that very few people have really understood Gandhi's ideas on technology. I think the answer lies somewhere in between. Gandhi as the pujari (priest) of non-violence used its concept for everything, including industrialisation. He rightly thought the industrialisation of the 1920s to be a violent system with heavy machinery, very inefficient energy and materials conversion technologies, and no concern for the environment. Intuitively, he revolted against those systems and felt that a simple life (with few needs) and most of the daily things to be produced from locally-available materials was non-violent and in tune with nature. He also believed in rural-based and economically-viable local production and consumption systems. Hence he was against things manufactured in Bombay and shipped to rural areas. Similarly, he said that he objected to electricity being produced in Bombay and transmitted to Wardha (where his ashram was). He wanted it produced in Wardha from local resources -- again showing his vision since decentralised power production is currently gaining currency. I also feel that Gandhi was not anti-technology or anti-science. He was a prisoner of his times. He always said that he was a pujari (priest) of "body-temple" and since it was the most complex machinery in the world, how could he be anti-machinery! Thus he used telephones, typewriters, telegraphs, cars and trains quite frequently. His prized possession was a sophisticated high-tech Swiss watch that was always tucked into his dhoti. Not being a student of science or engineering, he could not express his feelings in a scientific way, but always talked about his dream village, which he felt would be self-sufficient with its inhabitants living in harmony with nature. Modern technology, which is following bio-mimicry, allows for softer and efficient systems to achieve our purposes and for the Gandhian dream becoming a reality. Gandhi believed in all-inclusive growth and felt that India can only become a great nation when its teeming and impoverished rural masses are better off. He, therefore, focused on rural development for the last 30 years of his life and felt intuitively that the future of India lies in decentralised rural development. This vision, which he stated in the 1920s, is even more valid today after almost 100 years. I am sure if Gandhi were alive today he would have felt that his dream village could have taken shape with the availability of internet connectivity, 3D or desktop manufacturing and small renewable energy power packs. His dream of giving employment and providing a decent life to the rural population may become possible with the availability of these energy-efficient and high-tech systems. I, therefore, think that most people do not understand the deep meaning of Gandhian philosophy and attach themselves to the superficial things that he wrote and said. They are following the same path as fundamentalists -- considering every word that Gandhi said or wrote as sacrosanct. Thus, the memory of the Mahatma in India is reduced to mere rituals today. Our youth, bred on contemporary ideas of instant gratification and new-age technology, neither have the patience nor the time to "turn the other cheek" if they are struck on one. Therefore, today's youth not only need to be educated about how Gandhi's anti-technology image was wrong, and that he is still very relevant in today's greatly changed world. As a spiritual being and visionary, Gandhi was far ahead of his times. If we follow his ideas of holistic living, it will lead to sustainable and emotionally-satisfying development. (Anil K. Rajvanshi heads the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) in Phaltan, Maharashtra. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at anilrajvanshi@gmail.com) --IANS anilr/vm/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India-born internationally acclaimed actress Freida Pinto says the peaceful protest march on Donald Trump's swearing in ceremony as the 45th US President, was not against him only, but was a culmination of what many men, women and children were feeling against widespread injustice in the country. "One of the things that people grossly misunderstood is that the woman's march was something that was against Trump only. It was the culmination of all things that men, women and children have been feeling for such a long time -- whether it comes to simple acts and freedom of deciding where they want to live and how they are going to live," the 32-year-old, who is now based in Los Angeles, told IANS in an interview here. Thousands of women across the US came together for a peaceful protest march on the day Trump was sworn in last month. Many celebrities also extended support to the march. The "Slumdog Millionaire" actress, who has been vocal about women empowerment in the past and is also known for her humanitarian works, features in a video "Why I March", helmed by American director Nannette Burstein. Trump has earned the ire of people from all quarters after his controversial executive order to temporarily bar entry into the US to refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations. Freida says that nobody has the right to stop people from legally going anywhere. "If they are immigrants, they shouldn't be banned from legally going to any place where they could possible have or start leading a better life. Even for LGBT communities, your rights can not be taken away from you... So it was really a march to protest against all these injustices as opposed to one person that we were trying to protest against," added the actress who was in the city to celebrate International Scotch Day last week with brand Diageo's #LoveScotch initiative. In a short span, Freida has carved out a niche of her own in world cinema through her roles in films like "Miral", "Day of the Falcon", "Immortals", "Desert Dancer" along with "Slumdog Millionaire" that made her a household name. The actress says that "it was not the happiest moment" coming out from former US President Barack Obama's "glorious eight years". "It was definitely not the happy moment, but instead of just getting despondent or getting frustrated, we decided to come out and lead our voices to be heard... If the leader of the free world that the whole country follows -- which is the leader of the US -- is going to stand against things that are basic human rights, we are not going to stand up for that either," said Freida. (Nivedita was in Mumbai at the invitation of drinks brand Diageo. She can be contacted at Nivedita.s@ians.in) --IANS nv/rb/hs/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may have displayed uncommon political ability by vanquishing his father and uncles in a battle for control of the Samajwadi Party, but about two decades ago, he was rejected by Maruti, Indias largest car-maker, as an applicant for a dealership. His father, then the countrys defence minister, had made the approach, having decided his son, fresh from Australia, with a degree in environmental engineering, was unfit for politics. After meeting Yadav fils, however, a senior Maruti official concluded that his knowledge of the automobile industry was too sparse to warrant a dealership. Plus, he added, the number of hangers-on around Yadav convinced him that the young man was headed for a successful political career. Voltas reported its December quarter (Q3) results after the market closed on Tuesday. Having outperformed expectations in a decent manner, it was natural to expect the Voltas stock to trade high on Wednesday. But no. It traded flat on concerns over outlook for growth and operating profit margin. Trade experts and bureaucrats, who have for long questioned the efficacy of the negotiation process at ministerial conferences organised by the World Trade Organization (WTO), might have found a new backer. The constant quest for mid-income homebuyers in is for areas that are relatively affordable, yet provide the necessary connectivity and adequate social and general infrastructure. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, whose book Fearless in Opposition: Power and Accountability came out recently, tells Aditi Phadnis everything could change after the outcome of the five state elections. He also says the tension between owners and management in Indian corporate houses will continue for the foreseeable future. Seven persons were killed and five others injured today when a jeep they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell some 200 metres down the slope in Dadeldhura district of far-western Nepal. Five passengers were killed on the spot and two others succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at Dadeldhura Sub-regional Hospital, police said. Five others sustained serious injuries in the mishap. The incident occurred after the ill-fated jeep skidded off the road and fell some 200 metres down the hilly road at Thulokhola of Bagargoth in the district this afternoon. The jeep was heading towards district headquarters from Bhageshwor.S Police said the accident occurreddue to the driver's negligence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least seven people were killed and several others, including judges, injured today in two separate suicide attacks in Pakistan's restive northwestern region, days after a bombing claimed 13 lives in Lahore. In the first attack, at least six persons, including four security persons, were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked a government compound in Mohmand tribal region. The explosion took place at the headquarters in Ghalanai when two suicide bombers tried to enter the colony and when signalled for stopping -- one of them blew himself up while the other was killed by firing of security forces, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. "Security agencies had the intelligence about intrusion of suicide bombers from Afghanistan inside Mohmand agency," the ISPR said. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the attack, media reports said. The security personnel and two civilians, including a school teacher were killed in the blast. At least eight others were wounded in the attack and three critically injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Dawn reported. In another attack, a driver was killed while four judges, including three women, were injured when a motorcyle-borne suicide bomber struck an official vehicle. The blast occurred in Hayatabad area of Peshawar, police said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Pakistan Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, that killed 13 people. In September last year, a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in Mohmand Agency's Anbar tehsil during Friday prayers, leaving 36 people dead. That attack too was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Mohmand is one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, where the military has been battling al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three knife-wielding suspected Uyghur militants killed five persons before being shot dead by police in China's western Xinjiang province, the latest "terror attack" in the restive Muslim-majority region. The attackers killed five persons and wounded five others in a residential compound in Pishan county last evening, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said today. The attackers were shot dead by police, it said, quoting residents in the area. The county has issued the highest level of security alert after the authorities described it as a "terror attack". The government did not identify the suspects and victims, but some residents said the attackers were Uygurs, the main Muslim ethnic group in Xinjiang, the Post said. Armed police in bullet proof vests were on patrol every 10 to 20 metres on the streets of the county. Xinjiang, bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan, has been on the boil for several years over Uyghur protests against the large-scale settlements of Han Chinese from different parts of the country. China blames Uyghur separatists from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement for the attacks in the region, which has over 10 million Uyghur population of Turkik-origin Muslims. In December, four knife-wielding men attacked a Communist Party office in Xinjiang's Hotan region and set off an explosive device, killing one person. Four assailants were also shot dead. A hotel manager said she was still in shock after the recent violence. "It is the worst attack in Pishan in recent years. We hope the victims find rest in heaven," she said. The attack took place at the entrance to a residential compound, which is in the west of the city, not far from the county government headquarters. A restaurant owner told the Post that most businesses and shops were open despite the huge security presence. "My business has not been affected. I don't smell fear in the air," the Uygur restaurant owner said. Pishan county has been dubbed by officials as a "hotbed for terrorism", said an article in the state-run Global Times published following a suicide bomb attack three years ago. Four people from Pishan took part in the attack at a market in Xinjiang's regional capital Urumqi in May 2014. Forty three people including four of the attackers were killed in the assault. Nearly 100 were injured. The ETIM militants have been blamed for several terrorist attacks in China including a suicide attack at Forbidden city in Beijing in 2013. The Post said local officials have denied allegations by rights groups and exiled Uygurs that tensions have been inflamed by curbs on religion and ethnic minority culture and language in the region. (Reopens FGN 19) In Pishan, many Uygurs openly challenge government's policies such as a ban on women and children wearing a veil to cover their face, the Post said, quoting a Global Times report. Most Uygurs living in Pishan's villages do not speak Putonghua and the language barrier has widened the divide between Uygurs and Han Chinese, the report said. It said that the government does not allow young Uygurs to get married unless they have completed middle school education, which has further inflamed anti-Chinese sentiments. Xinjiang's Communist Party chief Chen Quanguo has also launched a crackdown on the militants since he took office last year, including setting up a large network of small police bases and restricting the travel of some residents. Two senior officials in Xinjiang were placed under investigation for corruption and dereliction of duty last month, days after a suicide attack rocked an office building in Karakax county. : Airbus today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishing a Centre of Excellence for aerospace skill development in Hyderabad, together with the Government of Telangana, National Skill Development Corporation India and AEROCAMPUS France. The Centre, which will come up at Begumpet Airport, will train candidates ranging from high school graduates to experienced aviation personnel on aircraft manufacturing, logistics, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), ground handling and special aviation processes. The Center will offer short-term refresher modules as well as long-term Certificate and Diploma courses that will find acceptability within the industry, Airbus said in a release. It said the Center is expected to roll-out short-term courses this year, adding, it planned to upgrade it into a university over the next five years. The Telangana government will provide space for setting up the Center and arrange initial seed fund for the project. The National Skill Development Corporation will channelize the candidates to the Center. Together with AEROCAMPUS and Aviation and Aerospace Sector Skill Council (AASSC), it will also ensure that the programmes comply with international standards and are certified, the release said. The signing at the Aero India 2017 air show here was witnessed by Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and K Taraka Rama Rao, Telangana Minister for Industries and Commerce. "This first of its kind Center of Excellence aims to enhance the employability of young aspirants by imparting the required skills to them", said Rudy. The Center will not only provide training on aircraft maintenance, but also on aerospace manufacturing and assembling, he said. The Center will up-skill the local youth as per international norms and also partner with global aerospace and defence majors in their 'Make in India' programmes, Taraka Rama Rao said. "We are sensitive to India's ambition to have a thriving indigenous aerospace industry. This Center of Excellence will play a role in translating this ambition into reality by feeding the industry with a trained talent pool," said Ashish Saraf, V-P and 'Make in India' officer for Airbus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu today attacked UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, saying he had snatched the bicycle from his father who had taught him how to ride it. He also said after removing his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav from the post of Samajwadi Party national president, Akhilesh joined hands with Congress, "but both Congress and SP will suffer hugely in the ongoing Assembly elections." Naidu alleged during their regime, both the parties were involved in corruption, one at the Centre and another in the state, and in this elections people will oust the incumbent SP from power in Uttar Pradesh. "As a father Mulayam Singh Yadav taught his child Akhilesh Yadav how to ride a cycle, but when the UP Chief Minister grew up, he snatched his father's bicycle (SP election symbol)," Naidu said, addressing a press conference here. "The father took his son everywhere on his cycle (giving lessons in politics) but his son after growing up snatched the cycle and unseated his father," he said, adding it was being discussed among the rural masses of the state. He alleged that Akhilesh calls himself a follower of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohiya, but in reality he is violating his principles. Naidu claimed that the Congress-SP alliance was not in the interest of Uttar Pradesh as leaders from both the parties were involved in corruption, and asked the people to vote for a change to curb corruption in the state and support Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the development of UP. The Union minister questioned the SP over its alliance with the Congress, saying what prompted the SP to form an alliance with Congress to contest the assembly elections, when it had always criticised the party over corruption. To a question on review of quota, Naidu said his party's stand was clear and the BJP was not at all in favour of reviewing the reservation system. "The NDA government will not make any changes till it is in power," he said, adding till the disparity exists in the socity, the reservation system will remain there. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea's leader is to undergo an autopsy today, police said as they searched for those responsible for the Cold War-style killing at a Malaysian airport. Two women are believed to have used some kind of poison to kill Kim Jong-Nam, with reports from Malaysia and South Korea saying he had been stabbed with poison-tipped needles or had chemicals sprayed in his face. The assassination, which came as North Korea readied to celebrate the birthday this week of the two men's father, illustrates the "brutal and inhuman" nature of the Pyongyang regime led by Kim Jong-Un, Seoul said. Police in Malaysia were examining CCTV footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to try to determine what happened during the attack on Monday morning. "He told the receptionist at the departure hall that someone had grabbed his face from behind and splashed some liquid on him," Selangor state's criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying by Malaysia's The Star newspaper. "He asked for help and was immediately sent to the airport's clinic. At this point, he was experiencing headache and was on the verge of passing out," said Fadzil. "At the clinic, the victim experienced a mild seizure. He was put into an ambulance and was being taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when he was pronounced dead," he said. South Korean reports had earlier suggested the two female assassins had used poison-tipped needles during the killing, before fleeing in a taxi. Kim had at one time been set to assume the leadership of his isolated country, but fell out of favour after an embarrassing attempt to get into Japan on a fake passport in 2001. He has since lived in exile, mostly in the gambling haven of Macau, but he has also been spotted in other Asian countries and there have been reports of his playboy lifestyle. Kim, 45, is believed to have been in Malaysia on a passport bearing the name Kim Chol, a known alias, according to South Korean media. But Seoul on Wednesday confirmed that the dead man was a member of the Kim dynasty. "Our government is certain that the murdered man is Kim Jong-Nam," said Chung Joon-Hee, a spokesman for Seoul's unification ministry that handles inter-Korea affairs. "If confirmed, the murder of Kim Jong-Nam would be an example that shows the brutality and inhumane nature of the North Korean regime," acting leader Hwang Kyo-Ahn told a meeting of top security officials earlier, according to his spokesman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protesters clashed with police in Bahrain's capital Manama today after a mourning ceremony for three people killed last week as they allegedly tried to flee to Iran. Hundreds of people took to the streets of the Shiite village of Bani Jamra, shouting slogans hostile to the regime, witnesses said. The police fired buckshot to disperse the crowd, hitting several protesters, the witnesses said, without giving a precise number of wounded. The government said the three fugitives were killed last Thursday as they tried to flee by boat from Bahrain to Iran following a prison break. They were either prisoners who escaped in the January 1 storming of Jaw prison or their accomplices, according to the interior ministry. Seven other people were arrested in connection with the jailbreak, which freed 10 people serving long sentences for "terrorism", it added. The fresh clashes came as protesters marked the sixth anniversary of an anti-government uprising that was bloodily suppressed. An explosion wounded two civilian passers-by yesterday evening, the interior ministry said. The ministry did not say what caused the blast in a village outside Manama, but demonstrators sometimes throw petrol bombs during the sporadic protests that still grip the Sunni-ruled but Shiite-majority kingdom. The latest demonstration in the capital ended when police fired tear gas and stun grenades, witnesses said. Activists posted pictures of injured protesters online, but the interior ministry has not published any official statements about the reported demonstrations. The Shiite-led protests of February 2011 sought a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister to replace the current government dominated by the ruling Al-Khalifa family. Authorities crushed them the following month with the support of Saudi-led forces who secured key installations. Since then, the authorities have banned the Shiite opposition and handed long jail terms to many of its leaders. Some have been stripped of their citizenship. Tiny but strategic Bahrain lies just across the Gulf from Iran and is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After yoga skills, BSF troops will use products prepared by Baba Ramdev-promoted 'Patanjali' FMCG brand as the border guarding force is set to open over a dozen such stores in its campuses across the country. The first such 'shop' was today inaugurated at a Border Security Force (BSF) camp here in the national capital. The BSF Wives Welfare Association (BWWA) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with "Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Haridwar for sale of items of Patanjali through BWWA Patanjali shops spread across various BSF locations all over India." A BSF statement said the MoU also has a provision for discounts on sale to the country's largest border guarding force personnel and their families. "It is a kind gesture of Pantanjali Ayurved Limited, Haridwar to sell various Patanjali products at discounted prices varying from 15 per cent-28 per cent," it said. More such stores, under the aegis of BWWA, will be opened at BSF's campuses in Agartala, Tekanpur (Gwalior), Guwahati, Jodhpur, Siliguri, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Jammu, Bangalore, Silchar, Ahmedabad, Hazaribagh and Indore. BWWA president and wife of BSF Director General K K Sharma, Renu Sharma, inaugurated the first store here. Last year, BSF, the about 2.5 lakh personnel-strong force that guards Indian borders along Pakistan and Bangladesh, had got trained over 2,000 of its jawans and officers at Ramdev's Patanjali institute in Uttarakhand's Haridwar after these physical fitness drills were made mandatory for them. Ramdev's Patanjali food park produces several fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and processed food items like chyawanprash, condiments, ghee and other items and the facility in Haridwar is guarded by an armed squad of another paramilitary, CISF. Ramdev himself enjoys a VIP security cover from the CRPF. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Business Incubation centre, which will provide all facilities needed for student innovators to transform their ideas into business enterprises, was opened here today by Industries Minister A C Moideen. The 900 square feet centre has been set up at the Government College Kariavattom, here with the support of Kerala State Industrial development Corporation Ltd. City Mayor V K Prasanth, Executive Director KSIDC B Jyothikumar and College Principal S Ramdulari were among those present. The centre, the fifth set up by KSIDC in educational institutions in the state, will also focus on Entrepreneurship Education and Training. KSIDC, the premier industrial promotion agency of the state government, has been taking up various initiatives to develop Kerala into a vibrant entrepreneurial destination. Business Incubation Centres of KSIDC have been functioning at Kakkanadu and Angamali in Ernakulam district wherein 25 Start Up entrepreneurs are operating their ventures, according to a release. Another 4000 sq ft Incubation Centre is coming up at UL Cyber Park, Kozhikode. KSIDC is also aiming to create a network of Business Incubation Centres in the state by assisting educational institutions to set up such centres in the campuses. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy hailed the successful launch of ISRO's PSLV-C37 that placed 104 satellites in orbit today. "Overwhelmed to witness this magnificent feat by @isro in launching 104 satellites. A proud moment for all Indians. Salute to the team!," Chandrababu said a tweet. Later in a statement, he said ISRO created history through this feat, completely using indigenous technology. "On this occasion, we cannot stop from raising the slogan 'Jai Vignan', coined by our former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The youth should take the ISRO scientists, who worked tirelessly to achieve this feat, as an inspiration," he added. The Chief Minister wished India becomes the central point for space experiments in the world and ISRO continues with its successful streak. The YSRC president said the historic launch of 104 satellites in a solitary rocket propelled Indian space technology to new heights. Jagan wished ISRO all success in its future projects. AP Congress president N Raghuveera Reddy also hailed the successful launch of PSLV-C37 and congratulated the ISRO scientists. "This launch marked the beginning of a new era in space exploration," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Wednesday said it has lodged a diplomatic protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation and asked it to deal "prudently" with Taiwan-related issues to maintain sound Sino-India ties. "China lodged representations with India" over the Taiwan parliamentary delegation's visit to New Delhi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media. "We hope that India would understand and respect China's core concerns and stick to the 'One-China' principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of relations," Geng said. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which have diplomatic relations with it. "We are always opposed to any forms of official contacts and exchanges between countries that have diplomatic ties with China and Taiwan (simultaneously) and we are also opposed to the establishment of any official institutions," he said responding to Taiwan's announcement that it plans to upgrade its office in India. Geng said, "the Indian side has made a commitment on the Taiwan-related issues." The three-member member Taiwanese delegation visited India from February 12. Taiwan currently has Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre located in New Delhi. India's office in Taiwan is called India-Taipei Association. Elaborating further on China's stand on Taiwanese Parliamentary delegation to India, Geng said "those who are visiting India are so called legislators from Taiwan" and Beijing is opposed to any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries with whom China has diplomatic relations. "The reason why China lodged the representation is because that we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the 'One China' principle," he said. "So by making our representation we are urging the Indian side to stick to the 'One China' principle and take concrete actions for the steady development of China-India relations," he said. He also declined to answer a question about when the protest was lodged with India, saying that "not all the information about diplomatic activities are open to the public". "All I can tell is China has lodged diplomatic representation with India," he said. Earlier, Chinese media too warned India against playing the Taiwan card. "By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed article titled 'New Delhi will suffer losses if it plays Taiwan card'. China has lodged a protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese parliamentary team and asked it to deal "prudently" with Taiwan-related matters, even as New Delhi today dismissed the issue saying no "political meanings" should be read into such trips. Briefing the reporters in Beijing today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, "China lodged representations with India" over the Taiwan parliamentary delegation's visit to New Delhi. "We hope that India would understand and respect China's core concerns and stick to the 'One-China' principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations," Geng said. The remarks evoked a prompt reaction from New Delhi, where External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, "We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them." A three-member women's parliamentary delegation from Taiwan visited India earlier this week amidst signals of increasing engagement between the two sides. Taiwan currently has Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre located in New Delhi. India's office in Taiwan is called India-Taipei Association. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which have diplomatic relations with it. China has been objecting to such visits to India, maintaining that countries that have diplomatic relations with it should fulfil their commitment to the 'One China' policy. Elaborating further on China's stand on Taiwanese Parliamentary delegation to India, Geng said, "those who are visiting India are so-called legislators from Taiwan" and Beijing is opposed to any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries with whom China has diplomatic relations. "The reason why China lodged the representation is because that we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the 'One China' principle," he said. "So by making our representation we are urging the Indian side to stick to the 'One China' principle and take concrete actions for steady development of China-India relations," he said. He also declined to answer a question about when the protest was lodged with India, saying that "not all the information about diplomatic activities are open to the public". "All I can tell is China has lodged diplomatic representation with India," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former provincial Communist Party leader in China was today sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption, the latest senior official to be jailed under the anti-graft drive launched by President Xi Jinping. Zhou Benshun, former Party chief of north China's Hebei Province, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for graft by a court in southeast China's Xiamen city, state-run Xinhua agency reported. Zhou, one of the influential provincial leaders of the ruling Communist Party of China, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption by court. Last year, he was dismissedfrom public office for multiple offences including graft, speaking against the party line and hindering an official investigation. "Zhou severely violated political discipline and rules," the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said last October when he was expelled from the party. Zhou was also accused of working against central leadership's policies. "Zhou, made remarks on major issues that went against the spirit of the central authority, and failed to earnestly implement the building of a clean government by interfering with and hindering investigations," the CCDI statement said. It said he seriously violated the rules in promoting officials, and failed to report related personal matters. Zhou is among thousands of party officials who have been sacked and prosecuted under the massive anti-corruption campaign carried by Xi since he took over power in late 2012. Xi critics say that he also effectively used the anti- graft campaign, which boosted his standing among the public to consolidate his hold in the party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's amphibian aircraft, stated to be the world's largest, has successfully passed engine tests and is expected to make its maiden flight in the first half of this year. The aircraft officially called AG600 rolled off a production line in the southern city of Zhuhai last July, and has since undergone a series of rigorous tests. Between February 11 and 13, all four of its engines performed excellently in tests, state-run Xinhua agency reported today quoting China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co.Ltd. The 37-meter-longplane with a wingspan of 38.8 meters, is by far the world's largest amphibian aircraft, about the size of a Boeing 737, it said. It is meant to support emergency response efforts. The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes and can collect 12 tonnes of water in 20 seconds. It is the result of nearly seven years of work by a group of 70 aircraft component manufacturers and research teams with over 150 institutes from 20 provinces and municipalities in China, and over 90 per cent of the products used on the plane were made in China, the report said. It has received 17 intent orders so far, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's official media today warned India against playing the 'Taiwan card', saying New Delhi will suffer losses by challenging Beijing over the sensitive issue. The warning came after a Taiwanese women Parliamentary delegation visited India. "By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed article titled 'New Delhi will suffer losses if it plays Taiwan card'. "At a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the "one China" policy, India stands out as a provocateur," the tabloid daily, which is a part of Communist Party of China's publications, said. "High-level visits between India and Taiwan are not very frequent, so why did India invite the Taiwan delegation to visit at this time?" the article asked referring to Taiwanese MPs delegation. It is the first such visit since the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen administration took office, it said. Tsai, who won on elections last year is a strong supporter of Taiwan's independence from China. "Some Indians view the Taiwan question as an Achilles' Heel of the mainland. India has long wanted touse the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China," the article said. India may be looking to use the Taiwan card against China out of its suspicions with China specially over the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project with Pakistan, it said. "With the advancement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in recent years, India's strategic suspicions about China have been growing," it said. "It stubbornly misinterprets the flagship project of the One Belt, One Road Initiative that will benefit countries along the route, including India. "As the corridor passes through the disputed Kashmir, some Indian strategists have advised the Modi government to play the Taiwan card," it said. To India, the island can not only help realise some of India's development goals, but also, strategically, check the mainland. Growing Taiwanese investment in India, including in steel, telecom and information technology sectors, are important to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Made in India" campaign, it said. "Although the mainland is a major trading partner of India, political discord and the historical feud make economic cooperation between the two difficult," the article said. (Reopens FGN 7) "Tsai is exploiting India's vigilance and strategic suspicions against China. The pro-independence leader came up with the new southbound policy" to ramp up trade and economic interactions in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, in which India is considered not one of the, but the most" important country," it said. Quoting Taiwan's representative to India Chung Kwang Tien, the article said "Tsai hopes to put pressure on the mainland by tying India and Taiwan closer". "India wants benefits from the development of trade with Taiwan and Taiwanese investment. But it should be wary of Tsai's political intentions and avoid being used to confront the mainland," it said. A nearly 100 strong mob today vandalised a private hospital here and beat up a number of staff following the death of a patient. "The CMRI Hospital at Ekbalpore in the south-western part of the city was vandalised this morning and some staff beaten up by a mob," a senior Kolkata Police official said. The mob resorted to the violence alleging negligence on the part of the hospital in the treatment of a girl patient admitted yesterday. The girl died at the hospital this morning following which a mob from the nearby Babubazar area entered the CMRI premises and broke glass panes, computers and other materials at the reception and billing office, the official said. The mob also resorted to a road blockade on Diamond Harbour Road at Ekbalpore crossing during morning rush hours leading to harassment of office-goers and other people. A large contingent of police led by senior officers persuaded the agitators to lift the blockade and brought the situation under control. Police forces were also deployed in the hospital premises to ensure there was no further vandalism. Relatives of patients admitted at the hospital and at the out-patients department fled the premises owing to the vandalism. (REOPEN CAL1) Later, the hospital authorities in a statement condemned the violence at their premises following the death of the patient. Describing the death of the patient as 'unfortunate', the hospital authorities said, "We strongly condemn the violent incident that affected our staff and property this morning." "A patient was brought to our hospital from a nursing home with a suspected perforation of bowel and was in a very critical condition. She was in a state of shock and the doctors needed to medically restore her blood pressure levels before being able to operate," the release said. But due to the severity of the shock, she passed away due to cardiac arrest even before she could be taken to the operation theatre, it said adding "We share our deepest condolence with the patient's family." "We will support the authorities in their bid to restore normalcy to hospital operations," the release added. Meanwhile, the police said they were going through CCTV footages at the hospital premises to identify those responsible for the violence there. A police team has also been posted at the gates of the hospital to check entry of every person as well as vehicles entering the hospital. (Reopens CES 15) Kolkata Police later started a case on the basis of complaint of CMRI CEO Dr Shantanu Chattopadhyay, lodged at the Alipore Police Station, under various sections of IPC. The relevant IPC sections were 147 (Punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly) 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (II) (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), a top official of the force said. The charges included section 4 of West Bengal Medicare Service Institution and Medicare Service Personnel (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act 2009, the official said. Seeking to play the minority card with polling underway to elect a new Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday recalled his "extreme" action to safeguard the Babri mosque in 1990. "People got angry with what happened in Ayodhya but it was the priority of my government to stop the demolition of the Babri mosque," Mulayam told an election rally Lucknow. "We could not have allowed the minority community and their interest to suffer," he said. Mulayam had earned the title of 'Mullah Mulayam' after his government opened fire on karsewaks in Ayodhya. His comments justifying the police firing is seen as an attempt to unite Muslim electorate in favour of the SP. Mulayam, who was the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, had ordered firing on karsewaks in Ayodhya in 1990 in which 16 people were killed. "We had to fire. When I tried to justify my action, the BJP called me the murderer of humanity. If we had not fired at them, imagine what the Muslim population would have thought. Then how would I justify my position as chief minister," he had said earlier. He had also said in the past the decision to order firing on karsevaks was "painful" and noted that he had had no other option. With the MCD polls a couple of months away, Delhi BJP workers today staged protests across the city and burnt effigies of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government. Calling the Delhi government "inefficient and corrupt", the BJP men accused it of "failing" to honour the promises made to the people. Following the appointment of Manoj Tiwari as its president in December 2016, Delhi BJP is focusing on slums, unauthorised colonies and rural parts of the city, while blaming the AAP government for "neglecting the needs and problems" of the people living there. "The protests and effigy-burning programmes were held at 280 locations across the city to expose the inefficient, anarchic and corrupt Kejriwal government," said Delhi BJP media in-charge Praveen Shankar Kapoor. Yesterday, Tiwari had released a report card on the second anniversary of the Kejriwal government, giving it 'minus 3' points out of 10, and dubbed the government as "insensitive and inactive" towards the needs and problems of the people. Scores of BJP activists and local leaders gathered at various places in the city today. They raised slogans against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and torched effigies of his government. The protests were held all over the city, including at Karol Bagh, Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Todapur crossing, Naraina, Sadar Bazar, Sarojini Nagar and Chandni Chowk among others, Kapoor said. In the MCD polls, scheduled in April, BJP which currently rules the three municipal corporations is pitted against an optimistic AAP which won the 2015 Delhi Assembly election with a stupendous mandate and a resurgent Congress which expects to build on its good show in the civic body by-polls in May, 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lt Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal today counselled youth to "pause and reflect" before moving ahead in life while guiding them to benefit from the elderly people in the society by learning from their experiences. Baijal, while addressing 118th Founders Day function of Hindu College here, cited his own example of entering Civil Services on the advice of his parents, saying the present generation needs to press the "pause button" before they push the "fast forward button" and make a choice in their life. The Lt Governor who also replied to a couple of queries from the function gathering, ducked a reference to tussle between his predecessor Najeeb Jung and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Replying to a questioner who cited "fight" between Jung and Kejriwal while urging him to work for the benefit of Delhi, Baijal said, "I have noted your advice, thank you!" Baijal pointed to the generation gap between youth and elderly as a difference of attitude between persons of different ages, adding both can use one another as resource. "Generation gap is due to difference of attitude between people of different age groups. With both sides having so much to offer, it is important that we see each other as resources to create a culture of tolerance and understanding." Younger generation assumes it can learn everything there is to be known in life from the web yet some of the finest lessons come from people in your life, he said. "Information is helpful but its understanding is transformative and it takes time. While you can learn to be an entrepreneur and run a business from books and online journals, the elderly are able to explain how to pick yourself up when a project fails and how to move ahead regardless of drawbacks," he said. Replying to a question by a student asking how to bring change by removing ills such as rape and corruption inflicting the society, Baijal said that changes do take place but it might not be overnight. "Every change has its own method of bringing about it, the change can not happen in a void. It may not happen in a jiffy or overnight, there may be some issues, but change does happen sometimes," he said. The Lt Governor also assured the College to look into their problems and try to help as soon as possible. Chairman of the Hindu College urged Baijal to expedite matters related to water connection to a girls hostel, and constructions on the college campus. The meritorious students of the college were given awards during the function. A cultural programme was also staged by the students on the occasion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police's Special Cell has arrested a key member of gun-running racket and confiscated 20 pistols along with five live cartridges from his possession. The accused, identified as Mani Singh (36), is brother of syndicate kingpin and notorious gunrunner Richpal Singh who is involved in manufacturing and supply of illegal arms to criminals in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana, police said. Richpal Singh is wanted in several cases and efforts are being made to track him. Police received a tip off about the accused coming to Delhi to deliver a huge consignment of weapons to a buyer following which they laid a trap and arrested him from Azadpur yesterday. Mani was subjected to sustained interrogation wherein he disclosed that his brotheris manufacturing and supplying illegal weapons on large scale, said a senior police officer. Further investigations are underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senate Democrats today called for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any executive branch investigation into possible ties between the Trump administration and Russia. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said Sessions should not be involved because of potential conflicts of interest and because of Justice Department regulations that prohibit individuals with political ties to the subjects of an investigation from leading it. President Donald Trump nominated Sessions for the attorney general's post and the senator was one of his earliest and staunchest backers in Congress. But Republicans continued to brush off demands from Democrats for a Watergate-style probe, insisting investigations underway by the House and Senate intelligence committees are adequate. "When the FBI looks into a matter, they do so alongside prosecutors from the Justice Department," Schumer said. "Those prosecutors should not be reporting to the first senator who endorsed Donald Trump's campaign." Schumer and other Democrats spoke to reporters as Trump criticized the intelligence agencies that he oversees and the media for what he described as unfair treatment of his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and for "illegally leaked" information about reported contacts between his campaign aides and Russian officials. Flynn was forced to resign Monday following reports he misled Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat. Late yesterday, The New York Times reported that US agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Trump's 2016 campaign team. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said involving other committees in the investigation will slow the inquiry down. "I think sooner is better than later," Blunt told reporters. "And I think we can be a long way down the road in 90 days." Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't rule out an independent probe but said he and other lawmakers "need to find out a lot of basic information" first about Flynn's communications and the alleged contacts involving Trump's campaign. "Something like this always sucks the oxygen out of the room," McCain said. "The president's national security adviser did not tell the vice president of the United States the truth and had to be fired. It brings up a lot of questions and those questions need to be answered. Right now, without a national security adviser and everything else that's going on in the White House, it is dysfunctional on national security. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Harmeet Desai and Gnanasekaran Sathiyan became the latest Indian entrants into the main draw of the ITTF World Tour India Open here today. Harmeet, who made a flying start to his campaign winning both his matches on the opening day of the USD 150,000 tournament, beat Tzu-Hsiang Hung of Taipei in straight games to maintain a clean slate in the qualification stages. Sathiyan, who came into the day on the back of two impressive straight games victory continued from where he left off and dished out another dominating performance to beat Siu Hang Lam of Hong Kong to sail into the Round of 32. For top seeded Joao Geraldo, it was a walk in the park as he defeated India's Arjun Ghosh 4-1 to qualify for the main draw. Robinot Quentin of France beat Utkarsh Gupta of India 4-1 to advance into the final draw while Spaniard Robles Alvaro beat Sudhanshu Grover of India 4-0 to qualify. Samuel Walker of England and Azzuku Can of France also made it to the next round after registering wins over India's Jubin Kumar 4-1 and Subhajit Saha 4-0 respectively. With 10 players have already qualified for the main draw, five more places will be up for grabs with the second placed paddlers from each group clashing for one more shot at a berth in the next round. India's Manav Thakkar, who finished second in group one will go up against Asuka Sakai of Japan from group 10, in the preliminary round, while Ali Alkhadrawi of Saudi Arabia who finished second in group two will take on Abdel-Kader Salifou of group nine in second preliminary round match of the day. In the Under-21 women's singles competition, Sreeja Akula of India qualified for the semifinals by beating the Taipei paddler Po-Hsuan Lin 3-2. She is India's lone representation in the last four and will look to seal a spot in the finals when she faces Minnie Soo Wai Yaam of Hong Kong later in the evening. In the men's under-21 category, Japanese sensation Harimoto Tomokazu eased into the semifinals after he registered an easy 3-0 victory over India's Birdie Boro. The 14-year-old world junior champion will now go up against Siu Hang Lam in the semifinals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three knife-wielding suspected Uyghur militants have killed five persons in China's far western Xinjiang region before being shot dead by the police, the latest outbreak of violence in the restive territory. The attack took place last evening in Pishan county. Ten people were injured in the attack, five of whom were declared dead in the hospital, an official portal of the Hotan government said. Police shot dead three attackers, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Postquoted the portal as saying. Social order has been restored and an investigation is being carried out, the report said. Xinjiang, bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan, has been on the boil for several years over Uyghur protests against the large-scale settlements of Han Chinese from different parts of the country. China blames Uyghur separatists from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) for the attacks in the region, which has over 10 million Uyghur population of Turkik-origin Muslims. In December, four knife-wielding men attacked a Communist Party office in southern Xinjiang's Hotan region and set off an explosive device, killing one person. Four assailants were also shot dead. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This is his seventh year in Bollywood but Amit Sadh is not worried about being compared to his contemporaries as he believes there is no point in worrying about other people's work. The 37-year-old TV actor made his big screen debut in 2010 with "Phoonk 2". But it was 2013 movie "Kai Po Che" that breathed new life into his film career and catapulted him to fame. The actor's Bollywood future looked bright after he impressed with his performance in the film but he did not benefit from its success as much as the movie's other stars - Sushant Singh Rajput and Rajkummar Rao. Sadh says a noted personality from Bollywood had pointed this out to him but he feels every actor's journey is different and even cited the examples of Hollywood stars and friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's career graph. "This man called me and said 'Sushant has become a star, Rajkummar is a big actor and why are you left in the middle?' I feel as artistes every individual has their own journey. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck started together," Sadh told PTI during a recent visit here. "But for two decades Affleck was doing just rom coms and then he comes back with a bang with direction, gets an Oscar and now plays Batman." The actor has starred in films like "Guddu Rangeela", "Akira", Salman Khan blockbuster "Sultan" and will be next seen in Shoojit Sircar's production "Running Shaadi". In his upcoming film, the actor plays the role of a guy, who runs the business of helping couples elope and get married. Sadh, who was cast in the film after director Amit Roy was mesmerised by his performance in "Kai Po Che", says he is happy that he is getting the opportunity to do different roles. "As an actor I want to do great roles. I need to be challenged. I am lucky that I am getting great parts. These are great times. I am very grateful to everyone who have helped me to reach here. This is just the start." "Running Shaadi" also stars Taapsee Pannu and will finally release this Friday. Sadh feels he does not have the "intellect" to meticulously choose his films but insists that he wants to grab hold of all good roles so that he is able to pay rent on time and take care of people who depend on him. "I don't have the aptitude or the intellect to gauge all this. First and foremost for me as an actor, as I am not educated, is that I need to do good roles so I can pay my rent. "If this sounds lame then I am lame. I have three dogs, I have to take care of them, feed them. I have to pay certain people in my life who are dependent on me. For that I need to work hard. I need to earn my bread and butter." When asked if career setbacks get to him, Sadh vehemently rejects it saying, "Nothing gets to me, neither the good nor the bad. I am not saying it with arrogance, I am saying this very humbly. I have seen so much in life that situations like that is a piece of cake for me." The actor says he swears by Harivansh Rai Bachchan's line "mann ka ho to achcha aur mann ka na ho to aur bhi accha" as it has helped him get through the tough times in life. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The two-member team constituted by the Election Commission to probe into the alleged breach of security of electronic voting machines at Patiala constituency in Punjab today gave a clean chit to the district administration. The team led by Himachal Pradesh chief electoral officer Narinder Chauhan gave a clean chit to the district administration's move of shifting "old" electronic voting machines (EVMs), stating that there was no violation in it. A delegation led by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had yesterday submitted a memorandum to the poll panel in Delhi alleging that there were "multiple instances of breach in EVMs' safety" in Punjab, where Assembly elections were held recently. The Aam Aadmi Party had alleged that the Nabha Returning Officer (RO) allowed some people to remove EVMs kept in a college building in Patiala. The EC team arrived in Patiala to assess the security arrangements at the strongrooms. The officials also held a meeting with the representatives of all political parties and returning officers of the district. Patiala district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Ramvir Singh and SSP S Bhoopati also attended the meeting. Meanwhile, Ramvir Singh sought a report from Nabha Returning Officer in connection with the video allegedly made by AAP candidate Gurdev Mann showing EVMs being shifted. The official said no one was allowed to carry a mobile phone within 100 metres of the area where EVMs were kept. A probe is on in the incident and the law would take its own course, he said. Mann, however, retorted that no one stopped him from carrying the mobile phone. "Now that we have highlighted their misdeeds, they are trying to cover up their mistake," he alleged. Besides Patiala, AAP had also accused the Returning Officer of Gill assembly segment in Ludhiana of tampering with EVMs kept in the strongroom at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. AAP, which is eyeing to wrest power in the northern state, had also filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, raising questions on the security of EVMs at strongrooms in Jalandhar, Phillaur, Shahkot, Jalandhar West and Tarn Taran. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today said that he had requested the Centre to exempt Puducherry from NEET based selection of students for. Medical colleges during the 2017-2018 academic year "I have written a letter to the Centre, making this plea," he told reporters here today. Narayanasamy recalled that a resolution tabled by him on the floor of the assembly on January 24 on the matter had been adopted unanimously and it had since been sent to the Health Ministry to exempt Puducherry from the NEET purview. "We will not be able to accept NEET based selection as schools in the Union Territory are not fully equipped to adopt the CBSE syllabus, which is the criterion for NEET based selection for medical courses", Narayanasamy said. He said he would reiterate the plea during his coming visit to Delhi and meeting with the Union Health Minister. Presently admissions to medical colleges, including privately managed institutions in the Union territory are through Centralised Admission Committee and on the basis of marks scored in the plus two public examinations. Besides a State government run medical college, there are seven private institutions in the union territory. Narayanasamy said air service from here would be revived soon and Air India had come forward to operate the service from Puducherry to Bangalore via Tiruchirapalli. The expansion of the runway would be taken up once land needed for the purpose and which was in the territorial limits of Tamil Nadu (the airport is close to Tamil Nadu border) was available from the neighbouring State. "We will work out necessary modalities and logistics to operate the service between Puducherry and Bangalore through negotiations with Air India in New Delhi shortly' the Chief Minister said. (REOPEN MES3) Narayanasamy also said the free rice scheme sought to be implemented in collaboration with State Trading Corporation to meet the requirements of rice was now being implemented after roping in several agencies by finalising tenders for supply. He said the STC did not meet the UT's needs to supply the rice free of cost through ration shops. "We have now shifted to procure the rice from other agencies after finalising the supplies through tender system", he said stating that around Rs 220 crore would be spent annually to supply rice every month to ration card holders. Narayanasamy said that around 5,000 tonnes of rice was needed for supply to ration card holders. India's exports rose 4.32 per cent in January to USD 22.11 billion mainly due to increase in shipments of petroleum products, engineering goods and iron ore even as trade deficit widened to USD 9.84 billion. Gold imports slipped by 29.94 per cent to USD 2.04 billion in January from USD 2.91 billion in the same month last year as demand declined following cash crunch post demonetisation. As per the data released by the Commerce Ministry, growth in exports last month was lower than 5.72 per cent recorded in December. Exports totalled USD 220.92 billion for the April-January period of the current fiscal, up about 1 per cent over the year-ago shipments. The data revealed that imports widened to USD 31.95 billion in January, up 10.7 per cent from the same month last fiscal. Higher imports took the trade deficit to USD 9.84 billion as against USD 7.66 billion in January 2016. The trade deficit or difference between imports and exports for April-January months is, however improved to USD 86.38 billion in comparison to USD 107.74 billion recorded in the similar period last fiscal. The data revealed that iron ore exports jumped over 10 times to USD 184.43 million in January year-on-year. Export of petroleum products increased from USD 2.08 billion to USD 2.69 billion, a rise of 28.96 per cent. Shipments of engineering goods from India in January rose to USD 5.45 billion, up 11.89 per cent. Non-petroleum exports in January were valued at USD 19.42 billion against USD 19.11 billion year-on-year, an increase of 1.6 per cent. Non-oil imports during January were estimated at USD 23.81 billion. The Ministry, quoting latest WTO statistics said the growth in exports is positive for USA (2.63 per cent), EU (5.47 per cent) and Japan (13.43 per cent) but China has exhibited negative growth of (-1.51 per cent) for November 2016. Meanwhile, services exports during December 2016 were valued at USD 13.8 billion registering a positive growth of 3.49 per cent as compared to growth of 1.72 per cent during November 2016. Imports during December 2016 were valued at USD 8.29 billion registering a negative growth of 0.35 per cent in as compared to positive growth of 8.37 per cent during November. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 22-year-old farmer was injured after a wild boar attacked him at Suniti village within Mahakalpada police station jurisdiction, police said. The incident occurred yesterday when Budhadeb Bera (22) was returning home after working in his field. "The animal might haves sneaked into the village to eat crops and standing vegetable plants as the place is located in close vicinity of forest areas and habitation corridors of these animals," said Divisional Forest Officer, Bimal Prasana Acharya. Bera was critically injured and was hospitalised. The forest department was bearing the cost of treatment of the injured person, the DFO said adding, ex-gratia compensation would be disbursed to the injured person's family. Forest personnel have begun maintaining a night watch in the village. The villagers have been advised to avoid movement during night, added forest officials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump asked for Michael Flynn's resignation as national security advisor over "eroding trust" and other "questionable instances" and not due to any legal issues, the White House has said. "We have been reviewing and evaluating this issue with respect to General Flynn on a general basis for a few weeks trying to ascertain the truth," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters yesterday. "We got to a point not based on a legal issue, but based on a trust issue with the level of trust between the president and General Flynn had eroded to the point where he felt he had to make a change. The president was very concerned that General Flynn had misled the Vice President and others," he said. Flynn resigned yesterday after he apologised to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for not providing them all the information about his call with the Russian Ambassador to the US before Trump's inauguration. Spicer said Trump was also very concerned in light of the sensitive subjects dealt with by the national security advisors with respect to China, North Korea, and the Middle East, that the President must have complete and unwavering trust for the person in that position. "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for a General Flynn's resignation," he said. Spicer said immediately after the Department of Justice notified the White House counsel of the situation, the counsel briefed the President and a small group of his senior advisors. "The White House counsel reviewed and determined that there is not an illegal issue, but rather a trust issue. During this process, it's important to note the president did not have his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who he trusts immensely, approved by the Senate," he said. "When the President heard the information as presented by White House counsel, he instinctively thought that General Flynn did not do anything wrong and the White House counsel's review corroborated that. It is not ordinary for an incoming national security advisor to speak with his counterparts about the issues of concern to them. In fact, he spoke with over 30 of his counterparts throughout the transition," Spicer said. "The issue here was that the President got to the point where General Flynn's relationship - misleading the vice president and others or the possibility that he had forgotten critical details of this important conversation had created a critical mass and an unsustainable situation. That's why the President decided to ask for his resignation and he got it," he said. (REOPENS FGN 2) Spicer said the irony of this entire situation was that Trump had been incredibly tough on Russia, adding that the President continues to raise the issue of Crimea which the previous administration allowed to be seized by Russia. "His ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, stood before the UN Security Council on her first day and strongly denounced the Russian occupation of Crimea. As Ambassador Haley said at the time, to quote, 'dire situation in eastern Ukraine is one that demands clear and strong condemnation of Russian actions'," he said. "President Trump has made it very clear he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea. At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to be able to get along with Russia, unlike previous administrations, so that we can solve many problems together facing the world such as the threat of ISIS and terrorism," he said. Spicer said Trump was evaluating a group of very strong candidates that will be considered to fill the national security advisor position permanently and is confident in the ability of General Kellogg, a decorated and distinguished veteran of the United States Army, until that person is ultimately chosen. Foreign tourists availing e-visas will now get pre-activated free SIM cards as they arrive here, a move hailed by tour operators' body IATO. Launching the much awaited service, Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said the talk time to the tune of Rs 50 will be available on the BSNL SIM card which will also have 50 MB data. Initially, the service will be provided at Indira Gandhi International Airport here but will be later extended to 15 other airports in the country where e-visa facility is available, he added. "The initiative will help the tourists to immediately communicate with their relatives at home, hotels, tour operators and so on. I got this idea when I had got a similar card when I had visited Sri Lanka," Sharma said. The minister said the facility will provide ease to the tourists who have to spend about two hours to get their SIM cards activated after they land in India. Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi said over 10 lakh tourists had arrived in India on e-visa facility last year. Launched on November 27, 2014, the facility is currently available for 161 countries. To a query about the expenditure on the initiative, Zutshi said the expenses on SIM cards will be borne out of the tourism promotion budget of the ministry which he said is "well within the budget". Tour operators' body IATO hailed the initiative, saying its a "great gesture". "I think we are the first country to give free SIM cards to the tourists. Its a great gesture and will make the arrival experience better for the travellers," India Association of Tour Operators senior vice president Rajeev Kohli said. Sharma said the SIM card, with 30 days' validity, will also help the travellers to contact the 24-hour tourist helpline number available in 12 languages, including Russian, German and Japanese. To a query as to why the facility is available only to e-visa tourists, he said the complete information about the travellers on such visa is readily "available in advance" which could be immediately synced with the data of concerned authorities for providing the SIMs. Meanwhile, the minister said there was no impact of demonetisation on tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings as these segments recorded a "robust" growth. The tourists arriving in India on e-visa could get the SIM cards, a part of welcome kit, from India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) counters at the airports. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Government today approved signing of an Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Rwanda to allow the airlines of the two countries to operate services in each other's territory. Rwanda national carrier RwandAir has already announced its plans to launch its air services to India from the next fiscal with four flights per week to Mumbai. The Union Cabinet, which met here under by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Rwanda, an official release said. The agreement would provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides ensuring greater safety and security, an official release said. The agreement has the potential to spur greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchange between India and Rwanda, bringing it in tune with developments in the civil aviation sector, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Calcutta High Court today sought clarifications from the West Bengal government on allegations of discrepancies in the appointment of primary school teachers for which 23 lakh candidates had appeared in the examinations. Observing that the allegations were serious in nature, Justice Arijit Banerjee directed the state education department to submit an affidavit clarifying allegations of discrepancies and illegal acts in the process of appointment within four weeks. The court directed the petitioners to file an affidavit in reply to the state's affidavit within another two weeks, following which the matter would be heard again. Justice Banerjee directed that in the meantime, the process of appointment may continue, but such appointments would be subject to the final outcome of the petitions before the court. At least 23 lakh candidates appeared for the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) for 42,000 vacancies in primary schools spread across the state. More than 20 petitions by around 100 candidates were moved before the high court alleging malpractice in the appointment process. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's Intellectual Property Rights regime has consistently fallen short of international best practices and the recent steps taken by the country under the IPR policy remain "merely aspirational", the US Chambers of Commerce has said. In its submission to the US Trade Representative's Special 301 Review, the business body said, "...We see no substantive basis for a change in India's previous designation from the 2016 Special 301 Review and continue to see value in a meaningful mid-year progress assessment." The US Trade Representative (USTR) is expected to come out with its report in April. "The level and frequency of engagement between the US and Indian governments in 2016 continued to be a source of hope for the future, marked by ongoing dialogue on a broad range of intellectual property rights issues between India and the US under the Trade Policy Forum, the Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, and the High-Level Working Group on Intellectual Property," the Chambers said. "Yet, at this time, substantive improvement in the IP environment in India remains merely aspirational. India released the long-awaited National IPR Policy in 2016, providing evidence of an evolving yet equivocal political attitude toward IP," it said. "The Policy expressed a positive inclination toward steps to improve IP administration, and an implicit recognition of the importance of IP to domestic innovation and further contemplates efforts to educate Indian businesses about IP rights and facilitation initiatives to leverage IP rights in support of domestic innovative activity," Chambers said in its submission. The Policy addresses a number of important gaps in India's national IP environment, including the need for stronger enforcement of existing IP rights through the building of new state-level IP cells and investing more resources in existing enforcement agencies; strengthening administrative capacities at India's intellectual property offices, including reducing processing times for patent and trademark applications; as well as the need for introducing a legislative framework for the protection of trade secrets. "Comprehensive reform and execution in these areas would mark a notable improvement to India's national IP environment," it said. However, the Chambers argued, the Policy's dismissal of the need for substantive changes to improve India's statutory and regulatory IP framework, which has consistently been found to fall short of international best practices, demonstrates the continued political challenges to realising an IP environment favourable to an innovative and creative economy. "Specifically, the Policy does not provide details with respect to inter-ministerial coordination on implementation, budget allocation, and did not address the challenges and uncertainties rights-holders face when it comes to protecting their patent rights, modernising existing copyright laws or introducing international best practices, and new sector-specific IP rights such as regulatory data protection for submitted biopharmaceutical test data," it said. Chambers said ultimately, the year was characterized by several disappointing developments: balanced and reasonable Guidelines for Examination of Patent Applications for Computer Related Inventions (CRIs) issued in 2015 were withdrawn and re-issued in 2016 in a non-transparent fashion, with the result that the 2016 Guidelines will make most if not all software inventions ineligible for patent protection. "Then, in response to public outcry, a government committee was formed to re-review the guidelines, with no deadline for decision, leaving software innovators in regulatory limbo. Subsequent high-level dialogues between the US and Indian governments failed to result in any resolution of this matter," it said. "In fact, the strongest statement to emerge from bilateral dialogues in 2016 was an endorsement by the Indian Commerce Secretary of calls by an independent UN panel for broad use of 'TRIPS flexibilities' to justify routine use of compulsory licenses against patented products," US Chambers said. "It is worth noting that India has been a strong champion of weakening of IP rights in multilateral organisations, including WIPO and the WHO. Meanwhile, the Seeds Directive issued in 2016 seemed to suggest a possible return in this sector to innovation-threatening compulsory licensing practices. The recent High Court of Delhi decision regarding photocopying copyrighted content was likewise highly discouraging," he added. For the first time, India along with five other regional powers, including China, today participated in a meet on Afghanistan hosted by Russia during which they discussed ways to work for the stability, security and development of the war-torn country. The Indian side was represented by Joint Secretary, External Affairs Ministry, Gopal Baglay, at the conference in Moscow which was also attended by representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia, China and Iran. The conference is an initiative of Russia-China-Pakistan trilateral and India was invited during the visit of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Russia last month. India was not invited for a similar conference two months ago. Russia was represented by President Vladimir Putin's special envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov at the one-day conclave. Ahead of the meeting, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup in New Delhi had said, "India is a major development partner of Afghanistan and stands with it in meeting the challenges that friendly country and its people face, most importantly terrorism. India has always believed in close and constructive cooperation for peace, stability, security and development in Afghanistan." "To this end, we actively participate in several bilateral and multilateral consultations...We look forward to the valuable opportunity to discuss with other regional countries all aspects of the situation in Afghanistan," Swarup had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India is willing to supply an additional quantity of electricity to energy-starved Nepal to end the era of load-shedding in the Himalayan nation. The Indian side also agreed to extend technical assistance for improvement of existing infrastructure so that the era of load-shedding can end in Nepal for good, according to a press release issued by the Indian Embassy at the end of the two-day Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting which here yesterday. The 4th meetings of the Indo-Nepal Joint Working Group (JWG) and Joint Steering Committee (JSC) on Power Cooperation were held on February 13-14, 2017 in Kathmandu. The Indian team for JWG was led by R K Verma, Chairman, Central Electricity Authority and for JSC by Power Secretary P K Pujari. The Nepalese delegation for JWG was led by Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Energy and for JSC by Anup Kumar Upadhyay, Energy Secretary. "The Nepalese side conveyed its deep appreciation for the efforts by the Government of India to supply enhanced quantities of electricity to Nepal that has made several parts of the country, including Kathmandu, free of load-shedding this winter." The current import 380 MW of power from India has been possible by virtue of the installation of additional transformer at Muzaffarpur by the Indian side, as also by technical improvements at Tanakpur at the request of the Nepalese side, according to the press release. With the commissioning of two new lines - Raxaul-Parwanipur and Kataiya-Kusaha - the installed capacity for export of power to Nepal will increase by another 100 to 120 MW by the end of February 2017. Further, with completion of 220 KV substation at Dhalkebar, the installed capacity will increase to almost 700 MW by the middle of 2017. "The two sides also discussed construction of new transmission lines, keeping in view the power projects that are being developed. In this connection, New Butwal-Gorakhpur and Lumki-Bareilly transmission lines and new 400 kV sub-stations at Dhalebar, Butwal and Hetauda were also discussed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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Hiral Patel, 34, of Jersey City pleaded guilty before US District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging her with conspiracy to obstruct justice as part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain foreign worker visas, US Attorney Paul Fishman said. Patel faces a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a USD 250,000 fine when sentenced in June. Patel was the human resources manager for two information technology companies SCM Data Inc and MMC Systems Inc, which offered consultants to clients in need of IT support. Both companies recruited foreign nationals, often student visa holders or recent college graduates, and sponsored them for visas under the H-1B program that allows businesses in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers with specialised or technical expertise in a particular field, such as accounting, engineering or computer science. Patel's conspirators recruited foreign workers with purported IT expertise who sought work in the US. They sponsored the foreign workers' H-1B visas with the stated purpose of working for SCM Data and MMC Systems' clients throughout the US. When submitting the visa paperwork to the US Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS), the conspirators represented that the foreign workers had full-time positions and were paid an annual salary, as required to secure the visas. However contrary to these representations and in violation of the H-1B programme, the conspirators paid the foreign workers only when they were placed at a third-party client who entered into a contract with SCM Data or MMC Systems. The conspirators told the foreign workers who were not currently working that if they wanted to maintain their H-1B visa status, they would need to come up with what their gross wages would be in cash and give it to SCM Data and MMC Systems so the companies could issue payroll checks to the foreign workers. The conspirators asked the foreign workers to submit bogus payroll checks to USCIS as proof that the workers were engaged in full-time work despite the fact that they were not working for the companies. As the US Department of Labor (USDOL) launched an audit of SCM Data and MMC Systems, the conspirators fabricated leave or vacation slips to USDOL for the time periods that the foreign workers were not working to conceal the fact that they were not paid during those time periods as required by federal law. Patel, who was the human resources manager for SCM Data and MMC Systems, admitted that in February and March 2015, she was involved in preparing false leave slips for the foreign workers on behalf of SCM Data and MMC Systems. The case comes amid a strong criticism of the abuse of the H1B visa programme, which US lawmakers say is used to bring in cheap labour from foreign markets like India and replace American workers. US President Donald Trump has vowed to reform the immigration system to ensure Americans dont lose their jobs and are given priority by companies before bringing in foreign workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Co-working space provider Innov8 has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from a clutch of investors, including Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Google's Rajan Anandan and FreeCharge founder Kunal Shah among others. The angel round also saw participation from LetsVentures, Venture Catalysts, Girish Mathrubhootham (Freshdesk), Punit Soni (ex-Flipkart CPO), Anand Chandrasekeran (Facebook), Sunil Kalra (Via Projects), Utsav Somani (Angel List India), Vishal Gondal (GOQii) and Vikram Limaye (IDFC Bank) as well. Launched about a year and a half ago, the company is backed by Y Combinator. It has three centres in Delhi, Chandigarh and Bengaluru. "The funds will be used for growing the team and technology platform. We are an asset-light company and we are looking at expanding to major cities like Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune by December-end," Innov8 co-founder Ritesh Malik told PTI. While he declined to disclose the revenue numbers, Malik said the company is profitable across its centres. "We had started as an alternative for startups to get office space without investing in huge sums of money. However, now we get not just startups but other companies as well who are looking for space for their remote corporate teams... In fact, our fourth will come up soon in Mumbai," Innov8 co-founder Shailesh Gupta said. He added that its members are a mix of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and start-ups, to artists, small businesses and even divisions of large corporations across its three centres that has a capacity of about 700 people. Co-working is a fairly new concept where companies can rent office space and get access to facilities like high-speed internet as well as opportunity to build a community and network with others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iran has zipped past the likes of Venezuela and Nigeria to become India's third largest oil supplier as easing western sanctions enabled Indian companies to increase purchases from that country. Saudi Arabia and Iraq continue to be ahead of Iran, which was sixth biggest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16. It has overtaken Venezuela, Nigeria and UAE to become India's third largest supplier in April-December period of 2016-17. Iran sold 19.8 million tonne crude oil to India in the first nine months of the current fiscal, officials said. This behind Saudi Arabia's 30.3 MT and 29.1 MT sourced from Iraq. In full 2015-16 fiscal, Iran had supplied 12.7 MT crude oil to India. That year Saudi Arabia had sold 40.4 MT oil to India with Iraq chipping in 26.8 MT. Venezuela supplied 23.6 MT, Nigeria 23.4 MT and UAE 15.7 MT. Iran was India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but western sanctions over its suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the 7th spot in subsequent years. In 2013-14 and 2014-15, India bought 11 million tons and 10.95 million tons respectively from Iran, officials said. India is 80 per cent dependent on imports to meet its oil needs. Easing of western sanctions a year ago has led to Indian refiners raising their purchase from Iran. During April-December 2016-17, Venezuela supplied 17.5 MT of oil, UAE 13 MT and Nigeria 12.8 MT. Kuwait, which was third largest supplier in 2013-14 has steadily slipped, supplying just 7.6 MT in first nine months of 2016-17 fiscal. Iran in 2008-09 sold 21.81 MT oil to India, which came down marginally to 21.19 MT in the following year. It fell to 18.49 MT in 2010-11 and to 17.44 MT in 2011-12. After the west imposed sanctions, India brought down the purchases to 13.14 MT in 2012-13 and had limited them in the years thereafter. Officials said India imported 161.7 MT of crude oil in the April-December period this fiscal, 64.2 per cent of which came from the Middle-East region. India spent USD 50.62 billion on crude oil imports during the first nine months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Terming the nuclear deal with Iran as "the worst" agreement ever, US President Donald Trump has assured visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Tehran would never be able to build a nuclear weapon. "The security challenges faced by Israel are enormous, including the threat of Iran's nuclear ambitions, which I've talked a lot about. One of the worst deals I've ever seen is the Iran deal," Trump told reporters at a joint conference with Netanyahu at the White House yesterday. "My administration has already imposed new sanctions on Iran, and I will do more to prevent Iran from ever developing - I mean ever - a nuclear weapon," Trump said. He said the American security assistance to Israel was currently at an all-time high to ensure that the Jewish state has the ability to defend itself from many threats. "Both of our countries will continue and grow. We have a long history of cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the fight against those who do not value human life. America and Israel are two nations that cherish the value of all human life," he said. "This is one more reason why I reject unfair and one-sided actions against Israel at the United Nations - just treated Israel, in my opinion, very, very unfairly - or other international forums, as well as boycotts that target Israel," he said. Trump said his administration was committed to working with Israel and common allies in the region towards greater security and stability. "That includes working toward a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States will encourage a peace and, really, a great peace deal. We'll be working on it very, very diligently," he said, adding that the parties themselves who must directly negotiate such an agreement. "We'll be beside them; we'll be working with them," he added. Netanyahu applauded Trump for his strong stand on Iran and radical Islamic terrorism. "Our alliance is based on a deep bond of common values and common interests. And, increasingly, those values and interests are under attack by one malevolent force:radical Islamic terror," he said. "Mr President, you've shown great clarity and courage in confronting this challenge head-on. You call for confronting Iran's terrorist regime, preventing Iran from realising this terrible deal into a nuclear arsenal," Netanyahu said. "You have said that the United States is committed to preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons. You call for the defeat of ISIS. Under your leadership, I believe we can reverse the rising tide of radical Islam. And in this great task, as in so many others, Israel stands with you and I stand with you," he said. Netanyahu said in rolling back militant Islam, "We can seize an historic opportunity - because, for the first time in my lifetime, and for the first time in the life of my country", Arab countries in the region do not see Israel as an enemy, but, increasingly, as an ally. "I believe that under your leadership, this change in our region creates an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen security and advance peace," Netanyahu said. He said Trump led a very important effort against Iran in the past few weeks and pointed out that there are Iranian violations on ballistic missile tests. "By the way, these ballistic missiles are inscribed in Hebrew 'Israel must be destroyed'. The Palestinian - rather the Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said, well, our ballistic missiles are not intended against any country. No. They write on the missile in Hebrew, 'Israel must be destroyed', he said. Netanyahu said he was seeing a change after Trump took over as the US President and it is clearly evident that he is challenging Iran on its violations of ballistic missiles, imposing sanctions on Hezbollah and making them pay for terrorism that they foment throughout the Middle East and beyond. "Let me say this very openly:I think it's long overdue, and I think that if we work together - and not just the United States and Israel, but so many others in the region who see eye to eye on the great magnitude and danger of the Iranian threat, then I think we can roll back Iran's aggression and danger," Netanyahu said. "That's something that is important for Israel, the Arab states, but I think it's vitally important for America. These guys are developing ICBMs. They're developing - they want to get to a nuclear arsenal, not a bomb, a hundred bombs. They want to have the ability to launch them everywhere on Earth, and including, and especially, eventually, the United States," he said. Ireland's fragile minority government faces a no-confidence vote later today over a scandal involving the police, the state's child protection agency and the political establishment. Prime Minister Enda Kenny and his cabinet have been criticised over their handling of false allegations of child sexual abuse against a high-profile police whistleblower, which may have been a criminal conspiracy by senior members of the force. The vilification of police sergeant Maurice McCabe has engulfed the coalition government since the story emerged in national media last week, with ministers telling conflicting stories about what they knew about the affair and when. In a special parliamentary session yesterday, Kenny admitted he gave "wrong information" regarding a meeting with a senior cabinet minister on the matter as recently as last weekend. The government handling of the affair has prompted the motion of no confidence by Sinn Fein but Fianna Fail, the main opposition party, has said it would not back it even though it has described the government management as "incoherent and shambolic". "I don't think the Irish people want a general election every few months but people are very, very angry about the way in which a good and decent person was treated," its leader Micheal Martin told a Cork radio station. The scandal has roots going back to 2006 when McCabe made a complaint against a colleague over misconduct. Another officer then made a complaint against McCabe of sexual abuse on a six-year-old girl. This was investigated and he was completely exonerated. In 2013, the child protection agency opened another file on McCabe after receiving further allegations of sexual abuse but the following year it acknowledged this was an error. The agency did not inform McCabe of the allegations until December 2015. Given McCabe's high profile campaign against police corruption, many people suspect the false accusations were made intentionally to discredit him. The government has agreed to set up a public inquiry to investigate whether it was an honest mistake or something more sinister. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Space agency is planning to launch two satellites, including the one meant for the benefit of SAARC nations, in March and April this year. "We are planning to launch two satellites, one each in March and April this year," Chairman A S Kiran Kumar told reporters to a question on the line up. "Preparations are on in full swing," he added. According to officials, the GSLV MARK II will carry the SAARC satellite, and the GSLV MARK III will inject the GSAT-19, a communication satellite. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the SAARC summit at Nepal in November 2014, had announced launching of a SAARC satellite as a gift for the benefit of members of the regional grouping in various fields, including telecommunication and telemedicine. Since Pakistan has 'opted out' of the project, the SAARC satellite is now being called the South Asian satellite. About launch of the second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2, the Isro Chairman said, "We are targeting first quarter of 2018 for the launch." To a query on plans for human spaceflight programmes by the agency, he said "It is not our priority right now." According to Isro website, Chandrayaan-2, India's second mission to the Moon, is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1. It consists of an orbiter, lander and rover. The orbiter with scientific payloads will orbit around the Moon. The lander will soft-land on the Moon at a specified site and deploy the rover. The scientific payloads onboard the orbiter, lander and rover are expected to perform mineralogical and elemental studies of the lunar surface. Meanwhile, Antrix CMD Rakesh said the Isro's commercial arm, Antrix Corporation Ltd has got orders worth Rs 500 to 600 crore from international customers. The space agency had earlier sent 20 satellites into the orbit in 2015. Responding to a question on US companies approaching Isro for launching its satellites, the Chairman said, the US based companies prefer Isro's launch vehicles to inject its nano satellites. Kiran Kumar also said the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) was looking at other means of reducing cost of access to space. To a query on keeping up consistency in launching satellites successfully, he said, "With each successful launch our responsibility grows and we give emphasis to zero defect delivery." In CARTOSAT series of earth observation satellites, there is a proposal to launch the CARTOSAT-2E in April, the Isro officials said. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar will travel to Dhaka on a two-day visit from February 23 during which discussions on several bilateral issues, including high-level visits, will take place. Jaishankar's visit comes even as the much-anticipated trip of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was getting delayed. Hasina was expected to travel to India in December but her visit was postponed. "Foreign Secretary will pay a visit to Dhaka on February 23-24, 2017. This visit is at the invitation of Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque. "The two Foreign Secretaries will review areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, including high level visits. During the visit, the Indian Foreign Secretary is expected to call on the Prime Minister of Bangladesh," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Hasina's December visit was postponed amid speculation that it was not a suitable time to discuss Teesta water sharing issue given the preoccupation of the government post-demonetisation and the unease in relations between the Centre and West Bengal, a key stakeholder in the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protests by the Jat community in Haryana seeking reservation in education institutes and government jobs continued on the 18th day today. "Protests are on in all the districts of Haryana. Our agitation is peaceful," Yashpal Malik, president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS), which is spearheading the quota stir, said. Though the sit-ins have remained peaceful so far, the Jat leaders have threatened to intensify the stir after February 19 if their demands were not met. Besides seeking quota in education and government jobs under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category, their demands include the release of those jailed during last year's agitation, withdrawal of cases slapped during the protest and government jobs for kin of those killed and injured while taking part in the stir. The BJP government in the state had last week formed a five-member committee, headed by Chief Secretary D S Dhesi, to hold talks with the agitating Jats. February 19 would be observed as 'Balidan Divas' at different places in the country in the memory of those who lost their lives during last year's agitation. In view of the fresh Jat stir, paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive areas, while the state police is maintaining a strict vigil. As many as 30 people were killed and property worth crores of rupees was damaged at many places in Haryana during last year's Jat stir which had turned violent. However, this time the state has been put on maximum alert, the officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rifleman Ravi Kumar, who died fighting Lashker-e-Toiba militants in the Kashmir valley, was given a tearful farewell amid a pall of gloom as thousands of people thronged his village in the border district of Samba for his cremation. The soldier's body, wrapped in the Tricolour, was brought in an army vehicle here as thousands of people, including from neighbouring areas, paid their last respects to Kumar who was given a funeral with full state honours. Kumar made the supreme sacrifice during yesterday's counter-insurgency operation in Bandipora in which an LeT terrorist commander was killed and three other soldiers, including a Major, also lost their lives. The family members of the 33-year-old martyr were inconsolable. Kumar left behind his wife Esha Devi and three-year-old daughter Rusani Ratta and his parents who wept bitterly. People of Meensarkar Tabela village termed Kumar as a real "hero" and hailed him for making the hamlet proud across the country with his sacrifice. J&K minister Chander Prakash Ganga received the mortal remains of the soldier who was accorded a guard of honour at the Jammu Airport. He also met family members of the jawan and consoled them. Ganga said that the acts of bravery and sacrifice by the soldiers in protecting the borders and citizens of the nation cannot be described in words. He assured that the government would look after the family members of the martyrs and provide them due support. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The commander of Jordan's border guards says Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in a sprawling border camp for displaced Syrians, posing a growing threat to the US-allied kingdom. Brig. Gen. Sami Kafawin spoke to The Associated Press during a tour of the desert area where Jordan, Syria and Iraq meet. A ride in a military helicopter offered a view of the Rukban camp, an expanse of makeshift shelters housing tens of thousands of Syrians. Conditions in the camp deteriorated sharply after Jordan sealed its border in June, following a cross-border IS attack that killed seven Jordanian border guards. Kafawin said yesterday that "the (militant) threat is increasing, especially in this area." He says that nonetheless, Jordan tries to ensure the displaced Syrians get food and medical treatment. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today congratulated ISRO scientists and officials who worked for the successful PSLV-C37 mission that launched CARTOSAT-2 series earth observation satellite and 103 nano satellites. In a message, Vijayan said it was 'a proud moment' for the country especially as the technology for the launch was developed by the scientists in the country itself. One of the main advantages was that it would reduce the cost of satellite launches, he pointed out. "I congratulate the scientists and others who worked behind the successful mission PSLV-C37', he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who has been murdered in Malaysia, pleaded for his life to be spared after a failed assassination bid in 2012, lawmakers briefed by Seoul's spy chief said on Wednesday. died after reportedly being attacked by two women believed to be North Korean agents at a Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday. Jong-Nam, the eldest son of the late former leader Kim Jong-Il, was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched bid in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland. He has since lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau, while Jong-Un took over the isolated, nuclear-armed state after the death of his father in December 2011. The North in 2012 tried to assassinate Jong-Nam known to be a supporter of reform in Pyongyang Seoul lawmakers said following a closed-door briefing by the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Lee Byung-Ho. "According to (Lee)... There was one (assassination) bid in 2012, and Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying 'Please spare me and my family,'" Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. "It also said 'We have nowhere to go... We know that the only way to escape is suicide'," he said, adding Jong-Nam had little political support at home and posed little threat to Jong-Un. Jong-Nam's family his former and current wives and three children are currently living in Beijing and Macau, said another committee member, Lee Cheol-Woo. "They are under the protection by the Chinese authorities," he said, adding Jong-Nam had entered Malaysia on February 6, a week before his death. Jong-Nam's murder is the highest-profile death under the Kim Jong-Un's regime since the execution of the leader's uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. Jang, known to be close to China and an advocate of economic reform in the North, was charged with treason. Jong-Nam, believed to have ties with Beijing's elite, was a relatively outspoken figure, publicly criticising Pyongyang's political system. The 45-year-old said he "personally opposed" the hereditary power transfer in his own family, during an interview with Japan's Asahi TV in 2010. One of his sons Han-Sol also described his uncle, Jong-Un, as a "dictator" in a rare interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012 while he was studying in Europe. This Fashion Week, designers have come up with widely varying ways to comment, either overtly or not, on the nation's political situation. Naeem Khan, who was born in India and is a US citizen, decided to use poetry. As the final design made its way down the runway yesterday a grand, glistening, golden bridal gown, with a gold floral crown and a cascading veil with a black-and-gold train -- the soundtrack played Maya Angelou reading her poem, "Human Family." "The variety of our skin tones can confuse, bemuse, delight, brown and pink and beige and purple, tan and blue and white," the poem reads in part. It closes by saying, three times: "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike." Backstage, Khan spoke about President Donald Trump's travel ban and its potential impact on the fashion industry. "You look at the fashion business, it drives the economy of our country," said Khan. "It's the third or fourth largest business in America. You cannot have a business so big and have a travel ban." He added: "You look across all the designers ... We bring diversity. And we make business by being all together to create newness mixed with volume mixed with so many amazing, beautiful things that come from different parts of the world. So we cannot have a travel ban. Especially if it's confined to one community. I mean that is absolutely not acceptable because that's not our Constitution." Khan was a favorite designer of former first lady Michelle Obama, and famously designed the shimmering gown she wore to the India state dinner -- her first. There were plenty of equally shimmering gowns at yesterday's runway show, including a few striking Deco-inspired looks -- in gold metallic thread, or sequins. Khan also showed flouncy party dresses in tea length; a silvery sequined dress with ruffle straps and a peplum detail looked like almost like a very chic suit of armor. Embellishment was still key; Khan said he had experimented with new types of embroidery and placing sequins at different angles, to create texture and catch the light. The collection began with somewhat more casual looks, part of an effort by Khan to expand more into daywear -- animal print coats, print dresses, or a beaded jacket over drawstring pants. In an especially bright ensemble, high embroidered boots matched the embroidery on the dress, for shoulder-to-toe color. "The inspiration was this larger-than-life woman who is my client, who is all the women I dress," Khan said. "There are women across the world who wear my clothes, so how do I take different art from different parts of the world in today's climate to show ... Diversity and beauty? This is the collection." Among the guests was actress Mandy Moore, star of TV's "This Is Us." She opted against a dress, given the weather, and wore one of Khan's beaded, full-length vests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met secretly with the CIA chief in the West Bank, Palestinian officials said today, as they expressed concern over the Trump administration's suggestion that a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel is optional. Mike Pompeo and Abbas held talks yesterday at the Palestinian government compound in the city of Ramallah, the first high-level contacts between the Palestinian leader and administration officials, said two senior officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters about the meeting. The White House had no comment. One of the Palestinian officials said Abbas briefed Pompeo on Palestinian positions ahead of today's White House talks between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Palestinian leadership had previously expressed concern it would be sidelined by an administration seen as being closely aligned with Israel. The Palestinians were given a new cause for concern when a White House official told reporters in Washington that the two-state solution -- a cornerstone of American diplomacy for more than two decades -- was not the only option for resolving the conflict. The official said yesterday that Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hopes to bring them together soon. But the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the meeting beforehand, said it will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entail -- and that peace, not a Palestinian state alongside Israel, is the goal. It remains unclear if the comments signal a shift away from longstanding US support for Palestinian statehood. The Palestinians seek a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War. The contours of a solution emerged in previous US-led talks, including a border based on the 1967 lines that would include mutual land swaps to accommodate some of the larger Jewish settlements close to Israel. A final deal has remained elusive. Support for a two-state solution was reaffirmed by representatives of dozens of countries, including the US, at an international conference in Paris last month, before Trump's inauguration. Netanyahu is under growing pressure from right-wing Cabinet ministers to abandon a two-state solution - an idea he publicly endorsed several years ago, albeit with reservations. Critics say that in any case, Israel's policy of settlement expansion on war-won land is making such a partition deal increasingly difficult. (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 took potshots over poll posters in Maharashtra which have Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray sharing space with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The posters have come up in adjoining Raigad district, amid BJP's charge that Sena, its bickering ally in state government, has tied up with Congress in the district for the Zilla Parishad elections. "Secularism, liberalism, Hindutva I leave to people to judge, but if my photo was there, a storm would have erupted," Owaisi tweeted, along with photo of one such poster. Owaisi's jibe comes amid reports that local units of Shiv Sena and Congress have joined hands in Alibaug, Pen and Karjat for the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections of February 21. A Sena functionary from Raigad said both parties have come together to counter Peasants and Workers Party, which has an alliance with NCP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan today appointed foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry as its new ambassador to the US. "Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry will join his new assignment in Washington, DC next month," Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. He will replace outgoing ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani. Chaudhry, 58, is a career Foreign Service Officer with over 36 years of bilateral and multilateral experience in the field of diplomacy. He is presently serving as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan since December 2013. Earlier he had served as the Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chaudhry has served as Additional Foreign Secretary for UN and Disarmament Affairs, and Director General for relations with South Asian countries, in which capacity he has remained closely associated with the peace process with India. Chaudhry has also served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN in New York, Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary General of ECO in Tehran, and Pakistan Embassies in Washington, Doha and Cairo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Present-day global maladies find place in Pankaj Mishra's new book that traces the origins of the rise of far right-wing parties, ISIS' nihilistic violence and growing mass disenchantment by casting his gaze back to the late eighteenth century. Titled "Age of Anger - A History of the Present", the book justifies the 47-year-old writer's "the heir to Edward Said" tag where he offers enriching explanations of the pressing issues facing the world through past and argues incisively that there is not much new in the "divided modern world" except the history that is either forgotten or is intentionally ignored. Debunking the vapid 'free versus unfree', 'the west versus Islam' binaries of the clash-of-civilisation theorists and other experts who resort to them while explaining global upheavals, Mishra cogently argues that the roots of today's "universal crisis" lie not in religious extremism but in the West's "extraordinarily brutal" experiment with modernity and its blind replication elsewhere. "The unprecedented political, economic and social disorder that accompanied the rise of the industrial capitalist economy in nineteenth century Europe, and led to world wars, totalitarian regimes and genocide in the first half of the twentieth century, is now infecting much vaster regions and bigger populations," he writes. He says that large parts of Asia and Africa were now plunging deeper into the West's "fateful experience of modernity", that the regions were first exposed to through European imperialism. Invoking Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu and Tocqueville among others shows how the history of modernisation is largely "one of carnage and bedlam" rather than peaceful convergence. He asserts in the 406-page book published by Juggernaut Books that politics of "violence, hysteria and despair" was by no means unique to Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy or Communist Russia. Noting that the world has witnessed some "historically recurring phenomena", Mishra says that early nineteenth century's great economic and political revolutions which promised freedom, liberty and widespread equality through growth, industralisation and nation-building cast billions adrift, leaving them "uprooted" from tradition but still far from modernity. He informs that it was from among the ranks of these uprooted that the militants of the 19th century arose - angry young men who became cultural nationalists in Germany, messianic revolutionaries in Russia, bellicose chauvinists in Italy, and anarchist terrorists in France and Spain. Drawing a connection between the two distant eras, Mishra goes on to add that it is only by examining their fears, resentments and hatred that our own "age of anger" can be truly understood. "Much in our experience resonated with that of people in the nineteenth century. German and then Italian nationalists called for a 'holy war' more than a century before the word 'jihad' entered common parlance," he writes. Mishra declares that in the age of globalisation which dawned after the fall of the Berlin Wall, political life became steadily clamorous with unlimited demands for individual freedoms and satisfactions. "Globalisation has everywhere weakened older forms of authority, in Europe's social democracies as well as Arab despotisms, and thrown up an array of new international actors, from English and Chinese nationalists, Somali pirates, human traffickers and anonymous cyber hackers to Boko Haram," he notes. "A revolt against globalisation and its beneficiaries has resulted in Britain's departure from the European Union, sentencing the latter to deeper disarray, perhaps even death," he writes. Mishra states that while "maligned minds" of ISIS have used today's globalised world to their advantage and turned the internet into an effective propaganda tool for global jihad, demagogues of all shades have also thrived in this interdependent world. "Demagogues of all kinds, from Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan to India's Narendra Modi, France's Marine Le Pen and America's Donald Trump, have tapped into the simmering reservoirs of cynicism, boredom and discontent," he reaffirms. He states that authoritarian leaders, anti-democratic backlashes and right-wing extremism define the politics of Austria, France and the US as well as India, Israel, Thailand, the Philippines and Turkey. About Bush administration's much-hyped universal 'war on terror', Mishra claims that the policy has failed to yield any results and lies in tatters. "Malignant zealots have emerged in the very heart of the democratic West after a decade of political and economic tumult; the simple explanatory paradigm set in stone soon after the attacks of 9/11 - Islam-inspired terrorism versus modernity - lies in ruins," Mishra adds. Brilliantly argued, outstanding in its intellectual range, and with a canvas that stretches from Savarkar in India to Rousseau in France, "Age of Anger" is a book of immense urgency. The second phase of polling in the key cow belt state of Uttar Pradesh today saw 65 per cent polling, while at 68 per cent, Uttarakhand posted a record as voting in the assembly elections to two states remained peaceful. The Election Commission said in Delhi the "very sensitive" second phase of polling in 67 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh passed off peacefully and overall mood made it appear like a "festival of democracy". Over 68 per cent votes were cast in Uttarakhand, two per cent more than the last assembly polls, in 69 out of the state's 70 seats. Polling for Karnaprayag constituency has been deferred following the accidental death of BSP nominee. In UP, the seats where voting was held were spread over Bijnor, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun districts. "Polling was held peacefully amid tight security," UP Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh said. Of the 67 seats at stake, the ruling Samajwadi Party had won 34 seats in the 2012 polls, followed by BSP 18, BJP 10, Congress three and others two. In the present phase, 721 candidates, including 62 women are in the fray. The maximum candidates (22) are from Barhapur (Bijnor) and a minimum of four nominees from Dhanaura (Amroha). The prominent contestants include controversial SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar seats respectively, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha. In Uttarakhand, Election Office sources over 68 per cent of the electorate cast their votes by 5 pm but many people were still standing in the queues outside the booths, implying that the poll percentage may go up by the time the final figures are collated. An EC spokesman said in New Delhi it could go up to 70 per cent at the final count. For the first time, Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines were used in three constituencies including BHEL Ranipur, Dharampur and Rudrapur. In most of the seats, ruling Congress and BJP are locked in a straight contest. However, rebel candidates of both the parties are in the fray as independents in several seats and may upset the calculations of the official nominees of their respective parties. Among those testing their political luck are 12 former Congress MLAs who are in the fray as BJP candidates this time. They include Yashpal Arya (Bajpur), Harak Singh Rawat (Kotdwar), Shailarani Rawat (Kedarnath), Shailendra Mohan Singhal (Jaspur), Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion (Khanpur), Pradeep Batra (Roorkee) and Subodh Uniyal (Narendranagar). Haridwar (rural) and Kichcha in Udhamsingh Nagar district are two high profile seats to be watched out for as Chief Minister Harish Rawat is in fray from from both. Chaubattakhal is also an important seat from where former Union minister Satpal Maharaj is contesting on BJP ticket, besides Ranikhet from where state party president Ajay Bhatt is in the fray. Enforcement agencies seized Rs 16.52 crore cash, 3.29 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 9 crore and drugs worth Rs 1.16 crore in Uttar Pradesh, while 1.5 lakh weapons were deposited. Vijay Dev, Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of Uttar Pradesh, told a press conference in the national capital that 117 electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 24 voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines had to be replaced during the polls. The corresponding figures were 20 and seven in case of Uttarakhand. There was one instance of paid in Uttarakhand, EC said, adding that polling was free from any violence and largely uneventful. Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of Uttarakhand Sandeep Saxena said around Rs 3.38 crore cash and 147 illegal weapons were seized. Liquor worth Rs 3.1 crore and drugs valued at Rs 37.23 lakh were also impounded. Congress today accused the Modi government of ignoring internal security and using it merely for electoral gains. The Opposition party also accused the BJP and the Sangh Parivar of indulging in "fake news" and propaganda to "befool" voters in elections and urged the Election Commission and media watchdog to take cognisance of it. "In the last 32 months, 188 security personnel have laid down their lives for India. There were 10 attacks on our security establishments. There has been a 200 per cent rise in infiltrations. It is for the people to decide if the Modi government has made India more secure or less secure. "Soldiers are being killed. Prime Minister is in election mode perennially, the Home Minister is busy campaigning and the Defence Minister is in sleep mode and whenever he gets up, he is in Goa. The country's safety and security is just an election talk for this Government," Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said. He said in 2016, 105 jawans were killed and 82 civilians also lost their lives and in various terror attacks perpetrated on India and its people. The Congress leader noted that India has recorded the maximum number of bomb blasts last year, which is even more than war-torn countries like Afghanistan or Iraq. Slamming the government over its Pakistan policy, Kumar said the Congress would support this government if they have a strategic plan in making India safer. "The unfortunate part of this government is that it continues to use national defence for politics only. They have been exposed by the number of jawans and civilians killed. "Their repeated failure in isolating Hafiz Sayeed and Azhar Masood is a result of the Prime Minister's one-man show without consultations and discussions," he said. Kumar also lamented that China has repeatedly "sabotaged" India's attempts at the United Nations. "The Prime Minister has to answer that when he was swinging in the swing on the banks of river Sabarmati, how come such close so-called friends have ensured that India's efforts failed," he said. Referring to a recent video of BJP chief Amit Shah purportedly wooing Jats in UP, the Congress spokesperson said "It clearly shows that BJP has lost the plot. They have understood that they have lost the public support. (Reopens DEL 77) Taking a dig at the government over the "hacking" of Union Home Ministry's website, Kumar said, "If a government cannot safeguard its own Home Ministry website, then is it capable of safeguarding the nation?" The Congress leader said BJP keeps on saying they will give a strong response to attacks. "But their response has been to send artistes to Karachi," he said. Attacking BJP over publication of an exit poll "through a Hindi Daily and attributed to a research organisation", he said, "the BJP and the Sangh Parivar have old habit of spreading fake and propaganda, especially on social media." He alleged that BJP's "sheer desperation" is visible when its "dirty tricks department is working overtime to conduct fake exit polls and news". "Staring at an imminent defeat, the BJP is creating fake propaganda to influence voters," he alleged, adding, "If there is one thing that the BJP IT Cell is good at, it is Adobe Photoshop. They may be its biggest users." He claimed that people of five states have already made up mind to vote for Congress. Referring to a purported audio involving Union Minister Ananth Kumar and B S Yeddyurappa and corruption charges, he wondered why the Prime Minister is "silent". Kumar also thanked the voters of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for coming out to vote in large numbers. Pope Francis insisted today that indigenous peoples must give prior consent for any economic activity on their ancestral lands an indirect critique as the Donald Trump administration seeks to advance construction on a USD 3.8 billion oil pipeline over opposition from American Indians. Francis met with representatives of indigenous peoples attending a UN agricultural meeting and said the key issue facing them is how to reconcile the right to development with protection of their cultures and territories. "In this regard, the right to prior and informed consent should always prevail," he said. "Only then is it possible to guarantee peaceful cooperation between governing authorities and indigenous peoples, overcoming confrontation and conflict." The Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Sioux tribes are suing to stop construction on the final stretch of the Dakota Access pipeline, which would bring oil from North Dakota's rich Bakken fields across four states to a shipping point in Illinois. The tribes say the pipeline, being built by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, threatens their drinking water, cultural sites and ability to practice their religion, which depends on pure water. The last piece of the pipeline is to pass under a reservoir on the Missouri River, which marks the eastern border of both tribes' reservations. The company has insisted the water supply will be safe. In the waning days of the Obama administration, federal agencies that have authority over the reservoir said they would not give permission for pipe to be laid until an environmental study was done. US President Donald Trump, who had long signaled his support for the pipeline, last month instructed the US Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with construction. Francis, history's first Latin American pope, has been a keen backer of indigenous rights and has frequently spoken out about their plight. The pipeline dispute has led to protests and clashes in recent months that have resulted in some 700 arrests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mains examination of 2016 Rajasthan Administrative and Subordinate Services (RAS) will be held on March 27 and 28, a senior Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) official said today. The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) will conductthe RAS mains examination of 2016 on 27 and 28 March, Commission Chairman Lalit K Panwar said. The examination will be conducted in two sessions at seven divisional headquarters in Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner and Bharatpur, he told PTI. The morning session will be from 9AM to 12noon and the afternoon session from 2PM to 5PM. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : A real estate businessman from Idukki district has been arrested for allegedly cheating Malayalam film actor Kunchacko Boban in a land deal. Police said 55-year-old Varghese C J had taken Rs 25 lakh from Boban, promising that he would be made a partner in buying a piece of land in nearby Puthencruz area. The deal did not take place due to some reasons and the money was not returned to Boban. Varghese, however,offered to sell his land to Boban in Kanchiyar in Idukki district, for which a contract was signed. In the meantime, Varghese took a bank loan against the same property without the actor's knowledge, police said. Realising that he had been cheated by Varghese, Boban filed a complaint with police. After all necessary evidence was gathered, Varghese was arrested from Idukki district yesterday, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A record number of 27 will visit India later this month, reflecting the increased efforts by American lawmakers for strengthening ties with New Delhi. The top lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties are visiting India in two separate delegations. Describing this as an important development, Navtej Sarna, Indian Ambassador to the US, said such visit is reflective of the efforts on the part of the US to "strengthen and build" on the bipartisan support that they have in the US Congress for India-US relations. Congressional records indicate that this is the largest ever travel of US lawmakers to India. The largest delegation of 19 Congressmen, being organised by the prestigious Aspen Institute, would be in India from February 20 to 25 with stops in New Delhi and Hyderabad. During the visit, the lawmakers are scheduled to have a wide range of meetings from top government officials, politicians, members of the think-tank bodies and non-governmental organisations. Another bipartisan Congressional delegation (or Codel) of eight lawmakers, being led by Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of powerful House Judiciary Committee, would be in India from February 20 to 23, visiting New Delhi and Bangalore. The delegation includes Congressman George Holding, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Jason Smit and Dave Trott. All four are from the Republican party. The Democratic members to the delegations include Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressmen Hank Johnson, David Ciciline and Henry Cuellar. The visit, Sarna said would let these lawmakers first hand see for themselves, the political vibrancy of India, the economic reforms that are happening, and also for them to identify potential areas of engagement. "This is increasingly important as the new administration comes into," he said. "We are very fortunate that there are two delegations totaling 27 Congressmen are travelling to India this month, which is not a small figure," he said. Also a delegation of Congressional staffers who are critical in preparing the background information about India for their Congressmen are visiting India during the same time. Republican members to the Aspen delegation include Charlie Dent, Jeff Fortenberry, Andy Harris, Dave McKinley, and David Valadao. The Democratic party lawmakers travelling to India as part of the Aspen Institute delegation are Don Beyer, Earl Blumenauer, Jim Cooper, Suzan DelBene, Anna Eshoo, Elizabeth Esty, John Garamendi, Dan Kildee, Zoe Lofgren, Alan Lowenthal, Stephen Lynch, Kathleen Rice, Jan Schakowsky, Peter Welch. As per LegiStorm - an unofficial site, which keeps track of foreign travel by lawmakers - India currently is not the popular destination for US lawmakers. Israel is their top destination. As per Legistorm compilation, Israel appears to be the favorite destination for US lawmakers. India has never figured in its list of top 10 countries frequently visited by US lawmakers. As per an unofficial compilation, since 2000, US lawmakers have made 42 trips to India, which includes 22 by the Republican Party and 19 by those from the Democratic part. US India Business Council (USIBC) is also planning to take about 100 lawmakers to India in the next two years. "It is important that we convey a right story about India to the both to the House and the Senate. And the best way to convey that is for them to feel firsthand what is India all about - its culture, its politics, its food. And I think, when they come back convinced that India is an important ally, its value systems are the same, the democracy, it has a press, which is as vibrant in bit countries," Mukesh Aghi, USIBC president had said last year. Authorities today imposed restrictions in parts of south Kashmir's Kulgam district as a precautionary measure in view of separatists' call for a march to protest the death of two civilians there on Sunday. Restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPc have been imposed in some sensitive areas of the district, including Kulgam town, to maintain law and order, Deputy Commissioner Kulgam, Showkat Aijaz Bhat, told PTI. Bhat said the curbs on the assembly of people have been imposed as a precautionary measure keeping in mind the 'Kulgam Chalo' march that is scheduled for today. He said the situation was normal in the area but security forces were maintaining a tight vigil. Separatist groups, including chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, along with JKLF chief Yasin Malik, have called for the march to Kulgam today to protest the death of two civilians on Sunday. One civilian was killed in an encounter between security forces and militants in Frisal area of the district. Another was killed during protests that had broken out in the area after the encounter in which four militants and two army personnel were killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Defence and security company Saab has offered a fighter sensor package for the homegrown Tejas LCA Mk1A fighter aircraft. The package consists of a state-of-the-art Saab Airborne Electronically Scanned Array fighter radar closely integrated with a compact electronic warfare suite using Gallium Nitride based AESA technology, the company said. Saab, in partnership with Indian industry, offers a solution that will bring the required AESA Fighter radar and Electronic warfare capability to India and the Indian Air Force, it said. The AESA fighter radar is developed by Saab with antenna technology based on the latest technologies using Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicone Carbide (SiC) substrates in combination with the latest generation of exciter/receiver and processor technology, giving optimum installed performance in a dense signal environment, it said. The radar has a complete mode suite which includes air-to-air, air-to-ground and air to-sea capabilities, a Saab release said. A built-in memory provides a tool to record a large amount of data from performed flights. Integration in the LCA Mk1A fighter aircraft is enabled by the limited space, power and cooling required, it said. The EW suite consists of sensors and transmitters developed by Saab and is a highly capable and extremely compact solution that provides essential situational awareness and self-protection, the release said. The heart of the suite is an electronic warfare receiver which is connected to a front end receiver and fin tip antennas inside the aircraft, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At a time when Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is building BJP's campaign for civic polls on a transparency plank and his clean image, Shiv Sena today claimed he was indicted by a probe panel for "corruption" during his stint as Nagpur mayor in 2001. The BJP, however, has countered the charge, saying the Bombay High Court and even the Supreme Court had not found any substance in the matter and that the allegations were part of a "tacit understanding" between Shiv Sena and Congress. Addressing reporters here, Sena MLC Anil Parab claimed various contracts were awarded to specific contractors only by "circumventing" the Standing Committee of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) during Fadnavis' Mayoral stint in 1997-2001. Parab said though the Chief Minister was urging voters to vote for the BJP in his name, there was a "massive corruption" during his tenure as the mayor. "The government-appointed Nand Lal committee had submitted its report on February 27, 2001. The report contains proofs of irregularities committed by then NMC mayor and current Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis," Parab claimed. He claimed that when Fadnavis was the mayor, some members of the standing committee "negotiated with contractors directly". "Contracts were awarded to select contractors without inviting tenders... Corruption took place during the tenures of four former mayors namely Rajiv Gholar, Kalpana Pandey, Vasundhara Masurkar and Devendra Fadnavis," the Sena leader said. He said criminal cases were filed against 99 corporators and the four mayors after the probe. "During the scam period, no meeting of the standing committee was held for 15 months," he said. In September 2001, the then Congress-NCP government had dissolved the NMC, then led by the BJP-Lok Manch coalition, and disqualified all the 119 corporators after the Nand Lal committee exposed the corruption. Sena's attack came at a time when the campaigning for the civic polls, including the high-stake Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is drawing to close. Ten municipal corporations, including BMC, are going to polls on February 21 and counting of votes is scheduled two days after. Sena and BJP, who are alliance partners in state and central governments, are contesting separately. During canvassing, Fadnavis has been claiming Sena decided to go solo as the BJP's push for "transparent administration" was not acceptable to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. However, Sena's contention is that a disagreement over allocation of seats for BMC polls led to the break-up of alliance. Meanwhile, taking a dig at CM for his remarks that Sena has brought Mumbai at par with Patna, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the number of criminal incidents being reported in Fadnvais' hometown Nagpur is more than in the Bihar capital. Refuting the Sena's claims, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said it seems Congress gave only selective information to Sena on this matter. "The allegations against Fadnavis are a proof of the tacit understanding between the Sena and the Congress. The Nand Lal committee was set up during the tenure of late chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh as the Congress wanted to act in vengeance against the only civic body where BJP was in power," he said. After scrutiny of the report, the HC found no substance in the allegations and hence no FIR was lodged, he said, adding even the apex court had rejected the government's contention. "Both the courts had virtually pulled up the Congress-led state government. Though Congress gave information to Sena about the (Nand Lal) report, it did not share the information that corruption charges were rejected by the courts," the BJP leader said. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Sanjay Raut said Fadnavis had "insulted" Patna through his remarks. "Fadnavis' hometown and the second capital of Maharashtra has more criminal activities than in Patna," he alleged. Despite Nagpur being the headquarters of RSS, the city is not safe, he said, adding Nagpur lacks healthcare and cleanliness facilities. Addressing a public rally in Mumbai last week, Fadnavis had said, "In its 19-year rule in the BMC, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has brought Mumbai at par with Patna, in absence of transparency and accountability." Raut said, "The CM and BJP should first focus on improving the facilities in Nagpur before talking about Mumbai and Pune." He reiterated that former Congress prime ministers had contributed in development of the country's economy. "Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Narasimha Rao strengthened the country's economy whose fruits are being enjoyed by the present government," he added. Raut further said the Vidarbha issue will play a crucial role in the 2019 Assembly elections. While Sena is against creation of separate Vidarbha state, the BJP is in favour of the demand being raised intermittently by pro-Vidarbha groups. Four security personnel were among at least six persons who were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers today attacked a government compound in northwestern Pakistan's restive tribal region. The explosion took place at the headquarters in Ghalanai in the Mohmand tribal region when two suicide bombers tried to enter the colony and when signaled to stop - one blew himself up while the other was killed by firing of security forces, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. "Security agencies had the intelligence about intrusion of suicide bombers from Afghanistan inside Mohmand agency," the ISPR said. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has claimed the attack, media reports said. The security personnel and two civilians including a school teacher were killed in the blast. At least eight others were wounded in the attack and three critically injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Dawn reported. Soon after the blast the areas was sealed and a thorough search operation was started, political administration sources said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, that killed 13 people. In September last year, a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in Mohmand Agency's Anbar tehsil during Friday prayers, leaving 36 people dead. That attack too was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Mohmand is one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, where the military has been battling Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade. The Operation 'Zarb-i-Azb' launched by army in June 2014 in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and so bring an end to the bloody insurgency has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A festival of colours with a message of forgiveness was launched her in presence of Bollywood actor Sonu Sood. Red Fly Events, an event management company, is set to host the celebrations, "Bheege Chunariya", in the UAE for the year on March 17. Bollywood celebrities such as Hrithik Roshan, Vishal and Shekhar, Badshah, Neeti Mohan, Sood along with DJ Harsh, DJ Buddha, DJ Piere are likely to attend. The Holi event is expected to be attended by around 26,000 visitors. "This land has set the bar for tolerance among different communities that reside harmoniously in the region, and the message of this event goes in tandem with the initiative of Year of Giving," Deepak Mirchandani, Owner for RainMaker event said. "Aligning with this initiative, our event celebrates this year as the Year of 'For-giving', with Holi being an Indian festival that celebrates forgiveness, good fortune and rejuvenation. We are hopeful that residents, expats and tourists alike, will come forward and enjoy this festival with much enthusiasm. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan asylum seekers held on Pacific island camps who could potentially find new lives in the United States are free to return home without fear of persecution, Sri Lanka's prime minister said today. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made the comments during a visit to Australia in which he discussed with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull bilateral cooperation on combating people smuggling. No Sri Lankan asylum seeker has reached Australia by boat since 2013. But Sri Lankans, Iranians and Afghans are the largest national groups among more than 2,000 asylum seekers living on the Pacific islands nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Australia pays the countries to house them. Australia refuses to resettle any of them and President Donald Trump has agreed to honor an Obama administration deal to take up to 1,250 of them. Trump added that they will undergo "extreme vetting." Officials from the US State Department's Resettlement Support Center left Nauru last week after initial interviews with refugee candidates and a team arrived on Papua New Guinea's men-only camp on Manus Island on Tuesday to commence interviews there, refugee advocate Ian Rintoul said. The US Embassy in Canberra did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Manus Island interviews. Wickremesinghe said the Sri Lankan asylum seekers had broken Sri Lankan law by fleeing to Australia for asylum. But they had nothing to fear from returning. "They are welcome to return to Sri Lanka and we won't prosecute them," Wickremesinghe told reporters. "Come back. All is forgiven," he said. "It is quite safe in Sri Lanka." Sri Lanka has been attempting to reconcile its population since a bloody 26-year civil war ended in 2009. Deakin University expert on Southeast Asia, Damien Kingsbury, said all the Sri Lankan asylum seekers he knew of who were sent back by Australia or prevented by Sri Lankan authorities from leaving had been jailed. Dissatisfaction with the government is often interpreted as support for ethnic Tamil Tigers rebels. "If the prime minister is offering a blanket amnesty, then that's something quite new but I don't think the prime minister has the authority to do that," Kingsbury said. Sri Lankan asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus would be wary of assurances that they were safe to return, with Sri Lanka's north still effectively under military occupation and subject to ongoing reports of human rights abuses. "Things are not as bad as they were there a few years ago, but they're still difficult," Kingsbury said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COLUMBUS Steve Tamayo has spent a lifetime reclaiming what the U.S. government tried to take away from him and his people their Lakota heritage. They hit us at different phases, said Tamayo. Starting with explorers, then the military, then sending Native children to boarding schools where their languages, clothes and hairstyles were forbidden, the U.S. government tried to divorce Native Americans from their cultures. Tamayo, who will speak 2 p.m. Saturday at Columbus Public Library on the Four Tribes of Nebraska," spent decades putting together the shards of language, history and culture that remain. He grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in an Omaha tribe community. After graduating from high school and serving in the military, he went back to Omaha and learned their language and tribal arts. My family has been so disconnected by distance that I didnt have any Lakota upbringing, he said. I decided, Im a Lakota and this isnt really mine. So I decided to move to South Dakota and live amongst my own people. Tamayo spent the following 20 years on the Rosebud Reservation, studying the history, languages and arts of Plains Indians and teaching those fine arts at Sinte Gleska University. When Tamayo arrived at Rosebud, he saw the impact U.S. policies had on tribal life. It really took a toll and I got to see that firsthand, he said. There was a lot of information that was lost and a lot of knowledge that was lost. Tamayo learned a lot about the arts in Omaha, but didnt speak Lakota. He spent time with elders, learning the language and trying to glean what he could. Ive been visiting with grandmas and grandpas that told me everything they could remember, he said. He taught classes and made curriculum for traditional art techniques. In one of his classes, students skinned a bison and learned different techniques to tan the hide. They learned how to make rawhide for containers and shields and soften hides for clothes and shoes. Tamayo also looked at how those arts changed over time. For example, when tribes traded with the English for wool blankets, the women would convert those blankets into dresses. They also used shells from African and Chinese coins from Chinese railroad workers in their clothing in different eras. He had students make an outfit for a doll that represented the clothing from a specific time period. And he saw the effect that learning and practicing these arts had on his students. You hear about art therapy; its the same concept, he said. It also has a cultural component to learn who you are culturally, linguistically. Tamayo is The Smithsonian Institutes main consultant on American Indians. He curated an exhibit thats still on display about Native American games. They have their own artifacts, but they dont know what they are, he said. So theyre starting to hire Indians from specific regions to explain what they are. Tamayo spent a few months teaching children at the Standing Rock Reservation, where activists were protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Hes since moved back to Omaha where he teaches at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Metropolitan Community College. For Saturday's presentation in Columbus, Tamayo said hell focus on the four tribes of Nebraska the Omaha, Ponca, Winnebago and Santee Sioux their languages, history and culture. He would like to visit again to talk more in-depth about some Native American art traditions. And he likes to remind people that Native Americans are still living among them today. I just want to bring an awareness that were still here, Tamayo said. The curriculum in the classroom, they start learning about Native people in fourth grade and they stop with the Indian War. So the mindset of kids is, Oh, we thought we killed you all. Go to the East Coast and theyre surprised there are still Indians alive." Tamil Nadu government will issue on Monday bonds worth Rs 14,000 crore under UDAY, a bailout plan chalked out for the loss-making power distribution companies. "Tamil Nadu government proposes to issue special securities of Rs 14,000 crore, under the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna Scheme (UDAY)," the Reserve Bank said in a notification today. Eligible participants can subscribe to these special bonds between between 10.30 AM to 12 Noon on February 20, 2017. The Power Ministry had made UDAY scheme operational in November 2015 for financial turnaround of power distribution companies (discoms). "Allotment of securities and settlement will take place on February 22, 2017," the RBI said. At minimum bid size of Rs 100 crore, the interest on bonds will be corresponding to yield on government securities as at the close of February 17. The RBI said it will have the sole discretion to accept or reject any/all bids. Earlier this month, Rajasthan government had informed about issuing bonds worth Rs 1,564 crore under UDAY. Eight states -- Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana -- had floated bonds worth Rs 98,959.97 crore in 2015-16 under the UDAY scheme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telangana Government today signed two MOUs for setting up skill development centres in the aviation sector. According to an official release, the MoUs were signed at Aero India 2017, which is currently underway in Bangalore. "During the day, the government of Telangana has signed two significant MoUs pertaining to setting up skill development facilities in Hyderabad," it said. "The first of them involves three partners besides the government, namely Airbus, National Skill Development Council, and Aero School Aquitaine of France. This consortium will create a skill development Centre in the old airport of Begumpet, and will design engineering courses relevant for the industry," the release said. Another MoU was signed with one of the leading aeronautical engineering universities in the world, Cranfield University of UK, it said. The delegation from Telangana led by Minister of Industries and IT K T Rama Rao had a series of very productive meetings in the Aero India event organised by the Ministry of Defence in Bangalore, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Travel services provider Thomas Cook India today said it has elevated Chief Operating Officer, Mahesh Iyer as the company's CEO. Iyer, who has been with the company for 22 years, would be handling day-to-day operations of the company, strategic planning, management of key relationships, as well as building a sustainable growth oriented organisation that maximises value for all its stakeholders. In a regulatory filing, the company said, "The Board of Thomas Cook (India) Ltd at its meeting on February 14, 2017, announced the elevation of Mr Mahesh Iyer as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his elevation, Iyer was Chief Operating Officer of the company". Thomas Cook India Chairman and Managing Director Madhavan Menon said: "He (Mahesh) joins the leaders of the group's other travel, namely Dipak Deva of TCI-Sita, Vishal Suri of SOTC and Maria Ng of Kuoni Hong Kong who will have the freedom in managing their respective companies and will report to me as part of the larger group structure." Thomas Cook (India) is an integrated travel and travel related financial services company offering a broad spectrum of services including foreign exchange, corporate travel, Leisure travel and insurance, among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stock exchanges will conduct trading only in three segments -- cash, derivatives and securities lending & borrowing on February 21 -- the day Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will go to polls. However, no settlement will take place that day because of banking holiday declared by the Reserve Bank of India as also trading in currency and debt markets will remain closed. The stock exchanges -- BSE, NSE and Metropolitan Stock Exchange of India (MSEI) -- have informed about the decision to Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). "Members are requested to note that there shall be no settlement on February 21, 2017 on account of Municipal Corporation Elections," NSE said in a circular. Voting for BMC will be held on February 21. A total of 2,275 candidates, which include 1,190 males, 1,084 females and one transgender, are in fray for 227 seats. In a move to increase voter turnout, Maharashtra government has declared a holiday for its employees on polling day. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President today expressed his openness to a one-state solution to the decade-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even as he asked visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a temporary hold on Jewish settlements in lands claimed by the Palestinians. "As far as settlements, I'd like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit," Trump told Netanyahu at a joint White House news conference after their first face-to-face meeting since Trump became the US President on January 20. Breaking with past traditions, Trump also said that he would be open to alternate solutions that do not necessarily involve a two-state solution to the six-decade-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "It is something that is very different, hasn't been discussed before. It's actually a much bigger deal much more important deal in a sense," he said. "I'm looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one," Trump said at the press conference while noting that the Israelis also need to show some flexibility. "We'll work something out but, I think a deal will be made... It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand," he said. Trump also said that his administration is very seriously looking at moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem. "As far as the embassy moving to Jerusalem, I'd love to see that happen. We're looking at it very, very strongly," Trump said. Relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem would signal American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. While not committing to the Trump request to put a hold on settlement, Netanyahu set two prerequisites for peace with the Palestinians. "First, the Palestinians must recognise the Jewish state. They have to stop calling for Israel's destruction, they have to stop educating their people for Israel's destruction," he said. "Second, in any peace agreement, Israel must retain the overriding security control over the entire area west of the Jordan River because if we don't, we know what will happen. "Because otherwise, we'll get another radical Islamic terrorist state in the Palestinian areas exploding the peace, exploding the Middle East," he said. "Now, unfortunately, the Palestinians vehemently reject both prerequisites for peace," he rued and squarely blamed Palestinians for the failure of arriving at a peace deal. "The persistent Palestinian refusal to recognise a Jewish state in any boundary, this persistent rejectionism, that's the reason we don't have peace. Now that has to change, I want it to change," he said. Netanyahu said he believe that the great opportunity for peace comes from a regional approach from involving Arab partners in the pursuant of a broader peace with the Palestinians. Advocating a nuanced approach towards China, former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash today said a possible radical shift in US policies under the Trump administration could trigger instability in the Indo-Pacific and asked New Delhi to seek multi-lateral partnerships within the strategic region. Till recently, the Indo-US relationship seemed to be following a mutually-beneficial trajectory that could have ensured a stable balance-of-power and peace in the Indo- Pacific, he said here. However, the election of President Donald Trump has signalled a radical shift in many of America's long-standing policies which could result in heightened tension and instability in the region, the ex-Chief of the Naval Staff. He was delivering a talk on 'Security Issues in Indo-Pacific -India's Response' at an international conference on 'Changing Security Dynamic in the Indo-Pacific'. "In the approaching era of uncertainty, it would be unwise for India to put all its eggs in any one basket and prudence demands it should seek multi-lateral partnerships within the region," he said, calling for a nuanced approach towards Beijing. India's trade links, investment and diaspora today span an arc extending from Siberia and New Zealand to its east to Africa and Central Asia to its west, Prakash said. "Any attempts (by China) to dominate waters of the Indo-Pacific would represent a grave threat to India's vital interests. "While we lack the deep pockets and dynamism that underpins Chinese overseas initiatives, the India Navy has concluded formal agreements whereby its warships, submarines and aircraft can put into about 25-30 friendly ports across the Indo-Pacific for operational or other reasons." "China's footholds in Indian Ocean locations, dubbed the 'string of pearls', are meant to provide it a network of port facilities, which could support long-range maritime operations," the Navy veteran said. The 'Maritime Silk Road', a component of the 'One Road One Belt' initiative, pursues an even more ambitious agenda by creating a huge arc of maritime and economic influence across the region, according to him. "The deployment of PLA Navy submarines in the Indian Ocean, that commenced in 2013-14, was a clear indication China seeks to not only gain strategic superiority across the Himalayas, but also to establish maritime dominance in the Indian Ocean with the Pakistani port of Gwadar as a key logistic base," Prakash explained. "Commencement of work on the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) project will further tilt the balance against India. Given its growing military strength and "revisionist outlook", the Communist giant can be expected to push its influence in the region, grab territory, and re-write the rules of international conduct to suit its own interests, Prakash maintained. "It (China) has, lately, roiled the waters of the South and East China Seas as well as the Indian Ocean by its outrageous claims about 'core national interests' and frequent shows of maritime muscle," the retired Navy chief stated. "Choices for India, in the face of Chinese hegemony, are stark. The constraints of India's political system render it unlikely that it can bridge the economic and military gap vis-a-vis China within a reasonable timeframe. "Under these circumstances a military confrontation would be imprudent, and the only hedge for India would be to create countervailing power-balancing equations," he said. "I think a nuanced approach to China, therefore, needs to be adopted, combining active economic and diplomatic engagement with subliminal deterrence to ensure it remains within the bounds of normative behaviour. "It is encouraging to see India's current leadership reaching out to the Indo-Pacific neighbourhood to create partnerships and cooperative mechanisms for mutual benefit." China, too, must remain a part of India's new economic and strategic outreach, he suggested. "At this juncture, the Sino-Indian equation may be tilted in China's favour, but as a democracy, a nuclear weapon state and a significant economic and military power, it is incumbent upon India to stand firm as a bulwark against attempts at regional hegemony. To attain its 'manifest destiny' India needs breathing space and a little help from its friends." India's policy-makers and diplomats must learn to play hardball and practice realpolitik. They must not overlook either the vital role of the seas in India's destiny, or the use the maritime power as a diplomatic tool. In India's modern and capable Navy they have a powerful instrument of state policy, the retired Admiral maintained. Udayan Das, accused of killing his parents and girlfriend, was today granted judicial custody for a day by a court here. Chief Judicial Magistrate Arun Kumar Nandi ordered the judicial custody for Das, who is accused of killing his girlfriend Akansha Sharma in Bhopal and his parents in Raipur. Das will make a statement to the magistrate under section 164 CrPC tomorrow. Meanwhile, Raipur police has filed a petition seeking transit remand for Das. Das allegedly killed his parents and buried them in the lawns of their house in Raipur seven years ago. He also allegedly killed his girlfriend and entombed her body last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 10-year-old schoolboy in the UK stood up in his class to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group after watching blood-curdling beheading videos online. The London-based boy, known only as Haroon, said he was being bullied at school which led to him being drawn towards extremist propaganda. "I saw men with hands behind their backs. They were hit and told to sit down. That's when they cut their heads off. On a weekend, everyone was outside playing so I would sit freely in the living room with the computer," Haroon told BBC this week. His outburst at school last year, when he was nine-years-old, led to him being referred to the UK government's Prevent programme, aimed at tackling radicalisation among young people in schools and colleges. The case was closed after a year of sessions with a local caseworker aimed at tackling Haroon's ISIS sympathies and teaching him to view the world differently. Haroon said he began looking into ISIS following the Paris terror attacks in November 2015, reading articles and watching documentaries. He even played an ISIS video game. Haroon disclosed that he was labelled a "terrorist" by classmates. His Prevent caseworker said while Haroon was too young to pose a serious threat, he could have fallen into the hands of older ISIS sympathisers. "We're not suggesting he could have become a terrorist but he was vulnerable and could have been taken advantage of. We're not saying he would make a bomb and blow anything up, but it's about minimising that risk," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of workers in the UK on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favour of a rescue plan put forward by the Indian steel giant that will secure their jobs. Nearly 10,000 were voting in a ballot over the past few weeks on whether they would accept moving from a final salary pension to a less generous scheme in return for job safety and the Tatas promise of nearly 1 billion pound of investment over the next 10 years. Members of workers unions at sites in Wales, Scotland, South Yorkshire and Teesside supported the new proposals. Voting figures from Community union members showed 72 per cent in favour and 28 per cent against the changes; there was a 76 per cent to 24 per cent split among Unite members; and a 74 per cent to 26 per cent divide at the GMB union. This result provides a mandate from our members to move forward in our discussions with Tata and find a sustainable solution for the British Steel Pension Scheme, said Roy Rickhuss, the general secretary of Community union. Tony Brady, Unites national officer, said Tata must now honour its commitments on investment. Nothing less would be a betrayal and add to the deep mistrust that steelworkers now have for the company. Tata Steel, which owns the UK's largest steelworks at Port Talbot in South Wales among other units, has been working on finding a solution to the crisis in the steel industry since it announced a major restructuring in March 2016. A UK government spokesperson said: This positive vote is an important step forward for the future of Port Talbot and in the UK and it is now vital that all parties work together to deliver on the agreed proposals. Now that the unions have voted on a new agreement, the pension scheme would be uncoupled from Tatas UK steel business, which currently makes large payments into it to make up funding shortfalls. The scheme is then expected to become self-sufficient. The pension fund and its deficit were the reason that attempts by Tata to sell its UK steel business failed last year. It has since been pursuing a merger with ThyssenKrupp. is yet to comment on the latest developments. Koushik Chatterjee, group executive director and executive director for Tata Steels European business, had said last month: The proposed changes to future pension provision and other employment terms are necessary to de-risk the company and help achieve long-term sustainability. We are also working separately on a necessary structural solution for the British Steel Pension Scheme fund, he said. What the vote showed US Defence Secretary James Mattis hailed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as the "fundamental bedrock" of transatlantic security as he sought to reassure allies on Wednesday about President Donald Trump's commitment to the alliance. Mattis, who has been on the job less than a month, spoke as a scandal over White House officials' ties to Russia gripped the Trump presidency and claimed the job of the national security advisor. "The alliance remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community, bonded as we are together," Mattis said as he met his counterparts in Brussels for the first time. "As President Trump has stated, he has strong support for NATO," said Mattis, a former Marine general who has himself previously served with . Mattis, however, stressed that the Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, expected allies to boost their defence spending. "It's a fair demand that all who benefit from the best defence in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom," he added. The 28-member organisation is trying to portray unity after Trump's previous comments that the alliance was "obsolete." Since his inauguration, Trump has taken a more orthodox stance on and reaffirmed long-standing US commitment to the alliance. Mattis has consistently voiced support for NATO and has been tougher on Russia than his boss, whose views worry the alliance's eastern European member states in particular. But Mattis's visit has been overshadowed by the resignation of Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn over allegations he had discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador before taking office. NATO chief Stoltenberg insisted the Flynn scandal was not a further cause for concern for the alliance, which has underpinned transatlantic security since the aftermath of World War II. "I am absolutely certain that the message from this meeting will be a message of transatlantic unity," Stoltenberg said when asked about Flynn's resignation. Stoltenberg said the ministers will also stress "the importance that we stand together and protect each other and a very strong commitment of the United States to NATO." Mattis said on the flight to Brussels that Flynn's departure would have "no impact" on the US message to NATO. Mattis meanwhile praised the alliance for its enduring help for the United States in Afghanistan. "This has been the most successful alliance in military history," he said. Also hanging over the meeting was a New York Times report that Moscow had deployed a new cruise missile, raising fears it would violate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Like the US State Department, the NATO chief said he would not comment on intelligence matters but warned that "any non-compliance of Russia with the INF treaty would be of serious concern for the alliance. LINCOLN -- The Legislature on Tuesday danced close to a decision to leave its minority filibuster protections undisturbed, then abruptly chose to delay further consideration for two more days. That will take a divided and deadlocked Legislature into its 31st day in session without yet reaching agreement on its permanent rules of procedure. Senators barely rejected a motion by Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg to leave the current filibuster provisions intact and operate under its current set of rules for the remainder of the session. That proposal fell short on a 23-25 vote. Then, the Legislature accepted Speaker Jim Scheer's request that senators continue to informally seek an agreement on the sidelines for two more days. That, the Norfolk senator said, would fulfill his commitment to a group of senators who had attempted to broker a compromise agreement that quickly fell apart during Tuesday's floor debate. The Scheer motion was approved on a 33-8 vote. A breakthrough moment appeared to emerge Tuesday when Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte argued that "there is nothing wrong with our filibuster rules" as they stand today and "we should leave it alone." Groene, a conservative Republican leader in the nonpartisan Legislature, later added: "We won the leadership battle. Let's not turn around and kick them now." Conservatives virtually swept the table in leadership elections on the first day of the session, blocking senators who are Democrats from committee chairmanships and denying leadership positions to independent Republican senators. The Legislature is composed of 32 Republicans, 15 Democrats, one independent and one Libertarian. The current filibuster rule requires the votes of at least 33 members -- that's two-thirds of the 49-member Legislature -- to adopt a cloture motion that shuts off debate and frees a bill for an up or down vote. Groene noted that the filibuster rule can help conservatives and Republicans, too, suggesting that without it "you might have Medicaid expansion" in Nebraska today. A compromise filibuster rule change negotiated by six senators would have required the vote of at least two-thirds of the senators who are present and voting to impose cloture, but it did not gain much traction during Tuesday's debate. As an alternative, Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha proposed that a filibuster would require at least two-thirds of senators who are present to invoke cloture, with that number falling no lower than 30. "There is no compelling reason to change the rules," Krist said, but that could be a compromise if one is required. The current filibuster rule has "kept this body nonpartisan and on course," Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus said. Sen. John McCollister of Omaha warned that the Legislature is "drifting toward Washington-style partisan warfare" with the proposal to weaken its filibuster protections. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha said the proposal, first presented to the Legislature in the form of an amendment prepared by Sen. Tyson Larson of O'Neill, represented an effort by conservatives and Republicans to "rub it in" after gaining control on the first day. "Somebody's got to give in," Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue said. "I'm begging you guys," she said. "Knock off the politics; quit the shenanigans." Malaysian police arrested a woman today in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother. Police released a statement saying the woman was carrying Vietnamese travel documents when she was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Kim Jong Nam died Monday after suddenly falling ill at the budget terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, said a senior Malaysian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy. Kim, who died on the way to a hospital, told medical workers that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the official said. Malaysian officials have provided few other details. Police said an autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror." South Korea's spy service said today that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim. But the National Intelligence Service did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to lawmakers who briefed reporters about the closed door meeting with the spy officials. The NIS cited Kim Jong Un's alleged "paranoia" about his half brother. Still, the agency has a history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the country's leaders as mentally unstable. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. They fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police, the reports said. Police were searching for clues in the closed circuit television footage from the airport, said Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat. The airport is in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur. According to the Malaysian government official, Kim Jong Nam was in a shopping concourse and had not yet gone through security for a planned flight to Macau when the incident occurred. Kim was estranged from his half brother, the North Korean leader. Although he had been originally tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. He reportedly fell further out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi Arabian authorities today questioned the sister of jailed blogger Raif Badawi over her activism, the second time in 12 months, she said on Twitter. "Today's investigation is related to previous issues about my HR (human rights) and civil activities including women's campaign against male guardians," Badawi said in a Twitter post, hours after she had been summoned to appear before investigators in Jeddah. "Thanks and regards for those who supported me and prayed for me. You are my real strength," Badawi tweeted today, not mentioning whether she expected further questioning. Saudi Arabia has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women, and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive. Under Saudi Arabia's guardianship system a male family member, normally the father, husband or brother, must grant permission for a woman's study, travel and other activities. Badawi is the ex-wife of her brother Raif's lawyer, Waleed Abu al-Khair, a rights activist who himself is serving a 15-year prison sentence. Activists in January 2016 said Badawi had been interrogated at that time for her activism and whether she controlled her then-husband Khair's Twitter account. Badawi remained under investigation after her 2016 interrogation, the activists said. Raif Badawi was arrested in 2012. A Saudi court sentenced him to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam, a decision which generated worldwide outrage. Only the first 50 lashes of the punishment were administered, in January 2015. His wife is currently in Canada with their three children. Monitors say Saudi Arabia has stepped up its repression of peaceful rights activists this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign ministers from most of the world's leading powers are heading to a diplomatic summit of the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging economies in Germany, with all eyes on the new US Secretary of State for clues about the direction Washington will take over the next four years. At the talks tomorrow and Friday in the western city of Bonn, US allies are seeking reassurances from Rex Tillerson that the administration of US President Donald Trump won't ditch a decade of close cooperation among G-20 nations on climate change, international development and the global economy. Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, meanwhile, are looking to gauge the man they'll be dealing with on some of the more sensitive areas of foreign policy in the coming years -- including conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, territorial disputes in the South China Sea and nuclear disarmament. "The issue for any country that's not America is to try and flesh out what Trump means by 'America first,'" said Christopher Smart, a fellow at the Chatham House think tank and former Obama administration adviser on international economic affairs. A shift away from multilateral diplomacy could see US allies pitted against each other in a bid for Washington's attention, opening up new battle lines. At the same time, smaller countries could be left to pick up the cost of financing international organizations -- as well as the burden of behind-the-scenes negotiations -- previously shouldered largely by the State Department. So far, Tillerson has struck a more moderate tone than Trump, suggesting a desire for continuity rather than a radical break with the past, Smart said. How that will work in practice, and who genuinely has the new president's ear, is something diplomats will be trying to find out both in the summit's two working sessions and during a flurry of bilateral meetings at a German government guest house on a mountain overlooking the River Rhine. "Russia would be a very interesting conversation to hear," said Smart, noting that the G-20 meeting comes days after Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned over his contacts with Moscow. This week's talks are also seen as a dress rehearsal for Germany's hosting of the G-20 leaders in Hamburg on July 7-8, which Trump has said he'll attend. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to downplay differences with Trump -- who called her refugee policy "a total disaster" -- by stressing Berlin's willingness to cooperate with his administration. Earlier this month, she sent her foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, to Washington to meet with Tillerson within hours of his Senate confirmation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Tom Westbrook SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian fast food chain Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd on Wednesday posted record half-year profit but missed expectations, sending its shares sharply lower. The company posted net profit for the six months to January 1 of A$59.7 million ($45.75 million), 31 percent higher than a year ago. But it tracked behind market expectations for a full-year net profit of A$124.8 million, according to nine analysts polled by Thomson I/E/B/S. European and Japanese sales grew slightly below analysts' hopes and net cash flows fell by 11 percent, adding to investor concerns about a wages scandal at the company's Australian operations. "I think the market's become accustomed to strong results ... They've come in a little bit shy," Steven Daghlian, market analyst at stockbroker Commonwealth Securities, said. Domino's shares dropped eight percent to A$57.50, their biggest intraday fall in almost four years, while the broader S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.9 percent. The biggest Domino's operation outside the United States has become a market favourite because of its rapid growth and adoption of internet-based booking systems. Domino's shares, which have risen 500 percent since 2013 and more than doubled since 2015, trade at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 40.5, compared with an average of 16.8 across the broader S&P/ASX 200 index. But as the company faces a scandal over staff underpayment at some stores, including questions over the profitability for franchisees, shares have fallen 22 percent so far this year. On Monday, Domino's said it had cut loose four franchisees for underpaying staff and that there was no evidence of a link between franchisee profitability and underpayment. "The clear majority are doing the right things in the business," Chief Executive Don Meij told journalists on Wednesday. "We are embarrassed by those individuals and their actions." The company said it was growing faster than ever in Australia and upgraded its overall full-year profit forecast by 2.5 percent. It hiked its interim dividend to 48.4 Australian cents from 34.7 cents a year ago. Sales in Europe rose 64.7 percent, although the company booked A$19.6 million in one-off charges for converting Joey's Pizza stores in Germany to the Domino's brand. ($1 = 1.3050 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Tom Westbrook Additional reporting by Jonathan Barrett; Editing by Stephen Coates) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House should consider disciplinary action against presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway for appearing to violate government ethics rules by publicly endorsing Ivanka Trump products, the Office of Government Ethics wrote in a letter made public on Tuesday. The letter, dated Monday and addressed to a White House ethics official, asked President Donald Trump's administration to investigate the incident and gave it two weeks to provide its findings and detail any disciplinary steps taken. Conway, Trump's presidential campaign manager and now a senior counsellor, said on Fox last week that Americans should "go buy Ivanka's stuff." She spoke after retailer Nordstrom announced it was dropping the branded line of Ivanka Trump, the president's older daughter. Federal ethics rules prohibit executive branch employees from using their positions to endorse products. "There is strong reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the Standards of Conduct and that disciplinary action is warranted," Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub wrote in the letter. Stefan Passantino, the White House ethics official named in the letter, declined to comment. A White House spokesman did not reply to a request for comment. The ethics office has little enforcement power. It can formally recommend disciplinary action if the White House does not act, Shaub said in a separate letter to two U.S. lawmakers who sought a review of Conway's remarks. That recommendation would not be binding, and the process would take until late April or early May, Shaub said. If the ethics office does formally recommend discipline, it would be up to the White House to decide any steps against Conway. Norman Eisen, who was ethics chief under President Barack Obama, said Congress also could call hearings or subpoena documents if the White House did not act. Trump himself earlier attacked Nordstrom for dropping his daughter's brand. The ethics rules that bar endorsements do not apply to the president, though critics said his comments were inappropriate. Nordstrom said it made the decision because sales had steadily declined, especially in the last half of 2016, to where carrying the line "didn't make good business sense." In his letter to the White House, Shaub wrote that his office's regulatory guidelines include an example violation in which a hypothetical presidential appointee promotes a product in a television commercial. He said Conway's remarks closely mirrored that example of what not to do. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Thursday that Conway had been "counseled," but Shaub wrote that the Office of Government Ethics had not been informed of any corrective steps. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Timothy Ahmann, Ayesha Rascoe and Emily Stephenson; Editing by Grant McCool, Bernard Orr and Howard Goller) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's foreign trade deficit narrowed to $9.84 billion in January from a provisional $10.4 billion a month ago, government data showed on Wednesday. Merchant exports grew 4.32 percent year-on-year to $22.12 billion last month, while imports rose 10.7 percent to $31.96 billion, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement. (Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Malini Menon) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Lufthansa said it had accepted the recommendations made by a mediator in a long-running row over pay with pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit, which will add around 85 million euros ($90 million) to its annual costs. The German flagship carrier said the recommendations included pay increases for 5,400 pilots by an overall 8.7 percent in several steps as well as one-time payments worth a total 30 million euros. To make up for the added expenses, Lufthansa said 40 new aircraft due for delivery would be staffed not by crew on collective labour agreements at its core brand, but by crew from elsewhere within the group. Lufthansa is trying to cut costs but pilots have walked out 15 times since early 2014 over disputes with management on topics including pay and early retirement, costing the carrier hundreds of millions of euros in lost profits. Before the mediation process, the pilots had asked for an average annual pay increase of 3.7 percent over a five-year period back-dated to 2012, which is when their last collective bargaining contract with Lufthansa expired. The pilots had said altogether these increases would amount to a rise of nearly 20 percent on current pay. Lufthansa had proposed an increase of 4.4 percent in two instalments in 2016 and 2017, plus a one-off payment worth 1.8 months' pay. Mediator Gunter Pleuger, a former diplomat, presented his proposal behind closed doors on Friday. The two sides had previously tried to negotiate a wide-ranging deal on a host of topics, including pay, early retirement, conditions and low-cost expansion, but last year decided to tackle each topic individually. Lufthansa said on Wednesday that talks on the outstanding issues would continue. ($1 = 0.9479 euros) (Reporting by Maria Sheahan; editing by Susan Thomas and Victoria Bryan) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India saw a record high 109.1 million smartphones shipped in 2016 up from 102.7 million in 2015 as consumers continued their rapid changeover from flip phones to smartphones, shows data from IDC. 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 We are getting more tidbits kind of leaking from the 'New Nokia' handset-maker HMD company and lots of rumors and gossip and some 'signs' that foretell various matters about the shortly-to-be-announced Nokia Android smartphone series (and also Nokia dumbphones/featurephones that are coming). Because the actual announcement event is in two weeks, there isn't much sense in speculating and commenting on every rumor. But two 'classic' stories have suddenly emerged. There is a story that Nokia may relaunch the classic super-basic dumbphone model 3310. And our blog reader Asko just posted a comment (thanks Asko!) about fresh news via Finland that the N-Series brand is likely to return. That the N-Series has had its brand registered in China and then there is speculation of the naming/numbering of the N-Series to possibly follow the classic Nokia flagship naming like N95, N80 etc. I want to comment partly on the rumor story itself - and partly on the naming as a plausible strategy. Part of this would be a kind of 'New Coke' branding/naming and distribution 'strategy'. New Coke was a marketing disaster not because New Coke was a bad product (although many loyal Coke drinkers felt so) but most of all, because Coca Cola released New Coke as a total replacement product, with a new taste, rather than a complementary product alongside the old 'Coca Cola Classic' taste. Some have said this was actually a brilliant strategy to force everybody to taste the new taste and the idea was from the start to always 'bring back' Coke Classic. But at least Coke executives have said they weren't that smart. Who knows? But the backlash from Coca Cola fans was immense - they DEMANDED the old flavor back, and Coke then ended up offering two tastes. For a long while - the EFFECT in many stores was, that the fizzy drink section had three equal-size parts, one for Pepsi, one for Old Coke, and one for New Coke. In effect, Coca Cola had managed to double its DISTRIBUTION presense at the expense of Pepsi. In terms of faste, they also then 'bracketed' Pepsi with both a 'more sweet taste' in New Coke vs Pepsi, and a 'more sour taste' in Coca Cola Classic vs Pepsi. And If I remember my stats correctly, Pepsi had its peak market share just before this strategy by Coke to split its product line.. so in the end, Coke 'won' with its 'losing' product and its 'failing' New Coke launch. Lesson here to Nokia. Lumia on Windows is the New Coke, total failure. Nokia loyal customers want the old Nokia back. No sense trying to push new Nokia Android smartphones under a 'Lumia' branding (am sure they never considered this). BUT for at least SOME buyers, there is a kind of Coca Cola Classic aspect to some famed Nokia brands like the N-Series. Especially from the 'good old days' like when the N95 was on every conceivable tech spec miles better than an iPhone (but of course the N95 was not a touch-screen phone, and it was ugly-bulky-fat compared to super-slim iPhone). Many other Nokia brands would have this potential - the Communicator line could be revived. Some individual phones had legendary fame like N8, E7, N93, N86 etc. I am pretty sure that Nokia would not release any N-Series phones to look ANYTHING like the massive bricks that those were back then. But they could take design cues and more likely, have the tech 'direction' of that given phone or line. The N-Series flagships would usually have supreme cameras and very wide range of media options and related tech. If say the N95 were to be 'reused' as a phone, it would seem like a logical name for a flagship level phone with some spectacular 'class-leading' specs. If you remember, the N95 was the first flagship samrtphone with 5mp camera - back when the iPhone offered 2mp. That kind of tech excellence would fit perfectly with the N-Series brand. The N-Series brand was Nokia's premium CONSUMER brand and one for multimedia use. Internet, media, gaming, music, camera, video.. Multimedia computers, is what Nokia called the N-Series. I think this would make sense to try at least on one flagship-class phone model now - to 'attract' those who loved whatever N-series they once owned (or perhaps only aspired to) and to capitalize on the old reputation the brand once had, of tech leadership. Would this mean all new Nokia Android smartphones to be branded N-Series. I am guessing no. Probably would make sense if that name is brought back, to try to recreate its magic as something premium, and thus only top-end devices would be labeled N-Series. Usually the Carl Zeiss optics branding would be reserve to N-Series devies and most cheaper Nokia smartphones (that might have technically identical camera parts) would not come with Carl Zeiss branding. Again, it is mere speculation and we'll know soon. But the press stories did say that the N-Series was registered in China so it would suggest there is at least an active interest in possibly reviving the brand. If so, it should be done sooner, rather than later - because there is a lot of time from the last N-Series phones haha the N9 (the MeeGo device, most other N-Series were Symbian based). But this could also be a 'trial balloon'. HMD might have this as an idea internally but not be sure which way to go. So they then set up some rumors, see if it catches any interest - and only pursue it if there is strong enough demand. They could just as well call the next Android phones Nokia S47 or Nokia Axumie or Nokia 4077 or whatever. They don't need to commit yet to the actual brand but when they ANNOUNCE It, that marketing material (mock-up phones, marketing materials) will then need to be in the final naming (or should be haha). This is my gut feeling (have zero numbers or facts to prove any of it). I think there is an older user segment who hated Windows, don't like Android or Apple, would love an honestly-Symbian-Nokia N-Series device, even if bulky and 'ugly' but if it roughly did what the 'good old Nokia' did; They may well still be on their last Nokia N-Series and keep replacing its battery to buy another 18 months of life into it. I am certain there is SOME size to this type of customer, is that half a million, is that 5 million, or 15 million, who knows. And if HMD now gives an Android phone - but one that has SOME of the beloved Nokia 'staples' to it - say a replacable battery, mircoSD slot, plus great specs - and perhaps some really 'familiar Nokia U/I aspects, so the touch screen & controls would seem 'incredibly familiar like the old Nokia (vs standard Android) - I think most of those customers would 'come home' and buy this N-Series device now. In a heart-beat. As long as it's a fair price say in the $400-$500 dollar range (not say $800). Here HMD would then have an interesting option. It could make the N-Series deliberately 'fat' and bulker than its other models - to then include say a replacable battery (which it might not have on the 'real flagship' that might be say waterproof). And HMD could also test cautiously the potential to escape the vice of the form factor where every phone supposedly has to be wafer-think like a phone version of a barbie-doll. Some market will exist for this phone by its brand alone, that would give latitude to test (similar to how, for one cycle, the Communicator brand would give HMD some latitude to experiment with a QWERTY keyboard slider/folder phone form factor if they were that brave haha, perhaps later say year 2018). I'm pretty sure the phones we'll see in the Android Nokia comeback announcement by HMD will all be slab Android 'clones' by form factor all rather standard slab touch-screen devices. Perhaps (if we're lucky) the one with the best camera might have a camera hump, but other than that, I don't expect more 'wild' physical form factor 'experimentation'. Not at this stage - for the smartphones. Now what of that 3310. Haha, that was a shocker! (I used to have that phone too, gosh it was an indestructible and essentially perfect phone for that era. Had Snake...) First off, again this could be a trial balloon. See if it catches fire. Secondly, it mechanically SO simple, gosh it could not cost more than what, $5 to manufacture and HMD/Nokia/Foxconn could sell it easily for $10 and probably sell for $20 and sell a ton and make an ENORMOUS profit per phone. I would expect a 'facelift' in the style of the Volkswagen New Beetle vs Old Beetle and for the guts to be modernized (to what modest degree necessary). Vs the old phone, it would almost automatically come now with FM radio. A light feature is a huge selling point in the emerging world markets. Camera is so cheap I would put a small 1mp or so camera on it, and that means also then a modest color screen. BUT I'd keep the SIZE of the phone so close to the original, that anyone who currently owns one, when given this new 3310 but not having his own to compare, will feel 'this is the same size'. That the buttons all are in the same place and about the same size. In reality it could be say 5% smaller length/width wise and say maybe 10% thinner - it would still be a MASSIVE phone vs any rivals - but gosh, there would be a lot of buyers who would love HMD/Foxconn for giving the that phone. With a replacable battery of course (dual SIM probably in most markets in today's world). Silly as it sounds, that could be the best selling phone of the featurephone side of the Nokia Return strategy. But not unlike the Volkswagen Beetle or the Mustang or the Mini, there is a real following to that phone. And many of its close siblings in the Nokia family. Make sure its clock and alarm work the same way, make sure it still comes with the standard Nokia ringtone and Snake... It would sell yes. In the many millions for sure. That is not a bad idea, gosh not at all. The clever sneaky bit would be to 'train' the consumer to become addicted to more Nokia tech via this retro-phone- most importantly obviously the camera. That gets you to microSD and then the user who HATES CHANGE - when you eventually offer that user the basic Android Nokia 3340 - with a slightly better camera but one that still has much of the beloved 3310 - that customer can be migrated - where today a jump to an Android Huawei Xiaomi LG something would be far too much of a leap. With that, it remains to be seen. We'll know in two weeks. Lets hope for a triumphant return of our beloved Nokia brand to our pockets, and to show leadership once again for the industry. Leadership not in how to screw customers and lock them into proprietary tech solutions but a phiosophy of connecting everybody and enabling and empowering people. I can't wait :-) Oligatory plug - as its still the fresh edition. All handset industry stats in TomiAhonen Phone Book. I have a 4-for-2 offer on my stats volumes now, before the Almanac 2017 edition is released. See more here. Rakesh Kumar, in his forties, was until three months back a rickshaw puller and supplemented his meagre income to support his family of six by working as a labourer. Terming demonetisation as a case study on how to get away with "dumb policies", Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has said the drive could have been a sensible way of eliminating corruption but it was "disastrously" implemented by the government. "The demonetisation drive was deeply ill-conceived, disastrously implemented and essentially not thought through at all. To this day it is a mystery to all of us why it was done and what benefits have actually come of it," Tharoor said here yesterday. Addressing a packed hall of New York University students for a lecture titled 'The Current State of India', Tharoor said demonetisation could have served an important long-term objective of eliminating corruption if the policy was well thought through and well implemented. It however ended up causing an "enormous amount of disruption" and shaved at least one per cent of India's GDP. During the nearly two-hour long session, organised by the Student Wing of South Asia at NYU and the International Relations Society at the University, Tharoor addressed a wide variety of questions from the students, including on India's economy, foreign policy, intolerance and the state of the country's political parties. "Demonetisation is a wonderful long-term objective and many of us would have wanted to support it. It is a sensible way of eliminating corruption in the long-term but you cannot do it overnight. You have to first build the foundation and infrastructure, you cannot build a penthouse if you haven't build the foundation," he said. "It has been a disaster from start to finish. It was horrendously thought through because when you are demonetising 86 per cent of the country's currency...you only printed four per cent to replace it," Tharoor said. "The extraordinary thing is how the government has gotten away with it. To my mind, this should one day be a case study of how you can get away with dumb policies," he said. India was the fastest growing economy in the world but "the disaster of demonetisation" has put it behind China again, with the International Monetary Fund scaling down India's growth estimate. He added that the drive was aimed at targeting black money but the "creative black money people are better at laundering money than the government" had been in making policies to stop it. "One sad possibility is that in their drive against corruption they have created new forms of corruption. There is nothing done against the sources of black money," the 60-year-old Congress MP said. Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's push to create a cashless economy following the demonetisation policy, Tharoor said about 92 per cent of all retail outlets in India don't have a card reader. "How do you suddenly overnight go into the culture of cashlessness. People don't have the culture of doing this. The digital infrastructure in the country is woeful," he said. Citing French Queen Marie Antoinette's infamous line of "if they don't have bread, let them cake", Tharoor said the push to cashless economy is akin to asking people to use plastic if they do not have cash. Nokia's 3310 is probably the first mobile phone your fatherbought home and it seems like you'll soon have your chance too. According to apopular tipster, Evan Blass the device will make a comeback in the Mobile WorldCongress (MWC) in Barcelona this year. The Nokia event is scheduled to happenon February 26. Despite a similar name, we are not sure if Nokia 3310 willbe an exact copy of the legendary device or will the similarity end with justthe name. The tipster didn't give out any specifications about the device buthe did provide a specific price i.e. 59 (approx. Rs 4,200). Considering thatthis is a price bracket for smartphones, the company might introduce somemodifications or just sell it as a limited edition item. Along with the 3310, the company is looking forward to makeits presence felt in the Android universe with three other phones, Nokia 3,Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. Nokia 6 has already seen the light of the day in a launchevent in China last month and even made a surprise visit e-Bay in India. Thedevice has a 5.5 Inch HD display powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 which issupported by 4 GB of RAM. On the camera front, the phone houses a 16MegaPixelrear camera 8 MegaPixel front facing snapper. The rear panel also houses a 3000mAh battery unit. Nokia has been facing a tough time since the launch ofsmartphones in the communication sector. The company worked with its Symbian OSwhich eventually, failed to keep up with competition from Android and iOS. Thecompany was then bought by Microsoft which also gave up on the brand afterstruggling with the Windows Lumia line-up. After many rounds of selling and purchasing, the brand isfinally making a comeback. Nokia's newest devices will now runon Android operating system and has a more conventional metal and glasscomposition. So far, the device has a promising buyer-base which heavily relieson the nostalgia the brand offers. However, if the company fails to producedevices that can live up to the brand name, it might end up losing itscredibility in massive flood of smartphone manufacturers from all over theworld. Irish tenants are being urged to protect their homes as the number of families in rental accomation has soared. Experts at www.insuremyhouse.ie say that traditionally those in rented accommodation have been less likely to insure their home contents, than those in owned homes. However, the lack of housing supply in certain areas of the country currently means that for many, buying their own home now seems like an unachievable aspiration. As a result, many families are creating a home for themselves in rented accommodation and amassing all the furniture, fittings and personal effects that come with making a family home. Because of this, experts at www.insuremyhouse.ie say that it is more important than ever for tenants, particularly those that are past the student or young adult stage, to consider putting appropriate financial protections in place to protect themselves against risk. The home insurance experts believe that as much as 50% of renters may not be insured. Approximately 312,000 (19%) households of the 1.65m homes in the State are rented, which is a 15% increase over the last 5 years. However, less than 10% of home insurance policies taken with www.insuremyhouse.ie is done so by tenants. Speaking today, Managing Director at www.insuremyhouse.ie, Jonathan Hehir said, "According to the latest Residential Tenancy Board (RTB) figures, there are over 700,000 people in private rented accommodation at the moment, and given the current property market, many of these are likely to be there for the foreseeable future." He added, "While previously renting had been viewed as the preserve of students and younger workers, we are seeing a greater shift in the profile of people renting, but the proportion taking out home insurance doesnt appear to match the proportion in rental accommodation." Source: www.businessworld.ie Strong growth in Asia and Mexico led an increase in Heineken's beer sales in 2016 as the world's second-largest brewer edged above earnings expectations and forecast even better margins this year. The Dutch maker of Europe's top-selling lager Heineken, as well as brands including Tiger and Sol, sold 3% more beer last year, with the sharpest increase in Asia. Sales also grew in France, Italy, Poland, Spain and Mexico, but fell in Nigeria, one of the group's top four markets, as well as in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Russia. Chief Executive Jean-Francois van Boxmeer said margin expansion should be in line with the group's target of 40 basis points, excluding major unforeseen economic and political developments and the impact of recent acquisitions in Brazil and Britain. Some investors had felt it might struggle to reach its medium-term margin target this year after it achieved a 54 point improvement in 2016. Heineken shares were up 4.0% at 0830 GMT, making them the strongest performers in the FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European stocks. "It's a good set of numbers ... and margin expansion this year. You couldn't really ask for better than that," said Trevor Stirling, beverage analyst at Bernstein Research. Heineken said it assumed a similar negative impact from currencies as last year, including a 1.1 billion euro hit on revenue. Chief Financial Officer Laurence Debroux said, for example, another devaluation of the Nigerian naira was likely later this year. One further uncertainty would be the impact on Mexico, Heineken's largest market, of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has talked about imposing duties on imports from its southern neighbour. Van Boxmeer said for the time being it was "not yet legislation". "How that all will pan out we don't know. We are prepared for that. We're going to surf the wave as it comes, but I think specifically for the tax situation, the NAFTA situation, this is a lot of speculation," he told Reuters. Heineken's operating profit excluding one-offs rose by 9.9% on a like-for-like basis excluding currency movements and one-offs to 3.54 billion euros last year. That compared with the 3.51 billion average forecast in a Reuters poll. Heineken ranks as the world's number two brewer, although the gap between it global leader AB InBev has widened after the latter's near $100 billion takeover of SABMiller late last year. Heineken has since committed some $1.4 billion to buy most of the pubs of Britain's Punch Taverns and the Brazilian business of Japan's Kirin. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie How should the U.S. respond to cyber attacks? Thats been a major question at this years RSA security conference, following Russias suspected attempt to influence last years election. Clearly, the government should be doing more on cybersecurity, said U.S. lawmakers and officials at the show, but they admit that politics and policy conflicts have hampered the government's approach. I wish the federal government could do this, but its very hard, unfortunately, due to partisan politics, said Virginia State Governor Terry McAuliffe, during a speech at the show. They havent been able to take the lead on this issue as they should have. Instead, it might be up to the states to assume a larger role in promoting cybersecurity, given that divisive U.S. politics at the federal level have been stalling government action, McAuliffe said on Tuesday. Michael Kan The RSA conference 2017. Collectively, state governments store more data than the federal government, including residents' tax returns, healthcare records and drivers licenses, he said. That can make them targets of hackers, so McAuliffe has been urging other states to make cybersecurity a priority. Its up to the governors of this country to lean in and take the lead, he said. At the RSA show, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul also spoke and said the U.S. is falling behind on cybersecurity, pointing to the numerous hacks from state-sponsored hackers. We are in the fight of our digital lives and we are not winning, he said. McCaul, who also chairs the House committee on Homeland Security, said Russias suspected involvement in influencing last years election was a wake up call. But he was disappointed with the responses from the administration of President Barack Obama and Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, to the Kremlins alleged meddling. If there are no consequences for bad behavior, the bad behavior will continue, he said. Unfortunately, we still do not have a clear proportionate response, policies for striking back. However, actually coming up with a U.S. doctrine on stopping serious cyber attacks is easier said than done. One of the big questions out there is what is an act of war in cyberspace? said Daniel Lerner, a staff member at the U.S. Senate committee on Armed Services, who also spoke at the show. Currently, the U.S. treats every serious cyberattack on a case-by-case basis, which does little to dissuade the state-sponsored hackers from attacking in the first place, he said. Thats no way to project deterrence. And it really undermines our overall security posture, if every instance is a crisis, Lerner said. It doesnt help that trying to accurately prove a foreign country was behind a cyberattack can be incredibly hard and might involve sensitive intelligence. For instance, U.S. intelligence agencies have declined to share publicly classified evidence showing why they suspect Russia was behind last years election-related hacks. In addition, the Kremlin has denied any involvement. Nevertheless, more officials in the U.S. government want to see the country take action in the event of another cyberattack, said Brendan Shields, staff director at the House committee of Homeland Security. The fuse is getting shorter and shorter, he said at a panel discussion at RSA. I think there is a growing desire for making sure deterrence is real. Michael Kan Virginia state governor Terry McAuliffe (left) speaking at the RSA conference. However, going after state-sponsored hackers is only one aspect of the problem. Much more of it has to do with defense, and protecting users from hacking threats that are coming over consumer-made products or websites. Its an area where the private sector also needs to play a crucial role, given that IT vendors have most of the cybersecurity talent, said the Virginia governor. We need your ideas. We need the private sector, McAuliffe said. We at the state government cannot drive this. The federal government cannot drive this. Selected in May 2016, North Logan City's reigning royalty will continue to represent the city until new pageant winners are chosen on April 29. Left to right: Karree Sandoval, Marissa Franchina, Lily Wyatt, Anna Willtrout (Queen), Madison Markworth, Katelyn Thurgood, McKenzie Tingy. North Logan City will host its annual NLC Pageant on April 29, 2017 at Greenville Elementary School. The pageant will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will include a new Honey Bee Pageant for younger girls. Contestant applications for both pageants are now available at the city offices and online at www.northlogancity.org. They must be returned to the city offices, located at 2076 N. 1200 East in North Logan, before March 20, at 5:00 p.m. Now in its fourth year following a hiatus, the NLC Pageant is open to female residents of North Logan City who are juniors in high school. Considered a scholarship pageant rather than a beauty contest, contestants will be scored on interview, self-presentation and impromptu questions. Pageant winnersa queen and two attendantswill then represent North Logan City in parades and during special events held throughout the following 12 months (May 2017 to April 2018). These include Pumpkin Days, a service project during the Christmas season and ongoing involvement with a local charity of their choice. We try to be very service oriented to the community, said Lynda Smith, North Logan Citys recreation coordinator and director of the pageant. The girls will usually do a fundraiser for the charity they pick, and they do a lot to help North Logan City. New this year, the NLC Pageant will include a Honey Bee Pageant designed for girls in grades 3-5. Smith said the pageant for the younger girls will give them an opportunity to get involved in community service at an earlier age. She also said the NLC royalty will actively mentor the Honey Bees. This gives us a chance to branch out and try something new, said Smith. We thought it would be a good experience. Honey Bees will be scored in the same categories as the older girls, but the impromptu questions they are asked will reflect their age difference. For more information, contact Lynda Smith at (435) 752-1310, ext. 32 or lynda@northlogancity.org.
jennifer@cvradio.com LOGAN A judge has placed Andrew Reyes Ponce on probation for five years, giving the Logan man a second chance at life. The 20-year-old was ordered to be released from jail, after already serving over 100-days for drug dealing and forgery charges. Ponce appeared for sentencing in 1st District Court Tuesday morning. Both Judge Brian Cannell and state attorney Barbara Lachmar said they wrestled with whether to send the defendant to prison. Lachmar explained that because Ponce was so young, she felt like he deserved another shot. She warned though that if he didnt fight his addictions to drugs each day, they would take his life. Defense attorney Shannon Demler described how Ponces mother gave him to his grandparents, when he was a young child. They tried to teach him right from wrong, but he got on drugs and spiraled out of control. In January, Ponce pleaded guilty to forgery, unlawful use of a credit card, distribution of a controlled substance and other crimes. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped the remaining charges against him. Ponce was arrested last summer when he tried to sell drugs to an informant. He was later arrested again after trying to use checks and credit cards that he had stolen. In one case, he had his grandma try to cash a stolen check. During Tuesdays sentencing, Ponce expressed sorrow, saying it wasnt part of his character. He said he felt like he was ready to help society, instead of damaging it. Judge Cannell ordered Ponce to immediately begin finding a full-time job. He also ordered him to pay restitution and write letters of apology to all of the victims.

will@cvradio.com PARK CITY, Utah (AP) A Utah teenager is recovering in a Maryland hospital after being struck by lightning on a beach. Conner Benson, a June graduate of Park City High School, had just finished sailing with his girlfriend and another friend Wednesday near Annapolis, Md., when the bolt hit nearby, knocking him and his friend to the ground. Bensons grandmother, Sandy Goble of Murray, told KUTV-TV that hes in a medically-induced coma, and doctors are keeping his body cooled to reduce the chance of brain damage. She says they likely wont know the extent of the 19-year-olds injuries until hes brought out of the coma. Conner was in Maryland visiting his girlfriends relatives and pursuing a work internship. His girlfriend, Jaimie Martin, escaped serious injury. Family members have created a webpage to provide updates on Bensons condition. Information from: KUTV-TV, http://www.kutv.com/ The revenge of the ugly fruits and vegetables Published on February 15, 2017 Story by cafebabel DE Translation by: Nadege Vallet en de pl it fr es We eat with our eyes, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Querfeld and Zachran jidlo, two initiatives from Germany and the Czech Republic respectively, are promoting the return of imperfect fruits and vegetables to our plates. The food industry is a slave to beauty. In the Czech Republic, 20% of all harvested fruits and vegetables will never make their way to our plates, while the figure rises to 30% in Germany - all because they don't meet arbitrary standards for size, shape and color. According to the Berlin-based start-up Querfeld, "Fruits and vegetables have to be attractive or nobody would want to eat them. Yet, those ruled out are just as tasty as the others." It is estimated that in Germany, about 18 million tons of edible goods are wasted each year - it would take 450,000 fully-loaded trucks to carry it all. "At the supermarket or any other food supply chain, consumers are used to finding only calibrated fruits and vegetables. Retailers are 100% sure they would not buy anything else," says Anna Strejcova, from the Czech initiative Zachran jidlo (which means "Save the food"). "But if you go out in the fields to see how it actually works, you realize all fruits and vegetables don't grow in the same way, somebody has to sort them out in the end." This generates a huge farm loss beause foods that do not fit into standards are simply thrown away. Real cucumbers have curves The standardisation of our fruits and vegetables isn't just a cosmetic argument, however: same-shaped vegetables are simply easier to transport and to store. Consequently, suppliers have developed internal standards, such as the infamous "Curved Cucumber Regulation." Even so, Amelie Martin, a member of Querfeld, is quick to absolve the EU of blame for the rules: "What many don't know is that this curved cucumber regulation only exists since 2009!" But the damage is done: consumers keep on focusing on straight cucumbers because they were influenced to do so. Supermarkets do not offer alternatives, since they assume they will not sell. Consumers are thus prevented from buying something unusual or from getting used to different shapes and sizes - and eventually forget the alternative exists in the first place. "It is necessary to make people aware! Demand, buy!" recommends Amelie. An issue close to her heart: while she was in business school, she chose to spend her holidays working in an organic farm and she was extremely shocked to see all that went to waste. "Most people don't have the slightest idea of what's being thrown away." Nosy tomatoes Last year, Zachran jidlo met representatives from various supermarkets: "We've been told that their clients were not ready to buy non-standard fruits and vegetables," reads the organization's homepage. In response they launched the campaign Jsem pripraven ("I am ready"), in which more than 10,000 people have signed a petition stating they'd be happy to buy imperfect produce - making it more likely that these frutis and vegetables will one day be available on the market. Leaders of the campaign can no longer stand more value being attached to cosmetics rather than taste. Querfeld comes from the breeding ground of Berlin-based start-ups and wants to reach as many people as possible: "Our goal is not to convert or force anyone to buy our vegetables, but we'd like to make them desirable through our campaigns," Amelie explains. Communication is essential: campaigns have to be funny and trendy. Tomatoes with a crooked nose or close-up pictures of root vegetables call out for sympathy. "When you communicate with humour, you reach a lot of people," she adds. Zachran jidlo also uses non-conformist aesthetics. Last year in Prague, activists displayed photographs by German artist Uli Westphal on the Artwall along the Vltava. Westphal, who has been taking pictures of unconventional fruits and vegetables since 2006, explains: "People think every single tomato, every single cucumber, every single bell pepper is identical. But they only are because the food industry want them to be identical. They've become design products. We judge our food according to beauty criteria. As soon as something does not comply with those criteria, we become suspicious." Westphal aims at proving to the Czechs that imperfect food is not only delicious but also, in its own way, beautiful. "We will be glad if the consumers find it cool - but it must not end there," Anna insists. A supermarket chain recently started selling "crooked" vegetables in Czech Republic, but this is mostly a marketing strategy. Instead, Zachran jidlo is trying to make deep change occur and to transform the production system. "This is why we organize round table meetings where representatives from the Department of Agriculture, retailers and other experts are invited to discuss concrete measures to change this side of production," Anna explains. Inner beauty Querfeld has already found a solution: they deliver to client companies - caterers, canteens, professional kitchens, who couldn't care less what cucumbers looked like before their transformation. Until now, supermarkets haven't been Querfeld's core target, but Amelie promises that "we sure will not forget them." The start-up has had to be persuasive in talking to producers and retailers; farmers are obviously skeptical when they see young people from the city show up with their start-up. "The important thing was for our project to be able to renew itself in the long run," Amelie explains. Meanwhile, they have developed good relationships with the producers, but they must be patient: "Up until now, we cannot reduce waste as much as they would like us to." It is also difficult for the farmers to throw away those products and then to undergo the resulting shortfall. The priority is to stop wasting food. No matter what shape fruits and vegetables have, quality must be the main focus. "It is essential for us to make local and organic products," Amelie insists. "We do not sell anything not fresh or moldy, only different-looking products." This is how to reduce food waste: by giving the producers a revenue, and offering clients the possibility to buy less expensive organic quality products. Zachran jidlo also started this fight for ecological reasons: "It takes a lot of resources to produce fruit and vegetabels - water for irrigation, nutrients from the earth, fuel, labour. And this agriculture has a huge influence on climate change," Anna explains. "That's why we cannot allow all this food to rot away." Story by cafebabel DE Translated from Krummes Gemuse gegen Food Waste Gunther Oettinger: Germany's walking gaffe machine Published on February 15, 2017 Story by Sophie Rebmann Translation by: Ellie Sellwood en de fr es it pl Germanys new EU Budget and Human Resources Commissioner has had a decent career, but he has also made a number of comments that would have cost other politicians their jobs. Here we paint a portrait of this controversial figure. Gunther Oettinger stands gravely in a dark grey suit and bright blue tie, in stark contrast to a bright, almost neon blue background. This portrait of the former Minister President was made by Germanys BILD magazine for the ancestral gallery of Villa Reizenstein, the representative government seat of Baden-Wurttemberg. When it was unveiled, however, a surprise discovery was made: the top corner appeared to have a bullet hole in it. The hole had in fact been painted on, but the most striking feature of the painting was the apparent shattering of glass in the upper left corner. The artist, Anke Doberauer, is well-known for her luminous backgrounds, but this is her first (and so far only) piece with this particular visual touch. In explanation for this, she merely said: "One can often find themselves under threat and vulnerable." This is undoubtedly true for the portrait's subject Oettinger always seems to land on the wrong side of controversy and, less than a year after the portrait was unveiled, finds himself in the crossfire yet again for comments of a homophobic, sexist and racist nature. That being said, his comments didnt seem to affect him when he stepped into the role of EU Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources at the beginning of this year. The Commissioner who shoots himself in the foot Oettinger has long been known as a politician who seldom misses a chance to put his foot in it. The Germans call him a 'Swabian Kalashnikov' for his rapid-fire remarks. In October, while speaking to invited guests of the Hamburg company AGA, he joked derogatorily about the introduction of a "compulsory homosexual marriage" in Germany. He also described a contingent of Chinese businessmen who had recently come to Brussels to meet EU officials as "nine men, (with) one party and no democracy," who had "slit ears" and "slit eyes" and wore "single-breasted dark-blue jackets, all with their hair brushed from left to right with black shoe polish." When the video, which was recorded in secret, became public, the politician saw no reason to apologize. However, he later appeared to change his mind and issued a public apology in which he stated that the statements had been disrespectful and that he had sought only to speak freely. There are, of course, plenty of other incidents in which he has crossed the line. With Frauke Petry leader of Germanys AfD Party for example whom he said he would "shoot" if he was married to her. This comment, however, received very little in the way of criticism. Oettinger's partner, Friederike Beyer, is 24 years younger than him and not active in politics and apparently loves him "a little more than her horse," according to an interview Oettinger gave to Germanys Bunten magazine back in 2008 when their relationship became public. Oettinger was also heavily criticized during his time as Minister President for Baden Wurttemberg. Most notably, for the time when he declared that one of his predecessors, Hans Filbinger of the Christian Democrats, was not only the Minister President but also a former Nazi-Marinerichter (naval judge). The Kalashnikov comes under fire The media, along with various NGOs, were outraged, and published an open letter protesting Oettingers promotion to his current role of European Commissioner for Budget and Personnel, one of the most important roles within the EU Commission. This role oversees the management of the Commission's human resources, and as such it is argued that the person occupying it should set a good example. But Oettinger spoke out, in spite of the mounting criticism surrounding his position. At a hearing held by the EU Parliament before he took on his new post on 9 January, he managed to win over his critics and appease the media. And so the phrase which made an appearance at the unveiling of his portrait gained relevance once again: "A target, healthy, but still vulnerable." Speeches aside, Oettinger's ascent to his current position was generally smooth but also steep. Oettinger was born in Stuttgart and grew up in Ditzingen, a small town in the surrounding area. He remained close to home, choosing to study in Tubingen, a mere 50 kilometers away. On his return to Ditzingen, he followed in the footsteps of the father and became co-owner of hi fathers accountancy firm. At the age of 21, he joined the CDU, and founded the partys Junge Union or youth division in his hometown. This was followed by his election to the municipal council, then to the state parliament, then to the chairman of the CDU in Baden Wurttemberg in 2005. He has kept up his contact with the municipal council while in the role of EU Commissioner and he is praised for that. David Wagner (25), a member of the CDU since 2010 (Baden-Wuerttemberg), likes Oettingers down-to-earth attitude, and especially the fact that it is not beneath him to shake the hand of someone who is less well-known. The young CDU politician especially likes Oettingers sense of humor and ability to laugh at himself stating an example when Oettinger remarked: "New glasses? New lid, old pot." He certainly seems to come across well, in his own unique but funny way. He is definitely a character and often described as self-confident, energetic, purposeful and sympathetic. The majority of the members of the Junge Union and the CDU have a good impression of him as "very competent and pragmatic." In 2010, Wagner said, "Many of us, including myself, regret that he went to Brussels." As Minister President, Oettinger, was often in Brussels at the EU and he was not received very well here, either by the EU or by his colleagues in the CDU especially when videos began to circulate of his speeches in Brussels, because his English was so bad. He became the butt of many jokes online, and also within the CDU: "We definitely laughed at his English," says Wagner. Before moving to Brussels, Oettinger, who speaks only German and English, had lived almost exclusively in Stuttgart and the surrounding area, and so, when he moved to Brussels he left much of his international and multilingual support behind. The commissioner does, however, see the funny side of this: "I could have spent lots of money on continuous ads but I got so much recognition free of charge." Although many have made fun of him, his way of speaking has become his trademark. Nevertheless, he does not seem to be as comfortable in Brussels as he does in his home faction of the CDU. He often comes back to Stuttgart and can be seen at the political celebration of Ash Wednesday as well as at parties, jubilee events and election campaign events, as the young party members will tell you. He also just celebrated his 60th birthday, not in Brussels, but in Baden-Wurttemberg, with well-known businessmen and politicians. The CDU in Baden-Wurttemberg threw a big party for him, for 600 guests which apparently cost 40,000 euros. "Broadband? Id rather have a bottle of Bordeaux!" In Brussels, Oettinger held the role of Vice President of the European Commission for Energy, before moving into the role of commissioner for digital affairs, where he had very little to do. Network activists, in particular, consistently questioned his competence and were clearly very happy to see him move to a different department. Commenting on his departure the Grunderszene said: "a sigh of relief is felt throughout the digital economy." This is in part due to the fact that he said that he once said he would prefer a bottle of Bourdeaux in his home over an internet connection. Many others have also benefitted from the fact that the Oettinger performed well as an energy commissioner and made an important contribution to the department of digital affairs, with the ban on roaming costs. Wagner is also convinced of Oettingers competence as a politician and is confident that he will bring a lot to the table in his new role as the commissioner for Budget and Human Resources: "He has a good grasp of different topics. The commissioner also has a large staff made up of experts with specialist knowledge. His craft is politics. I think he has a good political sense and political perspective. Further, as Minister President, he was inevitably responsible for everything so he brings a lot of experience to the role." It is precisely this, however, that makes *Jasmin, a young woman and former long-time member of the CDU and Junge Union in Baden-Wurttemberg, not want to see their real name mentioned in this article. "He is not sympathetic. His manner is very smooth, but its not authentic and he doesnt take responsibility. But, that being said, there are a lot of people with whom he has great relationships and who like to spend time with him." Committed to partying This is probably due to his many popular parties: "Everyone knows that you can celebrate with him and drink beer. This is what he is known for, and there are many who swarm to Oettinger for evening celebrations," says Jasmin. The German daily press has repeatedly reported on Oettinger's celebrations, during many of which he has been "more or less carried to bed," as reported by Germanys Stern magazine. The Sudkurier described him as "somewhere between a swot and a bon vivant." While it is speculated that this image was not good for him at the time, the Junge Union are sure that "he gained a lot of respect within the CDU for his staying power." It is likely that he trained this characteristic while studying in Tubingen, as he was an active member of the universitys oldest student-run society Landsmannschaft Ulmia, which celebrated its centenary in 2015. The society, which is only open to male students, is heavily criticized across the political spectrum because it often produces inside deals and relationships that are thought to encourage nationalist, sexist and racist behaviour. The society has had its fair share of scandals in the past. The students in Tubingen, living in the villas on the Osterberg just above the town, are famous for their drinking habits and nationalistic behaviour. It was at one of these festivities that Oettinger sang the first verse of the German national anthem, something which was strictly forbidden in Germany because of its abuse by the Nazis. In politics, too, Oettinger joined a men's club, which afforded him great advantages, through this he was invited by the CDU to join a group of young, promising men to go on a trip to Venezuela and Chile. Over the Andes, they swore to support each other and the Andean pact was born. Comments made while drinking Oettinger learned to drink and to casually throw around questionable comments during his time as a member of the Junge Union, as Jasmin relates: "Whether it was a wine festival, a club evening or a joint excursion, the meetings usually ended with alcohol in male-dominant settings. Sexist and morally questionable jokes were very much the order of the day." Women either chose to go along with them, or risked being considered boring, says Jasmin, adding critically: "As a young, inexperienced woman you dont even notice what is going on, at first. Everyone is in a good mood, you joke and laugh a lot and you just laugh too." The CDU has long been criticised for having a problem with sexism within its ranks, an issue that was flagged up in an open letter written by 26-year-old member of the Berlin faction of the CDU, Jenna Behrends, just last year. But neither Jasmin nor David Wagner recalled hearing explicitly sexist comments and neither of them was able to enjoy a beer with Oettinger himself. All things considered, David does not take this to mean that such comments do not exist, "comments like that could come up at the Stammtisch. But that should be seen as a very different setting and not indicative of a general phenomenon, it really depends on the people present." But even if he was caught saying such things there is no doubt that Oettinger would surely be able to convince people that it was OK, as was announced on his satirical Twitter account - in his characteristic English - in a tweet to Donald Trump: Story by Sophie Rebmann Translated from Gunther Oettinger: Feiernder Aktenfresser oder burgernaher Alleskonner? Avaya Zang Launches SMB Cloud Services Share Tweet By Paula Bernier Executive Editor, TMC By Paula BernierExecutive Editor, TMC About a month after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Avaya (News - Alert) has introduced new business communications solutions for the small and mid-sized business set. The new offerings, delivered via the companys Zang business, include Zang Office and Zang Spaces. We are building on our goal to deliver cloud to the market, providing small and medium-sized business with an affordable and efficient way to differentiate their products and services through real-time connections and engagement with customers, said Zang Inc. General Manager Mo Nezarati. Zang Office is a customizable cloud-based phone service. The company says this offering provides enterprise-class communications at a small business price. That is, starting at $15.95 a month. Features include auto attendant, conference calling, hunt groups, interactive voice response, landline-to-mobile transfer, local or toll-free numbers, voicemail-to-email translation, and more. Administrators can use the Zang Office Web interface to add mobile devices, change configuration, make IVR changes, manage users, and more. Organizations also can customize Zang Office with Zang Cloud, which enables the addition of SMS and voice features via the use of simple tools. As for Zang Spaces, thats a meetings-as-a-service offering. It brings together sharing, tasks, video, and voice. And its integrated with popular calendar solutions. Theres no download required with Zang Spaces. Rather, its available from any browser, and participants can just click to join a meeting. Cottonwood Cottage is among the early users of Zang Office. This solution provides the company with an affordable way to support people calling in for information or to book events. We are adding event venues and looking to support adjacent businesses, and Zang Office supports this game plan, said Brent Knittel, co-owner of Cottonwood Cottage. We are excited about the possibilities provided by SMS enablement via Zang Cloud while Zang Spaces allows us to easily collaborate with couples on wedding logistics. All of this ties back to creating differentiated experiences that traditionally only larger businesses could offer. Zang Office is now available in the U.S. and Canada and can be purchased at https://store.zang.io/zang-office/view. Zang Spaces has tiered pricing, starting with a free model that includes file sharing, messaging, tasks, and video sharing for up to three people. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Article comments powered by Disqus Edited by Alicia Young JavaScript is disabled on your browser. CORDIS website requires JavaScript enabled in order to work properly. Please enable JavaScript. Senat Camerounais Archives Over 10 members of Parliament and Senators of the ruling party CPDM in the North West region have appealed on Head of State Paul Biya to release arrested Anglophone leaders currently at the Kondengui Maximum prison. This was part of 10 point resolutions arrived at after a meeting held at the Ayaba Hotel in Bamenda, North West region at the invitation of Senate Vice President Senator Achidi Achu. The Bamenda meeting held on Wednesday February 15, 2017 also saw as recommendation acknowledgement by the MPs and Senators on the pr5evailing situat5ion in the two English speaking regions, hail and acknowledge efforts mad eby President Paul Biya in putting in place the Ad Hoc Committees which according to them have solved some of the problems raised by Trade Union leaders. They also thanked the Head of State for creating the National Commission of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism which they consider as a salutary and a giant step in the right direction in resolving the crisis and appeal for an expedient appointment of its members for effective work to begin. Resolutions of the Bamenda Meeting (c) Musa Wilson On school resumption, the Parliamentarians expressed deep concern and regret the negative impact that the present stalemate is bound to inflict on the youths. Among others the MPs and Senators also urged Traditional rulers and Religious authorities well as Civil Society actors to add their voices to the peace campaign. Cameroonians In Diaspora Demand Reconnection of Internet In NW and SW Wilson MUSA He Internet Disconnection in the North West and South West regions has caused youths in these regions to go in search of network wherever they find one, even in neighboring regions. The people of the North West travel kilometers to neighboring Babadjou to receive and send messages through social media. These modern internal Pilgrims because that is what they have become, will for the sake of information undergo tedious journey coupled with security harassment who have become very vigilant on the new style adopted. The situation is not different with youths in the South West regions that have to go to Misellele to get connected. As usual the Pilgrims are often chased by security men who have taken the place their hotel. Police even go as far as violating rights to privacy by seizing phones, deleting messages and or arresting some on grounds that they are propagating messages to fuel th strike action. President Paul Biya during his traditional Youth Day message on February 10, 2016 described todays youths as Android Generation, a generation where technology has been made simple and most youths rely on it to make ends meet. He urged youths to make good use of digital economy which is fast becoming a major item to boost the countrys economy and job creation. One year after, it is the same regime which glorified the coming of internet, which is now crucifying its citizens for using it. The repercussions are enormous, most of these youths who relied on internet have simply shut down their businesses, and some have had to relocate to neighboring regions, while others have changed business in an attempt to put food on the table. Observers hold that if the Biya regime is responsible enough, it will reconnect these regions with Internet to avoid another crisis tomorrow, when the rate of unemployment must have skyrocketed in these regions, when landlords will throw tenants out and when many will become school drop outs. | BY Martin Trevaskis | Lions Health, Cannes Lions dedicated stream focused on life-changing creativity, has today announced June Laffey (left), Executive Creative Director, McCann Health, Australia and South East Asia, as the 2017 Pharma Lions Jury President. Serviceplan Health & Life, Germanys Mike Rogers has been named the Health & Wellness Lions Jury President. Says Louise Benson, Executive Festival Director of Lions Health: The rigid boundaries in the healthcare communications industry act as a catalyst for creative solutions that genuinely make a difference and Lions Health is a platform for these ideas to be celebrated, discussed and built upon. June and Mike bring vast expertise and experience and were delighted to have them as Jury Presidents, championing the very best of creativity in this highly regulated field and pushing for greater innovation and fresher ideas going forward. Says Laffey: In life every challenge is an opportunity. Thats how we learn, thats how we grow. Nowhere is this more true than when working in healthcare. Heavy regulations, risk-averse thinking and a smorgasboard of other constraints mean that, in health, we have many challenges. Despite this, the opportunities for life-saving creativity have never been so huge. I am honored to be trusted to lead this jury, where the filter of judging within these constraints must, and will, be rigorously applied. The Health specialist Lions celebrate creativity across a wide range of pharma and healthcare communications aimed at engaging healthcare professionals, patients and consumers. This year sees a new Health and Wellness Tech product category added to the Health & Wellness Lions reflecting the huge increase in digital products, apps, wearables and gadgets aimed at improving and promoting a modern healthy lifestyle. Says Mike Rogers, Creative Partner at Germanys Serviceplan Health & Life: Its been three years since the introduction of Lions Health in 2014, and since then it has been interesting to witness the incredible impact it has had on the industry perception of healthcare creativity. During this time, we have seen healthcare creativity truly flourish thanks in part to inspiring innovation. I was honoured to be a part of the inaugural Health Lions jury, and now, three years later, I am incredibly excited to see what this strong wind of change has brought in to the increasingly fascinating world of healthcare creativity. Tuesday, February 14, 2017 at 10:17PM With Samsung pushing back the release of its latest flagship, we cant stress enough how important it is for LG to take advantage of the opportunity. And the South Korean brand seems to be making the most of it with its latest round of teasers for the LG G6. Two new teasers focus on talking about reliability with the words Reliability. Check, check, check. Whether this takes a stab at the troubles Samsung has faced or even to address the own flaws of its units, its a good thing to focus on. Another teaser has the words Resist more. Under pressure. If we are to surmise, this could point to water resistance. Perhaps we can expect full submersion to be possible with the G6. Now, whether theyll take the IP68 rating that Samsung employs, we cant say. We dont have that much of a wait anyway as the phone will launch at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this February 26. Source: Android Authority Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 8:58AM By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla Swedish headphone makers Sudio may not be the first brand to come to mind when considering over-the-ear headphones but their Regent line offers great sound and clarity as well as smart Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity and 24 hours of playback on a charge. I'm very particular about headphones, specially over the-ear-models where fit is a huge factor for me. I travel a lot, I need a compact set that's durable and easy to pack and which can isolate me from cabin noise, other passengers and also serve to provide music and video audio. Other features that will appeal to travellers, the Sudio Regents can be quick charged in 10 minutes which will yield at least four hours of use. Full charge takes two hours. The Sudio Regent headphones ($219) are surprisingly light and compact, yet offer a great fit and full-sized sound. They're not ostentatious, (my review unit was matte black on black with slight yellow gold accents, and beautiful marble inserts that give it a bit of customization). Pairing to an iPhone 7 as well as my Surface Book proved to be easy and sound was generally good for most of the content I listened to. Sudio prides itself for providing, "impeccable balance of instrumental tones and noise clarity, the musical elements seamlessly knit together to create an unmatched listening experience." I found this to be accurate as I prefer headphones that focus on fidelity and play back music as close to how it was recorded. Plugging in the Sudio Regents into my ancient Sony Discman to play a variety of CD's proved to be delightful as the loudness, clarity and separation this set provided matched the sound I enjoyed from sets costing three to four times as much and which weigh more. When I'm out and about, I tend to wear in-ear headphones and most recently these have been Apple AirPods. I have been using the Sudio Regents though and found them to provide far better connectivity than any other in-ear or sport Bluetooth headset I have used. They are also super-light and you forget they are there even when wearing them over a toque (beanie). There are easy to miss buttons on the headset for stop/play and volume up/down, this is convenient for when you don't want to reach for your phone. Sudio Regents will appeal to a wide range of users. The design is functional and understated but elegant. I'd have no problems wearing these to work and I like the flexibility of being able to change the look with the Caps which easily twist into the headsets. As a frequent traveller, usually taking many short one or two night trips for work, I've become obsessed with travelling light and carefully choose the technology I carry. Before the Sudio Regents, I never considered taking a full-size over the ear headphone with me. That's changed. Even if this isn't a noise isolation set, it is compact enough yet performs well as a wireless set or as a wired set. It's easy to recommend Sudio Regents for anyone looking for a solid, light (in weight) and well-designed pair that sounds good, has tremendous battery life and offers quick-charging capabilities. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 NOTE: Sudio is offering a 15% off discount code for Canadian Reviewer readers: The code is CANADIAN15 It has no expiry date and it's valid for 15% off their entire purchase at sudiosweden.com. "I'd probably like to see what the moon's actually made of, people say it's made out of rocks and stuff but I'd like to see," she said. Extra staff has been on hand since Friday to meet the hundreds of orders that have already been placed, as well as prepare for those purchasing flowers on the day. "It had snapped its collar to get to her. The owner tried to control it but accidentally let go of the other dog, which started attacking Elsa as well." Taiwan-funded companies that have invested in Guangdong province's city of Dongguan, a major manufacturing center in the Pearl River Delta, have maintained sustainable business growth there and many of them have been introducing smart solutions to cope with rising production costs, according to leading businessmen. "There haven't been hundreds of Taiwan-invested companies moving their businesses out of Dongguan," said Tsai Jinhong, chairman of the Taiwan Businessmen Association (Dongguan). Some overseas media reported that over 1,000 Taiwan-funded companies in the mainland had closed or moved to other regions because of the local government's industrial upgrading policy. Dongguan, traditionally known for its strong manufacturing capacity, attracted thousands of overseas investors, especially those from Taiwan and Hong Kong, since the early 1980s. At the end of 2016, Dongguan was host to 3,447 Taiwan-funded companies, according to the association. The number of Taiwan companies in Dongguan accounts for about one third of the city's total overseas invested businesses, said Tsai. "A growing number of Taiwan companies have performed well in expanding in the domestic market and building their own brands," Tsai added. He said that only 74 Taiwan companies closed businesses in Dongguan in 2016, most of which were engaged in labor-intensive manufacturing. Business leaders said companies had been making increased efforts in achieving sustainable business growth, countering higher production costs and a shortage of workers in Dongguan. "The biggest concern is the labor shortage. Workers now have more optionsworking in their hometowns or other manufacturing places," said Chang Hanwen, chairman of Dongguan Fuwha Shoes Industry Co Ltd. Chang said some workers had not yet returned to their jobs after the Spring Festival. Sales of the company, founded 27 years ago in Dongguan, declined 18 percent year-on-year to about $50 million in 2016. "Businesses were greatly affected by the increased costs of labor and production," Chang said. According to Chang, manufacturing businesses from Southeast Asian counterparts have put great pressure on Taiwan companies in the Pearl River Delta. "We are now making efforts in upgrading our processing lines by introducing more smart equipment and technologies," he said. "Otherwise, we will consider moving part of our manufacturing business to the neighboring regions, which are in lower production costs." Chang also called for more preferential policies from the local government to help Taiwan businesses, especially traditional manufacturing companies, develop more smart solutions to cope with the challenges. "We are no longer labor-intensive manufacturing business," he said. "The government needs to invest more in helping companies utilizing technology and smart processing to achieve sustainable growth." Yi Ling contributed to the story. Dabbour was CFO of the African business until this month, a position he had held since August 2015. He has been with the London-headquartered company since 2008, spending time as CFO of operations in Chad and, later, Ghana. Millicom operates in Africa and Latin America under the Tigo brand name. Before joining Millicom, he worked for Besix, the largest Belgian construction company. He started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Brussels as senior accountant. My experience covers turnarounds and growth strategies in volatile and challenging markets, he says on LinkedIn. Developing teams, fostering talents and building world-class organizations bring me a lot of satisfaction. Im challenge-driven and I usually do not hesitate to question the status quo in order to improve things. Meanwhile Gordon is understood to be about to announce a new role in the industry. Via Reuters: China death toll from bird flu soars to 79 in January: government. Excerpt and then a comment: China reported as many as 79 fatalities from H7N9 bird flu in January, the government said, far surpassing the number of deaths in recent years and stoking fears about the spread of the deadly virus among the population this winter. The news released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission late on Tuesday brings the death toll since October to 100. January's total far surpasses numbers for January over the past three years, which ranged between 20 and 31. Some 192 people were infected last month, the commission said, bringing the total since October to 306. The latest data will reinforce concerns about the spread of the virus among humans as neighboring South Korea and Japan also battle major outbreaks among their poultry flocks. Chinese disease control experts have warned the public to stay alert for H7N9 avian flu. The virus usually strikes in winter and spring, and farmers have in recent years ramped up measures such as cleaning regimes to prevent the disease. Bear in mind that this is 79 deaths in a population of 1.375 billion. At the same time, with much less fuss, China is suffering 1.6 million yearly deaths due to air pollution, or 4,383 a day. That means 135,873 Chinese died last month from smog alone. This month will be better, with only 122,724 deathsbecause February has just 28 days. Dr. Michael Tompsett invented the world's first digital camera, shown at left, and took the first color digital photo of his wife, Dr. Margaret Tompsett, which was published on cover of Electronics Magazine in 1973. TIM WOOD PHOTO CHATHAM Drs. Michael and Margaret Tompsett were getting ready for a vacation in Cuba when they received a call from Lord Browne of Madingley. Michael Tompsett, he informed them, was to share the 1 million Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering for his work in digital imaging. We basically took a day of shock, then unpacked our suitcase for Cuba and packed for London unpacked swimsuits and packed rain coats, Michael Tompsett said. The award, announced Feb. 1, recognized the contribution Tompsett and three other engineers made to digital imaging, which paved the way for everything from ubiquitous cell phone cameras to medical scanners. Every second, 100 cameras are made using the technology, resulting in some three billion images each and every day, according to the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation, which sponsored the award. Tompsett, whose home overlooks Lovers Lake, was working at AT&T Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey in the 1970s when he came up with the idea of using the charged-couple device, or CCD, to create digital images. He made the first digital camera and took the first color digital image a photo of his wife, which was published on the cover of Electronics Magazine. They called her the first digital cover girl, he said of recent new reports about the award. In the second floor study in his home, Tompsett opens up the back of that first camera, which was about the size of a shoe box, and points to its various components. Today everything in here fits on one chip, he said, highlighting how the technology has changed, although the concepts have basically remained the same. Two of the other engineers honored with the award, Professor Nobukazu Teranishi and Professor Eric R. Fossum, invented ways to make those initial imaging sensors smaller, to the point today when they can fit inside a pill that can be swallowed. Also honored was Dr. George Smith, co-inventor of the CCD. The chip, first created at the Bell Lab in 1969, was originally intended to enhance computer memory. Tompsett's innovation was to apply the CCD to imaging. Light-sensitive pixels produce an electronic signal which the sensor reads and measures; an analogue-to-digital converter, which Tompsett also invented, then turns the pixel measurements into binary information that can be stored as digital data. Slowly a lot of things came together, he said. A year after putting together the first digital camera, a second prototype was made that was less than half the size. They knew they were on to something, but, said Tompsett, he and his team of engineers had no idea if it could ever be important or even if it was realistic. That initial image was blurry and pixelated the first CCD chips only contained eight pixels and the image of Margaret Tompsett was made with 10,000 pixels, minuscule by today's standards, when a cell phone camera's resolution can be 12 megapixels, or 12 million pixels. Images grew clearer and sharper as the number of pixels were increased, which upped the amount of light that the sensor could gather. The technology at the time was pretty basic, he said. We cut the templates by hand. Tompsett had come to Bell Labs from his native England, where he had invented a thermal imaging television camera tube while working for the Electric Valve Company. Unlike previous scanners, his did not require cooling. It became the basis of thermal image scanners used today by the military and rescue services as a visual aid in low-light environments, such as smokey fires, as well as a medical diagnostic and screening tool. That innovation was previously recognized with a Queen's Award in 1987. At Bell Labs Tompsett's team was working on ways to reduce the size of the enormous television cameras used at the time, which relied on tubes, by applying semiconductor or solid state technology. He also worked on the Bell picture phone, which was abandoned because it was too expensive. Tompsett continued to work on CCD images, as well as computer modems, developing a codex to convert between analogue and digital signals, which reduce the cost of communicating over telephone lines dramatically, he said. After taking early retirement from Bell Labs, Tompsett ran the U.S. Army's Electron Device Research program for six years, again working on imaging devices. He left the post to start his own medical software company after noticing that the products his wife, a medical doctor, was using were crummy. We decided we could do better, and in fact we did, he said. After a dozen years, he sold the company and moved to Chatham, where his family had been vacationing since 1973. The couple bought their home here in 2008 and became year-round residents in 2012. Tompsett's contribution to the technology that is indispensable today was recognized in 2012, when he was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama; a photo of the engineer with the president is prominently displayed in his study, alongside other honors, including his membership in the National Academy of Engineers and the Edison Gold Medal awarded by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He is also a member of the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame. The honors are not over; he will officially receive the Queen Elizabeth Prize from the queen herself in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace at an as-yet-unannounced date. The prize, given biannually, is designed to raise the profile of engineering and inspire young people to take up the engineering challenges of the future, according to a statement from the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation. In his acceptance speech, Tompsett acknowledged the importance of encouraging students to study STEM subjects and not be intimidated or dissuaded from becoming engineers. Engineering is a fun, creative, exciting, fulfilling and rewarding activity in itself for both sexes, as well as the crucial role which it plays for society, and that is the message to be taken away today and publicized, he said. Where will digital imaging go from here? It may have reached the limit as far as miniaturization, Tompsett said. We can almost detect a single photon in today's cameras, he noted. He does see improvements in virtual technology, including three-dimensional imaging. Movies and so on will be come totally immersive at that point, he said. Heres the thing about Wolf Hollow, the new novel by Lauren Wolk of Centerville: the story is so compelling that when you finish it, youll be thrilled to know that another novel by Wolk will soon be released. Beyond the Bright Sea, set in the Elizabeth Islands off Falmouth, is due out in May. Wolf Hollow is for ages 10 and up and was named a 2017 Newbery Honor Book and won the New England Book Award. It was also named a best book of the year by NPR, the American Library Association and many more groups. And even if you are well over the age of 10 you will still enjoy the book which is set in rural Pennsylvania during World War II. So how did Wolk, who grew up in Providence during the 1960s and 1970s and summered in Chatham, write so convincingly about growing up a full generation ahead of herself? My father grew up in the Pittsburgh area, and my mother grew up on a farm not far from there, she said in an email interview last week. I spent a lot of time on that farm over the years. Its a taproot for me. A memoir Wolks mother wrote for the family inspired me to start working on a piece of fiction set on a small farm during WWII, Wolk says. I didnt have to do much other research. Just things like which radio programs were popular in the 40s, which board games the kids might have played, things I mostly discovered simply by asking my mother a lot of questions. Wolk, who is a poet and visual artist as well as a novelist, is the associate director of the Cultural Center of Cape Cod. A graduate of Brown University, she and her husband Richard Hall are the parents of two adult sonsRyland and Cameron. Her first novel was Those Who Favor Fire in 1999. She grew up in a book-loving family. My parents always read to us, every night, and I loved everything from Pat the Bunny to Goodnight Moon, she recalls. When I could read on my own, I devoured everything I could get my hands on, but I was especially crazy about Charlottes Web and other classic childrens novels. Many readers would add Wolf Hollow to that pantheon of well-loved childhood books. Wolf Hollow reminds me of the other-era, powerful books I loved as a child, says Caitlin Doggart, co-owner of Where the Sidewalk Ends Books in Chatham. It is the fall of 1943 when a dark-hearted girl named Betty Glengarry arrives and changed everything. Betty, who is a big, tough, older girl from the city, is staying with her grandparents because she was deemed incorrigible. Annabelle, age 12, guides us through this world that for children revolves around a one-room schoolhouse that is so crowded that when the boys show up from the farms, the thinner pupils have to share desk chairs. Bettys reign of terror begins in an innocent, if annoying manner with spitballs and jabs of a pencil. Soon, though, she graduates to extortion, telling Annabelle that she will harm her, and then her brothers, if Annabelle doesnt bring her something. When one of the older boys befriends Betty, she leaves spitballs behind. One shocking crime follows another. Also living in this small town is a mysterious WWI veteran of few words named Toby. Toby blew into town during the Great Depression, a hobo who stayed. Toby spends his time walking in the woods. Toby is strange. Betty has the unerring instincts of the psychopathic criminal, and she blames Toby for the violent crimes. This works because even well-meaning adults arent sure if Toby can be trusted. The drama escalates to a powerful conclusion. Annabelle has been much praised because she stands up to a bully. Wolk, who says both she and her sons were bullied, says when she discusses bullying with children she tells them that by asking for help, they are giving someone else a gift: the chance to do something good and to feel wonderful about it. Some critics have compared Wolf Hollow to To Kill a Mockingbird. That book, like Wolf Hollow, features a mysterious eccentric in the neighborhood, Boo Radley. I am more than honored to be mentioned in the same breath with such a book, Wolk says. But when I first heard the comparison I was alarmed. First, I wrote Wolf Hollow to honor my own family and its history, and I didnt notice (let alone try to create) any similarities to Harper Lees book. Wolk says she would have loved to converse with Lee about the power of literature to capture a time and a place in the evolution of family and country. Wolk will speak on Wolf Hollow at the Eldredge Public Library on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. She will also sign copies of her book courtesy of Where the Sidewalk Ends Books. And on Monday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. author Matthew Van Fleet will sign copies of his new interactive book for children, Dance at Where the Sidewalk Ends, 432 Main St., Chatham. WHO has published Nine countries commit to halve maternal and newborn deaths in health facilities. Excerpt and then a comment: Today, 9 countries Bangladesh, Cote dIvoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda committed to halving preventable deaths of pregnant women and newborns in their health facilities within the next 5 years. Through a new Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, supported by WHO, UNICEF and other partners, the countries will work to improve the quality of care mothers and babies receive in their health facilities. This Network aims to strengthen national efforts to end preventable deaths by 2030, as envisioned by the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Womens, Childrens and Adolescents Health. Countries will do that for example, by strengthening capacity and motivation of health professional to plan and manage quality improvement, improving data collection and increasing access to medicines, supplies, equipment and clean water. Every mother and infant deserves to receive the highest quality of care when they access health facilities in their communities, says Dr Anthony Costello, director, WHO Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health. Through a global learning platform, the Quality of Care Network will build a community of health practitioners from the facility level and up to develop evidence-based, yet context-specific, strategies to improve quality of care, harvest implementation ideas, and collect information and experiences about what is working. Ending preventable deaths The period around childbirth is the most critical for saving mothers and newborns, and preventing stillbirths. Every year, worldwide, 303 000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth, 2.7 million babies die during the first 28 days of life and 2.6 million babies are stillborn. Most of these deaths could be prevented with quality care during pregnancy and childbirth. However, the provision of care is uneven within and between countries, and often fails to respect the rights and dignity of those who seek it. Births in health facilities have increased in the past decade, says Dr Costello. Attention is now shifting from access to care to improving the quality of care so that countries can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals targets to end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths by 2030. Think about this goal: Assuming all countries, not just these nine, commit to these goals, in 2030 150,000 women will die in childbirth, 1.35 million babies will die during the first 28 days of life, and 1.3 babies will be stillborn. And that will halve the preventable death rates of 2017. 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. 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... LUXEMBOURG, LONDON, BERLIN, SILICON VALLEY, BUCHAREST (February 14, 2017) -- The city of Luxembourg today hosted international leaders to launch Asteroid Day 2017. Asteroid Day is a UN sanctioned global day of education to raise awareness about asteroids and in particular how we protect Earth from dangerous impacts. The press conference was broadcast live from Luxembourg, with the participation of experts in planetary science, business and government joining from Berlin, Bucharest, Silicon Valley, and London - courtesy of Cisco TelePresence Centers and the live stream by vBrick Rev. The press conference is archived for viewing and the live stream may be downloaded (one hour post press conference) at: http://asteroidday.org/newsroom Etienne Schneider, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy of Luxembourg, welcomed guests by expressing his countrys leading role related to asteroids, within the framework of the SpaceResources.lu initiative. Luxembourg aims to contribute to the peaceful exploration and sustainable utilization of resources from celestial bodies. While asteroids might be seen as a threat to our planet, they are a tremendous opportunity. Indeed, the use of space resources, both on earth and in space, holds great potential for future technological innovation, economic activity and growth with a promise of ecological and social benefits for humanity. To ensure that this vision becomes a reality, we have to increase our knowledge and understanding of asteroids and Near Earth Objects. Luxembourg announced that it will be hosting Asteroid Day Live from Luxembourg, a 24-hour live broadcast of global Asteroid Day activities and educational programming on June 30th, made possible by local Luxembourg companies, including SES and OHB SE. OHB SE and SES satellites are joining forces with Asteroid Day as Sponsors. BCE will be the official production studio for Asteroid Day Live, broadcast from the new BCE Studios in RTL City in Luxembourg. Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB SE, thanked the organizers of Asteroid Day for the great opportunity to participate in this global event. Asteroids are celestial objects fascinating everybody, young people and experienced researchers alike. Protection of Earth from a future impact and commercial exploitation of asteroids through mining constitute a global endeavour for generations. I share the enthusiasm of my engineers to design a fast mission to a near-Earth asteroid in only five years to test key technologies. Ruy Pinto, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, SES: SES is a natural partner for Asteroid Day because we are experts in space and we can help spread the message around the world. As global leaders in our industry, we manage the largest commercial satellite platform in the world, reaching 317 million TV households worldwide and thus touching the lives of around 1.3 billion people every day. We are a natural partner because we see space as an important resource that we continue to develop and leverage, together with Luxembourgs Government. Asteroid Day - UN designated event In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly recognized Asteroid Day as an official UN event and declared it to be held internationally each year on June 30, the anniversary of the largest asteroid impact in recent history, the 1908 Tunguska impact. The UN resolution invites all United Nations Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe Asteroid Day. Dr. Brian May, Queen guitarist, co-founder of Asteroid Day commented: On the heels of the United Nations announcement, the momentum for Asteroid Day is increasing exponentially around the world, enhanced greatly by the new commitments from Luxembourg and the addition of OHB SE and SES as global sponsors. And, we are highly appreciative of Cisco joining Discovery Science, ESA, ASE and B612 as our primary partners making Asteroid Day Live from Luxembourg in 2017 a reality. Astronaut Dorin Prunariu, who was instrumental in realising the UN Declaration with the UN COPUOS and the support of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), explained the crucial role of continued international collaboration: Planetary defense is well within our capability in the near future. However, reaching our goals will require continued and strong collaboration among government institutions, academic institutions and private organizations to realise both terrestrial and space-based assets. This is why Asteroid Day is so valuable. Asteroid Day 2017 Grig Richters and Danica Remy, co-founders of Asteroid Day noted that during Asteroid Day 2016, more than 500 asteroid-related educational events were held in 72 countries, involving more than 150,000 participants and reaching over 1.3 million people through live online activities. This year, we welcome to date 97 regional coordinators and anticipate more than 700 educational events for June 30, stated Remy. In addition to OHB SE and SES, we welcome to Asteroid Day the European Southern Observatory, International Space University, and the Secure World Foundation and thank the continued support of our more than 30 partners joining us for Asteroid Day 2017. All activities for Asteroid Day are self organized by independent organizations, including science centers, universities, cities and concerned citizens. 2017 activities will be listed in the future on the Asteroid Day website: asteroidday.org/event-guide Asteroid Detection and Deflection Experts at the press conference emphasised the importance of planetary defense and in particular new technologies and missions that can aid in more rapid detection and deflection of asteroids. Lord Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal, astrophysicist, and distinguished fellow of Trinity College, emeritus professor of cosmology at the University of Cambridge, has strongly supported Asteroid Day since its launch in 2014. He joined the press conference from Cambridge: We know that asteroids pose risks to Earth and recent advances in sensor technology have radically improved our ability to detect and deflect these Near Earth objects. The value of Asteroid Day is that it raises the level of awareness for governments to private citizens to take action. Representing the European Space Agency (ESA), Franco Ongaro, Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality, and Head of ESTEC Establishment spoke to the importance of Asteroid Day: The European Space Agency is fully engaged in the protection of our planet with the detection of asteroids through our Space Situation Awareness program and supporting the test of asteroid deflection with the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Mission cooperation with NASA and the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) if possible. Both represent the central role and bold ambition of Europe to address the only natural hazard that can be prevented. Our partnership with Asteroid Day has proven very valuable in communicating the merits of our efforts." Dr. Patrick Michel, Principal Investigator of the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) echoed the importance of Asteroid Day and the AIM mission: Simulations of asteroid deflection by impact are only as good as the knowledge we put into them. With AIM, we have the unique opportunity to test our simulations and see how the asteroid responds upon impact, stated Dr. Michel. AIM will also demonstrate advanced new technologies for use in future planetary missions and pave the way to new types of deep-space missions using CubeSats for riskier operations. Dr. Ed Lu, a three time US Astronaut and CEO of B612, an expert in the field of planetary defense, emphasized the key elements in protecting Earth from dangerous asteroids: Asteroids are scientific gold mines telling us about the history and dynamics of our solar system. But they also sometimes collide with Earth. Asteroid Day helps garner the support needed to protect Earth from a dangerous impact. Finding Near Earth Asteroids as early as possible is the first priority for planetary defense, in order to give adequate time to make decisions and implement courses of action. Dr. Tom Jones, a planetary scientist and veteran astronaut of four NASA space missions, and Chair of Association of Space Explorers Committee on Near-Earth Objects explained: The greatest benefit we can anticipate from 21st century space exploration is the prevention, using spaceflight technology, of a disastrous asteroid collision with Earth. International Asteroid Day is an ideal opportunity to enlist the public in global efforts to discover hazardous asteroids and develop the detailed plans to nudge them from a collision course. Debbie Lewis, deputy chair of the Asteroid Day expert panel and a specialist in risk, crisis and disaster management, joined from London and expressed concerns about the current lack of planning to effectively respond to a potential disaster. Recent events such as the 2013 Chelyabinsk incident and this months meteor strike over Milwaukee, Wisconsin, could be harbingers of a future, more serious incident. It is a case of when, not if a serious asteroid impact event will occur and it will require international cooperation for preparedness and response that address the science of detection and deflection, as well as contingency plans for civil protection. Mrs. Lewis will be independently organizing an Asteroid Day 2017 event at the Imperial College, London. Asteroid Day Sponsors OHB System AG is one of the three leading space companies in Europe. It belongs to the listed high-tech group OHB SE (ISIN: DE0005936124, Prime Standard), where around 2,200 specialists and system engineers work on key European space programs. With two strong sites in Bremen and Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich and 35 years of experience, OHB System AG specializes in high-tech solutions for space. These include low-orbiting and geostationary satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications, science and space exploration as well as systems for human space flight, aerial reconnaissance and process control systems. Further information available at: www.ohb-system.de SES is the world-leading satellite operator and the first to deliver a differentiated and scalable GEO-MEO offering worldwide, with more than 50 satellites in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and 12 in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). SES focuses on value-added, end-to-end solutions in four key market verticals (Video, Enterprise, Mobility and Government). It provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, governments and institutions, and businesses worldwide. SESs portfolio includes the ASTRA satellite system, which has the largest Direct-to-Home (DTH) television reach in Europe, and O3b Networks, a global managed data communications service provider. Another SES subsidiary, MX1, is a leading media service provider and offers a full suite of innovative digital video and media services. Further information available at: www.ses.com About Asteroid Day Asteroid Day is a UN sanctioned global day of education to raise awareness about asteroids and in particular how we protect Earth from asteroid impacts. Asteroid Day was co-founded in 2014, by Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist and lead guitarist for the rock band Queen, Danica Remy, B612 Chief Operations Officer, Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart, and German filmmaker Grig Richters. Asteroid Day is held on 30 June each year to mark Earths largest asteroid impact in recorded history, the Siberia Tunguska event, which devastated over 2000 square km, the size of any major metropolitan city. MEDIA RESOURCES: A video taping of the Press Conference and additional resources for media, including photos and video, and bios of speakers, are available at: http://asteroidday.org/newsroom MEDIA CONTACTS: pr@asteroidday.org; USA: Diane Murphy Tel. +1.310.658.8756; Europe: Tel: +49 151 41286644 We are not alone Lessons from the Heart When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What... One weird dude Lessons from the Heart There are not a lot of places where someones personal style gets mentioned in the New Testament, so this one... Winston Churchill once said, There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. No one can really put into words the centuries-long bond between horses and humans, especially the emotional and sometimes mystical attachment we have had with these magnificent creatures throughout history. But there are times when Churchills quote is taken to a far deeper level, and it would be a gross understatement to simply say that the outside of American Pharoah was good for the inside of Jon Parkerson, whose life had been in a downward spiral, haunted by the many demons inside him. From those demons spawned addictions to alcohol and a number of hard drugs, which in turn brought on drug-induced schizophrenia. He would sleep 18 hours a day from all the medications he was on, and at six-feet tall, his weight dropped from 180 pounds to 119. There were many times when all looked hopeless and he contemplated suicide. But with the support of his family and his affection for a horse named American Pharoah, Parkerson has turned his life around and has finally found peace and happiness. Parkerson was born and raised in Mount Holly, New Jersey (he has since moved to South Carolina), and after graduating high school he worked as a contract driver for the Hamilton post office. In school he was labeled learning disabled and went to special education, but ever since his father took him to Freehold Raceway and he cashed his first bet, winning $60 on a $2 exacta wager, he became fascinated with the numbers and math of handicapping. He would draw a track out on a board and learned how horses break, where they enter the turns, and learned where they start at each distance, while watching numbers of race replays. For him, it was never about the money; he simply loved horseracing and all aspects of it, especially picking winners. Soon he began taking road trips with his father to Kentucky and seeing his favorite horse, Smarty Jones. He had been in the hospital for a lung operation and his father went to the track to bet Smarty Jones in the Kentucky Derby. When he won it took his mind off the surgery and gave him only positive feelings. But at age 21, he began to drink heavily and eventually began taking harder drugs that caused his schizophrenia, for which he still takes medication. They say youre born with addiction; its basically a disease, he said. I suffered from depression from an early age. I used drugs and alcohol to be social and it got way out of hand. I didnt get diagnosed with bi-polar depression until I was 30, so for years and years I suffered alone. Towards the end I was suicidal. I just gave up. My personal life was always a struggle and I had to fight for things other people took for granted. I have anxiety issues, for which I self medicated with drugs and alcohol. I was diagnosed with bi-polar depression on top of drug induced schizophrenia. My relationship with my family was horrible, as they watched me go crazy. They watched me struggle in and out of hospitals and rehabs for 10 years. The deeper he plunged into drugs the deeper his life began to spiral downward. In 2014, Parkerson checked himself into the hospital, staying in the psychiatric ward for 30 days. When he was released he entered rehab for a total of 60 days. My family never gave up on me, he said. They were right there for me and would start crying because I was sleeping 18 hours a day due to all the medications, which werent even helping, and they thought horse racing would be out of my life due to my condition. I could never have done it without the love and support of my dad, mom, and brother. While I was in rehab my dad had a heart attack. I didn't find out until weeks later because they didn't want me to get upset and leave. That's when I really had to fight this thing. I felt like it was somehow my fault and I vowed from that point on to never go back. Then something happened that caused a major change in his life. Parkerson was watching the 2015 Arkansas Derby and fell in love with the runaway winner, American Pharoah, who just seemed to glide over the ground with smooth, graceful strides. American Pharoah gave me hope and someone to follow, he said. My heart had been ripped out when Smarty Jones lost the Belmont Stakes, and I vowed that day I wont stop until I find that one horse that could win the Triple Crown. American Pharoah looked to me to be that horse. I watched the Kentucky Derby with my brother and his son and we cheered him on, then the same deal in the Preakness. Then my old way of thinking returned, that, after Smarty Jones, it was impossible for any horse to sweep all three races. When American Pharoah won the Belmont and the 37-year wait was over, I was surrounded by family and they all had tears in their eyes, and we began hugging each other. They knew how I felt about American Pharoah, and racing in general. American Pharoahs win marked the turning point in my new life. He did something I only dreamed about. He gave me peace and all of us something to cheer about. But most of all he gave me hope and made me realize life can go on again. I was obsessed with the Triple Crown. Racing was my mistress and American Pharoah came along at the most important time, just when I needed him. He brought life back into me. It was a spiritual feeling like a gift from God for all of us to enjoy that was 37 years in the making." May 1st will mark the third anniversary of Parkersons sobriety and he continues to attend meetings. He has regained all the weight he lost and is back up to 185 pounds. I want to be able to visit rehabs and hospitals and even jails to tell people about my experience and my strength and hope, he said. I feel that was the purpose of all my suffering, so I can tell others what its like. I'm just really enjoying life. When I watch the Derby now and they start singing My Old Kentucky Home it brings tears to my eyes and I just think about my struggle and where Im at now. I'm a really happy man. Im now a great son and brother and uncle. As much as I loved to bet, I had decided when I got clean I wasnt going to bet anymore, so now I just handicap, pick one horse and let it ride. Ive had more fun in the past three years than Ive ever had. Parkerson moved into a new house in South Carolina and is beginning a collection of racing memorabilia. One person he thinks of often is Chris Antley, who was plagued by the same demons, but wasnt as fortunate as him. Whenever I think of Chris and the millions of others we lose to addiction, I always say, There but for the grace of God go I. My dad found out where Chris is buried and were going to take a trip there soon. Parkerson will always be grateful to American Pharoah for coming along at a time when he needed him. He was the impetus to keep pushing forward and become emotionally involved with a horse again. And he gave him the opportunity to finally witness history. Ive never been in contact with the Bafferts or Zayats, he said. Bob Baffert is the man and very humble in my opinion, and the Zayats did an amazing job handling all the fame extremely well. Life is all uphill now for Parkerson. Ive been given a fresh start and American Pharoah was just the beginning," he said. "I'm loving life every day and I dont take anything for granted. It's like a higher power stepped in and Im truly blessed to be alive and well. The new Mitsubishi Grand Lancer has been officially revealed shortly after images of it leaked online. Set to be sold in China and other select Asian markets like Taiwan and Malaysia, the Grand Lancer retains a characteristic Lancer design, but is immediately identifiable from the final Lancer models being produced and sold internationally. The front of the Grand Lancer incorporates the companys distinctive Dynamic Shield look with chrome stretching across and around the front grille. Additionally, the five-door sedan has a particularly eyebrow-raising side profile due to the presence of two bold character lines running from the front wheel arch to the rear wheel. Mitsubishis refreshed design is also notable at the rear thanks to a set of uniquely-shaped taillights, reverse lights and even a single rear rain/fog light. Theres also a set of silver and black 18-inch wheels. Appropriately, it is not just the exterior which has received a makeover; the cabin has also been freshened up by the Japanese brand. Among the changes is an optional digital instrument cluster and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system while dual-zone automatic climate control comes standard in the range-topping Grand Lancer. In terms of power, customers will only have the option of a 1.8-liter SOHC MIVEC four-cylinder delivering 140 PS (138 hp) and driving the rear wheels courtesy of an updated CVT box. PHOTO GALLERY Video Rumors about Seat working on a more extreme version of the Leon Cupra have reportedly been confirmed, with the Spanish brand to reveal a Cupra R within the next 8 months. Seats vice president for R&D Matthias Rabe was the one who told Auto Express that theres still room for a more hardcore version in their range. Rabe suggested that the new model could be produced in limited numbers and benefit from the usual modifications, with the company even considering the use of carbon-fiber parts. In seven or eight months you will see something interesting, he said. However dont expect Seat to go crazy and release a race car with number plates on the market. The core values of Cupra must remain it must be fun to drive but something you can use every day, because this is not a car that is bought by people who have five or six other cars. So I dont think a Cupra would be as extreme as a Porsche 911 GT3, for example. And even if we went further, it would still have four or five seats, Rabe added. With that said, Seat is also getting ready for the Cupra version of the Ateca, as the company greenlighted the project for a market launch in early 2018. It will be a fantastic car, he said, confirming that it will be a four-wheel drive model but without revealing which powertrain is going to be used. Rabe also revealed that Seat has no current plans to make a Cupra version of the all-new Ibiza, as the business case for small hot hatches is becoming harder over the years. I wouldnt say it will never happen, but it is not the top priority now. For me, the Cupra brand is Leon and not smaller than that but this still allows some options. Note: Seat Leon Cupra 300 pictured PHOTO GALLERY The first images and details of Chinas 2018 Buick Regal sedan have surfaced online showing a vehicle that apart from its badges and grille, looks just as expected. Joining the new Opel/Vauxhall Insignia and Holden Commodore, the Buick Regal adopts the same sleek design as its siblings but has been fitted with different badges and Buicks customary waterfall grille. Although few specifics about the Chinese version are known, we dont expect the U.S. version to look any different. When sales of the 2018 Regal commence in China, it will be offered with three different engines. The first will be a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder delivering 163 hp, a 2.0-liter turbo with 254 hp and a hybrid that will use a 123 hp 1.8-liter engine paired to a small electric motor. The 2018 Buick Regal will debut at Aprils Shanghai Auto Show 2017. The North American model should arrive in US and Canadian dealerships in the second half of the year as a 2018 model, likely offering 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines at launch. PHOTO GALLERY When the President of the United States has to get somewhere, it should come as no surprise that he doesnt hop on a bicycle or drive himself. POTUS has a whole transportation system not just at his disposal, but for his safety. And with good reason: of the four presidents who were assassinated in office, two (Garfield and Kennedy) were killed while in transit. What that means, in essence, is that the President is most vulnerable while on the move. So the Secret Service (not to mention the Marines and Air Force) have an elaborate and extensive system in place for moving their commander in chief from one location to another. Parts of that system were already somewhat familiar with: the limousine known as Cadillac One (or The Beast), the jumbo jet referred to as Air Force One, and the helicopter that goes by the call sign Marine One. But those are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. As youll see from the video below, theres a staggering array of vehicles employed when POTUS needs to get from Point A to Point B. And operating those vehicles (let alone acquiring and outfitting them in the first place) comes at a huge expense to the taxpayer. In fact the video asserts that the White House spends $350 million each year or about a quarter of its annual budget on the presidents transport. Just one trip costs an estimated $2,614 for each and every minute of transporting the leader of the free world. Scope out the rundown in the video below. Video Last year Jaguar sold nearly 150,000 cars around the world the most it ever has in a single year. So what was the big deal made over nine more? Well tell you: $17 million. Thats how much the classic Jag you see here is expected to fetch, give or take a million, under auction at Amelia Island next month. Its a 1957 Jaguar XKSS, and this will be the first time one will become available in over a decade. The XKSS, for those unfamiliar, was essentially a road-going version of the D-Type with which Jaguar dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans three years running from 1955 to 1957. This particular example was delivered new to a customer in the Canadian racing capital of Montreal, and was raced extensively in a shining example of art imitating life imitating art. The current owner picked it up two decades ago, and submitted it to an exhaustive, concours-standard restoration ten years ago. Captured in the photos below by Brian Henniker for Gooding & Company, XKSS 716 was one of only 16 made before a fire at the factory destroyed the remaining nine chassis that were under construction. Little wonder, with how much Gooding estimates this one to be worth, that Jaguar recently undertook the process of building those last nine examples. (Although Jaguar wont be charging nearly that much for the additional continuation examples its making.) Based on its $16-18 million pre-sale estimate, this XKSS looks poised to positively eclipse the $7.4 million paid at the Bonhams auction in Arizona last month for a Lightweight E-Type the other continuation project that Jaguar recently undertook. The records for both the most expensive Jaguar and the most expensive British car ever sold at auction was set last year when RM Sothebys handled a D-Type for over $21 million at Pebble Beach. Photo Gallery Photo: Elizabeth Shepherd Click here to view gallery Photo: Elizabeth Shepherd Photo: Elizabeth Shepherd Elizabeth Shepherd recently came across a majestic Canadian sight. And she captured it on camera. She was at the Telemark snowshoe trail, located up Glenrosa Road in West Kelowna, when she saw a moose and its calf meandering through the quiet, pristine ponderosa and cedar forests. Moose call the Okanagan home, but they are not as common in the Valley as they are in other parts of B.C., according to the provincial environment ministry. Photo: Contributed Voter registration notices begin going out across B.C. today in anticipation of May's provincial election. Were mailing over 1.9 million notices across the province to ask eligible voters to register to vote or update their voter information, says Keith Archer, B.C.s chief electoral officer. The notices advise of the residents who are on the voters' list at that address and ask them to contact Elections BC if the information needs correcting or updating. The notices also indicate new electoral districts that come into effect when the election is called. There will be 87 electoral districts for this election, up from the current 85. Every eight years, boundaries are adjusted to make the number of people each MLA represents roughly equal. The two new electoral districts are in Surrey and Richmond. An interactive map of district boundaries, is available at elections.bc.ca/resources/maps. Starting March 8, Elections BC will begin registration drives at malls, community centres, and post-secondary campuses. Enumerators will make door-to-door visits in new subdivisions and residential complexes. We want to ensure the voting process is as accessible as possible, says Archer. Updating the voters' list is an important part of that goal. Registered voters will receive a Where to Vote card from Elections BC, making the voting process faster and easier. Registration online and by phone is open until midnight on April 11. To do so online, go to elections.bc.ca/ovr, or register by phone at 1-800-661-8683. There are about 3.4 million eligible voters in B.C. Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Penticton's rich and exciting history is on display this week at the Cherry Lane Shopping Centre. The Penticton branch of the Okanagan Historical Society and others have a number of exhibits set up for Canada 150, My Canada, Heritage Week 2017. "Basically it's to allow people to learn about the history of the city and take a trip down memory lane," said Karen Collins, president of the local branch. And from now until Feb. 19, visitors are invited to view pictorial displays of the history of Penticton including hospitals, buildings associated with early businesses still in use today, post offices and schools and the history of a long existing business such as Berry & Smith Trucking Ltd. There is also a display of Canada Post artifacts, books on the Okanagan's history for sale and more. On Tuesday, Jim Leir, a longtime Penticton resident, proudly showed off an old blasting machine used in the early days in Penticton. While Jeff Pniowsky, a visitor from Winnipeg, walked from one display to the next. "It's always nice to see tangible things from history that are everyday life things," he said. "Like an old iron, you can put yourself in the shoes of someone who used it in the past." The display will be at the mall until 5 p.m., Sunday. If you're going to set world speed records on a production mountain bike, you need a few things: A complete lack of fear, a good bike, and a very funny looking aerodynamic suit. Max Stockl broke his own 2011 speed record, running down a 45 gravel slope in Chile's Atacama desert. Max topped just over 103 MPH on the run, breaking his old record of 102 MPH down the side of a volcano in Nicaragua. Photo: The Canadian Press A former federal cabinet minister has been appointed the B.C. government's trade envoy to try and reach a new softwood lumber deal with the United States. The province says David Emerson will also work with the federal government to get a new agreement. Emerson served in a number of federal cabinet portfolios for the Liberals and Conservatives including industry, foreign affairs and trade. As trade minister, Emerson signed the last softwood lumber agreement in 2006, ending the fourth Canada-U.S. lumber dispute. He also worked as CEO of lumber producer Canfor, which the province says gives him a "broad base of knowledge to defend B.C.'s forest policies" when negotiating with the U.S. Industry advocates and the provincial government have said they will try to convince American consumers and politicians that a fair softwood lumber deal is necessary to protect the U.S. from import restrictions and higher prices. Susan Yurkovich, president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, has warned that restrictions on Canada's lumber supply would cause house prices in the U.S. to spike, pushing home ownership out of the reach of some Americans. B.C. Premier Christy Clark said securing a new agreement matters to people across the province, particularly those who work in the forestry industry. "Defending those jobs for British Columbians is our absolute priority," she said at a news conference on Tuesday after the government's throne speech. Clark said Emerson will part of a team that is making sure B.C.'s case is "well-known and wisely argued" to the new U.S. administration. "He is probably the most skillful and knowledgeable person in this area that we could send down to the States on our behalf," she said. Emerson said in a statement that he's excited about his new post. "I am looking forward to working collaboratively with the B.C. lumber industry and Canadian ambassador to the U.S.A., David MacNaughton, as we defend B.C. companies, workers and communities against the false subsidy allegations made by the U.S. lumber industry," he said. Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer Archery equipment and other valuables were stolen from a vehicle on Quebec Street in Penticton on Sunday night. Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth said the rear window of the vehicle on the 2000 block of the street was smashed out and a Samick bow, arrows and a case were taken. A Garmin GPS and sunglasses was also stolen, making the estimated cost of items lost more than $2,000. There was nothing for the forensic identification unit to go on as the vehicle was already tidied up and the window taped when it was turned over to them, Wrigglesworth said. Photo: The Canadian Press Inderjit Singh Reyat The only man who was convicted in the Air India bombings has been released from his halfway house, and can now live where he likes. Inderjit Singh Reyat was described in a recent Parole Board of Canada ruling as highly accountable for his actions, which helped kill 331 people. On June 23, 1985, Air India Flight 182, which had departed from Vancouver, blew up near the coast of Ireland, killing all aboard. A second bomb blew up in a Japanese airport, killing two baggage handlers. Reyat was convicted of providing bomb parts that were used in the attacks and is serving a seven-year sentence for perjury for repeatedly lying during the high-profile trial. He never testified against the others who were involved in the bombing. Reyat was granted statutory release to a halfway house in January 2016. He served a 15-year sentence for manslaughter, possession of a restricted weapon, possession of explosives and making an explosive substance with the intent to cause an explosion. The parole board found that Reyat has developed anti-violence views since the bombing. "According to psychological assessments, your risk to re-offend is low. However, if there were a threat to your Sikh cause, your risk for future group violence is high," reads the parole boards Jan. 26 decision. Reyat is under several probationary conditions, including avoiding extremist propaganda and people he has reason to believe are involved in extremism, crime or politics. He must also undergo mental health counselling. - With files from CTV News Photo: The Canadian Press At churches, fairgrounds and other makeshift shelters, thousands of Californians packed what belongings they had into garbage bags and suitcases to return home Tuesday, two days after they were told to flee the threat of massive flooding from a dam's damaged spillway. They expressed relief as authorities lifted an evacuation order for nearly 200,000 residents who live below the nation's tallest dam. Some voiced frustration at how authorities handled the disaster that never happened. Others said they were playing it safe and staying put for now. Many were just happy to be heading home. "You don't appreciate home until it's taken away from you," said Oroville resident Margaret Johnston, 69, one of hundreds who had sought shelter at the Neighbourhood Church of Chico, northwest of her town. Johnston and others huddled around televisions to watch a live broadcast where Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the risk of the spillway collapsing was significantly reduced. But he said the region would remain under an evacuation warning, meaning residents needed to be ready to flee again if conditions worsen. "It was just frustrating. Very frustrating," Johnston said about the back-and-forth from officials and the mad rush to get out of Oroville after the evacuation order Sunday. She fled with her two sons, packing a few blankets, pillows and clothes into a black garbage bag. "It feels great to be going home," Johnston said. State water officials said they had drained enough of the lake behind Oroville Dam so that its earthen emergency spillway will not be needed to handle runoff from an approaching storm. "It's great, all of us can finally go home," said Pedro Mota of Gridley, who was staying at a Red Cross shelter at a fairground in Chico with his wife and four young children. He wasn't concerned by the on-again, off-again evacuation. "They're doing their job. They're going to know more than me," he said by telephone. "I'm just going to listen to them and follow their advice on it." Mota said he would be prepared if the sirens sound again. "I'm still going to play it by ear, head back home but still have things packed and ready to go just in case they make it mandatory," he said. Rod Remocal and his wife, Kelly, were taking the same cautious approach. "This time we're going to be on call like they said," said Remocal, who lives in Biggs, west of Oroville. Photo: The Canadian Press A Texas jury has found a neurosurgeon guilty Tuesday of maiming patients who had turned to him for surgery to resolve debilitating injuries. The verdict of the Dallas County jury on a first-degree felony charge of injury to an elderly person means 44-year-old Christopher Duntsch of Plano could be sentenced to five to 99 years or life in prison. He also could be given probation. The penalty phase of his trial began Tuesday afternoon. The Dallas Morning News reports the jury deliberated about four hours before deciding on its verdict. The indictment accused Duntsch of wide-ranging malpractice that included improper placement of screws and plates along patients' spines, a sponge left in another patient and a major vein cut in another. Records also showed that he operated on the wrong part of a patient's spine, damaged nerves and left one woman with chronic pain and dependent on a wheelchair. Prosecutors had accused Duntsch of maiming four patients and causing the death of at least two between July 2012 and June 2013. They say Duntsch's hands and surgical tools amounted to "deadly weapons" contended that Duntsch "intentionally, knowingly and recklessly" harmed up to 15 of his patients. Prosecutors said Duntsch said in a 2011 email to his girlfriend that he would "become a cold-blooded killer." Duntsch's attorneys argued that Duntsch was not a criminal but just a lousy surgeon committing malpractice in chaotic operating rooms in hospitals in Dallas and its northern suburbs. They also said the tone of the email to his girlfriend was unclear could have been meant as sarcasm. Photo: Contributed UPDATE: 9:45 a.m. A driver who was attacked while behind the wheel of a BC Transit bus acted heroically, says the local union president. "I'm stunned," said Scott Lovell, president the the Amalgamated Transit Union 1722. He said the Highway 97 Express bus was moving when the female driver was "cold-cocked" in the head. The passenger then climbed over her and out the window. "I'm so proud of the operator that she was able to safely pull the bus over after she got punched in the head. Can you imagine if she had been knocked out and that 20-ton bus went flying into another vehicle can you imagine what would have happened?" He said the attack happened because the bus driver tried to ensure the passenger had a valid pass or transfer. Lovell said a bus shield would have prevented the assault from happening. Instead, surveillance cameras have been installed on transit buses, which Lovell said is not a deterrent. "We still don't have any bus shields. We were promised that back in September," he said. The assault is particularly upsetting, coming in the wake of the fatal stabbing of a bus driver by a passenger in Winnipeg this week. ORIGINAL: 9:20 a.m. A transit driver was sucker punched in the head by an angry passenger on Family Day. "The bus operator did not require any medical treatment at the scene for the injuries she sustained, which are considered to be relatively minor in nature," says RCMP Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey. Police say the assault happened at about at about 12:30 p.m while the bus was stopped at the Highway 97 South and Hudson Road bus exchange. "Investigators will be conducting a review of the bus' on board video surveillance cameras for any evidence to further their ongoing investigation," said Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey. Police say the suspect is described as a young aboriginal male, with dark hair and poor complexion. He was wearing a dark hoodie, shorts and white runners. He was carrying a large backpack. Anyone with information is asked to contact the West Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2800 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Isabelle M. Graham Isabelle M. Graham, 93, of Mechanicsburg passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 at the Church of God Home in Carlisle where she was attending for rehab. She was born on April 13, 1923 in Mechanicsburg, PA to the late Mary (Heiges) and Verne Shur. After her mother passed away while Isabelle was an infant; she was lovingly raised by her grandparents Emma and Calvin Shur. Isabelle retired from the New Cumberland Army Depot with over 25 years of service. She was so proud to be a 1940 graduate of Mechanicsburg High School and enjoyed the yearly reunions with her classmates. Isabelle was a devoted Army wife to her husband Lee for 26 years. She enjoyed their deployments and work experiences in Japan, Alaska, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. After retirement, Isabelle enjoyed taking trips and visiting historical places. She enjoyed watching westerns on TV and loved watching her birds on the feeder as well as the ducks at Boiling Springs Lake. Attending Tai Chi classes at the Senior Center was a very special activity for her. She enjoyed spending time with her family at numerous picnics and holiday get togethers. Isabelle was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 65 years, Lee W. Graham of Boiling Springs. She is survived by her 4 children: Jerry L. and wife Donna Graham of Mechanicsburg, Judy L. and husband Donald Bogart of Long Beach, California, William S. and the late Diane Graham of Camp Hill, and Jeffery C. and wife Paula Graham of Mechanicsburg. In addition to her children, Isabelle is survived by her half-brother Verne Shur, Jr. of Mechanicsburg, her seven grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Isabelle is at peace now, leaving this earth on Valentines Day to be with the love of her life Lee, and reuniting with her mother she never got to know. Two months shy of her 94th birthday, Isabelle lived a full life filled with lots of love and laughter. Funeral services will be held 11:00 AM Friday, February 17, 2017 at Malpezzi Funeral Home, Mechanicsburg with Pastor Mike Langford officiating. Burial will take place at Mechanicsburg Cemetery. Viewing will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 AM Friday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Grace United Methodist Church, 216 South Market Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. www.MalpezziFuneralHome.com Castanet viewers have been sharing their slices of Canadiana. First, Elizabeth Shepherd sent in photos of a majestic mother moose wandering the pristine West Kelowna forest with her calf. Now, Ruth Lamb sent in video of an awkward beaver near Okanagan College on KLO Road. "This past weekend I decided to walk to a client's house instead of drive and this is what I saw," said the realtor. She caught video of the beaver reaching gingerly for a plant. "You know that awkward moment when you wave at someone thinking you know them and you dont you just pretend you were doing something else." Send in your photos and video to [email protected] Photo: Flickr/BC Gov't Fresh off the upcoming budget and heading into this spring's provincial election, Premier Christy Clark will address the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce next week. Clark, MLA for Westside-Kelowna, will recap the budget document in her luncheon speech at the Delta Grand Hotel on Feb. 24. In this week's throne speech, Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon, said the government is promising financial relief for taxpayers in what is expected to be the BC Liberals' fifth consecutive balanced budget. It will be tabled on Tuesday. At the chamber lunch, Clark will provide the city's business community with an overview of the budget and an update on the state of B.C.'s economy. Clark will also take questions from the audience following her speech. Tickets are $50 for chamber members, $75 for non-members and can be purchased at www.kelownachamber.org/events. Photo: Thinkstock.com West Kelowna council has given first reading to a zoning bylaw amendment that it hopes will begin a discussion around marijuana production in the community. The changes further regulate and provide clarity for commercial medical marijuana facilities, ensuring the commercial production, processing, storage and distribution falls within a single definition. Amendments exclude the growing of marijuana in greenhouses and nurseries, and require air filtration and security measures for commercial production facilities. Proposed changes will now be circulated among many agencies within the city, including the RCMP, Interior Health and the Board of Trade before coming back for second reading and a public hearing. "I recognize the need and the place for medical marijuana and support that, but I believe it is important as a municipality that we follow the provincial and federal legislation in this regard," said Coun. Rick de Jong. "I'm hesitant to get too carried away with what the new federal legislation might, or might not look like. We'll know in due course." As for public discussion, Mayor Doug Findlater is pleased that will be part of the process. "I think we will get varied points of view just as there are some various points of view on our council," said Findlater. "I think we have to come to grips with the current problem, and it may change, but right now, we've had a very clear statement from the RCMP. It's illegal. There is no tolerance, and we're tolerating it. I'm pleased to work with the RCMP on this." While council waits for the bylaw to return to the table, Coun. Duane Ophus has a message for the federal government: show some leadership. "This issue is costing our municipality, and probably every other municipality across Canada, a lot of money a very significant amount of money. "Our friends in the federal government, and their lack of leadership on this whole subject is really disconcerting. I think we need to hear from everybody... get your act together and decide how to proceed and show some leadership on this subject." The feds are expected to announce measures soon that would legalize marijuana. Photo: Contributed UPDATE: Feb. 20, 12:35 p.m. Police say Elisha Dawn Nixon-Barron has been found. "The West Kelowna RCMP is pleased to confirm that the 24-year-old woman reported missing had been located over the weekend. Thanks to the media and public for your assistance," said RCMP in a statement. UPDATE: Feb. 16, 8:35 a.m. Kelowna RCMP confirm they are also searching for Elisha Dawn Nixon-Barron. The 24-year-old was last seen in West Kelowna on Feb. 9, and a fundraising campaign is underway to send her mom to the Okanagan to search for the woman. "There is nothing to indicate foul play at this time and police believe she is either in Kelowna or West Kelowna," said police in a statement. "Since Elishas disappearance, police have followed up on several leads and possible sightings. However, Elisha remains missing." RCMP say they are very concerned for her health and well-being. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to contact police, or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown. ORIGINAL: Feb. 15 A campaign is raising money to send a worried mother to the Kelowna area to search for her missing daughter. Elisha Dawn Nixon-Barron, 24, has been missing since Feb. 9. "We are all very concerned for her well-being," says the GoFundMe campaign. "Every donation big or small will be a great help in aiding to find her and return her home safe!" It appears no official RCMP release has yet been sent. However, information has been posted to a website set up to help find missing people in B.C. "She was last seen in West Kelowna. She is living a high-risk life style and doesnt know many people in Kelowna. She is from Winnipeg. She has a large chest tattoo with a heart and wings," says BC Missing Person. NixonBarron has blue eyes and dark hair. She is about 5-foot-3 and 120 pounds. If you have any info, contact her mother Lesley Nixon through Facebook or the Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2880. Dear Editor: In news coverage and on Facebook, Sen. Pat Toomey blamed clogged phones and email at his office on a flood of calls and emails by paid persons from outside of Pennsylvania. Don't believe it or forget that he said it. Although some supported confirmation, the vast number of commenters to his Facebook page, thousands of voters who provided their zip codes, begged him not to vote for DeVos, a ridiculously unqualified candidate for Secretary of Education. Angry voters raised $71,000 in five days on GoFundMe to "Buy Pat Toomey's Vote" (actually donated to education and arts charities in Pennsylvania). In emails, Toomey claimed to support DeVos because of her commitment to school choice. But recent news articles tell us that even leading school choice advocates were against her confirmation. In hearings she was evasive, condescending, and demonstrated an abysmal lack of knowledge of legal protections for children with disabilities, educational assessment, and administration. It also appears she used several sentences and phrases from other sources without attribution in responses to the Senate's questionnaire. Far from assuaging doubts, her testimony raised still more. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents were able to come together on one thing Betsy DeVos is not qualified. None of that mattered to Pat Toomey. He put aside his conscience and his responsibilities, demonstrating that he represents no one except special interests. The people of Pennsylvania were sold out with this confirmation. Whether or not you wanted him to vote for DeVos, Toomey's mind was made before he heard from any of us. If he voted your way, don't be fooled into thinking your voice will be heard when you disagree it won't. The children of Pennsylvania and the country were sold out for a fat campaign contribution and the power it lent, under the cover of an election that is five and three-quarter years away. Chris Martin Carlisle Netziv (Shemos 34:10) We need to explicate the manner of Divine Providence. There are two types which four. 1) there are two by means of ... My sefer Yad Moshe has been unavailable in seforim stores. However it was recently reprinted and shipped to New York There are two distrubu... In the last few days I have encountered learned and frum Litvaks who claimed it was essential to be happy and smiling all the time An... Important!! email - yadmoshe@gmail.com : FIR; The Farmington Press opens the doors to a new chapter on Thursday with the opening of the offices at 227 E. Columbia St. in downtown Farmington. A ribbon cutting with the Farmington Regional Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Thursday. This opening of the new Farmington building marks an important step in our newspapers future, explained Daily Journal Publisher Eugene Jackson, who also serves as publisher of the Farmington Press and Democrat News. We are focused and committed to beautifying our communities we serve as well as making our employees daily work environment world-class. We are a media company now, not just a newspaper. That being said, the newspaper in Farmington has a long history in the community and will continue to have a strong presence in Farmington for many years to come. This move makes that happen. We moved into a more modern-feeling environment for our readers, customers and employees. Thank you, Farmington, for letting us be a part of your daily and weekly life. Daily Journal Managing Editor Doug Smith said the new location helps staff continue to tell the stories of Farmington. We always want to maintain a news presence in Farmington, he said. Even though weve been transitioning between offices there, Editor Shawnna Robinson and reporter Craig Vaughn have remained very much attuned to what was happening day to day. It will be much easier for them to do their respective jobs now that theyre back in place in an office right in the heart of the community. The move for the office is blocks down from where the Roberts brothers started the paper in 1928. The new space brings a bit of Farmington Press history into the 21st century. There are framed front pages from newspapers past hanging in a comfortable seating area for visitors. Parking for the new location is conveniently located across the street near the Farmington Fire Department and steps away from additional downtown parking areas. For sale signs were hung on the former Daily Journal/Farmington Press building at 218 N. Washington St. in November of last year. After years of considering the idea, the decision was made to sell the large, under-utilized space and relocate the editorial and customer service staff to a more fitting, updated location. The Daily Journal has its main operations at 1513 St. Joe Drive in Park Hills, but has staff in place at both the Farmington and Fredericktown offices to handle any customer needs regarding any of the three different newspapers, as well as a weekly real estate guide, free weekly shopper and other niche publications. We are also currently remodeling our Park Hills Daily Journal building from the inside out to again help beautify our communities we serve, Jackson said. For several years the former Farmington Press/Daily Journal building at 218 N. Washington St. was an improper fit for the services being provided there. The actual printing of both papers, as well as the Democrat News and non-company owned papers in Ironton and Ste. Genevieve and other periodicals and sales inserts ceased and those operations were moved to other locations. Even the office space at the Farmington location was far more area to heat and cool than was being utilized. Such was also the case for a large parking lot which for the most part sat empty but still required upkeep. For a time the Farmington Chamber of Commerce leased office space in the building while building a new office next door. At the new location, customers will be able to purchase the latest issue or back copies of all of the companys papers, as well as place classifieds, drop off community calendar items or other notices, and handle any other services for the three papers. After months of anticipation, the day has arrived for the latest chapter in the story of the Farmington Press to be written, said Robinson. Weve played a vital role in the community since the founding of the Farmington Press by Cecil W. and John Roberts in 1928. I look forward to our readers visiting us in our new location, reliving the history and celebrating what lies ahead. We thank you so much for your support and patience through the exciting changes. This will align us to be in Farmington for many years to come. Customers wishing to reach the office by phone or email for editorial, circulation or advertising issues can use the same phone numbers and email addresses as always. The main number is 573-756-8927 and the email addresses are srobinson@farmingtonpressonline.com and cvaughn@farmingtonpressonline.com. Additional contact email addresses included receptionist Marsha Nicholson at mnicholson@farmingtonpressonline.com, Classified Advertising and Employment Specialist Sarah Jones at sjones@dailyjournalonline.com and Account Manager/Digital Media Specialist Ashlee Fears at afears@dailyjournalonline.com. On Monday morning, charges were filed against two individuals police believe are responsible for the murder of 51-year-old Frank Ancona. Malissa Ancona, 44, of Leadwood, is being charged with a class A felony of murder in the first degree, felony armed criminal action, a class D felony of tampering with physical evidence and a class D felony of abandonment of a corpse. Her son, Paul Jinkerson Jr., 24, of Belgrade, is also being charged with a class A felony of murder in the first degree, felony armed criminal action, a class D felony of tampering with physical evidence and a class D felony of abandonment of a corpse. According to a probable cause statement, on Feb. 9 a homicide occurred at the Ancona home, located at 1124 Mill St. in Leadwood. Frank Ancona was shot and killed inside the bedroom area. Investigators believe he was shot first with a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, which was followed up with a shot from a 12-gauge shotgun. His body was then placed in Jinkerson's vehicle. Frank Anconas body and his car were taken to Washington County and dumped. His car was found in the Mark Twain National Forest on a service road. His body was found in the Belgrade area near Big River off Route C. A search warrant was served at the Ancona home on Feb. 11, which revealed extensive blood evidence in the master bedroom. Malissa Ancona was present at the home prior to and during the service of the search warrant. St. Francois County Prosecutor Jerrod Mahurin said blood was found in the home as well as on the sidewalk. I think that was what gave the officers enough information and probable cause to go in, said Mahurin. She did attempt to clean inside the home, the different areas, and not very well I would say. She did try to conceal a lot of blood evidence that was inside the home. The mattress was soaked almost completely through. There was blood in different spots on the walls, the ceiling and there were spots on the floor. When asked if the different areas with blood indicated he was dragged through the house, Mahurin said that was probably the case. They drug him from one end of the house to the other and I think they went out the back door, because they had to pull the cars around back, said Mahurin. The investigator who wrote the report stated that Malissa Ancona admitted to him in an audio/video recorded interview that her biological son, Paul Jinkerson Jr., shot and killed Frank Ancona while he was asleep in the bedroom. Malissa Ancona also admitted that she failed to report the crime and attempted to destroy evidence and altered the crime scene in an attempt to conceal what had happened. Mahurin stressed he doesnt think the attack had to do with Frank Ancona's affiliation to the KKK. When asked if the duo gave any indication of their motive, the prosecutor said the only thing they were able to discern was that it was a domestic matter. There was talk of divorce, and from that point the talk led to the shooting, explained Mahurin. Malissa Ancona was taken into custody Saturday for questioning after the search warrant was served on her home. She was later released and picked up a second time late Sunday evening on a 20-hour hold for investigation. When the forest service worker found Frank Ancona's car in Washington County, the car had been completely cleaned and wiped down. The officer said there was almost a chemical smell, like with cleaning fluids, and that was one of the things they noted when they found the car. They later discovered a burn pile next to it. There was a burn pile with clothes in it within a few feet of the car. Mahurin said they have located both of the firearms used. One of them was in St. Francois County and one was in Washington County, said Mahurin. Whether there were any other guns, I dont know. Its my understanding he was shot first with a 9 mm, and would have been shot with a shotgun afterwards. An autopsy was conducted Sunday on Frank Ancona's remains, which confirmed he died as result of a gunshot to the head. Mahurin added he has been asked about Frank Ancona having some prescription pills in the house. It is my understanding he did have his pills. I dont know what kind they were, but I do know there were pain pills of some kind, a controlled substance, stated Mahurin. He did have (the prescription) filled the day before the murder happened. I dont think they had anything to do with murder, but again that was one of the things that was missing (from the home) and we were able to confirm that. Jinkerson was initially arrested on an unrelated drug warrant while his home and vehicle was being searched. Mahurin said from what he understands Malissa Ancona may have been dealing with addiction issues as well. When asked if he thought mental illness played a part in Frank Ancona's murder or would come up in court, Mahurin answered he doesn't believe it will be a factor in the case. I was there for just a portion of her interview and watched through the closed circuit, said Mahurin. I didnt see anything, there was no talk of (mental illness) and there is nothing that I know of at this point to believe it would head in that direction. Mahurin said his guess would be that any attorney who gets her case will probably file for a change of venue and they will probably look at giving her a psychiatric evaluation to try to mitigate anything that happened. He added Jinkerson was supposed to be moved from Washington County to the St. Francois County Jail on Monday afternoon. They should both be arraigned in coming days. A bond reduction hearing has been set for Malissa Ancona on Feb. 28. They are currently being held without bond. A Park Hills woman was rescued from her burning home at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Park Hills resident Richard Cowell Jr. was visiting his sister when she pointed out there was smoke coming from her neighbors house in the 600 block of Fourth Street as he was getting ready to leave. I was coming out to my car and these two, (Jennifer Cowell and Chasity Pierce), saw smoke coming out of her house, explained Richard. She was just standing at the doorway and I ran down there and grabbed her. I put her out because she was on fire and burned my hand. Richard said she was standing in the doorway and the fire was rolling out of the house. He added she was out of it and he tried to talk to her, but she didnt respond. I just pulled her out the rest of the way, said Richard. I am just glad she is alright. She was just standing there dazed and I told her we have to move. Jennifer said she took over once they had the woman in the yard. I was kind of pushing her and I know she cant walk that fast, said Jennifer. I just told her we had to get out of the yard because the house was in flames. Her whole back was burnt and her head I took her jacket off. Richard said he patted her out because her whole back was on fire. He added he did not throw her on the ground due to her age. Jennifer said her sister-in-law, Chasity, gave the woman her jacket to cover her up and they managed to get her to their front porch. I told her the house didnt matter, said Jennifer. You are OK, you are alive and that is all that matters. Things can be replaced, but people you cant. Jennifer said at one point there was as loud explosion and the air conditioner flew out of the window, blowing glass everywhere. St. Francois County Ambulance District Administrator David Tetrault said the woman was 74 years old. He said 15 percent of her back and head has burns. She was conscious, alert and disoriented, but she was talking to us, explained Tetrault. She is going to be taken to Mercy-St. Louis for her burns. She did have some smoke inhalation so that is why she is being taken to a Level 1 burn center at Mercy-St. Louis. Tetrault said they had to prep her for the flight before they transported her because they weren't sure how deep the injury goes and they had to follow protocol. Pain management and airway management are the biggest thing in burn victims because within the first eight to 10 hours they are going to need fluid replacement and pain management ... he said. Tetrault said it depends on how hot the fire was and how long the exposure was or how long they had been in the house, so if they dont know those factors they have to go by protocol. Her age can also play a factor because you never know what her other medical problems are either, said Tetrault. Park Hills Fire Captain Jason Harris said when they arrived at the home there was heavy flames coming out of the front and side of the home. At the time the electric was connected to the house and the gas was shut off, said Harris. The electric line burned off the house and popped. Ameren was called out and Missouri Natural Gas came out to check the meter and make sure there were no leaks. I am waiting to hear back from him. Harris said once the fire got into the attic, it just kind of rolled through the back even though it never really got to the back of house other than the attic. Trying to salvage the back side of the house was impossible, said Harris. We did have one firefighter who may have has smoke inhalation and was being checked out just to be sure. We dont want anyone to get hurt. Assisting the Park Hills Fire Department were Desloge, Leadington, Farmington and Big River Fire Departments. The fire marshal's office was also contacted, even though the woman said she was smoking and must have missed the ashtray dropping the cigarette into a wastebasket full of tissues. Harris said they dont know that for sure and wanted it to be checked out anyway. Saturday 1 p.m. UPDATE: Washington County Sheriff Zach Jacobsen has confirmed they have found the vehicle and are still at the scene investigating the disappearance of Leadwood resident Frank Ancona. The area where Anconas car was found is a very large heavily wooded area in the Mark Twain National Forest. We are still seeking the whereabouts of Mr. Ancona and we have requested the assistance of the Missouri State Highway Patrol with processing the crime scene and they are here now, said Jacobsen. We are still way back here at this location and are processing the vehicle. We are working this case in conjunction with the sheriffs office in Washington County, St. Francois County Sheriffs Office is involved, the Leadwood Police Department and then the state highway patrol. ORIGINAL STORY: A Leadwood man went missing several days ago and it appears to be under suspicious circumstances. Frank Ancona, 51, was last seen Wednesday morning. Then Friday evening it was learned that Ancona's car had been found in a remote area of Washington County. A preliminary search of the area did not turn up the missing man, but due to nightfall the scene was secured to be searched more thoroughly on Saturday morning. Leadwood Police Chief William Dickey said his officers were told by Malissa Ancona, Franks wife, that she saw him last on Wednesday leaving to go to work around 8:30 to 9 a.m. in the morning. I have talked to other people who are claiming its more along the lines of 6 a.m., explained Dickey. His wife, Malissa, has stated he got a call from his workplace and he needed to drive across the state to deliver a part, which is what he does for a living, he delivers vehicle parts. So that was the last time she had seen him and he has not made contact with any family members. The son states he always talks to his father and so does the daughter. Dickey said Franks place of employment reached out to them and that is how they found out he was missing. His employer is stating they did not send him on a run across the state. We were getting ready to put a stop and hold out on her as well, because we werent able to make contact with her, Dickey said of Ancona's wife. So my officer called me at home and said he was getting ready to contact the Missouri State Highway Patrol in reference to this. I told him that I would just come on over and we would go on in, because he was assuming and thinking that he was dead inside the house. Dickey said when he got to the home Malissa was sitting in the driveway with her son, getting ready to go inside. She was a little hesitant to let us go into the house at first, said Dickey. She said she didnt really want us going in, but after talking to her in detail about what we were there for, she let us inside. We found a safe that looked like somebody had taken a crowbar to it and beat the side out of the safe. Everything was missing from inside the safe. Right now I dont believe it was a burglary, because she didnt want to report anything. Frank is described as a 51-year-old man with short brown hair, brown eyes, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds. He drives a 2015 black Ford Fusion, which was located in the remote area of Washington County on Friday evening. Right now we are investigating and trying to get more information from his wife and trying to contact her son, his stepson, added Dickey. She was the last one to have any kind of contact with him and it just so happened that when we pulled up to the house we found his stepson with her and he hardly ever comes around this residence. Dickey said he questioned Malissa about a Facebook post she wrote looking for a roommate and she said she posted that the day that Frank left. She stated she did it because when he said he was leaving to go out of state on this job he took a bag of clothes with him and said when he got back he was filing for divorce, said Dickey. She told us she figured she would need help to pay the rent, so she put an ad out looking for a roommate. Dickey said all of Franks firearms that were in the home are missing and Malissa said he took them with him. His family, which lives next door, states no, he wouldnt have taken all of his firearms with him, said Dickey. The gun he usually carries on him on a daily basis was left in the house and she turned it over to us. The Daily Journal will bring more details as they become available. Anyone with any information on Ancona's disappearance or his whereabouts is asked to call Central Dispatch at 573-431-3131. 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TVA joined with Southern Adventist University, Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority, Prova Group, and GreenCommuter for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the university. Thanks to a unique partnership, the on-campus student parking area is now home to a solar canopy containing 20kW of solar enrolled in TVAs Dispersed Power Production solar program, four charging ports for electric vehicles and two all-electric Nissan LEAFs available for car sharing services under GreenCommuters Chattanooga program. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, sponsors spoke to university dignitaries, faculty, campus leaders, students, and media representatives about the collaborative partnership that created Chattanoogas first city-wide solar-assisted electric vehicle car sharing program. The innovative combination of all-electric car sharing and dedicated charging stations at SAU represents one of more than 20 locations around the greater Chattanooga area that host either solar, electric vehicle charging stations or car sharing Nissan LEAFs. When not in use for car sharing operations, the electric vehicle charging stations are open to the public to charge their personal electric vehicles. College campuses like Southern Adventist University represent a great opportunity to combine solar charging stations with an all-electric car sharing service, because parking is usually constrained, and some students elect to sacrifice convenience by leaving a vehicle at home, said Drew Frye, power utilization engineer in Technology Innovation and project lead for TVA . Having access to affordable, clean-powered transportation as they need it for doctors appointments, grocery shopping, transportation to and from work, the mall or downtown is a valuable service for these students. The solar charging project is one of 11 projects that TVA agreed several years ago with the EPA to undertake. EnergyRight Solutions has oversight of the projects, which support TVAs vision for low-cost and cleaner energy. Green Commuter is a membership-based, fully automated platform where individuals and businesses have 24/7 access to a network of electric vehicles via their smart phone. Members can rent a vehicle on an as-needed basis, paying only for the time they reserve. Green Commuter pays for the electricity, insurance, parking, and maintenance. It's like owning a car without the financial responsibility of car ownership. Click here to learn more about this innovative program. More than a year before the fair, this much is certain: analytica 2018 is very popular among exhibitors. Some 14 months before the next exhibition is set to begin, more than 230 companies have already registered to participate in the International Trade Fair for Laboratory Technology, Analysis and Biotechnology. The exhibition is being accompanied by a supporting program that promotes the transfer of know-how at the highest level. analytica takes place at the Messe Munchen trade-fair center from April 1013, 2018. More than 230 exhibitors from 22 countries have already registered for the next analyticathat is 26.4 percent more than at this same point in time prior to the 2016 fair (in 2015: 182). 36.2 percent of the applications received to date are from countries other than Germany. Exhibitors include leading international manufacturers such as Agilent, Akzo Nobel, Analytik Jena, Buchi, Mettler Toledo, Netzsch, Olympus, Perkin Elmer and Waters. In addition, large joint international exhibits, among other things from China and Korea, have also been announced. As a result, the trend that has been noticeable at previous exhibitionscompanies registering for analytica early and in large numbersappears to be continuing. Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy CEO of Messe Munchen, sums things up: The fact that manufacturers are expressing this much interest in analytica 14 months prior to the fair confirms that analytica is Number 1 in the industry. It covers the entire value chain in the laboratory sector in its entire breadth and depth. No other trade show in the world has a portfolio of equipment, techniques, services and innovations for the laboratory that is as comprehensive as that of analytica in Munich. Leading international trade fair received top marks from exhibitors The fact that exhibitors were satisfied with having participated in analytica 2016 and with the business that they initiated there was also reflected in an exhibitor survey that was conducted by the independent opinion research institute Gelszus Messe-Marktforschung GmbH. Susanne Grodl on the results of the analytica 2016 survey: 97 percent of exhibitors were satisfied or very satisfied with having participated in the fair, and 95 percent said that they wanted to participate again in 2018. For us, that is naturally an incentive to increase the quality of the fair, something that our exhibitors have come to expect, to a new level for analytica 2018. Exhibitors should be able to conduct the best business in the world at the largest industry gathering in the world. We want to enthrall our exhibitors with the trade visitors' internationality, quality and investment potential. analytica a driving force behind innovations and a source of momentum In addition to allocating stand space, preparations for the supporting program and the scientific conference are moving ahead at full speed. Keynotes from leading scientists from Germany and abroad and 1,839 participantstwelve percent more than in 2014that is the record of success of the analytica conference in 2016. The conference promises to be a scientific highlight of analytica again in 2018. Experts will report on the latest developments in analysis in their presentations. They will cover the entire range of topics, from fundamental research to applicationsand do so in nearly all application sectors, from material analysis and bioanalysis to food analysis and pharmaceutical analysis. The Live Labs will also continue their success story in 2018. Well-known manufacturers give live demonstrations of their products and in various applications on the topics of food and material analysis. The extensive supporting program including Finance Day, Personalized Medicine and JobDay will also be continued in 2018 and expanded to include a number of trending topics. Whether it comes to the analytica conference, Live Labs, special shows or the forum program: The supporting program will give attendees a comprehensive look at the latest products in the laboratory community and at the future of laboratories. Because of diverse backgrounds and ideas, discussing problems and goals in a group setting can be a valuable way to get things done. Too often, meetings fall apart because they arent structured correctly, experts say. (PeopleImages.com / Getty Images) PITTSBURGH For millions of workers who attend frequent meetings, the ritual gatherings often can feel like a waste of time. "People find meetings generally to be unpleasant," said Aimee Kane, associate professor of management at Duquesne University's Palumbo Donahue School of Business. "Meetings can be notorious for wasting time." Advertisement But it doesn't have to be that way. Because of diverse backgrounds and ideas, discussing problems and goals in a group setting can be a valuable way to get things done. Too often, meetings fall apart because they aren't structured correctly, experts say. Advertisement For starters, they should have a clear purpose that's communicated to participants in advance so everyone has time to prepare, Kane said. It's also important to use techniques to encourage equal participation, such as calling on everyone in the room in turn. Otherwise, "Because of rank or personality, one person might dominate the meeting," she said. Nisha Nair, clinical assistant professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business, advocates "brain writing," in which all participants write ideas on index cards that are then circulated to the group. The technique helps counteract "group think," or the desire to maintain anonymity in groups, which tends to stop people from speaking up and sharing their true opinions, she said. Brain writing "forces everyone to be engaged and generates more ideas," she said. It's also helpful to write ideas on a board so people remember them, and then rank them, Kane said. That way, "You see what people really prefer, not just who is talking the loudest." In general, meeting face-to-face will be more productive than conference calls or email discussions, which are prone to misunderstandings, Kane said. Working Lunch Weekdays Get the latest business news headlines, delivered to your inbox midday weekdays. > It's also important to reduce the frequency of meetings by handling simple tasks outside of the room. For example, use email to circulate information or get people to sign off on a project, she said. Advertisement "I think the frustration with meetings has to do with the limitations of the human mind to process information and do it in a social setting," Kane said. "That's why when we structure them, we get better results." For networking professional Berny Dohrmann, the most critical ingredient is setting up a system of rewards to recognize employees' contributions. "Too many meetings are organized around punishment 'Sales are down and we have to get them up or you are fired,'" said Dohrmann, who knows a bit about punishment, having spent 18 months in federal prison in the mid-1990s in connection with a defaulted junk bond. "Find ways to use praise and recognition (for performers) and others will conform to get the praise," said Dohrmann, who for nearly 30 years has been running CEO Space, a Florida-based conference and networking company for business owners. "They will like coming to meetings because they like showing results and know they will get (recognized)." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Tribune News Service Energy giant Exelon is confident that an attempt to derail a law that could help subsidize two of its downstate nuclear power plants won't hold up in federal court. A group of the Chicago-based company's competitors filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Illinois regulators, alleging the new state law that created the subsidies intrudes on federal authority to regulate wholesale energy prices. Advertisement "All the nuclear plants and all our member plants are selling in the wholesale market," said John E. Shelk, president and CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association, one of the plaintiffs in the case. "We compete against each other; we get the same price." Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill in December that could allow Exelon subsidiary Commonwealth Edison to collect up to $235 million a year from customers to keep open financially struggling nuclear plants in Clinton and near the Quad Cities. The law was designed to cap rate increases at an average of 25 cents a month over 10 years for ComEd's residential customers, but opponents said the hike could cost more than $4 a month. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 The north entrance to the Exelon nuclear power plant in Cordova, Ill., is seen Oct. 7, 2011. Exelon says it will shut two Illinois nuclear plants after the Illinois legislature did not act on its request for financial support. The Chicago-based power provider said June 2, 2016, that it will close the Clinton Power Station in Clinton on June 1, 2017, and the Quad Cities Generating Station in Cordova on June 1, 2018. (Paul Colletti / AP) Shelk said the law allows Exelon to get a side payment from customers for just two plants that otherwise would have failed. Exelon has "very deep pockets," Shelk said. "Our members are on the other side. This is David vs. Goliath." Another of the plaintiffs, Houston-based Dynegy, had been hoping for a subsidy in the law, called the Future Energy Jobs Act. It was cut as Exelon tried to win support from environmental groups. Dynegy has 12 power stations in Illinois, most of them fueled by coal, according to its website. Exelon, which was not named as a defendant in the suit, disagrees with the allegations. The company has said the subsidies are warranted because nuclear plants like subsidized wind and solar power don't emit carbon pollution that contributes to climate change. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's ability to regulate wholesale prices "does not relate to the clean-air attributes that are being recognized in this program," said Joe Dominguez, executive vice president of governmental and regulatory affairs and public policy for Exelon. The company isn't worried that the court could take issue with the subsidies, he said. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, names Illinois Power Agency Director Anthony Star and a handful of Illinois Commerce Commission members as defendants. The power companies that brought the suit along with Electric Power Supply Association and Dynegy are Eastern Generation, NRG Energy and Calpine. Star declined to comment. The Illinois Commerce Commission "is currently reviewing the allegations contained in the complaint and will respond appropriately in the proper forum," spokeswoman Marianne Manko said in an emailed statement. Advertisement The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, a group of environmental, business and faith organizations, put out a statement defending the new law, saying the lawsuit "will not stop Illinois from implementing the biggest clean energy breakthrough in its history." "(The) lawsuit suggests that big polluting industries would rather shackle Illinoisans to higher costs and dangerous fuels of the past rather than invest in Illinois' bright clean energy future," according to the statement. The allegations in Tuesday's lawsuit are similar to those in a suit filed in federal court in Manhattan in October seeking to reverse a subsidy for several struggling upstate New York nuclear plants. As in Illinois, the energy companies and trade associations that brought the New York case argued that the subsidy violated federal authority to regulate energy prices. Exelon has controlling stakes in three of the nuclear plants involved in the New York subsidy and is acquiring the fourth. That case, which shares some plaintiffs with the Illinois case, is still pending. amarotti@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @AllyMarotti A traveler gathers his luggage at San Francisco International Airport. U.S.-based airlines reported the lowest rate of lost or mishandled luggage since the data were first collected in 1987. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press) U .S.-based airlines last year had the lowest rate of lost luggage, canceled flights and passengers getting bumped off overbooked planes in decades, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported Tuesday. But the number of discrimination complaints from passengers rose sharply in 2016 compared with the previous year, the federal agency reported. Advertisement The rate of lost or mishandled luggage was 2.7 for every 1,000 passengers in 2016, down from the rate of 3.13 in 2015. It was the lowest rate since the Transportation Department began keeping track of the data in 1987. Seattle-based Alaska Airline had the biggest drop in the rate of lost luggage. Advertisement Airlines for America, a trade group for the nation's biggest carriers, said airlines have been investing heavily in the last few years to improve their products and services, including new airplanes and luggage management systems. "Airlines share the same goals as our customers, which is to deliver passengers and their luggage to and from their destination as safely and efficiently as possible," said Vaughn Jennings, a spokesman for the group. The rate of flights canceled last year dropped to 1.17%, down from 1.5% in 2015 the lowest rate in 22 years of comparable data, the agency reported. The rate of passengers denied boarding from overbooked flights dropped to 0.62 per 10,000 passengers in 2016, the lowest rate since 1995. Industry experts noted that severe weather is usually to blame for most cancellations, and airlines faced fewer storms in 2016 than in previous years. But not all airline statistics for 2016 were positive. The number of discrimination complaints filed by passengers against U.S. and international carriers jumped to 94 last year, compared with 65 in 2015, a 45% increase. Of those complaints, 65 passengers said they were discriminated because of race, 12 because of national origin and eight based on religion, according to the Transportation Department. Seven complaints alleged sex discrimination and two were "regarding color." "Our members do not tolerate discrimination in any form and, in fact, have been working collaboratively with DOT, civil rights organizations and other stakeholders to ensure the well-being of everyone who takes to the skies," Jennings said. hugo.martin@latimes.com Advertisement To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter. Shoppers browse the Bucktown neighborhood Shinola store in 2015. The brand is planning a second Chicago store, in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) Shinola is opening a second Chicago store in the Gold Coast neighborhood this summer. The company, known for Detroit-made watches and bicycles, is headed to Rush Street in July, according to Shinola's website. Advertisement Crain's Chicago Business first reported the news Wednesday. Shinola opened its first Chicago store, which will remain open, in Bucktown in 2014. Advertisement "Our Bucktown store is thriving but we always had plans to expand to other areas and the Gold Coast was a logical next step for us. It's a great mix of a vibrant family community and a high tourist destination," Shinola President Jacques Panis said in an email. Shinola's local ties go beyond the brick-and-mortar shops. The company sources materials for watch straps and other leather goods from Chicago tannery Horween Leather. Chicago's C.A. Zoes Manufacturing makes its branded shoe polish. Last year, Shinola said it planned to open an eyewear plant on the city's South Side sometime this year. On Wednesday, Panis said the company is "still exploring the opportunity." The local opening will be part of a bigger U.S. expansion for Shinola, which has 22 stores and plans to open eight to 10 more this year, Panis said. The company's Gold Coast address used to be a Scoop NYC store before that fashion retailer closed all stores in June 2016. lzumbach@chicagotribune.com Twitter @laurenzumbach Harley-Davidson has gone to black with the 2017 Road King Special. Swapping out chrome for black on its most popular model, the new Road King Special motorcycle moves Harley-Davidson's touring line in a new styling direction, with a more contemporary look. Advertisement "By exchanging chrome surfaces for black and lowering the bike's profile, we've moved the traditional Road King into a new space that's very current in the custom bagger scene," said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson vice president of styling and design. The signature styling element is a dark front end topped by a black headlamp. New mini-ape handlebars do double duty by putting the rider in a more aggressive posture on the bike, yet Harley-Davidson says it's comfortable for cruising. Advertisement "Chrome was retained only on some key engine components," said Harley-Davidson designer Dais Nagao. "The lower rocker boxes, push-rod tubes and tappet blocks are finished with chrome to emphasize the V-Twin shape of the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine." New on all of the 2017 touring models, the Milwaukee-Eight engine offers quick throttle response, more passing power, purer sound, and a smoother ride than the engine it replaces. The 107-cubic-inch engine weighs the same as the 103-cubic-inch engine it replaces, produces 10 percent more torque and accelerates 11 percent quicker. The Road King Special is the first model to feature the Milwaukee-Eight in an all-black engine finish. The engine guard, handlebars and hand controls, mirrors, turn signals, engine covers, air cleaner cover, mufflers and exhaust shields also feature black surfaces. New gloss black cast-aluminum wheels include a 19-inch front wheel topped by a low-profile fender. At the rear, elongated saddlebags above the mufflers provide a slammed-to-the-ground appearance without reducing suspension travel, according to Harley-Davidson. A panel fills the gap between the saddlebags and rear fender, and a low mounted license plate module completes the tight, low lines of the rear end. The Road King Special model is offered in four color options: Vivid Black, Charcoal Denim, Hot Rod Red Flake Hard Candy Custom, and Olive Gold. The Milwaukee-based company introduced the Road King Special on Feb. 9 on the eve of the 2017 Chicago Motorcycle Show, which is at the same time as the opening weekend of the Chicago Auto Show. Advertisement Bob Weber is the Motormouth columnist. You can have many residences, but only one domicile. Domicile is what you consider your permanent home the state where you spend at least six months and one day per year. (John Handley / Chicago Tribune) Q: My husband and I are snowbirds in the summer we live in New England, but we move to Florida when the weather gets cold. We have been asked where we are domiciled but we don't understand that concept. Can you explain? A: I will try but its not a simple concept. And different states have different requirements to establish domicile. Advertisement Where you are domiciled can have significant impact on your financial situation, as well as how you plan your estate. In your case, you reside in both the Northeast and Florida. But where are you domiciled? In simple terms, domicile is what you consider your permanent home it's the state where you spend at least six months and one day per year. Advertisement Why is it important to clarify your domicile? Because many things including income tax obligations as well as which state law will control your estate depend on where you are domiciled. How do you prove domicile? There are many ways. Where are your state income taxes paid? Where do you vote? Where is your car registered? Do you own real estate in only one state? Where are your attorney and accountant located? All these issues are relevant if you are asked to prove where you are domiciled. Remember, you can have many residences, but you can only have one domicile. Q: My son is disabled and I am his guardian. His grandmother gifted him a home by general warranty gift deed. I am not sure how to proceed. I want to sell the home and put money in a trust for him, but I don't know where to start. I'm not sure how to get the deed recorded and what steps are needed. Do I need a real estate or a guardianship attorney? A: Yes, you need an attorney, preferably one with a real estate background. That lawyer will assist you in recording the deed, although you can also go to the office of the recorder of deeds in the county where the property is located and record it yourself. I have learned through years of experience (and sometimes frustration) that most local government staffers are more than willing to assist their own neighbors. I am assuming there is no mortgage on the property. If that is correct, then you may want to consider obtaining a loan on the property. If the property is in a good area and its value is expected to increase over the years, why not keep it for a few more years? But if you decide to sell, please discuss this with a tax professional. There may be tax consequences upon the sale. Your attorney also will assist you in finding a real estate agent to sell. You will be asked to sign a number of legal documents a listing agreement, certain state-required disclosures and ultimately a real estate contract and you should make sure your lawyer approves each document before you sign. Advertisement If money is a problem, many lawyers will agree to represent you and defer receiving payment until the house is sold, at which time payment will come from the sales proceeds. Benny Kass is a practicing attorney in Washington, D.C., and in Maryland. He does not provide specific legal or financial advice to any reader. Readers may email him, but he cannot guarantee a personal response. mailbag@kmklawyers.com Watch our latest Real Estate videos. College isn't cheap, and more students are turning to GoFundMe online fundraising campaigns to raise money for college costs. In Illinois, about $2.6 million has been raised since 2014 from nearly 5,300 campaigns to assist with tuition, housing and other higher education expenses, according to a new guidebook released Wednesday by GoFundMe. Illinois' total puts it in sixth place behind California, Texas, New York, Florida and Georgia. Advertisement "When a student goes off to college, there are a whole host of expenses from books and computers, room and board, study abroad trips ... and a GoFundMe campaign is a simple and easy way for students to raise funds from friends and families and their community to help them pay down those expenses in college," said GoFundMe spokesman Bobby Whithorne. Over the past three years, more than 130,000 GoFundMe campaigns nationwide have raised $60 million from over 850,000 donations for college tuition and related expenses. In the past few years there has been a significant increase in education-related campaigns, making it one of the fastest-growing categories on the site, Whithorne said. Advertisement A Chicago State University student majoring in chemistry recently raised $8,720 to help pay for school after she was in danger of losing her financial aid and her fellowship for the spring semester. Another campaign for a Wheaton College junior studying piano and struggling to secure student loans netted $8,730. "With the average college graduate in 2016 facing $37,172 in student loan debt, the need for help with education costs in this country is clear," the newly released guidebook says. "That's why more and more students are realizing that, with just few clicks, they are able to start a GoFundMe to help reduce the burden." Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The average tuition and fees for full-time enrollment at public four-year institutions in the U.S. is $9,650 for in-state students and $24,930 for out-of-state students for the 2016-17 year, according to the College Board's Trends in College Pricing 2016 report. Add in room and board and the cost increases substantially. The guidebook walks students through the process of creating a campaign. Notable tips include sharing stories of achievements and sacrifices to get into college, posting updates and photos frequently to keep supporters in the loop and showing appreciation by sending thank-you notes to donors. The site also launched a college fundraising hub to connect students, parents and alumni with education-related campaigns for donations. Sharing a campaign on social networks including Facebook and Twitter can increase donations, Whithorne said. "There are folks that want to help," he said. "There are members of the community, members of the church, members of the alumni where you go to college, and they want to help. It's just a matter of putting the campaign out there and spreading the word." lvivanco@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @lvivanco The Finland Promotion board released a set of emojis to explain some hard-to-describe Finnish emotions, Finnish words and customs, like kalsarikannit, a "feeling when you are going to get drunk home alone in your underwear with no intention of going out." (Finland Promotion Board) In case no one's told you yet, hygge is having a moment. Well, was having a moment. Because once you learn the word the Finns have in store for you, you'll be grabbing a wine bottle and leaving hygge behind. Advertisement Let me explain. In case you skipped 2016, hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is a Danish word for the concept of finding coziness in everyday living, suddenly celebrated everywhere from the pages of The New Yorker to cookbooks, gift guides and social media. Advertisement No surprise, given that 2016 was, for many, a garbage year. From the stream of high-profile celebrity deaths to the stressful election, Facebook became a lot less fun. The pursuit of hygge gave permission to seek refuge from the world. Now, though, Finland has upped the ante. The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs just introduced us to a word aptly describing life in 2017: Kalsarikannit (pronounced cal-sar-y-cuhn-eet), defined as "the feeling when you are going to get drunk home alone in your underwear with no intention of going out." Rejoice, homebodies and misanthropes, for this is your new guideline to living well. Is it a noun? A verb? Does one kalsarikannit, or does one take a kalsarikannit? Who cares, frankly turns out my house has been a temple to kalsarikannit this entire time. I intend to spend every weekend in pursuit of holiness. See ya later, pants. In the spirit of kalsarikannit, I've put together a list of seven wines I've loved in the cave that I call home. These are wines that work perfectly with no pretension, no stems and no pants. Swirl, if you want, but don't take these too seriously. It's time to Netflix and kalsarikannit, and no one has time for a snob. Some wines below are available in grocery stores; others, better wine shops. Wines are listed in descending order by price; prices reflect average price on Winesearcher.com and will vary. If your local shop doesn't carry, ask for a similar style. Scar of the Sea "a|muse" Petillant Naturel Chardonnay (Paso Robles, California) A pet-nat style of wine lightly fizzy, easygoing bubbly Scar of Sea's offering is zesty and zippy, loaded with fine bubbles, green apple and lemon flavors and almost enamel-stripping acidity. A wine for Thai food if there ever was one. $29. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Chateau Peyrassol Rose (Cotes de Provence, France) Rose, all day. This grapefruit-pink bottle is a blast in the face of acidity and zest, lively enough to keep you awake through a Netflix binge of "Stranger Things" or "The People vs. O.J. Simpson." $23. Advertisement Brovo Spirits "Pretty" Vermouth Made in the style of vermouth blanc more floral- and herb-driven than its red counterpart Brovo's Pretty starts life as pinot gris from Washington state's Wahluke Slope before being infused with vanilla bean, cardamom, elderflower, chamomile, lemon peel, and herbs like comfrey and angelica, slightly sweetened by agave nectar. Poured over ice and topped with Topo Chico (an aggressively bubbly mineral water) or good ol' soda water, it's a perfect low-alcohol sipper when you still have to work the next morning. $19. Tami Frappato (Sicily, Italy) Classified Vin di Tavola (VdT, "table wine"), this wine is anything but humble. A project of one of Italy's most exciting winemakers, Arianna Occhipinti, Tami's frappato is everything a weeknight wine should be: easy on the wallet, crowd-pleasing and gulpable. $19. Domaine Mosse "Magic of Juju" (Loire, France) Rene Mosse, proprietor of this Loire Valley winemaking outfit, is a leader in the region. This bottle is a blend of wine geek-faves chenin blanc and melon de Bourgogne, from throughout the region hence the general Vin de France designation. It's as magical as the name suggests, with all the freshness of a grove of green and Golden Delicious apples. Opening this bottle is like an outside world doesn't exist at all. $16. Chateau d'Oupia "Les Heretiques" (Minervois, France) This $10 table wine is made by one of the Languedoc region's best winemaking outfits, Chateau d'Oupia. Made from carignan, this wine explodes with food-friendly raspberry and blueberry flavors, soft tannins and juicy acidity. Les Heretiques is also occasion-agnostic. Pizza night? This wine. Day-drinking? This wine. You get the point. $10. Felicette Grenache Rouge (France) There's not much info on this gulping wine vineyard origins, winemaker profile, that kind of thing but that's fine, because there are two cat-stronauts on the label! Commemorating Felicette, the understudy lady-cat France sent into space in 1963 (Felix, the boy cat, went missing), this wine won't take you to the moon, but it's so easy to drink and enjoy, you won't mind. $10. jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com Twitter @joeybear85 1. Try a new brunch in North Lakeview For a taste of Italy at brunch, head to North Lakeview, where PR Italian Bistro launches its new brunch service this weekend. Chef-owner Stefano Roman, a native of Venice, debuts dishes such as Benedict con granchio (eggs Benny served with crab over ciabatta, $14), savory scallion pancakes called frittelle ($12) and a selection of smoked fish ($14). Enjoy it with bottomless mimosas and a bloody mary bar. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at PR Italian Bistro, 3908 N. Sheridan Road, 773-404-8955, www.pritalianbistro.com. Advertisement 2. Drink to a brewery's first birthday Botanic brewing company Forbidden Root is celebrating its one-year anniversary, and they want you to join in. A beer with the brewpub's burger (with giardiniera mayo, aged cheddar, onions and pickle on a brioche bun) or milk-braised pork schnitzel sandwich will run you just $10, while most of the botanic suds are just $5 for the occasion. While supplies last, also enjoy some rarer Forbidden Root favorites, including Snoochie Boochies bombers and absinthe-barrel-aged Green Eyes. 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, Feb. 17, at Forbidden Root, 1746 W. Chicago Ave., 312-929-2202, www.forbiddenroot.com. Advertisement 3. Sample from more than 60 craft brewers The Illinois Craft Beer Guild's winter festival, Winter Wonderland of Beer, heads outdoors for the first time. The rain-or-shine, 21-plus event, split into two sessions, offers beer from 60 Illinois breweries, including Solemn Oath, Revolution, DryHop, Dovetail, Cruz Blanca and Alter. There won't be food, but the venue, MB Financial Park, is bordered by Hofbrauhaus and Bub City, plus seven other resataurants, for those sniffing out lunch, dinner or a snack. Tickets include a glass and samples. $35. 1-4 p.m. or 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at MB Financial Park, 5501 Park Place, www.rosemont.com. 4. Road trip for chocolate Do something romantic after Valentine's Day: Surprise a special person with a weekend getaway to Destination Kohler resort in Wisconsin for its fifth annual In Celebration of Chocolate festival, featuring dinners, food demos, cocktails parties and pairing seminars, all starring chocolate. In addition to buying tickets for individual events, guests can book specially priced overnight packages, starting at $165 per person. Ticket prices vary; see website for details. Friday, Feb. 17, to Sunday, Feb. 19, at Destination Kohler, 444 Highland Drive, Kohler, Wis., 800-344-2838, www.americanclubresort.com. 5. Give Three Aces a proper send-off After seven years, Little Italy restaurant Three Aces is closing its doors for good but not without opening its patio for a final hurrah. The projected high Saturday will be 62 degrees; enjoy it while having one last Ace burger with aged cheddar and bacon jam. Visit our story on the closing for more details. jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com Twitter @joeybear85 Matcha green latte: Is matcha the new black coffee? It's certainly a contender at City Newsstand's City News Cafe in Portage Park. Matcha, a finely ground, high-quality green tea used in Japanese tea ceremonies, is made of specially prepared, shade-grown leaves. City News Cafe's version uses a matcha mix manufactured by a company called Cappuccine and was discovered by City News Cafe employee Donna Kosiba while attending Coffee Fest in Boston last year. "It has been a favorite of our customers, so we kept it on the menu in a hot and cold version," Kosiba says. The piping hot matcha green latte ($3.19 for 12-ounce drink, $3.49 for 16 ounces and $3.79 for 20 ounces) provides the perfect antidote to Chicago's incoming chill. Enjoy this frothy and palatably healthy drink with the decadent add-on of a Bennison's Bakery pastry, Pleasant House pie or house-made dark chocolate truffle for the ultimate "treat yourself" experience. 4018 N. Cicero Ave., 773-545-7377 Leah Pickett, Special to the Tribune This is one of those big-fish-in-a-big-pond situations. The pond is Spain, the place with more vineyard acreage than any other country on earth, and the fish is tempranillo, Spain's big red grape variety. It's actually not Spain's most widely planted wine grape; that honor belongs to the white grape variety airen. But as anglers and wine buffs know, big ponds often have more than one kind of big fish, and all big fishes are not equally rewarding to catch. Advertisement Tempranillo is the trophy catch of Spain. The word itself is derived from "temprano," which is Spanish for "early," and it is believed that the grape got its name because it tends to ripen on the early side of the harvest season. Despite its widespread presence on the Iberian peninsula or perhaps because of it tempranillo also goes by many other names in its home country. In the storied region of Rioja, where the grape has gathered most of its acclaim through the decades, it is called tempranillo. But that is where the clarity ends. In nearby Ribera del Duero, a region that has been gaining ground on Rioja in both quality and reputation for years, the grape is called tinta del pais or tinto fino. In Toro, it is called tinta de toro. In Penedes, it is called ull de llebre in the local Catalan language (and ojo de liebre in Castilian, i.e., good ol' espanol), and in Valdepenas and La Mancha, it is known as cencibel. Of course, none of this is sensible to the outsider, since all of it is tempranillo. (And there are many other aliases too.) Advertisement It is easy to understand why another country would have an alternate name for it (that whole "different language" thing), and even Spain's neighbor to the west, Portugal, has two separate names for it: tinta roriz and aragonez. It's almost as if the people who know what a great grape variety tempranillo is have been trying to distract and confuse everyone else, just to keep their secret safe. But alas (or thank goodness, depending on which side you're on), the word got out, and a study by the University of Adelaide (South Australia) concluded that, as of 2010, tempranillo was the world's fourth-most-planted wine grape behind cabernet sauvignon, merlot and the aforementioned airen. Tempranillo also landed in front of such popular grapes as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. Despite not being formally knighted a so-called "international variety" (a well-known grape recognized for its ability to produce top-quality wines around the world), tempranillo continues to grow in popularity, and it would not be much of a surprise if one day it were to pass up its white Spanish counterpart airen on the world's-most-widely-planted list. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > When it comes to turning the grape into wine, tempranillo usually does not go it alone. Though it provides a base for many wines, it is not a grape variety that stands up for itself and shouts out its most redeeming qualities over a bullhorn. Instead it moves with the crowd and relies on help from others notably garnacha (grenache) and mazuelo (aka carinena/carignan) in Rioja, and cabernet sauvignon, merlot and other grapes elsewhere in Spain. Strawberry is a common descriptor of tempranillo, and from there, aromas and flavors can move on to cherries, black fruits, herbs, tobacco, leather and spice. Tempranillo produces medium- to full-bodied wines, especially when blended with heartier grape varieties, and can range in color from ruby red to deep crimson. This is a wine style that pairs well with ham, lamb, grilled meats, casseroles and game. You could also settle in with a friend and a bottle, along with a hunk of Manchego cheese and some crusty bread. Another option would be to light a candle, pour yourself a glass and crack the binding on "Don Quixote" or "The Sun Also Rises," dreaming of running with the bulls. Tempranillo surely makes up the majority of red wines swilled at festivals across Spain, so go ahead and drink it out of a bota bag if you like, but if you are a beginner, may I suggest not wearing a white shirt. Or if you must wear white, at least tie a red handkerchief around your neck. I'm speaking from experience here. Tempranillo is especially fond of oak barrel aging, and the practice has been a hallmark of the country's two most famous tempranillo regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero. But it is not the rule. Despite the fact that tempranillo can be extremely age-able, it is possible today to find young, fruity unoaked versions of it in both regions. California, Oregon and Washington turn out tempranillos, as do Argentina (where it usually takes the feminine moniker "tempranilla") and Australia, where it is often blended with grenache and the Aussie superstar shiraz. In Portugal, tempranillo (as aragonez or tinta roriz) is used in table wines and ports. Even Italy has some tempranillo, and of course they have their own name for it: malvasia nera. While we're at it, California has had an alternate name for tempranillo, too: valdepenas (yes, just like the Spanish wine region Valdepenas, where tempranillo is referred to as cencibel). Obviously Spain, particularly Rioja, is the place where this grape variety enjoys its most-esteemed reputation. The legendary Muga and Marques de Riscal wines come from Rioja, but it is Ribera del Duero that is home to what is possibly the most famous and revered Spanish wine of all, Vega-Sicilia. Ribera del Duero's combination of blazing daytime heat and high-plateau nighttime cool create the perfect growing conditions for tempranillo, although its global sprawl suggests quite clearly that it does just fine elsewhere too. Advertisement food@chicagotribune.com Twitter @pour_man Spring is a ways off, but you can conjure it with the flavors of baby artichokes and fresh lemon in this quick pasta dish. Likewise, fresh flavors of citrus, pears, apricot and other stone fruit in these crisp white wines complement the dish and make us think of warmer days. MAKE THIS Advertisement Pasta shells with artichokes Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 clove garlic, chopped. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add 1 pound frozen baby artichokes, thawed, and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Season with salt. Cook to reduce wine slightly and heat artichokes through, 5 minutes or so. Stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons cream; cook to thicken slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; 1/2 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped; and finely grated zest of 1 lemon. Toss with 1 pound cooked medium pasta shells and 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese. Makes: 4 servings Advertisement Recipe by Joe Gray Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > DRINK THIS Pairings by sommelier Aaron McManus of Oriole, as told to Michael Austin: 2013 Jean-Marc Brocard Vau de Vey Premier Cru Chablis, Burgundy, France: This crisp chardonnay smells of golden apples, fresh white flowers, lemons and almonds, plus notes of wet stony minerality. The palate has a mouthwatering freshness to it, with flavors of citrus, pears and a hint of mushrooms. The citrus flavors in the wine will complement the lemon in the pasta while the wine's slight nuttiness will pair nicely with the cheese. 2014 Domaine Vacheron Les Romains Sancerre, Loire Valley, France: This sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley offers aromas of limes and grapefruit, green apple, white flowers, tarragon, green pepper and chalk. Also, a touch of stone fruit comes through on the light and refreshing palate. The green flavors in the wine will complement the green olives and artichokes, and the wine's herbal qualities will match well with the parsley. Ca' del Bosco Cuvee Prestige Franciacorta, Lombardy, Italy: This sparkling wine is a blend of 75 percent chardonnay, 15 percent pinot nero and 10 percent pinot bianco, which produce aromas of toast, nuts, candied citrus peels, baked apple, lemon curd and apricot. The wine has a creamy quality that will complement the Romano cheese. Plus, its effervescence will help cut through the richness of the cream. food@chicagotribune.com Twitter @pour_man Q: Just wondering if you have any baked shrimp recipes or recipes that featured baked shrimp? Kay Daniels, Downers Grove Advertisement A: There are a number of baked shrimp recipes out there, so I asked Kay to narrow the field down. Here's her reply: "I was looking for a recipe for the shrimp to be the main ingredient. I prefer something with garlic and butter. I would like the shrimp to be oven baked or oven roasted. The shrimp I would like to serve over rice. I also would like to use frozen shrimp. I do realize it needs to be defrosted." Could you broil the shrimp, Kay? If so, I'd go right for this scampi dish from Pierre Franey, which was featured in his 1979 book, "The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet." This recipe has long provided me with a framework when I've wanted a simple, garlicky shrimp dish to spoon over rice. I'd adjust the quantity of ingredients, throw some butter in with the olive oil, skip the parsley, use hot sauce instead of red pepper flakes, but the basic cooking instructions and timing stayed steady. You could bake it too, but remember the shrimp will take longer to cook and long cooking can kill them, turning the shrimp dry and leathery. So keep basting the shrimp with the pan liquids to keep them moist. Advertisement As for baked, why not try the classic Shrimp de Jonghe? The dish, invented here in Chicago at the De Jonghe Hotel, remains popular today. This particular recipe ran, with some alterations and tweaks, in the Tribune at least four times between 1985 and 2005. Frozen, unpeeled shrimp is what I usually encounter in my supermarket, so that's what I buy. Many markets sell shrimp already defrosted, but I prefer to buy the shrimp still frozen so I defrost them myself when I'm ready for them. I also buy unpeeled shrimp because the final texture always seems firmer to me. I peel them once the shrimp have defrosted and then devein them, running a sharp, small knife down the back and flushing out any black line with cold running water. Do you have a question about food or drink? Email Bill Daley at wdaley@tribpub.com. Snail mail inquiries should be sent to: Bill Daley, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611. Twitter @billdaley. Shrimp broiled in olive oil and seasonings (Crevettes "Scampi") Yield: 4 servings. A recipe from Pierre Franey's "The New York Times 60-Minute Gourmet." He recommends serving the shrimp with curried bell pepper strips and baked rice. 2 pounds shrimp, the larger the better 1/2 cup olive oil Advertisement 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed oregano 2 tablespoons fine fresh bread crumbs Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Advertisement 1. Split the shrimp down the back side. Rinse and pat dry. Or peel them but leave the last tail segment intact. Rinse and drain well. Add the remaining ingredients to the shrimp and toss to coat evenly and well. 2. Line a baking dish with foil and arrange the shrimp over it. Place the shrimp under the broiler about three to four inches from the source of heat. Broil 5 to 6 minutes. It is not necessary to turn the shrimp as they cook. Baste the shrimp and serve hot. Shrimp de Jonghe Prep: 30 minutes. Cook: 15 minutes. Yield: 4 servings. The headnote for this recipe when published in 2005 read: "Shrimp de Jonghe is a Chicago survivor, having endured Prohibition police raids that closed Henri de Jonghe's Monroe Street hotel and restaurant where the dish was createdthough nobody is sure whether it was invented by de Jonghe or his chef Emil Zehr. This simple recipe is a close approximation of the delicious original." 1 1/2 quarts water Advertisement 1/2 small onion, sliced 1 rib celery, halved 3 black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 pounds large raw shrimp in the shell Advertisement 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted 2 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine 1 1/2 cups coarse French bread crumbs 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 tablespoon minced shallot Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > 2 cloves garlic, minced Advertisement 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 1. Heat the water, onion, celery, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp; cover. Return to a boil; drain. Run shrimp under cold water to cool. 2. Peel shrimp; transfer to a large bowl. Add half of the melted butter and the sherry; toss to mix. 3. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the remaining melted butter and one third of the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Stir in the parsley, shallots, garlic, paprika and red pepper. 4. Spoon half of the shrimp mixture into a buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with half of the remaining bread crumbs. Top with remaining shrimp mixture, then remaining bread crumbs. Bake until the crumbs are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. We had worked up an appetite. Exploring the small streets and impressive wine museum of Barolo one sunny fall day, we found our stomachs growling and feet aching. It was time to find lunch in this well-known wine town in Italy's Piedmont region. Lunch in Italy is no small affair, of course. Many of the best restaurants offer the same menu at lunch and dinner, including the famous antipasti, primi and secondi courses that can lead to serious napping if all three are consumed at midday. But we just looked at it as fuel for more exploring on foot until it was time to eat again around 8 p.m. Besides, who can resist the pastas of Piemonte, perhaps the best fuel for the rigors of sightseeing? Advertisement In this region, tajarin (tie-yah-REEN) reigns as the most popular pasta. Our first encounter with it was at the sidewalk trattoria we found in Barolo. After one taste of the thin, bright yellow pasta topped with an earthy porcini mushroom sauce, we had to find out more about tajarin. The word is Piedmontese dialect for tagliatelle (or it's narrower version, tagliolini). It is made fresh by area cooks who use a higher proportion of egg yolks than found in pastas from other regions. Tajarin can contain up to 40 egg yolks per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of pasta dough, according to Matt Kramer in "A Passion for Piedmont: Italy's Most Glorious Regional Table" (1997). Advertisement "A good pasta dough for tagliatelle from, say, Bologna (which is known for its fine egg pasta) uses two eggs for every hundred grams of Italy's soft white flour. That works out to 20 eggs per kilogram of dough, which is pretty rich," Kramer writes. "In Piedmont, such a ratio is the starting point." The eggs do make the dough softer, cautions Kramer. Home cooks in the region always use a pasta machine for rolling and cutting the delicate strands. The width of the noodles often varies from cook to cook, but Kramer notes that "the Piedmontese do agree with the Duchess of Windsor: No tajarin can ever be too rich or too thin." Luckily, the pasta also is available dried, for those not willing to crack that many eggs for homemade pasta. Classic toppings for tajarin include butter and sage sauce, pork and veal sugo or porcini mushroom sauce, like the one we raved over in Barolo. foods@tribune.com Tajarin with porcini mushroom sauce Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Makes: 6 servings Advertisement In Piedmont, dried porcini are used in sauces all year round. In the States, look for fresh porcini mushrooms in the fall in specialty markets. If they are not available, any type of mushroom can be substituted, such as crimini or mixed wild mushrooms. Look for tajarin in Italian specialty stores. Another thin shape can be substituted. 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water to cover 30 minutes 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley 2 small shallots, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped Advertisement 8 ounces fresh porcini or crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup white wine 2/3 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed 2/3 cup whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper to taste Advertisement 1 pound dried tajarin or tagliatelle pasta, cooked to package directions Freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1. Drain the dried porcini mushrooms, saving the soaking liquid. Rinse the mushrooms briefly; drain. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any dirt. Chop the soaked mushrooms finely. 2. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add half of the parsley and all of the shallots and garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the dried and fresh mushrooms; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until fresh mushrooms start to brown, about 5 minutes. 3. Add the wine; cook, stirring often, until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom soaking liquid; cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 2/3 cup chicken broth; heat to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cook to reduce slightly, about 10 minutes. 4. Stir in cream, remaining parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Heat until thickened, 5-10 minutes. Drain pasta; toss with mushroom sauce in a serving bowl. Loosen the sauce with a little more chicken broth, if you like. Serve with Parmesan. Advertisement Nutrition information per serving: 469 calories, 18 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 51 mg cholesterol, 63 g carbohydrates, 15 g protein, 306 mg sodium, 5 g fiber Homemade tajarin Prep: 40 minutes Rest: 40 minutes Cook: 1 minute Makes: 3 servings Advertisement Depending on the humidity in your kitchen, the flour may absorb more than the 2 egg yolks and whole egg. This recipe can be multiplied as needed. Adapted from Matt Kramer's "A Passion for Piedmont: Italy's Most Glorious Regional Table." 2 to 3 large egg yolks 1 large egg 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour Large pinch salt Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > 1. Place 2 egg yolks, the whole egg, flour and salt in a food processor. Pulse on and off for a few seconds until dough starts to clump. If dough seems too dry, add remaining egg yolk. Pulse just until the dough is about to ball up, about 2 seconds. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; knead briefly by hand until dough is slightly smooth but still slightly moist. Pat into rectangular shape. Advertisement 2. Set the rollers of a pasta machine to widest setting. Dust both sides of the dough lightly with flour, brushing off excess. Slowly run the dough through the rollers. Cut the thick ribbon of dough in half crosswise. Wrap one half in plastic wrap; set aside. Lightly flour the countertop where dough will emerge from pasta machine. 3. Fold the half ribbon of dough into thirds like a letter. Lightly dust on both sides with flour. Turn it lengthwise; insert into the rollers and slowly roll out. Repeat folding and rolling several times until dough is silky smooth, dusting the dough with flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Reduce the opening of the roller to the next setting. Slowly run the ribbon through, letting the long ribbon lie flat on the flour-dusted counter and moving it down the line as more dough emerges. 4. Repeat the rolling process, reducing the space between the roller with each pass, until the dough has passed through the narrowest opening. Let the dough rest on the floured surface 10 minutes. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. 5. Lightly dust each ribbon of dough with flour. Put each through the small width cutter of the machine, cranking slowly and cradling and keeping the strands aligned as they emerge. Let dry on floured countertop in loops or in straight rows until ribbons begin to stiffen, at least 30 minutes. 6. Heat a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Gently lower the tajarin into the water, taking care not to press strands together. Stir the pasta vigorously to separate the strands. Return to a boil; cook 1 minute. Drain quickly. Place on warm plates and serve with sauce of your choice. Nutrition information per serving: 194 calories, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 185 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 81 mg sodium, 1 g fiber Chef Bruce Sherman of North Pond and 18 of his chef friends are organizing Solidarity Soup, which aims to raise funds to support immigrant groups in Chicago. (John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune) Since President Donald Trump signed restrictive executive orders on immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries a few short weeks ago, many Americans have expressed their dismay, frustration and anger through a series of protests and demonstrations. Likewise, area restaurants have picked up the cause, signing onto a "sanctuary restaurant" movement protecting targeted groups, donating food to attorneys volunteering legal aid to travelers, or banding together to raise funds for numerous charities. Bruce Sherman, chef and partner of Lincoln Park's North Pond, joins the latter group, helming a new effort to signal support for immigrant communities. After Trump signed his executive order, Sherman was on the phone with many of his fellow chefs and restaurateurs to get Solidarity Soup off the ground. Advertisement "Immigrants are the backbones of our restaurants and our communities," said Sherman over the phone. "With the EO, they were suddenly singled out." On its website, Solidarity Soup declares, "we commit to standing with immigrant communities in the fight to protect their dignity and human rights; their presence among us makes us stronger." The group of high-profile chefs Rick Bayless, Phillip Foss, Stephanie Izard, Jason Hammel, Carrie Nahabedian, Matthias Merges and many more reads like a who's who of Chicago dining culture. Advertisement "I reached out to everyone and asked 'are you interested,'" said Sherman. "There wasn't even a discussion about it it's so obviously the right thing to do." Through the sale of soups created by each chef, Solidarity Soup hopes to raise money for three local organizations, which deal specifically with immigrant populations Centro Romero, Centro de Trabajadores Unidos and Organized Communities Against Deportations. "I spent some time doing some research on the appropriate kind of work in the area of immigration," said Sherman. "There are a ton of nonprofits in Chicago, and these seemed like a good place to start to address needs of immigrants." Reached by phone, a representative of Centro Romero didn't seem to be aware that the organization would be the beneficiary of Solidarity Soup, but "everyone is helping out in different ways," said Joseph Martens, resource developer for the group. Centro Romero has been serving the Chicago immigrant refugee community for over 30 years through a variety of services, ranging from legal immigration, family and youth services and through a domestic violence program. Last year, the organization served over 6,000 people. "In the last couple of days, over 100 people were arrested in raids in California and Texas," said Martens. "Centro is trying to get the word out to immigrants about the law. Donations help our regular services, but also to employ outreach workers to educate the community about their rights." In a statement regarding this weekend's Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, an ICE spokesperson wrote, "Our operations are targeted and lead driven, prioritizing individuals who pose a risk to our communities. Examples would include known street gang members, child sex offenders, and deportable foreign nationals with significant drug trafficking convictions. To that end, ICE's routine immigration enforcement actions are ongoing and we make arrests every day." Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > For Sherman, the work of Centro Romero and others hits close to home. "I have an employee who is a legal political refugee from Venezuela," he says. "We had a discussion about (the raids and executive order), and I assured him that he was not the first up on the hierarchy of those at risk. But that it is at this level that we have these conversations about protecting (my employees') rights I felt like I couldn't sit on the sidelines. It's hard to not expect the boots are coming here too." Advertisement To that end, Solidarity Soup is asking for a minimum $50 donation. Donors will receive two pints of soup from two different chefs upon pickup. To ease the logistics of ordering, Sherman says soup will be distributed "dealer's choice," and will only be labeled when it contains dairy, nuts, gluten or is vegetarian. "I don't need every ingredient I didn't want to make the soup the point of the charity." Given the caliber of chefs and restaurants, though, the soups will stand on their own merits. Ordering is available now through midnight March 1 and must be prepaid. Soups can be picked up at three as-yet-unannounced locations, in Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and downtown, on March 7. For now, Solidarity Soup numbers at 19 restaurants and chefs, but Sherman is open to adding more. "I built (Solidarity Soup) to grow if more people want to participate, I would welcome that problem." As for immigration, "it's something that transcends political positions," he says. "It's a human rights issue. It doesn't matter who you voted for it's about humanity and what's right." For information, go to solidaritysoup.org. jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com Twitter @joeybear85 Shrimp and andouille sausage gumbo makes a fine dish for Mardi Gras. From the meat to the stock to the vegetables, the ingredients are easily swapped out. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) New Orleans cuisine is just about my favorite among regional American cuisines. (No offense, absolutely everybody else in the country.) And of all the iconic dishes etouffee, blackened anything, jambalaya there's nothing I love more than a steaming bowl of spicy brown gumbo. Mm-mmmmm. Why you need to learn this Advertisement Mardi Gras is right around the corner (Feb. 28). Also, this method is so easy to use that you can swap out the stock and protein to make literally gajillions of delicious variations. The steps you take Advertisement There was a time, not too long ago, when you couldn't swing a dead catfish without hitting a menu with blackened something on it blackened redfish, blackened soup, blackened toast ... Back in the day, though, New Orleans cuisine was virtually unknown outside of Louisiana. Then, along came chef Paul Prudhomme, who pretty much played St. Paul to New Orleans' Jesus, if you get my drift. Today, what we generally refer to as "New Orleans cuisine" is actually the conflation of two originally separate cuisines: Creole and Cajun. Think, "citified" vs. "countrified," respectively. From the 18th century, New Orleans was populated by French and Spanish settlers, local native Choctaws and thousands of West African slaves. Add to this mix the descendants of French settlers of Acadia, a region that now encompasses parts of Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. In the mid-18th century, these mostly poor French speakers landed in Louisiana after fleeing hostilities between British and French forces. Their name, Acadians, gives us their current moniker, "Cajuns." Take a look at gumbo's ingredients, and you'll see influences from all of these groups. While probably every cook in Louisiana has her or his own method for gumbo, one thing that pretty much all gumbos have in common is their thick consistency. While some are thicker than others, they all by definition have some sort of thickener in them. (Please, Dearly Affronted Reader, do not send me videos of your Aunt Nell's Looziana Cooking Party in which she makes a delicious albeit watery gumbo. I'm sure they exist.) Typically, gumbos are thickened one of three ways. 1. Roux. This hallmark of French classical cuisine blending equal amounts of fat and flour is cooked to various shades of darkness. In its adopted New Orleans home, the fat is oil and the roux can be cooked to very dark. Advertisement 2. Okra. This native African vegetable arrived with West African slaves. 3. File powder. Ground, dried leaves of the sassafras tree add flavor along with consistency. If you've never seen a sassafras tree, they're really cool because they have three distinct leaf shapes: one regular, leafy shaped leaf; one with two parts that makes it look like a mitten (or Michigan, if you want to stoke a little regional pride); and one with three parts that make it look like the Canadian flag or Lisa Simpson's hand if you couldn't see her thumb. Now, some hard-core New Orleans cooks might argue strenuously about what thickeners go with what. My advice is, listen to them respectfully, then do what you want. We're not trying to be authentic here; we're just trying to re-create, as my Kendall College colleague chef Elaine Sikorski lectures, a New Orleans "flavor profile." Here's what you do (for more specific instructions and amounts, see the accompanying recipe): Roux (a mixture of fat and flour) is one way to thicken a gumbo. Start it by cooking equal amounts of fat and flour together. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) 1. If you're using roux, combine equal parts by weight vegetable oil and flour in a large Dutch oven. Stir it over medium heat until it's very dark brown, about 15 minutes. 2. Add a 2-to-1-to-1 mix of diced onion, celery and green bell pepper the New Orleans version of the French "mirepoix." Stir it into the roux until it starts to brown 3 or 4 minutes. Advertisement If you're not using roux, start by sauteing the vegetables in oil until brown. You could also stir in a clove or four of minced garlic when the other stuff starts to brown. 3. Add stock. Homemade is best, but, let's be honest, who's got the time, what with all the phone calls and emails? Chicken stock works for just about everything, or use fish stock or canned clam juice for seafood gumbo. 4. Add your other ingredients: Okra. If you're not using roux, make okra equal to the weight of the proteins. If you are using roux, cut the amount in half. Proteins. Andouille sausage, cubed chicken or duck breasts, beef short ribs, chunks of ham, anything. For seafood, don't add it until 5 to 10 minutes before serving the gumbo, so you don't overcook it. Advertisement Spices and herbs. Try equal parts of ground red, black and white peppers along with dried thyme, oregano and bay leaf. How much? How spicy do you want it? Tomatoes. Hmmm. More than a few people argue that tomatoes have no place in a proper gumbo. I say, unless those people are rich relatives of yours from whom you stand to collect a tidy inheritance someday, go for it. Simmer everything together about 30 minutes. In that time, the starchy flavor of any roux will disappear and the okra (if you're using it) will have thickened the broth. 5. If you're using file powder, it's typically added at the end, about an ounce or 2 per quart of gumbo. 6. Season with salt, and you're ready to go. Mound some cooked rice in a bowl and ladle the gumbo around it. Yum. James P. DeWan is a culinary instructor at Kendall College in Chicago and author of "Prep School: How to Improve Your Kitchen Skills and Cooking Techniques," a collection of his Chicago Tribune columns. Advertisement Gumbo traditionally calls for a dark roux, which can take 10 to 20 minutes. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune) Shrimp and andouille gumbo Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 1 hour, 12 minutes Makes: 12 servings Spice mix: 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Advertisement 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons thyme 2 teaspoons oregano 2 bay leaves Gumbo: Advertisement 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3 large onions, medium dice 3 green bell peppers, medium dice 5 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices 4 garlic cloves, minced Advertisement 1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice 1 pound okra, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 quarts chicken stock 1 pound andouille sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices Salt as needed 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, deveined Advertisement Cooked rice as needed 1. For spice mix: Combine ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > 2. For roux: Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add oil and flour; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is dark brown, 10 to 20 minutes. 3. Add onions, peppers and celery and cook until onions are soft and brown, stirring frequently, 20 to 25 minutes. 4. Add garlic and half of the spice mix; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. 5. Add tomatoes, okra, stock and sausage; bring to a boil while stirring, then reduce heat and simmer to remove starchy flavor of flour, about 20 minutes. Season with salt, then taste for spiciness. If needed, add remaining spice mix and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes. Advertisement 6. Add shrimp and simmer until done, about 5 minutes. 7. To serve, use an ice cream scoop to place rice in a warm bowl. Ladle gumbo around it and serve immediately. Nutrition information per serving: 314 calories, 19 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 102 mg cholesterol, 15 g carbohydrates, 5 g sugar, 20 g protein, 505 mg sodium, 4 g fiber Rapper/actor Machine Gun Kelly is getting positive vibes from Chicago as filming for Rupert Wyatt's sci-fi movie "Captive State" gets underway. "The room I'm staying (in) for the next month in the Chi is vibed out," Kelly tweeted Tuesday. "And everyone at the grocery store was dressed cool as (expletive)." Advertisement Here we go! A post shared by Alex Disenhof (@alexdisenhof) on Feb 15, 2017 at 5:51am PST "Captive State," which also stars John Goodman and Vera Farmiga, explores conflict in a Chicago neighborhood nearly a decade after occupation by an extra- terrestrial force. Filming is expected to wrap up here in mid-April. Scouting. A pretty cool experience, standing all alone in an empty Soldier field in the snow. #soldierfield #chicago #dabears A post shared by Alex Disenhof (@alexdisenhof) on Jan 26, 2017 at 8:41pm PST A variety of casting calls have been issued for this movie, which is due out in 2018. Producers are looking for hundreds of extras for a stadium shoot in April, men who are at least 6 feet, 6 inches tall to wear body suits and men and women who ride mopeds or dirt bikes, among other opportunities. Advertisement MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR Watch the latest movie trailers. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP) It's appropriate that "The Good Fight" has a slightly more jagged and splintered atmosphere than "The Good Wife," the long-running CBS drama that starred Julianna Margulies. "The Good Wife" debuted eight months after the inauguration of Barack Obama as America's 44th president, and implicit in its worldview was the idea that a technocratic, centrist elite could solve almost every problem. Even in the midst of the thorniest cases, the show had a smooth assurance about how the world worked; undergirding its sprightly energy and acrobatic storytelling was a confidence that only rarely tipped into frustrating hubris. Watching smart lawyers enjoy their verbal jousting and engage in subtle but sexy flirting was often fun, and even when they lost cases -- or messed up their love lives -- they could safely retreat to an upscale bar to drink pinot noir and find solace in barbed irreverence and prickly friendships. No matter how badly things went for Alicia Florrick, it's not like the world was ending. Advertisement "The Good Fight," a spinoff of "The Good Wife" and the flagship of the streaming service CBS All Access, blows all that up. Literally. In the show's opening credits, handsomely lit totems of the professional classes -- an office phone, a leather handbag, a vase of tasteful flowers -- explode. These images might be a bit too on-the-nose for some; one of the things that made "The Good Wife" addictive (and unusual for a broadcast network drama) was that it didn't usually spell out subtexts audience members could grasp on their own. But there's no doubt that the characters inhabiting the fractured landscape -- and the somewhat divergent storylines -- of "The Good Fight" live in a very different world than the one the Florricks knew. And no one's existence has changed more than that of Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski). MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR Advertisement In the opening minutes of the first episode, Diane watches as Donald Trump is sworn in as the nation's 45th president. She snaps off the TV midway through the oath of office and goes to work, sure of her place in the world of connected Chicago lawyers and well-heeled Democratic donors. Before the 50-minute pilot is over, the jarring changing of the guard in Washington is the least of her troubles. "The Good Fight," doesn't often refer to Alicia Florrick or to the Trump era in its first two episodes (the first will air on CBS; subsequent episodes will arrive weekly on CBS All Access). But one hopes that as its 10-episode first season gets underway in earnest, the show will have a field day with the kinds of newsy issues (privacy rights, spy-agency snooping, governmental overreach) that drove some of the liveliest installments of "The Good Wife." These episodes do touch on matters relating to police violence and the legal world's increasing reliance on algorithms and tech-sector funding. But most of the first two installments are spent demonstrating that "The Good Fight," thematically and structurally, will be fairly different from its predecessor. One of the most compelling aspects of the original show was that it depicted the moral journey of one woman -- a wronged spouse and an increasingly canny operator who held her cards very close to her vest. When "The Good Wife" was operating at peak proficiency, it smartly showcased Margulies' charismatic, savvy performance and its own commitment to depicting Alicia's professional and emotional journey in all its ugliness, ambiguity and aspiration. "The Good Fight," on the other hand, has three centers of gravity, and it remains to be seen whether the show can successfully balance the storylines of its core trio and weave those plots together in ways that result in deeply rewarding, character-driven drama. The first two episodes are generally efficient and they display a familiar dry wit, and the cast is uniformly excellent. But "The Good Fight" has to incorporate a host of supporting characters and cases of the week into the backstories of its multiple leads, and the results are occasionally a bit bumpy and scattered. All in all, however, it's a promising endeavor, even if the lead characters are so understandably stressed that it's a pleasure to check in on amusing scene-stealers like Eli Gold's enterprising daughter, Marissa (Sarah Steele), and Denis O'Hare's delightfully eccentric judge. Baranski brings a heartbreaking rawness to her performance as Diane, who never got enough meaningful screen time on "The Good Wife." In the new show, Diane has lost everything in a Ponzi scheme and goes to work at a law firm in which most of her colleagues are African-American. The contours of the Madoff-like fraud story are a lot more predictable than the complex racial and personal dynamics at the new firm. One hopes that the latter gets more focus than the former, especially because storylines revolving around Diane's new job give screen time to terrific actors like Erica Tazel and Delroy Lindo, who play law partners Barbara Kolstad and Adrian Boseman. In any event, one of the most unstable -- and thus fascinating -- elements of the new show involves the power dynamics on display in the new workplace, in which a white woman who had been used to exercising the power she fought to obtain has to subordinate her will to the people of color around her. Barbara and Adrian have their own agendas, and they seem just as likely to play hardball as any of Diane's previous colleagues (a number of whom don't feature prominently in the new show, and, truth be told, I won't miss most of them). Cush Jumbo returns as the long-suffering Lucca Quinn, who ends up working alongside Diane, not always comfortably. Jumbo is a master of the seething-but-patient facial expression, and Lucca's implacable endurance in the face of the condescension and dismissal of her co-workers was a highlight of the later seasons of "The Good Wife." Lucca often comes up with creative ideas and solutions, and rarely gets (or expects) the attention she deserves for her wit and intelligence. In an echo of that slightly worrying pattern, the first two episodes don't delve much into Lucca's psychology or agenda (though one episode shows her lover's bare behind; like a few swear words appropriately scattered into the dialogue, these are the benefits of inhabiting the anything-goes realm of streaming). One hopes meaty Lucca-driven stories arrive soon: Half of the reason to stick with this show -- and fans of solid legal dramas and aficionados of "The Good Wife" should do so -- is to see whether it delves into her moral and psychological journey more deeply. As was the case with Alicia, Lucca makes her character's silences and secrets as interesting as her decisive statements and actions. The new member of the core trio is Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie), an inexperienced lawyer connected to the family who ran the Ponzi scheme. Like Lucca and Diane, Maia is a woman with something to prove, and Leslie does a fine job of depicting her character's shock and her tremulous resolution to rebuilding her life. Advertisement What these women share -- aside from screen time in a couple of reasonably interesting cases -- is a determination to move on and make the best of the difficult new circumstances they find themselves in. But Alicia -- and Obama -- are like exes that cast a long shadow over the supposedly new lives of the people they left behind. Their absences leave large holes in the landscape, as well as people who feel demoralized when they cast their minds back to just a year or two ago. Diane's plight is thus personal but also metaphorical: She likens the collapse of every pillar of her supposedly solid and trustworthy world to a nightmare. It's a sentiment that many of this show's viewers will understand. But perhaps the most topical thing about this promising drama is that Diane and Maia, two privileged white women who are forced to wake up by events they can hardly believe, are beginning to learn what Lucca and Barbara already know. No one is especially inclined to fight for them, and if they want to survive, they will have to save themselves. Maybe these women can do that together, but the jury's still out. RELATED STORIES: 'Doubt' is the perfect TV show for Katherine Heigl because it's totally fine but passionless Stephen Colbert's anti-Trump experiment is starting to work with viewers 'The Bachelor's' Corinne Olympios is channeling Donald Trump Watch the latest movie trailers. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox) Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was killed Monday in Malaysia after being ambushed in the Kuala Lumpur airport by two women who apparently poisoned him. Once considered the successor to his father, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Nam, 45, had been living incognito in exile in Macau, reportedly under the protection of the Chinese government. Even though he disavowed any aspirations to leadership, North Korea watchers invariably raised his name as a potential replacement in the case of a coup d'etat against Kim Jong Un. Advertisement Although the bizarre killing remains under investigation, intelligence officials in the U.S. and South Korea are calling it a likely assassination by the North Korean government. Kim was reportedly approached from behind while he waited in the departure area of the airport in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. Joongang Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper, quoted an unidentified intelligence official as saying that Kim was "stung by a poisoned needle" after being approached by "two female spies" working for North Korea. (Link in Korean.) Advertisement "They fled in a taxi right after the crime," the newspaper quoted the official as saying. Another version of events came from Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat, who told reporters that Kim said before his collapse that "someone had grabbed him from behind and splashed a liquid on his face.'' A different Malaysian official described a cloth placed over his face. By whichever method, the killing had all the hallmarks of a North Korean assassination. "This sounds like a classic North Korean operation," said Sue Mi Terry, who was a senior North Korea analyst for the CIA from 2001 to 2008. "Kim Jong Nam was the most reform-minded person in the family and whenever there are discussions about regime change, his name comes up." The timing of the apparent assassination might be linked to reports of instability in North Korea. Kim Jong Un has purged many of his former deputies, most recently his minister of state security. A North Korean diplomat, Thae Yong Ho, who defected last summer said in a news conference last month that the "traditional structures of the North Korean system are crumbling." A file picture taken on June 4, 2010, of Kim Jong-Nam, the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, shown waving after an interview with South Korean media representatives in Macau. (Stringer / AFP/Getty Images) Kim portly like his father and brother, and frequently photographed unshaven with his shirttails hanging out was the heir apparent to North Korean leadership until 2001, when he was arrested in Tokyo trying to enter Japan on a false Dominican Republic passport. He told authorities he was trying to bring his son to Tokyo Disneyland. After his public disgrace, the North Korean government began grooming Kim Jong Il's youngest son, Kim Jong Un, who ended up taking over the country while still in his 20s after the 2011 death of the father. Kim Jong Nam gave occasional interviews to Japanese media. Despite his slovenly appearance and a penchant for drinking and gambling, he was said to be something of an intellectual who expressed his belief in globalization, market economies and the need for North Korea to reform its communist economy. "He sees his brother failing," said a Japanese journalist, Yoji Gomi, who released a 2012 book about Kim Jong Nam, "My Father, Kim Jong Il and Me." "He thinks [Kim Jong Un] has a lack of experience. He's too young and he didn't have enough time to be groomed.'' Advertisement This undated picture released by the official Korean Central News Agency on Feb. 2, 2017, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visiting the newly built Pyongyang Orphans' Primary School. (Korean Central News Agency) Kim Jong Nam lived much of his life in hiding. He is believed to have been the first of Kim Jong Il's offspring, a love child of a long affair with Song Hye Rim, a North Korean actress. Their relationship and the existence of the child were kept secret for years out of fear that it would not be accepted by Kim Jong Il's father and North Korea's founder. "Wisteria House," a book about the family written in Korean by his aunt, Song's sister, described how the secret family was shuttled among secluded villas and seaside retreats in North Korea, Switzerland and Russia, a pampered but precarious life of luxury. Kim Jong Nam's mother had psychological problems and is believed to have died in Russia. Although Kim Jong Il publicly acknowledged his first son and was said to be an affectionate father, he reportedly thought the young man had become too Westernized because of the time he spent abroad. In recent years, Kim Jong Nam lived in exile in Macau but traveled frequently. For his protection, he often traveled under an assumed name; initial reports from Malaysia said he was using the name Kim Chol. Kims son, Kim Han-sol, 21, educated in Hong Kong and the West, has spoken out about humanitarian issues such as human rights and famine in North Korea. Wearing ear studs and speaking unaccented English, he gave a videotaped interview in 2012 in which he said his father never wanted to be a North Korean leader. "My dad was definitely not really interested in politics,'' he said. Advertisement Kim was reportedly in Kuala Lumpur visiting a girlfriend, and it was unclear whether she was suspected of having lured him away from Macau. An assassination in Macau would have been more likely to incur the anger of Beijing. If an assassination is confirmed, it would be in keeping with the modus operandi of the North Korean government. Pyongyang has been blamed for numerous attacks against defectors and critics abroad, including the 1987 bombing of a South Korean airliner by a female North Korean agent and a 1983 bombing in Burma directed against South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan. Kim's first cousin and childhood playmate, a defector, was shot outside his home in South Korea in 1997. The North Koreans have been implicated in at least one other poison needle attack, in 2011, when a South Korean pastor and activist died mysteriously in China. "Somebody like Kim Jong Nam who was living overseas must have been aware of the possibility of being assassinated,'' said Joel Wit, a senior fellow at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. "He was originally going to succeed Kim Jong Il. He had been very critical of the regime. He was a focal point for potential opposition. Certainly the North Koreans had plenty of motives." It is unclear whether Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un spent any time together or had even met. In any case, familial loyalty has not stopped Kim Jong Un before. His uncle and regent, Jang Song Taek, was publicly purged and executed in 2013 after the young leader believed he had become too powerful; more than 100 other North Korean officials have met similar fates. Advertisement In his five years of leadership, Kim has resisted calls to reform his economy and has methodically pursued the development of weapons of mass destruction. Since the beginning of last year, North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests and more than two dozen missile tests, the most recent last weekend, when an intermediate-range missile flew about 300 miles from a launch site northwest of Pyongyang. barbara.demick@latimes.com Twitter: @BarbaraDemick UPDATES: 7:44 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the assassination and political analysis. 3:25 p.m.: Updates throughout with additional quotes and details. Advertisement This article was originally posted at 9 a.m. Recently, author Veronica Roth - of "Divergent" fame - came under fire for her new novel, "Carve the Mark." In addition to being called racist, the book was criticized for its portrayal of chronic pain in its main character. Before a book is published and released to the public, it's passed through the hands (and eyes) of many people: an author's friends and family, an agent and, of course, an editor. These days, though, a book may get an additional check from an unusual source: a sensitivity reader, a person who, for a nominal fee, will scan the book for racist, sexist or otherwise offensive content. These readers give feedback based on self-ascribed areas of expertise such as "dealing with terminal illness," "racial dynamics in Muslim communities within families" or "transgender issues." Advertisement "The industry recognizes this is a real concern," said Cheryl Klein, a children's and young adult book editor and author of "The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults." Klein, who works at the publisher Lee & Low, said that she has seen the casual use of specialized readers for many years but that the process has become more standardized and more of a priority, especially in books for young readers. Sensitivity readers have emerged in a climate - fueled in part by social media - in which writers are under increased scrutiny for their portrayals of people from marginalized groups, especially when the author is not a part of that group. Advertisement Last year, for instance, J.K. Rowling was strongly criticized by Native American readers and scholars for her portrayal of Navajo traditions in the 2016 story "History of Magic in North America." Young-adult author Keira Drake was forced to revise her fantasy novel "The Continent" after an online uproar over its portrayal of people of color and Native backgrounds. More recently, author Veronica Roth - of "Divergent" fame - came under fire for her new novel, "Carve the Mark." In addition to being called racist, the book was criticized for its portrayal of chronic pain in its main character. This potential for offense has some writers scared. Young-adult author Susan Dennard recently hired a fan to review her portrayal of a transgender character in her "Truthwitch" series. "I was nervous to write a character like this to begin with, because what if I get it wrong? I could do some major damage," Dennard said. But, she added, she felt the voice of the character was an important one that wasn't often portrayed, so she hired a fan, who is a transgender man, just to be sure she did it right. For authors looking for sensitivity readers beyond their fan base there is the Writing in the Margins database, a resource of about 125 readers created by Justina Ireland, author of the YA books "Vengeance Bound" and "Promise of Shadows." Ireland started the directory last year after hearing other authors at a writing retreat discuss the difficulties in finding people of different backgrounds to read a manuscript and give feedback about such, well, sensitive matters. One reader for hire in Ireland's database is Dhonielle Clayton, a librarian and writer based in New York. Clayton reviews two manuscripts per month, going line by line to look at diction, dialogue and plot. Clayton says she analyzes the authenticity of the characters and scenes, then points writers to where they can do more research to improve their work. Clayton, who is black, sees her role as a vital one. "Books for me are supposed to be vehicles for pleasure, they're supposed to be escapist and fun," she says. They're not supposed to be a place where readers "encounter harmful versions" and stereotypes of people like them. Ireland underscores the value of sensitivity readers - both for authors and for readers. (She was a strong voice behind the push to get Keira Drake to make changes to the advance readers' edition of "The Continent.") "Even if authors mean well, even if the intention is good, it doesn't change the impact," Ireland said. "It's nice to be that line of defense before it gets to readers, especially since the bulk of people who come to me write for children." Fees for a sensitivity readers generally start at $250 per manuscript. Advertisement Children's book author Kate Messner has used sensitivity readers for many of her books, some of which deal with poverty, abuse and race. "I wouldn't dream of sending those books out into the world without getting help to make sure I'm representing those issues in a way that's realistic and sensitive," she said. Messner, whose works include "The Seventh Wish" and "All the Answers," asks a reader for feedback on whether the experience she's written reads realistically or whether anything stands out as problematic. Her upcoming book, tentatively called "Breakout," focuses on three girls coping with a prison escape in their small town. Messner has enlisted multiple sensitivity readers to help her work out the class and race issues affecting the town and her characters. A reader has called out when her language doesn't ring true, and has questioned when her character does something that seems inauthentic and provides her perspective on why that is. Messner said it's been encouraging to hear when she's gotten something correct, but also she's had to make adjustments. Lee & Low Books has a companywide policy to use sensitivity readers. Stacy Whitman, publisher and editorial director of Lee & Low's middle-grade imprint Tu Books, said she will even request a sensitivity reader before she chooses to acquire a book to publish. "It's important for authors to consider expert reader feedback and figure out how to solve the problems they point out," Whitman said. "Everyone's goal is a better book, and better representation contributes to that." Still, some sensitivity readers feel they are in part contributing to the problem. Clayton said she's unsettled by the idea that she's being paid for her expertise, but also is helping white authors write black characters for books from which they reap profit and praise. Advertisement "It feels like I'm supplying the seeds and the gems and the jewels from our culture, and it creates cultural thievery," Clayton said. "Why am I going to give you all of those little things that make my culture so interesting so you can go and use it and you don't understand it?" Concerns about cultural appropriation have been around for years - think of William Styron writing as the slave Nat Turner in 1967. ("That's what we're paid to do, isn't it?" Lionel Shriver said in a controversial speech last year. "Step into other people's shoes, and try on their hats.") But sensitivity readers introduce a new twist in the debate. On the one hand they help a writer create the experience of a marginalized group more authentically. On the other, they legitimize the mimicking of marginalized voices by non-marginalized writers. Why not just publish more books by black people, Latinos, Native Americans and others? some ask. Despite the efforts of groups like We Need Diverse Books, "it's more likely that a publishing house will publish a book about an African-American girl by a white woman versus one written by a black woman like me," Clayton says. "So until publishing is equitable and people are still writing cross-culturally," Clayton points out, "sensitivity reading is going to be another layer of what's necessary in order to make sure that representation is good." Model Jeremy 'Hot Felon' Meeks poses backstage for the Moncler Grenoble collection during New York Fashion Week on February 14, 2017, in New York City. (ANGELA WEISS / AFP / Getty Images) Philipp Plein, reveling in his disruptor status and usually a mainstay in Milan, didn't disappoint. Social media viral sensation Jeremy Meeks, the "hot felon," was on his runway alongside rappers, an army of people dressed as Statues of Liberty, and Times Square's Naked Cowboy. The German designer promised and delivered something different, with a hashtag rallying cry of his very own launched days in advance on Instagram: "Let's Make NYFW Great Again." Advertisement Did his giant black and silver puffer coats and luxe sportwear deliver? It was a tad hard to see the clothes from the cheap seats, but Plein the businessman is making a retail push into the U.S. market, coveting consumers here as his discerning next step. "This dream came true for me tonight," Plein said, making the unusual move of addressing the crowd before the show after Nas performed to help get everyone all warmed up. "Even my girlfriend is here and she didn't have a seat." Advertisement The point? "It's all about having fun," the affable Plein told the horde. And you know what? It kinda was. Madonna was accompanied by photographer Steven Klein and joined in the crowd by Kylie Jenner, Tiffany Trump (Secret Service in tow) and Paris Hilton. The handsome, blue-eyed California con Meeks, with the teardrop tattoo on his face, was joined on the meandering runway by rapper Desiigner and graffiti artist Alec Monopoly, who goes anonymous by covering his face with a bandanna. So why New York? "I killed Milan. I did the biggest shows ever in Milan. There was nobody who could really compete with us anymore, so the next step was to come over to New York. America is one of the biggest economies in the world. We're coming to America, and the people that ask all these questions tonight, 'Who the (bleep) is Philipp Plein?' You know, I'm here to answer the question," Plein said in an interview backstage before the show. "It will take a while before they get to know us, but that's why we're here." Meeks' searing blue eyes and perfect cheekbones lit up the runway after doing the same on the internet in 2014, after his arrest for gun possession in a gang sweep in Stockton, California. Police there posted his mugshot on Facebook and women went wild. He had a record for auto theft and has served time in both state and federal prisons, so why put him in a fashion show? "We're all bad boys," Plein said. "I'm a bad boy." Advertisement The Associated Press The clock tower perched above Hamburg's main train station was tolling midnight when I boarded the Borealis sleeper train in the autumn of 2014. During daylight hours, I had made the trip from Copenhagen - part ferry, part train - across the Baltic Sea, and now I was bound for Amsterdam. Had I known that, I would be among the last passengers to make this nocturnal journey across the peat bogs and swamp forests of the eastern Netherlands, I might have splurged on a bottle of champagne in the bar car. The route was cut before Christmas. Advertisement A couple of days later, after sipping a sparkling water in the sleek first-class lounge (free with my ticket) at Amsterdam Central Station, I boarded the Pollux sleeper train bound for Innsbruck, Austria. My compact compartment was tidy and comfortable with a respectably fluffy pillow and gleaming chrome sink. As I looked forward to unwinding with a Swedish crime novel and a mini bottle of Riesling in the bar car, I heard a knock at my compartment door. This was, in itself, marginally thrilling: having grown up romanticizing the old-fashioned glamour of European train travel, the knock held the promise of Agatha Christie-esque intrigue. A slight young man in a conductor's uniform explained in flawless English that a mix-up had occurred: I would unfortunately have to move cabins. He offered me two small, complimentary bottles of red wine - the second an extra one to thank me for my patience. "Do you have white?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound ungrateful. Advertisement He shook his head. "They cut the restaurant car in March." But less than an hour later, as we sped toward the famed spires of Cologne, he knocked on the door of my new compartment proffering a sheepish smile and a small bottle of champagne. "Take it," he said, "What are they going to do to me? They've already given me the sack." Austrian Railways' new Nightjet service began in December with 15 routes. It offers new beds for sleeping car passengers. (OBB-Austrian Railways) His name was Marc, he was 23 years old, and his favorite route was the Lupus from Munich to Rome - among a slew of City Night Line routes slated to be cut, he lamented. According to Marc, the impending layoffs explained why his colleagues had, among other more indelicate acts of rebellion, placed stickers around the train that read "Der Nachtzug darf nicht sterben!" ("The night train must not die!") This news surprised me. In the preceding few years, I'd crisscrossed the continent on the Pegasus from Amsterdam to Zurich, the Metropol from Prague to Budapest and the Lusitania from Lisbon to Madrid. Carriages were usually packed, a fact confirmed by Marc. "People love taking the night train," he sighed. Since that mostly nocturnal adventure from Copenhagen to Verona, Italy, Internet searches for "night trains" have read like obituary pages. The Perseus, a City Night Line sleeper from Paris to Berlin, made its final voyage in December 2014. The Kopernikus from Amsterdam to Prague? After the Amsterdam-Cologne section was slashed that same month, the route met its final demise two years later. Other night train services have been reduced or shortened: Since December, passengers who bunk down on the Balkan Express, launched in 1971 to run overnight from Istanbul to Belgrade, Serbia, must disembark in Sofia, Bulgaria. In late 2015, when Deutsche Bahn announced that it would terminate remaining City Night Line routes by the end of the following year, the endangered night train seemed to be on the verge of extinction. Austrian Railways' Nightjet service also offers compartments with updated seats. (OBB-Austrian Railways) These cuts have not gone unnoticed by the public. The slow death of the night train has sparked dissent on social media and in cities across Europe, with protesters holding pajama party-style protests at train stations. Led by the Berlin-based coalition Back on Track, night-train loyalists contend that service cuts contradict agreements forged at the 2015 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Paris, where delegates made a well-publicized journey on the "Train to Paris" to promote sustainable transport. Because the German government owns Deutsche Bahn, online petitions target not only the train company but also Federal Minister of Transport Alexander Dobrindt. According to an emailed statement from Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman Susanne Schulz, "Ridership figures are not the main problem." Yet the approximately 1.3 million nighttime riders per year represent only about 1 percent of daytime riders, meaning that DB considers the "niche business" of night train services a money pit, with high operating costs, a 40-year-old fleet of sleeping cars and annual double-digit losses that translate into tens of millions of euros. That's despite "numerous attempts," Schulz explained, "to reform the night-train services in order to save them." Advertisement Austrian Railways Nightjet service includes new beds for the Couchette coach (family compartment) with redesigned bathrooms, state-of-the-art technology and an extensive breakfast menu for sleeping car passengers. (OBB-Austrian Railways) In October, OBB-Austrian Railways offered solace to train enthusiasts by announcing that it would refurbish the City Night Line fleet and relaunch six of its discontinued routes, including Hamburg to Zurich and Munich to Venice. Nightjet kicked off in December, with 15 routes, eight of which allow vehicles and motorbikes on the train. OBB's rebranding effort, according to spokesman Michael Braun, includes new beds, redesigned bathrooms, state-of-the-art technology and an extensive breakfast menu for sleeping-car passengers. (In the budget-friendly couchette cars, you'll wake up to coffee and Vienna rolls with butter.) The Nightjet's carbon footprint will be admirably light. "OBB trains run with 93 percent renewable energy, mostly produced by our own reservoir power stations in the Alps," Braun said in an email. Despite industry-wide financial pressures that Deutsche Bahn's Schulz partly attributes to increasing competition from budget airlines, the Nightjet offers evidence that the irresistible allure of the night train endures. Perhaps we can blame the cinema: Picture the sultry rendezvous in "Casino Royale" between James Bond and Vesper Lynd, sipping red wine in the dining car of the Pendolino sleeper as the passing countryside plunges into darkness. ("How was your lamb?" she asks. "Skewered," Bond says.) How would those smoldering glances play out against bright orange Easyjet seats, as flight attendants upsold perfume and Cadbury gift boxes? And if Easyjet offered lamb, would even James Bond dare to order it? Last year, I found myself in Spanish Basque country, needing to get to Paris. I booked a couchette on an SNCF Intercite de Nuit train, hopping on at Hendaye near the French border. My compartment felt aged and worn, as if it had last been updated around the time Edith Piaf made her final recording. But the linens were fresh, I had a decent night's sleep and it was cheaper and easier than hustling to Bordeaux to catch a budget flight. At dawn, the conductor brought me a brioche and a cafe au lait in a paper cup, which I sipped as the Loire Valley flew by. Among widespread cuts to night train services this year, SNCF, France's state-owned railway, will run its last sleeper on the Paris-to-Hendaye route in July. Yet as we pulled into the 19th-century Gare d'Austerlitz, smack on the Left Bank of the Seine, I remained blissfully unaware that this could be my last chance to wake up on a train slowly rolling into Paris. Chandler is a Minneapolis-based freelancer. David Zverow, a consultant for the Islamic Circle of North America Relief in Chicago, talks about the newly opened refugee resource center on West Devon Avenue on Feb. 14, 2017, in the West Ridge neighborhood. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune) (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) A Muslim family services organization is opening a food pantry and case management office in the heart of the bustling Devon Avenue business corridor as immigrant families in the tightknit ethnic patchwork of West Rogers Park cope with anxiety over President Donald Trump's recent immigration travel ban and a six-state sweep of unauthorized residents. In a storefront nestled between a bank branch and a cellphone store, officials with ICNA Relief Chicago are planning a grand opening at 2 p.m. Saturday, when elected officials, community shareholders, mosque leaders and prospective clients can get their first look at the new center aimed at providing donated groceries and support services to vulnerable refugees, as well as indigent American citizens. Advertisement And the services are desperately needed, they say. Before the center even officially opened its doors, staff handed out food to 130 families. The new center at 2809 W. Devon Ave. represents the first local expansion of ICNA Relief, a national nonprofit social service, since it opened its Midwest office in Glendale Heights about five years ago, according to its Midwest director, Saima Azfar. Advertisement "Our mission is to work with refugees and immigrants mostly, however we do serve anybody who comes through the door," said David Zverow, a volunteer consultant with ICNA. For three to five days a week, ICNA staffers and volunteers will help feed families, offer case management, translation and counseling services, as well as partner with other social service organizations in the area. While the suburban office helps a large number of Indian and Pakistani families that settled in the area, ICNA's city office is expected to assist a number of refugee families, including those from Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Myanmar living in and around Rogers Park and unable to travel to its main office in DuPage County. Though planning for the center had been in the works for over a year, its opening comes at a particularly precarious time for Muslim refugees living in West Rogers Park. Fear among the community's South Asian and Arab residents has heightened following Trump's recent ban on travel from seven majority-Muslim nations, as well as a series of federal deportation sweeps that recently netted 235 arrests across six states. Of the 235, 48 were from the Chicago area, 45 were convicted criminals and 20 were previously deported. Last week, business owners told the Tribune that business and foot traffic along usually busy Devon had slackened recently as concern and unease settled over the community, leaving immigrant families fearing they would be caught up in the government sweep, even among families with legal status. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Chicago called the sweeps, which were the first of Trump's administration, routine. Azfar said she's received numerous calls in recent weeks expressing not only concern about how the new rules would affect immigrant families, but also about the anguish children were going through. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > "When the ban came, I've received a lot of calls from Iraqi refugee families and some Somalis who wanted to understand what was going on and how it was going to affect them," she said. Advertisement "But now we're receiving some calls that undocumented kids are stressed out basically," she said, adding that there's a fear that the government will deport family members and break up their homes. Zverow, a former Oak Park resident who recently moved to Rogers Park and has previously worked at other social service agencies, echoed some of Azfar's comments. "When I ask the staff and the volunteers how are you feeling about this (the current situation), folks are scared," he said. "People are saying, 'We hope this is a phase.' One lady said this is bringing out the best and worst in people. She said some people are being especially courteous and respectful, making a point of showing that they are accepting other people. (For) other people, this is bringing out some hostility that I don't think people felt politically correct exhibiting before," he said. wlee@chicagotribune.com Twitter @MidNoirCowboy Chicago police Officer Emily Hock speaks about filing a lawsuit against the city and an Independent Police Review Authority investigator Feb. 14, 2017. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Two years into a bitter child custody battle, Chicago police Officer Emily Hock said she became fearful after her son's father seemed to have an uncanny knowledge of her daily work schedule. Hock said she had her personal car swept for GPS trackers and even asked for an investigation to be opened into who was accessing her work records after her former boyfriend, Kristopher Weiss, used Chicago police jargon to refer to obscure internal reports. Advertisement But Hock, who filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, said she was stunned in October to uncover emails pointing to the alleged source of Weiss' inside information an investigator with the civilian agency charged with investigating Chicago police misconduct. Hock said the emails showed the investigator giving Weiss tips on how to make his complaints to police and the Independent Police Review Authority seem more substantial. Advertisement "I was completely almost taken off my feet," Hock, an eight-year department veteran now on medical leave, said in an interview in her lawyer's offices. "I couldn't believe that an agency that has this much power and this much access to police officers' confidential records ... was providing them to somebody who I was scared for my life from." Hock's lawsuit against an IPRA investigator and the city of Chicago alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress, privacy violations and failure by the city to properly supervise the investigator. An IPRA spokeswoman did not immediately respond to phone calls and an email Tuesday and the investigator could not be reached for comment. Hock's lawsuit marks the second in seven months in which a Chicago police officer alleged that IPRA leaked internal records. Police Lt. Glenn Evans, acquitted of criminal charges that he shoved his service gun down a suspect's throat despite evidence of the suspect's DNA on his gun, sued IPRA last year in federal court, alleging that a disgruntled investigator disclosed the results of the DNA tests to a reporter. Hock's lawsuit alleged that the investigator was involved in a romantic relationship with Weiss at the time. Weiss, 45, died last August after he was punched while walking home from a Bridgeport bar and struck his head on the concrete, prosecutors have said. Cook County prosecutors charged Phillip Levato with involuntary manslaughter in Weiss' death last September. His attorney, Ralph Mezyk, said Tuesday that Weiss was the aggressor and had a history of violence. The emails in Weiss' AOL account from 2013 to 2014 came to light after he was killed. A probate court judge ordered AOL to turn over the passwords to the account as Hock searched for assets that could go to their son, now 6. "I promised research ... here you go," the investigator allegedly wrote Weiss, according to the lawsuit. "She is assigned to a school car. ... The sheets show she starts at 730." Advertisement Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > "WOW! Thanks!" Weiss allegedly responded, according to the lawsuit. "That might be really helpful. I certainly do appreciate it." Court records show that Weiss was indicted in 2015 on two felony counts of stalking Hock, but he was acquitted of all charges at a bench trial last year. The IPRA investigator also mailed Weiss police documents detailing emergency calls and advised him "how to file frivolous complaints to harm Hock's career," according to the lawsuit. "It's a complete invasion of privacy, and it's devastating what it's done to my life, my career and kids," Hock said. As part of the lawsuit, Hock's attorney, Thomas Needham, plans to subpoena for any other email correspondence. sschmadeke@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @SteveSchmadeke A 25-year-old man was fatally shot early on Feb. 15, 2017, while he was driving in the southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive, police said. (Elvia Malagon / Chicago Tribune) Updated 6:41 a.m. Feb. 16, 2017 Six people, including a 2-year-old boy and his uncle, have been killed and at least six other people were wounded in shootings across the city during an 18-hour period from Tuesday morning to Wednesday. The man, the 2-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman were shot about 1:30 p.m. in an alley between the 2300 blocks of South Kenneth Avenue and South Kostner Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood. Advertisement In the most recent homicide, a 25-year-old man was shot to death about 3:45 a.m. Wednesday while he was driving on Lake Shore Drive, police said. The man, who was driving a silver Lexus, was heading south in the 2300 block of North Lake Shore Drive near Fullerton Avenue when another car pulled up next to him and opened fire, striking him multiple times. The 25-year-old crashed into the center median. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Advertisement Two other people who were in Lexus were not injured. Early Wednesday, police blocked off the southbound lanes from Belmont Avenue to Chicago Avenue as officers used flashlights to search for evidence on the road. Multiple police cars and an ambulance surrounded a silver sedan, which was stopped on the left shoulder. The stretch of Lake Shore Drive where the shooting took place is sandwiched by the popular North Avenue Beach and Lincoln Park Zoo. Earlier Tuesday and minutes after the triple shooting, police were sent to the 3400 block of West Walnut Street and North Homan Avenue, where Eddie Wade, 62, was fatally shot. Wade suffered multiple gunshot wounds about 2:40 p.m. and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. About 11:55 a.m., a 23-year-old man was fatally shot in the 2000 block of East 71st Street in the South Shore neighborhood, according to police. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest and later pronounced dead. The man went into a store on 71st Street and was followed inside by another person, who fired shots at the man, killing him, said Officer Thomas Sweeney, a police spokesman. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The man was identified as James Johnson, 23, of the 6300 block of South Keating Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. He was pronounced dead at 12:38 p.m. About 9:30 a.m., an 18-year-old man was fatally shot in the chest in 4100 block of West 18th Street, according to police. He was dead on arrival at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to police. The man was a passenger in a car when another vehicle pulled up and someone fired shots, hitting the man, according to police. The driver of the car then drove to Mount Sinai instead of calling an ambulance. The 18-year-old was pronounced dead at 9:53 a.m., according to the medical examiner's office. Advertisement He was identified as Malike Ellis of the 2200 block of South Kirkland Avenue, the office stated. Police initially said the man was 30 years old, but later corrected that information. In other shootings: An 18-year-old man was shot in the left leg about 10 p.m. while he was in the 4900 block of West Hubbard Street in the South Austin neighborhood, police said. He took himself to West Suburban Medical Center, where he was listed in good condition. About 7:15 p.m., a 22-year-old man was wounded in a drive-by shooting in the Hermosa neighborhood, police said. He was walking in the 1600 block of North Keeler Avenue when someone in a dark-colored sedan opened fire, striking him in the lower back and buttocks. He took himself to Norwegian American Hospital, and his condition was later stabilized at Stroger Hospital. In the South Austin neighborhood, a 29-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were shot about 4:15 p.m. in the 200 block of South Laramie Avenue, according to police. The man was leaving a business when another man wearing a mask and armed with a weapon opened fire. The 29-year-old then got out his own gun and returned fire. The masked man left in a silver SUV. The 29-year-old man was shot in the left arm and buttocks, and his condition was stabilized at Stroger Hospital. The woman was grazed on her left hand by a stray bullet, and her condition was stabilized at Loretto Hospital. Police recovered guns at the scene and charges were pending. Also in the Austin neighborhood, a 28-year-old man was shot about 11:15 a.m. in the 1300 block of North Mayfield Avenue, according to police. The man was shot in the right leg and was treated on the scene by city paramedics, according to police. This story was updated Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017 to include the identity and accurate age of the man shot on 18th Street. Three of the Marquette Four Lashawn Ezell, 37, Larod Styles, 37, and Charles Johnson, 40 speak after having their convictions vacated in a 1995 double murder in Chicago. The fourth man, Troshawn McCoy, also had his conviction set aside. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Charles Johnson was driving with his close friend Larod Styles last week when their attorneys called with life-changing news. After more than 20 years, Cook County prosecutors had agreed that new fingerprint evidence cleared them and two others of a 1995 double murder at a Southwest Side used-car dealership. Tears filled his eyes during the impromptu conference call, Johnson told reporters at a news conference Wednesday, just hours after a Cook County judge officially set aside their convictions. Standing with Johnson, Styles and fellow defendant Lashawn Ezell were about 20 family members and friends, one wearing a T-shirt that read, "After 20 years you finally made it!!" Advertisement "I almost couldn't see. They was like, 'Don't crash now, you've come too far,'" Johnson said. "I felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders." Lawyers for the three men and co-defendant Troshawn McCoy credited the decision to a sweeping change in approach to potential wrongful conviction cases under State's Attorney Kim Foxx, who took over the county's top prosecutor late last year. Advertisement The attorneys met last Monday with Foxx's first assistant, Eric Sussman, a former federal prosecutor who, along with Foxx's chief deputy, former federal prosecutor April Perry, are heading up a review of potential wrongful convictions, said Justin Barker, an attorney for Johnson. Two days later, prosecutors called the defense team to say they were dropping charges in the case, Barker said. "The dismissal of these cases today illustrates my absolute commitment to ensuring that this office reviews and addresses any credible claim of wrongful conviction or actual innocence," Foxx said in a statement. On Wednesday, cheers could be heard from family and supporters of the men through windows that separated Judge Domenica Stephenson's courtroom gallery from the courtroom itself as she announced that the convictions were being vacated. The three men in court embraced their lawyers and family members at least two dozen of whom had packed the courtroom after the brief hearing. "It's finally over!" one family member cried outside court. "No more courtrooms. No more Menard (prison)." Johnson and Styles were teenagers when they confessed to the December 1995 murders of Yousef Ali and Khalid Ibrahim, the co-owners of Elegant Auto Sales at 75th Street and Western Avenue. Johnson told Chicago police that he and his co-defendants planned to steal some cars from the lot and strip them for parts. But Johnson's lawyers argued that he had signed the confession only after he was told it was a routine document that would lead to his release. They said, too, that the details in confessions from the men, which formed the bulk of the prosecution's case, did not match. The convictions began to give way in 2013, when the Illinois Appellate Court ordered an evidentiary hearing for Johnson after finding that crucial fingerprint evidence probably would lead to his acquittal if he was tried again. Last year, prosecutors for then-State's Attorney Anita Alvarez threw out Johnson's and Styles' convictions, although they said they planned to retry the two. Both men eventually were freed last fall on $500,000 bail. Ezell, who had been convicted only of armed robbery, had already completed his 20-year prison sentence. Advertisement McCoy, who has nearly finished serving his 55-year prison sentence, remained behind bars awaiting a hearing on his petition for a new trial. Foxx, after an evaluation of the case, decided not to retry the men. The key piece of evidence, according to Johnson's lawyers, was a fingerprint lifted from the adhesive side of a "92" window sticker peeled from a stolen vehicle and discarded in the lot that matched a convicted drug dealer who lived just a block from where the vehicle was ditched. What's more, after the trial, an eyewitness who was in the office at the time of the slayings told an investigator for the men that the two co-owners had been receiving threatening phone calls over a car sold to a known drug dealer. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The window stickers were discovered in evidence vaults by a prosecutor after a lengthy legal battle, the defense team said. Steven Drizin, of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law, said the fingerprints were found on the sticky side of the decal only seven years ago, exonerating Johnson more than a decade after he had faced the death penalty. "This is a powerful testament to some of the reasons why we abolished the death penalty here in Illinois," Drizin told reporters Wednesday. Johnson and his defense team credited Johnson's mother, Theresa, with tirelessly searching for a lawyer to take her son's case, eventually catching Drizin's attention. Advertisement "She was the force behind what you see today," Barker said. "I went everywhere trying to seek help for my son, and everybody would just close the door practically in my face," Theresa Johnson told reporters. "My heart is just so full right now. I just thank God for everything." sschmadeke@chicagotribune.com Twitter @SteveSchmadeke A man walked into a Citibank branch Wednesday afternoon and robbed the bank before fleeing on Michigan Avenue, the FBI said. The robbery happened shortly before 12:30 p.m. at a bank located at 100 S. Michigan Ave. The robber threatened a weapon, according to preliminary reports. Advertisement The robber was described as black, about 27 years old and 5 feet 9 inches tall with a thin mustache. He was carrying a messenger bag with a white over-the-shoulder strap, the FBI said. The man fled south on Michigan Avenue. Advertisement Anyone with information about the robbery should call the FBI Chicago office at 312-421-6700. The Lake County Sheriff's Office and Illinois Appellate Prosecutors Office announced at a news conference Wednesday that a grand jury handed down an indictment against former Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd. (Emily Coleman / Lake County News-Sun) (Chicago Tribune) Former Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd has been indicted on five felony counts of perjury, with authorities alleging he falsely claimed to have witnessed signatures on his election nominating petitions. The grand jury indictment follows a yearlong investigation by Lake County sheriff's detectives and the Office of Professional Standards, authorities said in a news release Wednesday. A Lake County judge has issued a $150,000 arrest warrant for Rudd, the release said. Advertisement "I have nothing to say until I talk to my lawyer," Rudd told the Lake County News-Sun on Wednesday. The indictment accuses Rudd of falsely attesting that he personally gathered voter signatures on five pages of his nominating petitions for his failed 2016 re-election bid. The law requires that the person who circulates a nominating petition sign each page to attest that the signatures were witnessed and are valid. Because the pages Rudd signed were formally notarized, he was considered to be under oath at the time, according to the indictment. Advertisement Rudd, 70, a Democrat in a county where elected officials have historically trended Republican, served one term as coroner starting in 2012. He sought re-election last year, but voluntarily withdrew his nominating petitions for the primary election after the documents were challenged. In addition to the issue cited in the new indictment, those who challenged Rudd's petitions also challenged the validity of some signatures. Rudd said at the time that he might have made a clerical error in his petitions but called the effort to oust him from the ballot "a political witch hunt." Former Lake County Coroner Thomas Rudd, shown Aug. 18, 2016, has been indicted on five felony counts of perjury following an investigation by Lake County sheriff's detectives and the Office of Professional Standards, a news release said. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) "I did make a mistake, and the question is what was the intent," Rudd told the News-Sun last year. "Was it to hide something? No. What it was ... was a clerical error because I did not know the election code law. Nobody's perfect. If you're saying that an individual who holds this office must not have ever made an error in their life, there would be nobody who could hold this office." After withdrawing his petitions, Rudd then sought to run as an independent candidate, but the courts ruled that he could not because he had already filed to run as a Democrat. After the state Supreme Court declined to hear his case, he mounted an unsuccessful bid as a write-in candidate. Republican Howard Cooper ultimately won the election to replace Rudd. Ross Secler, an attorney who represented Rudd in his bid to get on the November ballot, declined to comment on the particulars of Rudd's criminal case. But Secler called the indictment against Rudd "pretty ridiculous. It seems really vindictive." During his term in office, Rudd often had a difficult relationship with law enforcement officials, particularly in regard to high-profile cases such as that of Melissa Calusinski, the day care worker convicted of murder of a boy in a her care, and the shooting death of Fox Lake police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz. Advertisement Rudd was the first public official to acknowledge openly that Gliniewicz might have shot himself a theory authorities eventually came to conclude was correct after outwardly casting his death as a homicide by suspects he was chasing. Rudd appeared to have ruffled feathers of investigators, but others lauded the coroner, saying he helped prevent a potential cover-up of the circumstances of Gliniewicz's death. In the Calusinski case, Rudd reclassified the boy's death from homicide to undetermined. When Rudd testified last year in a hearing relating to Calusinski's bid for a new trial, he was grilled by prosecutors, who suggested he was improperly advocating for Calusinski's conviction to be overturned. When asked if Rudd's history of disagreements raises suspicion of any politically motivated agendas in this case, Secler said, "Given what he did in the office and how they came after him, I would let you decide that conclusion." Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim said the investigation began after someone submitted a complaint to his office. "It's the job of the state's attorney to represent the coroner, so, to avoid any issue, we immediately asked a special prosecutors to look into it," Nerheim said. Advertisement Rudd's lawyer in the perjury case, Jed Stone, said he expects his client to turn himself in Thursday. Stone called Rudd "an American hero" who has stood up to the powerful. Stone said that while the investigation didn't come as a surprise to his client, the indictment did. "It's way too early to comment on the evidence in this case. What I can say with virtual certainty is that Lake County has made itself the epicenter for wrongful convictions, prosecutorial misconduct and police misconduct, and Dr. Rudd was one of the very few who stood up to that misconduct and said, 'Not on my watch.' I'm sure that there were consequences for that kind of bravery." At a news conference Wednesday evening to announce the charges, Sgt. Christopher Covelli of the Lake County sheriff's office said the indictments had nothing to do with Rudd's handling of the Gliniewicz or Calusinski cases, and the sheriff's office brought in a special prosecutor to avoid appearances of payback or politics. "Today has absolutely nothing to do with anything political whatsoever," he said. "It has to do with an investigation that was brought forward to law enforcement, and that is precisely why a special prosecutor was brought in." Special Prosecutor Brian Towne said he is "not a political individual" and has "no ties to Lake County politics good, bad or otherwise." Advertisement While the indictment handed down Wednesday focused on whether Rudd circulated the petitions that he signed, Undersheriff Raymond Rose said the investigation is ongoing. The investigation could lead to charges against others. Rose said it appears from the investigation that some of Rudd's petition papers contained signatures for people who had been dead more than 10 years. In other cases, Rose said, signatures were listed for people who later said they never signed the petitions. Those issues are not addressed in the indictment, however. Towne said the perjury occurred when the petitions were notarized Nov. 21, 2015, and while Rudd later withdrew the petitions, Towne said that has "no legal relevance" to whether perjury was committed. Towne noted that candidates are allowed to have others circulate petitions on their behalf. But it's the person who solicits and witnesses the signatures, not the candidate, who must sign the petitions. "We live in an era now where elections are called into strict scrutiny," Towne said. "... We need to make sure that the petitions that are being circulated are done so in a true and accurate fashion. We need to ensure the integrity of the process, and this prosecution I believe will allow the justice system to consider all of the factors that were looked into and investigated." The class 3 felony perjury charges carry a possible sentence of two to five years in prison and also are probational. Advertisement Tony Briscoe is a Tribune reporter; Emily Coleman and Jim Newton are Lake County News-Sun reporters. The driver of a silver Lexus was shot to death as he drove on Lake Shore Drive near Fullerton Avenue early Wednesday. Jorge Navarro, 25, was heading south around 3:45 a.m. when another car pulled up and someone opened fire, striking him in the chest, police said. Navarro crashed into the center median. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Two other people in the car were not hurt. Police were investigating whether the shooting was gang-related, officials said. Officers blocked off the southbound lanes from Belmont Avenue to Chicago Avenue for nearly three hours as officers with flashlights searched for evidence. Several squad cars surrounded the Lexus. About 6:30 a.m., the car was towed away and police reopened the southbound lanes. The shooting took place along a stretch of the drive between North Avenue Beach and Lincoln Park Zoo. Justin Bowers, father of Kanari Gentry Bowers, middle, stands silently during a press conference at Stroger Hospital announcing the death of his daughter on Feb. 15, 2017. Kanari, who was shot outside her elementary school, died at 3:38 pm at Stroger Hospital. (Chicago Tribune) Antwan C. Jones was walking down the street Saturday evening when he spotted three gang rivals selling pot in Black Disciples territory and opened fire from across King Drive, according to police and prosecutors. As happens too often in Chicago, Jones missed his target and instead wounded 11-year-old Takiya Holmes in the right temple as she sat in a van with her 3-year-old brother, her mother and her aunt in the Parkway Gardens complex, authorities said. Advertisement "Across the street he saw three individuals who he felt did not belong in the area and he chose to get a handgun," police Cmdr. Brendan Deenihan said. "Obviously, we know now that he didn't hit any of them. "And this poor young girl, this 11-year-old, Takiya, she pulls up in a van. The van couldn't have been there more than a minute and this stray bullet strikes her, causing her death," Deenihan said. Advertisement Activist Andrew Holmes says community pressure led to the arrest of Antwan Jones, who is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 11-year-old Takiya Holmes, a relative of Andrew Holmes. Holmes speaks at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on Feb. 15, 2017. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Takiya was rushed to Comer Children's Hospital a mile and a half to the north, where she was taken off life support Tuesday morning. She was one of three children shot in Chicago in three days. In bond court Wednesday afternoon, Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered that Jones, wearing a maroon jacket with a faux fur hood, be held without bond on a first-degree murder charge. Jones was charged early Wednesday after police examined video that showed several people near the shooting. Gang investigators helped detectives identify witnesses who cooperated with authorities and identified Jones as the gunman, Deenihan said. The commander said he believed the witnesses cooperated because an innocent had been killed. Authorities said Jones surrendered to police but did not make a statement, instead requesting an attorney. Jones has a "lengthy" juvenile record, which police did not detail, and three arrests as an adult. He was charged last November with two counts of domestic battery and one count of criminal damage to property. An order of protection was issued in the case. Last September, Jones was charged with aggravated assault of a teacher, and in 2015 he was charged with reckless conduct. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said the shooting underscores once again the need for action in Springfield on legislation that will toughen penalties for gun offenders. "I raised three kids in this city," Johnson said at a news conference at police headquarters. "And for any leader in this city to watch young kids have to suffer because we don't hold people accountable is ridiculous. Advertisement Naikeeia Williams gathers with other family members at a vigil Feb. 14, 2017, for her daughter Takiya Holmes, 11, who was shot over the weekend in the 6500 block of South King Drive in Parkway Gardens and died two days later. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) "How many children do we have to lose before the promises that were made by certain legislators are kept?" he asked. "How many?" About 30 minutes before Takiya was shot, 12-year-old Kanari Gentry-Bowers also was struck in the head by a stray bullet about 4 miles away, outside her elementary school near 57th Street and Winchester Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Police said she remains in critical condition and on life support at Stroger Hospital. Tuesday afternoon, 2-year-old Lavontay White Jr. was gunned down while riding in the back seat of a car on the West Side an attack captured on Facebook Live. The boy's 26-year-old uncle was killed and the uncle's pregnant girlfriend was wounded. Patsy Holmes, grandmother of Takiya Holmes, talks to the media Feb. 12, 2017, about her granddaughter, who was fighting for her life after being shot in the head the previous day, at Comer Children's Hospital. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune) (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) jgorner@chicagotribune.com Advertisement wlee@chicagotribune.com jmeisner@chicagotribune emalagon@chicagotribune.com SPRINGFIELD After staying away from a controversial Senate budget blueprint for the last month, Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday is expected to nod toward the stalled framework as a potential way forward to break state government's unprecedented stalemate. The Republican governor offered a preview of his third budget speech, which he'll give at noon at the Capitol, during an administration-controlled Facebook Live appearance Tuesday. Rauner said he plans to weigh in on the bipartisan measure that's being crafted in the Senate to try to "get a final deal done." Advertisement The governor also blasted opposition to the effort as conservative groups normally aligned with Republicans and organized labor usually allied with Democrats work to kill the proposal, which calls for massive tax hikes, curbing employee pension benefits and putting in place some of the economic reforms Rauner has long called for but been unable to achieve. "There are individuals and special interest groups on both ends of the political spectrum, both ends, who don't want to see any compromise, who don't want to see any grand bargain, who don't want to see a budget deal, and they are sending attacks left and right," said Rauner, who has yet to pass a full-year budget since becoming governor. "But we have got to find compromise. We need to listen to each other, respect each other and come up with some solutions that give us a better future for the long term." Advertisement Rauner's focus on the Senate plan underscores the likelihood that his own budget address is unlikely to offer much in the way of new ideas. He's already said that his proposal will mirror the format that was shot down last year, in which he presented a plan that was at least $3.5 billion in the red and asked the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to work with him toward an agreement or to give him the power to make massive cuts on his own. That approach is again garnering opposition from Democrats who contend the governor is shirking his constitutional duty to present a balanced budget. Rauner was quick to shrug off the criticism, saying Democrats repeatedly have passed out-of-whack spending plans that helped create the state's money problems. Rauner and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan largely have been cut out of the Senate talks, as lawmakers worry their feud would get in the way of serious negotiations. Both would have to sign off on any plan before it could become law, however, and Republicans who have long been out of power in the Capitol have been hesitant to vote on anything without the governor's approval. So far, the governor has resisted out of fear that he'll appear as an obstructionist if he raises specific concerns. Rauner said he has since come around to the idea in the hope it can push efforts along. "I don't want to disrupt anything," Rauner said Tuesday. "I don't want to create any barriers or barricades to getting things done, but hopefully, maybe, if I share some of my views and comments I can help with the process and together we can bring it in for a good place and get a final deal done for the future." Democrats said it was disingenuous for Rauner to call for compromise now, saying he's purposefully tried to wreak havoc on the state by demanding lawmakers first pass portions of his economic agenda before he'd agree to a budget. "A lot of people have been hurt college students, single moms, immigrants, those who have special needs, autism and mental illness all because the governor has insisted stubbornly on things that have nothing whatsoever to do with the budget of the state of Illinois," said Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie. But Republicans said it also is up to Democrats to keep an open mind, saying the opposition party has given Rauner's ideas little chance to be truly debated through the legislative process. Advertisement "I think the need to meet halfway is critical in a divided government like we have," said Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington. "If (Democrats) are unwilling to meet the governor halfway, then they ought to take ownership themselves." Meanwhile, Democrats and their union allies also used the eve of Rauner's budget speech to bash the governor for his handling of his contract negotiations with state workers. "This governor has been nothing but a disaster," said Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago. "This governor made it plain and clear that he is here for his business community and his business friends. That's not our goal. And if he wants a strike, a strike it will be." The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 is in the midst of a strike authorization vote, asking its more than 30,000 state worker members if they are willing to go on strike to resist Rauner's attempts to impose a new contract. Rauner's contract would increase employees' out-of-pocket health care costs and give the state greater freedom to privatize jobs currently performed by unionized workers. AFSCME contends that the contract would cost the average worker $10,000. "That might not be much to someone who can spend $50 million and put it in their political PAC, or someone that makes over $184 million a year, but to these people and the people from our communities and the people of the state of Illinois, $10,000 is a lot of money, Gov. Rauner," said Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, referring to Rauner's contribution late last year to his 2018 re-election campaign account. Geiger reported from Chicago. Advertisement mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com kgeiger@chicagotribune.com hbemiller@chicagotribune.com SPRINGFIELD Gov. Bruce Rauner's lawyers have filed formal opposition to Attorney General Lisa Madigan's request that a Downstate judge lift an order that's allowed state employees to be paid despite the lack of a budget, arguing her legal move is aimed at creating an "artificial emergency." The administration wants the court order to remain in place, saying the attorney general's contention that the state does not have the authority to cut paychecks without a budget in place ignores numerous other legal avenues that have kept salaries flowing during the record-long impasse. Advertisement Rauner's legal team points to requirements under federal law that the state pay workers, numerous federal court consent decrees that require the state to provide services such as child welfare programs, and various laws passed by the legislature that require checks for certain employees such as lawmakers to go out regardless of whether the state has a budget. The governor's lawyers also say the state has a duty to pay employees who protect the health and safety of Illinois residents, such as police officers and corrections workers. The filing comes ahead of a hearing scheduled for Thursday. Rauner's office says that even if the court sides with Madigan, the attorney general should be required to detail "which employees she believes must be deprived of a paycheck and which services she believes should no longer be provided to the people of this state." Advertisement Last month, Madigan went to court seeking to undo a July 2015 ruling from St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Robert LeChien that said the state must pay workers even without a full spending plan, saying the decision "removed any imperative" for Rauner and Democratic lawmakers to cut a budget deal. That ruling came in response to a case brought by 13 unions representing state employees who argued failing to pay workers in full was a violation of their collective bargaining agreements. It contradicted an earlier ruling from a Cook County judge in which Madigan argued that state workers should not be paid beyond the federal $7.25-per-hour federal minimum wage. At the time, Madigan said the state should comply with federal labor laws during the impasse and did not have the authority to spend beyond that without a budget in place. Now Madigan argues that a March 2016 Illinois Supreme Court ruling rejected the idea that withholding pay would violate employee contracts, saying collective bargaining agreements are subject to funding from the legislature. The Rauner administration raised questions about the timing of Madigan's move in its court filing Tuesday, saying she could have gone to court several months ago if she felt it was that important. "Instead, she waited. If there was no emergency in March 2016, there is no reason for the attorney general to ask this court to act precipitously today," Rauner's lawyers argue. Madigan spokeswoman Maura Possley said Rauner "is asking the court to relieve him of his responsibility to ever sign a budget covering the state employee payroll." "The governor should do his job instead of asking the court to do it for him," she added. mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com Advertisement hbemiller@chicagotribune.com 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. Subscribe here. Topspin Gov. Bruce Rauner's more frequent use of Facebook Live as a communication tool to go around the media also carries some risks, like comments that can be picked up by a hot microphone before the show begins. Advertisement On Tuesday, when some technical problems cropped up prior to putting the feed on the governor's Facebook page, a hot mic on the governor's state website revealed that Rauner added a "Happy Valentine's Day" to his public remarks after an aide told him the greeting would make him more human. The setup: Rauner complimented the attire of an off-camera female aide, saying, "You've got that good red dress going. It's a good very " Advertisement The aide responded that it was "a day of love," and lamented that her boyfriend had moved to Chicago and that it would be "just me and my dog tonight." "Are you going to wish everyone Happy Valentine's Day?" the aide asked Rauner. The governor replied, "I wasn't, but now maybe I will." "You don't have to but," the aide said before Rauner cut her off, adding, "I think it's a good idea." "It's humanizing," the aide responded as Rauner laughed. The staff worked on solving technical problems over using a captioning feature, an effort that delayed the appearance's start time. Rauner questioned if the feature's use was required. "What, we violate the law if" it's not used? Rauner asked. Noting the delay had reached more than five minutes, occasionally looking at his watch, the governor told his aides, "They're probably chanting and pounding their beer cups saying, 'Where is he? What's going on?' " After posing for some still photos behind his desk, and with the show yet to start, Rauner told his staff, "The switchboard is lighting up with angry consumers." Rauner then went on to deliver his Facebook Live address and answer administration-selected questions, speaking for more than 36 minutes. (Rick Pearson) Advertisement What's on tap *Mayor Rahm Emanuel's all-out political assault on the governor continues with a morning appearance at a city childcare center "to highlight the effects of the state's budget impasse," according to the mayor's office. In the evening, the mayor will speak at a firefighters' graduation ceremony. *Gov. Rauner will give his annual budget address at noon from the Illinois House. Both the House and Senate have several committee hearings scheduled. *Three City Council committees are set to meet, including one that could hear proposed changes to Chicago's Airbnb rules. From the notebook *Investigate Team Trump? Sen. Dick Durbin said Tuesday he wants an independent commission to probe dealings with Russia by President Donald Trumps administration. Talking about former national security adviser Michael Flynns resignation, Durbin sent out a tweet Tuesday: The only thing Flynns resignation proves is the need for an independent investigation of the Trump camps dealings with Russia. Now. Speaking later to reporters, Durbin said he didnt expect Republican lawmakers to push for a probe, and if a congressional committee took a look, lawmakers would slow walk it. He singled out the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and Flynns resignation after misleading White House officials about phone calls from late last year, before Trump took office, with the Russian ambassador. Talking about Flynn, Durbin said it was hard to imagine he was acting alone in his decision to communicate with Russias ambassador and hard to imagine there werent previous communications between them. (Katherine Skiba) *Gift for Gorsuch: Durbin said Tuesday he gave a gift a legal one, he noted to the visiting Neil Gorsuch, the appellate judge President Donald Trump has nominated to the Supreme Court. Durbin said the gift was a biography, Taming the Storm, which tells the story of federal Judge Frank Johnson, who was behind landmark civil rights rulings that helped end segregation and the disenfranchisement of Southern blacks. Durbin praised Johnson for fighting for the civil rights of marchers in Selma, Ala. The senator declined to say whether he will vote to confirm Gorsuch, a judge for the Denver-based 10th Circuit and the sixth high court nominee Durbin said he has considered. (Katherine Skiba) *Rauner on his newest deputy: During his Facebook appearance, Rauner touched on his decision to hire former Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger and a group of her former staff members. Munger lost her election bid in November, and Rauner recently named her a deputy governor with a salary of about $135,000. The governor called Munger a superstar and said the former Helene Curtis executive knows finances and budgets, while noting her staff gained years of experience working under popular GOP Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, who died in 2014. Theyre adding a lot of value, Rauner said. (Monique Garcia) *What's new is old? Gov. Rauner has said the budget he delivers Wednesday will resemble the same outline he presented to lawmakers last year. Other elements might seem familiar too. On Tuesday, Chicago Public Schools sued the state, saying the way Illinois pays for education is unfair to the city's students. Last year, Rauner had asked that lawmakers approve a "clean, no games" education budget and address more fundamental school funding changes later. Among the governor's critics was CPS CEO Forrest Claypool, whose statement to reporters from a year ago echoes Tuesday's lawsuit: "Today he made it clear that he was going to do nothing to change the fundamental inequity in school funding throughout the state of Illinois. He proposed nothing additional or new for low-income children throughout the state. ... The governor today did not disturb the status quo; he defended a system that is indefensible." The Tribune's February 2016 story also quotes two lawmakers who have since left to pursue other opportunities, including then-state Rep. Jack Franks, who predicted: "I could lie to you and tell you everything's going to be fine, but honestly, I don't see this being resolved until next January." That didn't happen either. What we're writing *Chicago school board sues state, alleges 'separate and unequal' funding. *Unable to pass own spending plan, Rauner to weigh in on Senate version during Wednesday budget speech. *Rauner legal team files response to AG Madigan's state employee paycheck move ahead of Thursday hearing. *Emanuel: Feds will be in town next week to continue Police Department work. *University of Chicago students, faculty clash over Corey Lewandowski event. *Durbin meets with Gorsuch, says he needs to hear more. *Feds arrested 48 in Chicago area in last week's immigration raids. What we're reading *Toddler and man killed, woman wounded in Lawndale shooting. And one of two girls shot over the weekend has died. *Abrupt budget cuts hinder Illinois violence shelters. *Harrison Ford, who has crash-landed a plane and helicopter before and has played a spaceship pilot, has a landing scare at a California airport. Follow the money *The Illinois Gaming Machine Operators Association reported $14,000 in donations from three companies in the industry. Advertisement *Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. Beyond Chicago *Trump campaign aides had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence, NYT reports. *Trump knew for "weeks" about Flynn's contacts with Russia. *Republican-led Senate "highly likely" to probe Flynn's actions, McConnell says. *Malaysia official: North Korea leader's brother slain at airport. *Russia has fired a missile that officials say violates a key treaty. Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday continued his drumbeat against Gov. Bruce Rauner in the run-up to his state budget address, castigating the Republican for what he said was failing to offer a balanced budget. The mayor appeared at a Northwest Side child care center an hour before Rauner delivered his third annual budget speech in Springfield. Emanuel used his visit to highlight the fact such facilities are struggling because of funding gaps from the state, and again blasted Rauner for what he said was not working past the stalemate with Democrats. The state hasn't passed a full spending plan since Rauner took office. Advertisement "Our governor, three years as governor, now let me tell you this, just a simple fact: If for two years, what you introduced doesn't work, it's not like the third's going to be the charm here, OK?" Emanuel said. "It's time to hit the reset button, work with the leaders and move our state forward." In response, Rauner spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis released a statement saying the governor has significantly increased early childhood education funding. Advertisement Emanuel's Wednesday comments about the governor were his latest salvo this week in the ongoing public feud between the onetime vacation friends. On Tuesday, the mayor's school board sued Rauner, accusing him and the Illinois State Board of Education of violating the Illinois Civil Rights Act for maintaining what the school system termed "separate and unequal" systems for funding school districts and pension obligations. The suit notes most CPS students are minorities and poor, while public school students in the rest of the state are "predominantly white." Emanuel on Tuesday did not answer directly when asked what he hoped to achieve with the lawsuit. The mayor talked at length about what he said was the broken school funding formula that "penalizes poor kids in poor school districts and rewards wealthy kids in wealthy school districts," and accused Rauner of exacerbating the situation by vetoing a bill in December that would have made a $215 million pension payment to CPS. The mayor also told a group of business leaders Tuesday that Rauner's failure to deliver a balanced budget was "the biggest adverse effect" on the city's economy. In response to the shootings this week of three children in Chicago, Emanuel also called on Springfield to pass tougher gun laws, contrasting the lack of legislative action on that front with what he said was help from witnesses that aided police in identifying the man who shot 11-year-old Takiya Holmes on Saturday. And he called on judges to be tougher on repeat gun offenders. Antwan Jones, 19, was held without bond Wednesday on a charge of first-degree murder in Takiya's death. "The residents stood up and acted like a neighborhood, with common values about what's right and wrong, and what's just," he said. "I would like Springfield to stand up like the neighbors. I would like the criminal justice system to stand up like the neighbors and hold people, criminals, accountable, with real sentences equal to the crime." jebyrne@chicagotribune.com Twitter @_johnbyrne Chicago aldermen on Wednesday recommended tweaking rules to limit access to lists of people renting homes through Airbnb and similar online platforms, a move to bring the city in line with U.S. Supreme Court precedent as it battles two lawsuits challenging its home rental regulations. Under Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposed changes, people who rent out their homes would no longer have to make customer lists available to city inspectors upon request. Instead, obtaining the lists would require a search warrant or subpoena. Advertisement There would be exceptions. People renting out homes could consent to releasing the lists, or the lists could be demanded when an "exception to a warrant applies," such as when police are hot on the trail of a crime and have legal authority to skip the warrant process under legal precedent. The proposed list release change would be in keeping with a recent Supreme Court decision on a lawsuit challenging home rental regulations in San Francisco, said Vicki Kraft, an attorney at the city Law Department. Advertisement Shorge Sato, an attorney representing people renting out rooms who are challenging the ordinance in court, told aldermen the change was "a good first step." But he called on the city to drop a provision that allows city inspectors to conduct "on-demand inspections" of homes that are rented out. The lawsuits, filed last year after the City Council voted to approve the regulations, labeled both the initial list access rules and the on-demand inspection requirement as unconstitutional invasions of privacy. As a result of the legal action, none of the new regulations is being enforced, but Kraft said the city is "vigorously" contesting the suits. Other changes to the regulations aldermen recommended Wednesday would make it "unlawful" to provide incomplete or false information when applying for a vacation rental license. And instead of requiring applicants to state that they read the regulations and understand them, they would only have to attest to reading a summary. The changes were advanced by the License Committee, with three aldermen, including one original regulation proponent 43rd Ward Ald. Michele Smith of Lincoln Park voting against them. Smith said she wanted "to continue to send a strong message that short-term rentals are a disruption to residential communities and deserve the strictest regulation." The regulations represent Emanuel's attempt to walk a fine line in regulating the burgeoning home-rental industry. As Emanuel has defended Airbnb, in which his brother, Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel, is an investor, lakefront aldermen have complained about their neighborhoods getting overrun by weekend revelers. And hotel owners have lobbied to make Airbnb and other similar internet outfits subject to the same regulations as hotels. Emanuel's rules require Airbnb and the other companies to pay a 4 percent surcharge on each rental, with the $2 million the city expects that to generate set aside for homeless services. The full council will consider the changes next week. Advertisement hdardick@chicagotribune.com Twitter @ReporterHal Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's office says he will announce on Wednesday in his budget speech a push to fund 200 more state police cadets to patrol Chicago-area expressways. In 2016, there were 51 shootings on those roadways, compared to 37 in 2015. State police have said that the gun violence in the city is spilling onto the expressways. It is unclear how Illinois can find the money to pay for the new state troopers in the midst of a budget crisis. Rauner's office would not elaborate. The violence on the expressways also prompted the Chicago Crime Commission to ask that state and federal officials find the money to purchase a high-tech "expressway video surveillance system." WASHINGTON Sen. Dick Durbin said he was withholding judgment on Neil Gorsuch after meeting with the Supreme Court nominee Tuesday. "I'm anxious for a clear statement that he respects the judicial branch of government at this perilous constitutional time," said Durbin, the No. 2 leader for the minority Democrats in the U.S. Senate and a member of the Judiciary Committee that will vet Gorsuch. Advertisement Durbin, of Illinois, said Gorsuch, a federal appellate judge for the Denver-based 10th Circuit, had high praise for Illinois native Merrick Garland, whose nomination by President Barack Obama was scuttled by Republican senators who denied him a confirmation hearing. Gorsuch called Garland a "model nominee" and said he hopes to be "half the nominee" Garland was, according to Durbin. Advertisement Durbin, addressing reporters after a 40-minute meeting with Gorsuch, said it was "totally unfair and unjust" to derail Garland's nomination and said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as the "architect" of that effort "should never forget it." Durbin supports a hearing and Senate vote for Gorsuch and said 60 votes should be required to seal a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. In his news conference, Durbin also said the nation was facing "uncharted waters." He noted Trump's executive order on travel, his firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates, an Obama holdover, and Monday's resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn after he misled Trump and Vice President Mike Pence about his talks with the Russian ambassador. "This, my friends, is serious business," Durbin said. "That's why this selection of a nominee to fill the deciding seat on the court is historically so important, in the context of what we have seen over the past 25 days of the Trump presidency, you cannot dismiss the possibility that we are going to face some of the most critical constitutional decisions of our time," Durbin said. Durbin said he was the 43rd senator to meet with Gorsuch since his nomination. He said Gorsuch was thoughtful and had an impressive resume but they disagreed on some high court decisions. He noted Gorsuch reiterated that recent criticisms of federal judges was "disheartening" and "demoralizing." Durbin said Gorsuch did not mention Trump by name, but he assumed his comments referred to the president's derision of "so-called judges" and his questioning during his White House campaign of the fairness of a Mexican-American judge in light of his heritage. Advertisement kskiba@chicagotribune.com Twitter @KatherineSkiba Jordan Moore, left, from Englewood and other drummers entertain Black Friday shoppers along State Street in Chicago on Nov. 25, 2016. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune) Street performers would be virtually silenced along long swaths of Chicago's two primary downtown retail corridors under a measure aldermen advanced Wednesday. The proposal by Alds. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, and Brian Hopkins, 2nd, would bar street musicians including one-man bands, groups of "bucket boys" and solo saxophone players from playing along the most-traveled sections of Michigan Avenue and State Street unless their performances could not be heard at a distance of 20 feet. Advertisement The restrictions on Michigan would extend from Balbo Avenue near the south end of Grant Park to Cedar Street, north of the Magnificent Mile's famous shopping strip. On State Street, they would extend from Jackson Boulevard at the south end of the Loop to Huron Street near the Whole Foods Market in the Near North neighborhood. The same restrictions already apply to portions of Jackson in Grant Park when there's a concert at the Petrillo Music Shell, and Randolph Street and Columbus Drive near Millennium Park when there's a concert at the Pritzker Pavilion. Street performers of any kind are banned in Millennium Park and along the toniest four-block stretch of Michigan near Water Tower Place. Advertisement Anyone twice found guilty of the new regulations could have their performance permit revoked for a year. As it now stands, performers can ply their trade along most of Michigan and State, provided the noise from 100 feet away does not exceed normal conversational levels a standard Reilly said police find hard to enforce. Typically, officers who enforced the ordinance told performers to move two blocks away, as suggested by the current regulations, he said. The result was "essentially moving the noise from block to block, generating new complaints on each, resulting in more calls for service to 911 and then more utilization of our scarce police resources downtown." Reilly said that for downtown residents, business owners and workers, resulting noise that would go on for many hours a day represented "a real quality of life issue. ... My residential and business constituents have endured this issue for many years, and they've had enough." After dozens of downtown business representatives, building owners and residents testified in favor of the changes, with no one speaking out against it, the License Committee voted to recommend approval of the ordinance, and the full City Council will consider it next week. Ald. David Moore, 17th, voted against the measure, contending that music from "different races, different ethnic groups, different musical equipment" is part of "what makes Chicago, Chicago." He likened choosing to live downtown to picking a home near an airport. "There are benefits that they get, and there's going to be some negativity there as well," he said. hdardick@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @ReporterHal GROTON The military tracked a Russian spy ship moving up the East Coast to within 30 miles of the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton Wednesday and some political figures called the maneuver another aggressive action by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We've been in touch with the Navy early this morning," U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, told The Courant. "They are watching it like a hawk. At this point there's not a violation of international waters. Unless that happens you aren't going to see any aggressive push-back, but it's something that has us on high alert." Advertisement Two retired U.S. Naval submarine commanders downplayed the significance of the Russian presence, saying the ship presents little threat to U.S. security. Such Russian intelligence ships routinely patrol areas outside U.S. naval bases and track U.S. and allied forces' naval exercises. The U.S. Coast Guard said it is tracking the ship's course, but would not disclose the location. Advertisement "The U.S. Coast Guard is aware of a Russian Federation-flagged vessel transiting international waters off the East coast of the United States, as we are of all vessels approaching the U.S. The ship has not entered U.S. territorial waters, which extend 12 miles out to sea," the Coast Guard said in a statement. "We respect freedom of navigation exercised by all nations beyond the territorial sea of a coastal state consistent with international law. The Coast Guard continues to coordinate with federal agency partners to monitor maritime contacts operating in the vicinity of U.S. shores." The ship began the trip north along the coast from Havana, where it was photographed and is expected to return. "Residents of Connecticut should know that the arrival of the Victor Leonov, a Russian intelligence ship, 30 miles off of our coast yesterday does not present a direct threat to our physical safety," U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District said. He did say it was troubling given the on-going stories of Russian ties and interference with the Trump administration, among other events. Lawmakers, noting recent incidents including Russian planes "buzzing" a Navy ship in the Black Sea, point to this ship's actions as yet another aggressive Russian action. "They are doing this obviously with aggressive intent to say the least. This is part of a pattern of what's going on right now, not just off the East Coast of the U.S., but overseas," Courtney, whose district includes Groton, said on the House Floor Wednesday morning. In a community that has a long Navy tradition, Courtney said this action does not come as a surprise. "The local community is loaded with incredible Navy tradition and experience and it's not a great surprise that Putin's resurgence in terms of naval activity is happening," Courtney said. "If you've been down at the base in the last three or four years, it's been a real common topic of conversation." Old submarine hands, including retired senior commanders, said tended to brush aside political concern about the Russian ship. They said that such vessels are interested primarily in eavesdropping on electronic communications, but lack the technology to crack U.S. encryption. Advertisement "This for show," said retired Vice Admiral N. Ronald Thunman, former Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for submarine warfare. "I mean, what could that thing do to us? It doesn't have anything special that I know of today. Of course, I've been out of it for a few years, but don't know of any specialized equipment that they could use to intercept our classified communications." "The only thing they could get out of the radio circuitry is normal commercial traffic," said Thunman, who spent a career playing cold war, cat-and-mouse with the Russians as a commander of submarines and submarine groups around the world. "Any sort of classified traffic that we have goes by classified circuits and they can't get into it." Thunman said he finds reports of Russian aircraft buzzing U.S. ships elsewhere in the world more troubling than the presence of a Russians in international waters near New England. Retired Commander David Candler, who spent his career serving on and commanding submarines based at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton, agreed. "I wouldn't make a mountain out of a mole hill," Candler said. "It's a ship, but it's not the Great White fleet. And it is not uncommon for all kinds of ships from all kinds of places to be all over the world. A military ship up here all by itself is kind of unusual. But these kinds of ships and we do the same thing go all over the place to stay reasonably accustomed to the waters." The 300-foot, SSV-175 Viktor Leonov, is packed with electronic gear to monitor sonar and communications. It is armed with defense weaponry. For years, it has been patrolling near East Coast U.S. Naval installations and was spotted two years ago near the Navy's Trident ballistic missile submarine base in Kings Bay, GA. Advertisement Other sailors said they are aware of Russian of Soviet-era ships patrolling routes Groton submarines take to and from their base at the mouth of the Thames River. In the late 1970s, the U.S. Navy scrambled to recover gear that had some how been lost by a Groton-based boat, presumably before the Soviet's got it. In the early 1980s, Thunman, as Deputy chief of Naval Operations, used a search for the sunken liner Titanic as cover for the U.S. Navy's efforts to find the wreckage of two of its submarines that sunk off the New England coast, Thresher and Scorpion. Thunman wanted to locate and photograph the boats without tipping the Soviets to the locations. "It's been going on for years," said Jeff Walsh, a retired Navy senior chief, who served 22 years aboard attack submarines and works at Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics. Walsh said its amusing to people who understand the context. "It's going to keep going on until everyone wants to play nice." He said he saw Facebook posts from neighbors wondering whether if they should take their children out of school. The situation made him think of the movie, "The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming," he said. Joe Quaratella Jr., owner of Nautilus Barber Shop, named the for first nuclear-powered submarine, near the base, said the Russians were a subject of discussion Wednesday. "I had an officer from the base here this morning. We were talking about it," said Quaratella, who said he's been cutting sailor's hair for 50 year. "(The Russians) claim they're just trying to get signals. They're out stealing everything. They're doing this now because we have a new president. They're pushing him." Advertisement "This is nothing to worry about. ... They're listening and watching," he said. Jim Ericson, who works at Electric Boat, was on the shore in Stonington borough on Wednesday at a spot where the town fought an invasion by the British in 1814. He said the older people he works with were amused by news of the ship but the younger workers were concerned. "I kept telling them 'you know they've been out there for 60 years.' The British were out there in the 1800s." Gov. Dannel P. Malloy agreed that the presence of the Russian ship isn't new given the state's role in the creation of submarines. "I think that clearly they like to track submarines. We know that they do. This is not something that is brand new," Malloy said. "It's getting a lot of coverage because, again, I think of other Russian stories related to the Trump administration. They seek to understand how we have the best submarines in the world. And they're made here." U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who is a ranking member on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, said: "While this is not wholly unprecedented, it's part of a series of aggressive actions by Russia that threaten U.S. national security and the security of our allies." Advertisement Murphy said the recent actions show that Putin "clearly thinks the Trump administration has given him a permission slip to flex his muscles" and that the administration needs respond to these threats. University of Connecticut Professor Frank Costigliola, a foreign policy expert, said the Russian ship would be off the Connecticut shore trying to collect information no matter who was in the White House. "They spy on us; we spy on them," Costigliola said. That transparency is not a bad thing, he said. "The only way a war could come is from a miscalculation," Costigliola said. "The more information we know about each other, the better." An official at the nearby Millstone nuclear power plant said there has been no instruction for the plant to take extra security measures. "The presence of this spy ship has to be regarded very seriously because Russia is an increasingly aggressive adversary. It reflects a clear need to harden our defenses against electronic surveillance and cyber espionage," U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, said in a statement Tuesday morning. Blumenthal said he's remains in contact with the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard as he monitors the situation. Advertisement Blumenthal said the actions again show the need for an independent investigaiton into "possible collusion" between the Trump administration and Russian agents. Like Murphy, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-1st District, and U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, were critical of Trump given the news of the spy ship. On Wednesday, Trump left a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before answering reporters questions about Russia. Hartford Courant reporters Jesse Leavenworth and Dave Altimari contributed to this story. MOSCOW As questions over the Trump administration's contacts with Russia roil U.S. politics, the Kremlin is taking a decidedly measured approach, carefully weighing what it says to avoid jeopardizing a chance for better relations between Moscow and Washington. This same patience is evident in Russian state media, helping to temper public expectations of the man who entered the White House with a friendly posture toward President Vladimir Putin. Advertisement Opinion polls have shown that the initial public euphoria in Russia after President Donald Trump's victory has given way to a more sober mood. Last week, Putin used a visit by the president of Slovenia to raise the possibility of meeting Trump in the homeland of his wife, Melania. But he acknowledged it will take time for Trump to finish forming his team before both sides can set a time and place for such a summit. Advertisement "No one here is losing patience, because there haven't been any excessive expectations," said Alexander Baunov, an analyst with the Carnegie Moscow Center. "No one expected Trump to make some incredible moves on the Russian track in two or three weeks. Things here are viewed from a far more pessimistic, temporizing perspective." State-controlled broadcasters have dampened public anticipation of a warming in Russia-U.S. ties with daily reporting on a host of challenges for Trump, including the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Yelena Sizova, a 47-year-old teacher, said she believes any possible steps toward a rapprochement with the U.S. will be blocked by Trump's foes in Congress. "My feeling is that we won't get anything good from him," she said. Russia-U.S. relations plunged to their lowest point in decades under former President Barack Obama because of the crisis in Ukraine, the war in Syria and the allegations of Russia's hacking of the Democrats. Compared with Hillary Clinton's hawkish tone on Russia during the campaign, Trump's promises to repair relations and cooperate with Moscow on fighting international terrorism have fueled expectations of a positive change. Baunov argues it's wrong to assert that there is widespread adulation of Trump among ordinary Russians. "There is no great enthusiasm about him; there is just a feeling of relief," he said. "While in the United States he is perceived as a conduit of Russian influence, no one in Russia sees him as such." Advertisement Maria Katasonova, a pro-Kremlin political activist, said many Russians shuddered at the prospect of a Clinton victory because they hold her responsible for the breakdown in ties as secretary of state. "Her policy has led to the worst period in Russia-U.S. relations since the Cold War," Katasonova said. "That's why people have pinned big hopes on Trump. The Russians who are interested in politics and geopolitics see Trump as a person with whom it will be possible to try to improve relations between our countries." But even as Putin and his lieutenants hope for warmer ties with the U.S., they are fully aware of the strong resistance in Congress and U.S. political circles. Members of the Russian political elite reacted with apparent shock to Flynn's resignation. He stepped down after allegations he had discussed the sanctions in place against Russia with Moscow's ambassador to Washington prior to Trump's inauguration. Even a readiness for a dialogue with the Russians is perceived by the hawks in Washington as 'thoughtcrime.' Konstantin Kosachev, the Kremlin-connected head of the Russian foreign affairs committee Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer insists the problem was not that Flynn had the conversations but the fact that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the content. That led to an unsustainable erosion of trust, Spicer said. Flynn, who once sat next to Putin at a Kremlin gala dinner, was seen by many as someone who was friendly to Russia. Advertisement Konstantin Kosachev, the Kremlin-connected head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of parliament, said that "even a readiness for a dialogue with the Russians is perceived by the hawks in Washington as 'thoughtcrime,'" using a reference from George Orwell's novel "1984." He added that Flynn's departure signaled that Trump has been either driven into a corner or that "Russophobia" is starting to permeate his administration. The Kremlin took a neutral tone, describing Flynn's resignation as internal business in the U.S. Carnegie's Baunov said the Flynn case demonstrated that any attempt by Trump to reach out to Russia would be cast by his opponents as a "deal with the devil." "Trump's administration will face criticism and punishment for any rapprochement with Russia," he said, warning that it will be hard for Trump to change that attitude. During the main weekly news program on Rossiya state television on Sunday night, anchor Dmitry Kiselyov portrayed an embattled Trump being besieged on all sides. The show included an excerpt from "Saturday Night Live" mocking Trump. Advertisement "They start pummeling Trump even before he makes a decision," he said. Other channels carried similar notes of compassion, describing Trump as surrounded by unforgiving enemies who oppose any rapprochement with Russia. The message seems to have resonated with the public. A nationwide survey of 1,600 people conducted last month by the Levada Center, Russia's leading independent pollster, had 46 percent of respondents expecting an improvement of Russia-U.S. ties under Trump, compared with 54 percent in November. The poll had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points. Following the media, many Russians now fear that those in the U.S. who are bent on opposing Russia will force Trump's hand. "They won't let him do what he wants," said Karim Kasachev, a 31-year-old security specialist. "Russia is a tempting target for them all." Advertisement Many still hope Trump will prevail over his political foes and fulfill his promise of mending the rift with Moscow. Vladimir Lyashenko, a retired military officer, said he admires Trump for his ability to stand up to his opponents. "The thing I like most in him is that he is seeing his program through," Lyashenko said. "He fears no one, no matter how hard they push him." He said Trump's rugged determination makes him hope he would eventually succeed in forging friendly ties with Russia. "He said that he wants to improve ties with Russia, and he will do so even though lawmakers will be putting a wrench in the spokes," Lyashenko said. Senate Democratic leaders agreed Wednesday to a bipartisan probe inside Congress of allegations that people linked to President Donald Trump - including ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn - had frequent contacts with Russia during and after the 2016 presidential campaign. Democrats agreed to push forward with an ongoing Intelligence Committee investigation into Russia's purported activities into the election, expanding the probe to include contacts made by Flynn and perhaps other Trump campaign officials with the Kremlin. They united around this course of action despite pressure from some Democrats to demand an independent commission to pursue the matter from outside Congress. The decision was made at a Democratic conference meeting Wednesday morning hastily called by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.). Schumer aimed to get his colleagues on the same page following a fresh report from the New York Times that Trump campaign aides spoke frequently with Russian intelligence operatives during the campaign. Flynn resigned Monday night after The Washington Post revealed that he spoke about sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the United States after the election. Schumer; Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee; and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, explained their stance afterward in a joint appearance. They demanded that all committee investigations related to allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election and contacts with Trump surrogates be bipartisan and comprehensive and that panel members be "committed to making their findings as public as possible." Democrats also want the Justice Department - specifically, the FBI - to continue investigating the allegations that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in an attempt to help Trump win. But they are insisting that former senator Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., now the attorney general, recuse himself from the proceedings. Leading Senate Democrats - some of whom advocated for an independent commission - acknowledged that isn't possible unless Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., signs off on such a move. "I'll be perfectly blunt: We need to have Sen. McConnell's blessing before we'll get a commission done. He's not there," said Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking Democrat Benjamin Cardin (Md.), who has been pushing for an independent commission. "I think Senator Schumer, if he had his druthers, would take a commission immediately - but we can't get it." Schumer had previously endorsed the idea of an independent commission to investigate suspected links between Russia and the Trump campaign. Other Democrats feared risking what precious momentum they had built for an investigation at all by pushing to take such a probe outside Congress. "We've already started this process; we're already starting to review the raw intelligence; we're well down this path," Warner told reporters Wednesday. "I understand others look at other things - I think that would greatly delay the process, and what I think everyone wants, regardless of where we stand, is we want to get this done expeditiously." Warner insisted that he has "faith in Senator Burr's commitment" to pursue the investigation fairly, adding that, "If at any point we're not able to get the full information and we're not pursuing the information to where the intelligence leads, that we'll look at other options." But for other Democrats, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr's, R-N.C., integrity isn't the issue - McConnell is. "I'm just not convinced that Mitch McConnell is going to let the Intelligence Committee get to the real story," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who advocated an independent commission. Senate Republican leaders, meanwhile, responded to Flynn's resignation by saying that the Intelligence Committee probably will examine the circumstances. They reiterated that position Wednesday. "I don't think we need a select committee. We know how to do our work. We have an Intelligence Committee," McConnell said in an interview on MSNBC. One Republican, however, said lawmakers should establish a "joint select committee" - consisting of members of the House and the Senate - to examine the allegations in the Times report. "Now, was this outside the norm? Was this something damaging to the country?" Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a Fox News Channel interview Wednesday morning. "I don't know, but if there were contacts between Russian officials and Trump campaign operatives that [were] inappropriate, then it would be time for the Congress to form a joint select commission to get to the bottom of all things Russia and Trump." Democrats are insisting on some ground rules for the investigations, which could take place in multiple panels. They are demanding that the Trump administration preserve all its records from the transition period, citing "real concern" that officials might "try to cover up ties to Russia" by deleting emails, texts and other documents establishing links between the Trump White House and the Kremlin, Schumer said. Democrats also are demanding that Flynn, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and other campaign officials make themselves available to testify before the committees. But Democrats' demands still depend in large part on what Republican leadership is willing to accommodate. Republican leaders have not ruled out calling on Flynn and other campaign or administration officials to testify. But a majority of the Senate Intelligence Committee would have to agree to issue a subpoena compelling such testimony. The GOP is divided over the revelations that Flynn misled his superiors about the substance of his conversations with Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak during the transition period. Some Republicans insist that the real scandal is not the fact that Flynn lied about whether he discussed sanctions with Kislyak - but that those conversations ever became public. "The leaks are coming from somewhere, and the surveillance came from somewhere . . . obviously it's coming from people that don't want to see this administration succeed," said Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis. He added that incoming administration members like Flynn "would be derelict in their duty not to be reaching out and getting up to speed" through conversations with people like the Russian ambassador - though, Johnson stressed, he didn't know the substance of those conversations. That line from certain GOP leaders has infuriated other Republicans. "All of us know that leaks happen in this town, and we all don't like it - but the fact is that you now have a much larger issue to address," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz. "The national security adviser lied to the vice president of the United States. That's a pretty serious event." Over in the House, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is already prioritizing investigating leaks over Flynn's contacts with Kremlin officials. And leading Democrats are powerless to stop them. "Frankly it's safer for them to talk about leaks than be critical of the president," House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said of his GOP colleagues. "There's still a lot they want from this president in the form of tax cuts and regulatory giveaways, so I think they're hoping to get what they can get before they have to confront him." Democrats in the Senate worry about facing the same fate, should GOP leaders decide they have bigger priorities than Trump's Russia ties. "I'll acknowledge that Sen. Burr is moving in the right direction, and my lack of faith is probably not so much in Senator Burr but in Republican leadership," Murphy said. "I ultimately think their priority is getting a trickle-down tax cut done, and a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, not getting to the bottom of this scandal." For nearly two full weeks, nobody told Vice President Mike Pence that he had been misled by national security adviser Michael Flynn. After privately being assured by Flynn that he had never had any discussions about Russian sanctions with that country's ambassador, Pence went on TV in mid-January and publicly parroted Flynn's denial. But on Jan. 26, President Donald Trump and a small group of senior aides learned that the Justice Department had evidence that Flynn had, in fact, discussed sanctions and misled the vice president. Yet it would take almost a fortnight for Pence to learn the truth - and only then because of a report in The Washington Post, according to Marc Lotter, a spokesman for the vice president. Throughout the campaign and now in office, Pence has largely managed to avoid the infighting and warring factions of the young White House by keeping his head down and soldiering loyally forward. But the incident with Flynn reveals both the benefits and risks of his approach - he has emerged largely unharmed by the scandal that led to Flynn's resignation, but his influence within the West Wing has come increasingly into question given how little he knew about his own situation. "Does this episode strengthen Pence or weaken Pence?" asked William Kristol, editor at large of the Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine and who served as chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle. "That's what everybody is trying to figure out." Pence's decision to try to stay out of the cliques that have plagued the White House has allowed him, so far, to maintain his standing as a neutral player committed to forwarding Trump's agenda on Capitol Hill. But it also appears to have left him at times outside the inner circle of Trump's brain trust. Aides to both the president and vice president say the two men speak on the phone or in person multiple times a day. But despite their frequent communication, the president never told his No. 2 that he had been misled by Flynn - and that in defending him on the Sunday shows had put himself in a publicly compromising and embarrassing situation. "The vice president became aware of incomplete information that he had received on Feb. 9, last Thursday night, based on media accounts," Lotter told reporters Tuesday. "He did an inquiry based on those media accounts." Several people close to him were more blunt, saying he was "blindsided" and "frustrated." But even as Flynn flailed, Pence did not urge Trump to fire him, or lash out against him. Instead, said two officials familiar with the situation, Pence was disappointed and suggested that Flynn could publicly apologize. Others within the White House, however, thought what Flynn had done was egregious and unacceptable. "The vice president is a very forgiving man," said one White House official. On Friday, Pence, chief of staff Reince Priebus and White House counsel Don McGahn held a conference call with Flynn - who had originally denied any improper communications with the Russian envoy - to go over his story again, according to two officials familiar with the call. Flynn was at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club in Palm Beach, Fla., during the call, while the other three men were in Washington. Pence left the conversation troubled, as did Priebus, who expressed dismay both with Flynn's answers and the dawning reality that Flynn had deceived Pence. By Monday, Pence was in full agreement with Priebus and others that it would be best for Flynn to go and remained involved in all top-level talks that day. Asked how the vice president could be kept in the dark about the Flynn controversy for so long, two White House officials said it was a result of the muddled and uncertain way events unfolded rather than an intentional desire to keep him out of the loop. On Jan. 26, when acting attorney general Sally Yates contacted McGahn about discrepancies of Flynn's account of his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, McGahn took the information directly to Trump in the Oval Office that day. Trump quickly brought in chief strategist Stephen Bannon and Priebus to join the discussion with McGahn, said two White House officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly. McGahn then conferred with Yates again the following day to try to glean more information about what Yates knew and to probe the matter further. But McGahn, who has been friends with Pence since the vice president was a House member, did not share the information beyond that group because he had already informed the president and his top two advisers, with the expectation that anyone else who needed to know would be informed by those principals. Several other people within the White House described the situation as "unfortunate" and "unintended," saying that Trump and McGahn did not mean to exclude Pence but were reacting to Yates - whose information was initially viewed with some skepticism - and trying to keep the information about Flynn within a tight group. At that point, Flynn was still maintaining that he had discussed nothing improper with the Russian ambassador. Nonetheless, the two-week lag between when Trump, Bannon and Priebus learned of Flynn's misdirection and when Pence himself found out through news reports has raised speculation as to Pence's true clout - or lack thereof - within the White House. In 2010, when Gen. Stanley McChrystal, President Barack Obama's military chief in Afghanistan, made disparaging remarks about some of Obama's senior civilian advisers, including Vice President Joe Biden, Obama's response was swift and decisive. Within 40 hours, he called McChrystal back to Washington and fired him. Pence is not the type to demand that sort of response. Those who know him said he is thinking ahead, believing that as vice president, he is likely to outlast advisers whose positions may be more tenuous. Germany fixed climate change as a key topic for foreign ministers from the Group of 20 nations meeting Thursday, according to an official in Berlin, setting up for a clash with Donald Trump's lead Cabinet minister on the issue. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet envoys from the rest of the G-20 in Bonn to discuss Agenda 2030, a United Nations catalogue of global sustainability goals agreed on in 2015, Germany's Foreign Office said Wednesday in a statement. Germany, which as host of the meeting helps set the topics for discussion, is ready to challenge the U.S. administration on the issue, according to the official, who asked not to be named because the discussions about preparing for the meeting remain confidential. "You can't fight climate change by putting up barbed wire," Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said in a briefing document released ahead of the meeting, making a barely-disguised swipe at Trump's ambition to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. You can't fight climate change by putting up barbed wire. German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel While European nations led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been at the forefront of the international effort to rein in global warming, Trump has called climate science a hoax, vowing to slash environmental rules restricting coal and pull out of the Paris climate deal agreed at a UN meeting in 2015. Since he won the election in November, Trump and his officials have sent mixed signals about how they might act. While continuing to emphasize the importance of coal, Trump has said he will keep an open mind about the Paris agreement. Tillerson has said the U.S. should keep a seat at the table of the UN talks, which involve more than 190 nations. Germany hasn't had a clear signal about how the U.S. will respond to G-20 initiatives or the broader Paris Climate accord, according to the government official. The official said Germany isn't certain how much sway Tillerson will have. Tillerson supported the Paris agreement when he was chairman of the biggest U.S. oil company, ExxonMobil. The State Department represents the U.S. at the U.N. climate talks, though domestic policies limiting emissions are controlled mostly by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and other bodies. Advertisement Signatories of the U.N.'s Agenda 2030, including the U.S., need to be well prepared for new challenges like climate change, conflict prevention and poverty, the Foreign Ministry in Berlin said. Exxon, the U.S. oil giant that's facing investigations over what it knew and when about climate change, sees the Paris agreement as a "monumental" achievement, William M. Colton, the company's vice president for corporate strategic planning, said in an interview last month. Germany's plan to test G-20 unity on measures to combat ills from climate change to global poverty marks a shift in its strategy as holder of the group's rotating presidency. Presenting its schedule and G-20 goals in December, Germany said it would forgo holding a separate environment summit and focus climate debate on touting how cleaning up pollution can create jobs. The meeting in Bonn is one of the discussions leading up to the G-20 leaders summit in Hamburg in July, which the U.S. president usually attends. The foreign ministers meeting will take up where China's presidency of the group left off last year where an action plan was agreed, the German government said on its web site. The officials in Bonn will assess progress on implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals on the U.N.'s Agenda 2030, according to the German document. The targets cover environmental, social and economic issues. The choice of venue for this week's meeting may be no coincidence -- the city on the Rhine is the home of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the secretariat established by a 1992 treaty establishing the global warming talks that resulted both in the Paris deal and its predecessor, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. Imagine that President Donald Trump is awoken by his national security adviser because of a threat to America. Among Trump's options: put American troops in harm's way, call for drone strikes or launch a nuclear weapon. Until Monday, the national security adviser, who is not subject to Senate confirmation, was retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. After just 24 days on the job, Flynn entered the Guinness World Records for having served the shortest tenure as national security adviser. Among Flynn's transgressions was misleading Vice President Mike Pence about whether he discussed lifting sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. There are numerous important issues that require investigation. Among them is what was the vetting, extreme or otherwise, for this sensitive position? Advertisement Gen. Flynn was "let go" as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency by President Barack Obama, allegedly for his conspiracy theories, temperament and aberrant management skills. Was Obama or his national defense team contacted by the Trump transition team about Flynn? Following Gen. Flynn's termination as Obama's DIA director, Flynn formed Intel Group, which provided services for international clients, including lobbying on behalf of Turkey. In 2015, Flynn sat at Russian President Vladimir Putin's table at a dinner in Moscow marking the 10th anniversary of RT (formerly "Russia Today," the country's state-operated TV station). Flynn appeared on the English-language global cable network that's described by U.S. intelligence as "the Kremlin's principal international propaganda outlet." Were these potential conflicts vetted? Advertisement For Trump's presidential campaign, Flynn was a top military adviser; spoke at rallies and the Republican National Convention; and joined "Lock Her Up" anti-Hillary Clinton chants at Trump campaign events. To what extent did these partisan activities play into his appointment? Before being named the national security adviser, Flynn misled then Vice President-elect Mike Pence about Flynn's son needing a security clearance. To what extent did vetting include instances of Flynn providing misinformation to senior officials? It was reported that the Russians had allegedly hacked into and leaked information harmful to Hillary Clinton and that Trump aides had contact with Russian intelligence operatives. Was there an inquiry into whether Flynn was among those under scrutiny? Trending on social media are the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution and the Logan Act. Among other federal officials, the clause prohibits those with military title from receiving money from a foreign government without the consent of Congress. Flynn is under Army investigation for taking money from the Russians. Was that investigation considered in the vetting? The Logan Act bars private citizens from interfering with diplomatic relations between the United States and foreign government. Violation of the act carries a fine and a criminal penalty. Did Flynn's pre-inauguration conversations with Ambassador Kislyak violate the Logan Act? As a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney, I prosecuted cases involving making false statements to the government including FBI agents. Having intercepted Flynn's conversations with Kislyak and possibly others, the FBI within days after the inauguration interviewed Flynn. If Flynn was untruthful, he could be sentenced to prison for up to five years. In response to Flynn's resignation, Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said, "I think the situation has taken care of itself." Republican Sen. Rand Paul opined that "it makes no sense" for Republicans to investigate Republicans. GOP Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, intoned, "It just seems like there's a lot of nothing there." With a Republican majority in the House and Senate, this national security imbroglio requires an independent inquiry. An inquiry with subpoena power and adequate staffing and budget and led by a pre-eminently qualified and respected American. Among those on the top of the list is Colin Powell, a retired four-star general and former national security adviser, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state. Advertisement As to potential criminal violations, the information should be turned over to an independent special prosecutor. Malcolm Lazin is a former Department of Justice attorney and a former chair of the Pennsylvania Crime Commission. Related articles: Trump's White House is falling apart Putin getting exactly what he wants from Trump The political assassination of Michael Flynn Advertisement Obvious advice for President Trump: Don't trust Putin WASHINGTON A strange and circuitous path led Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn toward his fateful telephone contact in late December with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and the flameout of what had been a distinguished military career. Military and intelligence colleagues who served with Flynn describe him as a brilliant tactician whose work in the shadowy Joint Special Operations Command a decade ago didn't prepare him for broader challenges as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, from which he was removed in 2014, and national security adviser, the post he resigned Monday night. Advertisement "In the JSOC world, you think you're superman," said a former Pentagon superior of Flynn's. After the disappointment at DIA, he said, "Flynn wanted recognition from anyone who would give it to him." The Russians paid attention, and he reciprocated. Flynn made his name perfecting the "find, fix, finish" tactics employed by JSOC against al-Qaida in Iraq. The intelligence haul from one night's raid would be processed in a few hours, and the leads from cellphones and laptops would drive the next night's raids. Advertisement Flynn continued to shine as intelligence chief at Centcom, then at the joint staff at the Pentagon, and finally in Afghanistan, where I first met him. His appointment to head the DIA in 2012 was the culmination of what had been a charmed rise to the top. Then bad things began to happen, some involving Russia, and Flynn's path began to veer toward Monday's catastrophe. The DIA, a messy agency of nearly 20,000, mostly civilians, was famously the underachiever in the intelligence community. Flynn tried to fix everything at once. He had an ambitious but unrealistic plan for fusing the agency into mission centers. His superiors said no; Flynn went ahead anyway. Employees complained of shouting matches, bad leadership and a demoralized agency. Along the way, Flynn became enthusiastic about improving liaison with Russia, which he saw as a natural counterterrorism partner. He visited the Russian military-intelligence agency in 2013, and came back advocating greater cooperation in monitoring Syrian chemical weapons. Even after Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, Flynn proposed inviting the intelligence chiefs of its various theater commands to Washington for discussions. His superiors rejected what they saw as a supremely ill-timed proposal. After Flynn was forced out in 2014, he complained that his ouster reflected disagreements about Middle East strategy. Colleagues at the time say it was simply a story of management failure a good officer in the wrong job. An embittered Flynn continued to advocate closer cooperation with Russia and began issuing strident denunciations of the Obama administration. He told Al-Jazeera television in August 2015 that the rise of the Islamic State was a "willful Washington decision." He told the German magazine Der Spiegel in December 2015 that U.S. military operations in Iraq and Libya had been a "mistake" and a "strategic failure." These became major themes for Donald Trump, whose campaign Flynn informally began advising in late 2015. Flynn did something in December 2015 that has haunted him ever since. He gave a paid speech in Moscow at the 10th anniversary celebration of Russia Today, a global cable network described by U.S. intelligence as "the Kremlin's principal international propaganda outlet." The Russia Today interviewer pushed him to say positive things about U.S.-Russian cooperation, and Flynn complied. "Stop being like two bullies in the playground!" Flynn said in Moscow. "It's a marriage, whether we like it or not, and that marriage is very, very rocky right now." In a separate interview in Moscow, he urged that the two countries share intelligence and operations centers against Islamic terrorism. Flynn sat next to Russian President Vladimir Putin at a celebratory dinner on that 2015 trip. Advertisement Friendly relations continued. During 2016, even as the Russians were mounting what U.S. intelligence described as a covert attack on the presidential election, Flynn had several contacts with Kislyak. The fateful one came in late December, when the two men discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia, even as the Obama administration was expelling 35 Russian diplomats. Flynn's fall is a painful story, with many unanswered questions. Perhaps the biggest is why a retired general, schooled in the chain of command, would have talked with Kislyak without consulting his boss, Donald Trump. That's the White house line, but the investigation of Russiagate is just beginning. Washington Post Writer Group David Ignatius is a Washington Post columnist. davidignatius@washpost.com Related articles: Advertisement Putin getting exactly what he wants from Trump Did Trump's administration throw Michael Flynn under the bus? Michael Flynn resigns and everything is fine, just fine, great Rise of authoritarianism threatens the world order A new U.S. administration has taken office, so a new provocation has been staged by North Korea. And just as predictably, America and its allies have denounced North Korea for defying "the international community." Washington is filled with chatter about the need to do something to demonstrate resolve and leadership. It's a foolish game that Pyongyang enjoys. Why do U.S. officials continue to play? Advertisement Rushing to the United Nations Security Council to discuss the supposedly grave threat to world peace will be of no use. After all, even Washington treats the judgment of that supposedly hallowed body as a matter of convenience. Worse, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea almost certainly thrives on the gnashing of teeth that inevitably follows its misbehavior. To the extent that North Korea desires international attention and hopes to acquire leverage against its antagonists, such an adverse reaction is gratifying. Advertisement But the biggest problem is Washington's determination to demonstrate its impotence. Precisely what will the Trump administration do in response? What can it do in response? Almost certainly nothing. The United States faces the same unpalatable choices as usual. Military strikes would be a dangerous gamble, based on the hope that North Korea would not retaliate and trigger the very conflict Washington has helped deter for more than six decades. U.N. sanctions were twice enhanced last year after nuclear tests, only after painful negotiations with China, and have had no evident effect on North Korean behavior. The next step would be to target Chinese entities dealing with the country, which would almost certainly make Beijing less willing to cooperate with an administration already seen as both hostile and unpredictable. Finally, there's negotiation. The president suggested the possibility while running for president, but Pyongyang is unlikely to disarm. Moreover, even if North Korea were inclined to negotiate seriously, in the past the U.S. has refused to put on the table sufficient incentives, including a peace treaty, diplomatic recognition or troop withdrawals. In which case U.S. officials would do better downplaying North Korea's latest actions and consider revising policy toward Pyongyang. No doubt, North Korea's emergence as a potentially significant military power is undesirable. What to do? Advertisement First, recognize that North Korea does not threaten the U.S. That is, leader Kim Jong Un may be evil, but he is not stupid. The regime won't attack America because it would result in North Korea's destruction. Rather, Pyongyang desires to deter Washington from attacking, whether the goal of such an attack would be to achieve regime change or to back South Korea in an inter-Korean conflict. To the extent that North Korea's weapons might be used against American bases in Asia or the U.S. homeland, it is only because Washington has chosen to remain militarily entangled in the Korean Peninsula. Second, there is no cause for a continued U.S. security commitment or force presence in the South. The Republic of Korea far outstrips its northern antagonist in every measure of national power except military, and the latter is a matter of choice, not necessity. South Korea should take over responsibility for its own defense. Third, Washington needs to contemplate what policy to take in response to a nuclear North. The U.S. could continue to maintain a so-called nuclear umbrella over the South. On the other hand, that creates the possibility, however slight, of American involvement in a nuclear exchange over interests that are modest at best. It might be better for the South to develop a countervailing deterrent. Indeed, that possibility (which could lead to a Japanese bomb) might be the shock necessary to induce greater Chinese pressure on the North. Fourth, the U.S. needs to persuade China to do more. That means addressing Beijing's interests its fear of the impact of a North Korean collapse and resulting reunification that would strengthen an American "containment" strategy against China. Advertisement Fifth, the U.S. should engage the North. Regular if modest contact at least would offer a small window into North Korea. Washington needs to reduce the perceived threat presented by the U.S. Moreover, Beijing long has insisted that Washington needs to improve relations with the North as the basis for denuclearizing the peninsula. Only by making such an effort is the U.S. likely to win greater Chinese cooperation. The best U.S. strategy would be to downplay the North Korean threat, step back militarily, offer China incentives to step forward and engage Pyongyang. The status quo hasn't worked. It's time to try a new approach. Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He is the author of "Tripwire: Korea and U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World" and co-author of "The Korean Conundrum: America's Troubled Relations with North and South Korea." Related articles: Trump's White House is falling apart Advertisement How Michael Flynn fell into the arms of the Russians Putin getting exactly what he wants from Trump The political assassination of Michael Flynn As U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Wheaton, addressed the Palatine Township Republican Organization at a closed-door meeting at the group's headquarters, protesters rallied outside Feb. 4, 2017, to protest President Donald Trump's executive orders. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) WASHINGTON Republican Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois has a safe seat in Congress. So what's he running from? First, supporters of the Affordable Care Act showed up at his office for a previously scheduled meeting with his staff. But the 16 of them were turned away when Roskam staffers discovered they were accompanied by a reporter, the Chicago Tribune reported. Advertisement Next, Roskam went to the Palatine Township Republican Organization's monthly meeting, billed as open to all. But organizers shut out the general public because of intense interest. With hundreds of protesters massed outside, Roskam left through a back door. Some people chased on foot after his fleeing car. Then, Roskam announced he would hold a "telephone town hall meeting" instead of the real thing. "I have no plans to have one of these big, sort of circus meetings," he said during a WGN 720-AM radio interview Sunday, informing host and reporter Rick Pearson that he's always thought "those larger meetings are just not productive." Advertisement They certainly aren't productive for Roskam and his fellow Republicans not now, anyway. An early backlash against the Trump presidency has led to many verbal confrontations between Republican lawmakers and the citizenry. President Trump's face plant since the inauguration most recently the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn over dealings with Russia is only making matters worse. As recent town hall meetings of GOP Reps. Jason Chaffetz, Utah, Tom McClintock, Calif., Gus Bilirakis, Fla., Diane Black, Tenn., and others turn into well-publicized tongue lashings, their colleagues are ducking and running. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., canceled a constituent event in Southampton Village scheduled for April; his office told the Southampton Press they feared he would be harassed again by those who rallied at his recent appearance at a Rotary Club. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., was caught on video slipping out of his own community event last month before its scheduled ending time. Coffman's office told KUSA that the congressman had planned to have a series of one-on-one meetings, not a town hall event. The result: Scores were still waiting for Coffman in the lobby when he left via an unmarked exit. In California, McClintock left his town hall meeting with a police escort. "It's the first time I've ever had a police department have to extract me from a town hall, and I've done well over 100 of them," he told the Los Angeles Times. The scene is reminiscent of the tea party summer of 2009, but the energy is on the other side this time. Now, as then, the victims say the perpetrators are outsiders Chaffetz said those who protested him included "paid" people from out of state, an echo of Nancy Pelosi's claim of "astroturfing" but now, as then, the anger is real. Trump has become increasingly toxic, with Flynn's resignation and other Russia revelations, the travel ban struck down in court, chaos involving Obamacare, attacks on the federal judiciary and a series of bizarre pronouncements on everything from Ivanka Trump's fashion line to Frederick Douglass. The Washington Post's Sean Sullivan and Ed O'Keefe found Republican members of Congress increasingly wary of defending Trump. "You can't make it up," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said after Trump was seen in Facebook photos making sensitive national security decisions in his Mar-a-Lago Club's main dining area. Trump canceled an event in Milwaukee because his would-be host, Harley-Davidson, feared protests. The White House canceled a visit to Ohio that had been scheduled for Thursday; no reason was given, but protests had been planned. Advertisement Even congressional aides have felt demonstrators' wrath. Staffers for Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue and Rep. Jody Hice, all Georgia Republicans, were met by hundreds of protesters last week in Greensboro, Ga., for what was supposed to be a "mobile office hours" event to help constituents with bureaucratic matters. And so others are retreating. Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., in response to a question from WGRZ television, declared that he wouldn't have a town hall meeting because of "demonstrators who come and shout you down and heckle you." Then there's Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Ohio, whose office this week edited his Wikipedia entry to remove a recently added line claiming Tiberi "has steadfastly refused to hold a town hall meeting to discuss health care reform with his constituents." His office, confirming its role in the Wikipedia editing, said Tiberi is instead offering to meet with the protesters in small groups and in private. Washington Post Writers Group Advertisement Dana Milbank is a Washington Post columnist. Twitter @Milbank President Donald Trump once again unleashed a fearsome barrage of tweets on Wednesday morning. The target was The New York Times' new report that intelligence officials have established contacts between Russian intelligence and Trump campaign officials during the campaign. Trump attacked the news media again, railing that "the fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred." He also blasted the intelligence services, claiming that they are "illegally" giving information to the media, which, he opined, is "just like Russia." This has become a pattern, in which Trump deals with setbacks by lashing out at other institutions, including ones that can function as a check on his power. When the courts blocked his immigration ban, he blasted both the courts and the news media for making us less safe, in what seemed to be designed to lay the groundwork to blame them for a future terrorist attack, a move that even some Republicans criticized for its authoritarian tendencies. This appeared to be a test run of sorts, in which Trump was experimenting with how far he could go in delegitimizing the institutions that might act as a check on his power later. But as a test run, for now, at least, it is failing. Trump's unchecked antics on multiple fronts are suddenly making him look like a very weak autocrat wannabe. The Times' new report is actually pretty carefully drawn. It notes that phone records and intercepted calls show "repeated contacts" between members of the Trump campaign and "senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election." These were discovered at around the time that evidence emerged that Russia was trying to interfere in the election. The report stressed that intelligence officials did not name particular Trump campaign officials, other than Paul Manafort, and have not seen evidence of collusion ("so far") designed to influence our political process. CNN also weighed in with a similar investigation, reporting that "high-level advisers close to" Trump were in "constant communication during the campaign with Russians known to U.S. intelligence." CNN added that Trump had been briefed on this after the election. If that last detail is true, then it means Trump knows that intelligence officials have, indeed, concluded that this happened. Which might explain why some of his tweets Wednesday sort of function as confirmation of the stories, by blasting intel agencies for leaking classified information. Indeed, the lashing out is beginning to look less and less fearsome, and more and more impulsively buffoonish and self-defeating. And there's a broader pattern developing here, one that undermines a key narrative about the Trump presidency, in which Trump is pursuing strategic disruption and breaking all the old rules and norms to further an unconventional presidency that is designed to render the old way of doing business irrelevant. It's obvious that all of this is now actively undermining his own designs, on multiple fronts. Consider: The use of the White House bully pulpit by Trump and his top aides to interfere in a dispute between Nordstrom and Ivanka Trump which seemed intended as a big middle finger to the pointy-headed ethical norms police resulted in Republicans condemning it. The trip to Mar-a-Lago with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe another intended sign that Trump will damn well use the presidency to enrich himself if he pleases, by turning his own resort into an official court of sorts while pocketing the profits from it ended up getting marred by the surprise North Korea ballistic missile test. This made his administration look incompetent, chaotic, unprepared and unconcerned about basic security protocol. The administration's handling of the Michael Flynn fiasco was a mess that was partially created by Trump himself. We now know he had been briefed three weeks ago that the Justice Department concluded Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with the Russian ambassador. Yet Flynn remained, and new reporting indicates that this was driven in part because of high-level White House skepticism about the Justice Department's warnings something that likely emanated from Trump himself. The botched rollout of Trump's travel ban the first high-level exercise in translating Trumpism into reality was a legal and substantive disaster, largely because of a lack of concern over basic legal and process niceties that also reflected Trump's evolving leadership style. Meanwhile, Wednesday's events are a reminder that the press is bearing down hard on the Russia story, which may make it harder and harder for Republicans to continue resisting a full accounting. To be sure, Trump is getting a lot of his Cabinet nominees confirmed. It's likely that Trump and Republicans will win a lot of victories before long, ones that will be very demoralizing to Democrats. It is also true that the White House has at its disposal a tremendous range of tools to take control of events and news cycles, thus turning things around. So all of this might change soon enough. A doubling-down on Trump's worst policies, perhaps in the form of a newly implemented and then expanded "Muslim ban," or in the form of stepped-up deportations, remain real possibilities. A terrorist attack could empower Trump and lead to far worse. But right now, Trump looks weaker, less effective and even more ridiculous than anyone might have anticipated and it happened surprisingly quickly, too. Washington Post Losing a national security adviser to scandal within the first month of a new presidency, with Michael Flynn resigning late Monday, isn't just unprecedented; it's one of those events that would have Spock telling Kirk that the readings are off the charts and make no sense. Which is also the case with Donald Trump's approval ratings they're not just the worst ever at this point, but in territory that's unimaginable had any previous major party nominee won election. Barry Goldwater, George McGovern, Walter Mondale odds are that had some weird fluke happened and they had won, they would still have been doing much better by that measure than Trump. Advertisement The president himself is beset by up to three separate scandals: One about Russian interference in the U.S. election along with contacts between his campaign and transition team with the Kremlin; one about conflicts of interest and "emoluments"; and perhaps one about the president himself as a security risk. Nor is there any particular reason to expect things to get better, at least not without massive outside interference. And not just because the Russia scandal is hardly over just because Flynn is gone. The factionalized, inept White House remains just as dysfunctional as ever. Executive branch nominations have slowed to a crawl, with just one submitted since Feb. 1 balanced by the withdrawal of the former selection for secretary of the army, Vincent Viola. They can't find anyone willing to handle communications. Did you know they still don't appear to have formally submitted the nomination of Sonny Perdue, the choice for agriculture secretary, to the Senate? Did they just forget? Who knows? Advertisement Then there's an increasing obsession with leaks Trump tweeted about it this morning. That's a classic White House mistake. Things go wrong, and it triggers people (in the permanent bureaucracy, or from one or another faction within the administration) to talk to the press. A good president will use these leaks as sources of information who is upset, and why? A poor president will circle the wagons, trying to keep knowledge of what's happening within the administration within a tighter and tighter circle, which only serves to make those who legitimately are supposed to be part of the policy-making process even more upset, and the policy made without proper inputs even less likely to succeed. Guess which one Trump is choosing? Hey, at least on this he's making a normal presidenting mistake, albeit one which helped cost Richard Nixon his presidency. The worst of it, perhaps, is that hardly anything that has happened since Nov. 9 has been truly surprising. Look at the White House. The president of the United States has no government experience and demonstrated during the campaign only a very limited understanding of the U.S. government and public policy. The top players within the White House Reince Priebus, Steve Bannon, and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner also have no government experience at all. Why should anyone expect that to work? Of course they're stymied by the basic tasks of governing. Of course a president who hires based on whether they look right for the job what I call the "cut of their jib" test is going to wind up with wildly inappropriate staffing choices. Of course a president who hasn't even minimally reached out to the majority who didn't vote for him is going to have lousy approval ratings. The way out of the worst of this is obvious: Congressional Republicans need to use their leverage to insist the president hire a real chief of staff to clean house including removing Bannon and run the administration properly. Unfortunately, we haven't seen any hint of it so far. Instead of floating names such as Rob Portman, Mitch Daniels or Lamar Alexander, some Republicans are apparently trying to rally around Priebus, who may not be as objectionable as Bannon but doesn't have the capacity to get the administration on track. If the Russia scandal is, as NBC's First Read said Wednesday, "arguably the biggest scandal involving a foreign government since Iran-Contra," then the solution is the same as it was then: Investigate the scandal to be sure, but meanwhile get a steady hand in the White House to make up for the president's shortcomings. If Republicans don't demand a new version of Howard Baker (who fixed what was broken in the Ronald Reagan White House back then), they'll only have themselves to blame for the next scandal, and the next one, and the one after that. Which, at this rate, might not even get us to Memorial Day. Bloomberg View Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist. He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University and wrote A Plain Blog About Politics. Related articles: Advertisement Obvious advice for President Trump: Don't trust Putin Putin getting exactly what he wants from Trump How Michael Flynn fell into the arms of the Russians Imagining a successful Donald Trump presidency We're wondering which over time turns out to be the bigger bombshell development regarding Russia: Is it the forced resignation of President Donald Trump's national security adviser? Or Vladimir Putin's reported secret deployment of a menacing new cruise missile? Granted, the first story is significant. There's a lot we still don't know about Michael Flynn's ouster Monday night. Flynn had to go, the White House said Tuesday afternoon, because he wasn't forthright about conversations he had with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. More about that below. Advertisement But whoa, that second story the one literally about Russian bombshells is also troubling. These missiles (medium-range, nuclear tipped) violate a long-standing treaty. The United States cannot allow an adversary to disregard a missile accord without paying a price. Otherwise, such agreements become worthless. The New York Times, citing government sources, said Tuesday that Russia deployed a ground-launched cruise missile in violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The Arms Control Association called Russia's alleged move a breach of the U.S.-Russia architecture that helped halt the Cold War nuclear arms race. These Russian missiles were in development for years, and the focus of some mild protests by the Obama White House. Then in December, just after Trump's election, one battery of the missiles went active in Russia, the Times said. Advertisement Every White House administration faces early tests of its resolve. Ready or not, Trump is at risk of being outfoxed by Putin and needs to respond. From his time as a candidate through his first month in office, Trump's behavior toward Putin has seemed more ingratiating than skeptical. Back in September, Trump said Putin was more of a leader than Barack Obama was. We didn't understand Trump's bizarre fascination with the former KGB autocrat during the election, and we don't get it now. Vladimir Putin, who annexed Crimea and now dabbles in Ukraine, is not to be trusted. Trump's buddying up really does defy description, partly because too much of his fixation is opaque. The president has said he has no business deals in Russia, but he never released his tax returns, which could provide clarity on his business transactions involving foreign countries. There are also the murky circumstances of Russia's hacking activities designed to undermine Hillary Clinton's campaign. Then along comes Flynn, who had numerous phone calls with the Russian ambassador during the transition and misled Vice President Mike Pence about details of those calls. One apparent topic of conversation: Obama administration sanctions against Russia. We don't know the details of those calls. If Flynn talked about lifting sanctions, that could be a violation of law because private citizens can't negotiate U.S. disputes with foreign governments. Flynn says he gave officials "incomplete information." The White House said it saw nothing illegal; Trump asked for Flynn's resignation over a loss of trust. But there may be more to the Flynn situation. The FBI reportedly interviewed him about the calls. The Justice Department warned the White House weeks ago that it knew Flynn wasn't being honest, which could have set him up to be blackmailed by the Russians. All of this drama for Trump and a country to run, too. If the president thought he was buying himself time to deal with Russia by avoiding confrontation early on, that's clearly backfired. Cleaning up the Flynn mess requires finding a strong replacement as national security adviser as quickly as possible and cooperating with any investigations. On Russia's missile gambit, the U.S. needs to respond to this provocation. That could include more sanctions or deploying counter-weapons in Europe. And one more piece of advice we never thought we'd have to give a president: Vladimir Putin is not your friend. Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. Advertisement Related articles: Flynn firing, report of Trump camp calls to Russian intelligence to keep probe alive U.S. intercepted calls between Trump campaign, Russia: report Putin getting exactly what he wants from Trump Americans can't let Trump go down Putin's autocratic path Helicopter parents The opposition to New Trier Township High School's civil rights seminar day, like so much of our American history, is enveloped in ironies. Advertisement This is not just another secondary school. Ever since it opened its doors in 1901, this duly constituted public institution has attained its much-deserved reputation for excellence in American public education. The faculty and administration under the aegis of the elected Board of Education in New Trier Township have the legal responsibility furnished by the state of Illinois to design and implement a suitable curriculum for New Trier High School. Advertisement I wholeheartedly acknowledge the prerogatives of the aggrieved parents who have enlisted in the oppositional campaign to thwart the civil rights seminar day. Certainly they are entitled to petition the school board as well as express their fervent opinions. After all, vigorous dissent a core value of our cherished American political system extends back to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I have a pertinent question for the dissenters to contemplate: Once your daughters and sons receive their highly valued baccalaureate degrees from New Trier High School, will you closely monitor the content of the curricular offerings and extracurricular activities at the esteemed colleges and universities in which they choose to enroll? I taught American history at colleges and universities in New York City and Illinois for 40 years. Never did I encounter criticism from parents or administrators about the design of the courses I offered or the content of their subject matter. Michael H. Ebner, professor emeritus of American history, Lake Forest College Inquire, commit, serve I am a proud New Trier Township High School graduate, long-time educator and parent of three adult children. New Trier inspired me to, as its motto says, commit my mind to inquiry, my heart to compassion, and my life to the service of humanity. I am concerned that a small but vocal group of parents in the community is trying to influence the presentation of a seminar on "Understanding Today's Struggle For Racial Civil Rights." Now, more than ever, our young people need to be reading and hearing authors like Colson Whitehead and Andrew Aydin. They are both National Book Award winners who will be speaking at the seminar. Advertisement How wonderful for our children to grow up here and be educated in such great schools. We want to count on them to be the leaders of tomorrow who will remember what they learned at school and lift up their fellow citizens. I have faith that this seminar will inspire this new generation to inquire, commit and serve. We entrust the expert educators at New Trier to have these goals in mind. New Trier has always been a beacon in the educational community. Let's let these professionals do their job. Great dinner table discussions should ensue. Mary Kay Koerner, Deerfield Mandatory seminar Officials at New Trier Township High School are requiring students to attend a day on learning about the struggle for equal rights by African-Americans. Although they plan to stick with the original program, many parents have complained because it has a "liberal" bias. It's too bad the views of these parents cannot be included, as I'd sure like to know what that other take looks like. This is especially so if the high school is focusing on the fight for equal rights in the 1950s and 1960s. I'd be really interested to hear what a conservative has to say about it. In my view, attendance by these parents should be mandatory, as it seems to me they also need to be educated. Nick Sloane, Glendale Heights I was among the few allowed to ask a question during Rep. Peter Roskam's telephone town hall on Monday. My question was in regards to a letter his office sent me in response to criticism of his support for the president's travel ban. In the letter he cited the attacks in Paris, San Bernardino and Orlando as evidence of the order's merit. Obviously none of the attackers in Paris were subjected to vetting by the U.S. The attackers in San Bernardino were an American-born citizen and his Pakistani wife. Likewise, the perpetrator of the Orlando attack was a citizen born in this country. I asked my representative why he supported this ban when he could not even provide any relevant evidence to support the claim that our vetting of immigrants and refugees from these counties is insufficient. Furthermore, given that the overwhelming majority of terrorism in the U.S. is conducted by our own citizens, why would he support an action that only serves to further radicalize those here who would do us harm? He did not have a sufficient answer. He simply claimed that those attacks did somehow indicate that our extensive vetting is somehow failing. His only concession was that the executive order was enacted "inartfully." Advertisement When I tried to follow up and ask that he actually address my concerns, I found that I had been muted. That night I heard others with friendlier questions talk back and forth with my representative. I was not afforded such a privilege. At least I got to ask a question; many have reported that they were not permitted to, and many others were dropped from the call. I hope that Roskam eventually will agree to meet me and his constituents face-to-face. His recent motto has been: "Reasonable people can disagree." Maybe one day he will meet us. Advertisement Chad Condon, Naperville Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner delivers his third State of the State address at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on Jan. 25, 2017. Rauner will give his third annual budget speech Wednesday. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) Two years ago, just before Gov. Bruce Rauner's first budget address to the General Assembly, I was on fire with curiosity. The rookie politician had run on the vague promise that he could get Illinois' collapsing financial house in order without raising taxes. In fact he'd insisted that lawmakers allow most of a temporary income tax increase to expire. Advertisement But the time for slogans and platitudes had passed. The Illinois Constitution demands that the budget process begin with the governor preparing and submitting a "budget for the ensuing fiscal year" in which "proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available." Balanced, in other words. Advertisement Could he do it? No, he could not. Even after laying out some $6 billion in program cuts, the plan he offered in mid-February 2015 balanced only by assuming $2 billion in savings from obviously unconstitutional proposed changes to the public pension laws. The constitution requires the House and Senate in turn to counter the governor's proposed budget with a series of spending bills in which "appropriations for (the) fiscal year shall not exceed funds estimated by the General Assembly to be available during that year." Balanced, in other words. Did they do it? No, they did not. Instead, the Democratically controlled legislature sent Rauner what amounted to a spending wish list and invited him to use his veto pen to cut more than $4 billion to bring it into balance. Rauner didn't take that bait and refused to negotiate on a taxing-and-spending plan until the General Assembly passed elements of his broader pro-business, anti-union agenda. And, as you know, a standoff ensued. Democrats, led by veteran House Speaker Michael Madigan, insisted that budget talks, almost impossibly complicated on their own, not be further complicated by Rauner's non-budgetary ultimatums. Advertisement Court orders and other side deals allowed 90 percent of state spending to continue without formal appropriations while human services and higher education, in particular, suffered. One year ago, just before Rauner's second budget address, I was but mildly smoldering with curiosity. By then I knew the governor didn't have any magic beans in his bag and had no intention of proposing a straightforward, balanced mix of revenues and expenditures. I simply wondered how he'd wriggle out of his constitutional duty a second time. Well, he did it by proposing a budget that was $3.5 billion in the red and offering Democratic legislators a choice on how to fill that hole: They could either pass some of his non-budget agenda items as a precondition for negotiating on cuts and new taxes the ol' hostage routine or they could give him unprecedented, unilateral emergency authority over nearly all of state spending so he could make the necessary cuts on his own. The Democrats rejected the choice, naturally. And the House responded with another wish list that didn't balance spending with anticipated revenue as the constitution required. The standoff continued. And if you think it's just some bookkeeping abstraction, I recommend going to the YouTube channel for "Stranded by the State," a documentary project by Chicago's Kartemquin Films (of "Hoop Dreams" fame) and Illinois Public Media. Advertisement The segments, which have been knitted together for airing on public TV stations this month, show how the human costs in reduced and eliminated services for individuals are compounding long-term financial costs for all state residents. The imperative for the governor to step up and do his job to propose an actual budget with no fairy dust sprinkled on it and for the legislature to respond by doing its job to turn that proposal into legislation has never been greater. Yet this year, just before Rauner's third budget address Wednesday afternoon in Springfield, my curiosity is a sodden mound of ashes. Nothing Rauner has said in his recent public remarks, including in a cheesy Facebook Live curtain-raiser Tuesday afternoon, makes me wonder if he'll say something bold or interesting. Nothing indicates he's any less determined to force Madigan to knuckle under to some of his extrinsic demands as a precondition to budget negotiations, or any more willing to make the politically risky decision to take the lead on hammering out a state spending plan. And yes, there's plenty of cowardice and hypocrisy to go around here. Our elected officials don't want to own the painful combination of tax increases and spending cuts necessary to make up for years of irresponsible fiscal stewardship. Even the tentative moves in the Senate to strike a "grand bargain" compromise have sent lawmakers scurrying for cover as lobbyists and ideologues fire their flaming arrows. But fear, stubbornness and blaming others has gotten us nowhere in two years except way deeper in debt, and it's gotten us nothing but misery and ever more wretched bond ratings. Advertisement Will the governor at last do the job Wednesday that the constitution demands. Will he stop playing policy games and begin to lead us out of this mess by proposing a balanced budget without strings attached. Or will he instead continue to hope that whatever political advantage comes from this slow-motion disaster will accrue to him and the Republicans. Notice that I did not use question marks in the previous paragraph. Because I'm not really asking. I already know the answers and, sadly, so do you. Twitter @EricZorn Related articles: Advertisement Chicago school board sues state, alleges 'separate and unequal' funding Wake up, Bruce Rauner. Bring back Illinois. Will Madigan and Rauner act like statesmen or Illinois politicians? Kennedy enters 2018 Illinois governor's race ripping Rauner for causing 'economic chaos' MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski said on Wednesday that she won't allow President Donald Trump's top counselor, Kellyanne Conway, to appear on "Morning Joe."The show's host slammed Conway for spinning on behalf of the administration without being accurate."She books herself on these shows. We know for a fact that she tries to book herself on this show," Brzezinski said. "I won't do it because I don't believe in fake news or information that is not true, and every time I see her on television something is askew, off, or incorrect."I guess Morning Joe has had it's fill of "alternative facts" Gov. Bruce Rauner presents his 2017 budget address to the General Assembly at the Capitol in Springfield on Feb. 15, 2017. (Illinois General Assembly) (Illinois General Assembly/Chicago Tribune) Restive, annoyed Democratic lawmakers quietly but openly mocked Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner several times Wednesday afternoon as he delivered his third annual budget address in Springfield. They murmured in audible disagreement when he claimed, again, that he proposed a balanced budget two years ago. Advertisement They laughed when he said, "This isn't about pointin' fingers or assignin' blame." They laughed again and almost seemed to heckle him when he claimed that legislative term limits, an item on his policy agenda of which he seems particularly fond, "get job creators excited." Advertisement Overall, the 37-minute speech deserved a resigned, Reagan-esque chuckle: There you go again. Lots of platitudinous evasions of the tough choices that he and the General Assembly are really going to have to make if the ongoing budget stalemate is to be resolved. More exhortation than policy. A few quotes and comments: Rauner: "For the first time, legislators from both parties are standing together to say that Illinois must have structural change to grow our economy and create good jobs in every part of our state. That budgets must be truly balanced for the long term and that to achieve balanced budgets, changes must be made to fix our broken system. On this, we all now agree. And that is real progress." No, that is real nonsense. Both parties have long agreed that certain policies and practices need to be changed to set things right in Illinois, and the problem has always been that they don't agree on which ones and how they should be changed. Rauner: "Today, we finally all agree that economic reforms must be part of a balanced budget solution." Long term, yes, and nothing new or "finally" about it. But there is not widespread agreement by any means that such "reforms" (journalists should avoid that word when at all possible) should be mandatory before annual budget talks can proceed, which is Rauner's position. Rauner: "Two years ago, our Administration proposed a balanced budget. It contained more than $6 billion in cuts, spending only what the state could afford at current revenue. But the majority in the General Assembly simply ignored our proposal, didn't discuss it, debate it, didn't vote on it just passed their own your own $4 billion out-of-balance budget. And so our current impasse began." Advertisement This rank revisionist history prompted groans and grumbling in the hall. Rauner's proposed budget two years ago assumed into reality phantom savings from a constitutionally dubious pension program alteration that, of course, never materialized. He might be able to get away with such statements at service club luncheons, but not in front of lawmakers who know the record. Rauner: "We are here once again with our hand outstretched to the leaders and members of the General Assembly. Between ongoing budget negotiations in the Senate and all of our leaders acknowledging the need for change, there is good reason for optimism. I am deeply optimistic." This line was greeted with applause and I'm all for can-do uplift, but really? At a time like this, a leader needs to level with his constituents about the pain and sacrifices that lie ahead. Illinois is in a huge hole. Digging out is going to be tough. Rauner: "Some people argue we should just cut our way out of our budget problems. Others believe we should simply raise taxes and declare the budget crisis solved." But these are not serious people. They are strawman ideologues. The grown-ups have long known that a mix is required. Rauner: "I've repeatedly said that I will consider new revenue, revenue increases if we stand together to make the job-creating changes we need ... we've always said that we'd consider revenue if it comes with changes that create jobs and grow the economy." Advertisement So say something new! Like what rate will you accept? What rate do you think will be necessary? Rauner: "Pension reforms, in addition to (Senate) President (John) Cullerton's consideration model, can save us a billion dollars right off the bat. A new hybrid pension Tier III plan could give new employees more options while saving the state money." I'm deeply suspicious of any claim that new employees will choose a pension option that will save the state lots of money. Because if it saves the state lots of money, well, I'm not the math person in my family but ... And Cullerton's consideration model is certain to face a court challenge, if passed. Rauner: "Together, let's look at each regulation that we have, at every law we pass, and ask ourselves a simple question: how does this impact job creators? Is the benefit of this rule worth the cost in lost jobs? That's the essential question that can guide our decisions every day." One person's regulation is another's consumer protection. Of course the interests of business should be part of any discussion of safeguarding laws, but not the essential question. How does the requirement impact the environment? Public safety? Health? The fundamental concepts of fairness? Rauner: "These changes (rootin' out fraud and abuse from the workers' compensation system and gettin' highest-in-the-country property taxes under control ... term limits and redistricting) are necessary to producin' long-term balanced budgets and long-term financial stability. They are THE items that can ensure Illinois not only survives, but thrives, for generations to come." Advertisement Each is worthy of a vigorous and independent debate. None needs to be held hostage before serious budget talks can begin. Rauner: "We need a permanent property tax freeze in Illinois." This is populist piffle from the party that otherwise keens over the value of local control. Property taxes should be a local issue, and freezes on any budgetary items ought to be temporary, not permanent, because circumstances change. Rauner: "We're open to a broader sales tax base to mirror neighboring states like Wisconsin, but let's make sure it's best for the people of Illinois, not for the lobbyists here in Springfield." He's "open" to it? No. He's the governor. He's got to get behind a specific proposal and stop punting to the lawmakers. Rauner: "We cannot tax people's retirement income." Advertisement Just about every other state does. Rauner: "Passin' term limits is one of the most important things we can do to send a positive recruitin' message to job creators: It's a new day in Illinois, we've turned the corner." If there's any evidence that states with legislative term limits are more attractive to relocating businesses than states without such limits, I've yet to see it. Look, we get it. Rauner hates septuagenarian Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. But Madigan will almost certainly be retired by the time a term-limits amendment would take effect. Give it a rest. A quick look at page 30 of the budget book Rauner's office released after the speech shows that his budget is "balanced" by sprinkling onto it a fairy-dust line item of "Grand Bargain" savings of $4.6 billion. Oh, and if you're keeping score: Of the 136 words Rauner spoke from the podium that ended with the "-ing" syllable, he dropped the final "g" on 76 of those, ("We convened bipartisan workin' groups, doin' our best to find a way forward together," for example) for a 56 percent score on the Folksy-Meter. Advertisement That's down from a 62 percent score in his State of the State address in January, but up from the 47 percent score in last year's budget address. Twitter @EricZorn Some of the students expelled this year by East Aurora School District were those involved in a stabbing during a fight across from East Aurora High School, a trash can fire in a high school bathroom and a fight involving students, adults and school officials at the high school. (The Beacon-News / Sarah Freishtat) Nearly six months into the school year, East Aurora School District 131 officials have expelled more than double the number of students they expelled all last school year. The uptick comes the same year as a new discipline law that includes measures designed to limit punishments that remove kids from class. Advertisement So far this school year, board members approved the expulsion of 11 students, meeting minutes and coverage by the Beacon-News show. During the previous school year, board members approved the outright expulsion of one student, the expulsion of two other students with the caveat that they were subject to alternative placement to be determined by administrators, and, for a fourth student, approved an expulsion but specified it could be modified to a placement in an alternative program on the condition that the student complete drug and alcohol counseling. They approved sending three other students to alternative programs in lieu of expulsion that year, meeting minutes show. Mark McDonald, one of the district's two interim superintendents, said in a written statement the district regrets having to expel any student from school and characterized the decision to do so as "the most difficult decision educators and boards of education have to make." Advertisement "Some student conduct, however, is impossible for the district to tolerate while still maintaining a safe school environment for the majority of our students who come to school intending to learn," he said. "The students recently expelled acted willfully, without regard to the safety and welfare of others, and we believe we had no choice (but) to act as we did." Under the new state law, which took effect in September, certain types of discipline including expulsions, longer suspensions and placement in an alternative school can only be used if a student's presence in class is deemed a significant disruption or threat or if administrators have tried other disciplinary actions. It also prohibits zero-tolerance policies that lead to automatic suspensions or expulsions for certain behavior and sets several other requirements. Several Fox Valley districts were working on measures to reduce or replace such discipline practices before the bill took effect. In East Aurora, an administrator who at the time was working on efforts to comply with the law and has since left the district described to the Beacon-News last spring several ways the district was rethinking its response to student infractions, along with steps it would take to meet other requirements of the law. But he said students who cause disruptions to learning or who pose a threat to themselves or others could still face suspension or expulsion. McDonald, in his statement, said the bill is designed to reduce suspensions and expulsions by providing students with "support systems" to improve their experiences at school and causes educators to examine each instance a student would be excluded from school because of their behavior. "District 131 has stepped up its efforts at student supports and interventions and also revised its discipline policies to meet the requirements of the law," he said. "(The law) does not prevent boards of education from expelling students for deliberate dangerous actions in which students and staff have been injured or when a student clearly threatens the safety of the student body and faculty. When those occur, we believe the district needs to respond accordingly." Student discipline has been a point of contention in East Aurora, as it has in some other Fox Valley districts. During teacher and staff contract negotiations last school year, some East Aurora teachers highlighted "constant disruptions" in some classrooms and called for consistent discipline. This year's expulsions have been approved between November 2016 and February 2017, including one instance where five East Aurora High School students were expelled in one meeting in January. Last school year, the expulsions and alternative program placements were each approved between December 2015 and February 2016. School board President Annette Johnson said some of the students expelled this year were those involved in a stabbing during a fight across from the high school, a trash can fire in a high school bathroom and a fight involving students, adults and school officials at the high school. Those incidents, all in December, led to the arrest of five students and two adults, and district officials have said they were unrelated. Advertisement "Yes, there is a new state law, but the issues that have been coming up are related to student safety," Johnson said. She said the district is working on a variety of services for at-risk kids. McDonald said numbers of expulsions vary from year to year and said this year's expulsions would be affected by several "significant disciplinary incidents" involving multiple students. "That said, we have over 3,800 students at East High School, the vast majority of whom are good students and citizens making good choices and focused on contributing to their school community," he said. "Our responsibility to those students is to take appropriate actions to keep our school safe." sfreishtat@tribpub.com Twitter @srfreish Juan Romero of Aurora talks about his ongoing mission to find the funds needed so his 9-year-old son Carlos can continue with the treatments he needs to try and keep his rare form of bone cancer in remission. (Denise Crosby / The Beacon-News) I can only imagine it. But the hardest thing a father can do is watch his child battle cancer. It's also got to be darn tough asking for the funds needed to keep your son from succumbing to his disease. Advertisement Even tougher: going back and asking for more. That's the predicament Juan Romero, of Aurora, finds himself in as he struggles to come up with the cash needed for an expensive drug, not yet approved in the U.S. but used in Europe, that could keep his son's rare form of bone cancer in remission. Without it, the tumors will likely come back, he said. And doctors have already told him there are no other treatment options available. Advertisement Romero, a 53-year-old father of two who works at Wal-Mart, is nothing but "grateful" for the community's support that, last year, raised close to $50,000. It's a staggering amount that allowed him to pay for half of the 48 treatments Carlos needs over a nine-month period. Much of that money came from a raffle he held mostly for family and friends, as well as funds from two benefits sponsored by the caring staff and families at McCleery Elementary School, where Carlos is a well-liked fourth-grader who has somehow managed to keep his grades high, despite so much time spent in hospitals. On Friday, Carlos will receive dose number 16. Thanks to so many generous people, his father was able to pay the first installment when it came due in January and has the money for the second installment, due Feb. 24. But after that, the account is empty. Romero said he's been working to come up with the second half of that hundred-grand since December. But it's been tough. How do you hit up the same family and friends who have already been so generous, he asks. How do you go back to the school district and beg for more assistance? There are, after all, other students who need help, other families struggling. And you can only go back to the well so many times. "It's a horrible situation," said West Aurora School District 129 spokesman Tony Martinez. "You can't blame him for what he's trying to do. I'm a father too and would do anything for my child." Which is why Martinez and Alex Perez, director of the city's public access television station, are planning to donate their time to create a video about Carlos' story that they hope to "push out online," said Martinez, in the hopes of gaining enough viral interest to pay for the other half of treatments. "When you hear about what Carlos' father is doing, and to know Carlos, who is an amazing child, you can't help but be touched," said Martinez. "People need to hear this story." Advertisement Juan Romero holds a package that contained the expensive drug Mepact his 9-year-old son Carlos is now taking to try tokeep his rare form of bone cancer in remission. (Denise Crosby / The Beacon-News) Carlos, a once-active kid known for his upbeat personality, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the summer of 2014. Since then, he's undergone repeated rounds of chemotherapy and surgery to remove tumors, only to have the cancer return again and again. In his last surgery, his dad said, doctors had to remove 50 percent of his left lung, but he's tried to keep as much as he can from the boy "because Carlitos deserves as happy and carefree childhood" as possible. And so, his father takes on the heaviness of the task at hand. Romero said since his son was diagnosed, his one and only focus has been to fight for his son's survival, including calls and/or visits to state and federal legislatures, as well as trips to leading medical institutions including the Cleveland Clinic and the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. Carlos' best shot at survival, Romero soon learned, was the drug Mepact, which has not been approved by the FDA here because studies done in the United States in the 1990s were conflicting, according to a spokeswoman at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, where Carlos is now receiving treatment. That means places such as St. Jude's can't use or administer it, nor is it covered by insurance. And so Mepact, which is available overseas, comes at a hefty cost. But from what Romero has gathered after talking to countless medical experts and other families, it puts his son's survival rate at 80 percent. Those are odds this father said are well worth fighting for. Advertisement As he talks to me about the long and arduous road his family has been on for almost three years, Romero becomes teary-eyed. But his voice is filled with resolve, and I can't help but be reminded of Denzel Washington's character in "John Q," the heart-wrenching 2002 movie about a father's desperate attempts in this case, holding a hospital hostage to get his dying son the surgery he needed. Romero is aware of the movie, as others have compared his dilemma to the one faced by the character John Quincy Archiobald. "I'm going to do everything I can do, legally," he emphasized. "Every spare moment I'm working with my son and for my son," Romero added. "I've got to keep knocking on so many doors in order to get one to open. But I'll keep doing it because my child's life is worth it." dcrosby@tribpub.com Fundraising efforts To find out more about efforts to help Carlos Romero, go to www.facebook.com/carlitos.cure. To contribute, go to GoFundMe.com/CarlitosCure. sambaRoot said: Historically established international law, then goes Constitution (a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state is acknowledged to be governed)... Article 6 3. The establishment and activities of political parties and other public associations whose goals and activities are aimed at the forcible changing of the basis of the constitutional order and at violating the integrity of the State, at undermining its security, at engaging in terrorism, at creating armed units, at instigating religious, social, racial, national, and tribal strife; and that are based on sectarian, regional, class, professional discrimination, or on discrimination by gender or origin, may not be undertaken. Such organizations may not be part of the social and political system in Syria. 4. Syria denounces terrorism in all its forms and shall ensure protection of its territories and population against terrorist threats. Learn it, and then talk about the rights of terrorists on Syrian land!:evil: Click to expand... As I have stated, the liars may write their lies into laws and constitutions of the states, but these lies will not become truth, no will these lies, even if written into the constitution and the laws of the state, international law, laws of mankind and humanity, deny God-given natural rights to life, freedom, property and pursuit of happiness, derivative-natural rights, civil rights, traditional rights to those men and women, who freely and consciously chose to reject them in this world and for ever: there is a good Arab saying, one can say sugar a thousand times, but it will not sweeten his mouth.Objectively, some Syrians and Assyrians, sons and daughters of Assur, including islamic warriors of Jabhat al Nusra (Tahrir Al Sham) and the Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria, freely and consciously rejected to live under Syrian constitution and Syrian laws, international law and laws of mankind/humanity, and established free Syrian people and free Syrian state. These Syrians and Assyrians, sons and daughters of Assur, including islamic warriors of Jabhat al Nusra (Tahrir Al Sham) and the Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria have settlement rights to reside freely and separately in Syria under jus sanguinis, historically established international law and unchangeable decrees of Syrian and Assyrian kings, in force as long as the Syrian people and the Assyrian people remain, freely and proudly stampeding and trampling under their free and proud feet Syrian constitution and Syrian laws, international law and laws of mankind/humanity. These millions of Syrians and Assyrians, sons and daughters of Assur, including islamic warriors of Jabhat al Nusra (Tahrir Al Sham) and the Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria objectively exist and fight for their sacred and inalienable to self-determination of peoples and their blood based settlement rights in Syria in Syrian civil war, and Almighty God, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit - burning fire with his great sword will fight for Jabhat al Nusra (Tahrir Al Sham) and the Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria in the territory of Syria and will slay all Syrian and foreign enemies of Jabhat al Nusra (Tahrir Al Sham) and the Assyrians and the descendants of Assyrians of the islamic state of Iraq and Syria in the territory of Syria, so that all Syrians and Assyrians, sons and daughter of Assur may live in peace in Syria and Assyria.The liars may write their lies into laws and constitution of assadite Syria: free Syrian people laugh at laws and constitution of assadite Syria and spit at laws and constitution of assadite Syria. And you will have to learn, that existence exists, whether you like it or whether you dislike it, against your will, and those men and women, who freely reject national constitutions and national laws, international law, laws of mankind and humanity, and/or God and gods, and build the world differently from the states, nations and peoples, are entitled to live their lives as they see fit, under the covenant of Noah, the general covenant in force throughout the whole earth with all men and women, sons and daughters of Noah, the provision of which are above all commandments of Lord God Jehovah and all commandments of Lord Jesus Christ, as long as no abominable deeds of sexual perversions (homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13), lesbianism (Leviticus 20:13), bestiality (Leviticus 20:15), incest (Leviticus 20:11-17), ********** (sexual relations with girls below 12 years of age) (Leviticus 20:2-3, Matthew 18:6)), abominations (child murders (abortions)) (Leviticus 20:2-3, Exodus 21:22-25), change of gender (Book of Enoch, section XVII, chapter 86; section II, chapter 10), cannibalism (Book of Enoch, section II, chapter 7,10), human cloning (Book of Enoch, section XVII, chapter 86; section II, chapter 10), intentional murder (Exodus 21:14), enslavement of men/women (Exodus 21:16) or selling of men/women to slavery (Exodus 21:16) are committed by them. A Lebanon woman was shot dead in her home on Feb. 14 and her husband Jason Allen Garlinghouse, 34, has been arrested, according to a Lebanon Police Department report. Patrol officers arrived at the residence at 928 Osprey Way after receiving a call that a female, Sparki Sue Garlinghouse, 35, had been shot inside the residence. Her husband, Jason Allen Garlinghouse, 33, was in the home at the time, according to the report. Police obtained a search warrant, allowing multiple officers, deputies, detectives and members of the Oregon State Police Crime Lab to search the home, where they found evidence, including a firearm allegedly used in the shooting. Garlinghouse made the initial 911 call, when he indicated Sparki Garlinghouse came at him and attacked him. He gave no further statement. He was arrested at midnight at the Lebanon Police Department, and charged with murder. Two elementary school age children also lived at the house, but they were not home at the time of the shooting and they have been placed with family members. The Linn County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police assisted in the investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Lebanon Police Department Detective Division at 541-451-1751, or reach out to the agency via the MyPD app or its Facebook page. We will have more information as it becomes available. Randolph Edward Lloyd, 55, died Feb. 11, 2017. A visitation will be from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb 16, at AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home. A recitation of the rosary will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb 16, at AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home. A funeral liturgy will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at St. Marys Catholic Church in Albany. Richard Towey, 88, long-time Corvallis resident, died Feb. 6, 2017, in Portland. A funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at St. Marys Catholic Church, 501 NW 25th St., Corvallis. DeMoss-Durdan Funeral Home & Crematory is handling arrangements. Steve Skeeter Joseph Vargo, 72, formerly of Albany, died Feb. 7, 2017, in the Ogden, Utah, hospital. Military honors will be at 6 p.m. and viewing will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, at the Premier Funeral Services of Roy, 5335 S. 1950 W., Roy, Utah. The rebirth of the American bald eagle populations in Oregon and nationwide can easily be witnessed this time of year, as Americas national symbol bird dances in the sky over the mid-valleys bright green farm fields. But while it may be soothing to watch the majestic birds, once nearly extinct, they also pose a problem for sheep producers, who say they lose newborn lambs to them. The eagles migrate here following the Canada geese and ducks, Brownsville area sheep producer Reed Anderson said. They start out eating dead sheep and then figure out its easier to kill a baby lamb than a goose or duck. Anderson estimates he loses 10 to 15 percent of his lamb crop to eagles. It never used to be this way, Anderson said. You might see one to three eagles on a dead sheep. Now, you might see a dozen. Anderson said he tries to keep newborn lambs protected for the first couple of weeks and to keep ewes in higher traffic areas, where eagles dont like to settle. Ewes average 1.5 lambs per season. Its also the time of year when rodents and other field critters are hibernating, Anderson said of the eagles search for food. About 50 years ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated there were only about 400 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the contiguous 48 states. The pesticide DDT was found to harm the birds reproductive systems and was banned. In 1978, the bald eagle was listed as a threatened species. It was delisted in 2007. There are now an estimated 10,000 nesting pairs nationwide. The American Eagle Foundation estimates there are about 400 nesting pairs of bald eagles in Oregon. Of the contiguous states, Minnesota has the largest bald eagle population, with an estimated 1,312 nesting pairs, followed by Florida with 1,133 pairs. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates there are more than 30,000 bald eagles in that state. Emily Ruckert raises about 400 ewes in the Seven Mile Lane area and echoed Andersons sentiments about eagles. They are definitely a problem, she said. On a nice day like today, if we lamb outside, we really have to keep an eye on them. The eagles will be sitting and watching. Ruckert said the eagles will start by cleaning up afterbirth, but often progress to newborns. We actually had a ewe chase an eagle off the other day, Ruckert said. Ruckert said its difficult to estimate how many lambs are killed by eagles since there are other predators, including coyotes. But she said she lost between 10 and 15 lambs last season. She has seen as many as 20 bald eagles in a single field. We try to lamb in the barns if possible and keep the lambs in for a couple weeks, Ruckert said. Her father, Roger Ruckert, said that in the 1950s, sighting one eagle was something to talk about. I know people believe bald eagles will only eat dead things, but they do pull salmon out of rivers and they arent dead, he said. Ruckert said eagles also have learned that after a ewe has delivered one lamb and is delivering a second lamb, it is vulnerable. Although he hasn't not seen an eagle drop a lamb to kill it, an employee has. Ruckert said the issue of increased cougar populations in the mid-valley creates a domino effect in terms of predator pecking order. He said the cougars and coyotes have pushed lower in the mid-valley as well. Ruckert said coyotes will often crush a lambs windpipe and leave its carcass. Its definitely a success story from a conservation viewpoint, said Martin Nugent, threatened and endangered sensitive species coordinator with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is an iconic species nationally and it was heavily impacted by pesticides in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Nugent credited the banning of DDT, along with protection under state and federal threatened and endangered species programs, with its comeback. It is a recovery story that we are able to document, thanks to Oregon State University and the Oregon Eagle Foundations constant monitoring over 30 years, Nugent said. Bald and golden eagles are spectacular to see, and although they have been delisted as an endangered species, they remain protected. The bald eagle has been removed from both the state and federal threatened and endangered lists, but it remains illegal to harass them or to shoot them. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the bald eagle is protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which was passed in 1940. It makes it illegal to take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, export or import any bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, or any part of them, including their nests or eggs. Penalties range from a $5,000 fine and one year imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine and two years of imprisonment. Farmers and ranchers can apply for a permit to haze eagles, but the process can be time-consuming, because a representative of the U.S. Wildlife Services must inspect the lamb carcass and determine it was indeed killed by an eagle. The carcass is supposed to be left in the field, which is a problem since it likely will be consumed by other predators and it can take several weeks before a permit is issued. By Jake Liddle In October 2016, Hong Kongs government issued a consultation paper for implementing measures to counter base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) in the region. BEPS refers to tax planning strategies that exploit discrepancies in tax laws in order to shift profits to jurisdictions where there are lower tax rates, often tax havens. While some methods are illegal, many are not, and can disrupt domestic market competition and undermine taxation systems. Because of their reliance on income tax, BEPS is particularly relevant to developing countries. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and G20 countries have formed an inclusive framework, which implicates over 100 jurisdictions to cooperatively implement the OECD/G20 BEPS package, a tool that provides governments with the means to tackle BEPS on domestic and international levels. As a key member of the inclusive framework and as an international finance center, Hong Kong indicated its intent to join the OECD scheme in June 2016. The consultation paper highlights the governments commitment to implementing the BEPS package consistently, marking the start of a potentially long process of aligning its domestic tax system with the latest international tax standards. Hong Kong will do this by revising domestic laws in order to facilitate its smooth implementation, and aims to fully introduce it in the middle of this year. The consultation paper outlines key areas of the BEPS package that will be given priority for implementation, namely: The transfer pricing regulatory regime; Transfer pricing documentation and country by country reporting; Anti-treaty abuse rules in comprehensive double tax agreements (CDTAs); Multilateral instruments; Statutory cross border dispute resolution mechanisms; Spontaneous exchange of information (EOI) regarding tax rulings; and, Enhancement of the tax credit system. RELATED: Tax and Compliance Services from Dezan Shira & Associates Although Hong Kong will implement the four minimum standards of the OECD BEPS package, and the above priority measures, it will also maintain a simple and low tax regime. BEPS is a more pertinent issue for Hong Kong, as the region is often used as a base and gateway by multinationals to access Mainland China due to its legal autonomy and relative tax freedom. China Mainland Though not as pressing for the Mainland, it has maintained a positive approach to the OECD BEPS package, and is an active purveyor of the scheme. Chinas particular attention to the BEPS package can be put down to the countrys implementation of the so called tax reform plan, which aims to reform the tax collection and administration system of tax bureaus on both local and state levels. And in 2014, President Xi Jinping pledged support for the inclusive framework and global tax reform. Since, China has hosted the G20 and the OECD Forum on Tax Administration. The State Administration of Taxation (SAT) has been instrumental in implementing BEPS related regulation, translating and publishing all BEPS reports in Chinese, participating in the formulation of the BEPS project, and forming a domestic BEPS task force. Tax laws and treaties have been revised by SAT in order for the BEPS package to have optimum effect in China, including regulation pertaining to transfer pricing, anti-avoidance rules, and financial and tax EOI. Thus Chinas regulatory environment and tax authorities behaviours are changing accordingly. Impact assessment for investors As a holistic program in itself, the BEPS action plan poses a significant change not only for international tax law, but also for how individual jurisdictions interact and operate. This applies to both Hong Kong and China, two regions proactively dedicated to implementing the OECDs BEPS package. Thus, it is of key importance for multinational enterprises and investors to take heed of the changes, keep on top of updates to regulation, and, in particular, adjust internal operation to reflect the changes in the international and domestic tax environments. A good way to start this process is to conduct a BEPS impact assessment, so that operation is sufficiently calibrated with the changing tax compliance requirements. Preparations should also be made for wider BEPS plans outside of China and Hong Kong in order to fully comply in the international tax environment. About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email china@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide. An Introduction to Doing Business in China 2017 Doing Business in China 2017 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in China. Compiled by the professionals at Dezan Shira & Associates in January 2017, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Chinese market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to keep up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes. Navigating HR Audits in China Recent changes in Chinas labor market have underscored the importance of having both an efficient HR system and a satisfied and reliable workforce, and the HR audit is a useful tool to ensure this. In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we provide a guide for conducting HR audits in China. We analyze why the HR audit is especially important for foreign companies operating in the country, and then detail the different HR audit models and procedures that are available to firms. You are here: Home China's foreign trade still faces downward pressure despite improvements in January, a senior commerce official said Tuesday. "Uncertain and unstable factors are increasing. Difficulties facing China's foreign trade are not short term," said Wang Dongtang, deputy director-general of the foreign trade department under the Ministry of Commerce. The rise of trade protectionism, sluggish overseas demand, and increasing domestic production costs are potential restraints on China's future exports growth, he added. However, Wang said, the foreign trade fundamentals have not changed and the country still retains advantages in this regard. China's trade started this year with a strong rebound, with exports and imports both up significantly. Exports rose 15.9 percent year on year in January, up from 0.6 percent in December, while imports increased 25.2 percent, up from 10.8 percent, customs data showed Friday. Exports to the European Union, China's biggest trade partner, climbed 13.6 percent year on year in January. In the same period, exports to the United States, China's second-biggest trade partner, rose 17.2 percent, and those to emerging economies also jumped. The ministry will continue to implement pro-trade policies and strengthen trade cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road to boost foreign trade, Wang said. A clerk counts currency at a Bank of China Ltd branch in Nanchong, Sichuan province. [Photo/Xinhua] China hopes that other nations will see the renminbi's exchange rate "in a right manner", a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, in response to news that Washington may be exploring ways to avoid a confrontation with Beijing over currency. The issue again rose to the surface with the swearing in on Monday of Steven Mnuchin, as US treasury secretary. Mnuchin, who has called China a currency manipulator, was promptly sworn in after his confirmation by the US Senate. Analysts said dialogue between China and the US will be of vital importance during the next two months, given that Washington is set to issue its next report evaluating the foreign exchange practices of major trading partners on April 15. China has never undervalued its currency to get an export advantage, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular news conference. Geng said China will continue to reform its renminbi rate setting procedures. Geng's comments were made in response to a Wall Street Journal report that the administration of US President Donald Trump is considering ways to avoid confronting Beijing over currency. Instead, the US commerce secretary would designate currency manipulation as an unfair subsidy when employed by any country, instead of singling out China, the newspaper reported. The administration would avoid, at least for now, accusing China of manipulating its currency, it said. Trump threatened during his campaign to label China a currency manipulator. But he has softened his tone since then. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last month, Trump said he wouldn't name China a manipulator on his first day in office as previously promised. "I would talk to them first," he was quoted as saying. "Certainly they are manipulators. But I'm not looking to do that." Jin Yong, a professor of international relations studies at the Communication University of China, said that if the new approach is used, it would suggest Trump is taking a softer approach toward China. Labeling China a currency manipulator could lead to trade conflicts between the world's top two economies, hurting everyone, he said. Li Haidong, a professor of US studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said that Beijing and Washington are likely to engage in tough negotiations in coming months, given that the label of currency manipulator would harm China's trade interests. "There are likely to be compromises on both sides in the dialogue on currency," he said, adding that Trump may still label China a currency manipulator if negotiations break down. You are here: Home Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over a meeting of the chairpersons of the 12th NPC Standing Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 14, 2017. [Xinhua/Li Tao] China's top legislature will convene its bimonthly session from Feb. 22 to 24, according to a statement issued after a chairpersons' meeting Tuesday. Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presided over the meeting. Legislators will review a report by the Standing Committee of the NPC, to be submitted to an annual session of the 12th NPC in March. They will consider the draft agenda of the annual session, a draft list of candidates for the session presidium and secretary-general, as well as a list of observers, it said. Legislators will continue deliberating revisions to the law on the Red Cross Society, the law on corporate income tax and the Unfair Competition Law, according to the statement. They will also review a report on the qualifications of some NPC deputies and discuss appointments and dismissals. Twenty five people have been arrested in two separate instances of fly-tipping, in which more than 100,000 tonnes of garbage was carelessly dumped last year, the People's Procuratorate of Zhejiang Province in east China said Tuesday. The 25 suspects have been implicated in two cases that occurred between May and December last year. In one case, over 90,000 tonnes of household trash from Haiyan County, Zhejiang, was either dumped at sites across the provinces of Zhejiang and Anhui, or thrown into the Nantong section of the Yangtze River in east China's Jiangsu Province. In the other case, more than 10,990 tonnes of trash from Haining City, Zhejiang, was collected and 9,747 tonnes of it was dumped into the Yangtze River between November and December, causing serious water pollution and economic losses of over 300,000 yuan (about 43,725 U.S. dollars). The investigation continues. More than 80 aquatic animal rescuers are now involved in the search for an injured finless porpoise in the country's largest freshwater lake. In addition, more than 2,000 fishermen have also been mobilized on Poyang Lake to report traces of the finless porpoise - an endangered mammal considered rarer than China's giant panda - which is known to have life-threatening injuries. "There are less than 1,000 finless porpoises in China, and the number is declining by 13.7 percent each year," said Hao Yujiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Science's Institute of Hydrobiology, who led a team of six from his institute to join the rescue mission on Monday. Volunteers first saw the mammal, which is similar to a dolphin in appearance, on Feb 5 in Yugan county, Jiangxi province. Photos showed a large fishhook in the back of the porpoise. Rescuers said they saw the porpoise several times, but that it disappeared before they could help. "The photos showed signs of infection in the wound, meaning rescuing the porpoise is a matter of urgency," Hao said. The team is prepared to provide medical treatment, and the purpoise might have to be sent to Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, where the institute is headquartered, for further treatment, he added. Another three local rescue teams as well as two from Hubei province also joined the rescue efforts, bringing the total number of rescuers in the six teams to more than 80. The local fisheries bureau has distributed notices asking more than 2,000 fisherman to help track down the porpoise, Zhang Jinyang of Yugan county's fisheries bureau told Changjiang Daily, which is headquartered in Wuhan. Human activities have put the existence of the finless porpoise at great risk, Hao said. "Shipping, fishing, construction and sand excavation in the Yangtze River are all to be blamed for the mammal being endangered." Zhu Jiang, head of the World Wildlife Foundation's Yangtze River biodiversity conservation project, said, "in previous years, there was a lack of recognition of the finless porpoise's situation in China and government resources to support the mammal's protection were far from enough." The situation has improved to some extent in recent years, with the Ministry of Agriculture classifying the mammal as a first-class national protected species in 2014, and a plan for its protection being drafted late last year, Zhu said. However, many issues, such as overfishing and sand excavation, still hinder the mammal's protection, he added. The finless porpoise's habitat may be further worsened as the Jiangxi government plans to build a series of sluice gates in areas that link Poyang Lake to the Yangtze River to keep water in the lake during winter months, as the lake has been suffering from worsening drought over the past decade. The mammal's habitat is mainly located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and about 450 of them live in Poyang Lake. Two passengers from Mongolia were arrested in northern China's Inner Mongolia for smuggling drugs, according to local customs Wednesday. One of the suspects, Enkhjargal, was caught Saturday evening when taking a train from Beijing to Ulan Bator via Erenhot, with police seizing 72.57 grams of methamphetamine from his luggage. He allegedly bought the drugs for 10,500 yuan (about 1,529 U.S. dollars) in Beijing. Another suspect, Nyamjav, was caught Sunday at the customs in Erenhot. Nyamjav was carrying 53.65 grams of methamphetamine and 0.84 grams of cannabis, which he allegedly bought in Beijing for 7,500 yuan. Erenhot is the biggest land port between China and Mongolia. Last year customs in Inner Mongolia handled three cases involving Mongolian suspects carrying drugs via route Erenhot. You are here: Home Flash India on Wednesday launched a record 104 satellites in a single space mission from the spaceport of Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The satellites were launched into space on board state-owned Indian Space Research Organisation's workhorse rocket, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C37, at 9.28 a.m. (local time). Among the 104 satellites are many belonging to international customers, the primary being the Earth-mapping Cartosat 2 series satellite, which weighs 714 kg. Others are small satellites belonging to the U.S., Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. If successful, this will be the Indian Space Research Organisation's second attempt after the launch of 23 satellites in a single space mission in June 2015. In the past, the Russian Space Agency had launched 37 satellites at one go. Flash Brexit would not impact China-UK relations, said a visiting British minister describing bilateral ties as entering a golden era. UK Minister for Asia and the Pacific Alok Sharma said that leaving the European Union presented the United Kingdom with many opportunities when it comes to other friends such as China "We have the opportunity to start dialogue and talk to China about what our trade relations might look like once we have left the European Union," he said after unveiling an expanded UK Visa Application Center Tuesday in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province. Fuzhou is the second leg of Sharma's four-stop China visit. His delegation, which contains UK healthcare and life science business leaders, is visiting Xiamen Wednesday. In Fuzhou, Sharma reassured Chinese investors that Britain is a good place to do business and remains "very much open for business" as the British economy continues to remain strong after last year's Brexit referendum. "We have seen growth forecasts for Britain upgraded. We have seen a lot investment across the world flowing into UK, particularly from Asia and China," he said. The minister has also said there was a wealth of investment and export opportunities for the UK across southern China. He particularly highlighted room for cooperation in health and education. Sharma's delegation has been meeting Chinese hospital and university officials during the visit. This year marks 45 years of bilateral ambassadorial relations between the two sides. China is Britain's second largest trading partner outside the European Union, while Britain is home to more Chinese investment than any European country. You are here: Home Flash Taliban militants have abducted 52 civilians from Darzab district of the northern Jawzjan province, spokesman for the provincial government Reza Ghafori said on Wednesday. "A group of armed Taliban rebels seized 52 innocent civilians, including farmers and elders, from some villages in Darzab district on Tuesday afternoon and took them to an unknown location," Ghafori told Xinhua. Without giving more details, the official said the local administration is seeking to secure the safe release of the abductees. Taliban militants are yet to make comment on the report. Taliban's rival militant group Islamic State (IS) shot dead six employees of the ICRC and abducted two others in Darzab's neighboring Qushtapa district last Wednesday. Flash The Malaysian police said Wednesday that a female suspect was arrested in the investigation related to the death of a man from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement that the suspect was arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's second terminal, where the man looked for help after feeling unwell on Monday. He died on the way to hospital. The female suspect, who was carrying a Vietnamese passport, was identified from the surveillance video footage at the airport, Khalid said, adding that the suspect was alone at the time of arrest. The Malaysian police said earlier that the 46-year-old man who died Monday was holding a DPRK passport under the name Kim Chol. South Korean media reported that the man was Kim Jong Nam, the elder half-brother of DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un. His body was taken to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday for postmortem to ascertain the cause of his death. Aaron Carter, the singer-rapper who began performing as a child and had hit albums starting in his teen years, was found dead at his home in Southern California. He was 34. Representatives for Carters family confirmed the singers death Saturday. They did not provide any immediate further comment. A sheriff's official says deputies responding to reports of a medical emergency found a person deceased at the home in Lancaster. Aaron Carter, the younger brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, performed as an opening act for Britney Spears as well as his brothers boy band, and appeared on the familys reality series, House of Carters. Flash The Spanish Interior Ministry on Wednesday confirmed the arrests of two more jihadist suspects in Spain. The first arrest took place in the Basque city of Vitoria on a 41-year-old Moroccan man, who had returned from the conflict zone in Syria and was allegedly dedicated to recruiting for the Islamic State (ISIS). According to the ministry, the man mainly targeted young Moroccans, who were more susceptible to his ideas. Among the people he recruited, a young man with no previous strong religious feelings finally traveled to Syria in 2013 and died there two years later. The second arrest was made on a 36-year-old woman in Alicante, eastern Spain. According to official sources, the woman also collaborated with the Islamic State and had intended to travel to Syria with her four children to be reunited with her husband. She had been publishing pro-jihad propaganda on social network sites using "very aggressive jihadist emblems and publishing videos (of an extremely violent nature) she herself had edited." Wednesday's detentions followed two arrests made on Tuesday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Bilbao and bring the total number of jihadist sympathizers arrested in Spain to 12 for 2017 and to 190 since the country was placed on a level four anti-terrorist alert in June 2015. Mid-valley residents will have an opportunity to voice their concerns about a proposal to cut $10 million from the proposed state budget for veterans programs, at a Ways and Means Committee listening session on Saturday, Feb. 25. The session will be from 1 to 3 p.m. in rooms 308 and 309, Building 17 (The Forum), at Lane Community College, 4000 E. 30th Ave., Eugene. Linn County Commissioner John Lindsey said Gov. Kate Browns proposed budget includes the cut, even though Oregonians in November approved Ballot Measure 96, which would dedicate 1.5 percent of state lottery funds for veterans programs. The measure would generate an estimated $18 million each biennium. Lindsey said the measure clearly stated the funds were to be in addition to current state funding. The county commissioner is commander of the American Legion Post 51 and has called the governors actions an end-run around the will of Oregon voters. In January, he and seven other commissioners from counties around the state sent a resolution to the governor. They are members of the Veterans Steering Committee of the Association of Oregon Counties. Lindsey said there are an estimated 320,000 veterans in Oregon. He also said the governors proposal blindsided everyone. Others who signed the letter were Stan Primozich, Yamhill County; Rod Runyon, Wasco County; Pat Farr, Lane County; Martha Schrader, Clackamas County; Bill Hall, Lincoln County; Mae Huston, Jefferson County; Ken Fahlgren, Creek County; and Jennifer Wheeler, Polk County. Lindsey contends veterans seldom access all of the benefits to which they are entitled and cutting the veterans programs budget will decrease access. Zhu Yufu China Aid (Wenzhou, ZhejiangFeb. 13, 2017) A policeman attacked a sick and elderly political prisoner on Saturday, the inmates wife learned when she went to visit him in Chinas coastal Zhejiang province. Authorities refused to allow Jiang Hangli, the wife of political prisoner and China 18 member Zhu Yufu, arrived at Zhejiang No. 4 Prison on the morning of Feb. 11, to see her husband until the afternoon, saying he was currently connected to an IV on account of his high blood pressure. However, when she met with Zhu later that day, he told her that a police officer had confronted him earlier that day about the length of his beard. After Zhu explained to the official that the razor was locked up, the man unexpectedly accosted him. The back of his head hit concrete, and he blacked out. His blood pressure spiked to 120/230 mmHg, and he was given emergency medical treatment. Zhu also suffers from hyperlipidemia, heart disease, severe hypertension, lumbar disc hernia, cholecystitis, prostatitis, and various other diseases. In a letter Jiang wrote yesterday, she claims China often charges political prisoners, including her husband, with inciting subversion of state power. Zhu, who founded the first pro-democracy movement in Communist China, the Democracy Wall, a pro-democracy publication entitled April 5 Monthly, and the China Democracy Party in addition to serving as the general secretary of the Standing Working Group of Zhejiang Preparatory Committee of China Democracy Party and a member of the Preparatory Committee of National Preparatory Committee. These activities prompted authorities to charge him with subversion of state power, on Nov. 2, 1999, and he received a seven-year prison sentence. After he was released in 2006, Zhu was arrested again in 2007 and was sentenced to two years on a falsified charge of obstructing government business. On March 5, 2011, he was taken into police custody once more because he wrote and distributed a poem that urged people to take to the streets around the time of the Arab Spring protests, according to Human Rights in China. Subsequently, the Hangzhou Intermediate Court sentenced him to seven years in prison and deprived him of political rights for three years for inciting subversion of state power. Jiangs letter can be read in full below. China Aid exposes abuses such as those experienced by Zhu Yufu in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law. To the Zhejiang province prison management bureau: I am a relative of political prisoner Zhu Yufu, who is currently serving a sentence in Zhejiang No. 4 Prison for inciting subversion of state power. Zhu Yufu is already 65 years old. He has severe hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart disease, lumbar disc herniation, prostatitis, cholecystitis, and several other diseases. He moves slowly. On the morning of Feb. 11, I went to the prison to visit Zhu Yufu, but I was told he was on IV due to high blood pressure, and I couldnt meet with him until the afternoon. When I finally saw him in the afternoon, he told me what happened earlier that day. At around 9:10 in the morning, a prison policeman (about 56 years old, but he is not the policeman assigned to manage Zhu) had an argument with Zhu regarding the length of his beard. The police asked him to shave his beard immediately. Zhu told him the shaver is locked in the prison and is difficult to get. Then the policeman decided to give him a difficult time. Without any warning, he was forcibly attacked by the police. The back side of his head hit the concrete, and he passed out immediately. That caused his blood pressure to rise to 120/230mmHg. The situation got better after emergency medical treatment. Inciting subversion of state power is a typical charge for political prisoners. The international community and laws specially emphasize that political prisoners should receive different treatment from other prisoners and are especially concerned about the extent of infringement of rights of political prisoners. China, as one of the signatories of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and one of the 23 countries that is a member the international human rights conventions and related protocols, will receive more international condemnations if political prisoners treatment continues to be ignored in this country. I urge the authorities in charge of prisoner management to take actions to guarantee the safety of Zhu Yufu and keep him safe from violence. I urge higher authorities to get the surveillance video from 9:10 a.m. on Feb. 11, 2017, to verify the situation and punish the policeman who attacked Zhu Yufu in order to prevent similar issues from happening again. Do not insult Zhu Yufu or force a confession from him. He is old and sick. I hope the prison can give him better treatment considering his situation and offer him nutritious food. Treating political prisoners well shows a countrys international image, its political civilization, and the authoritys benevolent rule. Jiang Hangli, Relative of Zhu Yufu, Feb. 12, 2017 ChinaAid Media Team Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985 Email: [email protected] For more information, click here China Aviation Daily | Feb. 15, 2017 A China Eastern Airlines flight heading from London to Shanghai has made an emergency landing in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia after experiencing a mechanical problem. Flight MU552, performed by an Airbus A330-200 (Registration B-5975), departed from Heathrow at 9:02 p.m. Tuesday local time but the crew requested an emergency landing due to mechanical failure. The aircraft was diverted to Russia's Yemelyanovo International Airport for a safe landing with no injuries reported. In a statement, China Eastern apologized to passengers and said a replacement aircraft has been arranged to fly the passengers back to Shanghai. Dockers untie a mooring from a container ship docking at the Port of Southampton in the United Kingdom. [Photo / Agencies] The fast expansion of Chinese companies in the United Kingdom is creating local jobs at a time when Brexit uncertainties have caused unemployment fears. In addition to direct job creation, employment has also been boosted among supply chain companies as a result of massive Chinese investment, particularly within the infrastructure, property development and energy sectors. "As Brexit uncertainties are leading to potential reduced growth rate in the UK economy over the next few years, continued investment by Chinese firms is very helpful to boost job security," said Andrew Godley, a professor of management and business history at Henley Business School. An example is the Chinese developer ABP's 1.7 billion pound ($2.13 billion) investment to create a commercial hub at the Royal Albert Dock in East London, which is estimated to be creating more than 30,000 jobs. Another example is the Hinkley Point nuclear power station project, which is likely to create 25,000 jobs across its whole supply chain. China General Nuclear is investing 6 billion pounds into the French-led project, one-third of the total investment. "The partnerships with Chinese enterprises unlock supply chain potentials and the flow-on impact of job creation is great," said Mike Harrison, a spokesman for WElink Group, a British renewable energy company contracted by China Triumph International Engineering Co to construct six modular housing factories during the next five years that will each employ 200 to 250 local workers. "In addition, Chinese enterprises also think for the long term, the long-term partnership they commit to is great for confidence and promotes deeper cooperation, which further contributes more to job creation," Harrison added. The company logo of Noble Group is displayed at its office in Hong Kong, January 22, 2016. [Photo / Agencies] Sinochem Group is in early talks to become a strategic investor in Noble Group Ltd, providing the embattled Asia-based commodities trading house with an equity injection, according to sources familiar with the talks. Noble is discussing a possible strategic investment, according to a statement on Tuesday that didn't refer to Sinochem. "No binding arrangements have as yet been entered into with respect to this possible transaction and, accordingly, there can be no assurance that this transaction will be concluded," it said. The conversations between the State-owned oil and chemicals group and the Hong Kong-based trading house are still at an early stage, the sources said. Sinochem is understood to be interested in the international energy trading business of Noble, which includes oil, coal and natural gas. Noble Chairman Richard Elman said last year that the company was looking for a strategic investor after it raised $500 million in fresh equity in June. "A strategic partner is still very possible," said Elman, who is due to stand down later this year. "But it has to be at the right time and the right candidate." Noble feels it's now in a stronger position to negotiate a deal for a strategic investor, with its equity price stabilizing and bond prices rising strongly, according to one source. The yield of Noble's bond maturing in 2020 fell last week below the key 10 percent level for the first time in more than a year, compared with an all-time high of more than 35 percent in January 2016. Sinochem didn't reply to phone calls and emails. Noble has been fighting to prop up its finances after a torrid 2015 and 2016 during which its share price collapsed. Bloomberg Dongfang Electric Wind Power employees at work, Oct 23, 2009. [Photo/VCG] Chinese turbine manufacturer Dongfang Electric Wind Power Co Ltd has said it aims to speed up exports. It has signed a contract to supply turbines to the Ulyanovsk wind power project in Russia and has recently shipped 14 wind turbines to Russia, as domestic manufacturers look elsewhere for sales. With an installed capacity of 35 mW, the phase one will be equipped with 14 units of 2.5 mW direct drive wind power units manufactured by the company and is scheduled to come into on-grid production this year. FTI Intelligence said the Chinese market will shrink with annual installations estimated to reach 20 gW in 2017, from more than 25 gW in 2015, and manufacturers are starting to look further afield for wind contracts to supplement the home sector. According to Dongfang Electric Wind Power, it now has the most advanced intellectual properties like wind power plants in China. Its DF2.5 mW-100 turbine was the first of its kind in China that has reached the world's highest standard certificated by international certification organization TuV SuD. "The number of our cross-border projects doubled last year compared to the year before," said Liu Xinggui, chairman of the board. China plans to spend 700 billion yuan ($102 billion) on wind power during the 2016-20 period. By the end of 2020, total installed capacity of wind power facilities connected to the power grid will reach 210 million kW, compared with 129 million kW at the end of 2015, it said. China, whose energy mix is at the moment dominated by coal, is promoting non-fossil energy including wind electricity to power its economy in a cleaner and more sustainable manner, trying to lift the proportion of non-fossil energy to 20 percent by 2030 from the current level of around 11 per cent. Qin Haiyan, secretary-general of the wind power committee of the Chinese Renewable Energy Society, said : "China's wind power industry tops the world not only in installed capacity but also in a rather round industrial system. Some products with Chinese independent intellectual property and leading technology have been sold in nearly 30 countries and regions in the world. "Wind power is one of China's few competitive industries, as the country has mastered the core design technology of blowers. We are proud to be the first one that exported wind power plant to Russia in batches, and we expect more in the future." Editor's Note: China aims to increase the share of non-fossil fuel in its overall energy to more than 15 percent by 2020 and to 20 percent by 2030, according to the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) for Renewable Energy released by the National Energy Administration in January. Renewable energy companies are key to meeting the targets. To find out whether or not they are on the right course, China Daily interviewed top officials of several companies engaged in solar power, geothermal, wind power and biomass. What we get to see are their ambitious development and overseas expansion plans against the backdrop of China's commitment to saving natural resources and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. China Merchants New Energy Group Ltd has promised to set up 100 solar power stations in the next five years, with a total installed capacity of 5gW to promote green energy along the Belt and Road trading routes. The Hong Kong-based company also aims to offer countries along the Belt and Road clean energy projects integrated with photovoltaic, wind power, water and electricity power solutions, it said. Most countries along the routes are developing countries and they are faced with unbalanced industrial structures, said chief executive Li Yuan. Li said: "For them, infrastructure and energy are two key areas to optimize allocation of resources. Our projects can assist these countries to accelerate replacement of traditional energy and lower energy costs." "Panda Solar Power Plants," shaped in the image of a giant panda, are innovative power stations combining new energy with high technology. The aim is to promote youth engagement in promoting world green and sustainable energy development in Italy, Turkey, India, Sri Lanka and other countries along the route. These power plants will help countries along the route to popularize green power and promote Chinese brands in these countries, it said. A 100 mW Panda Solar Power Plant could provide 3.2 billion kWh green power in 25 years, which is equal to offsetting 1.056 million tons of coal and 2.74 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the CMNE. The CMNE acquired six grid-connected photovoltaic power plant projects in the UK this year. With an installed gross capacity of 82.4 mW, this is the first new energy acquisition project that Chinese enterprises would complete in the United Kingdom following Brexit. China has the largest capacity for photovoltaic energy in the world, 77.42 million kW at the end of 2016, thanks to 34.54 million kW of capacity added in the year, the National Energy Administration stated. China's photovoltaic capacity and its increase in 2016 were the biggest in the world, with the country's solar plants generated 66.2 billion kW hours of power last year, accounting for 1 percent of the country's total power generation. China is to expand its photovoltaic capabilities, adding over 110 million kW of solar power by 2020. CARACAS - The China-Venezuela Joint Commission on Tuesday is reviewing the expansion of the Puerto La Cruz refinery, according to Venezuelan Vice-President of Planning and Knowledge Ricardo Menendez. This plant, which was located in the northeastern state of Anzoategui and near the Caribbean Sea, has a current capacity of 129,000 barrels of oil per day for internal and external distribution. "This alliance will raise (capacity) to 210,000 barrels of oil per day, following the vision that (former president) Hugo Chavez had for the Orinoco Oil Belt as the country's main reserve," Menendez told a press conference, who was accompanied by Ning Jizhe, vice director of the National Development and Reform Commission of China. The Puerto La Cruz refinery has seen investment and assistance from a number of countries, including China, which leads the Joint Commission to explore its development. In 2014, China's Wison Engineering Company signed up to help build the refinery's basic processing units, in a joint venture with Hyundai Engineering and Construction. Eulogio del Pino, president of Venezuela's national oil company, PDVSA, added that the expansion included an investment of around $10.5 billion. According to Del Pino, the expansion will be completed in a year and a half, as the work was not stopped even during "the cycle of the lowest oil prices." On Monday, during the 15th Meeting of the Joint Commission, the governments of China and Venezuela signed over 20 new cooperation agreements in various fields, including economy, energy, finance, trade, education, culture, and science and technology. Chinese used car trading platform Youxin raised $500 million in a new round of funding led by TPG Growth, Jeneration Capital and China Vision Capital in January to further expand its businesses, services and branding, according to the company. The company said on Wednesday that Youxin has completed a whole industrial chain for used car bidding, trading, financing and big data services in the sector. Other investors in the funding included Warburg Pincus, Tiger Global Management, Hillhouse Capital, KKR, Huasheng Capital and Focus Media. Recently, some reports claimed that the company gives an inflated number of used cars for trade on its platform. Youxin denied this claim and said that the source of the information is from a netizen's speculation on a domestic online community, which is not factual. The company said it's highly possible that this information is an act of illicit competition. Workers assemble smartphones at a ZTE Corp plant in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. YUAN JINGZHI / FOR CHINA DAILY Chinese telecom equipment company ZTE Corp's shares surged on Tuesday after it indicated that the results of the US government's trade-sanction violation investigation would not be as bad as had been expected. The Shenzhen-based company said it was in discussions with the US authorities on a settlement, which is likely to "include but is not limited to fines and other related obligations under US law". The announcement, which analysts said was better than investors' expectations, sent ZTE stocks in Hong Kong up 5.42 percent to HK$12.84 ($1.66) on Tuesday. Shenzhen-traded shares of ZTE closed at 15.51 yuan ($2.25), a rise of 1.57 percent. ZTE is the second-largest telecom equipment maker in China, after Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. In March, the US Commerce Department said ZTE resold prohibited products to Iran, violating US laws, and threatened to ban ZTE's US suppliers from selling components to the Chinese company. Xiang Ligang, a telecom industry expert and CEO of the website cctime.com, said the statement was a positive signal and greatly eased investors' concerns. "It won't have big negative effect on ZTE's business if the case can be resolved after paying fines," Xiang said. Xiang said the fine may be at dozens of million dollars, based on previous similar cases, and "this is a relatively small sum for ZTE". In the third quarter of 2016, ZTE posted 23.8 billion yuan in revenue, up 5.23 percent from a year earlier. In December, ZTE said it would spend up to $101.3 million to purchase a 48 percent stake in Netas Telekomunikasyon AS, a leading Turkish telecom company, as it ramps up efforts to expand overseas presence. Fu Liang, an independent analyst who has been following China's telecom sector for two decades, said investors initially expected a very severe penalty from the US government, although ZTE said its operations were in line with the laws in every local market. "The case highlights that Chinese companies need to step up efforts in the research and development of core components such as chips," Fu said. Local residents use smartphones to pay for the gas bill in Wuhan, Hubei province, Nov 21, 2016. [Photo/VCG] Payments made on Chinese smartphones are nearly 50 times greater than the number of mobile transactions in the United States, signaling a late-mover advantage with robust potential for the fintech sector, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. The value of third-party mobile payments more than tripled to 38 trillion yuan ($5.5 trillion) in China last year according to estimates by consultants iResearch, while Forrester Research reported a 39 percent increase to $112 billion in the United States. The rise of Chinese mobile payments has been driven by the explosive growth of online shopping as well as internet financial services such as peer-to-peer lending and readily-accessible money market funds, the newspaper reported. Online sales surged 26.2 percent to 5.2 trillion yuan in 2016, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Over half of Chinese mutual funds are now sold online, up from only 5 percent in 2012. Last year was a turning point for online payments, the newspaper pointed out, as their presence at physical retailers became ubiquitous. Customers can choose to pay with their mobiles at Starbucks, Ikea or even breakfast stalls and manicure shops. While Alipay and WeChat Wallet, the payment arms of the country's tech giant Alibaba and Tencent respectively, play dominant roles, the US market is split between Apple, Google, Samsung and Paypal. A shorter history of credit card usage and relatively low penetration contributes to China's thriving mobile payments, according to the newspaper. Compared to cumbersome online payments with debit cards, payment via Alipay or WeChat only requires the scanning of a QR code from a retailers point-of-service terminal or a smartphone. The dominance of the country's mobile payments market also gives Alibaba and Tencent access to valuable user data that can be used in credit ratings as well as targeted advertising, the newspaper said. The People's Liberation Army Air Force has punished more than 100 of its members for violating an alcohol ban or failing to prevent subordinates from drinking, Chinese media has reported. Since 2014, 15 Air Force members who drank at their workplaces or during work hours, and 87 others who failed to make sure their subordinates followed the ban, have been punished, according to a report by People's Daily. The report said the punishments included demotion, disqualification from promotion and administrative warnings. It also said that many restaurants near military installations in Beijing noticed customers from the PLA had no longer been ordering alcohol. Other military units, such as the counter-chemical regiment of the 39th Group Army, installed alcohol detectors at every entrance to its office compound, according to the newspaper. The Central Military Commission issued an alcohol ban in December 2012, one month after Xi Jinping became top leader. Since then, alcoholic drinks have gradually retreated from dinners attended by military members. Several officers said that they welcome the ban because it "saves" them from drinking baijiu, a strong Chinese liquor that was popular within the Chinese military for a long time for maintaining or improving personal relations. "We had to drink a lot in the past when there were visitors or guests. My superior officers and I didn't want to drink too much, and I believe our guests didn't want to drink too much either, but drinking baijiu was a kind of ritual at banquets to show our hospitality," said a Navy officer who wished not to be named. "Now we are free of liquor. My wife and my daughter are the biggest supporters of the no-alcohol policy." A technician with the PLA Ground Force, who wished to be identified as Luo, said his regiment spent a lot of money on baijiu before the ban was introduced. "At first, I didn't take it very seriously, but I gradually came to realize that this time we would really say goodbye to alcohol after some officers at my unit were punished for breaking the rules," Luo said. In 2015, Major General Zhang Yan, who was commander of the 26th Group Army at that time, was deprived of his post after one of his former subordinates died after a drinking banquet with Zhang at the army's headquarters. Injured miner Ma Xuefu receives treatment in a hospital in Loudi, Central China's Hunan province, Feb 14, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua] Nine people were killed in an explosion at a coal mine in Central China's Hunan province on Tuesday. The blast occurred at 1:37 am at Zubao Coal Mine in Lianyuan city, authorities said. A total of 29 people were working underground at the time of the explosion, 16 of whom managed to escape from the shaft, while another four were rescued. Three injured miners are being treated in hospital, with their condition having been described as stable. A rescue mission to retrieve the bodies of three victims in the flooded shaft is ongoing. The licensed coal mine, with an annual production capacity of 90,000 tons, is owned by Tengfei Coal Mine Co Ltd. Authorities did not identify the cause of the blast, but said the site was considered a "high gas mine". While ventilation systems are supposed to prevent gas from becoming trapped, explosions inside mines are often caused when a flame or electrical spark ignites gas leaking from a coal seam. China is the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, but authorities have announced the shutdown of outdated mines as well as a reduction in the number of working days for miners to improve safety conditions. Use power impartially and cautiously, president says in call for self-discipline President Xi Jinping told leading officials on Monday to practice strict self-discipline and eliminate special privileges, in the latest move to govern the Party strictly. Xi made the remarks when addressing the opening session of a workshop on the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee. The workshop at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee was attended by senior provincial and ministerial officials. In his speech, Xi urged leading cadres to "build a fence" against special privileges to prevent themselves and those around them from abusing power. Leading officials should use their power "impartially, cautiously and legally". Xi required officials in senior roles to strengthen their self-discipline and be discreet when alone and on small matters. They should also guard against interest groups that besiege them, he said. The CPC Central Committee held the workshop to help senior provincial and ministerial officials understand the two documents passed by last year's plenum. Of the two documents, one is on the norms of political life within the Party in the new era, and the other is a regulation on intra-Party supervision. "Leading officials should strengthen their political capability, firm their political ideals, uphold political direction, be steadfast in their stance and strictly observe political rules," Xi said, stressing they should enrich their political experience and match their political capability with the positions they hold. Gao Bo, a political researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is highly important to strictly manage the "key minorities" - senior officials. "If they fail to perform their duties or even take the lead to breach Party disciplines and the law, the consequence would be very serious," he said. "Not only will they be corrupt, but a group of subordinate officials might follow suit. The entire political environment in the department, the region or the system might be harmed." The central leadership has launched a massive campaign to fight corruption and strictly administer the Party since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in late 2012. So far, 240 officials directly managed by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the great majority of whom are at or above ministerial level, have been placed under official probe for possible discipline or law violations, which is 3.6 times that of the number from late 2007 to late 2012, according to data from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-graft watchdog. In Monday's speech, Xi also called on all Party members to become more aware of the need to uphold political integrity, keep in mind the bigger picture, follow the CPC as the core of the Chinese leadership, and act consistently with CPC Central Committee policy. An editorial published on Tuesday by People's Daily, the official newspaper of the CPC, also warned of a weakening or ignoring of political values in modern society. "The politics (we're talking about) is not the old tune, or the ultra-leftism practiced during the 'cultural revolution' (1966-76), but it has strong relevance to reality," the editorial said. It said that since China's reform and opening-up, some Party members have gradually considered politics less important, and they have become politically confused. Some have committed political mistakes consciously or unconsciously. Therefore, the editorial called for Party members to resolutely prevent and overcome such tendencies, and be clear and firm in their political stance. The CPC has more than 88 million members and 4.4 million organizations nationwide. (China Daily 02/15/2017 page3) Chinese official pledges safe development of nuclear energy Xinhua | Updated: 2017-02-15 08:30 BEIJING - A Chinese atomic energy official said the country will fine tune its nuclear energy safety standards, develop its emergency response system and improve the management of spent fuel. Wang Yiren, vice head of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, told Xinhua that during the 13th Five Year period (2016-2020), China will undertake a number of nuclear-related projects. Research into the processing of spent fuel will be conducted, according to Wang, who is also deputy head of China Atomic Energy Authority. In response to concerns over the safety of inland nuclear power projects, Wang said such worries are understandable, but assured that the projects would be secure. As energy demands in inland regions have increased, the need for inland nuclear power projects has increased, he said. Wang said the authorities have also organized expert discussions on the construction of nuclear power stations at sea, to support offshore oil and gas exploitation and the country's islands. The official also pledged efforts to ensure the supply of uranium resources and nuclear fuel for nuclear energy development. An Australian expert in the human organ trade says there's been a massive drop in the numbers of foreigners coming to China for an organ transplant. Campbell Fraser, from Griffith University, spoke at the Vatican Summit on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism last week and told chinadaily.com.cn that he had interviewed many patients "who attempted to buy an organ in China but were refused by the Chinese hospitals." For the first time, Chinese representatives have been invited to the summit to discuss its experience of combating organ commercialism. China has undertaken a 10-year reform process to reduce dependence on executed inmates as the primary source for organ transplants. A public organ donation system has been launched in line with international practice, and in 2015 the country announced that the use of organs from executed inmates had ceased. Using organs from executed inmates became a major source of criticism of China by some individuals or groups, such as Falun Gong. They even accused China of extracting organs from "prisoners of conscience". "In the days before the summit, the FLG embarked on a campaign of emailing participants," Fraser said. The content of the emails made false allegations against Chinese representatives. Fraser said that the authors of these emails -- academics, lawyers, doctors, and politicians based primarily in Australia, Canada, USA and Europe are not "independent" researchers as they claim. "They have the specific intention of attacking the Chinese government, and have decided to use so-called "organ harvesting" as their main weapon... as they think that it will be difficult to prove that it does not happen," Fraser said. Fraser has investigated human organ trafficking since 2008 and has personally met over 1000 people involved in the illegal business, including doctors, buyers, sellers and brokers, and consulted several governments, health departments and police organizations. After conducting his own investigations, he said he has concluded that the FLG claims are fraudulent. He also believed that the FLG met the criteria of a cult because they believe in one person with supernatural powers and "practitioners" refuse medical treatment for themselves and their children. He said he was recently invited to both New York and Taipei to meet doctors who explained to him that they have a problem with FLG "practitioners" refusing treatment. "There was even a case reported to me of a FLG practitioner refusing medical treatment for her young daughter," he said. When academics have reported things against the FLG, Fraser says they are harassed. "The FLG harass me because they know that I am a threat to them, because I know what really happens in China," he said. "They are doing all they can to silence me, by trying to stop me attending and presenting at international conferences." "In August 2016 the FLG tried to stop me speaking at the international transplant conference in Hong Kong. When legal means failed, they attempted to physically stop me from speaking by shouting at me when I started to present. What made this particularly ridiculous was that my presentation was not even specifically about China, it was about Special Interest Groups in general." China is still implementing major reforms in organ transplantation, and significant progress continues to be made in this transformation process. Fraser said he hoped "the international transplant community will continue to support our Chinese colleagues in this vital work." A screen grab of the Chaoyang Qunzhong app's front page. Beijing police have launched a whistleblower app for members of the public to report tipoffs about crimes and help maintain public security. The app went viral on Tuesday because it is named after the mysterious whistleblowers who have been repeatedly described by the police authority in the capital as "Chaoyang Qunzhong", which means "the public in Chaoyang district". The name has been frequently cited as a source of tips for the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau in cracking down on major criminal cases, such as those involving drug use and trafficking, as well as prostitution. Chaoyang Qunzhong has jokingly been referred to by netizens as the fifth-largest intelligence agency in the world, in addition to well-known agencies such as the FBI in the United States and the British intelligence service MI6. The app, launched by the public security sub-bureau in Chaoyang district in August, has been upgraded four times. At present, it is still in the testing stage. Users can download the app and register free of charge. The Chaoyang police authority said on Sina Weibo that the app aims to build closer ties between police and residents, and it hopes Chaoyang Qunzhong plays a bigger role in fighting crime. The authority said developing the app expands the number of Chaoyang Qunzhong protecting social order and public security. Five categories of tipoffs are listed on the app, but only two of them - major crimes and missing persons - are active. Chaoyang district is the largest and most modern in Beijing, covering an area of more than 470 square kilometers. It is home to most embassies and high-end residential buildings. The nickname Chaoyang Qunzhong is said to date back to 1974 when people in Chaoyang district joined forces with police and netted spies from the former Soviet Union. The latest case involving assistance from Chaoyang Qunzhong was a crackdown on an illegal fireworks warehouse on Jan 8 following a tipoff from members of the public in the district. Beijing police have stepped up efforts in mobilizing the population to fight terrorism in the capital in the past few years. Any whistleblower will be rewarded a minimum of 1,000 yuan ($146) for a tipoff on terrorism and violent crimes. There is no upper limit for rewards. Relatives of people who died in a bus crash mourn their loved ones at a memorial ritual in Taipei on Tuesday. At least 33 people were killed in the incident on Monday.Guo Jiquan / For China Daily Investigators were looking into excessive speed as the possible cause of a bus crash in Taiwan that killed 33 people and injured several others in the island's worst road accident in more than three decades, an official said on Tuesday. The tour bus crashed near Taipei on Monday night, with television footage showing the bus careening toward a road barrier before flipping on its side. Of the 44 people on the bus, 30 were pronounced dead at the scene and three died in hospital, the fire department said, adding that 11 people were still being treated in hospitals around Taipei. Families of the victims arrived at the site after the accident, chanting sutras and praying. Many of the passengers were senior citizens, although the age range was from early 20s to late 60s, according to city authorities. The trip had been arranged by the Tieh Lien Hua Travel Agency, according to Taiwan's tourism bureau. An official with the agency said the tourists were "likely" all from Taiwan, but that it was still studying passenger information. Highway police spokesman Ma Ling-wen said the speed limit on the ramp was 40 kilometers per hour, but it was not clear how fast the bus had been going. Ma said speed had not yet been ruled out as a cause of the crash. Local television footage showed a video of the bus shot from behind flipping onto its side and skidding toward the hillside after it hit a road barrier when negotiating a highway interchange curve. Ambulances and fire trucks were lined up along the bend of the road as rescue workers used a crane to lift the battered bus from its wheels, after all the passengers were pulled from the wreckage. The crash is the latest accident involving a tour bus in Taiwan. Earlier this month, another tour bus carrying tourists from the Chinese mainland crashed into a bridge in southern Taiwan, injuring some passengers. Government classified the mammal as a first-class national protected species More than 80 aquatic animal rescuers are now involved in the search for an injured finless porpoise in the country's largest freshwater lake. In addition, more than 2,000 fishermen have also been mobilized on Poyang Lake to report traces of the finless porpoise - an endangered mammal considered rarer than China's giant panda - which is known to have life-threatening injuries. "There are less than 1,000 finless porpoises in China, and the number is declining by 13.7 percent each year," said Hao Yujiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Science's Institute of Hydrobiology, who led a team of six from his institute to join the rescue mission on Monday. Volunteers first saw the mammal, which is similar to a dolphin in appearance, on Feb 5 in Yugan county, Jiangxi province. Photos showed a large fishhook in the back of the porpoise. Rescuers said they saw the porpoise several times, but that it disappeared before they could help. "The photos showed signs of infection in the wound, meaning rescuing the porpoise is a matter of urgency," Hao said. The team is prepared to provide medical treatment, and the purpoise might have to be sent to Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, where the institute is headquartered, for further treatment, he added. Another three local rescue teams as well as two from Hubei province also joined the rescue efforts, bringing the total number of rescuers in the six teams to more than 80. The local fisheries bureau has distributed notices asking more than 2,000 fisherman to help track down the porpoise, Zhang Jinyang of Yugan county's fisheries bureau told Changjiang Daily, which is headquartered in Wuhan. Human activities have put the existence of the finless porpoise at great risk, Hao said. "Shipping, fishing, construction and sand excavation in the Yangtze River are all to be blamed for the mammal being endangered." Zhu Jiang, head of the World Wildlife Foundation's Yangtze River biodiversity conservation project, said, "in previous years, there was a lack of recognition of the finless porpoise's situation in China and government resources to support the mammal's protection were far from enough." The situation has improved to some extent in recent years, with the Ministry of Agriculture classifying the mammal as a first-class national protected species in 2014, and a plan for its protection being drafted late last year, Zhu said. However, many issues, such as overfishing and sand excavation, still hinder the mammal's protection, he added. The finless porpoise's habitat may be further worsened as the Jiangxi government plans to build a series of sluice gates in areas that link Poyang Lake to the Yangtze River to keep water in the lake during winter months, as the lake has been suffering from worsening drought over the past decade. The mammal's habitat is mainly located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and about 450 of them live in Poyang Lake. Wang Jian contributed to this story. China called on Monday for international cooperation to protect against terrorist attacks on infrastructure in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. "China's Belt and Road Initiative takes the interconnection of infrastructure as a priority of cooperation to help countries along the routes improve their infrastructure development," Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at an UN Security Council open debate on protecting critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks. On Monday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2341 (2017), calling up on member states to consider developing or further improving strategies for reducing risks of terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure. To date, more than 100 countries and international organizations have joined the Belt and Road Initiative, Liu said, adding that China hopes to strengthen cooperation in areas such as "intelligence sharing, risk assessment and joint law assessment through bilateral and multilateral channels" to effectively protect interconnection projects and transboundary infrastructure from terrorist attacks, and to ensure the safety and security of construction for the Belt and Road Initiative. The 15-member council reiterated "the need to strengthen efforts to improve the security and protection of particularly vulnerable targets, such as infrastructure and public places", according to a statement posted on the UN website. China mulls revision of maritime safety law Xinhua | Updated: 2017-02-15 09:22 BEIJING - China is considering revisions to the 1984 Maritime Traffic Safety Law to prioritize searches for survivors over searches for property. The Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council announced Tuesday it is soliciting public opinions on revisions. The draft states that it is the right of the people in distress at sea to be rescued without charge, adding that life should come before the environment and assets. Passengers have the right to be informed of developments during maritime accidents when vessels are in distress, and are obliged to obey the instructions of the captain, the draft reads. The captain should organize evacuation and be the last to leave the vessel if it is to be abandoned. The State Council and local governments should set up maritime search and rescue centers, if needed, to organize, coordinate and command rescue operations. In addition to professional maritime rescue teams established by the government, civilian groups are also encouraged to set up rescue teams and participate in operations. Crews of vessels and maritime facilities are forbidden from concealing, delaying or falsifying reports on maritime accidents. According to the white paper "Development of China's Transport," an efficient safety regime and maritime emergency aid system has been established in China. The white paper, released in December, said the nation has improved its maritime search and rescue capability and increased the number of volunteers. The letter of apology written by Chen to Xue. Honesty is the best policy, or so the old saying goes, and that has certainly proved to be the case for one high-school student in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan province. When Chen Yifan crashed his bicycle into a parked BMW on the evening of Feb 4, the 17-year-old could have just picked himself up and rode away. Nobody had seen him hit the luxury car and the damage he had caused - a broken wing mirror and a 20-centimeter-plus scratch - would surely be expensive to fix. But instead of running away, Chen wrote a letter of apology and stuffed the envelope with 311 yuan ($45) - all the money he had from working part-time at a local barbecue joint during the winter vacation. "I am sorry I damaged your parked BMW with my bicycle, I feel very sad," he wrote. "I have left all the money I just earned as compensation. If it is not enough, then I am really sorry." When the car's owner, 52-year-old Xue Zhanmin, discovered the damage the next morning, he was outraged. "I was wondering who would do such a thing. How terrible it was!" he said. But Xue's attitude changed when he spotted the note, tucked inside the car's door handle, and began to read. "I read the letter again and was moved by the student's courage and honesty," he said. "Everyone makes mistakes, but what's most important is whether or not you take responsibility for those mistakes." Xue resolved to return the money, but Chen had not left his name on the note, fearing the retribution that might rain down upon him if the car owner ever discovered who he was. He had mentioned his part-time job, however, giving Xue just enough information to begin his search. So the businessman, who works in Shaoxing, Zheijiang province, and was only home for the Spring Festival holiday, approached the police and told them his plan. Instead of pressing charges, he requested that the officers help him track down Chen so that he could reward his honesty. It took a few days, but by consulting surveillance footage, the police were able to ascertain Chen's place of work and approached his employer on Feb 10. When she learned what had happened, Chu Xiaofang, Chen's mother, offered to compensate Xue for all his losses, but the offer was refused. Instead, Xue said he would give Chen 10,000 yuan to subsidize his further education. He appreciated the boy's honesty and wanted to encourage him to continue making the right decisions in life, he said. Chu, the mother, said Xue's reaction was sure to have a positive effect on her son. "The accident was my son's fault, but I was relieved to hear he had a sense of responsibility," she said. "He told me that, in future, he will do his best to also reward the kindness of strangers." Campbell Fraser, an international human organ trade expert from Australia. [Photo provided by Campbell Fraser] China is helping the world to fight against the problem of organ trafficking, an international human organ trade expert from Australia said during a recent interview with China Radio International (CRI). Campbell Fraser with Griffith University in Brisbane has just attended the two-day Pontifical Academy Summit (PAS) on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism. During the PAS, Jiefu Huang, professor and chairman of the China National Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee, said China had imposed a total ban on the use of executed prisoners' organs for transplantation since the beginning of 2015. Fraser said he has monitored global trends on organ trafficking for years and his research has shown that foreigners have stopped coming to China for organ transplantation based on his interviews with over 1000 organ buyers, sellers, brokers, and doctors. "I'm absolutely convinced that the reforms in China are absolutely true, and for that reason, I believe the international community should be supportive of the changes in China and encouraging China, and to keep going on this wonderful journey they are going on, and not listening to the political propaganda of people who are trying to stop our progress," Fraser said. Fraser revealed that his research prompted harassment from Falun Gong cult members just because it was inconsistent with the claims made by Falun Gong, "I had a lot of personal troubles with Falun Gong. When I presented an academic paper at the Hong Kong transplantation conference last year, they complained to my employer, they complained to the conference organizers. When I was speaking, they interrupted me, shouted at me, and generally tried to stop me speaking. " Fraser had thought that perhaps he was the only person harassed by Falun Gong, but later he found that several other scholars who have not supported the claims made by Falun Gong have also been harassed by cult members. The Chinese government banned Falun Gong as a cult in 1999, accusing it of disguising as a religious group to brainwash practitioners, extracting money from them, and even encouraging practitioners to set themselves alight. Although Falun Gong made unfair claims about the Chinese government, China has made progress on cracking down on organ trafficking, Fraser said. China is not only solving its organ trafficking problem in China, but also actually assisting the world with solving the organ trafficking problem. Speaking on behalf of China at the PAS summit which concluded on Feb. 8, Jiefu Huang proposed the establishment of a World Health Organization (WHO) task force to fulfill the mission of the PAS in order to eradicate organ trafficking. "China is such an important country, a global leader, so it's really important for China to lead by example, and this is one of the greatest things of having them, China actually gives some good ideas, we are looking at China, we can use some of the ideas to solve the problems of trafficking in Egypt, in Pakistan, and India, and a few other countries," Fraser said. Former Hebei provincial Party chief sentenced to 15 years for graft Xinnhua | Updated: 2017-02-15 12:44 XIAMEN - Zhou Benshun, former Party chief of northern China's Hebei Province, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for corruption, a court in southeast China's Xiamen city said Wednesday. According to Xiamen Municipal Intermediate People's Court, Zhou's personal assets, worth 2 million yuan (291,545 U.S. dollars), will be seized, along with other illegal gains and property. The court found that Zhou took advantage of his official posts from 2000 to 2015 to seek benefit for others in real estate development, project payments, fire control project approval, bank loans and personnel promotions. He accepted bribes of over 40 million yuan directly for himself or through his family. The court decideded to hand down a lighter penalty to Zhou as he confessed to his crimes, expressed remorse and cooperated in returning the bribes. Zhou said he would not appeal. New air route links Fuzhou to New York Xinhua | Updated: 2017-02-15 12:44 FUZHOU - A direct flight opened Wednesday between Fuzhou, capital of eastern China's Fujian Province, and New York. Flight MF849 took off from Fuzhou at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday and will land in New York after A 14.5-hour flight. It will depart from Fuzhou on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The return flight leaves New York at 12:55 p.m. local time. The new route, operated by Xiamen Airlines, makes Fuzhou the fourth city in China after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou to have direct flights to New York. A total of 800,000 people with origins in Fuzhou live in the New York area. Xiamen Airlines will also launch a direct flight from Xiamen city to Los Angeles in June, according to Che Shanglun, chairman of the airline. Two Mongolian drug smugglers caught in North China Xinhua | Updated: 2017-02-15 15:15 HOHHOT - Two passengers from Mongolia were arrested in northern China's Inner Mongolia for smuggling drugs, according to local customs Wednesday. One of the suspects, Enkhjargal, was caught Saturday evening when taking a train from Beijing to Ulan Bator via Erenhot, with police seizing 72.57 grams of methamphetamine from his luggage. He allegedly bought the drugs for 10,500 yuan (about 1,529 U.S. dollars) in Beijing. Another suspect, Nyamjav, was caught Sunday at the customs in Erenhot. Nyamjav was carrying 53.65 grams of methamphetamine and 0.84 grams of cannabis, which he allegedly bought in Beijing for 7,500 yuan. Erenhot is the biggest land port between China and Mongolia. Last year customs in Inner Mongolia handled three cases involving Mongolian suspects carrying drugs via route Erenhot. ZHENGZHOU -- Chen Yifan, 17, a high school student in Central China's Henan province, never expected praise after he left a letter of apology and some cash at the scene of an accident. Chen hit a luxury SUV on Feb 4 in Xinmi city on his way to deliver some food, leaving a 20 centimeter scratch and a broken rearview mirror. With nobody else at the scene, Chen left all his money, 311 yuan ($45), for compensation, and a letter of apology. "I am so sorry and feel sad I hit your car by accident. I am a student and doing a winter vacation job. I know the compensation is far from enough, but I really have no more money left. Sorry." When the owner Xue Zhanmin found his car the next day, he was initially angry and called police, but after seeing the money and letter, he was touched by the student's honesty and decided to return the money. "The money was all change. I guess the student was from a poor family. It is maybe a big money for him," Xue said. Media reports about the letter soon went viral, with many web users trying to find the student. Chen finally contacted the car owner. "I saw the owner's telephone number on the car window, but I dared not call him. I was afraid to be blamed and decided to leave a short letter," Chen said. "I was relieved after I called him." The teenager is a high-school student from a low-income family, and does part-time delivery jobs to earn money during vacations, earning 60-70 yuan per day. Chu, Chen's mother, was proud after hearing of her son's actions. "My son is a good boy and his behavior was right. We will definitely pay for the repairs," Chu said. But Xue refused to accept money for the repairs, totaling 13,000 yuan. "Some people would leave without words after hitting a car, but the boy left money and an apology letter. I was deeply touched by his behavior." Xue has since offered 10,000 yuan to help fund Chen's future studies. "He is a kind boy and should be rewarded for his honesty," Xue said. China has urged Japan to "respect history and stop provoking" after Tokyo labeled China's Diaoyu Islands as its "territory" in guidelines for elementary and high schools. Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday that Japan should "educate the younger generation with a correct outlook on history and showcase sincerity for improving the China-Japan relationship with tangible actions". The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology issued a new learning guideline for schools in the country on Tuesday and for the first time labeled the islands as Japan's "territory", Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported. In response, Geng said at a Wednesday regular media conference in Beijing that the Diaoyu Islands and its adjacent islets have been, and are, inherent Chinese territory. China's determination and will to safeguard territorial sovereignty is unswerving, Geng said. "Whatever the Japanese side says and does will never bring changes to the fact that the Diaoyu Islands belong to China," Geng said. The China-Japan relationship plunged in 2012 when Tokyo unilaterally decided to "nationalize" the islands. China has lodged solemn representations to India for the visit of a Taiwan political delegation to New Delhi, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday. China firmly opposes all forms of official contact and exchanges between Taiwan and countries that have diplomatic ties with China, spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular news conference. China hopes that India sticks to the one-China policy and handles issues related to Taiwan prudently, he said. Mentioning that India has made a commitment to the Taiwan question, Geng said India should respect and understand China's core interests and maintain the healthy development of China-India relations. The spokesman's comment is a response to the arrival of a Taiwan lawmaker delegation in New Delhi on Sunday. The Hindu report said that Taiwan is seeking to upgrade "diplomatic ties" with India in the coming weeks, quoting anonymous sources from Taiwan. Like most countries in the world, India doesn't have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The one-China policy is respected by major powers. For example, in a 1978 joint communique, the US said that it recognized the one-China policy - there is only one China, Taiwan is part of China and the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing China. In December 2016, the African island nation of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe announced it cut "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan. Currently, 21 countries and governments, mainly small nations and islands in Latin America, Oceania and Africa, rely heavily on economic aid from Taiwan and hold such ties with the island. French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve will pay an official visit to China from Tuesday to Thursday at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang, according to the Foreign Ministry. This will be his first visit to China after taking office, and the first by a European leader this year, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Wednesday. Geng added that President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, will meet with Cazeneuve. "The leaders of the two countries will exchange in-depth views on the China-France relationship and issues of common concern," Geng told a daily media conference, adding that Cazeneuve will also visit Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province. Geng also said that France is China's important strategic partner. The bilateral relationship between the two countries has developed into a high level one in recent years, with deepening strategic mutual trust, increasing practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. The two countries also keep in close communication, and cooperate, on international affairs, the spokesman said. "We're willing to continue to jointly work with the French, to maintain the sound development of bilateral ties and contribute to world peace, stability and development," he said. Geng believes that the visit will further deepen the China-France friendship, enhance results from practical cooperation in various areas, and boost the development of the China-Europe relationship. A 10-year-old girl is now happily going to school in the city of Zhaoqing, about 110 kilometers from Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. Zhen Zhen, who once suffered from serious blood disorder, thalassemiais, is now recovering after a bone marrow transplant in Guangzhou, Guangzhou Daily reported. The primary school pupil in grade one has been busy seeing doctors in major hospitals in Guangdong in the past decade. To help save Zhen Zhen, her parents had another four children, hoping that one would have the same type of bone marrow that matches their oldest daughter's. Zhang Qiubo, Zhen Zhen's mother, said she never wanted to give up her effort to save her daughter, despite financial strains. Zhen Zhen was born in 2007 and thalassemia was detected 9 or 10 months later. "Zhen Zhen had frequent fevers and other symptoms at that time," Zhang said A rural doctor told her that the treatment was expensive and that Zhen Zhen would likely not live for more than 10 years, Zhang said . And Zhang's husband at one point said he wanted to give up their efforts to save their daughter because they had failed to find a donor match from among Zhen Zhen's 3 siblings , according to Zhang. "I could understand my husband's thoughts (to give up Zhen Zhen), as street vendors, we could earn about 3,000 yuan ($437) a month at that time," she said. "But I can not stop loving my daughter. I can not," Zhang said. "I will do anything I can to help save my daughter." To help raise money to pay her daughter's medical bills, Zhang prepared to beg on the street for money. Zhen Zhen was given hope only when Zhang became pregnant again in April 2014. Zhang was told by doctors that the marrow of her fifth child would match Zhen Zhen's. Furthermore, Zhen Zhen quickly won public sympathy after her story was published by local media. With donations from local foundations and warm-hearted residents, Zhen Zhen underwent a bone marrow transplant in a hospital affiliated with Guangxi Medical University in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, in April 2015. Zhang is now living in her hometown of Meizhou in the eastern part of Guangdong, looking after her four children, while Zhen Zhen is living with Zhang's migrant worker husband in Zhaoqing. "Heartfelt thanks go to the kind-hearted people who donated and helped Zhen Zhen. I hope to be able to repay society in the future," Zhang added. Contact the writer at zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn Breakthrough made for use in aircraft carriers China has made major breakthroughs in the core design and manufacturing technology of heavy-duty gas turbines that can be installed in aircraft carriers, according to a research institute at Tsinghua University. Workers prepare for the sailing a newly built bulk ship at a shipyard in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Provided to china daily The domestically made CGT-60F, an F-class heavy-duty gas turbine, jointly manufactured by the Gas Turbine Research Center of Tsinghua University and a number of companies including Shanghai Electric Group Co Ltd and Dongfang Electric Corp, has passed high-temperature cooling experiment tests at the Beijing-based China Gas Turbine Research Establishment. The heavy-duty gas turbine can tolerate temperatures of up to 1,400 C. Jiang Hongde, one of the project leaders and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the test results, including the cooling effectiveness and temperature distribution, were all better than expected. All of the components of this high-end gas turbine are made in China. The prototype was made by Shanghai Turbine Co Ltd, with full intellectual property rights. China currently can only develop heavy-duty gas turbines based on Ukrainian technology, as Western countries, including the United States and France, do not allow their manufacturers to export such products to China due to national security issues. Aviation Industry Corporation of China has adopted the Ukraine-made R0110 heavy-duty gas turbine with 110 megawatts of heating power. However, this type of gas turbine can only be applied in electric power generation and cannot be used in ships. Dong Liwan, a shipbuilding professor at Shanghai Maritime University, said that the work to adapt it for naval use still has a long way to go. He said whether steam or gas turbines are used in Chinas first domestically manufactured aircraft carrier will depend on the nations development of high-efficiency gas turbines. Breakthroughs on materials and technologies can build a solid foundation for domestically made heavy-duty gas turbines used in ships. We are eager to catch up with established rivals in the field in the US and Europe, so China will encourage crowd innovation, crowdfunding and other innovative business techniques to further support the Made in China 2025 strategy, especially in its mature and fast-growing sectors, said Sun Fuquan, a researcher specializing in military-related products at the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development. Sun said Chinas fast-growing 4G telecom networks and the Made in China 2025 strategy will lead to further improvements in high-end products, productivity and resource efficiency this year. Cheng Yu contributed to this story. Seniors participate in a group activity at the Jinde Old Age Home, a charitable institution in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province.[ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY] Organization that receives millions of yuan in donations every year looks to become more professional to provide greater assistance to people in need. Xu Wei reports from Shijiazhuang. Father Li Rongpin is a busy man. In addition to his pastoral duties, such as giving Mass several times a week and attending to the needs of his parishioners, the Roman Catholic priest has another demanding job; running a charitable foundation that received registered donations of 17 million yuan ($2.5 million) last year. The 43-year-old takes phone calls, reviews individual charity programs and gives instructions to colleagues, but he is often frustrated by his lack of experience. "These are things I never expected to do. When I decided to devote myself to the priesthood, all that my mother expected was that I would say Mass at the village church," he said. "As a priest, I was trained to provide services in the spiritual realm. I know almost nothing about financial management, charity work or administration." Li is the director of Jinde Charities, a Catholic organization and foundation registered in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, a traditional Catholic stronghold in North China. Followers in the province account for about 40 percent of China's estimated 6 million Catholics, according to statistics from the Hebei Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs. Jinde is just one of many charities run by Catholic groups. Several dioceses, including Xi'an in Shaanxi province and the diocese of Liaoning province, run charitable organizations, including nursing homes, orphanages and groups devoted to helping people with AIDS. The groups have one thing in commontheir work is being hampered by a lack of financial management experience. Range of activities The Jinde foundation was approved by the authorities in 1998. Managed by about 40 priests, nuns and lay workers, it is devoted to a range of activities, including disaster relief, providing emergency relief to individual families, caring for seniors and helping people with AIDS in rural areas. "When required, we can mobilize priests and followers in different dioceses. If we know a priest is ministering in a certain area, we can usually find hundreds or even thousands of followers who will provide help," said Li, who has a master's in biblical studies from the Catholic Theological Union at Chicago. He acknowledged that the lack of management skills poses a challenge to the priests and nuns, who have no experience of running a foundation, especially one that handles such a large number of donations. Management of human resources is also difficult, because Li's status as a priest means he is expected to be more forgiving than a regular employer. He is attempting to draft a code of conduct for employees to improve the foundation's management, but is finding it difficult: "This is why we need a modern management system. We need rules to reward those who obey the regulations and punish those who violate them." Official encouragement The central government actively encourages the participation of religious groups in charity work and the establishment of charitable organizations, including foundations, which are allowed to receive donations, according to a guideline issued in 2012 by six central government departments, including the State Administration of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. That stance has been reiterated by Wang Zuoan, head of the State Administration of Religious Affairs. In an article published by Study Times, Wang said the government will continue to support faith-based charities. Despite the official endorsement, the foundation's religious background can be a disadvantage when the group attempts to publicize its work, especially through the media. "The issue suddenly becomes sensitive for many people when they learn about our religious background. Many outlets shy away from covering our work, and some have even severed ties with us," said Father John Zhang Shijiang, Jinde Charities' founder. Taiwan-funded companies that have invested in Guangdong province's city of Dongguan, a major manufacturing center in the Pearl River Delta, have maintained sustainable business growth there and many of them have been introducing smart solutions to cope with rising production costs, according to leading businessmen. "There haven't been hundreds of Taiwan-invested companies moving their businesses out of Dongguan," said Tsai Jinhong, chairman of the Taiwan Businessmen Association (Dongguan). Some overseas media reported that over 1,000 Taiwan-funded companies in the mainland had closed or moved to other regions because of the local government's industrial upgrading policy. 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 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 10120170006 Registration Number: 130349 11010502032503 [2011]0283-097 ICP13028878-6 Shanghai's Pudong New Area granted 301 government-guaranteed loans to local startups projects in 2016, a surge of 95.45 percent compared to the number in 2015, according to data provided by Pudong New Area Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. The data placed the area first amongst Shanghai's districts and helps to demonstrate the extent to which Pudong is acting in the financial interest of small local businesses. The increase in loans can be attributed to the decision of Pudong authorities to lower the threshold for loan applications. Although the number of loans has risen, the amount of each loan is lower than that of 2015, which indicates that local authorities have enhanced the level of loan supervision they provide. The government-guaranteed loan policy was first launched by the Shanghai government in 2000 and aims at helping startups to raise money during their early stages of development. Young entrepreneurs are considered as major beneficiaries of the policy. Indeed, forty percent of the entrepreneurs who obtained government-guaranteed loans in Pudong in 2016 were under the age of 35. Democratic People's Republic of Korea launches a long range rocket launched into the air in this file still image taken from KRT video footage, released by Yonhap on February 7, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] It does not matter whether it was meant as a provocation, a test, or simply a call for attention. It may have been any of those, or all. The test-firing of the Pukguksong-2 intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday, which was in no way conducive to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's pursuit of the international recognition and respect it covets, was a timely reminder of an outstanding security challenge the Donald Trump presidency faces. It might have been an invitation for direct interaction with the United States. But there is no sign that will happen. As of now, what Pyongyang has received in return, apart from immediate condemnation from the United Nations and calls from the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea for harsher sanctions, is Trump's vow to deal with it "very strongly" and the US' "100 percent" solidarity with Japan. However, Pyongyang will not stop now. That the US has not shown any willingness to engage can be read as a sign of indecisiveness and may thus inspire further provocations. Yet Pyongyang will not get what it thinks it deserves, especially being accepted internationally as a legitimate, respectable nuclear power. For its persistent threats of "nuclear elimination" of "enemy states" alone, it cannot but be deemed as a threat. That is why the UN, along with all countries in Northeast Asia, has remained steadfast on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. And that is why China and Russia, while consistently appealing for caution and restraint in dealing with Pyongyang and due respect for its security concerns, have joined the international chorus of condemnation and thrown their weight behind the recent UN sanctions. The UN Security Council may or may not agree on additional, stronger sanctions this time, given member countries' divergences on the right approach to adopt. Even if a new package is approved, it is unlikely to suffice to stop Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program and missile stunts. Over the years, the world has watched as that program has grown and thrived despite all the condemnations and sanctions. Which is why the missile launch should be a wake-up call for rethinking the response to Pyongyang's actions and intimidation. A solid-fuel engine itself may not suffice to make the Pukguksong-2 a "game changer". Pyongyang may not come up with missile technologies capable of intercontinental attacks soon. But the vicious cycle will not end unless the root cause, the decades-old hostility between Pyongyang on the one hand, and Seoul and Washington on the other, is addressed. All parties should step up communication and engagement to secure a peaceful settlement of the DPRK nuclear issue. A Vietnamese woman sells local specialities to Chinese travelers at a Vietnam market in the city of Chongzuo, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on the border between the two countries. [Photo/China Daily] The claims of a Chinese tourist that he was beaten by Vietnamese border security officers after refusing to pay them a tip has provoked anger among the Chinese public. The man said he was assaulted on Feb 7 in Mong Cai, when he was returning home with his fiancee and mother after a two-week wedding photo shoot in Vietnam and was forced to write a statement saying he had not been beaten. The Vietnamese officials at Mong Cai deny beating him and claim he was injured when he fell while being chased. Given that Vietnam's frontier security authorities are one of the parties involved, there should be a joint investigation into the incident to determine what really happened. As the man is a Chinese citizen, China can demand the launch of a joint investigation into the case in accordance with international law and practices to find the truth and promote its just and reasonable settlement. At the same time, the launch of joint investigations is also a necessary step for China to fulfill its consular protection responsibilities for Chinese tourists overseas. It has long been a bad habit of some countries' customs and border security officers to charge tourists, especially Chinese tourists, a tip. The official advice offered to Chinese tourists encountering such a scenario is that no tips should be given, because doing so only fuels the practice targeted at Chinese tourists. Individual tourists and travel groups should resolutely refuse any unreasonable demands for tips to eradicate the perception among some that Chinese tourists are easy pickings. The Chinese government should make official representations and urge the relevant countries to correct any malpractices in their tourism industries. An increasing number of Chinese people traveling overseas will bring huge economic benefits to any destination. The government thus has enough chips to use to prevent Chinese being preyed on while traveling abroad.--Beijing News A gavel in a court. [Photo/IC] As early, the State Council, China's Cabinet, canceled 67 vocational certificates and approvals. However, the bureau of housing and urban-rural development in Haikou, South China's Hainan province, recently issued an official document requiring all local interior decorators to have two of the canceled certificates. Beijing Youth Daily comments: Does the local government of Haikou know they are acting against the executive order of the central government? There are various laws regulating the market, and all the local authorities need to do is to enforce them so that those breaking the laws get their deserved punishments. There is no need for the local government to intervene with their own measures. Worse, some journalists visited Haikou and found that it is very easy to obtain the required vocational certificates by paying a certain agency a "training fee". Further, the local "trade association" is also called the Haikou office for regulating the interior decoration industry. In other words, it is likely the "trade association" is the white glove of some local bureaucrats holding their hands out for illicit gains. If this is the case there is an interest chain behind the officials of Haikou insisting workers obtain the abolished certificates. Just as Premier Li Keqiang once said, some local training agencies provided mandatory "services" to residents and enterprises and made profits in the process. That seriously curbed the market from becoming prosperous. Such a phenomenon used to exist everywhere, and that's partly why the central leadership has vowed to push forward reform by simplifying administrative procedures. With the reform going on, the problem has been solved in many regions, but it proves deeply rooted in Haikou. We hope the higher authorities can intervene by probing the situation in Haikou. They are acting not only against the executive order of the central government, but also against the law. It is also time to investigate and see whether the phenomenon exists in other regions, too, so that the reform can proceed smoothly. A snapshot of Internet celebrities. [Photo provided to China Daily] Live streaming websites have become a hit among Chinese netizens and investors in the past year, but they are plagued by obscene content and online gambling. Southern Metropolis Daily commented on Tuesday: It is estimated that there were nearly 300 live streaming platforms by the end of last year, with the number of users reaching 240 million. But the booming industry is not without problems, as major live streaming websites such as Huya, Panda TV, Douyu and Zhanqi TV were found more than once to be airing nudity or obscene language. In some cases, anchor women purposely flirt with the male audience, even strip off their clothes in front of the cameras, in exchange for handsome virtual "gifts" that can be converted into money. Without doubt the platforms have paid the price for such audacity. More than 2,500 websites across the country have been punished or shut down since a campaign against online pornography was launched last April. Some 3.27 million pieces of "harmful content" had been removed as of November. In response, 20 live streaming platforms co-issued a statement urging all their anchors to be subject to real-name registration and banning applicants under the age of 18. These efforts are laudable, but far from enough. Take for example the flirty anchor women, some platforms tend to encourage them because their performances, often in a regulatory gray area, are a magnet for paid users. Breaking this illegal alliance calls for a new supervision mechanism, in which government penalties and public supervision play an equal role. On their part, live streaming companies need to work harder to innovate their content. Zeze and Ziye pose in Sanlitun, a popular commercial district in Beijing, Feb 13, 2017. The lovers are college students in Beijing. They have been in love for over a year. This year's Valentine's Day, Zeze plans to spend more than 2,000 yuan ($291) with Ziye to watch movies and explore Nanluoguxiang, a popular alleyway in the city. [Photo/VCG] Tuesday was Valentine's Day, a day when young men and women fret about not only what words of endearment are appropriate, or even what kind of promises to make, but also where to eat and what gift to buy their significant other. Beijing News commented on Tuesday: Businessmen who are good at turning all holidays into shopping carnivals have already begun to turn the day into a commercial jamboree. All the discounts and sales promotions for the day overwhelmingly imply that those who are single should feel inferior because they are not spending money on a loved one. Through the different ways of celebrating Valentine's Day, a non-public holiday, we can still see the different cultures and temperament. In Europe, where St. Valentine's Day originated as a Christian liturgical feast day honoring one or more early saints named Valentinus, the day has more of a holiday vibe. The acceptance of Valentine's Day in China and the way it is celebrated mainly derive from the customs in the United States where the day is more commercialized than it is in Europe. In the US, Valentine's Day equates to spending money to demonstrate how much a person loves another or show how romantic they are. As a matter of fact, people can choose to celebrate the festivals they want in the way they like. But it would be a pity if this celebration of the beautiful sentiment of love eventually becomes nothing more than a conspicuous or compulsive act of consumption. There is always a principle in the meaning of the intricacies of any festival, that is, respect for the different ways people live their lives. If a festival is found to be "successfully" established upon any sole cultural or business logic, then it is not the problem of a holiday, but people. Dong Haifeng, director of the bureau of commerce in Danzhou, South China's Hainan province, has become the first official nationwide to be held accountable for failing to fulfill his responsibility for information disclosure. The official website of the bureau was found not to meet the required standards for an official government website during the third national inspection of official government websites as it had not been updated for a long time. It was the only government website in Hainan not to meet the required standards. After the results of the inspection were released, the local Party's disciplinary committee dealt with the issue. The bureau's official website has been shut down and the relevant content has been transferred to the website of the Hainan provincial government. Official government websites are a key part of modern governance, providing greater convenience to the public and enhancing the transparency of government. But many local officials ignore the need to update and maintain their websites, which then become so-called zombie websites. Such a phenomenon shows local officials fail to pay enough attention to the importance of information disclosure and publicity work. The General Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet, has reported hundreds of government websites for not meeting the required standards in recent years but little progress has been made. It is expected that local authorities will strictly implement an accountability system for information disclosure. US President Donald Trump speaks while signing executive orders at the White House in Washington January 24, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] Many are concerned that the Trump Administration could start a trade war with China, if not, a military one. During the campaign, Trump threatened to designate China a "currency manipulator" on the first day he entered office. Now that he has been inaugurated, Trump has turned many of his threats into action, signing several executive orders, placing a travel ban on Muslims, withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and begun the process of erecting a wall along the US-Mexico border. But so far, he has chosen not to go through with his threat of designating China a currency manipulator, because he is worried about the consequences of doing so. There are close to 1.5 billion people in China. As the Chinese economy grew, China became the biggest market in the world. China has bought more luxury goods than any other country. High-end car maker GE just released its sales figures for Cadillac in China in 2016. It sold 70 percent more luxury models in China than in the United States. Almost every major multinational corporation has some research and development operation in China. The Chinese market is too important for any multinational corporation to ignore. Not having a share in the Chinese market would be inconceivable for any multinational corporation. During his campaign, Trump said that China stole American jobs. He knew that was a lie. The truth of the matter is that American multinational corporations went to China to maximize profits. In the early days, the same computer motherboard made in the US cost $400, cost just $92 to make in Mexico. When it was made in China, the cost reduced further to only $25, and 50 percent of the products could be sold there. In the past 30 years or more, American multinational companies have made tremendous profits and occupied a big share of the Chinese market while doing so. If Trump meant what he said during his campaign about bringing American companies and American jobs back to the US, American multinational corporations will lose their competitive edge in China built up over the last 30 years. The market share they opened up would be taken over by their competitors from Europe and elsewhere, as well as Chinese companies. These American companies would lose their Chinese market share and their competitive advantage forever. After the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Russian historians examined Russian and Soviet history. They came to the conclusion that the greatest mistake Russia and the former Soviet Union made was its break up with and withdrawal from China in the 1960s. In 1960, after helping China build up its heavy industry, with more than 11,000 Russian and eastern European engineers engaged in the industrialization programs in China, Khrushchev decided to break contracts with China and withdraw all engineers from China, due to an ideological difference with the Chinese Communist Party leadership. Khrushchev wanted to teach the Chinese leadership a lesson, by creating some short-term economic difficulties for China. China did suffer tremendous economic set backs in the short term because of Khrushchevs decision. But the former Soviet Union lost its influence and leverage in China in the long term. It lost access to the Chinese market. If the Soviet Union had not withdrawn its engineers from China, China would be dependent on Soviet technology for the long term. China would have used Soviet standards and bought Soviet technology and machinery for a long time to come. After the departure of the Russians, China was forced to develop its own industrial base and its own technological innovations, no longer relying on Russian goods. Trump may want to bring back jobs to the United States, but American multination corporations cannot afford to lose their share of the Chinese market at this critical moment in history. The author is a professor at Warren Wilson College, North Carolina, and a guest professor at Hebei University. Tourists take photos while sitting on the steel ladder leading to Atuleer village in Sichuan province.[Photo by Wu Chuanming/For China Daily] A tourism development company in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, has signed an agreement with the Zhaojue county government to turn a formerly inaccessible village into a tourist destination. The company plans to invest 300 million yuan ($44 million) to tap rich tourism resources such as a canyon, karst caves, hot springs and virgin forests in Atuleer and its two neighboring villages, according to Jin Wenming, an official from the Zhaojue county government in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture. The three villages are inhabited by ethnic Yi people and will be of great appeal to tourists, Jin said. Liangshan, one of Sichuan's least developed areas, boasts China's largest population of Yi people, who are known for their worship of fire. Atuleer, a village that lies atop a cliff more than 1,400 meters above sea level, used to be famous for relying on an 800-meter zigzag network of rattan ladders with no railings, which was its only link to the outside world. The rattan structure - a chain of 17 small ladders tied together without any railings or other safety features - had been used by villagers for years. They relied on it to reach the nearest market several kilometers away once a week to sell peppers and walnuts, and to buy necessities. Photos published by a Beijing-based newspaper in May of pupils climbing up the cliff on the rattan ladders sparked public outcry and prompted Liangshan officials to address the issue. It was impossible to relocate the villagers, who did not want to leave their time-honored habitat, so decision-makers in Liangshan promised to replace the rattan ladders with steel. Construction of a steel ladder with handrails was completed in November at a cost of 1 million yuan, with the Liangshan and Zhaojue governments splitting the cost. It took three hours to return home via the rattan structure, but the steel ladder has reduced that journey by an hour, said Er Dijiang, head of Atuleer. Accessibility also means more chances for villagers to find wives, he said, adding that before construction of the steel ladder, a villager marrying a woman from outside the village had to carry his bride to his home on top of the cliff via the rattan structure, making it difficult for young men to find spouses outside the village. Since the steel ladder was introduced, six young men have married women from outside the village, Er said. National security adviser General Michael Flynn arrives to deliver a statement during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington US, February 1, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] WASHINGTON Just six days into his presidency, Donald Trump was informed his national security adviser had misled his vice president about contacts with Russia. Trump kept his No. 2 in the dark and waited nearly three weeks before ousting the aide, Michael Flynn, citing a slow but steady erosion of trust, White House officials said Tuesday. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI about his telephone conversations with Russia's ambassador to the US, a sign his ties to Russia had caught the attention of law enforcement officials. But in the White House's retelling of Flynn's stunning downfall, his error was not that he discussed US economic sanctions with the Russian before the inauguration a potential violation of a rarely enforced law but the fact that he denied it for weeks, apparently misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other senior Trump aides about the nature of the conversations. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by US intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Pence, who had vouched for Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday, one day after the president asked Flynn to leave. Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said Monday "there were no lines crossed" in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The explanation of the episode left many questions unanswered, including why Trump didn't alert Pence to the matter and why Trump allowed Flynn to keep accessing classified information and taking part in the president's discussions with world leaders up until the day he was fired. White House officials also struggled to explain why Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway had declared the president retained "full confidence" in Flynn just hours before the adviser had to submit his letter of resignation. WASHINGTON A Trump administration official says US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era arms control treaty. The alleged violation complicates the outlook for US-Russia relations amid turmoil on President Donald Trump's national security team. The Obama administration three years ago accused the Russians of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by developing and testing the cruise missile. Officials had anticipated that Moscow eventually would deploy it. Russia denies it has violated the INF Treaty. An administration official who wasn't authorized to discuss the matter publicly said intelligence agencies assessed the missile became operational late last year. The missile deployment was first reported by The New York Times. US President Donald Trump meets with UK Prime Minister Teresa May in the oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C, January 27, 2017. [Photo/VCG] LONDON -- British Prime Minister Theresa May formally rejected a petition Monday signed by nearly 2 million people wanting the cancellation of the proposed state visit to Britain by US President Donald Trump. The petitioners said a state visit by Trump, which would involve a state banquet, would embarrass Queen Elizabeth. Officials at Westminster have scheduled a debate about the petition by MPs (members of Parliament) next week when the Houses of Parliament re-open after a recess. In its official response to the petition, May's government recognized the strong views of those who supported the petition, but added that Trump should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. Even if MPs vote in support of the petitioners there is no requirement on May or her government to accept their decision. In its response, the government says it believes the president of the United States should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. "We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalized," said an official statement. During May's visit to the United States on Jan. 27, 2017, the British prime minister, on behalf of the Queen, invited Trump for a state visit to Britain later this year. The invitation was accepted. Media in London are reporting that Trump's state visit will take place before the end of this month. More than 200 MPs from across the political spectrum have signed a motion in the House of Commons saying they do not want permission to be granted to Trump to address politicians at the Houses of Parliament during his state visit. They cite Trump's recent actions, including his executive order on immigration and refugees, and his comments on torture and women, as the reason for their stand. The Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, was dragged into the controversy when he said Trump should not address parliament. His statement has led to a vote of no confidence in him, a move that could threaten his position at Westminster. US President Donald Trump's first phone call to President Xi Jinping shouldn't be over-interpreted, experts on China-US relations said, while urging that both countries strengthen cooperation on issues ranging from defusing tensions on the Korean Peninsula to increasing "reciprocity" in bilateral relations. In their "lengthy and cordial" telephone conversation on the evening of Feb 9, Trump agreed to honor the one-China policy, a shift from his earlier saying that he might not do so unless China made big concessions on trade. Trump and Xi also agreed that the two countries should discuss and negotiate issues of mutual interest. "Reiterating its commitment to the one-China principle is the least Washington can do to maintain its relations with Beijing," said Niu Jun, a professor of US studies at Peking University. "It should not be over-interpreted, because it marks no significant breakthrough but a return to normal'." On future cooperation, combating cross-border terrorism and defusing tensions on the Korean Peninsula are likely to see closer interaction between both sides, Niu said, adding that both countries share increasing concerns over the two issues, and would at the very least seek to avoid increasing their differences. Both Washington and Beijing expressed their opposition to last weekend's test launch of a missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Beijing "has been striving for a settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue by proactively engaging in mediation and promoting peace talks", while Trump vowed to deal with DPRK "very strongly". Simon Lester, trade policy analyst of the Washington-based Cato Institute, a think tank, agreed that the presidential phone call was a sign of a good relationship, "but there are still many hurdles to overcome," he added. His view was echoed by Nicholas Hope, former director and China program director of the Center for International Development at Stanford University. "Recognizing the importance of the one-China policy as a foundation stone of the relationship gives me greater optimism for a more fruitful dialogue on equally vital issues, specifically, trade and investment relations and agreements to combat climate change," Hope said. The intense interdependence shared by the world's largest and second-largest economies means that bilateral trade and financial cooperation is also inevitable, according to Zhu Feng, director of the Institute of International Studies at Nanjing University. With Trump's diplomatic approach showing a distinctive tendency for "negotiations", it's important that Beijing responds to and addresses Washington's concerns about the Chinese market, Zhu said. As many of Trump's cabinet picks are proven trade hawks obsessed with reversing the US trade deficit, two-way trade remains the most vulnerable to confrontations, said Zhang Zhixin, head of American political studies at the Institute of American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. Zhang said that besides traditional agendas such as nonproliferation and fighting pirates, there is plenty of room for both countries to cooperate on infrastructure and energy. "But that depends on the political importance the Trump administration attaches to them," he added. In addition to developing relations with the US, Shi Yinhong, a director of the Center of US Studies at Renmin University of China, said, "China should also accord priority to neighborhood diplomacy and improve its ties with major regional powers, especially those in alliance with the US." David M. Lampton, a professor and director of China Studies at Johns Hopkins University, said he had told The Wall Street Journal before the inauguration that there is a long tradition of politicians running on anti-China bumper stickers, and that Trump would probably have to "negotiate back from some of these positions". "Welcome as his reaffirmation of the long-standing one-China policy of the US is, the US administration's move has at least two downsides," the former president of the National Committee on US-China Relations wrote in an email. "To start, what is the policy process that leads to such volatility in foundational policy statements? It is hard to have confidence in any decisions when the process is so sloppy and subject to change," Lampton said. "I do worry about credibility. Will the administration be taken seriously when it counts in a crisis, whether with China or any other country?" Lampton said that the US's China policy should be "broadened and modified" in the direction of achieving more "reciprocity". "I think building a Sino-American dialogue on the themes of achieving a stable balance in Asia geopolitically, cooperation between China and America to jump-start global growth, and bilaterally achieving more reciprocity in Sino-American relations is an agenda that could stabilize bilateral relations and appeal to Americans and the Asia-Pacific region," he said. The Russian Defense Ministry has prepared federal regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles, which cover almost all aspects of their use, Izvestia newspaper reported, citing the document itself. According to the newspaper, the document sets out specifications for the organizations of the flights and their execution and describes special characteristics of different types of launches. The rules will reportedly be obligatory for all drones operated by the federal offices of the executive branch. According to the outlet, the chiefs of the units that use drones have the right to organize simulation launches that fulfill combat-related goals. The newspaper said that the document contains more than 40 pages of main text and four appendices. Lord Mayor of the City of London Andrew Parmley is cementing the capital's financial ties with China as London fights to maintain its position as a top European financial hub amid Brexit uncertainty. The Lord Mayor of London, Dr. Andrew Parmley, delivers a speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet, at the Guildhall, London, Britain November 14, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Parmley is leading a delegation to Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. The group comprises representatives from London's financial services companies, and will be in China from Feb 16 to 25. The delegation will meet Chinese regulators and representatives from Chinese companies to discuss issues including bilateral financial services collaboration, fintech, green finance and a proposed link between the London and Shanghai's stock exchanges. "It is no secret that our relationship with China is more important than ever as we negotiate our departure from the European Union," Parmley said to journalists in London ahead of his tour. "My visit came at an opportune time to show government and industry that the UK remains open for business." Brexit uncertainties have threatened London's reputation as a leading European center. Banks, including JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and HSBC are already reportedly considering relocating staff to other EU economies. Brussels-based think tank Bruegel estimates the UK could lose 30,000 finance sector jobs as a result of Brexit fallout. A crucial issue for London is whether it will lose its so-called passporting rights. Jan Dehn, head of research at the London-based Ashmore Investment Management, said China is in a good position to gain from Brexit because Brexit could prompt the UK to offer "far more attractive terms to third parties, including China, in order to make up for the loss of markets within the EU". Zeng Yeqin, a lecturer in finance at Henley Business School, said despite Brexit London can play an important role to achieve its renminbi internationalization goals and share lessons with China on financial market regulation. Meanwhile a feasibility study is well under way that looks into the linking of the London and Shanghai stock exchanges and the mutual trading of stocks. Malaysian police arrest female suspect related to death of DPRK man Xinhua | Updated: 2017-02-15 19:15 KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian police said Wednesday that a female suspect was arrested in the investigation related to the death of a man from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement that the suspect was arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport's second terminal, where the man looked for help after feeling unwell on Monday. He died on the way to hospital. The female suspect, who was carrying a Vietnamese passport, was identified from the surveillance video footage at the airport, Khalid said, adding that the suspect was alone at the time of arrest. The Malaysian police said earlier that the 46-year-old man who died Monday was holding a DPRK passport under the name Kim Chol. But South Korean media reported that the man was Kim Jong Nam, the elder half-brother of DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un. His body was taken to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday for postmortem to ascertain the cause of his death. The Moscow-Kazan railway to be built with Chinese help will have trains running at speeds up to 400 kilometers an hour, Chinese media reported. Wang Mengshu, an expert on high-speed railroads, told Sputnik that the new rail line will cut the current journey time between Moscow and Beijing from seven days to just 24 hours. The high-speed rail service will also contribute to closer across-the-board ties between Russia and China and will bring in new investments in Russia. The construction of the Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway is slated to be completed in 2020. Even though the trains will be able to run at 400 kilometers an hour, Wang Mengshu said that the actual average speed will not exceed 300 kilometers an hour. "During the initial six months we will be running the trains at 385 kilometers an hour just to make sure that we have no power cutoffs. However, we believe that in terms of commercial profit and security, a speed of 300 kilometers an hour would be more appropriate," Wang said. The Chinese side hopes that while Russia's network requires trains to run on a 1,520mm track, the trains operating on the Moscow-Kazan railway will be running on narrower 1,435mm tracks used in Europe and China. This would save the China-bound passengers the trouble of having to switch trains after crossing the Russian-Chinese border. The construction of the Moscow-Kazan high-speed railway would facilitate contacts between the countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt countries and would also contribute to Russia's economic development. The current travel time along the route between Beijing and Moscow running across northeastern China is about seven days. With the new rail line in place, the travel time will be down to just 24 hours. Russia and China earlier discussed the possible construction of a rail line to run from northeastern China to the Bering Strait via East Siberia. The current rail project is just another indication of an increasingly strong relationship between the two economies. Transcription 1 Canada-Nepal Export Report: Pheromone Traps and Lures for Integrated Pest Management. Robertino Morelli AGR1110 Tuesday, December 1, 2015 2 The aim of this paper was to identify and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of exporting pheromone traps and lures from Canada to Nepal. These are further explored within sections below. A great focus on the product itself and its characteristics is followed by information regarding its use. Companies involved and the benefits they stand to gain, both directly and indirectly, are explored and explained. Furthermore, an analysis of the labour required and the various costs involved are described following these sections. Lastly the data provided was used to make a recommendation on the viability of exporting the product and its benefits to Nepal and other developing nations as well. Part 1: General information on Pheromone Traps and Lures. i)product Description: Pheromone traps and lures are, in the simplest term, traps designed to attract a specific insect or insects with the use of pheromones, normally sex pheromones. The objective of this can vary. Pheromone traps can be used for detection of invasive pests, monitoring populations of pests and/or controlling pest populations through various methods (Evenden, 2011). Sex pheromones are how specific insects are able to find members of the same species. These are chemical messengers that females will usually secrete to attract males towards them in order to mate (Carter & Fraser, 2005). Artificial pheromones can be made to mimic the effects of natural pheromones and trick insects into traps that capture them. Normally the use of a rubber "septa" is the first step in making the trap as it is later placed in a sticky trap where the insects will get stuck (Carter & Fraser, 2005). A huge range of insects exist that plague farmlands which is why there is also a wide variety of traps and lures available commercially. Natural Insect Control offers many 3 pheromone traps that can be used in the farm and attract many species of pests such as fruit flies. The advantage flying insect trap with fly banquet is one of their products and is suitable to be used in Nepalese farms as it is reusable and contains an assortment of pheromones to attract many species of insects out to a distance of 30 feet and costs $24.99 for a kit (Natural Insect Control, 2015). This kit contains the trap along with bait and a liner. Cooper Mill Ltd. is also in the pest management market and provides many moth traps along with fly traps. Moth traps are needed as moths are an issue for some Nepalese farmers. The Delta 1 Trap is the largest and one of the many available traps. It is very well suited for outdoor use as it is constructed from weatherproof plastic making it ideal for small fruit farms and it offers a replaceable sticky area of 350 sq. cm (Cooper Mill Ltd., 2015) that can be easily removed to examine the pests. It is suitable for both large and small moths, another advantage. Other traps from Cooper Mill Ltd include the Delta 2 trap, a smaller version of the Delta 1, the Black Stripe Trap, which uses both pheromones and a visual stimulus to attract moths and has proven to be 60% more effective than its standard competitors (Cooper Mill Ltd., 2015). It should be noted that, like all traps, these require maintenance and good care in order to maximize their efficiency. Many companies offer replacement parts for their traps at a low cost usually ranging from <1$ to $5 (Natural Insect Control & Cooper Mill Ltd., 2015). ii)company information: Natural Insect Control (NIC) is a company based in Stevensville, Ontario. They are located 10.0 km south-east of Niagara Falls (NIC & Google, 2015). NIC was first established in 4 1989 as a family business with an eco-friendly mindset (NIC, Website, 2015). This can be viewed as both a disadvantage and an advantage. A small company like such can struggle to keep up with the large demand which is a problem, but it can also use the increase in demand for their product to expand and promote green alternatives to control and manage pests. Cooper Mill Ltd. is recognized as an industry leader in the pest management sector with a reputation for its speed and reliability of supply of products in Canada and around the world. It was the first company in Canada, in the year 1986, to run commercial-scale trials related to pheromone mating disruption (Cooper Mill Ltd, Website, 2015). The company is currently located in Madoc, Ontario, one-hour east of Peterborough. With its already established reputation and expertise in pheromone and insect monitoring (Industry Canada, 2015), Cooper Mill Ltd. can show its potential and knowledge of pheromone traps and lures and attract new customers and enter the international market in countries that are less developed as an industry leader. Table 1: Information regarding the companies involved. Cooper Mill Ltd. Natural Insect Control Number of Employees 2 N/A Total Sales (CAN) $500,000 to $999,999 N/A Export Sales (CAN) $1 to $99,999 N/A Contact Information: 31 Hastings Road, RR #3. Madoc, Ontario. K0K 2K0. Phone: Website: Netherby Rd., Stevensville, Ontario. L0S 1S0. Phone: Website: 5 Table 1: Above is a description of Cooper Mill Ltd. in terms of employees and sales. The information was taken from the Government of Canada, Industry Canada, Canadian Company Capabilities website and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs [OMAFRA], Pest Monitoring Equipment Suppliers list webpage. iii)labour costs and inputs required: Labour in Nepalese farms is relatively cheap and abundant for processes like land preparation and seeding at a rate of Nepalese rupees a day ($3.76-$5 CAN) (International Potato Center [CIP] & Nepal Agricultural Research Council [NARC], 2013). These values can be used to estimate the costs of installment and upkeep of pheromone traps and lures for integrated pest management (IPM) practices. Canadian scientists will be needed at first to interpret data gathered and assist in using the information as effectively as possible to determine further steps. These being the monitoring or controlling of the populations of pests, the step to be taken would be determined by local farmers along with scientists. Raw materials needed to implement traps can be bought cheaply or made from household items. The exact materials needed is dependent on the type, size and location of the farm and the pests present. Nonetheless, a general list can be devised. The traps themselves can be bought from local Canadian suppliers for export to Nepal, a wide variety should be chosen to ensure most pests can be covered and dealt with. Ropes or wires are needed to hang them in appropriate places above ground (OMAFRA, 2005), these materials can be obtained in Nepal for lower costs. Wooden stakes to place the traps on are optional but 6 could prove to be beneficial. These can either be made by local farmers or a market to provide stakes could be created. iv)proper use of traps: It should be kept in mind that pheromone traps and lures should not be the only method employed for pest management and should be used in conjunction with other practices (OMAFRA, 2005). They can be a useful tool, if used correctly, to determine conditions regarding pests in a farm and the data gathered should be used to determine what methods should be used to minimize pest problems such as pesticides and the use of natural predators (CIP & NARC, 2013). According to OMAFRA, CIP and NARC, traps for common pests should be placed according to the table below: Table 2: Appropriate placement of traps for common pests. Pest Separation Height Trap line placement Oriental fruit moth 40m m Edge to interior Grape berry moth 40m On second wire Varies with site. A guideline of 10m within the infestation source is recommended. Leafminer fly 1/500 sq. m. Varies with site Carried around field. Constant monitoring and some maintenance will be required, this should be done twice weekly (OMAFRA, 2005). Dirt, undesirable insects and leaf bits are most likely to get inside the traps and impair their use, if this were to happen the medium (pheromone infused liquids or sticky coatings) used to catch pests or the whole trap should be replaced with a 7 new one. Most pheromone lures in traps will come with a replacement time but if it is not specified it should be assumed they last a length of 6 weeks on average (OMAFRA, 2005). Appropriate handling and storage is very important. Lures must be kept inside their package sealed until they are ready to be used, they must also be refrigerated according to the manufacturers specifications. Lures should be taken out of their package and left to sit for a few days prior to use in traps as the pheromones tend to release a flush when the package is first opened that will attract undesired insects and corrupt the data making interpretation more difficult (OMAFRA, 2005). Once they are in use it is essential to be able to identify the targeted pest. v)market opportunity and benefits to Canada: Currently there is not a well established market for pheromone traps and lures focused towards agricultural use, specifically the in the pest management sector. The Pest Management Centre (PMC) is a partnership between local and federal governments and the crop protection industry whose goal is to improve the accessibility of tools with a reducedrisk to crop protection (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PMC division, 2015). Their current programs focus only on pesticide use and risk reduction (PMC, 2015). This leaves an opening to a new market based on pheromone traps and lures to be used in conjunction with current projects in order to reduce pest populations and pesticide use as they are both correlated. By creating a market that works alongside the current ones, jobs would be created and secured. The existing industries would integrate the pheromone trap market ensuring it has a well established beginning. This would also help manufacturers of the products and 8 promote local businesses already established. Overall, the Canadian economy would receive a boost in stability and give rise to new opportunities. Part 2: Export Potential to Nepal: i)an introduction of Nepal: Nepal is a small, landlocked country located between India and the Tibet region of China (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2015) with and area of 147,141 sq. km. and a population of 27 million (T. Chapagain, lecture notes, AGR1110, September 18, 2015). It is a physiographic and culturally rich country housing 8 of the 14 highest peaks in the world, and the birthplace of Buddha. The country is divided into three major Agro-ecological regions classified according to altitude, crop and livestock systems: The Terai region (23% of land), the Hill region (42%), and the Mountain region (35%) (T. Chapagain, lecture notes, AGR1110, September 18, 2015). 9 Figure 1: The different districts Nepal is divided into. These regions are popular for their produce and landscape. Terai produces the largest quantity of small grain crops due to its sub-tropical climate. Its climate also allows for tropical fruit production such as mangos and pineapple, fresh vegetables are also produced in this area. The Hill region employs a terrace farming system where maize and millet production is very common. Fruits, cash crops and vegetables and vegetable seeds are also produced. In the Mountain region crop growth is very limited by the climate and altitude making the food deficit in this area very large (80%) (T. Chapagain, lecture notes, AGR1110, September 18, 2015). The sole crops that can be grown are barley, buckwheat and potato. The GDP as of 2014 was $19.64 billion (US$) (World Bank, 2015) with a growth of 5.5%, representing a low income level. The Agriculture sector employs over 70% of the 10 population and accounts for 38% of their GDP (T. Chapagain, lecture notes, AGR1110, September 18, 2015) making it their most important sector and form of revenue for individuals. This sector faces many challenges that impair its growth, some being poverty (25% below poverty line), high costs of farm supplies, low labour availability, illiteracy resulting in stunned technological growth and cultural barriers (T. Chapagain, lecture notes, AGR1110, September 18, 2015). ii)needs and Benefits to Nepal and Nepalese Farmers: Increasing IPM practices in Nepal is essential to the development of the country, both for its economy and population. The increased use of pheromone traps and lures in IPM practices would not only benefit the farmers but also their families and local men and women labourers. This is seen presently in coffee farms where pheromone traps have increased the ability of producers to deal with the white stem borer, a severe threat (Feed the Future [FTF], U.S. Government s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative [USGGHFSI], 2013). Women have also benefited from the extra revenue generated by IPM practices which is used to buy clothes for children, pay for schooling and in some cases build housing (FTF, USGGHFSI, 2013). It is clear that increasing the use of pheromone traps would contribute to current IPM practices in Nepal and create more jobs and revenue for labourers therefore increasing the quality of life of individuals. This increase in revenue will allow farmers and members of society to help each other out financially in order to buy more materials such as pheromone traps (FTF, USGGHFSI, 2013). Farmers that have not yet started to use IPM strategies stand to gain the most benefits. Potato producers face many pests that plague their crops and dramatically reduce their yield 11 and profits. Below some common potato pests in Nepal and the losses they represent is represented along with a visual representation of the damage caused: Table 3: Common potato pests and damage caused by them. Potato Pest Pre-harvest damage Post-harvest Yield Reduction (%) damage (%) (%) Potato Tuber Moth Below 5 initially Between 40 and 100 Up to 100 Leafminer Fly Some foliage damage N/A Greater than 20 White Grubs Between 20 and 80 N/A Up to 80 This chart was retrieved from the CIP and NARC training guide for extension officers. Figure 2: Damage in foliage and tubers from the potato tuber moth. This image was retrieved from the CIP and NARC training guide for extension officers. 12 Figure 3: Foliage damage caused by the leafminer fly. This image was retrieved from the CIP and NARC training guide for extension officers. As it can be seen these pests represent a serious problem if they are not dealt with accordingly. Some farmers have already begun employing IPM practices, including the use of pheromone traps for monitoring purposes. Table 4: Monitoring of various pests with IPM practices: Potato pest Trap used Observation period Insects captured Potato tuber moth Pheromone trap 24 hours 20 per trap Leafminer fly Sticky trap 24 hours 5 per trap Cotton boll worm Heli-pheromone trap 24 hours 5-6 per trap Information retrieved from the CIP and NARC training guide for extension officers. 13 The gathered data can be used to asses the pest situation in a farm and help farmers determine which insects they should target at a given time effectively reducing unnecessary use of pesticides and chemicals that would have no effects on managing pests. From information this an income analysis can be formulated. Using sticky traps for leafminer flies instead of current practices can result in a net income increase by 1.58 times (CIP, NARC, 2013). This method can be used for other crops in the same way to achieve similar results. iii)targeted market and potential setbacks: The individuals targeted would be low income farmers that struggle to maintain stability in crop yields. The relatively low cost of pheromone traps compared to the use of pesticides would promote the use of these and increase the demand. This would be the first step to getting the producers on track towards a better life and crop quality allowing for more profit and the use of more sophisticated methods. Women who work in farms can also be targeted and given jobs in the labour section of the project. Refrigeration is one of the most severe drawbacks to pheromone use. Most packs come with instruction specifying that the product must be refrigerated properly before use (OMAFRA, 2005). This is a problem as most low income farmers do not posses the ability to keep them cooled accordingly and sometimes lack electricity as a whole making refrigeration impossible. A high cost is also associated as refrigerators are not a cheap commodity for the targeted market. Neighbouring countries such as India and Bangladesh have also employed IPM practices (USAID & VirginiaTech, 2014) with pheromone traps and pose a danger to the market in 14 Nepal. Lower product costs as a result of decreased exportation costs can be achieved from these countries creating a more enticing offer than Canadian products. An IPM Innovation Lab (IPM IL) project led by USAID and partnered with other associations is already in motion in Nepal with similar goals (USAID/Nepal, 2013). This can be viewed as established competitors in the eye of Canadian investors resulting in a decreased interest in establishing a market. They can also be viewed as partners with expertise in the area, if they are willing. iv)transportation logistics: Transportation for Cooper Mill Ltd. and NIC would consist of moving the product to Pearson International Airport, Mississauga, ON, through either train or trucks mediated by a company like FedEx. From there, aerial transportation to the city of Kathmandu, Nepal will follow. Due to its central location in the Hill region trucking companies based in Kathmandu can distribute the product to many areas nearby where local markets for agricultural products are located. These would be businesses that already conduct business with local farmers effectively making the farmers come to the product. The use of runners from the businesses straight to farms can also be implemented in order to create more jobs. v)recommendations, unknowns, and conclusion: As it currently stands, pheromone traps and lures for IPM practices have a great potential to better the low income agriculture sector of Nepal. However, obstacles such as refrigeration and transportation costs must be overcome to make this a reality. Canadian products are just too expensive after transportation and shipping costs are taken into consideration 15 making the acquisition of them hard. Neighbouring countries with pheromone traps already in use and production like India and Bangladesh (USAID & VirginiaTech, 2014) would be more suitable in terms of exportation and low costs. Extending research and aid would be an area where Canada stands to make a difference and further research should be focused on this. Relationships with the public should also be looked into to strengthen relationships with the marketing sector, ensure the needs of the people are met, and show the benefits of pheromone traps and lures. Future research should also put an emphasis on the export and import barriers as the information needed for this product was not available. The overall focus of this paper was to identify the potential benefits Nepal stands to gain from increasing the use of pheromone traps and lures in IPM practices and evaluate current pest issues plaguing the country and the farmers. 16 References: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (2015). Pest Management Centre (Catalogue No. Unknown). Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada. Retrieved from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (2015) Implementation Projects (Catalogue No. Unknown). Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada. Retrieved from Carter, N., Fraser, H., (2005). Pest Monitoring: Proper use of Pheromone Traps. Guelph, ON: OMAFRA. Retrieved from Carter, N., Fraser, H., (2005). Check Pheromone Traps Twice Weekly! Guelph, ON: OMAFRA. Retrieved from Chapagain, T. (2015). AGR*1110 Intro to Agri-Food Systems course notes. Guelph, ON: University of Guelph. Cooper Mill Ltd. (2008). Food Industry & Pest Management. Retrieved from Cooper Mill Ltd. (2008). About Us. Retrieved from 17 Encyclopaedia Britannica (2015). Nepal. Retrieved from Evenden, M. (2011). Use of Pheromones in Forest Pest Management in Canada. Edmonton, Alberta: Integrated Forest Pest Management Forum. Retrieved from UsePheromonesForestPestManagement-Nov2011.pdf Giri, Y. P., Dangi, N., Aryal, S., Sporleder, M., Shrestha, S., Budha, C. B., Kroschel, J. (2013). Training Guide for Extension Officers: Biology and Management of Potato Insect Pests in Nepal. CIP & NARC. Retrieved from Industry Canada (2015). Canadian Company Capabilities (Catalogue No. Unknown). Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada. McVey, M. (2013). Innovation That s Making a Difference: Integrated Pest Management in South Asia. USAID Board for International Food and Agriculture Development, Feed the Future. Retrieved from Muniappan, R. (2014). Globalization of IPM Technologies and Management of Invasive Species. USAID & VirginiaTech. Retrieved from ab%20%20presentation%20in%20nepal%20march%2011,% pdf 18 Natural Insect Control (2015). Who is N.I.C. Retrieved from Natural Insect Control (2015). Fly Traps. Retrieved from The World Bank (2015). Nepal. Retrieved from USAID (2013). Integrated Pest Management Innovation Lab Project. Washington, D.C: U.S. Agency for International Development. Retrieved from Transcription 1 Consumer in Serbia 01 & future Belgrade, October 01 1 2 Agenda Retail environment Consumers & Consumption trends for the future 3 Big change in last 10 years Outlet type structure in the region (011 Vs. 003) Czech Bulgaria Croatia Republic Hungary Poland Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Ukraine beforenow beforenow beforenow beforenow beforenow beforenow beforenow beforenow beforenow beforenow Hypermarket Supermarket Discount Cash & Carry Small grocery shops Street vendors + open markets Others Source: GfK Consumer Panel Services; Measure: value share (%) 3 4 almost no change in last 3 years Poland Czech Republic Slovakia Hungary Croatia Bosnia Serbia Romania Bulgaria Russia Ukraine Consumer Panel Services l Outlet types development across region l Value share within FMCG basket in 5 Slovakia Czech Republic Poland Serbia Concentration of Top 10 accounts across the region Top 10 retailers share in the region (011 Vs. 003) 7% 60% 58% 81% 61% 86% before now Hungary 57% 67% 18% 41% Croatia 45% 76% Bulgaria 5 Source: GfK Consumer Panel Services; Calculation based upon consumer basket including monitored product categories; Top 10 retailers value share (%); 9% 36% n/a 19% % 10% 8% 35% Russia Ukraine Romania 6 Power of top 10 accounts will continue growing, new players will enter the market 009: 38% 010: 39% 011 Delhaize Mercator&Roda DIS Idea Univerexport Interex (Intermarche) Metro Lilly SuperVero DM Top Source: GfK Consumer Panel Services; Calculation based on monitored product categories 6 7 Total Beer value share by format and Top 10 Accounts 7 Others Top 10 Accounts 8 1 HY 01 Source: GfK Consumer Panel Services Households panel 7 8 Slovakia Czech Republic Poland Serbia PL share across the region % 4% 18 * % 0% 4 * % 9% then now 0% 3.6% Hungary Croatia Bulgaria 15% 7% 5% 0.% 18% 11% Private labels share in the region (003 Vs 011) *007 Source: GfK Consumer Panel Services; Calculation based on monitored product categories 0% % 0% 1% 0% 9% Russia Ukraine Romania 8 9 Household s budget distribution Statistical Office of Serbia 9 10 Beer volume and piece share by pack type 1 HY 01 Volume share in % Piece share in % 10 9 Plastic Bottle Glass Bottle 65 Can HY 01 Source: GfK Consumer Panel Services Households panel 7 1 HY 01 10 11 Beer volume and piece share by pack size 1 HY 01 Volume share in % 7 Piece share in % L + 1L 0.5L L L HY 01 Source: GfK Consumer Panel Services Households panel 1 HY 01 11 12 Agenda Retail environment Consumers & Consumption trends for the future 1 13 Consumer now as to 56% it is important to always be reachable wherever they are. 66% really need the shops and services they use to be available at all times 49% prepared to pay more for products that make their life easier. 13 14 be prepared for the consumer tomorrow 1 Make it convenient What do I want? Everything. When do I want it? Now! Implications: be accessible; help consumers to cope with pressure Source: Roper Research Worldwide; Serbia 009 & 011, n=1000 nationally representative 14 15 Consumer now as to 58% always look for ways to simplify their life. 66% Having less choice makes it easier for them to make a purchase decision 70% think of Simplicity as important value. 15 16 be prepared for the consumer tomorrow 1 Convenience What do I want? Everything. When do I want it? Now Simplify Less is more for some, but others just want to bring a little order to their cluttered lives Implications: Make your offer easy to understand, buy and use Make some choices on consumers behalf Avoid overload, especially on websites But also on advertising, packaging, labels 16 17 Consumer now as to 71% think of home as a private retreat where they can relax and get away from it all 60% think of home as a reflection of who they are and what they value 56% enjoy spending a lot of free time at home 17 18 be prepared for the consumer tomorrow 1 Convenience What do I want? Everything. When do I want it? Now! Simplicity Less is more for some, but others just want to bring a little order to their cluttered lives 3 Be a part of in-home experience I appreciate products and services that augment the in-home experience Implications: Help consumers to accentuate in-home experience Enable consumers to put personal touch to your product that reflects who they are 18 19 Consumer now as to 37% recycled. In 74% think that brands & companies should care about the environment % did so. 60% talked about environment protection. Two years ago % did so. 0% of Serbian citizens has volunteered in ecological activities. In 009 only % did so. 19 20 be prepared for the consumer tomorrow 1 Convenience What do I want? Everything. When do I want it? Now! Simplicity Less is more for some, but others just want to bring a little order to their cluttered lives 3 Cocooning I appreciate products and services that augment the in-home experience 4 Go Green Implications: Consumers expect from you to think green Serbia perceived as country for agriculture healthy food production; use this belief Don t overdo, they are not ready to pay extra Awareness of environmental issues has led me to reassess my attitudes and behaviors 0 21 Consumer now as to 1 out of highly value Fun, and for 67% Pleasure is highly important. 75% will choose an alternative if not satisfied with a product or service 74% highly value Enjoying life 1 22 Influences on a future consumption behavior 1 Convenience What do I want? Everything. When do I want it? Now! Simplicity Less is more for some, but others just want to bring a little order to their cluttered lives 3 Cocooning Implications: Think about how you can help your consumer to feel special Be innovative, but not at I appreciate products and services that augment the in-home the expense of functionality experience or product benefits 4 Green Awareness of environmental issues has led me to reassess my attitudes and behaviors 5 Delight Despite the need to economize, I don t want to sacrifice my moment of pleasure and indulgence 23 Internet is our connection to life April 01, internet usage in Serbia: Daily 37% Couple times a week 1% Several times a month 5% Less frequently % Never 44% 80% teenagers use Internet over mobile & 99% use it in this way up to 1h Only 10% teenagers never inform themselves about products over internet Implications: Internet is our connection to life Keep eye on digital consumer 3 24 THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION! Contact name: Zeljka Micic 4 (Photo : Getty Images. ) Chinese state-owned media on Wednesday warned that India would be playing fire with fire if it tries to warm up to Taiwan. Advertisement Chinese state media on Wednesday warned India against any move to improve its relationship with Taiwan, stating that such a proactive move would be akin to "playing with fire." The warning comes barely days after Taiwan's women parliamentarian delegation arrived in New Delhi for a rare visit. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The stinging article published in the state-owned The Global Times chides India for trying to warm up to the self-ruled island-nation just as U.S. President Donald Trump has started amending his pro-Taiwan policies. "At a time when new U.S. President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the one-China policy, India stands out as a provocateur," it said. The article writer Yu Ning accused New Delhi of nursing a nefarious desire to use "the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China." Yu argues that the Modi government has been motivated to play the Taiwan card due to its apparent uneasiness over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He accused New Delhi of stubbornly misinterpreting the flagship project as part of the One Belt, One Road Initiative (BRI). "As the corridor passes through the disputed Kashmir, some Indian strategists have advised the Modi government to play the Taiwan card, using the commitment of the One-China policy as leverage in exchange for China's endorsement of 'One India,'" he wrote. The writer urged New Delhi to stop being suspicious about the BRI and rather economically benefit from the ambitious project by directly participating in it. The article also criticized Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen for provoking India in a desperate bid to pressurize Mainland China. It accused that the leader is trying to take leverage from New Delhi's traditional suspicion of Beijing. India does not officially recognize Taiwan India does not have a formal embassy in Taipei since it has traditionally lent unilateral support to the "One China" policy. Nonetheless, New Delhi and Taipei have managed to maintain political and business exchange through the India-Taipei Association Centre. If the Modi government continues to work on its relationship with the self-ruled island nation, then Taipei would be more than happy to have a major Asian country on its side. Analyst, however, claim that India would play the Taiwan card only to a extent as the risk of irking China obviously looms high. Advertisement TagsIndia, India and Taiwan, India and China, China and Taiwan, Taiwan (Photo : ISRO) PSLV-C37 blasts-off with a payload of 104 nanosatellites. Advertisement India was awash in national pride at the historic news it had launched 104 small satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) -- the largest number of satellites ever orbited on one mission by any country. A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the workhorse launch vehicle of India's space program, at 9:28 a.m. on Feb. 15 blasted-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on the island of Sriharikota to successfully place 104 nanosatellites into LEO. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The tiny satellites began being ejected into their prescribed orbits 17 minutes after the flight, PSLV-C37, reached LEO. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India's equivalent of NASA, said it took only 10 minutes to launch all the nanosatellites into space. A nanosatellite, also called a cube satellite or CubeSat, is defined as a small satellite with a wet mass between 1 kg and 10 kg. Because of their puny size, nanosatellites are infinitely cheaper than ordinary satellites and infinitely easier to build. Even college students have built nanosatellites. It was PSLV's 39th mission since its maiden flight, PSLV-D1, lifted-off on Sept. 20, 1993. Of these missions, 37 were successful. Of the 104 satellites placed into orbit, 101 satellites belonged to six foreign countries. They included 96 from the U.S. and one each from Israel, the UAE, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Kazakhstan. The PSLV XL launch vehicle first injected into orbit its main payload, Cartosat-2, India's indigenously built earth observation satellite. Cartosat-2 was followed into space by two other ISRO nanosatellites -- INS-1A and INS-1B. The other satellites orbited were United Arab Emirates Nayif-1 CubeSats; Kazakhstan Al Farabi-1; Netherland's PEASSS; Israel's BGUSat; Switzerland's DIDO-2; United States' Doves (Flock 3p) and United States' LEMUR Nano. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised ISRO scientists for the successful launch. ISRO chief A S Kiran Kumar said Modi congratulated the ISRO team for the successful launch. "Congratulations to @isro for the successful launch of PSLV-C37 and CARTOSAT satellite together with 103 nano satellites!" tweeted Modi. "This remarkable feat by @isro is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India salutes our scientists," he said. Advertisement TagsIndia, 104 nanosatellites, low-earth orbit, Satish Dhawan Space Cente, PSLV-C37, Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, nanosatellite, cube satellite, CubeSat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Photo : US Army) MML test. Advertisement The U.S. Army is scrambling to close its "short-range air defense gap," key vulnerability that's leaving its troops more vulnerable to enemy air strikes in conventional battles. A report presented to Congress in 2016 by the National Commission on the Future of the Army concluded the Army is faced with an "unacceptable modernization shortfall" in SHORAD or Short-Range Air Defense capability. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The renewed emphasis on a more robust SHORAD capability is being driven by the reality a war against Russia, which has a credible aerial ground attack capability, is a possibility in Europe. Col. Greg Brady, the fires division chief for Training and Doctrine Command at Army headquarters, said the Army has nine battalions with SHORAD capabilities compared to 26 in 2004. Of those nine battalions, seven with the Army National Guard while two are with the active force. The insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq forced the Army to focus and prioritize other weapon systems at the expense of its SHORAD capabilities. That is no longer the case since the clear threats to the U.S. now are the conventional armies of Russia and China. To erase this gap, the army has announced its goal is to field SHORAD capability to Europe in fiscal year 2018, said Lt. Gen. James H. Dickinson, Commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command and Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense. One of the options open to the army to plug this hole is to develop the Multi-Mission Launcher (MML),a launcher than can fire a wide variety of missiles. MML will be integrated into the Indirect Fire Protection Capability designed to defeat unmanned aerial systems, rockets, artillery, mortars and cruise missiles. MML last month successfully completed another round of test firings. The army fired a Miniature Hit-to-Kill Missile (MHTK); an AIM-9X Sidewinder and an AGM-114 Hellfire missile from an MML. The MML launcher can rotate 360 degrees and elevate from 0-90 degrees to identify and knock-out approaching fire from any direction or angle. It consists of 15 tubes, each of which can hold either a single large interceptor or multiple smaller interceptors. MML is a truck-mounted weapon that's part of an infantry protection program called Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2-Intercept, or IFPC Inc 2-I. This system uses a Sentinel radar and fire control technology to identify and destroy incoming enemy fire and protect friendly forces. MML works in tandem with radar and fire-control software to identify, track, pinpoint and destroy approaching enemy air threats with an interceptor missile. The army said MML gives its soldiers deployed at forward operating bases the capability to defend themselves from attacking enemy fire. It said MML will greatly help protect U.S. infantry in harm's way and under the most difficult battlespace operating conditions. Brig. Gen. Christopher Spillman, Commandant of the Air Defense Artillery School, and his team noticed the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems by U.S. enemies was spreading and determined a new system was needed to combat the threat. Advertisement TagsU.S. Army, short-range air defense ga, SHORAD, Short-Range Air Defense, Multi-Mission Launcher (Photo : Indian Air Force) HAL Tejas. Advertisement The Indian Navy has shot down the dream of the indigenous HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to serve aboard the nuclear powered supercarrier, INS Vishal (currently under development) and the INS Vikrant now being fitted out and due to join the Indian Navy in December 2018. Instead, the Navy is now inviting foreign manufacturers to replace HAL Tejas as the attack aircraft aboard its carriers. The Navy has issued a multi-billion dollar tender for 57 jets, and excluded Tejas from the bidding after the indigenous fighter again failed flight tests. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Navy sources said HAL Tejas was again unable to take-off from a replica 200 meter-long carrier deck while loaded with weapons. This failure, the latest in a series going back a few years, compelled the navy to reluctantly issue a request for information in January for a foreign fighter to take HAL Tejas' place. Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, said in December 2016 that the naval version of HAL Tejas was "not up to the mark" and could not take off from an aircraft carrier once weapons were loaded. HAL Tejas was initially developed in 1983 for the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a replacement for the IAF's ageing Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters and was supposed to have entered service in 1994. Endless delays caused by a multitude of factors, chief among which was that India was trying to make the plane almost entirely from indigenous equipment, delayed the project for three decades. The loss of navy patronage was a heavy blow for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), maker of HAL Tejas, whose development process has taken an incredible 33 years. Despite HAL Tejas being rejected by the navy, the jet will serve with the IAF. The Ministry of Defense late last year approved the acquisition of 83 planes for the IAF. Tejas is a single-seat, single-jet engine, multi-role light fighter designed by HAL's Aeronautical Development Agency for the IAF and the IN. Stealth features have been designed into Tejas, which can carry up to 4,000 kg of bombs and missiles and is armed with one GSh-23 twin-barreled autocannon. To replace HAL Tejas, the Boeing Co. is presenting its F/A-18 Hornet, the standard air superiority and strike fighter flown from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. Boeing also offered to build the F/A-18s locally. Sweden's Saab AB said it will offer the naval version of its Saab Jas 39 Gripen fighter to the Indian Navy. Advertisement TagsIndian Navy, HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, INS Vishal, INS Vikrant, Admiral Sunil Lanba, Indian Air Forc, F/A-18 Hornet, Saab Jas 39 Gripen (Photo : VCG/VCG via Getty Images) Rescuers work at the collapse site where a bus was crushed by an overpass in Zhengzhou, China. Advertisement China has appealed to the international community to help protect key infrastructure within the Belt and Road initiative. The call was made Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations during a recent UN Security Council debate on how to secure infrastructure against terrorist attacks, China Daily reported. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "China's Belt and Road Initiative takes the interconnection of infrastructure as a priority of cooperation to help countries along the routes improve their infrastructure development," Liu said. This developed as the UN Security Council on Monday adopted Resolution 2341 (2017) which urged member states to establish measures that would lessen the impact of terrorist attacks on infrastructure facilities. Liu pointed out that more than 100 countries and international organizations are now part of China's Belt and Road initiative that aims to strengthen cooperation among them in areas such as "intelligence sharing, risk assessment and joint law assessment." He said these initiatives should be carried out through bilateral and multilateral channels to protect interconnection projects and transboundary infrastructure from terror attacks. In a statement posted on the UN Security Council website, the 15-member Security Council emphasized that "the need to strengthen efforts to improve the security and protection of particularly vulnerable targets, such as infrastructure and public places." In the meantime, the Belt and Road initiative is anticipated to play an important role in bringing the 10-ASEAN member countries closer to China, according to the Star. According to HSBC Bank Malaysia Bhd Chief executive officer Mukhtar Hussain, countries such as Malaysia that are strategically located in the heart of Southeast Asia can serve as a gateway to China. "Since the implementation of the initiative, both countries have reaped the early benefits of economic investment and have pledged to build a stronger all-round strategic partnership in trade, finance, port development and logistics sectors, among others," Hussain said in a statement. Hussain reported that Malaysia's trade with China for the first 11 months of 2016 has increased by 2.7 percent to RMB 216.27 billion. The bank executive said that China's Belt and Road initiative would be a boon to the ASEAN, as this will instrumental in addressing the infrastructure gap in the region and boost industrial development. Advertisement Tagschina, China Belt and Road Initiatives, China Infrastructure February 14, 2017 Congressional leaders in both chambers are ready to roll out new sanctions on Syria, Al-Monitor has learned. Differences in how to counter the Bashar al-Assad regime's Russian patron, however, may cause delays despite widespread bipartisan support for forcing the Trump administration to get tough on Damascus. The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs panel, Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said he is getting ready to reintroduce legislation that passed the House by voice vote in November. The bill was named after a dissident Syrian army photographer nicknamed "Caesar"; Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told Caesar in a Dec. 1 phone call that he would do his best to get the bill passed, according to a source who was briefed on the call. The bill would slap financial and travel sanctions on foreign actors found to have supported the Syrian government or its military and intelligence services. Despite the Trump administration's appetite for a negotiated settlement, most lawmakers remain wary of Assad amid recent reports of mass hangings and chemical weapons attacks in Aleppo. "My legislation to crack down on Assad and his supporters passed the House last year overwhelmingly," Engel told Al-Monitor in an emailed statement. "I'll soon reintroduce the Caesar Syria Accountability Act, and I hope it will again win strong bipartisan support. The crisis in Syria isn't getting any better, so I can't imagine why the House wouldn't act on my bill just as quickly as they did last year." The bill targets individuals responsible for gross human rights violations, not unlike the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which took aim at senior Russian officials for abuses in their own country. It garnered overwhelming support two years after Caesar first briefed Congress about the tens of thousands of photos of tortured prisoners he said he smuggled out of Assad's jails. The Obama administration sought to delay action on the bill last year out of concern that it could imperil peace negotiations and the nuclear deal with Iran, an ally of Syria. The chairwoman of the committee's Middle East panel, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said she has seen nothing to suggest that Republican leaders wouldn't quickly bring the bill to a floor vote again now that President Donald Trump is in charge. "I don't know about Secretary [of State Rex] Tillerson and what he thinks of it, but this is a common sense good thing," she said. "I haven't seen [the House] leadership dragging its heels in passing bills that people were in agreement with before." The Senate, however, could prove another matter. Amid allegations of Kremlin involvement in the November election and national security adviser Michael Flynn's Feb. 13 firing over his improper conversations with Russian officials, the upper chamber is determined to counter Russia on a wide front, in Syria and elsewhere. "We're going to look at Russia and its engagement in Syria and other places probably in an even broader way," Corker told Al-Monitor. The Caesar bill, he said, "may well be a part of it." "We're beginning to develop thoughts as to how we develop a policy toward Russia that's more constructive than where we are, and in some cases more punishing than where we are," he said. "We're definitely looking at how to deal with Russia's destabilizing activities, and to help countries in the region that are encountering that." Already, a bipartisan group of senators has responded to Trump's overtures toward Russia with bipartisan legislation that would preclude the president from lifting sanctions without congressional approval. Bill co-sponsor Ben Cardin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Al-Monitor that he and Corker favor a "coordinated approach" against Russia rather than stand-alone efforts. "I want one clear message to Russia about what Congress is prepared to do," he said. "If [the Caesar bill] is part of the strategy, I can support that, but I need to know what the strategy is first. Syria is just one piece of the problem." Transcription 1 Gallery Ancient Art from Cyprus, Greece, and Italy The island of Cyprus was a thriving trading post through much of ancient history due to its location in the Mediterranean Sea. Absorbing Mycenaean, Minoan, Egyptian, Assyrian, Phoenician, and eventually Etruscan, Roman, and Persian influences, the art of Cyprus reflects a variety of aesthetic styles as well as a distinctly Cypriot flavor. The tremendous influence of the art from mainland Greece is evident in the Cypriot objects, which closely parallel the artistic trends and periods of their Greek counterparts. Examples of Attic and Corinthian art reveal the Cypriot debt to these Greek centers. The core of the Ringling Museum s collection of classical antiquities centers on John Ringling s sensational 1928 acquisition of a large number of objects from the Cesnola collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This purchase was the first sale of ancient art to make front-page news and bolstered Ringling s plans to create a world class art museum in Sarasota. During the 1860s and 1870s, General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the American Consul to Cyprus, amassed a large collection of Cypriot art. A flamboyant self-promoter, Cesnola became the first director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1879, and his collection of antiquities was showcased when the institution first opened its doors on Fifth Avenue. 2 Cyprus Early Cypriot period ( B.C.) Jar, c B.C. Ceramic (Red Polished Ware) Museum Acquisition, 1974, SN 74.2 Varrese Painter, attributed to Greek, active in Apulia, Italy Column Krater, mid-4th century B.C. Red-figure ceramic Gift of Mrs. Charles J. Espenshade, 1964, SN 1693 Gallery 20 Page 2 3 Cyprus Cypro-Archaic period ( B.C.) Bearded Male Wearing a Helmet, c B.C. Bequest of John Ringling, 1936, SN Cyprus Hellenistic period ( B.C.) Male Figure, c B.C. Bequest of John Ringling, 1936, SN Gallery 20 Page 3 4 Cyprus Cypro-Archaic period ( B.C.) Standing Male Figure, c. 540 to 450 B.C. Bequest of John Ringling, 1936, SN Gallery 20 Page 4 5 Cyprus Cypro-Archaic period ( B.C.) Male Figure with a Dove, c B.C. Bequest of John Ringling, 1936, SN Gallery 20 Page 5 6 Cyprus Cypro-Archaic period ( B.C.) Male Figure with Leopard Skin, c B.C. Bequest of John Ringling, 1936, SN This figure was excavated from one of the two temples in the ancient walled city of Golgoi. The carefully incised, almond-shaped eyes are typical of Archaic art, which predates the canonical forms of Classical, Periclean Greek statuary. Also characteristic of this period is the thin, upturned mouth, a feature known as the archaic smile. This figure s frontal pose and clenched fists typical Egyptian motifs illustrate the influence of Egyptian sculpture in the Mediterranean. Yet the asymmetry of the lower body is a Greek innovation and suggests the possibility of movement. The left leg is slightly in front of the right in a pose that foreshadows the classical contrapposto. Cyprus Cypro-Archaic period ( B.C.) Male Figure with Egyptian Headdress, c B.C. Bequest of John Ringling, 1936, SN Gallery 20 Page 6 7 Cypriot Heads Sculptors of these fascinating heads have captured ideal types by means of differing approaches that evolved through time. True portraiture, with its interest in conveying character as well as distinct facial structure, did not emerge until the later Hellenistic and Roman periods (roughly 200 BC to 300 AD). The works dating from the Archaic period, however, employed specific blueprints for figural representation; the incised eyes and half-smiles are universal, even if the statues to which these heads belonged were intended to represent particular individuals. And yet through these few heads presented here and in the scholarship to date, it is quite clear how fresh and innovative were the artists in spite of the limitations of the statuary formulae used primarily in funerary works. These heads were not carved as heads alone. Instead they were part of full bodied statues and the heads were most commonly the first to break off from the sculpture. That the heads were kept throughout the ages is quite interesting as they became objects in and of themselves worth keeping. Male Head with Headdress Band Cyprio-Archaic, c B.C. SN Male Head with Wreath Hellenistic, c B.C. SN Male Head with Wreath Hellenistic, c B.C. SN Male Head with Hair Bound in a Filet Cypro-Archaic, c B.C. Sandstone SN Male Head with Wreath and Side Beard Hellenistic, c B.C. SN Male Head with Three-Tiered Crown Cypro-Archaic, c B.C. SN Gallery 20 Page 7 8 Bronze Age Cyprus (c B.C.) The Bronze Age in the Mediterranean was the age of Homeric epics and prosperous citystates. The earliest vessels from this period have simple rounded forms. Often decorated with incised patterns on shiny, buffed red or black surfaces, they are known collectively as Red and Black Polished ware. The next millennium saw the emergence of pottery adorned with dark, geometric forms painted on light ground. Potters covered vessels with a thick white liquid clay (slip), which was then painted with these rectilinear patterns in a form known as White Slip ware. By the end of the Bronze Age, vases were commonly formed on the wheel rather than by hand, and artists primarily used black and red paint to decorate vessels in a style known as Bichrome ware. The of painting details in dark pigment continued with White Painted ware, while two examples of a rarer monochrome ware, Black Slip, are also included here. 1. Sword Middle Cypriot, B.C. Bronze, SN Composite Juglet (Bilbil) Late Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Squat Amphora Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Mixing Bowl (Krater) Late Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Small Jug Early Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Small Jug Early Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 8 9 7. Jug Late Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Bowl Early Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Small Jug with Applied Rosettes Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Blade Middle Cypriot, B.C. Bronze, SN Sword Middle Cypriot, B.C. Bronze, SN Ring-shaped Bottle Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Small Jug Late Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Bowl Middle Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 9 10 Geometric and Archaic Art in Cyprus (c B.C.) By virtue of its geographic proximity to Phoenicia, Greece, Egypt, and other civilizations, Cyprus embraced both diverse populations and artistic vocabularies. Foreign traditions merged with native pottery styles in the Geometric period (c B.C.) and continued to thrive in the Archaic period (c B.C). Craftsmen favored the geometric motifs, such as intersecting bands of concentric circles, that also adorned Greek pottery. By the Cypro-Classical period (c B.C.), the artists of Cyprus were most heavily influenced by the art of mainland Greece, but Cypriot idiosyncrasies, such as the pitchers with figural spouts, maintained their place alongside foreign vocabularies. The human figure made more regular appearances in art than in previous ages, and sculpture became popular on large and miniscule scales. The figurines visible in this case may have been votive offerings representing goddesses or burial objects meant to portray specific individuals. 1. Bracelet Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Silver, SN Earrings Cypro-Classical, B.C. Gold leaf over lead, SN a-b 3. Female Figurine Cyprus, Hellenistic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Figurine of a Pipe Player Cyprus, Hellenistic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 10 11 5. Jug Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Basket-shaped Bowl Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Female Figurine Cyprus, Hellenistic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Female Figurine Cyprus, Hellenistic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Bowl Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Juglet Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Flask Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 11 12 Animal Forms and Decorations in Cypriot Ceramics A small but bustling trading post in the Mediterranean, the island of Cyprus absorbed the artistic traditions of the wide variety of cultures that traded there. The resulting eclectic aesthetic vocabulary at times incorporated anthropomorphic shapes that displayed a sense of playfulness. The Cypro-Classical red ware jugs (c B.C.) were clearly crafted with a sense of humor, as the spouts were formed in the shape of female figures pouring libations from jugs that also repeat this motif. The open sea and sky provided endless inspiration for craftsmen, who frequently molded small, asymmetrical jugs known as askoi into acquatic or birdlike shapes. The emphasis on animal forms indicates the Cypriot affinity for playful, asymmetrical objects as well as the importance of animals and livestock to the culture. The small size of the askoi suggests that they were used to hold precious substances such as perfumed oils. 1. Composite Juglet (Bilbil) Late Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Decorated with a Duck Cypro-Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug with Serpentine Handle Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Horse with Saddle Late Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug with Spout of a Woman Holding a Jug Cypro-Classical, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug with Bull's Head Spout Cypro-Classical, B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 12 13 7. Jug with Spout of a Woman Holding a Jug Cypro-Classical, B.C. Ceramic, SN Jug Decorated with Ducks Middle Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Duck-shaped Askos Cypro-Geometric, B.C. Ceramic, SN Animal-shaped Askos Middle Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Ram's Head Askos Middle Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Sheep-shaped Askos Middle Cypriot, B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 13 14 Contact with the Mainland in Hellenistic and Roman Times (c. 400 B.C.-150 A.D.) While pottery was produced in local workshops throughout the Hellenistic world ( B.C.), the close interconnection among these diverse regions led to an overall uniform style of ceramics. This uniformity became even more pronounced as the Romans began to mass-produce pottery in factories in Italy, France, and Africa. At a time when figural vase painting had virtually disappeared in Athens, the red-figure tradition continued to thrive in the Greek colonies of south Italy. South Italian red-figure pottery tends to be much more ornate and florid than Athenian ceramics. Metalwork too continued to thrive alongside pottery, and those who had enjoyed prosperity in life were often buried with such exquisite items as the bronze mirror displayed here. Though age and dirt have discolored the metal, it was originally as shiny and bright as a copper penny with its incised decoration easily visible. 1. Bowl with Molded Animal Figures France, Gallo-Roman, A.D. Ceramic, SN Bowl France, Gallo-Roman, A.D. Ceramic, SN Handle in the Shape of a Lion s Head Cyprus, Roman, A.D. Bronze, SN Covered Dish (Lekanis) South Italy, Classical, c. 350 B.C. Ceramic, SN a-b Gallery 20 Page 14 15 4. Cup Cypro-Classical, B.C. Ceramic, SN Beaker France, Gallo-Roman, A.D. Ceramic, SN Jar (Alabastron) Greece, Hellenistic, B.C. Glass, SN Clothed Male Figurine Cyprus, Roman, A.D. Ceramic, SN Nude Male Figurine Cyprus, Roman, A.D. Ceramic, SN Mirror Depicting Dancers Etruscan, c. 300 B.C. Bronze, SN Water Jar (Hydria) Egyptian, Hellenistic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Wine Pitcher (Oinochoe) South Italy Classical, B.C. Ceramic, SN Perfume Flask (Unguentarium) France, Gallo-Roman, 50 B.C.-50 A.D. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 15 16 Archaic Pottery from Athens and Corinth (c B.C.) Strategically located between mainland Greece and the Peloponnesian peninsula, the city of Corinth became a major trading center in the 7th century B.C. Black-figure technique, with figures represented in silhouette and details rendered with an incised line, was first developed by Corinthian potters. A favorite decorative scheme was a procession of animals, both real and imaginary lions, geese, bulls, griffins, and sphinxes are common. Many of the best Corinthian vessels were made as small containers for perfumed olive oil, a valuable export commodity for the prosperous city-state. The black-figure technique of decoration was perfected in Athens during the 6th century B.C. Many vases were produced as utensils for drinking parties called symposia. Not surprisingly, much of the subject matter revolved around Dionysos, the god of wine, and his retinue made up of satyrs, impish horsemen, and maenads, his uninhibited and spirited female followers. 1. Drinking Cup (Kylix) Showing a Satyr with Ivy Vine (interior); Stylized Eyes with Maednad and Satyrs (exterior) Athens, Archaic, c. 520 B.C. Ceramic, SN Wine Pitcher (Oinochoe) Decorated with a Frieze of Animals and Mythological Beasts Corinth, Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 16 17 3. Wine Pitcher (Oinochoe) with a Procession of Satyrs Athens, Archaic, c. 500 B.C. Ceramic, SN Oil Jar (Aryballos) with Floral Ornament Corinth, Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Ring-shaped Oil Flask (Aryballos) with Armed Horsemen Corinth, Archaic, c. 600 B.C. Ceramic, SN Cup (Kotyle) with Decorated Frieze with Rooster, Bull, Lion, Griffin, and Goose Corinth, Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Cosmetic Box (Pyxis) Showing a Banquet Athens, Archaic, c. 500 B.C. Ceramic, SN Amphora Fragment Athens, Geometric, c. 760 B.C. Ceramic, SN Perfume Bottle (Alabastron) with Roosters Corinth, Archaic, c. 625 B.C. Ceramic, SN Oil Jar (Aryballos) with a Boar Corinth, Archaic, c. 600 B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 17 18 Archaic and Classical Pottery from Athens (c B.C.) Around 530 B.C., Athenian potters invented a new decorative scheme in which the background was colored black while the figures remained the color of fired clay. This enabled the craftsman to paint details freely within the red silhouette of the figure and to portray human forms and postures accurately. Ceramic artists continued to depict subjects related to wine and the symposium, especially on drinking vessels such as the kylix. However, after the Persian Wars ( B.C.) more sober themes emerged, such as Nike, goddess of victory, making sacrifices for peace. As Athenian potters experimented with the red-figure technique, another innovation emerged - the covering of the background with a white slip. Both the white background and the added colors proved to be extremely delicate and were too fragile to withstand daily use. The white ground technique was eventually limited almost exclusively to funerary use and to lekythoi, vessels for perfumed oil used in burial rituals. 1. Perfumed Oil Jar (Lekythos) Showing a Man at an Altar Athens, Classical, c. 440 B.C. Ceramic, SN Oil Lamp Filler Athens, Classical, B.C. Ceramic, SN Amphora with a Winged Nike with Torches and a Standing Youth (reverse) Athens, Late Classical, c. 350 B.C. Ceramic, SN 46.2 Gallery 20 Page 18 19 4. Drinking Cup (Kylix) Showing a Reclining Youth on a Couch with a Wine Cup Athens, Late Archaic, B.C. Ceramic, SN Drinking Cup (Kylix) Showing a Musician (interior) and a Frieze of Bacchic Figures (exterior) Athens, Classical, c. 470 B.C. Ceramic, SN Drinking Cup (Skyphos) Athens, Classical, B.C. Ceramic, SN Perfumed Oil Jar (Lekythos) with a Frieze of Warriors Athens, Archaic, c. 500 B.C. Ceramic, SN Perfumed Oil Jar (Lekythos) with a Winged Nike Holding Vessels for Pouring Wine Athens, Classical, c. 470 B.C. Ceramic, SN Gallery 20 Page 19 The half-brother of Kim Jong-Un, the leader of the reclusive regime North Korea, died on Monday at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, according to Malaysian police officials. Speculations as to how the half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, died have been swirling around in international media. According to the Washington Post, Malaysian police confirmed that Kim was killed, but the method by which he was killed differs depending on the report. The Washington Post quoted Malaysian police chief Fadzil Ahmat telling the countrys news agency Bernama, A woman came from behind and covered his face with a cloth laced with a liquid. Ahmat also told Reuters that the deceased felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind He felt dizzy, so he asked for help at the counter of KLIA. Meanwhile, the South Korean news agency Chosun reported that Kim was killed with a poison needle, and other South Korean reports say that the murder was perpetrated by two female North Korean agents who fled the scene by taxi. Most reports agree on the account that Kim sought help at the airport counter, saying that he was feeling ill. However, he died on the way to the hospital. Mohmad Salleh, the Malaysian Criminal Investigation Department director, was quoted by the Los Angeles Times as saying that the police will classify this case as a sudden death. We have to wait for the postmortem report to determine the cause of death, Salleh said. Kim Jong Nam, the son of Kim Jong Ils first consort, was known to have lived mostly outside of North Korea, and to have spoken out against passing down the government leadership in the family line. Reports also say that he considered Jang Song Thaek, the uncle who Kim Jong Un publicly executed, his mentor. Archaeologists have discovered a cave which they believe once housed the Dead Sea scrolls, famous for containing the earliest copy of some of the Judeo-Christian texts, they announced on February 9. It was believed until recently that only 11 caves in the Qumran region contained the scrolls. However, the excavation at this 12th cave brought about sufficient evidence that it had once contained Dead Sea scrolls and that those scrolls were looted. "Although at the end of the day no scroll was found, and instead we 'only' found a piece of parchment rolled up in a jug that was being processed for writing, the findings indicate beyond any doubt that the cave contained scrolls that were stolen," Dr. Oren Gutfeld, researcher at Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology, said in a statement. "The findings include the jars in which the scrolls and their covering were hidden, a leather strap for binding the scroll, a cloth that wrapped the scrolls, tendons and pieces of skin connecting fragments, and more." The excavation was led by the 'Operation Scroll' team, which is comprised of archaeologists from Hebrew University, the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria. A team of students and professors at Liberty University, led by distinguished research professor Randall Price, also assisted in the dig. This is the first discovery related to the Dead Sea Scrolls made in 60 years. "I knew the cave had potential," Price said in a Liberty University article. "This is only the beginning of our search for more scrolls. Undoubtedly, they are out there, and we know of some 300 caves in the area. Our team is planning to return to excavate other caves in the near future." Lamar Cooper, senior professor of Old Testament and archaeology at Criswell College who first participated in excavations in the Qumran region in 2006, told the Baptist Press that such excavations tells [him] more and more that everything that happened at that place is what the Bible says. The Dead Sea Scrolls include texts written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and the earliest texts were written in the 4th century BC. The documents not only contain some of the earliest texts found in the Bible, but also include secular texts that reveal what life was like in the times of Jesus. Growing up in San Francisco, Russell Jeung didnt have much love for Oakland, his struggling neighbor across the East Bay. Yet Jeung has made his home in Oakland for more than 20 years, with much of that time spent ministering in Murder Dubs, a neighborhood riven with poverty and violence. He first moved there during a graduate school ethnography project focused on Southeast Asian gangs. Meanwhile, as a sociologist, Jeung has devoted himself to learning about Californias Asian American population, a topic with deeply personal resonance. His great-great-grandfather arrived in the United States in the 1800s. Since my family has been in California so long, he says, we sort of reflect Asian American history. All the injustices and issues that Asian Americans faced throughout their time in the US, my family has personally gone through them. Jeungs family history and ministry experiences come together in his memoir, At Home in Exile: Finding Jesus among My Ancestors and Refugee Neighbors (Zondervan). CT assistant editor Morgan Lee spoke with Jeung, professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University, about his lifes work. Why did you decide to study Asian American culture? Mainly because its had such an effect on my life. Even though Im fifth-generation, even though I grew up American, with season tickets to the 49ers, I was still treated as a foreigner and stereotyped in specific ways. And then I went to a Chinese church that taught that we were all one in Christ. I wondered, Why do we need a Chinese church if in Christ we are neither Jew nor Greek? Over time, Ive realized how the faith I grew up with differs from more culturally white versions ... 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. | Evangelicals are the only religious group in the United States that has not developed a better reputation over the past few years. And Americans have become less likely to know an evangelicalmore so than any other faith tradition. While feelings toward evangelicals have remained stable (even among Democrats), Americans gave warmer responses to every other faith group this year than they did in 2014, according to Pew Research Center findings released today. Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus, and Mormons all improved their standings, with the two lowest-rated affiliationsatheists and Muslimsseeing some of the largest gains. Pews feeling thermometer survey of more than 4,200 adults found that even without any increase, evangelicalism remains one of the most-liked faith tradition in the countrybehind Jews, Catholics, and mainline Protestants. However, the movements popularity is largely due to positive ratings from evangelicals themselves. Overall, 44 percent of Americans feel positively about evangelicals, while 38 percent feel neutral and 18 percent feel negatively. The ratings fall when responses from fellow evangelicals, who made up more than 1 in 4 of respondents, are removed: Just under a third of non-evangelicals (32%) have warm feelings towards the group. Part of the reason for evangelicals middling ratings is lack of exposure. The proportion of Americans who say they know an evangelical dropped by 9 percentage points from 2014 to 2017, down to 61 percent today. (A 2013 study hinted at the lack of exposure: 1 in 5 non-evangelicals in North America said they did not personally know an evangelical.) Meanwhile, knowing an evangelical increases their rating by 12 ... Church Calls For Government Action On 'Crack Cocaine' Of Gambling The Church of England is calling for a clampdown on the 'crack cocaine' of gambling fixed odd betting terminals (FOBTs). The spin machines found in high street betting shops allow a maximum stake of 100 every 20 seconds, meaning 18,000 could be lost in a single hour. But the Church's General Synod unanimously passed a motion calling for the highest stake to be cut to 2 per spin. A plea tabled by the Diocese of London throws the weight of the CofE behind a campaign calling on the government to act. It described the 'destructive impact' of the high-stakes machines and called for local authorities to be given the power to regulate the machines. The highly lucrative machines are thought to earn the Treasury 438 million in tax revenues and provide more than half of Ladbrokes' profits. Bookmakers as a whole earn around 175 billion each year. The high profits are seen as one reason why the government has called a review but declined to regulate the machines. Clive Scowan, bringing forward the motion, described them as an 'anomaly' as they are the only type of machine allowed outside casinos where you can bet more than 2 per stake. He described them as a 'highly pernicious form of high street gambling' and said they 'feed off poverty and exacerbate it, often plunging people into unmanageable debt, bringing misery not just to the gamblers but to their families and especially their children'. He said: 'God calls us as his ambassadors to stand for his justice and to defend the poor and needy, which includes speaking prophetically to those in power.' Church Of England Decides: LGBT Vigil Outside As Synod Debates Gay Marriage LGBT protesters are holding a vigil outside the Church of England's parliament on Wednesday morning ahead of a debate on gay relationships. The CofE's governing body, the General Synod, will discuss a report by bishops refusing to change their view that marriage is between one man and one woman. But the Church's hierarchy are deeply concerned a tide of anger against the report will lead to it being thrown out in a vote later on Wednesday. Officials have been ringing bishops to ask how their members the equivalent of MPs intend to vote. Top bishops have also been called on to blog regularly on the importance of passing the report. But campaigners say they are 'quietly confident' the report will be voted down. Peter Tatchell, who is organising the protest alongside Anglican pressure groups Changing Attitude and the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said he was 'appalled' by the Church's treatment of LGBT people. 'The church blesses dogs and cats but it refuses to bless loving, committed same-sex couples,' he said. 'It treats LGBTI clergy and laity as second class, both within the Church and the wider society.' Tracey Bryne, chief executive of the LGCM, said: 'We need the bishops to face up to what a "change of tone" would mean: Not more words but a recognition of the real damage that continues to be done by this inertia. 'We need a national programme of practical change to move the Church forward. That will require resources a national lead person and LGBT people at every level of the strategy, holding the church to account and monitoring effectiveness on the ground.' 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 Church Of England's Clergy Issue Shock Rebuke To Bishops' View On Sexuality The Church of England's clergy have issued an extraordinary challenge to its conservative line on marriage by throwing out a bishops' report on sexuality. In a major revolt against the CofE's hierarchy, members of the Church's General Synod rejected a report by top bishops that said there was 'little support' for changing the view that marriage was between one man and one woman. The shock result plunges the Church into confusion on its stance on marriage with the bishops' report barred from being discussed until the end of this synod in 2020. Although a majority of members voted in favour overall, a move by campaigners forced the synod to split into its three separate houses the laity, the clergy and the bishops with all three needing a majority for it to pass. But the clergy voted by 100 to 93 against, in a rebuke to the bishops' authority. It is unprecedented that a 'take note' motion, usually passed on the nod, should fail and highlights the tide of anger from all sides within the Church over the bishops' report. Speaking in the debate the Archbishop of Canterbury, who met with rebels earlier on Wednesday, promised bishops 'will seek to do better' as he called for a 'remarkable' new teaching document on CofE's position on marriage. 'We are going to move on and find a radical new inclusion based in love, based in our Christian understanding careless neither of our theology nor ignorant of the world around us,' he said. Jayne Ozanne, a gay member of the synod who led a campaign against the report, said she was 'thrilled'. She said after the vote: 'We can now work together to help build a Church that is broad enough to accept the diversity of views that exist within it, courageous enough to address the deep divisions that exist between us and loving enough to accept each other as equal members of the Body of Christ.' But Andrea Williams said the result should not be seen as a victory for LGBT activists. She was one of a handful of conservative members who voted against the report over concerns the report would lead to blessings for gay couples. 'What was clear from the debate was that the report tries to straddle positions that cannot be reconciled,' she said. 'Now what we need is clarity. 'We request the Church make clear the teaching on true marriage that is good for all and in line with the Church's apostolic teaching.' Another synod member Susie Leafe, who leads the conservative grouping Reform, also voted against the report over concerns allowed for 'maximum freedom' for gay couples. She said it was time for the bishops to make a decision. 'We didn't get the clarification from the bishops that we asked for so therefore we voted against,' she told Christian Today. The result is a major blow to the Archbishop of Canterbury's authority after he instigated three years of internal discussions costing more than 384,000 on talks designed to heal deep rifts within the Church of England. The report was the result of those talks. It refused to budge on the Church's view on marriage but promised 'maximum freedom' within existing laws. It called for 'a fresh tone and culture of welcome and support' for LGBT people but did not go far enough for many liberal members. Responding to the result the Bishop of Norwich, who led a reflection group behind the failed report, said he guaranteed the result would be listened to. Another leading figure, the Bishop of Willesden, Pete Broadbent, warned of future conflicts. 'We will find this debate a continuing source of disagreement because we haven't coalesced around an end point,' he said. 'We don't yet know the next stage nor yet when and whether we can bring any further report to synod.' Is Trump's Policy Of Prioritising Christian Refugees Unfair On Christians? At first sight, Donald Trump appeared to make a major concession to Christians in the Middle East last month when he said that he would give priority to Christians when it comes to applying for refugee status in the US. In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, the new President said: 'We are going to help them [Christians]. They've been horribly treated. Do you know if you were a Christian in Syria it was impossible, at least very tough to get into the United States? If you were a Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible and the reason that was so unfair, everybody was persecuted in all fairness, but they were chopping off the heads of everybody but more so the Christians. And I thought it was very, very unfair.' Yet according to some Christian leaders in the troubled region, giving Christians priority will both inflame tensions with other religions and groups and also encourage even more Christians to leave the region of their origin. After all, Christians are under threat from all sides in the Middle East. Tens of thousands of Christians were driven from their homes in Iraq by the ISIS advance in the summer of 2014. Some 80,000 Christian refugees fled Mosul and the Nineveh Plain under threat of forced conversion or execution but remain inside Iraq in the Kurdish capital of Irbil. Elsewhere, Christians are fleeing the literal birthplace of Jesus himself, as Israeli settlements and the 'security barrier' or 'wall' close in around Bethlehem. Aleppo and Syria more broadly have been ravaged by civil war. Patriarch Louis Sako of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Baghdad recently called the provision 'a trap for Christians in the Middle East'. He said: 'Every reception policy that discriminates for the persecuted and suffering on religious grounds ultimately harms the Christians of the East, because among other things [it] provides arguments to all propaganda and prejudice that attack native Christian communities of the Middle East as 'foreign bodies,' supported and defended by Western powers.' Backing this view, the Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, Antoine Audo, said that any policy appearing to prefer Christians over Muslims 'feeds fanaticism and extremism'. Not all Christian leaders agree, however. Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil in Iraq told Crux: 'As long as this is understood as something available to all the minority communities of Iraq, and not just to the Christians, I do not think this will make it harder for us Christians here in Iraq.' Which brings us to an important distinction, not apparently made by Trump himself, between a policy that is giving overt preference only to Christians, and one that contains a fast-track provision for all victims of ISIS, which would include, for example, Yazidis, and in some cases Shi'a Muslims. But a range of Christian leaders in the US and UK have anyway criticised the executive order which is known as a 'Muslim ban'. They say that discrimination against any faith group violates principles of religious freedom. However, there remains the crucial moral question of whether the UK and the US should be encouraging the Middle East to be emptied of Christians. Habib Ephrem, the secretary general of the Gathering of Christians in the Middle East, said bluntly: 'We want don't priority visas. We don't want him to take us.' He told Time: 'That's the wrong message and the wrong policy...ISIS expels people from their homeland and then you take them to the West. So what? You are doing the policy of ISIS?' And Chawkat Moucarry, World Vision's director for interfaith relations, told Christianity Today: 'This policy will encourage Christians to migrate, which is exactly what Christian leaders in Syria are fighting against. It is important for Christians to live in Muslim countries. Because through them, Muslims will learn to accept the other. We must learn this principle in order to have a democratic society. Extremists say there is only one way to think or believe. So keeping Christians in the area is an indirect way to counter extremism and learn that diversity is good.' Pastor Saeed Abedini Sentenced After Violating Restraining Order Taken Out By His Wife The US-based pastor Saeed Abedini, who was released from an Iranian prison last year, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to violating a restraining order taken out by his estranged wife, Naghmeh. Abedini, who was arrested in Iran in 2012 and sentenced to eight years imprisonment for preaching the gospel, was released along with three other Americans last January in exchange for seven Iranians. Now the minister based in Boise, Idaho will have to work four days of community service or labour on a sheriff's office work crew. Abedini, 36, pleaded guilty in Ada County Magistrate Court on Monday to the violation and Magistrate Daniel Steckel sentenced him to 180 days in jail but suspended all but five days, the Idaho Statesman reported. The pastor was given credit for the one day he spent in the Ada County Jail after he was arrested on August 31. He was also fined $1,000, with $500 suspended, and placed for two years on unsupervised probation. Also ordered to remain at least 300 yards away from Naghmeh Abedini's home in West Boise, he may text or email her for matters concerning their children but may not otherwise have contact with her. The judge further ordered that a third person arrange to bring the children from one parent to the other. Contacted by the Idaho Statesman on the telephone yesterday, Abedini declined to comment. 'This was a personal matter that I won't share in public,' he said. 'I will write something in my book in the future.' No details of what occured during the incident, which took place last May 26, were provided in court documents. Two other counts, which alleged further violations of the restraining order on June 1 and 2 last year, were dismissed in exchange for Abedini's guilty plea. Abedini is a former Muslim who grew up in Iran and converted to Christianity in 2000, moved to Idaho with Naghmeh in 2005 and became a dual US-Iranian citizen in 2010. While in Iran, he organised underground 'house churches' where groups of Christians worshipped together. In 2009, while on a family visit to Iran, Abedini was detained at the airport and he agreed to cease all house church activities. He travelled back and forth to Iran to build an orphanage over the next few years. But he was again detained in July 2012 on charges of evangelising and sentenced to eight years in prison. Abedini, who said he was imprisoned for 'being a Christian and refusing to renounce my faith in Jesus Christ', suffered internal injuries from beatings he endured and was denied medical care during his imprisonment in Iran. Naghmeh Abedini brought national attention to her husband's plight by advocating for his release, and the then-President Barack Obama met with her during a trip to Boise in 2015 and pledged his support. The evangelical leader Franklin Graham also campaigned for his release. Naghmeh filed for legal separation from her husband on the day that he arrived back in Boise, five days after he was released from the Rajai Shahr prison in a January 2016 prisoner exchange. She also obtained a temporary restraining order to ensure the couple's two young children remained in Idaho. A divorce is currently pending. In 2007, Abedini pleaded guilty to domestic abuse in Ada County Magistrate Court before receiving a 90-day suspended sentence and being placed on probation for a year. Row Over Thought For The Day As BBC Clarifies Editorial Policy After New Editor's Comments The BBC has said that there are 'no plans to make changes' to the Thought for the Day slot on BBC Radio 4's 'Today' after the programme's incoming editor singled it out for potential changes at the weekend. The BBC clarification comes after Sarah Sands, the former editor of the London Evening Standard who is taking over at the Today programme, wrote in the Financial Times (FT) that humanists should be included in the traditionally religious slot and implied that she would change its name. 'I admire religion and believe it is robust enough to have challengers,' she added. However, BBC sources pointed out that Thought for the Day is part of BBC's religious programming and not part of the editorial remit of the Today programme. A BBC Radio 4 spokesperson told Christian Today: 'Thought for the Day is editorially looked after by the BBC's Religion and Ethics team in radio and features speakers from the world's major faith traditions. There are no plans to make changes to it.' Sands wrote in the FT: 'Given there are some who say I must change nothing, I was amused to chat to an old Today hand, Robert Fox, who pointed out how much the programme had developed over the years. In his day it was much more informal and had an engaging air of jeopardy about it. So I will try not to be overwhelmed by the institution. And if we are to start in deep waters, what about Thought For The Day? This slot, it seems to me, is about the meaning of life, so the title hardly does it justice. It is much, much more than platitudes about Jesus and Brexit, balanced now and then with a view from another faith. And if this is about profound faith, surely we should also include humanists? I admire religion and believe it is robust enough to have challengers. I wonder what the listeners think of this . . .' Christian Today has learned that the comments will be discussed on BBC Radio 4's 'Feedback' programme this Friday. A senior BBC source said: 'Sarah wasn't recommending editorial changes to Thought for the Day. Rather she was discussing her personal experience and a more general open minded approach to taking on the editorship of Today.' But a leading Christian campaigner warned that plans to 'dilute' the slot -- which is broadcast at 7.45am on Mondays-Saturdays and runs for two minutes and 45 seconds should be 'firmly resisted'. Andrea Williams, the Chief Executive of Christian Concern said: 'The concept for Thought for the Day was originally rooted in our Christian heritage. Many people rightly recognise that it is Christianity which has provided the foundations of Britain's values and institutions, despite the loud voices of a small secular lobby. Sadly this foundation has been lost as Britain has walked away from Jesus Christ and Thought for the Day is reflecting the moral vacuum in society. Calls to dilute the programme any further should be firmly resisted otherwise there will be nothing left.' Peter Hitchens, the Mail on Sunday columnist appeared to agree with Sands's approach. Hitchens, who is a practising Anglican, author of The Rage Against God and the brother of the famous atheist Christopher, told Christian Today: 'Yes, let's have some atheists too. Many of them will probably be more interested in God and religion than some of the supposedly Christian contributors we have now. Indeed, what would Christians do without atheists? They are among the few people in our society who still care about religion. Far better than indifference.' Senior Catholic Cardinals Defend Pope Francis After Attacks From Conservatives Senior cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church have defended Pope Francis following recent attacks on the pontiff from anonymous conservatives. Nine cardinals from across the world issued a joint statement on Monday, RNS reports. The statement expressed 'full support for the Pope's work' and 'full backing for him and his teachings'. The cardinals were from Italy, Chile, Austria, India, Germany, Congo, the United States, Australia and Honduras. Their statement added that the show of support was coming 'in light of recent events'. Vatican sources said this was a direct reference to the attacks that recently been made against Pope Francis. Francis' increasingly vocal critics take issue with what they see as liberalising positions on divorce, sexuality, climate change, refugees and most recently his side-lining of a senior cleric in the Knights of Malta controversy. This week Francis was trolled by a 'fake news' edition of the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, which was sent to Vatican priests, bishops, cardinals and journalists. The mock-up front page contained a fake reply by Pope Francis to his critics. Many conservatives felt his exhortation Amoris Laetitia seemed to permit a liberalising on the Church's position of denying communion to divorcees. On February 4, posters appeared across Rome criticising the pontiff. They challenged the Pope for his involvement in what it called 'the decapitation of the Knights of Malta'. The posters featured a mocking title asking Francis 'Where's your mercy?', in reference to the theme that has largely dominated Francis' papal ministry. Swiss Catholics Will Compensate Child Sex Abuse Victims A new commission has been launched by the Catholic Church in Switzerland that will award financial compensation to victims of sex abuse by Swiss priests. The Swiss Bishops Conference (SBK) announced in December announced its new 500,000 franc reparations fund that would compensate sex abuse victims who could no longer seek it via the courts, according to The Local. The new commission will study requests for compensation, awarding up to 20,000 francs for the most serious cases, it was announced on Tuesday. In 2010 the Swiss Catholic Church accepted responsibility for various cases of child sex abuse and molestation. From 2010 to 2015, 223 victims came forward to the Church alleging abuse they had experienced between 1950 and 1990. Of these, 49 said they were younger than 12 at the time of the abuse. Figures also revealed that there had been 205 perpetrators in the 40-year period. However a 2015 report suggested found that since 2010 only 20 criminal investigations had been launched. John Bonnemain, speaking for the SBK, said currently only a few priests are facing conviction in the Swiss justice system because so few victims have come forward. Bonnemain said that anyone who wanted to appeal for compensation from the new commission should do so by going first to their local diocese, which would then pass on the request to the commission. 'Each time the Church finds out about cases it encourages victims to press charges,' he said. Turkey Nightclub Shooter Insists He Was Out To Murder Christians The jihadist on trial for the murder of 39 people in the Istanbul nightclub shooting has stated that he was targeting Christians. In fact most of the victims were Muslim and it is not known if any Christians at all lost their lives in the Reina nightclub attack in the early hours of New Year's Day, according to World Watch Monitor. Abdulkadir Masharipov, who was captured on January 16, told a court in Turkey that he was a member of Islamic State. The terror group had stated its aim was revenge on Turkey for Syria bombings. But Masharipov, said: 'My purpose was to kill Christians.' According to Hurriyet newspaper reporter Damla Guler, who obtained a court document, he went on: 'I believed it was an act of revenge against the murderous actions carried out by the world's Christians, an act of retaliation on their holiday.' Masharipov, married with two young children, trained in Afghanistan and was in regular contact with an IS handler, 'Abu Jihad', in the run-up to the attack. Twelve Turkish Muslims died, but the rest were visiting from abroad, including seven from Saudi Arabia. A further 65 people were injured. World Watch Monitor reports: 'It's unlikely Masaripov could have realistically planned to target Christians in his attack. Less than 2 per cent of Turkey's 80 million people are non-Muslims, and of that small non-Muslim slice, Christians are a small fraction. 'About 150,000 Turkish citizens are from ethnic Christian Greek, Armenian and Syriac backgrounds. In addition to a few thousand foreign Christians residing and working in the country, there are an estimated 7,000 Turkish Christian converts from Muslim backgrounds worshipping in small Protestant fellowships found mostly in larger cities. Altogether, Christians in Turkey amount to roughly one out of every 500 people in the country.' Why The Church Of England Is Facing Schism Over Sexuality Is it true that the Bible is at the root of the Church of England's objection to same-sex relationships? Apart from a few decades in the 20th century when liberals were in the ascendancy, or in the 19th century when Anglo-Catholics held sway, the Church of England has for most of its existence been fundamentally a Protestant, Bible-based Church. And the Bible is not noted for its 'political correctness'. Last Sunday, Luke 19 was read out in many Anglican churches, ending with verse 26: 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.' In our church, however, to the stunned silence of the congregation, the reader carried on by mistake to verse 27: 'But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them bring them here and kill them in front of me.' While treason only ceased to be a capital offence in Britain in 1998, few people today take literally Jesus' apparent instruction to his followers to go out and kill all unbelievers. But isn't homosexuality regarded still as a first order issue, because of what is in the Bible? Gay Anglicans want their marriages blessed by the Church so they can live by the biblical commands that restrict sex to the marriage bed only. They don't understand why they those who are not called to celibacy should be required to live celibate lives because they are gay. 1 Timothy 1 lists homosexuality as among those practices that are contrary to 'sound doctrine' and 1 Corinthians 6 lists homosexuals alongside thieves, the greedy, slanderers, drunks and swindlers as among those who will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Leviticus 20 instructs: 'If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.' This death sentence also applies to anyone who commits adultery, who curses their father or mother, who has sex with his father's wife or his daughter-in-law. If a man has sex with an animal, both he and the animal must be put to death. The final condemnation in this chapter is: 'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.' What is Church of England's teaching on marriage? Canon B30 states that 'marriage is in its nature a union permanent and lifelong, for better for worse, till death them do part, of one man with one woman'. This is based on passages such as Luke 16, where Jesus says: 'Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.' This passage is also at the root of Catholic Church divisions over whether or not to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion. But doesn't the Church now allow remarriage after divorce? Yes. And it has done this without changing the doctrine of the Church that marriage is for life. So why can't it do the same for gays? When Christian Today asked this very question at a recent press conference, Bishop of Norwich Graham James said the Church just wasn't ready yet. Has the General Synod voted on this before? Wasn't there something called the Higton Motion? In 1987, the synod voted 403 to eight in favour of a motion introduced by the evangelical vicar Tony Higton and largely amended by evangelical Bishop of Chester, Michael Baughen, to state that 'homosexual genital acts also fall short of this ideal, and are likewise to be met by a call to repentance and the exercise of compassion'. What happened next? In 1991, the House of Bishops released a document, Issues in Human Sexuality, that appeared to set a double standard, demanding celibacy of gay clergy but not necessarily for the laity, while insisting that 'heterosexuality and homosexuality are not equally congruous with the observed order of creation'. Surely that was not on its own enough to lead to this crisis? Gay Anglicans became increasingly angry as secular society began moving towards gay marriage while their Church appeared to be moving in the opposite direction. The 1998 Lambeth Conference passed resolution 1.10, that committed the Church to 'listen' to gays but restated a traditional biblical line on the issue. How come that didn't settle it? In 2003, Jeffrey John, a well-known gay but celibate Church of England clergyman, was appointed Bishop of Reading. He was then persuaded reluctantly to resign after protests from evangelicals threatened to split the Oxford diocese and is now Dean of St Albans. Christian Today understands that he is currently in the running for at least one other bishopric. In 2004, Bishop Gene Robinson, married to a gay divorce, became Bishop of New Hampshire. These two appointments led to the creation of conservative Anglican protest groups that have found their strongest expression in GAFCON, the global Anglican conservative fellowship. What happened next? Legislation to allow same-sex marriage came into force in Britain in 2014. After lobbying from bishops, the legislation included a ban on the Church of England performing gay marriages, to protect it from anyone demanding it as their right from the established Church of the land. People of any religion or none are legally entitled to a CofE marriage, but not people of the same sex. That seems clear enough. So why is it still an issue? Gay people want the same rights to marry in the eyes of God as straight people have. Conservatives feel equally strongly that whatever path the secular world goes down, the Bible makes this impossible for the Church to follow. The Church of England has for three years been holding private 'conversations' when both sides have been pleading their case. The bishops' report on this, debated at General Synod, makes almost no concession to change apart from endorsing maximum freedom within existing limits. Are the bishops all agreed? No, not at all. They are deeply conflicted, among themselves and many with him or herself. Fourteen retired bishops have spoken out publicly against the latest report. Conservative evangelicals are angry because of the maximum freedom it allows within current limits. Liberals are furious that three years of talks appear to have led to no tangible result. So what happens now? A move towards a more liberal stance seems inevitable, medium term. The Church has proved it can change its practice without changing its marriage doctrine by allowing divorcees to remarry in church. If the Church does not move towards doing the same with gays, gays will almost certainly start doing it anyway and simply defy the bishops. Some bishops will privately support them in this. Does this matter? It does for all who believe in the gospel imperative to unity. But sadly, a split does seem increasingly inevitable. GAFCON said today: 'Unless the House of Bishops has the collective will to reassert the historic biblical understanding of marriage and publicly explain it, a trajectory that takes the Church ever further way from its own foundation documents seems inevitable. The ever growing number of orthodox Anglicans abandoned by the Church of England as is embraces secularism in the futile pursuit of popularity will find a warm welcome in the global, confessionally Anglican fellowship which is GAFCON.' So the outlook is increasingly grim. Yes. The evangelical Andrew Symes, writing on the conservative Anglican Mainstream website, warns the Church will soon be forced to reflect the secular ideology of the powerful more and more, as has already happened in north America. 'The orthodox can agree to being one view among many, and be gradually erased. A better option: stand firm and if necessary force a schism, and at the same time plan for an alternative jurisdiction.' Sounds like a split is coming. Well it is the 500th anniversary of the date that Luther nailed his theses to the door at Wittenberg, so perhaps it is time for a new Reformation. The difference now is that these things are no longer nailed to doors, but posted all over the internet. Whether that will make them longer or shorter lasting in their impact only time will tell. I like my conservative evangelical Church but I also like our gay church warden and I don't want the Church to schism. What should I do? Pray. We think it works, and after all, nothing else has done so far. A northeast Houston subdivision will build a 1.5-acre artificial lagoon and sandy beach tailored to look like a Caribbean seashore thanks to patented technology from the Florida-based designer. The project in Balmoral, a community in the works near Atascocita in northeast Houston, will probably be the second such lagoon in Texas; another in Dallas is expected to open sooner. Readers have been asking why we haven't done much here on Trumpist lunatic Stephen Miller, the guy who writes the imbecilic crap Trump reads off his teleprompters-- instead of just harping on Bannon, Bannon, Bannon. #PresidentBannon. Well, over the weekend Miller stepped out into the limelight and went on national TV to defend Trump-- every channel, right?-- and to say Trump can't be held accountable by the judicial branch. The only Americans who agree are the drug-addled , two-digit IQ Trumpist base. The Lookout, a local publication, about his negative impression of Hispanic students and the use of Spanish in the United States... In that article, Miller also complained about his school's celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the existence of a gay club and a visit by a Muslim leader. Miller is from Santa Monica. His old home is represented by the Trump regime's most outspoken congressional antagonist, Ted Lieu. When Miller was transitioning from Lincoln Middle School to Santa Monica High, he stopped accepting calls from one of his close friends, Jason Islas, eventually telling him, "I can't be your friend any more because you are Latino." He was just 14 and the snotty little racist never looked back . "Displaying his hostility toward minorities, Miller complained to school administrators about announcements in Spanish and festivals that celebrated diversity. In his third year at the school, the 16-year-old Miller wrote a letter to, a local publication, about his negative impression of Hispanic students and the use of Spanish in the United States... In that article, Miller also complained about his school's celebration of Cinco de Mayo, the existence of a gay club and a visit by a Muslim leader. NY Times Mother Jones. Sunday, Digby did a pretty thorough job on Miller, Jeff Sessions' contribution to the White House inner circle. She cited both the new profile and an older what's-this-thing? from Times profile introduced Miller as the 31 year old Trump advisor behind many of "Trumps most contentious executive orders." While he worked for 2 prominent fascists in Congress, Michele Bachmann and not Stephen Miller fans. Richard Spencer, one of America's most prominent, uncloseted young neo-Nazis-- as opposed to the ones that the Dulles brothers imported from Eastern Europe-- is an old comrade-in-arms of Miller from when they were pushing racism, xenophobia and bigotry at Duke. Glenn Thrush'sprofile introduced Miller as the 31 year old Trump advisor behind many of "Trumps most contentious executive orders." While he worked for 2 prominent fascists in Congress, Michele Bachmann and sex predator John Shadegg before going on to the Senate office of sociopath Jeff Sessions. One of his jobs there was to kill Marco Rubio's immigration reform bill and at one point he was sending around "nasty news articles" ( like a version of this one ) to senators and their staffs. Republican senators areStephen Miller fans. The ascent of Mr. Miller from far-right gadfly with little policy experience to the presidents senior policy adviser came as a shock to many of the staff members who knew him from his seven years in the Senate. A man whose emails were, until recently, considered spam by many of his Republican peers is now shaping the Trump administrations core domestic policies with his economic nationalism and hard-line positions on immigration. But his unlikely rise is emblematic of a White House where unconventional resumes rule-- where the chief strategist is Stephen K. Bannon, until recently the head of the flame-throwing right-wing website Breitbart News, and the president himself is a former reality television star who before winning the nations highest office had never shown much interest in the arcana of governing. Yet all three men are bound by a belief in an America-first economic policy that has suddenly moved from the fringes of American politics to the Oval Office. Stephen was the kind of guy who would make a passionate ideological argument to a roomful of people who were there to make pragmatic decisions, said Alex Conant, a former aide to Mr. Rubio who remembers squaring off against Mr. Miller at a routine Republican messaging meeting that turned into a full-dress immigration debate. Mr. Miller has been at the epicenter of some of the administrations most provocative moves, from pushing hard for the construction of a wall along the border with Mexico to threatening decades-long trade deals at the heart of Republican economic orthodoxy, to rolling out Mr. Trumps travel ban on seven largely Muslim nations, whose bungled introduction he oversaw. Working in an administration that didnt come here to do small things, as Mr. Bannon has put it, is a role that Mr. Miller -- universally known as a tireless worker-- has been preparing for much of his life. From his days at a public high school in Southern California , where he preached against political correctness and liberalism and called in to conservative radio shows, to his time at Duke University, where he was known for controversial writings in the student newspaper and a failed attempt at a run for dorm president, he has delighted in challenging prevailing orthodoxies. At a freshman mixer, recalled a college classmate who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Mr. Miller announced, My name is Stephen Miller, I am from Los Angeles, and I like guns. Mr. Miller, known for his skinny ties, so-outdated-theyre-chic pants and his recently abandoned chain-smoking habit, enjoyed a relatively turbulence-free ascent in Mr. Trumps orbit until the travel ban. His eagerness to keep a tight lid on key details of executive orders to prevent leaks-- as well as his inexperience-- has at times hampered coordination between the West Wing and agencies that would have to carry them out, several White House officials said. Digby put together some highlights from his Sunday gasbag appearances: On Face the Nation: "The President of the United States has accomplished more in just a few weeks than many presidents accomplish in an entire administration." On the travel ban Face the Nation: "I think that it's been an important reminder for all Americans that we have a judiciary that has taken far too much power and become in many cases a supreme branch of government." On This Week responding to Trump's inane comment that thousands of people were bused into New Hampshire to illegally vote for Hillary Clinton, explaining why he lost there: "George, go to New Hampshire. Talk to anybody who has worked in politics there for a long time... I can tell you that this issue of busing voters into New Hampshire is widely known by anyone who's worked in New Hampshire politics. It's very real. It's very serious. This morning, on this show, is not the venue for me to lay out all the evidence." On General Flynn on Meet the Press: "They did not give me anything to say... It's not for me to answer hypothetical. It wouldn't be responsible. It's a sensitive matter." This is the quality of racist who is serving as senior adviser to the president. And the president loves him. He especially loves this, I'm sure: Dickerson: What have you all learned from this experience with the executive order? Miller: Well, I think that it's been an important reminder to all Americans that we have a judiciary that has taken far too much power and become in many cases a supreme branch of government...The end result of this, though is that our opponents, the media, and THE WHOLE WORLD will soon see as we begin to take further actions, that THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT to protect our country are very substantial and WILL NOT BE QUESTIONED. Yes, he actually said those words. I added the all caps because you know in your heart that how it sounded in the original German. Jawohl, mein Kommandant Matthew McConaughey has reached out to the Detroit gangster/drug kingpin "White Boy" Rick Wershe to offer him a job after he is released from prison after serving 29 years. McConaughey is confirmed to be acting in the upcoming film about the real-life story of Wershe, who was an undercover police informant-turned-major drug dealer in the mid-1980s. After being caught with 650 grams of cocaine at the age of 17, Wershe was sentenced to prison for life. And now 29 years later, Wershe, 47, may be freed by a parole board after meeting with them on Tuesday, according to Detroit Free Press. A new coalition of top universities applauded the University of Texas at Austins use of data as an effective way to better recruit and retain low-income students. The group, dubbed the American Talent Initiative, brought together 30 universities in December with the goal of enrolling 50,000 more low-income students by 2025. Rice University and UT are part of the group, which released its first report on Wednesday. Expanding low-income student enrollment has been challenging for universities. They think that graduating these students is crucial to their mission, but struggle to keep students on track academically or cannot provide sufficient financial aid. Top colleges, needing to meet revenue targets, also accept less-talented students who can pay full tuition, according to the report. Even when incredibly talented students from lower-income backgrounds are admitted to top institutions, large shares do not receive adequate support, and therefore enroll and persist at lower rates than wealthier peers. Texas public universities also contend with the top 10 percent rule, through which highly ranked high school students receive automatic admission to public universities. Admitted students, then, may need more support to succeed academically. Wednesdays report listed successful enrollment efforts at five universities, including two important ways UT uses data. First, UT analyzes past student data to determine a freshmans likelihood of graduating in four years. The university assigns the most at-risk students to an intrusive advising program called the University Leadership Network. There, they receive scholarship money when they participate in program trainings and events and complete performance measures like keeping up with required credit hours. Data analytics also has allowed UT to reduce staff and streamline facilities management, freeing up more money for student programs and financial aid, the report found. UTs six-year graduation rate for Pell Grant recipients was 70 percent, compared with 81.4 percent for non-Pell Grant recipients. That achievement gap is narrower than the average gap for all institutions, according to Wednesday's report. Bloomberg Philanthropies is supporting this new university group, which includes Harvard University, Yale University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with $1.7 million for data collection, research dissemination and conferences. Member institutions will focus on recruiting students and making sure they are prepared for rigorous environments, sharing best practices. They will set their own goals and will not be bound to program-wide benchmarks, a program coordinator said in December. There is no way to prove this, but see if you agree with me: The average American parent would be glad to see his public high school celebrate Martin Luther King Day with tributes to the Civil Rights movement, lectures on the history of slavery and Jim Crow and discussions of the challenges faced by blacks and other minorities in America today. Actually, it's not really a guess, because curricula like that are found throughout the nation. The program that is being imposed on Winnetka, Illinois, by contrast, is a hard-left indoctrination that could have come straight from the pages of Howard Zinn. Held on MLK Day itself in 2016, this year's seminar day on race, "Understanding Today's Struggle for Racial Civil Rights," is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28. The school-wide program will feature a full day of lectures and seminars, and as the title betrays, the slant is built in. As one of the parents who has protested the content noted, civil rights are for everyone, aren't they? There are no "racial" rights. That was Martin Luther King Jr.'s point, or one of them. New Trier High School has scheduled two keynote speakers and dozens of seminars for its 4,000 students to choose from among. One or two are unobjectionable, like "Black Gospel Music: Make a Joyful Noise!" or "Rap With a Social Conscience" (though much would depend upon which rap was discussed). But the rest of the offerings are thoroughly turgid agitprop. Students can attend a session titled "Seeing the Unseen: The Bias All Around You" or learn to "recognize our own implicit biases." They can attend seminars about "cultural appropriation," "trans people of color navigating the U.S.," "race, class, and police interactions," "systemic racism in housing," "myths" about affirmative action in college admissions, and "21st century voter suppression." High school students range in age from 14 to 18, so you might imagine that some care would be taken to avoid speakers whose social media are rife with profanity, racial epithets and sexual content. No. Political radicalism means all is permitted. John the Author, one of the invited speakers, has a song titled "Blackenomics," which includes the following lyrics: "I don't wanna be king, but I'm the only one ready for it now/ Cause all these other n--- selling out/ Individualism is all these (obscenity) yelling about/ Divide and conquer. White supremacy the silent monster." One might have hoped, in a program dedicated to civil rights and mutual understanding, that the guests might steer clear of racism and anti-Semitism themselves. Kevin Coval's poem "Occupation" says this about Israel: "Fascist ones believe in one monotheism, a walled prison/ Israelis sleep through the night." Monica Trinidad will conduct a talk titled "We Charge Genocide: An Emergence of a Continued Movement." Her Twitter feed encourages people to boycott an Israeli dance troupe ("Don't dance with Israeli apartheid!") with a link to the BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) hashtag. She tweeted a picture of mounted police officers with the comment: "Get them animals off those horses." So, one might suppose that New Trier parents would be enraged. Yet the pushback has been about as polite, substantive and reasonable as you could possibly wish (especially in our bitter era). On their website (http://www.parentsofnewtrier.org), they suggest adding other speakers to achieve - wait for it - intellectual diversity. They note that, in contrast to what the seminars hammer home, people of the same race do not necessarily think alike. Among the speakers the parents group recommends: Shelby Steele, Jason Riley, John McWhorter and Star Parker. Rather than marinate in doctrinaire leftism heavily inflected with a Black Lives Matter sensibility, the parents object, why not have students volunteer for the day (Chicago is 16 miles south)? The website offers other volunteering suggestions: "Good News Partners (Rogers Park), Connections for the Homeless (Evanston), Pastor Corey Brooks from New Beginnings Church in Woodlawn and 'ProjectHood.org.'" Despite multiple requests, school officials have refused every appeal from dismayed parents. No to additional speakers. No to adding another seminar at a later date for different viewpoints. No to requiring that parents sign off on their children's seminar panel choices. No to postponing the program until parental input could be considered. New Trier has very few black students, but the father of one wrote this: "This group (the small group of faculty and students who developed the program) does NOT represent the best of black Americans and does not advocate anything that has a track record of making black lives better." These "check your privilege" brainwashing sessions have become commonplace at colleges. Parents don't seem to know or care enough to protest. The New Trier parents group is a sign that resistance to deadening propaganda is alive and well - and polite. Mona Charen is a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com. When last we checked in with David Guerrero at his EaDo outpost Andes Cafe, he was turning heads with is guinea pig for two: a dish of deep fried "cuy" (popular in Peru and the chef's native Ecuador) served with roasted potatoes and an aji cream sauce. Well, the crispy guinea pig is still on the menu. But many things aren't; and so much new stuff is. Guerrero has put new thought and energy into his 40-seat cafe dedicated to home-style food of countries that the world's longest continental mountain range slices through: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina BIG SHAKEUP: There's a new chef, new menu at Tony Vallone's Ciao Bello He purposely jettisoned more than half his menu items to concentrate on more breakfast/morning dishes ("hangover food" as he calls it), and to invest Andes Cafe with more culinary authenticity. When he opened three years ago, Guerrero wanted to showcase the wealth of flavors and technique found in the countries hugging the Andes. And while he executed that food with aplomb he felt guilty that he hadn't actually been to all those countries. So last year he spent about eight months traveling to see, smell, touch and taste the countries whose cuisines inspire him. "Now I feel comfortable. I went to the markets in every single country," he said. "Now I know the food and the culture better. And I can make these foods more authentic." Guerrero said he was especially impressed with the foods of Peru, Bolivia, and his native Ecuador from the most humble vendors to the high-end restaurants. "They have the most indigenous personality," he said. HOUSTON GUIDE: Brunch like a pro New dishes are scattered liberally throughout the new menu. From Ecuador he offers Camarones Encocados (giant shrimp seasoned with citrus and spices and cooked in a sauce of cilantro, onions, tomatoes, peppers and coconut milk and served with rice and sweet plantains); and from Peru the Super Jalea Platter (a mound of crispy fried seafood served with yucca sticks, tartar sauce and salsa criolla. Venezuela is represented by an arepa stuffed with pulled chicken, mashed avocadoes, green peas and cilantro; Colombia comes through in a dish of smashed green plantains topped with sauteed shrimp and white onion and tomato sauce; and a risotto made with vegetables and flank steak topped with two sunny side up eggs (and a side of sweet plantains) speaks of Bolivia. There's a new player within the ceviche program: Chochos y Palmito (lupini beans and hearts of palm with pickled onions, tomatoes, avocado and toasted corn. Two other newbies are eager to be discovered: Trancapecho from Bolivia (breaded sirloin steak served over white rice and roasted potatoes and topped with a fried egg) and Lomiton for Chile (a sandwich made with deli-style slices of charcoal roasted Peruvian chicken, sweet plantains, and an aji verde sauce). Guerrero's new emphasis on brunch dishes (served Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) means that his guests can now sample Venezuelan Cachapas (fresh sweet corn pancakes stuffed with cheese that can be had with either braised shredded beef, deep fried pork or ham) or Peruvian Tacu Tacu (rice and lima bean cakes topped with grilled hanger steak and fried eggs). The hearty Calentado con Heuvos from Colombia consists of rice and black beans topped with fried eggs and served with Colombian sausage, pork belly and a corn "arepita"). Ecuadorean Llapingachos are potato cheese cakes served with pork sausage, fried eggs and avocado, while Venezuelan Huevos Pericos consists of three scrambled eggs mixed with tomatoes and green onions and served with a side of black beans, sliced avocado, Venezuelan cheese and two arepitas. And then the hangover soup, as Guerrero calls Encebollado Pal Chuchaqui: Albacore fish and boiled yucca in a tomato and fish broth. The chef also promises to serve twice a month a Colombian soup called Mondongo: beef tripe with pork shoulder, potatoes and yucca. There's more too: a new happy hour menu where everything is $5, and a new wine list that touches on Napa Valley, Spain, Oregon and Texas instead of being focused only on South American wines. Guerrero clearly put a lot of new energy into his menu. Isn't it time you traveled through South America via Andes Cafe? Andes Cafe, 2311 Canal St., #104, 832-659-0063; andescafe.com Hopdoddy Burger Bar has set the opening of its second Houston restaurant for March 6. That's when Rice Village will get its own outpost of burgers, hand-cut fries, milkshakes, and local craft beer a menu that made the Austin brand a hit and caused a sensation when it opened its first Houston store at River Oaks District last year. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WestWay Park Technology Center isn't the first satellite campus in the Lone Star College System, but it's the first of its kind. And it's on schedule to open in spring 2018, according to Kim Hubbard, LSC-CyFair dean, and Deana Sheppard, vice president for student learning. Hubbard said, "LSC-CyFair currently has two satellite centers. This additional satellite center, which will focus only on IT and Visual Communication, will allow us to provide specialized training in these programs to ensure our students are properly prepared for the ever evolving industry demands of these two fields. An example of the uniqueness of this center is that we will house an instructional Data Center to train our network students in this area of IT." Sheppard said, "Within our system it will be very unique center. It's very different from we've what ever done." But she added that the concept is not unique to community colleges in general and cited The Gateway Technical College with eight campuses/centers, in Wisconsin as an example of what she meant. Hubbard said the center will house LSC Corporate College programs in Oracle, Lean Six Sigma, Project Management, Cisco and training in oil and gas industry principles. Sheppard said the district conducted an extensive site search for the satellite campus, including land on which to build, until officials found the building at 5060 Westway Park Blvd. in Houston. Located east of the West Sam Houston Parkway and between Tanner and Clay Road, Sheppard called the location "just perfect." "It seemed like a perfect fit for us." Added Hubbard, "The location of this center will provide easy access for students within our district, for businesses and organizations located off the Interstate 10 Energy Corridor and those located in downtown Houston." The LSC-Westway Park Technology Center building was purchased for $15.5 million, said Jennifer Olenick, Lone Star College vice chancellor of finance & administration. "The construction manager at risk request for information estimated an additional $13.5 million for renovations, of which, the board has approved $7.2 million in December 2016. The project is still underway so final project costs are not yet known," added Olenick. Hubbard said it is funded by the 2014 bond election and the General Obligation Bonds Series 2015A. Project architects are BRW Brown Reynolds and Watford and construction manager at risk is Satterfield & Pontikes. While the building has about 130,000 square feet, only 50,000 square feet will be used initially. Sheppard said the 50,000 square feet fits current program needs. More space may be needed as time passes and programs grow, she said. Some discussion also mentioned the option of subleasing space to tenants, she said. "There's plenty of room for growth," Sheppard added. Hubbard said, "Our program curriculum teams will work with our System Workforce Council and our respective advisory councils to conduct constant industry analyses on an annual basis to project program growth as well as to identify new programs. During this phase we are reviewing various opportunities for usage of the additional 80,000 square feet. "The initial phase of occupation for the building will allow us to move programs that we currently offer at the LSC-CyFair main campus to the new location, and add six programs," she added. She identified those programs as Microsoft Academy, Computer Security, Computer Forensics, Mobile Applications Development, Web Design and 3D Animation. "We are expecting enrollment to continue growth with the new spaces located at WestWay Park and with the addition of our six new programs. Vacated spaces at the LSC-CyFair main campus will be used to allow enrollment growth through program expansions and by adding instructional space." Sheppard said, "We intentionally designed the center to prepare students for real work business interactions. Students won't feel like they're in the classroom but it will feel like they're at work." Collaborative spaces have been created in hallways. "Students will work together like in the real world," she said. Students also will learn "soft skills" that will make the transition from academia to a place of business when they get a real job, she said. Hubbard said, "LSC strongly believes in fully preparing students for entry into the workforce. WestWay Park Technology Center was built with this mission in mind. "By providing a 'real-world' business simulated environment, we are training students to understand the importance and seriousness of working in an organization that is business-based and goal-oriented. The design of WestWay Park will strategically train students in an educational institution that essentially treats daily activity like the daily interactions of a business with the hope that students will forget they are in a classroom. Students will graduate with the innate ability to work in any business as a skilled professional in their industry." Katy Bar Association Area attorneys are invited to the Tuesday, Feb. 28, lunch meeting of the Katy Bar Association at 11:30 a.m. at Hasta la Pasta, 1450 W. Grand Parkway South, Katy. Andrew D. Weisblatt's topic is "Reviewing a Commercial Lease - a Practical Guide for the General Practitioner," and he will talk about routine provisions in commercial leases, sharing anecdotal stories about unusual provisions, consumer traps that landlords sometimes employ and negotiating principles that tenants should follow. Each year, Gary Johnson starts preparing for Katy ISD's next FFA livestock show and rodeo only days after the last one has ended. As president of the show and rodeo, Johnson said every detail matters. After almost a year of planning, he said his crew is ready to host the 74th edition of the event from Feb. 15-18 in what has become a tradition deeply rooted in the suburb's history, with the show having begun when Katy was still a farming town that harvested rice and had land that stretched for empty miles. "It's a community event that draws a lot of people to Katy," Johnson said. "For many of the volunteers and for the community, they see the benefits of the FFA program even years after the (participating students) graduate." More Information Want to go? What: 74th Annual Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show When: Feb. 15-18 at the L.D. Robinson Pavilion, 6301 S. Stadium Lane. Wednesday, Feb. 15: 10 a.m. special rodeo, 4 p.m. rabbit show and 7 p.m. broiler show Thursday, Feb. 16: 8 a.m. swine show, 1 p.m. steer show and 7 p.m. rodeo Friday, Feb. 17: 7:30 a.m. goat show, 10 a.m. lamb show, 1 p.m. auction sale meeting and 7 p.m. rodeo Saturday, Feb. 18: 7 a.m. barn sale, 9:30 a.m. parade, 11 a.m. buyer's luncheon, 1 p.m. auction and 7 p.m. rodeo KATY ISD FFA LiVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO Parade When: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 Theme: Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats Parade marshal: Ms Van Scroggins Route: Parade leaves west gate of Rhodes Stadium, travels on Katyland Drive, ends at L.D. Robinson Pavilion on FM 1463 Judging categories: Adult general; cars, toys and tractors; churches/church organizations; civic organizations; commercial; cowboys/cowgirls; performing/marching groups; school and scouting organizations Details: http://katyrodeo.org/parade_schedule.aspx See More Collapse The livestock show will again be held at the L.D. Robinson Pavilion, 6301 S. Stadium Lane, while the rodeo will take place at the next door W.E. Billy Morgan Rodeo Arena. More than 20,000 people are expected to attend. A special rodeo will kick off events on Wednesday and be followed by four days of judging animals such as rabbits, steers, goats and hogs, with a grand champion eventually being crowned for each category. Each night will conclude with rodeo competitions by professional cowboys and cowgirls, with some student events such as the calf scramble being mixed in as well. There will be 494 students participating in this year's livestock show, according to Guy James, head of the event's auction and sales committee. About 350-400 cowboys and cowgirls will be present. Participating students have been raising their animals for months, spending hours feeding the livestock and making early-morning trips to the district's Gerald D. Young Agricultural Sciences Center, where most of the animals are kept. Each student hopes to make a profit at the end of the livestock show, when animals are auctioned. Students who make sales on their animals average a profit of $5,000, according to James. "Being able to showcase their animal and show them off and say, 'this is what I've done with this animal' the kids love it," James said. "It's a year-long process to make it come together for four days. We enjoy watching the kids compete." At Houston's Livestock Show and Rodeo, which this year begins on March 7, there are often protests by animal rights activists towards the treatment of the rodeo animals, with most of the livestock eventually being slaughtered for meat once the competitions end. Johnson has said, though, that he's never seen protesters for Katy's show. All proceeds from the rodeo are given to Katy ISD's FFA program, according to Johnson. Last year, the rodeo raised $65,000 for Katy ISD's program, and in the past 10 years, it has raised more than $500,000. The event is sewed into Katy's history, beginning at a time when the suburb was far removed from the booming town it is today and was still a place where farm animals roamed everywhere. Each night before the competitions begin, Johnson said he looks around the rodeo arena to take in the atmosphere. After a year's work, he said the feeling is nostalgic. "Some of these people have been going to this rodeo since it began more than 70 years ago," Johnson said. "People remember it. It defines how Katy began in the FFA program. No matter how suburbanized Katy is now, it began as a farming community. The FFA was a large part of that. This event brings that home to the community each year." The Dulles Brothers' policies enabled the rise of Trumpism in America After World War II, Republicans encouraged an influx of Nazi and pro-Nazi immigrants from Europe. The Dulles brothers were at the nexus of an immigration policy that brought hundreds of thousands of Nazis into America-- not atomic scientists, most just Nazi thugs from all over eastern Europe-- like from Belarusia, which saw New Jersey, for example, become a major center of a Belarusian diaspora. Their communities--in places like South River (Middlesex County)-- are far more anti-Semitic than anything in the modern day South. In South River the Belarusian community center on Whitehead Ave., built for Nazi war criminals by the CIA, is also the local Republican Party headquarters. The Dulles brothers were the embodiment of where Wall Street, and the intelligence community blended seamlessly into the far right, pro-Nazi Republican Party and the inept Cold War jingoism. They overrode President Truman's and Congress' ban on allowing Nazi war criminals into the country-- let alone employing them-- purging their records and getting them U.S. citizenship. John Foster Dulles, who now shamefully has an airport named after him near our nation's capital, was complicit steeped in Wall Street backing for prewar Hitler and was at all times looking out for the interests of the wealthy Republican investors who invested in the Nazi take-over, particularly the Rockefellers and the Bushes. They had decided to open the floodgates to Nazi collaborators throughout Eastern Europe once Truman was defeated by Dewey. New Jersey, among a few other states, became a sanctuary for Nazi collaborators and war criminals from Eastern Europe. Nixon saw them as a counterbalance to the hated Jews, who always voted for the Democrats, and Eisenhower gave him supervisory powers over the operations to bring them to America. Ironically, many of them had been infiltrated by the Russian Communists and the entire program was an absolute disaster, bringing the U.S. no Cold War benefits whatsoever and costing the country hundreds of millions of dollars, but, eventually, helping elect Republican rightists from Nixon ando Christie to, obviously, Trump. A few years ago I spoke with John Loftus, author of America's Nazi Secret , interested nine what he thought about the motivations for flooding New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, etc. with anti-Semitic Nazi war criminals, many of whom had personally taken part in the Holocaust, in Belorusia, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. This is what Loftus told me: My guess is it was 90 percent greed, as they funded the infant Bolshevik and Nazi parties simultaneously. In fact, Hitler knew the robber barons preferred the conservative and Catholic parties over the Nazis, so that is why he banned foreign ownership of German companies, which forced the robber barons to enact the Swiss Bank Secrecy Act of 1933. In the upcoming film American Secrets we document how the Auschwitz industrial park was originally a Russian-German partnership funded by the robber barons of Wall Street. ...Nixon always blamed the Jews for his narrow loss to JFK, and tasked George H.W. Bush as co-director of the RNC to recruit the Eastern European groups. NY Post reporting that a gang of neo-Nazis (who they don't identify by ethnicity) beat up two twin brothers and menaced them with a knife in front of a Lower East Side bar Saturday morning when they took offense to an 'anti-fascist' sticker on one of the mens cell phone cases, police said." Sad how when things like these are covered up and we "move on," they just repeat themselves over and over. In 1967 I was walking along with 2 friends, Sandy Pearlman and Joan Shapiro, in the East Village, a gentrifying piece of the Lower East Side. We all had long hair and looked like hippies, which, basically, we were. We passed the Ukrainian community center and were immediately attacked by a large gang of Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Joan and I made it safely to the Psychedelicatessen but poor Sandy got caught by the Ukrainians who beat him up and stuffed him into a trash can, which they rolled down Avenue A. Gee, that's 50 years ago! Let's bring this forward a little to-- this past weekend . Here we are, back on the Lower East Side with thereporting that a gang of neo-Nazis (who they don't identify by ethnicity) beat up two twin brothers and menaced them with a knife in front of a Lower East Side bar Saturday morning when they took offense to an 'anti-fascist' sticker on one of the mens cell phone cases, police said." The beat down happened when the brothers, both 27-year-old Columbia graduate students noticed the large group of skinheads hanging inside one of their usual haunts called Clockwork on Essex Street and decided to head for the exits around 12:30 a.m. On the way out the door, they ran into a group of smokers outside who noticed the sticker on one of their phones reading New York City Anti-Fascists. One of the guys sees [my brothers] phone, grabs it and starts screaming, I know what the fuck that means, I know what the fuck that sticker is, you need to get the fuck out of here, said one of the victims, who asked to remain anonymous. He throws the phone on the ground and they just start jumping us right in front of the bar. The brothers were pummeled by about six or seven men-- some who were using brass knuckles-- and dressed in matching vests with 211 Crew patches, a white supremacy gang, police said. The brothers tried to run away from their attackers but were chased down Essex Street and then Hester Street before the group caught up to them and continued the beating, cops said. One of the guys pulled a knife on my brother first and starts slashing at him. Then the guy with the knife starts coming over to me His buddy grabs him and I guess at that point they all decide to run off. Officers in an undercover police car that happened to be driving by spotted the two bloodied men standing on the sidewalk while trying to call 911 and asked them what was going on. They were able to point out one of the suspects lingering around the scene and police quickly grabbed him. He was identified as 29-year-old John Young and was charged with assault, grand larceny, menacing, criminal mischief, and possession of a weapon, cops said. I didnt think something like this could happen. This is crazy, one of the victims said. I didnt think they would be so brazen as to patronize a bar in Manhattan like that. I go there all the time and never felt a bad feeling. The men suffered cuts and bruises to their faces and bodies. One brother required five staples to close a wound on his head while the other received two staples for a head wound at a nearby hospital. I don't know how well Trump did in the communities the Nazi immigrants settled in after World War II, although my guess is that Trump did extremely well in them. South River, NJ, for example, is in a Democratic County that Clinton won handily but it has a Republican mayor, John Krenzel, and the borough council is Republican-majority. In 2013 Christie won 63.8% of South River's votes in his gubernatorial reelection bid, up from the 53.2% he had won in 2009. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate For two years, Asmaa Basry and her family waited inside a tent for news that would free them from a life in the shadow of war. It arrived on a rainy day in 1993. "You are clear," a United Nations official told them then. "Your visas have been granted in the U.S.A." Basry, her husband and 5-year-old daughter, who had all escaped Iraq at the height of the Gulf War in 1991 and had since lived in a migrant camp in Saudi Arabia, had been accepted as refugees into the United States. Their chance at liberty and a peaceful life meant everything to them. "We were lucky," said Basry, a 49-year-old now living in Katy. "There was no hope or future for peace in Iraq. I couldn't imagine living there longer. Our only hope was to come to the U.S." About 23 years later, Basry is disheartened knowing that the same opportunity for other refugees to begin a new life in the U.S. is uncertain today. On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that barred all refugees from entering the country for 120 days while also banning Syrian refugees indefinitely and closing the borders for 90 days to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Since the executive order, a federal judge from Seattle on Feb. 3 ordered a national halt of the ban, a ruling which was followed by a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit to not immediately reinstate the ban. By print deadline, it was unclear whether the Trump administration would ask the full 9th Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene, or re-write a scaled-back version of the executive order. With Trump strongly stating that he wants the ban in place, and with the uncertainty surrounding the order, Basry wonders what the future holds and is frightened that America's refugee and immigration programs might never be the same. "Right now, I've lost hope," said Basry, who is a Muslim. "I don't know how to describe it. There are no words." Growing up in Basra, Iraq, Basry enjoyed a stable life where she lived in a large house and frequently socialized with family and friends. But in the 1980s, when Iraq and Iran entered into war, her hometown became increasingly dangerous. By the early 90s Gulf War, she and her husband, named Zeki Basry, felt they had no choice but to leave. The family eventually landed at the camp in Rafha, Saudi Arabia, where they spent two years trying to obtain visas to come to the U.S. To this day, Basry believes the visas were eventually granted because Zeki could speak English fluently and therefore did not need a translator when discussing their visa application with officials. Zeki would eventually serve as a translator for the U.S. Army from 2006-2009 during the U.S.-Iraq war. After arriving in America, Basry and her family lived in south Texas for a short time before moving to Detroit, Michigan. They lived in Michigan for 16 years before returning to Texas, settling in the Houston area and eventually picking Katy as home mostly because of its recognized school district. Two years ago, Zeki and Basry divorced, and Basry now lives with her four children, two who were born in the U.S. The family are all citizens. Basry works as a teaching assistant at a local Montessori school, as well as a certified nurse aide. Since arriving in the U.S., Basry's mother, one of her two sisters and one of her three brothers have also joined the family in Houston. Basry had been attempting to bring her other sister and two other brothers here, too. The siblings are in Damascus, Syria, a country at the front lines in the war against terror. But after Trump's executive order, Basry's hope to bring her siblings to safety has thinned considerably. She fears that no matter the outcome of the ban, the obstacles for U.S. bound refugees or immigrants will be much greater under Trump. The Trump administration says they enacted the ban to protect Americans from potentially dangerous people coming into the borders, at least until a more rigorous vetting system is in place. The CATO Institute, a Washington-based public policy research organization, calculated based on research that the chances of an American being killed by a foreigner are 1 in 3.64 billion per year, less than that of being struck by lightning. The institute also says zero people from the seven countries that were included in the ban have killed anyone in a terror attack on U.S. soil in the last 40 years. With the U.S. vetting process already taking up to two years for some refugees, Basry said the U.S. government is trying to shut its borders on the world's most vulnerable people. "Refugees are just trying to escape and be on the safe side," she said. "We have to stand up against this." There's little Basry can do to change government policy, but she's going to try anyways. She's leaning on her Muslim community at Katy's Muslim American Society Center, and she plans on participating in community engagement. Eventually, she also desires to write about her experience as a Muslim refugee. She'll also wait for the day that her siblings can have the chance at freedom in the U.S. "I don't know how far this is going to go," Basry said. "I don't know what (Trump's) idea is. But I feel that it is a bad idea, and it's not right for human beings. I will do what I can." Fort Bend Pet Alive!, along with animal advocates has commended the city of Stafford for its compassionate leadership and offers help to spearhead Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) to save lives of community cats. Longtime Stafford resident Janet Starr expressed her deep appreciation of the Mayor's Workshop meeting on Nov. 21, 2016. Starr supports the approach chosen by the mayor to discuss how to make "the odds and ends" meet between shortcomings and mandates of the new ordinance, advice from the animal advocates and the logistics that should be implemented by the city staff, the Police Department in particular. Claudine Vass, President of Fort Bend Pets Alive!, Salise Shuttlesworth, J.D., executive director of Friends for Life, (a LEED certified No Kill Shelter in the Houston Heights) and Brigitte Turner, former animal shelter supervisor of the city of Rosenberg stand strong and unified to offer much-needed logistics, free resources and possible funding to help city of Stafford to spearhead the community project to make Stafford a more compassionate and better place for all. Ms. Shuttlesworth speaks to City of Stafford about life saving data and benefits of the three year old public/private TNR partnership Friends for Life has with the City of Houston. Ms. Shuttlesworth reiterated the protocols of TNR step by step in front of the council again. The steps are colony counting, block walking, trapping, transport, surgery, recovery and return to the environment. Animal advocates further emphasize the importance of self-sustainability of life saving programs and operations of the animal shelter in the future. Mayor Scarcella values public input and involvement. In his State of the City speech in the beginning of the meeting and in a response to the animal advocates during the Public Comment portion, he emphasizes his desire to see citizens coming together and getting actively involved to make something great happen for the City of Stafford. Mayor Scarcella values "an aggressive no-kill provision bolstered in a trap, neuter and return policy, for feral cats" which requires a tremendous amount of support from the residents of Stafford. Advocates conclude their speeches by not only offering commitment to the City of Stafford, they deliberate compliments and appreciation of the open mindedness displayed by the council. Ms. Turner stated that the Mayor and the Council have demonstrated "willingness to learn more about no-kill," they have "invited the help of FBPA! and they have also facilitated opportunities for open face-to-face dialog." Animal advocates commend City of Stafford on "the progress, effort, and care you [Stafford] have invested in making plans for the future Stafford animal shelter." They also respect the exceptional forward thinking displayed by the city officials. Animal advocates are very optimistic that the city of Stafford has the potential to serve as a role model and lead the way in becoming the first no-kill city in our region. Other municipalities in our region are encouraged to follow the footsteps of City of Stafford. Texas State Technical College Regent Joe M. Gurecky is a product of technical education and along with his wife, Doris, knows what a difference it has made in his life. In an effort to help students reach their career goals, he now finds it his personal responsibility to help fund the Texan Success Scholarship. The Fort Bend natives' donation totals $100,000, with $75,000 going toward scholarships and $25,000 going to the Chancellor's discretionary fund, which is used to facilitate the institution's needs. TSTC matched the scholarship donation dollar for dollar, helping nearly 150 students pursue their dream of a college education. The Texan Success Scholarship goes to new students who enroll full time to provide assistance for tuition, books and other supplies. "I am a product of a technical school, and as a result I know firsthand what an impact it has made on my life and the successes I have enjoyed throughout 60 years in the manufacturing business," said Gurecky, owner of Gurecky Manufacturing Service Inc. Gurecky attended Taylor Vocational Technical College to learn machine shop work and spent 27 years working for Baroid Corp., a Houston-based oil and gas industry production company. However, when a recession in the oil and gas industry hit Houston in the 1980s, the middle school sweethearts and business partners used their life savings in 1983 to open Gurecky Manufacturing, which operated out of their garage with only three machines. Gurecky hopes to maintain a mom-and-pop-shop image, although the company is now housed in a 40,000-square-foot facility filled with state-of-the-art precision manufacturing machines. Gurecky has also served on Rosenberg's City Council and is the former mayor of Rosenberg. "About 15 years ago I was involved in bringing TSTC to Rosenberg, and it has been awesome to see how TSTC has grown. It brings us great joy and satisfaction to leave a lasting legacy on TSTC and the students we serve," said Gurecky. Gurecky has also served the college by sitting on the TSTC Board of Regents for 12 years. TSTC Field Development Officer John Kennedy said that Gurecky and his wife personify the generosity of the Fort Bend County community. "The generous donation from Doris and Joe Gurecky will help many of our students achieve the American dream, and TSTC's match of their gift will help spread those dollars even more," said Kennedy. "We are privileged to have Regent Gurecky in our community and even more fortunate for his many years of service on TSTC's Board of Regents." For more information on the Texan Success Scholarship and how to help a student, call 346-239-3417. New student registration for Summer and Fall 2017 begins April 3. Visit tstc.edu to apply. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Courtesy/Travis County Sheriff's Office Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy/Travis County Sheriff's Office Show More Show Less 3 of 3 An Austin couple knew they were engaging in a "lewd act" when they were stopped by an officer over the weekend at Hippie Hollow, arrest records show. William Hamilton, 25, and Theresa Santos, 23, were arrested Sunday and charged with public lewdness, a Class A misdemeanor, at Austin's clothing-optional Hippie Hollow Park on Lake Travis. A Texas fugitive on the state's Most Wanted list, turned himself in Tuesday at the Travis County Justice Complex in Austin. Gilbert Garza, 33, is accused of burglarizing the home of a 97-year-old woman twice in January 2016. The second time, he allegedly pepper sprayed the woman when she confronted him. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Just one day after a "Most Wanted" fugitive turned himself in in Austin, the Texas Department of Public Safety has added Michael Christopher Sanchez, 32, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list. Sanchez is wanted for a parole violation and engaging in organized criminal activity. He has been wanted since September 2015. His last known address was in Bryan and he has connections to Houston and Hearne, a small town northwest of Bryan. ODD STORY: Most wanted fugitive turns himself in for pepper-spray attack on 97-year-old woman The known member of the Latin King's gang has a criminal history, which includes burglary, assault and drug charges. He is considered armed and dangerous. Sanchez is 5-feet 8-inches tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. He has tattoos on his back, chest, head, left leg and arms, and multiple scars on his face. Sanchez has prior work history as a skilled mechanic. Texas Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward up to $7,500 for any person who provides information that leads to an arrest of Sanchez or any of the other 10 most wanted fugitives. To see the 10 most wanted fugitives or sex offenders in Texas, click through the gallery above. RECENT LIST: Police on the hunt for Houston-area's most wanted fugitives To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities using one of the five following methods: -Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). -Text the letters "DPS" followed by your tip to 274637 (CRIMES) from your cell phone. -Submit a web tip through the DPS website by selecting the fugitive you have information about, and then clicking on the link under their picture. -Submit a Facebook tip by clicking the "SUBMIT A TIP" link (under the "About" section). -Submit a tip through the DPS Mobile App. The app is currently available for iPhone users on the Apple App Store and for Android users on Google Play. HOUSTON HUB: Fugitive last seen in Houston lands on most wanted list Houston and Dallas have not declared themselves to be "sanctuary cities" for immigrants who are in the United States illegally, but in the eyes of some, they might as well. According to a new report from the Pew Research Center, the two metropolitan areas together have nearly 1.1 million residents who are there illegally - 575,000 in the Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land area and 475,000 in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area. Texas is home to some of the nation's most prestigious universities, and within these institutions are dozens of academic departments and colleges. For the most part, many begin with a simple "College of," followed by the school's specialty, like business, law or engineering. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A jury Tuesday returned guilty verdicts in the emotional case of Marquita Johnson and Qwalion Busby, two Converse-area parents accused of allowing their 7-month-old baby to die in December 2015 from a massive bacterial blood infection. The parents did not take their son, Naeem Busby, to a medical doctor during his life. Both were convicted of serious bodily injury to a child by omission, a first degree felony, and face a possible sentence of 5 to 99 years in prison. The punishment phase of the trial was set to start Wednesday morning. Qwalion Busby, 36, has been an oil field truck driver, while Johnson, 33, has a bachelor's degree from Tarleton State and has been a pharmacy technician and parole officer. In closing arguments, Johnson's attorneys, Demetrio Duarte and Linda Molina, reminded jurors they never heard from a single witness who could definitively say the child's medical emergency began weeks before his death. Naeem's auto-immune deficiency spread through his little body like wildfire, Molina said. And yet every state's witness agrees he could have been asymptomatic. Not one state's witness could give you a timeline (for when critical symptoms emerged) and not one could assure you his life could have been saved. When you are deciding a first degree felony, you should demand more, she said. Prosecutors Kristina Escalona and Melissa Saenz, reciting a litany of skin, hair, weight and respiratory problems Naeem exhibited at death, said common sense would have alerted any caring parent to his medical crisis. That baby had sepsis, Escalona told the jury. How inconsolable he must have been. How long he must have cried. No wonder he was so dehydrated. bselcraig@express-news.net Sitting in a cold, lonely room in Saigon, separated from his family by a war, Bang poignantly recalled a time when daily meals were embellished with condiments, sauces, appetizers, garnished herbs and humble desserts. Bang had a reverence for great cooks and lamented the power of his own pen to match their art. Prose can only satisfy the mind, he wrote. But good food fills all five senses, making life, even for one not so well-off, worth living. The image of a beautiful woman standing by the docks appears over and over again though the high points of his wife's cuisinewhether soft green-lentil cakes or doves stuffed with mushrooms and green ricecause him to curse the affairs of his youth as frivolities. Bangs obsession with Hanoi cuisine took on all the urgency of his opium addiction, or more frequently, his reverence for women, which came through in metaphors that pepper his prose. According to Bang, Hanoi was bursting with passionate eaters in 1952, the kind who vigorously debated the merits of pho and pondered the relevance of the new banh cuon in townone stuffed with a controversial hash of shrimp, pork and everything in between. Vu Bang himself, spent days trying to divine rules for the proper preperation of bun cha, while dismissing the memory of his estranged wifes cha ca as a failure. Hanoi's deliciousness is both intricate and fussy, he wrote in the final chapter. What would porridge be without dill, peanut cabbage soup without lettuce, or a bowl of bun thang without mam tom? Years of serious eating at home and on Hanoi's streets left Vu Bang with the notion that rigorous cooking could turn a pedestrian dish into a delicacy. What two wars and economic reformation did to the capital's cuisine. The beauty of the capitals cuisine expressed itself in dishes as simple as fried morning glory with mam tom, he told us, and warned against conflating it with the sort of food you might find in a hack magazine article about it (pho, bun cha, banh cuon, etc.) Though millions of curious eaters flock to Hanoi every year in search of food that's impossibly fresh, labor-intensive and deliciousone wonders what Bang might think of it today. VnExpress International found it daunting to track down anything in modern Hanoi that met Vu Bang's standards: a pho, for example, free of MSG and clear enough to merit two, three bowls at a time, bun cha that lacked a trace of char, honest com and fresh ragworms. Bang dedicated whole chapters to dishes that are no longer here today banh Xuan Cau, hau lon and banh khoai back in 1953. Food historian, restauranteur and author Nguyen Phuong Hai has cataloged roughly 200 sophisticated recipes that have disappeared from the kitchens of northern family cooks. Modern life has gradually chipped away at Hanoi's willingness to spend days cooking and hours eating, wrote Hai. Hanois devotion to food declines by the day. In other ways, the cuisine has grown more democraticor pedestriandepending on whom you ask. Vu Bang described bun thang as a delicacy meant for Tets final feastone in which cooks threaded the left-overs from the preceding feasts (spring rolls, chicken, omelet, dried shrimp, spiced pork floss and salted duck egg) over rice noodles and bone broth. The dish is no longer limited to a holiday tradition; one can find a lesser version containing one or two of those ingredients on almost any street corner in the city. 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. Many bottles with Chinese lettering were found along the coast. A local named Cuong told VnExpress that this is the first time he has seen such a huge amount of garbage wash up onto the coast. 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. Ridge View to keep on sharing The Galva-Holstein and Schaller-Crestland School Districts have reached a tentative agreement that will likely reflect Schaller-Crestlands consolidation to a single... Pipeline company sought to limit required safeguards for soil Navigator CO2 Ventures wanted to reduce its obligations to sample and restore topsoil for the construction of its proposed carbon... Terrorists with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in the western part of Mosul face two options: surrender or die, said the spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve. In a news briefing from Baghdad, Air Force Colonel John Dorrian said, "The enemy is completely surrounded in West Mosul, and those who do not surrender to the Iraqi security forces will be killed there." As Iraqi security forces prepare to liberate West Mosul, coalition strikes are pounding ISIS targets, including terrorists and their weapons caches and ISIS command-and-control sites, Dorrian said. With eastern Mosul liberated, the 16th Iraqi Army Division is maintaining pressure on any remaining ISIS sleeper cells to prevent the terrorists from infiltrating the city again. Terrorists are targeting eastern Mosul with indirect fire, mortars and artillery fires, causing damage and civilian casualties. They are also using commercially available drones to observe and drop explosives on Iraqi security force and civilian positions. As Syrian Democratic Forces and their partners work on the isolation of the key Syrian city of Raqqa, coalition strikes continue to take out ISIS targets, Dorrian said. Recent targets include tunnels, weapons caches, command-and-control nodes and vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. The Syrian Democratic Forces with their Syrian Arab Coalition partners have liberated nearly 3,400 square kilometers of territory since the operation to isolate Raqqa began November 5, Dorrian said. In the Syrian city of al-Bab, since January 1, the coalition has conducted 35 strikes, delivering 101 weapons in or near the city to kill ISIS fighters and to destroy equipment, artillery, fighting positions, tunnels and command-and-control nodes. Coalition and Turkish military leaders continue coordinating operations around al-Bab. "The enemy, in Al Bab," said Spokesman Dorrian, "is in deep trouble, with Turkish military and partner forces converging on the city from the northwest, coalition forces pounding the enemy from the air, and regime forces approaching from the south." Meanwhile, the coalition continues to fight ISIS on multiple fronts. "Our commitment to completely destroying ISI[S]," said Colonel Dorrian, "means that we must destroy their ability to communicate with leadership, their financial network and their ability to control terrain." Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump said, "Our Republic was formed on the basis that freedom is not a gift from government, but that freedom is a gift from God." One fundamental freedom, freedom of religion, includes the freedom to worship according to one's own beliefs. "Freedom of religion is a sacred right," said President Trump, "but it is also a right under threat all around us, and the world is under serious, serious threat in so many different ways...We have seen unimaginable violence carried out in the name of religion. Acts of wanton slaughter against religious minorities. Horrors on a scale that defy description. Terrorism is a fundamental threat to religious freedom. It must be stopped, and it will be stopped." We have seen peace-loving Muslims brutalized, victimized, murdered, and oppressed by Islamic State terrorists. We have seen threats of extermination against the Jewish people. We have seen a campaign of ISIS and genocide against Christians, where they cut off heads. said President Trump. "All nations have a moral obligation to speak out against such violence. All nations have a duty to work together to confront it and to confront it viciously, if we have to," said President Trump. The United States will do everything in its power to defend and protect religious liberty in our land. "America must forever remain a tolerant society," said President Trump, "where all faiths are respected, and where all of our citizens can feel safe and secure." "As long as our liberty and, in particular, our religious liberty is allowed to flourish," said President Trump, "America will flourish." BNM anunta concurs pentru postul vacant de expert coordonator (durata determinata) responsabil de control pe teren si din oficiu a sistemelor de plati WASHINGTON Tomorrow, March 21 at 12:30 p.m. EDT, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) will join advocates calling on the Senate to oppose the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Gorsuchs decade-long record on the federal bench, as well as his writings, speeches, and activities throughout his career, demonstrate that he is a judge with an agenda. His frequent dissents and concurrences show he is out of the mainstream of legal thought. His judicial philosophy is that of a conservative ideologue who has consistently ruled against individuals in favor of large entities, including on issues affecting women, workers, the environment, people with disabilities, and employment discrimination. Time and again, Judge Gorsuch has twisted the law to favor corporate interests despite the harm done to workers and their families. RSVP requested to [email protected]. WHO: U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) Wade Henderson, president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Nan Aron, president, Alliance for Justice Action Campaign Michael Keegan, president and CEO, People For the American Way Kimberly McIntosh, Library Paraprofessional, Blue Springs, Missouri Cameron Blair Hoxie, M.Ed., Erie, Colorado Other Senators TBD WHEN: Tomorrow, March 21, at 12:30 pm EDT WHERE: 902 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. RSVP requested to [email protected]. When a Republican lawmaker in Colorado recently called his hometown newspaper fake news, the family-owned Grand Junction Daily Sentinel didnt let it go unchallenged. On Saturday, the papers publisher, Jay Seaton, wrote a pointed column taking the state senator, Ray Scott, to task over the allegation. I dont think I can sit back and take this kind of attack from an elected official, the publisher wrote. We are brokers in facts. Words have real meaning in this business. Sen. Scott has defamed this company and me as its leader. And then the kicker: To borrow a phrase from another famous Twitter user, Ill see you in court. It was no joke, either, Seaton told CJR over the phone Monday. Thats my intention, he said about a potential lawsuit, but were going to have some cooling-off period before I file anything. Heres the background: The state senator called his local newspaper fake news on Twitter and Facebook after a February 8 editorial in the Sentinel urged him to move along a bill that would update the Colorado Open Records Act, or CORA. The bill would require government agencies to release digital copies of documents in a machine-readable format (if they have them), something they currently arent required to do. Scott chairs a committee in the state Senate that was scheduled to hear the bill last week, but he cancelled the hearing. The Sentinel urged its local lawmaker, who the paper endorsed in 2014, to set a new hearing and push the bill forward. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project In response, Scott tweeted this: We have our own fake news in Grand Junction.. The very liberal GJ Sentinel is attempting to apply (more: https://t.co/VYmpfgM6X9 ) Ray Scott (@SCOTTFORCOLO) February 9, 2017 A longer post on Facebook reads: The very liberal GJ Sentinel is attempting to apply pressure for me to move a bill. They have no facts, as usual, and tried to call me out on SB 40 [known] as the CORA bill. They havent contacted me to get any information on why the bill has been delayed but choose to run a fake news story demanding I run the bill. You may have a barrel of ink but it just splashed in your face. In his Saturday column, Seaton defended his newspaper and indicated there might be a court fight on the horizon. This particular publisher, it should be noted, is no stranger to a courtroom. Before taking the helm of the Sentinel in 2009, Seaton was a commercial litigator. This is what I used to do, he told me. I practiced law in Kansas City for 13 years, so Im accustomed to resolving business damage in the judicial system. So I dont view this really as any different. The publisher says he has already seen people on Facebook pledge to cancel newspaper subscriptions after the lawmakers comments. What I consider actionable is the attack on the Sentinel as fake news, Seaton says. I can take the criticism that were too far right, or were too far left, or our reporter was sloppy, or our editorial misunderstands the issue, that I can handle. What I cant abide is an attack on the essence of what we do. Scott, who served as a regional field director for Donald Trumps Colorado campaign, declined to comment for this story on the advice of his counsel. But he did post messages on Twitter and Facebook. Bring it on Jay, if you lie it blows back. NO ONE ever attempted to contact me, he wrote. Seaton says he called the senator twice on Friday, but no one called him in advance of the editorial to clear the papers position with him. (The paper does not discuss editorial opinions with subjects prior to publication.) Scott, a possible gubernatorial candidate, isnt talking, so its hard to clear up this particular dispute. Last month, I wrote for CJR about another recent instance in Colorado in which charges of fake news were leveled against a credible news source. That time, the charges came from an anonymous blog. This time, its a politician. Whats really disturbing in this context is the fact that he is an elected official, hes in a position of power, Seaton said on Monday. And the purpose of newspapers is to hold those people in positions of power responsible. So when he attempts to diminish us by calling us fake news for the purpose of avoiding that accountability, Ive got a big problem with that. Jerry Raehal, who runs the states press association, too often gets the impression that accusations of fake news are made anytime someone disagrees with a newspaper, whether that disagreement is with a news story or a piece in the opinion section. Newspapers are finding ways to defend themselves, he says. The Sentinel is defending itself and the industry in a way we have not heard of before. Where it goes from here, we do not know. Steve Zansberg, a First Amendment attorney who represents newspapers in Colorado including the Sentinel, says Scott could be liable under libel law if he made statements that are provably false and made with the requisite knowledge of their falsity or reckless disregard for the truth. To be clear, fake news typically refers to an item published in order to deliberately fool readers, and to generate web traffic (and, by extension, ad revenue). It is not CNN, Time magazine, or The New York Times, as those in the White House have claimed. It is not The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. If the paper does follow through with a lawsuit, then it will no doubt be a high-profile affair. And I imagine there are plenty in Colorados journalistic community who wish this battle didnt involve a public records bill that multiple papers in Colorado want to see pass. Lauren Gustus, editor of The Coloradoan newspaper in Fort Collins, was involved in a working group that spent a year hashing out the details which led to the bills introduction in the Senate. While she supports the Sentinels efforts to defend itself, Gustus says she wants to make clear that its a separate issue from the open records bill that sparked this fight. The CORA bill specifically is meant to provide better access to data that belongs to the public, she told me. While the potential for fake news to be defined in a court is intriguing, I remain committed to working to create more opportunities for the people to see public information that is theirs by state right. For his part, the Sentinels lawyer-turned-publisher says he has received about 100 emails since his column ran, only two of them negative. This industry has taken it and taken it and taken it over the last several years, Seaton told me. And now we get diminished as fake news, going to the core of what we do. And we dont push back. Well, Ive had it. Im not going to take it anymore. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Corey Hutchins is CJRs correspondent based in Colorado, where he teaches journalism at Colorado College. A former alt-weekly reporter in South Carolina, he was twice named journalist of the year in the weekly division by the SC Press Association. Hutchins writes about politics and media for the Colorado Independent and worked on the State Integrity Investigation at the Center for Public Integrity; he has contributed to Slate, The Nation, the Washington Post, and others. Follow him on Twitter @coreyhutchins or email him at coreyhutchins@gmail.com. Two Camden County, N.J., sisters have been charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud for allegedly lying about which one of them was the driver in an auto crash in an effort to support false claims submitted to an insurance carrier. According to Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP), Labre Hodge and Brittney Hodge were each charged with second-degree conspiracy in an indictment handed up by a state grand jury in Superior Court in Trenton on Tuesday. Labre Hodge was also charged with second-degree insurance fraud and third-degree attempted theft by deception. According to the indictment, Brittany Hodge was driving her sisters Chevrolet Aveo in Camden in March 2015 when it was struck by another vehicle that ran a stop sign. Hodge, who had been alone in the car, called her sister Labre minutes after the accident, and Labre Hodge arrived at the scene almost an hour after the crash, according to prosecutors. Both women later gave several false statements to Labre Hodges insurer, GEICO, asserting that Labre was the driver and Brittany a passenger when the crash occurred, according the indictment. Labre Hodge also filed a false claim with GEICO seeking $5,000 for medical bills and $950 in lost wages in connection with injuries she sustained in the crash, according to prosecutors. We allege that these two defendants attempted to dupe GEICO into believing that Labre Hodge was the driver in the crash so that she could make her bogus claim for an injury she did not sustain in the collision, said Attorney General Porrino. These young women are now facing serious consequences for their actions. Many people erroneously assume that fabricating a scenario to net them a relatively small insurance payout will not get them into trouble, but nothing could be further from the truth, said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu. Whether you file a claim for $100 dollars or $100,000, insurance fraud is a felony and we will prosecute anyone caught trying to enrich themselves by lying to their insurance provider. The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $150,000; third-degree crimes carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000. Deputy Attorney General Michael Clore presented the case to the grand jury. Detectives Justin Callahan, Ron Allen, Little Wright, and Investigator Marwa Kashef coordinated the investigation. Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Iu noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. Source: New Jersey Office of the Attorney General Up, up and away: Dubai hopes to have a passenger-carrying drone regularly buzzing through the skyline of this futuristic city-state in July. The arrival of the Chinese-made EHang 184 which already has had its flying debut over Dubais iconic, sail-shaped Burj al-Arab skyscraper hotel comes as the Emirati city also has partnered with other cutting-edge technology companies, including Hyperloop One. The question is whether the egg-shaped, four-legged craft will really take off as a transportation alternative in this car-clogged city already home to the worlds longest driverless metro line. Mattar al-Tayer, the head of Dubais Roads & Transportation Agency, announced plans to have the craft regularly flying at the World Government Summit. Before his remarks on Monday, most treated the four-legged, eight-propeller craft as just another curiosity at an event that views itself as a desert Davos. This is not only a model, al-Tayer said. We have actually experimented with this vehicle flying in Dubais skies. The craft can carry a passenger weighing up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and a small suitcase. After buckling into its race-car-style seat, the crafts sole passenger selects a destination on a touch-screen pad in front of the seat and the drone flies there automatically. The drone, which has a battery allowing for a half-hour flight time and a range of up to 50 kilometers (31 miles), will be monitored remotely by a control room on the ground. It has a top speed of 160 kph (100 mph), but authorities say it will be operated typically at 100 kph (62 mph). Al-Tayer said the drone would begin regular operations in July. He did not elaborate. The Road and Transportation Agency later issued a statement saying the drone had been examined by the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and was controlled through 4G mobile internet. The agency did not immediately respond to further questions from The Associated Press. The United Arab Emirates already requires drone hobbyists to register their aircraft. However, drone intrusions at Dubai International Airport, the worlds busiest for international travel, has seen it shut down for hours at a time in recent months. EHang did not respond to a request for comment. In May, authorities in Nevada announced they would partner with EHang to test the 184 to possibly be cleared by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The drone may be a techno curiosity for now but Dubai the commercial capital of the oil-rich UAE and home to the long-haul carrier Emirates has bold visions for the future and the 184 fits right into its plans. Dubais ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced in April he wanted 25 percent of all passenger trips in the city to be done by driverless vehicles in 2030. To that end, Dubai already has had the box-shaped driverless EZ10, built by Frances EasyMile, cruise nearby the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest building. In October, Dubai signed a deal with Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One to study the potential for building a hyperloop line between it and Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital. A hyperloop has levitating pods powered by electricity and magnetism that hurtle through low-friction pipes at a top speed of 1,220 kph (760 mph). Elon Musk, the co-founder of Tesla who appeared on Monday at the Dubai conference, first proposed the idea of a hyperloop in 2013. Musk, who took no questions from reporters on Monday, later launched his Tesla car brand in Dubai at an event organizers said was not open to international media. Musk has come under criticism for serving on a business council advising U.S. President Donald Trump. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. President Donald Trump recently welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the White House, stressing that the United States is an important and steadfast ally of Japan. "The bond between our two nations, and the friendship between our two peoples," said President Trump, "runs very, very deep. This administration is committed to bringing those ties even closer. We are committed to the security of Japan and all areas under its administrative control, and to further strengthening our very crucial alliance." The U.S.-Japan alliance remains the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Pacific region. That's why it is important that both Japan and the United States continue to invest very heavily in the alliance to build up their defensive capabilities. "We face numerous challenges," said President Trump, "and bilateral cooperation is essential. Our country is committed to being an active and fully engaged partner. We will work together to promote our shared interests, of which we have many in the region, including freedom. . .of navigation, and defending against the North Korean missile and nuclear threat, both of which I consider a very, very high priority." With regard to the economic issues, the U.S. will seek a trading relationship that is free, fair and reciprocal, benefitting both countries. "Japan is a proud nation with a rich history and culture, and the American people have profound respect for your country and its traditions," said President Trump. He also expressed his thanks to the people of Japan for hosting American armed forces. "Working together, our two countries have the ability to bring greater harmony, stability and prosperity to the Pacific region and beyond, improving countless lives in the process," said President Trump. "We are committed to that goal." Small businesses are lagging behind larger companies in preparedness for attacks on their websites or computer systems. Thats the finding of a survey by Hiscox, an insurance company whose target market in the U.S. is small business. The survey released last week found that small businesses are less likely to make changes to their cybersecurity systems after an attack. Twenty-nine percent said they did nothing after being attacked, compared to 20 percent of larger companies. Small companies are almost as likely to be attacked _ 68 percent of small businesses reported at least one in 12 months, compared to 72 percent of larger businesses. Two key reasons are behind small businesses lack of preparedness: money and time. Many small businesses cant afford to have employees dedicated to information technology including cybersecurity, and the more sophisticated an anti-cyberattack system is, the more it costs. And owners who focus on getting and working with customers may keep putting off tasks like ensuring their companies can deter or recover quickly from cyberattacks. Their lower revenues also mean that a cyberattack can be proportionately more expensive for a smaller business. The survey found that smaller companies had costs of $41,334 connected to their largest cyberattack. For companies with 250 or more workers, the costs were $81,322. But a larger revenue stream made it easier for larger businesses to absorb those costs. Companies that track cyberattacks report that the number of website invasions and computer hackings is continually growing. Symantec, which makes security software, counted more than a million attacks a day in 2015 against people who visited websites. Phishing attacks targeting employees, in which emails were sent with harmful links or documents, rose 55 percent. The Hiscox survey questioned 1,000 companies, 70 percent of which had fewer than 250 employees. It was conducted in November and December of 2016. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. New technology promises to improve workers compensation programs, according to a Marsh webcast broadcast last week. According to Tom Ryan, market research leader, for Marshs Workers Compensation Center of Excellence, there are many areas of workers comp that can benefit from technology. These include: In communications with employees. Information critical to prevent injuries and claim updates can be provided to employees via smartphone mobile applications. In sharing workforce training via an employers intranet or through smartphone applications. In delivering care to injured workers. Through telemedicine and via mobile apps that can direct injured workers to preferred medical providers. In managing claims by providing customizable email alerts, like notifications when prescriptions are ready. Wearable technology is also expected to impact workers compensation, he said. For example, it can be used to monitor employee movements and alert co-workers of danger, as well as monitor fatigue, body temperature and repetitive motion. The information can be used in training, fraud prevention and for wellness programs, Ryan said. The construction industry wearable offerings include high tech vests and helmets that have lights or vibrate to alert employees of potentially dangerous changes in surroundings. Forklifts can be equipped to sound an alarm or flash lights to warn employees and the public. Many pieces of equipment require both hands to operate and can be fitted with vibrating sensors to alert the operator of changes in his or her surroundings. Joseph Molloy, vice president of workforce safety at Northwell Health, offered a case example of the improvements that came about at Northwell after the company created a centralized workforce safety department and revamped its employee injury reporting system. Previously, injuries were reported to different parts of the company, he said. Employees were confused throughout the life of an injury on who to report to and what to report. Completion of forms by employees was inconsistent, he said, and penmanship was an issue. For example, asking where an accident occurred resulted in answers that ranged from an address, a building floor or a hospital. Using more advanced technology helped Northwell improve its incident reporting rate, he said. The company added automated forms and connected employee data so that the forms could be somewhat pre-filled. It also added multiple ways to report an incident, including a mobile app and an 800 number. Completed employee reports of injury were then sent to the supervisor, safety officer, human resources, Broadspire (its third party claims administrator) and to Workforce Safety which triages cases to determine potential nurse case management opportunities. According to Molloy, the benefits of the new system included more employees being placed in transitional return to work assignments and a positive response from employees. Molloy said the keys to success when implementing these types of changes include engaging senior leadership and sharing the missions method and rationale for the change. Another case study showing how technology can improve workers comp programs was presented by Donna Sides, senior insurance manager and workers compensation supervisor with Bank of America. She explained that Bank of America implemented a telenursing program for insured employees. This included a dedicated 24/7 reporting line that allowed injured workers to speak to a registered nurse and directly report a claim. She explained that the nurse will assess the medical history, injury, pain level, obtain an accident description and offer a first aid type of treatment recommendation. If additional treatment is warranted, the nurse will direct employees to an in-network provider where allowed and then schedules the appointment. Call notes are uploaded to the Bank of America claims system and are viewable by adjusters. Sides said the use of telemedicine at Bank of America has resulted in higher network penetration, lower claims severity and lower claims costs. According to David Lupinsky, vice president at CorVel Corp., the goal of telehealth was originally to bring healthcare to rural areas. Now it bring healthcare to employees and allows employers the ability to create virtual clinics which, in turn, drives greater productivity. It also removes the need for a larger provider network, he said. Lupinsky said its viable for employers of all sizes, so a larger investment for onsite clinics is no longer needed. He indicated 40 percent of claims can be treated through this option. Even with its benefits, there are limits to telenursing, he said, noting that patient care is paramount. Environmental activists and local government officials warned more than a decade ago about the risk of catastrophic flooding below a major Northern California dam the very scenario that threatened to unfold over the weekend, prompting evacuation orders for nearly 200,000 people. State and federal regulators dismissed those fears at the time, saying they were confident the hillside that helps hold back hundreds of billions of gallons of water was stable and did not need to be reinforced with concrete. That decision has come under scrutiny now that the hillside or emergency spillway, as officials call it has been put to its first test in the Oroville Dams nearly 50-year history. Over the weekend, water from the storm-swollen lake behind the dam spilled down the unpaved slope for 38 hours, eroding it enough that authorities feared a huge breach could open and send a 30-foot-high surge of water down the Feather River below, devastating thousands of homes. The danger eased Monday as the water level behind the dam dropped, but more rain was in the forecast, and residents as far as several dozen miles downriver in Yuba City were advised to stay out of their homes because of flood danger. At 770-feet, Oroville Dam is the nations tallest. It stands about 70 miles north of Sacramento in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada. In 2005, at the start of the dams still-unfinished relicensing process, environmental groups asked federal regulators to require that the California Department of Water Resources armor the hillside or reinforce it, typically with concrete or boulders to prevent potentially catastrophic erosion from water escaping when the reservoir was cresting over full capacity. The groups said rocks and other debris could be swept into the river, damaging highway bridges and power plants downstream. In a worst case, they warned, a major breach would unleash floods that could take lives and destroy property. Also in 2005, officials with Sutter County, which the Feather River runs through several dozen miles downstream of the dam, asked federal regulators to investigate the adequacy and structural integrity of the hillside and how it would hold during extreme flood releases. I think that the warning that was given should have been taken with the utmost seriousness, said Bob Wright, an attorney at Friends of the River, which raised the issue along with the Sierra Club and South Yuba River Citizens League. Bill Croyle, acting head of the Department of Water Resources, refused to comment on the 2005 concerns, saying he was not familiar with them and would need to research the matter. Speaking late Monday at the states emergency-operations center in Sacramento, Gov. Jerry Brown also said he had not known of the warnings about the emergency spillway, and said public officials depend on the recommendations of their engineers. They tell us what we need and we do it, Brown said. But we live in a world of risk, Brown added. Stuff happens and we respond. Last week, officials tried to relieve pressure on the dam by releasing a torrent of water through an adjacent, concrete-lined primary channel designed to handle heavy flows. When the deluge gouged out hundreds of feet of the concrete bottom, dam managers eased off those controlled releases. Water then began spilling down the hillside. Back when environmentalists and local officials were raising their concerns, the water resources department dismissed the need to fortify the hillside, insisting it would not be in danger if water cascaded down it. The hillside was designed to handle the probable maximum flood, and annual dam inspections include a review of the spillways structural integrity, according to a May 2006 filing by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other water agencies in the state that could have been in line to help pay for the upgrades to the dam. The cost of reinforcing the hillside was not immediately clear. In the filing, the water agencies told federal regulators that environmentalists and local officials did not show that the emergency spillway posed a public risk. As part of the relicensing application, state water resources department officials wrote in a final environmental impact report dated June 2008 that no significant concerns about the hillsides stability had been raised in any government or independent review. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency that oversees the dams relicensing and received the request for armoring, agreed that paving was not needed. An agency spokeswoman said the original, 50-year license for the dam expired in January 2007, but it has been automatically renewed each year pending a full renewal We have just, in December 2016, received all the necessary permits and other documents we need before issuing a final decision on the application, spokeswoman Mary ODriscoll said. She would not answer other questions about the relicensing application. In a July 2006 memo to managers, first reported by The Mercury-News, a senior civil engineer with the agencys San Francisco office wrote that the agency determined dam safety would not be compromised in the rare event of an emergency spillway discharge. Engineer John Onderdonk also wrote that, it is acceptable for the emergency spillway to sustain significant damage. (Knickmeyer reported from Sonoma, California, and Pritchard reported from Los Angeles. Contributing were John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan; Matthew Daly in Washington; Sophia Bollag in Sacramento and Angel Kastanis and John Antczak in Los Angeles.) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. AKRON, Ohio - An Akron man is accused of causing the explosion that leveled his house last week in the city's West Akron neighborhood. Rodney Lee Hylton, 49, is charged with aggravated arson and arson in the Feb. 7 explosion that destroyed the house on Courtland Avenue near South Hawkins Avenue, according to Akron Municipal Court records. The court issued a warrant for Hylton's arrest, records show. Witnesses told cleveland.com that a man stumbled out of the house after the explosion. Paramedics took the man to a local hospital, an Akron Fire Department spokesman said last week. Fire officials said last week that they believed the explosion, which happened just after 7:30 p.m., was caused by a gas leak. Crews completely extinguished the blaze just before 10 p.m., and utilities companies were on scene to shut off gas and electricity feeds to the house. While nearby homes and residents were evacuated as a precaution, no other houses were damaged, officials said. A Summit County grand jury indicted Hylton on Feb. 3 on charges of breaking and entering, theft, vandalism and several lesser offenses, court records show. His first court appearance has not been scheduled. If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments page. Brecksville Jerry Hruby 3.JPG Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby spoke to City Council last week about the proposed Brecksville-Independence regional dispatch center. Hruby expects additional communities to sign up. (Bob Sandrick, special to cleveland.com) BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - Brecksville and Independence will likely hire an administrator to run their regional emergency dispatch center inside the proposed new Brecksville police station. The two cities hope to appoint the administrator, who could earn between $60,000-$70,000 a year, before construction of the police station starts. That way, the administrator can bring his or her expertise to the project. Brecksville and Independence will conduct a statewide search for administrator candidates. The winning candidate will run the dispatch center independently of all other city departments. That's what Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby told City Council last week. He added that city officials are talking to two other municipalities about possibly joining the regional dispatch center, which will be large enough to accommodate up to 12 communities, although it will more likely include six-eight. "The saying is, 'Build it and they will come,'" Hruby told council. "We think that's what's going to happen." Municipalities all over Cuyahoga County, and Ohio, are merging dispatch centers. The state has mandated that counties significantly reduce the number of dispatch centers by 2018 or face cuts in their 911 funding, which pays for upgrades to dispatch systems. As of last summer, seven regional dispatch centers had been established in Cuyahoga County. They include Southwest Regional Dispatch Center, which serves Berea, Olmsted Falls, North Royalton and Strongsville; Parma Regional Dispatch Center, which serves Parma, Parma Heights, Brooklyn and Brook Park; and Chagrin Valley Dispatch, which serves more than a dozen east-side communities. Hruby said Brecksville and Independence are modeling their dispatch center after Chagrin Valley Dispatch, which city officials recently toured. He said they liked the center's physical layout and organizational structure. The two cities have not settled on a name for the dispatch center. Last summer, Hruby said they might call it Cuyahoga Valley Regional Dispatch Center or Cuyahoga Valley Emergency Radio Dispatch Center. Last week, Hruby came up with an even longer name: Cuyahoga Valley Emergency Police and Fire Services Dispatch Center. Hruby said neither Brecksville nor Independence plan to lay off dispatchers. The two cities employ about 15 dispatchers between them and pay dispatchers similar wages. Instead, the number of dispatchers will be reduced over time through attrition. Until then, some dispatchers will be assigned additional clerk duties. "Staffing discussions are in progress," Hruby told cleveland.com Monday. "It's very early on." The police station and dispatch center will stand on Ohio 21, across from the existing City Hall and police station. The cost to build the station-center has not been determined, although Hruby last summer said he expected it will cost roughly $7 million or $8 million. The project has experienced several delays. In August 2013, Hruby said the plan was to break ground on the station in fall 2014 or earl 2015. The start date was subsequently pushed back to spring 2015. In August, Hruby said his latest goal was to start construction by the end of fall 2016. At that time, he said delays occurred partly because, for about a year, the city negotiated with four villages - Brooklyn Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, Newburgh Height and Valley View - over jail- and dispatch-sharing agreements. Those negotiations were ultimately unsuccessful. Also, to save money, the city backed out certain components from the new station, Hruby said. For example, the mayor's court, which hears a limited number of cases, will remain in City Hall. Screen Shot 2017-01-26 at 1.55.11 PM.png A student is accused of punching and elbowing a school administrator in Brook Park. (File photo) BROOK PARK, Ohio -- A 15-year-old boy faces an assault charge after he punched and elbowed a school administrator in the face, police said. The incident happened just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the 5500 block of Smith Road at Education Alternatives near the Brook Park Building Department, a police report says. The administrator suffered broken skin on his mouth and a bloody lip, the police report says. Police were already at Education Alternatives investigating a menacing complaint involving another student. Another boy got into an argument with an administrator. The administrator tried to calm the boy as the student punched doors in a hallway, the police report says. The administrator again tried to calm the student, but got elbowed several times in the stomach and punched in the mouth, according to the report. The student was taken to a mediation room and held by several other school employees until he was able to calm down, the report says. Another school employee witnessed the attack and said the student struck the administrator with a closed fist, the police report says. The investigation was forwarded to the juvenile detective who will continue to investigate. Education Alternatives' website describes itself as a school for "troubled children" that is "centered in the belief that the healing process needed to give children hope for the future comes from trusting relationships with positive adults in a safe and nurturing environment." If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Indiana Pacers Indiana Pacers forward Solomon Hill tries to knock the ball out of the hands of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James in the first half. February 29, 2016. (Gus Chan / The Plain Dealer) (Gus Chan) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavs (38-16) host the Indiana Pacers (29-26) in the final game before the All-Star break at 7 p.m. Last meeting: The Cavs won 132-117 one week ago at Indiana. Cavs fast fact: They've won five straight over the Pacers at home. Cavs injuries: Kevin Love (left knee surgery) and J.R. Smith (right thumb surgery) are out. Pacers fast fact: They're banged up at power forward too. Thaddeus Young is out and Lavoy Allen, who's listed as tonight's starter, missed Indiana's last game. Pacers injuries: Lavoy Allen (sore right knee) is questionable; Thaddeus Young (sprained left wrist) is out. Probable starters: Cavs F LeBron James (25.8 ppg; 7.8 rpg; 8.9 apg) F Channing Frye (9.3 ppg; 3.7 rpg; .6 apg) C Tristan Thompson (8.1 ppg; 9.6 rpg; 1.1 bpg) G Iman Shumpert (7.8 ppg; 3.0 rpg; 1.5 apg) G Kyrie Irving (24.4 ppg; 3.2 rpg; 5.9 apg) Pacers F Paul George (22.6 ppg; 6.1 rpg; 3.3 apg) F Lavoy Allen (2.5 ppg; 2.8 rpg; 0.0 apg) C Myles Turner (15.6 ppg; 7.2 rpg; 1.1 apg) G C.J. Miles (10.8 ppg; 3.0 rpg; 0.6 apg) G Jeff Teague ( 15.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 8.1 apg) Screen Shot 2017-01-26 at 1.55.11 PM.png A man was arrested after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend. (File photo) BROOK PARK, Ohio -- A 22-year-old man was charged with domestic violence Thursday after being accused of attacking his pregnant girlfriend, police said. The incident happened just after 3 a.m. in the 6300 block of Sylvia Drive near Holland Road, the police report says. The victim went to the police station after going to her mother's home. William Sutton, of Brook Park, is scheduled for his arraignment at 10 a.m. in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, court documents say. The victim, who is six months pregnant, was at her mother's home in Medina before coming to Sutton's home for the night. Sutton got mad because of how late she came home, the police report says. Sutton cursed at the girlfriend so she gathered some belongings and told him that she was going to spend the night at her mother's, the report says. Sutton got irate and kicked her twice in her leg, police said. She fell to the ground and the impact left a bruise on her thigh, the report says. He threw clothes hangers and a hair brush at her, the report s ays. He continued to throw things at her as she walked out of the home. The girlfriend called Sutton's mother and told her to "get her son" or she would call police, the police report says. Sutton was arrested at his home without incident. If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments section. parmatheater.jpg The Parma Theater was torn down in 2014, following a two-year battle to save it. It's one of many places long-time residents remember in Greater Cleveland. What places or events do you miss? Share you thoughts in the box below. (Maura Zurick/cleveland.com/file photo) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you grew up or lived a while in Northeast Ohio, you've undoubtedly seen a number of changes in your community. But has progress erased some of your favorite haunts. What do you miss most about the "good old days"? Maybe you recall a favorite restaurant that is long gone, a school you attended that is no longer there. Or maybe you have fond memories of a favorite store, eatery or community event that helped make your community what you loved about it. That's not to say that change is always a bad thing. Many Greater Cleveland communities have made major improvements, enhancing the quality of life for residents. But for many, memories of some of the best places and events of the past will always be treasured. Share your recollections of great places, events or traditions that are no longer there. Select comments will be used in the Sun newspapers. to load this Caspio . uaarches.JPG University of Akron volunteers learned their ethnic mix following DNA testing. (Karen Farkas, cleveland.com) AKRON, Ohio - Thirty University of Akron volunteers have learned their ethnic mix following DNA testing, which may have changed views on race, officials said. The results will be revealed Thursday night as part of UA's annual "Rethinking Race" series. This is the 10th year of UA's Rethinking Race, a two-week forum of events that focuses on opening dialogue around race and race-related issues. Ancestry.com, which offers DNA testing and ancestry resources for a fee, was contacted by the university to see if the company could offer free DNA tests and interviews, said UA spokeswoman Lisa Craig. Heather Pollock, an anthropology and classical studies lecturer, took the lead on the DNA project and recruited 30 students, faculty, staff and President Matthew Wilson, Craig said. The project was designed to challenge people to explore their own narrative about race, the university said. It would explore questions such as: What we can tell from how we look? What can we tell from what science tells us? What narrative can we tell ourselves and others that could be more inclusive when we talk about race? The tests were done about four weeks ago and the volunteers learned the results about 10 days ago. Their reactions were videotaped and will be revealed on Thursday. The university released a short video of volunteers describing their ethnicity and then reacting to the results. The full results will be revealed from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Gardner Theatre, second floor of the Student Union, 303 Carroll St. The discussion is open to the public. The university will release results and a video on Friday. This story has been changed to reflect that UA contacted Ancestry.com. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The FBI is searching for a man wanted in connection with two bank robberies in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood. An aggravated robbery warrant was issued Tuesday against Mark Lloyd, 31, according to court documents. He is accused of robbing Ohio Savings Bank on West 25th Street Jan. 30 and robbing PNC on West 25th Street Feb. 13, an FBI spokeswoman says. Investigators are asking the public for help in tracking down Lloyd, who they say should be considered armed and dangerous. He was last seen in the West 25th Street area, according to the spokeswoman. Lloyd has a gun-shaped tattoo under his right eye, the FBI says. He's 5-feet 9-inches and weighs about 150 pounds. Lloyd walked into the Ohio Savings Bank on Jan. 30 and handed a teller a note that read "Give me $2,500 in cash and I will not shoot you," court documents say. He made off with $918, records say. Lloyd flashed a gun in his waistband during that robbery and also had a gun during the PNC robbery, the spokeswoman says. Anyone with information on Lloyd's whereabouts should contact the Cleveland Division of the FBI, Cleveland police, or Crimestoppers. Tips can remain anonymous and reward money is being offered. To comment on this story, please visit cleveland.com's crime and courts comments page. February 8, 2017 CAIRO Two non-official visits by Egyptians to war-torn Syria within less than two weeks have sparked speculation that a rapprochement between Cairo and Damascus might be in the works. An Egyptian talk show host and a production crew landed Jan. 7 in Aleppo, while on Jan. 19 members of the Egyptian Engineers Syndicate, led by syndicate head Tareq al-Nabarawy, arrived in Damascus at the invitation of Nabarawy's counterpart, Ghiyath al-Qutaini. The media visit was announced when Youssef al-Hosiny, host of Bitawqit al-Qahira (Cairo Time) on the satellite station ONTV, tweeted, I am on my way to the airport, flying to Syria, the eagle of the East, to learn and report what happened to the free Aleppo, and Damascus, the Pearl. Ill be back, God willing, to Cairo, with a different and hard-hitting episode. Ibrahim Gad, a member of the production team, told the Huffington Posts Arabic edition Jan. 10 that only the show's content production team accompanied Hosiny and that the trip had been arranged in coordination with Egyptian authorities. The team met with Egypts charge daffaires in Syria, Mohamed Tharwat. A source at ONTV told Al-Monitor that the purpose of the visit was to record the destruction of Aleppo and the prevailing atmosphere. The source said the timing of the visit after government forces and their allies took full control of Aleppo was merely coincidental, not arranged by the TV station or Hosiny to tout President Bashar al-Assad's victory. A report based on the trip aired Jan. 24 on ONTV, eliciting criticism on a number of websites opposed to Assad, such as Almodon.com. Hosiny opens the program standing in a graveyard where victims of the Aleppo war are buried. He says, We ask you to pray that God grant a peaceful rest to those martyrs who fell victim to terrorism and armed groups that unfortunately controlled the city for a while. In another segment, he says, The martyrs died in defense of their country, territory and honor. Unfortunately, they were killed at the hands of terrorism and armed groups that held the Syrian city of Aleppo for a while before being freed. This, some anti-Assad websites argued, represents an attempt to brand all the armed opposition factions as terrorists and apostates and is an example of Hosiny deliberately turning a blind eye to the roles of Syrian fighters, Russian bombing and Iranian militias in destroying Aleppo. Of note, Hosiny was not the only media figure who traveled Jan. 7 from Egypt to Syria. Moustafa El Saeed, a journalist with the semi-official Al-Ahram, wrote Jan. 7 on his Facebook page, At the Cairo airport. Flying to Damascus, then to eastern and western Aleppo, and Tartus. As for the engineers' visit, Nabarawy announced Jan. 19 that he had brought with him a draft agreement on cooperation to present to Qutaini and for discussion with Syrian engineers on activating it. The most important terms of the agreement is that each syndicate operates as an umbrella protecting the other syndicates members working in its country, Nabarawy said in a statement. The cooperation protocol suggests cooperation to exchange expertise and take advantage of the syndicate members expertise in the implementation of national development projects. On Jan. 24, a number of the Egyptian syndicates general assembly and popular council members criticized the Syria visit to the Youm7 newspaper; they also complained about a Jan. 21 meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis. They argued that the delegation had gone beyond the syndicates role as a labor union by venturing into the political sphere and demanded that an internal investigation be opened into the matter. In a statement to Youm7, they said, As we previously objected to any political interference in the syndicates affairs and to the [Muslim] Brotherhood board delegations visit to Gaza [in 2012 and 2013, when Brotherhood members controlled the syndicates board], we oppose the visit to Syria, which is political, and we have nothing to do with politics. These principles have not changed. Commenting on the criticism, Nabarawy told Al-Monitor, It was a technical, vocational and syndicate visit that has nothing to do with politics. It showed Egyptian engineers willingness to take part in the reconstruction of Syria to meet the Syrian peoples needs. This matter is one of honor for any Egyptian engineer, devoid of any political considerations. We signed a protocol for cooperation with Syria, similar to the protocol previously signed with Iraq and that did not ignite criticism back then. On Nov. 15, the US House of Representatives passed a bill imposing sanctions on any countries or companies providing the Syrian government financial support or conducting business with the Assad regime, which has been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Some observers therefore interpreted the media and engineers' visits as backdoor channels to avoid being sanctioned while working to arrive at an eventual Cairo-Damascus rapprochement. Ashraf Abdel-Aziz, an Arab affairs researcher at the Regional Center for Strategic Studies, dismissed the idea of the Egyptian government using unofficial parties to broker a rapprochement with the Syrian regime. He told Al-Monitor, This is because Egypt does not support the Assad regime, but does support stability in Syria, in order to preserve the regions security. Also, the US bill distinguishes between support for the Syrian regime and support for the Syrian people through humanitarian assistance." Amid speculation about the true nature of the recent visit, the possibility remains that they could indeed have been nonpolitical endeavors as billed. Forking over a billion dollars to acquire a five-year-old company can't come easy. That's what Unilever did when it purchased Dollar Shave Club last year. Now, the consumer products conglomerate is seeking outside innovation by launching its own co-working space in its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore. The space, LEVEL3, is an open collaboration area that can host as many as 50 startups and is connected by an open staircase to main Unilever offices. "Speed of innovation has never been faster," Paul Polman, Unilever's CEO, told a crowd at the opening of the space. "It's confusing a lot of companies. It's confusing a lot of individuals." "Increasingly, ideas are coming from outside of just the four walls of Unilever," said Jonathan Hammond, who heads the company's platform to engage with startups, Unilever Foundry. "There's a need for us to engage and work with those people from outside Unilever." And while Uber, SpaceX, and Tesla were among the more than 130 tech companies that joined a friend-of-the-court brief opposing Trump's immigration order, IBM was not a signatory. In December a spokesperson for the company told BuzzFeed News that IBM would no help build or provide data for a Muslim registry, an idea Trump proposed during the presidential campaign. "No, IBM would not work on this hypothetical project. Our company has long-standing values and a strong track record of opposing discrimination against anyone on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. That perspective has not changed, and never will." Here is the memo in full: Engaging the World Team, I'm writing you from the United Arab Emirates, where I've been meeting with leaders from business, academia and government. Tomorrow I will have similar discussions with leaders in South Africa. Last month I met with heads of state from European and Asian nations. And last Friday, as many of you know, I met with President Trump. IBM leaders have been engaging directly with every U.S. president since Woodrow Wilson, and this was my ninth such meeting since becoming CEO. Like my predecessors, I'm invited to these discussions because of the trusted perspective IBM offers in solving problems. At the White House, we discussed a wide range of issues from smarter infrastructure investments, to increasing the number of women in the workforce, to cybersecurity, to jobs. And, of course, we spoke about the president's recent executive order affecting immigration and travel. Into this discussion I brought IBM's perspective as a truly global company. We employ people serving clients in more than 170 countries, and we embrace people of all faiths and backgrounds. We would not be the company we are today without the benefit of immigration and the flow of talent across all our markets. From this great diversity, we draw strength as a company. Because we are so large and so global, our perspective is also special. IBMers and their families have been touched by terrorist attacks, from New York, to Paris, to the skies over Egypt. And IBMers have been touched, too, by the executive order put in place two weeks ago. In every case, my first priority has been to support and care for the employees and families most directly affected. As elected leaders make decisions on national policy, we seek to provide ideas and solutions grounded in our values and technological expertise. Both. So on Friday, I discussed with the President and the Secretary of Homeland Security ways that advanced technology could address national security imperatives while also permitting lawful immigration and travel. I explained that this is not an either/or choice. Our points were heard, and we will continue to engage to find solutions that align with our values. Some have suggested that we should not engage with the U.S. administration. I disagree. Our experience has taught us that engagement reaching out, listening and having authentic dialogue is the best path to good outcomes. IBM does not espouse a partisan or political point of view. Alone among our major competitors, we do not make political contributions, and we do not endorse candidates for office. We never have. But if IBM does not have politics, it does have values. IBMers believe in helping our clients succeed beyond even their own expectations; in innovation that matters to the world; in building relationships based on trust and personal responsibility. And we have always led the world of business in diversity, inclusion and tolerance. Inspired by those values and that legacy, I offer every government leader with whom I engage innovative ideas to address national challenges. This is what we do. It has been our ethos for more than a century. And it's why so many of us chose to become IBMers. Where others see the unsolvable, we see solutions. I could not be more proud of what you do every day to live our Values and to make the world a better place. It is what makes IBM, IBM. Ginni A general view shows the Four Seasons Hotel building in Hong Kong on February 1, 2017. A Chinese billionaire has been abducted in Hong Kong by mainland agents, according to reports on January 31. Doubts are rising over missing tycoon Xiao Jianhua's grip on his vast business empire, with one source close to Xiao's family saying the billionaire's contact with the outside world has been severed "in the last couple of days". The source said that in the days immediately after his return to the mainland from Hong Kong on January 27, Xiao had been allowed limited external contact, including phone calls to his wife. "That's not the case any more," the source said last night. But another source close to the investigation insisted that Xiao was still in contact with his wife and his business associates. Xiao has not been seen since he disappeared on the eve of Lunar New Year. More from the South China Morning Post: Why silence is golden for Chinese tycoons in 2017 HK police insist missing tycoon entered mainland legally Don't be swayed by interest groups, Chinese president warns cadres The saga took another turn yesterday with The New York Times reporting that Yao Long, one of Xiao's employees, was taken from Hong Kong International Airport on Sunday night as he tried to board a flight for Tokyo. Hong Kong's Immigration Department was investigating whether Yao's travel document was valid, the report said. The department said it would not comment on individual cases. But an officer at the department's detention centre at Ma Tau Kok said a man named Yao Long had been held there since Sunday night and was taken away by officers from the department's investigation branch yesterday morning . Under Hong Kong law, the authorities can hold Yao without charge for up to 48 hours. Xiao, has built up a sprawling business empire of financial vehicles and listed companies that could send major shocks through to the market if their shares collapsed. Sources have told the South China Morning Post that Beijing is eager to avoid any market fallout from the Xiao case. Shares linked to Xiao and his Beijing-based Tomorrow Group have stabilised since an initial sell-off. Shares of Baotou Tomorrow Technology gained 0.23 per cent yesterday, Baotou Huazi Industry fell 1.75 per cent, while Xishui Strong Year gained 0.44 per cent. Shares of Toshiba tumbled on Wednesday after the electronics conglomerate said it would book a $6.3 billion hit to its U.S. nuclear unit, a write-down of more than shareholder equity with the company looking for finance options. Highlighting the scale of its financial concerns, Toshiba also ramped up plans to raise cash, announcing it would consider selling most, even all, of its stake in its prized flash-memory chips business. Shares traded down around 10.3 percent in late morning trade. The company has also launched a probe into whether there was potential inappropriate conduct during its 2015 acquisition of Westinghouse, Nikkei reported. Read the full report here. The developments came to light after Toshiba, due to release its third quarter earnings on Feb. 14, announced that the report has "not yet become available". Reports said the company would meet with bankers on Wednesday for further discussion. First lady Melania Trump said Tuesday the always-popular free public tours of the White House will resume in three weeks, on March 7. The tours had been suspended during the transition to the Trump administration, but the suspension has lasted longer than usual. That provoked some dismay in Congress, where members were questioning what was taking so long, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who tweeted about it Sunday. Chuck Grassley tweet The delay is in part because Mrs. Trump has not fully assembled her East Wing staff who help oversee the program under which ordinary Americans can get a look at some of the public rooms of the People's House. More from USA Today: You have 2 choices: Reduce spending now or scale back retirement lifestyle White House posts wrong versions of Trump's orders on its website Melania Trump says popular White House tours will resume in March "I am excited to reopen the White House to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year," Trump said in a statement issued by the office of the White House press secretary Sean Spicer. Mrs. Trump, who is not scheduled to move into the White House until June, has not yet appointed her own press secretary. But she has appointed Lindsay Reynolds as her chief of staff, and Reynolds served under former President George W. Bush as associate director of the White House Visitors Office. "The White House is a remarkable and historic site and we are excited to share its beauty and history," Mrs. Trump said in her statement. "I am committed to the restoration and preservation of our nation's most recognizable landmark. " Public tours of the White House are free of charge and first-come, first-serve. A limited number of spaces are available and tickets must be requested through a member of Congress, usually one's personal congressional representative. The tours are self-guided, generally running from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (excluding Federal holidays or unless otherwise noted). Tour hours will be extended when possible based on the official White House schedule. Visitors are encouraged to submit requests as early as possible. Tickets can be requested up to three months in advance and must be submitted no less than 21 days in advance. In 2015, the Obama administration lifted the 40-year ban on cameras and photos on public tours. Guests are now welcome to take photos throughout the White House tour route and are even encouraged to share their photos using the hashtag #WhiteHouseTour. Phones and compact still cameras with a lens no longer than 3 inches are allowed. Noah Oppenheim will become the new president of NBC News. NBC News will announce a significant reorganization of its leadership ranks, along with a major investment in a European TV network, a person briefed on the changes said Tuesday. Noah Oppenheim, the executive in charge of "Today," will become NBC News's new president, the person said. The NBC News chairman, Andrew Lack, will announce the changes to staff members Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Oppenheim will replace Deborah Turness, the top female executive in TV news, who will be moved into a new position president of NBC News International where she will be the news chief of the new European network, called Euronews. More from the New York Times: Top Wall Street Journal editor defends Trump coverage Apple tiptoes into producing original video but plans to pick up pace Disney drops PewDiePie and YouTube distances itself after reports of anti-semitic videos NBC's 25 percent stake in Euronews means that the network can, at long last, tap into an international market. This will enable it to compete more aggressively with CNN, which has a robust international presence (Euronews will be renamed Euronews NBC). Founded in 1993, the network has more than 400 journalists and is broadcast in 12 languages. Euronews has a wide footprint it reaches 277 million households across Europe, Africa and the Middle East but its viewership is small. NBC spent roughly $30 million for its stake in the network, according to the person briefed on the plan. Mr. Lack's announcement comes just two years after NBC had reached a low point at its news division. The network was dealing with a crisis involving Brian Williams, the "NBC Nightly News" anchor; "Today" was consistently losing to "Good Morning America"; and MSNBC's ratings were plummeting. Mr. Lack, who ran NBC in the 1990s, returned several months later and has worked stabilized the division. Mr. Oppenheim took over "Today" in June 2015 and brought a steady hand to the show following the short-lived and tumultuous run of Jamie Horowitz. Under his leadership, "Today" returned to the No. 1 morning show in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic important to news program advertisers. It has defeated ABC's "Good Morning America" in the category for more than a year 59 consecutive weeks of wins and it has narrowed the gap in the total viewer score: Last season, "Good Morning America," which averages about 4.7 million viewers, had a lead of more than 288,000 viewers over "Today"; this season, the lead is down to about 123,000 viewers. Mr. Oppenheim had to be lured back to "Today" two years ago after a flirtation with Hollywood. He wrote the screenplay for the film "Jackie." Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC and CNBC. As missile tests and alleged political assassinations deepen international concern about North Korea, the rogue nation may turn to the world's second-largest continent for help. "In recent years, North Korea has sought to increase its trade relationship with Africa, both as a sanctions evasion technique since African enforcement tends to be lax, and as a way of reducing the country's enormous dependence on China," said Marcus Noland, executive vice president and director of studies, at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in a Tuesday note. The national football teams of North Korea and Ghana at a quarter final match during the Women's 2016 FIFA World Cup in Jordan. Steve Bardens-FIFA / FIFA via Getty Images Indeed, an Africa pivot may be the only option left for the country officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) as Beijingits traditional allyincreasingly distances itself from the decades-old bilateral relationship amid international pressure. Following North Korea's sixth nuclear test over the weekend, the United Nations (UN) warned its members to "redouble efforts" to enforce existing sanctions against the pariah state but refrained from meting out new punishment. In November, the UN cut one of Pyongyang's major income sources, coal exports, in response to a nuclear detonation in September. It may be surprising to some but Pyongyang has long fostered diplomatic, economic and military relations with various African countries, which have thrived even after the widespread international condemnation that followed North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006. From 2007 to 2015, the value of annual trade activities between African states and the DPRK amounted to $216.5 million, higher than the average $90 million recorded from 1998 to 2006, according to a November report by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), a Pretoria-headquartered think tank associated with the UN. Because only seven African countries, or 13 percent of African Union members, have participated in the implementation of UN sanctions, North Korea may deliberately target African countries as a circumvention strategy, Noland warned. watch now A friendship rooted in socialism Workers of the Escondida copper mine start an indefinite strike in Antofagasta, Chile, on February 9, 2017. After rallying to a 20-month high, copper prices are now coming off as a workers' strike shows signs of easing at the world's largest mine of the red metal. Striking workers at Chile's massive Escondida copper mine and mine operator BHP Billiton said they have agreed to renew talks on Wednesday, Reuters reported, sparking hopes of an early settlement to the six-day stoppage. Benchmark three-month copper futures on the London Metal Exchange were up 0.3 percent at $6,063.5 per metric ton at 11.25 a.m. on Wednesday morning in Asia, off a 20-month high of $6,204 a metric ton on Monday. Prices were still supported by another disruption in copper supply at Freeport-McMoRan 's Grasberg mine in Indonesia, the world's second-largest copper mine, Reuters reported. The federal judge considering a landmark class action settlement involving 7.5 million allegedly defective Remington rifles is raising new concerns about what he called the "exceedingly small" number of gun owners who have filed claims to get their guns fixed. "It seems inconceivable to me that someone would have a firearm that might injure a loved one and not have it fixed," said U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith at the start of a three-hour hearing in Kansas City on Tuesday to consider final approval of the settlement. As of Monday, only about 22,000 owners have filed claims in the two years since the settlement was announced, attorneys say. With as many as 7.5 million guns, that's a claims rate of about 0.29 percent. Critics, including attorneys general from nine states and the District of Columbia, are urging Smith to reject the deal, in part because of those numbers. They also complain that the settlement sends a mixed message by allowing Remington to continue claiming the guns are safe. The case involves some of Remington's best-selling guns including the wildly popular Model 700 rifle, which CNBC first investigated in 2010. Lawsuits have alleged that for decades, Remington covered up a design flaw that allows the guns to fire without the trigger being pulled, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of serious injuries. Remington has consistently maintained the guns are free of defects and that the incidents are the result of user errors. But in late 2014, the company said that to avoid drawn-out litigation, it was agreeing to replace the triggers on millions of guns free of charge. Legere acknowledged that his company does not have the same amount of money to spend on commercials as the competition does. Instead, T-Mobile's approach is to pick its moments, and do them big. "Every move we make, it's our intent that the whole industry move," Legere told " Mad Money " host Jim Cramer on Tuesday. When T-Mobile CEO John Legere took over his company, he pledged that he would fix what he describes as a "stupid, broken, arrogant industry." "We do them disruptive; we do them with disruptive partners. And then we work around them. We manage the social," Legere said. Legere's goal is to have the entire industry move into the unlimited data for mobile, because in his view, the industry should be viewed from the perspective of unlimited. However, Legere admitted that there major changes are still needed. The changes on his radar include new devices, 5G and how to serve customers in a new and different way. "In a short period of time other companies are asking themselves, 'hey wait a minute, maybe there is a different way to engage our customers and employees.' And that is what I am. I am all about customers and employees," Legere said. T-Mobile announced a 16 cent earnings beat Tuesday, from a 29-cent basis, and higher-than-expected revenue, up 23 percent year-over-year. It also had 1.2 million branded postpaid subscribers, its best number in four quarters. Questions for Cramer? Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up! Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Vine Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com Various associates of President Donald Trump , including members of his presidential campaign, had multiple contact with senior Russian intelligence officials before the U.S. election, according to the New York Times . Russia's President Vladimir Putin (2nd L), Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L), Director of Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov (2nd R), and Director of Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 19, 2016. But the communications indicated no evidence that Trump's team was colluding with Moscow on influencing the election, the newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed American officials. Still, the amount of contact worried American intelligence agencies as it occurred while Trump was praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Times said. Read the full story here. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. Men look an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Beijing, China, January 5, 2016. Kim Kyung-Hoon | Reuters These days in China, the disappearance of a senior Communist Party cadre barely raises an eyebrow. Talk that China's insurance regulator Xiang Junbo may be under investigation is, however, different. It's not only because he decides who gets to sell life insurance in China the most juicy business in the country but also because of the deep involvement of political heavyweights in the industry. The rumour, which appeared on Friday in Ming Jing News a Chinese-language magazine and website that trades in salacious gossip and rumours about Communist Party cadres has not received official comment by the insurance regulator. Questions faxed to the regulator's Beijing office have received no reply. Xiang has not appeared in public since the annual insurance conference in mid January where he pledged to rein in the wild behaviour of China's insurance money. More from the South China Morning Post: China's obsession with skyscrapers reaches new heights Confusion over missing tycoon's grip on empire Cross hairs are on insurers as China takes aim at raiders With the blessing of former premier Wen Jiabao, the ex-auditor and central banker landed the top job at the China Insurance Regulatory Commission in 2011. He is in charge of granting life insurance licences, or virtual cash machines, or money printers as insiders call them. In the first 11 months of 2016, China's life insurers sucked in more than 1.1 trillion yuan of insurance premium, with investment schemes containing minimal insurance elements. That is growth of 2.7 times from the 2013 record, while the premiums collected from old-fashioned insurance policies only doubled to two trillion yuan. Front line salespeople typically promise their policyholders a guaranteed rate of return of over 6 per cent, double the prevailing bank deposit rate. Insurance companies are taking deposits from the public, without submitting to the regulatory restrictions and operating costs of a bank. watch now Much of the money will be used to serve the insurers' owners, for buying equities that owners are hoping to jack up, or investing in the owners themselves as trust products. Not surprisingly, the queue for an insurer's licence is long, growing to more than 100. Yet, the supply is scarce. Three insurers were approved in 2015, none last year and so far one this year, making a total of 69. The decision making has always been opaque. Compared to insurance companies, the much-criticised vetting of stock market listing applications are akin to navigating a maze with a map. Xiang once listed four qualifying criteria for obtaining an insurance licence a major shareholder with good financial, social and professional credentials; support for such state programmes as the "One Belt, One Road" project; registration in an area that does not have a local insurer; and innovation. A cursory look into the background of any of the lucky holders of insurance licences will tell you these criteria are a collective joke; most don't reveal who their owners are. Among them are the seven "bad boys" of the insurance industry, according to China's state news agency Xinhua in December, for their contributions to speculation in the stock market. These seven accounted for more than half of the deposits taken by the entire industry between January and November 2016. In the first quarter of last year alone, Anbang Life and Huaxia Life took in 131 billion yuan and 118 billion yuan of deposits from policyholders. Foresea Life, a four-year old insurer, took in 40 billion yuan. watch now Millennials are still recovering from the 2008 recession. The generation's overall lack of resources, combined with growing debts, has made millions delay the decisions traditionally associated with adulthood: Living independently, getting married, having children, and buying cars and houses. While the banks were bailed out back in 2008, today's millennials are being bailed out by their parents, who are boomers with much more disposable income. According to The New York Times, 40 percent of young millennials get financial support from parents to cover expenses. In many ways, millennials actually have it much worse than older generations. For instance, young workers are 40 percent more likely to not have retirement savings than Gen X and 50 percent more likely than baby boomers. At the same time, millennials are making $2,000 less than Gen X did at the same age back in 1980 and 20 percent are currently living in poverty. Toronto-based luxury apparel maker Canada Goose is preparing to file for a U.S. initial public offering of up to $100 million, according to a filing made Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In 2016, Canada Goose said it had revenue of $291 million, and $103 million of that revenue came from the U.S. The company reported a gross profit of $146 million and net income of $27 million for the same year. In going pubic, Canada Goose looks to expand globally. The Canadian clothing maker launched its national e-commerce platform in 2015 and then opened its first U.S. retail store in New York late last year. "We believe there is a large white space opportunity in other regions such as the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Pacific Northwest," Canada Goose said in a statement. The company also looks to grow its stronger markets of the United Kingdom, France, Japan and Korea. Lead underwriters of the offering include Canadian bank CIBC Capital Markets, Credit Suisse , Goldman Sachs and RBC Capital Markets . Shares will be traded on both the NYSE and Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "GOOS." The market rally is thin despite positive economic data pushing U.S. stocks to new highs, and that can worry investors about its authenticity, Art Cashin told CNBC on Wednesday. "It's not a very broad rally as it had been a couple weeks ago. So when it begins to narrow, you do worry about that," Cashin, director of NYSE floor operations at UBS, told "Squawk on the Street." Driving what he called the "very narrow" rally were and , Cashin said, both of which are frequent chart-toppers in their respective sectors, financials and technology. "The volume was nothing to write home to mother about," he said. "So you look at those things and say, 'How much of this is an illusion and how much of it's real?'" Cashin added that the market's "theoretical resistance" is also bubbling up, with the bouncing in a range of 2,337 to 2,341. "If they punch through there, they could possibly get a tailwind and ... kind of another minor breakout," Cashin said. After Cashin's interview, the index was up just under 0.2 percent, at 2,341.38. The floor director said traders and investors should be weary of upcoming market movers on Wednesday like Fed Chair Janet Yellen's question and answer in her congressional hearing and the Department of Energy's crude inventory data. Barack Obama shakes hands with Donald Trump during the Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2017. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images Obama's first four weeks accomplished an enormous amount By the time the stimulus was signed, Obama had already signed two significant pieces of legislation. One, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, changed the statute of limitations on pay discrimination lawsuits to make it easier for victims of unfair labor practices to obtain compensation. The other, a reauthorization and expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, has since been overshadowed by the Affordable Care Act, but it was a significant bill in its own right. The bill added almost $33 billion in funding to provide insurance coverage to about 4 million children, including for the first time a provision to allow legal immigrants to obtain coverage without a waiting period. The money was found through an increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco products. A 2012 study from Jidong Huang and Frank Chaloupka found that the increase reduced the number of teen smokers by about 250,000 and the number of teen smokeless tobacco users by nearly 200,000 in the short term. Even more consequentially, they believe the "long-term projected number of youth prevented from smoking or using smokeless tobacco that resulted from the 2009 federal tax increase could be much larger," since smoking is, famously, addictive, so the impact of getting people to not start is cumulative over time. That adds up to many thousands of lives saved over the years while the Lilly Ledbetter Act's provisions are already sufficiently entrenched that there is zero GOP effort to reverse them. Either of these bills is easily more significant than anything Trump has done so far, yet both are dwarfed by the long- and short-term impact of the stimulus bill. ARRA was more than a fiscal stimulus The stimulus bill's primary purpose, of course, was to promote economic recovery. And while economists will debate until the cows come home exactly how successful and how cost-effective it was at doing this, there is broad expert consensus that it created jobs and reduced the unemployment rate during the peak crisis years. Congressional Budget Office estimates of its impact across four years show that even if you believe the most pessimistic assessments, it added hundreds of billions of dollars to total economic output and supported millions of jobs (See chart here). But beyond the short-term economic impact, the stimulus also had a substantial long-term legacy. The Trump administration, meanwhile, not only has almost no legislative accomplishments but also shows no sign of having made any progress. One clear example of this is the way the Race to the Top grant program which made education money available to states contingent on adopting administration-favored policy reforms spurred change nationwide. The University of Chicago's William Howell concluded in a 2015 assessment that this worked. Regardless of the merits of the underlying reforms, "the president managed to stimulate reforms that had stalled in state legislatures, stood no chance of enactment in Congress, and could not be accomplished via unilateral action." They repaired 42,000 miles of road, bought more than 12,000 mass transit vehicles, and cleaned up water supplies nationwide. Tax credits for renewable energy production kept the wind and solar energy sectors afloat at a time when business investment was tanking, and have semipermanently entrenched these industries as significant players in the American energy mix. There are now twice as many jobs tied to solar energy production as coal, as solar installations have soared 2,000 percent. Trump, obviously, has not yet signed laws transforming American education, health, or transportation policy. Trump hasn't even started on anything Barack Obama shakes hands with Donald Trump during the Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2017. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images A generous income tax refund from Uncle Sam may feel like free money, but don't be fooled it isn't. For the 2015 tax year, the average refund was $2,860, according to the Internal Revenue Service. It's a chunk of change that taxpayers can put toward paying down debt, saving for retirement or socking away into an emergency fund. watch now Now the bad news: If the IRS sends you a massive check this spring, it means you've likely overpaid on taxes throughout the year. The federal agency expects to receive more than 153 million tax returns this season. "A large refund from the IRS may seem like an advantage, but it isn't the best or most effective use of your cash flow," said Tim Steffen, director of financial planning at Robert W. Baird & Co. "You're basically giving the IRS an interest-free loan," he said. If you're an employee, your employer likely gave you a Form W-4 when you were hired, which you can adjust to make sure the right amount of income tax is withheld from your paycheck. More from Your Money Your Future: Here's how to get your taxes done for free That '4 percent rule' could spell trouble for early retirees Why everyone needs to check their paycheck On the form, you'll make note of your spouse, your dependents and your filing status; these are your "personal allowances." The more allowances you have, the less tax will be withheld. "Some people read the form and think 'I'm married and have three kids,'" said Cari Weston, director of tax practice and ethics at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. "They end up with five allowances and owe substantial taxes at the end of the year." The IRS has a calculator to help you figure out the correct withholding. The safest course to avoid owing a large amount at tax time is to fill out your W-4 as "single" or "married but withhold at higher single rate" and take no personal allowances. However, this may also set you up for having excess taxes withheld throughout the year leading to that large refund in the spring. The freshman congressman from Florida who aims to eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency has finally released text of the agency-killing bill and it tops out at just more than 40 words. News that Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz would introduce legislation to abolish the EPA has stirred consternation on social media since the Huffington Post first reported his plans to propose the measure two weeks ago. The bill was introduced into the House on Feb. 3, but the text was not available until recently. It contains little more than an intention and a deadline: A BILL To terminate the Environmental Protection Agency. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. TERMINATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. The Environmental Protection Agency shall terminate on December 31, 2018. The bill is being co-sponsored by three other Republicans: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi and Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia. Gaetz took office in January after serving in the Florida House of Representatives. The other three lawmakers were sworn into Congress within the last six years. A spokesperson for Gaetz was not immediately available to comment. "The EPA has been doing some drastic things," Gaetz recently told the Northwest Florida Daily News. "They have exceeded their original mission substantially under both Republican and Democratic presidents and violated the sovereignty of the states. I think we need to start fresh." The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works moved forward President Donald Trump's pick to lead the EPA, Scott Pruitt, earlier this month despite a boycott by Democrats. Pruitt drew national attention for suing the EPA over Obama-era regulations while serving as Oklahoma's attorney general and for his history of questioning the science behind climate change. After making billions of dollars in losses since the start of the century, General Motors may be ready to off load Opel to French automaker PSA Group for about $1 billion, according to analysts at Evercore ISI. Despite European car sales at a nine-year high, auto makers have struggled to make a profit. Detroit-based GM has accumulated more than $15 billion of losses at its Opel arm since 2000 but has held onto its European operations to allow it to develop compact cars and diesel engines. However, global demand for diesel is in decline and therefore GM should be set to benefit from a potential split with Europe, Evercore ISI analysts said in a note. "General Motors have not made money in Europe for many years, it's a drain on free cash flow and with the European (car) sales above 15 million (units) now you'd argue we're at least three-quarters of the way through the cycle if you're not making money (now) then will you ever?" George Galliers, autos analyst at Evercore ISI, told CNBC on Wednesday. "We like the deal, particularly from General Motors' perspective." "Valuing GME is extremely difficult, given the entity's struggle to make money over the years. It does not seem unreasonable to assume that GM might actually contribute money (pay) to dispose of the asset," Evercore said in a note. Excluding pensions and other liabilities estimated to be in the region of $10 billion "and if we equated a sale price of PSA paying up to $1 billion to GM, it would be the equivalent of 6-8 times the potential earnings of a restructured GME." Any deal may have to overcome political obstacles in the U.K. and Germany, as any merger could lead to job losses. Opel employs 28,000 people in Germany and 4,500 in Britain. Germany's labor minister Andrea Nahles said Wednesday that there were talks "at all levels" with Opel, GM and PSA to make sure plants remained open in Germany. "The German government intensively discussed at a cabinet meeting today the issue of Opel" Nahles was quoted as saying by Reuters. Heineken entered the U.K. pub market in 2008 with the acquisition of Scottish & Newcastle, during what Van Boxmeer describes as a "perfect storm" following the global financial crisis. The company has announced proposals for a back-to-back deal with Vine Acquisitions, which, once complete, will see it acquire 1,900 British pubs within the Punch Taverns group. Jean- Francois Van Boxmeer, the brewer's chief executive, told CNBC Wednesday that, despite contraction in the U.K. pub sector, he believes it is still a "good business to be in" as the group forecasts further growth over the coming year. Heineken , the world's second largest beer brewer, is looking to pour new life into one of the U.K.'s great "institutions" as it continues to buy up British pubs. Since then, the brewer's U.K. arm has continued to build its Star Pubs & Bars business, having invested over 20 million ($24.91 million) per year since 2014, resulting in an estate of 1,049 leased and tenanted pubs. "We have an expertise in developing that business and hence also the proposed acquisition of part of the Punch estate would strategically add to our strength in the U.K.," explained Van Boxmeer. The firm has received criticism over claims that it would force landlords to sell Heineken products. However, a spokesperson for Heineken on Wednesday reiterated comments made at the time of the Punch deal by Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Heineken's pub arm, saying: "Will not impose our portfolio on them." The pubs deal follows news Monday that Heineken is to acquire Brasil Kirin Holding, one of the largest beer and soft drinks producers in Brazil. The deal will increase the group's footprint in Brazil, one of its growing markets, particularly in the north east, where it previously lacked exposure. "It's a bolt-on acquisition but it's built on the confidence that we can make progress in Brazil," Van Boxmeer told CNBC. The company released its full-year earnings for 2016 on Wednesday with revenues of 20.79 billion euros ($21.98 billion) coming in slightly ahead of the company's own expectations of 20.57 billion euros. The group noted continued growth in regions of the Americas (including Brazil), as well as Asia Pacific and Europe in it 2016 results. Overall, beer volumes grew 3 percent in 2016, having been partially dampened by weakening demand from Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Heineken's 2016 results market a 1.4 percent increase in revenues for the year, up from 20.51 billion euros in 2015. This comes despite what the business termed a "negative impact" from currency fluctuations. Net profit was up 8.5 percent, compared to 2015 numbers. Meanwhile, total dividends were up 3.1 percent at 1.34 euros per share, an improvement of 0.04 euros on the previous year. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., and Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., announced a joint resolution earlier this month to stop a Labor Department rule that broadens the accessibility of individual retirement accounts. The House of Representatives advanced two bills to overturn federal rules that would make it simpler for states to start IRAs for private-sector workers without a 401(k). Following passage in the House on Wednesday, the bills go to the Senate. If they pass there, they go to President Donald Trump's desk for signature. IRA simplification The regulation, released last August, established a road map for states to set up IRAs that participants would fund through payroll deductions. These IRAs are similar to the accounts already available to investors: They have contribution limits of $5,500 each year, plus $1,000 if you're 50 and over. The rule that governs 401(k) plans the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 has kept states from moving forward with payroll deduction IRAs. This was because it wasn't clear how these state-based plans would be subject to ERISA. "When something is subject to ERISA, it becomes expensive to maintain," said Marcia Wagner, managing director of The Wagner Law Group in Boston. The rule from last summer would keep ERISA from pre-empting state law. These jurisdictions already have their own regulations that would apply to the IRAs. "Employers will face a confusing patchwork of rules, and many small businesses may forgo offering retirement plans altogether," Rooney said in a statement when he co-sponsored the resolution. "Congress must act to protect workers and small businesses from these misguided regulations." Retiree advocacy groups expressed concern over what the House passage of the two provisions might mean for jurisdictions that are weighing these IRA programs. "That's the more critical question: What will happen next?" said Cristina Martin Firvida, AARP, director of financial security. "The states that have enacted these programs are committed to the programs that they've legislated," she said. "The states that are considering bills, that have voted on them but haven't had them go to signature we are concerned these resolutions will have a chilling effect on that activity." AARP estimates 55 million individuals don't have a way to save for retirement from their regular paycheck. State-based saving Eight states have enacted legislation to build retirement savings programs for workers: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. The Massachusetts plan is currently available for workers at small nonprofits, but the Bay State has introduced legislation that will make a program available to private-sector workers who don't have a 401(k). California's Secure Choice program is one of the newest efforts to be put in place. Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law last September, establishing the program. The vote comes on the heels of recent controversy surrounding the Labor Department's fiduciary regulation, a measure that requires financial advisors to provide you with advice that is in your best interest. In a presidential memorandum, Trump called on the department to review the regulation. The agency is now exploring options to delay its originally scheduled April 10 applicability date. (This story has been updated to add comments.) Ethan Bloch was in junior high school in Baltimore during the dot-com boom. For his bar mitzvah the ceremony that welcomes 13-year-old Jewish boys into adulthood Bloch received $7,000 in cash. It was 1998 and, like so many amateur traders at the time, he plunged his wealth into the stock market, mostly software and telecommunication names like Lucent and Nortel. He quickly tripled his money. By age 15, it was all gone. "This knocked me over the head and left a burning curiosity that I still carry today," said Bloch, now 31, from the San Francisco headquarters of his financial-tech start-up Digit. "I realized I didn't know s--- about how any of this was working." Now Bloch is playing into another trend that's taking over Silicon Valley: Machine learning. Using the combination of massive data sets, exploding compute capacity in the cloud and a host of analytics tools, entrepreneurs are training computers to make increasingly sophisticated decisions. Eventually, the experts say, we'll land at true artificial intelligence, where computers are smart enough to train computers. And it's going to upend the traditional banking industry. Helping consumers with their finances It's hardly a straight line from the dot-bomb blunder to Bloch's new gig developing an automated savings tool for millennials. But Bloch says he's been obsessed with finance for almost two decades, even while running his first software start-up Flowtown, a social media marketing platform. Bloch sold Flowtown to Demandforce for a few million bucks in 2011. The following year, having banked enough cash to follow his passion, Bloch set out on a mission to improve consumers' financial health. The tagline on his website is, "Save money, without thinking about it." The company is initially targeting younger consumers, who've grown up in an era dominated by smartphones and a loathing for brick-and-mortar banks. watch now Digit's software plugs into a user's checking account, analyzing expenses and income and determining how much money could be stashed away without the customer feeling it. Based on the personalized algorithm, Digit puts a few bucks or so a week into a savings account, notifying users with a simple text to help them pay off college or credit card debt or prepare for a wedding. It also serves up reminders to eliminate late fees and recently launched a notification bot on Facebook Messenger. Digit says that it's saved more than $350 million for its customers. That includes people like Jenn Chen, a former community manager at a San Francisco software company who's now in between jobs. Chen has saved close to $16,000 over the past three years using Digit, money that would have otherwise remained in her checking account and more than likely have been spent. "It started off small and as time went by, I started seeing different ways I could increase that amount and be OK," she said. The savings were of particular importance after a hit-and-run accident left her with a hefty out-of-pocket payment for hospital bills. The changing workforce According to Goldman Sachs, machine learning and AI will enable $34 billion to $43 billion in annual "cost savings and new revenue opportunities" within the financial sector by 2025, as institutions use technological advancements to maximize trading opportunities, reduce credit risk and lower compliance and regulatory costs. What that means for the labor force is a complicated equation. The banking sector contracted dramatically during last decade's financial crisis, with the failure of large institutions like Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual and mass layoffs elsewhere. Three of the four largest U.S. banks Citigroup , Wells Fargo and Bank of America have fewer employees than they did in 2008. Jobs most in jeopardy from here are those that lend themselves to automation. Bank tellers will see an 8 percent decline between 2014 and 2024, and the number of insurance underwriters will drop by 11 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the flip side, financial firms are hiring software developers and data scientists, areas of employment growth. Arvind Purushotham, a managing director at Citigroup's venture investing arm, is backing start-ups in fraud detection and security whose technology can potentially be applied internally at the banking giant. While there's a shift in the skills required to meet the financial challenges of the future, the problems are still being solved by people. "We think of human-assisted AI and AI-assisted humans," said Purushotham, "There are some things that humans can do that software programs can't hope to catch up to in decades." Expanding the lending pool The problem Douglas Merrill is trying to tackle will require sophisticated machines. Merill, who spent five years as Google's chief information officer, is the founder and CEO of ZestFinance, a Los Angeles-based start-up that's out to end the predatory system of payday lending by building algorithms that can underwrite people with little to no credit history. (He's among a handful of ex-Googlers applying computer science to finance. Consumer lender Upstart was created by former Google executives and is led by Dave Girouard, who previously ran Google's enterprise business. PeerStreet, a marketplace that matches real estate with investors, was co-founded by Brett Crosby, a former product marketing director at Google.) Merrill, who has a Ph.D in cognitive science from Princeton University, lives and breathes this stuff. From his vantage point, true machine learning is almost entirely absent from the lending industry despite a rapid acceleration over the past half-decade in online banking and underwriting. Consumer lenders like LendingClub , Prosper and SoFi have built substantial Web-based businesses using technology, but they're still targeting borrowers with good, if not pristine, credit. ZestFinance CEO Douglas Merrill. Source: ZestFinance That approach does nothing for Americans who struggle to make ends meet and rely on cash advances from one of the country's 20,000 payday lenders that populate mostly low-income areas. ZestFinance is looking for non-traditional data information that can't be found in credit files to determine the types of behavior that can help predict whether someone will repay debt. It turns out that a prospective borrower who fills out an application in all capital letters is a greater-than-average credit risk. While mounds of data exist that would help in developing new credit models, much of it sits in places that are very difficult to reach. For example, finding out if a bank account is open can be "super challenging," Merrill said. "I didn't foresee how hard would be to get access to a large number of those third-party data streams," said Merrill, whose 100-person team includes more than 30 data science and machine learning experts. "To run a big data and machine learning shop you have to have big data and machine learning." This week, ZestFinance introduced the Zest Automated Machine Learning (ZAML) platform, opening up the technology to any bank, credit card issuer or auto finance company. Merrill is also testing his algorithms in perhaps the world's greatest ocean of messy data: China. Through partnerships with e-retailer JD.com and Internet search provider Baidu , ZestFinance is aiming to help create a system for lending to half a billion people who lack any credit history. "Lenders in China are beginning to use these advanced techniques that analyze non-traditional variables, whether search, shopping or other data, to form the backbone of a new credit infrastructure," Merrill wrote recently in Chinese business publication Boao Review. "The credit landscape in China is about to change drastically." watch now The revolution is coming, but slowly The data suggests human lenders in the U.S. are still safe, for the time being. According to the BLS, the number of loan officers will increase 8 percent annually through 2014. Since the election of Donald Trump, bank stocks have rallied as investors wager that a Republican-controlled government will ease regulations on big financial firms just as rising rates will help boost earnings. Shares of Citigroup, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Bank of America have each jumped more than 20 percent since Trump declared victory on Nov. 9. But as JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon wrote in his letter to shareholders in 2015, "Silicon Valley is coming." Here's one reason. Adyen, a 500-person payments start-up with offices in Amsterdam, San Francisco and 10 other cities, generates more than $1 million in revenue per employee. That looks more like Google than JPMorgan , which is around $400,000 per employee. Over the last two years, Adyen has been staffing up on data scientists to develop systems for preventing fraud. Adyen's customers range from Airbnb, Netflix and Spotify to easyJet and NH Hotels. When consumers sign up or make purchases on those apps, Adyen's software gets to work determining how much it can trust the buyer and whether another form of authentication is needed. It's a tricky formula. Asking for more information, be it the answer to a secret question or a code that's sent to a mobile phone, makes it more likely the consumer will drop off without completing the transaction. Minimizing fraud while maximizing so-called conversions is the goal, and it requires a personalized experience. Adyen's engine analyzes the shopper to figure out in real time if it's a regular customer and if the device, e-mail address and account information are familiar. A trusted buyer can go right through, but any red flags may mean more information is needed. Adyen watch now Marine Le Pen is on course to be the next president of France, according to one fund manager's big-data analysis. Arun Kant, chief executive and chief investment officer at Singapore-based investing firm Leonie Hill Capital, told CNBC he expected the right-wing populist to prevail thanks to his firm's proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) system's analysis of troves of data. His analysis which he said incorporates inputs such as social and traditional media discussions, polling, economics and demographics predicts that Le Pen will "walk over" her opponents in the first electoral test and then prove most forecasters wrong and steal the lead in the second ballot, Kant said. The French vote is split into two phases, with the top two candidates from the April 23 round due to face each other in a second run-off on May 7. In the running alongside 48-year old Le Pen are former economy minister and independent candidate Emmanuel Macron, conservative ex-prime minister Francois Fillon and socialist Benoit Hamon. Kant's AI program predicts that Le Pen would take 28 percent of the vote in the first round, he said, which would best 16.4 percent for Fillon, and 19 to 20 percent for Macron. Current inputs are pointing to a Macron victory in the second round 52.3 percent to 47.7 for Le Pen Kant said, but he added that he expects the right-wing politician to gain considerable ground after a first round victory. "If she wins the first round, this dynamic will change," he said, noting the similarities between the populist appeal of Le Pen and President Donald Trump. And with this predicted momentum, Le Pen will likely win the presidency, Kant said. watch now An IFOP poll published on Feb. 14 placed Le Pen in the lead for the April 23 ballot, with around 25.5 percent of the vote. Most election-watchers expect, however, that Le Pen would lose the second round of voting to Macron. In fact, Kant said his AI analysis predicted that the only way Macron could win is if some unexpected factor were to pull undecided voters in his favor. Le Pen, a former attorney, is leader of the French National Front (FN), a right-wing political party founded by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen. And this isn't the first time she's run for the country's top job. In the 2012 election, she won 17.9 percent of the vote in the first round, a record result for the FN, but failed to enter the second round. Her policies mirror those of Trump'sshe is a fierce critic of open borders and free trade. Like the White House chief, she also believes in nationalism and economic protectionism, having vowed to pull France out of the European Union. Announcing her candidacy for the French presidency in a strident speech earlier this month in Lyon, Le Pen told supporters that European "borders have been erased and our countries have become station concourses." "What is at stake in this election ... is whether France can still be a free nation," Le Pen said at that rally, according to Reuters. "The divide is not between the left and right any more but between patriots and globalists." Kant declined to share his investing plans around his Le Pen projection, but he did explain that he expected her victory to mean the beginning of the end of the European Union. And with that, he said, currencies around the world will see massive fluctuations and "it may lead to a financial crisis much sooner than anyone thinks." Still, Kant's prediction of a Le Pen victory is definitely not the consensus call. As of Tuesday, betting markets implied about a 30 percent chance of Le Pen winning the presidency. The bulk of strategists said they believe she can reach the second round, but will struggle to cross the 50 percent threshold needed to become president. Given the sheer unpredictability of recent political events like Brexit and Trump's rise to power, however, several experts told CNBC that anything was possible. There is a chance she could win the presidency, said Simon Baptist, global chief economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit. "Le Pen has taken care to present herself as a candidate with reasonable views, which has helped her to push the National Front from the fringes to the mainstream. Recent events, such as the refugee crisis, terrorist attacks, and the rise of populist leaders elsewhere, have also played into her hands." watch now The governor of Mexico's state of Jalisco is visiting more than 40 U.S. tech companies with the message that it's a great place for high tech, the latest cross-border recruitment effort to respond to U.S. immigration policy. Jalisco Gov. Jorge Aristoteles Sandoval Diaz will meet with California Gov. Jerry Brown, 13 large tech companies including Facebook and Google, and 30 startups beginning this week in California. It's an annual trip for officials from Jalisco, birthplace of tequila, synonymous with hot sauce, and sometimes called Mexico's Silicon Valley for its already thriving tech scene. More from USA Today: Amazon wants to drop packages by parachute Amazon's Jeff Bezos talks strategy with WaPo every 2 weeks Can a throwback phone revive Nokia? This year, the trip has an added purpose: to talk to Brown about a bi-lateral agenda to support Mexican citizens to remain in the U.S. And, Sandoval will promote capital city Guadalajara and the rest of Jalisco as a friendly environment for skilled workers that may have trouble getting hired by U.S. tech firms if the Trump administration passes more restrictions on H-1B visas, as a draft order indicated. "We want tech companies to know there is a huge opportunity in Jalisco for them to grow," Sandoval, who has created a cabinet-level Innovation Department, told USA TODAY in a phone interview Tuesday. "Jalisco has many advantages" a close time zone to Silicon Valley, talent, strong university system, government support and infrastructure, Sandoval said. The Trump administration's policies, in particular the possibility of an executive order that could curtail H-1B work visas, also work in Jalisco's favor, he said. The pitch is hardly a slam-dunk. Some tech companies remain reluctant to expand in Mexico, with a threatened 35 percent tariff from Trump on goods made there looming as large as his much-heralded wall. (Trump floated the idea of a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall, though White House spokesman Sean Spicer said it was one of several proposals.) There are also lingering questions about Jalisco's overall tech talent, poor broadband access in some areas and costs related to opening operations offshore. Nonetheless, Sandoval's push to raise awareness about Jalisco comes at a time when the U.S.'s northern neighbor, Canada, is also attempting to recruit tech workers as the U.S. halts entries of immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim nations and threatens to further limit H-1Bs, which offer a pipeline of talent from abroad. Canadian venture firms and companies are enticing U.S. start-ups with funding, sparkling new work spaces, broadband access and a relatively affordable cost of living. Jalisco's pitch is similar. The state on the western coast of central Mexico has blossomed into a thriving tech hub worth $21 billion. Guadalajara or coastal Puerto Vallarta are home to manufacturing, design and research-and-development operations for Intel, Hewlett Packard and Oracle, among others. Oracle and Intel house innovation centers in Guadalajara, and a 940-acre media-business center is under construction. Technology goods represent about 55 percent of Jalisco's exports, and account for 25,000 jobs in the state. Nearly a third of Mexico's tech business comes from Jalisco, according to a spokesman for Sandoval. "The Jalisco government is 100 percent focused on technology," says Bismarck Lepe, CEO of San Francisco-based tech services firm Wizeline. "It's an ideal region for intellectual property, and not cheap manufacturing." Lepe has deep ties to Mexico. His parents are from there, but left for the U.S. for a better economic opportunity. Lepe, who studied at Stanford Universityand worked at Google, decided to return in 2010 after a third-party analysis determined Guadalajara was fertile ground for tech talent. Half of Wizeline's 270 employees are in Guadalajara, most of them engineers. "We want to make Guadalajara a tech hub for the world from multinational companies to mid-tiers and start-ups," says Cindy Blanco, general director of StartupGDL, a nonprofit organization that champions the region. Guadalajara has lured entrepreneurs with a pool of tech talent fed by the university system, a comparable time zone (Central) to Silicon Valley and direct flights, Blanco says. The close proximity of Mexico and Canada could offer concerned American companies and workers an option should Trump issue executive orders on a revised travel ban, curtail H-1Bs and revise the NAFTA trade accord. Job seekers are likely to choose Canada as a backup. It was the most popular second destination, at 43%, followed by Australia (12%) and the United Kingdom (5%), based on 1,200 people tracked last week by Indeed, a job-search engine. Mexico was No. 12 on the list. 'Not an ideal solution' Mexico is at a disadvantage when it comes to talent, say tech executives. Its engineering pool isn't as bountiful in Mexico as it is in India and China, and salaries for Mexican engineers are significantly higher because competition for them is so fierce, says Stephen Stokols, CEO of FreedomPop, a wireless Internet and mobile virtual network operator. "Mexico is a primary market for us, but it's not an ideal solution," Stokols says. His Los Angeles-based company has 20 people about 10% of its worldwide workforce in Mexico City, mostly engineers. "We would have more people there, if the engineering talent were available." It can also be expensive to open operations south of the border and establish a payment system, says Jesus Hoyos, managing director at Solvis Consulting, which resells tech products in Mexico. Still, Mexico might offer as compelling a case for job seekers turned away by the U.S. It is a huge trade partner with the U.S. trade between the two companies totaled $583.6 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Trade Representative and the home to more than 1million Americans, the largest community for expatriates. (Nearly 40,000 American and Canadian expats are among Jalisco's population of seven million.) Members of the U.S. Army 173rd Airborne Brigade demonstrate urban warfare techniques as Ukrainian soldiers look on on the second day of the 'Rapid Trident' bilateral military exercises between the United States and Ukraine that include troops from a variety of NATO and non-NATO countries on September 16, 2014 near Yavorov, Ukraine. Getty Images Defense ministers from NATO are under pressure to raise thier contributions to the security group as conflicts grow across the world and as the new U.S. administration urges more compliance from member states. According to Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of NATO, the group faces "great security challenges" and as a result there needs to be "fair burden-sharing" and higher defense spending. "We do reduce defense spending in times when tensions are going down, we have to be able to increase defense spending when tensions are going up as they are now," Stoltenberg told reporters on Tuesday. NATO data confirmed Tuesday showed that last year spending increased in real terms by 3.8 percent among European allies and Canada. This boosted NATO's funds by about $10 billion. Even though such figures were slightly above expectations, Stolenberg told reporters the momentum has to continue. The new U.S. administration has repeatedly said that all 28 NATO members have to comply with their commitment to the spending target. At the moment, only five of them respect the 2 percent contribution: the U.S., Greece, the U.K., Estonia and Poland. watch now President Donald Trump has described NATO as "obsolete" and has claimed that it has not been successful in "taking care of terror", adding that European countries need to increase their defense contributions. "We only ask that all of the NATO members make their full and proper financial contributions to the NATO alliance, which many of them have not been doing," Trump said in a speech last week. His remarks have not been well-received in Europe, but Stoltenberg agreed with Trump when it comes to members' contributions. "In my two phone calls with President Trump defense spending has been a main topic and he has strongly expressed his strong commitment to NATO, to the transatlantic bond but at the same time President Trump has in both the phone calls also underlined the importance of a fairer burden sharing And I agree with him," Stoltenberg told reporters. A 'fundamental bedrock' "We are still working through a very difficult situation at the dam," he said. But he reiterated that the "dam structure is safe." Despite plugging the gouged hole in the emergency spillway with rocks, Croyle said challenges remain for California's second-largest dam. As of noon, he said there were 96 crew onsite working on repairs, but that is down from the 125 number provided in the morning by officials. "I can't believe how much work...they've done in the last couple of days to move material into the area below the emergency spillway," said Croyle, whose agency operates the dam. Construction crews continued to make repairs on the eroded emergency spillway Wednesday afternoon in an around-the-clock operation that Croyle said won't stop unless ground and wind conditions don't allow for it. They were using helicopters, heavy machinery and dumping rocks into the crevice of the damaged emergency spillway. He explained that the planned ramp-down of water releases from the primary spillway is a result of both progress in lowering the dam levels and also as a precautionary move because "we don't want to tear our flood-control structure up any more than it has." "This next storm won't pose a risk to the emergency spillway or the work we're doing," William Croyle, acting director of the California Department of Water Resources said at a noon press briefing in Oroville, California. State officials say they may slow down the spigot at the troubled Oroville Dam, even as they face approaching storms. Late Tuesday, President Donald Trump approved federal emergency aid for California as a result of the potential failure of Oroville Dam's emergency spillway, and separately to help recovery efforts in areas affected by January storms. Oroville Dam is the nation's tallest earthen dam. Also, residents started returning to their homes Tuesday after the mandatory evacuation order was lifted although some emergency shelters still had evacuees as of Wednesday morning. Businesses also started reopening in the affected areas but there was concern the financial impact of the mandatory evacuation may stick around for some time. "Normality seems to be taking hold," Sandy Linville, president and CEO the Oroville Area Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday morning. "People are really spent from the stresses of the last few days. Not only are you looking at businesses being hurt, but you're looking at the trickle-down effect to the individual person being hurt financially from not working." According to Linville, there still remained a "heightened awareness" of the Oroville Dam situation with the new storm approaching. "There are still about 300 people who choose not to come back and still are at the evacuation center in Chico." Indeed, after lifting the mandatory evacuation order Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said Tuesday that "an evacuation warning" would remain in effect given the possibility of future changes in the situation. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, the sheriff said preparation still is important for residents in the downstream communities. "This is an opportunity for them to get things togetherif the risk level increases and there's a need for us to issue an evacuation order," he said. The approval of the emergency declaration late Tuesday will provide money for the area and authorizes the use of federal equipment and resources to alleviate the impact of the dam incident. That allows the state to potentially get up to 75 percent federal reimbursement for "required emergency protective measures," which a Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson said includes things such as cots, water, blankets and food for sheltering evacuees but not the cost of repairing the dam's troubled emergency spillway. The FEMA spokesperson said the California governor would need to put in another request to the president to cover cost-sharing on spillway repairs. Separately, the major disaster declaration was made for the deadly January storms that caused flooding and mudslides. It also will allow FEMA to provide funds to help with debris removal as well as repair work to bridges, roads and other public facilities. "I want to thank FEMA for moving quickly to approve our requests," Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement. "This federal aid will get money and resources where it's needed most." A series of new storms is expected to approach Northern California and the Oroville area as early as Wednesday night. The mountains above Oroville are forecast to get 2 to 4 inches of precipitation by the end of Thursday, and snow levels will be lower than last week's storm so that will mean more snow and less rain and runoff into the lake, according to the National Weather Service. Lake Oroville Dam, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, gets major inflows from the Sierras and will be tested again in the spring when the snowpack begins to melt. The state's snowpack in the central Sierras region where Oroville is located sits at 183 percent of normal. Qualcomm Inc. CEO Steve Mollenkopf speaks during a keynote address at CES 2017 on January 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Less than a month after being served from Apple, CEO Steven Mollenkopf says he wouldn't want to have to argue the iPhone maker's side of the case. claimed in January that Qualcomm is receiving royalties for mobile technologies that "they have nothing to do with." One-third of Qualcomm's revenue comes from licensing its communications standards to other companies, smartphone makers in particular. Mollenkopf said on Wednesday that Qualcomm has 300-plus licenses, including 120 signed in China in the last two years. "It's tough to come in and say that this is not a solid business," Mollenkopf said at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco. "I'd hate to be on the other side of that argument." Qualcomm has been through this in the past. Mollenkopf highlighted a similar dispute with Nokia a decade ago. The big difference with Apple is that it's a much bigger and more dominant company than Nokia ever was. However, so is Qualcomm, which in addition to being a key component in practically every smartphone, is making a play for the broader world of connected devices and Internet of Things. Here are some of the key stories CNBC is following this hour: Defense Secretary James Mattis participated in his first NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels, where he again spoke about the U.S. commitment to the Western pact. Malaysian police arrested a woman in connection with the death of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Police say the woman was carrying Vietnamese travel documents when she was nabbed at the Kuala Lumpur airport. Young millennials top the list of the worst behaved drivers. The AAA reported that 88 percent of drivers ages 19 to 24 engaged in at least one risky behavior in the last month, including texting, running a red light and speeding. Traffic deaths rose in 2016 to their highest level in nearly a decade. Here are some of the key stories CNBC is following this hour: President Donald Trump held a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president made his first public comments on the firing of national security advisor Michael Flynn. Russia's foreign ministry said Russia will not hand back control of Crimea to Ukraine, in response to comments from the White House that the U.S. expects the Black Sea peninsula to be returned. A spokeswoman for the ministry said, "We don't give back our own territory." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, reported an 18 percent decline in HIV infections between 2008 and 2014. The drop was even greater among heterosexuals and IV drug users; however, there was an increase in infections in young gay and bisexual men. Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks with then-ExxonMobil Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson on August 30, 2011. Alexey Druzhinin | AFP | Getty Images Russia China and North Korea While Russia's relationship with the White House has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, some experts believe that China-U.S. ties pose the most serious challenge. According to Reuters, Tillerson has already played a key role in convincing Trump to change course and commit to recognize the "One China" policy. This was a key step in beginning to normalize relations between the governments, after Trump repeatedly lashed out at China and broke with longstanding U.S. policy by taking a call from the president of Taiwan. With China more economically able and politically inclined to assert itself globally, Tillerson will have to tread delicately in his relationship with Beijing. In addition, China's status as nuclear-armed North Korea's most important ally means that the U.S. has a significant interest in developing a relationship that would which would allow Tillerson to try and pressure Pyongyang through Beijing. China's help in containing North Korea, which has tested one ballistic missile since Trump came to office, will be crucial. However, Tillerson's comments during his confirmation hearings that the U.S. should "block access" to disputed islands China has reclaimed in disputed regions of the South China Sea set off a war of words with Beijing, suggesting that balancing the needs of Trump's "America First" stance with diplomacy could be problematic. NATO and Europe During the presidential campaign Trump sent spasms of anxiety through America's NATO partners, blasting the transatlantic military alliance as "obsolete," and suggesting the U.S. would not come to the aid of allies who were attacked unless they boosted financial contributions. Experts say that comments like these, combined with Trump's oft-expressed admiration for Putin, have left NATO members fearful that the alliance's strongest member would not defend them in the event of Russian aggression. "It's not a five-alarm fire yet, because that's been talk and what comes now is actual concrete policy," said Adam Quinn, an expert in international politics at the U.K.'s University of Birmingham. "The Europeans will be keen to see if they can steer the administration toward something more like what they would see as a workable solution." Trump's vocal support for Britain quitting the European Union, known as Brexit, has also ruffled feathers in Europe. At a recent summit of European leaders in Malta, presidents and prime ministers, including France's Francois Hollande, lined up to denounce Trump's comments on relations with Europe, branding the president's positions as "extremism." Donald Trump tweet Tillerson has already begun the process of trying to smooth out the relationship with EU, meeting with the bloc's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Iran Tillerson will face a complex set of challenges in the Middle East with Iran among them. Tehran and Washington are on opposite sides of a number of conflicts, with Iran helping prop up Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and training and supplying Houthi rebels in Yemen. It has also conducted three missile tests since Trump became president, which do not violate international agreements but are broadly seen as a challenge to the new administration. The Trump White House hit Iran with new sanctions for the tests and for its alleged sponsorship of terrorism. Then there's the 2015 agreement with Iran that seeks to curtail Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some international sanctions. Trump called it "the worst deal ever negotiated" during the campaign, but more recently reassured EU the administration was committed to fully implementing the pact. Israelis and Palestinians Trump, the famous dealmaker, has publicly said that he wants to kick-start a renewed push for peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. He has also suggested his son-in-law Jared Kushner could "make peace" between the two sides a goal that has defeated previous administrations. What exactly Trump and Tillerson plan to do is unclear. What is clear is that the new U.S. president is seen as sympathetic to hard-line Israeli settlements on private Palestinian land, an issue at the heart of the conflict. The president has also pledged to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem something that would likely enrage Palestinians and other Arabs. He also named David Friedman who voiced skepticism of a two-state solution, the bedrock of U.S. policy for the conflict, and compared left-leaning pro-Israel groups to Jews who collaborated with Nazis as his ambassador to Israel. But while many Israeli nationalists believe they have an ally in Trump, the White House has also said "the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful" in a achieving peace. ISIS Megan Sheehey, left, works with one student (name not used-school policy) inside the Red Cloud Peak classroom.The Englewood-based Joshua School, highly regarded for its programs for elementary school age kids with autism, recently opened a second campus in Centennial called Joshua Early Childhood Center. A team of researchers has shown that measuring the growth of brains in babies can predict the onset of autism later in childhood. Predicting the disorder early could allow doctors to begin treating the condition earlier. About 1 out of every 68 children in the United States has some form autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a developmental disorder that varies in severity from person to person. As the name autism spectrum disorder suggests, autism can manifest in many different ways among patients, but in general it can be characterized by certain social difficulties and a tendency toward highly repetitive and ritualistic behaviors. A team from several leading institutions in the U.S. and Canada published a paper Wednesday in the journal Nature, demonstrating an algorithm they created that improved early diagnosis of the condition among several children known to be at high risk. "In the field we are always trying to detect autism at younger ages, so we can start treatment earlier, but we hit a wall around 2 to 3 years of age, because the symptoms don't start showing up until around then," said the study's senior author, Joseph Piven, a professor of psychiatry, psychology and pediatrics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in an interview with CNBC. Piven said the research can be likened to similar efforts to detect other brain disorders earlier in life, such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, before they begin to impair patients. In the study, the researchers scanned the brains of three different groups of subjects with magnetic resonance imaging machines. They looked at infants with a high family risk of autism who were later diagnosed with the disorder, high-risk infants who did not develop autism and low-risk infants who did not develop the condition. The team scanned the brains of all three groups three times at 6, 12 and 24 months of age. The brains of the autistic children had faster rates of growth on the surface of their brains from 6 months of age to 1 year, and faster overall brain size from 1 to 2 years of age. For the second part of the experiment, the team created an algorithm that used the scans to correctly predict the onset of autism in 8 out of 10 high-risk infants. The researchers cautioned in their report that more research is needed, but that the results suggest machine learning could help doctors identify the disorder early, and perhaps develop therapies or treatments that could improve the well-being of patients, or, perhaps one day, even stop the progression of the disorder. Shares of FLIR Systems rose Wednesday after the company announced a $50 million contract to provide electronics systems to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Wilsonville, Oregon-based company will configure systems on more than 2,000 U.S. Coast Guard vessels, according to a Wednesday press release from FLIR. The U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC. Shares gained 8 percent on the day, bouncing back from a 6 percent decline on Tuesday after FLIR reported earnings that missed analysts' expectations. The image surveillance company announced adjusted fourth-quarter earnings of 48 cents per share, missing Thomson Reuters estimates of 54 cents. Looking at the full year ahead, though, FLIR released new guidance of earnings that should fall within a range of $1.81 to $1.91, topping Reuters estimates of $1.79. FLIR has also approved a quarterly cash dividend of 15 cents per share, which is 25 percent more than its previous dividend of 12 cents. The privately held music streaming service is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. It currently has offices in Midtown Manhattan and will move into the new 378,000 sq. ft. office space in early 2018. Spotify's relocation will make 4 World Trade Center the first office tower to be fully leased on the historic 16-acre World Trade Center site, Cuomo said. Spotify is moving its U.S. headquarters to 4 World Trade Center in Manhattan, and adding more than 1,000 new jobs in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in a press release Wednesday. To incentivize Spotify's growth even further, Empire State Development, or ESD, will provide the company up to $11 million in "World Trade Center Rent Reduction Program rent credits," which will be available for 15 years of Spotify's lease, Cuomo added. ESD has also offered similar credits to other tech companies, including Snapchat and Etsy, to retain talent and expand across New York. In the past few years ESD tax incentives have aided in creating 1,824 jobs and retaining 1,513 jobs in New York State, the Governor Cuomo's release said. Spotify was named a CNBC Disruptor in 2016. Further, recent rounds of funding suggest an IPO could be in the stars. In June, Spotify went so far as to hire a head of investor relations. Starbucks is once again reinventing the coffee experience. The coffee chain is testing affogato, an Italian-style dessert in which a scoop of ice cream is "drowned" in a shot of hot espresso, in 10 Reserve coffee bars in D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Maryland and Boston, and 100 Starbucks stores in the Orange County, California, area. Starbucks has used its Roastery locations as test kitchens for several other drinks that were later rolled out nationwide. Think, Nitro Cold Brew, the Smoked Butterscotch Latte and Cascara Latte. In addition to affogato, the company will also offer cold brew floats and cold brew malts. All ice cream will be from the Mora Iced Creamery, a creamery in Bainbridge, Washington. Here's the full list of new affogato-inspired offerings at Roasteries: Classic Affogato: Two shots of Reserve small-lot espresso poured over vanilla ice cream. House Affogato : Two shots of Reserve small-lot espresso with a touch of Demerara syrup poured over vanilla ice cream and dusted with cinnamon. Cold Brew Float : Reserve small-lot cold brew with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Cold Brew Malt: An ultra-thick spindle-blended malted milkshake with Reserve small-lot cold brew, vanilla ice cream and chocolate bitters. Here's the full list of new affogato-inspired offerings at Starbucks locations: While almost half of Italians polled regard the euro as "bad" for their country, saying goodbye to the common currency could have damaging consequences for an economy. Withdrawing from the euro area could automatically trigger a country's default, Moody's warned in a research note on Tuesday. As a result, the government's credit rating would also come under pressure. Italy, the country with the second-largest debt burden in Europe, is set to hold general elections later this year or the next, amid rising support for anti-euro parties. Though Moody's believes that the risk of Italy exiting the euro is "very low" due to parliamentary and constitutional proceedings, it cannot be ruled out and as result neither can the risk of an Italian default. "If the series of events outlined above were to transpire, the outcome might well be what we would regard as a default by the Italian government," Moody's said in the note. "We assume that if Italy were to withdraw from the euro area then the government's liabilities would be redenominated into a new currency," the credit rating agency said as the most likely scenario. "A currency redenomination would be classified as a default event if it resulted in holders of redenominated securities being unable to receive or acquire the sum originally promised in a timely manner," Moody's explained. An Italian default would have far reaching consequences and would bring into question the euro's credibility. "Italy's decision to withdraw from the euro would potentially be a severe credit event for other members of the monetary union," Moody's said. This is because the euro was designed to be an "irreversible currency" meaning that once a member joins, it is set to keep that currency forever. "Evidence that it was not an irreversible currency union would damage confidence in its resilience," Moody's said. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during their presidential town hall debate with Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. President Donald Trump blamed "conspiracy theories and blind hatred" and an attempt to "cover-up" for Hillary Clinton's failed presidential campaign in a series of tweets Wednesday morning as he tried to distance himself from any links to Russia. Trump tweeted that the "fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred," and added that "this Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign." @realDonaldTrump: This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. Trump and Clinton sparred during the campaign over U.S. intelligence reports that said Moscow was involved in the cyberattacks meant to influence the 2016 presidential election and help Trump win the White House. @realDonaldTrump: The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! Trump for weeks questioned the veracity of those reports before finally acknowledging in a news conference days before he was sworn in that he believes Russia was behind the hacks. But the White House's connection with the Kremlin and how deep it runs remains under scrutiny, which has only ramped up this week Ex-National Security Adviser Mike Flynn on Monday night resigned after admitting to misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other senior administration officials about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States in December before Trump took office. Those phone calls included talking about the hacking-related sanctions imposed by the Obama administration against Russia for allegedly meddling in the election. Pence went on news outlets to repeatedly back up Flynn, but the Department of Justice had warned the White House in January about the national security adviser's communications and that he opened himself up to be the subject of Russian blackmail. The fallout led Flynn to resign Monday at the request of Trump. Democrats have called for an independent investigation into the chain of events involving the scandal, but Republicans have so far resisted doing so. The New York Times raised further questions Tuesday night in a report that said intercepted phone calls by American law enforcement revealed Trump campaign officials had repeated contact with Russian intelligence in the year leading up to the election. More from NBC News: Putting the pieces of the Russia story together A timeline of Mike Flynn's rise and fall and the Russia call Ohio Trump voters, unfazed by Flynn resignation and White House drama, remain faithful That report sent Brian Fallon, who served as Clinton's presidential campaign spokesman, in a tizzy on Twitter. "Everything we suspected during the campaign is proving true," he wrote. "This is a colossal scandal." The Times reported that there is no evidence that there was any cooperation between the Trump campaign and the Russians over influencing the election. NBC News has not confirmed the details in the report. Trump on Wednesday took swipes at the intelligence community for "illegally" leaking information to "failing" newspaper outlets. He directed other tweets focusing on whether it was the Obama administration that was "too soft" on Russia and calling it "un-American" to leak classified information. @realDonaldTrump: Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? @realDonaldTrump: The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American! Meanwhile, former Trump campaign Paul Manafort who resigned in August amid questions about his ties to pro-Russia interests in Ukraine told NBC News on Wednesday that "I had no contact knowingly with Russian intelligence officials." Manafort was reportedly one of the Trump campaign officials whose communications were investigated by the FBI, according the Times. "I don't think it's possible I could have even inadvertently had discussions with Russian officials," he added. "It's not like they wear badges. The story is not true." Trump was scheduled to hold a news conference at noon Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting the White House. The meeting could help shape several policies involving the Middle East, from security to settlements. At a campaign rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in October, then-candidate Donald Trump proclaimed, "I love WikiLeaks." He went on to read hacked emails related to opponent Hillary Clinton that WikiLeaks had made public. Trump referred to the documents several times during the final stretch of a bitter campaign. As president, though, Trump has denounced leaks from intelligence officials to major newspapers. His latest tirade against leakers came Wednesday morning, following a series of Washington Post and New York Times reports about contacts with Russian officials from his administration, and previously his campaign. Trump tweet: Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia Trump continued: The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American! The Post's reporting led to the revelation that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn may have misled Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about the topics of his conversation with Sergey Kislyak, Russian ambassador to the United States. Flynn resigned Monday night, and the White House said Trump asked him to do so because of a breach of trust, not because the administration thought he may have broken the law. The Times then reported that intercepted calls show Trump campaign officials had contact with Russian intelligence officials during his campaign. The officials may not have been aware that their Russian contacts were intelligence officials, the Times said. Trump claimed that the "real scandal" in his White House was not the handling of Flynn's actions but the leaks to newspapers. He argued that the intelligence community's actions are "just like Russia," after comparing U.S. leaks to Nazi Germany last month. Democrats and Republicans have often been more critical of leaks when the information given out hurts their agenda. Trump's attacks on the intelligence community, and the number of leaks coming out of his administration, threaten to continue to pit Trump against intelligence officials. Amid an intensifying furor over his administration's ties to Russia, President Donald Trump responded Wednesday morning with a flurry of tweets aimed at discrediting his critics. The White House faced fresh headlines stemming from the complex web of communications between Trump, his staff and Russian officials. Michael Flynn resigned Monday as national security advisor following revelations that he had discussed U.S.-imposed sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States and had misled Vice President Mike Pence and others about the discussion. In the wake of the scandal, various news organizations have probed the Trump team's connections with Russia. The New York Times, for instance, reported Wednesday that multiple members of the president's campaign team had contact with Russian intelligence officials during his successful race against Democrat Hillary Clinton. For the president, though, it was all part of a media hit-job trying to probe a Russia connection that doesn't exist. The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! He also charged that the way the Flynn information was obtained violated the law. The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American! The incentive, he alleged, was political payback for his stunning election upset. This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. He went after other news organizations as well, using what has become a familiar accusation that those opposed to him are "failing." Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia And he also looked to deflect attention from his administration's stance on Russia to what happened under his predecessor. Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? The president already has questioned the sourcing of media reports, particularly concerning Flynn. The Washington Post broke the story using leaked intercepts of Flynn's conversations. However, the controversy likely will continue. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has said Flynn's resignation is only the beginning of a probe into Trump's Russian ties. The source did not share the contents of the executive actions, but told Inside EPA they would "suck the air out" of the room. The Hill reported on the Inside EPA report on Wednesday. The White House did not immediately return CNBC's request for comment. The president intends to sign the actions during a visit to the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters for Scott Pruitt's swearing in as head of the agency, Inside EPA reported Tuesday, citing an administration source. The timing of the event has not been determined because the full Senate has not yet confirmed Pruitt. President Donald Trump plans to introduce executive actions aimed at scaling back Obama-era climate change initiatives, according to the newsletter Inside EPA. The event would be similar to Trump's Pentagon visit for the swearing in of retired Gen. James Mattis as Defense secretary, during which he signed executive orders restricting immigration from seven majority Muslim nations and admittance of refugees, the source said. Myron Ebell, who directed EPA staffing for the Trump transition team, told Inside EPA in a Feb. 7 interview he expected a roll-back of the EPA's climate change programs to be delivered in one or more executive orders. The executive orders could repeal former President Barack Obama's Climate Action Plan, a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the Clean Power Plan, which regulates carbon emissions from power plants, Inside EPA reported. The source said one of the planned executive actions will be directed at the State Department. Inside EPA said that suggests it may relate to the Paris Agreement, an international accord to reduce the impact of climate change, which Trump has threatened to abandon or defund. The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works moved forward Pruitt's confirmation earlier this month despite a boycott by Democratic members. Pruitt drew national attention for suing the EPA over Obama-era regulations while serving as Oklahoma's attorney general. He has questioned the science behind climate change and advocates for giving states greater control over energy industry regulation. President Donald Trump said he would support the peace agreement Israel and Palestinians "like the best" in a joint press conference during which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu railed against Palestinian efforts to reach a deal. "I'm looking at two state and one state. And I like the one that both parties like," Trump said when asked about a peace agreement. Trump's meeting with Netanyahu on Wednesday was an initial test of Trump's campaign pledge to go further than President Obama in strengthening the relationship with Israel. By the end of Obama's tenure in office, his relationship with Netanyahu was extremely strained and then-Secretary of State John Kerry blasted the Israeli government in an unprecedented speech before leaving that role. More from NBC News: Trump blames Russian connection 'conspiracy theories' on Clinton campaign 'cover up' Piecing together the Russian story amid Flynn fallout Team Clinton finds vindication in Trump troubles Trump's efforts to improve relations could potentially be aided by son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a political novice, who attended the press conference with his wife, Ivanka. "I've known the president and his family for a long time and there's no greater support of the Jewish people and the Jewish state than President Donald Trump," Netanyahu said during the press conference. Netanyahu began the press conference by praising the new president for renewing the bond between the allies. The Israeli leader said "both sides" need to work towards peace and slammed Palestinians for their "hate" of Israel. "They continue to call for Israel's destruction inside their schools, inside their mosques, inside their textbooks. You have to read it to believe it," Netanyahu said. Throughout his 2016 campaign, Trump pledged to strengthen the U.S. relationship with Israel and blasted President Obama for his icy relationship with Netanyahu. Trump pledged to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the disputed holy city that both Palestinians and Israelis lay claim to. He said Wednesday the U.S. was looking "very, very strongly" at moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The move would anger both Palestinians and Arab nations in what would be one of the strongest displays of U.S. support for Israel in recent times. The two leaders did show some difference on the issue of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and West Bank that have been condemned by the United Nations. "I would like you to hold back on settlements for a little bit," Trump said. Trump also chastised the media for its coverage of National Security Adviser Mike, who resigned amid revelations of his pre-inauguration conversations with a Russian ambassador. Trump, who asked for Flynn's resignations, had been "treated unfairly" by the press. Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted reports about his administration's ties to Russia were an attempt to "cover-up" the mistake of rival Hillary Clinton's failed presidential bid. He accused cable news of "going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred." Trump has been scrutinized by members of both parties for his kind views and defense of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But the issue came to a head this week when Flynn resigned late Monday after admitting to misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other top administration officials about the nature of his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump's inauguration. Flynn told Pence he did not discuss the possibility of lifting sanctions against Russia with the ambassador, a claim Pence then repeated in interviews. U.S. intelligence officials in January told Trump that Flynn did discuss the the sanctions imposed after Russia's cyber intrusions in the 2016 campaign, and the retired general's attempts to convince administration officials otherwise could subject him to blackmail. Democrats have called for an investigation into Flynn, questioning why he was able to remain on the job for nearly three weeks after intelligence officials first informed Trump of Flynn's error. Pence did not learn he had been misinformed until February 9. Throughout his 2016 campaign, Trump pledged to strengthen the U.S. relationship with Israel and blasted President Barack Obama for his icy relationship with Netanyahu. Trump pledged to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the disputed holy city that both Palestinians and Israelis lay claim to. Moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would anger both Palestinians and Arab nations in what would be one of the strongest displays of U.S. support for Israel in recent times. Andy Puzder withdrew from consideration for Labor secretary Wednesday as Republican Senate opposition to President Donald Trump's choice mounted. The confirmation of the CKE Restaurants chief executive looked increasingly in peril in recent days amid concerns about his business record and personal issues. Puzder needed a majority of Senate votes to become Labor secretary, but reports indicated that at least four of the 52 GOP senators could vote against him. Puzder's hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was set for Thursday. "After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity," Puzder said in a statement Wednesday. " "While I won't be serving in the administration, I fully support the President and his highly qualified team." Puzder's withdrawal deals yet another setback to Trump's administration, which on Monday saw the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Trump and some Senate Republicans have already knocked Democrats for the slow pace of Cabinet confirmations, which the minority party insists is because of concerns about the nominees' qualifications and ethics paperwork. U.S. oil producers sent a record 7 million barrels of crude out into the world market last week, at a time when OPEC members have cut back on their own output by nearly the same amount. Analysts say it makes sense that U.S. crude slipped into the market void created by OPEC. It may also be a glimpse into the future where the U.S. and its shale production becomes a more significant player in the world export market. The 1 million barrels a day is nearly double the week-earlier level. "We're raising our output and it has more than a parochial impact. It's not so much that it makes the U.S. inventories unwieldy. It's that it adds to the global inventory," said Tom Kloza, head of global energy research at Oil Price Information Service. "That really is the concern in the global oil market. We tend to import the medium and heavy [grades of crude]. I'm sure most of the exports are light sweet oil." Energy analysts were surprised by the amount of exports, which have been running about 500,000 barrels a day, and averaged 685,000 barrels a day over four weeks. But they were not ready to say this is now a new sustainable level for U.S. exports. "This is the future. It's not what it was in the shale boom, where there was just too much production, and we had these big discounts for crude in the United States," Kloza said. The Energy Information Administration's weekly inventory data also showed that U.S. oil stockpiles swelled to a record 518.2 million barrels last week, and gasoline inventories also hit a record 259.1 million barrels, gaining 2.8 million barrels. "We're seeing cargos go out to Asia more and more," said John Kilduff of Again Capital. OPEC and other producers held back about 890,000 barrels a day from the world market in January, under their agreement to curb output in order to support prices. Kilduff said China may have been a bigger destination for U.S. barrels because of its purchases of U.S. shale operations, and the output cuts by other producers have possibly made an opening. He also pointed to a report on Reuters that quoted sources saying as much as 7 million barrels were lined up and heading to Asia, with 2 million chartered to China in December by PetroChina and Unipec. "We've been waiting for this to happen," said Kilduff of the export jump. "We'll see how it goes. We're going to face competition." He said cargoes also go to Europe and Latin America, and Canada has been a longtime export destination. "It's incredible that we were able to put 9.5 million barrels into storage last week, while exporting a million barrels a day," Kilduff said. The U.S. even with exports continues to import oil a lot of crude. It imported 7.5 million barrels of oil last week, down from 8.8 million barrels the week earlier. U.S. oil production has been rising, and held steady at just under 9 million barrels a day last week. The U.S. government expects shale production to increase by 80,000 barrels a day next month, and it forecasts overall oil production to reach 9.5 million barrels a day next year. "Given that the U.S. will likely be the last region to rebalance storage, we have suggested that a significant/sustainable uptick in US crude exports is a surefire sign of the broader market rebalancing as barrels plug supply gaps elsewhere," RBC analysts wrote Thursday. They also said they expected a good chunk of the shipments were headed for Singapore, due to pricing arbitrage, and that may not signal a sustainable trend. The cutback by OPEC, and the fact that prices have stabilized in the $50s per barrel, has given rise to a jump in U.S. shale production. "[Customers are] looking at other types of crude to fill the gap left by a reduction in OPEC production, and at the same time you're seeing continuing demand in China, as world oil continues to increase," said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. Demand forecasts have been rising and the International Energy Agency expects 1.4 million barrels of new demand for 2017. "That supports the price of crude and certainly helps the producers in the Permian Basin, Eagle Ford and elsewhere. Some of it for sure is making its way out to Asia," he said. Lipow said the U.S. export data will have to be watched to see if it really is a trend of heightened exports. He said there was fog in the Houston shipping channel recently, and if that held back cargos, it could have resulted in an unusually large amount of shipments all in the same week. But he expects the volume of exports to grow regardless. "The infrastructure continues to get built out to export more and more crude oil. Not only have we built pipelines, but we built more export terminals. The industry continues to add infrastructure to support more exports," Lipow said. Kloza said exports will also grow with completion of the controversial Dakota Access pipeline, expected to take crude from the Bakken in North Dakota, as well as the Keystone pipeline which would take oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC, said the U.S. barrels could run into trouble if too many are put on the world market at the same time sweet crude producers Libya or Nigeria ramp up. The OPEC producers mostly ship heavier crude, the type that can be processed on the U.S. Gulf Coast. East Coast refiners are typically where lighter sweet crudes are refined, and the source for that has been the U.S. and Africa. "It's the type of barrel that chokes the market. We called it the Nigerian barrel last year,'" she said, adding oversupply of light sweet crude would start to weigh on oil prices. [The stream is slated to start at noon, ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the White House on Wednesday amid President Donald Trump's signals that he could oversee a shift in Middle East policy. The leaders hold a joint press conference at noon ET, where they will likely make pledges to deepen relations following Netanyahu's tense relationship with President Barack Obama. Trump has suggested he could make stark changes to American policy toward Israel. A senior White House official said Tuesday that peace between Israeli and Palestinians did not necessarily have to mean Palestinian statehood, adding that Trump may not "dictate" a solution, according to Reuters. The United States has long supported the idea of creating a Palestine alongside Israel. Palestinians raised concerns about the possibility of Trump dropping support for an independent Palestine. The leaders could also address Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The Obama administration rebuked Israel in December by abstaining from a United Nations vote condemning the activity. Trump's administration previously indicated it could be sympathetic to the settlements, but later backtracked. Trump also pledged on the campaign trail to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but has not made it a priority since he took office. Reuters contributed to this report During his first four weeks in office, President Donald Trump has signed executive orders, met foreign leaders, prodded business chieftains and battled storms of controversy. Among things he hasn't done: given congressional Republicans his plans for infrastructure improvements, health care or tax cuts. That matters because presidential leadership is indispensable for achieving those objectives, each of which holds major significance for the American economy. Without it, even a Congress controlled by Trump's party will have immense trouble overcoming its own internal divisions. In each case, here's why: On infrastructure, Trump has pledged a trillion-dollar improvement program, but not specified what that means. If he intends to pursue outlays anywhere close to that, he's certain to draw substantial Republican opposition but might offset those defections with support from Democrats. If he intends for most of his plan to consist of tax incentives for developers, he'd need a different coalition to succeed. On health care, Republicans are torn between their desire to repeal the program they've attacked for so long and their fear of backlash from Americans who'd lose their health insurance. They've also struggled with how quickly to offer to a replacement plan, which would immediately become a target for adversaries. In a news conference shortly before his inauguration, Trump promised that "as our secretary is approved and gets into the office, we'll be filing a plan." Tom Price became HHS secretary last week, and congressional Republicans still await his direction. O n tax cuts, Republicans face a wide array of strategic choices. One is whether to overhaul corporate taxation only, or attempt the tougher task of individual tax reform as well. Trump told retailers Wednesday morning that his plan will involve cutting taxes "for virtually everybody in every category, individual and business." That would point toward larger budget deficits. But some fiscal conservatives in Congress want tax overhaul to be "revenue-neutral." House Republicans, who plan to seek reductions in the top personal tax rate, are not on the same page with Senate Republicans, whose tax chairman did not include cuts in the top personal rate in his initial statement of objectives. Nor do the two chambers have any consensus on the so-called border adjustment tax hitting imports and sparing exports. The House considers it vital; some Senate Republicans strongly oppose it, which makes the provision vulnerable in a chamber with a bare 52-seat majority. Only one person has the clout to force resolution of differences like these. That's the president, who is currently embroiled in a crisis over interactions with Russia. The longer he remains silent, the harder it is for Congress to move. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House Wednesday and the joint news conference that followed, led to a heavy focus on the fact that the Trump administration will now drop the long-held American requirement that the Israelis support a "two-state solution." That's big news. And it's very good news. It's good for Israelis, Arabs, and America. Here's why. That two-state "solution" has never been a solution at all. In fact, it's just one of the many U.S. policies supposedly meant to support peace that has done just the opposite. In fact, just about every policy we've heard from U.S. administrations from both parties for the last 40 years about the Arab-Israeli conflict has been wrong. The insistence that a two-state solution is the only path to peace between Arabs and Israelis? Wrong. The idea that no peace can be achieved until the Palestinian leaders renounce terrorism first? Wrong. And then there's the biggest misconception of all: The idea that Israeli settlements on the West Bank are a barrier to peace. Actually, Israel's settlements and a commitment to more of them would bring more peace, prosperity, and freedom to both Israelis and Arabs for many years to come. Yes, you read that right. Those universally demonized West Bank "settlements" Israelis set up after the Six Day War to renew the ancient and more recent pre-state of Israel Jewish presence in cities like Hebron and Beit El are actually an example of economic, strategic, and political keys to peace between Arabs and Israelis. Contrary to popular belief, Jews and Arabs interact constantly even on those disputed lands. Jewish businesses on the West Bank employ Arabs all the time. The most famous example was the juggernaut drinks-machine company SodaStream, which even had several Arab employees in management positions before an international boycott movement forced the company to move to Israel proper in 2015. But success stories still abound, as Israel has increased Arab participation in the best segments of its economy. Arab unemployment in Israel is down. The number of Arab judges is way up. And an Arab-Israeli is even the chief of emergency medicine at Israel's famed Hadassah hospital. This is pluralism at work and on the move in the way we used to be told was the key to peace everywhere. So how can the violence be stopped? More settlements. The one thing that most emboldens terrorists and anyone who never really wants peace there is when Israel rewards terrorist activity by ceasing the economic growth and expansion of opportunity that also comes from its physical expansion. As long as the Arab people believe that the Israelis might leave one day if they are just harassed enough, the chances of that terrorist harassment will be great. But as long as new and thriving settlements and visible Israeli military might continue to grow with them, the Apocalyptic promises of Hamas and the other terrorist leaders will be hollower than ever. Conversely, removing settlements don't bring peace; they only embolden more terrorism. Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 proves this beyond doubt as it has since become little more than a launching pad for rocket attacks into the rest of the country. And Gaza has lost its Christian Arab population, which has fled to avoid living in peril under yet another Islamic quasi-caliphate. And then there's another part of the great misconceptions in this peace puzzle: The idea that only the United States and the European Union can bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians. And all they have to do is get Israel to allow the Palestinians to have some land and get the Palestinians to renounce violence against Israel. The only trouble is the Israelis have agreed to a Palestinian state at least four times since 1947. The Palestinians have rejected it each time. The U.S. and Europe have responded each time by providing more economic aid to the Palestinians and pressuring Israel to make more concessions. That hasn't worked. So, as he mentioned during Wednesday's White House news conference, Netanyahu and his government have been forging new ties with countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia instead. The opening for this tactic came thanks to their mutual fears of a nuclear and suddenly cash-rich Iran. This could easily lead to some kind of understanding with Arabs living in the West Bank. That's because, for years, Saudi Arabia in particular has been a prime instigator and funding source of Palestinian terrorism via direct and indirect means. That could change now. Egypt, once a haven for anti-Israel terror groups, has also been cutting off Hamas and others like them ever since the new relationship with Israel began to blossom. Without the help of enough local friends in the region, the worst Palestinian terrorist leaders are on shakier ground. And conversely, think of the progress we could see if Saudi Arabia was willing to financially bail out the Palestinians in some way, and the Egyptians were willing to provide more control of Gaza both in return for Israeli and American military protection from Iran. Israel should continue to build and expand, and annex all the existing West Bank territories into Israel proper. Israeli citizenship, with all the rights and privileges it entails, should be offered to all its inhabitants. This is not a crazy idea, but a simple recipe that worked in Israel proper for generations and has produced too many Jewish and Arab success stories to count. But the rest of the world is enamored with bashing the settlements and promoting an insane two state solution that is no solution at all. Haven't any of these two-state-solution advocates read a history book lately about how creating lots of little countries in small areas only adds to the chances of war? Isn't it about time we give pluralism a chance instead of more Balkanization? And what about those who say they worry that Israeli annexation of these areas will pose a demographic challenge and Israel will soon become a state with a minority Jewish population? First off, many of those dire Arab vs. Jewish birth rate predictions have been debunked by population experts. But more importantly, since when is the world so concerned with Jewish racial purity? Again, pluralism is the path to peace in a diverse world. Arabs, Jews, and Christians are living relatively peacefully and much more prosperously in Israel proper and have been for years. It's time for everyone living in the West Bank territories to enjoy the same rights and opportunities and not the time for anyone to insist on more racially and religiously segregated states. Perhaps the backing off from the two-state solution policy from the Trump team is the first step toward real progress in this peace effort in many years. Perhaps the insane adherence to the failed policies of the past and present won't continue, and that's really good news for America, for Israelis, and for the Arabs. Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny. For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter. A pedestrian makes his way from Mexico to the United States at the border crossing in San Ysidro, California, U.S., January 25, 2017. Haisam Elsharkawi was about to travel from Los Angeles to Saudi Arabia last week when, he says, he was stopped at the airport, questioned, handcuffed, questioned some more and then released without charges three hours after his flight had departed. Mr. Elsharkawi, 34, an American citizen, said in an interview on Monday that officers from United States Customs and Border Protection repeatedly pressured him to unlock his cellphone so that they could scroll through his contacts, photos, apps and social media accounts. He said they threatened to seize the phone if he did not comply. More on NY Times: Intel drops its sponsorship of science fairs, prompting an identity crisis Toshiba's chairman resigns as its nuclear power losses mount Apple tiptoes into producing original video but plans to pick up pace "I travel all the time, and I was never asked to unlock my phone," said Mr. Elsharkawi, an electronics salesman from Anaheim, Calif. "I have personal photos there, which I think is normal for anyone. It's my right. It's my phone." Eventually, he relented, and a Homeland Security agent looked through his phone for about 15 minutes, he said. A NASA scientist, Sidd Bikkannavar, said he had a similar experience to Mr. Elsharkawi's in January, when he was detained at the Houston airport until he handed over a NASA-issued phone for inspection, he told The Verge. So before you travel, here's some information on what border agents can and cannot do, along with recommendations from lawyers. Border agents have broad authority to search American border agents have the legal authority to conduct searches at the United States border that a police officer on the street wouldn't. Laws created that allow agents to search bags without a judge's approval, for purposes of immigration or security compliance, have been extended to digital devices. But activists say inspecting a digital device is far more intrusive than inspecting a suitcase. They noted that the device can contain not just personal photos and messages, but could also compromise anyone else the owner may have communicated with. "Before government agents should be able to go rifling through that trove of private data, they should have a very good reason based on individualized suspicion of illegal activity," said Nathan Freed Wessler, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union. "People's most private details of their lives will be made bare without justification." The policies that give border agents the latitude to search or seize devices were used under the Obama administration, to much criticism. There's no available data to suggest that they are happening more under the administration of President Trump, though activists say they have anecdotally heard of more reports. A customs agency spokesman said the agency could not comment on individual cases. But he said agents had inspected 4,444 cellphones and 320 other electronic devices in 2015, amounting to 0.0012 percent of the 383 million arrivals. Figures on 2016 and 2017 were not yet available. Can agents force you to unlock your phone or laptop? No. But they can ask you to comply voluntarily and make the experience rather uncomfortable if you resist. Travelers must decide how much trouble they're willing to put up with. You may end up losing your device, since agents could seize the device for weeks before it is returned. They could also copy the data. (That data must be destroyed "as expeditiously as possible" if it is not valuable, according to Homeland Security policy.) Travelers have reported that they've been detained for hours and questioned aggressively. Mr. Elsharkawi, whose trip included a pilgrimage to Mecca after an 18-hour layover in Istanbul, said his payment for his Turkish Airlines flight was not refunded after he missed it. Travelers who are not citizens could have further problems, especially if they're flying into the United States. While citizens are guaranteed re-entry, foreign nationals could be denied entry, and the law isn't clear on permanent residents, said Sophia Cope, a staff lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization that defends civil liberties in the digital age. In October, for example, a Canadian journalist on his way to cover the Dakota Access oil pipeline protests was denied entry into the United States after he declined to unlock his phone, citing the need to protect his sources. "People have to figure out what is their tolerance for risk, and what do they want to accomplish," Ms. Cope said. Can agents force you to turn over social media passwords? No. But those who unlock their phones are most likely giving agents full access to their social media accounts, even if they don't tell them the passwords. Since most people remain logged into their accounts on their phones, unlocking the phone would allow officers to sift through private Facebook posts, direct messages on Twitter and Instagram photos that are set to be accessible to friends only. Mr. Elsharkawi did not give agents his social media passwords. But when he allowed an officer to look through his phone, he said, she commented on his emails and apps. He doesn't know if she looked through his social media accounts, he added. Some activists fear gaining access to social media accounts will become a greater focus for border agents. Last week, John F. Kelly, the Homeland Security secretary, said officials were considering a policy that would allow agents to ask refugees and immigrants for their social media login information. The Obama administration considered a similar move but never put it into effect. While that policy would not apply to citizens, Ms. Cope said, it would be "a very small step for them to start doing that to Americans, as well." What can you do to prepare? Travel with the least amount of data you need. Hassan Shibly, the chief executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida, suggested that people buy "burner phones" that they can discard before entering the airport. Ms. Cope said people should power down their devices before getting to the airport, and encrypt the data they travel with. (Wired has a guide to the technical aspects of keeping your data safe.) What should you do if it happens to you? It's an individual decision. As a matter of principle, said Robert McCaw, the director of government affairs at CAIR, people should not unlock their devices. And they should request a lawyer. "There's absolutely no reason why the federal government should be asking you for your password to your computer or your social media without a warrant. Period," Mr. McCaw said. "There's no justification." But some activists said it's understandable why some people comply to such a demand, depending on what they have to lose by resisting. Mr. Elsharkawi, who lives in Anaheim with his wife and three children, said requesting legal assistance appeared to inflame his situation. "I opened the doors of hell when I asked for a lawyer," he said. "They just started attacking me verbally. 'Why do you need a lawyer? Are you a criminal? What are you hiding?' " After allowing the Homeland Security officer to examine his phone, he said, he was immediately released. By Rob Lauer, senior manager of developer relations at Progress, for CodeGuru JavaScript is ubiquitous. From JavaScripts birth in the browser, to a rebirth on the server, to powering native mobile app development and IoT devices, it is becoming increasingly difficult to argue against the importance of JavaScript. As the most recent Stack Overflow survey attests, the popularity of JavaScript among rank-and-file developers has held steady for four years running. In fact, two of the other most popular technologies in the poll are based on JavaScript (Angular and Node). However, one place in which JavaScript has only just started to make a dent is the enterprise. Today, your typical enterprise developer is focused on the .NET or Java stacks. This is because they are typically dealing with large ERP systems that expose APIs most easily consumable by these languages and frameworks. What makes us think anything is going to change in 2017? Why would enterprise developers start to abandon their language of choice for an unfamiliar and weakly typed alternative? The answer may be TypeScript. What Is TypeScript? TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript. This is a fancy way of saying that TypeScript extends JavaScript and provides static typing, classes, and interfaces. One of the primary benefits of TypeScript is the ability for modern IDEs to provide an environment for features like autocompletion (a.k.a. IntelliSense) for JavaScript-based projects. This significantly increases developer productivity by reducing syntax mistakes and runtime code errors. TypeScript is an open source project developed and maintained by Microsoft. Adoption of TypeScript is taking off dramatically: Figure 1: Total downloads for TypeScript on npm have increased from approximately 50K in January 2015 to over 2.4 million in December 2016 Although there is no denying TypeScripts popularity, it is fair to question the place TypeScript has in the enterprise. How could TypeScript/JavaScript start to displace C# or Java in the workplace? Lets look at some advantages of adopting JavaScript and the reasons the enterprise may need to move. Non-Traditional Device Access JavaScript is already available for non-traditional computers such as Arduino and the Raspberry Pi. Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as sensors, home automation tools, and fitness trackers already provide JavaScript APIs. We are seeing an explosion in non-desktop devices, and the lowest common denominator for programmatic access tends to be JavaScript. What about mobile? For years now, developers have been focused on Objective-C and/or Java for creating native iOS and Android apps. Today, though, native JavaScript frameworks like NativeScript exist to let developers re-use these skills. If the developer can re-use his or her skills moving from platform to platform, or device to device, doesnt it make sense to standardize on one language? Client and Server Development No other language than JavaScript better addresses both client-side and server-side development. JavaScript is most widely thought of as a scripting language for Web browsers. Even though that 90s-era view of JavaScript is not inaccurate, in the last decade we have seen a dramatic expansion of JavaScript as a legitimate language on the server as well. Node.js came about in 2009 as the preeminent server-side runtime for JavaScript. This opened up numerous doors for server-side Web and networking-focused development. With the advent of Nodes long term support (LTS) plan, Node is poised to continue its meteoric rise in the enterprise in 2017. Even large ERP vendors such as Salesforce recognize this trend and offer a JavaScript API for both client- and server-side development. Amazons AWS, Microsoft Azure, SAP, and PeopleSoft are just a handful of vendors that offer a JavaScript interface for their systems. Tooling and Language Considerations TypeScript will never succeed in the enterprise unless developers only have to change a minimum amount of tooling. The fact that TypeScript has been included in Visual Studio since 2012 is one small step. A plugin exists for using TypeScript in Eclipse. Tool re-use is becoming a non-issue. What about more fundamental roadblocks like language constructs? C# and Java developers have both gotten used to generics, for instance. In the JavaScript world, there is no such thing as a genericuntil TypeScript came along. TypeScript adds support for modern language constructs such as generics, arrow functions, modules, classes, and interfaces. It helps to make JavaScript more like the object-oriented language youve been using all these years and less like the dynamic scripting language you used to think of. TypeScript Equals Enterprise JavaScript When you adopt TypeScript (and, by virtue, adopt JavaScript), you are opening your enterprise to countless possibilities and future-proofing your business. Looking ahead to the new breed of engineersyounger developers who are in general more familiar with modern JavaScript developmentthat will invade the enterprise, the reliance on todays skillset will diminish for new, greenfield application development. Make no mistake; C# and Java arent going anywherethere is plenty of legacy app maintenance that will be needed. However, just as .NET and Java replaced COBOL and Fortran, JavaScript may be on its way to replacing todays stalwarts. About the Author Rob Lauer is Senior Manager of Developer Relations at Progress and has a passion for mobile app development and the open web. In his other life, he raises two kids, plays Ultimate Frisbee, and (for better or worse) is an avid Wisconsin Badger fan. Rob is @RobLauer on Twitter. Original images courtesy of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Germany is repatriating several metric tons of the gold reserves it stores around the world, including some of what it holds in the vaults of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Germany is in its final stages of repatriating more than 700 metric tons of gold from vaults in New York and Paris. Since 2013, the European nations central bank has completed the transfer of 642 metric tons of gold in bar form as part of an overall plan to repatriate approximately 50 percent of the gold it has maintained in locations outside Germany. CNN's Charles Riley reports Deustche Bundesbank recently completed a transfer of gold bars valued at $13 billion, from vaults at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, to Frankfurt. With the latest transfer, the total amount of gold shifted from New York to vaults on German soil is 330 metric tons. Connect with Coin World: Sign up for our free eNewsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter To complete the plan will require the movement of 100 metric tons of gold from Paris to Germany, according to Riley. The gold had been stored outside Germany amid fears during the Cold War that closer accomodations could fall under Soviet control. Germany plans to maintain the other half of its gold reserves outside Germany at locations in New York and London. Statistics compiled by the World Gold Council indicate that Germanys 3,377.9 metric tons of gold in reserve is second only to the United States, which has 8,133.5 metric tons in its reserves. Unforced errors spell doom Mizzou in loss to Missouri When Missouri beat South Carolina, the game was notable for its lack of crucial Tiger errors. Those returned with a vengeance against Kentucky. Unlimited data plans, like the one announced this week by Verizon, are mostly irrelevant to large businesses that negotiate lower prices with carriers for large pools of data, voice and text for hundreds of workers. But smaller businesses -- say, those with fewer than 50 workers -- could benefit from an unlimited plan, especially if they don't have an assigned telecom manager who manages wireless contracts. "Smaller organizations that don't have the staff or capacity to manage their mobility budgets could benefit" from an unlimited plan, said Michael Nziolek, vice president of strategic consulting at Tangoe, a telecom expense management consultancy. But there's a caveat: Unlimited plans can lead a company to overspend, he said. Buying an unlimited plan for a higher price might be unnecessary compared to a lower price, for example, 4GB of data per month per employee -- especially when 4GB is all a particular employee really needs. "Unlimited is over-buying in most cases," Nziolek said, based on Tangoe's consulting work with many companies, including large firms and many mid-sized companies with fewer than 500 employees. "With unlimited, you're often paying paying more than you should." Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics, agreed. "Americans really like unlimited plans and are typically overbuying when going for it," Entner said. "Overbuying means that based on their usage pattern, they could have purchased a metered plan for less money that comfortably fits their needs. But they would rather have unlimited to be safe. Just like everything else in life, a large majority of Americans think they are above average." In the case of the new Verizon Unlimited plan, a single customer pays $80 a month for unlimited data, talk and text, HD video streaming and mobile hotspot. That price goes down in steps to $45 per month for four lines. A Verizon spokeswoman said via email that the new plan is available to small businesses with up to 50 workers. Verizon said its heaviest users of the unlimited plan -- those who exceed 22GB of data in a month -- will be forced to wait behind other customers in the event of network congestion. Nziolek said at $45 a month per line, Verizon's unlimited plan sounds attractive -- until a customer includes the cost of buying a new phone that is required in the plan. For an iPhone 7 in the plan, that device cost is $650, or $27 a month. The Verizon Unlimited service cost of $45 plus the device cost of $27 equals a total monthly total of $72. "That's not terribly compelling," Nziolke said. By comparison, large companies can negotiate pricing that is less than 40% or better of that Verizon Unlimited monthly cost, made possible because of the large contracts those customers sign, he said. "If my company were small and didn't have the staff to manage wireless accounts, a $45 monthly unlimited plan that included a device subsidy would be eye-opening, but at $72 for a device and monthly access, that's not really a compelling price for a company," Nziolke said. Large enterprise customers typically work with either AT&T or Verizon in the U.S. for wireless service contracts that cover hundreds or even thousands of employees. AT&T said its unlimited plan is currently unavailable to business customers and is now for consumers on wireless plans who also have a DirecTV or U-verse subscription. Sprint provides unlimited data plans for small businesses, while T-Mobile said all business customers will have access to unlimited data and other new features as of this Friday. However, both carriers are far smaller than AT&T and Verizon in the wireless market for business. T-Mobile has spurred interest in unlimited data plans and forced other carriers to follow suit, but it has not won as many business customers as it could have, he added. That's because businesses that Nziolek have consulted with have voiced concerns about T-Mobile's network coverage outside of the big cities where the carrier's networks are strongest. "T-Mobile has been very aggressive on prices and strong in metro centers, but has fragmented coverage outside the metros," he said. "If you have a sales force that has to travel point to point, we've had customers who have seen their traveling sales teams struggle." Nziolek said he's confident that Verizon can handle the burden of unlimited customers sapping network capacity with HD video viewing and other heavy data uses. "Verizon's network won't bog down," he said. "If Verizon experiences any congestion problems, they will adjust the device threshold of that 22GB throttle." Eventually, Nziolek said he believes smartphones will become far more expensive and users will upgrade them more frequently than now. That trend, in turn, will cause Verizon and other carriers to drop completely out of offering device subsidies for enterprises -- leaving business customers to help employees buy their phones on their own entirely or join with customer smartphone buying consortiums for better deals. "When the day comes that a company can't get a device subsidy, then the $45 monthly unlimited plan could be more compelling," he said. A Russian-speaking and notorious financially-motivated hacker known as Rasputin has been at it again, hacking into universities and government agencies this time, before attempting to sell the stolen data on the dark web. According to the security company Recorded Future, which has been tracking the cybercriminals breaches, Rasputins most recent victims include 63 prominent universities and federal, state, and local U.S. government agencies. The security firm has been following Rasputins activity since late 2016 when the hacker reportedly breached the U.S. Electoral Assistance Commission and then sold EAC access credentials. Recorded Future claims that Rasputins victims are intentional targets of choice based on the organizations perceived investment in security controls and the respective compromised data value. Additionally, these databases are likely to contain significant quantities of users and potentially associated personally identifiable information (PII). All of the hacked agencies and universities have been notified about the breaches by Recorded Future. There were 16 U.S. state government victims, 6 U.S. cities and four federal agencies. Additionally, there were two other .gov sites which included Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Americas premier particle physics lab, and the Child Welfare Information Gateway, which is a service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Government Victims (States) U.S. Government Victims (Cities) Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners City of Springfield, Massachusetts Oklahoma State Department of Education City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority Town of Newtown, Connecticut Rhode Island Department of Education City of Alexandria, Virginia District Columbia Office of Contracting and Procurement City of Camden, Arkansas District Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer City of Sturgis, Michigan Alaska Department of Natural Resources County of Santa Rosa, Florida U.S. Federal Agency victims York County, Pennsylvania Postal Regulatory Commission Virginia Department of Environmental Quality U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development State of Oklahoma Health Resources and Services Administration Alaska Division of Retirement and Benefits National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Louisiana Department of Education Madison County, Alabama Other .gov sites Washington State Arts Commission Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Child Welfare Information Gateway Rasputin also hit 35 universities, 24 in the U.S., 10 in the U.K. and one in India. Recorded Future actually lists 25 U.S. universities, but a search shows that the University of Delhi is located in New Delhi, India. U.S. University Victims Cornell University University of the Cumberlands VirginiaTech Oregon College of Oriental Medicine University of Maryland, Baltimore County Humboldt State University University of Pittsburgh The University of North Carolina at Greensboro New York University University of Mount Olive Rice University Michigan State University University of California, Los Angeles Rochester Institute of Technology Eden Theological Seminary University of Tennessee Arizona State University St. Cloud State University NC State University University of Arizona Purdue University University at Buffalo Atlantic Cape Community College University of Washington The University of Delhi is also listed, but as mentioned previously, Recorded Future noted that it is in the US. U.K. University Victims University of Cambridge Coleg Gwent University of Oxford University of the Highlands and Islands Architectural Association School of Architecture University of Glasglow University of Chester University of the West of England University of Leeds The University of Edinburgh All of the attacks were carried out by SQL injection. Instead of using any of the many available SQLi scanners, Recorded Future reported that Rasputin uses an SQLi tool that he developed himself to locate and exploit vulnerable web apps. The attacks are easy to carry out, but expensive to defend. As it is easy to remediate the problem, Recorded Future recommended a different carrot and stick incentive. Despite the governments penchant for employing sticks to modify behavior, perhaps its time to offer financial carrots to address and fully eradicate this issue. IT managers are finding it difficult to keep their applications and data safe in the cloud, and many are slowing cloud adoption because of it. That was one of the findings of an Intel cloud security report that surveyed 2,000 IT professionals in different countries and industries last fall. The issue isn't with the cloud itself, since trust outnumbers distrust for public clouds by more than two to one, according to Intel's survey. IT professionals told Intel that shadow IT and a shortage of cybersecurity skills are causing the most problems. The study showed that 49% of IT professionals said they have slowed cloud adoption because of a lack of cybersecurity skills, and 65% say shadow IT is interfering with keeping the cloud safe and secure. "I think people have bought the story that the cloud is a panacea to them," said Dan Olds, an analyst with OrionX. "They think it must be good because the cloud is the hot thing right now. What I've found in my research is that real data center folks aren't that enthusiastic about the cloud, and they don't think it's more secure." Olds agreed with the survey results that the problem is largely coming from shadow IT, or employees who skirt around their company's IT department to set up applications on their own. "This problem goes directly back to shadow IT," he said. "You're in a marketing unit and you want a cool application up. Rather than going through IT, you just go out and buy it in the cloud. You're going around IT. That can cause a lot of problems. Companies need to get this under control." Judith Hurwitz, an analyst with Hurwitz & Associates, said IT shops should pump the brakes when it comes to jumping on to the cloud, and they should think through all of the security implications. "IT is traditionally skeptical about security issues with the cloud," Hurwitz said. "They are right to reserve judgment. Not all clouds are the same. Some are more secure than others. IT gets the blame if something goes wrong." And company executives need to make it clear that shadow IT is harmful to the company and won't be tolerated, Olds said. "First they need real IT to say, 'We will help you,' and then they need to say there will be penalties for going around them," he added. "The penalties need to be significant." IT needs to take charge of the cloud, especially since the Intel study showed that 62% of the companies surveyed store sensitive customer information in the public cloud. "Companies might look back and find they've gone too far with the cloud and are paying too much for cloud services they have too little control over," Olds said. "I think companies need to understand all the applications they have on premises and on the cloud, and develop some criteria for what can go out on the public cloud and what should never go out to the public cloud." The report was released at the RSA security conference in San Francisco. This story, "IT leaders say it's hard to keep the cloud safe" was originally published by Computerworld . ELKO County commissioners may exempt hoop houses from the building code. Daniel Lotspeich of the Elko County Vegetable Producers requested the change, which will be discussed at Wednesdays commission meeting in Carlin. Current code states agricultural structures not used for human habitation containing less than 400-square feet, when used for agriculture, are exempt from building permits. Lotspeich said kits for the plastic membrane-covered frame structures are typically valued at less than $10,000, but county permit fees can more than double that amount. Commissioners will meet at 1:30 p.m. at Carlin City Hall, 101 S. Eighth St. in Carlin. Andrew Boff is a member of the London Assembly. Housing was understandably a big issue in last years elections for Mayor of London. As a candidate, Sadiq Khan called the election a referendum on housing. His eye-catching promises included the delivery of 80,000 homes a year and ensuring that 50 per cent of all new homes would be genuinely affordable. He would be the Mayor to get London building and solve its housing crisis. Or so he said. Yet once safely in office, it has been astonishing to see the speed and shamelessness with which these promises have been dropped. First to go was the 80,000 homes promise. Now he denies even making it, despite it remaining (at the time of writing), clearly visible on his election website. Instead he refuses to provide any target for the number of new homes he wants to see built in London, to the exasperation of even his own party colleagues. We might have to wait until the new London Plan is published in 2019, over three years into his term of office. In the meantime, Londons developers, boroughs, and housing associations those charged with building Londons much-needed new homes will have no certainty on the number of homes they need to build. The only actual figures we have had so far are from the Government, which has agreed to fund 90,000 affordable homes in London over six years yet still nothing from the Mayor as to how he will make up the difference. Meanwhile, his promise that 50 per cent of new homes should be genuinely affordable certainly a foolish promise to make, but one that was made all the same has now been watered down to 35 per cent. Not that we know what this 35 per cent is supposed to represent, or even what genuinely affordable even means. By contrast, his predecessor Boris Johnson had a very clear target to build a record number of 100,000 affordable homes in his eight years as Mayor, and this is what he delivered. When challenged on any of this, Mayor Khan falls back on a cynical and predictable attack on his predecessors record. His favourite line is to quote a highly misleading figure of 13 per cent the number of affordable homes given planning permission in the last year of Boriss term. This is meaningless because it ignores the number of homes that were actually built, of which 36 per cent were in fact affordable. But the real problem here is Sadiq Khans obsession with percentages. He is less interested in how many new homes are actually delivered, as long as he can say that 35 per cent of them are genuinely affordable. Yet this offers little comfort to the next generation of Londoners, many of whom are struggling to reach the housing ladder, and urgently need to see an increase in housing supply. A young family, looking for a new home, cannot live in a percentage or an approval they need a genuine, tangible home that has actually been built. The only way to deal with Londons rising house prices and rents is to increase housing supply as much as possible, as fast as possible. Any sensible Mayor should recognise this. Yet far from the revolution in housing we were promised, Sadiq Khans tenure is shaping up to be a triumph of spin over substance. Davidson accuses Sturgeon of trying (and failing) to weaponise Brexit Ruth Davidson has called for a fresh campaign to make the case for the Union as Nicola Sturgeon ramps up her posturing over a second independence referendum. STV reports that the Scottish Conservative leader accused the First Minister of trying to weaponise the Brexit vote despite the fact that Britains departure from the EU makes separation weaker and more illogical than ever. She said that: gainst their own expectations, all their attempts to weaponise Brexit to boost support for independence has simply not worked. So far, at least, Christopher Howarth and my predictions are being borne out. Elsewhere this week, the UK representative of the European Commission confirmed that Scotland would need to adopt the Euro upon joining the EU in its own right, whilst a new study found only one in five Scots would favour a new currency. Devolved finance ministers also called for greater clarity on the economic impact of Brexit. This comes as the Scotsman claims that Theresa May is preparing for a potential rematch with the SNP next August (although she has some say over the timing). Tories accused of favouritism over DUP Westminster debate Since Junes Brexit vote, the relationship between the Conservatives and the Democratic Unionists has got a lot closer. Having to take ownership of our departure from the EU, and make a success of it, seems to have spurred the DUP towards wider British alliances theyve neglected for decades. The local Tories are running a low-key campaign for next months snap elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, but on the whole the national party doesnt seem to be exerting itself in any way likely to undermine its new ally. Now Stephen Bush, in the New Statesman, reports that the Government is being criticised for permitting the DUP a half-day debate in the run-up to polling day. Scheduled before Stormont collapsed there was apparently a widespread expectation that it would be rescheduled apparently not. This isnt the only development which highlights the alleged tension between Westminsters role as honest broker and the Conservatives commitment to Ulster as an avowedly unionist party. James Brokenshire has been criticised for campaigning for local Tory candidates too. However such alliances and campaigning are essential if Northern Ireland is to be to any degree reintegrated into national political life. Plaid council spark backlash by closing down English-language schooling Leanne Wood, the leader of the Welsh nationalists, has demanded that the Welsh Government crack down on Labour councillors who are resisting the transformation of their local school into a Welsh-language one as part of a national campaign to force up the number of Welsh speakers. According to Wales Online she claimed that a villages local council candidates from Labour are collaborating with UKIP to resist the decision by Plaid-run Carmarthenshire County Council, presumably because they want their children schooled in English. Carwyn Jones, the First Minister, agreed with her that the situation in Llangennech, near Llanelli, had become toxic. The BBC reports that one Labour councillor denounced the move as segregation, whilst a Welsh language campaigner said objectors could cross the border. Some parents have already moved their children to other schools, according to the South Wales Evening Post, with more to follow. They claim that demand for mono-lingual education has been socially engineered by nationalist campaigners from outside the village. Nesbitt divides Ulster Unionists over plan to endorse nationalists The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party announced this week that he would transfer his vote to the nationalist SDLP before other unionist parties, the News Letter reports. His intention is to try to cement the partnership between the two smaller parties and forge a more coherent alternative coalition to the DUP-Sinn Fein duopoly. But its proved controversial. Whilst none have rebuked him directly, several UUP candidates have already issued their own advice to supporters and recommended endorsing other unionist parties before making the switch to the least-bad nationalist ones. Sam McBride explains in the News Letter how Nesbitts stance is logical as leader of the opposition how can you urge voters to boot out the DUP and then second-preference them? but conflicts with deeply-held unionist instinct. For their part, the SDLP response has been rather graceless: Nesbitts constituency counterpart has refused to say hell reciprocate whilst Colm Eastwood, their leader, seems set on a strategy of out-greening Sinn Fein. The absurd idea has taken hold that Theresa May is incomprehensible. In the title of Rosa Princes admirable new biography, she is described as The Enigmatic Prime Minister. Certainly she presents to political journalists a number of difficulties. She seldom has lunch with members of the parliamentary lobby, and when she does, she declines to gossip, leak stories or brief against colleagues. Amid the rush of modern journalism, where one is expected to produce more and more words based on less and less contact with anyone who might tell one something, lunch is admittedly a less significant meal than it used to be. But Mays refusal to trade in gossip strikes at the heart of how the relationship between politicians and journalists works. It does not, however, make her incomprehensible. It makes her serious. She is identifiable as a certain kind of Englishwoman, who is respected for her reticence and respectability. Millions of us welcome her commitment to privacy because we share it. In this inhibited idiom, deep emotion can still be conveyed. The language and the gestures are understated, and there is no pretence of having arrived at a complete solution before that is possible. The press would like her to be more forthcoming. The public sees no need for this. It just wants her to get on with it, and will judge her by results, not by the degree of emotion she shows. Men in senior roles often feel the need to show they are human beings too. They display pictures of their wives and children. Often this looks horribly bogus, but somehow the man feels compelled to do it. This is particularly the case when his closest relationship is by now with his secretary, and he never sees his children. Because the Prime Minister is a woman, she does not have to prove she is a human being. She needs to prove she is dedicated to her job, and doing it at least as well as any man would do it. Nor does she feel the need to engage in the competitive conversation which arises between successful men, or men who aspire to be successful. Winston Churchill once walked round a poor area of Manchester with Eddie Marsh and said: Fancy living in one of these streets, never seeing anything beautiful, never eating anything savoury, never saying anything clever. There speaks a gifted and ambitious young politician, who was also, incidentally, a gifted and ambitious young journalist. What brilliant gifts he demonstrated to anyone he wanted to amuse or impress, and how he revelled in doing so. Here was a man who saw the importance, not merely of lunch, but of dinner. Not for Churchill the solitary and sober meal taken at ones desk which is the lot of the latter-day careerist. When I interviewed Charles Moore for ConHome about the first volume of his biography of Margaret Thatcher, he said one of her great strengths was that she did not examine her own life in the way that a man might have done: Thats the trouble with male vanity. You say, Ha, ha, I fooled that bastard. She was fooling people a lot, but she would never have said that, even in private. May too has fooled people a lot: Prince reminds us of that. But usually they fooled themselves, by wilfully ignoring the formidable ability she demonstrated in every role she played, and especially as Home Secretary. She has also shown a determination not to be pushed around, whether by the Cameroons or by anyone else. She seldom makes the easy concession, which would defuse the immediate row but might well lead to trouble later. So on the right of EU citizens to remain in the UK, she has not said, as a tactful and well-mannered man would have felt tempted to do, Of course you can stay here. There has been no unilateral concession: she has insisted on the need for a bilateral agreement, which likewise guarantees the rights of UK citizens living in the EU. One suspects that although liberal-minded commentators have condemned her for this, most members of the wider public are pleased to see that the person negotiating Brexit on our behalf is not a push-over. Men of letters, fond of distinguishing themselves, are rarely averse to innovation, Edmund Burke observed in his Reflections on the Revolution in France. It is far easier to write an amusing column suggesting that compared to oneself, May is being backward and unimaginative about Brexit, than an amusing column in which one notes with admiration how she has maintained a surprising degree of unity in her own party, and, with Philip Hammond, a surprising degree of confidence in the British economy. According to Janan Ganesh, writing a day or two ago in the Financial Times, her lapses into asinine jingoism (she wants a red, white and blue exit) have raised expectations by framing the talks as a doddle that only the unaccountably pessimistic would wish to put off. His final sentence is even more damning: We should credit her appetite for the risk, if we could be sure she was aware of it. What a marvellously patronising note on which to end. This woman is so limited she does not realise how dangerous her behaviour is. May is used to being patronised. Prince quotes Keith Simpson MP, explaining why on becoming Prime Minister she conducted such a ruthless clear-out of the Cameroons: I think bubbling up, suppressed inside her, was twenty years of being patronised. The Prime Ministers life has been shaped by her loyal membership of two institutions which used to be more deeply embedded in English life than they are now: the Church of England and the Conservative Party. When she went on Desert Island Discs, she chose two hymns, including the Anglo-Catholic Therefore we, before Him bending, this great Sacrament revere, which, she recalled, sometimes if my father, mother and I were in the church, we would just kneel down and sing. Her fathers training for the ministry at the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield, in Yorkshire, clearly had an enduring influence. This was a matter not only of spiritual formation but of the habit of not sparing oneself in looking after all ones parishioners. In both Church and party, as Prince records, May has done a huge amount of work at the local and least glamorous level. Her assumption is that pouring out the tea or delivering leaflets is what one does. As she put it when launching her leadership campaign: I know some politicians seek high office because theyre driven by ideological fervour. And I know others seek it for reasons of ambition or glory. But my reasons are much simpler Public service has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember. I know Im not a showy politician. I dont tour the television studios. I dont gossip about people over lunch. I dont go drinking in Parliaments bars. I dont often wear my heart on my sleeve. I just get on with the job in front of me. It is an unexciting prospectus, and it omits her ambition, declared when she was very young, to become Prime Minister. But it made her sound more grown-up than any of her rivals. And it is compatible with what Walter Bagehot wrote in 1856, in The Character of Sir Robert Peel, in which he explained why a constitutional statesman is in general a man of common opinions and uncommon abilities. He went on to say (in words which of course apply as much to women as to men): Public opinion is a permeating influence, and it exacts obedience to itself; it requires us to think other mens thoughts, to speak other mens words, to follow other mens habits. Just now, public opinion as revealed in the EU Referendum requires the Government to bring about Brexit, even though, like May, many of its members voted for the other side. That is her task, and she would not last five minutes if she rejected it. In Bagehots words, the most influential of constitutional statesmen is the one who most felicitously expresses the creed of the moment, who administers it, who embodies it in laws and institutions, who gives it the highest life it is capable of, who induces the average man to think, I could not have done it any better if I had had time myself. No one can tell whether she will manage this. But the test for May is whether the average person, rather than the average member of the intelligentsia, thinks at the end of the process, I could not have done it any better if I had had time myself. CORNWALL, Ontario The Cornwall Innovation Centre (CIC) has found a new home and is closer to its opening day after signing a leas with the Nav Centre in January. The CIC is a result of the University Steering Committee, a partnership project with Carleton University between the City of Cornwall, The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the United Counties of SD&G. The University Steering Committee has been active since 2014 and is dedicated to bringing niche post-secondary programs to Cornwall and the surrounding area. We are thrilled to move forward with this exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs of all ages and all stages of growth, said Gerry Benson, spokesperson for the University Steering Committee, the group responsible for the initiative. This is yet one more important catalyst for economic development in the region. The CIC at the Nav Centre hopes to serve as a hub for entrepreneurs in Cornwall to get mentorship, support and investment. Some of the services that the CIC will provide include Accelerator services for startups powered by Carleton Universitys Lead to Win program, one of the Top 10 business accelerator programs in North America. The CIC will also be providing workspaces, access to technologies and tools for development and incubator activities including hackathons, workshops, keynote speaker presentations and learning opportunities for business growth. We are very pleased that the CIC has chosen the Nav Centre for its headquarters, said Kim Coe-Turner, General Manager, Nav Centre. Our state-of-the-art technology and modern learning atmosphere makes this facility an excellent fit for the educational and entrepreneurial spirit the CIC embodies. TSI SNAIHNE, Quebec The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) extended an invitation to the public on both sides of the St. Lawrence this Sunday Feb. 12. In conjunction with the 2017 Akwesasne Winter Carnival Committee, the MCAs Department of the Tehotiiennawakon offered a day of activities and learning demonstrations with a focus on the health of the river, which took place during this weekends festivities. The event featured educational presentations and demonstrations from the MCA and their various partners, taking place at the Iohahiio Adult Education Center in Tsi Snaihne during the weekends torrential snow storm. With a heavy emphasis on river-related programs, the days activities included information sessions on the species of fish and wildlife that call the St. Lawrence River home. There were presentations a-plenty throughout the day, with everything from eels to hatchery exhibits taking place. This is the fourth year Friends of the River has been a part of the Akwesasne Winter Carnival, said Owen Mitchell of the Department of Tehotiienna:wakons Environment Program. We get organizations from around the area and help get the community aware of the river. Presenters included Turtle Island Conservation Project from the Toronto Zoo, Thousand Islands National Park, St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, South Nation Conservation, Ontario Power Generation, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, to name a few. Appropriately, Friends of the River were also raffling off a kayak, donated by CKON-FM at the event as a way of nurturing the connection between people and the river. Its a great community outreach where we get to see good work that people are doing, said Mitchell. Its also a great opportunity to see how these different organizations work together to take care of river. February 14, 2017 Even as reports were emerging of Yahya Sinwars Feb. 13 election to replace Ismail Haniyeh as the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, other reports from Gaza are pointing to a significant decline in the health of Mohammed al-Deif, the commander of the movements military wing. Some Gaza sources even claim he is at deaths door. Deif is considered a living legend for surviving all Israeli attempts on his life. The top of Israels most wanted list was injured in September 2002, during the second Palestinian intifada, when two missiles fired from an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) helicopter hit a car in which he was traveling on Salah al-Din Street in Gaza City. Deif was severely injured, sustaining head wounds and face burns, and lost his sight in one eye. He underwent complex treatments by doctors sent from Egypt to Gaza and survived. Deif survived another assassination attempt in July 2006, when the IDF attacked a house where he was staying. Once again, he was seriously hurt, forced to undergo a series of orthopedic treatments and vacate his position as head of the Hamas military wing. Command of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades was handed over to Ahmed Jabari, who was subsequently killed by Israel in November 2012 on the eve of its Operation Pillar of Defense in the Gaza Strip. Deif was once again called to take charge despite his serious disabilities, the fierce headaches from which he suffered and the daily use of painkillers in order to keep going. During Operation Protective Edge, in August 2014, another attempt was made to take him out, when an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a house in which he was staying with one of his wives and two of his children. The wife and the children were killed in the attack. Deif survived, once more. Over time, each injury he sustained only added to Deifs glory and to the belief in his immortality and protection by Allah. Even after Operation Protective Edge, and despite his declining health, he is still considered the dominant figure of the Hamas military wing. But according to sources in the Gaza Strip, he is gradually growing weaker. Deif can no longer carry out the demanding tasks of a military leader. According to a reliable source in Gaza, who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, in recent months Deif has been suffering memory lapses or, as the source described it, blurred thinking, probably the result of the head injuries he sustained in the attempted assassination in 2002. The persistent reports of Deifs deteriorating health are known to Israeli defense authorities. An Israeli defense source confirmed on condition of anonymity that Deifs fingerprints have fallen off the Israeli radar screen in recent months, telling Al-Monitor that two familiar figures had taken over command Deifs deputy, Marwan Issa, and Gazas new Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar. Sinwar, who was freed by Israel as part of the 2011 deal for the return of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, was the most senior Palestinian prisoner released. His release was obtained at the insistence of his brother, Mohammed Sinwar, the commander of the Khan Yunis Division of Hamas and one of the few people who knew where Shalit was being held captive. At the time, Mohammed Sinwar made the deal for Shalits exchange conditional on freedom for his brother, among other Palestinian prisoners. When the released Hamas prisoners arrived at the Rafah crossing in Gaza, a black Mercedes awaited senior prisoner Sinwar. He was picked up by commanders of the military wing as befits a commander in chief back from the wars. Yahya Sinwar identified the vacuum in the leadership of the military wing as a result of Deifs partial incapacity, and paved his way wisely to the top. He knew how to take advantage of the title he had been given liaison between the military and political wing the real meaning of which was the de facto head of the military wing. Deif still holds the title of commander in name, by virtue of his past glory. Sinwars election to lead Hamas in Gaza created a sea change within the movement, blurring the line maintained since its inception between its political and military wings. The process of electing Hamas new leadership is still ongoing and will be completed once Haniyeh is elected as the chief of Hamas' political bureau (instead of Khaled Meshaal). The election of Sinwar as Hamas leader in Gaza is part of this process. Deif continues to carry the title of Hamas military branch chief. Nobody will take this title away from him, as long as he is alive. But in view of his medical condition, Sinwar will be the one de facto ruling directly also over the military branch, having been one of its founders. One of the heads of the Fatah movement in Gaza told Al-Monitor that merging the two positions could benefit Hamas and the Gaza Strip as a whole. Ever since Hamas overthrew Fatah and took power in June 2007, the heads of the military wing Deif, Jabari, Issa and others intimidated the heads of the political leadership. Jabari and Deif used to straighten out and bend the political leaders to their will, forcing Hamas seniors Haniyeh and Meshaal to dance to their tunes and to heed the threat of their weapons. Now, there is one leader wielding all the power, who is expected to rule ruthlessly. In his appointment as the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Sinwar assumes responsibility for the movements political, diplomatic and military activities, and will no longer have to hide behind the gradually disappearing Deif. Israeli defense officials share this assessment. They see this as an inevitable stage in the development of Hamas. It is hard to say how long Deif will continue to retain the military commanders title. But, as mentioned previously, another inspiring figure is already emerging from the wings: Yahya Sinwar, sentenced to three life terms in an Israeli jail but released, and chosen this week to lead Hamas in the Gaza Strip. ELKO Residents along the Humboldt River are dealing with the aftermath of flooding that hit over the weekend. The southside neighborhood was getting help from volunteers, though many residents have not yet returned their homes. David Hollinger from Linkan Engineering and Construction was helping owners of flooded homes get water of their basements. Hollinger said few people in the neighborhood had water removal equipment on hand. Were normally a water treatment firm but were out here because nobody has pumps, he said. We came out yesterday morning around 8 oclock and well keep working in the neighborhood along with authorities. There were also some volunteers working alongside Linkan Engineering to rid homes of water. Although the City had not authorized them to be there, the group said they have been allowed to continue their work because they have the permission of the property owners. One property owner that was having a difficult time dealing with the flood was John Kraintz. Kraintz is a pastor at the Elko Assembly of God church and spent most of his day on Tuesday cleaning out the churchs basement, which still had about a half foot of standing water. For now services will be moved elsewhere but he was thankful he did not completely lose the church and is happy to have the help of volunteers. There were a lot of the different men in the neighborhood who helped move out a lot of the big stuff, he said. Well come in again tomorrow and start cleaning up more. We appreciate Linkan Engineering. They came in and said we were still good structurally. Michael Villegas also spent a good portion of his day clearing out his house. Water began getting into Villegas house on Friday night. He then began pulling electronics and other valuables out of the house, and returned earlier this week to throw out the items he could not save. Villegas is staying at a friends house and is not sure when he will be able to move back into his home. He was also thankful for the help he received from volunteers who helped him transport his electronics and furniture. When we starting to pull all our appliances out, we didnt have a vehicle to get stuff out, he said. It was really nice to know our community can be a big help when we need it. The City has set up dumpsters on Front Street and on South Second, Sixth, Seventh and Ninth streets for people to dispose of damaged property. The Citys building department is coordinating the restoration of electric and gas service with NV Energy and Southwest Gas, which can only be done after inspections have taken place. A Red Cross center has been set up at 725 Railroad St. to assist residents with emergency needs. Homeowners, tenants, and/or landlords should contact their insurance carrier for guidance, stated a release from the City. Those wanting to volunteer their help should call 777-7320. The Citys emergency operations center will remain open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until further notice. CORNWALL, Ontario Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services is launching a new initiative to try and reduce the high demand placed on hospital and ambulance resources during influenza season. Over the next several weeks, a trained team of Paramedics, in collaboration with the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), will be providing at home care for residents of long-term care facilities in Cornwall and SDG. This initiative will focus on identifying, treating and containing the influenza virus and preventing the number of resident transfers to hospital. The Paramedic team will begin visiting long-term care facilities this week and the program will run until March 31st. It has been a particularly challenging year for the spread of the influenza virus in Eastern Ontario and this initiative will strive to address that issue. The Paramedics who are participating are equipped with the necessary tools to diagnose the flu and to deliver a care plan to treat the specific patient on site, said Wayne Markell, Health and Safety / Infection Control Officer with Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services. This will improve the patient experience by not having to be removed from their residence in the winter. We also expect it will help reduce the load on the Paramedic service and hospitals. Primary Care Paramedics (PCPs) specially trained in IV and blood draw and Advanced Care Paramedics (ACPs) from Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services were invited to apply for this temporary initiative. The four Paramedics chosen for the program (pictured above from left) Leigh Wheeler, Alex Sapone, Elisabeth Hill and Trina Boisvenue have been trained on the influenza virus, its treatments, and how to prevent its transmission to other residents. Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services is one of three services within the Champlain LHIN region to be launching this new initiative. It is being funded completely by the LHIN. CORNWALL, Ontario Sunny Rae Nelson, 29 of Cornwall was arrested on Feb. 14, 2017 and charged with robbery with a weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and breach of undertaking for not residing at a specified address, failing to notify a change of address and being in possession of a weapon. It is alleged in the early morning hours of Feb. 14, 2017 the woman threatened a worker at a front desk of a local motel with a needle all the while demanding money. The woman left with a quantity of cash and police were contacted. The woman was located a short distance away, taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. BREACH Cornwall, ON Brian Colborne, 24, of Cornwall was arrested on Feb. 13, 2017 on the strength of a warrant. It is alleged the man breached his probation and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On Feb. 13, 2017 a member of the Cornwall Community Police Service attended the Cornwall Courthouse as the man was in custody on unrelated charges. The warrant was executed and the man remained in custody for a bail hearing. ASSAULT, BREACH Cornwall, ON A 24-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on Feb. 13, 2017 and charged with assault and breach of probation for failing to keep the peace. It is alleged during arguments on Feb. 13, 2017 the man pushed his common-law wife on several occasions and police were contacted to investigate. During the investigation the man was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim. Close President elect Donald Trump has always been vocal when it comes to his opinions, thus he's highly active on social media. With the hype of his Twitter posts as they always manage to capture the public's attention, experts claim that Trump's tweets are inappropriate based on analysis. Psychology Today pointed out that majority of Donald Trump's tweets is inappropriate as a team of experts came up with analytics resulting in his tweets' negative impact. The team then came into conclusion that there is no right or wrong post, but what they focused on, however, pointed out that most of Trump's tweets should not be posted on social media. How amazing, the State Health Director who verified copies of Obamas birth certificate died in plane crash today. All others lived Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 12 December 2013 Tump's Twitter postS are often feasted upon as multiple websites have already compiled his most inappropriate tweets. He even tweeted that the former president, Barack Obama's birth certificate was fake, which gatherED backlash among his followers. Donald Trump is not the only person in the office that was slammed for unethical tweets. Fortune pointed out that US Ethics Official was slammed for inappropriate Donald Trump tweets. It was mentioned that tweets by Walter Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics were inappropriate for posting. It was then mentioned that his tweets can potentially compromise the government's objectivity. "When he did that, it didn't seem professional, I don't think it solves the challenge. It's not their role," Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the panel's senior Democrat stated as he talks about the people in the office and their social media posts. Shaub was slammed by Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz of Utah as it was mentioned that his Twitter posts were inappropriate and it causes the credibility of his job title. Chaffetz reprimanded Shaub during a closed door meeting as his January 11 tweet caused a backlash among his followers. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons recently revealed the number of cosmetic operations dropped by 40 percent ast year. It had reached a record breaking height in 2015. After a decade of consistent growth, the number of men and women who had surgical procedure went below 31,000 with 2016's totals 5 percent less than those in 2007. According to Sky News, non-surgical treatment such as facial injectables, have remained on a steady rise. Brexit also may have been blamed to have impacted the cosmetic surgery industry. Former BAAPS president Rajiv Grover said the public are less likely to spend on significant alterations and have become conservative. Most patients now opt for less costly non-surgical procedures such as chemical peels and microdermabrasion. Less have been found to commit to more permanent changes. According to Express & Star, in 2016, a total of 30,750 procedures were carried out on men and women that showed a fall of 39.9 percent from 2015. A 39.1 percent fall for women and 47.8 percent fall for men. Breast augmentaion was the top surgical procedure for women that accounted for 7,732 in total, decreasing by 20 percent from last year. Rhinoplasty was the top procedure for men that accounted for 529 in total, decreasing by 35 percent from 2015. Browlifts was the biggest fall of 71 percent for both men and women. Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck however went up by 47 percent with 172 procedure carried out for men. BAAPS president and consultant plastic surgeon Simon Withey said the 2016 BAAPS audit demonstrates that patients are realizing that cosmetic surgery is not a quick fix but a serious commitment. More patients are carefully evaluating the risks and benefits involved in the surgery before getting the procedure done. Withey added "If it means people are taking their time to be truly sure a procedure is the right investment for them, then this can only be a good thing." It may show a decline in the numbers of procedures in 2016 but this also means that more patients are cautious and careful when it comes to cosmetice surgeries. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close A recent study has recently suggested that the difference in the brain structure might explain why autism is more likely found in men than in women. In an article published by Health Day, European researchers reported that women were three times more at risk to have autism spectrum disorder if they have a brain structure similar to what is more commonly seen in men's brain. Dr. Matthew Lorber, acting director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City explained that these women have specifically much thicker cortical areas than normal women does, which is a trait that is generally seen in male brains. Dr. Lorber, who was not part of the study, also added saying that the study, published in JAMA, is not a conclusive study; however, it does suggest a reason why autism is more frequently seen in males than in females. This could lead to an understanding that there is something about the way the structure of the male brain that makes men more at risk of developing autism, even though the study did not provide evidence that the difference in structure causes the disorder. Background notes of the study provided information that autism is two to five more common in men that in women. According to previous studies, the biology of men may put them at a higher risk for the disorder. To test the theory, a team of researchers led by Christine Ecker of Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, performed brain scans on 98 right-handed adults who have autism. They also conducted brain scans on 98 neurologically healthy people for comparison, reported UPI. The scans mainly focused on the thickness of the cerebral cortex which is the gray outer layer of neural tissue in the brain. Researchers of the study explained that the thickness of the cerebral cortex is different in men and women, and this may also be altered in people with autism. Meanwhile, researchers found that men with autism actually have a similar brain structure with those men who don't have the disorder. However, results showed that the brains of women with autism showed similarity in structure to men than other women. Mathew Pletcher, vice president and head of genomic discovery at Autism Speaks, said, "This work suggests that changes in specific features of the brain may be associated with autism in some females." He also warned that there were not a lot of people who were checked in the study and continued saying that it isn't enough to draw any firm conclusions. "Understanding the difference in prevalence in males versus females for autism is an important research topic that could provide critical information on the causes and biology of autism," Pletcher said. "Unfortunately, the study does not include enough individuals to be confident that this change in brain structure is meaningful," he added. Pletcher continued saying that it is still unclear that any differences observed in the study have a significant impact on the brain or that could contribute to the behavioral and social features of autism. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close Genetically modified children are now acceptable depending on certain circumstances. However, a United States-based panel thinks that the gene editing technology should not be used to make designer babies. Four years ago, a technology for editing DNA has transformed science by altering the genetic makeup of plants and animals. Now, experts want to apply the gene editing to human embryos, sperm and egg cells. The National Academy of Sciences, the blue-ribbon advisory board on science policy, recommended that genetically modified children be permitted in the future to prevent the birth of children with serious diseases. According to the panel, gene editing must be approached with caution. The report on using gene editing tools released by the panel consisting of 22 members of scientist and experts has 216 pages and was researched and written for a year. However, their recommendation has alarmed moral and technical experts. The gene editing technology should not be used to make designer babies, but only to avoid serious diseases. Attempts on enhancements like making babies more intelligent, taller or better0looking should not be pursued. In 2016, the United States Department of Health and Human Services appropriations bill has already forbid the Food and Drug Administration to consider any proposal to create genetically modified children. That said, any proposal on gene editing to modify an embryo or create a child should be ignored and could not proceed in legal terms in the US. Tetsuya Ishii, a bioethicist at Hokkaido University in Japan, said that laboratory research in gene editing in human embryos is already taking place in Chine, Sweden and United Kingdom. Ishii believes that the panel has drawn a clear path for the future use of gene tools. Genetically modified children will be made possible by snipping out sections of DNA and replacing them with other genetic instructions. Disease caused by genetic defects can be eliminated, but non-medical alterations can also be passed on to the next generation. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close As autism rates continue to rise, several bodies in the society are blaming Monsanto, pesticides and even vaccines for the disorder. It is reported that one in every 68 children is autistic. In 1975, one in every 5,000 people develops autism. A decade after, it became one in every 2,500; and by 2005, the number of autistic children have already risen to one in every 166. A report by Pesticide Action Network America (PANNA) said that children today are sicker than previous generation. Pesticides are seen as one of the key factors in causing asthma, autism, birth defects and autism among other diseases and disorders. Dr.Stephanie Seneff, a senior researcher in Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), points out that agricultural pesticides, among other environmental toxins, play a large role in the increase of autism. Speaking at Groton Wellness Organization, Seneff said that at the rate autism is rising, one in two children will be autistic by 2025. Seneff also reports the correlation between using Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, which has an active ingredient of glyphosate, to the rising numbers of autistic children. Her research reveals that the side effects of autism mimic the toxicity and deficiencies of glyphosate. Monsanto's Roundup was once thought to be the safest pesticides. However, according to Biomed Research International, Roundup is 125 times more toxic that glyphosate alone. Vaccines containing aluminium is also linked to the rising number of autism. Though vaccines do not directly cause the disorder, Seneff believes that children who will develop an acute reaction to aluminium adjuvanted vaccine may cause neuronal damage. Aluminum in vaccines is also associated with high levels of nitrate in the blood stream. In a study, half of the 34 autistic children have abnormally high levels of aluminium in their hair. Aside from autism, Monsanto's herbicide and other pesticides are linked to other human diseases and disorders like cancers, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close The government of Malaysia has sponsored and endorsed a gay conversion therapy program after federal authorities have claimed that sexual orientation can be changed with extensive training. A video was produced by the Islamic Development Department, Malaysia's family, social and community department, explaining how Muslims can change their approach to the LGBT community to avoid hate against a minority. The three-minute video has been made in the Malay language and suggested that sexuality can be cured. Malaysia is predominantly Islamic and conservative, LGBT rights are largely unrecognized. Under the country's law, homosexuality and gender change surgery are illegal. The film was shared by social activist Syed Azmi Alhabshi on his Facebook page on Monday. The post has attracted thousands of views and comments. Dr Mohd Izwan Yusof, assistant senior director of Malaysia's Islamic Development Department has confirmed that his group was responsible for the video. The film compared sexual orientation to horse riding. It claimed that when someone realizes they have different preferences, they need extensive training and guidance to correct it. It urged homosexuals to repent by fulfilling their desires through marriage or to suppress their appetite through fasting. According to Independent, the video advises Muslims to be patient and help their LGBT friends to change and return to the heterosexual path. Conversion therapy includes psychological treatment and counseling to change a person's sexual orientation. It also included aversion therapy where someone is shown gay porn then is induced to vomit. Some include administering electric shocks so they associate their homosexual desire with sickness or pain. The therapy has caused a rage of controversy in the US. The medical and scientific community has regarded the process as potentially harmful pseudoscience. The practice has been banned in several countries around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Israel, Lebanon, Malta, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the US according to Pink News. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Fortress Australia Claims that Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton is seeking Trump-like powers to target visa-holders that appeared in some media outlets last week are not far-fetched. Amendments to the Migration Act that gained support in the House of Representatives on February 9 and US President Trumps attempts to ban people from seven countries with Muslim-majority populations have strong similarities. There are differences in form, Trump attempting to directly use his presidential powers and Dutton seeking to gain similar powers through thinly disguised parliamentary legislation. If passed, the Migration Amendment (Visa Revalidation and Other Measures) Bill 2016, would give Dutton and future Ministers unchecked discretionary powers to subject any group based on race, nationality or other holding a visa, regardless of whether the visa is permanent or temporary, to a revalidation test and possible cancellation of their visa. Trumps attempts to ban Muslims from the countries on his hit list have little to do with countering terrorism. For example, the list does not include Saudi Arabia, one of the most oppressive regimes in the world which has played a major role in training and funding terrorists and is believed to be behind the bombing of the Trade Centre Towers in New York city. This is not surprising as Saudi Arabia is also one of the largest importers of armaments from the US and Trump is reported to be set to approve large orders from the Saudi regime that had been blocked by former President Obama. Trumps attempted bans, still hanging on court decisions as to their constitutionality, have much more to do with the reactionary politics of anti-Islam, xenophobia and authoritarian and demagogic politics of the far right. The amendments to the Migration Act which passed through the House of Representatives on February 9 share the same politics as Trumps ban. They were supported by Labor on the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. The Australian Greens issued a dissenting report opposing the bill. Labor did however vote against the bill last week. It is now before the Senate. The bill seeks to introduce a system of online visa revalidation. Visa holders would be required to update information and answer other questions as and when determined by the Minister. Failure to meet requirements set by the Minister would result in loss of visa. The claimed objective of the new visa provisions is a new, 10-year, longer validity visitor visa to be used by business people and tourists. This visitor visa is explained as necessary to compete with other countries offering longer visas to tourists. It would allow multiple visits with a limit of three months each time. The bill provides for a trial of the 10-year visa for Chinese nationals only. The concept was raised in the White Paper on Developing Northern Australia as means of making it easier for business people and tourists from the Peoples Republic of China to come and go at short notice. It is suggested that nationals of other countries would progressively be allowed to apply for the 10-year visa. Dutton argues that over a period it would be necessary to require visa holders to routinely update the information they have previously provided to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Hence the need for the changes. According to the Memorandum of Understanding accompanying the bill, visa revalidation is designed to manage the risks to the Australian community that may arise in the context of longer validity Visitor visas, including a persons individual circumstances changing over time, or in the event of a serious incident occurring overseas which may create a situation where it is in the public interest to reassess a visa holders individual circumstances in light of such an event. The amendments will allow the government to ensure that visa holders continue to meet the health, character, security and other requirements for entry to Australia. Broad application As well as providing for a routine revalidation system, the bill also gives the Minister the power to personally decide that an individual or class of individuals must have their visas revalidated. The Minister could exercise his or her powers on the basis of which country they are from, their ethnicity, religion, etc. This is referred to as public interest revalidation. The Ministers powers apply to all visa holders, not just to those on a 10-year visa, even though the argument for their necessity was based on monitoring changes over 10 years! The public interest revalidation check [is] to manage specific, serious, or time-critical risks in relation to an identified cohort of visa holders, Dutton said in his Second Reading speech. In such circumstances, issuing a personal ministerial revalidation requirement will immediately prevent specified visa holders from being able to travel to and enter Australia until they successfully revalidate their visa, Dutton said. (Emphasis added Ed) The wording of the bill leaves it wide open as to what groups could lose their visas and be denied visas in the future. Already there is legislation on the books that restricts areas Australian visa holders can visit without good reason such as visiting their family. The revalidation check will require the visa holder to provide information via their secure online account that will allow the Minister to assess whether the visa holder passes the revalidation check. For example, it could result in the loss of visa and denial of entry for persons who live in or have travelled through a specific country or a particular area of a country; have travelled through a particular area; have contact with people in a designated region or country; are of a specific nationality or even are the children of immigrants from certain countries. It could also be applied to specific religious beliefs or races. It contains the potential for loss or denial of visa retrospectively if the offending behaviour occurred prior to it being considered a security risk or what the Minister considers undesirable. This raises the question of why the government would make provisions for the banning of cohorts of people, maybe even nationals from a whole country, along similar lines to Trump, unless the intent is to use them. Trump makes no pretence about his agenda of banning Muslims or nationals from those seven countries that are on the USs hit list. Dutton is not so honest about his intentions. Ministerial powers A visa holder will pass a revalidation check if there is no adverse information relating to the person, or if there is, that it is reasonable to disregard that information. No adverse information is not defined in the legislation. It is left to the Minister to determine what is adverse information. The Minister can delegate power to deny and cancel visas. The Minister has complete discretionary power to determine who is required to undergo revalidation. While the process is underway their visas cease to be in effect, denying entry until they pass revalidation. If someone is in Australia at the time, they would not become unlawful non-citizens at the time, but if adverse information is found, then they would have to leave Australia. The bill also provides for new classes of visas making it far more difficult to gain citizenship. New developments Recently leaked documents reveal plans for new types of visas, a longer and more difficult process to gain permanent visas and citizenship, and delays in gaining access to social security. The government is getting away with these laws after years of successive governments demonising asylum seekers, then Muslims and increasingly giving prominence to and normalising politics of the far right. The attacks on the ABC are taking their toll, not just with the loss of important programs but with a right-ward lurch in balancing viewpoints on shows such as Q&A, The Drum, One on One and who they interview. The likes of Andrew Bolt and Pauline Hanson, who get massive space to spread their poison on Murdoch outlets, are increasingly fouling the airwaves and social media. It is not just becoming far rights ABC but the legitimisation of their extremist views is having an impact on the outlook of many in their audiences. The closure of the concentration camps on Nauru and Manus Island is urgent. Their occupants should immediately be brought to Australia and given all the assistance to settle in the community. The way forward is a non-discriminatory immigration policy, an increase in the intake of refuges and family reunions. The education system has an important role to play in fostering and teaching about multiculturalism. This is the way to ending the bigotry that is being fostered, and restoration of multiculturalism which is being undermined. Basic poverty trap As the income gap continues to widen and poverty is on the rise in Australia and other industrialised nations as result of decades of neo-liberal economic policies, the concept of a universal basic income is being touted in conservative quarters and amongst some left economists. Trials are underway for some form of basic income for unemployed in Canada, Finland, the US and several other European countries. The concept dates back to the Renaissance of the 16th century where with the new mercantilism it was no longer seen as the preserve of the church and charitable individuals to cater for the needs of the poor. Humanists of the time such as Thomas More and Johanes Ludovicus Vives saw the need for a guaranteed minimum income so those in need would not be tempted by morally bereft behaviour such as theft or prostitution. It has surfaced from time to time over the centuries, often amongst progressive thinkers. Since the 2008 global financial crisis and the deep global recession that followed, conservatives have been pushing the idea. There are various models but in essence concept of a universal basic income is presented as a means of ensuring that every adult has an adequate income to provide for shelter and food. It could be a partial or complete substitute for the existing social security system. The government would pay every adult a flat amount regardless of whether they were already working and regardless of their age and health. In a trial in Oakland, California, 100 families will receive unconditional cash grants ranging from $1,370 to $2,740 a month. In Finland, about 10,000 people will receive $850 a month for two years in a program being trialled there. The discussion has arisen to the backdrop of high and rising levels of structural unemployment, decline in trade union membership, repressive anti-terror and anti-trade union legislation, institutionalised and rising poverty, growing state authoritarianism, systemic racism, sexism and xenophobia along with the more recent targeting of Muslims. The Brexit vote in the UK and the election of Donald Trump have given impetus to the debate around a universal basic income. Capitalism is in deep crisis, increasingly failing to meet the needs of people or to protect the environment. Growing dissatisfaction with neo-liberalism is fuelling the rise of extreme right forces. In Australia, one third of pensioners live in poverty; denied an adequate income for a comfortable life and the right to live in dignity. The number of unemployed is set to rise as robotisation and other technologies develop. Capitalism increasingly has no need for a large percentage of the labour force. This is to some extent covered up in unemployment figures which include an hour of work in the past couple of weeks as being employed. These figures also fail to take account of the hundreds of thousands of people who have given up on looking for work. The economic situation is set to worsen with more people being thrown into poverty or onto the scrap heap as corporations lay them off to increase profitability. Part-time work, casualisation and intermittent work, zero wage contracts, Uberisation, low paid visa workers, and growing deregulation of the workforce and the assault on militant trade unions are all contributing to the present crisis. Some conservative governments are concerned that the present system of unemployment benefits with waiting periods for benefits, stringent work and income tests are acting as barriers to workers studying, taking any work that becomes available or trying to set up their own businesses. The trials are aimed at seeing if a basic income from government would change the behaviour of the unemployed. Proponents of the scheme tend to be rather light-on when it comes to costings. To be affordable a universal payment would need to be an incredibly low income. In Australia, there are approximately 19 million adults aged 18 or over. One figure being suggested by academics is a universal payment of $1,000 a month not enough to even rent a house or fund the average mortgage. It would cost $228 billion. The basic pension for an individual is close to $1,600 a month and below the poverty line. Present costs for social security system are just under $160 billion. Would the government use the universal payment to wind back or abolish social security payments? It would go part way to funding a universal benefit. Such a scheme avoids capitalism addressing the real economic questions, of addressing the lack of well paid secure jobs, the provision of affordable housing, of the urgent need to increase pensions and unemployment benefits by at least $50 a week. The replacement of the current system of social security, as inadequate as it is, once abolished and replaced by a universal basic income would never be restored. The universal income could only be sustainable if it were well below the poverty line. The scheme has other problems. For example, if the government is paying you $1,000 or what other amount, would it down the track treat it like a restricted welfare card , controlling what you spend it on? Neo-liberal economists are winding back spending, handing out tax cuts to the rich and big corporations, and claiming the social security system is unsustainable. They aim to spend less, not more on the well being of people. In such conditions, by necessity, any universal basic income will result in cuts to incomes for the unemployed, pensioners and other social security recipients. Proponents claim that it would provide an income to cover basics for the unemployed with no income tests or other conditions. This sounds great on the surface, but in reality that income would be too low to raise a family, undertake studies or live above the poverty line. But it would create a large pool of labour desperate for crumbs from the world of Ubers and 7-Elevens. It would also generate a highly profitable source of free labour, workers hoping to get a foot in the door. The basic income would also serve employers as a new floor to drive down wages. The scheme also attempts to sell the idea that there is no need to work. But the reality is that human society requires work. That work is part of the identity of a human being, in particular if that work is satisfying and contributes to society. The immediate way forward is an increase in the amount of social security payments, an increase in corporate taxes, job creation programs, shorter working hours and higher wages. Thanks to Richard Titelius for information used in the article. Public rage grows over NSW rail takeover Former NSW Liberal Premier Mike Baird said his recent decision to retire was prompted by family matters. Others suggested he wanted to avoid controversy over the rocketing costs of Sydneys new eastern suburbs light rail service, the questionable financial interests of some coalition politicians and their staff, and their intimate relationship with lobbyists representing the gambling, development and alcohol industries. Preserved Bradfield motor car C3045 at the NSW Rail Transport Museum. But another seething controversy concerns the proposed takeover of sections of Sydneys heavy rail network for a new privately-operated metro rail system. The existing network is government-operated, except for the airport stations, which are privately run and shockingly expensive to use. The foreign-built driverless single-decker metro trains were originally planned for use on the new Northwest line, which will run from Rouse Hill about 30 kilometres north-west of the city, connecting with the existing line at Epping about 15 kilometres from the CBD. The new tunnels cant accommodate the existing double-decker trains, and provision of new, entirely different trains will impose a totally unnecessary financial burden on taxpayers. Moreover, the current 20 minute restriction on the time passengers have to stand while travelling will be greatly exceeded on the Northwest line during peak hours, and the majority of passengers will travel standing, whereas most would have been able to get a seat if the line had been designed for double deckers. Last year the government announced the line would be extended to the city via Chatswood, and called tenders for construction of two new rail tunnels under the harbour. Despite mounting public concern over high cost and design failings the government pressed ahead, knowing that transport-deprived north-west residents would welcome a rail service at least before the schemes faults became painfully apparent. But now the government has announced that the existing fully-operational line running southwest from the city about 10 kilometres to Bankstown is also to be shut down and modified to accommodate metro single deckers. That would involve tremendous disruption to local residents and an enormous, totally unnecessary cost to all NSW citizens. During the six-month conversion period the line would be replaced by a bus service to convey Bankstown line passengers into the CBD. The government will also convert an existing rail tunnel to take Northwest line trains, but for several months that project will put three existing stations out of action, forcing at least 14,000 people to transfer to buses and then back to trains to reach the city during peak hours. As the Atlanta Olympic Games proved, attempting to move huge numbers of extra passengers by bus is a recipe for transport chaos, especially in the case of Sydneys often gridlocked roads. The Bankstown line conversion would also necessitate the enforced resumption and demolition of at least 150 homes and businesses. Hundreds of Sydney residents have already been forcibly evicted with inadequate compensation during construction of Sydneys infamous WestConnex tollway. Dodgy statistics, fake reasoning The government recently investigated public opinion in a questionnaire regarding the so-called upgrade of the Bankstown line to Metro operation. Accompanying text made the highly misleading statement that 200 metro trains could arrive at the city every peak hour, compared with 120 double-decker trains at present. The critical issue is not how many trains can reach the city per hour but how many passengers, and that depends on the number of trains arriving times the number of passengers per train. Double-decker trains carry far more passengers than single-deckers, and the number of trains arriving per hour depends on the number of stops and the signalling and track conditions. The questionnaire assumed that the new metro trains would miss two of the current stops along the Bankstown line and at Town Hall, but that the existing double-decker trains would stop at all three stations, as they do currently. It also assumed the metro trains would benefit from improvements to the signalling equipment, track and stations, but it made no such assumption for the double-deckers. Given equivalent operating conditions, double-decker trains could certainly deliver more passengers to the CBD in peak hours than single deckers. And then theres the financial cost. Extending the new, mostly underground metro line 65 kilometres from Rouse Hill to Bankstown via the city would bring the cost to a staggering $20 billion. Last year the government announced that by 2021 work would commence on construction of another metro line, running from Parramatta 20 kilometres eastwards to the city, at an estimated cost of $10 billion. Little information was given about stops, but eventually the new line would almost certainly replace the existing main western line to Parramatta. The government gained $6 billion from the sale of electricity distributor Ausgrid, but the total estimated eventual cost of the Northwest and Parramatta metro lines is $24 billion. The government knows that Sydneysiders love their trains, and that ill-intentioned interference with the rail system has in the past contributed to the downfall of transport ministers and even governments. Accordingly, it adopted a tactic of initially describing the new privately-operated system as a means of supplementing the existing rail network rather than replacing it. The government refuses to disclose its long term plan. However, the proposal to convert the Bankstown line and construct the new Parramatta line has boosted long-held suspicions that the government wants to ultimately dump Sydneys entire heavy rail network, in a gargantuan and totally corrupt waste of public money, in order to turn the states rail operations over to private hands. To achieve that objective its likely to flog off much of the states crucial infrastructure, beginning with Endeavour Energy, the Land and Property Information service, the state forestry business and parts of Sydney Water. But meanwhile, public anger is rising over the lack of metro seating, closure of the Bankstown line, the lack of stops on the revamped Bankstown line and at Town Hall, the extremely hazardous replacement of train drivers by computers, and the lack of any arguable public benefit for introducing the unbelievably expensive metro system. It was an entirely appropriate time for Baird to exit, leaving his successor Gladys Berejiklian to face the growing wrath of Sydneysiders and other NSW residents. Culture & Life Its NATO, not Russia I can understand the carrot and stick approach that is needed towards Russia, but at the moment we are only getting stick and there doesnt seem to be any carrot. More and more confrontation, sanctions and rhetoric against Russia whilst we are not actually trying to engage with them to try to lower tensions. This is very concerning for me and an increasing number of conservative members of Parliament. If the tit-for-tat deployment of missiles continues at the pace and trajectory that it has done over the last few years, the Polish-Russia border will become the equivalent of the North-South Korean border a no mans land. And then how do we get back from that cliff edge; what are the levers in place to try to rein in the escalating tensions? Its a very serious situation. British Defence Secretarys speech on Russian threat is a desperate attempt to save jobs and budgets for the Cold War crowd, which is worried the new US leader will not consider Russia an enemy, broadcaster and former British MP George Galloway told RT. (Addressing a group of university students, the UKs defence secretary Michael Fallon warned of a resurgent Russia and said that it is becoming aggressive.) Broadcaster and former British MP George Galloway. RT: What did you make of Michael Fallons speech? George Galloway: Well, Michael Fallon puts the squeak in the word pipsqueak. He is of course the defence minister of a small and semi-detached European power with not much military prowess and which wants to feel big about itself. And these people, and hes not alone the military industrial complex in the United States is up to the same game they are desperately thrashing around to save their jobs, to save their budgets, to save their roles as muscle-men in the world. And Fallon got used to, as did other European powers, going around the world, threatening people with Americas army. Now Americas army is not quite so reliable, because America has a President who might not want to use the army in the way that these people want him to, at least one hopes not. And so they desperately seek to continually exacerbate the existing tensions with Russia to defend their own relevance. The people are asking, Whats NATO for? The people are asking, Why are we spending 160 billion on renewing Trident when we now know its missiles are more likely to hit Australia if they were aimed at Russia? And in any case Russia has thousands of nuclear weapons, and we only a handful. So its all pretty pitiful, actually. Right down to the audience of university students, hoping that none of them would challenge him. Id like him to debate these matters with me, he knows me well, he comes from the same town in Scotland as me. Id really love to get my metaphorical hands on him to have some of these matters out. The truth is that the European Union is having to come to terms with the fact that the US now has a President that doesnt want war with Russia and they who have built their entire 50-60 years of history on the possibility of war with Russia are all at sea, except we dont have that many battleships left either. RT: Lets assume he is telling completely the truth about everything he says. Big If, but lets assume its all true. What are his argument about NATO build-up on Russian borders? GG: Russia has no tanks in Poland, but Britain does. Russia has no tanks in the Baltic States but the NATO countries do. Its the NATO countries that carried out the coup in Ukraine, and moved their political, strategic and military force into Ukraine on Russias border. The Ukrainian coup government is the one thats bombarding Donbass right now, as we speak, and shedding civilian blood, and rivers of blood are running down the streets. So its quite Orwellian, actually, its the complete reversal of the truth. And of course he threatened cyber warfare against Russia. Most unwise, I would have thought, because it seems to me fairly clear that there are a lot of people in Russia quite good with the Internet, and a British Defence Secretary saying Bring it on! is probably unwise for Britains industry, Britains whole cyber infrastructure. And he mentioned this place Im sitting in now. The attack on so-called Russian fake news is an attack on RT. And why has he done that? Because RT is powering further and further forward, more and more people switching on to it. Because they dont like the fake news in the British state broadcaster, the BBC, because they dont like the fake news, the Cold War fake news that weve been treated to for decades. So in a way its a badge of honor for those of us who present programs on RT, were definitely getting under their skin. RT Russia Today Say what you like about their invading Poland every few decades, but Germans are men of their word. As with Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and basically any tragedy ever, there are conspiracy theories that say the American government allowed the attack to go ahead because they wanted an excuse to enter the war and start whooping German ass. But when it comes to the Lusitania, that idea is a little more plausible. For one thing, the official story at the time was that two torpedoes launched by a German submarine sank the ship, but it's since been proven that only one torpedo was launched. The cause of the well-documented second explosion remains a mystery, which is like Viagra for the kinds of people who Google jet fuel temperatures on their lunch break. Bibliotheque nationale de France Continue Reading Below Advertisement "The shot might have come from that icy knoll." In 1982, the British government was forced to admit that the Lusitania was secretly carrying a shitload of munitions back to Britain. The Germans at the time defended their attack on the ship as a military action, but it was long denied by the British in order to bolster war sentiment against those evil, civilian-targeting Hun assholes. Once salvage crews started diving into the wreck, the Brits had to come clean, lest the workers inadvertently explode inside the ostensibly weapons-free site. This was confirmed in 2008, when salvage divers recovered a mother lode of weapons which officially never existed. Channel programs News Ciber To Sell Spanish Business For $7M, Advancing Efforts To Reimburse Wells Fargo Michael Novinson Share this Ciber has agreed to sell its Spanish business to human resources consultancy ManpowerGroup, notching its second deal of the month as the company works to repay Wells Fargo $39.7 million. Manpower has agreed to pay Ciber $7 million in cash and up to an additional $1 million in earnouts depending on the performance of a certain Ciber Spain contract over the next 24 months. The Greenwood Village, Colo.-based company, No. 43 on the 2016 CRN Solution Provider 500, said it plans to use $3.2 million of the transaction proceeds to reimburse Wells Fargo for an outstanding loan. In connection with the sale, a Manpower subsidiary has agreed to advance Ciber $2 million of a $2.5 million escrow that would have otherwise been released in June 2017. That escrow will be satisfied by the early release of $2 million, and is connected to Ciber's June 2016 sale of its Netherlands operations to Manpower. [Related: Ciber To Sell German, Danish Businesses for $8.8M As The Company Struggles To Repay Wells Fargo] The Spain deal is subject to a $2 million tax escrow, to be released 90 days after closing, and $700,000 in general claims, to be released in $350,000 increments 12 and 18 months after closing. The transaction is expected to close by the end of February and is subject to the consent of Wells Fargo. "The sale of Ciber Spain reflects continued execution against our plans to simplify our geographic footprint and focus our portfolio of offerings," Michael Boustridge, Ciber's president and CEO, said in a statement. Ciber did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment. This deal comes just 12 days after Ciber agreed to sell its German and Danish businesses to German IT company Allgeier for $8.8 million. Ciber at the time said it planned to use half of the sale proceeds to help repay Wells Fargo, with the remainder needed to fund existing working capital needs. Ciber agreed at the start of the month that it must deliver two letters of intent to Wells Fargo by Feb. 11 related to transactions with proceeds sufficient to repay the company's outstanding balance (Ciber has done this). From there, Ciber must close the deals and permanently repay Wells Fargo the $39.7 million by Feb. 28. Wells Fargo's line of credit was supposed to mature May 7, but the bank accelerated the maturation date to the end of this month as part of the renegotiation process. The new agreement also limits Ciber's ability to borrow money for items not listed in the company's cash forecast provided weekly to Wells Fargo. This setup replaced a previous arrangement with Wells Fargo that would have required Ciber to close a transaction by Jan. 31 netting proceeds of at least $25 million. Ciber shares have recovered 8 cents, or 27.6 percent, to 37 cents since the sale of its German and Dutch businesses was revealed Feb. 3, and remain unchanged in trading Wednesday morning. The New York Stock Exchange told Ciber in November that it is at risk of being delisted due to its average closing price being below $1 per share for 30 days in a row. Manpower said the deal will enhance its ability to deliver best-in-class IT staffing solutions, and complements the organic growth of Experis, its professional resources and project-based workforce solutions arm. The company currently employs more than 600 in Spain, offering clients a broad range of staffing, development and workforce management solutions. "Ciber Spain's deep industry knowledge and expertise are a natural fit within the ManpowerGroup family, and will help us continue to shift our business mix towards higher-value services for both clients and candidates," Raul Grijalba, ManpowerGroup Spain's executive president, said in a statement. In addition to Spain, Germany and Denmark, Ciber has unloaded three other of its European business units this summer. The company sold its 400-employee Netherlands business to Manpower in June for $25 million, its 130-employee Norway business to Manpower in August for $7 million, and its Swedish Business to Bouvet Stockholm in September for $1 million. Ciber had also been planning to sell its $10 million Australian business to local management, but the company said in August that the deal had fallen through. Cloud News From A Partner Program Perspective, IBM Says Its Cognitive Transformation Is Already Complete Joseph Tsidulko Share this IBM has been talking a lot about cognitive transformation over the past few years. At least as far as Big Blue's partner program goes, that transformation is now complete, IBM's channel chief said Tuesday at the company's partner conference. "Partner plan is done. Business model is done. Strategy is clear," Marc Dupaquier, general manager of IBM's global business partners, told CRN after delivering his keynote at the PartnerWorld Leadership Conference in Las Vegas. "Now it's about winning, and that's what we'll continue to be doing in 2017," Dupaquier said. [Related: IBM CEO Urges Partners To Choose Their Cloud Architecture Wisely, Noting That Decisions Made Today Will Impact Their Businesses For Decades] That message marks a clear departure from the last three PartnerWorld conferences. Those events all consistently hit on the theme of channel program transformation as they encouraged partners to evolve their practices to prepare for the advent of the Watson cognitive platform and the strategic imperatives of cloud, mobile, big data and security. In the past, IBM's PartnerWorld channel program had been inconsistent within business units, sending mixed signals to partners as to where IBM wanted them to be, Dupaquier said during his keynote.. One goal of the transformation was to shift IBM's channel from being product-aligned to competency-aligned, he said. Last year, the Armonk, N.Y.-based technology revamped its program for the first time in 11 years. Since that "radical change," Dupaquier told CRN, IBM has done even more to simplify how it works with partners and streamline the on-boarding process. While incremental updates to PartnerWorld will continue, the major overhaul intended to position partners for the cognitive era is complete, Dupaquier told CRN. IBM did introduce on Tuesday a few of those program updates. Among them, IBM is opening to its channel the ability to resell its solution for extending on-premise VMware installations to the IBM cloud. IBM struck the partnership with the virtualization leader last year. IBM also introduced new competencies around security, cloud-based video services, the Watson Internet of Things platform and offering IBM financing to customers. Four new strategic initiatives were unveiled as well. Those are intended to make it easier for partners to embed IBM solutions in their own branded offerings, validate ISV solutions built on the Bluemix platform, resell entry-level products, and enhance incentives for software resellers. There's also a new support tool geared for partners called PartnerWorld Advisor that uses Watson's cognitive capabilities to direct solution providers to channel program resources. But those updates are simply "complementing a big story," Dupaquier told CRN. "The overall partner architecture, I think this is one we'll be running with for the next five years." Wipro, a global systems integrator, has experienced how the evolving PartnerWorld program has impacted the go-to-market dynamics for channel partners, said Pallab Kumar Deb, Wipro's vice president of analytics. IBM, in overhauling its channel program, recognized the shift across the industry that is driving partners to bring to market solutions built on comprehensive platforms, not specific stand-alone products, he said. "The partner program matured to handle the platform relationship," Deb said. "These platforms are evolving and there are not too many choices. And what's available on the platform is who's going to win the battle." That shift has involved an embrace of open-source technologies, which deliver innovation faster than any company can introduce on its own, coupled with the economic benefits delivered by the cloud, Deb said. "There's a concerted effort to embrace technologies not developed all on your own," Deb said. "Silos are breaking down to be more solution-oriented, and that to me is the biggest part of the transformation," he told CRN. Security News Michael Dell at RSA 2017: Security A Key Part Of Business Digital Transformation Matt Brown and Sarah Kuranda Share this New innovations in technology present a massive opportunity for businesses, but security needs to be a key part of a business's digital transformation, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell said. "There is a real thirst for this digital transformation and we're seeing it really begin across a wide variety of industries. Investment is following," Dell said. "The digital transformation is real. But, from a technology sector, it has to be done securely." Dell joined RSA CTO Zulfikar Ramzan as a surprise guest in the opening keynote at the annual 2017 RSA Conference in San Francisco, Calif. on Tuesday. [Related: 10 Security Trends To Watch For At RSA 2017] Dell Technologies acquired RSA late last year as part of its blockbuster acquisition of EMC. The company has since made some product integrations with the Dell portfolio, though has said RSA would largely remain independent from its parent company. Mark McKeever, principal at Tempe, Ariz.-based solution provider MicroAge, said Dell's RSA visit is a smart move for the CEO, who has been relatively quiet about the company since acquiring it as part of the landmark $58 billion deal with EMC. "It's part of the new federation, and people take notice. Partners take notice, and customers take notice when an influential person like that is taking interest, even if it's just 15 minutes," McKeever said. "I've been to other conferences when a key person or CEO isn't there, and people wonder what that means to us. RSA is a great brand, and [Dell] has dispelled any questions about its importance by showing up." Dell said security technologies are more important than ever to CEOs and boards of directors, saying it is an "issue of high concern for them." However, he said for them it isn't a technology issue it's a business and risk issue. However, he said business leaders are also optimistic for 2017 and the potential that new innovations can bring for digital transformations across all industries, including healthcare, education, manufacturing and more. That will force many of these companies to look for security technologies to make those transformations in a secure way. "We really feel like we're enabling this next wave of human progress and for me thats an incredibly exciting place for me to be," Dell said. McKeever said security is a "vastly complex and difficult topic to get your head around," and despite the fact that it can be a tough sell, MicroAge makes data recovery and security the foundation of its data center sales strategy. "It's easy [for customers] to underestimate the importance because unless you've had something bad happen, it's easy to assume it's something that happens to other people," McKeever said. "It's an ever-changing topic, so it's really easy for people to fail to appreciate how important it is," he said. Virtualization News Channel Partners See Opportunity And Some Confusion As Dell EMC Opens VMware Tech Sales To EMC Reps Joseph F. Kovar Share this Dell EMC has opened up more of its VMware technology portfolio to its former EMC sales reps in a move channel partners said could complicate the VMware sales activities. The move to give the former EMC sales reps increased access to VMware products, particularly the more specialized products including NSX software-defined networking and VSAN software-defined storage, comes after Dell's 2016 acquisition of EMC. Before the acquisition, VMware was majority owned by EMC. VMware solutions were available for resale by a wide range of vendor partners including EMC competitors such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, and IBM. However, EMC, concerned with the possibility of competing against those vendor partners, limited its own sales reps' access to VMware solutions. [Related: Better Together: 16 Hot Products From Dell EMC] David Goulden, president of Dell EMC and formerly CEO for EMC Information Infrastructure, told CRN that historically EMC kept VMware sales separate from that of EMC to ensure there was no bias, but that restriction is no longer needed. "Other companies like HPE and IBM do pay their reps on selling VMware, and by the way, Dell paid their reps on selling VMware," he said. "[So to a certain extent] EMC was actually at a disadvantage for being very pure in terms of that aspect of our model." Dell EMC will put in safeguards to ensure that EMC sales reps do not go after deals that other partners have worked, Goulden said. "The Dell EMC reps are going to paid on VMware sales provided they have some involvement in creating that sale," he said. "Just jumping on the back of an existing relationship isn't going to get any, but they will get paid on VMware in fiscal 2018, which I think is going to be a good thing." It could be a good thing, or it could make life more complicated for the channel, solution providers said. There could be new alignment issues between Dell EMC and the channel, said Jamie Shepard, senior vice president for healthcare and strategy at Lumenate, a Dallas-based solution provider and long-time EMC channel partner. "Now we'll have EMC reps coming in, looking at all [EMC] could sell, but not necessarily be aligned with what the channel is selling," Shepard told CRN. "This will lead to confusion." The challenge comes as partners look to expand their VMware sales beyond vSphere to more specialty products like NSX and VSAN, and with EMC sales reps coming in with such products, there is a new layer on the sales process, Shepard said. "It's not a challenge to customers, who can tell the reps they are buying from Lumenate," he said. "But for me, I will now have to manage Dell reps, EMC reps, and VMware reps on the same deal. Having Dell, EMC, VMware, and Lumenate reps in a deal is expensive." There could be issues where VMware and EMC sales reps come in conflict with VMware product sales, one solution provider told CRN on condition of anonymity. "There may be some fist fights somewhere if the VMware rep doesn't get a sale," that solution provider said. Another solution provider told CRN, also under condition of anonymity, that giving EMC sales reps access to VMware products could add to partner confusion because of conflict between VMware and EMC reps. "If a VMware deal goes through a Dell or an EMC sales rep, it makes life harder for VMware sales reps," that solution provider said. "If you drive a sale, and someone else gets the credit, how would you feel?" Michael Tanenhaus, principal at Mavenspire, an Annapolis, Md.-based solution provider and long-time Dell partner, said the impact of expanding VMware sales to EMC reps would often depend on how channel work their deals. For legacy Dell sales reps, VMware was less of a deal driver and more of a server accessory, Tanenhaus told CRN. "But VMware reps want to use sales to move its technology into a higher part of the customer's IT infrastructure," he said. How to structure the sale is in some ways rocket science to channel partners, Tanenhaus said. "You want to do the sale in a way that works best for your company," he said. "If you get a rebate for X millions of dollars of sales, and you want to better your relationship with Dell, you want to buy from the Dell sales reps. But if you want the best results with another vendor partner, you might not go through Dell. Generally speaking, Tanenhaus said, partners will get better credit for sales if they work with their VMware reps on sales of VMware solutions, but can get overall Dell EMC quota benefits by working with their Dell or EMC reps. Shepard said that, no matter how things change as EMC sales reps start bringing VMware to the table, Dell EMC has done a great job in developing a unified channel program after Dell's acquisition of EMC closed. Shepard applauded John Byrne, Dell EMC global channels president, and Gregg Ambulos, Dell EMC senior vice president of worldwide channel sales, for their work in developing a unified program. "The program helps us re-focus on EMC sales, which helps us with the entire Dell EMC relationship," he said. "If the channel initiatives didn't change, then the move by EMC sales reps to sell VMware products could become a free-for-all." Both Dell EMC and its channel partners will see the benefits from cross-selling opportunities for VMware solutions, said Jeremy Burton, chief marketing officer for Dell EMC. "When we got going, we expect higher alignment than maybe weve seen in the past between Dell Technologies' companies," Burton told CRN. "Thats one of the reasons why I think we think we can make more money that way." Security researchers have discovered a macOS malware program that's likely part of the arsenal used by the Russian cyberespionage group blamed for hacking into the U.S. Democratic National Committee last year. The group, which is known in the security industry under different names, including Fancy Bear, Pawn Storm, and APT28, has been operating for almost a decade. It is believed to be the sole user and likely developer of a Trojan program called Sofacy or X-Agent. X-Agent variants for Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS have been found in the wild in the past, but researchers from Bitdefender have now come across what appears to be the first macOS version of the Trojan. It's not entirely clear how the malware is being distributed because the Bitdefender researchers only obtained the malware sample, not the full attack chain. However, it's possible a macOS malware downloader dubbed Komplex, found in September, might be involved. Komplex infected Macs by exploiting a known vulnerability in the MacKeeper antivirus software, according to researchers from Palo Alto Networks who investigated the malware at the time. The vulnerability allowed attackers to execute remote commands on a Mac when users visited specially crafted web pages. Palo Alto Networks noted similarities between the Komplex downloader and a variant of the Carberp Trojan that APT28 is also known to have used. The command-and-control domain names used by the Trojan had also been associated with APT28's activity. The new X-Agent macOS version uses very similar domain names to the Komplex Trojan, with only their TLD different, the Bitdefender researchers said. There are also identical project path strings inside both the Komplex and X-Agent samples, suggesting they were created by the same author. The X-Agent malware can load additional modules, which the Bitdefender researchers are still investigating. So far, they've found functionality that allows attackers to probe the system for hardware and software configurations, grab a list of running processes, execute additional files, get desktop screenshots, and harvest browser passwords. One module is designed to search for and steal iPhone backups stored on Macs, which can contain further sensitive information about the targeted users. "Our past analysis of samples known to be linked to the APT28 group shows a number of similarities between the Xagent component for Windows/Linux and the macOS binary that currently forms the object of our investigation," the Bitdefender researchers said in a blog post. "For one, there is the presence of similar modules, such as FileSystem, KeyLogger, and RemoteShell, as well as a similar network module called HttpChanel." APT28 is considered to be one of the most sophisticated and successful cyberespionage groups in the world and it frequently uses zero-day exploits -- exploits for previously unknown vulnerabilities. The group has been blamed for many hacking operations around the world over the years, and its selection of targets has frequently reflected Russia's geopolitical interests. Security researchers believe that the group is likely tied to the Russian Military Intelligence Service (GRU). Let your voice be heard, head over to our Facebook page to comment. Microsoft is calling for a Digital Geneva Convention, as global tensions over digital attacks continue to rise. The tech giant wants to see civilian use of the internet protected as part of an international set of accords, Brad Smith, the companys president and chief legal officer, said in a blog post. The manifesto, published alongside his keynote address at the RSA conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, argued for codifying recent international norms around cyberwarfare and for establishing an independent agency to respond to and analyze cyberattacks. Whats more, he called on the tech industry to band together to protect users. Such an agreement is necessary, in his opinion, because warfare in cyberspace involves infrastructure thats controlled and operated by private companies like Microsoft. Furthermore, some attacks, like the 2014 Sony hack widely attributed to North Korea, have targeted civilians. Theres an additional consequence that results from all this, Smith wrote. The tech sector today operates as the first responders to nation-state attacks on the internet. A cyber-attack by one nation-state is met initially not by a response from another nation-state, but by private citizens. Smith cited an attack the tech titan dealt with last year when it discovered a nation-state actor using domains aping trademarks it holds. Microsoft then got a court order allowing it to redirect the traffic going to those domains, blocking the attack. Since last summer, in response to one extended such nation-state attack, we have taken down 60 domains in 49 countries spread over six continents, he wrote. Smith called for tech companies to unite on cybersecurity issues to protect users. Furthermore, he called for the industry to promise not to assist with offensive attacks. Even in a world of growing nationalism, when it comes to cybersecurity the global tech sector needs to operate as a neutral Digital Switzerland, Smith wrote. We will assist and protect customers everywhere. We will not aid in attacking customers anywhere. We need to retain the worlds trust. And every government, regardless of its policies or politics, needs a national and global IT infrastructure that it can trust. He also wants those tech companies to contribute to an agency that would play a role similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Such an agency would, in his vision, include participants from governments, private industry, academia and civil society. That new group would be empowered to investigate attacks and attribute particular actions to certain nations. All of this is complicated by the current geopolitical climate. In one of his first actions as president, Donald Trump withdrew U.S. support from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping free trade agreement negotiated under the watch of his predecessor that included the participation of Australia, Canada, Japan, and other nations. Its unclear if Trump would be inclined to take part in a multilateral diplomatic exercise, such as the one Smith is suggesting. Such a convention on cybersecurity norms is made doubly difficult by reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered attacks on the U.S. Democratic National Committee in an attempt to get Trump elected. Head over to Facebook to add your peaceful comment. Trend Micro this morning released a report about the exposed cyberassets in the top U.S. cities and most critical industry segments -- and in many cases, it was the smaller municipalities that had the largest number of problems. "Larger cities had fewer systems being exposed," said Ed Cabrera, chief cybersecurity officer at Trend Micro. Houston, for example, had 3,900,208 exposed devices, compared with 1,031,325 in New York City, even though New York has nearly four times as many people. But many of the cities with the highest numbers of exposed devices were even smaller. Sometimes, much, much smaller. The industry where this was most apparent was the utilities sector. There, the top cities for the number of exposed cyberassets were all on the smaller side -- Clarksville, Tenn., Hopkinsville, Ky., Braintree, Mass., Ocala, Fla., Bismarck, N.D., Muscatine, Iowa, Tahlequah, Okla., Shrewsbury, Mass., Fairfield, Conn., and Granby, Mass. None of these are major population centers. In fact, Granby had a population of just 6,420 in the 2010 census. Cabrera suggested that the reason could be that the smaller cities lack the budgets or resources to secure their infrastructure as much as they should. Take, for example, the government sector. Trend Micro researchers used the Shodan search engine to hunt for vulnerable devices, and found that Lafayette, La., and Saint Paul, Minn., had more exposed cyber assets than Washington D.C. When it comes to the emergency services sector, Houston and Lafayette led the rankings. Cambridge was the city with the most exposed assets in the health care sector. Local municipal governments aren't always to blame here, Cabrera said. "A lot of the infrastructure that you see that are attributed to a city are not all city-owned," he said. The devices that were most frequently exposed, according to the report, were firewalls, wireless access points, printers, and webcams. Firewalls accounted for 77 percent of exposed devices in the financial sector, 69 percent in the health care sector, 56 percent in the emergency services sector, 49 percent in the government sector, and 37 percent in the utilities sector. Wireless access points made up the largest part of exposed devices in the utilities sector, at 40 percent. Cabrera said that the Shodan search engine has some good capabilities for finding vulnerable devices, and that this power could be used by companies to help defend themselves. "If you were doing penetration testing, proactively protecting your infrastructure, it gives you the opportunity to see if your infrastructure is out there," he said. He said that security teams are constantly struggling to identify all the infrastructure that they have. "And if you can't see it, you can't protect it," he said. "Asset management and vulnerability management is critical to any mature cybersecurity program." Expose your comments over on Facebook to join the conversation. The old jail in Malaga. More information Ridley Scott rodara en la carcel vieja de Malaga su pelicula sobre El Chapo Guzman British director Ridley Scott, the man behind classics such as Blade Runner and Thelma and Louise, is set to film parts of his new movie The Cartel in the former jail of Malaga in southern Spain a building that has been closed since 2009. The movie, an adaptation of Don Winslows bestselling novel of the same name, is partly based on the life of Mexican drug boss Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, and the former prison will stand in for the Mexican facility where the drug trafficker was held until his first and most spectacular jail break in 2001 when he allegedly escaped in a dirty laundry basket with the help of dozens of prison workers. Guzman, recently extradited to the United States where he faces narcotics charges, was responsible for setting up the notorious Sinaloa drugs cartel, once the worlds biggest drug operation. Ridley Scott. Scott, who shot part of his biblical epic Exodus in Andalusias Almeria province in 2013, chose the former Malaga prison for the shoot after visiting the building in December to see whether it would serve as the Puente Grande maximum security prison from which El Chapo carried out all of his business until his January 2001 escape. El Chapo is not named in Scotts movie. Instead, the plot focuses on the story of two friends, Art Keller and Adan Berrera, whose lives take very different paths, with Keller becoming involved in the fight against drug trafficking and Berrera becoming the head of the Sinaloa cartel. El Chapos recent extradition to the US has created a power vacuum within the Sinaloa cartel that former leaders and Guzmans sons are fighting to fill. This has led to an increase in violence not seen since 2008 or 2011, during the worst years of the war against the drug cartels unleashed by former Mexican president Felipe Calderon. English version by George Mills. HARTFORD The states top transportation official on Wednesday defended plans to study taxing miles driven on Connecticut roads after a barrage of complaints from lawmakers about the controversial levy. James Redeker, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, said a mileage tax pilot program with 15 other Northeastern states is designed only to learn more about the option, not implement the tax. Its our job to inform the legislature about options and alternatives, and the barriers and opportunities, Redeker said during a question and answer session before the General Assemblys transportation committee. Im committed to making sure we have sufficient capacities to keep the system safe and the best it can be, Redeker said. The funds are insufficient on state and federal side over time. State Rep. Gail Lavielle, R-Wilton, said she remains perplexed about the states interest in a mileage tax, and pointed out Connecticut is putting far more money into the study than other states. There were 16 states and Washington, D.C., but only five actually made a financial commitment, and Connecticut would pay more in cash than any other state, said Lavielle, who opposes the study and a mileage tax. Connecticut last year agreed to participate in a multistate pilot program to study taxing miles driven as a way to replace the state gasoline tax. The study would help determine if that system would bring in more revenue to reduce congestion, fix bridges and upgrade rail systems. State Sen. Len Suzio, R-Meriden, who has introduced a bill to block the state from spending $300,000 to participate in the pilot program, said he believes the study is a path to a mileage tax. The overall vision is to lay the groundwork for a mileage based tax, Suzio said. Its not a study about whether its a good idea or bad idea. Why are we participating in a study thats about how to convince the public to buy into it? State Rep. Fred Wilms, R-Norwalk, asked Redeker where the mileage study money would come from, reminding the commissioner he previously said the money was not included in the departments budget. Redeker said the money would come from department reserves. We did not identify available funds but I hope we can participate, he said. MONROE - A former graduate of Masuk High School, whose family acknowledged has psychological problems, sent the school system into a panic when police said he implied on Facebook he was going to shoot up the school, posing with an assault rifle. Peter Jennings, 21, of Moose Hill Road, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Superior Court in Bridgeport on a charge of second-degree breach of peace. He is free after posting $25,000 bond. The grandson of former Easton activist, Clarence Bud Jennings Jr., police said Jennings questioned what all the attention was about when additional officers were sent to guard the schools after his supposed threat. Yeah, I guess so especially with Sandy Hook, police said he responded when told of the need for precautions. Police said on Feb. 7 Joseph Kobza, the principal of Masuk said he received numerous calls about a threatening Facebook post made by Jennings, a 2013 graduate. In one post police said Jennings wrote, I hate everyone and everything. I wonder why people shoot up schools. Try me. You guys are the ones to blame. Not us. Another post included a photograph of Jennings holding what appears to be an assault rifle, police said. Police said Jennings girlfriend told them Jennings has a long history of depressive moods and had once tried to kill himself. She further described his behavior as being very erratic at times, changing from very angry and verbally abusive to calm and happy in a short period of time, police said the girlfriend told them. Police said Jennings mother was aware of her sons Facebook posts and told them she was going to take him to a doctor. When Victor Chandler, the British casino tycoon, moved his gambling empire out of the United Kingdom in 1999 to set up in Gibraltar , the commotion it caused rocked the City of London and made headlines in the financial press. The online gaming industry is a key part of Gibraltar's economy. PACO PUENTES His competitors in what was then the telephone betting market had little choice but to follow suit or face going out of business, creating what became known as the Chandler effect. Almost 18 years later, The Rock is now the online equivalent of Las Vegas and the 30-odd gaming companies based there control 60% of the global gambling market, generating 3,252 jobs and an estimated 30 billion a year, according to consultants H2 Capital. But last years Brexit vote, which saw people in the UK voting to leave the European Union, raises doubts over their future, and may force them to abandon this British Overseas Territory. If Spain had a more attractive regulatory framework we could attract new companies Miguel Ferrer, Jdigital The advantages of The Rock are indisputable: it offers good communications in a strong financial environment with a basic corporate tax of 10% plus a 1% gaming tax on profits. It is exempt from the taxes imposed by other countries, such as Spain, where 25% is slapped on to all house winnings. Gibraltars online gaming glory days began in 2004. After BetVictor (Chandlers companys name) came the UKs Gala Coral, William Hill, and in 2014, Bet365. Other European players have also set up here. There are now 33 online gaming companies registered in Gibraltar, a much smaller number than on Malta or the Isle of Man, but with far greater clout. Not only do they control 60% of the global market, they continue to create jobs, with between 10% and 20% of employees coming from the surrounding region of the Campo de Gibraltar, in Spain. Between April 31, 2015 and May 31, 2016, authorities in Gibraltar issued three new gaming licenses though it should be pointed out that The Rock keeps a close eye on which companies it invites in. The idea is to attract only the best companies in the market, says James Tipping, Finance Centre Director of the Government of Gibraltar. Despite what people think, we keep a tight control on things here. The regulatory arm works closely with the sector and this legal framework makes the companies feel comfortable. Gibraltars online gaming glory days began in 2004 John Saunders This type of collaboration with the authorities is unusual. In the United Kingdom, a 15% tax on winnings was only introduced in 2014, and Spain upped its tax rate in 2012. This British regulation was particularly damaging to the Gibraltar-based companies because it meant they had to have a UK license to operate there, says Carlos Lalanda, a lawyer specializing in online gaming. In fact, such was the impact that the Gibraltar-based companies took the matter to court. They argued that their services were on loan to the United Kingdom, as to any other member state of the EU. Maciej Szpunar, Advocate General of the EUs Court of Justice, overruled the appeal, arguing the UK and Gibraltar were one and the same place regarding the freedom to provide services. It is interesting that such an internal matter went as far as the European Court, says Lalanda in reference to the sectors muscle. Tipping says despite the inconvenience of Brexit, few companies will probably walk away from the table: When you have such a strong core of companies and professionals, something very big has to happen to make them pack their bags, adding: As many as 80% of customers are British and there is no single European ruling on online gaming. Each country has its own legislation, he argues. Meanwhile, Gibraltars gaming companies are playing their cards close to their chest: EL PAIS was unable to talk to the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association. The Rock is now the online equivalent of Las Vegas Carlos Lalanda believes that some companies may well seek out other EU countries. If Brexit happens without a treaty with the United Kingdom, the companies established in Gibraltar will automatically lose their licenses in Spain, as the Spanish authorities require them to be registered in the EU or in the European Economic Area. Their permits will become void just as they will in any EU country with similar legislation, says Lalanda. If they want to keep operating in these places, they will have to shift their headquarters. Miguel Ferrer, spokesman for Jdigital, the Spanish online gaming association, believes Spain could take a more proactive role toward companies looking to relocate. If Spain established a more attractive regulatory framework for international licenses, we could attract new companies, he says. For the moment, the cards are still on the table, and only time will tell if Gibraltars winning streak will hold up. English version by Heather Galloway. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Metro-North last year set a record for ridership on the New Haven Line to New York City, but three branch lines New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury are falling behind. The number of passengers on the Danbury line dropped 2.4 percent last year compared to 2015, riders on the New Canaan line dropped 1.1 percent and Waterbury decreased 3 percent, figures provided by Metro-North and state officials show. By comparison, the New Haven Line last year carried 40.5 million passengers a 20,000 rider increase and the most ever in Metro-North history. The shrinking branch line ridership on Tuesday drew the attention of Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, both Democrats, and Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. All three wrote a letter to Metro-North demanding answers. We write today to convey our deep concern about this trend, particularly because of its cause poor service, the federal lawmakers said. Riders are frustrated, and they want better service. Better service will increase ridership, which will increase investment, creating a virtuous cycle benefiting commut ers of all stripes. Previously published reports said ridership decreased on all three lines, but figures provided by Metro-North and the state Department of Transportation on Tuesday contradicted those claims and showed ridership on only two of the lines had decreased and the declines were by a smaller margin than previously reported. The figures that (the state) DOT has are the very latest and we support them, a Metro-North spokesman said. Representatives for Metro-North and the state DOT declined comment on complaints from lawmakers and others. More Information Riders on Metro-North's branch lines Branch 2015 2016 NEW CANAAN 1,551,410 1,533,598 % Chg Prior Year -1.7% 1.1% DANBURY 802,017 782,796 % Chg Prior Year 9.3% 2.4% WATERBURY 353,450 342,908 % Chg Prior Year 0.1% 3% Here is the number of riders on Metro-North's New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury branch lines: YEAR 2015 2016 NEW CANAAN BRANCH 1,551,410 1,533,598 % Chg Prior Year -1.1% DANBURY BRANCH 802,017 782,796 % Chg Prior Year -2.4% WATERBURY BRANCH 343,450 342,908 % Chg Prior Year -3% See More Collapse Metro-North carried more than 2 million riders on all three branches last year, with the New Canaan line, which is electrified and more modern, delivering 1.4 million of those trips. The other two lines operate diesel powered trains. Antiquated trains Jim Gildea, a Derby resident and president of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council, said service problems and a lack of investment in new trains for the branch lines is impacting ridership. While the (state) has invested heavily in new M8 cars for the New Haven Line commuter, they have done nothing to improve the day to day train riding experience for Danbury and Waterbury branch commuters, Gildea said. Those commuters are forced to ride antiquated cars that on the best of days struggle with working heat and air conditioning, and on the worst of days struggle with working restrooms and odors. State lawmakers have introduced bills to electrify the Danbury and Waterbury branch lines, and add an additional line to New Milford, but those bills have so far failed to pass the General Assembly. Jim Cameron, founder of the Commuter Action Group, said the Waterbury line has long suffered from break downs and a spotty schedule. The Waterbury line is the Rodney Dangerfield of Metro-North ... it don't get no respect, Cameron said. There are constant equipment breakdowns making an already spotty schedule undependable and unattractive. The train sets are old and often go without cleaning between runs. Cameron said huge gaps in the timetable and frequent busing means many riders choose to drive Route 8 to Bridgeport to catch a train. Gas is cheap; lost time because of delays isnt, he said. State Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, and co-chairwoman of the General Assemblys transportation committee, said part of the decline is because of population losses along the branch lines. In many towns the homes on the market is the highest its ever been, Boucher said. Its a serious problem. People are choosing to move out because we no longer have the lowest taxes. STAMFORD Phyllis Sinrich and Deborah Loeb Bohren view the world through a lens. The women have photographs from their travels around the globe. Sinrich, a Stamford resident since 1960, has been to 86 countries; Bohren, who has lived here just over two years, has toured about 20, with plans to visit three more this year. Their images capture the people, environment, culture and spirit of countries such as Cuba, Croatia, Italy, France and Iceland. About 50 are on display in Wanderlust at the Loft Artists Association, through March 19. An opening reception takes place Thursday evening. Each has taken thousands of photos, many of which sit untouched on their computers for years until fresh eyes and focus allow the images to re-emerge. I will spend eight to 10 hours a day walking, Bohren said. I may have a destination in mind because it gives me a route, but I really dont know what Im going to shoot along the way. Later, when she starts to work with the images, she tries to seize what she saw and felt For me, its What was I feeling and how do I communicate that? Bohrens work is bold she hopes to prompt visceral reactions from viewers. Focused mainly on city scenes, her photography is very much about the intersection of light and line and color. Its texture. Give me a wall of peeling paint and come back in three hours and Ill still be there For me, its not about taking photographs, its about making images. More Information Wanderlust Loft Artists Association, 575 Pacific St. East Gallery through March 19 Opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 16 Gallery hours 1 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday/Sunday For information, visit loftartists.com or call 203-247-2027 See More Collapse As for Sinrich, its the thrill of discovery. I walk around with my camera and I look at everything and I seem to see things that other people dont see. Its what speaks to me at any given moment. She points to Typical Teenagers, hanging in the gallery. A group of girls sit on a bench all dressed as Iranian women are expected to dress but they are all holding these bags of chips, Sinrich said. To her, the scene was typical of what teenagers do, regardless of where they live. The women have photography in their genes. Bohrens parents were photographers she remembers shooting her first photos as a child and Sinrichs family were photo editors. The two had careers in public relations that spanned 30 years before deciding to devote all their time to their passion. When she looks at her body of work, Bohren said, My photographs may not be changing the world, but if I can make somebody happy if somebody is going to come look at my photographs and smile and envelop themselves in some wonderful memories of their life experience then my photograph has succeeded. Sinrichs view is global. My hope is that by seeing all of this work, and being on a kind of virtual tour of the world, that people will get to appreciate and understand that we are a great big world with different people and different cultures, but its a wonderful world. And ultimately we come together. Patricia Hines is a freelance writer. patricia8236@att.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Just hours after former national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned, Connecticut lawmakers Tuesday demanded an investigation into Flynns connections with Russia. Flynn stepped down late Monday for discussing American economic sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the United States in late December, and inadvertently misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the conversation. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., demanded that Attorney General Jeff Sessions appoint an independent special counsel to investigate how much President Donald Trump knew about Flynns actions. Blumenthal said only an independent counsel can know with complete credibility, and be regarded that way by the public, as to what happened, and who knew what happened, and when they knew. The FBI interviewed Flynn about his conversation with the Russian ambassador in his first days as national security adviser. Following the interview, the acting attorney general, Sally Yates an Obama administration holdover subsequently dismissed by Trump warned that Flynn could be susceptible to Russian blackmail. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said any possibility that Flynn was blackmailed by Russia is monumentally disturbing. Himes said it is unlikely that Flynn acted alone in contacting Russias U.S. ambassador, and that it was essential that we get a full accounting of all of the administrations ties and communications with Russia before and after the inauguration. Himes also called for a thorough investigation to find out exactly who was involved, what they knew, when they knew it, and what we can do in the future to ensure it never happens again. Two weeks ago, Trump was informed that Flynn lied about his conversation with the Russian ambassador, but did not ask for Flynns resignation until Tuesday. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said this situation confirms what Democrats have long suspected, that the Trump administration engaged in illegal contact with the Russians. DeLauro demanded that the Trump administration answer questions surrounding Russian involvement in the presidential election and Trumps defense of Vladimir Putins actions. She also said now that Russia has violated a long-standing arms treaty by deploying a cruise missile, Trump has to act in American interests and send a strong message to Moscow that this is unacceptable. Laura.Lindarte@hearstdc.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate By land and sea, Connecticut finds itself linked to escalating tensions over Donald Trumps ties to Russia. Two of the presidents campaign confidants, implicated in published reports as having had contact with Russian intelligence officials, honed their political skills in the state New Britains Paul Manafort and Norwalks Roger Stone. Both have denied being in league with the Russians, but that has done little to allay the concerns of Trumps critics in Congress. Their fears were exacerbated Wednesday when reports surfaced of a Russian spy ship being spotted 30 miles off the coast of Connecticut. Stone, an on-again, off-again adviser to Trump and former business partner of Manafort, bristled at the claims of collusion and accused members of the U.S. intelligence community of trying to undermine the young administration. This is categorically false, Stone told Hearst Connecticut Media. There are no emails to intercept, nor are there any financial transactions. I had no contact with the Russians or anyone representing them throughout the entire presidential campaign. Questions in Congress A request for comment was left Wednesday with the White House and Manafort. He has characterized allegations of his interaction with Kremlin operatives claims made to The New York Times by anonymous intelligence officials as absurd. Congressional Democrats immediately called for an independent probe into the Trump campaigns dealings with Russia, which U.S. intelligence officials determined last month hacked the emails of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clintons campaign in order to help Trump win the presidency. Was the Trump campaign aware of that or were they part of it? U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday. I hope the answer is no. If the answer is yes, you have a constitutional, political and criminal crisis. The imbroglio over Trumps ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin approached hysterical proportions Wednesday as the Viktor Leonov was reportedly spotted loitering in international waters, not far from the U.S. Navy sub base in Groton. Coupled with escalating fighting in eastern Ukraine and Russian jets buzzing a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea, Putin clearly thinks the Trump administration has given him a permission slip to flex his muscles, said U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. President Trump and his administration must end their silence and immediately respond to these threats to our national security. Manafort served as Trumps campaign chairman from March of last year until August, with Trump enlisting him to corral GOP delegates for a contested convention that never materialized. With Trump trailing Clinton in the polls and scrutiny mounting over Manaforts business interests in Russia, he was bounced from the campaign. War and peace Stone blamed recently departed CIA Director John Brennan, who publicly butted heads with Trump during the transition, for the Russia story. The CIA and Pentagon, Stone said, wanted Clinton to win because she supported a more aggressive military posture against the Russians in Syria. I think this is designed to destabilize the new president and nothing else, Stone said. I guess the real issue here is war and peace. (Trump) favors detente with the Russians. A CIA spokesman declined to comment. Richard Dick Foley, of Danbury, a former state GOP chairman and longtime associate of Manafort, said Russia can be a valuable partner in fighting terrorism. At the same time, he said, its annexation of Crimea and meddling in Ukraine are troublesome. Thats not unusual foreign policy, to try to find the sweet spot, Foley said. Manafort and Stone both come from blue-collar backgrounds and cut their teeth working for the rival campaigns of Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan during the 1976 Republican National Convention. From 1980 to the mid-1990s, the hard-nosed operatives partnered together in Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, the lobbying powerhouse that catered to both Fortune 500 companies and dictators such as Panamas Manuel Noriega and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines. That, along with Manaforts later work for Viktor Yanukovych, the deposed president of Ukraine and a Putin ally, opened up Manafort and Trump to criticism. We need to better understand this presidents blind spot for Russia, Himes said. nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy Spanish Congress is almost certain to approve the creation of a special committee to investigate the banking crisis and the bailout of Spains struggling savings banks. In January, the Audit Court released a report showing that up until December 2015, the cost of restructuring Spains bankrupt savings banks had totaled 60.7 billion, of which nearly 41.8 billion was paid for by taxpayers. PSOE spokesperson Antonio Hernando and Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro in Congress. Uly Martin The deputy for the leftist Unidos Podemos group, Alberto Garzon, has managed to introduce the issue on the agenda of the plenary session scheduled for next Wednesday, February 22. On that day, Congress will debate whether to appoint an investigative team to look into the Bankia flotation and bailout fiasco, among other failures of the Spanish banking system during the economic crisis, when excessive exposure to real estate risk dragged many regional lenders into the red. Now more than ever, there is a pressing need to create a parliamentary committee to investigate the bailout of the savings banks, in order to put a name and a face to the people who were responsible for the economic crisis, said Garzon. Once the committee is approved, there will be a new hurdle: actually putting it together Within the board that approved the agenda for next weeks plenary session, only the ruling Popular Party (PP) opposed the creation of an investigative committee. This practically guarantees that it will become a reality, given that the PP is in a minority position in Congress. Faced with the inevitable, PP spokesman Rafael Hernando said that it is good to investigate the workings of the financial sector during that period despite the judicial inquiries that have already probed the matter. The main opposition Socialist Party (PSOE) had pledged some time ago that it would support the creation of such a committee, and the reform party Ciudadanos will likely support it too, since it has attempted to push forward a similar, more wide-ranging investigative committee in the past. And the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) has already confirmed its affirmative vote next week. Alberto Garzon, the deputy for Unidos Podemos, managed to introduce the issue on the agenda for next week's plenary session. Javier Tormo (EFE) Meanwhile the Socialists, the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and the Valencia party Compromis have all filed similar petitions for committees, but limited to the Bankia case only. The former head of Bankia and ex-IMF chief, Rodrigo Rato, was once a senior figure within the PP who is now facing several criminal investigations. Earlier this week Spains central high court, the Audiencia Nacional, decided to formally investigate former Bank of Spain officials, including ex-governor Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez, for their failure to prevent the Bankia debacle despite their supervisory roles. Once the committee is approved, however, there will be a new hurdle: actually putting it together. There is an unwritten rule in Spanish Congress that two investigative committees never work simultaneously. A special committee was approved last September to investigate the role of the Interior Ministry in a case involving fake accusations against political rivals, but the PP and PSOE have blocked the appointment of members, falling back on the fact that Jorge Fernandez Diaz, the former interior minister, is recovering from surgery. In the more than six months since the new Congress was formed, not a single investigative committee has actually come together to carry out any work. English version by Susana Urra. On Valentines Day, a former Bridgeport man pleaded guilty to attempting to sell ecstasy drugs. Collin Fletcher, 52, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine) and MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), both commonly known as ecstasy. According to court documents, Fletcher conspired with others to sell ecstasy to customers in Connecticut, New York and elsewhere. On Oct. 27, 2016, and again on Nov. 1, 2016, investigators made two controlled purchases of ecstasy from Fletcher. He was arrested on Nov. 18, 2016, after he attempted to sell approximately 10,000 capsules of ecstasy to an undercover officer. The capsules had a combined weight of approximately 923 grams of MDA. Chief Judge Janet Hall scheduled sentencing for May 12, at which time Fletcher faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Fletcher, a citizen of Jamaica, has been detained since his arrest. This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administrations New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, which includes officers from the Bristol, Greenwich, Hamden, Milford, New Haven, Shelton, Vernon and Wilton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Perry. Emblematic Havana city restaurants reopen after restoration Submitted by: Juana Havana Society 02 / 15 / 2017 The popular Havana Pio Pio cafeteria and Montecatini pizza parlor reopened its doors on Tuesday to being offering services to locals after an intense refurbishing process. Odalys Rodriguez Perez, Director of Control of the Havana Restaurants company explained that Pio Pio located on L Street between 15 and 17th in Vedado municipality had serious problems with its construction while its water installation was replaced, improved kitchen area among others. The carpentry was totally changed in the cafeteria in addition to the bar currently with 16 seats. Rodriguez added that the area has a capacity for 100 clients but for the moment they willwork with only 7 tables until the remaining area is finished. He announced that the ration of chicken will cost 1.67 Cuban pesos and most of the beverages will be also charged in Cuban pesos. Different dishes with chicken, French fries, yellow rice and croquettes, hamburger, steak sandwich and cold salads will be offered in the Pio Pio cafeteria on L street between 15 and 17th in Vedado. Anays Arteaga Fontes, manager of the cafeteria announced that the area of the cafeteria will be only be opened from 10am to midnight and afterwards the salon will be opened. Arteaga added that they will begin the other stage of construction to finish some of the interior by the second trimester of this year. The Montecatini pizza parlor located on 15th Street corner of J in Vedado neighborhood will open its doors after five years of refurbishing, said Jose Antonio Victorino. Victorino pointed out that new air conditioners were installed as well as tables and chairs, and added. that the prices of the food range between 13 and 40 Cuban pesos. Each work shift will have a captain and two waiters to assist 40 people from 12pm until 10pm, he said. The administrators agreed that in both areas that were refurbished said that the equipment to cook the food were also repaired and has the necessary supplies and resources to offer quality assistance to the public. The reparation process was supported by the Party, Government and Restaurantes Habana Company. Authorities from the Provincial Administrative Council told CAN that has part of the Valentines Day activities, the Malecon Seaside Drive and popular 23rd Street will become huge restaurants for those that want to celebrate February 14th. The recovery of popular Havana restaurants is one of the main priorities of the provincial Government and an example of this constitutes the recent reopening of the Siete Mares Restaurant and Buona Sera Pizzeria. (acn) February 14, 2017 The political engagement and business deals reached by Iran and Sweden during a recent official visit to Tehran were overshadowed by the attire, or lack thereof, of the female members of the Swedish delegation. Indeed, in the aftermath of the visit by the high-ranking Swedish political and business delegation, hard-liners raised a storm in the Iranian media by lashing out at the lack of observance of the Islamic hijab among Swedish women at a party where trade contracts were reportedly signed at the residence of the Swedish ambassador. Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven arrived in Tehran on Feb. 10 and was officially received by President Hassan Rouhani at Saadabad Palace. On Feb. 11, Lofven met with the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a rare invitation for a Western leader. You are known as a man of action and practical steps, and it is expected that you will act in such a way that agreements will not merely remain on paper, Khamenei said to Lofven, referring to various agreements between Iran and some European governments that havent been realized. Iran and Sweden signed five memoranda of understanding involving technology, research, roads, information technology and women and family affairs during the Swedes' visit. Hossein Shariatmadari, the chief editor of the hard-line Kayhan, wrote Feb. 12, In an unexpected and questionable occurrence, the ceremony for signing trade contracts between Iran and Sweden was held at the residence of the Swedish ambassador and not our countrys official institutions. He added, Pictures of the mentioned ceremony indicate that the female members of the Swedish prime ministers delegation were in attendance without [wearing] hijabs. It has been said that the Swedish prime minister and the ambassador had insisted that the ceremony be held at the Swedish ambassadors residence so that these women could attend without [observing the] hijab. Iranian law states that all men and women including visiting dignitaries, ambassadors and their staff must observe the Islamic dress code. For women, this involves covering the hair. Hijabs are not mandatory on embassy grounds or at diplomatic residences. Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Ravanchi and other senior Iranian officials were in attendance at the Swedish ambassadors residence. The Swedish politicians knew that the presence of high-ranking [Iranian] officials in the mentioned ceremony could suggest that our countries officials do not respect Islamic laws, Shariatmadari wrote. By making decisions such as signing contracts at the ambassadors residence, sending diplomatic messages through email and Twitter and negotiating [with foreign officials] while strolling, the [incumbent] 11th government and the Foreign Ministry have fueled serious doubts that [they] want to make foreign relations uncontrolled and out of sight of high-ranking officials. By high-ranking officials, Shariatmadari means the supreme leader, who appointed him editor. Moreover, the references to emails, Twitter and strolling all embroil Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was vehemently criticized by hard-liners for exchanging emails and taking a walk with former US Secretary of State John Kerry during the nuclear negotiations that led to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. In keeping with Shariatmadaris criticism, hard-line member of parliament Seyyed Hossein Naghavi Hosseini said in an interview Feb. 13, [Signing] contracts and agreements outside an official [Iranian] venue and [instead] at the residence of an ambassador, who is our guest, is the diplomatic humiliation of the Islamic Republic of Iran and humiliation of the Iranian nation. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi rejected the hard-liners' assertions and claims that formal agreements between the Iranian and Swedish governments were signed at the ambassadors residence. One of the top agendas of the ceremony at the Swedish ambassadors residence was the opening of the Economic Bureau [trade mission] of Sweden in Iran by the prime minister of this country, Ghassemi said Feb. 13. The signing of agreements [between the private sectors of Iran and Sweden] as the symbol of the beginning of practical cooperation of the private sectors was done at the opening of the bureau. Ghassemi also stated that the signing of contracts between the countries' private sectors at the Swedish ambassadors residence was not contrary to any international procedure. The Iranian government was not alone in coming under attack over the wearing of the hijab. The Swedish government also took fire at home, but conversely, because officials did wear hijabs during the visit. Eleven of the 15 members of the Swedish delegation were women. Jan Bjorklund, the leader of the opposition Liberals, called the hijab a symbol of oppression for women in Iran, and alongside other critical voices, said that the Swedish delegation should have demanded exemptions from Iranian law. Meanwhile, exiled Iranian activists also attacked the Swedish delegation for donning the head covering. Masih Alinejad wrote on her Facebook page, This is a discriminatory law and it's not an internal matter when the Islamic Republic forces all non-Iranian women to wear hijab as well. Swedish Trade Minister Ann Linde saw the affair from a different perspective, asserting that she and other female members of the Swedish delegation were obliged to respect Iranian law. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom reacted much as Linde did. If you go there [Iran] as a visitor, and especially if its an official visit, you observe the law. You do it out of respect for their legislation. You also follow diplomatic protocol, Wallstrom said. The important thing is what you bring up [during meetings] and what this visit is really supposed to be about. It was important to go there and have the important conversations that were held. You can then in other ways support what civil society and womens organizations are fighting for. But its not the right opportunity, so you have to make a choice. Of Bjorklund's criticism, Wallstrom said, Hes desperate for attention. What he is saying is ignorant. An unidentified gunman burst into the studios of a radio station in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday morning and opened fire, killing a producer and a broadcaster live on air and seriously wounding a secretary. More information Presumed killer of two journalists in Dominican Republic dies in shootout The final moments of journalist Luis Manuel Medina were recorded on a live video stream on his Facebook page while he was reading the news on 103.5 FM, which broadcasts from the eastern city of San Pedro de Macoris, on the islands southern coast, halfway between the capital of Santo Domingo and the tourist resort of Punta Cana. The sound of gunfire can be heard on the video, followed by a womans voice shouting Shots, shots, shots! Medina continues to read out the news, while looking up at the entering gunman. More information Asesinados dos periodistas de una emisora dominicana mientras transmitian en vivo Ten of the 17 journalists murdered in 2016 in Latin America worked for radio stations The other victims were radio producer Luis Martinez and secretary Dayana Garcia. Local media later reported that the gunman appeared to have acted alone, entering the radio station, which is located inside a shopping center, and opening fire without warning. He has not been identified or arrested. Ten of the 17 journalists murdered in 2016 in Latin America worked for radio stations, said Reporters Without Borders on February 13, World Radio Day. In two of those cases, they were attacked live on air. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports the killing of four journalists in the Dominican Republic between 1995 and 2015. At least 2,297 journalists and media staff have been killed across the world between 1990 and 2015, according to a report by the International Federation of Journalists. English version by Nick Lyne. The southern Spanish town of San Fernando de Cadiz has introduced traffic lights depicting gay couples, a move designed to normalize the fact that there are different kinds of couples among residents, says Ana Lorenzo, a Socialist Party local councilor for social affairs in this city of 97,000 people. The new traffic lights in San Fernando de Cadiz. Ten lights at pedestrian crossings showing two women or two men holding hands, with a heart in between, have been placed at high-transit locations throughout the city. The presentation of the initiative took place on Tuesday, coinciding with Valentines Day. We want to acknowledge and raise the visibility of affective-sexual diversity, said the councilor, adding that locals have shown surprise at the move but seem to be taking it well. Valencia introduced female figures in some of its traffic lights to underscore the issue of gender parity Right now Im standing at a pedestrian crosswalk and people are taking pictures of them, she said by telephone. Lorenzo says she came up with the idea by investigating what other cities around the world had done to raise LGBTQ awareness, discovering that in 2015, Vienna had installed 47 traffic lights depicting gay and straight couples to illustrate the Austrian capitals tolerant attitude in a year when it was organizing the Eurovision song competition. The previous year, bearded Austrian drag artist Conchita Wurst had won the event. Despite complaints from conservative parties, the lights were not taken down. Other cities soon followed suit: Linz and Salzburg in Austria, Munich in southern Germany, and even London, which installed some in Trafalgar Square for the June 2016 Gay Pride festival. Traffic lights in Vienna, which spearheaded the initiative in 2015. Reuters Lorenzo said she does not know how other political parties in the town, which sits on the Bay of Cadiz, feel about the initiative. In January 2016, they all voted in favor of the Municipal Plan against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, which encompasses measures such as the pedestrian traffic crossing. She added that the new characters come at no cost to the city, which had already been planning to install new lights anyway. The move recalls earlier initiatives in Spanish cities such as Valencia, which introduced female figures on some of its traffic lights to underscore the issue of gender parity. San Fernando was initially given the same female lights as Valencia due to a mistake by the installation company, which quickly took them down and replaced them with same-sex couples instead. English version by Susana Urra. Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders 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 We must rethink the U.S. response to infectious disease. Here's why. Unprecedented resignation in Trump's administration The White House says President Donald Trump was advised nearly three weeks ago that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled his vice president about controversial pre-inauguration contacts with a top Russian diplomat. White House spokesman Sean Spicer, speaking Tuesday, said the president and his close advisers had been "reviewing and evaluating" that information on a "daily basis for a few weeks" before Flynn was forced to resign late Monday. Spicer also told reporters that Trump was "immediately" informed on January 26 of the pre-inauguration contact between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Ahead of Trump's January 20 inauguration, now-Vice President Mike Pence told CBS News' Face the Nation that Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss current U.S. sanctions against Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis. Pence also said Flynn and Kislyak "did not discuss anything having to do" with the decision in late December by the administration of former President Barack Obama to expel dozens of Russian diplomats. The Russians were sent home in response to allegations of Russian cyberspying against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. Responding Tuesday to reporters' questions about the 18-day gap between the January 26 Trump briefing and Flynn's departure on Monday, Spicer said, "The president concluded he no longer had trust in his national security adviser." Spicer also said Trump was pleased that Flynn had talked with the Russian diplomat, and said the president concluded there was nothing legally wrong with their discussions, even though Flynn was a private citizen at the time. Flynn acknowledged in his resignation letter that he had "inadvertently briefed" Pence and others with "incomplete information" regarding his phone calls with Kislyak in the weeks before Trump assumed power. This is unprecedented in the history of the country when a high-ranking official hands in his resignation a month after assuming office. After Flynn's resignation, Trump quickly named another retired Army general, Keith Kellogg, as his acting national security adviser, but also could pick former Central Intelligence Agency chief David Petraeus or former Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward to fill the strategic position on a permanent basis. Flynn and Kislyak, according to widespread U.S. news accounts, discussed the sanctions Obama imposed late last year. Pence and Trump aides, relying on information from Flynn, said publicly that Flynn had not discussed lifting the sanctions, which are still in place, once Trump was inaugurated January 20. Flynn later acknowledged the issue may have come up. Conversations such as those between Flynn and Kislyak possibly could have been a violation of a U.S. law that prohibits private citizens from conducting diplomatic affairs with a foreign government, because Trump had yet to take office. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Tuesday that Flynn's resignation "is the internal business of the Americans, it is the internal business of President Trump's administration. This is not our business." But Russian lawmakers said Flynn's quick departure amounted to an attack on attempts to improve relations between Moscow and Washington. A member of the Duma, Konstantin Kosachev, who is chair of Russia's Foreign Affairs Committee, said, "Even a readiness to have a dialogue with Russians is seen by the hawks in Washington as a thought crime. Forcing the resignation of the national security adviser for contacts with the Russian ambassador, which is normal diplomatic practice, is not just paranoia but something immeasurably worse." As a string of U.S. news accounts about Flynn's conversations were published, several Democratic senators called for an investigation of Flynn, while others urged Trump to fire him and for intelligence officials to review his security clearance. For more details visit here 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 Yegishe Petrosyan: Satan's Wheel is broken down but we have bought the tickets (video) In the upcoming elections, we should exclude the principle of voting for someone based on nepotism-based tradition, says Armenian lawmaker Lyova Khachatryan. Talking to journalists in Yerevan, he said the April elections will be fight for faith. I agree that there is no ideological struggle, but I think there will be fight for faith, with forces trying to change the present with their teams, record economic growth and reduce the rates of migration, the lawmaker said Lyova Khachatryan is concerned that district riff-raffs with the help of law enforcement agencies might interfere with the elections. Songwriter Yegishe Petrosyan, another participant of the news conference, said he does not see a political struggle; rather, it is a struggle for resources. We all know that the Stans Wheel has broken down, but we have already bought tickets, we must ride in it and fall down once again. I also see that political forces are fighting for their ambitions; this is not a fight for the homeland for our future. I think this is a challenge to all those people who want to secure their place and businesses in the future. Should they fail to take their piece of cake on that day [Election Day], they will lose everything. Everybody is trying to save and preserve what they have acquired until now, he said. Prince William helped launch a helpline for young homeless people at the Centrepoint charity this week. Hell have empathised with them, despite his Kensington Palace apartment, 1a, having 57 rooms over four storeys and his option of spending weekends at ten-bedroom Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Yet his attachment to Centrepoint is strong because it was his mothers favourite charity. Prince William helped launch a helpline for young homeless people at the Centrepoint charity this week Yet his attachment to Centrepoint is strong because it was his mothers favourite charity Will Westminster Abbey want Donald Trump to lay a customary wreath at the grave of the Unknown Warrior on his state visit? And will the City of London insist on hosting the traditional dinner? A source adds: Officials worry if the president given his extraordinary hairdo can do functions which require a top hat? Heres a mock-up of how hed look in a topper. Ukip's ex MEP Godfrey Bloom, 67, who said women who didnt clean behind the fridge were sluts, is revolted by BBC 2 Newsnights foghorn-voiced correspondent John Sweeney, 58, promoting his TV encounter with far-Right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, 53, by boasting that its the most sinister interview Ive ever done. Bloom says: God, what a pussy. Typical BBC brown-rice-eating fairy. Tory MP Nicholas Soames, 69, describes Donald Trumps senior adviser Stephen Miller, 31, the architect of his immigration policy, as a baboon and a total wazzock. Candid Soames is visiting Washington later this month. But not the current occupant of the Oval Office, presumably. Broadcaster Andrew Neil, a proud son of Paisley, Renfrewshire, is disparaged by SNP MP Peter Grant, 56, a bowling club member, who sneers: Im guessing none of his friends ever had to apply to a council-house waiting list. Neil responds: Then youd guess wrong my parents were on a council house waiting list for three years. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, 61, faces being hounded today by human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, 65, outside the General Synod in Westminster over the C of Es attitude to gays. Hes getting off lightly. In 1998, bold Tatchell interrupted a Canterbury sermon by one of Welbys predecessors, George Carey, by barging into his pulpit mid-sermon. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, 61, faces being hounded today by human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, 65, outside the General Synod in Westminster over the C of Es attitude to gays Dianas former butler, Paul Burrell, reveals that the Queen enjoys bananas, which I mentioned here last year. Prince Philip favours mangos. He taught actor David Suchet how to eat them without fuss. Suchet then devoured one in the proper manner on his TV series Poirot. The last of the C of Es prince bishops retiring Bishop of London Richard Chartres might not have been were it not for his mentor, the late Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie. Chartres arrived for the job on a hot July day in a three-piece suit, bowler hat and carrying an umbrella. Coming from a poor family hed equipped himself with what he considered appropriate attire in charity shops. The Archbishop of Canterbury has once again raised eyebrows with his political opinions The Archbishop of Canterbury has once again raised eyebrows with his political opinions. Addressing the General Synod the Church of Englands annual talking shop he crassly linked Brexit with what he calls the fascist tradition. The Most Reverend Justin Welby observed: There are a thousand ways to explain the Brexit vote or the election of President Trump or the strength in the polls in Holland of Geert Wilders or in France of Madame Le Pen [popular Far-Right leaders in each country] and many other leaders in nationalist, populist or even fascist traditions of politics. Implying in this roundabout way that the ordinary, decent people who voted for Brexit are somehow marked or tainted by traces of fascism is an appallingly ill-considered move. The Archbishop is reckoned an intelligent and well-meaning man, but here, he has revealed something alarming about the way in which he sees the world. Indeed, in their contempt for a democratic result, and their attempts to do everything to thwart it, its the Remoaners who might be said to share in the fascist tradition. And, of course, I accept that Remainers are not closet fascists or Nazis and neither are Brexit voters. In the same speech in which he made this silly assertion, the Archbishop also lamented: The language of public life at present is deeply, savagely divided and may become worse. Hes right about this. The language of public life has, particularly from the Remainers, become more aggressive, less civil although this is arguably because there are suddenly such huge issues at stake, after decades of rather sleepy consensus and drift. But isnt casually describing Brexit voters as being in the same bracket as fascism in itself deeply, savagely divisive, not to mention totally untrue? Indeed, it is an historically absurd contention. Many of those who voted for Brexit were voting for British self-determination and democracy, thus upholding the principles so dear to those who fought against fascism in World War II. What is more, our parents and grandparents traditional views, to borrow Welbys language, left them instinctively suspicious of government by diktat from unelected apparatchiks such as the European Commission in Brussels. Now, for the Archbishop, rejecting these unelected apparatchiks makes Brexit supporters guilty of a complicity with the fascist tradition. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Most Reverend Justin Welby observed: There are a thousand ways to explain the Brexit vote or the election of President Trump or the strength in the polls in Holland of Geert Wilders or in France of Madame Le Pen [popular Far-Right leaders in each country] and many other leaders in nationalist, populist or even fascist traditions of politics The writer George Orwell was a committed socialist who, unlike so many on the Left today, really did understand and love his fellow countrymen. In 1941, at close to the darkest hour in the war, he wrote bluntly: What has kept England on its feet during the past year? In part, no doubt, some vague idea about a better future, but chiefly the atavistic emotion of patriotism . . . For the last 20 years, the main object of English Left-wing intellectuals has been to break this feeling down, and if they had succeeded, we might be watching the SS men patrolling the London streets at this moment. Orwell, in other words, understood that patriotism and national pride the very qualities that underpinned Brexit were also the principal bulwarks against fascism during World War II. Sadly, such windy, ill-considered pronouncements as the Archbishops are typical of the Church of England today. A few months back, the Church announced it was to hold a series of debates about homosexuality what else? spending a quarter of a million pounds employing conflict resolution experts. You really dont know whether to laugh or cry, but then, the Anglican Church exquisitely unconcerned about its ever more empty pews seems obsessed to a point of madness about homosexuality. The old joke used to be that our dear old C of E was essentially the Tory Party at prayer. It could seem something like a quaint anachronism, redolent of a world of squire, parson and tea on the lawn, yet benevolent and amiable in its way. As Archbishop of Canterbury, rather than sneering and making offensive comparisons with fascists, should he not be making a more considered attempt to understand what motivates Brexit voters? Today, though, the Church of England is desperate to be fashionable and engaged. The typical Sunday morning sermon is often barely distinguishable from an editorial column in the Guardian. Inevitably, there have been calls at this General Synod for a debate of President Trumps ban on issuing visas to certain Middle Eastern and African countries even though this ban has now been lifted. Why our national church, which seems oblivious to family breakdown and the moral and spiritual bankruptcy in so many areas of Britain, should think it its job to discuss (and no doubt condemn) the domestic policy of a foreign country is a mystery. According to the traditional view upheld by my own father, for instance, a lifelong Church of England vicar the job of the church was to preach the Gospel. You dont seem to hear that one much any more. Our churchmen today prefer to preach politics to religion or even worse, a muddled mix of politics and religion. (My father also used to joke that there must be a God watching over the Church of England, or it would long ago have disappeared in a puff of irrelevance.) In marked contrast to the Archbishop Welby, his predecessor, Archbishop George Carey, has spoken perceptively about how the current resurgence of national feeling in the West might be viewed. Crucially, perhaps, Careys own origins are more humble than Welbys. He was born in the East End of London, went to a secondary modern in Barking and started work for the London Electricity Board. Is this why he shows a better understanding of the British people and their Brexit vote? Welby, on the other hand, was educated at Eton and Cambridge and has any number of grand family connections, including the Dukes of Richmond. He is, no doubt, a modest man and surely does his best to understand the realities of life outside Lambeth Palace. But it all leaves you with the impression that he is just another member of the elite, which still seeks to undermine Brexit while sneeringly attributing it to some ugly phenomenon called populism. Tellingly, this description speaks to the belief Britains new-found independent spirit is vulgar and based on a lack of education. Sadly, Welby, when he joins in by making derisive jibes about fascism, sounds like just another snooty member of this ruling class. As Mervyn King, the former governor of the Bank of England, observed last week, the disdain the Establishment showed for those worried about the EU encouraged many to vote to leave. I [was] told: But if you even contemplate voting for Brexit, you must be either ignorant, uneducated, stupid or a racist, to which the response was: Im none of those, and I resent being described in those terms, said Lord King. Instead of standing out as a leader willing to question the status quo, Welbys views chime perfectly with those of the Liberal Establishment in academia, the BBC and Whitehall. Yet as Archbishop of Canterbury, rather than sneering and making offensive comparisons with fascists, should he not be making a more considered attempt to understand what motivates Brexit voters? The intense levels of disillusionment with the political class, the longing for a sense of identity in a world that is changing too rapidly for social cohesion, the mass movement of peoples to our country that doesnt seem so much exciting and diverse (as some bill it) as destabilising and divisive . . . To suggest that these views are of the fascist tradition is to grasp for the hysterical terminology of the keyboard zealots of Facebook and Twitter, their shallow language of labelling and insult. It is, frankly, profoundly unworthy of the leader of the Church of England. She looked radiant at the BAFTAs at the weekend, and now a beauty therapist has revealed the ways you can emulate the Duchess of Cambridge red-carpet look with ingredients from your kitchen cupboards. Deborah Mitchell used chocolate spread, porridge oats and even a sock full of mashed bananas as she demonstrated the type of techniques she uses on her clients in a royal beauty special on This Morning today. Deborah, 51, who has worked with the Duchess of Cornwall and Gwyneth Paltrow, demonstrated a bath filled with oats and a chocolate facial on the show, and said: 'This is something that we can all do at home, with no cost.' Here, FEMAIL outlines how to get Deborah's royal treatment in your own home... Deborah, 51, who has worked with the Duchess of Cornwall and Gwyneth Paltrow, demonstrated a bath filled with oats and a chocolate facial on the show CHOCOLATE SPREAD FACE MASK Deborah applied the chocolate to the model's face and slowly rubbed it off - which she says leaves the skin feeling smooth Chocolate spread contains moisturising ingredients like palm oil and essential fatty acids, which Deborah explained helps to keep skin smooth. 'I have used this at home and on some of my clients,' Deborah said, 'It works well as an exfoliator. The skin after seven days goes moist because of the palm oil. It helps dry skin.' METHOD 1. Spread the chocolate all over your face using the back of a spoon. 2. Let it dry slightly and then gently peel it off using a rolling motion with your hand. Advertisement PORRIDGE OATS BATH Filling a bath of milk may be extravagant for some but you can recreate your own Cleopatra Bath with a sock full of porridge oats Named a 'Cleopatra Bath' after the Egyptian queen who was famed for bathing in milk, this involves adding porridge oats to the tub rather than your cereal bowl. Deborah says the oats help to soften the skin. METHOD 1. Place a cupful of plain porridge oats into a sock or muslin cloth and tie around your tap or place in the bath - allowing the oats' soothing properties to seep into the water. 2. After a long soak you can use the bag of oats to rub over your body as an exfoliator. Advertisement Kate looked radiant on the red carpet at the BAFTAs on Sunday night in Alexander McQueen BANANA AND AVOCADO SOCK EXFOLIATOR A mixture of ripe bananas and avocado can help to tackle the dry skin on your feet To achieve soft feet worthy of a princess, Deborah suggests a mixture of ripe bananas and avocados spooned into a sock. Avocado is full of natural oils that will moisturise skin, and banana is rich in potassium to make skin supple. 'The bananas actually exfoliate and dissolve the [dry] skin,' she explained - and even recommended using the skin from the banana to rub on corns. METHOD 1. Mash a banana and an avocado together into a bowl. 2. Spoon the mixture into a clean sock. 3. Place the sock on your bare feet for 20 minutes before rinsing off the mixture. Advertisement MINT IMPERIALS LIP SCRUB Crush up sugar or mints and mix with lip balm, like Vaseline, and then rub on to your lips which will then melt away For dry lips Deborah suggest using some lip balm and crushed up mint imperials or sugar to create a cheap scrub. METHOD 1. Scoop a chunk of lip balm from an existing pot and place on the back of your hand. 2. Add crushed up mint imperials or sugar to your hand. 3. Using your finger rub the mixture on to your lips. 4. No need to rub off as it dissolves, leaving behind soft - and minty fresh - lips. Advertisement COFFEE UNDER-EYE TREATMENT Apply the undereye mixture of coffee using the back of a cold spoon and it will help to alleviate dark circles The trick to getting rid of tired eyes, Deborah says, is coffee and your eye cream. Not only is coffee an anti-inflammatory, it's also rich in anti-oxidants. METHOD 1. Add a spoonful of coffee granules to your eye cream. 2. Using the back of a cold spoon press the mixture on to your dark circles. 3. Rinse off. Advertisement This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10.30am A married couple turned their honeymoon into a family affair after childcare plans for their romantic retreat fell through. Leah Groth, 37, who lives with her family in the Chicago suburbs, and her husband Nick, 39, turned the trip into a 'familymoon' by taking their two young children on their vacation. Originally, the writer said she had dreamed of going on a couple's holiday with Nick, who works for an elevator company, to Costa Rica for a week of 'freedom' after eloping a year ago. Intention: Leah Groth, 37, and her husband Nick, 39, pictured right and left with their children Jackson, three, and Barrett, one, in Mexico, had planned to go on a romantic honeymoon 'I imagined it to be the traditional honeymoon experience. Definitely no kids involved. Romantic and intimate. Quality time for just the two of us, as we still haven't gotten to experience that,' she told Daily Mail Online. 'We were hoping to spend the week just the two of us, without any distractions or dirty diapers to change. To experience freedom for a week, to stay out late and sleep in and not have to worry about naps or bedtimes.' But when they realized they would not be able to leave Jackson, three, and Barrett, one, at home they were forced to rework their plans to include their children. They decided to go to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico where there were plenty of activities for adults and children and childcare. Leah said: 'While we did get to spend some alone time...we still had the kids to worry about. 'So the stress of parenting was still there. It definitely wasn't the honeymoon we expected.' Family affair: But after they were unable to get childcare the couple, from Chicago, decided to take their children Jackson, three, and Barrett, one, with them on their honeymoon On the first day they left the children at daycare and Leah returned to find that her son had 'pooped his pants'. She wrote in an article for Babble: 'Horrified, I walked back into the bathroom, where I found one of them cleaning up the poopy mess that was not only on his bottom but in his pants, and scrubbing them until no trace was left behind (a task not one of my babysitters back home would likely undertake).' Although it was difficult to go for romantic meals out with the children, Leah said there were 'moments' of romance while the children were occupied. When they went for a couple's massage and to a spa which she said was 'one of the most romantic days of life with kids'. She said it was a positive bonding experience for the family but that she would not recommend a familymoon for couples with 'romance on the mind'. 'There hasn't been a day of either of my children's lives that I haven't seen them. They were even both there on our wedding day, my son in person and daughter in my belly, so it really makes total sense that they ended up on our honeymoon,' she added. The transgender teen who Laverne Cox gave a shout out to on stage at Sunday's Grammy Awards has responded to the surprise mention. Gavin Grimm, 17, of Gloucester, Virginia, is heading to the Supreme Court next month as a part of his fight against the Gloucester County School Board for the right to use the school's public bathroom that corresponds to his gender identity. Having followed Gavin's story, trans icon Laverne used her appearance at the Awards introducing Lady Gaga and Metallica to bring attention to the case, mentioning the teen by name. Using her platform: Actress Laverne Cox called attention to the case of Gavin Grimm during her introduction of Lady Gaga and Metallica at Sunday's Grammy Awards Standing up: Gavin, 17, is a transgender teen from Gloucester, Virginia, who is headed to the Supreme Court over a case against the Gloucester County School Board 'Please Google Gavin Grimm. Hes going to the Supreme Court in March. #StandWithGavin,' she said. Talking to the Washington Post, Gavin revealed that he had no idea that Laverne was going to make the statement - not until he heard his mother screaming while watching the TV in another room. 'I was just so thrilled because I love her. Shes just a beautiful person inside and out,' Grimm said. 'I was really touched and thrilled and honored that that was the first thing out of her mouth... at this point, thats the role I occupy and I want to make sure Im using that platform for positive.' Putting it out there: Laverne urged those viewing the ceremony to Google Gavin's case Fighting for his rights: Gavin originally filed the lawsuit with the aim of being able to use the school's public bathroom that corresponds to his gender identity back in 2015 He added: 'I definitely didnt set out at the beginning wanting to or expecting to shouted on the Grammys.' Gavin originally filed his lawsuit in 2015, anticipating a quick legal fight, with the school board ultimately backing down. That turned out not to be the case, with his story blowing up in the national media as his fight rose all the way to the Supreme Court. As a result, the teen is now at the center of a contentious national debate over transgender rights. Heroes: Gavin is pictured with trans star Carmen Carrera at the Times Center A big deal: Gavin said that he had no idea that Laverne was going to mention him onstage until he heard his mother screaming in front of the TV After it was revealed in October that his case would move on to the highest court, Gavin said in a statement: 'I never thought that my restroom use would ever turn into any kind of national debate. 'The only thing I ever asked for was the right to be treated like everyone else,' he added. 'While I'm disappointed that I will have to spend my final school year being singled out and treated differently from every other guy, I will do everything I can to make sure that other transgender students don't have to go through the same experience.' The case is due to be heard by the Supreme Court on March 28. In our technology obsessed society, it's not surprising that people are using their phones everywhere, even when going to the bathroom. In fact a study conducted in 2016 found that 41 per cent of Australians use their phone on the toilet, while one by Sony found that figure was closer to 75 per cent for Americans. While it might seem like clever multitasking, a GP says that you're actually risking your health by taking your device with you wherever you go. Ew: Research shows that 75 per cent of people use their phone when on the toilet 'There are water and air particles that harbour in the little creases of the phone,' Dr Anchita Karmakar told SBS. 'And phone covers and cases are usually made out of rubber, which is a warm and comfortable harbouring ground for bacteria.' This bacteria includes salmonella, E.coli, shigella and campylobacter, according to WedMD, all of which can make you very sick. You're also at risk of spreading viruses like gastro and staph, which can be easily transmitted from solid surfaces like your phone. 'Thats enough to put bacteria on the phone': But doctors warn that you're making yourself sick by using your device in the bathroom (stock image) The advice Dr Karmakar gives is to not even take your phone to the bathroom, especially public ones. 'Even if youre not using your phone on the toilet, youre still holding it while youre going in and out of the bathroom, and thats enough to put bacteria on the phone when you havent yet washed your hands,' she explained. Given that many people also use their phone when eating, and that many infections can be transmitted by mouth, this also increases the risk factor of getting sick from bacteria on your phone. Food + phone = germs: Especially if you then use your phone when eating, as bacteria can attach to the device (stock image) So, what can you do to try and mitigate this risk of spreading infections and getting sick? Firstly, don't take your phone into the bathroom at all, and try not to use it when eating. Disinfecting your phone regularly is also a good idea, especially if you've been using it in the bathroom. Specific sprays can be bought to clean touchscreens, and a screen protector can help too. And wash your hands regularly, especially when leaving the bathroom or touching anyone else's smartphone. Hugh Jackman has had a sixth operation to remove traces of skin cancer from his face. The 48-year-old actor has been vocal about his battle with basal cell carcinoma since doctors spotted his first abnormal mole in 2013. On Monday, he posted another selfie showing a band-aid on his nose, urging fans to wear sunscreen and get regular check-ups. And it seems people were listening. The post prompted an immediate spike in searches for 'basal cell carcinoma', according to Google Trends. So what is BCC, and why does Jackman's case keep returning? 'Thanks to frequent body checks and amazing doctors': Hugh Jackman posted this photo and message on Instagram on Monday, urging fans to be wary of the signs for basal cell carcinoma BCC is the most commonly-treated type of skin cancer aside from melanoma. It usually comes in the form of open sores, red patches, pink growths, shiny bumps, or scars. The disease affects the bottom of the epidermis, the outermost layers of cells in the skin. Signs and symptoms of BCCs, include a growth that: looks smooth and pearly appears waxy appears as a firm, red lump sometimes bleed develops a crust or scab begins to heal but never completely heal is itchy looks like a flat, red spot that is scaly and crusty develops into a painless ulcer BCC almost never spreads beyond the original tumor site. Around 75 percent of all skin cancers are BCCs, which are typically slow-growing. Only in very rare cases can it spread to other parts of the body and become life-threatening. However, if left untreated it could be incredibly dangerous. Some BCCs are more aggressive, and if left to grow, they may spread into the deeper layers of the skin and into the bones, which can make treatment more difficult. Jackman's post prompted a spike in searches for 'basal cell carcinoma', according to Google If treated at an early stage, this form of skin cancer is usually completely cured. However, it is not uncommon for patients to see a recurrence of BCC after their first diagnosis. Generally, it is believe people who have already had BCC are 40 percent more likely to develop another lesion than those who haven't. Among those who have had BCC, there are some factors that make them more or less likely to see a recurrence. Those with the highest risk of recurrence are: redheads younger patients (like Jackman) patients with lesions on their nose, ear, or eyelid (like Jackman) Risk also increases or decreases depending on the procedure used to remove the previous lesion(s). Those who have Mohs Surgery, the most effective removal procedure, increases the risk of recurrence by just 1 percent. This procedure uses microscopic technology to analyze all the cells during the surgery, eliminating the 'guessing' factor, and removing all dangerous cells. Jackman underwent Mohs surgery. Those who have a standard surgical excision, without microscopic technology, raise their risk of recurrence by 10.1 percent, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The other two common methods - cryotherapy (freezing it off) and electrodesiccation & cutterage (scraping and buzzing it off) - increase the risk of recurrence by 7.5 percent and 7.7 percent respectively. The actor discovered his first cancereous lesion after a makeup artist noticed a little spot of blood on his nose while he was filming X Men: Days of Future Past and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness urged him to get it checked. Pictured: In May 2014 (left) and October 2014 (right) To avoid BCC, you should: Justine Greening has already indicated she will consider making the subject mandatory A lack of compulsory sex and relationships education has created a ticking sexual health time bomb, town hall chiefs have warned. The Local Government Association (LGA) said too many youngsters are still being diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to poor information in schools. Official figures show there were 78,066 STI diagnoses among 15 to 19-year-olds in England in 2015, and 141,060 among 20 to 24-year-olds. The LGA, which represents local authorities, urged the Education Secretary to make sex education mandatory in all secondary schools to combat the shockingly high number of cases. Justine Greening has already indicated she will consider making the subject mandatory, although parents would still retain the right to withdraw their children from classes. Currently, only council-maintained secondaries must teach the subject although many academies and free schools also so do voluntarily. However, standards vary widely between schools and some very religious ones choose not to teach it at all. The LGA said age-appropriate sex and relationships education should be an essential part of the curriculum for young people. It said local authorities have responsibility for public health, budgeting around 600 million a year for sexual health, and without proper classes, pupils are not being properly prepared for adulthood. Izzi Seccombe, chairman of the LGAs community wellbeing board, said: This is a major health protection issue. The lack of compulsory sex and relationship education in academies and free schools is storing up problems for later on in life, creating a ticking sexual health time bomb, as we are seeing in those who have recently left school. The shockingly high numbers of STI diagnoses in teenagers and young adults, particularly in the immediate post-school generation, is of huge concern to councils. The evidence suggests that when designed and delivered in the right way, sex and relationships education can have a really positive impact on a pupils development. However, we are also conscious that some parents may wish to remove their children from this, which is why we are saying there should also be provision for parents to opt their children out of lessons, if they consider this to be in the best interests of their child. An image from 'Living and Growing' from the Channel 4 DVDSex Education for 5-11-year-olds It is understood Ms Greening is considering making the subject compulsory to tackle online grooming, sexting and youngsters viewing internet porn. A number of MPs from different parties have come out in support of the measure. Former Cabinet ministers Dominic Grieve, Nicky Morgan, Maria Miller, Dame Caroline Spelman and former Childrens minister Tim Loughton are understood to be backing the change. At least seven Labour MPs - Sarah Champion, Graham Allen and Jon Cruddas - are said to be in support of it, as is a DUP MP Jim Shannon. The change to the National Curriculum - which would be the biggest overhaul of sex education for 17 years - is proposed in an amendment to the Children and Social Work Bill which was published in the House of Commons last week. A Department for Education spokesman said: High-quality education on sex and relationships is a vital part of preparing young people for success in adult life. It is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and, as the Education Secretary said recently, we are looking at options to ensure all children have access to high-quality teaching in these subjects. We will update the House during the passage of the Children and Social Work Bill. A seemingly pain-free alternative to agonising fillings may soon be available. Scientists have developed a new treatment method to fill in small cavities between teeth without using a drill. Normally, a patient's mouth is numbed, with dentists then drilling away the tooth structure to access the cavity. The new treatment, called resin infiltration, involves the dentist sliding a perforated sheet between the teeth with the cavities. No drilling is required and the procedure, being trialed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is typically completed without the need for anesthesia. Resin infiltration avoids numbing and drilling cavities in between teeth or on smooth surfaces with small cavities (stock) Dr Augusto Robles, from the university's school of dentistry said: 'When we develop cavities between teeth, sometimes we have to go through the tooth, and we end up damaging healthy tooth structure. 'This new system allows us to skip the drilling and helps us preserve that structure. 'I never thought this would be possible for dentistry. In my 24 years of practicing, this changes everything we've done so far. It's marvellous.' Resin infiltration involves cleaning the cavity by pushing a gel through the perforated sheet. The tooth is then filled by pushing a liquid resin through the perforated sheet. Finally, a dental curing light is applied to the tooth to cure the resin. This potentially painless therapy is expected to win patient approval. This potentially painless therapy is expected to win patient approval, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (stock) Dr Nathaniel Lawson, also from the university, added: 'Since this is a no-shot and no-drill treatment, it is popular with patients. 'And since no tooth is removed, it is a very conservative procedure.' SELF-REPAIRING FILLINGS Fillings which help teeth to self-repair from ongoing decay have been invented by scientists. Hailed as a revolution in dental care, the compound - known as bioactive glass - not only blocks cavities but repairs bacterial damage. It releases minerals such as calcium and phosphate, which the tooth uses to replace what was lost during the decay and repair itself. The technology, developed by experts at Queen Mary University of London, is set to do away with the need for mercury fillings, experts hope. Advertisement Yet, while this new treatment may offer a pain-free solution for some, not all patients will be able to benefit from the drill-dodging procedure. Resin infiltration is only possible in between teeth or on smooth surfaces where there are small cavities. Cavities that are large or on top of teeth will not suit this type of treatment as the liquid resin used cannot build up shapes. Dr Robles said: 'The resin has to be liquid to be able to be absorbed into the cavities in between teeth. 'So at this point, the application is pretty specific.' Resin infiltration is already FDA-approved and available in Germany. This comes months after scientists invented fillings that help teeth to self-repair from ongoing decay. Developed by experts at Queen Mary University of London, the compound - known as bioactive glass - is expected to do away with mercury fillings. Comparing your love life to that of a celebrity, such as Kim Kardashian, can affect your libido Put down those magazines and stop comparing your love life to that of A-listers. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian often talk about their own sexual exploits, with the reality TV star previously giving her own sexual exploits with Kanye West a 'five-star rating'. But new research suggests that just believing someone - even your own friend - has a spicier time than you do beneath the sheets can damage your libido. However, the findings only ring true for those who suffer from sexual narcissism - the excessive need for sexual validation, experts claim. So, as long as you don't expect sexual favours in return for buying gifts, your relationship won't be affected, scientists say. Researchers from the University of Toronto Mississauga assessed how people make comparisons to others in terms of their sex lives. Most are curious about the sexual lives of others, but sexual narcissism heavily affects their views, they found. They are very susceptible to comparisons with others, regardless of whether it was friends, colleagues or magazine articles. They often made comparisons that made their sexual lives look better, the study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found. However, when they felt they were getting less action than someone else, they became dissatisfied with their relationship. And this lack of satisfaction is widely known to decrease the libido of both men and women. But the findings only ring true for those who suffer from sexual narcissism - the excessive need for sexual validation, experts claim In contrast, those who had a low degree of sexual narcissism weren't affected by any of the comparisons. WANT MORE SEX? GET YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP Getting your beauty sleep not only leaves you refreshed, it can also boost your sex life, research showed earlier this month. Women over 50 who suffer from insomnia are less likely to be satisfied with their physical relationships, experts found. But those who get more than seven hours' sleep are more likely to have good sex on a regular basis, a Harvard University study discovered. Advertisement Study author Lisa Day said: 'People are curious about the sexuality of others and make comparisons that impact how they feel about their own relationships. 'Individuals with a high degree of sexual narcissism tend to make comparisons with those who are less sexually skilled, for example. 'When they do make comparisons with someone doing better than they were, it gets under their skin.' But she pointed out their findings shouldn't be confused with general narcissistic personality traits. This comes after research last month found that refraining from having sex could help people to live longer than others. The University of Sheffield study offered an explanation as to why nuns - who stay away from the act completely - tend to live longer. A woman who died from a bleed on her brain after three hospitals refused to admit her for surgery could have been saved if she had been given a bed. Mary Muldowney, 57, would have survived if she had been given immediate life-saving surgery, a coroner ruled. In a damning verdict, London-based coroner Mary Hassell said that the lack of beds was irrelevant and she could have been treated immediately. By doing this, it would have allowed hospital staff to find a spare space in the intensive care unit, she claimed. Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England's medical director, expressed his deep concerns over the situation. Following Ms Muldowney's death, which highlights the growing crisis for hospital beds reaching tipping point, he has since issued a safety alert across the country. Astonishingly, bosses from St George's Hospital, London, who refused to accommodate Ms Muldowney, said she was not deemed to require urgent care. Mary Muldowney, 57, died from a brain haemorrhage after being turned away from three hospitals due to a lack of beds (pictured middle with her two friends) A coroner ruled that she would probably have survived if she had been given immediate life-saving surgery (the identity of the person on the left is unknown) Ms Muldowney was admitted to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill on July 20 last year where doctors immediately suspected a brain haemorrhage. A CT scan an hour later showed heavy bleeds and doctors requested she was transferred to a specialist neurosurgical unit for treatment. But St George's Hospital and King's College Hospital, both London, and the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, all refused the request due to having no beds. Other hospitals also said they did not have an available intensive care bed, it is claimed. HOSPITAL BED CRISIS NHS hospitals serving millions of people are completely full, with no beds for new patients, shocking official figures revealed last month. In the weeks running up to Christmas, more than a dozen hospitals across England faced turning away critically ill patients because they were running at 100 per cent capacity. Hospitals were on average 95 per cent occupied last winter the highest on record - and this year is set to be even worse. Experts say anything over 85 per cent occupancy is dangerous. One hospital, the Princess Alexandra in Harlow, Essex, did not have a single bed free in any general or acute care ward for 27 days in December. The Red Cross has warned that NHS hospitals across the country face a 'humanitarian crisis', while doctors warned that hospitals are close to 'meltdown'. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt conceded care in some hospitals is 'completely unacceptable' after almost 83,000 operations were cancelled at the last minute last year. Advertisement In a letter to bosses at NHS England, Ms Hassell said: 'In desperation, knowing of the neurosurgical expertise of a former colleague, one of the East Surrey Hospital doctors went out of area and rang a consultant neurosurgeon at the Royal London Hospital (RLH). 'Invoking the universal acceptance policy, he accepted transfer immediately, though in fact the RLH had no intensive care bed available at that time. 'Meanwhile, at about 1pm, Ms Muldowney woke up very briefly while intubated and interacted with her daughter. 'Ms Muldowney was transferred to the RLH and taken straight to theatre at 4.40pm. Unfortunately, her pupils had become fixed and dilated in the ambulance during transfer to the RLH and surgery did not save her. 'If she had been transferred promptly, it probably would have.' The coroner, who recorded a narrative verdict, said evidence showed that Ms Muldowney 'could have been transferred, undergone surgery, spent time in recovery, and then an intensive care bed procured'. 'If such a bed was still unavailable, she could then have been transferred to a different hospital, at least having undergone the time critical clot evacuation and aneurysm clipping. 'With prompt transfer and surgery, Ms Muldowney would probably have survived. One of the hospitals that turned her away was St George's Hospital, in Tooting 'In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe that you have the power to take such action.' WHO IS SIR BRUCE KEOGH? Professor Sir Bruce Keogh is NHS Englands medical director and is responsible for ensuring the health service delivers excellent standards of care. Born in Zimbabwe, he moved to England as a young boy. He was knighted for his services to medicine in 2003, after establishing himself as a leading cardiac surgeon at University College London. According to his biography on the NHS website, he has been president of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland and secretary-general of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Advertisement NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh said he was 'very sorry' to read of the circumstances around Ms Muldowney's death and that a serious patient safety issue had been raised. He said Professor Simon Mackenzie, from St George's Hospital, had suggested Ms Muldowney 'was not deemed by the neurosurgical services to which she was being referred to require immediate life-saving surgery' and fell outside the scope of the universal acceptance policy. Professor Mackenzie said he believed St George's provided acceptable care because Ms Muldowney suffered a re-bleed during the ambulance transfer to the RLH. He added that 'although at the time of the referral to the St George's neurosurgical unit a re-bleed was a possibility, this was not the reason for her urgent transfer', Sir Bruce wrote. King's College Hospital, London, also said they had no space to accommodate Ms Muldowney But he said the process of securing a bed added a delay of just less than two hours to the acceptance process. Sir Bruce said there was a clear 'difference in perspective' between doctors at East Surrey Hospital and St George's, and a meeting is to be held between clinicians at the two units. He said the findings would be fed into broader work around the way patients are referred between hospitals. The coroner's report and letter from Sir Bruce were first reported by the Health Service Journal. With prompt transfer and surgery, Ms Muldowney would probably have survived The coroner investigating the death of Mary Muldowney, 57 A spokesperson for St George's Hospital said: 'We would like to express our deepest sympathies to Ms Muldowneys family for their loss. 'St Georges neurosurgical department operates a "universal acceptance policy" to accept patients that require emergency specialist support. 'Unfortunately, at the time of referral, Ms Muldowney was not deemed to require life-saving surgery which led to her transfer to Royal London Hospital.' A spokesperson for Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: 'Patient transfers are only accepted when medical specialists have been consulted and it is clinically safe to do so. 'We continue to see high levels of demand for our services and are currently in the process of building a new critical care centre. This will add significant bed capacity to our existing four critical care wards. We appreciate how difficult this case was and extend our condolences to Mrs Muldowneys family.' A spokesperson for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'We would like to express our deepest sympathies to Ms Muldowneys family and friends. 'Unfortunately, at the time of referral, Ms Muldowney was not deemed to require life-saving surgery and therefore there was no indication that emergency transfer was appropriate.' Alaska is known for its mountains and wildlife. But did you know it is also the 'most sexually diseased state' in America? That is according to a new study which has compiled a comprehensive map of sexually-transmitted infections state-by-state. Taking the top spot, Alaska has 151.1 cases of gonorrhea per 100,000 residents and a chlamydia rate of 768.3 per 100,000 people, according to a new report. Rounding out the top five worst states were: Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi and New Mexico. On the opposite end of the spectrum fell New Hampshire as the 'least diseased state', with just 18.5 cases of gonorrhea per 100,000 residents and a chlamydia rate of 233.3 per 100,000 people. Following closely behind were: West Virginia, Maine, Vermont and Utah. A new map shows Alaska to be the state where you're most likely to catch an STD and New Hampshire to be the least likely state TOP 25 STATES WITH THE MOST STDS... 1. Alaska 2. Louisiana 3. North Carolina 4. Mississippi 5. New Mexico 6. South Carolina 7. Georgia 8. Oklahoma 9. Arkansas 10. Alabama 11. Illinois 12. Texas 13. New York 14. Delaware 15. Ohio 16. California 17. Missouri 18. Tennessee 1.9 Arizona 20. Hawaii 21. South Dakota 22. Nevada 23. Michigan 24. Maryland 25. Florida Advertisement ...AND THE 25 STATES WITH THE FEWEST 26. Indiana 27. Colorado 28. Virginia 29. North Dakota 30. Pennsylvania 31. Wisconsin 32. Nebraska 33. Washington 34. Rhode Island 35. Kentucky 36. Oregon 37. Montana 38. Kansas 39. Minnesota 40. Iowa 41. New Jersey 42. Connecticut 43. Massachusetts 44. Wyoming 45. Idaho 46. Utah 47. Vermont 48. Maine 49. West Virginia 50. New Hampshire Advertisement The new report, compiled by Backgroundchecks.com, used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as state and county health information and social media surveys. In the era of Tinder, Grindr, and other dating sites, casual hookups are an all-time high. And in November 2016, the CDC announced the total combined cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis reported in 2015 had reached their highest ever. There were more than 1.5 million chlamydia cases reported, nearly 400,000 cases of gonorrhea and nearly 24,000 cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis the most infectious stages of the disease. With the information came the warning that the bacterium that causes gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is developing resistance to the antibiotic drugs used to treat it. Men who have sex with men accounted for the majority of new gonorrhea and P&S syphilis cases. And women's rates of syphilis diagnosis increased by more than 27 percent from 2014 to 2015 - although women still make up less than 10 percent of new P&S cases. Reported congenital syphilis, which occurs when the infection is transmitted from a pregnant woman to her baby, increased by six percent. People between ages 15 and 24 accounted for nearly two-thirds of new chlamydia diagnoses and half of all gonorrhea cases, according to the 2015 data. 'We have reached a decisive moment for the nation,' Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said in a statement. 'STD rates are rising, and many of the country's systems for preventing STDs have eroded. We must mobilize, rebuild and expand services or the human and economic burden will continue to grow.' Approximately 20 million new STD infections occur each year and the cost to the US healthcare system is estimated to be as much as $16 billion annually. To address the recent STD upsurge, Dr Gail Bolan, director of the CDC's Division of STD Prevention, has recommended improvement of the surveillance systems that collect data on new STD cases and that people with new diagnoses should be provided access to treatment. Additionally, she added that the importance of continuing to study and monitor the adverse health complications of STDs, which include the risk of infertility and a greater vulnerability for HIV, among other health effects. 'It is my hope that a decade from now, we will be reporting on progress, instead of more health inequity in our society,' Dr Bolan wrote in a statement. An actress' face was destroyed by a sinus infection, leaving her unable to eat or see. Tran Thi Yen Nhung, 28, complained of pain inside her nose, which doctors initially dismissed as sinusitis, three years ago. After the pain continued and her family spent a total of the equivalent of 180,000 (500million VND), on prospective cures, doctors finally operated on her in My Tho, Vietnam. Yet, rather than solving the problem, the procedure actually made the infection worse. Within a year, it had consumed nearly all of Miss Nhung's face - destroying her nose and mouth. The infection was also infested with flies. She tragically died from the illness on 27 December. Scroll down for video Consuming nearly all of her face, Tran Thi Yen Nhung's infection destroyed her nose and mouth Miss Nhung's family from My Tho, Vietnam spent the equivalent of 180,000 (500million VND) on hopeful treatments Pictures of Miss Nhung at 24, before the infection took hold, show a beautiful young woman who dreamed of becoming an actress and starting a family. Miss Nhung's heartbroken aunt, Tran Van Hong, said her family want people to see what Miss Nhung endured in the hope others can avoid suffering the same pain. She said: 'Seeing Nhung in so much pain was heartbreaking. She never stopped hurting. But she was kind and begged for her family not to spend more money on her treatment. She said she was okay, she wished not for us to cry. 'We were looking for treatment, visiting every hospital to find someone to help. Her mind was still very awake, but she could not eat or drink. 'Money was completely finished, we had borrowed lots to pay for medical bills. In the end the disease would not go away.' Before the infection, Miss Nhung dreamed of being an actress and starting a family Local nun Bui Thi Lien, who cared for Miss Nhung, said doctors tried to treat her infection by amputating pieces of flesh. Miss Nhung also tried several alternative therapies but none were effective. Footage of Miss Nhung being cared for at the local temple last December show her mother spoon-feeding her water as monks and nuns pray for her. Sinus infections typically develop when sinus linings become inflamed after a viral infection. Such infections typically heal within a couple of weeks but can spread to the brain and cause meningitis if untreated. Reported in The Mirror, leading sinus expert Dr Wellington Tichenor from the Center For Allergy-Asthma in New York said her infection was likely caused by a fungus in the sinus, combined with the poor medical treatment she received in Vietnam. He said: 'The disease is different in different parts of the world. In the third world, the difference in medicine, climate and medical care are much different. 'There can be, for example, a number of different problems that don't occur in western countries. That can be down to fungus that is invasive and cause fungus balls. 'There are also other diseases that look alike and feel alike sinusitis or rare tumours that doctors are less likely to notice. In less developed countries sinus infections can be deadly but is is very rare in the west.' An American woman has died after undergoing botched plastic surgery in Colombia. Diana Alvarez, a married mother-of-one who lived in Kennesaw, Georgia, traveled to her native Medellin in early December 2016 to get liposuction on her belly. When she arrived at the recommended surgeon's clinic - a two-story house - she was persuaded to also get work on her breasts for a 'bargain' total price of $5,000, her husband Dario Chavarro claims. The last thing Diana, 36, said before the five-hour operation on December 13 was 'I'm so scared'. When she woke up from the anesthetic, she fell into cardiac arrest, and died in a nearby clinic. Distraught, her husband has now launched a campaign to raise awareness about botched plastic surgeries - speaking in Colombian congress, protesting outside the hospital, and giving media interviews. Diana Alvarez, who lived in Kennesaw, Georgia, traveled to her native Medellin in December 2016 to get liposuction on her belly. She died of cardiac arrest. Pictured with her son (right) Distraught: Diana's husband Dario Chavarro (right) has launched a campaign against botched surgeries - speaking in Colombian congress, protesting at the hospital, and giving interviews WHAT IS LIPOSUCTION AND THE DANGERS? PURPOSE: Liposuction removes fat from areas such as the abdomen, arms, buttocks, calves, chest, back, hips, thighs, neck, and very occasionally breasts. The procedure reduces the number of fat cells in a specific area. The amount of fat removed depends on the appearance of the area and the volume of fat. HOW IT'S DONE: There are a few ways of doing it. The most common is 'tumescent liposuction': Surgeon injects a sterile solution (salt water to help fat removal, anesthetic to relieve pain, and epinephrine to constrict blood vessels) into the area that's being treated. The fluid causes the affected area to swell and stiffen. The surgeon then makes small cuts into the skin, inserting a thin tube called a cannula. The cannula is connected to a vacuum sucking fat and fluids out of the body. Patients can later be given an IV drip to replenish their body fluids. RISKS: If done in the wrong hands, liposuction can carry a number of risks, many life-threatening. Patients can suffer heart problems, like Diana, due to a shift in fluid levels as fluids are being injected in and suctioned out. Depending on the location of the operation, there could be a risk of puncturing an internal organ with the cannula. Some botched operations have led to fat embolisms - when pieces of loosened fat might break away and become trapped in a blood vessel and gather in the lungs or travel to the brain. Skin infections are also possible, though rare. Aesthetically, surgeons with little or poor experience could leave patients with bumpy, wavy or withered skin due to uneven fat removal, poor skin elasticity and unusual healing. They could tamper with nerves, causing permanent numbness in the affected area. Advertisement 'I'm doing all this so that her death is not in vain,' Dario told WSBTV. 'My wife was already a gorgeous woman. She didn't need any of that.' The CDC estimates 750,000 American citizens travel abroad each year for nips and tucks - a vast proportion to Colombia. Dario said he tried to persuade his wife not to get the work done, telling her she was beautiful. Accepting her decision to go ahead with it, he stayed at home with their son. But hours later, he received a panicked call from Diana as she suffered a cardiac arrest, asking him to pray for her. He jumped on a plane to Medellin. By the time he arrived, she had already passed away. Diana's death became headline news within days after Dario set up a protest outside the hospital shouting 'Diana died here'. Diana was the 13th plastic surgery fatality in Medellin in 2016. Federal authorities are now investigating her death. Daily Mail Online has yet to receive a response from the surgeon, Lizbeth Vicent Pacheco, for a comment as she is under investigation. Her attorney said in a statement to CBS News: 'The surgical procedures on the body of Mrs. Diana Alvarez were practiced within the realm of good medical practice. 'In every procedure or medical intervention, there are inherent risks and possible complications, such as death, which was accepted and signed in informed consents...I deeply lament Diana Alvarez' passing and I am in solidarity with her husband and her family.' Liposuction removes fat from areas such as the abdomen, arms, buttocks, calves, chest, back, hips, thighs, neck, and very occasionally breasts. The procedure reduces the number of fat cells in a specific area. The amount of fat removed depends on the appearance of the area and the volume of fat. If done in the wrong hands, liposuction can carry a number of risks, many life-threatening. Patients can suffer heart problems, like Diana, due to a shift in fluid levels as fluids are being injected in and suctioned out. Depending on the location of the operation, there could be a risk of puncturing an internal organ with the cannula. Some botched operations have led to fat embolisms - when pieces of loosened fat might break away and become trapped in a blood vessel and gather in the lungs or travel to the brain. Skin infections are also possible, though rare. Aesthetically, surgeons with little or poor experience could leave patients with bumpy, wavy or withered skin due to uneven fat removal, poor skin elasticity and unusual healing. They could tamper with nerves, causing permanent numbness in the affected area. Speaking to Daily Mail Online, Dr Stafford Broumand, of New York City's 740 Park Plastic Surgery, warns patients to be unwaveringly certain in their surgeon's qualifications. 'You need to be sure you know your surgeon is certified. Make sure they have the experience in doing that operation. 'It all has to do with how capable a surgeon is with handling the complications and how well the patient understands the complications. 'In America, it has to be the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 'Check their qualifications online. Look at their website and make sure their reviews are good. Make sure you are aligned with your doctor and make sure you are on the same page.' He explains that in America, qualified surgeons are easy to investigate and verify online, by consulting previous patients or looking up their clinic. However, many Americans travel abroad to get work done - and Colombia is a top destination. In global rankings, Colombia comes eighth for the most plastic surgery operations per capita. Protest: Diana's death became headline news within days after Dario set up a protest outside the hospital shouting 'Diana died here', and 'no more Dianas' (pictured) Tragic: Diana (pictured with her son) was one of the 750,000 American citizens that the CDC estimates travel abroad each year for nips and tucks - a vast proportion to Colombia Fighting back: Dario said he is determined Diana's death will not be in vain (pictured in London) The number of tourists coming specifically to get a nip n' tuck has multiplied by 50 in just eight years. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, three plastic surgery operations are performed every three minutes in Colombia. But amid that boom, there is a fierce rise in fatalities. Chavarro believes there is a criminal gang profiting from botched plastic surgeries. He is hardly the first to float that idea. Medellin, once the epicenter of drug-trafficking in Colombia, has seen a 300 percent rise in plastic surgery fatalities in the past year. The only trial that got close to delivering an Alzheimer's drug has been halted. Drug company Merck made the decision after an independent study found that the drug, verubecestat, had 'virtually no chance' of working. The news comes just three months after Eli Lilly ended the only other promising trial into a drug to treat the devastating brain disease. Patients taking it had demonstrated no signs of improvement compared to those taking a placebo. It marks the latest in a long line of crushing disappointments as scientists struggle to find an effective treatment for the mind-wasting disease. Drug company Merck announced it was halting its late-stage trial for a new Alzheimer's drug after an independent study found it had 'virtually no chance of working' (stock) Merck had been testing the drug in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. 'There were high hopes that [the trial] might succeed,' Dr John Breitner, a professor of geriatric psychiatry and preventive medicine at McGill University, told CNN. 'There is a lot of concern and debate in the professional community at this point. It has been very disappointing.' HOW TO DETECT ALZHEIMER'S Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory, thinking skills and the ability to perform simple tasks. It is the cause of 60 percent to 70 percent of cases of dementia. The majority of people with Alzheimer's are age 65 and older. More than five million Americans have Alzheimers. It is unknown what causes Alzheimer's. Those who have the APOE gene are more likely to develop late-onset Alzheimer's. Signs and symptoms: Difficulty remembering newly learned information Disorientation Mood and behavioral changes Suspicion about family, friends and professional caregivers More serious memory loss Difficulty with speaking, swallowing and walking Stage of Alzheimer's: Mild Alzheimer's (early-stage) - A person may be able to function independently but is having memory lapses Moderate Alzheimer's (middle-stage) - Typically the longest stage, the person may confuse words, get frustrated or angry, or have sudden behavioral changes Severe Alzheimer's disease (late-stage) - In the final stage, individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, carry on a conversation and, eventually, control movement There is no known cure for Alzheimer's, but experts suggest physical exercise, social interaction and adding brain boosting omega-3 fats to your diet to prevent or slowdown the onset of symptoms. Advertisement Currently, about 47 million people live with dementia worldwide, with Alzheimer's accounting for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. This figure is expected to double every 20 years to reach 131 million people in 2050, according to Alzheimer's Disease International. The disease slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. It's been over a a decade since a new drug for alleviating the symptoms of Alzheimer's was made available. However, there is currently no treatment available proven to stop - or slow down - the impact of the disease. Verubecestat belongs to a class of experimental Alzheimer's drugs called BACE1 inhibitors that target an enzyme involved in the formation of the toxic amyloid protein that turns into plaque in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. While the ultimate cause of cell death and tissue loss in the brain of Alzheimer's patients has never been proven, amyloid plaque build-up between nerve cells in the brain has been long suspected as one of the main causes. But the failure of verubecestat adds to growing concerns that this assumption is wrong. Although studies have managed to successfully 'cure' or reduce memory loss in transgenic lab animals such as rats, this has never been replicated in humans. Dr Breitner said: 'Alzheimer's is a terrible disease and we desperately need treatments. There would be a huge market for a successful drug. 'Until now companies have been willing to take the risk [by investing large sums of money in clinical trials]. But at the moment a lot of things are being reassessed.' Researchers are increasingly focusing on attacking the disease earlier because it appears likely that once symptoms have taken hold, any approach fails to work. Merck said another study of its drug in patients with prodromal, or very early, Alzheimer's disease would continue with results expected by February 2019. Patients with prodromal Alzheimer's disease have objective memory problems but relatively normal functioning in activities of daily living. Around 40 percent of America's plastic surgery clinics are filled with people seeking work to give them a 'natural filter' so they look better on selfies posted on social media Instagram selfies are the biggest incentive for plastic surgery, US surgeons claim in a new report. Around half the patients clinics see today are seeking a 'natural filter' so they look better on social media, according to interviews with medics nationwide. The survey also revealed a sharp rise in the number of Millennials getting nips and tucks. The majority of facial plastic surgeons saw a rise in patients under 30. Many of them report a surge in patients as young as 18 - the youngest legal age for nips and tucks. Why? There are two main reasons that jump out from the report, which surveyed all members of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS). First, a yearning to look good on social media or look like a celebrity. Second, a sway towards gradual age-defying tweaks, rather than waiting to do one major operation later. Experts say this underscores something that has been looming for a long time: plastic surgery is becoming the new normal for teenagers. NIP N' TUCK-SPIRATION SOCIAL MEDIA Ninety-nine percent of US surgeons involved in the AAFPRS survey agree that celebrity and social media influence plays a big role. 'People see pictures of themselves fairly routinely on Facebook,' said Dr Fred Fedok, president of the academy. 'Patients want to look good for their age for as long as possible, and we now have the tools to provide visible lasting results - with and without surgery.' Despite Jenner denying plastic surgery, the internet exploded with speculation last month when the 19-year-old emerged in this outfit (pictured) - apparently displaying larger breasts CELEBRITIES Fueling that desire for the perfect selfie, surgeons say, is the constant churn of celebrity selfies online: images of ageless stars presented as natural. Indeed, the newly-documented increase in Millennials seeking plastic surgery coincides with the months and years of speculation that Kylie Jenner - the youngest Kardashian - has been getting work done. Jenner, 19, has denied anything beyond lip fillers. However, the internet nonetheless exploded with excitement when photos emerged last month of Jenner in a low-cut silver jumpsuit - apparently displaying larger breasts. Dr Broumand said patients do come in with images of people they would like to emulate physically, and he works with them to achieve that. 'Obviously, we have to be on the same page as our patients, to achieve reasonable outcomes,' he told Daily Mail Online. MORE MILLENNIALS SEEKING TWEAKS The report found far more women and men in their 20s are using advanced skincare and sun cream, and starting with facial injectables before they turn 30. In fact, more than half (56 percent) of facial plastic surgeons saw an increase in 2016 in cosmetic surgery or injectables with patients under age 30. 'There is a rise in young people coming here for fillers, Botox, and for sure surgery,' Dr Stafford Broumand, of 740 Park Plastic Surgery, told Daily Mail Online. More than half (56 percent) of facial plastic surgeons saw an increase in 2016 in cosmetic surgery or injectables with patients under age 30 - some as young as 18 years old TODAY'S MOST POPULAR SURGERIES OVERALL: LESS-INVASIVE Procedures such as laser treatments to tighten or 'rejuvenate' skin, toxin injections to paralyze face muscles and ease frown lines, chemical peels, and freezing and killing unwanted fat, are fast overtaking traditional surgery. More and more clients opt for procedures that require no anesthesia, less recovery time, and present fewer risks. 'The growth of non-surgicals is pretty much exponential,' ISAPS president Renato Saltz said. 'The technology, the money invested in research and development, is just mind boggling. If you look at the industry, they don't make money with a scalpel, but they do make money with machines.' MOST POPULAR: BOTOX OR SIMILAR In 2015, Botox injections were the most popular procedure with 4.6 million performed by plastic surgeons, followed by hyaluronic acid injections (2.9 million) to iron out wrinkles and plump up lips. STILL THRIVING: BOOB JOBS Surgical breast augmentation was in third place with 1.5 million procedures, followed by liposuction with 1.4 million and operations to lift and shape eyelids at 1.3 million. ON THE RISE: OPERATIONS 'DOWN THERE' Genital resculpting is another wide open field. 'The demand is not there yet, but 10/15 years ago there was also no demand for female genital rejuvenation,' said Bernard Mole, a Paris-based plastic surgeon. Today it is among the most popular procedures, 'and I believe that in five to ten years we will see the same trend in men.' Advertisement Most of them, he explained, want fillers for their lips, Botox for brow lifts, and surgeries such as breast augmentation, breast reduction, liposuction and rhinoplasty. But it is controversial. Some surgeons have slammed prolific Botox usage on 18-year-olds. 'Among very young women, there are a small number of valid reasons for having cosmetic correction,' consultant dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe, from The Cranley Clinic, told the Telegraph. 'But there's an awful lot being done that, in my opinion, isn't appropriate.' Dr Broumand agrees that surgeons need to exercise caution with young patients, but insists medical professionals are equipped to screen anyone that walks in their clinic. 'Yes, too young is too early,' he says. 'The patient needs to be mature about their requests and appropriate in their desires. 'I spend a lot of time discussing the procedure, its risks, complications and alternatives. We also spend time fitting our patients for breast augmentation and I have 3D imaging available to help them understand their expected outcomes.' LESS TABOO FOR MEN Meanwhile, there has also been a boom in men getting tweaks. Some foresee that more and more men, who make up about a tenth of clients today, will be drawn in. Slowing or reversing hair loss, for example, 'is a huge potential market,' said Bernard Mole, a Paris-based plastic surgeon. Balding can be very distressing for many men, he said. Hair implantation technology has improved and there is a drug that promises to boost growth - but these are expensive and take a long time - leaving a huge gap for a 'miracle' hair drug. 'Male patient population is increasing,' Dr Broumand explains. 'They are more comfortable with plastic surgery, and injectables (fillers and Botox). 'They come for their eyes, face lift, neck lift, neck liposuction, and abdominal liposuction.' Some foresee that more and more men, who make up about a tenth of clients today, will be drawn in - particularly to combat hair loss, as new surgical treatments become available INDUSTRY BOOM WORLDWIDE The industry is set to rake in a staggering $9.7 billion dollars in 2017 alone, according to a report released last month. That figure is largely fueled by a growing client base of teens and men. But it is also pushed by a boom in Asia as the procedures become more affordable and less of a taboo on the continent, experts said. The global market grew by 8.3 percent in 2016 to an estimated value of $8.9 billion - the GDP of the Bahamas, according to data released last month at the IMCAS aesthetic industry conference in Paris. In 2017, people are projected to spend $9.8 billion on face and body upgrades, growing to nearly $12.7 billion in 2020. 'There's a general acceptance that doing, whether it's surgery or less invasive procedures... to make you feel better, look better, it's much more accepted,' Nolan Karp, a New York surgeon and board member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, said. There is a rise in young people coming here for fillers, Botox, and for sure surgery Dr Stafford Broumand, of 740 Park Plastic Surgery in New York City Demand in Asia is exploding, practitioners say, driven by a rapidly growing middle class and a quest for more Caucasian features. Behind the United States and Brazil, South Korea was the third biggest market for aesthetic treatments in 2015, with 1.2 million procedures out of a global total of 21.7 million, according to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. While breast augmentation and liposuction are the most popular procedures in America, Brazil, Mexico and most of Europe, demand in South Korea is for eye, nose, cheek and chin resculpting. 'They [clients] will be treating areas of the face that will make them look like Europeans or Americans,' Laurent Brones, and industry expert, told AFP. IMCAS data shows the Asia Pacific region will be the fastest grower, at 12 percent in the coming four years - overtaking Europe for the first time in 2020 to represent a quarter of the global market at over three billion euros. Calls have reportedly been made for the journalists behind an allegedly 'dramatised' BBC report into rhino and tiger poaching in India to be blacklisted. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has asked the Indian High Commission in the UK to take 'appropriate' action against those behind the article. Senior officials in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests said the recent report showed Assam's Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in a 'bad light.' National Tiger Conservation Authority says the BBC article 'misconstrued' its work But the BBC has said that the relevant government authorities declined to take part in their research when approached. The KNP, which hosts two thirds or roughly 2,400 of the world's great one-horn rhinoceroses is a World Heritage Site and the most prestigious wildlife reserve of India. British royals Prince William and his wife Catherine had also spent considerable time at the KNP and undertook jungle safaris while on a seven-day tour to India and Bhutan in April 2016. But the BBC has said that the relevant government authorities declined to take part in their research when approached The NTCA has claimed that the BBC is guilty of 'using spasmodic events to judge a gamut of conservation efforts that go into safeguarding our wildlife heritage'. Its memo - issued on February 13 - said the BBC News South-Asia Bureau sought a permission from it to accompany and film the Task Force of KNP as it undertakes night patrol to protect the tigers and rhinoceroses at the reserve. However, the crew 'deviated from the original synopsis and dishonoured the undertaking provided,' said the order. The Duchess and Duke of Cambridge meet baby rhions during a visit to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation at Kaziranga National Park in April last year Dr Satyendra Singh, director, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, said: 'In the article, the immunity provided to forest officials under Section 197 of the CrPC has been misconstrued as a 'shoot-to-kill' policy. 'We also learnt later that they dramatised the situation and forced our guards to make statements for the camera.' Rohini Saikia, divisional forest officer, Eastern Assam, said his department was really upset with how things were projected. 'BBC has displayed scant understanding of the laws in place. The KNP or tiger reserve authorities are not uprooting villages or locals. 'The truth is that they are only working as per court orders to evict encroachers,' said Rohit Choudhury, wildlife activist from Assam. 'Our forest guards work under extreme duress against desperate rhino poachers and their dedication is unmatched,' he added. A BBC spokesperson, in an email reply to Mail Today, said: 'The issues raised in the film are part of an important international debate on the appropriate way to combat poaching. 'We did approach the relevant government authorities to make sure their position was fully reflected but they declined to take part.' 'Movie merchants' from India's eastern heartland and Nepal may have helped Pakistan's spy agency ISI in its attempts to derail trains. The National Investigation Agency's probe into the Ghorasan incident from Bihar in which an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was found near a railway track on October 1 has revealed three key links to the regional film industry. The first accused is Brajkishore Giri, an actor who also owns the Big Bollywood studio in Nepal's Beergiri area. Rescue workers search for survivors in the wreckage of a derailed train near Pukhrayan in Kanpur district on November 20 (file pic) Another of the accused is Gajendra Sharma, proprietor of the Dangal Studio in Bihar's Motihari city who also ran an orchestra for weddings and other events. The third is Mukesh Yadav, a Bhojpuri songwriter. All three were allegedly lured by the money ISI promised in return for derailing Indian trains. All the accused have now find themselves caught in the police net in Nepal and India. According to NIA sources, acting on behest of Sheikh Shafi, a Pakistan-based ISI handler, Shamshul Hoda, who's a Nepalese citizen, was tasked with hiring Indian men to carry out train derailments. Hoda is known to have contacted Brajkishore Giri, a man with ambitions seduced by the Bhojpuri movie industry. Rescue officials on the spot where 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna express derailed An ad for a music album by Mukesh Yadav, one of the accused Over 150 people died on November 21 when the Indore-Patna Express flew off the tracks. A month later, 50 people were injured when the Ajmer-Sealdah Express derailed. Both incidents took place near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Authorities are probing the possibility of sabotage in these and a clutch of other train crashes in the past six months. Already having acted in Bhojpuri films such as Raftar, Brajkishore Giri was working in an underproduction project Ae Moray Jaan Tohray Mein Bas Le Hamray Pran when he was arrested by Nepal Police. After being approached by Hoda, Giri used his Bhojpuri movie contacts to bring in Gajendra Sharma and Mukesh Yadav. Brajkishore Giri was baited with money amounting to several lakhs, which he wanted to pump into the film business to fulfil his 'own dream of producing a Bhojpuri movie'. The agency is also probing a fake Indian currency racket linked to the ISI conspiracy. Giri contacted Gajendra Sharma, who also made low-budget movies in Motihari. The third among the Bhojpuri movie trio is Mukesh Yadav, one of the first arrests made in the case by Bihar Police. He is a songwriter. Gajendra, whose music studio was leaking money, allegedly conspired with Giri. But with Gajendra's surrender in Motihari, Bihar, the NIA is hoping to complete the jigsaw puzzle in the ISI-hatched plot. Three people Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav were arrested last month from Bihar's East Champaran district and they reportedly pointed to ISI's role in the Indore-Patna Express derailment. Sources said on the instructions of ISI handler Shafi, Hoda hired Arun and Deepak, two of Mukesh Yadav's links, who were tasked to derail a train in Ghorasan. 'However, the duo developed cold feet,' said sources. 'The powerful IED was later discovered by children playing near the rail track. 'The authorities were informed and the bomb exploded while it was being taken aside, though no one was injured. 'With the use of sulphur and ammonium nitrate, a cocktail of explosives was prepared, but the plan of ISI failed with the discovery of the bomb.' Arun and Deepak were called to Nepal where they were allegedly eliminated by ISI. Sources say that songwriter Mukesh was also called to that country, but he survived because he did not show up. They added that a team will soon go to Nepal to question Hoda and Giri. They will also examine the funding in the case, which is suspected to be in fake Indian currency. Holidaymakers who book rooms on Airbnb are losing thousands of pounds to crooks even though the website makes hundreds of security checks on users. The rental site, which has boomed in popularity in recent years, allows ordinary homeowners from all over the world to let out their properties for days or weeks when they aren't using them. For travellers, it often works out cheaper and more convenient than a hotel stay. But criminals are placing fake adverts using stolen photos of genuine properties. Scammed: Businessman Phil Moran, from London, pictured with wife Anna and children Nora, nine, and Stan, 11, was swindled out of 3,371 when he tried to book a villa in Ibiza Airbnb says it is 'extremely rare' for customers to lose money to fraudsters. It carries out more than 300 checks to weed out fake listings and searches the internet to see if photos are duplicates. Yet Money Mail has heard from readers who been conned out of thousands of pounds, after crooks evaded detection. In every case, the customer was refused a refund until we intervened. Phil Moran, from London, booked a family holiday on Airbnb last August, after friends raved about the spectacular properties available. He and partner Anna found a beautiful villa with a pool on the island of Ibiza, which looked ideal for their children, Nora, nine, and Stan, 11. The website showed 19 pictures of the Spanish property and one of a couple, whom Phil believed to be the hosts. It described in detail the villa's features and picturesque surroundings. Phil, 56, who runs an executive head-hunting firm, used Airbnb's online messaging system to contact the villa owner, Elise, about a nine-night stay. FIVE STEPS TO BEAT THE AIRBNB SCAMMERS Always book via Airbnb's messaging and payment system. If you don't, the company won't refund you. Check that the website address begins with airbnb.com anything else is a fake site. Don't respond to emails purporting to be from Airbnb that ask you to enter bank details or your address. Avoid emails that urge you to act immediately to stop your account being disabled these are scams. If in doubt, report the owner to Airbnb. She replied saying Airbnb's messaging system was faulty and asked him to send a personal email instead. After exchanging eight emails, they agreed on a price of 3,371 for the booking. Elise arranged for Phil to talk to her husband on the phone to finalise the details. Then she sent another email, saying that the website's payment system was also broken, and asked Phil to pay by bank transfer instead. As soon as Phil wired the money, all went quiet. Hours passed and he didn't receive the booking confirmation as promised. Elise and her husband stopped replying to his emails and calls and, when Phil contacted Airbnb customer service, it had no record of his booking. 'I can't believe I fell for it because I deal with complicated deals every day,' says Phil. 'I was in a rush to book a holiday and, with everyone telling me it was safe, I just assumed it would all be fine.' Airbnb refused to refund the 3,371 because Phil had paid by bank transfer. Under the site's rules, users must arrange and pay for their holiday through its own messaging and payment system. This allows the firm to keep track of bookings and any money paid. The website makes it clear that, if you contact an owner using a private email address or pay them directly, you have no protection if something goes wrong. Airbnb attaches warnings to every message you send via its secure system. However, Money Mail could not find any such notices on the pages where you make a booking or a payment. Stuffed: Airbnb refused to refund Phil's 3,371 because had paid by bank transfer Airbnb also says it tries to remove owners' personal contact details from property listings. But, as Phil found, fraudsters have become adept at luring holidaymakers away from the official Airbnb message and payment systems and onto their own email addresses. Skie Powell, 22, from Kent, was caught out last December when scammers put their contact details on a photograph of a villa. CUT YOUR TRAVEL MONEY COSTS Heading on holiday? You may want to leave your debit or credit card in safely in your wallet to avoid hefty fees. Most providers charge around 3 per cent for foreign transactions or for using an ATM. There are several specialist accounts and cards which offer reduced fees or waive overseas charges altogether. If you would rather not change banks, currency cards offer holidaymakers the chance to load up a card with money to spend while they are away and potentially benefit from lower rates. Reader offer: FairFX is offering This is Money and MailOnline readers a free MasterCard prepaid card, which usually costs 9.95. Skie and seven friends booked a five-bedroom property for a long weekend in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, in February. New to Airbnb, she saw the email address on one of the pictures and used it to contact the owner. She was asked to transfer 984 to a bank account in payment. When Skie logged onto Airbnb later that month, there was no trace of the booking. She reported the incident to the company but, as in Phil's case, Airbnb refused to refund her money because she hadn't gone through its own payment system. 'It comes down to Airbnb advertising something fraudulent,' says Skie. 'We wouldn't have booked if we thought it was unsafe.' George Hayward, from Brighton, East Sussex, fell for the same trick when booking an apartment in Amsterdam for his 24th birthday celebration. Again, one of the photographs of the property had an email address written on it. He contacted the owner and paid 1,100 by bank transfer for himself and five friends. Two weeks later, George received an email saying that his booking had been cancelled and his money would be returned. But the cash never arrived and, again, Airbnb refused to refund his money. An Airbnb spokesman says: 'As long as you only communicate using our secure messaging system, and only send money through Airbnb, you will always be protected. 'The only way scams can ever work is if the scammer convinces someone to pay them directly. 'This is why we warn folks not to do that, as well as try to ensure bad actors can't give personal information out in the first place.' After Money Mail contacted Airbnb, it agreed to pay full refunds to Phil, Skie and George. p.thomas@dailymail.co.uk Aghvan Vardanyan: Cooperation between HHK and ARF--Dashnaktsutyun is timeless The Armenian Revolutionary Federation today presented its new slogan - New Beginning, Fair Armenia. Talking to journalists in Yerevan, ARF-Dashnaktsutyun member Armen Rustamyan admitted that they have heard many complaints about the vicious system in the country. People have changed, personalities have changed, the authorities have changed but the quality of power has remained the same. Mr Rustamyan is hopeful that under the new electoral system, power in Armenia will comply with international standards. He says he cannot deny his partys role in the introduction of this system and will not allow anyone to change the existing order. How can Dashnaktsutyun, which formed a coalition government with the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), be sure that people will vote for its candidates in the April elections if people are dissatisfied with the government? Aghvan Vardanyan, Secretary of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun faction, admits the increasing discontent among people but he says Dashnaktsutyun has not changed over years. Of course, there will be people who will say If Dashnaktsutyun is in power, it is a bad force. The party expects that large segments of the electorate will cast their votes for Dashnaks, if they want things to better in Armenia. I propose that you all go to the polls and vote for Dashnaktsutyun, especially after this news conference. Promise me that you will do it, Aghvan Vardanyan said. By the way, the Secretary of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun faction reminded everyone that the cooperation between his party and the HHK is timeless but its continuation will depend on the outcome of the elections. Earlier on Wednesday, Dashnaktsutyun unveiled the list of its candidates for the April 2 parliamentary elections which is led by Armen Rustamyan. In June 2015 I bought 500 shares in Aberdeen Asset Management for a total of 2,120.57. They were worth around 420p when I invested but since then the price has fallen to 269p. What has gone wrong? J.J, Dyfed Choppy seas: Aberdeen Asset Management shares hit a low of 201p the following February after another 9.1 billion was pulled out of its funds and it revealed cost-cutting plans Holly Black, ofthe Daily Mai,l replies: Seeing the value of any investment tumble is always disappointing and it looks like you've had the misfortune to invest just as shares in Aberdeen Asset Management peaked after a strong run. Aberdeen is an investment group which runs various trusts and funds. Its fortunes largely depend on how well those funds perform and on sentiment around the areas it is investing in. Many of Aberdeen's funds have a focus on such emerging markets as China and Thailand, which have been out of favour for a couple of years now. Investors have been concerned about a slowdown in economic growth in these countries and the effect of a strong dollar on the value of the exports on which many rely. Much of an investment firm's income will come from the fee it charges investors to hold its funds. If people take money out of those funds, the company's income falls. Before you invested, the stock had been on the rise but shortly after you bought shares, their price fell after a trading update by Aberdeen. It said its assets under management had fallen from 330 billion to 307 billion as investors moved from emerging markets and foreign exchange rates worked against the funds. Shares hit a low of 201p the following February after another 9.1 billion was pulled out of its funds and it revealed cost-cutting plans. In the six months to March 2016, Aberdeen revealed pre-tax profits had fallen 40 per cent and said plans to cut costs by 70 million a year were being implemented. Stronger fund performance boosted the firm's assets and saw shares make back some of their lost ground over the summer. They dipped again as full-year results showed revenue down 14 per cent and pre-tax profits by around 28 per cent. This is a very brief overview of just some of the factors which have affected the firm's share price but your question serves as an important reminder that if you're going to put your money in a company then you should try to follow any news or announcements about the firm. Companies should publish their financial results and major announcements on their website. You can read the City section of the Mail to follow major company news and get updates through the day at thisismoney.co.uk too. Axe man: Tidjane Thiam took over 18 months ago having been poached from Prudential Credit Suisse is planning to axe another 6,500 jobs as it seeks to make billions of pounds in savings. Chief executive Tidjane Thiam, who took over 18 months ago having been poached from Prudential, shed 7,250 staff last year as he battled to turn the Swiss banking giant around. But chief finance officer David Mathers told analysts yesterday that the bank was now planning to cut between 5,500 and 6,500 more jobs in 2017. The warning came as the bank lost 1.9billion in 2016 after a 1.6billion charge from US authorities to settle claims of misleading investors. The Zurich-based bank did not specify where the extra cuts would come from but said it would include contractors, consultants and staff. Thiam is shifting the group more toward wealth management and putting less emphasis on investment banking. Despite the loss, the bank proposed an unchanged dividend of 56p per share. Meanwhile, the bank is still preparing to float 20 per cent to 30 per cent of a Swiss subsidiary it set up in November for retail, corporate and investment clients. Pressure is mounting on the Government to axe a tax raid on small shops, after it emerged Amazon's tax bills will shrink. Some retailers will see their so-called business rates a tax on commercial property rise by thousands of pounds. But now, it has emerged that online stores could be left paying less after a Government revaluation of business rates in April. Amazon's distribution centre, Swansea, Wales. Online stores could be left paying less after a Government revaluation of business rates in April Nine Amazon distribution centres in England and Wales will see a 148,000 reduction in property tax this year a 1.3 per cent fall in its rates bill for 2017/18, according to CVS, the business rent and rates specialists. Internet fashion store Boohoo's rateable value, on which the bill is based, will fall by 13 per cent from April on its distribution centre in Burnley, Lancashire; clothing etailer Asos's warehouse in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, will not change. Electrical etailer Ao.com will see a rise of just 0.37 per cent on its Crewe warehouse. By comparison, High Street independents will experience tax hikes of up to 300 per cent. They say this could force them to close, and will give online shops a further advantage. The Association of Convenience Stores called for an immediate review. Alan Hawkins, of the British Independent Retailers Association, says it's giving online stores a 'massive competitive advantage'. The Treasury said the property revaluation was designed to keep business rates fair, 'not to raise money for the Exchequer'. l.eccles@dailymail.co.uk David Borthwick is no stranger to hard work. The 57-year-old gets up in the dark to open his family newsagents in Edinburgh at 3am every day. So he was over the moon in April 2015 when the Government said over-55s could cash in their entire pensions. David, who began working in the shop aged 17, had saved 8,740 into a Friends Life pension in the Nineties and early 2000s. The new rules meant he could use the money to finish the home improvements he'd been working on and even bring forward his retirement by a few years. Sold a bad deal: Edinburgh newsagent David Borthwick saved 8,740 into a Friends Life pension in the Nineties and early 2000s But when David asked for the money, he found the insurer had tied him into an extraordinary Catch-22 situation. It turned out that years of high charges had eaten away most of his savings. His 8,740 pot was worth around 2,268 and getting smaller by the day. Friends Life was deducting an astonishing 400 a year for management and 'service' fees. The charges were so high that the insurer admitted his pot would be worth nothing by his 65th birthday. When David saw a '0.00' future pension estimate in the documents the company sent him, he tried to withdraw everything. But under a clause in the contract, Friends Life barred David from cashing in his pension for another seven years. He was locked into the shoddy deal until his 'retirement date' June 2024 which was determined when he signed up in 1992. In a final blow, David couldn't even switch to a cheaper plan that would leave some money left. For all those years, they never told me they were gradually taking all the money I had paid in and I could never get anything back it's daylight robbery In theory, moving to a low-cost plan with a firm such as Hargreaves Lansdown or AJ Bell would have cut his fees to 10 a year. But Friends Life told him the entire fund would be 'reduced to zero' if he switched. So David's pension was worthless to him yet provided a tidy 400 a year income to his insurer, which is owned by Aviva. He says: 'I was horrified to see how little my savings were worth. For all those years, they never told me they were gradually taking all the money I had paid in and I could never get anything back it's daylight robbery.' Millions of savers were sold pension plans in the Nineties with clauses that said they couldn't access the cash until retirement. The high-charging plans were flogged by doorstep salesmen, who pocketed giant commissions. Often the contract also included a so-called exit penalty if the saver tried to switch to another company before they retired. David was sold his plan by local financial adviser Dundee & Edinburgh Insurance Services. He paid in 8,740 between 1992 and 2003 but only realised the value was shrinking in November 2015, when he received a statement from Friends Life. Examining the charges, he saw deductions of 4.40 for a 'monthly service fee' and 28.68 because he had stopped paying in. This fee was being applied because a clause in the contract says David has to pay in 5,000 annually for 32 years or face 'additional charges'. Being a small business owner, David says his income was never going to be predictable. He says he was never aware of the onerous clause, either. Friends Life was also levying a 1.25 per cent 'annual management charge'. That meant in total the deductions came to 425.11 a year. The exit penalty, that appears to have been calculated using a complex formula, was so large that it would have wiped out the fund if he moved it to another firm. By December 2016, the fund had fallen another 341 and was worth around 1,900 even though the stock market had risen 14 per cent in the intervening months. David complained to Friends Life about the fees, but was told his complaint was about mis-selling and should be directed to the financial adviser who sold him the plan. Dundee & Edinburgh Insurance Services is no longer trading, so Friends Life suggested he go to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for redress, or the ombudsman, which rules in disputes between companies and customers. Former pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann said policies such as the one David was sold should be outlawed When Money Mail intervened, Friends Life sprang into action. Its owner, Aviva, now accepts the pension's terms and conditions may not have been properly explained to David by his financial adviser. It has recalculated the charges without the penalties and given him a new fund value of 16,249. David must still pay an exit penalty of around 2.4 per cent, which will leave 15,851 if he wants to move to another provider. He plans to do this and take out some of his tax-free cash to put towards a glass balcony he is building for his home. Baroness Ros Altmann, the former pensions minister, says: 'These type of policies should be outlawed completely. 'They're an outrage and I hope the Government will clamp down on insurers.' On April 1, the Government will introduce a 1 per cent cap on charges when over-55s exit their old workplace pensions. Aviva says it has now made changes to the policy, and David's exit fee will be even less if he waits until April to withdraw his cash. But Aviva would not say whether the cap would have applied if David's policy terms had remained unaltered. A spokesman for Friends Life says: 'The customer was required to commit to a specific level of saving per year as part of the policy contract, with additional charges incurred should customer premiums reduce or cease. 'Having reviewed this customer's specific situation, we have identified that his retirement plan was not set up in the most relevant way for his circumstances. 'We will therefore amend his retirement plan to ensure he is not financially disadvantaged. 'We accept that this should not have happened and we apologise to Mr Borthwick.' money.mail@dailymail.co.uk Banks and building societies are speeding up how fast you can move a cash Isa to a new provider. Since the start of the year, industry rules have asked every firm to complete eight in ten cash Isa transfers within seven days. And early signs suggest the main providers are upping their game. Figures for December showed just 66 per cent of transfers went through inside seven days. Changes: Since the start of the year, industry rules have asked every firm to complete eight in ten cash Isa transfers within seven days That was despite three in four being switched electronically, rather than sending paper forms and cheques by post. Coventry Building Society is processing an impressive 98 per cent of transfers within that time and Skipton BS is managing 93 per cent. Yorkshire BS managed just 51 per cent in January but so far in February the figure is a far higher 82 per cent. Among the banks, TSB scored an impressive 93 per cent. But it remains to be seen whether other large savings providers are doing as well. Not all the big banks are willing to reveal if they are meeting the new 80 per cent target. HSBC, NatWest, Halifax and Lloyds told Money Mail to wait until the data was published on trade body websites in April. Barclays said their January figures are not available yet. Santander, Co-op Bank and the Nationwide Building Society also failed to reveal their January performance. The voluntary seven working days Isa transfer agreement was struck at the end of last year between City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and industry trade bodies the British Bankers' Association (BBA), the Building Societies Association (BSA), and the Tax-Incentivised Savings Association (Tisa). It previously took 15 days to complete and brings switches under the same time frame as more complicated current accounts. The new, faster service applies to switching between providers rather than changing deals with your current provider. Research by the FCA has found switching levels are low because consumers are put off by the idea of all the hassle. The speedier service will help savers who've seen rates cut dramatically in the past year. The average rate on cash Isas has tumbled to 0.9 per cent, down from 1.4 per cent cent a year ago yet money in the accounts is at a record high of 261 billion. The Bank of England base rate has fallen by just 0.25 points in the same period. Among the worst payers are the big banks. NatWest pays 0.01 per cent on its Cash Isa or just 1 interest a year on 10,000. You can earn a far better 1.05 per cent if you switch to the top deal, including the new Limited Edition Easy Access Cash Isa from Paragon Bank or 1.01 per cent with Virgin Money Defined Access Isa Issue 11. These will pay you 105 or 101 interest on 10,000. Peter Tyler, senior policy director at the BBA, says: 'Banks are committed to supporting faster cash Isa transfers. We encourage customers to shop around for the best deal.' Brian Morris, head of savings policy at the BSA, says: 'We are looking at ways of getting cash Isa switches faster. We need to look deeply into the process to see what the blockers are.' sy.morris@dailymail.co.uk A jury has been unable to reach verdicts in the trial of a University Challenge contestant accused of raping a fellow student. Bartholomeo Joly de Lotbiniere, 21, was on trial at York Crown Court over an alleged incident at a halls of residence in June 2014. After deliberating for almost 10 hours, the jury of eight men and four women was unable to reach verdicts on a charge of rape and indecent assault which the defendant denied. Joly de Lotbiniere now has one week to find out if his case will go back to a re-trial or if he will be acquitted. Bartholomeo Joly de Lotbiniere (pictured arriving at court this week) was accused of raping a woman at York University in June 2014 Joly de Lotbiniere appeared on University Challenge - but the subsequent social media fame prompted the complainant to go to the police when she recognised his name online Judge Paul Batty QC gave the Crown Prosecution Service a week to consider whether it will seek a retrial and the case will be listed again on Thursday, February 23 for an administrative hearing. The complainant had told the jury that Joly de Lotbiniere went into her room after they had been on a night out and then raped her as she tried to push him off. Joly de Lotbiniere appeared on the popular BBC Two quiz show as part of the York University team in 2015 - more than a year after the alleged incident in June 2014. He was shot into the limelight when a tweet by Pointless co-presenter Richard Osman poking fun at his triple-barrelled name granted him immediate social media fame. But the barrage of attention on social media prompted the complainant to go to the police and report the alleged offence. He denied rape and sexual assault. Judge Paul Batty QC gave the Crown Prosecution Service a week to consider whether it will seek a retrial and the case will be listed again on February 23 for an administrative hearing Joly de Lotbiniere, now studying for a Masters degree at University College London, denied rape and sexual assault Joly de Lotbiniere, a former editor-in-chief of the York Vision newspaper, was educated at top Roman Catholic comprehensive The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in Holland Park, West London. The student pictured arriving at court Other former pupils of the respected school - which is non-selective save for its pupils having to be Catholics - include Labour MP Jack Dromey, ex-Chelsea footballer Eddie Newton, the late Doctor Who actor Roger Delgado and Oritse Williams from the boy band JLS. Joly de Lotbiniere spoke after his appearance on University Challenge and admitted he had enjoyed the fame it brought. When asked when he first found out hed gone viral he said he was stuck up a hill in Northern Italy on holiday without any wifi so I became aware only gradually. He added: Something seemed suspicious when the local village children started to come up for autographs and then the local count held a banquet in my honour. York Universitys student newspaper York Vision asked whether he was the campus most eligible bachelor. He was also asked about what his family thought of his fame and said: Theyre quietly proud I think, and happy that somebodys finally put the Joly de Lotbiniere name on the map, even if it was to the ridicule of the unwashed masses of the twittersphere. This year's Eurovision Song Contest is up in the air after 21 top level organising staff walked out over a budget row. Two executive producers, the event manager and the head of security are thought to be among the Ukrainian contingent to have resigned over what is being described as 'staffing matters' by the event's official body. The mass walkout prompted the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to insist plans for the 2017 competition in Kiev will 'stick to the timeline'. Singer Jamala representing Ukraine with the song 1944 celebrates with the trophy after winning the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 Grand Final in Stockholm, Sweden Executive producers Victoria Romanova and Oleksandr Kharebin and several of their team quit on Monday, saying they felt sidelined by the appointment of a new event coordinator and worried by a lack of transparency in decision-making. They also said a decision to increase the event's budget to 29million from 22million would deprive Ukraine's state broadcaster of up to 8million of profit. Criticizing the increased budget, Khaberin, the former executive producer, said in an interview with Ukrainian TV channel 112: 'We do not understand, we do not know why it was done. 'And it is hard for us to imagine how we can be a part of this process.' Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman also weighed in on the resignations. 'We are conducting the preparation for Eurovision properly. Absolutely nothing threatens Eurovision,' he told a televised government meeting on Tuesday. Jamala representing Ukraine performs 1944 Pavlo Hrytsak, deputy director of Ukrainian Public TV, said organisers were coordinating closely with the EBU, which operates Eurovision, and added: 'Everything is going on according to the plan.' Ukraine won the right to stage the 62nd Eurovision contest in 2017 after a surprise win last year for Jamala, an ethnic Tatar from Crimea, with a song about the war-time deportations of Tatars under Joseph Stalin. Jamala's victory irked Moscow but gave Ukrainians something to cheer after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of separatist violence in the Donbass region. The EBU said in a statement that it would not comment directly on 'staffing matters' but reiterated the 'importance of a speedy and efficient implementation of plans already agreed'. A woman who stole more than $4,500 worth of groceries from supermarkets by gluing fake barcodes to expensive products took home everything from coffee machines to toilet paper. On Monday, Kylie Milner, 35, pleaded guilty to 31 counts of fraud and three counts of attempted fraud after her three-month long shopping spree at a number of Coles and Woolworths stores near her home in Ipswich, west of Brisbane. It was revealed the mother stole products including two coffee machines worth more than $200 each as well as lamb cutlets and toilet paper by sticking barcodes for 65c noodles on the pricier items. A Queensland woman has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $4,500 worth of groceries by using fake barcodes at self service checkouts Among the items stolen were two coffee machines and toilet paper (stock images) Milner fronted Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday and also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a drug-related utensil. She had photocopied barcodes from 65-cent noodles and stuck them over the top of more expensive items at supermarkets in Springfield, Booval, Collingwood Park, Brookwater and Goodna, according to The Queensland Times. Meat, protein powder, dishwashing tablets, bacon, shampoo, and sheet sets were fraudulently obtained during trips to the stores, A Current Affair reported. Some days Milner would use the self-serve checkouts multiple times a day. When police searched the woman's home they found glue sticks, copies of the fake barcodes on her computer as well as grocery items with fake stickers attached. Milner's defence lawyer Matthew Fairclough argued his client was motivated 'by need rather than greed' saying she was a bankrupt mother who was struggling financially. On Monday, Kylie Milner, 35, pleaded guilty to 31 counts of fraud and three counts of attempted fraud Ms Milner photocopied barcodes from 65c noodles and stuck them over the top of more expensive items at major shopping centre chains Coles and Woolworths She was given a suspended nine-month prison sentence, ordered to repay $1,545 to Coles and $2,070 to Woolworths, and fined $150. When asked about security measures they had in place Woolworths could not give exact detail. 'The vast majority of our customers do the right thing when visiting our stores,' a Woolworths spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. 'We have a range of security measures in place for the small amount that don't.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Coles for comment. An autistic high school student in Honolulu raped a classmate while the adult assigned to monitor him was taking a nap, a federal lawsuit filed Monday claimed. The autistic student had a full-time one-on-one aide because he was known to be violent, the lawsuit accusing Hawaii's statewide school district of negligence said. The aide was asleep when the 2012 attack happened during Pearl City High School band practice, the lawsuit said. A 10th-grade girl was in the back of the band at the percussion section when the larger 11th-grader raped her once there, and then again in a curtained area of the auditorium. Shown is the Pearl City High School band room. A 10th-grade girl was raped twice by a special needs student during band practice in 2012; she now says it happened while an aide napped Throughout the attacks, the aide was sleeping in the audience section of the auditorium, the lawsuit said. The girl reported the rape to her mother and police, said her attorney Peter Hsieh. The autistic student was prosecuted in family court and convicted of two counts of first-degree sexual assault, Hsieh said. 'She dropped out of high school. She couldn't finish because of what happened to her,' Hsieh said. But she later earned a GED diploma and is now studying bioengineering at the University of Hawaii, he said. 'She's basically turned an adverse situation as a motivator for her,' he said, adding that it was her decision to pursue a civil lawsuit. Pearl City High School in Honolulu is shown. The rape victim dropped out of school after the attack, but later earned a GED and is now a bioengineering student at the University of Hawaii In a separate, similar case, a jury last year determined that the Department of Education failed to protect a special education student who said she was raped by a special education classmate at Waianae High School. The jury awarded the girl and her mother about $810,000 in damages, but the state appealed. The case is before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, said Hsieh, who also handled that case. The two lawsuits send a 'loud message that there is a lack of proper training and supervision of teachers, aides and assistants,' Hsieh said, 'especially when it comes to children who have a history of violence.' Kyle Miyashiro, who was a vice principal at Pearl City High School at the time and is named as a defendant, referred questions to the school's principal who didn't immediately respond Tuesday. The aide, Bryan Simpson, is also named as a defendant and no longer works at the school, Miyashiro said. Simpson couldn't be reached for comment. State Department of Education spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz declined to comment on pending litigation. Muslim activists are demanding an apology from the ABC for allowing Senator Jacqui Lambie to have a fiery yelling match with an Islamic youth leader. The Tasmanian senator remonstrated with Yassmin Abdel-Magied, the founder of Youth Without Borders, live on Monday night's Q&A program. 'The fact is we have one law in this country and it is the Australian law. It is not Sharia Law. Not in this country, not in MY day,' she said on the program. Scroll down for video Lawyer Azmeena Hussain (left) with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (right) has added her name to a petition calling for an apology from the ABC Writer Sara Saleh is a signatory to a petition calling for the ABC to apologise for allowing Senator Jacqui Lambie to make 'Islamophobic and crude' remarks on live television A group of 49 Muslim activists and community leaders have launched a change.org petition demanding the ABC and Q&A apologise for its handing of the clash on Monday night. 'We demand an apology from Q&A for its poor handling of the debate and for its failure to uphold its values of respect and integrity, as giving airtime to racial and ethno-religious abuse fills individuals with hate to commit serious crimes against Muslims,' they said. 'Lambie made a number of comments which are considered, by any measure, racist, Islamophobic and crude, and constitute racial abuse and bullying that would not be allowed at your workplace, the ABC, and would not be allowed at any of our workplaces, educational institutions or public spaces.' The activists, who include Azmeena Hussain, a senior law firm associate, and writer Sara Saleh, took issue with host Tony Jones for telling Ms Abdel-Magied to stop shouting. The change.org petition says Senator Jacqui Lambie made comments that were 'racist, Islamophobic and crude' which would 'constitute racial abuse and bullying' at work The petition criticises Q&A host Tony Jones (centre) for telling Yassmin Abdel-Magied (left) to stop shouting at Senator Jacqui Lambie (right) The petition, which had 895 signatures on Wednesday morning, said the veteran ABC journalist 'made no attempt to acknowledge the reasons behind Abdel-Magieds frustration and legitimate concern at the bigotry she was forced to respond to'. The activists, who include writers, lawyers and doctors, said Muslims should only be on Q&A if they could be spared a confrontation. 'If Q&A wants to invite Muslim individuals to its forum, it should be able to guarantee a safe environment for them based on trustworthiness and comfort to speak in a platform that is rarely afforded to them, especially on issues concerning them,' they said. They argued Senator Lambie, who told Ms Abdel -Magied, who was born in Sudan, to 'stop playing the victim', had a platform as a federal member of parliament. They neglected to mention Ms Abdel-Magied, 25, was seated next to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last year during at Iftar dinner at Kirribilli House in Sydney, to celebrate the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Police have been filmed using a taser on a pregnant 17-year-old girl who was accused of resisting arrest. Video shot on a cellphone shows Dailene Rosario screaming in pain as a dozen NYPD officers surrounded her in an apartment building in the Bronx on Friday night. The teenager, who is 14 weeks pregnant, was shot in her side with the stun gun by an officer in plainclothes, causing her to fall to the ground as she withered in pain. The wires from the taser were clearly visible on Rosario's body in the footage shot by one of her neighbors. Pregnant 17-year-old Dailene Rosario was tasered by an NYPD cop in the Bronx on Friday night after she allegedly resisted arrest She was filmed yelling at the cops: 'Get off of me, get off of me!', while witnesses screamed that the young woman was pregnant right before she was tasered. 'I was resisting them because I didn't do anything wrong,' Rosario told News12. The teen said she told officers she was pregnant prior to being stunned. Police were already in the building for a separate issue when they heard Rosario's boyfriend fighting with her sister's partner over a video game. Rosario's family said the teen's boyfriend had already left by the time officers came upstairs and found her arguing with her sister's partner. She was filmed yelling at the cops: 'Get off of me, get off of me!', while witnesses screamed that the young woman was pregnant right before she was tasered Rosario said she told officers she was pregnant prior to being stunned and said she resisted because she claims she hadn't done anything wrong Police called for backup when the family would not let the officers inside without a warrant. Rosario claims officers then grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the crowd of cops where she struggled with them until she was tasered. NYPD said they were aware of the incident and were reviewing it internally. The teenager was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct. She sustained bruising from the ordeal and her family are planning to file a lawsuit. It's the pot-smoker's fantasy: a model-turned weed dealer toting every strain of marijuana imaginable straight to your front door. Green Angels has done just that, creating a business out of a delivery system for pot-fanatics in New York City, catering to the likes of well-known designers, painters, and famous musicians on a reference-only basis. Their key to never getting caught lies in the ingenious strategy of the drug ring's leader - who operates under the pseudonym Honey, a stunning six-foot tall new mother with blonde hair and shimmering blue eyes. 'I like seeing a pile of cash in my living room,' she told GQ writer Suketu Mehta. Green Angels, a delivery system for pot-fanatics in New York City, caters to the likes of well-known designers, painters, and famous musicians on a reference-only basis She employs entirely young women, and a couple of men, who are beautiful, tall, well-spoken and well-educated. Some are reportedly NYU students paying off loans. Honey estimates that she makes about $27,000 a week in profit - and has at least a million stored away - a 'rainy day' fund for potential legal fees. She spends about $300,000 a month on just marijuana alone, and another $30,000 on cab fees for her drug runners, burner phones, and rent for safe houses in the most elite Manhattan neighborhoods. Honey says she began the business in 2009, delivering weed to Rihanna for free on a few occasions. Other rumored clients are Justin Bieber, Jimmy Fallon, and FKA Twigs. None of the celebrities named have said they have any connection to Green Angels . Honey says she began the business in 2009, delivering weed to Rihanna for free on a few occasions. Other rumored clients are Justin Bieber, Jimmy Fallon, and FKA Twigs, although none have claimed to have any connection to Green Angels In addition to the plant itself, Green Angels also employ a baker who creates hundreds of her own weed-caramel lollipops for $30 a piece. They also offer other edibles, marijuana tincture, and vaporizers. Honey meets weekly with her squad of trusted lieutenants and runners, who operate on a text messaging hierarchy based on the reliability of their clients. Blue cell phones are for VIP clients, purple are for 'solid' customers, and pink phones are relegated to the customers who are flaky, live far away, or 'cheapskates'. If a customer wishes to make an order, they simply text their Angel, and ask: 'Can we hang out?' Deliveries are guaranteed in an hour and a half. In addition to the plant itself, Green Angels also employ a baker who creates hundreds of her own weed-caramel lollipops for $30 a piece. They also offer other edibles, marijuana tincture, and vaporizers Customers are permitted three strikes for bad behavior, which includes making a runner wait during a delivery, or making inappropriate advances at the models. Honey detailed her rules for deliveries during one weekly meeting. She said: 'Never get in somebody's car. No meeting in bars you have to be in their apartment. No meeting in parties. No handoffs on the street. A cop might be checking you out. 'Dress professionally and in character. No marijuana anything on your shirt. No cute little shorts.' Honey ensures that her girls know the shtick when interacting with NYPD - and that they realize that the business is not all fun and games. 'I tell the girls, it's not a club; it's a drug ring.' Honey ensures that her girls know the shtick when interacting with NYPD - and that they realize that the business is not all fun and games She tells them that officers are trained to notice when people fail to make eye contact. They know to 'play the part', flutter their eyelashes and mega-watt smile, be polite, courteous and collected. Embracing femininity is one of the keys to Honey's success, who reminded Mehta that female marijuana buds are the only ones which produce a smokable plant, which she calls the 'feminine magic.' The runners also all operate under fake names - which Honey chooses, often from the names of girls who were mean to her when she was young. Honey meets weekly with her squad of trusted lieutenants and runners, who operate on a text messaging hierarchy based on the reliability of their clients At the time of her interview with GQ, Honey was pregnant with her first child with her husband 'Peter', a former weed-grower. Child Protective Services were called to the hospital after she gave birth, after a doctor reported that her urine had the highest levels of THC he'd seen that year. The success of her business has caused her to receive a number of death threats from wholesalers - who claimed to have promised to kill her and her family. She persists however, undeterred, and believes that even if the plant becomes entirely legalized, her business will still be in demand. Mystery surrounds the death of a university student found washed ashore on a Sydney beach, as police continue to search for her missing friend, who is feared drowned. Shristi Bhandari, 23, had only arrived in Australia from Nepal two weeks before she was found dead on Maroubra Beach by a jogger at 6am on Tuesday. Police are still scouring the coastline in a desperate attempt to find her friend, Sudeep Uprety, 26, also from Nepal, who went to the beach with Shristi on Monday night. It was reported by 7 News the pair may have been swept off rocks by a large wave as Shristi was found fully clothed. Scroll down for video Shristi Bhandari, 23, of Kathmandu, was found washed ashore on Sydney's Maroubra Beach Shristi had been studying a masters in accounting at the University of New South Wales Police are still searching waters off Maroubra Beach for Shristi's friend Sudeep Uprety Police said they are still investigating the death, which is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the coroner. 'There's a pool down there which people swim in a lot, it's very popular,' Maroubra police Inspector Steven Egbers said. 'However, when the seas are rough and its high tide, it can be very dangerous.' Shristi had only arrived in Australia two weeks ago to study a masters in accounting at the University of New South Wales, 7 News reported. Friends took to Facebook to pay tribute to the 'beautiful soul'. 'You pure magical beautiful soul! I can't believe this could happen.. a part of me is still waiting for it to be a mistake,' one person posted. A Facebook tribute to Shristi Bhandari, who was found dead on Maroubra Beach A friend posted a poem in tribute to Shristi Bhandari Another posted a poem which began with: 'You were a poised little dreamer, you knew where to find yourself, you had found a piece of heaven here'. They added: 'Rest in heaven little girl'. 'May God give all the strength your loved ones need at this very difficult time. Much love.' Sudeep, from Nepal's Jhapa district, had reportedly been in Australia for three years. Lifeguards frantically search the waters off Maroubra Beach after a woman was found dead and a man went missing in rough surf conditions The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter was brought in to assist rescue efforts Lifegueards searching rough waters off Maroubra Beach on Tuesday Police suspended their search for Sudeep at 4pm on Tuesday due to rough sea conditions, after spending hours scouring the coastline with no sign of the man. The search resumed at 8am on Wednesday. Water police, PolAir, police divers and the Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter are all on scene. The father of a 12-year-old Utah boy who was found severely malnourished in a feces-strewn bathroom was charged with child abuse on Tuesday, a month after the child's mother was charged with locking him in the room for about a year. The abuse was discovered after the 40-year-old man brought the boy to a hospital. However, prosecutors say he recklessly endangered his son by failing to act before the child's weight dropped to just 30 pounds and delayed getting him medical care for hours after discovering him. The father is charged with one third-degree felony count. The child's mother, Brandy Kay Jaynes, 36, was arrested on a second-degree felony charge of aggravated, intentional child abuse in January when the boy was rescued. Brandy Kay Jaynes, left, was arrested on a second-degree felony charge of aggravated, intentional child abuse in January when the boy was rescued - his father was also charged on Tuesday with child abuse The mother's lawyer, Edward Flint, said she had a 'total mental breakdown' that left her overwhelmed and unable to care for the boy, who has special needs. He said the father knew more about the situation than the charges imply. She is being held on $20,000 cash-only bail, though Flint has pushed to lower that amount to help build her defense. The child spent the last two Christmases in the bathroom, listening to family members open presents, prosecutor Angie Reddish-Day said. The boy has been recovering at Dixie Medical Center since he was found and is now in foster care, along with two other children who were in the home. He lost some mobility in his limbs from being confined in the small space for such a long time and has trouble running and walking The man lived at the house in the small southeastern Utah city of Toquerville while the boy was kept in the bathroom, though it's not clear how often he was there, she said. The mother also worked to keep people away who asked about the boy, including his father, Redding-Day said. The boy was found in the bathroom with one blanket, a few empty cans of beans and a camera that may have been used to capture what was going on in the room that was kept dark most of the time, police said. Washington County Sheriff's Office Lt. David Crouse said the children said they hadn't even spoken to their brother through the door in six months. Crouse then said a doctor who treated the boy described this as the worst case of malnourishment he had ever seen. 'It would be my definition of a torture room,' he said. A police statement went on to describe how the bathroom was covered in feces, and that the toilet bowl was: 'full to the point that you could not see any water'. The man lived at the house in the small southeastern Utah city of Toquerville while the boy was kept in the bathroom with one blanket, a few empty cans of beans and a camera that may have been used to capture what was going on in the room that was kept dark most of the time They also found latches on the door so it could be locked from the outside. It has since been revealed two of his siblings said their brother had been locked in the filthy bathroom for at least one year. The boy has been recovering in the weeks since he was found and is now in foster care, along with two other children who were in the home. He lost some mobility in his limbs from being confined in the small space for such a long time and has trouble running and walking, Reddish-Day said. Court records show the man filed for divorce about three weeks after his wife was arrested. The man's divorce attorney didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. No lawyer was listed in the criminal case against him. One Republican lawmaker is saying he sees a pattern in the leaks that brought down President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Speaking to national security columnist Eli Lake of Bloomberg View, Rep. Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, suggested that Flynn may be just be the beginning of Trump's inner circle fallen by enemies within the U.S. government. 'First it's Flynn, next it will be Kellyanne Conway, then it will be Steve Bannon, then it will be Reince Priebus,' Nunes told the right-of-center Lake, who then referred to Flynn as the 'appetizer' and the president as 'the entree.' Scroll down for video Rep. Devin Nunes told Bloomberg View columnist Eli Lake that he's concerned about all the leaks and suggested 'it looks like a pattern' One of the most notable things about the Flynn fall-from-grace story, Lake pointed out, was the fact that the contents of his conversation with Russian Amb. Sergey Kislyak were clearly monitored by the government, and then, so easily got out. Bloomberg View columnist Eli Lake talked to Rep. Devin Nunes about the many leaks tripping up the Trump administration At the time, Flynn was the incoming National Security Advisor, but his correspondence was seemingly monitored by the FBI or the NSA, Lake wrote. 'It's very rare that reporters are ever told about government-monitored communications of U.S. citizens, let alone senior U.S. officials,' Lake wrote. Later he added, 'Normally intercepts of U.S. officials and citizens are some of the most tightly held government secrets.' Not in this case, however, which caused Nunes to suggest that something really didn't smell right. 'There does appear to be a well orchestrated effort to attack Flynn and others in the administration,' Nunes told the Bloomberg View columnist. President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned last night, over phone calls that he had with Russia's ambassador before the president was sworn in WHO'S NEXT? Devin Nunes suggested those leaking dirt about Trump administration officials could come after Kellyanne Conway (left) next, followed by Steve Bannon (center) and then chief of staff Reince Priebus (right) DINNER IS SERVED? As Rep. Devin Nunes listed off the administration officials who could be impacted by the bevvy of leaks, columnist Eli Lake considered them the 'appetizers,' with President Donald Trump playing the role of 'the entree' 'From the leaking of phone calls between the president and foreign leaders to what appears to be high-level FISA Court information, to the leaking of American citizens being denied security clearances, it looks like a pattern,' Nunes said. Days after Trump conversed with foreign leaders, embarrassing details have leaked out, including that the president had to ask aides about a nuclear arms treaty, while on the phone with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and that he and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had a fraught back-and-forth over an Obama era refugee resettlement plan. On Friday, one of Flynn's top deputies, Robin Townley, was denied a security clearance from the CIA, Politico reported, citing two unnamed sources, which prevented Townley from serving on the National Security Council. Nunes told Lake he planned to ask the FBI to investigate the Flynn leak and find out if the outgoing national security advisor was the target of a law enforcement investigation. The Washington Post previously reported that Flynn was not being looked at by the FBI. The New York Times reported that Flynn did have a conversation with the FBI over his conversation with the Kremlin representative, as they were concerned he didn't tell them the whole truth. Lake pointed out that there were a number of places investigators could turn in sniffing out Flynn's, and the administration's, adversaries. 'Flynn was a fat target for the national security state,' the columnist wrote. 'He had cultivated a reputation as a reformer and a fierce critic of the intelligence community leaders he once served with when he was the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama.' The Bloomberg columnist suggested the Flynn leak could be over partisan politics as well. He reminded readers that Flynn became a national name when he spoke onstage at last summer's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, on the heels of being rumored to be Trump's veep. 'He was also a fat target for Democrats,' Lake wrote. Seema Verma was accused of 'playing both sides' in state negotiations President Donald Trump's pick to oversee Medicare and Medicaid faces questions over claims she 'played both sides' in health policy negotiations in an arrangement branded 'definitely improper' by a former White House lawyer. Seema Verma made millions of dollars through consulting arrangements with at least nine states, and advised Vice President Mike Pence when he was Indiana's governor. A review by the Associated Press found Verma's firm, SVC Inc, made $6.6million in consulting fees from the state of Indiana since 2011, while at the same time receiving more than $1million through a contract with Hewlett Packard (HP). HP is the nation's largest operator of state Medicaid claims processing systems, meaning it had a financial interest in the health care policies that Verma's work helped shape in Indiana and other states. Richard Painter, former chief ethics lawyer to President George W. Bush, called Verma's arrangement a 'conflict of interest' that 'clearly should not happen and is definitely improper'. Verma, pictured with husband Vikram Chandra, will face a Senate Finance Committee hearing tomorrow State employees are banned from having such arrangements with private firms, but the rules are less clear when it comes to contractors. In a GOP bid to cut the number of state employees, the number of consultants working for public authorities has soared, meaning distinctions can be hard to discern. It was just shocking to me that she could play both sides Debra Minot, former head of Indiana's Family and Social Services Agency Debra Minot, a former head of Indiana's Family and Social Services Agency under Pence who worked with Verma, said: 'She was cloaked with so much responsibility and so much authority, people thought she was a state employee.' And she claimed there was at least one instance where Verma crossed the line in Indiana when she was dispatched by HP to help smooth over a billing dispute. 'It was never clear to me until that moment that she, in essence, was representing both the agency and one of our very key contractors,' said Minot, who was removed as head of the agency by Pence over her disagreements with Verma. 'It was just shocking to me that she could play both sides.' Verma made millions of dollars through consulting arrangements with at least nine states, and advised Vice President Mike Pence when he was Indiana's governor Verma tomorrow faces a Senate Finance Committee hearing, with Democrats in Washington - who are aware of many of her consulting arrangements - likely to raise broad concerns about her views on government entitlement programs, lack of background in Medicare and inexperience leading a large organization. Last year, SVC Inc collected an additional $316,000 for work done for the state of Kentucky as a subcontractor for HP Enterprises, according to documents obtained by AP through public records requests. This week Verma revealed in financial disclosures that she has an agreement to sell SVC Inc to Health Management Associates of Lansing, Michigan, within 90 days of her confirmation. In a statement, a spokesman for Verma said she was 'fully transparent' about her relationship with HP and noted the company's work for the state predates Verma's contract with the company. A spokesman for Pence also did not respond to a request for comment. This week Verma revealed in financial disclosures that she has an agreement to sell SVC Inc to Health Management Associates of Lansing, Michigan, within 90 days of her confirmation As a trusted adviser to Pence, she had an office in the state government center and took on duties usually reserved for state administrators. Verma was widely respected for her grasp on policy, and designed a federal Medicaid waiver that allowed Pence to undertake his own conservative expansion of the program while still accepting money made available through the Affordable Care Act. Verma did not specifically address how she would handle decisions related to HP in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services that was released this week. The letter outlined her plan for managing potential conflicts of interest should she be confirmed by the Senate to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Her relationship with HP was first reported by the Indianapolis Star in 2014. Verma was selected by Donald Trump to oversee Medicare and Medicaid Legal and ethics experts say Verma's work for Hewlett, and offshoot HP Enterprises, raised questions about where her loyalties lay - to the company, or to state taxpayers. Indiana University law professor David Orentlicher compared Verma's dual employment to an attorney who represents both the plaintiff and the defense in a lawsuit. If you have one person on both sides of the negotiating, they can't negotiate hard for both sides David Orentlicher It is also similar to a federal contract negotiator with a side job for a company they regularly negotiate with, he said. 'If you have one person on both sides of the negotiating, they can't negotiate hard for both sides,' said Orentlicher, a former Indiana Democratic state lawmaker. State contracts show Verma's duties to Indiana and Hewlett have overlapped at times. One agreement she held with the state's social services agency required her to 'provide technical assistance' to state contractors, as well as the governor's office. Another duty was 'contract development and negotiation' with vendors, which included HP and HP Enterprises. Verma reported her salary with SVC as $480,000 and her business income from the company as nearly $2.2million. Kerry Stokes blew up at columnist Will Glasgow after he questioned whether a former Seven board member had been silenced over Amber Harrison Media tycoon Kerry Stokes blew up at reporter on Tuesday after being questioned over the Amber Harrison scandal which has rocked the Seven network. Will Glasgow, from The Australian, queried whether former board member Sheila McGregor had been silenced after she quit just as an independent report into the issue was being published. 'How dare you? That's outrageous', Stokes fumed, according to Mumbrella. 'Are you seriously suggesting I will tell a director what they can and cant do?' The altercation took place during a conference call to discuss the Seven network's half-year finances on Tuesday. Glasgow, who is known for his Margin Call column, was then heard to apologise for asking the question as the discussion moved on. During the same call, Mr Stokes labelled Ms Harrison as 'dishonest' and claimed she took 'a significant amount of money' from Seven West Media. Mr Stokes praised CEO Tim Worner after the company's shareholders' meeting on Wednesday for remaining 'focused' during the revelation of his two-year-long affair with Ms Harrison in December, according to the Daily Telegraph. The Seven chairman admitted he went on a four-letter rant when he learned of the affair between his employees more than two years ago, but said the decision to keep Mr Worner as CEO was in the company's best interest. Mr Stoke then slammed Ms Harrison for her behaviour. The altercation happened during a phone call with Tim Worner (pictured) during which he said he has apologised for the scandal Mr Stokes also labelled former employee Ms Harrison (pictured) 'dishonest' and claimed she took 'a significant amount of money' from Seven West Media 'There was a significant amount of money taken by her and there's no other excuse for it,' he told the Daily Telegraph. 'We have dishonest people who work for us,' he said. Mr Worner addressed the almost two-year relationship with Harrison on Wednesday, telling shareholders: 'Over the past two months much has been written and discussed concerning the ongoing claims of a former employee. 'I have apologised for what did happen and we don't wish to give any more oxygen to things that did not happen,' he said, according to a Nine network report. At the same meeting, Mr Worner announced the company's first-half net profit has plummeted by almost 91 percent. The net profit for the six months up until December 24 have fallen from $135.2 million the year prior to $12.4 million. The company's investment in Yahoo7 and and the expense of closing down of streaming service Presto were cited as reasons for the loss in profit, Nine reported. Mr Worner did not go into detail of his relationship with Ms Harrison but did address the media coverage surrounding the pair in the two months since the executive secretary revealed their affair. 'The company has made a number of public statements on the matter and will continue to keep the market informed,' he said. Mr Worner (pictured) also addressed his relationship with Ms Harrison during the shareholders' meeting 'The company has made a number of public statements on the matter and will continue to keep the market informed,' Mr Worner said of Ms Harrison's claims Mr Worner stood down after it was revealed the pair had a sexual relationship from 2012 to 2014 but returned to work in late January when an investigation by Seven cleared him of claims of illicit drug use and misappropriation of his corporate credit card. The Seven West board said there were no grounds to take any further disciplinary action against Mr Worner. 'The board has addressed all the issues that have been raised and is confident that Mr Worner will continue to run the company in the interests of all shareholders,' the company said in a statement. Ms Harrison has blasted the network's 'farcical' investigation and said 'the claims by Seven that these allegations cannot be substantiated are a joke.' Seven West non-executive director Jeff Kennett has also addressed the affair in an article in The Australian published this week. The beyondblue chairman said Ms Harrison has been paid a total of $330,000 by Seven West Media 'as compensation for any damage caused by her consensual relationship with another SWM employee.' Seven West non-executive director Jeff Kennett (pictured) has also addressed the affair in an article in The Australian, which was published this week Her lawyers also received $50,000, Mr Kennett said. 'Under the circumstances, Ms Harrison has been treated extremely well by SWM for a relationship that she entered freely and which she continued for less than two years. This is not an issue of gender.' 'But I will not agree to any further payments, nor allow Ms Harrison's attacks on SWM and its staff to go unanswered.' 'The one-sided public portrayal of her claims is unfair, not accurate and in my opinion ignores the generosity that SWM has extended to Ms Harrison,' he said. Mr Kennett said the board has spent a considerable amount of shareholders' fund to investigate Ms Harrison's claims, but they were unsubstantiated. 'But enough is enough and $380,000-plus is certainly enough. In fact you could say it's too much for a consensual relationship that lasted for less than two years,' he said. The father of a 19-year-old who sued her parents to get them to pay for her college tuition says the family are putting the ordeal behind them after a lengthy four-year court saga. Caitlyn Ricci, now aged 23, successfully sued her divorced parents to pay her $16,000 tuition for Temple University in Philadelphia back in 2014. But a New Jersey appellate court overturned the ruling on Friday saying Maura McGarvey and Michael Ricci could not be legally viewed as a grown child's wallet. The two sides have now agreed to drop the case after the parents reconciled with their daughter and are working on repairing their relationship, Philly.com reports. Caitlyn Ricci sued her parents when she was 19 to pay $16,000 of her college tuition at Temple University in Philadelphia back in 2014 'It's going to take some time to heal,' Michael said. 'It's going to take some time for us to work on this. But nothing can break the bond between parents and their kids, so we'll get through it. We'll move on, and we'll be a happy family again.' It comes after a lengthy four-year court battle, which Caitlyn's paternal grandparents helped her finance. Caitlyn won the case in 2014 based off of the 1982 ruling of Newburgh vs Arrigo which states divorced parents are legally obligated to pay for their child's tuition. Her parents appealed the ruling claiming it was unconstitutional and refused to pay. Once they refused, Caitlyn sued them for contempt of court. The appellate court ruled in her parent's favor last week saying they couldn't be viewed as a wallet and deprived of involvement of the college decision making process. The appellate court referred the case back to a lower court to determine whether or not Caitlyn is emancipated. Caitlyn's dad Michael Ricci (pictured with her at her high school graduation) said the family have now put the legal battle behind them after an appellate court overturned the original ruling on Friday 'Once the issue of emancipation is decided, an obligation to pay college costs for an academically motivated un-emancipated child requires a two-fold analysis,' the ruling stated. Caitlyn's grandparents helped her sue her divorced parents Maura McGarvey (above) and Michael Ricci 'Despite these very well-intentioned purposes [of the first judge's decision], the threshold legal question of emancipation, which must precede any analysis, was not examined.' The court said the obligation depends on whether or not the parents are involved in the college making decision and whether or not they can afford it. Michael told ABC6 after last week's ruling that he wasn't paying anything regardless of what the court ruled. 'I'm not going to give them any money until my daughter has a relationship with me and we start to heal our family,' he said. McGarvey told the court that her daughter left home after refusing to do chores and follow a curfew, which they enforced after she repeatedly got in trouble for underage drinking. But Caitlyn said she moved partly because of a dispute about taking a summer class. Caitlyn's parents Maura McGarvey (left) and Michael Ricci (right) filed an appeal saying it was unconstitutional that divorced parents should have to pay for their child's college McGarvey explained they had enforced the summer class as punishment for Caitlyn getting kicked out of a Disney College Program - paid for by her and her ex-husband - for underage drinking. She moved in with her paternal grandparents in Cherry Hills, New Jersey and, despite their fallout, McGarvey said she tried to reach out to Caitlyn - sending her letters and writing her poems - but she never heard back. The parents claim she also purchased a car when she left the family home and subsequently demanded the money through her lawyers. They eventually tried to file for an emancipation but the day before Mothers' Day last year, papers from Caitlyn's attorneys arrived at their home. The girl's grandparents - who have not spoken to their son in years - paid for her to get a lawyer to sue her parents. Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos has lost a long fight to reclaim jewels confiscated when her dictator husband was ousted, with the Supreme Court ruling she acquired them illegally. The items worth 120,000 are now the property of the state, the court ruled, paving the way for the possible sale of a much larger collection of Marcos jewellery that could net the government millions. Petitioners failed to satisfactorily show that the properties were lawfully acquired, said the January 18 court ruling, which the court made public only this week. The law provides that property acquired by a government official at a cost manifestly out of proportion to his salary or other lawful income was sufficient presumption that they were unlawfully acquired, it added. Former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos has lost a long fight to reclaim jewels confiscated when her dictator husband was ousted The jewellery in the case was recovered from the Malacanang presidential palace after the Marcos family fled to US exile in 1986, when a bloodless People Power revolution ended its 20-year rule. Successor governments have cited it as proof that the family systematically looted state coffers while millions of their countrymen endured poverty. Authorities estimated Marcos and his allies stole about $10 billion when he was in power, with less than half so far recovered through litigation and through negotiated settlements with Marcos cronies. An anti-graft court forfeited the jewellery in favour of the state in 2009, but Imelda Marcos raised the case in the Supreme Court in 2014. In all, the government said it had recovered about $21 million worth of Marcos jewellery, including items seized by US customs during the familys flight to exile. These were later turned over to Manila. President Ferdinand Marcos pictured in 1986 The entire collection, now stored at the Central Bank, includes diamond-studded tiaras, a golden belt with a diamond buckle, necklaces, brooches, earrings, belts and other gems including a pink diamond. Previous governments pledged to auction them off. However President Rodrigo Duterte, who took power last year, is an ally of the Marcos family and authorities would not say on Tuesday if the sale would go ahead. Imelda Marcos, now 87, led her family back to Manila in 1991, two years after her husband died in Honolulu. She is now serving her third term in the House of Representatives. Their only son, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Junior, narrowly lost the vice presidential election last year but filed a court challenge claiming he was cheated out of victory. If Marcos wins, he would be vice president under family friend Duterte. Marcos Jnrs political fortunes are based partly on persuading young Filipinos that his parents did nothing to apologise for. February 13, 2017 There are strong signals coming from Amman that Jordan is calibrating its strategy on Syria in light of recent political and military developments. At the heart of this shift lies Jordans readiness to chart a more independent course in dealing with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, using King Abdullah IIs good working relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin to secure a cease-fire in southern Syria, initiate reconciliation efforts between the regime and moderate rebel groups and tribal leaders in the south, and focus military efforts on fighting the Islamic State (IS) and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) in the Syrian Badia. Before heading to Washington Feb. 2 on a working visit that culminated in a meeting with US President Donald Trump, Abdullah stopped in Moscow Jan. 25 to discuss the situation in Syria with Putin, Jordans role in fighting terrorism and the political process on Syria that was launched in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Jan. 15. The king also brought up the situation in southern Syria, whose stability is directly linked to Jordans national security. On previous visits to Moscow following Russias military intervention in Syria in September 2015, Abdullah and Putin had reached what was described by local observers as a gentlemans agreement to spare southern Syria military strikes and allow Jordan to use its influence with Free Syrian Army groups and local tribes to prevent the advance of jihadi fighters and facilitate the handover of border crossings to the regular Syrian army. Following the fall of eastern Aleppo in December and the slow advance of the Iraqi army to liberate IS-held Mosul, Jordan wants to make sure that fleeing IS militants do not head to the Syrian Badia, inching closer to its borders. Two makeshift refugee camps on the Syrian side of the border with Jordan represent an ongoing threat to the kingdom. Jordan believes both camps have been infiltrated by IS fighters and may be used as a launching pad for strikes against it. Last October, IS claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb attack that killed and injured a number of security personnel manning a humanitarian entry point to the Rukban camp. During his meeting with Trump, Abdullah was briefed on the possibility of establishing safe zones in Syria, and the president highlighted Jordans critical contributions to defeating IS, according to a White House statement. While Jordan has not officially reacted to Trumps vague proposal, Amman has an interest in seeing such safe zones established in southern Syria. Jordan hosts more than 600,000 Syrian refugees at a huge financial cost, and setting up safe zones inside Syria could encourage some of them to return voluntarily to their homes. What is more important, however, are the positive messages Amman has been sending to the Syrian regime. On Dec. 30, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Jordanian armed forces, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat, told BBC Arabic that liaison officers from both sides remain in touch and that Jordans training of Syrian rebels in the south is aimed at fighting IS terrorists, not the regime in Damascus. He also warned of an Iranian land corridor, extending from Tehran to Lebanon, through Iraq and Syria. On Feb. 9, Bassam al-Badareen, the Amman correspondent of London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi, reported that top Syrian security official Gen. Ali Mamlouk had secretly visited the Jordanian capital at least four times in the past few months. When the Syrian uprising erupted in March 2011, Jordan supported rebel demands but insisted on a political solution. It later joined the Friends of Syria group, which demanded Assad's removal. It also allowed the establishment of a US-led Military Operations Center near Amman that coordinated rebel operations in southern Syria. There have been unconfirmed reports that Jordan has scaled back the center's activities in recent weeks as part of its attempt to open back channels with Damascus. On Feb. 4, the Jordanian armed forces announced that its unmanned fighter planes had destroyed various IS sites in southern Syria, including one that the jihadis had seized from the Syrian army. Damascus, which had previously criticized Jordan for its support of Syrian rebel groups, did not comment on the operation. In another sign that Amman is strongly backing the Astana process, Jordanian officials joined a technical meeting on the Syrian cease-fire in the Kazakh capital on Feb. 6. It was the only Arab country that Moscow invited to the meetings. The pro-government daily Addustour quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying Feb. 13 that Jordan is helping in bringing additional factions into the Astana process. A day later, the same paper reported that Lavrov had again stressed Jordans role in influencing a number of groups in the Southern Front. Jordan has confirmed its participation in the second round of Astana talks Feb. 15-16. In a meeting with Jordanian journalists Feb. 5, Abdullah stressed the importance of having the cease-fire in place in southern Syria, according to the Jordan Times. The government has not, however, commented on the sudden eruption of fighting Feb. 13 in the divided city of Daraa between the regular Syrian army and a number of rebel groups led by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. Political commentator Mohammad Abu Rumman wrote in Al-Ghad Feb. 6 that two direct developments have forced Jordan to adopt a new military-strategic approach to southern Syria. One is the presence of the so-called Jaish Khalid Ibn al-Walid army, an IS affiliate, in the Yarmouk River basin, not far from the Jordanian border. The other is the series of terrorist attacks that took place in Jordan last year and were claimed by IS. IS had not targeted Jordan directly in the past, but with this shift, we now find ourselves in an open war with this group, Abu Rumman said. By joining the Astana process and signaling a change in its position toward Damascus, Jordan is looking out for its own interests in anticipation of the Russian-sponsored political talks firming up and expanding the cease-fire, paving the way for the Geneva talks that will start Feb. 23. Preserving peace and stability in southern Syria and protecting Jordan's northern borders are now Amman's top priorities, as Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi announced Feb. 9. He denied having had contacts with Tehran on safeguarding Jordans northern border. Both Washington and Moscow are supportive of Jordans balancing act on Syria for now. Record levels of hate crime were seen by three in four police forces in the aftermath of the EU referendum, an investigation has found. Following the momentous vote to leave the European Union last June, 75 per cent of constabularies recorded the highest reports of racially or religiously aggravated crimes since figures were first collected in 2012. It fuelled concerns that far-Right yobs used Brexit as an excuse to legitimise prejudice and hate-filled attacks. However, police chiefs have warned that it was impossible to determine how many of these recorded incidents were linked to last summers referendum. Following the EU referendum, 75 per cent of constabularies recorded the highest reports of racially or religiously aggravated crimes since figures were first collected in 2012 The figures have provided the first complete picture of hate crime recorded by police in England and Wales after the United Kingdom went to the polls on June 23. Statistics show that 33 out of 44 forces recorded the highest quarterly number of incidents since comparable records began. Three forces each recorded more than 1,000 hate crimes over the period: the Metropolitan Police (3,356), Greater Manchester (1,033) and West Yorkshire (1,013), while only four constabularies reported a decrease. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the findings suggested that a small number of people used the Brexit vote to legitimise inexcusable racism and prejudice. The charity Victim Support said that more needed to be done to encourage victims to come forward and report such incidents. Provisional figures on hate crimes published by the Home Office in October 2016 suggested that offences in July 2016 were 41 per cent higher than in July 2015. The new analysis, compiled by the Press Association news agency, shows that a rise in incidents was seen in almost every force in England and Wales, both year-on-year and when comparing the three months either side of the referendum. David Isaac, chairman of the EHRC, said it must be sensible to prepare for any possible spikes in hate crime once Brexit negotiations got under way. He said: The vast majority of people who voted to leave the European Union did so because they believed it was best for Britain and not because they are intolerant of others. It is clear, however, that a small minority of people used the Brexit vote to legitimise inexcusable racism and prejudice. Police chiefs have warned that it was impossible to determine how many of these recorded incidents were linked to last summers referendum We cannot allow such intolerable acts of hate to be condoned or repeated. The triggering of Article 50 is the next major milestone and we must do all we can to discourage hate attacks and to support people who feel at risk. Lucy Hastings, director at Victim Support, said: Hate crime has no place in our society and every victim of this crime is one too many. We believe that more needs to be done to further encourage reporting. This includes making third-party hate crime units more accessible to the public. The figures for hate crimes were compiled from open data published by every police force in England and Wales. Comparable data is not available for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Detained: On Friday Daniel Ramirez-Medina, 23, was arrested and could be deported. He was brought to the US aged seven and is protected under Obama's DACA program A man who was brought to the country from Mexico illegally as a child and protected from deportation by the Obama administration may now be ejected despite committing no crimes, his lawyers say. Daniel Ramirez-Medina, a 23-year-old who has been in the US since he was 16, was arrested on Friday in his suburban Seattle home by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who were there to take his father. Ramirez-Medina has a job, a young son, no criminal record and protection under Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Northwest Immigrants Rights Project legal director Matt Adams said. However, according to a Monday court filing by his lawyers, the agents told him that even though he was a DACA recipient 'he would be arrested, detained, and deported anyway, because he was not "born in this country."' Ramirez-Medina, who is being held in Tacoma, challenged his detention a Seattle court, saying that his Fourth Amendment Rights had been violated, Fox News reported. He is constitutionally allowed to live and work in America so long as he satisfies DACA requirements, his lawyers say. His DACA status was renewed last year. Scroll down for video Raids: Seattle ICE officers (some pictured in Atlanta on Thursday) allegedly pressured him to admit to being in a gang. His lawyers say he is not a criminal, and has a job and young son ICE spokeswoman Rose Richeson said in a statement that agents were at Ramirez Medina's home targeting a 'prior-deported felon' when they arrested him. She also said that he told agents he was a gang member, and based on those statements and being a 'risk to public safety,' he was taken into custody. That was dismissed by Mark Rosenbaum, one of Ramirez's lawyers, who said Ramirez 'unequivocally denies being in a gang' and is the victim of a witch-hunt. 'While in custody, he was repeatedly pressured by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to falsely admit affiliation,' he said. Rosenbaum, who is also director of Public Counsel's Opportunity Under Law Project, added in a statement that the case is a black mark on the US's name. 'Trust in our government depends upon the Executive Branch keeping its word,' he said. 'Bait and switch sullies the integrity of our nation's core values.' Ramirez-Medina is now awaiting removal proceedings before an immigration judge with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review. If the case goes ahead, it will be the first of its kind in the country, Adams said. 'This appears to be a complete one-off,' he explained. 'We certainly haven't seen this with our other hundreds of clients who have DACA status as well.' Dreamer: Ramirez-Medina was one of Barack Obama's dreamers, protected by DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) act. No other DACA person has yet been arrested However, Adams said he believes Ramirez was apprehended by mistake. 'I don't think this has to do with any change in policy; I just think it was an enforcement procedure gone wrong,' Adams said. 'Hopeful they're going to come to their senses.' Rosenbaum agreed. 'We have no reason to believe that [the DACA] promise will be broken,' he said. 'This case should not see the inside of a courtroom.' Emily Langley, a spokeswoman for the US attorney's office in Seattle, said Tuesday afternoon it would be premature to comment on the lawsuit. Ramirez-Medina's father was not taken into custody, despite that being the purported purpose of the raid. Court documents did not make it clear why. DACA recipients were termed 'dreamers' by the Obama administration. Promise: Donald Trump has promised to deport 'millions' of illegal immigrants. He has said he wants his raids to focus on people who have committed crimes President Donald Trump made illegal immigration a cornerstone of his campaign, saying he will build a wall along the Mexican border and deport millions of people. However, his actual plans have yet to be revealed. He has said he wants to focus on people who have committed crimes. But recent sweeps by US immigration agents across multiple states have netted some immigrants with no criminal records, a departure from enforcement actions in the last decade. Under the Obama administration, agents focused more narrowly on individuals who posed a security or public safety threat. During an interview with Time magazine late last year, Trump expressed sympathy for the more than 740,000 people in the DACA program, which started in 2012. 'We're going to work something out that's going to make people happy and proud,' he said. Trump can withdraw the promised protection right away through an 'operational memo' because Obama implemented it through one, William Stock, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said previously. The Trump cabinet is stuffed with appointments that have upset the Washington establishment but Mike Flynn was the one that had them really reaching for the smelling salts. James Mattis, Mr Trumps new Defence Secretary, is the one saddled with the nickname Mad Dog, yet hes regarded as sane and reasonable compared with the other ex-general who was given the job of National Security Adviser. In a bizarre transformation over just a few years, Mike Flynn went from being one of the most respected intelligence officers of a generation to becoming Americas angriest general railing at the inadequacies of the Obama administrations fight against radical Islam in a highly inflammatory manner. Flynn's resignation came just hours after sources close to the government revealed that the Justice Department had warned the new administration that his links with the Kremlin had put him in a compromising position and left him open to blackmail Flynns role in the Trump cabinet entailed being the presidents top counsellor on security, weighing in on defence and foreign policy matters that affected national safety. Given Mr Trumps inexperience in this area, 58-year-old Flynn was expected to be particularly influential in the new White House. He is an ultra-loyal Trump supporter, despite being raised in a family of Irish-Catholic Democrats and being a registered Democrat. At last years Republican National Convention, amid demands that Hillary Clinton be prosecuted for using a private email server while Secretary of State, he was seen by millions on TV shouting: Lock her up! Lock her up! Damn right! Exactly right! He told the convention: If I did a tenth of what she did, Id be in jail today. His Kremlin connections raised eyebrows long before Mr Trump made him his top security adviser. In a book, he described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a thug and totalitarian dictator who does not have our interests in mind. Flynn stepped down just 24 days into the Administration of new president Donald Trump Y et this did not prevent him from becoming a regular commentator on the Russia Today network, a Russian government-controlled international television channel. At a Russia Today network dinner in Moscow in 2015, where he gave an address on world affairs, Flynn was seated next to Mr Putin. He later explained he had been paid for taking part, but brushed aside concerns that he was aiding a Russian propaganda effort. This wasnt enough to stop senior Democrats in Congress demanding an investigation into Mr Flynns Russian connections. TIMELINE OF FLYNN'S RUSSIA TROUBLES December 29: Obama announces sanctions against Russia over alleged hacks targeting election. Flynn spoke with Russian ambassador Kislyak repeatedly the same day, it was later reported. December 30: Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will not respond to the sanctions, surprising many U.S. officials. Trump praises Putin's decision as 'very smart.' January 13: Trump spokesman Sean Spicer says Flynn had called Kislyak merely to set up a phone call between Trump and Putin January 15: Vice President-elect Mike Pence says in an interview with CBS that Flynn had not discussed santions in the call with Kislyak January 20: Trump inaugurated president January 23: Spicer, now White House spokesman, said Flynn had told him the call to Kislyak covered four topics: a plane crash that killed a Russian military choir; Christmas greetings; Russian-led talks over the Syrian civil war; and logistics for a call between Putin and Trump January 20-30 (exact date unclear): Acting Attorney General Sally Yates briefs Trump officials that intercepted communications indicated Flynn had discussed sanctions with Kislyak in ways she believed were 'highly significant' and 'potentially illegal' January 30: Trump fires Yates for refusing to defend executive immigration order in court February 8: Flynn denies in interviews that he discussed sanctions in the calls with Kislyak February 9: Flynn backpedals, saying through a spokesperson that he 'couldn't be certain' sanctions weren't discussed February 13: Report breaks of Justice Department concerns about blackmail, and Flynn resigns hours later Advertisement However, it is Flynns outspoken comments on Islam that have drawn most public attention to him in recent years. They came towards the end of a highly distinguished military career, which included stints in both Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was top intelligence officer for the commander of the American-led coalition in 2009-10. Only after his appointment to head the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 2011 did things start to fall apart. He became increasingly upset at what he saw as the Obama administrations failure to confront ISIS and was eventually sacked in 2014. Critics say he clashed with his bosses because of his chaotic management style and aggressive vision for the agency, and he was allegedly so prone to making dubious assertions his staff dubbed the phenomenon Flynn facts. But Flynn insists he was fired because he dared to challenge President Obamas contention that radical Islam was all but defeated. His opponents say his antagonism towards Islamic terrorists became so intense that he failed to draw any distinction between the religion and its militant adherents. He also insisted the West was essentially at war with Islam. Theres no sign he toned down the rhetoric after he stepped down from the DIA. In July last year, he tweeted: In [the] next 24 hours, I dare Arab & Persian world leaders to step up to the plate and declare their Islamic ideology sick and must [be] healed. In another tweet, he intoned: Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL and called on Arab leaders to admit their religion is sick. His social media outbursts about Mrs Clinton proved equally incendiary. He and his son, Michael G. Flynn, used Twitter to spread fake news conspiracy theories about the Clinton family. Last summer, he directed his internet followers to a tweet that falsely claimed Clinton was wearing hijab in solidarity with Islamic terrorists. Six days before the presidential election, he posted a fake news story on Twitter that claimed that police and prosecutors in New York had found evidence linking Mrs Clinton and much of her senior campaign staff to paedophilia, money laundering, perjury and other crimes. F lynn told his Twitter followers: U decide. He was also found to have used social media to interact with members of the so-called alt-Right movement an alliance of ultra-conservatives who have been accused of being virulent white supremacists. On top of all this, Mr Flynn was censured last year when he retweeted an anti-Semitic message, although he insisted the retweet was an accident and soon deleted the post. Given such extraordinary behaviour over the years, it is perhaps surprising that this accident waiting to happen lasted as many as 24 days in Trumps team. Advertisement California Governor Jerry Brown's request for federal emergency funding to help the dire situation at the Oroville Dam was approved by President Trump's administration on Tuesday evening. The governor expressed hope yesterday that the new administration would act quickly and favorably towards the state's increasingly dire need for funding as the tallest dam in the United States threatened to crumble. Some, however, were not optimistic about Trump's response to the state he's previously called 'out-of-control' as animosity mounted between the two parties. Hundreds of thousands of Californian evacuees were told they could go home after engineers patched up the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam on Tuesday - but they can't get comfortable just yet. Engineers say they have been able to beef up a crumbling emergency barrier at the top of the dam which threatened to give way over the weekend and sparked the sudden evacuation. Supported now by boulders and rocks, it will hold if the water level in Lake Oroville rises to capacity again but that too is unlikely, the Department of Water Resources claims, given the quick rate at which the water is currently being drained. Despite their confidence that the emergency spillway will hold and the lake won't fill its 901ft capacity, police are still issuing an evacuation warning. Though less severe than the evacuation order issued in a panic on Sunday, it means residents of Butte, Yuba and Sutter Counties could be told to abandon their homes again if the situation becomes more precarious. 'This warning allows people to return to return to their homes and resume their businesses but we're telling them that they have to be vigilant. There is the prospect we could issue another order if the circumstances change,' Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said at a press conference on Tuesday. Scroll down for video An evacuation order was lifted for the towns surrounding the Oroville Dam on Tuesday as officials claimed they had done enough to repair its emergency spillway (above being patched up with boulders) Diggers filled with rocks are offloading them hurriedly at the top of the dam in anticipation of more rain which will increase water levels in the lake behind it later in the week The problems: The crisis was sparked when authorities stopped allowing water down the main spillway to investigate a large hole caused by erosion (left), last week sending all of the surplus lake water to an emergency spillway (right picture, top left) which wasn't equipped to handle it. Now, water is gushing down the eroded spillway again before storms bring more rain to the reservoir above it Waterflow has resumed on the main spillway and is draining water from the lake behind it at a rate of one foot every three to four hours Officials including Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea announced on Tuesday that the evacuation order had been lifted Some 200,000 residents fled on Sunday and took refuge in make-shift shelters when authorities were finally forced to issue an emergency evacuation order after days of claiming the situation was safe. The evacuees have since told of their hurried escape, describing the scene of entire communities fleeing in their packed up cars as 'pure chaos'. The exodus was triggered amid fears the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam was about to give way to the full lake and send a 30ft wall of water cascading down into towns at its foot. But after spending two days frantically draining the reservoir by allowing water down the main spillway (which was put temporarily out of use to investigate erosion last week), officials say they have now reduced the level enough. The water level is currently at 889ft in the lake. Agencies are aiming to lower it to 850ft, a goal they first said they hoped to achieve by Wednesday when more rain is forecast. Now they say this doesn't need to be done until Saturday and that they are on track to reach their goal. 'The peak inflows are below the 100,000 cubic ft outflow that we have right now so what that means is we'll see a small increase in water elevation but with the existing releases we should get down to 850ft sometime late Saturday, Sunday,' Bill Croyle, director of the California Department of Water Resources said. Helicopters fly rocks to the top of the dam for engineers to continue patching up the eroded emergency spillway (left) on Tuesday as water continues to cascade down the primary spillway right) Helicopters fly over the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam on Tuesday as millions of gallons of water rushes down its main chute Engineers are using rocks to patch up the ruined spillway which nearly gave way entirely on Saturday as the lake reached its maximum capacity Curious onlookers go to the Feather River as it gushes through the town of Oroville as more water is released from the reservoir above the dam Engineers take rocks across to the site of the damaged emergency spillway to build it back up before water levels in the lake rise again, threatening to overpower it entirely As for the eroded emergency spillway, authorities say it has been secured by 125 crews working round the clock to fix it. They have been bringing 30 tonnes of rock to the near-collapsed barrier since Saturday on lorries and helicopters, an effort they say has made it strong enough to resist the reservoir. The work will continue over the coming days to ensure that the wall is sufficiently lined, officials said. The emergency situation had been in developing for a week and began last Tuesday when officials were forced to acknowledge a gaping hole in the main spillway. They halted water flow on the spillway to investigate the damage but said at the time there was no immediate threat to the public. The emergency spillway, which had never before been used, was then put to work but soon buckled under the pressure. Because it was backed only by land and soil, authorities were forced to admit that it would likely fail and evacuated the area suddenly on Sunday afternoon. The sudden order after days of of public assurances that the situation was safe created pandemonium in the town of Oroville and others surrounding the dam. Some already had their bags packed and hit the road immediately but others were left to scramble after being told for days that they were in no danger. When water began flowing through the emergency spillway, it buckled under the pressure and nearly gave way entirely. Above the scene on Sunday as water flowed through the emergency spillway Workers are trying to repair the emergency spillway so that it may be used again if the main spillway erosion worsens which they now say they have achieved Department of Water Resources engineers are using the rocks to try to beef back up the emergency spillway before the lake overflows again. They are bringing in 30 tonnes of rocks per hour to strengthen the emergency spillway Officials survey the gushing water at the foot of the dam from a lookout point. Engineers are working round the clock to drain enough water from the lake before it overflows A TIMELINE OF THE OROVILLE DAM DISASTER Tuesday, February 7: Authorities halt flow on the main spillway to investigate erosion Wednesday, February 8: They reveal plans to release water over damaged spillway to test its function Thursday, February 9: Test release of water adds to main spillway damage as expected but they plan to allow more through after heavy rain caused lake to rise Friday, February 10: More water is allowed to flow down the damaged spillway to avoid using the fragile emergency spillway Saturday, February 11: First flow of water is allowed to pass down emergency spillway and authorities say erosion on main spillway has slowed. They repeat there is no risk to the public Noon, Sunday, February 12 : At a press conference, officials say the dam and its spillways are stable and that the emergency dam will hold steady 4.45pm, Sunday, February 12: The Department for Water Resources tweets an emergency evacuation order warning the emergency spillway is about to fail Monday, February 13: Officials cannot say when evacuees will be able to return as they frantically work to repair the damaged main spillway Tuesday afternoon: Evacuation order is lifted but warning stays in place as authorities say emergency spillway is stable Advertisement The chaos was described as a 'textbook example' of why the country needs to invest in infrastructure by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday as he said President Trump was keeping a 'close eye' on the situation. He has not yet released $162.3 million in disaster assistance that California has requested. Evacuation centers have been set up at a fairgrounds in Chico, California, about 20 miles northwest of Oroville, but major highways leading south out of the area were jammed as residents fled the flood zone. Javier Santiago, 42, fled with his wife, two children and several friends to the Oroville Dam Visitors Center in a public park above the dam and the danger zone. With blankets, pillows and a little food, Santiago said: 'We're going to sleep in the car.' The sudden evacuation panicked residents, who scrambled to get their belongings into cars and then grew angry as they sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic hours after the evacuation order was given. Raj Gill, managing a Shell station where anxious motorists got gas and snacks, said his boss told him to close the station and flee himself. But he stayed open to feed a steady line of customers. 'You can't even move,' he said. 'I'm trying to get out of here too. I'm worried about the flooding. I've seen the pictures - that's a lot of water.' A Red Cross spokeswoman said more than 500 people showed up at an evacuation center in Chico, California. The shelter ran out of blankets and cots, and a tractor-trailer with 1,000 more cots was stuck in the gridlock of traffic fleeing the potential flooding Sunday night, Red Cross shelter manager Pam Deditch said. On Monday it was revealed officials were warned about the main spillway's fragility 12 years ago but ignored concerns. Environmental groups predicted that the main spillway could erode under heavy rainfall and flagged their fears to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2003, requesting updates and improvements to the dam spillways. Evacuation: Almost 200,000 people were ordered to leave the towns downhill of the Oroville Dam on Sunday as heavy rainfall left it at risk of bursting but the order was lifted on Tuesday afternoon The Feather River which is at the foot of the dam flowed with force on Tuesday as it resisted floods Water continued to swamp towns at the foot of the dam including Oroville (above) which thousands of residents fled on Sunday. Officials say they can go home now but should remain alert to any changes Public toilets at Riverbend Park in Oroville were swamped on Tuesday while engineers battled to fix the problem at its source - the dam towering 700ft above the town Riverbend Park in Oroville where thousands fled in fear that an emergency spillway at its dam may give way and swamp the town The town was deserted after an emergency evacuation was issued on Sunday giving residents an hour to flee before the emergency spillway gave way The effect of the rising waters in the lake were seen in towns some 50 miles away including Marysville (above) where an entire graveyard was flooded The improvements were never made because water agencies which would have had to pay for them deemed them unnecessary. Infrastructure improvements earmarked across the state in January this year didn't include the Oroville Dam either. The $100billion list was made by the governor's office and included plans for the Folsom Dam but made no mention of Oroville. On October 17, 2006, three environmental groups - the Friends of the River, the Sierra Club and the South Yuba Citizens League - filed a motion with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the government to fully reinforce the dam's emergency spillways with concrete, according to The Mercury News. In the face of heavy rainfall, the groups said, the earthen spillways might begin to collapse and erode, leading to the river downhill being inundated with water - as happened over the weekend. Worse, they said, there was a serious risk of 'loss of crest control' - that is, the lip of the dam might fail, resulting in a massive and dangerous surge that would 'cause damages and threaten lives in the protected floodplain downstream'. Four-year-old Emma Neurohr or Oroville is one of nearly 200,000 people who have been evacuated in fear the crumbling emergency spillway may give way. She is taking shelter at the Salvation Army relief center in Placer County Fairgrounds Displaced children pick up supplies of soap and toys at the center in Placer County. They have been told they can go home but that the situation may change Female inmates from Roseville Jail help deliver donated food and blankets to the Salvation Army relief center at Placer County Fairgrounds Shelter:Steve Allen and Alicia Castro are at Placer County Fairgrounds (above) before the evacuation order was lifted Among evacuees is Katherine Boeger Knight and her daughter Amethyst, five, who entertained themselves at a refuge in Chico, California, with cards on Monday night Run: Kenneth Huskey, 70, packed up his home to flee Oroville along with other residents. He fled to Silver Dollar Fairgrounds Sharing: At the Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple in Sacramento, Amarjit Singh dishes out french fries to the Lyon family who were forced to flee their home in Yuba City Waiting it out: Evacuees were at first told they could remain in shelters for weeks but the evacuation order was lifted suddenly on Tuesday A woman entertains her baby in Bangor Community Hall as they wait with other evacuees for news about their homes Sharon Dalton completes a crossword under a table in Bangor Community Hall in Bangor, California, on Monday Residents described how they fled in 'pure chaos' after being told by water agencies they had just an hour before the emergency spillway gave way on Sunday In Chico, California, brothers Jesus and Omar Rojo drop off their pregnant ewes at an animal evacuation center on Monday The California Department of Water Resources issued an evacuation order on Sunday after claiming for days that the situation was safe The California Guard sent 25 soldiers to help Butte County Sheriff's Office where thousands have been displaced THE STORMS THREATENING TO OVERFLOW THE LAKE A pair of storms which will bring more rain to the area this week is piling more pressure on to emergency workers to drain the lake. The first storm will begin on Wednesday afternoon and could see between 1 and 3 inches of rain. The worry is they will pour more water from surrounding rivers into the lake, causing it to rise again past its 901ft maximum capacity. National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Clapp told DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning of the risks. 'We could get another one to three inches, in the mountains. It's not a huge amount but the grounds are already saturated which means it'll all come down in to the lake.' Snow levels are however dropping which is good news for the lake. It means the rain may in fact come down as snow closer to the danger zone, giving workers more time to drain the water before it melts and makes its way downstream. Their biggest worry is a 'really big, strong' storm set to hit on Friday which could increase the total rainfall for the week to eight inches. 'If they havent found something really good to do by Friday, things are going to go downhill further. That could be a really strong storm, not just lots of rain but lots of wind, too,' National Weather Service meteorologist Brandt Maxwell told USA Today. Below, a weather map shows the patches of rain set to hit the region on Wednesday last until Friday when the rain will become stronger. Advertisement But the Department of Water Resources, and the agencies in the line to foot the bill - told the FERC that the spillways could handle 350,000 cubic feet of water per second and there was no danger. 'The emergency spillway meets FERC's engineering guidelines for an emergency spillway,' wrote John Onderdonk, a senior civil engineer with FERC, in 2006. 'The guidelines specify that during a rare flood event, it is acceptable for the emergency spillway to sustain significant damage.' Despite that, the weekend saw the earthen spillways being eroded with flows of just 6,000-12,000 cubic feet per second - less than five percent of FERC's supposed safe rate. State officials said in 2008 no 'significant concerns' about the spillway's integrity had been raised in any government or independent review. This is the potential worst case scenario for what could happen if the waters are not controlled and the dam breaks. It would take about 12 hours for the water to reach Yuba City more than 40 miles away, following the path of the Feather River Also on Monday, it emerged that California Governor Jerry Brown had overlooked the Oroville Dam in the $100 billion list of 'key' infrastructure projects filed this month. The list, generated at the request of the National Governor's Association after Donald Trump called for $1 trillion of infrastructure investment, is a 'wish list' of projects for Brown, CNBC reported. But while the list mentions the Folsom Dam, some 60 miles south of Oroville, as well as flood control in Sacramento, 66 miles away, there is no mention of Oroville Dam itself. Instead, most of the suggested upgrades in the three-page document are related to transportation, such as highways, bridges and railroads. Projects to reduce flooding risk in Marysville, 30 miles south of Orosville and 50 miles from the dam, are mentioned, as are other levee and dam plans. All are placed below a proposed high-speed rail track between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the list - although the governor's office says that the order of the list does not represent how important the projects are. It added that the list was 'an initial list of projects. By no means does it represent all of the state's priorities.' Brown later said that he was not aware of the 2006 report or the concerns raised about the dam. Workers have sufficiently repaired the damage on the eroded emergency spillway so that it will hold if the main spillway needs to be used. They have been bringing rocks to work sites on the dam in helicopters Race against time: Engineers frantically brought rocks to the site to beef back up the emergency spillway which is now strong enough to be used Engineers brought rocks to the top of the dam on Monday to lower patch up the damaged earthy emergency spillway State superintendent of public instruction Tom Torlakson told administrators in the district that they could apply for aid for the periods that they were shut down. He said schools should not suffer 'for putting the safety of our students first based on these unprecedented flood dangers.' In Butte County, where the Oroville Dam is located, 13 of 15 school districts were closed. The county has about 31,000 total public school students. California appears to have been particularly caught off guard by the recent rainfall, which has seen flooding in the north of the state, near where Oroville is located, and heavy storms in the south. That's because it has been in a state of so-called 'permanent drought' for five years - a drought that only ended with rain and snowfall in December. That rainfall continues to hit the state in waves - and so concerns remain high about the short-term prospects for the dam. Despite the wet weather, however, the state has extended its water bands until May, although those bans continue to vary from area to area. Water was allowed to flow back down the main waterway on Friday, February 10 (above) as levels in the reservoir continued to rise. By Sunday, it began eroding the emergency spillway the left of the dam and threatened to hop over the dam entirely and pour down into the towns at its foot Water flow on the main spillway was halted last week as agencies investigated a huge hole which had formed (above) The hole was caused my years of erosion which some environmental groups predicted in 2003. The flow of water on the main spillway was halted last week for agencies to investigate it Chico Councilman Andrew Coolidge says the seven shelters he visited are packed with residents who describe similar terror on jam-packed roads to safety. While most fled, some had no choice but to remain behind. The chief executive of the Oroville Hospital says it is operating normally but that 100 patients have been moved to the hospital's second floor. Hospital CEO Robert Wentz says the hospital took the step Monday morning 'out of an abundance of caution.' The hospital is outside the flood zone below the dam on Oroville Lake and sits on a hill. Wentz says evacuating acutely ill people is difficult so it is usually better for them to stay where they are. He says patients will not go back to the hospital's first floor until authorities tell the hospital it is safe to do so. Overnight, state and local officials said the immediate danger had passed with water no longer flowing over the eroded spillway but they cautioned that the situation remained unpredictable. 'Once you have damage to a structure like that it's catastrophic,' acting Water Resources director Bill Croyle told reporters. But he stressed 'the integrity of the dam is not impacted' by the damaged spillway. A California Highway Patrol spokesman said two planes would fly on Monday to help with traffic control and possible search-and-rescue missions. At least 250 California law enforcement officers were posted near the dam and along evacuation routes to manage the exodus and ensure evacuated towns don't become targets for looting or other criminal activity. Tuesday marked the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore to the Japanese in World War Two, which saw the horrific prisoner of war camp at Changi established. On February 15, 1942, Japanese forces captured the then British stronghold of Singapore after days of fighting forced Allied forces to surrender. Australian soldiers were taken to the Changi camp as prisoners of war and subjected to mistreatment and brutality which left them malnourished - and many of them dead. The brutal conditions Australians were forced to endure while taken prisoner were documented in a series of haunting sketches and paintings. A drawing from Australian war artist Murray Griffin documenting prisoners of war in Changi A drawing showing prisoners of war lining up to receive their food rations A total of 22,000 Australians were taken prisoner by the Japanese and 8000 never came home. The haunting images of Australian suffering at Changi were created by war artist Murray Griffin, who himself was as a prisoner of war. The sketches and paintings were done while Griffin was inside the Changi prison camp. One of the drawings shows emaciated men who had just returned from building the Burma-Thailand railway. Prisoners of war taking a shower at Changi A drawing of prisoners of war who had formed a working party at Changi Other works in the series deal with camp life and the brutality of forced labour. 'It would be terrible if we who knew the horrors that modern warfare brought...did not record them,' Griffin said. Griffin did not return to Australia until October 1945, a month after Changi was liberated by Indian troops. A Muslim youth leader who clashed with Jacqui Lambie over Sharia law on ABC program Q&A has hit back, saying the rules are 'all about fairness and equality'. Yassmin Abdel-Magied got into a firey exchange with the Tasmanian senator on Monday night after she called for all followers to be deported. In her video, Ms Abdel-Magied accuses people of debating the belief system without understanding it, while repeating her earlier claims Islam is a feminist religion. Yassmin Abdel-Magied, a Muslim youth worker, has released a video explaining her take on Sharia law after getting into a firey debate with Jacqui Lambie Ms Abdel-Magied attempts to draw a line between religion and culture, claiming while many Muslim countries do oppress their citizens and deny women basic rights, that is not the fault of Sharia. 'Saudi Arabia does not allow women to drive. No other Islamic country has that law. It's cultural and reflects the conservative and patriarchal nature of that society, not what Sharia stands for,' she says. Ms Abdel-Magied also contests the notion Sharia represents an alternative legal system, saying Muslims are religiously bound to obey the laws of the country they are in. Sharia mostly governs private actions of Muslims and their relationship with God, rather than the laws of the society they live in, Ms Abdel-Magied says. She also repeats her claim from Q&A that Islam was a feminist religion, saying that Muslim women were allowed to own property and refuse their husband's name before colonialists from Britain and Holland adapted the rules. Ms Magied concludes by saying in her view Sharia is about equality, and 'Jacqui [Lambie] has nothing to worry about.' It comes after Senator Lambie also released a video explaining her views on Sharia law in which she branded it as 'an anti-democratic cancer'. Ms Abdel-Magied claims that Islam is a feminist religion and that Sharia promotes 'justice and equality' after Ms Lambie claimed it was 'an anti-democratic cancer' She goes on to single out aspects of Sharia law that she disagrees with, including the death penalty for homosexuals and for 'women who are unfaithful to their husbands.' The independent senator also claims that 'Sharia law denies the right of Jewish people to live in peace in Israel.' She concludes by saying: 'Acceptance of Sharia law is a clear sign of a divided loyalty. 'You are loyal to some religious leader in the Middle East and his ruling, not to the Australian constitution, and our democratic system of government.' Elsewhere today, activists are demanding ABC apologise for allowing Ms Lambie a platform for 'Islamophobia' during her Q&A appearance. Lawyer Azmeena Hussain and writer Sara Saleh, along with a group of 49 Muslim activists and community leaders, started a petition which accuses ABC of handling the debate poorly. The pair have been butting heads ever since a firey exchange on Q&A in which Ms Lambie called for supporters of Sharia law to be deported Muslim activists including writer Sara Saleh (left) and lawyer Asmeena Hussain (right with Malcolm Turnbull) have launched a petition branding Ms Lambie's comments 'racist' They say Ms Lambie used language which was 'racist, Islamophobic and crude' and could inspire people to carry out attacks against Muslims. During the debate Ms Lambie argued that supporters of Sharia law ought to be deported, sparking a furious clash in which Ms Abdel-Magied 'My frustration is that people talk about Islam without knowing anything about it,' Md Abdel-Magied said. 'Islam to me, is the most feminist religion... we got rights well before the Europeans, we don't take our husbands last names because we ain't their property... the fact is, what is culture is separate to what is faith.' But Ms Lambie interjected, shouting out: 'The fact is we have one law in this country and it is the Australian law. It is not Sharia Law. Not in this country, not in my day.' Ms Lambie went on to defend Donald Trump's controversial travel ban, saying that he had 'every right' to do whatever it took to keep 'the majority of America feel safe.' 'Stop playing the victim, we've had enough,' she directed towards Ms Abdel-Magied. 'Your ban got lifted get over it.' An 11-year-old girl who was one of two children shot in the head in Chicago at the weekend has died in hospital in her mother's arms. Takiya Holmes died on Tuesday morning after her family took the girl off life support. She had not regained consciousness since she was shot on Saturday evening in Chicago's Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood. Takiya Holmes, 11, died in Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital on Tuesday morning after she was shot on Saturday night Relatives of the little girl said she 'passed away in her mother's arms' at Comer Children's Hospital. 'She's going to be a donor. They made the decision to give her organs...That's the kind of person Takiya was,' Takiya's grandmother Patricia Holmes told ABC7. Takiya was shot at about 7.40pm on Saturday as she sat in the backseat of her mother's minivan with her younger brother. Her mother pulled up to a dry cleaners where she works to talk to a colleague. As soon as the woman put the car into park, shots rang out. When the bullets stopped, the stunned mother turned to find her daughter unresponsive. Relatives of the little girl said she 'passed away in her mother's arms' and the family will now donate her organs Takiya was shot on Saturday night while she was sitting in the back seat of her mother's SUV outside of this dry cleaners with her younger brother Just 25 minutes beforehand, 12-year-old Kanari Bowers was also shot in a separate incident four miles away in the city's West Englewood neighborhood. Kanari remains in a critical condition at Stroger Hospital. She had been playing with friends in a playground at Henderson Elementary School when she was shot in the head. Cops say the girls were not the intended targets. Kanari Gentry Bowers, 12, was critically wounded by a gunshot to the head in separate incident on Saturday night just 4 miles away. She remains in a critical condition in hospital The former president of the Sydney Rebels bikie has vanished in Sydney just months after surviving an alleged pizza delivery assassination plot for deserting the gang. The wife of Ricky Ciano has posted a desperate Facebook plea seeking the whereabouts of her husband after he was last seen in Penrith, in western Sydney, on Saturday where he was supposed to be visiting his daughter. The 35-year-old left the gang when he moved to the Gold Coast in 2015 for a 'lifestyle change' and after surviving an attempt on his life outside his Central Coast home, according to Sydney Morning Herald. Abuzar Sultani, a former Burwood Rebels member, had allegedly been offered $500,000 to kill him in a staged pizza delivery soon after he left the gang. Former Sydney Rebels bikie president Ricky Ciano, 35, has been missing since Saturday His wife has been calling out for information on Mr Ciano's whereabouts using his Facebook account (the married couple are pictured together) Family are desperately seeking information on Mr Ciano's whereabouts over social media. 'If anyone has seen or spoken to Ricky in the past two days please contact his family ASAP,' his wife wrote using Mr Ciano's Facebook account. She pleaded for help again the following day on Tuesday. 'Ricky has been missing since Saturday. If anyone has seen or heard from him please urgently contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. 'Any information is valuable, big or small, and you can choose to remain anonymous. Thank you.' 'If anyone has seen or spoken to Ricky in the past two days please contact his family ASAP,' his wife wrote using Mr Ciano's Facebook account Mr Ciano reportedly left the gang in 2015 when he moved from Sydney to the Gold Coast for a lifestyle change A Missing Person page has been set up on Facebook for Mr Ciano. NSW Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia Mr Ciano was reported missing on Monday when he could not be contacted. The 35-year-old was last heard when he spoke to his wife about 8.20pm on Saturday. 'His family and police have serious concerns for his welfare,' a police spokesman said. Mr Ciano survived an alleged hit at his Central Coast home in 2015 after leaving the bikie gang. Abuzar Sultani, a former Burwood Rebels member, had allegedly been offered $500,000 to kill him in a staged pizza delivery. But when Sultani allegedly appeared at the home, Mr Ciano didn't open the door. Soon after, police stopped a van linked to the alleged plot and found weapons inside. A Missing Person page has been set up on Facebook for Mr Ciano Mr Ciano moved to the Gold Coast for a new lifestyle. He is pictured with his wife His wife has been desperately seeking information on his whereabouts with fears for his safety (Mr Ciano is pictured with his wife) A statement tendered in court says highway patrol officers allegedly found ballistic vests, ballistic resistant face masks, two sawn-off shot guns, an automated firearm with a silencer, two revolvers and a balaclava. Police allege Sultani's DNA was found on a plastic water bottle in the van, which members of Sultani's group allegedly conspired to steal back to reclaim the firearms. Mr Sultani is in custody charged with conspiracy to murder. Separately, he is also charged over the alleged murder of Pasquale Barbaro alongside other alleged gang members. Anyone with information about Mr Ciano's whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. North Korea has tried to block an autopsy of Kim Jong-Un's assassinated half-brother after ordering Malaysia to hand over his body, it emerged today. Kim Jong-Nam was reportedly killed by two female Pyongyang operatives who grabbed him from behind and poisoned him at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. Stooges from Kim Jong-Un's North Korean embassy were seen in a car with blacked-out windows outside the city morgue where his body was taken - and waited there so long they eventually ordered a KFC meal, it has been claimed. Officials including North Korea's ambassador, Kang Chol, spent hours failing to convince Malaysian authorities to hand over the body and their demands to stop the autopsy being performed were also ignored. Police probing the death this morning arrested a woman posing as a Vietnamese national calling herself Doan Thi Huong. They swooped after recognising her from CCTV footage from the airport of a woman in a white shirt with LOL written on the front. She is believed to be a North Korean spy. But police are still hunting a 'few' other foreign suspects over the Cold War-style poison attack on Jong-nam on Monday morning, it has emerged. Scroll down for video Grainy pictures released by Malaysian media claim to show a suspect in a white shirt with LOL printed on the front standing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport waiting for a taxi A North Korea embassy official sits inside his car beside armed police outside a morgue at Kuala Lumpur General Hospital where Kim Jong-nam's body was taken North Korea has tried to block an autopsy of Kim Jong-Un's (right) assassinated half-brother Kim Jong-Nam (left) - and ordered Malaysia to hand over his body, it has emerged CCTV images have emerged of a woman suspected to be a female assassin sent by Kim Jong-un to murder his playboy half brother The mystery woman captured on CCTV, with shoulder-length hair, was heavily made up, wearing a handbag with a long strap over her left shoulder Kim Jong-nam (pictured), the 45-year-old oldest son of Kim Jong-il, has been killed in Malaysia, according to reports in the country Grainy pictures purportedly show the woman standing at the terminal waiting for a taxi. Earlier reports suggested Jong-nam was targeted by two suspected female North Korean operatives who apparently attacked him from behind with poison spray. The 46-year-old, who had branded his younger brother's regime a 'joke', was allegedly poisoned while waiting for a flight and died on his way to hospital. There were claims he had been attacked by two women suspected North Korean agents who sprayed a toxic chemical in his face. The assassination, which came as North Korea readied to celebrate the birthday this week of the two men's father, illustrates the 'brutal and inhumane' nature of the Pyongyang regime led by Kim Jong-Un, Seoul said. The head of the NIS, the South Korean equivalent of the CIA, told parliament today that North Korea had been plotting to kill Kim since at least 2012 and that Kim Jong-un was paranoid about his half-brother. He said: 'After Kim Jong-un came to power, he gave a standing order that Kim Jong-nam had to be taken care of, at all costs.' And there were reports today that the North may have acted now amid fears Jong-Nam was plotting to defect to the South having served, in the 2000s, as a middleman between disgraced current South Korean President Park Geun-hye and officials in Pyongyang. Some reports have suggested the assassins held a cloth doused in chemicals in his face and burned his eyes, or stabbed him with a poisoned needle. US sources said a fountain pen may have been used to spray the poison. This morning it was reported that the taxi driver who transported the women away from the airport has been arrested. He is said to have told police that one of the women was Vietnamese. Malaysian police have arrested a woman with a Vietnamese passport in the name of Doan Thi Huong born on May 31, 1988 having identified her from the CCTV footage Media journalists scuffle with a police officer as they try to interview a North Korea official at the morgue at Kuala Lumpur General Hospital where Kim Jong Nam's body is held for autopsy North Korean Ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol's car leaves the forensic department at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today Kang Chol could be seen inside the mortuary of the city's Forensic Department today. North Korea has ordered Malaysia to hand over the body A diplomatic vehicle leaves the North Korean Embassy as members of the media crowd near the building's main entrance, in Kuala Lumpur A North Korean flag flies over the state's embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today JONG-NAM 'PLEADED FOR HIS LIFE TO BE SPARED' The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un pleaded for his life to be spared after a failed assassination bid in 2012, lawmakers briefed by Seoul's spy chief said today. Jong-Nam, the eldest son of the late former leader Kim Jong-Il, was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched bid in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland. He has since lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau, while Jong-Un took over the isolated, nuclear-armed state after the death of his father in December 2011. The North in 2012 tried to assassinate Jong-Nam - known to be a supporter of reform in Pyongyang - Seoul lawmakers said following a closed-door briefing by the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Lee Byung-Ho. The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un pleaded for his life to be spared after a failed assassination bid in 2012, lawmakers briefed by Seoul's spy chief said today 'According to (Lee)... there was one (assassination) bid in 2012, and Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying 'Please spare me and my family,'' Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. 'It also said "We have nowhere to go... we know that the only way to escape is suicide",' he said, adding Jong-Nam had little political support at home and posed little threat to Jong-Un. Jong-Nam's family - his former and current wives and three children - are currently living in Beijing and Macau, said another committee member, Lee Cheol-Woo. 'They are under the protection by the Chinese authorities,' he said, adding Jong-Nam had entered Malaysia on February 6, a week before his death. Jong-Nam's murder is the highest-profile death under the Kim Jong-Un's regime since the execution of the leader's uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. Jang, known to be close to China and an advocate of economic reform in the North, was charged with treason. Jong-Nam, believed to have ties with Beijing's elite, was a relatively outspoken figure, publicly criticising Pyongyang's political system. The 45-year-old said he 'personally opposed' the hereditary power transfer in his own family, during an interview with Japan's Asahi TV in 2010. One of his sons - Han-Sol - also described his uncle, Jong-Un, as a 'dictator' in a rare interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012 while he was studying in Europe. Advertisement The mystery woman captured on CCTV, with shoulder-length hair, was heavily made up, wearing a handbag with a long strap over her left shoulder. The image, released by the Malay Mail is believed to have been taken outside a secondary terminal at Kuala Lumpur International Airport from which regional flights come and go. The apparent hit follows previous botched attempts to kill Jong-nam, 45, who was estranged from his 33-year-old brother and regarded as a potential threat to his leadership. It also comes days after international condemnation of North Korea's latest missile test. The playboy half-brother of Kim Jong-Un (pictured, centre) was killed by two female assassins with poisoned needles at an airport in Malaysia, it has been claimed Kim Jong-nam (right as a boy), the oldest son of former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il (left), died on his way to hospital after collapsing at Kuala Lumpur airport Kim Jong-nam is the son of Kim Jong-il's first mistress Song Hye-rim (pictured) Pictures show the information desk at Kuala Lumpur International Airport close to the spot where Kim Jong-Nam was poisoned Royal Malaysian Police stated that a 46-year-old North Korean named Kim Chol died the previous day on his way to a hospital The agents are said to have attacked Jong-nam on Monday after taking advantage of a security loophole between his bodyguards and local police, which left him momentarily unguarded at Kuala Lumpur airport. 'The deceased ... felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind ... he felt dizzy,' Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat said. 'So far there are no suspects, but we have started investigations and are looking at a few possibilities to get leads.' He said a post-mortem examination would be carried out, adding: 'We don't know if there was a cloth or needles.' UNANSWERED QUESTIONS IN DEATH OF PYONGYANG ROYALTY It looks like a perfectly staged assassination, straight out of the pages of a spy novel: North Korean royalty Kim Jong Nam, the estranged, exiled half-brother of leader Kim Jong Un, falls ill at a Malaysian airport, complains of being sprayed with some sort of chemical, and drops dead. But, as with many things about the alleged motives of cloistered North Korea, the unknowns currently far outweigh the certainties. A look at what officials are trying to piece together as they work to reconstruct one of the most audacious, mysterious assassinations in recent Asian history: WHY NOW? This is the big one: Motive. Kim Jong Nam, a jovial, overweight gambler and playboy, had embarrassed Pyongyang before - he tried to sneak into Tokyo Disney; he criticized his half-brother - but he's been generally seen more as an annoyance than an existential threat to North Korea's stability. CCTV images emerged of a woman suspected of being one of the assassins waiting for a taxi at an airport in Malaysia Kim told medical workers that he'd been sprayed with a chemical, which brings to mind past attacks with poison-tipped pens linked to North Korean assassins. The medical clinic he was rushed to is pictured Why would Kim Jong Un go through the massive logistical trouble - and potential embarrassment - of staging the risky assassination of a blood relation on foreign soil? Without elaborating, South Korea's spy service told lawmakers Wednesday that the North had been trying to kill Kim Jong Nam for five years. Spy officials offered a single, shaky motive for the death: Kim Jong Un's "paranoia" over his estranged brother. But the South's National Intelligence Service has a long history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the North's leadership as mentally unstable. Some in Seoul wonder if Kim Jong Un might have become enraged when a South Korean newspaper reported last week that Kim Jong Nam tried to defect to the South in 2012. South Korea's spy service denied this, but it's still an open question: Could public speculation that a member of the exalted Kim dynasty wanted to flee to the hated South have pushed Kim Jong Un to order his brother's assassination? WHY THE AIRPORT IN MALAYSIA? There would seem to be easier, less public places to kill such a high-profile target. A possible explanation might be found in another nugget provided by South Korea's spy agency: China had long protected Kim Jong Nam and his family in their home base of Macau. Analysts have seen Beijing as looking to Kim Jong Nam as a potential leader should North Korea's regime collapse. With security, presumably overseen by China, tight in Macau, could there have been a security gap in Malaysia that offered North Korean assassins an opportunity they couldn't have gotten elsewhere? South Korea's spy agency says two women believed to be North Korean agents attacked Kim. Pictures show the forensic department where Jong-nam's body is being examined WHO ARE THE MYSTERY WOMEN? The details of the attack itself are a tangled mess as of now. Kim told medical workers that he'd been sprayed with a chemical, which brings to mind past attacks with poison-tipped pens linked to North Korean assassins. South Korea's spy agency says two women believed to be North Korean agents attacked Kim. They then reportedly fled. Japanese media quoted the government in Tokyo as saying those women may now be dead. None of this has been confirmed yet. Still, finding out who these women are and who hired them could go a long way to unlocking the mystery. WHAT NEXT? North Korea has said nothing officially about the death, but that's not unusual. The country's propaganda specialists are masters at reporting only details that lionize the Kim family as paragons of virtue. This clearly doesn't do that. China may be angry at the killing of a close North Korean contact, so there could be some sort of reaction, possibly back-channel, from Beijing. But a more concrete punishment could come from Washington. Cheong Seong-Chang, a South Korean analyst, said the assassination might convince the U.S. Congress to relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, further isolating the already widely shunned country. Advertisement North Korean government officials are said to have demanded the body, but Malaysian police say a local post-mortem examination must be carried out first. There is heavy security at Putrajaya Hospital today where witnesses say they saw a mortuary vehicle being escorted by up to four police cars just before 9am today. More than a hundred journalists outside have been denied access and are having their questions ignored, it has been reported. However, it has been confirmed that the body is going to be moved for autopsy, which will take place in heavy security at the large Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL). An unnamed hospital staff member at Putrajaya is quoted as saying: 'Specialists said that Putrajaya Hospital is not adapted for an autopsy and that Kim Jong-nam's body is being moved to HKL, which is more spacious and has better facilities.' Witnesses said they saw three vehicles from the North Korean embassy at HKL. Local police chief Abu Samah Mat said Jong-nam went to the airport clinic complaining that he had been sprayed with a liquid, and died on his way to Putrajaya Hospital south of the capital. South Korean media released a recreation of how it believed the assassination unfolded on Monday Reports, citing multiple government sources, said two women hailed a cab and fled immediately after Jong-nam fell sick Hospital security personnel block the entrance of the Forensic department at the hospital, in Putrajaya. Kim Jong-Nam died en route to hospital from a Kuala Lumpur airport Malaysian journalists gather outside the Forensics department at Putrajaya Hospital in Putrajaya, where the body of Kim Jong-Nam is believed to be kept In Pyongyang, celebrations had begun for Thursday's anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong-Il, Jong-Nam's father, with no mention of the killing. Around 3,000 uniformed government officials and women in traditional dresses gathered for an ice skating gala featuring North Korean and foreign skaters. Banners proclaiming 'peace', 'independence' and 'friendship' hung in the venue. Would-be North Korean assassins have been caught with poisoned needles in the past which can be hidden inside pens and an anonymous US official said a similar device could not be ruled out. South Korea's foreign ministry could not confirm the allegations last night, and several previous reports of executions involving supposed enemies of the North Korean state have proved unreliable. Jong-nam was the eldest son of former leader Kim Jong-il from his affair with South Korean-born actress Song Hye-rim. He was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour after an embarrassing failed attempt in 2001 to visit Tokyo Disneyland on a forged passport. Jong-nam has since lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau, as well as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and France. KIM JONG-NAM'S 'KEY' ROLE IN NORTH KOREAN DYNASTY A failed attempt to sneak into Japan to visit Disneyland in 2001 may have doomed the leadership dreams of the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, who was assassinated this week in an airport in Malaysia. Banished from his dictator father's favour, the exiled Kim Jong Nam frequented casinos, five-star hotels and travelled around Asia, with little say in North Korean affairs. That ended on Monday when he was killed in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Officials in South Korea say they believe the attack was carried out by North Korean agents. Despite multiple reported assassination attempts over the years, Kim Jong Nam was still a member of the most important family in North Korea, a direct blood descendent of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. Estranged for years from his relatives, the 45-year-old gambler and playboy played a key, if complicated role in the dynasty that has ruled for three generations since North Korea's foundation in 1948. Here's a look: PARENTS Kim Jong Nam is the eldest son of Kim Jong Il, the second member of the Kim family to rule North Korea. Kim Jong Il had three known sons with two different women. Jong Nam was born from his father's unofficial relationship with North Korean actress Sung Hae Rim. Kim Jong Nam is the eldest son of Kim Jong Il, the second member of the Kim family to rule North Korea Kim Jong Il forced Sung to divorce her first husband and live with him, but Kim Il Sung - the first leader of North Korea and Kim Jong Il's father - never accepted Sung as his daughter-in-law. Kim Jong Il reportedly kept Kim Jong Nam's 1971 birth a secret from his father for several years. Sung was reportedly forced to leave North Korea and died in Moscow in 2002. Despite his mother's exile, some foreign experts believed that Kim Jong Nam would end up inheriting power because of a traditional Korean value system that favors the eldest son as heir. Unlike his mother, Kim Jong Nam eventually won the affection of his grandfather, who died in 1994, according to South Korean media reports. BROTHERS AND SISTERS Kim Jong Nam's two younger brothers share a mother: Kim Jong Il's Japan-born mistress, the dancer Ko Yong Hui. Ko's links to Japan, which colonized the Korean Peninsula in the early part of the 20th century, led some to believe that Kim Jong Nam would outpace his siblings in the succession race. Ko immigrated to North Korea in the 1960s from Japan, where she had lived among the ethnic Korean minority. She died in Paris in 2004. Kim Jong Un eventually won the succession race and became the North's supreme leader in late 2011 upon the death of his father. Believed to be in his early 30s, Kim Jong Un has carried out a series of high-profile executions and purges, and outside experts say few can now challenge his rule. Kim Jong Un (pictured) eventually won the succession race and became the North's supreme leader in late 2011 upon the death of his father Kim Jong Nam's other half-brother, Kim Jong Chol, was once viewed by some outsiders as a potential candidate for leader. But a former sushi chef of Kim Jong Il said the late leader derided the middle son, known as a huge fan of rock guitarist Eric Clapton, as 'girlish.' The brothers also had at least two known sisters. One is Kim Yo Jong, who shares a mother with Kim Jong Un and who is currently working as a top propaganda official. Another sister, Kim Sol Song, was born from Kim Jong Il's relationship with another woman, Kim Yong Sok. There has been little information about Kim Sol Song, but unconfirmed rumors in the South say she is being detained. AUNT AND UNCLE Kim Jong Nam's aunt, Kim Kyong Hui, is Kim Jong Il's younger sister. She was reportedly behind the expulsion of Kim Jong Nam's mother to the then Soviet Union in the 1970s. Kim Kyong Hui and her husband Jang Song Thaek then acted as Kim Jong Nam's caretaker. Kim Jong Nam's aunt, Kim Kyong Hui (front, centre), is Kim Jong Il's younger sister But Jong Nam gradually lost favor with his father. He reportedly spent too much money at a Pyongyang hotel and made wild shopping excursions to China. When he was detained in Tokyo for trying to enter the country with a fake Dominican passport, he sported a diamond-encrusted Rolex watch and carried wads of cash. Kim Kyong Hui and Jang were believed to have played a major role in grooming Kim Jong Un as the next leader. After Kim Jong Un took power, the two initially enjoyed great power. Jang was seen as the country's No.2 until he was stripped of all posts and executed in a sudden purge for alleged treason in 2013. Kim Kyong Hui, who was reportedly seriously ill, disappeared from the public eye. Advertisement Malaysia is one of the only countries North Koreans can visit without a visa although Jong-nam was using a passport with a false name for the flight back to Macau. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a 46-year-old North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang. 'Investigation is in progress and a post mortem examination request has been made to ascertain the cause of death,' the statement said. Ken Gause, at the CNA think tank in Washington who has studied North Korea's leadership for 30 years, said Kim Chol was a name that Kim Jong Nam has traveled under. He is believed to have been born May 10, 1971, although birthdays are always unclear for senior North Koreans, Gause said. It was claimed Jong-Nam funded a lavish lifestyle thanks to benefits from building projects set up by his uncle Jang Song-thaek, who has since been executed by the regime. After Jong-nam's brother became North Korean leader following the death of their father in December 2011, the exile told a Japanese newspaper that the new regime was 'a joke to the outside world'. Former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il (bottom left) poses with his first-born son Kim Jong Nam (bottom right), in this 1981 family photo in Pyongyang, North Korea He added: 'The Kim Jong-un regime will not last long. Without reforms, North Korea will collapse.' He also claimed he opposed the hereditary transition of power. Cheong Seong-jang, a researcher at Seoul's Sejong Institute think-tank, said it was possible Jong-nam had been assassinated for damaging his brother's authority. He added that the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's intelligence agency, had been 'closely watching' Jong-nam. Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Dongguk University in Seoul, said Jong-nam had occasionally been the subject of speculation that he could replace his brother. 'Loyalists may have wanted to get rid of him,' he added. North Korean spies reportedly attempted to kill Jong-nam in Macau in 2011, resulting in a bloody shoot-out with his bodyguards. Kim's killing is thought to be the highest-profile death under the Jong-Un regime since the execution of the leader's uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. Jong-Un has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his country's nuclear and missile programmes, and regular reports have emerged on purges and executions. Jong-Nam, known as an advocate of reform in the North, once told Japanese reporters that he opposed his country's dynastic system. 'LITTLE GENERAL' WHO FELL OUT OF FAVOUR WITH PYONGYANG They used to call him the 'Little General' but Kim Jong-Nam - once heir-apparent to his father and North Korea's then-leader Kim Jong-Il - fell from grace in 2001 after a spectacular blunder. On Tuesday, after more than a decade in exile from the North, Jong-Nam - the 45-year-old half-brother of current leader Kim Jong-Un - was widely reported by South Korean media to have been assassinated in Malaysia. Born from his father's relationship with actress Sung Hae-rim, Jong-Nam is known to have been a computer enthusiast, a fluent Japanese speaker and a student in both Russia and Switzerland. He lived in Pyongyang after finishing his overseas studies and was put in charge of overseeing North Korea's information technology policy. But the chubby eldest son of the supreme leader was already seen by Seoul experts as something of a political lightweight when in 2001 he fell out of favour. Jong-nam (pictured) was reportedly close to his uncle Jang Song-Thaek, once the North's unofficial number two and political mentor of the current leader He was embarrassingly detained at a Tokyo airport, trying to enter Japan to visit Disneyland on a false Dominican Republic passport, accompanied by two women and a child. Jong-Nam and his family afterwards lived in virtual exile in Macau, Singapore and China. Jong-Nam's half-brother Jong-Un took over as North Korean leader when their father died in December 2011. In an email exchange with a Japanese journalist published in 2012, Jong-Nam spoke disparagingly of Jong-Un, saying he lacked 'any sense of duty or seriousness' and warned that bribery and corruption would lead to North Korea's eventual collapse. In another exchange with the same reporter in 2012, Jong-Nam said: 'Anyone with normal thinking would find it difficult to tolerate three generations of hereditary succession.' Kim Jong-Nam was once dubbed the 'Little General', but fell out of favour with his father In October 2012 South Korean prosecutors said a North Korean detained as a spy had admitted involvement in a plot to stage a hit-and-run car accident in China in 2010 targeting Jong-Nam. In 2014 Jong-Nam was reported to be in Indonesia - sighted at an Italian restaurant run by a Japanese businessman in Jakarta - and was said to be shuttling back and forth between Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and France. In 2012 a Moscow newspaper reported that Jong-Nam was having financial problems after being cut off by the Stalinist state for doubting its succession policy. The Argumenty i Fakty weekly said he was kicked out of a luxury hotel in Macau over a $15,000 debt. Jong-Nam's son Kim Han-Sol studied at university in Paris. Back in 2012, when at school in Bosnia, he labelled his uncle Kim Jong-Un a 'dictator' in an interview. 'My dad (Jong-Nam) was not really interested in politics,' Kim told the interviewer when asked why his father was passed over for the dynastic succession in favour of his younger brother. Advertisement In a 2012 interview from his school in Bosnia, a 17-year-old Kim Han-Sol, Jong-Nam's son, said his father had been passed over for succession because he 'was not really interested in politics'. 'I don't really know why he became a dictator,' Kim said of his uncle Kim Jong-Un. 'It was between him and my grandfather.' It emerged Wednesday that Jong-Nam had pleaded with his younger brother for his life to be spared after an earlier assassination attempt. 'Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying "Please spare me and my family,"' Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. 'It also said "We have nowhere to go... we know that the only way to escape is suicide"', he said, after a closed-door briefing by Seoul's spy chief. Cheong Seong-Chang of the independent Sejong Institute in Seoul said the assassination was 'unthinkable without a direct order or approval from Kim Jong-Un himself'. Kim Jong-Nam was once considered heir apparent but fell out of favour with his father Kim Jong-Il following a botched attempt in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland Kim Jong-Nam has since lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau His killing was likely motivated by a recent news report that Kim Jong-Nam had sought to defect to the EU, the US or South Korea as far back as in 2012, he said. Mark Tokola, vice president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington and a former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, said it would be surprising if Kim Jong Nam was not killed on the orders of his brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate Kim Jong Nam in the past. 'It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong Un,' Tokola wrote in a commentary Tuesday. Although there was scant evidence that Kim Jong Nam was plotting against the North Korean leader, he provided an alternative for North Koreans who would want to depose his brother. THE ILLEGITIMATE CHILD OF A DICTATOR AND AN ACTRESS It was a secret affair that was so sensitive it was air-brushed from history in reclusive North Korea. Kim Jong-il, the country's late dictator started a relationship with married actress Song Hye-rim - a star of her time - in the 1960s. He wanted to keep the affair from his father and founder of North Korea's ruling dynasty Kim Il-Sung. But Jong-Il would go on to father a son with the actress in 1971, naming him Kim Jong-nam. Intelligence sources have verified reports of Kim Jong-il's liaisons with Song, Song Hye-rim, who died in exile in Russia in 2002. She was one of the country's first big movie stars, with legions of fans including film buff Kim Jong-il. Another star of the day, celebrated dancer Kim Young-soon - who escaped to South Korea in 2003 - has revealed how she was jailed for 'gossiping' about the affair. Kim Jong-Nam is pictured dressed in an army uniform as a child and posing with his maternal grandmother in January 1975. His mother was famed 1960s actress Song Hye-rim One day, she met Song who said she was moving into a place in Pyongyang called 'special residence number five' - a home reserved for the family of the ruling Kim clan. She knew what it meant. Her friend was to become Kim's wife. In other words, not only was Kim Jong-il forcing a woman six years older to divorce her husband to move in with him but, more riskily, he was rejecting the communist revolutionary his father had chosen for him to produce heirs for the ruling dynasty. Kim Young-soon became a criminal by repeating the story, losing her family, her privileged status and living for decades at the mercy of the North's security apparatus. She had not realised just how far Kim Jong-il would go to keep the relationship secret. Kim Jong-nam (pictured) was the illegitimate son of Kim Jong-Il and 1960s movie star Song Hye-rim In August 1970, Kim Young-soon was interrogated and forced to write her entire life story, including a line in one of the dozens of notebooks she filled about the conversation with Song. She later speculated an informant had tipped off security about the marriage and her written statement confirmed it. She was jailed for nine years and it was not until 10 years after she was released - after Kim Jong-il had apparently lost interest in Song - that she was told by a state security agent why she landed in prison. 'He told me that Song Hye-rim was not Kim Jong-il's wife and to forget what I might have heard about them having a child.' By that time, Kim Jong-il had two other sons with a former dancer named Ko Young-hee, including current dictator Kim Jong-un. 'Once Kim Jong-il took up with his new wife Ko Young-hee, (also known as Ko Yong-hui) they went on to erase any remembrance of Song Hye-rim,' Kim Young-soon said. Kim Jong Nam was quoted as saying in a 2012 book by a Japanese journalist: 'My father was keeping highly secret the fact that he was living with my mother who was married, a famous movie actress, so I couldn't get out of the house or make friends. 'That solitude from childhood may have made me what I am now, preferring freedom.' Advertisement Britain's most violent prisoner proposed to his girlfriend by serenading her with a personalised version of the Frank Sinatra classic My Way. Charles Bronson popped the question to his former Coronation Street actress partner Paula Williamson on Valentine's Day in a telephone call from HMP Wakefield to her home in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He had a diamond cluster ring delivered before asking her 'Do you want to be my missus?'. Britain's 'most violent prisoner' Charles Bronson is said to have proposed to his actress girlfriend Paula Williamson when she visited him at HMP Wakefield, pictured The 36-year-old, from Stoke on Trent, is said to have been in a relationship with the notorious prisoner for five months. She is pictured left and right outside the prison in a revealing red dress According to the Daily Mirror, the 64-year-old sang 'Our Way', altering some of the lyrics, and sang: 'We've lived a crazy life and travelled in and out of darkness. But more, much more than this, we did it our way.' Miss Williamson, 36, who has had relationships with 'both men and women', said the couple were 'so in love' and a 'perfect match'. Bronson's new fiancee told The Mirror: 'I used to think he was a violent thug, but from the moment I read one of his books, I just had to write to him he was the inspiration I have been waiting for all my life. 'We're soulmates and I can't wait to be Mrs Salvador Charlie already calls me his missus and I'm proud to be his.' Miss Williamson also revealed she fell for Bronson after reading the book he wrote about his time in high-security psychiatric hospital Broadmoor, after previously considering him a 'violent thug'. It is believed they exchanged letters while Bronson was engaged to his former partner Lorraine Etherington, secretary of the Charles Bronson Art Foundation which raises money for charity by promoting his drawings. He proposed to her in 2015 but the couple later split and it is believed he did not meet Miss Williamson until after the end of that relationship. It had previously been reported that the 64-year-old, who has numerous convictions for armed robbery, wounding and grievous bodily harm, got down on one knee when she came to see him on Monday, wearing a revealing red dress. Bronson, who has been married twice and engaged three times, is believed to have saved up for the ring despite previously getting 'knock-off versions' for his partners. The notorious prisoner and former bare-knuckle boxer was first jailed in 1974 and has spent a total of 41 years in prison, having had his sentence increased previously for attacking fellow inmates and taking people hostage. The actress has appeared in several British soaps and said they are a 'perfect match' Bronson, pictured, is said to have popped the question during a prison visit at HMP Wakefield Miss Williamson, pictured appearing as a stripper on Emmerdale, said she had been in relationships with 'both men and women' in the past but 'none come close to her love for Charlie' The pair are said to have been together for five months and are 'determined to make the relationship work' despite him being in prison. No one was available for comment when MailOnline visited Ms Williamson's home today, but Mother Hazel Williamson, 78, later explained the family did not wish to discuss the relationship. She said: 'It's not something that I want to talk about. It's not my choosing.' Miss Williamson said she understood her parents were 'really worried' about her but expected them to support her because she is 'happy'. She added the phone call was not her ideal proposal and she dreamed of getting engaged in a 'nice restaurant with a glass of champagne', but was delighted all the same. It is understood during her 'magical' visit to the prison on Monday she kissed Bronson through metal bars in a visiting room and 'seductively ate a banana for his pleasure'. Miss Williamson, pictured, is said to have been with Bronson for five months and said they were 'so in love' She was seen wearing a necklace which said 'Salvador', the surname Bronson is now going by in tribute to artist Salvador Dali Miss Williamson, who was not even born when Bronson was first jailed, has previously appeared in several UK soaps, including roles in Hollyoaks, Coronation Street and Emmerdale. She appears to be registered with Icon management agency and, according to an online profile, trained at Manchester Metropolitan University School of Theatre. Miss Williamson made her debut in 2003 in short film Autumn Heart but did not make another television appearance until 2008 with a guest role on medical soap The Royal Today. Sticking to medical roles, she followed that up with a series of appearances as a nurse on Coronation Street between 2008 and 2012. Miss Williamson also appeared in the 2011 ITV drama Appropriate Adult, a dramatisation on how murderers Fred and Rose West were brought to justice. One of Miss Williamson's raunchier roles was as a stripper at a stag party on an episode of Emmerdale, pictured The actress, pictured in the same episode of Emmerdale, has made several appearances on British soaps including Hollyoaks She also appeared on Coronation Street, pictured, between 2008 and 2012 as a nurse, with many of her roles medically-themed She made quite a stir in an episode of Emmerdale too where she played a stripper entertaining a stag party. Her most recent credit was a guest role on Hollyoaks in 2012, where she again appeared in a hospital setting as a doctor. As well as television work, her Icon profile states she has also filmed a variety of commercial and corporate films, as well as an advert for Aldi. She also directs and writes sketches as part of the duo 'Brides of Comedy' with friend Claire Jones, with the pair running their own YouTube channel. Her Twitter profile, where she went by the name @deviantdemonica, appears to have been recently taken down. Bronson, pictured as a younger man and right outside the High Court in London, has twice been married before, both ending in divorce In 2014 Bronson changed his surname to Salvador in honour of artist Salvador Dali, and Miss Williamson was seen wearing a necklace spelling out the moniker when visiting the inmate. Bronson whose life was made into a 2009 film starring Tom Hardy as the prisoner - has been married twice before, first to Irene Bronson, whom he divorced in 1977 after a five-year marriage. The couple had one child - Michael - who was born in 1970. Bronson then married Fatema Saira Rehman, a Bangladeshi-born divorcee, in 2001 after the pair had corresponded after she saw a picture of him in a newspaper. He briefly converted to Islam during the second marriage, which ended after four years. Bronson has spent much of his time in jail in solitary confinement due to his history of violence. Foster care is not an alternative to a family (video) A child has more chances to develop into an individual and become a full-fledged member of society if he grows up with a family. No matter what approach employees of orphanages or boarding schools show, a family environment is irreplaceable in this context. The biggest difference is the provision of family care, which unfortunately is not possible under the conditions of an orphanage, says Hayk Khemchyan, a Child Protection Programme Officer at UNICEF Armenia. The foster care system was introduced in Armenia three years ago with joint efforts by UNICEF, USAID and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. A child left without parental care or in a difficult situation is sent to a foster family. There he/she is dealt with love and affection, guidance and care. Upon reaching 18, children are sent back to their biological families. Experience shows that in some cases children cannot return to their biological families for various reasons. Biological parents are not ready to get their child back or the family lives in an extremely vulnerable situation, Mr Khemchyan says. Currently, there are 25 foster families in Armenia. Each of them received AMD 130 000 every month. There are strict criteria and requirements for selection of foster parents. Foster families complete training courses and undergo a home study to acquire special skills and knowledge. But here, too, there is a reason for concern. Critics are convinced that the strengthening of the child caring institution prevents the return of a child to the family. Hayk Khemchyan holds a different opinion. An important formula for us is that foster care is not an alternative to a family, rather, for a child foster care is an alternative to an institution. We do not mean to expand the scope of fostering; we suggest doing it at the expense of the foster families. Introduction of the institute of foster families is not an ultimate goal, but it has no alternative at this point. First of all, we believe that the purpose of foster care is to assist and help the return of children to their biological families. I do not know any country which has not passed this path, and child care is organized more effectively in large facilities and child care centers than in a family environment, the specialist said. Joanne Lees is using the family name of her long lost sister whose Australian family have welcomed her with open arms. The survivor of Australia's most shocking outback crime at the weekend revealed her stunning new connection with her long lost sibling in a TV interview. 'I feel less alone in the world. When wonderful things happen in the world I want to share them with Jess,' an emotional Ms Lees told reporter Liz Hayes on 60 Minutes. And now Ms Lees even shares a last name - on social media at least - with her 'mirror image' younger sister, the New Zealand primary school teacher Jessica McMillan. Scroll down for video Sightseeing sisters: Joanne Lees and her long lost sibling Jessica McMillan are pictured climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge together in these pictures Mirror image! Ms Lees - left, apparently visiting the Blue Mountains - and her Kiwi primary school teacher sister, Ms McMillan have remarked on their physical similarities Queensland school principal Corrine McMillan (left) tweeted on January 9: 'It was great to meet my new found cousin Joanne Lees from the UK and welcome her to our McMillan family!' The pair have the same Australian father and Ms Lees, 43, successfully tracked down her Kiwi sibling, eight years her junior, just last year. Ms Lees' new Australian family spreads as far as Queensland with prominent school principal Corrine McMillan welcoming her 'cousin' to the family on Twitter. In January, Ms McMillan tweeted: 'It was great to meet my new found cousin Joanne Lees from the UK and welcome her to our McMillan family! 'Life is always a mystery!' Jessica McMillan told 60 Minutes she wasn't aware of the hideous 2001 crime- where Ms Lees' boyfriend Peter Falconio was shot dead - until they met. Recent pictures show Ms Lees and her sister enjoying each others' company, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other photographs show Ms Lees apparently gazing at the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Candid moment: Joanne Lees and her newfound sister share a happy snap above Sydney Ms Lees told 60 Minutes: 'When wonderful things happen in the world I want to share them with Jess' (pair pictured together) Reports said Ms Lees has been living in Canberra and Sydney since the middle of last year. She was previously said to be working as a social worker. Ms Lees did not dwell on the identity of her birth father in her 2006 book, No Turning Back, and has never before revealed her father's nationality. She grew up in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, with her mother, Jennifer James, her stepfather Vincent James and step-brother Sam. 'We didn't have much money but she worked hard to make sure I had a happy childhood,' she wrote. On July 14, 2001, Ms Lees and Mr Falconio were travelling through central Australia when drug runner Bradley John Murdoch waved down their Volkswagen Kombi camper van. Murdoch shot Mr Falconio in the head. Ms Lees was threatened with a gun, punched in the head and bound with cable-tie restraints before she managed to escape, hiding in bushes for five hours while her attacker stalked her with a dog. Joanne Lees' partner Peter Falconio was shot and killed by Bradley John Murdoch they were flagged down (pair pictured together) The body of Mr Falconio (left) has never been found - but Ms Lees is trying to find him Convicted: Bradley John Murdoch was found guilty of murdering Mr Falconio and assaulting Ms Lees, then 27, near Barrow Creek in the Northern Territory Murdoch was later convicted of murdering Mr Falconio, 28, and assaulting Ms Lees, then 27, on a remote stretch of the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, north of Alice Springs. 'Pete lost his life on that night but I lost mine too,' Ms Lees told 60 Minutes at the weekend. 'I'll never be fully at peace if Pete's not found, but I accept that that is a possibility.' Murdoch is believed to have hidden Mr Falconio's body, which has never been found despite extensive searches. In recent months, Daniel Morcombe's parents have vowed to support Ms Lees' efforts to fund a falcon-shaped memorial for Mr Falconio. Ms Lees is hoping to erect a falcon-shaped sculpture, representing Peter's spirit, and is raising funds through the Daniel Morcombe Foundation website. The Trump administration has broken with decades of Middle East policy by suggesting that that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solution. The position could represent a dramatic shift from what has been US policy for more than 20 years. Many attempts have been made to broker a two-state solution between the two countries, involving the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, which was established in 1948. According to a number of polls, the majority of both Israelis and Palestinians prefer a two-state solution over any other solution as a means of resolving what has been described as 'the world's most intractable conflict.' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House; they are pictured meeting in New York last September Speaking to reporters ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an anonymous senior White House official said Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and is hoping to bring them together soon. But the official said it will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entail - and that peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal. For decades, the US position has been that Israelis and Palestinians must work through direct negotiations to establish two states living side by side, with Palestinians ultimately creating an independent state. Netanyahu said on Sunday he would present 'responsible policies' in talks, signalling to the Israeli far-right to curb its territorial demands in the occupied West Bank. Pictured: Palestinians in the West Bank village of Dwora, with Adora settlements in the background All serious peace negotiations in that have time have assumed that the two-state solution was the basis for future peace. In December Trump said he was 'very, very strong on Israel' and claimed that Israel was being treated 'very, very unfairly' when facing reprimands from the United Nations. Trump said during his campaign that he wanted to be 'very neutral' and try to get both sides together. But his tone became decidedly more pro-Israel as the campaign progressed. He has spoken disparagingly of Palestinians, saying they have been 'taken over' by or are condoning militant groups. Some of his top aides challenge the legitimacy of Palestinian demands for a state. Before he left office, Barack Obama angered his successor by ordering his United Nations ambassador to sit out a vote condemning Israel instead of vetoing it. Trump has toned down his pro-Israel bravado ahead of Netanyahu's visit, a change that could help the prime minister keep in check ultra-nationalist coalition partners calling on him to push a more militant agenda The outgoing president controversially broke with decades of US policy by declining to veto the anti-Israel resolution at the United Nations. State Department officials expressed surprise at the White House official's comments and said yesterday they were not aware of any policy shift on the desirability of a two-state solution. Three officials said the department was seeking clarification from the White House over the comments, which came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was having dinner with Netanyahu. During his final White House news conference, Obama warned that the moment for a two-state solution 'may be passing' and said the 'status quo is unsustainable.' It was not clear if the White House had intended to declare a major shift in policy during the hastily arranged briefing last night. Netanyahu, who regularly clashed with Obama, is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House toay. The two leaders will hold a joint press conference before convening for meetings and a working lunch. The prime minister will then head to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Trump takes pride in his deal-making skills and said during his campaign that he'd love the challenge of negotiating a Mideast agreement. He has appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to lead the effort. The official said the visit was meant to mark a new, closer relationship between Israel and the United States, which grew strained during the Obama years. This map shows the locations of Jewish settlements in the West Bank Trump and Netanyahu are likely to discuss peace efforts as well as expanded Israeli settlements, Iran and Trump's campaign pledge to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The latter would signal US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would infuriate Palestinians. They claim the eastern sector of the city, captured by Israel in 1967, as their capital. American presidents have long struck a delicate balance addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing the close U.S. friendship and lavishing the Jewish state with aid. But recent presidents also have tried to negotiate, and they have called out Israel for actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank. After repeatedly clashing with Obama for eight years, capped by a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, Netanyahu seemed relieved by Trump's arrival. Trump slammed the US decision to abstain from the UN vote, saying in December that Israel is being treated 'very, very unfairly.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting the U.S. for talks with leading officials Now in office, however, Trump has been forced to reevaluate and revisit his position on a number of issues - including those relating to Israel. After initially greeting Israel's settlement announcements with a shrug, Trump appears to be having second thoughts. In an interview with a pro-Netanyahu Israeli daily last week, Trump said, 'I am not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace.' While the meeting is expected to be much warmer than Netanyahu's famously tense encounters with Obama, the Israeli leader will still need to tread with caution on sensitive issues like Israeli settlement construction, Iran and the war in Syria. In dealing with such a divisive president, Netanyahu will also face some potential pitfalls. Key constituencies, including congressional Democrats and many American Jews, oppose Trump's policies, while at home Netanyahu is under pressure from his hard-line allies to push for policies that Trump may not support. The meeting with Trump is expected to be much warmer than Netanyahu's famously tense encounters with predecessor Obama 'Netanyahu seeks to shift the discussion in the US-Israel relationship away from settlements and peace and back to Iran so that he can put off the difficult political decisions that would roil his coalition and put his rule in jeopardy,' said Yousef Munayyer, a political analyst and executive director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. 'The challenge to Netanyahu is domestic,' Munayyer added. 'He spent so much time arguing that Obama was the problem that now that we are in the post-Obama era, his right-wing coalition partners want to exploit the moment and take huge steps that would further isolate Israel, trigger international condemnation from other corners, and potentially destabilize the land and Israeli politics.' Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu said he would handle ties with the US in a 'prudent manner,' but he steered clear of specifics. The Israeli prime minister is also scheduled to have breakfast on Thursday with Vice President Mike Pence before departing back to Israel. Online giants including Amazon are to have their tax rates cut in in the controversial business rates revaluation -while struggling high street shops face huge hikes. Smaller firms have reacted with fury after it emerged the shake-up of commercial property charges will give online retailers even more of an advantage. Amazon's nine distribution centres in England and Wales will benefit from a 148,000 reduction this year - a 1.3 per cent fall. Amazon's nine distribution centres in England and Wales - including this one in Luton - will benefit from a 148,000 reduction this year Small businesses have reacted with anger after it emerged a Government revaluation of business rates a tax on commercial property has given online shops a further advantage over independent retailers. Stock image of East Grinstead The US retail giant prompted outrage in 2015 after it emerged it had paid just 11.9million in tax on 5.3billion of sales from British shoppers taken through its Luxembourg arm. It came as an analysis of NHS trusts revealed that hospitals and GP surgeries are facing a 635million rise in business rates over the next five years. The NHS trusts, many of which are already under huge finarncial strain, face rises in the levy by an average of a third by 2021. Some of the biggest hospitals will have their business rates doubled, potentially forcing them to fund further savings to fill black holes in their budgets. Some health authorities are considering legal action in a bid to prevent the rises. As well as Amazon, Asos and Boohoo are also retailers likely to pay less for warehouses in the north of England. But tens of thousands of small independent shops with a high street presence will be hit by price hikes of up to 300 per cent. Chancellor Philip Hammond could be facing a revolt over the changes, which could be seen to favour online retailers over those with a traditional high street presence. Mark Rigby, of CVS business rent and rates specialists, which analysed the data, said: 'The high street thought that the aim of the business rates review was to level the playing field with their online counterparts, but nothing materialised.' The Association of Convenience Stores called for an immediate review of the 'unfair' rates paid by online shops on their warehouses. Chancellor Philip Hammond could be facing a revolt over the changes Online fashion retailer Boohoo's rateable value, which its bill is based on, will fall by 13 per cent from April on its distribution centre in Burnley. The company doubled its pre-tax profits last year to 14.4million. The rateable value for clothing retailer Asos's huge distribution warehouse in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, will not change despite a 37 per cent in its profits last year to 63.7million. And the rate for online white goods retailer Ao.com will rise by a modest 0.37 per cent on its warehouse in Crewe. The Independent Retailers Association said online retailers had a 'massive competitive advantage'. Lindsey Hall, deputy cabinet member for business at Westminster council, said: 'With unprecedented competition from online shopping giants, as well as the highest rental costs in the country, confidence and stability for local businesses big and small is more important than ever.' Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: 'The business rates system is broken and has failed to keep pace with the modern economy.' There is growing concern in Whitehall about the impact of the rate rises on the NHS. More than 150 health trusts have joined forces and are threatening to mount a major test case against a local authority unless they are granted an exemption or rebate. Hospitals will be hit hard as they are large premises and the equivalent cost of rebuilding on which the rate is based would be high. The analysis found that business rates for hospitals will rise from 328million to 418million in five years' time, while GPs and health centres will see their costs rise from 257million to 332million annually over the same period. Many huge retailers, such as Amazon and ASOS, will see a fall or only a modest rise as the rateable values of their warehouses has not risen as much. Stock image Some health authorities will have to pay millions more. Peterborough City Hospital, which will see rates go from 2.5million to 4.8million by 2021, while the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust's bill is set to rise from 4.2million to 7.6million. Royal London Hospital in east London will face an increase of nearly 60 per cent to 9.7 million. Peterborough and Stamford Hospi- tals NHS Foundation Trust said that rising business rates mean that it needs to put 'additional cost effciencies in place' on top of existing savings. The trusts are being represented by Billinger GVA, a property consultancy, which said that hospitals are facing 'exponential' increases in business rates. Jerry Schurder, of analysts Gerald Eve, which advises companies and public sector bodies on business rates, said: 'At a time when the NHS is under huge budgetary pressures, these rises in business rates liabilities highlight just how punitive the system has be- come and will be a cause of real con- cern for those tasked with delivering hospital and clinic services.' Sally Gainsbury, of the Nuffeld Trust think tank, said: 'Hospitals are current- ly overspending at a rate of between 150 million and 250 million a month. They will struggle to absorb an extra hit like this. 'When a hospital has to cut costs, it doesn't take long before they end up having to look at their staffing numbers, at doctors and nurses. They will be rushing around having to treat more and more patients.' Sky News host and former Liberal MP Ross Cameron has been accused of signing a sexually explicit cartoon of a woman in a burqa at a fundraising auction for a controversial far-right group. Labor senator Sam Dastyari said it was outrageous how the former federal member for Parramatta had signed the controversial cartoon by Larry Pickering at last week's Q Society dinner in Sydney. 'I'm actually quite angry. Some really homophobic, Islamophobic things that have been said and done, people are getting away with,' he told Sky News' Peter van Onselen on Wednesday. 'I have people who were at that dinner emailing me, calling me telling me that he was signing the Larry Pickering cartoon on the night.' Scroll down for video Former Liberal MP Ross Cameron speaking at a fundraiser for the far right group the Q Society Cartoonist Larry Pickering's work features a woman in a burqa involved in a sexually explicit encounter 'If cartoons that somehow depict Muslim women being raped is somehow an acceptable part of the discourse then we will only go backwards when it comes to de-radicalisation.' The cartoon Cameron allegedly signed is said to have fetched $600. But Cameron told Daily Mail Australia he had never signed a Larry Pickering cartoon in his life. Sources have told Daily Mail Australia Sky News, which is owned by News Corp Australia, is investigating the claims that Cameron signed the cartoon. Cameron co-hosts the Sunday morning 'Outsiders' program with former federal Labor leader Mark Latham and right-wing columnist Rowan Dean, and makes occasional weekday appearances on Sky News programs hosted by Paul Murray and Janine Perrett. The allegation he signed the cartoon comes after he was attacked for a bizarre speech he made at that Sydney dinner on Thursday night - which included claims the Liberal Party was a 'gay club' and how he wished they 'built a wall' to keep them out. In the presence of a Sydney Morning Herald journalist at the dinner, Cameron described the newspaper she worked for as the 'Sydney Morning Homosexual'. Labor senator Sam Dastyari holds up the cartoon by Larry Pickering. He accused Ross Cameron of signing a copy at the Q Society dinner 'Very pro-gay': Ross Cameron defended a controversial speech in an interview on Sky News The funds raised by the cartoon's sale were to form part of a legal defence of leading Q Society member Kirralie Smith, an Australian Liberty Alliance Senate candidate at last year's elections, who is being sued by Halal Certification Authority president Mohamed El-Mouelhy. Pickering told that dinner that while he didn't like Muslims, he was glad ISIS killed homosexuals. 'They are not all bad, they do chuck pillow-biters off buildings,' he said. On his website, the Walkley-award winning cartoonist describes the controversial artwork of the woman in a sexual act as a commentary on the anonymous nature of the burqa. A day after his appearance at the Q Society dinner, Cameron downplayed that speech he had made. 'I gave a very pro-gay speech in which I said that gays have been associated with the creative class since the beginning of history,' Cameron said. Fellow Sky News presenter Janine Perrett said it was 'the worst apology I've ever heard'. In that fundraising dinner speech, Cameron had taken aim at the Liberal Party, which recently suspended him, and repeatedly referred to homosexuality and Roman emperor Hadrian. 'The NSW division of the Liberal Party is basically a gay club,' Cameron said. 'I don't mind that they are gay, I just wish, like Hadrian, they would build a wall.' Cameron told Perrett he apologised if the reporting of the comments caused offence. 'I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to add one ounce of discomfort to any human for their sexual preference,' he said. 'If the reporting of these comments has caused someone to feel a greater sense of isolation over their attraction then I very sincerely apologise.' Perrett was not impressed. 'Ross, that was the worst apology I've ever heard,' she said. 'So if they weren't reported then you wouldn't apologise?' 'No problems with gays': Cameron said his controversial speech was not critical of gay people Sky News presenter Janine Perrett (right) was not impressed with Cameron's defence of his speech Sky News host Janine Perrett is pictured Pickering made anti-Muslim comments in his speech at the fundraiser. 'Let's be honest, I can't stand Muslims,' Pickering said. 'If they are in the same street as me, I start shaking.' The Q Society's Melbourne fundraiser, a day after the Sydney event, was beset with more than 100 protesters. A man's throat was grabbed and a woman was almost run over as anti-racism protesters clashed with far-right group the Q Society. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Sky News for comment. Advertisement This is the real-life sandcastle inspired home, equipped with its own turrets and moat listed for $7.2 million. The gothic-style home is perched on the waterfront at City Beach, one of Western Australia's most affluent suburbs. Listed for sale at $7.2 million this week, the iconic home is expected to set a sales record for the South City Beach area. Listed for sale at $7.2 million this week, the iconic home is expected to set a sales record for the South City Beach area Owner Tani Richards said the home was inspired by her childhood spent at the beach building sandcastles. 'So naturally, the only option to build on this amazing seaside block was a real-life sandcastle,' she told Domain. Ms Richards said her vision was to build a home that would house three generations of her family - herself and husband Tim, their four children as well as her parents. The sprawling mansion is listed as one of Perth's most iconic beachfront properties. The sprawling Western Australian mansion is constructed with limestone from stonemasons The six-bedroom, four-bathroom Sandcastle home boasts several living areas, including a stunning upper-floor terrace Dramatic rounded walls and passage ways linking rooms create a dramatic yet elegant design Beautiful bay windows are featured throughout, and a Madonna and Child stained-glass window salvaged from a French chapel hangs above the entry door The six-bedroom, four-bathroom sandcastle home boasts several living areas, including a stunning upper-floor terrace, music room, home theatre and study. Constructed from limestone by stonemasons, the home is set over three levels. The extraordinary design also features wrought-ironwork, parquetry floors and cathedral-style windows. The home also boasts a ceramic pool. The pool and spa tiles were all handmade incorporating Celtic icons and medieval designs. The waterfront home's unique features continue inside, where a Madonna and Child stained-glass window salvaged from a French chapel, hangs above the entry door. Constructed from limestone by stonemasons, the home is set over three levels The luxury beachside home features a gothic-inspired, unique design throughout The six-bedroom home also features several living areas, all fitted with luxury finishings Agent Scott Swingler said the home already had a huge amount of local and international interest The incredible City Beach home's sheer scale is complimented by incredibly intricate detail. Dramatic rounded walls and passageways linking rooms add to the dramatic yet elegant design. There are also rock carvings with ocean and dreamtime motifs throughout. Agent Scott Swingler said the home already had a huge amount of local and international interest. He said he expected the property to soar well above the $7.2 million listing price, therefore setting a sales record for the Western Australian suburb. 'The design of the home must be one of the most unique on the entire Perth waterfront and perhaps the entire state,' he told Domain. 'The design of the home must be one of the most unique on the entire Perth waterfront and perhaps the entire state,' Agent Scott Swingler told Domain The home is positioned just off the beachfront, with ocean views from the top floor but with enough space to ensure privacy 'It is a truly one-of-a-kind opportunity to purchase your own castle,' Mr Swingler The home is positioned just off the beachfront, with ocean views from the top floor and enough space from the shoreline to ensure privacy. 'It is a truly one-of-a-kind opportunity to purchase your own castle,' he said. Mr Swingler also highlighted the fully self-contained wing which was designed as a separate home for the owner's elderly parents. He said the wing would be equally as well suited to a guest quarters, au-pair's residence, caretaker's or maid's quarters. Home-owner Tani Richards said she faced some challenges during the seven-year planning and building process. She said a lot of people said no to her requests, but at the end of the day 'an amazing piece of architecture was moulded from the earth'. All bids for the property must be presented by 5pm Wednesday, March 1. But for the right price it could be sold to the new home-owner earlier. The pool and spa tiles were all handmade incorporating Celtic icons and medieval designs The six-bedroom, four-bathroom Sandcastle home boasts several living areas, including a stunning upper-floor terrace The gothic-inspired home was inspired by a real-life sandcastle, the home owner revealed The home's exquisite design makes it one of Perth's most unique beachfront properties A new report alleges members of Donald Trump's team were in contact with Russian intelligence officials during the year leading up to the presidential election. The New York Times claims call records and intercepted conversations show: 'members of Donald J. Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election.' The Times said its allegations are based off interviews it has carried out with four 'current and former American officials'. It claims US intelligence was worried because the alleged contact was taking place as then-candidate Trump continued to praise Russian President Vladimir Putin on the campaign trail. The Kremlin said on Wednesday, however, that the report was not based on any facts. Scroll down for video A new report alleges members of Donald Trump's team was in contact with Russian intelligence officials during the year leading up to the presidential election. Trump is pictured speaking to Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office on January 28 WHAT ARE THE LATEST RUSSIAN REPORTS? High-level staffers on Trump's team and some aides were in 'constant communication' with Russian intelligence during the campaign One person has been named - former campaign chairman Paul Manafort President-elect Trump and President Obama were briefed on the contact Communication 'raised a red flag' - especially because Trump often spoke highly of Putin in public Communications were uncovered in call records and intercepted conversations Russian officials spoke about having 'special access to Trump' Information was found during 'routine US intelligence collection' - and not because Trump's team was targeted The FBI and intelligence officials are still trying to figure out why the communication was taking place Advertisement The alleged contact was uncovered by US intelligence agencies that were working at the time to figure out if the president's campaign team was working with Russia in regards to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee or other attempts to influence the election. The newspaper goes on to point out that the US officials who spoke of the contact between Trump's team and Russia said there is currently no evidence of any such cooperation. 'Let's not believe anonymous information,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters about the report, noting that the newspaper's sources were unnamed. 'It's a newspaper report which is not based on any facts.' Peskov, responding to a White House statement saying Trump expected Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine, also said the Kremlin had no intention of discussing its territorial integrity with foreign partners. CNN reports senior US intelligence officers said President Barack Obama and then-president elect Trump: 'were both briefed on details of the extensive communications between suspected Russian operatives and people associated with the Trump campaign and the Trump business'. The news network went on to report intercepted communications between Russian officials found they were discussing the belief they had 'special access to Trump', according to law enforcement sources. Officials who spoke to the Times on the condition of anonymity, due to the fact the investigation is ongoing, said Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was one of the people who was in contact with Russian intelligence. However, Manafort - who worked as a political consultant in Russia and the Ukraine in the past - denied the allegation put to him by the Times. The new report claims Paul Manafort - Trump's former campaign chairman - was one of the people who spoke to Russian intelligence. He (pictured in April 2016) has denied the allegation President Donald Trump (L-R), joined by Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Vice President Mike Pence, senior advisor Steve Bannon, Communications Director Sean Spicer and former national security advisor Michael Flynn, speaks by phone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office at the White House on January 28 TEAM HILLARY HITS OUT AT TRUMP'S PEOPLE OVER REPORTS Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign spokesman has denounced the alleged contacts Donald Trump's campaign officials had with Russia prior to the election calling it a 'colossal scandal'. An outraged Brian Fallon, who was the Clinton campaign's press secretary, took to Twitter soon after slamming Trump and his staff over the alleged Russian ties. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign spokesman Brian Fallon (above) called the information about Trump's campaign officials alleged contacts with Russia a 'colossal scandal' 'Everything we suspected during the campaign is proving true. This is a colossal scandal,' he tweeted. 'The NYT story directly contradicts Trump and his staff who repeatedly said no contact occurred between his campaign and Russian officials,' Fallon added. Clinton's campaign manager Robby Mook also took to Twitter saying: 'I'd like the FBI to explain why they sent a letter about Clinton but not this'. Advertisement 'This is absurd... I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today,' he said. Manafort then added: 'It's not like these people wear badges that say, 'I'm a Russian intelligence officer'.' The officials spoken to by the Times refused to name the other people who they say were in contact with Russian intelligence. CNN reports the information was found during 'routine US intelligence collection', not because Trump or his team was being targeted in any way. The FBI and intelligence officials are still trying to figure out why the communication was taking place. CNN quoted one official who was asked about whether one of the concerns could be that Trump associates were coordinating with Russian officials to release information that damaged Hillary Clinton. OBAMA OFFICIALS AVOIDED SHARING SENSITIVE INFORMATION DURING HANDOVER Amid the bombshell reports about members of Trump's team allegedly contacting Russian intelligence, it emerged President Obama's team held back on sharing some details during the transition. The Washington Post reports Obama staffers were so concerned about potential ties to Russia that they limited what they told Mike Flynn and the incoming national security team, 'particularly on sensitive matters related to Russia'. 'We did decide to not share with them certain things about Russia,' a former senior Obama administration official told the newspaper. 'We just thought, who knew? Would that information be safe?' Advertisement 'If that were the case, then that would escalate things,' the US figure said. Trump's people have routinely denied any contact, like what is being alleged by the Times and CNN, including Kellyanne Conway. Conway dismissed a question about contact in December, and said Trump had told her personally there was none. 'Absolutely not. And I discussed that with the president-elect just last night,' she told CBS News. 'Those conversations never happened. I hear people saying it like it's a fact on television. That is just not only inaccurate and false, but it's dangerous.' The alleged contact comes after Sergei A. Ryabkov, Russia's deputy foreign minister, was quoted just days after the election as having said: 'There were contacts... We continue to do this and have been doing this work during the election campaign. 'Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage.' The bombshell report in the New York Times was published just hours after it was revealed Trump demanded his national security adviser's resignation last night after concluding that an 'eroding level of trust' had made it impossible to leave him in the sensitive position. Vladimir Putin is seen during an award ceremony at the Kremlin on February 8, 2017 in Moscow The alleged contact comes after Sergei A. Ryabkov (pictured), Russia's deputy foreign minister, was quoted just days after the election as having said: 'There were contacts... Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage' A report late on Tuesday afternoon revealed that Michael Flynn had been interviewed by the FBI in the first days of the Trump administration over claims he made about a pre-inauguration talk with a Kremlin representative that were repeated by the vice president. Investigators were concerned that Flynn did not tell them the entire truth, the New York Times said, and informed the White House the very same day. Yet, the vice president did not find out until two weeks later, on Feb. 9, NBC News claimed early on Tuesday evening. Mike Pence's spokesman, Mark Lotter, confirmed the network's reporting shortly after to a group of journalists. Lotter further said that the VP learned of Flynn's deceit from the same report on Feb. 9 that they did. The bombshell report was published after it was revealed that Michael Flynn (pictured) had been interviewed by the FBI in the first days of the Trump administration over claims he made about a pre-inauguration talk with a Kremlin representative TRUMP FIRED MIKE FLYNN OVER 'ERODING LEVEL OF TRUST' - BUT PENCE WAS KEPT IN THE DARK FOR DAYS Donald Trump demanded his national security adviser's resignation last night after concluding that an 'eroding level of trust' had made it impossible to leave him in the sensitive position. Mike Flynn is seen in the White House on February 13 - before he was fired by Donald Trump A report late on Tuesday afternoon revealed that Michael Flynn had been interviewed by the FBI in the first days of the Trump administration over claims he made about a pre-inauguration talk with a Kremlin representative that were repeated by the vice president. Investigators were concerned that Flynn did not tell them the entire truth, the New York Times said, and informed the White House the very same day. Yet, the vice president did not find out until two weeks later, on Feb. 9, NBC News claimed early on Tuesday evening. Mike Pence's spokesman, Mark Lotter, confirmed the network's reporting shortly after to a group of journalists. Lotter further said that the VP learned of Flynn's deceit from the same report on Feb. 9 that they did. 'The vice president became of the incomplete information that he had received on Feb. 9 last Thursday night based on media accounts, and he did an inquiry based on those media accounts,' Lotter stated. Lotter delivered the statement as reporters finished a gaggle with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer about Flynn's spectacular fall from grace. Spicer had said at a news conference earlier in the day that Trump had been reviewing and evaluating allegations against Flynn for weeks. He would not get into the details of the situation then, or later, other than to say that it reached 'critical mass' last night. 'That is why the president decided to ask for his resignation, and he got it.' Spicer cited Flynn's misleading statements to Pence about the call he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States 'and a series of other questionable instances' that he would not describe. If the ex-general provided false statements to the FBI he could face an investigation with the possibility of felony charges. It is an offense not to tell the agency the truth and interviews do not have to be under oath. The Department of Justice notified the White House's legal counsel, Don McGhan, on Jan. 26 that Flynn may have fibbed when he said that he did not discuss sanctions with Kislyak. The White House's Office of Legal Counsel immediately told Trump and some of his advisers. Advertisement Earlier, Sean Spicer had said at a news conference Trump had been reviewing and evaluating allegations against Flynn for weeks. He would not get into the details of the situation then, or later, other than to say that it reached 'critical mass' last night. 'That is why the president decided to ask for his resignation, and he got it.' Spicer cited Flynn's misleading statements to Pence about the call he had with the Russian ambassador to the United States 'and a series of other questionable instances' that he would not describe. If the ex-general provided false statements to the FBI he could face an investigation with the possibility of felony charges. It is an offense not to tell the agency the truth and interviews do not have to be under oath. The FBI has previously looked into ties between Russia and Manafort, businessman Carter Page, and Republican operative Roger Stone - in addition to Flynn. A 29-year-old woman sporting the popular two-tone or balayage hair style has been arrested in morning raids for allegedly running a drug supply ring with teenage boys. Alina Antal, a former Catholic school girl, has been named as the alleged leader of the drug syndicate which she allegedly ran while three teenage boys and four men did her bidding. Ten members of the alleged drug syndicate have been charged after the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad executed search warrants across south-west Sydney. Investigators seized cannabis, cash, mobile phones, SIM cards, clothing and drug paraphernalia in raids of seven homes in Fairfield, Cabramatta West, Smithfield and Elizabeth Hills after 6am on Wednesday. Violence and associated criminal activity, including public shootings, had led police to investigate the Fairfield area and uncovered a cannabis supply syndicate. Scroll down for video Alina Antal, 29, (above) has been charged with running a drug distribution syndicate in Sydney's south-west Antal (pictured) was one of ten members of the alleged drug syndicate to be charged after the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad executed search warrants across south-west Sydney Alina Antal, 29, was arrested on Wednesday morning for allegedly running a cannabis drug syndicate Detectives executed simultaneous search warrants across seven homes in Sydney's southwest on Wednesday morning (arrested woman pictured) Alina Antal was charged with supply prohibited drug, direct criminal group, recruit child to carry out/ assist criminal activity, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime and do act with intent to pervert the course of justice Police are expected to allege Antal, 29, ran the syndicate. Antal, three teenage boys and four men were arrested in the raids and later charged. Antal was charged with supply prohibited drug, direct criminal group, recruit child to carry out/ assist criminal activity, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime and act with intent to pervert the course of justice. She was refused bail to appear at Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday. A 25-year-old man, 20-year-old man, two 18-year-old men, and three boys two aged 17 and another aged 15 were also charged following the raids. Police are expected to allege Alina Antal, 29, (pictured) ran the south-west Sydney syndicate A 25-year-old man, 20-year-old man, two 18-year-old men, and three boys two aged 17 and another aged 15 were also charged following the raids Detectives raided seven homes in Fairfield, Cabramatta West, Smithfield and Elizabeth Hills on Wednesday morning The men and boys were all charged with various drug supply offences, deal with proceeds of crime, and participate in criminal group. The 25-year-old man was refused bail to appear at Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday. Both 18-year-old and 20-year-old men were refused bail to appear at Fairfield Local Court on Wednesday. All of the teenage boys were refused bail to appear at children's courts today. A further two men were issued future Court Attendance Notices at Parklea and Silverwater. The 18-year-old man was charged with take part supply cannabis, deal with proceeds of crime, and participate in criminal group. He is next due to appear at Fairfield Local Court on Wednesday 8 March. Detectives have charged 10 members of an alleged drug supply syndicate following police raids in Sydney's southwest (detectives pictured during raids) One of the 10 people arrested and charged on Wednesday is pictured The 26-year-old man was charged with supply prohibited drug, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, recruit child to carry out/assist criminal activity, direct criminal group, and inmate possess mobile phone/SIM card. He is next due to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on Wednesday 8 March. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Newham said investigations under Strike Force Barcom are continuing. 'In terms of today's operation, I am limited in what I can say because there are a number of people before the courts, but these arrests are just the tip of the iceberg,' Det Ch Insp Newham said. A woman, 29, three teenage boys and four men were arrested in raids across southwest Sydney homes on Wednesday morning Detectives from the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad executed simultaneous search warrants at homes in Fairfield, Cabramatta West, Smithfield and Elizabeth Hills 'MEOCS [Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad] are working closely with police across the South West Metropolitan Region to not only reduce the availability of drugs, but also suppress the violent crimes associated with drug supply. 'We are continuing our inquiries into a number of violent incidents, including public place shootings, last year; incidents that show a blatant disregard for community safety and will not be tolerated. 'Strike Force investigators have already put a number of people before the courts for a variety of offences, and there are more arrests to come anyone who has been involved in these activities should come forward now before we come for you. 'Once again, I appeal to anyone with a community-minded spirit to come forward and assist investigators with their inquiries,' Det Ch Insp Newham said. Advertisement High in the hills of southwestern China's Guizhou province, 18 families live in the most unusual of houses - a natural cave. Despite having electricity, life in Zhongdong village is very cut off with the nearest town some three hours away. However all of that is set to change with the local tourism authority finally opening a 15 million yuan (1.7 million) cable car that will be free for the cave's residents. An unusual home: A woman walks through the village of Zhongdong where 18 families live inside a natural cave Isolated: The only access to the outside world is a footpath winding through Guizhou province's mountain terrain The 'last cave village' has modern conveniences such as electricity however they are still shut off from the outside world Tiring trip to shops: Villagers are forced to walk three hours to the nearest town before making the three hour journey back It's claimed that the cave is China's last cave village. The families' only access to the outside world is via a footpath winding through Guizhou province's mountain terrain. However on May 1, their lives are about to chance with free access to a cable car. The new addition will be a relief for villagers who have to carry all food and other products that the are unable to grow themselves up the mountain. Even large furniture items are carried the three-hour-long slog up with mountain. Despite the positive changes to their way of life, some residents are weary of the new cable car. 22-year-old Wang Xingguo feels that the cable car will not be convenient as they will not be allowed to bring poultry into the cabins. He said: 'They said they'd build us a road 15 years ago but then they discovered this was a place they could make money off and so chose not to build it.' An easier way of life: Many villagers are optimistic about the opportunities the cable car brings to the village Modernising the cave: A man stands in front of the door of his shop located inside the cave which also has electricity Country life: There are also concerns that the cable car will bring tourists to the cave which would damage their livlihood However other villagers such as Wei Xiaohong hopes the new transportation will bring the young people back who originally left for larger cities to find work. The cave used to house a school which had 200 students from across the region. However it was closed by authorities some time ago. Wei's 12-year-old son has to walk two hours to class. The development company manager surnamed Luo has promised that the village will be completely revitalised with houses repaired and the primary school restored. He says: 'In five years, we will have reproduced some of the original buildings and recreated the primitive life of the men out farming and the women at home doing housework for the tourists to visit.' However a hiker visiting the cave at the time said that he would not take the cable car once it was finished as it 'damages this place and its original style.' Simple: Food and other goods have to be carried all of the way up the mountain unless they can be grown in the cave Real estate scion Robert Durst (seen above in this November 7, 2016 file photo) faced the first prosecution testimony of the murder case against him in Los Angeles on Tuesday Wealthy real estate scion Robert Durst faced the first prosecution testimony of the murder case against him in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Prosecutors called to the stand a retired dean of the New York medical school his wife attended before she vanished three decades ago. The testimony of Dr Albert Kuperman focused on a telephone call he recounted receiving from a woman identifying herself as Kathleen Durst in 1982, a day after she was last seen alive, saying she would have to miss an appointment due to illness. Prosecutors have raised the possibility that the call in question was actually placed by another woman posing as Durst's wife, and that the fourth-year medical student may have already been dead by then. Durst has been questioned about his wife's disappearance and presumed slaying but has never been prosecuted in that probe. Instead, the 73-year-old heir is charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Susan Berman, a writer and long-time confidante, at her Los Angeles home in December 2000. Prosecutors say she was killed execution-style because of what she knew about the unsolved death of Durst's spouse two decades earlier. His ties to both those cases, and his 2003 acquittal in the killing and dismemberment of a Texas neighbor, were chronicled in the popular HBO documentary series 'The Jinx' last year. Durst has pleaded not guilty in the Berman case and has said he had nothing to do with the disappearance of his wife, whose body has never been found. Prosecutors allege that Durst killed Susan Berman because she knew about his alleged role in the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen Durst (left), who was last seen alive in 1982 Durst (right) is charged in the fatal shooting of his friend and confidante Berman (left), who was killed execution style in her Los Angeles home in December 2000 Kuperman, 85, was permitted because of his advanced age to take the witness stand months ahead of the actual trial to give videotaped testimony that could be preserved should he die or be otherwise unable to appear in person during a prolonged trial. Under questioning from prosecutors and defense lawyers, Kuperman, former dean of education at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, said he had long assumed the woman who telephoned his office 35 years ago to call in sick was Kathleen Durst, as she had identified herself. However, he acknowledged that, after being interviewed by Los Angeles investigators in 2015, he grew uncertain about the caller's true identity. 'It didn't occur to me that it was someone else,' until then, he said. Durst's ties to both cases and his 2003 acquittal in the killing and dismemberment of a Texas neighbor were chronicled in the popular HBO documentary series 'The Jinx' last year Kuperman said he realized Kathleen Durst's voice was not familiar enough to him to have recognized it in that one call. The two had only spoken briefly in person twice before, he said. Travis Elwell, 23, will spend just 120 days in jail after he crashed his BMW into Emily Javadi, who was packing up her car after an evening workout at Cole Park in Uptown Dallas - and killed her A Texas man who killed a 32-year-old woman while driving drunk has been sentenced to just 120 days in prison. Travis Elwell, 23, was under the influence and speeding when he crashed his BMW into Emily Javadi, who was packing up her car after an evening workout at Cole Park in Uptown Dallas in February 2015. As Javadi reached into the backseat of her Lexus, Elwell rear-ended her, sending her flying into a metal pole. She was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Elwell was convicted of intoxicated manslaughter, and will serve 120 days in jail, a court coordinator told WFAA on Monday. He will also remain under probation for ten years, is barred from drinking alcohol and will be required to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Emily Javadi's mother Karen told DailyMail.com that they are satisfied with his sentencing, as they sought a plea deal. As Javadi reached into the backseat of her Lexus, Elwell rear-ended her, sending her flying into a metal pole. She was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead She said: 'Probation only in Dallas County is not uncommon. Our family has already been victimized, and we felt that had Travis Elwell avoided any jail time would have been unbearable.' Consequently, Elwell will be forced to spend a week in jail each year on the anniversary of Emily's death. Karen continued: 'We are satisfied with the outcome and hope Mr. Elwell will take advantage of the gift of time that our daughter was deprived of, and make a positive impact in this community. 'My precious child enriched our lives, we told her we loved her each day, and we will forever mourn our loss.' Javadi was remembered by her friends and family as a confident and talented baker and violinist with a passion for people The city of Dallas has reportedly decided to convert the avenues of McKinney and Cole, where the incident took place, to two-way streets to reduce speeding. The change came about as a result of Javadi's death. Javadi was remembered by her friends and family as a confident and talented baker and violinist with a passion for people. According to her LinkedIn profile, she was a supply chain analyst for Baylor Health Care System. Her family has since set up the Emily Javadi Foundation in her memory, which fundraises for organizations that 'embody her spirit and energy'. The Foundation has created a scholarships with the Big Brothers Big Sisters group, and the University of North Texas' College of Business Entrepreneurship Program, and has made a number of donations to other deserving causes. One such organization is Open Classical, where Javadi previously volunteered, which puts on classical music shows throughout the Dallas area. Eight people including three assailants have been killed in a knife attack on a crowd at a residential compound in China's Xinjiang province. Ten other people were injured in the attack which occurred on February 14 in Pishan County. The attack in the restive state is under investigation by Hotan local government. Paramilitary police stand guard outside a mall in Hotan, in China's western Xinjiang region XINJIANG FIGURES Muslims in China make up 1.8 percent of the country's population. Xinjiang province is home to 10.37 million Uygurs. The province has some 24,400 Muslim mosques Source: Statistic Bureau of Xinjiang Advertisement According to a statement from the government, police were drafted to the scene immediately and shot dead the three assailants. It also said that the scene was secured and investigation work has started. According to local media, parliamentary police have been deployed to the area with the county on the highest security alert. In recent years there have been crackdowns by the Chinese government in the region in a bid to curb terrorism which it blames on Islamist militants. Prayer time at a Mosque in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (File photo) Uighur men gather for morning prayers at the Id Kah Mosque during Corban (File photo) Xinjiang is home to 10.37 million Uygurs who practice the Muslim faith. It is a four and a half hour flight from Beijing. Many Muslims in the country say they feel victimised by the government who have tightened control on the region. While some overseas experts have expressed doubts over the strengths of links to terrorism in Xinjiang. Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the World Uyghur Congress said that police have arrested six people after the attack including two young Uighurs who shared information about the incident over mobile phones. He said: 'Armed forced in the country are targeting Uighurs for investigation and demanding that Chinese people avoid leaving their homes.' In November 2015, police killed 28 members of a 'terrorist group' over the course of a 56 day manhunt following an attack on a colliery in Aksu two months earlier that left 16 people dead. The most criminal names in Australia have been revealed, and the name Leon has topped the list. More than three per cent of Australian men called Leon have been convicted of a criminal offence, with 3193 Leons out of 100,000 committing a crime. Law firm Go To Court compiled a list of the most popular Australian names and cross-referenced them against a database of publicly accessible criminal records and the result produced a list of the top 500 most criminal names. The data also revealed what offence was associated with each name. The most criminal names in Australia have been revealed, and the name Leon has topped the list (file image) More than three per cent of Australian men called Leon have been convicted of a criminal offence, with 3193 Leons out of 100,000 committing a crime The name Robin topped the list for women, with most associated with fraud related offences People called Leon were most likely to commit assault, and second most likely to commit a sex offence. Ivan slipped underneath Leon, to take out second place on the men's list, with most people called Ivan associated with drug offences and murder. The names Ali, Gerald and Roy joined Leon and Ivan to make up the top five most criminal names in Australia. The name Robin topped the list for women, with most associated with fraud related offences. Kym fell below Robin on the women's list, with most associated with burglary followed by assault. The 500-long list ended with the name Sophie - a name that was most associated with murder. The 500-long list ended with the name Sophie - a name that was most associated with murder The law firm said its research showed that first names could be linked with criminality The names Ali, Gerald and Roy joined Leon and Ivan to make up the top five most criminal names in Australia The law firm said its research showed that first names could be linked with criminality - with unusual boys' names more associated with crime in the US. Similarly, research in Sweden found that male names ending in y were more likely to fall into crime. To find out where your name falls on the list, click here. A Sydney Uber driver has been found guilty of raping a young tourist after she fell asleep in the back seat of his car. Muhammad Naveed, 41, now faces a maximum of 14 years in jail after a jury found he had non-consensual sex with the woman after he picked her up in King's Cross on a Saturday night in October 2015. On Wednesday, a Downing Centre Local Court jury took just hours to deliver the guilty verdict against Naveed, who initially told police it was 'consent sex'. CCTV footage has emerged showing Naveed purchasing condoms and a bottle of water at a service station before hopping back into his car on the night of the attack. Scroll down for video Muhammad Naveed has been found guilty of raping a tourist after she fell asleep in his car CCTV footage has emerged showing Naveed purchasing condoms and a bottle of water at a service station before hopping back into his car on the night of his attack He will be sentenced in Parramatta District Court on May 5. The woman had been drinking with friends at several venues and got into what she thought was a cab to go home, crown prosecutor James Trevallion said during the trial. While driving to the eastern suburbs, where the woman lived, Naveed pulled into a service station and bought condoms and a bottle of water. He then drove in the opposite direction to the woman's home, stopped in a side street and asked if she wanted to move to the back seat. 'The complainant will tell you at this point she could not keep her eyes open and she was falling asleep,' Mr Trevallion told the jury. The Uber driver had pulled up outside the service station to purchase some condoms On Wednesday, a Downing Centre Local Court jury took just hours to deliver the guilty verdict against Naveed, who initially told police it was 'consent sex' A jury took hours to reach its verdict despite Naveed testifying the woman asked him for sex The next thing the woman remembers is waking up to find Naveed on top of her. 'She did not have enough strength to push him off,' Mr Trevallion said. Afterwards, Naveed drove her home and she fell asleep on the way. At home, she phoned a friend, who called the police. Naveed was arrested a few days later and told investigators it was 'consent sex'. He later testified the woman had asked him for sex but they didn't have intercourse because he couldn't get aroused. He faces a maximum of 14 years in jail. This is the adorable moment that a North Carolina sheriff's deputy got into an impromptu dance-off with a young boy. Deputy Cody Williams was in Raleigh waiting for his vehicle to get fixed when young Jason started chatting to them, Captain Eddie Moore of the Nash County Sheriff's Office told ABC. 'They got onto the topic of dance, and Jason told Deputy Williams, "I bet I could dance better than you," and the two just went at it!' he said. Scroll down for video Dance-off: North Carolina sheriff's deputy Cody Williams was filmed dancing with a boy called Jason by Williams's captain. The video has gone viral since the it was put online Williams and Jason got down to Zay Hilfigerrr and Zayion McCall's 'Juju On That Beat', and despite their age gap, the two prove strong competitors for each other. In the end, though, Jason wins out after Williams throws up his hands and bursts into laughter. Moore said he put the video online in order to show a softer side to the police force. 'We want people to know that we're a part of the community and no different than they are,' he said. 'It's important to us to foster positive relationships with the community and that they know we're here for a good reason.' And it seems to have worked: the video has had more than 177,000 views in two days, and has been shared 2,400 times, and the comments are unanimously positive. 'That officer showed us that things can change if we give each other a chance and try open up more,' wrote Gregory Acker, adding: 'Deputy Williams please keep doing what you're doing brother.' Victoria A. Davis said, 'Skills! Glad that boy enjoyed his dance with the deputy as much as we all liked watching. Please share more videos like this!' And Shawana Kandi Edwards decided the result was 'a tie'.'They both did their thang, she said. 'But if the cop didn't have all the equipment, he would had really broke it down lol.' Amid explosive claims that the Netflix series Making a Murder omitted incriminating evidence against Brendan Dassey, the co-lead investigator of the controversial case will speak out on Friday. Tom Fassbender, co-lead investigator in the case, has never before spoken to the media about interviewing accused killer Steven Avery's 16-year-old nephew, who was also convicted for murder. Previews of his Dateline appearance have surfaced, in which he claims that the Manitowoc County Police Department acted honorably while interviewing Dassey, whose conviction was overturned by a federal judge in August 2016. Scroll down for video Tom Fassbender, co-lead investigator in the case, has never before spoken to the media about interviewing accused killer Steven Avery's 16-year-old nephew, who was also convicted for murder Fassbender says in the exclusive interview to NBC reporter Andrea Canning: 'We didn't try to manipulate Brendan. We tried to get at the truth and I don't believe that it was a false confession. 'Are there parts of it that he may have not done, I don't know. You know, I just don't know.' Dassey's interview was aired during the popular Netflix series regarding the Avery case, in which the two men were arrested for the murder of Teresa Holbeck on Halloween in 2005. Making a Murderer's Brendan Dassey was convicted for helping his uncle Steven Avery murder Teresa Halbach Dassey's attorney, Laura Nirider, spoke to Dateline about the manipulation allegations, saying: 'Those officers wanted that information in the worst way and they got it in the worst way by feeding it straight to Brendan Dassey.' On Friday, February 17, 'Dateline NBC: Return to Manitowoc County: The State of Wisconsin vs. Steven A. Avery,' will air, providing first-hand accounts of those involved in the complex case. On Tuesday, arguments were scheduled in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago after Dasseys release from prison was blocked by the court in November. During the brief hearing, the U.S. Court of Appeals asked lawyers for the state of Wisconsin, and for Dassey about his questioning by prosecutors and whether or not they amounted to promises of leniency. If the judges decide that Dassey was unfairly convicted, the state will have to decide whether to put him on trial again. A decision could take several months. Teresa Halbach, left was killed on Halloween 2005, after she visited the Avery salvage yard in Manitowoc County. Investigators claim Avery, right, lured her by asking her to take photos of a car During his interview, Dassey led investigators to several key findings that aided in their arrest of his uncle, Steven Avery, including a bullet containing Teresa's DNA in Avery's garage and to Avery's DNA on the hood latch of her car. Lead prosecutor for the case, Ken Kratz, announced this week the release of his tell-all book: Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What 'Making a Murderer' Gets Wrong. He claims that the popular Netflix series' filmmakers omitted crucial information that investigators uncovered that proved the guilt of Dassey and his Uncle Avery. An 'agitated' bull is on the loose in New York after it escaped from a livestock auction show. The huge beast bolted when its owner was unloading it from a trailer outside a barn in Cambridge. It was almost hit by a car. The animal was last seen on Route 78. Police in Cambridge and New York are searching for the animal, and authorities are warning people to stay away from it, ABC reports. Police were called after the bull bolted outside the livestock auction last night (Stock picture) The animal bolted while its owner was unloading a trailer outside a barn in Cambridge After news of the animal's disappearance broke, Twitter user Josh Fiske wrote: 'A bull lose in my town? WHAT?! No I am not lying. We have a mad bull lose in my town. He got lose from an auction. So be safe.' A fugitive on Texas' top ten most wanted list has voluntarily surrendered himself to cops. Gilbert Garza, 33, turned himself in at the Travis County Justice Complex in Austin, Texas on Tuesday, just weeks after the state put him on its most wanted list. Garza said he was shocked to find out that he was on the state's most wanted list, and wanted to let the public know that he isn't 'armed and dangerous.' 'It's a prior life. He's moved on in his life, living a peaceful existence with his wife and children,' his attorney, Rachel Messer, told Fox 7. Gilbert Garza seen saying an emotional goodbye to loved ones as he turns himself in to authorities on Tuesday in Austin, Texas Garza decided to turn himself in upon learning that he had been placed on Texas' top-ten most wanted list Authorities believe Garza to be anything but a peaceful family man, however. In January of 2016, police suspected Garza of burglarizing the home of a 97-year-old woman. When police went to question him, he somehow escaped. 'He's moved on in his life, living a peaceful existence with his wife and children,' said Garza's attorney, Rachel Messer (right, pictured with her client far left) A few days later, police say, Garza and an accomplice returned to the same house and burglarized it a second time, spraying the 97-year-old woman with pepper spray when she confronted them. When deputies visited Garza for questioning again, he yelled that he was going to kill them if they entered his house, police say. 'We do run into this failed memory, and this forgetfulness,' Deputy U.S. Marshal Hector Gomez of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force said, musing on Garza's protestations of innocence. Gomez pointed out Garza's criminal history of arrest for assault and burglary. Authorities say the man is a confirmed member of the Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos gang. But Garza's lawyers say he's left gang life behind, and argue that the obstruction charges are too minor to be a 'most wanted' felon. Garza is currently being held on bond of $750,000. This is the moment the ex-wife of Donald Trump's Labor secretary pick told Oprah back in 1990 that her former husband battered her and vowed revenge over domestic violence allegations. The recently uncovered clip from the Oprah Winfrey show emerged as Andrew Puzder's nomination to lead the Labor Department encountered Republican resistance ahead of his hearing on Thursday. The Oprah episode titled 'High Class Battered Women', which was published by Politico on Tuesday, featured the Carl's Jr. CEO's ex-wife Lisa Fierstein revealing the claims of marital abuse. Fierstein appeared on the show in disguise wearing sunglasses, a wig and using the name Ann as she claimed she called the police on Puzder as she spoke of the alleged abuse. Andrew Puzder's ex-wife Lisa Fierstein (above) appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1990 when she revealed marital abuse allegations Andrew Puzder's nomination to be labor secretary is endangered, with four GOP senators expressing reservations 'I wound up losing everything, everything. I have nothing. He has a Porsche and a Mercedes-Benz. He has the home. He has everything. He was an attorney and he knew how to play the system,' she said on Oprah. 'Most men who are in positions like that don't leave marks. The damage that I sustained you can't see. It's permanent... They don't hit you in the face. They're too smart. They don't hit you in front of everyone.' The episode featured other women who were also allegedly abused by their husbands. Puzder's ex-wife first accused him of domestic abuse when they filed for divorce in 1989 in St. Louis, Missouri. She later retracted the claims of abuse about eight months after appearing on Oprah during a 1990 child custody agreement. Fierstein wrote a letter to the committee saying that she was hesitant to appear on the show, 'but encouraged by friends and became caught up in the notion of a free trip to Chicago and being a champion of women and women's issues. I regret my decision to appear on that show.' Her divorce filings alleged Puzder attacked, choked and throwing his wife to the ground, The Riverfront Times reported in December. She said Puzder: 'hit me in the head, pushed his knees into my chest, twisted my arm and dragged me on the floor, threw me against a wall, tried to stop my call to 911 and kicked me in the lower back'. Puzder denied the abuse allegations at the time and in a deposition for his divorce. He called the allegations 'baseless'. The episode featured other women who also alleged abuse at the hands of their husbands. Fierstein later retracted the claims about eight months after appearing on Oprah Fierstein appeared on the show in disguise wearing sunglasses, a wig and using the name Ann Cabinet nominee Andrew Puzder's ex-wife appeared on the Oprah Winfrey (above) show in disguise to make claims of physical abuse Although the tape's existence was reported last month, a copy of the episode wasn't previously known to have been located. Senators on the HELP committee, which will hold Puzder's hearing later this week, are said to be reviewing a copy of the Oprah episode behind closed doors. Senator Susan Collins of Maine who voted against Betsy DeVos to be Education Secretary revealed this week she had viewed the episode containing claims of marital abuse. 'I'm going to wait until the issues that have arisen are fully explored at his hearing,' Collins told Capitol reporters, the Washington Post reported. 'I am reviewing the other information that has come to light and I'm sure all of this will be explored thoroughly' - but she didn't specify what other information is of concern. Others who are holding off support in the 52-48 Republican Senate are Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski who also opposed DeVos, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. All four have informed GOP leaders of their reservations, CNN reported. Collins spent time on the video. 'I have gone to review the Oprah show for an hour on which his former wife appeared and I'm reviewing the other information that has come to light. I'm sure all of this will explored fully,' she said. Puzder's nomination hit another bump when it was revealed he had employed a domestic worker who wasn't here legally. He said he paid back taxes and let the worker go after he discovered their illegal status. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) says she has viewed videotape of Andrew Puzder's ex-wife during her appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show President of CKE Restaurants at a Carls Jr. Restaurant in Carpinteria with a turkey burger, Protesters hold signs during a demonstration against U.S. Labor Secreatary nominee CKE CEO Andrew Puzder outside of the CKE Restaurants, Inc. headquarters on February 13, 2017 in Anaheim, California Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave a full-throated endorsement last week, telling reporters he backed the nomination 'enthusiastically.' Labor groups have also bashed Puzder for his company's use of minimum wage labor. The firm, CKE Resaurants, includes Carl's Jr. and Hardee's chain restaurants. Carl's Jr. became known for its racy TV ads featuring women in states of undress eating hamburgers. D.C. interest groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the National Restaurant Association are using their muscle to try to push the nomination through. Any Democrats who might think about backing Puzder are getting a preview of the base opposition he is encountering. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren sent him a 28-page letter on Monday, the LA Times reported. 'My staff's review of your 16-year tenure as CEO of CKE Restaurants, Inc.reveals that you've made your fortune by squeezing the very workers you'd be charged with protecting as Labor Secretary out of wages and benefits,' she wrote. A former Rebels bikie president who went missing on the weekend has been found dead in the back seat of a luxury sports car. Ricky Ciano, 35, vanished in Sydney on Saturday night just months after surviving an alleged pizza delivery assassination plot for deserting the gang. His body was found in a white BMW just outside of Oberon, in the Central Tablelands of NSW, at 7.45pm on Tuesday. Rachel Ciano, his pregnant wife, posted a desperate plea for information on his Facebook page on Monday night after he failed to show up to see his daughter. It's believed Mr Ciano had been left dead in the car for a couple of days, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Homicide squad detectives and forensic specialist experts are working to investigate the cause of his death, which police are treating as suspicious. Former Sydney Rebels bikie president Ricky Ciano, 35 has been found dead in a luxury car His body was found in a white BMW just outside of Oberon, in the Central Tablelands of NSW, at 7.45pm on Tuesday His wife Rachel had been calling out for information on Mr Ciano's whereabouts using his Facebook account (the married couple are pictured together) It's believed Mr Ciano (left) had been left dead in the car for a couple of days, and forensic specialists are now inspecting the vehicle (right) Mr Ciano's wife took to his Facebook account on Monday night to post a desperate plea for help. She said he had last been seen in Penrith, in western Sydney, on Saturday where he was supposed to be visiting his daughter. 'If anyone has seen or spoken to Ricky in the past two days please contact his family ASAP,' his wife wrote using Mr Ciano's Facebook account. The 35-year-old father-of-five was last heard when he spoke to his wife about 8.20pm on Saturday. It's believed Rachel Ciano is due to give birth to his son in July, according to posts on her personal Facebook page. Tributes for Mr Ciano flowed on his missing person's Facebook page, with friends describing him as a 'gentleman' and 'champion guy' who would do anything for his kids. 'Local detectives, with the assistance of the State Crime Command's homicide squad, are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man's death,' NSW Police said in a statement on Wednesday. Friends and family described Mr Ciano as a 'gentleman' and 'champion guy' who would do anything for his kids (pictured with wife above) It's believed Rachel Ciano is due to give birth to Ricky's son in July, according to posts on her personal Facebook page Homicide squad detectives and forensic specialist experts are working together to investigate the cause of his death Mr Ciano reportedly left the Rebels bikie gang in 2015 when he moved from Sydney to the Gold Coast for a lifestyle change Mr Ciano left the Sydney chapter of the Rebels Bikie gang in 2015 when he moved to the Gold Coast for a 'lifestyle change' and after surviving an attempt on his life outside his Central Coast home, according to Sydney Morning Herald. Abuzar Sultani, a former Burwood Rebels member, had allegedly been offered $500,000 to kill him in a staged pizza delivery soon after he left the gang Mr Ciano survived an alleged hit at his Central Coast home in 2015 after leaving the bikie gang. Abuzar Sultani, a former Burwood Rebels member, had allegedly been offered $500,000 to kill him in a staged pizza delivery. But when Sultani allegedly appeared at the home, Mr Ciano didn't open the door. Soon after, police stopped a van linked to the alleged plot and found weapons inside. A Missing Person page was set up on Facebook for Mr Ciano on Monday night Mr Ciano moved to the Gold Coast for a new lifestyle. He is pictured with his wife His wife had been desperately seeking information on his whereabouts with fears for his safety (Mr Ciano is pictured with his wife) A statement tendered in court says highway patrol officers allegedly found ballistic vests, ballistic resistant face masks, two sawn-off shot guns, an automated firearm with a silencer, two revolvers and a balaclava. Police allege Sultani's DNA was found on a plastic water bottle in the van, which members of Sultani's group allegedly conspired to steal back to reclaim the firearms. Mr Sultani is in custody charged with conspiracy to murder. Separately, he is also charged over the alleged murder of Pasquale Barbaro alongside other alleged gang members. Anyone with information about Mr Ciano's whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Alicja Dworakowska, 29, pictured with her five-year-old daughter who is also missing Police are urging a heavily pregnant woman to get in touch after she was reported missing with her five-year-old daughter. Alicja Dworakowska and her daughter, from the Beeston area of Leeds, were last heard from on Monday, West Yorkshire Police said. The force urged Ms Dworakowska, or anyone who knows where she is, to contact police. The 29-year-old is described as white, heavily pregnant, with blonde-ginger, shoulder-length hair and freckles. She was last seen wearing a black, water-repellent coat. Her daughter is white with blonde hair and was wearing a pink hat, with earflaps down the side, a beige coat and a pink dress. Detective Inspector James Entwistle, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said police 'urgently' need to trace Alicja and her daughter. Ms Dworakowska and her girl were last heard from on Monday, West Yorkshire Police said He said: 'We are very concerned for Alicja and her daughter's welfare and urgently need to trace her and check that she is OK. We would ask that she contact us immediately. 'We would also like to hear from anyone who has seen them since yesterday afternoon or who has any information that could assist in tracing them.' Anyone with information is asked to contact the Special Operations Room at Elland Road via 101 quoting log number 1018 of February 14. At least two people were killed when an out of control oil tanker smashed into a religious parade. Another three people were seriously injured during the horrific crash in Guangdong, China on February 13. Villagers from nearby Meizhou were celebrating their ancestors with a parade of drum music and dancing when the accident happened. Villagers from nearby Meizhou were celebrating their ancestors with a parade (pictured) of drum music and dancing A man was filming the festivities and captured the parade making its way down the rural road when the lorry suddenly comes into shot. It can be seen heading straight for the people and, as it get closer, the driver appears incapable of slowing the vehicle down. He helplessly honked his horn in a bid to warn the parade members but the truck was moving so fast several do not have time to get out of the way. A villager filming the festivities captured the parade making its way down the rural road as the speeding lorry approaches in the distance The driver appears incapable of to slowing the vehicle down. A panicked woman helplessly ran along the guard rail to escape The tanker only stopped when it careered into a nearby ditch (pictured). Detectives have set up a crash investigation team to find out the exact circumstances behind the smash The video shows a panicked woman trapped along the guard rail as she desperately tried to escape the speeding truck. The tanker only stopped when it careered off the road and into a ditch. The driver claimed his vehicle's brakes failed and he was unable to stop. Detectives have set up a crash investigation team and driver remains in police custody, according to local media. An Adolf Hitler impersonator, complete with military garb and a cropped moustache, has been arrested close to the Nazi leader's birthplace. The man, named Harald Zenz was detained near the Austrian border town of Braunau am Inn where Adolf Hitler was born. Zenz posed for photographs with passers-by in the town, dressed in a military-style coat. He had his hair slicked to the side and was sporting a toothbrush moustache, similar to Hitler's own personal style. Doppleganger Harald Zenz, pictured, has been arrested by Austrian police for glorifying Adolf Hitler after he was spotted parading around the Fuhrer's birthplace of Braunau am Inn Zenz was photographed earlier in the week wearing his Adolf Hitler costume Glorifying or praising the dead Nazi dictator is against the law in Austria On at least one occasion, the man was photographed in front of the house where Hitler was born in what was then part of Austria-Hungary in 1889. It appears the mysterious figure has frequented the town on a number of occasions with dozens of locals claiming they have seen the man wondering the streets. He was spotted in a local bookstore browsing through magazines about World War Two. The man is also said to have visited a local bar where he said his name was as 'Harald Hitler' and was overheard ordering an 'Austrian mineral water'. A stone outside the house in which Adolf Hitler was born, with the inscription 'For peace, freedom and democracy, never again fascism, millions of dead are a warning', is pictured in the northern Austrian city of Braunau am Inn One man told a local news paper: 'I have often seen this gentlemen in Braunau and wonder if this means something.' Glorifying Hitler or the Nazis is a crime in Austria and police are now investigating the matter. 'It was obvious that he glorified Hitler,' police spokesman David Furtner told AFP. Austria's parliament voted in December to buy the three-storey house where Hitler was born, which the government has rented since 1972 to control how it is used. The property has been the subject of intense debate in Austria with government paying owner, Gerlinde Pommer, rent from to keep it unused and empty. The buyout has fueled speculation that the house will be knocked down to stop it becoming a shrine to the leader. European countries were told to increase their military spending or the US will pull support for Nato in a tense summit of member states in Brussels today. New US defence secretary General James Mattis delivered the threat to Nato allies today as he joined his British counterpart Sir Michael Fallon in ramping up demands for other member states to pay their fair share. Gen Mattis insisted the new US administration still regarded the alliance as the 'fundamental bedrock' of the transatlantic community - despite Donald Trump branding it 'obsolete' just last month. New US defence secretary General James Mattis, left, delivered the threat to Nato allies today as he joined his British counterpart Sir Michael Fallon, right, in ramping up demands for other member states to pay their fair share But making clear the US would not bankroll Nato come-what-may, he added: 'America will meet its responsibilities but if your nations don't want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence.' Both the UK and the US want other Nato members to match their target of spending at least 2 per cent of GDP on defence. Gen Mattis told European members: 'No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defence of Western values. Americans cannot care more for your children's future security than you do.' He was at his first Nato summit since taking office last month. At the meeting today Sir Michael said he had urged those countries which were not meeting the 2 per cent target to at least commit to annual increases to their defence budgets. 'An annual increase that we're asking them to commit to would at least demonstrate good faith,' he said. But his message was undermined by claims earlier this week that Britain failed to meet the 2 per cent target last year. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, pictured at today's Nato summit in Brussels left, and General Jim Mattis, US Secretary of Defence, pictured right, want other Nato members to match their target of spending at least 2 per cent of GDP on defence New US defence secretary General James Mattis, pictured left alongside Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right, told European countries to increase their military spending or the US will pull support for Nato in a tense summit of member states in Brussels today Faster than expected economic growth meant expenditure on the military was equivalent to 1.98 per cent of UK plc in 2016, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The PM trumpeted Britain's commitment to the target during her visit to the White House last month. The IISS unveiled the calculations in its annual Military Balance report yesterday. However, the Ministry of Defence insisted the figures were 'wrong' and the UK was still above the threshold. And today Nato offiicals confirmed Britain remained one of just five of the allianc'es members meeting the 2 per cent target. Sir Michael - who held one-to-one talks with General Mattis - re-iterated Britain's support for demands for the other member states to do more. 'There is no uncertainty about America's commitment to Nato. The President reassured our Prime Minister that he is 100 per cent committed to Nato,' he told reporters today. Theresa May, pictured in the Copeland by-election, has repeatedly berated other Nato countries for failing to hit the target 'I am looking forward to working with US Defence Secretary James Mattis on the steps needed to modernise Nato, to make it more agile and more responsive and on how we can persuade other countries to meet their fair share of the burden by increasing their expenditure to 2 per cent.' Tory former defence minister Julian Brazier has urged the Government to change the definition of foreign aid so it can be spent on defence projects Britain's Armed Forces are involved in overseas. He also said the UK should spend more than 2 per cent of GDP on defence to reflect the growing threats against the West today. Mr Brazier said the UK should increase defence spending regardless of whether the figures were correct. He told MailOnline: 'I'm one of those who believes that we may well need to increase it beyond 2 per cent because of the threats we face in the world today. 'Russia is resurgent, obviously there's a problem with ISIS and growing issues in the Far East as well China and North Korea and so on. 'So I think that whether or not this number is correct I think we may well need to look at a higher level of defence spending.' And calling for the foreign aid budget to be used on defence projects, Mr Brazier added: 'I support the 0.7 per cent for foreign aid but I've also always thought that we need to look at the definition of that we're still tied by statute now to a 14-year-old definition at what counts at foreign aid and clearly helping countries with their security is an important part of aid. Gen Mattis, right, insisted the new US administration still regarded the alliance as the 'fundamental bedrock' of the transatlantic community' - despite Donald Trump branding it 'obsolete' just last month. Pictured, Gen Mattis with his UK counterpart Sir Michael Fallon, left 'So I wouldn't be in favour of giving up on the 0.7 per cent target but I would be in favourite of re-visiting the definition because if you're helping a country with its security, then that's clearly aid.' Gen Mattis's appearance at Nato headquarters today had been anxiously anticipated after Mr Trump appeared to question his support for the alliance during the US election campaign, describing it as 'obsolete'. While the president has since said he is committed to the alliance, his defence secretary's hardline comments will be seen as a clear sign of his determination to secure reform. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg insisted Gen Mattis had voiced a 'very strong commitment' to the alliance during the meeting, but acknowledged that more needed to be done when it came to burden-sharing. Although the alliance as a whole had halted the cuts in defence spending in 2015 and expenditure had risen last year, he said some individual member states were still 'struggling' to increase resources for their armed forces. 'We all understand that we are safer and stronger together. Especially in times of turmoil and uncertainty, we need a strong transatlantic partnership and a strong Nato,' Mr Stoltenberg said. 'Step by step, we are moving in the right direction but there is still a very long way to go.' John Joe Toner, from Co Armagh, suffered a suspected heart attack at his primary school A 10-year-old boy has died in hospital four days after suffering a suspected heart attack at his primary school. John Joe Toner, from Co Armagh, fell ill at St Malachys Primary School in Ballymoyer on Friday last week. Staff rushed to help the schoolboy, who is said to have had a pre-existing heart condition, and are understood to have performed first aid before paramedics arrived. John Joe's parents Maria and Cormac had been keeping a bedside vigil but a church spokesman said they were given the devastating news he could not be saved last night. Masses have been held at St Malachys Church in the area over the past few days. The spokesman told Belfast Live: 'Fr Murphy together with the people of the Parish and beyond wish to extend their sympathies and heartfelt Prayers to Maria, Cormac and all the Toner and McParland families on the sad passing of their son John Joe. 'The Pray Vigils that have been held will now be the greatest of comfort and support to all John Joes family and friends in the coming days. 'May the Holy Family and the Divine Mercy Bless and comfort them in their tragic and sad loss. 'Prayers will be held tomorrow (Wednesday) in St Malachys Church Ballymoyer from 7pm to support the family all are welcome.' The race to get civilians into space is heating up as Russia announced it will start selling tickets next year in a bid to beat Richard Branson and Elon Musk into orbit. KosmoKurs is steaming ahead with plans for Russia's first reusable spacecraft for tourism, which is scheduled for to launch as early as 2019. The company's CEO Pavel Pushkin has said a trip into space will cost $250,000 - the same as Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic project, which after a number of setbacks has stopped estimating when it will send passengers into orbit. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo which Richard Branson hopes will take people into space Elon Musk's SpaceX is working with NASA to help with its projects with reusable rockets. Pictured is the International Space Station 'The spacecraft will be launched from a Russian cosmodrome. Space flights will be conducted at an altitude of Yuri Gagarin's flight,' Pushkin told RIA Novosti. The trips will allow six people to travel in space for 15 minutes, of which around a third will be in weightlessness conditions. Virgin Galactic's second SpaceShipTwo performed its first free flight in December, bringing the dream of space tourism one step closer after a fatal crash in 2014 stalled the company's plans. The six-passenger, two-pilot winged space plane has been designed to take passengers on five-minute voyages into suborbital space, reaching altitude of about 62 miles for the price of $250,000 a ticket. Virgin Galactic will enter a new phase of testing after the successful free flight, with several more planned to ensure the aircraft's aerodynamics before moving onto powered flights. Mike Moses, Virgin Galactic president, said in an interview in October that it could take anywhere from eight to 15 free flights. In 2014, the VSS Enterprise was on its fourth powered flight when it crashed, dashing the company's plans to start commercial operations as early as last year. Branson's London-based Virgin Group and Aabar Investments, run by the Abu Dhabi government, combined have invested more than $500million (350 million) in Virgin Galactic, said company Chief Executive George Whitesides. More than 700 people - including Hollywood A-listers Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio - are reported to have already bought tickets for Virgin Galactic space flights. SpaceX's Elon Musk is also chairman and chief executive officer of Tesla Motors Inc SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket (left) stands vertical in advance of the Jason-3 satellite launch in January 2016 in California and it's competition - Amazon's Jeff Bezos (right) Branson's Virgin Galactic (pictured) rivals in the commercial space race include SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen Branson's rivals in the commercial space race include SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Elon Musk's plans are not limited to sending people into space, and the company is working with its main customer NASA to produce reusable rockets. They have already sent four spacecrafts into space which they have managed to return safely to earth, but the CEO has his sights set on taking a rocket beyond Mars by 2020. Musk's Interplanetary Transport System (ITS), was formerly known as the Mars Colonial Transporter (MCT). It is SpaceX's name for its privately funded development project to design and build a spaceflight system of reusable rocket engines, launch vehicles and space capsules to transport humans to Mars (and now 'beyond') and return to Earth. The spacecraft is designed to be used with the companys large Raptor rocket engine. A pilot unmanned launch is planned for 2022, and a first flight with people on board is expected to be in 2024. SpaceX has struggled with its own mishaps, when a blast destroyed Facebook's $200million Amos-6 satellite in September. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo flies over the Mojave Desert in California on April 29, 2013 Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos believes that his experience in building the online retail giant will help him orchestrate the future of space tourism. Comparing the development of the internet to the commercialisation of space, Jeff Bezos said that his space firm, Blue Origin, is prepared to do the 'heavy lifting'. The billionaire CEO said that he would bankroll the venture with his 'Amazon winnings'. Blue Origin confirmed in October it is still on schedule to send paying customers into orbit as soon as 2018. VIRGIN GALACTIC: THE CRASH In October 2014, SpaceShipTwo - a plane designed to run the first ever passenger flights into space - split into pieces as it fell to Earth over California's Mojave Desert. The vehicle broke up after the co-pilot unlocked the craft's tail wing breaking system early, which led to a sudden increase in aerodynamic forces as it passed through the sound barrier. The official accident report found the resulting aerodynamic forces caused the brakes to be applied automatically without any further action by the crew, leading to it breaking apart. Investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said no safeguards were built into system to overcome the error of the co-pilot. Advertisement But they could all be beaten by the British government. Commercial space flights could launch from the UK in just three years under new Government plans to conquer the final frontier. Science Minister Jo Johnson said draft space laws would be published within weeks and announced 10million of grant funding would be made available to space firms. The Government is bidding to win a slice of a growing 25billion global market in space flight and wants a working space port up and running by 2020. China has also revealed its ambitious plan to send commercial tour groups into space in less than a decade's time. Aerospace manufacturer, ChinaRocket, said it hoped to fly passengers to an altitude between 120 and 140 kilometres (75 and 87 miles) with a large space plane from 2025, reported People's Daily Online. The state-owned company is also building a smaller space plane that can take tourists to as high as 80 kilometres (50 miles) in the air from 2020. A 49-year-old man who sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl in a toilet block in a Perth park more than a decade ago has been jailed for the crime after DNA evidence revealed his identity. Ronald George Stayt abused the girl when she walked into the men's toilets at an oval in Medina, where he had been urinating, in 2006. The victim and other children had been playing tee-ball in Thomas Park, but she entered the toilets because she wanted to fill up a plastic bottle with water. The court heard that he pulled down the child's underwear and sexually assaulted her twice, the West Australian reports. A 49-year-old man who sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl in a toilet block in a Perth park more than a decade ago has been jailed after DNA evidence revealed his identity. Stock image 'Do you like this?' he reportedly asked her. The girl had told her mother later that day what happened but wasn't able to identify Stayt. DNA evidence was tested, but initially yielded no suspect and was then frozen. It was re-examined in 2014 using significantly advanced technology, resulting in Stayt being convicted by a jury of sexual penetration. He was jailed for four-and-a-half years for the 2006 attack with his victim looking on in court, according to the West Australian. Ronald George Stayt abused the girl when she walked into the men's toilets at an oval in Thomas Park (above, file photo) in Medina, where he had been urinating, in 2006 But Stayt has been behind bars since 2009 after being convicted of child sex offences against two other six-year-old girls. The mother of the victim said her family is 'extremely grateful' has finally been served. 'We were so shocked when the police called to say they had found the person,' she told the newspaper. 'Although the process was long and it took its toll on our whole family, we couldn't have asked for better support from everyone involved.' 'Children in our community should not be at risk in this way, when they are participating in activities in which they should surely be safe,' District Court of WA judge Stephen Scott said on Wednesday. 'Only time will tell how marked the effect on her will be.' Stayt will be eligible for parole after serving two years and six months behind bars. The first British woman to fight ISIS in Syria was splattered with blood and guts from a suicide bomber who blew himself up in front of her during a terrifying firefight. Kimberley Taylor, 27, was asleep in her camp near Raqqa when jihadis launched a 4am raid on her group's base. The maths graduate, from Blackburn in Lancashire, grabbed her gun and raced to the frontline where she was confronted by a the ISIS fighter who detonated his suicide vest just a few yards in front of her. The bloody encounter left Miss Taylor, fighting with the Kurdish Women's Defence Force, traumatised, feeling sick and unable to eat for several days. Attacked: Kimberley Taylor, the first British woman to fight ISIS in Syria, has revealed how the blood and guts of a suicide bomber splattered her during a terrifying firefight near Raqqa Ambush: The 27-year-old, above, who is working as a 'media officer' for the Women's Defence Force (YPJ) militia group, was fast asleep when the terror group attacked their base Fighting: Maths graduate Miss Taylor, who received 11 months of weapons and tactics training, grabbed her gun to fight the invading jihadis when she was confronted by the suicide bomber Another suicide bomber clambered through the six-feet deep trench surrounding her YPJ base but he was shot dead before he could blow himself up. Miss Taylor also reveal how a female sniper continued fire at the suicide bomber who covered her in blood even after the sniper had been shot in the arm. 'Only when the Daesh blew himself up and a piece of shrapnel lodged in her head did she stop fighting,' Miss Taylor told Open Democracy. 'We put up an incredible fight for three hours. Just two friends slightly injured... I'm so proud to call these people my comrades.' In a Facebook post five days ago on February 10, Miss Taylor said four of her friends were killed in another attack on a nearby base. 'You gave your lives for peace, democracy, and humanity. Your memory will live on in the revolution,' she wrote of her fallen comrades. Miss Taylor left her comfortable life in the UK for war torn Syria in March last year, when her friend's village in the northern Syria was ransacked by ISIS fighters. She could be prosecuted under the Terrorism Act 2006, which makes it a crime for Britons to be involved in a conflict abroad. Fighter: Miss Taylor also revealed how a female sniper continued shooting at the suicide bomber even after she was shot in the arm, adding: 'Only when the Daesh blew himself up and a piece of shrapnel lodged in her head did she stop fighting' In Syria: The ISIS suicide bomber blew himself up just metres away from the University of Liverpool graduate, covering her in his blood and entrails Battlefield: In a remarkable Facebook post on February 10 Miss Taylor, far left, said four of her friends were killed in another attack on a nearby base First British female fighting ISIS: Miss Taylor, pictured in Rojava, northern Syria, decided to leave the UK for Syria in March last year, after a friend's village was ransacked by ISIS fighters 'I was torn apart at the conditions refugees from Syria and southern Iraq were living under,' she said. The University of Liverpool graduate, who turned down a place at Sandhurst, has spent the past 11 months training to join the YPJ by learning Kurdish, weaponry and battlefield tactics. Her day at the group's base near Raqqa begins at 5am with a breakfast of spam, naan and tea, she has revealed. I'm willing to give my life for this. It's for the whole world, for humanity and all oppressed people, everywhere Kimberley Taylor The fighters sometimes go days without food when the truck bringing supplies fails to arrive - but Miss Taylor adds 'there's enough cigarettes though'. She told the website: 'The food on this front is horrible.' Miss Taylor often praises the women she is fighting with in northern Syria for their bravery and devotion to defeating ISIS but she has criticised US forces, who have been targeting ISIS with airstrikes, for being reckless. 'They don't fight carefully like we do and may cause unnecessary civilian deaths,' she said. Miss Taylor, who goes by the nom de guerre Zilan Dilmar, has previously claimed that she is willing to give her life for the cause in Syria. Trained: Miss Taylor, who turned down a place at Sandhurst, has spent the past 11 months training to join the YPJ by learning Kurdish, weaponry and battlefield tactics Routine: Her day at the group's base near Raqqa begins at 5am with a breakfast of spam, naan and tea, Open Democracy reports She went on: 'It's for the whole world, for humanity and all oppressed people, everywhere. 'It's not just [ISIS] killing and raping. It's its systematic mental and physical torture on a scale we can't imagine.' Miss Taylor, whose Facebook page says she lives in Al Hasakah, Syria, quit a second degree in political science at Stockholm University to work for a Swedish socialist newspaper in northern Syria. She became captivated by the Kurdish female fighters' ideology of Democratic Confederalism, a mixture of anti-capitalism and feminism. She now works for the media team of the Kurdish People's Protection Units, taking videos and photos of the battles, but she also fights when her unit comes under attack. Her father Phil, a 57-year-old former teacher from Prescot, Merseyside, said he was worried for his daughter's safety but proud of her for standing up for her beliefs. She went to live with Mr Taylor when she was 15 and has not spoken to her 57-year-old mother Mary Lang, from Chorley, for a number of years following a family argument. Concerns back home: Miss Taylor's father Phil, 57, from Prescot in Merseyside, said he was worried for her safety but proud of her for standing up for her beliefs Her daughter, a self-styled revolutionary who joins between 50 and 80 other Brits fighting alongside Kurds, is determined to help bring about the final defeat of ISIS. She said: 'Raqqa is ISIS's capital city in Syria and they won't give it up without a fight.' Raqqa is the terror group's stronghold but ISIS still holds significant territory in Syria. It seized Palmyra and its ancient ruins on December 11 and has maintained its grip ever since. It has gone so far as to threaten the government's position at the strategic T4 air base in central Syria, but the military has so far stood up to the test. The group has seized and destroyed several natural gas fields and facilities, with consequences for the national economy for years to come. The extremists also stepped up their campaign for Deir el-Zour, which has been under siege since 2015, and, for a nervous two weeks in January, forced the U.N. food agency to abandon its air drops out of safety fears. The U.N. estimates more than 90,000 civilians are trapped inside and government troops and loyal militias are fighting back. Brothers and sisters: Miss Taylor praises the Kurdish men and women for their bravery and devotion to defeating ISIS but she has criticised US forces for conducting airstrikes recklessly With the U.N. planning to convene peace talks in Geneva on February 20, hopes for success hinge on the intentions of the three powers closest to the conflict - Turkey, Russia, and Iran - who together pledged to guarantee the tenuous cease-fire. And nowhere will their intentions crystallize more clearly than in al-Bab, where each side has a stake: Turkey fighting alongside the Syrian rebels, and Russia and Iran backing the Syrian government and allied Shiite militias. The outcome in al-Bab - whether it is ultimately taken by the government or the rebels, and whether the front between the two sides stabilizes or dissolves into all- out warfare - will set the direction of future talks and any settlement. UK-bound refugees in Paris have reacted with fury to 'anti-migrant rocks' being used to prevent them sleeping rough in the French capital. It follows police using tear gas and baton charges to clear illegal camps, and also confiscating sleeping bags and tents. Now dozens of the limestone boulders have been put in place underneath a railway bridge on a long traffic island on Boulevard Ney, close to the Gare du Nord Eurostar hub. Migrants are pictured trying to sleep between rocks placed where they had been camping out A migrant man rests on the ground between blocks of limestone under a railway bridge on Blvd Ney in Paris on Wednesday Authorities in Paris dumped the limestone rocks underneath the bridge to stop migrants The area near Gare de Nord has been fenced off as well as littered with boulders They were dumped in order to make the area as uncomfortable as possible for those trying to live in the open, and are now provoking extreme anger. 'They are treating us like animals,' said Aasif Poya, a 24-year-old Afghan who arrived in Paris last week, and now hopes to get to Britain to claim asylum. 'The traffic island is a very popular place for us to sleep because it is sheltered by the railway bridge. 'Now the rocks have been put in place to stop us pitching tents, and to make sure we are as uncomfortable as possible. 'The site is also next door to an official refugee welcome centre that has only 400 beds for men arriving in Paris. There is a long queue of people trying to get in every morning, but hundreds are turned away and they have no other option but to sleep rough. 'It is an impossible situation,' said another UK-bound migrant who asked to be identified as Mohamed. 'We can't get into the centre, and are brutalised when we try to sleep nearby. All they want is for us to go away. The rocks are disgusting and inhuman.' A pigeon flies past a migrant man resting on the ground between blocks of limestone under a railway bridge Instead of pitching tents, migrants are forced to sleep between the rocks One migrant who has been forced to move has described the situation as 'inhuman' Paris authorities claim the rocks have been installed as a health and safety measure Migrants had been sleeping under a bridge near the Gare Du Nord in Paris Parisian authorities claimed the migrants were risking their lives sleeping near a busy road There have been several previous attempts to move out unofficial camps from the area The Eurostar service to St Pancras International stops at Gare Du Nord, pictured There has been a massive influx of refugees into Paris since the so-called "Jungle" refugee camp in Calais was razed last October. Some 8,000 men, women and children were dispersed to other parts of France, in an attempt to try and stop them getting into Britain illegally. Many refused to be registered, however, preferring to stay out of the French system so as to improve their chances of starting new lives in the UK. A spokesman for the Paris city council insisted that the rocks had simply been moved from a pavement nearby, and were 'not an anti-migrant device'. Instead it was a 'security issue', because people were putting themselves at risk by sleeping close to trains and a busy road. There are frequent rows in the UK when 'anti-homeless spikes' are installed to prevent people sleeping rough. Last month residents in Manchester city centre covered an area with pillows and cushions after metal spikes were installed on a sheltered area outside a private building. Manchester city council condemned the 'demeaning' measures and vowed to meet the owners of the building to try get them removed. A plane from London Heathrow to Shanghai with 186 passengers on board made an emergency landing in Siberia today. The China Eastern Airlines airbus A330-243 requested permission to land in Krasnoyarsk after an alarm indicated a fault in the aircraft's right side engine. There were 13 crew on the plane. Passengers on board the flight from Heathrow to Shanghai after the landing in Siberia The flight paths show the plane took off from London Heathrow before its unscheduled stop The China Eastern Airlines airbus A330-243, like the one pictured, requested permission to land in Krasnoyarsk after an alarm indicated a fault in the aircraft's right side engine A spokesman for Yemelyanovo airport, Krasnoyarsk reported: 'Technicians are now checking the plane. 'Passengers are in the transfer hall. 'If the cause is not resolved, an extra aircraft will be sent for them.' Later the airport authorities said a replacement aircraft was being sent to pick up the stranded passengers, according to The Siberian Times. They are expected to depart for Shanghai at 11pm local time today. A Territorial Army soldier wearing a Colonel Gaddafi fancy dress outfit on a bad taste pub crawl bit off a fellow drinker's ear and spat it on the floor, a court has heard. Geraint Jones, 25, was then allegedly seen 'giving high fives in the street' while dressed in a black curly wig and bright orange tribal robes. Jurors were told his alleged victim, Gwynant Jones, gave police a vivid description of the Halloween attacker, who was spotted on CCTV in his garb as the Libyan dictator. Jones was accused of carrying out the 'cowardly and unprovoked' attack on the fancy dress night out with friends on a 'bad taste' pub crawl. Attacker: Geraint Jones (pictured left outside court), 25, was wearing a Colonel Gaddafi outfit (right) on a bad taste pub crawl when he bit off a fellow drinker's ear Prosecutor Ian Wright told how the Gaddafi-clad reveller was in the bar for just six minutes when he sank his teeth into the left ear of his victim and ripped part of it off. Mr Wright said: 'He was seen giving high fives in the street afterwards.' Mobile app designer Gwynant Jones, 25, was at the bar at the Academy in Aberystwyth, West Wales, when he was 'savaged' by his attacker. Mr Wright said: 'He approached from behind and placed his hands on his shoulder before biting his left ear - ripping the lower section off.' Mr Jones said: 'All I can remember is being at the bar and then suddenly feeling a lot of pain. Geraint Jones, 25, was then allegedly seen 'giving high fives in the street' while dressed in a black curly wig and bright orange tribal robes. He bit off the ear of Gwynant Jones (pictured) Attacked: Mobile app designer Gwynant Jones, 25, was at the bar at the Academy in Aberystwyth, West Wales, when he was 'savaged' by his attacker. His injured ear is pictured) 'I leaned forward and I think that's when my ear must have ripped off and I saw lots of blood.' He said he had not spoken nor argued with the fancy dress party before being attacked. The court heard the severed ear lobe was later recovered from the floor by a barman but it was not possible to reattach it. Former Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi Mr Jones had an operation at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, and needs further reconstructive surgery. Attacker Jones admits biting him - but insists he did not mean for the victim's ear to be torn off. He claimed the ear lobe was accidentally torn off when another man tried to 'pull' him away. Friend William Skinner told how he stepped in to separate the two. But he said: 'The damage had already been done by that time.' Jones, of Aberystwyth, has pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm. He denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The trial continues. The suspected killer of British holidaymaker Daryl Bhandal has been released from a Tenerife jail after less than 24 hours behind bars. Fellow Briton John Vout, 27, was allowed to leave prison on Tuesday after posting bail following his initial prison remand following a court hearing on Monday behind closed doors. The amount of cash he deposited with the court in the municipality of Arona in the south of the island has not been revealed. John Vout has been released from custody after appearing in court in Tenerife over the death of fellow holidaymaker Daryl Bhandal (pictured), from south east London Neither of the two Britons held over the incident, which happened just after midnight on Friday at the four-star Lagos de Cesar Hotel (pictured) in Puerto de Santiago, have been formally charged as is normal in Spain where charges are only laid shortly before trial. Mr Bhandal died in hospital around 3am on Saturday hours after the fight in the hotel It is thought he will have to remain on the island along with his British girlfriend Michelle Petersen, also arrested and facing an ongoing judicial probe over father-of-two Mr Bhandal's death, for the time being. Michelle, 27, was bailed at her court hearing on Monday rather than being remanded in custody. Building firm director Mr Bhandal died in hospital around 3am on Saturday after suffering head injuries during a fight a couple of hours earlier at a four-star hotel where he was celebrating his 36th birthday. The dead man and Mr Vout are said to have come to blows after a verbal row which reportedly turned violent when Miss Petersen threw a cleaner's wet floor sign at Mr Bhandal. Police were unable to confirm reports father-of-two Mr Bhandal, from Woolwich, south east London, was attacked after cracking a joke about Miss Petersen's make-up. It is understood Mr Vout was also taken to hospital after being bitten on the mouth during the altercation and losing part of his lower lip which was subsequently found on the floor. A local report claimed he had declined an operation after being told he had to pay for it out of his own pocket. Police were unable to confirm reports father-of-two Mr Bhandal (pictured), from Woolwich, south east London, was attacked after cracking a joke about Miss Petersen's make-up Neither of the two Britons held over the incident, which happened just after midnight on Friday at the four-star Lagos de Cesar Hotel in Puerto de Santiago, have been formally charged as is normal in Spain where charges are only laid shortly before trial. Mr Vout has been officially made an 'investigado', a new legal term in Spain which literally means 'under investigation'. It is not known where in the UK he and his partner, who were staying at the same hotel as Mr Bhandal and his girlfriend, are from. Friends took to social media to pay tribute to Mr Bhandal (pictured) in the hours after his death It is understood pathologists have ordered further tests after an initial post-mortem indicated the Brit's death from a heart attack could have been down to a mixture of the large amount of alcohol he had drunk along with the blows he received during the altercation. The results of the post-mortem have not been made public as is customary in Spain. The final expert conclusions about his death are expected to play a part in the formal accusation prosecutors will end up making against Mr Vout. Tributes have been paid on Facebook to Mr Bhandal by family and friends. Pal Laura Brown wrote: 'From when I was a teenager and knew you as 'market boy' to becoming a work colleague and friend over the years, you were one of the funniest, most generous, kindest blokes I've ever met. 'My heart breaks for your kids, Amy and your family, that they have lost you. 'No more WhatsApp voice notes or video messages, just can't stop thinking how terrible it is.' Brexiteers have slapped down the European parliament's chief negotiator after he claimed Winston Churchill would have backed staying in the EU. Guy Verhofstadt quoted from the 'British Bulldog' as he insisted the wartime leader wanted the UK to play a 'decisive part' in the bloc. The comments came during a bad-tempered debate on the future of the EU in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. They drew a furious response from UK MEPs including Nigel Farage - who accused Europhile counterparts of behaving like a 'religious sect'. Guy Verhofstadt quoted from 'British Bulldog' Churchill as he insisted the wartime leader wanted the UK to play a 'decisive part' in the bloc Mr Verhofstadt, who leads the liberal ALDE group in the parliament and will play a key role in the looming Brexit talks, admitted that the EU was 'in crisis' Mr Verhofstadt, who leads the liberal ALDE group in the parliament and will play a key role in the looming Brexit talks, admitted that the EU was 'in crisis'. But he said the answer was a 'Europe that delivers' rather than breaking up the union. Mr Verhofstadt deployed a line from Churchill's famous speech at the University of Zurich where he mooted a United States of Europe. 'In May 1947, in the Albert Hall in London Churchill, the British Bulldog, made it very clear what he wanted,' he said. 'And I quote: 'I present the idea of a United Europe in which our country will play a decisive part... as a member of the European family.' 'Yes, the Tories were openly pro-European at that time.' Mr Verhofstadt went on: 'The Eurosceptics in this house can twist and turn the words from the British Bulldog all they want. 'It is a fact that they have professionally squandered Winston Churchill's legacy.' But Mr Farage shot back: 'I feel like I'm attending a meeting of a religious sect here this morning. 'It's as if the global revolution of 2016; Brexit, Trump, the Italian rejection of the referendum, has completely bypassed you. 'Mr Verhofstadt this morning said that people want more Europe - they don't. Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage accused Europhiles of behaving like a 'religious sect' 'The fact is the European Union has no future at all in its current form and I suspect you're in for as big a shock in 2017 as you were in 2016.' Ashley Fox, leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, said: 'Britain did not vote to leave because there is not enough Europe. 'Whatever the question is, the answer is always the same; more Europe. So he calls for the Commission to be the EU government and for parliament to have the power to levy taxes on EU citizens. 'Instead of listening to people this report is telling them that Brussels knows best.' Tesla CEO Elon Musk has doubled down on his support of a universal basic income as a possible solution for unemployment caused by the rise of machines equipped with artificial intelligence taking over the workforce. A universal basic income would give a standard amount of money to every citizen to cover basic expenses like food and living costs each month. At the World Government Summit in Dubai on Monday, Musk told a crowd that universal basic income is 'going to be necessary' in the future. Tesla CEO Elon Musk told a crowd at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Monday (pictured) that universal basic income is 'going to be necessary' in the future Musk first joined the growing list of tech executives supporting the payment system in November when he spoke about the concept in an interview with CNBC. Former President Barack Obama warned Congress in March that by 2030, as many as 50 per cent of jobs could be replaced by robots, leaving millions of people without work. The tech CEO (pictured above on Monday) did, however, voice his skepticism over the payment system 'There will be fewer and fewer jobs that a robot cannot do better,' Musk said on Monday of the future of employment. 'I want to be clear. These are not things I wish will happen; these are things I think probably will happen.' He added that the rise in automation could mean an increase in society's wealth. 'The output of goods and services will be extremely high. With automation, there will come abundance,' Musk said. 'Almost everything will get very cheap.' The new wealth could theoretically be redistributed to give people financial security, even if they're out of work. Musk did, however, voice his skepticism over the payment system - worrying that people might lost their purpose if they don't have to work. 'The much harder challenge is, how are people going to have meaning?' the CEO of Tesla, SolarCity, and SpaceX asked. 'A lot of people derive their meaning from their employment. 'So if there's no need for your labor, what's your meaning? Do you feel useless? That's a much harder problem to deal with.' In his interview with CNBC last year, Musk, said certain jobs, like truck driving, may soon be lost to automated technologies. Musk said basic income could be a possible solution for unemployment caused by the rise of machines equipped with artificial intelligence taking over the workforce And with machines taking over the workforce, human income would shift as well, potentially necessitating universal payments from the government. 'There is a pretty good chance we end up with a universal basic income, or something like that, due to automation,' Musk told CNBC. 'I'm not sure what else one would do with this.'I think that's what would happen.' Musk went on to explain that some people may have plans to do more 'complex' and 'more interesting' things with these capabilities in the future. This will open the door for more leisure time, he said. 'And then we have to figure out how we integrate with a world in the future with advanced AI,' Musk told CNBC, noting that this will likely be the 'toughest' part. 'Ultimately,' he said, 'it would need to be some kind of improved symbiosis with digital superintelligence.' Y Combinator President Sam Altman and Facebook cofounder Chris Hughes have also been vocal about their support of a universal basic income. Advocates for the income system say it could be cheaper to implement that people believe. 'Because a very small amount of people have an almost unimaginable amount of money at the very top, a basic income could actually decrease almost everyone else's income tax burdens except for theirs,' Scott Santens, a UBI advocate, wrote for The Huffington Post. The devastated family of a 20-year-old man have released a photo of him in intensive care after taking Spice, a synthetic form of cannabis whilst in prison. Jordan Higham was one of three men who collapsed after taking the drug at Forest Bank prison in Salford last Wednesday night. Prison officers and medics managed to save his life before he was taken to hospital. There are fears prisoners have easy access to the drug after it was linked to almost 60 deaths nationwide. Jordan Higham was one of three men who collapsed after taking the drug at Forest Bank prison Jordan was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital where was sent to the intensive care unit. His father Edd hopes the photograph of Jordan will deter others from using the drug. It comes just days after the scale of the problem being revealed in Manchester. Spice, a synthetic alternative to cannabis originally developed by accident by US university researchers, was banned last year under the Psychoactive Substances Act. Jordan, who has never been in prison before and is under police guard in hospital, suffered swelling to the brain and is now in a serious but stable condition. Edd says his eldest son finally opened his eyes last night but did not recognise him. He said: 'It's not easy because we just don't know the outcome. He will probably need permanent help. I don't think he will come out of it the same person. 'The worrying thing was when they said there was swelling and not much electrical activity after the brain scan. 'They need to do a more detailed scan and we should get the results tomorrow. I saw him awake for the first time last night. He was looking around but he didn't recognise me.' Jordan, who has spent time living on the streets, had most recently been living with a friend in Bolton. Father-of-six Edd, from Atherton, Wigan, said he offered Jordan a place to stay many times but he refused. He said Jordan has been known to take drugs in the past but had never touched Spice before. The father said he cannot understand how his son was able to gain access to Spice while in prison. He said: 'Last Wednesday the police knocked on my door and asked if I was Jordan's dad and told me what had happened. I didn't even know he was in prison. They said he had been in for six days on remand. I was just in shock and went straight up to see him. 'They said it was from Spice but it must have been a dodgy lot. They said there were three people that night who had collapsed from it in Forest Bank. Jordan must have had most of it. There are fears prisoners have easy access to the drug after it was linked to almost 60 deaths nationwide (Forest Bank prison in Salford pictured) Jordan was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital where was sent to the intensive care unit 'I asked the officer 'how has he ended up with it in prison?' They just said they do searches but some of it always remains.' Edd is now warning anyone who may consider taking Spice to stay away from the drug. He said: 'Just don't bother. I think people think that just because in the past it was legal it will still be okay to take it. It destroys families and wrecks lives.' Edd has spoken out after a youth support worker talked about Manchester's Spice epidemic. Julie Boyle said she knows of at least four deaths linked to Spice, either because their hearts have stopped or it has made them suicidal. She said that people have been raped, trafficked and forced into prostitution because of the highly-potent drug. The 'synthetic cannabinoids' collectively known as Spice were banned by the government last April. But they are still widely available on Manchester's streets and in many of the country's prisons. Greater Manchester Police said Spice and similar substances are now a 'big community safety issue in the centre of Manchester'. A Prison Service spokesman said: 'We are taking unprecedented action to tackle drugs in prisons, including mandatory drug testing with extra time behind bars for those caught using banned substances. 'We are also introducing tough new laws to deal with people smuggling new psychoactive substances into jails and increasing use of sniffer dogs and cell searches across the estate.' Police have arrested a British mother accused of faking her own death for a 140,000 pay-out but was found hiding in Canada. The woman, 45, who has not been named, was held by fraud detectives along with her 19-year-old son and his 24-year-old guardian. The younger parties allegedly presented fake documents claiming the mother had died in a car crash in Zanzibar. But after the insurance firm grew suspicious of the documents, they refused to pay out and handed the case over to the police. Case: The woman, who has not been named, was held by fraud detectives along with her 19-year-old boy and his 24-year-old guardian after she handed herself in at Perry Barr Police Station in the West Midlands (pictured) When the son, from Walsall, West Midlands, was arrested he admitted his mother was alive and living in Canada. The 45-year-old woman was asked to return to the UK and was arrested at Perry Barr Police Station on her return. The 24-year-old old guardian was also interviewed by police, and all three have been bailed until April. The son and his guardian appear to have submitted a fake death certificate and road traffic accident reports to claim on the mother's life insurance in May 2016. The company referred the case on to the City of London Police's Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department which launched an investigation late last year. Dramatic dash cam footage captured the moment a pony crashes into the side of a family car as it was driven across a national beauty spot. The grey pony is only visible for a second as he runs across the path of the car, hitting the passenger side in an unavoidable accident. Peter Jones, 72, and his wife Carol, 70, were driving along the B3054 near Lymington, in the New Forest, when the crash happened - causing 15,000 of damage to their rental Ford Kuga. Peter Jones, 72, and his wife Carol, 70, were driving along the B3054 near Lymington, in the New Forest, when a pony dashed out in front of them The couple were taking about how dark the road (pictured) was and how impossible it was to see the animals just moments before the accident Dramatic dash cam footage captured the moment the grey pony crashed into the side of the family car as it was driven across a national beauty spot Moments before the crash the could were talking about how you could not see where the animals were because it was so dark. The pony ran into the car and caused the windscreen to 'explode' and a fragment of glass flew into Mrs Jones' eye. A recent spate of pony deaths in the Forest has sparked complaints that motorists are driving too fast and should be made to cut their speed. But Mr Jones was travelling at well below the 40mph limit when the animal crashed into the passenger side of his car without warning. He said: 'I'd just slowed down because of the poor light but it made no difference, which just goes to show that accidents can happen regardless of speed.' The pony is thought to have been running away from a dog when it smashed into the vehicle. Mr Jones, a retired engineer from Lymington, said: 'A witness said the animal was going flat out when it came out of the gorse. The pony didn't deviate and just piled into us. 'The windscreen exploded there's no other word to describe it and my wife ended up with a flake of glass in her eye. It had to be removed in hospital but luckily didn't cause any permanent damage. A witness said the animal was going flat out when it came out of the gorse and dashed into the road The couple were 'gutted' when the forest pony died from its injuries by the road side. They released the video because they wanted other to see the 'dangers that exist in the Forest' 'Sadly the animal died from its injuries a few minutes later. I love the forest ponies and was absolutely gutted.' His son, Mark Thurston-Jones, 45, a corporate image consultant, added: 'My reaction when I saw the dash cam footage for the first time was utter shock. 'I literally let out a yelp and everyone else I've shown it to has done the same. 'Drivers need to see the video because it's an illustration of the dangers that exist in the Forest. 'Even when you're sticking to the speed limit accidents can still happen. My father didn't see the pony prior to the impact the collision was totally unavoidable. 'The car is brand new, it's a mobility car as mum is disabled. The accident really knocked mum's confidence. The accident caused 15,000 worth of damage to the couple's rented Ford Kuga. The windscreen exploded and Mrs Jones had to have a flake of glass removed from her eye in hospital 'My dad is quite a strong character but even he was shaken up a little by what happened. 'My sister called me to say what had happened. When I rang my parents they were distraught it was a very traumatic incident.' This week, commoners announced they are taking their ponies out of the New Forest because of the number of crashes claiming their animals' lives after four ponies were killed in eight days. Campaigners have launched a petition for speed restrictions on the B3078 from Godshill to Cadnam through the New Forest. The New Forest has a long history of commoning - a system where certain people, known as commoners, have the right to release animals onto the open forest. Common rights were once widespread in Britain and Europe, but have been lost in many areas due to the enclosure of common land and the demise of former royal forests. Policeman Peter Forsyth (pictured) was killed in Ultimo, Sydney, in 1998 The wife of a police officer stabbed to death by a teenager describes confronting her husband's killer in prison, months before he was released nine years early. Murray Hearne was 18-years-old when he stabbed Sydney police officer Peter Forsyth and seriously wounded fellow officer Jason Semple in 1998, after approaching the off-duty policemen and offering them drugs. Constable Forsyth's wife Jackie Reimer and his two small children, Mitchell and Brodie, were sleeping at their family home, less than a hundred metres, from where the tragedy occurred. The father-of-two, and rookie Mr Semple were unarmed and off-duty with another officer, Brian Neville, when they left drinks at an Ultimo hotel in inner-Sydney. They were approached by Hearne, who offered to sell the off-duty officers drugs, believed to be ecstacy. The trio detained him and tried to check Hearne's ID, when the 18-year-old pulled out a knife. He fatally stabbed Constable Forsyth twice in the heart, and his colleague Semple twice in the stomach. Scroll down for video The wife of Sydney police officer Peter Forsyth who was stabbed to death by a teenager, broke down in tears as she described telling her young son that 'a man hurt daddy with a knife' Constable Forsyth's wife Jackie Reimer (centre) and his two small children, Mitchell and Brodie, were sleeping at home, less than a hundred metres, from where the tragedy occurred Years after the tragedy, Ms Reimer would confront her husband's killer, but it was not a meeting that came to her easily. 'I'm not going to take his apology and hear his excuses and make him feel better. So I always just said no,' she said on Wednesday night's episode of Murder Uncovered. Months before he was released in 2014 however, Ms Reimer changed her mind and agreed to meet with Hearne at his NSW prison. 'I started thinking about it and thought, you know, this is going to be my only opportunity to actually get some answers.' She describes Hearnes as being 'very nervous' and not some 'tough kid' anymore. 'He was like physically like hyperventilating and shaking and sweating, and he was really very nervous,' she said. 'He told me where he threw the knife, in a garbage bin.' She said she would never forgive her husband's murderer. 'I went there on my terms and got what I wanted. I didn't want to give him anything back. He doesn't deserve anything from me, as far as I'm concerned; he's already taken too much. But I got what I wanted.' Jackie (right) took Mitch aside and told him that somebody had hurt dad with a knife and the doctors couldn't fix him Jackie broke down in tears as she recalled having to tell her son his father was dead Earlier in the episode Ms Reimer broke down in tears, as she described the night her husband was killed. Her nightmare beginning when she was awoken by knocking on the front door. 'I was fast asleep, in bed with the baby and I heard knocking on the door,'Constable Forsyth's widow said. 'I thought Pete had forgotten his key.' Instead Ms Reimer, holding her six-month-old baby in her arms, was greeted by police officers who told her that her husband had been killed. 'I asked for some sort of help for the kids because I didn't know how I was going to break the news to Mitchell,' a tearful Jackie said. 'I didn't know how I was going to tell him, I didn't know what to say.' She waited for Mitchell, also known as Mitch, to wake up as their inner-Sydney home filled with people. 'He woke up and I took him aside, away from everybody else and I just told him somebody had hurt dad. 'They had a knife and the doctors couldn't fix him. They tried and tried and they couldn't fix him. He's dead.' Hearne was sentenced to 27 years prison for the murder of Constable Forsyth and seriously wounding Mr Semple. Cop killer Murray Hearne, now 37, was released from prison nine years early, and went on to marry a psychologist he met behind bars. A Channel Seven investigation reveals the married couple have had a baby boy together. Hearne (right) was released from prison in March 2014, after 16 years, during that time he begun a relationship with his prison psychologist, with whom he had a child Hearne lives in Wagga Wagga, with Ms Bergmeier (pictured) who is now his wife and their baby boy Hearne and his three mates fled the scene, sparking a massive manhunt. Days later, in the early hours of the morning, he phoned a reporter at Daily Telegraph and made a chilling confession - while pretending he had acted in self-defence. The reporter, Barclay Crawford, stayed on the phone to the killer for hours while police swarmed Hearne's apartment. The 18-year-old was then arrested and charged. Hearne was sentenced to 27-years in a NSW prison, but would only serve 16. In his time at Junee Correctional Centre, Hearne met a young psychologist, Bobbie Bergmeier. Four years before he was released, the convicted killer and psychology intern began a relationship. Hearne fatally stabbed Constable Peter Forsyth twice in the heart, and Jason Semple (pictured) twice in the stomach Constable Forsyth and rookie Mr Semple (right) were unarmed and off-duty with another officer Brian Neville (left) when they were confronted by Hearne who tried to sell them drugs Ms Bergmeier split with her then-fiance to be with Hearne, and he was freed in March 2014. The couple, now married, live in the NSW city of Wagga Wagga, with their baby boy. He will be one-year-old in April. After the birth of the baby boy, Hearne wrote on Facebook: 'A new life added to this world.' Axe murderer Keith Schreiber was one of those to congratulate Hearne on his new family on the Facebook post. 'Very happy days bro! Great to see you and yours doing so well man, welcome,' Schreiber wrote. Constable Forsyth's devastated wife Jackie was left to raise two small children following the murder of her husband Mitchell and Brodie were deprived of a life with their father after he was stabbed to death by Hearne The axe murderer killed Wollongong man Jack Van Krevel and spent 12-years behind bars. Constable Forsyth's widow Jackie Reimer said she he has had to accept the killer was now free with a family of his own, but hoped he could be a good father. 'Lucky lad. He's got a baby. Again, I have to accept that. All I can think of is, I hope he can be a good father to this child,' Ms Reimer said. Hearne is still on parole and works as a cabinet maker. Murder Uncovered airs Wednesday 15 February at 9pm on Seven and PLUS7 Live. Labour is facing a major backlash over leaflets warning voters in the Copeland by-election that mothers and babies 'will die' if the Tories win. The party was accused of 'terrorising the electorate' and 'utter desperation' after handing out the overblown literature in effort to salvage its campaign. Polls suggest the Tories are set to win the previously safe Labour seat for the first time since 1924. In a sign of growing confidence, Theresa May visited the area today. Mike Smithson, who runs the Political Betting website, tweeted a copy of the Labour leaflet The overblown literature was condemned by Tory MP James Cleverly But by contrast Mr Corbyn's unpopularity means Labour campaigners in the Cumbria seat want him to stay away. Mr Corbyn has already been barred from visiting the other by-election campaign in Stoke, according to insiders, who say the veteran left-wing socialist is 'not a plus on the doorstep'. Aides have confirmed the Labour leader will not visit Copeland again ahead of the February 23 by-election. Last week a YouGov survey revealed Mr Corbyn had negative approval ratings among all demographics - including among Labour's traditional working class base, northern voters, women and young people. There are also tensions between local Labour campaigners in the seat and Mr Corbyn over his anti-nuclear views. Around 20,000 jobs rely on the Sellafield nuclear plant in the constituency. Tories said his absence from the seat proved Mr Corbyn had 'given up' on Copeland. No governing party has won a by-election since the early 1980s. The controversial leaflet was tweeted by Mike Smithson, who runs the Political Betting website. Accusing the Tories of wanting to close the local A&E, children's ward and maternity ward, it warns: 'Midwives have said that if these changes go ahead, 'Mothers will die. Babies will die. Babies will be brain damaged.' The image was retweeted by Labour's campaigns coordinator Andrew Gwynne. But Conservative MP James Cleverly shot back: 'Labour jump the shark in Copeland. Claiming that 'babies will die' if you vote Conservative. pretty desperate stuff, even for them.' Fellow Tory backbencher Michael Fabricant, who has spent the past three days campaigning in Copeland, told MailOnline: 'This Labour leaflet is quite extraordinary. 'It smacks of terror - terrorising the electorate and terror of their own defeat. I am amazed that in the 21st Century a half respectable party puts out this kind of thing.' The Labour leadership is bracing itself for disaster next week as they face the humiliating prospect of losing both the Copeland and Stoke by-elections. In the Stoke-on-Trent constituency - which Labour has held since the 1950s - Ukip leader Paul Nuttall is neck-and-neck with Labour candidate Gareth Snell, who was embroiled in a sexism row this week after offensive Twitter posts were unearthed from his past. In a sign of growing Tory confidence over the Copeland contest, Theresa May visited Captain Shaw's Primary School in Bootle today The PM was joining the campaign for Tory candidate Trudy Harrison today. In stark contrast Jeremy Corbyn is not expected to visit Copeland again amid fears he is putting off voters Jeremy Corbyn has lost support of men, women, Labour voters, every age group, region and social class, a new poll has revealed But Mr Nuttall also faced humiliation after he was forced into making the humiliating confession on live radio yesterday that he had not lost 'close personal friends' at the disaster after appearing to be surprised at the words published under his own name on his official website. In Copeland three in ten Labour voters from 2015 have deserted the party, which only held the seat two years ago by 2,500 seats. Losing both seats could spell the end for Mr Corbyn, who was last week forced to make the fourth reshuffle of his 18-month leadership after four shadow cabinet ministers quit in protest at his support for Brexit. Yesterday a UK-wide poll put Labour in third place among working class voters for the first time. A YouGov survey suggested the party has the support of just 20 per cent of working-class voters behind the Tories, on 39 per cent, and Ukip on 23 per cent. Another dire poll showed Labour was set for a complete wipe-out in May's local elections in Scotland. Just 14 per cent of Scots say they will vote Labour - nearly half the number saying they will back the Tories. The Prime Minister was accused of 'ducking' concerns about the future of a planned multibillion-pound nuclear power station today. NuGen, the company behind the Moorside scheme in Cumbria, has insisted that Toshiba remains committed to the project despite doubts after the Japanese giant revealed it was on track for losses of 390 billion yen (2.7 billion) for the year to March. Toshiba has a 60 per cent stake in NuGen. Mrs May was asked about the project during a visit to Copeland in Cumbria, ahead of next week's by-election in the constituency. She said: 'The consortium involved in Moorside has been absolutely clear. They have reconfirmed their commitment to Moorside. 'The Business Secretary Greg Clark has spoken to NuGen and Toshiba in the last few days and, in fact, over the last six months, he has made three visits to Japan, working with the government there and businesses there about their investment here in the UK. 'It is the Conservatives who are committed to the nuclear industry in the UK. We have agreed the first new nuclear build in a generation here in the United Kingdom. 'We recognise - and Trudy Harrison, our candidate here in Copeland, has made very clear to me - the importance of Moorside and the importance of the nuclear industry.' A pensioner faces having to sell his home after he claimed more than 37,000 in benefits while secretly working - on a 35-a-week paper round. Roy Taylor, 71, of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, had received benefits for years on the basis that he was medically unfit to work. But he was videoed doing an early morning paper round by Department for Work and Pensions investigators, following a tip-off. Roy Taylor, 71, of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, had received benefits for years on the basis that he was medically unfit to work He was convicted of dishonestly claiming pension credits and disability benefits and was hit with a confiscation order to hand back the money. Taylor told Londons Appeal Court he will have to sell off his half-share in a house in Weston-super-Mare to pay off the debt. The court heard he had been earning 35 a week delivering papers, despite being a long-term benefit claimant. Taylor was caught on film after surveillance was taken over 11 separate days between April and May 2012. He pleaded guilty to making a dishonest representation to obtain benefits and failing to notify a change of circumstances at Bristol Crown Court. Taylor was videoed doing an early morning paper round by Department for Work and Pensions investigators, following a tip-off He was convicted of dishonestly claiming pension credits and disability benefits and was hit with a confiscation order to hand back the money Taylor was handed a seven-month suspended sentence in May 2013. Later the same year, however, he was hit with a 37,201.79 confiscation order, to claw back the money he was overpaid. Lord Justice Hamblen, at the Criminal Appeal Court, heard his bid to get that order overturned. The court heard Taylor will have to sell the house he jointly owns with his wife in Weston-super-Mare in order to pay off his debt. Taylor had claimed his mother-in-law put up the bulk of the money to buy the house - and denied owning half of it. Taylor told Londons Appeal Court he will have to sell off his half-share in a house in Weston-super-Mare to pay off the debt The court heard he had been earning 35 a week delivering papers, despite being a long-term benefit claimant But the judge, sitting with Mr Justice William Davis and Sir David Maddison, dismissed his appeal. Lord Justice Hamblen said that Land Registry records showed Taylor and his wife were joint owners of the property, and made no mention of the mother-in-law having any interest. An application for permission to appeal against his convictions was also refused. A DWP spokesman said: Only a small minority of people try to cheat the benefits system, but cases like this show how we are rooting out those who are stealing taxpayers' money and diverting it away from the people who really need it. People convicted of fraud shouldn't be able to benefit from their crimes, so we will always try to get back the money they stole. A woman reportedly had seven toothbrushes removed from her bowels last week in a hospital in China. The patient, 31, swallowed the toothbrushes, each about eight inches long, after developing an eating disorder due to immense marital pressure, according to Chinese media. The woman said her parents worried that she was getting too old and had badgered her to get married. Seven toothbrushes, each about eight inches long, were found in the Chinese woman's bowels According to Kan Kan News, 31-years-old Xiao Yun lives with her parents in Fujian Province, south-east China. Worrying that her daughter was getting too old to marry, Xiao Yun's mother set up several dates to help Xiao Yun find a future husband. Xiao Yun was not satisfied with the candidates, the report said. In addition, she got more and more annoyed by her badgering parents. Half a year ago, Xiao Yun's family noticed that she was suffering from unstable emotions. They also noticed that she had been eating odd objects, such as bracelets, buttons, hair and rubber bands. However, they didn't take her to the hospital right away because Xiao Yun looked fine, as they told the reporters. A CT scan showed the toothbrushes had poked her liver and stomach, causing pain to Xiao Yun WHAT IS PICA? Pica is an eating disorder that is characterised by the desire to eat items with little or no nutritional value. These can include stones, sand, paint and dirt. It is most common in people with learning disabilities and during pregnancy. It can cause a range of serious complications if the person is eating something that is poisonous or indigestible. These include being poisoned by toxic ingredients and having a part of the body obstructed (which is often seen in people who eat hair). It can also lead to excessive calorie intake, but also nutritional deprivation if the person eats a substance with no nutritional value instead of nutritious foods. The person can also damage their teeth and be infected with parasites. Advertisement On the night of February 7, Xiao Yun suffered from abdominal pain and was taken to the Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. After a CT scan, Dr Chen Xianqiang, the assistant director at the Accident and Emergency Department, found over half a dozen toothbrushes in her intestines. He was unsure how long the toothbrushes had stayed in the patient's body, but he said Xiao Yun's intestines appeared to have swollen due to inflammation. The doctor said her large intestine had twisted as three of the seven toothbrushes had penetrated the gastrointestinal wall and poked the liver. The other four toothbrushes were stuck in the pyloric sphincter, a valve area between the stomach and small intestine. Dr Chen performed a six-hour operation on Xiao Yun. He removed one-third of Xiao Yun's small intestine and 7.9 inches of her large intestine. He also performed a colostomy, a surgical operation to create an opening on the colon in order to reconnect the bowels. Dr Chen spent six hours removing the toothbrushes as the inflammation had caused swelling Xiao Yun is expected to undergo two more operations in the next three months to fully recover. Dr Chen told Xiao Yun's parents: 'Pica disorder, an appetite for non-edible substances, can be a sign of psychological problems. Patients tend to suffer the illness when they release stress from an emotion breakdown.' He also reminded people to seek medical help if they suffer Pica disorder. Racist and sexist abuse is putting off women from getting involved in politics, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said today Racist and sexist abuse is putting off women from getting involved in politics, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said today. She spoke out about the 'misogynistic' comments made by Brexit minister David Davis, who joked in a private text message to a colleague that he wouldn't hug Ms Abbott as 'I am not blind'. This kind of sexism towards female MPs is still commonplace, she warned. And the 'politics of personal destruction' could deter young women from seeking a role in public life. Ms Abbott, who became the first black female MP in 1987 and became a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, admitted she would have paused for thought before entering public life is she knew about the barrage of abuse that would be sent her way. She said her absence from a key vote in the Brexit bill earlier this month - which she blamed on a migraine - created the 'perfect storm' that included 'a crescendo of blatantly racist and sexist abuse online'. In a hard-hitting article in the Guardian today, Ms Abbott wrote: 'Suppose that someone had told me back then that 30 years on I would be receiving stuff like this: "Pathetic useless fat black piece of shit Abbott. Just a piece of pig shit pond slime who should be f***ing hung (if they could find a tree big enough to take the fat bitch's weight)". 'I think that even the young, fearless Diane Abbott might have paused for thought. 'And this is not an isolated example. I receive racist and sexist abuse online on a daily basis. 'I have had rape threats, death threats, and am referred to routinely as a bitch and/or nigger, and am sent horrible images on Twitter. The death threats include an EDL-affiliated account with the tag 'burn Diane Abbott'.' She added: 'Just when I thought the worst was over, there was horrible coverage in a Sunday tabloid of a misogynist text exchange about me sent by a Cabinet minister.' Mr Davis reportedly clashed with Ms Abbott in a Commons bar following the vote on his Article 50 Bill, when she told him to 'f*** off' after he seemed to lean in to try to embrace her. Diane Abbott spoke out about the 'misogynistic' comments made by Brexit minister David Davis, pictured, who joked in a private text message to a colleague that he wouldn't hug Ms Abbott as 'I am not blind' The Mail on Sunday reported that after the incident a friend texted Mr Davis, saying: 'Cannot believe you made an attempt to give DA (Diane Abbott) a hug!' The Cabinet minister replied: 'Didn't, but the myth grows. I whispered in her ear 'Thanks for your vote' hence the 'F off'. I am not blind.' Ms Abbott said her decision to write about her experiences was not about how she was treated as an individual but a culture which could deter women from entering politics. 'Once, the pushback was against the actual arguments for equality and social justice. Now the pushback is the politics of personal destruction. 'This is doubly effective for opponents of social progress. Not only does it tend to marginalise the female 'offender', but other women look at how those of us in the public space are treated and think twice about speaking up publicly, let alone getting involved in political activity.' She said it is important to address the issue following the rise in racist incidents since the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump in the US. She said: 'If online commentary and the rise in racist incidents are anything to go by, there is a danger that Brexit could give some people permission to express sentiments that are anything but progressive and internationalist. And as the world adjusts to a Trump presidency there is also a danger that his misogyny and virulent anti-immigrant narrative will become normalised.' The mother of a Gold Coast woman who was tortured, raped and left to die in a shipping container by her abusive ex-boyfriend has opened up about her guilt for not protecting her daughter from him. Kellie Beadman says she fears for her whole familys safety if Robert Gallaghan wins a court appeal. Her daughter Nikitah was brutally attacked by Galleghan after she ended their relationship four years ago. He was later sentenced to eight years in prison, but is appealing his sentence at Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday. Scroll down for video Kellie Beadman says she fears for her whole familys safety if Robert Gallaghan wins an appeal Nikitah Beadman was brutally attacked by Robert Galleghan (pictured together) after she ended their relationship Galleghan wants to be removed from the serious violent offenders list, the family have been told. Remaining on it would mean he is forced to serve 80 per cent of his jail sentence. Ms Beadman is planning to get her family into hiding in case Galleghan walks but is speaking out against soft sentencing. I should have got [Nikitah] into a safe place when she left him, but I didnt and that is the one biggest regret of my life, she told 9News. She added: I know Ill be the first one to go when he gets out. I will go, then he will take my son and then he will take my daughter. Nikitah added that she wasn't the same person after the ordeal. Ms Beadman (pictured) was 17 when she was brutally tortured by Gallegan in a shipping container at the back of his isolated property In 2012, Nikitah, then just 17, was found bound with wire and gagged with her own underwear in a shipping container at his isolated property in Tallai, Queensland. She had been dating Galleghan, who was 12 years her senior, for three months when he first started showing abusive traits and she tried to leave him. In a bid to keep the peace between them, she attended a party at his home. When she told him it was over between them, he became violent and smashed her head into a coffee table. Mutual friends had tried to intervene, but were chased away by Gallegan who brandished a knife at them. Gallegan was sentenced to eight years in prison, but is appealing it in court on Thursday It was then that Galleghan took Ms Beadman into the shipping container at the back of the property and tortured her. I knew what was going to happen, he always said hed bury me out there, she said in an interview with A Current Affair last year. In the container, he secured her a trolley with wire that was wrapped so tightly around her neck that she was unable to breathe. He also wired her mouth shut and wrapped a yoga mat around her head before raping her using wire and stomping on her stomach. Nikitah Beadman had been dating Galleghan for three months when he began showing abusive traits and she tried to leave him Police officers found the teenager bound, gagged and left to die in the shipping container (above) and began filming her rescue for evidence Not in a sexual way, Ms Beadman said. In a torture way, so I couldnt have kids. Police officers arrived at the property and Galleghan told them he had been assaulted and wanted to make a statement at the station. But they refused to leave and spotted the container at the back of the property. There, they discovered Ms Beadman and began filming her rescue for evidence fearing she may not survive. Courtney Meredith, 16, was told her 'skirt must be no higher than 5cm (2in) above the knee' before she was put in isolation A schoolgirl missed important lessons for her GCSEs after being put in isolation and twice given a detention because teachers said her skirt was too short. Courtney Meredith, 16, was told her 'skirt must be no higher than 5cm (2in) above the knee' before she was put in isolation, missing out on key lessons. She was also given a detention and her angry mother Kirsty Owen claimed there are 'plenty of other' girls with skirts that are shorter than her daughter's. The row led to Ms Owen and Courtney's grandmother protesting outside the school - but even when the girl returned she was given detention again. Ms Owen, 33, said teachers at Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (Paca) in Brighton, East Sussex, are not dealing with the situation correctly. She also said she feels like she is in a 'battle' with the secondary school and sixth form, adding her daughter is missing out on vital lessons 'because of a skirt'. Ms Owen said: 'My daughter's school rules state that the skirt she wears must be 5cm above the knee. There are plenty of other children at the school walking around with their skirts up higher than my daughter wears hers. Courtney was given a detention and her angry mother Kirsty Owen claimed there are 'plenty of other' girls with skirts that are shorter than her daughter's The row led to Ms Owen and Courtney's grandmother protesting outside the school - but even when the girl returned she was given detention again 'The school put her in isolation on a regular basis. It appears that it has just been a battle with the school and at such an important time for my daughter, during her GCSEs. I don't agree that she should be missing this many lessons because of a skirt.' She added: 'My daughter should just be able to focus on her work at such a vital stage in her education and I truly feel that teachers at the school aren't dealing with my daughter as well as other pupils I have spoken to, in the correct way.' The full-time mother also said she has informed Paca - which has around 900 pupils aged 11 to 18 - that none of her younger children will sign up to attend the school. Police officers attended the school when Ms Owen and Courtney's grandmother protested with placards and chanted, but said no crimes were committed by them. Katie Scott, principal at Paca, said: 'It isn't our policy to discuss any matter concerning an individual student in public. 'Paca is an inclusive, community school and all staff work hard to support all students in achieving their academic potential. The school principal said that no formal complaint has ever been made by the adults involved Ms Owen said said she feels like she is in a 'battle' with the secondary school and sixth form, adding her daughter is missing out on vital lessons 'because of a skirt' 'Like any school occasionally a student makes poor choices and it is necessary to impose sanctions, which may range from detention to external exclusion if these continue. 'Throughout any process relating to a student's behaviour, we have extensive discussions with parents and provide them with information on how they make a formal complaint if they feel that the matter has not been dealt with fairly.' The principal said that no formal complaint has ever been made by the adults involved. Sussex Police confirmed officers were called to the school after reports of protesting but added that no crimes were committed. A force spokesman said: 'Police were called at 3.20pm to reports of parents gathering at the gates of Portslade Aldridge Community Academy. 'Officers arrived and most people were leaving and no crimes were committed.' In the school's recent Ofsted report, inspectors wrote that pupils 'feel safe, are happy and make good progress'. John Bercow was embroiled in a fresh row about anti-Tory bias last night as it emerged a close aide branded senior Conservatives 'a bunch of braying morons'. The Commons Speaker is facing calls to resign following his extraordinary attack on Donald Trump, and revelations about his strident anti-Brexit views. Last night he was facing renewed pressure after it emerged his parliamentary aide Thomas Tweddle has publicly declared his support for Labour, and posted a series of crude attacks on senior Tories on social media. John Bercow was embroiled in a fresh row about anti-Tory bias last night as it emerged a close aide branded senior Conservatives 'a bunch of braying morons' The Daily Mail can reveal that Mr Tweddle, who has worked with Mr Bercow since 2011, has launched a series of outspoken attacks on Conservative MPs in that time. In one message, posted on Twitter, he said Theresa May's speeches made him want to 'throw something at my TV'. In another, posted in April 2014, he mocked the Tories' 'Long Term Economic Plan' slogan, saying: 'If you arrange the letters of Long Term Economic Plan, it spells out 'Bunch of braying morons'. Or something like that.' Mr Tweddle also engaged in personal abuse, suggesting the Eurosceptic Tory MP Peter Bone should 'f*** off' for talking about his wife. In another post he said: 'Could Jacob Rees-Mogg crawl any further up Iain Duncan Smith's a***?' The parliamentary aide also made no secret of his political affiliation, declaring: 'I like Labour. Especially when they win elections.' In a statement last night, a spokesman for Mr Bercow said; 'We have no comment on staff matters, beyond that this employee works for Mr Bercow in his capacity as a constituency MP. His views, as he makes clear, are entirely his own.' But Tory MPs said the revelations raised fresh questions about Mr Bercow's claim to be impartial. North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said: 'This speaks volumes about Mr Bercow because you recruit in your own image. The Speaker's office should be politically impartial. 'Plainly this individual is not impartial and does not keep his political views to himself, but it seems the Speaker is very comfortable with these views. It just underlines concerns about the impartiality of the Speaker's office he should go.' Fellow Tory Karl McCartney said: 'It is very unlikely that the Speaker was not aware of snide and uncalled for views about my Conservative colleagues.' Mr McCartney yesterday circulated a letter to all MPs urging them to back a Commons motion expressing 'no confidence' in Mr Bercow. He said Mr Bercow's attack on Mr Trump's 'racism and sexism' was a breach of Parliamentary protocol 'that parallels no other'. Conservative Karl McCartney said he believed it was 'unlikely' the Speaker was unaware of his staff member's social media activity Mr McCartney said the Speaker's position was now 'untenable'. Former Tory leader William Hague yesterday said Mr Bercow had 'broken the golden rule of the speakership impartiality'. He added: 'When or how the current occupant departs cannot be known. But when he does, a reaffirmation of distance, discretion, and self-discipline in this role will be seriously overdue.' Allies of Mr Bercow insist his comments on Mr Trump were simply a response to a question from a Labour MP. But he has been forced to apologise to the Lords Speaker Lord Fowler for failing to consult him before effectively banning Mr Trump from making a joint address to parliament in Westminster Hall when he visits the UK this year. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his recently resigned National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was torpedoed by Democratic partisans who 'illegally leaked' intelligence material in order to harm him. Appearing in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said 'the fake media' had fomented a scandal that wouldn't exist but for angry Democrats who were acting out in the wake of an embarrassing loss in November's presidential election. 'General Flynn is a wonderful man,' Trump said. 'I think he's been treated very, very unfairly by the media as I call it, the fake media, in many cases.' 'From intelligence, papers are being leaked, things are being leaked,' Trump complained. 'It's a criminal action a criminal act. And it's been going on for a long time, before me, but now it's really going on.' Scroll down for video President Donald Trump said Wednesday during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Gen. Mike Flynn was treated unfairly through illegally leaked intelligence materials Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, shown last week in the same room where Trump spoke Wednesday, resigned Monday night following a steady media drumbeat that Trump says was fueled by selective leaks from inside the U.S. Intelligence Community 'The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American!' Trump tweeted The president's comments came after a morning tweet-storm attacking his own intelligence agencies by saying malicious leakers had touched off a tempest by suggesting he and his aides had improper contact with the Russian government during his presidential campaign. 'The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American!' he tweeted. The president faces accusations that he was needlessly sympathetic to Moscow, along with renewed suspicions that his foreign policy was informed by threats of blackmail from Vladimir Putin's government. Trump and Netanyahu extended their bromance on Wednesday, pledging mutual support and publicly exploring the outlines of a potential peace deal with the Palestinian Authority On Wednesday he piled on, laying the blame at the feet of Democratic partisans while not specifying precisely who had been leaking classified material like a sieve. 'People are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton,' Trump said. 'I think it's very, very unfair what happened to General Flynn, the way he was treated, and the documents and papers that were illegally I stress that illegally leaked. Very, very unfair.' He claimed on Twitter that the firestorm surrounding Flynn's ouster is a media conspiracy fueled by vengeful partisans inside U.S. intelligence agencies, and that the Obama administration not his own was 'soft on Russia.' 'Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?),' Trump tweeted. 'Just like Russia.' The president hat-tipped reporter Eli Lake, who told a Fox News Channel audience about banana republic'-type leaks from inside the Intelligence Community Trump claimed media 'conspiracies' and 'blind hatred' from reporters, saying MSNBC and CNN are treating him un Trump also declared that '[t]his Russian connection non-sense [sic] is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign.' And in a jab at his predecessor, Trump wrote: 'Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?' Trump began his early morning tweet-storm with a swipe at cable TV hosts from the two networks he loves to hate. 'The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred,' he wrote. '@MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great!' Trump singled out one Fox News Channel guest for praise national security journalist Eli Lake. 'Thank you to Eli Lake of The Bloomberg View - "The NSA & FBI...should not interfere in our politics...and is" Very serious situation for USA,' he tweeted. Lake appeared Tuesday night on the Fox News 'Hannity' show. 'Fox & Friends' replayed a clip on Wednesday morning that included the quotes in Trump's tweet. He argued that Trump is the victim of malicious leaks from inside the U.S. Intelligence Community, and suggested that partisan Obama administration holdovers are to blame. The president praised one Bloomberg reporter and suggested that the Obama administration, not his own, was 'too soft on Russia' 'This is the kind of thing that happens in banana republics, when the national police will go after a political leader that they don't like, and using these extraordinary powers,' Lake said. 'We trust the NSA and the FBI to use these powers to catch criminals and terrorists, but that should not interfere in our politics. And that stuff is interfering right now in our politics.' Trump may not have read Lake's column that led Fox News to book him on the 'Hannity' program. Lake wrote that he was skeptical of the White House's official explanation for Flynn's resignation that he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence about conversations he had in December with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. '[F]or a White House that has such a casual and opportunistic relationship with the truth, it's strange that Flynn's "lie" to Pence would get him fired. It doesn't add up,' he wrote. Advertisement A traveller site nicknamed 'Oxford's Super Dump' has been piled high with rubbish after fly-tippers create giant mounds of trash and debris. Redbridge Hollow traveller site in Oxford, has been plagued by fly-tipping for years and despite the efforts of council workers to clear the trash - it always comes back. Shocking recent pictures show rubbish from mattresses and broken toilets to bed frames, cupboards and even in the interior unit of a car stacked up on the site. Oxfordshire County Council has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds to keep the area clean, even employing a 24-hour security guard service at one point, but fly tippers keep finding a way to dump their trash. Redbridge Hollow is no stranger to controversy and as well complaints from surrounding residents about fly-tipping it has also been the scene of clashes with police. The pictures of Oxford's Super Dump come as damning figures show that Britain is facing a flytipping crisis with some councils facing 100 incidents a day. The rubbish dumping costs the taxpayer a fortune with local authorities spending around 50million every year dealing with the problem. Legislation introduced in May 2016 allows councils to issue fines for fly-tipping of between 150 and 400, although many councils have not yet used the powers. Pictured: A mobile home and residential buildings are seen the other side of a metal fence as mounds of debris, including an old bath and what appears to be part of a car's interior, provide an awful eyesore Pictured: Dirty mattresses are left stacking up next to a number of broken bed frames and a trash can at Redbridge Hollow Pictured: A disused toilet, sofa, baby's cot and old furniture are left disgarded on a driveway at Redbridge Hollow Pictured: Debris from a golf bag to a broken toilet are left on a driveway at the traveller site in Oxfordshire Pictured: Redbridge has earned the nickname 'Oxford Super Dump' because of its persistent problems with flytipping Pictured: Such was the magnitude of the fly-tipping problem at Redbridge that in 2010 council officers employed a 24-hour security team to stop people from dumping their waste Pictured: Redbridge looks more like the site of a demolition than a residential area and rubble, wooden debris and a mattress stack up among the almost endless array of trash President Trump has done more for illegal immigrant children in two weeks than President Obama did in two years, a prominent immigration lawyer has claimed. Matthew Kolken said that a Justice Department memorandum issued after Trump took office ended theObama-era practice of prioritizing unaccompanied children for deportation. Kolken said that he thought that the President 'has a heart' when it comes to children who cross the border from Mexico on their own. Kolken called for a reexamination of President Obama's record on immigration and said that Democrats were guilty of 'unbridled hypocrisy' for criticizing President Trump when his predecessor was so harsh on migrants. President Trump - who held a round-table at the White House with retail executives on Wednesday - has done more for illegal immigrant children in two weeks than President Obama did in two years, a prominent immigration lawyer has claimed Matthew Kolken said that a Justice Department memorandum issued after Trump took office ended the Obama-era practice of prioritizing unaccompanied children for deportation. Above, a Border Patrol agent and child in Texas Despite remaining popular among Latinos, President Obama deported more people than any other president, earning him the nickname 'Deporter in Chief' among critics and activists. According to government data some 2.5 million people were kicked out of the country between 2009 and 2015 during the Obama Presidency. One of the most controversial programs was a memorandum from March 2015 which prioritized the fast-tracking of cases for children and families which became known as the 'rocket docket'. According to a report from Syracuse University, in New York, nearly 40,000 immigration cases used this system and 43 per cent were children who did not have access to a lawyer. On January 31st after Trump became the president, that was changed. The memorandum was signed off by MaryBeth Keller, the chief immigration judge for the Executive Office for Immigration Review, and said that unaccompanied children are 'no longer the highest docketing and processing priority'. Kolken said that under Trump children 'are being put to the back of the line for scheduling of cases'. Above, children being escorted to make phone calls in a Border Patrol holding center in Nogales, Arizona 'This means it could be a long time before they have to have a hearing before a judge,' the lawyer added. Above, children sleeping on cots in the temporary processing center in Nogales, Arizona Kolken, an immigration lawyer and the managing partner of Kolken & Kolken, located in Buffalo, New York, said that the memorandum meant that children 'are being put to the back of the line for scheduling of cases'. He told DailyMail.com: 'This means that it could be quite a long time before they have to have a hearing before a judge. 'Maybe the President has a heart when it comes to unaccompanied children. There's no other explanation'. He added: 'President Trump in two weeks has already done more for unaccompanied refugee children than Obama did in two years'. Kolken said Obama's prioritization of unaccompanied children for deportation was 'easily the most inhumane immigration law in the last 20 years'. He said: 'Democrats who are horrified (at Trump) could allow President Obama to act in the most unlawful way out of any president I have seen in my lifetime'. Trump has made immigration a key theme of his Presidency and has promised to build a wall on the border with Mexico, which the Mexicans will pay for. Obama deported more people than any other President, earning him the nickname 'Deporter in Chief'. 2.5 million people were kicked out of the country between 2009 and 2015 during the Obama Presidency. After leaving office he headed to Sir Richard Branson's private island Necker to relax He tried to bring in a travel ban on seven Muslim majority nations but it was stayed by federal judges after a chaotic roll-out. Trump has said that he will not take the case to the Supreme Court but is working on a new order. Bill Stock, President of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that the memorandum showed that the Department of Justice 'anticipates a lot more people coming into the court system'. He said that, faced with limited capacity for holding immigrants in detention facilities, they could be calculating that unaccompanied children who are being looked after by family members are not going to be a burden. Amy Fischer, policy director of Texas-based immigrant rights group RAICES, said that she was 'cautiously optimistic' about the memorandum. She said: 'We have a lot of conversations and a lot of lawyers looking at that memorandum and trying to find nefarious aspects with regard to unaccompanied children. 'We don't expect the Trump administration to do anything nice towards immigrants. 'We are cautiously optimistic but this left us with more questions than answers. 'We don't know if this is the Trump administration throwing unaccompanied children a bone or if there is something else going on'. Fischer added that she had concerns about other aspects of the memorandum as it tells immigration courts to expedite cases of people already in custody. But given that up to 86 per cent of people being held on immigration offenses do not have access to an attorney, they could be denied due process before they are deported. A spokesman for the Department of Justice said as a result of the memo 'detained cases remain a priority'. The spokesman said: 'In addition, the agency will continue to prioritize the cases of children in the government's long-term care'. Advertisement A wife at loggerheads with her millionaire mushroom farmer husband faces up to three more years living in a neighbouring Cotswolds mansion so she can be freed from their 'loveless marriage', MailOnline can reveal today. Tini Owens, 66, still resides in a grand farmhouse next door to her 78-year-old husband Hugh Owens' manor despite battling him in the High Court to end their 39-year marriage. Mrs Owens took her farmer husband to the Court of Appeal on Valentine's Day and yesterday begged three judges for a divorce because he makes her feel 'unloved, isolated and alone'. But Mr Owens is opposed to the divorce even though his wife had a year-long affair in 2013 and said they still had a 'few years' to enjoy together in life - even if that means living next door. A neighbour of the Owens, who did not want to be named, told MailOnline: 'He lives in the manor and he owns the farmhouse next door, which is where she lives. It is a bit odd that they live in separate houses a few metres apart'. Court battle: Tini Owens (left) has gone to the High Court to try to to divorce her wealthy husband Hugh Owens (pictured right, today) because he is refusing to end their 39-year marriage Neighbours: Mrs Owens lives in the farmhouse on the left while her millionaire husband lives in the manor on the right Legal wrangle: Mrs Owens wants Court of Appeal judges to overturn their original decision not to allow a divorce or she could face three years next door to her husband The couple, who married in January 1978, have been living in neighbouring properties in Worcestershire since February 2015. 'NO FAULT' DIVORCE MEANS THEY MUST STAY TOGETHER FOR THREE MORE YEARS Tini Owens may have wait another two years before she can divorce her husband. Tini Owens may have wait another two years before she can divorce her husband. Her husband Hugh Owens does not want their marriage to end, which means the couple must be separated for at least five years before the separation alone will be enough to grant the petition. A specialist lawyer says a 66-year-old woman's high-profile fight to end her marriage highlights the need for the introduction of 'no-fault divorce'. Tini Owens has failed to persuade a family court judge to allow her to divorce husband Hugh Owens, 78. Judge Robin Tolson published a ruling last year in which he refused to grant Mrs Owens' divorce petition. Now Mrs Owens has asked Court of Appeal judges to overturn that decision. Three appeal judges - led by Sir James Munby, the most senior family court judge in England and Wales - analysed the case at a hearing in London on Tuesday and are expected to publish a ruling soon. Specialist divorce lawyer Ayesha Vardag said: 'This case highlights the absurdity of fault-based divorce. 'If a party is willing to go to the Court of Appeal to fight for a divorce, spending significant sums on the way, there is clearly no future for the marriage. 'It is beyond archaic that she should have to prove it to a judge. There is no good reason for a court to compel someone to stay married when they clearly do not want to be.' She added: 'We must push forward with no-fault divorce and end ridiculous charades like this.' Advertisement Mrs Owens, who is Dutch, could have to live next door until at least February 2020 because in England and Wales a couple must be separated for five years for a divorce to be allowed without the consent of both parties. Last year Mrs Owens failed to persuade a family court judge in Oxford to allow her to divorce her 78-year-old husband Hugh and she has now taken her case to the Court of Appeal. If Lord Justice Munby and the two other appeal judges overturn the decision it would be a landmark 'no fault' divorce case. A friend, who did not wish to be named, told MailOnline: 'They're a lovely couple who we've known a long time. 'He's having a hard time of it of late and it's so sad that they live in separate houses. I guess it's true, money doesn't buy you happiness'. They have two grown up children, Katherine, 38, and Thomas, 36, who is also a director of his father's haulage company, which made a 451,000 profit in 2015. Mr Owens, who describes himself as a 'Mushroom Growing Specialist', runs a successful fruit and vegetable growing company near Evesham with a 7.2million annual turnover. He and his wife are the two main shareholders. The Owens' also have a property company and are said to own four homes between them. But despite their business successes, Mrs Owens has had to go to court to try to free herself from her millionaire husband. In what was described as an 'extraordinarily unusual' case, Tini Owens, 66, says she is 'locked' in a 39-year marriage with mushroom farmer Hugh Owens, 78. She has taken her battle to the Court of Appeal following a previous hearing at which a judge said her husband's attitude towards the marriage was simply 'old school'. Her lawyer is demanding a change in the law by introducing 'no-fault' divorces, where a spouse does not have to prove that his or her partner has done anything wrong. Britain's top family judge, Sir James Munby, heard yesterday that the couple married in January 1978 but have been living apart since February 2015, when Mrs Owens moved out of the family home. She now lives in a nearby property jointly owned by the couple. During their time together they built up a mushroom growing business that now turns over 7million and acquired four homes, including a 629,000 manor in Willersey, Gloucestershire, that is the matrimonial home. They have grown-up children. The court heard that Mrs Owens had a year-long affair that ended in 2013 and she says that her husband's 'continued beratement' of her over the fling mounts to unreasonable behaviour. She says that she feels 'unloved, isolated and alone'. Mrs Owens began court proceedings for a decree nisi, an order that can formally end a marriage unless there is a good reason not to grant a divorce. But the judge refused her request last year, describing Mr Owens' attitude towards the marriage as 'old school' and saying Mrs Owens was 'more sensitive than most wives'. Mr Owens (pictured today), who describes himself as a 'Mushroom Growing Specialist', runs a successful fruit and vegetable growing company near Evesham with a 7.2million annual turnover Home: Mrs Owens, who married in January 1978, has been living in this neighbouring property in Worcestershire since February 2015 Committed: Mr Owens says they still have a few years left together and would like to stay married to her, even if that means he lives alone in his manor house (pictured) Under current law, a couple must be separated for five years for a divorce to be allowed without the consent of both parties. DIVORCE: WHAT THE LAW STATES AND THE FIVE-YEAR RULE The Owens' divorce case is rare because in most cases both parties agree to splitting up, even if they can't agree on the settlement. In England and Wales the petitioner, Mrs Owens, must prove fault for an immediate divorce. 'Fault' can include abusive behaviour or infidelity. But if fault cannot be proved the couple must separate for at least two years and then both agree to an official divorce. If one party does not agree to the divorce - Mr Owens - after two years the couple must be separated for at least five years before the separation alone will be enough to grant the petition. Advertisement In a witness statement presented to yesterday's Court of Appeal hearing, Mrs Owens accused her husband of being 'insensitive' in his 'manner and tone'. She added: 'The simple fact is that I have been desperately unhappy in our marriage for many years. There is no prospect of reconciliation.' Her barrister, Philip Marshall QC, said the 'vast majority' of divorces were undefended in 21st century England and added: 'It is extraordinarily unusual in modern times for a court to dismiss a petition for divorce. 'The wife, who is nearly 66, is now a 'locked in' wife. She cannot get divorced unless the husband changes his mind and agrees.' Mrs Owens had made 27 allegations about the way Mr Owens treated her. She said he was 'insensitive' in his 'manner and tone' and said she was 'constantly mistrusted' and felt unloved. 'The simple fact is that I have been desperately unhappy in our marriage for many years,' she said in a witness statement. 'There is no prospect of reconciliation.' Mr Marshall said judges had to consider the 'cumulative effect' of what might be classed as a long list of trivial matters. 'It was my client's complaint that her husband treated her in a childlike way,' Mr Marshall told judges. 'And in a way which was effectively that she should agree with his will.' He said she had been asked to help the housekeeper pick up pieces of cardboard which had blown over a lawn, been 'snapped at' in an airport queue and been subjected to 'stinging remarks' in a restaurant. Row: Mrs Owens says her husband is prone to sending 'stinging' remarks her way - he says it is teasing and that his just has a loud voice Success: The couple run a successful mushroom business in Worcestershire and a haulage company run from the same giant site (pictured) Mr Marshall added: 'They lived all of their lives in a traditional and old-fashioned way. He ran the business. She stayed at home.' Mr Owens had talked of being a tease and said he had a loud voice, judges heard. 'I am somebody who teases my wife,' he had said during the litigation. Evidence showed that Mr and Mrs Owens, who have grown-up children, had slept in different rooms for many years 'I do it all the time. I know she doesn't always appreciate it.' He had added: 'I have got a very loud voice. I talk in this way all the time.' Barrister Nigel Dyer QC, who represented Mr Owens, said appeal judges should not overturn Judge Tolson's ruling. Mr Dyer said Mrs Owens had not established that the marriage was irretrievably broken. He added: 'At the moment, as the law stands, unhappiness, discontent, disillusionment are not facts which a petitioner can rely upon as facts which prove irretrievable breakdown.' Judges were told that at one stage Mrs Owens had an affair which lasted less than a year. They heard that she had contacted solicitors five years ago. Evidence showed that Mr and Mrs Owens, who have grown-up children, had slept in different rooms for many years. Judge Tolson had described Mr Owens as 'old school' and had said Mrs Owens was 'more sensitive than most wives'. Sir James said the job of appeal judges was to 'apply the law'. He said they would examine legislation laid down by Parliament and told lawyers: 'It is not a ground for divorce if you find yourself in a wretchedly unhappy marriage people may say it should be.' They are expected to publish a ruling soon. Mr and Mrs Owens were approached for comment today. Vladimir Putin has refused to hand back Crimea to Ukraine despite claims by the White House that Russia was prepared to cede the disputed area. The Kremlin announced earlier today it would not hand back the peninsula to Ukraine or discuss the issue with any foreign partners despite Donald Trump's confidence that a deal could be struck. Moscow claimed an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kiev. The Kremlin said Donald Trump did not raise the issue of Crimea during his phone conversation with Vladimir Putin from the Oval Office, pictured The Kremlin said Putin, pictured, has no intention handing back Crimea to the Ukraine Ukraine complained a referendum in Crimea in 2014, pictured, was 'held at gun point' Ukraine described the referendum as a sham held at gunpoint after Russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula. Kiev has insisted that Crimea should be returned to its control. Maria Zakharova, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said: 'We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation.' The 2014 annexation prompted the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the Cold War. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that Trump expected and wanted to get along with Russia, but was expecting Moscow to hand Crimea back. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about Spicer's comments, said President Vladimir Putin had already explained why Crimeans had turned to Russia. Peskov said: 'The theme of returning Crimea will not be discussed ... Russia does not discuss its territorial integrity with foreign partners.' Kremlin officials described relations with the White House as in 'a lamentable state' Trump had not raised the Crimean issue in a January 28 phone call with Putin, Peskov noted, saying the Kremlin would try to make contacts with the Trump administration to try to improve ties which he said were in 'a lamentable state'. Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, told MPs any talk of Crimea's status amounted to a challenge to Russia's territorial integrity. Volodin, a close Putin ally, told the Interfax news agency Trump had promised in his election campaign to work to improve relations with Russia. He said: 'Let's wait for some first-hand words from the U.S. president. 'When people get elected by voters it's not merely for warm words and the ability to speak, but for concrete promises ... that will be fulfilled.' Susan 'Liz' Van Note, 48, (pictured outside court in 2012) of Lee's Summit, was acquitted of killing her dad and his fiance A jury have found a Missouri lawyer not guilty of murdering her millionaire father and his girlfriend - even though the entire panel felt she was 'involved'. Susan 'Liz' Van Note, 48, of Lee's Summit, was acquitted Tuesday night of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2010 deaths of 67-year-old William Van Note and 59-year-old Sharon Dickson. Van Note collected about $1.6 million upon her father's death, according to a court appointed executor of his will. Dickson died at the couple's Lake of the Ozarks vacation house after being stabbed and shot. William Van Note, who was also stabbed and shot, was rushed to Columbia hospital where he was being kept alive on a ventilator. Prosecutors say his daughter subsequently forged her father's signature on power of attorney documents so she could pull the plug. Jury foreman Merri Hess said the panel felt Van Note, who specialized in end-of-life matters, was involved but that they couldn't convict her on the evidence presented. ''Not guilty' does not mean innocent,' Hess said, in a report by KansasCity.com. Authorities allege Susan Van Note had filed for bankruptcy and was angry that her father had named Dickson to inherit the bulk of his estate, which had a net worth in 2009 of nearly $8 million. The probate of the estate was roughly $3 million. After his death, his daughter assumed the role of the estate's executor. An appeals court later found Susan Van Note had sold several properties in her father's estate for her own use. After the murders, a court appointed their own executor who estimated she had collected $1.6 million of her father's estate. She eventually agreed to pay back just $273,000. Lead prosecutor Kevin Zoellner described Van Note in his closing argument as a 'terrible killer' who 'used her mouth to tell the hospital to kill' her father. He said a call from Van Note's cellphone to her home pinged a tower near the crime scene minutes after the attack. Her attorneys pointed to another man, who has since disappeared, as the killer. No hair, blood, DNA or fibers linked Van Note to the crime scene. Susan Van Note's mother, Barbara Van Note, told investigators that her daughter was home in Lee's Summit when the killings happened 119 miles away in Sunrise Beach. Barbara Van Note went to prison in 2005 for forging her own mother's name to a power of attorney, and she was ordered to repay $108,000 to a trust fund. William B. Van Note, 67, pictured with girlfriend Sharon Dickson, 59, were killed in 2010 The trial initially was to have been in June 2015, but a mistrial was declared after members of the jury pool reportedly discussed the case during a break - which breaches legal rules. A second attempt at the proceedings two months later ended when Susan Van Note's lawyers challenged the admissibility of cellphone evidence. Dickson's son, Andrew Dickson, has a wrongful death case pending against Susan Van Note. William Van Note had amassed a small fortune after a career preparing taxes and renting out downtown office space in Liberty, a country town 15 miles north of Kansas City. The 67-year-old retiree had several boats and a waterfront vacation home at central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks. And soon, after 20 years together, he and Dickson were going to wed, hoping that the union would be a new start after previous failed marriages. They never got the chance. In October 2010, an intruder shot the couple in their lake home, killing Dickson and leaving Van Note critically wounded with a gunshot wound to the head. He died four days later, after his daughter told doctors that he would prefer to die rather than be kept alive by medical intervention. Estate: One of Van Note's lavish lakeside homes is seen with the accountant leaving behind a $1.6 million estate that would have benefited his long-time girlfriend if she had survived Van Note's daughter, Susan, was accused by prosecutors of pulling the trigger and forging her father's signature on the document doctors relied on to end his medical treatment. 'He died as a result of them removing life support, not as a result of the gunshot,' Camden County prosecutor Brian Keedy said. 'If you commit a felony, and somebody dies as a result, there is a criminal responsibility for that death.' Friends of both victims and the suspect describe a troubled father-daughter relationship weakened by the divorce of Susan Van Note's parents three decades ago. The couple had two children, but William Van Note's only son and namesake died as a teenager. They are now buried next to each other. But the relationship appeared to have recovered somewhat, at least enough that Van Note felt comfortable letting his daughter handle some of his affairs. Liz Van Note, who lived with her mother and teenage son in the Kansas City suburb of Lee's Summit after a 2006 divorce, helped her father manage his commercial rental properties on Liberty's historic downtown square, said floral shop owner Brenda Toates, a Van Note tenant. Susan Van Note, 48, (pictured in 2012) was accused of forging her father's signature to make herself a durable power of attorney so she could pull the plug on him days after just barely surviving the shooting Van Note built his payroll and accounting businesses from modest beginnings, said Joseph Frederick, a retired airline mechanic in Kansas City who first started getting his taxes done by Van Note more than four decades ago, when Van Note's office was in a basement. Van Note's jovial demeanour didn't fit his profession's buttoned-down stereotype, according to Frederick. 'Income tax season isn't always the happiest time of the year,' he said. 'But he'd always make you feel better when you walked out of his office. He was just an all-around, good-natured guy. I've never seen him down. He was always upbeat.' Van Note had sold several of his businesses years ago, but continued to work during tax season when not vacationing at the lake or his home in Port Charlotte, Fla., Toates said. His daughter, meanwhile, was struggling to make ends meet. Records reviewed by The Associated Press show that Liz Van Note filed for bankruptcy in federal court in September 2009. She listed $254, 938 in assets and $374,072.86 in debt owed to 10 creditors, including American Express, Wells Fargo Bank and a children's hospital. She'd previously worked for Merrill Lynch before attending law school, and listed a monthly income around $3,300. When the shooting happened, fearful friends and neighbors initially wondered whether the crime was committed by a pro. The crime scene was clean and there were no signs of forced entry into the home. Some whispered that the assailant might have gotten away by boat. Van Note (in 2012) was acquitted Tuesday night although the jury foreman said that while they found her not guilty that did not mean they thought she was innocent Dickson was slated to inherit Van Note's cash and several homes. But her death would have likely meant that Van Note's daughter would get most of the estate's proceeds, which were likely worth millions of dollars more than the partial estimate on file. Four months after her father's death, the Florida home was sold by Liz Van Note for $238,000, records show. Three days after her arrest, Dickson's adult son filed a court petition to remove Liz Van Note as the principal beneficiary and will executor, citing the criminal cases. Toates, the tenant who knew Van Note, said that his daughter's arrest didn't come as a surprise to many in Liberty. 'It happened on a Saturday, and she unplugged him on Wednesday,' Toates said. 'A lot of people did not understand that.' Legal experts said the prosecution's unusual strategy could make obtaining a murder conviction more difficult. 'If this is all they have to go on, it's pretty thin,' said University of Missouri law professor Rod Uphoff, a former public defender who represented accused murderer Terry Nichol after the April 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building. 'Maybe the prosecution's got more (evidence). But by itself, it seems they've got a lot of work ahead.' A Texas wife has been charged with murdering her husband then trying to pass his death off as a suicide. Police responded to the home of 34-year-old Steven Hafer on Newpark Drive in Houston on at 4.10pm on February 2 after his wife, Thu Thien Huynh, called 911 to report that her husband had killed himself in the couple's bedroom. After interviewing Huynh, officers found suspicious evidence that led them to conclude that the 29-year-old shot Hafer, according to a press release from the police department. Scroll down for video Wife charged: Thu Thien Huynh, 29 (left), has been charged with murdering her husband, Steven Hafer, 34 (right), and then staging the killing as a suicide Suspicious circumstances: Huynh (right) was arrested after police determined that the shotgun had been wiped clean and the bullet trajectory did not match a self-inflicted wound Emotional: The 29-year-old widow burst into tears in court on February 6. Her lawyer insists she is innocent During Huynh's preliminary court hearing held last week, prosecutors said the shotgun used in the shooting had been wiped clean and the trajectory of the bullet did not match a self-inflicted wound, reported Houston Chronicle. They also said that Huynh, a Vietnamese native who moved to the US in 2004, kept changing her story about fatal incident, and she later admitted to having an extramarital affair with an ex-boyfriend. Huynh's defense attorney slammed the murder charge filed against his client as a 'rush to judgement' and said that evidence will show that she did nothing to harm her husband. Steven Hafer, a native of Michigan who worked as a civil engineer for a Houston construction company specializing in public works, married Huynh in August 2014 and the couple have a 2-year-old daughter. The wife had previously worked as a nurse at a cancer treatment center but has been out of work since 2015. Friends and family described Hafer as a devoted husband and father who worked hard to provide for his family. Friends and family described Hafer as a devoted husband and father who worked hard to provide for his wife and daughter, who is two years old Crime scene: Police were called to the couple's home in Houston (pictured) on February 2 after Huynh call 911 saying Hafer had shot himself He was an awesome, awesome, awesome guy, said Hafer's former college roommate and close friend Josh Becker. 'He was just loaded with integrity and morals and amazingness. He was the type of guy I would gladly have my daughters marry.' Becker, who lives in Florida, told the paper that when Hafer, his wife and baby daughter came to visit him, Huynh appeared to him as 'almost angel-like,' making the allegations of murder against her all the more shocking to him. Steven Hafers parents, Chery and Paul Hafer, tell ABC 13 that when Steven and Thu visited them with their daughter during the winter holidays, it seemed that the couple were having some problems, but they thought nothing of it at the time. Paul Hafer also revealed that his son and daughter-in-law have been plagued by financial problems as of late. Parents speak out: Steven Hafers parents, Chery and Paul Hafer, pictured with their son and granddaughter, say the 34-year-old had been planning to leave his wife The last time Paul and Chery spoke to their son, he told them he was planning to leave his wife and take their daughter to live with them in Michigan. About four days after that conversation, Paul Hafer says he got a text message from their daughter-in-law informing them that their son had shot himself. We know that our son is in Heaven where he belongs with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Mr Hafer said, breaking down in tears, but it's just too awful right now. Huynh, a native of Vietnam, immigrated to the US in 2004 and eventually became a naturalized citizen. Her mother still lives in Vietnam. During her court appearance last Monday, a sobbing Huynh had her bond set at $50,000 and was ordered to surrender her passport. A 77-year-old has died after the ambulance transporting him from a Pennsylvania hospital to a nursing home careened into a ditch. New York State Police say an EmergyCare ambulance left the road at about 5.40pm Tuesday, ended up in a ditch and hit a culvert in the Chautauqua County town of Dunkirk, 35 miles southwest of Buffalo. Troopers say the ambulance was carrying Arthur McArthur, of Dunkirk, from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Erie to Chautauqua County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Horror crash: This EmergyCare ambulance was transporting Arthur McArthur, 77, to a nursing home in Chautauqua County, New York, on Tuesday when the driver fell asleep and crashed into a ditch, killing the patient According to State Police, the driver of the emergency vehicle, identified as 49-year-old Robin Morey, told them she fell asleep behind the wheel. Police say there is no indication that drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident, but they are awaiting the results of tests, which could take six to eight weeks to complete, reported GoErie.com. McArthur suffered fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. Morey was treated at Brooks Memorial Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, while EMT Scott Fischer, 45, who was in the back of the vehicle, was taken to UPMC Hamot for treatment, according to The Post-Journal. Driver Robin Morey and an EMT were treated for non-life-threatening injuries McArthur was being brought to Chautauqua County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center when he died The family of three-time Olympic gold medallist Grant Hackett has opened up about the pain which forced them to take out a court order against him. Hackett, 36, was arrested at his parents' house in Mermaid Waters on the Gold Coast on Wednesday after flying into a rage, and is now being treated in hospital. His father Neville said calling the police was the only option he had, and Hackett's brother Craig said the family were supporting him but had run out of answers. 'This is now a chronic problem and it looks like it's not going to go away in a hurry,' Craig said. 'The whole family have been doing all that we can but now it's kind of out of our hands, it really is. Scroll down for video Former Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett has reportedly been arrested on the Gold Coast Hackett, 36, was believed to have been arrested at his parents' house 'The Grant Hackett that Australia fell in love with, they can still have that affection towards him. '(But) this is not Grant Hackett. This is a completely different person. I don't know this person, my mum and dad don't know this person. 'He's there in body, but he's not there in mind, soul or spirit. 'We can't do it. It's getting to the point where he's dangerous. He's a danger to himself and to the community. 'It doesn't look encouraging, but who knows? If he gets the right type of treatment and that's what we're really counting on, maybe, just maybe he might be able to claw himself out of it,' Craig added. His comments come as it emerged that a family member recently sought a court order against the three-time gold medallist. The order requires Hackett to be of 'good behaviour' until January 2019, the Daily Telegraph reported. Friends said it was obtained after an altercation that ended with Hackett seeking treatment for a facial injury, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. His father Neville said calling the police was the only option he had, and Hackett's brother Craig (pictured) said the family were supporting him but had run out of answers Footage showed the swimming star in the back of a police car wearing handcuffs He was let go after more than hour with no charges (pictured leaving Southport Police Station) It was obtained before Hackett's breakdown on Wednesday, which led to his desperate family calling police because he refused to get help. He was arrested after flying into an abusive rage at his family's Gold Coast home - but let go hours later without charges. Hackett, 36, subsequently checked into a private hospital where he will be getting rehab treatment. Asked how he was feeling as he left the Southport watch-house on Wednesday, Hackett said: 'Not the best.' His father Neville said he called police to their address because his son - who he says has been battling mental health issues for years - became verbally abusive after drinking heavily. Witnesses told 7News the swimming star was brandishing a knife and 'stabbing a chopping board.' His father Neville said that he was forced to call police and told News Corp his son was 'raving and ranting'. It's understood Hackett's father Nev called police to the address because his son was in an agitated state and apparently intoxicated Regarded as Australia's best 1500m swimmer of all time, Hackett (seen here in 2008) won gold medals in the long-distance event at the Sydney and Athens Olympics 'He's been receiving treatment from a doctor. He's big and powerful when he's not happy,' he said. 'No one was touched, no property was damaged, he was raving and ranting a bit but ... He didn't even make any threats but was not what you say is a normal person,' Mr Hackett said. He described the incident as a 'breakdown'. 'We decided he needed some treatment but there was no way he was going to go and get treatment, so we called the police,' Neville Hackett told the Telegraph. Footage showed the swimming star in the back of a police car wearing handcuffs, before giving a 'shaka' sign to the camera. Regarded as Australia's best 1500m swimmer of all time, Hackett won gold medals in the long-distance event at the Sydney and Athens Olympics and finished with silver at Beijing in 2008 when he was the swim team captain. He also won gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay at the Sydney Games and silver behind Ian Thorpe in the 400m at the Athens Games in 2004. Last April Hackett (seen here at Melbourne Airport) was accused of 'tweaking' a fellow plane passenger's nipple during a Virgin Australia flight from Adelaide Hackett was spotted wandering round Melbourne's Crown casino half-naked in February 2014 after taking the sleeping pill Stilnox Hackett retired after his near miss at the Beijing Games but made a comeback at 35 last year in an unsuccessful bid to make the Rio Olympics. Last April, Hackett was accused of 'tweaking' a fellow plane passenger's nipple during a Virgin Australia flight from Adelaide to Melbourne. He allegedly 'smelt of alcohol' during the flight, and was questioned by Australian Federal Police over the matter. The business class passenger, who was sitting in front of Hackett, spoke about how he felt 'violated' when the swimmer 'groped his chest' during the row. 'There was no altercation - I was sexually assaulted by that man,' the passenger told the Herald Sun at the time. In 2011, he smashed up the multi-million dollar penthouse he shared with his then-wife, Candice Alley, and their two children, in an alcohol-fuelled rage Hackett said the 2012 breakdown of his marriage to Candice Alley (pictured left together in 2004, right in 2010) took a 'physical, mental and emotional' toll on him Hackett and his sports coach girlfriend Debbie Savage split in November 2015 after dating for a year In February 2014, Hackett was photographed wandering around Crown Casino in Melbourne in his underpants. It later emerged that he had taken the sleeping pill Stilnox on the night that the infamous pictures were taken. His prescription drug dependency plunged his life into chaos, forcing him to check into a rehabilitation centre for a five-week program in Arizona in 2014. In 2011, Hackett smashed up the multi-million dollar penthouse he shared with his then-wife, Candice Alley, and their two children, in an alcohol-fuelled rage following the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Ms Alley called police after Hackett reportedly went on a rampage through their apartment, smashing furniture and photo frames and upending a grand piano. Westpac dumped him as a brand ambassador after the incident, while a children's charity also cut ties. Advertisement Californias governor Jerry Brown has called in the National Guard to help maintain order in towns threatened by a hole in the nations highest dam. Around 150 part-time soldiers will move into the area around Oroville even though engineers are confident they have the situation under control. Some 200,000 residents were evacuated from the area earlier this week as a failing spillway threatened to engulf the region in water. But on Wednesday Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said they may have to move again as a weekend of heavy storms is forecast in the area. Its important that people should be prepared to go, Honea told reporters. He said he hoped residents should be getting their things together so if there is an evacuation order they will have the things they need and be able to get out quickly and efficiently. Scroll down for video The National Guard has been called in to help in the towns surrounding the Oroville Dam (above) which continues to pump water downstream in a race against looming storms 150 troops will assist in the towns at the foot of the dam, Governor Jerry Brown said. Dozens of California Guard troops (above) had already been mobilized over the weekend but more help is needed Honea said there had been several homes broken into in the evacuated area around the Oroville Lake Dam, but no cases of organized looting. He also warned locals to stop flying drones over the lake as they could interfere with the helicopters that are taking massive amounts of sand to fix the hole. A five mile no-fly zone has been set up around the lake. Remember, if you fly, we can't fly and that will impede the ability to make critical repairs, he wrote on his Facebook page. This is against the law and anyone caught doing this will be prosecuted. Residents were given just minutes to take their belongings and get out of town on Sunday afternoon. Honea stressed the urgency by writing three times on social media This is not a drill. Panicked and angry residents sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours after the evacuation order was given. The evacuation order was lifted on Tuesday and replaced with an evacuation warning as the threat of catastrophic flooding receded. By Wednesday morning the towns Walmart which had been closed since Sunday was packed as residents bought up essential supplies fearing another evacuation order. Hundreds of thousands of residents nervously stocked up on supplies after stores, including a local Walmart, reopened on Wednesday after an evacuation order was lifted While residents have been told it is safe to return, they must remain alert for any changes to the delicate situation. Last week they were given just one hour to flee before officials said the dam's spillway would collapse At the newly reopened Walmart on Wednesday, shoppers didn't hold back as they stocked up in anticipation of another evacuation A model produced by state officials estimate that the town of Oroville would be engulfed within an hour and the water would take around 12 hours to reach Yuba City, where 60,000 people live, 30 miles to the south. Engineers from Californias Department of Water Resources were releasing 750,000 gallons of water from the dam every second into the 70-mile long Feather River, which flows through Oroville and Yuba City before emptying into the Sacramento River. Bill Croyle, the departments acting director, said the water level of the dam had fallen by 20 feet but it still needed to go down another 28 feet. It is receding by 8 inches an hour, said Croyle. The potential disaster is the result of massive spikes in water levels as a result of snow and heavy rain after years of drought, and damage to the primary and emergency spillways at the dam. Officials first noticed a massive hole in the dam's spillway last week and closed it down, leading to rapidly raising water levels. Now a huge cascade of water is flowing down the 770-foot high dam into the river below. A cemetery in Marysville, some 30 miles from the dam, remained swamped on Wednesday as engineers frantically tried to drain Lake Oroville David McGlamery caries personal belongings back into his home along the Feather River, in Oroville, California after the evacuation order was downgraded. He had retreated to Chico with his family where he slept in a Winco parking lot June McGlamery rushes to move back into her home on Tuesday after the evacuation order was lifted, following emergency repair work to the dam. 'It's no fun living out of your car for days', she said Erica Stenholm unpacks the family vehicle upon returning home after the evacuation order was lifted for the dam spillway crisis Erica Stenholm, Ronnie Vaughan, and Brooklyn Jackson, 7, unpack their car upon returning home after the evacuation order on Tuesday Over 100,000 cubic meters (750,000 gallons) of water per second continues to gush through the Oroville,CA, dam spillway as workers rush with helicopters and rock trucks to repair itsa emergency spillway before more storms hit Croyle said Lake Oroville takes in around 20,000 cubic feet of water 150,000 gallons per second in normal conditions. During the forecast weekend storms he said that could go up to around 45,000 cubic meters or 337,000 gallons . But that is still well below the 100,000 cubic meters that is leaving the lake every second through the spillway. Croyle said the work is going so well the amount of run-off from the reservoir the largest manmade lake in California may even be reduced. The rain will start on Wednesday and continue through Thursday and Friday, bringing three inches of water and winds of up to 30mph to the lake where engineers are working round the clock to repair last week's damage. The problems: The crisis was sparked when authorities stopped allowing water down the main spillway to investigate a large hole caused by erosion (left), last week sending all of the surplus lake water to an emergency spillway (right picture, top left) which wasn't equipped to handle it. Now, water is gushing down the eroded spillway again before storms bring more rain to the reservoir above it The first storm will begin on Wednesday afternoon and could see up to half an inch of rain, and another three quarters of an inch could fall no Thursday. Up to three inches of rain could fall on the lake over the weekend, and another eight could fall in the surrounding mountains and trickle down towards it. The next big storm is now predicted for Monday which could dump two inches of rain on Oroville in just 24 hours. 'It's just another problem they don't need to have,' Jason Klapp, meteorologist at the Sacramento National Weather Service told The Los Angeles Times. President Trump finally declared an emergency situation on Tuesday evening and approved California Governor Jerry Brown's request for federal emergency funding. The governor expressed hope yesterday that the new administration would act quickly and favorably towards the state's increasingly dire need to repair the crumbling structure which has suffered around $100 million worth of damage. The crisis began on February 7 when part of the spillway at America's tallest dam collapsed while it was being used to drain the lake. The concrete spillway was closed while officials worked to repair the damage. But thanks to an unusually wet winter for California, which has been on a drought warning for the past five years, the lake continued to fill. By Saturday, water levels were so high water began to flow over the emergency spillway for the first time. But as water flowed over the concrete wall - the last resort to reducing water levels at the lake - the water began to erode the ground on the other side sparking fears the wall could collapse causing mass floods across the land below. Evacuation orders were issued on Sunday for around 200,0000 residents across the Oroville, Yuba City and Feather River Basin areas. Families were told to grab what they could carry, get in their cars, and go. Fleeing residents described roads blocked with hundreds of barely moving cars as people fled for safer ground. Engineers are using rocks to patch up the ruined spillway which nearly gave way entirely on Saturday as the lake reached its maximum capacity Helicopters fly rocks (left) and sandbags (right) for engineers to continue patching up the eroded emergency spillway Engineers are working round the clock to beef back up the eroded emergency spillway which buckled as it water overwhelmed it at the weekend An evacuation order was lifted for the towns surrounding the Oroville Dam on Tuesday as officials claimed they had done enough to repair its emergency spillway (above being patched up with boulders) This is the potential worst case scenario for what could happen if the waters are not controlled and the dam breaks. It would take about 12 hours for the water to reach Yuba City more than 40 miles away, following the path of the Feather River The town of Oroville (above) was suddenly and dramatically evacuated on Sunday afternoon in fear the dam's emergency spillway would give way to the full lake The concrete main spillway (left) was put out of use temporarily because of a huge hole last week. It moved the strain on to the emergency spillway which nearly gave way Officials lifted the mandatory evacuation order on Tuesday afternoon but warned residents to remain vigilant. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea and Bill Croyle, acting director of the Department of Water Resources are seen above making the announcement June McGlamery, who has since returned to her home, said she and her family were forced to retreat to Chico, where they initially stayed at a Winco parking lot before they were moved to a more welcoming Walmart parking lot with other evacuees of the dam crisis. 'It's no fun living out of your car for days,' says McGlamery as she unpacked her belongings back at home on Tuesday. Not everyone has returned home yet. People with special needs or those who would require extra time to evacuate were advised not to return amidst the uncertainty. But local business owners were among the thousands who have already returned to everyday life. Collins and Denny Market owner Mazen Hanoun, who opened his doors again yesterday, said: 'When people are here and refuse to leave I need to support those people. Milk, food, diapers. My life is none better than them. They stay, I stay' Damages to both the spillway and emergency spillway are estimated to be at the $100 million mark. The main dam itself is not affected. Engineers have now been able to shore up the spillways with boulders and rocks and are confident they will hold if the water level in Lake Oroville rises to its 901ft capacity again. Water is being drained down the main spillway, after the repairs, at a rapid rate and at 11am on Tuesday, they had eased to 886ft, and as of 5.30am on Wednesday, had dropped again to 881ft - still someway off their plan for 850ft target for Friday when storms are expected. The Department of Water Resources, Cal Fire and the Butte County Sheriff's Office hope to reduce water levels further to 840ft by next Wednesday which would give engineers breathing space of nearly one million acre-feet of water before it overflowed down the damaged emergency spillway that is still undergoing repairs. The lake is draining at 100,000 cubic feet per second - reducing the state's second largest reservoir about one foot every three hours. But that is likely to taper off to a third by Friday according to the LA Times Officials have since downgraded the evacuation order to a warning, allowing residents of Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties to return. Residents of Oroville,CA stock up on gas and essentials at one of the only gas stations still open in town on Tuesday People wait outside Collins and Denny Market as owner Mazen Hanoun opens the door on February 14. 'When people are here and refuse to leave I need to support those people,' said Hanoun. 'Milk, food, diapers. My life is none better than them. They stay, I stay' Larry Wymore of Oroville buys water and groceries at Collins and Denny Market after returning home on February 14 A car is seen packed with belongings outside an emergency shelter after the mandatory evacuation order was downgraded to an advisory on February 14 David McGlamery takes a drag off his cigarette while unpacking his car after returning home by the Feather River, in Oroville, on Tuesday McGlamery climbs on his fence to check on his neighbor's back door to see if anyone broke in during the evacuation The family had to retreat to Chico during the dam crisis. The family had 5 large dogs in tow during the whole evacuation McGlamery helps his neighbor, Troy Archie, left, jumpstart his Honda CX500 motorcycle as the family returned home after the mandatory evacuation But they should be ready abandon their homes again if the situation becomes more precarious. 'This warning allows people to return to return to their homes and resume their businesses but we're telling them that they have to be vigilant. There is the prospect we could issue another order if the circumstances change,' Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said at a press conference on Tuesday. Some 190,000 residents fled on Sunday and took refuge in make-shift shelters when authorities were finally forced to issue an emergency evacuation order after days of claiming the situation was safe. The evacuees have since told of their hurried escape, describing the scene of entire communities fleeing in their packed up cars as 'pure chaos'. A TIMELINE OF THE OROVILLE DAM DISASTER Tuesday, February 7: Authorities halt flow on the main spillway to investigate erosion Wednesday, February 8: They reveal plans to release water over damaged spillway to test its function Thursday, February 9: Test release of water adds to main spillway damage as expected but they plan to allow more through after heavy rain caused lake to rise Friday, February 10: More water is allowed to flow down the damaged spillway to avoid using the fragile emergency spillway Saturday, February 11: First flow of water is allowed to pass down emergency spillway and authorities say erosion on main spillway has slowed. They repeat there is no risk to the public Noon, Sunday, February 12 : At a press conference, officials say the dam and its spillways are stable and that the emergency dam will hold steady 4.45pm, Sunday, February 12: The Department for Water Resources tweets an emergency evacuation order warning the emergency spillway is about to fail Monday, February 13: Officials cannot say when evacuees will be able to return as they frantically work to repair the damaged main spillway Tuesday afternoon: Evacuation order is lifted but warning stays in place as authorities say emergency spillway is stable Wednesday: Rainfall predicted in the evening placing extra pressure on authorities to repair the dam before water levels rise. Advertisement Now they say this doesn't need to be done until Saturday and that they are on track to reach their goal. 'The peak inflows are below the 100,000 cubic ft outflow that we have right now so what that means is we'll see a small increase in water elevation but with the existing releases we should get down to 850ft sometime late Saturday, Sunday,' Bill Croyle, director of the California Department of Water Resources said. As for the eroded emergency spillway, authorities say it has been secured by 125 crews working round the clock to fix it. They have been bringing 30 tonnes of rock to the near-collapsed barrier since Saturday on lorries and helicopters, an effort they say has made it strong enough to resist the reservoir. The work will continue over the coming days to ensure that the wall is sufficiently lined, officials said. The emergency situation had been in developing for a week and began last Tuesday when officials were forced to acknowledge a gaping hole in the main spillway. They halted water flow on the spillway to investigate the damage but said at the time there was no immediate threat to the public. The emergency spillway, which had never before been used, was then put to work but soon buckled under the pressure. Because it was backed only by land and soil, authorities were forced to admit that it would likely fail and evacuated the area suddenly on Sunday afternoon. The sudden order after days of of public assurances that the situation was safe created pandemonium in the town of Oroville and others surrounding the dam. Some already had their bags packed and hit the road immediately but others were left to scramble after being told for days that they were in no danger. The chaos was described as a 'textbook example' of why the country needs to invest in infrastructure by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday as he said President Trump was keeping a 'close eye' on the situation. He has not yet released $162.3 million in disaster assistance that California has requested. Evacuation centers have been set up at a fairgrounds in Chico, California, about 20 miles northwest of Oroville, but major highways leading south out of the area were jammed as residents fled the flood zone. Javier Santiago, 42, fled with his wife, two children and several friends to the Oroville Dam Visitors Center in a public park above the dam and the danger zone. With blankets, pillows and a little food, Santiago said: 'We're going to sleep in the car.' The sudden evacuation panicked residents, who scrambled to get their belongings into cars and then grew angry as they sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic hours after the evacuation order was given. Raj Gill, managing a Shell station where anxious motorists got gas and snacks, said his boss told him to close the station and flee himself. But he stayed open to feed a steady line of customers. 'You can't even move,' he said. 'I'm trying to get out of here too. I'm worried about the flooding. I've seen the pictures - that's a lot of water.' A Red Cross spokeswoman said more than 500 people showed up at an evacuation center in Chico, California. The shelter ran out of blankets and cots, and a tractor-trailer with 1,000 more cots was stuck in the gridlock of traffic fleeing the potential flooding Sunday night, Red Cross shelter manager Pam Deditch said. On Monday it was revealed officials were warned about the main spillway's fragility 12 years ago but ignored concerns. THE STORMS THREATENING TO OVERFLOW THE LAKE A pair of storms which will bring more rain to the area this week is piling more pressure on to emergency workers to drain the lake. The first storm will begin on Wednesday afternoon and could see up to half an inch of rain. The storm, which could still impact on water levels, has been considerably downsized since yesterday when meteorologists were predicting between one and three inches of precipitation. The area will receive up to three quarters of an inch of rain on Thursday, with more rain and showers predicted to continue into the weekend. Their biggest worry was a 'really big, strong' storm which was set to hit on Friday and was predicted to increase the total rainfall for the week to eight inches - significantly raising water levels on the lake. 'If they haven't found something really good to do by Friday, things are going to go downhill further. That could be a really strong storm, not just lots of rain but lots of wind, too,' National Weather Service meteorologist Brandt Maxwell told USA Today. Strong winds could also hamper the repair efforts as helicopters being used to fly in boulders, rocks and slurry will not be able to fly. National Weather Service Jason Clapp told the LA Times: 'It's just another problem they don't need to have.' Up to three inches of rain could fall on the lake over the weekend, and another eight could fall in the surrounding mountains. The next big storm is now predicted for Monday which could dump two inches of rain on Oroville in just 24 hours. Below, a weather map shows the rainfall and weather conditions set to hit the region today. Advertisement Environmental groups predicted that the main spillway could erode under heavy rainfall and flagged their fears to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2003, requesting updates and improvements to the dam spillways. The improvements were never made because water agencies which would have had to pay for them deemed them unnecessary. Infrastructure improvements earmarked across the state in January this year didn't include the Oroville Dam either. The $100billion list was made by the governor's office and included plans for the Folsom Dam but made no mention of Oroville. On October 17, 2006, three environmental groups - the Friends of the River, the Sierra Club and the South Yuba Citizens League - filed a motion with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the government to fully reinforce the dam's emergency spillways with concrete, according to The Mercury News. In the face of heavy rainfall, the groups said, the earthen spillways might begin to collapse and erode, leading to the river downhill being inundated with water - as happened over the weekend. Worse, they said, there was a serious risk of 'loss of crest control' - that is, the lip of the dam might fail, resulting in a massive and dangerous surge that would 'cause damages and threaten lives in the protected floodplain downstream'. But the Department of Water Resources, and the agencies in the line to foot the bill - told the FERC that the spillways could handle 350,000 cubic feet of water per second and there was no danger. 'The emergency spillway meets FERC's engineering guidelines for an emergency spillway,' wrote John Onderdonk, a senior civil engineer with FERC, in 2006. 'The guidelines specify that during a rare flood event, it is acceptable for the emergency spillway to sustain significant damage.' The lake is currently at 92 per cent of its total capacity, according to the Department of Water Resources. Despite that, the weekend saw the earthen spillways being eroded with flows of just 6,000-12,000 cubic feet per second - less than five percent of FERC's supposed safe rate. Water levels have been falling since a peak of 902ft on Sunday and was at 887 ft yesterday as residents returned to their homes Water levels at the lake have been rising steadily since December thanks to heavy rainfall in the area State officials said in 2008 no 'significant concerns' about the spillway's integrity had been raised in any government or independent review. Also on Monday, it emerged that California Governor Jerry Brown had overlooked the Oroville Dam in the $100 billion list of 'key' infrastructure projects filed this month. The list, generated at the request of the National Governor's Association after Donald Trump called for $1 trillion of infrastructure investment, is a 'wish list' of projects for Brown, CNBC reported. But while the list mentions the Folsom Dam, some 60 miles south of Oroville, as well as flood control in Sacramento, 66 miles away, there is no mention of Oroville Dam itself. Instead, most of the suggested upgrades in the three-page document are related to transportation, such as highways, bridges and railroads. Projects to reduce flooding risk in Marysville, 30 miles south of Orosville and 50 miles from the dam, are mentioned, as are other levee and dam plans. All are placed below a proposed high-speed rail track between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the list - although the governor's office says that the order of the list does not represent how important the projects are. It added that the list was 'an initial list of projects. By no means does it represent all of the state's priorities.' Brown later said that he was not aware of the 2006 report or the concerns raised about the dam. Slide me Last February, the Oroville Lake's capacity was at just 45 per cent (left), on Sunday it hit its 901ft limit (pictured recently, right) State superintendent of public instruction Tom Torlakson told administrators in the district that they could apply for aid for the periods that they were shut down. He said schools should not suffer 'for putting the safety of our students first based on these unprecedented flood dangers.' In Butte County, where the Oroville Dam is located, 13 of 15 school districts were closed. The county has about 31,000 total public school students. California appears to have been particularly caught off guard by the recent rainfall, which has seen flooding in the north of the state, near where Oroville is located, and heavy storms in the south. That's because it has been in a state of so-called 'permanent drought' for five years - a drought that only ended with rain and snowfall in December. That rainfall continues to hit the state in waves - and so concerns remain high about the short-term prospects for the dam. Despite the wet weather, however, the state has extended its water bands until May, although those bans continue to vary from area to area. Chico Councilman Andrew Coolidge says the seven shelters he visited are packed with residents who describe similar terror on jam-packed roads to safety. While most fled, some had no choice but to remain behind. The chief executive of the Oroville Hospital says it is operating normally but that 100 patients have been moved to the hospital's second floor. Hospital CEO Robert Wentz says the hospital took the step Monday morning 'out of an abundance of caution.' The hospital is outside the flood zone below the dam on Oroville Lake and sits on a hill. Wentz says evacuating acutely ill people is difficult so it is usually better for them to stay where they are. He says patients will not go back to the hospital's first floor until authorities tell the hospital it is safe to do so. Overnight, state and local officials said the immediate danger had passed with water no longer flowing over the eroded spillway but they cautioned that the situation remained unpredictable. 'Once you have damage to a structure like that it's catastrophic,' acting Water Resources director Bill Croyle told reporters. But he stressed 'the integrity of the dam is not impacted' by the damaged spillway. A California Highway Patrol spokesman said two planes would fly on Monday to help with traffic control and possible search-and-rescue missions. At least 250 California law enforcement officers were posted near the dam and along evacuation routes to manage the exodus and ensure evacuated towns don't become targets for looting or other criminal activity. Ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn could face federal charges if the FBI determines that he lied to investigators. It is an offense not to tell the agency the truth and interviews do not have to be under oath. If the ex-general misled the FBI he could face an investigation with the possibility of felony charges. Flynn talked to the agency on Jan. 26 about a call he had in December with Russia's ambassador, the New York Times reported. Investigators were so concerned that Flynn had not told them the entire truth, they warned the White House the very same day that the senior aide could be blackmailed. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn could face federal charges if the FBI determines that he lied to investigators The White House conducted its own investigation into the legal ramifications of Flynn's call with the Kremlin representative, Press Secretary Sean Spicer said, and determined that he hadn't broken any laws. President Donald Trump demanded his national security adviser's resignation Monday night because an 'eroding level of trust' had made it impossible to leave him in the sensitive position. Flynn told the vice president that he did not discuss sanctions with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak only to change his story several weeks later to allow for the possibility that the topic came up. Vice President Mike Pence did not find out about Flynn's lapse until Feb. 9, when it was reported by the Washington Post, NBC News claimed early on Tuesday evening. That was two weeks after the Department of Justice informed the White House's lawyer that Flynn may not have been completely honest. The message was delivered to Trump the same day acting DOJ head Sally Yates talked to White House Counsel Don McGhan. Mike Pence's spokesman, Mark Lotter, confirmed NBC's reporting to a group of journalists. Lotter further said that the VP learned of Flynn's deceit from the report on Feb. 9 that they did. The vice president became of the incomplete information that he had received on Feb. 9 last Thursday night based on media accounts, and he did an inquiry based on those media accounts,' Lotter stated. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that President Donald Trump asked for former national security advisor Michael Flynn's resignation on Monday night because of an 'eroding level of trust.' His firing was not tied to breaking the law, he said Trust: The White House said Flynn was told to go by President Trump because he misled the vice president about what he said to Russia's ambassador. Flynn's relationship with Moscow included being paid to party with Putin in Moscow in 2015. The White House knew that Flynn may not have been entirely truthful on Jan. 26, but the vice president did not find out until two weeks later, on Feb. 9, Mike Pence's spokesman said Lotter delivered the statement as reporters finished a gaggle with Spicer about Flynn's spectacular fall from grace. Spicer had said at a news conference earlier in the day that Trump had been reviewing and evaluating allegations against Flynn for weeks. He would not get into the details of the situation then, or later, other than to say that it reached 'critical mass' on Monday night. 'That is why the president decided to ask for his resignation, and he got it.' Spicer cited Flynn's misleading statements to Pence about the call he had with the Russian ambassador 'and a series of other questionable instances' that he would not describe. TRUMP: WHAT ABOUT THE LEAKERS? Donald Trump on Tuesday morning tweeted his first public statement since accepting National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's resignation blaming leakers not the disgraced former general, for driving his administration's first big scandal. 'The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?' the president wrote on Twitter. 'Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc?' A White House aide told DailyMail.com shortly thereafter that a 'shameless' 'enemy within' is hamstringing the president in 'disgusting' fashion. Trump did not say whether he would prosecute government employees behind the 'illegal' leaks that brought Flynn down after he conducted secret conversations with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December and lied to Vice President Mike Pence about them. Advertisement Flynn suggested in an interview on Monday with the Daily Caller News Foundation that he was not currently under federal investigation. It came up as he insisted to the non-profit news outlet that he hadn't done anything wrong. 'If I did, believe me, the FBI would be down my throat, my clearances would be pulled. There were no lines crossed,' he said in the interview that hit the internet around the same time as the Times' report. Spicer had dismissed concerns earlier in the day that Flynn's talk with Kislyak in December was problematic. He said the retired general was dismissed when Trump decided he couldn't rely on him. 'There was nothing wrong or inappropriate about those discussions. It purely came down to a matter of trust. That's it,' Spicer told reporters. After a thorough review, Flynn was cleared of any violations, Spicer said during his daily briefing. 'We got to a point not based on a legal issue but based on a trust issue where the level of trust between the president and General Flynn had eroded to the point where he felt he had to make a change,' the president's press secretary said. Flynn was not fired on Jan. 26 when Yates informed McGhan that Flynn's story didn't add up because the Justice Department hadn't launched a probe and could not say with certainty that the Trump official had lied, Spicer posited. 'The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for General Flynn's resignation,' Spicer told reporters during his Tuesday briefing. Asked later to explain what those other instances were, Trump's spokesman said his 'statement was very clear - it was this and a series of issues.' Spicer declined to offer clarification later in his office. He would not say what the tipping point was for Trump was with Flynn, either. The president made a decision last night, thats as far as Im going to go,' he told reporters on Tuesday. Flynn has not spoken out since his interview with the DCNF that took place at an unknown time on Monday. He talked to the DCNF, he has said, because the president encouraged him to defend himself. The retired three-star general had no idea at that time that he was headed for the chopping block. 'He [President Donald Trump] expressed confidence,' Flynn is quoted as saying to the DNCF. 'That's when he told me that we need to go out and talk more. So I'm going to do that.' The interview was conducted 'just hours before his resignation,' DNCF's Richard Pollock stated. It is not clear how late in the day Flynn spoke to DCNF. Spicer announced just after 5pm on Monday that Flynn was being evaluated. Something to clap about: Trump said nothing as he signed into law a move by Congress to roll back elements of Dodd-Frank banking regulations and some environmental rules for the energy industry Spicer was on the hot seat Tuesday, fielding aggressive questions about the events that led to Flynn's ouster Trump wondered aloud if leaks will hamstring his future international negotiations, including unspecified work related to North Korea - suggesting his anger was focused on the manner of Flynn's departure rather than the ex-national security adviser misleading his vice-president Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway made it sound like a mutual decision - Spicer made it clear later in the day that Flynn was being kicked out Flynn told the DNCF at that time that he believed the controversy surrounding his call with Kislyak was 'ridiculous' and 'out of control.' 'I haven't been fighting back because I'm not that kind of guy. I'm behind the scenes. I've always been behind the scenes,' he said. Attempting to clear his name, Flynn said that he did discuss the Obama administration's punishing actions with Kislyak - but only in the abstract. 'It was basically, 'Look, I know this happened. We'll review everything.' I never said anything such as, 'We're going to review sanctions,' or anything like that,' he said. Flynn said he reminded the Russian ambassador that Trump wouldn't be in office for several more weeks. ' 'Give us some time to take a look at everything,' ' he remembers saying. Spicer said he was unable to corroborate Flynn's conversation with DCNF, particularly the part about Trump saying his aide should defend himself and speak out, when it came up in his gaggle with reporters on Tuesday night. A senior administration official suggested that Flynn had been on the ropes for some time. The official told reporters Tuesday, after the DCNF story, that the White House talked to Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward for the high-ranking position last week and again on Monday. 'We've been getting our ducks in a row for a long time,' the official stated. House Speaker Paul Ryan was the first to say that President Donald Trump had asked for his national security advisor's resignation. Ryan said he was right to do so Spicer said the White House is aiming to have a permanent replacement for Flynn in place by the end of the week but would not offer a definitive timeline for hiring. House Speaker Paul Ryan was the first to say that Trump had asked for his national security advisor's resignation. 'National security is perhaps the most important function or responsibility a president has. And I think the president made the right decision,' Ryan said of Flynn's departure on Tuesday morning. At a House leadership press conference the Republican told reporters, 'You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the vice president and others. So I think the president was right to ask for his resignation. And I believe it was the right thing to do.' Ryan said Wednesday, on MSNBC, 'If I were the president, I would have done the exact same thing.' He would not chastise Trump for keeping Pence in the dark about Flynn's missteps. 'The president backed up the vice president. The president said if he was misleading to Mike Pence, than he's gotta go. And that's what counts, here I think,' Ryan told Morning Joe. The White House tried to gently remove Flynn from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, allowing him to tender his resignation even as it kicked him out. A White House press release Monday night stated that Trump had accepted Flynn's resignation and was appointing Lt. General Joseph Keith Kellogg, Jr. to the post. It did not say that Flynn had been dismissed. An accompanying letter from Flynn said, 'I am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nation and the American people in such a distinguished way.' Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway made it sound like a mutual decision on Good Morning America as she spoke about the situation with Flynn at the behest of the president. Flynn resigned because he realized he'd become a distraction for the administration, she said. 'It became increasingly unsustainable for him.' The president accepted the senior aide's resignation because he 'misled' the vice president, Conway said. He was 'dishonest or forgetful.' Flynn's letter acknowledged that he 'inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. 'I have sincerely apologized to the President and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology.' He told the DCNF earlier in the day, when he thought he was staying on that he felt 'terrible' about the position he put Pence in. 'He's a man of incredible integrity. I think the world of him. He is so good for our country,' he said. 'I should have said, 'I don't know. I can't recall,' which is the truth. Looking back, that's what I should have done.' Pence's office suggested Tuesday evening that the apology had been accepted, but the VP also believed that Flynn needed to go. 'The vice president has tremendous respect for the fact that General Flynn tendered his resignation last night and that the president accepted that resignation,' Lotter said. He is very grateful for General Flynns service to our nation in uniform and his service to this administration, and he wishes him very well. As of early Monday evening, Trump was 'evaluating' Flynn's position. Conway said on GMA that Flynn's clarification that he may he have talked about sanctions on the call after all 'accelerated matters.' The hysteria over Flynn reached 'a fever pitch' Monday night, Conway said. 'The fact is the president is a very loyal person and he has a team him that serves him very admirably, and in this case information had been forthcoming for a while, but the situation had gotten to a fever pitch yesterday, later in the day.' Ryan offered a more direct version of events at his news conference on Tuesday. 'I think the key is that as soon as this person lost the president's trust, the president asked for his resignation,' he said, 'and that was the right thing to do.' Spicer took a similar tone at his own news conference. 'The president was very concerned that General Flynn had misled the vice president and others,' Spicer said. 'He was also very concerned in light of sensitive subjects dealt with by that position of national security advisors like China, North Korea and the Middle East, that the president must have complete and unwavering trust for the person in that position.' FLYNN'S VERY MESSY DEPARTURE - AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN December 29: Obama announces sanctions against Russia over alleged hacks targeting election. Flynn spoke with Russian ambassador Kislyak repeatedly the same day, it was later reported. December 30: Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will not respond to the sanctions, surprising many U.S. officials. Trump praises Putin's decision as 'very smart.' January 13: Trump spokesman Sean Spicer says Flynn had called Kislyak merely to set up a phone call between Trump and Putin January 15: Vice President-elect Mike Pence says in an interview with CBS that Flynn had not discussed santions in the call with Kislyak January 20: Trump inaugurated president January 23: Spicer, now White House spokesman, said Flynn had told him the call to Kislyak covered four topics: a plane crash that killed a Russian military choir; Christmas greetings; Russian-led talks over the Syrian civil war; and logistics for a call between Putin and Trump January 26: Flynn talks to the FBI about the call with Kislyak. Acting Attorney General Sally Yates briefs Trump officials that intercepted communications indicated Flynn had discussed sanctions with Kislyak in ways she believed were 'highly significant' and 'potentially illegal' White House Counsel Don McGhan passes on her concerns to the president and other senior aides. January 30: Trump fires Yates for refusing to defend executive immigration order in court February 8: Flynn denies in interviews that he discussed sanctions in the calls with Kislyak February 9: Flynn backpedals, saying through a spokesperson that he 'couldn't be certain' sanctions weren't discussed February 13: Report breaks of Justice Department concerns about blackmail, and Flynn resigns hours later Advertisement Flynn, a retired military general, stepped down late on Monday night, less than a month into Trump's administration as questions mounted over his close links with the Kremlin. His stunning announcement, first reported by CNN, came just hours after sources close to the government revealed that the Justice Department had warned the new administration that his conversation with the Kremlin had put him in a compromising position and left him open to blackmail. Flynn made numerous phone calls to the Russian Ambassador to the US before Trump took office, and later hinted he may have gone against diplomatic protocol by discussing the rollback of sanctions. The VP had vouched for Flynn, without knowing the full details of the calls, and gave him his full support several days before the inauguration. Retired general Keith Kellogg has taken over as acting national security advisor, but the administration is considering former CIA Director David Petraeus and US Navy Admiral Michelle Howard as permanent replacements. Democrats in the House of Representatives are demanding a classified briefing and have renewed calls for an investigation into the Russia's election meddling in response to the abrupt resignation announcement. Reps. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), respectively the ranking members of the Judiciary and Oversight committees said in a statement that they were 'shocked and dismayed' to learn that the Trump administration was informed of Flynn's vulnerabilities three weeks ago. 'We in Congress need to know who authorized his actions, permitted them, and continued to let him have access to our most sensitive national security information despite knowing these risks. We need to know who else within the White House is a current and ongoing risk to our national security.' Former acting attorney general Sally Yates told the new administration last month she was concerned over potential blackmail after Flynn denied that he had discussed sanctions in calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States, the Washington Post reported just hours before the resignation. Intelligence intercepts of those calls indicate that they did touch on sanctions in ways Yates believed were 'highly significant' and 'potentially illegal', leaving Russia with potential leverage over Flynn, the Post reported. Flynn, a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, spoke to Kislyak more than once before Trump took office, sparking concerns that the two were discussing US policy toward Russia. One call took place on the same day that President Obama applied sanctions against Moscow for their alleged interference in the presidential election. The White House says Trump was aware of the warning, but it was not enough for him to fire Flynn. Flynn made numerous phone calls to the Russian Ambassador to the US before Trump took office, and later hinted he may have gone against diplomatic protocol by discussing sanctions The Trump administration's handling of the Flynn firing was fraught with conflicting information. First, Chief White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told MSNBC that President Donald Trump wasn't planning to axe his national security advisor. 'General Flynn does enjoy the full confidence of the president,' Conway said. Less than an hour later, press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement that the president 'is evaluating the situation'. 'He's speaking to Vice President Pence relative to the conversation the Vice President had with Gen. Flynn,' Spicer said, 'and also speaking to various other people about what he considers the single most important subject there is: our national security.' I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. -FLYNN RESIGNATION LETTER Spicer told reporters in his office on Monday evening that Flynn has not offered to quit his position, and called questions about whether Trump would accept his resignation 'hypothetical.' He said he had spoken directly with Trump about the latest statement's wording, declaring that it reflected the president's 'current thinking.' 'This is what he asked me to communicate to you,' Spicer recounted. After flatly denying he'd discussed rolling back sanctions with Russian officials in a January 15 interview, Flynn said he was uncertain whether the subject came up. Two administration officials told DailyMail.com on Friday that Flynn was still unsure what he told Kislyak, the Russian ambassador. One said he couldn't be '100 percent' certain sanctions were not discussed. Monday's joint press conference between Trump and Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau came and went without a single Flynn-related question. Retired General Keith Kellogg will take over as acting National Security Advisor Trump didn't respond to shouted queries as he left the White House's East Room. As of Monday night, he had not commented on Flynn's departure. Hillary Clinton took to Twitter on Monday night to share her opinion on National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's resignation, suggesting there are 'real consequences of fake news'. Clinton retweeted a post from longtime confidante Phillipe Reines on Monday night, where he suggested Flynn and his son, who spread the discredited 'Pizzagate' conspiracy theory on social media, get jobs at Domino's. 'Philippe's got his own way of saying things, but he has a point about the real consequences of fake news,' Clinton said in her tweet. Reines had written, 'Dear Mike Flynn & Mike Flynn Jr., What goes around COMETS around. And given your pizza obsession...', with a link to Domino's Pizza's job site. In December, Flynn Jr tweeted about the Pizzagate conspiracy, which linked Clinton and her campaign chief to Comet Ping Pong pizza shop in Washington, DC. The theory suggested that Clinton and John Podesta presided over a child-sex ring run out of the DC pizza parlor. Hillary Clinton retweeted a post from longtime confidante Phillipe Reines on Monday night after retired Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn resigned from his position as National Security Advisor Reines suggested in his tweet that Flynn and his son, who spread the discredited 'Pizzagate' conspiracy theory on social media, get jobs at Domino's In his tweet, Flynn Jr did not endorse the conspiracy theory, but predicted that it wouldn't go away Police said a 28-year-old North Carolina man opened fire with a rifle inside the restaurant in December because he thought child sex-slaves were being held against their will in the basement. No one was harmed but the man was arrested. In his tweet, Flynn Jr did not endorse the conspiracy theory, but predicted that it wouldn't go away. 'Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it'll remain a story. The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many 'coincidences' tied to it,' he tweeted. Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers suggested that Flynn had been forced out of his position because Trump's administration had been 'infected' by anti-Russian feeling. 'Either Trump has not gained the requisite independence and he is consequently being not unsuccessfully backed into a corner, or Russophobia has already infected the new administration also from top to bottom,' MP Konstantin Kosachev was cited as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency. Mike Flynn was paid to party with Putin and the acting attorney-general said he was 'vulnerable to blackmail': So what exactly does the Kremlin strongman have on one-time general? Mike Flynn resigned as President Trump's national security advisor Monday night after it was revealed the acting attorney general had warned the White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians. It wasn't known precisely what could have made Flynn subject to pressure, but the retired Army Lt. Gen. had come under close scrutiny for his Russia ties, and a series of conversations he had with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. Flynn's Russia ties had already caused political problems for Trump during the campaign and the transition. Flynn gave paid remarks in Moscow in December 2015 for an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of Russia Today, the Kremlin-backed network. He was seated next to Russian president Vladimir Putin for the event. LOCATION, LOCATION: Russian President Vladimir Putin, with retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, during a dinner at the 10 year anniversary of Russia Today where Flynn spoke Flynn had just left the military at the time. He wouldn't reveal to the Washington Post how much he was paid for the engagement. 'I was asked by my speaker's bureau, LAI. I do public speaking. It was in Russia. It was a paid speaking opportunity,' Flynn told the paper. 'The gig was to do an interview with [RT correspondent] Sophie Shevardnadze. It was an interview in front of the forum, probably 200 people in the audience,' he said. After the speech, Flynn sat at Putin's table, and was seated at his right-and side. Flynn, the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Obama, also said he briefed Russian intelligence on the trip, which he noted had been approved by the U.S. government. 'I had a great trip. I was the first U.S. officer ever allowed inside the headquarters of the GRU [Russian intelligence]. I was able to brief their entire staff,' Flynn said. 'I gave them a leadership OPD. [a professional development class on leadership] and talked a lot about the way the world's unfolding. Asked if that was something he wanted to do, Flynn responded: 'DIA has offices in 142 countries. I was visiting some of our key attaches and one of them was [in] Russia.' Some of his military colleagues were 'dismayed' by his post-military behavior the Post reported. Among those listed was retired Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who made Flynn his top intelligence officer in Afghanistan, but who declined comment. Advertisement WHO WILL REPLACE FLYNN AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR? Retired Army General Keith Kellogg, a member of Trump's transition team, will temporarily fill the role of National Security Advisor until Michael Flynn's announced. Murmurs of who will take over the position have circulated and include the potential for Kellogg to stay on permanently. At least three other candidates have been discussed with the media, including retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward, Former CIA Director David Petraeus and former US Navy Admiral Michelle Howard. Retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, Interim National Security Advisor A senior administration official reportedly told NBC News that Kellogg is being considered to stay on permanently. Kellogg, 72, was previously appointed by Trump as the head of the presidential transition agency action team for defense. He was a former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, and served as chief operating officer of the Western coalition in Baghdad, Iraq, after the United States led the invasion in 2003. Retired Army General Keith Kellogg, a member of Trump's transition team, will temporarily fill the role of National Security Advisor, and there are rumors he may stay in the role permanently Former CIA Director David Petraeus Former CIA director and retired Army General David Petraeus is also reportedly being discussed as a potential to fill Flynn's shoes. National Security Council staffers say Petraeus is due to meet with President Trump at the White House this week, according to the Huffington Post. Petraeus, a retired four-star general, was bounced from his position atop the intelligence agency in 2012 after he it was revealed that he passed on classified information to his biographer, who had also become his mistress. Petraeus reportedly ended the affair with his principal biographer Paula Broadwell in 2012 after learning that she had sent threatening emails to a long-time family friend, Jill Kelley. He resigned from his position with the CIA in November 2012 and later pleaded guilty on a misdemeanor charge for mishandling classified materials. Petraeus was briefly under consideration to become Secretary of State before Trump picked Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson. Former CIA director and retired Army General David Petraeus is also reportedly being discussed as a potential to fill Flynn's shoes Retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward Another name being discussed is retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, the former deputy to Defense Secretary James Mattis. Additionally, he is a retired Navy SEAL and served as the Deputy Commander of US Joint Forces Command. Upon retirement in 2013 after a nearly 40-year career in the Navy, Harward took a post as a chief executive officer for defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin in the United Arab Emirates. Another name being discussed is retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, the former deputy to Defense Secretary James Mattis Trump has recently been in very public negotiations with Lockheed over the cost of its F-35 fighter jet program. Two senior US officials reportedly confirmed to NBC News that Harward was the 'favorite' for the position. US Navy Admiral Michelle Howard US Navy Admiral Michelle Howard has also been said to be under consideration. She is the current commander of US Naval Forces in Europe, and was the first African-American woman to command a US Navy ship and hold the position of Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Among her other record-setting achievements, she was also the first female graduate of the Naval academy to be selected for flag rank. Former National Security aide Tom Bossert Tom Bossert, President Trump's choice for Homeland Security Advisor, was also mentioned by Karam as a candidate for the position. Bossert served as a national security aide to George W Bush during his last year as president. He also served two years as a White House director of infrastructure policy. Retired Admiral James Stavridis Though James Stavridis previously said that he would not serve under the Trump administration, his name has come up amongst potentials for NSA. He currently serves as the Dean for Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. When asked in 2016 about the potentiality of him joining the Trump team, he said: 'I'm happy to provide advice, but I don't see myself joining the administration.' US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly John Kelly is the current US Homeland Security Secretary appointed by Donald Trump, but has reportedly been discussed as Flynn's replacement. Kelly recently made headlines after telling San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman that he didn't 'have a clue' what a sanctuary city was. Kelly is a retired four-star United States Marine Corps General. Advertisement Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the resignation was an internal matter for the United States. 'We've said everything we want to say,' Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Peskov has previously said that Flynn and the ambassador did not discuss lifting sanctions in their conversations. He declined to elaborate on those earlier comments when asked on Tuesday. Flynn's military career ended when Obama dismissed him as defense intelligence chief. He claimed he was pushed out for holding tougher views than the Obama administration about Islamic extremism. But a former senior US official who worked with Flynn said the firing was for insubordination, after the Army lieutenant general failed to follow guidance from superiors. Once out of government, he disappeared into the murky world of mid-level defense contractors and international influence peddlers. He shocked his former colleagues a little more than a year later by appearing at a Moscow banquet headlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Given a second chance by Trump, Flynn, a lifelong if apolitical Democrat, became a trusted and eager confidant of the Republican candidate, joining anti-Hillary Clinton campaign chants of 'Lock Her Up' and tweeting that 'Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL'. As national security advisor, Flynn required no Senate confirmation vote or public vetting of his record, and his tenure was brief but turbulent. Christopher Duntsch (pictured), 45, is charged with five counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and one count of injury to an elderly person over a string of failed procedures A Texas jury has found a neurosurgeon guilty Tuesday of maiming patients who had turned to him for surgery to resolve debilitating injuries. The verdict of the Dallas County jury on a first-degree felony charge of injury to an elderly person means 44-year-old Christopher Duntsch of Plano could be sentenced to five to 99 years or life in prison. He also could be given probation. The penalty phase of his trial began Tuesday afternoon. The Dallas Morning News reports the jury deliberated for about four hours before deciding on its verdict. The indictment accused Duntsch of wide-ranging malpractice that included improper placement of screws and plates along patients' spines, a sponge left in another patient and a major vein cut in another. Records also showed that he operated on the wrong part of a patient's spine, damaged nerves and left one woman with chronic pain and dependent on a wheelchair. Scroll down for video The charges stem from incidents where Duntsch (left and right) is accused of causing the death of two patients, while mutilating four others - including Jerry Summers, who woke up after undergoing spinal surgery unable to move his arms or legs Prosecutors had accused Duntsch of maiming four patients and causing the death of at least two between July 2012 and June 2013. They say Duntsch's hands and surgical tools amounted to 'deadly weapons' contended that Duntsch 'intentionally, knowingly and recklessly' harmed up to 15 of his patients. Prosecutors said Duntsch said in a 2011 email to his girlfriend that he would 'become a cold-blooded killer.' But Duntsch's attorneys argued that Duntsch was not a criminal but just a lousy surgeon committing malpractice in chaotic operating rooms in hospitals in Dallas and its northern suburbs. They also said the tone of the email to his girlfriend was unclear could have been meant as sarcasm. One of his victims, Jerry Summers, who he had known since they were children woke up after undergoing spinal surgery unable to move his arms or legs. He said in a video testimony: 'I don't remember feeling any pain, I just couldn't move. 'It just feels like your body weighs about 10,000 pounds and you can't pick it up.' In the video, he demonstrated how he is still unable to move his arms or legs. 'I don't remember feeling any pain, I just couldn't move,' Summers (pictured) said in a video testimony played in court during the trial In addition to the six incidents that led to charges being filed, the Dallas County District Attorney found a total of 34 people have made allegations against Duntsch, claiming he: 'intentionally, knowingly, and recklessly caused bodily injury and/or serious bodily injury', according to D Magazine. Summers' 'botched' surgery took place in February 2012, after Duntsch had offered to perform the basic procedure to rid him of pain and numbness he had in his arm as a result of a previous car crash. However, the surgery did not go according to plan, with the anesthesiologist who put Summers under revealing he lost more than 10 times more blood than usual during the operation. Summers now suffers from incomplete paralysis - meaning he is unable to move his arms and legs, but still feels pain and touch. In another case that was heard in court, Duntsch operated on Kellie Martin. She bled out and died after the doctor cut through her spinal cord, slashing a major artery. Surgical nurse Catherine Kelly-Lorenz, who was involved with Duntsch for the deadly surgery, said the disgraced surgeon did not seem concerned with what had happened - despite the fact Martin was 'screaming in pain' when she first woke up and had to be put back under. Kellie Martin, pictured left, died after Duntsch performed a 'routine' spinal surgery, one of two patients prosecutors say died as a direct result of Duntsch's malice. Mary Efurd, pictured right, woke up after surgery barely able to move her legs Another of Duntsch's patients, 63-year-old Floella Brown, also died in July 2012. Brown suffered a stroke after she underwent spinal surgery, in which the Texas Medical Board found the doctor 'went overboard'. Records state Duntsch removed 'bone from an area that was not required by any clinical or anatomical standards, resulting in injury to the vertebral artery'. Another female patient, Mary Efurd, testified in court about injuries she suffered allegedly at Duntsch's hands during another 2012 surgery when she was 74. During the surgery to help fix her back pain, Efurd lost a half-gallon of blood and the use of her legs. The surgery on Summers in 2012 took place at the Baylor Regional Medical Center of Plano (pictured) 'I trusted him, I trusted he would do what was right,' she told the court during the trial. Duntsch has his license revoked in 2013, despite him claiming at the time: '99 per cent of everything that has been said about me is completely false.' It was also found Duntsch left a sponge inside a patient after a surgery he completed. The medical board cited abuse of care with six patients when they revoked his license. Father-of-one: Gregery Bulbuc, 31, pictured in a file image, was killed in the tragic accident in Bermondsey, South London A tree surgeon died today after his chainsaw 'kicked backed' into his neck and he was left dangling on his rope. Father-of-one Gregery Bulbuc, 31, was killed in the tragic accident in Bermondsey, South London, while trimming a tree in a private back yard. The Romanian worker who was employed by Aralia Tree Services had a one-year-old son and was a week away from celebrating his 32nd birthday. His work colleagues slammed a ladder against the tree and raced up it to try to bring him down. A neighbour called 999 after she saw the man 'slouched and hanging' from the tree. The woman, who did not wish to be named, said: 'It was before lunchtime. 'My daughter was going out, she saw him and she said: "You need to come out Mum, there's a man in the tree". I looked and he was slumped over and hanging. 'I'd come out about twenty minutes earlier and I had heard the noise of the chainsaw. But you could tell it wasn't cutting anything, it was just on. 'It was either wrapped around him or hanging from the tree or something, but it was just making that noise. 'It wasn't making contact with anything. I couldn't see any blood, I didn't have my glasses on. I just saw him hanging from the tree. 'I thought he had been electrocuted or something, but I thought he was dead. 'I think his head was still attached to his body.' After dialling 999 she added: 'Whilst I was there and waiting for the ambulance, his friends, or whoever he was working with at the time, put a ladder up against the tree. 'I remember one banging the ladder against the tree. 'Then he went up the ladder and went to get the man to bring him down. 'Another was standing on a roof nearby. The man was taken down to the garden. It was horrible.' The Romanian worker who was employed by Aralia Tree Services had a one-year-old son A ladder and police tent in the garden of the London home where the tree surgeon died today The tree surgeon has been killed on an affluent street after his neck was injured this morning Police outside a home in Bermondsey today where the worker died in a chainsaw accident Witnesses reported seeing 'a lot of blood' after the incident which happened at about 11am Emotional friends and relatives stared at the ladder this afternoon where Mr Bulbuc sustained his fatal injury. Fighting back tears Mr Bulbuc's brother Ioan Bulbuc, 27, who also works as a tree surgeon, said: 'He was the perfect brother. He was a dad, he has one boy who is one years old. We lived together in the same house in Beckenham. 'We are both Romanian and my brother was here from around 2001 to 2002, a long time. He had been working as a tree surgeon for ten years. 'He was always so happy. He was so happy to have a little boy. Gregery's birthday was next week, he was such a happy person.' The Romanian worker (pictured) was a week away from celebrating his 32nd birthday Mr Bulbuc added: 'The police have told me nothing. His boss has told me that he cut something and the chainsaw kicked back. 'It rebounded onto the neck and he didn't fall down at first because of the rope.' He added: 'I was working on a tree myself. I got a phone call, it was horrible. It is the second most dangerous job in the world. It was just a terrible accident.' Witnesses reported seeing 'a lot of blood' after the incident on Banyard Road near a school at about 11am today, which was attended by police and paramedics. Miles Marvin tweeted: 'Second life threatening accident I've seen at Four Squares Bermondsey in a year. 'Poor man come to earn some money and won't even make it home tonight. 'Tree surgeon had a serious accident, not sure of what actually happened but I saw a lot of blood.' Another witness told the London Evening Standard: 'There was a lot of blood on the roof of the school next door where the tree was hanging over. 'I saw them giving him CPR and blood. It is very serious. I was on the fourth floor of the estate across the road after the emergency services got there and could see into the garden. 'I saw the ladder, the ropes and chain saw, and the man on the floor.' Charlie Brenland said he saw police cordon off the road, adding: 'Witnesses and the police said there had been an accident with a worker on one of the trees. Father-of-one Gregery Bulbuc, 31, was killed in the tragic accident in Bermondsey today The Romanian worker who was employed by Aralia Tree Services had a one-year-old son 'Someone there said one of the tree surgeons had an accident with a chainsaw.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to Banyard Road in Bermondsey at 11.11am on Wednesday, February 15 to reports of an injured man. 'Officers, the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance attended. A man, believed to be in his 30s, suffered a neck injury. 'He was pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin have been informed. Friends and relatives stared at the ladder where he sustained his fatal injury today London Ambulance Service sent a Hazardous Area Response Team but could not save him 'This is believed to be a workplace accident and the Health and Safety Executive will be informed in due course.' London Ambulance Service sent a Hazardous Area Response Team but were sadly unable to save him. An LAS spokesman said: 'We were called at 11.07am today to reports of an incident at an address on Banyard Road, SE16. 'We sent an ambulance crew, a single responder in a car, a paramedic on a motorcycle, an incident response officer and our Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene. 'We also dispatched London's Air Ambulance. Sadly, despite the extensive efforts of our crews, a patient died at the scene.' A spokesman for the HSE said it was 'aware and assisting the Metropolitan Police in their investigation and HSE inspectors are attending the site'. A crowdfunding JustGiving page has been set up to help Mr Bulbuc's girlfriend and son With his administration reeling over new reports of his campaign's Russia ties, President Donald Trump said it was President Barack Obama who lost Crimea. Trump tweeted about about Russia's seizure of the strategically important peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 amid calls for new investigations following National Security Advisor Mike Flynn's resignation over his contacts with Russia's U.S. ambassador. The sudden annexation occurred during Obama's second term, drawing sanctions from the U.S. and european allies, and sending U.S.-Moscow relations to a low-point from which they have yet to recover. On Tuesday, Trump, who took heat during the campaign for his repeated praise of Vladimir Putin, asked whether his predecessor was 'soft' on Russia. President Donald Trump asked on Twitter Wednesday whether President Obama was 'too soft on Russia' 'Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration,' Trump wrote. Was Obama too soft on Russia? He also tweeted that this 'Russian connection non-sense' is an attempt to 'cover-up' the 'many mistakes' in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. Trump was picking up an attack blaming Obama for the loss of Crimea floated by White House press secretary Sean Spicer, as he faced questions about why National Security Advisor Mike Flynn hadn't been fired sooner after his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. were first revealed. Intercepts reportedly show the two spoke about the latest round of Russia sanctions that the Obama administration was imposing. President Donald Trump, who praised Russian President Donald Trump during the campaign, asked whether the Obama administration was 'too soft on Russia' Trump called the 'Russian connection' with his team 'non-sense' Heavily-armed soldiers without identifying insignia guarding the Crimean parliament building look on as a group of men, who moments later identifed themselves as pro-Russian, approach on March 1, 2014 in Simferopol, Ukraine A soldier under Russian command restrains a colleague after he fired his weapon into the air and screamed orders to turn back at an approaching group of over 100 unarmed Ukrainian troops at the Belbek airbase, which the Russian troops are occcupying, in Crimea on March 4, 2014 in Lubimovka, Ukraine 'The irony of this entire situation is that the president has been incredibly tough on Russia. He continues to raise the issue of Crimea, which the previous administration allowed to be seized by Russia,' Spicer said. Last summer, during the press conference where he famously encouraged Russia to hack Hillary Clinton's emails Trump later said he was joking Trump fielded a question about whether he would recognize Crimea as part of Russia and lift sanctions imposed after the invasion. 'Yes. We would be looking at that,' Trump responded. The administration's chief response to the annexation, which quickly became a de facto success after Russian-backed pro-Russia Ukrainian elements prevailed on the battlefield, was to impose a series of economic sanctions on Russia. The U.S. also made shows of support for Russia's pro-western neighbors, sending military hardware and issuing statements reaffirming NATO's pledge to defend member states. Unidentified masked individuals hold a Russian flag as they block the Trade Union building in Simferopol, the administrative center of Crimea, on March 1, 2014. Russia's parliament on March 1 gave President Vladimir Putin the go-ahead to send troops into Ukraine, despite a warning from Washington that such a deployment would results in "costs" for Moscow President Barack Obama (R) shakes hands with Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk (L) during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House March 12, 2014 in Washington, DC. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk was in Washington to discuss the current situation of the Russian military intervention in the Crimea area President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minster David Cameron, U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso attend a meeting of the G7 leaders on March 24, 2014 in The Hague, Netherlands met to develop a response after Russia annexed of the Crimea region Early in the Obama administration, then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to orchestrate a 'reset' with Russia, but the effort failed. Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, was defiant when asked about Spicer's comments Wednesday. 'We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," she said, Reuters reported. "The theme of returning Crimea will not be discussed,' said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. 'Russia does not discuss its territorial integrity with foreign partners,' he said. A Muslim youth leader who clashed with Jacqui Lambie over Sharia Law went on a taxpayer-funded trip to the Middle East and North Africa to promote her book. Yassmin Abdel-Magied was on a speaking tour around countries with repressive Islamic regimes, which was paid for by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The Australian reported. The 25-year-old activist visited a number of countries, including Saudi Arabia where women are caned as punishment for adultery under Sharia Law. During her tour, Ms Abdel-Magied visited Kuwait, Jordan, Israel and Egypt. She also visited Sudan, where 90 per cent of women are impacted by genital mutilation. Activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied (pictured on her book tour last November) went on a taxpayer-funded trip to the Middle East and North Africa to promote her book, it has been claimed The 25-year-old activist was caught in a fiery exchange with Jacqui Lambie (right) on ABC's Q&A after the Tasmanian senator called for all supporters of Sharia Law to be deported DFAT did not say how much money the trip cost but a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Yassmin Abdel-Magied visited a number of countries in the Middle East to promote Australia as an open, innovative, democratic and diverse nation. 'She met youth representatives, scientists, entrepreneurs, women's groups and others. DFAT posts in the Middle East funded the visit from existing budgets.' On Monday night, the Sudanese-born author and television presenter was caught in a fiery exchange with the Tasmanian senator on ABC's Q&A after she described Islam as 'the most feminist religion'. 'We got rights well before the Europeans, we don't take our husbands last names because we ain't their property... the fact is, what is culture is separate to what is faith,' Ms Abdel-Magied said. But Ms Lambie interjected, shouting out: 'The fact is we have one law in this country and it is the Australian law. It is not Sharia Law. Not in this country, not in my day.' Ms Abdel-Magied returned serve, stating: 'In Sharia it says you follow the law of the land which you are on - so don't try to tell me you know anything about my religion.' Ms Abdel-Magied shared a series of photographs on Instagram while she was on tour, including an image taken with a group of women at the Ahfad University in Sudan Promoting her book about being an Australian Sudanese-born woman who wears a hijab, she blogged last November about her upcoming tour trip around North Africa and the Middle East Ms Abdel-Magied posing for the camera outside media company Al Jazeera HQ while on tour Promoting her book about being an Australian Sudanese-born woman who wears a hijab, she blogged last November about her upcoming tour trip. 'I'm incredibly honoured to be hosted by the Australian Embassies... I'll be visiting a number of countries, and although not all stops have public events I will do my best to make time to meet people inshallah,' she wrote. 'If you can come to any of the public sessions though, I would LOVE to see you there!' Ms Abdel-Magied shared a series of photographs on Instagram while she was on tour, including an image taken with a group of women at the Ahfad University in Sudan. '@ahfad_university50 was a blast! Mashallah, amazing women doing awesome things. Keep at it!' she wrote in the caption. On Monday night, Ms Abdel-Magied (pictured at Sydney's Bondi Beach) got into a heated dispute with Ms Lambie who called for all supporters of Sharia Law to be deported The youth leader made headlines after she clashed with Jacqui Lambie over Sharia law The young author enjoyed a Ramadan feast alongside Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Waleed Aly and his wife Susan Carland in June last year From Abu Dhabi she posted: 'Among meeting some amazing women in government and seeing the grand mosque, had the opportunity to address almost 200 female engineers ... Hopefully it has an impact inshallah!' Following her talks, she was praised for her events, with one Twitter user saying: 'What an awesome speech. Thank you Yassmin for the valuable advice and for being such an inspiration to the Sudanese youth.' On Monday, Ms Abdel-Magied got into a heated dispute with Ms Lambie who called for all supporters of Sharia Law to be deported. But fellow panelist Yassmin Abdel-Magied, founder of Youth Without Borders, disagreed, accusing her of 'talking about something you know nothing about'. Sinn Fein's new leader in Northern Ireland has insisted that the party will not immediately enter into power sharing with Arlene Foster after the March election. Michelle O'Neill said the party will not support the DUP leader in an executive office until an inquiry into the botched renewable energy scheme is carried out. Mrs Foster refused to order an investigation into the scandal before the snap elections and blamed Sinn Fein for using the issue to force new polls. If no power sharing executive of the largest republican and unionist parties cannot be formed, elections will have to be ordered again or direct rule reimposed from London. Speaking at Sinn Fein's campaign launch today (pictured) Michelle O'Neill said the party will not support the DUP leader in an executive office until an inquiry into the botched renewable energy scheme is complete Ms O'Neill said there was still a 'cloud over Arlene Foster' as voters in Northern Ireland prepare to go to the polls on March 2 Launching Sinn Fein's manifesto in Armagh, Ms O'Neill said while there is a 'cloud over Arlene Foster' in relation to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scandal the party 'will not be supporting her position of first minister or deputy first minister in an executive office'. 'We have to have a full investigation. We have public concern and outrage and demands for answers. The RHI scheme has been all of the DUP's making,' Mrs O'Neill said. She also said that an Irish Language Act will be a very important issue in any post-election talks, but refused to say if it could be a deal breaker. Recently Mrs Foster said she would not be supporting the introduction of an Irish Language Act. Speaking at the launch of her party's election campaign in Lurgan, she said: 'If we have an Irish language act, maybe we should have a Polish language act as well because there are more people in Northern Ireland who speak Polish, compared to Irish.' Referring to Sinn Fein demands, she said: 'If you feed a crocodile, it will keep coming back for more.' However, Mrs O'Neill said: 'The Irish Language Act is an important issue for Sinn Fein. Look at Scotland and Wales. They still have a health service and education service alongside a language act. So we will not be detracted. 'We know what the DUP are trying to do, to take away from the fact this election is about arrogance, disrespect and contempt for the public.' Ms O'Neill took over at the helm of Sinn Fein following the retirement of Martin McGuiness from front line politics Northern Ireland will go to the polls on March 2 to elect a new Assembly after the executive collapsed over the botched RHI scheme. Stormont was plunged into crisis after the resignation of Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister. The catalyst was the RHI programme which is likely to cost taxpayers 490 million. The row over the scheme has revived a range of other issues, including the Irish language and gay rights, which divided the DUP-Sinn Fein powersharing executive. A period of negotiation between political parties is likely after the elections before devolved government is reinstated. Sinn Fein has said the Secretary of State cannot chair any talks, accusing him of being 'partisan'. 'James Brokenshire has shown himself to be partisan with his comments in relation to legacy. His refusal to accept the wishes of the majority of people here in relation to Brexit have shown he is not an honest broker,' said Mrs O'Neill. Mr Brokenshire faced criticism after he wrote in a newspaper column that investigations into killings during the Troubles are 'disproportionately' focusing on members of the police and Army. DUP leader Arlene Foster refused to order an investigation into the RHI scandal before the snap elections and blamed Sinn Fein for using the issue to force new polls Mrs O'Neill said: 'His crass comments on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in relation to soldiers receiving immunity are totally not befitting his role, so he can't be an honest broker in these negotiations. We would prefer to have an external chair.' She laughed off comments by Mrs Foster that she was just a puppet for party president Gerry Adams. 'I know what my job is as a leader. I intend to lead this party into the election and into the future on the basis of equality, on the basis of delivering in terms of integrity and respect. People can try to sidestep and bring this into different areas. 'This election is clearly a must and necessary election because of the actions of the DUP, so any attempt to try and bring us into different territory, I'm not interested.' During the manifesto launch, chaired by Sinn Fein deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, Mrs O'Neill said a key issue for the party is an all-Ireland referendum as soon as possible. 'We want to see a border poll as soon as absolutely possible. We want to see a new and agreed Ireland and nobody has anything to fear from Irish republicanism,' she added. Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, pictured on the day he ordered new elections last month, has been accused by Sinn Fein of being 'partisan' A UK Government Spokesperson said: 'When the election is over the parties have a duty to come together and find a way forward to govern together, in the interests of Northern Ireland as a whole. A new Executive has to be formed within 14 calendar days of the Assembly meeting for the first time after the election. The Assembly itself must meet within eight working days after the election. 'If an Executive is not formed within this period the law states that the Secretary of State must call another election. 'The UK Government is not contemplating any outcome other than the resumption of strong and stable devolved government for Northern Ireland. 'Northern Ireland's interests will best be served by strong and effective devolved partnership Government being restored as soon as possible.' David Coombs, 52, from Southampton, charmed his victims on Smooch.com before fleecing them out of a fortune by spinning a web of lies A 'predator' conman spent 37,000 on living the high life at Claridges Hotel after scamming vulnerable women he met on dating sites. David Coombs, 52, from Southampton, charmed his victims on Smooch.com before fleecing them out of a fortune by spinning a web of lies. Coombs, who pretended to be a wealthy businessman, wrote 20,000 in dud cheques to both female and male victims, telling them he was a property developer or interior designer with a model daughter. He even left one woman without a home as a result of his devious scheme. Today he was jailed for four years after admitting nine counts of fraud at Southampton Crown Court. The court heard Coombs would often give excuses of needing money from his victims because he had no access to his bank account or forgot his wallet and would always promise to pay back the money he borrowed. One woman met Coombs for a number of dates, one in the exclusive Claridges hotel in London in which she ended up paying a bill of 4237.39 for a lunch, drinks and a hotel stay for Coombs. Coombs said he had left his wallet in his office and his secretary had not been able to get it to him by the time of their date. He asked the woman to give her card to the hotel but assured her no money would be taken from it. Victim Carol Board was effectively left homeless by Coombs' scheming. He convinced her not to look for a new home, claiming he had links to a property for her family The court heard he then had a 'jolly' at her expense buying expensive drinks throughout the night for himself and others and charging it to the room he had booked. Another victim Carol Board was left effectively homeless after Coombs convinced her not to look for a new home after hearing her tenancy agreement was due to end as he had links to a property for her family. She paid him 500 in cash in order to get the keys for the property which never materialised. Hypnotherapist Miss Board, 52, told Southampton Crown Court she was given 'promises and excuses' when Coombs did not give her the keys. In a victim impact statement she read out in court, she said: 'David Coombs' actions turned my family's world upside down for over a year. Coombs met one woman on Smooch.com and then ran up a bill worth over 4237.39 on lunch, drinks and a hotel room at the plush Claridges hotel in London 'I do not have the same confidence any more, I do not trust like I used to. 'At the time I could not get out of the black hole he had created for us.' The court heard Coombs even targetted a woman in a mental health unit, defrauding her of 7,500 as well as tricking elderly men and women into giving him money. Coombs, who has 22 previous convictions for 62 offences including fraud and theft charges, was slammed as a 'predator; by Judge Peter Ralls QC. He said: 'This is an unhappy case particularly for your victims. 'It does, as the prosecution say, demonstrate a catalogue of lies and deceit added to which threats when you were discovered or found out. 'You picked on obviously vulnerable people, conning them for everything you could get. She said Coombs' actions turned her family's 'world upside down for over a year' 'You were like a predator waiting for those individuals, your prey, to come.. You systematically and ruthlessly took advantage of their good nature and honesty.' Judge Ralls added: 'You are a conman who uses people as and when you can, regardless of the effect on them. 'The people you dealt with and contacted were often women who you were able to charm and ruthlessly take advantage of.' Speaking after the sentencing Carol Board, 52, said: 'He will be out in a year and a half and will carry on doing the same thing again. 'I want this man exposed because when he comes out he will do it again. If I can stop him hurting one more person or family then it will be worth speaking out. Coombs, who pretended to be a wealthy businessman, wrote 20,000 in dud cheques to both female and male victims, telling them he was a property developer or interior designer with a model daughter 'He looked for any opportunity and targetted vulnerable people. He will use anything he can find that he can use to take advantage of someone.' PC Hair, one of the officers who investigated, the crimes, said after the case: 'David Coombs has spent years spinning a web of lies purporting to be a wealthy businessman with multiple properties, expensive cars and off shore bank accounts. 'His persistent offending has had an immeasurable effect on the lives of his victims, not just financially but also psychologically. 'You were like a predator waiting for those individuals, your prey, to come.. You systematically and ruthlessly took advantage of their good nature and honesty.' Judge Peter Ralls QC 'Coombs has spent the last 22 months avoiding police and attempting to evade prosecution. Today's result shows Hampshire Constabulary will always continue to pursue complex matters regardless of anticipated difficulties or longevity. 'I would like to thank the victims involved in this investigation, not just for having the courage to come forward, but also for understanding the complexities of the investigation and to have maintained confidence in us throughout what has been a long and protracted case. 'Without the support of the public it is not possible to bring prolific offenders such as Mr Coombs to justice.' Tell-all account: Amanda Knox has (pictured in 2016) described her friendship with a female inmate who tried to seduce her in an essay In honor of Valentines' Day, Amanda Knox has published a candid essay on the subject of lesbian relationships in prison, revealing that a fellow inmate she had befriended while serving time in Italy tried to seduce her. Knox's account, titled 'Amanda Knox: What romance in prison actually looks like,' was posted on Broadly.vice.com on Wednesday as part of the online publication's 'Love Is a Hoax' series.' Knox, 29, had spent nearly four years in the Capanne prison in Perugia, Italy, after being convicted of murdering Meredith Kercher, a fellow foreign exchange student and her roommate, along with her then-boyfriend, Rafaelle Sollecito. In 2011, Knox's guilty verdict was overturned on appeal and she was allowed to return to the US, where she has since been working as a freelance writer for a weekly publication in Seattle. She has also taken part in a Netflix documentary and appeared on Good Morning America to discuss her ordeal. In her latest essay, Knox opens up for the first time about her prison relationship with a fellow inmate she calls 'Leny,' a 'small town drug dealer' who was transferred to the Capanne correctional facility three years into Knox's 26-year sentence. In the end Knox served four of these years before being released after successfully appealing her conviction. She and Leny became close during their time together but she eventually cooled things off after too many unwanted sexual advances. Their relationship began because even though her family would often come for visits, Knox says she was lonely, and her new jailhouse acquaintance offered her company without asking anything in return, at least not at first. Scroll down for video Knox was jailed in 2007 and spent four years behind bars before being released after successfully appealing her conviction. She is seen above at a 2008 court hearing Knox had spent nearly four years in the Capanne prison in Perugia, where she met and befriended an inmate she calls 'Leny' Knox and her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito (right in 2015) were jailed for killing British student Meredith Kercher (left) in what police said was a sex game gone wrong At least initially, Leny might not have been trying to seduce me, and was actually just in need of someone kind to distract her from her loneliness, Knox says, adding that contrary to popular belief, many prison relationships are not centered on sex. At their first meeting, Knox told her she was straight but had been supportive of the LGBT community at her high school and the pair formed a quick bond. I was cautiously friendly, she recalls. We walked the perimeter together. She told me she was a lesbian and I told her I was straight. Knox writes that her new friend was overjoyed to learn that Knox was supportive of the LGBTQ community and had even help start the Gay-Straight Alliance at her high school in the US. Their budding friendship hit a stumbling block on day when Leny wanted to hold hands with her and told her that she had 'changed' women in the past. ' '"I can do things to you that no man can,"' Knox recalls her companion telling her. Knox says she felt annoyed by Leny's unwelcome romantic advances, which she rebuffed, but the other inmate took her rejection as an attempt to play hard to get. They spent time together at Knox's cell where she allowed Lenny to listen to her CDs. Knox also taught her new friend chess and the pair jogged around the prison yard together. 'One day, Leny kissed me,' she reveals. 'I gritted my teeth and half-smiled, wavering between embarrassment and anger.' After that encounter, Knox informed Leny that if she was incapable of respecting the boundaries she had set, they could no longer spend time together as friends. Leny unsuccessfully tried to get into Knox's good graces, but to the latter's relief, she was eventually released. She sent me jazz CDs which she inscribed on the inside jacket, "Love always, Leny." I never replied, Knox writes. While many inmates relied on romance to get through their term, Knox was 'lucky' to have a support network on the outside. Freed: In 2011, Knox's guilty verdict was overturned on appeal and she was allowed to return to the US 'Thanks to the support of my friends and family, I didn't need relationships in prison as much as other inmates did.' She says in the article that in Capanne, most of the inmates belonged to cliques, drawn along racial lines, but as an American, she did not belong to any one of the established groups. Knox had her second conviction overturned in 2015 (she is seen above reacting to the news) which brought an end to the legal saga It was also common for convicts to have 'crushes' on one another, Knox writes, which would manifest in exchanges of love letters and small tokens of affection, like drawings and handmade satchels. 'There were tearful breakups, and sometimes fistfights between new partners and exes,' according to Knox, who adds that many of the incarcerated women were heterosexual but 'gay for the stay.' She explains that she had no real friends in prison because many of the other inmates were envious of her because Knox, dubbed by reporters as Foxy Knoxy, was known as the famous one due to the notoriety of her case, which was extensively covered by the news media. Most of my fellow inmates were bigger, tougher, meaner, more desperate, and had less to lose than me, so I never let my guard down, Knox writes. In her candid account, Knox tries to make a larger point that people are often titillated by prison relationships, which she says brings out the horny teenage boy in many of us.' The relationships inmates establish with each other are treated as nothing more than kinky lies to be ashamed of upon returning to the real world. But they're not, she concludes. Knox has lived largely as a recluse in Seattle since she returned to the US in 2011 safe for a handful of media appearances to discuss her ordeal. She is pictured with her boyfriend Christopher Robinson "Gay for the stay" is an insensitive oversimplification that signals a lack of understanding about what it's really like to be imprisoned, and an underestimation of human nature. Knox, Rafaelle Sollecito and Ivory Coast national Rudy Guede were arrested in 2007 after Knox's roommate Meredith Kercher, who was 21, had her throat slashed and was stabbed 47 times during a sexual assault. At the conclusion of her high-profile trial in 2009, Knox had been sentenced to 26 years, but in 2011 an Italian appeals court cleared her and ordered her freed. Italy's highest court later overturned Knox's acquittal, and in 2014 her conviction was upheld. In 2015, her second conviction was overturned, bringing an end to the legal saga. Since her return to the US, Knox graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in creative writing in 2014, penned a memoir and appeared in a Netlifx documentary about her criminal case. A cafe at one of Vienna's popular landmarks has started billing tourists for charging their phones. Galina Pokorny, who runs the Terrassencafe im Hundertwasserhaus, has introduced a 1 (85p) charge for those who plug in their mobile phones for too long. Customers who wish to charge up during a 15-minute coffee are still able to do so for free, but an hour is deemed unacceptable. A cafe at a popular Vienna landmark has started billing tourists for charging their phones The cafe is located inside the colourful apartments designed by artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a popular destination for tourists visiting the Austrian capital. Ms Pokorny said she introduced the charge last year but it gained attention on Wednesday when Austrian tabloid Oesterreich published the 'bizarre bill' one of its reporters was presented with, featuring a 1 charge for 'electricity'. Explaining the charge, she said: 'Tourists - always electricity, electricity, electricity. Sorry but who is going to pay me for it? 'I run a cafe, not an internet cafe. It's getting more and more extreme. 'People come and think everything is accessible and free. You don't even open your eyes in the morning for free.' The fee also applies to laptops and tablets, and is charged per number of devices plugged in. However, customers are still able to access free Wi-Fi in the cafe. There's a glimmer of good news for embattled President Donald Trump in a new Politico/Morning Consult poll. Looking toward 2020, the president would beat liberal Democrat, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, if the two topped their parties tickets in the next presidential election. Forty-two percent of registered voters surveyed said they would back the current Republican president, while 36 percent would get behind Warren, with another 22 percent undecided, as the next presidential election is three years and nine months away. Scroll down for video If the 2020 election was held today, President Donald Trump (left) would get more support than Sen. Elizabeth Warren, according to a new Politico/Morning Consult poll President Donald Trump gets bested by a generic Democrat, but he beats the liberal Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren If Warren is taken out of the equation and replaced with a generic Democrat, that Democrat wins at this point in time. In that scenario, Trump receives just 35 percent, while the Democrat receives 43 percent, with 23 percent of people undecided. More broadly, 60 percent of respondents said the country is on the wrong track, while 40 percent said it's on the right track. Trump continues to have high disapproval numbers for a president so young into his administration. This particular survey found that 49 percent of respondents approved of the job the businessman was doing, while 45 percent disapproved. When those numbers are broken out, 28 percent strongly approved of the president, while 21 percent somewhat approved. The biggest chunk of respondents, 35 percent, said they strongly disapproved of Trump, while another 10 percent said they somewhat disapproved. When Americans were asked how they thought Trump would go down in history, again, the largest swath of respondents said he would be considered a 'poor president,' at 38 percent. Seventeen percent responded that he would be viewed as a outstanding president, 15 percent suggested he would be rated 'above average,' 9 percent said Trump would be an average president and 8 percent said he would be below average. In comparison, 26 percent said President Barack Obama would be viewed as outstanding, 21 percent said he'd be above average, 17 percent believed Obama would be rated as an average president, 13 percent thought he would be considered a below average president. And 1-in-5, 20 percent, of Americans think Obama will be considered a poor president, when rated by history. Registered voters had heard a lot about President Trump criticizing companies on Twitter, and in speeches too, with 45 percent saying they had heard about it 'a lot,' and 37 percent saying they heard about it 'some.' Last week, Trump raised eyebrows for taking on the department store Nordstrom, after the retailer announced it was dropping his daughter Ivanka Trump's line. A majority suggested he should knock that behavior off. Sixty-one percent said the president should avoid criticizing companies, while 27 percent found that to be acceptable behavior. This is the hair-raising moment a stunning Russian model posed for a death-defying photoshoot on top of one of the world's tallest skyscrapers. Viki Odintcova, 23, was held up only by the hand of a male assistant as she leaned out into thin air from the 1,004-foot tall Cayan Tower in Dubai in a bid to get the perfect Instagram shot. The Russian model first tilted backwards over the huge drop, before dangling high above the ground from the arm of her bearded helper. Viki Odintcova posed for the death-defying photoshoot on top of one of the world's tallest skyscrapers Ms Odintsova, 23, was only held up by the hand of a male assistant as she leaned out into thin air from the 1,004-foot tall Cayan Tower in Dubai The Russian model first lent backwards over the huge drop in an attempt to get the perfect Instagram shot The model is a big proponent of a healthy lifestyle and has said she takes her fitness very seriously The Instagram queen, who has more than three million followers on social media, admitted that she was a bit nervous before the stunt. 'I still cannot believe that I did it. Every time I watch this video, my palms get sweaty,' said the St Petersburg-based beauty. Ms Odintsova posted the video on her social media page where it quickly went viral. The model is a big proponent of a healthy lifestyle and has said she takes her fitness very seriously. Many of her fans were stunned she performed the stunt without any safety equipment. If she did use any secret safety equipment, it's certainly well hidden from the naked eye. Some pointed out that she would not have had a chance of surviving if anything had gone wrong. One commented: 'How can you disregard your life like that? If I was your parent I would smack both you and the guy with the beard!' Ms Odintcova appears happy during the video, smiling and laughing as she dangles above the ground The Instagram queen has more than three million followers on social media and admitted that she was a bit nervous before the stunt Some users accused her of copying another beautiful young Russian, Angelina Nikolau, 23, who has made headlines around the world with her dangerous selfies taken on top of skyscrapers. The Cayan Tower was the world's tallest building with a 90-degree twist when it opened in 2013. This record has since been beaten by the Shanghai Tower. Many of her fans were stunned the beauty (pictured in one of her many Instagram modelling shots) performed the stunt without any safety equipment A historic church which has been completely underwater for decades is still nearly perfectly intact, a drought has revealed. The Dominican church in Mexico was submerged by water in the 1960s, but drone footage shows that the stone structure has not crumbled beneath the surface. It is in the Benito Juarez Dam in the south east of the country. Scroll down for video A severe drought means the church is completely visible, and photos reveal it has remains almost perfectly intact The National Water Commission said the dam's capacity is just 16 per cent this year because of drought The early appearance of the church demonstrates the water crisis facing the region, say officials The church is believed to have been built by monks and nuns in the 1500s, when they arrived in Mexico to spread Christianity. The dam was built in 1962, when the temple was flooded, in order to boost agriculture in the area by making more water available. Although it becomes visible every year, a severe drought has seen the dam's capacity fall to just 16 per cent of its capacity, meaning the temple can be seen nearly in its entirety. It does not usually appear until March, but its early appearance demonstrates a water crisis facing the region, Mexico News Daily reports. The country's National Water Commission said hundreds of corn producers are under threat by the drought, with water supply being restricted. Incredibly the church building is almost perfectly intact, despite being underwater for decades The church becomes visible most years, but officials say this year's drought is particularly severe The church has been submerged in water for decades, but this year's drought has raised huge concerns for the surrounding area Images taken in previous years show the inside of the building has been preserved, despite years spent underwater A Russian spy ship has been spotted loitering just 30 miles off the coast of a Naval submarine base in Connecticut - the latest in series of belligerent moves by their military as Moscow appears to be testing the resolve of Donald Trump's young presidency. The SSV-175 Viktor Leonov ship moved even closer to the East Coast today, after it was spotted 70 miles off the coast of Delaware on Tuesday, Fox News reports. While it remains in international waters, a U.S. official said the armed boat - capable of intercepting communications and sonar capability - is 'loitering'. A Russian intelligence-gathering ship has been spotted roaming the waters off the East Coast (pictured in 2015 off the coast of Cuba) The spy ship is just 30 miles away from the Naval Submarine Base New London, known as the 'Home of the Submarine Force', in Groton, Connecticut 'We are aware of the vessel's presence,' said Lt. Col. Valerie Henderson, a Defense Department spokeswoman. 'It has not entered U.S. territorial waters. We respect freedom of navigation exercised by all nations beyond the territorial sea of a coastal State consistent with international law. The spy ship is just 30 miles away from the Naval Submarine Base New London, known as the 'Home of the Submarine Force', in Groton, Connecticut. The 100-year-old base is home to 16 attack submarines, and employs more than 9,500 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel. RUSSIA TESTS TRUMP'S RESOLVE: A TIMELINE February 10: Four Russian military aircraft buzzed a U.S. destroyer, USS Porter, in the Black Sea February 14: Spy ship SSV-175 Viktor Leonov is spotted 70 miles off the East Coast February 14: Moscow secretly deploys a new cruise missile despite landmark arms control treaty February 15: Leonov is seen 30 miles away from Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut Advertisement 'It's not a huge concern, but we are keeping our eyes on it,' they added. The Viktor Leonov, which measures 300 feet long and 47.5 feet wide, has a crew of 200 sailors carries high-tech electronic surveillance equipment and weaponry, AK-630 rapid-fire cannons and surface-to-air missiles. The ship sighting and missile deployment also comes as Trump demanded his national security adviser's resignation on Monday night after concluding that an 'eroding level of trust' had made it impossible to leave him in the sensitive position. Russia has also deployed a new cruise missile apparently violating an arms control treaty banning ground-based U.S. and Russian intermediate-range missiles. The nation has secretly deployed the ground-launched SSC-8 cruise missile that Moscow has been developing and testing for several years, despite U.S. complaints that it violated sections of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, The New York Times reported. Four Russian military aircraft conducted low passes against a U.S. destroyer in the Black Sea just days before a spy ship was spotted off the East Coast (stock image) The USS Porter was taking part in a military exercise in The Black Sea at the time The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the New York Times story. And last week, four Russian military aircraft conducted low passes against a U.S. destroyer in the Black Sea just days before a spy ship was spotted off the East Coast. The USS Porter, a guided missile destroyer, reported the aircraft performing 'dangerous flybys' past the ship which was based just off the coast of Romania on February 10. 'There were several incidents involving multiple Russian aircraft,' said Navy Capt. Danny Hernandez, spokesman for the European Command. 'They were assessed by the commanding officer as unsafe and unprofessional. Two Russian Su-24 jet fighters had buzzed the ship, followed by a single Su-24 and then an IL-38 transport aircraft. Russia has also deployed a new cruise missile despite complaints by U.S. officials that it violates an arms control treaty banning ground-based U.S. and Russian intermediate-range missiles. (file above of Russian President Vladimir Putin) The missile deployment and ship sighting comes as Trump (far left) demanded the resignation of Michael Flynn (far right), his national security adviser for talking to the Russian ambassador The aircraft failed to respond to several radio requests from the U.S. military to halt the overflights, and did not have their electronic identifying transponders activated - used to help identify hostile and friendly aircraft on radar. The buzzing of the USS Porter, which had been taking part in an annual international military exercise called Sea Shield, occurred in international waters off the Romanian coast. Russia's actions prove to be a challenge for President Donald Trump, as he had pledged to improve the relations between the U.S. and Russia by working with President Vladimir Putin during his campaign. 'I respect a lot of people,' Trump told Fox News. 'But that doesn't mean I am going to get along with him. He's a leader of his country. I say it's better to get along with Russia than not. Will I get along with them? I have no idea.' 'News that a Russian spy ship is sailing along the coast of Connecticut to monitor our nation's military fleet is alarming, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro said. 'While Russia continues to flex its muscle by deploying a cruise missile that violates a long-standing arms treaty, buzzing U.S. naval ships in international waters, and floating an intelligence ship along our coast, President Trump has failed to show leadership and condemn Vladimir Putin and his Russian regime. All of these events raise the question of why Russia has decided to make these aggressive moves now. The events of the last 48 hours highlight our nation's severe national security crisis that must be dealt with immediately. 'With Michael Flynn's illegal contact with the Russian ambassador, the Trump campaign's conversations with Russia during the election, and the Russian government hacking e-mails, Vladimir Putin continues to make efforts to undermine our democracy. President Trump must make it very clear that American democracy and sovereignty are not open for Russian meddling and stop Vladimir Putin from engaging in these egregious actions.' Prior to Trump's administration, the last encounter between the Russian and U.S. military came when two Russian jets flew dangerously close to U.S. P-8A maritime patrol aircraft over the Black Sea. The intelligence-gathering ship Viktor Leonov has been spotted on and off around the East Coast over the past few years (pictured in Havana in 2014) Russian bombers also recently completed a major nuclear exercise. Sea Shield is a joint exercise between the U.S. and NATO to support member states concerned about Russian aggression following its take over of Crimea. THE RUSSIAN SPY VESSEL VIKTOR LEONOV The Vishnya class intelligence-gathering ship went into service in the Black Sea in 1988 before it was transferred seven years later to the northern fleet. It named after Second World War Soviet sailor Viktor Leonov. Ship measures 300 feet long and 47.5 feet wide. It has a crew of 200 sailors carries high-tech electronic surveillance equipment and weaponry, AK-630 rapid-fire cannons and surface-to-air missiles. Advertisement 'USS Porter queried all aircraft and received no response,' Hernandez said. 'Such incidents are concerning because they can result in accident or miscalculation,' he said referring to actions that could spark an unintended shootout by military forces. The incidents involving the Su-24 were considered to be unsafe and unprofessional by the commanding officer of the Porter because of their high speed and low altitude, while the IL-38 flew at an unusually low altitude, Hernandez said. Another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the closest incident that day involved the lone SU-24, which came within 200 yards of the Porter at an altitude of 300 feet (91 meters). The move was the first such act of Russian military aggression towards U.S. forces since Trump's inauguration. But the country has been quick to follow up after a Russian intelligence-gathering ship was spotted roaming the waters off the East Coast. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby today denied labelling Brexit voters 'fascists' in a major speech to the Church of England. He appeared to group Brexit and President Trump along with far-right groups in France, Holland and Germany when he spoke about the return of 'a nationalist, populist or even fascist tradition of politics' in a speech earlier this week. The comments infuriated Brexit supporters but today he clarified his remarks and insisted his reference to fascists was not in relation to Brexit voters. Justin Welby, pictured, appeared to group Brexit and President Trump along with far-right groups in France, Holland and Germany when he spoke about the return of 'a nationalist, populist or even fascist tradition of politics' in a speech yesterday He said he was 'clearly meaning' groups such as Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) in Germany. 'I was not calling those who voted Brexit fascists, which would be ridiculous,' he wrote on Twitter today. In his opening address to the Church of England's Synod yesterday, Mr Welby said: 'There are a thousand ways to explain the Brexit vote, or the election of President Trump, or the strength in the polls in Holland of Geert Wilders or in France of Madame Le Pen and many other leaders in a nationalist, populist or even fascist tradition of politics.' Justin Welby said he was 'clearly meaning' groups such as Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) in Germany when he referred to far right groups as 'fascists' yesterday 'I was not calling those who voted Brexit fascists, which would be ridiculous,' he wrote on Twitter today During the referendum campaign Mr Welby backed the Remain campaign but last week took the opportunity to stress he was not against Brexit. 'I'm not in the slightest bit pessimistic, quite the reverse. I think there are now huge opportunities,' he told the BBC. Last week he sparked fresh rows with ministers after calling for the rich to pay more tax and claiming the Government's policy on child refugees was condemning them to a life in brothels or even death. Mr Welby has been rocked by recent revelations of abuse within the Church of England. Justin Welby, pictured at the Church of England Synod on Monday, has been rocked by recent revelations of abuse within the Church of England A series of accusations have been levelled against John Smyth, a former colleague who Mr Welby worked with in the late 1970s, but has insisted he was 'completely unaware' of the allegations at the time. In his address to the Synod on Monday, he said he could not comment on the ongoing police investigation but said: 'Abuse has occurred across every tradition of the church, and in every other institution, and in society as a whole, and above all in families. 'It is part of the human tragedy, and something against which we must struggle. 'That struggle has to show genuine concern for survivors. They are people to be loved, as much as we are able, as one, united church.' A 19-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder after an 11-year-old girl was shot in the head over the weekend. Antwan C. Jones surrendered himself to the police after witnesses identified him in the shooting of Takiya Holmes. The 11-year-old was sitting in the backseat of a van when shots rang out on Saturday night. She was struck in the head and died in the hospital on Tuesday. Antwan C. Jones (left), 19, surrendered himself to the police after witnesses identified him in the shooting of Takiya Holmes (right), 11, on Saturday night Detectives said Jones turned himself in after the police interviewed witnesses who were captured in a video they obtained of the shooting. Takiya's cousin Andrew Holmes is an anti-violence activist who reached out to residents in an appeal to track down the gunman. The victim's age also prompted witnesses to cooperate with the police. Takiya's grandmother told the Chicago Sun Times: 'I hope its the correct person and Im hoping justice is served. If its the right person I want him to be punished to the fullest.' Relatives of the little girl said she 'passed away in her mother's arms' after she was taken off life support. The family will now donate her organs Takiya Holmes died on Tuesday morning after her family took the girl off life support. She had not regained consciousness since she was shot on Saturday evening in Chicago's Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood. Relatives of the little girl said she 'passed away in her mother's arms' at Comer Children's Hospital. 'She's going to be a donor. They made the decision to give her organs...That's the kind of person Takiya was,' Takiya's grandmother Patricia Holmes told ABC7. Takiya was shot on Saturday night while she was sitting in the back seat of her mother's SUV outside of this dry cleaners with her younger brother Takiya was shot at about 7.40pm on Saturday as she sat in the backseat of her mother's minivan with her younger brother. Her mother pulled up to a dry cleaners where she works to talk to a colleague. As soon as the woman put the car into park, shots rang out. When the bullets stopped, the stunned mother turned to find her daughter unresponsive. Takiya was among at least three children shot in Chicago in recent days. Kanari Gentry Bowers, 12, was critically wounded by a gunshot to the head in separate incident on Saturday night just 4 miles away. She remains in a critical condition in hospital Kanari was shot in the head on Saturday while playing on this playground at Henderson Elementary School in Chicago White was riding in a car with his 20-year-old aunt Breunna Devonte and her boyfriend, 26, around 1:30pm on Tuesday when a gunman opened fire on their vehicle Just 25 minutes before Takiya was fatally wounded, 12-year-old Kanari Bowers was also shot in the head in a separate incident four miles away in the city's West Englewood neighborhood. She had been playing with friends in a playground at Henderson Elementary School and remains in a critical condition at Stroger Hospital. Two-year-old Lavontay White was fatally shot Tuesday when someone opened fire on a vehicle he was in with two adults, police said. White was riding in a car with his 20-year-old aunt Breunna Devonte and her boyfriend, 26, around 1:30pm on Tuesday when a gunman cut them off, got out of the car and opened fire on their vehicle. Police suspect the boyfriend who also died was the target of a gang hit. Advertisement A city canal has been drained for its annual spring clean and as well as the the usual debris hidden beneath its murky waters a few surprises have also been revealed. Deansgate Locks canal in Manchester is drained by the council each spring, and this year an array of bizarre items including a fedora hat, a bike, a woman's handbag, scores of pint glasses and even a selection of pub chairs have been found stuck in its muddy bed. Each year volunteers wade through the mud and mess to clear up the city's waterways, pulling on waders and safety equipment as they carry out their work. Great care is taken by the workers, as the service exposes them to toxic chemicals and diseases in the water, while the riverbed can act like quick sand. Manchester City Council has slammed the endless amount of rubbish and debris thrown into the canal by the public. City Council spokesman Pat Karney told the Manchester Evening News: 'It's a disgusting advert for Manchester. These selfish people should be ashamed of themselves. It's appalling. The waterways in Manchester are so rare, they belong to all of us.' Pictured: Deansgate Locks canal in Manchester city centre has been drained for its annual spring clean, revealing an array of scattered rubbish and debris stuck in its muddy bed Pictured: The canal runs through one of Manchester's bar districts and the canal revealed stacks of broken chairs sticking in its mud Volunteers don waders and safety hats to carry out the clean, clearing away an array of debris from the canal bed Volunteers are made to undergo special training to clear mess from the canal due to their exposure to toxic chemicals and diseases in the water Manchester City Council has slammed the endless amount of rubbish and debris thrown into the canal by revellers at the city's bars Two Slovenian men have been taken into custody after a man who was beaten up live on Facebook died from his injuries, authorities said on Wednesday. The footage showed one of the suspects kicking and punching Andrej Cekuta, 26, even as he lay unconscious on the ground on Monday night, while the other filmed and live-streamed it. Cekuta was still alive when police found him in the early hours of Tuesday in the eastern village of Podbocje but he succumbed to his wounds in hospital in the afternoon. Ales Olovec, 20, and Martin Kovac, 29, were arrested at the scene, according to the Slovenske Novice. Ales Olovec, 20, and Martin Kovac, 29, were arrested on Tuesday after Andrej Cekuta, 26, was beaten up in a Facebook Live stream and later died from his injuries. The footage showed one of the suspects kicking and punching Cekuta even as he lay unconscious on the ground 'The investigating judge ordered the detention of the two suspects after questioning them,' police spokeswoman Alenka Drenik said. The Dnevnik newspaper reported that police intervened following an anonymous phone call and needed hours before getting the 20-minute video removed from the internet. Cekuta was still alive when police found him in the early hours of Tuesday in the eastern village of Podbocje but he succumbed to his wounds in hospital in the afternoon By that time it had received more than 250,000 views and garnered 400 'likes' on the social media website. The Slovenske Novice daily reported in an article titled 'Died as Slovenia watched' that Cekuta and the two alleged attackers knew each other and were drunk when they fell into a quarrel. It is not the first time that Facebook's Live tool, launched last year, has caused controversy. Last month Swedish police arrested three men on suspicion of gang-raping a woman live on Facebook to a closed group with 60,000 members. The film has been removed from Facebook but after it circulated on the internet. The suspects, aged 18, 20 and 24, were arrested early Sunday in an apartment in Uppsala, 45 miles north of Stockholm, in the presence of their 30-year-old victim. The arrest were made after members of a Facebook group saw the attack streamed live and alerted police. Josefine Lundgren, 21, was one of the witnesses who watched the incident online and reported it. She said she saw the victim being stripped and then sexually assaulted by several armed men and said the attack only ended several hours later when police arrived and switched off the webcam. Swedish media published excerpts of the footage, showing at least one of the suspects holding a revolver. Earlier in January four people in Chicago were accused of holding captive and assaulting a man with special needs live on the site over 30 minutes. The gang shouted: 'F*** Trump' and 'F*** white people' during the attack. In June last year gang member Antonio Perkins, 28, unwittingly live streamed his own death on Facebook after he was shot dead in Chicago while using the real time video app. Britain's youngest Euromillions winner who whinged that the jackpot had made her life worse has now claimed she isn't actually miserable after all. Jane Park had threatened to sue lottery officials for 'ruining her life' by letting her take home the jackpot at the age of 17. But appearing on ITV's Loose Women today, Jane, from Edinburgh, admitted she is no longer unhappy about her win. Britain's youngest Euromillions winner who whinged that the jackpot had made her life worse has now claimed she isn't actually miserable after all. But speaking on ITV's Loose Women today Jane Park admitted life wasn't 'that bad' She said: 'I'm not saying I'm completely unhappy because there is parts of my life that are good and there's days that I wouldn't change anything but there is days when I'm upset and it does get on top of me.' The youngster scooped 1million after getting lucky with her first ever ticket in 2013 and toasted her win with a bottle of Irn-Bru because she was too young to drink. Jane vowed to spend it on a customised white Range Rover with pink interior, a season ticket for her beloved Hibernian and a holiday in Ibiza with her friends. But she has since returned to working in a chip shop, stating that she preferred a 'working routine' to a life of leisure, while her love life has repeatedly come into the spotlight. The 17-year-old took home 1million from EuroMillions after getting lucky on her first ticket Miss Park splashed out on luxuries including a Louis Vuitton handbag, 4,500 breast implants when she was 18 and a customised Range Rover Camelot, which runs EuroMillions in the UK, appointed an adviser to help her manage her wealth but Miss Park said it was only family advice that stopped her wasting all her cash. She did, however, splash out on luxuries including a Louis Vuitton handbag, 4,500 breast implants when she was 18 and a customised Range Rover. Jane has even moaned that she thought winning the jackpot would make her life '10 times better'. Instead, she insists it became '10 times worse'. She said she had faced a Twitter backlash since complaining about her win but felt she had achieved her aim of campaigning for the age limit for lottery players to be raised to 18. Asked if she still planned to sue, she said: 'No. What I said was me phoning up the lottery and saying,'I think 16 is too young, you should up the age to 18', they were never going to be like, "Jane that's great, we'll up our age." 'So what I did was, I'd only spoke to a lawyer, I was just wanting to seek legal advice just to get my point across, get it out there. 'But because it has gone so far already, I won't even have to go any further, I feel like I have been listened to now and people are actually listening to the difficulties.' Jane said did not want to give her money away as she wanted to have children in the future and provide for them. However in an interview on Sunday, she said sometimes she wishes she 'had never won at all'. It comes just days after she pleaded not guilty to a drink-driving charge in Edinburgh She said: 'At times, it feels like winning the lottery has ruined my life' Her frank admission came days after she pleaded not guilty to a drink-driving charge in her home city of Edinburgh. She said: 'People look at me and think "I wish I had her lifestyle, I wish I had her money" but they don't realise the extent of my stress. 'They don't know what they're wishing for. They would need to spend some time in my shoes to understand. 'I have material things but apart from that, my life is empty. What is my purpose in life?' She added: 'I think 18 should be the minimum age for winning the lottery, at the least. The current age of 16 is far too young. 'At times, it feels like winning the lottery has ruined my life. I thought it would make it 10 times better but it's made it 10 times worse. 'Most days, I wish I had no money. I say to myself, "My life would be so much easier if I hadn't won". And if I had won 100million, it would have been 100 times worse than this.' President Donald Trump held an event for retailers at the White House Wednesday that included JC Penney a firm that sells a Trump lamp but excluded Nordstrom, the retailer who dropped Ivanka Trump products. Target, which sells books by the president and his daughter, also got invited. Trump spoke about his plans to slash taxes and regulations while boosting economic growth at the event, where he allowed retail execs to introduce themselves. Among those present was Marvin Ellison, CEO of JC Penney. The store carries at least one item that is part of the Trump Home collection a silver table lamp called the Lexington Avenue. The product is sold online for $311.99, marked down from its original price of $520, according to its website. President Donald Trump meets with retail industry leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Two of those invited carry Trump products though Nordstrom didn't get invited The lamp's product description states: 'Featuring a silver-tone finish and faux-silk softback shade with cream lining, this table lamp is a stylish addition to any space.' The lamp is part of the Trump Home merchandise collection, which is also featured on the Trump.com website, and ranges from furniture to bedding items. Other retailers represented by their top executives at the meeting were the Gap, Target, Auto Zone, Best Buy, and Joanne Fabric and Craft. One retailer who wasn't there was Nordstrom. The firm recently dropped Ivanka Trump clothing from its shelves, citing declining sales, prompting pushback from top Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway and from the president himself. Conway said last week at the White House that people should 'buy Ivanka's stuff.' White House press secretary Sean Spicer said afterward Conway had been 'counseled.' SHINE A LIGHT: JC Penney sells a Trump Home table lamp for $311.99 ART OF THE DEAL: Target sells a variety of books by the president at its store President Trump spoke about his efforts to cut taxes and regulations at the meeting Ivanka Trump attends the Altuzarra for Target Launch event at Skylight Clarkson Sq on September 4, 2014 in New York City The director of the Office of Government Ethics asked the White House to investigate and punish Conway for hawking the products. The head of the OGE, Walter Shaub, penned a letter to White House legal counselor Stefan Passantino that said, 'Under the present circumstances, there is strong reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the Standards of Conduct Act and that disciplinary action is warranted.' Schaub asked the White House to investigate what happened and to get back to him by February 28. He also recommended that she be punished, as she looked to be in 'clear violation' of the act. Trump tweeted last Wednesday: 'My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!' Also present at the meeting was Target CEO Brian Cornell. Target stores carry four books by the president, as well as Ivanka Trump's 'Women Who Work.' Ivanka Trump attended an Altuzarra for Target launch event in 2014 in New York. The president's books for sale include 'Crippled America,' 'The Art of the Deal,' 'Time to Get Tough,' and 'Never Get Up.' The CEO of GAP stores also attended the event Target doesn't carry Ivanka Trump's clothing line, but it does have her book for sale on its website Trump has a line of home products that includes lighting The 'As Seen on TV' Donald Trump chia pet for sale at Target is not affiliated with the Trump Organization Art Peck (R) chief executive officer of Gap Inc., and Jill Soltau (L), chief executive officer of Jo-Ann Stores LLC, wait to begin a listening session with US President Donald Trump (not pictured), OUT OF LUCK: Nordstrom, which announced it would no longer carry Ivanka Trump products, was not included at the White House retail meeting Ivanka Trump attended an Altazurra event for Target stores in 2006, although the store doesn't carry her own product line. An 'As Seen on TV' presidential chia pet has no affiliation with the president or his family. Target spokeswoman Katie Boylan released a statement on its participation in the meeting that noted the firm is against a tax Trump has floated as a way to try to try to force Mexico to pay for a border wall. 'The group had a positive and substantive discussion about policies that would promote economic growth and job creation,' according to the statement. 'They also discussed the House of Representatives proposal for a border adjustability tax, which is a priority issue for Target because it will raise prices for American families on everyday essentials.' The statement continued: 'If enacted, the House proposal would have profound implications for our guests and business, and at Target, we believe that anything that raises prices for families is not a good idea for America. Target looks forward to continuing the dialogue with the Administration and Congressional members on this issue.' The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the carrying of Trump products was a factor in who got invited. A JC Penney spokeswoman wasn't immediately able to respond to questions about any Trump products in the store's inventory. Also left out of the White House confab was Macy's, a firm Trump called to boycott after it stopped carrying his products. Macy's said in 2015 it would stop carrying Trump products because of 'disparaging' comments he made about Mexicans during his campaign launch. 'Those who believe in tight border security, stopping illegal immigration & SMART trade deals w/other countries should boycott @Macys,' Trump wrote in response. Rev Jonathan Blake has been found guilty of four counts of breaching a restraining order A controversial Archbishop has been found guilty of breaching a restraining order after posting 'unwanted' and 'abusive' messages. Rev Jonathan Blake, 60, who conducted the wedding of tragic Big Brother star Jade Goody, was found guilty of four counts of restraining the order. The original restraining order has since been lifted but he was still convicted of breaching it while it was in place. He presided over the wedding of popular celebrity Jade Goody to partner Jack Tweed in 2009 in Essex when she was terminally ill with cervical cancer. But on Monday he was sentenced to 100 hours community service, ordered to pay 1,000 in costs and issued with a new restraining order after a police investigation. Blake, who is Archbishop of The Open Episcopal Church set up in 2001, harassed two complainants for several years by bombarding them with abusive messages. Police say he ignored repeated requests to stop contacting them and so they reported the harassment to the police on May 1 2015. Blake was issued with a restraining order from Bromley Magistrates' Court on December 9, 2015, but he breached it. He was first arrested for breaching the order on March 4, 2016, and subsequently charged on June 17, 2016. But Blake, from Welling, Kent, continued to breach the Restraining Order and was arrested again on July 28 2016. He was charged later that day. Detective Constable Anna Brown, from Greenwich CID, said: 'Blake has caused his victims years of embarrassment by harassing them and then posting messages about them online. 'He also caused them great distress by posting abusive and humiliating posts online. Rev Jonathan Blake, 60, conducted the wedding of tragic Big Brother star Jade Goody to Jack Tweed in 2009 in Essex (pictured In 2001 he conducted the first gay marriage on live television on ITV's This Morning show presented by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan 'He has shown no remorse and continues to deny any wrong doing. I am pleased with the jury's decision. I hope Blake will reflect upon his actions and think about the harm he has caused his two victims. 'I'd like to praise them for their courage in coming forward and greatly assisting police with our investigation. I hope the verdict and restraining order gives them the security and peace of mind they need for the future.' He was sentenced to 100 hours community service, ordered to pay 1,000 in costs and issued with a new restraining order Blake was found guilty of four counts of breach of restraining order at Woolwich Crown Court, south east London, on Monday, 13 February. Blake broke away from the Church of England in 1994 - when he was serving as a vicar in Kent - to set up an independent church. In 2001 he conducted the first gay marriage on live television on ITV's This Morning show presented by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. As well as being the priest at Jade Goody's wedding, he also said prayers at her wake after she passed away. In a blog post on his website, Blake today said that he will be appealing against his conviction. He said: 'I have prepared papers applying for permission to appeal that I will lodge at the court today.' He added that due to the 'restraining order and because of the reporting restrictions' he is unable to comment anymore. This is the gruesome moment a man catches a snake from field and skins it with his teeth before eating it alive. The video has emerged from Assam, India, and shows a young man prodding a snake in a field before picking it up. The man then washes the snake in a river, and stretches it out in front of him as his friend laugh while they watch on. The video opens with the man trying to pick up a snake from a field. The video was shot in a village near to Assam, India The man takes the snake to a nearby river and washes it before he starts to rip into the animal with his teeth. The animal is still alive at this point He then peels the skin off the snake with his teeth. The snake appears to writhe in pain before it dies. But the hungry man is not put off by the blood or the snake's pain, and eats the animal while it appears to still be alive. The gruesome video continues with the man stretching out the snake and eating it, as it appears to writhe in pain. It has sparked fury from animal rights activists who are looking for the man The entire episode was recorded by giggling men behind the camera. It has made wildlife lovers and snake rescuers angry and led them to lodge a complaint against the unknown man for the cruelty. Snake rescuer Saurav Borkotoky says: 'We are shocked to see the video. We are trying to track down the man who committed this heinous crime with the help of police and forest rangers. 'I am hopeful that we will be able to track him down soon.' Two bodies found by a creek along a hiking trail in Indiana were confirmed as the teenage girls who disappeared on Monday, police said today. Abigail J. Williams, 13, of Delphi, and Liberty Rose Lynn German, 14, Delphi, were discovered at 12.15pm on Tuesday in the woods near Deer Creek by volunteers helping to search for the missing girls. They were last seen by German's older sister who had dropped them off around lunchtime near the Monon High Bridge on the Delphi Historic Trails on Monday. The two girls were reported missing later that afternoon. Police confirmed that a double homicide investigation was underway but would not comment on the cause of death of the two girls. A search was conducted for Liberty German (right) and Abigail Williams (left) in the Deer Creek area after being missing for almost 24 hours Liberty German posted these Snapchats of Abigail at at Monon High Bridge Trail close to when they started hiking around 2.07pm yesterday. They are the last photos of Williams Police operation: Access to Deer Creek, near where the girls were last seen, has bene blocked off by law enforcement while an FBI evidence team moves in Start of trail: Wilson Bridge runs over the Delphi Historic Trail. The two girls were dropped off to go for a hike on the trail Scenic setting: The trail runs close to Deer Creek in Carroll County, where a massive police operation is now under way When asked if there was a threat to anybody else in the community, Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Lazenby said: 'At this time we do not believe so.' Sgt. Kim Riley, of Indiana State Police, told DailyMail.com on Wednesday: 'At this point in time, we really have no real strong leads on anybody but we're getting hundreds of tips coming in all the time. We have nobody in suspicion yet.' Delphi Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff's Department, Indiana State Police and the FBI's Evidence Recovery Team were all coordinating on the investigation. The area where the bodies were recovered is still an active crime scene and evidence is being recovered. The bodies were found in the area of the Monon High Bridge on the Delphi Historic Trail. Sgt Riley said people live along the road close to the trail. 'The crime scene is on private property, it's not on the trail itself and it's owned by a subject who lives on that road.' Police have nobody in custody at this time and would not comment if there were any persons of interest. 'There is somebody out there who committed this crime and we are going to track them down,' Sgt Kim Riley said. Authorities have spoken with the victims' families but would not say 'one way or the other' if anything they learned could help with the investigation. Sgt Riley said the families had believed that the bodies belonged to their children when they were notified of the grim discovery on Tuesday. 'They were of the belief it was their children but when you hear from an official, it hits home twice,' Riley said. Due to the ongoing investigation, police would not say if this was a random act or whether they were looking for one or more suspects. Neither would they comment on whether the girls' cell phones had been recovered. Riley said that the bodies were found around 50 feet from Deer Creek and that he believed the area was only accessible on foot or by horse. Police would not say whether the girls were killed in the spot where they were found or if their bodies had been moved. He added: 'I think people need to be cautious and careful. Parents should make sure they know where their children are and what their children are doing, and if nothing else, know what's going on in their lives. That's the most important thing I can say at this point in time.' When asked whether that person was being considered a suspect, Sgt Riley said: 'Right now, everybody is being considered. We are looking at every option, every angle that we have.' Riley said there had only been three murders in the county in his 30 years on the force. 'It's not something that occurs every day, especially involving 13-year-old girls. That is not something that happens all the time.' Confirmation: Sgt Kim Riley of the Indiana State Police (right) and Sheriff Toby Leazenby Carroll County Sheriff's Department confirmed the bodies were those of the missing girls on Wednesday, 48 hours after they were last seen Abigail Williams (left) and Liberty German (right) were supposed to be picked up by family members after hiking at Monon High Bridge but never showed up Abigail Williams fishes in a photo on Facebook. Two bodies were found Tuesday He described the area as a close-knit community where generations of family know each other. 'People are born here, stay here a lot. There's a lot of relations in this area, people know each other. They go to church together, they have community events.' The bodies were discovered less than one mile away from the Monon High Bridge, where they were dropped off by family members at 1pm on Monday and were supposed to be collected later. Both of the girls' cellphones either died or were powered off. German's grandfather Mike Patty toldWLFI: 'The cellphone has been pinging around town and here there is a cellphone tower but the ping was last noted around five to six hours ago. And they say the phone is now dead.' The bridge is something of a local beauty spot and is where the final picture of Abigail Williams was taken by Liberty German, hours before they were reported missing at 5.30pm. The teens were last seen at 1pm on Monday. German's photo of Williams on Snapchat at 2.07pm is the last documentation of the girls. Williams and German were supposed to be picked up where they were dropped off a few hours later but never showed up. Police said that family members dropped them off but it is not clear if it was a parent of either girl, or a sibling or other relative. Initially, foul play was not suspected when Abigail Williams (left) and Liberty German (right) disappeared. German was last seen wearing a tie dyed t-shirt similar to the one pictured The initial view of police was that there was no foul play suspected, or that the girls were in danger, but as the night passed, their view changed. Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby had said in a release early Tuesday: 'Based on information learned from friends and family members, police do not suspect foul play and have no information to believe the girls are in any kind of danger, other than being exposed to outside elements' The Williams family appears to have an attachment to the bridge. Anna's cover photo is an artistic photo of the railroad. Police, firefighters and volunteers searched the area until around midnight Monday and restarted the search when it became light outside Tuesday morning. A K-9 unit and a dive team were deployed to search for the teens. Do you "like"? Do you "tweet"? Do you tube? Does your business do any or all of these things and, if so, does it really ... Advertisement First Lady Melania Trump headed down to the nation's capital on Wednesday, where she joined her husband in welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara to the White House. It marked the first official appearance Melania has made since her husband was sworn into office almost one month ago on January 20, with the 46-year-old mother choosing to stay in New York City with her son Barron rather than join President Trump in the White House. The First Lady stood alongside her husband outside the South Portico of the White House to welcome the Netanyahus at noon. Melania greeted her guests with a kiss and the group exchanged pleasantries while posing for some photos before going inside for the President and Prime Minister's news conference. Once inside, Melania sat next to Ivanka, who attended the early afternoon event with her husband, Jared Kushner. The First Lady and her stepdaughter did not appear to socialize much at the event and barely spoke to one another, though Ivanka did arrive for the news conference just before it got underway. And Ivanka and her husband were left behind after the conference as Sara and Melania spent the afternoon together at the African American History. Melania's smiling appearance at the White House on Wednesday came on the same day a story emerged claiming she was secretly 'miserable' in her new role as First Lady and had spent the past month rarely leaving her apartment in Trump Tower. Scroll down for video Back in town: First Lady Melania Trump joined her husband (above) at the White House on Wednesday to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Stunning: She wore a picture perfect white skirt suit for the occasion, and enthusiastically greeted both of her guests with kisses on the cheek Long time gone: It marked Melania's first official appearance at the White House since her husband's inauguration First tour: The First lady escorted Sara around the White House on Wednesday afternoon Smiling beauty: Melania seemed happy and excited to be in the White House with her husband Over in the oval: After the conference, the President and First Lady spent time in the Oval Office with the Netanyahus US Weekly spoke with multiple sources close to Melania who shared details about her life over the past month, and how she is reacting to the big changes in her world. 'This life wasnt her dream. It was Donalds,' said her friend, stylist Phillip Bloch. 'Truthfully, it's a lot to cope with.' And another source claims that she does not want to leave her apartment for anything or anyone, choosing to have the Secret Service take Barron to school and pick him up at the end of the day. That however could have more to do with the outcry it would cause in New York City if she did decide to make that trip, as it would require a full motorcade and cause road closures all the way from Trump Tower in midtown to Barron's school across town. Multiple sources also shoot down claims that she is unhappy and say she is 'embracing the role and responsibilities of first lady.' Melania looked picture perfect, wearing an impeccably tailored white cashmere pencil skirt and jacket designed by Karl Lagerfeld, for her appearance on Wednesday. The outfit was a couture creation from the creative director of both Chanel and Fendi. She paired the skirt and jacket with a pair of nude heels for the occasion, Melania wore her recently-lightened hair in beachy waves and no jewelry other than the 25-carat diamond ring her husband gave her on their 10th wedding anniversary. It was another stylish choice for the First Lady, who received raves during inauguration weekend for the pale blue Ralph Lauren number she wore to her husband's swearing-in ceremony. She then wore a dress for the inaugural balls that night which she helped design with former Carolina Herrera employee Herve Pierre. Many had expected her to wear Karl Lagerfeld for that event after rumors began to emerge that he had been meeting with Melania in the weeks before the ceremony. That did not end up being the case in the end, but it is clear now that the iconic designer was working with the the First Lady. This could seem to suggest that her skirt and jacket ensemble on Wednesday may have been one of the choices she was considering for her husband's swearing-in ceremony. Warm welcome: Melania gives Prime Minister Netanyahu a kiss on the cheek Wednesday afternoon (above) Good guide: Melania was seen leading Sara to her seat just before the news conference on Wednesday Business buddies: Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner attended the early afternoon press conference as well, entering while Melania was in conversation (above) Keeping quiet: Melania and Ivanka said few words to one another during the news conference on Wednesday Greeting: Ivanka also took some time to greet Prime Minister Natanyahu's wife Sara (above) Melania will now be spending the rest of the afternoon showing Sara around while their husbands have closed-door meetings. Their first stop was to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, the institution President Trump said he would be visiting back on Martin Luther King Day. President Trump later cancelled his planned visit citing scheduling issues. It was the same week that he very publicly criticized and attacked civil rights leader John Lewis, who was a close friend of King. After their afternoon at the museum, Melania and Sara will attend a private dinner later tonight that the Trumps are throwing for the Netanyahus. The co-hosts this evening will be Florida Senator Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette. Melania's appearance on Wednesday came the day after she announced that White House tours would resume next month. Tours are typically suspended for a few weeks when a new administration takes office. The First Lady announced the news in a statement that read: 'I am excited to reopen the White House to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year. 'The White House is a remarkable and historic site and we are excited to share its beauty and history. I am committed to the restoration and preservation of our nation's most recognizable landmark.' Time to learn: The First Lady and the prime Minister's wife made their first trip if the afternoon to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (pair above with museum director Lonnie Bunch) Group outing: The pair drew stares as the joined the crowds and engaged in one of the museum's interactive exhibits (above) Guided tour: The women were escorted through the museum by the director diuring their trip on Wednesday (above) Keeping dry: The women are seen through a giant circular skylight and fountain of raining water at the museum Parting ways: Melania and Sara head off in their separate directions after their afternoon together to prepare for dinner (White House Social Secretary Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd on right) Back home: Melania arrived back at the White House alone (above) after her outing with Sara to the museum And in what may be the only move this administration has made that would excite the Obamas, Melania also revealed on Tuesday her plans to keep the garden Michelle planted in 2009 on the South Lawn of the White House. 'As a mother and as the first lady of this country, Mrs. Trump is committed to the preservation and continuation of the White House gardens, specifically First Lady's Kitchen Garden and the Rose Garden,' Melania's senior adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff said in a statement. Michelle had said last year that she hoped that future first ladies would keep the garden, and raised $2.5million in private donations to help maintain her creation. The planting of the garden in 2009 kicked off Michelle's 'Let's Start' initiative, which she spent eight years focused on while her husband was in the White House. Melania has yet to reveal what her initiative is, but has stated in the past that she would like to do something with bullying. She could be waiting to decide on that until she makes the move to Washington DC, something that may be happening this June when her son Barron has finished school. Melania did not want to remove her son in the middle of the year and transplant him to Washington DC. Feeling good: Melania smiles as she makes her way from the East Room to the Oval Office Smiles all around: Melania smiles as Ivanka goes up to greet Sara ahead of the news conference Good discussion: President Trump shakes hands with Prime Minister Netanyahu during the joint press conference in the East Room In for a kiss: Jared Kushner gave Sara a kiss on the cheek at the new conference And another: Ivanka also gave Sara a kiss at the news conference in Friday And while Melania has not been seen at the White House much does not mean she has not been fulfilling her hostess duties. She traveled to Palm Beach over the weekend where she and President Trump entertained Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife. The First Lady and Akie Abe spent most of their time at Mar-a-Lago, but did venture off the resort on a few occasions, taking a trip on Saturday to nearby Delray beach. There the women looked around the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens while their husbands played golf on Saturday. Melania later posted a tweet about the outing, writing: 'Thank you @morikamimuseum for the inspirational presentation of your sacred gardens & life & culture in Japan.' She also included a photo of herself and Akie looking at one of the six gardens at the museum. Melania is currently operating with a staff of just two in the Office of the First Lady - Chief of Staff Lindsay Reynolds and White House Social Secretary Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd. She also has Winston Wolkoff, who serves as her senior advisor. Ashton Kutcher and Senator John McCain shared a bromance moment when the actor appeared at a Senate hearing at Capitol Hill today to testify against human trafficking and modern slavery. The Republican Senator thanked the That 70s Show actor for attending the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday before poking fun at the actor's Hollywood looks. 'I also want to thank Elisa and Ashton. Ashton you were better looking in the movies,' McCain jabbed. A budding bromance: The actor blew a kiss at the Senator after he playfully remarked the actor was 'better looking' in the movies The 39-year-old had the perfect response to the senator's remark and blew him a kiss, prompting laughter from those in attendance. Kutcher gave an impassioned speech during the hearing where he spoke about his work fighting against human trafficking and saving children from sexual abuse. The former Punk'd host is a co-founder of Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children, an organization he helped establish with ex-wife Demi Moore, which fights against the sexual exploitation of children. Kutcher flew out to Washington a week before Shine a Light on Slavery Day, a day created by the End It organization to raise awareness on the issue. US Senator and Chairman of the committee Bob Corker said the actor hopped aboard a red-eye flight to the hearing after a Valentine's Day dinner with his wife. The kiss prompted laughter from the audience and McCain himself, before he proceeded to testify against human trafficking During a Foreign Relations Committee Senate hearing on Wednesday Senator John McCain poked fun at Ashton Kutcher's looks The famous romcom actor became emotional during his powerful speech, stating his goal on Wednesday was to 'defend the right to pursue happiness'. 'But the right to pursue happiness, for so many, is stripped away. Its raped. Its abused. Its taken by force, fraud, or coercion. It is sold for the momentary happiness of another,' he said. Kutcher described his experiences as chairman of the organization saying he has met victims from Russia, India, and parts of the US and has been on FBI raids where he saw things 'no person should ever see.' Ashton Kutcher, founder of Digital Defenders of Children walks with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Senator Bob Corker After describing harrowing details of his work, Kutcher said: 'That's my day job, and I'm sticking to it' He was seen holding back tears as he described a time that he watched a video of a child the same age as his own, being raped by an American man who was sex tourist in Cambodia. Kutcher also added that his organization was the 'last line of defense' in helping the Department of Homeland Security trying to locate a seven-year-old girl that was being sexually abused in content that was circulating around the dark web. 'This is the part where Internet trolls start telling me to stick to my day job, he said. After detailing his harrowing experiences on the job, Kutcher added: 'Thats my day job, and Im sticking to it.' The actor is married to actress and former co-star, Mila Kunis. The couple has two children, a two-month-old son and two-year-old girl. Ministers are facing fresh wrath over business rates after figures suggested the Treasury will rake in more than 1billion extra next year. The government has insisted a controversial revaluation will be 'revenue-neutral' overall despite complaints that some high street shops are in line for huge hikes. But official forecasts slipped out today show that revenue from rates is expected to rise sharply after the shake-up takes effect in April. The government is expecting to take in 25.5billion from the charges in 2017-18 - up from 24.5billion last year. Small businesses have reacted with anger after it emerged a Government revaluation of business rates a tax on commercial property has given online shops a further advantage over independent retailers. Stock image of East Grinstead Business group the FSB, which has been campaigning against the changes, pointed out that ministers had promised rates would fall. National Chairman Mike Cherry said: 'At Budget 2016 the Government announced the biggest ever cut in business rates worth 6.7billion over the next five years. 'This would reduce business rates with a real focus on the UK's smaller businesses. Ministers must honour this commitment, made to FSB members and the wider UK small business community.' 'The business rates system is increasingly unfair and outdated, with many facing arbitrary surprise hikes in their bills. It would add salt to the wound if Ministers now do not deliver what they promised.' The Treasury insisted the revaluation would not raise more or less tax, and the change was down to 'growth from new construction' and 'refurbishments to properties'. The figures released today show the government is predicting that appeals against the changes could reduce revenue by 1.3billion - compared to just over 600million this year. Even taking that into account revenue will still rise by more than 300,000 year-on-year. Smaller firms have reacted with fury after it emerged the shake-up of commercial property charges will give online retailers even more of an advantage. Amazon's nine distribution centres in England and Wales will benefit from a 148,000 reduction this year - a 1.3 per cent fall. The US retail giant prompted outrage in 2015 after it emerged it had paid just 11.9million in tax on 5.3billion of sales from British shoppers taken through its Luxembourg arm. It came as an analysis of NHS trusts revealed that hospitals and GP surgeries are facing a 635million rise in business rates over the next five years. The NHS trusts, many of which are already under huge finarncial strain, face rises in the levy by an average of a third by 2021. Some of the biggest hospitals will have their business rates doubled, potentially forcing them to fund further savings to fill black holes in their budgets. Some health authorities are considering legal action in a bid to prevent the rises. Amazon's nine distribution centres in England and Wales - including this one in Luton - will benefit from a 148,000 reduction this year As well as Amazon, Asos and Boohoo are also retailers likely to pay less for warehouses in the north of England. But tens of thousands of small independent shops with a high street presence will be hit by price hikes of up to 300 per cent. Chancellor Philip Hammond could be facing a revolt over the changes, which could be seen to favour online retailers over those with a traditional high street presence. Mark Rigby, of CVS business rent and rates specialists, which analysed the data, said: 'The high street thought that the aim of the business rates review was to level the playing field with their online counterparts, but nothing materialised.' The Association of Convenience Stores called for an immediate review of the 'unfair' rates paid by online shops on their warehouses. Online fashion retailer Boohoo's rateable value, which its bill is based on, will fall by 13 per cent from April on its distribution centre in Burnley. The company doubled its pre-tax profits last year to 14.4million. Chancellor Philip Hammond could be facing a revolt over the changes The rateable value for clothing retailer Asos's huge distribution warehouse in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, will not change despite a 37 per cent in its profits last year to 63.7million. And the rate for online white goods retailer Ao.com will rise by a modest 0.37 per cent on its warehouse in Crewe. The Independent Retailers Association said online retailers had a 'massive competitive advantage'. Lindsey Hall, deputy cabinet member for business at Westminster council, said: 'With unprecedented competition from online shopping giants, as well as the highest rental costs in the country, confidence and stability for local businesses big and small is more important than ever.' Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: 'The business rates system is broken and has failed to keep pace with the modern economy.' There is growing concern in Whitehall about the impact of the rate rises on the NHS. More than 150 health trusts have joined forces and are threatening to mount a major test case against a local authority unless they are granted an exemption or rebate. Hospitals will be hit hard as they are large premises and the equivalent cost of rebuilding on which the rate is based would be high. The analysis found that business rates for hospitals will rise from 328million to 418million in five years' time, while GPs and health centres will see their costs rise from 257million to 332million annually over the same period. Some health authorities will have to pay millions more. Peterborough City Hospital, which will see rates go from 2.5million to 4.8million by 2021, while the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust's bill is set to rise from 4.2million to 7.6million. Royal London Hospital in east London will face an increase of nearly 60 per cent to 9.7 million. Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said that rising business rates mean that it needs to put 'additional cost effciencies in place' on top of existing savings. Many huge retailers, such as Amazon and ASOS, will see a fall or only a modest rise as the rateable values of their warehouses has not risen as much. Stock image The trusts are being represented by Billinger GVA, a property consultancy, which said that hospitals are facing 'exponential' increases in business rates. Jerry Schurder, of analysts Gerald Eve, which advises companies and public sector bodies on business rates, said: 'At a time when the NHS is under huge budgetary pressures, these rises in business rates liabilities highlight just how punitive the system has be- come and will be a cause of real con- cern for those tasked with delivering hospital and clinic services.' Sally Gainsbury, of the Nuffeld Trust think tank, said: 'Hospitals are current- ly overspending at a rate of between 150 million and 250 million a month. They will struggle to absorb an extra hit like this. 'When a hospital has to cut costs, it doesn't take long before they end up having to look at their staffing numbers, at doctors and nurses. They will be rushing around having to treat more and more patients.' Afsana Lachaux and her French Christian husband, Bruno before their divorce at the Middle East International Film Festival A woman had to be screened off from her estranged husband during their High Court divorce hearing because she 'loathes the sight of him'. Afsana Lachaux said she did not want to see Bruno Lachaux when answering barristers' questions at a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London. Mr Justice Mostyn said seating arrangements in Court 50 at the Royal Courts of Justice should be reorganised. Mr Lachaux moved to a press bench at the side of the room and a curtain was drawn between him and Mrs Lachaux. The judge has been asked to make rulings relating to the status of the pair's marriage. Lawyers want him to decide whether a divorce granted in Dubai should be recognised in England. Mr Lachaux, a French aerospace engineer who works in the Middle East, has told how he and Mrs Lachaux, who is English and lives in London, spilt after marrying seven years ago. He said Mrs Lachaux was violent towards him and 'threatening'. She told the judge Mr Lachaux had 'obsessively spied' on her, stalked her and hacked her emails. Asfana pictured at home with a Whinnie The Pooh teddy bear belonging to her son Louis She complained of his 'denigration and degradation' of her. 'I loathe the sight of him,' Mrs Lachaux told Mr Justice Mostyn on Wednesday. 'More than I loathe the sight of him, I loathe myself for sleeping with him and being with him.' She said the marriage had been a 'monumental mistake'. Giving evidence earlier this week, Mr Lachaux said he looked at his wifes emails when they lived together because he had suspected she was having an affair. Under Emirati law husbands and wives could examine each others emails without permission, he said, as there were no secrets between married couples. Afsana holds a birthday cake at Louis' second birthday party. She can no longer bear the sight of her husband Mr Lachaux denied he had stalked her or that he had used other surveillance techniques to spy on her. When Mr Lachaux began his evidence, his estranged wife moved away from the witness box and moved to sit with one of her lawyers at the back of the courtroom. The judge told her: If you dont want to look at him, you can go and sit somewhere else. Lawyer Richard Harrison QC, for Mrs Lachaux, asked Mr Lachaux if his behaviour had caused difficulties in the marriage, asking: You did nothing wrong whatsoever? Mr Lachaux replied: No... I dont believe so. President Donald Trump told Israel's prime minister today that he'd like the country to 'hold back' on settlement building. At a White House press conference, Trump said he believes that he and Benjamin Netanyahu can make a Middle East peace deal, emphasizing the the length of their relationship compared to predecessors who failed at the diplomatic process. But Trump said he needs Netanyahu to pull back on settlements 'a little bit' and for the Israeli's to 'show more flexibility.' 'Bibi and I have known each other a long time, smart man, great negotiator. And I think were going to make a deal,' Trump said. 'It might be a bigger and better deal than people in this room even understand.' LET'S MAKE A DEAL: President Donald Trump told Israel's prime minister today that he'd like the country to 'hold back' on its settlement building 'a little bit' Netanyahu committed to trying, with Trump noting that his counterpart didn't seem to optimistic. 'Good negotiator,' he said. Netanyahu told him, 'Thats the art of the deal' At a White House press conference, Trump said he believes he and Benjamin Netanyahu can make a Middle East peace deal, emphasizing the the length of their relationship compared to predecessors who failed at the diplomatic process Netanyahu committed to trying, with Trump noting that his counterpart didn't seem to optimistic. 'Good negotiator,' he added. Netanyahu told him, 'Thats the art of the deal. The Art of the Deal is the name of Trump's best selling book. Asked about settlements again later, Netanyahu said he believes that he and Trump can 'arrive at an understanding so we don't keep bumping into each other on this issue.' Trump has said since taking office that he does not believe that settlement building is helpful to the peace process, a switch from his campaign-time comments. His statements Wednesday solidified the Republican administration's position. At the news conference, which preceded any official meetings between the the two nation's leaders, Trump also affirmed his belief that that a two-state solution is not necessary to achieve peace between Israel and Palestine. 'I'm looking at two state and one state, and I like the one that both parties like. I am very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one,' he said. Netanyahu said his position on the issue has been unwavering. The Palestinians must recognize the Jewish state and a deal must give Israel control of the areas west of the Jordan River to prevent radical Islamic terrorism from taking hold. 'They have to stop calling for Israel's destruction, they have to stop educating their people for Israel's destruction,' he said. 'Now, unfortunately, the Palestinians vehemently reject both prerequisites for peace.' The Israeli leader explained that he's unwilling to budge because of the historical connection his people have to that territory. 'Jews are called Jews because they come from Judea, this is our ancestral homeland. Jews are not foreign colonialists in Judea, so unfortunately the Palestinians not only deny the past, they also poison the present.' Netanyahu said the Palestinians 'persistent rejection-ism' is why peace has not been achieved. 'That has to change, I want it to change,' he said. 'But if anyone believes that I, as prime minister of Israel, responsible for the security of my country, would blindly walk into a Palestinian terror state that seeks the destruction of my country, they are greatly mistaken.' He added that he looks forward to speaking with the president about these issues in their afternoon meetings - and revealed that he and Trump have already been talking about a 'regional approach' to peace that includes their 'newfound Arab partners.' Trump said in his response that the accord the're looking at 'is very different, hasn't been discussed before and it's actually a much bigger deal, a much more important deal, it would take in many, many countries and it would cover a very large territory. 'I didn't know you were going to be mentioning that, but now that you did, I think it's a pretty terrific thing. And I think we have some pretty good cooperation from people who in the past would never, never thought about doing this. So we'll see how this works out.' Netanyahu meets with Trump in the Oval Office after their joint news conference The leaders' wives joined them for the occasion. Netanyahu's wife Sara is on the left and First Lady Melania Trump is on the right - it's her first time at the White House since the inauguration Trump's Israel fervor has softened since his inauguration, despite taking counsel from Zionists including chief strategist Steve Bannon and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was flagged by Netanyahu, an old family friend, at today's news conference. For instance, the Republican said on the campaign trail that he intends to move the United States' embassy from Tel Aviv to 'the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem.' Today he was non-committal, telling told an Israeli reporter, 'I'd love to see that happen. We're looking at it very, very strongly. We're looking at it with great care, great care, believe me. And we'll see what happens.' He was clear, however, when it came to his policy on Iran, promising Israel at the top of his remarks that he would do more than the previous administration to prevent the state sponsor of terror from developing a nuclear weapon. Trump also that his administration, unlike the previous president's, would reject any 'unfair and one-sided actions against Israel at the United Nations, which has treated Israel in my opinion very, very unfairly, or other international forums, as well as boycotts that target Israel.' The shot across the bow at the United Nations Security Council was in response to Barack Obama's end-of-term decision to have his ambassador, Samantha Power, abstain from a resolution condemning Israel's settlement activity. Without the United States' no vote, the measure was able to pass. While the more meaty issue to be discussed today at the White House will be Middle East peace, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 'Bibi' Netanyahu etched out some common ground. Both world leaders gave a hat tip to Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump's husband who now serves as a senior adviser in the Trump White House. 'Can I reveal how many years I've known you?' Netanyahu said from onstage, as the two leaders gave a brief press conference today. 'He was never small, he was always big he was always tall,' Netanyahu said of Kushner. 'But I've known the president and I've known his family and his team for a long time and there is no greater supporter of the Jewish people and the Jewish state than President Donald Trump.' Kushner, who is Jewish, came up in the context of a question a reporter asked about increased reports of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States since Trump won the election. Scroll down for video Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) talked to President Donald Trump (right) about how long he's known the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) suggested President Donald Trump (right) should not be blamed for rising antisemitism in the United States MAN OF THE HOUR: President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (center) received praise from onstage from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu When President Donald Trump was asked to respond to reports of rising antisemitism in the U.S., he brought up his Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner (right) and his daughter Ivanka Trump (left), who converted to her husband's faith Trump eventually mentioned his Jewish family members when giving a response. His eldest daughter Ivanka converted to the faith of her husband and all three of their children are being raised Jewish. First though, Trump, again, brought up his victory on Election Night, even though it's been more than three months since, and almost a month into his presidency. 'Well, I just want to say we are very honored by the victory that we had,' Trump said. 'Three hundred and six Electoral College votes we were not supposed to crack 220, you know that right?' Trump continued, turning toward Bibi. Trump reminded the crowd that political prognosticators didn't believe he could even get to 221 Electoral College votes, let alone the 270 needed to rout Democrat Hillary Clinton. From there, Trump pledged peace. Jared Kushner (right) sat front row at a press conference today between his father-in-law President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Here he greets Netanyahu's wife Sara 'We are going to stop crime in this country, we are going to do everything within our power to stop long-simmering racism,' he said. 'A lot of bad things have taken place over a long period of time.' While he spoke of the 'great enthusiasm' his election had on his base, Trump noted that not every American shared that sentiment. 'I think one of the reasons why I won the election is we had a very, very, very divided country. Very divided,' Trump said. 'And hopefully, I'll be able to do something about that.' He then more directly answered the reporter's question, about antisemitism, xenophobia and racism coming from his administration, by bringing up Jewish family members and friends. 'As far as people, Jewish people, so many friends, a daughter that happens to be here right now,' Trump said, motioning to Ivanka in the audience. 'A son-in-law and three beautiful grandchildren,' he said of Kushner and their kids. Trump told the reporter 'you're going to see a lot different United States of America over the next three, four or eight years,' adding that a lot of 'good things' are happening. 'You're going to see a lot of love, a lot of love, OK?' Trump promised. From here, Netanyahu stepped in with his own praise. 'If I can respond to something that I know from personal experience,' the Israeli leader said. 'I've known President Trump for many years and to allude to him or to his people, his team, some of them I've known for many years too.' Bibi then brought up his long-standing relationship with Kushner, who's been tasked with helping with Middle East peace, suggesting that there's no way these people could be responsible for the rising tide of antisemitism in the United States. 'I think we should put that to rest,' Netanyahu said. Police have charged an Ohio man with criminal damaging in the spray-painting of a swastika and message cursing Arabs on a Lebanese family's garage door in suburban Toledo. Sylvania Township police say 28-year-old Osama Nazzal, of Toledo, has a March 1 court appearance to face the second-degree misdemeanor count. Police say he told them the message wasn't a matter of ethnic intimidation, but they declined to discuss his possible motive. Court records don't list an attorney for him and no one answered a telephone Wednesday that had been listed to him. The original graffiti was spray-painted over the Toledo, Ohio garage door. It took authorities a month to track down the culprit The Blade newspaper of Toledo reported that resident Souheir Eltatawy who is a Muslim, said she has felt afraid since the vandalism occurred; she declined further comment Wednesday. That graffiti prompted a demonstration from those against what appeared to be a hate crime. An installer and radio station donated a new garage door to help the family after the January 10 vandalism, and the community has shown support in other ways. People put encouraging messages on the defaced door about welcoming neighbors and love conquering hate. A heart was spray-painted over a swastika graffiti that was cursing Arabs in Toledo, Ohio. Osama Nazzal has now been charged with a misdemeanor count of criminal damage A couple hundred people also joined members of the Toledo Symphony to sing outside the home. Deputy Chief Jim Rettig said detectives acted on a tip that led them to the suspect. 'It was a good old-fashioned police work with very limited resources, very limited evidence,' Rettig said. A man who killed his two children and two stepchildren and attacked his wife pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder on Wednesday. Gregory Green, 50, tearfully admitted to killing Chadney Allen, 19, Kara Allen, 17, Koi Green, five, and Kaleigh Green, four, before a 20th District Court Judge David D Turfe. He admitted that he shot his two stepchildren in front of their mother and killed his two daughters by carbon monoxide poisoning in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, on September 21, 2016. Scroll down for video Gregory Green, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan plead guilty to killing his two children and two stepchildren. He is seen above in court on Wednesday Green attacked his wife Faith Green before killing Chadney Allen, 19, Kara Allen, 17, Koi Green, five, and four-year-old Kaleigh Green (all pictured here) Green also admitted that he shot his ex-wife Faith Harris-Green in the feet and cut her face with a box cutter, pleading guilty to torture and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, reported the Detroit Free Press When sentenced at Wayne County Circuit Court on March 1, his sentence agreement calls for him to serve between 47 to 102 years in prison. He underwent an evaluation by a doctor from the Center for Forensic Psychiatry and was found competent to stand trial, attorneys said. In mourning: Faith Harris-Green is seen wearing a black veil and holding hands with a relative during an October probable cause hearing for her husband, Gregory Green, who is accused of killing her four children Harris-Green was surrounded by other family members in court today, though they declined to comment, reported the Free Press. Green poisoned his two young daughters, Kaleigh and Koi, with carbon monoxide exhaust fumes in a car before placing their lifeless bodies back into their beds. He then bound his wife with duct tape and zip ties, slashed her face with a box cutter and shot her in the foot. He then shot dead his Kara and Chadney Allen execution-style in front of their mother. After the horrifying slayings, the ex-convict called 911 and allegedly confessed to the murders, which came a month after his wife filed for divorce. Shortly after the tragedy, it was revealed that Gregory Green had been released from prison in 2008 after serving 15 years for killing his first wife Tonya, who was six months pregnant with their child. Green served a sentence for second-degree murder after his wife was found stabbed to death in 1991. He had pleaded no contest in Wayne County court. Similarly to after he killed his children, Green confessed to killing his first wife during a 911 call. Records show Faith Green had filed for divorce in August. Video from WXYZ Ex-convict dad: Green (left) underwent a mental health evaluation that determined that he was competent to stand trial in the murders of his two young daughters and two teenage stepchildren (pictured in family portrait on the right) She cited a 'breakdown in the marriage relationship' in the filing in Wayne County Court. Records show she also filed for divorce from Gregory Green in 2013 but no further action was taken. Faith had asked for a personal protection order that same year but it was turned down by a judge. In the past, police have reportedly responded to the home for domestic violence and family troubles. Green completed several cognitive-based programs and was paroled in 2008,' Gautz told the newspaper. He was released from parole in April 2010 after spending 16 years in prison. Following his release, Green stayed out of trouble until the recent murders. A service was held for the slain children in September. The service was held at the Detroit First Church of Nazarene and lasted two hours. Family members could be seen helping Faith, who is recovering from her injuries, to her seat before the service. 'Princess Koi' loved to dress up and be the center of attention while her younger sister Kaleigh (both pictured together) enjoyed ballet and singing The funeral of four siblings who were allegedly killed in their home by Gregory Green, a father to two of the children and a step-father to the two others Chadney Allen Sr was also present to say goodbye to his two children. A letter Faith wrote to her children was read during the service, according to The Detroit News. 'I know your love,' she wrote. 'My dear babies I love you all. You were always unique in your own way.' Faith described Chadney Allen Jr as her 'little big man' who loved to give tight hugs. He had recently graduated from the Specs Howard School of Broadcasting with a certificate in Digital Media Arts. Faith said Kara was a go-getter, an honor student and a cheerleader. 'Princess Koi' loved to dress up and be the center of attention while her sister Kaleigh enjoyed ballet and singing. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a ... deer? An American Eagle flight struck a deer while taking off from the Charlotte, North Carolina international airport, forcing it to turn around mid-air and abort a flight to Gulfport, Mississippi. The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the pilot of Flight 5320 declared an emergency shortly before noon Wednesday. The plane hit the deer upon takeoff but began having problems in the air. A stream of vapor was seen trailing the plane as it circled back to land, reported WSOC-TV. Emergency crews swarmed the plane which landed on the tarmac shortly after hitting a deer upon takeoff The plane's wing was damaged and the body was leaking fuel, so crews doused it with fire retardant foam as a precaution The 44 passengers were evacuated and driven to the terminal to await their belongings and another flight The aircraft was leaking fuel as a direct result of the deer strike, said American Airlines spokeswoman Katie Cody. There was damage to one of the right front wing flaps of the CRJ-700 jet. Emergency personnel were seen swarming the tarmac to spray white fire-retardant foam on the aircraft as a precaution. No injuries were reported. The 44 passengers aboard the flight deplaned by stairs onto the tarmac and boarded buses to return to the terminal. Deer strikes are fairly rare - there were 1,100 deer-plane collisions between 1990 and 2015; the airport is surrounded by a fence but the deer (not pictured) got in anyway Passengers said that they heard the impact of plane hitting deer. 'We heard the thud when we hit the deer. We didn't know what it was, but we did heard the noise when we hit the deer,' passenger Diane Muellar told the outlet. 'We were just taking off and it kind of sounded like a tire popped almost,' passenger Antonio Bucca told WCNC. The airport is surrounded by a fence to prevent such happenings, but this wily deer got past it somehow, reported WSOC-TV. It's not the first time a plane has hit wildlife - US Airways flight 1545 famously ditched into the Hudson River after hitting a flock of geese - but a deer strike is unusual but not unheard of. According to the FAA, over 1,100 deer-aircraft collisions happened between 1990 and 2015, reported WCNC. Considering there are approximately 87,000 flights a day in the US, according to the FAA, this is a rare event. Passengers said during the emergency, flight attendants reassured them that all would be well. 'In all honestly, for a flier who is on planes every week, they did a great job,' Muellar said. 'They all looked professional. They all knew what they were doing,' passenger Greg Velz told the WSOC-TV of the airline staff. The runway opened back up around 2pm. Passengers were given a later flight. President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of labor, fast food executive Andrew Puzder, withdrew his nomination. In a statement today, Puzder said 'after careful consideration' and 'discussions with my family' he decided to pull out. 'I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity,' he said, thanking Trump for the opportunity and noting that he fully supported the president. He made a similar statement in a tweet. This comes after video from the Oprah Winfrey Show was released, which shows Puzder's ex-wife saying he abused her. President Donald Trump's secretary of labor pick Andrew Puzder, chief executive of CKE restaurants, withdrew his nomination Video from the Oprah Winfrey Show became public this week, which showed Andrew Puzder's ex-wife Lisa Fierstein (pictured), in disguise, alleging he abused her while they were married Andy Puzder, a fast food restaurant executive, withdrew his nomination from the Senate today to become President Donald Trump's secretary of labor Puzder's nomination was steeped in controversy from the start, with Democrats and progressive groups firmly against giving the top labor job to a man who has fought against the minimum wage and advertised his restaurants using scantily-clad women. Puzder's CKE restaurants owns Hardee's and Carl's Jr. and uses imagery of bikini-wearing models, like Paris Hilton, to sell burgers. Last week it came out that Puzder had hired an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper and employed her for five years. Even with this admission, which has torpedoed other nominees in the past, Republicans clung to Puzder's nomination. 'Based upon what I've learned, since Mr. Puzder reported his mistake and voluntarily corrected it, I do not believe that this should disqualify him from being a cabinet secretary,' said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, according to the Los Angeles Times. President-elect Donald Trump (left) walks with CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder (right) from Trump National Golf Club Bedminster clubhouse Andy Puzder's Karl's Jr. and Hardee's brands use scantily clad women, like model Charlotte McKinney (pictured), to sell giant burgers The final nail in the coffin, however, was the video of Puzder's ex-wife, dressed in a disguise, speaking on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1990. There was talk of this back-and-forth, but until this week video hadn't been made public. Then, Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network gave a copy to members of the Senate. Politico got in touch with another woman on the show and received a copy as well. The footage shows Lisa Fierstein, wearing large sunglasses in a wig, telling the talk show host that her husband, whose name wasn't used, 'vowed revenge' when she made her spousal abuse public. 'He said, "I will see you in the gutter. This will never be over. You will pay for this,"' Fierstein said. Since their divorce, Fierstein has said she made her allegations to get a better child custody arrangement and that they are untrue. She wanted to gain leverage in her divorce, she said. She even sent a letter to the Senate HELP Committee to clear things up. But it was just too much to swallow with four GOP senators telling CNN they wouldn't vote for Trump's nominee, with the network reporting that another 12 were wavering. If all the Democrats voted against the nominee, only two Republicans could defect, with Vice President Mike Pence coming to Capitol Hill to make the tie-breaking vote, as he did with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was to bring Puzder before the committee tomorrow morning for the first time, where he would have had to take questions from liberal firebrands including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Al Franken. He also would have faced an increasingly skeptical bench of Republicans. Alexander, the committee chairman, expressed disappointment that Puzder had pulled out. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he believed that Labor Secretary nominee Andy Puzder made the right decision in pulling out of consideration 'Andy Puzder has the experience and ability to make an excellent Labor Secretary, but I respect his decision,' the Republican told reporters in a statement. 'He understand the difficulties American workers face in a rapidly changing workforce and I look forward to continuing to hear his insights.' But Sen. Marco Rubio, R--Fla., who doesn't sit on the HELP committee, but would have had to vote for the nominee in the full Senate, thought what Puzder did was best. 'Andy Puzder made the right & honorable choice by withdrawing from consideration as Labor Secretary,' Rubio tweeted. Sanders didn't bring up the video, but joyfully greeted the news. 'I am glad Mr. Puzder will withdraw his name from consideration to be the next labor secretary,' Sanders said in a statement. 'The simple truth is that given his relationship with employees at the companies he runs, he was not fit to lead a department responsible for defending workers' rights.' 'We need a secretary of labor who is going to fight to raise the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour and pay equity for women,' Sanders continued. 'We don't need a labor secretary who makes millions while his workers are paid starvation wages.' White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed that Puzder was out and pointed a finger at Senate Democrats for holding up Trump's cabinet picks. 'At some point, where is the, where is the role of Senate Democrats in this? We are now entering a point where we've slow-walked senior officials that can help make the government run as a whole,' Spicer said to reporters this afternoon. He said until Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, is asked about Democrats dragging their feet he had nothing more to say about the Puzder matter. A reporter then pointed out that the Democrats didn't slow-walk Puzder, the nominee didn't get his paperwork in. 'He was not given a hearing,' Spicer replied. 'How many of the other ones do we not have done?' he said of the additional Trump cabinet selections. French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has pledged to end same-sex marriage, despite gaining support from the country's gay voters. The far-right leader said she would abolish same-sex marriage in a long list of 144 pledges released this week. President Francois Hollande signed a law that legalised gay marriage in 2013. French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has pledged to end same-sex marriage, despite gaining support from the country's gay voters The far-right leader said she would abolish same-sex marriage in a long list of 144 pledges released this week Le Pen, who is currently leading the polls for the spring elections, said the reversal of the same-sex marriage law would not be retroactive. The National Front leader is proposing to revert back to the system in place prior to 2013. This would mean gay couples are only able to enter into civil partnerships (PACS), according to legal experts at Marilyn Stowe. Despite the pledge to abolish the same-sex marriage law - which was buried at number 87 on the list - the far-right leader has gained the support of LGBT voters in France. Her support from gay married couples rose from from 19 percent in 2012 to 32 percent in 2015, the Guardian reported. It has been suggested that one of the reasons behind the growing support among gay voters is the party's presentation of Islam as a threat to LGBT rights. The National Front has several gay men in senior positions, including Le Pen's deputy Florian Philippot (pictured right) The party also has several gay men in senior positions, including Le Pen's deputy Florian Philippot. However, the majority of voters are against a reversal of the same-sex marriage law, with an Ifop poll in August suggesting 65 per cent would be against a repeal. Daily opinion polls show Le Pen winning the first round of the vote on April 23, with independent candidate Emmanuel Macron just ahead of Republican candidate Francois Fillon Fillon in second place. However, polls suggest that either of the two men would beat Le Pen in a second-round vote on May 7. New details about the final moments of a seven-month-old boy, who was thrown off a bridge by his own father, were revealed in court on Tuesday. Aaden Moreno's father, Tony, is currently standing trial for his murder and faces up to 70 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors say the 23-year-old killed his son in a failed murder-suicide on July 5, 2015. Moreno took the boy down to the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown, Connecticut and threw the boy off the bridge. Moreno followed but he survived the nearly 100 foot fall. Kayakers found his son's body two days later, about 14 miles downstream. New details were revealed in court on Tuesday, about the final moments of seven-month-old Aaden Moreno (right) before he was thrown over a bridge to his death by his father, Tony Moreno (left, in court on Wednesday) Before murdering his son, Moreno called his mom and told her to come down to the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown, Connecticut (pictured above during the search for Aaden's body) to get his son's stroller and his cell phone. He did not say what he planned to do, only that he was 'sorry' On Tuesday, Moreno's mother Denise Moreno recalled how her son called her close to midnight on the night of the deadly incident. She says at first she only heard a baby's cooing in the background, then the baby starting to cry. That's when her son started talking, telling her to come down to the bridge to get the baby's stroller and his phone. When she asked her son what was going on, he only responded: 'Sorry. Just tell everyone I'm sorry'. After calling his mom, he sent these distressing text messages to his ex-girlfriend Adrianne Oyola, who is the baby's mother By the time that police showed up at the scene, Moreno was standing at the edge of the bridge next to an empty stroller. He jumped in, but survived the fall Also shown in court on Tuesday was an interview police officers conducted with Moreno in the hospital as he was recovering from his injuries Police believe Moreno threw the baby over the side of the bridge shortly after ending the phone call to his mom. But he didn't jump right in after his son. He then started sending a flurry of text messages to his ex-girlfriend Adrianne Oyola, who is the baby's mother. 'Enjoy your life without us now,' he told her. Moreno told a police officer and a psychiatrist that he wanted to kill his son so he wouldn't be raised by his ex-girlfriend's family Adrianne Oyola is pictured above with their son. In the weeks before her sons' death, she tried and failed to get a restraining order against her ex, saying he was abusive and she feared for their son's safety She responded: 'Where are you?!' Moreno did not answer her question, but said that their son was dead 'and soon I will be too'. 'Don't f****** talk like that. You couldn't kill your own son!' she responded. Moreno did not text back. Right after hanging up with her son, Denise Moreno immediately called 911 and then drove herself the two miles from her house to the bridge. Defense attorney Norman Pattis, left, cross- examines Middletown police officer Lee Buller as Buller testifies during Tony Moreno's murder trial on Tuesday Cops were showing up just as Denise Moreno got there and Moreno was still standing next to rail of the bridge, next to an empty stroller. She says she tried to call out to him, but he didn't respond. 'I saw the look on his face,' she said. 'He was distraught. He was upset. His eyes were puffy. I told him to put one foot in front of the other and keep coming. He said he couldnt.' Middletown police Officer Austin Smith also tried to communicate to Moreno, to no avail. 'I said, "Tony, stop!"' Smith said. 'Moments later, he put both of his hands on the railing to his right and hurled himself over.' At that point, other officers were arriving at the scene and it was Officer Steven DiMassa and his partner who found Moreno treading water in the river below. Moreno (pictured in court on Tuesday) faces up to 70 years in prison if he is convicted. His defense attorney is trying to get the charges downgraded to first- or second-degree manslaughter Defense attorney Norman A. Pattis, left, speaks with his client Tony Moreno during Moreno's murder trial on Wednesday Moreno's ex-girlfriend was set to testify on Wednesday in his murder trial. Above, Moreno in court with his defense attorney on Wednesday 'I went up, I got right up in his face and asked him where the baby was,' Officer DiMassa said. But Moreno did not answer. Another officer, Lee Buller, spoke about meeting with Moreno and a psychiatrist in the hospital after the failed suicide, when he explained why he wanted to kill his son. 'He said he knew what he needed to do,' Buller said. When asked to clarify what he 'needed to do,' Buller said: 'He needed to kill his son and then kill himself'. The reason for killing his son was so that he couldn't have to be raised by his ex-girlfriend's family. The comments were made in an interview with a psychiatrist at the hospital where he was being treated for his wounds. Buller said he asked Moreno twice if he wanted him to leave the room, but both times he said he could stay. In another interview at the hospital, Detective Dane Semper said that Moreno directly admitted to killing his son - something that a judge earlier this week ruled could be used in court as evidence. 'I asked him directly if he had dropped Aaden from the bridge. He nodded yes,' Semper recalled. Moreno's ex-girlfriend and baby Aaden's mom, Adrianne Oyola, was scheduled to testify in court on Wednesday. In the weeks before her son's death, Oyola tried and failed to get a restraining order against Moreno - saying he had been abusive and that she feared for the life of their son. But a judge turned down the request and urged the two to come up with a joint custody agreement. Baby Aaden was killed on a day when Moreno had custody of the boy. Moreno is standing trial on charges of murder and risk of injury to a minor. His lawyer, Norm Pattis, does not dispute that Moreno killed the boy but says he wants to get the charges reduced to first- or second-degree manslaughter. One day after tearing into Kellyanne Conway by suggesting she lied to the American public again, the hosts of MSNBC's Morning Joe have barred her from appearing on the show. Mika Brzezinski, who co-hosts the show with Joe Scarborough, said on Wednesday's program that President Donald Trump's counselor will not be invited on the air. 'She books herself on these shows,' said Brzezinski. 'We know for a fact that she tries to book herself on this show. I won't do it because I don't believe in fake news or information that is not true, and every time I see her on television something is askew, off, or incorrect.' Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski (left) and Joe Scarborough (right) charged Kellyanne Conway with lying - or being out of the loop and 'blathering' on TV anyway Mika Brzezinski (left) said she didn't want the White House official to appear on the show again, while Joe Scarborough (middle) told Willie Geist (right) that he heard Kellyanne Conway wasn't in any of the meetings, 'And she goes out there and starts talking without having facts' Willie Geist pointed out that some reporting indicated that the White House may have been responding to the Michael Flynn allegations in real time, which could account for the differences in tone between what Kellyanne Conway said and remarks made by Press Secretary Sean Spicer Scarborough repeated his assertion Wednesday that Conway talks to the cameras even though she is not involved in high-level meetings. Conway, the former Trump campaign manager, is 'just saying things to get in front of the TV and prove her relevance,' said Scarborough, a Republican former congressman. Brzezinski added that Conway was 'not credible anymore.' Morning Joe appears to be fed up with Conway after her latest media faux pas. Conway told reporters on Tuesday that National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had 'the full confidence of the president.' Conway (seen second from left at the White House on Wednesday) said Michael Flynn had 'the full confidence of the president,' only for him to resign several hours later on Monday Several hours later, Flynn resigned after it was learned that he misled the administration over the nature of his phone conversations with the Russian ambassador weeks before Trump took office. That was the last straw for MSNBC's co-hosts. 'How many times does she go out and say things that are not true?' griped Brzezinski, as Scarborough talked over his co-host to NBC's Willie Geist and charged that Conway's 'so out of the loop.' 'It happens time and time again, she goes out and lies and you find out about those lies a couple hours later,' Scarborough muttered. 'Or if she's not lying, Willie, she's, actually what I've heard she is, Willie, is she is so out of the loop. She is in none of the meetings.' 'And she goes out there and starts talking without having facts,' Scarborough continued. Meanwhile, his co-host pledged to 'not interview her' anymore. 'It's giving people dishonesty,' Brzezinski said. 'It's not worth the interview.' Brzezinski described what Conway was doing as 'blathering.' Geist pointed out that some reporting indicated that the White House was responding to the allegations against Flynn in real time. Neither Mika Brzezinski (center left) nor Joe Scarborough (center right) wanted to give Conway the benefit of the doubt Flynn is accused to speaking to the Russian ambassador, while President Obama was still in office, and telling him that the White House, under President Trump, may again ease sanctions. This conversation came on the heels of President Obama announcing new sanctions against Russia, for the country's interference in the 2016 presidential election. Flynn then reportedly misled officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, on the content of the conversation. Additionally, the Justice Department, under former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, informs the White House in January that Flynn misled administration officials about his conversation with the Russian, and thus could be subject to blackmail. Because the Justice Department had warned the White House about Flynn, Brzezinski didn't buy that the White House was acting on information in real time, which would have excused Conway's 'full confidence' quote. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer came out several hours later and said President Trump was 'evaluating the situation' in regards to Flynn, a markedly different tone. 'No, no, no, no, no come one,' Brzezinski replied, when Geist suggested that some reporting indicated that Conway could get the benefit of the doubt. Scarborough again suggested that Conway, Trump's former campaign manager, wasn't fully in. 'She'll go in and get a picture with the president, get a selfie with the president,' he suggested. 'She's been out of the loop for months now,' he charged. Earlier this month, CNN declined to have Conway on its Sunday morning State of the Union show hosted by Jake Tapper. Conway tweeted that this was false, and that she did not appear on State of the Union because she had to tend to a family obligation This prompted CNN's public relations arm to refute Conway's claim. CNN said that Conway had been offered up as a guest by the White House, but that the news network declined Earlier this month, CNN declined to have Conway on its Sunday morning State of the Union show hosted by Jake Tapper, according to Mediaite. The show apparently did not feel that Conway had the requisite 'credibility' to be interviewed. In response to the report, Conway tweeted that the story was false, and that she did not appear on State of the Union because she had to tend to family obligations. This prompted CNN's public relations arm to refute Conway's claim. CNN said that Conway had been offered up as a guest by the White House, but that the news network declined. The Obamas have returned from their post-White House vacation, and they are getting back to work and looking for some new employees. The 'Office of Barack and Michelle' put out a listing for interns to work directly with the Washington-based power couple. Exactly what the tasks will be is unclear, but Michelle and Barack have a number of speaking engagements planned and will each be writing books in the coming months. Scroll down for video The former President and First lady have returned from their post-White House vacation, and they are getting back to work. The couple, who are gearing up for speaking engagements and lucrative book deals, has chosen to stay in DC until younger daughter Sasha Obama graduates from the Sidwell Friends School Their daughter Malia has also been busy since moving out of the White House. Pictured she is on the way to an internship in the famous film director, Harvey Weinstein's, Manhattan office On Wednesday she was spotted as she headed into work, sporting an over-sized maroon sweatshirt and a short black dress. Photographers typically catch her showing up for work in casual outfits Responsibilities listed in the job position include tasks focused on correspondence, and they are looking for people who 'take initiate, manage their time well, have strong attention to detail, strong writing skills, and the utmost commitment to public service,' according to the posting from their office. It is unclear whether the internship will be paid or unpaid. Barack and Michelle are staying in DC so that their youngest daughter Sasha can finish high school, and during that time they have plans to do thing such as write books and speak at different organizations around the country. Michelle Obama seemed to be reminiscing about her vacation in the British Virgin Islands and called her husband 'the love of my life and favorite island mate' The Obamas' love was clearly in full force this Valentine's Day, as the former president took to Twitter to say: 'Almost 28 years with you, but it always feels new.' 'President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama have selected the Harry Walker Agency to coordinate their respective speaking engagements,' according to a statement issued by the Obama spokesman last Friday. 'In addition, Attorneys Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell will manage contract-negotiations with potential publishers for the former president and Mrs. Obama's respective books.' The Obamas also returned to the Twitter world on Valentines day with loving notes to each other, marking their official return to public service following a brief post-presidential hiatus. Their daughter Malia has also been busy since moving out of the White House. She took an internship in the famous film director Harvey Weinstein's Manhattan office. On Wednesday she was spotted as she headed into work, sporting an over-sized maroon sweatshirt and a short black dress. Photographers typically catch her showing up for work in casual outfits. Malia landed the Weinstein Co internship after spending the fall travelling South America, and while she is gaining experience in New York, her parents are settling into their new home in Washington, DC, and beginning their life-after-presidency. After leaving the White House last month, they planned to lease the $4.3million home in the elegant neighborhood of Kalaroma, complete with nine bedrooms and eight-and-a-half baths. On January 20, the Obamas first flew to Palm Springs, California, before jetting off to the British Virgin Islands. During their well-deserved vacation, protests broke out across the country in response to President Donald Trump's controversial executive order barring refugees and non-US citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries. In those weeks, Obama was pictured horsing around with billionaire Richard Branson as the former president learned to kitesurf while the couple posed with locals and soaked up the sun. Obama was pictured as he learned to kitesurf during his well deserved post-presidential vacation The wife of the Orlando nightclub killer will claim she was in 'extreme danger' from her husband at trial and her lawyers have hired a domestic abuse expert to testify on her behalf, DailyMail.com can reveal. Noor Salman, 30, was arrested last month in Dublin, California, and charged with aiding and abetting by providing material support to a terrorist and obstruction of justice. The mother-of-one faces up to 30 years in a federal prison should she be convicted of helping ISIS-inspired gunman Omar Mateen, 29, to massacre 49 revelers at the Pulse Nightclub in June 2016. DailyMail.com can also disclose that lawyers have been working on Salman's defense since at least July 19 2016, although Salman was not indicted until January 12. The wife of the Orlando nightclub killer will claim she was in 'extreme danger' from her husband and a domestic abuse expert will testify on her behalf, DailyMail.com can reveal Noor Salman, 30, was arrested last month in Dublin, California, and charged with aiding and abetting by providing material support to a terrorist and obstruction of justice Jacquelyn Campbell, an expert in domestic abuse based at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, told this website that she will appear at trial on Salman's behalf and was first approached last July. She told DailyMail.com: '[Salman] did not contact me directly but her counsel did in July 2016. 'I am willing and have already agreed to appear as an expert at any future court proceedings her lawyers ask me to.' Jacquelyn Campbell (pictured), an expert in domestic abuse based at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, told this website that she will appear at trial on Salman's behalf and was first approached last July Campbell also authored a letter submitted to Oakland Superior Court, which is currently handling the case, on February 9 which sets out her support for Salman and claims she was in 'extreme danger' from Mateen. In it, she describes how she assessed the 30-year-old using her Danger Assessment technique a test developed by Campbell in 1986 that looks at whether a woman is in danger of being murdered by her partner. Campbell writes: 'On July 19 2016, at the request of counsel and under my direction, Noor Salman completed the Danger Assessment I developed. 'Ms. Salman scored in the Extreme Danger range, the highest level of danger from an [sic] abusive intimate partner. 'This means she scored within the range where 98% of the women who scored within this range were killed, or almost killed, by an intimate partner.' Speaking to DailyMail.com, Campbell added: '[Salman] was assessed as [being] at [the] Extreme Danger [level] for DV [domestic violence] homicide.' The Danger Assessment involves an in-depth interview, with results measured via a weighting system of risk factors devised by Campbell. Asked to clarify whether she believes Salman was indeed a victim of domestic violence, Campbell told DailyMail.com that she was 'definitely' abused by Mateen during their marriage. Salman is now in jail pending trial, after a judge in Oakland, California, signed off on a detention order that will keep her behind bars until the case concludes. Above, tweets from the US Attorney's Office of Middle Florida Campbell said: 'Yes, there definitely was domestic violence before [the Pulse nightclub attack] - in this case severe.' Salman is thought to have married Mateen no later than January 2013 after meeting the former security guard online. Both were on their second marriage, with Salman divorcing first husband Ahmed Abu-Rahma, now of Tucson, Arizona, in 2009 four years after they wed. Salman's husband, Omar Mateen (pictured) was responsible for the deaths of 49 people at Pulse Nightclub in June 2016 Salman, the eldest daughter of Palestinian immigrants from the West Bank city of Ramallah, grew up in Rodeo, California, before moving to Chicago, Illinois, with Abu-Rahma. Following their divorce, she briefly returned home to live with her parents Ekhbal, who died in December 2012 aged 56, and Zahi, 50. She and Mateen married close to their home at a mosque in Hercules, California, before moving to Fort Pierce, Florida, where the couple were living at the time of the nightclub shooting. Mateen, who had been working as a security guard prior to the massacre, was already known to the FBI and was tailed for 10 months in 2013 after colleagues became concerned after hearing him talk of wanting to become a martyr. The couple went on to have one son together, with Salman leading a sheltered existence at home with her child while Mateen went out to work. Their marriage appeared outwardly healthy, although Salman claimed in a November interview that Mateen would frequently hit her. Mateen's first wife, Sitora Yusufiy, 27, of Boulder, Colorado, has also claimed that the shooter abused her during their brief marriage and described him as a 'violent monster' who once attacked her in her sleep. Salman and Mateen (pictured) married close to their home at a mosque in Hercules, California, before moving to Fort Pierce, Florida, where the couple were living at the time of the shooting Their marriage appeared outwardly healthy, although Salman claimed in a November interview that Mateen would frequently hit her. The couple pictured at their wedding Salman's mother, Zahi, above, is believed to have remortgaged her home in Rodeo, California, in a bid to help her daughter pay her legal fees In April 2016, both Mateen and Salman were seen at Disney Springs; a shopping area connected to the main Disney World complex in Kissimmee, Florida. According to the FBI, the trip was a scouting expedition, with Mateen believed to be considering the resort as an alternative target. Pulse, a gay nightclub in central Orlando, was eventually selected for the June 12 attack and the 29-year-old died in a hail of bullets alongside his victims following a three-hour stand-off with police. Salman fled her Fort Pierce home with her son shortly after the massacre and has since claimed to have no knowledge of what Mateen was planning. Speaking to the New York Times in November, she said: 'I was unaware of everything. I don't condone what he has done. I am very sorry for what has happened. He has hurt a lot of people.' A Federal Grand Jury was convened to examine Salman's role on June 16, although the 30-year-old herself dropped out of sight with even former Attorney General Loretta Lynch admitting to 'not exactly know[ing] her location right now'. Salman was eventually discovered living in Dublin, California, after a Federal case against her was filed in Orlando on January 12. The attack was the deadliest mass shooting in US history and sparked an outpouring of grief around the world. Above, a vigil held in Orlando on June 13, the day after the shooting The indictment came after authorities who interviewed her in the hours after the attack decided that they were not convinced by her claims that she knew nothing of Mateen's plans. Her subsequent arrest on January 17 was welcomed by survivors and local law enforcement, with Orlando Police Chief John W. Mina, saying in a statement that he was 'glad' that 'some measure of justice will be served in this act of terror that has affected our community so deeply'. He added: 'Nothing can erase the pain we all feel about the senseless and brutal murders of 49 of our neighbors, friends, family members and loved ones. 'But today, there is some relief in knowing that someone will be held accountable for that horrific crime.' Salman is now in jail pending trial, after a judge in Oakland, California, signed off on a detention order that will keep her behind bars until the case concludes. A motion from her lawyers to seal the case file was also granted and she is now likely to be extradited to Florida to face trial in Orlando. Her mother Zahi is believed to have remortgaged her home in Rodeo in a bid to help Salman pay her legal fees. A shocking street brawl between two men has been caught on camera by a taxi driver waiting to pick up customers. The alarming incident happened outside Arkansas, in Manchester's gay village, and appears to have been taken earlier this month. The two men walk out of a takeaway and one of them starts battering the other over the head, as he cowers in the street. The fight starts as two men spill out of a takeaway in Manchester's gay village and start swinging punches at each other One man cowers as the other hurls punches at him, but he soon manages to recover and throw a few of his own back A man looks on for a couple of moments before deciding to get involved and try to stop the fight Within a couple of seconds, he starts to fight back, swinging an uppercut punch back at the first man. The pair continue to swing punches at each other and grapple down the street as passers-by watch. A third man starts to get involved to try to split the pair up. The two men end up on the ground as they fight. The brawl was filmed by a taxi driver who was waiting for customers, and said no one was injured in the fight According to the driver, one of the men walked off with his girlfriend after the tussle, and there was no blood shed Another man appears at the doorway of the next takeaway and appears to shout at the two men, as a woman carrying bags of food stops and watches. According to the Manchester Evening News, the shocking footage was shot by a taxi driver waiting for a customer. He said: 'A customer was chased out of the takeaway, he stood by the door. 'Another guy went out towards him. He punched the man. They fought for a bit, but they were both OK afterwards. 'There was no blood or anything. The guy then walked away with his girlfriend. 'It was surprising to see a fight like that between people, but you see it quite a lot working as a taxi driver.' Manchester Police told the paper the incident had not been reported to them. Officials concluded that Russell was justified in using deadly force to prevent A Good Samaritan who fatally shot a suspect who was viciously beating a Florida sheriffs deputy in November will not face any charges in the killing, the State Attorneys Office has ruled. Ashad Russell, 35, of Lehigh Acres, has been praised as a hero for coming to the rescue of Lee County Sheriffs Deputy First Class Dean Bardes when he saw Edward Strother attack him on Interstate 75 on November 14. On Tuesday, the State Attorney's Office issued a statement formally clearing Russell, who is a concealed carry permit holder, of any wrongdoing in the deadly altercation. Scroll down for video Florida State Attorney's Office has cleared Ashard Russell, 35, of any wrongdoing in shooting death of Edward Strother, since in this image taken on November 14 straddling Deputy First Class Dean Bardes Strother, 53 (left), attacked Bardes, a 12-year veteran (right) ad proceeded to beat him after the deputy tried to pull him over on I-75 The review found that Russell was 'justified in using deadly force when he reasonably believed that the use of such force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to Deputy Dean Bardes or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony upon Deputy Bardes,' reported Bardes, a 12-year veteran on the force, was patrolling I-75 in Estero, Florida, at around 9.30am on November 14, 2016, when he tried to pull over Edward Strother for speeding. After a high-speed chase, the pair both came to a stop at Exit 23 and Strother, 53, attacked Bardes, punching him repeatedly, pinning him to the road and allegedly trying to grab his service weapon. When Ashad Russell pulled over and emerged from him vehicle to intervene, Bardes pleaded with him: 'Shoot him! Shoot him!' Lee County Sheriff's Office released a photo of the attack in January showing Strother straddling the deputy and hailed Good Samaritan as a hero. The 35-year-old Russell, who has a concealed weapons license, fired three shots at Strother after repeatedly yelling at him to get off Bardes and warning him that he would open fire if he did not comply, the review found. Dozens of police descended on the scene after Strother was shot on November 14 Strother was struck in the neck and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from cardiac arrest. 'Our agency review is closed and no further action shall be taken by this office based upon the facts presented by this investigation and the applicable law,' the memo put out by the State Attorney's Office on Tuesday concluded. Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott praised both Bardes and his rescuer in an emotional Facebook post in the wake of the attack. He revealed how Bardes, who usually brings recruits along with him to train, was working alone on the morning of the incident. 'Earlier this week, two heroes met on I-75 and while they had never met before, one would save the others life. Items of clothing remained scattered on the road after the incident 'Ironically, this was the first day in a while that Deputy Bardes was alone on patrol because as a Field Training Officer, he typically has a recruit riding with him to learn the business,' he said. Thanking the man who saved his colleague's life, Sheriff Scott said: 'I thank the hero that recognized the imminent threat, rushed to Deputy Bardes aid, and ultimately stopped that threat. 'In a day and age where race is a near instant focus for media and other pundits in police incidents, the fact is that this hero happens to be a man of color who stopped another man of color from further harming or killing a white cop; thereby reminding us that black lives matter, blue lives matter, and indeed all life matters.' Russell's gun was seized as evidence but replaced immediately by a local gun store called Shoot Straight, he added. The Good Samaritan can now reclaim his old gun, if he so chooses. The widow of an ISIS soldier who was seeking a new husband to have more children has been arrested by police in Alicante. Dolores Hidalgo, 36, was arrested by Spanish Police in the early hours of Wednesday morning. She is said to be working with ISIS in Alicante, and has attempted to take her four children to the Syrian-Iraqi border to join the ranks of the terror group, Europa Press reported. Spanish police made two arrests, one of which is said to be the widow of an ISIS fighter Dolores Hidalgo was arrested in Alicante after allegedly trying to take her four children to the Syrian-Iraqi border Footage shared by the police shows a woman being arrested and weapons being removed from the property Video footage shows two stages of the police operation. In a video posted by the police on Twitter, police wearing protective gear are seen entering a block of flats, where they make two arrests. The clip was uploaded with the comment: 'Our GEO agents come this morning to detain two people linked to Daesh in Vitoria and Alicante.' The woman was said to have been advertising for a new husband on social media and to have praised the work of her deceased spouse Spanish police released a video via their Twitter account to show the work they were carrying out to end radicalism The arrests take the number of jihadists detained since 2015 by Spanish police up to 190 In a second piece of footage, several officers leave the flat the next day carrying guns which have been seized as evidence. A statement read: 'Spanish National Police arrested Dolores Hidalgo, a 36-year-old widow of a man who is suspected of having fought and died in the ranks of the so-called Islamic State.' Europa Press reported that Hidalgo attempted to travel by road through France to get to her husband, but gave up when she heard he had died. Hidalgo then returned to Alicante where she began to look for a new husband on social media, and praised the work of her deceased spouse. She also taught her children her hatred of the West and its culture. The two arrests takes the total number of jihadists detained by Spanish police up to 190. A BMW driver has been lauded as a hero after parking in front of a speed camera and blocking it with his boot in revenge for getting a ticket. Chris Welford had an hour to kill so stopped his car and put the boot up to block the camera on Cleveland Police's mobile van in Marske Road, Skelton, North Yorkshire. He had been caught by a mobile van previously on the same road. Chris Welford had an hour to kill so stopped his car and put the boot up to block the camera on Cleveland Police's mobile van in Marske Road, Skelton, North Yorkshire The off-shore worker, 23, from Skelton, said drivers beeped to thank him as he stood next to his 5 Series at lunchtime on Tuesday. After sharing a photo of what he did on Facebook, he said: 'People have been loving it - one person got in touch and said 'Not all heroes wear capes'.' But Cleveland Police are seemingly not as impressed, with Chris claiming he was visited hours later and warned he could have been hauled to court for harassment. However, Chris said police didn't even confront him at the scene and just let him get on with it. 'At one point an unmarked police car came past with two officers inside,' he added 'But they just looked at me and kept driving. 'There was at least one officer in the car but he just ignored me. 'The police came around later and I was told I was lucky as I could have been done for harassment. 'But everyone else was beeping their horns and seemed to support me.' Mr Welford (pictured in a selfie) was beeped in recognition by other drivers and was also lauded on Facebook Supporters have called him a 'legend' for the 1pm stunt on the Skelton road, an area Chris claims the police target frequently. 'They are there a lot, as drivers go down a bank and obviously pick up speed,' said Chris. 'When I first passed my test five years ago, I got a ticket there soon after but personally I don't think it is an area of concern. 'There was a school there years ago but that was knocked down so I don't think there is a real need for them to be there, which made it more satisfying.' Police Inspector Harry Simpson feels those who have hailed Chris as a hero are those who don't consider speeding a serious offence. 'It is an unpleasant sight to come across the severed limbs of victims and then take on the task of informing families of these victims that their loved one is in a serious condition in hospital or even worse,' he said. 'Those who do not agree with speed enforcement will no doubt speed themselves.' Actress Celia Imrie has revealed that she narrowly escaped death as she was out celebrating Bastille Day in Nice during the terrorist attack that left 84 dead. 'It was a miracle for me that I survived - unlike for other poor people,' she said of the attack on July 14 last year, when a 19-tonne cargo truck was driven into the crowds. The attack has left such an impact on the southern French city that, after publishing two books based on life there, she no longer feels able to write about it. Actress Celia Imrie has revealed that she narrowly escaped death as she was out celebrating Bastille Day in Nice during a terrorist attack that left 84 dead Speaking to the Guardian about an upcoming novel, she said: 'It would have been extremely difficult to write about the tragedy - and difficult to leave it out.' Miss Imrie, who has appeared in TV comedy Dinnerladies and movie Calendar Girls during her long career, has an apartment overlooking the Med in the city. The actress, now 64, published her memoirs in 2011, a book called the Happy Hoofer, in which she talked of good times but also revealed darker periods. She wrote about how she was treated for anorexia at the age of 14 by a controversial scientist, William Sargant, who gave her electro-convulsive therapy and anti-psychotic drug Largactil. The most enduring image of Imrie is probably of her posing with only a cherry bakewells covering her nipples from Calendar Girls Today, his books are said to be studied by Al Qaida, wrote Imrie, who has talked extensively about anorexia during her career to highlight the dangers it poses. But despite her earlier body issues, the enduring image of Imrie as an actress is probably the one of her posing naked with only a pair of cherry bakewells covering her nipples from Calendar Girls. In her 60s at the time, after seeing the footage she had a meeting with an American management company who suggested she had surgical work. However, during the interview this week, Imrie joked that she opted not to take their advice because she was 'just a coward'. Her autobiography was so popular that she was offered contracts to write novels and published two set in a fictional town based on Nice, Not Quite Nice and Nice Work (If You Can Get It). Although after seeing the impact of the attack in the city, her third book, Sailing Away, is set on the Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to New York. But the tragedy in Nice, along with the death of friend Victoria Wood last year, who she described as 'a genius', has inspired to work harder than ever. Imrie has published two novels based on Nice, Not Quite Nice, pictured left, and Nice Work (If You Can Get It), right, but said it is now too difficult to write about the city after the attack She will soon appear in movie A Cure For Wellness, which is directed by Gore Verbiski, who made Pirates of the Caribbean. The movie is about a Wall Street trainee who is sent to a bizarre Swiss 'wellness centre' to retrieve a senior colleague, but none of the elderly residents want to leave. Imrie plays a resident who seems content playing badminton on the lawn but appears in shocking scenes in which she has creatures crawling under her skin. But she has a role in the comedy Better Things, shot in the U.S. coming up, followed by a Broadway production of King Lear alongside Glenda Jackson. A former Dairy Queen manager has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after she was accused of bullying a teenager worker until they took their own life. Kenneth Suttner, 17, wrote several suicide notes to friends and family before he shot himself in the head in the early morning of December 21 outside his family's home in Glasgow, Missouri. Harley Branham, 21, Suttner's former manager, was arrested earlier this month and charged with involuntary manslaughter over his death. The 21-year-old did not enter a plea Tuesday and was released on $25,000 bond. If convicted, she faces up to four years in prison. Former Dairy Queen manager Harley Branham (left) has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after the death of employee Kenneth Suttner (right) Suttner worked at this Dairy Queen in Fayette, Missouri. Former co-workers said Branham forced him to complete humiliating tasks and once threw a cheeseburger at him The teen's former Dairy Queen co-workers told the court that Branham repeatedly ridiculed Suttner and forced him to complete humiliating tasks, such as cleaning the floor by hand while lying on his stomach. She once threw a cheeseburger at him because he made it wrong, said Allison Bennett, a former co-worker. Branham denies that she ever bullied Suttner. 'There's a lot of people at Dairy Queen saying I was the reason' he killed himself, but I don't understand why it would be that way', she said in an earlier hearing. Former Dairy Queen manager Harley Branham (pictured in court today) was charged with involuntary manslaughter over allegations she bullied worker Kenneth Suttner. She was arrested after the verdict was delivered Harley Branham, 21, Suttner's former manager, was arrested earlier this month and charged with involuntary manslaughter over his death Many witnesses testified that Kenneth Suttner, a Glasgow High School junior, had been bullied for years at school and at work. A coroner's jury said that they found Branham, 'was the principal in the cause of death'. The six-person jury also found that Dairy Queen was negligent in training their employees and that the Glasgow School District failed to prevent the bullying. After the verdict was read out in court, a Howard County sheriff's deputy arrested Branham reported the Columbia Daily Tribune. Branham's attorney, Jeff Hilbrenner, told ABC News: 'We look forward to the opportunity to present additional evidence and reviewing the evidence that the state intends to present in court.' Her preliminary hearing is set for May 25. Suttner's family said in a statement that they hope the district finally will recognize the pervasive problem of bullying and address it. 'They really feel that was Kenny's voice today, and they feel like it's justice for Kenny', Wilson said. A coroner's jury said that they found Branham (left, in her mugshot) 'was the principal in the cause of death' of Suttner (right) Dairy Queen said in a statement that their Fayette, Missouri store 'is independently owned and operated by a franchisee.' They added that the corporation was not responsible for hiring, employing or supervising the manager. 'Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Suttner family. We are still in the process of gathering information but understand from the franchisee that the manager is no longer employed at this location.' Lexie Graves, Suttner's best friend, said she repeatedly saw students at Glasgow High School bully him. 'A lot of people, kids, made fun of the way - basically everything about him', Graves said. Graves said she only reported the bullying once because administrators were reluctant to address the problem. Her mother, Chandra Graves, said her son was also bullied at school, at least once by a teacher. Julie Sickman, another Dairy Queen manager in Fayette, said Branham bullied Suttner A member of the six-person jury wipes away tears during the coroner's inquest on Tuesday Another mother, Barbara Smith, said her son was bullied so much that she moved him out of the district. 'Every time we went to the school to do something about the bullying, it just got worse', Smith said. Mary Korte, a friend of the Suttners, said she and her husband had told the school board that faculty were bullying students. 'These things were brought to the attention of the appropriate school officials, and it's a shame it was swept under the rug', Korte said. Glasgow School District Superintendent Mike Reynolds admitted that bullying does occur in the district but that it's not a systematic problem. Mike and Angela Suttner, the parents of Kenny, said that they hoped this case would shine a light of the effects of bullying. Heather McDonald demonstrates a gesture that she recalled Suttner once made to her About 140 people are believed to have been struck down with gastro aboard the cruise ship Sun Princess. The 15-deck Princess Cruises operated vessel is due to dock in Brisbane on Thursday after travelling from New Zealand. One passenger, Kathryn Perrott, told the ABC she decided to fly home from Auckland rather than travel back with the ship because she was concerned about the growing outbreak. About 140 people are believed to have been struck down with gastro aboard the cruise ship Sun Princess (Sun Princess cruise ship pictured in 2011) Guests were on Sun Princess cruise ship due to dock in Brisbane on Thursday (Sun Princess cruise ship pictured in Brisbane last week) 'We had cabins all around us being cleaned by people in hazmat suits, with people obviously sick,' she said. Ms Perrott said the captain announced a spike in the virus over the ship's PA system. 'We'd walk down the long corridor, go into our room and hear people throwing up as you're going down the corridor. It's not very pleasant,' she said. It's the second gastro outbreak aboard the Sun Princess in two weeks. About 90 were people became sick on a trip to Papua New Guinea in early February. Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, indigestion, nausea, vomiting and flatulence. Troubled Olympian Grant Hackett has been found 'alive and sober' on the Gold Coast, according to his father Neville. Hackett, who was reported missing by his father on Thursday afternoon, made contact with police late in the day. The Olympic champion was located at the Surfers Paradise Marriot Resort & Spa in Queensland on Thursday evening, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports. Hackett was reported missing after last being seen at the luxury Palazzo Versace hotel on the Gold Coast at around 7.30am. 'Grant's been found alive and sober,' Mr Hackett said outside the family's Mermaid Waters home on Thursday evening. 'He's spoken to police.' Mr Hackett said he still wasn't sure where his son was, a day after he was arrested for being aggressive and abusive at the family home. 'He's actually hiding because he's very, very embarrassed about all this.' The former Olympian reportedly told police that he 'doesn't want anything to do with his family' and has been taken to a hospital for mental heath checks, 9News reports. Friends and family of the 36-year-old had been searching for him after he was last seen at 7.30am at the luxury Palazzo Versace hotel on the before he missed an appointment with his lawyer. Neville Hackett said his family had been 'ready for the worst' after a tense phone call with the three-time Olympic gold medallist earlier in the day. Scroll down for video Serious concerns are being held for the welfare of Australian Olympian Grant Hackett with his father Neville (pictured) reporting him missing to police in the last hour Just hours before his family said he was missing, the embattled swimming star accused his brother of beating him up in a social media post which read: 'My brother comments to the media... but does anyone know he beat the s**t out of me. Everyone knows he is an angry man' (pictured) His family grew concerned after he didn't make contact with friends, family, his doctor or lawyer for several hours, his father Neville told 9News. 'We can't find Grant. He left a hotel on the Gold Coast at 7.30am this morning, very depressed and not in good condition, and obviously very mentally disturbed,' Neville said. 'We are extremely worried about him. His doctor can't find him. He hasn't kept an appointment with his lawyer.' 'He won't - when we spoke to him several hours ago, he just hung up when we asked him where he was. He is definitely a missing person, and he's mentally disturbed and needs urgent help.' Just hours before, the embattled swimming star accused his older brother Craig of beating him up, just a day after the former Olympian was taken to the police station in handcuffs. Hackett, 36, was arrested at his parents' house in Mermaid Waters on the Gold Coast on Wednesday after flying into a abusive rage. On Thursday morning, he posted a photo of himself with a swollen black eye and a cut under his eyebrow, claiming Craig - a physio - had inflicted the wound. Hackett has was arrested at his parents' home on the Gold Coast on Wednesday On Wednesday after Hackett was arrested his brother Craig called him 'dangerous' The pair are pictured here with their mum Margaret Hackett on Mother's Day last year 'My brother comments to the media... but does anyone know he beat the s**t out of me,' Hackett wrote alongside the image, presumably referring to his brother Craig. 'Everyone knows he is an angry man,' Hackett claimed in the post. It is not immediately clear when the photograph was taken. Daily Mail Australia have contacted Craig Hackett for comment. The swimming community have rallied around the embattled swimmer, posting messages of support on the Instagram post. The post comes after his brother opened up about the pain which forced them to take out a court order against a family member. His father Neville said calling the police was the only option he had, and Hackett's brother Craig said the family were supporting him but had run out of answers. 'This is now a chronic problem and it looks like it's not going to go away in a hurry,' Craig said. 'The whole family have been doing all that we can but now it's kind of out of our hands, it really is. Hackett was released from Southport Police Station after more than hour with no charges Earlier footage showed the swimming star in the back of a police car wearing handcuffs Hackett's father Neville (centre) and brother Craig (right) spoke to the media yesterday Hackett, 36, was believed to have been arrested at his parents' house 'The Grant Hackett that Australia fell in love with, they can still have that affection towards him. '(But) this is not Grant Hackett. This is a completely different person. I don't know this person, my mum and dad don't know this person. 'He's there in body, but he's not there in mind, soul or spirit. 'We can't do it. It's getting to the point where he's dangerous. He's a danger to himself and to the community. 'It doesn't look encouraging, but who knows? If he gets the right type of treatment and that's what we're really counting on, maybe, just maybe he might be able to claw himself out of it,' Craig added. His comments come as it emerged that a family member recently sought a court order against the three-time gold medallist. The order requires Hackett to be of 'good behaviour' until January 2019, the Daily Telegraph reported. Friends said it was obtained after an altercation that ended with Hackett seeking treatment for a facial injury, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. It's understood Hackett's father Nev called police to the address because his son was in an agitated state and apparently intoxicated Hackett was spotted drinking wine with his girlfriend at the time Maggie Keating in July 2016 It was obtained before Hackett's breakdown on Wednesday, which led to his desperate family calling police because he refused to get help. Hackett, 36, subsequently checked into a private hospital where he will be getting rehab treatment. Asked how he was feeling as he left the Southport watch-house on Wednesday, Hackett said: 'Not the best.' His father Neville said he called police to their address because his son - who he says has been battling mental health issues for years - became verbally abusive after drinking heavily. Witnesses told 7News the swimming star was brandishing a knife and 'stabbing a chopping board.' His father Neville said that he was forced to call police and told News Corp his son was 'raving and ranting'. Regarded as Australia's best 1500m swimmer of all time, Hackett (seen here in 2008) won gold medals in the long-distance event at the Sydney and Athens Olympics 'He's been receiving treatment from a doctor. He's big and powerful when he's not happy,' he said. 'No one was touched, no property was damaged, he was raving and ranting a bit but ... He didn't even make any threats but was not what you say is a normal person,' Mr Hackett said. He described the incident as a 'breakdown'. 'We decided he needed some treatment but there was no way he was going to go and get treatment, so we called the police,' Neville Hackett told the Telegraph. Footage showed the swimming star in the back of a police car wearing handcuffs, before giving a 'shaka' sign to the camera. Regarded as Australia's best 1500m swimmer of all time, Hackett won gold medals in the long-distance event at the Sydney and Athens Olympics and finished with silver at Beijing in 2008 when he was the swim team captain. He also won gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay at the Sydney Games and silver behind Ian Thorpe in the 400m at the Athens Games in 2004. Last April Hackett (seen here at Melbourne Airport) was accused of 'tweaking' a fellow plane passenger's nipple during a Virgin Australia flight from Adelaide Hackett was spotted wandering round Melbourne's Crown casino half-naked in February 2014 after taking the sleeping pill Stilnox Hackett retired after his near miss at the Beijing Games but made a comeback at 35 last year in an unsuccessful bid to make the Rio Olympics. Last April, Hackett was accused of 'tweaking' a fellow plane passenger's nipple during a Virgin Australia flight from Adelaide to Melbourne. He allegedly 'smelt of alcohol' during the flight, and was questioned by Australian Federal Police over the matter. The business class passenger, who was sitting in front of Hackett, spoke about how he felt 'violated' when the swimmer 'groped his chest' during the row. 'There was no altercation - I was sexually assaulted by that man,' the passenger told the Herald Sun at the time. In 2011, he smashed up the multi-million dollar penthouse he shared with his then-wife, Candice Alley, and their two children, in an alcohol-fuelled rage Hackett said the 2012 breakdown of his marriage to Candice Alley (pictured left together in 2004, right in 2010) took a 'physical, mental and emotional' toll on him Hackett and his sports coach girlfriend Debbie Savage split in November 2015 after dating for a year In February 2014, Hackett was photographed wandering around Crown Casino in Melbourne in his underpants. It later emerged that he had taken the sleeping pill Stilnox on the night that the infamous pictures were taken. His prescription drug dependency plunged his life into chaos, forcing him to check into a rehabilitation centre for a five-week program in Arizona in 2014. In 2011, Hackett smashed up the multi-million dollar penthouse he shared with his then-wife, Candice Alley, and their two children, in an alcohol-fuelled rage following the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Ms Alley called police after Hackett reportedly went on a rampage through their apartment, smashing furniture and photo frames and upending a grand piano. Westpac dumped him as a brand ambassador after the incident, while a children's charity also cut ties. Steve Bannon, the president's chief strategist, told reporters to their faces that they were the 'opposition party' on Wednesday. Journalists were camped out in front of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office, awaiting comment on the news of the day, when Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Preibus emerged from within. 'The opposition party, all lined up,' Bannon quipped as he passed by. Steve Bannon, the president's chief strategist, told reporters to their faces that they were the 'opposition party' on Wednesday In additon to DailyMail.com, White House Correspondents from the Dallas Morning News, Roll Call, the New York Times and NBC News were present when it happened. CNN's Jim Acosta was also there. Trump has trashed the network as 'fake news' in the past, and at a January press conference, he and Acosta got into a yelling match. Bannon, a former Breitbart News chief, has been using the term 'opposition party' to describe the mainstream press for several weeks in interviews, but it's the first time he's been observed saying it to reporters' faces. Bannon first used the phrase during a New York Times interview that ran on Jan 26. 'The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for awhile,' Bannon said. He told the news outlet that President Donald Trump frequently slams to quote him as saying: 'The media here is the opposition party. 'They dont understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States,' Bannon stated. He trotted out the label again as he spoke to CNN for a profile it ran on Spicer today. The premise of the piece was that Spicer will be moving out of his West Wing office before he gets a chance to settle in. Rumors that Spicer is on the verge of being fired are without merit, Bannon and Priebus said. 'The President has full confidence in Sean,' Priebus said. 'What he thinks is that this is a media narrative that's B.S., that's what he thinks.' Journalists were camped out in front of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's office, awaiting comment on the news of the day, when Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince (Bannon's right) Preibus emerged from within Bannon told CNN, 'The opposition party is completely focused on trying to destroy Trump and his administration. 'It's not going to happen,' he added. The senior Trump aide suggested to CNN that he has no interest in mending fences with major press outlets. 'I could care less,' he said At Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday morning, the dark-haired, demure young woman in the short blue skirt and pink tights attracted little attention. Strolling casually through Terminal 2, a small bag on her shoulder and the initials LOL (text-speak for Laugh out Loud) on her white T-shirt, she was just one of the 150,000 or so passengers the Malaysian hub handles each day. But there was nothing casual about this woman. She was a trained assassin on a mission to kill, and somewhere in the milling crowds was her female accomplice. They were stalking their target, a short, overweight playboy with a taste for women, whisky, gambling and insulting his half-brother, Kim Jong-un, the despotic Supreme Leader of the barbaric regime in North Korea. How the chillingly audacious murder of North Korean tyrant's brother in a major airport may have involved a poisonous handkerchief and fountain pen It was a regime that the target repeatedly dismissed as to use his own words a joke to the outside world. His name was Kim Jong-nam, and at 45 he was a man who had lived with the threat of death for years, since fleeing North Korea in fear of torture and execution. There had already been one botched attempt on his life. He travelled with bodyguards on his regular trips in Asia and occasionally Europe, usually on a false passport, in this case under the name of Kim Chol. But a brief lapse in his personal security between arriving at the airport and proceeding to passport control for his flight to Macau, where he lives in exile, left Kim Jong-nam alone. It was this that allowed the assassins to strike in the shopping concourse. One of the women is believed to have grabbed his face from behind possibly placing a poison-laced handkerchief on his mouth while the other sprayed toxic liquid on him or injected him with poison. The dark-haired, demure young woman in the short blue skirt and pink tights attracted little attention in Kuala Lumpur at first According to U.S. sources, a fountain pen may have been used a device previously associated with North Korean assassinations. An agent arrested on a mission last year revealed how he was equipped by North Korean Intelligence with what looked like a Parker pen, but contained a retractable needle for administering a fatal dose of a toxin described as more potent than cyanide. It caused muscle paralysis, breathlessness, suffocation and death, and was the method of choice for covert killings. Whatever Kim Jong-nam was exposed to, the effect was immediate. As the women fled into a cab, he stumbled and gasped for breath, begging for help. He complained of burning eyes and a severe headache before suffering a seizure and dying in the ambulance en route to hospital. Yesterday, the alleged North Korean female agent was arrested over the death. According to Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar, she had been positively identified from CCTV footage of her wearing a denim skirt and the distinctive T-shirt as she escaped the scene. She was travelling on a Vietnamese passport in the name of 28-year-old Doan Thi Huong. This is believed by police to be a false identity. After her arrest, she is said to have told investigators she was asked to hold a handkerchief on the face of the victim after he had been sprayed by the other woman as part of a prank, it was claimed in one report. Investigators were last night hunting her female accomplice and four men also believed to be involved in what is being described as a classic Cold War-style hit. She was then seen hailing a cab outside the airport on CCTV but the Malaysian authorities claim to have since arrested the suspect, who was carrying a Vietnamese passport Cheong Seong-Chang, of the independent Sejong Institute in Seoul, South Korea, said the assassination was unthinkable without a direct order or approval from Kim Jong-un himself. Jong-nams killing was probably motivated by a recent news report that he had sought to defect to the EU, the U.S. or South Korea as far back as 2012. Just days after the international condemnation of North Koreas game-changing latest ballistic missile test, the assassination on foreign soil has prompted further outrage. Adding insult to injury, North Korean officials are attempting to block the autopsy on Jong-nam as they demand to take the body back to Pyongyang. Jong-nam, who openly criticised the North Korean regime as 'a joke to the outside world', has sought to defect since 2012 For 33-year-old Kim Jong-un, the burial of his half-brother will bring to a triumphant end to a long-running saga of jealousy, paranoia and, ultimately, fratricide that would not have seemed out of place in Ancient Rome. Kim Jong-nam was once the heir apparent of North Korea, the eldest, albeit illegitimate, son of the Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il, by a South Korean actress (who died in mysterious circumstances in Moscow in 2002). His existence was kept secret by his father for many years, and he was not allowed to mix with his siblings from Kim Jong-ils other affairs and marriages. However, he wanted for nothing, living in a mansion, surrounded by the latest toys from Europe and being driven on jaunts around the North Korean capital in a black Mercedes. At the age of ten he was sent abroad to study at the International School of Berne in Switzerland, where he became fluent in French. On his return to North Korea aged 17, Kim Jong-nam enrolled at a university. But his relationship with his father had deteriorated and he blamed his younger half-brother, Kim Jong-un, for taking advantage of his fathers loneliness while he was out of the country. But Kim Jong-nam was a young man whose European experiences had filled him full of dangerous ideas, such as free market reforms to end rampant poverty and starvation in his home country. These suggestions outraged his father and caused apoplexy among the ruling elite. I was viewed with suspicion, he admitted. At the age of ten he was sent abroad to study at the International School of Berne in Switzerland, where he became fluent in French His spell in Switzerland had also introduced him to lifes luxuries and to sex. Despite Japan being a sworn enemy of the regime, he would regularly fly to Tokyo using a false passport to indulge his playboy lifestyle in nightclubs, casinos and the citys red-light district. The tubby Korean, just 5ft 2in tall and weighing 14st, was a regular at an establishment known as Soap Land, where hostesses charge clients up to 300 an hour for their services. In 2001 he was caught in Tokyo on a false passport, on a trip to Japans Disneyland. Retribution was swift and he was imprisoned for three days by his father before being banished from North Korea for ever. He lived in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and France, acquiring two wives and a son, before settling in the Chinese territor of Macau, where his lavish lifestyle was bankrolled by China a huge power behind the scenes in North Korea. Beijing saw the exiled brother as a useful asset should they ever need to attempt to replace the Supreme Leader with another member of the dynasty. When Kim Jong-un came to power in 2011 after the Dear Leaders death, his half-brother never lost an opportunity to attack his regime, claiming that without reforms North Korea would collapse and decrying the herditary transition of power. Recklessly, he encouraged speculation that he could one day replace his half-brother. Inevitably, North Koreas intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, saw him as a threat and monitored him closely. In 2011 there was an attempt on his life in Macau, resulting in a bloody shootout with his bodyguards. When Kim Jong-un (pictured in 2010) came to power in 2011 after the Dear Leaders death, his half-brother never lost an opportunity to attack his regime Indeed, it emerged last night that Kim Jong-nam had written to his half-brother as long ago as 2012, begging him to spare his life and his family. I hope you can cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family, the letter stated. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide. North Korea has so far made no comment about a murder that is making headlines around the world. Significantly, the death of a close relative of the ruling family in such strange circumstances has not merited a single word in the state-controlled media. Such censorship is the norm in North Korea, a country of 24 million where the majority go without food and the countrys ruling elite lead lives of extreme privilege, with lobsters and Kobe beef flown in from abroad for official dinners. By contrast, chronically malnourished North Koreans have literally shrunk over the years. With millions starving, they are now, on average, 5in shorter than those just across the border in the South. Citizens are under 24-hour surveillance. Televisions can only receive government stations; mobile phones are the preserve of a tiny elite, and the internet is banned. All public telephones are monitored and nobody is allowed to leave. Ever. Jong-nam was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (pictured, file image), in an audacious attack thought to have been carried out by two women Kim Jong-un has retained the system introduced by his father, the Dear Leader, a chronic alcoholic who accumulated a fortune of around 4 billion, that has seen hundreds of thousands of his subjects jailed. Three generations of a family will be punished if just one person speaks ill of him. Executions and torture are rife. According to rare accounts from defectors, specially trained dogs are set on prisoners to maul them to death. Others are beaten and shot through the head. There have been horrifying accounts of foetuses cut from the wombs of female prisoners. Kim Jong-un has ordered horrific punishment of opponents and reportedly had 11 former girlfriends executed before his marriage. His defence minister was publicly executed with an anti-aircraft gun for answering back and falling asleep during military meetings, and his uncle Kim was shot after committing tremendous crimes against the government. The Supreme Leader himself, married with a young child, lives in seclusion in a mountainous area that can only be reached by an underground road. Here, alongside his command centre, fighter jets and helicopters are on constant stand-by inside bunkers dug deep into the mountain. This subterranean lair also boasts a 50-metre swimming pool, which features a massive portrait of Jong-un, made from gold tiles, on the bottom. Blacklisted by the U.S. and targeted with sanctions, Kim Jong-un is viewed by Western intelligence officials as a danger to the whole world. As police carried out forensic tests last night, Malaysian authorities declined to return Kim Jong-nams body to Pyongyang, perhaps denying his sadistic half-brother the final victory. The Pentagon is considering proposing that Donald Trump send U.S. conventional ground troops into northern Syria for the first time to fight the Islamic State. 'It's possible that you may see conventional forces hit the ground in Syria for some period of time,' a Defense Department official told CNN on Wednesday. The possibility of sending combat forces into Syria could be one of several options the Pentagon presents to the White House after Trump ordered Defense Secretary James Mattis to come up with a way to combat ISIS after taking office. Sending combat forces into Syria could be one of several options the Pentagon presents to Donald Trump after he ordered Defense Secretary James Mattis (above) to come up with a new plan to combat ISIS There are currently only a small number of special operations forces authorized to be in Syria but no conventional units have ever been sent in. The Obama administration never sent ground combat troops into Syria because of the risks involved. U.S. officials say the idea of sending in combative troops is 'a point of discussion' and not a formal proposal as yet, according to CNN. Details of what their mission would be is not yet clear. No conventional units have ever been sent into Syria. Discussions are also underway on changing the way troops are deployed to Iraq (soldiers pictured in Iraq in August 2016) The official said it was one of a several ideas to be presented to the president, who will make any final decision as Commander in Chief. Trump ordered the military to come up with a proposal within 30 days as to how the U.S. could speed up the fight against ISIS. Discussions are also underway on changing the way troops are deployed to Iraq after Obama put limits on how many forces could be in the country at one time. Currently, only 5,262 troops are allowed in Iraq at any given time and there are 5,155 there now. A man in China who already had four children claims he was forced to have a vasectomy for violating the family-planning policy. Hu Zhenggao says he was taken away by family planning officials on February 8 with the operation conducted the following day, reports Huanqiu, an affiliation with the People's Daily Online. The local health authority have since announced that they are investigating the 42-year-old's claims. Horrifying: Hu Zhenggang shared his experience online in a social media post According to reports, Mr Hu from Luokan, China's Yunnan province, had three children with his first wife. Following the birth of their third child in 2000, his wife was forced to undergo sterilisation. They then divorced in 2013. Hu married another woman and moved to Sichuan province and the couple had a child. Upon his return to his home province for Chinese New Year, Hu claims 12 people from the local family planning department turned up at a family gathering. He says that they demanded 20,000 yuan (2,344) compensation from him, however he refused to pay up. Hu says: 'They repeatedly threatened me saying that if I did not do the surgery, I would disturb the order of the country.' He also posted a receipt for the operation which was conducted earlier this month They detained him and Hu claims that he has forcibly held down despite his attempts to escape. Hu was told that if he did not agree to the vasectomy then he along with his wife and child would be detained for 15 days and following that time frame, he would still be forced to have the operation. That was when they started to conduct the vasectomy. He said on his Weibo account: 'They forced me and I was beaten and pushed.' Following his detainment, his wife called police for help however she and her two-year-old were also detained. On his Weibo account, Hu also posted a receipt from the operation and showed some bruises and scratches that he claims were from him struggling. Following coverage in the media, the propaganda department of Zhenxiong County, the county in charge of LuoKan, said on February 14: 'After being guided by staff of the town government, Hu Zhenggao agreed himself to carry out surgery in the family planning room in strict accordance with the relevant surgical norms. 'At this point, the practice of Luokan Township Health Service is also in line with the relevant provisions.' China changed its child policy in 2016 to allow all families in the country to have two children. The move was proposed to help address China's issue with ageing. Previously the country operated under a one-child rule. Further investigation is being conducted by the Health and Family Planning Department of Shaotong, the city that supervises Zhenxiong County. Advertisement Incredible images show a specimen sperm whale arriving in Yangkou Port in east China's Jiangsu province on February 14. The whale died after becoming stranded on a beach in Rudong County in February 2016, reports Huanqiu, an affiliation of the People's Daily Online. Images show the specimen being transferred from Xiamen University to a specially made museum in Yangkou. Whopper! A specimen of a sperm whale was in transit at the Yangkou Port in Rudong County on February 14, 2017 Giant animal: The whale died in Yangkou County, Jiangsu province in February 2016 when it became stranded at the port First of the pair: The whale is the first of the two that died to be fully treated and sent back to Yangkou Port Almost a year ago exactly, two whales were spotted stranded in Yangkou Port. The whales weighing around 50 tonnes and measuring 50-feet-long later died. Xiamen Universitys Institure of Amphibious Biology worked together with Dalian Life Mystery Museum staff to preserve the animal. Work on the animals started in April last year. In over eight months, technicians used a stripping technology to produce a set of sperm whale specimens. One was a skin specimen and the other is a bone specimen. THE LARGEST ANIMAL: SPERM WHALE Sperm whales have the largest brain of any creature known to man Sperm whales have the largest brain of any creature known to have lived on Earth. The toothed whales eat thousands of pounds of fish and squid per day. Sperm whales are often spotted in groups (referred to as pods) of some 15 to 20 animals. These include females and their young. Driven by their tale fluke, approximately 16 feet (5 metres) from tip to top, they can cruise the oceans at around 23 miles (37 kilometres) per hour. Source: National Geographic Advertisement Working together to transport the specimen: The whale weighs some 50 tonnes and measures some 50-feet-long Giant specimen: The process of restoring the specimen for display at a specially made museum took some eight months On display: A museum has been set up to house the two whales and will also display their bones, skin and teeth The new museum will also house the other stranded whale however it is not expected to be ready for another four years Images show one of the whales being transported back to Yangkou Port. The other remains in Dalian while they continue to process it. The animals' teeth will also be on display at the 4,300-square-foot museum. The 46 teeth and one eye were transported separately and will be added at the museum. According to Yuan Hongmei, researcher at the Xiamen Institute, the skin specimens weigh 1.5 tonnes. They said that the other whale needs more time to be preserved and will have to go through dehydration and other treatment which could last up to four years. The huge specimen whale was covered with plastic film and placed on a heavy truck. With the help of technicians, staff members lifted the whale with a crane and placed it in the sperm whale museum as part of an exhibition. The sperm whale is a national second-class protected animal which can be found in China's coastal areas. New exhibition: With the help of technicians, staff members lifted the whale with a crane and placed it into the museum The sperm whale is a national second-class protected animal which can be found in China's coastal areas While bomb disposal robots have become a a common sight on land, the US Navy is now hoping to use them underwater as well. It hopes the robo-hands will be able to search harbours, piers and even ships for IEDs. Once found, the hands are so dexterous they will be able to safety diffuse the device and remove it, the researchers hope. Scroll down for video The 'underwater dual manipulator system' has two robot arms, and will be put onto an underwater drone to look for, and defuse IEDs. HOW IT WILL WORK The robot arms will be attached to a US Navy underwater drone. The Dual Manipulator system has two full size arms, and be controlled by a human using a special controller, or be programmed to autonomously hunt out and defuse suspected IEDs. Advertisement 'The integration of a cost-effective and reliable manipulation system onto an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) promises to bring the stand-off capabilities that robotic systems have brought to EOD technicians operating on land to those operating underwater,' said RE2 Robotics, the firm developing the system. It has received a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award to develop an inflatable Underwater Dual Manipulator system for the US Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR). The Underwater Dual Manipulator system could lend a hand to other watery tasks, like performing underwater inspections, maintenance and repairs for offshore gas and oil rigs. 'Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) divers are often placed in harm's way while performing underwater location and identification of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on vessels, bridges, and underwater structures such as piers,' it said. During Phase I, RE2 engineers designed an inflatable underwater dual manipulation system. 'Developing robotic technologies that keep individuals out of harm's way is paramount to the mission of RE2 Robotics,' stated Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2. 'Historically, we have developed manipulation systems for EOD ground robots. Over the past year we have worked closely with the Navy to transition our expertise to underwater systems. 'By extending our manipulation capabilities into the submersible space, we are able to enter new markets, such as Offshore Oil and Gas, which rely on the safe inspection, maintenance and repair of underwater structures.' In a separate deal, the firm is hoping to develop a 'robomedic' that can evacuate a soldier from the battleground. The aim of LIFELINE is to develop a medical module payload that that can be integrated on an advanced unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that will be able to deploy alongside medics and enable a single person to evacuate a combat casualty. The combat medic is one of the most dangerous and demanding responsibilities in warfare. 'Often in the course of reaching, assessing, and treating a wounded soldier's injuries, the combat medic and other personnel are placed directly in harm's way,' the firm said. 'As a result many medics and soldiers have been injured or killed while trying to save others under hostile conditions.' s selected RE2 once again to further develop technology to help improve the safety of our brave military personnel while in hazardous combat situations,' stated Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2. 'The LIFELINE technology, in addition to our Patient Assist Robotic Arm and the ARIBO Assistive Arm programs, further extends our reach into the Healthcare market.' A huge well of molten carbon that would spell disaster for the planet if released has been found under the US. Scientists using the world's largest array of seismic sensors have mapped a deep-Earth area, covering 700,000 sq miles (1.8 million sq km). This is around the size of Mexico, and researchers say it has the potential to cause untold environmental damage. The discovery could change our understanding of how much carbon the Earth contains, suggesting it is much more than we previously believed. Scroll down for video A huge well of molten carbon that would spell disaster for the planet if released has been found under the US (stock image) Scientists uncovered a huge reservoir of molten carbon situated under the Western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface WHY COULD IT SPELL DISASTER? If just a fraction of the carbon found by the Royal Holloway team were released into the atmosphere, it could have grave implications for the planet. Just one per cent of the CO2 stored would be equivalent to burning 2.3 trillion barrels of oil. If a substantial amount was released all at once, it could bring about an environmental disaster on the scale of nuclear warfare. One scenario in which this could happen is through the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. The volcano at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana last erupted 640,000 years ago. If it were to erupt, it would be one thousand times as powerful as the 1980 Mount St Helens eruption and have the potential to blanket the US in a 'nuclear winter'. Advertisement It would be impossible to drill far enough down to physically 'see' the Earth's mantle, so a team of researchers used a massive group of sensors to paint a picture of it, using mathematical equations to interpret their results. The study, conducted by geologists at Royal Holloway University in London, used a huge network of 583 seismic sensors that measure the Earth's vibrations, to create a picture of the area's deep sub surface. Known as the upper mantle, this section of the Earth's interior is known for by its high temperatures where solid carbonates melt, creating distinctive seismic patterns. What they found was a vast buried deposit of molten carbon, which produces carbon dioxide and other gases, situated under the Western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface. As a result of this study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, scientists now believe the amount of CO2 in the Earth's upper mantle may be up to 100 trillion metric tons. In comparison, the US Environmental Protection Agency estimates the global carbon emission in 2011 was nearly 10 billion metric tons a tiny amount in comparison. The deep carbon reservoir discovered will eventually make its way to the surface through volcanic eruptions and contribute to climate change albeit very slowly, but a sudden release could have dire consequences. Dr Sash Hier-Majumder of the University of London's Department of Earth Sciences led the study. He told Mail Online: 'The residence time of this carbon in the mantle is relatively large (nearly 1 billion years), so this reserve is not an imminent threat.' 'But one important mechanism by which carbon, sinking into the mantle via a subducting oceanic plate, can make it's way back to the surface is by arc volcanism.' 'Arc volcanism returns between 30-40% of the total subducted carbon back into the atmosphere. The remaining carbon stays in the mantle for a much longer.' The study, conducted by geologists at Royal Holloway, used a huge network of 583 seismic sensors (stock image) He added: 'We might not think of the deep structure of the Earth as linked to climate change above us, but this discovery not only has implications for subterranean mapping but also for our future atmosphere,' 'For example, releasing only one per cent of this CO2 into the atmosphere will be the equivalent of burning 2.3 trillion barrels of oil.' 'The existence of such deep reservoirs show how important is the role of deep Earth in the global carbon cycle.' FINDINGS IN NUMBERS The study, conducted by geologists at Royal Holloway, used a huge network of 583 seismic sensors. It uncovered a huge reservoir of molten carbon situated under the Western US, 217 miles (350km) beneath the Earth's surface. The partially melted carbon covers an area of 700,000 sq miles (1.8 million sq km). Advertisement As a result of this study, scientists now believe the amount of CO2 in the Earth's upper mantle may be up to 100 trillion metric tons. In comparison, the US Environmental Protection Agency estimates the global carbon emission in 2011 was nearly 10 billion metric tons a tiny amount in comparison. The area covered by the study includes Yellowstone National Park, where previous research has uncovered evidence of a supervolcano which could also spell danger for the planet. The volcano at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana sits atop a huge reserve of molten rock and last erupted 640,000 years ago. It releases around 45,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide each day. The partially melted carbon found by the team at Royal Holloway covers an area of 1.8 million sq km (700,000 sq miles) If it were to erupt, it would be one thousand times as powerful as the 1980 Mount St Helens eruption and have the potential to blanket the US in a 'nuclear winter'. While it has lain dormant for more than 70,000 years, scientists say that we can't rule out the possibility eruption this may some day take place - although they say the chances are extremely slim. The Grand Prismatic hot spring in Yellowstone National Park is among the park's many hydrothermal features created by the Yellowstone supervolcano. Experts say there is a one in 700,000 annual chance of a volcanic eruption at the site. In a new world record, India's space agency successfully launched 104 satellites from a single rocket yesterday morning. Stunning new footage taken from the rocket shows the moment it blasted off from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota. The latest achievement surpasses Russia, the previous record holders, who launched 39 satellites in a single mission in June 2014. Scroll down for video Hundreds of microsatellites were launched from the rocket. The latest achievement surpasses Russia, the previous record holders, who launched 39 satellites in a single mission in June 2014 INDIA'S SPACE SUCCESS The Indian space agency (ISRO) is well known for doing a lot on a minimal budget. While small, ISRO is among just three space agencies whose probes have successfully reached Mars - with its Mangalyaan orbiter mission in 2013. The latest spate of satellite launches are part of the country's drive to gain a larger slice of the lucrative commercial space launch industry. Advertisement The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle carried a 714 kilogram main satellite for Earth observation and 103 smaller 'nano satellites'. Together this weighed a combined 664 kilograms. Nearly all of the nano satellites are from other countries, including Israel, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and 96 from the US, said the state-run ISRO. 'All 104 satellites were successfully placed in orbit,' the Press Trust of India news agency quoted ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar as saying. The video shows the moment that the payload was intially deployed from the spacecraft shortly after takeoff The video also shows the moment the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle released the 714 kilogram main satellite Stunning new footage taken from the rocket shows the moment it blasted off from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota They included an Indian Earth observation satellite. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the 'remarkable feat by ISRO is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation.' Among the satellites launched were 88 small satellites belonging to Planet Inc, a technology startup in San Francisco. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle carried a 714 kilogram main satellite for earth observation and 103 smaller 'nano satellites' HOW THE DOVES WILL FLY The solar powered, shoebox-sized Dove satellites are each equipped with radio antennas that allow them to communicate with ground station on Earth multiple times a day, according to Planet. They also have an array of optics and sensors, including a main camera that captures images at 3-5 meter resolution Planet's new satellite constellation has two components - the small, cheaply made Dove satellites, and the larger Terra Bella satellites. This will allow them to capture medium resolution images daily, along with higher resolution views to track particular moments or changes. The fleet of 88 new Dove satellites will be combined with the 12 satellites of Flock 2p to create a 100-satellite 'line scanner' that will work with the firm's RapidEye satellites to capture daily images of the entire Earth. Planet has also obtained Terra Bella, adding their SkySat constellation of seven satellites to the fleet. The SkySat craft can capture high-resolution color and near-infrared. It achieves 90 centimeter resolution, and has a two-dimensional sensor array equipped with a proprietary image filter The new fleet will be combined with the 12 satellites of Flock 2p to create a 100-satellite 'line scanner' that will work with the firm's RapidEye satellites to capture daily images of the entire Earth The solar powered, shoebox-sized Dove satellites are each equipped with radio antennas that allow them to communicate with ground station on Earth multiple times a day, according to Planet. They also have an array of optics and sensors, including a main camera that captures images at 3-5 meter resolution. These craft photograph the surface continuously, and complete an orbit roughly every 90 minutes. And, their star camera allows for the correct positioning of the image on Earth. The SkySat craft can capture high-resolution color and near-infrared. It achieves 90 centimeter resolution, and has a two-dimensional sensor array equipped with a proprietary image filter. With this, the craft can capture multiple frames per second, which are later stitched together on the ground. Advertisement At an altitude of 310 miles (500 kilometres) the 88 satellites will be combined with 12 satellites already in the skies as part of Flock 2p to create a 100-satellite 'line scanner.' This will work with the firm's RapidEye satellites to capture daily images of the entire Earth in a breathtaking 50 trillion pixels. The craft are expected to be fully operational by this coming summer, according to The Atlantic. India has been striving to become a player in the multibillion-dollar space launch market, and has successfully placed light satellites into orbit in recent years. It hopes to eventually send astronauts into space. Among the satellites launched were 88 small satellites belonging to Planet Inc, a technology startup in San Francisco. Pictured is an image of San Francisco bay taken from one of the firm's satellites already in orbit At an altitude of 310 miles (500 kilometres) Planet's 88 satellites will be combined with 12 satellites already in the skies as part of Flock 2p to create a 100-satellite 'line scanner.' Pictured is an image taken by one of the firm's satellites already in orbit The rocket blasted off from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota said India's Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Nearly all of the nano satellites inside the rocket (pictured) are from other countries, including Israel, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and 96 from the US In September 2014, India successfully guided a spacecraft into orbit around Mars. Only the United States, the former Soviet Union and the European Space Agency had been able to previously do that. The business of putting commercial satellites into space for a fee is growing as phone, Internet and other companies, as well as countries, seek greater and more high-tech communications. India is competing with other international players for a greater share of that launch market, and is known for its low-cost space programme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the 'remarkable feat by ISRO is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation' The latest spate of satellite launches are part of the country's drive to gain a larger slice of the lucrative commercial space launch industry These images of earth (left) and Mars (right) are taken from India's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle would be carrying a 714 kilogram main satellite for earth observation and 103 smaller 'nano satellites' Last June, India set a national record after it successfully launched a rocket carrying 20 satellites, including 13 from the US. It sent an unmanned rocket to orbit Mars in 2013 at a cost of just 59 million ($73 million), compared with NASA's Maven Mars mission which had a 538 million ($671 million) price tag. Before this launch, India had already launched 79 satellites from 21 countries, including satellites from big companies like Google and Airbus. The rocket blasted off from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota. India is competing with other international players for a greater share of that launch market, and is known for its low-cost space programme Phobos, one of the two natural satellites of Mars silhouetted against the Martian surface, captured by the Mars Colour Camera onboard India's Mars Orbiter Spacecraft This has earned India at least 125 million ($157 million), according to government figures. ISRO is also mulling the idea of missions to Jupiter and Venus. Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has often hailed India's budget space technology, quipping in 2014 that a rocket that launched four foreign satellites into orbit had cost less to make than Hollywood film 'Gravity'. A catastrophic drought in Syria between 2007-2010 was the most severe for around 1,100 years, causing the displacement of over one million people and fueling the ongoing civil war. And new research suggests that the worst may be yet to come. Data collected from rocks has revealed that previous climate models may be underestimating the severity of droughts likely to hit the region in the future. A stalagmite collected from Gejkar cave (pictured) in northern Iraq has revealed the severity of droughts likely to hit the region in future years ANCIENT CAVES Current meteorological records in the Middle East go only 50 to 100 years back in time. Scientists carried out nearly 25,000 tests on a 38cm-long stalagmite collected from Gejkar Cave in northern Iraq. By taking measurements from the layers of minerals, changes in the amount of rainfall can be reconstructed back for thousands of years. This allowed the team to learn more about the timing, duration and severity of droughts in the recent past in unprecedented detail. They believe we have underestimated the severity of droughts likely to hit the Middle East in future years. Advertisement A research team led by the University of Reading travelled to Iraq to collect a stalagmite rock and used it to present the first ever detailed climate reconstruction for the eastern part of the Middle East's most important region for agriculture the Fertile Crescent. Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Pascal Flohr, who led the study, said: 'Drought has caused 1.5 million people to move into different parts of Syria to get food and find jobs. 'This was no normal drought - it was the most severe for the last millennia, probably two.' Many scientists believe this was an important contributing factor to the turmoil witnessed in Syria in recent years. The team carried out nearly 25,000 tests on the 38cm-long stalagmite collected from Gejkar Cave in northern Iraq to reconstruct fluctuations in rainfall within the eastern Fertile Crescent (Iraq and Syria). The new and detailed rainfall record, published in Geophysical Research Letters journal, reveals that the catastrophic droughts in 1998-2000 and 2007-2010 were the most severe in around 1,100 years. The findings give a clear understanding of the weather in the region dating back 2,400 years. 'We've underestimated how much drier it's going to get in the middle east. We need to prepare for it to be much more severe than we thought', said Dr Flohr. The researchers also found the effects of these droughts were made worse by the climate having become steadily drier since the 10th century - something previous climate models failed to identify when simulating rainfall over the last 800 years. Scientists from the University of Reading carried out nearly 25,000 tests on a 38cm-long stalagmite collected from Gejkar Cave (pictured) Project leader Professor Dominik Fleitmann said: 'Using stalagmites formed below the Earth's surface to study the climate above appears to be strange, but stalagmites are formed from precipitation above the cave. 'By taking measurements from the layers of minerals that form the stalagmite, changes in the amount of rainfall can be reconstructed from year to year back to several hundred thousand years. 'We found the recent droughts, in combination with the increasing demand for water in Syria and Iraq by a fast-growing population, created the perfect storm for societal turmoil', he said. The Middle East now has the largest water deficit in the world due to population increase, added water demands and climate change. An international team, including paleoclimatologists and archaeologists from the University of Reading carried out research in Gejkar Cave in northern Iraq The devastating droughts between 2007 and 2010 caused the displacement of more than a million people and have been argued to be a contributing factor to the ongoing Syrian civil war. 'Our new and unique stalagmite record has also exposed flaws in the complex climate models currently used to predict droughts in the Middle East', Dr Fleitmann said. SYRIAN CIVIL WAR The civil war has gone on for more than five years and claimed more than a quarter of a million lives. It is thought there could have been as many as 1,000 different groups opposing the government since the conflict began, with an estimated 100,000 fighters. Around 11 million Syrians are on the run including 4.8 million who have been forced to seek safety in neighbouring countries. More than 6 million people are internally displaced. Advertisement Understanding the nature of droughts in this region is therefore vital to prepare for ongoing and future climate change, and to convince governments to prepare more effectively for future droughts. But current knowledge about the frequency and duration of droughts is very limited, as meteorological records go only 50 to 100 years back in time. The area, covering parts of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Palestine, is where farming started and the first civilizations emerged several thousand years ago. The team used state-of-the-art chemical analysis, including critical isotope measurements in Reading, to learn more about the timing, duration and severity of droughts in the recent past in unprecedented detail. They discovered that the Middle East has experienced a long-term trend towards drier conditions, unseen by climate models and tree ring records, which began at the latest around 940AD. Comparing the data from the stalagmite with that produced by simulations showed they did not match, suggesting the climate models currently used to predict droughts may be producing inaccurate results. The continuous decrease in rainfall coincides with a general decline in settlement density since the Medieval times, indicating that societies in the Fertile Crescent endured a long strife against climate. Dr Flohr said: 'Unlike tree rings and current simulations, this stalagmite shows us the bigger and more complete picture about climate trends in the Fertile Crescent. 'It reveals droughts lasting several decades, which can have a cumulative and devastating effect on vulnerable societies.' Experts from University of Reading perviously explored a cave in Turkey (pictured) and have been using the same methods used in this study to other caves in the Middle East The team have been working on other caves in the Middle East such as in Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia, using the same principles to better understand the climate. They hope their results will help improve weather predictions and encourage more responsible water management policies in the future. This might help mitigate the effects of mega-droughts in the future. 'The population is going up and up and there's less and less water - it's going to be very tricky', Dr Flohr told MailOnline. In the hope of preventing a catastrophic asteroid from colliding with Earth, a respected astrophysicist has advised that governments should be spending 'hundreds of millions' each year on defence systems. Speaking at a press conference this week, Lord Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal, said that humans are 'vulnerable to impacts from outside.' He suggested that a two-pronged approach would be needed to ensure Earth could survive an asteroid collision a better detection system, and a deflection system. Scroll down for video Experts have warned that humans are not prepared for an asteroid impact, and should one head for Earth, there's not much we can do about it (stock image) NASA'S ASTEROID REDIRECT MISSION Nasa is planning an ambitious mission that will see a robotic spaceship visit an asteroid to create an orbiting base for astronauts. The robot shipwill pluck a large boulder off the space rock and sling it aroundthe moon, becoming a destination to prepare for futurehuman missions to Mars. Nasa plans to study the asteroid for about a year and test deflection techniques that one day may be necessary to save Earth from a potentially catastrophic collision. Advertisement Lord Rees was speaking at a press conference in Luxembourg in the lead up to World Asteroid Day on June 30. He said: 'I think we are all aware that we on planet earth are vulnerable to impacts from outside we know evidence these have happened in the past. 'It may not be the greatest risk or highest profile short term risk confronting earth, but if you make an assessment of what insurance premium it is worth paying in order to reduce impact, you would come up with a figure of several hundred million euros a year which the world should be spending to reduce this risk.' Lord Rees advised that a better detection system, alongside a deflection system would leave Earth less vulnerable to asteroid collisions. He added: 'We know that asteroids pose risks to Earth and recent advances in sensor technology have radically improved our ability to detect and deflect these Near Earth objects.' This is not the first time that experts have warned that the Earth is unprepared for an asteroid strike. Speaking at a press conference this week, Lord Martin Rees, UK Astronomer Royal, said that humans are 'vulnerable to impacts from outside' In September, director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, John Holdren, warned that an impact could 'do a lot of damage to the Earth.' The expert noted two catastrophic events in recent history that took the world by surprise the Chelyabinsk strike in 2013, and the Tunguska fireball in 1908. While scientists have made great strides in detecting potentially hazardous Near-Earth Objects, Mr Holdren explained that there is still much work to be done. SAVING EARTH FROM DISASTER WITH THE ASTEROID REDIRECT MISSION Various techniques for deflecting a potentially hazardous asteroid could be tested on Arm to enable planetary defense capabilities. These techniques include Ion Beam Deflection, Enhanced Gravity Tractor, and kinetic impactors. In Ion Beam Deflection, the plumes from the thrusters would be directed towards the asteroid to gently push on its surface over a wide area. A thruster firing in the opposite direction would be needed to keep the spacecraft at a constant distance from the asteroid. The Ion Beam Deflection approach is independent of the size of the asteroid, and it could be demonstrated on either mission option. In the Enhanced Gravity Tractor approach, the spacecraft would first pick up a boulder from the asteroid's surface as in mission Option B. The spacecraft with the collected boulder would then orbit in a circular halo around the asteroid's velocity vector. The mass of the boulder coupled with the mass of the spacecraft would increase the gravitational attraction between the spacecraft and the asteroid. By flying the spacecraft in close formation with the asteroid for several months the very small gravitational forces would produce a measurable change in the asteroid's trajectory. A kinetic impactor could also be launched as a secondary payload with the spacecraft or on a separate launch vehicle, and it would collide with the target asteroid at high velocity while the spacecraft observed the impact. Advertisement But last year, Nasa got the final go-ahead for an ambitious mission that will visit an asteroid and pluck a boulder from its surface to create an orbiting base for astronauts. A robot ship will pluck a large boulder off an asteroid and sling it around the moon, becoming a destination to prepare for future human missions to Mars. The so-called Asteroid Redirect Mission is targeted for liftoff in December 2021. If you think that your boss is oblivious when you're having a lazy day at work, you might want to check for hidden devices in the office. A terrifying new report from Bloomberg has revealed that your boss can legally track you anywhere around the office, except in the toilet. Futuristic devices can be hidden under your desk, in your ID badge, or even in the light fittings, to monitor your every move. Scroll down for video If you think that your boss is oblivious when you're having a lazy day at work, you might want to check for hidden devices in the office (stock image) EXAMPLES OF FIRMS USING SENSORS 1) Gensler, an office-design company in New York has 1,000 sensors hidden in light fixtures that detect motion and daylight 2) The Boston Consulting Group has outfitted 100 employee badges with a microphone and location sensors to see how office design affects employee communication 3) Deloitte is believed to use credit card-sized devices created by Humanyze that that analyse the tone, speed and volume, but not the content, of a person's voice, scan for proximity to others and measure physical activity and sleep patterns 4) Amazon employees are tracked using GPS tags while inside the warehouse. If staff are found to breach any of the companys rules, such as talking to colleagues or leaving work early, they can be dismissed on a three strikes and you are out basis 5) Hitachi has created its own sensor, called the Hitachi Business Microscope, that contains a microphone, and sensors that can track how you interact with other employees. At the end of the day, employees place their badge in a stand and the data is sent to Hitachi's servers. Advertisement Last year, journalists at the Telegraph discovered small black boxes, with the logo 'OccupEye' on them, under their desks. While the firm insisted that the boxes were simply there to reduce energy costs, a complaint about an invasion of privacy by the National Union of Journalists led to their removal. But while you might not be aware of it, sensors that track more than just temperature are already installed in many offices around the world. Speaking to Bloomberg, Joe Costello, CEO of Enlighted, a sensor firm, told Bloomberg: 'Most people, when they walk into buildings, don't even notice them.' The sneaky devices can be hidden in ID badges, lights and under desks, and monitor everything from your whereabouts, to how long you go without speaking to a co-worker. Mr Costello says that Enlighted's sensors alone are installed at more than 350 companies including 15 per cent of the Fortune 500. One of the companies that has openly admitted to using sensors is Gensler, an office-design company based in New York. Gensler has 1,000 sensors, which are the same size as a five pence coin, within light fixtures, that detect motion and daylight. The sensors can also give information on employee behaviour patterns, and adapt the lights in response. For example, if workers in an area start at 10am, the sensors will ensure that lights will stay dim until then, leading to energy savings. Surprisingly, businesses in the US are well within their legal rights to track employees using these sensors. Hitachi has created its own sensor, called the Hitachi Business Microscope, that contains a microphone, and sensors that can track how you interact with other employees Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, told Bloomberg: 'Employers can do any kind of monitoring they want in the workplace that doesn't involve the bathroom.' The Boston Consulting Group has also turned to sensors, outfitting 100 employee badges with a microphone and location sensor. Made by Humanyze, the badges track physical and verbal interactions, which the firm hopes to use to see how office design affects employee communication. Humanyze's badges track physical and verbal interactions, which the firm uses to see how office design affects employee communication WHAT ARE RFID CHIPS? Radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips are about the same size as a grain of rice. They store personal security information which can be transmitted over short distances to special receivers. They can already be found in contactless cards - including the Oyster system in London. They are also similar to the chips implanted in pets. It is believed there are 10,000 people across the world using microchip technology inside their bodies. Advertisement Ross Love, a managing partner at the firm has admitted that 'it is a little bit invasive.' Going further, Enlighted has created a badge that lets businesses track employees' locations via an app. The badge is yet to be made commercially available. Other companies have taken things even further, offering to implant their employees with microchips. Workers at NewFusion, a Belgian marketing firm are being offered the chance to have microchips implanted in their hands. The chips contain personal information and provide access to the company's IT systems and headquarters, replacing existing ID cards. And in 2015, a Swedish company implanted microchips in its staff which allowed them to use the photocopier, open security doors and even pay for their lunch. Hannes Sjoblad, the chief disruption officer at the Swedish bio-hacking group BioNyfiken, which implanted the chips into the Epicenter workers, told The Times: 'We already interact with with technology all the time. 'Today it's a bit messy - we need pin codes and passwords - wouldn't it be easy to just touch with your hand? 'We want to be able to understand this technology before big corporates and big government come to us and say everyone should get chipped - the tax authority chip, the Google or Facebook chip.' China plans to send a fleet of floating power plants to provide energy for remote islands and oil rigs by 2020, a Chinese government spokesman has confirmed. A five-year plan was published in March 2016 outlining China's desire to expand its nuclear generating capacity. The plants will provide clean energy, heat and even water to remote islands and oil rigs, and will cost more than 300 million ($373 million) each. Scroll down for video China plans to send a fleet of floating power plants to provide energy for remote islands and oil rigs by 2020, a Chinese government spokesman has confirmed. Pictured is an artist's impression of a nuclear vessel designed by China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) WHAT IS A FLOATING NUCLEAR POWER PLANT? A floating nuclear power plant is a site with one or more nuclear reactors located at sea. It is an autonomous site that can provide clean energy and heat access to sites that are difficult to access. It can also provide clean drinking water to isolated spots via desalination techniques. Advertisement According to Wang Yiren, a director at Chinas State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, floating nuclear stations will give China the extra power its needs Offshore energy supplies like the diesel generator are inefficient for projects such as oil rigs, Mr Yiren told Chinas Science and Technology Daily. He said that floating power plants are a vital part of China's latest five-year plan. China's Atomic Energy Agency has already conducted research into key components of the technology. China already has 36 nuclear power plants in operation, with another 21 under construction. In 2015, the Chinese government approved a project by the China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) to build a nuclear reactor. The CGN started building the ship in November last year with the project aiming to provide 'electricity, heat and desalination' to China's controversial artificial islands. The ship's design resembles a cruise liner with a a small 200Mwt reactor on board. The concept of embedding nuclear capabilities into a sea-bound vessel is not a novel one and the Russian government is expected to complete its own floating reactor next year. China plans to send a fleet of the floating power plants, which will likely look like this artist's impression of a CGN floating plant, to power remote islands and oil rigs by 2020, a Chinese government spokesman for science technology has confirmed Currently, the United States Nuclear Navy has over a hundred nuclear-powered boats. However, China's nuclear vessels are not intended not as a power supply for the ship itself but to generate electricity for given coastal locations. The first of the vessels to be built is still being assembled in Huludao, Liaoning, north-east China, and could provide energy to the man-made islands in the area, reported the People's Daily Online. The decision to build the ships in March last year prompted worries that, with a fleet of nuclear power plants, China could more easily command authority over the sizable South China Sea region that is also claimed by south-east Asian nations including Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. The plants are expected to provide clean power to the controversial 'fake' islands made by China in the area (pictured), as well as remote oil rigs The announcement was made during an expert review by industry specialists from Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co, a subsidiary of China Shipbuilding Industry Corp (CSIC) in March 2016. The CSIC 719 Research Institute, established two years ago to develop maritime nuclear platforms, said the new fleet will have a range of civilian and industrial uses. However the ships' main purpose will be to provide power to the controversial artificial islands in the disputed region, particularly those recently built in the Spratly archipelago, called the Nansha islands by the Chinese. The islands thought to be served include the Fiery Cross Reef - called Yongshu Reef in China - and the smaller Subi (or Zhubi) reef to the south of the region. The construction of these first trial maritime nuclear platforms will cost upwards of 3 billion yuan (318 million) to finish. Zhu Hanchao, deputy chief engineer at CSIC 719, meanwhile predicted to People's Daily that the project would generate profits of up to 22.6 billion yuan (2.4 billion) over a 40 year life span. The Spratley and Paracel islands are contested by China, the Phillipines and other south-east Asian nations The South China Sea region enclosed by the 'nine-dash line' has been claimed by China for centuries The market share for the maritime nuclear power platforms is estimated at over 100 billion yuan ($15.45 billion) for aiding in fuelling offshore oil exploration. At the same time, environmental analysts expressed their concerns over the narrow possibility of a nuclear meltdown if there are errors in regulation, especially given that there are often typhoons and other extreme weather events in the surrounding region. According to Times of India, David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer and the director of the Nuclear Safety Project, said: 'The floating accident scenario carries with it the potential for molten parts of the reactor core burning through the bottom of the barge to reach the sea water below, which would be catastrophic.' The sovereignty of the South China Sea region has been heavily disputed over decades, focussing on whether China can claim ownership of the Spratley and Paracel outcrops which may contain important reserves of natural resources. China says it owns an area defined by a 'nine-dash line' which stretches over hundreds of miles of water, and claims their right dates back centuries. A case brought by the Philippines to the United Nations challenging China's nine-dash line claim on the South China Sea is due for a ruling over the next couple of months. Tensions have escalated over the past year with news of China's covert construction of the artificial islands and landing of civilian aircraft on the reefs, which prompted international concern in January. Environmental analysts have expressed concerns over the possibility of a nuclear meltdown Advertisement Having scaled the heights of Earth with the world's tallest building, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now announced its plans to set up Mars' first mini city. The UAE said it will build the city by 2117, as part of its 100-year national programme to better understand the red planet. The announcement was made at the World Government Summit in the presence of representatives of 138 governments. Scroll down for video Having scaled the heights of Earth with the world's tallest building, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has now announced its plans to set up Mars' first mini city. A computer generated image of the mini city on Mars released by the Dubai Media Office. The announcement to set up the city for 2117 was made at the World Government Summit MARS MISSIONS Since 1965, four entities have successfully made it to Mars: Nasa, the Soviet Union, the European Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organization. Nasa has the best success rate at around 70 percent. It has sent 21 missions to Mars since the 1960s, and all but six have succeeded. Japan and China have tried and never succeeded. India is the only Asian country to launch a successful mission. The US is the only nation so far to land and operate long-term and unmanned ship on Mars. More missions have been attempted to Mars than any other planet on the Solar System except the moon. The world's overall success rate in Mars missions since the 1960s is less than 50-50. Advertisement The energy-rich country on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula announced plans to help get people to the red planet over the few next decades. The Mars 2117 Project was announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum who is the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The project will explore how people can get to Mars and how to create food and energy on the red planet, according to Gulf News. A virtual presentation was made at the same time as the announcement. 'The landing of people on other planets has been a longtime dream for humans. 'Our aim is that the UAE will spearhead international efforts to make this dream a reality,' said Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid. He said the UAE is ranked among the most important nine countries in the world that invest in space science. 'The UAE has become part of dynamic human scientific efforts to explore space and making scientific contributions to human knowledge,' Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed said. 'With the launch of this project, we begin a new journey that will last for decades to come, and it will speed up human endeavours to explore other planets,' he added. This is a computer generated image of what the interior of the Martian buildings might look like. Since 1965, four entities have successfully made it to Mars: Nasa, the Soviet Union, the European Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organization The energy-rich country on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula announced plans to help get people to the red planet over the next decades. More missions have been attempted to Mars than any other planet on the Solar System except the moon MAN ON MARS There are some fairly major reasons why we haven't got anyone on Mars yet: - We can't properly store the necessary fuel for such a long flight - We don't have a vehicle capable of landing people on the Martian surface - We don't know how to keep them alive when they're there Barack Obama said the US goal is to send humans to Mars in the 2030s. Advertisement The journey to Mars is complicated and many missions have failed. Countries first trying to launch into space usually fail more often than they succeed and that's just getting into Earth's orbit. Getting to Mars is the hardest job for even veteran space countries. The world's overall success rate in Mars missions since the 1960s is less than 50-50. Nasa has the best success rate at around 70 per cent. It has sent 21 missions to Mars since the 1960s, and all but six have succeeded. For hundreds of years up until the mid-13th century, Islamic advancements in science and technology experienced a golden age, but later fell behind. The ruler of the emirate of Abu Dhabi and UAE President Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nayhan said the Mars probe 'represents the Islamic world's entry into the era of space exploration.' This computer generated image shows the pod that will enclose the city. The US is the only nation so far to land and operate long-term an unmanned ship on Mars Several Muslim-majority nations such as Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey Indonesia, Pakistan and Iran already have space agencies or programs. There have also been several Muslim astronauts from around the world. Saudi-born Prince Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud became the first Muslim and Arab to travel to space in 1985. Meanwhile, Egypt became the first Arab country to launch its own communications satellite in 1998, dramatically transforming the broadcasting landscape in the region. Verizon Communications Inc is close to a revised deal to buy Yahoo Inc's core internet business for $250 million to $350 million less than the original agreed price of $4.83 billion, according to a source briefed on the matter. Since last year, Verizon had been trying to persuade Yahoo to amend the terms of the acquisition agreement to reflect the economic damage from two cyber attacks. Another person familiar with the situation said the price cut was likely to be around $250 million, a figure that Bloomberg reported earlier on Wednesday. Verizon is close to a revised deal to buy Yahoo Inc's core internet business for $250 million to $350 million less than the original agreed price of $4.83 billion. Since last year, Verizon had been trying to persuade Yahoo to amend the terms of the acquisition agreement to reflect the economic damage from two cyber attacks. YAHOO'S HACK Yahoo began looking into the hack in August, before it was officially announced in September that a 2014 attack compromised the names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birthdays, encrypted passwords and security questions of its users. The internet firm said it learned of the breach this summer while investigating claims of a separate intrusion, but it has not provided a specific timeline of events. The data breach is still under investigation, and FBI officials confirmed there were signs of a 'state-sponsored' attack. Advertisement 'In addition to the discount, Verizon and the entity that remains of Yahoo after the deal, to be called Altaba Inc., are expected to share any ongoing legal responsibilities related to the breaches, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information,' Bloomberg said. An announcement of the new agreement could come in a matter of days or weeks, it claims. Yahoo and Verizon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Verizon hopes to combine Yahoo's search, email and messenger assets, as well as advertising technology tools, with its AOL unit, which Verizon bought in 2015 for $4.4 billion. Verizon has been looking to mobile video and advertising for new sources of revenue outside an oversaturated wireless market. Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo has been under scrutiny by federal investigators and lawmakers since disclosing the largest known data breach in history. Craig Silliman, general counsel at Verizon, acknowledged the hack's potential financial repercussions last year, saying: 'I think we have a reasonable basis to believe right now that the impact is material.' Yahoo shares rose 1.6 percent to $45.76 in morning trading. Verizon shares fell 0.7 percent to $47.96. Yahoo began looking into the hack in August, before it was officially announced in September that a 2014 attack compromised the names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birthdays, encrypted passwords and security questions of its users. The internet firm said it learned of the breach this summer while investigating claims of a separate intrusion, but it has not provided a specific timeline of events. The data breach is still under investigation, and FBI officials confirmed there were signs of a 'state-sponsored' attack. Critics called on its $36million-a-year boss Marissa Mayer to quit after hackers reportedly sold the stolen data on the 'dark web'. Yahoo began looking into the largest data breach in history one month after the deal with Verizon was announced (pictured, Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer) The Securities and Exchange Commission says security breaches can have a material impact if proprietary information is stolen, or companies 'fail to retain or attract customers following an attack'. This past January was the third warmest on record, a new analysis of global temperatures has revealed. The data show January was .92 degrees Celsius warmer than the average January temperature from 1951-1980. Two of the three top January temperatures have occurred in the past two years, and the most recent anomaly comes right on the heels of the hottest year in 137 years of record keeping. Scroll down for video This past January was the third warmest on record, a new analysis of global temperatures has revealed. The data show January was .92 degrees Celsius warmer than the average January temperature from 1951-1980 RISING GLOBAL TEMPERATURES Year Temperature increase (C relative to average temperature 1961-1990) 2016 0.77 2015 0.76 2014 0.58 2013 0.51 2012 0.47 2011 0.42 2010 0.56 2009 0.51 2008 0.39 2007 0.49 2006 0.51 2005 0.54 2004 0.45 2003 0.51 2002 0.5 2001 0.44 2000 0.29 While last months temperature was .2C cooler than last January the warmest on record it was warmer than most in recent years. It comes only behind January 2016, which was 1.12C warmer than the mean, and 2007, which was .96C warmer than the mean. The analysis comes from NASAs Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which uses data from roughly 6,300 meteorological stations around the world. Last month, it was confirmed that world temperatures had hit a record high for the third year in a row in 2016. The data, supported by global organisations, was issued two days before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who questions whether climate change has a human cause. Average surface temperatures over land and the oceans in 2016 were 0.94C (1.69F) above the 20th-century average of 13.9C (57.0F), according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Nasa reported almost identical data as the UK Met Office and University of East Anglia, which also track global temperatures for the United Nations, said 2016 was the hottest year on record. While last months temperature was .2C cooler than last January the warmest on record it was warmer than most in recent years. It comes only behind January 2016, which was 1.12C warmer than the mean, and 2007, which was .96C warmer than the mean Temperatures, lifted both by man-made greenhouse gases and a natural El Nino event that released heat from the Pacific Ocean last year, beat the previous record in 2015, when 200 nations agreed a plan to limit global warming. That peak had in turn eclipsed 2014. 'We don't expect record years every year, but the ongoing long-term warming trend is clear,' said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Global temperature records date back to the 1880s. Temperatures are unlikely to set a new peak in 2017 after El Nino faded, even as greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels keep building up in the atmosphere, led by China and the United States. Piers Forster, climate expert at the University of Leeds, said this year was likely to be cooler. 'However, unless we have a major volcanic eruption, I expect the record to be broken again within a few years,' he said. Ash from big eruptions can dim sunlight. Bees pollinate more than $15 billion worth of crops in the US each year, but with the population dwindling, experts are searching for new ways to help perform the task. Now, a student has unveiled a personal robotic bee that mimics how the insects pollinate plants. Called 'Plan Bee', the drone is a hand-sized yellow-and-black device that stores pollen in its body cavity and releases it later for cross-pollination. Scroll down for video A student has unveiled a personal robotic bee that mimics how the insects pollinate plants. Called 'Plan Bee', the drone is a hand-sized yellow-and-black device that stores pollen in its body cavity and releases it later for cross-pollination THE BEE DRONE A student at Savannah College of Art and Design developed a 'bee drone' to raise awareness of the important role bees play in our food system. The drone consists of a foam core, a plastic-shell body and two propellers. There are also six sections of the drone that meet at the bottom, all of which have tiny holes that let the machine gather pollen while it hovers over plants. It can then release the pollen at a later time for cross-pollination. Other experts foresee the drone being used in large-scale farming, even in hydroponic farming Advertisement Plan Bee is the brainchild of Anna Haldewang, an industrial design student at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Georgia, reports Parija Kavilanz with CNN Tech. 'The idea is that its supposed to be an aide to the bees by cross pollination in the hopes of real bees being around for many years to come,' Haldewang told DailyMail.com. 'As Plan Bee is tested, aesthetics and manufacturing of the design will be adjusted in order to make sure the product does its job properly.' 'At SCAD, we actually take a class focused on manufacturing and techniques, which has helped guide me in finding the best and latest materials out on the market today to continue to evolve the design.' The drone was conceived after she had learned about the declining number of bees, which then sparked the idea for an educational tool spreads awareness of how important these insects are to our food system. And the design could evolve to take the place or help out real bees if their numbers continue to drop. Haldewang created 50 designs of a bee drone before landing on the final model, which does not resemble a bee at all. However, she told CNN Tech that the design was not to mimic a bee, just the essence of it. The drone consists of a foam core, a plastic-shell body and two propellers. There are also six sections of the drone that meet at the bottom, all of which have tiny holes that let the machine gather pollen while it hovers over plants Haldewang noted that Plan Bee is still in its early stages, but she has filed a patent for the technology and design. And plans to release in on the market in about two years 'When you flip it upside down, it looks like a flower,' Haldewang said, adding it was her way to honor a flower's role in pollination. The drone consists of a foam core, a plastic-shell body and two propellers. There are also six sections of the drone that meet at the bottom, all of which have tiny holes that let the machine gather pollen while it hovers over plants. HOW BEES FIND POLLEN Scientists recently found tiny, vibrating hairs may explain how bees sense and interpret signals transmitted by flowers, leading them to the plants so they can gather pollen. While it was known that flowers communicate with pollinators by sending out electric signals, experts were previously unsure how bees detect the fields. Using a laser to measure vibrations, scientists at the University of Bristol found both the bees' antenna and the hairs on their bodies 'dance' in response to an electric field. However, they discovered the hairs move more dramatically and rapidly. Looking at the bees' nervous system, they discovered it is the hairs that alert the bee's nervous system to this signal. Advertisement It can then release the pollen at a later time for cross-pollination. Haldewang noted that Plan Bee is still in its early stages, but she has filed a patent for the technology and design. And, she plans to release it on the market in about two years. Although she hopes Plan Bee will be first used as an educational tool, experts believe it has a bigger purpose. 'It is outstanding. The design is self-explanatory and it offers a very clever solution,' said Victor Ermoli, dean of the school of design. 'It could conceivably be used in large-scale farming, even in hydroponic farming.' Albert Einstein said that humankind would only survive four years if the world ever lost its bees. The drone, which looks nothing like a bee, is designed to hover over plants, gather pollen in its body cavity and then travel to other plants to cross-pollinate A student at Savannah College of Art and Design developed a 'bee drone' to raise awareness of the important role bees play in our food system. Other experts foresee the drone being used in large-scale farming, even in hydroponic farming And other studies have revealed that the loss of this insect could make 35 percent of the global food supply disappear and evidence shows these results are not far from facts. Wildlife authorities in the US added bees to its list of endangered and threatened species in September, which included seven species of yellow-faced bee - Hawaii's only native bees. The bees face a variety of threats including 'feral pigs, invasive ants, loss of native habitat due to invasive plants, fire, as well as development, especially in some for the coastal areas'. Wildlife authorities in the US added bees to its list of endangered and threatened species in September, which includes seven species of yellow-faced bee (left). The rusty patched bumblebee (right) become the first species in the continental U.S. to be declared endangered JAPANESE RESEARCHER DESIGNS POLLINATING DRONE A tiny insect-sized drone has been designed which can artificially pollinate plants. Far from replacing bees, the researchers hope that the drones could help carry the burden that modern agriculture has placed on bees, and in turn benefit farmers. The underside of the drone is coated with a gel that is just sticky enough to pick up pollen. The researchers decide to house the gel on a small four-propeller drone, but found that simply placing the gel on the smooth surface wasn't enough for it to pick up pollen. Instead, they found that using horse hair to mimic the fuzzy exterior of the bee, created a higher surface area for pollen to stick to. Advertisement Just last month, it was announced that the rusty patched bumblebee had become the first bee species in the continental U.S. to be declared endangered after suffering a dramatic population decline over the past 20 years. 'Pollinators are small but mighty parts of the natural mechanism that sustains us and our world,' said Tom Melius, the service's Midwest regional director. 'Without them, our forests, parks, meadows and shrublands, and the abundant, vibrant life they support, cannot survive, and our crops require laborious, costly pollination by hand.' Researchers have found that both dogs and capuchin monkeys prefer people who help others. They also showed that monkeys showed a preference to fairer people. The researchers said that these types of judgement behaviors might explain the origins of human morality. Scroll down for video Previous studies of babies have found that by the time we turn one, we already start to judge people based on their interactions with others, leading some researchers to believe that humans are born with a sense of morality. Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan decided to find out if other species also judge people based on how they treat others Previous studies of babies have found that by the time we turn one, we already start to judge people based on their interactions with others, leading some researchers to believe that humans are born with a sense of morality. Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan decided to find out if other species also judge people based on how they treat others. First, they designed an experiment to see if monkeys prefer people who help others. Capuchin monkeys were shown an actor struggling to open a container with a toy inside it. In one trial, the actor shows the container to the second actor, who accepts to help open it. In a second trial, the actor shows the container to the actor who this time refuses to help. Afterwards, both actors offered the monkey a food reward, and the monkey chose which one to accept. Researchers designed an experiment to see if monkeys prefer people who help others. Capuchin monkeys were shown an actor struggling to open a container with a toy inside it. In one trial, the actor shows the container to the second actor, who accepts to help open it. In a second trial, the actor shows the container to the actor who refuses to help. Afterwards, both actors offered the monkey a food reward, and the monkey chose which one to accept When the second actor was helpful, the monkey didn't show any preference between taking the food from either the struggler or the helper. However, when the second actor refused to help the struggler, the monkey preferred to take food from the struggler. This shows that the monkeys were judging the actors based on their helpfulness. In a second to find out the monkeys' reaction to fairness, two actors were given three balls each. Actor 1 asked for ball from actor 2, who gave them three balls. But when actor 2 asked for balls from actor 1, actor one gave back either three balls or none. Then, the actors offered the monkeys rewards just like in the previous experiment. In another experiment, dogs' owners tried to open a container. The owner offered the container to an actor who either helped or refused to open it, while a second actor remained passive. Then both actors offered the dog a reward in their hands. The dog didn't show a preference for either actor when the first actor helped the owner open the container, but when the first actor refused to help the owner, the the dog was more likely to accept the reward from the passive actor The monkey showed no preference between the actors when actor 1 gave back all the balls, but did show a preference for actor 2 more often when actor 1 didn't give back all the balls. In a final experiment with dogs, the researchers tried to find out if dogs prefer people who help their owners. Like in the first experiment with the capuchin's, the dogs' owners tried to open a container. The owner offered the container to an actor who either helped or refused to open it, while a second actor remained passive. Then both actors offered the dog a reward in their hands. SOCIAL JUDGMENT COULD HELP SOCIAL GROUPS EXCLUDE THE BADDIES Professor Kiley Hamlin, a psychology professor at The University of British Columbia, said that the ability to make social judgments of others could help to stabilize complex social groups by helping individuals exclude bad social partners. By excluding these bad individuals, the individuals who make the social judgments can avoid harmful interactions and it also discourages others from exhibiting bad behavior so as to not be excluded from the social group. Advertisement The dog didn't show a preference for either actor when the first actor helped the owner open the container, but when the first actor refused to help, the the dog was more likely to accept the reward from the passive actor. Dr James Anderson, a professor of psychology at Kyoto University in Japan and the lead author of the study published in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, told New Scientist that both the monkeys and the dogs made social judgments in a similar way to human children. He said: 'If somebody is behaving antisocially, they probably end up with some sort of emotional reaction to it.' Dr Frans de Waal, a primatologist at Emory University, said that monkeys are likely to use similar judgment processes to decide who they can cooperate with in their group. 'Chances are that if these animals can detect cooperative tendencies in human actors, they also can in their fellow primates,' he said. Dogs themselves have evolved to be sensitive to human behavior, as humans and dogs have lived together over many years. The researcher said that out human sense or morality may have come to be from these type of primitive judgments. 'I think that in humans there may be this basic sensitivity towards antisocial behaviour in others,' said Dr Anderson. 'Then through growing up, inculturation and teaching, it develops into a full-blown sense of morality,' he said. Dr De Waal said that there is a link between morality and reputation. 'Human morality is very much based on reputation building, because why would you try to be good if no one cares?' he said. Advertisement NASA's acting administrator has instructed top staff to dramatically speed up plans to send mankind beyond the orbit of Earth for the first time since 1972. Robert Lightfoot, who was previously the space agency's acting Associate Administrator, has asked staff to initiate a study to assess the feasibility of adding a crew to Exploration Mission-1, the first integrated flight of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The mission was designed to be uncrewed, and was expected to launch in 2018. By moving the manned mission up, commentators say it could give President Trump a 'Nixonesque' moment - and also prove the worth of Nasa's SLS megarocket as it vies for funding. Scroll down for video The mission will use NASA's Orion capsule to carry up to four astronauts around the moon the first time humans have left low orbit since 1972. The mission was originally set for launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, as early as 2021 - but could now been far sooner. THE EM-1 MISSION Nasa's Orion, stacked on a Space Launch System rocket capable of lifting 70 metric tons will launch from a newly refurbished Kennedy Space Center in November 2018. The uncrewed Orion will travel into Distant Retrograde Orbit, breaking the distance record reached by the most remote Apollo spacecraft, and then 30,000 miles farther out (275,000 total miles). The mission will last 22 days and was originally designed to test system readiness for future crewed operations. Advertisement 'The SLS and Orion missions, coupled with record levels of private investment in space, will help put NASA and America in a position to unlock the mysteries of space and to ensure this nations world preeminence in exploring the cosmos,' NASA said. The study, headed by Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, will examine the opportunities it could present to accelerate the effort of the first crewed flight and what it would take to accomplish that first step of pushing humans farther into space. According to the Washington Post, Lightfoot sent a note to employees revealing the plan, saying: 'I know the challenges associated with such a proposition, like reviewing the technical feasibility, additional resources needed, and clearly the extra work would require a different launch date. 'That said, I also want to hear about the opportunities it could present to accelerate the effort of the first crewed flight and what it would take to accomplish that first step of pushing humans farther into space.' Astronauts haven't gone beyond a low orbit around Earth since 1972, when NASA ended its Apollo program. Bob Walker, an adviser to the Trump transition team and a former congressman who chaired the House Science Committee, told the Post 'What I hear being discussed is the potential for sometime within the first Trump term being able to go and do an Apollo 8 mission' - meaning a lunar orbit mission like the one performed by Apollo 8 in December 1968. The new mission could give President Trump an 'Apollo 8 moment' echoing Richard Nixon's success in sending man to the moon 'This would be another precursor to ultimately landing,' Walker said. 'And I think sometime within a second Trump term, you could think about putting a landing vehicle on the moon.' The European Space Agency and aerospace company Airbus have already delivered the propulsion and supply module for the unmanned flight of NASA's new Orion spacecraft next year. Last week it was announced ESA and Airbus have now agreed with NASA to build a module for a second, manned mission that will fly around the moon as early as 2021 - which could now be pushed forward. The Service Module provides propulsion, electrical power, water and thermal control as well as maintaining the oxygen and nitrogen atmosphere for the crew. The first Orion with the service module will be launched in late 2018 on NASA's new Space Launch System. Nasa's Orion, stacked on a Space Launch System rocket capable of lifting 70 metric tons will launch from a newly refurbished Kennedy Space Center in November 2018. The month-long mission will be unmanned and will orbit the Moon before returning to Earth, testing the spacecraft and rocket before carrying astronauts. The European Service Module is designed, built and assembled by a team of companies from 11 countries led by Airbus Space & Defence, based on proven technology from ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle that flew to the International Space Station five times with supplies. HOW THE HISTORIC MANNED MISSION WILL WORK NASA's original plan for the manned mission is built around a profile called a multi-translunar injection (MTLI), or multiple departure burns, and includes a free return trajectory from the moon. Basically, the spacecraft will circle our planet twice while periodically firing its engines to build up enough speed to push it toward the moon before looping back to Earth. After launch, the spacecraft and upper stage of the rocket will first orbit Earth twice to ensure its systems are working normally. Orion will reach a circular orbit at an altitude of 100 nautical miles and last 90 minutes. The move or burn to get the spacecraft into a specific orbit around a planet or other body in space is called orbital insertion. Following the first orbit, the rocket's powerful exploration upper stage (EUS) and four RL-10 engines will perform an orbital raise, which will place Orion into a highly elliptical orbit around our planet. The mission will send crew around the backside of the moon where they will ultimately create a figure eight before Orion returns to Earth. Instead of requiring propulsion on the return, the spacecraft will use the moon's gravitational pull like a slingshot to bring Orion home, which is the free return portion of the trajectory. Crew will fly thousands of miles beyond the moon, which is an average of 230,000 miles beyond the Earth. This is called the partial translunar injection. This second, larger orbit will take approximately 24 hours with Orion flying in an ellipse between 500 and 19,000 nautical miles above Earth. For perspective, the International Space Station orbits Earth from about 250 miles above. Once the integrated vehicle completes these two orbits, the EUS will separate from Orion and any payloads selected and mounted inside the rocket's universal stage adapter will be released. The payloads will then fly on their own to conduct their unique missions. After the EUS separation, the crew will do a unique test of Orion's critical systems. They will gather and evaluate engineering data from their day-long orbit before using Orion's service module to complete a second and final propulsion move called the translunar injection (TLI) burn. This second burn will put Orion on a path toward the moon, and will conclude the 'multi-translunar injection' portion of the mission. Advertisement The mission and collaboration with NASA is part of ESA's vision to prepare for future voyages of exploration further into the Solar System, and continues the spirit of international cooperation that forms the foundation of the International Space Station. Earlier this month NASA engineers simulated what it will be like inside of the Orion spacecraft during launch when it takes off on its first manned mission as early as 2021. The mission plan for the flight is built around a profile called a multi-translunar injection (MTLI), or multiple departure burns, and includes a free return trajectory from the moon. Subjects in the simulation were fitted with advanced crew escape suits as they carried out tests to determine how well they could see the display and controls as the craft vibrated atop the Space Launch System rocket. The first mission is set to launch in 2018, and while this was supposed to be uncrewed, the space agency has plans to send astronauts aboard Orion just four years from now. The first Orion with the service module will be launched in late 2018 on NASA's new Space Launch System (pictured). The researchers at NASA are working to understand how Orion's launch vibrations will affect an astronaut's ability to see the displays and operate controls. In the simulation, subjects sat in the latest design of the seat, atop the crew impact attenuation system. According to the space agency, the achievement marks the first time this hardware was brought together for this type of assessment. These efforts will help to ensure the spacecraft is ready for its first manned mission, which could come as soon as 2021. In November, NASA and the US Navy revealed the success of a recent test in which the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego recovered the capsule from water. Known as the Underway Recovery Test-5, it was part of a U.S. government interagency effort to safely retrieve the Orion crew module, which is capable of carrying humans into deep space. This marks the second time a URT has taken place aboard San Diego, and comes amid final preparations for the Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) in 2018. 'For me it was a lot of fun being part of the testing because I was onboard this ship when we did the first URT and took the test capsule out to sea in February 2014,' said San Diego Commanding Officer Capt. Carl W. Meuser. 'On that trip, these smart folks from NASA were able to collect data and understand the environment much better, and they designed systems accordingly. 'So it's been fun for me to see the progression of NASA's project from the first time we went to sea together, to this very successful testing that we just finished.' With their main role of conducting amphibious operations, San Antonio-class ships have many unique capabilities that make them an ideal partner to support NASA. The most important capability was the ability to recover the test capsule using the ship's well deck, which was originally designed to launch and recover amphibious craft. San Diego also has the ability to carry and deploy multiple small boats which aid in the recovery process and contains an advanced medical facility for the returning astronauts. Subjects in the simulation were fitted with advanced crew escape suits as they carried out tests to determine how well they could see the display and controls as the craft vibrated atop the Space Launch System rocket URT-5 testing consisted of launching the test capsule from the well deck, then carefully maneuvering the ship alongside the capsule at slow speed. Then, divers attached lines from the small boats to steady and guide the capsule toward San Diego, where a NASA-designed winch hauled the capsule into the well deck. The test allowed NASA and the Navy to continue to demonstrate and evaluate the recovery processes, procedures, hardware and personnel in real, open ocean environment before conducting actual recovery operations for EM-1 and with additional coordination, subsequent exploration missions. According to Jones, the next test will take place aboard another seasoned NASA recovery ship, USS Anchorage (LPD 23). Future tests will eventually get NASA and the Navy to arrive at a safe and more efficient way to recover the capsule for the 2021 mission involving a flying crew. The Orion spacecraft is designed to meet the evolving needs of our nation's deep space exploration program for decades to come. It will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Advertisement Zurich has a reputation as a city of boring bankers. That may be unfair, but it seems you need a bankers salary to stay there, at any rate. The Swiss city, it turns out, is the most expensive place in the world to stay, according to new research that names New York as the second-most expensive city to holiday in and Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, as the cheapest. A study has ranked 84 destinations around the world in terms of how expensive it is to spend a night there, along with the cost of food, drink and a taxi journey. Zurich tops the table, with Sofia being the cheapest Zurich (pictured) has a reputation as a city of boring bankers. That may be unfair, but it seems you need a bankers salary to stay there, at any rate, according to the new study by Hoppa New York is the second-most expensive place in the world to visit, according to a new study The study, an annual endeavour by airport transport company Hoppa, looked at 84 worldwide destinations and revealed that in Zurich the total average price of a hotel, food, drink and a taxi journey per person is 170.43 ($210) a night. The average cost for the same activities in New York, meanwhile, is 157.29 ($195). At the other end of the scale is Sofia, which sits at the very bottom of the list with an average of only 38.21 ($47). London comes 12th in the ranking, costing an average of 121.41 ($150), making it a slightly cheaper destination than Dublin, but more expensive than Dubai. New York has the most expensive accommodation in the world, with Zurich, Rome and Caracas similarly pricey Cheap cocktails are easy to find in Cuba, where on average they cost just 2.96 ($3.68) If a cheap pint of beer is a priority, then head to Manila, where it costs just 38p (47 cents) on average Looking further into these results to determine the cost of dining out, the report uncovered Makkah to be the cheapest, with Zurich topping the list once again with an average price of 79.63 ($98). While its a surprise to find out that one of the cheapest pints of beer can be found in Ibiza for as little as 80p, Las Vegas sits 7th with the average pint priced at 5.14 ($6.39). But in Manila, a pint of beer costs a mere 38p (47 cents). Venice, Italy, is the most expensive city in the world for coffee, followed by Zurich, Oslo and Copenhagen, according to a report by Hoppa When it comes to eating and drinking on the go, Hoppa found that a burger from Venice costs 12.81 (almost double the price compared to New York), but Manila is cheapest with an average price of 1.97. For coffee lovers, it may be interesting to know that the costliest caffeine is found in Copenhagen, with an average price of 5.10, and the second cheapest is in Rome where you can enjoy a real Italian coffee for as little as 1.15 ($1.43). A new addition for the 2017 report is the price of cocktails. The report reveals a huge price range when it comes to cocktails, starting at 2.96 in Cuba and rocketing to 18.06 in Bahrain. New Zealand doesn't figure on the report that much - but it occupies top spot for expensive taxi rides Those who prefer to see sights from the back seat of a taxi may be interested to hear that doing this in Cairo will set them back just 89p per mile and a half (or around one dollar) A bus tour in Dubai will leave a sizable hole in the wallets of many holidaymakers - but not in Kiev With a sightseeing bus tour being top of the itinerary for many holidaymakers, this has also been added to the report. Findings show that you should jump aboard in Kiev, because it will cost only 7.50, but be prepared to part with 54.50 if visiting Dubai. Those who prefer to see sights from the back seat of a taxi may be interested to hear that doing this in Cairo will set them back just 89p per mile and a half (or around one dollar). It may be best to avoid doing this in Auckland, New Zealand, though, where taxis are an eye-watering 10.80 ($13.42) a mile. The final addition to this years Cheapest vs Expensive report, Hoppa said, is the worlds top attractions. A trip to the stunning Grand Palace in Bangkok will only cost 11.38 ($14), whereas visiting Universal Studios will cost 127 ($157) for a day pass. Julian Assange has opened up about his simmering romance with Baywatch star Pamela Anderson. In an interview with the Australian radio hosts Kyle And Jackie O he said that he found the 49-year-old actress and model an 'attractive' and an 'impressive figure'. The 45-year-old Wikileaks founder revealed that Pamela has been at the forefront of getting him out the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. 'I like her, shes great': Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has revealed he finds Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson 'attractive' and 'an impressive figure' in an interview with Kyle and Jackie O The former Playboy cover girl has reportedly visited six time in the last five months, during which she brought he meals. When questioned by the radio show hosts about the blonde bombshell, Julian acknowledged the public interest over their relationship and how the 'impressive figure' is also bringing attention to his situation. 'Shes an attractive person with an attractive personality and whip smart. Shes no idiot at all, she psychologically very savvy,' he said. New flame: Pamela has been visiting the 45-year-old at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London Kyle asked Julian if he was in love with Pamela, however he bluntly dodged his question. 'Over the last few years she has done more to try and get this Australian, me, out of detention without charge, than the combinations of Gillard, Rudd, Abbott and Turnbull combined.' 'It should not take Pamela Anderson to do the Australian governments job, as capable as she is,' he added. Kyle keen to get the scoop from Julian, pressed him again on his romantic status with the actress. Secret love: Pamela has reportedly visited six time in the last five months, during which she spotted bringing him meals 'Well I mean I like her, shes great. Im not gonna go into private details,' he said. 'Basically you got people like Pamela Anderson who are independent because they kind of manage their own career... She cant really be squeezed by, you know, a TV executive,' he added. Disappointed that Julian didn't divulge any other details, Kyle joked that he would start up his own version of wiki leaks to find out info on what is really going on in their relationship called 'Pammie-leaks.' The silver-haired renegade was quick to quip to that he protects his sources. Bombshell: She recently appeared on UK TV calling Julian a 'heroic' and 'important person' 'I protect my sources:' Throughout the interview Julian kept tight-lipped about revealing any other interesting details regarding Pamela He went on to say that it was people like Pamela who are taking charge of freeing him from the embassy. 'Youve got some of these good people who are independent and courageous and those people who come to defend me and defend Wikileaks, full marks to them,' Before ending the call to London, Kyle was quick to jump in with a throw away comment telling Julian to send them the wedding invite first to which he said OK. Pamela is currently in the UK and on Tuesday talk about the Wikileaks founder on ITV's Loose Women calling him a 'heroic' and 'important person'. Julian has been in since June 19, 2012 claiming asylum over to avoid being extradited to Sweden of rape allegations. The Moorside asked some intriguing, audacious, questions about the publics perception of notorious hate figure Karen Matthews - whether it was ill-informed, even unjust. But ultimately it didnt deliver enough evidence to answer them, or any to be honest. Even the central figures who were shown suggesting that there was more to her involvement in the faked abduction of her daughter Shannon than Matthews was telling them were also left being uncertain. The Moorside asked some intriguing, audacious, questions about the publics perception of notorious hate figure Karen Matthews So in the end was the writer. Neil McKay had examined the idea that both Myra Hindley and Rose West were satellites of more culpable/heinous dominant males in previous dramas See No Evil and Appropriate Adult and seemed intent on fitting Matthews story into the same theory. But he never got close to corroborating his provocative premise that Matthews merited a more compassionate, considered, portrayal than the vile version that has become popular legend. Or rather, unpopular The Moorside may have provided us with certain (sympathetic) insights into Karen Matthews character and the 2008 case that we had forgotten or didnt know but the lack of any (new) convincing, substantial, proof ensured McKays alternative view only amounted to speculation. Sheridan Smith and Sian Brooke (pictured) were exceptional as Julie Bushby and Natalie Brown, two neighbours taking differing views of Matthews behaviour/guilt In fact his flagrant omission of several vital details in the trial meant McKays hypothesis was arguably more distorted than the image he was challenging. The programme certainly didnt comply with the judgement by police at the time that Karen Matthews was pure evil. A jury had found her guilty but McKay seemed strangely, stubbornly, reluctant to incorporate even some of the reasons why. For instance a neighbour from the Moorside estate in Dewsbury was shown revealing only that officers had discovered Shannon hidden in the base of a divan bed. Neil McKay never got close to corroborating his provocative premise that Matthews merited a more compassionate, considered, portrayal than the vile version that has become legend This was true, but at no point in the two-part programme had we seen any of the suffering the nine year-old endured during her 24-day ordeal, during which she was often tethered to a roof beam by an elasticated strap with a noose on the end. Unlike us, the court heard that Shannon was drugged with temazepam to subdue her, as she allegedly had been by Karen Matthews for as long as 20 months before her disappearance. When asked if she wanted to go home to her mother, Shannon unsurprisingly, simply said: No. McKay might maintain that The Moorside wasnt about the trial and, even though it was about the case and the degree to which Matthews was culpable, in part that was true. As the title indicated, it was about the community how Matthews friends, family, and neighbours rallied together when Shannon went missing, celebrated when she was found, and then turned on Karen Matthews and each other when the news that the abduction had been faked came out. McKay might maintain that The Moorside wasnt about the trial and, even though it was about the case and the degree to which Matthews was culpable, in part that was true The quality of the acting alone made The Moorside worth watching whatever you thought of McKays interpretation of Karen Matthews as more a victim than the villain. Sheridan Smith and Sian Brooke were exceptional as Julie Bushby and Natalie Brown, two neighbours taking differing views of Matthews behaviour/guilt. Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy in Game Of Thrones) was remarkable, embodying Matthews haggard pallor and shambling, oafish, detachment with eerie accuracy. The police did not consider Karen Matthews mentally capable of maintaining a new identity when she was released on licence in 2012 having served half of her eight year sentence for perverting the cause of justice and wilfully neglecting or abandoning her child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury. When the police finally found Shannon, Matthews reaction was just, DC Freeman (played by Siobhan Finneran pictured) said, sort of blank. So her almost child-like sense of naivety here was utterly convincing but confusing. How she had managed to maintain the pretence that Shannon had gone missing in front of her friends and family, the police and the public glare while knowing where she was all along was never explained or made sense. Michael Donovan, her accomplice and the man who had kept Shannon in his house, often hidden under the divan, was also technically mentally impaired with an IQ of only 74. Matthews staunchest ally, community campaigner, Julie Bushby (Sheridan Smith) had a point when she said to the detective investigating the case: Karen and Donovan are too thick to have come up with this by themselves arent they? Id have to agree, DC Freeman muttered. Donovan claimed that the plot to fake the abduction and split the reward money had been Matthews idea, telling the police: she asked me to look after Shannon and said if I didnt do it shed set three lads on me. Matthews meanwhile (eventually) insisted the scheme hadnt been about the money but was a botched attempt to get away from her boyfriend Craig Meehan, who police subsequently arrested for possession of child pornography Matthews meanwhile (eventually) insisted the scheme hadnt been about the money but was a botched attempt to get away from her boyfriend Craig Meehan, who police subsequently arrested for possession of child pornography. Why Matthews didnt give her friends or the police this defence during the three weeks Shannon was missing and only eventually offered it under cross-examination by Bushby and Brown (the estates Cagney & Lacey) wasnt clear unless she had been absolutely complicit all along of course. Another theory that someone else was using Matthews to front the abduction racket because she had no previous criminal record was mentioned but never elaborated on. Its always the same ! Matthews wailed tearfully (several times). Its always me that people take it out on. I get bullied and pushed around and Im sick of it ! She was, as Julie Bushby testified, damaged. Shes been used and abused since childhood, mostly by men. She doesnt understand that sex isnt the same thing as love or affection, which is what she really wanted. Donovan claimed that the plot to fake the abduction and split the reward money had been Matthews idea, telling the police: she asked me to look after Shannon and said if I didnt do it shed set three lads on me. Then again, Matthews had changed her version of events several times and lied repeatedly, even to those supporting her. You have told the truth havent you? Julie implored. You wouldnt lie to the police? Or to us? No of course not ! I would never lie to you ! Matthews cried, even as she was about Shannons whereabouts, knowing Michael Donovan, or that Meehan was a paedophile. When the police finally found Shannon, Matthews reaction was just, DC Freeman said, sort of blank. Whatever McKays stance, your heart went out to Julie Bushby more than Matthews. Watching her organise the communitys campaign to look for Shannon, support Karen Matthews in particular, and defend the image of the estate while knowing the eventual reality was like a terrible sick joke we were all in on. Whatever McKays stance, your heart went out to Julie Bushby more than Matthews Even after the trial she stuck by Matthews, even when in prison she was still lying to her. How can I say its alright after everything youve done to Shannon? she complained. It should be her forgiveness youre looking for ! I know Im bad, weak ! Matthews pleaded. But I know that somewhere inside me theres someone that could be strong, who knows right from wrong. But I cant seem to be that person. This made The Moorside ultimately a variation of the old adage if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck then it probably is a duck Like his dramas about Myra Hindley and Rose West, McKay seemed to have gone to almost perverse lengths to find an alternative view and not just accept the obvious. This made The Moorside ultimately a variation of the old adage if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck then it probably is a duck. McKay wouldnt have it, but in Karen Matthews case it was: if she looked like a mother who had faked her daughters abduction, lied like a mother who had faked her daughters abduction, and even admitted she was a mother who had faked her daughters abduction, then that is what she probably was. He is the former perp who has been hot property at New York Fashion Week. And model Ajak Deng shared a friendly hug from modelling industry newcomer Jeremy Meeks, better known at the hot felon. The pair are believed to be met up at the Philip Plein show after party, during New York Fashion Week. Jealous? Australian-Sudanese Ajak Deng model took to Instagram to share a snap of herself and model Jeremy Meeks at the Philip Plein show after party She took to Instagram to share their friendly selfie, with Ajak beaming smile and Jeremy giving a smoldering look, similar to his mug shot that catapulted him into fame. Ajak captioned the picture: 'So this happened last night,' which quickly received hundreds of likes and comments on the genetically blessed pair. The 27-year-old was seen arriving at the Philip Plein runway show, which was held at the New York Public Library on Monday night, in a daring black dress. Before gracing the red carpet of the New York Fashion Week show, Ajak was spotted wearing what appeared to a dark brown faux fur duffel coat with the hood up to protect herself from the winter Manhattan chill. Stunner: The 27-year-old graced the red carpet of the Philip Plein runway show Edgy, yet elegant: She graced the red carpet in a black floor-length racer-style dress, which had a deep V-cut and a bandeau strip covering her cleavage and The Sudanese-born Australian beauty walked the red carpet in an edgy, head-to-toe black ensemble and flashed her stunning smile for the cameras just before taking her seat at the show. Ajak stunned in a black floor-length racer-style dress, which had a deep V-cut and a bandeau strip covering her cleavage. The dress also featured a thigh-high split that showed off her long supermodel legs. Fashionista: Before heading into the show she covered up in a what appeared to be a chic dark brown faux fur duffel coat Sky high: The statuesque model matched the look with a black leather jacket very tall black boots The statuesque model matched the look with a black leather jacket, with gold detailing on the sleeves. Ajak completed the outfit with a pair of black sky high boots, with gold zigzagging design surrounding it. The formerly Melbourne-based catwalk queen kept her overall make up understated, with the exception of a bold cherry red lip and her trademark chic, shaved hair. Global success: Before the stunner made a name for herself on the catwalk for high end designers like Valentino and Marc Jacors, she was a refugee from Sudan who lived in a camp in Kenya Her career has taken her to all over the world to model for the likes of high end designers include Lavin, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Valentino. Before the stunner made a name for herself on the catwalk she was a refugee from Sudan. After the tragedy of her mother's death from malaria at a Kenyan camp, her family was relocated to Australia in 2005. The Moorside Rating: Secrets Of The National Trust Rating: How some things drag on. The Halcyon, ITVs Monday night period dirge about a wartime hotel, isnt over yet, though it feels as if its been on for years. The only thing slower than the service at that place is the plot. The Moorside (BBC1), on the other hand, has finished already, after two pell-mell episodes. Based on the true story of the disappearance of nine-year-old schoolgirl Shannon Matthews in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, it distilled six weeks of real-life headlines into a couple of hours and delivered a storm of great acting. Gemma Whelan was outstanding in the second episode as the devious but bovine Karen Matthews, Shannons mother. Her blank-faced pretence at grief finally cracked open when social services took her children into care and she released all the emotions that had been so chillingly absent during the hunt for Shannon. Gemma Whelan (pictured) was outstanding in the second episode as the devious but bovine Karen Matthews, Shannons mother Sheridan Smith and Sian Brooke, as the friends Julie and Natalie who gradually came to suspect Karen was lying, were both supercharged Julie the coarse bully with a good heart and a foul mouth, Natalie the resentful, suspicious neighbour who lacks the courage to speak up. Siobhan Finneran had an understated but crucial role as the detective unable to find a way on her own through the maze of deceit. The climactic scene came in her car when, in a wrenching confrontation between all four women, Karen finally admitted she had always known where her daughter was being held captive. Despite a strong male cast in the background, including Dean Andrews as a local bobby, this was an all-female tour de force. The men existed only as leeches and tormentors, boozing their way through the family allowance or casting a shadow of sexual abuse over the women and children. FILM FAN OF THE NIGHT Mr Williams the border terrier snuggled up to his owner Sandra, as she watched a series of movie scenes on Secret Life Of Dogs (ITV). He wagged his tail at happy endings and hid his head during scary bits. Bet he loves popcorn, too. Advertisement The sheer prevalence of child abuse in Britains underclass was hinted at in a muted conversation overlooking a playpark Natalie revealing to Julie how she had been assaulted by a babysitter, Julie casually agreeing that she had been molested for years by her own father. These experiences went a long way to explaining both womens compulsion to rescue Shannon, whatever the cost to their own families. But it was merely the briefest of glances into an appalling netherworld one which, the drama suggested, is familiar to countless women, yet one that is still largely secret. We did not discover, either, what became of Karens repulsive boyfriend Craig, who was taken away for viewing child pornography on his computer. What his sentence was, whether he connived in Shannons disappearance or ever harmed any of the other Matthews children, and whether he is at large today: none of these things were cleared up. The police appeared to suspect that other persons unknown had assisted Karen in the fake kidnapping. Who this could be, we werent told. Nor did we find out what happened to the thousands of pounds of cash donations from members of the public during the hunt for Shannon. Alan Titchmarshs new series Secrets Of The National Trust is spread over six weeks, but already this format feels as though it could be around for years All the loose ends were bundled away too quickly. Two episodes were not enough to do justice to such a complex, disturbing story. Alan Titchmarshs new series Secrets Of The National Trust (C5) is spread over six weeks, but already this format feels as though it could be around for years. Its a brilliantly simple notion: take the magazine style of Coast and Countryfile, and apply it to Britains historic houses. Each week, Alan anchors the programme with a visit to a main attraction. This time it was Beatrix Potters home in the Lake District; last week it was the sprawling 360 rooms of Knole House in Kent. Throughout the show, we join celebrity presenters on digressions. Suzannah Lipscomb went seal-spotting on the Norfolk coast, while Joan Bakewell traced the Trusts beginnings a century ago. Comedian Jon Culshaw and experienced presenters Anneka Rice and Miriam OReilly supply short items, too. Its all crammed with history and facts about renovations, highlighting some of the numerous places that make this country the most rewarding in the world for an educational day out. In fact, its such a satisfying formula that execs at the Beeb must be kicking themselves for not thinking of it first. Before he was telling her to Cry Me A River, he was close to tears himself. Britney Spears's split from Justin Timberlake has been given the Lifetime treatment - along with the rest of her life. In a new sneak peek of Britney Ever After released by People magazine, the pair call it quits on their celebrated pop music romance just minutes before appearing on stage. Face off: Britney Spear's split from Justin Timberlake has been given the Lifetime treatment - along with the rest of her life. A sneak peek of which was released Tuesday It has long been rumoured that the now 36-year-old Justin dumped Britney after finding a love note from her choreographer Wade Robson. And, according to the new Lifetime movie, that is exactly what went down - just as they were about to appear on Saturday Night Live in 2002. In the sneak peek, a devastated Justin (played by Nathan Keys) sits in a dressing room clutching a letter he has found. But his sadness quickly turns to anger as a bubbly Britney (played by Natasha Bassett) bounded through the door. Bad timing: The pair call it quits on their celebrated pop music romance just minutes before appearing on stage Devastated: It has long been rumoured that the now 36-year-old Justin dumped Britney after finding a love not from her choreographer Wade Robinson. And, according to the new Lifetime movie, that is exactly what went down Confrontation: In the sneak peek, a devastated Justin (played by Nathan Keys) sits in a dressing room clutching a letter he has found Seeing the note in his hand the songstress immediately knew it was a letter from Wade declaring his love for her. 'Justin, it's not what you think,' Britney begged with a now angry Justin. But her beau of three years was having none of it: 'Wade! Is something going on with Wade?' Not impressed: But his sadness quickly turns to anger as a bubbly Britney (played by Natasha Bassett) bounded through the door 'It's not what you think!' Seeing the note in his hand the songstress immediately knew it was a letter from Wade declaring his love for her Hurt: But her beau of three years was having none of it, 'Is something going on with Wade?' Protesting it's not what he thinks, the star says, 'It's not like that!' But her boyfriend is having none of it: 'You and me, we're done.' Before Brit has a chance to try to change his mind, a SNL stagehand comes to the dressing room to get them. He's done: The singer tells his girlfriend their relationship is over 'You and me, we're done' That's awkward: Before Brit has a chance to try to change his mind, a SNL stagehand comes to the dressing room to get them Change of pace: Sensing something is wrong, the stage hand asks if they are alright, to which Justin replies with almost maniacal smile, 'We're good. We're awesome. Right, Brit?' The way they were: Britney and Justin dated from 1999 until 2002. The film will look at this romance as well as her marriage to Kevin Federline Sensing something is wrong, the stage hand asks if they are alright, to which Justin replies with almost maniacal smile, 'We're good. We're awesome. Right, Brit?' Britney and Justin dated from 1999 until 2002. The film will look at this romance as well as her marriage to Kevin Federline. With a cast including Jillian Walchuck as Paris Hilton and Nicole Oliver as Lynn Spears, the film will premiere in the US February 18 and the UK February 26. They've been shooting around scenic Sydney for the past week. And the cast of The Bold And The Beautiful were spotted filming new outdoor scenes in Sydney on Monday. The ladies of the show were clad in skimpy bikinis as they enjoyed the summer sun and went jet boating in the ocean before landing on Shelly Beach in Manly. Scroll down for video Stunning! The Bold And The Beautiful star Jacqueline McInnes Wood stunned in a cream and black bikini and sheer black trousers as she filmed scenes on Shelly Beach in Manly on Tuesday Jacqueline McInnes Wood, who plays Steffy Forrester, was seen in a white bikini top with black lining, with her matching bottoms visible through her sheer pants. She wore a blush silk duster coat and wedge platforms, with her long dark locks blowing in the ocean breeze. Her face was made up for the cameras and she accessorised her outfit with a simple long necklace, thin bangles and wedding rings. Pretty in pink: Heather Tom, 41, who plays Katie Logan on the soap, looked fit and fabulous in a pink two-piece with a patterned cover up tied around her tiny waist Having a ball: Australia's own Ashleigh Brewer chatted to Jacqueline between takes Washboard: Jacqueline flaunted her toned abs in her swimwear Chic: The brunette beauty wore chic accessories, including cat eye sunglasses and a gold and black edgy jewels Svelte: The Canadian, who is in her second spell on the program, showed off her rippling abs Stunning: Jacqueline flaunted her sexy pout as she was snapped between scenes in her designer bikini and sheer black pants Bikini babes: The soap's stars put their physiques on show during filming Homegrown: Ashleigh had a role in children's TV show Sleepover Club before she took on the role of Kate Ramsay in Neighbours Glamorous: Jacqueline radiated beauty as she relaxed in between takes The Canadian-born beauty was seen laid back on the jet boat for one scene, appearing to be tanning in the Sydney sun. The actress's character filmed a wedding scene the same week with her on-screen partner Liam Spencer, played by Scott Cliffton. That scene was shot on the famous Bennelong Lawn, in front of the other stars of the award-winning 30-year-old soap. Buff stuff: She was also spotted chatting to hunky actor Don Diamont on the sandy set So much beauty: The stars really stood out on set as they showed off their perfect bodies Not a hair out of place: Jacqueline's brunette locks were coiffed to perfection Having a ball: The stars were caught in various positions as they enjoyed a fun day of filming Lights camera action: Earlier in the day, the cast of The Bold And The Beautiful were spotted filming new scenes on Sydney Harbour Summertime: The ladies of the show were clad in skimpy bikinis as they enjoyed the summer sun and went jet boating in the Pacific Ocean Stylish: Jacqueline McInnes Wood strutted her stuff on the wharf Alluring: She wore a blush silk duster coat and wedge platforms over her bikini, with her long dark locks blowing in the ocean breeze As the cast filmed on Sydney Harbour, Rena Sofer, who plays Quinn Fuller, was spotted in a navy blue one-piece with off-the-shoulder sleeves. The veteran TV actress, 48, who has had previous roles on General Hospital, Loving and Spin City, wore her long black hair straightened and a pair of designer shades. Australian star Ashleigh Brewer chose a green floral bikini top, covering the bottom with a white knitted skirt. She wore her brunette locks in waves with a middle part and paired her swimwear with a similar long necklace to her on-screen cousin, Steffy. Soaking up the rays: The Canadian-born beauty was seen laid back on a jet boat for one scene, appearing to be tanning in the Sydney sun Need a hand? Female stars of The Bold And The Beautiful were clad in bikinis as they hopped on-board a jet boat in Sydney Harbour Natural beauty: Australian star Ashleigh chose a green floral bikini top, covering the bottom with a white knitted skirt Glamourous: As the cast filmed on Sydney Harbour, Rena Sofer, who plays Quinn Fuller, was spotted (far right) in a navy blue one-piece with off-the-shoulder sleeves Her character, Ivy Forrester, debuted in July 2014 as the niece of Eric Forrester, played by veteran star John McCook. Heather Tom, 41, who plays Katie Logan on the soap, also looked fit and fabulous in a pink two-piece with a patterned cover up tied around her tiny waist. The cast took to Sydney Harbour on a jet boat in red life vests, smiling and throwing their hands up as onlookers watched from the cliffs above. Nuptials: The actress's character filmed a wedding scene the same week with her on-screen partner Liam Spencer, played by Scott Cliffton All aboard! Heather looked excited to be boarding the boat They also tried their hand at Aboriginal dance, with Brisbane-born Ashleigh leading the charge. She smiled as she attempted to mimic the moves demonstrated by the professional dancers, and had Katherine Kelly Lang, who plays Brooke Logan, join in. Jacqueline was snapped getting into the groove, revealing a vertical back tattoo as she learned new moves. Fifty-four-year-old Don Diamont also joined in, with the New York City-born actor looking very focused as he learned the steps to one dance. The Indigenous male dancers, who were dressed in traditional garb, appeared to take their time as they instructed the actors. Studying: They also tried their hand at Aboriginal dance, with Brisbane-born Ashleigh leading the charge Rhythm: Jacqueline was snapped getting into the groove, revealing a vertical back tattoo as she learned new moves Focused: She smiled as she attempted to mimic the moves demonstrated by the professional dancers, and had Katherine Kelly Lang, who plays Brooke Logan, join in Determined: Fifty-four-year-old Don Diamont also joined in, with the New York City-born actor looking very focused as he learned the steps to one dance Teachers: The Indigenous male dancers, who were dressed in traditional garb, appeared to take their time as they instructed the actors Fans of the show rejoiced last week as they welcomed The Bold And The Beautiful's cast Down Under. The show's Executive Producer and Head Writer, Bradley Bell, released a statement last month regarding the show's visit to Australia. 'This will be an epic celebration for our fans around the world,' he said. 'We are preparing to film the most glamorous location shoot in soap opera history.' 'This will be an epic celebration for our fans around the world,' the show's EP said. 'We are preparing to film the most glamorous location shoot in soap opera history' Excitement: The show's Executive Producer and Head Writer, Bradley Bell, released a statement last month regarding the show's visit to Australia All aboard! The cast took to Sydney Harbour on a jet boat in red life vests, smiling and throwing their hands up as onlookers watched from the cliffs above Bachelor reject Keira Maguire entered the South African jungle on Tuesday as the newest contestant on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! And fans of the show were quick to document the awkward, and seemingly unexcitable arrival of the reality star on Twitter. The Bachelor 'villain', 30, introduced herself to a wide-eyed campsite, with one viewer documenting the moment: 'Blank stares all round.' Scroll down for video 'Blank stares all round': The Bachelor's Keira Maguire receives dismal reaction by camp-mates and fans after I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! debut on Tuesday The celebrities cheered as they heard someone walking into the camp, with many faces dropping once they saw the face approach. Having arrived with Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg, the blonde bombshell announced her arrival from a podium: 'Osher has one final gift for you all... Me!' Reacting to the blank faces in front of her, she added: 'Keira from the Bachelor... For those that don't know.' Awkward introduction: The celebrities cheered as they heard someone approaching the camp, with many faces dropping once they saw her take to the platform 'For those that don't know': Reacting to the blank faces in front of her, she confirmed that she was Keira from the Bachelor while pointing to herself Fans brutally pointed out the lack of star power she possessed to be on the show, from her little speech. 'Not a celebrity if you have to tell them!!' one user said in reference to her introducing herself. While others weighed in on the reaction from the camp, writing: 'If you want an example of anticlimactic watch the moment Keria enters the jungle' and 'Didn't quite elicit the exciting reaction from camp mates.' Cutting! Fans brutally pointed out the lack of star power she possessed to be on the show, from her little speech Arrival: Users detailed the mood they witnessed on their TV screens from her arrival into camp 'Anticlimactic': During the aired segment, many Twitter users pointed out how the other celebrities appeared to react to her introduction speech Too soon? Some Australian viewers expressed their annoyance at seeing the outspoken firecracker brace their screens again, following her television debut last year on the hit match-making show The Bachelor Some Australian viewers weren't yet ready to see the outspoken firecracker brace their screens again, following her television debut last year on the hit match-making show. Multiple users claimed they 'can't stand her' and vowed to switch channels for as long as she was to be involved with the series. One Twitter user announced: 'I've been enjoying #ImACelebrityAU so far, but introducing the lowest grade of "celebrity"f them all is on the nose. Boot her quick.' While others pointed out what they believe as an attempt to keep her name in the spotlight: 'Not so famous Bachelor reject Keira the latest to join "I'm Not A Celebrity Anymore, Please Don't Vote Me Off."' 'Boot her quick': Multiple viewers of the show claimed they 'can't stand her' and vowed to switch channels for as long as she was to be involved with the series 'Latest to join "I'm Not A Celebrity Anymore"': While other avid viewers pointed out what they believe as an attempt for Keira to keep her name in the spotlight Before arriving in the jungle, Keira had earlier stated that she planned to fight off MKR star Ash Pollard for the affections of the hunky model Kris Smith. Speaking to TV Week, Keira said she was desperate to win the hunk's heart. 'I'm coming in and I will stop it straight away,' she said, acknowledging her new rival's early attempts at wooing the model. Flirty? However it's now been revealed that Keira and Kris were seen 'getting flirty' at industry party around October last year after he broke up with his long-term girlfriend Maddy King First pics: The first pictures of Keira Maguire in the South African jungle have been revealed after the Bachelor babe admitted she wants to steal Kris Smith's heart The publication then states that where Ash is afraid to make a move, Keira has no such hang-ups, and already has Kris's number in her phone. And Keira appears to have already made up her mind about her frizzy-haired competition. 'Ash and I will clash,' she told TV Week. 'She's said a few things I don't necessarily agree with.' Watch out: The 30-year-old has stated that she plans to fight off My Kitchen Rules star Ash Pollard for the affections of the hunky model Got your number! In a recent interview, the 30-year-old stated 'If it happens, it happens,' revealing the pair had met before and have each other's numbers in their phones Game on: According to the insider, Ash will have to fight past Keira's unrelenting determination if she stands a chance. 'What Keira wants, Keira gets - and she wants Kris,' they said Meanwhile, the blonde told NW magazine that she went to extra efforts to ensure she maintains her good looks in the jungle. 'Before leaving Sydney, I got eyelash extensions and had my eyebrows feathered,' she admitted. Hilariously, her love interest had a different feathering experience on a recent episode, getting covered in tar and hundreds of feathers during a challenge. An insider source told the publication that Keira and Kris' history goes back further than many may think. Unfair advantage: Keira confessed to going to extra efforts to ensure she could impress the hunky model, saying she got 'eyelash extensions and had my eyebrows feathered,' before leaving Sydney Time machine: An insider source revealed that Keira and Kris have a history: 'We've seen her at events with him and she won't let him out of her sights,' they claimed He can relate: Hilariously, her love interest had a different feathering experience on a recent episode, getting covered in tar and hundreds of feathers during a challenge When you are one of the most in demand faces in the world, it would be a shame to cover it up. Toni Garrn certainly adhered to this as she headed out on a rather chilly New York day. The 24-year-old model was spotted out and about in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan on Tuesday, wearing little to no makeup and a dressed-down outfit. Natural beauty: Toni Garrn stepped out makeup-free in New York on Tuesday afternoon As she sauntered along, she reached into a paper bag bearing the M.F.K. Fisher quote: 'First we eat, then we do everything else.' She'd bundled up in a voluminous Adidas charcoal jacket, which she'd buttoned up over a grey sweater with the hood pulled up. Allowing a good deal of her blonde hair to tumble out front, the Hamburg native teamed grey and black Adidas sweats with faded white shoes. Multiple rings glinted on her fingers, including one with a chain sliding down her hand to latch onto a bracelet. Going casual: The 24-year-old model was spotted out and about in the SoHo neighborhood in a dressed-down outfit Words of wisdom: As she sauntered along, she reached into a paper bag bearing the M.F.K. Fisher quote, 'First we eat, then we do everything else' Toni recently told The Coveteur she likes to keep things natural. 'Usually, I run out of the house and work out or go to work. Because going to work means having my hair and makeup done, I only have to put my hair in a bun and brush my teeth,' she explained. Minimalism's her go-to, and she noted at another point: 'I've never had my hair colored or anything. I've never highlighted. I've never had anything done to my hair, because, yes, I like my hair color, but also I feel like it's quite sensitive and I haven't always had great hair.' Keeping warm: She'd bundled up in a voluminous Adidas charcoal jacket, which she'd buttoned up over a grey sweater with the hood pulled up They are currently enjoying a break in New York for Fashion Week. But Alex Mytton was forced to take to Instagram with a rather grovelling Valentine's message on Tuesday, after presumably leaving girlfriend Lottie Moss unimpressed with his 'drunken antics'. The Made In Chelsea star, 25, posted a snap of the 19-year-old model's recent Bvglari campaign, joking that she 'hated him right now'. Scroll down for video Gushing: Alex Mytton took to Instagram with a rather grovelling Valentine's message on Tuesday, after presumably leaving Lottie Moss unimpressed with his 'drunken antics' 'Happy Vals day to this absolute banger!! @lottiemossxo! She hates me right now for being a complete p**s head last night but it wouldn't be Valentine's Day without some form of hatred/argument would it!' Alex wrote in the sweet post from the city's trendy meatpacking district. And Lottie Moss appeared happy with the gesture, posting an Instagram story of Alex with a red rose between his teeth, posing next to champagne and chocolates. 'He pulled through', she wrote in the story, before sharing a screengrab of him with the caption: 'Ur special'. Making things up: Lottie Moss appeared happy with the gesture, posting an Instagram story of Alex with a red rose between his teeth, posing next to champagne and chocolates Lottie is currently raising her profile as she attends various shows for NYFW, and sat front row at the Oscar De La Renta show on Monday. Lottie has come onto the scene as an up and coming model, after being scouted at her supermodel sister Kate Moss' wedding to Jamie Hince back in 2011. The Sussex native since found huge success in the fashion industry - landing campaigns with the likes of Calvin Klein and Bulgari, as well as fronting the cover of Vogue Paris last year. Made up: She shared a screengrab of Alex with the caption: 'Ur special' on Valentine's The Made In Chelsea star, 25, posted a snap of the 19-year-old model's recent Bvglari campaign, joking that she 'hated him right now' Meanwhile Lottie and Alex have been linked since early October when it was falsely believed that she had rekindled the flame with ex-boyfriend Sam Prince. In October The Sun report the 18-year-old half sister of top model Kate shared a tryst with Alex, 25, in the toilets of a top London club, amid rumours of their steamy new romance. While Lottie was joined by pals Chloe Green and Sofia Richie, according to The Sun, she and Alex sneaked away for some alone time in the club toilets, only to be caught by staff. A source has told the paper: 'They were told off by Tape bosses who found them in the toilets. 'They looked thoroughly embarrassed but are at the stage where they can't keep their hands off each other. Lottie isn't afraid to keep their romance secret anymore. They kiss publicly at Alex's DJing gigs.' The unlikely pair enjoyed a string of dates together and have fast become inseparable. Kate Moss' half sister: Lottie is currently raising her profile as she attends various shows for NYFW, and sat front row at the Oscar De La Renta show on Monday Lottie has been mingling in the same social circles as the MIC crowd, partying with the likes of Topshop heiress Chloe Green, who previously appeared on the show. The blonde beauty has been linked to several suitors in the past - having enjoyed lunch in June with pop star Conor Maynard, and flirted with Geordie Shore star Ricci Guarnaccio on Twitter. Alex also has a rocky relationship history, having ended his two high-profile romances with MIC co-stars Binky Felstead and Nicola Hughes after admitting to being unfaithful. But his romance with Lottie appears to be going strong, as they recently returned from a romantic sun-soaked holiday in Barbados. Sarah Paulson has been cast in the fourth season of American Crime Story focusing on the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal. Ryan Murphy told E! News that Paulson, 42, would not be playing Hillary Clinton, but he wouldn't reveal her role. Filming was scheduled to start at the end of the year, said Murphy who is an executive producer of the FX anthology series. Anthology star: Sarah Paulson, shown last month in Los Angeles, has been cast in the upcoming fourth season of American Crime Story focusing on the Monica Lewinsky scandal FX Productions and Fox 21 TV Studios last month optioned the rights to Jeffrey Toobin's book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down A President. The 1999 book chronicled the Lewinsky sex scandal that erupted in 1998 after it emerged that President Bill Clinton had a sexual relationship with 22-year-old White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Paulson received critical acclaim for her portrayal of prosecutor Marcia Clark during the first season of American Crime Story that focused on the OJ Simpson murder trial. She won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries, an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in Limited Series or Movie, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie. Sex scandal: Hillary Clinton is shown in January 1998 giving a speech next to President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal American Crime Story: The People Vs OJ Simpson was a ratings success and also won nine Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film. The FX true crime anthology was based on Toobin's 1997 book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson. Production has started on the next two seasons of American Crime Story with season two focusing on Hurricane Katrina and season three examining the slaying of designer Gianni Versace in July 1997. Critically acclaimed: Paulson is shown in a still from season one of American Crime Story: The People Vs OJ Simpson Key figure: Linda Tripp, who secretly recorded conversations with Lewinsky, is shown in July 1998 after testifying before the grand jury investigating the White House sex scandal Paulson also stars in the FX anthology series American Horror Story created by Murphy and Brad Falchuk. Murphy, 51, also has developed the upcoming FX anthology series Feud with the first season titled Bette And Joan. The series premiering on March 5 will focus on the behind the scenes battles between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford during the making of their 1962 movie What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? with Paulson portraying actress Geraldine Page. She was known for her feisty nature on The Bachelor, with fans hoping she would last through many of the first rose ceremonies to keep things interesting. But it seems many aren't as thrilled to see Keira Maguire in the jungle, with the blonde tipped to only last one week on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Australia. According to Sportsbet, the 30-year-old is predicted to last between 7-13 days and might even walk out from the show. Scroll down for video Will Keira walk out? I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! intruder Keira Maguire is tipped to last between 7-13 days and might even walk out from the show After only making her debut in the South African jungle on Tuesday night's episode, bookmakers have the serial reality TV starlet at $2.25 to last for the one week and $4 to last even less than that. Odds of Keira leaving via a storm off are at $5, with the public vote off the more popular bet at $1.15. In terms of winning the competition, previous favourite Dane Swan remains in first place at $2.40, with Keira taking last place with Tziporah at $26. Bye! Odds of Keira leaving via a storm off are at $5, with the public vote off the more popular bet at $1.15 Leaving so soon? The former Bachelor contestant's stint on the show might be short lived after she hears that hunk Kris Smith is in fact taken The former Bachelor contestant's stint on the show might be short lived after she hears that hunk Kris Smith is in fact taken. Ahead of stepping into the jungle, the blonde babe spoke openly about making a play for the model, whom she though was also single. The reality TV starlet told News Corp before heading into the jungle, she will 'stir up s**t' and has vowed to flirt with hunky - and single - model Kris Smith, saying: 'I will have a crack.' 'I will have a crack': The former Bachelor starlet said she will 'stir up s**t' and has vowed to flirt with hunky - and single - model Kris Smith He's taken! Kris (pictured) admitted on Tuesday night's episode, the Myer ambassador admitted he has recently re-connected with an ex-girlfriend but didn't want to say anything as it was all still new However, during Tuesday night's episode, the Myer ambassador admitted he has recently re-connected with an ex-girlfriend but didn't want to say anything as it was all still new. 'I have got a lot of feelings for her. I am reconnecting with my ex and everything else. It is fresh. 'We are talking again about fixing things up,' he told Tegan Martin during a chat. Fans have slammed Jemma Lucy over her 'disgusting' comments on Twitter about Charlotte Crosby's ectopic pregnancy. The Ex On The Beach star claimed her love rival Charlotte should 'learn about contraception' as she discussed the Geordie Shore star's traumatic ordeal last year. The 28-year-old made the 'vile' remark after one fan pointed out that she had slept with Charlotte's ex Gary 'Gaz' Beadle. Scroll down for video Backlash: Fans have slammed Jemma Lucy over her 'disgusting' comments about Charlotte Crosby's ectopic pregnancy Oh dear: The Ex On The Beach star claimed her love rival Charlotte should 'learn about contraception' as she reflected on the reality star's traumatic ordeal last year The scathing attack began after a post from MTV's Twitter account pointed out that Jemma partied at the same Newcastle club as Charlotte and her rumoured new boyfriend - and Jemma's ex - Stephen Bear. The tweet read: 'Awkward. @Charlottegshore and @stephen_bear turned up to the same event as @jem_luc.' Jemma quipped back acerbically: 'They keep following I can't get rid of them. she's prob hunting down my next ex.' After one user pointed out: 'Umm didn't you sleep with gaz whilst charlotte was in hospital losing his baby?' she replied: 'Maybe she should learn about contraception then ?! Not my fault lol allow u.' Tension: The 28-year-old made the 'vile' remark after one fan pointed out that she had slept with Charlotte's ex Gary 'Gaz' Beadle Row: The scathing attack began after a post from MTV's Twitter account pointed out that Jemma partied at the same Newcastle club, Livellos, as Charlotte and her rumoured new boyfriend - and Jemma's ex - Stephen Bear Not impressed: Horrified fans rushed to Charlotte's defence in the wake of Jemma's comments The reality star caused uproar with the throwaway remark - referring to Charlotte's horrific ordeal as she suffered an ectopic pregnancy, after falling pregnant with ex-boyfriend Gary Beadle's child last March. The Geordie Shore star opened up in an emotional interview with Heat magazine - confessing that the devastating incident happened last month while he was away filming Ex On The Beach, and that she was rushed to hospital for an operation. The 25-year-old reality TV star, who had been filming Geordie Shore: Big Birthday Battle at the time, said she wasn't even aware she was pregnant at first, and that she though the pain was down to a heavy period. Oh no: The reality star caused uproar with the throwaway remark - referring to Charlotte's horrific ordeal as she suffered an ectopic pregnancy, after falling pregnant with ex-boyfriend Gary Beadle's child last March 'I thought I had a really bad period because I was bleeding and cramping - I can't describe the pain, it was awful,' Charlotte explained, adding that it felt like she was 'being stabbed in the side'. And horrified fans rushed to Charlotte's defence in the wake of Jemma's comments -writing: 'your vile! Let's hope you never experience the loss of a child!' 'To make that sort of comment about someone who LOST their baby is BANG OUT of order! Disrespectful woman,' another added. 'Fame hungry,' one offered, while yet another said: 'Oh wow....I actually loved you before this comment but as someone who's lost a baby, I think that's an awful thing to say.' Rivals: The rivalry between Charlotte and Jemma has become increasingly toxic as rumours swirl that Charlotte is dating her ex and fellow Ex On The Beach star Stephen Bear 'My God what a vile comment you're no woman because no women would say that about another,' a fifth user penned. The rivalry between Charlotte and Jemma has become increasingly toxic as rumours swirl that Charlotte is dating her ex and fellow Ex On The Beach star Stephen Bear. The Geordie Shore star has been engaged in a stuttering romance over recent weeks. But Stephen Bear is still continuing to deny rumours that he's dating Charlotte Crosby, despite admitting she is 'funny, witty, clever and gorgeous'. The Ex On The Beach star, 27, claimed that they weren't together because of timing, but couldn't resist cheekily quipping that she was pregnant with his child. The CBB star told OK! Magazine: 'Charlotte ticks a lot of my boxes she's funny, witty, clever, she's got all the right attributes. 'But as I'm filming Celebs Go Dating it's a case of right girl, wrong time. But who knows what will happen in the future.' Adding insult to injury: TV bosses DROP Stephen Bear from the Celebs Go Dating agency and 'BAN' him from the show's launch party because of his relationship with Charlotte Crosby Making light of the situation, he then joked: 'She's pregnant with my baby!' Stephen insisted he's single as he prepares to appear on dating show Celebs Go Dating, but added that after the series he would ask Charlotte out as she's 'gorgeous'. It comes as Charlotte packed on the PDA with her rumoured boyfriend at the MTV Brand New gig at Camden's Electric Ballroom last week. The pair have been linked romantically for months, but appeared to confirm their relationship earlier this week by sporting matching 'His and Hers' jumpers - which Bear was still sporting in Camden. An insider told The Sun: 'Bear and Charlotte have been snogging loads on set for Just Tattoo Of Us and have hardly kept it a secret to the crew. It's clear they are besotted with each other.' Skylight Clarkson Sq played host to the Chiara Boni La Petite Robe show for New York Fashion Week on Tuesday. Amid the fashion industry claque that turned out to take in the Fall/Winter 2017-18 collection, Paris Hilton was a standout. The 25-year-old showed off a bit of cleavage in a baby blue dress with straps that slid off her shoulders and a sheer floral hem. All smiles: Paris Hilton was a standout when Skylight Clarkson Sq played host to the Chiara Boni La Petite Robe show for New York Fashion Week on Tuesday Cut off slightly below the knees, the dress allowed the sex tape scandal-maker to showcase her precipitous legs as she stood for photos. Her hair was gathered back and pulled into a ponytail she flung over her shoulder, partly obscuring her glistening necklace. While at the event, she got in a bit of posing near the benches with celebrity stylist Valentina Micchetti, who wore a black top and matching slacks. The power of suggestion: The 25-year-old showed off a bit of cleavage in a baby blue dress with straps that slid off her shoulders and a sheer floral hem Black socks and stilettos added to effect, with pop of contrast coming from a gleaming bronze and black striped jacket thrown over the outfit. The Hilton scion settled into a front row seat for the show itself, which began with a woman in a skintight black leather skirt. Zips streaked across her cloth fabric top, which featured a flared hem and matched a leather black turban wound about her head. Hobnobbing: While at the event, she got in a bit of posing near the benches with celebrity stylist Valentina Micchetti A man dressed as a bellboy wheeled along a trolley cart festooned with hangers behind her as she sauntered down the runway. According to the designer's website, the She Turban Project and Caritas Roma, associated with Io abito qui (I live here), had churned out these turbans. The new line, which drew influence from the sartorial tics of the worldwide jet set, was heavy on muted colors, such as blacks, greys and browns. Pride of place: The Hilton scion settled into a front row seat for the show itself With a bellboy trailing behind: The model cavalcade began with a woman in a skintight black leather skirt and ips streakingacross her cloth fabric top, which featured a flared hem and matched a leather black turban wound about her head There were incursions of brighter colors - purples and greens - as well, and at one point, Boni herself stepped out onto the catwalk. Black cat-eye sunglasses sat on her face, and she opted for a simple black outfit with the sleeves rolled up nearly to the elbow. Giulia Passera and Francesco Pistoi's jazz-infused musical piece Mangaboo underscored the show. How the other half live: The new line, which drew influence from the sartorial tics of the worldwide jet set, was heavy on muted colors, such as blacks, greys and browns He's the only son of Australia's most iconic television personality, Bert Newton. And Matthew Newton appears to be putting his troubled past behind him, focusing on his new film From Nowhere which he co-wrote, directed and produced. Set for a February 17 release in America, the 40-year-old sat with live interview series Build to discuss the drama's take on the country's undocumented inhabitants. Scroll down for video Determined: Matthew Newton appears to be putting his troubled past behind him, focusing on his new film From Nowhere which he co-wrote, directed and produced Matthew looked refreshed as he passionately spoke about the movie's story of three undocumented students desperately seeking to change their immigration status. 'There's an amazing thing I wrote that Julianne, their teacher, says at one point,' he said. 'She says America is a place where you have the freedom to make choices.' He continued, 'And you have the freedom to try here, and that is something I absolutely believe.' Dedicated: Matthew looked refreshed as he passionately spoke about the movie's story of three undocumented students desperately seeking to change their immigration status.(Pictured with actor J. Mallory McCree) The Melbourne-born actor and director went on to say he's personally experienced the United States from that standpoint, adding: 'I love being in America'. 'I'm proudly Australian born and I now live in America, and I love being here,' he stated. He spoke further about the character of the film's teacher, who does everything in her power to assist her high school pupils in their mission to obtain their papers. Hopeful: The Melbourne-born actor and director went on to say he's personally experienced the United States from that standpoint and added, 'I love being in America' 'That's how I absolutely still feel about the country,' he described. 'And I heard her say the line, and it had a different resonance. 'As much as what's going on is scary and it's something that has to be paid attention to, I also felt really grateful to be reminded of that,' he opined. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] agents have arrested over 680 people in the past week alone in a crackdown on undocumented immigrants in America. 'I'm proudly Australian born and I now live in America, and I love being here,' he stated. Pictured with actor Jim Norton The independent film debuted at the SXSW Film Festival last year, where it was honoured with an Audience Award. Matthew, who got engaged to fiancee Catherine Schneiderman late last year, appears to be happy and settled as he puts his problematic past behind him. He made headlines in 2006 after he was convicted of assaulting his then-fiancee, actress Brooke Satchwell, and was sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour bond. Reunited, and it feels so good for Naomi Watts. The 49-year-old cut a chic figure on Tuesday at Zac Posens New York Fashion Week presentation, opting for an elegant strapless black gown. Though she was undoubtedly stunning, what looked best on the blonde was her smile when she was joined by actress Susan Sarandon, who starred as her mother in 2015s About Ray. Reunited and it feels so good: Naomi Watts embraced her About Ray costar on Tuesday at Zac Posen's fall '17 presentation at New York Fashion Week The British-Australian actress teamed the look with pointed-toe patent leather pumps that were adorned with a lock and key accessory around the ankle straps. She kept the rest of her look quite simple, with a minimalist gold necklace and a black clutch. Her blonde waves were styled in a carefree manner, cascading around her shoulders, and her make-up was soft and natural-lookingjust a light touch of eyeliner and a matte pink lip. Sophisticated: The blonde cut a chic figure in a black strapless gown and matching pumps Dynamic duo: The acclaimed actresses starred as mother and daughter in the 2015 drama About Ray Host with the most: The actresses flanked designer Zac Posen at his showcase The Oscar-nominated star found good company in Susan Sarandon at the designers fete. Both acclaimed actresses starred in 2015s About Ray, with Naomi portraying as a distressed single mother raising a transgender teen, played by Elle Fanning. In the multi-generation drama, Susan portrayed Naomis mother, a spitfire lesbian. The women embraced and posed for photos with the evenings host, Zac. Green glamour: Pop star Leona Lewis looked stunning in an emerald green gown Seeing stars: Zac Posen's exhibit attracted singer Leona Lewis and Big Apple party fixture Kelly Bensimon, a former Real Housewives Of New York star His fall 17 showcase attracted other boldface name stars, including pop star Leona Lewis, who looked chic in an emerald dress that featured a voluminous, flared skirt. The British songbird teamed the outfit with black pointed-toe heels. Knockout Olivia Culpo had on a red paisley-print off-the-shoulder gown and black pumps, and party-loving Kelly Bensimon, a former Real Housewives Of New York reality, posed for photos in an LBD. Meanwhile, the outing for Naomi comes after wishing Jason Weinberg, her manager of 20 years, a happy birthday in a heart-warming message on Instagram. So chic! Olivia Culpo was elegant for the occasion in a paisley-print gown Fashion friends: Zac Posen attracted a boldface name roster of stars at his soiree 'Devoting huge #love to@jwuntitled today on #valentines day my brilliant friend and manager of 20 years, she captioned the photos. We've made #dreams together. This man is #solidgold and the dream maker for so many. #happybirthday #jasonweinberg#worshipthegroundyouwalkon #heartofgold .' Naomi is currently filming a new Netflix thriller, Gypsy. He's rumoured to be dating a model 10 years his junior in the wake of his split from wife-of-21-years, Cassandra Thorburn. And Karl Stefanovic looked as upbeat and mischievous as ever while taking on Nine's star Sylvia Jeffreys in a netball shootout in Sydney on Wednesday. The Today host, 42, showed off his fit physique as he tried his hand at the sport during an event promoting Australian Netball. Nets get physical! Today's Karl Stefanovic flaunts fit physique during Netball match with Sylvia Jeffreys in Sydney on Wednesday, as friends claim the he's ready to take romance with younger model Jasmine Yarbrough 'public' Karl appeared in high spirits during the Super Netball Captains Call Match by The Rocks, wearing a Channel Nine Gem shirt as he competed. The TV personality wore a grey T-shirt, black running shoes and squid-printed shorts for the light bout of exercise. He appeared comfortable in the presence of Sylvia, his Nine colleague and brother Pete's fiance, as they posed for happy snaps between game play. Sylvia wore crisp-white sneakers, a black T-shirt, black jacket and leggings, while keeping her blonde locks off of her face for the active outing. Game on! The TV personality wore a grey T-shirt, black running shoes and squid-printed shorts for the light bout of exercise, posing with Sylvia, his Nine colleague and brother Pete's fiance, for happy snaps between game play Squad: Karl appeared in high spirits during the Super Netball Captains Call Match by The Rocks, wearing a Channel Nine Gem shirt as he competed with other Nine stars Someone to impress? Recent reports claimed he's been dating 33-year-old Jasmine Yarbrough (pictured), after splitting from wife Cassandra Thorburn King of the court: The Nine duo appeared happy with their performance as they high-fived each other in front of the children Shielding his face from the sun with a khaki green cap, Karl had his game-face on as he held the ball firmly in his hands. The father-of-three's toned legs were on show in his shorts, while he opted to tuck in his shirt to avoid revealing his stomach as he stretched for the perfect shot. His enthusiasm was evident during the brief match, playfully laughing and blocking Sylvia's attempts with his hand. However, the exercise didn't appear to phase the presenter, as he barely broke a sweat throughout. He's ready! Shielding his face from the sun with a khaki green cap, Karl had his game face on as he held the ball firm in his hands Will he score? The father-of-three's toned legs were on show in his shorts, while he opted to tuck in his shirt to avoid revealing his stomach as he stretched for the perfect shot Playing dirty? His enthusiasm was evident during the brief match, playfully laughing and blocking Sylvia's attempts with his hand No sweat! However, the exercise didn't appear to phase the presenter, as he barely broke a sweat throughout The Gold Logie winner, who is newly single in the after separating from wife Cassandra last year, has yet to confirm a new relationship. But fresh claims suggest Karl has found love, with the TV host reportedly dating Brisbane-born model and designer, Jasmine Yarbrough. According to Woman's Day magazine, the pair have been seeing each other since before Christmas, after meeting at a boat party in Sydney in December. New lady? There are claims Karl Stefanovic has found love with Brisbane-born model and designer Jasmine Yarbrough New love? Model and shoe designer Jasmine is reportedly 'smitten' with the TV host And now, the duo are preparing to 'go public' according to one of Karl's friends, who has told the publication: 'Karl and Jasmine don't want to hide because they aren't ashamed of being together'. The 33-year-old blonde beauty is said to have been invited by the TV star to his brother Peter Stefanovic's April wedding to co-star Sylvia Jeffreys, giving her a chance to meet the family. It's also alleged Karl may introduce Jasmine to his three children - Jackson, 17, Ava, 11, and River, 10 - when she visits in April, which is also when they will step out together for their first public appearance at the Logie Awards that month. Happy holidays! It's believed the pair have been seeing each other since before Christmas Fun on the sea: It's reported the pair met at a boat party in Sydney in December (Karl pictured at a separate boat party with friends in January 2015) Catch-up: It's understood the 42-year-old visited the LA-based shoe designer (centre) while in the US on his two-month holiday across December and January 'They're hoping that once they declare they're a couple, public interest will die down,' the friend claims. The designer counts Australian models Ashley Hart and Montana Cox among her friends over in the States. It's understood the 42-year-old visited the LA-based shoe designer while in the US on his two-month holiday across December and January. Wedding date: The 33-year-old blonde beauty is said to have been invited by the TV star to his brother Peter Stefanovic's (left) April wedding to co-star Sylvia Jeffreys (right), giving her a chance to meet the family Logies date? It's understood while Jasmine (left) is in town in April, she and Karl will make their first public appearance together on the Logies red carpet (Pictured with business partner Tamie Ingham, left) The magazine claims the pair travelled separately to restaurants. Representatives from the Nine Network declined Daily Mail Australia's request for comment. Jasmine has also been contacted for comment. While it's claimed the shoe designer is 'smitten' with the TV star who 'texts Jasmine to reassure her of his feelings', Karl may have to have a bit of a makeover to impress her. Moving on? The Gold Logie winner is newly single in the wake of his marriage split from wife of 21-years, Cassandra Thorburn (right) In an interview with Pret-a-Reporter, the fashionista noted: 'I love to see men wearing black or navy velvet smoking slippers when they are in a suit. It adds a bit of Euro spunk to their outfit.' Recently Karl was slammed by his friend, radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands, for sporting Birkenstock sandals. Speaking on Wednesday morning's KIIS FM show, the shock jock claimed: 'He begs to hang out with me, it's almost embarrassing', before detailing his last text to Karl was a mix of fashion advice and getting back in the sack. 'He was wearing those ugly sandals and getting around town in those Birkenstocks,' Kyle explained to his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson to give context to his message. Giving out fashion advice: Kyle told co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson (right) he told Karl to loose the Birkenstock sandals if he wanted to get lucky with a girl 'I wrote: 'Yo Bro, you ain't gonna get laid wearing those lesbian chef shoes, lose those asap'. Apparently, the TV host's reply was: 'I'm trying to keep a low profile.' 'He came up with the lamest excuse ever for wearing the ugliest shoes on earth,' Kyle retorted. It's the American soap opera making its Down Under debut in a series of idyllic Sydney locations. And sweeping aerial photos taken on Wednesday reveal the stunning beach chosen for The Bold And The Beautiful's Australian seaside wedding reception. The long-running TV series passed over more famous NSW hotspots such as Bondi Beach, and instead chose to film scenes at Shelly Beach. Scroll down for video The Bold And The Beachy! Sweeping aerial photos taken on Wednesday reveal the stunning beach chosen for The Bold And The Beautiful's Australian seaside wedding reception The beach in Manly boasts a relatively secluded location, surrounded by lush shrubs and trees. The seaside nook also features crystal-clear water and fortunately the surf appeared gentle as they filmed. The crew were spotted huddled at one end of the beach, while several locals made the most of the hot weather away from the set. Hidden treasure: The long-running TV series passed over more famous NSW hotspots such as Bondi Beach, and instead chose to film scenes at Shelly Beach Party time? The beach in Manly boasts a relatively secluded location, surrounded by lush shrubs and trees, as producers set up a wedding scene with an altar and DJ decks Hair and make-up tents sat behind the main stage area, which featured an elegant bridal altar and archway. There were also a series of couches positioned next to the altar as well as a DJ deck and several white beach umbrellas. A canoe sat at the water's edge, likely in preparation for a rumoured fight scene which is said to involve a character falling into the ocean. Ready for action! Hair and make-up tents sat behind the main stage area as cast and crew prepared to film a reported 'wedding showdown' scene Dance time! Meanwhile, actors from the US soap were seen enjoying a dance lesson on the sand with several Indigenous men dressed in traditional attire Meanwhile, actors from the US soap were seen enjoying a dance lesson on the sand with several Indigenous men dressed in traditional attire. Pictured in the crowd was Australian actress Ashleigh Brewer, who showcased her washboard stomach in a green bikini top and netted sarong. Her look was complete with a long gold necklace and a pair of sunglasses which she held in one hand while performing the dance moves. A beaming Kelly Lang was also spotted among her fellow performers as she danced. A touch of culture: Pictured in the crowd was Australian actress Ashleigh Brewer, who showcased her washboard stomach in a green bikini top and netted sarong Local beauty! Her look was complete with a long gold necklace and a pair of sunglasses which she held in one hand while performing the dance moves According to the Daily Telegraph, a TV insider previously claimed: 'Shelly Beach is quieter than some of the others. We wanted a quiet intimate beach location, so the wedding reception is set over there.' A wedding showdown will take place at Manly Wharf and body doubles will be shown falling into the ocean, the publication reported. In a public statement published in January, Executive Producer and Head Writer Bradley Bell said: 'This will be an epic celebration for our fans around the world. We are preparing to film the most glamorous location shoot in soap opera history.' They've been working together since meeting in 2011. And as Kanye West's Yeezy Season 5 show looms, his runway stylist Christine Centenera has shared a snap of the rapper and his fashionable crew from behind-the-scenes. Christine, the fashion director of Vogue Australia, simply captioned the snap: 'Happy Valentine's Day.' Scroll down for video Entourage: Christine Centenera (not pictured) shared a snap of Kanye West and his crew ahead of the rapper's New York Fashion Week show on Thursday The photo shows the 39-year-old rapper posing in a pair of black jeans with a black crew neck jumper, which he teamed with a pair of white sneakers. The husband of Kim Kardashian West sported blonde locks and facial hair as he stood alongside his fashionable pals, including his barber Ibn Jasper, designer Tracey Mills as well as his label's creative director Virgil Abloh. Christine is considered one of Australia's most successful stylist exports, and has worked with the rapper to style his fashion shows for the past several seasons. Stylist: The Vogue Australia fashion director has been working as the runway stylist for Kanye's Yeezy shows since first meeting him in 2011 And she's also lent her talents to style his wife Kim. It's been reported that the Australian fashionista is paid as much as $1 million to style the reality star. And Christine has been credited for Kim's high-fashion makeover in recent years. Well-paid: It's been reported that the Australian brunette is paid $1 million to style Kanye's wife Kim Kardashian West Kim has sung the stylist's praises in the past, saying: 'I really like Christine Centenera from Australia. 'She just knows every accessory to tie an outfit together. She puts different things together that you wouldn't think of.' Meanwhile, Kanye's newest fashion collection is set to debut at New York Fashion Week at Pier 59 on Thursday. Keira Maguire had an epic, tearful meltdown during a Tucker Trial on Wednesday's episode of I'm I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! In a preview posted to Instagram, a red-faced, make-up free Keira dramatically weeps after struggling through a grisly jungle challenge. 'This is not okay! This is not okay!' she screamed. 'Is this really what it's going to be like the whole like? Just like, "Let's let her f***ing die!"' Scroll down for video Drama: Keira Maguire had an epic, tearful meltdown during a Tucker Trial on Wednesday's episode of I'm I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! She reached fever pitch towards the end of her rant, raising her hands and shouting: 'No one even cared! No one even cared!' In the clip, host Julia Morris is also shown rolling her eyes while Keira's fellow camper Dane Swan looks rather surprised by her hysterical reaction. Keira previously clashed with shock jock Steve Price when she insisted she won't be doing the Tucker Trials if she does not want to. 'I'm not going to do anything I don't want to,' she said, before Steve replied dryly: 'Good luck with that.' Breakdown: In a preview posted to Instagram, a red-faced, make-up free Keira dramatically weeps after struggling through a grisly jungle challenge. Girl, please! Host Julia Morris is also shown rolling her eyes while Keira's fellow camper Dane Swan looks rather surprised by her hysterical reaction 'Well, I've got news for you sister: You will be doing stuff you don't want to, and if you don't do it, we don't eat,' Steve said. He added: 'You'll get the message from me pretty quickly if you come back and there's nothing in your pocket.' But Keira appears to be taking no notice of Steve's feelings, telling the camera: 'If I can't do something, I'm not doing it.' 'Good luck with that!' Keira previously clashed with shock jock Steve Price when she insisted she won't be doing the Tucker Trials if she does not want to Keira received a less-than-warm welcome to the jungle on Tuesday, telling her fellow campers: 'I'm Keira from The Bachelor... for those that don't know.' The Sydney socialite has vowed to shake things up in the jungle, telling TV Week she will even attempt to seduce male model Kris Smith. But it appears she may have trouble, as the Myer ambassador recently claimed he is trying to reconcile with an ex-girlfriend. She announced her arrival on My Kitchen Rules by declaring she was a 'recovering vegan' who was prepared to eat and prepare meat. But Court has been criticised by animal rights group PETA after she served up a meal of fish, lamb and pork on Tuesday's episode. The group shared with Daily Mail Australia a letter they had sent to Court, telling her to go back to 'chopping up vegetables instead of body parts'. Scroll down for video Ouch! My Kitchen Rules' Court has been criticised by animal rights group PETA for declaring herself a 'recovering vegan' who is prepared to eat and prepare meat The letter read: 'Dear Courtney, while there's no point crying over a poor score, we understand your tears for the fish, pig and lamb who were murdered for your meal. 'Maybe it's time to go back to chopping up vegetables instead of body parts? 'Pigs on factory farms live their entire lives in crowded pens on tiny slabs of soiled concrete and the ribs you served came from a baby, who would have been playful and puppy-like until he had his throat slit. 'To help you stop the cruelty and the waterworks, here is a vegan (re)starter kit and a box of tissues. From your friends at PETA.' 'Go back to chopping up vegetables instead of body parts': On Wednesday, PETA shared with Daily Mail Australia a letter they had sent to Court. Pictured with her husband Duncan (R) Something's fishy... On Tuesday, Court was seen busily preparing and handling the food as she served up an entree of beetroot gravlax of ocean trout, radish and pea shoot salad The Melbourne resident, who is joined on MKR by husband Duncan, welcomed the their rival contestant to an instant restaurant on Tuesday. Court was seen busily preparing and handling the food as they served up an entree of beetroot gravlax of ocean trout, radish and pea shoot salad. A huge barbecue in their backyard was covered in several racks of lamb ribs, which they served with crushed kipflers, parsnip puree and bacon as the main. Meat feast: A huge barbecue in her backyard was covered in several racks of lamb ribs, which the married couple served with crushed kipflers, parsnip puree and bacon as the main They scored a low 26/50 from their competitors, and 32 from the judges - with Pete Evans and Manu Feildel telling Court there should have been more trout in their starter. A score of 62 put them second on the leader board after three rounds, leaving them 33 points behind Kelsey and Amanda and two ahead of Albert and Dave. Court has already made an impression on the rest of the contestants, and has a reputation for bursting into tears at the dinner table. Gigi Hadid displayed her devotion to boyfriend Zayn Malik on Valentine's Day by posting a cute black and white photo of the two sharing a tender moment together. The 21-year-old posted the photo to celebrate Valentine's Day on Tuesday, but made it clear with the caption that the duo celebrate their love 'everyday.' The gorgeous model added an emoji heart with an arrow through it to the caption. Celebrating love! Gigi Hadid displayed her devotion to boyfriend Zayn Malik on Valentine's Day by posting a cute black and white photo of the two sharing a tender moment together The Victoria Secret star also took time to share a Snapchat of a photo of her with a huge bouquet of red roses while sporting a shirt with her boyfriend's name inscribed on it. She looked happy in large round-rimmed glasses as she sat on the ground and looked up at the camera with her eyes closed. The model was spotted earlier in the day wearing the same garment with her lovers name. The model paired it with a long patent leather trench coat, tight leather trousers and biker-style boots, with a leather backpack to match. Huge bouquet! The Victoria Secret shared a Snapchat of a huge bouquet of red roses while sporting a shirt with her boyfriend's name inscribed on it Been there done that: Gigi displayed her devotion to boyfriend Zayn Malik on Valentine's Day by rocking the official merchandise The coat was loosely tied around her waist and worn off one shoulder, just to make sure everyone got a glimpse of her Zayn-y sleeveless tee. The $35 shirt depicted the former One Directioner as a shirtless tattooed giant, laying waste to a city and grabbing at aircraft, and looking like he was enjoying it too. he couple have been dating for more than a year; last week on Ellen Gigi spilled on how they first met, when he was still engaged Little Mix's Perrie Edwards. Fan: The 21-year-old was spotted wearing a Zayn T-shirt as she stepped out of her New York apartment on Tuesday Biker chic: The model paired it with a long patent leather trench coat, tight leather trousers and biker-style boots, with a leather backpack to match On display: The coat was loosely tied around her waist and worn off one shoulder, just to make sure everyone got a glimpse of her Zayn-y sleeveless tee We actually met at a friends birthday party a few years ago, she said, explaining that she intended running into him again after he became single. 'He was in New York to come to the Victoria's Secret show... and ended up not coming,' she said. 'I was like, "I'll play it cool, I'll go to the after party." He wasn't there,' Hadid confessed, laughing, 'And then later that week, we ended up going on our first date. Having fun: The $35 shirt depicted the former One Directioner as a shirtless tattooed giant, laying waste to a city and grabbing at aircraft, and looking like he was enjoying it too In love: The couple have been dating for more than a year Memories: Last week on Ellen Gigi spilled on how they first met Busy work week: The daughter of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid has been hard at work since the start of New York Fashion Week Mirror, mirror: The star is the face of Reebok's new gymwear campaign Candid: The behind-the-scenes video shows Gigi talking about her workout regime Trio of tricks: The beauty says she uses the social, physical and mental components of fitness Ready for her close up: Even in just a casual Reebok top, the model looked sensational 'We played it cool for like ten minutes, and then I was like, "You're really cute,"' Gigi divulged, continuing, 'We connected, like, really quickly.' The daughter of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid has been hard at work since the start of New York Fashion Week. Last week she graced the designer Jeremy Scott's catwalk in two daring ensembles: an eclectic leopard jacket with some spiritually inspired silk pants and a dazzling white suit that looked straight outta Graceland. Wednesday, she presented her second capsule collection with designer Tommy Hilfiger at a star-studded affair held in Venice Beach, California. Gigi in Graceland: Last week she graced the designer Jeremy Scott's catwalk in two daring ensembles: an eclectic leopard jacket with some spiritually inspired silk pants and a dazzling white suit that looked straight outta Graceland PR queen Roxy Jacenko follows a rigorous exercise and healthy eating regime to keep her body in perfect shape. And the 36-year-old showed off the results of her hard work at the Sante By Enjo brand ambassador launch at Sydney's Flying Fish restaurant on Wednesday. She looked glamourous in a white dress as she posed with Transformers actress Isabel Lucas and skincare entrepreneur Barb de Corti. Scroll down for video Style: Roxy Jacenko (L) looked glamourous as she posed with Transformers actress Isabel Lucas (R) and skincare entrepreneur Barb de Corti (C) at the Sante By Enjo brand ambassador launch at Sydney's Flying Fish restaurant on Wednesday Roxy wore a black and white confetti mini dress from designer label By Johnny, showing off her slimmed-down figure. The mother -of-two completed her look with a pair of high heels from Italian designer Gianvito Rossi. A number of bracelets were also on display as the Sweaty Betty PR founder posed for photos at the promotional event. A sight in white! The Sweaty Betty PR founder attended the company's brand ambassador launch at the Flying Fish restaurant in Sydney Strike a pose: Roxy (L) later took to Instagram to share a photo from the successful day, as she posed beside Isabel (R) 'Say cheese': Pulling a big smile, Roxy was joined by Barb and the former Home and Away star Pulling a big smile, Roxy was joined by Barb and former Home and Away star Isabel, who cut an equally glamourous figure. The 32-year-old wore an intricate creation from Sydney designer Zimmermann. A silk stranded tier minidress flaunted her bronzed legs, and she finished off her look with a pair of strappy heels. The Hollywood actress has recently been unveiled as the natural skincare brand's ambassador. Face of the brand: The Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen actress (R) has recently been unveiled as the natural skincare brand's ambassador Good deal! Isabel is a well known environmentalist and the company's values were a key factor in her decision to endorse the range of skin products Isabel is a well known environmentalist, having scaled Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for the global clean water crisis in 2010, and the company's values were a key factor in her decision to endorse the range of skin products. She said: 'My favourite part about Sante is that it's environmentally friendly, that's really important to me. 'It's awesome to be able to collaborate with a brand that cares about its footprint on the planet. For me, I love that about Sante.' Keira Maguire entered the South African jungle on Tuesday, admitting she wanted to steal Kris Smith's heart. The confession came after it was revealed the former Bachelor contestant and the model were seen 'getting flirty' at an industry party in October last year, following his break-up with ex Maddy King. But Kris, 38, shut down the possibility on Wednesday, telling I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! camper Dane Swan: 'I would be out quicker than you could blink'. Scroll down for video 'I would be out quicker than you could blink': Kris Smith revealed he is far from interested in flirting with The Bachelor's Keira Maguire on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! Kris quickly dismissed talk of a possible romance with Keira after Dane jokingly suggested they could have a jungle fling. 'Don't start, I will ruin your life,' he said. 'I know what you're thinking, don't even think about it because I would be out...I would be out quicker than you could blink.' Kris' remarks come after Keira told her I'm A Celebrity campers: 'I know Kris. We see each other all the time.' 'I know Kris. We see each other all the time': Keira has claimed she already knows Kris before entering the South African jungle. Pictured with Bachelor host Osher Gunsberg It was previously reported by The Daily Telegraph that there was 'an instant connection between the two'. Insiders claimed Keira and Kris 'were seen getting flirty' at an industry event last year, where Keira 'looked smitten and kept touching the model'. Keira had previously stated she plans to fight off My Kitchen Rules star Ash Pollard to win the affections of the British model. He's taken! But Keira's hopes were dashed as Kris recently claimed he is in the process of reconnecting with an ex-girlfriend and isn't looking for love in the jungle Speaking to TV Week, Keira said she was desperate to win Kris' heart. 'I'm coming in and I will stop it straight away,' she said, speaking of Ash's flirty behaviour with Kris. Prior to joining the jungle, the blonde told NW she went to extra effort to ensure she maintained her good looks in the camp. 'Before leaving Sydney, I got eyelash extensions and had my eyebrows feathered,' the reality TV star confessed. They have history? It has been claimed Keira and Kris were seen 'getting flirty' at a party in October last year, after he broke up with his model ex-girlfriend Maddy King 'I got eyelash extensions': Prior to joining the jungle, the blonde told NW she went to extra effort to ensure she maintained her good looks in the camp Over the course of the year they've faced several trials and tribulations in their relationship, including a sexting scandal that saw them temporarily split. So Pete Wicks and Megan McKenna decided to start afresh on Valentine's Day as they recreated their first date at Quaglino's in London on Tuesday. The TOWIE lovebirds were clearly feeling the passion as they puckered up outside the venue, leaning in for a tender kiss. Scroll down for video Smitten: Pete Wicks and Megan McKenna decided to start afresh on Valentine's Day as they recreated their first date at Quaglino's in London on Tuesday Daring to bare: The brunette beauty flashed her bra in a navy lace top and high-waisted trousers Megan was dressed to impress in a navy lace blouse which flashed her bra, showcasing her svelte figure to perfection. The brunette completed her attire with figure-hugging black trousers teamed with patent black heels. She carried a leather clutch bag and styled her locks in glossy curls. Cute couple: The TOWIE lovebirds have patched things up following their almighty row at the National Television Awards Dapper chap: Tattooed hunk Pete went all out for his date night, sporting a leopard print coat Locking lips: The pair proved their passion is still burning strong Taking to Instagram, theTOWIE couple shared several snaps from their romantic evening, with Megan revealing that she'd been 'spoilt as always' by her man. Kicking off their romantic evening, Megan was gifted with a giant bouquet of red roses, which she proudly posed with. The former CBB star looked delighted in the shot, which she captioned: 'Valentines with my [love]. He spoilt me... like always.' Glamorous girl: The brunette completed her attire with figure-hugging black trousers teamed with patent black heels Pleased as punch: Megan looked thrilled with Pete for pulling out all the stops to treat her Elegant attire: Megan pulled her look together with a dark coat and a studded clutch Going in for the kill: Megan giggled as Peter prepared to plant a smacker on her cheek After exchanging gifts the pair headed into London to enjoy some drinks in the place where their love story first began. Posing with their cocktails, Megan gushed: 'First stop, back to where we had our first date.' Pete was also feeling romantic as he shared a snap of his gorgeous girlfriend downing her drink. He wrote: 'This is why she is my woman...if you know, you know. Ain't nothing better than having your best mate and your bird all rolled in to one little sort.' Back to the beginning: Pete and Megan recreated their first date by visiting the same spot and toasting their romance Everything's coming up roses! Kicking off their romantic evening, Megan was gifted with a giant bouquet of red roses, which she proudly posed with Bottoms up! Pete was also feeling romantic as he shared a snap of his gorgeous girlfriend downing her drink as he called her his 'best friend and his bird' Sweet: After handing over gifts Pete made his affections public as he took to Instagram and shared a sweet snap of the couple with a gushing tribute to his girlfriend Earlier in the day, Pete had lavished his girlfriend in kisses and gifts before hitting out at critics of their relationship. Sharing a sweet snap of the couple, he wrote: 'It ain't perfect and we're up and down like a yo-yo but it's what I want. 'I don't care who judges me, you or us together the only thing that matters is that I love you and I can't imagine my life without you. Happy Valentines.' Still going strong: Megan and Pete are known for their continual break-ups and make ups, with the couple looking close to another split just last month at the National Television Awards Megan and Pete are known for their continual break-ups and make ups, with the couple looking close to another split just last month at the National Television Awards. After the ceremony, the brunette beauty was seen fleeing London's O2 Arena in floods of tears while reportedly pleading and calling: 'Pete' - calls her handsome boyfriend swiftly ignored. However, the pair proved they had reconciled just weeks later, as they put on a very affectionate display whilst filming a TOWIE special in Marbella. Devastated: Last year, the pair threatened to call an end to their romance for good after it emerged that Pete had been sexting girls behind Megan's back Last year, the pair threatened to call an end to their romance for good after it emerged that Pete had been sexting girls behind Megan's back. And there are reports their romance could be called into jeopardy yet again as Pete's ex Harriette Harper is reportedly next in line to join TOWIE. According to The Sun, the glamour model, who is currently starring on MTV's Ex On The Beach, has attracted show bosses due to the drama she could cause on the next series - after Megan's fiery reaction to Pete's infidelity in October. Production of Disney movie A Wrinkle In Time is well under way in New Zealand. Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling are among the Hollywood stars who are currently in the country for filming. Meanwhile, the cast and crew were pictured hard at work in the scenic Southern Alps of Otago on Wednesday. Scroll down for video Picture perfect! The cast of upcoming Disney film A Wrinkle In Time, including Oprah Winfrey (L), Reese Witherspoon (C) and Mindy Kaling (R), are busy shooting scenes in New Zealand The Disney project, which has a budget of over US$100 million, is based on the fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle. Currently shooting at Hunter Valley Station near Lake Hawea, the production staff were treated to a traditional Maori welcome on Tuesday. Director Ava DuVernay thanked the locals for their hospitality on Instagram beside a photo of the cast and crew. She wrote: 'Welcomed with a Powhiri. Blessed with a Karakia. United with a Haka. Grateful to the Maori people, Tangata Whenua, for receiving us so warmly. Thank you!' Warm welcome: Director Ava DuVernay thanked the locals for their hospitality on Instagram beside a shot of some of the cast and crew members Down to business! Rolling hills provided a picturesque backdrop as aerial photographs of the set obtained by Daily Mail Australia give a glimpse into filming Settling in: Currently shooting at Hunter Valley Station near Lake Hawea, the cast and crew were treated to a traditional Maori welcome on Tuesday Quick visit: The team behind the big budget Disney film, which is based on the fantasy novel by Madeleine L'Engle, are in New Zealand for two weeks to shoot scenes Helping hands: In the photos taken on Wednesday, a sea of people surround the cameras as everyone on set wraps up warm as they brave the chilly conditions. Meanwhile, rolling hills provide a picturesque backdrop as aerial photographs of the set obtained by Daily Mail Australia give a glimpse into filming. In the images, an army of motor homes, cars and lorries sit at the bottom of a hill as the full scale of the production is revealed. A sea of people surround the cameras as everyone on set wraps up warm as they brave the chilly conditions. Big project: An army of motor homes, cars and lorries sit at the bottom of a hill as the scale of the production is revealed Star-studded: Zach Galifianakis, Chris Pine and Australia's own Levi Miller are among the cast Intrigue: The plot centres around the daughter of a government scientist, who is sent on a mission to find her father by three mysterious women after his surprise disappearance Three's a crowd! The trio of supernatural beings, known as Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which, will be played by Reese, Mindy and Oprah respectively Globe trotting production: Filming started in Los Angeles in November last year Moving on: It has been reported that the production will move to another location next week The plot centres around the daughter of a government scientist, who is sent on a mission to find her father by three mysterious women after his surprise disappearance. The trio of supernatural beings, known as Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which, will be played by Reese, Mindy and Oprah respectively. Zach Galifianakis, Chris Pine and Australia's own Levi Miller are also among the film's cast. Last year, the director announced on Twitter that the film is scheduled for release in April 2018. She was left devastated after her father Thomas passed away at the end of last year. But Tara Reid looked sensational as she headed to TAPE nightclub in London with a pal following a Drake concert on Tuesday night. The 41-year-old American Pie actress wrapped up in style in a faux-fur shrug, which was attached with the Hotline Bling rapper's keyring, along with a pair of skinny jeans. Scroll down for video Night out: Tara Reid, 41, looked sartorially savvy as she headed to TAPE nightclub in London with a pal following a Drake concert on Tuesday night The star looked in great spirits as she teamed the fashionable look with studded flat lace-up shoes and a chic handbag. The New Jersey born beauty sported side-parted blonde locks, which framed her heavily lined peepers and pink pout. Tara couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she sauntered forth with her glamorous friend in hot pursuit. The talented beauty paid an emotional tribute to her beloved dad last month where she told fans on social media that he had passed away in December. Trendy: The American Pie actress wrapped up in style in a faux-fur shrug, which boasted a midriff-cinching belt, along with a pair of skinny jeans. Fashionista: The star looked in great spirits as she teamed the fashionable look with studded flat lace-up shoes and a chic handbag Beauty: The New Jersey born beauty sported side-parted blonde locks, which framed her heavily lined peepers and pink pout Nice touch: Clearly having enjoyed her time at Drake's concert earlier in the night, Tara attached the Hotline Bling rapper's keyring on her ensemble Alongside a poignant snap of her and her father, 75, she said: 'Today, I've received terrible news that my father, Thomas Reid, has passed away,' she wrote. 'He was a man full of life, love, wisdom, and strength. 'He was not only fun and in good spirits, but he was also one of the best story tellers I've ever heard. She added: 'My dad was so supportive, kind, strong, and my hero. He was my heart, my soul, and my entire world. I love you and will miss you so much daddy! #RIPDaddyReid.' Thomas had six children - Kathy, James, Tommy, Tara, and twins Colleen and Patrick - and eight grandchildren. He and his wife Donna brought up their family in New Jersey where Tara was talent-spotted at an early age. 'He was my entire world': The talented beauty paid an emotional tribute to her beloved dad last month where she told fans on social media that he had passed away in December So sad: Tara also tweeted about her father's death in December Festive: Tara had spent Christmas with Thomas and Donna who worked as teachers and day car centre owners Tara had also spent Christmas with Thomas and Donna who worked as teachers and day car centre owners. Meanwhile, Tara has a plethora of film commitments keeping her busy this year. She is set to star in the fifth instalment of her hugely successful Sharknado film franchise, as well as the drama thriller Worthless. She will also grace the big screen with the flicks - Dark Ascension, Due Justice, Baby Bulldog and Andy The Talking Hedgehog. Keeping busy: She is set to star in the fifth instalment of her hugely successful Sharknado film franchise, as well as the drama thriller Worthless Former Bachelor 'villain' Keira Maguire predicted she would clash with My Kitchen Rules' Ash Pollard in the South African jungle. And on Keira's first day on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! she was proved right as they argued over food and sleeping arrangements. On Wednesday's episode, Ash made it clear that Keira was annoying her when the reality TV star decided to sleep on the camp couch instead of her own bed. Scroll down for video Rumble in the jungle! Former Bachelor 'villain' Keira Maguire predicted she would clash with My Kitchen Rules' Ash Pollard (pictured) in the South African jungle Ash snapped: 'I can see what's going to happen here sweetie, it's not going to be good, alright'. 'Too bad, my bed,' Keira replied smugly, as she made herself comfortable and Ash looked visibly disgusted. Keira had previously decided her bed was too dirty, complaining, 'This bed is so gross! No one is allowed to sit on my bed'. She was told she could not sleep on the couch as it was for the whole camp, but Keira stubbornly replied: 'Not it's not, it's my bed'. It's on! And on Keira's (pictured) first day on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! she was proved right as they argued over food and sleeping arrangements Clash! On Wednesday's episode, Ash made it clear that Keira was annoying her when the reality TV star decided to sleep on the camp couch instead of her own bed Not amused! Ash was unimpressed with her rival Keira from the moment she saw her They clashed yet again over dinner when Keira asked the Ash to make potato salad, despite a lack of ingredients. A dumbfounded Ash replied: 'Babe, there's no mayonnaise or anything, or egg. Or onion.' Ash was clearly unimpressed with Keira from the moment she saw her, telling Casey Donovan: 'Oh an intruder, fine guess we will have to deal with it.' She joked that Keira had been welcomed only with semi-open arms and even called her 'ditzy' after her traumatic Tucker Trial. Reality TV villains at war! They clashed yet again over dinner when Keira asked the Ash to make potato salad, despite a lack of ingredients. Her kitchen rules! A dumbfounded Ash replied, 'Babe, there's no mayonnaise or anything, or egg. Or onion' Keira wasn't feeling the love either, and later confessed: 'Ash is an alpha female like I am, so I feel like it's a natural thing we may clash'. But it appears the Bachelor star had already made up her mind about her rival before entering the jungle. 'Ash and I will clash,' she told TV Week. 'She's said a few things I don't necessarily agree with.' His famous father set pulses racing in his iconic role as 007's James Bond. And it looks as though charm and charisma run in the family, as Pierce Brosnan's son Dylan was seen treating his pretty girlfriend to a Valentine's Day date at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday night. The model, 20, looked happy and relaxed as he stepped out with long-term love, Avery Wheless, to a delicious dinner to celebrate the most romantic day of the year in style. Scroll down for video What a charmer: Charm clearly runs in the family, as Pierce Brosnan's son Dylan treated his girlfriend to a Valentine's Day date at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday Dylan opted for a low-key, yet stylish, ensemble in a loose-fitting black shirt and matching skinny jeans. Looking suave for his dinner date, the Burberry model kept on-trend by breaking up the all-black outfit with a dark brown belt. Avery, a painter and artist, kept herself wrapped up in a cream wool trench coat as the couple left the upmarket eatery. The pretty brunette added height to her diminutive frame with a pair of towering taupe patent heels. Happy Valentine's Day: The model, 20, looked happy and relaxed as he stepped out with long-term love, Avery Wheless, to a delicious dinner to celebrate the most romantic day of the year Model behaviour: Dylan opted for a low-key, yet stylish, ensemble in a loose-fitting black shirt and matching skinny jeans Gripping tightly onto her black clutch bag, Avery wore her shoulder-length locks loose around her face and completed her date night ensemble with a bold red lip. Dylan made his modelling debut in November 2014 at the Saint Laurent Men's Permanent Collection. The 6ft 1in catwalk king has since gone on to star in campaigns for the likes of Burberry, and walk in multiple runway shows. The photogenic model, who is also a musician and studying film in California, was first discovered by Burberry's former creative director Hedi Slimlane on the beach in Malibu. Elegant: Avery, a painter and artist, kept herself wrapped up in a cream wool trench coat as the couple left the upmarket eatery His dad, Pierce, hit headlines recently after The Late Late Show host James Corden labelled him the "rudest" celebrity he had ever met. The British funnyman, 38, described the actor, 63, as a 'bit f***ing rude' after the Die Another Day actor pushed him at a U2 concert and then failed to even acknowledge him. Pierce has been with his wife, journalist Keely Shaye Smith, 53, since 1994. The couple tied the knot at Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo, Ireland, in 2001, and raise two sons together; Dylan and Paris, 15. Dapper dude: Looking suave for his dinner date, the Burberry model kept on-trend by breaking up the all-black outfit with a dark brown belt Their nearly two years of marriage has been continuously plagued by break-up rumours. But Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright proved they were more loved up than ever before as they took to Instagram with a gushing Valentine's Day post on Tuesday. 'My Valentine, My Wife, @michkeegan ', the former TOWIE star, 30, captioned a snap which saw the former Coronation Street star planting a kiss on his cheek. Scroll down for video Smitten: Michelle Keegan, 29, and Mark Wright, 30, proved they were more loved up than ever before as they took to Instagram with a loved-up Valentine's Day post on Tuesday The stunning actress, who rocked a stylish top-knot, was dressed to impress in a flirty midi-dress and chic coat as she leaned forward to kiss Mark. With a lit-up tree setting the romantic mood behind them, the pair - who began dating in 2012 - looked every inch the lovebirds. Ahead of her date night, Michelle also took to Instagram where she discussed the secrets behind her striking make-up look. 'Valentine's Day ready!' she captioned the mirror snap before revealing she used products from Revlon to accentuate her eye-catching look. 'Valentine's Day ready!' Ahead of her date night with the TOWIE star, Michelle also took to Instagram where she discussed the secrets behind her striking make-up look Their smitten display comes after Mark celebrated his landmark birthday as he waved goodbye to his twenties in late January. Michelle took to Instagram to share a sweet message for her husband, alongside a collage of photos of the couple. Featuring a series of loved-up snaps, taken from throughout their relationship, the brunette beauty was sure Mark knew he was adored. She wrote: 'Happy 30th birthday to the other half of me. @wrighty_ not only my husband but lucky enough to call my bestfriend. [sic].' Meanwhile the final instalment of hit ITV series Tina and Bobby was met with rave reviews from fans last month. 'Not only my husband but my best friend!' Michelle took to Instagram at the end of January to wish Mark a happy 30th birthday 'What a journey': Michelle bid an emotional farewell to Tina and Bobby after its final episode aired recently, by posting a selection of backstage snaps to her Instagram And leading lady Michelle bid an emotional farewell to the show after the third episode aired, by posting a selection of backstage snaps to her Instagram. The actress looked incredibly glamorous as she posed in her 1960s costume for the stunning shots - confessing to followers that the series had been a real 'journey' and an 'honour' to work on. With her hair swept into an elaborate but retro up-do, the former soap-star looked almost unrecognisable as she posed in her Tina Moore character, dressed in a chic mint green mini dress. Maintaining the vintage style throughout, the star added a pair of chunky floral earrings and rocked a thick, winged eyeliner - which drew attention to her striking features and clear, glowing skin. 'That's a wrap!': Following the final episode, the Manchester native later uploaded a sweet shot of her and co-star Lorne MacFadyen (above) Following the final episode, the Manchester native also later uploaded a sweet shot of her and co-star Lorne MacFadyen, who played Bobby in the three-part series. Clearly emotional that the project had come to an end, Michelle wrote beside the snap: 'Aaaanndddd that's a WRAP !!' (sic) 'Tina and Bobby... What a story... What a journey... What a series. Thank you to ALL involved and thank you for all of the incredible support.' Before she signed off with: 'It's been an absolute honour. All my love Michelle/Tina.' She's best known for strutting her stuff on the Victoria's Secret runway. But Josephine Skriver swapped lingerie for swimwear as she starred in a sizzling new Sauvage Swimwear campaign. Showing off her phenomenal physique, the Danish model, 23, oozed glamour in the sexy shots as she smouldered down the lens. Scroll down for video Looking like an Angel: She's best known for strutting her stuff on the Victoria's Secret runway. But Josephine Skriver swapped lingerie for swimwear for a Sauvage Swimwear campaign Showing off her impeccable abs, the Vogue covergirl slipped into a skimpy cobalt bikini that barely contained her ample bust. Reclining in the water, Josephine stared directly down the lens, her enticing jade peepers accentuated with a sweep of smoky eye shadow. Lining her plump pout, the model boasted a slick of nude lipstick as she puckered up for the camera. Beach babe: Showing off her phenomenal physique, the Danish model, 23, oozed glamour in the sexy shots as she smouldered down the lens with a water pistol in hand For a second playful shot, Josephine held a purple water pistol as she modelled a black bikini with a leopard print trim. Her golden locks were sodden as she swept them over to one side, framing her flawless features and highlighting her heaving chest. Josephine looked equally as breathtaking in a yellow bandeau bikini and a glittering gold two-piece. Blonde bombshell: Reclining in the water, Josephine stared directly down the lens, her enticing jade peepers accentuated with a sweep of smoky eye shadow Josephine - who is dating Bohnes frontman Alexander deLeon - recently revealed that she loves showing off her body as she is a passionate feminist. She told Fashionista: 'I've been such a feminist my whole life, so it's been cool to be like, "Yeah, a girl's body is a girl's body!" It doesn't have to be something you guys make it into. 'You're a person, you get to be you, you're not just selling a brand, but you're selling you with their brand, which is really cool. You become a brand yourself, which is such a crazy feeling.' Model, brand ambassador, entrepreneur, TV presenter and beauty queen - Jennifer Hawkins has a lot going for her. And the 33-year-old is hoping to expand her business empire by cracking America with her tequila brand, Sesion, after securing a deal to launch the product in the US in April. Jennifer told The Courier Mail that 2017 is a big year for her businesses, with the former Miss Universe also planning to roll out new products for her self-tanning range J Bronze. Ambitious! Jennifer Hawkins is hoping to expand her business empire by cracking America with her tequila brand, Sesion, after securing a deal to launch the product in the US in April She said: 'With my brands, I am really stepping forward this year. With Sesion, it's really exciting to have a distributor over there (in the US) and you never know with J Bronze, that's on the wishlist.' Husband Jake Wall and business partner Tim Freeburn helped found the tequila brand, which is currently stocked by three retailers in Australia. And while she has her hands full with her growing businesses, Jennifer told the publication she still found time to relax with friends and family over Christmas. Eyes on the prize: Jennifer told The Courier Mail that 2017 is a big year for her businesses, with the former Miss Universe also planning to roll out new products for her self-tanning range Business partners: Husband Jake Wall (R) and business partner Tim Freeburn (not pictured) helped found the tequila brand, which is currently stocked by three retailers in Australia The Newcastle native's family flocked to her home in Sydney for the festive period before her and property developer Jake enjoyed a holiday in the Maldives. The couple married in 2013 after eight years of dating, and despite spending Valentine's Day apart, Jennifer said the pair are still enjoying each other's company and don't plan to start a family just yet. She said: 'It's a special time between two people and it's really nice to have that stay between two people, but Jake and I are having a great time.' Walk the walk: This year marks Jennifer's 10-year anniversary as a brand ambassador for Myer, and she is set to be the star of the show at the retail giant's Autumn-Winter launch this week 'I don't know what to expect': The Australia's Next Top Model host, who signed a two-year contract with the department store in August, is excited by the prospect of taking to the catwalk at the University of Melbourne This year marks Jennifer's 10-year anniversary as a brand ambassador for Myer, and she is set to be the star of the show at the retail giant's Autumn-Winter launch this week. The Australia's Next Top Model host, who signed a two-year contract with the department store in August, is excited by the prospect of taking to the catwalk at the University of Melbourne. She said: 'The space (a university lawn) is incredible. It's really just raw and mysterious. I haven't seen the choreography yet, so I don't know what to expect.' Paris Hilton has donated 50 of her personal items to help two children's charities she supports. The auction was through Startuch.com and began on Wednesday at 7 am. 'Im always looking for ways to help charities and good causes and when I heard about Startuch.com, I was immediately onboard to support their online auction to raise funds for charity,' she told DailyMail.com. Giving: Paris Hilton has donated 50 of her personal items to help two children's charities she supports. Here she is seen wishing fans a Happy Valentine's Day on Tuesday The DJ added: 'Through my donations I will support two charities that are important to me, Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles and The Starlight Childrens Foundation, both are wonderful causes that Ive supported for many years. 'I encourage you to go online and place a bid and help support these good causes.' Also contributing items are Gene Simmons and J Sutta, among many others. Sweet: The auction was through Startuch.com and began on Wednesday at 7 am. 'Im always looking for ways to help charities and good causes and when I heard about Startuch.com, I was immediately onboard,' she said Items include an autographed Roxy Snowboard by Paris. She has also donated and autographed, Crocodile pattern red leather high heels, from her Paris Hilton Collection, a dress with red bow, a Paris Hilton cocktail mirror encrusted gold dress, and autographed grey heels from Paris Hilton Collection and a pink ribbon cocktail dress, a cheetah print blazer and autographed tote from Paris Hilton Rouge Collection. Other items include a Folds of Honor Foundation Helmet signed by Gene (one-of-a-kind) and a J Sutta World Tour Pussycat Dolls Hoodie. Busy gal: Here the DJ is seen modeling for Christian Cowan on February 9 in NYC There is a wide-range of items from celebrities including clothing, electronics, childrens items, music instruments, jewelry, art, signed or unsigned personal memorabilia, and much more. All of which will be auctioned off online, with proceeds going back to the celebritys charity of choice. Startuch.com is an online auction site for celebrities to auction off their unwanted items and raise money for their favorite charities. While Hilton will raise funds for Childrens Hospital LA and Starlight Childrens Foundation, Gene is raising money for MendingKids.org and J Sutta for A League of Extraordinary Mutts. Helping out: Gene Simmons, seen here with wife Shannon Tweed on Saturday, is raising money for MendingKids.org 'All around the globe there's children in need of urgent life-changing medical care and I believe in doing what I can to help. Its great to see companies like Startuch.com offering a new way for people like myself to help our charities like Mendingkids.org, I hope others will also donate items and use this service to raise more money for their important causes' said Simmons. J Sutta also added, 'Through auctioning these items on Startuch.com, I want to give something back to the fans and most importantly help raise more funds for dogs looking for a loving home at the League of Extraordinary Mutts.' Speaking about the new auction items and donations Startuch.com co-founder Evgenia Lorcy: 'Its been our mission from the very beginning to always help those in need and I know there are so many celebrities and public figures who are always looking for more ways to give back. Startuch provides a simple and easy way for them to give back with very little required from them, except to donate some of their unwanted personal and performance items. 'We are extremely thankful to Gene, Paris and J Sutta for their wonderful participation and contribution to their causes, we know there will be many fans who will be excited about these exclusive items and were thrilled that they see the benefit and ease of working with us. The plot has thickened with regards to Mary Berry's replacement as judge of The Great British Bake Off. Earlier this week, it was revealed that veteran TV cook Prue Leith was in the running for the job. And now Leith herself has not only confirmed this to be the case, but also revealed that it's between her and one other candidate. Scroll down for video 'I can wish; I can dream!' Prue Leith CONFIRMS she's up for Mary Berry's job on The Great British Bake Off... as the saucy 13-year affair she had with her mother's best friend is revealed 'I'm certainly one of the runners,' she said on Tuesday, speaking to the Press Association. 'I think I'm close but I know there are two people in the running. One other person.' Speaking at A Very Special Afternoon Tea event to help people suffering from dementia, she added: 'I've had two auditions with them and lots of meetings. I can wish. I can dream. Minx: According to Rylan Clark Neal on This Morning, she is 'the saucy version of Mary Berry' 'Of course I'd love to do it. Who wouldn't want to do it? I've known Mary for years and she loved it.' While the South African restaurateur and cookery writer, 76, looks to have a 50 per cent chance of getting the gig, details of her colourful past have started to seep out of the woodwork. According to Rylan Clark Neal on This Morning, she is 'the saucy version of Mary Berry'. Scandal: 'She's got a soft spot for the men. But she likes her men with a degree of risk,' he declared, before elaborating: 'The most scandalous one: she was having a 13-year affair with the husband of her mum's best friend. And then she married him!' Rylan explained Filling her shoes: Leith (or the mysterious second candidate whoever they are) will join Paul Hollywood as a judge when the revamped show moves to Channel 4 this year, in place of Mary Berry (pictured) 'She's got a soft spot for the men. But she likes her men with a degree of risk,' he declared, before elaborating: 'The most scandalous one: she was having a 13-year affair with the husband of her mum's best friend. And then she married him!' He added: 'We like a bit of drama and [the new Bake Off] hasn't even started yet!' Eamonn Holmes made sure he added his two pence worth, branding the would-be judge a 'saucy minx'. Leith (or the mysterious second candidate whoever they are) will join Paul Hollywood as a judge when the revamped show moves to Channel 4 this year. The new Mary berry? Prue Leith is allegedly tipped to join Paul Hollywood as a judge when the revamped show moves to Channel 4 this year 'In cookery circles, she's practically royalty,' a source said of Leith, to The Sun. The insider claimed Leith was being put forward as a 'like for like' replacement to Mary. 'Both are from similar backgrounds, so hopefully viewers will be accepting and give Prue a chance to win them over. 'Following in Marys footsteps is a big challenge. But the producers are confident that Prue has all the attributes.' Rumour has it: Bosses are reportedly hoping fans will warm to the restaurateur and cookery writer, 76, thanks to her similarities in age and nature to Mary herself Cookery legend: 'In cookery circles, she's practically royalty,' a source told The Sun The likeness between the two has been drawn no doubt as food writer Prue is the same age Mary - now 81 - was when Bake Off debuted in 2010. A Channel 4 spokesman said: 'We'll be announcing the line up for The Great British Bake Off in due course'. Leith started out in the cookery world as a caterer in the 60s, before opening her famous Michelin-starred restaurant Leith's in 1969. In 1975 she founded her own cookery school, Leiths School of Food and Wine, to train professional chefs and amateur cooks. They go way back: 'Both are from similar backgrounds, so hopefully viewers will be accepting and give Prue a chance to win them over,' the insider said Cookery queen: Leith started out in the cookery world as a caterer in the 60s, before opening her famous Michelin-starred restaurant Leith's in 1969 Reaching a reported turnover of 15m, Prue sold all but the restaurant in the group in 1993. Two years later she sold the restaurant, and later that year helped found the Prue Leith College, (later renamed Prue Leith Chef's Academy) in South Africa. Proving her television experience, she has been a judge on the BBC television programme Great British Menu since it launched in 2006. Adding to her list of accolades, Prue was awarded an OBE in 1989, and a CBE in 2010. Michel Roux Jr, 56, a two-star Michelin chef, was previously tipped as a hot favourite to replace Mary after he was spotted arriving at a test shoot in London in January. Cooking up a feast: Proving her television experience, she has been a judge on the BBC television programme Great British Menu since it launched in 2006 (pictured) The 56-year-old boasts previous presenting experience on Masterchef and Saturday Kitchen. He was joined by Irish chef Rachel Allen, a baking whizz, 44, who has hosted the Good Food Channel's Market Kitchen show and a series called Rachel Allen: Bake! for RTE. Joining them at the secret venue appeared to be potential replacements for baking queen Berry herself, including Frances Atkins - one of only six female Michelin starred chefs in the UK. Lone wolf: At the moment baker Paul Hollywood is the only judge set to return to the show when it moves to Channel 4 The former gang: While Mel and Sue refused to follow the money over at Channel 4, Paul secured a deal that he said 'doubled his wages' The head chef at the Yorke Arms in Nidderdale, North Yorkshire - which featured in Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's comedy The Trip - she has been working her magic in the kitchen since she was 17 and recently appeared on Great British Menu. Chef and cookery writer Lady Claire Macdonald was also spotted leaving the venue, a big smile on her face. It has also been claimed that TV pastry expert Claire Clark could be in the running to replace Mary Berry. The 51-year-old chef, who previously hosted the Creme De La Creme spin-off show, has been deemed the right kind of 'warm natured' personality to host the show, The Sun reports. Other contendors: Delia Smith and Nigella Lawson have also been slated to replace Berry While Mel and Sue refused to follow the money over at Channel 4, Paul secured a deal that he said 'doubled his wages'. Speculation has been rife as to who will fill the Berry, Giedroyc and Perkins shaped voids when Channel 4 reboots the series. Names floated around have included the likes of Davina McCall, Richard Ayoade and French & Saunders as potential replacement hosts, while Delia Smith and Nigella Lawson have also been slated to replace Berry. Channel 4 bought the rights to the Bake Off from the BBC last year with a 75 million three year offer. Already devastated that Mary Berry, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins decided not to stay with the show following its move to Channel 4, fans are eager to get their Bake Off fix and find out who will be joining Paul Hollywood when he returns to screens in the famous tent. How Bake Off's 'new Mary Berry' Prue Leith had a secret 13-year affair with the husband of her mothers best friend By Jane Flanagan in Cape Town Prue Leith is the living embodiment of a woman who has managed to have it all a successful career, a family and even a new romance, at the age of 76 and always on her own terms. She credits her 13 year stint as the mistress of a married man for giving her the love and support she needed to build a multi-million pound empire, until she was ready to have her own children, prompting her lover to finally leave his wife. In her recent autobiography Relish: My Life on a Plate, she revealed details of the scandal that surrounded her first marriage to fellow South African Rayne Kruger, who had been the husband of her mothers closest friend. Guru: In 1975 she founded her own cookery school, Leiths School of Food and Wine, to train professional chefs and amateur cooks Describing their relationship as almost incest, the cook disclosed that she was just 12 when she developed a crush on her half uncle, half-godfather and was 21 when they began an illicit love affair, during his marriage to actress Nan Munro. Prue was 34 by the time she took up with another man, prompting Kruger to finally leave his wife, and the pair married, staying together until Krugers death in 2002. Their son Daniel was an advisor to David Cameron, and adopted daughter Li-Da, originally from Cambodia, is a film maker. I wasnt unloved and I wasnt alone. I was just grateful that I didnt have to go home and cook dinner every night, because he wasnt there.So I had this in the background secretly, he was wonderful at helping me, but he was invisible. And he went home at night. So I could work every hour that God gave, she told Henley Literary Festival two years ago. Awarded an OBE in 1989 and a CBE in 2010, Leith denied she would want to be considered to take her friend Mary Berrys role in The Great British Bake Off, and could not understand the anguish surrounding news that the show was moving to Channel 4. I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, really. I was more concerned about Brangelina, she told The Telegraph. After 15 years as a widow, she married for a second time last year, and yet remains firmly alone in her eight-bedroom mansion in the Oxfordshire countryside, leaving her groom designer John Playfair - looking after his own laundry at his own home a mile down the road. Of her new marriage to Playfair six years her junior she told Radio 4s Womans Hour that living apart from her husband was an ideal arrangement. He does all his ironing and he cleans his shoes there and he keeps all his gear there. And I tell you what, its the ideal thing, she told Radio 4s Womans Hour. What you want and what I get is him without his clobber and without the responsibility of looking after his laundry or sewing on his buttons. She recently admitted having chin fillers and Holly Hagan looked worlds apart from her former self in a new Instagram post shared on Tuesday. Showing off an incredibly glamorous makeover, the 24-year-old showed off her flawless face, leading her followers to comment on how much she had changed. Holly captioned the image with the words: 'How INSANE is @karinarosebelfield at painting my face. Scroll down for video 'She looks like a waxwork...it's too much': Holly Hagan's fans were divided after she posted a very glamorous picture of herself on Instagram on Tuesday Worlds apart: She certainly looked different from when she first shot to fame on Geordie Shore (pictured in 2011) 'That highlight though give her a follow she's Newcastle based.' Yet she has divided her fans with the results, with one writing: 'It doesn't even look like her.' Another wrote: 'Way too much, I'm unfollowing, your are all looking exactly the same lately.' A third added: 'Far too much make up! Doesn't even look like holly! She looks like Jodie Marsh!' Can't decide: She has divided her fans with the results, as her fans say she is now barely recognisable Take it on the chin: Holly , 24, showed off her new, filled-out chin in a proud before (left) and after (right) photo posted on Instagram on Thursday While a fourth noted: 'Unfollowed.... what is the attraction?????? Plastic!!!,' with another writing: 'Yuck, you've gone way too far with the lip fillers.' Yet some of her fans really love her new look, with one writing: 'Those brows though.' Another said: 'Gorgeous Holz,' while a third wrote: 'OMG Love it!' A fourth wrote: ' Perfect, Holly.' Wow thing: Yet some were hugely in favour of her flawless and glamorous makeover The lovely lady has confessed to having Botox, a boob job and lip and nose fillers in the past. And Holly continued to blaze a path to self-improvement as she showed off her new, filled-out chin in a proud before and after photo posted on Instagram on Thursday. The Geordie Shore star revealed she used a 'tiny bit of filler' to create the jawline she had always wanted, after admitting she had always been 'self-conscious' about her chin. Proud: The Geordie Shore star revealed she used a 'tiny bit of filler' to create the jawline she had always wanted, after admitting she had always been 'self-conscious' about her chin Holly captioned it: 'Can't thank @drtijionesho @theeshoclinic enough for filling out my chin. 'Was always so self conscious about it on photos and a tiny bit of filler has made a huge difference you will forever be my one and only face doctor.' While the reality star seemed proud of her new chin, her fans seemed unimpressed, with some even branding her 'pathetic'. One wrote: 'You're literally 99% plastic now. What a shame girl,' while another added: 'That's absolutely pathetic... What next.' 'You're going to go too far one day and ruin yourself,' another warned. Backlash: While the reality star seemed proud of her new chin, her fans seemed unimpressed, with some even branding her 'pathetic' But others rushed to her defence, insisting it was 'refreshing' that someone in the public eye was being honest about their cosmetic work. 'Thank you for being honest about work you get done. Its refreshing and actually a big confidence booster for myself,' they wrote. 'To know that alot of the glitz and glam is fabricated or medically enhanced makes me grateful for what I have naturally.' And eagle-eyed viewers also suspected that Holly may have had a bum implant, after she posted a seriously revealing shot of her behind. Fan of surgery: She has confessed to having Botox, a boob job and lip and nose fillers in the past Support: But others rushed to her defence, claiming that they found it 'refreshing' that someone in the public eye was being honest about their cosmetic work 'Defo had her bum done looks silly,' one claimed, while another added: 'Have you had your bum done? Because it looks insane!' And last year Holly unveiled the results of her surgery-free new nose on her Instagram account. The reality star posted a before and after snap of her reshaped and 'streamlined' nose, looking remarkably different following the 15 minute procedure. She wrote alongside the image: 'For a long time I've been conscious of the bump in my nose and have wanted it my streamlined! 'The thought of having my nose broke to change such a small detail didn't seem worth it. Bum implants? She posted a seriously revealing shot of her behind in recent weeks (left), which fans claimed seemed bigger than last year (right) Suspicious: Eagle-eyed viewers also suspected that Holly may have had a bum implant 'I spoke to @drtijionesho at @lebeau_ideal and using a small amount of filler he has completely straightened the appearance of my nose this took 15 minutes and was virtually pain free! 'I can't believe the difference! Would recommend to anyone thinking of having a full rhinoplasty maybe this is an option for you! thank you so much.' Holly's fans weren't impressed and most lamented that she was getting too much work done. 'I think your natural nose was better', one wrote, while another commented, 'You looked beautiful before!' And in a promo video for MTV last April, Holly revealed just how much surgery she had had. Sunkissed: She also showed off a deep glow after a session of fake tanning She knows it! Geordie Shore veteran Holly Hagan unveiled the results of her new 15 minute nose job on her Instagram account last year 'This whole surgery thing really irritates me because the only surgery I've had done is my boob job,' she admitted. 'Anything on my face has not been a surgical procedure - it's non-surgical. However, I have had Botox on the top of my head because when I cry on TV, my eyebrows look like sperm. I also had lip fillers over a year ago now.' Despite not impressing fans with her transformation, Holly insisted she doesn't care what other people think as she 'feels great'. While Holly's fillers might be temporary, her co-stars Charlotte Crosby, Chloe Ferry and former cast member Kyle Christie have all undergone nose jobs in the last year, thanks to Mr Sultan Hassan of Elite Surgical. Total transformation: Holly shared the ultimate before and after shot of her image overhaul on Friday morning, as she inspired her followers to live by her fat loss secrets Chloe, 21, unveiled her new nose mere days earlier, confessing that she was 'a bit addicted' to surgery and would only stop when she felt good in her skin. It was revealed the Newcastle girls alone had splashed out on a combined 21,000 beauty treatments in preparation for the previous series of the show. Earlier in the day, Holly shared the ultimate throwback of her time on the MTV reality show, capturing her complete image transformation and weight loss. More svelte, sophisticated and grown up, the blonde is worlds away from the Newcastle party girl who quit her job for a shot to fame in 2011. Despite admitting to lip fillers, Botox injections, three breast operations and plans for a nose job, Holly still puts her 'whole' image overhaul down to her 12-week fat loss guide, Holly's Body Bible. Penning a post, Holly wrote: 'I've got @hollysbodybible to thank for this whole transformation,' as she urged her followers to purchase the guide on pay day because there's 'no excuses.' Kicking off the trend: Charlotte Crosby was the first to undergo a nose job and her co-stars soon followed suit Her weight loss story was plainly told with the 'then and now' snapshots, especially since she was dressed in a very ill-fitting outfit in the before shot. Glammed up for one of the infamous nights 'on the toon,' Holly is seen spilling out of a lingerie-style minidress in a photo posted on the left of her post. Formerly a Size 16 brunette with a taste for excess dark eyeliner and pale lipstick, Holly displays a fuller bust and curvier legs than her image of today. Now a glossy blonde bombshell, Holly is altogether more slender in a picture of her partying in a backless jumpsuit from April 2016. Holly shed three stone using the weight loss techniques written into her 'Body Bible' and has been a Size 8 at her smallest in the last five years. She's set to return to the West End this year with an extended stint in Yerma. So Billie Piper was no doubt making the most of her free time as she stepped out with her son Winston in London on Tuesday. Enjoying some quality time with her eldest, the 34-year-old actress headed to the park, but appeared to be having some trouble with the wildlife. Scroll down for video Parklife: She's set to return to the West End this year with an extended stint in Yerma. So Billie Piper was no doubt making the most of her free time as she stepped out in London on Tuesday Whilst her eight-year-old played, Billie settled herself down onto one of the benches, where she caught the attention of one of the local swans which appeared to be infatuated with her. Dressed down for the outing, Billie donned a pair of little black dress which she teamed with thick tights. Allowing her natural beauty to shine through, the Doctor Who star went make-up free, whilst her auburn locks were pulled up into a topknot. Final swansong? Whilst her eight-year-old played, Billie settled herself down onto one of the benches, where she caught the attention of one of the local swans Billie shares two children with ex-husband Laurence Fox Winston, eight, and Eugene, four. The couple announced their separation in March, and divorced in May on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour. A difficult time for the former couple, Laurence has since moved on and was briefly linked with Irish model Vogue Williams, although he confirmed their split in December to MailOnline. Family fun: Enjoying some quality time with her eldest, the 34-year-old actress headed to the park, but appeared to be having some trouble with the wildlife Meanwhile, Billie, who played Doctor Who's assistant when the show was brought back in 2005, tweeted that it would be a 'welcome turn' for a woman to take the role. Peter Capaldi announced he would be stepping down from the role last month and there has been speculation as to who will be taking over the role. Twelve actors have played the time-travelling Doctor since William Hartnell first adopted the role in 1963, and so far all of them have been men. An otherwise harmless dinner date with pals prompted a barrage of unexpected and highly unfavourable comparisons for Katie Price and husband Kieran Hayler on Tuesday evening. The couple were joined by neighbours Julian and Joanne Mantell for a Valentines Day double date, hours after sharing a series of gushing tributes to one another across social media. But the romantic evening was marred after Instagram followers uncharitably compared Joanne to former glamour model Katies former best friend whose torrid affair with Kieran was exposed in 2014. Scroll down for video Unfair comparison: Katie Price's neighbour Joanne Mantell was uncharitably compared to former best friend Jane Pountney while posing for a snap with Kieran Hayler on Tuesday evening. Kieran's torrid affair with Pountney was exposed in 2014 Commenting on a shot of a grinning Kieran seated alongside his female neighbour, one carped: She looks like Jane Pountney! Emphatically agreeing with the comparison, another offered a word of warning to Katie, writing: She does look like that Jane 100% keep your eye on that. But not everyone agreed, and one insisted the perceived likeness with Pountney and claims that Katie should watch out were ridiculous. Happy couple: The pair were joined by neighbours Julian and Joanne Mantell for a Valentines Day double date, hours after sharing a series of gushing tributes to one another across social media Ouch: Followers were quick to highlight what many argued was a dubious likeness Say cheese: Kieran posed for a fun snap Instagram with their neighbours Some people are weird, wrote one bemused fan. She looks nothing like Jane p. And if she did, then that's a reason to watch out?! Very strange indeed. Defending the beleagured couple, another added: 'You make a great couple, you're looking so settled and happy together, keep it up and ignore any doubters.' Katie and Kieran have worked hard to save their marriage following his affair with Jane, one of Katie's closest friends. Old times: Katie and Kieran have worked hard to save their marriage following his affair with Jane (pictured here with Katie in 2012) Watch out: Emphatically agreeing with the comparison, another offered a word of warning to Katie, writing: She does look like that Jane 100% keep your eye on that' Dubious comparison: Fans were divided over Joanne's likeness with Pountney on Tuesday evening Leave them alone: Defending the beleagured couple, another added: 'You make a great couple, you're looking so settled and happy together, keep it up and ignore any doubters' Date night: Katie also shared a snap of herself alongside Joanne's husband, Julian The Loose Women panellist uncovered their fling after finding them embracing on a sun lounger during a holiday to Cape Verde in May 2014. Last year, Katie explained the exact moment she found the duo together, leading to her heartbreak and very public rows. She said: 'I remember going down to the bar one day in Cape Verde to ask the staff if they had seen my husband. 'They pointed towards the beach and said he'd gone that way. I asked them if he was with anyone and they said no. At that point, I knew he had gone to meet her.' She recently completed a gruelling boot-camp session in Morocco. And Ashley James flaunted her svelte figure in a grunge-inspired outfit as she headed out in Soho, London on Wednesday with her pal Charlotte de Carle. The 29-year-old - who has a blink and you'll miss it role on Made in Chelsea in 2012 - looked super trendy in a quirky padded bomber jacket, skinny jeans and heavy-duty Doc Martens. Scroll down for video Edgy beauty: Ashley James, 29, flaunted her svelte figure in a grunge-inspired outfit as she headed out in Soho, London on Wednesday The reality star stole the spotlight in the edgy top to toe all-black look as she enjoyed the day out with her friend. Ashley's cool outerwear boasted zig-zag patterns and a white collar, which complemented her nineties-inspired thick black choker The DJ slicked her blonde locks away from her face on one side, allowing her heavily contoured features to take prominence. The buxom beauty harboured all of her essentials in a stylish black backpack as she sauntered along in her chunky boots. Grunge gal: The star - who has a blink and you'll miss it role on Made in Chelsea in 2012 - looked super trendy in a quirky padded bomber jacket, skinny jeans and heavy-duty Doc Martens Statement: Ashley's cool outerwear boasted zig-zag patterns and a white collar, which complemented her nineties-inspired thick black choker Her pal Charlotte also stuck to the same colour scheme with a statement coat, tights and scruffy lace-up shoes. Her appearance comes shortly after her completion of a gruelling boot camp in Morocco in which she kept her 77,000 Instagram followers up to speed with her progress throughout the week. Ashley is a firm advocate of a regular gym routine and balanced lifestyle, but decided to give herself a break over the last few weeks, indulging in as many carbs as she wants and slobbing on the sofa instead of exercising. Fashionista: The reality star stole the spotlight in the edgy top to toe all-black look as she enjoyed the day out with her friend Accessories: The buxom beauty harboured all of her essentials in a stylish black backpack as she sauntered along in her chunky boots Stunner: The DJ slicked her blonde locks away from her face on one side, allowing her heavily contoured features to take prominence In November, she reflected on her transformation in her blog, explaining that she was surprised to learn that confidence is what makes her feel sexy, not how toned and muscular she is. The blonde beauty let herself indulge in whatever foods she fancied, saying: 'I have gained a little weight, but I still feel sexy'. Meanwhile, Ashley recently revealed she was going to 'hold back' more with other people after admitting she was left 'feeling disappointed' by some. Matching: Her pal Charlotte also stuck to the same colour scheme with a statement coat, tights and scruffy lace-up shoes Working out: Her appearance comes shortly after her completion of a gruelling boot camp in Morocco in which she kept her 77,000 Instagram followers up to speed with her progress throughout the week 'Im naturally a very caring person, and I trust and love people pretty much the moment I meet them,' she wrote on her blog. 'Be this friends or men. 'I always think of things I can do, people I can put them in touch with etc, and sometimes I am left feeling disappointed that people dont give me the same level of effort. 'Sometimes I even end up falling out with people because I feel taken advantage of. 'Therefore, this year, Im going to hold back a little and I know that as a result I will feel happier, which in turn will make me a nicer person to others anyway.' They've been engaged since 2014 and raise two young children together. And Liv Tyler and her fiance Dave Gardner were celebrating Valentine's Day in style with a romantic trip away, going arm-in-arm as they stepped out in Paris on Wednesday. The Hollywood actress, 39, kept warm in a chic navy coat, pulling her jacket close against the winter chill. Scroll down for video Getaway: Liv Tyler and her fiance Dave Gardner were celebrating Valentine's Day in style with a romantic trip away, going arm-in-arm as they stepped out in Paris on Wednesday Liv stuck to a sombre colour palette, wearing a roll-neck jumper and smart trousers, pulling her casual look together with ballet flats. Dave, who is best friends with David Beckham, looked stylish in a checked coat and smart jeans. Liv was smiling despite not getting the romantic surprise she was no doubt hoping for on Valentine's Day. Stylish: The Hollywood actress, 39, kept warm in a chic navy coat, pulling her jacket close against the winter chill The Lord Of The Rings star was taken to the Paris St Germain vs Barcelona match to mark the special occasion, but remained good sport and was seen smiling throughout. 'I told my beautiful wife to be that I was taking her to see two of the most romantic cities ever...Paris & Barcelona,' Dave joked on social media. 'So now we are at the match watching PSG v Barcelona best Valentines ever.' Casual: Liv stuck to a sombre colour palette, wearing a roll-neck jumper and smart trousers, pulling her casual look together with ballet flats The couple share two children together; Liv gave birth to daughter Lula last July while son Sailor turned two earlier this month. Liv is also mother to Milo, 12, from her marriage to rocker Royston Langdon while Dave has a son, Gray, eight, from his seven-year marriage to British actress Davinia Taylor, 38. Liv and Dave got engaged in December 2014 after just four months together. Blake Lively looked lovely in a flirty floral print, seated front and center at the Michael Kors showcase during New York Fashion Week. The 29-year-old actor attended the event with her sister, Robyn Lively, 45, and was seated right next to Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, 67. The Gossip Girl alum has a special affinity for Micheal Kors, who she told Women's Wear Daily she owed 'everything in the fashion world.' Scroll down for video Looking lovely: Blake Lively looked lovely in a flirty floral print, seated front and center at the Michael Kors showcase during New York Fashion Week Makeup to match: Blake picked up the tones in her ensemble with her glam, including subtle eye color that matched her shoes and a soft, rosy lip 'I had just started [Gossip Girl], and no one knew or cared [about it] at that point, and he brought me to a Vogue event,' she said of the designer. It was at that event where she met Anna Wintour, who later ended up putting the Savages star on the cover of her magazine three times. '[Anna] became a great friend and supporter of mine,' Blake said. 'So anytime [Kors] has a show and Im in town, Im there... I wouldnt be in this if it werent for him.' Flirty in floral: The 29-year-old actor attended the event with her sister, Robyn Lively, 45, and was seated right next to Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, 67 Front and center: The 29-year-old actor (center) attended the event with her sister, Robyn Lively, 45 (R), and was seated right next to Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, 67 (L) Old friends: The Gossip Girl alum has a special affinity for Micheal Kors, who she told Women's Wear Daily she owed 'everything in the fashion world. Blake spent her Valentine's Day in New York City with girlfriends, as the host of a L'Oreal 'Gal-entine's' bash, so she wasn't with her handsome husband, Ryan Reynolds, 40, for the holiday. 'I actually already celebrated Valentines Day with my husband because he was so excited,' she shared with Vogue on Monday. 'I wasnt prepared' she added. 'Hes a much better wife than me.' Making her appearance: The Michael Kors showcase was indeed the first runway event the star made it to during Fashion Week Meant to be: By no accident, the Cafe Society actor was seated right next to the Godmother of fashion herself, Anna Wintour After she finished her hosting duties with her gal pals, the Michael Kors showcase was indeed the first runway event the star made it to during Fashion Week. The Age of Adaline star brightened up the arrivals carpet in a pink-infused dress covered in various flowers. She accentuated her waist with a contrasting white belt and wore pointed-toe heels in a peachy coral hue. Pretty in pink: The Age of Adaline star brightened up the arrivals carpet in a pink-infused dress covered in various flowers Friends in floral: Anna, who became Creative Director for Conde Nast in 2013, also wore a floral frock for the display, with hers in black and white Blake picked up the tones in her ensemble with her glam, including subtle eye color that matched her shoes and a soft, rosy lip. By no accident, the Cafe Society actor was seated right next to the Godmother of fashion herself, Anna Wintour. Anna, who became Creative Director for Conde Nast in 2013, also wore a floral frock for the display, with hers in black and white. Color-coordinated: She accentuated her waist with a contrasting white belt and wore pointed-toe heels in a peachy coral hue Paying attention: The Michael Kors Fall 2017 collection show took place at 10.00am Eastern on Wednesday in Manhattan The Michael Kors Fall 2017 collection show took place at 10.00am Eastern on Wednesday in Manhattan. His catwalk was equally as star-studded as his audience, with models including Kendall Jenner, 21, Bella Hadid, 20, and Ashley Graham, 28, to name a few. The show was live streamed, and fashion fans can catch it on repeat at MichaelKors.com or MarieClaire.co.uk. Stars on the runway: His catwalk was equally as star-studded as his audience, with models including Kendall Jenner, 21 (L), Bella Hadid, 20 (R), and Ashley Graham, 28, to name a few After being married for nearly 20 years, these two still manage to plan a date night. Cindy Crawford and her husband, Rande Gerber, enjoyed a romantic evening out in New York City on Tuesday in celebration of Valentine's Day. The supermodel, 50, and Casamigos co-founder founder, 54, have been in Manhattan for New York Fashion Week. Beauty in black: Cindy Crawford wore loose-fitting, high-waisted pants and a top with a plunging neckline as she went out with Rande Gerber in NYC on Tuesday The Malibu residents fit right in with the city social scene, dressed all in black, from head to toe. The prolific cover model wore loose-fitting, high-waisted pants and a top with a plunging neckline. She added a necklace made from a piece of fabric that had a bolo tie feel to it, wrapped around her neck and draping over her chest with ornaments at the end of either side. Handsome hubby: Her husband also got the all-black memo, opting for dress slacks and a fitted dress shirt to match his beautiful wife Public display of affection: On Tuesday, Cindy posted a recent picture, writing, 'Happy Valentine's Day, babe! I [heart emoji] you Her husband also got the all-black memo, opting for dress slacks and a fitted dress shirt to match his beautiful wife. Also on Tuesday, the couple shared mutual posts of affection for each other on their respective social media accounts. Cindy posted a recent picture of the two cuddling close while out for a drink, writing, 'Happy Valentine's Day, babe! I [heart emoji] you.' Keeping it simple: Straight to the point, Rande wrote, 'Happy Vday beautiful!' with a throwback photo of the two on a sunny day, somewhere near the water, also posted on Tuesday Also keeping it simple and straight to the point, Rande wrote, 'Happy Vday beautiful!' with a throwback photo of the two on a sunny day, somewhere near the water. Rande and Cindy were spotted earlier this week out with their daughter, upcoming model in her own right, Kaia Jordan, 15. The striking mother and daughter duo virtually turned the pavement into a runway, as they looked to have stepped straight out of the pages of a magazine pictorial. Fashion Week continues in New York through Thursday, culminating with the Marc Jacobs show at 2.00pm Eastern. Sara Sampaio is keeping busy for New York Fashion Week. The model was seen heading to a show on Tuesday looking stressed out. The stunning 25-year-old wore very little makeup and an unusual blue coat. Model on the streets: Sara Sampaio was spotted in New York for fashion week heading over to another fashion show The Victoria's Secret Angel made her way through the city in an Angelyz Balek blue jacket with black fur that seemed to keep her warm. She added on a pair of Francesco Russo Laced Up boots that graced her legs. Carrying a black purse with her, Sara looked ready to get on that stage and show the world what she's made of. Quite the outfit: The model donned a blue Angelyz Balek jacket and Francesco Russo Laced Up boots as she walked across the street With her dark hair tied back, Sara let her lovely face show as she put on some makeup before her catwalk. She appeared to be in casual spirits, but remained busy with more work to do. As she continues her blossoming career, the Portuguese native told AOL on Tuesday that the feeling of waking up is truly what makes her feel alive. Lovely lady: The 25-year-old tied her hair back and showed off her stunning beauty 'I feel really beautiful in the morning,' the girlfriend of Oliver Ripley said. 'Usually you're relaxed, you have your loved one next to you, it's cozy.' Sara also revealed what she thinks is the most romantic things that couples should do to connect. 'Love each other,' she said. 'Taking time to be with each other, and really having quality time is the most romantic and important thing in a relationship.' Nicole Kidman is in a happy marriage with Keith Urban. But this week the Oscar winner was seen looking very taken by Moonlight actor Mahershala Ali for the cover of W Magazine. In the issue, the 49-year-old talked about playing Sue Brierley in Lion as well as why she had her first kiss while watching the horror movie The Shining. The pressure: Nicole Kidman talked about the pressure of portraying a real life in 2016's drama based on a true story, as she sat down with W Magazine for their Movie Issue cover story Hot! The Oscar winner was seen looking very taken by Moonlight actor Mahershala Ali for the cover of W As far as her Shining character she said: 'I know this state of being, I know this woman,' she recalled of her thoughts, immediately upon reading the script. Kidman met with the real-life Brierley before going in to filming to be sure she was prepared for the role. The Eyes Wide Shut star said it was wonderful to play a person that she connected with so easily, but she still had reservations about her performance. She still gets nervous: The Eyes Wide Shut star said it was wonderful to play a person that she connected with so easily, but she still had reservations about her performance 'I mean, its lovely [when you connect so well] and then you go, I hope shes not disappointed. She hasnt been, thank god,' she said. 'Thats a huge pressure, in the sense of somebody watching your interpretation of their life kind of in this compact way.' The two have even kept in contact since filming has wrapped and the movie opened to rave reviews. 'Shes in my life now,' Kidman shared. 'Shes very, very special and shes very warm and extremely maternal.' Another Oscar? Kidman has been nominated for another Oscar for her part in the production, in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Of their initial meeting, the Australian actor explained she approached it with the same vigor she would if she had been the main character driving the story. 'I asked her hours and hours of questions,' she revealed. 'Ive always said when you play a supporting role you still have to do all of the homework and all of the preparation that you have to do for a leading role. You just have to because otherwise you dont have the human being.' Kidman added that the energy she found with that human being was undeniable. She loves the guy! Kidman has been married to Keith Urban since 2006. Pictured at the Golden Globe awards in January 'She just told me things I would immediately understand,' she shared. 'It was one of those things where Im meant to be her. And she apparently wanted me to play her.' The casting worked out well all around, apparently, because Lion received multiple nominations this awards season. The biggest ticket show is coming up in less than two weeks, where the film has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Kidman has been nominated for another Oscar for her part in the production, in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. Also in W, Kidman walked her first kiss. 'So Im watching The Shining, can you believe it? And were playing hooky from school. And I have my first kiss watching The Shining, is that not weird? And I we did a few other things than just kiss too. Dont ask.' The 89th Annual Academy Awards will air on February 26 at 8.30 pm Eastern on ABC. She's had multiple high profile relationships in Hollywood, and still takes the surname of her first husband. But 70-year-old Susan Sarandon has declared her sexual orientation 'up for grabs,' admitting that she was 'open' to a relationship with a woman. The Feud: Bette And Joan star candidly told PrideSource on Tuesday: 'Yeah, I'm open. My sexual orientation is up for grabs, I guess you could say.' Scroll down for video Making her declaration: Susan Sarandon (here on Tuesday night at A Decade of Decadence event) has declared herself bisexual in an interview with PrideSource this week She added, 'I'm a serial monogamist, so I haven't really had a large dating career. I haven't exactly been in the midst of a lot of offers of any kind. 'I'm still not! I don't know what's going on! But I think back in the '60s it just was much more open.' Feud stars Susan as Bette Davis and follows the rivalry between her and Joan Crawford, plated Jessica Lange. The life and soul: Susan has said that she is a 'serial monogamist' and therefore had no time to experiment Speaking out: The actress said her 'sexual orientation is up for grabs' Youthful: Susan was promoting her part in Feud on Tuesday, in New York Crawford is famously described as having an 'indiscriminate and voracious sexual appetite' that knew no bounds. It is based on their time together on the set of the classic movie Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? Catherine Zeta Jones will play legend Olivia de Havilland, whilst Kiernan Shipka takes on the role of B. D. Hyman. The FX show, which also stars Kathy Bates, Stanley Tucci, Alfred Molina, Sarah Paulson and Judy Davis is set to premiere on US TV on March 5. Susan also explained that she has always had an affinity with 'outsiders' as she feels like one herself. Split: Susan is thought to be single again, following her split from Jonathan Bricklin (here in January 2014) who was more than 30 years her junior She explained: 'I feel like an outsider myself. My people, my family for all these years have always been my allies and have always been very, very important to me, very dear to me through the AIDS crisis and everything. It's just a natural, very easy extended family for me.' Previously, in 2015, when the actress told Ellen DeGeneres that she was 'actively looking' for a new love, she said: 'I would leave open the age, the colour, the gender even. Im open. It increases your chances, doesnt it?' Ellen - who wed Portia de Rossi in 2008 - famously came out in 1997 and quickly became one of Hollywood's most high profile lesbians. Three years previous, actress Susan told The Metro newspaper in the UK: 'It doesnt matter the age, race, gender of the person you choose to be with. 'Whats difficult is being intimate with another human being. Once you learn to do that, the rest is just details. There are so many people who found themselves in unforeseen situations. Where you come down on the sexual spectrum is very flexible but it takes courage to be vulnerable to another person thats the big step that has to be taken. She was talking about her 2011 role in Jeff, Who Lives At Home, when she explored widowed and divorced characters who were turning to other women. Long-term relationship: Susan was with RTim Robbins for 23 years (here in 2003) until their separated in 2009 In reference to her self-confessed 'serial monogamy', last year, she ended her five-year relationship with Jonathan Bricklin, a man more than 30 years her junior. Sarandon met Jonathan on a road trip to Chile in 2010, the year after she split from Tim Robbins, with whom she had been in a long-term partnership since 1988. Until 2009, she was thought to be blissfully happy with her partner of 23 years Tim, father to their two sons Jack, 27, and Miles, 24, as well as Eva, 32, her daughter from an earlier relationship. Then out of the blue Tim, 54, went through what hes called a midlife crisis and insanity and the couple separated. Before that, Susan married actor Chris Sarandon at just 21 years old, in 1968, but it ended in divorce in 1979. Fantastic four: Susan stars in new FX drama Feud, alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones (left) and Kiernan Shipka (right, with show creator Ryan Murphy) Scarlet siren: Susan, 70, and the foursome made for a glamorous group as they posed for snaps on Wednesday Laverne Cox looked sophisticated as she arrived at the AOL Build Series at Build Studio in New York City on Wednesday. The Alabama native wore a patterned navy blue off the shoulder dress, showing off her flawless decolletage. The 32-year-old Orange Is The New Black actress tied her raven tresses into a ponytail as she let her fringe fall down naturally around her face. New role: Laverne Cox looked chic and sophisticated as she arrived at the AOL Build Series at Build Studio in New York City on Wednesday Cox wore a mauve lipstick and dark smokey eyes to complete her simple make-up style. She was at the event to talk about her new CBS drama Doubt. The talented actress has become the first transgender person to play a transgender character in a major, recurring role on network television, which is a huge accolade for the LGBTQ community. Showing some skin: The Alabama native wore a patterned navy blue off the shoulder dress, showing off her flawless decolletage Beauty: The 32-year-old Orange Is The New Black actress tied her raven tresses into a ponytail as she let her fringe fall down naturally around her face Not only that but her character is an Ivy League graduate called Cameron Wirth - a smart, serious lawyer. It seems Cox herself knows how important this role is: 'That folks can have a character like Cameron, who is Ivy League educated, it's wonderful. 'And to be a black transgender woman in that position on CBS is really special,' Cox said to THR. Pop of colour: Cox wore a mauve lipstick and dark smokey eyes to complete her simple make-up style Transgender character: She was at the event to talk about her new CBS drama Doubt The show follows a successful defense lawyer who becomes romantically involved with a client who may or may not be guilty of a brutal crime. Katherine Heigl, Kobi Libii and Lauren Blumenfeld also star in this CBS drama. Heigl, who is the star of the series, plays the lawyer defending a pediatric surgeon accused of killing his girlfriend. Cox portrays her colleague at the boutique firm. The show airs Wednesdays at 10 pm Pacific time. Congrats! The talented actress has become the first transgender person to play a transgender character in a major, recurring role on network television He's the jilted Married At First Sight groom, who recently got a second chance at love. But Andrew Jones, 38, has alluded to trouble in paradise with Cheryl Maitland, 25, telling WHO magazine this week that concerns from fellow contestants were 'an early warning sign.' During a recent episode, fans saw fellow MAFS couple Anthony and Sharon speculate that the Gold Coast hairdresser may have been motivated by fame - which Andrew says was warranted. Split? MAFS star Andrew Jones, 38, alluded to trouble in paradise with Cheryl Maitland, 25, this week, telling WHO magazine that concerns from fellow contestants acted as 'an early warning sign.' '[I'm] 100 per cent glad it came up because it gave me an early warning,' he said. 'They were trying to tell me that Cheryl wasn't the girl I'd hoped she might have been. He added: 'I was confused as to why everyone was so sceptical of the situation. It took a little bit of the shine away from how positive I thought things were going.' Candid: '[I'm] 100 per cent glad it came up because it gave me an early warning,' he said While his comments have raised doubts about his relationship with Cheryl, she was reportedly spotted making a secret trip to his native Perth this week - which suggests they may still be together, according to Perth Now. Cheryl recently asked for a second chance at love after her pairing with Jonathan failed to work out. She asked psychologist John Aiken if he could set her up with firefighter Andrew considering they were both single. No holding back: During a recent episode, fans saw fellow MAFS couple Anthony and Sharon speculate that the Gold Coast hairdresser may have been motivated by fame - which Andrew says was warranted Doubts: 'They were trying to tell me that Cheryl wasn't the girl I'd hoped she might have been,' said Andrew Second try: Cheryl recently asked for a second chance at love after her pairing with Jonathan failed to work out Never one to get in the way of a good match, the relationship expert agreed to get in touch and ask him if he was interested. He acknowledged neither party had a good experience with the show. Andrew's bride Lauren disappeared on the couple's wedding night, and though the mother-of-one said she would be willing to try again, he said he was too hurt to continue. Cheryl's marriage broke down when her husband Jonathan admitted he had been texting another bride, Scarlet, and said he wished they had been matched instead. Perth visit: While his comments have raised doubts about his relationship with Cheryl, she was spotted making a secret trip to his native Perth this week - which suggests they may still be together He's one of the biggest names in Australian television who risked it all for a career in Hollywood. And while the years of hard work are finally paying off for Daniel MacPherson, the Aussie hunk reveals there was a time it wasn't so easy. The 36-year-old told OK! magazine he and actress wife Zoe Ventoura were homeless at one stage while they attempted to break into the US scene. Scroll down for video 'We were actually homeless': Daniel MacPherson reveals struggles of US move alongside wife Zoe Ventoura Daniel, who is starring in a slew of roles including police drama APB this year, told the publication only now does it feel like things are going his way. 'It's been far from easy,' he said, of the years following his move to the United States in 2012. The former Neighbours star married Zoe in 2015, however, the couple are yet to have a honeymoon. Still newlyweds: The former Neighbours star married Zoe in 2015, however, the couple are yet to have a honeymoon Instead the two were moving around so much for jobs they didn't have a home base to go to. 'We were actually homeless. We were moving around [for work],' Daniel told OK! magazine. The couple will now finally take a long-awaited honeymoon later this year. 'We're looking at August ... It's going to be great!' Daniel gushed. 'It's been far from easy': The two were moving around so much for jobs they didn't have a home base to go to Daniel's breakthrough role was playing teen Joel Samuels aged 17 in Neighbours but also when onto to make a name for himself in presenting roles which including hosting the X Factor and Dancing With The Stars. But during an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald in 2016, Daniel explained why he wanted to return to focusing on his first passion; acting. 'I got to the point where I had a wonderful career doing a lot of things, but I was a jack of all trades and master of none,' he told Fairfax Media. Famous fellow expats: During his time in the United States Daniel has connected with other Aussie actors Luke and Liam Hemsworth '...So I made the conscious decision to step away from presenting, step away from hosting and even step away from racing triathlons and commit 110 per cent to my acting.' Moving to the United States was part of his decision to just on acting, Daniel explained. 'It took a lot of saying "No" to things in Australia and grinding away from the very bottom of the pile in LA just to get to the point of being able to have a couple of good gigs back to back,' he said. The premiere of the upcoming salacious series The Real Housewives of Sydney is due to air at the end of the month. And Lisa Oldfield's husband David is reportedly not impressed by what he's seen in the pre-released episodes. The 41-year-old housewife told OK! Magazine on Thursday: 'He's very unhappy, to the point where we aren't talking at the moment.' Scroll down for video 'He feels he's been emasculated': Real Housewives Of Sydney's Lisa Oldfield says she's NOT talking with husband David as he's not happy with the show's contents in an interview with OK! Magazine on Thursday Lisa will appear alongside some of Australia's most glamorous socialites and has already proven she'll be a force to be reckoned with in promos for the series. However, she hinting her former politician husband is already displeased towards his portrayal on the Arena production from watching a mere three episodes. 'He feels he's been marginalised and emasculated,' the businesswoman added. Lisa admitted the married couple of 16 years had already been struggling through a rough patch: 'The show magnified it, but it had been festering for a while.' 'We aren't talking at the moment': Lisa admitted the married couple of 16 years had already been struggling through a rough patch, but the show has made David very 'unhappy' 'It had been festering for a while': While Lisa revealed her former politician husband is already displeased towards his portrayal on the Arena production from watching a mere three episodes, their relationship was already strained In a promotional clip released two weeks ago, the controversial housewife was seen hurling explicit language at her politician husband for interrupting her camera time. She was seen yelling without hesitation: 'Oh f****** shut up, you c***!' to partner David in the background off-screen. 'He can be a pain in the a** at times, but so can I,' she then said of David, who formed the One Nation political party in 1997. 'F****** shut up, you c***!': Real Housewives Of Sydney's Lisa Oldfield lashes out at husband David Oldfield in first episode as he interrupts her camera time in promotional video released on Sunday The hotly-anticipated series promises scandal, gossip, wit and glamour among the seven chosen ladies. While the show began in Melbourne, Lisa claims: 'I don't think the world has ever seen a housewife like Lisa Oldfield.' However, the mother-of-two hinted her time on the show may be short-lived as David has expressed his strong feelings towards wanting her to quit involvement with the series. 'He can be a pain in the a** at times': She spoke of her husband David Oldfield, who formed the One Nation political party in 1997. 'The world has ever seen a housewife like Lisa Oldfield': Within the short clip Lisa is seen practicing her firearm skills and from her Instagram account fans also are aware she owns a pet 10-foot python The Daily Telegraph claim she is just as fierce in the first episode, to be released later this month, by commanding her two children to 'pat the snake or Ill smack you.' The publication also reports that Lisa is faced with chatter of lingering rumours David once slept with Pauline Hanson, to which she dodges. The controversial housewife! The Daily Telegraph claim she is just as fierce in the first episode, to be released later this month, by commanding her two children to 'pat the snake or Ill smack you' While she's apologetically confident with her sharp tongue, Lisa has reportedly left producers of the show scratching their heads at her less-than-elegant style choices. According to Confidential , Foxtel executives have become so frustrated with Lisa's fashion sense, that they are trying to source her a stylist. Lisa's regrettable fashion choices include a pair of toeless stockings worn with open-toed sandals, claimed the publication. Fashion nightmare? The Real Housewives of Sydney's Lisa Oldfield has reportedly left producers of the show scratching their heads at her less-than-elegant style choices Responding to the critique, Lisa told Confidential: 'Unlike some of the other women, I have a job and have to dress appropriately. I think my style is good.' Speaking of the toe-less stockings, the politician's wife said: ''My own mother was shocked, she said she was going to disown me. The toeless stockings have gone. We are all allowed a faux pas.' In true Lisa style, she also outed a fellow Housewife as supposedly needing a style intervention, claiming that fellow starlet Krissy Marsh was overdue for a wardrobe overhaul. The Real Housewives of Sydney premieres on Foxtels Arena channel on Sunday February 28 at 8.30pm. Help needed: According to Confidential, Foxtel executives have become so frustrated with Lisa's fashion sense, that they are trying to source her a stylist Defending her style: Responding to the critique, Lisa told Confidential: 'Unlike some of the other women, I have a job and have to dress appropriately. I think my style is good' She's an ambassador for Myer and Land Rover. But Jennifer Hawkins' lucrative contracts with the department store and the British car company have posed a problem ahead of the Myer Autumn/Winter season launch in Melbourne on Thursday. While other models will hit the runway in electric cars made by Tesla, former Miss Universe Jennifer, 33, cannot due to her contractual obligations with Land Rover. Contractual obligations: Jennifer Hawkins' lucrative contracts with Myer and Land Rover have posed a problem ahead the Myer autumn winter season launch in Melbourne on Thursday The statuesque beauty, who signed on as an ambassador for Land Rover in 2011, legally cannot promote any other car brand. As a result, show producers have managed to find a way to give Jennifer maximum focus without breaching her contract. The blonde beauty isn't the only Myer ambassador who has a lucrative deal with a car company. The statuesque beauty, who signed on as an ambassador for Land Rover in 2011, legally cannot promote any other car brand Neighbours star Jodi Anasta and Lauren Phillips are signed to Mazda however they will only walk the red carpet. An estimated 120 guests will attend the star-studded event. The launch, which comes two weeks after the David Jones show in Sydney, will be held at the Melbourne University underground car park. Glamorous: The launch, which comes two weeks after the David Jones show in Sydney, will be held at the Melbourne University underground car park 'It's a hidden gem. It definitely has the wow factor when you walk in,' she told News Corp. Myer deputy chief executive Daniel Bracken said while David Jones opted to have international model Karlie Kloss at their show, Myer is going in a different direction. 'Our event itself is what will stand us out from the norm,' he told Fairfax. Competition: While other models will hit the runway in electric cars made by Tesla, former Miss Universe Jennifer, 33, cannot due to her contractual obligations with Land Rover 'Jennifer will be walking. We don't need to do that [bring international guests]. The event, our brands and the show sets us apart enough, as well as the level of innovation. We wouldn't want that to be distracted. In addition to Myer and Land Rover, Jennifer has endorsement deals with Mt Franklin Lightly Sparkling water, Australia's Next Top Model and real estate development Trinity Point - all said to be worth upwards of $10 million. Kendall Jenner didn't make Kanye West's Yeezy 5 show in NYC on Wednesday. That's because the 21-year-old model was busy walking the runway at the Anna Sui show alongside her pals Bella and Gigi Hadid. The only member of Kim Kardashian's family to attend was Kylie Jenner, 19, and even she came late. Khloe, Kourtney and mom Kris Jenner were not seen at the event. Scroll down for video But she was booked! Kendall Jenner didn't make Kanye West's Yeezy 5 show in NYC on Wednesday. That's because the model was busy walking the runway at the Anna Sui Double threat: Also there were her besties Gigi (L) and Bella (R) Hadid Flawless! The girlfriend of Zayn Malik let her hair down for the show that featured mostly jewel tones and lace She wore blue velvet: Siren Bella looked somber as she showed off a wintery look Kendall looked very made up at the Sui show. The reality star had on very dark red lipstick and her eyes were heavily lined. The Calabasas native wore her short locks partially up in North West style buns. The Vogue favorite wore a black lace dress with a belt and necklace, and boots. Another outfit: The 21-year-old daughter of Kris Jenner also had on a black-and-white jacket with pins all over it and a print top with a grey and black skirt More dark looks: Kiki Willems, left, and another model, right, wore dresses Gigi was equally dramatic in a long coat with ruffled sleeves and slacks. Bella - who used to date The Weeknd - wore a metallic grey and black dress. Kendall has been very busy at fashion week as being a model is her first priority, she told Vogue last year. Backstage: Kendall has been very busy at fashion week as being a model is her first priority, she told Vogue last year In the makeup chair: Gigi Hadid looked patient as she got made up before the show The eyes have it: Blonde Gigi wore royal blue eyeshadow as she was seen in profile So many people backstage! Gigi is seen here passing worker bees behind the scenes Meanwhile, Kylie Jenner looked stunning in a large beige fuzzy jacket as she posed with sister Kim Kardashian at Yeezy 5. The lack of Kardashian/Jenners at his show must have irked the Stronger rapper as in the past he was reportedly 'annoyed' when his wife's famous family has not rallied around him for his fashion endeavors. Standing behind her man: Kim Kardashian gussied up for West's show Fans: Kylie Jenner joined her sister at Kanye's latest extravaganza GOTCHA: One fan managed to get a photo of both Kim and Kanye after the show With the chief: As with previous Yeezy shows Kim had a front row seat next to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour In September Kanye was upset that Khloe and Kourtney as well as Kris did not make his Yeezy Season 4 show. 'He was disappointed,' said a source to People magazine. 'Kanye has been very stressed about his fashion show. He is a perfectionist and was a nightmare before the show. Kim has definitely been annoyed. She is hoping that he will calm down after the fashion show.' History seemed to repeat itself on Wednesday, though there were plenty of other star faces like Hailey Baldwin and La La Anthony. Puckering up with her pals: The Selfish author with makeup artist Joyce Bonelli, left, and another friend Zoe Kravitz and Teyana Taylor, the star of Kanye's Fade music video, rappers Pusha T and A$AP Ferg were in the front row as well. The show kicked-off around 3pm ET with images of models projected onto a screen at the center of the runway. The venue was completely pitch black with attendees having to find their way to their seat using the light of their phones. As with previous Yeezy shows Kim had a front row seat next to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour New pal? Hailey, the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, was seen with La La Anthony, 37 The catwalk queen! Hailey Baldwin was all legs in her winter white outfit as she headed to Yeezy 5 in NYC on Wednesday Sporty: Her outfit was hard to grasp as the Tommy Hilfiger catwalker wore a sweatshirt tucked into a skirt over what looked to be a pair of shorts The 20-year-old Express model's outfit was hard to grasp as the Tommy Hilfiger catwalker wore a sweatshirt tucked into a skirt over what looked to be a pair of shorts. The design is most likely by West. The star looked like she had just visited a tanning salon as her gams were golden. Baldwin also wore silver platform heels that had thick ankle straps. In the cover girl's hand was a beige backpack and a water bottle. A choker that was studded added a nice touch. Mood? LOL: A choker that was studded added a nice touch All in a line: The show kicked-off around 3pm ET with images of models projected onto a screen at the center of the runway, Vogue reports Where are you mama? Kris Jenner, 61, was not seen at the show Kim looked to be very active at the show as she took photos with many supporters. Kris and Kourtney were last seen in Los Angeles taking care of North West. They were seen letting her shop at American Girl inside The Grove shopping mall. Khloe appears to be with her beau Tristan Thompson, who she spent Valentine's Day with. More supporters: The E! queen shared this image on Snapchat Now with a fan: Here Kylie and Kim posed with a person in a cable sweater They are two of many beautiful blondes to front Made In Chelsea. And Georgia Toffolo and her co-star Frankie Gaff proved they have all the credentials for the job on Wednesday night as they arrived at the New Look pre-London Fashion Week drinks bash. The 21-year-old stunner looked sensational in a thigh-skimming monochrome mini paired with a black fur coat while Frankie was more low key in a suedette T-shirt dress paired with over the knee boots. Scroll down for video Co-star: MIC beauty Georgia Toffolo looked stunning in a monochrome mini which was so short in length, it risked flashing more than expected Georgia, who uses the moniker Toff, looked chic in her barely-there mini skirt which was so periilous in length that she was forced to teeter out of her cab. Her endless legs were flawlessly toned and tanned, while she boosted their length with the addition of staggering platform ankle boots. Over the top she added in classic Made In Chelsea girl touches as she drowned her slender figure in a chic black furry coat. Toff's blonde tresses were worn in volumunious waves as the result of a flawless blowdry, while her make-up was stunningly suited to her pretty face. Hmm... Her co-star Frankie Gaff was wholly more low-key as she slipped into a basic tan T-shirt dress with minimal thigh-high boots Oops! Georgia, who uses the moniker Toff, looked chic in her barely-there mini skirt which was so perilous in length that she was forced to teeter out of her cab Pose: Once out of her cab, she paused to pose for photographers posted outside the venue Wavy: Toff's blonde tresses were worn in voluminous waves as the result of a flawless blowdry Let's face it...: The blonde beauty's make-up was stunningly suited to her pretty face Frankie meanwhile went for a simple yet stunning style statement comprising of a tan suedette mini dress which also acted to showcase her legs. The plain garment was perfectly suited to her alabaster colouring and bold blonde tresses, making for a stunning and natural finish. She upped the sex appeal with the addition of thigh-high suede boots, which not only acted to keep out the shuddering chill but also vamp up the look. Her night out appearance was in stark contrast to her saucy persona on social media as she has recently been littering her Instagram feed with sexy snaps while posing in various states on undress. Who's that? Frankie Gaff was engrossed in her phone during her cab ride Is that you? Her night out appearance was in stark contrast to her saucy persona on social media as she has recently been littering her Instagram feed with sexy snaps while posing in various states on undress Lace sensation: Hot on her heels was the Made In Chelsea elite, with Tiffany Watson arriving hand in her hand with her prankster beau Sam Thompson Ripped up: The blonde beauty looked stylish in a white T-shirt which she added an edgy feel to by pairing beneath a black lace bralet Yet more MIC stars came when Tiffany Watson arrived hand in her hand with her prankster beau Sam Thompson. The blonde beauty looked stylish in a white T-shirt which she added an edgy feel to by pairing beneath a black lace bralet. She toughened up the otherwise dainty look with the addition of ripped jeans and staggering silver stilettos, while her hair was blowdried into dramatic curls. On the town: The stunning star looked chic as she headed out on the town Nobody would believe Joanna Krupa works at a strip club. At least, that's the argument the Pink Pony as taking after being sued for using her image without permission. The 37-year-old filed a lawsuit against the Tampa gentlemen's establishment after she discovered her picture was being used to promote 'dance and shower' shows there. Too hot: The strip club being sued by Joanna Krupa for using her in ads without permission hits back claiming she's too pretty to work there But according to documents obtained by TMZ, the club has hit back with a somewhat flattering argument claiming no reasonable person would expect to find the 'pretty faces' in advertisements actually working the pole. It denied false advertising, and wants the case thrown out alleging Joanna cannot actually prove she owns the photos they are using. The former real Housewife Of Miami filed the lawsuit back in November. She demanded they remove her from all their promotional content and pay up for the ads that are already in the public domain. Not staff: The 37-year-old filed a lawsuit against the Tampa gentlemen's establishment after she discovered her picture was being used to promote 'dance and shower' shows there Joanna, who's married to Miami nightclub owner Romain Zago, reckons the fair market value for her likeness if $100,000, the website stated. In legal documents, the model asserted she did not agree to represent the strip joint but if she had, she would have charged the appropriate price. The issue is certainly not the revealing nature of the ads, as the Polish American stunner is no wallflower when it comes to showing off her amazing body Not shy: The issue is certainly not the revealing nature of the ads, as the Polish American stunner is no wallflower when it comes to showing off her amazing body She has been in the news for the past year for posting some very racy Instagram snaps. Last week she was naked in a bathtub showing some sideboob. Last year she posed in nude undies that made her look naked. The star has said she loves showing off her body. Stephanie Pratt was perfectly placed to show off her own fashion designs on Wednesday night in not just one but two gorgeous outfits. The Made In Chelsea star cut a striking figure in the embroidered, bridal style frock which clung to her svelte frame, before slipping into a nude bodycon. Blowing a kiss to the camera while holding a giant lip-shaped balloon, the 30-year-old star mingled with guests and posed with her designs which she is launching with occasion-wear brand Goddiva. Scroll down for video Save all your kisses for me: Stephanie Pratt launched her occasion wear fashion line with Goddiva in London on Wednesday The reality star's dress featured flashes of pink and yellow within the design ending at beaded fringing on the hem. Her blonde hair was worn on loose tousled curls with a matching braid. Heavy black mascara, coral pink lipstick and layers of silver bangles added to the look. Stephanie boasted a sun-kissed, bronzed glow courtesy of Secret Spa, who pampered the TV star at home before her big night. Second outfit: The stunner later slipped into a second, tighter fitting outfit Slinky: Stephanie showed off every inch of her fabulous figure in the dress Tanned: Stephanie boasted a sun-kissed, bronzed glow courtesy of Secret Spa, who pampered the TV star at home before her big night Pops of colour: The reality star's dress featured flashes of pink and yellow within the design Beautiful in beads: The ornate creation ended with embroidered sequins and beading at the hem Puckering up: Stephanie recently spoke about how excited she was about her new collection Her second dress was more tightly fitting with a real party vibe, not unlike her new dress collection. Stephanie's dress was perfect for the nightlife scene with a semi-sheer bodice that flashed right through to her bust. Fashionista Stephanie announced the collaboration with the French brand last year, with the range available to buy from Goddiva's website in March. 'I am so excited to finally present this range, I am so proud of it,' she said in a statement. 'Goddiva have been an unbelievable partner, and not just during business hours! I wouldn't have been able to do this without them and I am so grateful that they let a first-time designer be so involved from a to z.' Showing off: Stephanie flaunted her collection of dresses at the event Big news: Fashionista Stephanie announced the collaboration with the French brand last year, with the range available to buy from Goddiva's website in March Blown away! Stephanie was joined by friends to celebrate the big launch Stephanie - who previously studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise in Los Angeles, discussed her range last month, revealing she started designing in November. 'It'll be everything, but just for women,' she told BANG Showbiz. 'I cannot wait. 'I just know that I get to design, which you know I went to University for so I'm really excited.' The new collection will be exclusive to the UK, where Stephanie now lives. Enrique Marquez was arrested two weeks after the San Bernardino attack, the deadliest and investigators uncovered evidence that he had bought the guns in 2011 and 2012 The man accused of buying the weapons used in the San Bernardino terror attack has admitted his involvement in the massacre, authorities said Tuesday. Enrique Marquez, 25, purchased the assault rifles used by his longtime friend Syed Rizwan Farook and Farook's wife Tashfeen Malik, who together gunned down 14 people and wounded 22 others in December 2015 before being shot dead by police. Marquez was arrested two weeks after the attack, the deadliest on US soil since September 11, 2001, and investigators uncovered evidence that he had bought the guns in 2011 and 2012. Deirdre Fike, assistant director of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said Marquez's actions had "led to great suffering and a lifetime of pain for the survivors and for the loved ones of those murdered." "I'm gratified that this guilty plea will spare the victims and the San Bernardino community from having to relive the gruesome details of the attack during what would likely be a lengthy trial," she added. Marquez, who has been in custody since his arrest, was originally set to go on trial in July last year, but the hearing was put back seven months due to the huge volume of complex documents that had to be examined. He was facing up to 50 years in prison for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, lying about about the purchase of the two weapons used in the December 2 massacre and marriage fraud. In a deal filed in federal court, he agreed to enter a formal plea on Thursday admitting he had provided weapons, explosives and personnel to Farook and Malik. He now faces a statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison. According to the plea agreement, Marquez discussed with Farook the use of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices for attacks that never materialized on the nearby Riverside City College and on the 91 freeway. Marquez also agreed to admit making false statements in connection with the acquisition of the two assault rifles. "We are, and will continue to be, deeply committed to pursuing the prosecution of everyone who was even remotely related to the San Bernardino attack," attorney Eileen Decker said in a statement. "As these criminal cases begin to resolve, we hope that the victims of the attack and the community of San Bernardino are comforted in some small way by the knowledge that the Department of Justice and the law enforcement community stands with them in this investigation, resolute and committed to justice." As part of the investigation into the atrocity, three people have pleaded guilty to being part of a sham marriage scheme in which a Russian woman wed Marquez to obtain immigration benefits. White House was in crisis mode after the resignation of a top aide, a possible ethics breach by another advisor and president's alleged use of an unsecured smartphone Donald Trump's White House was in crisis mode following the resignation of a top aide, as it emerged the president knew for weeks about Michael Flynn's controversial Kremlin contacts before deciding to act. Questions were swirling on several other fronts: a possible ethics breach by another top advisor, and the president's alleged use of an unsecured smartphone. But the White House also grabbed headlines with a striking move on the diplomatic front, saying it would not insist on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here are five takeaways from the day: - Weeks in the making - As pressure mounted for an independent probe into allegations that Flynn discussed sanctions with Russia's ambassador, the White House revealed that Trump was told three weeks ago that his aide may have misled colleagues about the calls. Trump's national security advisor was finally asked to resign after what the White House said was a weekslong internal investigation that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing but "eroded" trust. The White House indicated that Trump's final decision was based on Flynn having misled Vice President Mike Pence about the substance of his calls with Sergey Kislyak. But in a further twist, it emerged late Tuesday that Trump kept his deputy -- who publicly defended Flynn -- in the dark for two weeks. If indeed Flynn discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy, it could have breached US law on negotiating with foreign powers, and at minimum was a significant break with the norm that incoming administrations accept the US has "one government at a time." The US Senate's top Republican Mitch McConnell said it was "highly likely" that Flynn would be asked to testify before an intelligence panel on the subject. Trump himself has remained uncharacteristically silent on the scandal rocking his young administration -- although he took to Twitter early Tuesday to insist that "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington?" - Two-state no more? - On the eve of a visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House signaled a sharp break with decades of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A senior White House official said the United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement, but would support what the two sides agree to together. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said on condition of anonymity. "Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want or something else if that's what the parties want." For the better part of half a century, successive US governments -- whether Republican or Democrat -- have backed a two-state solution. But since coming to office, Trump has sought to show that the United States is an unwavering ally of Israel, trying to draw a contrast with President Barack Obama. Obama often warned that Israeli settlement construction could make a two-state solution impossible, and that a one-state solution would put the future of the Jewish state in question. - Not a good look - The US Office of Government Ethics has urged the White House to investigate Trump's key aide Kellyanne Conway for plugging the fashion brand of his daughter Ivanka -- saying she should likely face disciplinary action. Conway sparked an uproar last week when she gave Ivanka Trump's clothing a rave review on television. The White House said after the fact that Conway had been "counseled" over the potential ethics breach. But on Monday, OGE director Walter Shaub wrote to the White House stating that: "Under the present circumstances, there is strong reason to believe that Ms Conway has violated the standards of conduct and that disciplinary action is warranted." "I recommend that the White House investigate Ms Conway's actions and consider taking disciplinary action against her," he said. Conway had urged shoppers to "go buy Ivanka's stuff" after retailer Nordstrom announced it was dropping the first daughter's line. The president had previously hit out at the high-end store, saying his daughter had been treated "unfairly." - How safe is that phone? - Alarmed by reports that Trump was still tweeting from an old Android handset, two US senators said they have requested details on the president's smartphone security, fearing he could jeopardize national secrets. "Did Trump receive a secured, encrypted smartphone for his personal use on or before Jan. 20? If so, is he using it?" Senator Tom Carper asked in a series of tweets. "Trump should be well aware by now of the appropriate and necessary protocol to safeguard our nation's secrets." Carper and fellow Democrat Claire McCaskill released a letter they sent to the administration, dated February 9, requesting information on the president's device. "The national security risks of compromising a smartphone used by a senior government official, such as the president of the United States, are considerable," they warned in the letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis, Homeland Security chief John Kelly and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers. The New York Times reported last month that while Trump received a new, secure device after his inauguration, he still relied on his older device despite protests from aides -- and warnings from numerous security experts. - White House welcome - Since Trump took office on January 20, the White House has been closed to the public -- with no news on when it might reopen -- triggering rumblings of complaint in some quarters. Melania Trump lifted the suspense by announcing that public tours of the 224-year-old presidential residence would resume March 7. White House tours are highly popular with visitors to Washington, a perk arranged by members of Congress for their constituents and foreign embassies for their nationals -- and some lawmakers had begun complaining about the long delay in restarting tours. The first lady, who plans to continue living at Trump Tower in New York until her 10-year-old son Barron finishes the school year, stressed her dedication to the "remarkable and historic site." "We are excited to share its beauty and history," she said. Jordan says it has taken in 655,000 Syrian refugees since the start of the conflict, with 54,000 housed at the Azraq camp (pictured) in the north Almost six years into a war that has devastated their country, Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon say they expect nothing of peace talks this month but still dream of going home. "I don't think anything will come of the talks" this week in Kazakhstan and the next in Switzerland, says Ahmad al-Khabouri, 32, at a refugee camp in Jordan. But the young man, who fled Syria with his wife and children in 2014, says he still clings on to hope of returning home some day. "I don't know if my house has been destroyed or not, but I want to return home even if we've managed to make a new life for ourselves here," he says. The war has killed more than 310,000 people and displaced millions since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. In the Azraq refugee camp, Khabouri runs a small shop that sells shisha tobacco and bicycles, the only method of transport for around 54,000 residents in the settlement. Sitting beside him outside his shop, Khabouri's 65-year-old uncle says he still thinks about his home and surrounding fields in Daraa, the southern cradle of Syria's uprising. But he says he is just as disillusioned about the latest rounds of talks between the regime and rebels set to take place in Astana on Thursday and in Geneva on February 23. Prefabricated metal houses at the Azraq camp for Syrian refugees in northern Jordan, pictured on January 30, 2016 "It's all lies, whether from the regime or the opposition. They're all laughing at the Syrian people," says the man in a long white robe and a traditional keffiyeh headscarf. At a nearby electronics stall, Ali al-Ghouthani, 42, says he'll return to Syria as soon as it is safe. - 'All I want is home' - "Despite the dignified life we have here, I'll go back as soon as security returns -- even if my home is destroyed... I'll rebuild it," says the father-of-eight, who is also from Daraa. Syrian refugee children walk in a muddy alley at an unofficial refugee camp in the village of Deir Zannoun in Lebanon's Bekaa valley Beside him, Abdelmonem al-Muthib listens to the chirping of a caged bird brought from Syria. But he says Syria will have to be much safer for him to return. "I won't start again from scratch, even if the fighting stops... unless the situation looks at least 35 percent like it did before the war," says the father-of-six. "If not, I'll stay here." The UN refugee agency says Jordan has taken in 655,000 Syrians since the start of the conflict, but Amman says the number is much higher at 1.4 million. In Lebanon, where the UNHCR says it has registered more than one million Syrian refugees, camp residents express similar frustration at the stagnant peace process. "We're not expecting anything. They've already met five or six times without any results," says Tarek Salloum, 24, standing outside a makeshift home in a camp in east Lebanon. "There'll be no solution because no one wants to make any concessions," says the refugee, who fled to the Marj area from the Syrian town of Zabadani across the border. "The losers are the Syrians who left their country." Qasiya Ezz, who has 10 children, says all she wants from the talks is "security and a small house for me and my children". "Whether the regime falls or not, I don't care," says the 38-year-old, her head wrapped in a black scarf. "We used to have peace in our beautiful country. All I want is to go home." Zac Posen ditched the runway for portraiture with guests free to mingle in front of photographs of a handful of models wearing a paired-down fall/winter 2017 collection Designers live to set trends, and celebrity favorite Zac Posen sought to jolt New York fashion out of its slumber party by ditching the runway for portraiture on Valentine's Day. The 36-year-old designer of many hats -- television star in "Project Runway," creative director of Brooks Brothers womenswear and author of a prospective cookbook -- invited friends, family, fashion editors, models, bright young things, and of course the press to a Tribeca loft. Guests were free to mingle in front of 20 photographs and a silent video of a handful of models wearing a paired-down fall/winter 2017 collection, shot in his artist father's Soho studio. "This is about a democratic look of beauty and women, craft and communication," Posen told AFP, explaining the concept. "Everybody will have the same images to share, the same moving videos." Rooted in the 1940s, the collection exemplified Posen's love of construction -- tailoring techniques, embroidery, velvet ribbons and threadwork onto mesh and organza. Colors were burnt orange, burgundy bronze and midnight blue, and of course the ever present black. Rooted in the 1940s, Zac Posen's collection exemplified his love of construction, tailoring techniques, embroidery and threadwork onto mesh and organza Selecting relatively few looks was also his answer to the great flux in which fashion finds itself: how to keep the customer hooked when six months traditionally separates the runway to stock in shops. Giants such as Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford, and a sprinkling of smaller bands have tried to solve the problem in a different way by instead offering spring/summer 2017. Posen said he would build up his collection closer to the release date, but said his shoes would be shoppable online in a week. - Different time - The exhibition was as buzzing as a trendy gallery opening, the layout allowing a bigger guest list than a runway show. Guests sipped on mini bottles of Pommery, and nibbled finger sandwiches and macarons. The overall effect was at least different in a week of few standout shows apart from Raf Simons' much admired debut for Calvin Klein. "I love the theatrics of the runway, but I think right now it's a different time," said Posen, who is foregoing the traditional catwalk for the first time in his already 15-year career. "I like that we can stand in front of an image and have a conversation about what we're seeing," he said. The morning highlight of day six of New York Fashion Week was multimillionaire designer Tory Burch, who unveiled a Katharine Hepburn inspired collection But Posen sought to avoid much of the political commentary that has clung like a limpet to fashion week with America's cultural elite largely up in arms over President Donald Trump. "I'm not using politics as a marketing tool," Posen told AFP. "No theme, timelessness, beauty, elegance," he said. Nevertheless his party favor bags included the hot-pink pins in support of Planned Parenthood, the women's healthcare provider that Trump wants to defund, and which dozens of designers are supporting. - Hepburn power - The morning highlight of day six was multimillionaire designer Tory Burch, who unveiled a Katharine Hepburn inspired collection designed for the modern, elegant and powerful woman. It was a show that oozed class at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where the winter sun poured through the windows and a red hardback of love poems was carefully laid out for each guest. "To me, she is a hero," Burch told AFP of Hepburn, the late screen legend. "I think she personifies powerful women in a way, she was very irreverent and outspoken and did it with such grace." The opening look at the Tory Burch show, a white coat and white pants, was difficult to dissociate with anyone other than Hillary Clinton, her most iconic campaign style But the opening look -- a white coat and white pants -- was difficult to dissociate with anyone other than Hillary Clinton, her most iconic look on her presidential run last year that Burch supported. From a classic navy pant suit, to a waist accentuated by sparkling buttons, to a Fair Isle winter sweater paired with velvet pants or jacquard skirt, they could have been staples from a chic 1950s closet. Burch, whom Forbes ranks 73 on the list of the world's most powerful women, said she had been "greatly affected" by the women's march on Washington after Trump's inauguration. "I think that it's bigger than what it became about, because women are half the population, it should be equal rights, equal pay," she said. The skin on 14-year-old Khin Khin Tun's back is a patchwork of burns Khin Khin Tun's back is a patchwork of burns, searing memories she says from when her former employer poured two flasks of boiling water over her flesh -- one for each orange she was accused of stealing. The 14-year-old and her sister spent years working as domestic helpers in the city of Mawlamyine, southern Myanmar, part of a vast invisible workforce of child servants hidden in the country's wealthy houses. "Aye Aye Soe took a flask and poured it on the left side of my body. She told me to tell the truth. When I replied I didn't have (the orange) she beat me," she told AFP this week. "When I shouted I was burning, she beat me around the head. There was a lot of blood." Khin Khin Tun, 14, has deep scars on her back, arms and neck, searing memories she says from when her former employer poured two flasks of boiling water over her flesh Khin Khin Tun was rescued after three years working for Aye Aye Soe, a 40-year-old widow, and her mother Tin Pyone in their home and as a waitress for their catering service. The girl was sent by her father to be a domestic helper to fund his medical bills. Her younger sister Thazin Aung, now 12, was later also taken in by the women. At first Khin Khin Tun was paid 30,000 kyat ($22) a month for working more than 17 hours a day, but that stopped after her father passed away in 2015. Soon the beatings started. Hla Shwe, who also worked at the catering company, said she witnessed the boiling water attack in December. The teenager was forced to strip before Aye Aye Soe "poured hot water" over her body, she said. "I could only watch this scene. What could I do? I cannot say anything," she added tearfully. The sisters are among tens of thousands of youngsters who support their families through domestic work for the growing urban elite in Myanmar's booming cities. Abused Myanmar child slave Khin Khin Tun and her sister were rescued in late December when the founder of a local NGO discovered her in hospital Alone, invisible and without any legal protection, experts say they are highly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. The issue came to light last year when two teenage domestic helpers were freed from a tailor shop in Yangon, where they said they spent five years being beaten, stabbed and deprived of sleep and food. The case shocked the country and the president ordered an investigation into how it was handled, but no concrete steps have been taken despite de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi's pledge to protect human rights. - 'Monitoring is impossible' - "Monitoring is almost impossible," according to Piyamal Pichaiwongse, deputy liaison officer for the International Labour Organization based in Yangon. "The best form of protection is still education and reducing household poverty." The alleged abuser of Khin Khin Tun and her sister is escorted from court in Mawlamyine, southeast of Yangon, Myanmar, on February 13, 2017 Khin Khin Tun and her sister were rescued in late December when the founder of a local NGO, Thi Thi Nwe, discovered her in hospital. Sitting in the NGO's office, the teenager described how her employers would accuse the girls of stealing food, then tie them up and brand them with burning wood if they denied it. Sometimes they would be forced to hit each other until they bled, then rub chilli powder, MSG and vineger into the wounds. Tens of thousands of youngsters support their families through domestic work for a growing urban elite in Myanmar but they are highly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse "If we did not want to beat each other, they would beat us. So we had to do it," she said softly, tears in her eyes. "They wanted us to hate each other." Aye Aye Soe appeared in court on Monday accused of causing grievous bodily harm and voluntary hurt -- but not child abuse charges that would ensure she was denied bail. The widow and her mother refused to speak to AFP journalists outside the Mawlamyine court. Instead they tried to get reporters barred from observing the trial. The girls' aunt Hla Kyi decided to bring the case, braving Myanmar's slow and often corrupt legal system, after being contacted by Thi Thi Nwe. At first the employers accused Khin Khin Tun of spilling the water on herself, saying she had "mental problems," Hla Kyi told AFP. "When I saw the child, I felt sorry. I'm angry too. That's why I opened the case," she said. Today Khin Khin Tun says she still feels dizzy sometimes, but is hopeful she can now forge a new life with her sister. "I want my sister to go back to school," she said. "Can I go back to school at this age?" India's "Jana Gana Mana" national anthem has been sung by 509,261 people in Gujarat, seeting a new Guinness World record Half a million Indians have set a new world record by performing a mass rendition of their national anthem, as patriotic sentiment rises under a nationalist government. The "Jana Gana Mana" anthem was sung by 509,261 people in Gujarat, the home state of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the opening of a Hindu temple, said Guinness World Records. "The event attracted close to 1 million people according to the auditors, but only the above number could be accommodated in the record attempt area," the world record-keeper said on its website. The feat was accomplished in late January but only validated recently by Guinness World Records. It smashes the previous record of roughly 254,500 set in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka in 2014. "We feel very proud to have achieved this record, which is nearly double that of the previous record," Paresh Gajera, chairman of the organising committee overseeing the stunt in the western state, told AFP. The patriotic effort comes amid a fiery debate in India over exploitation of the anthem, and concerns about overt displays of nationalism under Modi's right-wing administration. The Supreme Court ruled in November that cinemas must play the national anthem before screening movies and audiences should stand for it, drawing angry accusations of an assault on civil liberties. There have been reports of cinemagoers being assaulted for refusing to stand, while others were arrested for failing to obey the ruling. Some liberals say freedom of speech is being stifled by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which came to power in 2014. Armyworms are attacking maize plants at alarming speed on farms in South Africa Peeling back the maize plant's leaves reveals a small brown caterpillar -- an armyworm that writhes as it burrows into the heart of the crop, producing a sticky dark paste. Eighty percent of the Prinsloo family's maize plants are under attack, as are those of other farmers in Haakdoringboom, a farming community 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of South Africa's capital Pretoria. "These worms are eating everything that they touch," said farmer Jacques Prinsloo, who held up a damaged leaf to demonstrate the alarming speed at which the fall armyworms devour the crop. Leaves are shredded and residue speckles the inside of the plants -- a tell-tale sign of trouble. The recently-arrived pests, which are proving immune to existing pesticides, are devastating crops and threatening southern Africa's fragile food supply having spread through Zambia and Zimbabwe as well as South Africa. Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia are also reported to be affected by the worms. They originate from South America and are thought to have arrived in Africa in shipments of plants or on commercial airliners, with the first fall armyworms in Africa seen in Nigeria and Togo last year. "I tried everything on the market. I spent 45,000 rand ($3,400) on pesticides alone," said Jacques, 24, who has been battling the pests for six weeks. "Last year the drought, this year the worms, what next year? Everyone thinks it's easy to farm. It seems easy until you start doing it." Jacques estimates that as many as four in five of his maize plants are affected. - 'We're fighting' - Armyworm caterpillars eat the kernels of a cob of corn If the crop fails entirely, he estimates it will cost his family up to 700,000 rand ($53,000) this year alone. Crops in neighbouring farmers' fields are also being ravaged by the pests, according to Adele who, along with her son Jacques, employs six staff on their roughly 100 hectare farm. "We're fighting. The farm next door to us is fighting," said Adele. Across southern Africa, fall armyworms are wreaking havoc with staple crops for the first time. Key food sources like maize, wheat, millet and rice have all come under attack, raising fears of imminent mass food shortages. Nearly 40 million people in southern Africa have been affected a two-year-long drought caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon reducing food availability by 15 percent, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). David Phiri, the FAO's coordinator for southern Africa, warned experts at a crisis summit in Harare this week that the armyworm poses "a huge threat to food security". - 'Hopeless, angry, heartbroken' - South African farmers are desperate for help to fight the armyworm pest Despite their proximity to South Africa's seat of power, the Prinsloos feel that their plight, and that of hundreds of other farmers, is being ignored by the government. "I'm feeling hopeless, angry, heartbroken -- it feels like I could go and sit and cry myself to death," said 50-year-old Adele who has been involved in farming for nearly half her life. "All the money and effort that's been put in there and I'm getting no help. "We were promised a visit by the farming minister on Sunday but they cancelled. Nobody is doing anything. They said they would import a poison from abroad but we've heard nothing." The region around the Prinsloo farm had only just begun to recover from one of the worst dry spells in recent history when the armyworms struck. "A year ago we had the drought but then we had good rains. Now the worms are destroying the crop," said Adele. In one badly affected field, nearly every plant is showing signs of damage. Looking out over his family's fields, bordered by tracks of rich red earth and criss-crossed with mechanical irrigation systems, Jacques is doubtful there will be a quick solution to the crisis. "(The plants) are not going to make corn because of the damage," he said of this year's crop. "The larvae is making new worms and you must fight them again. Burning it might be the only option." AIADMK leader VK Sasikala pays her respects at the memorial for former state chief minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram before leaving to surrender to authorities, following a Supreme Court ruling, in Chennai on Febuary 15, 2017 Disgraced Indian politician VK Sasikala was jailed Wednesday for corruption, just as she was on the cusp of becoming the leader of one of India's most prosperous states. Sasikala set off by car from her base in Chennai to Bangalore where she will serve her four-year sentence, a day after judges found her guilty of illegally amassing assets worth $10 million. Flanked by scores of supporters, Sasikala first paid an emotional tribute at a memorial to her long-time mentor Jayalalithaa Jayaram, Tamil Nadu state's long-serving chief minister and a co-accused in the case before she died in December. Sasikala could be seen pounding Jayalalithaa's memorial with her palms and battling to hold back tears before being driven away in a SUV in the middle of a motorcade at the start of the 350-kilometre (220 mile) trip. Earlier in the day India's top court rejected a plea to allow her more time to surrender to authorities before beginning the sentence, which bans her from running for public office for a decade. The 59-year-old had been anointed as Jayalalithaa's successor by the state's dominant party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. It had been expected she would be sworn in later this week until Tuesday's bombshell verdict. The sentence brought a dramatic halt to the former video parlour saleswoman's meteoric rise up the political ranks. Sasikala had been involved in a bitter battle with acting chief minister, O Panneerselvam, who had been trying to block her ascent. But before Tuesday's ruling she appeared to have won enough support to be sworn in by the state assembly this week. She skipped Tuesday's court hearing and instead stayed at a resort in Chennai with several dozen legislators over fears that Panneerselvam's camp might try and poach them before her investiture. The corruption case dates back to the late 1990s, when Jayalalithaa and Sasikala were accused of profiting from the chief minister's office and acquiring wealth beyond their income. They were jointly accused of illegally amassing assets including bungalows, luxury cars, tea estates and nearly 30 kilogrammes (66 pounds) of gold worth around 660 million rupees, equivalent to around $10 million. Sasikala had spent nearly a month in the same Bangalore prison in 2014 before being let out on bail. Iraqi special forces patrol the Al-Quds neighbourhood of Mosul after recapturing it from Islamic State (IS) group jihadists on January 3, 2017, during an ongoing operation to retake the city As the noose tightens around holdout jihadists in west Mosul, so does the belt around the waists of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians trapped there with dwindling supplies. "We're trying to build up some reserves but we have very little food left at home," said Umm Sameer, a mother from the Ras al-Jadda neighbourhood of west Mosul. After retaking eastern Mosul from the Islamic State group last month, Iraqi federal forces are now preparing to move on the part of the city that lies on the west bank of the Tigris River. All the bridges connecting the two sides have been dropped and the jihadists holed up in the west have nowhere to run to, setting the stage for what could be Iraq's bloodiest battle yet in the fight against IS. "We're already only eating once a day," said Umm Sameer. "The shelves are almost bare in the shops and when you do find something it's too expensive, like a kilo of onions which now costs 15,000 dinars (around $12)," she said. Umm Sameer said 30 eggs fetched around $50 and sugar was impossible to find, a shortage that affects all households in a country where tea is consumed in large quantities and with abundant sugar. "People are so desperate that they are using sugar substitutes for diabetics to sweeten their tea," she said. The jihadist gunmen who have ruled the area for almost three years are growing more paranoid by the day as air strikes by the US-led coalition continue to target their hideouts, residents said. - IS raids - The battle for Mosul "(IS) members are raiding people's houses more often, looking for mobiles. If you have one, you face execution," said Abu Mohammed, who lives in the Al-Shafaa neighbourhood. He said some residents who had secretly kept a mobile phone since 2014 had recently destroyed their device. None of the residents contacted by AFP by phone would give their full names out of fear. Abu Mohammed said the only ones not to suffer from the food shortages were IS leaders, many of them foreigners, who still had access to some supplies from Syria. "Local IS fighters however are more or less facing the same situation as the rest of the population," he said. Some residents have been displaced internally by the preparations IS is making for the offensive federal forces are expected to launch against the jihadists' west bank stronghold. Fighters have set up positions along the river front in a bid to counter any attempt by Iraqi forces to cross the Tigris on pontoon bridges. The jihadists have also punched holes in people's homes, which enables them to move across a neighbourhood from one house to another without exposing themselves to aerial surveillance by stepping into the street. Residents also said that the homes of those who managed to flee are being systematically seized by IS, as well as the shops whose owners happened to live on the east bank. - Burning clothes for fuel - That leaves some residents with the choice of abandoning their homes and belongings or staying in a place that is being used by IS fighters and risks being considered a military target. "We are extremely concerned about the rapid deterioration of the conditions in west Mosul," United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Iraq Lise Grande told reporters Wednesday. "Families are in big trouble, half of the shops have been closed," she said while visiting a nearby displacement camp. Abdelkarim al-Obeidi, who heads a Mosul civil society organisation, urged the government to start air dropping food supplies. Water and electricity are intermittent at best and some Mosul residents have told of how they are resorting to burning their own furniture to stay warm in a city where temperatures have regularly dipped below zero in recent weeks. A man from the Tammuz 17 neighbourhood who gave his name as Abu Zeid said he was even burning old clothes because gas and kerosene were also hard to come by. "We have suitcases filled with old clothes in the basement, we'll be spending a lot of time down there when the fighting starts," he said. A lawmaker accused of flogging a horse which became a cause celebre across India was hoping to spur his fortune as the state of Uttarakhand went to polls on February 15, 2017 A politician fighting to clear his name over the death of a celebrity horse was among candidates trying to woo voters as the Indian state of Uttarakhand went to the polls Wednesday. Uttarakhand is one of four states holding elections this month but a long-running saga over the untimely death of a beloved police horse has turned its contest especially sour. Ganesh Joshi from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is seeking re-election despite fighting allegations in court that he clubbed a police horse so badly during a political rally that it lost a leg. "Shaktiman" became a cause celebre, and his eventual death from infection outraged Indians who had followed every step of his ordeal in the press. The horse was buried with full police honours, and Joshi was among those briefly arrested for animal cruelty over the 2016 incident. The sitting politician denied being responsible for the assault, saying cries of "horse killer" flung by his opponents in the Congress party had only helped his cause. "It has not damaged my reputation, it has only helped me," he said during an election rally in the hill town of Mussoorie. "People around here know that if anyone gets hurt, I take them to the hospital in my car. They know that I could never do this (hit the horse)." If he wins, Joshi has promised to build a top-class veterinary hospital in Uttarakhand, but the results will not be known until March 11. The Uttarakhand poll, along with those in Goa, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, is being seen as a key test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi halfway through his term. A fifth state, Manipur in the northeast, goes to the polls next month. Latest polls for April's French presidential vote show National Front leader Marine Le Pen leading with 27 percent in the first round, but she is not expected to triumph in a run off French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen will visit Lebanon next week for talks with leaders of Paris's former mandate territory, a Lebanese government source said Wednesday. "Madame Le Pen will be in Beirut on the 19th and 20th, and will meet (President Michel) Aoun and (Prime Minister Saad) Hariri on Monday," the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The latest polls for April's presidential vote show Le Pen, who heads the far-right National Front (FN) party, leading with 27 percent in the first round, but she is not expected to triumph in a run off. At her campaign launch earlier this month, Le Pen vowed to put France first and to fight "terrorism", and she has called for dialogue with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Aoun, who was elected in October, had allied himself with powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is fighting on behalf Assad's government in Syria. Hariri on the other hand is fiercely opposed to the Assad regime, which he accuses of having assassinated his father, former prime minister Rafiq, in 2005. Le Pen in a magazine interview last month said Syrians were "waiting for... Assad to win this war against Islamist fundamentalists." French presidential election candidate for the far-right Front National (FN) party Marine Le Pen (C) visits a flea market in Nice, southeastern France, on February 13, 2017 Rival presidential hopeful and former economy minister Emmanuel Macron visited Beirut on January 24, where he met both Aoun and Hariri. While he did not call for an alliance with Assad, 39-year-old centrist Macron advocated for a "balanced policy" towards the regime and the myriad rebels fighting it. Right-wing candidate Francois Fillon, dogged by revelations his wife Penelope was paid for years for a suspected fake job as a parliamentary aide, cancelled a visit early this month to Lebanon and Iraq. Paris had mandate power over Lebanon and neighbouring Syria during the first half of last century. Talks in Astana on the Syria conflict, pushed by regime supporter Moscow, are seen as a warm-up for UN-led negotiations on the protracted war due in Geneva on February 23 Syrian rebel figures were en route to the Kazakh capital on Wednesday for fresh talks on reinforcing a faltering six-week truce, a spokesman and other opposition officials told AFP. The talks are set to begin Thursday and, like an earlier round in January, will be sponsored by rebel backer Turkey and regime allies Russia and Iran. "We are going now to Astana as the official opposition delegation," spokesman Yehya al-Aridi told AFP by phone. Rebel figures will meet with representatives from Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations, he said. The team will be again headed by Mohammad Alloush, a leading figure of the Army of Islam (Jaish al-Islam), but would be "smaller" than the last round. "We are going there for one particular thing, an essential matter: we were promised that there is going to be affirmation of the ceasefire," Aridi said. A truce deal brokered by Moscow and Ankara in December is faltering across Syria, with clashes reported in the southern city of Daraa and bombardment in the provinces of Aleppo and Hama. The Istanbul-based National Coalition on Wednesday said these violations would make up a cornerstone of the Astana talks. National Coalition spokesman Ahmad Ramadan said the delegation will include Alloush and five other rebel figures. "The point of the delegation is... to send a message to the Russians regarding the lack of commitment to the Ankara (truce) agreement, six weeks after it was signed," Ramadan told AFP. He said violations included "aerial and artillery bombardment, forced displacement, the lack of a solution for detainees and the continued besiegement of 800,000 civilians." Alloush was also expected to insist that political matters -- like a transition of power -- be discussed only in upcoming UN-brokered talks in Geneva. Russia is sending presidential envoy Alexander Lavrentiev to Astana while Iran said it is dispatching deputy foreign minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari. Syrian state media reported Wednesday that a government delegation had arrived in Kazakhstan. UN envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura said he would not participate personally in Thursday's meeting but that his office would be represented by a "technical team". The Astana initiative has left the West on the sidelines of the latest push to end the war in Syria that has claimed more than 310,000 lives since 2011. UNICEF said Sudan is home to around 13 percent of all children suffering from acute malnutrition across Africa The UN children's agency on Wednesday launched a $110 million appeal to help two million acutely malnourished children across Sudan, including hundreds of thousands living in conflict areas. UNICEF said Sudan is home to around 13 percent of all children suffering from acute malnutrition across Africa. Their situation is exacerbated by conflict-related displacements, El Nino, epidemics, floods and droughts. "The United Nations Children's Fund in Sudan launches an appeal in response to children's needs across the country, for a provisional total of $110 million," UNICEF said in a statement. The agency said two million children under five in Sudan are acutely malnourished. And two million children have been displaced due to violence in Darfur, the regions of South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei, with many separated from their relatives and affected by grave violations, it said. Around three million children remain out of school, with half of them living in conflict affected areas. Although Sudan has made progress across many life-saving sectors in recent years, around 24 million people still lack proper sanitation facilities while six million children have no access to clean drinking water, the agency said. UNICEF has spent about $500 million in Sudan over the past five years, and the agency increasingly aims to tap funds from inside Sudan. An Iraqi policeman guards the site where a car bomb exploded in an industrial area of south Baghdad on February 14, 2017, killing at least four people A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle in a Shiite majority neighbourhood of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least nine people, an interior ministry official said. Thirty others were wounded in the explosion in the Habibiya area, near the vast district of Sadr City in northern Baghdad, the official said. A hospital official and a colonel in the Baghdad police confirmed the toll from the blast, which struck in an area where many car dealerships are found. On Tuesday a car bomb explosion in southern Baghdad killed at least four people, according to the same sources. The Iraqi capital was rocked by a wave of deadly suicide bombings during the first days of 2017 but relatively few explosions had been reported since. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Wednesday's blast but nearly all suicide attacks are claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group, which is defending its last major Iraqi bastion of Mosul against a massive, four-month-old operation by the security forces. Since the overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in Libya, weapons have travelled freely from the chaotic state in an arc of unrest through Mali and Niger Clashes have forced 600 people to flee their homes in central Mali as traditional herding communities battle with farmers over accusations of jihadist infiltration and land use in areas hit by climate change. Malian television said Tuesday night hundreds had fled villages close to the city of Macina after clashes between Fulani herders and Bambara farmers over the weekend. The death toll from the armed confrontation had risen to 20 from 13, a security ministry communique said Wednesday, while 16 people were injured. Four Malian ministers have visited the area and an enquiry has been announced into the causes of the dispute. The clashes were allegedly triggered by the murder of a Bambara farmer on Saturday named as Cheickna Traore. It was followed by retribution killings against Fulanis (known as Peuls in French) accused of being jihadists who had organised the assassination. A report last month by Human Rights Watch described an "Islamist armed group presence and intimidation of the population" that has "steadily increased" in central Mali, as well as an uptick in banditry and criminality. The South African-based Institute for Security Studies has highlighted drought driven by climate change as leaving herders unable to feed their animals in northern Mali, forcing them to move south. They are then "forced into the valleys where conflicts often arise with farmers over land and water," according to a report released last year. Fulani people are frequently accused of colluding with jihadists who have sowed chaos in Mali in recent years, especially in the north but more recently in the centre as well. Since the overthrow of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in Libya, weapons have travelled freely from the chaotic state in an arc of unrest through Mali and Niger. The only person convicted in the 1985 Air India bombings that killed 331 people is now free, Canada's parole board said Wednesday. Inderjit Singh Reyat had been ordered to live at a halfway house following his release from prison one year ago, after serving two decades behind bars. That condition has now been lifted and Reyat may return to a normal life, including 'living in a private residence,' parole board spokesman Patrick Storey told AFP in an email. This June 6, 2001 artist's rendering shows Air India bombing suspect Inderjit Singh Reyat as he sits in a Vancouver courtroom Air India Flight 182 Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the TorontoMontrealLondonDelhi route and was destroyed by a bomb at an altitude of 9,400 m. It crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while flying in Irish airspace. A total of 331 people were killed, including 268 Canadian citizens, 27 Britons and 24 Indians. The incident was the largest mass murder in Canadian history. It was the deadliest terrorist attack involving an plane until the September 11, 2001, attacks. It is believed that the main suspects in the bombing were members of the Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa. The attack came against the backdrop of Operation Blue Star, the Indian army's campaign to flush out several hundred Sikh militants occupying the Golden temple. Inderjit Singh Reyat, a Canadian national, remains the only person convicted of involvement in the bombing. Singh pleaded guilty in 2003 to manslaughter. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for building the bombs that exploded aboard Flight 182 and at Narita. Advertisement The Sikh immigrant from India was convicted of making bombs that were stuffed into luggage and planted on two planes leaving Vancouver, and of lying in court to cover for his co-accused. One bomb tore apart Air India Flight 182 as it neared the coast of Ireland, killing all 331 people aboard, including entire families. The second exploded at Japan's Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers as they transferred cargo to another Air India plane. The blasts followed a crackdown on Sikhs fighting for an independent homeland, and those behind it were allegedly seeking revenge for the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by Indian troops. Reyat was working as a mechanic in westernmost Canada and purchased the dynamite, batteries and detonators used to construct the bombs. Two alleged co-conspirators were acquitted due to a lack of evidence and, according to prosecutors, because of Reyat's perjury. Storey said Reyat's parole officer has assessed those with whom he will live 'to ensure they will not have a negative influence on him.' Conditions of his release from prison also still apply, including having no contact with the victims' families nor with extremists. Reyat must also shun all political activities and take counseling for violent tendencies, a lack of empathy and exaggerated beliefs. Recovery operations in progress at the Haulbowling naval base near Cork, Ireland, June 23, 1985, following the Air India Boeing 747 crash off the Irish coast which killed 331 people The Sikh from India was convicted of making bombs that were stuffed into luggage and planted on two planes leaving Vancouver, and of lying in court to cover for his co-accused US President Donald Trump has set his Republican Party on edge Donald Trump and his White House have come in for intense criticism in the president's dizzying first weeks in office, and the rising sound of discord is not just coming from opposition Democrats. Republicans on Capitol Hill and outside the Washington Beltway are increasingly venting their frustration and worry -- sometimes publicly but more often among themselves -- about the new administration's missteps, speedy policy rollouts, abrasive tone and often tenuous relation to facts. "We shouldn't be having these questions now" in the first month of a new presidency, said a Republican senator who requested anonymity so he could discuss the issue more freely. "We are concerned." In a dozen AFP interviews, lawmakers, party grandees and congressional staff have painted a picture of an administration struggling to get up to speed on various fronts, trampling on White House protocol, and acting hastily instead of with deliberation and prudence as they pivot away from the policies of Trump's predecessor Barack Obama. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain fields questions from reporters on Capitol Hill on February 15, 2017 The interviews were carried out shortly before explosive revelations in The New York Times that members of Trump's campaign and other aides were in repeated contact with Russian intelligence officials prior to November's election. Among Republicans, strident accusations of incompetence have come from Senator John McCain. "It's dysfunctional as far as national security is concerned. Who's in charge? Who's in charge!" an exasperated-looking McCain told reporters Tuesday, after top Trump aide Michael Flynn resigned amid charges he discussed US sanctions policy with Russia's ambassador prior to the inauguration, then misled Vice President Mike Pence about the contacts. "Who's making policy? Who's making decisions? I don't know of anyone outside of the White House that knows," McCain said. - 'Seeking reassurance' - Trump repeatedly proclaimed he would "drain the swamp" in Washington and shake up the establishment. "I'm just doing what I said I would do," he insisted Monday, vowing to keep translating his campaign promises into White House action. He has proven time and again that he will do things differently as president, refusing to tone down his Twitter talk, issuing sweeping immigration restrictions and then clashing with the judicial branch which blocked them, and filling his inner circle with controversial confidants like strategist Steve Bannon. And Trump has set his Republican Party on edge. "It's an unusual time that we're living at," Senator Susan Collins said when asked how she views contentious aspects of the new Trump era "Nobody's freaking out, but they are seeking reassurance" from higher-ups that the White House is not stumbling into crisis, a Republican congressional aide said, reflecting on the mood among colleagues on Capitol Hill. Aides, House and Senate staffers and Republican operatives have huddled over drinks expressing hope that the new administration will "get it together," the aide said. Key posts, including ambassadorships, remain unfilled, and a common criticism is that the administration often appears to remain in combative campaign mode. White House staffers are leaking like a punctured canteen, bringing internal discord to light and infuriating the president. "It's an unusual time that we're living at," Senator Susan Collins said when asked how she views contentious aspects of the new Trump era. "It's troubling," she said of the Flynn fiasco. Some lawmakers have chalked it all up to the teething problems of a new White House switching party hands, led by a president still defined by his mindset as a provocative and blunt-nosed business negotiator. "Any new president is entitled to some grace period as far as getting his administration together," said congressman Peter King, who like Trump is from New York. "I would give him time to get it worked out. We can come back in a few months and take a look at it." - 'Reduce the chaos' - Others are less forgiving. "These are not normal growing pains," noted Republican strategist Rory Cooper, a former White House staffer under George W. Bush. "Most Republicans want the tweets to stop and for Trump's staff to reduce the chaos emanating from their ranks," he said. A few Republicans are now flinching at Trump's campaign promises. They balk at his plan for a wall on the Mexican border, arguing it would cost too much. And Trump's call to "repeal and replace" Obama's health care reforms is dividing Republicans. "People you would expect to really rally around a Republican president are somewhat muted in their comments or defense," said Republican strategist Brad Marston of FourTier Strategies. "I think there's a sense that he's probably biting off a little too much to chew." Not every Republican is perturbed by Trump's debut, even if he antagonized Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto into cancelling a US visit and reportedly lost his cool on a call with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia. "Trump was just being Trump," said Morton Blackwell, an influential conservative activist who recently met with the president in the White House. And outside the political sphere, Trump's base supporters remain "delighted" so far, particularly on policy direction, Blackwell said. "What we saw in the... campaign we're likely to see during the administration," he added. "Who would be surprised about that?" DACA was created as a temporary measure to avoid the deportation of hundreds of thousands of youths who came illegally to America as children with their parents, have lived almost their entire lives in the US and are integrated into US culture US immigration authorities arrested a Mexican man without residency papers even though he has special status protecting him from deportation, lawyers and the government said. Lawyers for Daniel Ramirez Medina said his arrest -- for the purpose of expulsion -- was a first among people included in the so-called DACA program protecting unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. The arrest also raises questions about the future of the estimated 750,000 immigrants who have filed for this special status since then-president Barack Obama introduced it with an executive order in 2012, the lawyers said. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Ramirez, 23, was arrested Friday by immigration enforcement agents near Seattle in the northwestern state of Washington. US immigration authorities arrested at least 680 people across the country last week for expulsion as part of President Donald Trump's pledge to crack down on people, mostly Latinos, who are in the country illegally. Officers showed up at Ramirez's house to arrest his father, who also lacks papers and had already been deported once, and ended up taking in both of them, said human rights lawyers working for Ramirez. Ramirez came to the United States with his parents when he was seven. He first applied for and obtained protection under the DACA program in 2014, and renewed it in 2016. This allows Ramirez, who now has a toddler son born in the US, to live and work legally in the country for at least two more years. "The unprecedented and unjustified detention of Daniel... violates the solemn promises made to him and other DACA recipients," said Mark Rosenbaum, one of his lawyers working for the pro-bono firm Public Counsel. DACA was created as a temporary measure to avoid the deportation of hundreds of thousands of youths who came illegally to America as children with their parents, have lived almost their entire lives in the US and are integrated into US culture. But immigration authorities say Ramirez confessed to being a member of a street gang, and this can be grounds for being denied DACA status. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers "took Mr. Ramirez into custody based on his admitted gang affiliation and risk to public safety," said ICE spokeswoman Rose Richeson. Ramirez's lawyers say the confession was obtained under duress and that Ramirez has never committed a crime and has no criminal record. A hearing on Ramirez's case is scheduled for Friday in Seattle. BRUSSELS (AP) - For Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. As much he'll tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO, he also is expected to visit Europe with a hand out, hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments and greater assistance in military campaigns in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Mattis also will field questions on national security adviser Michael Flynn's resignation over his pre-inauguration discussions with Russia, and what the change means for U.S. policy on Moscow. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. NATO defense ministers will begin a two-day ministerial beginning on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Speaking to reporters on the way to a NATO defense ministers' meeting, Mattis said Flynn's departure "has no effect at all" on him. "Frankly, this has no impact," he said. "I haven't changed what I'm heading there for. It doesn't change my message at all. Who is on the president's staff is who I will work with. And so, you know, it's full speed ahead." Mattis also reinforced earlier comments he's made on NATO's importance. Calling it "the most successful military alliance in history," he told reporters on the plane that "our commitment remains to NATO." But he said allies need to discuss increasing their military funding to the benchmark goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. After spending his first official trip telling America's Asian allies they wouldn't be abandoned, Mattis is on a similar journey in Brussels and Munich this week, where he will have to address the mixed messages from President Donald Trump on the value of NATO before and after he took office. "I think there will be a lot of reassuring words spoken over the next week," said Derek Chollet, a former senior defense official who is now senior adviser at the German Marshall Fund. Nations want Mattis to maintain the U.S. commitment to providing military support and troops to bolster Poland and the Baltics, who feel threatened by Russia, he said. While Mattis' words may provide some comfort, Chollet said: "It will leave the question: What does the president think? If anything, the sum total of all of this will just perpetuate the confusion." Wednesday marks Mattis' first NATO meeting as defense secretary. During his Senate confirmation hearing last month, the retired Marine general said he wanted the U.S. to "maintain the strongest possible relationship with NATO." With remarks such as those, Mattis has distanced himself from Trump's criticism of the military alliance and threats that the U.S. might not defend allies that don't fulfill their financial obligations as NATO members. Mattis, however, is aligned with Trump's call for the 27 NATO members to meet the defense spending requirement. Only a few are currently hitting the 2 percent mark, while the U.S. spends more on its armed forces than all the others combined. Washington also foots more than 22 percent of NATO's commonly funded budget. The U.S. also would like to see an increased NATO commitment in Afghanistan, where forces have been fighting the Taliban for more than 15 years, since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Washington wants more trainers in Afghanistan, where about 8,400 American troops are still deployed. There also will be discussions about how to accelerate the newer, U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Europe's leaders will first be looking for clarity from Mattis. They're still rattled by Trump's declarations that NATO is "obsolete" and his repeated praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Such comments have triggered fears Trump will ease sanctions imposed on Moscow after it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and supported an insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Another concern: lessened U.S. military support for eastern European allies near Russia's border who worry about being the next target. During his confirmation hearing, Mattis told senators that he has discussed NATO with the president and that Trump was "open" to changing his position. Among Mattis' first calls after Trump's inauguration was one to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. In recent weeks, Trump's public statements on NATO have softened somewhat. After meeting Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters that he assured her he was "100 percent" behind NATO. A joint statement issued after Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone said the two agreed on the "fundamental importance that the NATO alliance has for trans-Atlantic relations" and the need for all members to pay their fair share. Trump made similar comments in a call with French President Francois Hollande. Only four countries other than the U.S. - Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland - are meeting NATO's spending target. Many are increasing their budgets in response to Russia's actions. SOLOLA, Guatemala (AP) - The law works as it has for centuries in the Guatemalan indigenous community of Solola: Townsfolk bring grievances and local authorities make rulings, usually with a speed unheard of in a country where justice is often delayed, if it comes at all. At one recent weekly court session, Maria Micaela Panjoc, baby in arms, came with a request for paternity payments. Others sought help with land disputes. Andres Xelp wanted the judges to force his son to move back home. The generally non-partisan leaders of local Mayan communities hear the cases, trying to find quick resolutions when they can and sometimes passing cases over to formal prosecutors when they cannot - as in the case of a young woman speaking the Kaqchikel language who said she'd been raped. In this Jan. 16, 2017 photo, residents listen to indigenous authorities acting as judges during a hearing related to a territorial limit conflict in their community, at the Indigenous City Hall in the Indian town of Solola, Guatemala. Here justice works as it has for centuries: Townsfolk bring grievances and local authorities make rulings, usually with a speed unheard of in a country where justice is often delayed, if it comes at all. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) The Solola court alone handled 3,000 cases last year. For generations, outsiders have looked down on indigenous law courts, as they have on the native cultures themselves. Some 40 percent of Guatemala's 17 million people identify themselves as indigenous and they are pushing for wider respect for the traditional ways in which their cultures deal with their differences, though opposition remains strong within the country's non-indigenous communities. Guatemala's Constitutional Court already has accepted some rulings by indigenous courts and there's a move to formally amend the country's constitution to recognize them. An earlier measure to do that came two votes short in congress, with opposition coming from conservatives and from business interests that said they feared legal confusion if different systems co-exist. Members of congress were scheduled to discuss the proposed constitutional amendment to recognize indigenous justice as part of the country's judicial system, but on Wednesday they put off the debate for a week after no consensus emerged among the political parties. At least 105 of 158 legislators must approve the proposal for it to pass. The idea has gained support from national Attorney General Thelma Aldana, as well as Ivan Velaszuqez, who heads the U.N. Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala that has been assisting in corruption investigations in the country. "Guatemala has to be a place where all its inhabitants belong," said Velazquez, who visited Solola to view the court process. The formal legal system has often exploited or ignored indigenous Guatemalans, who were legally required to perform forced labor well into the 20th century and who generally found it nearly impossible to pay for lawyers. Even now, only 10 percent of the country's townships have prosecutors' offices. In Solola, Mayor Tomas Saloj presided over hearings in a town hall decorated with the 20 figures representing the Mayan calendar - 20 days per month, 18 months per year. On the table that served as the judge's bench were a candle and a glass of water, an invitation for the wisdom of dead ancestors to enter. Punishments can include restitution, community labor, banishment or whippings: Two braided leather whips hang in the Solola town hall as a reminder. Agustin Bocel, a town spokesman, recalled a case of attempted rape in which the attacker was sentenced to nine lashes of a whip - at the insistence of his own mother, one for each month she carried him, to remind him of the shame he caused her. Bocel said the man has never caused problems again. Tomas Guarcas, the mayor of nearby Pixabaj, defended the practice. "Whipping is a punishment that is like educating children, without violating human rights," he said, adding that the punishment is usually applied by "by one of the offender's relatives, the mother, father or in-laws." Indigenous Congressman Amilcar Pop said the use of floggings is increasingly discouraged, however. "This type of mechanism is something that has to be controlled and avoided," Pop said. Aldana, the attorney general, said she sees no contradiction between the indigenous system and the formal courts. The indigenous courts, she said, "have helped maintain the peace" and helped "reduce pressure on the regular justice system and its budget." Victoria Chuj is one of just three women among the 71 mayors in the province of Solola, of which the town of Solola is part. She carries her wooden staff - the badge of her authority, decorated with four tokens representing the four directions - with pride. "The staff has to be good and straight so that, like justice, it cannot be bent," Chuj said. In this Jan. 16, 2017 photo, a couple listens to the arguments of indigenous judges during a hearing to resolve a land dispute at the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. The generally non-partisan leaders of local Mayan communities hear the cases, trying to find quick resolutions when they can and sometimes passing cases over to formal prosecutors when they cannot. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) This Jan. 20, 2017 photo shows portraits of indigenous mayors, after they attended a weekly meeting at the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. Top row from left are: Felix Ben Bosel of Sacsiguan village; Maria Cristina Ajcay of Sacsiguan village; Juan Tun Queju of El Adelanto village. Middle row from left are: Jorge Quisquina Sorin of Churunel II village; Pedro Ixcayac Cuc of Santa Fe village; and Agustin Guit of Xejuyu village. Bottom row from left are; Domingo Julaju Perez of La Fe village; Santos Mendoza Pic of Pujujilito village; and Alberto Topoz of El Triunfo village. (AP Photos/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 20, 2017 photo, indigenous mayors attend their weekly meeting at the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. Indigenous mayors and aldermen in the department of Solola are elected every year. The Solola court alone dealt with 3,000 cases last year. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 16, 2017 photo, Maria Micaela Panjoc puts in a request for alimony payments to help her with the costs of raising her son, at the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. Guatemala's Supreme Court already has recognized some rulings by indigenous courts and there's a move to formally amend the country's constitution to recognize them. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) This Jan. 20, 2017 photo shows the downtown area of Solola, Guatemala, a town inhabited mostly by the Kaqchikeles indigenous. Solola's indigenous Mayor Tomas Saloj presides over hearings in a town hall decorated with the 20 figures representing the Mayan calendar. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 17, 2017 photo, indigenous aldermen rest as they do community clean-up work in Pixabaj, a village in the department of Solola, Guatemala. Indigenous aldermen, 15 in the department of Solola, are elected every year. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 17, 2017 photo, Tomas Guarcas, indigenous mayor, walks with his team as they do community clean-up work in Pixabaj, a village in the department of Solola, Guatemala. Indigenous leaders do community work, alongside some volunteers, two days a month, which they call "jornales." Indigenous leadership jobs are unpaid. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 20, 2017 photo, potato pickers haul tuber-filled bags to a nearby truck along the Pan-American highway in Solola, Guatemala. Indigenous authorities obtain some income by renting the community's shared land to those who want to farm it, using the money to pay for administrative costs of running the town. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 17, 2017 photo, indigenous Mayor Tomas Guarcas leaves a store after he and his team checked the quality and expiration date of groceries, during a day of community work in their village of Pixabaj, in the department of Solola, Guatemala. Indigenous leaders do community work, alongside some volunteers, two days a month, which they call "jornales." (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 17, 2017 photo, indigenous Mayor Victoria Chuj holds her baton during an interview at the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. Chuj is one of only 3 women mayors out of a total of 71 in Solala department. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 16, 2017 photo, Tomas Saloj Guit, indigenous mayor of Solola, poses for photos at his office in Solola, Guatemala. In Solola, Mayor Saloj presides over hearings in a town hall decorated with the 20 figures representing the Mayan calendar. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 20, 2017 photo, indigenous leaders pray before starting their weekly meeting at the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. Attorney General Thelma Aldana said she sees no contradiction between the indigenous system and the formal courts. The indigenous courts, she said, "have helped maintain the peace" and helped "reduce pressure on the regular justice system and its budget." (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 20, 2017 photo, police officers and indigenous authorities stand guard outside the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. The generally non-partisan leaders of local Mayan communities hear the cases, trying to find quick resolutions when they can. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 16, 2017 photo, indigenous leaders lead a court hearing inside the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. The Solola court alone dealt with 3,000 cases last year. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 20, 2017 photo, U.N. International Commission Against Impunity representative Ivan Velasquez, center, wears a traditional Mayan jacket as he poses for photos with Indigenous Mayor Tomas Saloj, right, during his visit to the Indigenous City Hall in Solola, Guatemala. Guatemala's Supreme Court already has recognized some rulings by indigenous courts and there's a move to formally amend the country's constitution to recognize them. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) In this Jan. 16, 2017 photo, indigenous residents wait for the Indigenous City Hall to open in Solola, Guatemala. Justice works as it has for centuries in the Guatemalan Indian town of Solala: Townsfolk bring grievances and local authorities make rulings, usually with a speed unheard of in a country where justice is often delayed, if it comes at all. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) Hundreds of parents across the country are desperately urging President Donald Trump to embrace Obama-era protections for transgender students. In a letter, sent to the president by the Human Rights Campaign late Tuesday, more than 780 parents stress that 'all students deserve equal access to a safe, welcoming school and a high quality education no matter who they are.' Revoking students' rights to use the bathroom of their gender choice is wrong, said the letter. The Obama administrations guidelines on student bathroom usage were challenged by 13 states 'These policies are wrong, they hurt our children, and they violate the principle of equal education,' said the letter, according to the Seattle Times. The call follows a decision by the Trump administration last week to abandon a defense of the guidelines issued by the Obama administration, which call for schools to let students use bathrooms according to their gender identity. A court issued an injunction against those guidelines last summer in response to a lawsuit filed by 13 states, meaning that the guidelines were not adopted. A US district judge sided with the states and blocked the directives. The Justice and Education departments under Obama appealed. The Trump administration rescinded an appeal to the acceding to the lower court judge's injunction to block it nationwide A hearing in Fort Worth would have pitted the US Departments of Justice and Education against Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin. But on Friday, shortly after Attorney General Jeff Sessions was sworn in, the Justice Department withdrew a motion in defense of the guidance, acceding to the lower court judge's injunction to block it nationwide. 'It's really upsetting to see that the first thing they chose to do, late on a Friday night, was take a step back from fighting to defend students from harm,' said one of the signatories, Eliza Byard, executive director of GLSEN, a group advocating for LGBT students. On Monday, advocates for LGBT rights sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, urging the same continuation of the bathroom guidelines. 'Transgender students are entitled to the full protection of the United States Constitution and our federal nondiscrimination laws. 'It is heartbreaking and wrong that the agency tasked with enforcing civil rights laws would instead work to subvert them for political interests. President Trump must immediately reverse course and direct the DOJ to uphold guidance protecting transgender students,' said Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin in a statement. Parents of transgender students say that revoking that right amounts to discrimination. Conservative activists firmly oppose the idea, saying it endangers the privacy and safety of other students. During the campaign Trump said that transgender students should use which bathroom they like, according to the Seattle Times, but the denying to fight the injunctions seems to go against this. BEIJING (AP) - The former Communist Party chief of the major northern Chinese province of Hebei has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on corruption charges, a court announced Wednesday, as President Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign continues to claim high-profile targets. In handing down the sentence to Zhou Benshun, the Intermediate People's Court in the southeastern port city of Xiamen said he had been given relatively lenient treatment in return for cooperating with investigators and handing over the proceeds of his corruption. It said Zhou, 64, abused his position for personal gain while serving as the top official in the province just outside Beijing and in lower level jobs between 2000 and 2015. He and his relatives had scooped up a total of more than 40 million yuan ($5.8 million) in bribes and kickbacks resulting from real estate and construction deals, safety approvals, bank loans and work promotions, the court said. In this March 7, 2014 photo, Zhou Benshun speaks during a group session of the National People's Congress in Beijing, China. Zhou, former Communist Party chief of the major northern Chinese province of Hebei, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on corruption charges, a court announced Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 as President Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign continues to claim high-profile targets. (Chinatopix via AP) Along with turning over his ill-gotten gains, Zhou had 2 million yuan ($300,000) of his personal assets confiscated and handed over to the state treasury. He had been placed under investigation in July 2015 and expelled from the ruling party shortly afterward. Xi has vowed to end corruption and government waste, although critics have accused him on occasion of using the campaign to attack political rivals. Thousands of officeholders have been investigated as part of the drive, which has brought down a pair of high-ranking generals, a former member of the party's all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, and a number of other high-ranking local and central government officials. CAIRO (AP) - Egypt's chief-of-staff has mediated between two Libyan rivals who refused to meet face to face in Cairo but later agreed to form a committee to renegotiate a U.N. peace deal. Col. Tamer el-Rifai, an Egyptian army spokesman, says the two - the head of Libya's U.N.-backed government, Fayez Serraj, and Khalifa Hifter, the country's most powerful army commander - met separately with Egypt's chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Hegazy late on Tuesday. He says they agreed to form a joint committee that would make key changes to the 2015 U.N.-brokered peace deal. Once the parliament, based in eastern Libya, endorses the changes, it would pave the way for parliamentary and presidential elections next year. Libya's east-based parliament does not recognize the U.N.-backed government set up in the country's capital, Tripoli. LOS ANGELES (AP) - A plea agreement from the only person to be criminally charged in the San Bernardino terror attack drew mixed emotions from the victims' loved ones. "It's a hell of a day to come out, Valentine's Day," said Mandy Pifer, whose boyfriend Shannon Johnson was killed in the 2015 shooting. Enrique Marquez Jr., 25, of Riverside, agreed to plead guilty Tuesday to providing the high-powered rifles used to kill 14 people and injure nearly two dozen others and to plotting a mass killing with the gunman Syed Rizwan Farook that they never carried out, court records say. FILE - This Dec. 21, 2015 courtroom file sketch shows Enrique Marquez Jr. in federal court in Riverside, Calif. Marquez, a longtime friend of Syed Rizwan Farook, the male shooter in the San Bernardino terrorist attack, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring with Farook in 2011 and 2012 to provide material support to terrorists. Marquez, 25, of Riverside, Calif., entered into a plea agreement that was filed Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, in U.S. District Court, and is scheduled to formally plead Thursday, Feb. 16. (Bill Robles via AP, File) Pifer said despite the tough timing of the deal she's "relieved that it won't be a long trial. If it'll be finished sooner, I'm all for it." She said she planned to speak at Marquez's sentencing about the impact her boyfriend's killing has had on her. In his last moments, Johnson huddled with a colleague under a table, shielding her from the bullets. "It is what it is," she said. "Nothing's going to bring him back." Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik opened fire on his co-workers on Dec. 2, 2015, and were later killed in a gunfight with authorities. Prosecutors said Marquez acknowledged being a "straw buyer" when he purchased two AR-15 rifles from a sporting goods store that were used in the attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. Prosecutors have said Marquez agreed to buy the weapons because the attackers feared Farook's Middle Eastern appearance might arouse suspicion. Prosecutors said there is no evidence Marquez participated in the San Bernardino massacre or had advance knowledge of it. Marquez also admitted to plotting with Farook in 2011 and 2012 to massacre college students and gun down motorists on a gridlocked California freeway, though those attacks never occurred. Federal officials said the duo had envisioned halting traffic on state Route 91 with explosives and then firing at trapped motorists, or tossing pipe bombs into a crowded cafeteria at Riverside City College. Marquez said he backed out of the plot after four men in the area about 60 miles inland from Los Angeles were arrested on terrorism charges in late 2012, the FBI has said in court documents. "While his earlier plans to attack a school and a freeway were not executed, the planning clearly laid the foundation for the 2015 attack on the Inland Regional Center," U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said Tuesday. Marquez, who could face up to 25 years in prison, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Thursday. His attorney didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Marquez and Farook first met in 2005 after Marquez moved next door to Farook's family in Riverside, about 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, officials said. The then-teens would meet in Farook's garage and Farook, a Muslim, began educating his new friend about his religion. Marquez converted and became a Muslim in 2007. The FBI said the two began discussing extremist views shortly after Marquez converted. By late 2011, Marquez spent most of his time at Farook's home, where he read Inspire magazine, an official publication of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula; watched videos produced by al-Qaida's affiliate in Somalia; and studied radical material online, federal officials said. ___ Associated Press writer Amanda Lee Myers contributed to this report. ___ Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1. PHOENIX (AP) - The Phoenix City Council on Wednesday turned down a petition to adopt sanctuary status for immigrants following a contentious and emotional discussion that ended with chants against the council. The council voted after hours of testimony from about 30 people that often became rowdy and emotional. A majority of people who spoke before the council favored adopting the policy, and many chanted "shame on you" after the council voted against it. City leaders say Arizona's landmark 2010 immigration law, known as SB1070, bars any Arizona city from becoming a sanctuary. Most of the law was gutted by the courts, but city leaders say the surviving sections prevent local government agencies from restricting the enforcement of federal immigration law. Democrat Mayor Greg Stanton made the motion to deny the request but said he stands with immigrants and against policies by President Donald Trump to deport more people. He called the decision a matter of law. The council also voted to ask the city attorney to present legal options against SB1070, although the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled on it. Many speakers invoked the arrest and deportation last week of a Phoenix-area woman following a routine check-in with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Proponents of sanctuary status said the council should stop the separation of families like that of Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, the mother of two U.S.-citizen children who was deported last week. Speaker Maria Castro said her mother was an immigrant who lacks legal status and who is fearful under Trump administration policies. "We cannot allow this to continue to happen," Castro said. "Deportations are happening every day. You are leaving orphans at home every single day." About eight people spoke against the petition, many saying illegal immigration is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. "We must be living in the 'Twilight Zone,'" Tim Rafferty said. "This is the United States of America, we were built on laws. This isn't about being mean or being hateful. This is our immigration laws." The vote was taken in the wake of an order by Trump requiring immigration authorities to arrest and deport more people. Sanctuary city policies vary but essentially bar local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The Phoenix metro area is home to about 250,000 immigrants in the country illegally, according to a report last week from the Pew Research Center. The report is based on data from 2014. New York, Los Angeles and Houston have the highest number of immigrants who lack legal status. WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. intelligence agencies and Congress will continue to investigate Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential election, even after President Donald Trump fired his national security adviser for providing inaccurate accounts of his contacts with the Russian ambassador last year. Democrats said an independent investigation was the best way to answer questions about the Trump administration's ties to Russia. But Republican leaders continue to refuse to consider that option and said three congressional investigations underway were enough. Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired late Monday. The White House said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with the Russian ambassador. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is questioned by reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, on the ouster of Michael Flynn, President Trump's national security adviser. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) This isn't the first time Trump has distanced himself from an adviser in light of relationships with Moscow. In late August, Paul Manafort resigned as Trump's campaign chairman after disclosures by The Associated Press about his firm's covert lobbying on behalf of Ukraine's former pro-Russia governing political party. Trump has long held a friendly posture toward the long-time U.S. adversary and has been reluctant to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin, even for Putin's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014. "This isn't simply about a change in policy toward Russia, as the administration would like to portray. It's what's behind that change in policy," said California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, one of the congressional bodies investigating. Under the Obama administration, U.S. intelligence agencies said Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of electing Trump. Trump has acknowledged that Russia hacked Democratic emails but denies it was to help him win. The New York Times reported late Tuesday that members of Trump's campaign, including Manafort, had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the year before the election. The U.S. knew about these contacts through phone records and intercepted calls, the Times said. Reached late Tuesday, Manafort told The Associated Press he has not been interviewed by the FBI about these alleged contacts. "I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today," Manafort said. Officials who spoke with the Times anonymously said they had not yet seen any evidence of the Trump campaign cooperating with the Russians on hacking or other attempts to influence the election. The investigations and the unusual firing of the national security adviser just 24 days into his job have put Republicans in the awkward position of investigating the leader of their party. The congressional probes are ultimately in the hands of the Republican committee chairmen, and the executive branch's investigation is now overseen by Trump appointees. Republican leaders focused on the idea that Flynn misled Pence about the nature of his contacts with the Russian ambassador - not on any questioning of the relationship between Flynn and the ambassador. Democrats said a key issue is whether Flynn broke diplomatic protocol and potentially the law by discussing U.S. sanctions with Moscow before Trump's inauguration. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said the committee had not yet seen the transcripts of Flynn's calls. The Justice Department had warned the White House late last month that Flynn could be at risk for blackmail because of contradictions between his public depictions of the calls with the Russian ambassador and what intelligence officials knew about the conversations. "You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the vice president and others," said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. California Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said he was concerned Flynn's rights were violated in the interception of his conversations with the Russian ambassador. "I'm just shocked that nobody's covering the real crime here," Nunes said. "You have an American citizen who had his phone call recorded and then leaked to the media." The FBI has wide legal authority to eavesdrop on the conversations of foreign intelligence targets, including diplomats, inside the U.S. Flynn did not concede any wrongdoing in his resignation letter, saying merely that he "inadvertently briefed the vice president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador." While North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said much of the panel's investigation will occur behind closed doors, Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said he planned to push to make the findings and hearings public. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump did not direct Flynn to discuss U.S. sanctions with the Russians. "No, absolutely not," Spicer said. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Erica Werner, Richard Lardner, Chad Day and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., center, flanked by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, left, and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., pauses as he answers questions about the ouster of Michael Flynn, President Trump's national security adviser, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Ryan says President Donald Trump made the "right decision" to ask for Flynn's resignation, adding, you cannot have the national security adviser misleading Vice President Mike Pence and others in the administration. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, flanked by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, left, and Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, join other top House Democrats to say they want an investigation into President Donald Trump's relationship with Russia, including when Trump learned that his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had discussed U.S. sanctions with a Russian diplomat, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) - A fake Michael Flynn Twitter account has fooled two top House Democrats who cited a series of tweets in condemning President Donald Trump's former national security adviser. Flynn was forced to resign Monday over discussions he had with Russian officials before Trump took office. At a news conference Tuesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., complained that Republicans in Congress were not adequately investigating Flynn's actions. In doing so, they cited a tweet purportedly from Flynn that said, "I feel it is unfair that I have been made the sole scapegoat for what happened." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., joined at right by Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, calling for an investigation into President Donald Trump's relationship with Russia, including when Trump learned that his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, had discussed U.S. sanctions with a Russian diplomat. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) CUMMINGS: "Madam leader, just this morning, Flynn tweeted, and this is a quote, 'scapegoat,' end of quote. Scapegoat. He basically described himself as a scapegoat." PELOSI: "I have a tweet, I'm going to make, I'm telling my staff right now - It's not scapegoat, its stonewall, and that's exactly what the Republicans in Congress are doing." THE FACTS: That wasn't Flynn tweeting. Flynn had a different verified Twitter account during the campaign, but it is no longer active, and his own son, Michael Flynn Jr., tweeted in his account that the purported tweet from his father was fake. Cummings mentioned the tweets at the news conference and Pelosi picked up on the theme. Both offices later acknowledged the mistake. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill acknowledged that Pelosi inadvertently cited tweets from a fake account. Cummings issued his correction on Twitter: "Yes, sorry, to correct the record - just learned like many others that the Flynn tweet this morning was fake." The New York Times cited tweets from the unverified account in a story about Flynn's resignation. The newspaper later removed the references and corrected its story. ___ Find all AP Fact Checks here: http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd ___ Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephenatap KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Taliban insurgents attacked a village in northern Faryab province on Wednesday, killing five members of the local police force, an Afghan security official said. Karim Yuresh, spokesman for the provincial police chief, said After a surprise early morning attack, the Taliban gained control of the village, located in the Shirin Tagab district, he added. Five insurgents were also killed and two others were wounded in the battle. Qari Yusouf Ahamdi, a Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack. In neighboring Jawzjan province, insurgents abducted about 50 local farmers in Darzab district. Mohammad Reza Ghafori, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the tribal elders are trying to secure their release. He added that the motive behind the kidnapping isn't yet clear. The Taliban have not made any statements on the abducted farmers. In another report, three people - an Afghan army soldier and two civilians - were killed in two separate attacks in eastern Laghman province, according to Sarhadi Zwak, spokesman for the provincial governor. First, a roadside bomb against an army convoy killed one and wounded seven soldiers in Alishing district, said Zwak. Two civilians were killed in the same district when a rocket fired and struck a civilian house, he added. MANILA, Philippines (AP) - The Philippine government is considering adding airports to serve the capital Manila and nearby areas, including a sprawling airport city complex that could handle 100 million passengers a year, officials said Wednesday. Manila's congested international airport once was dubbed the world's worst airport in surveys by travel website The Guide to Sleeping in Airports. Improvements have allowed it to escape that listing since 2015, but it remains overly congested. Transport Undersecretary Roberto Lim said a multi-airport system could include the present airport in Manila, an expanded Clark airport northwest of the capital that could handle 8 million passengers per year, another 2,500-hectare (6,177.5 acre) airport in Bulacan, also north of Manila, and possibly yet another airport and seaport in the former U.S. naval station in Cavite province adjacent to Manila. The Department of Transportation is evaluating a proposal by conglomerate San Miguel Corp. to build the 699 billion pesos ($14 billion) airport city complex in Bulacan, Lim said. Manila's airport handled 36.7 million passengers in 2015 - more than the 30 million combined capacities of its terminals. Last year, 5.9 million tourists arrived in the Philippines, and the target is to attract 12 million by the year 2022, said Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. adding that the government is developing more air routes to achieve its goal. Nearly 99 percent of arrivals in the Philippines, an archipelago, are through airports. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked Israel's prime minister to "hold off" on building Jewish settlements in land the Palestinians claim for their future state, yet held back from explicitly endorsing support for a future independent Palestine. After weeks of dancing around the issue of expanded Israeli settlements, Trump made the request to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint news conference at the White House preceding their private discussions. It is Netanyahu's first trip to Washington since Trump became president. While Trump's call echoed that of past U.S. presidents, who've considered Israeli housing construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank an obstacle to a Mideast peace deal, the American leader broke with his predecessors on the idea of a two-state agreement. While such an accord may have once appeared to be the "easier of the two" options, Trump said he'd be open to alternatives if the two sides propose something better. President Donald Trump listens as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during their joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) The two leaders were to discuss peace efforts as well as Iran and Trump's campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Relocating the embassy would signal American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would infuriate Palestinians. They claim the eastern sector of the city, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, as their capital. Trump said Wednesday he'd like to see the embassy moved but that he is studying the issue closely. American presidents have struck a delicate balance in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing the close U.S. friendship with Israel and lavishing the Jewish state with bountiful aid. But recent presidents also have called out Israel for actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements. On Tuesday, a senior White House official said Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hopes to bring them together soon. It will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entail, said the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the leaders' session before it took place and spoke on condition of anonymity. Peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal, the official said. State Department officials said they were not aware of any policy shift on the desirability of an agreement establishing an independent Palestine side-by-side with Israel - long the bedrock of U.S. policy in the region. Three officials said the department was seeking clarification from the White House's comments, which came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was having dinner with Netanyahu on Tuesday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. __ Associated Press writers Josh Lederman in Washington, Karin Laub in Ramallah, West Bank and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) FORT LEE, N.J. (AP) - The Fort Lee Film Commission in New Jersey celebrated Black History Month by honoring a pioneering African-American filmmaker with ties to the area. The Record reports (http://bit.ly/2l7a4Yd) that film and history enthusiasts gathered at the Fort Lee Museum to highlight the works of director Oscar Micheaux on Tuesday night. The film commission has honored the director annually since the group's inception in 2002. The group discussed Micheaux's opposition of hate groups and his positive portrayals of African-Americans throughout the event. Micheaux produced and directed five films in Fort Lee between 1920 and 1948. He is also credited with making the first African-American-produced sound film with an entirely black cast. Fort Lee Film Commission Executive Director Tom Meyers says the group would like to expand the event to discuss more black filmmakers with an entire exhibit. ___ Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), http://www.northjersey.com Pope Francis insisted Wednesday that indigenous groups must give prior consent to any economic activity affecting their ancestral lands, a view that conflicts with the Trump administration which is pushing to build a $3.8billion oil pipeline over opposition from American Indians. Francis met with representatives of indigenous peoples attending a U.N. agricultural meeting and said the key issue facing them is how to reconcile the right to economic development with protecting their cultures and territories. 'In this regard, the right to prior and informed consent should always prevail,' he said. 'Only then is it possible to guarantee peaceful cooperation between governing authorities and indigenous peoples, overcoming confrontation and conflict.' The Pope did not directly name the Dakota Access pipeline, but his comments on native people having a right to make decisions about their land applied to their struggle. Above, Pope Francis receives a gift of cloth from an indigenous woman at the Vatican on Wednesday Pope Francis told the group on Wednesday that indigenous peoples have 'the right to prior and informed consent' regarding the development of their land. Above, Pope Francis greets an indigenous woman at the Vatican on Wednesday Two tribes are fighting the government to stop the construction of a pipeline through their native lands. Pope Francis appeared to side with the tribes on Wednesday. Above, Pope Francis greets three women at the talk on Wednesday The Cheyenne River and the Standing Rock Sioux tribes have sued to stop construction on the final stretch of the Dakota Access pipeline, which would bring oil from North Dakota's rich Bakken fields across four states to a shipping point in Illinois. The tribes say the pipeline threatens their drinking water, cultural sites and ability to practice their religion, which depends on pure water. The last piece of the pipeline is to pass under a reservoir on the Missouri River, which marks the eastern border of both tribes' reservations. The company building the pipeline, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, has insisted the water supply will be safe. Francis didn't cite the Dakota pipeline dispute by name and the Vatican press office said he was not making a direct reference to it. Pope Francis, center, poses with representatives of indigenous peoples attending a UN agricultural meeting in Rome, at the Vatican, Wednesday, February 15, 2017 But history's first Latin American pope has been a consistent backer of indigenous rights and has frequently spoken out about the plight of Indians in resisting economic development that threatens their lands. 'For governments, this means recognizing that indigenous communities are a part of the population to be appreciated and consulted, and whose full participation should be promoted at the local and national level,' Francis told the indigenous leaders Wednesday. In the waning days of the Obama administration, amid protests over construction that led to some 700 arrests, federal agencies that have authority over the reservoir said they would not give permission for pipe to be laid until an environmental study was done. President Trump pushed ahead with the Dakota Pipeline project in an executive order on January 24, three days after he was sworn in For months, natives and their supporters camped out at the Oceti Sakowin camp in protest of the pipeline. Most of the camp has since dispersed due to the threat of spring flooding. The camp is pictured above on Monday The project is pushing forward despite their protests. Above, crews remove waste at one site last week U.S. President Donald Trump reversed course and last month instructed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with building the pipeline. Francis' reference to prior consent is enshrined in the U.N. Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, which was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2007 over the opposition of the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Francis' strong backing for indigenous groups and refugees, his climate change concerns and criticism of the global economy's profit-at-all-cost mentality highlight the policy differences with the Trump administration that may come out if the U.S. president meets with Francis while in Italy for a G-7 summit in May. There has been no confirmation of any meeting to date, however. This isn't the first time that the Pope has criticized a move by President Trump. He has also made several comments against the building of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) - Montenegrin lawmakers voted on Wednesday to lift the immunity of two key opposition leaders allegedly involved in a pro-Russian plot to overthrow the government over its NATO bid. The move paves the way for the detention of Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, senior opposition politicians suspected in the Oct. 16 coup attempt that included plans to kill a then-prime minister and take over power. Several hundred opposition supporters protested outside the parliament building in the capital of Podgorica as lawmakers from the ruling coalition unanimously approved the motion. Montenegro's special prosecutor said the two are suspected of criminal conspiracy and inciting "acts against constitutional order and security of Montenegro." Mandic and Knezevic have denied the accusations. Mandic, who made several recent visits to Moscow where he received support from the Kremlin for his anti-NATO stance, said "we cannot be intimidated." "It is a lie that anyone of us has anything to do with the phony coup," he told supporters. Some 20 people - including two Russian citizens - have been accused in the foiled election day ploy said to be orchestrated by Russian and Serbian nationalists in order to stop Montenegro's accession into NATO. The Kremlin, opposed to further NATO expansion in Europe, has actively supported anti-NATO groups in Montenegro but denied involvement in the alleged coup plan. The nation of 620,000 people is deeply divided between those who want to join NATO and other Western institutions and those who seek close ties with traditional Slavic ally Russia. Montenegro's membership bid is expected to be completed this spring. BEIRUT (AP) - The U.N. envoy to Syria says negotiating a political transition for the war-torn country will be the sole item on the agenda for upcoming talks between the government and opposition in Geneva. Staffan De Mistura emphatically rejected any change to the agenda, saying it would open a "Pandora's box" of stalling and time-wasting. "Geneva will not be about the procedure, but about the future," he told reporters in joint press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, in Rome. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura speaks after a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano at the Farnesina Palace foreign office, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP) The envoy said the agenda is fixed in U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254, which mandates a new form of governance for Syria, a new constitution, and new elections. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the Security Council in 2015. The Syrian government has previously rejected such formulations, complicating efforts aimed at ending the conflict. The government holds the upper hand in Syria more than a year after a sweeping Russian intervention turned the tide of the nearly six-year war in its favor. The envoy urged the opposition to present a unified front at Geneva, in order to deprive the government of the "alibi" that it doesn't know who the opposition is. The Geneva talks, slated for Feb. 23, are expected to bring together representatives from President Bashar Assad's government with exiled opposition figures and rebels fighting inside Syria. But some of Syria's rebels say they won't begin negotiating a political settlement with the government until measures are taken to bolster a flagging cease-fire and address urgent humanitarian concerns. Mohammad Alloush, a rebel leader who is representing the opposition at talks this week in Kazakhstan, said he will insist on discussing the Dec. 30 cease-fire. The talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, are intended to pave the way for next week's revival of the Geneva process, which has been on hold since last April. The Kazakhstan talks are brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the war and have taken the lead with peace efforts since December. The Syrian government delegation met with the Russian delegation in Astana on Wednesday, Syrian state TV reported. Russia and Iran, close allies of President Bashar Assad, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, previously pledged to enforce the cease-fire, but both sides have alleged repeated violations. A round of talks in Astana last month ended inconclusively. The rebels say they are awaiting a reply from Russia to a list of requests concerning the observation and enforcement of the cease-fire. "The paper we presented on 23 January is the basis for talks today," Alloush told the AP by phone on his way to Astana. The Kazakhstan talks were supposed to begin Wednesday but were postponed by one day. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry did not give a reason for the delay. The Geneva talks are scheduled for Feb. 23. Syria's Foreign Ministry meanwhile rejected a Human Rights Watch report accusing government forces of mounting at least eight chemical attacks using chlorine gas on opposition-held residential areas during the final months in last year's battle for the northern city of Aleppo. The report was published on Monday. ___ Associated Press cameraman Gianfranco Stara in Rome and AP writer Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria contributed to this report. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, left, speaks with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano at the Farnesina Palace foreign office, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP) United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, left, shakes hands with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on the occasion of their meeting at the Farnesina Palace foreign office, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP) United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, left, speaks with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano at the Farnesina Palace foreign office, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP) United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, left, shakes hands with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano during a joint press conference after their meeting at the Farnesina Palace foreign office, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP) JORDAN-SYRIA BORDER (AP) - Armed Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in a sprawling camp for displaced Syrians on Jordan's border, posing a growing threat to the U.S.-allied kingdom, a senior Jordanian military commander said. Brig. Gen. Sami Kafawin, chief of Jordan's border forces, spoke to The Associated Press during a tour of the remote desert area, just west of where Jordan, Syria and Iraq meet. The Islamic State group seized parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, and still holds territory there, including areas abutting Jordan, despite recent military setbacks. In this picture taken Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, a Jordanian soldier stands at the north eastern border with Syria, close to the informal Rukban camp. The commander of Jordan's border guards says Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in the sprawling border camp for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, posing a growing threat to the U.S.-allied kingdom. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) A flight in a Jordanian military helicopter on Tuesday offered a view of the Rukban camp, an expanse of tents and makeshift shelters housing tens of thousands of stranded Syrians. Conditions in Rukban and the smaller Hadalat camp deteriorated sharply after Jordan sealed its border in June, following a cross-border IS car bomb attack that killed seven Jordanian border guards. The closure disrupted what until then had been fairly regular distributions of food and water by Jordan-based international aid agencies. In recent months, there had been mounting reports of lack of clean water, the rise of malnutrition among children and the spread of disease. Late last year, after months of negotiations, U.N.-led aid groups and Jordanian officials worked out a new arrangement for the camps, located between two low miles-long mounds of earth, or berms, that straddle the Syrian-Jordanian border. A food distribution center was set up several miles west of Rukban, while U.N. mobile health clinics consisting of several trailers were established on Jordanian territory, near the southernmost berm. Aid officials said tribal leaders help organize the distributions, despite concerns by aid agencies that this will lead to unfair allotments and black marketeering. In a joint statement on Wednesday, U.N. agencies in Jordan said conditions still "present a survival challenge," while acknowledging the Jordanian military's efforts to coordinate aid shipments. "Delivery of humanitarian aid experienced serious delays and interruptions due to logistical and security constraints over the past months," the statement said. "Only one distribution cycle of a month's worth of food rations and essential items, including blankets, warm clothes and plastic sheeting, was made possible to those living at the berm between November 2016 and January 2017." The statement said water has been delivered regularly and that U.N. health services were able to provide life-saving care, with the most serious cases referred to Jordan for further treatment. On Tuesday, an AP team visited one of the health clinics, where pregnant women and young children were receiving treatment. Patients were transported from Rukban to the clinic by ambulance after security vetting. Najah Khidr, who is two months pregnant, said she came to the clinic because she had suffered bleeding the night before. She said she and her eight-member family live in dire conditions. "It's too cold there, no electricity and no sustainable food supplies," the 41-year-old woman said, struggling to stand up. Another patient, 14-year-old Mathour Yassin Khleif, said a kerosene stove caught fire in his family's shelter, burning him and his sister. Khleif suffered third-degree burns, the clinic report said. Mustafa Zboun, an official of the U.N. child agency, said most patients at the mobile clinic are children suffering from malnutrition and pregnant women. More than 200 Syrians have been allowed entry to Jordan for medical treatment since November, he said. At the same time, the potential IS threat from Rukban is rising, with armed militants "trying to control it and create cells inside the camp," said Kafawin, the border commander. "We are sure they have whole weapons systems." Armed groups clash frequently in Rukban, he said. "We understand that more than 90 percent (of camp residents) are asylum seekers, but the others are extremists or Daesh people," he said, referring to IS by its Arabic acronym. Jordan also fears an influx to southern Syria of IS militants fleeing a U.S.-backed Iraqi offensive on the city of Mosul, a former IS stronghold. The offensive began in the fall, and IS has been driven out of eastern parts of the city. "The threat is increasing, especially in this area," Kafawin said, referring to the border stretch near Rukban. "We consider the whole Syrian border as a potential threat, but in this area, it is imminent all the time." Pro-Western Jordan is part of a U.S.-led military coalition against the Islamic State extremists. About half of Jordan's military personnel and resources have been deployed to protect the kingdom's borders, Kafawin said, a sharp increase from before the 2011 outbreak of the Syria conflict. ___ Associated Press writers Sam McNeil in Amman, Jordan, and Karin Laub in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report. This picture taken Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, shows an ariel view of the informal Rukban camp, between the Jordan and Syria borders. The commander of Jordan's border guards says Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in the sprawling border camp for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, posing a growing threat to the U.S.-allied kingdom. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 photo, a Syrian child from the informal, Rukban border camp, north east of Jordan's border with Syria, receives treatment in a clinic run by UNICEF inside the Jordanian territories. The commander of Jordan's border guards says Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in a sprawling border camp for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, posing a growing threat to the U.S.-allied kingdom. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, photo, Syrian patients from the informal, Rukban camp are security cleared by the Tribes Army on the Syrian side of the berm before being transported by Jordanian military for medical check ups to a clinic inside Jordan. Conditions in the camp deteriorated sharply after Jordan sealed its border in June, following a cross-border IS attack that killed seven Jordanian border guards. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this picture taken Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, a Jordanian soldier stands at the north eastern border with Syria, close to the informal Rukban camp. The commander of Jordan's border guards says Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in the sprawling border camp for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, posing a growing threat to the U.S.-allied kingdom. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, photo, Syrian patients from the informal, Rukban camp are are transported from the Syrian side of the berm to a clinic inside Jordan, for a medical check up. Conditions in the camp deteriorated sharply after Jordan sealed its border in June, following a cross-border IS attack that killed seven Jordanian border guards. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 photo, a Syrian child from the informal, Rukban border camp, north east of Jordan's border with Syria, receives treatment in a clinic run by UNICEF inside the Jordanian territories. The commander of Jordan's border guards says Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in a sprawling border camp for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, posing a growing threat to the U.S.-allied kingdom. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this picture taken Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, a Jordanian soldier stands at the north eastern border with Syria, close to the informal Rukban camp. The commander of Jordan's border guards says Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in the sprawling border camp for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, posing a growing threat to the U.S.-allied kingdom. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, photo, Syrian patients from the informal, Rukban camp are security cleared by the Tribes Army on the Syrian side of the berm before being transported by Jordanian military to a clinic inside Jordan for a medical check up. Conditions in the camp deteriorated sharply after Jordan sealed its border in June, following a cross-border IS attack that killed seven Jordanian border guards. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 photo, a member of the Syrian Tribes Army, left, that guards the Syrian side of the berm on the north eastern border with Jordan, shakes hands with a Jordanian soldier. The Tribes Army work in coordination with the Jordanian army on security clearance for patients transported from Rukban Camp to the Jordanian territories for treatment. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this picture taken Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, a Jordanian soldier stands at the north eastern border with Syria, close to the informal Rukban camp. The commander of Jordan's border guards says Islamic State extremists are expanding their influence in the sprawling border camp for tens of thousands of displaced Syrians, posing a growing threat to the U.S.-allied kingdom. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) In this picture taken Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, Jordanian military evacuate a Syrian patient from the informal Rukban camp on the Syrian side of the berm, to be treated in one of the clinics located 5 kilometers inside the Jordanian border. Conditions in the camp deteriorated sharply after Jordan sealed its border in June, following a cross-border IS attack that killed seven Jordanian border guards. (AP Photo/ Raad Adayleh) DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) - About 1,000 residents of Ukraine's largest rebel-held city on Wednesday demonstrated outside the hotel were monitors with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe stay to complain that the monitoring mission in the conflict is ineffective. Demonstrators in Donetsk Wednesday carried banners telling OSCE monitors to "open your eyes" and "speak the truth." More than 9,800 people have died since April 2014 in fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists. Fighting on Donetsk's outskirts escalated for several days early in the month. Separatist rebels have been deeply unhappy about the OSCE mission, which along with reporting acts of war on the Ukrainian side has documented the movement of rebels' heavy artillery and troops, indicating a possible Russian involvement among other things. The local monitors' director, Olga Skripovskaya, said unarmed staff had been unable to reach a section of the city that was coming under sniper fire. "Both sides have very big expectations from us ... (but) the mission is a civil mission, which cannot influence parties who are shooting," she said. Ever since Russian-backed separatists took control of Donetsk in spring 2014 all rallies and gatherings have been tightly controlled. Rebel commanders off the record have vented their frustration with OSCE monitors who are practically the only non-Russia-affiliated representatives except for rare journalists who still have access to this area. Locals have been seen rallying against the OSCE mission in the past. In one incident they vandalized the observers' car, making it impossible for them to leave for a monitoring trip. Almost all protesters at these rallies typically refuse to talk to journalists and some have indicated that they were not there of their own volition. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Intelligence officials believe North Korean agents assassinated leader Kim Jong Un's exiled half brother, but if the whodunit seems settled, a very big question still looms: Why now? Kim Jong Nam, reportedly killed by two female agents in a cloak-and-dagger operation in a Malaysian airport, had long been an embarrassment to North Korea's government - humiliated during a failed attempt to sneak into Japan to visit Disneyland and outspoken in opposing the rise to power of his brother, who had his uncle executed after taking over. But the overweight gambler and fading playboy had kept his head down in recent years from his base in Macau. Kim Jong Nam was seen by many outsiders as only a minor distraction for North Korea's leaders, and certainly not an existential threat worth the risk of a potentially embarrassing assassination caper on foreign soil. FILE - This combination of file photos shows Kim Jong Nam, left, exiled half brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, in Narita, Japan, on May 4, 2001, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on May 9, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Kim Jong Nam, 46, was targeted Monday, Feb. 13, 2017, in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, and later died on the way to the hospital according to a Malaysian government official. (AP Photos/Shizuo Kambayashi, Wong Maye-E, File) The spotty South Korean intelligence community ascribed the North's motivation in killing Kim Jong Nam, without any elaboration, simply to Kim Jong Un's "paranoia." There is a more intriguing possibility floating around Seoul, however: The tipping point in North Korea's bloody calculations may have been a largely ignored South Korean news story from last week. A national daily, the Kyunghyang Shinmun, reported that Kim Jong Nam tried to defect to South Korea several years ago and had served, in the 2000s, as a middleman between disgraced current South Korean President Park Geun-hye and officials in North Korea. Kim Jong Un may have clenched his teeth and carried on when he heard reports of his half brother's exploits in Macau casinos, and even when Kim Jong Nam, often photographed in an expensive, untucked, button-down shirt and newsboy cap, questioned in 2010 the need for a third generation of the Kim family to rule in Pyongyang. But public reports in rival South Korea of alleged close dealings between a direct relative of North Korea's ruling dynasty and high officials in Seoul - and possible attempts to defect to the South - could have represented a serious challenge to a leader who portrays his family as the only legitimate power on the Korean Peninsula. If a person with the blood of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung flowing in his veins was considering defecting to prosperous, democratic South Korea, what message did that send to North Korea's elite, or to the millions of poor and dissatisfied? South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, which has a spotty record in reading the goings-on in North Korea and often tries to paint the leadership as unbalanced, denied any defection attempt by Kim Jong Nam. But Cheong Seong-Chang, an analyst at South Korea's Sejong Institute, raised the possibility that the assassination was linked to the newspaper report, which cites interviews with anonymous officials from the Europe-Korea Foundation, where Park served as a board member for a decade before stepping down ahead of the presidential election in late 2012, and computer files and emails that showed exchanges between Kim Jong Nam and the foundation's officials. The newspaper reported that Kim Jong Nam, who was then living in Beijing, delivered a letter that Park wrote to Kim Jong Il, North Korea's second leader and Kim Jong Un's father, in 2005. The letter, according to the newspaper, showed Park requesting help on cultural exchange programs pushed by the foundation. Jeong Joon-Hee, the spokesman of South Korea's Unification Ministry, previously said the government doesn't believe such a letter from Park, who has been impeached over a corruption scandal, was delivered to North Korea. The newspaper also cited anonymous sources to report that Kim Jong Nam explored the possibility of defecting to South Korea, and also to the United States and Europe, in 2012 before giving up. The sources said Kim's talks with South Korea and the United States eventually fell through because of his excessive demands. While the South Korean news report is a fascinating potential explanation for Kim Jong Nam's death, there are other possibilities - including that Monday's killing was the culmination of years of effort by North Korea. Seoul's spy service told lawmakers Wednesday that North Korea had for five years tried to kill Kim Jong Nam, who had kept a low profile since his uncle and former protector, the North's former No. 2, Jang Song Thaek, was executed by Kim Jong Un in 2013. The NIS, according to lawmakers, cited a "genuine" attempt by North Korea to kill Kim Jong Nam in 2012, but didn't elaborate. The lawmakers said the NIS told them Kim Jong Nam sent a letter to Kim Jong Un in April 2012, after the assassination attempt, begging for the lives of himself and his family. The letter said, "I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide." Kim Jong Nam's links with China may have also played a role. Beijing had long protected Kim Jong Nam, according to South Korea's intelligence service. China may have been interested in propping up Kim Jong Nam as a future North Korean leader should the current government in Pyongyang collapse. Kim Jong Un would not have been pleased by knowledge that his brother was being used by Beijing as a pawn and potential replacement. JERUSALEM (AP) - The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. The idea of two states in the Holy Land - a Jewish Israel and an Arab Palestine - rests on a particular logic: There are two quite different peoples of roughly equal size living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River; each wants their own nation-state to control and dominate numerically; each has shown tenacity toward this goal. This would require Israel to let go of most and maybe all of the territory it captured in the 1967 war, when it completed its takeover of all the land that British colonizers abandoned in 1948. That includes the highly strategic West Bank, where there are now islands of Palestinian autonomy, scattered Jewish settlements and overriding Israeli military control; the eastern part of Jerusalem, which Israel has fully annexed and populated with Jews; and the coastal Gaza Strip, which was actually evacuated in 2005 and is now controlled by the Islamic militants of Hamas and blockaded by Israel and Egypt. FILE -- In this Jan. 20, 2017 file photo, a sign hangs on a building under construction in Jerusalem congratulating U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to more controversial Jerusalem. The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File) Over the years many and probably most Israelis have come around to the idea of a partition largely because they want to be considered a democracy and do not want all the Palestinian future citizens that would come along with the territory. For almost two decades, U.S. policy has been to advocate a two-state solution. But over two decades of peace talks have failed to produce agreement on the details, and many on both sides consider it impossible without a major change in circumstances - massive global pressure on Israel, more upheaval in neighboring Arab countries, perhaps tectonic shifts in the prevailing world order. Ahead of Wednesday's White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Netanyahu, a senior U.S. official suggested a two-state solution was optional, bringing condemnation from Palestinian officials. But many of them have for years been quietly preparing for an alternative strategy of a single bi-national state in the Holy Land. In his White House news conference with Netanyahu, Trump said he was hoped for a deal but could live with two states or one state - whichever the sides prefer. Here's a look at the scenarios: ONE STATE For years this was the goal of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and for many Palestinians it is indeed the preferred option: a single democratic state, not defined as specifically Jewish or Arab, in the area of British colonial Palestine. Many prefer it anyway to the two-state notion whereby even if Israel gives up all the land it captured in 1967 it retains almost 80% of Palestine. The problem is that almost no one in Israel is arguing for the true extension of full rights to Palestinians in the currently occupied territories because even with Gaza excluded it would leave Arabs constituting close to half the country's population - and that is clearly the end of the Zionist dream of a Jewish state. This is why Israel never annexed the West Bank and why the more sophisticated nationalists profess to support a partition - albeit on terms the Palestinians aren't likely to accept. If the Palestinians formally drop the two-state strategy and demand incorporation into Israel it will put Israel in the awkward position of refusing to annex territories where it has been settling Jews for decades. Or it might annex the areas but continue to deny the Palestinians there Israeli citizenship, leading to an uproar among liberal Israelis. Down this path lie coercion efforts in the form of international sanctions on Israel or Palestinian violence. INTERIM AGREEMENT Many Israelis have concluded that a final peace agreement with the Palestinians is simply not possible because the Palestinians are asking for the moon as a result of a feeling that they hold the demographic cards. It is not just about territory: the Palestinians still in theory demand a "right of return" to Israel proper for millions of descendants of Palestinian refugees living around the region and the world, which the vast majority of Jewish Israelis reject. But perhaps a partial deal is possible whereby the Palestinians would not have to forego future claims but for now get their state on, say, 80% of the West Bank, with some sort of preferred access or new regime in the Old City of Jerusalem? Even the current nationalist Netanyahu government would probably accept such a thing, but the Palestinians have ruled it out, fearing the temporary would become permanent. To get them to agree would require massive global and Arab world pressure, and risks huge internal conflict among the Palestinians. JORDANIAN OPTION Jordan took over the West Bank and east Jerusalem during the 1948-1949 Arab-Israel war that followed the British pullout, lost the areas to Israel in 1967 and then gave up all claims to them in favor of the Palestinians in the 1980s. But Jordan is a country with a majority Palestinian-descended population, and some Israelis still think that it can play a role in satisfying Palestinian national aspirations while resuming control over only a part of the West Bank. But this would probably require a collapse of Hashemite rule, founded on Jordan's Bedouin population, and as such is anathema to the Jordanian monarchy, which is beloved by many israelis for making peace with them in 1994. Adding to the difficulties, the Palestinians reject it altogether as well. PARTIAL UNILATERAL PULLOUT Under these vexing circumstances many Israelis conclude no peace is possible, but they still want to be rid of the Palestinian population of the West Bank. In the mid-2000s the government of Ehud Olmert planned a unilateral pullout from most of the territory, to follow the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. But those plans were upended when Gaza was taken over by Hamas militants and became a launching pad for rocket attacks on Israel, leading to several mini-wars. Few want to see that scenario repeated with the West Bank, which is much larger, very close to Israel's main cities and genuinely important for Israel's defense. Now talk grows of a pullout of settlers from some areas, to create a more convincing reality of partition, while the military stays for now, pending some future arrangement. NATO? A global or Arab peacekeeping force? Perpetual Israeli control? No one can say. STATUS QUO When the best that can be hoped for is the least bad option, the status quo looks attractive to some. But Israel is constantly changing the landscape by adding settlers - already there are some 350,000 Israelis in the West Bank and a quarter million in East Jerusalem. This arrangement, brittle and loved by few, undermines Israel's democratic credentials by leaving millions of people without a vote for the government that has ultimate control over their fate. The Palestinians do not have a history of acquiescing for long: There were multi-year uprisings in the late 1980s and early 2000s and a spate of violence in late 2015 and early 2016. Down this path lies the very strong likelihood of more. ___ Dan Perry is AP's Middle East editor leading text coverage in the region. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) FILE -- In this Jan. 19, 2017 file photo, a t-shirt depicting US President-elect Donald Trump with a superimposed hat worn by Orthodox Jews and locks, is seen next to a t-shirt depicting President Barack Obama wearing a traditional Arab headdress in a shop in Jerusalem's old city. The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean, File) FILE -- In this Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017 file photo, Palestinian laborers work at a construction site in a new housing project in the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, near Jerusalem. The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File) FILE -- In this Jan. 20, 2017 file photo, Palestinians hold a poster showing President Donald Trump during a protest in the west bank city of Bethlehem. The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean, File) FILE -- In this Jan. 21, 2017 file photo, a demonstrator takes part in solidarity with the Women's March in Washington following the Inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, in front of the US embassy, in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File) BERLIN (AP) - German airline Lufthansa has struck a deal to solve a bitter labor dispute with pilots that over five years has cost it an estimated half a billion dollars and more than a dozen strikes. The airline, Germany's largest, and the Cockpit union said Wednesday they'd agreed upon an arbitrator's proposal for a new wage agreement for some 5,400 pilots. The company said it agreed to a four-stage 8.7 percent total wage increase, and a one-off 30 million euro ($31.7 million) payment that would translate to some 5,000 euros to 6,000 euros per employee. The new agreement will be in place until the end of 2019. Cockpit spokesman Markus Wahl said that the union's negotiators had agreed with the proposal, but that it would be up to the union membership to sign off before it was final. Cockpit had sought raises of 3.66 percent a year going back 5 years. The labor strife between the two sides had been going on since 2012, with the union staging a total of 14 strikes costing Lufthansa some 500 million euros, the dpa enws agency reported. The two sides agreed to arbitration in December. Despite agreeing upon the arbitrator's wage proposal, dpa reported several other labor issues remain open, such as pensions and transitional payments for employees and that more strikes remain possible. WASHINGTON (AP) - Retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent last month, slowing down from a solid 1 percent gain in December, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Overall sales likely pulled back from a December bump in holiday shopping online and at auto dealers, while Americans spent more than normally expected last month at clothiers, department stores, electronics outlets and sporting goods retailers. The gains were solid, but they show that improving consumer sentiment after President Donald Trump's presidential election, especially among Republicans, has done little to boost retail sales. In this Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, photo, shoppers walk into a Sears store in Pittsburgh. On Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, the Commerce Department reports on retail sales for January. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) "Sales are growing at a decent clip, but the surge in consumers' confidence since the election is yet to translate into stronger spending," said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Higher gas prices drove a 2.3 percent sales increase at service stations last month. Gasoline prices climbed 7.8 percent between January and December, according to a separate Labor Department report released Wednesday. The retail sales report does not adjust its figures for prices. Purchases at restaurants and bars climbed 1.4 percent. Building materials stores saw a slight 0.3 percent gain. But sales at auto dealers slipped 1.2 percent, a sharp pull back after jumping 2.9 percent in December. Sales at non-store retailers such as internet outlets were flat in January, although they have climbed 12 percent over the past year as more Americans prefer to shop via their computers and phones. Over the past 12 months, total retail sales have risen a solid 5.6 percent. The greater spending likely reflects the improving job market. Employers added 227,000 workers in January, while the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.8 percent because more people started looking for jobs and were counted as unemployed. VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) - A 12-year-old New Jersey girl spent Valentine's Day delivering over 1,300 books donated to a children's hospital. Charlotte Olson tells the Courier-Post (http://on.cpsj.com/2lOTagL ) her original goal was to collect 1,000 children's books as a way to give back to her town of Voorhees. She started the book drive before Christmas, using social media, her family and church to help spread the word. On Tuesday, she brought boxes full of books to Children's Regional Hospital at Cooper's outpatient Voorhees site. She also gave $220 to go toward more book purchases. The books were presented to physicians and staff, who'll distribute them to patients at sites throughout the year as part of Cooper's Reach Out and Read program. The hospital says it's the largest book donation they've ever received. ___ Information from: Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, N.J.), http://www.courierpostonline.com/ CHICAGO (AP) - Police are examining dramatic video that captured a shooting that killed a toddler and a man authorities say was the intended target. The video , streamed live on Facebook, was taken from inside a car driven by a young woman who was wounded in the shooting. The man and 2-year-old Lavontay White were also in the car. The woman and man can be seen listening to rap music before more than a dozen shots ring out. Screaming is heard as the footage becomes jumbled but shows the woman exiting the car and running toward a house. The video goes to black, but the audio continues and people can be heard yelling, "Oh my God," ''I can't breathe," and "Please, no, no." In this frame from a selfie video posted on Facebook Live, a woman rides in a car with Lazarec Collins, right, in Chicago, just moments before a gunman approached the car and began shooting. Police are examining the dramatic video that captured the fatal shooting that killed a toddler, Levontay White, and Collins, who authorities said was the intended target. (Facebook Live via AP) Police suspect the 26-year-old man, identified Wednesday by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office as Lazarec Collins, was the target of a gang hit. The man was Lavontay's uncle and a documented gang member with an extensive criminal history. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, Collins was convicted of felony charges of burglary and armed robbery and was released on parole last June. Police have confirmed the authenticity of the video and it is part of their investigation, spokesman Frank Giancamilli said. No arrests had been made as of Wednesday. He said the woman, who is pregnant, was shot in the abdomen. Both she and the fetus were expected to survive. Lavontay was one of three children fatally shot in Chicago in recent days. On Tuesday morning, an 11-year-old girl who was shot in the head over the weekend died. Hours after Takiya Holmes died, a 19-year-old who was being sought by police turned himself in. Antwan C. Jones was charged with first-degree murder. At a hearing Wednesday, a judge ordered Jones to be held without bond. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Jones has an extensive juvenile arrest record and a record as an adult that includes an arrest on a felony charge of aggravated assault after allegedly attacking a teacher. Jones spotted three people outside his home, determined they didn't belong there and went inside and got a handgun, police said. He came outside and started firing, striking Takiya but no one else, said Brendan Deenihan, a commander of the detectives' unit handling the investigation. Police found Jones by contacting people in a video of the shooting. Guglielmi said no gun has been recovered. Jones doesn't have a listed number to pursue comment. The Cook County medical examiner's office said late Wednesday that Kanari Gentry-Bowers, the 12-year-old girl also shot over the weekend, has died. She had been on life support since the shooting. Also Wednesday, Chicago police said five people were shot, three fatally, in an apartment on the city's Southwest Side. Circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately clear. Chicago police stand near where a toddler and a man were fatally shot and a woman was wounded near Ogden and Kostner avenues in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Police are examining dramatic video that captured the shooting that killed a toddler and a man authorities say was the intended target. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune via AP)/Chicago Tribune via AP) Chicago police stand near where a toddler and a man were fatally shot and a woman was wounded in the 2300 block of south Kenneth Ave in the Lawndale neighborhood Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Police are examining dramatic video that captured the shooting that killed a toddler and a man authorities say was the intended target. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune via AP) Chicago Police investigate a fatal shooting Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, at 4400 W. Ogden Ave., in Chicago. Police are examining dramatic video that captured the shooting that killed a toddler and a man authorities say was the intended target. (Eric Clark/Chicago Tribune via AP) Chicago Fire Department EMT's render first aid to shooting victim as police investigate a fatal shooting at 4400 W. Ogden Ave., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017 in Chicago. Police are examining dramatic video that captured the shooting that killed a toddler and a man authorities say was the intended target. (Eric Clark/Chicago Tribune via AP) Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson, left, and Chief of Detectives Melissa Staples. right look on as Cmdr. Brendan Deenihan, of Area Central Detectives speaks at a news conference Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 in Chicago. Deenihan discussed the arrest of 19-year-old Antwan C. Jones in connection with the fatal weekend shooting of 11-year-old Takiya Holmes. Holmes was among at least three children shot in Chicago, two of them fatally, in recent days. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun Times via AP) Good morning! Here's a look at how AP's general news coverage is shaping up today. Some plans are subject to change; see the 2 p.m. News Digest for updates. You can find our contact info at the bottom of this advisory. All times EST. ------------- HIGHLIGHTING: ------------- Among today's coverage highlights as we see them at 10:15 a.m. EST: -- UNITED STATES-ISRAEL (sent; developing) -- UNITED STATES-ISRAEL-MIDEAST (sent; developing) -- ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-MIDEAST (sent; developing) -- TRUMP-WHITE HOUSE TURMOIL (upcoming) -- TRUMP-FLYNN (sent; developing) -- TRUMP-IRS-HEALTH OVERHAUL (sent; developing) -- CONGRESS-REGULATIONS-GUNS (upcoming) -- TRUMP-SPELLING (upcoming) -- MALAYSIA-NORTH KOREA (sent; developing later) -- MALAYSIA-NORTH KOREA-UNANSWERED QUESTIONS (sent) -- NKOREA-KIM'S BROTHER-WHY NOW? (sent) -- DAMAGED DAM (sent; developing) ------------- WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT: ------------- -- GOVERNORS RACES (sent) -- RUDE SURGEONS (upcoming) -- ON THE MONEY-ART OF THE CAR DEAL (upcoming) -- MARIJUANA CLUBS-COLORADO (upcoming) -- GIRL DONATES BOOKS (sent) -- YOSEMITE-FIREFALL (sent) ------------- Here are details of those stories, plus others we have in the works for today (all times EST): ------------- WASHINGTON/POLITICS ------------- UNITED STATES-ISRAEL - Trump holds his first White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump is under pressure to explain whether he is backing away from the two-state solution, and to clarify his muddled stance on settlements. SENT: 990 words. UPCOMING: Updates from noon press conference, 890 words by 4 p.m., photos. UNITED STATES-ISRAEL-MIDEAST - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met secretly with the CIA chief in the West Bank, Palestinian officials said Wednesday, as they expressed concern over the Trump administration's suggestion that a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel is optional. SENT: 750 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing. ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-ALTERNATIVES - The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. SENT: 1170 words, photos. TRUMP-FLYNN - Just six days into his presidency, Trump was informed his national security adviser had misled his vice president about contacts with Russia. Has been updated with Trump Wednesday tweets denouncing media for "Russian connection non-sense." SENT: 1100 words, photos. TRUMP-WHITE HOUSE TURMOIL - Trump's White House is nearly paralyzed by crisis, divisions and dysfunction. Virtually all policy announcements have slowed to a crawl. Five day after a legal defeat, the White House is still struggling to regroup. UPCOMING: 750 words by 4 p.m., photos. TRUMP-IRS-HEALTH OVERHAUL - The IRS says it's following Trump's executive order on health care by easing enforcement of the unpopular Obama-era requirement for people to have coverage or risk fines. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing. HEALTH OVERHAUL - The Trump administration is expected to release its rules designed to bring stability to the health insurance industry even as it seeks to repeal and replace the Obama health care law. UPCOMING: 760 words by 5 p.m., photos. TRUMP-SPELLING - Time to make spellcheck great again. The mangled spellings that were a staple of Trump's presidential campaign are flourishing in Trump administration. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos. CONGRESS-REGULATIONS-GUNS - The Senate is poised to block an Obama-era rule designed to keep guns out of the hands of certain mentally disabled people. A final vote will send the legislation to Trump for his expected signature. UPCOMING: Developing from 10 a.m. votes, 600 words by 3 p.m., photo. UNITED STATES-EUROPE - Defense Secretary Jim Mattis delivers a public U.S. commitment to NATO, while also reinforcing the Trump administration's demand that allies pay their fair share. SENT: 830 words, photos. DEVOS-MAGNET SCHOOLS - Education Secretary Betsy DeVos gives her first speech since joining the Trump administration, addressing an organization promoting magnet schools. UPCOMING: Developing from 4 p.m. speech, 500 words by 6 p.m., photo. GOVERNORS RACES - The governor's races this year in Virginia and New Jersey contain powerful echoes of the wild campaign for the White House. On a national scale, the races are expected to serve as a rehearsal for the 2018 midterm elections, which are shaping up as a referendum on Donald Trump's presidency. SENT: 700 words, photos. TRAFFIC FATALITIES - National Safety Council will release 2016 traffic fatality figures. UPCOMING: 450 words by 11 a.m. ------------- WORLD ------------- MALAYSIA-NORTH KOREA - Malaysian police arrest a woman in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother. SENT: 1,050 words. With MALAYSIA-NORTH KOREA-RULING FAMILY - Slain North Korean played complicated role in ruling dynasty; NKOREA-ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS NKOREA-KIM'S BROTHER-WHY NOW? - If North Korea did order the assassination of its leader's exiled half brother, as many suspect, a big question looms: Why now? Some analysts point to a largely ignored South Korean news story about an attempted defection as a possible tipping point in Pyongyang's calculations. SENT: 900 words, photos. With NKOREA-LEADERS' HIDDEN LIVES - Rumors highlight the hidden lives of North Korean leaders (sent) MALAYSIA-NORTH KOREA-UNANSWERED QUESTIONS - A look at what officials are trying to piece together as they work to reconstruct what appears to be one of the most audacious, mysterious assassinations in recent Asian history. SENT: 670 words, photos. NATO-US - NATO defense ministers hold two days of talks focused on military spending, terrorism and relations with Russia, as new U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis makes his first appearance at the military alliance. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing. JORDAN-SYRIA - The head of Jordan's border guard says armed Islamic State extremists are setting up more cells in a sprawling camp for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees on the Jordanian border, posing a growing danger to the pro-Western kingdom. UPCOMING: 750 words by 1 p.m. ------------- US ------------- DAMAGED DAM - The stress of evacuation and the uncertain future is enough for Donald Azevedo and his family to opt to stay a few more nights in an emergency shelter despite officials allowing 200,000 Californians who live downstream from the country's tallest dam to return home. SENT: 960 words, photos, videos, graphic. UPCOMING: Developing. With DAMAGE DAM-SAFETY - Cracks may offer clues to dam's troubles. ICE-DREAMER ARREST - A Seattle-area man who was brought to the U.S. illegally as a child but was protected from deportation under a policy by President Barack Obama is suing the federal government over his arrest and detention last week. SENT: 570 words. UPCOMING: Developing. SEVERE WEATHER-TEXAS - Residents of a coastal area southwest of Houston are cleaning up debris after at least six tornadoes left a swath of damaged buildings. SENT: 130 words, photos, video. MISSING TEENS-INDIANA - Authorities are performing autopsies on two bodies found near a northern Indiana creek during a search for two missing 13-year-old girls. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing. PIPELINE EXPLOSION-TEXAS - A natural gas pipeline has exploded in South Texas, in a fiery display that lit up the sky and could be seen for miles. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Devleoping; seeking photos and video. MARIJUANA CLUBS-COLORADO - At risk of raising the ire of the White House, Colorado is on the brink of becoming the first state with licensed pot clubs. UPCOMING: 750 words by 2 p.m., photos. GIRL DONATES BOOKS - A 12-year-old New Jersey girl spent Valentine's Day delivering over 1,300 books donated to a children's hospital. SENT: 130 words. YOSEMITE-FIREFALL - Mother Nature is again putting on a show at California's Yosemite National Park, where every February the setting sun draws a narrow sliver of light on a waterfall to make it glow like a cascade of molten lava. SENT: 130 words, photo. ------------- HEALTH/SCIENCE ------------- RUDE SURGEONS (HOLD FOR RELEASE, 11 a.m.) - Rude behavior among surgeons could be a tip-off to shoddy performance in the operating room, a study suggests, showing why it's important to speak up when doctors behave badly. UPCOMING: HOLD FOR RELEASE, 11 a.m., 400 words. ------------- BUSINESS /ECONOMY ------------- FEDERAL RESERVE-YELLEN - Day 2 of Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's semiannual report to Congress. She will deliver remarks and answer questions from the House Financial Services Committee. UPCOMING: 130 words after embargo on prepared remarks lifts at 10 a.m. 400 words by 10:45 a.m. BOEING-UNION VOTE - Nearly 3,000 production workers at Boeing's South Carolina plant are deciding on whether they want to unionize, writing the next chapter in efforts to organize labor in large manufacturing plants across the South. SENT: 910 words. UPCOMING: Developing. ON THE MONEY-ART OF THE CAR DEAL - Now is the time to practically steal a new sedan from your car dealer. There are a few steps to finding the best bargain. UPCOMING: 800 words by 11 a.m., photos, glance. ------------- ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ------------- FILM-OSCARS-HUPPERT - After a towering career of some 100 films and some of the most challenging roles in memory, Isabelle Huppet is finally nominated for an Oscar, an honor many consider long overdue. UPCOMING: 850 words by 6 p.m., photos. FILM_OSCARS-LA LA LAND COMPOSER - A conversation with "La La Land" composer Justin Hurwitz, whose "City of Stars," ''The Fools Who Dream" and original score are all Oscar nominees this year. UPCOMING: 700 words by 5 p.m., photos. FILM-GORE VERBINSKI - Gore Verbinski's last film, "The Lone Ranger," was one of the most spectacular bombs of the century. For his latest, the director has returned to horror with "A Cure for Wellness," a lushly gothic thriller. UPCOMING: 700 words by 2 p.m., photos. TV-BILLIONS-MAGGIE SIFF - As the second season of' Billions' begins on Sunday, the equilibrium is shattered. Wendy has separated from her husband and bolted from Axes' firm, leaving those combatants to clash even more ferociously. UPCOMING: 800 words by 11 a.m., photos. TV-PORTLANDIA - No surprise, but what happens in the "Portlandia" writers' room is as quirkily entertaining as the show itself. UPCOMING: 700 words by 2 p.m., photos. NY FASHION WEEK-WATCH - Wednesday's shows at New York Fashion Week include Michael Kors, Thom Browne and Ralph Lauren. UPCOMING: 800 words by 6 p.m., photos, video. ------------- HOW TO REACH US ------------- At the Nerve Center, Alexandra Olson can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Alyssa Goodman (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, Phil Holm (ext. 7636). Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday issued a sharp ultimatum to NATO, telling allies they must start increasing defense spending by year's end or the Trump administration will 'moderate its commitment' to them. He did not detail what the United States might do if NATO members failed to fall in line. Echoing a demand made repeatedly by President Donald Trump, Mattis said NATO must adopt a plan this year that sets milestone dates for governments to meet a military funding goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Scroll down for video Ultimatum: New defense secretary Jim Mattis told Nato members to increase defense spending or see the U.S. 'moderate its commitment' Warning: Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, right was with Trump's Pentagon chief, ex-Marine General Jim 'Mad Dog' Mattis as the defense secretary said the U.S. commitment to Nato could be 'moderated'. They also held a press conference but did not mention the warning Assistance: U.S. tanks and 500 troops arrived by boat and were put on trains in Romania in Tuesday, the day before Mattis made his warning in a sign of commitment to defending Nato's eastern border. Show of force: US Army 4th Infantry Division 3rd Brigade Combat Team 68th Armor Regiment 1st Battalion members are deployed in Lithuania as part of the effort to show commitment on the borders with Russia On the move: A Black Hawk takes off in Bremerhaven, Germany, on Tuesday, as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which is moving troops and equipment to nearer Russia The Pentagon chief called it a 'fair demand' based on the 'political reality' in Washington. 'No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of Western values,' Mattis told the alliance's 27 other defense ministers, according to a text of his remarks. 'Americans cannot care more for your children's future security than you do.' U.S. TROOPS ON PUTIN'S BORDERS Mattis spoke at Nato headquarters as the U.S. ramped up its presence on the alliance's eastern borders - in some case right beside Russia. U.S. troops, aviators, Marines and sailors are all involved in Operation Atlantic Resolve. Deployments designed to strengthen the presence at the edge of the alliance's territory include fighter jet patrols in the three Baltic republics' and tanks arriving in Romania this week. Just the day before Mattis made his ultimatum, Nato announced that elements of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade had started arriving in Germany. They include UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopters, which arrived by boat at Bremerhaven, and will be joined by 20 more helicopters next week. The operation is directly aimed at Vladimir Putin's Russia. having been launched in the wake of his annexation of the Crimea from Ukraine. It is designed to reassure the members of Nato with land borders with Putin - including Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland - as well as a pointed warning to Russia, with Nato training Ukraine's national guard. Advertisement Attending his first NATO defense ministers' meeting, Mattis tried to make his case by citing the threat from Russia. The gathering came at an awkward time for the United States, after Trump fired national security adviser Michael Flynn over Flynn's communications with Russia before President Barack Obama left office Jan. 20. Mattis noted Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and the Islamic State group's hold over parts of Iraq and Syria, and said that 'some in this alliance have looked away in denial of what is happening.' 'Despite the threats from the east and south, we have failed to fill gaps in our Nato response force or to adapt,' he added. The warning reflects Trump's wish for greater sharing of military costs. Trump has rattled European nations by suggesting the U.S. might not defend allies unwilling to fulfill their financial obligations as Nato members. Mattis didn't go as far. British's defence chief, Sir Michael Fallon, said Mattis told NATO members that 'Congress will not continue to tolerate unequal burden-sharing.' But Fallon said Mattis also appeared to welcome a British proposal to create a road map for increased spending by other countries. Along with the U.S. and Britain, the other countries that also reach Nato's benchmark for military spending are Estonia, Poland and debt-ridden Greece. 'I have called today in the plenary session for those countries that haven't met 2 percent to agree to at least increase their budget annually,' Fallon said. 'An annual increase that we're asking them to commit to would at least demonstrate good faith.' The United States is by far Nato's most powerful member. It spends more on defense than all the others combined. The U.S. spent 3.61 percent of American GDP last year, according to Nato estimates - a level that has somewhat tapered off in recent years. Unhappy family: The Nato ministers posed for a group picture in Munich, Germany with Mattis front and center - after his warning that they need to pay up Key ally: British Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said Mattis had set out a road-map for increasing military spending Service chief: Ex-Marine General Mattis was among his former comrades as he met (from left) Army, Marine and Navy members of his delegation to Nato Germany, by contrast, spent 1.19 percent of its overall budget on defense. Ten countries spend even less, and seven - including Canada, Italy and Spain - would have to virtually double military spending to reach the target. One, Luxembourg, would require a four-fold increase to get close. Mattis recognized Europe's worries and the desire for clarity on America's commitment to Nato. Trump has criticized the alliance as 'obsolete' and repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, stoking fears of a new U.S. approach to Moscow that includes lessened support for European allies near Russia's border who worry about being the next target. In a brief public statement, made while standing alongside Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Mattis called the alliance 'a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the trans-Atlantic community.' The allies' interest and concern about the latest furor in Washington was evident as officials crowded around televisions at the Nato meeting to watch Mattis' initial appearance with Stoltenberg. Ministers immediately clustered around the retired Marine general as he entered the meeting room. Stoltenberg said he has spoken to Trump twice by telephone, and received similar reassurance from Mattis and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. 'They have all conveyed the same message,' he said, adding: 'That is, that the United States will stay committed to the trans-Atlantic partnership.' BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Several thousand people have joined renewed protests in Belgrade over the shady demolition last year in an area marked for a United Arab Emirates-financed real estate project. No one has been held responsible for the nighttime destruction last April of a block of houses by a group of masked men despite repeated promises to the contrary by the government. Carrying anti-government banners and blowing whistles, protesters marched Wednesday through central Belgrade blocking traffic. Participants have demanded the resignation of mayor Sinisa Mali. A woman blows a whistle during an anti-government protest in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. Several thousand people have joined renewed protests in Belgrade over last year's shady demolitions in a popular city area marked for a United Arab Emirates-financed real estate project, and are demanding the resignation of Belgrade mayor Sinisa Mali. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic). UAE investors have been building a Dubai-style business and residential complex in the run-down urban area by the Sava River. Some architects and citizens' groups have sharply criticized the Belgrade waterfront plan, alleging corruption and saying the development is unsuitable for the Serbian capital. Serbian police officers secure an anti-government protest in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. Several thousand people have joined renewed protests in Belgrade over last year's shady demolitions in a popular city area marked for a United Arab Emirates-financed real estate project, and are demanding the resignation of Belgrade mayor Sinisa Mali. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Latest on a hearing for a Minnesota police officer who killed a black man in a traffic stop (all times local): 10:15 a.m. Lawyers for a Minnesota police officer who killed a black man during a July traffic stop say the manslaughter case against him should be dismissed. Attorney Paul Engh told a judge Wednesday that St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez perceived a threat to his life and responded accordingly. But prosecutor Jeff Paulsen said Philando Castile had the right not to be killed for no good reason. He said the case should proceed to trial because many facts are disputed. Among them, he said, are whether Castile was impaired by marijuana, whether he was reaching for his wallet and whether Yanez saw a gun. Judge William Leary expects to issue a decision Wednesday afternoon. Castile's girlfriend was in the car with him and streamed the aftermath of the shooting live on Facebook. ___ 6:40 a.m. A judge is set to hear arguments on whether to dismiss the case against a Minnesota police officer who shot and killed a black man during a July traffic stop. St. Anthony police Officer Jeronimo Yanez is charged with manslaughter and other counts in the July 6 shooting of Philando Castile. Prosecutors have said Castile was shot after he told Yanez he was armed. The 32-year-old Castile was licensed to carry a weapon. Yanez's attorneys have said Castile was reaching for his gun and that the shooting was justified. They will argue at a hearing Wednesday that the case should be dismissed. Prosecutors disagree. They've filed documents saying issues raised by the defense should be decided by a jury. Castile's girlfriend streamed the shooting's gruesome aftermath live on Facebook. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Latest on Gov. Bruce Rauner's budget address (all times local): 2:30 p.m. Democrats are questioning whether Gov. Bruce Rauner's plans will produce a balanced budget to help the state dig itself out of a multibillion dollar deficit. FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2017, file photo, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner delivers his State of the State address in the Illinois House chamber in Springfield, Ill. Rauner will propose a third annual budget that is likely to be shelved by the Legislature like his first two, as he addresses a joint session of the Legislature on Wednesday, Feb. 15. (Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register via AP, File) Illinois House Democratic budget negotiator Rep. Greg Harris says the Republican governor shouldn't count on as-yet-unauthorized savings from pension reform, health care cuts and the sale of property to make ends meet. Harris says including those savings in the budget leaves Democrats with questions. He plans on reviewing the proposal to ensure it doesn't shortchange workers. But he says he's "heartened" that the first-term governor wants to work with all four caucuses. House Speaker Michael Madigan also released a statement following the governor's address calling Rauner's budget unbalanced. The statement says House leadership will focus on continuing to protect middle class families while promoting economic growth. ___ 1:40 p.m. Democrats are criticizing Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner for deflecting blame for Illinois' financial crisis and putting his political agenda ahead of resolving the state budget impasse. The Republican repeated his calls for pro-business legislation during his budget address Wednesday. He says the best way to improve the economy is to pass measures such as legislative term limits and workers' compensation reform. Democratic state Sen. Tom Cullerton says it was Rauner's third budget speech with "no real numbers." He says Illinois needs solutions, "not political buzz words." Sen. Daniel Biss says Rauner ducked responsibility. But Republicans were complimentary. Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (rah-DOH'-nyoh) says Rauner demonstrated his willingness to work with both parties. Radogno says she and other Republicans want a bipartisan compromise that's "a good deal for the taxpayers." ___ 1 p.m. Gov. Bruce Rauner put his annual budget speech on a short hold because of problems with the teleprompter. The Republican was speaking Wednesday when the teleprompter where the speech is displayed for him to read apparently stopped working. A lawmaker handed Rauner a printed copy. But Rauner said he didn't have his reading glasses and "I'm a little old for this type." The delay lasted for several minutes, during which Rauner asked if anyone had "a good story" and told the audience he wouldn't sing because he's no good at it. After turning briefly to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, Rauner said Madigan had quipped: "It's the Russians." That remark drew laughter from across the chamber. ___ 12:45 p.m. Gov. Bruce Rauner says Illinois cannot get a handle on spending until lawmakers take on "automatic spending categories" such as pensions and Medicaid. The Republican gave his third budget address Wednesday and called for a "hard cap" on spending to force frugality. But Rauner pointed out that more than 60 percent of the state's general revenue is "locked up." It is spoken for in contributions to state-employee pensions, Medicaid, health care for low-income residents and others. The state's pension programs are $130 billion out of whack. Lawmakers have attempted for years to reduce pension benefits. But courts have ruled against the plans. ___ 12:35 p.m. Democrats in the Illinois Legislature erupted in laughter at Gov. Bruce Rauner's statements that he proposed a balanced budget in 2015 and that the impasse isn't about "assigning blame." The Republican is giving his annual budget address Wednesday, as lawmakers approach two years without agreement on a spending plan. Rauner proposed a budget in 2015 that went nowhere in the Legislature. Rauner says it was balanced. But Democrats argue it relied on billions in gimmicks, including counting on savings from items such as pension reform which would not have been immediately realized even if it survived a court challenge. Democrats also laughed loudly when Rauner said he's not pointing fingers. Rauner frequently blames Democrats for the situation and heavily funds Illinois Republican Party attacks on lawmakers. ___ 12:15 p.m. Gov. Bruce Rauner says Illinois lawmakers of both parties agree for the first time that the state needs regulatory change as well as reduced spending. He says "on this, we all now agree. And that is real progress." Rauner began his third budget address Wednesday by praising bipartisan Senate negotiations attempting to break a two-year deadlock on an annual spending plan. Rauner has insisted on business-friendly changes such as restrictions on workers' compensation payouts as part of a budget agreement. Democrats have said he should agree with them on the way to reduce a multibillion-dollar deficit first. But the Senate plan addresses workers' compensation and other Rauner priorities such as a property tax freeze. It also would raise income taxes. ___ 12 p.m. Gov. Bruce Rauner will reject an increased sales tax on food and medicine and demand a permanent property-tax freeze in his third budget announcement. The Republican also wants lawmakers to cap spending to force frugal state spending. The Associated Press obtained in advance excerpts of the speech scheduled for noon Wednesday. The first-term governor will offer a glimpse of the type of tax increases he'll accept. For weeks he's said he did not want to interfere with negotiations in the Senate to try to break a nearly two-year logjam that has left the state without an annual spending plan. The Senate plan includes a 4.99 percent income tax increase and a two-year freeze on local property taxes. Rauner says he'll reject an income-tax hike unless the property-tax freeze is permanent. ___ 4 a.m. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner will propose a third annual budget that is likely to be shelved by the Legislature like his first two. Rauner addresses a joint session of the Legislature on Wednesday. He will outline budget priorities for the fiscal year that begins July 1. There has been no state budget since July 2015. The Republican has bickered with Democrats in the Legislature over increasing taxes and cutting spending. The state is on track to build up a $5 billion deficit by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. It has $11 billion in overdue bills and pension-program shortfalls totally $130 billion. The Senate has been working on a plan that increases revenue and addresses some Rauner priorities. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Attorneys for two same-sex couples want the U.S. Supreme Court to review an Arkansas ruling preventing married gay couples from getting the names of both spouses on their children's birth certificates without a court order. Attorneys for the couples and for the National Center for Lesbian Rights argue that a ruling late last year from the Arkansas Supreme Court undermines the U.S. Supreme Court's 2015 decision that legalized gay marriage nationwide. They say it could invite similar moves across the country against gay married couples. "Allowing the decision below to stand would open the door for other courts to pursue a similarly blatant path of denying same-sex couples important marital rights and protections on equally specious grounds," the attorneys said in a court filing Monday. The Arkansas Supreme Court in December sided with state officials who say Arkansas has a vested interest in listing parents on birth certificates. The state's highest court overturned a lower judge's ruling that struck down part of the state's birth certificate law that defines parents by gender. Republican Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's office said Wednesday that she is reviewing the attorneys' request to the U.S. Supreme Court and would respond in court. "She remains confident in the State Supreme Court's decision, which upheld the rule of law when it found that the lower court far exceeded its authority by unilaterally re-writing major sections of Arkansas code," spokesman Judd Deere said in an email. The three couples who had sued the state were allowed to amend their children's birth certificates in 2015 under a ruling issued by Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox. Two of the three couples asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision. Two of the couples were married out of state before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and a third was married in Arkansas days after the decision. The couples' children were conceived through anonymous sperm donors. Monday's petition was filed by Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, who argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2015 gay marriage decision. The filing said Arkansas' case would likely affect birth certificate laws in other states that haven't been updated since gay marriage was legalized and still use gendered terms. "The issue is of critical importance to families across the country," the filing said. "Arkansas' discriminatory birth certificate law is far from an outlier." ___ Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo WASHINGTON (AP) - Mexico says U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly are headed to Mexico next week. Mexico's foreign ministry says in a statement that the two Cabinet secretaries will be in Mexico City on Jan. 23 to meet with Mexican officials. The ministry says the talks aim to promote a respectful, close relationship between the two countries. The U.S. State Department confirmed that Tillerson plans to visit next week. The trips come at a sensitive time for U.S.-Mexico relations. President Donald Trump is vowing to quickly build a border wall. A planned visit by Mexico's leader to Washington was canceled after Mexico said it wouldn't abide Trump's demand that it fund the wall. This will be Tillerson's second official trip abroad. He's visiting Germany this week. President Donald Trump will huddle behind closed doors with his attorney general today as he contemplates the source of numerous leaks from within the intel community and Department of Justice that have been hamstringing his administration. Trump suspects that the FBI, which is under Jeff Sessions' purview at Justice, is giving classified information to reporters. He has not publicly called for an investigation but warned leakers this morning that they 'will be caught!' He's particularly incensed about a New York Times report that relies on anonymous sourcing to accuse his campaign of having improper ties with Russia as the country was hacking people close to his opponent. Senate Democrats on Wednesday called for Sessions to recuse himself from any executive branch investigation into the allegations being levied against Trump and his associates, before the White House released today's schedule. President Donald Trump will huddle behind closed doors with his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, as he contemplates the source of numerous leaks that have been hamstringing his administration Matt House, a top aide to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, released a snippet of the listing last night and commented that the meeting 'would be a lot less suspicious' if Sessions 'followed DOJ guidelines and recused himself' from an investigation into Trump. Schumer said Wednesday that Sessions, a senator from Alabama until he was confirmed as attorney general earlier this month, should not be involved because of potential conflicts of interest. Justice Department regulations prohibit individuals with political ties to the subjects of an investigation from leading it, he' said. 'When the FBI looks into a matter, they do so alongside prosecutors from the Justice Department,' Schumer stated. 'Those prosecutors should not be reporting to the first senator who endorsed Donald Trump's campaign.' Sessions was one of Trump's earliest and staunchest backers in Congress. Republicans have continued to brush off demands from Democrats for a Watergate-style probe, insisting investigations underway by the House and Senate intelligence committees are adequate. And nothing requires Sessions to appoint a special prosecutor. A statute mandating the use of independent counsel in certain situations was allowed to expire in 1999. Senate Democrats on Wednesday called for Sessions to recuse himself from any executive branch investigation into the allegations being levied against Trump and his associates. An aide to Chuck Schumer, center, said today's meeting is 'suspicious' A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pointed out the president's meeting with Attorney General Jeff Sessions - while suggesting Sessions should recuse himself Schumer and other Democrats spoke to reporters as Trump criticized the intelligence agencies that he oversees and the media for what he described as unfair treatment of his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and for 'illegally leaked' information about reported contacts between his campaign aides and Russian officials. Flynn was forced to resign Monday following reports he misled Vice President Mike Pence about contacts with a Russian diplomat. Late Tuesday, The New York Times reported that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Trump's 2016 campaign team. A group of 11 Democrats wrote to Sessions and urged him to appoint an independent special counsel to investigate possible illegal communications between Flynn and representatives of the Russian government. The special counsel would also examine any attempts by Flynn and other White House officials to hide any wrongdoing, they said. The group, led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, included Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Patrick Leahy of Vermont. Schumer did not sign the letter to Sessions. Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of the Senate intelligence committee, recommended a streamlined approach as the best way to speed the inquiry along. 'I think sooner is better than later,' Blunt told reporters. 'And I think we can be a long way down the road in 90 days.' Trump suspects that the FBI, which is under Jeff Sessions' purview at Justice, is giving classified information to reporters. He has not publicly called for an investigation but warned leakers this morning that they 'will be caught!' Sessions is seen meeting with the FBI's James Comey last week Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, didn't rule out an independent probe, but said he and other lawmakers 'need to find out a lot of basic information' first about Flynn's communications and the alleged contacts involving Trump's campaign. 'Something like this always sucks the oxygen out of the room,' McCain said. 'The president's national security adviser did not tell the vice president of the United States the truth and had to be fired. 'It brings up a lot of questions and those questions need to be answered. Right now, without a national security adviser and everything else that's going on in the White House, it is dysfunctional on national security.' Separately, Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, a Republican who represents Iowa, and the panel's top Democrat, California's Dianne Feinstein, sent a letter late Wednesday to Sessions and FBI Director James Comey seeking a briefing on Flynn's resignation the week of Feb. 27. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska lawmakers like to ridicule Washington for its gridlock and partisan bickering, insisting that East Coast politicians should learn the "Nebraska way" of seeking pragmatic, common-sense solutions. But despite having only a single, nonpartisan chamber, state senators have become so engrossed in an argument about debate rules that they have passed just two bills in a month, and there's no compromise in sight. The deliberations in Lincoln are part of an effort to make it easier to overcome filibusters. All the talk has eaten up more than a third of the 90-day legislative session that began in January. In this Jan. 4, 2017 photo, Neb. state Sen. Tyson Larson of O'Neill, left, congratulates Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk upon being elected as Speaker of the Unicameral, in Lincoln, Neb. Thirty days after they convened, Nebraska lawmakers are still spinning their wheels over parliamentary rules in what's shaping up to be one of the least productive legislative sessions in state history. Lawmakers on Wednesday, Feb. 15 will have burned through one-third of the days available for debate but have only passed two bills so far. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) "This can't be Groundhog Day tomorrow," Speaker Jim Scheer said Wednesday as he implored lawmakers to work together. "We can't come with the same attitudes, the same misgivings, the same mistrust. We have to change ourselves." If senators don't change course, the session could go down as one of the least productive in state history. Last year, senators had passed 26 bills by this point. In the 2015 session, they had approved nine measures. And in 2014, they adopted 18 proposals. Filibusters are used by opponents when they don't have enough support to defeat bills on an up-or-down vote. The tactic has become more common in Lincoln in recent years, reaching a record-high of 24 filibusters last year, as debates grow increasingly contentious. Because Nebraska lawmakers do not have formal party caucuses, no one can stop an individual senator or a small group from breaking ranks and mounting a filibuster. Conservative senators want to lower the threshold because it could make it easier to pass their top priorities, including a tax-cut package championed by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts. Progressive lawmakers and even some moderate Republicans say lowering the filibuster threshold would silence minority groups, be they Democrats in the deeply conservative state or rural senators in a Legislature where redistricting has shifted more political power to Omaha and Lincoln. The Legislature remained at an impasse Wednesday after senators voted to continue operating under temporary debate rules from last year for another month. The vote will allow lawmakers to move on to other bills, but it does not resolve the dispute. "It's a sad commentary on this session," said Sen. John McCollister, a Republican who is sometimes at odds with his party. "It's become so politicized. When I ran for election, one thing I talked about was how Nebraska isn't like Washington, D.C. We work together to pass legislation constructively." The logjam is so great that some committees have not even bothered to vote on bills pending before them. "Why disappoint folks?" said Sen. Mike Groene, the Republican chairman of the Education Committee. "You bring their bill to the floor, and it doesn't get heard." Democratic Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks acknowledged that the filibuster has been used too frequently in recent years, but she argued that it was important to preserve minority rights. She hopes the rest of the session is more productive. "We could have been talking about a lot more important things," she said. Lawmakers came close to reaching an agreement on rules earlier this week when six senators huddled in private, but the deal fell apart shortly after it was announced. Previous attempts to reach a compromise have faltered in similar fashion because neither side wants to cede any ground. The protracted floor fight may also be a reflection of the national rancor that exploded when Republican Donald Trump won the presidency. "The rules debate, I think, is indicative of what's happened at the federal level," said Sen. Dan Watermeier, a Republican. "We've had a change in our environment." Nebraska voters created the one-house Legislature in 1934 with the idea that it would be a more efficient and transparent way to conduct government business. U.S. Sen. George Norris, who came up with the idea, argued that state legislatures should not be partisan because most issues they face do not break down along party lines. The Legislature has seen a dramatic shake-up in the last four years because of term limits and a 2016 election that booted nearly half a dozen incumbents out of office. Ricketts poured more than $116,000 of his own money into legislative races in the 2016 race to help conservative candidates. Three centrist Republican senators lost to more conservative challengers, and two other Republicans were unseated by progressive Democrats. Because of term limits, 17 senators - more than one-third of the full Legislature - are serving their first year. Additionally, the tone of this year's session turned sour on the first day when conservatives organized to sweep nearly all of the Legislature's committee chairmanships. Despite GOP dominance, committees have traditionally been led by a mix of Republican and Democrats. Some of those seats open this year had been sought by Democrats and moderate Republicans with more seniority. Many of last year's filibusters were led by liberal senators blocking conservative-backed bills, such as a proposal to reinstate the winner-take-all system in presidential elections. But conservatives used them as well to derail a Medicaid expansion bill and a proposal to legalize marijuana. ___ Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte . In this photo from Jan. 30, 2017, Neb. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha speaks during a debate in Lincoln, Neb. Thirty days after they convened, Nebraska lawmakers are still spinning their wheels over parliamentary rules in what's shaping up to be one of the least productive legislative sessions in state history. Lawmakers on Wednesday, Feb. 15 will have burned through one-third of the days available for debate but have only passed two bills so far. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) BONN, Germany (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has his work cut out for him. On his first overseas trip as America's top diplomat this week, Tillerson will face a blizzard of questions about the Trump administration's foreign policy from nervous Asian and European allies. And there will be penetrating inquiries from America's watchful rivals like Russia and China, who will be eager to seize on miscues or gaffes for their own advantage. Tillerson arrived in Germany late Wednesday for a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Group of 20 nations. He will be playing defense amid the chaos and turmoil caused by the firing of national security adviser Michael Flynn for misleading officials about his contacts with Russia. FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2017 file photo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is seen at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Molly Riley, File) In Bonn, the Cold War capital of the former West Germany, Tillerson will come face-to-face on Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, a seasoned and wily diplomat who sparred, often successfully, with past U.S. secretaries of state. President Donald Trump chose Tillerson for the job in part because of his business experience and relationship with Russia while he was CEO of oil giant Exxon Mobil. His meeting with Lavrov will be a first test of whether that business acumen - which led to great profits for Exxon and Russian President Vladimir Putin bestowing a friendship award upon him - can translate into success in a high-stakes diplomatic arena. Tillerson has taken a low-key and reserved approach in his first two weeks on the job and declined the opportunity to speak with reporters traveling with him. As America's top diplomat, he has yet to comment publicly on developments with Russia, its alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election or its actions in Syria and Ukraine. At his confirmation hearing last month, he voiced conventional concerns about Russia's behavior and said they should be addressed by projecting a forceful and united front. Like others in the administration, he hasn't been specific about how to repair damaged ties or whether doing so might involve lifting U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia after its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. U.S. officials accompanying Tillerson said they didn't expect him to stray from well-honed U.S. demands for Russia to abide by commitments it has made, along with appeals for cooperation in areas in which the two nations have common interests. These include the fight against the Islamic State group. Nonetheless, the eyes of many will be focused on Tillerson's meeting with Lavrov for clues as to how the Trump administration intends to deal with Russia, particularly given the revelations about Flynn and the various U.S. investigations into Russian activity before the presidential election. In Bonn, Tillerson will also meet privately and in small groups with the top diplomats of Britain, Turkey, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Argentina and Brazil. One meeting focuses on the worsening situation in Yemen, where a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition is battling Shiite rebels believed to be supported by Iran. Another concerns Syria's violence. Tillerson will be hoping to reassure his European colleagues of the Trump administration's commitment to trans-Atlantic institutions like NATO and the European Union. It's a similar mission to that of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who is in Brussels and will attend a security conference in Munich this weekend. There, Mattis will be joined by Vice President Mike Pence. WASHINGTON (AP) - It's the top complaint to a U.S. Senate hotline for seniors: fraudsters posing as IRS agents, threatening arrests and demanding money. Treasury Department official Timothy Camus told the Senate Aging Committee on Wednesday that more than 10,000 people have reported falling prey to the so-called "IRS impersonation scam" over the last several years - many of them elderly Americans. Phillip Hatch, who is 81 and testified before the panel via video, told lawmakers how he received a phone call one day at his home in Portland, Maine. The caller told him there was a mistake on his tax returns and federal marshals were coming to arrest him unless he paid the money. Worried, Hatch did as instructed and went to the local CVS to purchase iTunes cards. He then read the numbers on the backs of the cards to the caller. After four hours on the phone with the caller, Hatch was out $8,000. He told the panel he wishes he hadn't been "so cooperative." FILE - This March 22, 2013, file photo, shows exterior of the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington. It's the top complaint to a U.S. Senate hotline for seniors: fraudsters posing as IRS agents, threatening arrests and demanding money. A Treasury Department official told lawmakers Feb. 15, 2017, that more than 10,000 people have reported falling prey to the so-called "IRS impersonation scam," many of them elderly Americans. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, chair of the committee, says the criminals who prey on seniors are relentless. "They will harass seniors over and over again until they have drained every penny from their life savings," she said. Federal officials, from Treasury and the Federal Trade Commission, testified about efforts to combat the fraud on senior Americans. Last October, more than 50 people were indicted in a scam that involved call centers in India and bilked thousands of victims out of more than $270 million. Camus, with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration office, says it is the largest single domestic law enforcement action to date related to the IRS impersonation scam. For some time, scammers had been duping victims into getting money orders. More recently, however, Camus says his office has seen a shift to iTunes cards because it's easier to get the money since the scammers no longer need middlemen to convert the money orders. "They're now selling the iTunes cards on the third party market and pocketing the money immediately," Camus said. The Senate Aging Committee has a hotline for seniors to call about fraud (1-855-303-9470). Last year, the hotline received more than 2,200 calls from people all over the country - more than double the number of calls from 2015. The top complaint was the IRS impersonation scam. That was followed by lottery or sweepstakes scams, in which callers promise a huge lottery prize that can only be awarded if taxes and other fees are sent immediately to the caller. Malaysian police say they have arrested a woman in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns half- brother. The statement said that the woman was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. She was carrying Vietnamese travel documents. CCTV footage shows a woman, left, who police say was arrested in connection with Kim Jong Nam's death. (Star TV via AP) Kim Jong Uns half-brother died on Monday after suddenly falling ill at the airport. According to a Malaysian government official, Kim told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray. Malaysian officials have provided few other details. Police said a post-mortem was planned to determine the cause of death. Kim Jong Nam Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged several high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a reign of terror. South Koreas spy service said that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim. But the National Intelligence Service did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to politicians who briefed reporters about the closed door meeting with the spy officials. TV screens show pictures of Kim Jong Nam The NIS cited Kim Jong Uns alleged paranoia about his half brother. Still, the agency has a history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the countrys leaders as mentally unstable. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. They fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police, the reports said. Police were searching for clues in the closed circuit television footage from the airport, said Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat. The airport is in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur. Kim Jong Nam According to the Malaysian government official, Kim Jong Nam was in a shopping concourse and had not yet gone through security for a planned flight to Macau when the incident occurred. Kim was estranged from his half-brother, the North Korean leader. Although he had been originally tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. He reportedly fell further out of favour when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. President Donald Trump has criticised intelligence officials and the media over what he called very, very unfair treatment of his ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and for illegally leaked information about reported contacts between his campaign advisers and Russian officials. Mr Trumps comments come amid a new swirl of controversy over his ties to Russia. Mr Flynn was forced to resign this week after misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other Trump aides about his contacts with Russias ambassador to the US before the inauguration. In his first public comments on Mr Flynns firing, Mr Trump said it was really a sad thing that he was treated so badly. He spoke during a White House news conference with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vice President Mike Pence and Michael Flynn (Carolyn Kaster/AP) Late on Tuesday, The New York Times reported that US agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Mr Trumps 2016 campaign team. Current and former US officials who spoke to the Times anonymously said they found no evidence that the Mr Trump campaign was working with the Russians on hacking or other efforts to influence the election. Mr Trump did not directly address the veracity of the report, but lashed out at what he called the criminal act of leaking information. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Trump tweeted that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! The White House has not commented on the report, though officials denied as recently as Tuesday afternoon that campaign advisers had communicated with Russia during the election. The White House said Mr Flynn was fired not because of his communications with the Russian ambassador, but because he had not been truthful with Mr Pence about the content of those discussions. Mr Flynn maintained for weeks that he had not discussed sanctions in the calls, but later conceded that the topic may have come up. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Mr Flynns interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by US intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Mr Pence, who had vouched for Mr Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. At the White House on Tuesday, press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters: The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation. Mr Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said on Monday there were no lines crossed in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The explanation of the episode left many questions unanswered, including why Mr Trump did not alert Mr Pence to the matter and why Mr Trump allowed Mr Flynn to keep accessing classified information and taking part in the presidents discussions with world leaders up until the day he was fired. White House officials also struggled to explain why Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway had declared the president retained full confidence in Mr Flynn just hours before the adviser had to submit his letter of resignation. Mr Flynns firing heightened questions about the presidents friendly posture toward Russia. Democrats called for investigations into Mr Flynns contacts, and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Congress needed to know whether he had been acting with direction from the president or others. Diane Abbott has hit out at misogynistic comments about her by Cabinet minister David Davis and the racist and sexual abuse she receives online. The shadow home secretary warned that the politics of personal destruction could put women off seeking a role in public life. She warned that sexism towards female MPs is still commonplace after Brexit Secretary Mr Davis appeared to say he would not try to kiss the Labour politician because he is not blind. 30yrs ago I became an MP to be the change I wanted to see.Despite personal attacks and online abuse. I will continue https://t.co/OJZJFBczGn pic.twitter.com/4dxlCBvc8A Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) February 14, 2017 Writing in The Guardian, Ms Abbott, who became the first black female MP in 1987, said: Suppose that someone had told me back then that 30 years on I would be receiving stuff like this: Pathetic useless fat black piece of shit Abbott. Just a piece of pig shit pond slime who should be f***ing hung (if they could find a tree big enough to take the fat bitchs weight). I think that even the young, fearless Diane Abbott might have paused for thought. And this is not an isolated example. I receive racist and sexist abuse online on a daily basis. I have had rape threats, death threats, and am referred to routinely as a bitch and/or nigger, and am sent horrible images on Twitter. The death threats include an EDL-affiliated account with the tag burn Diane Abbott. She said the Article 50 Bill for Brexit in Parliament when she was absent for the vote on second reading but backed the Government legislation at its final Commons hurdle was a perfect storm, including a crescendo of blatantly racist and sexist abuse online. Diane Abbott, was elected MP for Hackney and Stoke Newington in 1987 (AP) Just when I thought the worst was over, there was horrible coverage in a Sunday tabloid of a misogynist text exchange about me sent by a Cabinet minister. Mr Davis reportedly clashed with Ms Abbott in a Commons bar following the vote on his Article 50 Bill. The Mail on Sunday reported that after the incident a friend texted Mr Davis, saying: Cannot believe you made an attempt to give DA (Diane Abbott) a hug! The Cabinet minister replied: Didnt, but the myth grows. I whispered in her ear Thanks for your vote hence the F off. I am not blind. no time for despair,no place for self-pity,no need for silence,no room for fear. We speak,we write,we do language #AndWeAlsoDoPolitics pic.twitter.com/nS79rwSxG0 Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) February 15, 2017 Ms Abbott said her decision to write about her experiences was not about how she was treated as an individual but a culture which could deter women from entering politics. Once, the pushback was against the actual arguments for equality and social justice. Now the pushback is the politics of personal destruction. This is doubly effective for opponents of social progress. Not only does it tend to marginalise the female offender, but other women look at how those of us in the public space are treated and think twice about speaking up publicly, let alone getting involved in political activity. If online commentary and the rise in racist incidents are anything to go by, there is a danger that Brexit could give some people permission to express sentiments that are anything but progressive and internationalist. And as the world adjusts to a Trump presidency there is also a danger that his misogyny and virulent anti-immigrant narrative will become normalised. Tiger Woods has cancelled a press conference ahead of the Genesis Open as he continues to struggle with the back spasms which forced his withdrawal from the event. Woods had been due to speak to the media on Tuesday as the tournament benefits his foundation, but initially postponed the press conference at Riviera Country Club by 24 hours. Tournament organisers then announced late on Tuesday evening that Woods has been advised by doctors to limit all activities as he tries to recover from the spasms which saw his latest comeback aborted earlier this month. This is more precautionary, Woodss agent Mark Steinberg told ESPN.com. This isnt about him not doing a press conference. What is going to be accomplished? What is he going to say? That he hopes his back spasms calm down. This is about the Genesis Open, the Tiger Woods Foundation and supporting Hyundai and his foundation. He is doing all he can without having to get up and move around all that much so that he can put himself in the best position to recover. He is just having a hard time getting these spasms to calm down. And hes working on that on an hourly basis. Hes got personnel working with him to help pacify that. (Owen Humphreys/PA) Woods insisted he had not been in pain after an opening 77 in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, but pulled out of what was just his third event since August 2015 before the second round. Steinberg said at the time Woods was pleased it was a spasm, rather than the nerve pain caused by a back injury which required three operations in the space of 19 months. However, a week later Woods also pulled out of the Genesis Open and Honda Classic and no date has been set for the 14-time major winners return to action. In his first 322 starts as a professional, Woods withdrew from just five events. In his last 19 starts, he has withdrawn four times. When it was suggested to Steinberg that the long-term prospects look bleak, he added: To the outside world, its up to you to draw that conclusion. Tiger remains pretty confident in the fact that these spasms are something he knows will calm down. Hes just working around the clock to make that happen. Hes got an intense dedication to get back to the point where he can be out there practising and in public and working toward his goal. NHS hospitals and GP surgeries could see a 635 million hike in their business rates over the next five years, figures suggest. Rates are expected to rise by a third on average across the board by 2021, according to the analysis by Gerald Eve, a firm which advises businesses on rates and property. It said rates for hospitals will rise from 328 million this year to 418 million a year by 2021. GPs and health centres will also see their costs rise, from 257 million to 332 million a year over the same period, according to the analysis, published by the Daily Telegraph. NHS logo Some health authorities will have to pay millions more, including Peterborough City Hospital, which will see rates rise from 2.5 million to 4.8 million by 2021, while the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trusts bill is set to rise from 4.2 million to 7.6 million. Royal London Hospital in east London will see its bill rise by nearly 60% to 9.7 million. Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said rising business rates mean it needs to put additional cost efficiencies in place on top of existing savings. Peterborough City Hospital Sally Gainsbury, a senior policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust think tank, told the Daily Telegraph: Hospitals are currently overspending at a rate of between 150 million and 250 million a month. They will struggle to absorb an extra hit like this the NHS is already in severe financial difficulties. When a hospital has to cut costs, it doesnt take long before they end up having to look at their staffing numbers, at doctors and nurses. They will be rushing around having to treat more and more patients. The Royal London Hospital A Government spokesman said: All properties, including hospitals, have their rateable values set independently by the Valuation Office Agency and taxpayers have the right to appeal the VOAs valuation. This revaluation improves the fairness of rate bills by making sure they more closely reflect the property market. We have also introduced a 3.6 billion transitional relief scheme to limit the impact of any increases. The Church of Englands ruling body has thrown out a controversial report on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The report by the House of Bishops, which was presented to the General Synod on Wednesday, had called for the Church to adopt a fresh tone and culture of welcome and support for gay people but not to change its opposition to unions between same-sex couples. More than 400 Church leaders gathered for a take note debate on the issue at Church Hall in Westminster, where they voted to symbolically reject the recommendations. The Archbishop of Canterbury had urged the Synod to approve the report, describing it as a good basis, a road map for moving forward. The report had to gain a majority in the House of Bishops, House of Clergy and House of Laity to be approved. A total of 242 votes were cast in favour across the three houses, 184 against, along with six abstentions. But some 100 members of the House of Clergy voted against compared with 93 who voted in favour and two who abstained. The vote is not a formal rejection of the proposals but the views aired will be used to inform future work by the House of Bishops. There is frustration among campaigners that the church 'refuses to bless loving, committed same-sex couples'. pic.twitter.com/V5OaRROjYb Dominic Harris (@DominicHarris8) February 15, 2017 The report recommended the Church of England should continue to consider marriage as a union, permanent and lifelong, of one man with one woman. The Bishop of Norwich, Graham James, said there had been very little appetite for changing the doctrine, as he introduced the debate. He said: We face a real challenge here since our failure to amend our doctrine of marriage to include same-sex partners can be heard as discriminatory and perceived as undermining our attempt to proclaim the core message of Jesus, that we should love our neighbours as ourselves. He added that there is no simple and easy answer to this issue and said views held were profoundly contested. Leading bishops have apologised at Synod to members of the @c_of_e who may feel alienated by a report on homosexuality and same-sex marriage Dominic Harris (@DominicHarris8) February 15, 2017 The House of Bishops report had also urged the promotion of maximum freedom within current laws and doctrines, without changing them. It suggested guidelines could be drawn up to encourage clergy to hold prayers with and guide same-sex couples, but not bless such marriages. Justin Welby said the Church needed a radical new Christian inclusion. He said: The vote today is not the end of the story, nor was it intended to be. The General Synod at Church House in London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) As bishops we will think again and go on thinking, and we will seek to do better. We could hardly fail to do so in the light of what was said this afternoon. The debate, considered the focal point of this weeks Synod, prompted impassioned speeches from members. Lucy Gorman, an activist and representative from York, said as a member of the church in her twenties, she was part of a dying breed. She said: Most people have a friend or family member who sits somewhere on the gender sexuality spectrum and why would they become part of an organisation which is seemingly homophobic, even if we dont intend it. The Bank of England is facing a potential legal battle after being accused by activists of dealing in blood money over its decision to keep polymer notes with traces of animal fat in circulation. The central bank said it had carefully considered alternative options like destroying or reprinting the 5 note and delaying the issue of the 10 note set for September but said it would be costly and compromise new anti-counterfeit measures. Polymer ten pound banknotes Activist Doug Maw a 48-year-old from Keswick in Cumbria who collected over 134,000 signatures calling for the recall of new 5 notes in November said he was quite angry about the news, and is now teaming up with the National Council of Hindu Temples (NCHT) to explore legal options. He told the Press Association: The fact that theyve decided to go ahead and not withdraw and continue (circulating the notes), means they are forcing people who have religious and ethical objections to use something thats against their religious beliefs and their ethical beliefs. Im most definitely as of now looking at legal advice and we will definitely be bringing a test case against them because Im pretty sure we will win it. It comes just weeks after bank staff met with Mr Maw and the general secretary of the NCHT to discuss the issue. Statement on the next steps following the discovery of traces of animal-derived products in polymer 5 notes. https://t.co/dopTlX4oO4 Bank of England (@bankofengland) February 15, 2017 The decision also drew ire from animal rights group PETA, which said: The Bank of England is effectively dealing in blood money, and while its not the most shocking case of cruelty to animals, theres no excuse for subsidising abattoirs to make a banknote. However, the Bank said it has held off signing supply contracts for the 20 polymer note, which is due to be released in 2020, in order to weigh plant-based substitutes like coconut oil or palm oil. It is launching a public consultation at the end of March and will make a final decision on how 20 notes and future runs of the 5 and 10 notes will be manufactured by summer 2017. The Bank has already spent 24 million on printing 275 million new 10 polymer notes since production began in August, on top of the 46 million spent on printing the 5 note. Reprinting those notes using new materials would mean incurring those costs again, while the destruction of those notes would cost a further 50,000, the Bank said. Delaying the issuance of the polymer 10 would also delay the benefits of the increased counterfeit resilience of polymer being achieved for the Bank and the public. But NCHT general secretary Satish K Sharma said the move signalled a loss of religious and ethical freedom and was very problematic. He explained that it would hurt fundraising at temples which forbid animal products, and impact ceremonies where low denomination banknotes are given as part of a blessing. Most Hindus are practising vegetarians and avoid using materials with traces of animal products, especially beef, as the cow is considered religiously sacred. Mr Sharma said: Knowing the ethical dilemmas for vegetarians and vegans, and the religious dilemmas that the Hindus, Sikhs and Jains are now being plunged into by their actions, they (the Bank) still chose not to make the changes. I think thats an unpleasant response. In this day in age that really isnt the way in which our governmental institutions and national institutions should be behaving. The Government is understood to be seeking crunch talks with Peugeot-owner PSA Group as fears grow over the future of thousands of British jobs at Vauxhall. Business secretary Greg Clark wants to speak with the French automotive giant at the earliest opportunity following news that General Motors (GM) could sell Vauxhall and Opel to PSA Group, the Press Association has learned. It comes after Mr Clark spoke to GM president Dan Ammann on Tuesday to raise concerns about a potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall. Vauxhall employs 4,500 staff at plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton, with a further 300 people working in a customer contact centre and 120 at its OnStar headquarters. Around 23,000 people also work in Vauxhalls retail network, while 7,000 jobs rely on the firms UK supply chain. Vauxhall's vehicle production plant in Luton It comes amid reports that the GM chief executive Mary Barra has flown to Germany in a bid to head off union concerns over potential job losses at Opel. PSA chief executive Carlos Tavares is also looking to meet with the German chancellor Angela Merkel and union representatives this week as he looks to push the deal through, according to the Financial Times. Such a deal would see GM exit UK and Europe, while transforming PSA Group into Europes second-largest carmaker with a 16% share of the European market. The US motor giant behind Chevrolet and Cadillac has acknowledged talks were taking place, but cautioned that there can be no assurance that an agreement will be reached. Unite general Len McCluskey has called on the Government to extend the assurances offered to Nissan over Brexit to the rest of the UK car industry to help secure jobs at Vauxhall. Following a meeting with Mr Clark, Mr McCluskey said Unite had stressed to the Government that it will not accept any job losses or plant closures as a result of this move. Business Secretary Greg Clark He said without shadow of doubt Vauxhalls UK plants must be offered the same level of certainty over their future as Nissan. Nissan announced in October that it was investing in production of new Qashqai and X-Trail models at Sunderland after receiving Government assurances that EU withdrawal would not affect the plants competitiveness. Mr McCluskey said the future of UK car workers jobs should not lie in the hands of French government-backed Peugeot, as he urged ministers to take decisive action. It does seem as if Brexit is a factor in this decision as GM does rely heavily on its links throughout the EU supply chain, so once again I stressed to the minister that we need them to be clearly committed to securing access to the single markets for the UK autos industry. Len McCluskey This can be done, in our view, while controlling access to the labour market so it is vital that the Government thinks again about its priorities for UK manufacturing. It also makes it even more vital that the Government takes this opportunity to work with the sector to bring the production of car components back to the UK so that we can run our businesses without facing bruising tariffs. Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United will end up in trouble if they continue to fight on all fronts. Thursdays Europa League last-32 first leg against St Etienne kicks off a frantic 11-day period as the second leg in France comes after an FA Cup tie at Blackburn and is followed by the small matter of the EFL Cup final against Southampton. There will be little let-up if United emerge victorious from that run of matches as more fixtures would leave them with a bloated, uneven schedule. Mourinho believes balancing domestic and European exertions will stretch his squad and ultimately hamper their chances of success not that he will allow his side to take their foot off the gas. We cannot choose the competitions at Manchester United, the United boss said on the eve of welcoming St Etienne. We know that our situation is really complicated. We know that the Europa League is also a competition where we play on Thursdays and that makes it even more difficult for us. The accumulation of FA Cup, League Cup, match postponements is really hard for us. No sign of Rooney, Carrick or Jones at #MUFC training ahead of the St Etienne match. 23 players training pic.twitter.com/6NlqDbClAN Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) February 15, 2017 If we progress in the competitions, we will be in trouble in April and May. But we cannot choose competitions, so we play them to win. I think its also a good way to give the team experience and international experience is always a plus. Europa League is not a competition we want to play, but its a competition we play and we respect it. Mourinho is desperate to return United to Europes top table, but believes Champions League qualification through the league will be harder to secure than for others as cup progress will create many, many problems. Jose Mourinho oversees a Manchester United training session We know that its going to be very difficult, the United boss said, with just four points separating his side and second-placed Manchester City. We know obviously it can have an impact in the Premier League because we are competing against teams in other circumstances. For example, Liverpool play only in the Premier League, Chelsea in the Premier League and the FA Cup. We have still Tottenham in a similar situation as us, but we want to progress. Thats the point. We prefer difficult but progressing to easy and being knocked out of the competitions. We will go seriously tomorrow and seriously against Blackburn on Sunday. Luke Shaw will be hoping to be involved at Ewood Park having been overlooked for Thursdays match, while Phil Jones, out with a foot complaint, will want to face his former club. The manager explains to reporters that Phil Jones is still recovering from the injury he sustained against Hull. #MUFC Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 15, 2017 Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick will not be risked against St Etienne, but Mourinho plans to name a strong side. The Government has named and shamed 360 businesses for underpaying thousands of workers a total of almost 1 million. The biggest ever list of offenders included employers in hairdressing, retail, hospitality and care homes. Excuses for underpaying workers included using tips to top up pay, docking wages to pay for Christmas parties, and making staff pay for their own uniforms. (Peter Byrne/PA) Retail giant Debenhams was accused of failing to pay almost 135,000 to just under 12,000 workers. The company said it made a technical error in its payroll calculations, which resulted in an average underpayment of around 10 per person to affected workers in 2015. The Business Department said more than 1,500 cases are being worked on by HM Revenue and Customs, with more firms set to be named. The new announcement means that more than 1,000 employers have been identified since the policy started in 2013. The new list includes 84 employers in the hospitality industry, 51 in retail, 39 hairdressers and 24 in social care. (Peter Byrne/PA) Business minister Margot James said: Every worker in the UK is entitled to at least the national minimum or living wage and this government will ensure they get it. That is why we have named and shamed more than 350 employers who failed to pay the legal minimum, sending the clear message to employers that minimum wage abuses will not go unpunished. Unions welcomed the announcement, but called for more prosecutions there have been 13 since 2007. TUC general secretary Frances OGrady said: This should be a wake-up call for employers who value their reputation. If you cheat your staff out of the minimum wage you will be named and shamed. But we also need to see prosecutions and higher fines for the most serious offenders, especially those who deliberately flout the law. Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said: It is frankly disgraceful that a record number of employers have failed to pay their workers the basic minimum wage, and hopefully the repercussions of being publicly named and shamed will act as a deterrent for other unscrupulous employers. However, the fact remains that the current so-called national living wage is that in name only. Protesters attack Lebanese TV channel headquarters BEIRUT, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Demonstrators attacked the headquarters of a Lebanese television channel in Beirut on Tuesday night, protesting against a broadcast they said was insulting to Lebanese Shi'ite cleric Imam Musa al-Sadr. Around 300 people, some carrying flags of Lebanon's Shi'ite Amal Movement, tried to storm the headquarters of Lebanese channel al-Jadeed, throwing fireworks, stones and eggs at the building. Scores of police and troops rushed to the area. One policeman was injured and the army later broke up the protest. Sadr, the founder of the Amal Movement, disappeared after travelling to Libya in 1978 and is presumed dead. Lebanese media said the Tuesday demonstration had been in reaction to a broadcast comedy sketch that referred to the disappearance. Protesters broke windows, shouted insults at the channel's owner, and chanted "Here we are Nabih", referring to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, head of the Amal Movement. A security source described the attack as serious but said the army was in control of the situation. An al-Jadeed correspondent said on live television that a fire had erupted in the building, ignited by the fireworks. Albanian police catch four suspects in van robbery TIRANA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Albanian police arrested on Tuesday four people suspected of involvement in the theft of $3.2 million during a cash transport near the main airport last Thursday and have recovered an undisclosed amount of money. It was the third such robbery from a delivery van in two years in Albania. Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri blamed poorly paid security men who he said "could not be heroes". Two more people involved in the heist are thought to be on the run. The Albanian Association of Banks said it regretted it had been hit again in a territory between the capital and the airport that should have been a "model of security" and that it had been asking for seven months for security to be beefed up for such money transports. Tirana's police chief Ervin Hodaj said the same six people had shot at and robbed another bank money delivery van in December 2015 very close to the same spot on the way to the international airport. "We have fully proved how they committed the robbery and the role of the suspects in these two robberies, including how they got the information on the van's itinerary, their helpers and who shot at the vans," Hodaj told reporters. One 33-year-old member of the group had worked for the security company which he helped rob first. Two others were army commandoes who served in Afghanistan as part of Albania's contribution to NATO's operations there. UK's Johnson says Gambia to rejoin Commonwealth 'as soon as possible' By Lamin Jahateh BANJUL, Feb 14 (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Gambia, which is seeking to emerge from more than two decades of authoritarian rule, would be readmitted "as fast as possible" to the Commonwealth, a body whose African members he once maligned. Longtime leader Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled since seizing power in 1994, fled Gambia last month after regional militaries launched an operation to remove him. In 2013, the mercurial former coup leader pulled his tiny West African nation out of the Commonwealth, the grouping including Britain and most of its former colonies, branding it a "neo-colonial institution." Johnson met with Gambia's new president, Adama Barrow, who won a Dec. 1 election that Jammeh rejected, on the first leg of his maiden trip to Africa, a continent where he has been accused of racial insensitivity in his previous career as a journalist. "We are going to admit them as fast as possible. Last night I talked to the Commonwealth secretary general, and she is determined to speed it up and get it done as soon as possible," Johnson told reporters after the meeting. Barrow is attempting to reverse many of Jammeh's most controversial decisions and is also planning to stop Gambia's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. "We welcome any effort being made by the newly democratically elected government of The Gambia to try to re-join the Commonwealth," the body said in a statement on Tuesday. "Should it decide to apply, we have formal processes which have to be undertaken and membership agreed by the 52 heads of government," the Commonwealth said. Before becoming Britain's foreign minister, Johnson was known for his often abrasive writing as a newspaper columnist. In a 2002 article in The Telegraph criticising a trip by then Prime Minister Tony Blair to Congo, he employed a racially charged term to describe the Commonwealth's African members. "It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies," Johnson wrote. He apologised for the language while running for mayor of London six years later. Trump backs Middle East peace, even if not tied to two-state solution WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump supports the goal of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, even if it doesn't involve the two-state solution, a senior White House official said on Tuesday. Speaking a day before Trump holds a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the official said peace was the ultimate goal. Iran president says wants good ties with Gulf ahead of regional trip BEIRUT, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country sought good relations with its Gulf Arab neighbours as he began a one-day trip to Oman and Kuwait on Wednesday, his first since taking power in 2013. Relations between predominantly Shi'ite Iran and the mainly Sunni Arab countries of the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, remain strained over their support for opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. "The basis of the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is always good neighbourly relations with neighbours and the security of the Persian Gulf," Rouhani said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Rouhani also said there should be greater unity between Shi'ites and Sunnis, saying they had "coexisted side by side peacefully for hundreds of years", IRNA reported. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain cut diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016 after protesters torched the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates recalled their envoys in a show of solidarity with Riyadh, but Oman only expressed regret over the attack, highlighting its better ties. Kuwait's foreign minister made a rare visit to Tehran in late January and called for frank dialogue between Iran and its regional neighbors. By Ben Hirschler LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Treatment with two important cancer drugs is about to get much cheaper in Europe with a cut-price copy of Roche's blood cancer drug Rituxan likely to hit the market imminently followed by a rival to its breast cancer medicine Herceptin. As cancer drug prices spiral, the arrival of the first biosimilars or copies of biotech drugs, ones made inside living cells, puts European oncologists in the forefront of a treatment shift that could slash costs and expand patient access. Copycat versions of Rituxan, also known as MabThera, and Herceptin have faced several delays in development in the past. This time the world's biggest cancer drugmaker cannot escape the competition. Approval from the pan-European regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), is pending and preparations are under way for the launch of a Rituxan biosimilar from South Korea's Celltrion. "We're expecting it to be available shortly," Andrew Roberts of Napp Pharmaceuticals, which will sell the intravenous drug in Britain, told Reuters. The EMA does not comment on upcoming approvals but its website shows it is assessing two biosimilar versions of Rituxan and three of Herceptin. Industry analysts believe Mylan and its partner Biocon may win a green light for the first Herceptin biosimilar in Europe later this year. Big numbers are at stake. Rituxan sold $7.3 billion worldwide last year, while Herceptin brought in $6.75 billion. Although copies of both are sold in parts of Asia, Europe is the first large market, with U.S. launches still some way off. Investors have been concerned about how quickly doctors would trust the new drugs but cancer experts and healthcare providers, worried about the finances of Europe's healthcare system, say they plan to embrace the cut-price medicines. Oncologists see savings creating financial headroom for a new wave of even more expensive immunotherapy drugs that are revolutionising cancer care but can cost more than $100,000 per patient. "Whether it's in the public or the private sector, we need to provide sustainable healthcare and biosimilars are clearly a good way to improve affordability," said Josep Tabernero, head of medical oncology at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona. Tabernero believes uptake will be just as good as for biosimilar rheumatoid arthritis drugs, known as anti-TNFs, which were launched in Europe a couple of years back. While it took a few months for physicians to get comfortable with those first antibody copycats, demand has since taken off and competition has driven down anti-TNF prices substantially. 50 PERCENT DISCOUNT Because biotech drugs are made inside living cells it is impossible to make exact generic copies, as happens with simple pills, so regulators have come up with the notion of approving products that are "similar" enough to do the job. That makes developing them relatively costly, leading to initial expectations of only modest price discounts. Yet biosimilar anti-TNFs now sell at around a 50 percent discount and Novartis, whose Sandoz unit has one of the biggest biosimilars portfolios, reckons discounts could widen to as high as 75 percent in some instances. Tabernero, who is president-elect of the European Society of Medical Oncology and co-wrote a technical paper last month putting the case for biosimilars, told Reuters he would "love to see discounts of 40 to 60 percent". [http://bit.ly/2lGPT2j ] Based on the rheumatology experience, discounts are likely to start out at around 30 percent. "If European oncologists are offered highly effective biosimilar agents at a better price, I'm sure they will receive them extremely positively," said Paul Workman, chief executive of Britain's Institute of Cancer Research. Officials running Europe's national healthcare systems are also paying close attention. Nordic countries and Germany have led the way in using biosimilars but others are now taking action to drive up biosimilar use. Britain, for example, which spends more than 300 million pounds ($375 million) on Rituxan and Herceptin, has set a target for 90 percent of new patients treated in National Health Service hospitals to get biosimilars in future. And the British Oncology Pharmacy Association declared last week it was committed to optimising the use of biosimilar antibodies in cancer treatment. New cancer patients, rather than those already started on an existing medicine, are the group most likely to receive biosimilars, at least initially. Still, the nature of treatment, often involving multiple therapy regimens, means this may not hinder biosimilar uptake in the medium-term. "We won't see instant uptake in every area but we would still expect much faster uptake than has been seen in the past with biosimilars," said Napp's Roberts. The EMA has to date approved 23 biosimilars against just four in the United States. "The EMA has done a good job. It realised many years ago that this is very strategic for managing drug costs in Europe and they set clear, understandable guidelines very early on," said Oliver Kubli of Bellevue Asset Management in Zurich. With a run of patent expiries on blockbuster biotech drugs lasting until around 2022, he is betting on a surge in sales for biosimilar manufacturers in the coming years, even with price discounts of 50 to 70 percent. Roche acknowledged this month it would see some erosion from biosimilars this year, although it is hoping to offset this with better or more convenient follow-on products. ($1 = 0.8013 pounds) (Editing by Anna Willard) BEIRUT, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country sought good relations with its Gulf Arab neighbours as he began a one-day trip to Oman and Kuwait on Wednesday, his first since taking power in 2013. Relations between predominantly Shi'ite Iran and the mainly Sunni Arab countries of the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, remain strained over their support for opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. "The basis of the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is always good neighbourly relations with neighbours and the security of the Persian Gulf," Rouhani said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). Rouhani also said there should be greater unity between Shi'ites and Sunnis, saying they had "coexisted side by side peacefully for hundreds of years", IRNA reported. Omani state news agency ONA reported that the country's ruler, Sultan Qaboos, welcomed Rouhani with a 21 gun salute when he arrived at the al-Alam Palace in the capital Muscat. Omani media showed Qaboos receiving Rouhani outside the palace, the sultan's second public appearance since he returned from medical checks in Germany in April last year. The agency said the two sides discussed ways for enhancing bilateral cooperation but gave no further details. Oman helped to mediate secret U.S.-Iran talks in 2013 that led to the historic nuclear deal signed in Geneva two years later. Qaboos became the first Arab head of state to visit Iran after Rouhani took office. In 2013, the two countries signed an agreement to supply Iranian gas to Oman through a pipeline to be built under the Gulf in a deal valued at $60 billion. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain cut diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016 after protesters torched the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates recalled their envoys in a show of solidarity with Riyadh, but Oman only expressed regret over the attack, highlighting its better ties. Rouhani was due in Kuwait later on Wednesday for talks with the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, expected to include efforts to ease tensions between Tehran and Riyadh. Kuwait's foreign minister made a rare visit to Tehran in late January and called for frank dialogue between Iran and its regional neighbours. (Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh and Sami Aboudi in Dubai,; Editing by Gareth Jones) BEIJING, Feb 15 (Reuters) - China rejected a shipment of coal from North Korea a day after the country testfired a ballistic missile in violation of international sanctions, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Wednesday. A load of around 16,295 tonnes of North Korean coal, estimated to be worth around $1 million, was not allowed to be unloaded at a seaport in Wenzhou in China's Zhejiang province on Monday, and will be returned to the North Korean western port of Nampo, the agency said citing unidentified sources. The rejection was due to a higher-than-permissible level of mercury contained in the coal, the agency said. The move came a day after Pyongyang's test of the intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday, its first direct challenge to the international community since U.S. President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20. In September, the United Nations imposed new sanctions on North Korea, as part of an effort to deter Pyongyang from pursuing its nuclear weapons programme after the country's fifth and largest nuclear test. It set an annual sales cap of $400.9 million or 7.5 million tonnes, whichever is lower, on coal, the isolated country's biggest export, effective from Jan. 1. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Gen Shuang said he was not aware of the case when asked about the rejection at a regular briefing on Wednesday. He reiterated the government's stance that the guidelines on coal in the United Nations sanctions are very clear and China is abiding by them. China imported 22.5 million tonnes of coal from North Korea last year. (Reporting by Josephine Mason; additional reporting by Ben Blanchard and Philip Wen; Editing by Keith Weir) By Phil Stewart and Robin Emmott BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's defence secretary warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not "moderate" support for the alliance. Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Brussels as Pentagon chief, also accused some NATO members of ignoring threats, including from Russia. "America cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," Mattis said in a closed-door session with NATO defence ministers, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters. The comments represented some of the strongest criticism in memory of allies who have failed to reach defence spending goals. Europe's low expenditure has long been a sore point for the United States, which puts up 70 percent of alliance funds. But Trump has made change a priority, saying allies have "been very unfair to us" for not spending more. Trump was sharply critical of NATO during his election campaign, making European allies nervous by calling the alliance obsolete and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has voiced strong support for NATO, comments echoed by Mattis at NATO's Brussels headquarters. Mattis called NATO "the most successful and powerful military alliance in modern history" and made a point of shaking hands with each of his European counterparts at the start of the meeting. Mattis, however, suggested U.S. support should not be seen as a given. "I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms," Mattis said. "America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence." Mattis stopped short of issuing an explicit ultimatum or say how the United States might moderate its support. The United States for years has called for European allies to spend 2 percent of economic output on defence, he said. But he added that NATO allies must show progress in 2017 and adopt a plan, with target dates, toward defence spending goals. Italy and Spain, two of Europe's larger economies, spend barely 1 percent a year on defence as they seek to curtail budget deficits following the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, three other wealthy European nations that are among the smallest spenders on defence, still need to convince centre-left political parties that do not support higher defence spending, preferring to prioritise welfare and education. But the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania, who fear a repeat of Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, are on course to meet the 2 percent goal, while Romania is also heading towards that level. HARDLY A "MAD DOG" After Mattis' address, Britain's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the former U.S. general had explained that "the impatience of the American taxpayer is a reality". Other defence chiefs appeared to back up Mattis' plea and he was broadly seen to be reassuring NATO of America's commitment after a contentious election campaign that put allies on edge. German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen told the session that "the United States is right" on defence spending, according to one official who was present at the time, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky said he was not surprised by Mattis' remarks, and described him as "absolutely calm, humble even" - far from the "Mad Dog" nickname that Trump himself has used for him. "It wasn't that dramatic," he told Reuters. "The important point is that the United States is committed to a strong NATO and that means properly financed armed forces." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also dismissed concerns about the U.S. commitment to NATO, and played down the fallout from turmoil within Trump's administration. Trump has been jolted by the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn over his contacts with Russia's ambassador. U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Tom Heneghan) By Alissa de Carbonnel BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted draft reforms of the EU's carbon market post-2020 that aim to balance greater cuts in greenhouse gases with protection for energy-intensive industries. The European Union's emission trading system (ETS), a cap-and-trade permit system to regulate industry pollution, has suffered from excess supply since the financial crisis, depressing its prices and heightening the need for reform. But politicians and EU nations are divided over how best to fix the complex system, with industry and environment groups lobbying hard on opposing sides. Reform efforts have also been overshadowed by Britain's decision to quit the bloc, raising fears it would also leave the EU's scheme, hammering prices. The draft, adopted by 379-263 votes, rejected a more environmentally ambitious proposal for the faster removal of surplus carbon permits from the ETS - sparking criticism from climate campaigners. Instead, it sticks with the EU executive's proposal for the cap on emissions to fall by 2.2 percent per year - the so-called linear reduction factor - until at least 2024. The Climate Action Network said it "betrayed the spirit" of the Paris accord to slow global warming, while Dutch green lawmaker Bas Eickhout said provisions to protect industry showed "the lobbyists have won out in the end." But leading policymakers called it the best compromise possible in tough talks. EU lawmakers will now enter negotiations with representatives of the bloc's 28 governments to hammer out the final legislation. The benchmark European carbon contract fell by about 2 percent following the vote, hovering around 5 euros/tonne, but Thomson Reuters carbon analysts said the market reaction would be short-lived. "The Parliament position significantly tightens the market balance," said Hege Fjellheim, an analyst at Thomson Reuters. INDUSTRY PROTECTION FROM 'CARBON LEAKAGE' The cap-and-trade system is the EU's key tool to meet its goal of a 43 percent cut in greenhouse gases from industries and power plants covered by the market compared with 2005. It aims to send a policy signal to encourage their investment in renewables and low-carbon electricity production. In a bid to shore up prices, the Parliament's proposal doubles the rate at which the scheme's Market Stability Reserve (MSR) soaks up excess allowances to 24 percent per year from 2019. It also cancels 800 million carbon allowances from the MSR in 2021. To minimise the risk of industry moving abroad to escape climate regulation, the draft allows for the share of allowances auctioned to be reduced by up to five percent to cushion against the impact of a cap on overall allocations, known as the cross-sectoral correction factor. The cement industry, which some lawmakers had pushed to exclude from free allowances, will remain on the list of installations receiving handouts. The deal drew mixed reactions from other industries. The steel, metal and chemical sectors welcomed the step towards adopting the long-awaited reforms but said they hoped for more safeguards for their competitiveness in continuing talks. The shipping industry protested its inclusion under the scheme from 2023 in the draft proposal, which also calls for reforms to tighten emission controls on aviation. However, lawmakers leading the reform have said the two provisions are likely to be traded away in upcoming negotiations with member states. (Additional reporting by Susanna Twidale and Angela Maytaal in London; Editing by David Evans and Ken Ferris) By Kate Holton LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Britain and its leading union expressed concerns on Wednesday at a plan by General Motors to sell its European operations to France's PSA Group in a deal that could put GM's Vauxhall operations in England at risk after Brexit. Britain's largely foreign-owned car industry has thrived in recent years, but the vote to leave the European Union has cast doubt on future growth by raising the prospect of tariffs which would make UK plants less competitive. Prime Minister Theresa May's government has already been forced to pull a deal together to persuade Nissan to keep investing in Britain, saying it would counter any loss of competitiveness caused by Brexit. On Tuesday the news that GM had entered into talks with France's PSA over a deal to merge its loss-making Opel and Vauxhall brands with the French group's Peugeot, Citroen and DS names raised fears that the British Vauxhall brand could look vulnerable if an enlarged group needs to cut costs. "The government remains in close contact with GM as we closely monitor the situation," a spokesman for the British Department of Business said, adding that the minister Greg Clark had already raised his concerns with GM President Dan Ammann. Britain's car industry, which ships more than half of its exports to the other 27 countries in the EU, had lobbied hard against Brexit. Since the vote last June, Prime Minister May has said that Britain will leave the EU single market, which guarantees unfettered trade on the continent, but suggested that certain industries may be able to retain elements of free trade. Vauxhall employs around 4,500 staff in two plants near Liverpool and Luton, north of London, and supports other jobs through supply chain and retail links. The Unite workers' union said the president of GM had given a private assurance last year that there would be no surprises in terms of GM's plants in Britain, and that these commitments had not been upheld. "To Peugeot I say, talk to us," Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey said in a statement. "Our members have helped to make the UK auto industry the most competitive and productive in Europe and will do so again with the right backing." McCluskey met Business Minister Clark on Wednesday to discuss the potential impact on Vauxhall and said he had urged the government to give the same assurances it had given to Nissan to other carmakers. "It cannot be that the future of UK car workers' jobs now lie in the hands of the French government and their backing for Peugeot," he said. (Additional reporting by Ritvik Carvalho, editing by Estelle Shirbon and Jason Neely) WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Marine Corps General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Joseph Dunford will meet with the head of the Russian army's General Staff Valery Gerasimov on Thursday in Azerbaijan, Dunford's office said in a statement on Wednesday. "The military leaders will discuss a variety of issues including the current state of U.S.-Russian military relations and the importance of consistent and clear military-to-military communication to prevent miscalculation and potential crises," the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Writing by Susan Heavey) PARIS, Feb 15 (Reuters) - France said on Wednesday it would not accept interference by Russia or any other state in its presidential election, and would retaliate if necessary. The pledge by Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault followed complaints by the party of election frontrunner Emmanuel Macron that his campaign was the target of 'fake news' put out by Russian media, as well as internet attacks on its databases. "We will not accept any interference whatsoever in our electoral process, no more from Russia by the way than from any other state. This is a question of our democracy, our sovereignty, our national independence," Ayrault told parliament. He said France would set clear limits, "including retaliatory measures when that is necessary, because no foreign state can influence the choice of the French, no foreign state can choose the future president of the Republic." The Kremlin said on Tuesday that allegations made by Macron's En Marche (Onwards!) movement were absurd. The centrist is currently favourite for the April/May election, ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in an assessment in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an effort to help Republican Donald Trump's election chances by discrediting his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton during last year's presidential campaign, including by hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee. While Russia denies involvement, the U.S. experience has prompted security agencies to step up their guard against cyberattacks as Europe faces major elections this year in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as France. French President Francois Hollande has called a meeting of national defence chiefs next week to discuss cyber security, demanding to see "specific monitoring and protection measures" to be taken during the election campaign, a statement from his office said. The meeting is set for Feb. 23. (Reporting by Andrew Callus and Richard Balmforth; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) By Mark Weinraub CHICAGO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade soybean, corn and wheat futures firmed on Wednesday, recovering from weakness in the overnight trading session on a round of technical buying, traders said. Corn futures staked out a fresh top, peaking at its highest since June 30 while wheat was trending near the 7-1/2 month high it hit earlier this week. Soybeans were bouncing back from two days of declines that wiped out 1.3 percent of the most-active contract's value. Buying by investment funds keyed the rebound from the overnight drop. "They really do not want to press the short side," said Brian Hoops, analyst with Midwest Marketing Solutions. "There is dollars of upside potential and dimes of downside risk." Traders have grown comfortable with the expectations for a bumper crop in South America and were waiting to see how weather for the U.S. planting season would progress during the next two months before locking in profits from the recent rally. A rally during the spring in 2016 also made traders wary of selling off their long positions, Hoops added. At 10:42 a.m. CST (1642 GMT), CBOT March soybean futures were up 8-1/2 cents at $10.53-1/2 a bushel. The gains were kept in check by accelerating field work in key growing areas of Brazil. "For soybeans, weather in South America is positive with harvesting of the likely record-large soybean crop in Brazil making good progress and even looking to be faster than last year," said Matt Ammermann, commodity risk manager at INTL FCStone. "Soybean weather in Argentina is also non-threatening." CBOT March corn was up 2-1/2 cents at $3.76-3/4 a bushel, just below its session peak of $3.77. Corn found support from early weakness after dipping to its weekly low of $3.71-3/4 a bushel. CBOT March wheat was 1-1/2 cents higher at $4.51 a bushel. A key technical support point for wheat was Tuesday's low of $4.46-1/4 a bushel. (Additional reporting by Michael Hogan in Hamburg and Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Mark Potter and Tom Brown) LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iran aims to export 20 to 25 million tonnes of steel annually by 2025, it said in an official statement on Wednesday, up from a previous goal of 10 million tonnes. Tehran has sought to boost the steel sector as it targeted economic expansion following the 2015 deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme and has worked to attract foreign investment. However, while it has succeeded in adding steel capacity, political and logistical hurdles are high and the lifting of international sanctions has not opened up the country as quickly as first expected. The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO), in the statement published on its website, quoted a member of the Expediency Discernment Council -- a body that mediates between Iran's parliament and the Guardian Council -- as saying Iran foresaw exports of 20-25 million tonnes of steel by 2025. That compares with an export goal of 10 million tonnes outlined by Tehran before the nuclear deal. An overall target of 55 million tonnes per year for total Iranian steel production was unchanged in Wednesday's statement, which followed a two-day steel conference in Tehran. The global steel market is around 1.6 billion tonnes and analysts say there is little need for more capacity given global oversupply for the foreseeable future. Iran says its current production is around 1 percent of the world total -- or 16 million tonnes. IMIDRO did not respond immediately to requests for further information. The European steelmakers' association Eurofer says Iran has increased exports of hot rolled flat steel rapidly to the European Union (EU) market and has accused Iran of "trade distorting measures". A European Commission source, who asked not to be named, said the EU executive has until April 7 to decide whether to impose anti-dumping penalties on Iran following an investigation into whether the country has been selling steel at below market prices. Although they acknowledge Iran has expanded its steel industry, shipping sources say many firms are wary of trading with Iranian counterparts and Western banks are unwilling to finance any trade for fear of U.S. penalties. Iran could also run short of iron ore given the complexity of trade with the nation and is considering export duties on iron ore to help maximise availability for its domestic steel mills, industry sources say. (Reporting by Barbara Lewis, Maytaal Angel and Jonathan Saul; Editing by Susan Fenton) Sri Lankas prime minister has urged compatriots who are being held in Australian-run immigration detention centres to come home. Ranil Wickremesinghe claimed the Sri Lankans had broken the law in trying to flee to Australia but insisted they would not face prosecution if they returned. Come back. All is forgiven, Wickremesinghe said as he stood beside Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra on Wednesday. Asked about those who might prefer to remain in the camps than return in fear for their safety, he insisted they were mistaken, pointing to a newly established missing persons office in his country. Some of them have left from places where conflict didnt even take place, Wickremesinghe said. All of them are not even Tamils and even we want all the Tamils to come back. We should not make a mess of ourselves like theyve gone and done in Europe and the Middle East. They left Sri Lanka illegally. They are welcome to return to Sri Lanka and we wont prosecute them, so they can come back to Sri Lanka, and we will have them, but remember, they broke the law in coming to Australia, attempting to come to Australia. When asked by reporters whether it was safe for asylum seekers to return, Wickremesinghe said: We just started a missing persons office. It is quite safe for them to come back. Australia and Sri Lanka shared a number of bonds through their history, Wickremesinghe said. Sri Lanka and Australia have shared a common past. There are many values we inherited from the British empire to which we added our own values, and Australia today is one of the leading members of the Asia-Pacific region. BY Janaprith Fernando Lord Baden Powell in his Last Message said But the real way to get happiness is by giving out happiness to other people. Try and leave this world a little better than you found it and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best Sri Lankas former Chief Scouts Commissioner Soma Weerakone, who was called to a higher service on February 8, 2017, during his life time did exactly this. He joined the scout movement as a Cub Scout at Anuruddha College in Nawalapitiya and moved to St Marys College, Nawalapitiya where he continued as a scout. Thereafter he joined the Rock Mount Rover Crew and started his career in the Water Works Department in Nawalapitiya. He was later transferred and served in Kandy, Avissawella and Chilaw. In Chilaw he served the Scout Movement as a Scout Leader. Thereafter he was transferred to Colombo. The late Mr R. Bodinagoda, a former District Commissioner of Colombo, was his guru and knowing Mr Weerakone and his capabilities approached him to join the Colombo District Scouts and appointed him as an Assistant District Commissioner (ADC). He was the Organising Commissioner of the Colombo Camporee in 1978. He continued to serve as an ADC and was appointed as the District Commissioner of Colombo in 1984. He served in this capacity till 1989 and was elected as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Colombo. After serving a brief period in this office he was appointed as an Assistant Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Scout Association where he handled many subjects including International Affairs. Mr Weerakone was appointed Deputy Chief Commissioner 1997 and organized the 5th National Jamboree in Kandy in 1998. In 2002 he was appointed as the Chief Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Scout Association (SLSA). Under his leadership the National Jamboree was held in Nuwara Eliya together with the SAARC camp and the SAARC Chief Commissioners meeting hosted by Sri Lanka. I came to know Mr Weerakone in 1982 when I was only a junior scout of 14 years. I was absorbed to serve in the Camporee Souvenir Team and Mr Weerakone after the Camporee hosted a dinner to which I too was invited. I was touched by his humility and hospitality because I recall him talking to me on a number of occasions during the function to find out how I was and that made me feel very special. This is a great quality he had where he was able to relate to both the young and the old alike. I have worked with him since then and he always said and treated me like one of his sons. He would be the first to call and wish me whenever I achieved something either in scouting or in my profession. There was one Christmas card which would reach me by post every year and up to 2016 he did not fail to send this greeting card. As Scout Leaders we have had several heated arguments at meetings, sometimes I am sure he may have got hurt to realize that I was arguing with him. He never took anything out of the meeting room nor held any grudges but on the contrary would invite me to join him for a bite at the 80 Club. He has never missed a single meeting of the Scout Council if he is in Sri Lanka and would contribute positively at discussions. I have received so many messages of Condolences from all scouting nations and leaders of the Asia Pacific Region and they have said what a great scout leader and a friend he was to all of them and how the Scouting world would miss him. They sent their deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and the SLSA. Mr Weerakone has won several Awards and Medals from the King of Thailand, Prince of Japan and the President of Sri Lanka. That is the great man, great Scout and a great father Soma Weerakone was. To me he was a mentor, godfather and a respected scout leader. Let me quote from the great song writer Irving Berlin of USA The Song is ended, but the Melody lingers on Mr Soma Weerakone sir, May you attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana and as I believe May Your Soul Rest in Peace The writer is an Attorney-at-Law, Deputy Chief Commissioner - Sri Lanka Scouts Member, Asia Pacific Regional Scout Committee & Chairman Global Support Core Group of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement At least eight students were hospitalised after a clash between students of Ananda and Nalanda Colleges in Colombo yesterday afternoon, police said. They said five students from Ananda College and three students from Nalanda College were among the injured due to the clash that occurred in Borella and Maradana Police areas. The injured were admitted to the National Hospital, Colombo. Five students were arrested by the Borella Police and ten students from the Maradana Police in connection with the incident. Police said a CTB bus and another private bus were damaged due to the clash in Borella while a car and a van were damaged in Maradana. Meanwhile, three students were admitted to the National Hospital due to a separate clash among students of the D. S. Senanayake College, Colombo yesterday afternoon, hospital sources said.(Darshana Sanjeewa) The common saying Art can take you anywhere is vividly proved if you happened to visit South Asias largest contemporary art exhibition Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) 2016 in Fort Kochi, Kerala. Arts performances and productions by ninety-seven artistes representing 31 countries including Sri Lanka are featured at the KMB. Titled Forming in the pupil of an eye, much-awaited creative extravaganzas curtains went up on December 12 last year, and will be closed on March 29, 2017. The KMB holds a mirror up to the general public, reflecting its interests and concerns while at the same time challenging its social misconceptions and political issues such as global refugee crises. It also explores concepts of historical identity and cultural memory through various forms of media such as painting, sculpture, drawing, installation, film and video, photography, activism, street performances and music. In one stall, visitors get the tactile experience of having to wade through ankle-deep sea water, recalling the terrible experience encountered by the two Syrian kids Alan Kurdi and Galip Kurdi who drowned in the Mediterranean waters in 2015 while making an escape to Turkey. In another stall, you are taken to an Indian colourful folk art performance called Payyunur Charadukuthi Kolkali (traditional form, native to Payyanur in Kannur District). Curated by Indian artist Sudarshan Shetty, the KMBs organisers have successfully attempted to bring various cultures from different countries into the world of art. Below are some must-see art installations which lingered in mind. Sea of pain - Chillie (Pic) Chilliean artist Raul Zurita wades barefoot through the knee-deep stretch of seawater that covers his installation Sea of Pain, bearing in mind the agony the innocent Syrian boys Alan Kurdi and Galip Kurdi underwent while crossing the border in the Mediterranean Sea in 2015. Histories of Resistance - Sri Lanka Sri Lankan artist T. Shanaathanans exhibit presents forgotten, personal takes on Sri Lankas civil war. Speaking on his Cabinet containing stories on display at KMB, he said he attempted to talk about unheard personal stories of the hardships faced by civilians and how they were handled from a civilians point of view. Since 2004, Shanaathanan has toiled to collect firsthand experiences of individual tragedies in the hope of coming into terms with his own trauma. Today, the 400-km journey from Jaffna to Colombo takes hardly six hours by bus. During the war, since most of the routes were blocked or barred, one had to go through no mans zones. There was no certainty about whether you would reach. It is not just physical pain, but also the hardships the common man has to face daily in war-torn areas that causes mental trauma. I found that my experiences were not unique. They were shared by people, he said. Unspoken conversation - Norway Norwegian artist Camille Norments sound art installation engages visitors in an unspoken conversation with their slow murmuring, chanting, humming and moaning. Wooden benches where exciters are attached with provide seemingly thoughtful accommodation while listening to the deep and resonant voices. Elegant vandalism - UK British artist Jonathan Owens art - an anonymous woman sitting perched on a pedestal to be gawked at. For Owen, his sculpture, part of an ongoing series of work called Untitled, is a look at how women are made prisoners of the beauty myth. Contemporary narrative -China A painting by Chinese artist Dai Xiang shows a contemporary transformation through photographs. The 25m panoramic photo installation also sketches the current realities in China through a dramatic approach and points a finger at issues affecting China. Payyunur Charadukuthi Kolkali India A centuries-old Kerala folk art named Payyunur Charadukuthi Kolkali was performed at the KMB premises by a group of Indian dancers. Secret Dialogues - India Indian artist C. Bhagyanaths Secret Dialogues is a story about layers making the transparent apparent. The artwork explores the human act of adding to what comes before to express the relationship between the mind and the body, the human and the animal, the inside and the outside. A group of university students today staged a protest in front of the Colombo University demanding the authorities to immediately abolish the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) in Malabe. Pix by Nisal Baduge Blue Mountain Achilleion, Sri Lankas seven star luxury real estate project, will be headlining the Maldives Living Expo 2017 to be held from 16th to 18th February 2017 at the National Art Gallery Main Hall in Male, Maldives. In its fifth year, the Maldives Living Expo features international condominiums, local buildings and apartments, lifestyle appliances for modern homes and home financing and insurance suppliers. Blue Mountain Achilleion is expected to be the cynosure of all eyes at the event for being the first seven star condominium project in Sri Lanka. Its luxury features and facilities and unparalleled location overlooking the Indian Ocean makes it a highly attractive investment for overseas investors. Colombo is rapidly gaining the distinction of being an attractive investment destination for the wealthy, as the citys cosmopolitan and cultural vibe and commercial hub status makes it the preferred city in the entire region. Besides the rising land value in the heart of Colombo, Blue Mountain Apartments latest real estate development, Achilleion, the first-ever 7-star luxury apartment building in Sri Lanka, is ideal for investors and home-owners seeking a high return on investment - as it will be an iconic, first of its kind, super luxury in the South Asian region. Located in the heart of Colombo 4, next to the Majestic City shopping mall, Achilleion is set to make an iconic appearance on Colombos skyline and will feature all-new levels of luxury and innovation. 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. 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 618 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. The iconic design and structure of the development is being supported by the global real estate titan, Palmer & Turner (P&T) Group Singapore, heralded as the No. 2 ranked residential developer in the world. P&T is reputed for only working in high value projects around the world, being extremely selective about the credentials of the property and its potential in becoming a landmark project. Enhancing the propertys value even further, the complexs plush interiors are being curated by Index Design, a leading interior design practise also based in Singapore, which reflects the ultra modern and latest international style that the apartments will deflect. Achilleion has won three international awards already, including the best Luxury Show Apartment at the prestigious Asia Pacific Property Awards 2016/2017. The investment bank, Capital Alliance (CAL), will be launching a Rs.4 billion private equity fund in the near future, a top company official said. We will be launching a private equity fund soon. It will be Rs.4 billion and some foreigners will also be investing. We feel that the time is right, CAL Group Managing Director Ajith Fernando said. The fund would be investing in established companies that have already been through earlier funding rounds by way of seed and venture capital funding. Private equity plays a major role in financing companies either through debt or equity investments prior to their readiness to seek public funding through a stock exchange. Some private equity funds also engage in takeovers. Sri Lankas private equity ecosystem has not yet developed properly, with only a handful of private equity funds, each approximately as large as the one conceptualized by CAL, in existence. Some of these funds have been noted to extend funding to entities owned by parties related to the fund managers. Pension funds play a key role in private equity. However, less than 18 percent of the countrys current elderly receive pensions, despite the existence of 24 unregulated pension funds. However, most of the pensions are not paid through a managed fund, but through the state budget. The private sector has two funds worth over 15 percent of the countrys US $ 82 billion economy, which make lump sum payments upon a member exiting the labour market due to old age, death or, in the case of females, marriage. However, the funds are only allowed to invest in government securities and certain publicly held companies. Some foreign pension and sovereign wealth funds, as well as financing agencies and development banks have shown interest in investing in private equity in Sri Lanka. (CW) China and Sri Lanka are close neighbours enjoying traditional friendship. As early as 410 AD, the famous Chinese (Fa Hsien) travelled to Sri Lanka, acquired Buddhist texts and preached Buddhism in the Island country for two years. The journey of Fa Xian ushered in the long history of friendly exchanges and communication between the two ancient civilizations. In the 15th century before the western great discoveries of geography, Chinese navigator Zheng He voyaged along the ancient maritime silk route and landed in Sri Lanka 5 times. His journey further linked China and Sri Lanka. Today we can still trace this very history to the China Bay in Trincomalee, Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. We are proud of our ancestors long time engagement with each other and confident of the future development of the China-Sri Lanka Traditional Friendship. Sustained Friendship based on Mutual Respect, Mutual Trust and Equality and Mutual Benefit This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka and the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Rubber--Rice Pact. Sixty five years ago, in the background of the cold war, our two countries determined to sign the Rubber--Rice Pact with each other despite western objections, opening a door for the two traditional friends to communicate with and support each other again. On 7th February 1957, China and Sri Lanka established diplomatic ties and continued the deep-rooted friendship. When we talk about China-Sri Lanka relations, most people of both countries will speak of the historical moment in 1957 when Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai made the public speech at the Independence Square in the rain and the historical moment in 1971 when Sri Lankan Prime Minister Madam Bandaranaike presented the baby elephant Mitura to the Chinese people. Such precious friendship has been handed down from generation to generation and enhanced ever since. Over the six decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the bilateral relations have always maintained a sound and steady development. China and Sri Lanka have carried out cooperation by upholding the principle of equality and mutual benefits, aiming to bring tangible benefits to the two peoples. China always attaches importance on its relations with Sri Lanka in its neighbourhood diplomacy and stands ready to make joint efforts with Sri Lanka to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields and promote the bilateral strategic and cooperative partnership featuring sincere mutual assistance and everlasting friendship to a new height. Regardless of the changing international landscape and internal politics of both nations, the Chinese government and people have maintained an intimate traditional friendship with Sri Lanka. Nowadays, China-Sri Lanka relations have become a model of friendly exchanges between countries. Strategic Cooperative Partnership Grows with Renewed vigour and Vitality In recent years, China-Sri Lanka relations have entered into a new era of strategic cooperative partnership. Since the end of the internal conflict in 2009, Sri Lanka has been on the sound track of political stability and social harmony. Reconstruction and reconciliation have progressed smoothly, resulting in rapid economic and social development and significant improvement of peoples livelihood. China welcomes the tangible and significant progress made in addressing the challenges of post-conflict development and stands unswervingly with Sri Lanka on the path of reconstruction and development. In September 2014, Chinese President H.E. Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Sri Lanka, which is the first ever during the past 28 years, opening a new chapter of China-Sri Lanka relations. Six months later, in March 2015, Sri Lankan President H.E. Maithripala Sirisena conducted a state visit to China shortly after resuming office, which consolidated and deepened China-Sri Lanka friendly cooperative ties. In April and August, 2016, Hon. Ranil Wickramasinghe visited China twice and reached a lot of consensus with the Chinese leaders on further enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation. Today, BMICH, Nelum Pokuna Theatre and the Supreme Court Complex etc., donated and constructed by China in the past decades witness the Chinese peoples unselfish contribution to Sri Lankan people. Mega projects such as Colombo South Container Terminal, Norochcholai Coal Power Plant, Colombo-Katunayake Expressway, Southern Expressway, A9 road, Mattala International Airport, and Phase one of Hanmbantota Port and three China-Sri Lanka Friendship Villages have become the new landmarks of China-Sri Lanka friendship. Chinas Support has laid an indispensable basis for the development of Sri Lanka which has now became one of the most vibrant developing countries with prominent prospects. Up to now, China has provided preferential loans amounting to more than RMB 40 billion (over Rs. 800 billion) and donations worth more than RMB 10 billions (over Rs. 200 billion) to Sri Lanka. The two countries enterprises have worked together and constructed a lot of mega projects which benefit Sri Lankan development and the peoples livelihood. Those projects have also created more than 100 thousand job opportunities for the local people, trained tens of thousands of technicians and managers, and promoted the rapid development of various sectors. China has been Sri Lankas second-largest tourism source market since 2014. In 2016, Sri Lanka received more than 270 thousand arrivals from China, up 26.8 percent year-on-year. The number of Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka is on an upward curve, which stands for the deepening and enlarging of people to people exchanges between our two countries. It is also a new fashion for Sri Lankans to do business, travel and study in China. Last year, China provided more than 1000 scholarships and training opportunities to Sri Lanka ranging from academic study to language training, professional training, etc. Government officials at different levels, businessmen, professionals, students and tourists are conducting more and more interactions and communications among each other, which will definitely enhance the understanding and friendship between our two peoples. The exchanges and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka, are fraternal and mutually beneficial, which has established a model for south-south cooperation. And the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership has been growing stronger and stronger. Bright future with Joint construction of the 21st Maritime Silk Route The China-Sri Lanka friendship, nurtured by generations of the leaders of both countries and personages from all circles and treasuries and cherished by the two peoples, should be earnestly and everlastingly inherited, maintained and developed. As an important stop of the ancient Maritime Silk Route, Sri Lanka had witnessed the prosperous era in the history. President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the national government have made a clear development blueprint for Sri Lanka. We believe that with the joint efforts of the government and people, Sri Lanka will surely realize its aspiration. On the way forward, China will always stand with Sri Lanka and spare no efforts to mutually create a more brilliant tomorrow for our bilateral relations and to realize the dreams of our two countries. Currently, China and Sri Lanka is on the journey of jointly constructing the 21st Century Maritime Silk Route. The Chinese side would like to maximize the synergy of each others respective development strategies under the framework of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Route to achieve mutual benefits and common development. China will continue to preserve the strong development momentum of bilateral relations. We are willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, strengthen friendly exchanges between political parties and governmental departments of both sides and constantly consolidate and enhance political mutual trust. We are willing to implement the important consensus reached by both leaders together with Sri Lanka, accelerate the alignment of development strategies and forge the upgraded version of bilateral cooperation and development and jointly push for constant progress of China-Sri Lanka relations so that both peoples can benefit more from bilateral cooperation. China will continue to encourage Chinese companies to invest in Sri Lanka, and actively participate in the projects like construction and management of ports and neighbouring industrial zones, transportation infrastructure, and processing and manufacturing industry, etc., and jointly foster new economic growth points of bilateral economic cooperation. China will fullfill its promises to assist Sri Lanka to carry out livelihood projects such as the Kidney Disease Hospital, the Outpatient Department of National Hospital and the Water Quality Monitoring Centre. China will continue to enhance the people to people exchanges with Sri Lanka. As a Chinese saying goes, the relationship between two countries is based on the affection between two countries civilians. China will continue to support the Sri Lankan side to conduct tourism promotion in China, encourage Chinese citizens to travel in Sri Lanka, support the airline companies to open more direct flights, and facilitate people to people engagement and trade exchanges. China will continue to provide scholarships and trainingships for Sri Lankans and support the exchanges and cooperation between universities, think tanks, media and Buddhism societies of the two countries, and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. There are endless stories and wonderful prospects for the friendship and cooperation between China and Sri Lanka. We believe that China-Sri Lanka relations will usher in a more beautiful and bright future. The friendly cooperation between China and Sri Lanka will definitely bear more fruits and bring tangible benefits to the two peoples. May the friendship between China and Sri Lanka be everlasting! The chairman of SAITM, Dr Neville Fernando said that a decision would be taken on whether to suspend the enrolment of students at SAITM for six months after discussing this matter with the Higher Education Ministry. Till then more students would be taken in, he said. He said the lecturers of the institution were paid very high salaries in order to provide a good education to the students. If students were not enrolled there would be no funds to pay the professors, he said. He said that students of his institution were provided clinical training at the government hospitals only after making a payment of Rs 50,000 per subject and they would not agree to the already graduated students being given this clinical training once again. If the Medical Council ignores the court order and refuses to register the medical graduates, these students might file action in court for contempt of court, he said. During a discussion the deans of all medical faculties had with the Higher Education Ministry recently, it had been decided to suspend the enrolment of new students to SAITM for six months, and for the students who had passed out to undergo clinical training and sit for an examination conducted by the Medical Council. (Tharindu Jayawardene) The 9th annual Footwear and Leather Fair successfully concluded at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre after 3 days, where the public were able to witness a massive range of quality footwear and leather accessories. This year attracted the highest number of visitors to the fair since its commencement. Organized by the Sri Lanka Footwear and Leather Products Manufacturers, together with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Industrial Development Board of Ceylon, and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, this years fair hosted over100 local companies and 34 foreign companies, including 6 large industry stalwarts, 10 medium and over 70 SMEs, in addition to 125 sales outlets managed by the manufacturers. The President of Sri Lanka Footwear and Leather Products Manufacturers Association P. G. D. Nimalasiri commenting on this years success said, Having conducted this fair for the past nine years, we are confident that we have achieved the objective to a great extent, with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, EDB, IDB and our sponsors.This fair has become a good platform to all the manufacturers to showcase their new products as well as an opportunity for the general public to experience first-hand the manufacturing processes, raw material and machinery.We were equally excited to have the presence of our neighbours, India for the fair this year. The inaugural Footwear and Leather Fair was held in 2007, organized by the EDB together with other stakeholders of the industry. The objective for the initiative was to strengthen and sustain the image of the industry, promote Sri Lankan export capabilities among international buyers, and provide an opportunity for SMEs to improve their talents and capabilities to become export ready companies. Addressing the invitees at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Fair organizing committee Rangith Hettiarachchy highlighted the overall position of the industry as well as future objectives. With the continued safety net the industry enjoys through CESS, we have been able to make major savings in foreign exchange. The new hope we have is the GSP+ concession which the government is lobbying for. We intend to use it strategically by following the concept of Global Product Sharing (GPS) with India. In combining Indias strength in supplying raw material and guidance in product development, along with our talent and value addition, we are hopeful of entering the world market and the European market in particular. The footwear sectoralone in Sri Lanka employs over 40,000 personnel directly and indirectly at present. The leather industry is inclusive of eight large scale and five small scale tanneries across the island.As the government has already given the green light to setup a tannery and Footwear cluster in Batticlaloa, we anticipate a rapid growth in the coming years.As a largely expanding industry we see heavy saturation. Therefore, we need to go global.One area that we need toimprove further is our product development. Currently China dominates the world market with a share of 6/10 pairs. Therefore we need relentless dedication to make this dream a reality. The Industrial Development Board of Ceylon is currently providing the much needed training through their affiliation with design centres like the Ratmalana Footwear Training Centre and the University of Moratuwa, added Rohan Somawansa, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, DSI Samson Group (Pvt.) Ltd. The footwear and leather industry in Sri Lanka has been identified as a value added manufacturing sector that has taken up the role of generating export revenue to the country. Commenting on the current industry landscape Dr. Malitha Kannangara, Director of Lakpa Footwear (Pvt.) Ltd. stated, When the bigger players enter the export market, a vacuum is created in the local market. The SMEs can enter to fill that space. This becomes a cycle and it eventually expands. Footwear and leather has already become a forex saving industry and we are sure that it will become a forexearning industry in the near future. The industry as a whole is hopeful about the advent ofGSP+ that will create an advantageous edge when entering the international market is crucial. The benefit for us through receiving GSP + is not direct. The recipient country will not have to pay the additional 17% duty levy when importing from us. The industry will have to meet the standard of the European Union to receive this benefit, but there is no minimumvalueadditionrequired. With the encouragement and support of the Government we foresee many positive aspects for the industry in the future, added Sajeewa Ranasinghe, Chief Executive Officer of Ceylon Leather Products PLC. The next Footwear and leather goods Fair will be held from 2nd to 4thof February 2018. India has created history by successfully launching 104 satellites on a single mission, overtaking the previous record of 37 satellites launched by Russia in 2014. All but three of the satellites are from foreign countries, most of them from the United States. The launch took place from the Sriharikota space centre in east India. Observers say it is a sign that India is emerging as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market. "This is a great moment for each and every one of us. Today we have created history," project director B Jayakumar was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to congratulate the scientists tweeting, "This remarkable feat by @isro is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India salutes our scientists." The phrase "world record" has also been trending on Twitter India for much of Wednesday morning. Of the 104 small satellites, 96 belong to the United States while Israel, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland and the Netherlands are the other foreign clients. A majority of the satellites have earth-imaging capability and belong to a US company named Planet. An Indian cartographic satellite, believed to be capable of taking high resolution images is also on board. It is expected to be used to monitor regional arch rivals Pakistan and China. (BBC) The Supreme Court on Tuesday found AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala guilty in a 21-year-old disproportionate assets case and asked her to surrender immediately. Shes been sentenced to four years in jail and also asked to pay a fine of Rs 10 crore. The judgment also bars Sasikala from holding a public office and contesting elections for 6 years, strengthening the hand of caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who is locked in a bitter power struggle with her. The order also vindicates governor C Vidyasagar Raos decision to delay calling Sasikala to form the government in the southern state that has been facing political uncertainty for days. Rao was criticised for encouraging horse trading and doing the Centres bidding in denying Sasikala a fair shot at the top job. Sasikala was accused number two; in the Rs 66-crore disproportionate assets case. Hindustan Times/Feb 14, 2017 - Perpetual Treasuries (Pvt) Ltd, a primary dealer specialising in the intermediary government security market, filed a Writ Petition before the Court of Appeal seeking an order quashing the directions of the Monetary Board imposing restriction on it. It claims that, in the absence of a formal violation of procedure by it in the purported bond scandal, the true intentions behind the issuing of the said directions are mala fide, and ultra vires the regulatory powers of the Respondents. It bemoans that the impugned directions were issued for extraneous reasons in order to satisfy the media and political agendas. It laments that if the said impugned directions are in force the Perpetual Group of Companies would suffer grave and irremediable financial loss and be driven to bankruptcy. In the petition filed through Attorney-at-Law G.G.Arulparagasam, the Petitioners, Perpetual Treasuries (Pvt) Ltd, Perpetual Asset Management (Pvt) Ltd and Perpetual Capital Holdings (Pvt) Ltd cited the Central Bank, the Monetary Board and 11 others as Respondents. The matter is to be taken up before Court on February 20. Some of the directions are that (1) Perpetual Treasuries (Pvt) Ltd shall not bid at any primary auctions exceeding 12.5% of the total amount offered at such auction and shall not bid exceeding 20% of the offered amount of each item representing different maturities; (2) the daily aggregate of the secondary market transactions by it in government securities shall not exceed Rs 1 billion; (3) It shall not, except with the prior written approval of the Monetary Board, distribute its profits, retained earnings or reserves; (4) It shall not enter into any transaction, for consideration or otherwise, except with the prior written approval of the Monetary Board, in respect of anything not connected with the activities of a primary dealer. (S.S.Selvanayagam) PLEASE NOTE! Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate! All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited! (One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe are seen here at the Parliament House in Canberra during his official visit to Australia. The Inter University Student's Federation (IUSF) said yesterday the six months' suspension on admitting students to SAITM would not make any difference and vowed to launch a countrywide protest campaign from today. IUSF Convener Lahiru Weerasekara told a media briefing that they could not agree with the proposal made by the Deans of the eight State Medical Faculties and Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella to suspend admissions to the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) until the completion of the periodic review of its medical degree programme. The suspension will not make any difference because SAITM does not enrolling students on a monthly basis. Admissions usually take place once or twice a year and this year's enrollments may have been completed by now, he said. Mr. Weerasekara said the government was attempting to fool the Deans while supporting SAITM Chairman Neville Fernando to continue with his activities to privatise education. He said the graduates were expected undergo clinical training in a state hospital and pass a licensing examination conducted by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC). We oppose these proposals and will not let up in our struggle to safeguard free education. SAITM should be abolished immediately. Our fight is not against standards but against the privatisation of free education, Mr. Weerasekara said and added that today's protest campaign would be launched from Kandy, Galle, Ratnapura, Anuradhapura and Kuliyapitiya. (Kalathma Jayawardhane) The South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) said yesterday they were considering the proposals set out by Ministry of Higher Education and University Grants Commission and that they would have further discussions with the relevant authorities. SAITM Chairman Neville Fernando said in a statement that the SAITM would cooperate and support the governments future measures applicable to non state medical education with a broader objective of ensuring standards of medical graduates. Without any prejudice to the rights of the graduates granted through the Court of Appeal decision, we are considering the proposals set out by Ministry of Higher Education and University Grants Commission and we will have further discussions with the relevant authorities, he said. He said the SAITM had fullest confidence that the Government and legal system of Sri Lanka would take all necessary measures to ensure that their students are treated fairly and given equal opportunity. The Higher Education Ministry earlier proposed to suspend the admission of students to SAITM for six months until the completion of the periodic review on its medical degree programme to refer students who already completed the degree to undergo a month each on clinical training in Medicine, Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics in a state hospital following a discussion with the medical faculty deans. They also proposed that the SAITM students would have to pass a licensing examination conducted by the SLMC. By Leonid Bershidsky (c) 2017, Bloomberg View Last year, the global security establishment was mildly worried about a growing U.S. disengagement overseas. This year, the worry has given way to a realization that the liberal world order -- another name for Pax Americana -- may be finished, and that new security arrangements are needed. Thats the conclusion that can be drawn from this years edition of the Munich Security Report, an agenda-setting document put out annually by the organizers of the Munich Security Conference, the worlds most prestigious geopolitical gathering. The conference will open on Feb. 17, and dignitaries such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence are expected to attend. Perhaps for the first time since the Soviet Unions demise, the participants will try to map out strategy in a world in which they cannot see more than one or two moves ahead. In 2016, the Munich Security report noted almost in passing that the absence of the U.S. from discussions about the eastern Ukraine conflict would have been unthinkable before, and that the U.S. didnt appear to be particularly interested in resolving the Syria crisis on its terms, either. In 2017, all bets are off on what the U.S. will ultimately do: Donald Trump and members of his team have made so many conflicting statements on foreign policy (and some of them are quoted in the report, side by side) that nothing is clear except that they intend to keep their cards close to the chest as they put America first. The report says: The consequences for the international order could be tremendous: if the U.S. does retreat, vacuums will be filled by other actors. Key institutions will be weakened, spoilers will be emboldened. And some U.S. allies may see no alternative than to start hedging by seeking out new partners. Others will try to convince the new administration that the U.S.-led alliances continue to be a good deal for Washington -- and that there is inherent value in long-term commitments. After all, successful deals are based on trust, which requires some predictability and is often strongest between countries sharing common values -- not between opportunistic leaders. A unilateralist Trump administration may find that it has a different hand than it currently thinks. And once cards are on the table, you cannot pretend you never played them. U.S. ineffectiveness as a pillar of security, however, doesnt just stem from Trumps unpredictability. There is no way for it to assert itself in some of the most important global crises. The U.S. doesnt just feel compelled to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia, as it has obviously done in Ukraine and Syria -- it also appears to have reached the limit of its influence in the case of North Korea. If the U.S. adds sanctions (including ones that hit Chinese banks), presses China to increase its coercive measures against North Korea, or even opts for military steps, a major U.S.-China crisis could be right around the corner, the report points out. In other words, economic sanctions, the weapon thats easiest for the U.S. to wield, can lead to military escalation for which the U.S. has no stomach. The strategic community, as the Munich Conference organizers describe the attendees, is apparently beginning to see U.S. might as something of an untenable bluff. Its clearly there, but it cant really be used.In 2017, the U.S. is no longer the whale on whose back the world rests but a source of uncertainty and tension. Pre-Trump conventional wisdom reserved this role for a different part of the West -- the European Union. While in the U.S. and the U.K., commentators often still persist in this thinking, the Munich report -- written in Germany, after all -- discusses the EU as a potential new superpower. In a security context, thats largely wishful thinking at this point, but the thrust of the reports message is that the growing threats to European security -- particularly Russian expansionism and Islamic terrorism -- are pushing Europe toward more unity, an important trend. When, if not now, should Brussels clout in the world ever be on top of the menu? the report asks. Signs of a greater European awareness that reliance on the U.S. for defence is no longer feasible can be detected in growing defence spending -- though the U.S. still outspends the entire EU four to one. About a third of Germans and French would like to see their countries spend more on the military. Poland and other eastern European countries are reliably in favour of stepping up defense expenditure. Money alone, however, wont be enough to move Europe closer to military self-sufficiency. It needs to move toward more military integration, which means streamlining procurement. European armies use too many different weapons systems: seventeen main battle tank families compared with just one for the U.S.; 20 types of fighter planes compared with just six; and 13 kinds of air-to-air missiles compared with three. The mess is hard to fix because rearming is expensive, and European politicians cant allow each countrys defence industry to wither. Military cooperation outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization framework is also untested and difficult. Without a dominant player such as the U.S., it may always be a contentious business, especially given European nations long, and not entirely forgotten, history of military confrontation. For these reasons, Europes path toward superpower status seems long and thorny today. But the very fact that the organizers of the Munich conference consider it worthy of discussion shows that its not a pipe dream, either. Europe may have no choice if U.S. dominance in the world continues to erode. So far as the government is concerned, there is only one holy book, which is the Constitution of India. My government will not tolerate or accept any discrimination based on caste, creed and religion. ~Narendra Modi Indian Express on February 10, 2017 reported thus: The Chief Minister of the Tamil-majority Northern Province of Sri Lanka, C.V. Wigneswaran, has admitted that some unfortunate incidents of the past had inflicted wounds on the Muslims which are yet to heal. He said this while addressing the Ezhuga Tamil (Arise Tamil) rally at Batticaloa in the Eastern Province on Friday. The same report says: Batticaloa town and district have a substantial Muslim population. One may remember that it was in a mosque in Kattankudy in the Batticaloa District on August 3, 1990, that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) butchered 143 Muslims while they were set in prayer. Later the same year, the LTTE banished nearly one hundred thousand Muslims from the Northern Province with merely one days notification. These two incidents had the same effect that was created in the minds and hearts of Sinhalese Buddhists when nearly forty Buddhist monks, most of whom were Saamaneras (novice monks), were slaughtered on June 2, 1987 in Arantalawa in the Ampara District of Eastern Province. Wigneswaran has not deviated from the fundamental premise of all Tamil leaders since the demise of the Ponnambalam brothers, Ramanathan and Arunachalam. Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan and Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam were clearly and most prominently identified with the national agenda of the country. Although the Ponnambalam brothers were very much involved in Tamil politics at the time, their national recognition and overall stature was not second to any leading Sinhalese leader of the time. Their pedigree was impeccable; their education was matchless and their social standing immaculate. Hobnobbing with both the Colonial rulers and the Sinhalese, Muslim and Burger elites at the time, the opinion of the Ponnambalam brothers were frequently sought and regularly rendered. The Sinhalese leadership had to depend on Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan for an eloquent and forceful advocacy of the innocence of the then Sinhalese leaders, D.S. Senanayake and F.R. Senanayake and others who were accused of involvement in the Muslim riots in 1915. The speech Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan made in the Legislative Council remains one of the best ever made in the well of the House of our legislative bodies. As a matter of fact, caste dimensions were more protruding than those of race and faith. It was most unambiguously illustrated when the election of educated Ceylonese came about in 1911. According to the biography of J.R. Jayewardene of Sri Lanka, written by Professor K.M. de Silva, most of the prominent Sinhalese leaders at the time such as D.S. Senanayake and Justice E.W. Jayewardene KC (J.R.s father) persuaded Sir Ponnambalam who had retired from all public life to stand for election. The prime concern of the Ceylonese national leaders was caste and these so-called leaders of the Sinhalese masses were pressed to do this when Dr. Marcus Fernando, an eminent medical doctor who happened to be married to the daughter of Sir Charles de Soysa, the wealthiest Ceylonese of the second half of the nineteenth century, tendered his nomination. The disqualification in terms of the then Sinhalese leaders was caste. Sir Marcus belonged to Karava caste, considered to be lower than Govigama from which most of the Sinhalese leaders claimed to have hailed. Ponnambalam Ramanathan (later Sir) was elected with 1,645 votes with Dr. H. Marcus Fernando, receiving 981 votes. The Sinhalese leaders at the time chose caste over race and a great number of Sinhalese voters too opted to vote for a Tamil rather than an established personality from amongst the Sinhalese elite. One must realize one dominant element when negotiating with political, ethnic or whatever opponent. A personal relationship between the parties that negotiate would go a long way, a very long way indeed. The relationships between the Sinhalese and Tamil leaderships were not ideal or optimal at that time in the early years of the twentieth century, yet much stronger than now. Defection of Arunachalam, Ramanathans brother, scattered the seeds of disharmony and distrust, seeds of lack of genuine and sincere trust between the two ethnic groups at the highest level of respective leaderships. The Tamil leadership that assumed national recognition and power thereafter belonged to the other Ponnambalam, G.G. and the Chelvanayagams and Amirthalingams, now Sampanthan and Sumanthiran and Wignesvaran. ` What Prabhakaran and the LTTE did was to undo all the good work done by his predecessors. Though at no given time Prabhakaran was the acknowledged leader of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, by sheer force of his guns, suicide bombers and intimidation he was, for more than two decades, the virtual leader and those moderate leaders too accepted his leadership, dreaming of a never-achievable Elam. Recently, this writer had the rare privilege of visiting the bank maintained by the LTTE and also the reception hall that was almost adjacent to the bank where Prabhakaran entertained the would-be suicide bombers for their last meal of rice, vegetables and chicken curry. This complex is located in Kilinochchi, Prabhakarans capital city of the dreamland Elam. It was an impressive piece of architecture whose primary feature was simplicity and functionality. But the final defeat of his dreaded murderous army, Prabhakaran brought upon himself and his cause a terrible setback ending with his shameful end. With the end of the war, the Tamil community suffered a psychological defeat and it was not limited to the LTTE and its leader. The Rajapaksas and their cohorts made a futile attempt to own the victory despite the fact that it belonged to the exemplary leadership provided to the security forces by General Sarath Fonseka. And after Fonseka decided to contest the Rajapaksa clan at the Presidential Election in 2009, the war hero became a traitor overnight. The unleashing of thugs and hooligans in saffron as patriotic forces achieved its desired results for a short time but the personal lifestyles and utterly disgusting manner in which these hooligans in saffron (invalidly pretending to be Buddhist Monks) behaved in public totally destroyed them. And the untold damage and mutilation they brought upon the pious members of the Maha Sanga is enormous and might take a long time to erase. But the Tamil community and its present leadership manned by Sampanthan and Wigneswaran have to come to terms with reality. They must realize that their involvement and engagement in national issues, which may not necessarily be Tamil-centered, would go a long way in re-establishing the cordiality and honesty between two ethnic groups whose common destiny is invariably intertwined, not only in the present context but also in the last two millennia. And it is in that complex context that the Northern Province Chief Ministers utterances look harmful and damaging to a harmonious and peaceful reconciliation between the two communities. While Sampanthan, the leader of the Tamil National Alliance has chosen to tread a more cautious and steady path, Wigneswaran has opted to travel a more belligerent and argumentative road. Wigneswarans discipline in advocacy and in the Law may have had more than an influential bearing on what he says and does, but at the same time one would expect that his one-time occupancy in the highest seat of the Law, the Supreme Court, should have tempered his intensity and aggressiveness. As I have written in my earlier columns, today we are blessed with a President, although a direct product of the Bandaranaike transformation in 1956, whose disposition and general attitude towards the Tamil Question is novel in approach and candid in content. On the other hand, Ranil Wickremesinghe, our Prime Minister too is well disposed towards the Tamil cause and its final determination. Any reconciliation, rhetoric apart, between the two communities dwells in the hazy region of accommodation and compromise. In this regard it is almost criminal not to make use of some of the best brains that Sri Lanka still has. For instance, the likes of Dr. Wickrema Weerasooriya and Jayantha Dhanapala who understand the intricate relationship between negotiation and reality should not be allowed to rot away in the wilderness. They understand the administrative structures within which a lasting compromise could be reached; they could relate to the Tamil leadership as well as to the international community whose engagement is essential if we are earnest in our pursuit of a just and fair settlement of the numerous issues that have defined and shaped the relationship between the two communities. If the present Constitution is not sufficiently providing for a just and fair settlement, if the Thirteenth Amendment is not adequately delivering the legal and administrative wherewithal, then the necessary amendments and further modifications, subject of course to the solicited agreement of the majority Sinhalese and other ethnic groups such as Muslims and Burghers, must be brought in that direction. James Baldwin, African-American Author and Civil Rights Activist, says: It demands great spiritual resilience not to hate the hater whose foot is on your neck, and an even greater miracle of perception and charity not to teach your child to hate. Such resilience, especially among the Sinhalese majority, needs to manifest itself today. The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com The joke going around is that US President Donald Trump must be the first politician in the world who is actually implementing the promises made during his campaign. While he is trying to implement his many poll promises like building a wall along the Mexican border, imposing travel bans on people from seven Muslim-majority nations and tightening protectionist screws on trade and visa policies, there is one area where Trump is going contrary to his poll rhetoric. Iconoclast This pertains to China. If the Chinese thought that Trump will be ceding vital diplomatic and strategic place in vast areas of the world to China by his inward-looking policies, then Beijing needs to look again. In less than three weeks of his presidency, Trump is proving to be as hands-on a US President as his predecessors when it comes to China. This was amply demonstrated within the first fortnight of his taking over, when Trump despatched his defence secretary James Mattis to South Korea and Japan. Not only that, in his first telephonic conversation with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe within the first week of assuming office, Trump said he was despatching Mad Dog Mattis (a phrase used by Trump himself in reference to his defence secretary who is better known by that unflattering epithet) to Japan. Trump told Abe that Mattis was his trusted lieutenant and could discuss anything with him. Trump assured great ally Japan of 100 per cent backing. Well, Trump is an iconoclastic kind of an elected US President and a world leader who is not given to diplomatic niceties. Only Trump can call his defence secretary by the nickname of mad dog in a formal conversation with another world leader the Japanese PM in this case. Mattis duly completed the maiden Asian tour to two select nations South Korea and Japan in that order of his itinerary by February 10. And in both these countries, Mattis assured the South Koreans and Japanese that the US stood side by side and 100 per cent with Americas crucial Asian allies. This was a departure from what Trump had been saying during the long election campaign. Trump the President acted just contrary to what Trump the presidential candidate had been saying. Trump had set the proverbial cat among the pigeons of his allies all over the world, particularly in Asia, by highlighting the financial burdens of the American security umbrella. He had suggested that the US had been spending huge amounts for extending its security umbrella over its allies and had specifically named Japan and South Korea in this context. He had warned that it would not be business as usual after he takes over. Assertive The South Koreans and the Japanese have been paying for the over 65,000 American troops on their soil. Each country has been paying a little less than $2 billion to Washington per annum for the American security umbrella, without which they will be seriously vulnerable to an increasingly aggressive and assertive China. But the American ledger books show the US spent $5.5 billion for these security duties. However, significantly, the contentious security bills did not come up for discussion when Mattis visited Seoul and Tokyo last week. This shows that Trump has realised the burdens of international diplomacy and strategic manoeuvres far outweigh the financial burdens. This is a good reason for China to be wary about. Provocation On February 12, North Korea launched a ballistic missile when Japanese PM Abe was visiting the US for the first time since the advent of the Trump administration. This was the first provocation from North Korea since Trump took over. What did Trump do? He agreed for an impromptu joint press conference with Abe. Though the event lasted just three minutes, Trump managed to successfully send a powerful message to China. Trump assured great ally Japan of 100 per cent backing. The tactical move of North Korea (and also of China) thus backfired as the event of the North Korean missile launcher brought out just the opposite reaction from the US. North Korea may have launched the missile on the prodding of China as a trial balloon to test Trumps reaction, as during the campaign he had warned all allies, including Americas most important ally Japan, that they will have to pay for getting the American security umbrella. Pyongyangs provocative action has brought out a full-throttle response from none other than Trump which must be music to Japanese ears and like molten lead to Chinese ears. The moral of the story is clear: the Trump administration is not giving a walkover to China in Asia and over the South China Sea. This is good news for India. Pakistan has been witness to another series of terrorist attacks. The first attack occurred in the heart of its second largest city, Lahore. The attack carried out by the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction, Jamat-ul-Ahrar steps away from the Provincial Assembly of Punjab claimed 13 lives and left 85 others wounded. It targeted a group of around 400 protesters who were angry over the newly introduced pharmaceutical regulations. Jamat-ul-Ahrar was also responsible for the attacks on Pakistan's Christian minority in Lahore during the Easter holiday in 2016. As the heinous event occurred in the country's western city of Lahore, two bomb disposal squad (BDS) officials were killed in the eastern city of Quetta. The two were defusing a 20kg bomb planted underneath a bridge within the city. They were unsuccessful in defusing the device - and it suddenly set off, killing them and injuring 12 others. Pakistan prime minister Sharif expressed his condolences stating, "We, as a nation, are on the right side of history in this war." Similar remarks were also issued by the new Chief of Army Staff, General Bajwa, who said: "We have to defeat this inhuman brutal mindset and as a nation we shall." Yet, statements devoid of action do nothing to stem the brutal effects terrorism has had on the nation. Jamat-ul-Ahrar was also responsible for the attacks on Pakistan's Christian minority in Lahore during the Easter holiday in 2016. Photo: Reuters Regardless of the statements by the upper echelons of the government and military, it is accepted that not much will change. These events no longer seem to be the single major source of concern of the relevant authorities as much of Pakistan has become accustomed to these events as being occasional occurrences. The authorities find that banning Valentine's Day or arresting flying kites is more of a concern than preventing, capturing, and prosecuting those responsible for the deaths and injuries of innocent citizens. Government officials, most prominently Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah, has conveniently pinned the blame on those protesting: "Had there been no protest demonstration, this incident would not have occurred." The absurdness of such statements is amplified as it is also reported that National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) issued a threat alert in Punjab, highlighting possible threats to the Punjab Governor House, the Lahore High Court, and the Punjab Assembly. The alert specifically stated, "extreme vigilance and heightened security measures are suggested to avoid any untoward incident." In the face of criticism and further incredulity, minister Sanaullah, also said: "The spot where the blast took place is always under threat. Even if there was no alert, strict security measures are always taken in the area." Pakistan is now facing a crucial moment that will define the nation's future trajectory. Will Pakistan continue to be content with the status quo or will it dramatically change its approach to terrorism? Current steps taken by the government to combat terrorism, such as the National Action Plan (NAP), have been insufficient in tackling the threats that the nation faces. The sixth largest nation, in terms of population, is either unable or unwilling to tackle the scourge of terrorism that has cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars in economic opportunities. The major components of NAP have either been ignored or not enforced through out the nation to target all sorts of terror organisations. The most crucial parts of the initiative, such as strict action against the literature, newspapers and magazines promoting hatred, extremism, sectarianism and intolerance; choking financing for terror organisations and taking effective steps against religious persecution have been enforced either on a selective basis or not enforced at all. Pakistani journalist Mohammad Rana has reported that "the government has not made any serious attempt to take internal security policy completely into its own hands... they successfully shifted the pressure on to the police and its counterterrorism departments, using the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) as a cover for their failures." It is estimated that 60 banned groups under the NAP continue to operate through out the country and that Pakistani officials, off record, have stated that groups like Lakshar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), Jayesh-e-Muhammad (JeM), and the Afghan Taliban enjoy quiet support from the state. There remains a clear lack of responsibility and political will to tackle the issue of terrorism that affects the everyday life of the innocent Pakistani. Senator Tahir Mashhadi, a member of the opposition in the national senate, most recently staged a walk out in protest of interior minister Chaudhry Nisar's comments that sectarian organisations should not be equated with terrorist outfits. Mashhadi responded to Nisar that the sectarian outfits were and should be equated with terrorists. The government's inability or unwillingness to prevent the further spread of terror organisations has now renewed calls in Washington to take a harsher stance on Pakistan - with some in Congress demanding that the country be labelled a "state sponsor of terror". In light of the new administration and the perception that Pakistan is undermining US efforts in Afghanistan, a much more nuanced approach is required; that does not alienate Pakistan as a US ally and strategic partner in the long-term while demanding a dramatic shift in the approach towards the nation. Husain Haqqani, the director of Hudson's South & Central Asia Initiative, in conjunction with Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation, has proposed a series of policy options that the United States may use with Pakistan to encourage counter-terrorism operations within the nation. The content of the policy brief, "A New US Approach to Pakistan", has been the central to a series of debates and flared tempers in Islamabad and the Pakistani diaspora in the United States. Opinion regarding the content is divided, but the underlying message of the report - inaction against terrorism in Pakistan by the government - is posing risks to the stability of the greater region and Pakistan itself. Rather than being urged or coerced by foreign powers to eliminate terrorist factions within the country, Pakistan should take the lead in eliminating the threats faced by the country and the region. It must tackle this scourge before it further harms the economy, the reputation, and most importantly, innocent lives. Morgan Stanley is the 6th largest financial institution in the US. The company is ranked 61st on the Forbes Fortune 500 list and is the 39th largest bank in the world. A financial holding company, Morgan Stanley provides a full range of financial services to clients around the world. Morgan Stanley was formed in 1935 as a result of the Glass-Steagall Act. Glass-Steagall separated commercial and investment banking in a way that forced the then-largest bank J.P. Morgan & Co to split into two groups. J.P. Morgan & Co. chose to retain the commercial side of the business while partners Henry S. Morga, grandson of J.P., and Harold Stanley took the investment end. In its first year, Morgan Stanley did 24% of the IPO business and maintains a lions share of the market to this day. The original company existed and grew through acquisitions until 1987 when it merged with Dean Witter Discover & Co. The new Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Discover & Co existed for 14 years until 2001 when the name was shortened back to Morgan Stanley. The bank is credited in part with both beginning and ending the financial crisis of 2007/2008. The Process Driven Trading unit lost $300 million in one day due to a short-squeeze that popped the bubble in the housing market. After teetering on the brink of failure Morgan Stanley agreed to become a bank holding company regulated by the Federal Reserve, a key factor in the original decision to split from parent J.P. Morgan & Co. Ironically when given the chance, present-day J.P. Morgan refused to buy Morgan Stanley but that was for the better. Today, Morgan Stanley operates through three segments via offices in 41 countries and employs more than 75,000 people. Revenue in 2021 topped $49 billion and total assets topped $1.15 trillion. The operating segments are Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. The Institutional Securities segment is by far the largest and most profitable. It offers a range of services and products for businesses, institutions, and entities that include capital raising, strategic advisory, underwriting, advice on M&A, restructuring, and real estate. The Wealth Management segment provides brokerage and investment advisory services for individuals and employers. The services include brokerage, financial planning, company stock-plan administration, insurance, mortgage loans, lines of credit, and retirement planning. The Investment Management segment provides investment products to a range of institutions, organizations, corporations, and governments. U.S. President Donald Trump was allegedly told six days after his inauguration that Michael Flynn, at the time his national security adviser, misled Vice President Mike Pence about phone calls Flynn had with Russia, but failed to tell Pence. Trump, after he learned of the phone calls, apparently kept his vice president in the dark related to the conversation Flynn had with Sergey Kislyak the Russian Ambassador, cited officials in the White House. Get Warning: Undefined variable $CompanyName in /home/acctdp/public_html/wp-content/themes/responsalambre/single.php on line 65 alerts: Pence along with other officials have empathically defended the former national security adviser during the weeks that led up to his recent resignation. Pence said last month during an interview with CBS that they did not talk about anything to do with the decision by the U.S. to impose censure or expel diplomats from Russia. A spokesperson for the vice president said that Pence became aware he received less than complete information from Flynn after it was reported last Thursday by a Washington newspaper. Pence learned of the warnings from the Justice Department to the White House at about the same time. Pence along with Reince Priebus the Chief of Staff at the White House played big roles in the resignation of Flynn said sources. On Tuesday, the White House announced that the downfall of Flynn was not due to him discussing with Kislyak the sanctions levied by the White House against Russia, which is a possible violation of a law that is rarely enforced, but that he had denied for weeks he did and had misled the vice president and other senior aides of Trump about what took place in those conversations. Officials at the White House said they had conducted thorough reviews of the interactions of Flynn, including the transcripts of calls that were secretly recorded by intelligence officials in the U.S. but did not find anything illegal. Pence was apparently very angry and frustrated over the new revelations. Sean Spicer the press secretary at the White House said the eroding level of trust due to the situation and a number of other incidents that raised questions was what had led Vice President Pence to ask for the resignation of Flynn. Spicer added that other incidents had helped to contribute to forcing Flynn out. According to a person who has knowledge of this matter, the incidents includes national security advisor seeking security clearance for his son while the transition was taking place prior to Trumps inauguration. Guest curator Paul Hutton discusses the history of film in New Mexico. Saturday, February 25, 1 3 p.m. Public Opening: "Hollywood Southwest: New Mexico in Film and Television" At 1 p.m. Seating limited. We recommend arriving at least 15 minutes prior to the lecture. Create art inspired by the exhibition in the Museum School from 1 3 p.m. From "Billy the Kid" to "Breaking Bad," movies and television have portrayed and marketed our state into the present day. Over the past decade, film production in New Mexico has enjoyed a renaissance, thanks to state incentives. However, film has long been a part of New Mexicos landscape, and the states landscape and people have often been featured in film. Funding to support educational programs for this exhibition provided by: The Albuquerque Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. The opening is included with your paid admission to Albuquerque Museum. 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. Law enforcement in Louisa County is looking to get to know the community a little better. From 10 a.m. to noon March 25, the Louisa County Sheriffs Office will join with Virginia State Police, the Town of Louisa Police Department, the local NAACP, Louisa County Public Schools, The Central Virginian and Louisa County Parks, Recreation and Tourism to host the second Community Strong event. The event will provide members of the public an opportunity to learn more about local law enforcement and to ask questions. Police will talk about gang awareness, traffic stops and a variety of other topics. The outreach event will be held at the Betty Queen Center, 522 Industrial Drive, in Louisa. Command of the National Ground Intelligence Center, an Army facility in Albemarle County, will change at 10 a.m. Thursday with a time-honored military ceremony at the centers Nicholson Auditorium. U.S. Army Col. Ketti C. Davison will relinquish command to Col. Dana Rucinski in a ceremony marking the legal transfer of authority and responsibility from one commander to another. I look forward to serving the Army here at the National Ground Intelligence Center for the next two years. This is an exciting time for the intelligence community and I cant imagine a better place to do the work of the American people than right here in Charlottesville, Rucinski said in a news release. As a commander, Ive seen many exciting times in the intelligence community, but what makes my job so great is the quality of people with whom Ive been blessed to work. The people truly do make the place, and all of you here make NGIC what it is today, Davison said in the release. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives Japans Ambassador Kunio Umede on February 14th (Photo: VNA) He received Japans Ambassador to Vietnam Kunio Umede in Hanoi on February 14th to discuss ways to boost the two countries cooperation. PM Phuc said Vietnam-Japan relations are experiencing the best-ever time and Vietnam places importance to fostering its ties with Japan under the spirit of the extensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia. He said he was delighted with the visit to Vietnam in early 2017 by Prime Minister Abe and his spouse and appreciated the Ambassador and the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam for working closely with Vietnamese agencies to make it successful. Vietnam is working to prepare for the State visit by the Emperor and Empress, seeing it an important event, he said, asking the two countries functional agencies to do their best to prepare well for the visit. PM Phuc expressed his belief that with the forthcoming high-level visits, the cooperation and friendship between Vietnam and Japan will grow outstandingly, bringing practical outcomes and benefits for the two people. Ambassador Kunio Umede briefed his host that the Japanese Embassy is actively coordinating with relevant Vietnamese agencies in preparations for the upcoming visit by the Emperor and Empress. The visit will indicate that bilateral relationship is at the best-ever period and is increasingly being deepened in a more comprehensive manner, he said. He also informed the PM about the coordination with Vietnamese agencies in preparing a large-scale program to promote investment in Vietnam with the participation of around 1,000 Japanese business people. In the meantime, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the Ministry of Planning and Investment are working closely to ensure the success of the program, he said./. The sharp growth in volume of autos imported from ASEAN partially resulted from the import tax on less than nine-seat autos from the region being reduced from 40% to 30% as of January 1st, 2017, in line with the tax reduction itinerary at the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement. The majority of the volume came from Thailand and Indonesia, in which 1,585 units were imported from Thailand, valued at USD31 million, up 55% in volume and 209% in value, and 1,823 units shipped from Indonesia, worth USD35 million. Also according to the General Department of Customs, in the first month of the year, the country imported nearly 7,400 CBU (completely-built up) units, valued at USD153 million, up 25.5% in volume and 4% in value from a year earlier./. Then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung (back, fifth from right) and other leaders pose for a photo at the opening ceremony of the G20 Summit in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, in November 2010 (Photo: VNA) He had an interview with the media about relations between Vietnam and the forum of the 20 biggest economies on the threshold of a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Germanys Bonn city on February 16th-17th. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh will lead a Vietnamese delegation to the meeting. Ambassador Hung said amidst difficulties in the world economy in recent years, along with other international institutions, the G20, established in 1999, has helped maintain global macro-economic stability and assisted economies to overcome crises through policy coordination in various spheres. The G20 has carried out many initiatives in economic, social and environmental issues to ensure global economic stability and sustainability, such as by developing infrastructure, preventing climate change, supporting underdeveloped countries, promoting gender equality, and fighting corruption, he added. Noting the sound development of Vietnams cooperation with G20 members, he said 10 member economies of the G20 have a strategic partnership with Vietnam while two others have a comprehensive partnership with the nation. Vietnam attended a G20 summit for the first time in 2010 as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung made effective contributions to G20 activities that year. Although it has not taken part in G20 summits since 2010, the Southeast Asian nation has kept close watch on the focuses of the G20. It has also coordinated with other countries and international organisations on common issues such as global and regional macro-economic stabilisation, trade and investment facilitation, sustainable development, and climate change adaption, Hung noted. He said in 2017, Vietnam, as the host of the APEC Year, was invited to the G20 Summit and related meetings. This is also the first time an APEC host country which is not a member of the G20 has been invited to a G20 summit. The diplomat said that Germany, the host of the G20 this year, invited his country to G20 meetings since Germany and other G20 members value the role of APEC, as well as Vietnams growing stature and contributions to regional and global work. This also demonstrates the strong relationship between Vietnam and Germany. The theme of G20 meetings this year - Shaping an interconnected world - share many similarities with priorities of the APEC Year 2017 such as looking towards sustainable, creative and inclusive growth; enhancing economic, trade and investment connectivity; encouraging innovation; and cooperation in fighting climate change. This is an opportunity to connect the agenda focuses of APEC and the G20 so as to increase regional and global coordination in dealing with economic matters, he added. The ambassador said the meeting of the G20 foreign ministers is an important activity to prepare for the G20 Summit slated for July. With the policy of proactively integrating into the world and being a trustworthy partner, Vietnam will work with other countries to promote issues of shared concern such as increasing partnerships, helping developing countries realise Sustainable Development Goals, and boosting cooperation to consolidate a peaceful and stable environment in the region and the world, Hung noted./. NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong meets representatives of the overseas Vietnamese community in New York and some American friends (Photo: VNA) Before participating in IPUs activities, the NA delegation on February 12th had a meeting with representatives of the overseas Vietnamese community living, studying and working in New York, and American friends. Speaking at the meeting, the Vice Chairwoman reported the political, economic and social situation of the country at present, the development orientation for 2017 and the following years. She also added that in spite of being affected by the volatile economic situation in the region and the world, Vietnam has been active and flexible to overcome difficulties and achieve economic growth of 6.2% last year, expected to rise 6.6% in 2017, and could return to stable growth of 6.5-7%/year. In terms of Vietnam's NA, she said that over more than 70 years since its establishment, the legislature is more innovative in organization and operation, demonstrating its role in legislation, supervision, decisions of important issues; promoting its role in building the law-governed state; democracy expansion in law construction. The 14th NA now has 494 deputies, 17% of them are ethnic minorities and 26.6% are female deputies. For the first time over the past 70 years, Vietnams NA has a chairwoman. At the meeting, the Vice Chairwoman also answered various questions raised by overseas Vietnamese and American friends about notable problems in Vietnam at present, and the operation of the 14th NA./. It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the Bengaluru: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd today said its overall investment over the next five to six years is expected to be about Rs 17,500 crore, and it may go for loans from banks soon to fund its projects. The company also said it has contributed over Rs 5000 crore to the government exchequer through the buyback option. "...we will be happy if we get more funds, but we will present the case. Not waiting for two or three years till CCS sanctions to meet the current expectations and requirements, we are funding from our own reserves," HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju told reporters. Responding to a question at the Aero India 2017 air show here, he said "you may watch during the month of March, maybe we are going to take loan from the banks for our projects." "Overall expected investment as of now, approximately is Rs 17,500 crore, spread over five to six years," he added. On disinvestment activity of the company based on the government approval of 10 per cent of the shareholding in 2013, Raju said progress has been made in this regard with the identification of Book Running Lead Managers and preparation of draft red herring prospectus. Necessary documents are in place. "...10 per cent of the equity capital that is 3.615 crore of equity at the face value of Rs 10 would be considered for the IPO, the valuation will be done by the BRLMS and the other financial experts. We are awaiting for the valuations from them," a senior company official added. Responding to a question about when the company will be filing red herring prospectus with SEBI, Raju said by the end of this financial year. Raju also said the option of buyback of 25 per cent of share capital and reserves of the company has been executed through which the company has contributed over Rs 5000 crore to the government exchequer. "During 2015-16 twelve crore five lakh shares have been offered for buyback amounting to Rs 4,284 crore apart from Rs 981 crore as buyback plan, in all amounting to Rs 5,265 crore. This is what we have paid back to the government by offering 25 per cent of the equity capital," a company official said. Speaking about the financial performance of the company for 2015-16, Raju said it recorded the highest ever turnover of Rs 16,736 crore and registered a growth of 7.14 per cent compared with the previous year. He said the profit before tax of the company for the year was Rs 3288 crore, adding, against the target turnover of Rs 17,100 crore at the end of January 2017, the company has achieved sales of Rs 10,086 crore with a healthy profit of Rs 1,621 crore. The work will be managed from the Genesis head office in London. (Representational image) New Delhi: Reliance Industries has selected engineering group Genesis to do a deep-water front-end engineering contract for its MJ-1 gas discovery in KG-D6 block. Genesis, a subsidiary of newly merged TechnipFMC, will prepare engineering blueprint for producing gas and condensate through seven wells, tied up to a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO), the company said in a statement. The work will be managed from the Genesis head office in London. John Cambridge, Genesis' Managing Director, said: "This award is strategically important to Genesis and we are very excited to be awarded this contract by RIL." Reliance Industries is the operator of Block KG-DWN-98/3 of KG-D6 in Bay of Bengal with a 60 per cent interest. BP Plc of UK owns a 30 per cent share while Canada's Niko Resources holds the remaining 10 per cent. A resource evaluation report by Deloitte, which was based on data from the MJ-1 discovery well and the MJ-A1, MJ-A2 and MJ-A3 appraisal wells, found the MJ field contains best estimate gross contingent non-associated gas resources of 1.1 trillion cubic feet and condensate resources of 49 million barrels. Located about 2,000 meters below the producing D1-D3 fields in the KG-D6 block, MJ-1 may be the third biggest gas field in the block. D1&D3 hold a revised 3.10 Tcf of reserves and R-Series field holds about 2 Tcf of recoverable reserves. RIL has so far made 19 gas discoveries, of which D1&D3 were put on production in April 2009. MA oil and gas field was put on production in September 2008. At NSE, shares of the company dipped 3.64 per cent to Rs 625.65. New Delhi: Shares of Sun Pharma fell nearly 4per cent today after the company reported a 4.72 per cent decline in consolidated net profit for the December quarter. The scrip went down by 3.77 per cent to Rs 625.60 on BSE. At NSE, shares of the company dipped 3.64 per cent to Rs 625.65. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries yesterday reported a 4.72 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 1,471.82 crore for the December quarter. It had posted net profit of Rs 1,544.85 crore for the same period of the previous fiscal, Sun Pharma said in a BSE filing. However, the company's total income from operations rose to Rs 7,912.66 crore for the third quarter of the current fiscal, from Rs 7,122.31 crore in the year-ago period. Mumbai: Paytm plans to be a $100 billion company by 2030, digital wallet firm told CNBC-TV18 on Wednesday. Apart from that, it also wants to topple top e-commerce players in three years in country. The digital wallet service provider said that market place depends on wallet traffic. Market place dependence of the company currently stands at 40 per cent, the e-wallet provider said. Besides, Paytm said it hoped Paytm Payments Bank would be launched in last week of February. The company saw 15-20 per cent dip in offline customers in February, it said. The company said its customer acquisition cost is on the rise due to aggressive strategy and that it expected a 20-30 per cent drop in wallet customers as cash increases from March 13. Government has announced that there will be no restrictions on cash withdrawals at banks and ATMs from March 13, an improved cash scenario the digital wallet wants to cash in on. The agency had retained its negative outlook on mid-sized and smaller PSBs with weak capitalisation and large stock of aging non-performing loans. (Photo: Representational Image) New Delhi: Indian banks will require Rs 91,000 crore in tier-1 capital till March 2019 to sustain a minimum annual growth rate of 8-9 per cent, according to a report by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra). This includes Rs 20,000 crore of residual tranches from the government's capital infusion in public sector banks under the under 'Indradhanush' programme. The domestic rating agency said it "believes" there is an increasing divide between the large and smaller PSBs, with the former having some access to growth capital, better market valuation, and also some non-core assets to divest while the latter would only receive bailout capital if required. It further said the "long tail of credit costs" is expected to subdue profitability of domestic banks despite plateauing their stressed assets. Ind-Ra has maintained a stable rating and sector outlook on private sector banks and large PSBs while it has retained the negative sector outlook for small and mid-sized state-owned banks for 2017-18. It expects large PSBs with better access to capital and private sector banks with their robust capitalisation to navigate another year of low growth and high credit costs with a stable outlook. The agency had retained its negative outlook on mid-sized and smaller PSBs with weak capitalisation and large stock of aging non-performing loans (NPLs). "These banks will find it increasingly difficult to grow given increasing capital requirements and large funding gaps impeding their ability to compete on spreads," said Ind-Ra. According to Ind-Ra's sector-wise stress analysis, sectors such as iron and steel and textiles have seen a fair bit of recognition but provisioning might still not be adequate to protect against eventual loss given defaults. On the other hand, significant proportion of unrecognised stress pertains to sectors such as infrastructure, realty and capital goods which potentially have long-term viable assets but would increasingly need cash flow restructuring to avoid slippages. New Delhi: Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gave a go-ahead to the merger plan of SBI and its five associate banks to create a global sized bank. With the merger of all the five associates, SBI is expected to become a global-sized bank with an asset base of Rs 37 trillion (Rs 37 lakh crore) or over $555 billion, 22,500 branches and 58,000 ATMs. It will have over 50 crore customers. The Cabinet had earlier in-principle cleared the (merger) proposal. It had gone to the boards of various banks which have granted the approvals. The recommendations of the boards were considered today and the Cabinet cleared the proposal, said Finance minister Arun Jaitley. He added that the merger will not be detrimental to the services of any employee, It will be a smooth arrangement. The associate banks which will be merged with SBI are State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore. The Cabinet also approved the introduction of a bill in the Parliament to repeal the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959 and the State Bank of Hyderabad Act, 1956. With this merger, the SBI, with all these five subsidiaries merging in it, will also become a very large bank, not merely from a domestic point of view but actually a global player in its very size, said Mr Jaitley. On the proposal to merge Bharatiya Mahila Bank with SBI, the finance minister said, It is under consideration as of now. We have not taken any decision related with that today. SBI has about 16,500 branches, including 191 foreign offices spread across 36 countries. SBI first merged State Bank of Saurashtra with itself in 2008. Two years later, State Bank of Indore was merged with it. The merger is likely to result in recurring savings, estimated at more than `1,000 crore in the first year, through a combination of enhanced operational efficiency and reduced cost of funds. Mumbai: The mega star's Blog post, which is no less than a window to his inner-world, had a major chunk of that date night, narrated beautifully. It all started with the little one's desire to have Pizza at an Italian restaurant. The 74-year-old actor, describing Aradhya's dignified aura at the restaurant, wrote, "The grand daughter here at home, has most politely expressed a desire to eat a Pizza at an Italian restaurant and there is a flurry of activity to make her desire ...we just didand Miss Aradhaya has quietly and in most dignified manner, sat at her table, spread the napkin across her legs, ordered the menu by drawing the attention of the waiter giving instructions of just how crisp she wanted her Pizza to be and when it has arrived she has most politely turned to the waitress, thanked her for the dish and then 'wish you a very happy Valentine's Day...' musically departs her tender lips, as she settles in to devour her favourite .." Further speaking about the five-year-old kid's maturity, Big-B described why his granddaughter feels 'Dadaji' should thank her and not the vice-versa, for the dinner and driving her back home. He wrote, "Deed over she has desired her Dada ji to drive her back home, which he willingly does and on getting home when other family ask her to thank me for taking her out, goes quiet and puts on a sulk .. Why .. ? She replies : "I should not thank all, all must thank me for it was I that suggested we must go out for dinner" .." Aha! With this conversation, it looks like the Shehenshah of Bollywood has an apt description of his little princess, "She is 5 with an additional 0 50 !!" On the work front, the 74-year-old actor will next be seen in Ram Gopal Varma's 'Sarkar 3.' Zaira will next be seen in Aamir Khan's 'Secret Superstar'. Mumbai: Zaira Wasim had come in for so much criticism, when shed met Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, that she ended up writing a public apology for hurting sentiments. Though Bollywood unanimously came out in support of the 16-year old actress, who rose to fame with her phenomenal performance in Aamir Khans recent blockbuster Dangal, her worries seem to be nowhere close to a closure. A social media post from 2014 by Zairas mother Zarqa Wasim, with a pro-Pakistan message, has gone viral on social media. The backlash, expectedly, has been tremendous and the very young actress herself has unwarrantedly been subjected to a lot of criticism. Zaira will next be seen in Aamir Khans home production, Secret Superstar but the youngster seems to already be making news for all the wrong reasons. Recently, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had also been assaulted in Rajasthan, on the sets of his film Padmavati, for allegedly conceiving a dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and invading Islamic ruler Alauddin Khilji, where the two would be shown getting intimate. Bollywood has been united in its fight against rising, unwarranted intolerance. In this scene actor Annu Kapoor can be seen referring to Akshay's Bata shoes as 'cheap and shabby'. Mumbai: Just like its 1st installment, Jolly LLB 2 has landed in serious legal trouble. After garnering rave reviews for its quirky and rhetorical trailer, the makers have a legal situation to tackle. Footwear giant Bata has sent legal notice to Fox Star Studios India, executive producer Naren Kumar, directors Deepak Jacob, Amit Shah and Subhash Kapoor, and actors Kapoor and Kumar for allegedly damaging the reputation of the brand by projecting it in extremely bad taste. Following the defamation case, a Delhi court has issued summons to Akshay Kumar, Annu Kapoor, producer Fox Star Studios India Private Limited, Executive Producer Naren Kumar, writer Subhash Kapoor and others to appear on February 22. In the legal notice Bata has claimed that the trailer has made objectionable, derogatory remark about the brand which, according to them, deserves a personal as wells as apology on public platforms like mainstream media. Ironically, this courtroom drama will have to tackle this real life legal scuffle before the film sees the light of the day. The scene in question is the one where Annu Kapoor and Akshay Kumar are engaged in a legal argument and the former comments on Akshays attire, saying: Varna kya.Bata ka joota pehan kar, tuchhi si terricot ki shirt pehan kar, saala humse zabaan lada rahe hain. An angry Akshay retaliated with a thundering slap. In the petition, the footwear baron said, The dialogue is intended to convey that the brand BATA is adorned only by lower strata of society and one should feel humiliated if one wears BATA footwear, in fact the expression and reaction to such a dialogue by Akshay Kumar in the trailer shows that even the person to whom such a statement is hurled took the same extremely negatively and slapped Annu Kapoor in Open Court as if he has been severely abused in the dialogue or he has been hurled with deliberate effort to tarnish the brand image of Bata, perhaps at the instance of some competitors of [Bata] whose products are promoted by Mr Akshay Kumar as a brand ambassador. The petition also highlighted the fact that Bata is a well-established 86 year-old brand with a huge clientele and boosts of being the parent company to over 1000 retail stores across India. Contrary to the trailers allegedly defamatory remarks about the chain, BATA enjoys impeccable reputation amongst all classes of the Indian public which include a common middle class men, those from the higher strata and even the elitist of the elite lot of the Indian society. Mumbai: Sanjay Leela Bhansalis highly ambitious Padmavati had run in to some serious trouble when members of the Rajput Karni Sena assaulted the ace-director over allegations of a lovemaking scene between Queen Padmini and Islamic invader Alauddin Khilji. However, SLBs team had vehemently denied the rumours and clarified that there would be no such sequence in the film between actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, who portray the two characters. However the political unit reiterated that theyd not tolerate any form of historic distortion, though they arent against art. But the Censor Boards refusal to take action against Bhansali, despite their strong request has irked the Karni Sena. The CBDC said that theyd not be in a position to take any action, since the film is yet to be finished and has not been submitted for a review yet. This has prodded the Karni Sena to approach the I&B Ministry and put forward the prospect of a 'pre-censor board', which is to be a panel of experts who will monitor historical and period films to keep a tab on distortion of facts. "Truth often gets overshadowed by the subjectivity of perception which can mislead generations of audience and result in poor understanding of history. And when comes to Bollywood, it has happened several times in the recent past, such as in the case of the film Jodhaa Akbar in 2008, Lokendra Singh Kalvi, founder of Shree Rajput Karni Sena. Members of the Karni Sena had stormed the sets of the film in Rajasthan and beaten up Bhansali, which had forced a majority of the industry to come out in support of the national award winning director. "We have been working for more than 10 years to safeguard the glory of the Rajput community and our ancestors. We are proud of our heritage and will not tolerate any conspiracy that compromises our self-respect. Its unfortunate to see the Censor Board endorsing Bhansali. Few days back, when we met the censor board authorities, they told us that no action can be taken before the entire film is made and comes to us for review. However, I have personally met the director who has assured us that the film will show no intimate scenes between Ranveer and Deepika, Kalvi added. The film, slated for a November 17 release, also stars Shahid Kapoor as Rana Rawal Ratan Singh, alongside Aditi Rao Hydari and Jim Sarbh. Rana will also be seen in 'Baahubali: The Conclusion'. Mumbai: Rana Daggubati, who is set to portray Lieutenant Commander Arjun Varma in upcoming flick 'The Ghazi Attack,' has written a letter to the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. The film is inspired from a classified mission conducted by the Indian Navy, against their Pakistani counterpart in 1971 that not much people know about. Daggubatis character in the film, Arjun Varma, is said to have remained underwater for 18 days during the war. During the course of working on the film, the actor met some real navy officers, who were on board. The actor was extremely moved on hearing about their challenging experience, and decided to write a letter to the President for acknowledging the Indian armed forces, as they are the unsung heroes, whose immense contribution the nation must know about. The 'Baahubali' actor said, "Post Ghazi, civilians like me have understood a lot about victorious battles that have been fought by all our armed forces on the borders so as to keep us safe. As a civilian I did not know about these victorious tales and like me there are many others who did not know much about it, to us it's a letter to acknowledge these heroes and make sure we know more about these unsung heroes and their tales of victory." The upcoming movie rekindles the mystery of what happened on the night of December 3 and what exactly caused the sinking of the PNS Ghazi. The trailer of the flick has already garnered huge appreciation. It stars Rana Daggubati, Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Panu and late veteran actor Om Puri. Mumbai: Benedict Cumberbatch feels 'honoured' as 'Sherlock' has topped the worldwide poll of most popular BBC television characters. Cumberbatch said, "I'm honoured to hear that my portrayal of Sherlock has been internationally recognised as viewers' favourite BBC TV character," reports the Mirror. Adding, "Who would have thought a high-functioning sociopath could be so popular with people all over the world?" Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth bagged the accolade, after having some stiff competition from the likes of Fawlty Towers' Basil Fawlty, the Doctor in Doctor Who and Hyacinth Bucket. The reports further said that the grand title came after BBC Worldwide surveyed more than 7,000 people, between the age of 18 to 64, from seven countries, including Australia, France, the U.S. and Japan, with almost 30 percent of them all backing Cumberbatch 's 'Sherlock.' The 40-year-old actor also bagged top-prize for most memorable scene as Sherlock, for his fall to apparent death, at the end of the show's second series. Jeremy Meeks, who rose to internet fame after his mugshot led people to dub him as the hot convict, has officially made his runway debut during the New York Fashion Week. The 33-year-old former prisoner had signed a modelling contract even before his release last March. Meeks, a Californian native, had to serve time in jail on charges of gun possession, according to Daily News. The married father-of-three has been updating his fans about his life via his social media page ever since his release. He walked for designer Philipp Plein wearing black pants, black boots, a black jacket, and a black puffer coat with a fur hood. The total number of swine flu deaths stands at 11 in the state in January. There are 12 persons undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital, of which six are children. (Representational image) Hyderabad: Two patients died while undergoing treatment for swine flu at Gandhi Hospital. One of them had been rushed to the hospital on January 11 evening and underwent treatment, but died of acute respiratory attack. Senior doctors at Gandhi explained, Some patients are coming with a very heavy viral load and badly damaged lungs. This is leading to further complications and organ failures leading to death. A senior health official said, In most of the private hospitals, to improve the lung functioning, a treatment called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is given. Those who come with severely damaged lung condition survive but it has worked only some cases. The total number of swine flu deaths stands at 11 in the state in January. There are 12 persons undergoing treatment at Gandhi Hospital, of which six are children. The total number of cases in January is 150 cases. Experts state that due to the dip in night temperatures, the virus is strong and continues to affect those who are immune-compromised. According to doctors, a few preventive steps will go a long way in checking the spread of the disease. The boy had died at a Rajkot hospital yesterday, days after he was attacked with knief by unknown accused riding two motorcycles on the night of February 8 in Keshod in Junagadh district. (Photo: Representational Image) Ahmedabad: An NRI couple was booked for allegedly murdering a boy, whom they adopted in 2015, so as to pocket the insurance amount of Rs 1.20 crore which they had taken as cover for the latter's life, police said. Police lodged an FIR against Arti Loknath (53) and her husband Kanwaljitsinh Raijada (28), currently living in London, for allegedly being part of the conspiracy to murder Gopal (13), said Keshod police inspector Ashok Tilva. "Arti and Kanwaljitsinh conspired with one Nitish Mund to adopt Gopal (13), get him insured and then kill him so that they could get insurance money. Nitish, who also lived in London before shifting here after his visa expired, had planned along with the couple since 2015 to kill Gopal," Tilva said. The NRI couple's role was revealed after police arrested Nitish yesterday in connection with the murder. The boy had died at a Rajkot hospital yesterday, days after he was attacked with knief by unknown accused riding two motorcycles on the night of February 8 in Keshod in Junagadh district. Gopal was returning from Rajkot to his home town Maliya along with Nitish, Harsukh Patel, and one Mahadev, Tilva said. He was living with Nitish who planned the attack by hiring two assailants for Rs 5 lakh each, Tilva said. "Hired assailants attacked Gopal and Harsukh Patel after they came out of a vehicle at a pre-decided place at Keshod. We have initiated process to arrest the NRI couple who are at present in UK," Talvia said. New Delhi: A Nigerian drug smuggler Okey Chikoo Mathew was arrested on Monday by Kullu district police of Himachal Pradesh with 1550 grams of heroin. He was arrested from Nawada area under Uttam Nagar police station in Delhi from a private house after the tip of a youth Parveen, belonging to Odisha, who earlier worked for him and was arrested by Delhi Police last week. "Last week during patrolling in Kullu, our patrolling team arrested a youth Parveen who belongs to Odisha. He was arrested with 15 grams of heroin here after investigation he disclosed that he is working for some Nigerian national (Okey Chikoo Mathew) who supplies drug to Himachal Pradesh. On his tip, our team visited the Delhi location given and arrested Mathew with 1550 grams of heroin (approximate cost of over Rs 4 crore). He was also arrested in 2014 in Manali with 20 grams of heroin and was later released in 2015 after trail," said Padam Chand, the Superintendent of Police Kullu District Police. According to the police, the estimated cost of this drug is over Rs. 4 crore. This Nigerian man was also arrested in 2014 in Manali with 20 gms heroin and later released after trial. The case has been registered under Section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. New Delhi: The Supreme Court will examine a plea seeking lodging of FIR against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's son and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, whose photograph was published in media with an alleged sharp shooter close to jailed leader Mohammad Shahabuddin. The apex court, which on Wednesday ordered shifting of Shahabuddin from Bihar's Siwan prison to Tihar Jail in New Delhi to ensure free and fair trial in the cases lodged against him, kept the issue of Tej Pratap pending and said it will hear the arguments on April 21. "Similarly, writ petition...also stands disposed of except for the prayer seeking direction to register FIR against Tej Pratap Yadav, Health Minster of Bihar and SP, police of Siwan District, for which the matter be listed for further hearing at 2 pm on April 21," a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said. Asha Ranjan, the wife of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan in May 2016, has sought a direction for registration of FIR against Shahabuddin and Tej Pratap for "conspiracy and harbouring and sheltering the proclaimed offenders" in the murder case. Her counsel had alleged in the court that in September 2016, she had seen the pictures of accused Mohammed Kaif and Mohammad Javed, who were absconding at that time, with Tej Pratap on news channels. The bench on January 17 had said that the petitioner's request to direct lodging of FIR against Shahabuddin and Yadav would be dealt with separately. New Delhi: The CPI(M) on Wednesday questioned Centre's alleged silence over killings of army personnel in Kashmir over the past three days. "This reconfirms the total failure of Centre's policy in Kashmir. An absolute lack of acknowledgement or meaningful political action by this government is shocking," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said. He also expressed shock at the "absolute lack" of meaningful political action by Centre over killing of soldiers and wondered if the ruling BJP's "lip service" about forces is reserved only for poll speeches. "Why is Modi and his government silent about these deaths? Are lip service and sermons about armed forces reserved only for election speeches?" Yechury asked in a Facebook post, apparently referring to the BJP hailing army's surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) in September last in its poll campaigns. Condoling the deaths of the army men, Yechury sought to know how many deaths will it take to stir the government from its current alleged callousness towards sacrifices of the armed forces. Four army men, including a Major, and an equal number of militants were killed while 8 other security personnel and a civilian were injured in two separate encounters in Kashmir on Tuesday. The encounters took place after four militants and two soldiers were killed in a gun battle in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Sunday. Two civilians were also killed in that encounter. Bengaluru: India is in talks to sell short range surface-to-air missiles to Vietnam, the head of India's defence research agency said on Wednesday, in what would be its first transfer of such weapons to the Southeast Asian country. India has been helping the Vietnamese military with training and patrol vessels, but a further deepening of ties with missile sales could draw criticism from China that has been locked in a territorial dispute with Hanoi in the South China Sea. New Delhi is currently talking to a number of countries for sales of its surface-to-air Akash missiles, said S Christopher, chairman of state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to establish India as an arms exporter. "We are talking to countries, one of them is none other than Vietnam," he told a news conference on the sidelines of an air show where the DRDO is showcasing its missile programmes and other key projects, including a home-grown light combat fighter. Christopher did not provide any details of how many Akash missile batteries the government planned to supply Vietnam. Vietnam is in the midst of a quiet military buildup that analysts say is designed as a deterrent, to secure its 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone as China grows more assertive in staking its claims in the South China Sea. Experts say Vietnam is in the market for fighter jets and more advanced missile systems, in addition to the kilo-class submarines it has bought from Russia. India, which is also sparring with China over a border dispute, has in the past considered the sale of its Brahmos supersonic missile with a range of 290 kms to Vietnam and has been steadily helping Hanoi beef up its defences. In 2016, Modi announced a $500 million credit line to Vietnam to buy defence equipment, on top of a $100 million given previously to help it buy patrol boats. The two sides have also agreed for training of Vietnamese air force pilots to operate Su-30 Russian fighter planes. The protesters were seeking reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for the Jat community under the category of Other Backward Classes. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: CBI has registered two separate cases in connection with the alleged arson at Indus Public School and Haribhoomi Press in Rohtak during the Jat quota agitation in February last year. These properties reportedly belong to trusts run by Haryana minister Captain Abhimanyu, CBI sources said. The CBI move comes after the Centre referred the cases to it on February 6, 2017, nearly an year after the incidents. At least 30 people were killed and properties worth crores of rupees were destroyed in Haryana during the violent quota agitation by Jats in February, 2016. The protesters were seeking reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for the Jat community under the category of Other Backward Classes. It is alleged that some people gathered around the school in Rohtak on the evening of February 19. These people threatened the guard and ransacked the school. On February 20, a mob of 100-150 people armed with oil cannisters and rods gathered around the school. They allegedly ransacked the property and put the building, school buses and other vehicles on the properties on fire. In the complaint, the guard has named several individuals including some former village heads of the area. CBI has registered a case of rioting and arson against 10 persons on the basis of his statement. Second FIR pertains to alleged arson at Haribhoomi Press in Rohtak which was also set on fire by a mob in the intervening night of February 19-20. The FIR has been registered against eight persons on the basis of the statement of the manager of the press. It is alleged that a loss of around Rs 15.50 crore was caused by the alleged rioters. Chennai: All eyes are now on Governor C Vidyasagar Rao over the swearing-in of the new Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, a day after Edapaddi K Palanisamy staked claim to form the government. However, there has been no official word so far from Rao, who was on Monday advised by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to convene a special session of the Legislative Assembly within a week for holding a composite floor test. The Governor had kept his decision pending as the verdict in the disproportionate assets case against AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala, a claimant for chief ministership, was due to be announced by the Supreme Court, which delivered it yesterday, restoring her conviction and sentence, which shattered her hopes of occupying the top seat. While caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has managed to win over the support of over 10 MPs and some MLAs, Sasikala has been able to keep the flock of around 120 of AIADMK's 124 legislators with her. Though Panneerselvam does not have the explicit support of a very large number of MLAs, he has been insisting he would prove majority on the floor of the House if asked to do so. It remains to be seen whether the Governor goes by the AG's advice for a floor test by the two competing claimants for chief ministership or invites Palanisamy to form the government. Before Sasikala began serving the remnant three years, 10 months and 27 days sentence in a Karnataka prison this evening, she reinducted her close relatives T T V Dinkaran and S Venkatesh into the party, five years after their expulsion by AIADMK supremo and the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Sasikala appointed Dinakaran, her nephew and former Rajya Sabha member, the deputy general secretary of AIADMK, a move seen by many as an attempt to hand over the party's control to him till her return from jail. Dinakaran's appointment prompted V Karuppasamy Pandian, a senior AIADMK leader to resign as the party's organisation secretary. An angry Pandian went to the extent of questioning Sasikala's authority of reinducting people expelled by Jayalalithaa, and asking if AIADMK was her "family property". While re-admitting Dinakaran and Venkatesh into the party, Sasikala said the two had tendered apology for their actions. "Dinakaran and Venkatesh are allowed to join the party after they expressed regret for their acts in person and through letter and requested that they be allowed to join the party (again)," Sasikala said in a statement here. Dinakaran and Venkatesh, besides Sasikala and her husband M Natarajan were expelled from AIADMK in 2011 by Jayalalithaa amidst reports they interfered with the functioning of the party and the government. Dinakaran was part of the 12-member AIADMK team led by Palaniswami which met Governor Vidyasagar Rao and staked claim to form government yesterday. Social Welfare Minister V Saroja, who belongs to Sasikala camp, defended the appointment of Dinakaran, calling him a "calm and humble man." She recalled that Jayalalithaa had once appointed him as the secretary of a key party forum meant to interact with the workers. "He is not new to the party. He had moved closely with party workers. He is a calm and humble man," she told reporters. Saroja said party MLAs will abide by the decision as Sasikala was the general secretary of the party. V. K. Sasikala was convicted by the Supreme Court in the DA case. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: In more trouble for V K Sasikala, AIADMK MLA from Madurai, S Saravanan on Wednesday filed a kidnapping case against her and Palanisamy in Kuvathur Police Station. He alleged that the MLAs were put up in the resort by her against their will. Police booked the AIADMK General Secretary and its Legislature Party Leader Edappadi K Palaniswamy in connection with the alleged detention of party MLAs at the resort. The two were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to abduction and wrongful confinement. Saravanan, who represents Madurai South, landed up at acting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's residence late night on Monday this week, and told reporters that he had escaped the Koovathur resort by scaling a wall. Saravanan also claimed that he had to disguise himself to escape from the resort. He alleged that party MLAs "were being detained" at the Koovathur resort and claimed he had given a slip by wearing a "t-shirt and Bermuda (shorts)". "If a floor test is held today, Panneerselvam will win it. Both those who have come to his side and those who have not will vote for him," he had said. The Supreme Court on Tuesday had dashed Sasikalas hopes of becoming the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by convicting her in the DA case and sentencing her to four years in jail. Sasikala is on her way to Bengaluru to surrender herself. The 62-year-old leader, who was locked in a bitter tussle with AIADMK's O Panneerselvam for Tamil Nadu's chief ministership, took the inevitable journey to the Karnataka capital after the Supreme Court refused to give her further time to surrender. Bengaluru: Defence and security company Saab has offered a fighter sensor package for the homegrown Tejas LCA Mk1A fighter aircraft. The package consists of a state-of-the-art Saab Airborne Electronically Scanned Array fighter radar closely integrated with a compact electronic warfare suite using Gallium Nitride based AESA technology, the company said. Saab, in partnership with Indian industry, offers a solution that will bring the required AESA Fighter radar and electronic warfare capability to India and the Indian Air Force, it said. The AESA fighter radar is developed by Saab with antenna technology based on the latest technologies using Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicone Carbide (SiC) substrates in combination with the latest generation of exciter/receiver and processor technology, giving optimum installed performance in a dense signal environment, it said. The radar has a complete mode suite which includes air-to-air, air-to-ground and air to-sea capabilities, a Saab release said. A built-in memory provides a tool to record a large amount of data from performed flights. Integration in the LCA Mk1A fighter aircraft is enabled by the limited space, power and cooling required, it said. The EW suite consists of sensors and transmitters developed by Saab and is a highly capable and extremely compact solution that provides essential situational awareness and self-protection, the release said. The heart of the suite is an electronic warfare receiver which is connected to a front end receiver and fin tip antennas inside the aircraft, it added. AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala consoled by a lady on the way from Koovathur Resort to Poes Garden at Koovathur, outskrits of Chennai on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: Former AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala Natarajan on Wednesday visited late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaas memorial, while on her way to Bengaluru to surrender after being convicted in a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case by the Supreme Court. Sasikala paid a floral tribute to Jayalalithaa and sought her blessings before heading for Bengaluru. She is travelling to the Karnataka capital by road, and will surrender at a local court. Sasikala will be imprisoned at Parappana Agrahara jail in the city, said reports. Sasikala was on Tuesday sentenced to 4 years in prison by the apex court, in a Rs 66 crore DA case. The AIADMK chief appointed her nephew Dinakaran as the deputy general secretary of the party, as her final official act before heading to Bengaluru. Sasikalas lawyer had on Wednesday asked the apex court for more time for her to surrender, but this was rejected. Before she left Golden Bay resort on Tuesday, Sasikala addressed the MLAs who have been staying inside the luxurious resort since last week and asked them to ensure that the AIADMK remains united. I may go to jail, but my heart will always here. I will continue to perform my duties as the AIADMK General Secretary from wherever I am, Sasikala told her legislators. She also launched a veiled attack against Governor CH Vidyasagar Rao asking why he has not invited Mr Palanisamy to form the government as yet. They can't jail my thoughts. Whether I'm here or in another state, I will work for the party 24 hours a day. Our enemy Karunanidhi lodged this case and we should ensure that his party DMK does not come to power again in Tamil Nadu, she said. There is no need for anyone to be afraid. We must do good for the people and we must only think about how to help the people. I request you to smile and not cry, Sasikala said. She also sacked acting CM O Panneerselvam from the party and appointed E Palanisamy as the new AIADMK Legislature Party leader. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin be shifted to Tihar Jail in New Delhi from a prison in Bihar to ensure "free and fair trial" in the cases lodged against him. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy asked the Bihar government to transfer Shahabuddin to Tihar Jail within a week, saying "it is the obligation and duty of this court to ensure free and fair trial". The apex court said trial in the cases registered against Shahabuddin will be conducted through video conferencing from Tihar Jail. "We direct the state of Bihar to transfer Mohammad Shahabuddin from district jail Siwan to Tihar jail Delhi," the bench said. The order came on the pleas by Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, and Asha Ranjan, the wife of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan, seeking shifting of the RJD leader from Siwan jail. The petitioners had told the apex court that Shahabuddin should be transferred from Siwan jail to any other jail outside the state for free and fair trial in the cases pending against him. The Bihar government had earlier told the apex court that it is not "averse" to shifting Shahabuddin from Siwan prison to Tihar Jail here. The state government had told the apex court that Shahabuddin is facing trial in 45 cases, including one in Jharkhand. New Delhi: Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered shifting of controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin, now facing trial in 45 criminal cases, from Siwan Jail in Bihar to Tihar Jail here within a week, saying an accused cannot be allowed to "jettison the basic fundamentals of trial". The apex court referred to the criminal history of Shahabuddin and said "till today, he has been booked in 75 cases, out of which he had been convicted in 10 cases and presently facing trial in 45 cases" and the facts showed that "this is not a normal and usual case". "We direct the state of Bihar to transfer the third respondent, M Shahabuddin, from Siwan Jail, District Siwan to Tihar Jail, Delhi and hand over the prisoner to the competent officer of Tihar Jail after giving prior intimation for his transfer in Delhi. "Needless to say, that the authorities escorting the third respondent from Siwan Jail to Tihar Jail would strictly follow the rules applicable to the transit prisoners and no special privilege shall be extended. The transfer shall take place within a week hence," a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy said. In a related development, the apex court also decided to examine a plea seeking lodging of FIR against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad's son and Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, whose photograph was published in the media with an alleged sharp shooter close to Shahabuddin. The verdict came on separate pleas filed by Asha Ranjan, the widow of slain Siwan-based journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, and Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents. They had sought shifting of the RJD strongman from Siwan jail to Tihar prison in New Delhi. The court did the balancing act between the individual right of an accused to fair trial with the right of the society and preservation of the justice delivery system. "A fair trial is not what the accused wants in the name of fair trial. Fair trial must soothe the ultimate justice which is sought individually, but is subservient and would not prevail when fair trial requires transfer of the criminal proceedings," the bench, in its 87-page verdict, said. It said the trial in pending cases against Shahabuddin "shall be conducted by video conferencing by the concerned trial court. "The competent authority in Tihar Jail and the competent authority of the State of Bihar shall make all essential arrangements so that the accused and the witnesses would be available for the purpose of trial through video conferencing." In its verdict, the court said, "the right to fair trial is not singularly absolute, as is perceived, from the perspective of the accused. It takes in its ambit and sweep the right of the victim(s) and the society at large. These factors would collectively allude and constitute the Rule of Law, ie, free and fair trial." Dealing with the right to fair trial as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, the bench said it was the duty of the constitutional court to weigh and strike a balance between the individual and societal rights. "The fair trial which is constitutionally protected as a substantial right under Article 21 and also the statutory protection, does invite for consideration a sense of conflict with the interest of the victim(s) or the collective/interest of the society. "When there is an intra-conflict in respect of the same fundamental right from the true perceptions, it is the obligation of the constitutional courts to weigh the balance in certain circumstances, the interest of the society as a whole, when it would promote and instill Rule of Law," it said. Relying on the apex court judgement transferring another controversial leader from Bihar, Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, to Tihar in a murder case, it noted that the right to fair trial "is not what the accused wants in the name of fair trial". "A wrongful act of an individual cannot derogate the right of fair trial as that interest is closer, especially in criminal trials, to the Rule of Law. An accused cannot be permitted to jettison the basic fundamentals of trial in the name of fair trial," it noted. The court said the transfer of a particular accused from one state to prison in another and his right to fair trial would depend upon the facts and circumstances "weighed on the scale of constitutional norms and sensibility and larger public interest". It rejected Shahabuddin's plea that the court cannot take away the fundamental right to fair trial of an accused by transferring him to a jail outside the state. "Section 3 of the Transfer of Prisoners Act, 1950 does not create an impediment on the part the court to pass an order of transfer of an accused or a convict from one jail in a state to another prison in another state because it creates a bar on the exercise of power on the executive only," it said. Justice Misra, writing the judgement for the bench, noted that Shahabuddin has been "declared as a history-sheeter type 'A', that is, who is beyond reform". "...He has been booked in 15 cases where he has been in custody and one such case relates to the murder of the third son of the petitioner (Chandrakeshwar Prasad) and other two cases are of attempt to murder. "He is an influential person of the locality, for he has been a representative to the Legislative Assembly on two occasions and elected as a Member of Parliament four times. "This is not a normal and usual case. It has to be dealt with in the aforesaid factual matrix. A history-sheeter has criminal antecedents and sometimes becomes a terror in society," the apex court said. It referred to various judgements and said the courts have considered the importance of "peaceful social order while cancelling" bail of an accused if it has been granted without taking proper note of criminal antecedents of the accused. "When there is threat to life, liberty and fear pervades, it sends shivers in the spine and corrodes the basic marrows of holding of the trial at Siwan. This is quite farther from the idea of fair trial. "The grievance of the victims, who have enormously and apparently suffered, deserves to be dealt with as per the law of the land and should not remain a mirage and a distant dream. As we find, both sides have propounded the propositions in extreme terms. And we have a duty to balance," it said. The apex court however agreed with the submission of the RJD leader that the court, in exercise of its special power under Article 142 (enforcement of decrees and orders of the SC) of the Constitution, cannot curtail the fundamental rights of citizens. "Yet when a case of the present nature arises, it may issue appropriate directions so that criminal trial is conducted in accordance with law. It is the obligation and duty of this Court to ensure free and fair trial," it said. It considered the facts that the Patna High Court had stayed the proceedings in some criminal cases and asked the High Court "to dispose of the said matters on their merits within four months hence. A copy of this order be sent to the Registrar General, High Court of Patna for placing the same before the learned Acting Chief Justice." The apex court directed that the copy of its order "shall forthwith be communicated to the Home Secretary, Government of Bihar, Superintendent of Siwan Jail and the Inspector General, Prisons, Tihar Jail, Delhi." Kannauj: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed the ruling Samajwadi Party for its pre-poll alliance with Congress, likening it to a movie in which rivals befriend each other after the "interval". Addressing an election rally at Kannauj, he said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav does not know how "cunning Congress people are" and reminded him about an "assassination attempt" made on his father Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1984 allegedly by a Congress leader. Modi also attacked the opposition for creating hue and cry over demonetisation and levelling all kinds of allegations against him, saying "lies will not work as the people of the country are quite aware now". Severely critical of Akhilesh for entering into the alliance with Congress, he said, "A film is being played on the political stage of Uttar Pradesh in which the opponents, who had attacked each other with slogans such as '27 saal UP behal' and taken out yatras in the first half, have turned friends after interval and have embraced each other." He said Samajwadi Party and Congress were campaigning against each other before the announcement of polls "but came together after the interval to enter into the alliance for the elections." Reaching out to voters here in Kannauj which falls in the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Akhilesh's wife Dimple Yadav, Modi said, "SP-Cong tie up will shatter your dreams." While targeting the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister over the alliance with Congress, the Prime Minister said, "I want to ask how Akhilesh forgot the attack carried out on Mulayam Yadav by Congress in 1984... What can be more shameful than befriending those who tried to murder one's father? They cannot be pardoned. "Kya raajneeti itni gir gayi hai ke kursi ke moh mein iss prakaar ke kaand kiye jaaye (has politics degraded to such an extent that for the love of power such a thing would be done)?" Recalling the incident, Modi said, "Fed up of attacks by Mulayam Singh as Leader of the Opposition in Vidhan Parishad, Congress got shots fired at him on March 4, 1984 but he scraped through...I want to tell Akhilesh that he should have remembered this incident before sitting in the lap of Congress." He went on to add, "Akhileshji ko abhi anubhav kum hain, Congress wale kitne chatur hain inko samajh nahi aata...Mulayam ji ko toh pata tha (Akhilesh has less experience. He does not understand how cunning Congress people are. Mulayam knew about it)." On March 4, 1984, Mulayam Singh's car was fired at by some persons while he was on his way from Etawah to Lucknow and the name of a strong Congress leader had figured in the case. Hitting out at Congress, Modi said the party was running a three-legged race with one leg tied to Bahujan Samaj Party and another to Samajwadi Party. "During the first press conference after the alliance, Akhilesh had attacked Mayawati but when Congress vice president was asked about her, he said he had nothing to say against her," the Prime Minister said. Rahul had said, "I personally respect Mayawati. Though BSP ruled in Uttar Pradesh and made some mistakes, my respect for her is intact". This had prompted BJP to dub BSP as a hidden partner of Congress-Samajwadi Party. "They cannot win this race as BJP, which is running on two legs, will pip them to the post," Modi told the rally today. On the state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said the abbreviation of UP may be read as "up", but everything is "down" in the state. "The only thing up in UP is corruption, law and order, riots, atrocities on women, unemployment, poverty, mortality rate of mother and child, migration...and Akhilesh says 'kaam bolta hai' (work speaks)...it is not kaam but karname (misdeeds) which are speaking for him," Modi said. Claiming that the Centre has taken important steps for the welfare of farmers, the Prime Minister said his party has promised in its manifesto that onion and potato will be bought at Minimum Support Price and will not allow the potato growers to die. "BJP manifesto promises loan waiver of small farmers...As an MP from the state, I promise that it will be my responsibility that this promise is fulfilled in the first meeting of the BJP government," said Modi, who represents Varanasi constituency in the Lok Sabha. Hyderabad: The TS government is getting ready to purchase Kandi papu (red gram) from farmers following a glut in the market due to bumper yield this year. Marketing minister T. Harish Rao, who is personally supervising the red gram issue, promised that the government would buy crop till the last grain and has opened 90 centres across the state. Farmers need not worry about purchase of red gram. The government will buy till the last grain. For the first time in the country, the state purchased 7, 48,213 lakh quintals of red gram so far and paid Rs 220 crore to farmers. The balance will be paid within a week, he said. Mr Harish Rao said there was glut in red gram production even in other states and Telangana was no exception. We will stand by red gram and other farmers, he said. The Centre has fixed MSP of Rs 5,050 per quintal for red gram while middlemen are offering farmers Rs 4,000-odd. Due to purchase of red gram by Central agencies, farmers are now avoiding middlemen. Mr Harish Rao, who discussed the red gram issue with officials, instructed them to ensure purchase the crop brought by farmers and ensure quick payment. So far, government has purchased 4,94,490 quintals through NAFED, 2,53,723 quintals through FCI and other government agencies, altogether worth Rs 377.85 crore. In view of shortage of gunny bags, the minister spoke to Civil Supplies commissioner C.V. Anand who provided six lakh-odd bags to NAFED. As against cultivation of red gram on 2.47 lakh hectares in the past, the sown area shot up to 4.35 lakh hectares, resulting in over production. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and other states too witnessed huge production. We are tracking the red gram issue and have introduced a call centre for farmers in distress. We got 305 distress calls and have acted on them, Mr Harish Rao said. According to him, the Centre fixing the price has had a serious affect on TS farmers. Besides, the Centres decision to import one lakh tonnes in 2016-2017, two lakh tonnes in another two years and other exports and imports from Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi and Myanmar has hit TS farmers, Mr Harish Rao alleged. United Kingdom's aerobatic team Yakovlves performs during the 2nd day of the 11th biennial edition of Aero India 2017 at Yelahanka Air base in Bengaluru. (Photo: AP) Bengaluru: Top American aerospace and defence companies on Wednesday pledged to strengthen the 'Make in India' campaign of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and foster "blossoming" of the India-US defence collaboration. The support from American firms emerged at the ongoing Asia's premier airshow Aero India 2017 in Bengaluru, where government is making a strong pitch for the 'Make in India' campaign, wooing global companies to be part of India's evolving story. The US-India Business Council is leading its delegation to Aero India 2017, showcasing continuity in the defence and security partnership between the US and India following India being designated as a 'Major Defense Partner', which directs the US government to prioritise defence trade with the country. The international delegation consists of more than 20 senior executives from American aerospace and defense companies, according to the Council. USIBC's Executive Mission is led by George Standridge, Vice President for Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, and Tom Bell, Senior Vice President, Boeing. Senior executives representing America's top defense companies, including Arconic, Telephonics, Raytheon, Honeywell, Harris Corporation and Textron Systems are part of USIBC's delegation, USIBC said in a statement here. At a seminar here on opportunities to integrate India into the global supply chain held by USIBC, Mission co-lead George Standridge, Vice President for Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said, "India is an important partner for the US industry." Aero India 2017, he said, is an excellent venue to further discussions in support of Modi's call to 'Make in India', and "we are committed to sharing knowledge, skills, and technology, today and in the future." "The US and Indian defense industries are poised to work collaboratively to position India as a major defense partner of the United States," Tom Bell, Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) said. Boeing is committed to facilitating the ecosystem for India's defense industrial base in a manner that supports job growth in both the countries, Bell said. Aero India 2017 is an ideal venue to exchange lessons learned and showcase our commitment and progress supporting the Indian market and the 'Make in India' initiative, Hector F Colon, Corporate Vice President for Telephonic Corporation, said. "We look forward to continue our effort with USIBC to strengthen the Make in India campaign and also foster the blossoming of India-US defense collaboration," he said. USIBC's Director of Aerospace and Defense, Ben Schwartz said 2017 should be an exciting year for the defense industry. "We are hopeful that some key changes will take place that augur well for the bilateral partnership such as an agreement on communications security and the reform of defense offset management," he said. Mathura: Two persons were killed and seven others were injured when the car they were travelling in overturned on the Yamuna Expressway, police said on Wednesday. The accident occurred on Tuesday night when the front-wheel tyre of the Delhi-bound car burst and collided with the divider, a police officer said. "Two persons including a woman died on the spot and seven injured have been rushed to a hospital here," police said. The deceased have been identified as Suvita Devi (48) and Tapas Kumar (32). Two of the injured persons are in a critical condition, a hospital official said. Bengaluru: Former AIADMK chief V K Sasikala was today sent to jail after she surrendered before a trial court here, a day after the Supreme Court restored her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. Sasikala turned up before special court judge Ashwathnarayana after the Supreme Court earlier in the day rejected her plea for more time to surrender. The 60-year-old AIADMK leader, who came by road from Chennai, went straight to the court housed in the central jail at Parappana Agrahara, 28 km from Hosur on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border. Sasikala was imprisoned after completion of court formalities and medical check up, officials said. The judge also turned down her pleas for two weeks more time to surrender and for home food. Sasikala's nephew V N Sudhakaran and sister-in-law Elavarasi, whose conviction by the trial court in Bengaluru had been upheld by the Supreme Court, also surrendered. Four cars in the cavalcade of Sasikala were damaged soon after it arrived near the court premises, police said, adding, it was not immediately known who did it. With the Supreme Court being firm on not giving any more time, Sasikala left Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence in Chennai just before noon and headed to Bengaluru after visiting the Jayalalithaa's memorial on Marina Beach, where she paid floral tributes to Jayalalithaa. In dramatic gestures, an emotional Sasikala went around the burial site, muttered something and tapped on the tomb thrice as if taking a pledge, prayed and prostrated. Sasikala also visited the Ramapuram residence of AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran where she briefly meditated before leaving for Bengaluru. The AIADMK leader, who was locked in a bitter tussle with AIADMK's O Panneerselvam for Tamil Nadu's chief ministership, took the inevitable journey to Bengaluru after the Supreme Court refused to give her further time to surrender. Bengaluru: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday welcomed the "calm" on the Line of Control (LoC) and said India wants to have friendly relationship with Pakistan. He, however, added that this does not mean India will not be prepared for any eventuality. Responding to a question on reports of ceasefire violations declining since Qamar Bajwa took charge of Pakistan army last November, the Defence Minister said he appreciates that the new Pakistani General has managed to make his forces understand their neighbour's concerns. The LoC has often witnessed intense shelling from both the sides. "We wish to have good relationship with Pakistan and China. There should be no reason why we should be fighting and consider them with doubt. As far as I am concerned, I don't consider any action as doubt. If he has kept calm, then I welcome it. "But that doesn't mean I will not be prepared. My preparedness is an independent exercise, which is not offensive. It is for my defence," the minister said. Responding to another question on reports of China deploying aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons along the Indian border, Parrikar said, "If security interests of India are in danger, we will take adequate steps to protect ourselves." Notably, India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire agreement in 2003 which virtually became redundant with a whopping over 300 incidents of firing and shelling along LoC and International Border in J&K by Pakistani troops till January 1 since the surgical strike on terrorist launch pads in PoK on September 28-29, 2016. These firing and shelling by Pakistan troops had resulted in death of 27 people, including 14 security personnel. Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today said Maharashtra's progress and prosperity is pointless when 50 per cent of children in the state are malnourished and below the poverty line. The court also observed that the government has not taken any serious steps to address the problem. A division bench of Justices V M Kanade and P R Bora was hearing a bunch of PILs highlighting increasing instances of malnutrition-related deaths and illness among those living in Melghat region of Vidarbha and other tribal areas. "In our state, the children's population must be over 40 crore. Out of this, 50 per cent children are below poverty line and suffering from malnourishment. What is the point of prosperity and progress in the state when this is the situation," Justice Kanade observed. The court further said the state government ought to make separate allocation of funds to address the issue in the upcoming budget session. The court has posted the petitions for further hearing on March 1, when the secretaries of Women and Child Welfare department and the Tribal Welfare department will have to submit power-point presentations to HC on how they propose to tackle the problem and what measures will be undertaken. The court had earlier too come down heavily on the government for failing to initiate steps to solve the problem, and had said the concerned ministers will have to take more interest. Chennai: Stuck between warring factions of the AIADMK, top cops in Tamil Nadu are struggling to remain professionally neutral. What are we supposed to do? Both sides are blaming us. We are trying to go by the rule book and the Governor is closely watching the activities of the police. While the O. Panneerselvam camp want the police to remove the MLAs from the Golden Bay resort in Koovathur, the Edappadi K Palanisamy camp is accusing us of crossing the limit, disclosed a senior police officer. It may be noted that caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has not made any major appointment of police officials. Most of the appointments made by late chief minister Jayalalithaa have not been changed. Only on Monday, Mr Panneerselvam brought in a new inspector general of police (intelligence) and also transferred out additional SP, KPS Jayachandran of special branch, a relative of VK Sasikalas brother Dhivakaran. Dhivakarans daughter is married to Jayachandrans son. This is the time for police to remain neutral and act professionally. And I think in the present crisis, they are handling the situation professionally. FIRs are being registered whenever there is a compliant. Enquiry is also being conducted. Police had been actively probing complaints against people belonging to Sasikala camp despite the fact that most of the senior officials had been more familiar with them than those from OPS camp, one officer pointed out. The FIRs were registered because the governor was closely monitoring the developments and asking for details. Otherwise they may not have registered the case, another officer pointed out, adding that top police officials worried about how Edappadi would react if he comes to power. Another officer jokingly noted that its time for the police officers to follow Taoism, the Chinese philosophy which advocates people to go with the flow to achieve happiness. Instead of trying to get things done in a hard way, our officers should take the time to figure out the natural, easy way to do things and everything would get done more simply. This is called doing by not doing, the officer added. The panel said that it was the job of tribunals constituted for the purpose. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: The Centre-appointed A.K. Bajaj Committee of irrigation and power experts that concluded its three-day visit to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday said it has no authority to allocate waters being diverted from Godavari to Krishna Basin by AP to TS. The panel said that it was the job of tribunals constituted for the purpose. The assertion has come as a rude shock to TS, the state having pinned hopes on getting its share from the Godavari water being diverted to Krishna Basin since the matter is included in the terms of reference of the committee set up by the Union water resource ministry. TS government adviser on irrigation R. Vidyasagar Rao termed the Bajaj Committees tour as of no use and said that it was only an eyewash committee set up only to tour and collect opinions of both the states. He said the TS government will file a complaint with the Union water resources ministry for going back on its promise to consider sharing of waters diverted from by Godavari to Krishna Basin through Pattiseema and Polavaram projects. In a joint meeting of engineering officials of both TS and AP at Jala Soudha here, chairman of the Experts Committee A.K. Bajaj made it clear to the state that it was not the panels job to allot any share of water to any state as such allocation was the exclusive domain of the tribunals constituted for the specific purpose. When he was reminded by TS officials that the subject was included in the terms of reference, Mr Bajaj said that the fact remains that experts committee cannot go into making any allocations afresh. However, he assured that committee will make observations on the TS demands in its report that will be submitted to the water resources ministry. At this stage, Mr Vidyasagar Rao pointed out that it was strange to find a sea change in the attitude of the committee after returning from Vijayawada. Earlier, during its interaction with TS officials, the panel had conceded that the issue needed to be resolved at the earliest. Mr Vidyasagar Rao said that more than the Godavari water diversion issue, the panel appeared to be more interested in finding out the exact usage of Krishna waters under minor irrigation projects. Meanwhile, the joint meeting of TS and AP officials failed to reach any consensus on inclusion of projects under Krishna River Management Boards jurisdiction for preparing the operation manual. While TS objected to APs demand of inclusion of Jurala project, AP officials objected strongly for inclusion of Pulichintala and Sunkesula dams under the Boards purview as demanded by TS. However, the Bajaj Committee, after hearing the arguments, may decide the operation protocol for all the dams across the Krishna and make recommendations. Hyderabad: The police has cracked the case of the robbery at the transgender welfare society bank at Chudi Bazaar within two days by busting a four-member gang, three from Rajasthan. The police said the gang looted gold, silver and cash worth Rs 27 lakh. The suspects were caught at Nanded after the police tracked their vehicles through CCTV cameras. Investigation officials said a person named Ramesh Sharma, a cook who lived in the building where the bank was located, chalked out the plan and took the help of three Rajasthani natives. Sharma and his friends, Sidaun Saansi, Ranveer Saasi and Rakesh Kumar Meena, broke open the front door and entered the bank. They took 10 kg silver, 630 gram gold, and Rs 7 lakh in cash from the almirahs, said Mr A. Venkateshwar Rao, DCP West Zone. They escaped in an autorickshaw. The police tracked the accused through CCTV footage collected from Chudi Bazaar, MJ Bridge crossroads, Begum Bazaar Chatri, Alfa Hotel, Asian Tours and Travels and HP Petrol Pump at Secunderabad. A team of cops went to Nanded and arrested them, the DCP said. The informal bank serves over 1,000 members of the community in Telangana state, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It has been functioning from the same place for 400 years. 6 from Nayeem gang arrested under PD Act Suryapet police detained six persons belonging to Nayeems gang under PD Act on Wednesday. Police said that Mohammad Tabarez, G. Srinivas alias Tomato Srinu, SK. Jahangeer, SK. Jani Pasha, SK. Chandh and Mohammad Mubeen alias Kaala Mubin were detained as there were chances of influencing witness by the group. Earlier, police detained five persons belonging to Nayeems gang. Hyderabad: Scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation have said that they are gearing up to launch the Chandrayaan II mission towards the latter part of this year, or during the first quarter of 2018. Isros Satellite Applications Centre Director, M. Annadurai, revealed the tentative launch schedule while speaking to the press at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shar, Sriharikota on Wednesday. He said a Lander and a six-wheeled Rover were being prepped to go with the Chandrayaan-II mission. The chief scientist added that a launch is likely to take place in the first quarter of 2018. According to Dr P.V. Venkita Krishnan, the director of the Isro Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri, engineers were currently testing soft-landing engines. To a query on plans for human spaceflight programmes by the agency, Isro chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said: It is not our priority right now. The space organisation is also yet to come out with the exact nature of projects for missions to other planets and heavenly bodies such as Mars, Venus and asteroids. But study teams are on the job and their proposals will be reviewed by a committee before finalising a project, Mr Kiran Kumar added. He said experiments involving reusable rockets will continue and added that there was still a long way to go. About the successful deployment of the 104 satellites, Shar Director P. Kunhi Krishnan said 88 satellites, including the Cartosat, had already started communicating with the ground stations. Theres also the planned launch of the SAARC satellite in March or April this year. It is basically a communication satellite with transponders and all member nations will be given opportunity to use the satellite for various applications such as tele-medicine, education, DTH, library networking and disaster networking. The satellite will also help put in place a direct hot link network between the friendly south Asian nations. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Kannur: The political parties should disown the party sympathisers, who are involved in criminal acts, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Tuesday. Chairing an all-party peace meeting at the collectorate conference hall, he said that the recent violent incidents in the district had shown that party sympathisers, on whom the parties do not have direct control, were behind them. The peace initiatives taken by the leaders should reach the lower strata. There were incidents of weapons-making and storing in various parts of the district. These may not be with the knowledge of the party leaderships. The raids by the police would continue in these areas. The public also should cooperate, the Chief Minister told the meeting where all the representatives supported the peace initiatives. His government would not allow partymen to forcibly release the accused in police custody. Police action would be irrespective of the party allegiance, he added. The attacks on the sacred religious places cannot be tolerated. The parties concerned should not take law into their hands. Everyone has the right to seek legal help and cooperate with the law of the land, he said. The meeting was also attended by Ports Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally, P.K. Sreemathy MP, MLAs E.P. Jayarajan, K.C. Joseph, Sunny Joseph, district panchayat president K.V. Sumesh, collector Mir Mohammed Ali, district police chief G. Siva Vikram, party representatives Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, P. Jayarajan, Valsan Thillankery, K. Ranjith, Satheesan Pacheni, P. Kunhimuhummad, C.P. Murali and Kalariyil Shukkoor. Ahmedabad: Congress workers on Wednesday staged a demonstration outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nonagenarian mother Heeraban Modi, seeking her intervention in the Naliya gangrape case in which four BJP leaders were allegedly involved. Around 35 Congress workers assembled unannounced in front of the house of Pankaj Modi, younger brother of the Prime Minister, where 97-year-old Heeraben lives in Raisan village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar city. Policemen rushed to the spot and detained the Congress workers, mostly women. These protesters were demanding Heeraben's intervention in the gangrape case, claiming that Modi would surely listen to his mother's call for punishment to the culprits. "We have briefly detained around 35 Congress workers, mostly women, as they sat on a dharna and shouted slogans outside Heeraben's home in Raisan village near Gandhinagar. No untoward incident took place during the demonstration," said Info City police inspector KM Priyadarshi. These Congress workers alleged that police were trying to shield the real culprits involved in the gangrape in Naliya town of Kutch district. "The entire nation and media took notice of your gesture of standing in a bank queue during demonetisation. Now, we urge you to stand with the victim, which will force the government and police to take action. "We also urge you to talk to your son on the issue so that many other victims can be saved," said a letter addressed to Heeraben which could not be handed over due to the detention. Till now, police have arrested eight persons who had allegedly gangraped a married women in Naliya town on several occasions. Those who were arrested included four local BJP leaders, who have been suspended from the party. In her FIR, the 24-year-old woman alleged that she was raped by at least nine persons on different occasions a year ago. The victim has alleged in her FIR that the accused have been running sex racket in Kutch district and forcing victims to have sex with numerous persons after blackmailing them by making video of the act. Imphal: With the state reeling under the impact of an economic blockade since last November and petrol selling at Rs 200-250 per litre, the candidates of different political parties were forced to go on a door-to-door campaign on foot. The state is under an indefinite economic blockade launched by the United Naga Council (UNC) since November 1, 2016, in protest against the creation of seven new districts bifurcating the existing ones. The supply of essential commodities, including fuel, to Manipur was severely hit due to the blockade on NH2 (via Dimapur) and NH 37 (via Jiribam) - the two lifelines of the state. As most of the petrol pumps were facing severe shortage of fuels, they were being sold in the black market at an exorbitant price of Rs 200-250 per litre. Political parties were compelled to use minimum number of vehicles for the purpose of campaigning. "Our candidates in most of the places were campaigning on foot. Earlier, we used to do it on cars or open jeeps. But this time there is a huge scarcity of petrol/diesel, and the prices are exorbitant," a state BJP leader said. This was echoed by both ruling Congress and other opposition parties like the People's Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA) party of rights activist Irom Sharmila and Trinamool Congress. The Congress, however, said that the economic blockade was the a result of a covert pact between the BJP and the UNC. "There is a fuel shortage, but the BJP being in power at the Centre can't shake off its responsibility. They are trying to reap dividends out of this blockade," a Congress leader said. "It's neither possible for us as a party nor as candidates to afford fuel. In my constituency, which is quite congested, I am avoiding cars and therefore doing the campaign on foot. "But there are certain constituencies which have very rough terrain rendering it very difficult to campaign without a jeep. There too we have to go on foot as we don't have so much money," PRJA convenor Erendro Leichombam said. The Trinamool Congress, which became the third largest party in the Manipur state Assembly after 2012 elections by winning seven seats in the 60-member Assembly, is planning to contest from 30 seats this time. "We are having a tough time in organising the campaign in rough terrains by foot. We have written to Indian Oil and also to the state and the central government to see that the fuel crisis is solved. But the BJP and the Congress are busy fighting against each other rather than solving the crisis," TMC leader Samrat Tapadar, who is looking after elections in Manipur, said. Out of the seven TMC MLAs who had won in the 2012 election, two had switched over to the BJP and five had switched over to the Congress. In view of the crisis, the Oil Ministry along with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence decided to airlift fuel to the northeastern state. On January 23, the Indian Oil Corporation had airlifted 96,000 litres of diesel to Manipur to mitigate the fuel crisis triggered by the indefinite economic blockade. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to security personnel who lost their lives in encounters with terrorists in J&K on tuesday, at AFS Palam in New Delhi. (Photo: AP) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to four army men, including a Major, who died fighting militants in two encounters in Kashmir and said the country will always remember their valour and sacrifice. He laid wreaths on the bodies of the soldiers at the Palam Airport in New Delhi where the mortal remains were brought today from Srinagar. On the occasion, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat briefed the Prime Minister on the encounters in which the casualties took place. "Paid tributes to the brave men who lost their lives fighting terrorists in J&K. India will always remember their valour & sacrifice," Modi tweeted later. The Prime Minister was returning from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh after addressing an election rally there when he paid his last respects to the bravehearts. Major S Dahiya and three other soldiers were killed on Tuesday in two encounters in Kashmir. Dahiya was killed in an encounter in Kralgund area of north Kashmir's Kupwara district where security forces gunned down three militants hiding in a residential house. Three other army men were killed in an encounter in Hajin area of Bandipora district after security forces cordoned off the area following information about presence of militants there. Hyderabad: Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao will invite AIADMK Legislature Party leader Edappadi K Palanisamy to form a government on Thursday, sources said. The swearing-in could be held in the evening. Sources said Ch Vidyasagar Rao would give Palanisamy between three days and a week to prove his majority in the Assembly. Sources said the Governors office had verified the signatures of the 124 legislators, whose letters of support Palanisamy had submitted to Vidyasagar Rao earlier in the day for the second time. Sources said the government could summon the Assembly, which had been adjourned sine die after a special session to pass the legislation on Jallikattu and had not yet been prorogued. Sources said the Governor was of the view that the whole world knew that Palanisamy had the numbers on his side. The Governor formed the view that he would go by the time-tested tradition of inviting the leader claiming majority support. He was of the view that the advice of Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to hold a joint floor test to determine the strength of the two sides did not arise in this case, sources said. Vidyasagar Raos stand was that no Governor had called for such a test, which had only been ordered by the Supreme Court, sources said. Panneerselvams numbers appeared weak On Wednesday evening, the Governor met both claimants, Palanisamy and caretaker Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. Leader of AIADMK legislature party, Palanisamy met Rao for the second time in as many days and urged him to invite him to form government. Panneerselvam and other senior leaders who have shifted to his camp met the Governor and requested that he be allowed to prove his majority on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Of the options open to him, it appeared that on the strength of numbers, the Governor had to choose Palanisamy. Panneerselvams numbers appeared very weak in comparison. Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Congress, SP and the BSP were running a three-legged race in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Addressing a rally in Kannauj the first by a Prime Minister in 46 years he said that Mr Akhilesh Yadav had little experience with the Congress while his father Mulayam Singh was well aware of the cunningness of the Congress. I am surprised how the media ignored the fact that in their first press conference, while Akhilesh criticised the BSP, the Congress actually praised Mayawati. This is like a three-legged race where the Congress has one foot tied to the SP and the other to the BSP. This is the first time that such a thing is happening in an election, he said. Mr Modi recalled the attack on Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav on March 4, 1984 and how Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and Chaudhary Charan Singh had fought for his security. I am shocked how Akhilesh could join hands with forces that were responsible for the attack on his father. Have you heard of such a son who would unite with a party that tried to kill his father? he asked. The Prime Minister further said that the Congress-SP alliance was like a typical Hindi film where the two protagonists are enemies and fight against each other till the interval and then come together later. Corruption is synonymous with 10 years of UPA and five years each of SP and BSP and now that they are all together, corruption will prevail, he said. Mounting a blistering attack on the Akhilesh government, the Prime Minister said that the state government was not concerned about the welfare of the poor. I do not have a single car but these leaders have fleets of cars in their homes. They do not care about the poor and have not bothered to send the list of those living below poverty line to the centre, he said. Criticising the Samajwadi bahu for not fulfilling her promises, Mr Narendra Modi said that Dimple Yadav was the local MP but had not worked for setting up food processing units here. Kannauj is known for its perfumes and potatoes but your crop is allowed to go waste because there are no food processing units here, he said. Over 68 per cent votes were cast in Uttarakhand, two per cent more than the last assembly polls, in 69 out of the states 70 seats. (Photo: PTI) Lucknow: The second phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Wednesday recorded a 66 per cent turnout and was largely peaceful. Saharanpur recorded maximum polling at 72 per cent while Badaun recorded a lowest percentage of 62. Chief electoral officer T. Venkatesh told reporters in Lucknow that polling was held in 67 Assembly seats spread across 11 districts in the Rohilkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. The number of candidates on 67 Assembly seats were 720, including 82 women and one transgender. In some constituencies voters boycotted polling to protest lack of development. In Rath and Raipur in Shahjahanpur and in Nathaur Assembly seat in Bijnore, voters boycotted polling but local officials managed to persuade them to cast their votes. Meanwhile, Uttar-akhand posted a record as voting in the Assembly elections to two states remained peaceful. Over 68 per cent votes were cast in Uttarakhand, two per cent more than the last assembly polls, in 69 out of the states 70 seats. Election Office sources said over 68 per cent of the electorate cast their votes by 5 pm. An EC spokesman said in New Delhi it could go up to 70 per cent at the final count. The general belief that the Akali Dal-BJP alliance is facing an ignominious defeat in Punjab and that it is the AAP that seems to be in pole position has opened up room for all sorts of speculation about new political alliances. This has acquired piquancy now that most knowledgeable observers hold that the BJP is facing a similar rout in western UP. (We will have to wait for the results on March 11.). In 2014, the BJP won UP with over 42 per cent of the vote winning all the Lok Sabha seats except the seven Yadav and Gandhi family fiefdoms. But it was in western UP that the BJP fared really spectacularly. Here, in the area that went to vote on February 11, the BJP won 18 of the 22 seats by polling more than all other parties together. In the months before the elections, there were bloody communal riots in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding areas in the epicentre of the Jat heartland. The RSS whipped this into a frenzy that gave the BJP 52 per cent of the popular vote. Narendra Modi himself led the charge here and made sneaky references to the recent relative prosperity of some of the Muslim community to the pink revolution, which was a code phrase for cow slaughter. The blood-soaked green fields yielded a bountiful saffron harvest. If the BJP loses its primacy here, its experiment with its not very covert sectarian politics is over. Its chances in 2019 are then seriously imperiled. The Congress is in retreat everywhere in the country. If it gets more MLA seats now, it will be because it clung on to Akhilesh Yadavs coat-tails. There is now no Indian state where the Congress has primacy. In the big states of UP and Bihar it is a coat-tail party. The AAP is muscling in some other regions just as it muscled into Delhi and Goa at the cost of the Congress. Shortly after the AAP victory in Delhi in 2015, I had written that the AAP victory was more due to the wipeout of the Congress than due to any precipitate decline of the BJP base. My comment attracted the ire of many AAP trolls. (Their tribe is increasing.) But let the numbers do the talking. The AAP popular vote went up from 29.5 per cent in 2013 to 54. 3 per cent in 2015. The comparative BJP figures were 34 per cent to 32.7 per cent, a decline of a mere 1.3 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, declined from 24.6 per cent in 2013 to 9.7 per cent in 2015. Others like the BSP, JD(U) and Independents got really crushed from 11.9 per cent to 3.3 per cent. Clearly, the AAP took away space from the Congress and the so-called secular Opposition. The message is clear. The AAP is now poised to expand into other states. Gujarat is next in its agenda. It is going straight for Narendra Modis jugular. It is this kind of daring that endears the AAP to the youth. I am veering around to the view that the main challenge to the Congress now is not from the BJP, despite its exhortations of a Congress-mukt Bharat, but the AAP that is rapidly positioning itself as the party to go to in many supposed Congress strongholds. For decades Opposition politics in India centred on finding an alternative to the Congress. This activity consisted mainly of forging improbable, impossible and often even unholy alliances. After 1991, anti-Congressism was no longer a binding force. The post-V.P. Singh era saw cobbled- up alliances with the Congress as a part of it did not inspire too much confidence either. The BJP expanded into the subsequent unrelenting anti-Congress space. It still holds this space. Ironically, the parties that once were united by Lohias battle cry against parivarvaad have now become parivar-dominated parties. In states like Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, UP, Maharashtra, Andhra and Telangana, the regional parties have reduced the Congress to a rump though from time to time they team up with the Congress tagging on as its junior partner. These state elections will definitely see the Congress getting more seats than it had in Punjab and UP, but it will not mean any long-term gains for it. In UP, it will be entirely thanks to the SP and in Punjab it will have to hold off the now apparently-relentless AAP expansion. The other non-BJP and Congress parties are now squeezing what is left with the Congress states where it is either the dominant or next leading party. Soon it seems like it will only be in MP that the BJP and Congress will face each other as the two dominant parties. This is rather ironical considering that L.K. Advani, who strategised the rise of the BJP to power, would from time to time loudly contemplate a two-party democracy in India, and that this would be ideal for India. He never wanted a Congress-mukt Bharat. He saw the emergence of a right of centre- and left of centre- contested polity as the ideal. But this is, alas, not going to happen. What we are going to get seems to be a contested polity between an ultra-nationalist right-wing and a formation of populist regional forces. Ironically, it is the AAP that gave hope of new politics and political style. Will it be able to regain its idealism and hold its course? India now has 120 million voters in the18-23 age group. By 2019, another 130 million will join this phalanx. Truly, the future belongs to the youth. Over 60 per cent of India lives below a universally accepted poverty standard. Indias poverty line is a starvation line. Almost the entire youth cohort now is educated, having benefited by the huge expansion of the education system. Their aspirations and the popular aspirations have changed. To grow, the AAP has to uncompromisingly nurture this and build on this. It has so far done this fairly well in Delhi despite the gang-up of the BJP establishment and establishment media against it. But can it replicate it nationwide? But Narendra Modi unites the Opposition, like Indira Gandhi once did. That time, the RSS joined it against the Congress. Now the Congress is with it against the BJP. The temptation for the AAP to team up against the BJP are many. But the moment it gets sucked into the caste permutations of the BSP, SP, RJD and JD(U), and gets drawn into their coalitional politics, it will become just another political party. Another aya ram, gaya ram party. A couple of weeks ago, in an appearance on his favourite news channel, Donald Trump was queried about his infatuation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Well, I do respect him. Well, I respect a lot of people, but that doesnt mean Ill get along with them, the US President told Fox News host Bill OReilly. The Murdoch channels leading attack dog refused to be deflected. Putin is a killer, he persisted. A fascinating presidential response followed. There are a lot of killers, Trump accurately replied. We have a lot of killers. Well, you think our country is so innocent? That inevitably served as a cue for predictable howls of outrage, including from the Republican side of politics. How dare the President points towards moral equivalence between American and Russian state operations! Which side is he on anyway? Neither OReilly nor Trump clarified his context, although its likely that the Fox News host was referring to the tendency of Putins more potent opponents to come to a sticky end rather than, say, Russian military actions in Syria, Ukraine or Chechnya, whereas what Trump had in mind was indeed American operations abroad. After all, he had only recently authorised a US raid in Yemen that killed more civilians including 10 children than purported Al Qaeda terrorists. Just a couple of months ago, Barack Obamas UN ambassador, Samantha Powers, had a go at Russia over its atrocities in Aleppo, citing a litany of massacres but excluding any of the mass atrocities that her nation perpetrated or in which it was complicit. The new Presidents refusal to utter so much as a word against the Kremlin is nonetheless most intriguing. Could there be some truth to the allegation that Putin possesses compromising recordings that, if revealed, would necessitate a prexit? We simply dont know. Perhaps even Trump cant be sure. But the suspicion alone would suffice for him to be extremely careful in what he says about Russia. However, if relaxing sanctions against Russia over its capture of the Crimea and activities in Ukraine was part of any deal, it has been jeopardised by recent revelations that Michael Flynn, who subsequently became Trumps national security adviser, discussed the issue during several phone conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, late last year. Embarrassed by the leak, the White House has refused to stand up for Flynn, who, on Monday night, became the first casualty in a demonstrably dysfunctional administration. Trump will now find it difficult to remove or ease the sanctions against Russia, whether or not that was part of his understanding with Putin. He has threatened, meanwhile, to reinstate in some form the ban on visitors, immigrants and refugees from seven mainly Muslim countries that has been thwarted by three federal court judgments. In other spheres, though, the President has demonstrated an unexpected capacity for somersaults. He has effectively vowed not to undermine the one-China policy, after indications that he would do the opposite. The desire to shift the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has been relegated to the too-hard basket for the moment, and the initial determination that Israeli land grabs in occupied Palestinian territory werent a barrier to peace has been somewhat more realistically reassessed. It could be a while before the consequences of his massive deregulation plan trickle down to his working-class constituency, but once they do the anti-presidential clamour could become deafening. By arrangement with Dawn Idea totally impractical, ill-conceived Ashish Dua The BJP and the Centre are in a habit of diverting attention from real issues and coining new slogans. After failing miserably in the last two and a half years to deliver on their promises, they have launched this trial balloon of simultaneous elections. India is made up of 29 states, and all these states have different aspirations and the issues prevailing in the states are also different. There is no way that all the Assembly elections can be conducted together with the Lok Sabha elections. Elections to local bodies like municipal corporations, panchayats are all an inalienable part of the democratic process, playing itself out at the grassroots. How can all these elections be clubbed and conducted together? The term, which the Centre and the BJP have coined, is misleading: One nation, one election. Everybody knows and agrees that India is one country. But the Constitution recognises all 29 states have their own rights in matters of government formation and elections. One nation does have one election, which is for the Lok Sabha. So clearly to force all elections to be held at the same time seems an impractical step, given the ground situation. Also, this would move the country towards becoming a unitary state, as opposed to a federal state as envisaged by the founding fathers in the Constitution. Then comes citizens issues. As a citizen I have different priorities. I know the issues of my panchayat/municipal corporation, state and country. I may like to vote differently on the three tiers of voting available to me. Now the government cannot usurp my right to vote separately. After all, India is a federal structure with multi-party democracy. If all elections are held together, there can be confusion in my mind on which party to vote at which level. For instance, there can be a party that is only active in the local body or state level but not at the Central level. Also, what happens when a political crisis grips a state. If we take the example of Tamil Nadu, there is uncertainty prevailing in the state. It has been just eight months since the Assembly elections took place. If no party is able to form the government, what should happen? Should the state be under Presidents Rule till the time the term of the Assembly is not over? That is almost four and a half years. Or should snap polls be held? These are important questions that need to be addressed before floating such an idea. Then comes the issue of synchronising all elections for the idea to be implemented. This will mean state Assemblies or the Lok Sabha will have to be dissolved. The Centre will step in and arbitrary disqualify duly-elected representatives of the people for the so-called common good of one nation, one election. Even for the sake of argument if we agree that all state governments agree to dissolve their respective Assemblies and start afresh, what guarantee is there that political uncertainty will not prevail in any of the 29 states after the simultaneous polls? This is an ill-conceived and ill-thought-out idea, and completely impractical in the Indian context. The writer is the Congress national media coordinator Ideal option, needs heavy sacrifices R. Balashankar Simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies is an idea whose time has come. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly urged the nation to think about the possibility of achieving this goal. The President of India, the Supreme Court, the Niti Aayog and many eminent thinkers and the Election Commission have from time to time supported this view and pointed out how staggered polls have often brought development processes and policy decisions to a grinding halt. There are any number of solid reasons and rationale to hold joint polls. Many Opposition party leaders have also suggested simultaneous elections as the best option to reduce unnecessary election expenses and curbing the role of black money in polls. As such, a poll is a capital-intensive proposition. The demand for conducting polls in a free and fair and peaceful atmosphere has forced the Election Commission to conduct the polls in a staggered manner spread over a period of up to three months in a particular state or in a number of states at a time. This is to facilitate the movement of security forces, poll officials and election machinery. The use of electronic voting machines have reduced the counting time but the process between the first phase of polling and the last phase of polling and counting have become too long over a period of time. This results in additional expenditure in keeping the voting machines in safe custody over long duration. Because of the model code of conduct, which comes into force as soon as a poll schedule is announced, all administrative and development activities come to a standstill. Of late the country is in election mode almost every year for a few months and sometimes twice a year as is going to be the case in 2017. A few months after the present round of five state Assembly polls are over in March, it will be time for next round in the yearend in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and later in Karnataka. All these are putting a heavy strain on the exchequer and the administrative setup. The expenditure, engagement of politicians Prime Minister, chief ministers and ministers in the campaign mode also generates huge amount of administrative disruption. Simultaneous polls will save a lot of public money. It is in this background that the Prime Minister called for simultaneous polls and he often expressed a desire for a national debate on its feasibility. There is a general consensus in favour of simultaneous polls, but there are insurmountable political roadblocks. Practically, in the present context, it is not feasible without a great deal of political sensitivity, dialogue and give and take. Till the fourth general election in 1962, the country had simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the states, and that too held on one day. It was the advent of coalition politics and unstable governments that led to staggered polls in many states. But since 2014, an era of stability and single-party majority has become more common. However, it is not necessary that parties, which are likely to lose power, will agree to forgo their tenure for bringing about simultaneous polls. The writer is a member of the BJP Central Committee on Prasikshan Maha Abhiyan, and Committee on Publications In J. Jayalalithaas case, the law has taken its course, and its toll. The climax was worthy of a well-made cinematic thriller. In the process, a potential chief minister of Tamil Nadu was swept into jail. Some may say that she was a heroine suffering a tragedy, while others would endorse the view that the villain has been justly punished. Several heroes have emerged from the case. The first was the special judge of Karnataka, John Michael DCunha. If money could purchase a judgement, the customers in this case were a capable lot but the judge was not available for sale. He is now an honourable justice of the high court of Karnataka. Saying that the judges of the Supreme Court were honest would be superfluous they are expected to be so. It is reassuring to see the highest court in an excellent light. To B.V. Acharya, the special public prosecutor appointed by the state of Karnataka, with the concurrence of the chief justice of the high court, no praise is high enough. He has proved that the term honest lawyer is not just hypothetical that breed exists and is needed. Out of disgust at the unending harassment, he resigned after substantially completing his job, but before the trial court delivered its judgement, only to be reappointed to argue the case before the Supreme Court. The period in between was fruitful to the accused they got an acquittal from the high court. The case started in 1997 when a complaint was filed alleging that Jayalalithaa, and three others, including V.K. Sasikala, conspired together to amass `66 crores or more by abusing Jayalalithaas office as chief minister. The then governor of Tamil Nadu, M. Channa Reddy, gave the required sanction under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for the prosecution, thus began the march of the law. The institution of governor once again came under heavy strain during the past week or so. The governor was accused of undue delay in swearing Sasikala in as chief minister. It is a different matter that his stand has been vindicated. If Sasikala had been sworn in as chief minister, there would have been an unseemly spectacle of a chief minister going to jail three days later, following the judgement. Political turmoil would have surely followed wholly avoidable and rightly avoided. Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao had a precedent to follow. In 2001, Jayalalithaa was disqualified from contesting the Assembly elections because she stood convicted by the court in some criminal cases. However, her party secured an absolute majority in the House and elected her as the leader. The governor, a former judge of the Supreme Court, readily swore Jayalalithaa in as chief minister. This action was challenged before the Supreme Court (2001). The court unseated Jayalalithaa from the CMs chair holding her ineligible to be appointed as chief minister because of the conviction. In the course of the judgement, the Supreme Court observed as follows: The governor is a functionary under the Constitution and is sworn to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law. The governor cannot, in the exercise of his discretion or otherwise, do anything that is contrary to the Constitution and the laws. We are in no doubt at all that if the governor is asked by the majority party in the legislature to appoint as chief minister a person who is not qualified to be a member of the legislature or is disqualified to be such, the governor must, having due regard to the Constitution and the laws, to which he is subject, decline, and the exercise of discretion by him in this regard cannot be called in question. In this case, Sasikala was not disqualified but the ominous clouds were hanging over her head. Events have proved that she now stands disqualified till the year 2027. The governor, therefore, was prudent enough to wait. In March 2002, Jayalalithaa came to power again as chief minister. The allegation was: With the change in government, three public prosecutors resigned. It appears that IO Mailamma Naidu, who had earlier been given an extension, also resigned. It must be mentioned, even though we are sure that it has nothing to do with the change in government, that due to retirements and routine transfers there were changes in the special judge also. On November 7, 2002 the trial in CC No. 7 of 1997 resumed. It is alleged that since November 7, 2002 when the trial resumed as many as 76 PWs have been recalled for cross-examination on the ground that counsel appearing for the respondents or some of them had earlier been busy in some other case filed against them. It is claimed that the public prosecutor did not object and/or give consent to the witnesses being recalled. Out of total 76 PWs, 64 PWs resiled from their previous statement-in-chief. On an application made, the Supreme Court in November 2003 directed transfer of the case from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka where the trial court finally decided it in 2014 holding the accused guilty. The Karnataka high court, as directed by the Supreme Court, decided the appeals expeditiously within a year, reversing the trial courts verdict and acquitting the accused and the Supreme Court completed the hearing in June 2016 delivered the judgement on February 14. Older appeals by Lalu Prasad Yadav and other VVIPs are still pending the convicts are on bail. There are still many admirers of Jayalalithaa who believe that she was guilty by association. The Supreme Court has ruled out this contention. In any case, if only the judgement were to be pronounced in August-September 2016, as was expected, Jayalalithaa would not have had the funeral that was befitting an empress. However, the clamour for Bharat Ratna to her will die a natural death on account of the judgement, which is final. For consumption in political circles the idea of a review or curative petition may be flaunted, but they are generally only theoretical remedies. The verdict delivered after more than six months of deliberations is unlikely to have an error apparent which is the main ground for entertaining a review petition. Has the judgement in Sasikalas case the salutary effect of curbing political corruption? I do not think so. As an episode in the epic Mahabharata tells us, we see people dying every day, but the rest of us hope to be immortal. What is more surprising than this? The politicians may have the judgement examined closely only with a view to avoiding the loopholes into which Sasikala fell. Online reports claim that an Apple representative will testify against the bill at a hearing in Lincoln on March 9. AT&T is also expected to argue against the bill. Technology giant Apple is planning to fight proposed electronics "Right to Repair" legislation being considered by the Nebraska state legislature. The legislation requires Apple and other tech manufacturers to sell repair parts to users and repair shops. The manufacturers will have to make diagnostic and service manuals available to the public. Online reports claim that an Apple representative will testify against the bill at a hearing in Lincoln on March 9. AT&T is also expected to argue against the bill. Nebraska is one of eight states that are considering right to repair bills; last month, Nebraska, Minnesota, New York, Massachusetts, Kansas, and Wyoming introduced legislation. Manufacturers have lobbied hard against right to repair legislation in the past. The bills are pushed by Repair.org nationwide. Repair.org is a trade organisation for independent repair shops who claim that their business has been harmed by an attempt by manufacturers to gain a monopoly over the repair industry. "They should want to give people as much information about how to deal with a hazardous thing as they can," Gordon-Byrne, executive director of Repair.org. said. "If they're concerned about exploding batteries, put warning labels on them and tell consumers how to replace them safely." Repair.org aims to get at least one bill passed this year, the hope being that manufacturers won't want to deal with a patchwork of laws in different states around the country. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. In a move to introduce the concept of virtual reality (VR) in the Indian market, Anand Gandhi's Memesys Cultural Labs has launched ElseVR, India's first VR platform. ElseVR, collaborating with Amnesty International India and Oxfam India, yesterday launched this initiative at the Mumbai metro stations. With this, Memesys Cultural Labs is looking to venture into the VR domain. From February 13 to 25, 2017, VR booths will be set up at Azad Nagar, Andheri and Ghatkopar metro stations to engage the commuters with VR documentaries, putting them at the center of important narratives like floods, mining and displacement, Dalit protests and feminist movements. The VR booths will showcase six of their documentaries, namely, Submerged, Caste is not a Rumour, Inside Dangal, When all land is lost, do we eat coal?, Right to pray and Dhaakad behind the scenes. Memesys, a market leader in innovation in film-making, exercises expertise in storytelling by giving people a platform to experience VR first hand. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Researchers at MITs Microsystems Technology Laboratories have built a low-power chip specialized for automatic speech recognition. With power savings of 90 to 99 percent, it could make voice control practical for relatively simple electronic devices. Automatic speech recognition is now on the verge of becoming peoples chief means of interacting with their principal computing devices. In anticipation of the age of voice-controlled electronics, MIT researchers have built a low-power chip specialised for automatic speech recognition. Whereas a cellphone running speech-recognition software might require about 1 watt of power, the new chip requires between 0.2 and 10 milliwatts, depending on the number of words it has to recognise. In a real-world application, that probably translates to a power savings of 90 to 99 per cent, which could make voice control practical for relatively simple electronic devices. That includes power-constrained devices that have to harvest energy from their environments to go months between battery charges. Such devices form the technological backbone of whats called the Internet of Things, or IoT, which refers to the idea that vehicles, appliances, civil-engineering structures, manufacturing equipment and even livestock will soon have sensors that report information directly to networked servers, aiding with maintenance and coordination of tasks. "Speech input will become a natural interface for many wearable applications and intelligent devices, says Anantha Chandrakasan, the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, whose group developed the new chip. The miniaturisation of these devices will require a different interface than touch or keyboard. It will be critical to embed the speech functionality locally to save system energy consumption compared to performing this operation in the cloud." I dont think that we really developed this technology for a particular application, adds Michael Price, who led the design of the chip as an MIT graduate student in electrical engineering and computer science and now works for chipmaker Analog Devices. We have tried to put the infrastructure in place to provide better trade-offs to a system designer than they would have had with previous technology, whether it was software or hardware acceleration. Price, Chandrakasan, and Jim Glass, a senior research scientist at MITs Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, described the new chip in a paper Price presented last week at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference. The sleeper wakes Today, the best-performing speech recognisers are, like many other state-of-the-art artificial-intelligence systems, based on neural networks, virtual networks of simple information processors roughly modeled on the human brain. Much of the new chips circuitry is concerned with implementing speech-recognition networks as efficiently as possible. But even the most power-efficient speech recognition system would quickly drain a devices battery if it ran without interruption. So the chip also includes a simpler voice activity detection circuit that monitors ambient noise to determine whether it might be speech. If the answer is yes, the chip fires up the larger, more complex speech-recognition circuit. In fact, for experimental purposes, the researchers chip had three different voice-activity-detection circuits, with different degrees of complexity and, consequently, different power demands. Which circuit is most power efficient depends on context, but in tests simulating a wide range of conditions, the most complex of the three circuits led to the greatest power savings for the system as a whole. Even though it consumed almost three times as much power as the simplest circuit, it generated far fewer false positives; the simpler circuits often chewed through their energy savings by spuriously activating the rest of the chip. A typical neural network consists of thousands of processing nodes capable of only simple computations but densely connected to each other. In the type of network commonly used for voice recognition, the nodes are arranged into layers. Voice data are fed into the bottom layer of the network, whose nodes process and pass them to the nodes of the next layer, whose nodes process and pass them to the next layer, and so on. The output of the top layer indicates the probability that the voice data represents a particular speech sound. A voice-recognition network is too big to fit in a chips onboard memory, which is a problem because going off-chip for data is much more energy intensive than retrieving it from local stores. So the MIT researchers design concentrates on minimizing the amount of data that the chip has to retrieve from off-chip memory. Bandwidth management A node in the middle of a neural network might receive data from a dozen other nodes and transmit data to another dozen. Each of those two dozen connections has an associated weight, a number that indicates how prominently data sent across it should factor into the receiving nodes computations. The first step in minimizing the new chips memory bandwidth is to compress the weights associated with each node. The data are decompressed only after theyre brought on-chip. The chip also exploits the fact that, with speech recognition, wave upon wave of data must pass through the network. The incoming audio signal is split up into 10-millisecond increments, each of which must be evaluated separately. The MIT researchers chip brings in a single node of the neural network at a time, but it passes the data from 32 consecutive 10-millisecond increments through it. If a node has a dozen outputs, then the 32 passes result in 384 output values, which the chip stores locally. Each of those must be coupled with 11 other values when fed to the next layer of nodes, and so on. So the chip ends up requiring a sizable onboard memory circuit for its intermediate computations. But it fetches only one compressed node from off-chip memory at a time, keeping its power requirements low. For the next generation of mobile and wearable devices, it is crucial to enable speech recognition at ultralow power consumption, says Marian Verhelst, a professor of microelectronics at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium . This is because there is a clear trend toward smaller-form-factor devices, such as watches, earbuds, or glasses, requiring a user interface which can no longer rely on touch screen. Speech offers a very natural way to interface with such devices. The research was funded through the Qmulus Project, a joint venture between MIT and Quanta Computer, and the chip was prototyped through the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Companys University Shuttle Program. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The LG G6 is expected to come with a 5.7-inch (2,880x1,440) display, powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 821 SoC, dual rear camera and a fingerprint sensor. In a recent teaser released by the LG, the tech firm has hinted the upcoming handset LG G6 will be more resistant to water and dust. Until the release of an official teaser, the LG G6 was in talks to bear IP68 certification. With the newly released teaser saying, Resist More. Under Pressure. LG itself has added credibility to the earlier speculations. Moreover, a report by Korean media claims the LG G6 will come with a battery capacity of over 3200mAh. Also, in a previous teaser release LG revealed to incorporate artificial intelligence in the handset. Following LGs confirmation the rumoured AI is speculated to be Google Assistant, which may come preinstalled in the device. In terms of specifications, the LG G6 is expected to come with a 5.7-inch (2,880x1,440) display, powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 821 SoC, dual rear camera and a fingerprint sensor. The LG G6 is slated to launch on February 26 at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Sony is rumoured to be working on a new smartphone. While the name of the smartphone is yet to be determined, if the rumours are to be believed, it maybe named Sony Pikachu. News website Tecake published a report that claims that the smartphone was recently spotted on the popular benchmarking website GFXBench. According to the information provided on the website, the device may feature a 5-inch (1280x720 pixels) display; octa-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz along with Mali-T880 and may be powered by MediaTek MT6757. The smartphone may offer 3GB of RAM along with 32GB of internal storage. The speculated Pikachu smartphone is expected to run on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat. On the camera front, the device may pack 21MP rear camera with Touch focus, HDR photo, flash, face detection and auto focus along with an 8MP front camera. There is no official confirmation released by the company yet, but reports indicate that the device may be unveiled at the MWC event this month. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that Flynn may have misled colleagues about his Kremlin contacts ahead of the inauguration on January 20. (Photo: AP) Washington: Donald Trump demanded Michael Flynn's resignation as national security advisor over "eroding trust" and not due to any legal issues, the White House has said, shielding the US President from the raging scandal over his top aide's contacts with Russia. "We have been reviewing and evaluating this issue with respect to General Flynn on a general basis for a few weeks trying to ascertain the truth," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters. The White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that Flynn may have misled colleagues about his Kremlin contacts ahead of the inauguration on January 20. "We got to a point not based on a legal issue, but based on a trust issue with the level of trust between the president and General Flynn had eroded to the point where he felt he had to make a change. The president was very concerned that General Flynn had misled the Vice President and others," he said. Flynn, 58, resigned yesterday after he apologised to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for not providing them all the information about his call with the Russian Ambassador to the US Sergei Kislyak before Trump's inauguration. Spicer said Trump was also very concerned in light of the sensitive subjects dealt with by the national security advisors with respect to China, North Korea and the Middle East, that he must have complete and unwavering trust for the person in that position. "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for General Flynn's resignation," he said. Spicer said immediately after the Department of Justice notified the White House counsel of the situation, the counsel briefed the President and a small group of his senior advisors. "The White House counsel reviewed and determined that there is not an illegal issue, but rather a trust issue. During this process, it's important to note the President did not have his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who he trusts immensely, approved by the Senate," he said. "When the President heard the information as presented by White House counsel, he instinctively thought that General Flynn did not do anything wrong and the White House counsel's review corroborated that. It is not ordinary for an incoming national security advisor to speak with his counterparts about the issues of concern to them. In fact, he spoke with over 30 of his counterparts throughout the transition," Spicer said. "The issue here was that the President got to the point where General Flynn's relationship -- misleading the vice president and others or the possibility that he had forgotten critical details of this important conversation had created a critical mass and an unsustainable situation. That's why the President decided to ask for his resignation and he got it," he said. Honolulu: An autistic high school student raped a classmate when the adult assigned to monitor him was sleeping, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday in Honolulu, Hawaii. The attack happened during band practice of Pearl City High School. The lawsuit stated that the accused had a full-time adult assigned to supervise him, as he was known to be aggressive. The lawsuit also blamed the school, which falls under the State Department of Education, of negligence. The victim is now pursuing a civil lawsuit against for the crime, which happened in 2012, claiming compensation for the harm caused to her. The school principal is one of the defendants in the lawsuit. The adult who was assigned to monitor the accused is also another defendant in the case. The victim who was studying in Grade 10 was in the percussion section of the band, where the accused, in Grade 11, raped her once before raping her again in a curtained area of the auditorium. The guardian was sleeping during the entire incident in the auditoriums audience section. Notably, the accused was earlier convicted of first-degree sexual assault by a family court. In a separate, similar case earlier, a jury had decided that the Department of Education was responsible when a special education student was raped by a special education classmate at a different high school. While the jury granted USD 810,000 for damages, the state had appealed. The appeal is pending in court. Washington: A record number of 27 US Congressmen will visit India later in February, reflecting the increased efforts by American lawmakers for strengthening ties with New Delhi. The top lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties are visiting India in two separate delegations. Describing this as an important development, Navtej Sarna, Indian Ambassador to the US, said such a visit is reflective of the efforts on the part of the US to "strengthen and build" on the bipartisan support that they have in the US Congress for India-US relations. Congressional records indicate that this is the largest ever travel of US lawmakers to India. The largest delegation of 19 Congressmen, being organised by the prestigious Aspen Institute, would be in India from February 20-25 with stops in New Delhi and Hyderabad. During the visit, the lawmakers are scheduled to have several meetings with top government officials, politicians, members of the think-tank bodies and non-governmental organisations. Another bipartisan Congressional delegation (or Codel) of eight lawmakers, being led by Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of powerful House Judiciary Committee, will visit New Delhi and Bangalore from February 20-23. The delegation includes Congressman George Holding, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Jason Smit and Dave Trott, all from the Republican party. The Democratic members to the delegations include Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressmen Hank Johnson, David Ciciline and Henry Cuellar. The visit, Sarna said would let these lawmakers first hand see for themselves, the political vibrancy of India, the economic reforms that are happening, and also for them to identify potential areas of engagement. "This is increasingly important as the new administration comes into," he said. "We are very fortunate that there are two delegations totalling 27 Congressmen are travelling to India this month, which is not a small figure," he said. Washington: Just six days into his presidency, Donald Trump was informed his national security adviser had misled his vice president about contacts with Russia. Trump kept his No. 2 in the dark and waited nearly three weeks before ousting the aide, Michael Flynn, citing a slow but steady erosion of trust, White House officials said Tuesday. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI about his telephone conversations with Russia's ambassador to the US, a sign his ties to Russia had caught the attention of law enforcement officials. But in the White House's retelling of Flynn's stunning downfall, his error was not that he discussed US sanctions with the Russian before the inauguration - a potential violation of a rarely enforced law - but the fact that he denied it for weeks, apparently misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other senior Trump aides about the nature of the conversations. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by US intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Pence, who had vouched for Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday, one day after the president asked Flynn to leave. Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said Monday "there were no lines crossed" in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The explanation of the episode left many questions unanswered, including why Trump didn't alert Pence to the matter and why Trump allowed Flynn to keep accessing classified information and taking part in the president's discussions with world leaders up until the day he was fired. White House officials also struggled to explain why Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway had declared the president retained "full confidence" in Flynn just hours before the adviser had to submit his letter of resignation. The White House shakeup, less than one month into Trump's tenure, marked another jarring setback for a new administration already dealing with tensions among top aides and a legal fight over the president's travel ban order. Flynn's firing also heightened questions about the president's friendly posture toward Russia. Democrats called for investigations into Flynn's contacts, and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Congress needed to know whether he had been acting with direction from the president or others. Trump initially thought Flynn could survive the controversy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the president's views, but a pair of explosive stories in The Washington Post in recent days made the situation untenable. As early as last week, he and aides began making contingency plans for Flynn's dismissal, a senior administration official said. While the president was said to be upset with Flynn, he also expressed anger with other aides for "losing control" of the story and making his young administration look bad. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence became aware that he had received "incomplete information" from Flynn only after the first Washington Post report Thursday night. Pence learned about the Justice Department warnings to the White House around the same time. The officials and others with knowledge of the situation were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity. Ahead of the January 20 inauguration, Pence and other officials insisted publicly that Flynn had not discussed sanctions in his talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. On January 26, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates contacted White House counsel Don McGahn to raise concerns about discrepancies between the public accounting and what intelligence officials knew to be true about the contacts based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the US. The Justice Department warned the White House that the inconsistencies would leave the president's top national security aide vulnerable to blackmail from Russia, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. The president was informed of the warnings the same day, Spicer said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI around the same time, according to a US official was briefed on the investigation. It was not immediately known what questions the FBI asked of Flynn or what he told law enforcement officials. McGahn, along with chief of staff Reince Priebus and strategist Steve Bannon, also questioned Flynn multiple times in the ensuing weeks, a White House official said. Top aides also reviewed transcripts of Flynn's contacts with the ambassador, according to a person with knowledge of the review process. At the same time, the official said Trump aides began taking steps to put some distance between the president and Flynn. CIA Director Mike Pompeo and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a top Flynn aide, started taking part in Trump's daily security briefings. Top Trump advisers quietly met with Vice Admiral Robert Harward last week and spoke with the former Navy SEAL again Monday, the White House official said. Harward is seen as the top contender for the job, though former CIA Director David Petraeus and Kellogg, who has temporarily stepped into the role, are also under consideration. Spicer said other "questionable incidents" had contributed to Flynn's firing. According to one person with knowledge of the matter, those incidents included Flynn seeking a security clearance for his son during the transition. At the time, it was Pence who was again put in the position of defending Flynn on television, saying he had not sought a clearance for the retired general's son. A US official told The Associated Press that Flynn was in frequent contact with Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition. Spicer said Flynn was not discussing sanctions at the president's behest. Before he resigned Monday night, Flynn told the investigative news non-profit affiliated with the website The Daily Caller that he and Kislyak spoke only generally about the Russian diplomats expelled by President Barack Obama as part of the previous administration's response to Moscow's interference in the US presidential election. "It wasn't about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out," Flynn said. "It was basically, 'Look, I know this happened. We'll review everything.' I never said anything such as, 'We're going to review sanctions,' or anything like that." Washington: The White House signalled a sharp break in decades of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Tuesday, on the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House. A senior White House official said the United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement but would support what the two sides agree to, together. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said on condition of anonymity. "Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else if that's what the parties want." President Trump will host Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday, and is expected to express his desire to help broker a solution to the conflict. For the better part of half a century successive US governments, Republican and Democrat, have backed a two-state solution. But since coming to office Trump has sought to show that the United States is an unwavering ally of Israel, trying to draw a contrast with President Barack Obama. Obama often warned that Israeli settlement construction could make a two-state solution impossible, and that a one state solution would put the future of the Jewish state in question. "That's going to be up to them, we are not going to dictate what the terms of peace are going to be," said the official. First lady Melania Trump gave Grassley and everyone else whod been wondering an answer Tuesday when she announced that the popular tours are resuming early next month. Washington: Sen. Chuck Grassley can tell his wife that White House public tours are resuming on March 7. The tours had been temporarily suspended, which is typical when theres a new president. But the length of the suspension apparently had begun to cause angst, notably in Grassleys household. The Iowa Republican tweeted this past Sunday: Whoever monitors twitter at WH for businessman president Trump `when is WH going to be opened for public tours? Mrs G wants to know First lady Melania Trump gave Grassley and everyone else whod been wondering an answer Tuesday when she announced that the popular tours are resuming early next month. I am excited to reopen the White House to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year, she said in a written statement. The White House is a remarkable and historic site and we are excited to share its beauty and history. I am committed to the restoration and preservation of our nations most recognizable landmark. Grassley tweeted his appreciation following Mrs. Trumps announcement. Mrs G appreciates WH responding 2my Twitter WH will open for public tours starting March 7 Im positive distraught Iowans will be very happy2 he said. Tours of public areas of the White House are self-guided. Requests for a ticket must be submitted through a member of Congress. The tour route includes the Blue, Red and Green Rooms, the State Dining Room and the East Room, where Trump held a news conference Monday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Seoul: The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who was murdered in Malaysia, had pleaded for his life after an assassination attempt in 2012, Seouls spy chief said Wednesday, illustrating the dangers of being born into a brutal dynasty. Kim Jong-Nam, eldest son of the late former leader Kim Jong-Il, died after reportedly being attacked by two women -- said by Seoul to be agents of North Korea -- at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. He was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched bid in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland. The Kim family has ruled the impoverished country since its creation in 1948 with an iron fist and a pervasive personality cult. But following his fall from grace Jong-Nam had lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau. Despite being the younger son, it was Jong-Un who took over the isolated and nuclear-armed state after the death of his father in December 2011. Although Jong-Nam kept his distance from domestic politics, the North in 2012 tried to assassinate him, Seoul lawmakers said, following a closed-door briefing by the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Lee Byung-Ho. According to (Lee)... there was one bid in 2012, and Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying Please spare me and my family, Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. It also said We have nowhere to go... we know that the only way to escape is suicide, he said, adding Jong-Nam had scant political support and posed little threat to Jong-Un. His murder echoed the fate of his uncle Jang Song-Thaek, who was executed in Pyongyang in December 2013 for charges including treason and bribery. Jang, an advocate of economic reform known to be close to China, played a key role in Jong-Uns rise but his growing power was believed to have irritated the young ruler. In his final days, Jang -- once one of the most powerful men in the country -- was described by state media as despicable human scum. Rumours of his execution by anti-aircraft gun fuelled fears. The latest assassination, if confirmed as the Norths work, is more an indication of Jong-Uns paranoid personality than a calculated move to remove a political threat, the legislator quoted the spy chief as saying. Jong-Nam was the eldest son of Kim Jong-Il with his first wife, and in the deeply patriarchal North the first son is seen as the official heir of the family. The countrys founding father Kim Il-Sung passed on the helm to his first son Kim Jong-Il upon his death in 1994. But the succession instead went to Jong-Un, who was born to Jong-Ils third wife. Jong-Nam -- believed to have ties with Beijings elite -- was a relatively outspoken figure, publicly criticising Pyongyangs political system on a few occasions. The 45-year-old, who had once studied in Moscow and Geneva, said he personally opposed the hereditary power transfer in his own family, during an interview with Japans Asahi TV in 2010. One of his sons -- Han-Sol -- described his uncle Jong-Un as a dictator in a rare interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012 while he was studying in Europe. Now he is holed up in Macau with his family, said Seoul lawmaker Lee Cheol-Woo, another intelligence committee member briefed by the Souths spy chief. They are under the protection of the Chinese authorities, Lee said. Some of those close to the Norths ruling family, fearful of an unpredictable future, chose to flee. An aunt and uncle of Jong-Un left for the US in 1998 and now live a normal existence as owners of a New York dry cleaning business. Others were less fortunate. Yi Han-Yong, a nephew of Jong-Nams mother Sung Hye-Rim, publicly criticised the ruling Kim family in his memoir and numerous media interviews after defecting to Seoul in 1982. He was shot dead outside his home in 1997 in what Seouls spy agency described as an assassination by North Korean agents. Yi reportedly muttered spies before dying. His attackers were never found. This May 4, 2001, file photo shows Kim Jong Nam, exiled half brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, escorted by Japanese police officers at the airport in Narita, Japan. (Photo: AP) Seoul, South Korea: It looks like a perfectly staged assassination, straight out of the pages of a spy novel: Kim Jong Nam, the estranged, exiled half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, falls ill at a Malaysian airport, complains of being sprayed with some sort of chemical, and drops dead. But, as with many things about the motives of cloistered North Korea, the unknowns currently far outweigh the certainties. A look at what officials are trying to piece together as they work to reconstruct what appears to be one of the most audacious, mysterious assassinations in recent Asian history: Why now? This is the big one: Motive. Kim Jong Nam, a jovial, overweight gambler and playboy, had embarrassed Pyongyang before - he tried to sneak into Tokyo Disneyland; he criticized his half brother - but he's been generally seen more as an annoyance than an existential threat to North Korea's stability. Why would Kim Jong Un go through the massive logistical trouble - and potential embarrassment - of staging the risky assassination of a blood relation on foreign soil? Without elaborating, South Korea's spy service told lawmakers Wednesday that the North had been trying to kill Kim Jong Nam for five years. Spy officials offered a single, shaky motive for the death: Kim Jong Un's "paranoia" over his estranged half brother. But the South's National Intelligence Service has a long history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the North's leadership as mentally unstable. Some in Seoul wonder if Kim Jong Un might have become enraged when a South Korean newspaper reported last week that Kim Jong Nam tried to defect to the South in 2012. South Korea's spy service denied this, but it's still an open question: Could public speculation that a member of the exalted Kim dynasty wanted to flee to the hated South have pushed Kim Jong Un to order his half brother's assassination? Why the airport in malaysia? There would seem to be easier, less public places to kill such a high-profile target. A possible explanation might be found in another nugget provided by South Korea's spy agency: China had long protected Kim Jong Nam and his family in their home base of Macau. Analysts have seen Beijing as looking to Kim Jong Nam as a potential leader should North Korea's regime collapse. With security, presumably overseen by China, tight in Macau, could there have been a security gap in Malaysia that offered North Korean assassins an opportunity they couldn't have gotten elsewhere? Who are the mystery women? The details of the attack itself are a tangled mess. Kim told medical workers that he'd been sprayed with a chemical, which brings to mind past attacks with poison-tipped pens linked to North Korean assassins. South Korea's spy agency says two women believed to be North Korean agents attacked Kim. They then reportedly fled. Japanese media quoted the government in Tokyo as saying those women may now be dead, but this has yet to be confirmed. To deepen the confusion, Malaysian police said Wednesday that they arrested a woman with Vietnamese travel documents at the airport in connection with Kim's death. Her exact role wasn't immediately clear. Finding out who these women are and who hired them could go a long way to unlocking the mystery. What Next? North Korea has said nothing officially about the death, but that's not unusual. The country's propaganda specialists are masters at reporting only details that lionize the Kim family as paragons of virtue. This clearly doesn't do that. China may be angry at the killing of a close North Korean contact, so there could be some sort of reaction, possibly back-channel, from Beijing. But a more concrete punishment could come from Washington. Cheong Seong-Chang, a South Korean analyst, said the assassination might convince the U.S. Congress to relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, further isolating the already widely shunned country. Moscow: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov plans to meet his US counterpart Rex Tillerson for the first time Thursday in Germany, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said Wednesday. "The meeting with Secretary of State Tillerson has been planned and is being prepared" on February 16, when both diplomats will be in Bonn for the G20 ministerial talks, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted by Russian agencies as saying. Lavrov will also hold his first meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who was appointed last month. The first meeting between US and Russian senior diplomats comes at a time when Russian officials appear increasingly concerned at the shift in rhetoric coming from Washington, which dampens hopes that President Donald Trump will drop sanctions and initiate other policy changes toward Moscow. It also follows the resignation of Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn over his contacts with Russian officials. Zakharova said Lavrov will "discuss bilateral relations, which were taken into a dead end by the previous administration". "The plan is to discuss the main international crises which our countries have cooperated on and must cooperate," she said. "Of course, regional issues will be examined." Trump's spokesman Sean Spicer on Tuesday said the new US president "has been incredibly tough on Russia" and "expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea." Asked to comment, Zakharova said "We don't give back our territories." Canberra: Sri Lankan asylum seekers held on Pacific island camps who could potentially find new lives in the United States are free to return home without fear of persecution, Sri Lanka's prime minister said Wednesday. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made the comments during a visit to Australia in which he discussed with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull bilateral cooperation on combating people smuggling. No Sri Lankan asylum seeker has reached Australia by boat since 2013. But Sri Lankans, Iranians and Afghans are the largest national groups among more than 2,000 asylum seekers living on the Pacific islands nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Australia pays the countries to house them. Australia refuses to resettle any of them and President Donald Trump has agreed to honour an Obama administration deal to take up to 1,250 of them. However, Trump added that they will undergo "extreme vetting." Officials from the US State Department's Resettlement Support Center left Nauru last week after initial interviews with refugee candidates and a team arrived on Papua New Guinea's men-only camp on Manus Island on Tuesday to commence interviews there, refugee advocate Ian Rintoul said. The US Embassy in Canberra did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Manus Island interviews. Wickremesinghe said the Sri Lankan asylum seekers had broken Sri Lankan law by fleeing to Australia for asylum. But they had nothing to fear from returning. "They are welcome to return to Sri Lanka and we won't prosecute them," Wickremesinghe told reporters. "Come back. All is forgiven," he said. "It is quite safe in Sri Lanka." Sri Lanka has been attempting to reconcile its population since a bloody 26-year civil war ended in 2009. Before becoming prime minister in January 2015, Wickremesinghe had accused the Australian government of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in Sri Lanka in return for Sri Lankan government support in preventing asylum seekers from reaching Australia. Wickremesinghe stood by that criticism on Wednesday, but said the bilateral relationship under the current Sri Lankan government had not suffered because of it. "We felt that there could have been more emphasis on the human rights situation," Wickremesinghe said. Turnbull said Sri Lanka was making great strides to recover from years of civil conflict. "The Sri Lankan government's reconciliation agenda is laying the groundwork for long-term, sustainable and inclusive peace," Turnbull said. The imams are accused for reporting on Turkish followers of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan blames for July 2016s failed coup attempt against him. (Representational Image) BERLIN: German police Wednesday searched the homes of four Turkish Muslim preachers on suspicion they spied for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, officials said. The imams are accused for reporting on Turkish followers of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan blames for July 2016s failed coup attempt against him. The four imams allegedly passed on information through the Turkish consulate in the western city of Cologne to the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate, known as Diyanet, prosecutors said. "The purpose of today's searches is to gather further evidence on the alleged activities of the accused," prosecutors said after the raids in the western states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. News site Spiegel online reported the imams belong to Ditib, an organisation controlled by Ankara that manages some 900 mosques or religious communities in Germany. The Erdogan government has cracked down hard on followers of Gulen, who denies he was behind the attempted putsch. More than 41,000 people have been arrested over their suspected links to Gulen's movement, and 100,000 fired or suspended. Many of them are teachers, police, magistrates and journalists. The government says the purges are necessary to clean the state of the "virus" of Gulen's movement, which encourages its members to work in public services. Human rights activists have fiercely criticised the magnitude of the crackdown, saying it has gone well beyond alleged coup plotters. In Germany, thousands of Turkish citizens have applied for asylum since, among them reportedly dozens of Turkish soldiers stationed at NATO bases. Germany is home to some three million people of Turkish origin, the biggest population of Turks in the world outside Turkey. Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has repeatedly criticised the scale of the crackdown and urged Erdogan to safeguard civil liberties. Erdogan, meanwhile, is exasperated that Germany has failed to extradite hundreds of suspects linked to the coup, as well as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the ultra-left. Merkel also wants Turkey to keep implementing a deal that has reduced migrant flows to Europe, despite threats by Erdogan to walk away from it due to a failure to fulfil a pledge to grant Turks visa-free travel. Erdogan's government meanwhile has also irritated Berlin by campaigning for Turkish votes in Germany. Next Saturday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim plans to speak in Oberhausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, to promote a "yes" vote in an April 16 referendum that would expand Erdogan's powers by creating an executive presidency. Germany's integration commissioner, Aydan Ozoguz, told Bild daily that with such events, Ankara was "deepening divisions" among Turks living in Germany. Mandy Leacock has also been accused of causing physical harm to the victim at the defendent's house in London. (Photo: Representational) Bayswater, London: A UK man may face jail for raping a vulnerable woman at his London home. His sister has also been accused of enslaving the victim for over a period of one year. According to a report in the Mirror, the incident took place at the accused's home in Bayswater, west London. The case is being investigated and the trial is being heard at Southwark Crown Court. During the trial, the court heard that the accused identified as Colin Leacock, raped the victim twice at his home while his sister Mandy Leacock had wounded the victim. In her statement, the victim said that she met Colin on Match.com, a dating website and moved in with him few days later. However, things turned ugly when Colin started disrespecting her, forcing himself on her and making her live with his sister. During her stay with Mandy, the victim was made to cook, clean the house and was even punished at times by being doused with bleach, the court heard. Describing her one year of torment, the victim told investigators that she was physically abused by her captors and was told that if she ever complained to the police, they would not believe her. Colin has been charged with two counts of rape whereas his sister Mandy has been charged with causing serious physical injury to the victim. Both the accused are expected to appear before the Southwark Crown Court on June 1. Ambassador Chaudhry will join his new assignment in Washington, D.C. next month. (Photo: Twitter) Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday appointed foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry as its new ambassador to the US. "Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry will join his new assignment in Washington, DC next month," Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. He will replace outgoing ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani. Chaudhry, 58, is a career Foreign Service Officer with over 36 years of bilateral and multilateral experience in the field of diplomacy. He is presently serving as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan since December 2013. Earlier he had served as the Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chaudhry has served as Additional Foreign Secretary for UN and Disarmament Affairs, and Director General for relations with South Asian countries, in which capacity he has remained closely associated with the peace process with India. Chaudhry has also served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN in New York, Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary General of ECO in Tehran, and Pakistan Embassies in Washington, Doha and Cairo. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which has diplomatic relations with it. Beijing: China on Wednesday said it has lodged a diplomatic protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation and asked it to deal "prudently" with Taiwan-related issues to maintain sound Sino-India ties. "China lodged representations with India" over the Taiwan parliamentary delegation's visit to New Delhi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media. "We hope that India would understand and respect Chinas core concerns and stick to the 'One-China' principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations," Geng said. China which considers Taiwan as part of its mainland opposes any diplomatic relations as well as political contacts with Taipei by countries which has diplomatic relations with it. "We are always opposed to any forms of official contacts and exchanges between countries that have diplomatic ties with China and Taiwan (simultaneously) and we are also opposed to the establishment of any official institutions," he said responding to Taiwan's announcement that it plans to upgrade its office in India. Geng said that "the Indian side has made commitment on the Taiwan-related issues." The three-member member Taiwanese delegation visited India from February 12. Taiwan currently has Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre located in New Delhi. India's office in Taiwan is called India-Taipei Association. Elaborating further on Chinas stand on Taiwanese Parliamentary delegation to India, Geng said "those who are visiting India are so called legislators from Taiwan" and Beijing is opposed to any official contacts between Taiwan and other countries with whom China has diplomatic relations. "The reason why China lodged the representation is because that we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the 'One China' principle," he said. "So by making our representation we are urging the Indian side to stick to the 'One China' principle and take concrete actions for steady development of China-India relations," he said. He also declined to answer a question about when the protest was lodged with India, saying that "not all the information about diplomatic activities are open to the public". "All I can tell is China has lodged diplomatic representation with India," he said. Earlier, Chinese media too warned India against playing the Taiwan card. "By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed article titled 'New Delhi will suffer losses if it plays Taiwan card'. The apex court after a hiatus of two weeks resumed hearing of the high-profile Panamagate case involving Prime Minister Sharif and his children. (Photo: AFP) Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's family to produce documentary evidence to establish ownership of flats in London that are under the scanner following the Panama papers leak. The apex court after a hiatus of two weeks resumed hearing of the high-profile Panamagate case involving Prime Minister Sharif and his children. The case is about alleged illegal money laundering by Sharif in 1990s when he twice served as Prime Minister to purchase assets in London. The assets surfaced when Panama papers showed that they were managed through offshore companies owned by Sharif's children. The five-member bench hearing the case asked the Sharif family to produce documentary evidence to establish Prime Minister's son Hussain Nawaz as beneficial owner of Park Lane flats in London, in accordance with the family's claim. "Where is the document which could show Hussain Nawaz is the beneficial owner of Landon flats?" Justice Azmat Saeed Shaikh asked Sharif family's counsel Salman Akram Raja. The Express Tribune reported that the top court judge also asked the Sharifs' counsel to provide the family's agreement with Minerva Services Limited, a company which the Premier's family claims is a service provider to Nielsen and Nescoll offshore companies owned by his son. "Let's call a spade a spade and show us relevant documents that could reveal who gave payment to service providing company (Minerva)," Justice Azmat said. Meanwhile, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who is heading a five-judge larger bench of the apex court in the Panamagate case, in his remarks said, "This is the stage which will make or break the Panamagate case". Justice Khosa expressed wonder that four apartments in London's upscale area were acquired for two students -- Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz -- in 1990s. On this, the Sharif's counsel said Prime Minister Sharif's nephew Hamza Shahbaz was also studying in the UK at that time. However, he expressed his inability to provide complete documents regarding the ownership of London apartments. "It will not be possible to give every document regarding the money trail," Raja told the larger bench, which is hearing a slew of petitions against Sharif family's alleged corruption. Justice Khosa observed that the issue was not related to dependency of Prime Minister's daughter Maryam Nawaz but it pertained to the ruling family's integrity. The top court judge also observed that there was no document which could show how bearer shares regarding the ownership of London flats were transferred to Sharifs by the Qatari royal family. It is believed that the outcome of the case is make or break for Sharif ahead of election due next year. The new Ukrainian tactical UAV (TBpAK) Sparrow-LE has drawn a lot of attention at the 11th International Aero India-2017 exhibition, the press service of Ukraine's Ukroboronprom concern said on Wednesday. The invention of Ukrainian arms experts was designed by Spetstekhnoeksport, part of Ukroboronprom, which said the device is being readied for use by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The UAV was presented at the exhibition with modifications. "The UAV's capabilities exceed demands of our Indian military partners," Ukroboronprom's press service said. The Sparrow-LE is designed to conduct aerial surveillance and controlled via an encrypted data channel with a range of up to 25 kilometers. It can be airborne for up to 3.5 hours. The wingspan of the UAV exceeds 3 meters, enhancing its flight performance, compared to similar UAVs in the same class. The UAV model was created by designers of Spytech, Ukroboronprom's press service said. Aero India-2017 takes place from February 14-19 Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru. India is among Ukraine's prospective customers in military production cooperation. Ukraine and India signed intergovernmental agreements in military production cooperation in 2010. The countries have teamed up to modernize military transport planes and in military aviation, in addition to armored vehicles. India earlier expressed interest in boosting military production cooperation with Ukraine in area of transfer technology, as well as the development in India of military equipment production in cooperation with Ukrainian enterprises. Joint development of military equipment has also been discussed. The decision was taken at a high-level security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to review the security situation in the country. Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday vowed to "liquidate" all those elements posing a threat to peace and security in the country amid a spurt in terror attacks. The decision was taken at a high-level security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to review the security situation in the country. "The meeting made a resolve that terrorism emanating within the country or executed and harboured from outside the country would be eliminated and those posing threat to peace and security of the country would be liquidated by the might of the state," according to an official statement. The meeting reiterated the resolve of complete physical and ideological annihilation of terrorism and extremism. It was agreed during the meeting that the gains of operations executed by military, civil armed forces and police will not be lost and the state would ensure that terrorists do not resurge at any cost. "The narrative of terror has failed to prevail and the narrative of peace, stability and prosperity has taken over," the statement said. The meeting noted that the overall situation in the country has improved including in tribal areas, Balochistan and Karachi as a result of the state's offensive against terrorists and miscreants. The meeting condemned the recent terror attacks of Lahore, Mohmand agency, Peshawar and Quetta and paid homage to those who laid down their lives for securing a peaceful future for Pakistan. The statement said that the armed forces, police and other civilian law enforcement agencies and people at large have rendered unrivalled sacrifices in this war against terrorism. The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of General Staff Lt General Bilal Akbar, National Security Advisor Lt Gen (R) Nasser Khan Janjua, DG Counter Terrorism, DG IB and other senior government officials. Lahore: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said "swift and ruthless" response will be given to terrorists and the war on terror will be taken to its logical end, a day after a terror attack killed 13 people in Lahore. The premier was presiding over a meeting on law and order at the Governor's House Lahore Tuesday evening in the wake of Monday's terrorist attack outside the Punjab Assembly building that left 13 people dead including two senior police officers and over 80 injured. "We will give swift, ruthless and successful response to terrorists as it is the only option for us. War on terror will be taken to its logical end," he said. "No one should think that we will stumble in this struggle due to such terror attacks. Our enemies will be defeated by our national resolve. To wipe out terrorism is our national duty," he said. Sharif further said, "Neither I nor this nation will forget the sacrifices of our valiant police officers and officials. This is a war of right and wrong and we as a nation are on the right side of history in this war. We will soon see the end of this cancerous terrorism and it's ideology." He was briefed by Additional Inspector General Crime Terrorism Department Rai Tahir. Sharif was told that CCTV footage had helped in speeding up the investigations. Tahir told the meeting that 12 terrorist attack plans were disrupted in 2016. "Some 231 terrorists have been killed by CTD Punjab. 769 terrorists have been arrested. The CTD and Punjab Police will take revenge from these terrorists as soon as possible. Our fallen heroes have given ultimate sacrifice and we will not let our self and our nation down," Tahir said. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Federal Defence Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif, National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. (R) Naseer Khan Janjua and other provincial cabinet members attended the meeting. Seeking investments in areas like hi-tech industries and automobile, Thailand today said it considers India as a great partner for the future. Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Somkid Jatusripitak also said that the South East Asian country wants to enhance the strategic partnership with India. Addressing global investors, he said: "we welcome all nations. This is an opportunity for all our partners. We welcome you all for this opportunity...We would like to encourage the foreign investors to come here". He was speaking at a seminar on 'Opportunity Thailand'. The country has organised this day long event to showcase areas of investments for global investors including from India. Jatusripitak said the country is moving to Thailand 4.0 and there is huge scope of investments for all the countries. When asked about the role of India in the Thailand 4.0, he said: "I see India as a great partner for the future and we really want to work with Indian government".He said that Thailand would like to work in areas like hi-tech industries, where India has a strength. Thai government has set up a committee to facilitate investments and provide business friendly environment, he said, adding there is a political stability in the country. In the uncertain world, there is a light of opportunity for investors here, he added.Speaking at the event, Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the country would meet the needs of the investors. He said innovation, research & development, robotics, auto and biotechnology are among the several sectors where investors can explore opportunities. He also said that the country needs expertise from other nations and it will relax laws to import the experts. Thailand is wooing global investors including from India. It is working on ways to provide a conducive and competitive business environment. The country is providing incentives such as matching funds for projects like high impact research and development or advanced training activities. It is also planning to give long term tax holidays and duty exemptions for certain priority sectors. Bilateral trade between the countries stood at USD 8.5 billion in 2015-16. A record number of 27 US Congressmen will visit India later this month, reflecting the growing bipartisan support for strengthening the Indo-US strategic ties. The top lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties are visiting India in two separate delegations. Describing this as an important development, Navtej Sarna, Indian Ambassador to the US, said such visit is reflective of the efforts on the part of the US to "strengthen and build" on the bipartisan support that they have in the US Congress for India-US relations. Congressional records indicate that this is the largest ever travel of US lawmakers to India. The largest delegation of 19 Congressmen, being organised by the prestigious Aspen Institute, would be in India from February 20 to 25 with stops in New Delhi and Hyderabad. During the visit, the lawmakers are scheduled to have a wide range of meetings from top government officials, politicians, members of the think-tank bodies and non-governmental organisations. Another bipartisan Congressional delegation (or Codel) of eight lawmakers, being led by Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of powerful House Judiciary Committee, would be in India from February 20 to 23, visiting New Delhi and Bangalore. The delegation includes Congressman George Holding, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Jason Smit and Dave Trott. All four are from the Republican party. The Democratic members to the delegations include Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressmen Hank Johnson, David Ciciline and Henry Cuellar. The visit, Sarna said would let these lawmakers first hand see for themselves, the political vibrancy of India, the economic reforms that are happening, and also for them to identify potential areas of engagement. "This is increasingly important as the new administration comes into," he said. "We are very fortunate that there are two delegations totaling 27 Congressmen are travelling to India this month, which is not a small figure," he said. The communique from the North's foreign ministry came as investigators in Malaysia probe the shock assassination of Kim Jong-Un's half-brother Monday. The North's leader has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his country's nuclear and missile programmes. The United Nations Security Council, which includes the North's only major ally China, sharply castigated Pyongyang on Monday for the missile test a day earlier, describing it as a "grave violation" of UN resolutions and threatening "further significant measures". The rocket launch was the first since US President Donald Trump came to power and was seen as a challenge to the new American leader, who has vowed a strong response to the provocation. The country is barred under UN resolutions from carrying out ballistic missile launches or nuclear tests. The North said the Council should "face squarely our advance into securing a strategic position as a nuclear state," according to a statement quoting a spokesman for the foreign ministry, carried by state media KCNA Wednesday. "We flatly reject the UN Security Council statement that raises issues with a sovereign state's right to self-defense," the statement added. However, there was no statement from Pyongyang about the death in Kuala Lumpur of Kim Jong-Nam, once tipped as heir apparent. North Korea has blasted off a series of missiles in the last year and conducted two nuclear tests in its quest to develop a weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland. The latest rocket -- said by Pyongyang to be able to carry a nuclear warhead -- flew east for about 500 kilometres before falling into the Sea of Japan (East Sea), South Korea's defense ministry said. The Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions since Pyongyang first tested an atomic device in 2006. North Korea defended its latest ballistic missile launch and slammed UN Security Council condemnation in a defiant statement today, as tensions escalate over the reclusive state's recent behaviour. Malaysian police arrested a woman today in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother. Police released a statement saying the woman was carrying Vietnamese travel documents when she was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Kim Jong Nam died Monday after suddenly falling ill at the budget terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, said a senior Malaysian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy. Kim, who died on the way to a hospital, told medical workers that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the official said. Malaysian officials have provided few other details. Police said an autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror." South Korea's spy service said today that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim. But the National Intelligence Service did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to lawmakers who briefed reporters about the closed door meeting with the spy officials. The NIS cited Kim Jong Un's alleged "paranoia" about his half brother. Still, the agency has a history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the country's leaders as mentally unstable. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. They fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police, the reports said. Police were searching for clues in the closed circuit television footage from the airport, said Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat. The airport is in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur. According to the Malaysian government official, Kim Jong Nam was in a shopping concourse and had not yet gone through security for a planned flight to Macau when the incident occurred. Kim was estranged from his half brother, the North Korean leader. Although he had been originally tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. He reportedly fell further out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. Decentralization of the Ukrainian State Road Agency (Ukravtodor) should begin the current year, Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelian said at a meeting on the reform of the road sector on Tuesday. As the press service of the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine reported, special attention at the meeting was paid to decentralization of Ukravtodor, the reform of PJSC Automobile Roads of Ukraine, the preparations for the implementation of the Road Fund Act, which will come into force in 2018. According to the minister, in the process of Ukravtodor's decentralization special attention should be paid to the work with the heads of regions. "It is necessary to clearly explain which roads will remain in the responsibility of Ukravtodor and which will be transferred to the management of local authorities. Regions will take the roads of regional importance on their balance. It is not only a resource for their maintenance, but their responsibility. Therefore, a key task is to explain to the heads of regions what will they receive and under what conditions. We plan to start decentralization of Ukravtodor since autumn 2017," he said. Omelian added that the State Stock Company Automobile Roads of Ukraine should play a supporting role in the decentralization process of Ukravtodor, to restore its ability in the issue of maintenance of roads. Specified range of activities should provide Ukraine with a new quality of roads, Omelian said. The second phase of polling in the key cow belt state of Uttar Pradesh today saw 65 per cent polling, while at 68 per cent, Uttarakhand posted a record as voting in the assembly elections to two states remained peaceful. The Election Commission said in Delhi the "very sensitive" second phase of polling in 67 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh passed off peacefully and overall mood made it appear like a "festival of democracy". Over 68 per cent votes were cast in Uttarakhand, two per cent more than the last assembly polls, in 69 out of the state's 70 seats. Polling for Karnaprayag constituency has been deferred following the accidental death of BSP nominee. In UP, the seats where voting was held were spread over Bijnor, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun districts. "Polling was held peacefully amid tight security," UP Chief Electoral Officer T Venkatesh said. Of the 67 seats at stake, the ruling Samajwadi Party had won 34 seats in the 2012 polls, followed by BSP 18, BJP 10, Congress three and others two. In the present phase, 721 candidates, including 62 women are in the fray. The maximum candidates (22) are from Barhapur (Bijnor) and a minimum of four nominees from Dhanaura (Amroha). The prominent contestants include controversial SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar seats respectively, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha. In Uttarakhand, Election Office sources over 68 per cent of the electorate cast their votes by 5 pm but many people were still standing in the queues outside the booths, implying that the poll percentage may go up by the time the final figures are collated. An EC spokesman said in New Delhi it could go up to 70 per cent at the final count. For the first time, Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines were used in three constituencies including BHEL Ranipur, Dharampur and Rudrapur. In most of the seats, ruling Congress and BJP are locked in a straight contest. However, rebel candidates of both the parties are in the fray as independents in several seats and may upset the calculations of the official nominees of their respective parties. Among those testing their political luck are 12 former Congress MLAs who are in the fray as BJP candidates this time. They include Yashpal Arya (Bajpur), Harak Singh Rawat (Kotdwar), Shailarani Rawat (Kedarnath), Shailendra Mohan Singhal (Jaspur), Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion (Khanpur), Pradeep Batra (Roorkee) and Subodh Uniyal (Narendranagar). Haridwar (rural) and Kichcha in Udhamsingh Nagar district are two high profile seats to be watched out for as Chief Minister Harish Rawat is in fray from from both. Chaubattakhal is also an important seat from where former Union minister Satpal Maharaj is contesting on BJP ticket, besides Ranikhet from where state party president Ajay Bhatt is in the fray. Enforcement agencies seized Rs 16.52 crore cash, 3.29 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 9 crore and drugs worth Rs 1.16 crore in Uttar Pradesh, while 1.5 lakh weapons were deposited. Vijay Dev, Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of Uttar Pradesh, told a press conference in the national capital that 117 electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 24 voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines had to be replaced during the polls. The corresponding figures were 20 and seven in case of Uttarakhand. There was one instance of paid news in Uttarakhand, EC said, adding that polling was free from any violence and largely uneventful. Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of Uttarakhand Sandeep Saxena said around Rs 3.38 crore cash and 147 illegal weapons were seized. Liquor worth Rs 3.1 crore and drugs valued at Rs 37.23 lakh were also impounded. All eyes were tonight on Governor C Vidyasagar Rao over the swearing-in of the new Tamil Nadu Chief Minister after Edapaddi K Palaniswami and rival O Panneerselvam met him with claims of majority support of AIADMK MLAs. AIADMK legislature party leader Palaniswami, who had yesterday called on the Governor to stake claim for forming the government, met him again this evening, with his camp claiming support of 124 of the party's 134 MLAs. Tamil Nadu has a 234-member legislative assembly. Panneerselvam gave a representation to the Governor claiming "majority" support and seeking an opportunity to demonstrate it. The Panneerselvam camp has alleged AIADMK MLAs were held at a resort on Chennai's outskirts against their wish. Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who was among those who accompanied Palaniswami, claimed the group has the support of 124 MLAs. "We have given the Governor a list of legislators supporting our legislature party leader Palaniswami. Governor told us that our representation will be considered and we are confident that democracy will be protected," Jayakumar told reporters after the meeting. "We have told Governor Rao that Palaniswami enjoys the support of a majority of MLAs and hence he should be invited to form the government," he said. Governor Rao, who was on Moday advised by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to convene a special session of the Legislative Assembly within a week for holding a composite floor test, is yet to take a call on whom to invite to form the government first or to go for a trial of strength in the assembly. The Governor had earlier kept his decision pending as the verdict in the disproportionate assets case against AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala, a claimant for chief ministership, was due to be announced by the Supreme Court, which delivered it yesterday, restoring her conviction and sentence, which shattered her hopes of occupying the top seat. While O Panneerselvam has managed to win over 10 odd MPs and some MLAs, Sasikala has been able to rally the support of an overwhelming majority of AIADMK MLAs. Though Panneerselvam does not have the explicit support of a very large number of MLAs, he has been insisting he would prove majority on the floor of the House if asked to do so. It remains to be seen whether the Governor goes by the AG's advice for a floor test by the two competing claimants for chief ministership or invites Palaniswami to form the government. Before she began serving the remnant three years, 10 months and 27 days sentence in a Karnataka prison this evening, in a surprise move, Sasikala reinducted her close relatives T T V Dinkaran and S Venkatesh into the party, five years after their expulsion by AIADMK supremo and the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Sasikala appointed Dinakaran, her nephew and former Rajya Sabha member, the deputy general secretary of AIADMK, a move seen by many as an attempt to hand over the party's control to him till her return from jail. There were rumblings in the party over Dinakaran's appointment, with senior AIADMK leader V Karuppasamy Pandian resigning as the party's organisation secretary. An angry Pandian went to the extent of questioning Sasikala's authority of reinducting people expelled by Jayalalithaa, and asking if AIADMK was her "family property". While re-admitting Dinakaran and Venkatesh into the party, Sasikala said the two had tendered apology for their actions. Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to four current and former US officials. The US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation. But the intercepts alarmed US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. At one point last summer, Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clintons emails and would make them public. The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials and included other associates of Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the government outside of the intelligence services, the officials said. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified. The officials said that one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trumps campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Ukraine. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the FBI is sifting through as it investigates the links between Trumps associates and the Russian government, as well as the hacking of the DNC, according to federal law enforcement officials. As part of its inquiry, the FBI has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews, the officials said. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the US officials in a telephone interview on Tuesday. This is absurd, he said. I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today. Manafort added, Its not like these people wear badges that say, Im a Russian intelligence officer. Several of Trumps associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia, and it is not unusual for US businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts might have been about business. Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, the identity of the Russian intelligence officials who participated on the calls, and how many of Trumps advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself. A report from US intelligence agencies that was made public in January concluded that the Russian government had intervened in the election in part to help Trump but did not address whether any members of the Trump campaign had participated in the effort. The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser, and Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US. During those calls, which led to Flynns resignation on Monday, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. But the cases are part of US intelligence and law enforcement agencies routine electronic surveillance of the communications of foreign officials. The FBI declined to comment. The White House also declined to comment Tuesday night, but earlier in the day, Press Secretary Sean Spicer stood by Trumps previous comments that nobody from his campaign had contact with Russian officials before the election. Theres nothing that would conclude me that anything different has changed with respect to that time period, Spicer said in response to a question. Two days after the election in November, Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy Russian foreign minister, said that there were contacts during the campaign between Russian officials and Trumps team. Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage, Ryabkov told Russias Interfax news agency. The Trump transition team denied Ryabkovs statement. This is not accurate, Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump, said at the time. Credibility of information The National Security Agency, which monitors the communications of foreign intelligence services, initially captured the communications between Trumps associates and Russians as part of routine foreign surveillance. After that, the FBI asked the NSA to collect as much information as possible about the Russian operatives on the phone calls and to search through troves of previous intercepted communications that had not been analysed. As part of the inquiry, the FBI is also trying to assess the credibility of information contained in a dossier that was given to the bureau last year by a former British intelligence operative. The dossier contained a raft of allegations of a broad conspiracy between Trump, his associates and the Russian government. It also included unsubstantiated claims that the Russians had embarrassing videos that could be used to blackmail Trump. The FBI has spent several months investigating the leads in the dossier but has yet to confirm any of its most explosive allegations. On Tuesday, top Republican lawmakers said that Flynn should be one focus of the investigation and that he should be called to testify before Congress. Sen Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that the news surrounding Flynn in recent days underscored how many questions still remain unanswered to the American people more than three months after Election Day, including who was aware of what, and when. He said that Flynns resignation would not stop the committee from continuing to investigate Gen Flynn, or any other campaign official who may have had inappropriate and improper contacts with Russian officials prior to the election. Acute shortage of water and green fodder has severely hit dairy farming in the district. The prevailing drought has reduced milk production significantly. According to Chamarajanagar Milk Union Ltd (Chamul) sources, the milk production has come down by 40,000 litres/day. On an average, the maximum milk production was 2.89 lakh litres in 2015 and it was 2.29 lakh litres in 2016. This year, the milk production has been around 1.90 lakh litres. The situation was further compounded by water not being released into Kabini right bank canal. With no water it became impossible to grow grass for livestock therefore reducing production of milk. There are 2.84 lakh cattle heads in the district, including 96,000 hybrid breeds and 20,000 buffaloes. Chamarajanagar Milk Union Limited (Chamul) is now planning to motivate dairy farmers by hiking milk procurement prices. In addition, the government too has increased the incentive amount. The milk federation pays Rs 26 per litre to dairy farmers while the government incentive is Rs 5 per litre. Managing Director of Chamul M S Vijaykumar told DH that Chamul building will be completed within two months. The building will house an Ultra High Temperature (UHT) processing unit, which will increase the shelf life of milk by six months. The building will begin functioning from August, he said. Farmers in distress In all, 458 Milk Producers Cooperative Societies come under Chamul. Of these, 95 societies are run by women, and thousands of families are dependent on dairy farming for their living. About one-and-a-half decades ago, vast expanses of the district were rainfed, aiding farmers of the region to grow mulberry and make sericulture their main occupation. However, with the district facing drought in the last few years, sericulture took back seat and dairy farming gained importance. Many families had taken loans from cooperative associations and banks to purchase hybrid variety of cows to pursue dairy farming. The students of Hassan Veterinary College launched an indefinite stir against the governments decision to set up new veterinary colleges across the state. Hundreds of students, who gathered on the college premises, claimed that the new colleges will produce more veterinarians, giving rise to unemployment. Raising slogans against the state government, the protesters explained that 240 students pass out from four veterinary colleges in the state every year. The new colleges proposed by the government in Gadag, Athani, Sira, Koppal and Puttur will the government exchequer on providing facilities to the colleges and recruiting the teaching and non-teaching staff. Strengthen existing colleges Instead of opening new colleges, the government should concentrate on strengthening the existing colleges in Bengaluru, Bidar, Shivamogga and Hassan. The vacant posts in the colleges should also be filled, they demanded. Hopeful that some commercial operations can start from the HAL Airport in the next few months, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has appealed to the Civil Aviation Ministry to include the airport on the list for regional connectivity. At the Aero India 2017, HAL chairman and managing director T Suvarna Raju said when the regional connectivity policy was announced, the HAL Airport was not even on the list. The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has already achieved the passenger traffic projected for 2020. It grew by 22.5% in 2016, recording a footfall of 22.18 million passengers. Raju said, Normally, a state or city will be proud to have two airports. However, through an agreement with the government, the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) had mandated that no other commercial airport should be allowed within a radius of 150 km from KIA. HAL Airport, which was the citys sole domestic and international airport for decades, was shut in 2008. All operations, barring VIP flights, were stopped at the old airport once KIA opened at Devanahalli. However, there have been demands from several quarters to at least operate short-haul domestic flights from the HAL Airport. After proving their mettle by assisting in rescue missions like the Chennai deluge in 2016 and Uttarakhand floods in 2013, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed by a team from Anna University are ready for commercial opportunities at Aero India 2017. Centre for Aerospace Research, Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, has set up a stall at Aero India 2017 to demonstrate its indigenous UAVs to end-users like international players and government agencies. The team of PhD scholars and scientists, lead by director Dr K Senthil Kumar has been working since 2000 to design and develop UAVs at the centre. With Rs 20 crore funding from the State Planning Commission of Tamil Nadu, they have perfected their Quad Copter UAVs, Fixed Wing UAVs and Tethered UAVs. True to the spirit of Make in India, 70 to 80% of our UAVs are made using parts in India. Even when we have imported materials, the testing and deployment have been done locally, Dr Kumar said. The centre has proved the utility of its products and the Tamil Nadu police are using their drones for crowd monitoring at festivals. In 2014, when an under construction building in Chennai collapsed, thermal cameras fitted on our UAVs were used to detect those who were alive, and rescue them, said Dr S Thamarai Selvi, part of the team and director of the Centre for Technology Development and Transfer, Anna University. More recently, they helped the Kerala police with crowd surveillance during the Makara Jyothi in Sabarimala temple and even mapped the massive oil spill in Chennai in January caused by a collision of two ships. She said the demand for UAVs in the government is growing as they learn about its applications in surveillance, forest cover mapping, crop surveys and more. We have done several projects in these fields and we have supplied our products to police of Tamil Nadu, Kolkata and Thiruvananthapuram. But we need to make more people aware of our work. Through Aero India 2017, we hope to reach out to more people and make our presence known, Dr Selvi said. Indian Air Force and Coast Guard teams visited the stall and expressed interest in inducting the UAVs, Dr Kumar said. This is only the second day and we have got many enquiries. The response is better than what we expected. People are curious because we are the only educational institution here, he said. Exchanging his usual crisp business suit for flying overalls, Anil Ambani, chairman of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, flew a sortie in French company Dassaults Rafale fighter aircraft, at the Aero India 2017 on Wednesday. His Reliance Aerostructure Limited (RAL) has established a joint venture with the French company Dassault Aviation. The sortie was intended to give Ambani a feel of the power of Rafale, Dassaults multirole fighter aircraft. Taking off just after 1 pm, Ambani flew for about 25 minutes with Dassaults test pilot Tom Valette. He was kitted in flying overalls, a G-suit, Armee de l'Air jacket torso harness, flying boots and helmet with an oxygen mask. Ambani arrived at noon and was taken to the Dassault chalet at the Air Force Station where he was briefed on emergency systems, operating the Heads-Up display and also the eject/egress procedures. As he was escorted to the tarmac, the 57-year-old business giant joked about whether he would be able to do it or not. After a long wait, during which the aircraft was changed, the Rafale moved onto the airstrip and Ambani waved at the crowd as it took off. The aircraft climbed to a height of 20,000 feet and performed a few manoeuvres, such as steep turns and deep dives before landing. A decision to shut down Lipetsk confectionary factory was made by managers of the Roshen Corporation and not the trust managing the company, Roshen Corporation President Viacheslav Moskalevsky has said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. "I informed them [the trust about the closure of the factory] and that's all. It was the managers' decision," he said. He said that managers decided 20 years ago to start business in Russia. "The launch of Lipetsk factory was always the initiative of managers. Poroshenko visited it once in his life on February 4, 2014. He personally promised me to go there. Production of our sweets has never been linked to the political carrier of Petro Oleksiyovych [Poroshenko]," he said. Moskalevsky said that earlier Roshen was mulling the acquisition of a factory in Oryol, but then Lipetsk was selected. He said that the reasons of closing the factory in Russia are not only economic, but also political ones. "When Putin at a press conference started discussing profit-making of the factory and other things I understood that it is a bargaining chip for him in his political games that could be permanently used. He planned to make it a hostage [systemically prolong the arrest of property] not to allow us to sell it," he said. He added that over the period of the operation of the factory in Russia dividends from its operations were brought to Ukraine. "I still think that the money we brought to Ukraine in the form of taxes and dividends from Russia is better than nil. After 18 years I spent on this factory it took two years to burn the factory I have created. I understood the main thing that we would not be Judas," the Roshen president said. He said that from April 1, 2017 the factory will stop production and by June 1 it will finish selling the stocks. The logistics center in Russia would also stop operating. Ramping up production of fighter aircraft, helicopters and UAVs, aviation major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is gearing up for an overall investment of Rs 17,500 crore in the next five years. Responding to media queries at the Aero India 2017 here, HAL chairman and managing director T Suvarna Raju said the company may go in for bank loans to fund the projects. Heres his update on projects undertaken by HAL, both indigenously and in collaboration with foreign partners. Sukhoi-30MKI HAL supplied 183 Sukhoi-MKI multi-role fighter aircraft to the IAF till January 2017. The remaining aircraft, out of an order for 222 planes, would be delivered by 2019-20. As the lead agency for the aircrafts upgrade, HAL will ink contracts with the Sukhoi Design Bureau for a two-phase upgrade. The first phase will start in 90 days, Raju said. LCA Tejas Three aircraft were delivered to IAF, which operationalised its first squadron, Flying Daggers. The delivery of all the 40 LCA Mk-1 aircraft will be completed by 2019-20. LCA Mk1A The project will go on an overdrive to cater to IAFs procurement of 83 LCA Mk1A aircraft with enhanced capabilities of AESA Radar, BVR missile, self-protection jammer and air-to-air refuelling. The production will be increased from the current eight per year to 16 a year with increased stress on outsourcing, said Raju. The trials for LCA Mk1A will be completed by 2018. ALH Dhruvs On the Advanced Light Helicopter (Dhruv), Raju said HAL has built 231 copters till January 2017. We have concluded negotiations for 73 more ALHs to the services. The contract will be signed shortly. Dornier aircraft The defence PSU has also produced 135 Dornier-228 aircraft. The Navy has placed orders for 12 more. The task will be completed by 2019-20. Light Utility Helicopter The Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), which had its maiden flight in September 2016 and flew again at the airshow inaugural, is expected to complete the certification process by 2018. Deliveries could begin by 2019-20. Light Combat Helicopter The Defence Acquisition Council, he said, has cleared procurement of 15 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH). Ten of these are for IAF and five for the Army. HAL is also producing 20 Cheetal helicopters for the Army and 10 more are in the pipeline for IAF. Besides, HAL will undertake upgrades of 61 Jaguars and 51 Mirage fighter aircraft. Basic trainer On the Hindustan Turboprop Trainer (HTT), Raju said the company expected orders for 106 aircraft, to be used for basic training, aerobatics, instrument flying and close-formation flights. Mini UAVs Progressing on the Mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) front, HAL has developed an 80-kg product with a 15-km day/night range capability. It is now production-ready for the police, paramilitary services and armed forces, informed Raju. HAL is investing Rs 210 crore on Rustom-2 with Aeronautical Defence Establishment as partner. It has already partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur to develop a rotary UAV. Our plan is to get into the 50, 200 and 500 kg class UAVs. Highest turnover HAL has notched up its highest ever turnover of Rs 16,736 crore for 2015-16, a 7.14% growth over the previous year. Profit before tax was Rs 3,288 crore. The current years target is Rs 17,100 crore. Our sales till January stood at Rs 10,086 crore, the CMD informed. Hundreds of passengers were stranded in planes of different airlines for more than four hours at the Kempegowda International Airport on Wednesday. The Bengaluru-Mumbai Indigo flight which was scheduled to take off at 9.30 am took off only at 5.30 pm. Similarly, a Delhi-bound aircraft of the same airlines was delayed. Because of the ongoing Aero India 2017, the Bengaluru International Airport Ltd has rescheduled all flights. According to the schedule, there will be no flights between 10 am and noon and between 2 pm and 5 pm. More than the delay, passengers said they were irked by the attitude of the airlines. Passengers were asked to board the flight at 1.30 pm. One of the passengers, Sneha Walke, vice president and head south India - exchange4media group, told DH that the airlines did not give a clear picture about when they would take off. We didnt understand why passengers were asked to board the plane when it was not scheduled to take off. We were made to sit inside the aircraft for four hours. Indigo staff didnt even bother to provide food to several senior citizens and kids in the flight. At least they should have allowed us to return to the lounge to have food, she said. Several passengers vented their anger on the airline staff who finally relented and allowed passengers to deplane around 3 pm. Similarly, the Delhi-bound Indigo flight was delayed by over three hours. Several other aircraft of different airlines were delayed, said passengers. Tension prevailed outside the barricaded area of Central Prisons at Parappana Agrahara when people, claiming to be supporters of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa, attacked vehicles carrying MLAs from Tamil Nadu. Protesters who had gathered along the roadside leading to the central prisons hurled abuses at Sasikala accusing her of killing Jayalalithaa. After Sasikalas convoy went past the double road, the mob pelted the government vehicles ferrying MLAs, with stones and slippers. Some protesters smashed the windshields of at least five cars and hurled abuses at MLAs. They objected to MLAs using government vehicles to travel from Chennai to Bengaluru. Some protesters abused MLAs for supporting Sasikala. One of the AIADMK leaders tried to pacify the crowd by saying they were just following orders of the party senior leaders. However, the mob continued to attack the vehicles with stones and helmets. When the situation turned violent, the police resorted to caning to disperse the crowd. The agitating mob accused the AIADMK leaders of misleading the people of Tamil Nadu. A senior police official said the identity of the protesters could not be established. They could be frenzied mobs including some local Tamil-speaking people. The situation was tense only for about 15 minutes as the crowd was dispersed, he said. The city police had made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth passage of Sasikala's convoy. Traffic police were deployed from the Naganathapura junction, the entry point of Bengaluru city police jurisdiction. The police stopped movement of vehicles to ensure hassle-free movement of around 15 vehicles that had accompanied Sasikalas car. Sasikala, who sat next to the driver like her mentor J Jayalalithaa used to, waved to people on her way to the prison. The vehicle (registration TN09BE5969), a few AIADMK leaders said, was the one used by Jayalalithaa. Her supporters shouted slogans Chinnamma valga (long live Chinnamma). Media vehicles were stopped at the junction leading to the central prisons. However, a crew of Jaya TV went along with Sasikala's convoy. Local people around Parappana Agrahara had gathered to get a glimpse of the convict. Sasikalas husband V N Natarajan had arrived at the court half an hour before she arrived and left soon after she was sent into the prison. DH News Service State to seek costs Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the state government will soon write to chief secretary of Tamil Nadu to reimburse the expense incurred for conducting the trial of former Tamil Nadu chief minister late Jayalalithaaa, V K Sasikala and others in the disproportionate assets case in Bengaluru. The total cost may run up to several crores,he said. The Non-Resident Indian Forum, Karnataka, constituted by the state government, will work towards promoting handicrafts from the state across the globe by collaborating with Kannada associations abroad. NRI Forum deputy chairperson Arathi Krishna told reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday that the forum will take up the initiative on the request of the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation (KSHDC). The forum has been constituted to forge a symbiotic relationship between Karnataka and its diaspora. Arathi said she will speak to associations formed by Non-Resident Kannadigas (NRK) in various countries and work out a roadmap for promotion of art and crafts from the state, abroad. Arathi said she will also speak to officials of the Ministry of External Affairs and cultural attache in various Indian embassies in this regard. KSHDC chairperson Kamalamma said demonetisation of high denomination currency notes has resulted in a 30% fall in earnings of artisans in the state. There is an urgent need to make our handicrafts available to more customers in both domestic and international markets, she said. Kamalamma said she has written to Forest Minister Ramanath Rai to take steps to increase the availability of raw materials like sandalwood and rosewood for artisans. In a letter to Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, copies of which were released to the press, Arathi has sought that the member secretary of the forum (an officer of KAS cadre) be given the power to attest educational certificates to Non-Resident Kannadigas. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday took a dig at his long-time political aide-turned-bete-noire V Srinivas Prasad by repeatedly referring to him in the singular. If I am arrogant, why did he (Prasad) keep quiet for three years when he was revenue minister in my Cabinet?... I became a bad person soon after he was dropped from the Cabinet. He is also accusing me of letting him down, he said. The chief minister was speaking after inducting Kalale Keshavamurthy, who was a prominent JD(S) leader in Nanjangud, into the Congress at the KPCC office. The ruling party is likely to field Keshavamurthy as its candidate against Srinivas Prasad, who recently joined the BJP, for the byelection. The election is necessitated due to the resignation of Prasad as the Congress MLA a few months ago. Srinivas Prasad, the chief minister added, claims that he was responsible for his (Siddaramaiah) getting elected to the Assembly many times in the past. Isnt it an arrogant statement?...Have I not helped him win elections in the past? he asked, adding that one cannot win an election without help from everyone. Siddaramaiah denied that the by-election will actually be a contest between Prasad and him. Prasad had claimed recently that the contest was between him and Siddaramaiah. I will never contest against him. He is too tall a leader for me to fight against in an election, he said sarcastically. In the same breath, he advised Prasad not to quit politics if he is defeated in the byelection. KPCC president G Parameshwara said the by-election result will prove that the Congress has grown in strength over the years. The party will come back to power in the 2018 Assembly elections under Siddaramaiahs leadership, he added. DH News Service The smell of attar (perfume) may have been permeating the narrow and crowded lanes of this town, famous for its desi attar (country-made perfume), but the electoral battle here between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BJP promises to be bitter. In this bastion of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs wife Dimple Yadav, the saffron party has been making an all-out effort to win her fort. The SP, which had won all three Assembly seats in Kannauj, about 150 km from the state capital, in 2012 Assembly polls, saw its hold here shaken badly in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when Dimple barely managed to scrape through by a margin of 19,000 votes. Apparently emboldened by its performance in 2014, the BJP is going all out to dislodge the SP from its bastion. According to local BJP leaders, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers have been employed by the saffron party for campaigning, especially in the rural areas. The BJP has not seen victory in the district in the past 15 years. The saffron party also got Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold an election rally at Gursahaiganj in the district on Wednesday. We are on a strong wicket here this time... we will win all three Assembly seats, claimed senior BJP leader Subrata Pathak. The task of dislodging the SP from Dimple fort is easier said than done though. The SP government has taken several steps to ensure development of the district in the past few years and the people here acknowledge it. We are residents of a VIP district, thanks to Dimple bhabhi, said young Amit Yadav as he chanted pro-SP slogans at a party corner meeting near Jalalpur-Panwara railway station. The much-publicised Lucknow-Agra Expressway also passes through the district, enabling the people to reach the state capital in less than two hours. A medical college has also come up at Tirwa and the state government has initiated the process of setting up an International Perfume Museum and Perfume Park here with the help of the famous French perfume town of Grasse. The people here will vote for the SP nominees mainly because of Dimple and Akhilesh... they have promised more development projects, says local perfume trader Push Raj Jai alias Pampi. The SP also received a boost after former BJP MLA Kalyan Singh Dohre joined the party a few days ago. Dimple representative Nawab Singh Yadav also claims that his party nominees will win easily. Dimple bhabhi enjoys support of every section of the society, he argued. With both SP and BJP making the contest here a prestige fight, it will be interesting to see if the saffron push is able to crack Dimple fort. Polling here will be held in the third phase on February 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav should not have joined hands with a party (Congress) which was behind an attack on SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav, 33 years ago. Addressing an election rally at Kannauj, the Lok Sabha constituency of Akhileshs wife Dimple Yadav, Modi said the Congress could not be trusted and might ditch the SP president after the elections. Mulayam came under attack here (Kannauj) on March 4, 1984... he was fired at... it was an attempt to murder. Chaudhary Charan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had launched an agitation over this issue, Modi said. Akhilesh should remember that the Congress was behind the attack... for power, you (Akhilesh) chose to join hands with those who had attacked your father... are there sons like that? Has politics stooped to such levels? Such people should not be forgiven, Modi said. Congress leaders did not say a word against Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati in their joint press conference with Akhilesh, who did criticise Mayawati, he added. Modi said an inexperienced Akhilesh was trapped by the Congress. A three-legged race is on in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress has one leg tied to SP and another to BSP. Akhilesh does not realise this... he is inexperienced... Mulayam knew this, the prime minister said. Modi likened the Congress-SP alliance to a Bollywood movie. In films, we see two men fighting with each other till the interval and after that they become friends. This is what has happened in UP, he said, in an apparent reference to the bonhomie between Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh. Modi also took a dig at Akhilesh for his reported failure on the law and order front. In UP, development is down, but crime is up, he said. Uttarakhand appears headed for a photo finish with leaders from neither side claiming an emphatic victory after a 68% turnout in the polling on Wednesday. The buzz in political circles is that the BJP was able to reach out to the cadre upset with the induction of 13 Congress rebels who were fielded in this Assembly election. According to the Election Commission, 68% of the votes were cast till 5 pm in 69 of the 70 Assembly constituencies. Polling for the Karnaprayag seat in Chamoli was deferred to March 9 following the death of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. There appeared to be an underlying Modi current, which some analysts believe was consolidated by Prime Minister Narendra Modis four rallies in the hill state close to the polling day. However, the BJP circles are not happy with the turnout which, despite being two percentage points higher than the 2012 elections, was below their expectations. The Congress circles also predicted a close finish with neither of the main rivals getting an outright majority in the Assembly. A large number of rebels from both the BJP and the Congress ranks have queered the pitch for the official candidates, and these independents could turn kingmakers if the main political parties fail to get a majority. In 2012, the Congress won 32 seats, while the BJP was close behind with 31 seats. The Congress had formed the government with the support of the BSP, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and independents. The BSP was looking to play kingmaker once again and had fielded candidates in almost all the 70 seats, hoping to make its presence felt in the plains. India on Wednesday dismissed Chinas strong objection to the visit of a Taiwanese parliamentary team to India, saying no political meanings should be read into such trips. China lodged a protest with India for hosting the Taiwanese parliamentary team, asking it to deal prudently with Taiwan-related matters. Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said, We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. He said, I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them. The Chinese foreign ministry, however, said on Wednesday that Beijing has lodged a diplomatic protest with India over the visit by a parliamentary delegation from Taiwan. China considers Taiwan a wayward province, with no right to formal diplomatic ties with other countries. We hope India would understand and respect Chinas core concerns and stick to the One-China principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang. Dividends for 2014-2015 of Roshen Confectionary Corporation will total UAH 1.3 billion, including UAH 382 million paid. "Dividends for 2016 have not yet been paid. For 2014-2015 we will pay UAH 1.3 billion of dividends, including UAH 382 million paid and the rest of the sum will be settled during the year," Roshen Corporation President Viacheslav Moskalevsky has said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. He said that Roshen intends to pay to shareholders after liquidation of Mariupol confectionary factory. "Earlier it [Mariupol confectionary factory] was a collective enterprise. I want to give money to those shareholders who were there along with us. Our share of the charter capital of the factory is 94% and 6% are other shareholders. The charter capital is UAH 41 million," he said. Roshen, one of Ukraine's largest makers of confectionaries, has confectionary factories in Kyiv, Mariupol (Donetsk region, under liquidation), Kremenchuk (Poltava region), two in Vinnytsia, one in Lipetsk, one in Klaipeda, Lithuania, and one, BonbonettiChoco, in Hungary. The corporation also owns the Bershadmoloko dairy plant and Litynskplemzavod, both in the Vinnytsia region. The corporation's owner is Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. An agreement was signed in January 2016 whereby Poroshenko transferred his share in the corporation to an independent blind trust. The trust's managing bank also has a four-year power of attorney to negotiate a sale of the assets. Moskalevsky holds 13% via Konditerinvest fund and four top managers hold 0.5% each. Barely a day after staking his claim to form the government in Tamil Nadu, new AIADMK legislature party leader Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday night met Governor Vidyasagar Rao with a reminder letter, asking to be invited to form the government. Later, his rival and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam also met the governor. Raj Bhavan sources said Palaniswami, who met Rao along with senior minsters, including D Jayakumar, reiterated that he had the support of more than 120 MLAs. Emerging from the meeting, Jayakumar said, We have the support of 124 MLAs. We are hoping that the governor will call us tomorrow to form the government and uphold democracy." To a question on the rival Panneerselvam camp, which also claimed that it has the numbers to prove the majority in the Assembly, an annoyed Jayakumar said, We have 124 MLAs and they have only a few MLAs. He said there has been no response from Raj Bhavan after Palaniswami staked his claim to form the next government following his election as the legislature party leader, replacing V K Sasikala after her conviction in a corruption case. So we met the governor again reminding him of the letters of support from party MLAs handed over to him, he added. A little later Panneerselvam, along with senior party leaders including Rajya Sabha member V Maithreyan, also met the governor. SC declines Sasikalas plea The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant any more time to AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala to surrender and begin serving the four-year jail term awarded to her and two others in a disproportionate assets case against the then Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, DHNS reports from New Delhi. A bench presided over by Justice P C Ghose refused to entertain a plea made on her behalf by senior advocate K T S Tulsi seeking a week to surrender to enable her to sort out her affairs. The Cabinet on Wednesday gave in-principle approval for implementing the long-pending Mekedatu multipurpose project utilising the Cauvery river water at a cost of Rs 5,912 crore. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the project will help Karnataka utilise excess river water that, otherwise, goes waste to the sea. A balancing reservoir with 66.50 tmcft capacity will be built across the river near Mekedatu in Ramanagaram district. A 400 megawatt-capacity hydropower unit will also come up as part of the project, he said. The government has plans to utilise water stored in the proposed Mekedatu reservoir for supplying drinking water to citizens in Bengaluru and nearby towns. About 4,900 hectares of forest land have to be acquired for the project. But the government can implement the project only after obtaining permission from the Cauvery Supervisory Committee and the Central Water Commission, he said. The project has failed to take off with Tamil Nadu opposing it stiffly. The neighbouring state had petitioned to the Centre in the past, urging it to stop the project. Besides, the Tamil Nadu legislature had passed a unanimous resolution opposing it. But Karnataka government has been arguing that it would use only the excess water after releasing 192 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu as stipulated by the Cauvery river water disputes tribunal. Jayachandra said the project will be beneficial to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. A lot of water goes waste every year in the absence of a balancing reservoir in a normal year, he said. Karnataka ends up releasing excess water to Tamil Nadu from its four reservoirs. And there is no scope for expanding the KRS and the Kabini reservoirs. Hence, it is important to take up this project, he stated. The Cabinet also approved a proposal to regularise illegal residential houses built on government land measuring up to 30x40 square feet each in buffer zones under Section 94cc of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act. But within the limits of urban local bodies, houses built on plots measuring up to 30x20 square feet will be regularised, he added. He said the Cabinet approved a proposal to set up an aerospace and defence centre of excellence at Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapur district. Dassault System will set up the centre with the assistance of Visvesvaraya Technological University. The centre envisages imparting training in aerospace sector, he added. Coronary stents became scarce in private and government hospitals on Wednesday, a day after the national drug price regulator capped their prices. Manufacturers say they are withdrawing stocks to comply with the governments directive to mark down prices on their labels immediately. Patients awaiting angioplasty over the next couple of months now face uncertainty. In some hospitals, patients were distressed to hear about the scarcity, and started arguing with the authorities. Dr C N Manjunath, director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said device makers began taking back high-end stents on Wednesday. This might affect patients who have asked for them, and other cases scheduled over the next few weeks, he told DH. Patients concerns Dr Devi Shetty, chairman of Narayana Health, said his hospital was already witnessing commotion. Patients are going back feeling they have received substandard treatment even when they are willing to pay more, he said. The price restriction came into force on Tuesday. The notification brought cheer to thousands of patients. The price restriction denies a patient quality even when he can afford it, Dr Manjunath contended. When more expensive stents are used, he said, chances of a re-narrowing of arteries is just 2%. With the ones made available within the capped price, the chances are between 10 and 12%. This means patients might have to undergo the procedure again, he said. This might force those who have opted for them to go in for low-quality ones, he added. In his view, the price ceiling could discourage investment in stent innovation in India, and stop imports from the US and Europe. Industry view Rajiv Nath, forum co-ordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMed), said the price cap would cause inconvenience. The decision is absurd and harsh. They asked us to recall stocks forthwith. Each of these are worth tens of thousands of rupees. How can it be done overnight? he said. The government has made no arrangement to supply stents while the existing ones are recalled, he said. The Medical Technology Association of India says drugs with revised prices are given 45 days to transition, but stent manufacturers had not been allowed a similar window. Sudden implementation of this order will result in an overall disruption in the market and supply chain, leading to non-availability and chaos for patients in need, the association has said in a statement. Methods to calculate the forecast wholesale price of electricity, taking into account the API2 index, is in effect, but the price of coal calculated using this formula now is not close to the quotations in Rotterdam, Head of the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER) Dmytro Vovk has told Interfax-Ukraine. "The methods are in effect. It takes into account average API2 for 12 months. Many politicians do not understand its essence or deliberately manipulate declaring that the price of coal used to calculate the wholesale electricity price is equal to the current price in Rotterdam around UAH 3,000. This is untrue. The price is UAH 1,730 now," he said. Vovk said that current high API2 indexes will influence the price in Ukraine, but the effect from it would be smoothed. "Eventually they [high prices in Rotterdam] will be taken into account, but at present we have UAH 1,730. From the point of view of consumers this protects them. The methods were designed to protect consumers from possible sharp fluctuations," he said. The commission head said that now the price of coal applies to purchase of coal at private and public coalmines. In 2016, state-run coalmines were able to sell coal at the price lower than the price calculated using the above-mentioned methods. The commission will present the details on the issue later. "In 2016 this period could be short, as the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry did not react to the introduction of the new methods at once. We will be able to comment on the issue after a thorough analysis," Vovk said. As reported, the NCER has applied the methods to calculate the forecast wholesale price of electricity, taking into account the API2 index, since April 2016. Following the passing of the Prop JJ general obligation bond in November, the Solana Beach School District (SBSD) is getting ready to start moving this year on the reconstruction of 62-year-old Skyline Elementary School. The Coastal Commission has approved the complete remodel and on Feb. 9 the district approved a resolution adopting a mitigated negative declaration (MND) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The negative declaration means that all potential environmental impacts of the project are not significant or that measures can be taken to lessen the impacts. SBSD Superintendent Terry Decker said with the implementation of mitigation measures included in the resolution, the potentially significant impacts would be mitigated to levels below significance. Those measures include minimizing traffic by using off-site parking for construction workers, reducing construction-related impacts on nesting migratory birds, and having both an archaeologist and paleontologist on site for any items that could be historically significant found during grading. Construction will begin in June on the complete remodel, which includes 33 new classrooms representing an increase of three from the current campus configuration. The parking lot will also see an additional 22 spaces. During the 14-month reconstruction, students will attend school at Earl Warren Middle Schools interim campus across the street. The global education program will also be re-located temporarily to Solana Highlands Elementary School. The city of Solana Beach reviewed the districts MND document and had comments about the traffic circulation impacts as well as pedestrian circulation. The city recommended that the existing sidewalk along Lomas Santa Fe be widened to accommodate pedestrians. The district has noted the citys suggestion and said it would continue to coordinate with the city as they continue work redesigning street standards on the Lomas Santa Fe corridor. The MND noted that the school currently has an internal walkway that provides access to Lomas Santa Fe without having students cross any of the school driveways. In response to the citys comments about traffic circulation, the district responded that a study has been conducted and they do not believe a mitigation will be required. Approximately 330 Skyline students will begin school on the Earl Warren campus at 8:55 a.m., 10 minutes after the end of the peak hour of morning traffic on Stevens Avenue. Skyline will end at 3:05 p.m., 15 minutes after the end of Earl Warrens day. The MND states that the traffic generated by Skyline students during these times would be less than the average 680 Earl Warren students. Skyline will provide free busing to transport approximately 180 global education students to Solana Highlands Elementary School from the parking lot of Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. For Sale: Hitzer Amish built woodstoves. JHMW Plastic sled runners. 543-2379. (11)(3/1-cnx) FOR SALE 300 Gallon Plastic Water Tanks in stock. Call Shorty at Shortys Shop for pricing. 543-3158 or 545-3157 (19)(9/18-cnx) 18 SSV Lund with 60 hp high thrust Yamaha 20 inch shaft. About 150 hours on motor, maintained well with no problems. In excellent condition. Lund boat reinforced side and motor mount, no leaks. Minor dents. Asking $11,000. Email me at [email protected] (42)(12/23-cnx) FOR SALE 24 X 56 4PLEX MUST BE MOVED CALL 545-0929. (11)(2/24-cnx) For Sale: 10 x 20 Walk In cooler/freezer, unassembled. Complete with 6 floor, ceiling, wall panels & foundation beams. 4 door, 240V compressor, evaporators. Make an offer. Ron Kaiser 545-4936. (30)(6/8-cnx) House for Sale 2424, freshly remodeled, 1 bedroom. Must be moved. 545-1890. (12)(9/21-cnx) Association of Village Council Presidents is selling Speed Queen Commercial Washer/Dryer Stacks. The units are located at the former Allanivik Hotel, 1220 Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway, Bethel, AK 99559. All sales will be completed on a First come, first served basis. Sale price is $2,500, or best offer. Considerations: Each unit is sold as is, where is, with no warranty expressed or implied. Each unit new is approximately $4000 new, without shipping. Each unit is approximately three (3) years old. Each unit is considered to be in good condition. The purchaser is responsible for the immediate removal and transportation of each unit upon sale. Please contact John at 907-545-2538 for more information. (112)(3/22-29) For Rent OUTSIDE STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT. EQUIPMENT, BOATS OR VEHICLES. NEAR BOAT HARBOR. FENCED IN AREA. 543-2402. (16)(3/17-cnx) Small Apartments available. Some utilities paid. 543-2750. (7)(9/1-22; cnx) FOR RENT 1,350 sq/ft office/commercial space for rent. Excellent space in very nice well-maintained building located next to Arctic Chiropractic at Alex Hately on Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway. Available starting in October. $3,750/mo for building. $4,000/mo for building and garage. Call Chris 543-7600. (43)(9/30-cnx) House for rent. 2 bedroom, furnished, washer/dryer. No pets. 545-0832. (10)(12/21-cnx) Real Estate For Sale 23,500 square foot lot/downtown location on Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway (or State Highway) across from Fire Station. Serious offers only. 907-543-3552. (23)(7/28-cnx) 235 Mission Lake RD 12820 FT all filled and leveled with 2 buildings. One 22 by 34, 1496 sf 3plex. One 30 by 56, 1680 sf 3 plex. 545-0929. (29)(9/21-cnx) Home for Sale Downtown location, 1011 Delapp; 2 story home, 2 bdrm, 1 bath, Up-graded to 4 star energy rating in 2011, 3 toyo stoves, on City piped water. Back deck. Must sell $230,000. Tri-plex for Sale: 238 & 236 A&B East Ave. List price $300,000 $40k below last appraisal; Each unit has 2 bdrms, 1 bath, remodeled in 2012 Great investment properties. Home for Sale 350 Alder St. 2 story; 1 bdrm, I bath, log home. House is 1,369 sq. ft; lot is 20,384 sq. ft. toyo stove + wood stove. 2001 appraisal @ $156k; owner moved & doesnt want to be distant landlord, $76,000. Home for Sale: 135 Ptarmigan 2 bdrm, 1 bath, piped water; VERY well maintained, laundry room, computer room, shed. $155,000.00 Call for showing 907-545-1944 REMAX Dynamic Properties (133)(3/29-cnx) Invitation to Bid INVITATION TO BID BULK FUEL DELIVERY Yupiit School District is accepting sealed bids for delivery of bulk grade #1 diesel fuel oil and bulk gasoline for Akiachak, Akiak, and Tuluksak schools. All schools are located in remote rural Alaska and none are accessible by road. The scope of work will include the purchase, transport, delivery, pumping and transfer of bulk fuel to the Yupiit School Districts bulk tanks. Sealed bids will be accepted at the Yupiit School District Office. Sealed bids shall be addressed to: Yupiit School District Attn: Director of Maintenance & Operations P.O. Box 51190 Akiachak, AK 99551 Bids will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. Alaska time on Friday, April 21, 2017. All bids will be publically opened on that date. Bid review and notice of award shall occur within 7 days of the bid opening date. Bid instructions are available from the Yupiit School District and may be requested by calling (907) 825-3600 or by downloading from the Yupiit School District website at www.yupiit.org. (167)(3/22-4/19) STATE OF ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION & PUBLIC FACILITIES (DOT/PF) CENTRAL REGION INVITATION FOR QUOTES Project Bid Title: Napakiak Airport (WNA) Maintenance Re-Bid Project Bid No.: 17-25A-1-020 Estimated Cost: Between $10,000 and $20,000 Bid Opening: 1:00 PM on April 13, 2017 Telephone: (907) 269.0767 TTD: (907) 269.0473 TTY: (800) 770.8973 Copies of the Contract bid documents may be obtained at the Napakiak Post Office or the M&O Bethel Station Airport Managers Office. Up to date and additional information is available on the web at (http://dot.alaska.gov). Under the Section called Find it Fast!, select DOT&PF Public Notices. Look through the section called Procurement for the Invitation for Quotes. (107)(3/29-4/5) Public Notice VFW MEMBERSHIP Freedom isnt free, and millions of Americans have paid the price for the freedom we enjoy today. Since 1899, the Veterans of Foreign Wars has served those who served America. From writing veterans legislation and then leading the fight to get it through Congress, to community projects that benefit all Americans, the VFW is an opportunity for veterans to continue to serve. Contact the VFW Robert V. Lindsey Post #10041 at 543-2241 and ask what you can do for your community. (83)(3/26-cnx) IN THE SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT AT BETHEL In the Matter of the Estate of: SETH GRANT FAIRBANKS, Deceased. Case No. 4BE-17-6PR NOTICE TO CREDITORS You are notified that the court appointed DEBORAH FAIRBANKS as Personal Representative of this estate. All persons having claims against the person who died are required to present their claims within four months after the date of first publication of this Notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must be presented to DEBORAH FAIRBANKS, Personal Representative of the Estate of SETH GRANT FAIRBANKS, or filed with the Court. DATED this _22nd_ day of March 2017 at Bethel, Alaska DEBORAH FAIRBANKS Personal Representative (115)(3/22-4/5) Share this: Tweet Email by Tad Lindley Reverend Shoup would have held my infant body and put his hand in a bowl of water. Then he must have held that dripping hand over my head, letting the water drip down on me. Three times he would have done this, saying, In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, in the name of the Holy Ghost. I have absolutely no memory of this. I can only base it on similar ceremonies I have witnessed many times since. Matthew 28:19 Jesus told his disciples that all power had been given to him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Then he instructed them, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (28:19). Many refer to this and several other scriptures as The Great Commission. It was Jesus instructions to Peter and the others for building up the religious movement that would eventually be called Christianity. Was my experience Biblical? Let us look deeper into Matthew 28:19. In the original New Testament, the word that is translated as baptizing in English is baptizo. In Greek this means to fully cover with water. Had Jesus taught the disciples to sprinkle people, he would have used the term rhantizo (as used in Hebrews 9:19). The Yupik translation for baptizo is angllurcelluki. The root word, angllur- means to submerge. Whether we consider it in English, Yupik, or Greek, Jesus was telling them to put people under water. There is no place in the Bible where anybody was sprinkled or had water poured over them under the guise of baptism. My experience was not consistent with the Bible. In fact, although the preacher called it a baptism, I had never been baptized. Reader, have you been baptized? Atranun wall atratnun As I began to read scriptures as an adult something else began to become painfully obvious to me. At my sprinkling, the preacher had not used the same name that they used in the Bible. Apparently he had misunderstood Matthew 28:19 to read baptizing them in the names. He took those names to be Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The Bible that you have will show you that Jesus was talking about putting people under water in one name, not multiple names. If you have a Yupik Bible, you will see that in Matthew 28:19 Jesus plainly told his disciples atranun (in his name, or in a name), not atratnun (in their names). Clearly Jesus is telling his disciples that there is one name that is the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. What is that name? About a week after Jesus told Peter and the others to baptize people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, they began to do it. Remember, we are looking to see whether the apostles used one name or many names, and which name(s) they used. Here are all scriptures where the name(s) used in baptism are stated: 1) Acts 2:38 be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, 2) Acts 8:16 they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, 3) Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, 4) Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus., and 5) Acts 22:16 wash away thy sins calling upon the name of the Lord. When Peter and the Apostles baptized, they always did it using one name. That name is Jesus Christ. Reader, have you been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ? Am I withholding evidence? Even from early times, I am told that writings such as the Didache record people sprinkling or pouring instead of baptizing. Am I hiding those things? No. All they do is tell me that as the church spread, some people deviated from the Biblical example. Even in the time of Jude this was going on, causing him to write ye should earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Obeying Matthew 28:19 Some might think, I havent been put under water in the name of Jesus Christ, but God knows my heart. Red flags should be going up. If our heart is truly set on the things of God, then we will do everything we can to make our life match the scripture. As an adult I had to admit to myself that I had never been put underwater in Jesus name. I wrestled with it. Finally my desire to follow in the footsteps of scripture caused me to swallow my pride. Friend, I urge you to search the scriptures thoroughly. Will you be able to stand before God and say, Lord, I did everything I could to make my life match your word? Tad Lindley is a minister at the Bethel United Pentecostal Church. Share this: Tweet Email I am writing this letter concerning the health care given to our village. Too many people are being put on narcotics/pain killers/opioids for unnecessary ailments. These meds are distributed haphazardly. Most are then siphoned off by under medicating them and therefore causing withdrawal symptoms. What they are not being told and warned before the prescriptions are doled out is that their lives are going to be turned upside down; that their feelings, emotions, for family and life itself are going to be altered for as long as they are on them. That their love and affections are going to be frozen into a brick, like a memory. The health care system gives these pills out so the patient will be or feel totally dependent on the word of the health care system, like taking the form of some deity. These patients are under medicated, and this is a form of abuse in itself. They try to control what these patients take to make up for the meds they arent prescribing, AFTER THE FACT THAT THEY GOT THEM HOOKED IN THE FIRST PLACE. This is like a form of dictatorship right under our own Yupik noses. This health care system is here to serve us, not to make followers or zealots out of us. And it doesnt help these patients when they are being treated like illiterates. Some even take advantage of this to make big decisions for them. Our people are a strong people and we should be treated accordingly. Kayleen Mesak Kipnuk, AK YDFDA BOD Hello ladies and gentlemen, I hope you all had a very good holiday this past season. We come today in a new year with a new president of the United States of America, with new hope for a better future. My hope for our people of the YDFDA region is for something better and fairness for our people. What I have been writing about before is true from my experience while employed in many places of the Kwikpak company. One of the most worrisome problems I see is these people whose job is to help our people get better opportunities or learn new trades, not fulfilling the duty so that they will continue to get the high wages with less work. YDFDA is owned by these said villages: Alakanuk, Nunam Iqua, Emmonak, Kotlik, Mtn. Village and Grayling, not those who are claiming to be bosses of our people and youth who work there. The others are claiming this company because of the generous money. Yes money thats what they see our people and communities as free money to make for themselves. I want to show you what I see because money is a source that can blind you or manipulate you if you do not open your heart and truth. I dont know if I told you this story before but I want to say it again. Theres the gentleman from Grayling, I think hes about my age and comes down here to Emmonak every season. I asked him how many people from his village come to work here. He said three. Three people from Grayling! Can you believe that, only three? I wonder if the people from Grayling know they are part owners of YDFDA and Kwikpak and YRT and any other boats or facilities that bear the YDFDA names. In fact, do all the villages know they have the voices to make the changes? If they just tell their representatives of the YDFDA BOD, to make the change. Maybe people been saying it but the BOD are too scared to make the changes. I think not. Money talks baloney walks. Take away the money youll see who walks. Our people deserve better than what is put on the table now. Our youth deserve better. We can do better for our people and communities. I hope you all a very safe and prosperous New Year and hope your smokehouses fill with our precious resources coming this summer. Marvin Kelly Emmonak resident and fisherman of the mighty Yukon River We are Listening to Alaskans, Past and Present, to Preserve Alaskas Future While the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) has been around since 1967, it is true were not exactly a household name. However, AIDEA recently gained attention when it was identified as the successful bidder for multiple tracts in the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM)s recent oil and gas lease sale. These tracts are located within the Section 1002 Area designated under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), a small part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). We wanted to take this opportunity to provide some additional perspective on AIDEA and the opportunity presented by the Section 1002 Area lease sale. What is AIDEA? AIDEA is a unique entity within the state, formed by Alaskas Legislature as a public corporation and managed by an independent board, with a mission to create jobs and spur economic development in Alaska. Since inception, we have directed over $3 billion into economic development within the state through our loan and project development programs, resulting in tangible benefits for Alaskans. AIDEA generates revenue based on successful investments in Alaskas businesses and infrastructure that yield a positive return, which in turn covers our operating costs and provides for reinvestment in Alaskans. In fact, AIDEA has declared over $439 million in dividends to the states general fund, helping to support programs and services offered through the State such as healthcare, education, and public safety. As we continue to navigate this new economic landscape created by the COVID-19 pandemic, its crucial that we as an economic development corporation have as many tools available to us as possible to promote Alaskas economic interests. This includes preserving Alaskas ability to access and responsibly develop its abundant natural resources, which is why AIDEA participated in the 1002 Area lease sale. Forty Years of Alaskan Support for the Responsible Development of the 1002 Area Responsible resource development in the 1002 Area has been part of Alaskas public discourse for over 40 years. When President Carter signed ANILCA in 1980, it not only expanded the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from 8.9 million acres to 19.3 million acres, but also expressly set aside 1.5 million acres (known as the 1002 Area) for evaluation of its oil and gas development potential which has the estimated potential to add upwards of 1.4 million barrels per day to Alaskas production. Section 1002 was endowed within ANILCA by Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young for the economic benefit of all Alaskans as codified access to Alaskas natural resources. Alaska will receive half of all proceeds earned through the 1002 Area lease sale, as well as half of the fixed royalty of 16.67% on any production. But Alaska also stands to benefit from the injection of new production in enhancing North Slope infrastructure and keeping the Trans-Alaska Pipeline running and operating efficiently. It is important to remember that there has been consistent and vocal support for responsible development of the 1002 Area from a cross-section of Alaskans, including all members of Alaskas congressional delegation since 1980, Alaskas Legislature with supporting resolutions passed in each session since 1997, and Alaskas Governor Mike Dunleavy, as well as the majority of North Slope Tribal and Village leadership. Alaskans know that the Native Village of Kaktovik is the only federally-recognized community in the 1002 Area. They, along with more than 20 other Alaska Native organizations and corporations located in and around the 1002 Area have advocated for responsible development of the oil and gas on the North Slope. These include: Native Village of Kaktovik, Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation, City of Kaktovik, North Slope Borough, Arctic Slope Native Association, City of Anaktuvuk Pass, City of Point Hope, Native Village of Atqasuk, Olgoonik Corporation, City of Atqasuk, City of Wainwright, Native Village of Point Lay, Tikigaq Corporation, Atqasuk Corporation, City of Utqiagvik, Ilisagvik College, Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation, Nunamiut Corporation, Native Village of Point Hope, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, Wainwright Tribal Council, Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, Native Village of Barrow, and North Slope Borough School District. Much of the economic development and jobs supported across our North Slope communities has resulted from the responsible development of Alaskas oil and gas resources. Public funding from taxes on oil and gas infrastructure has significantly contributed to economic security within these communities and provided revenue to fund local services, schools, health clinics, housing, emergency response, water and wastewater, heat and electric utilities, and countless essential services. We do not speak for these groups or individuals, but wed be remiss if we didnt highlight their voice and echo their support. What does Alaska mean by responsible development? Of the 1.5 million acres designated within the 1002 Area for its oil and gas potential, the BLM has stipulated that only a maximum of 2,000 acres, or roughly 3 square miles, can be used for surface infrastructure development. This means that any surface development footprint for oil and gas operations is already mandated to be less than .001% of the 1002 Area. All other acreage will continue to be managed as habitat and closely monitored. The lease stipulations include a long list of required operating procedures which incorporate extensive pre-planning and authorizations prior to any operations. These also include protections for wildlife, subsistence access and the required coordination with Alaskas native communities on subsistence use. To those who question whether any development can be done responsibly, we ask you to reflect on the past 50 years of oil and gas development in Alaskas arctic since the discovery of oil and gas in Prudhoe Bay. During this time, the oil industry established the backbone of Alaskas economy, directly and indirectly created tens of thousands of jobs, and saw the Central Arctic Caribou Herd grow from roughly 5,000 in 1978 to approximately 30,000 in 2019, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Since 1970, technological advances in drilling and production have seen the surface footprint of development pads reduce by a factor of 5. What used to take a 65-acre pad to produce just 3-square miles of reservoir, now uses just a 12-acre pad area to produce over 100 square miles of reservoir. This incredible advancement in technology has been matched by world-class environmental stewardship and the development of new technologies that help protect the tundra, rivers, lakes and wildlife of Alaskas precious arctic ecosystem. The experiences of the past 50 years have established a track record of success exploring for and producing oil and gas in the harshest conditions, living up to the standards demanded by the most rigorous environmental protection laws in the world. Oil production in Alaska is cleaner and safer than anywhere else, and oil produced from leased acreage in the 1002 Area will be no different. Alan Weitzner, Executive Director, AIDEA Corri Feige, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Natural Resources Murkowski helps advance clean energy in Alaska, Nationwide Energy is a critical economic driver for Alaska. Innovations in clean energy in particular are helping secure a more sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy future for all Alaskans. From increasing development of renewable energies to investing in energy efficiency and grid technologies, modernizing Alaskas energy infrastructure will help power a stronger economy. That is why it was so encouraging to see Congress pass the Energy Act of 2020 as part of the omnibus spending bill that was signed into law late last year. Representing the first major clean energy innovation package passed by Congress in more than a decade, the Energy Act of 2020 will invest in clean energy, grid modernization, battery storage, and more. Alaskans should be thankful to have a leader like Senator Murkowski representing our interests in Washington, D.C. She not only helped lead the effort to include the Energy Act of 2020 in the omnibus bill but was also responsible for around 10 provisions within the legislation. By working to advance bipartisan, commonsense energy solutions, Senator Murkowski is helping Alaskas energy industry continue to find innovative ways to meet our states unique energy needs. While passage of the Energy Act of 2020 was critical, there is still much work to be done to strengthen and modernize our energy infrastructurehere in Alaska and in the lower 48. Senator Murkowskis leadership and support of Alaskas energy industry should serve as a model for Alaskas entire congressional delegation. Gwen Holdmann, Director Alaska Center for Energy and Power University of Alaska Fairbanks Share this: Tweet Email Hunting, fishing, and trapping activities are important to many Alaskans and non-residents. Hunters, anglers, and trappers are reminded that all seasons remain open as scheduled during the COVID-19 pandemic unless changed by emergency order. All emergency orders and announcements can be found here http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=newsreleases.main . The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reminds everyone that the Health Mandates issued by the State are continually being updated to provide guidance for traveling both to and within Alaska. These plans are critical to ensure the health of participants and Alaska communities. Details regarding specific requirements can be found at https://covid19.alaska.gov/health-mandates/ . As we learn more about the COVID pandemic, mandates and associated requirements will change. We are all in this together. Hunters, anglers, and trappers are asked to lead by example, follow the current health mandates, and be respectful of the communities in which we live and through which we travel. It is possible, even with the current restrictions, to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Be safe, be respectful, and may your hunting, fishing, and trapping adventures be successful in every way possible. Contact: Rick Green, ADF&G Anchorage, AK Tackling Alaskas High Health Care Costs Unfortunately, many Alaskans have personally borne the brunt of our states extremely high health care costs in recent years. But having some of the most expensive health care in the nation wasnt always the case for Alaska. In fact, per-capita expenditures on health care used to be about the same as the national average. A new report, authored by a nationally-respected health care economist, shows that Alaskan per-capita expenditures on health care have been growing significantly faster than the national average over the last 30-some years. Nationally, spending on health care has been fairly stable over the past two decades, but Alaskas has continued unabated. The report found that Alaskas annual per-capita health care expenditures were more than $11,000higher than any other state. Thirty years ago, Alaskas per-capita spending on health care was about the same as the national average. In the early 2000s, however, expenditures in Alaska began to grow . . . and kept growing. In particular, Alaskas per-capita expenditures on hospital care are now 50 percent higher than the national average, and 80 percent higher for physician and clinical services. Let me repeat that per-capita spending for physician and clinical services in our state is up to 80 percent more than the national average. Why is health care spending in Alaska so much higher? Well, the short answer is unhelpful state regulations. The long answer, as explained in the new report, is that various state regulations, along with other unique Alaskan factors such as population density, have influenced the high spending on health care. According to Dr. Benedic Ippolito, the author of the report, these factors include: 1. Labor costs Yes, the cost of attracting qualified health care workers to Alaska is likely higher than in the lower 48, but its also important to note that historically, physician and clinical spending was in line with that of other states, meaning theres more going on. The report finds that certain regulations seem to incentivize some providers to charge higher rates. 2. Lack of competition The report identifies state regulations which disincentivize competition between businesses. 3. High Medicaid costs In most states, per enrollee Medicare expenses are higher than Medicaid, but thats not the case in Alaska. Instead, Medicaid payments to doctors here are much higher than Medicare reimbursements. In Alaska, Medicaid expenditures are up to 56 percent higher than the national average. High health care expenditures in Alaska are a major problem for several reasons, the first being the most obviousmore money coming out of Alaskans pockets for healthcare services. Second, higher costs for healthcare services leads to higher insurance premiumsa double whammy for Alaskans. But this also effects our economy and labor market: Alaska is less attractive for new companies because they have to pay higher insurance costs to attract quality employees, and existing businesses are hesitant to add employees to payroll. Third, because companies must pay higher insurance premiums, employees wage growth is slow there is a clear tradeoff for business between boosting paychecks and higher premium contributions. Lastly, an immense amount of state spending is dedicated to providing state employees with health benefits, so high insurance premiums mean higher bills for state government. Needless to say, Alaska desperately needs health care cost reform. Paying for high and rising health care costs is unsustainable for Alaskans, and unsustainable for our state budget. Reforms should increase market forces, allow for competition, and improve the overall efficiency and accessibility of the healthcare market in Alaska. Some of the reforms that policymakers should consider include: reassess the 80th percentile rule, eliminate surprise medical billing, and repeal Alaskas certificate of need law. Changes such as these would better balance supply with demand, resulting in reduced costs for hardworking Alaskans and a stronger economy. Bethany Marcum, Executive Director Alaska Policy Forum Bethel Family Clinic New Provider On Wednesday 07-08-20 I had an appointment at the Bethel Family Clinic. I arrived at 3:30 p.m. to fill out a 30-second questionnaire then spent the next 29 minutes 30 seconds of my life, which Ill never get back, waiting to be seen for my 4:00 p.m. appointment. The place was as quiet as a tomb, not even the phone rang once; either Bethelites are disgustingly healthy (to use a movie phrase), or there was another, more ominous reason. After the enforced 30-minute waiting period I was informed that I would be seeing a new provider. This is one of the blessings of living in the Bush: the good providers leave just as youve built a rapport and can really work together, then a new one arrives that may or may not be a decent medical provider; a sad refrain. Another round of waiting, in walks the new provider, and I decide to break the ice with an innocuous question: as she is washing her hands, I ask, how do you keep your hands from becoming chapped and raw after washing a hundred times a day? Her reply was instant, clipped and carried the force of capital letters, after 20 years in the military, you do what you are ordered to do; you just adapt. Dr. Freudenthal, Ndege, and Brent were all very excellent medical providers. The board of Bethel Family Clinic needs to identify WHY the good ones are leaving, and rectify that to retain them. When hiring new personnel, dont just look at a curriculum vitae, look at the human being. I wasted an hour of my life but you dont have too: get a copy of your medical records, go into Anchorage for your medical care until this one leaves; then we play the game all over again. Roger Rothschild Bethel, AK Share this: Tweet Email The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has launched criminal proceedings into the recordings of telephone conversations of Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Kateryna Rozhkova with shareholders, Head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office Nazar Kholodnytsky has said. "The criminal case was registered on Friday. I confirm the words of the NABU director..." he told journalists in Kyiv on Wednesday. When asked to explain, Kholodnytsky said the proceedings were based on Rozhkova's 'tapes'. As reported, on February 10, NABU Director Artem Sytnyk said the Bureau will register next week the proceedings into the possible abuses by officials of the NBU and the Individuals Deposits Guarantee Fund, in particular based on the disclosed recordings of negotiations with NBU Deputy Head Rozhkova. The NABU started a pretrial investigation against Head of the National Bank of Ukraine Valeriya Gontareva and Head of the Individuals Deposit Guarantee Fund Kostiantyn Vorushylin. The pretrial investigation was launched into a criminal offense under Part 3 of Article 365-2 (abuse of powers by authorized persons providing public services) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Coastal Villages Region Fund is launching the Spring 2017 period of its flagship People Propel program. The program was created in 2013 to help residents of CVRFs 20 member communities purchase equipment critical to daily life Western Alaska. Since its inception, the program has assisted 1,300 people purchase over $13 million worth of equipment such as boats, motors, ATVs, snowmachines, and stoves. CVRFs budget for the Spring 2017 People Propel program is $750,000. As in previous years, CVRF will also be offering a fall period timed to coincide with permanent fund dividend season, with another $750,000 made available to help subsidize the purchase of critical equipment. The Spring 2017 People Propel budget will be allocated to each community based on population, so that the program is distributed fairly and equitably for all of CVRFs residents. This program is intended for verified residents of CVRF member communities. Interested individuals are encouraged to fill out applications starting the week of May 1, 2017 at workfishhope.coastalvillages.org. Qualified participants will be eligible for a subsidy to cover up to 30% of their equipment purchase. The program is operated on a first come, first served basis. Applications will be taken until $750,000 worth of subsidies are approved, so early applications are encouraged. Details regarding the Fall 2017 People Propel program can be found in the People Propel catalogue that was mailed to all box holders in CVRF member communities on May 1, 2017. An electronic copy of the catalogue can be found here. CVRF is a 501(c)(4) Alaska non-profit corporation whose 20 member villages are along the west coast of Alaska from Scammon Bay to Platinum. CVRF is believed to be the largest Alaskan-owned seafood company in history and is governed by a 20-member Board of Directors elected by the residents of its 20 member communities. CVRF is dedicated to providing economic development in its 20 member communities by creating sensible, tangible and long-term opportunities that generate Hope for residents who want to Fish and Work. CVRF is the largest jobs provider in its member villages and is the first CDQ group to own and control the vessels that harvest its CDQ allocations. For more information, visit www.CoastalVillages.org. Share this: Tweet Email Alaska State Troopers received a report from a tribal police officer on May 20, 2022 at 11:24 pm of a death in the village of Kipnuk. The deceased male was identified as John Paul, 30 years old of Kipnuk. The tribal police officer reported when they arrived on scene Paul was non-responsive. Resuscitation was attempted, but was unsuccessful. The State Medical Examiner has been notified and requested Pauls body be sent in for an autopsy. Troopers from Bethel are responding for a complete investigation. Share this: Tweet Email The Bethel Police Department fielded 1,121 calls for the month of October 2020, which is up by about 30 calls from September. The same month last year (Oct 19) the PD had 1,560 calls. 158 of those calls were for intoxicated pedestrians, which is up by 13 from the month before. By comparison, last years calls for intoxicated pedestrians numbered 422. There were 15 driving under the influence calls, which is down by one from September. There were 20 calls for DUI last year during the same month. Domestic violence reports totaled 26 for October this year. September had 23. These numbers are down from last years October calls for domestic violence, which was at 31. For the month of October 2020 there were 27 animal-related calls, September 2020 had 33 animal calls, and October 2019 had 38. There were 2 animal bite reports, September had 1. And last year there was also 1. So far in 2020 there have been 25 animal bite reports. Death investigations are at 2 for October 2020, which makes 19 total for 2020. There are currently five police officer vacancies, according to the Citys employment site. During the November 10th, 2020 city council meeting there was concern from council for the need for more officers. Im really concerned about the lack of police force that we have, said council member Rose Sugar Henderson during the meeting. Im looking at the calls and they are going up. They are up from SeptemberI would just encourage working something out to get those filled. Share this: Tweet Email By Betsy Z. Russell 12 February 2017 (The Spokesman-Review) Freshman Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, says he believes climate change is a liberal scam and ridiculous nonsense. The Lewiston Tribune reports that Foreman, who sent an email late last week forcefully stating his views on the topic in response to an email from an Idaho mom concerned about legislative changes to school science standards, said theres no substance to concerns about global warming or human impact on the environment changing the earths climate, even though the University of Idaho, in his district, is involved in major research on climate change. I know credible scientists in the former Soviet Union who have concluded the Earth is actually cooling, Foreman told Tribune reporter Bill Spence. You can read Spences full report here. Last week, the House Education Committee deleted five references to climate change from new school science standards that are up for review in the Legislature; the Senate Education Committee hasnt yet taken up the standards. Foreman, in his email, wrote, Global warming ranks right up there with Al Gores phony ozone scare. Last month, Foreman announced that he planned to introduce legislation impose to first-degree murder penalties on women who have abortions in Idaho and doctors who perform them; that measure hasnt been introduced. The Cabinet of Ministers has defined the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Finance and the State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) as the main managers of a EUR100 million loan raised from Poland. According to cabinet resolution No. 73 of February 14, the government approved the procedure for implementing the agreement with the government of Poland for issuing a loan on the terms of tied aid in the amount of EUR100 million. The State Border Guard Service and the State Fiscal Service are responsible for the implementation of programs to be fulfilled for the loan funds. The report states this decision will allow using loan funds in the amount of up to EUR100 million to finance projects for the development of cross-border road infrastructure and construction of checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border. In particular, the national budget of Ukraine for 2017 states credit funds will be used to finance projects for the construction, reconstruction and repair of highways in the western region, for the further quality combination with the roads of Poland, the project of modernization of automated border control systems, the project for the development of border road infrastructure and checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border. Coal Energy S.A. (Luxembourg) with assets in Ukraine in January 2017 reduced coal production by 28.6% (by 11,633 tonnes) as compared to the same period of 2016, to 29,035 tonnes, the press service of the company has said. Compared with December the fall was even more significant - 43.7% (by 22,502 tonnes). As reported, Coal Energy includes ten coal mines, rock dumps processing facilities and objects for enrichment. The company sold coal to thermal power companies, coke chemical, cement plants and municipalities. It also exports goods to Bulgaria, Slovakia, Moldova and Turkey. The company's business was significantly affected by the hostilities in Donbas. The Mojo on the Mojave The blockade of railroad transportation with the regions of Donbas uncontrolled by Kyiv may lead to a halt of the country's metallurgical industry, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said. "The blockade [...] will lead to a halt of the country's metallurgical enterprises. The metallurgical industry now employs 300,000 people. What we sell abroad makes up 20% of all of our state's foreign currency earnings. It cannot be called anything but sabotage of the economy!" Groysman said in opening an extraordinary government meeting on Wednesday. The prime minister urged the blockade activists to unblock the passage of trains carrying commodities that are vital to the national economy. "I am calling on those who are blocking [the traffic] to unblock the delivery of only coal and whatever else related to the Ukrainian economy. You are welcome to block anything else and fight smuggling!" Groysman said. Telefonica, Huawei and Kamstrup have successfully deployed their first project with real users data using NarrowBand IoT technology (NB-IoT). One of the leading water utilities in Chile has successfully tested connectivity management of a telemetry solution for residential water meters. Telemetry will allow clients to know their day-to-day use, will facilitate actual invoicing by avoiding estimated use, and will detect leaks and abnormal situations in the home as well as not invoiced water flows. It will also offer the water network operation teams information regarding provision to the end customers. NB-IoT is a low-power wide-area network connectivity, focussed on adapting devices to the needs of the Internet of Things market (IoT), thus enabling increased battery life, appropriate use-specific cost, wide coverage and indoor penetration. At the same time, the technology will allow for great scalability and comprehensive security. NB-IoT has been used to accelerate the creation of a service adapted to the needs of water telemetry, resolving management of the communications network of which Telefonica takes charge. The collaboration with Huawei, one of the main driving forces in support of this technology, has enabled the launch of what is the first true NB-IoT experience in Latin America. With the goal of promoting an open and participatory Internet of Things ecosystem, Telefonica has collaborated with two large companies in the sector. One is Kamstrup, which has provided the smart meters, while the other is Huawei, which has taken on the corresponding update to the NB-IoT network. Additionally, Telefonica Chiles R&D Centre, together with Huawei, was responsible for designing and planning the technical tests. This centre, a joint initiative between Telefonica and the Chilean government, specialises in developing technologies around IoT, particularly those associated with connectivity and low power networks, which are fundamental to sector development. Vicente Munoz, Chief IoT Officer at Telefonica, said: This affirms our commitment to using our network infrastructure to provide our clients with IoT solutions, as we adapt to each of our clients needs. AT&T is aiming to launch an LTE-M network in Mexico by the end of 2017. The US-based operator is currently deploying the technology in its home market, with the goal of completing a nationwide rollout in Q2 2017. The firm suggested last month that it was looking to expand the network into Mexico and has now confirmed this. Kelly King, CEO of AT&T Mexico, said: We fully expect to have nationwide availability of LTE-M technology in Mexico by the end of 2017. This is huge for our enterprise customers. Its an important step to help accelerate the speed of business. AT&T began its domestic LTE-M deployment in October in California, having selected the technology to facilitate widespread IoT functionality. It opted for LTE-M rather than other LPWA (low power wide area) technologies, claiming that it has advantages of rival Internet of Things standards NB-IoT and EC GSM IoT. All three of these standards have been ratified by standards body 3GPP, although AT&T touts the advantages of LTE-M such as longer lasting battery life, reduced device costs, better in-building and underground coverage, and small module footprint. Operators have further options in the form of unlicensed IoT networks, including those provided by the LoRA alliance and Sigfox. Germanys Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has recently announced that it will allocate 1.5 million euros for a three-year project called PancChip. PancChip refers to the development of a new diabetes research technique focusing on understanding how to get stem cells to turn into real insulin-secreting beta cells. At present, scientists are able to grow replacement beta cells in almost infinite supplies, but lab-grown beta cells do not necessarily differentiate into insulin-producing ones. They can specialise into two different types of cells: endocrine cells, which are cells that release insulin into the blood, or exocrine cells, known to release other substances like digestive enzymes into part of the small intestine. Of course, the more stem cells develop into endocrine cells, the better in order to help restore beta function and insulin independence. PancChip is a tool that researchers designed to identify factors that determine the fate of these cells, so they can in turn utilise this information to cultivate them under the best conditions possible. That way, the researchers dont just count on the body to do the work of transforming them into actual beta cells. The cells would grow on the chip, which is the size of a thumb tip, where they would sit on culture fluids. Each individual chip would represent a different culture model. The cell culture chip model is a lot more advanced than a standard lab dish, as it enables the implementation of a testing protocol called microfluidic large-scale integration technology (mLSI). The mLSI combines the characterisation of cells by looking at proteins in and around them, the live cell imaging of the cells, as well as the tracking of their development over time. This idea of using a chip as an investigational platform and, later on a 3D model system, originated with the collaboration of three partners institutions: The Helmholtz Zentrum Munche, the University of Freiburg and the Ulm University Medical Centre. Munich researchers are going to use the technology to model stem cell-based diabetes therapies, while scientists from Ulm will apply it to the treatment of chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Using stem cells to treat diabetes is moving closer and closer to fact with innovative research techniques like PancChip. But trying to turn the technologys promise into reality may take another ten years, as the first chip results wont be usable before then. Image credit: Matthias Meier, University of Freiburg The India head of the Taiwanese OEM Wistron has denied any knowledge of an iPhone manufacturing deal with Apple, calling it pure speculation. It has been reported for a while, that Taiwanese OEM Wistron will be assembling and manufacturing Apple iPhones in India at a facility in Peenya, Karnataka. Apple has been widely reported to be in talks with the Indian government to manufacture iPhones in India. In fact, the Karnataka government had also recently tweeted that the Cupertino tech behemoth will indeed be making iPhones in the state. However, Wistrons India Country Director, Sudipto Gupta, told Digit that he is not aware of any of it, after being contacted for comments on the same. Gupta also dismissed the news of a Wistron-Apple deal as pure speculative news, denying any further comment on or off the record. Back in January, reports suggested that Wistron Corp is looking to expand its smartphone manufacturing facility in Bengaluru, India. The Taiwanese contractor is also known to have submitted an application for fast-tracking its request to expand, as per unidentified officials from the Karnataka state government. However, it is not known if Wistrons request for expansion has anything to do with it planning to manufacture iPhones in India. It does seem highly misleading that Wistron is not aware of any India manufacturing deal with Apple. However, it is important to note that the OEM could be contractually obliged not to divulge any details regarding these dealings. As of now, the official word from Wistron seems to indicate that the news of the company manufacturing iPhones at its India facility is mere conjecture. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will visit Ukraine in 2017 as part of his tour across Europe, Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Mykola Kulinich has said. "We have begun to prepare the Australian prime minister's visit to Ukraine. I meet with his assistants on Monday. We will be talking about specific moments of this preparation. We are now discussing that within the framework of the European tour of the Australian prime minister he will visit us. We have an agenda and have something to talk about," he said during a Skype-talk on Wednesday. The ambassador also noted that Ukraine is one of the priority directions of the foreign policy of Australia. The diplomat said that the possibility of visiting Ukraine by the delegation of Australian parliamentarians is also being considered at the level of inter-parliamentary relations. The Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime were introduced last August on Flipkart and Mi.com Xiaomi has claimed to have sold 3 million Redmi 3S smartphones (including Redmi 3S, Redmi 3S Prime and Redmi 3S Plus models) in India in less than six months. The Xiaomi Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime were launched in August, while Redmi 3S Plus was introduced in October as an offline-only device. The Chinese OEM recently dethroned Lenovo as the second largest smartphone brand in India. The company has been growing its presence in the country for the past two years and also retained it's number 1 position in the online smartphone market. "Xiaomi climbed up to 2nd place with 10.7 percent share in CY Q4 2016 against 3.3 percent share in the same period last year. Year-on-year shipments grew threefold while sequential growth was 15.3 percent in CY Q4 2016. Xiaomi also expanded its retail presence with the launch of an exclusive model for offline channels in CY Q4 2016," IDC said in its quarterly release. This is amazing! 3 Million units of Redmi 3S (Redmi 3S, Redmi 3S Prime and Redmi 3S+) in less than 6 months! Thank you guys! pic.twitter.com/0tvRpB3FG7 Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) February 14, 2017 Xiaomi recently announced the Redmi Note 4, successor to its popular Redmi Note 3 smartphone. It claims to have sold 3.6 million units of the Redmi Note 3 and aims to sell 7 million Redmi Note 4 devices in India. The company is able to achieve this sales figure due to its local manufacturing efforts. The Chinese smartphone maker claims to assemble most of its products at Foxconn's Sri City manufacturing unit in India. "Product is at the core of Xiaomis strategy, and a strong line-up of products with distinctive technological innovations has been critical in driving our India story. We are committed to sustaining the momentum and will continue to launch amazing products here in India," said Manu Jain, India MD, Xiaomi. While Xiaomi has grown in the recent past, the company faces resistance from other Chinese vendors like Oppo and Vivo of late. To grow further, Xiaomi will have to strengthen its offline presence and introduce more devices going forward, in India. Troubled mineral exploration and development company Beowulf said on Wednesday that it has written to the Mining Inspectorate of Sweden, and provided comments on the statement made on 1 February 2017 by the County Administrative Board (CAB) for the County of Norrbotten. The AIM-traded firm earlier had its application to mine in the county rejected, with the company strongly rejecting many of the assertions made by Swedish authorities in their decision. In the letter to the mining inspectorate, Beowulf reiterated that its application for an Exploitation Concession for Kallak North included a technical description, covering the Concession Area, the actual deposit to be mined, and the operational facilities necessary to support mining. It also included a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment, where all activities and their potential effects had been described, according to the board. Beowulf said the EIA and other relevant documents had already been reviewed by the CAB, and other stakeholders, during the period from April 2013 to October 2014, and the company had responded to all comments made; On 1 October 2014, Beowulf said the CAB confirmed that the Company's EIA was sufficient with respect to Chapters 3, 4 and 6 of the Environmental Code and, on 7 July 2015, the CAB wrote to the Government of Sweden indicating that the Company's EIA application could be permissible with respect to Chapters 3 and 4 of the Environmental Code. Beowulf asserted that the CAB's statements must be interpreted as if the CAB had no objections to the granting of an Exploitation Concession, given that the assessment of the application, under the prescribed process, should only include the Concession Area, the actual deposit to be mined. We do not understand the legal basis for any process involving United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, when considering the company's application for an Exploitation Concession, the board said in a statement. The interaction between Kallak and Laponia, which is 33 kilometres away at its closest point, is something that should be assessed under environmental permitting. Beowulf added that within the Concession Area, there were no conflicts where national interests are considered, a fact it says was stated by the CAB in July 2015. For the areas taken by operational facilities necessary to support mining, there were also no reported conflicts where national interests are considered according to the board. The last two weeks have introduced more uncertainty into the application process, which we feel is unwarranted, said CEO Kurt Budge. We have followed the requirements set out by the Mining Act and Environment Code and, by fulfilling those requirements, we believe we should be awarded an Exploitation Concession. Budge said it was now almost four years since Beowulf submitted its application, and in the absence of the Norra Karr judgement, it believed - because its application met the requirements of the prescribed process, and could reportedly deliver jobs and economic benefits to Jokkmokk and the County of Norrbotten - it should have been awarded the concession in early 2016. In July 2015, we received the support of the CAB for our application, and in October 2015 the recommendation of the Mining Inspectorate, to the Government of Sweden, that the Concession be awarded. We trust the Mining Inspectorate, as adjudicators of the review process, to ensure that our application is dealt with fairly and in accordance with the prescribed process. Budge said that, while the company remained hopeful of an award of the Exploitation Concession, there could be no guarantee if, or when, the concession might be awarded. We continue to press for an expedient decision. Syria, Tunisia, Colombia and Morocco-focussed oil and gas company Gulfsands Petroleum announced on Wednesday that its subsidiary, Gulfsands Petroleum Morocco, had been awarded an extension to its Moulay Bouchta Petroleum Agreement, together with a revised work programme. The AIM-traded firm had previously disclosed in its interim report that an agreement had been reached with Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines, subject to the usual government approvals and certain conditions precedent, to extend the duration of the initial phase of the exploration period at Moulay Bouchta from two years to three years. On 8 November 2016, the group reported that all conditions precedent had been satisfied, and it was awaiting formal approval of the extension from the Moroccan authorities. The group confirms that all approvals have now been received, such that the extension has become effective, Gulfsands board said on Wednesday. As a result, the Initial Phase will now run to 19 June 2017, with a revised work programme for the extended Initial Phase consisting of the acquisition of 200 km 2D line seismic data, the reprocessing and interpretation of selected legacy 2D seismic data, and a legacy field study with the aim to identify any potential for re-activation. Consequently, the estimated cost of the work programme as specified in the amendment to the Petroleum Agreement has been reduced from $3.5m to $2.5m, the board added. Gulfsands Petroleum Morocco will immediately seek to begin the Environmental Impact Study in anticipation of commencing the seismic acquisition, it said. The company was already in discussions with ONHYM to secure a further extension to allow additional time to complete the revised work programme. The work programme focusses on an oil prospective area identified to the east of the depleted Haricha oil field. Based on work performed to date, GPML has identified new lead concepts with gross recoverable prospective resources internally estimated at 149 mmbo, the board explained. This estimate has not been subject to external audit. Gulfsands said it continued to be interested in identifying a farm-in partner for the Moulay Bouchta permit, with any parties interested invited to contact the group directly. Karelian Diamond Resources announced on Wednesday that it has received a technical report by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) on its diamond discovery in Eastern Finland that was announced on 31 January. The AIM-traded company said the stone, which was described by GTK diamond specialist Dr Karl Kinnunen as being an excellent diamond, is 0.8mm in diameter, forming a 12-sided, curved and twinned dodecahedron. It is a sparkling clear crystal with clean faces, and the colour is greenish. Surface textures indicated slight resorption of the diamond during transport in the kimberlite magma from its ultimate source 150km or deeper in the Earth, to the Earths surface and could indicate hypabyssal kimberlite-type magmatic rock, the report said. The discovery of a diamond in a till exploration sample is an extremely rare event, said GTK senior diamond exploration geologist Dr Hugh OBrien. Such a significant result identifies this new target as a high priority for follow-up work. Karelian chairman Richard Conroy said he was delighted to receive the technical report from the GTK. This is a stunning discovery. The CEO of Ford China said US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are prepared to work together on trade so businesses in both countries can flourish. Trump had previously threatened to impose a 45% trade tariff on Chinese imports to the US, sparking fears of a global trade conflict, in addition to doubts about his policies towards the "One China" issue. China is an area where many car manufacturers are showing huge growth, but Trump's campaign promises of isolationist trade policies have put the likes of Ford and General Motors on alert. "I think it's way too early to be talking about any trade tariffs or barriers," said Ford China boss David Schoch. "I believe that President Trump and President Xi [Jinping] will create an environment of good, strong commerce." "We've invested a lot in China," Schoch told CNN. "It's an integral part of future growth, we want to succeed here." "I view the U.S. and China as two major economic powerhouses, and to be successful in the global environment, we're going to have to work with each other," Schoch said. Early actions from President Trump suggest that his approach towards China may be less confrontational than first thought. He did not follow through on his promise to label the Asian superpower a currency manipulator. He also last week vowed to honour the longstanding US stance on the "One China" policy, despite a controversial phone call to the Taiwan president before his inauguration. Donald Trump's administration is facing calls for an investigation into the links between departed national security adviser Michael Flynn and the Kremlin, amid reports of alleged contacts between the President's election campaign and members of the Russian government. A statement released from the White House confirmed that Trump knew for weeks before his resignation that Flynn had misled about his contacts with Russia, but did not immediately reconsider his position. The President was informed in January that Flynn was not entirely forthcoming to VP Mike Pence about his relationship with the Russian ambassador to the US, according to press secretary Sean Spicer. Several leading Democrats in Washington, as well as a handful of senior Republicans, have called for an investigation into Flynn's contact with the Russian administration. Flynn quit over claims that he discussed US sanctions on Russia before Trump took over the Oval Office. Further revelations emerged late on Tuesday as the New York Times reported that a group of campaign aides during Trump's successful election campaign had had repeated contact with Russian officials. Citing four current and former US intelligence officials, the NYT said that there had been contact between the campaign and senior Russian intelligence for up to a year before the November election. The sources did add that there was no evidence as of yet that there was collusion between the Kremlin and Trump's team to attempt to influence the election. Meanwhile, Russia has responded unequivocally to comments from President Trump in which he said he expects control of Crimea to be returned to Ukraine. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," said Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry. Russia annexed the region in 2014, leading to the placement of sanctions against its government from the US and the European Union. Russia rejected US demands that it return control of Crimea to Ukraine. "We do not give our territories back," Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, according to Interfax. The Russian Federation annexed Crimea, which includes the naval base at Sevastopol, where its Black Sea fleet is based, in 2014. The day before the White House said that:"President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to deescalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at a daily news briefing. "At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia." Historically, Russia has been very aggressive over control of the region to ensure its access to the Mediterranean Sea. Relations between the US and Russia have been at a severely low level since the latter's annexation of Crimea, and Trump's victory and subsequent claims alleging the Kremlin attempted to influence the election have not helped. On Wednesday senior Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky told media that Trump's actions were "alarming", but suggested that it was simply part of a transitional phase in which he has to respect the actions of the establishment. "Of course, such rhetoric is alarming but we understand this is the stance that most of the US establishment shares," Slutsky said. "Trump could not be expected to oppose his countrys elite at the very beginning of his presidency." "Let's be real. There is still a chance that Russian-US relations will improve. But nevertheless, such statements are like a cold shower that will cool down high expectations from Trump and his team," the chairman of the Russian Duma added. EU-born workers likely sweating their post-Brexit futures in the UK fled the country at the end of 2016 in numbers not seen in five years. Office for National Statistics figures revealed the number of EU-born workers in the UK in the quarter to 31 December, 2016, had declined by 50,000 to 2.3m. Evidence of the fall, which came alongside stable employment data and a drop-off in wage growth, comes just days after another report revealed UK companies have been fretting about a labour shortage. Barely eight months ago the UK voted to quit the EU in a non-binding and widely contentious referendum. As a direct result, sterling has plunged to depressing depths. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly said from the soapbox that she wanted to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the UK, but has so far failed to produce results. She is set to begin formal Brexit talks with the EU in March, by triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. It is against this backdrop that the ONS results were set, but the UK statistics gatekeeper did warn that the fall of 50,000 was not seasonally adjusted and should be treated with caution. Meantime, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said earlier this week that skills shortages were "starting to bite" in sectors that employed a high ratio of EU nationals. CIPD further warned of hiring challenges, more so if UK shifts its immigration policies after quitting the EU. Overall, the total of EU workers in the UK was up almost 190,000 over the past 12 months, but had more than doubled over the past decade. ONS senior statistician David Freeman pointed out that data on non-UK nationals and non-UK born workers is not seasonally adjusted, "so the small drop in the number of workers born in other EU countries, and small rise in the number of non-EU-born workers should be treated with caution". He said the first migration figures that include a post-referendum period will be published on 23 February, when ONS will release migration statistics for the year ended September 2016. Co-operative Banks core ethical mandate is expected to pose a major obstacle to a sale of the troubled lender to a rival firm, according to City sources. The bank, which put itself up sale on Monday in a bid to solve its financial woes, has a strict policy that forbids it from funding a host activities, including those that contribute to climate change or animal testing of cosmetics. The mandate sets the lender apart from other high-street banks. Telegraph A sharp rise in business rates for offices in the City of London is threatening to undermine the Square Miles drive to remain a key financial centre in Europe after Brexit. The business rates bill for offices in the City will rise by 1.4bn, or 33%, over the next five years. - Guardian Unions are urging the government to take back control of its nuclear strategy after Toshibas deepening financial crisis cast fresh doubt about its involvement in the planned Moorside power station in Cumbria. Justin Bowden, GMBs national secretary for energy, described the situation as a fiasco after Japans Toshiba, the lead party behind Moorside, revealed a $6.3bn writedown in its US Westinghouse business and confirmed it was scaling back investment in new overseas nuclear projects. Guardian More than four thousand jobs in the British motor industry are under threat as it emerged that the American owner of Vauxhall is in talks to sell its European operations to the French. In a statement last night, the French company said: PSA Group and General Motors confirm they are exploring numerous strategic initiatives aiming at improving profitability and operational efficiency, including a potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall by PSA. The Times Sales of three key Jaguar Land Rover vehicles have slowed markedly as the Indian-owned British manufacturer reported a sharp reverse in profits. Sales of the Jaguar XE, launched in 2015 as its the long-awaited baby Jag and its stab at going into a higher volume market, fell for the second quarter in a row. Sales dipped 3 per cent over summer and slid another 5 per cent between October and December. The Times 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. The ministers of foreign affairs of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia may hold talks not in Bonn, as it was planned earlier, but in Munich, a source in the diplomatic circles told Interfax-Ukraine. "The possibility of holding a meeting of foreign ministers of Normandy format in Munich is being considered," the agency's interlocutor told on Wednesday morning. According to him, the negotiations may be held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, which will be attended by all four ministers. Earlier all parties agreed to a meeting of foreign ministers of Normandy Four in Bonn on February 17 on a G-20 conference sidelines. The Munich Security Conference will be held on February 17-19 in Germany. Its participants will discuss a number of key challenges in the field of security, including the situation in Ukraine. The talks of foreign ministers of Normandy Four were held at this event in 2016. Subscriber content preview By ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON Conservatives have demanded a quick vote on erasing much of President Barack Obama's health care law, with some threatening to oppose legislation that falls short. But House Republican leaders said they were working deliberatively as the party continued its struggle to find a replacement that could pass Congress. This affects every person and every family in America, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters on Tuesday. That's why we're taking a step-by-step approach. . . . Subscriber content preview PCL Construction Services and the Seattle Fire Department recently used a jobsite in Belltown to practice rescuing someone from the bottom of a construction hole. . . . Subscriber content preview HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) State officials are claiming government immunity in response to a lawsuit by a Native American tribe seeking more than $600 million for land it says the state seized from 1801 to 1918. The state attorney general's office asked a state judge in Hartford on Tuesday to dismiss the lawsuit filed in October by the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. The motion includes the state's first public response to the lawsuit. . . . Thailand has sought Indian investment in a number of sectors, such as aerospace, automation, medical devices, pharmaceutical, bio-technology and IT/ITes, to drive growth through value-based investments. Thailand, which is looking for foreign investments into the country, mainly in the innovation-driven high-tech sectors, sees India as a "great partner" for the future. "I see India as a great partner for the future. We really want to work with the Indian government," Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said explaining the role India could play in the Thailand 4.0 initiative. Under the initiative Thailand hopes to move from a manufacturing focused economy to a knowledge-driven one and is implementing a plan to attract foreign investment in identified sectors. "We would like to work with India in certain areas such as hi-tech," Jatusripitak said. Thailand recently revised its Investment Promotion Act and the Competitiveness Enhancement Act to allow the Board of Investment (BOI) to provide new incentives to investors. The Thailand Board of Investment, which has invited 2,500 investors from across countries to its mega seminar Opportunity Thailand 2017 this week, is especially interested in investments from India, an official from the Thai government said. ''According to the government's Thailand 4.0 model, 10 target industries have been identified as the new engines of growth to transform the country into a regional innovation hub through the use of creativity, advanced technology, research and development and human resource development. Indian companies can contribute in all these sectors,'' the Hindu BusinessLine quoted Kanokporn Chotipal, director and consul (investment), Thailand Board of Investment, as saying. Chotipal said the proposed India-Thailand Free Trade Agreement could play a big role in boosting bilateral trade and investments. ''A full-fledged FTA can play a vital role to boost trade for both sides, and will lead to investment as well. Trade volume has increased significantly after the Early Harvest Scheme of Thailand-India was put in place and the ASEAN-India FTA was implemented. Definitely, an FTA can complement each other's economy in the long run,'' she said. She said the two governments should draw the attention of investors and businesses to the benefit of each other from the FTA, so that they are able to utilise the privileges offered. India exported goods worth $3billion to Thailand in 2015-16, while its imports from that country were valued at $5.5 billion. Medical tourism and pharmaceuticals are areas where Indian companies could have a lot of opportunities, she pointed out. ''Thailand is not only one of the best tourist destinations in the world, but is also good for medical tourism. We are the medical hub of the ASEAN region with many foreigners coming to the country to get world-class treatment. We have a big gap between demand and local supply of pharmaceutical and medical devices that India can fulfill,'' she said. Some of the identified industries that would find focus in Opportunity Thailand 2017 seminar include next-generation automotive, smart electronics, digital, affluent medical and wellness tourism, agricultural and biotechnology, food for the future, aerospace, and automation and robotics. Kanokporn said, so far investment from India into Thailand has been low compared with Japan, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and the Netherlands; so there is potential for growth. ''India should consider Thailand because our infrastructure is excellent, transparency of rules and regulations and, of course, costs are still low compared with other developed countries in ASEAN.'' Vodafone India has awarded a 4G deployment contract worth $300 million (about Rs2,040 crore) to Swedish gear maker Ericsson for UP West, Rajasthan, Odisha, the North-east and Assam telecom zones, according to an Economic Times report citing sources. ''The deployment of 4G LTE network is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2017. Ericsson, under this contract, is deploying its full radio system portfolio that offers 50 per cent improved energy efficiency,'' said one of anonymous sources. Queries emailed by ET to Ericsson and Vodafone India did not elicit any response. Vodafone India, the domestic arm of the British telecom firm, which is expediting its network expansion and ramping up capacities to counter bigger rival Bharti Airtel and new 4G entrant Reliance Jio Infocomm, is currently in talks with Aditya Birla Group-owned Idea Cellular for a potential equal merger. Vodafone India and Idea Cellular have common network equipment and managed services vendors. The proposed merger could lead to realignments of existing contracts with their respective partners. Both the telcos may have to renegotiate some vendor contracts to optimise network and bring in operational efficiency on a circle-to-circle basis. The two companies had bought spectrum in the 2016 auctions. Vodafone India has given network rollout contracts for all its 4G circles, including a 4G LTE deployment and expansion deal worth 450-500 million (about Rs3,650 crore) to Nokia covering 10 circles and a similar contract to Huawei in Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi circles. Vodafone also awarded a multi-year managed services contract, worth 200 million (about Rs1,420 crore) to Nokia, covering several telecom circles. It had last year awarded a three-year managed services and network operations contract worth $180-220 million to Huawei in some circles. The telecom carriers will have to choose between vendors running parallel service and supply contracts, so as to keep one network. They may even redistribute areas between suppliers, a senior executive at one of the tower providers recently told ET. Vodafone India has already launched 4G services across all 17 circles planned and it is now rapidly expanding 4G footprint within these circles. The telco aims to make it available in 2,400 towns across the country by March. These 17 circles cover 91 per cent of Vodafone India's total revenues and 95 per cent of mobile data revenues. The company, which started its services in 2007 and has operations across the country, serves more than 200 million customers including over 106 million in rural areas. In a recent statement, it said that it had rolled out one 4G site every 10 minutes in the past two months. It is aggressively expanding its 4G footprint by adding new towns daily. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Office of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (SAPO) continues to investigate the case involving the head of Ukraine's Central Election Commission (CEC) Mykhailo Okhendovsky, SAPO head Nazar Kholodnytsky has said. "The investigation continues today," Kholodnytsky said on Wednesday during a Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine commission on crime prevention meeting. Kholodytsky said the investigation would continue. "Unfortunately, and this was predictable, it was difficult in court to prove the necessity of removing [Okhendovsky] from his position and remanding him to pretrial detention," Kholodnytsky said. As earlier reported, Kyiv's Appeals Court has upheld the ruling of Kyiv's Solomensky district court from December 21, 2016, which declined the motion of the senior National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine detective for removing Okhendovsky as CEC member and head. The Elba Police Department is currently searching for Ben Nelson, 38 of Elba, after a missing persons report was filed in Geneva County and then passed along to Elba Police. Nelson was last seen in Elba, and his Chevrolet Tahoe was found on Highway 189 before being towed. Nelson is 5-9 and 180 pounds with brown and gray hair and blue eyes. He also has a birthmark on his arm that is described as resembling a burn, as well as a scar on the left side of his neck. Nelson frequents both Samson and Troy. Nelsons family and Elba Police are requesting that anyone with information on Nelsons whereabouts contact the police department immediately at 334-897-2555. An action by Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Limited for an alleged very serious infringement of copyright was adjourned for a month to March 13 next. Paul Meagher solicitor for the company asked for the earliest possible hearing when the matter came before Ardee District Court. He said the action against Leo Sherlock of Glenvar, Ardee Road, Collon related to a continued breach of copyright that continued up to a certain date. However, the respondent hadnt filed formal documents in the case and represented himself in court. He said his solicitor was not available as he was in another court. Mr Sherlock told he was not aware of another case which Mr Meagher alluded to. It was his first time ever in court. Questioned by Judge Grainne Malone why he had not handed in papers into the court, Mr Sherlock explained that he had been in very bad health for the last 14 years and had been in and out of hospital. It was a complete oversight. He said he wrote to Independent and explained the situation before Christmas. Unfortunately they didnt accept it. Mr Meagher said he had heard nothing from the defendants solicitor and this was the first time he had heard of his name, and asked for details of his company and where he practised. Judge Malone directed that Mr Sherlock file the required papers. He replied to the Judge that he would give evidence in the case. Fourteen trucks of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) have passed through the Novotroyitske checkpoint in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region into the territory uncontrolled by the Ukrainian authorities. The convoy will deliver nearly 239 tonnes of food to residents of the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian State Border Service said on Wednesday morning. Dundalk is at the centre of legal battle which will see the European Commission taking Ireland to the EU's Court of Justice. The issue centres on the state's alleged failure to ensure that urban waste water in 38 agglomerations (towns, cities and settlements) across the country is adequately collected and treated to prevent serious risks to human health and the environment. Under EU law, towns and cities are required to collect and treat their urban waste water, as untreated waste water can put human health at risk and pollute lakes, rivers, soil, coastal and groundwater. The 38 agglomerations with inadequate wastewater infrastructure in Ireland are: Arklow, Athlone, Ballybofey/Stranorlar, Ballincollig New, Castlecomer, Cavan, Clifden, Clonakilty, Cobh, Cork City, Dundalk, Enfield, Enniscorthy, Fermoy, Gaoth Dobhair, Killarney, Killybegs, Longford, Mallow, Midleton, Monksland, Navan, Nenagh, Oberstown, Passage/Monkstown, Portarlington, Rathcormac, Ringaskiddy, Ringsend, Roscommon Town, Roscrea, Shannon Town, Thurles, Tralee, Tubbercurry, Youghal and Waterford City. EU member states had until the end of the year 2000 to ensure appropriate treatment of wastewater from large agglomerations (population equivalent of more than 15,000), and until the end of 2005 for discharges from medium-sized agglomerations and discharges to freshwater and estuaries from small agglomerations. An infringement against Ireland was initiated by the European Commission in September 2013, with follow-up warnings in September 2015 and September 2016. According to a recent Commission report on the implementation of EU environmental policy and law in member states, one of the main challenges Ireland faces is maintaining the important investments required for water services, given the urgent need to invest in water infrastructure. Dutch-based organisations Vitens Evides International and Unesco-IHE agreed with Ugandas National Water and sewerage corporation (NWSC) to strengthen the position of the International resource center to become a regional training center for staff of water utilities in Eastern Africa. A tripartite cooperation agreement was signed in Delft, the Netherlands on 16 January. Capacity building for African water utilities Cooperation of the three parties will focus on undertaking joint capacity development programs and joint applied research on relevant topics related to water utility management. An important element is to strengthen the International Resource Center (IREC) of NWSC, which provides training to staff of NWSC and other water utilities. By strengthening IREC, the centre can become a regional training and knowledge center catering to staff of water utilities in (Eastern) Africa. Managing director dr. Silver Mugisha of NWSC (left), rector dr. Fritz Holzwarth of UNESCO-IHE (middle) and CEO dr. Marco Schouten of VEI (right) on occasion of signing of the tripartite agreement. Three different parties The three parties of this cooperation agreement are quite diverse. NWSC is Ugandas national water utility mandated to operate and provide water and sewerage services in 174 towns in the country. It has been globally recognized as a utility which has been able to achieve remarkable performance improvements over the past two decades. Unesco-IHE is the largest graduate water education facility in the world, with a long history of capacity development for water supply and sanitation in Africa. Vitens Evides International (VEI) is the vehicle for the international corporate social responsibility agenda of six Dutch water operators and supports peer water operators in Africa and Asia on a not-for-profit basis towards realizing SDG 6 (ensuring universal access to water and sanitation). Common mission Although their different approaches and expertise, NWSC, Unesco-IHE and VEI share a common mission: to improve the capacity of water utilities to provide water supply and sanitation services. Their diversity allows the partnership to combine operational and practical utility management know-how with capacity development and applied research expertise. This makes the partnership highly relevant for addressing the challenges existing in the African water supply and sanitation sector. This news item was originally published on the website of Vitens Evides International and Unesco-IHE. Read also on this website Unesco-IHE and RIVM trained management Suriname Water Company on Water Safety Plans, 9 January 2017 VEI concludes management project resulting in 50 percent more revenue for water utilities in Oromia, Ethiopia, 15 August 2016 Unesco-IHE trains students from small island states to strengthen local water management, 15 February 2016 AIWW Aquatech 2015: VEI and World Resources Institute join forces on green utilities, 5 November 2015 Country: Uganda More information Unesco-IHE Delft, the Netherlands +31 15 212 29 21 www.unesco-ihe.org Vitens Evides International Utrecht, the Netherlands +31 88 884 7991 www.vitensevidesinternational.com We hear over and over again that businesses need to innovate otherwise they risk being chewed up and spat out by disruptive forces. But creating a company culture where people can be innovative is easier said than done. I recently sat down to talk about innovation with Xeros former Managing Director, Chris Ridd. Ridd made an enormous contribution to start-ups and SMEs during his leadership period with innovative companies like Xero and Microsoft. Following a career-shift, Ridd is now a start-up investor, mentor and non-executive director at Melbourne-based fintech, Moula. He joins the growing ranks of successful enterprise leaders who are now managing a portfolio of start-up interests. In our conversation, we touched upon how innovative cultures are less than common in traditional corporations, yet interestingly, Ridd said he always felt empowered to innovate because of his experience working in the tech ecosystem throughout his career. Embracing innovation is a scary thing in that it can lead to some very unpredictable outcomes. To use the old adage: no business plan ever survives first contact with customers. Many businesses try to minimise the potential negative results from that first contact via careful desktop research, focus groups and committee meetings, but this often comes at the expense of creativity. Real creativity (and by extension innovation) means getting out there, interacting with customers, and learning from them. This means there are going to be mistakes, and thats something that, culturally, many organisations dont allow for. There continues to be the perception that failure is weakness, and that no one in their right mind would take risks if they believed that by doing so they were putting their career or business on the line. Some people will throw caution to the wind and do something innovative anyway, and thats how we end up with the greatest thought leaders and global disruptor businesses. But it is in every businesss best interests to encourage creative thinking, and develop a culture of innovation. That means re-structuring the business so that failure is seen as a strength, rather than a weakness. Innovative cultures are easy for start-ups because theyre born with it, but to create that in a big corporation is a lot more challenging, Ridd told me. Innovation needs to be built into the way that you operate as a business, but this is difficult for big organisations. To address this, what youre seeing today is a lot of big organisations building innovation labs that are typically siphoned off from the core of the business that task employees to go and look at new ideas, and then bring the ideas that work back into the organisation. According to Ridd, innovation really needs to be driven downward from the leadership team, and it needs to be a genuine commitment, even through short term pain. If I go back to 2001, Microsoft was really trying to build itself into a customer-centric organisation. It was a difficult time for the company, with the potential breaking up of the company around the anti-trust trial. The leadership team kept bringing everything back to the customer-centric culture that we were building. That took a number of years to do. There was a lot of change that needed to happen, and programs that needed to come into play, such as around leadership and how people talked about innovation. Changing the culture of a business so that it is accommodating of failure is challenging, and requires an organisations leadership to change its thinking from a focus on responsibility to a focus on learning. At Xero I made an almighty screw up in late 2013, Ridd said. It was the first time that we had made changes to our subscription pricing, and I made a wrong call. When we launched, we got so much feedback on social. I remember going into a call with the CRO and thinking Ive screwed this up, Im in big trouble. But the conversation was actually along the lines of yes, weve screwed up, but what are we going to do about it?' Fostering an environment where people are accountable, but dont feel like a sword is hanging over their heads, is the secret to the success of many start-ups. Each failure is a learning opportunity for the entire organisation, and that learning directly leads to better ideas down the track. The great thing about my time at Xero was that the team all saw me fail and I was comfortable, Ridd said. I think that was a fabulous message to the organisation, that whats important is not the failure, but how you deal with it. You can watch my full discussion with Chris Ridd here: About the author Peter Bradd is the co-founder and CEO of The Beanstalk Factory, a start-up working with corporates to inspire innovative thinking. He is also the founding director of StartupAUS, Fishburners and ScribblePics. He has previously shared his thoughts on failure in business with Dynamic Business. See: Failure isnt fatal, nor is it defining it can equip you for success: Beanstalk Factory CEO Start-ups that apply for Salesforces inaugural PitchComp, which takes place in Sydney next month, are in with a chance to win up to USD$60,000 in funding plus additional business support from the cloud CRM provider. The competition will be held at the Salesforce World Tour Sydney event on Tuesday, 21 March and will be judged by Steve Baxter (investor, entrepreneur and Shark Tank star), Pip Marlow (CEO, strategic Innovation with Suncorp, formerly Microsoft Australia, MD) and Annie Parker (CEO of Lighthouse Sydney and co-founder of Telstras startup accelerator muru-D). Salesforce will select three finalists to pitch to the judging panel. Each will receive two full passes to the event (together with travel and accommodation) plus access to the Salesforce for Startups Portfolio Package and an opportunity to receive up to USD$60,000 from Salesforce Ventures. In addition, the winner will also have an opportunity to participate in the Salesforce Trailblazer campaign which includes a number of brand awareness opportunities throughout 2017. Robert Wickham, Regional Vice President, Innovation & Digital Transformation, Salesforce APAC said PitchComp was a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to test their idea with the best in the industry and secure the support, funding and exposure to take their business to the next level. We look forward to discovering Australias next great startup through PitchComp, he added The competition is open to all start-ups that are using or integrating with at least one Salesforce platform technology (Lightning, Force.com or Heroku). For more information including entry criteria, head to the PitchComp site. Applications close Sunday, 26 February. "We must be ready to dare all for our country. For history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose." - President Eisenhower, First Inaugural Address A former Russian State Duma member from the Communist Party, Denis Voronenkov, who has received Ukrainian citizenship, provided valuable evidence to the treason inquiry against Ukraine's ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko said. "We have two witnesses - an ex-deputy of the Russian State Duma, one of whom voted for the annexation of Crimea, and the other [who] did not vote. An assessment of this will also be given, but at this point his witness statements were quite important for us," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday. Voronenkov's testimony is very useful to the inquiry, and it is in this context that investigators are considering cooperating with him, he said. "There are no other obligations to him [Voronenkov]," the prosecutor general said. The treason trial against Yanukovych should begin in March, he said. It emerged a day earlier that ex-Duma deputy Voronenkov, who left for Ukraine with his wife Maria Maksakova, also a former State Duma deputy, received Ukrainian citizenship in December 2016. Ukraine's SBU Security Service is calling on citizens to be vigilant and beware of provocations at the so-called "last Maidan" advertised on the Internet. "There is freedom of speech in Ukraine and we do not have the means or the ability to block Internet content. The Russia Federation is currently attempting to manipulate and distort the right of Ukrainians to receive information on the Internet," the head of the SBU's personnel office Oleksandr Tkachuk said during a briefing on Wednesday. He said websites administered from the Russian Federation are appearing on the Internet and disseminating information about mass protests in Kyiv. "One of the memes is that 'the last Maidan' is set to kick off in Kyiv," Tkachuk said. Tkachuk said the SBU is calling on Ukrainians not to be swayed by calls for violence coming from the Russian Federation. "We ask citizens to be careful and always check the source of information they read on the Internet," he said. Horsforth homes and green spaces could be good for your health When it comes to idyllic locations they dont come much better than Redrows Woodlands development in Horsforth, near Leeds, amid evidence that living amongst green spaces can seriously improve peoples health and well-being. This collection of 125 executive new homes is the jewel in the crown of Redrows wider Horsforth Vale development, which is transforming a former industrial area close to the River Aire, Leeds-Liverpool Canal and open countryside. Redrows entire development features parkland, dry stone walls and a myriad of green spaces, but nowhere is this more evident than in the most recently launched phase known as Woodlands. Previously the site of the old Riverside Mills, off Low Hall Road, Woodlands boasts large numbers of protected trees and public footpaths linking with the River Aire. Such is its beauty that Redrow is only developing around 10.5 acres of the 19-acre site for housing, with the rest left as managed woodland and open space. Yet, at the same time, this semi-rural idyll is only six miles north west of Leeds and a short bus journey from Horsforth Vale connects with Horsforth train station for frequent rail services into the city centre. Woodlands truly offers the best of town and country, says Redrow Homes (Yorkshire) sales director Patsy Aicken. Were providing some exceptional three, four and five-bedroom new homes and, at the same time, those homes are enveloped in a landscape that includes swathes of mature woodlands featuring primarily Goat Willow, Silver Birch and Sycamore, plus the occasional mature Ash and Oak. As much as possible of the woodland habitat is being retained and we are creating a large area of public open space to the south of the development, including a new pond. The River Aire is protected by a substantial green buffer and there is also a natural buffer either side of Gill Beck, which runs through the development. Residents will have access to woodland walks and to the river itself via a network of footpaths. All of this would be music to the ears of university academics who concluded in 2014 that green spaces in towns and cities could lead to significant and sustained improvements in mental health. A research team from the University of Exeter Medical School found that moving to a greener area not only improves peoples mental health, but that the effect continues long after they have moved. Current availability at Woodlands includes four-bedroom Kenilworth townhouses from 344,950, semi-detached Yorks from 404,950 and the five-bedroom detached Blenheim at 749,950, with more four-bedroom styles to be released for sale soon. At Woodlands, not only will home owners enjoy all the attributes of our new homes and the recognised health and well-being benefits of the rich, green environment, theyll also enjoy the extra kudos of living in an area that last year was named as one of the best places to live in the UK by the Sunday Times, Patsy adds. The report singled out Horsforth for its frequent train links to Leeds city centre, the choice of bars, restaurants and good schools. To find out more about Redrows homes at Woodlands, go to redrow.co.uk/woodlands, or visit the sales centre open Thursday Monday inclusive from 10am to 5.30pm. Book a Mammoth Maldivian Suite with your own private 24 hour bar Catering to the most discerning of travellers, luxury Maldivian resort OZEN by Atmosphere at Maadhoo, has opened the doors to a 430sqm 'Over-Water Suite', which includes an exclusive overwater bar, serviced 24 hours a day! Positioned at the tip of the pier - and just a stone's throw from the resort's underwater restaurant M6m - the OZEN Water Suite offers panoramic views of the expansive turquoise lagoon all-around and can comfortably accommodate 8 people (4 adults + 4 children, or 6 adults + 2 children + maid/nanny). The Overwater Suite includes three bedrooms, two of which are king sized doubles and one twin bed room. Additionally, there is a fully equipped personal gym, a maid/nannies room with separate access, a kitchenette, ensuite bathrooms, spacious outdoor dining pavilion, a private 35sqm pool and even a tranquil, private sand bank! Indulgent special touches are in abundance throughout the suite, with fibre-optic mood lighting and sections of glass flooring in the bedrooms revealing the underwater world below and infusing a natural aesthetic. A standalone private bar is also part of the Suite's complex, which is fully staffed and stocked with an array of beverages, including top shelf wines and champagne. Taking the level of service one step further, guests will also have their own private butler service throughout their stay here and can relax without the worry of unexpected bills thanks to the Atmosphere Indulgence Plan, which covers dining at any of the resort's five diverse restaurants, all beverages and non-motorised water sports. Mr. Venkata Giri, General Manager at OZEN says, We're delighted to showcase the OZEN Water Suite to the world. A labour of meticulous planning and creative design, the suite reflects our dedication to provide a holiday experience that goes above and beyond expectations. We're very much looking forward to welcoming our first guests into the suite to make unforgettable memories on the island of Maadhoo! The latest and most presidential addition to OZEN by Atmosphere, which opened in July 2016, the OZEN Water Suite will accompany the existing 89 luxurious stand-alone villas; 41 beach-front 'Earth' villas line the coastline of the main island, whilst an additional 48 over-water 'Wind' villas sit directly over the lagoon, many of them with their very own Pools. Other recent notable additions include Sub-zen, the resort's semi-submersible submarine, available for excursions and private hire. For more information, visit ozen-maadhoo.com. 6 weeks until the pound stops being round With only 6 weeks until the historic new 12-sided pound enters circulation, the Commercial Secretary to the Treasury visits the Royal Mint. Baroness Neville-Rolfe will pay tribute to the Royal Mints role as a global leader in the production of coins and medals - exporting to an average of 60 countries every year. The visit comes ahead of a major export conference in Cardiff due to take place next month, celebrating Wales position as a leading exporter for goods and services across the world. The minister will be accompanied on the visit to the factory in Llantrisant, Wales by the Welsh Secretary Alan Cairns. Commercial Secretary to the Treasury Baroness Neville Rolfe said: The introduction of a new pound coin, the most secure coin in the world, is a historic event. The fact this coin is made in Wales makes it even more special as it underlines the importance of the Union. Our message is clear: if you have a round one pound coin sitting at home or in your wallet, you need to spend it or return it to your bank before 15 October. Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, said: It is particularly exciting to get a sneak preview of history being made today at the Royal Mint as the new pound coin is prepared for circulation. The presence of the Royal Mint in Wales as the creator of our currency as well as being a major employer underlines how central Wales is to the union. The Royal Mint is also blazing a trail as an exporter. The UK government will shortly hold a conference for exporters in Wales, and companies like the Royal Mint are a great example to follow. This is the first time the 1 coin has been changed in over 30 years. Around 1.3 billion worth of coins are stored in savings jars across the country, and the current 1 coin accounts for almost a third of these. Therefore ministers are reminding the public of the importance of all old 1 coins being returned before 15 October 2017 when they lose their legal tender status. The new 12-sided 1 coin will be the most secure coin in the world. It boasts several new security features, including a hologram, to prevent counterfeits, which cost taxpayers and businesses millions every year. The Treaty laid the foundations for the European Union as we know it today The Maastricht Treaty, officially known as the Treaty on European Union, laid the foundations for the European Union as we know it today. It was the result of several years of discussions between governments and was signed in the Dutch city of Maastricht, which lies close to the borders with Belgium and Germany. Here are five things you need to know about the Treaty. Last month, a group formed around The Indivisible Guide in the small city of Dexter, Michigan had their first organizational meeting. Over 150 people showed up. In fact, their Indivisible Dexter Facebook page now has nearly 650 people on it. Thats over 15% of the entire population of Dexter. The one question that seems to have this groups attention above all others is Where is our Congressman, Tim Walberg? In the lead-up to the November election, Tim Walberg appeared at campaign events around his sprawling 7th Congressional District, most often going to senior centers and sticking to the more rural and more conservative parts of the district, studiously avoiding the more liberal eastern part where Dexter is. And, of course, he never missed a photo op with a military veteran. With the ascension of Donald Trump to the presidency, the man who once described himself as a tea partier before there was a tea party has gone missing. In fact, he hasnt held a public town hall meeting since last spring. Its not that Tim Walberg hasnt been a busy Congressman. He is working over time to defund Planned Parenthood, repeal the Affordable Care Act with no replacement plan, and introducing legislation to stop California from taking steps to mitigate a looming retirement crisis. Residents of the 7th Congressional District have been calling Walbergs office, repeatedly asking for a meeting. Congress is on recess next week and this is a scheduled break described on the Congressional calendar as District Work Week. This is the time when most members of Congress are back in their home districts, meeting with constituents. Not so for Tim Walberg. Walbergs staff claims hes staying in Washington, DC in case hes needed for a Committee vote. Heres the thing: A quick call to the Committees that Walberg serves on (or even a glance at their calendars) makes it clear THERE ARE NO COMMITTEE MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK. Why? BECAUSE ITS DISTRICT WORK WEEK !!! In other words, hes lying to his constituents. Lying. A member of Congress is lying to the people he represents. Let that sink in. Yesterday, on Valentines Day, residents from the 7th District visited Walbergs office in Jackson to deliver 20,000 candy hearts, asking him to meet with constituents and beseeching him not to vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. If the ACA is repealed, 20,000 7th District residents will lose their health insurance. The protest was organized by the Saline, Michigan group Stronger Together. Here are some photos, courtesy of Anne Savage: Walbergs staff say hes been holding telephone town hall meetings where he doesnt have to face groups of constituents and he refuses to meet publicly. He will, they said, do Skype meetings with small groups. Walberg isnt the only cowardly Republican hiding from his constituents. David Trott is hiding, as well. In fact, theres a website called Wheres Dave Trott?, an all points bulletin on the internet. Yesterday, Trotts constituents left him some Valentines with messages written on them: When the Affordable Care Act was being debated, Michigan Democrats came home to their districts and met with their constituents. John Dingell held one that was so large due to tea party turnout that he held a second one immediately following it so that they could all be heard. And he faced brutal hostility. But he faced it and did not hide. His colleague at the time, Mark Schauer, held town hall meetings, too. Tim Walberg and his Republican colleagues are cowards. They are happy to screw over their constituents to benefit corporations and to impose their conservative, religion-based ideology on the rest of us. But, when it comes to answering to the people they represent, they are terrified to do so. These men and women face the ultimate meeting with their constituents every two years: elections. Well see you in November 2018, Congressman Walberg. If youd like to call Congressman Walberg to ask him to meet with his constituents, his office number is 517-780-9075. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick on Thursday resigned from President Trumps business advisory council amid fierce blowback against the presidents recent executive order on immigration, and in the wake of reports that several major Silicon Valley firms, including Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Google, have been circulating a draft letter opposing Trumps action. Kalanick said he no longer would participate in the council after consumers railed against Uber for continuing to operate at John F. Kennedy International Airport over the weekend. The Taxi Workers Alliance in New York had gone on strike, refusing to pick up fares at the airport, to protest Trumps executive order on refugee resettlement and travel from seven predominantly Muslim nations. Earlier today I spoke briefly with the President about the immigration executive order and its issues for our community, Kalanick wrote in a memo to employees. I also let him know that I would not be able to participate on his economic council. Joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the President or his agenda, but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that. In the memo, Kalanick said he was proud to work with Thuan Pham, Ubers CTO, and Emil Michael, the companys senior vice president of business, both of whom are refugees who came here to build a better life for themselves. Policy Backlash A number of major tech players have been contemplating the publication of an open letter protesting not only Trumps so-called Muslim ban, but also other proposed changes that they fear could damage their companies ability to conduct business around the world, according to published reports. The draft letter, first reported by ReCode and Bloomberg News, calls on the Trump administration to reconsider several key policies in addition to the halt in refugee resettlement into the U.S. The letter also urges the administration to reconsider its policies with regard to Dreamers that is, children of illegal immigrants who face deportation and the breakup of their families, a group that President Obama wanted to protect. The Silicon Valley leaders concerns go to the heart of the ability of their firms to recruit staff and conduct business. Many of their top executives, as well as professional programmers and engineers, have been recruited from Asia, the Middle East, and other parts of the world that are impacted directly by the Trump administrations recent and proposed executive orders. Thousands of Silicon Valley professionals work under H-1B visas that allow highly skilled foreigners to remain in the U.S. as long as they continue to work for the companies that recruited them. After Trump signed the immigration ban, it was not only foreigners attempting to reach the U.S. for the first time who were impacted. Visa holders who were traveling overseas on business also were caught up in the chaos. Key Contributors Immigrants are twice as likely as native-born Americans to start new businesses, said Arnobio Morelix, senior research analyst and program officer in research and policy at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. More than half of the billion-dollar startups in the U.S. were launched by immigrants, and 70 percent of those unicorn companies have immigrants as key members of their management or product development teams, he told TechNewsWorld. More than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were launched by immigrants and their children, and Silicon Valley is the metro area with the most immigrant entrepreneurs in the country, the foundations data shows. Immigrants account for 41.9 percent of entrepreneurs in the San Jose metro area. Its unlikely that the Trump administration will back down on the immigration issue, despite the concerns raised by the technology industry in the draft letter thats been circulating, according to Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. I doubt it, he told TechNewsWorld, as the president is pretty set on his plan, and it was a key campaign promise. It such an open letter were published, it might upset Trump to the point where he would rescind his pledge to help the technology industry by cutting back on government regulations, Enderle feared. Secondary Strategy Its doubtful the letter tech leaders reportedly are signing would have any effect on the presidents opinion or his executive order, suggested Charles Kind, principal analyst at Pund-IT. In the first two weeks of his administration, Trump has shown himself to be willful, combative and quick to take offense none of which are qualities one associates with a desire to seek compromise, he told TechNewsWorld. That said, simply writing the letter could be as important for tech companies as finding a way to get through to the administration, King continued. The fact is that the impact of the executive order on Silicon Valleys employment of foreign-born engineers is just one of the elements in play here. More important will be the effect that Trumps unilateral actions and America first intentions have on foreign markets, many of which are crucial to the current and future health of U.S. tech companies, he explained. If Mr. Trump sparks crises, said King, including trade wars with formerly friendly allies and it seems likely that he will the immigration letter signers willingness to confront the president could help them maintain their good standing with trusted partners and customers who are otherwise threatened by the administrations policies. Toshiba shares fell 8 percent on Tuesday as the company took a US$6.3 billion writedown related to its struggling nuclear power business and delayed the release of its fiscal third-quarter earnings. Shigenori Shiga, Toshibas chairman and representative executive officer, resigned effective Wednesday, the company said. His resignation in part reflects management taking responsibility for the loss of goodwill and the impairment related to Westinghouses acquisition of CB&I Stone & Webster from the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. N.V. Shiga will remain an executive officer of the firm until the June shareholders meeting and will focus on resolving issues related to Westinghouse. Nuclear Meltdown Westinghouse, which was acquired by Toshiba in 2006, acquired CB&I Stone & Webster in 2015 for $229 million. CB&I Stone & Webster was involved in construction at two U.S. nuclear facilities the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant near Waynesboro, Georgia, and the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station, near Jenkinsville, South Carolina plagued by long delays and massive cost overruns. For future projects, Westinghouse will seek out qualified companies for the construction scope of new plant projects, as we have done in the past, with Westinghouse offering engineering and procurement services, Sarah Cassella, spokesperson for Westinghouse Electric Co., told the E-Commerce Times. Regulators have approved Toshibas request to delay the submission of its fiscal third quarter earnings report, for the quarter ending December 31, until March 14, as the purchase price allocation process for Westinghouses acquisition of CB&I Stone & Webster was found to be inadequate. Toshibas audit committee hired the law firm of Nishimura & Asahi, while Westinghouse hired the firm of K&L Gates to assist in the process. Westinghouse managers late last month expressed concern that senior management was exerting pressure on the PPA process, Toshiba said. Lawyers from both firms have been conducting interviews. Down Ballot Effect The problems at the nuclear facilities will create long-term pressure on Toshibas electronics and computer businesses, suggested Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research. With the energy group accounting for the largest portion of Toshibas revenues, this has a potential impact on all other segments, including electronic devices and components, he told the E-Commerce Times. Toshiba likely will have to sell or spin off other business units, McGregor said, noting that the company already is planning to shed its flash memory business. The problems at Toshiba could eventually lead to the breakup of the company completely, he remarked. At this time, we are aware of the situation, but we have nothing to act on, said Bill Edge, spokesperson for the Georgia Public Service Commission. The commission expects Georgia Power to file its next construction monitoring report on the Vogtle plant by the end of February, he told the E-Commerce Times. Hearings are held on the progress of the project every six months. 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The report has concerning echoes of the current situation in Bangladesh, where a clampdown on garment sector unions is bringing into question the country's favourable trading arrangements with the EU. Today we face a challenging political climate, but the climate crisis shouldnt be political. It is not only the greatest existential crisis we face: it is also causing a global health emergency, where the stakes are life and death. Because of the urgency of these threats, several partners and I are hosting a Climate & Health Meeting Thursday at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The event will fill a void left when the Climate & Health Summit, originally to be hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was abruptly cancelled last month. Experts who had been invited by the CDC felt the conference should definitely go forward because the science shows increasing direct impacts of warming temperatures and more extreme weather on public health. Increasing global temperatures are disrupting the global climate and the earths hydrological cycle, leading not only to record high air and sea temperatures, but also to more extreme flooding, deeper and longer droughts and more frequent and severe storms. In turn, these effects jeopardize our vulnerable global food system and exacerbate fresh water scarcity and the refugee crisis. As the planet continues to warm, vector-borne diseases and the environments in which microbes and diseases multiply are also expanding. Mosquitos, ticks and other vectors now have wider ranges as warmer weather permits them to move to higher altitudes, provides them with a longer breeding season, speeds up incubation times for the viruses they carry and increases the frequency of blood meals. In some parts of the world, the reemergence of malaria is directly related to increasing temperatures and disruptive rainfall; this is also true for increased instances of West Nile, Dengue andmost recentlyZika. Over the past two years we have heard from doctors and scientists something that we have never been told before: in regions of Latin America, doctors have advised women not to get pregnant for two years. And last year, the CDC advised pregnant women not to travel to Miami, marking the first time Americans have been cautioned not to travel to part of their own country to avoid infectious disease. These particular manifestations may be new, but scientists have been warning us for many years that tropical diseases, extreme weather and risks to our global food system caused by the climate crisis are posing ever more dire threats to human health. The need for science and health professionals to explore and discuss the impact the climate crisis is having on global health should not be a political issue. The time to act is now. Make sure to join us tomorrow, Feb. 16 at 9 EST, for live coverage of the event here. Reposted with permission from our media association Medium. Lawmakers in Idaho have approved new K-12 science standards that do not reference the established science of climate change and the impact of human activity on the environment. The Feb. 9 vote from the House Education Committee came mostly down party lines. According to Idaho Ed News, 11 Republicans on the panel approved the proposed slate of science standards after five paragraphs* mentioning the topics were removed from the initial draft. The committees three Democrats voted against removing the climate change language. 3 Reasons Trump EPA Pick Can't Be Trusted With Climate Science https://t.co/olPdJxwZU7 @BusinessGreen @Ethical_Corp EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) February 12, 2017 The omitted language includes, Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century, and human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species and climate change. The language comes from the Next Generation Science Standards, which has been adopted by at least 18 states and the District of Columbia. The standards, which identify the science all K-12 students should know, were developed by 26 states and a number of national science and educational groups. But Republican Rep. Scott Syme said the initial draft of new state science standards did not teach both sides of the debate. I really didnt want to scrap everything they had done, just some, Syme said. Actually most of these (rejected paragraphs) deal with three areas and didnt seem to me to present both sides of the picture. House Assistant Minority Leader Ilana Rubel criticized the committees decision. Not only do we owe it to our children to teach them 21st century science, but we owe it to the farmers, foresters and citizens of Idaho to take this issue seriously and not bury our heads in the sand, she said in a statement. Committee members in favor of removing the language said that local school officials could still teach global warming to students even if there are new state standards. This is not about curriculum, Republican Rep. Ryan Kerby explained to the Associated Press. If a school district wants to teach the dickens out of global warming, have at it. Only one Republican on the committee, Rep. Paul Amador, favored the standards as originally written. While I appreciate teaching both sides, I think this was a very transparent process where we relied on our highly qualified educators, he said. According to Idaho Ed News, Technically, the committee approved a temporary rule including the new science standards. When the Legislature adjourns, the new standards will take effect, without the climate change language. Then, SDE and State Board officials will develop a permanent rule. [I]t appears likely state officials will draft new language to replace the references to climate change. Legislators would review the standards again in 2018. *Here is the full text of the rejected paragraphs removed from the science standards: ESS3-MS-5. Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century. Further Explanation: Examples of factors include human activities (such as fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural activity) and natural processes (such as changes in incoming solar radiation or volcanic activity). Examples of evidence can include tables, graphs, and maps of global and regional temperatures, atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and the rates of human activities. Emphasis is on the major role that human activities play in causing the rise in global temperatures. ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems Human activities have altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earths environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.(ESS3-MS-3) Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise. (ESS3-MS-3, ESS3-MS-4) Human activities (such as the release of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuel combustion) are major factors in the current rise in Earths mean surface temperature. Other natural activities (such as volcanic activity) are also contributors to changing global temperatures. Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (ESS3-MS-5) LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction). (LS2-HS-7) Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value. (LS2-HS-7, LS4-HS-6.) ESS2.D: Weather and Climate By Martha Roberts Scott Pruitt, President Trumps pick for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is withholding thousands of emails related to his ties to major energy interests who may have donated to his political causes. https://facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/10158252716670301/ Such stonewalling makes it difficult for senators to vote on his nomination since they cant know if these contacts were appropriate. It is particularly disturbing because Pruittwho as EPA administrator would be charged with overseeing vital clean air and clean water protections for our nationhas a long history of opposing bedrock safeguards in concert with industry players. The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) filed a report Tuesday about the absent emails with an Oklahoma court, the latest chapter in the watchdog groups two-year saga to get a response to its request for records from the Oklahoma Attorney Generals office. An emergency hearing before the court has been scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 16. Pruitts absent emails so concerned Senate Democrats that they have asked that voting on Pruitts nomination be postponed until after the Oklahoma court holds its hearing. Meanwhile, questions surrounding Pruitts nomination continue to grow. In January, Environmental Defense Fund filed a Freedom of Information Act request for EPA records relating to development of Pruitts bare bones ethics agreement with the EPA. Unfortunately, the request to get these records swiftly, in time to inform consideration of Pruitts nomination, was rejected. We continue to wait for these key documents. What Else Is Out There? Pruitts office has said it identified more than 3,000 emails responsive to CMDs request. But when CMD finally got a response last weekafter two years of waiting and a hearing before a state judgePruitts office only provided 411. Moreover, in at least 27 instances, emails responsive to CMDs request were previously released in a separate open records requestbut not turned over to CMD. All this begs the question: What else is Pruitts office withholding from the public? Pruitts Past Professional Behavior is Revealing In 2014, Pruitt was identified as leading an unprecedented, secretive alliance with big energy interests. He copied and pasted industry requests and sent them to senior federal officials under the seal of the Attorney Generals office. And his staff fundraised from oil and gas interests during work hours. Pruitt also routinely joined with major industry players in 14 lawsuits against bedrock EPA clean air and clean water protections that limit dangerous pollutants such as mercury, smog, arsenic and carbon. Efforts to roll back such protections endanger childrens health. Without these safeguards, our kids would suffer from even more asthma attacks, more brain development risks and other serious health consequences. Pruitt Even Refused to Answer Senators Meanwhile, Pruitt is even stonewalling U.S. senators charged with taking his testimony under his confirmation process. In written answers to questions posed by senators, Pruitt told them almost 20 times to file open records requests in Oklahoma rather than answering the senators questionsthe same kind of requests that suffer a two-year backlog in the office Pruitt leads. In one instance, he even told a senator to file an open records request with his office to get more informationabout open records requests in Pruitts office. Its already clear from the information we do have on Pruitt that hes entangled in a web of campaign contributions and lawsuits to oppose clean air and clean water safeguards. Its deeply troubling to consider that theres even more out there that we just dont know about. Martha Roberts is an attorney with the Environmental Defense Funds Climate Legal and Regulatory Program. She works to support climate change mitigation and secure clean air through policy initiatives and strategic litigation. President Trump signed his first Congressional Review Act-sponsored bill (CRA) Tuesday, declaring at the signing that energy jobs are coming back and lots of people [are] going back to work now. The Most Dangerous Bill Youve Never Heard of Just Passed the House https://t.co/eegoOY5cnH @greenpeaceusa @HuffPostGreen EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) January 10, 2017 The legislation, in fact, doesnt deal directly with jobs, but rather repeals a Dodd-Frank rule requiring extraction companies to disclose payments made to foreign governmentsa regulation Trumps new Sec. of State Rex Tillerson lobbied against as CEO of ExxonMobil. Some in the GOP may have a bit of buyers remorse about the bill: a group of senators who voted for the resolution sent a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this month asking the agency to create a new version of the rule and supporting any legislative or other solutions to address limits imposed by the CRA. The U.S. had been at the forefront on the transparency issue, with more than 30 countries following in its footsteps to pass similar legislation, said Isabel Munilla of Oxfam International in a statement after the House initially voted to kill the rule. State-owned companies from Brazil, China and Russia are all now required to disclose their payments. If the Senate follows suit in overturning this rule, the U.S. will go from a leader into a laggard. For a deeper dive: News: Washington Post, The Hill Commentary: Vox, Brad Plumer analysis For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News. https://facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/10158252716670301/ (Photo: Ecumenical News / Young Kun Park)The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby holds a press conference during the 10th Assembly of the World Council of churches in Busan, South Korea on November 1, 2013. The Archbishop of Canterbury has suggested a linkage between the UK's vote to leave the European Union, known as Brexit, and the election of Donald Trump as U.S President to fascism. Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and of the 80 million strong Anglican Communion, was speaking Feb. 14 at the church's general synod, The Independent reported. "There are a thousand ways to explain the Brexit vote, or the election of President Trump, or the strength in the polls in Holland of Geert Wilders or in France of Madame Le Pen and many other leaders in a nationalist, populist, or even fascist tradition of politics," said Welby. "Almost certainly there is no simple explanation, almost certainly the impact of globalization economically, or marginalization politically and of post-modernity culturally have some role to some extent." Although the Anglican leader had previously suggested Trump's politics and policies were based on fear and exclusion, his criticism went a step further by linking the U.S. president in with far-right party leaders in Europe, The Guardian reported. Regarding Brexit, Welby's connection between the referendum result and far-right and neo-fascist politics is likely to infuriate those who say the vote was the outcome of social, political and economic marginalization and exclusion rather than stemming from deep-seated nationalism, the newspaper commented. The archbishop went on to cite, "the impact of globalization economically, or marginalization politically and of post-modernity culturally" as playing a role in the new political landscape, while also noting there is no simple explanation. He said, "That will be the material of a thousand PhDs and no consensus in the next 50 years. We are in the middle of it all and we see neither the destination nor the road we must travel." Still said Welby now is "a moment to reimagine Britain, a moment of potential opportunity, certainly combined with immensely hard work and heavy lifting." The Anglican leader said, "It is a moment of challenge, but challenge that as a nation can be overcome with the right practices, values, culture and spirit. This could be a time of liberation, of seizing and defining the future, or it could be one in which the present problems seize our national future and define us." The church has a significant role to play Welby asserted, despite its declining numbers, which he acknowledged by Welby, in bringing a fractured country together through its education of 1 million children in Church of England schools, its presence in every community and its role in national history. The world's fattest woman has been safely transported to India for life-saving surgery after being craned out of her home in Egypt. Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, 36, who weighs 78 stone (some 500 kg), was taken out of her home in Alexandria and placed in an Egypt Air cargo plane earlier today. A wall of her room had to be brought down to help bring her out. Ms Aty, who suffers from a condition called Elephantiasis, will now have weight reduction surgery at Saifee Hospital in Mumbai, western India. Prior to this journey, she had not left her home for 25 years as she was unable to move from her bed. After a seven-hour flight, she was placed in a mini truck at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and transported to hospital, where she will undergo a series of Bariatric procedures. She was accompanied by her sister, Shaimaa Ahmed, and a team of doctors from the hospital. The surgery is a stomach-shrinking bypass procedure carried out on those wanting to lose excessive weight. A spokesperson for the hospital said: 'She, along with her sister Shaimaa Ahmed, arrived in Mumbai at around 4am to prepare her for the flight. 'The team of doctors have been in Egypt for the last 10 days to optimise the conditions for her travel. 'Given the fact that she is so heavy, and not moved for the last 25 years, she is at a high risk (of suffering) a pulmonary embolism. '(She) has been put on blood thinners to try and minimise the chances of such an eventuality during her transfer.' Eman was born weighing a staggering 11lbs and was shortly diagnosed afterwards with the parasitic disease. By the time she turned 11, she was too heavy to support her weight standing up, and resorted to crawling in her home on her knees. Around the same time she dropped out of primary school and tragically suffering a cerebral stroke, which left her bedridden and exacerbated her conditions, causing her to remain in her room. She has suffered paralysis in right leg and right arm. Prior to her flight, a special bed was created for her in line with the requirements needed to transport her safely to Mumbai. Special equipment was also installed in the cargo plane in case of an emergency, including a portable ventilator, portable defibrillator, oxygen cylinder, intubation laryngoscope and drugs. As she approached 78 stone, her family posted a desperate plea online to Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi asking for medical assistance. After hearing about her case, Dr Muffazal Lakdawala offered to carry out the procedure free of charge. Her request for a visa was initially rejected, prompting Lakdawala in December to tweet a request for help to India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj. At the time Swaraj was in hospital awaiting a kidney transplant but was quick to respond with an offer of help. Ms Aty has had a long wait as no airliners were willing to fly her from Egypt to India due to possible health complications. Dr Lakdawala previously said: 'Transporting Eman to Mumbai is a challenging task keeping in mind the complexities of her case as she is a high risk patient who has not been able to move or leave the house for the past 25 years.' Bariatric surgery is increasingly common in India, which has a growing problem with obesity, particularly in urban areas. India is a key destination for medical tourists because it offers quality services at a fraction of the cost of western countries and no waiting lists. 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. Employees at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province have lately been captivated by the love story of an elderly couple. On Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, hospital staff prepared a bouquet of fresh flowers for their elderly patient, Deng, and encouraged him to give it to his wife. The 85-year-old Deng suffers from Alzheimer's disease, which prevents him from recognizing anyone other than his wife, Zhang, who is 78 years old. The couple has been married for 60 years. Earlier this month, both Deng and Zhang were hospitalized, and they arranged to stay together in the same room. Nurses found that Deng couldn't find his way to his room unless he saw Zhang inside. He also followed her closely wherever she went, asking the nurses about her whereabouts every minute or two when she was not around. For Deng, it's impossible to remember when to take his pills, but his beloved wife is never far from his mind. "I had never seen my parents hold hands or speak sweetly to one another. But since my father became ill, they hold hands everywhere they go," Deng's daughter remarked. Michael Flynn's resignation as national security adviser removes an immediate political headache for the White House but will do little to dispel suspicions about his ties with Russia that now threaten to envelop President Donald Trump's nascent administration. Flynn quit late Monday as controversy raged over revelations that he misled Vice President Mike Pence -- who then defended him on television -- over whether he discussed US sanctions with Moscow's ambassador to the US before the inauguration. Such a move could be a breach of the law. On a night of stunning, fast-moving drama, extraordinary even by this White House's elevated standards, Flynn's fate took on a sense of inevitability despite Trump's instinct to retain a loyal aide. By Monday evening, White House press secretary Sean Spicer issued a statement saying Trump was "evaluating the situation." His departure was confirmed hours later. The former general's resignation -- at the start of only the fourth week of the new administration -- is an embarrassment for Trump and a blow to a White House already embroiled in internal political dramas. It deprives Trump, who has no foreign policy experience and a barely formed national security team, of his most important White House adviser charged with keeping Americans safe from foreign threats. His departure sent shockwaves around the world, raising questions about the administration's readiness to confront any sudden national security crisis. And since Trump frequently boasted that he would install a governing team of the highest caliber, Flynn's fall from grace is certain to raise questions about the judgment of the President himself. Todo lo que necesitas saber para comenzar tu dia Suscribirse implica aceptar los terminos y condiciones (Global Times) 10:52, February 15, 2017 A customer shops at a Valentine's-themed promotion section in a supermarket in Chaoyang district, Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Huang Ge/GT Given the increasing commercialism attached to festivals in China, domestic business owners are eagerly making use of this year's Valentine's Day to drive a surge in the "romance economy" by launching special promotions to attract potential customers, analysts said. A shopping mall located in Beijing's Chaoyang district launched their Valentine's-themed promotions two days early, according to a salesperson surnamed Xu. Xu told the Global Times on Tuesday that "sales in jewelry, cosmetic products and ladies' wear would always increase on the festival as such products are offered with many discounts." "Other products like chocolate, wine and candy, which are normal Valentine's gifts, also have a 30 percent discount on the day," she said. As a common choice for Valentine's Day gifts, roses are extremely popular. "The wholesale price of one single rose stood at 25 yuan ($3.60) on Valentine's Day, while it only costs five yuan on normal days," a florist surnamed Han working in Chaoyang district told the Global Times on Tuesday. Han said that "a bunch of 15 roses cost 300 yuan to 500 yuan and that 99 roses cost 1,800 yuan, which are purchased by male consumers on this special day." Han raised the wholesale prices of roses and other flowers three days before the festival and said that "such high level price of roses would continue three more days after the festival." Advertisement boards reading "Valentine's set meal hot reservation" were placed in conspicuous places around restaurants in the Sanlitun area in Chaoyang district. One employee who works at a Western restaurant in Sanlitun told the Global Times Tuesday that "tables are booked as early as January in our restaurant, and 90 percent have been reserved on the festival." Beijing resident Wynton Chen told the Global Times Tuesday that "gifts and going out to dinner with my lover is a must on this special day." Hotel reservations, as part of the romance economy, also grow during the holiday. The peak period for reservations for couples-themed hotel rooms across the country ran from Friday to Wednesday, and the trend of hotel reservations is spreading to third- and four-tier cities, domestic news portal idckx.com reported Monday, citing information released by online travel service provider Qunar. Consumption changes "Such consumption behavior is driven by changes in Chinese people's consumption modes and thoughts," said Tian Yun, director of the China Society of Macroeconomics Research Center. Tian told the Global Times on Tuesday that a profound reason is that people are now richer with the development of the nation's economy, and their lifestyles are also becoming more international, leading to the increasingly materialistic demands, such as shopping and buying flowers on holidays. Wang Danqing, a partner with Beijing-based ACG Management Consultancy, agreed, saying that domestic business owners try to grasp Western holidays like Christmasas well as traditional Chinese festival including Qixi, the traditional Chinese Valentine's Day, to launch promotions to drive sales. Online deals Vendors on e-commerce platforms are also longing for a piece of the "romance economy" pie, according to experts. Page views for flowers on taobao.com, a domestic online shopping platform, increased 641.38 percent month-on-month during days close to Valentine's Day, according to data Alibaba sent to the Global Times on Tuesday. On domestic e-commerce platform suning.com, sales of products related to Valentine's Day reached 50 million yuan by the end of Monday, and electronics products like smartphones and digital products enjoyed an increasing popularity, news portal huanqiu.com reported Monday. Holiday buying can also raise sales on e-commerce platforms, Wang told the Global Times on Tuesday, noting that online and offline consumption would become more integrated in the future. Online stores also cater to single people for the holiday. For example, services like helping someone chase the girl he likes costs up to 2,000 yuan. About 300 people bought the service recently, according to Alibaba. Farmers union defends livestock exports The Manx National Farmers Unions insists the Isle of Man has the highest levels of animal welfare in response to a petition calling for livestock exports to be banned. The organisation confirmed all cattle leaving the Island for slaughter undergo vet checks before travel and are placed in an approved wagon, while farmers are legally responsible for ensuring animals don't suffer unnecessarily. The union also describes some of the statements made by a campaign calling for the ban as derogatory. The statement from the Manx NFU adds that animals also leave the Island for breeding programs, sale of stock and to attend shows and events, not just for slaughter. A petition urging the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture to stop animals being taken off Island for slaughter has gained almost 2,000 signatures. Tug captain praises Ben-my-Chree master The captain of the tug boat which assisted the Ben-my-Chree during its crash in Douglas harbour during strong winds at the weekend says the master of the vessel did a magnificent job. The Wendy Ann had been booked to help the Steam Packet Company's vessel berth at low tide on Sunday evening, but the tug and the Ben both ran aground in soft mud before the latter clipped the pier. In a statement on Facebook, the captain revealed the wind never dropped below 40 knots while the Ben was docking. The captain of the tug also criticised those who blamed the Steam Packet for the incident while commenting on footage of the crash on social media. The Ben was able to return to service just over 24 hours after the collision after undergoing repairs. U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May(front) arrive for a joint press conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Jan. 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) British Prime Minister Theresa May formally rejected a petition Monday signed by nearly 2 million people wanting the cancellation of the proposed state visit to Britain by U.S. President Donald Trump. The petitioners said a state visit by Trump, which would involve a state banquet, would embarrass Queen Elizabeth. Officials at Westminster have scheduled a debate about the petition by MPs (members of Parliament) next week when the Houses of Parliament re-open after a recess. In its official response to the petition, May's government recognized the strong views of those who supported the petition, but added that Trump should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. Even if MPs vote in support of the petitioners there is no requirement on May or her government to accept their decision. In its response, the government says it believes the president of the United States should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. "We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalized," said an official statement. During May's visit to the United States on Jan. 27, 2017, the British prime minister, on behalf of the Queen, invited Trump for a state visit to Britain later this year. The invitation was accepted. Media in London are reporting that Trump's state visit will take place before the end of this month. More than 200 MPs from across the political spectrum have signed a motion in the House of Commons saying they do not want permission to be granted to Trump to address politicians at the Houses of Parliament during his state visit. They cite Trump's recent actions, including his executive order on immigration and refugees, and his comments on torture and women, as the reason for their stand. The Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, was dragged into the controversy when he said Trump should not address parliament. His statement has led to a vote of no confidence in him, a move that could threaten his position at Westminster. Anti-terrorism measures earlier initiated by United States President Donald Trump are expected to continue despite the ruling of the United States Court of Appeals against the continued implementation of the anti-immigration Executive Order (EO). Three judges unanimously rejected the government's request to lift the suspension order against the EO by reason of national security. Trump's EO bans the temporary entry to the US of the citizens of seven countries with a predominantly Muslim population. Refugees are also suspended from being admitted to the country. The Obama administration previously identified these countries as among the world's most dangerous countries when it comes to cuddling terrorists. Judge Ann Donnelly said the implementation of the order would be a violation of the Constitution's equal protection and due process clause, according to CNN. Protesters see Trump's order not merely as an anti-terrorism campaign but a ban against Muslims. Trump said the anti-terrorism campaign will continue with the planned issuance next week of new orders that would achieve the same intent as the questioned order. The administration is, however, keeping its options open as the possibility of elevating the case to the Supreme Court is still possible. He said the new EO would still address the terrorism problem but will have a very strong legal basis compared to the previous one. Press Secretary Sean Spicer said nothing is final yet, as they are keeping their options open to all possibilities. "I promise you, we will fight back," New York Representative Joseph Crowley said. "We will resist. We will resist on behalf of what is American. And we will resist on behalf of the immigrants who came here in the past and who will come here in the future," he added. The Democrats vowed to stop Trump from issuing orders that are aimed to subvert the values of the American people, the New York Times reported. The fight will definitely not be inside the legislative halls considering the difficulty of getting the right numbers to fight Trump, so they will have to take the fight to the streets and take advantage of the sentiments of the people. Trump's EO anti-terrorism campaign has wreaked havoc on the US airports and the thousands of passengers who were not allowed to leave the terminals. The recent decision of the Appeals Court, however, encouraged these people to fly back to the US. Will Smith is not doing "Dumbo" movie and it is final. The plan did not push through as the actor and Disney failed to reach an agreement in terms of salary and filming schedule. Deadline reported that there are also other unusual reasons why Will Smith will not be in "Dumbo" but it was not elaborated. The new Disney movie was first announced in April 2016 but casting only started early this year so the cast lineup is not yet complete and final. What is certain is that Tim Burton will be the film's director and writer Ehren Kruger has been assigned to do the script. Some of Burton's best-known works include "Edward Scissorhands," "Alice in Wonderland" (2010) and "Batman Returns" while Kruger is popular for the "Transformers" movie series as well as "Grimm Brothers." At any rate, Will Smith was offered to play as the father of two children who befriended the big-eared baby elephant Dumbo. His character in the live-action adaption of the popular Disney classic is a human role so it is not difficult to do if he agreed to star in it. While the salary fee has been cited as one of the reasons why the Will Smith turned away from "Dumbo," the amount being asked was not mentioned. On the other hand, the scheduling conflict was revealed to be due to the actor's "Bad Boys for Life" filming. Sources told Variety that both "Dumbo" and the "Bad Boys" third sequel have the same shooting schedule so if Will Smith decided to accept the Disney film, it will definitely affect the "Bad Boys 3" premiere. Most probably, it will be pushed back or it could even be totally shelved. Will Smith never confirmed or released statements about his possible casting on "Dumbo." However, it was speculated that it is the reason why "Bad Boys for Life" release date has been moved from January to November 2018. Now, with the news that Will Smith already made the decision to let go of his role in the movie adaptation of the Disney animation, then it is now clear that there is another reason why the third installment of the "Bad Boys" franchise has been delayed. Meanwhile, "Dumbo" is expected to begin filming this summer. Mihir Shahs paper Eliminating Poverty in Bihar: Paradoxes, Bottlenecks and Solutions (EPW, 6 February 2016) provides a well-thought of and almost comprehensive idea of possible solutions to the problem of eliminating poverty in Bihar. However, a close reading suggests that it overlooks a few important issues. While I agree with a majority of the suggestions made by Shah, I find weaknesses particularly in suggestions on three pointsagriculture, self-help groups (SHGs), and interventions of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Agriculture-based Approach The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) entitles all rural households to a minimum of 100 days of work a year at a notified wage rate. Wages are to be paid within a week of the work being done, and under no circumstances later than two weeks. The importance of timely wage payments for MGNREGA workers, who are amongst the poorest in rural India, needs no elaboration. However, even according to the central governments incomplete calculations of delayed payments, 51% of the wages were not paid on time in 201617 (rates of delayed payment were even higher in the preceding two years). Even more serious than delays in wage payments is the issue of wages not being paid at all. In the absence of any data on non-payment of wages, it is not possible to estimate the exact scale of this problem. As per calculations made by Siraj Dutta, more than 2 lakh bank transactions of MGNREGA wage payments worth `21.52 crore were rejected in Jharkhand from 1 April to 19 September 2016. This amounts to about 2% of all wage payments made in the state during that five and a half month period. Common reasons for rejection include errors in the recording of bank account details in the programmes Management Information System (MIS) and lack of funds in the states nodal bank for MGNREGA. Only some of the rejected payments are reprocessed after addressing the reason for rejection. How Are MGNREGA Wages Processed? Before elaborating on the reasons for non-payment, a brief description of the MGNREGA payment process might help. Until 2012, paper Muster Rolls were used for marking workers attendance. Names of all the workers working on a given scheme in a particular week were written by hand on these muster rolls. Arguing that there were few safeguards against fake names being added to these attendance sheets, the Ministry of Rural Development introduced electronic Muster Rolls (e-MRs). These e-MRs are electronically generated from the MIS and printed with the names of workers who are allotted work on the concerned scheme. Attendance details are marked on the printed copy of the e-MR and then entered in the MIS. The MIS then generates a wage-list and a Fund Transfer Order (FTO) to be digitally signed by two authorised functionaries. In case the workers account is in a bank, the FTO first goes to the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), an online application of the central government through which several social security payments are now routed. From the PFMS, the FTO is transferred to the states nodal bank for MGNREGA and then wages are credited in the workers account. In case of post office payments, the FTO first goes to the Center for Excellence in Postal Technology (CEPT), then to the head post office, then again to CEPT, then to the sub-post office and then wages are credited in the workers account in the branch post office. Ten Ways Workers Remain Unpaid Here are some reasons why MGNREGA workers sometimes fail to receive payment for their hard labour. The discussion is based on observations in Jharkhand, but similar issues are likely to be occurring in other states as well. Working without ones name on the muster roll: In Jharkhand, workers are usually told to start work on a scheme before the printed e-MR reaches the worksite. In good faith, most workers do so. But often, due to one of the following reasons, the e-MR fails to include the names of all the concerned workers: (i) the workers Job Card number mentioned on the work application is different from the Job Card number entered in the MIS against that workers name; (ii) the workers name has been deleted from her electronic Job Card without her knowledge (see below); (iii) the workers name has been entered in some other e-MR without her knowledge, to siphon off wages (it is not possible for a workers name to appear on more than one e-MR in a given week); (iv) error by the computer operator. Since it is not possible to manually add names of the left-out workers on the printed e-MR, the only way to pay them is to generate a separate e-MR with their names on it. This is usually not done and the workers are not paid their wages. Error in recording the number of days worked: As mentioned above, the printed e-MR seldom reaches the worksite on time. Meanwhile, the worksite supervisor maintains kaccha (unofficial) records of workers attendance, to be copied later on to the printed e-MR. If a mistake is made in copying the attendance details from kaccha records to the printed e-MR, or in entering them from there into the MIS, the workers risk missing their wages again. For instance, if a worker works for six days in a given week, but only four days appear in the MIS, she will not get paid for the remaining two days. Lost muster rolls: In case a printed e-MR, after being filled, gets lost or does not find its way back to the computer operator for some reason, it is entered as a zero attendance e-MR in the MIS and the workers on that e-MR will not to get their wages. Wage-lists/FTOs not being generated/authorised: In case a wage-list or an FTO is not generated for an e-MR, or the FTO is not signed either by the first or the second signatory, workers on that e-MR will remain unpaid. This happens either due to lapses by the concerned functionaries or because they refuse to sign without a commission. Scheme closure in MIS without completing wage payments: Sometimes, due to the repeated instructions from the ministry to increase the rate of work completion, local functionaries close schemes in the MIS without ensuring that all the wages have been paid. Once the scheme is closed, it is no longer possible to enter attendance details from e-MRs in the MIS or to regenerate a rejected FTO transaction. Schemes can only be reopened from the state-level MIS login. Further, complaints about non-payment of wages due to closure of schemes seldom reach the rural development department. Working without a bank or post office account: In 2008, there was a shift from cash payment of wages to bank or post office payments. Since then, workers who work without a bank or post office account cannot be paid. This problem, however, has greatly reduced over the years as most MGNREGA functionaries have stopped accepting work applications from workers without a bank or post office account. Wrong account number in the MIS: Possession of a bank or post office account is not enough: the account details also have to be correctly entered in the MIS. In case an invalid account number is entered, the payment is rejected. Although there is an option of correcting the account details and regenerating the wage-list for payment, it is a tedious process and few MGNREGA functionaries consider this exercise worth their while. Further, if the recorded account number happens to be someone elses, wages get credited to that persons account. Recovering the payment from the wrong account (or from the functionary responsible for the error) is also a long-drawn out procedure which is seldom followed. Wrong Aadhaar number in the MIS: States are under much pressure from the central government to disburse MGNREGA wages through the new Aadhaar Payment Bridge. While the advantages of this mode of payment are not clear, Aadhaar-based payments have their own set of complications. In case a workers Aadhaar number that is entered in the MIS is wrong, and the payment is made through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge, she will not get her wages. Aadhaar number linked to a wrong account: Entry of a workers correct Aadhaar number in the MIS is not the only requirement for a wage payment to succeed through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge. If the Aadhaar number is linked to a wrong bank account number in the MIS, the worker will not receive her wages. Also, Aadhaar-based payments pose a peculiar problem for workers with multiple accounts. If a workers MGNREGA account as seeded in the MIS differs from her Aadhaar-linked account, Aadhaar-based wage payments will be made to the latter account whereas she is likely to look for her wages in the former account since that is where previous MGNREGA wages would have been paid.[1] This problem arises because there is no system in place to tell workers which of their accounts is linked with Aadhaar and which of their wage payments are Aadhaar-based. Not finding wages in the usual account, the worker may assume that her wages have not been credited and stop doing MGNREGA work. Deletion of a workers name from her Job Card: In case a worker, whose name is deleted from her electronic Job Card without her knowledge, demands work, the e-MR will not include her name. The deletion can happen for various reasons. For example, it could be happen when workers are removed from the MIS when their Aadhaar number or photograph has not been uploaded, or could be done to simply reduce the number of workers eligible for demanding work. As discussed earlier, most workers in Jharkhand are made to work before the printed e-MR reaches the worksite. If a name is missing from the e-MR, the worker will not get paid. If the workers name is included in the e-MR but her name is deleted from her Job Card after she works, the wage-list will not include her name as her account details will automatically get un-freezed in the MIS. Such a worker will be able to receive her wages only after her name is reinstated on her electronic Job Card. This can only be done from the state-level MIS login, after requesting the department to do so. This procedure is seldom followed and the worker remains unpaid. Technology Alone Is Inadequate The implementation of MGNREGA is increasingly dependent on technology. The shifts from cash payments to bank (or post office) accounts, then to electronic payments, and now to Aadhaar-based payments were supposed to enhance transparency and reduce leakages. While these objectives have perhaps been fulfilled to some extent, the inability of local functionaries and infrastructure to cope with the requirements of these complex technologies (along with the absence of an effective grievance redressal system) is leaving lakhs of workers unpaid every year. Earlier, it was possible to fix problems such as missing attendance details and wrong account numbers at the local level, but now corrections require the intervention of block-level functionaries (sometimes even district- or state-level functionaries) who are difficult to access for most workers. The absence of a payment guarantee is an important reason for workers losing interest in MGNREGA despite needing employment. If the central government is really committed to implementing the programme in letter and spirit within the legal framework established for it, as claimed by the Rural Development Secretary in a recent article, it is time to ensure that MGNREGA workers are not denied their wages under any circumstances. Cybersecurity podcasts are an easy way to immerse yourself in the world of SecOps. Depending on what you're looking for, you can catch up on the latest news and hear analysis from experts in the field... (Xinhua) 13:06, February 15, 2017 A workshop gathering provincial and ministerial officials started on Monday, as the country increasingly looks to "key minorities'" role in promoting economic and social development. At the opening session of the workshop on the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, President Xi Jinpingmade a speech calling on leading officials to use their power "impartially, cautiously and legally." "Leading officials should strengthen their political capability, firm their political ideals, uphold political direction, be steadfast in their stance and strictly observe political rules," said Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Such workshops date back to late last century and are now part of the CPC routine. In 1999, a financial seminar at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee was attended by provincial and ministerial officials. Since then, workshops on major strategic plans have been held almost every year, with topics covering deepening reform, promoting rule of law and implementing decisions of plenary sessions of the CPC Central Committee. This year's workshop focused on and brought up requirements for "key minorities," which was first raised at a workshop in February 2015, referring to the small group of officials at provincial and ministerial level who have both big power and responsibilities. The term has since been regularly brought up. Last month, senior CPC leader Liu Yunshanasked organization departments to practice strict intra-Party political life and strengthen intra-Party supervision, focus on "key minorities" and promote comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. According to Xin Ming, a professor with the Party School, this group of officials is crucial to governing the country, as many are members of, or alternate members of the CPC Central Committee. Provincial and ministerial officials act as connectors, carrying out the policies of higher authorities and making decisions for lower ones, said Guo Xiangong, director of the Party building division of the Party School of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee. For the central authorities, these officials follow their policies and guidelines, while to city, county and township-level ones, they are the decision makers, he said. Their understanding of the policies and guidelines of the central authorities directly decides the implementation and effect of policies, he added. Cai Songtao, Party Chief of Lankao County in Henan Province, said that such workshop has benefited Lankao in many ways. "As a local official, I sometimes do not grasp the essence of central instructions. Provincial officials deliver instructions more accurately after a workshop, and we can follow them more easily," said Cai. At a similar workshop last year, Xi stressed the new concept of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development, to promote economic and social development during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020) and achieve the country's goal of becoming a moderately prosperous society in an all-around way. Based on guidelines made by provincial authorities after last year's workshop, Lankao County has tackled poverty through industrial development, urbanization and public services, and fulfilled various tasks as scheduled, Cai added. LG to Give Tesla's PowerWall a Run For Its Money ROY, MI.--( eSolarEnergyNews )--LG Chem Ltd., a global leader in lithium-ion batteries for automotive, stationary and consumer application... Internet of Things Includes the Ocean, and it's Solar Powered SAN DIEGO, CA--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Kyoceras solar panels, tested for long-term deployment in marine and coastal areas, are powering an inno... IKEA Taps Phoenix Solar for Rooftop Solar Project in Singapore SINGAPORE & SULZEMOOS, GERMANY --(eSolarEnergyNews)--Singapores Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd has been awarded a contract by IKEA Southeast Asi... 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Amazon Meets Solar Goals Quicker Than Expected SEATTLE, WA--( eSolarEnergyNews )--Amazon today announced the early completion of its commitment to host 50 solar systems on its fulfill... SolarCraft Completes Rooftop Solar Installation for Appellation Trading Company Novato, CA, December 07, 2021 --( eSolarEnergyNews.com )-- The solar photovoltaic system is roof mounted and consists of 153 high-efficienc... The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel We have more newsletters Something went wrong, please try again later. Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter An inquest has opened into the death of a Witham man who died after a horrific crash on the A12. Gurdip Johal, 30, was killed after the articulated lorry he was driving came off Colemans Bridge onto the southbound carriageway near Witham, on February 8. The lorry , which was carrying wired batteries, came round the corner and crashed through the bridge barrier, catching fire in the process. Mr Johal, a mechanic for Harris Truck and Van, on Wheaton Road, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics . Senior Coroner for Essex Caroline Beasley-Murray expressed her sympathy to Mr Johal's family during the inquest opening at Chelmsford Coroner's Court on Wednesday (February 15). Mrs Beasley-Murray noted that all protocols had been followed by emergency services and that the death was not being treated as suspicious. Reports from the police and the forensic collision investigating team have been requested ahead of the full inquest, which has been scheduled for July 17. A post mortem examination conducted at Broomfield Hospital stated that Mr Johal died of bleeding from multiple injuries caused by the road traffic collision. Emergency services carried out extensive checks in the aftermath of the collision to ensure there were no other casualties, which brought both carriageways to a standstill. Mr Johal's sister, Mandip Kaur, 21, described him as "a loving brother" as she paid tribute following the crash. Tunisia is not accountable for the Berlin attacks at a Christmas market said Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, thus effectively rebuffing any responsibility for the events in which 12 people were killed and more than 50 injured. Let me make one thing perfectly clear the Tunisian authorities did not commit a single error, he said. Mr. Chahed met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin yesterday (14 February) and said that he deeply regretted what happened in Berlin, adding that its something that deeply concerns all Tunisians, as we ourselves suffered three separate terrorist attacks in 2015. Anis Amri, who committed the Berlin attacks, had been monitored by German authorities for more than a year prior to the events. His asylum application was rejected last June but German immigration authorities failed to deport him after Tunisia had not issued a replacement passport that would have allowed him to return. It was reported at that time that Tunisia denied that Mr. Amri was a Tunisian national. Later, Tunisian authorities said that German authorities had provided them with a wrong name. Amri was not a terrorist when he left Tunisia in 2011, nor did he show any signs of radicalization, stressed Mr. Chahed. The suspect, Mr. Amri, is believed to have been exposed to radicalization for the first time when he was detained in an Italian prison. He was shot and killed by Italian police in Milan four days following the attacks. Angela Merkel promised last week to speed up the return of rejected Tunisian refugees and promised that Germany will make sure how we can work closer together, particularly when it comes to reducing the terror threat. During the meeting in Berlin, German Chancellor Angel Merkel also pushed for ways to encourage rejected Tunisian asylum seekers living in Germany to return home. To facilitate voluntary return, Berlin plans to offer more support, which includes educational incentives and financial support for entrepreneurs, but Merkel also stressed that whoever does not choose to return of their own free will then have to be returned involuntarily. Mr. Chahed praised the current cooperation between both sides but also urged German authorities to prove that anyone scheduled to be deported back to Tunisia was a genuine national. Illegal migrants, who often used forged papers, often complicate and delay the process, he said. After the horrific attack on the Berlin Christmas market, the EUs approach to refugees is once more in the headlines. In his 2016 state of the union address, delivered on the 14th of September to the European Parliament, Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, stated that: When it comes to managing the refugee crisis, we have started to see solidarity. I am convinced much more solidarity is needed. But I also know that solidarity must be given voluntarily. It must come from the heart. It cannot be forced. Few however, would agree with his broadly optimistic tone, because the issue manifestly divides the EU at present, with some seeing it through the lens of moral obligations to assist fellow humans at risk, while others see migration more a threat to security and national identity. The nub of the refugee problem for the EU is that the capacity to deal with it lies with the individual Member States, not the EU collectively. Some, such as Germany, following Angela Merkels moral commitment to the open doors approach, now cruelly challenged in Berlin, have been willing to accept substantial numbers, but others, for differing reasons have resisted, Plainly, the sheer number of displaced persons is a global challenge and is not confined to the EU. Syrian refugees alone account for some 5 million. The fall of Aleppo may, at last, signal an end to the Syrian civil war, but displaced Syrians still represent a major challenge for the EU as a close neighbour, with some 4 million in camps in Lebanon, Jordan and, especially, Turkey. By contrast, around 1.1 million Syrian applications for asylum have been received in Europe since 2011. Most of those now in Europe, are concentrated in Germany (their preferred destination), Greece and Serbia (both transit countries); only a handful of other EU countries have been willing to accept more than a few thousand Syrians. The difficulty in the EU, as a whole, is not the overall capacity to absorb refugees, but the politics of how to share the burden.. The evident preference of migrants to be settled in Germany, Sweden or (at least for some) the UK also has to be taken into account. For the UK, the scale of immigration was much the most powerful argument for voting to leave the EU. The concern for UK voters was mobility of EU workers, a right enshrined in the Unions single market, but in the referendum campaign, it became conflated with the refugee problem, even though the latter is an entirely separate issue. A solution proposed at the European level was to have national quotas for taking-in displaced persons, but this has proved to be politically unacceptable, especially to the countries of central and Eastern Europe. They argue that an influx of Muslim refugees would undermine their national identity in what are predominantly Christian countries and have raised questions about security. Leaders of these countries also argue that, in any case, the refugees want to go to Western Europe and would simply leave if they are initially settled in Poland or Hungary. At the informal summit of EU leaders held in Slovakia in mid-September, the Germans (who had been the strongest advocates of quotas, along with the European Commission) accepted that the idea would have to be abandoned and it was noticeably absent from the conclusions of the December European Council.. German and Swedish citizens, meanwhile, complain that their countries are being asked to shoulder an unfair burden and have become increasingly hostile to their governments positions on migrants. The Berlin attack, with the federal election in German now just a few months away, means that the refugee policy will inevitably become an even more heated campaign issue, likely to give momentum to the right-wind populists of the Alternative fur Deutschland part which is taking votes from Merkel. The political problem for Europe is compounded by the number of economic migrants from economically poorer areas, such as sub-Saharan Africa, also keen to move to Europe. The distinction between a refugee and an economic migrant is analytically clear, but blurred in practice. Many of those eventually moved from the jungle camp in Calais in northern France, were qualified workers simply looking for better jobs in the United Kingdom. Who paid people smugglers to help them to evade UK controls. Many deliberately destroy their identity documents to enable them to be treated as refugees. Europe as a whole lacks a political basis for a solution. A deal with Turkey eased the immediate pressure on Europe because it resulted in a much stricter control of illegal movement from the Turkish coast to the Greek islands a sea-crossing of just a few kilometres to the islands closest to the Turkish mainland. Some attempt has also been made to curb the number of boats sailing from the Libyan coast to Italy. But control cannot be a comprehensive or lasting answer and EU relations with both Turkey and the various factions controlling Libya are strained. Instead, in the longer-term, the EU will have to come up with a range of policy initiatives. A first is geo-political: so long as conflicts continue (not just in Syria, but also in the horn of Africa), there will be a steady outflow of refugees, hence the need for more effective attempts to resolve the conflicts. Second, the EU, as one of the richest global regions has a moral responsibility to develop a policy for absorbing and resettling refugees, but it will also face harder choices about how welcoming to be to economic migrants. Several EU countries, including Germany, Italy and Finland are on the cusp of a decline in their population because of demographic trends, but others are not, and this adds to the complexity of the policy decisions. The third element in a tricky package will be how to revise the rules on refugees, given the sheer numbersarriving. The current arrangement, based on what is known as the Dublin convention, is for refugees to be registered in the country in which they arrive in the EU, but this manifestly puts excessive pressure on the frontline states, especially Italy and Greece. One dimension of this will be the budgetary cost of processing and accommodating migrants. For Greece, already facing acute pressures on its public finances, the extra burden is a major concern, making it likely that the common EU budget will be called upon to contribute more. However, several of the net contributors to the EU budget may resist taking on new commitments, not least because Brexit will already mean a net loss for the EUs finances. Then there is security. Rightly or not, many European governments fear that large-scale migration will make it easier for terrorists to enter their countries by pretending to be displaced persons, something the Berlin attack, (and the November 2015 attacks in Paris) can only have reinforced. Populist parties, such as in France and the Netherlands, have played on this fear and the Dutch populist leader Geert Wilders was quick to blame Angela Merkel s open door policy for what happened in Berlin. Despite the intensity and intractability of the migration and refugee challenges, there are no real signs yet of any demand to abandon the Schengen agreement by restoring controls on the EUs internal borders. Like the euro and the single market, free movement inside the Schengen area is one of the defining features of European integration. But Schengen is facing criticism because of its links with the migrant crisis, and a weakening of it cannot be excluded, despite continuing support from mainstream political voices. Whether for EU workers looking for jobs in other countries or Chinese tourists who can take advantage of a single visa to visit so many countries, the risk is real and if Schengen is undermined, it will be widely seen as a further weakening of support for the EU in general. Iain Beggis a Professorial Research Fellow at the European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Senior Fellow on the UK Economic and Social Research Councils initiative on The UK in a Changing Europe Ageing population, sectoral labor shortage, high unemployment, financial transfers, investment and decrease in active population are among the major reasons behind the need for more mobility throughout the Euro-Mediterranean region. Except for economic and demographics drivers, there are also political reasons a deep multi-layer integration is possible only when economic mobility is made easier. According to some policy makers, there should be a distinction between mobility and access to the labor market from border control and the fight against illegal immigration. Some observers think that the needs of partner countries must be taken care of instead of purely focusing on European priorities especially regarding migratory flows. In addition to fighting illegal immigration, the EU must propose an attractive Euro-Mediterranean policy of economic mobility so that Northern and Southern countries, and migrants themselves, can benefit from mobility. At the same time, all partner countries must create the conditions for a renewed trust in order to attack diaspora and mainly high-skilled migrants. Moreover, the Southern countries in particular Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and others are beginning to change their opinion regarding their diasporas abroad they are no longer seen as just a source of money but also as a powerful pool of skilled workers and ambassadors who can contribute to the development of their home countries. In order to economize on diasporas, some countries are implementing different policies to strengthen economic, cultural and political bonds with their nationals abroad. To make most of the migrants remittances that are otherwise mostly invested in real estate, the governments and local banks should also promote different financial tools that would facilitate their injection into other sectors of the economy. The EU countries should, however, recognize the importance of the economic dynamics of the Mediterranean diaspora living in Europe and their contribution to job creation. Northern countries, and particularly Spain, France and Italy, should therefore encourage more mobility and easier access to the labor market, making it easier for migrants to pursue a professional career in Europe. Migrants skills must be involved in the economic development both in the South and in the North, having one foot in the North and one foot in the South. Boosting Euro-Mediterranean Economic Mobility a Report by Philippe Fargues, Herve? Le Bras and Farida Souiah LInstitut de Prospective Economique du Monde Mediterraneen IPEMED (The Mediterranean World Economic Foresight Institute) (The study can be downloaded here) Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Differend Majority Votes of MEPs gave in EU Parliament here a Contradictory image on a controversial EU - Canada Trade deal (CETA), "the Most Ambitious" ever for the EU "so far", as mainstream Groups' leaders observed, shortly after New US President Don Trump confirmed his pre-electoral promisse to ask for a Review of NAFTA, a similar pre-existing US - Canada Trade deal : It's an astonishing Fact that, even if a Legaly Binding Report, by Latvian MEP Pabrics, asking to endorse that Deal, passed by Majority, nevertheless, the only Resolution (drafted by Leaders of EPP/Liberal/Conservative Groups of MEPs) which asked to "Welcome" CETA and "a Swift Ratification" by EU's 28 Member States, on the Contrary, was clearly Rejected by EU Parliament ! Already, its Committee on Employment and Social affairs had Refused to endorse CETA, earlier in Brussels, where, on the Contrary, it had been Backed mainly by the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Environment/Health/Food safety Committee, in a Lesser degree. Moreover, Today, EU Parliament's Plenary also Rejected a "New ..model for ...Dispute Resolution" about Investments, ( 7 of the Draft Resolution), which had been Accused by a relevant Amendment of the "Green" Group to allegedly : "Allow claims to be made only by foreign investors, (be) based on extremely broad foreign investor rights, and (to) abrogate from the basic international law principle of prior exhaustion of domestic legal remedies", (etc). In Addition, the MEPs who Voted "Against" or "Abstained" on the Issue of "Privatisation of Public Services" ( 6 in the Draft), were More Numerous, than those who Voted "For" : 355 (i.e. 334 + 21), instead of Only 338, respectively. Similarly, More MEPs Voted "Against" or "Abstained", than supported the Claim that CETA would have "Answered" the "Questions" raised by Critics, via the "Clarifications" and/or "Interpretations" given for that purpose, ( 8 in the Original Draft) : 376 (i.e. 304 + 72) instead of just 323, respectively. (Probably because, as EFDD Group denounced, these were "Not Legaly Binding". It's also "Against" or "Abstention" that Voted Most MEPs, instead of "For", concerning the wish to "Welcome", or Not, CETA, based on the (strongly Contested) Claim that it would have a "Potential" for "significant Benefits to the Citizens and Companies, especially SMEs", ( 1 of the Draft) : 362 (i.e. 248 + 114), instead of just 334, respectively. Experienced EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom, even if she naturaly Supported Earlier CETA as "a Good Deal", afterwards Acknowleged that "there are Many Concerns among the People" in Europe, so that EU and Canada Officials should "show" them, with "concrete Examples", that this Free Trade Agreement would bring them Benefits. But, "at any case", the still Remaining process of "Ratification, depends from (EU) Member States", (i.e. 28 National Authorities), she observed in fine. Malmstrom said that in a subsequent Press Conference here, After EU Parliament's Votes, together with the Canadian Government's International Trade's Minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, where they answered a Few Questions on some among the Critical Points raised in Writting by 5 Political Groups of MEPs : from the "Left" and most "Socialists", up to the "Greens", the Euro-Sceptics of "EFDD", and the Rightists of "ENF", as well as several "Independents". Among these Critical Issues, (in addition to those who found an Expression in the Votes : Comp. Supra), were also mainly Jobs and Social standards, Agriculture, Geneticaly Modified Organisms ("GMO"s) and "Food Safety", protection of Personal Data from "Cross-Border Flows", the "Price of Medical Drugs" (allegedly the "2nd Higher in the World" at Canada), etc. Such concerns brought manifold Popular Protests at EU Parliament's doorstep, and even inside its Hemicycle, while, among the Countries whose most Political Leaders reportedly appear to be Opposed or Uncertain yet about CETA, seems to be also France, which is currently engaged in Crucial Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, due to be Soon Followed by the Netherlands and Germany, later this Same Year (2017), afterwards by Austria (2018), etc., in the run up to the Next European Elections of 2019. Meanwhile, the Canadian Minister tried to Downplay and Minimize the issue notoriously raised by the New US President Don Trump's Electoral Campaign about the equivalent preexisting "NAFTA" free trade agreement in North America, by claiming that it could likely result just in another "Review" and/or "Update", more or less similar to previous ones, that had already been made before. In that regard, Champagne pointed at a recent Press Conference, in Washington D.C., between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, who is currently Visiting Strasbourg, and due to Speak Tomorrow in the Pleanry of EU Parliament here, followed by a Press Conference with its New President Tajani, who has vowed to Support the Position expressed by the Majority of MEPs, as a matter of General Principle, and whose services has just published a Press Communique in favor of CETA's Ratification by EU's 28 Member States, (even if, at least a Part of it, is, reportedly, due to Start being Applied from March 2017, i.e. even Before that Long process of National Ratifications). (../..) *** ("Draft"News, as already send to "Eurofora" Subscrbers/Donors, earlier. A mora accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap). *** Over at the Washington Post, reporter Valerie Strauss engages in fear-mongering over South Dakotas academic freedom bill (SB 55). Unfortunately, this is not her first time misrepresenting such bills. Strauss provokes alarm about a lack of accountability maverick teachers who can teach whatever they wish. However, SB 55 offers very limited freedoms. Indeed, the language of the bill says that teachers can only present information in an objective scientific manner. Under this legislation, they can only talk about scientific information. And they can do so only in classes aligned with state science standards. School administrators retain the authority to ensure that teachers follow all these guidelines. Yet, quoting a local newspaper that quoted a science teacher in Sioux Falls, Ms. Strauss raises the specter of eugenics, of all things, which she suggests could be taught in science classrooms under this legislation. But no, the teacher is obviously wrong, because eugenics is not in the standards. The law does not authorize teaching topics outside of the state standards. In addition, teachers are only permitted to teach about topics objectively, so it should be clear that advocating eugenics would not come under the bills protection. As noted above, school authorities can restrict teaching that falls outside of the previously mentioned guidelines. So worries about science instructors going rogue and preaching eugenic doctrines, using academic freedom legislation as a cover, are unfounded, and indeed absurd. Additionally, the Washington Post questions whether the bills language is clear. In reference to the Texas academic freedom bill, Strauss notes that the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) told her that the bill is too vague and will spark conflict and litigation over curriculum. Yet this has not been the case in other states with academic freedom laws. The Louisiana Science Education Act has been on the books since 2008, and Tennessees academic freedom law since 2012. Neither has faced any litigation. Finally, and most importantly, are there scientifically controversial topics for teachers to talk about in the first place? Are evolution and climate change controversial? Glenn Branch of the NCSE told Ms. Strauss that they are only socially but not scientifically controversial. Had she contacted us, we would happily have explained to her otherwise. Climate change is not our issue, but many would disagree that it is settled science. That aside, mechanisms of evolution and their role in generating biological novelties are indeed scientifically controversial. In the opening talk of this past Novembers Royal Society New Trends in Evolutionary Biology meeting, Gerd B. Muller, president of the European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology, identified several major mysteries that neo-Darwinism (or the Modern Synthesis) has been unable to explain. These, he said, include the origin of body plans, complex behaviors, complex physiology, and development. Those are not small matters! They are basically what people think of when they think of animals evolving. Strauss lists a paragraph of scientific organizations that have come out in opposition to the South Dakota bill. Of course, she cites only critics of the legislation. Those critics include the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT). Yet in a February 2016 issue of The American Biology Teacher (which is published by NABT), in an article entitled Beyond the Adaptationist Legacy: Updating Our Teaching to Include a Diversity of Evolutionary Mechanisms, authors Rebecca M. Price and Kathryn E. Perez note misconceptions about natural selection common among undergraduate students: This analysis of student performance on CIs about genetic drift, dominance concepts, and evo-devo leads us to a conclusion that needs to be explored further. Many students do not recognize different evolutionary processes to them, all evolution occurs through natural selection (Andrews et al., 2012; Hiatt et al., 2013; Price et al., 2014). The additional description of the data presented here suggests that many of the challenges students have with learning natural selection are actually challenges about evolution more broadly. Our data demonstrate that students with greater conceptual understanding of a diversity of evolutionary mechanisms display fewer misconceptions about natural selection. Therefore, we propose that a straightforward way to improve understanding of evolution may be to shift the focus of evolution teaching to better balance natural selection with other mechanisms of evolution (for discussion of evo-devo, see Kampourakis & Minelli, 2014). So at least one of SB 55s critics regards it as a reasonable view that instruction about natural selection should be balanced by a consideration of other mechanisms of evolution. If thats so at the college level, how do we benefit high school biology students by withholding an accurate picture from them? Oh, for the good old days of objective reporting. Actually the headline of Strausss article tells you right away that the Post has an axe to grind. We read, An alternative facts South Dakota bill sparks fears for science education in the Trump era. However, as the reporter surely knows, the issues posed by these bills are at a state, not federal, level. Ms. Strauss and her newspaper are evidently trying to mobilize the deep divisions over the new administration to create opposition to academic freedom. This is not even-handed journalism. It is an op-ed masquerading as a news article. Photo: South Dakota State Capitol, by Samir Luther [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons. A military wife named Kang Zhuo had an unusual but nevertheless romantic Valentine's Day. On Feb. 14, she accompanied her husband on a patrol mission across a 5,000-meter-high mountain pass in Ali, Tibet Autonomous Region, experiencing the life of a border guard. Tencent has lately led a $55 million series D funding round for Indias Practo, a healthcare startup. This is just China's latest major investment in India, following an investment blowout over the past several years. China's investment in India hit $1.06 billion in 2016, increasing six-fold from 2015. The country's accumulated direct investment in India exceeded $4.8 billion, up from $2.4 billion prior to 2014, reports said. India has become a hot investment opportunity for Chinese enterprises, according to Li Bojun, economic and commercial counselor for the Chinese embassy in India Construction of an industrial park for small and medium-sized enterprises in Gujarat, India will start later this year, according to the general manager of the industrial park, Zhang Xiuge. The industrial park is a key project under the Belt and Road Initiative. Zhang disclosed that the first phase is scheduled to be finished in 2018. A production value of approximately $5 billion will be created when the park opens, Zhang said, adding that over 100 companies are considering whether to enter the park. Last year, Shanghai Highly (Group) Co., Ltd. finished construction of several factories in India, with a total investment of $718 billion. The factories will produce 2 million air conditioning compressors annually, according to the chairman of the group, Shen Jianfang. Baosteel, headquartered in Shanghai, has also established its first wholly-owned overseas factory in India, with an investment of $40 million. The plant officially began operation on Jan. 1, 2016, and aims for an annual production capability of 150,000 tons. In terms of electric power, steel, energy manufacturing and infrastructure, China's investments in India are moving forward steadily. Chinese mobile phone maker Xiaomi became one of the top three largest smartphone manufacturers in India in 2016, with sales volume surpassing $1 billion, according to the company's India sales manager Ma Du. The company announced plans to build two more plants in India last August. In addition, Huawei has signed a deal with an Indian electronics manufacturer to manufacture 3 million smartphones by the end of this year. The company has launched the world's largest global service and development centers in the southern Indian city of Bangalore. Chinese e-commerce companies are also pouring investment in India. Alibaba plans to add another $200 million to fund Paytm, an Indian e-commerce company, according to the Economic Times in India. Similar companies such as Tencent and Baidu have also decided to expand into India. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Trump administration is taking its first steps to put its imprint on the Affordable Care Act, reversing plans to withhold tax refunds this year from Americans who flout the laws insurance requirement while proposing a series of rule changes to encourage insurers to remain in ACA marketplaces. The Internal Revenue Service has revoked an Obama-era instruction to taxpayers that was taking effect during the current filing season as a way to further ensure compliance with the ACAs requirement that most Americans carry health insurance or pay a tax penalty. Under the instruction, the IRS had announced that it would no longer process tax returns for people who do not send a notice with their returns that they have insurance, are exempt from the requirement or are paying the fine. Instead, the IRS said in a statement Wednesday, tax returns will be processed as always, even if people do not provide the required information about their insurance. IRS said the decision, made earlier this month but not previously publicized, was in line with the executive order that Trump signed hours after his inauguration, giving agencies broad authority to lighten the burden of federal rules under the ACA. The IRS confirmed the change on the same morning that Health and Human Services officials proposed a set of rules to help protect insurers and shore up ACA marketplaces in the short term while Republicans work on demolishing the law. The proposal drew swift praise from the insurance industry and condemnation from consumer advocates. The rule would make it harder for consumers to buy health coverage outside of the laws regular enrollment periods, give insurers power to deny new coverage to people late in paying their premiums and create more rigorous checks of applicants eligibility. At the same time, the changes would eliminate federal reviews of whether health plans in the ACA marketplaces have enough doctors and other providers of care, delegating the task to states. And by lowering how much insurers must pick up for a specific benefit package, the changes would allow them to sell plans with higher deductibles. Many specifics in the proposal, however, reflect concerns that have been voiced by the insurance industry long before the Trump administration assumed power concerns that have prompted some major insurers to stop selling coverage or to curtail their participation in the ACAs federal insurance exchange or separate, similar marketplaces run by states. The insurers core concerns have centered on the risk pool of the approximately 10 million people who have purchased ACA health plans. Overall, they are older, less healthy and so more expensive to cover than companies had expected. But insurers also have complained about some customers waiting to buy coverage until they are sick and in need of medical services, then dropping out once they have gotten the care. On Tuesday, Humana announced that, after cutting back on its ACA participation in 2017, it plans to fully withdraw from the marketplaces next year. It said the risk pool was unbalanced because not enough healthy people were signing up for insurance compared to the number of sick people. That logic shows just how much the risk pool is deteriorating in the ACA and how poorly structured the funding mechanism and premium model is, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini said, adding that the ACAs exchanges are in a death spiral. He said Aetnas heaviest utilizers of health care the top 1 to 5 percent are driving half of the costs in the exchanges. Bertolini said his company has not decided yet whether to continue selling insurance in the exchanges in 2018, but the company already dramatically exited most of the markets where it previously sold plans, remaining in only four states this year. He pointed out that Aetna is the only insurer left in Nebraskas public exchange. I think you will see a lot more withdrawals this year of plans, Bertolini said. On Wednesday afternoon, Molina Healthcare Inc. threatened to drop out of the exchanges after posting massive financial losses related to the program. We believe there are simply too many unknowns with the marketplace program to commit to our participation beyond 2017, CEO J. Mario Molina said during a conference call with investors after issuing fourth-quarter financial results. It reported that its ACA health insurance plans lost $110 million last year. The new rule is an attempt to entice companies not to withdraw. Though the president has made killing the health care law a top priority, he and GOP leaders in Congress want its marketplaces to keep functioning in the interim so they are not tarred by consumers blaming them for an abrupt loss of insurance. HHS action drew swift praise Wednesday morning from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, which has members selling ACA health plans in 45 states and the District of Columbia. As other insurers have withdrawn, they are the only insurer available in about one-third of the nations marketplaces. These proposals would help stabilize the current individual market and are a good start toward improving the functioning of the marketplace, so that any longer-term reforms can begin on a better footing, said Alissa Fox, the associations senior vice president for policy. 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. But Andy Slavitt, the Obama administration official who was the top official for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which carries out much of the ACA, quickly denounced the proposed changes. Slavitt predicted that the altered rules would raise deductibles, reduce access to physicians and put limitations on the ability for people to get coverage. Slavitt said the new administration has created a manufactured crisis with talk of repeal but no plan to replace, nonenforcement of the rules and reducing outreach around HealthCare.gov so fewer people would sign up for coverage. If the administration is serious about strengthening the marketplace, they will reduce uncertainty and focus on keeping the marketplace stable and growing. Ron Pollack, executive director of the advocacy organization Families USA, had an equally harsh reaction, calling the proposed rule a huge step backwards. The changes are actually going to make health coverage and care a whole lot more expensive for consumers, and they are going to result in fewer people being able to get people enrolled in coverage, he said. Americas Health Insurance Plans, the industrys main trade group, did not address any of the proposed specifics in a late-morning statement. President and CEO Marilyn Tavenner said, We appreciate the administrations efforts in proposing policies intended to address stability, affordability, and choice, helping consumers get the coverage they need. Some aspect of the proposed rule would strengthen steps the Obama administration already had taken. For instance, that administration last year limited the circumstances under which people could qualify for special enrollment periods outside the normal enrollment season. But the Trump administration proposal would require greater proof of eligibility for such an exception. It also would require proof upfront that an individual is eligible for ACA coverage, rather than doing certain kinds of screening such as for immigration status after the fact. The new rule would require the 39 states relying on the federal HealthCare.gov website, including Texas, to screen every application, instead of just half of applicants. Other aspects of the rules go far beyond what the Obama administration contemplated, such as in eliminating federal checks on whether health plans have enough doctors and other care providers. Starting in 2018, the rule also would shorten the annual enrollment period for consumers to sign up for ACA health plans from three months to six weeks: Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. Bloomberg News contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When Laurel Gibson came across a vintage player piano roll at a roadside sale in the Hill Country, she had to buy it. The artist knew the creamy, time-worn paper riddled with perforations would be perfect for something, even if she wasnt sure exactly what that was at the moment. Gibson, after all, is no stranger to working with unusual, cast-off materials such as coffee filters, which she embroiders and incorporates into mixed-media works. Even as a really little kid loving art, I would pick up all the stuff off the floor and make a sculpture out of it, said Gibson, who lives in an art-filled two story house in the Jefferson neighborhood. (I would) bring it to my dad and say, Look what I made from the scraps off the floor, Daddy. He would be legitimately impressed, and he was hard to impress. Gibson is one of more than 60 artists participating in the annual On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour. The two-day self-guided tour of artists homes, studios and galleries in the seven neighborhoods off Fredericksburg Road starts Saturday. The event organized by Bihl Haus Arts is celebrating its 10th anniversary. When we started 10 years ago, the stars kind of aligned right, said Kellen McIntyre, executive director of Bihl Haus Arts. It was really great just because everybody was on the same page and ready for something to happen in the neighborhood. More Information At a glance What: 10th annual On and Off Fredericksburg Road Studio Tour When: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday Catalog, advance: Catalog for the self-guided tour admits two people and costs $10 in advance at Deco Pizzeria, 1815 Fredericksburg Road; The Junction, 1704 Blanco Road; Vee's Hair and Spa, 1022 Donaldson Ave.; The Twig Book Shop at The Pearl, 306 Pearl Parkway, Suite 106; Barnes & Noble at The Shops of La Cantera, 15900 La Cantera Pkwy. Catalog, this weekend: $15 the weekend of the tour at Bihl Haus Arts, 2803 Fredericksburg Road. Online catalog $10 at onandofffred.org Reception: 6-9 p.m. Friday at Bihl Haus Arts. Admission is included with a catalog purchase. See More Collapse Gibson was a guest artist on the first tour. For the past six years, however, she has opened her own home to visitors, inviting them in for a closer, more intimate look at her work and art-making process than a gallery setting typically allows. This go-around, Gibson is sharing her home with featured artists Stef Cmielewski, Rosie Zertuche, Myriam Lanau and students she teaches through Bihl Haus Arts GO! Arts program for seniors. My first time doing it, I wasnt prepared for the questions people would ask me, said Gibson, a vivacious figure with curly hair. After six years, I think I could answer anything, or say None of your business! and leave it at that. A transplant from Phoenix, Gibson, 37, moved to San Antonio in 2002 to continue her art studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She graduated with a masters degree in 2005. Before that, she had earned a bachelors degree at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Though her concentration was in ceramics, she works in a variety of media. When I think about art, I think about the idea first and then whats the best way to represent that idea, she said. I usually go for sculpture, drawing, sewing. Initially, Gibson, who grew up listening to jazz, considered using the piano roll to do a series of music-related pieces. She discussed the project with McIntyre, one of her former professors at UTSA. Research revealed that the use of piano rolls peaked in the 1920s, the same era during which the Bihl Haus Arts building was constructed. It was also in the 1920s that most of the work was done on the Old Spanish Trail. The stretch of Fredericksburg Road where the gallery is located is part of the transcontinental highway, which runs from St. Augustine, Florida, to San Diego, California Slowly, the idea for an installation of mixed-media drawings referencing the music and multiethnic communities along the route began to gel. Bihl Haus Arts received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the project, titled Embroidering the Old Spanish Trail. The works were exhibited at the gallery last year. Shes a really wonderful craftsperson, McIntyre said. She just has a natural curiosity for different materials, so the piano rolls really gave her something new and different. We had pieces in the Bihl Haus that are almost 20 feet long. It gave her a different kind of way to explore paper. A handful of the works are on display in Gibsons home. Walking through the door, visitors are greeted by one of the pieces, a drawing of a young Louis Armstrong holding a trumpet outlined in stitches of gold thread. In the living room currently dominated by a 12-foot tall teddy bear that belongs to Gibsons 11 year-old niece is another piece in the series: an image of Compere Lapin, the naughty rabbit from Caribbean and Creole tales known as Brer Rabbit in South Louisiana and Georgia. Dressed in a long coat with a double row of hand-sewn buttons, the rabbit appears to be in a rush to get somewhere, like another famous fictional rabbit. The drawing is in marker and chalk pastel with embroidered accents. After Gibsons initial piano roll find, she bought others online. She tried to match up the images with the songs. This one is called Straighten Up and Fly Right, she said. And Brer Rabbit is kind of a trickster like the Native American coyote. Hes dressed up all nice and fine and about to get into mischief. The vintage paper is fragile, so Gibson applied multiple layers of backing so she could work with it. In the dining room, where she worked on the larger pieces, an image of the Virgin Mary on a piano roll banner made of five panels looks down from the wall, her hands together in prayer. In the forefront, there is an image of an American Indian in ceremonial dress and a pair of Mexican folkloric dancers. Outlined in red, the Old Spanish Trail bisects the piece. Sections of the drawing are in pencil. And in places, the embroidery looks incomplete, as if Gibson had been called away in the midst of her work. The idea was to show layers of time, she said. Im really interested in the passage of time or how to depict (it), she said. So the piano rolls being from the 20s with the drawings done on them now almost a hundred years later, you have this nostalgic feeling of it, just by the materials themselves, and you wouldnt get that same feeling if it was done on clean white paper made today. lsilva@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate As Nona Shepphard sees it, anyone who has ever partied into the wee, small hours of the morning should recognize the goings-on of A Midsummer Nights Dream. Youre in reality and then you disappear into magic and then you come back to reality, said Shepphard, an associate director of the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, who is directing Shakespeares romantic comedy at Trinity University. Its like a wonderful night out in a club, isnt it? You get dressed up and you go into the club and its all gorgeous, and then they switch the lights on at the end of the evening, and you see this horrible (sight) in what you thought was this magical place. You see the walls are a bit lumpy and gray. The play is set in an enchanted forest, where the Mechanicals, a group of tradespeople, are rehearsing a play to celebrate the impending nuptials between Theseus, the duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons. Also onboard are four young people in various stages of romance and romantic distress and all sorts of fairies, who are led by the squabbling Oberon (Alejandro Cardona) and Titania (Madeline Rhew). The play, which dates back to the 1590s, is an audience favorite. Shepphard has directed it countless times, and she said she still finds herself taken with the tale. More Information 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' When: Opens Friday. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays through Feb. 25. Where: Stieren Theater, Ruth Taylor Theater Building, Trinity University. Tickets: $6 to $12 at etix.com/ticket/v/10025/stieren-theater or by calling 210-999-8515. See More Collapse Part of its seemingly eternal appeal has to do with romance, she said, since virtually everyone is or has been in a similar place as at least one of the characters. If youre young, youre there with the lovers; or if youre not, like Im obviously not, you remember those adolescent times when you fell in love with him, then you fell in love with her, and your hormones are jumping, she said. Its funny and delightful. Shes also intrigued by the fairies storyline. As the play begins, the fairy king and queen are fighting because she refuses to hand over one of her followers to him. In a fit of jealousy, Oberon seeks to put his beloved in her place with a magic potion that, he hopes, will cause her to fall in love with a literal beast, humiliating her so deeply that she will give in to his demands. (Spoiler alert: It all works out in the end.) I find the relationship massively interesting, Shepphard said. When he doesnt get his own way, he punishes her in a very savage way. And yes, its funny, but its ghastly ghastly! what he does to her because she wont give him what he wants. So I find that very interesting. And there is light in that and there is dark in that, and I always think that for an audience, they like lightness, but lightness wouldnt be anywhere without darkness. So I think its a wonderful play from that point of view. Cardona, a 22-year-old senior who is majoring in theater communication, said Shepphard pushed him to emphasize Oberons malevolence, something that may seem foreign to those with a pop culture-nurtured notion of fairies as primarily playful creatures. He has enjoyed working with Shepphard. Its very refreshing to have a very different artistic vision, he said. Shepphard, who has been associated with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts since 1987, has enjoyed her time at Trinity. She is there as part of the universitys Stieren Guest Artist program, which brings in noted professionals to work with students. Past guest artists include choreographer/director Chet Walker, who directed Pippin and is known for his work with Bob Fosse; and Alan Muroaka, who directed Urinetown and may be best known to some for his role as Alan in Sesame Street. Shepphard has a personal connection to the university. Associate professor Kyle Gillette served as her assistant director for a series of site-specific Shakespeare productions in England nearly 20 years ago. We rattled around Oxford and drank beer and talked about the world, solved the worlds problems, got on really well, she said. They had talked off and on over the past few years about the possibility of her coming to direct something at Trinity, but this is the first time that an opening in her schedule aligned with the universitys calendar. Ive never been to Texas, and I thought, nows the time, she said. And, obviously, its a very interesting time to be present in the country. And also its a lovely opportunity to meet some young Texan people who are studying theater. Whats not to like? The whole project is lovely. She works with her actors in the evenings, after theyre done with their classes for the day, which is different from how productions are pulled together at the London academy. There, students work on nothing but theater training, so rehearsals may be all-day affairs. Also, (the Trinity cast members) dont necessarily want to be actors theyre just interested and they love it, she said. But all of the people in RADA are being trained to be actors, so they are in a very different situation. She said there was a bit of an adjustment as the Midsummer actors got used to her blunt nature. But theyve gotten along well, and the young performers said they enjoyed working with her. Madeline Rhew, the 18-year-old freshman playing both Titania and Hippolyta, said shes learned a lot from working on the show, adding that working with Shepphard has been absolutely magical. I like that shes so fierce, but also has this playful energy, said Rhew, who hasnt yet declared a major. Holly Gabelmann, a 20-year-old sophomore theater communication major, was delighted to work with someone with such vast experience. Shepphard has worked as an actor, director, administrator and playwright, among other things. Shes done it all, said Gabelmann, whos playing the comic role of Nick Bottom in the show. Its really cool working with someone like that. Some of the students noted that Shepphard approached the production process differently than most Trinity instructors. She began by emphasizing physicality and did a lot of group work. Part of that was prompted by the look she wanted for the show, which is a call-back to the theaters that Shakespeare wrote for. In his day, she noted, there wouldnt have been much in terms of sets. In a way, (Midsummer) is the classic one that you absolutely do not want to overload because everybodys idea of an enchanted forest would be different, she said. I want the actors to create that world with their bodies and their imaginations so that I can leave a lot of room for the audience to decide what that world is. Some of that work took place outside of the Stieren Theatre, the main stage space where the play is being produced. It was a different process, said Jake Pursell, a 25-year-old theater major who is minoring in religion. We started in our Attic Theatre, and we were mainly working on physicality. If we dealt with text, we didnt do much with it. He liked working that way. Its really cool, he said. After the show opens, Shepphard will head to New York, where she will be in residence at the Pratt Institute and will hold auditions for the academy. Then shell head to Los Angeles for more auditions before returning to London. Its a real American journey, she said. dlmartin@express-news.net Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Kristin Hefty sits at a shaded table on a pleasant patio at The Pearl, where a rusty iron water feature trickles soothingly and attracts the occasional grackle for a quick dip. It is midafternoon on a work day, and Hefty is nibbling on a plate of charcuterie and sipping a glass of white Burgundy. This is so good, she says with a slight Texas twang, taking a sip of the smooth wine. Its not the way Hefty, 36, one of the citys brightest young architects, spends most afternoons, which are usually filled with meetings with clients, trips to job sites, and lots and lots of time spent on the computer, her head buried in a design program called Revit. But restaurant work has its perks, and Hefty has carved a niche in San Antonio for hospitality design over the past few years. The paper-thin salami and white burgundy were recommended by Scott Ota, the wine wunderkind from Austin who recently made the pilgrimage to San Antonio to open his dream bar, High Street Wine Co. Its been in business for a little more than three months. I wanted the opportunity to build something from the ground up, said Ota, named best new sommelier of 2014 by Wine & Spirits magazine. More Information How S.A.'s Signature restaurant got its French Country look See More Collapse Which is where Hefty comes in. She and her seven-employee firm, the Dado Group, which she opened in 2013 with her husband Clay, a financial planner in a previous life, have transformed 1,200 skinny square feet of shadowy commercial space into a narrow, welcoming bar the kind you might stumble across while exploring New York City. High Street is one of several restaurant/bar projects that Dado Group has worked on, beginning with the defunct The Monterey in Southtown several years ago and including Rosella Coffee Co., The Granary Cue & Brew, Paper Tiger and chef Andrew Weissmans Signature at La Cantera. On Heftys drawing board are remodel designs for Dough Pizzeria Napoletana in Hemisfair Park, Panifico bakery on the West Side, iconic burger joint Chris Madrids and a patio at Cured. At High Street, a long steel bar down one side is echoed by a continuous series of 8-foot banquette benches on the opposite wall. High Streets signature design piece, which allows air and light into what would otherwise be a fairly gloomy space, is an upward pivoting, steel-framed window big as a garage door that opens the bar onto the patio. Adding warmth are custom brass lighting fixtures and sconces not the shiny 80s kind. Brass fittings also connect the banquettes, and brass inlays are echoed in the floor leading visitors through the space. Brass is making a comeback, she said. I love it. Im liking copper, too. Accenting the linear quality of the space are reclaimed wood 2-by-4s staggered in a parallel pattern running along the ceiling and the wall behind the bar. These lead to another design feature at the end of the bar, an impressive steel and glass wine cellar (We call it the Rubiks cube, Ota said) holding 1,695 bottles. The challenge was that we had this shotgun space that needed to feel both bigger and lighter, said High Street co-owner Mark Stoltz. We wanted something that would fit with the rest of The Pearl, but at the same time be something distinct. I think we did that. Kristin and her group were able to balance the pretty hard industrial vernacular of The Pearl with something more contemporary urban, with an overall feeling of comfort and warmth, which a lot of our guests have commented on. Restaurant design means more than an occasional plate of charcuterie, said Clay Hefty, partner and the general contractor at the Dado Group. Restaurants are the most rewarding experience that Ive found in this business, he said. When you come back, especially at night, and look in the windows and see all that energy inside, theres nothing like it. Its immediate gratification. Dado Group, which also does commercial design such as the Sweet Leaf Tea headquarters in Austin as well as residential design and remodeling, where the firm cut its teeth, is somewhat rare in the construction community: a design/build one-stop shop where design ideas come in one end and a finished building comes out the other. Ive always been interested in tinkering, said Kristin Hefty, who first encountered design when an architect came to her Victorian family home in Calvert, between Temple and College Station, when she was 10 to supervise a remodel. I always wanted to know how things went together, and when I became an architect, I wanted to be more involved in the construction process. Being a design/build firm, we have direct access to our (subcontractors) and can get their feedback on expectations, cost, quality. Theres a bond of trust there, because we work together all the time. Architecture school is very theory based, and to really understand what you are planning detailing a rafter connection, for instance is very valuable. A lot of times, an architect knows just enough about construction to be dangerous. Make no mistake, Kristin is the boss, even though Dado Group, named for a very strong carpentry joint, is what Clay Hefty calls an integrated team. It all starts with good design, and that continues all through the building process, Clay said. We all look to her. After graduating from the University of Texas Architecture School in Austin in 2003, Kristin Hefty was able to immerse herself in two sides of the architectural world with New York internships, the first at the small Soho firm Leeser Architecture, where she encountered young architects from Germany, Switzerland, Harvard and Yale. And here I am, Kristin from Calvert, she said. Leeser did arty stuff, and then Hefty got a taste of international, big-time architecture at Kohn Pederson Fox Associates, where she was on the design team for the Shanghai World Trade Center, the tallest building in mainland China and the second-tallest building in the world at that time. After graduating, she felt compelled to return to Texas and took a job with the San Antonio firm Lake | Flato Architects, where she spent five years, working on projects such as the master plan and facility expansion of the Francis Parker School in San Diego and several very cool houses. Kristin was always intrigued by the idea of making the process of design, cost estimating and construction more seamless, said Karla Greer, partner at Lake | Flato. She had a sort of restless, entrepreneurial spirit, which lead her down the path of starting a company, which does just that by taking a comprehensive, design-build approach to the process of creating and constructing projects. From Lake Flatos perspective, it is very exciting to see talented people continue to innovate and add to an ever-growing body of good architecture in San Antonio. Later on in the evening at High Street, youthful wine lovers spill out onto the patio from the bar, which is crowded and pretty loud. Which brings us to the fuddy-duddy question: Why are restaurants so loud these days? You want there to be some energy, Kristin Hefty explained. We actually put some sound bafflers from Bjorns in the ceiling (at High Street). There is a sweet spot you try to hit, where you have energy, and yet its comfortable. Thats what we go for. sbennett@express-news.net Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 Trend: The OSCE is expected to monitor the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia Feb. 16, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry Feb. 15. The monitoring will be held under the mandate of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative near Kokhanabi village of Azerbaijans Tovuz district. On the Azerbaijani side, the monitoring will be held by field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Gennady Petrica and Peter Svedberg. On the Armenian side, the monitoring will be carried out by field assistants of the OSCE chairperson-in-office personal representative Hristo Hristov and Jiri Aberle. 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. WASHINGTON Sen. John Cornyn joined other Republican and Democratic lawmakers Tuesday in calling for an investigation into the resignation of retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn as President Donald Trumps national security adviser. Cornyn, the Senates No. 2 Republican, said he expected the Senate Intelligence Committee to take up the matter, which has led to a firestorm in Congress since allegations surfaced that Flynn discussed sanctions relief with the Russian ambassador to Washington. I think theres an orderly process to make sure we get accurate information and we can get the appropriate oversight, and thats what we ought to do, Cornyn told reporters on Capitol Hill. Cornyns Texas counterpart, Sen. Ted Cruz, called the situation unfortunate, but stopped short of calling for an investigation. I think the central concern should be ensuring that we have in place a strong, serious national security team that is prepared and committed to defending this nation, Cruz said. After eight years of foreign policy weakness, our enemies are emboldened, radical Islamic terrorism is on the rise and American citizens are vulnerable as we never have been before. Other Republicans saw the matter as a disturbing sign of disarray in the White House. Its dysfunctional as far as national security is concerned, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said of the Trump administration. Whos in charge? Whos in charge? Whos making policy? Whos making decisions? While many Republican lawmakers remained largely silent Tuesday about the turmoil in Trumps national security apparatus, some allowed that further inquiry might be necessary, to a point. On Tuesday, Democrats tried to make it clear that Flynns resignation must be only the first chapter in the story of Russias involvement in the 2016 election. The crisis here rises above party, said the Democratic leader in the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, calling for an independent, nonpartisan investigation. In a joint statement, Rep. John Conyers Jr. of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said: We in Congress need to know who authorized his actions, permitted them and continued to let him have access to our most sensitive national security information despite knowing these risks. We need to know who else within the White House is a risk to our national security. They continued: While Congressional Republicans have turned a blind eye to their constitutional duty to conduct oversight on these issues, we Democrats believe that this new disclosure warrants a full classified briefing by all relevant agencies, including the Department of Justice and the F.B.I., as soon as possible and certainly before Thursday, Feb. 16. We are communicating this request to the Department of Justice and F.B.I. this evening. The Democratic National Committee reiterated the partys call for an independent, bipartisan panel to investigate Russias involvement in the 2016 election. kevin.diaz@chron.com The New York Times contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Among the nations 40 most populous cities, San Antonio was found lacking when it comes to healthy community policies, according to a national ranking project. CityHealth, a project of the de Beaumont Foundation, identified nine evidence-based and politically achievable policies that could be implemented in each of the 40 largest cities to improve health and strengthen communities. San Antonio was recognized Wednesday for having three of the nine policies. This is the first year CityHealth performed its assessment and issued gold, silver and bronze medal distinctions. The city received a gold medal from CityHealth for banning smoking indoors and in some outdoor areas, a silver medal for policies promoting safe streets for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and buses, and a bronze medal for universal, high-quality prekindergarten. We have been working for years to make San Antonio one of the best cities in America where every resident can live, work and play in a healthy, safe and well-connected neighborhood, said Mayor Ivy Taylor. These medals highlight some of the progress weve made, like creating environments that are smoke-free, but there is still a lot of work to do. Taylor highlighted the Vision Zero project, the goal of which is to have zero fatalities on roadways, initiated by District 5 City Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales. San Antonio was one of 21 cities that failed to receive an overall medal, or individual medals for the remaining six policies, which would require all businesses in the city to provide paid sick days, affordable housing in inclusive neighborhoods, a smoking age of 21, access to healthy and affordable food, control over how many stores sell alcohol in a given area, and mandatory restaurant inspection ratings. Sarah Baray, president of Pre-K 4 SA, the local preschool program mostly subsidized by sales taxes, said San Antonio has made high-quality early childhood education a priority. Our approach is innovative in its design, which focuses on both quality and sustainibility, she said. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Washington, D.C., received overall gold medals. The only Texas city to receive an overall medal was Houston, with a bronze. Were not simply putting out a rating of San Antonio and other cities to show their progress or lack of progress, but we really want this to be the beginning of a dialogue for how we can help them identify policies that work for the city, said Edward Hunter, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. The foundation, a private nonprofit based in Bethesda, Maryland, near Washington, seeks to strengthen and transform public health in the United States by improving the effectiveness and capacity of local and state health departments, according to its website. CityHealth will spend the next three years monitoring policy changes and working with local groups to implement the recommendations, after which they will re-evaluate the 40 cities. Our goal is to get every city to be a gold-medal city, Hunter said. Staff Writer Silvia Foster-Frau contributed to this report. bmartin@express-news.net Twitter: @beedotmartin This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DEL RIO An Air Force flight surgeon here is helping astronauts go where theyve never gone before cracking a problem that has vexed NASA since Mercury astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. famously wet his pressure suit prior to becoming the first American in space. Col. Thatcher Cardon, working in a spare room of his house on Laughlin AFB, developed a way to allow Americas high fliers to relieve themselves with no muss and no fuss: an adaptable hygiene spacesuit system that cleans up after itself. Responding to NASAs Space Poop Challenge, he brainstormed a solution in around a half hour, then put the system together using $200 worth of materials he bought at dollar and hardware stores. NASA announced Wednesday that he had won a $15,000 cash prize, beating out 20,000 people who collaborated on 5,100 entries submitted to the contest. It all seems pretty simple to me. Im just amazed that nobody came up with it, Cardon, 49, a family practice physician who calls Seattle home, told the San Antonio Express-News. I wish I had been there to invent quantum theory and not space poop handling methods, but I guess Ill take the minor achievement. Astronauts might not consider it minor. The International Space Station has specially designed toilets, as did the space shuttle. For those wearing pressure suits, the sole solution remains superabsorbent diapers that last 24 hours, but not comfortably. Anticipating that astronauts in the future might have to stay suited up for longer periods, including emergencies, NASA asked for a system that would allow urine, menstrual fluid and feces to be processed in pressure suits for as long as 144 hours, or six days. Cardon celebrated his win Wednesday at Laughlins Club XL, which was festooned for the occasion with toilet paper, poop-emoji cupcakes and a spacesuit pinata. I feel kind of embarrassed by all the fuss, Cardon said in a near-whisper. There are lots of people who work hard and do cool stuff. The bases commander had another view. When I ask him for a solution, he always gives me several options, and one of the options will be out of left field, one that I would never think about, said Col. Thomas Shank, commander of the 47th Flying Training Wing. Hes an extremely innovative person. Cardon wanted to go into biomedical engineering but became a family practice physician, figuring he could always come back to his original plan later. I never imagined that poop would be my ticket into the field, Cardon said. When he learned of the Space Poop Challenge, he had closed his eyes and thought through all the steps he could imagine. He quickly saw how it could work and drove his wife, Gerilyn, and their kids to Del Rio to shop for what hed need to create a mock-up. The key parts of the MACES Perineal Access & Toileting System, or MPATS, are the perineal access port, a valved opening at the spacesuit crotch, and an introducer, a clear plastic tube about the diameter of a half-dollar. Astronauts can use the device in various configurations that include a removable suction catheter for urination, an inflatable mylar bed pan for defecation, a modified maxipad and a C-string underwear. A suction motor powered by a lithium battery good for six days and attached to the astronauts hip draws the waste away. Cardon applied for a patent for the system, which works for men and women, early this week. The inflatable bed pan consists of a hemorrhoid cushion called a donut pillow that can be bought at Walmart for $10.72. Gerilyn sewed a clear plastic pouch into the cushion. The device includes a tube that acts like a bidet, washing the area around the anus, and one model also includes a small video camera the kind used in surgeries. But Cardon wasnt finished. He bought a long-reach hygiene wand at a drug store that costs as little as $3.95, broke it apart and then crafted something like it that would work in his system. The hygiene wand inside the introducer contains bunched tubular fabric that, like toilet paper, cleans any area that might have waste material on it. Once used, its discarded from the hygiene system. Another one of Cardons innovations is a layered diaper consisting of an absorbent gel separated by plastic. The problem with the diapers now used by astronauts, in addition to their relatively short half-life, is that they cant be taken off without removing the pressure suit. But they can remove the Cardon diaper one layer at a time through the introducer, allowing it to be worn for days as long as theyre just urinating. Like many NASA inventions, it could be used on Earth, in this case for bedridden patients, cutting the number of times diapers need to be changed. As a kid, Cardon grew up taking things apart and putting them back together. His dad, Royal Cardon, 74, was a carpenter whod buy toasters and TV sets at Goodwill and bring them home. Young Thatcher took them apart. The older Cardon said his son once built a bed from a wood pile. While most 8-year-olds cant hammer a nail straight, when Thatcher was 8 he constructed his own bed frame without any adult help or direction, said Royal Cardon, who lives in Norway. He measured, cut and nailed the frame together entirely on his own. Early in his marriage, when Thatcher and Gerilyn Cardon were barely getting by as college students in a small apartment, he assembled a vacuum cleaner from more than a dozen wrecked ones. It lasted 10 years. I didnt know how handy he was, she said. A pilot, scuba diver and former SWAT team member who grew up in a home without a television, Cardons interest in physiology is at least part of the reason why hes Mr. Fix-it. After mentioning that one form of bacteria has a rotating appendage that moves like a ships propeller, he said, Theres lot of elegant solutions to mechanical problems in biology. AUSTIN A Democratic state lawmaker is looking to bolster high school sex education requirements in hopes that Texas can lower its teen birth rates. Rep. Mary Gonzalez, D-Clint, filed House Bill 1547 to require sex education classes to include medically accurate, age-appropriate human sexuality education. The bill would allow students to be excused from the course with the written request of a parent or guardian. Its deeply troubling that Texas has one of the highest teen birth rates in the nation, Gonzalez said Tuesday. Our young people deserve to have correct, accurate information. Teen birth rates in Texas are among the highest in the country. According to a 2014 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the teen birth rate among Texas women ages 15 to 19 was nearly 40 in 1,000 girls. The national birth rate in 2015 for teenagers of the same age was 22 births per 1,000 girls, according to the agency. Gonzalez filed the bill on the heels of the Texas Freedom Networks most recent report that found that more than 80 percent of the states public school districts are not teaching sex education or exclusively teach abstinence-only birth control. The study found that the number of school districts that do not teach sex education has increased to more than 25 percent in 2016 from 2.3 percent in 2008. The group also found that another 58 percent of school districts took an abstinence-only approach to sex education last year. Those districts did not include information about condoms or other forms of contraceptives. All of these findings make clear that policy makers need to create common-sense, very necessary solutions, Gonzalez said. Gonzalez filed similar legislation last session, but it did not make it out of committee. Currently, Texas high school students are not required to take a high school health class before graduation, but a school district may offer it as an elective. Texas law leaves it up to local school district advisory boards to determine health education instruction, but requires districts to present abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior. Texas sex education guidelines made national news in 2015 when a high school in Crane had an outbreak of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease. The school, which taught abstinence-only methods, attracted attention from critics who said the curriculum did not teach students about safe sex. In some parts of the state, researchers have found promise in pushing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in local school districts. Evidence-based programs are aimed at delaying a teens first time having sex, decreasing teen birth rates and lowering the number of sexually transmitted diseases. Programs can include abstinence-only methods, but may gradually increase the amount of information a student receives as they get older. Kirsten Plastino leads UT Teen Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, a program that works to provide medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education. Plastino said at least nine school districts in Bexar County have implemented evidence-based sex education programs into their curriculum, and the number of teen pregnancies has significantly decreased. We need to make sure (students) have accurate information, Plastino said, giving the example that Texas teens should know that condoms are not 100 percent effective. Kids need to know theres no 100 percent way to prevent pregnancy unless they dont have sex. Controversy ensued in May when North East ISD switched to Draw the Line/Respect the Line, which promotes abstinence but also talks about contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Religious groups spoke against the curriculum, but staff members, students and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District supported it. The birth rate four years ago for girls aged 15 to 19 in Bexar County was 51 percent higher than the national rate, according to Metro Health, which helps school districts implement the curriculum with a grant from the UT Health Science Center. David Wiley, a professor at Texas State University, authored Texas Freedom Networks 2009 report and the groups most recent report presented Tuesday. Wiley said he found that school districts often are afraid to address the issue of sex education in public schools. Students learn pretty quickly theyre not supposed to ask, he said. Were creating generation, after generation after generation of sexually illiterate adults. In NEISD, only seventh- and eighth-graders receive sex education, spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor said. The curriculum stresses that abstinence is the only sure method to prevent pregnancy and STDs, Chancellor said. San Antonio ISD uses the same curriculum for middle-schoolers, and a program for high-schoolers called Reducing the Risk, which also encourages abstinence while providing information on contraception, spokeswoman Leslie Price said. South San Antonio ISD teaches the same curricula as SAISD in high school health classes and middle school physical education classes, spokeswoman Jocelyn Durand said. Parents can opt out of the program on behalf of their children, Durand said. Lackland ISD has a middle school sex ed curriculum called Worth the Wait, teaching abstinence only until marriage, according to Tonya Hyde, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. It was adopted with the support of the districts School Health Advisory Council, Hyde said. Wileys report was based on a survey of roughly 15 percent of the states public school districts that have high schools. Information gathered from school districts under the Texas Public Information Act found that students are taught incorrect information about abortion, abstinence-only programs are littered with misinformation and few districts address health issues relevant to LGBTQ high schoolers. Texas Freedom Network recommended the State Board of Education adopt new health textbooks and lawmakers restore health education as a graduation requirement for high schoolers. Staff writer Alia Malik contributed to this article. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN JUAN A group of Roman Catholic Bishops from across the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday pledged their spiritual, legal and material assistance to immigrants in the face of President Trumps crackdown on illegal immigration. We have seen the pain, the fear, and the anguish suffered by the persons who have come to us, who may be facing having to live among us in the periphery of our society, said Daniel E. Flores, the bishop of Brownsville. They have lived under the constant threat of deportation and have suffered the fear of the possible separation from their families. More than 20 bishops from Los Angeles, San Antonio and Monterrey, among others, taking part in the Texas-Mexico Border Bishops meeting reaffirmed their commitment to having a presence in immigrant detention facilities in the U.S. and migrant shelters of Mexico. We as the church, from the faith, want to open paths of hope, said Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio. To be serve, and be able to accompany them in this difficult situation amid decisions made by the administration. The bi-annual meeting of bishops began in 1986 to consider issues concerning communities on both sides of the border, including immigration and border violence. A year ago, Pope Francis traveled through Mexico in a meandering route symbolic of the migrant journey. His visit ended in Juarez, where he blessed a cross between Juarez and El Paso, leading the church headlong into the political debate surrounding immigration. Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio responsible for diplomatic relations with national governments, on Tuesday delivered a homily at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle in San Juan on the churchs role in support of migrants. Drawing from the Bible, the bishops recalled the story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as immigrants and refugees seeking a place to live and work. During their visit this week, the bishops visited with migrants in a U.S. Border Patrol holding facility and the respite center at Sacred Heart Church in McAllen. These centers are described as places of intolerable and inhumane conditions, Flores read from a statement. There we heard the evangelical call. In the view of the bishops, it is essential that governments adopt policies that respect the human rights of migrants and undocumented residents. Their concerns regarding migrants will be delivered to national bishops conferences. We can sense the pain of the separation of families, loss of employment, persecution, discrimination, racism and unnecessary deportations, Flores read from the statement. This reality is made evident as we consider the measures taken by the present administration. The number of unaccompanied minors apprehended by Border Patrol agents increased 54 percent in the Rio Grande Valley sector from 23,864 in 2015 to 36,714 in 2016. Overall, there was a 27 percent increase in the number of all undocumented immigrants detained by agents, growing from 147,257 in 2015 to 186,830 in 2016. In recent months, humanitarian agencies and shelters have begun to feel the strain of the increasing migration as larger groups of Mexicans are deported into their communities. At the same time, Central Americans and Cubans seeking asylum at international ports are asked to return to Mexico border cities while they wait for a scheduled appointment with U.S. immigration officials. Around 40 percent of all deportees to the Southern U.S. border are dropped off in Tamaulipas. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Shoppers were befuddled by a heavy police presence outside of North Star Mall on Tuesday afternoon as federal, state and local officers swept the grounds for a gunman accused of firing a weapon at authorities when they tried to take him into custody at a nearby restaurant. Helicopters circled overhead and officers remained on the ground at the shopping mall for several hours before leaving the area by early evening without the suspect. A few stores, such as JC Penney, closed some of their entrances for a short time as authorities investigated. The suspect was wanted in the shooting and robbery of a mail carrier that occurred in Spring Branch on Saturday morning, officials said. That letter carrier was shot in the leg, but survived. But what became of the gunman and his companions remained a mystery Tuesday night. The chaotic scene unfolded about 2 p.m. Tuesday as officers tried to take a man into custody in the parking lot of Jims Restaurant at 8427 Broadway near North Loop 410, east of North Star Mall. The suspect opened fire. One bullet passed through the glass pane at the restaurant, but no one was hurt. The gunman and his companions then drove away, and officers pursued. The suspect and his companions then drove into a covered parking garage at the mall to evade a police helicopter, according to the Incident Page Network, a website that monitors and posts police and fire departments radio communications. That parking garage was temporarily closed as police descended on the mall property and searched for the suspects. Some shoppers were allowed to leave, while customers at Dillards were locked down for a brief period, according to some who spoke to the Express-News. The malls security is trying to get the stores to open, but the SWAT team said they have some men on the loose, said Don Foster, who picked up his daughter from her job at Pandora in the mall. SWATs all over the place, he said, adding that the officers told some visitors, including him, to leave. Charles Gurinsky, owner of Gurinskys Jewelers inside the mall, said his shop wasnt placed under lockdown during the incident. Thank God, he said. The worst thing you can do is tell us to close down on Valentines Day. None of the law enforcement agencies at the scene publicly took responsibility for the case. Instead they departed without giving any official statements. The Texas Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the armed unit of the mail service, sent the most officers to the mall. San Antonio Police Department also showed up. Also responding were plainclothes agents with Homeland Security Investigations, an investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, who said they were assisting San Antonio police. Postal Inspection Service spokesman Michael Martinez-Partida told the San Antonio Express-News that he would absolutely not answer questions Tuesday, then hung up on a reporter. Numerous follow-up calls and a text to his cell phone went unanswered. DPS Lt. Jason Reyes said his agency had been assisting postal inspectors and San Antonio police with the investigation. He referred media questions to those agencies. Similarly, a San Antonio Police Department spokeswoman said her agency had been assisting federal agents and deflected questions to them. North Star Mall resumed normal operations later Tuesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the property said. She declined to answer other questions, referring inquiries to San Antonio police. According to the Postal Inspection Services Twitter account, the letter carrier in Spring Branch, about 30 miles north of San Antonio, was accosted Saturday morning as she delivered mail to a cluster of neighborhood mailboxes at 499 River Way. A man confronted her, then shot her and drove away in the letter carriers personal vehicle, which she had been using to deliver the mail. The stolen vehicle was later recovered. A reward of up to $50,000 had been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the attack and robbery of the letter carrier. Staff writers Caleb Downs, Josh Fechter, Madalyn Mendoza and Peggy OHare contributed to this report. gcontreras@express-news.net A federal judge has ruled the Texas prison system and its top leaders must stand trial in a civil rights lawsuit over the heat-related death of an inmate, a sharp rebuke that focused new attention on the deaths of more than 20 other inmates in prison units that lack air-conditioning. The 83-page order by U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison who personally visited a prison in the summer heat cites the states own records documenting a heat index of about 150 degrees inside the Hutchins State Jail near Dallas where inmate Larry Gene McCollum, 58, a cab driver from Bellmead near Waco, died during a heat wave in 2011. Evidence indicates the heat inside the facility was exacerbated by sealed prison windows, sparse fans, an insufficient supply of cool water and inadequate medical care, the judge ruled. Larry McCollums tragic death was not simply bad luck, but an entirely preventable consequence of inadequate policies, the judge wrote, in denying the states request to dismiss the lawsuit or grant immunity to prison officials. These policies contributed to the deaths of 11 men before McCollum and 10 men after him. Prison officials said Tuesday they will appeal the ruling to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The order was issued Feb. 3 and unsealed this week in federal court in Houston. The case filed by McCollums widow and two adult children is the latest in a series of federal lawsuits filed over heat-related deaths inside Texas prisons and the dire conditions for disabled and medically vulnerable inmates who are particularly susceptible to hyperthermia. A separate class-action suit in Houston is challenging the state prison conditions in the Pack Unit near Navasota, which houses a number of elderly and disabled inmates. The order notes that 22 inmates have died in Texas prisons from the heat, including 10 who died during the 2011 heat wave. McCollum, who had been sentenced to one year in a state jail facility on a hot check conviction from McLennan County, was found having convulsions in his top bunk on July 28, 2011. He was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where his body temperature was recorded over 109 degrees. Austin attorney Jeff Edwards, who is representing the family, said the deaths represent only those attributed directly to the heat, and not those in which heat may have contributed. Ellisons ruling was particularly harsh on Brad Livingston, the former head of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and other top-tier officials, who argued they had no specific knowledge of McCollums health or inadequacies in providing water, cool air and ventilation to inmates. Ellison ruled that Livingston and four others should not be shielded by immunity typically granted to state workers doing their jobs, though he dismissed the case against a correctional officer who was the first to find McCollum having difficulties. Ellison instead ordered that a jury consider evidence that officials allowed untenable and inhumane conditions at the Hutchins State Jail and other facilities in violation of the Eighth Amendments protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Prison officials said the state makes every effort to protect inmates and employees, though records indicate that hundreds of prison workers have also suffered heat-related illnesses in the facilities in the past decade. The safety, security, health and overall well-being of offenders is of paramount importance to the TDCJ, said Jason Clark, the agencys director of public information. The agency strives to mitigate the impact of temperature extremes. Again, TDCJ is committed to making sure that offenders and staff are safe during the extreme heat. Systemwide, 29 of the states 108 prisons have air conditioning in the housing areas, including the medical, psychiatric and some geriatric units, Clark said. All prisons have some air-conditioning, however, particularly in the wardens facilities, officials said. A recent study commissioned by TDCJ found that retrofitting older prisons with air conditioning would be costly nearly $80 million at Hutchins, with an annual operating cost of more than $400,000. Ellisons ruling opens a new standard for inmates wishing to sue over extreme indoor heat, said Randall L. Kallinen, a Houston attorney who has filed numerous civil rights suits alleging jailers were deliberately indifferent to inmates medical conditions at county facilities. He said TDCJ may act now with money on the line. They knew people were dying but they werent going to do anything about it. But now because of their monetary concerns, they might go the other way, he said. Its going to cost too much not to do something. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON Texas senators were split Tuesday on whether to investigate the resignation of retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn as President Donald Trumps national security adviser. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the Senates No. 2 Republican, joined other GOP lawmakers Tuesday in calling for an investigation. While his Texas counterpart, Sen. Ted Cruz, called the situation unfortunate, but stopped short of calling for an investigation. Cornyn said he expected the Senate Intelligence Committee to take up the matter, which has led to a firestorm in Congress since allegations surfaced that Flynn discussed sanctions relief with the Russian ambassador to Washington. I think theres an orderly process to make sure we get accurate information and we can get the appropriate oversight, and thats what we ought to do, Cornyn told reporters on Capitol Hill. Cruz stressed the importance of having a strong national security team. I think the central concern should be ensuring that we have in place a strong, serious national security team that is prepared and committed to defending this nation, Cruz said. After eight years of foreign policy weakness, our enemies are emboldened, radical Islamic terrorism is on the rise, and American citizens are vulnerable as we never have been before. The split reflected larger divisions among Senate Republicans, where some conservatives have called for an investigation into the leaks over Flynns talks with the Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, which were recorded, as is routine, by U.S. intelligence services. Flynn resigned his position Monday following reports that the Justice Department had warned the Trump administration last month that he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about the nature of his conversations with Kislyak regarding U.S. sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama. Some officials have warned that Flynn could be vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians for covering up details of their talks, which he initially said he could not remember. Among other Republicans calling for a Senate probe were Sens. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of the intelligence committee, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. I think Congress needs to be informed of what actually General Flynn said to the Russian ambassador about lifting sanctions, Graham told CNNs Kate Bolduan on At This Hour. And I want to know, Graham, added, did General Flynn do this by himself or was he directed by somebody to do it? Cornyn said he had not seen the transcripts of the calls, but called the situation a case of somebody with a distinguished military making a bad mistake. kevin.diaz@chron.com twitter.com/DiazChron Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Seba Aghayeva - Trend: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will discuss the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement with the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told Trend Feb 15. Hajiyev added that the meeting will be held within the Munich Security Conference at the end of the week. 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO City and state law enforcement assisting in a federal manhunt surrounded North Star Mall Tuesday afternoon in the search for a suspect who allegedly fired at agents and officers at a separate location. The law enforcement presence around North Star was cleared shortly after 4 p.m., but it is unclear if authorities moved the search to another location or if a suspect was apprehended. The suspect is also wanted in the shooting of a mail carrier in Spring Branch this weekend, according to officials. RELATED: North Star Mall employees, shoppers describe the scene during active manhunt Charles Gurinsky, the owner of Gurinsky's Jewelers inside North Star, said his shop wasn't placed under lockdown during the incident. "Thank God," he said. "The worst thing you can do is tell us to close down on Valentine's Day." An associate with JCPenny said certain entrances to the store were placed on lockdown because there was a possible active shooter situation at the mall. Despite that possibility, mall-goers continued shopping and were free to roam about the premises at around 4 p.m. RELATED: Mail carrier wounded in shooting north of San Antonio An employee at a store inside the mall, who declined to be identified, told mySA.com at about 3:30 p.m. that many of the stores in the area around JCPenny had closed their doors in response to the active search, including the Apple store. Calls and emails to North Star Mall managers and General Growth Properties Inc., the real estate investment trust that owns North Star Mall, were not immediately returned. An assistant manager at the Spencer's in North Star, who declined to give her name, said mall security officers told them the mall's Northwest parking garage had been locked down but that stores could stay open. Mount Sacred Heart School, located about 7 minutes south of the mall, was on lockdown and release was delayed, school officials said. READ ALSO: S.A. law enforcement search for wrong-way driver who may have shot at trooper Ridgeview Elementary School was placed on lockdown, but dismissal was completed, North East Independent School District Spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor told mySA.com. Police initially responded to the Jim's Restaurant at 8427 Broadway at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, where authorities attempted to take a man into custody in the parking lot, an officer said at the scene. Google The suspect opened fire and one bullet went through a glass pane of the restaurant, but no one was injured, officials said. The suspect fled the scene and helicopters and other units began a search in the area. U.S. Postal Inspector Service agents, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and SAPD officers were all involved in the manhunt. Officials said they are searching for a suspect in the Saturday shooting of a postal carrier in Spring Branch, a community in Comal County about 30 miles north of San Antonio. The carrier's vehicle was stolen but later recovered. The carrier was taken to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to her leg. Her name was not released. Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Staff writers Josh Fechter and Madalyn Mendoza contributed to this report. twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ted Cruz should have been strengthened by his 2016 presidential campaign. After all, he finished second in a GOP field of 17 candidates, and made himself nationally known for something other than once reading Green Eggs and Ham on the Senate floor. But Cruz bungled his moment in the spotlight. First, he kissed up to Donald Trump, then he blasted Trump as a narcissist and pathological liar. He refused to endorse Trump at the Republican National Convention, and got booed in the process. Two months later, Cruz bowed to political pressure and decided the pathological liar was okay after all. Then, he almost took back his endorsement when Trump got busted for making lewd comments on a 2005 Access Hollywood video. The one thing Cruz had for him going into the 2016 race was the sense that he was a defiant conservative rebel. By the end of 2016, he was exposed as a political invertebrate, utterly devoid of a backbone. Texas Republicans no longer venerate Cruz the way they once did, but are they disappointed enough to abandon him in 2018? Thats one of the questions that hangs over a possible Senate run being floated by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio. Castro has been testing the waters in recent weeks and plans to make up his mind within the next two months. No Texas Democrat has gotten within single digits in a Senate race since Lloyd Bentsen won re-election in 1988. The party hasnt put up a formidable Senate candidate since former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk in 2002, and theres a sense among Texas Dems that someone has to step up in 2018 to help build the party and force Cruz to defend his nonexistent legislative record. Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak predicted in a Sunday tweet that Castro wont run because hes not that courageous or stupid. Castro brushed aside that comment, but made it clear that he views Cruz as vulnerable. He has disappointed millions of Texans, because he went to Washington to run for president and hasnt spent a day working for the people of Texas, Castro said. Hes also enabled Donald Trump and at the same time double-crossed Donald Trump. So he revealed himself to be without principle, in many ways. Texas Week update It looks like the internal conflict at KLRN has been resolved. Arthur Rojas Emerson, president and CEO of the public-television station, stirred up controversy when he spiked a Rick Casey commentary intended for the Feb. 3 edition of Texas Week. Caseys commentary poked fun at Republican Congressman Lamar Smith for stating that media coverage of Donald Trump is so excessively negative that the only way to get the unvarnished truth is to get your news directly from the president. In response to concerns from a Smith staffer, Emerson killed the segment and didnt inform Casey until a few minutes before the show aired. As the issue gained media attention, however, Emerson faced a considerable backlash from viewers. In the face of that criticism, he told the Rivard Report that he felt sadness and regret over his decision. He indicated that he would no longer interfere with Caseys commentaries, as long as Texas Week included a disclaimer stating that the opinions expressed are those of Casey, not KLRN. Casey is satisfied with that arrangement, and plans to run the spiked Lamar Smith commentary on this Fridays show. The most positive part of the story is the way it demonstrated the publics support for an unencumbered press. It put managers at various media outlets on notice that they will face pushback if they succumb to political cowardice. As for Smith, he showed utter cluelessness with a Feb. 13 letter to the Express-News about Caseys commentary (which ran in this paper on Feb. 4). Smith took issue with Caseys tongue-in-cheek contention that the congressman indicated a disrespect for the GOP-friendly Fox News. Smith shot back, I never mentioned Fox News, only the bias of the liberal media in general. It should be obvious to Smith that Casey didnt mean the Fox News reference literally. He was using satire to turn the congressmans argument on its head. After all, if the only source to be trusted for the unvarnished truth is the president, then Fox News must be among those sources that cant be trusted, right? We already knew that Smith had strange notions about the role of a free press in our society. Now we also know that he has a serious irony deficiency. ggarcia@express-news.net Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva Trend: The so-called constitutional referendum in the Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia, and in fact governed by Yerevan, is nothing more than another meaningless attempt of the Armenian authorities to disrupt the peace talks with Baku. Protracting the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement is not something new for the Armenian authorities. Today, when the world has become well aware of the risk of Armenias undermining the settlement of the conflict, and is pushing Yerevan for action, talking about the unacceptability of maintaining the status quo, Armenian authorities simply have nothing else to do than to pull such a stunt by holding constitutional referendum in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Certain signs of the situation in the Armenian domestic policy show that the idea to hold the illegitimate referendum Feb. 20 in Azerbaijans occupied lands belongs to Yerevan. Representatives of the Dashnaksutyun party, which enjoys the permanent distrust of Yerevan and plays a role of the supervisory authority of the Armenian diaspora, were categorically against this procedure. However, the internal Armenian romp in the dirty linen has nothing to do with the international law and eventually, the so-called referendum in the Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh is the puppet regimes ephemeral action calculated for domestic consumption. However, the silence of the international community, which doesnt seem to know that the next separatist regime is rushing for another flagrant violation of international law, is surprising. Moreover, the most surprising thing is the international communitys silence considering how long and actively it was exasperated by illegitimate referendums prepared in other separatist formations of the former Soviet Union. Then both on the eve and after this farce, the US State Department, EU, PACE and OSCE all of them expressed their opinions. Well, lets wait for the world institutions reaction to the puppet referendum. However, it is necessary to once again remind those world institutions that Yerevan's decision to hold a referendum in the Nagorno-Karabakh region occupied by Armenia contradicts the position of the international community, which recognizes the region as part of Azerbaijan. As a consequence, the referendum results will have no legal effect and no real consequences except for another Armenian provocation aimed at delaying the negotiations with Baku. Moreover, an open violation of Azerbaijans constitution and norms of international law by Yerevan and its puppet regime, is a major cause for the international institutions to warn the Armenian authorities about the inadmissibility of violation of international norms. The international institutions must remember that the UN has clearly defined its position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The UN Security Councils Resolution 822 (adopted in 1993), Resolution 853 (1993), Resolution 874 (1993), Resolution 884 (1993) and the UN General Assemblys Resolution A/RES/62/243 (2008), which serve as basic principles for the conflict resolution, condemn the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories and reaffirm support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of Azerbaijans internationally recognized borders. In addition, in its four resolutions the UN Security Council confirmed that Nagorno-Karabakh is a part of Azerbaijan and called for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and its borders, also stating that it is inadmissible to use force to acquire territories. This means that holding of the so-called "constitutional referendum" is an open disregard of Armenia and the Armenian-created puppet regime for international norms and regulations and it can become a dangerous precedent in other similar situations, if the international community does not strongly and unequivocally protest against this farce. --- Elmira Tariverdiyeva is the head of Trend Agency's Russian News Service Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.15 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: No one can agree with any kind of election or referendum in Azerbaijans occupied territory, Nathalie Goulet, French senator and vice-chair of the Senates Foreign Affairs Committee, told Trend Feb.15. Cheating history and distorting facts will not create new truth and cheating reality will not help to solve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, she said commenting on the the illegal referendum on constitutional changes planned to be held in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan Feb.20. The so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic doesn't exist and even Armenia doesn't recognize the independence of Azerbaijans occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region, said Goulet. The "government" of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic doesnt correspond to the international law and UN resolutions, she added. Earlier, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the illegal referendum on constitutional changes planned to be held in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is a clear violation of the countrys constitution, as well as the norms and principles of international law and, therefore, has no legal effect. Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry reiterates that the illegal regime established by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is ultimately nothing other than the product of aggression and occupation. This provocative step, as well as Armenias attempts to change the name of Nagorno-Karabakh region, an integral part of Azerbaijan, is yet another clear manifestation of the fact that Armenia is not interested in seeking a political settlement of this armed conflict, the statement said. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zey A new report explores the trade benefits between Ontario and the U.S. in the Great Lakes region By Jennifer Jackson During his campaign, it appeared U.S. President Donald Trump was against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). More recently, Trump has adopted a much subtler take on NAFTA. In a press conference Feb. 14, he mentioned the strong U.S.-Canada relationship and said that he plans on tweaking NAFTA agreement details. With any trade uncertainty, it is important to consider the possible economic impacts. And the Ivey Business Schools Lawrence National Centre for Policy and Management has released a new report, titled We Make Things Together, exploring the trade relationship between Ontario and the U.S.s eight states in the Great Lakes region (GLS8). The report highlights the importance of free trade with Ontario for these eight states, according to Erin Cheney, agriculture expert and co-author of the study. We are using the piece as a reference for U.S. legislators, she says. We are showcasing the fact we are an important partner in (their agricultural) exports, just as they are also an important market for us. In 2015, the GLS8 region in the United States was responsible for US$17.3 billion worth of two-way trade of food and agricultural products with Canada, according to the report. This trade was directly responsible for 2,461,500 jobs throughout the GLS8 region. The interesting part of the study was the level of integration in the agricultural sectors of the United States and Canada, says Cheney. Most (people) are well aware of the integration of our automotive sector, for example. Cheney examined the partnership between the two countries with Maple Leaf Foods. There is a very strong demand for the movement of pigs, for example. With a lack of processing capability in Canada, free trade (with the U.S.) has been an integral (factor) for the company. Maple Leaf Foods has an integrated supply chain an example of this is the production cycle of many Maple Leaf products. Products originate in Canada, then are exported to the U.S. for processing, and eventually end up back to Canada, increased in value. U.S. farmers make a profitable business of buying duty-free, high-health-status Canadian pigs for finishing and sale to U.S packers, according to the report. In turn, many Canadian hog farmers (Manitoba and Ontario being the top producers) have received good, consistent value shipping live hogs to the U.S. The risk of a NAFTA breakdown could impact much more than processing companies such as Maple Leaf, according to Cheney. Across the board (a breakdown would) impact all of (the industry), she says. There would be costs to consumers, processors, packers and producers with the introduction of tariffs much like there was with the Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) legislation when U.S. President Obama was in office. COOL increased costs for no real benefit, she says. Should the pork industry, in this case, be concerned? Cheney believes the key word in this situation is uncertainty. Everyone in the industry has to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best, she says. We have a phenomenal agricultural industry with new growth every year. While we do have a lot of eggs in the U.S. basket, we have (strength in) other trade partners. We (Canada and the U.S.) really are partners just as the title of the report says, we really do make things together. 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 In an effort to reduce the lines at the Prince William landfill and compost facility, now that both are closed on Sundays, the county is encouraging residents who regularly visit such faciliti Fayetteville woman says anti-abortion laws hurt her mom, then herself Judy Pittard said her and her mother's pregnancy complications that required abortions were made worse by the decisions of "old men in big buildings." Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva Trend: Russian diplomats have received no complaints from blogger Alexander Lapshin regarding his detention conditions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing Feb. 15. She said that the Russian Embassy in Baku immediately contacted Lapshin, who is being rendered qualified assistance. 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. On Jan. 17, Alexei Stuk, deputy prosecutor general of Belarus, issued a ruling on Lapshins extradition to Azerbaijan. Lapshin was brought to Azerbaijan on Feb. 7. 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. There is no way to predict what will happen with North Korea tomorrow. That is why the new U.S. Administration must get its house in order and begin to prepare its own approaches for the best and worst case scenarios. For over 20 years, the enigmatic leaders of North Korea have been driving towards a nuclear weapons arsenal with global reach. In all that time, the only predictable thing has been unpredictability. The most recent case in point came on February 11. While President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dined at Mar-a-Lago (dubbed the Winter White House), North Korea launched a new medium-range ballistic missile. The world now waits for a response from the untested Trump Administration, since for better or for worse, the international community still looks to the United States for leadership in confronting the North Korean nuclear threat. As previous Administrations have found, the North Korean nuclear program is a problem that is hard to fix and easy to make worse. Despite this, there are a few initial steps that the Trump Administration should take to establish the firmest footing possible. Step One: Appoint the relevant key leaders at the Departments of State and Defense. Given the recent missile launch and potential actions on the horizon, this should be a top priority. Civil servants can and will continue to stay on top of the situation, but it is senior leaders who can coordinate the large amounts of intelligence and present cogent policy options to the White House. Dozens of critical positions in the government remain open. Ambassadors serve as the front line of communications with our allies and partners in East Asia and right now, the United States has zero in place. Step Two: Before formulating a new plan, the White House needs to do its homework and understand the lessons learned from past approaches. The North Korean nuclear problem has been worked by some of the best minds in the United States from both political parties. The progress they made and the obstacles they faced can provide a roadmap. It is also important for the Trump Administration establish a clear leader on this issue within the bureaucracy. Regional policy experts have typically led internal efforts. Given the lack of progress, perhaps it is time to consider having a technical expert take the reins and focus on the nuclear program separate from the broader issues with North Korea. No matter what, the White House needs to realize that they will never have all the answers and that they need the assistance and wisdom of the civil service. Step Three: Stay in close and constant communication with allies and partners when deciding what to do about the North Korean nuclear program. No matter the approach, an engaged and informed regional and international parties will be integral to the successful implementation of any plan. Further, the White House must accept that both Russia and China have a role to play in this process and pretending otherwise will likely ensure failure. Having taken those three steps into account, the Trump Administration will be better prepared for North Koreas next moves. Should North Korea test more missiles or nuclear weapons or take aggressive action against its neighbors, the Trump Administration should not do anything rash. The new U.S. President has prided himself on being hard to read, but even he should admit that when it comes to unpredictability, no one can beat Kim Jong Un. The young leader wants confusion, doubt and possibly escalation. It is up to the United States and the world to remain calm, resolute and coordinated. With regard to the recent missile launch, the United States should consult with partners in bilateral and multilateral fora and come up with a proportionate response. Also, and this should really go without saying, but if and when North Korea makes another provocative move, the President and his staff should be in a secure facility when reviewing the situation. Once ready to make a statement, the White House should deliver a clear message and reassurances to all relevant allies. Unlike many of his predecessors, President Trump does not appear to be comfortable speaking off the cuff about nuclear weapons policy. Until he is, there is no shame in sticking to the script. Should North Korea decide that they want to come to the negotiating table, the Trump Administration should be open, but cautious. The United States and the international community have entered dialogues with Pyongyang before and multiple deals have been made by various leaders. While political debates can rage endlessly on why each of the previous agreements have failed, one thing is clear - North Korea has continued to push ahead in its nuclear program. If the United States and its allies enter another negotiation, international and domestic support for the agreement must be acquired and expectations should be low. There is no way to predict what will happen with North Korea tomorrow, but it is easy to see how the costs and consequences of a conflict with North Korea can range from dire to unimaginable. That is why the new U.S. Administration must get its house in order and begin to prepare its own approaches for the best and worst case scenarios. As that process evolves, all efforts should focus on containing the North Korean nuclear threat, not exacerbating it. Read the German version here. Details added (first version posted on 12:33) Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Elmira Tariverdiyeva Trend: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will meet soon, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing in Moscow Feb. 15. Zakharova added that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement will be discussed at a meeting between Lavrov and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Moscow February 21-22. She said that the meeting will be also held with the Azerbaijani side at the appropriate level. Zakharova has not confirmed that the meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement will be held on the sidelines of the Munich conference on February 17-19, adding that such an agreement has not been reached yet. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. The two principal partners of the law firm at the center of the Panama Papers scandal were arrested for their alleged connection to Brazils Car Wash investigation, according to reports. Mossack Fonseca partners Jurgen Mossack (pictured far left) and Ramon Fonseca Mora were arrested Thursday after a year-long investigation by prosecutors from Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Switzerland, and the United States, Panama Attorney General Kenya Porcell said. Prosecutors conducted a surprise raid on the Mossack Fonseca offices in Panama Thursday, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) said. Fonseca said his firm has no relationship with any companies implicated in the Operation Car Wash scandal. Car Wash refers to the massive corruption investigation focused on a multi-billion bribery and kickback scheme at Brazils state oil and gas giant, Petrobras. The Panama Papers are more than ten million leaked documents from Mossack Fonseca that identify the real owners of secret offshore companies. The documents were leaked to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with the OCCRP. In May last year, the ICIJ launched a searchable database that used the Panama Papers to index 320,000 offshore companies and the people behind them. Since publication of the leaked documents, Mossack Fonseca has closed its offices in Jersey, Isle of Man, and Gibraltar. The firm also dissolved its Luxembourg office earlier this month. At one time the firm had 44 offices worldwide. Jurgen Mossack founded his own firm in 1977. Ramon Fonseca Mora joined him in 1986 to create Mossack Fonseca. Panama AG Porcell said Mossack Fonseca acted as a criminal organization that helped hide money that came from suspicious sources. Mossack Fonseca allegedly instructed its person in charge in Brazil to help transfer bribe money connected to the Car Wash case to Panama and to hide the transfers by removing evidence, Porcell said. _____ Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog Summary Company Announcement Date: February 13, 2017 FDA Publish Date: February 07, 2018 Product Type: Drugs Reason for Announcement: Recall Reason Description Due to Lack of Sterility Assurance Company Name: Synergy Rx Pharmacy Brand Name: Brand Name(s) Synergy Rx Pharmacy Product Description: Product Description Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)for injection Company Announcement Synergy Rx Pharmacy is voluntarily recalling all lots of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) 5,000 units/vial and 11,000 units/vial to the retail level due to a lack of sterility assurance. Administration of a drug product intended to be sterile that is not sterile could result in serious infections that may be life-threatening. Synergy Rx Pharmacy has not received any reports of adverse events, to date, related to this recall. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is an unapproved product being marketed as for weight loss. The product is packaged in 15 mL serum glass vials bearing a label that includes Synergy Rx Pharmacys name and expiration date. All lots of these products are affected. This recall impacts all sterile products distributed between 06/01/2016 and 12/22/2016. The product was only distributed to physician offices and clinics in Arizona, California, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Synergy Rx Pharmacy is notifying its customers by phone and is arranging for return of all recalled products. Customers that have the recalled product should immediately stop using it and contact the help line to arrange for the return of any unused product. Customers with questions regarding this recall can contact Synergy Rx Pharmacy by phone Monday thru Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm Pacific Time Zone, at 619-821-8224. Customers should contact their physician or health care provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to using these products. Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax. Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm Regular Mail or Fax: Download form www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178. This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Synergy Rx Pharmacy deeply regrets any disruption that this voluntary recall of HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) Sterile compounding services have on its customers, but notes that safety and quality are its primary concerns. Link to Expanded Recall. For any lover of wildlife, or in my case particularly big cats, given half the chance who wouldnt jump at the opportunity to go exploring jungles, swamps, rain forests and the wonders they hold. Terry McManus My dream came true whilst working for Jaguar Cars Coventry. I was asked to create a painting of jaguar cats that could be reproduced and used to raise funds for the charity The World Land Trust, so off to Belize I went. After spending a few days on my own at the Tropical Education Centre, I moved to the very friendly Belize zoo, with a view of trying to get as close to jaguars as possible, which thankfully I did. One of the many highlights at the zoo was when a guide was trying to show me how to call crocodiles from the water to the bank, by making a strange croaking sound. We were just about to give up when I looked down and inches from my feet lay the crocodile. I timidly mentioned this to the guide, who instantly looked a little alarmed and said calmly and very slowly, step backwards, no sudden movements. I didnt need to be told twice. When at a safe distance to talk, I asked the question, Is this not a little dangerous?, to which he replied. Only in the rainy season, when areas of the zoo are submerged in water, they swim around more and are a little harder to spot. I guessed that was a joke, or at least I hoped so. The remainder of my time in Belize I wanted to spend at The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Which is also known as the Jaguar Preserve and situated near the Maya mountains, comprising of some 100,000 acres of tropical forest, jungles and swamps. The basin has the most extensive trail network in Belize. Being home to a wide range of animals including, jaguar, puma, ocelot, armadillo, crocodile and tapir, not to mention the various species of birds, snakes, insects and flowers. This is where I felt the most connected to the jungle, feeling the twigs and leaf litter squelch and crack underfoot, and at one point the realisation that I had been silently followed by a large cat that had left its foot prints on the same trail I had just walked, but only visible on my return down the same trail. Later that day being told by one of the guides that I had probably been followed by a large female puma or smaller jaguar that had been keeping an eye on me possibly due to having cubs around. Often on my own I would walk the trails into dense foliage and hanging finger-like vines, not knowing what might jump, flutter or slither out. I had been warned about various snakes such as the extremely poisonous Fer-de-lance, locally called the yellow-jaw tommygoff whose venom is particularly lethal and fast acting. But never did I expect to come across one happily sitting curled up on a log in the middle of a small rock pool shared by an oblivious tourist, using the beautiful clear water to cool down in. Lots of my ideas for this trilogy, especially Rosas story, can almost be viewed as a diary of my visit, the friendly people and the caring keepers at the zoo, lonely walks through the undergrowth, swamps, jungles and forests. Meeting all the creatures that Rosa met except for the beautiful Quetzal bird, finding the silent hidden snake, coming face to face with the crocodiles frozen smile. And the calling of the Howler monkeys dancing high above the treetops of the forest. Even Rosas meeting with Balam was inspired from walking up the steps of the Mayan temple at Xunantunich. Each step taken sent my mind spiralling backwards in time. Imagining the many who had gone before as human sacrifices, and the thoughts that must have gone through their minds as they reached the top, towards their Gods. It was the impact that this beautiful, inspiring but at times scary place had on me, that influenced my personal growth and the birth of the ideas for this trilogy. During my many hours in a wooden shack, with only the light from an oil lamp for company, devoid of all modern-day distractions, Leo-pard, Rosa, Rocky and Stripes silently crept into my thoughts and to this day have not left. Terry McManus. Julian Assange thinks Pamela Anderson is "attractive and whip smart". Pamela Anderson The exiled WikiLeaks founder has been rumoured to be dating the former 'Baywatch' actress after she was seen visiting her a number of times at the Ecuadorian embassy - where he has been living under political asylum since 2012 after he was accused of rape during a 2010 visit to Sweden and amid fears he will be extradited to the US over claims made on his website - and though he refused to confirm the speculation, he admitted the blonde beauty has a number of desirable attributes. Speaking on 'The Kyle and Jackie O Show', he said: "She's an attractive person with an attractive personality and whip smart.... She's no idiot at all, she psychologically very savvy... "Well I mean I like her, she's great. I'm not gonna go into private details. "Basically you got people like Pamela Anderson who are independent because they kind of manage their own career... She can't really be squeezed by, you know, a TV executive." And Julian, 45, went on to praise Pamela for her campaigns for him to be able to live as a free man, while slamming officials in his native Australia for doing little to help his cause. He said: "Over the last few years she has done more to try and get this Australian, me, out of detention without charge, than the combinations of Gillard, Rudd, Abbott and Turnbull combined. "It should not take Pamela Anderson to do the Australian government's job, as capable as she is. "You've got some of these good people who are independent and courageous and those people who come to defend me and defend Wikileaks, full marks to them." Pamela - who has sons Brandon, 20, and Dylan, 19, with ex-husband Tommy Lee - recently admitted she enjoys bringing "a little help, a smile, and some glamour" to Julian. She said: "He's living in dire circumstances so I like to bring a little help, and a smile, and some glamour. "It's so rare that he has someone to come and visit him and bring him things, and I want to be able to do that for him. "It's about support and I believe in what he is doing. Thank god for him. He's sacrificed a lot for all of us. "WikiLeaks is one of the only reliable news sources because it's just the truth. "I really believe history will look back on him as such an important person." However, the 49-year-old beauty - who first met Julian in 2014 - refused to confirm whether she is in a relationship with the "great guy". She added: "It's difficult to talk about when you're under surveillance. "But he's a great guy. I don't want to say anything about whether there's a romance. So let's say we're just good friends." Details added (first version posted at 16:55) Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Seba Aghayeva Trend: Statement of Amnesty International on blogger Alexander Lapshins case is a perverse example of double standards, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told Trend. Amnesty Internationals statement saying that Lapshin may be subjected to torture is ridiculous, according to Hajiyev. He added that this statement is absurd as the consular services of the Russian and Israeli embassies and Lapshins lawyer are satisfied with the conditions of the bloggers detention. Why does Amnesty International still prefer to keep quiet and pretend that it knows nothing about Armenia's violation of international humanitarian law, about the fact that Armenia did not return the body of soldier Chingiz Gurbanov for more than a month and continues to keep our compatriots Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev, who were taken hostages while visiting the graves of their relatives and who are suffering physical torture and psychological pressure? Hajiyev said. Why Amnesty International, which is used to unreasonably criticize Azerbaijan at every opportunity, has not yet stated its position in connection with violation of the rights of refugees and IDPs who were exiled from their native lands as a result of Armenian aggression? Amnesty Internationals attempts to politicize Lapshins case, which should be reviewed from a legal standpoint, are absolutely groundless, Hajiyev added. False policy of Amnesty Internationals double standards indicates that this non-governmental organization (NGO) has become a GONGO [a government-organized NGO set up or sponsored by a government in order to further its political interests], Hajiyev added. Lapshin, a citizen of several countries, is accused of violating Azerbaijani laws on state border in April 2011 and October 2012. He illegally visited Azerbaijani lands occupied by Armenia. On Jan. 17, Alexei Stuk, deputy prosecutor general of Belarus, issued a ruling on Lapshins extradition to Azerbaijan. Lapshin was brought to Azerbaijan on Feb. 7. Quoting the Global Port Tracker Report, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said imports at US major retail container ports are forecast to rise 4.6 per cent in the first half of 2017, as against the same period of 2016. NRF has expressed optimism on the growth in imports, following the improvement in the nations economy and growth in retail sales.According to NRF, the January 2017 numbers would bring the first half of 2017 to 9.4 million TEU, expanding by 4.6 per cent over the first half of 2016. This growth will be almost three times the 1.6 per cent growth seen in the first half of 2016, over the same period in 2015. Quoting the Global Port Tracker Report, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said imports at US major retail container ports are forecast to rise 4.6 per cent in the first half of 2017, as against the same period of 2016. NRF has expressed optimism on the growth in imports, following the improvement in the nation's economy and growth in retail sales.# The report estimated imports in January 2017 at 1.59 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), a rise of 6.6 per cent over January 2016, while February is forecast at 1.53 million TEU, down 0.6 per cent over the same month in the prior year. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT), a private non-profit making body promoting the Italian textile machinery sector, has announced that the orders index for textile machinery compiled by ACIMIT for the period from October to December 2016 rose by 5 per cent compared to the same period for the previous year.The growth affected both the foreign markets, where the index registered an absolute value of 103.4 points (+5 per cent) and Italy. In this case, the increase compared to the period from October to December 2015 was 16 per cent, with an absolute value for the index of 55.7 points. The Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT), a private non-profit making body promoting the Italian textile machinery sector, has announced that the orders index for textile machinery compiled by ACIMIT for the period from October to December 2016 rose by 5 per cent compared to the same period for the previous year.# On an annual basis, and compared to 2015, the index registered an average increase of 4 per cent (absolute value: 95.2). Domestic sales were up significantly, rising by fully 14 per cent (absolute index: 55.2), confirming the vigour of the Italian market. Foreign markets recorded a more contained increase in orders (+3 per cent, for an absolute value of 104.0).President of ACIMIT, Raffaella Carabelli said, The data for the index for the last quarter of 2016 confirm a year we can certainly define as positive, with an overall growing orders index. In spite of our far from brilliant export performance in the worlds three major markets, China, Turkey, and India. Our sales are nonetheless growing in Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as in North America and Europe.Data for Italian exports, updated to the first nine months of 2016, confirm a positive trend, with a 3 per cent increase compared to the same period of 2015.The outlook for 2017 appears to be dynamic, despite the current geopolitical uncertainties. For its part, with the support of the MISE and ICE-Agency, over the course of the year ACIMIT will continue to push forward in promoting internationalisation, as over 20 country/markets will be the object of promotional initiatives aimed at the penetration of Italys textile machinery sector.Among these initiatives are projects laid out for Sub-Saharan Africa and Iran, both areas in which ACIMIT is insistently promoting its activities for growth. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Marchi & Fildi, Italian producers of cotton based yarns for the textile industry, focusing on a complete colour offer and specialised range of types and styles of different yarns, is set to present new product lines of Ecotec, first smart cotton yarn, at FILO, international expo for yarns and fibres, to be held at Milan, Italy, on February 22 and 23, 2017.his year, Ecotec by Marchi & Fildi, a partner of C.L.A.S.S, a unique multi-platform hub based in Milan that specialises in integrating a new generation of eco values into fashion, will present two product lines namely; Ecotec Innovation: a line of smart solutions created by the R&D department of Marchi & Fildi, in cooperation with a textile style office; and Ecotec Collection: an exclusive range of Ecotec fabrics made by accredited Ecotec partners. Marchi & Fildi, Italian producers of cotton based yarns for the textile industry, focusing on a complete colour offer and specialised range of types and styles of different yarns, is set to present new product lines of Ecotec, first 'smart' cotton yarn, at FILO, international expo for yarns and fibres, to be held at Milan, Italy, on February 22 and 23, 2017.# The smart cotton, Ecotec by Marchi & Fildi, is a first Made in Italy yarn produced by an exclusive production process. This process is traceable and certified, transforming pre-dyed textile clippings into a 100 per cent cotton yarn with record savings in water and energy consumption. Fundamental in this smart process is the saving on source raw materials because the process is all about transforming quality waste clippings into excellence through a process of pure valorisation.Smart cotton Ecotec is high quality, delivering a great price/quality ratio. Ecotec is a refined and versatile yarn that is perfect for woven and jersey fashion fabrics, as well as for knitwear and hosiery. Ecotec is perfect for retail and contract furnishings in ways that appeal to the creative experimentation of interiors stylists and designers.Marimekko, a Finnish design company renowned for its original prints and colours, has released its summer 2016 collection, including a jersey series called Stripe 15 made with Ecotec yarn from textile industry waste. The companys designer chose the recycled material for the collection as it also performed very well in tests. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Shima Seiki, Japans leading computerised knitting machine manufacturer, is set to exhibit its latest knitting solutions for the Bangladeshi market at the 14th Dhaka International Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition (DTG 2017) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from February 23 to 26, 2017, in hall 6, booth 603, in cooperation with its partner, Pacific Associates Ltd.Shima Seiki will be exhibiting its latest solutions to meet the current needs of the Bangladeshi market as well as advanced solutions for future market needs. As pioneer of Wholegarment knitting technology whereby an entire garment can be produced in one piece on the machine without linking or sewing, Shima Seiki will show its SWG061N Wholegarment knitting machine which provides opportunities for highly flexible Wholegarment production over a wide range of items in a compact, economical package. Shima Seiki, Japan's leading computerised knitting machine manufacturer, is set to exhibit its latest knitting solutions for the Bangladeshi market at the 14th Dhaka International Textile & Garment Machinery Exhibition (DTG 2017) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from February 23 to 26, 2017, in hall 6, booth 603, in cooperation with its partner, Pacific Associates Ltd.# MACH2SIR, an intarsia specialty machine with the capacity for up to 40 intarsia carriers, the largest number of intarsia feeders available in flat knitting, will also be displayed. SVR123SP, that features a loop presser bed mounted above the rear needle bed and is capable of inlay technique for producing unique, value-added hybrid knit-weave fabrics, will be shown.The SSR series workhorse shaping machine will also be on display, featuring all the technological achievements for which Shima Seiki is made famous: DSCS Digital Stitch Control System; spring-type moveable sinker system; stitch presser; yarn gripper and cutter; takedown comb; and more. For each of these machines, Made-in-Japan quality, reliability, productivity, user-friendliness and cost-performance combine to satisfy the high expectations of the worlds fashion industry.Also a aprt of the show will be the SDS-ONE APEX3 3D design system. At the core of Shima Seikis Total Fashion System concept, APEX3 integrates all stages of apparel production into one smooth and efficient workflow from planning and design to production and sales promotion. With ultra-realistic product simulations, APEX3 is also capable of virtual sampling that minimises time, material, and cost from the sample-making process. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Vietnam earned $26.770 billion from textile and garment exports in 2016. Of this, yarn exports accounted for $2.929 billion and fabric and garment exports contributed the remaining $23.841 billion, according to the preliminary data released by the customs IT & statistics department, general department of customs, Vietnams ministry of finance. Fabric and garment exports from the Southeast Asian nation increased at 4.6 per cent year-on-year to $23.841 billion last year. Of this, the US alone accounted for nearly 50 per cent or $11.450 billion, followed by Japan and South Korea with exports to these countries valued at $2.9 billion and $2.284 billion, respectively. Vietnam also exported 1,167,071 tons of yarn earning $2.929 billion during the year, registering an increase of 21.4 per cent and 15.3 per cent year-on-year, respectively, according to the data. Of this, China imported over 55 per cent or $1.65 billion, followed by $92.206 million by India. Vietnam earned $26.770 billion from textile and garment exports in 2016. Of this, yarn exports accounted for $2.929 billion and fabric and garment exports contributed the remaining $23.841 billion, according to the preliminary data released by the customs IT & statistics department, general department of customs, Vietnam's ministry of finance.# On the other hand, Vietnam imported 1,034,046 tons of cotton and 861,380 tons of yarn, valued at $1.662 billion and $1.608 billion, respectively, during the year under review. Fabric imports during the period were valued at $10.482 billion. Thus, Vietnams total spending on import of cotton, yarn and fabric amounted to $13.753 billion, which is more than half of its export value. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Rana Dagubatti will next be seen in The Ghazi Attack, a film based a true event that took place just before the 1971 Indo-Pak war broke out Pakistani Submarine PNS Ghazi had set out to destroy the one and only Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. For the film the actor has to prep hard and would often meet the former Navy officer who regaled him with their tales of those times. Over the course of time, the challenges faced by the officers bothered him big time that led him to write a letter to the President of India. In the letter he requested to him stating that that our armed forces personnel need to be acknowledged as they are the unsung heroes of nation. People must be made aware of their immense contribution towards the safety of the country. Hotness Overload... The British model-actress posted this picture on Valentine's Day, where she is posing with a rose. She captioned the hot picture, "I stole it from the lobby... (sic)." Check out some more pictures from Amy's Instagram account below. A Beautiful Morning Picture Amy wrote with this picture, ''They brighten up my morning, that little bit more! Me and my Day 1's getting ready for a busy day ahead with @ndtvgoodtimes this afternoon.'' Amy In Formals... Amy Jackson posted a stunning picture of hers in a formal suit and wrote, ''Appropriate attire for today .'' Whoa... Amy Jackson's pictures are always high on the hotness quotient. Check out this one, ''Happy Valentines Day Larrrrrvers Extra cuddles and Sexyyy Time today .'' Lady In Red.. Acing red carpet fashion isn't everyone's cup of tea but Amy Jackson's style game is always on point; she wrote with this picture, ''Spring Lusting. Ready to walk the red carpet .'' Travelling Time... Amy Jackson, who is busy these days with the shooting of Robot 2.0 posted this with the picture, ''Thanks for the Kerala! Next stop Chennai for Robot 2.0 shooting .'' Amy In Indian Attire Amy Jackson looks dreamy as ever, in this gorgeous Indian attire, ''#BTS on today's shoot - SS17 Indian Couture fashion feature coming your way!'' Two Hotties.. She wrote, ''Well this pretty much sums up our marriage #ThatLook Happy Birthday Wifey So happy we got to spend our birthdays mid-way together. I hope you're getting spoilt rotten over there. Love you @anaragram '' Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Samir Ali Trend: The detained blogger Alexander Lapshins lawyer Safar Huseynov told Trend Feb. 15 that he discussed the bloggers health state, conditions of his detention and the course of investigation into his case in a phone conversation with Lapshins spouse Ekaterina. The Russian and Israeli embassies in Baku are also closely following Lapshins case, Huseynov said. The last time Huseynov met Lapshin on Feb. 9. Investigation is currently underway, said Huseynov, adding that he will visit Lapshin again if the blogger files an appeal regarding their meeting. 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. On Jan. 17, Alexei Stuk, deputy prosecutor general of Belarus, issued a ruling on Lapshins extradition to Azerbaijan. Lapshin was brought to Azerbaijan on Feb. 7. 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. Rana Daggubati has written a letter to the President of India Pranab Mukherjee drawing attention to the need to acknowledge the country's unsung heroes by saying that civilians need to know about tales of bravery from our Indian armed forces. Bikini Diaries! Riya Sen Holidays In Goa With Her Girlfriends Rana's upcoming film The Ghazi Attack features him as Lieutenant Commander Arjun Varma, who was part of a mission conducted by the Indian Navy against the Pakistani naval force in 1971. Varma is said to have remained underwater for 18 days during the war. During the course of working on the film, Rana met some real navy officers who were on board. Hearing their experiences moved the actor to write a letter to the President. Rana was quoted as saying, "Post 'Ghazi', a civilian like me has understood a lot about victorious battles that have been fought by all our armed forces on the borders so as to keep us safe. As a civilian I did not know about these victorious tales and like me there are many others who did not know much about it. To us, it's a letter to acknowledge these heroes and make sure we know more about these unsung heroes and their tales of victory." Priyanka Chopra Talks About 'Showing Off Her Bra'! His movie rekindles the mystery of what caused the sinking of the PNS Ghazi. It also features Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Panu and late veteran actor Om Puri. The Ghazi Attack is set to hit the theatres on February 17, 2017. Celebrated Hollywood Actress Pamela Anderson, who has been rumoured be in a relationship with the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, states that she will always stand by Julian's side and would love to bring "a little help, a smile, and some glamour" to him. Anderson sparked all the romance buzz with Julian Assange after she paid a number of visits to the Ecuadorian Embassy situated in London, as the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been kept under the political asylum since the year 2012. There are two allegations against him - one of rape and one of molestation. However, Anderson says the charges on Julian doesn't matter to her, she likes to spend time with the WikiLeaks founder because she finds him living in "dire circumstances". Anderson also stated that she fully supports all the actions Julian has made. "He's living in dire circumstances, so I like to bring a little help, and a smile, and some glamour. It's so rare that he has someone to come and visit him and bring him things, and I want to be able to do that for him," Anderson said in a statement. "It's about support and I believe in what he is doing. Thank god for him. He's sacrificed a lot for all of us. WikiLeaks is one of the only reliable news sources because it's just the truth. I really believe history will look back on him as such an important person," Anderson added further. Celebrated Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson believes that there is a huge scope for development regarding a stand-alone movie on the Avengers character Black Widow. The 32-year-old actress who plays the role of Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a Black Widow, is already in talks with the Marvel boss Kevin Feige to chalk out a possibility of bringing the popular female superhero character in a stand-alone movie of its own. "I've talked to Kevin Feige about it. We're creatively really compatible. I think we both agree that the character is right for a stand-alone, it's just a case of timing at this point for both Marvel and myself," Johansson said in a statement. "Marvel has a really huge roster. They're looking four years ahead. I also have a lot of things that I want to do. If I did it, I would dedicate myself completely to making it amazing. It would have to be the best version that movie could possibly be. Otherwise, I would never do it," Johansson added. The actress continued, "I don't know if I have the capacity for it. I think the fans were adamant about it, it could be done. It should be done, probably. It'd have to be done the right way, though. It'd really have to be its own standalone and its own style and its own story." "But there's a lot of great stuff that you could do with it. It could just be awesome." Johansson stated further. The much awaited multi-starrer Chowka which released a few weeks ago, had a decent start at box-office. Due to good word of mouth, collections have been in an upward trend over the last few days. The makers have decided to thank the audiences for making the film a grand success. They have decided to go on a success tour throughout Karnataka. This will also help the collections to be steady even in the week days. Producer, Yogish Dwarkish, Director Tarun Sudhir, Actors Prajwal, Prem and Diganth will be part of this tour in which they are planning to visit 12 cities over 4 days. They intend to visit other cities over next few weeks. The team covered Tumkur, Chitradurga and Davanagere on Feb 13 and Hospete, Bagalkote and Bijapura on Feb 14. The team will visit Belagavi, Dharwada and Hubbali today(Feb 15) and Shimoga, Hassan and Tiptur on Feb 16. Apart from the above 12 major cities, team also will be visiting the smaller centers around these cities. Vijay Raghavendra is busy in the shooting of his next film, Leader, in Kashmir which is why he is not part of the promotional campaign. After the first weekend, 20 minutes of the movie was trimmed from the original version, which has made the film even more better. The film will be released Pan India and overseas after a week or two. As per the latest reports, makers are in talks with a leading production house of Tamil Film Industry for the remake rights. More details of the Tamil version will be out once the makers sign on the dotted line. Benny S Butarbutar VP Corporate Communications PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) TBK CENGKARENG, INDONESIA, Feb 15, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to launch direct flights from Jakarta to Moscow in August 2017. Operated by Airbus A330-200, this route will be served 3 times a week. The plan was announced by the CEO & President of Garuda Indonesia M. Arif Wibowo in Jakarta, Tuesday (14/2), at a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Yurievich Galuzyn and Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Wahid Supriyadi.The meeting, which took place at Garuda Indonesia Office, Jakarta, specifically addressed the new direct flight route from Jakarta to Moscow in the form of memorandum of understanding (MoU). The MoU was signed by Mikhail Kuritsyn, the representative of Indonesia Business Council of Russia and CEO & President Garuda Indonesia M. Arif Wibowo, witnessed by Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Galuzyn and Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Wahid Supriyadi in Garuda Indonesia, Jakarta, Tuesday (14/2)."We are trying to accelerate plans regarding the launch of direct flights to Moscow in August. We will fly three times a week using wide body aircraft Airbus A330-200," said Arif Wibowo.In accordance with the potential increase in tourist traffic between the two countries, the direct flight services to Moscow is expected to improve Russian tourist visits up to 100 thousand tourists in 2017.Russian tourist arrivals to Indonesia in the first half of 2016 increased by 14 percent. In contrast, the number of Indonesian citizens visit to Russia is also quite large, in 2015 there were about 14,000 people.Arif added, plans to open Jakarta - Moscow services in the mid-2017 marks a series of Garuda Indonesua international flight network expansion in 2017. In addition to Moscow, in the middle of this year, Garuda Indonesia will also launch Jakarta - Los Angeles via Tokyo.Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Mikhail Yurievich Galuzyn expected the direct flight from Indonesia and Russia will further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in economics and tourism sector. "Realization of the direct flight plan between Russia and Indonesia has become one of our main priorities in the effort to increase the numbers of tourists visit to Russia," said Galuzyn.He expected potential tourists visit from Asia can be increase every year. We are optimistic with the direct connectivity between Jakarta - Moscow will provide a promising opportunity not only for the tourism sector, but economic, social, and cultural.In line with its international flight network expansion program, Garuda Indonesia in 2014 officially joined the global airline alliance "SkyTeam", in which one of russian airline "Aeroflot" also become member of the alliance. Through synergies of the SkyTeam airline alliance network, currently all Garuda Indonesia's passengers can enjoy flight network services to more than 1062 destinations around the world, which is in 177 countries and 17.343 daily flights. SkyTeam airline network alliances currently serve more than 655 million passengers annually.About Garuda Indonesia GroupGaruda Indonesia Group [IDX:GIAA] operates a total of 194 aircraft, consisting of ten (10) Boeing 777-300ER, twenty-five (25) Airbus A330-200/300, two (2) Boeing 747-400, seventy-six (76) Boeing 737-800NG, eighteen (18) Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen, and fifteen (15) ATR72-600, with a 146 aircraft operated by Garuda Indonesia, and forty (40) Airbus A320 and eight (8) Boeing 737-300/500, or 48 aircraft operated by Citilink, with an average aircraft age of 4.6 years.Concerning services performance, the management is implementing the "Excellent Services" program that requires sustainable service development. It has shown remarkable results with "The World's Best Cabin Staff" award received by Garuda Indonesia's cabin crew from Skytrax (an independent aviation rating institution in London) for the third consecutive time (a hat-trick) from 2014 to 2016.In addition to the World's Best Cabin Staff award, Garuda Indonesia has maintained its reputation as a five-star airline, including being named; Top 5 World's Best Airlines in Asia, Top 10 World's Best First Class Airlines, Top 10 World's Best Economy Class Airlines, and The Most Loved Airline.Aside from Skytrax, Garuda Indonesia also won the "Outstanding Food Service by a Carrier" award from Pax International Magazine, the Top 10 World's Most Favourite Airlines from TripAdvisor, Best Cabin Services by Smart Travel Asia, and Best First Class Sparkling Wine-Champagne from Business Traveller. For more information, please visit www.garuda-indonesia.com.Source: Garuda Indonesia GroupContact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 02/14/17 -- The highly acclaimed Milipol Asia-Pacific Conference, returns this year from 4 to 6 April 2017 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, with a world class line-up of international speakers who will be sharing their latest insights on the homeland security environment. Themed "Emerging Threats -- The Case for Collaborative Public Safety", the three-day conference will expound on how governments and private organisations can build an effective internal and cross-border collaborative approach in tackling emerging threats to homeland security. "In current times where the threats are ever present, solutions to national security have been evolving and developing in new ways. Public and private collaborations are no longer an option but a necessity," commented Mr. Andrew Marriott, Managing Director of Comexposium Singapore. "Through Milipol Asia-Pacific 2017, we hope that attendees will not only have a better understanding of current key challenges, but also familiarise themselves with the roles that individuals can play in the areas of emergency preparedness, prevention, and recovery." Through keynotes and interactive panels, the insightful three-day conference programme will include presentations on three important areas of ensuring national security, specifically, "Threats and Responses", "Protection and Emergency Management", and "Innovation in Tactics and Equipment". Speaker Highlights Leading International industry experts from Southeast Asia, Europe, Middle East, and the US form the line-up of conference speakers for the upcoming Milipol Asia-Pacific 2017. Together, they will be discussing on emerging regional threats, as well as the ways to mitigate, prevent and react to them. Notable speakers who were directly involved with the critical response to recent emergencies caused by acts of terrorism and conflict in countries like France, Libya, Syria, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh will share their first-hand experiences, and how in the face of emerging and fast evolving threats, a complex landscape makes it necessary for the community to remain vigilant. Day-1 Threats and Responses Back at this year's Milipol Asia-Pacific 2017, International Terrorism Expert, Dr Rohan GUNARATNA, Head of International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), and Professor of Security Studies at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, will update delegates on the current and emerging threats in the Asia-Pacific region. For the first time in Asia, hear from the words of key people involved in the Paris attacks as well as lessons learnt, from speakers such as Chief Superintendent Eric GIGOU, Deputy Head of the French Police Special Forces anti-terrorism unit, and Chief Superintendent Dimitri KALININE, Central Commissioner of the 3rd Arrondissement and head of the Night Service Anti-Criminality Brigade, Paris Prefecture of Police, France. Day-2 Protection and Emergency Management Learn the evolving roles and workings of Counter-Terrorism Intelligence in regional security from Datuk Ayob KHAN Bin Mydin Pitchay, head of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) counter-terrorism division. Further anticipated highlights not to be missed is the exclusive session by James LE MESURIER, director of the Syria Civil Defence support programme. The White Helmets as they are known as credited with saving more than 80,000 lives amidst the ongoing crisis in Syria. In addition to introducing the Developments in Civil Protection in Syria, he will also be sharing some of his extraordinary experiences on the ground since 2012. Day-3 Innovation in Tactics and Equipment Other panellists include, Director-General Dr Rakesh MARIA, who will discuss the latest intelligence and analytics involved in counter-terrorism intelligence, and Deputy Inspector General (Chief) Monirul ISLAM from Bangladesh. In his first conference stage appearance in Southeast Asia, the man behind the creation of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's special CounterTerrorism Unit will lead us through the dark but real issue of The Evolving Terrorist Mind set. With over 400 attendees from more than 30 countries expected, the region's flagship homeland security conference supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore and the Ministry of the Interior of France is the premier event for all Trade and Professional Security Practitioners to attend. Workshops In addition to the highlights of the main conference programme, there will also be a series of events taking place concurrently on site, as part of the Milipol Asia-Pacific exhibition. This includes the Drone Asia 2017 conference (5 April), Securex-Asia 2017 (5 & 6 April), and the IED Workshop 2017 (6 April). For more information and to register for the conference, please visit http://www.milipolasiapacific.com/conference/overview/speakers Note to Editors ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- What: Milipol Asia-Pacific 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- When: 4 - 6 April 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where: Sands Expo and Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956, Level 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tickets: Free admission to public for the Exhibition. Conference Passes automatically gives free access to the Exhibition. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conference Passes Non-Government/ Public / Government & Commercial Military Organisation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- FULL 3-DAY Conference pass SGD 1,275 SGD 950 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SINGLE DAY Conference Pass SGD 800 SGD 550 Option to choose 1 or 2 days only. Rate is on Per Day basis. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some listed are exclusively speaking at the conference for the first-time in Asia, the speaker line-up of leading practitioners and industry experts includes: Milipol Asia-Pacific 2017 Conference Chairman KHOO Boon Hui Singapore Police Commissioner (1997 - 2010) INTERPOL President (2008 - 2012) Co-Chair, Annual US-Singapore Law Enforcement Homeland Security and Safety Co-operation Dialogue (2014 - 2016) Alexander SIEDSCHLAG Chair Homeland Security Programmes, The Pennsylvania State University Ali SOUFAN Chairman & President, The Soufan Group, USA A former FBI Supervisory Special Agent who investigated and supervised highly sensitive and complex international terrorism cases, including the East Africa Embassy Bombings, the attack on the USS Cole, and the events surrounding 9/11 Active Shooters and the Need for an Inter-Agency Response (Bataclan Case) Eric GIGOU Deputy Head, Anti-Terrorism Unit, Police Special Forces, France Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion (RAID), France Herve TOURMENTE Deputy Director, Directorate General of Civil Security and Crisis Management, France Direction General de la Securite Civile et de la Gestion des Crises (DGSCGC), France The Evolution in Civil Protection James LE MESURIER Founder & Director, Mayday Rescue Foundation, The Netherlands Mr Le Mesurier is the architect of the Nobel Peace Prize nominated Syria Civil Defence (aka The White Helmets), credited with saving more than 80,000 lives amidst the ongoing crisis in Syria Current and Emerging Threats in the Asia-Pacific Dr Rohan GUNARATNA Head of International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), Singapore Professor of Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technology University, Singapore The Evolving Terrorist Mindset (Dhaka Suicide Bombers Case and the Suppression of IS Penetration in Bangladesh) Director Inspector General Monirul ISLAM Deputy Inspector General (Chief), Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Bangladesh Counter-Terrorism Intelligence (26/11 Mumbai Attacks) Director-General Dr Rakesh MARIA Director-General, Home Guard, India Former Police Commissioner, Mumbai, India *Programme may be subjected to changes. About Milipol Asia-Pacific In 2015 the GIE Milipol, Comexposium and GSA Exhibitions Pte Ltd announced the partnership between Global Security Asia and the Milipol Events. After the 2015 edition of the Global Security Asia exhibition and conference, the event was renamed Milipol Asia Pacific, so creating the world's leading international network of exhibitions dedicated to solutions, technologies and innovations for homeland security. For over 30 years, the MILIPOL brand has been synonymous with the highest quality, international events focused on Homeland Security. Over the years, the brand has proudly presented Milipol Paris and Milipol Qatar. For more information, please contact Right Hook Communications: Debbie Pereira Account Manager Tel: +65 9880 9848 Email: Email Contact Gladys Ngiam Junior Account Executive Tel: +65 97427792 Email: Email Contact NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - February 14, 2017) - Leading the way is the innovative Canon EOS M6, a more ergonomic take on the M5 that forgoes that built-in EVF for a smaller, more compact design. The camera uses a 24.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor to take both high-resolution stills and Full HD 1080p/60 video, while the DIGIC 7 image processor allows a sensitivity range from ISO 100-25600, along with quick continuous shooting up to 9 fps. The sensor also uses Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which features phase-detection autofocus to achieve fast, accurate, and smooth performance for stills and video. Additionally, camera shake is reduced with Combination IS 5-axis image stabilization. Canon EOS M6 Mirrorless Digital Camera Black: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1318278-REG/canon_eos_m6_mirrorless_digital.html Silver: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1318780-REG/canon_1725c001_eos_m6_mirrorless_camera.html 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor DIGIC 7 Image Processor 3.0" Tilting Touchscreen LCD Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth Dual Pixel CMOS AF Up to 9 fps Shooting and ISO 25600 Combination 5 Axis Image Stabilization In addition to being lighter and more compact than its predecessor, the M6 also boasts an intuitive 3.0" touchscreen LCD which allows for easy controlling of focus points, navigating menus, and reviewing images. It also features a tilting design to help work from high and low angles. Finally, the M6 includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options, allowing for seamless sharing of photos and movies. The M6 is available in black and silver. EOS Rebel T7i DSLR The major unveil also included another addition to Canon's popular Rebel series. The Rebel T7i utilizes a 24.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, a DIGIC 7 processor, and a sensitivity range of ISO 100-25600 that combine to capture high-resolution stills and video in almost all lighting conditions. The sensor and processor combine for 6 fps continuous shooting when working with moving subjects. The sensor also uses Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which utilizes phase-detection autofocus for high-performance focusing when shooting movies or stills in live view. The optical viewfinder uses a 45-point all cross-type phase-detection system that enables fast and accurate focusing in a wide variety of shooting scenarios. Canon EOS Rebel T7i DSLR Camera Features https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1318277-REG/canon_eos_rebel_t7i_dslr.html 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor DIGIC 7 Image Processor 3.0" Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD 45-Point All Cross-Type Phase-Detect AF Dual Pixel CMOS AF Up to 6 fps Shooting and ISO 25600 Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth The EOS Rebel T7i also incorporates an optical pentamirror viewfinder for clear, eye-level shooting as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3.0" touchscreen LCD. Canon EOS 77D DSLR Rounding out the camera release is the Canon EOS 77D -- a compact, lightweight DSLR with some high-performance features. In addition to using the latest 24.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor with Dual Pixel CMOS AF and the DIGIC 7 processor, the 77D boasts a 45-point all cross-type AF system that gives users supreme accuracy and speed when shooting various subjects in a wide variety of conditions. Additionally, it has a top shooting speed of 6 fps, and an easily-accessible top LCD screen which eliminates the need to look at the screen or through the viewfinder. Canon EOS 77D DSLR Camera Highlights https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1318281-REG/canon_eos_77d_dslr_camera.html 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor DIGIC 7 Image Processor 3.0" Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD 45-Point All Cross-Type Phase-Detect AF Dual Pixel CMOS AF Up to 6 fps Shooting and ISO 25600 RGB+IR 7560-Pixel Metering Sensor Anti-Flicker Shooting Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth The 77D's ergonomic design features many advanced controls, like the rear-control dial which can be locked to avoid accidental changes. It also has a vari-angle 3.0" LCD touchscreen which provides direct control over AF and image review. Full HD video also enjoys some advanced features, including Movie Electronic IS, HDR Movie, and Time-Lapse Movie modes, along with a 3.5mm mic jack. Finally, the 77D has built-in Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth. Photographers can purchase the camera either as a body-only, or as a kit with either an 18-55mm lens or an 18-135mm lens. The fourth and final product in Canon's release is the EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, a compact, stylish, and affordable lens with a versatile zoom. Spanning a 28.8-88mm equivalent focal length range, this lens covers wide-angle to portrait-length perspectives, and features an Optical Image Stabilizer to minimize the appearance of camera shake by up to four stops for sharper handheld shooting. Additionally, a lead screw-type stepping motor (STM) is used for notably smooth, quiet, and precise autofocus performance. B&H Photo Video is an authorized Canon dealer, with the most up-to-date Canon product information, product pricing and promotional offers. B&H Photo has the highest review ratings among electronics retailers. Click here to view B&H reviews, awards and certifications with thousands of verified reviews. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/BHPhoto-Reviews.jsp About B&H Photo Video As the world's largest source of photography, video, audio, and the latest trending technologies, including drones, virtual reality, and 3D Printers, B&H Photo Video is known worldwide for its attentive, knowledgeable sales force, excellent customer service, and fast, reliable shipping. Visitors to the website can access a variety of enlightening articles and educational videos. B&H has been satisfying customers worldwide for over 40 years. Customers making purchases on the B&H website can now make a split payment with multiple credit cards, a useful feature for those with limited credit on their individual cards. Previously, this method of payment was only available to customers when purchasing by phone or in store. Many items can now be ordered online and picked up at our NYC Superstore. Add any qualifying items to your shopping cart and select STORE PICKUP. You will then have an opportunity to indicate who will be making the pickup, if it is someone other than yourself. You'll receive an email (up to 45 minutes) after completing your order, indicating that your order is ready for pickup at the B&H SuperStore. The B&H YouTube Channel has an unmatched wealth of educational photographic content. Our entertaining and informative videos feature product overviews from our in-house specialists, as well as photography industry experts. You can even view the B&H Event Space presentations from many of the world's foremost photographers and interviews with some of photography's most dynamic characters. Tap into this exciting resource by subscribing to the B&H YouTube Channel here. In addition to these videos, the B&H Explora blog presents new product announcements, gear reviews, helpful guides, and tech news written by product experts and industry professionals. When you're in Manhattan, take a tour of the B&H Photo SuperStore, located at 420 Ninth Avenue. The expo continues all year round in the camera kiosks at B&H. Featuring the newest cameras, the kiosks are manned by manufacturer representatives, who are there to guide you and demonstrate the latest photographic technology. With hundreds of products on display, the B&H Photo SuperStore is the place to test-drive and compare all the latest photography gear. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/2/13/11G130132/Images/Canon_77D-8ac15cf7f04795a3b7a9a61189dfac63.jpg Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/2/13/11G130132/Images/Canon_T7i-6070042fbf42a1b0b7ae4c873a3fee8d.jpg Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/2/13/11G130132/Images/Canon_M6_Mirrorless-f63d4ba09ce9a6fabe663bcde385b885.jpg Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/2/13/11G130132/Images/Canon_EF-S18-55_f4-5.6_Lens-0c9d39fc2febbd8e900118554aaaec64.jpg Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/2/13/11G130132/Images/Canon_Cameras_and_Lens-3dbd0b4341c489199b1c760ae4580c4c.jpg iD Tech Continues its Initiative to Deliver Transformative Technology Education CAMPBELL, Californiaand DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --iD Tech, the #1 tech camp and a leader in STEM education in the United States, has partnered with GEMS Education to bring summer technology camps to GEMS Nations Academy in 2017. "We are so excited to be working with GEMS Education to bring almost two decades of technology education experience and the spirit of Silicon Valley to Dubai," says Joy Meserve, Chief Program Officer of iD Tech. "While visiting GEMS schools, I got to spend some time getting to know a number of students. Seeing their enthusiasm for technology and passion for learning, I knew iD Tech and GEMS Nations Academy were a perfect fit." The GEMS Nations Academy campus goes beyond state-of-the-art and provides a stimulating environment for students to be immersed in coding, robotics, and extend their digital fluency skillsets. The approach at Nations is about transforming learning and ensuring that students are future-ready, adaptable, and forward-thinking. Mick Gernon, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Innovation, is spearheading the strategy. "Our partnership with iD Tech will be groundbreaking. Having seen the camps in operation and understanding their unique approaches to advanced teaching and learning in key STEM areas, this is a tremendous opportunity to bring the very best from the US and further develop it within GEMS schools," says Gernon. "Whilst there are a plethora of STEM providers, iD Tech represents the pinnacle and provides world-class approaches to coding, game design and robotics. We are delighted to partner with them and bring forward a genuinely innovative camp programme and studio labs based at Nations Academy." Courses will be held at GEMS Nations Academy for eight weeks starting July 2, 2017. The program will support 40 students per week, with a range of courses for kids and teens: Java and C++ coding, LEGO and VEX robotics, in addition to engineering and game design courses. About iD Tech iD Tech is the leader in summer STEM education programs for students ages 6-18. Over 275,000 students have attended iD Tech since 1999. Camps are held at over 150 prestigious campuses in the United States, including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA and many others. In addition to its flagship program, iD Tech Camps, the company offers four distinct divisions all aimed at delivering inventive technology experiences to the next generation-one student at a time. Learn more at iDTech.com. Logo- http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468254/iD_Tech_Logo.jpg OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar weakened against the other major currencies in the Asian session on Wednesday. The U.S. dollar fell to 114.24 against the yen, from an early more than 2-week high of 114.51. Against the euro, the pound and the Swiss franc, the greenback dropped to 1.0586, 1.2471 and 1.0057 from yesterday's closing quotes of 1.0573, 1.2466 and 1.0063, respectively. The greenback dropped to 0.7176 against the NZ dollar, from yesterday's closing value of 0.7168. Against the Canadian dollar, the greenback edged down to 1.3065 from an early high of 1.3096. If the greenback extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 111.00 against the yen, 1.08 against the euro, 1.27 against the pound, 0.99 against the franc, 0.73 against the kiwi and 1.29 against the loonie. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Azad Hasanli Trend: Flydubai will start direct flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Azerbaijans Gabala in summer 2017, the Arabian Aerospace online news service reported Feb. 15. Flydubai will operate two weekly flights between Dubai and Gabala from June 22 to Sept. 17, 2017 on Thursdays and Sundays. Gabala is considered a popular tourist destination due to the combination of a mild climate, woods along the mountains, excellent wildlife and recreational resorts, said the report. After Baku, Gabala is the second Azerbaijani city added to Flydubais destinations. The report also said the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals wont need visa for visiting Azerbaijan, and the UAE nationals will obtain visa on arrival. Flydubai will also offer direct flights to Georgias Batumi and Montenegros Tivat. Flights to Batumi will be carried out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from June 22 to Sept. 30, 2017 and to Tivat on Mondays and Fridays from June 23 to Sept. 25, 2017. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Made in Azerbaijan" products will be showcased at "Gulfood 2017" by the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) with the support of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/467903/Made_in_Azerbaijan.jpg ) As first time participants at the region's leading food exhibition, "Gulfood 2017", taking place from 26 February to 2 March 2017, companies of Azerbaijan welcome guests with a warm gesture of hospitality in the Dubai World Trade Centre. Guests will enjoy a range of traditional Azerbaijani specialties and delicacies such as fruits, tea, honey, confectionaries and other products produced in Azerbaijan at our stand. Please visit "Made in Azerbaijan" stand in Hall 9. For more information, please visit:http://www.azpromo.az About AZPROMO Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) is a joint public-private-initiative established by theMinistry of Economyof Azerbaijan in 2003 with the aim to contribute to the economic development through attracting foreign investments in the non-oil sectors of the economy and stimulating expansion of the country's exports of non-oil goods to overseas markets. AZPROMO is a unique body in Azerbaijan that operates as a "one-stop-shop" for assisting and advising foreign-based companies interested in investigating and utilizing investment opportunities in Azerbaijan. AZPROMO is a devoted partner for companies established in Azerbaijan looking to enter foreign markets. Our knowledge of foreign markets and applicable trade regulations along with a wide network of foreign representations and partners offer great opportunities for companies to expand their export capacities. Media Contact: Sevda Jafarova Phone Number: +00994125980147 Email:pr@azpromo.az STOCKHOLM, Feb 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The new office map from Catella shows the positive economic situation of the German office market at 76 locations. While prime rents have increased almost everywhere, the attractiveness of prime objects can be seen in the continuously decreasing yields - from first tier to fourth tier. "The strongest increase of rents in the German office market is found in second-tier locations, with an increase of 5.3% compared to last year, followed by the first tier. Frankfurt is currently the frontrunner for rents, with EUR 39.00 /square metre. For the first time ever, the EUR 10.00 /square metre level for prime rents was exceeded in the fourth tier, with EUR 10.25 /square metre (compared to EUR 9.98/square metre at the end of 2015), which shows the sound economic situation in all regions," says Dr. Thomas Beyerle, Head of Group Research at Catella. With an average prime yield of 3.67% (down 53 basis points compared to 2015), the first-tier category fell below the 4% level for the first time. The average yield difference between first-tier and second-tier locations (currently 179 basis points) became even larger in 2016, and is evident in the high valuation of first-tier properties. "On the other hand, investors are proceeding with a more balanced understanding of the risk-to-yield ratio and are relying on a sustainable cash flow, with Munich as the frontrunner at 3.3%," says Dr. Thomas Beyerle. When analysing the differences between location categories from first to fourth tier from a strictly geographical perspective, it becomes clear that average yields of between 3.67% (first tier) and 7.02% (fourth tier) are in accordance with the course of the yield-risk profile for 2017. At third- and fourth-tier locations, however, no outstanding investment activities can be found, despite attractive yields and many market studies, according to analysts. "We expect a large increase in the number of transactions in this segment in the coming months. The increasing desire of owners to exit is up against certain yield attractiveness for investors," according to Beyerle. The complete Catella map "Investment location Germany 2017, Office - rents and yields" is now available at catella.com/research. For more information, please contact: Dr. Thomas Beyerle Head of Group Research Tel: +49-69-310-19-30-220 E-mail: thomas.beyerle@catella.de Press contact: Ann Charlotte Svensson Head of Group Communications Tel: +46-8-463-32-55, +46-72-510-11-61 E-mail: anncharlotte.svensson@catella.se This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/catella---corporate-finance/r/catella--german-office-markets-continue-to-impress-in-2017,c2189051 The following files are available for download: New approach to block trading with fairness, trust and user control at its core Strategic partnership with AX Trading, a US-based FinTech company and ECN Service will help market participants execute blocks safely in a broad range of securities, creating value for end users and corporates across Europe Europe's first 'proactive' liquidity seeking venue scheduled for launch in mid-2017 Regulatory News: Euronext (Paris:ENX) (Amsterdam:ENX) (Brussels:ENX), the leading pan-European exchange in the Eurozone, today announced a strategic partnership with AX Trading, a US-based FinTech company, to create a new block trading service for equities. The platform will be based on AX Trading's leading edge technology and owned and operated by Euronext. The service will cover large in scale orders in European equities from small caps to blue chips. Market participants across Europe will be able to execute blocks in a trusted environment that bridges the gap between human, high-touch trading and electronic, low-touch execution. The platform is scheduled for launch in mid-2017 pending regulatory approval. Regulatory change, technology, best execution and pressure to maximize operational efficiency are driving demand for electronic block trading. Euronext's neutrality and centuries-long experience in operating markets across Europe will combine with AX Trading's technology to bring a new approach to block trading. The platform will combine a continuous order book with auctions and both conditional and firm order types which will empower users, both buy and sell side, to take more control over block order execution. In today's block trading venues, both sides of a block order are rarely active in the market at the same time. Trust and collaboration are fundamental to unlocking potential trading opportunities at this scale. Euronext's new platform will allow users to proactively source liquidity by enabling the dissemination of indications of interest and thereby solicit potential counterparts to a trade. Uniquely, users will have full control over the content and distribution of these indications of interest, addressing concerns over information leakage. The platform will be complemented by a sophisticated analytics framework and various trading safeguards to ensure the highest level of protection to optimize execution performance. Euronext's block trading service will empower market participants across Europe to more efficiently execute block liquidity, on a local and international scale. Brokers will be able to integrate this into their dark liquidity seeking strategies, thereby enhancing their offering to institutional clients. Issuers, large and small, will benefit from the subsequent additional liquidity. "We recognise that flexibility and choice are vital in achieving best execution. The new block trading service will therefore complement our core lit market with a sophisticated yet simple way to execute large orders on a truly pan-European platform, minimizing information leakage and market impact. We are delighted to establish this MiFID II compliant service in partnership with AX Trading. Together we will create value for the buy and sell side in their search for better solutions to the long term challenge of executing blocks," said Lee Hodgkinson, Head of Markets Global Sales at Euronext. George O'Krepkie, Chairman CEO AX Trading added: "The partnership with Euronext represents a shared vision for the future of block trading globally. The partnership is in response to the demand of portfolio managers and traders worldwide for a tool where they genuinely control their trading strategy. This partnership means that the ability to execute blocks on demand, even within continuous markets, will be met, that buy side portfolio performance will be enhanced, and the sell side will have the opportunity for increased profitability." About Euronext Euronext is the leading pan-European exchange in the Eurozone with more than 1,300 listed issuers worth close to 3.3 trillion in market capitalisation as of end December 2016, an unmatched blue chip franchise consisting of 25 issuers in the EURO STOXX 50 benchmark and a strong diverse domestic and international client base. Euronext operates regulated and transparent equity and derivatives markets. Its total product offering includes Equities, Exchange Traded Funds, Warrants Certificates, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities and Indices. Euronext also leverages its expertise in running markets by providing technology and managed services to third parties. Euronext operates regulated markets, Alternext and the Free Market; in addition it offers EnterNext, which facilitates SMEs' access to capital markets. For the latest news, find us on Twitter (twitter.com/euronext) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/euronext). Disclaimer This press release is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation to engage in investment activities. This press release is provided "as is" without representation or warranty of any kind. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content, Euronext does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Euronext will not be held liable for any loss or damages of any nature ensuing from using, trusting or acting on information provided. No information set out or referred to in this publication may be regarded as creating any right or obligation. The creation of rights and obligations in respect of financial products that are traded on the exchanges operated by Euronext's subsidiaries shall depend solely on the applicable rules of the market operator. All proprietary rights and interest in or connected with this publication shall vest in Euronext. This press release speaks only as of this date. Euronext refers to Euronext N.V. and its affiliates. Information regarding trademarks and intellectual property rights of Euronext is located at www.euronext.com/terms-use. 2017, Euronext N.V. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006248/en/ Contacts: Euronext Pauline Bucaille (Europe), +33 1 70 48 24 41 pbucaille@euronext.com or Alice Jentink (Amsterdam), +31 20 721 4488 ajentink@euronext.com or Pascal Brabant (Brussels), +32 2 620 15 50 pbrabant@euronext.com or Sandra Machado (Lisbon), +351 210 600 614 smachado@euronext.com or Aichata Tandjigora (Paris), +33 1 70 48 24 43 atandjigora@euronext.com Regulatory News: Today Euronext (Paris:ENX) (Amsterdam:ENX) (Brussels:ENX) announced its results for the full year 2016. Strong operating performance despite pressure on trading volumes: Decrease in revenue: -4.3%, to 496.4 million (2015: 518.5 million). Efficient yield management partially offset lower trading volumes (average trading volumes decreased by -15.3% vs 2015 for cash products and by -7.2% for derivatives). Cost discipline resulted in strong reduction in operational expenses excluding depreciation and amortization: 9.4%, to 212.5 million (2015: 234.7 million). 15.6 million of cumulated gross efficiencies achieved since Q2 2016 as part of the cost cutting programme announced in the Agility for Growth plan, including some releases of accruals for 3.3 million. Stable EBITDA at 283.9 million translated into a strong improvement in EBITDA margin, to 57.2% (2015: 54.7%). Significant increase in EPS (basic): +14.6%, to 2.83 (2015: 2.47). In line with dividend policy, 1.42 per share dividend proposed for approval at the AGM on 19 May 2017, which represents an increase of 14.5% compared to 1.24 per share paid last year. Important milestones achieved in the deployment of Agility for Growth Strategic plan. Optionality to deploy capital thanks to cash flow generation profile and strong balance sheet. Disciplined M&A approach combined with potential acquisition of LCH.Clearnet SA, a strong value proposition for Euronext's stakeholders. "The Euronext team is proud of the results we announce today for 2016. In a year marked by lower volumes on our markets that induced, as guided with our Q3 2016 results, a 4.3% decrease in revenue, we have managed to maintain our EBITDA in absolute terms stable compared to last year. Our cost base has been significantly reduced, and is now fully covered by our non-volume related revenue only. As a result, our profitability and EPS increased significantly and we are in a position to propose for the approval of our Annual General Meeting on 19 May 2017, based on our consistent dividend policy, the payment of a dividend of 1.42 per share, increased by 14.5% compared to last year. These results demonstrate Euronext's continuous capability to service our shareholders and customers, and to deliver value against a tough trading environment. 2017 will be a critical year for our industry landscape. We will remain focused on executing our Agility for Growth strategy and maximizing opportunities that may arise, as we did with the agreement to potentially acquire LCH.Clearnet S.A.," said Stephane Boujnah, Chairman and CEO of the Managing Board of Euronext NV. Financial performance The year 2016 was marked by a down-trend in volatility, both for cash and derivatives markets, with some volatility spikes around the UK referendum in June and the US elections in November. Ongoing uncertainty also resulted in low activity on primary markets. As a result, revenue for the full-year decreased by -4.3% to 496.4 million (2015: 518.5 million). As a reminder, 2015 was the strongest year since 2008, both in terms of trading volumes and in terms of primary markets activity. Operational expenses excluding Depreciation Amortization decreased by -9.4% to 212.5 million (2015: 234.7 million). This performance results from the strict execution of our strategic plan with 15.6 million of cost savings since Q2 2016. The level of operational expenses has been reduced by some reversal of accruals for a total amount of 3.3 million. The onboarding of costs, linked to the execution of the growth initiatives, ramped up after the summer break, impacting the cost base of the Company by 2.1 million for the full year 2016 and generating 0.8 million of revenue. The relocation of our IT operations from Belfast to Porto is nearly complete, with 88 people hired in Porto, while the closure of the Belfast office will be effective at the end of Q1 2017. This strong focus on costs has allowed us to contain the impact of the reduced revenue on EBITDA, which remained stable in 2016, to 283.9 million, representing a margin of 57.2% (2015: 54.7% or 283.8 million). Depreciation and Amortization decreased by -11.6% in 2016, to 15.1 million (2015: 17.1 million). The impact of the end of the accelerated depreciation of assets, resulting from relocations of our offices in Belgium and France, and of the roll-out of a portion of UTP amortization were partially offset by the start of Interbolsa T2S project depreciation in Q3 2016. Operating profit before exceptional items was 268.8 million, an increase of +0.8% compared to 2015 (266.8 million). 10.0 million of exceptional items were booked in 2016 compared to 28.7 million in 2015. These costs consisted mainly of M&A related costs, for 3.3 million, and of restructuring costs for 7.1 million in 2016. In 2015 some reversal of provision related to Cannon Bridge House premises for 14.4 million had partially compensated the 35.0 million of restructuring costs. Results from equity investment increased by 29.8% in 2016, to 6.0 million (2015: 4.6 million), due to the increase in dividends paid by Euroclear (both direct and indirect stakes), and to 0.7 million of dividend paid this year by LCH Group (2015: zero). Income tax for the full year 2016 was 67.0 million, representing an effective tax rate for the year of 25.4% (2015: 27.6%), both years being impacted by the release of tax provisions (16.3 million in 2016 and 13.9 million in 2015). As a result, the net profit for 2016 increased by 14.1%, to 197.0 million (2015: 172.7 million). This represents an EPS (basic) of 2.83 (2.82 fully diluted) in 2016 compared to 2.47 (2.46 fully diluted) in 2015. The number of shares used for the basic calculation was 69,526,615 for 2016, compared to 69,851,603 in 2015. As of 31 December 2016, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of 174.5 million, and total debt of 69.1 million, after the partial debt repayment of 40 million in Q3 2016 and the 86.2 million dividend payment in Q2 2016. Business highlights Listing Revenue was 68.7 million in 2016, a decrease of -2.6% compared to the 70.5 million achieved in 2015. This decrease was driven by the fall in IPO fees and reduced listing fees for ETPs in comparison with 2015. In 2015, large transactions such as Lafarge-Holcim, Altice, Amundi and ABN Amro were key contributors to the listing revenue performance. In 2016 much uncertainty and volatility induced low activity on primary markets even though two benchmark transactions took place on our market (Coca Cola European Partners and AB Inbev). 28 new listings took place in 2016, raising 3.7 billion, compared to 52 listings for 12.4 billion during 2015, due to the uncertainty created by various global factors throughout the year (UK referendum in June, US elections in November, etc.). Euronext continued to be the venue of choice for Tech SMEs. Although the number of new SME listings decreased from 36 in 2015 to 23 in 2016, these companies raised 1,430 million in 2016 compared to 1,337 million in 2015. Amongst these listings, Euronext markets registered interesting small and mid cap deals in 2016, confirming the relevance of its strategy and its willingness to develop specific offers for these kinds of companies: Maisons du Monde (a regional based mid-cap furniture company), Nextstage (the first listing of a private equity fund on Euronext Paris) as well as Geneuro and Noxxon Pharma (listing of a Swiss and a German Biotech). In 2016, Euronext saw an all time high on secondary issues, to 56.4 billion, up 72% compared to 32.9 billion in 2015. Debt capital markets issuance also increased in 2016, with 80.6 billion raised by corporates on our markets in 2016 vs 66.4 billion in 2015. In total 140.7 billion in equity and debt was raised on our markets in 2016, compared to 111.7 billion in 2015. Trading Cash trading Full-year 2016 volumes in Cash Trading were down due to the macro factors mentioned above, translating into reduced investor confidence post Brexit and lower volatility, particularly in Q3. Average daily volumes were 7.0 billion (-15.3% compared to 2015). However, efficient yield management enabled us to partially de-correlate revenue from volumes, thus minimising the impact on our top line. Yield averaged 0.50 bps in 2016, compared to 0.47 bps in 2015, a +7.8% increase. Revenue for the full-year is down by -8.4% to 180.7 million (2015: 197.2 million). Average market share for the year was 61.0%. The year ended strongly with December market share at 65.2%, following lows in October at 58.6% as a result of the launch of several initiatives (notably new fee scheme for non-member proprietary flow and a new best execution service for retail investors). Average market share in 2015 was 63.5%, in a context of buoyant market activity. Activity on ETFs followed a similar trend, with an average daily transaction value at 554 million, down 9.7% compared to 613 million in 2015. However, we recorded a record number of new ETFs listed on our markets, at 137, bringing the total number of ETFs listed on our markets at 790 by year end (up +13.5% versus end of 2015: 696). Our client alignment is demonstrated by Euronext winning four awards during 2016, being consistently recognised as the Best ETF Exchange in Europe. A new issuer, UBS AG has been onboarded in January 2016. Derivatives trading Derivatives trading revenue decreased by -9.8% in 2016 compared to 2015, amounting to 40.1 million (2015: 44.5 million) as a result of the lower volatility Index product trading volumes declined by -9.8% in 2016 compared to 2015 (average daily volumes of 214,520 lots in 2016 vs 237,881 in 2015). Trading activity on our individual equity options franchise decreased by -5.2% during 2016 compared to 2015 as market volatility was higher last year (average daily volumes was 222,942 lots in 2016 vs 235,135 in 2015). A materially sub-standard 2016 French wheat harvest have impacted volumes in commodity products that declined by -4.1% in 2016 compared to 2015 (average daily volumes of 53,536 lots in 2016 vs 55,843 lots in 2015). Market data indices Market data and indices revenue delivered a strong performance in 2016 with revenue up 6.0% compared to 2015, to 105.7 million (2015: 99.8 million), benefiting from the positive impact of the new products and services launched during the course of 2015 as well as from some fee adjustments. Post-trade Clearing Consistent with the trend in derivatives trading mentioned above, clearing revenue decreased by -7.6%, from 51.9 million in 2015 to 48.0 million in 2016. Settlement Custody Revenue from Interbolsa in Portugal in 2016 was 19.6 million; stable compared to the 19.7 million achieved in 2015. Market solutions other Revenue from market solutions decreased by -3.3% in 2016, to 33.0 million (2015: 34.1 million). The decrease in software solution revenue during transition to Optiq platform was partially offset by the introduction of a new Market Abuse Regulation compliance service in July. Non-IFRS financial measures For comparative purposes, the company provides unaudited non-IFRS measures including: Operational expenses excluding depreciation and amortization; EBITDA, EBITDA margin. We define the non-IFRS measures as follows: Operational expenses excluding depreciation and amortization as the total of salary and employee benefits, and other operational expenses; EBITDA as the operating profit before exceptional items and depreciation and amortization; EBITDA margin as the operating profit before exceptional items and depreciation and amortization, divided by revenue. Non-IFRS financial measures are not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable IFRS measures and should be read only in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements. Update on the Agility for Growth plan Since the publication of its strategic plan in May 2016, Euronext has started the deployment of the Agility for Growth plan and has achieved a number of significant milestones. Technology 2016 has been a year of intense focus on our technology capabilities. The relocation of IT operations from Belfast to Porto is being delivered on time and within budget. As of 31 December 2016, 88 people had been onboarded in Porto and the Belfast office will be closed, as planned, at the end of Q1 2017. Over time this will enable us to operate more efficiently at lower cost. The development of Optiq, our new trading platform, is taking shape. The customer test platform opened as scheduled in November 2016 for market data. The launch of the new market data infrastructure for cash and derivatives products is scheduled for May 2017. The migration to Optiq for the cash businesses will be completed in October 2017 and will include MiFID II compliance. Strengthen resilience of the core business By the end of 2016, Euronext already achieved 70% of the gross cost reduction programme (based on 2016 cost base that was also reduced by 3.3 million of non-recurring reversals of accruals), thanks to strong cost discipline and due to fact that the onboarding of costs related to the growth initiatives started only after the summer break. Euronext has begun enhancing its agility, demonstrated by a number of product launches leveraging the regulatory environment, to help clients comply with major changes implied by MiFID II or MAR. Thanks to reinforced client centricity, Euronext also identified selected opportunities that translate into innovative projects such as the involvement in a Blockchain consortium and new areas of business, evidenced by the expansion of our fixed income offering. In addition Euronext announced several milestones that will strengthen its core business: Launch of a series of initiatives dedicated to family businesses . Aiming at promoting listings and increasing the visibility of family businesses towards investors, this includes European roadshows to meet investors, improved financial analysis coverage through the Morningstar programme, and a dedicated section on Euronext's website. Euronext will also launch the Euronext Family Business index, a new European index with 90 component companies-from major corporations to SMEs-in the four countries covered by Euronext. Furthermore, FamilyShare, a dedicated programme offering support and coaching to unlisted family businesses, will be set up across Euronext markets and tailored to the specific needs of each country. . Aiming at promoting listings and increasing the visibility of family businesses towards investors, this includes European roadshows to meet investors, improved financial analysis coverage through the Morningstar programme, and a dedicated section on Euronext's website. Euronext will also launch the Euronext Family Business index, a new European index with 90 component companies-from major corporations to SMEs-in the four countries covered by Euronext. Furthermore, FamilyShare, a dedicated programme offering support and coaching to unlisted family businesses, will be set up across Euronext markets and tailored to the specific needs of each country. Creation of a new pan-European block trading service. Euronext and AX Trading announced this morning the creation of a strategic partnership to launch a pan-European block trading service in Equities, ETFs and Depositary Receipts.Euronext will license AX Trading's leading edge technology on a pan-European exclusive basis to create a multilateral trading facility (MTF) owned and operated by Euronext, pending relevant regulatory approval. This strategic partnership will result in implementation and development cost of 1 million for Euronext. Initiatives adding value to investors: Expansion of fixed income offering . In November 2016, Euronext and Algomi announced a plan to launch a new trading facility to improve liquidity in pan-European corporate bond trading. Under a ten year strategic partnership agreement, Euronext and Algomi will form a Joint Venture with technology supplied by Algomi, to improve liquidity in pan-European corporate bond trading. This long-term joint-venture will deploy Algomi's award winning technology to a new MTF owned and operated by Euronext. By linking together Euronext, the banks and investors in a collaborative network, Euronext becomes a centralised market place for pan-European corporate bond trading. . In November 2016, Euronext and Algomi announced a plan to launch a new trading facility to improve liquidity in pan-European corporate bond trading. Under a ten year strategic partnership agreement, Euronext and Algomi will form a Joint Venture with technology supplied by Algomi, to improve liquidity in pan-European corporate bond trading. This long-term joint-venture will deploy Algomi's award winning technology to a new MTF owned and operated by Euronext. By linking together Euronext, the banks and investors in a collaborative network, Euronext becomes a centralised market place for pan-European corporate bond trading. "One-stop-shop" for ETFs . Euronext aims to offer the ETF community a "one-stop shop" solution for multi-national listing and trading in ETFs and investments. Euronext has conducted in depth discussions with more than 40 financial institutions over Q3 and Q4 2016 to finalise platform design. The specifications, including NAV trading and request-for-quote services, are now completed and included in Optiq specifications. IT development will start in May 2017 for a launch in November 2017. . Euronext aims to offer the ETF community a "one-stop shop" solution for multi-national listing and trading in ETFs and investments. Euronext has conducted in depth discussions with more than 40 financial institutions over Q3 and Q4 2016 to finalise platform design. The specifications, including NAV trading and request-for-quote services, are now completed and included in Optiq specifications. IT development will start in May 2017 for a launch in November 2017. European indices . Euronext, in partnership with an independent investment research provider, will launch in Q2 2017 open-source European Indices on which clients will be able to create ETPs. First revenues are expected in Q3 2017. In addition Euronext will launch futures and options linked to the indices and the partnership will include in phase two smart beta indices. . Euronext, in partnership with an independent investment research provider, will launch in Q2 2017 open-source European Indices on which clients will be able to create ETPs. First revenues are expected in Q3 2017. In addition Euronext will launch futures and options linked to the indices and the partnership will include in phase two smart beta indices. Initiatives in commodities . Euronext aims at becoming the European specialist content provider of reference on Agricultural products and other commodity markets. Euronext will provide economic analysis, training and establish price reporting services for European agricultural markets. Euronext is conducting a European-wide target screening to find the suitable acquisition target. Euronext will also expand its trading instruments offering by entering the OTC-cleared instruments space in these markets. The target operating model has been finalized with the CCP, instruments batches and Price Reporting Agents (PRAs) are identified. IT detailed business requirements have been finalized, technical implementation will start in Q2 for a go live end of 2017. . Euronext aims at becoming the European specialist content provider of reference on Agricultural products and other commodity markets. Euronext will provide economic analysis, training and establish price reporting services for European agricultural markets. Euronext is conducting a European-wide target screening to find the suitable acquisition target. Euronext will also expand its trading instruments offering by entering the OTC-cleared instruments space in these markets. The target operating model has been finalized with the CCP, instruments batches and Price Reporting Agents (PRAs) are identified. IT detailed business requirements have been finalized, technical implementation will start in Q2 for a go live end of 2017. Diversified post-trade services . Euronext has now deployed the first major phases and features of the Euronext RiskGuard pre-trade risk management solution and continues to develop its suite of collateral management services. In addition, Euronext has made public its intention to deliver a MiFID II compliant system for trade reporting and transaction reporting. This will require authorisation as an Approved Publication Arrangement, ("APA") and an Approved Reporting Mechanism ("ARM") under MiFID II. The launches of these solutions will be in Q4 2017. Euronext announced this morning the launch of a new service, Euronext Chequers services, that will provide Risk Analytics, Inventory Management and a Collateral Transformation platform supporting commodities, fixed income and equities. Chequers will be rolled out in stages throughout 2017. March will see the launch of an Inventory Management solution which has been developed in collaboration with industry stakeholders to meet the needs of commodities market participants, storage facilities and financing banks across Europe with the potential to expand into global markets. The second phase, scheduled for June 2017, will see the launch of an electronic all-to-all trading platform supporting all asset classes including commodities that pairs liquidity providers with liquidity takers. Initiatives adding value to issuers: European Tech Hub for SMEs. Euronext has identified four target countries Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain to set up and roll-out dedicated offers to attract Tech SMEs on Euronext markets with the aim to become the number one exchange for European Tech SMEs in continental Europe. Following an in-depth market study and interviews with more than 150 local stakeholders, the value proposition is now finalized with specific services identified to boost visibility towards investors and support roll-out in the respective markets. Local recruitments have been launched. Seven technology companies headquartered in these European countries are already listed on Euronext and the pipeline is building up. Euronext has identified four target countries Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain to set up and roll-out dedicated offers to attract Tech SMEs on Euronext markets with the aim to become the number one exchange for European Tech SMEs in continental Europe. Following an in-depth market study and interviews with more than 150 local stakeholders, the value proposition is now finalized with specific services identified to boost visibility towards investors and support roll-out in the respective markets. Local recruitments have been launched. Seven technology companies headquartered in these European countries are already listed on Euronext and the pipeline is building up. Corporate Services. Euronext's ambitions remain to help issuers to further unlock the full potential of capital markets. Euronext has conducted a survey and qualitative interviews with approximately 40 issuers across its four domestic markets and all segments in order to understand their main needs in terms of investor relations and financial communication. The definition of the offering is finalized with a flexible and case-by-case approach for each one of the services to be provided: organic growth, acquisitions as well as external partnerships. The first component has been launched, with the roll-out of pre and post listing services with 16 post listing mandates in France, and one executed mandate in pre listing. Euronext announced yesterday evening the acquisition of Company Webcast, a Dutch company, market leader in webinars and webcasts. The acquisition of a majority stake (51%) in Company Webcast represents a key milestone in the context of corporate services offering. The cash consideration for the transaction is 3.6 million. The Company serves 260 clients and had revenue of 3.6 million in 2016. The acquisition of Company Webcast represents the second step in building a comprehensive corporate services offering. The Agility for Growth strategic plan is already bearing its first fruits and delivering enhanced shareholder value. If approved during the Annual General Meeting on 19 May 2017, the dividend paid of 1.42 per share will represent an increase of 14.5% compared to the dividend paid last year. Stronger profitability combined with consistent dividend policy translates into increased shareholder remuneration while Euronext maintains significant flexibility to deploy capital. 2016 has been the first year of capital deployment since IPO; Euronext will pursue the implementation of its strategy in 2017 where organic milestones and various products and services launches will be combined with additional acquisitions and partnerships. Consolidated income statement Unaudited, in m 2016 2015 Revenues Third party revenue and other income 496.4 518.5 Listing 68.7 70.5 Trading revenue, of which Cash Trading 180.7 197.2 Derivatives Trading 40.1 44.5 Market Data indices 105.7 99.8 Post-trade, of which Clearing 48.0 51.9 Custody and Settlement 19.6 19.7 Market Solutions other revenue 33.0 34.1 Other income 0.6 0.7 Total Revenues and other income 496.4 518.5 Expenses Salaries and employee benefits (99.8) (112.2) Depreciation Amortisation (15.1) (17.1) Other Operational Expenses, of which System Communication (17.1) (18.6) Professional Services (38.4) (39.6) Clearing expense (26.3) (27.8) Accommodation (10.2) (13.6) Other Operational Expenses (20.7) (22.9) Total Expenses (227.6) (251.8) EBITDA margin 57.2% 54.7% Operating profit before Exceptional items 268.8 266.8 Exceptional items (10.0) (28.7) Operating profit 258.8 238.1 Net financing income (expense) (0.8) (4.1) Results from equity investments 6.0 4.6 Profit before income tax 264.0 238.6 Income tax expense (67.0) (65.9) Profit for the period 197.0 172.7 Profit attributable to: - Owners of the parent 197.0 172.7 Basic earnings per share (in ) 2.83 2.47 Diluted earnings per share (in ) 2.82 2.46 Consolidated comprehensive income statement Unaudited, in m 2016 2015 Profit for the year 197.0 172.7 Other comprehensive income Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss: - Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations (8.7) 0.7 - Change in value of available-for-sale financial assets 2.8 0.7 - Income tax impact change in value of available-for-sale financial assets (0.8) (0.1) Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss: - Remeasurements of post-employment benefit obligations (4.8) 5.6 - Income tax impact post-employment benefit obligations 0.3 (0.5) Other comprehensive income for the year, net of tax (11.3) 6.3 Total comprehensive income for the year 185.7 179.0 Comprehensive income attributable to: - Owners of the parent 185.7 179.0 Consolidated balance sheet Unaudited, in m 2016 2015 Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 27.5 28.8 Goodwill and other intangible assets 321.2 321.4 Deferred income tax assets 5.0 12.7 Investments in associates and JV 16.0 0.0 Equity investments 117.1 114.3 Other receivables 7.1 7.5 Total non-current assets 493.8 484.6 Current assets Trade and other receivables 81.6 96.2 Income tax receivable 7.6 10.5 Cash cash equivalents 174.5 158.6 Total current assets 263.7 265.3 Total assets 757.5 749.9 Shareholders' equity Shareholders' equity 548.0 447.2 Total Shareholders' equity 548.0 447.2 Non-current liabilities Borrowings 69.0 108.2 Deferred income tax liabilities 0.6 0.3 Post employment benefits 13.2 8.2 Other provisions 6.5 6.6 Other Non-current liabilities 0.0 0.7 Total Non-current liabilities 89.3 124.0 Current liabilities Borrowings 0.1 0.1 Income tax payable 27.2 50.3 Trade and other payables 90.6 105.7 Other provisions 2.3 22.6 Total Current liabilities 120.2 178.7 Total Shareholders' equity and liabilities 757.5 749.9 Consolidated statement of cash flows Unaudited, in m 2016 2015 Profit before tax 264.0 238.6 Adjustments for: - Depreciation and amortization 15.1 17.1 - Share based payments 2.8 5.0 - Changes in working capital (20.3) (28.5) Cash flow from operating activities 261.6 232.2 Income tax paid (80.4) (92.2) Net cash flows from operating activities 181.1 140.0 Cash flow from investing activities Acquisitions of associates (14.8) Repayment of short-term investments 15.0 Purchase of property, plant and equipment (5.5) (11.1) Purchase of intangible assets (9.2) (9.2) Net cash flow from investing activities (29.6) (5.3) Cash flow from financing activities Repayment of borrowings, net of transaction fees (40.0) (141.0) Interest paid (1.3) (1.8) Interest received 0.3 0.0 Acquisition of own shares (1.4) (18.5) Employee Share transactions (0.2) Dividend paid to owners of the parent (86.2) (58.8) Net cash flow from financing activities (128.6) (220.3) Total cash flow over the period 22.9 (85.6) Cash and cash equivalents Beginning of period 158.6 241.6 Non Cash exchange gains/(losses) on cash and cash equivalents (7.1) 2.6 Cash and cash equivalents End of period 174.5 158.6 Cash markets activity Q4 2016 Q4 2015 2016 2015 Nb trading days 64 65 257 256 NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS (Buy and sells) (reported trades included) Q4 2016 Q4 2015 Change 2016 2015 Change Total Cash Market 109,228,666 116,467,164 -6.2% 457,571,260 471,976,404 -3.1% ADV Cash Market 1,706,698 1,791,803 -4.7% 1,780,433 1,843,658 -3.4% TRANSACTION VALUE million Single counted) (m) Q4 2016 Q4 2015 2016 2015 Change Total Cash Market 446,264.8 488,543.7 -8.7% 1,802,003.7 2,120,093.8 -15.0% ADV Cash Market 6,972.9 7,516.1 -7.2% 7,011.7 8,281.6 -15.3% * (shares, warrants, trackers, bonds...) LISTINGS Number of Issuers Dec-2016 Dec-2015 Change EURONEXT ** 1,297 1318 -1.6% SMEs 755 769 -1.8% **(Euronext, Alternext and Free Market) Capital raised on Equities on Primary and Secondary Market EURONEXT (Euronext, Alternext) (m) Q4 2016 Q4 2015 2016 2015 Change Nb New Listings ** 7 14 28 52 Money Raised New Listings incl over allotment 64 6,385 -99.0% 3,732 12,401 -69.9% of which Money Raised New Listings 62 5,705 -98.9% 3,463 11,256 -69.2% Follow-ons on Equities 14,895 8,618 72.8% 56,422 32,857 71.7% Corporate Bonds 26,506 13,326 98.9% 80,572 66,437 21.3% Total Money Raised * 41,463 27,649 50.0% 140,725 111,696 26.0% of which SMEs (m) Q4 2016 Q4 2015 2016 2015 Change Nb New Listings ** 6 9 23 36 Money Raised New Listings incl over allotment 64 385 -83.4% 1,430 1,337 6.9% of which Money Raised New Listings 62 380 -83.6% 1,367 1,274 7.3% Follow-ons on Equities 1,488 705 111.1% 4,583 4,118 11.3% Corporate Bonds 830 1,191 -30.3% 2,639 2,396 10.2% Total Money Raised * 2,380 2,277 4.5% 8,652 7,851 10.2% * included New Listings incl over allotment, Follow-ons on Equities, Corporate Bonds on Euronext Listed Issuers Derivatives markets activity Q4 2016 Q4 2015 2016 2015 Nb trading days 64 65 257 256 Volume (in lots) Q4 2016 Q4 2015 Change 2016 2015 Change Equity 28,590,939 27,360,968 4.5% 112,427,736 121,092,177 -7.2% of which Atomx 235,280 16,460 828,014 16,460 Index 13,745,581 13,323,091 3.2% 55,131,694 60,897,617 -9.5% of which Atomx 31,670 10,460 150,029 10,460 Futures 10,837,084 10,447,758 3.7% 44,265,259 46,901,068 -5.6% of which Atomx 31,670 10,460 150,029 10,460 Options 2,908,497 2,875,333 1.2% 10,866,435 13,996,549 -22.4% of which Atomx 0 0 0 Individual Equity 14,845,358 14,037,877 5.8% 57,296,042 60,194,560 -4.8% of which Atomx 203,610 6,000 677,985 6,000 Futures 68,718 27,611 148.9% 270,573 94,538 186.2% of which Atomx 0 0 9,000 0 Options 14,776,640 14,010,266 5.5% 57,025,469 60,100,022 -5.1% of which Atomx 203,610 6,000 668,985 6,000 Commodity 2,971,329 3,258,241 -8.8% 13,758,816 14,295,804 -3.8% Futures 2,777,548 2,826,257 -1.7% 12,115,438 11,909,878 1.7% Options 193,781 431,984 -55.1% 1,643,378 2,385,926 -31.1% Other 18,300 24,684 -25.9% 55,430 127,702 -56.6% Futures 0 0 0 0 Options 18,300 24,684 -25.9% 55,430 127,702 -56.6% Total Futures 13,683,350 13,301,626 2.9% 56,651,270 58,905,484 -3.8% Total Options 17,897,218 17,342,267 3.2% 69,590,712 76,610,199 -9.2% Total Euronext 31,580,568 30,643,893 3.1% 126,241,982 135,515,683 -6.8% ADV (in lots) Q4 2016 Q4 2015 Change 2016 2015 Change Equity 446,733 420,938 6.1% 437,462 473,016 -7.5% of which Atomx 3,676 253 3,222 Index 214,775 204,971 4.8% 214,520 237,881 -9.8% of which Atomx 495 161 584 Futures 169,329 160,735 5.3% 172,238 183,207 -6.0% of which Atomx 495 161 584 Options 45,445 44,236 2.7% 42,282 54,674 -22.7% of which Atomx 0 0 0 Individual Equity 231,959 215,967 7.4% 222,942 235,135 -5.2% of which Atomx 3,181 92 2,638 Futures 1,074 425 152.8% 1,053 369 185.1% of which Atomx 0 0 35 Options 230,885 215,543 7.1% 221,889 234,766 -5.5% of which Atomx 3,181 92 2,603 Commodity 46,427 50,127 -7.4% 53,536 55,843 -4.1% Futures 43,399 43,481 -0.2% 47,142 46,523 1.3% Options 3,028 6,646 -54.4% 6,394 9,320 -31.4% Other 286 380 -24.7% 216 499 -56.8% Futures 0 0 0 0 Options 286 380 -24.7% 216 499 -56.8% Total Futures 213,802 204,640 4.5% 220,433 230,100 -4.2% Total Options 279,644 266,804 4.8% 270,781 299,259 -9.5% Total Euronext 493,446 471,445 4.7% 491,214 529,358 -7.2% Open Interest Dec-16 Dec-15 Change Equity 10,941,086 10,331,875 5.9% Index 925,283 732,406 26.3% Futures 479,559 371,286 29.2% Options 445,724 361,120 23.4% Individual Equity 10,015,803 9,599,469 4.3% Futures 6,463 71,094 -90.9% Options 10,009,340 9,528,375 5.0% Commodity 567,136 728,580 -22.2% Futures 374,948 377,031 -0.6% Options 192,188 351,549 -45.3% Other 4,253 4,542 -6.4% Futures 0 0 Options 4,253 4,542 -6.4% Total Futures 860,970 819,411 5.1% Total Options 10,651,505 10,245,586 4.0% Total Euronext 11,512,475 11,064,997 4.0% Financial calendar 1st quarter 2017 results 19 May 2017 2nd quarter 2017 results 28 July 2017 3rd quarter 2017 results 8 November 2017 About Euronext Euronext is the leading pan-European exchange in the Eurozone with more than 1,300 listed issuers worth close to 3.3 trillion in market capitalisation as of end December 2016, an unmatched blue chip franchise consisting of 25 issuers in the EURO STOXX 50 benchmark and a strong diverse domestic and international client base. Euronext operates regulated and transparent equity and derivatives markets. Its total product offering includes Equities, Exchange Traded Funds, Warrants Certificates, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities and Indices. Euronext also leverages its expertise in running markets by providing technology and managed services to third parties. Euronext operates regulated markets, Alternext and the Free Market; in addition it offers EnterNext, which facilitates SMEs' access to capital markets. For the latest news, find us on Twitter (twitter.com/euronext) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/euronext). Disclaimer This press release is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation to engage in investment activities. This press release is provided "as is" without representation or warranty of any kind. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content, Euronext does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Euronext will not be held liable for any loss or damages of any nature ensuing from using, trusting or acting on information provided. No information set out or referred to in this publication may be regarded as creating any right or obligation. The creation of rights and obligations in respect of financial products that are traded on the exchanges operated by Euronext's subsidiaries shall depend solely on the applicable rules of the market operator. All proprietary rights and interest in or connected with this publication shall vest in Euronext. This press release speaks only as of this date. Euronext refers to Euronext N.V. and its affiliates. Information regarding trademarks and intellectual property rights of Euronext is located at www.euronext.com/terms-use. 2017, Euronext N.V. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214006528/en/ Contacts: Euronext Media Pauline Bucaille, +33 1 70 48 24 41 pbucaille@euronext.com or Analysts & investors Stephanie Bia, +33 1 70 48 24 17 sbia@euronext.com Fiskars Corporation Stock Exchange Release February 15, 2017 at 08:30 a.m. EETPresident and CEO of Fiskars to change - Teemu Kangas-Karki appointed interim President and CEOKari Kauniskangas, President and CEO of Fiskars Corporation, has today announced he will resign from his position. The Board of Directors of the company has appointed Teemu Kangas-Karki interim President and CEO as well as President, SBU Functional. Teemu Kangas-Karki is the deputy to the CEO and Fiskars' Chief Operating Officer. The Board of Directors will start the recruitment process to select a new President and CEO for the company."I have been the President and CEO of Fiskars for nearly ten years and have had the privilege to lead Fiskars' transformation from a holding company to a leading consumer goods company with several globally recognized brands. Fiskars is a unique company and it has been extraordinary to build the future of Finland's oldest company. I feel that now is the right time for me to leave the company. Our financial performance was strong last year and we took major steps forward on our strategic journey", said Kari Kauniskangas."Kari Kauniskangas has successfully taken Fiskars forward as the company has grown both organically and through acquisitions and built global businesses and brands. We will continue to develop Fiskars into a world-class consumer goods company with a family of iconic lifestyle brands, aiming to achieve our long-term financial targets", said Paul Ehrnrooth, Chairman of the Board. "On behalf of the entire board, I want to extend our warm thank you to Kari for his contribution and wish him well in the future. We will now proceed to search for a new CEO.""Fiskars is well positioned in the marketplace today. I feel privileged to have been asked to lead the company during this transition period. Together with the entire Fiskars team, we will continue to execute our strategy in the new structure", said Teemu Kangas-Karki.FISKARS CORPORATIONBoard of DirectorsFurther information: Paul Ehrnrooth, Chairman, Board of Directors Maija Taimi, Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability Tel. +358 204 39 5031, communications@fiskars.comFiskars - Making the everyday extraordinary Fiskars serves consumers and customers around the world with a brand portfolio of globally recognized brands including Fiskars, Gerber, Iittala, Royal Copenhagen, Waterford, and Wedgwood. Building on our mission to create a family of iconic lifestyle brands, Fiskars' vision is to create a positive, lasting impact on our quality of life. Please visit www.fiskarsgroup.com for more information.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=614984 InVision GRX/S8 Advanced Analytics for Data Roaming with Unique Alarming Capability iBasis, a KPN company, today launched a new version of its award-winning InVision advanced analytics platform for proactively monitoring GRX and S8 data traffic. iBasis further enhanced it's solution with Cubic Telecom's connectivity tools; adding new features including enhanced visualization of global data traffic and a unique intelligent alarming capability. In addition to monitoring LTE Diameter signaling traffic, telecommunications managers, network support and quality teams can now check the performance of their 3G and 4G connectivity on demand services in real-time and quickly identify and resolve revenue and quality-impacting performance issues. According to Ovum, worldwide data roaming traffic is growing at a compound annual rate of 44%, with even greater growth in the EU's "zero roaming zone," where consumers' costs will be the same as at home. The increase in data traffic and "Roam like Home" regulations are putting pressure on operators' network data capacity. This is further compounded by the growth of OTT applications, which is squeezing operators' revenue and margins. Without robust analytics tools, the end-user's connectivity experience while traveling could deteriorate. The visibility and control InVision GRX/S8 provides enables mobile network operators to better manage their connectivity business in this increasingly challenging environment. InVision GRX/S8 helps operators focus on their most critical issues. iBasis' proprietary advanced algorithms use customizable parameters such as the number of subscribers impacted, traffic volumes and country importance to prioritize the most urgent performance errors and issue alarms for immediate troubleshooting. This empowers the operator's network support team to take immediate action on the most urgent issues and prevent service degradation or outages, often before subscribers notice a problem. "In the IoT and M2M application world, analytics are mission critical. At Cubic, we value business intelligence tools to ensure that we are providing the best experience to our end-users who are driving vehicles equipped with our embedded SIM technology," said Gerry McQuaid, EVP Commercial Director of Cubic Telecom. "InVision cloud-based tools enable us to easily monitor all of our signaling and data traffic globally, gaining immediate insights to maintain our quality of service." "The iBasis InVision platform is designed to pre-process information to give customers real-time actionable insights that will help enhance subscriber experience and increase efficiencies in roaming and IoT applications," said Ajay Joseph, CTO of iBasis. "While the explosion of data roaming can result in significant cost increases for operators, InVision is deployed immediately without requiring customer resources or capital investment. InVision rapidly becomes a critical tool to keep up with the ever-changing business environment." InVision GRX/S8 is also a powerful tool for deployment teams in charge of systems upgrades and traffic migrations to ensure that traffic is not affected by the planned work. Additional InVision GRX/S8 features include the ability to check upload and download speeds at the subscriber level, direct access to CDR level for data, and data silent roamer identification. iBasis and Cubic Telecom will be showcasing the InVision advanced analytics platform at Mobile World Congress, co-located in Hall 2 Stand 2A44MR throughout Mobile World Congress which is taking place February 27 March 2 in Barcelona, Spain. About iBasis A wholly-owned KPN company, iBasis is a leading IPX Provider for carriers, mobile operators, OTTs and IoT service providers. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of voice services including HD Voice, VoLTE and anti-fraud services. The iBasis multi-service IPX interconnects operators and service providers globally with guaranteed quality and security for the entire mobile service portfolio: SS7 Signaling, GRX and S8, Diameter Signaling, VoLTE Interconnect and Roaming, supporting both the LBO and S8HR models. iBasis' InVision advanced analytics enable operators to monitor and proactively manage the quality of roaming traffic on a global scale. iBasis customers include more than 1,000 operators and service providers, and iBasis' global IPX reach is unsurpassed due to its Open Peering Policy. For more information, please visit www.ibasis.com. About Cubic Telecom Cubic Telecom is a global connectivity platform company that offers flexible mobility solutions that power connectivity for leading Internet of things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) and mobile device companies across the globe. The company enables users to offer not just products, but post-sale services building a lasting and ongoing relationship with end-users. Providing connectivity in over 180 countries; the most robust network, device and retail partnerships worldwide; and flexible over-the-air (OTA) device management; Cubic Telecom enables global scalability with local connectivity anytime, anywhere. Based in Dublin, Ireland, Cubic Telecom's partners and customers include some of the world's leading Fortune 100 tablet and notebook manufacturers, retailers, and M2M and automotive companies. The company was founded in 2006 and is privately held, having raised more than $37 million in strategic investments from Audi, Qualcomm, Sierra Wireless, and others. For more information, visit www.cubictelecom.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170214005955/en/ Contacts: iBasis, Inc. Chris Ward, +1 781-430-7500 Bob Shearer, co-manager of the Company, has notified the Board of his intention to retire from BlackRock later this year and will therefore step down as co-manager of the Company at the end of August 2017. The Board and managers will review the portfolio management arrangements at that date, but the current intention is that Tony DeSpirito will assume full responsibility for the portfolio. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. DUBLIN, IRELAND -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: FO)(AIM: FOG)(ESM: FAC) is pleased to announce that Origin Energy Resources Limited ("Origin"), Falcon's 35% joint venture partner, has submitted the Results of Evaluation of the Discovery and Preliminary Estimate of Petroleum in Place for the Amungee NW-1H Velkerri B Shale Gas Pool ("Report") to the Northern Territory Government. The submission follows the completion of extended production testing at the Amungee NW-1H exploration well of the "B Shale" member of the Middle Velkerri Formation. In addition, Origin undertook a resource study based on the Amungee NW-1H well results and other key wells in the Beetaloo Basin including regional seismic data to determine a 2C contingent gas resource estimate for the Middle Velkerri B Shale Pool within EP76, EP98 and EP117. Key Details of the Discovery Evaluation Report The Report was submitted in compliance with Section 64 of the Northern Territory Petroleum Act (2016) and as per the Reporting a Petroleum Discovery Guideline. The Report follows the initial submission of the notification of discovery and an initial report on discovery in October 2016. The Report provides the following volumetric estimates and recovery / utilisation factor for the B Shale member of the Middle Velkerri Formation within permits EP76, EP98, and EP117. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Middle Velkerri B Shale Volumetric Estimates (1) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gross Net Attributable (2) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Best Estimate Best Estimate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Area km(2) (3) 16,145 4,751 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- OGIP (TCF) 496 146 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Combined Recovery / Utilisation 16% 16% Factor (4) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Technically Recoverable Resource 85 25 (TCF) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- OGIP Concentration (BCF/km(2)) 31 31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) The Report and estimates included in the table above were not prepared in accordance with COGEH (2) Falcon's working interest is 29.43%, net attributable numbers do not incorporate royalties over the permits (3) Area defined by a depth range at a maturity cut-off consistent with the dry gas window within the Beetaloo JV Permits (EP79, EP98, EP117) (4) The combined recovery/utilization factor range was applied stochastically to the OGIP range to calculate the range of technically recoverable resource within the Beetaloo JV permits. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Understanding the factors controlling deliverability and recovery as well as spatial variation within the gas play/shale pool are in their infancy. A quantitative assessment of the aggregated estimated recoverable resource of the gas play that can handle these complexities will require a statistically significant number of wells testing the gas play. As there is only a single production test within the gas play Origin decided upon a qualitative assessment approach instead to estimate the technically recoverable resource. Factors considered in the qualitative assessment of technically recoverable hydrocarbon resource in the gas play were the SRV recovery factor range, the subsurface utilization factor range and surface utilization factor range. Origin's Contingent Gas Resource Estimates for the Middle Velkerri B Shale Pool within EP76, EP98 and EP117 Origin has prepared a contingent gas resource estimate using probabilistic methods and reservoir evaluation data, in addition to regional seismic data. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assessment of 2C Contingent Gas Resource Estimates for the Middle Velkerri B Shale Pool within EP76, EP98 and EP117 as of 15 February, 2017(1) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured and Estimated Parameters Units Best Estimate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Area (2) km(2) 1,968 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original Gas In Place (OGIP)(3) TCF 61.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gross Contingent Resource(4) TCF 6.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net Contingent Resource(4,5) TCF 1.94 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Contingent resource estimates have been prepared on a statistical aggregation basis and in accordance with the Society of Petroleum Engineers Petroleum Management System (SPE-PRMS). Contingent resource estimates are those quantities of gas (produced gas minus carbon dioxide and inert gasses) that are potentially recoverable from known accumulations but which are not yet considered commercially recoverable due to the need for additional delineation drilling, further validation of deliverability and original gas in place, and confirmation of prices and development costs. If the estimates were to be prepared in accordance with COGEH, Falcon is highly confident that there would be no change to the contingent resource estimates above. (2) P50 area from the contingent resource area distribution (3) OGIP presented is the product of the P50 Area by the P50 OGIP per km(2 ) (4) Estimated contingent gas resource category of 2C. There is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the resources (5) Net to Falcon's 29.43% working interest in EP76, EP98, and EP117, net contingent resource number does not incorporate royalties over the permits ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- As noted in Origin's press release the "The contingent resource estimates contained in (their) report are based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation that have been prepared by Alexander Cote who is a full-time Origin employee and a Qualified Reserves and Resource Evaluator. Mr Cote is a registered professional engineer with specialised unconventional gas resource characterisation and development experience. Mr Cote has consented to the form and context in which these statements appear". Mr Cote is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. Suspension of Drilling Operations On 14 September 2016, the Northern Territory Government introduced a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, and subsequently established an independent scientific inquiry. Pending the outcome of this independent inquiry, Origin has requested a suspension of all drilling operations with the DPIR. We await their formal response to the request. Philip O'Quigley, CEO of Falcon, commented: "The submission of a discovery evaluation report supporting the existence of a material gas resource in the Beetaloo Basin coupled with Origin's best estimate assessment of a gross contingent gas resource of 6.6 TCF for the Middle Velkerri B shale pool surrounding and adjacent to the Amungee NW-1H exploration well are exciting developments for Falcon. Additional exploration and appraisal activity will be required to refine the pool size and better assess the recoverable resource range and ultimately the commerciality of the play. However, it is interesting to note that in Origin's opinion the Marcellus and Barnett Shales in the USA are analogous, commercially-productive fields that are similar to the Middle Velkerri B Shale reservoir." Origin's ASX/Media Release Please refer to Appendix A for a copy of Origin's ASX/Media Release "Beetaloo Basin drill results indicate material gas resource". This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Further information relating to disclosure of resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well Name Amungee NW-1H ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permit / location EP98 (onshore Beetaloo Basin Northern Territory, Australia) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Working interest in well Falcon 29.43% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Product type Shale gas ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Risks and level of uncertainty with Risks and uncertainties include the recovery of resources lifting of the Northern Territory moratorium on hydraulic fracture stimulation, completing longer- duration production testing above the 57 days conducted on Amungee NW-1H, reducing well costs with scale of activity, establishing gas sales agreements and building infrastructure to connect the resource to market. Contingent on the moratorium being lifted, additional appraisal drilling is planned (as per the work program associated with the permits), along with hydraulic fracture stimulation and testing to assess deliverability and move the project towards commercialisation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Significant positive and negative Significant positive factors relevant factors relevant to the estimate to the estimate of the contingent resources include the successful well test at Amungee NW-1H which produced enough gas to surface to be of commercial interest; core and log data from Amungee NW-1H, Beetaloo W-1, Kalala S-1, Tanumbirini-1, McManus-1, Altree-2 and Walton-2 provide convincing evidence of a significant volume of moveable hydrocarbons; and the Marcellus Shale (Pa., USA) and Barnett Shale (Tx., USA) are analogous, commercially-productive fields that are similar to the Velkerri B Shale reservoir. Significant negative factors include the lifting of the Northern Territory moratorium on hydraulic fracture stimulation, the limited number of wells on the Company's acreage, lack of a developed service sector providing uncertainty regarding estimates of capital and operating costs, developing hydrocarbon regulations and environmental legislation and the requirement to obtain social acceptability for oil and gas operations. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Commerciality Currently this project is based on a conceptual study. The economic status is undetermined at this time. The contingent resources will continue to be assessed as additional appraisal wells are drilled and tested in order to better evaluate the commercial potential of the play. After a sufficient number of wells have been drilled to demonstrate that the project is technically feasible and a development plan has been generated, economics can be run to determine commerciality of production. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amungee NW-1H Well Test Results ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well name Amungee NW-1H ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permit EP98 (onshore Beetaloo Basin NT) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Working interest in well Falcon 29.43% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Geological rock type of formation Organic rich shale (mudstone and drilled siltstone) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Depth of zones tested approx. 2170-2190 metres below sea level ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type of test Production test following hydraulic fracture stimulation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hydrocarbon phases recovered Gas (Approximate composition: methane approx. 92%, ethane+ approx. 3%, carbon dioxide and inerts approx. 5%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flow rates and volumes Average rate (57 days): 1.1 MMscf/d Final production rate: 1.07 MMscf/d Cumulative production: 63 MMscf ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of fracture stimulation stages 11 stages (average size approx. 100T/stage) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advisory regarding forward-looking statements Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "outlook", "budget", "hope", "support" or the negative of those terms or similar words suggesting future outcomes. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Such information may include, but is not limited to, comments made with respect to the type, number, schedule, stimulating, testing and objectives of the wells to be drilled in the Beetaloo basin Australia, the prospectivity of the Middle Velkerri play and the prospect of the exploration programme being brought to commerciality, risks associated with the introduction of a moratorium, fluctuations in market prices for shale gas; risks related to the exploration, development and production of shale gas reserves; general economic, market and business conditions; substantial capital requirements; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of reserves and resources; extent of, and cost of compliance with, government laws and regulations and the effect of changes in such laws and regulations; the need to obtain regulatory approvals before development commences; environmental risks and hazards and the cost of compliance with environmental regulations; aboriginal claims; inherent risks and hazards with operations such as mechanical or pipe failure, cratering and other dangerous conditions; potential cost overruns; variations in foreign exchange rates; competition for capital, equipment, new leases, pipeline capacity and skilled personnel; the failure of the holder of licenses, leases and permits to meet requirements of such; changes in royalty regimes; failure to accurately estimate abandonment and reclamation costs; inaccurate estimates and assumptions by management and their joint venture partners; effectiveness of internal controls; the potential lack of available drilling equipment; failure to obtain or keep key personnel; title deficiencies; geo-political risks; and risk of litigation. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive and that these factors and risks are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Falcon assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Falcon. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Falcon's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com, including under "Risk Factors" in the Annual Information Form. This announcement has been reviewed by Dr. Gabor Bada, Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd's Head of Technical Operations. Dr. Bada obtained his geology degree at the Eotvos L. University in Budapest, Hungary and his PhD at the Vrije Aniversiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is a member of AAPG and EAGE. About Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is an international oil & gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of conventional and unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio focused in Australia, South Africa and Hungary. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with a technical team based in Budapest, Hungary. For further information on Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. please visit www.falconoilandgas.com About Origin Energy Origin Energy (ASX: ORG) is the leading Australian integrated energy company with market leading positions in energy retailing (approximately 4.3 million customers), power generation (approximately 6,000 MW of capacity owned and contracted) and natural gas production (1,093 PJ of 2P reserves and annual production of 82 PJe). To match its leadership in the supply of green energy, Origin also aspires to be the number one renewables company in Australia. Through Australia Pacific LNG, its incorporated joint venture with ConocoPhillips and Sinopec, Origin is developing Australia's biggest CSG to LNG project based on the country's largest 2P CSG reserves base. www.originenergy.com.au Glossary of terms 2C Best estimate of a contingent resource AIM London Stock Exchange's international market for smaller growing companies ASX Australian Securities Exchange BCF/km(2) Billion cubic feet per square kilometre COGEH Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook CSG Coal seam gas DPIR Northern Territory Government's Department of Primary Industry and Resources EP Exploration Permit JV Joint Venture KM(2 ) Square kilometres LNG Liquefied natural gas MMscf Million standard cubic feet MMscf/d Million standard cubic feet per day MW Megawatt OGIP Original gas in place volumes SRV Stimulated rock volume TCF Trillion cubic feet T/stage Ton per stage 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. To view Appendix A - Origin's ASX/Media Release, please visit the following link: http://cnrp.marketwire.com/cnrp_files/20170214-Appendix_A_Origins_ASXMediaRelease.pdf Contacts: Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. +353 1 676 8702 Philip O'Quigley CEO +353 87 814 7042 Anne Flynn CFO +353 1 676 8702 Davy (NOMAD & Broker) John Frain / Anthony Farrell +353 1 679 6363 LONDON (dpa-AFX) - QinetiQ Group plc (QQ.L), a defense, security and aerospace company, Wednesday said that underlying trading for the Group was as expected during the third quarter. In its trading update, the company said it has made encouraging progress in the implementation of its strategy in the quarter to drive future growth. Overall, the Board's expectations for Group performance in the current financial year remain unchanged from its earlier outlook. In EMEA Services, revenue under contract for this financial year is similar to the same time last year with resilient margins. As stated previously, the division's performance as a whole is expected to remain steady this year. Global Products division has shorter order cycles than EMEA Services. Revenue under contract is slightly ahead of this time last year driven by improved order inflow in QinetiQ North America. QinetiQ will announce its preliminary annual results for the year ending March 31 on May 25. 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. AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - Paints and coatings maker Akzo Nobel NV (AKZOY.PK, AKZOY) reported that its net income attributable to shareholders for fiscal 2016 declined 1 percent to 970 million euros from 979 million euros in the prior year. However, adjusted earnings per share for the year rose 3 percent to 4.15 euros from 4.02 euros last year. EBIT increased 3 percent to 1.51 billion euros from 1.46 billion euros last year, and were positively impacted by volume growth, continuous improvement and lower costs. Revenue for the year declined 4 percent to 14.20 billion euros from 14.86 billion euros last year, due to unfavorable currency and price/mix effects. The company has proposed total dividend for 2016 up 6.5 percent to 1.65 euros per share, compared to 1.55 euros in the prior year. CEO Ton Buchner said, 'We are now a stronger, more agile company, with excellent brands, a growing global presence and a solid financial and operational foundation. We maintain our financial guidance for 2016-2018.' 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. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.15 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The concerted efforts by both OPEC and non-OPEC producers to support the oil prices are already having a positive impact on the market, said OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo. He made the remarks Feb.15 at the 7th IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, said the message on the cartels website. We see the onset of a more bullish sentiment emerging in the market, added the secretary general. Barkindo recalled that since last years meeting of this Symposium, the market has continued to recover from the price crash that occurred in mid-2014, when prices plummet by a stunning 80 percent. The effects of this dramatic event sent shock waves throughout the oil and gas industry, and indeed the global economy, he said. Thousands upon thousands of jobs were lost, budgets were slashed, projects were cancelled or deferred, investments were frozen or discontinued, and some companies went into bankruptcy. Global spending on exploration and production dropped by around 26 percent in 2015, and decreased by an additional 22 percent in 2016, said OPEC secretary general, adding that altogether, this amounts to more than $300 billion in lost investment. This is a worrisome scenario when you consider that a massive $10 trillion in oil-related investments is estimated to be required in the period to 2040 in order to meet future world energy demand, noted Barkindo. He believes that in todays oil market, the industry would find it challenging to meet this level of investment. OPEC secretary general pointed out that oil prices have reversed their downward trend with the cartels reference basket recovering to the highest levels since July 2015 to stand above $50 per barrel. Crude futures have rallied sharply to their highest levels in 18 months, and money mangers bets on prices have reached new highs, providing an additional boost to ongoing gains in prices, added Barkindo. During a meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Nov. 30, 2016, OPEC members decided to implement a new production target of 32.5 million barrels per day. Later, non-OPEC countries agreed to cut the output by 558,000 barrels per day during the meeting held Dec. 10, 2016. Eleven non-OPEC countries Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce the oil output. OPEC and non-OPEC countries pledged to start implementing the deal from Jan. 1, 2017 for six months, extendable for another six months. It was also decided to establish a High-level Monitoring Committee, consisting of oil ministers, and assisted by the OPEC Secretariat, to monitor the implementation of the agreement. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zey Solution supports SWIFT, Target2, SEPA Credit Transfers and Direct Debits and provides base for transformation program LONDON, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Dovetail, the provider of best-in-class payments and liquidity management solutions, has today announced that Bank of Cyprus has selected the Dovetail Payment Solution to equip the bank with payment hub functionality covering SWIFT, Target2, SEPA Credit Transfer and Direct Debits. The project will provide the payments foundation for its on-going digital transformation program. Commenting on the news Dr.Andreas Stylianou, Manager Organization and Change, from the Bank of Cyprus said: "Payments are the life blood of our business. We needed a modern, proven payments solution that could address not only our immediate needs, but also our future payment initiatives. We selected Dovetail as a best-in-class solution. Their implementation processes and team made them uniquely qualified." "We are really excited that Bank of Cyprus has chosen Dovetail's award-winning solution as a core element of their digital payments transformation. It enables the bank to make a step change in their payments business, by providing an efficient, technologically advanced solution that is easy to integrate with their existing systems and gives the flexibility and agility that the bank was looking for in enhancing their customer offerings without compromising their operational excellence", said Martin Coen, CEO. About Dovetail Dovetail provides best-in-class payments and liquidity management solutions that enable banks to simplify their infrastructure and deliver effective digital transformation. All solutions, based on a single real-time architecture, are available on premise or in the cloud, scalable up and down, across functional and volume needs and offer unrivalled customer and segment personalization. The choice of solution provides flexibility for a bank in setting the pace of its modernization, addressing point needs or replacing multiple legacy systems. Leveraging the continuing investment from Dovetail and its world-leading client base, banks can rapidly achieve a measurable return on investment, increase strategic agility and operational excellence, optimize total cost of ownership and ensure regulatory compliance. For more information on Dovetail, please visit our website, www.dovetailsystems.com. Press Contact Trevor LaFleche Vice President, Global Product Marketing and Analyst Relations +44 20 7652 7788 trevor.lafleche@dovetailsystems.com MILAN, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Clinical Studies have Demonstrated that Tirosint-sol may Overcome Some of the Limitations of Levothyroxine Tablets IBSA announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tirosint-SOL (levothyroxine sodium oral solution), a liquid form of levothyroxine for the following two conditions: hypothyroidism and TSH suppression in the management of some thyroid cancers. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/466766/IBSA_Institut_Biochimique_SA_Logo.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/466765/IBSA_Institut_Biochimique_SA.jpg ) Levothyroxine, the synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine, is used in all cases of thyroid deficiency. It is on the list of the World Health Organisation's essential medicines, and is among the most effective, safe, basic and one of the three most widely prescribed medications in the world, as well as the second most prescribed in the United States. It is also used in the treatment of children in cases of congenital hypothyroidism, and it is important to evaluate whether it may be required in pregnancy, as thyroid hormone deficiency can cause miscarriage and adversely affect a child's neurological development. "Liquid levothyroxine was developed by IBSA, an Italian-Swiss company and is available in the Italian market since 2012, notes Arturo Licenziati, President IBSA SA. Italian endocrinologists determined the success of the medication through proposing and implementing clinical trials which, within only a few years, were published in a large number of international scientific journals. The FDA approval of Tirosint-SOL (levothyroxine sodium oral solution) for the US market opens up very interesting opportunities for our company: a market of 18 million patients, estimated at 2 billion dollars to 105 million prescriptions. It will be available on the American market within 6 months." "Hypothyroidism, explains Leonard Wartofsky, MD, MACP, Past President of the American Thyroid Association, is widespread in the United States: it is estimated to affect at least 6% of the population and the most frequent cause is chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. The disease, if not identified and properly treated, is associated with a greater cardiovascular risk, infertility and complications in pregnancy and of the foetus. Thyroxine was identified in 1914 at the Mayo Clinic by Edward Calvin Kendall, as extracted from porcine thyroid, and was made available in the United States from 1927. It only became available in the synthetic form, which ensures a precise measure of the hormone, in 1950. The synthetic form, traditionally produced in tablets, has now undergone a major innovation after 70 years with the development of the liquid form. The precise observance of the recommended dose of levothyroxine is essential to health. The absorption of levothyroxine by the body is affected by interference from gastritis, coeliac disease, lactose intolerance and the intake of certain foods such as coffee and medications such as commonly taken antacids." "The development of a preparation, which allows these restrictions to be overcome and enables the achievement of the target (TSH) within the established limits, has long been the IBSA's target," adds Licenziati. Clinical trials in Italy have demonstrated that with liquid levothyroxine, the requirement of waiting an hour before eating breakfast may be avoided. Many frequently used medications, such as antacids or proton pump inhibitors, do not appear to interfere with absorption of the liquid preparation. And this preparation is certain to enjoy popularity with its application for the treatment ofpatients who cannot swallow or who are fed by tube, or for children with hypothyroidism. For more information: http://ibsa-international.com/ Rapidly Growing Video Marketing Platform Bolsters Executive Team To Expand Global Footprint and Accelerate Growth Across EMEANEW YORK, 2017-02-15 09:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovid, the world's leading video marketing platform for advertisers to engage consumers across all screens and channels, today announced the appointment of Matt Colebourne as managing director, EMEA to strengthen its European operations and drive strategic business growth.A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b5456bb9-544c-4d43-a5bc-b9643 5eef40b.Bringing more than 20 years of experience in digital, Colebourne joins Innovid from Trinity Mirror, the largest regional multimedia content publisher in the UK, where he served as director of new businesses. Colebourne also spent six years at Google's DoubleClick during which time he successfully launched the company's technology product business in Europe."I'm thrilled to join the market leader in video marketing at a time when video is finally making the massive developmental steps that display and search have already undergone," said Matt Colebourne, managing director, EMEA at Innovid. "The team is fantastically talented and committed to our customers and, best of all, Innovid's neutrality enables us to genuinely help clients in developing video marketing effectiveness without being beholden to anyone."Based in London, Matt will be tasked with continuing to expand Innovid's European business, focusing on bringing more effective video marketing solutions to existing and new clients throughout the region."As more brands recognise the value of working with a third-party, media agnostic video marketing technology partner, we have an incredible opportunity to expand our business," said Beth-Ann Eason, president at Innovid. "As a seasoned digital media executive with sharp business sense and local expertise, Matt will help us remain competitive on a global scale. He's a fantastic addition to the team, and we're extremely excited to welcome him to the Innovid family."About Innovid Innovid is the world's leading video marketing platform, empowering advertisers to engage consumers across all screens and channels with more effective video creative, improved campaign performance, and video integrated throughout the customer journey. Providing a holistic, cross-device, data-driven solution that is purpose-built for video to meet the demands of audience fragmentation, Innovid's patented, best-in-market technology and advanced measurement capabilities allow marketers to thrive in an ever-changing digital television landscape and engage viewers at scale via richly personalised creative and immersive, interactive storytelling. Innovid powers cross-channel video marketing efforts for some of the largest brands in over 28 countries including Bank of America, Best Buy, Citi, Comcast, Kraft, L'Oreal, Microsoft, P&G, Walmart, Samsung, Sprint, and Toyota.Headquartered in New York City, Innovid also has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, London, Sydney, and Tel Aviv. Innovid is backed by investors Sequoia Capital, Genesis Partners, T-Venture, Vintage Investment Partners, Cisco Investments, and NewSpring Capital. Innovid's numerous awards include IAB Mixx Awards, Digiday Video Awards, Inc. Magazine's Top 50 Best Places To Work, AdAge Best Places to Work, and Crain's Best Places To Work. For more information, please visit www.innovid.com.Media Contacts: Tammy Blythe Goodman Innovid +1-212-966-7555 tammy@innovid.com MORGES, Switzerland, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Biosensors International Group, Ltd. ("Biosensors" or the "Company"), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative medical devices, announced today the enrollment of the first patient in LEADERS FREE II, its new BioFreedom Pivotal Study, conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE), which will include sites in the United States, Canada, Denmark, France Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The BioFreedom drug-coated stent (DCS) has been implanted to date in over 150,000 patients in more than 40 countries outside the United States. The initiation of LEADERS FREE II marks a key milestone on the path towards obtaining FDA approval for the BioFreedom DCS. Similar to LEADERS FREE, the therapeutic focus of this new US pivotal IDE trial is on patients at high bleeding risk (HBR) who receive an ultra-short dual anti-platelet drug regimen of only 1 month. Professor Keith Oldroyd performed the first LEADERS FREE II implant earlier this week at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland and stated: "We are excited to participate in the European arm of the BioFreedom DCS US Pivotal IDE study and further contribute to building the HBR patient experience for potential expansion of the availability of BioFreedom to American patients." The study is conducted under the leadership of Dr. Mitchell W. Krucoff from Duke University, NC, USA, as Principal Investigator and Dr. Philip Urban from La Tour hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, who is the co-Principal Investigator in Europe. The chairman of the Executive Physician Committee is Dr. Marty Leon, Columbia University, New York. Dr. Urban commented: "The results of the LEADERS FREE trial underscore the need to improve treatment of patients at high bleeding risk throughout the world. With the development of the BioFreedom stent, Biosensors has successfully addressed an unmet need for a patient population that had been very largely overlooked." About BioFreedom' BioFreedom' represents the latest development in Biosensors' stent technology, featuring a unique micro-structured abluminal surface which permits the controlled release of BA9' using neither a polymer nor a carrier. BA9' is a highly lipophilic anti-restenotic drug developed by Biosensors specifically for use with stents and is the world's first polymer-free active stent releasing BA9. For more information, please visit http://www.biosensors.com. Contact: Fred Hrkac Biosensors Ltd., Morges, Switzerland f.hrkac@biosensors.com +41-79-360-7991 PowerHouse Energy Group plc ("PowerHouse", or the "Company") Placing, Loan Note Conversion and Repayment PowerHouse announces a placing and the partial conversion of the Hillgrove loan note, the repayment of the balance of the loan note and the associated debenture release over the loan note PowerHouse is pleased to announce that it has completed a fund-raising of 2.5 million, through the issue of 312,500,000 new Ordinary Shares of 0.5p per share ("Shares"). The placing was completed at a price of 0.8p per Share. The proceeds of the fundraising will go largely to repay the loan note not otherwise converted signed between the Company and Hillgrove in October 2012 (the "Hillgrove Note"). The terms of the Hillgrove Note were such that the Company was accruing 15% interest against the loan. Hillgrove had extended a total of 3,402,155 to the Company, including accrued interest, and has accepted a 2 million cash pay-out, and conversion of the remaining 1,402,155 into newly issued share capital of the Company at the previously agreed 0.5p conversion price, amounting to 280,430,920 shares. Hillgrove now holds a total of 300,430,920 shares of the enlarged issued share capital of the Company. Hillgrove has committed to a 12 month lock-in period for its newly issued shares.Hillgrove is a related party as defined by the Aim Rules for Companies and accordingly the Hillgrove Note payout and share conversion is deemed a Related Party Transaction. By virtue of the conversion and pay-out, the Company will eliminate the Hillgrove Note, and the Debenture over the Company's assets, held by Hillgrove, will be released, pending receipt by Hillgrove of the 2m and 280,430,920 Shares. The fund raising has been managed by Turner Pope Investments who are now appointed as Joint Brokers with Smaller Company Capital Limited. Yady Worldwide, S.A. ("Yady") a recent investor in the Company, has contributed 500,000 to this raise. Additionally, Yady has agreed to a 12 month lock-in period with the Company. Admission of the new Shares will be made in two tranches. The first tranche will comprise all of the placing Shares with the exception of those due to Yady, amounting to 250,000,000 Shares ("First Tranche"). Application for admission to trading on AIM for the First Tranche will be made and it is anticipated that this will occur on or around 20 February 2017. These shares will rank pari passu in all respects with the Company's existing issued Shares. The second tranche of shares, being the placing Shares to be issued to Yady and the shares to be issued to Hillgrove pursuant to the conversion, amounting to 342,930,920 ("Second Tranche") are to be admitted to trading on AIM at a later date pending receipt of consideration by Yady. A further announcement regarding the elimination of the Hillgrove Note, a release of the debenture and admission of the Second Tranche is expected in due course. Subsequent to the issuance of the First Tranche Shares, the Company will have 893,648,821 ordinary shares in issue. PowerHouse has no shares in Treasury, therefore this figure may be used by Shareholders, from Admission, as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change in their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. The additional funds raised in the placing will contribute to the operating capital of the Company. Separately, further to the announcement of 26 January 2017 relating to the shipping of its G3-UHt Unit from Australia to the UK, the Company has received notification that the G3-UHt Unit has passed through its first transhipment port-of-call and is en-route to its next transhipment port prior to its arrival in the UK in March 2017. The Board (all of whom are independent in this matter) consider, having consulted with WH Ireland Limited, that the terms of the Agreement are fair and reasonable insofar as the Company's shareholders are concerned. Keith Allaun, Executive Chairman of the Company, said: "This is a significant event and a major turning point in the history of PowerHouse. The conversion of the Hillgrove Note allows us to move forward aggressively and provides the potential to unlock the value of the Company. Powerhouse is building momentum and this is a major milestone" For more information, contact: PowerHouse Energy Group plc Keith Allaun, Executive Chairman Tel: +44 (0) 203 368 6399 WH Ireland Limited (Nominated Adviser) James Joyce / James Bavister Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 1666 Turner Pope Investments Ltd (Joint Broker) Ben Turner / James Pope Tel: +44 (0) 203 621 4120 Smaller Company Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Jeremy Woodgate Tel: +44 (0) 203 651 2910 IFC Advisory (Financial PR & IR) Tim Metcalfe / Graham Herring / Heather Armstrong / Miles Nolan Tel: +44 (0) 203 053 8671 About PowerHouse PowerHouse is the holding company of the G3-UHt System Ultra High Temperature Gasification waste to energy systems. The Company is focussed on technologies to enable energy recovery from municipal waste streams that would otherwise be directed to landfills and incinerators; or from renewable and alternative fuels such as biomass, tyres, and plastics to create syngas for power generation, high-quality hydrogen, or potentially reformed into liquid fuels for transportation. These waste to energy systemsaim to provide the "best solution" to the on-site energy market. PowerHouse is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's AIM Market. The Company is incorporated in the United Kingdom. For more information see www.powerhouseenenergy.net CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen weakened against the other major currencies in the pre-European session on Wednesday. The yen fell to a 2-day low of 121.16 against the euro, from an early high of 120.74. Against the pound and the Swiss franc, the yen dropped to near 2-week lows of 142.77 and 113.75 from early highs of 142.28 and 113.40, respectively. Against the U.S., the Australian, the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars, the yen slipped to more than a 2-week low of 114.59, a 14-month low of 87.89, an 8-day low of 82.20 and nearly a 3-week low of 87.63 from early highs of 114.22, 87.49, 81.83 and 87.31, respectively. If the yen extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 123.00 against the euro, 146.00 against the pound, 116.00 against the franc, 118.00 against the greenback, 89.00 against the aussie, 84.00 against the kiwi and 89.00 against the loonie. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. PARIS, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- World leader in Engineering and Technology Consulting, ALTEN has just announced its collaboration with Jaguar, the iconic vehicle manufacturer, on the design and development of new engines, encompassing their calibration and optimization to enhance performance. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468019/Alten_Logo.jpg ) Working on powertrain engineering, several ALTEN teams are currently dedicated to designing, steering the development and testing the new engines. Meanwhile, other teams are focused on upgrading all the criteria that directly foster performance (power, comfort, safety, fuel consumption, pollution...). Balancing all these criteria requires the involvement of high-skilled powertrain professionals, such as ALTEN engineers that possess a comprehensive view of their project. A high level of excellence and work packages arrangements are the company's specific features that appeal to vehicle manufacturers. Representing more than 20% of the 2016 turnover, automobile is one of the key sectors that drives ALTEN's success. The engineering consultancy is currently putting its leading-edge technological skills and its specialized teams at the service of the major world manufacturers. Together, ALTEN and its clients deliver innovative answers to the technical challenges posed by the upcoming car of the future: improving energy performance, autonomous cars, hybrid engines or automatic parking systems are on the verge of permanently changing vehicles and driving patterns. About ALTEN World leader in engineering and technology consulting, ALTEN carries out studies and conception projects for world-leading companies in the industrial, telecommunications and services sectors (Technical Departments and IT Departments). Created in 1988, the ALTEN group has a workforce of 24,000 in 20 countries, including 88% of top engineers. Its turnover reached 1.748 billion in 2016. Clients: Airbus, Total, Volvo, Safran, Orange, Alstom, PSA, Renault, Bouygues, SFR, EDF, Volkswagen, BNP Paribas, Thales, Credit Agricole, Jaguar... For information, visit http://www.alten.com ZUG, Switzerland, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Equippo, online marketplace for used heavy equipment, introduces a full money back guarantee and protects purchasers through the "Jobsite Test Drive" with free worldwide return shipping. The startup revolutionizes the global market for used construction equipment. The online marketplace Equippo offers used heavy equipment from the US and Europe selling as high as 500,000 US dollars. The new guarantee applies to all orders placed on the platform and gives customers the opportunity to test machines extensively for five days on their jobsite, anywhere in the world. If they are not satisfied customers have the ability to return them for a full refund, even from Africa or South America. The global market for used heavy equipment was estimated to be over 300 billion* US dollars. But despite the financial incentives of buying used machines, many potential purchasers fear hidden damages or dishonest sellers. All machines are inspected by independent experts so potential buyers know exactly in which technical shape the machine is. This quality standard facilitates the "Jobsite Test Drive", which enriches the transparency in an analogue market. Equippo-founder Michael Rohmeder says: "There are many black sheep in this industry. We are making online-trade with used construction equipment transparent, simple and safe. All machines undergo strict technical inspections. Our money back guarantee is reducing the buyer's risks immensely." About Equippo Equippo is an online marketplace for used heavy equipment with offices in Switzerland, Holland and Colombia. The VC-funded company was founded in 2014 and manages payment, shipping, trucking and clearance. Currently http://www.equippo.com offers the delivery to 61 countries on five continents. The startup will present its new offerings at the CONExpo in Las Vegas (7th to 11th March). Press contact: Michael.rohmeder@equippo.com +41-41-544-04-04 +41-79-436-90-14 *Source: RBA Investor Report September 2016 BELMOPAN, Belize, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Trading on the Forex market requires a certain strategy which should be tested and improved. Most of traders are looking for the ways of testing their strategies without risk. Cent trading accounts are considered to be one of such ways. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131014/644397 ) JustForex never stands still and improves its services. The analytical team of the broker makes regular research of the market and the clients' feedback. The most convenient conditions for JustForex Cent accounts were determined based on their work. These accounts are now available for all clients of the company. Trading on Cent account is conducted via one of the most popular trading platform - MetaTrader 4. It can be used on any devices, including PC or mobile phones (Android, iOS). There is also a web-based terminal - Webtrader, which doesn't require installation. The maximum leverage available for traders who use Cent accounts is 1:2000. The leverage can be easily changed through the Back Office or directly from the trading platform. The most traded currency pairs and metals have been chosen for this type of accounts. The spreads are floating from 2 pips. You can also find the detailed average spreads of every financial instrument on the website. The main feature of Cent accounts is a lot size, which is only 1000 units of the base currency compared with 100 000 units for a standard lot. This means that a trader needs 100 times smaller amount of funds to make an order of the same trading volume on the Cent account. Thus this account type is a perfect choice for newbie traders or a useful tool for those who want to test their trading strategy. Why to choose Cent account? 1. It can be an important step for your career of a Forex trader. Trading on cent account is closer to the reality than on demo one as it deals with real money. It helps to prepare psychologically for the real trading as you manage your own funds. 2. The margin requirements are significantly lower than on the Standard accounts. So, you don't need a big sum of money to start trading. 3. Trading strategies can be tested with this account type. It is possible to see the results of strategy within live trading with minimum risks. JustForex team will be glad to see you among the clients. Get the advantage of being one of them register now and start your profitable trading. No matter what type of account you'll choose: Cent, Classic, NDD or ECN one, we will do our best to make the process of trading comfortable for you. About JustForex JustForex is a brand of IPCTradeInc., the activity of which is providing online trading services on the Forex market and an opportunity for traders with different trading experience to earn income by trading financial instruments.Customer orientation has allowed us to create such trading conditions that make your workdays as a trader bright, pleasant and comfortable. We know how valuable time is. We give you the opportunity to do yourfavoritething and not to be distracted with anything else. JustForex - just comfortable trading. Contact: Mr Markus +371-67-881045 pr@justforex.com SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Premier Documents has announced their intentions to begin providing clients with assistance in filing their United States citizenship applications. The applications can be an arduous and complicated process; Premier Documents is looking to remove the pain from the process by taking the technical aspects of the application out of their client's hands. CEO and founder Ryan McAweeney released a statement shortly after the announcement, "Here at Premier Documents we are always looking for ways to help our existing and future clients. We have noticed increased demand for help in filing citizenship applications, and have decided to expand our expertise into this highly specialized area. Citizenship applications can be extremely tedious and complicated, especially for those whose first language is not English. Our staff will ensure that you application goes smoothly and does not suffer any lengthy delays due to incorrect filing". The company, which was founded in 2016, has been assisting their clients with a range of different documentation preparation needs since its inception. It currently provides services for visa applications, green card applications, wills, testimonies, divorces, as well as a host of other document requirements. The company provides for both personal and business clientele. The firm's CEO, Ryan McAweeney is the same entrepreneur that started Vertical Direct Marketing Group (VDMG) back in 2007. His success as an executive saw the company turned into a multi-million dollar enterprise by 2013. McAweeney spoke earlier on his desire to bring that same success to his new venture, "At VDMG we had a long-standing policy of excellence that resulted in extremely high customer satisfaction records. Premier Documents is attempting to bring that same attitude to the document preparation industry; it is pertinent in an industry like this to provide perfect outcomes as the consequences of poor performance can delay a client's paperwork process. We feel if we continue to provide customers with excellent outcomes, we will become the most trusted name in the industry". Premier Documents: Success in Unlikely Places When Ryan McAweeney founded Premier Documents in early 2016 he was stepping into unchartered territory; the San Diego based marketing executive had little experience in the complex world of United States document preparation. But almost a year later, the firm has expanded into a major player in the world of document preparation, and McAweeney places the credit on one thing: 'a culture of excellence'. McAweeney recently commented on the matter, "One of the lessons I learned from running a multi-million dollar advertising agency was that the most effective thing you can do is promote a culture of excellence within your firm. Doing so pushes individuals working for you to understand the real benefits of striving to do their best for their clients. This workplace culture couldn't be more important in the world of document preparation; a small mistake can lead to lengthy setbacks for our clients and could result in potentially damaging effects. Because of this, I knew that striving for excellence and perfection in everything we do would be the most vital part of being successful in this industry." Maintaining a 'culture of excellence' in a large firm is no easy feat, but McAweeney is correct in saying that it is necessary in the documentation preparation industry. Many clients are non-native speakers who are completely reliant on Premier Document's ability to avoid delays. Services that Premier Documents handles are often time sensitive and therefore require the utmost care. At present, the firm offers services for both personal and business clientele. Premier documents can assist you with documents ranging from green card applications and divorces, to business incorporation. The firm is committed to aiding clients with as many document preparation services as possible. This commitment to covering a broad range of documentation was initiated when the firm started, "Premier Documents is aiming to provide its clients with easily accessible assistance on as many government document processes as possible. We understand the stress that can come with having to file an application or document with the United States Government; we're here to alleviate some of that stress. We are committed to covering as many different types of documentation as we possibly can in order to ensure we are your one-stop-shop for document preparation," stated McAweeney at the time of the company's launch. Ryan McAweeney is the same entrepreneur that founded Vertical Direct Marketing Group (VDMG) back in 2007. The firm would proceed to grow into a multi-million dollar company over the next six years; INC. reported its annual revenue to be over $3m in 2013. Although McAweeney did not have previous experience with documentation companies, he decided to take a back seat at VDMG in 2016 in order to pursue his new project. If you or anyone you know would like additional information on how Premier Documents may be able to help you with your citizenship application, please head to their URL at: https://premierdocprep.com/ Premier Document Preparation Email Contact Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.15 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The worlds first purpose built liquefied natural gas bunkering vessel (LBV) has been delivered to its co-owners from Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd., at the Yeongdo shipyard in Busan, South Korea, Frances ENGIE company said on its website. ENGIE, Belgian Fluxys, Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation and shipowner NYK are the vessels co-owners. Zeebrugge in Belgium will be the home port of the vessel, which has been named ENGIE Zeebrugge. From there, the vessel with 5,000 cubic meters of LNG capacity will supply LNG as a marine fuel to ships operating in Northern Europe, according to the message from ENGIE. The two LNG-fueled pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) operated by United European Car Carriers will be its first customers. ENGIE Zeebrugge will load LNG at Fluxys LNG terminal in Zeebrugge, where small carriers with capacities from 2,000 cubic meters can dock at the recently commissioned second jetty. As international regulations on emissions for ships tighten, LNG is expected to become an important alternative fuel for the maritime industry. Currently, the bunker market amounts to approximately 250 million tons of heavy fuel oil per year. The challenge in making LNG grow in the bunker market is to develop sufficient supply infrastructure to support the increasing number of LNG-fueled ships that are expected to come into operation. Due to its favorable emission profile, the widespread adoption of LNG as a marine fuel is key to curb harmful emissions in the shipping industry. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zey Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 15, 2017) - Astorius Resources Ltd. (TSXV: ASQ) (FSE: 47A.F) ("Astorius") provided the following update on its mineral projects. Osos 1 Gold Project Progress continues on our 231 hectare Osos 1 gold property in Ecuador. Thirteen rock samples were collected by the company's consultants from underground workings on the Osos 1 property in December and have been sent to ALS Labs in Vancouver for gold and pathfinder element analysis. Once analytical results have been received a selection of these samples will be subjected to petrological examination to characterize the alteration and intrusive rocks associated with gold mineralisation on the property. The Osos 1 property is located in southwestern Ecuador, ten kilometers south-west of Lumina Gold Corp's Cangrejos Project. Lumina announced a 4 million ounce gold resource on this project in January of this year. Astorius believes that gold mineralisation observed by its consultants on the Osos 1 property is associated with geological structures related to structures associated with the Cangrejos deposit, and is potentially of the same age as Cangrejos mineralisation. While such observations are not indicative of economic deposits on the company's property, they are of considerable value to the effective exploration of the property. Condor Project Astorius' Condor Property comprises a single 243 hectare claim approximately 2.5 kilometers east of Lundin Gold Inc's Fruta del Norte gold mine. Previous exploration at Condor has established the presence of extensive alluvial gold on the property, as well as anomalous gold and pathfinder elements in soils suggestive of the presence of hard-rock gold mineralisation on the property. In December 2016 Astorius carried out a drone-based orthophotographic survey of parts of the property previously subjected to placer mining, as well as the part of the property showing the most promising gold-in-soil anomaly. The latter anomaly may be a southern extension of the "El Tigre" gold target which lies within Lundin Mining's Fruta del Norte property, 700 meters north of the Condor property boundary. The new Condor orthophotographs are being used to evaluate various placer mining scenarios and to establish possible directions of movement of gold and pathfinder elements in the soil. Rainbow Canyon Gold Project Astorius is presently applying for drill permits on the Rainbow Canyon gold property in Nevada. The exploration slated to begin this month has been delayed due to heavier than usual rain and snow in the region. The Rainbow Canyon property comprises 28 unpatented lode mining claims that cover an area of 214 hectares in the Olinghouse mining district about 40 kilometres east of Reno in Washoe county, Nevada. Geologically, Rainbow Canyon is a low-sulphidation gold prospect located in the northern Walker Lane structural and metallogenic domain. Andesites, basalts and rhyolites of the Miocene Alta and Old Gregory formation underlie most of the property. Forty kilometres to the southwest of Rainbow Canyon the Alta formation is also host to the world-renowned Comstock mine (1), a low-sulphidation lode deposit which produced 8.4 million ounces gold (2). Gold mineralization on the property was described in detail in the company's 8 February, 2017, news release. Astorius plans to explore the Rainbow Canyon property for both lower-grade open-pittable gold mineralization, as is currently being mined at Comstock, and for high-grade gold amenable to underground mining, as was historically mined at Comstock. To this end, permitting arrangements have been initiated to drill six to 10 inclined reverse circulation boreholes, each to an approximate depth of 100m, to test the width and tenor of gold mineralization within the structural zones believed to control the distribution of mineralized alteration and gold-bearing quartz veins present at surface. (1) D.A. John, L.J. Garside, A.R. Wallace, "Magmatic and Tectonic Setting of Late Cenozoic Epithermal Gold-Silver Deposits in Northern Nevada," with an emphasis on the Pah Rah and Virginia ranges and the Northern Nevada rift in J.A. Kizis Jr., 1999, "Low Sulfidation Gold deposits in Northern Nevada," Geol Soc. Nev. Spec Publ. No. 29, pages 65 to 168. (2) This news release contains information about geologically related properties on which Astorius has no right to explore or mine. Readers are cautioned that mineral deposits on geologically related properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on the company's properties. Chairman of the Astorius board, Sandy Macdougal commented "All three of our projects have started the year strongly, and we look forward to providing our shareholders with regular updates on progress made on each property." Qualified person Clinton Smyth, MSc, PGeo, the company's adviser, is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 who reviewed the preparation of the technical data in this news release. On Behalf of the Board Arthur Brown CEO For further information please contact: Arthur Brown, CEO (604) 662-7902 art.astoriusresources@gmail.com www.astoriusresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements," Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, including but not limited to, statements regarding our mineral properties. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of metals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Sophia Chong, Assistant Executive Director, HKTDC HKTDC Communication and Public Affairs Department Joe Kainz Tel: +852 2584 4216 Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org HONG KONG, Feb 15, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - The 27th HKTDC Education & Careers Expo opens on 23 February and continues through 26 February at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. More than 860 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions are set to join the expo, including educational institutions, consulting firms, professional associations, government departments, semi-government bodies and private enterprises. The expo provides a wealth of information on further studies, continuous education and job opportunities and will be open to the public free of charge.The four-day fair will feature two major zones: Education Zone and Careers Zone. Different career and education theme days are set for each day for visitors to grasp the relevant information from various exhibitors and events.On-site recruitment for 2,300+ vacanciesThere will be four career theme days this year, including the newly launched Tech & Innovation (23 February), Arts (24 February) and Startup (26 February) theme days, as well as the ever-popular Electrical and Mechanical theme day (25 February). Each career theme day will spotlight the employment trends of relevant industries. A number of organisations, including Vocational Training Council (VTC), Arts Education Section of Education Bureau, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups will provide current industry trends, career prospects, advice on entering different industries and job availability, to help students and job seekers plan their career paths.At the Youth Zone, organisations from different sectors will offer young people information on further education and employment. Representatives from the Labour Department will also be on hand to introduce the Youth Employment and Training Programme, which is designed to support local youth employment, and provide information on different overseas employment and working holiday programmes. Representatives from different industries will also discuss various developments and career prospects.In addition, various government departments together with private and public organisations including the Police Force, Fire Services Department, Hong Kong Airport Authority, Aviation Security Company Limited and Centaline Property Agency Limited will accept on-the-spot job applications; a total of more than 2,300 job opportunities comprising summer jobs and internships are expected to be offered during the expo.Global educational institutions to showcase study and exchange opportunitiesOn education, the expo will gather consultants from different countries and regions to provide the latest updates on overseas study opportunities. This year's education theme days will focus on the Chinese mainland (23 February), Europe (25 February), Australia and New Zealand (26 February) as well as Japan (24 February), which is a new theme for this year. Representatives from educational institutions in these markets will host seminars for visitors to learn about the admission procedures, entry requirements and campus life in these destinations.Gathering various Consulate General (CG) offices and officially recognised bodies, the newly launched "International Exchange Village" will provide visitors with information and consultation service on studying and working abroad. Participating CG offices include Hungary, Korea, Mexico, Sweden and South Africa, as well as countries along the "Belt and Road" such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Iran and the Philippines. Students can explore education and exchange opportunities in these countries.What's more, the expo will provide information on further studies and continuous education in Hong Kong. Institutions such as the VTC, Hang Seng Management College, The Open University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Shue Yan University and YMC College of Careers will give details of different courses. Exhibitors such as Arts Education Section of Education Bureau, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Baron School of Music will present arts and creative education opportunities, offering students different channels for advancing studies.100 fascinating events; celebrities to share workplace insightsClose to 100 activities will be held during the expo, including an assortment of seminars and talks on further studies, industry trends and working holiday programmes. Renowned speakers include Chairman of Commission of Youth Lau Ming-wai, experienced media person Stephen Chan, Chairman of a digital game company Sze Yan-ngai and Hong Kong Jockey Club apprentice jockey Kei Chiong, will have job experience sharings.Aside from seminars offering practical tips on taking TOEFL and IELTS examinations, the HKTDC has also invited Dr Au Yeung Wai-hoo (Ben Sir), Senior Lecturer at the Chinese Language and Literature Department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Yan Yuk-ki, author and consultant for the 5 Stars Chinese Compositions Series to host a seminar about Chinese writing skills in preparation for the Diploma of Secondary Education.The HKTDC will also collaborate with the VTC to showcase some of the innovative projects co-developed by its teachers and students. There will be an interactive technology experience showcase where visitors can experience the excitement of controlling robots via smart devices, virtual reality (VR) gaming and building a robotic boat.Date & Opening Hours: 23 February (Thursday) 10:30am-7pmCareer Theme Days: Tech & InnovationEducation Theme Days: Chinese mainlandDate & Opening Hours: 24 February (Friday) 10:30am-7pmCareer Theme Days: ArtsEducation Theme Days: JapanDate & Opening Hours: 25 February (Saturday) 10:30am-7pmCareer Theme Days: Electrical and MechanicalEducation Theme Days: EuropeDate & Opening Hours: 26 February (Sunday) 10:30am-6pmCareer Theme Days: StartupEducation Theme Days: Australia and New ZealandFair website: http://www.hktdc.com/hkeducationexpo/Photo download: http://bit.ly/2lJMZhmHighlighted videos:Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts: https://goo.gl/iex8z7Bridal Academy: https://goo.gl/fFQHTtHong Kong Federation of Youth Groups: https://goo.gl/ncPAc3HK E&M Trade Working Group: https://goo.gl/znG4TOMedia Registration:Media representatives wishing to cover the event may register on-site with their business cards and/or media identification.To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tcAbout HKTDCEstablished in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdcTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdcLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. One of the acquired concessions was previously optioned by Calvista Gold which conducted a nine hole diamond drill program during 2011 and 2012. These results were incorporated in a NI 43-101 Technical Report on the California Gold Project dated effective October 11, 2012 and included intercepts: 2 Table 1: California Gold Project Drill Intersections ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Au (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DDH-31 144.78 146.30 1.52 12.29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DDH-31 182.88 184.40 1.52 10.36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DDH-34 377.95 381.00 3.05 12.08 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DDH-35 28.95 36.57 7.61 9.85 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DDH-36 35.05 48.76 13.71 5.93 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DDH-37 425.19 426.72 1.53 10.58 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CB Gold plans to advance the California Gold Project toward economic feasibility by the delineation of high-grade vein resources exploitable by modern underground mining methods. This work will initially involve compiling existing data, detailed underground mapping of existing mine workings, detailed underground channel sampling, and prioritizing targets for subsequent drifting along with surface and underground diamond drilling as soon as possible. The California Gold Project is located approximately ten kilometres from CB Gold's existing Vetas Gold Project, potentially resulting in operational synergies including processing at a central mill. Transaction CB Gold has an option to purchase 100% of six exploitation mining concessions from local miners for consideration of US $5,683,764 and US $7,561,746 which is payable in shares of CB Gold. Initial payments of US $345,127 and $501,626 payable in shares of CB Gold are due upon closing. The balance of the payments are due over a two year period subsequent to title transfer. An additional payment is due three years from the date of title transfer equivalent to 1.5% of the value of gold and silver Measured and Indicated resources included in a NI 43-101 Technical Report. About the California Gold Project The California Gold Project comprises 126 hectares within the prolific California-Vetas Gold District, which also contains the multi-million ounce La Bodega and Angostura gold deposits. The property is located approximately 55 kilometres northeast of Bucaramanga, which is the capital of the Department of Santander in Colombia. Elevation ranges from 2,400 to 2,700 metres above sea level, far below the Paramo boundaries. California is situated in the Santander Massif of the eastern cordillera of the Andes Mountains. The massif is comprised of Precambrian gneisses, schists, quartzites and migmatites of the Guyana Shield. Intermediate to granitic instrusives of the Santander Plutonic Group were emplaced during a period of uplift in the Jurassic/Triassic era. Porphyry instrusive stocks and dikes in the immediate areas of mineralization may be as young as Tertiary in age. Regional faulting parallels the topographic fabric with the crustal-scale northwest trending Bucaramanga-Santa Marta wrench fault and the northeast trending Rio Cucutilla fault zone defining the principal structural trends. The gold-silver-copper mineralization in the California Gold Project is part of the same, large mineralizing system localized along a regional northeast-trending fault zone that also hosts the adjacent La Bodega deposit. Mineralization occurs in northeast, northwest and east-west striking, generally steeply north-dipping faulted structures containing high grade veins up to two metres in width. Vein mineralogy includes pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and copper sulphides, with traces of silver minerals and sometimes visible gold. Vetas Gold Project CB Gold has amended the acquisition agreement for the San Bartolo and San Antonio properties, which together with other properties collectively comprise the Vetas Gold Project. A portion of the properties were affected by the delineation of the Paramo boundaries and the outstanding amount payable has been adjusted accordingly. As final payment, CB Gold has agreed to issue 3,450,000 common shares and pay US $500,000 in cash with respect to the San Bartolo Property and issue 116,700 common shares with respect to the San Antonio property. The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Red Eagle Mining's Vice President of Exploration, Jeff Toohey P.Eng., who is a "Qualified Person" as defined under NI 43-101. The transactions are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. About CB Gold CB Gold is a well-financed precious metals exploration and development corporation majority owned by gold producer Red Eagle Mining Corporation. CB Gold has an experienced exploration and mine development team focused on building shareholder value through acquiring and developing high grade gold and silver projects with low costs and low technical risks in Colombia, a jurisdiction with prolific historic production but until recently limited modern exploration. CB Gold owns 100% of the California Gold, Vetas Gold and Santa Ana Silver Projects, which consist of numerous historic and existing mines and where exploration is currently underway to delineate high-grade vein resources exploitable by modern underground mining methods. For further information, please contact Ian Slater, Chief Executive Officer or: Patrick Balit Vice President Corporate Development Red Eagle Mining Corporation Suite 2348 - 666 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC, V6C 2X8 +1 778 372 2558 balit@redeaglemining.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. Information set forth in this news release includes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation; statements about the terms and completion of the proposed sale transaction are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: failure to satisfy all conditions precedent to the transaction, including disinterested shareholder approval and stock exchange regulatory approval, and the additional risks identified in the management discussion and analysis section of the Company's interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with Canadian securities regulators. Forward looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the respective companies undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. 1 See the Technical Report titled "Preliminary Assessment La Bodega Project" dated effective November 8, 2010 available under Ventana Gold Corp.'s SEDAR profile. 2 See the Technical Report titled "Updated technical Report on the California Gold Project" dated effective October 11, 2012 available under AUX Canada Acquisition 3 Sarl.'s SEDAR profile. For further information, please contact Ian Slater Chief Executive Officer Patrick Balit Vice President Corporate Development Red Eagle Mining Corporation +1 778 372 2558 balit@redeaglemining.com Today, CTC Global and De Angeli Prodotti Italy announced their partnership to produce and sell ACCC electrical conductor for several important electrical transmission markets in Europe and elsewhere. De Angeli Prodotti, a well known innovator in conductor manufacturing, has production facilities in Italy and France and is a market leader in Europe for overhead conductors. CTC Global will be providing De Angeli Prodotti with CTC Global's patented carbon fiber ACCC composite core in a range of sizes to accommodate growing demand for ACCC conductors in Europe. CTC Global's Chief Executive Officer J.D. Sitton stated: "We are very pleased to be working with De Angeli Prodotti to better serve our European customers and continue to grow the market for our high performance ACCC conductors." Luca Mora, CEO of De Angeli Prodotti added: "De Angeli Prodotti is an innovative manufacturer of overhead conductors and other specialty wires for the power industry. We are very happy to add ACCC conductors to our extensive product line and look forward to offering its numerous attributes to our growing customer base." The addition of De Angeli Prodotti to CTC Global's growing list of international manufacturing partners will provide easier access for more customers to the high-performance, highly-efficient ACCC conductor, which has already been deployed to more than 450 project sites in over 40 countries to help improve the efficiency, capacity and reliability of the electric power grid. About CTC Global: CTC Global is the privately held developer, marketer and manufacturer of the patented carbon fiber composite core used in ACCC conductor the high performance, high voltage power line solution. CTC Global serves utility and industrial companies around the world and has provided core used in over 450 projects totaling over 42,000 kilometers of power line conductors. CTC Global is located in Irvine, California. Visit www.ctcglobal.com About De Angeli Prodotti Italy: De Angeli Prodotti is an independent manufacturer of a wide range of conductors for power transmission and distribution, transformers and motors, with factories in Italy and France, which supplies customized and high quality products worldwide. Operations generate a turnover of 130 million Euros, which has been growing substantially year after year due to industry leading expertise, collaboration with key customers, and outstanding product quality. Visit http://www.deangeliprodotti.com/en View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005210/en/ Contacts: CTC Global Anna Huacuja, +1-949-428-8500 ahuacuja@ctcglobal.com or De Angeli Prodotti Srl Francesco Zemignan, +39 329 2307600 zemignan@deangeliprodotti.com Torex is an emerging intermediate gold producer based in Canada, engaged in the exploration, development and operation of its 100% owned Morelos Gold Property, an area of 29,000 hectares in the highly prospective Guerrero Gold Belt located 180 kilometers southwest of Mexico City. Within this property, Torex has the El Limon Guajes Mine, which announced commercial production in March of 2016 and the Media Luna Project, which is in an advanced stage of exploration, and for which the Company issued a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) in 2015. The property remains 75% unexplored. 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. Nemaura Medical Inc. (OTC BB:NMRD), ("Nemaura"), a medical device company developing a non-invasive, needle-free, pain-free, daily-disposable, and cost effective wireless CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) patch known as sugarBEAT today announced that its multicentre open label clinical study has been selected for poster exhibit at the Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) Conference in Paris from the 15th to 18th February 2017. The poster will illustrate sugarBEAT's miniaturized wireless format, as a discreet coin sized oval device less than 10mm in height, and also showcase the sugarBEAT mobile phone application which is designed to display blood glucose readings at any point in time and provide summary ambulatory glucose profiles (AGP). The company expects to launch sugarBEAT in Europe this year through its European Licensee, and following two rounds of discussions with the FDA Nemaura has completed its clinical investigation plan (CIP) for a PMA application, and expects to complete the studies for a PMA submission by the end of the year. SugarBEAT is expected to be cost competitive due to its non-invasive design and low-cost consumables. These consist of a reusable electronic body-worn device and daily disposable patches, linked to a smart phone app. Nemaura Medical CEO Dr Faz Chowdhury said: "Our sugarBEAT technology is a more flexible way for anyone living with diabetes to monitor their glucose levels. Users can choose which days to wear the patch, without having to endure long wear durations of up to 14 days". The 10th annual conference on Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes will attract over 2,500 delegates from all over the globe. The conference is attended by the world's leading researchers, clinical practitioners and Industry/corporate professionals, and provides a forum for lively exchange of ideas and research relating to technologies, treatment and prevention of diabetes related illnesses. About Nemaura Medical, Inc. Nemaura Medical is developing the sugarBEAT System as a non-invasive, needle-free, pain-free and cost-effective wireless, continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) for use as an adjunct device for blood glucose monitoring. Further opportunity may exist for use of the device in intensive care hospital settings, where continuous glucose monitoring is critical. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements The statements in this press release that are not historical facts, and may constitute forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to regulatory approvals and the success of Nemaura's ongoing studies, including the safety and efficacy of Nemaura's sugarBEAT CGM System, the failure of future development and preliminary marketing efforts, Nemaura's ability to secure additional commercial partnering arrangements, risks and uncertainties relating to Nemaura and its partners' ability to develop, market and sell the sugarBEAT System, the availability of substantial additional equity or debt capital to support its research, development and product commercialization activities, and the success of its research, development, regulatory approval, marketing and distribution plans and strategies, including those plans and strategies related to its sugarBEAT System. These and other risks and uncertainties are identified and described in more detail in Nemaura's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the current year, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. Nemaura undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005502/en/ Contacts: Investors Media: Bashir Timol Nemaura Medical Inc. Bashir.Timol@nemauramedical.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Northern Empire Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE: NM) (the "Company" or "Northern Empire") today announced that the Company has entered into a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Sterling Gold Mining Corporation ("SGMC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Metals Corporation ("Imperial Metals")(TSX: III) to acquire a 100% interest in the Sterling property, located in Nye County, Nevada, and certain royalty rights for claims located in Nevada and California (the "Proposed Transaction"). Michael G. Allen, President, CEO and Director of Northern Empire commented, "Acquiring the Sterling property represents a company changing opportunity for the shareholders of Northern Empire. The next phase of open pit mining has been permitted at Sterling, and the properties have not seen significant exploration in 20 years. The Sterling land package consists of two claim blocks, Sterling and Daisy. Combined, the land package represents the acquisition of a gold district within Nevada, hosting 3 past producing open pit mines. The Sterling mine has previously operated as a high grade open pit and underground operation as recently as 2015, and is known for it's excellent run of mine heap leach recoveries. The site is staffed, with leach rinsing operations continuing. The Daisy claim block has indications of a large Carlin system, which has seen very little exploration since the late 1990s." Acquisition Highlights -- High Grade Gold in Nevada. The Sterling mine has operated as both an open pit and underground operation. Historical records show that from 1980 to 2000 mining on the Sterling orebodies produced 194,996 oz gold ("Au") at an average grade of 7.44 g/t Au. Recoveries have averaged 88% without milling; -- Location. The Sterling property is located approximately 100 miles NW of Las Vegas on the eastern flank of the Bare Mountains. The mine is accessed via highway I-95 and gravel roads; -- Permitted to begin operations. The Bureau of Land Management has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact ("FONSI") and approved the next phase of mining at Sterling. This permit was issued on May 12, 2016 and has an indefinite term. Northern Empire will immediately undertake a resource estimate, on all deposits on the properties; -- Significant Engineering Completed by Imperial Metals. To achieve the FONSI, Imperial Metals created designs for the new pits and heap leach facilities that Northern Empire will be able to use going forward; -- Significant infrastructure in place. Imperial Metals ceased underground mining of a separate orebody in 2015. Processing facilities, mine offices and generators are on site and are currently being used to rinse heaps from prior operations. -- Near Mine - Exploration Potential. The complete Sterling property land package contains 3 past producing open pit mines, Sterling, Daisy West and Secret Pass. Significant exploration potential, based on historic drilling and known structural controls, exists along strike and adjacent to the permitted Sterling deposit. In the 1995 Annual Mineral Industry Survey by the Nevada Bureau of Mines Daisy West was reported to have a pre-mining, gold resource of 1.45 million tons grading 0.021 opt Au (1.3 million tonnes grading 0.72 g/t Au), in the same report, Secret Pass had a pre-mining gold resource of 36.6 million tons grading 0.018 opt (32.94 million tonnes grading 0.62 g/t Au). SGMC has permitted the next phase of open pit mining on the Sterling Site. After reviewing the available data, it is thought that potentially significant resources remain at Secret Pass, while Daisy West is largely mined out. The stratigraphy that hosted the Daisy West mine remains largely untested. Northern Empire reports these pre-mining historical resources for illustrative purposes only. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Northern Empire will be initiating an independent review of the data and resources on the Sterling property, the results of which will be released prior to the closing of the transaction. -- The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the Sterling deposit yet to be developed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- STERLING MINE SELECT IN GROUND DRILLHOLES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- METERS --------------------------------------------- HOLE# From To Length Au g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST-23 48.77 59.44 10.67 5.49 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST-38 48.77 62.48 13.72 6.80 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SV8139 7.62 16.76 9.14 5.01 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SV88053 41.15 50.29 9.14 2.05 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SV89146 88.39 121.92 33.53 1.80 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SV89148 126.49 149.35 22.86 2.14 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the Secret Pass deposit yet to be developed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SECRET PASS SELECT IN THE GROUND DRILLHOLES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- METERS --------------------------------------------- HOLE# FROM -TO- LENGTH Au g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-204 85.34 150.88 65.53 0.79 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-206 85.34 178.31 92.96 1.36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-313 80.77 163.07 82.30 0.90 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-314 91.44 158.50 67.06 0.90 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-320 96.01 173.74 77.72 1.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-164 44.20 100.58 56.39 3.13 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Historic Resources - Exploration Potential. In addition to the unmined portion of Secret Pass, two additional unmined deposits are located in the northern portion of the property Daisy South and SNA. In the 1995 Annual Mineral Industry Survey by the Nevada Bureau of Mines, Daisy South was reported to have in a resource of 0.76 million tons grading 0.097 opt Au (0.68 million tonnes grading 3.33 g/t) and in the same report, the SNA deposit was reported to have a historic resource of 2.87 million tons at 0.039 opt Au (2.58 million tons at 1.34 g/t Au). Northern Empire reports these historical estimates for illustrative purposes only. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves, and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Northern Empire will be initiating an independent review of the data and resources on the Sterling Property, the results of which will be released prior to the closing of the transaction. -- The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the Daisy South deposit yet to be developed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DAISY SOUTH SELECT IN THE GROUND DRILLHOLES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- METERS --------------------------------------------- HOLE# FROM -TO- LENGTH Au g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-81 121.92 156.97 35.05 4.63 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- including 126.49 146.30 19.81 7.37 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-97 126.49 196.60 70.10 2.16 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- including 179.83 190.50 10.67 4.9 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-135 111.25 192.02 80.77 2.10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- including 152.40 167.64 15.24 5.87 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- D-145 129.54 198.12 68.58 2.02 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- including 161.54 169.16 7.62 8.35 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the SNA deposit yet to be developed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SNA SELECT IN THE GROUND DRILLHOLES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- METERS --------------------------------------------- HOLE# FROM -TO- LENGTH Au g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML165 70.10 85.34 15.24 1.60 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML261 22.86 38.10 15.24 0.71 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR008 25.91 32.00 6.10 1.39 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 41.15 65.53 24.38 1.12 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SN09-087 46.82 74.68 27.86 0.87 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- District Scale - Exploration Potential. Surface mapping and sampling by previous workers on the property suggests that the historic deposits are open and there is a high potential for significant new discoveries on the property. In addition, significant drilling has been done on the "Shear Zone" which appears to be the upper levels of a zoned epithermal system. -- The following table summarizes significant drill results from the portion of the Shear Zone deposit yet to be developed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHEAR ZONE SELECT IN THE GROUND DRILLHOLES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- METERS --------------------------------------------- HOLE# FROM -TO- LENGTH Au g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML007 44.21 54.88 10.67 1.98 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML010 42.68 50.30 7.62 2.24 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML016 33.54 48.78 15.24 0.27 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML020 53.35 56.40 3.05 0.36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML026 77.74 97.56 19.82 1.06 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INCL 77.74 88.41 10.67 1.73 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML027A 85.37 99.09 13.72 0.48 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML031 83.84 92.99 9.15 1.66 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 97.56 100.61 3.05 0.48 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ML049 39.63 44.21 4.57 1.58 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Data rich property. The history of Sterling can be traced back to the early 1970s. Significant underground workings, surface mining, metallurgical work and drilling have been completed on the properties to date. The Sterling block features in excess of 10,000 drillholes and underground channel samples while the Daisy block features 716 drillholes totaling over 10,000 meters. Summary of Proposed Transaction Under the terms of the Proposed Transaction with SGMC, the Company will acquire: -- A 100% interest in the Sterling Mine Property (the "Sterling Property") located in Nye County, Nevada being comprised of 707 unpatented mining claims encompassing approximately 14,605 acres. -- A four percent (4%) Net Smelter Return Royalty on the Hoodoo Canyon Property (the "Hoodoo Property") located in Nye County, Nevada, being comprised of 209 unpatented mining claims encompassing approximately 4,318 acres. Newmont Mining Corporation through Fronteer Development Inc. have assumed the lease and the obligations for an annual advance royalty payment. -- A three percent (3%) Net Smelter Return Royalty up to a limit of US$1,250,000 on the Tenabo (Robertson) Property located on Lander County, Nevada. By agreement dated June 20, 2016, the subject property was purchased by Barrick Cortez Inc. from Coral Gold Resources Ltd. -- A ten percent (10%) Net Profits Royalty Interest ("NPR Interest") on the Blue Moon Property located in Mariposa County, California. The purchase price for the assets will consist of: -- US$10 million cash, including a US$250,000 non-refundable deposit due within 5 days of the execution of the LOI; -- 5 million shares of Northern Empire. Northern Empire will also issue additional shares to SGMC to allow SGMC to maintain its pro-rata percentage interest in Northern Empire post transaction if, at any time prior to a construction financing, Northern Empire issues additional shares pursuant to an equity financing, subject to a maximum of 5 million additional shares; -- Northern Empire shall grant SGMC a two percent (2.0%) Net Smelter Returns royalty ("NSR") on the portions of the Sterling Property not currently burdened by a pre-existing NSR. Northern Empire has the right to purchase 50% of the NSR for US$7.5 million, and has a right of first refusal on any sale of the NSR. -- If Northern Empire elects to utilize the specific bioleaching technology developed by SGMC on the existing leach pads on the Sterling Property, then Northern Empire agrees to immediately reimburse SGMC for all expenses incurred by SGMC up to closing. In addition, SGMC shall be entitled to receive fifty percent (50%) of Net Operating Profits ("NOP") on the bioleaching production from these existing leach pads. SGMC shall be entitled to receive a ten percent (10%) NOP on revenue from bioleaching, associated with rinsing/reclaiming of any pads built to treat ores mined by Northern Empire subsequent to closing. Conditions of Closing The completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions to closing including, but not limited to Northern Empire's satisfactory completion of legal, title and environmental due diligence with respect to the Sterling Property, completion of various financings to raise adequate funds to make the purchase, board and regulatory approvals, and other customary conditions in the mining industry for similar asset purchase and sales. Related Financings In relation to the Proposed Transaction, the Company will be arranging a bridge financing of convertible debentures. The proceeds of the bridge financing will be used to pay the US$250,000 deposit due to SGMC, complete an updated NI 43-101 technical report on the Sterling property and for due diligence and working capital purposes. The interest free convertible debenture will convert into a unit of the Company consisting of a share and a half warrant (each full warrant, a "Warrant") upon the closing of the Proposed Transaction, or, if the Proposed Transaction doesn't complete, upon resumption of trading of the Company's shares. The conversion price shall be equal to (a) the price for which the Company completes the Subsequent Financing, as set out below, or (b) if the Proposed Transaction doesn't complete, $0.175. Each Warrant shall be exercisable into a common share of Northern Empire at a price of 33 1/3% premium to the conversion price for a period of 2 years following the closing of the convertible debenture financing. In the event that the Company files a prospectus in connection with the Acquisition Financing, it will use reasonable commercial efforts to qualify the issuance of the Units under the prospectus. In addition, the Company intends to complete a subsequent financing (the "Acquisition Financing") to complete the Proposed Transaction, the proceeds of which will be used to fund the purchase price for the proposed Acquisition, for ongoing exploration work on the Sterling Property and for general working capital. Further details regarding the Acquisition Financing will be released in due course. Advisors The Company has engaged Cormark Securities Inc. as its financial advisor in connection with the proposed transaction and Acquisition Financing. McCullough O'Connor Irwin LLP and Parsons Behle and Latimer are acting as legal advisors on the transaction. The Company has engaged JDS Energy and Mining and Norwest Corporation as technical advisors. About Northern Empire Northern Empire is an aggressive, Vancouver based, gold explorer working to take advantage of the current improving market conditions by assembling a value driven portfolio of properties. Qualified Persons Michael G. Allen, President of Northern Empire, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the information contained in this news release. He is the non-independent qualified person for this new release and has verified the data. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF NORTHERN EMPIRE RESOURCES CORP. Michael G. Allen, President, CEO and Director NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forward-looking statement", and "forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements, which include the Company's expectations about the completion of the Proposed Transaction and the related financings, future performance based on current results and expected cash costs and are based on the Company's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs, which may prove to be incorrect. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans", and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which, may cause the Company's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projects of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: liabilities inherent in mine development and production; geological risks, the financial markets generally, the results of the due diligence investigations to be conducted by the Company, the ability of the Company to complete the related financings or obtain requisite Exchange acceptance. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipate in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Contacts: Northern Empire Resources Corp. Michael G. Allen President, CEO and Director 604 646 4524 Northern Empire Resources Corp. Jeff Sundar Director 604 764 5944 Length overall: 107.60 meters Breadth: 18.40 meters Depth: 9.00 meters LNG capacity: 5,000 m3 Gross tonnage: 7,403 tons Main engine: Dual Fuel (marine gas oil, marine diesel oil, and LNG) Country flag: Belgium Class: Bureau Veritas Shipyard: Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd., Yeongdo Shipyard (Busan) Ship management: NYK Energy Transport (Atlantic) Ltd. (NYK LNG Shipmanagement (UK) Ltd.) Mitsubishi Corporation Telephone: +81-3-3210-2171 Facsimile: +81-3-5252-7705 TOKYO, Feb 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - ENGIE, Fluxys, Mitsubishi Corporation, and NYK have taken delivery of the world's first purpose built liquefied natural gas bunkering vessel (LBV) from Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd., at the Yeongdo shipyard in Busan, Korea. She will run on LNG for her maiden voyage, after a few days of loading LNG delivered by trucks at the shipyard.Home port Zeebrugge, BelgiumZeebrugge in Belgium will be the home port of the vessel, which has been named ENGIE Zeebrugge accordingly. From there, the 5,000 m3 LNG capacity LBV will supply LNG as a marine fuel to ships operating in Northern Europe. The two LNG-fueled pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) operated by United European Car Carriers will be its first customers. ENGIE Zeebrugge will load LNG at Fluxys' LNG terminal in Zeebrugge, where small carriers with capacities from 2,000 m3 can dock at the recently commissioned second jetty.Milestone in the development of the European LNG bunkering chainAs international regulations on emissions for ships tighten, LNG is expected to become an important alternative fuel for the maritime industry. Currently, the bunker market amounts to approximately 250 million tons of heavy fuel oil per year. The challenge in making LNG grow in the bunker market is to develop sufficient supply infrastructure to support the increasing number of LNG-fueled ships that are expected to come into operation. ENGIE Zeebrugge, in this respect, marks a milestone in the development of the European LNG bunkering chain. While LNG-fueled ships up to now have been largely dependent on fixed bunker locations or the limited bunkering capacity of LNG trailers, ENGIE Zeebrugge, the first purpose built LNG bunkering vessel, has been designed to service a variety of LNG-fueled ships.Gas4Sea: marketing LNG as a marine fuelLast September, ENGIE, Mitsubishi Corporation and NYK launched "Gas4Sea", a brand name for marketing ship-to-ship LNG bunkering services worldwide, firstly via the ENGIE Zeebrugge in Northern Europe.Under this common brand, the three partners intend to support the development of LNG as a marine fuel, thus contributing to an environmentally friendly maritime industry.Ever more stringent emission regulations for shipsThe requirements applicable to ships for controlling NOx, SOx, and CO2 emissions are getting stricter year by year. As from January 2015, regulatory emission limits for SOx have been reduced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) from 1.0% to 0.1% in the so-called Emission Control Areas (ECAs, which include the North Sea, the Baltic Sea area and areas around North America). More recently, according to a decision by IMO, emission limits for SOx will be reduced outside the ECAs from the current 3.5% to 0.5% as of January 2020.Distinctive environmental benefits of LNGDue to its favourable emission profile, the widespread adoption of LNG as a marine fuel is key to curb emissions of SOx and other harmful emissions in the shipping industry. As it goes, the operation of LNG-fueled ships can result in a reduction of nearly all emissions of SOx and particulate matter (PM), compared to ships powered with conventional fuels. LNG use can also reduce CO2 emissions by up to 25% and NOx emissions by more than 80% compared to gasoil.ENGIE Zeebrugge / Facts & figuresAbout ENGIEENGIE develops its businesses (power, natural gas, energy services) around a model based on responsible growth to take on the major challenges of energy's transition to a low-carbon economy: access to sustainable energy, climate-change mitigation and adaptation and the rational use of resources. The Group provides individuals, cities and businesses with highly efficient and innovative solutions largely based on its expertise in four key sectors: renewable energy, energy efficiency, liquefied natural gas and digital technology. ENGIE employs 154,950 people worldwide and achieved revenues of Euro69.9 billion in 2015. The Group is listed on the Paris and Brussels stock exchanges (ENGI) and is represented in the main international indices: CAC 40, BEL 20, DJ Euro Stoxx 50, Euronext 100, FTSE Eurotop 100, MSCI Europe, DJSI World, DJSI Europe and Euronext Vigeo (World 120, Eurozone 120, Europe 120 and France 20). www.engie.com/en/About Mitsubishi Corporation and its Energy BusinessMitsubishi Corporation currently has eight Business Groups which develop operations in the diverse fields of Global Environment & Infrastructure Business Development; Business Service; Industrial Finance, Logistics & Development; Energy; Metals; Machinery; Chemicals; and Living Essentials.Mitsubishi Corporation's Energy group aspires to make a valuable contribution to society through the provision of stable supplies of energy. Our business model seeks to cover areas ranging from upstream to downstream in the energy value chain. We explore for, develop and produce oil and gas, and have investments in numerous LNG projects and related business models worldwide. www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/About NYKNippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha is one of the world's leading transportation companies. At the end of March 2016, the NYK Group was operating 821 major ocean vessels, as well as fleets of planes and trucks. The group's vessel fleet includes 68 LNG carriers (including those owned by equity method affiliates) and 68 other types of tankers operated in the energy transportation division. Also in August 2015, the innovative LNG-fueled tugboat named "Sakigake" was added to the fleet.With unceasing efforts for the quality improvement, NYK Group is expanding LNG transport business, the shuttle tanker business, and Floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) business together with leading business partners and customers. www.nyk.com/english/About FluxysFluxys is a Belgium-based, fully independent gas infrastructure group. The company is a major gas transit operator and its offering combines gas transmission, gas storage and terminalling of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Present across Europe, the company focuses on safe, efficient and sustainable operations, quality services in line with market expectations and creating long-term value for its shareholders.Besides its pipeline, storage and LNG terminalling assets in Belgium (owned and operated by NYSE Euronext listed Fluxys Belgium), Fluxys' partnerships include ownership in the Interconnector and BBL pipelines linking the UK with mainland Europe, the Dunkirk LNG terminal in France, the NEL and TENP pipelines in Germany, the Transitgas pipeline in Switzerland, the Swedegas infrastructure in Sweden and the TAP pipeline from Turkey to Italy under construction to bring gas coming from Azerbaijan and potentially other sources to Europe. www.fluxys.comAbout Mitsubishi CorporationMitsubishi Corporation (MC; TSE: 8058) is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, foods, and environmental business. MC's current activities are expanding far beyond its traditional trading operations as its diverse business ranges from natural resources development to investment in retail business, infrastructure, financial products and manufacturing of industrial goods. With over 200 bases of operations in approximately 80 countries worldwide and a network of over 500 group companies, MC employs a multinational workforce of nearly 60,000 people. For more information, please visit www.mitsubishicorp.com.Source: Mitsubishi CorporationContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. LEBANON, NH -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- StartWire, America's number one job search organizer, today announced the promotion of Andrew Katz to the role of company President. Katz has been with StartWire since September 2015 as its Executive Vice President and General Manager. Powered by a team of recruiting experts committed to radically improving job search, StartWire is a free service currently used by more than nine million job seekers. It enables job seekers to organize their applications and receive automatic status updates from thousands of employers via text and email messages, averting the dreaded "black hole" syndrome typically experienced by job applicants. This first-of-its-kind technology is now used to track applications at more than 15,000 companies, supporting the recruitment marketing efforts of hiring companies as well as employment brands. Prior to joining StartWire, Katz was the Senior Vice President of Global Business Development and Channel Partnerships at Findly, a recruiting technology company now known as Symphony Talent. Earlier in his career, he was the Senior Vice President, Digital Operations at Bernard Hodes Group. He holds a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University in Advertising, Marketing and Psychology. Chris Forman, Founder of StartWire, commented, "StartWire is a win-win for job seekers and employers. Thanks to Andy's contributions, StartWire has doubled in users and revenue in the last 12 months. He's the right leader to accelerate our growth moving forward." Katz added, "It's exhilarating to be part of an organization that continues to shape the business-critical role of recruiting the right talent. I'm looking forward to working with our team and our clients in my new capacity to deliver high-impact results." About StartWire StartWire is America's number one job search organizer with more than 9 million members. Job seekers across the U.S. turn to StartWire to close the "resume black hole" by receiving automatic status updates from thousands of employers. Since its inception, StartWire has received rave reviews and coverage in US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, TechCrunch, Mashable, ERE, and Human Resource Executive. StartWire is headquartered near Dartmouth College in Lebanon, NH. For more information, visit http://www.startwire.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. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 15 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: South Korea is ready to expand cooperation with Turkmenistan in the fuel and energy sector, reads the message of Acting President of South Korea Hwang Kyo-ahn to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The South Korean acting president expressed hope for the continuation of mutually advantageous partnership in such spheres as the development of gas fields, creation of oil and chemical, as well as gas infrastructure. He also expressed hope that the South Korean and Turkmen companies will become reliable and trustworthy partners in the implementation of projects to modernize and diversify the Turkmen industry. Hwang Kyo-ahn in his letter expressed confidence that friendship and cooperation between South Korea and Turkmenistan will be further intensified. The letter also said that the construction of a chemical complex for the production of polyethylene and polypropylene in the settlement of Kiyanly (Balkan region, Turkmenistan) is being carried out ahead of schedule, and this is a positive example of successful economic cooperation. The complex, the construction of which started in the Kiyanly settlement in 2013, is designed to process five billion cubic meters of natural gas for the production of 386,000 tons of polyethylene and 81,000 tons of polypropylene per year. The project is implemented by Japans Toyo Engineering Corporation, South Koreas LG and Hyundai companies. The total cost of the project is over $3.4 billion. This projects implementation will provide high-quality products not only for countrys domestic demand but also the foreign market. DUBLIN, Feb 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Data Center Blade Server Market - Forecasts from 2016 to 2021" report to their offering. A blade server is a self-sufficient and petite server that has innumerable processors and is stationed with other blade servers in an enclosure known as blade enclosure. The blade enclosure provides benefits such as reduced energy costs, less utilization of space and cabling inconvenience. Moreover, it also assists in file sharing, hosting of the virtual server platform, SSL encryption, hosting of application and database. Blade servers help in improving server execution by enhancing the capacity of storage and cutting down administration costs. Increased spending on IT investments, automation and virtualization are driving the growth of blade server in EMEA region. Geographically, the demand for blade server is increasing in Europe due to the expansion of data centers in the region and need for density optimization. However, high investments incurred during the adoption of blade servers can strain the market growth. Factors such as the requirement of racks or other equipment to be installed as a part of network infrastructure increase the costs of adoption for the servers which can act as an impediment to the growth. Scope of the Report: By Data Centre Type Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4 By Service Professional Services Consulting Services Installation and Support Services By End User Large Size Organization Small Size Organization Medium Size Organization By Vertical IT and Telecom Manufacturing Media and Entertainment Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) Retail Government Healthcare Others Companies Mentioned Dell HP SGI Cisco Oracle Hitachi NEC Corporation FUJITSU Lenovo Huawei Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Market Dynamics 5. Europe Middle East and Africa Data Center Blade Server Market Forecast by Data Centre Type (US$ billion) 6. Europe Middle East and Africa Data Center Blade Server Market Forecast by Service (US$ billion) 7. Europe Middle East and Africa Data Center Blade Server Market Forecast by End User (US$ billion) 8. Europe Middle East and Africa Data Center Blade Server Market Forecast by Vertical (US$ billion) 9. Europe Middle East and Africa Data Center Blade Server Market Forecast by Geography (US$ billion) 10. Competitive Intelligence 11. Company Profiles For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cpshhb/europe_middle 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 HOUSTON, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- The Weirds, a new toy line and brand that revels in the unique, different and original, announced today that it will be showcasing The Weirds' products at this year's Toy Industry Association Toy Fair in New York City, February 18-21. The fun will be on display in Booth 5580, Level I in the Pop Stop Section of the show. Every product in The Weirds line-up celebrates the differences in one another, and encourages everyone to, "Embrace Your Weird." "At last year's Toy Fair, we launched the concept of The Weirds and introduced our toys to an incredible audience. This year, we are not only back with our Weirds characters, we are growing our brand and creating impact with the announcement of two major partnerships -- with Sentai Filmworks and the Bruce Lee Foundation," said The Weirds' owner and creator Chris Hawley. "It's been an amazing year of growth and we will continue the momentum with Sentai and the Bruce Lee Foundation in celebrating and encouraging individuality and uniqueness!" At the 2016 Licensing Show in Las Vegas, The Weirds brand was named a finalist in License Global Magazine's, "One to Watch" Brand Award. At Toy Fair, The Weirds will be highlighting awesomely odd plush characters, each retailing for $29.99. Each character is designed with bright, hard-to-miss colors, fun patterns, and -- most importantly -- diverse personality traits. Character Details: El Loco and Guapo: When not in the ring, Mexican wrestlers El Loco and his tag team partner, Guapo the mustache, like climbing Mt. Everest, Bigfoot hunting, and zip-lining. Ms. E: This girly girl of the group loves Monster trucks and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. In fact, she once held the world record for most sandwiches eaten in one sitting -- 29! Bonez: The mega-chill Weird is not much for exercise or excitement. He likes to spend his days on the couch watching '90's sitcoms, playing games on his phone, and checking out local bands. Fab Ric: Ric's made from ... well ... fabric. Not just any ol' fabric, it's totally colorable. Create your very own, one-of-a-kind Weird with this blank canvas! The Weirds plush characters, along with other branded merchandise, including an original 40+ page coloring book with a fold-out poster, T-shirts, buttons, and stickers, will be available at Toy Fair, various independent retailers, as well as online at TheWeirds.com, with support from Sentai Filmworks. In January 2017, The Weirds announced its partnership with Sentai Filmworks and the Bruce Lee Foundation. The partnership with The Bruce Lee Foundation is a collaborative effort to educate and encourage kids on the importance of being themselves in today's world. Sentai Filmworks supports The Weird through social media and their website. For more information: Toy Fair Booth: 5580, Level 1 in the Designer toy Pop Stop section The Weirds: website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel. About The Weirds The Weirds are a collection of original characters that are anything but normal. They're awesomely odd, born to promote individuality. The Weirds world is simple -- be unique, be different, be you ... be Weird! Weird people are the risk takers, the explorers and the innovators. Our message that "Normal is lame, embrace your weird" is one that many people, and kids believe ... so let's celebrate it. Let your weird roam the countryside and crazy dance when your favorite song comes on. Let it make odd faces in the mirror while fixing your hair. You've got it in you...set it free! So join the movement, and let's ALL get WEIRD! For more information, visit www.theweirds.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Kathy Kwon (310) 435-0812 Email Contact Contract supports long-term growth strategy for Manchester Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC) has been awarded a five-year contract by Manchester City Council (MCC) in the U.K. to provide property management and professional services. The contract will support MCC's growth strategy for Manchester, which aims to establish the city as a world-class, vibrant, economic and cultural center. It will be overseen by MCC's Strategic Development Directorate, set up to help drive sustainable economic growth and transformation of the city. Managed from Jacobs' Manchester office, the key objective of the contract is to help generate important revenue through rental income, capital appreciation and capital receipts, ultimately used by MCC to deliver services to the community. Jacobs' services include management of MCC's investment estate for efficient operation; professional and technical work such as asset valuations, acquisitions, disposals and investment reports; and rent reviews, leases and associated support. Jacobs will also contribute place-making and regeneration recommendations; strategies for planned preventative maintenance to increase lettability and improve tenant retention; high-quality rating advice; and access to planning, remediation and infrastructure services. The five-year term has an option for a two-year extension. "We look forward to continuing to work closely with Manchester City Council and its Strategic Development Directorate, discovering ways to help deliver key objectives for its property portfolio more efficiently," said Jacobs Senior Vice President Buildings and Infrastructure Bob Duff. "We have a thorough understanding of MCC's portfolio, and this contract represents an important step in supporting the city's efforts to generate critical income." "Jacobs submitted a high quality and competitive tender, and we are looking forward to developing our relationship with their team in what will be an exciting but challenging period for the Council," said Gillian Boyle, Manchester City Council's Principal Development Surveyor. Jacobs works on major infrastructure projects in roads, rail, water and aviation, as well as sectors such as oil and gas, refining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, power, nuclear, defence and buildings. Jacobs employs some of the most experienced technical and professional services practitioners in the U.K. and has grown to more than 7,000 people at locations across the country. The company has more than 900 graduates, technicians and apprentices currently training in the U.K. Jacobs is one of the world's largest and most diverse providers of full-spectrum technical, professional and construction services for industrial, commercial and government organizations globally. The company employs over 54,000 people and operates in more than 25 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.jacobs.com. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. For a description of some of the factors which may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements please refer to our Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2016, and in particular the discussions contained under Items 1 Business, 1A Risk Factors, 3 Legal Proceedings, and 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made herein. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005065/en/ Contacts: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. Salim Rahim, 214-583-8428 Energean Oil Gas ("Energean") is pleased to announce that Kerogen Capital ("Kerogen") has committed to invest an initial US$50 million in Energean Israel, a subsidiary of Energean, ahead of the planned $1.3 billion development of the Karish and Tanin gas fields, offshore Israel. Energean Israel is the operator of and holds a 100% interest in each of the Karish and Tanin leases, acquired from Delek Group in December 2016, for an upfront consideration of $40mm as well as $108.5mm in contingent payments. Proceeds from Kerogen's investment in Energean Israel will finance the acquisition and key workstreams to investment sanction including FEED studies and the Field Development Plan currently being prepared in cooperation with TechnipFMC. The fields contain at least 2.4 Tcf of Gas contingent resources (NSAI report), and will be developed through an FPSO that will be the first to be installed and operated in the East Mediterranean. The gas produced from the fields will supply Israel's growing domestic gas market, with first gas expected in 2020. Kerogen's investment is subject to approval by the Israeli Government, after which Kerogen will own a 50% interest in Energean Israel with Energean holding the balance. It is intended that Roy Franklin OBE, Kerogen Executive Board Member, will become Non Executive Chairman of Energean Israel. Energean Group Chairman CEO, Mr. Mathios Rigas, commented: "We are delighted to welcome Kerogen to the Karish and Tanin project, planned to deliver gas to a rapidly growing market in 2020 for the benefit of Israeli domestic consumers and the economy. Energean has already commenced negotiations with potential gas consumers in Israel and is progressing rapidly the Field Development Plan that we expect to submit to the Israeli Government by May 2017 with an intention to FID the project by year end 2017. "We believe Israel is an attractive destination for energy investment offering exciting growth opportunities through the development of Karish and Tanin, as well as through the additional exploration potential in offshore Israel, all of which are underpinned by a supportive government policy and favorable financing environment." Roy Franklin, Kerogen Executive Board Member, commented: "Energean's track record speaks for itself. The company has successfully redeveloped the Prinos complex in Greece, increasing reserves and production substantially. Kerogen intends to collaborate with Energean to deliver a successful development of the Karish and Tanin fields in Israel. "This investment provides Kerogen with exposure to a large-scale, low break-even discovered gas resource located within an OECD country, which, as a near-term development, can benefit from today's deflationary cost environment." About Energean Oil Gas Energean is a leading independent E&P company focused on the Eastern Mediterranean region where it already holds seven E&P licences, encompassing Greece, the Adriatic, offshore Israel and onshore North Africa. It is the only oil and gas producer in Greece with a 35-year track record of operating offshore and onshore assets in environmentally sensitive areas and employs more than 460 oil and gas professionals. Energean has reserves of 30 million barrels (2P) audited by ERC Equipoise and 28 million barrels of contingent resources (2C) in the Prinos Licence, offshore NE. Greece, as well as 2.4 Tcf of natural gas (2C) at the Karish and Tanin fields, offshore Israel. The Company is pursuing an ongoing investment and development programme to take production from the Prinos and North Prinos Oil Fields to 10,000 boepd in 2018. Energean recently secured an exploitation license from the Government of Greece for the West Katakolon offshore block in Western Greece with first oil expected in 2018/19, representing the first ever hydrocarbons production in the west of country. At the end of 2016 the Company also agreed exploration licences with the Ministry of Economy of Montenegro for two significant offshore blocks to further develop its Adriatic portfolio. www.energean.com About Kerogen Capital Kerogen Capital is an independent private equity fund manager specialising in the international oil and gas sector. Kerogen Capital was established in 2007 and manages approximately US$2 billion across its funds. Its investors comprise a range of blue-chip institutions including endowment funds, foundations, pension plans, fund of funds, international corporations and family offices. The team at Kerogen Capital comprises highly experienced investment professionals, in-house technical and operations expertise and a world class Executive Board. Kerogen Capital seeks to support and assist its portfolio companies in delivering the full potential of their assets. Energean Israel represents Kerogen Capital's first investment in the Eastern Mediterranean hydrocarbon province. www.kerogencap.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005583/en/ Contacts: Media contact for Energean Instinctif Partners David Simonson / Catherine Wickman George Yeomans +44 (0)20 7457 2020 or Media contact for Kerogen FTI Consulting Edward Westropp/Ben Brewerton Tel: +44 203 727 1000 LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- US Nuclear Corp. (OTCBB: UCLE) is excited to announce the opening of their new office in Beijing, China, which will commence on February 25, 2017. The staff will include local product specialists and trained technicians. CEO Robert Goldstein said, "Having our own office in Beijing, China will greatly improve communications between current and future customers, distributors, and key officials. With the support of local sales representatives, we will be able to understand and negotiate the market more adeptly, while our skilled technicians can offer fast and local service for our products. This will help lead the way to major expansion in China's burgeoning nuclear power industry, especially with regards to our popular tritium monitors. Our air and water monitoring products will also be fundamental as China pursues multi-billion dollar programs to tackle air and water pollution." Furthermore, while in China, US Nuclear Corp. is scheduled to meet with the leading executives in the drone industry, including investors, suppliers, and distributors. Mr. Goldstein added that "US Nuclear is the pioneer in chemical and radiation sniffing drones, so it will be an honor to meet the top players of the drone world in China." Drones let us rise above our two dimensional world and really see what is going on. US Nuclear takes drones to a whole new level by incorporating chemical and radiation sniffing sensors to give vital, real time information to fire, police, rescue, and border security. US Nuclear's drones allow for unprecedented maneuverability while keeping personnel safe and out of danger. Other applications and industries that would benefit from these enhanced sensing drones also include oil/gas extraction and refining, utilities, pipelines, mining, and clean energy. Drone usage around the world is soaring. For more details, please take a look at this inspiring Goldman Sachs report on the $100 billion drone industry: http://www.goldmansachs.com/our-thinking/technology-driving-innovation/drones NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Handwriting.io, a leader in digital handwriting technology, announced today its partnership with Touchnote, the world's most popular postcard-sending service. Under the agreement, Handwiting.io's patented API is integrated with Touchnote's apps and website to provide its customers with an authentic digital handwriting solution, which enables individuals to personalize their notes in postcards and greeting cards. The partnership advances the company's offerings by transforming postcards and greeting cards with "handwritten" messages to be distributed worldwide. With the international capacity of its postcard-sending service, there was a demand from Touchnote users to customize messages that accompany the photos. "Exchanging postcards and greeting cards is a very personal form of communication. We understand how important it is for individuals to share their experiences and emotions accurately across those channels," says Eloise Bune, founder and CEO of Handwriting.io. "By partnering with Touchnote, we facilitate a solution for their customers by adding a personal touch to further enrich their customized messages." With the addition of Handwriting.io's platform, the Touchnote user experience is enhanced with the offering of three distinct handwriting styles, which allows the sender to further personalize the postcard and greeting card messages that are exchanged. "Touchnote's mission is to help everyone to share real, printed photos with loved ones -- surprises that brighten people's days and help keep loved ones close. Handwriting.io became a valuable partner to help us achieve that mission, making the experience of sending and receiving Touchnote cards ever more delightful," said Oded Ran, CEO of Touchnote. "The handwriting.io technology enables our customers to tailor their postcards and greeting cards and capture their special moments with a custom messaging style." To learn more about Handwriting.io, please visit https://handwriting.io. About Handwriting.io Founded in 2011, Handwriting.io, offers a patented API that enables brands to easily incorporate the company's proprietary digital handwriting technology into existing mobile apps and websites to deliver personalized communications to customers in a scalable, affordable way. Handwriting.io equips brands with an innovative solution to best represent the identity of the company to enhance sales initiatives and more effectively communicate personal messages with customers and employees. The company is headquartered in New York. Connect with them @handwritingio and on LinkedIn. Learn more at handwriting.io. About Touchnote Touchnote allows people to send personalized postcards and greeting cards from their iPhone, iPad or Android, or from touchnote.com. Touchnote is based in London, and prints and posts its cards from the United Kingdom, United States, Australia and Germany, to any address worldwide. Founded in 2008, the company has sent over 5 million cards, and has received over 11,000 five star app ratings. See http://www.touchnote.com for more information. Media Contact: Seth Menacker TallGrass Public Relations (201) 638-7561 Email Contact VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - February 15, 2017) - Vanity Capital Inc. (TSX VENTURE: VYC) ("Vanity" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into a property agreement with Messrs. Luc Gagnon and Daniel Darrah (the "Vendors") to acquire 100% of their interest in nine claims for sixty-six claim units covering approximately 4,400 acres located in the Phillips Township, Kenora District, Ontario, north of the NewGold's Rainy River Gold Deposit (the "Agreement"). The claims cover what was formerly known as the Combined Gold Prospect which covered a historical resource of 240,000 tons grading 0.30 o.p.t. in gold. These reserve estimates are historical in nature, have not been verified by Vanity or its qualified person, and should not be relied upon. Under the terms of the Agreement Vanity is required to pay the Vendors $30,000 on acceptance of the transaction by the TSX Venture Exchange. On the first, second and third anniversary of the TSX Venture Exchange acceptance of the Agreement Vanity is required to pay the Vendor's $30,000 and 100,000 common shares in Vanity. On the fourth anniversary of the TSX Venture Exchange acceptance of the Agreement Vanity is required to pay the Vendor's $30,000 and 200,000 common shares in Vanity. A 1% Net Smelter Return is to be retained by the Vendors. Vanity, at its option, may buy 100% of the Net Smelter Return from the Vendors for the sum of $1,000,000. The Agreement is subject to the parties obtaining the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Messrs. Gagnon and Darrah are arms-length parties to Vanity. No finder's fee will be paid in connection with entering into the Agreement. Vanity also has staked seven additional claims (for another 69 claim units) to tie up the surrounding area which covers another three gold prospects along a portion of the Cameron Lake-Pipestone volcanic belt. Vanity now controls 135 claim units for roughly 5400 acres in geological regime similar to the Rainy River and Cameron Lake deposits. It expects to carry-out a field exploration program throughout the summer of 2017 centered on the high-grade gold mineralization found at the Combined Gold Prospect. Private Placement Vanity has completed a non-brokered private placement of 1,000,000 Units at a price of $0.50 per Unit for gross proceeds of CDN $500,000 (the "Private Placement"). Each Unit will consist of one common share and one warrant to purchase one common share (the "Warrant") of Vanity. Each warrant is exercisable into one common share of Vanity at an exercise price of $0.60 per common share for a period of twenty-four months following the closing date of the Private Placement. The Warrants contain an acceleration provision (the "Acceleration Provision") that states: "If the volume weighted average closing price of the common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange is $1.20 or more for 21 consecutive trading days at any time subsequent to the expiry of six months from the date of issuance of the Warrants, then the Issuer will earn the right, by providing notice (the "Acceleration Notice") to the Warrant holder(s), to accelerate the Expiry Date of the Warrants to that date which is 30 days from the date of the Acceleration Notice." Proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for general working capital. The completion of the Private Placement is subject to regulatory approval, as well as approval from the TSX Venture Exchange. Extension of Outstanding Warrants Vanity has requested the TSX Venture Exchange approve a two-year extension of the exercise term of 500,000 warrants it issued in a private placement in March 2015. Each warrant was deemed exercisable into one common share at an exercise price of $0.60 per share for a period of twenty-four months following the closing date of the private placement. No warrants issued in the private placement have been exercised and the exercise term is coming to a close on March 13, 2017. About Vanity Vanity is a Vancouver junior exploration company. It is Vanity's main mineral exploration property is Porcupine Property located in the Duparquet Township area of Quebec under option from IAMGOLD. The Porcupine Property consists of ten (10) contiguous patented claims covering approximately 153 hectares. Vanity is reviewing other potential property acquisitions and opportunities. On behalf of the Board of Directors of VANITY CAPITAL INC. Nick Segounis, Chairman Cautionary Statement 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. For further information, contact Harry Miller CEO 4254530355 Website: www.vanitycapitalinc.com MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Aurvista Gold Corporation's ("Aurvista" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: AVA)(OTCQB: ARVSF)(FRANKFURT: AV2) is pleased to announce the Company has started trading on the OTCQB Venture Market in the United States under the symbol ARVSF. The OTCQB is equivalent in Canada to the TSX Venture Exchange for early-stage and developing companies that are not yet able to qualify for the OTCQX or its equivalent, the TSX Exchange. Aurvista has applied for the services of a Depository Trust Company (the "DTC"). Being DTC eligible is expected to greatly simplify the process of trading and exchanging the Company's common stock on the OTC marketplace in the United States. In addition to the OTCQB, shares of Aurvista also continue to trade on the TSX Venture and Frankfurt stock exchanges. Douay Gold Project and Company Profile Aurvista Gold Corporation is a junior gold exploration and development Company with 131,912,407 shares outstanding trading on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and OTC Pink Sheets in the US. Aurvista's only asset is the Douay Gold Project, consisting of a 100% owned interest in 250 contiguous claims totaling 133.1 km2, plus a 90% interest in 5 contiguous claims totaling 0.2 km2 and a 75% interest (25% held by SOQUEM) in 32 contiguous claims totaling 11.9 km2. In total there are 287 claims covering 145.3 km2 located along a 20 km segment of the Casa Berardi Deformation Zone in the prolific Abitibi Belt of northern Quebec. Douay is located 40 km SW of the Matagami Base Metal Camp and 150 km N of the Val-d'Or-Malartic Gold Camp (both in Quebec). In August, 2012, Aurvista updated the Mineral Resources estimates that included 657 holes in more than 185,000 metres drilled on Douay since its discovery to the end of March 2012. Douay contains base case Mineral Resources of 2.7 million tonnes of Indicated Resources at 2.76 g/t gold for 238,000 ounces above a 0.3 g/t gold cut-off grade. Under a sensitivity analysis cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t gold, the Indicated Resources total 2.5 million tonnes grading 2.98 g/t gold for 235,500 ounces. There were additional base case Inferred Resources of 115 million tonnes at 0.75 g/t gold for 2.75 million ounces above a 0.3 g/t gold cut-off grade. Under a sensitivity analysis cut-off grade of 0.5 g/t gold, the Inferred Resources total 62 million tonnes grading 1.06 g/t gold for 2.1 million ounces. Details can be viewed on the Company's website at www.aurvistagold.com. Qualified Person The technical contents in this news release have approved by Mr. Jean Lafleur, M. Sc., P. Geo., President and CEO for Aurvista Gold Corporation, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. 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 PRESS RELEASE. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimate of future events. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations and projections. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. When used herein, words such as "anticipate", "will", "intend" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. 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 Aurvista Gold Corporation's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com or the Company's website at www.aurvistagold.com. Contacts: Aurvista Gold Corporation Mr. Jean Lafleur, P. Geo., MSc President and CEO, Director Cell: +1 514 927 3633 Aurvista Gold Corporation Mr. Keith C Minty, P. Eng., MBA Chief Operating Officer +1 416 682 2671 www.aurvistagold.com SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 --RSA Conference 2017 Booth N4715 - TopSpin Security, Inc., the leader in intelligent deception and detection solutions, today announced that Info Security Products Guide, the industry's leading information security research and advisory guide, has named TopSpin and its DECOYnet Intelligent Deception and Detection Platform as winners in multiple categories in its 2017 Global Excellence Awards Program. TopSpin won Gold for Start Up of the Year; Bronze in the Deception Based Security category; and Bronze in the Tomorrow's Technology Today, USA category. The security industry celebrated its 13th Annual Global Excellence Awards in San Francisco by honoring excellence in every facet of the industry including products, people behind the successes and best companies. More than 40 judges from a broad spectrum of industry voices from around the world participated and their average scores determined the 2017 Global Excellence Awards Finalists and Winners. Winners were announced during the awards dinner and presentation at the RSA Conference 2017 in San Francisco attended by the finalists, judges and industry peers. TopSpin's DECOYnet post breach detection platform is the industry's only intelligent deception solution that offers a built-in traffic and security analysis engine - enabling highly accurate placement of mini-traps and decoys, an additional security layer through analysis and threat detection, and adaptive and flexible deception that evolves with enhancing network conditions. DECOYnet allows each individual network to ensure quick and accurate detection of cyberattacks. "Info Security Products Guide's recognition of TopSpin and DECOYnet further validates our company and product as excellence-in-class and ahead of the curve," said Yoel Knoll, TopSpin's Marketing VP. "We are thrilled to win in multiple categories for our company and industry leading technology." About Info Security Products Guide Info Security Products Guide plays a vital role in keeping end-users informed of the choices they can make when it comes to protecting their digital resources. It is written expressly for those who are adamant on staying informed of security threats and the preventive measure they can take. You will discover a wealth of information in this guide including tomorrow's technology today, best deployment scenarios, people and technologies shaping info security and market research reports that facilitate in making the most pertinent security decisions. The Info Security Products Guide Global Excellence Awards recognize and honor excellence in all areas of information security. To learn more, visit www.infosecurityproductsguide.com and stay secured. About TopSpin Security TopSpin Security is the leader in intelligent deception and detection technologies which allow organizations to quickly and accurately detect breaches, engage attackers and neutralize advanced cyber-attacks. Its technology is based on a network of decoys that lure attackers by mirroring valuable network assets and are fully adaptive to organizations' changing environments. Its unique traffic analysis engine and integration into organizations' existing security infrastructure deliver the industry's only deception solution that provides for strategic placement of traps and decoys; added security and internal correlation; and operational advantages such as automated, point-and-click configuration. Once engaged, the decoys interact with attackers, deceiving them and slowing their advances, while providing accurate, actionable alerts and forensics trails. TopSpin's DECOYnet is already deployed by leading Global 2000 companies. The company's U.S. operations are headquartered in Mahwah, N.J., with its R&D center in Herzliya, Israel. Learn more at https://www.topspinsec.com. All brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3109828 Contact: Dan Spalding Email Contact (408) 960-9297 BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Forty-nine U.S. Army helicopters, as well as trucks and other support equipment from the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, arrived in Europe this week to begin a nine-month rotation in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. OAR was designed to reassure European allies in light of Russia's invasion in Ukraine. The equipment arriving by ship in the Port of Bremerhaven, Germany, Feb. 11, included UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopters. An additional 20 helicopters are scheduled to arrive next week, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Steven DiGeorgio, command sergeant major of the 10th CAB. The battalion departed from Fort Drum, New York in January. 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. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 15 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani exchanged views on further development of bilateral relations during a phone conversation, the Turkmen government said in a message. The practical implementation of the construction project of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline became a subject to separate discussion. Construction of the Turkmen section of TAPI was launched on Dec. 13, 2015. The annual capacity of the gas pipeline will reach 33 billion cubic meters. The total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,814 kilometers. A 214-kilometer section of the pipeline will run through Turkmenistan, a 774-kilometer section will run through Afghanistan and an 826-kilometer section will run through Pakistan. The sphere of trade and economy, as well as fuel and energy, electric power engineering and other industries were also mentioned among the priority areas of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The sides also exchanged views on the issues of common interest regarding regional and international policy. During the meeting, the Turkmen president invited his Afghan counterpart to visit Turkmenistan, according to the message. In turn, the Afghan president congratulated Berdimuhamedov on his victory in the presidential election held Feb. 12, 2017, and wished him success. PARIS, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Christiane Bergevin is the first North-American Member to join the Supervisory Board of RATP Dev RATP Dev is delighted to announce that Christiane Bergevin has joined its Supervisory Board since January 1st, 2017. Christiane has held a number of executive positions. She was President of SNC-Lavalin Capital, and Executive Vice-President, Partnerships and Business Development for Desjardins Group, before launching her own consultancy firm in 2016. During her tenure with Desjardins - the largest financial coop in Canada- she oversaw investments totaling more than 2 billion USD through acquisitions and partnerships in Canada, the United States and Europe. Christiane previously led the growth and operations of the financial advisory and engineering subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin, one of the world's largest engineering and construction groups. As part of this role, she was co-financial advisor for the award-winning financing deal for the Canada Line light rail system in Vancouver, built as a public-private partnership. She is the first Vice-Chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Canada, and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Montreal Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Christiane is a former director of CDPQ and BDC, as well as the listed companies Talisman Energy and Fiera Capital. "Christiane Bergevin's expertise in finance and development strategies, her understanding of the transport industry and infrastructure projects, her in-depth knowledge of North America and her international background are valuable assets that will drive the growth of our group," stated Laurence Batlle, Chief Executive Officer of RATP Dev. "We are honored that she is joining RATP Dev's Supervisory Board." The Supervisory Board of RATP Dev now has eight members, including four independent ones and four women. It is chaired by Elisabeth Borne, Chairwoman and Chief Executive Office of RATP group. NOTES FOR EDITORS : RATP group With 14 million passengers every day worldwide, RATP group is the fifth largest urban transport operator in the world. The multimodal network operated by RATP in the Paris region, with its 14 metro lines (including two driverless lines), two regional express network (RER) lines, seven tramway lines, 350 bus lines and shuttle services catering to the region's two international airports, is the largest of its kind in the world to be managed by a single company. RATP Dev RATP Dev is RATP group subsidiary set up in 2002 to export the Group's operation and maintenance knowhow outside the historic network operated by RATP in the Paris region. RATP Dev now operates in 15 countries on four continents (United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, China, South Korea, the Philippines, the USA and Brazil). In 2015 RATP Dev generated revenue of more than 1.1 billion euros. CONTACTS: CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - February 15, 2017) - Hifi Engineering Inc. ("Hifi"), a developer and supplier of leading edge fiber optic sensing technologies used to monitor gas and fluid flow in pipelines and oil and gas wells, today announced results of its High-fidelity dynamic (acoustics, temperature, strain) sensing HDS' technology as part of their testing with C-CORE, a Canadian research and development (R&D) corporation. The program was funded by LOOKNorth, a national Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research hosted by C-CORE. The C-CORE results proved the Hifi HDS system successfully detected all leaks generated during this testing program, with no false positives in real time. Operating pressures ranged from 195psi down to 3psi, for both liquids and gas, in both offshore and land applications. "We are very pleased with the performance of our HDS technology", said John Hull, Hifi's Founder and Chief Technology Officer. "To achieve 100% performance with no false positives proves our technology is world class, and ready to assist the industry in achieving 100% pipeline safety. These results reaffirm the performance also demonstrated through Hifi's many field pilots and commercial installations." Hifi's HDS high definition technology monitors every centimeter of a pipeline, 24 hours per day, and can detect flows less than a liter within seconds. It includes proprietary, fiber optic cables optimized for sensing, as well as optical hardware and software for permanent deployment and continuous monitoring. The patented software algorithms are designed to correlate acoustic, temperature and vibration / strain data in real-time to discern operating conditions such as excessive strain, thermal events, and security intrusions, which if left unaddressed, could evolve into a leak in the pipeline. The HDS system can also detect extremely low flow and pinhole sized leaks, with the ability to alarm and notify the pipeline operator in seconds, through a control room software powered by GE Predix'. As previously announced, Hifi has been working with Enbridge's Pipeline Control Systems and Leak Detection team to evaluate Hifi's HDS technology, along with other joint industry partners Kinder Morgan Canada and TransCanada Pipelines, through C-FER Technologies' External Leak Detection System Evaluation Program in Edmonton. The positive performance of Hifi's HDS system comes on the successful completion of the previously announced project investment between Hifi and Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), on behalf of the Government of Canada. The project from SDTC's SD Tech Fund, was $2.0M as part of a $6.0M development initiative of Hifi's next generation HDS technology for preventative pipeline leak detection. "SDTC is proud to see the investment into this innovative pipeline leak detection technology result in this successful demonstration. The HDS technology has the potential to reduce the incidence of leaks, and increase the confidence of the public in our pipeline system in Canada. We are encouraged by this, and remain optimistic in the success of this project with Hifi Technologies", said Leah Lawrence, president and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada. "HiFi Engineering's technology is proof of the importance of investing in energy innovation", said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. "Our Government is proud to support Canadian companies that are focused on developing clean technologies. These companies will create new products and services that are more energy efficient, emit lower carbon emissions and promote healthier communities. Clean technology producers will also create entirely new jobs and business opportunities for Canadians. That's how innovation makes a better Canada." About Hifi Hifi is a privately held Canadian company, with minority ownership from Enbridge and Cenovus, specializing in the research, development, supply and commercial operation of next generation fiber optic sensing technologies primarily used to monitor gas and fluid flow in oil and gas wells, and preventative leak detection for pipelines. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Hifi currently has a number of commercialized products, including its HDS' MiCro tool offering for downhole flow applications, and HDS' MaCro system for permanent monitoring of pipelines and reservoirs. For more information, visit www.hifieng.com. About C-CORE C-CORE is an ISO 9001-registered R&D organization established in 1975 and headquartered in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). With unparalleled harsh-environment expertise and world-leading technical capability in Remote Sensing, Ice Engineering and Geotechnical Engineering, C-CORE provides research-based advisory services and technology solutions to help clients mitigate operational risk in harsh environments and to address security, sustainability and safety issues related to their regulatory and operating needs worldwide. About LOOKNorth LOOKNorth is a Canadian national Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research hosted by C-CORE. LOOKNorth fosters remote sensing innovation and promotes the use of remote sensing technologies in environmental monitoring as a way to assist decision-making and reduce uncertainties, risk and cost in challenging environments. LOOKNorth helps connect remote sensing innovators with end users facing a monitoring challenge. About SDTC Sustainable Development Technology Canada is an arm's-length foundation created by the Government of Canada to promote sustainable development and support projects that develop and demonstrate new technologies to address issues related to climate change, air quality, and clean water and soil. Sustainable Development Technology Canada invests in Canadian companies that, through their innovative technologies, contribute positively to Canada by creating quality jobs, driving economic growth and protecting the environment. For more information, visit www.sdtc.ca. Contact: Steven Koles President & CEO (403) 264 - 8930 skoles@hifieng.com BONSALL, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- MARIJUANA COMPANY OF AMERICA ("MCOA" or the "Company") (OTC: MCOA), an innovative cannabis and hemp marketing and distribution Company, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") while performing due diligence to finalize a joint venture agreement with Bougainville Ventures, Inc. ("BV") for the purpose of housing tenant growers engaging in the cultivation, processing and commercial availability of legal marijuana in the State of Washington. Subject to the execution of a final definitive agreement, the terms of the LOI are that MCOA will invest up to $1 million in cash in a newly formed entity and receive 50% equity ownership and 50% share in net profits produced by the joint venture. Bougainville Ventures, Inc. will contribute its expertise in establishing facilities related to the production, processing and management for tenant growers utilizing an I-502 Tier 3 license, with leased property, established partnerships, licensing agreements and marketing relationships. Donald Steinberg, MCOA President and CEO said, "We are looking forward to getting seed in the ground and ramping up this partnership with Andy Jagpal and Bougainville Ventures. This partnership further strengthens our supply chain and enables MCOA to produce the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices." "We couldn't be happier than to have aligned ourselves with the outstanding team at MCOA," said Jagpal, President of Bougainville Ventures, Inc. "With the management expertise that the highly skilled professionals at MCOA bring, we have insured the certainty of expanding our Washington State Greenhouse Campuses while achieving our revenue and profitability goals." This joint venture project is solely for the purpose of cultivation, processing and commercial availability of legal marijuana within the State of Washington only and not beyond its borders. "As each new partnership is formed, synergistic benefits will develop organically," said Steinberg. "Our human, agricultural and technical resources will expand with the end result being the ability to cultivate superior products for the cannabis consumer in each state in accordance with their respective laws." With more than half of the United States now allowing for some form of legal medicinal or recreational cannabis use, there is an urgent need to establish cutting edge cultivation facilities and programs to service the continually growing demand for cannabis and CBD products. "Knowing how to manage the many individual cannabis markets effectively and simultaneously will be the key to success for MCOA's national rollout," said Steinberg. "By integrating and aggressively harnessing the collective resources of our companies, we are confident that we will be making a significant impact on sales and distribution in Washington State." ABOUT BOUGAINILLE VENTURES, INC. Bougainville Venture Inc. is in the core business of converting irrigated farmland that was traditionally used to grow marginally profitable feed crops, to greenhouse-equipped farmland used to grow luxury crops with a primary focus on marijuana. Bougainville is an agricultural services company that focuses on providing growers with state-of-the-art computer controlled greenhouses and processing facilities. Bougainville offers fully built out turnkey solutions to licensed I-502 tenant-growers and luxury crop growers who will lease the facilities for production and processing. Bougainville does not "touch the plant" and only provides growing infrastructure as a landlord for licensed marijuana growers in the state of Washington. Bougainville has a strong management team with relevant experience and education in place with a focus on build-out and occupancy of its planned greenhouses in Oroville, WA. Strategic plans to expand its land bank, greenhouse campus and I-502 tenant-grower clients are scheduled for expanding operations. SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance or guarantee that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, international governmental regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. For more information, please visit the Company's websites at: MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica.com hempSMART.com agoracom.com/ir/MarijuanaCompanyofAmerica Marijuana Company of America, Inc. Investor Relations 888-777-4362 ir@mcoa.club VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Abacus Mining & Exploration Corporation ("Abacus" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: AME) announces that it has signed an option agreement ("Option Agreement") with Almadex Minerals Limited and its wholly-owned Nevada subsidiary Almadex America Inc. ("Almadex"), to acquire the exclusive right and option to earn, in the aggregate, up to a 75% undivided ownership interest in the Willow Property located in Douglas County of Nevada, USA ("Property"). The Option Agreement provides for Abacus to earn an initial 60% ownership interest ("60% Option Interest") in the Property, whereupon an additional 15% interest ("Additional Interest") may be acquired, following which a joint venture agreement between Abacus and Almadex will be established to jointly develop the Property. The 10,252-hectare Willow property is located approximately 65 km southeast of Reno, Nevada and 13 km due west of Yerington, Nevada, in the Buckskin Mountain Range. It has year-round access via a series of four-wheel drive tracks linking secondary gravel roads skirting the claims, which lead to nearby paved roads. The Property was explored in the 1960s to the early 1980s to identify a porphyry copper deposit analogous to the nearby Yerington Mine which produced approximately 1.6 billion pounds of copper from 1952 to 1978. Past operators used the same model at Willow to drill a series of shallow vertical drill holes, many of which intersected intense argillic alteration, and short intervals of economic copper and Cu-Mo mineralization. Very limited historical assaying was done for gold. Abacus' Chairman, President & CEO, Mike McInnis commented, "This option agreement is an important step in our strategy to diversify the Company's copper and gold portfolio which currently consists of the 20% ownership interest in the Ajax copper-gold project, currently undergoing the environmental permitting process in B.C. The Willow property, located in a region known for past copper-gold production in Nevada, would give Abacus the opportunity to advance the asset aggressively and become its majority owner-operator through the joint venture." Mineralization The Property is underlain by a series of intensely argillic-phyllic altered volcanic rocks that have been protected from erosion by an overlying siliceous cap rock. The siliceous unit represents a classic lithocap marking an ancient water table, and is formed above a major hydrothermal centre. Stratigraphically above the lithocap are a succession of thin andesitic flows, rhyolites and intermediate volcanic flows. The Property was explored in the 1960s to early 1980s by Anaconda Mining, Bear Creek Mining and Conoco, in search of a porphyry copper deposit analogous to the nearby Yerington Mine, which produced approximately 1.6 billion pounds of copper (1952-1978). The Yerington deposit is hosted within a Jurassic age porphyry that is flat lying, due to post ore tilting of the rocks. Almadex completed mapping and sampling, soil geochemistry, ground IP and a deep penetrating IP survey from 2008 to 2011 which identified a very large anomaly that continues to at least 1 km in depth, coincident with a surficial Cu-Mo+/- Au soil anomaly. Dating of the siliceous lithocap shows these rocks to be approximately 22 Ma in age, not Jurassic (201 to 145 Ma). The lithocap is preserved sporadically throughout the Property, but it appears to form a planar, near horizontal unit. This implies that the Willow porphyry system is upright, not inclined as previously believed, the entire system has been preserved, and it is much younger in age than the Yerington and other nearby deposits. Past drilling was not oriented to test an upright model, but instead appears to have just grazed a core zone of porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization. Abacus is currently compiling and digitizing past work and plans to conduct a field program starting this spring, which is designed to augment and enhance the recent work by Almadex. It will include a program of in-fill soil geochemistry and IP geophysics, a ground magnetic survey, detailed mapping and a short program of diamond drilling. The target is a shallow, upright, preserved copper (+/- Mo) porphyry deposit. A secondary target is epithermal gold, which has not been systematically explored for in the past. Agreement Under the terms of the Option Agreement, which is subject to TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") approval, Abacus may acquire up to a 75% interest in the Willow property in two stages: -- Initial 60% Option Interest - To acquire the initial 60% Option Interest in the Property, the Company is required, over a period of five years, to issue in stages a total of 2,500,000 common shares in the capital of the Company, and to incur in stages minimum exploration expenditures totaling US$3,000,000 on the Property. Upon having earned the 60% Option Interest in the Property and until the 10th anniversary date of the date of TSX VENTURE approval, Abacus will be required to incur minimum exploration expenditures on an exploration program on the Property of US$500,000 per year. Abacus will act as the Property's operator during the initial five-year term and following the earning of the 60% Option Interest, until such time as a joint venture is established, as described below. -- Additional 15% Interest and forming of Joint Venture - In order to earn the Additional Interest, such that Abacus would have an aggregate interest of 75% in the Property, Abacus will be required to deliver a Feasibility Study on the Property to Almadex on or before the 10th anniversary date of the date of TSX VENTURE approval. Upon having earned the Additional Interest, Abacus will continue to act as the Property's operator until such time as a 75:25 joint venture is established for the further management, exploration and development of the Property. Technical Information The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Paul G. Anderson, M.Sc. P.Geo., a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. On Behalf of the Board, ABACUS MINING & EXPLORATION CORPORATION Michael McInnis, Chairman, President & CEO About Abacus Abacus is a mineral exploration and mine development company with a 20% interest in the Ajax copper-gold project located at the historic Ajax-Afton site southwest of Kamloops, B.C. and an option to acquire up to a 75% interest in the Willow copper-gold property located in Nevada. The Ajax project is a proposed copper-gold open-pit mine currently undergoing a provincial and federal environmental assessment process. Through KGHM Ajax Mining Inc., a joint venture company between Abacus (20%) and KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (KGHM) (80%), the Ajax Mine is being funded in large part by KGHM and operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary, KGHM International Ltd. For the latest reports and information on Abacus' projects, please refer to the Company's website at www.amemining.com. Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements that are deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Abacus expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward- looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include changes to commodity prices, mine and metallurgical recovery, operating and capital costs, foreign exchange rates, ability to obtain required permits on a timely basis, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. 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: Abacus Mining & Exploration Corporation 604.682.0301 604.682.0307 (FAX) info@amemining.com www.amemining.com BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The United States remains committed to NATO, history's most successful military alliance, as it transforms to match the changing character of war, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters traveling with him to a NATO defense ministers conference in Belgium. Mattis later arrived in Brussels and met with NATO counterparts. He will discuss efforts to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon said. 'Our commitment remains to NATO, [which is] . in the midst of transformation. Why? You've watched as the character of war over this last dozen years has changed itself, and as the character of war changes, so must the character of the militaries that address them,' Mattis said. To underscore the alliance's commitment to change, the secretary noted that the only NATO command with a headquarters in the United States is Allied Command Transformation. Mattis also plans to meet with international partners while attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany. 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. FAIRFAX, VA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- InfinityQS International, Inc. (InfinityQS), the global authority on data-driven enterprise quality, is imploring manufacturers to put down their pencils and papers and implement automated data collection technologies to attain enterprise visibility and begin to adopt Industry 4.0. According to The Boston Consulting Group's recent report, Sprinting to Value in Industry 4.0, "The value created by Industry 4.0 vastly exceeds the low-single-digit cost savings that many manufacturers pursue today. The new technologies promise to revolutionize manufacturing, thereby shifting the competitive balance among countries and transforming the industrial workforce." However, the foundation of Industry 4.0 is automation and data exchange, and InfinityQS found in its recent survey of 260 manufacturers that 75% of respondents are still manually collecting data. 47% of those rely on pencil and paper. The survey, which included some of the world's largest manufacturing organizations, sought insight into the manufacturers' needs, processes, and uses for data collection. To facilitate Industry 4.0, manufacturers must automate and standardize data collection processes and create a centralized repository that is accessible to all stakeholders within the organization. When data is unified, from all sources, it's possible to visualize more than a single aspect of operations. The outcome is real-time visibility of the entire enterprise, from end to end -- including suppliers, incoming inspection, raw materials, in-process checks from shop floor operators and the quality lab, process data, packaging, and finished products. This visibility identifies potential opportunities to increase output, decrease costs, and improve quality across manufacturing operations. Michael Lyle, president and CEO, InfinityQS, said, "To reach the full potential of digital transformation, it's vital to find the right talent and resources to configure and deploy the technologies, as well as interpret the resulting data. However, what many manufacturers don't realize is that it's not an all or nothing proposal. There are small, less expensive steps that can be taken to adopt Industry 4.0 in a more iterative and agile manner." To learn more about the first step to prepare your manufacturing organization for a digital transformation, download the InfinityQS white paper, "Enterprise Visibility." About InfinityQS International, Inc. InfinityQS International, Inc. is the global authority on data-driven enterprise quality. The company's Manufacturing Intelligence solutions deliver unparalleled visibility across the enterprise, from the shop floor to the boardroom, enabling manufacturers to Re-imagine Quality and transform it from a problem into a competitive advantage. Powered by centralized analytics, InfinityQS's solutions provide operational insight to enable global manufacturers to improve product quality; decrease costs and risk; maintain or improve compliance; and make strategic, data-driven business decisions. Headquartered near Washington, D.C., with offices in Seattle, London, and Beijing, InfinityQS was founded in 1989 and now services more than 40,000 active licenses with more than 2,500 of the world's leading manufacturers, including Ball Corporation, Boston Scientific, Graham Packaging, and Medtronic. For more information, visit www.infinityqs.com. Media Contact: Liz Palm DPR Group, Inc. (240) 686-1000 Email Contact WASHINGTON, DC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- The Chamber of Digital Commerce is co-hosting the "Blockchain in Healthcare Code-A-Thon" in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Code-A-Thon participants will develop distributed-ledger-based applications and solutions that address key operational issues in the nation's health care system -- including identity management, data aggregation and data linkage. The Code-A-Thon is open to the public and will take place over an intense 24-hour period at Georgetown University. Up to 12 winners will be announced at the opening ceremonies of the DC Blockchain Summit on March 15, 2017. Up to $15,000 will be awarded to the challenge winners; prizes range from $500 - $5000. "ONC's participation speaks volumes about the serious, long-term potential application of blockchain to the health care sector," said Perianne Boring, founder and president of the Chamber of Digital Commerce. "This competition will highlight the wide-reaching benefits of blockchain and distributed ledger solutions, while creating new opportunities for innovation in health care." "The Code-A-Thon is a great opportunity to follow up on the blockchain in health care challenge we administered, which received over 70 whitepapers, and the subsequent workshop we co-sponsored with our colleagues at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)," said Steve Posnack, ONC's Director of the Office of Standards and Technology. "We look forward to seeing how this event can expand everyone's thinking about blockchain-based applications in health care." Participants in the Code-A-Thon will be challenged to use open source distributed ledger technology and health-specific standards to address one of the following health information technology (health IT) tracks: 1. Identity Management - Use of blockchain to support the identity management requirements for application programming interfaces (APIs) for both provider-to-provider and provider-to-patient exchanges. 2. Metadata Tagging and Policy Expression - Use of blockchain for securing metadata, tagging information, and managing access to health information. 3. Data Aggregation and Linkage - Use of blockchain technology to securely aggregate, link and share patient data. The "Blockchain in Healthcare Code-A-Thon" is limited to the first 100 contestants and 50 attendees who register. For more information, rules, registration and prizes, visit: www.cccinnovationcenter.com/challenges/blockchain-in-healthcare-code-a-thon/. Registration will end promptly March 7, 2017 at 11:59 pm ET. About the Chamber of Digital Commerce DigitalChamber.org or follow us on Twitter: @ChamberDigital. Chamber Media Contact: Erin Tye Paragon Public Relations Erin@paragonpr.com +1.646.558.6226 SEATTLE, WA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- CFN Media Group ("CannabisFN"), the leading creative agency and digital media network dedicated to legal cannabis, today announced the publication of an article and video CEO interview covering InMed Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (OTCQB: IMLFF) (CSE: IN) groundbreaking cannabinoid biosynthesis technology. The cannabis plant has been used for centuries for its therapeutic benefits, but researchers have only recently started to understand how it works in the human body. While tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") and cannabidiol ("CBD") may be the most studied, there are 90+ other cannabinoids in the plant that could be valuable therapeutics with a relatively well-established safety profile given the plant's history. InMed Pharmaceuticals aims to leverage its innovative biosynthesis manufacturing technology to unlock the potential of these 90+ other cannabinoids by cost-effectively, safely and scalably producing them in a laboratory setting. The process of growing, harvesting, processing and purifying cannabinoids can be costly -- time and resource intensive with several factors impacting quality control. While extraction of THC and CBD is economically feasible since they are far more prevalent in the plant (accounting for up to 90% of the total quantity of cannabinoids that can be extracted), the less common cannabinoids are very expensive due to their scarcity. Despite their potential in treating disease, it simply isn't realistic to explore their use in pharmaceutical products due to their high cost. Most 'medical marijuana' companies have focused on using the whole plant and/or extraction of oil mixtures, while pharmaceutical companies have focused their efforts on growing cannabis, extracting THC and CBD in their pure forms ( > 99%), and studying their effects on conditions like epilepsy and pain management. Unfortunately, these factors could be limiting the potential uses for the extensive number of cannabinoids in treating various serious medical conditions. InMed Pharmaceuticals has taken a unique low-cost / high-yield approach to developing cannabinoid-based compounds for inclusion in their products. By utilizing the process currently employed to manufacture insulin for diabetes, the company's strategy can scalably produce a wide range of cannabinoids beyond simply THC and CBD. These cannabinoids could have broad-reaching potential, but haven't been studied extensively because they are difficult to extract from the cannabis plant at scale. InMed is initially targeting Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) and Glaucoma with specific cannabinoid compounds that have shown promise in early studies. EB is an orphan condition that has no currently approved treatments, which could pave the way for faster regulatory approvals and a dramatic improvement in patient quality of life. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the developed world. The company's manufacturing technology will provide the compounds needed to research and commercialize their internal product candidates; however, it is estimated that the market for CBD alone, as an ingredient for mixing into other products, will surpass $2B by 2020. This manufacturing capability could very well be a huge stand-alone business opportunity for InMed. Please follow the link to see the interview with CEO Eric A. Adams and read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/inmed-pharma-develops-scalable-approach-to-cannabinoid-production/ Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/ Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8 Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com About CFN Media CFN Media (CannabisFN), the leading creative agency and media network dedicated to legal cannabis, helps marijuana businesses attract investors, customers (B2B, B2C), capital, and media visibility. Private and public marijuana companies and brands in the US and Canada rely on CFN Media to grow and succeed. CFN launched in June of 2013 to initially serve the growing universe of publicly traded marijuana companies across North America. Today, CFN Media is also the digital media choice for the emerging brands in the space. Disclaimer: Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CFN Media and CannabisFN.com, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. Emerging Growth LLC may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and may increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Emerging Growth LLC may be compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation or equity securities in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/. CFN Media Frank Lane 206-369-7050 flane@cannabisfn.com Leading Performance Marketing Platform for In-App Video Ads Also Expands Global Footprint, Increasing SDK Adoption by 125% Year-Over-Year SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Following a year of significant global expansion and customer momentum, Vungle, the leading performance marketing platform for in-app video ads, today announced record global growth, reaching a $300 million annual revenue run rate (ARR), a milestone very few companies have reached in the ad-tech industry. The company has also significantly increased adoption of its software development kit (SDK), now in 40,000 mobile apps worldwide, which has grown by 125 percent year-over-year worldwide. This marks a tremendous achievement for Vungle, as the global ad tech market marches full steam ahead into the new year. "At Vungle, it's our mission to deliver the highest quality consumers for our advertisers, while also delivering a great user experience for the publishers who rely on us to monetize their mobile apps," said Zain Jaffer, CEO of Vungle. "Our growth speaks volumes about how the advertising landscape has changed. Companies of all sizes, from established brands and Fortune 500 businesses to independent mobile studios, have begun to adopt in-app video ads as an integral part of their customer acquisition strategies. And that's why Vungle is bullish on performance marketing. It's proven, it's defensible and mobile marketers spend more when there's clear, quantifiable ROI and lifetime value (LTV)-this has and will continue to fuel Vungle's growth." Vungle's revenue has also skyrocketed in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. In China alone, Vungle grew overall revenue by more than 400 percent since 2015. The company has expanded significantly in APAC, with offices in Beijing, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo. "eMarketer forecasts digital ad spend to climb to over $77 billion this year, and for good reason. Consumer behavior has changed dramatically. The average time spent engaging with desktop, TV, print, radio and other traditional media channels continues to decline," added Jaffer. "On the other hand, time spent on mobile devices has increased every year. Studies show that mobile audiences --especially 18 to 34 year olds -- are up to two times more likely to give their undivided attention when watching video on mobile devices." The number of advertisers and publishers Vungle works with today has increased exponentially since the company's founding. The widespread instrumentation of Vungle's SDK ensures that advertisers can reach a diverse, captive mobile audience across a massive selection of top mobile apps, while also being able to track the true performance of their marketing campaigns. "Before Vungle, it was very challenging to measure the actual performance of the media we were using and our return on ad spend. Quality of users is more important than just exposing our ads to the same user over and over again," said Hayley Nam, brand marketing manager at Memebox, a leading Korean beauty eCommerce company. "Vungle provided us with amazingly high-quality users that others just could not deliver." Today's news falls in conjunction with Vungle's new "Mobile Advertising Benchmarks Report," which takes a close look at the state of the mobile advertising industry, including where consumers are spending the majority of their time, where marketers should focus ad spend and key takeaways for mobile advertisers and publishers looking to maximize their return on investment. The report is available for download here. ABOUT VUNGLE Vungle is the leading performance marketing platform for in-app video ads. Advertisers depend on Vungle's creative and LTV optimization technologies to reach and acquire high-value users worldwide. Top publishers rely on Vungle to generate revenue with engaging video ads that enhance the user experience. Trusted by 40,000 mobile apps worldwide with key developer partners such as Supercell, King, Zynga, EA, Ubisoft, Smule and MZ, Google, Honda, Allstate, Procter and Gamble, L'oreal, Coca-Cola and Nissan. Vungle serves in-app ads on 500+ million unique devices, and is consistently ranked #1 for cross-platform user retention by industry mobile performance indexes. Vungle is backed by Google Ventures, Thomvest Ventures and Crosslink Capital. The company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in London, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore. Learn more at www.vungle.com or follow @Vungle. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160721/391980LOGO TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- TeraGo Inc. ("TeraGo" or the "Company") (TSX: TGO) (www.terago.ca), today announced that it will be hosting a conference call on Friday, February 24, 2017, at 9:00 am ET to discuss the Company's financial results for the year ended December 31, 2016. The complete financial results are expected to be released after market close on Thursday, February 23, 2017. To access the conference call, please dial 647-427-2311 or 1-866-521-4909. The Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2016, along with a presentation in connection with the conference call will be made available online at www.terago.ca/corporate-facts.html. An archived recording of the conference call will be available until March 3, 2017. To listen to the recording, call 416-621-4642 or 1-800-585-8367 and enter passcode 72950407. About TeraGo TeraGo provides businesses across Canada and globally with network and voice services, data center services and enterprise infrastructure cloud services. TeraGo manages over 3,000 cloud workloads, nine data centres in the Greater Toronto Area, the Greater Vancouver Area, Ottawa, Kelowna, Winnipeg, St. Louis and Newport, United Kingdom, and owns and manages its own IP network. The Company serves approximately 4,000 business customers in 46 major markets across Canada including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Winnipeg. TeraGo Networks is a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) and was selected as one of Canada's Top Small and Medium Employers for 2015 and is recognized as a Canadian Telecommunications Employer of Choice for 2015. TeraGo Networks was also recognized by IDC as a Major Player in MarketScape Cloud Vendor Assessment. For more information about TeraGo, please visit www.terago.ca. Contacts: TeraGo Investor Relations 1-877-982-3688 ir@terago.ca www.terago.ca Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 15 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held a meeting with Deputy Chairman of Russias Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov in Ashgabat, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news service reported. During the meeting, the Turkmen president noted the special nature of relations with Russia, which has always been and will remain one of Turkmenistans strategic partners, the message says. Umakhanov congratulated Berdimuhamedov on his convincing victory in the presidential election held Feb. 12. Turkmenistan and Russia were able to generate an extensive and reliable legal base of the interstate relations, which directly contributes to the progressive development of constructive dialogue, according to the message. Umakhanov expressed confidence that in the future, the existing economic and resource potential will allow broadening the spectrum of cooperation and designate new areas for it. The sides also exchanged views on prospects of development of relations between the two countries in the international arena. Mutual understanding, huge political trust and similarity of positions on key aspects of the international agenda let the parties successfully cooperate on a bilateral and multilateral basis, primarily within major international organizations and institutions, including the UN and the CIS, reads the message. Russia ranks first in the list of Turkmenistans largest foreign trade partners. More than 190 enterprises were registered in the Turkmen market with participation of the Russian capital. These enterprises implement more than 240 investment projects. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: PEX) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is providing an update on drilling plans for its Poker Brown gold project, Nevada and its TL Zinc project, British Columbia. Poker Brown - Drill Program Plans The Company is planning a four hole, 1,000 m RC drill program to take place in late March or early April at its road accessible Poker Brown gold project, located near Lovelock, Nevada. The target is two recently defined IP chargeability anomalies that underlie the main area of historical surface workings and gold showings on the property, including vein, breccia and stockwork mineralization, and the area of most intense alteration on the property (see News Release dated November 10, 2016). The chargeability anomalies are interpreted to be caused by disseminated pyrite mineralization, which is associated with the gold and silver mineralization at Poker Brown. The planned drill program is fully permitted. TL Zinc - Plans for Resumed Drilling The TL Zinc drill program was suspended in December, 2016, due to severe winter weather conditions after the completion of two holes (see News Release dated December 19, 2016). Both holes intersected several zones of graphitic schist with disseminated sulphide mineralization that appear to be the cause of the eastern portion of the large HELITEM electromagnetic anomaly. Anomalous zinc values are associated with the graphitic intervals. The Company plans to resume drilling after snow has left the property, in late May or June. The target will be coincident gravity and electromagnetic anomalies on the western side of the property associated with the known zinc mineralization defined by trenching and shallow drill holes from 2011 and 2012. Of 56 grab samples of float and bedrock collected in this area to date, 40 have assayed +1% Zn with a range of 1.08% to 18.87% and an average of 4.96% Zn. Trenching in the initial discovery area identified semi-massive to massive sulfide over an open-ended zone 10 to 35 m wide and 50 m long. Channel sampling in this zone returned zinc values up to 7.18% over 4 m. Drilling under the trenches in 2012 encountered a 10 to 13 m thick sulphide zone with zinc values ranging from less than 1% to 5%. About Pacific Ridge Pacific Ridge is a mineral exploration company with a successful history of over 30 years. The Company is fully funded for the planned drill programs announced above. The Company's Fyre Lake Cu-Au-Co massive sulphide deposit is under option to BMC Minerals (No. 1) Ltd. ("BMC"). BMC has been granted two options effective as of the Closing (January 16, 2017); the first, a one year option whereby, in order to maintain and exercise the option, in addition to the $375,000 in payments already made, it must pay the Company $2,200,000 one year after Closing, or the second, a two year option whereby, in order to maintain and exercise the option, it must pay the Company $300,000 one year after Closing and $2,420,000 two years after Closing. In addition, BMC has agreed to make a bonus payment of $1,000,000 if and when BMC's Kudz Ze Kayah property has reached commercial production for one year. The Company's TL Zinc project is a 6,420 hectare, road accessible zinc-lead-silver property located 80 km northeast of Vernon, British Columbia, ideally situated with nearby highways, electrical power grid and rail. The target at TL is a large Broken Hill type or SEDEX (Sedimentary Exhalative) Zn-Pb-Ag massive sulfide deposit. The Company's Poker Brown gold-silver project is located 190 km from Reno, Nevada. The target is a large, bulk tonnage, heap leachable gold deposit. Numerous gold mines and advanced projects are located within an 80 km radius of the property. The Company holds a well-located project portfolio in Yukon's White Gold District, including Mariposa, Eureka Dome and Gold Cap, in the same geological environment as Goldcorp's Coffee Gold Project (acquired from Kaminak Gold in 2016) and Kinross Gold's White Gold deposit. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Gerald G. Carlson, President & CEO Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Gerald G. Carlson, Ph.D., P.Eng., President and CEO of Pacific Ridge and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy. Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the exercise of options and future exploration plans and expenditures. Although Pacific Ridge 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 forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, that one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Contacts: Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. Gerald G. Carlson President & CEO (604) 687-4951 www.pacificridgeexploration.com Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 15, 2017) - Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSXV: GZD) (FSE: G6H) (OTC Pink: GZDIF) ("Grizzly" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a private placement (the "Private Placement") of up to 5,000,000 non-flow-through units (the "Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit, for gross proceeds of up to $250,000, and up to 4,500,000 flow-through units (the "FT Units") at a price of $0.07 per FT Unit, for gross proceeds of up to $315,000. Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company ("Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant with an exercise price of $0.075 per Common Share ("Unit Warrant"). Each FT Unit is comprised of one Common Share issued as a "flow-through" share pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) ("FT Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant with an exercise price of $0.10 per Common Share ("FT Unit Warrant"). Each of the Unit Warrants and FT Unit Warrants (collectively, the "Warrants") will entitle the holder to acquire one additional Common Share at the corresponding exercise price, for a period of two years from the date the Units or FT Units are issued (the "Closing Date") or, if during the exercise period of the warrants, but after the resale restrictions on the shares have expired, the Company's shares trade at or above a weighted average trading price of $0.12 per share on the TSX Venture Exchange for 10 consecutive trading days, the Company may accelerate the expiry time of the Warrants by issuing a news release and giving written notice to holders of Warrants stating that the Warrants will expire 30 days from the date of such notice ("Acceleration"). If fully subscribed, the Private Placement will result in the sale and issuance of 9,500,000 Common Shares and 9,500,000 Warrants for aggregate gross proceeds of $565,000. The Units and FT Units shall be sold to persons eligible pursuant to available prospectus and registration exemptions. A portion of the Units may be sold to eligible purchasers in accordance with the exemption set out in Alberta Rule 45-516 Prospectus Exemptions for Retail Investors and Existing Security Holders, or similar regulations in other jurisdictions, (the "Security Holder Exemption") pursuant to the terms and conditions of this news release and Alberta Rule 45-516. Grizzly shall make the pro-rata offer available to all persons in eligible jurisdictions who, as of the record date of February 14, 2017, held at least one Common Share . In accordance with the requirements of the Security Holder Exemption, the Company confirms there is no material fact or material change related to the Company which has not been generally disclosed. The Private Placement securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), or under any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, or delivered within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy such securities in the United States. In connection with the Private Placement, where permitted by applicable securities legislation, any Units or FT Units sold to purchasers referred to the Company by registered broker dealers, limited market dealers, or other eligible arm's length persons (individually, a "Finder") may result in a cash commission in an amount equal to 10% of the gross proceeds of the Units or FT Units sold to such referred purchasers, to be paid out of the gross proceeds of Units to the Finder at closing. As additional consideration, the Company may issue to the Finder Common Share purchase warrants (the "Finder Warrants") entitling the Finder to purchase an additional number of Common Shares equal to 10% of the aggregate number of Units and FT Units sold by the Finder in the Private Placement on the same terms as the Warrants included in the respective Units or FT Units sold. Subject to regulatory approval, each Finder Warrant will be exercisable to acquire one common share at the corresponding exercise price of $0.075 or $0.10 for a period of 24 months after the Closing Date, subject to the Acceleration. The gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the FT Shares included in the FT Units will be used to incur Canadian Exploration Expenses that are "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) on the Company's properties in British Columbia, which expenses will be renounced to the subscribers with an effective date no later than December 31, 2017, in the aggregate amount of not less than the total amount of the gross proceeds raised from the sale of FT Shares. The price of the FT Units shall be allocated as $0.069 per FT Share and $0.001 per FT Unit Warrant, or such other allocation that is finally determined by agreement between the Company and the Canada Revenue Agency. The gross proceeds on the sale of FT Units shall be expended on surface exploration leading to drilling of targets on the Ket 28, Motherlode and Dayton areas of the Company's Greenwood Project in British Columbia. The net proceeds from the sale of the Units will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes. All Common Shares issued under the Private Placement and any Common Shares issuable upon exercise of Warrants or FT Unit Warrants will be subject to a four month hold period from the date of issue in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The Private Placement is subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. ABOUT GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC. Grizzly is a diversified Canadian mineral exploration company with its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange with 52.4 million shares issued, focused on developing significant Potash assets in Alberta and its precious metals properties in southeastern British Columbia. The Company holds over 235,000 acres of precious-base metal properties in British Columbia; more than 220,000 acres of properties which host diamondiferous kimberlites in the Buffalo Head Hills region of Alberta; and metallic and industrial mineral permits for potash totaling more than 143,000 acres along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. On behalf of the Board, GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC. Brian Testo CEO, President Tel: (780) 693-2242 For further information, please visit our website at www.grizzlydiscoveries.com or contact: Nancy Massicotte, Investor Relations IR PRO COMMUNICATIONS INC. Tel: 604-507-3377 Toll Free: 1-866-503-3377 Email: ir@grizzlydiscoveries.com www.irprocommunications.com or Ian Lambert COO, Grizzly Discoveries Inc. Tel: 416-840-9843 Email: ilambert@grizzlydiscoveries.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. Caution concerning forward-looking information This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Grizzly in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Grizzly's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management's Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. Grizzly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required by law. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 15, 2017) - Alba Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: AA.H) (OTC Pink: AXVEF) ("Alba") and Noram Ventures Inc. (TSXV: NRM) (FSE: N7R) (OTCBB: NRVTF) ("Noram" or the "Company") are pleased to announce the initial sample results from the first 10 holes of the 46-hole Phase I core drilling program that focused on the Zeus portion of its Clayton Valley Lithium Project in Nevada (see Figure 1) (http://www.noramventures.com/Maps/Figure-1_CV-SBE.jpg). The Zeus claims are located within two kilometers (1.25 miles) of Albemarle's Silver Peak Lithium Mine that has been in production since 1966 and is the only lithium-brine production operation in North America. The 10 holes consisted of 139.3 meters (457 feet) of core drilling with an average hole depth of 13.9 meters (45.7 feet) and core sampling done primarily on 1.22 meter (4-foot) intervals. Bradley C. Peek, MSc and Certified Professional Geologist supervised the collection of the cores and samples; and sample analysis was performed by ALS Labs (Reno, NV) on 116 samples from the 10 holes using a 4-acid digestion and MS-ICP methods for 48 elements. Table 1 lists each drill hole's location (NAD 83, Zone 11S), elevation and depth - all in meters. All holes were vertical. All core size was BQ. Table 1 - Drill Hole Location Information Hole ID UTM Easting UTM Northing Approx. Elev. Depth Dip CVZ-01 455519.5 4180579.7 1369.6 15.1 -90 CVZ-02 455574.9 4180542.2 1353.7 14.6 -90 CVZ-03 455583.5 4180419.2 1357.4 14.5 -90 CVZ-04 455652.1 4180441.4 1357.9 14.0 -90 CVZ-05 455624.4 4180375.4 1360.8 13.4 -90 CVZ-06 455840.1 4180350.4 1362.5 11.0 -90 CVZ-07 455608.8 4180596.2 1356.3 14.6 -90 CVZ-08 455684.3 4180599.5 1357.0 14.5 -90 CVZ-09 456084.3 4180778.6 1369.3 15.2 -90 CVZ-12 456147.2 4180742.4 1371.4 12.2 -90 Drill holes CVZ-01 through CVZ-08 are located in an area measuring approximately 366 meters (1,200 feet) by 213 meters (700 feet ). The other two holes, CVZ-09 and CVZ-12 are located approximately 366 meters (1,200 feet) northeast of the main drill-hole grouping (see Figure 2) (http://www.noramventures.com/Maps/CV_Phase-1-Drill-Hole-Map.jpg). Lithium values were found to be very consistent across both groupings. Table 2 lists the samples, their intervals, their weights and their lithium analytical results. The core holes were vertical and the sedimentary units that were tested are horizontal or dipping at less than 5, so the intervals sampled are true widths. Hole ID Sample ID Sample Wt. (kg) From (ft) To (ft) From (m) To (m) Li (ppm) CVZ-01 289501 0.76 0 4 0.00 1.22 1010 CVZ-01 289502 0.4 4 8 1.22 2.44 1010 CVZ-01 289503 0.58 8 12 2.44 3.66 1050 CVZ-01 289504 0.8 12 16 3.66 4.88 1120 CVZ-01 289505 0.7 16 20 4.88 6.10 840 CVZ-01 289506 0.82 20 24 6.10 7.32 940 CVZ-01 289507 0.66 24 28 7.32 8.53 790 CVZ-01 289508 0.72 28 32 8.53 9.75 750 CVZ-01 289509 0.7 32 36 9.75 10.97 760 CVZ-01 289510 0.72 36 40 10.97 12.19 1010 CVZ-01 289511 0.76 40 44 12.19 13.41 710 CVZ-01 289512 0.76 44 48 13.41 14.63 910 CVZ-01 289514 0.36 48 49.5 14.63 15.09 990 CVZ-02 289515 0.42 0 4 0.00 1.22 940 CVZ-02 289516 0.96 4 8 1.22 2.44 1410 CVZ-02 289517 0.76 8 12 2.44 3.66 1000 CVZ-02 289518 0.86 12 16 3.66 4.88 1060 CVZ-02 289519 0.9 16 20 4.88 6.10 770 CVZ-02 289520 0.72 20 24 6.10 7.32 920 CVZ-02 289521 0.56 24 28 7.32 8.53 1140 CVZ-02 289522 0.4 28 32 8.53 9.75 1090 CVZ-02 289523 0.62 32 36 9.75 10.97 850 CVZ-02 289525 0.72 36 40 10.97 12.19 920 CVZ-02 289526 0.8 40 44 12.19 13.41 780 CVZ-02 289527 0.62 44 48 13.41 14.63 720 CVZ-03 289551 0.34 0 4 0.00 1.22 1630 CVZ-03 289552 0.9 4 8 1.22 2.44 1190 CVZ-03 289553 0.86 8 12 2.44 3.66 1100 CVZ-03 289554 0.92 12 16 3.66 4.88 1330 CVZ-03 289555 0.8 16 20 4.88 6.10 810 CVZ-03 289556 0.82 20 24 6.10 7.32 910 CVZ-03 289557 0.86 24 28 7.32 8.53 1300 CVZ-03 289558 0.48 28 32 8.53 9.75 1220 CVZ-03 289559 0.7 32 36 9.75 10.97 1200 CVZ-03 289560 0.86 36 40 10.97 12.19 1280 CVZ-03 289561 0.92 40 44 12.19 13.41 950 CVZ-03 289562 0.64 44 47.5 13.41 14.48 1050 CVZ-04 289563 0.94 0 4 0.00 1.22 1850 CVZ-04 289564 0.6 4 8 1.22 2.44 1200 CVZ-04 289565 0.84 8 12 2.44 3.66 1050 CVZ-04 289566 0.72 12 16 3.66 4.88 1160 CVZ-04 289567 0.72 16 20 4.88 6.10 880 CVZ-04 289568 0.66 20 24 6.10 7.32 1090 CVZ-04 289569 0.68 24 28 7.32 8.53 1290 CVZ-04 289570 0.86 28 32 8.53 9.75 670 CVZ-04 289571 0.94 32 36 9.75 10.97 920 CVZ-04 289572 0.76 36 40 10.97 12.19 860 CVZ-04 289573 0.84 40 44 12.19 13.41 1010 CVZ-04 289574 0.26 44 46 13.41 14.02 1100 CVZ-05 289576 0.3 0 4 0.00 1.22 1530 CVZ-05 289577 0.8 4 8 1.22 2.44 1610 CVZ-05 289578 0.72 8 12 2.44 3.66 1500 CVZ-05 289579 0.7 12 16 3.66 4.88 1630 CVZ-05 289580 0.76 16 20 4.88 6.10 1110 CVZ-05 289581 0.88 20 24 6.10 7.32 1000 CVZ-05 289582 0.74 24 28 7.32 8.53 900 CVZ-05 289583 0.38 28 32 8.53 9.75 930 CVZ-05 289584 0.74 32 36 9.75 10.97 1240 CVZ-05 289585 0.8 36 40 10.97 12.19 880 CVZ-05 289586 0.84 40 44 12.19 13.41 860 CVZ-06 289543 0.72 0 4 0.00 1.22 1400 CVZ-06 289544 0.9 4 8 1.22 2.44 990 CVZ-06 289545 0.72 8 12 2.44 3.66 980 CVZ-06 289546 1.02 12 16 3.66 4.88 1400 CVZ-06 289547 0.76 16 20 4.88 6.10 2320 CVZ-06 289548 0.94 20 24 6.10 7.32 1290 CVZ-06 289549 1.3 24 28 7.32 8.53 940 CVZ-06 289550 1.74 28 32 8.53 9.75 1040 CVZ-06 289601 1.22 32 36.25 9.75 11.05 940 CVZ-07 289631 0.54 0 4 0.00 1.22 1050 CVZ-07 289632 0.76 4 8 1.22 2.44 1130 CVZ-07 289633 0.9 8 12 2.44 3.66 1280 CVZ-07 289634 0.82 12 16 3.66 4.88 970 CVZ-07 289635 0.94 16 20 4.88 6.10 970 CVZ-07 289636 0.92 20 24 6.10 7.32 750 CVZ-07 289637 0.84 24 28 7.32 8.53 1010 CVZ-07 289638 1.12 28 32 8.53 9.75 990 CVZ-07 289639 0.58 32 36 9.75 10.97 900 CVZ-07 289640 0.84 36 40 10.97 12.19 940 CVZ-07 289641 0.42 40 44 12.19 13.41 810 CVZ-07 289642 0.74 44 48 13.41 14.63 690 CVZ-08 289588 0.42 0 4 0.00 1.22 1020 CVZ-08 289589 0.68 4 8 1.22 2.44 1080 CVZ-08 289590 0.56 8 12 2.44 3.66 1010 CVZ-08 289591 0.48 12 16 3.66 4.88 1130 CVZ-08 289592 0.56 16 20 4.88 6.10 1340 CVZ-08 289593 0.94 20 24 6.10 7.32 1150 CVZ-08 289594 0.92 24 28 7.32 8.53 980 CVZ-08 289595 0.88 28 32 8.53 9.75 870 CVZ-08 289596 0.5 32 36 9.75 10.97 600 CVZ-08 289597 0.8 36 40 10.97 12.19 890 CVZ-08 289598 1 40 44 12.19 13.41 1070 CVZ-08 289599 0.8 44 48 13.41 14.63 850 CVZ-09 289603 0.52 0 4 0.00 1.22 1020 CVZ-09 289604 0.74 4 8 1.22 2.44 980 CVZ-09 289605 0.72 8 12 2.44 3.66 1180 CVZ-09 289606 0.8 12 16 3.66 4.88 1260 CVZ-09 289607 0.66 16 20 4.88 6.10 1630 CVZ-09 289608 0.54 20 24 6.10 7.32 930 CVZ-09 289609 0.54 24 28 7.32 8.53 1220 CVZ-09 289610 0.72 28 32 8.53 9.75 1460 CVZ-09 289611 0.7 32 36 9.75 10.97 1800 CVZ-09 289612 0.76 36 40 10.97 12.19 1590 CVZ-09 289613 0.3 40 44 12.19 13.41 1320 CVZ-09 289614 0.36 44 48 13.41 14.63 1210 CVZ-09 289615 0.38 48 50 14.63 15.24 1050 CVZ-12 289617 0.66 0 4 0.00 1.22 1060 CVZ-12 289618 0.52 4 8 1.22 2.44 1110 CVZ-12 289619 0.24 8 12 2.44 3.66 1010 CVZ-12 289620 0.22 12 16 3.66 4.88 920 CVZ-12 289621 0.92 16 20 4.88 6.10 980 CVZ-12 289622 1.28 20 24 6.10 7.32 1780 CVZ-12 289623 0.98 24 28 7.32 8.53 1050 CVZ-12 289624 1.04 28 32 8.53 9.75 860 CVZ-12 289625 1.12 32 36 9.75 10.97 1070 CVZ-12 289626 1.08 36 40 10.97 12.19 1030 Samples intervals were split by geologists at the drilling program staging area. Half of the core was retained in the core boxes for future review and/or sampling. The other half was securely sent to ALS Laboratories in Reno, Nevada, USA for testing. Core recovery for these first 10 core holes averaged 79.5%. The lithium content of the 116 samples had an interval-weighted average of 1,087.1 ppm with a minimum value of 600 ppm and a maximum value of 2,320 ppm, both over 1.22m (4 ft) intersections. The samples had a median value of 1020 ppm Li. These results are well above those seen in the 73 surface samples collected from the drilling area and analyzed during exploration work in 2016 and indicate that some leaching of the lithium has occurred at surface. Laboratory standards with two different lithium ranges (1,237 ppm and 783 ppm) were inserted into the sample stream, along with lithium blanks and duplicate samples (8 QA/QC samples, in all, with this sample batch). The standards and blanks were obtained from MEG Labs of Reno, Nevada, USA. Duplicate samples were obtained by splitting the remaining half of the split core (1/4 of the original core). All analyses of the standards, blanks and duplicates were well within acceptable ranges. "These initial results are better than expected and it is rare to see drill core sample values that exceed the best of previously reported surface-sampling results (Dec 8 2016) (http://www.noramventures.com/News_Archive/2016/NEWS_12-08-16.html). The amazing consistency of the lithium values, both vertically and horizontally, across the initial 10 holes is also very encouraging," said Sandy McDougall, Chairman. Analytical results from the remaining 36 drill holes from the Phase 1 drilling program are pending. Noram is amassing one of the largest land packages in Nevada's Clayton Valley. Its non-contiguous North and South Blocks now total 888 claims covering 17,738 acres and are positioned both north and south of Albemarle's Silver Peak mine, North America's only lithium producer. The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Bradley C. Peek, MSc and Certified Professional Geologist, who is a Qualified Person with respect to Noram's Clayton Valley Lithium Project as defined under National Instrument 43-101. About Alba Minerals Ltd.: Alba Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: AA.H) (OTC Pink: AXVEF) is a Vancouver based junior resource company focusing on the development of Lithium properties in the Clayton Valley of Nevada where drill results have delivered the highest Lithium values to date. Alba also continues to move forward on it's Salta Lithium Project in Argentina. Please visit our web site for further information: www.albamineralsltd.com or call (604) 662-7902. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS /s/ "Arthur Brown" CEO & Director This news release contains projections and forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements; the uncertainty of future profitability; and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could differ materially from anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressed qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstance or management's estimates or opinions change. 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. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 11, 2017 / Ashanti Gold Corp. (TSX-V: AGZ) ("Ashanti" or the "Company")(OTC PINK: GULSF) is pleased to announce it has formed an Advisory Board to attract highly qualified and respected people in the mining industry to help the company advance its corporate development. The starting members of the Advisory Board are Henk Van Alphen and William Pincus. Mr. Van Alphen has had a long and successful career in the mining industry and has delivered exceptional value to the shareholders of his companies. Currently, Henk is CEO and Director of Wealth Minerals, a lithium exploration and development company with a large asset portfolio in Chile. Wealth has a substantial position in the Atacama Salar, developing a lithium project near to two operations that are the highest grade, lowest cost lithium producers globally and which account for 1/3 of global lithium production. Wealth was ranked #3 in Mining for the 2017 TSX Venture 50 Awards. Mr. Van Alphen was also a key player in such companies as Corriente Resources, Cardero Resources, Trevali Mining, Balmoral Resources, and International Tower Hill. During his career Van Alphen has raised and helped raise over $1bn in various financings. Mr. Pincus has over 40 years of industry experience. Most recently, Mr. Pincus was Chairman of Global Minerals Ltd., a company developing the Strieborna silver deposit in Slovakia. Prior to that he was Chairman of Esperanza Resources, which was acquired by Alamos Gold for a total value of $85M in 2013. His experience includes: Vice President of Sunshine Mining Company, overseeing the development of the 155-million-ounce Pirquitas silver deposit and Executive Vice President of the mining consulting firm, Pincock, Allen and Holt. Additionally, Mr. Pincus was a key player at FMC Gold (acquired by Meridian Gold) and Atlas Corporation where he was involved in the successful exploration and acquisition of various precious metal projects. He graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.A. in geology in 1975 and received an M.Sc. in geology and an M.Sc. in mineral economics in 1981 and 1986, respectively, from the Colorado School of Mines. He is a Certified Professional Geologist. Ashanti's CEO Tim McCutcheon said "We are very excited to have Mr. Van Alphen and Mr. Pincus join our advisory board. I take it as a vote of confidence in the quality of our projects and our approach to gold exploration. Drawing on these close relationships and their wealth of experience will be vital to Ashanti's aggressive advancement of our world-class assets." ABOUT ASHANTI GOLD Ashanti is a gold-focused, exploration and development company with projects in the northern Ashanti Belt of Ghana and the Kenieba Belt of Mali. The Company targets projects where it has a competitive advantage due to past work experience of the team and specific project know-how. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ASHANTI GOLD CORP. "Tim McCutcheon" Tim McCutcheon CEO For further information, please contact: Ashanti Gold Corp. 2300 - 1177 West Hastings Street Vancouver BC, V6E 2K3 Phone: 604-638-3847 Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis and filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. SOURCE: Ashanti Gold Corp. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Columbus Gold Corp. (TSX: CGT)(OTCQX: CBGDF) ("Columbus") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced bought deal offering of 8,000,000 common shares (the "Shares") of Columbus at a price of $0.63 per Share for gross proceeds to Columbus of $5,040,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering was completed pursuant to an underwriting agreement dated January 24, 2017 between Columbus and Beacon Securities Limited (the "Underwriter"). The Shares were offered by way of a short form prospectus filed in each of the provinces of Canada, except Quebec. In connection with the Offering, Columbus paid a commission equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the Offering and issued to the Underwriter 480,000 compensation options, equal to 6% of the Shares sold under the Offering. The proceeds of the Offering will be used to carry out an exploration drilling program at Columbus' Montagne d'Or gold project in French Guiana, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Robert F. Giustra, Chairman & CEO This release contains forward-looking information and statements, as defined by law including without limitation Canadian securities laws and the "safe harbor" provisions of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: the use of proceeds for the Offering; the ability to acquire necessary permits and other authorizations; environmental compliance; cost increases; availability of qualified workers and drill equipment; competition for mining properties; risks associated with exploration projects including, without limitation, the accuracy of interpretations; mineral reserve and resource estimates (including the risk of assumption and methodology errors and ability to complete the intended drilling program); the timing and content of upcoming work programs; dependence on third parties for services; non-performance by contractual counterparties; title and insurance risks; world gold market prices and general economic conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, including without limitation assumptions about: additional financing requirements of Columbus; that the actual use of proceeds from the Offering may differ from the expected use of proceeds described herein; market prices, exploitation and exploration success; that the design of the drill plan is appropriate for the site; the company's ability to carry out its intended business plan; general business and economic conditions; the timing and receipt of required approvals; continued availability of capital and financing; power prices; ability to procure equipment and supplies including, without limitation, drill rigs; and ongoing relations with employees, partners, optionees and joint venturers. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein. The foregoing list is not exhaustive, and Columbus undertakes no obligation to update any of the foregoing except as required by law. Contacts: Investor Relations (604) 634-0970 or 1-888-818-1364 info@columbusgold.com TORONTO, ON and HOUSTON, TX--(Marketwired - February 15, 2017) - Medgate Inc., the global leader in enterprise-grade, SaaS-based Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) management solutions announced today its acquisition of regAction Inc., a privately held environmental compliance management SaaS provider. Headquartered in Houston, regAction serves clients in heavy asset industries. regAction has deep expertise and an impressive roster of clients in chemicals, refining, public utilities, pipelines, terminal operations, exploration and production, oilfield services, and manufacturing. Around the world, companies in these industries face a growing array of regulatory challenges, resulting in increased risks and compliance management costs. regAction pioneered the automation of environmental data and compliance management through its scalable, resilient SaaS and mobile solution. This move is further evidence of Medgate's traction in transforming the EHS market. It comes on the heels of a significant strategic investment in Medgate last March led by Norwest Venture Partners. Medgate was targeted for this investment because of its top-tier client base, customer-centric culture, innovative enterprise-grade technology, and track record of profitable growth. "We welcome each of regAction's clients and talented employees to the Medgate family," said Mark Wallace, Medgate's CEO.""regAction and Medgate share the belief that EHS enables organizations to create a competitive advantage, while supporting environmental responsibility, compliance, and sustainability. Together, we offer the most comprehensive enterprise-grade EHS solution. I'm proud to say that our team -- with deep expertise across all aspects of EHS -- is unrivalled." "We are proud to join such a well-respected leader that is defining and delivering the next generation of EHS solutions," said Frank Ivoska, President and CEO, regAction. "Both Medgate and regAction have stellar reputations for innovation and, most importantly, for taking care of their customers. Our clients immediately recognized the benefits of joining forces with Medgate. They are excited to take advantage of Medgate's complementary Safety, Occupational Health, and Industrial Hygiene solutions." According to independent research and consulting firm, Verdantix, Environmental Compliance Management software makes up more than half of the EHS software market. "This deal with regAction is a clear step forward for Medgate, as they strive to become among the top providers of environmental compliance and information management software. Medgate is quickly moving to build on its leadership in IH/OH, and regAction's environmental compliance modules will be a good fit," stated Rodolphe D'Arjuzon, Managing Director, Verdantix. "I expect to see Medgate realise more deals to further accelerate its capabilities development. In this market environment where speed is of the essence the benefits of Norwest Venture Partners' investment last year are really coming through now." About regAction regAction is the original provider of EMIS SaaS and Enterprise Compliance Software. As an environmental, health and safety (EHS) software company, regAction is concerned with developing and maintaining long term relationships with their clients. About Medgate Medgate leverages its cutting-edge SaaS-based technology and broad EHS risk management solution to partner with organizations around the world to effect meaningful change in the way environmental, health, and safety is managed. Medgate stands by its customers as they attain performance goals, reduce EHS risks, enhance corporate productivity, and create a healthier workforce. The company has received many accolades for its strong employee culture and outstanding growth rate including recognition as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies, being named by Aon Hewitt as one of the Best Employers in Canada, and being awarded Best New Product of the Year by Environmental Protection. Media Contact: David Poole Product Marketing Manager Email contact IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Lip enhancement has become a popular treatment among many celebrities and the public. To keep up with demand, Irvine facial plastic surgeon Ali Sepehr, MD has expanded his selection of cosmetic injectables to include JUVEDERM VOLBELLA. This innovative dermal filler is FDA-approved to plump lips and soften fine lines around the mouth, something Dr. Sepehr says patients of all ages increasingly desire. The lips, like many other areas of the body, can change shape with time. Dr. Sepehr explains that the normal process of aging can thin lips, cause wrinkles, and reduce lip line definition. To combat these issues, he administers VOLBELLA into a series of targeted locations. Dr. Sepehr notes that VOLBELLA is intended for patients who are 21 years of age or older. Additionally, he recommends that individuals considering this treatment discuss their goals with a board certified facial plastic surgeon or another extensively trained and qualified injector for the best results. Dr. Sepehr says VOLBELLA injections can be completed in about 15-30 minutes, and many patients choose to have the procedure on their lunch break. Common side effects include mild bruising, swelling, and redness in the treated area, which Dr. Sepehr explains should subside quickly. He adds that most individuals can return to their regular schedule immediately after treatment. According to the manufacturer, VOLBELLA is comprised of hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in the body, and can last up to a year. Follow-up treatments can extend the effects, Dr. Sepehr explains, for patients who want the benefits to continue beyond this point. He says other dermal fillers may also be effective for lip enhancement, as well as more comprehensive facial rejuvenation, and these options can be discussed during the initial consultation. About Ali Sepehr, MD Certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery and fellowship-trained, Dr. Ali Sepehr is also a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He earned his medical degree at the University of California, Irvine and completed additional medical training at the University of Toronto School of Medicine. The recipient of numerous awards. Dr. Sepehr also dedicates much of his time to outreach programs, including the UCLA School of Medicine Mobile Clinic, the Salvation Army Mobile Clinic, and the Lennox High School Health Fair. He is available for interview upon request. For more information about Dr. Sepehr and his practice, please visit orangecountyfacialplasticsurgery.com and facebook.com/ocfacialplastics. To view the original source of this press release, click here: https://www.orangecountyfacialplasticsurgery.com/news/irvine-facial-plastic-surgeon-now-offering-juvederm-volbella-for-lip-enhancement Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3109651 The OC Center for Facial Plastic Surgery 16300 Sand Canyon Avenue Suite 201 Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 371-6963 Rosemont Media (858) 200-0044 www.rosemontmedia.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- PetroMaroc Corporation plc (TSX VENTURE: PMA) (the "Company" or "PetroMaroc") is pleased to announce that it has received final approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") in connection with the restructuring (the "Restructuring Transaction") of the Cdn $11.09 million principal amount of secured debentures (the "Debentures") of the Company. Accordingly, the Debentures were rolled into a new class of secured redeemable, debentures, issuable in series, with all principal and interest due and payable in full on January 31, 2018 (the "New Debentures"). The Series 1 New Debentures bear interest at the rate of 10% per annum and are convertible, at the option of the holder, into ordinary shares of the Company at a conversion price equal to $0.06 per share in the first 12 months of the term (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017) and $0.10 per share in the last month of the term (January 1, 2018 to January 31, 2018). The Series 2 New Debentures bear interest at the rate of 15% per annum, with no right to convert into ordinary shares of the Company. The Series 1 New Debentures and the Series 2 New Debentures shall bear an effective issue date of December 31, 2016, being the maturity date of the original Debentures. The Series 1 New Debentures and the Series 2 New Debentures shall rank pari passu with each other. In accordance with the terms of the New Debentures, the outstanding accrued interest and fees owing under the Debentures as at December 31, 2016 has been paid. The outstanding principal amount of the Series 1 New Debentures is Cdn $4,762,400 and the principal amount owing under the Series 2 New Debentures is Cdn $6,327,600. The New Debentures are subject to a four month hold period. The Series 1 New Debentures are convertible into an aggregate of 79,373,333 ordinary shares, assuming a conversion price of $0.06 per share. For terms of the Restructuring Transaction, please refer to the Company's press releases dated November 9, 2016, November 24, 2016 and January 19, 2017 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile. In addition, the Company wishes to announce that it has entered into a debt conversion agreement with certain arm's length creditors and certain non-arm's length creditors (the "Debt Conversion Agreement") of the Company to settle an aggregate of Cdn $205,297 of debt in consideration for the issuance of an aggregate of 2,606,941 ordinary shares of the Company at a deemed price of Cdn $0.07875 cents per ordinary share (the "Debt Settlement"). The shares for debt transaction constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") as insiders of the Company will receive 1,497,773 ordinary shares of the Company in connection with the Debt Settlement. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the shares for debt transaction with the insider does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the debt settlement, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances as the Company wishes to improve its financial position by reducing its accrued liabilities. The board and management of PetroMaroc believe that the proposed Debt Settlement is in the best interests of the Company because it allows the Company to preserve its funds for operations. The Debt Settlement will not create a new control person holding more than 20% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of the Company. The Debt Settlement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The ordinary shares issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory four month and one day hold period. About PetroMaroc PetroMaroc Corporation plc is an independent oil and gas exploration company. PetroMaroc holds a substantial share position in Sound Energy plc, and net profit interests in the Sidi Moktar licence (onshore Morocco), as a committed long-term partner to unlock the hydrocarbon potential of the Essaouira region. PetroMaroc is a public company and its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PMA. Additional information about the Company is available on the PetroMaroc website at www.petromaroc.co or under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: PetroMaroc Corporation plc Martin Arch Chief Financial Officer +44 (0) 20 3137 7756 DUBLIN, Feb 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Packaging Printing Market by Printing Ink, Printing Technology, Material, Application and Region - Global Forecast to 2026" report to their offering. The report projects that the packaging printing market size will grow from USD 115.13 Billion in 2015 to USD 192.75 Billion by 2026, at an estimated CAGR of 4.9%. The packaging printing market is expected to witness high growth as a result of the growing demand for suitable printing & increasing demand for packaging printing. This report has been segmented on the basis of printing ink, printing technology, material, application, and region. Food & beverages of the application segment is projected to be the fastest-growing in the packaging printing market during the forecast period, as it requires packaging for storage, handling, and transportation of food products & beverages. On the basis of printing inks, the aqueous ink segment is projected to grow at a higher rate in the forecast period due to its low cost, printability on various surfaces, and waterproof features. In terms of value, the flexography printing segment of printing technology is accounted for the largest market share and is projected to grow at a moderate CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to its ability to print images that are superior in quality and to withstand various climatic conditions. However, the digital printing sector of the printing technology segment constituted a moderate share in the packaging printing market; but is projected to grow at a higher rate during the forecast period as it is highly preferred for packaging printing in personal care & cosmetics products, because of aesthetic appeal facility to attract consumers at point-of-sale (POS). In terms of value, the labels of the material segment of packaging type is accounted for the largest market share and is projected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. This growth is due to its application in almost all types of packaging variables. Labels are the mostly used packaging type as they display product information, brand identification symbols, and transportation details during shipping. Under application, the food & beverage sector is projected to grow at a higher rate due to the high demand for food packaging and the growing trend of digital data printing on food packages to communicate the shelf-life, composition, and nutritional value of the product. In 2015, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for a higher share in the total market of packaging printing market, in terms of value, followed by Europe and North America, owing to manufacturers' focus on developing low-cost packaging printing options. However, as the packaging printing market in developed countries is getting matured, the markets in China and India are projected to grow at higher rates from 2016 to 2021. The Asia-Pacific region is projected to register the highest growth during the forecast period due to the region experiencing growing e-retail sales, coupled with a growing convenience packaging in the food industry. High initial capital investments has caused an unfavorable impact on the profitability of the printing industry. The global packaging printing market is dominated by players such as HP Inc. (U.S.), Xerox Corporation (U.S.), Toppan Printing co, Ltd. (Japan), Quad/Graphics Inc. (U.S.), Mondi plc (South Africa), i.e. Du Pont De Nemours and Company (U.S.), and Kodak Co. (U.S.). These players adopted various strategies such as new product launches, acquisitions, agreements & partnerships, and expansions to cater to the needs of the packaging printing market. Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview 6 Packaging Printing Market, By Printing Technology 7 Packaging Printing Market, By Material 8 Packaging Printing Market, By Application 9 Packaging Printing Market, By Printing Ink 10 Packaging Printing Market, By Region 11 Competitive Landscape 12 Company Profiles For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/mc3mbc/packaging 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 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 15 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in a phone conversation on his re-election as Turkmenistans president, the press service of Ukrainian president said in a message Feb. 15. The sides discussed the ways to intensify the political dialogue between the two countries, in particular, the organization of Turkmen presidents official visit to Ukraine in 2017. Special attention was attached to the intensification of economic cooperation. The two presidents agreed to hold soon the next meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission on economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Poroshenko and Berdimuhamedov also discussed the attraction of Ukrainian companies to implementation of infrastructure projects in Turkmenistan. The two sides also noted the importance of resuming the direct air traffic between Kyiv and Ashgabat. Turkmenistan is an important trade and economic partner of Ukraine in Central Asia. According to the Ukrainian side, trade turnover between Ukraine and Turkmenistan amounted to $143.64 million in 2016. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Agria Corporation ("Agria" or "the Company"), today issued the following statements regarding the delisting of its American Depositary Shares ("ADS" or "shares") from the New York Stock Exchange. Trading of the ADSs was suspended on November 3, 2016, and the shares were formally delisted on January 2, 2017. In consultation with management, legal counsel, and other advisors, the Company's Board of Directors is in the process of evaluating the merits and costs of the alternatives for trading of its shares. The alternatives span a wide range, from becoming a private company to relisting on other trading venues in the US or other jurisdictions. The Board is considering many variables during this process, but holds as its primary objective a decision that is in the best interests of shareholders. The Company intends to continue to communicate all material developments to its shareholders through normal channels, such as SEC filings and press releases. Unless and until the Company files a Form 15 with the SEC to terminate the registration of its securities and suspend its duty to file reports, the Company remains obligated to comply with all reporting obligations under SEC rules and regulations. The Company wants to emphasize that current shareholders' ownership rights are completely unchanged. All shareholders retain the full rights of ownership in Agria Corporation, including but not limited to the right to vote on any matters put to a shareholder vote, and the right to any dividends or other distributions made by the Company. Mr. Alan Lai, Executive Chairman of Agria, commented: "We appreciate our shareholders' patience as we weigh a number of conflicting factors that impact shareholders and chart the next course of action for our Company. Because the next steps will impact shareholders for some time, we are being deliberative and thorough in our decision-making process. I want to assure our shareholders that our highest priority is serving the best interests of the owners of the company. I am the largest shareholder of Agria, so the interests of our Board, management, and shareholders are tightly aligned." About Agria Corporation Agria is a global agricultural company with three principal business segments: Seed and Grain; Crop Protection, Nutrients and Merchandise; and Rural Services. The Seed and Grain segment is engaged in research and development, production and sale of a broad range of seed products and trading of seed and grain products globally. The Crop Protection, Nutrients and Merchandise segment operates an extensive chain of retail stores that supply farm input materials. The Rural Services segment provides livestock trading, wool trading, irrigation and pumping, real estate agency and other agriservices. For more information about Agria Corporation, please visit www.agriacorp.com. Safe Harbor Statement: This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements, including the management's commentary, are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Agria may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Agria's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those risks outlined in Agria's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this announcement unless otherwise stated and Agria does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Contact: The Blueshirt Group Asia Gary Dvorchak, CFA Phone (China): +86 (138) 1079-1480 Email: gary@blueshirtgroup.com United States Ralph Fong Phone: +1 (415) 489-2195 Email: ralph@blueshirtgroup.com BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 --New Colombia Resources, Inc. (OTC PINK: NEWC) ("New Colombia" or the "Company"), a Colombian company listed in the U.S. with premium metallurgical coal properties and medical marijuana operations, is pleased to announce that on Monday, February 13, 2017, they met with the local environmental agency (CAR) in Guaduas to accelerate the issuance of their environmental permit to begin rock and coal mining operations immediately. The Company was very pleased with the outcome of the meeting and anticipates a smooth transition from exploration to mining. The CAR expressed a desire expedite the environmental license quickly now that all protocols are met. Earlier this month the Company received notice approving the addition of Gravel to their Work Plan for coal, now they need a license from the environmental agency. They will be meeting again with the CAR next week to coordinate another site visit that leads to final approval. The Company is also meeting with road contractors to execute a purchase order to supply road material for this project. New Colombia Resources has spent the past several years gearing up for a major mining project in Guaduas. The project will begin with rock mining to supply gravel to the local Ruta del Sol, the largest road project in South America. This 1000 km highway system is complete except a 23 km stretch from Guaduas, 3 km from company property, to Villeta. The original plan for this stretch was changed due to conservation issues, then redesigned to interconnect through the area where the Company is setting up mining operations. Last month construction begun on the San Miguel Interchange which will connect the Ruta del Sol to the Company's property. During a surprise visit to the construction site by Colombia's Vice President Vargas, head of Colombia's infrastructure projects, he reported 34% of the project is complete and on schedule to be finished by May 2018. To see an article about his visit, go to http://www.eltiempo.com/economia/sectores/calzada-faltante-entre-villeta-y-guaduas/16798548 The 23 km being built consists of an 18 Km two lane highway and 5 km of tunnels and bridges which run through the company's mining concessions, which are 6 km from the San Miguel Interchange. The road contractor is obligated to build access roads from the Greenfields where New Colombia has their property to the Ruta del Sol. This is very beneficial to New Colombia since they will use these access roads to haul coal down to the Ruta del Sol. "I invite all shareholders to come down and see this operation. The benefit to our company is immeasurable since we will not only sell building material to build the roads, tunnels, and bridges, but we will use these to haul coal to export terminals next year. The government's redesigned road project saves our company an incredible amount of money on building haul roads adding value to our company," commented John Campo, President of New Colombia Resources. New Colombia Resources also reports payment of the taxes and insurance policy on their 1186-hectare mining concession, JJF-15481, that they plan to co-develop with interested parties they are negotiating with. The property runs 12 km parallel to the Ruta del Sol. To see the receipt of payment, visit https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxSKP5j2FlseOGg3Rzc5RmduQW8 The Company would also like to inform shareholders that they expect their 10K to be filed at any time and will be making significant announcements regarding their medical marijuana endeavors afterwards. On February 3, 2017, New Colombia received notice from the Agencia Nacional de Mineria (ANM) of the APPROVAL of the addition of Gravel to their existing approved Work Plan (PTO) for metallurgical coal. Use the link below to see the notice on ANM's website (see page 30, Contrato de Concession ILE-09551), https://www.anm.gov.co/sites/default/files/atencion_minero/estado_015_del_03_de_febrero_de_2017_bogota.pdf Now that the PTO has been approved, the company will begin negotiations with the road contractors in the area. Last year the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) announced the approval of the 23 Km that is needed to complete the 1000 Km Ruta del Sol road project, the largest in South America. Details of the Work Plan (PTO) include: Area to Develop: 57.7 hectares Proven Reserves: 1,999,791 cubic meters (cm3) Minerals to Extract: Gravel Exploitation Method: Open Sky Use of Explosives: Yes, 30% of minerals will be extracted with explosives Projected Annual Production: 250,000 cm3 Volume of Rock to be Removed: 2,646,094 cm3 Volume of Sterile Material to be Removed: 49,200 cm3 Project Life: 8 years Machinery to be Used: CAT D-9 Bulldozers, 7 tonne Dump Trucks, Rock Crushing Plant New Colombia has begun preparations to set up their wholly owned rock crushing plant on site to begin Gravel operations with a projected 1000 m3/day output. They may add another plant to satisfy local demand for building material. To see a financial model of their rock crushing operations visit, https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxSKP5j2FlseOFE5TVdReGRCUUE Use this link for a site visit report and Power Point Presentation of their rock crushing operation from an independent Colorado Geological firm, Exploration Services International, https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxSKP5j2FlseOFBMMTExY29fREk New Colombia Resources Inc. is a two-pronged company with not only premium coking coal but medical marijuana operations, two of the hottest sectors in today's market. The Company has a joint venture in Colombia, Sannabis, producing medical marijuana products since 2014. New Colombia has hired a production company in Miami and teamed up with a retired World Series MVP to begin marketing some of these products in the U.S. where legal. For a concise independent analysis of New Colombia Resources Inc. visit https://www.insiderfinancial.com/new-colombia-resources-inc-otcmktsnewc-continues-to-run-up-on-two-pronged-strategy/118133/ To view or purchase Sannabis products visit www.sannabis.co. Follow Sannabis on Facebook for photos and testimonials at https://www.facebook.com/sannabis.cannamedicinal New Colombia Resources, Inc. New Colombia Resources, Inc. owns vast reserves of premium metallurgical coal mining titles and a medical marijuana joint venture in the Republic of Colombia. They are setting up a rock mining operation to supply the major road and infrastructure projects within miles of their properties. They own 100% of La Tabaquera metallurgical coal mine in Colombia with an estimated 15- 17 million tonnes of reserves. They have an additional 1196 ha. metallurgical coal mining title that they are negotiating to develop with a foreign entity to build a coal fired power plant. New Colombia Resources holds a significant position in Sannabis SAS which legally produces medical marijuana products in the Republic of Colombia, visit www.sannabis.co. For more information on the Company visit www.newcolombiaresources.com Forward Looking Statements Forward Looking Statements; This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing works such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements might not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include financing, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations. New Colombia Resources, Inc. does not undertake any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements. Company/Media Contact: New Colombia Resources, Inc. John Campo President/Chairman (1)-410-236-8200 USA (57) 318-657-0918 Colombia jcampo@newcolombiaresources.com SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwired - February 15, 2017) - Today, Tech CU (Technology Credit Union) announced that its Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Banking Officer, Joe Anzalone, has joined the Housing Trust Board of Directors. Founded in 1998, the Housing Trust's mission is make Silicon Valley a more affordable place to live by supplying loans and grants to increase the supply of affordable housing, assist first-time home buyers, prevent homelessness and stabilize neighborhoods. As a 30-year Silicon Valley veteran, Anzalone brings to the Housing Trust Board a wide array of expertise as a commercial banking executive as well as an investor and advisor to emerging-growth technology companies. "We're thrilled to add Joe Anzalone to our board," said Kevin Zwick, the CEO of Housing Trust Silicon Valley. "As affordable housing continues to be an issue in Silicon Valley, it's more important than ever that we have the best and brightest minds working on a solution. Joe's expertise brings a much-needed additional layer to our board." Prior to joining Tech CU, Anzalone served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer at New Resource Bank in San Francisco where he was responsible for both the product and services strategy and market development. He also co-founded Allegiant Ventures. Anzalone's substantial banking experience includes 15 years at Silicon Valley Bank in a variety of executive positions. "I'm excited to have the opportunity to serve on the Housing Trust Silicon Valley's board. They have a critically important mission to fulfill and the challenges of addressing our sizable affordable housing issues is felt by everyone who chooses to call Silicon Valley their home. I cannot wait to work with the fine individuals of the Housing Trust to address this issue," said Anzalone. "I'd like to congratulate Joe for being selected to serve on the Housing Trust board," said Todd Harris, CEO of Tech CU. "One of our key values at Tech CU is giving back to the community, and it's great to see our leaders exemplify this value. Many of the cities in Silicon Valley are approaching the affordable housing challenge by focusing on multi-family solutions. Joe is very knowledgeable in this area and can make a real positive impact on these efforts." Anzalone received his bachelor's degree in commerce with a specialty in finance from Santa Clara University. To learn more about Housing Trust Silicon Valley, please visit: http://www.housingtrustsv.org/. ABOUT TECH CU Tech CU (www.techcu.com) is a $2.2 billion credit union serving more than 80,000 members throughout the San Francisco Bay Area -- including employees of such companies as Tesla, eBay, Applied Materials, Nvidia and Facebook. A federally insured, not-for-profit organization, we put the financial interests of our members ahead of shareholder profit by helping members achieve their financial goals on their terms and by sharing the benefits of our growth. Founded in 1960 by a group of forward-thinking employees at Fairchild Semiconductor, today we continue to be an industry leader, providing innovative financial products for all stages of our members' lives, including personal banking, wealth management, private banking, commercial lending and business banking. Tech CU consistently achieves high marks for its customer satisfaction and maintains a 5-star rating from Bauer Financial, the nation's largest independent rating service for financial institutions. And, with mobile and online banking, 65,000+ surcharge-free ATMs worldwide (more than Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo combined) and convenient branch access to our financial experts, Tech CU makes 24/7 banking easy and empowering. Contact: Linden Kohtz Public Relations (512) 964-3784 lkohtz@techcu.com OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- On February 13, 2017, a class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Utah against USANA Health Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: USNA). The complaint alleges violations of federal securities laws, Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, including allegations of issuing a series of material or false misrepresentations to the market which had the effect of artificially inflating the market price during the Class Period, which is March 14, 2014 through February 7, 2017. If you wish to discuss this action, obtain further information and participate in this or any other securities litigation, or should you have any questions or concerns regarding this notice or preservation of your rights, please contact: Robin Hester, FEDERMAN & SHERWOOD, 10205 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73120, Email to: rkh@federmanlaw.com Or, visit the firm's website at www.federmanlaw.com Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all USANA Health Sciences, Inc. shareholders who purchased common stock during the Class Period and are therefore a member of the Class as described above. You may move the Court no later than Friday, April 14, 2017 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the entire Class. However, in order to do so, you must meet certain legal requirements pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Robin Hester FEDERMAN & SHERWOOD 10205 North Pennsylvania Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73120 Email to: rkh@federmanlaw.com Or, visit the firm's website at www.federmanlaw.com MEMPHIS, TN -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Diversified Trust, an independent comprehensive wealth management firm with over $5 billion in client assets under management, announced today the promotion of nine senior professionals: Jennifer Callaway, as senior vice president in the firm's Nashville office; Brad Crawford, as principal in the firm's Memphis office; Carolyn Hicks, as vice president in the firm's Memphis office; Megan Mayhew, as vice president in the firm's Memphis office; Hadley Miller, as senior vice president in the firm's Memphis office; Jason Rich, as senior vice president in the firm's Nashville office; Max Rowland, as vice president in the firm's Atlanta office; Lindsay Youngbauer, as vice president in the firm's Nashville office; and Doug Turner, as principal in the firm's Nashville office. "We are pleased to recognize the promotion of nine accomplished colleagues for their dedication and commitment to our firm and our clients," said Sam Graham, CEO of Diversified Trust. "The growth of our senior staff recognizes these individuals' professional growth, advancement within the company, and unwavering commitments to our clients, and we are thrilled to reward them with well-deserved promotions." Jennifer Callaway Callaway serves as Associate Fiduciary Counsel for the firm. She works closely with the company's general counsel and senior fiduciary officer, and advises the trust and estate specialists in all of the company's offices on fiduciary administration processes and procedures. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio and a J.D. from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Tenn. She is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Middle Tennessee. Brad Crawford Crawford is the Chief Operating Officer for the company's Memphis office. He is a member of the company's Wealth Strategies Team. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration, summa cum laude, from the University of Mississippi, where he was awarded the prestigious Taylor Medal, the highest academic honor bestowed upon an Ole Miss student upon graduation. He also received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and completed the New York University program in Financial Planning and holds the CFP certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Carolyn Hicks Hicks works closely with the company's CEO and CFO and serves on the company's Business Management team. She also coordinates the company's human resources activities. Megan Mayhew Mayhew focuses on client account administration. She received a Bachelors in Business Administration from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Penn. Hadley Miller Miller provides client support to individuals, families and institutions as par to the firm's Relationship Management team. She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, cum laude, from Washington & Lee University. In addition, she completed the New York University program in Financial Planning and holds the CFP certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Jason Rich Rich serves as Senior Vice President of Information Technology and is a member of the company's Corporate Operations team. He is responsible for the management, architecture and oversight of the firm's information technology infrastructure and platforms. Rich is a veteran of the United States Navy. He received a Bachelor of Science in Management of Information Systems, summa cum laude, from American Intercontinental University. Max Rowland Rowland is a member of the Investment team at Diversified Trust. His responsibilities include financial and investment analysis, investment strategy implementation and management of client investment portfolios. Rowland received dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Economics and Business Administration from East Carolina University. He is currently a Level II CFA candidate. Lindsay Youngbauer Youngbauer focuses on portfolio management and client service for individuals. She joined Diversified Trust four years ago as an account manager in the company's Atlanta office. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Kennesaw State University, and she is currently the educational requirements for CFP certification. Doug Turner Turner serves as the company's Director of Operations, managing the firm's Operations team and overseeing client reporting, technology administration and third-party partnership. He has more than 20 years of combined experience in the investment management and healthcare industries. He received a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Finance from the University of Oregon. About Diversified Trust Diversified Trust is an independent comprehensive wealth management firm. Based in the Southeast, Diversified Trust is employee-owned with more than $5 billion of client assets under management. Its clients include individuals, multi-generational families, family offices, foundations, endowments and retirement plans. Diversified Trust has offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Greensboro, North Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; and Nashville, Tennessee. Contact information: Sarah Brawner DVL Seigenthaler Sarah.brawner@dvlseigenthaler.com 615-610-0323 The global sacral nerve stimulation marketis expected to grow at a CAGR of around 5% during the forecast period, according to Technavio's latest market research. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005059/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global sacral nerve stimulation market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) In this market research report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the globalsacral nerve stimulation (SNS) marketfor 2017-2021. The market is further categorized into two product segments consisting of implantable SNS devices and external SNS devices "The increasing incidence of urinary and bowel incontinence is driving market growth. The number of SNS procedures performed is expected to increase in developing countries due to rising awareness about these procedures and the physician exchange programs initiated by the governments of various countries," says Srinivas Sashidhar, a lead medical devices research expert from Technavio. Technavio's healthcare and life sciences research analysts segment the global sacral nerve stimulation market into the following regions: Americas EMEA APAC SNS market in Americas The US, Canada, and Brazil are the major revenue contributors in the Americas. The preference of SNS devices by surgeons for the MIS technique to treat bowel or bladder disorders like urinary incontinence, urinary retention, and high urinary frequency has been increasing over the last few years. Canada is the second-largest revenue contributing country in the region. This is due to increase awareness and strong distribution network, which enables market access. Brazil has specialty training centers where surgeons and other hospital or ASC staff are educated about MIS techniquesinvolving SNS devices. There is huge potential for market penetration of these devices in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Medical tourism in Brazil and Mexico has further increased the adoption rate of procedures involving SNS devices. Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=56513 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. SNS market in EMEA The region is witnessing a shift from conventional treatment options to the adoption of SNS devices in the recent years. Developed countries like France, Germany, and Italy have adopted these procedures, whereas Nordic countries like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have recently started adopting them. The frequent number of cases related to the sacral nerve are increasing due to post-operative issues and changes in lifestyle. There is a huge scope for SNS devices to penetrate the market due to the increase in demand for treatment using these devices in emerging countries like Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Tanzania, and Nigeria. "Growing public awareness and increasing number of MI procedures have created demand for these devices in EMEA. Moreover, the adoption of these devices in the Middle East is growing due to strong government support for healthcare institutions in procuring and using these devices," says Srinivas. SNS market in APAC The increasing number of hospitals and ASCs with high-quality infrastructure, the high prevalence of lifestyle diseases leading to chronic disorders, and the paradigm shift in surgeons with respect to the use of SNS devices are factors driving market growth. Countries like Australia and Japan have shown a significant increase in the adoption of SNS devices for treatment of bowel or urinary incontinence. This is attributed to factors like increasing physician preference and patient acceptance of treatment methods involving SNS devices. In China, India, and Japan, the preference for traditional treatment options like surgeries and anal plugs constrains the growth of the market. The promotional events organized by healthcare centers through various media about the benefits of these devices are increasing public awareness about SNS devices. Other major concerns include shortage of professionals with expertise about SNS devices and the high cost of devices. Key vendors: Medtronic is the single largest vendor in the market, and it has a presence in all the three regions. This is a monopolistic market dominated by Medtronic with a 100% market share. The company has two implantable SNS devices and one external SNS device. Browse Related Reports: Global Colonoscopy Devices Market 2017-2021 Global MRI Systems Market 2017-2021 Global Neurology Endoscopy Devices Market 2017-2021 Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like patient monitoring devicesurology devices, and vaccines. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170215005059/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com DUBLIN, Feb 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Research Report on China's Graphene Industry, 2017-2021" report to their offering. In China, graphene materials are generic names of graphene with no more than 10 layers of carbon atoms and relevant derivatives. In contrast, graphene materials with more than 10 layers of carbon atoms generally belong to graphite for the loss of high graphene performance. Many countries including Europe, the U.S.A. and Japan issued a series of policies supporting the development of the graphene industry. Transnational companies pay attention to the graphene market for the promotion of R&D together with application of graphene such as Dow Chemical Company, Samsung, IBM, General Motors, Xerox, Bayer and BASF. The graphene industry started due to the cost reduction and expanded downstream application in China. In recent years, the production costs decreased to 10% in 2016 of that in 2011 with the improvement of graphene processing technics. Graphene realizes the industrialized application in multiple fields such as energy storage materials, sensors, touch devices, conductive ink pastes and composite materials and is ready for mass volume. Meanwhile, graphene is sold for profits in some products of multiple front applications to be broke through such as lithium batteries conductive paste, heat conduction film, composite materials and flexible displays. According to market research, graphene manufacturers are generally medium and small scale enterprises mainly at the downstream of the industry chain. Meanwhile, the market is at its infancy while the development is rapid. Graphene enterprises released some products in fields such as touch screens, graphene lithium ion batteries and functional coatings to promote the development of this industry. For example, mass production of graphene is achieved in energy storage material fields including conductive agents and flexible displays. Meanwhile, graphene conductive agents are mainly applied in 3C and power battery field for higher charging speed of lithium iron phosphate battery. Large-scale application of graphene films developed by 2D Carbon is achieved in flexible touch screens with the sales revenue of more than CNY 10 million in 2015. Through this report, readers can acquire the following information: - Support Polices of Chinese Government on the Graphene Industry - Major Manufacturing Methods of Graphene in China - Forecast on Supply and Demand in China Graphene Industry - Major Downstream Application of Graphene Industry - Major Manufacturers of Graphene in China, 2013-2016 - Competition Status of Graphene Industry in China - Major Driving Forces and Market Opportunities in China Graphene Industry - Risks and Challenges in China Graphene Industry - Development Trend of China Graphene Industry, 2017-2021 Companies Mentioned - 2D Carbon (Changzhou) Tech Co., Ltd. - Beijing Graphene Holdings Co., Ltd. - Leaguer Stock Co., Ltd. - Qingdao Haoxin New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. - Qingdao Hua Gao Ink Polytron Technologies Inc - Qitaihe Baotailong Graphene Material Co., Ltd. - Shenzhen Beiterui New Energy Resources Material Co., Ltd. - The Sixth Element (Changzhou) Materials Technology Co., Ltd. - Xiamen G-CVD Graphene Technology Co., Ltd. - Xiamen Knano Graphene Technology Corporation Limited - Zhenjiang Browah Technology Co., Ltd. For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ss7w7s/research_report 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 WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, was in Winnipeg today to provide remarks at the 4th Annual CropConnect Conference, where he announced more than $2.27 M in funding for the crop sector. The federal government is investing nearly $675,000 to support the market development activities of Manitoba's crop sector. This includes support to the Canadian Special Crops Association to promote Canada's pulse and special crops to buyers in Canada and around the world. The CSCA funding will go towards marketing activities such as farm tours, industry-to-industry advocacy, market research, product promotion, education and events like the Pulses 2017: The Future of Food convention. The federal government is also supporting the Cereals Canada to develop and disseminate new promotional material for their Keep it Clean campaign, and to assist with producer and supply chain participation in international market development and missions, including New Crop Missions for wheat. In addition, the Minister announced support for 4 small- and medium-sized crop-related Manitoba food businesses to help them tap into new markets. These investments are part of the federal government's plan to help Canadian farmers expand their customer base, at home and internationally. Minister MacAulay also joined Manitoba Agriculture Minister Eichler to announce more than $1.6 million of joint provincial-territorial funding for eight research projects to deal with a wide range of issues facing Manitoba crop producers. Following the announcement, the two Ministers toured the CropConnect tradeshow to meet industry representatives. After the CropConnect conference, Minister MacAulay will take the opportunity to meet with the newly appointed commissioners of the Canadian Grain Commission, including Chief Commissioner Patti Miller, to discuss key priority areas for maintaining a competitive and efficient grain sector. Quotes "Canadian farmers produce the best crops in the world and our Government is committed to helping them develop new markets, both at home and abroad. The funding announced today will increase global demand for Canadian cereals, pulses and special crops, which will put more money in the pockets of our farmers, create good jobs and help grow the middle class." -- Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food "Growing demand in existing markets and creating new demand by delivering products that align with consumers' interest in healthy, sustainable and affordable foods are top priorities for the industry. AgriMarketing funding is central to our efforts to expand markets and to connect and collaborate with buyers, sellers and processors of pulses and special crops from around the world." -- Gordon Bacon, CEO of the Canadian Special Crops Association "The Keep it Clean - Cereals program and the New Crop Missions are tools to better connect farmers with their customers, both here at home and abroad. The funding helps increase understanding of what farmers can do to protect the Canadian brand and keep critical markets open while at the same time promoting the high value of Canadian cereals to our customers." -- David Hansen, Chair of the Board of Directors, Cereals Canada Quick Facts -- The federal government funding is made through the federal Agri- Marketing program, which is aimed at improving the agriculture, agri- food and agri-based products sector's competitiveness in domestic and international markets. -- The federal contribution to the Canadian Special Crops Association (CSCA) is $341,975. -- In 2017, the CSCA will co-host the largest annual event for the global pulses industry, Pulses 2017: The Future of Food convention in Vancouver. -- Canada is the largest exporter of pulses in the world, exporting 6.2 million metric tonnes of pulses and special crops worth over $4.5 billion, in 2015. -- The federal contribution to the Cereals Canada is $205,240. -- Canada exported over 24 million metric tonnes of wheat in 2015, bringing in $8 billion. -- The federal government is contributing $126,000 for the marketing activities of 4 small- and medium-sized Manitoba food businesses. -- The $1.6 M of cost-shared funding is made as part of Growing Forward 2, a federal, provincial-territorial agreement. The specifics of these investment can be found on the government of Manitoba website here Additional links Growing Forward 2 (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) AgriMarketing Program (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) Canadian Special Crops Association Cereals Canada Canadian Grain Commission Appointment Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada Like us on Facebook: CanadianAgriculture Contacts: Guy Gallant Director of Communications Office of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay 613-773-1059 Media Relations Agriculture and Agri Food Canada Ottawa, Ontario 613-773-7972 1-866-345-7972 Gordon Bacon Chief Executive Officer Canadian Special Crops Association 204-925-4455 David Hansen Chair of the Board of Directors Cereals Canada 204-988-9750 Industry bellwethers attend annual gathering; mobile measurement pioneer releases landmark Unified Audience Platform, a suite of products serving the comprehensive needs of the app ecosystem. SANDPOINT, Idaho, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Kochava (www.kochava.com), the leading provider of app analytics, attribution and optimization for connected devices, begins their fourth annual Kochava Mobile Summit today through February 17 and announces the release of the Unified Audience Platform, an all-encompassing toolset giving marketers real-time curation of their campaigns with unparalleled granularity and data fidelity. "Beyond the riggers managing their campaigns for top performance, marketers are faced with a fragmented and crowded ecosystem when choosing technology providers to support their teams. With the release of our Unified Audience Platform, we have streamlined all aspects of the process, offering deeply integrated, end-to-end campaign management solutions in one place," said Charles Manning, CEO of Kochava. New product pipeline and ad transparency The Unified Audience Platform (UAP) from Kochava offers marketers the most comprehensive and flexible platform for digital campaign management available in the marketplace. It eliminates the inefficiencies, stability concerns and complexity of mining disparate companies for the various tools necessary to execute and manage campaigns, including precise analysis of ad spend and engagement, all in one location, with one SDK. The Unified Audience Platform puts marketers first The UAP is the only tool in the ad tech space that hosts all the necessary elements to Plan, Target, Measure, Activate and Optimize for holistic campaign management. Plan using the UAP's Media Guide, a one-stop shop to research mobile marketing partners, essentially a "Yelp for mobile advertising." Kochava marketers can research, filter and access more than 2,700 network and publisher integrations by any desired criteria. Target using the Kochava Collective, the world's largest mobile data marketplace, providing marketers with access to over 700 million unique device IDs and enabling them to extend their reach in targeting their ideal audience across a mix of high-performing media partners. Measure with the industry's most robust set of tools benchmarked by our industry-leading multi-dimensional Analytics to dictate all campaign-based decisions. Omnichannel views and customized filters are made simple thanks to the new Kochava Web SDK which tracks every click across platforms and devices. Pinpoint ROI and make confident decisions with the previously released True LTV and Ad Cost products. Marketers Activate their data by setting up real-time campaign performance notifications and bringing critical metrics to decision makers with Alerting. Optimize by using Traffic Verifier and the What if? tool. The Kochava data science team has been identifying fraud since 2015. Now, marketers can better protect and control their traffic with Traffic Verifier, a real-time fraud abatement tool that combats ad fraud tactics such as click stuffing and ad stacking. The What if? tool allows marketers to replay historic campaign data and media traffic in a virtual time machine to understand the impact of adjusting attribution settings or changes to their media mix to maximize their future media spend. New offices, new partners Bucking industry trends with five years of profitable operation, Kochava has become the reliable standard in measurement, utilized by the largest digital advertisers across all industry verticals. The continued success of their platform has led to expansion of their operations and personnel at their headquarters in Sandpoint, Idaho and internationally in China and Ireland last year, adding to their existing offices in Singapore, South Korea and France. The company has sustained 300% annual growth allowing for aggressive investment in product development that solves and simplifies the most vexing challenges marketers face in today's interconnected, cross-device, multi-channel world. About Kochava Kochava (www.kochava.com) offers a unique, holistic and unbiased analytics platform to plan, target, measure, activate and optimize media spend. The Kochava platform for mobile and connected devices combines potent features and global coverage with thousands of network and publisher integrations, allowing marketers to target audiences and measure campaign performance with precision. Real-time customizable visualizations give users fluid access to a full spectrum of data points, providing robust segmentation capabilities and real-time actionability. Yielding the most powerful tools in the ecosystem, Kochava is chosen by brands across industry verticals to measure the largest and most sophisticated ad campaigns. Follow Kochava on social media: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Media Contact: Jeremy Grimm, Director of Communications and PR +1-208-946-9944 jgrimm@kochava.com Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458978/Kochava_Logo.jpg OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, invites media to attend the launch of Winterlude's first Ice Dragon Boast Festival on Saturday. Members of the media should note that registration from Canadian Heritage is required to access Winterlude's official sites and closed streets with a vehicle. Since parking is limited at Dows Lake, media representatives are asked to R.S.V.P. by sending an email to pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca by 2:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 16, 2017. Please see the attached backgrounder for further details. Please note that all details are subject to change. All times are local. The details are as follows: DATE: Saturday, February 18, 2017 TIME: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PLACE: Rideau Canal Skateway (Dows Lake) Ottawa, Ontario Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. BACKGROUNDER Members of the media are reminded that registration from Canadian Heritage is required to access official sites and closed streets by vehicle throughout the festivities. If you have not registered, please do so by sending an email to pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca by 2:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 16, 2017, with the following information: -- Name -- Cellular phone number -- Type of vehicle -- Licence plate number Official media passes are available upon presentation of your identification at the Parliamentary Press Gallery at 150 Wellington Street in Ottawa from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. Media parking is available on Queen Elizabeth Driveway (see Annex 1), and media representatives are asked to access the Driveway via Preston Street. As this event is taking place on the Rideau Canada Skateway, non-slip footwear is recommended. Contacts: 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 Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Feb. 15 By Demir Azizov Trend: Takehiko Nakao, the president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), plans to visit Uzbekistan in late February - early March 2017, the ADBs Tashkent office told Trend. Sadiq Safayev, first deputy chairman of the Senate of the Uzbek Parliament, and Hong Wei, deputy director general of the Central and West Asia Department at the ADB, discussed the issues of the preparation for the visit, the ADB office said. Sadiq Safayev and Hong Wei discussed priority areas of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the ADB, according to the press service of the Uzbek Senate. At the same time, ADB representative stressed the importance of further strengthening the relations between the bank and Uzbekistan. Since Uzbekistan joined ADB in 1995, the country has received over $5 billion in loans and nearly $62 million in technical assistance grants. ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump's nominee for White House budget director cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Wednesday, but reports suggest he may not have the votes needed to be confirmed. The Senate voted 52 to 48 to limit debate on Congressman Mick Mulvaney's, R-S.C., nomination as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The vote came down strictly along party lines, with every Senate Republican voting to move the nomination forward. However, Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., told CNN he is 'leaning against' voting to confirm Mulvaney amid concerns about his views on defense spending. Senators Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, are also undecided about confirming Mulvaney, according to CNN. With Democrats expected to unanimously oppose Mulvaney, he will need the support of at least one of the GOP Senators to be confirmed in a vote scheduled to be held Thursday morning. If two of the Senators decide to vote against confirming Mulvaney, Vice President Mike Pence would once again need to be brought in to break the 50-50 tie. 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. CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has suspended the licences of all Lexin wells, facilities, and pipelines, requiring the company to cease all production. Lexin has failed to comply with multiple orders, lacks sufficient staff to manage its more than 1600 sites, and owes more than $1 million in orphan fund levies and administrative fees and more than $70 million in security for its end of life obligations. Repeated attempts by the AER to bring the company into compliance have failed. As a result, the AER has little confidence in Lexin's ability to conduct its operations safely and is taking measures to prevent increasing public safety, environmental, and financial risk. AER licensees with working interests in any of Lexin's AER-licensed operations are required to secure, shut in, and provide emergency and incident response at those sites. The AER has directed the Orphan Well Association (OWA) to provide care and custody of Lexin sites. Today, the AER has issued an environmental protection order against Lexin and LR Processing Ltd., an affiliated entity, requiring them to address environmental concerns at the Mazeppa sour gas plant. On August 9, 2016, the AER ordered Lexin and LR Processing to suspend the Mazeppa gas plant and related infrastructure. Lexin may only resume operations at its AER-licensed properties if the AER provides written approval to do so and will be subject to any terms or conditions the AER deems necessary. The AER has been advised that equipment has been removed from AER-licensed Lexin properties and has sought a court order to stop this from happening. On February 14, 2017, the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta issued an interim order prohibiting removal of equipment from Lexin's AER-licensed sites, subject to review of the order by the court on February 17, 2017. If anyone has information about the removal of Lexin equipment over the past six months, please contact the AER's 24-hour emergency and complaint line at 1-800-222-6514. Copies of the closure order, environmental protection orders, and court order can be found on the AER's Compliance Dashboard. The Alberta Energy Regulator ensures the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of hydrocarbon resources over their entire life cycle. This includes allocating and conserving water resources, managing public lands, and protecting the environment while providing economic benefits for all Albertans. Backgrounder Action against Lexin Resources Ltd. The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has suspended the AER licences of all Lexin wells (1,380), facilities (81), and pipelines (201) requiring the company to cease all production. The order has been issued as a result of the AER's concerns about Lexin's ability to responsibly carry out its obligations as a licensee in light of the following: -- Number of outstanding noncompliances -- Failure to comply with AER-issued orders, including directions to address substance releases -- Failure to prove to the satisfaction of the AER that it has a valid entitlement to the right to produce or access select sites -- Admission by Lexin that it is unable to provide "proper health and safety overview and measures for (its) sour wells" -- Limited number of employees -- Failure to pay its proportionate share of both of the 2016 orphan fund levies -- Failure to pay its 2016 administration fee -- Failure to pay its licensee liability rating security deposit Closure order Closure orders, including corporate-wide closure orders, are an available regulatory tool used in escalating enforcement. The closure will impact 1,380 wells, 81 facilities, and 201 pipeline licences located within the Midnapore, Red Deer, Drayton Valley, Medicine Hat, Grande Prairie, and Bonnyville field centre boundaries. The AER will grant site access to Lexin's working interest participants to ensure sites are properly shut in. The Lexin sites that do not have working interest participants have been designated as orphans for suspension purposes. The Orphan Well Association (OWA) will secure the sites and provide emergency and incident response. The AER will consider the transfer of Lexin licences to parties that meet AER transfer requirements, including mineral and surface interests. Environmental protection order The environmental protection orders name the directors of Lexin as persons in direct or indirect control at the time of the failures and lay out what is required to address the substance release and protect against further releases. Compliance history -- The AER issued a section 106 declaration naming Lexin directors Michael J. Smith, Jasmina Cezek, and Rob Jennings on January 19, 2017, finding that they were persons in direct or indirect control at the time of the failures, and requiring them to comply with AER orders and pay the debt owed. -- On October 25, 2016, Order No. 201610-03 required Lexin to address a hydrocarbon spill at a sour gas facility. Lexin has not complied with this order. -- On June 15, 2016, Order No. 201606-02 required Lexin to remove bags of spent catalyst. Lexin has not complied with this order. -- On August 9, 2016, Order No. 201608-01 required Lexin to suspend operations at the Mazeppa Facility. Lexin has partially complied with this order. -- Effective June 30, 2016, Lexin laid off all but six people to manage their entire operations, which include more than 1660 licenses. -- In August 2016, the AER issued closure and abandonment orders against Lexin for expired surface rights (3 wells) and mineral rights (24 wells). Lexin has not complied with these orders. -- Lexin has failed to pay $1,188,910.66 for 2016 orphan fund and annual administration levies. The AER has collected $112,659.48 from third parties from garnishment activities. -- As of February 2017, Lexin owes $70,101,618.98 in security deposit under the AER liability management program. -- In correspondence dated January 31, 2017, Lexin advised the AER that it was unable to provide "proper health and safety overview and measures for (its) sour wells" beyond February 15, 2017. -- Despite AER correspondence directing Lexin not to remove equipment from any sites, AER staff are investigating allegations that equipment is being removed. Removal of equipment Pursuant to AER requirements and the corporate closure order, and supported by the February 14 interim court order, no one may remove equipment from a site without AER consent or permission from the court. If they do, that person may be held responsible for the conservation and reclamation of lands. To ensure personal safety and minimize risk to the environment, equipment may only be removed by authorized parties in accordance with AER requirements once suspension or abandonment work has been completed. Suspended wells A suspended well is a well that is no longer being operated to produce oil or gas, inject fluids, or dispose of waste and that meets public safety and environmental protection requirements set out in Directive 013. To suspend a well, an operator must take steps to ensure that the well poses no risk to the public and environment while it is inactive, and then inform the AER that the well has been suspended. Abandoned wells Wells are abandoned when they are no longer needed for energy development, having reached the end of their economic life or because a licensee's mineral lease has expired. Wells are considered abandoned when they meet the requirements of Directive 020: Well Abandonment. After many decades of energy development, abandoned wells are common in Alberta. Today there are about 170,000 in Alberta, representing about 37 per cent of all wells in the province. Through Directive 020, the AER has set requirements for environmental protection and public safety in areas around abandoned wells to ensure that the well is in a safe and secure state and that energy operators can continue to manage any risks. While abandoned wells do not place the environment or public at significant risk, leaks are possible. If an abandoned well begins to leak, the licensee must notify the AER immediately. The licensee is responsible for repairing the leak. Orphan wells The OWA manages the suspension and abandonment of orphaned energy wells, facilities, and pipelines, and reclaims the associated sites. The OWA is funded by two annual industry levies. The orphan fund levy amounts are based on the estimated cost of suspension, abandonment, and reclamation activities for the upcoming fiscal year. Contacts: Cara Tobin AER Public Affairs 403-297-2252 cara.tobin@aer.ca Media line: 1-855-474-6356 MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- TECSYS Inc. (TSX: TCS) will release its financial results for the third quarter ended January 31, 2017 after the market close on February 28, 2017. TECSYS' President and CEO, Mr. Peter Brereton, and Mr. Berty Ho-Wo-Cheong, Vice President, Finance and Administration and CFO, will host a conference call on March 1 at 8:30 a.m. EST to present and discuss the results with the analysts. Subject: Q3 FY2017 Results Conference Call Date: March 1, 2017 Time: 8:30 a.m. EST Phone number: (416) 359-3128 or (800) 698-9012 The call can be replayed by calling (416) 626-4100 or (800) 558-5253 (access code: 21846834). About TECSYS TECSYS provides transformative supply chain solutions that equip our customers to succeed in a rapidly-changing omni-channel world. TECSYS solutions are built on a true enterprise supply chain platform, and include warehouse management, distribution and transportation management, as well as complete financial management and analytics. Customers running on TECSYS' Supply Chain Platform are confident knowing they can execute, day in and day out, regardless of business fluctuations or changes in technology, they can adapt and scale to any business needs or size, and they can expand and collaborate with customers, suppliers and partners as one borderless enterprise. From demand planning to demand fulfillment, TECSYS puts power into the hands of both front line workers and back office planners, and unshackles business leaders so they can see and manage their supply chains like never before. TECSYS is the market leader in supply chain solutions for health systems and hospitals. Over 600 mid-size and Fortune 1000 customers trust their supply chains to TECSYS in the healthcare, service parts, third-party logistics, and general wholesale high-volume distribution industries. TECSYS' shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TCS. The statements in this news release relating to matters that are not historical fact are forward looking statements that are based on management's beliefs and assumptions. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties, including but not limited to future economic conditions, the markets that TECSYS Inc. serves, the actions of competitors, major new technological trends, and other factors beyond the control of TECSYS Inc., which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. More information about the risks and uncertainties associated with TECSYS Inc.'s business can be found in the MD&A section of the Company's annual report and annual information form for the fiscal year ended April 30th, 2016. These documents have been filed with the Canadian securities commissions and are available on our website (www.tecsys.com) and on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Copyright TECSYS Inc. 2017. All names, trademarks, products, and services mentioned are registered or unregistered trademarks of their respective owners. Contacts: Solutions and general info: info@tecsys.com Investor relations: steve.li@tecsys.com (514) 866-5800 ext. 4120 Media relations: media@tecsys.com TECSYS Inc. (514) 866-0001 or (800) 922-8649 - Mesh Network Alerts and Peer-to-peer Technology Help Enable Potentially Lifesaving Messages and Weather Notifications - First Available via The Weather Channel App in Emerging Markets ATLANTA, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --IBM (NYSE: IBM) and The Weather Company, an IBM Business, today introduced new Mesh Network Alerts technology that provides a mobile method of communicating with underserved populations in developing countries to notify of potential severe weather events or disasters -- even in areas with limited Internet connection, or cellular networks are disrupted due to an outage. Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468608/The_Weather_Channel_home_screen_India.jpg Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/95470/ibm_logo.jpg Developed by IBM researchers, the breakthrough mesh technology will be available soon via The Weather Channel app in emerging markets. The app will use peer-to-peer connections within the mesh network to send alerts to individuals via their smartphone devices. The mesh network technology links other nearby phones to extend the signal to help keep citizens connected and informed, and in the most severe conditions, might even help save a life. Mesh Network Alerts technology is particularly crucial in emerging markets, as well as in developed countries where cellular networks are congested, connectivity is intermittent and data access is often limited. As a result, the ability to alert and inform people during emergency situations is unreliable, which can have dire consequences. "The combination of the innovative Mesh Network Alerts and global reach of The Weather Channel mobile app can help deliver a new level of emergency awareness to underserved populations," said Bijan Davari, IBM Fellow and vice president, next generation computing systems and technology, IBM Research. "We're proud to be able to quickly offer a critical and potentially lifesaving capability to hundreds of millions of people around the world." The new Mesh Network Alerts will be available first as an update coming soon to The Weather Channel App for Android devices in emerging markets across Asia, Latin America and Africa. This app, available now in the Google Play Store, was researched, designed and recently launched specifically for emerging markets. It's optimized for low bandwidth environments, but offers the same high-quality user experience and needed weather information, maps and alerts from The Weather Channel. "IBM once again shows its leadership in edge computing capabilities, and this next important milestone will help bring the value of edge compute to life. Mesh Network Alerts extend the ability to receive a potentially lifesaving alert to a global audience, even with limited connectivity," said Cameron Clayton, general manager and CEO of The Weather Company. "With IBM collaboration, investment and research, we can now reach users in previously underserved areas and better deliver the information they need." How it works: The power of a peer-to-peer community Peer-to-peer networking has boundless potential for communities and across industries. As part of The Weather Channel app, it can help notify a mother in India before forecasted thunderstorms approach where her children play, or it can inform a small business owner in Peru of incoming heavy rainfall before preparing inventory. The team behind the app is actively working with national meteorological services around the world to help broadcast government-issued severe weather alerts even if a country's existing infrastructure has been affected. Usually, a government-issued message is broadcast via cell tower to all devices within its range. When that network goes down, however, so does the ability to send alerts. Peer-to-peer technology converts mobile devices into links within the mesh network, allowing devices to "talk" directly to each other without using cell tower infrastructure. Each smartphone becomes a node that stores the message and passes it to the next nearest device, creating a daisy chain to reach more devices and remove the need for a cellular network. While other mesh networks use hotspotting, IBM and The Weather Company chose not to turn devices into individual access points to avoid excessive battery drain. Mesh Network Alerts work entirely within the app, using devices connected to Bluetooth or WiFi to communicate with other smartphones nearby that are not connected via data or to a cell network. It works off the grid in remote areas, large crowds or disaster zones, but scale is crucial. Mobile or Internet signals slow down or stop when more users overload the network, but mesh networks actually improve with more people. At these times, a larger amount of smartphones helps the mesh network move a message along. Individual devices become part of the solution. Other companies are experimenting with drones or balloons to expand connectivity, but IBM offers a solution using devices already in market on a network already at scale. The Weather Channel App for Android - a New App for Emerging Markets Peer-to-peer technology is more effective with large numbers, such as could be available on The Weather Channel App, the world's most downloaded weather app. This new version of the app is now available on Android, the dominant platform for emerging markets, and has replaced The Weather Channel App for Android flagship app in the Play Store within 42 countries. Data is precious to users in emerging markets, and a large app can be prohibitively expensive to download. To help customers make decisions and stay safe through all types of weather, this app provides industry-leading weather data, forecasts, and notifications, but at a significantly reduced size. While other publishers create lighter apps by watering down app content, The Weather Channel focused on design choices to slim down its app, proving a lighter app does not mean less value to users. To understand customers in emerging markets, the team met with local users for in-depth research. Top concerns that surfaced globally include app performance on lower-end smartphones, unreliable or low-speed connections, and expensive data plans. To help solve these problems, The Weather Channel has created an app that uses less data, downloads easily, and loads quickly. At only 3.2 MB, the app can store weather data offline for up to 24 hours and offers user-selected options of whether to update on WiFi, cellular or on request. These changes result in high performance on 2G and 3G connections, launching in seconds on 2G! With reduced file size and bandwidth usage, many of the innovations piloted in this app are planned to make their way into The Weather Channel App for Android flagship later this year as well. Walking the Walk on Global Growth Since purchasing The Weather Company in 2016, IBM has invested to advance Weather's efforts to reach and help keep safe every mobile user on the planet. For example last year, the weather.com site expanded availability to 62 languages, 178 countries and across data availability (4G, 3G and 2G). The Weather Channel also launched global weather forecast notifications on mobile web to provide severe weather information in areas around the world with limited access to real-time notifications. The Weather Company weather platform provides information in almost every country and for 2.2 billion locations worldwide. By combining its massive scale, accuracy in weather and location data, and unique alerting capabilities, The Weather Company can help consumers protect themselves when they need it most. By expanding globally, The Weather Company will be able to provide the most actionable weather data to every user, despite location, device, connection or data plan, so citizens everywhere can stay safe and prepared in the face of weather. For more information on Mesh Network Alerts and The Weather Channel App, visit www.weather.com/meshnetworkalerts. For more information about IBM's IoT Research, please visit:http://ibm.biz/iot-research. The Weather Company, an IBM Business The Weather Company, an IBM Business, is the world's largest private weather enterprise, helping people make informed decisions -and take action -in the face of weather. The company offers the most accurate, personalized and actionable weather data and insights to millions of consumers and thousands of businesses via Weather's API, its business solutions division, and its own digital products from The Weather Channel (weather.com) and Weather Underground (wunderground.com). Weather's portfolio includes the fourth most-downloaded app and a top weather app on all major mobile platforms globally; the world's largest network of personal weather stations; a top-20 U.S. website; the seventh most data-rich site in the world; one of the world's largest IoT data platforms; and industry-leading business solutions. Weather Means Business'. The world's biggest brands in aviation, energy, insurance, media, and government rely on The Weather Company for data, technology platforms and services to help improve decision-making and respond to weather's impact on business. For more, visit www.theweathercompany.com. Melissa Medori The Weather Company, an IBM Business melissa.medori@weather.com 770-226-2191 Chris Andrews IBM Research candrews@us.ibm.com JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - Signaling a potential shift in longstanding U.S. policy, President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that a two-state solution is not necessary to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump indicated he would support a solution that the two sides can agree upon. 'I'm looking at two state and one state. And I like the one that both parties like,' Trump said. 'I'm very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one.' Previous administrations have called for the creation of a Palestinian nation alongside Israel as an important part of the peace process. Responding to a question about the two-state solution, Netanyahu said he was focused on substance rather than labels. Netanyahu reiterated his position that a peace deal would require Palestinians to recognize the Jewish state and for Israel to retain overriding security control over the West Bank. The prime minister's visit to the White House comes as Trump looks to improve relations with Israel, which become strained under President Barack Obama. Trump and Netanyahu signaled common ground on preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and combating the rising tide of radical Islam. However, in a potential area of disagreement, Trump suggested he would like to see Israel hold back on settlement construction. 'I'd like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit,' Trump told Netanyahu. 'We'll work something out, but I would like to see a deal be made.' (Photo: Gage Skidmore) Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Top Senate Republicans are urging the White House to withdraw fast food executive Andrew Puzder's nomination as Labor Secretary, according to a report from CNN. Citing a senior GOP source, CNN said at least four and as many as twelve Republicans intend to vote against Puzder's nomination. The report comes a day before Puzder is due to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Previous reports had indicated Republican Senators Susan Collins, R-Maine, Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Tim Scott, R-S.C., were withholding their support for Puzder. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he was encouraged Republicans are starting to agree with his assessment that there is no worse pick for Labor Secretary than Puzder. 'He does not belong anywhere near the Labor Department, let alone at the head of it,' Schumer said. 'Puzder's disdain for the American worker, the very people he would be responsible for protecting, is second to none.' Democrats and labor groups have been critical of Puzder's opposition to the Obama administration's proposal to expand overtime pay as well as his views on raising the minimum wage. Puzder, who currently serves as CEO of CKE Restaurants, Inc., the parent of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, has also come under pressure amid revelations he once employed an undocumented immigrant as a housekeeper. While Puzder said he immediately ended the woman's employment after learning of her status and paid back taxes, similar revelations have derailed other Cabinet nominations. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil prices inched lower Wednesday, holding in a stubborn trading range after government data confirmed U.S. inventories at record highs. With U.S. firms ramping up production, the major storage facilities are jam packed with extra barrels of oil. The Energy Information Administration said U.S stockpiles rose 9.5 million barrels last week, confirming an industry report late Tuesday. Total inventories are at an all-time peak of 518.12 million barrels, while gasoline stocks also touched a record. WTI light sweet crude oil for March settled down 9 cents at $53.11. Prices have hugged $53 for the past month. OPEC says it has achieved 93% compliance with supply quotas as part of a deal with Russia. 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. Rahlat.com reveals its hotel & flights booking Android and iOS applications STOCKHOLM, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Rahlat.com unveiled its mobile applications which operate under the Android and iOS systems earlier this month; the applications that target phone and tablet device users in the Middle East and Gulf regions. The company's applications aim at serving Arab travelers everywhere by comparing hotel and flight ticket prices through a single outlet in Arabic and English languages. Rahlat.com is growing rapidly in popularity among travelers with increasing number of users who are looking forward to get their flight tickets and hotel rooms to the lowest price. According to the company's primary statistics, more than 60,000 users have downloaded both applications so far. Users originate from many Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. In addition, Rahlat.com expects more than 200,000 application downloads before the end of the current year. Rahlat CEO, Elie Messo mentioned that the company's mobile applications are user friendly and easy to navigate as they only require entering the simplest of details, such as dates, number of adults and children, as well as destination. Search takes place with a single click for the application to list a wide range of hotel and flight choices in Arabic language at the best prices. Furthermore, this easy-to-use booking process is greatly experienced in both iOS and Android applications, which saves time and money through an efficient search engine that compares hotel and flight ticket prices across a huge number of websites. Out of the company's responsibility to position Arab travelers on top of its priority list, Rahlat.com already provides chat support in Arabic and English on its website (www.rahlat.com), the service that will be soon available in the mobile apps too. Users can easily find Rahlat.com applications through separate links for both Android and iOS: Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.atlastravelengine.rahlat iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/se/app/rahlat.com-tyran-w-fnadq-rkhyst/id1083903329?mt=8 Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/468650/Rahlat_Logo.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Treasuries moved to the downside during trading on Wednesday, extending the downward trend seen over the past several sessions. Bond prices came under pressure early in the session and remained stuck in the red throughout the day. Subsequently, the yield on the benchmark ten-year note, which moves opposite of its price, rose by 3.2 basis points to 2.502 percent. The continued weakness among treasuries came following the release of a slew of economic data, including a Commerce Department report showing stronger than expected retail sales growth in the month of January. The Commerce Department said retail sales increased by 0.4 percent in January following an upwardly revised 1.0 percent jump in December. Economists had been expecting sales to inch up by 0.1 percent compared to the 0.6 percent increase originally reported for the previous month. Excluding a drop in auto sales, retail sales climbed by 0.8 percent in January after rising by 0.4 percent in December. Ex-auto sales were expected to increase by 0.5 percent. A separate report from the Labor Department showed that consumer prices increased by much more than expected in the month of January. The Labor Department said its consumer price index climbed by 0.6 percent in January after rising by 0.3 percent in December. Economists had expected prices to rise by another 0.3 percent. Core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy prices, rose by 0.3 percent in January after edging up by 0.2 percent in the previous month. Core prices had been expected to show another 0.2 percent uptick. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve released a report showing an unexpected drop in industrial production in the month of January, with the decrease reflecting a sharp pullback in utilities output. The Fed said industrial production dipped by 0.3 percent in January after climbing by a revised 0.6 percent in December. Economists had expected production to come in unchanged. A report from the National Association of Home Builders also unexpectedly showed a continued decrease in U.S. homebuilder confidence in the month of February. The report said the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index dropped to 65 in February from 67 in January. The decrease surprised economists, who had expected the index to inch up to 68. Traders also kept an eye on Fed Chair Janet Yellen's second day of testimony on Capitol Hill, although her prepared remarks before House Financial Services Committee were unchanged from yesterday. Another batch of economic data is scheduled to be released on Thursday, including reports on weekly jobless claims, housing starts, and Philadelphia-area manufacturing activity. The Treasury Department is also scheduled to announce the details of next week's auctions of two-year, five-year and seven-year notes. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 15, 2017) - Opawica Explorations Inc. (TSXV: OPW) (the "Company") announces that further to the Company's January 30, 2017 news release, drilling will commence on February 20, 2017 on the Company's 100% owned Bazooka (East) property located near Rouyn Noranda, Quebec. At the request of IIROC, Opawica confirms that there are no other material changes in the affairs of the Company that would account for the recent increase in market activity. The Company owns or has under option approximately seven kilometres of the Cadillac Larder Lake Break ("CLLB") which makes up the contiguous block of ground referred to as the Bazooka West and East properties (the "Bazooka Properties"). The Bazooka Properties are situated between and contiguous to the Wassamac gold property and deposit owned by Richmont Mines Inc. to the west north west, and Yorbeau Resources Inc.'s Rouyn property that has been optioned by Kinross Gold Corporation ("Kinross"), whereby Kinross has the option to acquire a 100% interest in Yorbeau's Rouyn property for consideration that includes exploration expenditures of C$12 million; cash payments of USD $25,000,000; and other considerations (see Yorbeau press release dated October 25, 2016). The Bazooka Property drilling of an untested fold nose feature and drilling to depth of up to about 400 metres targeted on historical underground high grade gold mineralization, previously explored by shaft and drifting (Eldona Mines Ltd. - 1952), will commence with the drill collar situated immediately west of the Augmitto gold resources and related mineralization situated on the Kinross-Yorbeau Rouyn property. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Kiernicki President and Chief Executive Officer Opawica Explorations Inc. Telephone: 604-681-3170 Fax: 604-681-3552 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements in this press release relating to the Company's exploration activities, project expenditures and business plans are approximate and are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of securities legislation. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements represent management's best judgment based on current facts and assumptions that management considers reasonable, including that operating and capital plans will not be disrupted by issues such as adverse market conditions, mechanical failure, unavailability of parts, labor disturbances, interruption in transportation or utilities, or adverse weather conditions, that there are no material unanticipated variations in budgeted costs, that contractors will complete projects according to schedule, and that actual mineralization on properties may not achieve any category of resource(s). The Company makes no representation that reasonable business people in possession of the same information would reach the same conclusions. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, fluctuations in the price of gold, equity markets or in currency markets could prevent the Company from achieving its targets. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. There is no guarantee that drill results reported in this news release or future releases will lead to the identification of a deposit that can be mined economically, and further work is required to identify resources and reserves. We seek safe harbour. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Feb. 15 By Demir Azizov Trend: Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will visit Russia in April. The announcement on Mirziyoyevs visit was made during the 18th meeting of the Uzbekistan-Russia intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation, which started in Tashkent on Feb. 15. The Russian delegation at the meeting is headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmirty Kozak. Russia is the first-rate foreign trade partner of Uzbekistan. Trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $4.2 billion in 2016, according to Uzbekistans Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade. Currently, 961 enterprises, created with Russian capital, operate in Uzbekistan, including 810 joint enterprises and 151 enterprises with 100-percent Russian share. Representative offices of 64 firms and companies of Russia have been accredited in Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, 569 enterprises with participation of Uzbek residents have been created in Russia. Weekly net asset value ("NAV") is calculated as of the close of business on each Tuesday and posted on the following business day. In the event that Tuesday is not a business day, the Company will calculate the close-of-business NAV as of the business day immediately preceding that Tuesday. The end-of-month NAV is calculated as of the close of business on the last day of the month and posted on the following business day. For weeks that include a month-end NAV report, PSH will provide only the month-end NAV and not report the Tuesday NAV. Monthly NAVs are published in accordance with the Decree on Conduct of Business Supervision of Financial Undertakings under the Wft (Besluit Gedragstoezicht financiele ondernemingen Wft). 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. CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Peyto Exploration & Development Corp. ("Peyto") (TSX: PEY) confirms that the monthly dividend with respect to February 2017 of $0.11 per common share is to be paid on March 15, 2017, for shareholders of record on February 28, 2017. The ex-dividend date is February 24, 2017. Dividends paid by Peyto to Canadian residents are eligible dividends for Canadian income tax purposes. Shareholders and interested investors are encouraged to visit the Peyto website at www.peyto.com to learn more about what makes Peyto one of North America's most exciting energy companies. The website also includes the President's monthly report, which discusses various topics chosen by the President and includes estimates of monthly capital expenditures and production. Certain information set forth in this document, including management's assessment of Peyto's future plans and operations, contains forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond these parties' control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, imprecision of reserve estimates, environmental risks, competition from other industry participants, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Peyto's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that Peyto will derive therefrom. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein. Contacts: Peyto Exploration & Development Corp Darren Gee President and Chief Executive Officer (403) 237-8911 (403) 451-4100 (FAX) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 15, 2017) - Sterling Group Ventures, Inc. (OTCQB: SGGV) is pleased to announce that Mojo Games Inc., its subsidiary, has launched Mercury Gaming Solutions (www.mercurypoker.com) as the first network partner in the new India Poker Network. The Joint Venture Partnership between Mercury Gaming Solutions, a subsidiary of The Essel Group, and Mojo Games was formed as part of an online strategy to build a nationwide poker network in India. The Joint Venture is a 50/50 split in ownership and profits for the network where Mojo Games supplies iGaming technology, ecommerce, back office and marketing support. The Essel Group is a well-known Indian Conglomerate having a diverse business presence across many industries As the first network partner, Mercury Gaming Solutions will be a direct-to-consumer site and the Joint Venture expects to launch Baadshah Gaming,(www.baadshahgaming.com), a subsidiary of Casino Pride, imminently. The JV has a dynamic plan to build a nationwide network of poker players by launching new B2B partners all sharing in the India network's pool of players. Concurrently, Mojo Games plans to roll out its own direct to consumer site to join the India network. In addition, Mojo Games is on target with its plan to launch its iGaming solution for VLeague and Alisports, a division of Alibaba in mid-March 2017 to help market Alisports' first IPT land based poker tournament event to be held in late April 2017. The Company is now working on plans to launch Mahjong and other games for Alisports through its partnership with VLeague. About Mojo Games, a division of Sterling Group Ventures Mojo Games provides a B2B multi-gaming platform with a full suite of social play money gaming products, including online poker. Mojo offers B2B partners both API integrated and turnkey white label licensing options with advanced and customizable iGaming back-office features, player rewards and marketing, affiliate, and e-commerce solutions. ON BEHALF of the BOARD /s/ Nicolaos Mellios Mr. Nicolaos Mellios Chairman & CEO For further information, please check the Company's SEC 8-K filing or contact: Chris MacPherson, Director or Christopher Tsakok, MBA, CFA, Director Phone: (604) 564-0765 info@mojo.game www.mojo.game Safe Harbour Certain statements and other information included in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions of provincial securities legislation and the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "outlook", "focus", "potential", "will", "should", "would", "could" and other similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as it is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties 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 by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, there is no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events, except as required by law. This press release does not constitute any investment advice or any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities. No representation is made on the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this press release, and the Company does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this press release that arise as a result of transmission. The Company may not update the information in this press release. The Company does not waive any rights, privileges or other protections that the Company may have with respect to the information in this press release. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Alianza Minerals Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: ANZ) ("Alianza" or the "Company") has arranged a financing by way of a private placement of 4,400,000 units at $0.125 per unit to raise $550,000. These funds will be used to continue the execution of the Company's prospect generation business model. This includes additional work at existing projects in Nevada and Yukon and reconnaissance exploration of new acquisitions from Alianza's generative work in Peru. Recently completed exploration programs upgraded three gold projects in Nevada - BP, Belleview and Horsethief and all three are slated for 2017 programs to refine targets for drill testing. Results were also positive from a 2016 exploration program at the Isy silver-gold project in Peru. This grassroots property is also slated for further work in the coming year. Recent visits have been arranged, and additional site visits are expected, for potential partners to the now 100%-owned Yanac copper project in Peru. Management has been actively marketing projects in Nevada, Peru and Yukon Territory and expects to see exploration funded by partners in addition to Alianza funded programs in 2017. Under the terms of the financing, each unit is comprised of one common share and a half non-transferable common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to acquire an additional common share for a period of 3 years at a price of $0.25. Securities issued in this offering will have a four month hold period. Certain current shareholders and insiders may be participating in this offering. Finder's fees may also be paid on portions of this offering. About Alianza Minerals Ltd. Alianza increases the chances of success in mineral exploration by using the "Prospect Generator" business model, focussing on gold and copper exploration in Latin America and Nevada. The Company has 28.4 million shares issued and outstanding, and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE: ANZ). Mr. Jason Weber, BSc, P.Geo., Alianza's President and CEO is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Weber supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this release. To learn more visit: www.alianzaminerals.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. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, OTHER THAN PURELY HISTORICAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING STATEMENTS RELATING TO THE COMPANY'S FUTURE PLANS AND OBJECTIVES OR EXPECTED RESULTS, MAY INCLUDE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON NUMEROUS ASSUMPTIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES INHERENT IN RESOURCE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT. AS A RESULT, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY VARY MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. Contacts: Jason Weber President and CEO (604) 687-3520 (888) 889-4874 (FAX) Sandrine Lam Shareholder Communications (604) 687-3520 (888) 889-4874 (FAX) www.alianzaminerals.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Abacus Mining & Exploration Corporation ("Abacus" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: AME) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement for proceeds of $1,000,000 through the issuance of 20,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Unit Share") and one-half of a non-transferable common share purchase warrant, with each full warrant exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.08 per common share for a period of 3 years from the date of closing of the financing. The financing is subject to TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) approval. No finder's fees are payable on the financing, and all securities issued will be subject to a four month hold period under Canadian securities law. Upon completion of the financing, the Company will have approximately $1.95 million in its treasury. Proceeds from the financing will be applied towards the Company's exploration commitments as set out in the previously announced Option Agreement for the Willow copper-gold property located in Nevada, and general working capital and corporate purposes. Abacus also announces that it proposes to consolidate its common shares on a 6:1 basis. Including the Unit Shares to be issued pursuant to the Unit financing, and after giving effect to the proposed consolidation, Abacus will have 39,026,269 common shares issued and outstanding (fully diluted: 42,667,102 common shares). The share consolidation is subject to approval by the TSXV and by the shareholders of the Company by way of a special meeting expected to be held in the coming weeks. On Behalf of the Board, ABACUS MINING & EXPLORATION CORPORATION Michael McInnis, Chairman, President & CEO About Abacus Abacus is a mineral exploration and mine development company with a 20% interest in the Ajax Project located at the historic Ajax-Afton site southwest of Kamloops, B.C., and an option to acquire up to a 75% interest in the Willow copper-gold property located in Nevada. The Ajax Project is a proposed copper-gold open-pit mine currently undergoing a provincial and federal environmental assessment process. Through KGHM Ajax Mining Inc., a joint venture company between Abacus (20%) and KGHM Polska Miedz S.A. (KGHM) (80%), the Ajax Mine is being funded in large part by KGHM and operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary, KGHM International Ltd. For the latest reports and information on Abacus' projects, please refer to the Company's website at www.amemining.com. Forward-Looking Information This release includes certain statements that are deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that Abacus expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward- looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include changes to commodity prices, mine and metallurgical recovery, operating and capital costs, foreign exchange rates, ability to obtain required permits on a timely basis, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward- looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. 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: Abacus Mining and Exploration Corp. 604.682.0301 604.682.0307 (FAX) info@amemining.com www.amemining.com CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- News Release - TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP) (NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) today announced the appointment of a new independent director, Stephan Cretier, effective February 17, 2017. Since 1999, Mr. Cretier has been chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Garda World Security Corporation and its principal subsidiaries. Mr. Cretier has previously served as a director of ORTHOsoft, Inc. from August 2004 to November 2004, a director of BioEnvelop Technologies Corporation from 2001 to 2003 and as director and president and chief executive officer of Rafale Capital Corporation from 1999 to 2001. Mr. Cretier plays an active role as a board member of several organizations including the Montreal Economic Institute, a leading free market think-tank, and the Ligue Internationale des Societes de Surveillance. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Hirshhorn Museum, a Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Mr. Cretier holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California (Pacific). "We are pleased to welcome Mr. Cretier as our newest director," said Barry Jackson, chair of TransCanada's board of directors. "His extensive experience as CEO of a multinational corporation, along with his leadership skills, strategic insight and business acumen will be a valuable addition to our board. We look forward to working with Mr. Cretier over the coming years." With more than 65 years' experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and liquids pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada operates a network of natural gas pipelines that extends more than 90,300 kilometres (56,100 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is the continent's leading provider of gas storage and related services with 664 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A large independent power producer, TransCanada currently owns or has interests in over 10,700 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is also the developer and operator of one of North America's leading liquids pipeline systems that extend over 4,300 kilometres (2,700 miles), connecting growing continental oil supplies to key markets and refineries. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. Visit TransCanada.com and our blog to learn more, or connect with us on social media and 3BL Media. Contacts: Media Enquiries: Mark Cooper / James Millar / Tim Duboyce 403.920.7859 or 800.608.7859 TransCanada Investor & Analyst Enquiries: David Moneta / Stuart Kampel 403.920.7911 or 800.361.6522 TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - February 15, 2017) - Primero Mining Corp. ("Primero" or the "Company") (TSX: P) (NYSE: PPP) today announced that unionized employees at the Company's San Dimas mine in Mexico have initiated a strike action, resulting in the complete stoppage of mining and milling activities at the site. Primero received notification from the National Union of Mine, Metal, Steel and Allied Workers of the Mexican Republic (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores Mineros, Metalurgicos, Siderurgicos y Similares de la Republica Mexicana) Sections 21 and 22 of their intention to discontinue work when the parties failed to reach agreement during the negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement ("CBA"). Primero is not seeking a reduction in individual worker compensation, although the total workforce at San Dimas including contractors will be reduced, a process that has already commenced outside of the CBA negotiations. Primero needs to reduce the scale and complexity of the San Dimas operation in order to increase productivity and return the mine to positive cash flow. Primero's key focus in these negotiations has been to better align the short-term bonus structure with overall mine-site performance and profitability, and to move the labour force onto a more continuous shift cycle to improve productivity. Primero believes that these are critical changes required at San Dimas to return the operation to profitability. Negotiations with the San Dimas union have not sufficiently addressed these critical issues, although good progress was made on a number of issues raised by the union. As a result, Primero asked the union to agree to an extension of the negotiation period, which was refused. Depending on its duration, the strike could have a negative impact on the Company's 2017 production, and as a result the Company has decided to postpone the release of its formal 2017 production and cost guidance until resolution has been achieved. About Primero Primero Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based precious metals producer that owns 100% of the San Dimas gold-silver mine and the Cerro del Gallo gold-silver-copper development project in Mexico and 100% of the Black Fox mine and adjoining properties in the Township of Black River"Matheson near Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Primero offers immediate exposure to un-hedged, below average cash cost gold production with a substantial resource base in politically stable jurisdictions. The Company is focused on becoming a leading intermediate gold producer by building a portfolio of high quality, low cost precious metals assets in the Americas. Primero's website is www.primeromining.com. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business and operations of Primero Mining Corp. and its consolidated subsidiaries (collectively, "Primero" or the "Company"). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "if approved", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "in order to" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "are anticipated", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will require", "will allow", "will enhance" or "will include" or similar statements or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking information is also identifiable in statements of currently occurring matters which will continue in future, such as "is updating", "is working" or "is also assessing" or other statements that may be stated in the present tense and are not historical facts or words with future implication such as "opportunity", "promising". Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the level and timing of gold equivalent production at San Dimas; the Company's annual production guidance; the realization of silver sales at spot prices; the Company's efforts to optimize its operations and reduce costs in 2017; the Company's efforts to renegotiate its collective bargaining agreement; the Company's reduction of San Dimas' complexity and operations; optimization initiatives; and the Company's intentions to become an intermediate gold producer. The assumptions made by the Company in preparing the forward-looking information contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to: the expectations and beliefs of management; the specific assumptions set forth above in this news release; that there are no significant disruptions affecting operations; that prices for gold and silver remain consistent with the Company's expectations; that production meets expectations; the amount of silver that the Company will sell at spot prices in 2017; that the Company will be able to optimize its operations and reduce costs for 2017; that the Company will be able to reduce San Dimas' complexity and operations; that the Company will be able to renegotiate its collective bargaining agreement; that there are no material variations in the current tax and regulatory environment; that the Company will receive required permits and access to surface rights; that the Company can access financing, appropriate equipment and sufficient labour; that the political environment within Mexico and Canada will continue to support the development of environmentally safe mining projects. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Primero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including: the Company may not be able to achieve planned production levels; the exchange rate between the Canadian dollar, the Mexican peso and the United States dollar may change with an adverse impact on the Company's financial results; the optimization and expansion initiatives may not provide the benefits anticipated; the Company may not be able to re-finance or extend its line of credit facility; the optimizing of the Company's operations and the reduction of costs for 2017 may not provide the benefits anticipated; the Company may not be able to renegotiate its collective bargaining agreement; the Company may not be able to become an intermediate gold producer by building a portfolio of high quality, low cost precious metals assets in the Americas. Certain of these factors are discussed in greater detail in Primero's registration statement on Form 40-F on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and its most recent Annual Information Form on file with the Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. 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. In addition, although Primero has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and accordingly are subject to change after such date. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of our operating environment. Primero does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are included in this document, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Attachment Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/2/15/11G130457/PR2-17_SD_Work_Stoppage_Final-1b6b5704e199b961897b3bd2d9e758aa.pdf For further information, please contact: Evan Young Manager, Investor Relations Tel: (416) 814-2694 eyoung@primeromining.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- EEStor Corporation (TSX VENTURE: ESU) ("EEStor" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has adopted an amended and restated stock option plan (the "New Plan") which converts the prior 10% rolling plan into a 20% fixed stock option plan. Pursuant to the New Plan, options to acquire an aggregate of 20,407,350 common shares may be granted to Eligible Persons (as such term is defined in the New Plan) from time to time. The purpose of the New Plan is to enhance the Company's ability to compensate employees, officers, consultants and directors by means other than cash incentives. The New Plan is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and disinterested shareholders of the Company, and will be presented for approval at the Company's upcoming annual meeting scheduled to be held on March 28, 2017. About EEStor Corporation The Company's mission is to be the provider of leading edge electrical energy storage and related capacitor technologies. The Company operates on the principle and belief that a fundamental breakthrough in energy storage will be the catalyst for positive environmental and economic change globally. The Company's current business strategy is focused on licensing and partnership opportunities across a broad spectrum of industries and applications building on its recent technology achievements related to capacitors. The Company holds an approximate 71.3% as-converted equity and voting interest and certain technology rights to a solid-state capacitor and related energy storage technologies currently under development by EEStor, Inc. The acquisition of the controlling interest in EEStor Inc. aligned the businesses of both companies and now allows EEStor Corporation to benefit from other revenue streams that should be available to EEStor, Inc., including applications throughout the capacitor industry and not limited to high density energy storage applications. The Company's success depends on the commercialization of the technology developed by EEStor Inc and there is no assurance that it will be successful in the completion of the various enhancement phases to warrant the anticipated licensing opportunities in the technology. Readers are directed to the "Risk Factors" disclosed in the Company's public filings. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: EEStor Corporation Ian Clifford Chief Executive Officer Tel. 416-535-8395 ian.clifford@eestorcorp.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, February 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- (All amounts in US$ unless otherwise specified) Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone" or the "Company") (TSX: CS) today announced its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2016. For the three months ended December 31, 2016, operating cash flow before changes in working capital[1]was $75.0 million or $0.20 per share, with a net loss of $182.4 million and adjusted net income of $30.7 million or $0.08 per share after adjusting for certain non-cash and non-recurring charges. Copper production totalled 29,900 tonnes (28,800 tonnes of payable copper) at a C1 cash cost[1]of $1.26 per payable pound produced with copper sales of 29,600 tonnes at a C1 cash cost[1]of $1.24 per payable pound sold. For the full year ended December 31, 2016, operating cash flow before changes in working capital[1]was $156.9 million or $0.41 per share, with a net loss of $197.4 million and adjusted net income of $29.4 million or $0.08 per share after adjusting for certain non-cash and non-recurring charges. Copper production totalled 114,600 tonnes (110,700 tonnes of payable copper) at a C1 cash cost[1]of $1.44 per payable pound produced with copper sales of 110,500 tonnes at a C1 cash cost[1]of $1.53 per payable pound sold. Capstone will hold a conference call and webcastonThursday, February 16,2017at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time (8:30 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss these results; call-in details and information on associated slides are provided at the end of this release.This release should be read in conjunction with Capstone's consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the year ended December 31, 2016, which are available on Capstone's website athttp://capstonemining.com/investors/financial-reporting/default.aspxand on SEDAR. An updated corporate presentation, including results to December 31, 2016, and 2016 year-end webcast slides will also be available athttp://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. Overview Q4 2016 Q4 2015 2016 2015 Revenue ($ millions) 163.0 92.1 529.4 420.5 Copper produced (tonnes) 29,853 25,691 114,583 92,577 Payable copper produced (tonnes) 28,828 24,781 110,663 89,341 C1 cash cost per payable pound produced[1] ($/lb) 1.26 1.81 1.44 1.99 All-in cost per payable pound produced[1] ($/lb) 1.77 2.67 1.88 2.88 Fully-loaded all-in cost per payable pound produced[1] ($/lb) 1.85 2.67 1.98 2.85 Copper sold (tonnes) 29,558 22,322 110,450 87,521 Realized copper price per pound sold ($/lb)* 2.48 2.05 2.27 2.35 Adjusted realized copper price per pound sold ($/lb) ** 2.35 2.26 2.28 2.43 C1 cash cost per payable pound sold[1] ($/lb) 1.24 1.82 1.53 2.00 All-in cost per payable pound sold[1] ($/lb) 1.74 2.78 1.97 2.92 Fully-loaded all-in cost per payable pound sold[1] ($/lb) 1.82 2.78 2.07 2.89 Net loss ($ millions) (182.4) (19.5) (197.4) (251.5) Net loss attributable to shareholders ($ millions) (125.4) (19.3) (140.0) (202.7) Net loss attributable to shareholders per common share ($) (0.33) (0.05) (0.37) (0.53) Adjusted net income (loss)[1] ($ millions) 30.7 (8.0) 29.4 (31.9) Adjusted net income (loss)[1] attributable to shareholders ($ millions) 30.9 (7.8) 30.0 (30.4) Adjusted net income (loss)[1] attributable to shareholders per common share ($) 0.08 (0.02) 0.08 (0.08) Operating cash flow before changes in working capital[1] ($ millions) 75.0 12.5 156.9 60.0 Operating cash flow before changes in working capital per common share[1] ($) 0.20 0.03 0.41 0.16 Cash and cash equivalents ($ millions) 130.4 101.6 130.4 101.6 Net debt[1 ]($ millions) 198.6 247.9 198.6 247.9 * Q4 2016 includes a negative provisional pricing adjustment of $0.1 million (2015 - negative $4.2 million) related to prior shipments, equivalent to $0.00 per pound (2015 - $(0.09) per pound) of copper sold during the quarter.YTD includes a negative provisional pricing adjustment of $12.7 million (2015 - negative $25.8 million) related to prior shipments, equivalent to $(0.05) per pound (2015 - $(0.13) per pound) of copper sold during the year. ** Q4 2016 adjusted realized copper price includes the provisional pricing adjustments noted above and realized loss of $8.5 million (2015 gain - $10.1 million) equivalent to $(0.13) per pound (2015 gain - $0.21 per pound) related to copper derivative contracts exercised during the quarter. YTD includes a realized gain of $3.3 million (2015 - $15.9 million) equivalent to $0.01 per pound (2015 - $0.08 per pound) related to copper derivative contracts exercised during the year. "Our strong operating performance in 2016 exceeded guidance, setting records at Pinto Valley, Minto and for Capstone as a whole," said Darren Pylot, President and CEO of Capstone. "All three of our mines generated positive net earnings, with throughput success at Pinto Valley and processing of high grade Minto North ore being key drivers in 2016." "Despite a challenging copper price environment for most of the year, we generated operating cash flow of $156.9 million, allowing us to reduce our debt by $40 million," continued Mr. Pylot. "We anticipate taking full advantage of additional free cash flow to further reduce our debt over the coming quarters." "Our year end results included a non-cash write-down of our Santo Domingo project based on lower forecast iron prices," continued Mr. Pylot. "The project does however, continue to have considerable optionality in a rising market." Financial and Production Highlights for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2016 Net loss of $182.4 million included: Income from mining operations of $55.8 million , Realized copper price of $2.48 per pound Production costs included a $2.0 million non-cash charge related to the write-down of inventory (primarily supplies) at the Pinto Valley, Minto and Cozamin mines, A non-cash impairment charge of $189.2 million related to mineral property, plant and equipment at Santo Domingo , A commodity derivative loss of $29.9 million , comprising a realized loss of $8.5 million and unrealized losses of $21.4 million , An income tax expense of $1.9 million . included: Operating cash flow before changes in working capital [ 1] was $75.0 million or $0.20 per share. was or per share. Working capital increased to$171.1 million at December 31, 2016 (which included $130.4 million of cash and cash equivalents) from $162.4 million at December 31, 2015 . (which included of cash and cash equivalents) from at . Produced a total of 28,828 tonnes of payable copper at an estimated C1 cash cost [ 1] of $1.26 per pound of payable copper produced and fully-loaded all-in cost [ 1] of $1.85 per pound of payable pound copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and fully-loaded all-in cost of per pound of payable pound copper produced. Revenue of $163.0 million generated primarily from the sale of 29,557 tonnes of payable copper. Financial and Production Highlights for the Year Ended December 31, 2016 Net loss of $197.4 million included: Earnings from mining operations of $87.7 million , Realized copper price of $2.27 per pound Production costs included a $3.4 million non-cash charge related to the write-down of inventory at the Pinto Valley, Minto and Cozamin Mines, A non-cash impairment charge of $189.2 million related to the Santo Domingo property, A commodity derivative loss of $25.6 million , comprising a realized gain of $3.3 million combined with an unrealized loss of $28.9 million , An income tax expense of $9.4 million . included: Operating cash flow before changes in working capital [ 1] of $156.9 million or $0.41 per common share. of or per common share. Working capital increased $8.7 million to$171.1 million at December 31, 2016 (which included $130.4 million of cash and cash equivalents) from $162.4 million at December 31, 2015 . to$171.1 million at (which included of cash and cash equivalents) from at . Production of 110,663 tonnes of payable copper at a C1 cash cost [ 1] of $1.44 per pound of payable copper produced and fully-loaded all-in cost [ 1] of $1.98 per pound of payable pound copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and fully-loaded all-in cost of per pound of payable pound copper produced. Revenue of $529.4 million generated primarily from the sale of 110,450 tonnes of copper. Production and Additional Highlights Pinto Valley Mine: Produced 17,051 tonnes of copper during Q4 2016 at a C1 cash cost [ 1] of $1.70 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost [ 1] of $2.06 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per pound of payable copper produced. Produced 68,850 tonnes of copper during 2016 at a C1 cash cost [ 1] of $1.61 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost [ 1 ] of $1.95 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per pound of payable copper produced. Copper production at Pinto Valley exceeded expectations, with mill throughput and head grade above plan for the quarter and year. Throughput averaged 56,800 tonnes per day ("tpd") and 56,200 tpd for the fourth quarter and full year, respectively. The operation continued to demonstrate the mine's potential, achieving a new daily throughput record of over 64,000 tpd in December. Cozamin Mine: Produced 4,001 tonnes of copper during Q4 2016 at a C1 cash cost [ 1] of $1.40 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost [ 1] of $2.06 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per pound of payable copper produced. Produced 14,307 tonnes of copper during 2016 at a C1 cash cost [ 1] of $1.48 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost [ 1] of $1.88 per pound of payable copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per pound of payable copper produced. During 2016, Cozamin experienced a mine development shortfall resulting in lower production, however, during the second half of the year Cozamin conducted a management reorganization and a number of additional processes were implemented to improve the development rates. Development rates continued to improve through the second half of the year (7,725 meters H2 2016 vs. 5,880 meters H1 2016). During Q4 2016, Cozamin achieved the revised target production due to a better than planned average head grade of 1.63% copper offset by lower than planned mill throughput. Minto Mine: Produced 8,801 tonnes of copper during Q4 2016 at a C1 cash cost [ 1] of $0.33 per pound of payable copper produced, which included $0.11 per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during Q4 2016 to $0.22 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost [ 1 ] of $0.43 per payable pound of copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced, which included per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during Q4 2016 to per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per payable pound of copper produced. Produced 31,426 tonnes of copper during 2016 at a C1 cash cost [ 1] of $1.03 per pound of payable copper produced, which included $0.03 per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during 2016 to $1.00 per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost [ 1 ] of $1.12 per payable pound of copper produced. of per pound of payable copper produced, which included per pound of cost allocated from stockpile that was spent in prior periods, bringing the actual cash expended during 2016 to per pound of payable copper produced and all-in cost of per payable pound of copper produced. Copper production for the quarter met expectations while full year throughput, grade and recoveries all exceeded plan. In the fourth quarter the mill processed stockpiles, supplemented by underground mining. Produced 39,506 ounces of gold contained in copper concentrate, and 11,675 ounces of gold contained in gold concentrate, for a total of 51,181 ounces produced during 2016. Under the terms of the Precious Metal Stream Agreement with Silver Wheaton, Capstone receives market rates for 50% of gold produced in excess of 30,000 ounces in a twelve-month period. We exceeded this threshold during Q4 and as a result Capstone is entitled to sell 8,320 ounces of gold at market rates. 5,100 of these ounces were sold in Q4 2016 and the remaining 3,220 ounces are expected to be sold in H1 2017. Additional highlights: On January 13, 2017 a second repayment of $20.0 million was made on the RCF, reducing the outstanding balance to $308.9 million . At the same time, Capstone chose to permanently reduce the credit available under the RCF from $420 million to $400 million . This payment was in addition to a $20.0 million payment and permanent credit reduction made in Q4 2016. The combination of this lower commitment and the strong debt coverage ratio at December 31, 2016 resulted in the Company achieving the second lowest tier on the RCF pricing grid with interest rates of LIBOR plus 2.75% and stand-by fees of 0.6188%. This will result in annualized savings of almost $1.5 million per year in interest and stand-by fees. a second repayment of was made on the RCF, reducing the outstanding balance to . At the same time, Capstone chose to permanently reduce the credit available under the RCF from . This payment was in addition to a payment and permanent credit reduction made in Q4 2016. The combination of this lower commitment and the strong debt coverage ratio at resulted in the Company achieving the second lowest tier on the RCF pricing grid with interest rates of LIBOR plus 2.75% and stand-by fees of 0.6188%. This will result in annualized savings of almost per year in interest and stand-by fees. As a result of the decline in long term iron ore prices during 2016, Capstone recorded an impairment on the Santo Domingo development Copper/Iron project of $189.2 million during Q4 2016. Operating Outlook Capstone's 2017 production guidance is for 94,000 tonnes (5%) of copper at a C1 Cash Cost[1]of $1.60 to $1.70, All-In Cost[1]of $2.15 to $2.25 and Fully-Loaded All-In Cost[1]of $2.20 to $2.30, per pound of payable copper produced net of by-product and selling costs. Capital Outlook Capstone's 2017 capital expenditures are expected to be $67 million, with $35 million for sustaining capital at Pinto Valley and Cozamin, $2 million related to PV3 permitting activities and $30 million for capitalized stripping at Pinto Valley. An additional $10 million is budgeted for both brownfield and greenfield exploration, however as exploration activities are discretionary they will be aligned with prevailing market conditions, financing capacity and corporate priorities. Conference Call and Webcast Details Date: Thursday, February 16, 2017 Time: 11:30 am Eastern Time (8:30 am Pacific Time) Dial in: North America: 1-888-390-0546, International: +416-764-8688 Webcast: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1323771&s=1&k=AFC597F521C716D97270B033FC966280 Replay: North America: 1-888-390-0541, International: +416-764-8677 Replay Passcode: 063291# The conference call replay will be available until Thursday, February 23, 2017. The conference call audio and transcript will be available on Capstone's website within 48 hours of the call athttp://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx. About Capstone Mining Corp. Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our three producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US, the Cozamin copper-silver mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico and the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada. In addition, Capstone has two development projects; the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo project in Region III, Chile, in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, and the 100% owned Kutcho copper-zinc project in British Columbia, Canada, as well as exploration properties in Chile and US. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available athttp://www.capstonemining.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This document may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect Company management's expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the realization of mineral reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, success of mining operations, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses, title disputes or claims and limitations on insurance coverage. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "outlook", "guidance", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this document, certain forward-looking statements are identified by words including "guidance", "may", "future", "expected", "intends" and "estimates". By their very nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks related to actual results of current exploration activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of mineral resources; possible variations in ore reserves, grade or recovery rates; accidents; assumptions related to geotechnical conditions of tailings facilities; dependence on key personnel; labour pool constraints; labour disputes; availability of infrastructure required for the development of mining projects; delays or inability to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals for mining operations or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities; counterparty risks associated with sales of our metals; increased operating and capital costs; operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation; impact of climatic conditions on our Pinto Valley, Cozamin and Minto operations; compliance with debt covenants, and other risks of the mining industry as well as those factors detailed from time to time in the Company's interim and annual financial statements and management's discussion and analysis of those statements, all of which are filed and available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR athttp://www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company provides no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. National Instrument 43-101 Compliance Unless otherwise indicated, Capstone has prepared the technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") based on information contained in the technical reports, news releases and MD&A's (collectively the "Disclosure Documents") available under Capstone Mining Corp.'s company profile on SEDAR athttp://www.sedar.com. Each Disclosure Document was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projectsof the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101").Readers are encouraged to review the full text of the Disclosure Documents which qualifies the Technical Information. Readers are advised that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Disclosure Documents are each intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. The Technical Information is subject to the assumptions and qualifications contained in the Disclosure Documents. The technical information in this news release ("Technical Information") was prepared by, or under the supervision of, a qualified person (a "Qualified Person") as defined in National Instrument 43-101Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projectsof the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101"). The disclosure of the Technical Information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Gregg Bush, P. Eng., Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Technical Information related to mineral exploration activities has been reviewed and approved by Brad Mercer, P. Geol., Senior Vice President, Exploration. Both are Qualified Persons under NI 43-101. Alternative Performance Measures The items marked with a "[1]" are alternative performance measures and readers should refer to Alternative Performance Measures in the Company's Consolidated Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2016 as filed on SEDAR and as available on the Company's website. Cautionary Note to United States Investors This news release contains disclosure that has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ from the requirements of US securities laws. Without limiting the foregoing, this news release may refer to technical reports that use the terms "indicated" and "inferred" resources. US investors are cautioned that, while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian securities laws, the SEC does not recognize them. Under US standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of indicated resources will ever be converted into reserves. US investors should also understand that "inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of "inferred resources" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Therefore, US investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist, or that they can be mined legallyor economically. Accordingly, information concerning descriptions of mineralization and resources contained in this news release may not be comparable to information made public by US companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. 1. This is an alternative performance measure; please see "Alternative Performance Measures" at the end of this release. Cindy Burnett, VP, Investor Relations and Communications, +1-604-637-8157, cburnett@capstonemining.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 02/15/17 -- Under the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), the Government of Canada is increasing the Coast Guard's capacity to prevent and respond to marine emergencies and pollution incidents by providing new personnel, equipment, and training. This historic $1.5 billion investment will make Canada a world leader in marine safety and helps ensure that Canada's coasts remain healthy, clean and safe for generations to come. The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, was at the Coast Guard's Sea Island base today to discuss enhanced marine environmental response capacity in British Columbia. New lifeboat stations, modern equipment, and emergency tow packages are among the measures that will be put in place under the OPP. The Government of Canada will also be establishing a dedicated Primary Environmental Response Team (PERT) near Port Hardy, British Columbia. Four PERTs composed of dedicated, specially trained personnel, will be established under the OPP. These teams will strengthen the Coast Guard's on-the-scene capacity to respond to marine pollution incidents. Other measures under the OPP include: restoring and protecting marine ecosystems and habitats and a concentrated campaign to inspect tugs and barges in B.C to ensure compliance with all safety regulations. The Government of Canada will also introduce legislation by spring 2017 to formalize a moratorium for crude oil tankers on B.C.'s north coast. The moratorium is another measure to protect Canada's water and pristine coastline, and is complementary to OPP. Quote "The goal of the OPP is to work collaboratively with Indigenous communities and other partners to create a world-leading marine safety system, including new preventive and response measures that will better protect Canadians, our waters and our coasts. Investing in personnel, training and equipment is essential to ensure that the Coast Guard can continue and expand its vital role in keeping Canadian waterways safe and clean." The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Quick Facts -- The Oceans Protection Plan will include over $1.5 billion in funding over five years, starting in 2017-18. -- The Canadian Coast Guard's Sea Island base supports approximately 300 search and rescue marine incidents per year, saving approximately 300 lives. -- The Oceans Protection Plan includes two new emergency towing vessels for the West Coast and emergency tow kits on 25 of the Canadian Coast Guard's large vessels across Canada. -- The Government of Canada will be building six new search and rescue lifeboat stations in B.C. as well as installing six new radar sites under the Oceans Protection Plan. Associated Link -- Oceans Protection Plan Internet: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca Follow us on Twitter! www.Twitter.com/DFO_MPO For more information about the Canadian Coast Guard, visit www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca. Follow us on Twitter! www.Twitter.com/CCG_GCC Contacts: Media Relations Fisheries and Oceans Canada 613-990-7537 Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Laura Gareau Press Secretary Office of the Minister Fisheries and Oceans Canada 613-992-3474 Laura.Gareau@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.14 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: It is planned to create a new bank with 100 percent Iranian share in Azerbaijan, Iran's Central Bank Chief Valiollah Seif said in an exclusive interview with Trend. He spoke about a possible plan, under which Bank Melli Irans branch in Azerbaijan will turn into an independent Azerbaijani bank, and all the shares of the new bank will be owned by Bank Melli Iran. Seif added that this issue will be discussed during the visit of Azerbaijani delegation to Tehran next week. Earlier, it was planned to create a joint bank in Azerbaijan and the branches of this bank would operate both in Azerbaijan and Iran. The Central Bank chief also talked about the plans to use national currencies in mutual settlements in bilateral transactions with Azerbaijan. "Central banks of the two countries plan to create accounts in national currencies to simplify the trade between Iran and Azerbaijan," said Seif. He added that Tehran and Baku have held talks on expanding the financial cooperation, as well as boosting the relations between the two countries commercial banks. The discussions will continue next week in Tehran, said Seif. The branch of Bank Melli Iran started to operate in Azerbaijan in 1993. Currently, 32 banks (including 15 banks with foreign share) operate in Azerbaijan and 36 banks (including branches of five foreign banks and one joint bank) operate in Iran. Dyal Capital Partners, a division of Neuberger Berman Group, closed Dyal Capital Partners III (PE), its third fund, with approximately $5.3 billion of committed capital. Dyal III is backed by a global investor base that includes sovereign wealth funds, public and corporate pension plans, endowments, foundations and family offices. Led by Michael Rees, Dyal provides minority equity capital to established private equity and hedge fund management companies. The funds objective is to provide passive, minority equity capital to assist firms with generational transfers, and more often, in the creation of balance sheet capital to help achieve strategic goals. Ultimately, it will seek to make investments into 10-12 private equity firms diversified by asset class, strategy, and geography. The fund has made investments in six firms to date: Vista Equity Partners, EnCap Investments, Silver Lake Technology Management, H.I.G. Capital, Starwood Capital Group, and KPS Capital Partners. Following the completion of these six transactions, Fund III has committed over 50% of the funds capital. Established in 2011, Dyal currently has 20 minority partnerships. FinSMEs 14/02/2017 Italian venture capital firm United Ventures has added two new professionals to the team. Fabio Pirovano joined as Investment Manager while Alessandro Pasin joined as Chief Financial Officer. At United Ventures, Pirovano is in charge of deal flow, support of portfolio companies and new investments. He previously worked in the technology and media industries as responsible for extraordinary financial operations in the office of Financial Analyst and Associate at Woodside Capital Partners a Silicon Valley based M&A boutique investment bank. Pirovano also was responsible for M&A operations and fundraising advisor at Lepe Partners an independent merchant bank based in London. He graduated from Bocconi University in Milan. New CFO Alessandro Pasin has a 15-year experience in strategic planning, investment valuation and finance areas of international industrial and financial groups (among which Giorgio Armani, Merloni, Aedes, and Nickjen Capital Management), and in setting up M&A deals, debt restructuring, valuation and execution of financial and industrial investments. He also graduated from Bocconi University in Milan. FinSMEs 15/02/2017 New Delhi: Infosys Chairman R Seshasayee said on Tuesday that he has reached out to the company's billionaire co-founders to see that the rift between them and the management over corporate governance issues does not spill into the open. With some of the co-founders, including N R Narayana Murthy, questioning a steep hike in his pay package, Chief Executive Vishal Sikka, along with Seshasayee, addressed investors for the second day in a row to assuage their concerns. Sikka, who reportedly described a whistleblower's letter over severance package to former CFO as a direct, reckless, malicious, slanderous and personal attack on him by diabolical minds, said Infosys clients have not raised any questions on alleged governance lapses and have come out in "strong support" of the company. "There are no questions from clients. In fact, several clients have written very very strong words of support. I felt very thankful and was moved by that. Over the last 3-4 days, I have received e-mails from huge clients expressing their strong support," he told investors over a call. On Monday, he had met investors and held an elaborate press meet to clear the air over his pay hike and severance package to the former employees -- the issues that Murthy and other co-founders had raised. Other sticky issues included appointment of independent directors Punita Sinha and D N Prahlad. At the heart of the spat is also the unused $5.25 billion cash lying at Infosys which former key executives believe should be used to improve shareholders' return rather than reward certain employees with hefty compensation and severance packages. The co-founders, who between them hold close to 13 percent stake, have contended that the board has not responded satisfactorily to their concerns. Asked if the management had reached out to the promoters over the outstanding issues, Seshasayee said, "I reached out to the founders, the day before yesterday (Sunday) and we had frank discussions... and both of us agreed that we should not have these kinds of interactions taking place through media." In an apparent reference to the public exchanges that have been taking place over the last week, Seshasayee said it is "not in the interest" of the institution. "... We should do this bilaterally... and we reiterated our commitment on any inputs from them. I explained that there are limitations that we would have in terms of dealing with all the inputs or suggestions and I think we have a renewed commitment not to spill this into the public space," he said. Sikka said he had met top performing employees as well as some members of the management team, and despite the "distractions", the team is focused on performance. "I had a meeting with some of our top performing employees and some of our management team. This kind of noise in the media creates distraction for all of us, but there is a very strong focus on execution. The management team is headstrong and focused on closing of this year and preparing for the next year," he said. Swiss parent controlled Nestle India, makers of Maggi noodles, has made a strong comeback to regain its lost ground--nearly two years after it was forced to withdraw its largest selling noodle brand from shops across the country following its failure to meet certain food safety standards. The ban had resulted a steep fall in the company's market share,particularly in the noodles segment causing immense financial loss over the next few quarters. In fact, Nestle India's top boss and managing director Suresh Narayanan describes the period of ban as "clinically dead", as the company lost its dominant position in the country's noodles segment. The company once commanded a robust 75-80 percent market share during its strong growth phase, which had slipped to around 30 percent post the ban. For Nestle parent, India contributed a mere 2 percent to its global revenue of 88.7 billion Swiss franc in 2015. The company improved its share to 35.2 percent in December, according to a Nestle India presentation made to financial analysts and institutional investors. In March 2016, it climbed to achieve a 51 percent market share, a Firstpost report said in 2016. After two years, Maggi noodles now commands a market share of 60 percent, having regained most of its lost share during the ban days. The brand equity and customer trust has been built over generations and this has helped the brand bounce back after a near 'death' experience, Suresh Narayanan had said in an interview to Firstpost last year.In June 2015, FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) banned Maggi noodles in India following a Bombay High Court order, saying it was "unsafe and hazardous" for consumption after finding lead content beyond the permissible limit. After the five-month ban, in November last year, Nestle India relaunched Maggi noodles in the Indian market. The company is not just relying on Maggi brand, although it still accounts for a major portion to its overall revenue. In the last few quarters, Nestle has launched several products like Greek yoghurt, kids breakfast cereal Nestle Ceregrow, health food drink Nestle A+ Pro-Grow, Nescafe RTD chilled Latte, everyday masala, Maggi Hot Heads, and variants of Maggi noodles. Going forwards, the company plans to launch Nespresso (a coffee machine), Dolce Gusto (a coffee capsule system), besides products in pet care, healthcare and skincare. Despite the planned launches, Nestle parent sells just 20 brands in India as against its global bouquet of around 20,000 odd brands, a Mint report said. The company wants to tap India's top 600 cities that will account for half of the consumption growth over the next 10 years or so. "Thats clearly an opportunity for a company like ours. With the increasing participation of more women in the workforce, the need of the hour is a marriage between nutrition, health and convenience. And, that is the area Nestle is looking at in terms of product innovation as we go forward," Mint report said quoting Narayanan. Facing some stiff competition from other MNCs and the home-grown Patanjali that made a strong presence in just a year's time, Nestle wants to shift focus to health and nutrition products from the packaged food segment in the next one decade. Amy Jackson may be on a professional high as she shoots for the Enthiran sequel 2.0, with Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar. However, the actress suffered a setback as her phone was recently hacked, and her private photos and information leaked online. The actress, as per reports, had taken her phone to a service store in London, her hometown, as she couldn't access her iCloud account. Within days of visiting the store, she was alerted to the possibility that her phone might have been hacked when photos from a private dinner that were stored on her phone made it to the Web. Amy, who was on her way to Mumbai, before heading to Chennai to resume the 2.0 shoot, told Mid-Day she intended to file a complaint with the police's Cyber Crime Cell. "I was shocked when this happened," Amy was quoted as saying. "This isn't a trivial matter and has to be taken up seriously. I will register a complaint with the cyber crime cell in London and ensure the hackers are taken to task. Cyber safety is the need of the hour." She will be filing a separate complaint with the Mumbai Police's cyber crime unit. Shri Rajput Karni Sena are planning to approach the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to demand the setting up of a pre-censor board for all historical films, in light of the distortion of history in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming period drama Padmavati. Firstpost Hindi reports that the representatives of the organisation clarified in a press meet that they do not have any objection against any form of art but only against the misleading depiction of historical events. "Truth often gets overshadowed by the subjectivity of perception which can mislead generations of audience and result in poor understanding of history. And when comes to Bollywood, it has happened several times in the recent past, such as in the case of the film Jodhaa Akbar in 2008, said Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Founder, Shree Rajput Karni Sena. They also expressed their disappointment in the Central Board of Film Certification who refused to resolve their grievances as they said that they cannot take any action until the film is complete and the makers send it to them for review. "We have been working for more than 10 years to safeguard the glory of the Rajput community and our ancestors. We are proud of our heritage and will not tolerate any conspiracy that compromises our self-respect. Its unfortunate to see the Censor Board endorsing Bhansali. Few days back, when we met the censor board authorities, they told us that no action can be taken before the entire film is made and comes to us for review. However, I have personally met the director who has assured us that the film will show no intimate scenes between Ranveer and Deepika, said Kalvi. Members of Karni Sena stormed the sets of Padmavati in Jaipur and physically abused Bhansali as they suspected a dream love sequence between the celebrated queen of their clan, Rani Padmavati, and Islamic invader Alauddin Khilji. A couple of days later, Bhansali issued a statement clarifying that there is no such sequence in the film. In order to ensure that there is no such altercation in the future, Karni Sena announced that they will approach the I&B Ministry and put forward their suggestion of a 'pre-censor board'. It will be a panel of experts which will monitor every historical or period film in order to keep a check on distortion of historical facts. Padmavati also stars Shahid Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari and Jim Sarbh. It is slated to release in December 2017. Priyanka Chopra and Siddharth Malhotra have shared the screen space with each other for the first time. However, it is not for a film but a commercial. The setting of this advertisement for a jewelry brand is a proposal scene which has an eerie similarity with the proposal scene featuring Saif Ali Khan and Preity Zinta in Nikhil Advani's 2003 romantic drama, Kal Ho Naa Ho. Released on Valentine's Day, the commercial aptly captures the nervous excitement that a boy harbours before proposing to his girl. It also throws light on the fact that the two may not be on the same page as they are carrying the baggage of work and tiffs with friends. However, it equally focuses on rising above the trivialities and preserving special moments for life. Malhotra and Priyanka share an easy chemistry on the screen which is why it will be even more exciting to see them grace the silver screen together. He has previously worked with Priyanka's cousin Parineeti Chopra in Vinil Mathew's 2014 romantic comedy Hasee Toh Phasee and they looked adorable together. Deccan Chronicle reports that the commercial is produced by Dharma 2.0, the new advertising branch of Dharma Productions, helmed by filmmaker Karan Johar. After distributing films like the Baahubali franchise and The Lunchbox, Johar is now also venturing into the realm of advertising with his content-driven commercials. Punit Malhotra, Johar's former Assistant Director, has directed the commercial featuring Malhotra and Priyanka. He took to Twitter at the time of the shoot to share a picture of the two actors and left the fans guessing. Two gorgeous stars shot for Dharma 2.0 last night. Guess who? Fun stuff coming your way! #freshpair #dharma2.0 #shootlife pic.twitter.com/UY1BaxAy9R Punit Malhotra (@punitdmalhotra) December 23, 2016 He also tweeted a picture of the two actors posing with his fellow filmmaker Shakun Batra. Batra has directed Malhotra in his family drama from last year, Kapoor and Sons. Given the comfort these two actors share on the screen, it will not be a surprise if Johar signs them together for a feature film. The relationship between the film industry and politics may be a deeply entwined one in Tamil Nadu. And while Tamil actors aren't necessarily the most vocal when it comes to taking a stand on political issues, several of them have made an uncharacteristic move in openly supporting the state's caretaker chief minister, O Panneerselvam. OPS seems to have won the support of some in Kollywood, who feel he's managed Tamil Nadu well after Jayalalithaa's death. Others have expressed their appreciation for the way he stood up to VK Sasikala. The film industry's endorsement of OPS is all the more notable since he's among the (rarer) politicians in TN who does not have any connection with Kollywood, and wasn't involved in filmmaking in any way. Kamal Haasan has been openly supporting the OPS government on Twitter. Many of his tweets have an almost lyrical quality, such as when he posted a song from his film Manmadhan Ambu , which emphasises that justice will prevail. For the media, Haasan's daily tweets (some of which require a close reading between the lines) are grist for 24x7 coverage. Among the actor's recent tweets: When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to answer 'Present' or 'Not Guilty'. Theodore Roosevelt. It was a obvious allusion to the 121 MLAs 'being held' at the Golden Bay Resort. Another celebrity Twitter handle making waves is that of Arvind Swamy . Sample this tweet by the actor Now please ask the MLAs to get back to civilisation and start working. There is actually no cause for celebration on both sides. Remember what the trial court judgment is and what it implies. I would like to see our acting CM go to his office today and set an example for all MLAs to commence work. People before politics. Popular actress and politician Kushboo called the Supreme Court's verdict in the disproportionate assets case against Sasikala as the 'perfect Valentines Day gift' for the people of Tamil Nadu whereas Gautami opined that Jayalalithaa's former aide should answer for her death. The Papanasam actress tweeted: Sasikala has been convicted for corruption. She has to answer for Amma's death also. Both cases don't carry equal sentencing." Gautami also visited OPS' house to convey her support to the beleaguered chief minister. Siddharth, Prakash Raj, Manobala (he was almost arrested a few weeks ago for posting a derogatory WhatsApp message about Sasikala, which he later denied), Ramarajan and few others have also made their feelings about the current situation in Tamil Nadu clear. Apart from these voices, however, most others in the film industry have chosen to remain silent about the situation in the state. Why is that? Kollywood all these years has been ruled by the fear factor, and actors however big they were toed the official line. Those who didn't like Kamal Haasan and Vijay were muzzled by the Jayalalithaa administration. Some of their releases (like Viswaroopam and Thalaivaa) had a delayed release in Tamil Nadu as little-known organisations played havoc around the time they were to be screened in theatres. Five of the chief ministers who ruled the state with an iron hand, were from the film industry. Political parties (of all hues) for the most part have either tried to piggyback on the popularity of a star or cut him/her down to size. Now that Jayalalithaa is history and Sasikala has been jailed, will there be more openness in the industry? One popular actor told us, "Yes, if you want to be a star in Tamil Nadu, you have to dance to the tune of the ruling party, especially in the last six years of the Jayalalithaa regime. They used to control everything from production to distribution and even theatre programming which is important for the opening weekend. Im not exaggerating they could make or mar my career to a large extent. So is Kollywood now ripe for a revolution? Watch this space. By Emily Chow and Ju-min Park | KUALA LUMPUR/SEOUL KUALA LUMPUR/SEOUL The U.S. government strongly believes that North Korean agents murdered the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Malaysia, U.S. government sources said on Tuesday.American authorities have not yet determined exactly how Kim Jong Nam was killed, according to two sources, who did not provide specific evidence to support the U.S. government's view.A South Korean government source also had said that Kim Jong Nam had been murdered in Malaysia. He did not provide further details.South Korea's foreign ministry said it could not confirm the reports, and the country's intelligence agency could not immediately be reached for comment.In Washington, there was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Trump administration, which faces a stiff challenge from a defiant North Korea over its nuclear arms programme and the test of a ballistic missile last weekend.Kim Jong Nam was known to spend a significant amount of his time outside North Korea and had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state.If confirmed as an assassination, it would the latest in a string of killings over the decades at home and abroad meant to silence those perceived by North Korea's leaders as threats to their authority, one of the U.S. sources said on condition of anonymity.In a statement, Malaysian police said the dead man, 46, held a passport under the name Kim Chol.Kim Jong Nam has been caught in the past using forged travel documents.Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat said the cause of Kim's death was not yet known, and that a post mortem would be carried out."So far there are no suspects, but we have started investigations and are looking at a few possibilities to get leads," Fadzil told Reuters. According to Fadzil, Kim had been planning to travel to Macau on Monday when he fell ill at the low-cost terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)."The deceased ... felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind," Fadzil said. "He felt dizzy, so he asked for help at the ... counter of KLIA."Kim was taken to an airport clinic where he still felt unwell, and it was decided to take him to hospital. He died in the ambulance on the way to Putrajaya Hospital, Fadzil added.The U.S. government sources said it was possible that Kim Jong Nam had been poisoned. They said it could not be ruled out that assassins used some kind of "poison pen" device.South Korea's TV Chosun, a cable-TV network, reported that Kim had been poisoned with a needle by two women believed to be North Korean operatives who fled in a taxi and were at large, citing multiple South Korean government sources.Reuters could not independently confirm those details. SECRETIVE FAMILY Malaysia is one of a dwindling number of countries that has close relations with North Korea, which is under tightening global sanctions over its nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, the latest of which took place on Sunday.Malaysians and North Koreans can visit each other's country without visas.A phone call to the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur late on Tuesday went straight to an answering machine. Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un are both sons of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who died in late 2011, but they had different mothers.Kim Jong Nam, the elder of the two, did not attend his father's funeral. His mother was an actress named Song Hye Rim, and Kim Jong Nam said his father kept his parents' relationship secret.The portly and easygoing Kim Jong Nam was believed to be close to his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was North Korea's second most powerful man before being executed on Kim Jong Un's orders in 2013.In an embarrassing 2001 incident, Kim Jong Nam was caught at an airport in Japan travelling on a forged Dominican Republic passport, saying he had wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. He was known to travel to Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Dongguk University in Seoul, said Kim Jong Nam had occasionally been the subject of speculation that he could replace his younger half-brother, the country's third-generation leader."Loyalists may have wanted to get rid of him," he said.Kim Jong Nam said several times over the years that he had no interest in leading his country."Personally, I am against third-generation succession," he told Japan's Asahi TV in 2010. "I hope my younger brother will do his best for the sake of North Koreans' prosperous lives."His cousin, Lee Han-young, who defected to South Korea through Switzerland in 1982, was shot and killed by North Korean agents in Seoul in 1997, according to South Korea. (Additional reporting by Se Young Lee in SEOUL, Joseph Sipalan, Rozanna Latiff, Praveen Menon and A.Ananthalakshmi in KUALA LUMPUR and Mark Hosenball and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; writing by Tony Munroe and Praveen Menon; editing by Mike Collett-White, Ian Geoghegan, Grant McCool and Richard Chang) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Maytaal Angel | LONDON LONDON Tata Steel's British workers voted on Wednesday to accept pension benefit cuts in return for safeguards on jobs and investment, although the Indian company's plan to spin off its entire UK pension scheme still faces regulatory hurdles.Wednesday's vote allows Britain's largest steelmaker to close its 15 billion pound ($19 billion) British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) to future accrual and replace the final salary scheme with a less generous defined contribution scheme."Steelworkers have made great sacrifices ... Those sacrifices must be repaid by Tata Steel honouring its commitments on investment and job security. Nothing less would be a betrayal and add to the deep mistrust that steelworkers now have for the company," said Tony Brady, national officer of the Unite trade union. In return for pension changes, Tata Steel has pledged to guarantee production and jobs at Britain's largest steelworks in Port Talbot, Wales, for five years and to invest 1 billion pounds in its UK business over the next decade.The company's new defined contribution scheme will cover its existing 11,000 UK employees. The firm is, however, seeking rare regulatory approval to cut benefits for all 130,000 BSPS members and to spin off the scheme into a standalone entity.Tata says its UK unit, which is set this year to post its first profit in five years, will fail if it has to keep ploughing funds into a scheme with 13 times more pensioners than paying employees. The company is also seeking to spin off the pension scheme because Germany's Thyssenkrupp, with which it is in merger talks, is not prepared to take on any UK pension liabilities in the event of a tie-up."Steelworkers have taken a tough decision. It is vital that we now work together to protect the benefits already accrued and prevent the BSPS from free-falling into the pension protection fund (PPF)," said Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of the union Community.The PPF is a lifeboat for failing UK pension schemes. Tata Steel's UK workers were under pressure to back a deal that secured jobs and investment because if the company fails, they will face deeper benefit cuts under PPF payout terms. Stephen Kinnock, member of parliament for Aberavon, Wales, said: "What we have seen today is that the workforce will strain every sinew to save our industry. If fulfilled, the package voted on today should secure the future for Port Talbot." Some industry watchers, however, remain to be convinced that the 4,000 or so jobs at Port Talbot are secure for more than five years.Thyssenkrupp has said its main goal in merging with Tata's European operations is to combat overcapacity in the steel sector, and many expect this makes jobs at Port Talbot, a vital regional employer, vulnerable in the long term. Some pension experts also say Tata faced a battle to spin off the UK pension scheme because it would have to convince the regulator that the UK unit might otherwise go insolvent - something that looks less likely now it is heading for a profit. Martin Hunter, principal at pension consultants Punter Southall, said Tata faced a "substantial hurdle" winning regulatory clearance."Even if the Pensions Regulator can be convinced that insolvency is inevitable... the cash sum needing to be offered to achieve a separation could be substantial, perhaps even in excess of 1 billion pounds."($1 = 0.8025 pounds) (Reporting by Maytaal Angel; Editing by Keith Weir and Mark Potter) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Japan has provided an official development assistance (ODA) worth $7 million to Irans Customs Administration to purchase the X-ray devices, Masoud Karbasian, Irans deputy economy minister, said. Karbasian, who heads the Islamic Republics Customs Administration, said that Japan has granted the funds after its assessments indicated that Iranian customs seriously deal with infractions, Mehr news agency reported. He further said that Iran has the most X-ray devices in the region, adding that due to its location, Iran needs to implement more control and supervision over transit to safeguard security. Karbasian also said that his organization has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Islamic Republics Defence Ministry to manufacture five X-ray devices for customs. The deal will be finalized soon, Karbasian said, adding that the custom administration will provide the defence ministry necessary assistance in this regard. By Steve Holland and Richard Cowan | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump knew for weeks that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled the White House about his contacts with Russia but did not immediately force him out, an administration spokesman said on Tuesday.Trump was informed in late January that Flynn had not told Vice President Mike Pence the whole truth about conversations he had before Trump took office with Russia's ambassador to the United States, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.Pence learnt of the "incomplete information" that he received from Flynn when news reports surfaced late last week, spokesman Mark Lotter said on Tuesday.Flynn quit on Monday after Trump asked for his resignation, and the president hopes to pick a new national security adviser by the end of the week, Spicer said.The departure was another disruption for an administration already repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas since the Republican businessman assumed the presidency on Jan. 20.U.S. lawmakers, including some leading Republicans, called for a deeper inquiry into not just Flynn's actions but broader White House ties to Russia. Trump has long said that he would like improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said Trump only moved against Flynn because of news media attention, not concern about any wrongdoing. "The reason they lost faith or trust in General Flynn only last night when they knew for weeks that he had been lying was that it became public," Schiff told MSNBC.A timeline of events outlined by Spicer and a U.S. official showed that Trump had known for weeks about Flynn misleading the vice president. Trump, a former reality TV star whose catchphrase was "You're fired!" has often boasted of his eagerness to get rid of subordinates. He was not quick to fire Flynn, a strong advocate of a better relations with Russia and a hard line against Islamist militants.The Justice Department warned the White House in late January that Flynn had misled Pence by denying to him that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, a potentially illegal act, a U.S. official said. Flynn did talk about sanctions with the diplomat, whose calls were recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, the official said. But Pence went on television in mid-January and denied that Flynn had discussed sanctions.The Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Flynn in his early days as Trump's national security adviser regarding his conversations with the Russian ambassador, a White House official confirmed.Spicer stressed that the administration believed there was no legal problem with Flynn's conversations with Kislyak, but rather an issue over the president's trust in his adviser.The turning point, Spicer said, was a Washington Post story published on Thursday in which Flynn, through a spokesman, said for the first time he could not say with 100 percent certainty that he had not discussed sanctions with Kislyak.Spicer said the Justice Department sought to notify the White House counsel on Jan. 26 about the discrepancies in Flynn's accounts. "The White House counsel informed the president immediately. The president asked them to commit a review of whether there was a legal situation there," Spicer told reporters, saying it was a "trust issue." Flynn's conversations with the ambassador took place around the time that then-President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia, charging that Moscow had used cyber attacks to try to influence the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favour.A U.S. official familiar with the transcripts of the calls with the ambassador said Flynn indicated that if Russia did not retaliate in kind for Obama's Dec. 29 order expelling 35 Russian suspected spies and sanctioning Russian spy agencies, that could smooth the way towards a broader discussion of improving U.S.-Russian relations once Trump took power. LEGAL FALLOUT? Flynn's discussions with the Russian diplomat could potentially have been in violation of a law known as the Logan Act, which bans private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments about disputes or controversies with the United States. There have been no modern prosecutions using the 1799 law."The Logan Act is a red herring. The better question is whether he made any false statements to the FBI at any point, which would be a much bigger deal," said University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck, adding the fallout would likely be "political" in nature. Flynn could also face legal trouble if it emerges that he violated other federal laws in his communications with the Russians, said Andrew Kent, a professor at Fordham University School of Law in New York. The Espionage Act criminalises sharing information with foreign governments. Democrats, who do not have control of Congress, clamoured for probes into Flynn, and asked how much Trump knew about his connections to Russia.U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation of potential criminal violations surrounding the resignation of Flynn."What I am calling for is an independent investigation with executive authority to pursue potential criminal actions," Schumer told reporters, saying such a probe could not be led by newly installed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions or White House lawyers.Two leading Senate Republicans, Bob Corker and John Cornyn, said the Intelligence Committee should investigate Flynn's contacts with Russia. But the highest-ranking Republican in Congress, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, sidestepped questions about whether lawmakers should look into Flynn's Russia ties, saying he would leave it to the Trump administration to explain the circumstances behind Flynn's departure.A broader investigation of the White House and its ties to Russia is not possible without the cooperation either of the Justice Department or the Republican-led Congress. Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia make any White House attempt to embrace Putin problematic.Senator John McCain, a leading Republican voice on foreign relations, said Flynn's resignation raised questions about the administrations intentions towards Putins Russia. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, David Morgan, John Walcott, Doina Chiacu, Lawrence Hurley and Susan Heavey; Writing by Alistair Bell and Amanda Becker; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Peter Cooney) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON Russia has deployed a new cruise missile despite complaints by U.S. officials that it violates an arms control treaty banning ground-based U.S. and Russian intermediate-range missiles, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing unidentified officials.The newspaper said Russia had secretly deployed the ground-launched SSC-8 cruise missile that Moscow has been developing and testing for several years, despite U.S. complaints that it violated sections of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty.The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the New York Times story.The U.S. State Department concluded in a July 2014 arms control report that "the Russian Federation is in violation of its obligations under the INF Treaty not to possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500 km (310 miles to 3,420 miles), or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles." Russia accused Washington of conducting "megaphone diplomacy" after the accusation was repeated by the State Department in 2015. Moscow also denied it had violated the INF treaty, which helped end the Cold War between the two countries.The New York Times said the previous U.S. administration of President Barack Obama had attempted to persuade Moscow to correct the violation while the missile was still in the testing phase. Instead, Russia has moved ahead with the SSC-8 missile, deploying it as an operational system, the report said.Russia now has two battalions of the cruise missile, the newspaper quoted administration officials as saying. One is located at Russia's missile test site at Kapustin Yar in the country's southeast. The other cruise missile battalion has been located at an operational base elsewhere in Russia, the Times quoted one unidentified official as saying. (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Susan Heavey and Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Michael Martina and Matthew Miller | BEIJING BEIJING "Reciprocity" has become the new buzzword in the U.S. business community in China, with some industry leaders saying they would welcome a tougher approach from the Trump administration in opening up the markets of the world's second-largest economy. It's a striking shift within the American community here, which had long lobbied Washington against taking more aggressive policies, fearing they could draw retribution from China's leaders. President Donald Trump's picks for Commerce Secretary and Trade Representative, Wilbur Ross and Robert Lighthizer, have in the past backed the reciprocity principle when it comes to China: that Beijing should provide the same access and benefits to American business in China that Washington gives the Chinese in the United States."Our membership has moved to some extent in that direction as well, in advocating a firmer posture with respect to China," said Lester Ross, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China's policy committee. He made the remarks in January after the group issued a report that found over 60 percent of the chamber's members had "little or no confidence that the Chinese government is committed to opening markets further in the next three years". Many sectors of China's economy are either off limits or severely restricted to foreign investors. Foreign banks in China, for example, account for less than 2 percent of total assets, according to the China Banking Regulatory Commission. A 50-percent ownership cap for foreign life insurers, despite China's 2001 World Trade Organization commitments to lift it, has helped limit their market share to about 6 percent.China's Anbang Insurance Group ANBANG.UL, on the other hand, has spent more than $8 billion acquiring U.S. assets, including the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Strategic Hotels & Resorts. It is still waiting for regulatory approval to buy U.S. life insurer Fidelity & Guaranty Life (FGL.N) for $1.6 billion. "CHINA HAS OVERREACHED" The same imbalances can be seen in sectors such as automotives, payment cards and technology. China's Geely Holding Group bought Volvo from Ford Motor Co. (F.N) in 2010, but foreign companies are required to set up joint ventures to assemble vehicles in China, often transferring technology in the process. While China's UnionPay has grown to become the world's largest payment card, according to the number of cards issued, U.S. credit card operators Visa (V.N) and MasterCard (MA.N) have yet to be independently licensed to clear transactions in China, despite a 2012 WTO ruling mandating that Beijing open the sector. Foreign technology hardware and service providers are bristling at requirements to meet the restrictive terms of newly minted cyber security regulations. Beijing's "Made in China 2025" plan also calls for a progressive increase in domestic parts used in priority sectors, such as advanced information technology and robotics to 70 percent by 2025.James McGregor, Chairman of APCO Worldwide, Greater China, said the idea of some form of reciprocity is gaining traction, particularly in combating "techno-nationalism". "You've got Chinese companies that have protected markets and make loads of money and then they are going out and doing international acquisitions that could destroy other companies," McGregor said. "Now China has overreached so much they have alienated much of the business community." McGregor said U.S. policy makers had to figure out how to use America's openness and rule of law to deal with China, instead of allowing them to become vulnerabilities. The question is how to craft a reciprocity policy without destabilising bilateral relations or triggering a retaliatory backlash against U.S. businesses in China.Chinese state media has warned that U.S. businesses could be targets in any trade war that Trump may unleash - he has threatened to label China a currency manipulator and slap heavy tariffs on Chinese goods.China's Ministry of Commerce did not respond to a request for comment on the issue of reciprocity.But Tu Xinquan, a trade expert at Beijing's University of International Business and Economics, said Trump's options would be limited by his promises to create jobs."If you close the door to Chinese investments, that's not good for American employment," Tu said. BAD POLICY One way to achieve reciprocity would be to use the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) security review process to wall off industries where U.S. businesses face discrimination in China. But most experts see that as straying too far from the free market orthodoxy that has drawn investment and jobs to the United States for decades. James Zimmerman, a Beijing-based lawyer with Sheppard Mullin and a former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said strict reciprocity would be bad policy and against the U.S. system of open investment."We need to be very careful what we ask for," Zimmerman said. Proponents argue reciprocity does not violate free market principles, but is a needed intervention due to a market failure, much as the government uses antitrust policy to crack down on cartels.Thilo Hanemann, in a Rhodium Group report to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, said simple calls for reciprocity are "misguided". But, he added, if China's "commingling of commercial and political motives is not resolved, then a new chapter in U.S. and global competition policy activism may be required." (Reporting by Michael Martina and Matthew Miller in BEIJING; Editing by Bill Tarrant) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. I grew up with a working mother. My parents taught at a university in Goa until I was three, so before I went to school, I would stay home with Nirmala akka, while my parents went to work. We would watch Shaktimaan together every afternoon, and she was with me the day there was a snake in our house and I thought I could play with it. When we moved to Hyderabad, both my parents continued to work. I would usually accompany my mother to office every weekend. Since my mother joined an NGO that worked with weavers, I learnt to use a loom in her office when I was six. On days when my parents attended talks, I sat with them with sheets of one-sided paper and crayons and drew. At some point when I was older, my mother told me the story of the time I locked Nirmala akka in the bathroom in our Goa house. I was two and had learnt to latch doors but not unlatch them, but, of course, I wasnt thinking of this when I locked her in the bathroom in the first place. Then I was quite scared, so I went and sat on our terrace. But my mother told me that when Nirmala akka got out of the bathroom (our neighbours heard her screaming and opened the bathroom door), she was certain that I had been kidnapped and that she might be blamed for it. Nirmala akkas fear is perhaps a different side to the same paranoia that working parents have when it comes to leaving their young children at daycare centres. On 12 February, news broke of another horrible case of a three-year-old girl being sexually abused at a daycare by a 25-year-old man in Bangalore. The man was the son of the woman who ran the centre, and the abuse became known when the childs grandmother came to pick her up and found her crying. For years, there have been reports about child sexual abuse at these centres and creches. But what these horrific cases have perhaps unexpectedly, but surely, done, is to force mothers across class to feel a greater pressure to leave their jobs, and suffer guilt about leaving their children. This story about Nirmala akka might also remind us about how, some years ago, a family in Delhi had a teenage girl looking after their baby. The parents would go out to work, and every time the girl told them she wanted to go home, they would put it off, perhaps because it meant that the babys mother would have to stay home. Not knowing what to do (and not being able to leave the baby alone), the girl one day left for her home, with the baby. A friend says that when she was in college, a company had come to talk to her class about a watch they had made for children. It had an SOS button the child could press if it were in trouble, with a GPS for parents to track them. If this wasnt enough, the parents could even press another button and listen to what was happening around the child for some seconds. Of course, this meant that the child would have no privacy, but it seems like makers have realised that this paranoia about children about where they are, and who they are with is very real. I cant imagine my mother sitting at home to look after me. But I cant imagine being in a creche either. While she never talked to me about having to face this kind of pressure, there are many women who feel like they have no choice. If they want to work but their families dont like the idea of a daycare, it automatically comes to mean that mothers should stay at home. My friends sister who worked in advertising and was doing extremely well before she had a daughter and quit tells me that now she spends her days just staring at her child. She laughs as she says this, and then describes the dinner at home when she mentioned that she was considering re-joining her job. She had looked up a daycare centre close to her office so that she could check in on the baby. Her husband stayed silent, and her father-in-law stood up, told her she could do no such thing with his granddaughter, and left the table. Anita, who used to teach in a school in Bangalore, says that before her son was born, she had been certain that she would be working after her son was a year old. I thought a year was a long enough time to wait, she says. But she also remembers when she felt like she would have to wait to work until her son was at least nine. She had just read reports about a young boy in Tamil Nadu who was sodomised by older boys in his school, and although it wasnt the same, she decided that she couldnt leave her son in daycare. Her story reminds me of a college teacher I know who had a child two years ago. She continues to teach, but she comes to college worrying and feeling terribly guilty about leaving her daughter in daycare. Two weeks ago, Anita says that the woman who helps her at home asked if she could bring her two-year-old to their house. She wanted to leave her there while she finished working in other houses, because she didnt like the idea of leaving her daughter alone with her brother. She was certain that she would come home one day to find her daughter missing or abused by her brother. That was when I realised that we had the same fears and guilt, Anita says, Except I could stay home and her family couldnt afford to do that. What this womans story also unsettlingly reminds us of is that very often the abuse that we associate with strangers happens within families. As a 2015 RAHAT study pointed out, rapes by fathers or step-fathers constituted 46 percent of family rapes. This number formed 7.2 percent of total rape cases, which was almost as high as rapes by strangers (9 percent). The solution is certainly not to stop or reduce reporting child sexual abuse. But there must also be ways in which we assess what this means for women. That women are more worried about returning to work because of abuse in daycare centres adds to the need to find ways to make these creches safer. In Dharavi, journalist Menaka Rao had reported about the cause of recent acute malnutrition in children due to consumption of junk food, since working mothers found it difficult to adequately cook, leaving their children to eat Maggi. In that case, activists had pushed for setting up creches in Dharavi to support families. Similarly, we also need to address the sense that the solution for child abuse isnt guilt-tripping women to stay at home with their children. The solution for families across class is for more childcare solutions, with better variety and quality. Because a working mother with an income of her own is more likely to be able to remove a child from abuse, especially if the abuser is in the same household. Which statistics indicate, he is likely to be. 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. Editor's note: This article was originally published on 29 April, 2016. It is being updated in light of Isro's successful launch of 104 satellites on Wednesday. After India launched its own space shuttle on 23 May 2016, and Isro launched 20 satellites from Sriharikota in June 2016, the space research organisation launched 104 satellites on Wednesday. Flashback to June 2016 Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on 22 June, lifted off successfully with the country's earth observation satellite Cartosat, Google company Terra Bellas SkySat Gen2-1 and 18 other satellites from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. The PSLV rocket standing 44.4 metres and weighing 320 tonnes, tore into the morning skies at 9.26 am, breaking free of the earths gravitational pull. The 20 satellites weighed 1,288 kg. Andhra Pradesh: ISRO launches record 20 satellites from Sriharikota pic.twitter.com/t5FnVjfzq4 ANI (@ANI_news) June 22, 2016 The rocket's main cargo is India's 725.5 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for earth observation. This satellite is similar to the earlier Cartosat-2, 2A and 2B. The other 19 satellites weighing totally around 560 kg are from the US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia as well as one each from Chennai's Sathyabama University and College of Engineering, Pune. The whole launch mission will be completed in around 26 minutes. Wednesday's mission is the first time Isro will be launching more than the 10 satellites with a single rocket. For the first time, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) launched a winged-flight vehicle, called the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) that can launch satellites, which will orbit around the Earth. Also known as hypersonic flight experiment, the RLV-TD then glided back onto a virtual runway in the Bay of Bengal. What's interesting is that this can be considered India's own 'space shuttle': it can help with low cost, reliable and on-demand space access, according to Isro scientists. ANI, on its Twitter feed, also included a video of the launch: WATCH: India launches its first indigenous space shuttle, the RLV-TD from Sriharikota(Andhra Pradesh)https://t.co/G0SxiQbJgw ANI (@ANI_news) May 23, 2016 The RLV-TD was a 6.5 m structure that weighed 1.75 tons (approx 1,600 kg) and resembled an aeroplane. It was elevated into the atmosphere on a special rocket booster. India now has a constellation of its own seven satellites that make up the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) that will work together to provide accurate services including terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, mobile phone services, mapping and land surveying data, voice navigation for cars and disaster management. The satellite launch, which took place on Thursday, was hailed by the prime minister as a "great gift to people from scientists", ANI quoted him as saying: We will determine our own paths powered by our technology with this successful launch. Its a great gift to people:PM pic.twitter.com/sl989oZmu4 ANI (@ANI_news) April 28, 2016 Dedicating this to Indian sailors & fishermen' courage of exploring the unexplored, it will be known as 'NAVIC'-PM pic.twitter.com/GyjuCGuApV ANI (@ANI_news) April 28, 2016 Dubbing the system as Navic (Navigation with Indian Constellation), Narendra Modi invited the Saarc nations to navigate with Indian constellation of satellites, reported The Financial Express and added that "this is an example of Make in India, made in India and made for Indians." According to the officials of Isro, the total cost of the project amounts to around Rs 1,420 crore. So what will be the benefit of this satellite navigation (satnav) system? In simple terms, such satnav systems are employed as a global positioning system. The Wire explains that these are "used the world over to accurately track and know the location and positioning of... pretty much anything with an appropriate receiver and transmitter on it." Our satnav system will be similar to the United States' GPS (which has 24 satellites) and to those of China, Europe and Russia, according to The Hindu. We've all heard of space being the final frontier (with due credit to Captain James Tiberius Kirk). And it looks like the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is taking its steps, slowly but surely, to the destination. Isro has launched 57 foreign satellites from 20 countries: Six from Singapore, including the 400 kg TeLEOS-1, the primary satellite, in September 2015, four American, one Canadian and one Indonesian satellite, along with Indias Astrosat as the primary passenger. The feathers in its proverbial hat, of course, are the missions Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan, the Mars orbiter. According to Isro, the former, which is the country's first Lunar Exploration Mission, was a "high-resolution remote sensing of the moon in visible, near infrared (NIR), low energy X-rays and high-energy X-ray regions". But the key takeaway was that water was detected in the form of vapour in trace amounts. Chandrayaan also helped in the historical Mars Orbiter Mission. Mangalyaan, the $74 million mission, that took place in September 2014, put India on the map making it the first country in the world to have successfully launched its mission to the Red Planet on the very first attempt and joining Europe, Russia and the United States in successfully sending probes to orbit Mars. This helped Isro win the 2015 Space Pioneer Award presented by the National Space Society of the USA. The Hindu BusinessLine reported that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests recommended a 50 percent increase in Isro's annual budget, a necessary addition considering the organisation's efforts to join the global space market, which is valued at more than $200 billion and growing. Space has never been this interesting before and Isro's future possible missions, such as the Chandrayaan-2 and even one to Venus, promise to get even any non-geek excited. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: Acknowledging that the hostile conduct of locals was causing higher casualties in the Kashmir valley, Army chief Bipin Rawat on Wednesday warned those attacking security forces during anti-militancy operations of "tough action". The stern message from Rawat came a day after three soldiers faced heavy stone-pelting at Parray Mohalla of Bandipore in north Kashmir when they were about to launch an operation against militants holed up there. Alerted by the stone-pelters, the militants got an opportunity to fire hand grenades and empty a few magazines from AK-rifles into the advancing troopers, leaving three jawans dead and some others, including a Commanding officer of CRPF, injured. One terrorist managed to flee the area. General Rawat said security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were facing higher casualties due to the manner in which the local population was preventing them from conducting the operations and "at times even supporting the terrorists to escape". "We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism, displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. "They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue," the Army Chief told reporters here, sending out a stern message to those who support militants. Rawat's assertion came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he paid last respects here to three of the four soldiers, including a major, who were killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir yesterday. The Army chief said if "they do not relent and create hurdle in our operations, then we will take tough action." The Prime Minister, in a tweet, said, "Paid tributes to the brave men who lost their lives fighting terrorists in J&K. India will always remember their valour & sacrifice." General Rawat said those supporting terror activities are being given an opportunity to join the national mainstream but, if they continue with their acts, security forces will come down hard on them. "We are giving them an opportunity, should they want to continue to (do what they are doing now) then, we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures. A that is the way to continue," he said. Four terrorists were gunned down in two separate encounters on Tuesday. Four army personnel, including a Major, were also killed in the encounters at Handwara and Bandipora. Kolkata: A nearly 100 strong mob on Wednesday vandalised a private hospital in Kolkata and beat up a number of staff following the death of a patient. "The CMRI Hospital at Ekbalpore in the south-western part of the city was vandalised this morning and some staff beaten up by a mob," a senior Kolkata Police official said. The mob resorted to the violence alleging negligence on the part of the hospital in the treatment of a girl patient admitted on Tuesday. The girl died at the hospital this morning following which a mob from the nearby Babubazar area entered the CMRI premises and broke glass panes, computers and other materials at the reception and billing office, the official said. The mob also resorted to a road blockade on Diamond Harbour Road at Ekbalpore crossing during morning rush hours leading to harassment of office-goers and other people. A large contingent of police led by senior officers persuaded the agitators to lift the blockade and brought the situation under control. Police forces were also deployed in the hospital premises to ensure there was no further vandalism. Relatives of patients admitted at the hospital and at the out-patients department fled the premises owing to the vandalism. The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday clarified that Indian citizens will no longer be required to stand in cases where the National Anthem is played in the middle of a film, as part of the storyline or as part of a newsreel or a documentary. However, the order for the mandatory playing of the anthem before films shown in cinema halls stands, and so does the mandatory standing up an act that is assumed to be the outward expression of inner respect for the country. What also stands is the shameful notification by the Union Home Ministry, dictating guidelines on how the disabled should behave when the anthem is being played. What the advisory betrays, however, is the deep anxiety of the state about what thoughts the public might harbour about the holy totems of the Indian Union. The home ministrys job is to ensure the internal security of the Indian Union. The Union ministry must think that if it does not control the attitude and posture of persons with locomotor or movement disabilities during the playing of Jonogonomono (thats how Rabindranath Tagore, the author of the song pronounced it, not Janaganamana), the internal security or some grave aspect of the India is threatened. Thus, it issued the notification that when the song is played, persons with locomotor disabilities and other wheel chair users, shall position themselves to the extent of maximum attentiveness and alertness, with or without the help of appropriate aids and appliances". Just reread that advisory for a moment and imagine the sickness of mind and ideology from where such notifications spring forth. This is plainly inhuman and obscene. As if the idea of forcing people to do ritual displays of respect of symbols of the Indian Union wasnt bad enough, the paranoia now has extended to persons with locomotor disabilities. The attitude of the present government towards persons with disability can be termed as obscenely patronising. Take for example the new word it has come up with to refer to such people, divyangjan, which vaguely translates to divine organ/part holder. It is again one of those neologisms that probably make some sense in Hindi but is a completely unknown word for non-Hindi people. And of course, even for something like naming of people with specific disabilities, the government doesnt desist from its Hindi imposition agenda. The erstwhile National Institute of Orthopaedically Handicapped (NIOH) at Bonhooghly, Kolkata that has now been renamed as the National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities Divyangjan. This divyangjan name, a term that no Bengali is familiar with, has also been forcefully inserted into the Bengali name of the institute. And the term itself is patronising to the core. Disability is a reality and alleviating the limitations and pains caused by it should be the aim, not the crookish and patronising formulation where the disability is packaged as some sort of a divine blessing. What is divine about disability? By divinity is anything positive being meant here? Persons with disability may have disabilities but they are not infants. This infantilising of a whole group of our co-citizens, marking them out as divinely special in the most insensitive way and then coming out with guidelines about how they should behave during the National Anthem tells us what happens when insensitivity and anxiety team up. This divyangjan term is not too different from the other patronising Hindi term harijan (people of God) which Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had almost imposed on the Dalits. That patronising name generally stands rejected by Dalits themselves. The original order of the Supreme Court that mandates all this standing up business states time has come when citizens must realise they live in a nation and are duty-bound to show respect to National Anthem, which is a symbol of constitutional patriotism and inherent national quality. There are multiple levels at which the assumptions inherent in this statement can be questioned. First of all, nation is not a home. People or citizens dont live in a nation. People with commonalities form a nation. It is a laterally imagined group. So, yes, people constitute a nation and this nation based on commonalities that are inherent. This inherent means that this is almost a characteristic one that is an automatic part of ones particular kind of human-ness. If people are part of a group (lets say nation) by dint of inherent qualities, then it does not need any realisation. It is a definitional truth. If I am a Tamil because of my Tamil mother tongue, it does not require realisation. It is part of the definition of being Tamil. So, who exactly are people duty-bound to? If my inherent qualities make me part of a group, who am I duty bound to display or prove it to? Who is this higher scrutiniser of my inherent quality? If some quality is inherent, who gets to decide the grade of it or what constitutes the scale of this grading, especially given that a nation is constituted by the people, people are not constituted by nations. How does one person with inherent quality get to ask for proving qualities from other people, especially those which are of inherent nature? What does it meant, when the term inherent is evoked with respect to a nation? What it does is that it makes this inherentness a natural category, almost as if it were a fact of life. This projection of naturalness is important, because it sets up a make believe test of what this inherent national quality is and as a result classifies as unnatural all differences. How come when no one but the people are sovereign and each person equally sovereign as the other, that some sovereign members get to define random tests of some inherent quality? Are the sovereign powers of some members of a nation more than others? Is it then not a nation of equal members? Since a nation is defined by commonality which are equally shared characters, how come then this inequality exists? If this inequality originates from other characteristics like class, access to power and so on, how come they affect the hierarchy scale of a community that is technically made up of equal members? How is this any different from might is right? Why does it matter that people who are by definition members of a nation not show certain randomly determined non-divine characteristic, for such unquestioning display of loyalty can only be expected of divinely ordained things and things like nation arent divine. They are very human. What is the fear? Is it that if people dont show signs of this inherent national quality, then that calls into question the inherent-ness, or worse still, the nation-ness of this inherent national quality? How can someone be forced to display what are inherent qualities? What if one doesnt have a certain inherent quality? Is it a crime? Is it a crime if ones reality of birth and social upbringing does not result in the development of such qualities but some other qualities? Isnt the basis of such differences also in society itself and such different qualities are also as inherent as any other? Is it a question of numbers or who has more guns to enforce ideas of national quality? Doesnt this straight-jacketing hit at basic human dignity for it disallows humans to have no quality that is not mid-wived and vetted by the dominant state apparatus? What kind of state apparatus lives in such dread of pluralism in inherent qualities, a pluralism that is a basic human characteristic. What kind of a state apparatus is fearful of human diversity? Would be wrong to term it sociopathic and paranoid? What does it fear it will lose by acknowledging the reality of human diversity? If only constitutional patriotism was invoked, one would have understood for it is not an inherent human quality, but does invoking a legal-political treaty and inherent quality in the same breadth put them at an equal footing. No, inherent qualities are varied. And if citizens of the India looked beyond themselves, they would see that largely ethno-linguistic groups form the basis of nationality, worldwide. This does not have to necessarily be the only basis of coming together as equal citizens, but as far as inherent national qualities go, inter-related social relationships overlayed on linguistic identity is by far the commonest basis for nationality. While the idea of India lacks this, and due to the inherentness of such things, they cant simply be made up without various sorts of imposed discriminations and hierarchies between identities; can co-citizens not simply get on with their daily lives without being told by those backed by the full force of the state apparatus what they ought to be like? But lets try to bring our focus back on what makes the home ministry issue directives of this nature for people with locomotor disabilities and what does that tell us about the wider concerns from where such notifications arise. What the home ministry seeks is completeness. For lack of completeness assumes that there is an outside. How pathetic and pitiful must the state of anxiety of an entity be that lives in fear of the fact that there may be an outside. The apex court, in its earlier judgement had said that, Love and respect for the motherland is reflected when one shows respect to the National Anthem as well as to the National Flag. Does it expect this love and respect to be present in the members of the Jarwa tribe in Andaman? Do they have a stake in Siachen and Sir Creek, given what happens there is done in their name too? Do they believe in unity in diversity given that their numbers have sharply dwindled ever since they were claimed as Indians? Is their inherent humanness and their sense of who they are not enough? Do they have to respect Gandhi, whose name means nothing to them, stand up during a certain song that they may not understand to be a song? Are Jarwas weird if things like constitutional patriotism does not exist in many of their members? Are they lesser or abnormal human beings for that reason? Are they anti-nationals? Are Jarwas seditious? Jarwas represent an outside which is not really outside. It is one stark end of a multi-axis continuum we are all part of. The crucial part of such schemes is that they are all-pervasive. The intense focus of resources and energy by modern nation-states on maintaining and defining territorial limits is not accidental. Within that zone, it is supreme. Which is precisely why territories where such monarchic supremacy is not established are sources of unending paranoia for the powers-to-be. The smokescreen of peoples welfare is used to unleash the non-pretentious forces of a nation-state money and military. In places where people dont live, powers dangle the notion of strategic importance. We are born from our mothers womb. We are born where our mother lay pregnant with us. When we are born, we are as human as anyone else. This is before there is consciousness of the state, constitution, Gandhi, Nehru, tricolour, New Delhi, etc. Is it a pre-condition of being human that these notions have to be built up within our heads for an individual to be considered fully human? Clearly not. Our bloodlines and human consciousness predates all flags and constitutions, and god willing, will outlive them too. So does one has a right to be fully human and not be impinged upon, counted, exercised power upon, demanded loyalty from external institutions as long as they dont harm other human beings? One has a right to exist in the land one was born upon, to mingle in the society into which one is born or welcomed, live a glorious life among ones kins and so on. Institutions that place themselves as mediators of these rights, without being called to mediate, are inhuman and anti-social in a very fundamental sense. They may well be legal, depending on how many guns back up the self-imposed mediator. Legality is different from justness only the people can create the latter. It is from the perspective of the Jarwa people of the Andamans that the all-pervasive state starts looking not so pervasive a hint that there is an outside, even when high resolution maps and detailed anthropological surveys have been done. There is an outside and there will always be an outside. It comes with every child who is born. Hence, there is a persistent and dangerous glimmer. To live without certain indoctrinations makes a dynamite of a people, even if they dont know it. The distance from birth-rights to full-citizenship is a journey that requires surrender of rights, without consent or with indoctrination that there is no outside. People with disability thus need to be forced into postures and alert states to project this sense of all pervasiveness. It is plain old power projection. At the level of ideology, it is not different than Kim Jong-Ils mass synchronised performances in North Korea. We must never forget that only the people are sovereign. By definition, they created the constitution an obvious reflection of relative power negotiations with a bias towards structural power relations of the pre-1950 period. The constitution didnt create the people. No judge, no anthem, no song, no flag is more important. Only the people are sovereign. Everything else follows. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed that controversial RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin be shifted to Tihar Jail from a prison in Bihar to ensure "free and fair trial" in the cases lodged against him. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy asked the Bihar government to transfer Shahabuddin to Tihar Jail within a week, saying "it is the obligation and duty of this court to ensure free and fair trial". The apex court said trial in the cases registered against Shahabuddin will be conducted through video conferencing from Tihar Jail. "We direct the state of Bihar to transfer Mohammad Shahabuddin from district jail Siwan to Tihar jail Delhi," the bench said. The order came on the pleas by Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, and Asha Ranjan, the wife of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan, seeking shifting of the RJD leader from Siwan jail. The petitioners had told the apex court that Shahabuddin should be transferred from Siwan jail to any other jail outside the state for free and fair trial in the cases pending against him. The Bihar government had earlier told the apex court that it is not "averse" to shifting Shahabuddin from Siwan prison to Tihar Jail here. The state government had told the apex court that Shahabuddin is facing trial in 45 cases, including one in Jharkhand. For 36-year-old Eman Ahmed, the heaviest woman in the world at 500 kg, her trip to Mumbai was one that her life depended upon. The journey that concluded at the wee hours of Saturday, would see Eman admitted to Saifee hospital. According to a report by The Hindustan Times, Eman will have to lose four-fifths of her weight to reach a healthy size. A modified Airbus 300-600 of Egyptair landed on 4.10 am right as scheduled and helped Eman, along with her sister Shaimaa Ahmed reach the hospital. They were escorted to the hospital via a specially designed bed of Eman on an open truck which was escorted by an ambulance and police van to Saifee Hospital. Two doctors had also accompanied Eman from Egypt to India. Top officials including Egyptian consulate general Ahmed Khalil were present until Eman was safely admitted in the hospital. An extensive line of treatment and surgeries is slated to treat Eman for the next six months. That's not all, the hospital will be treating Eman for free for both the treatment and surgeries. This won't be an easy task though. According to Zee, she suffers from various complications including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, severe obstructive and restrictive lung disease and gout. The doctors displayed no hesitation about this high risk, charitable treatment. When asked about why the doctors were undertaking this pro bono venture, the doctors said that seeing the images that depict how Eman hasn't moved at all inspired them to help her, the treatments would give her the freedom and independence that her condition has taken away from her. This wasn't the only act of kindness towards Eman. A fundraiser was also set up to help her receive treatment. #SaveEman managed to collect over Rs 7 lakh worth of funds. Even Sushma Swaraj managed to make this treatment a reality. Eman's visa application had initially been refused, but an Sushma Swaraj intervened to help her get a medical visa. Thanks for bringing this to my notice. We will definitely help her. pic.twitter.com/l6RfC5bWE4 https://t.co/fWBYilbPIY Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 6, 2016 Embassy in Cairo called Visa granted.Thank you so much for this prompt response,impressed Appreciate the help @SushmaSwaraj @CODSIndia01 Dr Muffi Lakdawala (@DrMuffi) December 6, 2016 Following this chain of goodwill, Eman's treatment towards a healthier life continues. Watch the doctors of Saifee hospital discuss Eman Ahmed's treatment here: Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Exports of Irans minerals and mineral industry products increased by 14 percent during the first ten months of current fiscal year (March 20, 2016-Jan. 20), Iran's Deputy Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade Jafar Serghini said. Iran exported $5.5 billion worth of minerals and mineral industry products during the mentioned period, Serghini said, Irans industry, mines and trade ministrys official SHATA news portal reported Feb 15. He said that the Islamic Republic exported 22 million tons of minerals, worth $1 billion in the 10-month period. Serghini added that Iran also exported $4.5 billion worth of mineral industry products in the same period. Mines and mining industry of the Islamic Republic exported $7.05 billion worth of goods and services over the last Iranian fiscal year. According to Amir Sabbagh, an official with the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), the mining sector had a share of $11.5 billion in the countrys trade turnover over the last Iranian year(ended March 2016). He said the imports of the countrys mining sector in the mentioned period stood at $4.44 billion. By Maya Palit What put it into her silly little head to suddenly fall in love with a man old enough to be her father? mused Sarojini Naidus son Jaisoorya, in a letter to his sister Padmaja. He was referring to a scandal that had shaken Bombays high society and political circles in 1916, when Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the 40-year-old leader of the All India Muslim League and eventual founder of Pakistan, fell in love with a rich 16-year-old Parsi woman named Ruttie Petit. Jaisooryas thoughts werent half as acerbic as the criticism that came the Jinnahs way. The young couples marriage in 1918, after much speculation, created a great uproar because of their religious differences: Rutties family was furious, various newspapers implied that she was a gold-digger, and the Parsi community erupted in protests. Despite the fact that Rutties own liberal circles, which included Motilal Nehru's daughter, did not take particular umbrage to the inter-religious angle, everyone was appalled by the couples difference in age. Ruttie was judged incessantly for being spoilt, entitled because of her affluent background, and having ulterior motives in wanting to marry Jinnah. (She was once described as a complete minx by a British viceroys wife.) In her compelling new book, Mr and Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage That Shook India, senior journalist Sheela Reddy reveals that much of this animosity and scepticism stemmed from Rutties proclaimed ability to do whatever she wanted with her life, and this fiercely defiant attitude certainly showed. Reddy delves into Rutties life through first-person accounts and her never-before-seen correspondence, unearthing testimonies to her fierce nature. While the book provides a comprehensive history of the Jinnahs, as well as the era of their marriage, its lengthy descriptive passages are spliced with amusing excerpts from Rutties letters. From one-liners addressed to her pen friend Padmaja Naidu, Have you a very very strong objection to slang? I hope not, for I might shock you, to her frequent travels around the country, including attending National Congress sessions in Lucknow, and going out dancing to jazz clubs with other men during her marriage, Ruttie was always headstrong about having her way. She had harboured a keen interest in politics from the time she was 14. After her marriage, she fought hard against being reduced to a beautiful prop during Jinnahs political campaigning. Ensuring she was present at every public rally held by her husband against British autocrats at Shantaram Chawl in Bombay after the First World War, she once delivered a passionate lecture about not conceding to the British. However, a question posed to Jinnah by journalists after that incident Could you not have persuaded Mrs Jinnah to stay at home? suggests why her involvement in political agitations was sadly limited henceforth. In Reddys telling, Ruttie turns out to have been a far more complex character than most realised. She navigated everything from deep isolation after her family estranged themselves, to the trials of early motherhood and an increasingly distant husband (whom she called J in her letters), and juggled it all with fashionable dressing, a wide reading habit and a fierce commitment to the nationalist struggle. Besides being prone to ill health, comas, insomnia, and bilious attacks, she was also given to wild mood swings and depressive stints, which led to exceeding inner turmoil. But she did not suffer quietly, and her correspondence reveals that she took strong stands in her letters to female friends, articulating her emotions in forceful phrasing: Life has been such a medley of wild excitement and cold depression And yet it has been so full so full because of its hollowness! So empty because of its fullness!... Ay you may almost call it a form of hysteria. Perhaps three things disturbed her the most, and her reactions to these were what set her so much apart from other women of her era. She detested being saddled with the twin demands of motherhood and being a wife, which she once exclaimed was tantamount to slavery. Another was her sense of alienation, as all the couples friends were joining Gandhis national boycott of the British and leaving Bombay. Thirsting to leave the city herself and unable to convince Jinnah, Ruttie travelled to England and Monte Carlo without her infant child once again scandalising gossip-mongers, and even surprising close friends by claiming she now wanted to make it as a film actor playing vampire roles. Rutties complete indifference to her child, which she didnt bother to hide, was perhaps what people understood least about her. I simply cannot understand Rutties attitude I do not blame her as most people here seem to do, but whenever I remember the little, dazed, scared child, like some mortally hurt animal, I come very near hating Ruttie in spite of my great affection for her, her closest friend Padmaja wrote about her to her sister Leilamani. Sarojini Naidu herself adopted a far harsher stance, declaring in a letter, I could beat Ruttie whenever I think of that child. (Reddy suggests that Sarojini Naidu had been keen on her children befriending a high-society and cultured kid like Ruttie.) It is glaringly evident that her subversion of a mothers role was considered unpardonable at the time despite the fact that Jinnah himself was immensely preoccupied with juggling his legal and political work and had little time for family. Her daring attempt to unshackle herself from her domestic fetters, as Reddy phrases it, is what the people around Ruttie failed to comprehend. What resulted was a quick descent into full-fledged hysteria, a self-styling of herself as Mad Little Ruttie, a brief obsession with clairvoyance, and desolation followed by the onset of cancer, and death, at just the age of 29. (Her daughter Dina, however, once claimed that Ruttie had killed herself.) The breadth of Rutties short but incredibly full life, however, cannot be underestimated, which is why Reddys painstaking examination of her epistolary friendships is a crucial undertaking. By unearthing details about Rutties idiosyncrasies and making sense of them, this book provides a much-needed window into the life of a misunderstood and fascinating Indian woman. The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online womens magazine AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala on Wednesday appointed nephew TTV Dinakaran as party deputy general secretary, ahead of preparing to surrender before the court. The appointment of her nephew in the newly-created post was announced in a statement prior to Sasikala leaving for Bengaluru to surrender before the court there. The development comes a day after the Supreme Court upheld her conviction in the disproportionate assets case. In a statement issued in Chennai, Sasikala said former Member of Parliament (MP) Dinakaran is appointed as deputy general secretary of the party and party men are requested to extend their cooperation to him. Prior to Dinakaran's appointment as deputy general secretary, Sasikala had re-admitted him and another nephew S Venkatesh as members of the party. In a statement, she said the two had expressed apology for their past acts in person and in writing and requested for re-admission into the party. Dinakaran was part of the 12-member AIADMK team led by its newly-elected Legislature party leader Edappadi K Palaniswami which met Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and staked claim to form the government in Tamil Nadu. Incidentally, Dinakaran and Venkatesh were dismissed from the party's primary membership by former general secretary and chief minister the late J Jayalalithaa. Who is Dinakaran? TTV Dinakaran is the son of Vanithamani sister of Sasikala. When Sasikala got closely associated with Jayalalithaa, the three sons of Vanithamani got political prominence. The three brothers, famously known as the TTV brothers Dinakaran, Bhaskaran and Sudhakaran have often crossed paths with Jayalalithaa and have benefited from the association. Dinakaran was first noticed in 1988 as one of Jayalalitha's permanent hangers-on after the AIADMK split in the wake of MGR's death. However in 1990, when Jayalalithaa noticed a close 'proxmity' between Dinakaran and M Natarajan Sasikala's estranged husband he fell out from 'Amma's' good graces. He soon found a way back in the good books through Sasikala and later went on to become an MP. Dinakaran's brother Sudhakaran has remained the foster son of Jayalalithaa, who later disowned him in 1995. In 2011, Jayalalithaa expelled Sasikala and her family from the party and she included the names of the three brothers too. After the Sasikala was reintroduced in the party in 2011, after a pardon by Jayalalithaa, the family remained out and three brothers didn't earn Jayalalithaa's favour till the time she died. Dinakaran and Pannerselvam A former member of the Rajya Sabha, representing AIADMK, Dinakaran is credited with having groomed O Panneerselvam at the beginning of his political career. In 2001, when Panneerselvam was just another office-bearer, Dinakaran raised him to the post of chief minister at a time when Supreme Court had barred Jayalalithaa to hold office. This was the first time Panneerselvam came into limelight. According to a report by The Indian Express, Dinakaran had stayed in Panneerselvams house when he had contested from Periyukulam Lok Sabha constituency in 1999. In light of Sasikala's conviction, experts believe that Dinakaran is to be the new power centre in AIADMK which makes one wonder how the two once-upon-a-time political associates will wage this political battle? Experts believe Dinakaran's reappointment is viewed as Sasikala's strategy to keep AIADMK under her control and also play the caste card. Sasikala and Dinakaran are Thevars and have retained the key party posts, while propping up Public Works Minister Edapadi K Palanisamy who belonging to the Gounder community as leader of the legislature party for the chief minister's post. The rival camp led by O Panneerselvam has to counter balance that since he too belongs to the Thevar community. Dinakaran embroiled in economic offences case On 6 January 2016, the Madras High Court delivered its verdict in the two-decade old Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) violation case in which Dinakaran, was accused of money laundering and benami transactions. The Madras High Court confirmed the penalty of Rs 25 crore imposed on Dinakaran by the Directorate of Enforcement in the 1996 case. The penalty was levied by FERA Appellate Board in 2000 and related to deposit of large amounts of cash in his bank account held outside India and his failure to repatriate the same to India when AIADMK under Jayalalithaa was in power in Tamil Nadu during 1991-96. Originally the penalty was Rs 31 crore but it was subsequently reduced to Rs 28 crore on Dinakaran's appeal. According to an earlier report by India Today, in 1992, he floated a company, Emerald Constructions, in Chennai, which grabbed headlines when a Congress MLA claimed that it was illegally acquiring prime government land in Chennai. In 1995 he was served a notice by the ED during the investigations into the Jain hawala racket which had led the ED to a Chennai-based kingpin, H Ameer who reportedly had dealings with Dinakaran. The affluence of this man from Mannargudi has always been questioned, but his politics will soon be put under the magnifying lens too. With inputs from agencies The AIADMK crisis went into overdrive on Tuesday after the Supreme Court on Tuesday convicted party general secretary VK Sasikala in the two-decade-old disproportionate assets case, and sentenced her to four years imprisonment. With the conviction, Sasikala's dreams of occupying the chief minister's post has been dashed for at least the next 10 years. Nevertheless, Sasikala nominated Edappadi Palanisamy, a senior minister, to succeed her as the leader of the AIADMK legislature party. While power struggle has effectively split the AIADMK, it seems its ramifications have also been felt within the late chief minister's last remaining family members. While Deepak Jayakumar, the nephew of late Jayalalithaa, has been firmly backing Sasikala, his sister Deepa, on the other hand, has come in open support of caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam. Media reports for a while also suggested that Deepak could be made the leader of the legislature party. However, no such development took place. Deepak has been living a relatively anonymous life. According to The News Minute, he is a real estate developer who resides in Chennai. According to another report in The Times of India, Deepak completed a MBA degree from the US. Interestingly, it was Deepak along with Sasikala, who performed the last rites of Jayalalithaa on 6 December. Deepa, on the other hand, has been working as a media academic in the United Kingdom. According to a report in The Times of India, she made numerous attempts top meet her aunt over the years, but was not allowed to do so. Back in 2014, following Jayalalithaa's release from prison, Deepa and her husband tried to meet the AIADMK chief, but weren't let in. Even when Jayalalithaa was ailing in hospital, she was all alone as Deepa was turned away by the police at the hospital. In January, Deepa announced her intention to plunge into active politics and disapproved of Sasikala being made the general secretary of the party. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's stance on demonetisation is well-known. She is one of the ferocious critics of the currency swap and was the first among Opposition leaders to voice her protest. She has also gone out of her way to stitch Opposition unity against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move. There is little doubt that she sees a gift-wrapped political opportunity in the decision, that has caused much political and economic disruption. But, by announcing cash doles in the state budget for those 'affected' by demonetisation, Mamata has precipitated Bengal's financial crisis. In trying to score a goal against Narendra Modi, she has put the ball in her own net and set a dangerous precedent of recklessness. Before we focus on her step, it must be pointed out that the full ramifications of demonetisation are yet to surface, in terms of the political and economic fallout. The 2017 Economic Survey prepared by Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian gives us some clues. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley offers some more through his budget. These are further bolstered by RBI's recent monetary policy review. The central bank has played down the effect of demonetisation, while revising the growth forecast to 7.1 percent from the earlier 7.6 percent. There finally seems to be some sort of equanimity and consensus among the government, RBI and economists that the pain of demonetisation, while intense, would be transitory and nowhere near the doomsday figures predicted by the likes of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. A contraction, for sure, but not an irreversible catastrophe. Economic Survey reckons that the economy may shrink by half a percentage point and then witness a sharp recovery, as the fundamentals are strong. This prediction is in consonance with the estimates put forward by independent research agencies like Nomura and bankers like IndusInd Bank chief executive Ramesh Sobti or HDFC Bank CEO and MD Aditya Puri who expects a fast V-shaped recovery. While the economic fallout of demonetisation 'as a short-term pain and long-term gain' should become clearer in a quarter or two, the political impact is likely to take longer to emerge. We should get some definitive indicators on 11 March, when the Assembly election results are out, but the full import could drag on till the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and could be far-reaching and transformative. Mamata, however, is not one for patience. She has always been a very intuitive politician. Her decisions are based less on considered judgement and more on an innate ability to quickly arrive at a decision. It might appear fickle but this is her shtick. For instance, while the Congress was still undecided about demonetisation and had backed it in the initial stages, Mamata had been opposed to it even before Modi could finish his speech on 8 November. In line with this practice, Mamata has arrived at a few conclusions. She reckons that demonetisation would be Modi's political Waterloo and she wants to milk it in every way she can. Part of her anti-Modi paranoia stems from the fear that BJP is fast occupying the Opposition space in Bengal. Accordingly, she instructed state finance minister Amit Mitra to make a provision for Rs 250 crore in the General Budget. This money would be disbursed among 50,000 individuals "affected by demonetisation" at a rate of Rs 50,000 each. "Demonetisation has forced thousands of skilled workers from different parts of the country to come back to the state. They are now living in pitiable conditions. We would give these workers a one-time grant of Rs 50,000 so that they can start an alternative business. An allocation of Rs 250 crore has been set aside for this in the budget," Mitra told reporters after tabling the budget on 10 February. Mamata's intentions are clear. The cash crunch has hit the informal sector hard and she is keen to appear as a messiah for this segment of Indian economy. As economists Saurabh Mukherjea and Ritika Mankar Mukherjee of Ambit Capital pointed out in their piece for Firstpost, the Centre's "increased focus on tax compliance is likely to mean that the non-tax paying informal sector will shrink at a rapid pace. This, in turn, will entail a degree of demand destruction as the informal sector accounts for more than 40 percent of Indias GDP and provides employment to close to 75 percent of the labour force." The political calculation behind the motive is clear. But some serious questions emerge. One, how will the state identify those affected by demonetisation? Two, what would be the metric for identification? Three, can she really afford such largesse? The chief minister has talked of a "data bank" for collating the numbers and may approach district magistrates for help, but identification of such workers in the informal sector (such as zari artisans, leather industry workers or construction hands who are always in a state of flux) might be extremely difficult. Chances of such a cash dole scheme falling prey to nepotism are quite high. There is every possibility that the money will be siphoned off somewhere in the middle, with very little reaching the intended recipients. Even if we are to assume that some 'victims of demonetisation' are identified, going by Mamata's claim that "lakhs of unorganised workers in small and micro businesses" have been affected, the dole can at best reach 50,000, leaving others high and dry. How will she ensure social justice while implementing such a scheme? Second, will her dole be restricted to only workers from Bengal who have returned to the state? What about the state's non-Bengali labour workforce, who may be equally affected due to the contraction in the informal economy? Will she include some and exclude others on the basis of their place of birth? These are, however, academic assumptions because the real question lies in the state of Bengal's economy. How bad is it? According to Mitra, the economist-turned-finance minister, Bengal's fiscal deficit is projected at Rs 19,351 crore. About 81 percent of the state's tax revenue is used for debt financing. The state is neck deep in debt. Its financial health is worse than precarious. Whenever this topic is raised, Mamata and her finance minister are quick to blame the previous regime, who were voted out in 2011. "Debt of Rs 12,400 crore was incurred in the previous financial year. This is a direct legacy of the debt circle we have been trapped in since the Left Front regime began huge unregulated central borrowings since 2006. The total debt may touch Rs 3.66 lakh crore," Mitra said on Friday. Let's just take a moment to soak it in. After a 34-year uninterrupted rule, the Left Front left behind a total debt figure of Rs 1.93 crore while remitting office. In just about eight years, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government is on course to double that figure. A Hindustan Times report has mapped the TMC regime's debt burden: "Rs 2.75 lakh crore in 2014-15, Rs 2.99 lakh crore in 2015-16, Rs 3.33 lakh crore in 2016-17 and Rs 3.66 lakh crore in 2017-18." The report further points out that Mamata must shell out Rs 45,339 crore for debt repayment next year a whopping 30 percent more than this year's Rs 36,869 crore due to the maturing of 10-year loans in 2017-18. Unperturbed by the hazardous condition of state finances, Mamata has no qualms in belting out one populist measure after another, often for ill-reasoned schemes. "Our farmers were affected as they could not procure fertilisers, seeds etc. The operative credit, on which a large section of our farmers are dependent, was completely paralysed due to demonetisation. A special assistance fund of Rs 100 crore will be created to mitigate the sufferings of these farmers," Mitra said during his budget speech. And yet data from agriculture ministry shows a considerable rise in rabi crop acreage. Winter crops, according to a 3 December report in the Economic Times, were planted on 415.53 lakh hectares, compared to 327.62 lakh hectares a week earlier. A year ago, the acreage was 382.84 lakh hectares, says the newspaper, quoting data from the agriculture ministry. This is a 27 percent week-on-week rise and a nine percent jump from a corresponding period last year. And this came bang in the middle of demonetisation. According to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, "The sowing of seeds is nearly seven percent higher... much higher than last year, from 8 November till 31 December 31, 2016." And yet, Mamata feels no qualms about pushing the state towards further fiscal disaster, as long as her profligacy brings political benefits. The chief minister is working on an assumption that governments can't fail. But this dangerous tendency of straying further and further from fiscal prudence will ultimately end at a point of no return. Her politics may then fall victim to her understanding of economics. Ahmedabad: Congress workers on Wednesday staged a demonstration outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nonagenarian mother Hiraba, seeking her intervention in the Naliya gangrape case in which four BJP leaders were allegedly involved. Around 35 Congress workers assembled unannounced in front of the house of Pankaj Modi, younger brother of the Prime Minister, where 97-year-old Hiraba lives in Raisan village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar city. Policemen rushed to the spot and detained the Congress workers, mostly women. These protesters were demanding Hiraba's intervention in the gangrape case, claiming that Modi would surely listen to his mother's call for punishment to the culprits. "We have briefly detained around 35 Congress workers, mostly women, as they sat on a dharna and shouted slogans outside Hiraba's home in Raisan village near Gandhinagar. No untoward incident took place during the demonstration," said Info City police inspector KM Priyadarshi. These Congress workers alleged that police were trying to shield the real culprits involved in the gangrape in Naliya town of Kutch district. "The entire nation and media took notice of your gesture of standing in a bank queue during demonetisation. Now, we urge you to stand with the victim, which will force the government and police to take action. "We also urge you to talk to your son on the issue so that many other victims can be saved," said a letter addressed to Hiraba which could not be handed over due to the detention. Till now, police have arrested eight persons who had allegedly gangraped a married women in Naliya town on several occasions. Those who were arrested included four local BJP leaders, who have been suspended from the party. In her FIR, the 24-year-old woman alleged that she was raped by at least nine persons on different occasions a year ago. The victim has alleged in her FIR that the accused have been running sex racket in Kutch district and forcing victims to have sex with numerous persons after blackmailing them by making video of the act. New Delhi: Pakistan has decided to boycott a key meeting of South Asian Speakers to be held in India later this month. The two-day meet begins on 18 February at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. It will discuss poverty, development, environment and gender concerns in South Asia, home to more than 25 percent of the world population. Pakistan has decided to give it a slip in an apparent tit-for-tat over India's refusal to attend a Saarc summit in Islamabad in November last year that got axed after many other member countries too pulled out. "No delegation is coming from Pakistan," a source in Pakistan's High Commission here told IANS. The source said Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had received an invite from India but "it was decided not to participate because the atmosphere is not conducive" between the two countries. In 2015, India boycotted a Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) meeting in Islamabad to protest against Pakistan's decision not to invite the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after the September terror attack on an army base Uri in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army accused militants who crossed over from Pakistan for the strike that killed 19 soldiers. Days later, the Indian Army hit back and destroyed some terror launch pads in Pakistan, killing terrorists and their sympathizers. The two countries also expelled each other's diplomats after accusing them of spying. Pakistan attended a conference on Afghanistan India hosted in December, triggering hopes of an end to their tensions and resumption of bilateral talks. But Pakistan's decision to skip the Speakers' conference indicates that the tensions between the two countries are yet to ease. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will inaugurate the Indore meeting on achieving sustainable development goals -- organised jointly by the Indian Parliament and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global organization for multilateral political and legislative discussions. An official of the Lok Sabha Speaker told IANS that the presiding officers of Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka have confirmed their participation. The Saarc also includes Bangladesh. The Constitution of India does not spell out the manner in which the governor must satisfy himself about the claim of majority support in the Assembly by the ruling dispensation. It is an open and shut case if the ruling dispensation has a convincing, if not an overwhelming majority, like it happened in Tamil Nadu in the 2016 Assembly election in which the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK won 134 out of the 234 seats. But the governor has a tough job if it is a coalition with a slender majority support that is staking its claim. It is tougher still if there are rival claimants from the same party or other as is now being witnessed in Tamil Nadu Sasikala propped up Edappady K Palanisamy against O Paneerselvam (OPS). The Supreme Court in the famous and oft-cited SR Bommai case made the governors task simple to the extent possible by mandating a floor test. Do not let the rival claimants parade their supporters in the Assembly in the Raj Bhavan, was its admonition. Instead ask the claim to the ruling status be determined on the floor of the House by seeking a vote of confidence was its sage counsel, which is indeed binding, coming as it does from the apex court whose word is the law of the land. But then problems could be compounded further if there are rival claimants. In 1998, the Supreme Court resolved the impasse by ordering a composite floor test in the UP Assembly, either Kalyan Singh or Jagadambika Pal, was asked to be voted by the MLAs through a ballot paper on the floor of the House. Against the above backdrop, it would now be useful to answer a few relevant questions on composite floor test: Is it mandated in the Indian Constitution? No. It is Supreme Courts innovation, an effective one at that. Come to think of it, even the normal floor test is not Constitution-mandated but the binding opinion of the apex court articulated in SR Bommai case. How is it an improvement over the normal floor test? It is an improvement in the sense that if there are rival claimants to the chief ministers office from the same party or what is perceived to be an Opposition party then this is the only way of determining who truly commands the confidence of the House. Doesnt it allow Opposition to fish in troubled waters? That is inevitable, be it floor test or composite floor test, although arguably the scope for doing this is more with the latter, witness the ongoing developments in Tamil Nadu. There is a view that OPS is cosying upto the AIADMKs bete noire DMK, and is counting on being bailed out by DMK, even if his own party members desert him in the numbers game. The DMK has an 89-member strength and can upset Sasikalas calculations and applecart by siding with her tormentor OPS. Is it fair for the Opposition to vote on the choice of the chief minister? Normally the choice is the prerogative of the ruling dispensation. But if you wash your dirty linen in public, so to speak, then you expose yourself inevitably to Opposition participation in what is arguably the matter squarely falling within the remit of the ruling dispensation. Therefore, it is not a question of fairness but of resolving the impasse. Of course, this situation is eminently avoidable because OPS in the discussion on hand could remain beholden to the DMK for its favour. Mutual back scratching could follow. Germany has a sensible regime for bringing no-confidence motion it should be accompanied by a confidence motion so that both are voted together i.e. compositely as a package. The idea is do not trivialise no-confidence motion just to spite the ruling dispensation. Composite floor test likewise calls upon the MLAs to vote compositely whether you are for Palanisamy or OPS. This is the best under the circumstances. Opposition might fish in troubled waters is trite. But then isnt the assembly dependent on the Opposition as well for the smooth functioning of the House. Why grudge its role especially when your own house is not in order? Freebies galore in the manifestos of political parties in Uttar Pradesh where laptops and smart phones are being promised even as loan waivers to farmers remain the mainstay of the assurances. As the political potboiler in UP gathers steam, it is becoming evident by the day that there is no clear front-runner among the three major contestants, BJP, SP-Congress and BSP with factors including demonetisation, problems of farmers and caste and community considerations likely to influence the outcome. The BJP is in no shape to repeat it's 2014 clean sweep as it has been battling challenges, including perceived unhappiness among the Jat community, which has a sizeable presence in regions that polled in the first phase, and Muslims who dominated the second phase are anyway not a BJP votebank. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, which was written off under the Modi wave in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls is working quietly but steadily to burrow into the magical Dalit plus Muslim vote bank combination that has helped the party secure wins in the past. Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party desperately need a second run at the throne of UP to validate, if not justify, the young leader's decision to usurp his father and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and forge an alliance with the Congress. Therefore, taking a leaf out of populist schemes from the south, political parties in the Hindi heartland too have left no stones unturned in promising sops and handouts to woo voters as the nail-biting political slugfest this year poses unprecedented challenges to each player in the fray. The ruling Samajwadi Party has promised pressure cooker, food grains for the poor and ghee and milk for students besides expanding pension benefits under different schemes to one crore people. Another noteworthy trend this year was that all parties went all out to woo the youth, especially the first time voters. The SP, which had caught everyone's attention with its manifesto in the last elections that promised providing students with laptops and tablets, has tried to tame its horses this time. But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has gone a step ahead, promising laptop to every student "without discrimination" along with 1 GB internet data every month for a period of one year. The SP has this time promised laptops to meritorious students and smartphones for all. BJP and Congress, which is fighting the polls in alliance with SP, besides parties like Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) have all promised free wi-fi internet services in all colleges and universities, apparently to cash in on the 'Digital India' wave and also to target the young voters. Like in the past, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), however, has stayed clear of coming out with a manifesto this elections, with its supremo Mayawati stressing that her party does not believe in making promises but "acting" on them. Congress has promised to provide free school education for every girl child and give free bicycles to girl students from Class IX to XII. BJP, on the other hand, has announced free school education to all students and extending it till graduation for the meritorious ones. Notably, to instill a technical approach and scientific attitude among the students who passed class XII the state government had launched a scheme to provide a laptop to them. In 2012-13 and 2013-14 fiscal years, Rs 3,43,009.91 crore were spent and 14,82,093 students covered in the scheme. In 2016-17, it was proposed to cover 39,600 students, according to an official UP government data on planning. With nearly 20 crore people, UP remains a populous state. It sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha and it has a 403-member Assembly. The state, however, does not fare well in important sectors like education, health, industry, and agriculture engages over 70 percent of its people. BSP has announced waiving farm loans of up to Rs 1 lakh, while BJP, Congress, SP and RLD have made a similar promise albeit without announcing any such upper limits. In a bid to woo farmers, parties including BJP and SP have promised round-the-clock power supply while Congress raised a similar pitch with its slogan "karza maaf, bijli half" (loan waiver and 50 percent reduction in power bills). However, in the race to specify the most promising sops, no party sought to specify, where from the finances to support such populist schemes will come in a state already reeling under fiscal burden from the previous years. According to an article in The Hindustan Times, UP continues to be counted among the 'Bimaru' states while others such as Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have come out of it. "Even poorer neighbours such as Bihar, under chief minister Nitish Kumar, grew at 11% year-on-year", the article states. The state's GSDP is also at a dismal $161.10 billion in 2014-15, for a state it's size, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation. Talk about the per capita income and other such indicators used to map growth, the scenario is shoddier. "UPs economic status has only fallen since Indias independence its per capita income, which was 97% of the national average has slipped to 40.5% in 2014-15. The states economy grew at 6.56% annually, lower than the national average of 7.52%," The Hindustan Times report reads. Another slightly dated report by Asocham India published in DNA states that between 2004-05 and 2012-13, UP has clocked the slowest growth rate amid the Bimaru states making it the lowest ranked amid the four states (Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and UP) that are considered the least developed in India. Add to this the burden that demonetisation and neglect of administrative duties by officials busy on election duties have spelt disaster for the state's economy. Officials in the concerned departments fear that the revenue targets for the current fiscal might take a knock of 25-30 percent as most government employees are out on election duty. The Sales Tax Department has seen a drop in collections in the past three months. While it earned Rs 4,494 crore in tax in November, the collection slipped in December and is set to go down further in January and February due to engagement of employees and officials in election duty. The Excise Department, the cash cow, has also taken a beating in revenue collection. An official said that as against a target of Rs 1,443 crore in December, the collection was down at Rs 1,345 crore. With elections for the 403-seat UP assembly underway, even sale of liquor has fallen, partly because of strictures from the Election Commission. The stamp and registration revenue target was Rs 12,130 crore but has been downsized in a big way, with collections dropping to Rs 9,222 crore. The target for this month has been scaled down to Rs 13,953 crore from Rs 16,319.60 crore (a loss of Rs 2,366 crore). The Sales and Trade Tax target has been revised from Rs 57,940.30 crore to Rs 51,508.93 crore. With inputs from agencies Professor Amartya Sen has been at the receiving end of the ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party a lot lately. After being removed from the chancellor of the Nalanda University, Sen had to recently face scathing remarks from Dilip Ghosh, president of the party's West Bengal unit, who called Sen a "spineless" character. Lashing out at Sen, one of Bengals two living Nobel laureates (the other being Dr Muhammad Yunus), Ghosh said, No one in Bengal understands him (Sen). He himself doesn't understand what he is. He is in extreme pain because he was removed as the chancellor of Nalanda University. Such people are spineless, characterless and they can be purchased or sold. The statement, naturally, received condemnation from all over West Bengal. When Sen was asked for his response on the matter, he said, "I have nothing to say. Whatever he has felt is right. He definitely has the right to say so ... in that regard, there is no reason for me to object ... we should discuss all issues. If he feels this is also a matter for discussion, then he should do it." But when most were expecting an apology, Ghosh reiterated his stand, saying: "I stand by whatever I have said ... no regrets." But that was not all, though. BJP leader Chandra Kumar Bose followed Ghosh' cheap attack with a similar diatribe stating that Sen "called for it. This writer will not argue as to how great or not-so-great Sen is, but try to analyse what this attack means. Why now? Sen has been in the crosshairs of the Narendra Modi government for some time now. He was removed from the position (by the Union Government) of the Chancellor of the Nalanda University, a project that he was instrumental in conceiving and roping in various international stakeholders. The project is now headed by a BJP insider appointee. It is widely understood that the international project that fired the idea of the Nalanda University is doomed after the Sen and his team were shown the door. It did not help that Sen remains one among millions of people who cannot forget the association between the Gujarat riots of 2002 and Modi, and as a thinker, Sen has made clear what he makes of the ascendency of Modi. Sen is an economist and a public intellectual and has also expressed his views on demonetisation, views that would not please the Modi government. So, what do these recent attacks on Sen signify? Are we to believe that if any thinker or intellectual or for that matter any person expressed views that are contrary to that of the government or are critical of policies of the Union government, the official policy of the government would be to let loose the attack dogs in a coordinated fashion so as to silent such views? Where did this sick culture of politics come from? This is certainly not the political culture of Bengal where various strains of politics existed along with scathing mutual critic that also guarantees a celebrated role for public intellectuals opinionating in such matters during crucial times. Ghosh may belong to Bengal but his political training, ideology and conduct are completely alien to the ethos of Bengal. By criticising Sen, a Bengali icon, Ghosh has become Delhis Bengali hit-man in Bengal. And that Ghosh considers pleasing his masters in Delhi more important than being loyal to the ethos and culture of Bengal shows there's fundamentally wrong with the BJP in West Bengal. The Bengaliness of the BJP in Bengal in incidental, whereas, it's BJP-ness is fundamental. And this seriously limits its appeal in West Bengal, where it is widely conceived to be a Hindi-belt party controlled by outsiders. Among the top five parties of West Bengal, BJP has the highest number of non-Bengali Hindi-speaking senior organisational functionaries. Due to its basic ideology, it is a reality that BJP in West Bengal can neither change nor flaunt very strongly. Thus, having being cut out of the mainstream Bengali political narrative (except on issues of communal divisiveness), Ghosh has decided to troll his way in. Sen has never said anything pertaining to Ghosh. It was Ghosh who said it. It is clear who wants to score points out of reflected glory. The adage that all publicity is good publicity still holds true for the BJP, which at any rate is still a marginal political player in most parts of West Bengal. In fact, the BJPs vote percentage in the 2016 Assembly Election was a meagre 10.7 percent. So, if people are attending to BJPs message in West Bengal, it's because the party chief has taken the controversy generation route to publicity. And this is not completely ineffective as a strategy. This is how it goes. On various issues, a broad political consensus exists in any domain, including in West Bengal. In that domain, if a new political interloper (such as the BJP) wants to carve out an independent space, it has to do either voice that consensus forcefully and project itself as the best representative, or practice an iconoclastic posturing and make sure press cameras are on while it does that. The BJPs West Bengal branch has taken the latter route. While it makes statements that are considered quite far out in West Bengals political landscape, the BJP seeks to polarise people along its axis. Since the party starts from a low base, it does not have much to lose. Established parties with larger support bases cannot afford such irresponsible acts. Neither are they that much removed from the civil and political compact that exists in West Bengal. The new player is trying to push the envelope, and by generating controversy around the issue, it wants to become a pole in the public narrative and eventually a decider. That is where all of this stems from. Sen is an excuse for the most recent foray into this narrative domination game. By introducing a far out axis, the BJP hopes to polarise with every such intervention and add new converts to it, given the favourable media focus it received due to it being in power in New Delhi. The media attention that the BJP gets in West Bengal is disproportionate to both its vote percentage in West Bengal (10.6 percent) or the number of MLAs in the West Bengal assembly (6 out of 294). Ghosh has said that he does not understand Sens work. That is not a crime. The solution to that is to try harder to understand or to move on. To vilify an author or a thinker because one is admittedly not being able to understand his/her work highlights and then to held the author responsible for that shows Ghoshs limited intellectual ability. It is not only a ridiculous position; it is also a position that is against discussion, dialogue, learning and self-improvement. Such a position is against the ethos of Bengal which stresses exactly those things. Ghosh has not been able to understand Sen whose most celebrated work is on the causes of Bengal Famine of 1943. One can critique Sens formulation about the causes of the great Bengal famine of 1943 but what is incontestable are some facts which Ghosh might like to know. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the ideological father of the BJP, had actually demanded caste-based cooks in famine relief stations to prevent caste pollution at a time when millions were actually dying of hunger. Some major financial backers of the Hindu Mahasabha were those business houses of Kolkata whose criminal activities of rice, cotton and commodity hoarding were among the causes that resulted in the death of millions of Bengalis. The prosperity of these business houses was built over the dead bodies of starving Bengalis. If Bengali lives matter to Ghosh, I recommend that he reads Dr Janam Mukherjees book Hungry Bengal. Its content will educate him that many of Ghoshs present heroes will figure in the list of those of did nothing for Bengal and betrayed her in the direst hour. And that is way before we come to Amartya Sen. Washington: A record number of 27 US Congressmen will visit India later this month, reflecting the growing bipartisan support for strengthening the Indo-US strategic ties. The top lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties are visiting India in two separate delegations. Describing this as an important development, Navtej Sarna, Indian Ambassador to the US, said such visit is reflective of the efforts on the part of the US to "strengthen and build" on the bipartisan support that they have in the US Congress for India-US relations. Congressional records indicate that this is the largest ever travel of US lawmakers to India.The largest delegation of 19 Congressmen, being organised by the prestigious Aspen Institute, would be in India from 20 to 25 February with stops in New Delhi and Hyderabad. During the visit, the lawmakers are scheduled to have a wide range of meetings from top government officials, politicians, members of the think-tank bodies and non-governmental organisations. Another bipartisan Congressional delegation (or Codel) of eight lawmakers, being led by Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of powerful House Judiciary Committee, would be in India from February 20 to 23, visiting New Delhi and Bangalore. The delegation includes Congressman George Holding, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Jason Smit and Dave Trott. All four are from the Republican party. The Democratic members to the delegations include Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressmen Hank Johnson, David Ciciline and Henry Cuellar. The visit, Sarna said would let these lawmakers first hand see for themselves, the political vibrancy of India, the economic reforms that are happening, and also for them to identify potential areas of engagement. "This is increasingly important as the new administration comes into," he said. "We are very fortunate that there are two delegations totaling 27 Congressmen are travelling to India this month, which is not a small figure," he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Emil Ilgar Trend: Iran continues negotiations with Frances Total seriously to finalize a $2 billion deal to develop South Pars Phase 11, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Feb. 15. We hope to finalize the deal and sign an agreement in 2 months, he said during an interview with state-run IRIB TV. The CEO of French oil major Total, Patrick Pouyanne said Feb. 9 that the company plans to make a final investment decision on a $2 billion gas project in Iran by summer, but the decision hinges on the renewal of US sanction waivers. He said South Pars 11 will be among a couple of projects to be approved by the company to start by summer, if nothing is modified with regards to the sanctions. There are two executive orders that are supposed to be renewed before summer, he said, explaining that the administration of previous US President Barack Obama had signed waivers suspending the sanctions. These are supposed to last about 18 months. So President Trump will have to, or not, renew these sanction waivers, Pouyanne told journalists in Paris. Touching upon Pouyannes statement, Zanganeh said, We have already received their concern and Irans Foreign Ministry is pursuing the issue. He also criticised Totals CEO, saying that publicising concerns was not a good decision. We have other deals with foreigners and Total should have considered that, he said. Iran and Total signed a memorandum of understanding on development South Pars Phase 11 in late 2016. The overall cost of the project is estimated to reach $4.8 billion. DHAKA Bangladesh police on Tuesday shot dead a suspected militant commander and a close aide of the mastermind of the cafe attack last year that killed 22 people, mostly foreigners, a police official said.Police said Abu Musa, 32, was a close associate of Jahangir Alam, one of the masterminds of the July attack who was arrested last month, and wanted for killings of religious minorities and a Japanese citizen in the northern region. Alam not been formally charged. Musa was killed in a shootout when police raided a town in Bogra district, about 200 km northwest of the capital, Dhaka, local police chief Nur Alam Siddiqui said."We had to fire back when a group militants opened fire on a police patrol," he said, adding police also recovered firearms and other weapons.Musa was a commander of a faction of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group, known as New JMB, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and which police believe was involved in organising the cafe attack. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the July 1 assault, when gunmen charged into the cafe in the diplomatic quarter. Nine Italians, seven Japanese, an American and an Indian were among the dead.The five gunmen who attacked the cafe were all killed. Police have killed about 50 suspected militants in shootouts since the attack, including the man they say was its main planner, Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury.Al Qaeda and Islamic State have made competing claims for a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the country over the past year. The government dismissed the claims and instead blamed domestic militant groups, but security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe assault suggested links to a trans-national network. (Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Alison Williams) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Beijing: China on Wednesday lodged a protest over an ongoing visit by Taiwanese MPs to New Delhi and asked India to honour its commitment to "One China policy". Beijing also warned New Delhi to be cautious in dealing with Taiwan. "China has urged India to honour its commitment to the One China policy and cautiously handle issues regarding Taiwan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shunag said. India has a commitment on issues regarding Taiwan, Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which it has vowed to reunite some day. India is among the countries that have no diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island. "China has always been opposed to any official contact between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China," the spokesperson said. Three Taiwanese lawmakers are on a visit to India. "We hope India respects and understands China's core concerns, sticks to the One China policy and properly handles issues regarding Taiwan in a bid to maintain healthy and stable growth of China-India relations," the spokesperson said. Beijing: China's official media on Wednesday warned India against playing the 'Taiwan card', saying New Delhi will suffer losses by challenging Beijing over the sensitive issue. The warning came after a Taiwanese women Parliamentary delegation visited India. "By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire," state-run Global Times said in an op-ed article titled 'New Delhi will suffer losses if it plays Taiwan card'. "At a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the "one China" policy, India stands out as a provocateur," the tabloid daily, which is a part of Communist Party of China's publications, said. "High-level visits between India and Taiwan are not very frequent, so why did India invite the Taiwan delegation to visit at this time?" the article asked referring to Taiwanese MPs delegation. It is the first such visit since the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen administration took office, it said. Tsai, who won on elections last year is a strong supporter of Taiwan's independence from China. "Some Indians view the Taiwan question as an Achilles' Heel of the mainland. India has long wanted to use the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China," the article said. India may be looking to use the Taiwan card against China out of its suspicions with China specially over the USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project with Pakistan, it said. "With the advancement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in recent years, India's strategic suspicions about China have been growing," it said. "It stubbornly misinterprets the flagship project of the One Belt, One Road Initiative that will benefit countries along the route, including India. As the corridor passes through the disputed Kashmir, some Indian strategists have advised the Modi government to play the Taiwan card," it said. To India, the island can not only help realise some of India's development goals, but also, strategically, check the mainland. Growing Taiwanese investment in India, including in steel, telecom and information technology sectors, are important to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Made in India" campaign, it said. "Although the mainland is a major trading partner of India, political discord and the historical feud make economic cooperation between the two difficult," the article said. "Tsai is exploiting India's vigilance and strategic suspicions against China. The pro-independence leader came up with the new southbound policy" to ramp up trade and economic interactions in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, in which India is considered not one of the, but the most" important country," it said. Quoting Taiwan's representative to India Chung Kwang Tien, the article said "Tsai hopes to put pressure on the mainland by tying India and Taiwan closer". "India wants benefits from the development of trade with Taiwan and Taiwanese investment. But it should be wary of Tsai's political intentions and avoid being used to confront the mainland," it said. Washington: The goal of Trump administration is to bring peace between Israel and Palestine whether it comes from two-State solution or something else, the White House has said. On the eve of the crucial meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said America can only lend a helping hand in resolving the decades-long conflict but cannot dictate the terms of peace. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve. Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want or something else, if that's what the parties want, we're going to help them," a Senior White House official told reporters during a background briefing. "May be, May be not", the official said on condition of anonymity when asked if peace equals two-State solution. "It's something the two sides have to agree to. It's not for us to impose that vision. But I think we'll find out more about that tomorrow," the official said on Tuesday. The official said the term "two-state solution" has not been particularly well defined. "If I ask five people what a two-state solution is, I get eight different answers. We're looking at the two sides to come together to make peace together and we'll be there to help them," the official said. Netanyahu arrived in the US on Tuesday. He met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department. He is scheduled to meet Trump at the Oval Office on Wednesday, following which the two leaders are expected to address a joint news conference, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said. "They will discuss ways to advance and strengthen the special relationship between our two countries and stability in the Middle East. They will consult on a range of regional issues, including addressing the threats posed by Iran and its proxies, the crisis in Syria, and countering ISIS and other terrorist groups," Spicer told reporters. "As the President has made clear, his administration will work to achieve comprehensive agreement that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security. The way forward toward that goal will also be discussed between the President and the Prime Minister," Spicer said. Later a senior White House official said that the Trump Administration does not want to dictate peace to either Israel and Palestine and it is for the two parties to arrive at a peaceful resolution to decades old conflict. "We're not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be. President Trump has very much indicated that he wants to achieve peace," the official said. The official said a possible meeting between the Israelis and Palestinians would be part of the discussions on Wednesday. "He's hopeful to bring the two sides together to discuss peace," the official said of the President. Asked how quickly would he like to get a Middle East peace process going, the official said, "I do think it's a very high priority for the administration." The official said settlements, an embassy move, Iran would also be up for discussion between Trump and Netanyahu. "I don't want to get ahead of the meeting, but certainly those topics will be discussed," the official said, adding that Iran will be a critical piece of the discussion. The recent UN resolution on settlements is another area of discussion between the two leaders. "The posture that the US takes at the UN under this administration would be to veto anything that is biased against Israel. So we view the vote that took place as biased against Israel. We'll have to see what the potential impact is to Israel and so I'm not sure what can be done yet," the official said. Washington: Just six days into his presidency, Donald Trump was informed his national security adviser had misled his vice president about contacts with Russia. Trump kept his No. 2 in the dark and waited nearly three weeks before ousting the aide, Michael Flynn, citing a slow but steady erosion of trust, White House officials said Tuesday. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI about his telephone conversations with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., a sign his ties to Russia had caught the attention of law enforcement officials. But in the White House's retelling of Flynn's stunning downfall, his error was not that he discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian before the inauguration a potential violation of a rarely enforced law but the fact that he denied it for weeks, apparently misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other senior Trump aides about the nature of the conversations. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Pence, who had vouched for Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday, one day after the president asked Flynn to leave. Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said Monday "there were no lines crossed" in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The explanation of the episode left many questions unanswered, including why Trump didn't alert Pence to the matter and why Trump allowed Flynn to keep accessing classified information and taking part in the president's discussions with world leaders up until the day he was fired. White House officials also struggled to explain why Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway had declared the president retained "full confidence" in Flynn just hours before the adviser had to submit his letter of resignation. The White House shakeup, less than one month into Trump's tenure, marked another jarring setback for a new administration already dealing with tensions among top aides and a legal fight over the president's travel ban order. Flynn's firing also heightened questions about the president's friendly posture toward Russia. Democrats called for investigations into Flynn's contacts, and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Congress needed to know whether he had been acting with direction from the president or others. Trump initially thought Flynn could survive the controversy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the president's views, but a pair of explosive stories in The Washington Post in recent days made the situation untenable. As early as last week, he and aides began making contingency plans for Flynn's dismissal, a senior administration official said. While the president was said to be upset with Flynn, he also expressed anger with other aides for "losing control" of the story and making his young administration look bad. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence became aware that he had received "incomplete information" from Flynn only after the first Washington Post report Thursday night. Pence learned about the Justice Department warnings to the White House around the same time. The officials and others with knowledge of the situation were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity. Ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, Pence and other officials insisted publicly that Flynn had not discussed sanctions in his talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. On Jan. 26, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates contacted White House counsel Don McGahn to raise concerns about discrepancies between the public accounting and what intelligence officials knew to be true about the contacts based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the U.S. The Justice Department warned the White House that the inconsistencies would leave the president's top national security aide vulnerable to blackmail from Russia, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. The president was informed of the warnings the same day, Spicer said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI around the same time, according to a U.S. official was briefed on the investigation. It was not immediately known what questions the FBI asked of Flynn or what he told law enforcement officials. McGahn, along with chief of staff Reince Priebus and strategist Steve Bannon, also questioned Flynn multiple times in the ensuing weeks, a White House official said. Top aides also reviewed transcripts of Flynn's contacts with the ambassador, according to a person with knowledge of the review process. At the same time, the official said Trump aides began taking steps to put some distance between the president and Flynn. CIA Director Mike Pompeo and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a top Flynn aide, started taking part in Trump's daily security briefings. Top Trump advisers quietly met with Vice Admiral Robert Harward last week and spoke with the former Navy SEAL again Monday, the White House official said. Harward is seen as the top contender for the job, though former CIA Director David Petraeus and Kellogg, who has temporarily stepped into the role, are also under consideration. Spicer said other "questionable incidents" had contributed to Flynn's firing. According to one person with knowledge of the matter, those incidents included Flynn seeking a security clearance for his son during the transition. At the time, it was Pence who was again put in the position of defending Flynn on television, saying he had not sought a clearance for the retired general's son. A U.S. official told The Associated Press that Flynn was in frequent contact with Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition. Spicer said Flynn was not discussing sanctions at the president's behest. Before he resigned Monday night, Flynn told the investigative news nonprofit affiliated with the website The Daily Caller that he and Kislyak spoke only generally about the Russian diplomats expelled by President Barack Obama as part of the previous administration's response to Moscow's interference in the U.S. presidential election. "It wasn't about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out," Flynn said. "It was basically: 'Look, I know this happened. We'll review everything.' I never said anything such as, 'We're going to review sanctions,' or anything like that." PARIS France said on Wednesday it would not accept interference by Russia or any other state in its presidential election, and would retaliate if necessary.The pledge by Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault followed complaints by the party of election frontrunner Emmanuel Macron that his campaign was the target of 'fake news' put out by Russian media, as well as internet attacks on its databases."We will not accept any interference whatsoever in our electoral process, no more from Russia by the way than from any other state. This is a question of our democracy, our sovereignty, our national independence," Ayrault told parliament.He said France would set clear limits, "including retaliatory measures when that is necessary, because no foreign state can influence the choice of the French, no foreign state can choose the future president of the Republic." The Kremlin said on Tuesday that allegations made by Macron's En Marche (Onwards!) movement were absurd. The centrist is currently favourite for the April/May election, ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon.U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in an assessment in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an effort to help Republican Donald Trump's election chances by discrediting his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton during last year's presidential campaign, including by hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee. While Russia denies involvement, the U.S. experience has prompted security agencies to step up their guard against cyberattacks as Europe faces major elections this year in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as France. French President Francois Hollande has called a meeting of national defence chiefs next week to discuss cyber security, demanding to see "specific monitoring and protection measures" to be taken during the election campaign, a statement from his office said. The meeting is set for Feb. 23. (Reporting by Andrew Callus and Richard Balmforth; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Kanupriya Kapoor | JAKARTA JAKARTA Nearly 50 million Indonesians are set to vote on Wednesday in scores of regional elections but the most closely watched is in the capital, Jakarta, where campaigning for the post of governor has inflamed religious tension. Polls will open first in the east of the sprawling archipelago. In all, 101 elections will be held in the world's third-most populous democracy, for provincial, city and district chiefs.In Jakarta, where the job of governor can be a springboard to the presidency, three candidates are competing: the Christian, ethnic Chinese incumbent, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, and two Muslim candidates.Mudslinging, political intrigue and rising hardline Islamist sentiment have overshadowed the Jakarta campaign, and raised questions about the role of religion in politics.Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population but it enshrines religious diversity in an officially secular system.Purnama, or Ahok as he is commonly known, is on trial on a charge of insulting the Koran, a case that has brought thousands of Muslims onto the streets, urging voters to shun a non-Muslim as leader.He denies the charge and has been faring well in opinion polls, which analysts attribute to his record of improving the bureaucracy and taking steps to ease horrendous traffic jams and flooding. His rivals are Agus Yudhoyono, a son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and former education minister Anies Baswedan.Purnama was a deputy to President Joko Widodo when he was the previous Jakarta governor and Widodo's party is backing him.Baswedan is backed by a former general who Widodo beat in the last presidential election in 2014, Prabowo Subianto, who is promising a comeback to the national stage.The Jakarta vote is being widely seen as a proxy battle for the next presidential election, due in 2019. The competition has been particularly bitter between Purnama's camp and that of Yudhoyono. Former president Yudhoyono said on Twitter on Tuesday that various figures were trying to sabotage his son's chances.Police will deploy 75,000 personnel across the country with 16,000 on duty in Jakarta, where concern lingers over the possibility of hardline Muslim groups taking to the streets to agitate against Purnama.Some Islamist groups have said they will send members to polling stations to "safeguard" the vote. "We will send trained volunteers to at least 13,000 polling stations to watch as the votes are counted," said Muhammad al Khaththath of the Islamic People's Forum, which was among the organisers of the anti-Purnama rallies. "We are sure that in this situation, a Muslim will win," he said.Polling stations will close by 0600 GMT. Quick counts, expected shortly after, are tallies of votes by private polling firms at a sample of voting booths across the city.The General Elections Commission is expected to announce official results after about two weeks.If no candidate achieves a majority in the first round in any provincial vote, including Jakarta, a runoff is expected in May between the two candidates securing the most votes. (Editing by Robert Birsel) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Kuala Lumpur: A female suspect has been arrested in Malaysia in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Malaysian police said the woman was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport where Kim Jong-nam was targeted in an apparent poisoning on Monday. The arrest was made around at 8.20 am. (local time), the statement said adding that the suspect was identified from CCTV footage taken at the airport and was alone at the time of her detention. The woman, a 28-year-old named Doan Thi Huong, was in possession of a Vietnamese passport. She had returned to the airport in an attempt to catch a flight to Vietnam when she was arrested, Malay Mail Online reported. The Bernama news agency had earlier reported that police had caught a woman from Myanmar. A post-mortem was being conducted to try to determine the cause of death amid reports that Kim had been poisoned by two unidentified women believed to be North Korean operatives who then fled in a taxi. Kuala Lumpur: Police were checking surveillance tapes on Wednesday for clues about who may have assassinated the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, a senior official said. An autopsy will also be performed on the body of Kim Jong-nam, police said. Kim, 46, was targeted Monday in the shopping concourse at the airport and had not gone through immigration yet for his flight to Macau, said a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy. He was taken to the airport clinic and then died on the way to the hospital, the official said. Kim, who died on the way to a hospital, told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, the official said. Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat said police were searching for clues in the CCTV footage. The airport is in Selangor near Kuala Lumpur. Kim Jong-nam was estranged from his younger brother, the North Korean leader. Although he had been tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his dictator father, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. He reportedly fell further out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said Kim Jong-nam was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. They fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police, the reports said. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a 46-year-old North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. "Investigation is in progress and a post mortem examination request has been made to ascertain the cause of death," the statement said. Ken Gause, at the CNA think tank in Washington who has studied North Korea's leadership for 30 years, said Kim Chol was a name that Kim Jong-nam has traveled under. He is believed to have been born May 10, 1971, although birthdays are always unclear for senior North Koreans, Gause said. Mark Tokola, vice president of the Korea Economic Institute in Washington and a former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, said it would be surprising if Kim Jong-nam was not killed on the orders of his brother, given that North Korean agents have reportedly tried to assassinate Kim Jong-nam in the past. "It seems probable that the motivation for the murder was a continuing sense of paranoia on the part of Kim Jong-un," Tokola wrote in a commentary Tuesday. Although there was scant evidence that Kim Jong-nam was plotting against the North Korean leader, he provided an alternative for North Koreans who would want to depose his brother. The reported killing came as North Korea celebrated its latest missile launch, which foreign experts were analyzing for evidence of advancement in the country's missile capabilities. For the next several days, North Korea will be marking the birthday of its late leader Kim Jong-il, the brothers' father, though they have different mothers. The major holiday this Thursday is called the "Day of the Shining Star" and will be feted with figure skating and synchronized swimming exhibitions, fireworks and mass rallies. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong-un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror." The most spectacular was the 2013 execution by anti-aircraft fire of his uncle, Jang Song-thaek, once considered the country's second-most-powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. Gause said Kim Jong-nam had been forthright that he did not have political ambitions, although he was publicly critical of the North Korean regime and his brother's legitimacy in the past. Kim Jong-nam had been less outspoken since 2011, when North Korean assassins reportedly tried to shoot him in Macau, Gause said, though the details of the attempted killing are murky. South Korea also reportedly jailed a North Korean spy in 2012 who admitted to trying to organize a hit-and-run accident targeting Kim Jong-nam in China in 2010. Despite the attempts on his life, Kim Jong-nam had reportedly traveled to North Korea since then, so it was assumed he was no longer under threat. Kim Jong-nam may have become more vulnerable as his defender in the North Korean hierarchy, Kim Kyong-hui Kim Jong-un's aunt and the wife of his executed uncle, Jang Song-thaek appears to have fallen from favor or died. She has not been seen in public for more than three years, Gause said. Kim Jong-il had at least three sons with two women, as well as a daughter by a third. Kim Jong-nam was the eldest, followed by Kim Jong-chul, who is a few years older than Kim Jong-un and is known as a playboy who reportedly attended Eric Clapton concerts in London in 2015. It's unclear what position he has in the North Korean government. A younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, was named a member of the Workers' Party of Korea's Central Committee during a North Korean party congress last May. She has a position in a propaganda and agitation department and is known as Kim Jong-un's gatekeeper, Gause said. While the most likely explanation for the killing was that Kim Jong-un was removing a potential challenger to North Korean leadership within his own family, he could also be sending a warning to North Korean officials to demonstrate the reach of the regime. It follows the defection last year of a senior diplomat from the North Korean Embassy in London who has spoken of his despair at Kim's purges. By Ju-min Park and A. Ananthalakshmi | SEOUL/KUALA LUMPUR SEOUL/KUALA LUMPUR Malaysian police on Wednesday detained a woman holding Vietnam travel papers and said they were looking for a "few" other foreign suspects in connection with the apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's estranged half-brother.Lawmakers in South Korea earlier cited their spy agency as saying it suspected two female North Korean agents had murdered Kim Jong Nam, and U.S. government sources also said they believed North Korean assassins were responsible.North Korean officials spent hours on Wednesday trying to talk Malaysia out of conducting an autopsy on Kim Jong Nam, three Malaysian government sources familiar with the stand-off told Reuters.Malaysian authorities refused the request, the sources added, although no decision has been taken on whether the body will eventually be handed over to North Korea.The portly and gregarious Kim Jong Nam, eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, was assaulted on Monday morning in the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport and died on the way to hospital, Malaysian police said.The woman detained at Kuala Lumpur airport was identified from CCTV footage at the airport and was alone when she was apprehended, police said in a statement.Media had earlier published a grainy CCTV-captured image of a young woman wearing a white shirt with the letters "LOL" on the front.Documents she carried were in the name of Doan Thi Huong, showed a birth date of May 1998 and birthplace of Nam Dinh, Vietnam, police said."Police are looking for a few others, all foreigners," Deputy Inspector-General Noor Rashid Ibrahim told Reuters, declining to give their nationalities or gender."NOWHERE TO HIDE" South Korean intelligence believes Kim Jong Nam was poisoned, the lawmakers in South Korea's capital, Seoul, said.The spy agency told them that the young and unpredictable North Korean leader had issued a "standing order" for his half-brother's assassination, and that there had been a failed attempt in 2012. "The cause of death is strongly suspected to be a poisoning attack," said South Korean lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, who was briefed by the spy agency.Kim Jong Nam had long suspected he could be the target of an assassination attempt; five years ago, he pleaded with his younger sibling to spare his life, according to two lawmakers in South Korea."We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. We are well aware that the only way to escape is suicide," Kim Jong Nam said in a letter to Kim Jong Un, one of the lawmakers said.Kim had been at the airport's budget terminal to catch a flight to Macau on Monday when someone grabbed or held his face from behind, after which he felt dizzy and sought help at an information desk, Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat said.Malaysian media reports said two female agents splashed Kim's face with a chemical. Reuters could not independently verify that detail.According to South Korea's spy agency, Kim Jong Nam had been living, under Beijing's protection, with his second wife in the Chinese territory of Macau, lawmakers said. One of them said Kim Jong Nam also had a wife and son in Beijing.Kim had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state. "If the murder of Kim Jong Nam was confirmed to be committed by the North Korean regime, that would clearly depict the brutality and inhumanity of the Kim Jong Un regime," South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is also acting president, told a security meeting.The meeting was called in response to Kim Jong Nam's death, news of which first emerged late on Tuesday."SENSE OF DANGER" South Korea is acutely sensitive to any sign of instability in isolated North Korea, and is still technically in a state of war with its impoverished and nuclear-armed neighbour, which carried out its latest ballistic missile test on Sunday.Malaysian police said Kim held a passport under the name Kim Chol, with a birth date that made him 46. Kim Jong Nam was known to spend a significant amount of time outside North Korea, travelling in Macau and Hong Kong as well as mainland China, and has been caught in the past using forged travel documents.His body was taken on Wednesday to a second hospital, where an autopsy was being performed.There was no mention of Kim Jong Nam's death in North Korean media.In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman said China was aware of the reports and closely following developments.Yoji Gomi, a Japanese journalist who wrote a 2012 book on Kim Jong Nam, said Kim's media appearances, which increased around the time South Korean intelligence said he was targeted for assassination, may have been an attempt to protect himself."I now have the impression that even he may have had a sense of danger, so he began exposing himself in the media and stating his opinions to protect himself and counter North Korea," Gomi told a talk show on Japan's NTV.North Korean agents have killed rivals abroad before."Kim Jong Un may have been worried about more and more North Korean elites turning against him after Thae Yong Ho defected to the South," said Koh Yu-hwan, an expert on the North Korean leadership at Dongguk University in Seoul, referring to last year's defection by North Korea's deputy ambassador in London.Numerous North Korean officials have been purged or killed since Kim Jong Un took power following his father's death in 2011. Those include his uncle Jang Song Thaek, who was considered the country's second most-powerful person and was believed to have been close to Kim Jong Nam.Jang was executed on Kim Jong Un's orders in 2013. (Reporting by Ju-min Park, Cynthia Kim, Hyunjoo Jin and Yun Hwan Chae in SEOUL, Joseph Sipalan, Praveen Menon and Emily Chow in KUALA LUMPUR, and Philip Wen in BEIJING; Writing by Tony Munroe and John Chalmers; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Mike Collett-White) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to inaugurate a project for construction of a gas pipeline between the two southeastern cities of Iranshahr and Chabahar in coming weeks. The governor-general of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Mohammad-Ali Afshani, has said that President Rouhani is expected to visit the province late February, Shana news agency reported. According to the official, Hassan Rouhani is slated to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the project during the provincial visit. Irans seventh cross-country pipeline is projected to extend into Pakistan. In order to complete the project, Iran needs to lay less than 200 kilometers of the pipeline. According to an earlier reached agreement, Pakistan was expected to import 22 million cubic meters of gas per day from Iran starting in 2015 but it has been postponed as Pakistan has failed to build the part of the pipeline that falls in its territory. By Luke Baker and Steve Holland | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb settlement activity but avoided any explicit endorsement of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longstanding bedrock of U.S. Middle East policy.The two leaders met face-to-face for the first time since Trumps victory in the 2016 presidential election even as Palestinians urged the White House not to abandon their goal of an independent state. Speaking at a joint news conference, Trump vowed to work toward a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians but said it would require compromise on both sides and it would be up to the parties themselves ultimately to reach an agreement.I'd like to see you pull back on settlements for a little bit, Trump told Netanyahu. The right-wing Israeli leader later insisted that Jewish settlements were not the core of the conflict and made no commitment to reduce settlement building.Trump echoed Netanyahus calls for Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state something they have refused to do and to halt incitement against Israelis.But even as Trump promised to pursue peace between the two sides who have had no substantive peace talks since 2014 he offered no new prescriptions for unblocking the peace process or achieving a deal that has eluded so many of his predecessors.Setting a chummy tone for the meeting, Trump greeted Netanyahu on a red carpet rolled out to the White House driveway. The two leaders smiled, shook hands and chatted amiably before heading inside the executive mansion, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and Netanyahus wife Sara.Among the questions expected to figure prominently on the agenda was the future of the two-state solution the idea of creating a Palestine living peacefully alongside Israel, which has been a bedrock U.S. position.In a potential shift, a senior White House official said on Tuesday that peace did not necessarily have to entail Palestinian statehood, and Trump would not try to "dictate" a solution. Trump did little to clarify his position. Giving a convoluted response to a question on whether he backed a two-state solution, he suggested that he could abide by whatever the two parties decided."I'm looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one that both parties like, he said. I can live with either one. I thought for a while it looked like the two-state, looked like it may be the easier of the two, but honestly if Bibi and if the Palestinians if Israel and the Palestinians are happy, I'm happy with the one they like the best," Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.A retreat from U.S. backing for a two-state solution would upend decades of U.S. policy embraced by Republican and Democratic administrations and a principle considered the core of international peace efforts.Netanyahu committed, with conditions, to the two-state goal in a speech in 2009 and has broadly reiterated the aim since. But he has also spoken of a "state minus" option, suggesting he could offer the Palestinians deep-seated autonomy and the trappings of statehood without full sovereignty. PALESTINIANS ALARMED Palestinians reacted with alarm to the possibility that Washington might ditch its support for an independent Palestinian nation."If the Trump administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad," Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in response to the U.S. official's remarks. "Accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy," she said in a statement.Husam Zomlot, strategic adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinians had not received any official indication of a change in the U.S. stance.For Netanyahu, the talks with Trump are an opportunity to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with Democrat Barack Obama, Trump's predecessor. After speaking to reporters, the two leaders were due to hold talks in the Oval Office followed by a working lunch.The prime minister, under investigation at home over allegations of abuse of office, spent much of Tuesday huddled with advisers in Washington preparing for the talks. Officials said they wanted no gaps to emerge between U.S. and Israeli thinking during the scheduled two-hour Oval Office meeting.Trump, who has been in office less than four weeks and has already been immersed in problems including the forced resignation of his national security adviser earlier this week, brings with him an unpredictability that Netanyahu's staff hope will not impinge on the discussions.The two leaders, who seemed to strike up an emerging bromance in social media exchanges since the election, sought to demonstrate good personal chemistry face-to-face as well, both sporting smiles and exchanging asides.Meetings with Obama were at best cordial and businesslike, at worst tense and awkward. In one Oval Office encounter in 2011, Obama grimaced as Netanyahu lectured him in front of the cameras on the suffering of the Jewish people through the ages. (Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington and Maayan Lubell and Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Howard Goller) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Washington: Donald Trump demanded Michael Flynn's resignation as national security advisor over "eroding trust" and not due to any legal issues, the White House has said, shielding the US President from the raging scandal over his top aide's contacts with Russia. "We have been reviewing and evaluating this issue with respect to General Flynn on a general basis for a few weeks trying to ascertain the truth," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters. The White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that Flynn may have misled colleagues about his Kremlin contacts ahead of the inauguration on 20 January. "We got to a point not based on a legal issue, but based on a trust issue with the level of trust between the president and General Flynn had eroded to the point where he felt he had to make a change. The president was very concerned that General Flynn had misled the vice president and others," he said. Flynn, 58, resigned on Tuesday after he apologised to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for not providing them all the information about his call with the Russian Ambassador to the US Sergei Kislyak before Trump's inauguration. Spicer said Trump was also very concerned in light of the sensitive subjects dealt with by the national security advisors with respect to China, North Korea and the Middle East, that he must have complete and unwavering trust for the person in that position. "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for General Flynn's resignation," he said. Spicer said immediately after the Department of Justice notified the White House counsel of the situation, the counsel briefed the President and a small group of his senior advisors. "The White House counsel reviewed and determined that there is not an illegal issue, but rather a trust issue. During this process, it's important to note the President did not have his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who he trusts immensely, approved by the Senate," he said. "When the President heard the information as presented by White House counsel, he instinctively thought that General Flynn did not do anything wrong and the White House counsel's review corroborated that. It is not ordinary for an incoming national security advisor to speak with his counterparts about the issues of concern to them. In fact, he spoke with over 30 of his counterparts throughout the transition," Spicer said. "The issue here was that the President got to the point where General Flynn's relationship misleading the vice president and others or the possibility that he had forgotten critical details of this important conversation had created a critical mass and an unsustainable situation. That's why the President decided to ask for his resignation and he got it," he said. By Stephen Kalin | MOSUL, Iraq MOSUL, Iraq The first blast, down the street from his uncle's restaurant in eastern Mosul, sent Mohammed Badr racing towards the door to check the situation. The second one, moments later at the entrance of the restaurant itself, knocked him off his feet.Together, last Friday's twin suicide bombings killed 14 people and fractured the sense of safety and relief that many residents felt after Iraqi forces pushed the jihadists out of their neighbourhoods in months of heavy street-to-street fighting.The eatery, called My Fair Lady, stayed open throughout Islamic State's brutal 2-1/2 year rule in the northern city, serving few customers besides the fighters. It quickly expanded after recent military advances, gaining popularity with locals, soldiers and even foreign journalists covering the war.But restaurants and shops in the Zuhur district remain closed nearly a week later at the direction of security forces who say they could be targeted, and residents say they no longer feel safe staying out past dark."They don't want stability. They don't want life to return to Mosul," Badr said of Islamic State, which claimed the attacks. "I don't feel safe at all."Badr, who was supervising workers emptying the restaurant's pantry on Tuesday, told Reuters he does not expect to reopen."The restaurant is finished. Hajj Nasser (the owner) was the pillar of the community. He is a martyr," he said, holding back tears.Also killed in the attack were two of Nasser's other nephews, the guard who stopped the attacker from entering the restaurant, a longtime server and a young man who had just joined the staff that day."He started his first shift at seven-thirty in the morning and by two-thirty he was dead," said Badr, gazing at the spot on he floor where the men had died.SLEEPER CELLS As government forces entered eastern Mosul in November, Islamic State militants retreated deeper into the city and mortared civilian areas left behind. They have also stepped up attacks against locals with grenades dropped from drones.But bombings like the one at My Fair Lady are different because they are likely conducted by sleeper cells, fighters who melted into the civilian population as the military advanced in order to attack the city from inside.The restaurant bombing was the second of its kind in the four-month-old Mosul battle after three car bombs killed at least 15 people in an eastern suburb in December.For the hundreds of thousands of residents in eastern districts, who defied expectations by staying in their homes throughout the offensive, this has put them on edge.False alarms about bombings at schools, markets and other public places have become a daily occurrence along with house raids by security forces following up on tips."Of course there are (sleeper cells) but God willing we will eliminate them," said a local police colonel in the eastern suburb of Gogjali, requesting anonymity to speak to the media. Speaking at a girls' school used by the police after their station was destroyed, he said there were not enough local forces to secure the city, Iraq's second largest.The most effective Iraqi troops, including the elite counter-terrorism service, have redeployed to the outskirts of western Mosul - where Islamic State maintains full control - ahead of an offensive to retake that half of the city which is expected to start in the coming days.That has left east Mosul under the control of some army units, a few thousand local police and an array of voluntary, paramilitary forces called Hashid.NEW INSURGENCY? The suicide bomber's head, burnt and bloodied, remains in a grassy traffic circle in front of the restaurant in Zuhur. It appeared to belong to a teenager.Islamic State said in an online statement that the attackers were Mosul natives. Reuters could not verify that, but if true it indicates the group maintains some support among locals.Badr, expressing contempt for the security forces, questioned how the bombers had crossed the myriad checkpoints in the neighbourhood to reach their targets."I don't expect but I fear things could become like 2006, 2007," he said, referring to the height of the Sunni insurgency in Mosul when bombings, assassinations and kidnappings were regular.The militants behind that violence included al Qaeda, a predecessor to Islamic State, which seized all of Mosul along with a third of Iraq and large swathes of territory in neighbouring Syria in 2014, declaring a modern-day caliphate on that land.Iraqi and Western officials have long expected Islamic State would revert to those earlier insurgent tactics as they lose ground.Basman, a 32-year-old paramedic living on the street between Friday's two bomb sites, said he didn't know who was in charge of security in his neighbourhood.He was unnerved that nobody had yet asked for his name to check it against the government's lists of Islamic State supporters."If the security forces don't clear and inspect everything, then what is the point of liberation?" (Reporting By Stephen Kalin; Editing by Toby Chopra) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Phil Stewart and Robin Emmott | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS President Donald Trump's defense secretary sought to reassure NATO of steadfast U.S. support at talks in Brussels on Wednesday, as nervous European allies tried to look past Trump's rhetoric and the turmoil within his administration.Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Europe as Pentagon chief, said the president firmly backed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. As a candidate, Trump fiercely criticised NATO and appeared to question its value."The alliance remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States," Mattis said in brief remarks to reporters before talks got fully under way. Back in Washington, Trump's administration has been jolted by the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn over his contacts with Russia's ambassador. U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Moscow of interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.Mattis signalled that Russia was firmly on NATO's agenda. "The events of 2014 were sobering," he said, referring to Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. "And we must continue to adapt to what's being revealed to us in terms of our security challenges." Flynn had been seen in Moscow as a leading advocate of warmer ties with Russia and his departure has dented hopes of a thaw in relations with the West.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg dismissed concerns about the turmoil or U.S. backing for NATO. "I'm absolutely certain that the message of this meeting will be a message of transatlantic unity, of the importance of that we stand together and protect each other, and a very strong commitment of the United States to NATO," he told reporters.Britain's defence secretary echoed that sentiment."There is no uncertainty about America's commitment to NATO," Michael Fallon told reporters when asked about Flynn's resignation. Denmark's Claus Hjort Frederiksen said everything he had heard was "calming and reassuring."BUT IN PRIVATE... Despite the public posturing, European allies are expected to privately seek details from Mattis about Trump's attitude toward NATO, which has guaranteed Europe's security for almost 70 years.Trump has deeply unsettled allies with his contradictory remarks on NATO - calling it "obsolete" - and with his praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin.Moscow's annexation of Crimea, and its direct support for rebels in eastern Ukraine have prompted NATO to begin sending troops to Russia's borders to deter the Kremlin from any other moves. The White House said on Tuesday that Trump expected Russia to hand back Crimea to Ukraine.One senior European NATO diplomat said allies were under no illusion that Trump could yet undo careful diplomatic work with a single message on Twitter. But they would still look for his support as they try to manage tensions with Russia. "We need to bring the family together," the diplomat said. "Things have been made to feel fragile."Mattis is set to echo longstanding U.S. calls that European allies invest more on defence, something his predecessors under Republican and Democratic administrations have done for years. But experts say that message will have to be calibrated. NATO Europe argues it is increasing defence spending, upping outlays by $10 billion last year.NATO defence ministers from Europe, Canada and Turkey will also want to hear from Mattis, who will be first to address the 27 other defence ministers on Wednesday, on how the alliance can meet Trump's demands to do more to counter Islamist militants.NATO says it is already active, training troops from Afghanistan to Iraq, and cannot do the work of police or social workers in detecting fighters returning to the West from Syria."We need to be clear that the response to international terrorism cannot be led by NATO, but it can a part of that," a second senior European NATO diplomat said. (Writing by Phil Stewart; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Robin Emmott and Phil Stewart | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS European allies will tell the United States' new defence secretary on Wednesday that NATO is not the weak alliance U.S. President Donald Trump has accused it of being, at one of the most anticipated NATO meetings in years.At their first face-to-face encounter with Jim Mattis, European defence ministers will also seek reassurances from their U.S. counterpart that Trump is committed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which has guaranteed Europe's security for almost 70 years."Mattis's performance is going to be really important," said Adam Thomson, a former British ambassador to NATO and director of the European Leadership Network think tank in London. "It is all about how credibly he appears to speak for the entire U.S. administration." Trump's contradictory remarks on NATO, calling it "obsolete" during the U.S. election campaign but also supporting it, as well as his praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, have deeply unsettled allies who fear for transatlantic ties.In his debut trip to Europe as Pentagon chief, Mattis is set to echo longstanding U.S. calls that European allies invest more on defence, something U.S. defence secretaries under Republican and Democratic administrations have done for years. But experts say that message will have to be calibrated, because while Trump has eased off his criticism of NATO since taking office, he has maintained criticism of some allies for failing to make "full and proper financial contributions.""Many of them have not been even close," Trump said of European defence spending. "And they have to do that," Trump told U.S. troops in Florida earlier this month. NATO Europe argues it is increasing defence spending, upping outlays by $10 billion last year.Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea, Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula, and its direct support for rebels in eastern Ukraine have prompted NATO to begin sending alliance troops to Russia's borders to deter the Kremlin from any other moves.Mattis, a former NATO general who served in the U.S. military for four decades, is likely to feel at home at the alliance headquarters. But he also arrives amid renewed uncertainty in Washington after White House national security adviser Michael Flynn's resigned this week.Mattis said that resignation over Flynn's pre-inauguration discussions with Russia over economic sanctions had "no impact". One senior European NATO diplomat said allies are under no illusion that Trump might not still undo careful diplomatic work with a single message on Twitter. But they would still look for his support as they try to manage tensions with Russia."We need to bring the family together," the diplomat said. "Things have been made to feel fragile," the diplomat added, referring to Trump's campaign remarks about NATO.MILITANTS DILEMMA NATO defence ministers from Europe, Canada and Turkey will also want to hear from Mattis, who will be first to address the 27 other defence ministers on Wednesday, on how the alliance can meet Trump's demands to do more to counter Islamic militants.NATO says it is already active, training troops from Afghanistan to Iraq, and cannot do the work of police or social workers seeking out returning foreign fighters from Syria."We need to be clear that the response to international terrorism cannot be led by NATO, but it can a part of that," a second senior European NATO diplomat said. Mattis is also expected to host a meeting of ministers from the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State, which all NATO members are part of. Allies want a way forward in Syria and Iraq as U.S. military leaders scramble to complete a plan for Trump outlining ways to accelerate the defeat of the militant group. Trump has openly spoken about his hopes of working with Russia to combat Islamic State, but U.S. allies may be hesitant to be seen siding with Russia and its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Syria's messy, multi-pronged conflict. (Reporting by Robin Emmott, editing by Larry King) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Peshawar: At least two people were killed and 18 others injured today when a motorcyle-borne suicide bomber struck a government vehicle in this restive northwestern Pakistani city. The blast occurred in Hayatabad area of Peshawar when a suicide bomber hit a government vehicle, police was quoted as saying by Geo News. At least two people were killed and 18 injured in the suicide attack. The blast happened as officials from the provincial government were expected to inaugurate the Out Patient Department (OPD) at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Dawn News reported. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and other senior party leaders were expected to attend the ceremony. This was the third terrorist attack in Pakistan on Wednesday. At least six persons, including four security personnel, were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked the Mohmand Agency headquarters in the northwest tribal region. Following this, another suicide bomber blew himself in Mosal Kor, Mohmand Agency, police said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, that killed 13 people. WASHINGTON Multiple Russian military aircraft came close to a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea on Feb. 10, incidents considered "unsafe and unprofessional," a U.S. official said on Tuesday.There were three separate incidents involving Russian aircraft and the USS Porter, Captain Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for U.S. European Command, said. One involved two Russian Su-24 jets, another a separate Su-24, and the third involved a larger IL-38."USS Porter queried all aircraft and received no response," Hernandez said."Such incidents are concerning because they can result in accident or miscalculation," he added. The incidents involving the Su-24 were considered to be unsafe and unprofessional by the commanding officer of the Porter because of their high speed and low altitude, while the IL-38 flew at an unusually low altitude, Hernandez said.Another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the closest incident that day involved the lone SU-24, which came within 200 yards of the Porter at an altitude of 300 feet (91 meters). This is not the first time interactions have taken place between Russian jets and U.S. ships. In April 2016 two Russian warplanes flew simulated attack passes near a U.S. guided missile destroyer in the Baltic Sea. The flights by the warplanes were so close they created wake in the water. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Rozanna Latiff and Ebrahim Harris | KUALA LUMPUR KUALA LUMPUR The slight girl in a turquoise headscarf held back tears as she recalled what happened when she fled to Malaysia from Myanmar's violence-hit Rakhine state. Just 12-years-old at the time, she was forced to wed a man she did not know, and who was more than a decade older than her.The teenager, who is not being named by Reuters because she is still only 13, is like hundreds of Rohingya girls escaping persecution, violence and apartheid-like conditions in Rakhine, only to be sold into marriage to Rohingya men in neighbouring Malaysia, migrant groups and community members said.Separated from her family while escaping to Malaysia, she said she was caught by traffickers and held for weeks in a filthy and brutal jungle camp near the Thai-Malaysian border with dozens of others. Her captors told her a Rohingya man was willing to give her freedom if she agreed to marry him."The (trafficking) agent said I had been sold to a man and I asked, how could do they do that?... My heart was heavy and I was scared," the girl said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur.Reuters could not independently verify certain aspects of her story but her mother confirmed she was held in the camp for weeks before being released.The girl's plight is just one illustration of the hardships faced by many Rohingya Muslims, a minority group in Myanmar who are regarded by the nation's government as illegal migrants from Bangladesh, entitled only to limited rights.Since 2012, violence and communal clashes have seen hundreds of Rohingya killed while tens of thousands have fled, seeking refuge in neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh. In the most recent crackdown, security forces and police committed mass killings and gang rapes and burned villages in northern Rakhine, a U.N. investigation published earlier this month found.MALAYSIA CRITICIZED It has been common for Rohingya women escaping Myanmar to wed Rohingya men in the country they fled to, usually through marriages arranged between families, rights groups said. Some of these arranged marriages would be for underage girls.But a growing number are becoming victims of human traffickers who sell women and girls to Rohingya men as brides.Matthew Smith, executive director of the Southeast Asia-based migrant and refugee protection group Fortify Rights, said the group had seen a significant rise in the number of child brides following increased violence in Rakhine.There are no official statistics on how many girls have been sold into marriage. In 2015, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in a report it had identified 120 Rohingya child brides in Malaysia but it was unclear how many were trafficking victims. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has spoken out strongly in the past few months against Buddhist Myanmar over its handling of the violence in Rakhine and the Rohingyas' plight.But rights groups say Malaysia, which has not signed the U.N. refugee convention, has been complicit in the abuse of Rohingya asylum-seekers because they are treated as illegal migrants with no official access to jobs, healthcare or education. They live in poverty working illegally in restaurants or construction sites.The Malaysian government launched a project this month that enables 300 Rohingya people to be employed, a move welcomed by rights groups.The Malaysian government did not return requests seeking comment for this story.CHILD MARRIAGES ALLOWED Child marriages are also tolerated in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Under Islamic law, Muslim girls under 16 can marry with permission from the Shariah court, though in the case of the Rohingya marriages in Malaysia there is no court involvement Rohingya imams conduct them and while a marriage certificate is printed there is no indication it is a legal document under Malaysian law. The girl who was married was taken to Kuantan, on Malaysia's east coast, where she said she quickly learned that her new husband was controlling and abusive. He confiscated her mobile phone and did not allow his family to see her. She was left alone for days in the house.Eight months into the marriage, she reconnected with her parents and four younger siblings, and was rescued by her father, who had travelled to Kuantan to find her.The girl's husband did not respond to calls seeking comment for this story.She now lives with her family in a one-room shack in a small village on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.While she feels safer now, she said she was afraid that she may have to return to her husband, who has refused to grant her a divorce.Sharifah Shakirah, a refugee herself and founder of the Rohingya Women Development Network, said Rohingyas have no legal status in Malaysia, and their marriages are not recognized. This can make it harder for law enforcement to intervene in domestic abuse cases, even when they involve children."To ask help from lawyers and police is not easy because they (Rohingyas) don't have legal status. Even when cases of child brides are reported, the police don't take action," said Sharifah, who provides help and counseling to Rohingya women. 'LIFE OF DIGNITY' According to UN statistics, some 56,000 Rohingya are living in Malaysia, although migrant groups say the number is much higher as many are undocumented. The community is mainly spread across impoverished suburbs around the capital Kuala Lumpur.For young men in this small, marginalized community, finding a partner and having a family is a way of elevating their social status and having a normal life, according to Rohingya men interviewed by Reuters.The lack of eligible women in Rohingya communities in Malaysia has created a demand for brides, while some families see marriage as a way to reduce their financial burdens, said Belal Hossain Shamia, 32, a Rohingya father of three in Kuala Lumpur whose sister was a child bride.A former trafficking agent, a Rohingya man identified only as Ali, told Reuters there is a growing demand for Rohingya brides. Smuggling syndicates can get up to 7,000 ringgit ($1,557.29) for each girls release to their family or sale to a man.Ali kept guard at a jungle trafficking camp near the Thai-Malaysian border. He said women and girls travelling alone or whose families were unable to pay the release fees were sold. "There were girls there who were about 15 or 16. They have no choice..." he said.Yasmin Zokir Ahmad, 18, recalled how her husband, a Rohingya who worked as a grass-cutter in Kuala Lumpur, paid a trafficking agent 3,500 ringgit to marry her two years ago.This was after a harrowing nine-month journey to Malaysia, which included a voyage by sea and a long period in a Thai jungle camp where she was often denied food or water."I didn't have a choice. I needed to marry him because I need support and protection, and I want to live a life of dignity," Yasmin said. Her husband declined to comment. (Editing by Praveen Menon and Martin Howell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump assailed U.S. intelligence agencies on Wednesday for what he said were illegal information leaks, and dismissed reports of contacts between members of his presidential campaign and Russian intelligence officials.Trump went on the counter-offensive as his administration reeled from the abrupt dismissal of Michael Flynn as national security adviser on Monday.The New York Times reported late on Tuesday that phone call records and intercepted calls showed members of Trump's presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the Nov. 8 election.Trump dismissed the report, firing back in a series of early morning tweets on Wednesday."This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign," the Republican president tweeted, citing his former Democratic rival in the 2016 presidential contest.In another tweet, Trump said: "Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia," adding that the situation was "very serious.""The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American!" Trump wrote.He did not give evidence to back his charge that intelligence officials were supplying information to the news media. He did not say if he had ordered any investigation into leaks. Reuters could not immediately confirm the Times report, which the Kremlin dismissed on Wednesday.CNN also reported that Trump advisers were in constant contact with Russian officials during the campaign.INTERCEPTED COMMUNICATIONS The Times, citing current and former U.S. officials, said U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they discovered Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee. The officials had seen no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election, the Times said, but they were still alarmed by the intercepted communications.Flynn was forced out over conversations he had with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office on Jan. 20, and his misrepresentations to Vice President Mike Pence over what he had discussed. The Times said the intercepted calls in its report were different from the wiretapped conversations between Flynn and the ambassador, Sergei Kislyak.U.S. lawmakers, including some leading Republicans, called on Tuesday for a deeper inquiry into not just Flynn's actions but broader White House ties to Russia. Trump has long said that he would like improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Flynn's conversations with the Russian ambassador took place around the time that then-President Barack Obama imposed new sanctions on Russia on Dec. 29, charging that Moscow had used cyber attacks to try to influence the presidential election in Trump's favor. A U.S. official familiar with the transcripts of the calls with the ambassador said Flynn indicated that if Russia did not retaliate, that could smooth the way toward a broader discussion of improving U.S.-Russian relations once Trump took power.This was potentially illegal under a law barring unauthorized private citizens from interfering in disputes the United States has with other countries. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Steve Holland and Richard Cowan | WASHINGTON WASHINGTON U.S. President Donald Trump knew for weeks that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled the White House about his contacts with Russia but did not immediately force him out, an administration spokesman said on Tuesday.Trump was informed in late January that Flynn had not told Vice President Mike Pence the whole truth about conversations he had with Russia's ambassador to the United States before Trump took office, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.Flynn quit on Monday after Trump lost trust in him and asked for his resignation, Spicer said. "The issue pure and simple came down to a matter of trust," Spicer told reporters.The departure was another disruption for an administration already repeatedly distracted by miscues and internal dramas since the Republican businessman assumed the presidency on Jan. 20. U.S. lawmakers, including some leading Republicans, called for a deeper inquiry into not just Flynn's actions but broader White House ties to Russia. Trump has long said that he would like improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A timeline of events outlined by Spicer and a U.S. official showed that Trump knew for weeks about Flynn misleading the vice president.The Justice Department warned the White House in late January that Flynn had misled Pence by denying to him that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, a potentially illegal act, a U.S. official said. Flynn did talk about sanctions with the diplomat, whose calls were recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, the official said. But Pence went on television in mid-January and denied that Flynn had discussed sanctions.Spicer stressed that the administration believed there was no legal problem with Flynn's conversations with Kislyak, but rather an issue over the president's trust in his adviser. He said the Justice Department sought to notify the White House counsel on Jan. 26. about the discrepancies in Flynn's accounts. "The White House counsel informed the president immediately. The president asked them to commit a review of whether there wasa legal situation there. That was immediately determined there wasn't. That was what the president believed at the time from what he had been told and he was proved to be correct," Spicer told reporters."We got to a point not based on a legal issue, but based on a trust issue," he said. Flynn's conversations with the ambassador took place around the time that then-President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia, charging that Moscow had used cyber attacks to try to influence the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favour. A U.S. official familiar with the transcripts of the calls with the ambassador said Flynn indicated that if Russia did not retaliate in kind for Obama's Dec. 29 order expelling 35 Russian suspected spies and sanctioning Russian spy agencies, that restraint could smooth the way towards a broader discussion of improving U.S.-Russian relations once Trump took power.Flynn's discussions with the Russian diplomat could potentially have been in violation of a law known as the Logan Act, banning private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments about disputes or controversies with the United States. However, nobody has been prosecuted in modern times under the law, which dates from 1799. CALLS FOR DEEPER PROBE Democrats, who do not have control of Congress, clamoured for probes into Flynn, and asked how much Trump knew about his connections to Russia. The American people deserve to know at whose direction Gen. Flynn was acting when he made these calls, and why the White House waited until these reports were public to take action, Democrat Mark Warner, the Senate intelligence committee's vice chairman, said in a statement.Two leading Republicans in the Senate, Bob Corker and John Cornyn, also said the intelligence committee should investigate Flynn's contacts with Russia. Corker said Flynn may need to testify to a congressional hearing.Republican Senator Roy Blunt, a member of the same committee, told a St. Louis radio station that the panel should interview Flynn very soon as part of its investigation into attempts by Russia to influence the U.S. election.But the highest-ranking Republican in Congress, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, sidestepped questions about whether lawmakers should look into Flynn's Russia ties, adding he would leave it to the Trump administration to explain the circumstances behind Flynn's departure.Flynn, an early and enthusiastic supporter of Trump, was a strong advocate of a softer line towards Putin, and his departure could hinder Trump's efforts to warm up relations with Moscow.Russia's aggression in Ukraine and Syria and Republican congressional opposition to removing sanctions on Russia make any White House attempt to embrace Putin problematic.Senator John McCain, a leading Republican voice on foreign relations, said Flynn's resignation raised questions about the administrations intentions towards Putins Russia, "including statements by the President suggesting moral equivalence between the United States and Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, threats to our NATO allies, and attempted interference in American elections." (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, John Walcott, Doina Chiacu and Susan Heavey; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Iran welcomes the Persian Gulf states message to settle the disputes and boost ties, Irans President Hassan Rouhani said, the state-run IRINN TV reported. Speaking to reporters before leaving Tehran for Muscat on Feb. 15 morning, Rouhani said that Kuwait has recently conveyed a message to Iran on behalf of six Gulf Cooperation Council members on resolving misunderstanding with Iran through dialogue and development of mutual ties. "We welcome the main idea of the message and the issue of boosting cooperation will be discussed during the upcoming visit to Oman and Kuwait," Rouhani said. Friendly ties with neighboring countries and protecting security of Persian Gulf are among the principals of Irans foreign policy, the Iranian president said, adding that Tehran never intended to interfere in internal affairs of other countries or impose religious or political views. Rouhani added that the regional security should be preserved by regions countries, not foreigners. Accompanied by a number of ministers, advisors and representatives of Iran's private sector, Rouhani left Tehran for Muscat on Feb. 15, on his regional tour to Oman and Kuwait. Rouhani will return to the country Feb. 16 evening. Rouhani's visit comes after Kuwaits foreign minister paid a visit to Tehran late in January and delivered a message from the Kuwaiti emir to the Iranian president. The Kuwaiti diplomat's one-day visit to Iran was the first by a senior official of a Persian Gulf Arab state to the Islamic Republic after relations between Tehran and some of the Arab countries suffered when Saudi Arabia severed its diplomatic ties with Iran in January last year. WASHINGTON The Trump administration has offered the job of White House national security adviser, vacated by former U.S. intelligence official Michael Flynn, to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, said two U.S. officials familiar with the matter on Wednesday.It was not immediately clear if Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command who has Navy SEAL combat experience, had accepted the offer, according to sources.A White House spokesperson had no immediate comment.Flynn resigned on Monday after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before President Donald Trump took office. Losing his national security adviser so soon after taking office is an embarrassment for the new Republican president, who has made national security a top priority. Harward, a Rhode Island native who went to school in Tehran before the Shah was toppled in 1979, did a tour on the National Security Council under former Republican President George W. Bush, working on counterterrorism. He also has combat experience on SEAL teams and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.Harward now works as an executive for defense contractor Lockheed Martin, with responsibility for its business in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball and John Walcott; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. London: British Prime Minister Theresa May formally rejected a petition on Monday signed by nearly 2 million people wanting the cancellation of the proposed state visit to Britain by US president Donald Trump. The petitioners said a state visit by Trump, which would involve a state banquet, would embarrass Queen Elizabeth, Xinhua news agency reported. Officials at Westminster have scheduled a debate about the petition by MPs (Members of Parliament) next week when the Houses of Parliament re-open after a recess. In its official response to the petition, May's government recognised the strong views of those who supported the petition, but added that the US president should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. Even if MPs vote in support of the petitioners there is no requirement on May or her government to accept their decision. "We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalised," said an official statement. During May's visit to the United States on 27 January, 2017, the British Prime Minister, on behalf of the Queen, invited Trump for a state visit to Britain later this year. The invitation was accepted. Media in London are reporting that Trump's state visit will take place before the end of this month. More than 200 MPs from across the political spectrum have signed a motion in the House of Commons saying they do not want permission to be granted to Trump to address politicians at the Houses of Parliament during his state visit. They cite Trump's recent actions, including his executive order on immigration and refugees, and his comments on torture and women, as the reason for their stand. Tehran, Iran, Feb. 15 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: Tehran says that the worst scenario regarding how US President Donald Trump approaches the nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is that he keeps it. Trump may adopt any scenario, the worst of which is that keeping the JCPOA, he pressurizes the Islamic Republic by devising new non-nuclear sanctions to deprive Iran of the benefits of the JCPOA, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the Parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission in a meeting where he provided a periodical report on the implementation of the deal, Mehr news agency reported February 15. Trump is a challenge to the JCPOA Although we are much better off than if Trump had come before the JCPOA We currently enjoy the world consensus in favor of us. Araqchi went on to add that the US president is under pressure by Saudi Arabia and some other countries to make things hard for Iran. Trump is going to decide to extend or not to extend the suspension of Iran sanctions [in May] If he extends, things will be clear. But if he doesnt, sanctions will be back, which will literally mean tearing up the JCPOA, the Iranian diplomat said. Trump has said he would tear the nuclear deal, in response to which Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran would burn it if he does. Under the JCPOA, Iran has the right to stop limiting its nuclear program if the deal is violated by the other parties. The result of years of tough negotiations between the group 5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany), the JCPOA was put into action in January 2016. According to the pact, Iran should not be put under new sanctions as long as it cooperates in implementing the deal, which is to limit its nuclear activities. On December 1, 2016, the Senate voted 99-0 in favor of extending the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) 1996 for another 10 years. However, then President Barack Obama let the act become law without signing it in the 10-day period he could sign it. Nevertheless, he suspended implementing the sanctions for four months, after which Trump would be in the position to decide about it. Tehran, Iran, Feb. 15 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the military threats by the enemy are only a cover-up for what they are doing to Iran in the economic sphere. That European official tells our official if it werent for the JCPOA, a war in Iran would be for sure. Sheer lies! Khamenei said, his official website reported February 15. The real war is an economic war, the sanctions, and occupying the field of work and activity and technology in the country The real war is a cultural war. Speaking on the national front, Khamenei dismissed a call to national reconciliation, recently propagated by the reformist side of the country. Such expressions mean nothing to me. People are together. Why do you talk of reconciliation? Are people at odds with each other? Of course, people are angry with those who on the day of Ashura so heinously and barefacedly undressed a young Basij member and beat him, he said, referring to an incident in the post-2009 election riots. KIND Founder Daniel Lubetzky said he opposes the proposed border adjustment tax because it wont be beneficial to consumers and the economy. I hope that thats going to be amended or changed because I dont think itll help with the economy. I dont think itll help consumers, Lubetzky said during an interview on the FOX Business Networks Varney & Co. The proposed 20% border adjustment tax by House Republicans would be applied to imported goods and services. President Trump introduced the import tariff during his first week as president as a way of paying for his proposed Mexican border wall. According to the snack bar maker, the company could capitalize from a tax on imports even though a 100% of its products are made in the United States. It actually would benefit us because a lot of our competitors make their products and much more of their ingredients are from Canada, China and other countries. So we would actually be benefiting, I am just thinking more as an American citizen that its not helpful to our economy, Lubetzky said. When asked by FOX Business Maria Bartiromo if he foresees a price hike, the KIND CEO said, If our raw materials end up costing us more, we would be forced to pass it on to our consumers. Lubetzky is pledging $25 million of his own money to an organization called Feed the Truth," dedicated to keeping food companies honest and transparent. I think that when people abuse their rights and hurt the consumer, we need to make them accountable, he said. While some see being able to work from home as a job perk, it can actually lead to excess stress and insomnia, according to a new report. A United Nations study looked at the impacts of working remotely, with technological advances, and found that the pressures of signing-on outside of the traditional 9-5 work day is causing workers across the globe to have high stress levels and more incidents of insomnia. The study took the pulse of workers from 15 countries including the U.S. -- and found that overall 41% of highly-mobile employees say they felt some degree of stress, compared to 25% of office workers. The U.S. seems to be much further down the road to anytime, anywhere work than most [of] the other countries that we studied. Of course, telework/telecommuting was born in California back in the 1970s, so maybe thats not so surprising, Jon Messenger, senior research officer for the U.N. International Labour Organization and co-author of the report, tells FOX Business. Nearly half (42 percent) of the work-from-home employees surveyed suffer from insomnia, compared to just 29% of those who report to an office setting. Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, who also participated in the U.S. portion of the study, says for American workers, working from home isnt the problem but instead it is not knowing when to stop. We love the ability to work everywhere and anywhere, but it has a dark side. Some employers are beginning to recognize this and enforce downtime, Lister tells FOX Business. Messenger says isolation is another thing that can lead to burnout for remote workers, and the survey found that there is a sweet spot, which is working two or three days a week from homeand the rest in the office to get that much needed face-to-face interaction. This type of partial or part-time teleworking appears to maximize the benefits of telework/ICT-mobile work for both employees and employers, in terms of work-life balance and productivity, while avoiding potential downsides such as isolation by helping workers to maintain ties with their co-workers and with the company, he says. President Donald Trumps executive order suspending immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa has created a stir inside the business community, causing CEOs from major companies to openly voice concerns. Just two days after Trump signed the order, Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) CEO Howard Schultz pledged that the Seattle-based coffee company would hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years. More recently, Sir Martin Sorrell, who is in charge of WPP, the biggest advertising firm, said he has an instinctive dislike of actions similar to President Trumps. I think the downside of restriction outweighs the positives, he told FOX Business Neil Cavuto. Instinctively I just believe that immigration and the sort of things that were seeing in the world, whether it be in Syria or elsewhere, means that we as well as having rights and powers, we have obligations to help. Sorrell, who is the grandson of immigrants from Ukraine, Poland, Romania and the U.K., said he worries about the impact it could have on his companys employees. We have, for example, in the U.K. in relation to immigrationits the same issue. We have 17,000 people in the U.K., 200,000 people worldwide. Of the 17,000 people in the U.K., 20% are EU citizens. So what is their future? So the same thing applies here in the U.S., he said. The advertising executive added: I am a second-generation U.K. immigrant and I think immigrants have made major contributions to the U.K. economy. In this segment from Industry Focus: Consumer Goods, the cast continues with its theme week as financial analyst Gaby Lapera sits in on the show to hear stock pitches from analysts in each sector. In this case, Sean O'Reilly returns to the world of consumer and retail with a bullish view of Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD). Tune in to learn why this massive brewing company is a major stock on his radar. A full transcript follows the video. 10 stocks we like better than Anheuser-Busch InBev NVWhen 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 Anheuser-Busch InBev NV 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 February 6, 2017 This podcast was recorded on Feb. 7, 2017. Vincent Shen: Getting started -- and I've always wanted to do this -- in the blue corner, Sean, standing in at about $178 billion market cap, from Leuven, Belgium, with over 150,000 employees, the king of beer, Anheuser-Busch InBev. Sean O'Reilly: Did you see that commercial in the Super Bowl, by the way? Shen: I did not. O'Reilly: Everybody needs to go to YouTube, type in Budweiser Super Bowl commercial -- it's a tearjerker. Gaby Lapera: Oh, the immigrant guy who comes ... O'Reilly: Yeah. Lapera: OK, we were talking about that commercial, that journal that he has that survived being thrown off a ship and fire, I want to buy that journal. I don't want to buy the beer. [laughs] O'Reilly: They made paper better back then. [laughs] So, Gaby, for my consumer goods pick, I am going to seek to appeal to your love, not of anything, but of civilization. I'm going to really ham it up with this one. What is one of the first things that humans do when they develop civilizations? Certainly not weapons, those destroy civilizations. Is it canals or bridges? Maybe, but those are hard to invest in, and civilizations have existed without them. Housing? Sure, but that's pretty cyclical, as we saw in 2008. No, the way to truly generate strong, long-term returns for your portfolio for years to come is to invest in that most sainted of civilizational characteristics: beer brewing. I first came to this idea last year, when I saw an article on Google news about a 5,000-year old brewery that was just unearthed in central China. I was immediately like, "This is kind of what humans do." You, I believe you have a master's degree in anthropology? Lapera: Yes. This isn't personal advice, right? O'Reilly: No! I'm just saying, you know full well that this is a global tale, and quite frankly, there is nothing the ancient Greeks love more than wine, right? Lapera: That's true, that's true. O'Reilly: That is why, today, I want to talk to you about AB InBev. This is the world's largest beer brewer. I don't even wish to build my case around any of AB InBev's extremely attractive financial metrics. These may or may not include a current 3.8% dividend yield, which on its own compares nicely to the 8% long-term average returns that you can expect from the stock market. It also happens to be more than supported by $10 billion a year in free cash flow. Pretty good. Its return on equity has averaged a more than respectable 22.88% for the last five reported fiscal years. The sheer gargantuan size of its product offerings -- over 400 beer brands -- so you'll never get bored. The fact that it employs more than 200,000 people, and since the SABMiller acquisition closed, there you go. Or the simple fact that they operate in over 100 countries. I don't know how many there are in the world, 192 or 193, depending on the day. What I want to focus on is AB InBev's moat. Its competitive advantage is consumer monopoly. This, after all, is what's really going to generate long-term returns for you or anybody else. As we all know, everybody's favorite investor, Warren Buffett, prefers to invest in businesses with strong, long-term competitive advantages, a brand name, if possible. It's also no coincidence that the man that merged Anheuser-Busch and InBev some years ago was Buffett's good friend, 3G Capital founder Jorge Paulo Lemann, who also happens to be the richest man in Brazil -- although he lives in Switzerland, if anybody is curious. What makes AB InBev a fantastic buy today is not only its globally recognizable brands, but its extraordinary competitive market position in fast-growing markets in South America and Africa. With the year-old purchase of SABMiller, AB InBev gained control of nine of the top 30 beer markets in the world. These include Poland, with a population of 32 million people, and they will have a market share of 38%; South Africa, 82% market share; Columbia, 98% market share; Australia, 37.8% market share. If anybody is curious, these are 2015 numbers; the Beer Association hasn't done it for the last year. The Czech Republic, 13 million in population, 44% market share; Peru, 95% market share; Hungary, 30%; Ecuador, 92%; Slovakia, 39%. This is in addition to all of the markets that AB InBev already dominated. This included Brazil, with a population of 200 million, and they had a 64% market share. Argentina with 80% market share, 40 million people; Colombia, 48 million people, 98% market share; Mexico, 60 million people, 51% market share; China, 1.35 billion people, 14% market share; United States, 45% market share on a population of 320 million people. I said this in an article I wrote last year -- in a world where there are antitrust laws, and governments don't like it when there is no competition, this is as good as it gets. Gaby Lapera has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sean O'Reilly has no position in any stocks mentioned. Vincent Shen has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Anheuser-Busch InBev NV. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Oil prices eased slightly on Wednesday in choppy trade as record high U.S. crude and gasoline inventories fed concerns about a global glut. The bearish U.S. inventory data was largely offset by evidence earlier this week that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers were complying with agreed-upon supply cuts. A weaker dollar also helped to support greenback-denominated oil. "There's a certain resilience in price - forward expectations that we are going to reduce supplies globally is holding the market," said Gene McGillian, manager of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. U.S. crude stocks soared 9.5 million barrels last week, nearly three times forecasts, to reach a peak at 518.12 million barrels, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed. U.S. gasoline stocks also hit a record, rising 2.8 million barrels to 259.1 million barrels. Prices had whipsawed after the EIA data, but at settlement, Brent futures ended down 22 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $55.75 a barrel and U.S. crude fell 9 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $53.11 a barrel. U.S. crude has been supported in a $50 to $55 a barrel range since late last year by the expectation of output cuts, but more evidence of market rebalancing is needed to maintain prices in this range, Tradition's McGillian said. "We saw (U.S. refining) utilization rates drop but didn't see a corresponding drop in gasoline inventories which indicates that demand may not be as steady as people have expected, and still the market holds," he said. Gasoline inventories have surged 10 percent since the end of 2016, and demand for motor fuel in the last four weeks was down 5.3 percent year-on-year, the EIA said. Despite the bearish data, U.S. gasoline futures ended slightly higher at $1.5479 a gallon. "The U.S. witnessed yet another week of higher-than-expected stock builds; nonetheless, the (crude) build was less than last week's, which helped prices recoup some of the earlier losses," said Abhishek Kumar, senior energy analyst at Interfax Energy's Global Gas Analytics in London. "A build in gasoline stock is in tandem with seasonal norms and further builds are expected in the coming weeks as demand for the fuel remains low." OPEC and other producers, including Russia, are cutting output by almost 1.8 million barrels per day in the first half of 2017. OPEC in January delivered record compliance of over 90 percent with its output curbs, according to estimates from the International Energy Agency and figures collected by OPEC's headquarters. Still, a report by BMI Research said a compliance rate of just 40 percent by Iraq, OPEC's second-biggest producer, "could prove problematic to group cohesion." Also, Russia and the other non-OPEC producers have delivered smaller cutbacks. The oil minister of Oman, one of the participating non-OPEC countries, said he expected compliance to improve. (By Jessica Resnick-Ault; Additional reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar in New York, Henning Gloystein in Singapore and Alex Lawler in London; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Alan Crosby) President Donald Trump hailed the United States unbreakable bond with Israel on Wednesday and promised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran would never be permitted to build a nuclear weapon, Tribune reported. Trumps vow was designed to address Israeli concerns over the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, which Netanyahu has warned expires too soon to permanently remove the threat. With this visit the United States, again, reaffirms our unbreakable bond with our cherished ally, Israel, Trump said. The security challenges faced by Israel are enormous, including the threat of Irans nuclear ambitions, which Ive talked a lot about, he said. Trump welcomes Israels Netanyahu for Middle East talks One of the worst deals Ive ever seen is the Iran deal. My administration has already imposed new sanctions on Iran, and I will do more to prevent Iran from ever developing I mean ever a nuclear weapon. The Iran nuclear deal was reached in July, 2015 and went into effect the next year. Under its terms Iran agreed to dismantle part of its nuclear programme, surrender enriched fuel and submit to international inspection. But critics of the agreement, including Netanyahu, have argued then when some of the terms of the deal expire in 10 and 15 years it will leave Tehran on the threshold of building a bomb. Verizon Communications Inc is close to a revised deal to buy Yahoo Inc's core internet business for $250 million to $350 million less than the original agreed price of $4.83 billion, according to a source briefed on the matter. Since last year, Verizon had been trying to persuade Yahoo to amend the terms of the acquisition agreement to reflect the economic damage from two cyber attacks. A source told Reuters that the deal, which could come as soon as this week, will entail Verizon and Yahoo sharing the liability from potential lawsuits related to the data breaches. Another person familiar with the situation said the price cut was likely to be around $250 million, a figure that Bloomberg reported earlier on Wednesday. A representative from Verizon declined to comment. Yahoo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Verizon hopes to combine Yahoo's search, email and messenger assets, as well as advertising technology tools, with its AOL unit, which Verizon bought in 2015 for $4.4 billion. Verizon has been looking to mobile video and advertising for new sources of revenue outside an oversaturated wireless market. Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo has been under scrutiny by federal investigators and lawmakers since disclosing the largest known data breach in history. Yahoo shares rose 1.4 percent to $45.65 in midday trading. Verizon shares fell 0.7 percent to $47.96. (By David Shepardson and Jessica Toonkel; Additional reporting by Anjali Athavaley in New York; Editing by Tiffany Wu, Bernard Orr) Britain and its leading union expressed concerns on Wednesday at a plan by General Motors to sell its European operations to France's PSA Group in a deal that could put GM's Vauxhall operations in England at risk after Brexit. Britain's largely foreign-owned car industry has thrived in recent years, but the vote to leave the European Union has cast doubt on future growth by raising the prospect of tariffs which would make UK plants less competitive. Prime Minister Theresa May's government has already been forced to pull a deal together to persuade Nissan to keep investing in Britain, saying it would counter any loss of competitiveness caused by Brexit. On Tuesday the news that GM had entered into talks with France's PSA over a deal to merge its loss-making Opel and Vauxhall brands with the French group's Peugeot, Citroen and DS names raised fears that the British Vauxhall brand could look vulnerable if an enlarged group needs to cut costs. "The government remains in close contact with GM as we closely monitor the situation," a spokesman for the British Department of Business said, adding that the minister Greg Clark had already raised his concerns with GM President Dan Ammann. Britain's car industry, which ships more than half of its exports to the other 27 countries in the EU, had lobbied hard against Brexit. Since the vote last June, Prime Minister May has said that Britain will leave the EU single market, which guarantees unfettered trade on the continent, but suggested that certain industries may be able to retain elements of free trade. Vauxhall employs around 4,500 staff in two plants near Liverpool and Luton, north of London, and supports other jobs through supply chain and retail links. The Unite workers' union said the president of GM had given a private assurance last year that there would be no surprises in terms of GM's plants in Britain, and that these commitments had not been upheld. "To Peugeot I say, talk to us," Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey said in a statement."Our members have helped to make the UK auto industry the most competitive and productive in Europe and will do so again with the right backing." McCluskey met Business Minister Clark on Wednesday to discuss the potential impact on Vauxhall and said he had urged the government to give the same assurances it had given to Nissan to other carmakers. "It cannot be that the future of UK car workers jobs now lie in the hands of the French government and their backing for Peugeot," he said. (Additional reporting by Ritvik Carvalho, editing by Estelle Shirbon and Jason Neely) President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb settlement activity but avoided any explicit endorsement of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longstanding bedrock of U.S. Middle East policy. The two leaders met face-to-face for the first time since Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election even as Palestinians urged the White House not to abandon their goal of an independent state. Speaking at a joint news conference, Trump vowed to work toward a peace deal between Israel and Palestinians but said it would require compromise on both sides and it would be up to the parties themselves ultimately to reach an agreement. "I'd like to see you pull back on settlements for a little bit," Trump told Netanyahu. The right-wing Israeli leader later insisted that Jewish settlements were "not the core of the conflict" and made no commitment to reduce settlement building. Trump echoed Netanyahu's calls for Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state - something they have refused to do - and to halt incitement against Israelis. But even as Trump promised to pursue peace between the two sides - who have had no substantive peace talks since 2014 - he offered no new prescriptions for unblocking the peace process or achieving a deal that has eluded so many of his predecessors. Setting a chummy tone for the meeting, Trump greeted Netanyahu on a red carpet rolled out to the White House driveway. The two leaders smiled, shook hands and chatted amiably before heading inside the executive mansion, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and Netanyahu's wife Sara. Among the questions expected to figure prominently on the agenda was the future of the two-state solution - the idea of creating a Palestine living peacefully alongside Israel, which has been a bedrock U.S. position. In a potential shift, a senior White House official said on Tuesday that peace did not necessarily have to entail Palestinian statehood, and Trump would not try to "dictate" a solution. Trump did little to clarify his position. Giving a convoluted response to a question on whether he backed a two-state solution, he suggested that he could abide by whatever the two parties decided. "I'm looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one that both parties like," he said. "I can live with either one. I thought for a while it looked like the two-state, looked like it may be the easier of the two, but honestly if Bibi and if the Palestinians if Israel and the Palestinians are happy, I'm happy with the one they like the best," Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. A retreat from U.S. backing for a two-state solution would upend decades of U.S. policy embraced by Republican and Democratic administrations and a principle considered the core of international peace efforts. Netanyahu committed, with conditions, to the two-state goal in a speech in 2009 and has broadly reiterated the aim since. But he has also spoken of a "state minus" option, suggesting he could offer the Palestinians deep-seated autonomy and the trappings of statehood without full sovereignty. PALESTINIANS ALARMED Palestinians reacted with alarm to the possibility that Washington might ditch its support for an independent Palestinian nation. "If the Trump administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad," Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in response to the U.S. official's remarks. "Accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy," she said in a statement. Husam Zomlot, strategic adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinians had not received any official indication of a change in the U.S. stance. For Netanyahu, the talks with Trump are an opportunity to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with Democrat Barack Obama, Trump's predecessor. After speaking to reporters, the two leaders were due to hold talks in the Oval Office followed by a working lunch. The prime minister, under investigation at home over allegations of abuse of office, spent much of Tuesday huddled with advisers in Washington preparing for the talks. Officials said they wanted no gaps to emerge between U.S. and Israeli thinking during the scheduled two-hour Oval Office meeting. Trump, who has been in office less than four weeks and has already been immersed in problems including the forced resignation of his national security adviser earlier this week, brings with him an unpredictability that Netanyahu's staff hope will not impinge on the discussions. The two leaders, who seemed to strike up an emerging "bromance" in social media exchanges since the election, sought to demonstrate good personal chemistry face-to-face as well, both sporting smiles and exchanging asides. Meetings with Obama were at best cordial and businesslike, at worst tense and awkward. In one Oval Office encounter in 2011, Obama grimaced as Netanyahu lectured him in front of the cameras on the suffering of the Jewish people through the ages. (By Luke Baker and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Matt Spetalnick in Washington and Maayan Lubell and Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Howard Goller) The Trump administration has offered the job of White House national security adviser, vacated by former U.S. intelligence official Michael Flynn, to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, said two U.S. officials familiar with the matter on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command who has Navy SEAL combat experience, had accepted the offer, according to sources. A White House spokesperson had no immediate comment. Flynn resigned on Monday after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before President Donald Trump took office. Losing his national security adviser so soon after taking office is an embarrassment for the new Republican president, who has made national security a top priority. Harward, a Rhode Island native who went to school in Tehran before the Shah was toppled in 1979, did a tour on the National Security Council under former Republican President George W. Bush, working on counterterrorism. He also has combat experience on SEAL teams and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Harward now works as an executive for defense contractor Lockheed Martin, with responsibility for its business in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball and John Walcott; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and James Dalgleish) Rapper-turned-spirits entrepneur Sean Combs-- aka Diddy-- has just unveiled the newest face of his Ciroc vodka line: supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio. According to The Spirits Business, Ambrosio will be promoting Cirocs On Arrival campaign, which celebrates the biggest moments in life. BIG NEWS FOR GUINNESS BEER LOVERS The Victoria's Secret Angel, who has modeled for some of the biggest names in fashion including Calvin Klein, Fendi, Dolce & Gabbana, and Ralph Lauren, will be showcased in Ciroc ads shot b the legendary photographer Mario Testino. Three new images will be released throughout 2017 along with behind-the-scenes content. The first ad showcases the Brazilian supermodel preparing backstage, getting her hair and make-up set as she gets ready to jetset to an unknown, yet super cool party. FOR THE LATEST FOOD & DRINK FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK Its not the first time Diddy has teamed up with Testino and a major famous face to market his signature vodka. In 2016, Ciroc partnered with Testino to offer a limited edition bottle inspired by the fictional male model Derek Zoolander. Ben Stiller reprised his role from the hit comedy films in the alcohol's ad campaign. To celebrate the long-awaited sequel, Ciroc released the Ciroc Derek Zoolander Blue Steel bottle in a modified blue hue inspired by Zoolanders signature blue steel model face. Wolfgang Puck really gets fired up about his saute pans. On Saturday night, the 67-year-old celebrity chef accidentally dropped the f-bomb on live television while promoting his eponymous cookware line on the Home Shopping Network. While speaking to the segments co-host about a competitors expensive saute pan, Puck accidentially let a little salty language slip. I actually just ordered saute pans, I think they might be a little bigger than that, Puck said, gesturing to a small pan. Six-hundred and fifty dollars for one! I said, I have to f---ing try it out, how it will work! Puck didnt immediately seem to take notice of own language gaffe, but instead continued speaking as if nothing had happened. Off-screen, however, a crew member could be heard laughing at his blunder. FOR THE LATEST FOOD FEATURES, FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK The New York Daily News points out that this isn't Pucks first time cursing during a live HSN broadcast. In 2012, he was discussing the cupcakes he crafts in his pastry maker, and said, Youre going to say, Oh s----, this is the best thing I ever ate! Puck and his team will be catering the annual Governors Ball following the Academy Awards on Feb. 26. In a 2016 study published in the journal Nature, researchers at Harvard Medical School found a reason behind what they termed the striking and unexplained male predominance across many cancer types. Turns out, womens extra X chromosome also gives them an extra set of certain protective, tumor-suppressant genes, according to a press release from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. And, Andrew Lane, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of the study, told Fox News, We are probably only scratching the surface. Hormonal differences and environmental exposures, he said, could also contribute to men and womens respective risks of cancer. But cancer isnt the only disease that occurs at different rates in men and women. Biological sex your makeup of X and Y chromosomes can actually affect your risk of certain diseases. Fox News spoke to two different doctors about the different diseases that men and women are more prone to developing: 1. Lupus Dr. Damon Raskin, a board-certified internist in Pacific Palisades, California, told Fox News that women far outweigh men in the prevalence of autoimmune diseases. Such diseases include lupus, fibromyalgia, thyroid disease and celiac disease. 2. Depression Women are also more likely than men to be diagnosed with mental health diseases including insomnia and depression, Dr. Raskin said. However, he noted this may be due to the fact that women are more likely to seek help from a doctor, while men may try to deal with such mental health issues themselves. 3. Hemophilia Men, on the other hand, are more likely to suffer from diseases linked to the X-chromosome, Dr. Margaret Gradison, a family medicine doctor and professor at Duke University, told Fox News. These include conditions such as hemophilia, Alport syndrome (a type of kidney disease), and red-green colorblindness, Gradison noted. 4. Osteoarthritis Men and women are shaped differently, and women have more fat than muscle compared to men, Gradison said. She noted this often puts women more at risk for certain related health problems over time, like osteoarthritis in the knees. 5. Alzheimers disease Women tend to live longer than men but this means that they are more likely to (eventually) develop age-related diseases such as Alzheimers, Gradison said. Both doctors noted that researchers are still trying to determine the reason behind many of these sex-based differences, and that at least some of the explanation could be due to factors like how often women and men seek out medical care, along with doctors preconceived notions about which sex is more likely to be affected by specific diseases. People should try non-drug treatment options like massage or stretching for most cases of chronic low back pain before choosing treatment with over-the-counter or prescription drugs, according to new guidelines. If the pain began recently, the guidelines recommend superficial heat, massage, acupuncture or spinal manipulation. If patients wish to take medication, they should use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, or skeletal muscle relaxants prescribed by a doctor. Acetaminophen and steroids are not recommended for low back pain, according to the guidelines. But for chronic low back pain - defined as pain that's lasted more than 12 weeks - the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends people hold off on medications. The new guidelines apply to low back pain that does not radiate to other parts of the body like the legs, said Dr. Nitin Damle of the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, who is president of the ACP. Patients with low back pain that radiates to other parts of the body need further evaluation, he told Reuters Health. Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit U.S. doctors' offices each year, according to the ACP in the Annals of Internal Medicine. About a quarter of U.S. adults report low back pain at least one day during the previous three months. "Most back pain is self-limited," said Damle. "It's common, will go away given enough time and patients can help themselves initially by trying some heat and stretching before going to see a physician." The new guidelines are based on a review of studies that looked at the use of drug and non-drug therapies for low back pain. The review did not look at creams or injections, however. Based on the review, the ACP recommends that people who have been suffering with chronic low back pain try non-drug therapies such as exercise, acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction, tai chi, yoga, biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy or spinal manipulation. If those methods don't work, the guidelines say the next step should be NSAIDs or the pain medications duloxetine, which is marketed as Cymbalta, or tramadol, which is marketed as Ultram. Opioids should only be considered as last resorts, and only prescribed after doctors discuss their risks and benefits with patients. "If you're going to have to use opioids, use them in the smallest dose possible with the least frequency and smallest prescription," said Damle. The new recommendations are very reasonable, said Dr. Joel Press, who is physiatrist-in-chief at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. "Anything you can do with these non-pharmaceuticals that can get you moving faster is going to get you better in the end," said Press, who was not involved in crafting the new guidelines. "I hope this reinforces to physicians and patients that a lot of these non-pharmaceutical treatments can have a lot of success," he told Reuters Health. Many of our countrys major cities have severe infrastructure and housing challenges. This has led not only to poor living conditions but also places individuals health in grave danger. In New York City, among our many housing woes, we have a rat infestation epidemic. Rats have become so common to our residents that the media celebrated a rat carrying a pizza from the subway, and even gave it a name. An important message gets lost in the hoopla over something like Pizza Rat, and its about the danger that rodents pose to humans and our health. Remember the Black Death? It was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history that swept through Europe in the 1300s claiming upwards of 100 million lives. The cause was the bubonic plague, which is an infectious disease caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria that humans can get through either infected flea bites or direct contact with an infected animal. Human-to-human transmission is rare, but an infected person can transmit plague pneumonia to another through cough droplets in the air. Plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but a suspected case requires immediate medical attention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), patients must be given antibiotics as soon as possible to avoid death. The most common vector of the disease during Black Death was rats. And here we are, in 2017, in danger of another bacterial disease linked to rats called leptospirosis. Already in New Yorks Bronx borough, the disease has killed one person and left two others clinging to life. Sure, the citys deputy commissioner of the Health Department wants you to be encouraged by the two patients recovery, but what you should be is concerned that these three people were infected because of where they live. All three cases came from a one-block radius over the past two months. More on this... Rare disease carried by rats leaves 1 dead, 2 clinging to life in New York City Leptospira bacteria thrive in warm, moist environments, and most human cases are associated with exposure to rats or rodent-infested environments. Disturbingly, humans can become infected through contact with rat urine or water, soil or food that has been contaminated by the urine. Doctors want anyone with suspected symptoms to report them to the health department and seek immediate medical attention. You could experience a wide range of symptoms, like fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and other awful ailments, or you may experience nothing at all. If youre in the latter category, how would you know to seek treatment? Without treatment you could suffer kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress or even death. Infection during pregnancy may result in severe fetal and maternal morbidity or mortality. I know I talk a lot about the importance of disease prevention like getting vaccines and keeping up with routine care, but this time, we can only blame city officials. How did they let the rat infestation get this out of control? How could they not have known during routine health inspections that rat infestations could lead to death? Im well aware that in a budget crunch, things like pest control are the first to be cut, but we are talking about the hygiene of our city. Big cities health departments, especially in a place like New York, cannot continue function the way they do today. They are always reactive, never proactive. The city health departments should be the first ones to ring the bell to alert city officials and citizens that there is a health problem brewing. We should not have to wait until people have to be removed from their homes and hospitalized before anybody begins to think about how to react. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the common enemies of Islam and the regional Arab countries have been propagating Iranophobia while Tehrans power has always served peace, PressTV reported. Tehran has always been the harbinger of the settlement of problems and differences through dialogue, and Irans military might is solely defensive and supports regional security, Rouhani said in a meeting with Omans Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in Muscat on Wednesday. The Iranian president stressed that the region's security could be guaranteed only through cooperation among regional countries. Therefore, regional countries need to stand by each other and cooperate for the sake of lasting stability and security in the region, he added. Describing Iran and Oman as the guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, Rouhani underlined the two countries' role in safeguarding the security of the region and the strategic route for international trade. He also welcomed the expansion of ties between Iran and other countries of the region. Iran has come to the help of regional countries whenever they were entangled in challenges, including terrorism, and will continue to render assistance to them if they demand it, the Iranian president added. The Iranian president also described Muscat-Tehran relations as friendly and deep-rooted, and welcomed the promotion of ties in different sectors, including economy, transportation, energy and trade. Muslim countries urged to help Yemen Touching on the conflicts in the region, including in Yemen, the Iranian president described the situation in the impoverished Arab state as very grave and called for serious action to address the issue. "The Muslim countries of the region are all duty-bound to take... measures to help the oppressed people of Yemen," Rouhani said. The establishment of a ceasefire, the delivery of humanitarian aid and intra-Yemeni talks are the key to ending the crisis in the country, he added. Sultan Qaboos, for his part, welcomed the expansion of ties between his country and Iran in the political, economic and cultural sectors. He praised Irans resolve to hold amicable ties with its neighbors and promote regional cooperation, saying such a policy would serve the region's peace and security. The Omani ruler added that the countries of the Persian Gulf region had a "prime responsibility" to restore regional security through "consultations." Rouhani arrived in Muscat on Wednesday to discuss the promotion of ties with the Persian Gulf Arab country. After meeting Sultan Qaboos, Rouhani left Muscat to hold talks with Kuwaiti officials. During a meeting with Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah in Kuwait City, Rouhani stressed that the two countries have close political ties and that their economic relations must follow suit. Iran is fully prepared for the development all-out ties, including joint investments in diverse projects, with Kuwait, he said. For his part, Sheikh Sabah stressed that his country is adamant to increase relations with Iran in all fields. The Iranian president's one-day tour of the two countries comes less than a month after Iran received a message from the Kuwaiti emir on relations between the Islamic Republic and Persian Gulf Arab states. The one-day visit by Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Hamad al-Sabah to Iran was the first by a senior official of a Persian Gulf Arab state to the Islamic Republic after relations between Tehran and some of the Arab countries of the strategic region became tense when Saudi Arabia unilaterally severed its diplomatic ties with Iran. Iran has already stressed that it is ready to cooperate with regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, on regional problems. Not long ago a woman named Ana shared a story with me about her dad. In 1970s Mexico, he had a female boss who was a big powerhouse at the firm where he worked. Needless to say, this woman was very Alpha. One day, Anas dad was invited to a dinner party at his bosss house; and when he arrived, he was shocked to see her transformation at home: She was a doting wife who took Anas dads coat at the door, but her husband was the host of the party. He sat sat the head of the table and led the conversation. Anas father used to tell her and her sister this story as an examplethe moral being that they could go as far as they wanted in life, both as students and as professionals. But whatever they did, they should never bulldoze their husbands. That is the message of my new book, "The Alpha Females Guide to Men & Marriage." I wrote it for two reasons: to help myself, and to help women like me, navigate wifedom in a culture that celebrates our fierce independence. Self-reliance is indeed a great thing. But it has a dark side. The more dominant or dictatorial a wife has become, the more shes crying out for her husband to be the stronger one. Shes testing him. That is the nature of sex and sex roles. Former journalist E.D. Hill talked about this downside in her 2005 book "Going Places." Like so many women today, Hills mother taught her to learn to do everything herself, even the typically male tasks. Here was the result: I found it very difficult to let anyone help me. And if they tried but couldnt do it as well I could, I was disappointed. That often left me frustrated I couldnt stop myself from proving that I didnt need [my husband] to do things for me. Needless to say, this power struggle, along with other issues, put a big strain on our relationship, and he is now my ex. This power struggle Hill describes is now par for the course in modern marriages and relationships. Its hard for women who are used to being in charge to move out of one mode and into another. As one woman who heard about my book last week shared with me in an email, I must confess you have described not only me but many women I interact with on a daily basis. I think as teachers, we easily fall into this trap after hours of controlling a classroom. A memorable quote from my husband early on was, Dont talk to me like Im one of your students. And from Kimberly: Im a complete alpha and had two fiances and one divorce before I figured out what youre telling everyone. It was a little frustrating at first, but I can see how great our relationship is now. We dont argue, and we love, hug and kiss so much more. The concept behind "The Alpha Females Guide" is simple: If women want a low-conflict, intimate marriage, they must use a different approach when dealing with their husbands than the one they use as mothers and as professionals. Laura Wellington, an early reader of my book who reviewed it for her website, Thread MB, admitted that at first she was skeptical. But she kept reading, and the ideas were compelling. So she decided to put them to the test with the man in her life, with whom she had recently broken up. Several days later note I said days, not weeksshe emailed me back. Youre a genius! The advice in the book worked so well she and her man are now back together. Im not a genius, of course. I simply learned something the hard way that I believe is valuable. And that is this: A woman can be a force to be reckoned with, or an alpha, in life and a soft, vulnerable beta in love. She doesnt have to walk around with her alpha all the time. She can relax at home and let her man drive the bus. I can hear the voices now. But my husband wont step up to the plate! Hes lazy, and he expects me to do everything! Maybe. Or perhaps hes just used to you doing everything. Perhaps he knows you expect him to fail. People tend to live up to our expectations. If you think you might be an alpha wifeto find out, heres a quiz you can takeswitching into beta mode will feel strange at first. But like anything new that takes practice, it will eventually become second nature. It will be as natural as it was in the early days of your relationship. Back then, you instinctively went into beta mode. Your husband (then boyfriend) called you for the date. He picked you up and took you to the restaurant or the movies. He paid the bill. In other words, he took the initiative without a problem, and you let him. You were the receiver of his actions. Then, at some point down the road, probably after kids came along, you grabbed the reins and took over. You became the Alpha. And your husband, whos Alpha by nature (all that testosterone!) either rose to meet your energy level, which resulted in conflict, or he stepped back and let you take overwhich means the sexual energy between you has waned. Thats because most women dont want to be in charge of their man. Their lives? Yes. But not their man. In fact, the more dominant or dictatorial a wife has become, the more shes crying out for her husband to be the stronger one. Shes testing him. That is the nature of sex and sex roles. If either of the two scenarios aboveconstant conflict or a waning sex lifedescribes your marriage or relationship, I have a solution for you: Alpha by day, beta by night. It works. National security chief Michael Flynn has resigned. The general got into trouble over a phone call he had with the Russian ambassador before Donald Trump took office. The issue centered on sanctions President Obama slapped on Russia, apparently General Flynn discussed that with the Russian. Michael Flynn should have known that his call was being taped both by American and Russian intelligence agencies, that is standard. But then things get foggy. I don't know what General Flynn said. Nobody knows at this point except government officials because there is a transcript of the conversation, as yet unreleased. But according to Fox News Correspondent John Roberts, General Flynn misled Vice President Pence about the content of the call. That's the big reason he was fired. Vice President Pence wields a lot of power in the White House and subordinates simply cannot mislead him. So the Trump administration is now searching for a new national security advisor. The story really ends here unless General Flynn was ordered to say something to the Russians that was inappropriate. Again, speculating on that is foolish. If evidence surfaces, we will certainly report it. Perhaps the most interesting aspect on the Flynn saga is the PR component. Monday Kellyanne Conway said the general was safe: General Flynn does enjoy the full confidence of the president. And this is a big week for General Flynn. He's the point of contact for many of these foreign visits. Did Ms. Conway mislead or did she not know the general was in trouble? Either way, not a good situation. Talking Points well understands the complexities of running this country. But it is becoming clear that President Trump needs better coordination among his staff. There should be someone in charge of quality control and accurate messaging. That someone should be Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, who is experienced and skilled. No way Kellyanne Conway should be out saying all is fine with General Flynn when all was not fine. That kind of confusion does not do anyone in this country any good, especially because President Trump has legions of people trying to hurt him. Summing up, Flynn is out. A new security person will be appointed and the Trump White House needs to become better organized. Adapted from Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points Memo on February 14. Under the Obama administration, the Department of Labor put out numerous regulations and abrupt policy changes that increased the cost of doing business in America and diminished job opportunities for American workers. People are hurting for change. President-elect Donald Trumps pick for new Labor Secretary could bring that change. Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants since the year 2000, has a solid record of business success. CKE Restaurants, which includes Hardees and Carles Jr. restaurant chains, owns or franchises over 3,250 restaurants nationwide, generates a reported $1.3 billion in annual revenue, and altogether employs more than 70,000 people. In fact, Puzder is widely credited for saving the Carls Jr. and Hardees likely bankruptcy. But because Puzder comes from the business world instead of labor union politics and favors pro-market policies rather than heavy handed government mandates, many Democrats are set to oppose his nomination. Most recently, a number of Democrats are touting a dubious survey put out by Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), a union front group, of past and current Hardees and Carls Jr. employees. The problem with that is that because the union front group contacted survey participants via social media like Facebook, rather than at random, the people who chose to respond to the poll may be skewed towards the disgruntled or despondent. As one pollster remarked to The Washington Examiner, "Ideally, what would have been good would be to get a list of people who worked at the restaurants" and then collect responses from a random selection of the workers. Meanwhile, another organization, the Employment Policies Institute, also surveyed Hardees and Carls Jr. employees but this time with a more scientific approach. EPI contracted the survey research firm CorCom Inc., which used data obtained from CKE franchisees representing over 300 stores around the country to complete 242 telephone interviews with employees between January 6 and January 9 of this year. Employee names were randomized before calling. The result? Over 90 percent of employees agreed that they felt safe and respected in their work environment, including 93 percent of female employees. A similar majority, 92 percent, agreed that Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are great places to work. But now its time to set aside false political controversies and deal with the problem of overregulation thats strangling job creators. During the eight years of the Obama administration, the DOL imposed $55.7 billion in total finalized regulatory costs and added nearly 70 million in paperwork burden hours, according to Regulation Rodeo, a project of the American Action Forum. The crushing weight of the red tape has created visible hardships on workers and business. Under the Obama administration, for the first time in 35 years, there is more American business deaths than business births. With small business as the primary driver of job creation, accounting for 60 percent of net new jobs, the decline in entrepreneurship inevitably makes jobs more scarce. Many Americans have even given up looking for work. This is seen in the labor participation rate, with about 95 million Americans 16 and over not in the workforce. Most worrisome is the number of prime working age males, 25-54, not in the workplace: 7 million are no longer seeking employment, and another 2 million cannot find work. We cannot allow that to continue. The U.S. economy and American workers need Washington regulators to allow businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers to have the freedom to pursue opportunities, innovate, and succeed. Its time to give Andrew Puzder and the American people the chance to make change happen. Trey Kovacs is a policy analyst specializing in labor policy for the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Last month the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its annual report on union membership. In 2016 14.6 million U.S. employees were union members -- a drop to 10 percent of the workforce. It spells bad news for organized labor. While public-sector union membership remained steady at 34.4 percent, only 6.4 percent of private-sector employees are members of a labor uniondown from one-third of workers in the 1950s. In states like South Carolina, Texas, and Utah, union membership dips well below five percent of the workforce. Labor leaders face an inconvenient truth. Despite spending millions of dollars on campaigns like the Fight for $15 and a Union, while receiving unprecedented help from a labor-friendly Obama administration, unions have seen little return on investment in their membership rolls. Take the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the organizer of $15 and a Unionthe push for a $15 minimum wage and unionized fast-food sector. According to the SEIUs most recent filing with the Labor Department, the union spent at least $20 million on the Fight for $15 in 2015. This increases the total to roughly $70 million since the campaign began in 2012. Yet, despite seven-figure public relations retainers, the SEIUs membership has dipped in recent years: The SEIU claimed 1,921,786 union members in 2011, the year prior to the start of the Fight for $15almost 34,000 more employees than it had in 2015. The unions 2016 filing will likely continue the downward trend. Some labor leaders see the writing on the wall. As former SEIU President Andy Stern put it, The union cant just keep transferring revenue it makes from bargaining contracts to pay for its social justice work because collective bargaining is shrinking. If unions dont find new ways to recruit members, Stern says, then you can invite me to the funeral. The Obama administration did its best to stem the tide. As a recent Wall Street Journal editorial rightly points out, presidential appointees to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)the federal agency governing U.S. labor lawchurned out dozens of rulings to bolster union power. With its 2011 "Specialty Healthcare" decision, the NLRB enabled labor unions to gerrymander a minority share of an employers workforce into so-called micro-unions. More recently, the agency ruled that teaching assistants at Columbia University are employees and therefore have the right to unionizepaving the way for unionized colleges and universities around the country. But employees continue to resist labor organizers. At Harvard University, the United Auto Workers (UAW)which has aimed to unionize teaching assistants since early last yearrecently lost a certification election despite using extremely aggressive tactics. At the same time, a majority of U.S. states have now passed right-to-work laws, prohibiting union membership as a condition of employment. Missouri recently joined a list of 27 other states, while New Hampshire could pass similar legislation in the near future. Employees just dont see the same need for union representation as they did in the early 20th centurywhen rapid industrialization turned workplace safety into a life-or-death concern. A Rasmussen poll conducted before the election shows that only 20 percent of Americans see labor leaders as do[ing] a good job representing union members. Even among current or former union members, only 25 percent have a favorable view of union leadership. President Trump and a Republican Congress should address working class concerns. Union members feel abandoned not only by Wall Street and the Washington establishment, but also by those who claim to represent their professional interests. Proposals like the Employee Rights Acta federal bill that amassed 170 co-sponsors in the 114th Congresscan democratize the workplace through secret ballot union elections, mandatory recertification votes, and other pro-employee reforms. A National Right to Work Act would similarlyalbeit less comprehensivelytransfer power from labor leaders to blue-collar employees. Resistance can be expected. Despite the presidents listening session with building trades unions this week, the SEIU and other unions excluded from the meeting are gearing up for a four-year war with the White House. In current SEIU President Mary Kay Henrys words: We are battening down the hatches. President Trump and Congress should return the favorby standing up to Big Labor. Republicans promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But now they are hesitating. I understand why. Most Americans opposed Obamacare ever since the Democrats imposed it. But now that Congress actually might kill it, more (about half those polled) say, "Wait, I like Obamacare!" Once people get a subsidy, they'll fight to keep it -- fight hard. People fight even to keep subsidies and guarantees that are obviously destructive. French job "protections," such as a 35-hour work week, have so wrecked France's economy that its socialist president tried to lengthen the work week, as well as raise the retirement age to 62 years old. Thousands of people protested, blocking roads to airports. The reform plan died. Greek day care workers took to the streets when their bankrupt government tried to get them to work more than 30 hours per week. Recently, Mexico said it would stop subsidizing people's gasoline. Seems reasonable. But the riots were so severe that people died. I hope Donald Trump's attempts to end bad programs have more success. But I won't count on it. President Reagan promised to abolish both the Education and Energy Departments. But his Congress increased funding for Education. Farm subsidies were supposed to be a temporary Depression-era "fix." They would protect America against food shortages. Now America has food surpluses; our citizens are fat; and farmers are richer than most Americans. Did farm subsidies diminish? No. They rose from $3 billion to $23.3 billion. U.S. sugar quotas raise the price of everything that's sweet. Our crazy rules are why Coke is made with corn syrup in America but sugar in most of the world. This enriches Florida's Fanjul family, which protects its handout by donating to both Republicans and Democrats. Peanut subsidies will soon approach the total value of the whole U.S. peanut crop itself. Insane. Yet the subsidies continue. After World War II, American sheep and goat farmers convinced politicians that mohair deserved special protection because it was used in soldiers' uniforms. Today, uniforms are made of synthetics, but mohair subsidies haven't stopped. My former colleague Sam Donaldson even got some because his family raised sheep. When I confronted him, Sam agreed that the payments are "a horrible mess" but said he'd keep the money since "the law is on the books." He could have made the same point about another bad federal program, government flood insurance. That's one that paid ... me. Sorry. I won't do it again. In 1995, the Clinton administration did manage to get rid of the mohair subsidy. But five years later, Congress brought it back. Why? Recipients of corporate welfare are motivated lobbyists. They have lots of money at stake. You, by contrast, pay a little more in taxes or a few pennies more for soda. Will you bother your congressman about that? Probably not. Congressman Jason Chaffetz is still trying to kill the mohair subsidy. I wish him luck. At one point, he got help from, of all people, Congressman Anthony Weiner. Weiner brought a goat to Capitol Hill to draw attention to the dumb handout. It may have been the only sensible thing Weiner ever did. But even the goat didn't work. Congress rejected Chaffetz's bill. And the goat stabbed Weiner's hand with his horn. Farm subsidies are terrible, but America's biggest handouts are entitlements: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. You say, "Social Security and Medicare are not handouts! I paid a premium every year." You are right, but you don't realize that your medical bills will likely cost three times what you've paid in. Medicare is mostly a handout. But good luck to any politician who proposes cutting it. One ray of hope: In the '70s, the Ford and Carter administrations eliminated the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Civil Aeronautics Board and the jobs of bureaucrats who regulated gas prices. Leftists and people in industry screamed, but the reformers prevailed. That saved Americans billions of dollars. It can be done. Faced with the Syrian debacle, Trump administration officials, among others, claim that the U.S. can exploit the weakness of the growing strategic coalition between Russia and Iran, ultimately using Russia to contain Iran in Syria and throughout the Middle East. The Obama administration had this idea too, and it remains wrong. Circumstances could arise that might split the partners, but American outreach to Moscow wont do it. A bigger question for the U.S. right now is whether we can prevent other nations vital to our interests from shifting toward the new Russian-Iranian orbit. There are reasons why the Russia-vs-Iran fantasy is attractive. Historical tension between Iran and Russia is real, and neither state knows how to be a good ally. Russia sees itself as a superpower and disdains to treat other states as equals. Iran sees itself as the natural hegemon of the Middle East and leader of the vast Shia Muslim denomination. Marginalization and persecution of Shias over the centuries makes it hard for the Islamic Republic to trust outside powers. Tehran also has had tensions with Russia over Caspian Sea resources and oil. Thinking too much about these historical disagreements, however, obscures the deep commonality of aims shared by Moscow and Tehran--driving the U.S. from the Middle East being the chief of these common goals. Irans leaders constantly assert that the Middle East should be free of the influence of outside powers. They never point that argument at Russia or China, but rather at the U.S., Britain, and their allies. Russias leaders and doctrines assert that the U.S. must abandon its position as a global power and yield to a multipolar world order in which Russia is its equal. Russia and Iran also share allies and goals around their periphery. Both back Armenia over Azerbaijan in the Caucasus. Russia has kept a military base in Armenia since the end of the Cold War, while Iran fears that Azerbaijan could attempt to stir up separatism within Irans large Azeri population. Both seek stability in Afghanistan and prefer to work with local Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras rather than Pashtuns. Both have, however, worked with, and even supported, Taliban factions when it suited them. Only extreme circumstances will split the Russo-Iranian coalition in Syriaif the Assad regime faces defeat, or the pro-regime coalition succeeds enough that it can move on to consider its next goals. Neither is likely. Vladimir Putin would give up on Bashar al Assad long before Ayatollah Khamenei would, but right now Putin needs an Alawite government like Assads to let him keep his new military base on the Mediterranean. Ayatollah Khamenei needs the Assad regime to give the Revolutionary Guards Qods Force and its Hezbollah allies a secure rear-area from which to confront Israel. Russia needs Iran in Syria at least as badly as Iran needs Russia. The Assad regime and army are kept alive artificially by tens of thousands of Iranian, Hezbollah, Iraqi Shia militia, and Afghan and Pakistani militia troops, all provided, paid for and commanded by Iranians. The Russians neither can, nor would, replace these forces with their own. If the Russians agreed to drive the Iranians from Syria, the Assad regime and Russias position would collapse. Russian and Iranian aims in the region diverge significantly on two points. The Islamic Republic is committed to destroying Israel and containing or collapsing Saudi power. Moscow shares neither goal. But Moscow has done nothing to protest or contain Irans harassment of Israel using Hezbollah and HAMAS. The Russians have also reached out to the Saudis and Gulf states to mitigate damage their support for Iran has done to their position in the region. Moscow would prefer a Sunni power to balance Iran, where Tehran prefers unquestioned hegemony. There is some surprising overlap even in this divergent effort, however. Egypt is drifting away from the Saudi bloc and toward Moscow and even Tehran. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi voted for Russian initiatives in Syria at the U.N. and even sent a small number of Egyptian troops to Syria on behalf of the Russo-Iranian coalition. The Iranians have no quarrel with Sisi, and have never directed against him the kind of vitriol they reserve for the Saudis and their Gulf Arab allies. Russia and Iran may, in fact, come to see Cairo as a mutually acceptable contender for leadership of the Sunni Arabs in the region at the expense of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. This would be a formidable new challenge to American strategy and statecraft. American policy-makers must get past facile statements about the supposed limits of Russian and Iranian cooperation and back to the serious business of furthering our own interests in a tumultuous region. The Russo-Iranian coalition will no doubt eventually fracture, as most interest-based coalitions ultimately do. Conditions in the Middle East and the world, however, offer no prospect of such a development any time soon. Let me issue the standard disclaimer of psychiatrists who discuss the mental health of public figures: I have not personally examined President Trump. Now, let me put to rest the concerns of Sen. Al Franken and political commentators John Oliver and Andrew Sullivan and anyone else who publicly or privately has questioned the presidents sanity: Donald Trump is stone cold sane. When a man acquires billions of dollars through complex real estate transactions, invests in many countries, goes on to phenomenal success in television and turns his name into a worldwide brand, it is very unlikely that he is mentally unstable. When the same man obviously enjoys the love and respect of his children and his wife, who seem to rely on him for support and guidance, it is extraordinarily unlikely that he is mentally unstable. When the same man walks into the political arena and deftly defeats 16 Republican opponents and then the Democratic heir-apparent to a two-term presidents administration, the odds of that man being mentally unstable become vanishingly thin. And when that very same man attracts to his team the kind of intellect and gravitas represented (to name just a few) by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general and commander of the U.S. Central Command, he cannot be mentally deranged. Period. It is a statistical impossibility. Those who assert otherwise are political opportunists, or fools, or both (and I am thinking here, in particular, of Sen. Franken). President Trump is the first human being to win this nations highest office without having held any other political office or serving as a general. Most political pundits thought his quest was pure folly. Most journalists assessed his chances as zero. So who was laboring under quasi-delusional thinking? Answer: Not Donald J. Trump. Anecdotally, by the way, I have never had one bad Trump experience. Not one. I own several of his ties all of them of the highest quality. I have stayed in his hotels and never had a single complaint (and I am a born complainer). I have eaten in his New York restaurant flawless service, excellent food. I own an apartment at Trump Place in Manhattan. Impeccable design, sturdy construction, fabulous amenities. A mentally unstable man would be unlikely to deliver superior products across multiple industries, dont you think? If youre still worried about the mental stability of the president, note this: The stock market doesnt like instability. Investors, en masse, can take the measure of a man pretty darn well. The stock market has hit record high after record high since Trumps election, and if you think thats an accident, or that investors have all been fooled, its time to start wondering about your own capacity for rational thought. I should note that nothing I am saying should besmirch the reputations of men like President Abraham Lincoln or Sir Winston Churchill, both of whom are said to have fought the ravages of major depression or bipolar disorder. One was instrumental in ridding America of slavery. The other was instrumental in saving the world from tyranny. Mahatma Gandhi, by the way, also reportedly suffered from depression. Psychiatric illness does not, a priori, disqualify a person from rendering extraordinary service to mankind. Mind you, neither Lincoln nor Churchill nor Gandhi led a nation after becoming a business sensation and television star. That trifecta defines one man: President Donald J. Trump. Now, think about those who are rabble-rousing about the presidents mental status. Take Sen. Al Franken. Hes all worried about the president allegedly overestimating the crowd size at his inauguration. But Franken is allied with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who asserted she is Native American, when there is no evidence of that whatsoever. And theyre calling Trumps sanity into question? Really, you cant make this stuff up. Liberals are predictably wasting very little time trying to create a political firestorm over retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn stepping down as President Trumps national security adviser. Let's be clear: It was wrong that Flynn misled the president and vice president about his phone call with the Russian ambassador. Like the military man he is, he owned up to it. He did the right thing and stepped down. But there's something much bigger and darker going on here. The alt-radical left has a master plan to damage and destroy President Trump, and as collateral damage, anyone connected to him. This is about the lefts willingness to do anything to stop President Trump from draining the swamp and changing the status quo in Washington. The Washington D.C. swamp is rising up. It is colluding and viciously fighting to take down the 45th president and his entire administration. It's that serious. The alt-radical left is hell-bent on annihilating everybody around the president, from top advisers like Kellyanne Conway, Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus, Stephen Miller, Sean Spicer and Sebastian Gorka, to even the president's own children, including his 10-year-old son. Just look at how various members of the Democratic Party and the establishment media have taken aim at various members of Trumps inner circle in recent days: Mike Flynn was already a very divisive and unusual choice for this job because he's such a -- it's kind of a consensus-building position, and his background is really as a hothead, New York Times editorial page editor James Bennet said on CNN earlier this week. He's already kind of a divisive force within this White House. So Stephen Miller, let's take you to class for a second here, because I know you didn't go to law school, MSNBCs Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough said Monday. You're not worthy to be in the White House, you're unworthy to be in government if that's what you believe, unless it's Vladimir Putin's government. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who called for Trumps impeachment before he was even sworn in, praised the portrayal of Spicer on Saturday Night Live as a power-mad loon who physically attacks the press. "Saturday Night Live" really did portray him just about as he is. I mean, he is an embarrassment even to Trump, Waters said. And so I don't know how long he's going to last. Finally, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., with no evidence whatsoever, called Bannon a racist. It's a stunning thing that a white supremacist, Bannon, would be a permanent member of the National Security Council, Pelosi said. One by one, in true Saul Alinsky form, the left and liberals in the mainstream media have been systematically going down the line of people close to President Trump and trying to take each and every one of them out. In "Rules for Radicals," Alinsky explained exactly what we're seeing. "Pick the target, Alinsky wrote. Freeze it. Personalize it. Polarize it." The left learned the lesson well, and now it smells blood in the water. The ultimate target is, of course, President Trump. Ant the fact that Flynn may have had contact with Russia prior to Trumps inauguration seems to be their weapon of choice. But did you know that in 2008, before President Obama was even elected, the guy that ultimately would become the ambassador to Russia went to Moscow to visit government officials? The media doesnt make much of that, because facts don't really matter. Flynn is just a small casualty of that bigger plan. The left is trying to make what happened here into the next Watergate. These are the same liberals who fiercely defended Hillary Clinton, ignored and defended her massive private server scandal and effort to allow Russia to take control of U.S. uranium supplies. They ignored and defended the corruption and pay-to-play at the Clinton Foundation. They ignored and defended Hillary Clinton's endless lies. The left was also noticeably silent back in 2012 when President Obama was caught on a hot mic telling Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that he could help take down missile defense systems in Eastern Europe once he was re-elected. Ever since Donald Trump ran for president, there's been this liberal witch hunt. They are salivating. There's a sense of urgency. Nobody connected to him is off limits. They want everybody. Adapted from Sean Hannity's monologue on "Hannity," Feb. 14, 2017 I received a rather disturbing report of yet another case of Trump Derangement Syndrome -- this time from a high school in Camarillo, California. Franklin Graham says Todd's new book should be read by every patriot in America. Click here to get your copy! Jane Germaine said her son's English teacher at Campana High School told the class that she lost a $100 bet because President Trump had not been shot on Inauguration Day. Mrs. Germaine tells me the teacher's remarks were troubling. "A public school teacher using classroom time to share with students how she lost a bet because the president was not shot on Inauguration Day is beyond reprehensible to me and I do not see how the school district does not find this troubling as well," she told me. And it turned out not to be the first time she's heard about teachers at the high school making politically-charged statements in the classroom. "Teachers telling students that Trump hates women, Fox News is 'fake' news, it's raining so much in Southern California these days because Trump is president, a teacher telling students she is estranged from certain family members because they are conservative -- I could go on and on," she said. "How is a 15 or 16-year-old supposed to process what this means, especially if their family is conservative, approves of Trump and watches Fox News," she wondered. The assassination crack was the last straw. So Mrs. Germaine filed a complaint with the school district. "My husband and I feel that our concerns have been completely dismissed by the school and the school district and they are just hoping that we forget about this and go away," she said. And that's why she contacted me. I, too, reached out to the superintendent -- but so far -- my messages have gone unanswered. Maybe the teacher was just cracking a joke? Maybe it was part of a lesson plan? Or maybe the teacher was just blowing off some steam? Who knows? But I suspect had a student made similar remarks, he would've been hauled off to jail. "If my son were to say such comments, even remotely similar in nature, he most likely would have been escorted out of class, I would have received a phone call, law enforcement notified and my son would have been suspended or expelled," she said. Mrs. Germaine is right to be upset. Her son is being forced to sit in a classroom and be indoctrinated by anti-Trump school teachers. "We do our best to teach our boys to just ignore such comments but it is deeply frustrating for them, and us as well, because they have no choice but to sit there and listen to it," she said. I want to applaud Mrs. Germaine for her courage to stand up and speak out. In my new book, The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again, I issue a call to action for Americans to engage their local public school system. Our public schools have been commandeered by far-left radicals -- and they are using American classrooms to radically change the culture. We must stand up to their dangerous agenda. It's the only cure for Trump Derangement Syndrome. A majority of voters thinks President Trumps executive order on immigration is better described as a restriction on terrorist hot spots than as a Muslim ban. And more think the action makes the U.S. safer than say it makes the country less safe. Even so, more disapprove (52 percent) than approve (46 percent) of the temporary travel ban. Thats according to a Fox News Poll released Tuesday. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS POLL RESULTS The least popular part of the executive order is the indefinite ban on Syrian refugees, as 53 percent say it went too far. About as many, 51 percent, think the 120-day ban on all refugees from entering the U.S. went too far, and 48 percent feel that way about the 90-day ban on citizens from seven mostly Muslim countries. Twelve percent overall, and 25 percent of Trump voters, think the travel ban on the seven countries didnt go far enough. For each element, nearly 4 voters in 10 think the ban was about right. Trumps Jan. 27 executive order has been halted in federal court. The administration has not yet said what steps it will take next to try to implement the policy. The poll asked voters to choose between two descriptions of the executive order: 56 percent think its better described as a restriction on people entering the United States from known terrorist hot spots. Some 37 percent say a Muslim ban is more accurate. Meanwhile, by a 42-33 percent margin, voters think the travel ban makes the United States safer rather than less safe. About one-quarter say it doesnt make much difference (24 percent). Donald Trump voters are more likely to say the ban makes the country safer by an 81-point margin (84-3 percent), and fully 92 percent of them approve of the overall travel ban. Only seven percent of those who supported Hillary Clinton approve of the ban, and they think it makes the country less safe by a 55-point margin (62-7 percent). Pollpourri President Trump spoke about the depletion of the U.S. military in his inaugural address. Voters agree. The poll finds that 58 percent think the military is stretched too thin, and a 45-percent plurality feels it is underfunded. Twenty-five percent think the federal government spends too much on the military, while another 25 percent think it spends the right amount. In addition, voters are nearly three times as likely to say the military has gotten weaker rather than stronger over the last eight years (41 vs. 15 percent). Among veterans, 56 percent say it has gotten weaker. The partisan divide is wide. Republicans (77 percent) are nearly twice as likely Democrats (40 percent) to say the military is stretched too thin, and more than nine times as likely to think it has gotten weaker over the last eight years (74 percent and 8 percent respectively). And on funding priorities, 66 percent of Republicans think the government spends too little on the military, while just 25 percent of Democrats say the same. The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,013 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from February 11-13, 2017. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: Qatar wishes success to Azerbaijan in holding the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games, Qatari Ambassador to Azerbaijan Yousef bin Hassan Al Saai told Trend. The 4th Islamic Solidarity Games will be held in Baku on May 12-22, 2017. Azerbaijan is a bridge between Europe and Asia, between the Islamic and Christian civilizations, and, at the same time, it plays a key role of transport, trade and energy corridor in the strategically important South Caucasus region, the Qatari ambassador said. He added that Qatar highly appreciates the declaration of the year 2017 in Azerbaijan as the Year of Islamic Solidarity. The diplomat noted that this initiative demonstrates Bakus commitment to the values and the heritage of the Islamic world. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on Jan. 11 signed an order declaring 2017 the Year of Islamic Solidarity. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade Labor secretary nominee Andy Puzders ex-wife is lashing out at his critics as they dredge up details of their messy divorce including her past allegations of abuse ahead of his high-stakes Senate hearing. The fate of fast-food heavyweight Puzders nomination could well rest on whether his hearing can settle bipartisan concerns about his treatment of women, including ex-wife Lisa Fierstein. Members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee recently viewed episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where Fierstein appeared in the mid-80s to talk about domestic abuse. Aside from strong Democratic opposition, four Republican senators remain on the fence about Puzders nomination. Fierstein, though, is now speaking out against efforts by an activist group to get her divorce documents released, calling it an unfair invasion of her personal life and saying, None of the events from so far in the past have anything to do with Andys kindness and generosity and his ability to serve his country. While her abuse allegations have returned to the headlines, Fierstein retracted those claims decades ago. My privacy has been invaded, my family has been hurt, my children are suffering and I have become the victim of the medias malice and determination to find ugliness where only kindness and love exists, Fierstein said in a statement provided to Fox News. She also wrote, in a private email sent to Puzder in late November and obtained by the Fox News Investigative Unit, that he was not abusive and she had been counseled at the time to make the allegations. I regretted and still regret that decision and I withdrew those allegations over thirty years ago, she wrote. You were not abusive. I will most definitely confirm to anyone who may ask that in no way was there abuse. Sources on the Senate committee also told Fox News that, so far, the Oprah interview is not seen as a watershed moment, especially in light of Fiersteins latest comments. Further, sources on the committee caution that the reluctance of the four Republican senators -- Susan Collins of Maine, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to commit to Puzder has to do with giving him a fair hearing. A source said the committee has wanted to take its time with the nomination hearing because there is some troubling information for this nominee, thats not a secret. I almost always wait until there's a hearing, unless I know the individual well, Collins said. I've had two conversations with Mr. Puzder. I think there are outstanding questions that Im sure will be delved into at his hearing. Puzder is the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which franchises the fast food chains Hardees and Carls Jr. Much is at stake for Puzder, however, at the committee level. He would need the votes of all Republicans on the committee for his nomination to proceed to the Senate floor favorably. And any more than two Republicans opposing him on the floor could prove fatal in a final vote. Senate Democrats largely have opposed most of President Trumps Cabinet nominees so far, but in recent days have escalated their criticism of Puzder -- perhaps sensing his nomination could be derailed with cooperation from just a few Republicans. Puzders treatment of women is sure to come up at Thursdays hearing, along with his stances on the minimum wage and other labor-specific issues. Womens groups have charged that Carls Jr. ads featuring Paris Hilton and Kate Upton were sexist. As for the Oprah interview tapes, the network told Fox News they were provided in confidence to the committee. Puzders ex-wife, though, is standing firm in support of him, saying enough is enough to media and activist groups trying to expose more details about their divorce. Fierstein had dinner with Puzder and his current wife Dee last Thursday at the 801 Chophouse in Clayton, Mo. A spokesman for Puzder said despite the ugly divorce, today they are all good friends. They spend a lot of time together and this was a chance to just be family. But the calls from reporters and the attempts to unseal her divorce documents, have been very difficult for Lisa. Puzders opponents are pointing to details reported at the time as well as civil court documents dated May 22, 1986, seeking damages. Fierstein claimed, among other accusations, that Puzder assaulted and battered [her] by striking her violently about the face, chest, back, shoulders and neck, without provocation or cause. The Riverfront Times in 1989 also reported that police responded to an altercation in 1986 in which his then-wife claimed he threw her to the floor; Puzder reportedly denied using violence. She later reportedly sought a protective order against him. According to the same article, Puzder acknowledged neighbors called the police to their apartment in the late 1970s amid a shouting match. But Fierstein publicly retracted her abuse allegations in a Nov. 6, 1991, letter in which she stated her major regret was the retainment of counsel who knew Andy personally and did not share his views on certain social issues and therefore the advice I received may have been biased. Those social issues? Puzder was considered the top pro-life attorney in Missouri -- and the wife of Fiersteins lawyer, Dan Sokol, was active in pro-choice activities at the time. Reached at his home Wednesday night, Sokol said the idea he was biased because of politics is preposterous and there was no question she was a victim of domestic violence, though he doesnt recall specifics of the case from three decades ago. As for Fiersteins Oprah appearance, she told Fox News: I regret my decision to appear on the show I was hesitant but encouraged by friends and became caught up in the notion of a free trip to Chicago and being a champion of women and womens issues. Federal officials questioned former national security adviser Michael Flynn last month about whether he talked about sanctions with a Russian official, a government official told Fox News. The interview with FBI agents reportedly came after a Jan. 23 press conference where White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that Flynn did not discuss the matter with Russias ambassador to the U.S. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, said intelligence officials had already intercepted conversations in which they discussed the sanctions. TRUMP REPORTEDLY KNEW ABOUT FLYNN'S CALLS, BUT KEPT VP IN THE DARK Flynn sought to persuade the Russian ambassador not to overreact to then-President Obamas punitive measures against Moscow for the alleged meddling in the U.S. election, the sources said. Flynn reportedly suggested that the Trump administration would be friendlier to Moscow. The Wall Street Journal reported that it is unclear what was discussed in the meeting with the FBI agents, but said that it is a crime to lie to the FBI. The [Senate] Intelligence Committee is already looking at Russian involvement in our election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday. Its highly likely theyd want to take a look at this episode as well. They have the broad jurisdiction. Shortly before his resignation, Flynn told The Daily Caller his conversation with the ambassador wasnt about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out It was basically, Look, I know this happened. Well review everything. I never said anything such as Were going to review sanctions, or anything like that. Law enforcement sources close to the matter told Fox News that the broad investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russian officials is active and ongoing. Senior law enforcement sources told Fox News last month that Flynn's contacts with the Russians escalated after the election. Seperately, intercepted phone calls show that members of Trumps presidential campaign had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials, The New York Times reported. The report, citing unnamed sources, said intelligence officials intercepted these contacts around the same time they were looking into the Democratic National Committee. The officials said that they have yet to find any sort of cooperation between the Trump campaign and the Russians into the hacking effort. The Times report said that it was unclear what was discussed in the conversations. The intercepted calls are reportedly separate from Flynns phone calls. Paul Manafort, who was Trumps campaign manager for a few months, was reportedly one of those who made a call that was intercepted. Manafort denied the allegation, saying I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers." The White House has denied the claims that any individuals from his campaign were in touch with Russian officials prior to the election. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn's ability to "access" classified information has been suspended, a U.S. defense official told Fox News Wednesday. The official added that Flynn's security clearance itself had not been suspended, but the former Army lieutenant general is no longer permitted to review classified information. Flynn was forced to resign this week after the White House said he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. before the inauguration. Flynn and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak appear to have discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia late last year, raising questions about whether he was freelancing on foreign policy while President Barack Obama was still in office and whether he misled Trump administration officials about the calls. A defense official told the Associated Press the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) suspended Flynn's access to classified information Tuesday evening -- a standard administrative action taken when questions arise concerning an individual's compliance with security clearance directives. The official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, spoke only on condition of anonymity. Obama dismissed Flynn as head of the DIA in 2014. Flynn has said he was pushed out for holding tougher views than Obama about Islamic extremism. But a former senior U.S. official said the firing was for insubordination, after Flynn failed to follow guidance from superiors. Former directors of the agency are routinely allowed to keep their access to classified information so they can advise the current director. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report. It looks like Judge Neil Gorsuch would have an easier time making it to the U.S. Supreme Court if voters -- rather than U.S. Senators -- had to confirm him. Thats according to the latest Fox News Poll of registered voters nationwide. President Donald Trump nominated Judge Gorsuch to fill the vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalias death. If Gorsuch is confirmed by the Senate, it will likely be a razor-thin victory. Yet voters give him a 12-point edge. The new poll, released Wednesday, finds that by a 49-37 percent margin, voters would confirm Gorsuch. Fourteen percent are undecided. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL FOX NEWS POLL. Not surprisingly, 82 percent of Republicans would vote to confirm him compared to just 17 percent of Democrats. For independents, a majority supports Trumps nominee (54 percent). Theres a gender gap as well, as 57 percent of men vs. 42 percent of women are in favor of Gorsuch. The support for Gorsuchs confirmation (49 percent) is higher than the 39 percent received by President Obamas nomination of Elena Kagan in May 2010. However it is a touch lower than the 53 percent who supported Obamas nomination of Sonia Sotomayor in July 2009 and the 51 percent who were behind President George W. Bushs selection of John Roberts in July 2005. Senate confirmation hearings are expected in March. Democrats have threatened quite a fight, and 42 percent of voters endorse the idea of Senate Democrats doing everything they can to block any of Trumps nominees they dont like. Of course most Democrats agree with that strategy (75 percent) -- and theyre joined by one-third of independents (33 percent) and even a handful of Republicans (10 percent). Democrats are at the very least giving their elected leaders permission to fight Trump's nominees while many will be demanding they do anything to slow the administration, says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Republican counterpart Daron Shaw. And with the sense that blood is in the water after General Flynn's forced resignation, that demand could increase. The poll also asks voters which of the three branches of government they trust the most. Hands down it is the judicial branch at 45 percent. The other two trail far behind: 26 percent trust the executive branch the most and the legislative branch comes in at 13 percent. Ten percent dont trust any of the branches. Sentiment hasnt changed much since the early days of the Obama administration. At that time, 43 percent of voters trusted the court the most, 27 percent the president, and 15 percent Congress (April 2012). The number picking the judiciary is up from 33 percent when the question was first asked in 2005. "The judiciary generally, and the Supreme Court particularly, are seen as relatively competent and non-partisan," says Shaw. "That makes President Trump's response to the opinions on the district and appellate judges' rulings on his immigration order a gamble politically." Around half of voters think the Supreme Courts decisions are about right ideologically (47 percent). Thats up from 34 percent who felt that way in 2015 -- and up from the previous high of 46 percent in 2010. Thirty-one percent feel the courts decisions are too liberal. Thats down significantly from 45 percent in July 2015, soon after rulings on same-sex marriage and the 2010 health care law (Obamacare) were handed down. Only about one in five voters say the court is too conservative (18 percent). Pollpourri Americans are used to cameras in big criminal trials -- what about televising the Supreme Court? The poll finds 68 percent of voters feel its a good idea to allow television coverage of the nations highest court. Plus, majorities of independents (74 percent), Democrats (73 percent) and Republicans (61 percent) agree. The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,013 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from February 11-13, 2017. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters. President Trump on Wednesday suggested the U.S. intelligence community may be illegally leaking sensitive information to hurt his administration, effectively ending a brief detente with agencies he previously accused of working against him. Trump addressed the situation of government leaks Wednesday afternoon during his joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Intelligence, papers are being leaked," Trump said. "Things are being leaked. It's a criminal action -- criminal act -- and it's been going on for a long time. Before me. But now it's really going on." He later emphasized that the "documents and papers" were "illegally -- I stress that -- illegally leaked." Earlier Wednesday, Trump issued a Twitter screed in the wake of a string of damaging news stories based primarily on anonymous government sources, involving information apparently gathered by the nations spy agencies. The leaks culminated in National Security Adviser Michael Flynns Monday night resignation. This was after The Washington Post reported he had discussed sanctions with a Russian official during the transition period something Flynn had told Vice President Pence did not occur. The New York Times on Tuesday night also published a story alleging vague connections between several Trump associates many of whom were not named and Russian intelligence agents. This Russian connection nonsense is merely an attempt to cover up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign, Trump tweeted, citing the Democratic presidential nominee he defeated in the November election. Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?). Just like Russia Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 He added: "The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by 'intelligence' like candy. Very un-American!" Trump also took issue with the characterization advanced by some critics that he's been soft on Russia, noting aggressive actions taken by the Kremlin when Trump's predecessor was in office. Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? Trump tweeted. Trump has previously derided the intelligence community, which he believed leaked information that led to prior reports about supposed connections between his campaign and the Russian government. Trump also initially refused to say that Russia was responsible for a series of pre-election hacks of Democratic emails, though he eventually conceded the Kremlin was likely behind it. Trump also has been criticized for his stance seeking a better relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Flynns departure just three weeks into the Trump administration prompted a Bloomberg article titled, The Political Assassination of Michael Flynn, which questioned the circumstances surrounding the retired lieutenant generals ouster. for a White House that has such a casual and opportunistic relationship with the truth, its strange that Flynns lie to Pence would get him fired. It doesnt add up, Eli Lake wrote. Trump, however, favorably cited the Lake piece due to its insinuation that intelligence services contributed to Flynn getting the boot. Thank you to Eli Lake of The Bloomberg View 'The NSA & FBIshould not interfere in our politicsand is' very serious situation for USA. WikiLeaks head Julian Assange also tweeted Wednesday morning from his newly activated personal account, framing the battle between Trump and the intelligence community. Assange and his anti-secrecy organization played a pivotal role during the presidential election, with WikiLeaks releasing a trove of emails that proved politically damaging to Clinton. "Amazing battle for dominance is playing out between the elected US govt & the IC who consider themselves to be the 'permanent government'," Assange wrote. Fast-food chain CEO Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration for Labor secretary Wednesday afternoon, amid mounting controversy over his personal and professional past. Puzder issued a statement removing his name on the eve of his scheduled Senate hearing, where lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were preparing for tough questioning. "After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor," he said in the statement. "I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put America's workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity. I want to thank President Trump for his nomination. I also thank my family and my many supporters - employees, businesses, friends and people who have voiced their praise and hopeful optimism for the policies and new thinking I would have brought to America as Secretary of Labor." The decision is the latest blow for the Trump administration, coming on the heels of national security adviser Michael Flynn resigning amid a controversy over his past contact with the Russian ambassador. Puzder's problems have been mounting for weeks, but were concentrating as several Senate Republicans made clear they were withholding support ahead of his previously scheduled Senate hearing. Well-placed senior Capitol Hill sources told Fox News that about a dozen Republican senators expressed reservations or concerns about Puzder, and told their leadership they were not prepared to support his nomination. Puzders high-profile divorce including past abuse allegations from his ex-wife; revelations that his family had hired an undocumented immigrant as their housekeeper; and his business background all have cast a harsh spotlight on the executive. Puzder could not afford to lose much Republican backing, since the GOP has a slim majority in the Senate. While several of Trump's Cabinet nominees have faced tight confirmation votes -- with Vice President Pence even being called to break a tie earlier this month -- Puzder becomes the first Trump pick to withdraw. A total of three Cabinet picks withdrew from consideration under then-President Barack Obama; while two did so during the George W. Bush administration and five withdrew during the Bill Clinton administration. While the abuse allegations from Puzder's ex-wife -- and especially an interview she did with Oprah Winfrey decades ago that resurfaced in light of his nomination -- have attracted the most attention, his ex-wife, Lisa Fierstein, has retracted those claims. She told Fox News in a statement that her "privacy has been invaded," as she lashed out at the media and critics of her former husband. But the issue has hung over his nomination. Before he withdrew, top Republican leaders said they supported him and were confident hed be confirmed. "I'm a strong supporter of Andy Puzder. I think he's uniquely qualified for this job," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday. Puzder is the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which franchises the fast food chains Hardees and Carls Jr. It is extremely unfortunate that the confirmation process has resulted in a qualified and dedicated man withdrawing from the Labor Secretary nomination, Leslie Shedd, a spokeswoman for the National Restaurant Association, said in a written statement. Andy Puzder would have made a great Labor Secretary. Others were eager to see him out of the running. Democratic senators days ago had called on the administration to withdraw the pick, also citing his labor policy stances. Given his relationship to his employees, he wasnt fit to lead a department responsible for defending workers, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted Wednesday afternoon. Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez also weighed in on Twitter saying Puzder is unfit to be in charge of protecting workers. We need someone with moral authority, Perez said. Puzder, had he been able to survive the confirmation battle, would have been the first labor secretary in decades to hold the post with no prior public service experience. Puzder had been a strong supporter of Trump on the campaign trail. In addition to serving as economic adviser to the president he and his wife also donated $332,000 to Trump, joint fundraising committees and to the Republican National Committee. Fox News Serafin Gomez, John Roberts, Mike Emanuel and Christopher Wallace contributed to this report. It was close to midnight when I had to kill a column Id already filed for Fox News and write about the Michael Flynn resignation. The inescapable irony: The spiked column said that some positive stories for President Trump, such as his meetings with the leaders of Canada and Japan, were being drowned out by the controversies surrounding the White Housesome self-inflicted, some overblown by the media. The Flynn situation was another battle between the president and the press, and in this case the Washington Post story about the national security advisers contacts with the Russian ambassador made it impossible for Flynn to survive. Unlike some of the stories dismissed by Trump as fake news, this one could not be waved awayespecially because Flynn had misled Mike Pence about what happened in those pre-inaugural conversations. This was good reporting, and Pences televised defense of Flynn was based on an earlier piece by Post columnist David Ignatius, disclosing that Flynn had a post-Christmas call with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. At the same time, the Post story would not have been possible without the cooperation of nine unnamed senior officials who furnished the leaked information. They wanted Flynn out and were trying to undermine the president. Trump, who has also been hit by unflattering leaks about his calls with foreign leaders, seized on this issue. The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? he tweeted. Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc? But it must be said that the leakers information was right on target. And that in the end Flynns problem was not so much discussing U.S. sanctions with Russia before Trump took office as misleading the VP, as Kellyanne Conway stressed on the morning shows yesterday. The messaging has been decidedly mixed. Conway, based on the information she had, told MSNBC on Monday afternoon that the president had full confidence in Flynn. Hours later he resigned. Conway insisted in her interviews on Today, GMA and Fox & Friends that it was the retired lieutenant generals choice to resign. But when Sean Spicer briefed the press yesterday afternoon, he flatly said that Trump asked for Flynns resignationmeaning he fired himafter things reached critical mass. The debacle doesnt end the story, as often happens when a top official is forced out under a cloud. The Post reported yesterday that Acting Attorney General Sally Yates warned the White House three weeks ago that Flynn was potentially vulnerable to Russian blackmail and that she believed he had misled administration officials about the calls. Yates is the Obama holdover later fired by Trump for refusing to defend his temporary travel ban. That revelation raises the serious question of why the White House didnt act sooner on that warning, well before any of this became public, and just what the president knew about these matters. Now theres media chatter about whether these events will lead to a broader White House shakeup. And heres a footnote: Michael G. Flynn, the former officials son, drew attention last year for tweeting about various conspiracy theories, including the Pizzagate fiction tying Hillary Clinton to a supposed child sex ring at a Washington restaurant. It was Mike Pence who said that Flynns son had nothing to do with the Trump transition team. But that was wrong, and officials soon confirmed that Trump had fired the younger Flynn from the transition team over the tweets. Flynn Jr. reactivated his account and tweeted yesterday: The disinformation campaign against my father won. Sanctuary city advocates in one state with a Trump friendly Republican governor are digging in their heels in the face of President Trump's threat to cut off federal funding. Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey introduced bills this week calling on the state to reimburse so-called sanctuary cities that lose federal funding. And on Wednesday, Assemblyman John Wisniewski introduced legislation designating New Jersey a sanctuary state, generally preventing law enforcement officers from initiating contact with immigration officials, and from using state resources for the purpose of enforcing immigration laws. In addition, several towns that have significant immigrant populations have declared themselves sanctuaries, saying they will not reach out to immigration officials about illegal immigrants they arrest or provide a service to unless they are serious criminals or a national security threat. We are putting President Trump and his administration on notice, said Wisniewski in written public announcement about his legislation. New Jersey will not be a willing partner to the unjustified and inhumane deportations of our neighbors and friends. New York and California also have moved toward declaring their states sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. Trump, who made cracking down on illegal immigration a cornerstone of his campaign, has issued executive orders and directives aimed at border security and tracking down and deporting undocumented people. He directed the Department of Homeland Security to identify and publish a list of sanctuary communities. Although no strict definition of the term exists, it is generally used to describe communities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The New Jersey measures have little chance of passing, given GOP resistance and Gov. Chris Christies veto threat, said Ross Baker, a Rutgers University professor of political science. Its more of a gesture to the immigrant community, Baker told Fox News. Its a message to them that they would be protected against hypothetical actions by the federal government. In Maplewood, Mayor Victor DeLuca consulted with police administrators before crafting a sanctuary ordinance that became final at the end of January. DeLuca said police officials said they did not want the responsibility of enforcing federal immigration laws. The police said We dont do it now, DeLuca told Fox News, and there was a feeling on our part that wanted to make clear that there are distinctions between the role of the police department and the role of immigration officials. New Jersey has more than 500,000 illegal immigrants, according to estimates. Republicans in the state legislature say they will not support sanctuary towns in any way. Christie, a Republican, says he will veto any legislation that would favor sanctuary cities. Proponents of strict immigration enforcement say sanctuary communities are violating the law. To have lawmakers in Trenton say O.K., well show the president, if they withhold funding, well pay,' is violating federal law, said Ron Bass, founder of United Patriots of America, a New Jersey-based group that pushes for strict enforcement. Its like the state saying to sanctuary cities You rob the bank, Ill drive the [getaway] car. An explosive new report given to the Trump administration could fuel discussions by the presidents inner circle about adding Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the official list of foreign terrorist organizations. Issued by the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the report claims the IRGC has set up at least 14 terrorist training camps across Iran to teach foreign fighters terrorist tactics. According to the report, fighters are streaming in from Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, all countries where Iran has expanded interests. Iran already is part of the U.S. State Departments State Sponsors of Terrorism list, along with Syria and Sudan. However, new calls are coming from leading critics of the regime to designate the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization and the Trump administration is said to be considering that. "The people of Iran would welcome the designation of the IRGC, which is responsible for thousands of political executions and tortures in prison. It is also responsible for training terrorists supporting and engaging in terrorist activities outside Iran," said Maryam Rajavi, the leader of The National Council of Resistance of Iran, which is the largest Iranian opposition group. "I believe the time has come for a firm policy on Iran. The failed policy of appeasement has hurt the Iranian people, as well as global peace and security," she said. The resistance group used a news conference in Washington, D.C., this week to expose what it says is a new case against the Revolutionary Guard. The report issued by the organization claims the IRGC-sponsored terrorist camps are designed to train fighters from various Middle Eastern nations who could be dispatched in terrorist cells to attack the United States, its Arab allies, and other nations. "It was the activities of the Iran regime, particularly the Revolutionary Guards Corps, that paved the way for the rise of extremism and sectarian violence in Iraq and Syria. Particularly, it was the IRGC activities that led to the rise of ISIS," said Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the councils Washington office, who first revealed the extent of Iran's surreptitious nuclear program a decade ago. "It is part of the regime's strategy to export terrorism," he said. It has the full blessing of the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei." The group displayed satellite photographs of what it said were the camps, with names like the "Imam Ali Garrison, the "Lowshan Garrison," and "Badindeh Garrison." The group said the foreign recruits are taught various methods of terrorism, including training for heavy weaponry, missile launching, and teaching how to use "Kalashnikovs, machine guns, mortars, tactics, sniper, among others." At one camp, the group said recruits even learn about the "use of motorcycles for terrorist operations." "What you want to do is dry up their resources, and limit their access," Jafarzadeh said. "You want to send a signal to anyone else in the region that the IRGC is a terrorist organization." The Guard was founded during the Islamic revolution in 1979, and continues to play a dominant role in Iran's economic and security life. Others, however, caution that designating the Guard as a separate terrorist group could backfire. "The foreign terrorist organization designation is typically reserved for foreign terrorist organizations, not for governments. We have a state sponsor of terrorism list for governments and Iran is on that list, it really does fit the bill," noted Joel Rubin, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Obama administration and is now president of the Washington Strategy Group. He points out that portions of the IRGC are currently under U.S. sanctions, but that other nations such as Russia, China and the European countries are unlikely to follow suit. Rubin also worries that such a move could harm the U.S. effort against ISIS and put American troops in the region at risk. "Iranian behavior is weakening many parts of the region and that needs to be pushed back against. The question is how to do it?" he said. "There is a bigger picture at play here," Rubin said. "We need to continually call for the Iranian government to treat their people well, and to open up, but the way to do that is not to isolate Iran completely, but to try to put pressure through engagement as we have been doing over the last several years." But Rajavi says stronger steps need to be taken to force change in Tehran. "Our objective is to overthrow the dictatorship ruling Iran, which is the desire of the Iranian people. This must be done by the Iranian people and the Iranian resistance," she said. "I believe the people of Iran and our movement are capable to bring about change in Iran. "We want the American people to know that this regime does not represent the Iranian people and the people of Iran reject this dictatorship. We want the American people to support the Iranian desire for freedom and democracy. We expect the U.S. to fairly abandon the policy of appeasement of previous administrations." The White House is expected to make a decision on the designation soon. Fox News Ben Evansky contributed to this report. Russian warplanes and the aircraft of dictator Bashar al-Assad are still bombing civilians and civilian infrastructure in opposition areas, attacking U.S.-backed opposition forces to advantage radical jihadists, and consolidating Assads grip on major parts of the battered country, even as a United Nations-sponsored effort to produce peace in Syria staggers toward a Geneva meeting on Feb. 23. But those forces, especially Assads rag-tag military and militia, though bolstered by thousands of Iranian and Iranian-trained foreign irregulars and members of radical Hezbollah, are still not enough to win outright victory. Net result: behind a facade of preparations for peace talks, the scale of attacks is going back up again after a decline following the fall of the rebel stronghold of east Aleppo City last December, warns Dr. Ahmed Tarakji, president of the Syrian American Medical Society. SAMS is a non-profit organization that maintains more than 100 medical facilities in Syria, mostly in non-government areas, and has been deeply involved in training doctors and other medical personnel to cope with the havoc of the civil war.. Tarakjis organization is receiving hourly reports of the destruction, he said, but declined to put numbers to the resulting civilian casualties, saying instead that the pattern of injuries is scaling up as a result. The regime has not ceased fire anywhere, says Valerie Szybala, executive director of The Syria Institute, an independent non-profit research institute based in Washington that is focused on the battered country. There is constant bloodletting. We are just waiting for the next large-scale atrocity. One definite casualty, if not fatality, is the peace process itself -- even a portion being orchestrated by Russia, Iran and Turkey, with the U.S. and Europe on the sidelines, has been wounded. A two-day meeting of Syrian government and opposition representatives, slated to start on Feb. 15 in the Kazakh city of Astana, was postponed for at least a day, for technical reasons, a spokesman for Kazakhstans foreign ministry reportedly told journalists. The purpose of the session is ostensibly to consolidate a ceasefire in advance of the broader U.N. meeting. Some opposition groups have said they did not receive invitations to the session and others are apparently still holding back on participation, reportedly due to the lack of a ceasefire or other confidence-building steps. No matter how the peace negotiations goor dont go--the likely outcome is grim for Syrians, according to experts who closely follow the Russian and Syrian military campaigns. They foresee a continuing spiral of violence, including the possibility of new major Assad offensives in coming months; significant fresh flows of refugees escaping the country; an even greater humanitarian crisis straining international resources--and greater opportunities for the spread of Al Qaeda and its fanatical Syrian counterparts. Other humanitarian sources with experience in Syria also see a winnowing down by the Assad government of independent local aid organizations in reconquered territory, putting more of the relief effort in the hands of the United Nationswhich depends on government permissions to make its deliveries successfully. The independent organizations are a fulcrum of how the system works right now, says Christy Delafield, senior global communications officer for Mercy Corps, one of the worlds largest independent aid organizations, which was especially active in areas around the fallen stronghold of east Aleppo City. Mercy Corps and the entire international aid community have been able to reach millions in need in large part thanks to the bravery of anonymous Syrian aid workers across the country, she said. These people need legal protections and international support. Delafield notes that of 32 local organizations Mercy Corps was tracking, where government reconciliation efforts are taking place in former opposition territory, only five remain. (The toll of devastation in east Aleppo itself, after months of encirclement and years of blasting of civilian centers, schools, markets, and medical facilities, is still being analyzed, most recently in an exhaustive study sponsored by the Atlantic Council, Breaking Aleppo. It provides no definitive figures, even of the population inside the city in its last days, noting that a U.N. humanitarian center in Assads capital of Damascus used numbers ranging from 70,000 to 137,500.) Moreover, life will likely become even worse, if possible, for as many as 1 million Syrians by some estimates, are still trapped in besieged areas, where U.N. food and medical aid deliveries are virtually non-existent, attacks have included continuing alleged use of illegal chlorine barrel bombs, and where in some areas the regimes meat-grinder tactics have recently made slow headway. (For its part, the U.N. has officially reduced the number of officially besieged areas, to 13others say there are 30and the number of people in them to fewer than 650,000.) The scorched-earth policy is making life impossible for people, sayd Dr. Basel Termanini, vice president of SAMS. There is definitely less attention from the media but people are still suffering. That analysis of Syrias six-year civil war contrasts sharply with recent hosannas of hope from top U.N. officials about the likely peace prospects for Syriapredictions that have become more muted as planned U.N. peace talks in Geneva between the regime and opposition forces have been delayed, first from Feb. 8 to Feb. 20, and then for an additional four days. As recently as the end of January, Stephen OBrien, the U.N.s Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, declared that he saw some emerging reasons to hope at the start of 2017. Among other things, he said that since the end of 2016, a nationwide ceasefire continues to hold, despite some breaches, which he called a rare moment of respite for many. The amount of the respite may be debatable, but it is even more rare now. All of the dire prospects, including the faltering peace efforts, are the deliberate results of Russias and the regimes scorched-earth and starvation strategies, which reached an apogee of success in east Aleppo, and which never faced strenuous resistance over the years from the Obama Administration. Nor, so far, have they faced anything different from the Trump Administration. Russia is only willing to conclude a political settlement on its own terms, observes Jonathan Mautner, who analyzes the pattern of Russian air strikes in Syria for the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an independent think tank specializing in Middle East military operations. The terms are brutally straightforward: to force greater international acceptance of the Assad government by changing the military facts on the ground, tilt the opposition military balance away from more moderate forces that can get international backing to extremists that both Russia and the West agree must be fought, and guarantee the permanence of still expanding Russian naval and air bases in Syria. One paradoxical result, Mautner notes, is that the Russian air campaign has worked by design to accelerate the radicalization of the opposition. They are trying to make it a true narrative that Assad is fighting nothing but terrorists. But the air campaigns are not, in his opinion, a substitute for competent ground forces that the regime does not have. We dont assess that Russian air strikes alone will enable them to secure all of Syria. But they do enable regular and Iranian-enhanced Syrian forces to degrade and depopulate areas in their wake. But while it does, Russia in some ways is also helping the extremists grow stronger. Clashes between jihadist and other opposition forces have been increasing under the Russian and Iranian-supported military pressureand so have mergers between some of the non-jihadists with more extreme forces, along with the ability of jihadists to mount more attacks on their own. Its a misconception that Syria is going to quiet down, says Genevieve Casagrande, another ISW analyst who focuses on the Syrian opposition. The violence is going to continue to escalate. Both Russia and the Iranian backed forces, she said, are preparing to launch operations in Syrias Idlib governate. But I dont think they are going to be capable of cleaning it out. The devastating air campaign, however, will continue to drive population away from Syria. Casagrande adds that its a real question whether the refugees will ever return home to areas held by Al Qaedawhich include the stronghold in Idlib. Moreover, while most of the recent military action in the civil war has occurred in the north, where Aleppo was situated, or in areas around Damascus, new opposition offensives have recently begun in the south. That in turn, spells greater and even longer term pressure on humanitarian resources both inside the country, where as many as 7 million Syrians have been displaced, and in neighboring nations, where the bulk of some 4.9 million Syrian refugees are located. The resources are already far from adequate. Of some $3.2 billion requested by the U.N.s 2016 Syrian Humanitarian Response Plan, only $1.57 billion, or about 49 per cent, has so far been funded, according to U.N. websites. For a $$.5 billion regional refugee and resilience plan, only $2.75 billion, or 61 per cent, has been handed over by the international community. (The U.S. government contribution to the Syria plan is some $295.3 million; to the regional plan, $667.8 million, according to the U.N.) The U.N. peace process is supposed to be followed by another U.N. conference on Syria in April, which, according to Stephen OBrien, will be an opportunity for the international community to reiterate and pledge their commitment to support the Syrian people. Translation: promise more money. But he also noted that U.N. humanitarian efforts in non-government-controlled areas of Syria, which had never been large, had tapered off dramaticallyas it happens, in tandem with the final ferocious offensive against Aleppo. According to OBrien the U.N. had asked permission from the Damascus regime to deliver assistance to more than besieged 930,000 people under what he called the December inter-agency convoy plan. The Assad regime allowed through aid for 6,000 peopleand removed more than 23,000 medical items from the convoy. Results since then, he said, are not much better, even as he hailed efforts in the rest of the country as greater successes. The difficulties are also growing for medical organizations like SAMS, which relies heavily on private donations for support, and estimates it will need some $60 million this year to meet basic medical needs, according to president Tarakjiwithout additional destruction. SAMS work has an additional importance amid the devastation, he notes. It is bringing the values of U.S. civil society to the crisissomething as rare, elusive and endangered as peace itself in Syrias scorched-earth reality. George Russell is Editor-at-Large of Fox News. He is reachable on Twitter at @GeorgeRussell and on Facebook at Facebook.com/George.Russell Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 15 Trend: Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford and Chief of the General Staff of Russias Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov will meet in Baku on Feb. 16, the Pentagon press office reported. According to the Pentagon press office, Gerasimov and Dunford will discuss a variety of issues, including the current state of US-Russian military relations and the importance of consistent and clear military-to-military communication to prevent miscalculation and potential crises. President Trump will greet Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Wednesday just hours after a senior U.S. official said peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come from a two-state solution. The comments mark a dramatic shift from former-President Obama, who has said he saw no other option. But the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the meeting beforehand, said it will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entail -- and that peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal. VIDEO: NETANYAHU VISIT SEEN AS CRUCIAL STEP IN ISRAEL-US ALLIANCE The two leaders will hold a joint press conference before convening for meetings and a working lunch. The prime minister will then head to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Trump takes pride in his deal-making skills and said during his campaign that he'd love the challenge of negotiating a Mideast agreement. He has appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to lead the effort. The official said the visit was meant to mark a new, closer relationship between Israel and the United States, which grew strained during the Obama years. Trump and Netanyahu are likely to discuss peace efforts as well as expanded Israeli settlements, Iran and Trump's campaign pledge to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The latter would signal U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would infuriate Palestinians. They claim the eastern sector of the city, captured by Israel in 1967, as their capital. For decades, the U.S. position has been that Israelis and Palestinians must work through direct negotiations to establish two states living side by side, with Palestinians to ultimately create an independent state. All serious peace negotiations in that have time have assumed that the two-state solution was the basis for future peace. During his final White House news conference, Obama warned that the moment for a two-state solution "may be passing" and said the "status quo is unsustainable." It was not clear if the White House had intended to declare a major shift in policy during the hastily arranged briefing Tuesday night. American presidents have long struck a delicate balance addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing the close U.S. friendship and lavishing the Jewish state with aid. But recent presidents also have tried to negotiate, and they have called out Israel for actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank. Trump told The Associated Press during his campaign that he wanted to be "very neutral" and try to get both sides together. But his tone became decidedly more pro-Israel as the campaign progressed. He has spoken disparagingly of Palestinians, saying they have been "taken over" by or are condoning militant groups. Some of his top aides challenge the legitimacy of Palestinian demands for a state. After repeatedly clashing with Obama for eight years, capped by a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, Netanyahu seemed relieved by Trump's arrival. Trump slammed the U.S. decision to abstain from the U.N. vote, saying in December that Israel is being treated "very, very unfairly." Now in office, however, Trump has been forced to reevaluate and revisit his position on a number of issues -- including those relating to Israel. After initially greeting Israel's settlement announcements with a shrug, Trump appears to be having second thoughts. In an interview with a pro-Netanyahu Israeli daily Friday, Trump said, "I am not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace." While the meeting is expected to be much warmer than Netanyahu's famously tense encounters with Obama, the Israeli leader will still need to tread with caution on sensitive issues like Israeli settlement construction, Iran and the war in Syria. In dealing with such a divisive president, Netanyahu will also face some potential pitfalls. Key constituencies, including congressional Democrats and many American Jews, oppose Trump's policies, while at home Netanyahu is under pressure from his hard-line allies to push for policies that Trump may not support. "Netanyahu seeks to shift the discussion in the U.S.-Israel relationship away from settlements and peace and back to Iran so that he can put off the difficult political decisions that would roil his coalition and put his rule in jeopardy," said Yousef Munayyer, a political analyst and executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. "The challenge to Netanyahu is domestic," Munayyer added. "He spent so much time arguing that Obama was the problem that now that we are in the post-Obama era, his right-wing coalition partners want to exploit the moment and take huge steps that would further isolate Israel, trigger international condemnation from other corners, and potentially destabilize the land and Israeli politics." Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu said he would handle ties with the U.S. in a "prudent manner," but he steered clear of specifics. The Israeli prime minister is also scheduled to have breakfast Thursday with Vice President Mike Pence before departing back to Israel. The Associated Press contributed to this report President Trump was reportedly told six days into his presidency that his former national security adviser Michael Flynn misled the vice president about his phone calls with Russia, but did not tell his second-in-command. Trump, after learning about the phone calls, kept Vice President Pence in the dark about Flynns conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, the Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing White House officials. Pence and other officials emphatically defended Flynn in the weeks leading up to his resignation. They did not discuss anything having to do with the United States decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia, Pence said in a televised interview with CBS News last month. VIDEO: DOES FLYNN'S DEPARTURE SHED LIGHT ON A LARGER PROBLEM? Marc Lotter, a Pence spokesman, said the vice president only became aware that he had received incomplete information from Flynn after the first Washington Post report last Thursday. Pence learned about the Justice Department warnings to the White House around the same time. Pence and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus played an integral role in Flynns resignation, sources told Fox News. The White House said earlier Tuesday that Flynns downfall wasnt because he discussed the sanctions levied against Russia with Kislyak which is a potential violation of a rarely enforced law but the fact that he denied it for weeks and misled Pence and other senior Trump aide about the nature of the conversations. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Pence is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated over the revelations. "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said. Spicer said other "questionable incidents" had contributed to Flynn's firing. According to one person with knowledge of the matter, those incidents included Flynn seeking a security clearance for his son during the transition. Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said Monday "there were no lines crossed" in his conversations with the Russian ambassador. However, a U.S. official told AP that Flynn was in frequent contact with Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as other times during the transition. Spicer said Flynn was not discussing sanctions at the president's behest. Before he resigned Monday night, Flynn told the investigative news nonprofit affiliated with the website The Daily Caller that he and Kislyak spoke only generally about the Russian diplomats expelled by President Barack Obama as part of the previous administration's response to Moscow's interference in the U.S. presidential election. "It wasn't about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out," Flynn said. "It was basically: 'Look, I know this happened. We'll review everything.' I never said anything such as, 'We're going to review sanctions,' or anything like that." The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump touted the prospects for a great peace deal in the Middle East while meeting Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as both leaders sought to reaffirm their countries alliance and turn the page on years of tensions between the Israeli leader and Trumps predecessor. The U.S. president, starting early on the negotiations, also used a joint press conference to publicly prod Netanyahu on the sensitive issue of Israeli settlement-building. Id like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit, Trump said, standing beside Netanyahu at the White House. Minutes later, Netanyahu gently pushed back, saying he doesnt consider settlements at the core of the conflict and they would discuss the matter so as not to keep bumping into each other. It was Trumps first taste of the tricky geopolitics ahead. In seeking a Middle East peace accord, Trump is going down a road virtually every modern president has traveled, only to be snarled in the end by the complicated regional political and security interests that for decades have kept such a deal out of reach. But Trump, who throughout his career has burnished the image of a master negotiator, sounded an optimistic note, citing his own personal relationship with his Israeli counterpart. Bibi and I have known each other a long time and I think were going to make a deal, Trump said. After Trump joked about Netanyahus apparent skepticism, the Israeli leader quipped: Thats the art of the deal. Trump said in his opening remarks that the U.S. will encourage a great peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians, adding: It is the parties themselves who must directly negotiate such an agreement. He reaffirmed the unbreakable bond with Israel and added, As with any successful deal, both sides will have to make compromises. The biggest question of the visit, though, pertains to whether the White House will continue to press for a two-state solution. Ahead of the meeting, a senior White House official made waves by suggesting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solution -- a position that could represent a dramatic shift from 20 years of U.S. policy. Asked about the U.S. stance at the press conference, Trump left it open. He said hes very happy with the one that both parties like. He said he thinks a two-state solution could be easier, but he can live with either option. His central message was that the Israelis and Palestinians must directly negotiate an agreement. But on a point sure to please the Netanyahu government, Trump said that his administration would love to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Were looking at it very, very strongly, he said. Doing so would signal U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would infuriate Palestinians. They claim the eastern sector of the city, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, as their capital. The two leaders addressed the press ahead of a private meeting in the Oval Office, where everything from the Middle East peace process to settlements to the Iran nuclear deal were likely to be on the table. The meeting was an opportunity for the U.S. and Israel to hit reset on their alliance, after tensions between Netanyahu and former President Barack Obama who, despite those tensions, often stressed that the U.S.-Israel bond is unbreakable. During his final White House news conference, Obama had warned that the moment for a two-state solution "may be passing" and said the "status quo is unsustainable." For decades, the U.S. position has been that Israelis and Palestinians must work through direct negotiations to establish two states living side by side, at peace, with Palestinians to ultimately create an independent state. State Department officials expressed surprise at the White House official's comments and said Tuesday they were not aware of any policy shift on the desirability of a two-state solution. Meanwhile, two senior Palestinian officials say CIA chief Mike Pompeo secretly held talks in the West Bank with Mahmoud Abbas, the first high-level meeting between the Palestinian leader and a Trump administration official. They said Wednesday the meeting took place Tuesday at Abbas' headquarters in Ramallah. After Wednesdays meeting with Trump, the Israeli prime minister was heading to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Trump, who said during his campaign that he'd love the challenge of negotiating a Mideast agreement, has appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to lead the effort. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Trump administration is expected to name Vice Adm. Robert Harward as national security adviser, a senior White House source told Fox News Wednesday. The move comes after Michael Flynn resigned from the role Monday after it was revealed he had discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador, although he told Vice President Mike Pence he had not. Harward, a former Navy SEAL and a former deputy commander of CENTCOM, served under Defense Secretary James Mattis, which would make him a good fit on the National Security Council. Harward has also served on the National Security Council in the past, under President George W. Bush, and commissioned the National Counter Terrorism Center. After retiring from the Navy in 2013, Harward became chief executive officer for defense and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin in the United Arab Emirates. Trump has recently been in very public negotiations with Lockheed over the cost of its F-35 fighter jet program. White House sources describe him as the toughest guy in the SEALs, and a real rock. The senior White House source told Fox News that the deal isnt quite finalized yet, but is expected to be very soon and that he could be at work by Friday. Fox News John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Baby pictures of a newborn supernova have captured this stellar explosion after the first half-dozen hours of its life, shedding light on how these giant explosions happen, a new study finds. This newly discovered cosmic baby is the type of supernova that occurs when a giant star runs out of fuel and explodes. Supernovas are so bright that they can briefly outshine all of the other stars in their home galaxy. Astronomers have previously seen glimpses of supernovas within the first minutes after they explode. However, until now, researchers had not captured light from a newborn supernova across the so many wavelengths including radio waves, visible light and X-rays. The new images add to evidence that suggests that these dying stars may signal their upcoming demise by spewing a disk of material in the months before their deaths, according to a paper describing the finding. [Know Your Novas: Star Explosions Explained (Infographic)] Much remains unknown about how and why dying stars can detonate with such violence. Studying the final years of a star that is destined to die as a supernova could reveal key details about the way in which these explosions happen, but stars in these brief, final stages are rare statistically, it is very likely that none of the 100 billion to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy are within one year of dying as a supernova, according to the new paper. Now scientists report the discovery of a supernova just 3 hours after it exploded, helping them capture "the earliest spectra ever taken of a supernova explosion," said study lead author Ofer Yaron, an astrophysicist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. A light spectrum is essentially detailed look at the wavelengths of light emitted by an object. Because chemical elements can absorb certain wavelengths, stellar spectra can be used to reveal the composition of a star. "Until several years ago, catching a supernova a week after explosion was regarded as early," Yaron told Space.com. "This is not the case anymore." A supernova is born The astronomers detected the supernova known as SN 2013fs on Oct. 6, 2013, using the data from the Intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) based at the Palomar Observatory in California. Its star was likely a red supergiant about 10 to 17 times heavier than the sun and several hundred times wider than the sun, Yaron said. The supernova detonated about 160 million light-years away in a spiral galaxy called NGC 7610. This galaxy is relatively close to the Milky Way, making it easier for scientists to aim more telescopes at it and detect signals from it that span almost the entire the spectrum of light, from radio waves to X-rays. Observations of the supernova were made with telescopes at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii and NASA's Swift satellite starting about 6 hours after the explosion, Yaron explained. SN 2013fs was the most common variety of supernova: a Type II. This kind of supernova happens when the core of a massive star runs out of fuel, collapses to an extraordinarily dense nugget in a fraction of a second and then bounces and blasts its material outward. The astronomers captured pictures of the newborn supernova early enough to spot a disk of matter the star expelled just before its demise. Normally supernovas are seen after the shockwave from the explosions have swept away such material and any secrets that the disk might have contained. The researchers found that a year or so before this star died, it rapidly spewed out vast amounts of material, equal to about one-thousandth of the sun's mass, at speeds of nearly 224,000 mph. Previous research had seen cases where such early eruptions occurred among unusual subgroups of Type II supernovas, but these new findings suggest that such outpourings also precede more common kinds of Type II supernovas. "It's as if the star 'knows' its life is ending soon, and puffing material at an enhanced rate during its final breaths," Yaron told Space.com. "Think of a volcano or geyser bubbling before an eruption." These findings suggest that a star may be unstable months before its turns into a Type II supernova. As such, "the structure of the star when it explodes may be different than that assumed so far," Yaron said. For instance, the core of a star may experience upheavals during its final days, causing strong winds to travel from the depths of the star all the way to its surface and beyond. New, automated surveys of the sky such as the iPTF have begun capturing supernovas a day or less after they explode. "With the help of new sky surveys coming up in the very near future, we expect to significantly increase the number of supernova events for which we are able to obtain early observations within hours and maybe minutes from explosion," Yaron said. The scientists detailed their findings online Feb. 13 in the journal Nature Physics. Original article on Space.com. A stunning artifact from the Revolutionary War - General George Washingtons field tent will go on display when the Museum of the American Revolution opens its doors in April. Dubbed the first Oval Office, the canvas tent will be the cornerstone of the Philadelphia-based Museums collection of approximately 3,000 Revolutionary War-era artifacts. The museums opening on April 19 will be the first time in decades that the tent has been on public display. SOLDIER'S FAITH: RARE BIBLE CARRIED AT THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL HAS MOVING INSCRIPTIONS An iconic piece of U.S. history, the tent was likely made in Reading, Pennsylvania in early 1778 when Washington was camped at Valley Forge, according to the Museum. Deployed as a mobile field headquarters, the tent was used during many of the Revolutionary Wars key moments, such as the Siege of Yorktown, the wars last major battle. The Museum told Fox News that it obtained the tent when it acquired the Burk collection of Revolutionary War artifacts in 2003. In 1909 the Reverend Herbert Burk, an Episcopal priest in Valley Forge, purchased the tent for $5,000 from Mary Custis Lee, a descendant of Martha Washington. Burk, who wanted to create a museum dedicated to the nations founding, raised the tents purchase price from ordinary Americans. Preparing to display the tent was a major undertaking for the Museum, which wanted to make the structure appear as if it were pitched in a field, but without putting tension on the centuries-old fabric. To solve the problem, structural engineers Keast & Hood designed an umbrella-like aluminum and fabric structure to display the tent. ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH HISTORICAL TREASURE TROVE FROM 300-YEAR-OLD PHILADELPHIA TOILETS To test the structure, the Museum brought in a team of tradespeople from Colonial Williamsburg to build a stunt double replica tent. We used the replica tent on several separate occasions to test the structure, which took varying amounts of time, explained a spokeswoman for the Museum, in an email to Fox News. The installation of the actual tent took four days. Underlining the tents historical importance, the structure is situated in a dedicated 100-seat theater when the Museum opens to the public. A commander-in-chief needs a quiet place to think, and this tent was Washingtons only private space throughout much of the Revolutionary War, said Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, the Museums vice president of collections exhibitions, and programming, in a statement emailed to Fox News. "When I started to read about how Washington would use this tent, the images that popped into my head were very familiar ones: images of John F. Kennedy in the Oval Office during the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Bush after 9/11. Thinking about the hard decisions that leaders have to make and the emotions they must feel confirmed to me that this tent really did fulfill the role of the 'First Oval Office.' The decisions he made there would change the course of history." SHE WAS ONE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SLAVES, UNTIL SHE MANAGED TO ESCAPE The tent was last displayed several decades ago at Valley Forge National Historical Park, according to the Museum of the American Revolution. Other Revolutionary War artifacts that will be on show at the Museum include a rare bible from the battle of Bunker Hill. The King James Bible is inscribed by American soldier Francis Merrifield, who thanks God for sparing his life in the bloody 1775 battle. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers A fascinating essay that lay hidden for decades reveals Winston Churchills views on alien life. The never-published essay has been in the archive of the National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri since the 1980s, when it was given to the museum by the wife of Churchills publisher, who had died. Last year the museum invited Israeli astrophysicist Mario Livio to review the essay, which he discusses in an article published in the science journal Nature. Livio notes the British wartime leaders passion for science and technology in the 1939 essay, as well as Churchills thoughts on extraterrestrials. GERMAN WW II U-BOAT DISCOVERED OFF THE AZORES Apparently influenced by events unfolding at the time, Churchill voices his concern about human progress and describes the possibility of aliens. I, for one, am not so immensely impressed by the success we are making of our civilization here that I am prepared to think we are the only spot in this immense universe which contains living, thinking creatures, or that we are the highest type of mental and physical development which has ever appeared in the vast compass of space and time, he wrote. The original version of the 11-page essay is held in Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge, U.K. Churchill, however, revisited the essay in the late 1950s and made some minor typographical changes he also changed the essays title from Are we alone in space? to Are we alone in the universe? This second draft, which is now in the possession of the U.S. National Churchill Museum, was reviewed by Livio. Timothy Riley, the director and chief curator of the National Churchill Museum, told Fox News that the essay provides an incredible insight into Churchills personality. I think it reveals the incredibly curious mind of Winston Churchill and the breadth and scope of his interests, he said. We know that he had a keen interest in science and valued science and thought that science would lead to progress. DEFENSE OFFICIALS MAY HAVE FOUND REMAINS OF US WW II AIRMEN IN THE HIMALAYAS In the journal Nature, Livio explains that, during the 1920s and 1930s, Churchill wrote popular-science essays for newspapers and magazines on topics such as evolution and cells. He also points to the politicians friendship with the physicist Frederick Lindemann, who later became science adviser to the British government. The prime minister also created a science-friendly environment that spurred progress in areas like molecular genetics and X-ray crystallography, according to Livio. Copyright issues, however, are currently preventing publication of the essay, something which the National Churchill Museum hopes to eventually resolve. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers American Airlines pilots denounced the airliners CEO Doug Parker on Tuesday over his decision to skip a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House last week. The Allied Pilots Association, the pilots union, issued a symbolic no-confidence vote in Parkers ability to lead the company, Reuters reported. The union also cited lacking pay increases compared to pilots at other airlines and questionable economic and strategic decisions as reasons for the no-confidence vote. Parker chose to address the carrier annual leadership conference in Texas in lieu of meeting with the president, the airline said last week. American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller told Bloomberg that Parker had already been in touch with the White House regarding the (scheduling) conflict. Doug shares President Trumps commitment to modernizing our nations infrastructure and looks forward to working with his administration to ensure all Americans have access to safe and efficient air travel. Dan Carey, president of the Allied Pilots Association, called Parkers decision disrespectful, and left the APA leadership and many of our pilots amazed at the lack of judgment and leadership exhibited." The Allied Pilots Association represents 15,000 pilots at the carrier the worlds largest airline. Click for more from Reuters. New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino has accused Hilton Hotels of practicing unlawful discrimination after paying a female employee less than her male coworkers. The complaint, filed Feb. 10 in the Superior Court of New Jersey, alleges that Homewood Suites, one of Hiltons budget-friendly brands, paid Rosa Lopez less than several male employees, including Lopez's own son, for doing the same job. The allegations in this case are troubling, and suggest that the ownership and management of this hotel are caught in a time warp, Porrino said. SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT HOTEL ROOMS THAT MIGHT SCARE YOU Based on the suit, the plaintiff began working at the Homewood Suites hotel location in 2011 as a "house person" and shuttle driver making $8 an hour. She received two annual increases, moving to $8.20 an hour in 2012 and then $8.36 an hour in 2013. But after Lopez was hired, Homewood Suites allegedly hired and paid six male employees, including her own son, $9 and $10 an hour for the same housekeeping and driving work she was doing. Employers have a duty under the law to treat male and female workers equally, and that most assuredly includes hourly wages, Porrino stated. According to the complaint, when Lopez tried to address the alleged pay disparity with both her supervisor and the hotels general manager, she was terminated from her position. With the filing, the state is seeking corrective relief for the plantiff--including back pay, front pay, lost benefits and interests in an attempt to make both the plaintiff and other employees of Homewood Suites whole for their losses. FOR THE LATEST TRAVEL FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK But Porrino isn't only seeking financial restitution. The state is also looking for Hilton to stop engaging in the allegedly discriminatory and retaliatory actions against employees. They also want the hotel chain to submit to training and monitoring by the Division on Civil Rights (DCR) for three years. New Jersey also wants Hilton to correct its current policies and procedures. The DCR is also seeking compensatory damages Lopez and other employees facing a similar situation. A Michigan native says her healthy golden retriever died shortly after a United Airlines flight from Detroit to Portland, Ore.-- and she now blames the airline for what she says was an untimely death. Kathleen Considine recently moved from Dearborn, Mich. to Portland. Considine's family recently sent Jacob, an 80-pound canine, on a flight to join her. But by the time her beloved dog landed--over 24 hours later-- Considine says he wasnt the same dog. According to FOX 6, Jacob's flight was scheduled to make a brief stop in Chicago. But Considine says she eventually learned that Jacobs crate didn't make it onto the Portland-bound leg of the flight because he "did not fit." United public relations manager Charlie Hobart confirmed to Fox News that airline staff in Chicago were unable to accommodate the dog on the second leg of the flight because his original crate size had been marked as a much smaller series. WHEN PIGS FLY: WILL AIRLINES EVER CRACK DOWN ON EMOTIONAL SUPPORT PETS? "The customer had booked the animal in a 500 series and the dog arrived in a 700 series crate-- and that crate was simply too big for the flight," Hobart said. However he noted that an agent in Detroit "mistakenly told the customer that wed be able to get that crate on the [final Portland-bound] flight." United says they alerted Considine that her dog would be sent to stay at a kennel overnight until they could find room on another plane. It took 20 hours before the 80-pound retriever was back in the air but Hobart maintains that the dog received food, water and plenty of bathroom breaks during his stay at the Chicago PetSafe facility. By the time Jacob landed in Portland, however, Considine alleges her dog was disoriented and non-responsive, despite having passed a mandatory physical less than 24 hours before the flight. She took Jacob to an emergency veterinarian, but by the time they arrived, Jacob was barely breathing. After eight minutes of CPR, he was pronounced dead. Considine's vet determined the dog's cause of death to be a stomach flip (or Gastric Dilatation Volvulus), an ailment that cuts off blood flow to the internal organs. The illness is often caused by meal problems, stress, or a combination of the two. Considine described the tragic day on her Facebook page. "Nothing will bring my baby back, but I am asking everyone to please share this post so nobody else has to go through this terrible tragedy," Considine posted. "United Airlines "PetSafe" program is cruel. They treat animals like baggage. They did not care if Jacob had food or water or any time out of his cage." The airline maintains that the dog "showed no signs of distress" during the journey. When Considine initially contacted United, she claims she was told they considered her case closed and accepted no responsibility for the dogs death. On Tuesday, Considine told Fox News that "United has contacted me as of yesterday morning, finally reaching out after 2 weeks with an apology. I will not rest until I see changes in their policy." FOR THE LATEST TRAVEL FEATURES FOLLOW FOX LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK Hobart says United has been in touch with Considine multiple times since Jacob's flight and plans to make a donation to her charity of choice in Jacob's name. "We know this is an extremely difficult situation for Miss Considine and we have been in touch with her before she posted on Facebook and since," Hobart said. "We offered our condolences and have provided a full refund for the shipping cost." United says it flies over 200,000 pets annually through its PetSafe program. According to U.S. Department of Transportation statistics, from May 2005 through Feb. 2017, 74 animals have died while flying United. Last year, the DOT reported that nine animals died while flying United and 14 were injured-- racking up the most reported incidents among all airlines tracked. At least four Indian servicemen and four more terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group were killed during two operations held in the country's Jammu and Kashmir state, Sputnik reported. According to The Times of India newspaper, one operation was held in the town of Handwara and claimed lives of three terrorists and one officer succumbed to his injuries. A top terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba was killed in the second clash that took place in the Bandipora district, while three more soldiers were killed in the encounter and one more was injured, the news outlet added. Lashkar-e-Taiba, headquartered in Pakistan, where its founder lives freely, is focused on "liberating" the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir from Indian control and establishing a South Asian caliphate. It is accused of being involved in the 2010 bombing of a bakery in Pune, India, and the 2014 attack on the Indian consulate in Herat, Afghanistan. The region of Kashmir has been repeatedly targeted by different extremist groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba. Indian authorities have repeatedly make numerous efforts to tackle terrorism, however the deadly clashes between the country's law enforcement officials and terrorists continue across the region. The U.S. Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening they suspended their search for a 24-year-old Carnival Cruise passenger who reportedly fell overboard from his Bahamas-bound ship Monday morning. Kevin Wellons, of Warner Robins, Ga., was traveling aboard the Carnival Elation, which set out Saturday from Jacksonville, Fla., for a five-day cruise to the Bahamas. On Monday, at approximately 8:30 a.m., Wellons wife reported him missing, telling cruise officials that she had last seen him around 2:30 a.m. A full search of the vessel and subsequent review of camera footage indicates the individual went overboard at approximately 2.45 am on February 13, a Carnival Cruise Line spokeswoman explained in an emailed statement to Fox News. WFTV reported that Wellons fell from the Elations 11th deck. 2,000 ROYAL CARRIBEAN PASSENGERS STRANDED AFTER SHIP FAILS LIFE JACKET INSPECTION Carnival estimates that the ship was 14 miles northeast of Great Harbor Cay when Wellons went overboard, although the ship had already docked in Nassau by the time officials reportedly learned of the incident. Both U.S. and Bahamian authorities were notified, Carnival says, and the U.S. Coast Guard began search and rescue efforts Tuesday. #BreakingNews @USCG suspends search for missing cruise ship passenger near Bahamas. Read more at https://t.co/2jseyN8zmB USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) February 15, 2017 As of Tuesday evening, however, the Coast Guard announced they had suspended their search. Carnivals CareTeam is providing support to the missing guests family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this very difficult time," Carnival's statement continued. The cruise line says there is no foul play suspected. U.S. authorities detained a Mexican immigrant protected by an Obama-era program that defers deportation for thousands of young illegal immigrants known as "dreamers," the man's lawyers claimed in a court filing this week. Daniel Ramirez Medina, 23, was arrested in his father's Seattle home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers Friday. Northwest Immigrants Rights Project Legal Director Matt Adams told The Associated Press that agents were at the home to arrest the mans father and that they took both men into custody. The arrest was first reported by Reuters. Ramirez Medina challenged his detention in a Seattle federal court Monday, arguing that the federal government violated his Fourth Amendment rights. "The agents who arrested and questioned Mr. Ramirez were aware that he was a DACA recipient, yet they informed him that he would be arrested, detained, and deported anyway, because he was not 'born in this country," his attorneys wrote in the filing. ICE spokesperson Rose Richeson said in a statement that Ramirez Medina was a "self-admitted gang member" and a "risk to public safety." Mark Rosenbaum, one of Ramirez Medina's attorneys, responded by claiming that his client had been "repeatedly pressured by [ICE] agents to falsely admit affiliation," and called Richeson's statement "inaccurate." Ramirez Medina is being held in Tacoma ahead of removal proceedings before an immigration judge with the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review. According to the court filing, Ramirez Medina, who came to the U.S. as a child, has a work permit under Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The documents say that Ramirez's DACA status was renewed last year. Ethan Dettmer, another of Ramirez Medina's attorneys, told Reuters that he did not know of any other DACA recipient who was arrested in a series of recent raids carried out by ICE. The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that 680 people were arrested in roundups last week targeting immigrants living illegally in the United States, a figure far below the totals of similar raids conducted under the Obama administration. President Donald Trump has promised a stepped-up campaign to find and deport criminal immigrants and others living in the U.S. illegally. During the Obama administration, ICE agents generally arrested wanted immigration fugitives and convicted criminals. Last week's arrests included immigrants whose only offense was an immigration violation. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A man who was brought to the U.S. illegally as a child but was protected from deportation by the Obama administration has been taken into custody in the Seattle area in what could be the first case of its kind in the country. Northwest Immigrants Rights Project Legal Director Matt Adams told The Associated Press Tuesday that 23-year-old Daniel Ramirez Medina was arrested Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Adams says he believes the young man was apprehended by mistake. Adams says agents were at the Seattle home to arrest the man's father and that they took both men into custody. Ramirez Medina has a work permit under Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. He's being held in Tacoma. Adams says the man is the first person he knows of with DACA status who has been detained. Mexico says U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly are headed to Mexico next week. Mexico's foreign ministry says in a statement that the two Cabinet secretaries will be in Mexico City on Jan. 23 to meet with Mexican officials. The ministry says the talks aim to promote a respectful, close relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. The United States has not yet confirmed the visits. The trips come at a sensitive time for U.S.-Mexico relations. President Donald Trump is vowing to move quickly to build a border wall. A planned visit by Mexico's leader to Washington was canceled after Mexico said it wouldn't abide Trump's demand that it fund the wall. This will be Tillerson's second official trip abroad. He's visiting Germany this week. A fake Michael Flynn Twitter account has fooled two top House Democrats who cited a series of tweets in condemning President Donald Trump's former national security adviser. Flynn was forced to resign Monday over discussions he had with Russian officials before Trump took office. At a news conference Tuesday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., complained that Republicans in Congress were not adequately investigating Flynn's actions. In doing so, they cited a tweet purportedly from Flynn that said, "I feel it is unfair that I have been made the sole scapegoat for what happened." CUMMINGS: "Madam leader, just this morning, Flynn tweeted, and this is a quote, 'scapegoat,' end of quote. Scapegoat. He basically described himself as a scapegoat." PELOSI: "I have a tweet, I'm going to make, I'm telling my staff right now It's not scapegoat, its stonewall, and that's exactly what the Republicans in Congress are doing." THE FACTS: That wasn't Flynn tweeting. Flynn had a different verified Twitter account during the campaign, but it is no longer active, and his own son, Michael Flynn Jr., tweeted in his account that the purported tweet from his father was fake. Cummings mentioned the tweets at the news conference and Pelosi picked up on the theme. Both offices later acknowledged the mistake. Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill acknowledged that Pelosi inadvertently cited tweets from a fake account. Cummings issued his correction on Twitter: "Yes, sorry, to correct the record just learned like many others that the Flynn tweet this morning was fake." The New York Times cited tweets from the unverified account in a story about Flynn's resignation. Later, the newspaper removed the references and corrected its story. ___ Find all AP Fact Checks here: http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd ___ Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephenatap President Trump's gonna need a taller wall. Following up on a tip by the U.S. Border Patrol, Mexican authorities in the border town of Agua Prieta seized a catapult being used to throw bundles of marijuana and possibly other drugs over the border to Douglas, Arizona. THEY COME EVERY DAY: BORDER TOWN RESIDENTS FACE DAILY THREAT FROM TRAFFICKING Agents patrolling the Douglas area last week said they sensed suspicious activity when a group of men started to run away as they were approaching. When the agents got to the south side of the border fence they discovered the catapult system attached to it. Two bundles of marijuana weighing more than 47 pounds combined were found nearby. AT BORDER PATROL, TRUMP LIFTS MORALE THAT WAS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW There was no report of arrests associated with the Feb. 10 incident. In recent years, smugglers have been known to shoot bundles of drugs over the border with devices such as air-powered cannons and catapults. Back in September, Mexican authorities seized a modified van that was apparently used for this purpose it had an air compressor, a gas engine, a storage tank and an approximately 3-meter metal tube described as a homemade bazooka. Authorities in New York are searching for a bull that escaped a livestock auction show. WTEN-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2lNOnMC ) that the bull's owner was unloading the animal from a trailer outside a livestock barn in Cambridge when it sprinted away Tuesday night. Police say the bull was almost hit by a car in the street. Cambridge police and New York State Police are currently searching for the animal. Authorities are warning people to stay away from the bull because it's agitated. ___ Information from: WTEN-TV, http://www.wten.com next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 A 19-year-old man has been charged in the shooting death of an 11-year-old Chicago girl. Chicago police said Wednesday that Antwan C. Jones faces a first-degree murder charge in the killing of Takiya Holmes. She was shot in the head over the weekend and died Tuesday. Takiya was among at least three children shot in Chicago in recent days. Police say a Chicago toddler was shot and killed Tuesday in what they suspect was a gang hit on a man who was with her. And authorities said Tuesday that a 12-year-old girl remained in critical condition Monday after she was shot this past weekend. Jones doesn't have a listed number to pursue comment. Separately, police said a 25-year-old man was shot dead early Wednesday while driving on Lake Shore Drive, a major thoroughfare in the city. The Coast Guard has called off its search for a missing kayaker who was last seen in Gloucester Point, Virginia. The 58-year-old man, reported missing by his wife after not returning from a kayaking trip on Monday, was last seen near the Gloucester Point Boat Ramp on Tuesday. Ballard's wife told authorities that her husband left their home Monday with a 12-foot, forest green, sit-in kayak. His vehicle was found parked near the boat ramp, but there was no sign of him or his kayak. Virginia Marine Police began searching for Ballard just before 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The Gloucester County Sheriff's Office, and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries also assisted in the search. Crews searched 265 square nautical miles, but have not found the boater. The search was called off Tuesday night, because it was too dark and officials believe they've searched everywhere they could look. The crews do not plan on resuming the search in the morning, but may pick it back up again if someone finds the missing man's kayak. If you have any information on Ballard's whereabouts or his kayak, contact the Sector Hampton Roads Command Center at (757) 668-5555. EU membership has been highly effective for the Irish economy and the access to the EU Single Marker and the Customs Union is vital for the country, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said, Sputnik reported. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Ireland is not planning to leave the European Union, as the membership in the bloc is the foundation of Dublins economy and the guarantee of the Good Friday Agreement with the United Kingdom, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said Wednesday. I utterly reject any suggestion that we would leave the European Union The foundation of Ireland's prosperity and the bedrock of our modern society is our membership of the European Union. That will not change, Kenny said in his address to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) think tank, as quoted in the statement of the Irish government news service. Dublins membership in the bloc has been highly effective for the Irish economy and the access to the EU Single Marker and the Customs Union is vital for the country, Kenny added. "I am in absolutely no doubt that the European Union, which has done so much to support reconciliation on this island, will defend the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement," the prime minister underlined, referring to the Northern Ireland peace process bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdoms exit from the European Union is going to have a seriously negative effect on the Irelands economy, the prime minister said, stressing however that she respected the referendum result and I recognised that "Brexit is now going to happen. The Good Friday Agreement, officially the Belfast Agreement, was concluded in 1998 between the UK and Irish governments and political parties in Northern Ireland to end decades of sectarian conflict. UK Prime Minister Theresa May said last month that the United Kingdom would not remain a member of the EU single market after Brexit, raising concerns that a physical border would be reinstated between Northern Ireland and Ireland. The Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Philando Castile was back in court on Wednesday. Defense attorneys want the manslaughter charged dismissed against Jeronimo Yanez. Yanez was charged with second-degree manslaughter and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a weapon last November in Castiles death. Defense attorneys for Yanez believe he should not face charges and claim Castile was reaching for his gun during the traffic stop. They also say Castile disobeyed orders and was "stoned." Prosecutors say Yanezs use of deadly force was not justified and that Castile did everything right by obeying commands. They also say he was reaching for his wallet when Yanez shot him several times. During court, both sides argued for about 30 minutes. The judge says a ruling will come Wednesday afternoon on motion to dismiss. Fox 9 has a crew on at the courthouse and will provide updates as we get them. Click here to read more from Fox 9. One of the investigators at the center of the Making a Murderer case revealed that he still has questions about the murder that transfixed much of the country. CHARGES FILED IN 11-YEAR-OLD GIRLS CHICAGO SHOOTING DEATH Steven Avery, 54, and his 27-year-old nephew, Brendan Dassey, were sentenced to life in prison in 2007 in connection with the murder of photographer Theresa Halbach in Manitowoc County, Wis. The internationally successful 2015 Netflix docu-series Making a Murderer fueled outrage within followers of the case who said police coerced a confession out of Dassey which ultimately led to a conviction. Are there parts of it that [Dassey] may have not done? I dont know. You know, I just dont know, the investigator, Tom Fassbender, told NBC News for a Dateline special set to air Friday. Fassbender said he finally realized someone had to bring forward the truth even if he couldnt solve the mystery entirely. CIRCUS AGREES TO PAY $25K IN TENT COLLAPSE THAT KILLED 2 Those officers wanted that information in the worst way, and they got it in the worst way. By feeding it straight to Brendan Dassey, said Laura Nirider, an attorney at Northwestern Universitys Center on the Wrongful Conviction of Youth. A federal magistrate judge overturned Dassey's conviction last August, ruling investigators took advantage of the then-16-year-old Dassey's cognitive disabilities and tricked him into confessing with false promises that he would be all right. The state Dept. of Justice has appealed; Dassey remains in prison pending the outcome. Just after the Dateline segment airs, former Wisconsin District Attorney Ken Kratzs new novel Avery: The Case Against Steven Avery and What 'Making a Murderer' Gets Wrong is set for release. Kratz was the D.A. on the case that got Avery and Dassey prosecuted. Kratz claimed the docu-series failed to include crucial information. He systematically erases the uncertainties introduced by the Netflix series, confirming, once and for all, that Steven Avery is guilty of the murder of Teresa Halbach, according to his books description on Amazon. The Avery legal team thinks differently, as revealed in a Dateline preview. When attorney Kathleen Zellner was asked if she thought she had new evidence that could free Steven Avery, she responded confidently, we do. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A 19-year-old with a long list of juvenile offenses was charged with first-degree murder for the killing of an 11-year-old Chicago girl who was shot in the head over the weekend. Authorities said Antwan C. Jones turned himself in to authorities late Tuesday night after police - with the help of local community members - identified him as the shooter in the killing of Takiya Holmes on Saturday. DEFENSE WANTS CASE DISMISSED AGAINST MINNESOTA OFFICER WHO SHOT PHILANDO CASTILE Authorities said Holmes was sitting in a parked car outside a dry cleaners on South King Drive around 7:40 p.m. Saturday when someone fired shots, hitting her in the back of the head. Her younger brother, her mother and her aunt were also in the car but were not hurt. Holmes died Tuesday morning at Comer Childrens Hospital without regaining consciousness. CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters Wednesday morning that Jones had been identified by his department as someone who was at risk of becoming a victim or an offender of gun violence. He said Jones had been arrested for several offenses in the past, mostly as a juvenile. WATCH: NC DEPUTY BUSTS A MOVE IN DANCE-OFF According to the Chicago Tribune, Jones has at least three prior arrests in Cook County; most recently this past November where he was charged with two counts of domestic battery and a count of criminal damage to property. Brendan Deenihan, Commander of Area Central Detectives, said Wednesday that the shooting occurred when Jones saw three men he believed did not belong in the area. He said the men were not injured and a stray bullet hit the young girl. Holmes was among at least three children shot in Chicago in recent days. Police say 2-year-old Lavontay White was fatally shot Tuesday when someone opened fire on a vehicle he was in with two adults. Police suspect the man in the vehicle who also died was the target of a gang hit. And authorities said Tuesday that a 12-year-old girl also shot over the weekend remains in critical condition. On Wednesday, Johnson pleaded to local and state lawmakers to give police offices the tools to make it harder for offenders to get back on the streets. He said there is not determent for suspects who believe they will be out of jail in a couple of months. Im publically pleading that our state legislators to give us the tools to make offenders think twice about pulling the trigger. We need to create a culture of accountability, he said. Enough is enough. He added: While no arrest will bring back the smiles or the sounds of laughter of these children, we owe it to them to help save the lives of others. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Rhode Island man will serve four months in state prison followed by eight months in home confinement for the beating death of his neighbor's 10-pound Yorkshire terrier. Sixty-year-old Nicola Patalano was found guilty of felony malicious injury in November for his role in the 2014 death of Missy. Prosecutors say Missy's owner was walking the dog when the Yorkie started barking at Patalano's terrier, prompting the Cranston man to repeatedly strike the small dog with his wooden cane. He knocked Missy unconscious, and she became unresponsive. A neighbor who witnessed the incident accompanied Missy's owner to an animal hospital, where the dog was pronounced dead. Police say Patalano told officers he "hit the dog to kill it." Patalano also was sentenced to community service and assessed fines. An ex-convict has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the slayings of his two young children and two stepchildren at his suburban Detroit home. Gregory Green also pleaded guilty Wednesday to torture and assault in an attack on his wife. Green's biological children, 5-year-old Koi Green and 4-year-old Kaleigh Green, died from carbon monoxide poisoning in September in the Dearborn Heights home. His stepchildren 19-year-old Chadney Allen and 17-year-old Kara Allen were fatally shot in front of their mother, Faith Green. She also was the mother of Koi and Kaleigh. Faith Green was shot and slashed with a box cutter, but survived. She'd previously filed for divorce. Gregory Green was released from prison in 2008 after serving 16 years for killing his first wife, who was pregnant. His sentencing is scheduled for March 1. A Kansas City attorney has been acquitted in the killing of her millionaire father and his girlfriend at their Missouri lake house. The Kansas City Star (http://bit.ly/2kx1VdE ) reports that jurors found Susan "Liz" Van Note not guilty Tuesday of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2010 attack on 67-year-old William Van Note and 59-year-old Sharon Dickson. Dickson was stabbed and shot at the Lake of the Ozarks house and died at the scene. William Van Note died four days later at a hospital, where authorities say his daughter produced a document suggesting she had power of attorney. Investigators say she requested that the ventilator keeping him alive be shut off. Authorities allege Van Note was in debt and angry that Dickson would have inherited the bulk of her father's estate. ___ Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Just six days into his presidency, Donald Trump was informed his national security adviser had misled his vice president about contacts with Russia. Trump kept his No. 2 in the dark and waited nearly three weeks before ousting the aide, Michael Flynn, citing a slow but steady erosion of trust, White House officials said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI about his telephone conversations with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., a sign his ties to Russia had caught the attention of law enforcement officials. But in the White House's retelling of Flynn's stunning downfall, his error was not that he discussed U.S. sanctions with the Russian before the inauguration a potential violation of a rarely enforced law but the fact that he denied it for weeks, apparently misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other senior Trump aides about the nature of the conversations. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Pence, who had vouched for Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday, one day after the president asked Flynn to leave. Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said Monday "there were no lines crossed" in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The explanation of the episode left many questions unanswered, including why Trump didn't alert Pence to the matter and why Trump allowed Flynn to keep accessing classified information and taking part in the president's discussions with world leaders up until the day he was fired. White House officials also struggled to explain why Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway had declared the president retained "full confidence" in Flynn just hours before the adviser had to submit his letter of resignation. Later Tuesday, The New York Times reported that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team. Current and former U.S. officials who spoke to the Times anonymously said they found no evidence that the Trump campaign was working with the Russians on hacking or other efforts to influence the election. The White House shakeup, less than one month into Trump's tenure, marked another jarring setback for a new administration already dealing with tensions among top aides and a legal fight over the president's travel ban order. Flynn's firing also heightened questions about the president's friendly posture toward Russia. Democrats called for investigations into Flynn's contacts, and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Congress needed to know whether he had been acting with direction from the president or others. Trump initially thought Flynn could survive the controversy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the president's views, but a pair of explosive stories in The Washington Post in recent days made the situation untenable. As early as last week, he and aides began making contingency plans for Flynn's dismissal, a senior administration official said. While the president was said to be upset with Flynn, he also expressed anger with other aides for "losing control" of the story and making his young administration look bad. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence became aware that he had received "incomplete information" from Flynn only after the first Washington Post report Thursday night. Pence learned about the Justice Department warnings to the White House around the same time. The officials and others with knowledge of the situation were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity. Ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, Pence and other officials insisted publicly that Flynn had not discussed sanctions in his talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. On Jan. 26, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates contacted White House counsel Don McGahn to raise concerns about discrepancies between the public accounting and what intelligence officials knew to be true about the contacts based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the U.S. The Justice Department warned the White House that the inconsistencies would leave the president's top national security aide vulnerable to blackmail from Russia, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. The president was informed of the warnings the same day, Spicer said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI around the same time, according to a U.S. official who was briefed on the investigation. It was not immediately known what questions the FBI asked of Flynn or what he told law enforcement officials. McGahn, along with chief of staff Reince Priebus and strategist Steve Bannon, also questioned Flynn multiple times in the ensuing weeks, a White House official said. Top aides also reviewed transcripts of Flynn's contacts with the ambassador, according to a person with knowledge of the review process. At the same time, the official said Trump aides began taking steps to put some distance between the president and Flynn. CIA Director Mike Pompeo and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a top Flynn aide, started taking part in Trump's daily security briefings. Top Trump advisers quietly met with Vice Admiral Robert Harward last week and spoke with the former Navy SEAL again Monday, the White House official said. Harward is seen as the top contender for the job, though former CIA Director David Petraeus and Kellogg, who has temporarily stepped into the role, are also under consideration. Spicer said other "questionable incidents" had contributed to Flynn's firing. According to one person with knowledge of the matter, those incidents included Flynn seeking a security clearance for his son during the transition. At the time, it was Pence who was again put in the position of defending Flynn on television, saying he had not sought a clearance for the retired general's son. A U.S. official told The Associated Press that Flynn was in frequent contact with Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition. Spicer said Flynn was not discussing sanctions at the president's behest. Before he resigned Monday night, Flynn told the investigative news nonprofit affiliated with the website The Daily Caller that he and Kislyak spoke only generally about the Russian diplomats expelled by President Barack Obama as part of the previous administration's response to Moscow's interference in the U.S. presidential election. "It wasn't about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys who were thrown out," Flynn said. "It was basically: 'Look, I know this happened. We'll review everything.' I never said anything such as, 'We're going to review sanctions,' or anything like that." ___ Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire, Eric Tucker, Ken Thomas, Jill Colvin, Erica Werner and Catherine Lucey contributed to this report. ___ Online: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3461508-Michael-Flynn-Resignation-Letter.html Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and Vivian Salama at http://twitter.com/vmsalama A political group at a Pennsylvania liberal arts college launched a project Saturday to raise awareness about what it means to live with white privilege. Elizabethtown College Democrats are asking students to wear a white puzzle piece pin every day to encourage people to give further thought about how racial identity affects their lives, Lancaster Online reported. Aileen Ida, president of the College Democrats, told Local 21 News that she noticed a Wisconsin pastor wearing the pin and wanted to help spread the message. She said the conversation on white privilege is necessary in central Pennsylvania because of the demographics. According to the latest census, Lancaster County is 83 percent white, 10 percent Hispanic, 4 percent black and 2 percent Asian. Ida said shes excited to see how the project could spark a discussion about racial identity. This project will encourage people to have conversations about race and how their inherent white privilege has a part in the systematic oppression of minorities whether or not they purposefully participate in the system, she told Lancaster Online. Sawa Alabsi, a student at the school, told local media that she is concerned her classmates would join the campaign to simply fit in. I feel like a lot of people dont necessarily know or do any research into certain issues, she said. And theyre kind of like, Oh, my friends have this side, so Im going to pick that side. Ida hopes prospective participants can commit to wearing the pin for at least one month. Her fellow students supported the idea in conversations with Local 21 News. One student told the station that he would wear a pin if it was given to him. "Elizabethtown is a majority white campus, so I think white Privilege is a great place to start, he said. Ida said the idea wasnt meant to call out white people, but remind students that racial identity is an important conversation to have. She hopes to have 100 people wearing the pin by Friday. Click for more from Lancaster Online. A plea agreement from the only person to be criminally charged in the San Bernardino terror attack drew mixed emotions from the victims' loved ones. "It's a hell of a day to come out, Valentine's Day," said Mandy Pifer, whose boyfriend Shannon Johnson was killed in the 2015 shooting. Enrique Marquez Jr., 25, of Riverside, agreed to plead guilty Tuesday to providing the high-powered rifles used to kill 14 people and injure nearly two dozen others and to plotting a mass killing with the gunman Syed Rizwan Farook that they never carried out, court records say. Pifer said despite the tough timing of the deal she's "relieved that it won't be a long trial. If it'll be finished sooner, I'm all for it." She said she planned to speak at Marquez's sentencing about the impact her boyfriend's killing has had on her. In his last moments, Johnson huddled with a colleague under a table, shielding her from the bullets. "It is what it is," she said. "Nothing's going to bring him back." Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik opened fire on his co-workers on Dec. 2, 2015, and were later killed in a gunfight with authorities. Prosecutors said Marquez acknowledged being a "straw buyer" when he purchased two AR-15 rifles from a sporting goods store that were used in the attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. Prosecutors have said Marquez agreed to buy the weapons because the attackers feared Farook's Middle Eastern appearance might arouse suspicion. Prosecutors said there is no evidence Marquez participated in the San Bernardino massacre or had advance knowledge of it. Marquez also admitted to plotting with Farook in 2011 and 2012 to massacre college students and gun down motorists on a gridlocked California freeway, though those attacks never occurred. Federal officials said the duo had envisioned halting traffic on state Route 91 with explosives and then firing at trapped motorists, or tossing pipe bombs into a crowded cafeteria at Riverside City College. Marquez said he backed out of the plot after four men in the area about 60 miles inland from Los Angeles were arrested on terrorism charges in late 2012, the FBI has said in court documents. "While his earlier plans to attack a school and a freeway were not executed, the planning clearly laid the foundation for the 2015 attack on the Inland Regional Center," U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said Tuesday. Marquez, who could face up to 25 years in prison, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Thursday. His attorney didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment. Marquez and Farook first met in 2005 after Marquez moved next door to Farook's family in Riverside, about 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, officials said. The then-teens would meet in Farook's garage and Farook, a Muslim, began educating his new friend about his religion. Marquez converted and became a Muslim in 2007. The FBI said the two began discussing extremist views shortly after Marquez converted. By late 2011, Marquez spent most of his time at Farook's home, where he read Inspire magazine, an official publication of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula; watched videos produced by al-Qaida's affiliate in Somalia; and studied radical material online, federal officials said. ___ Associated Press writer Amanda Lee Myers contributed to this report. ___ Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1. The Russian spy ship Viktor Leonov on Wednesday morning was spotted 40 miles closer to the U.S. -- and not far from a Navy submarine base in Connecticut, a U.S. official told Fox News. SLIDESHOW: RUSSIA'S MILITARY POWER IN PHOTOS The ship was spotted 30 miles south of Groton, Conn., but it remained in international waters. The U.S. territorial boundary extends 12 miles from the coast. The Russian spy ship was currently loitering in the water, the U.S. official said. "We are aware of the vessel's presence," said Lt. Col. Valerie Henderson, a Defense Department spokeswoman. "It has not entered U.S. territorial waters. We respect freedom of navigation exercised by all nations beyond the territorial sea of a coastal State consistent with international law." RUSSIA DEPLOYS BANNED MISSILES, BUZZES US WARSHIP The spy ship is armed with surface-to-air missiles, but its main function is to intercept communications and collect data on U.S. Navy sonar capability. This was the furthest north the Viktor Leonov had ever traveled up the eastern seaboard. The Russian spy ship was last seen off the East Coast of the U.S. about two years ago, spending time near another U.S. submarine base in Kings Bay, Ga. In January 2015, the ship was seen in Havana, Cuba. Russia is acting like it has a permission slip to expand influence, test limits of reach. Questions are obvious: does it, and if so, why? https://t.co/6Hsm7T2GO2 Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 15, 2017 The Pentagon expects the Russian spy ship to sail south along the East Coast and return to the Caribbean. The deployment of Viktor Leonov was months in the making, Fox News was told. The ship is part of Russias Northern Fleet based along the Barents Sea. The ship crossed the Atlantic and made a port call in Jamaica in the past few weeks, according to officials. The Russian spy ship's venture near the U.S. mainland follows other recent Russian provocations -- four Russian jets buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea on Friday, coming within 200 yards of USS Porter. The Russian jets had their identifying transponders turned off and ignored repeated radio calls from the American warship. It was the first time Russian jets buzzed a U.S. warship since President Trump assumed office. Russia was also deploying for the first time a ground-based nuke-capable cruise missile inside Russia, which violates a decades old arms treaty between Moscow and Washington. Turkish military targeted four PKK targets by air strikes in southern Turkey's Amanos Mountains late Tuesday, Turkish General Staff said in a statement, Anadolu reported. Earlier Tuesday, Turkish police detained at least 834 suspects linked to the terrorist PKK organization in operations nationwide, according to Turkeys Security Directorate. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU. More than 1,200 victims, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives in PKK attacks since the terror group resumed its decades-long campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015. More than 4,000 security personnel and over 2,000 civilians also have been injured. In anti-terror operations, more than 10,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended. Approximately 5,500 weapons, 652,000 rounds of ammunition, and more than 142 tons of explosives and 15,000 bombs have been seized. U.S. military forces have killed 60,000 Islamic State militants over the past two years, according to a U.S. Special Operations Commander. On Tuesday, while speaking at a defense conference near Washington D.C., Army Gen. Raymond Thomas said the figure is substantially higher than the one reported at the end of last year when U.S. officials said they had killed 50,000 ISIS fighters. Im not into morbid body count, but that matters, Thomas said at the National Defense Industrial Associations annual Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict conference, according to the Military.com. So when folks ask, do you need more aggressive [measures], do you need better [rules of engagement], I would tell you that were being pretty darn prolific right now. But Defense Department Spokesman Christopher Sherwood told Fox News that death tolls are not a proper measure of effectiveness in the fight against ISIS. References to enemy killed are estimates, not precise figures, Sherwood told Fox News via email. While the number of enemy killed is one measure of military success, the [U.S. military] coalition does not use this as a measure of effectiveness in the campaign to defeat ISIS. Sherwood told Fox News that the Department of Defense measures the effectiveness of operations on the impact they have on the enemys ability to hold territory and to plan, finance, and conduct terrorist operations. Its obviously encouraging that the United States has been able to identify and take that many people off of the battlefield, Robin Simcox, the Margaret Thatcher Fellow focusing on terrorism and national security at Heritage Foundation, told Fox News. But the fact that weve killed 60,000 fighters and theres still so much more to be done either they picked up their recruitment methods, or we underestimated the manpower they had on the ground. Simcox said ISIS continues to recruit terrorists willing to carry out attacks, which shows weve barely made a scratch. He added that while the recent efforts to fight ISIS are impressive, he doesnt see the Trump administration eliminating the terrorist group any time soon. Secretary Mattis is ideally placed to help fight this war, but as a society we need to accept the fact that this problem transcends any administration, Simcox said. This is an enormous ideological movement that has had various manifestations over the past decades, and it will outlive the Trump administration. ISIS is just the latest, most visible manifestation of this Islamic movement[and] it has deep roots. While he said it would be difficult to dismantle ISIS, its not impossible. The only way to defeat this is to discredit the ideological component, Simcox told Fox News. That is the only way youll make any real headway. Police in Connecticut were on the lookout Wednesday for a driver accused of dragging an officer for nearly 150 yards just so he could get away with $190 worth of beer. COPS SELFIE TO UBER DRIVER SHOWS HE MEANS BUSINESS Newington police on Saturday were responding to a midday shoplifting report after a Best Market employee saw a man and woman leave with $190 worth of beer. The man, identified as 37-year-old Joshua Coonradt, took off in a green Honda Civic before the cops arrived, Fox 61 reported. When police later saw the car traveling east towards Wethersfield, the officer pulled the suspect over but as he approached, he saw the driver reaching for a handgun on the dashboard. MARYLAND PROSECUTOR RESIGNS, SENTENCED FOR INDECENT EXPOSURE The officer and the driver engaged in a struggle. The suspect eventually sped off, dragging the officer beside the car until he could finally free himself. The unnamed officer wasnt badly hurt. Police did recover the suspects car, and arrested the woman spotted leaving with the man. The woman, 31-year-old Sandra Weeks, said Coonradt often went to a particular spot in Hartford to buy crack, and slept in his car nearby. Weeks was charged with sixth-degree larceny and released on a $5,000 bail. Newington is about 8 miles south of downtown Hartford. Police have charged an Ohio man with criminal damaging in the spray-painting of a swastika and message cursing Arabs on a Lebanese family's garage door in suburban Toledo. Sylvania Township police say 28-year-old Osama Nazzal, of Toledo, has a March 1 court appearance to face the second-degree misdemeanor count. Police say he told them the message wasn't a matter of ethnic intimidation, but they declined to discuss his possible motive. Court records don't list an attorney for him and no one answered a telephone Wednesday that had been listed to him. The Blade newspaper of Toledo reported that resident Souheir Eltataway said she has felt afraid since the vandalism occurred; she declined further comment Wednesday. An installer and radio station donated a new garage door to help the family after the Jan. 10 vandalism, and the community has shown support in other ways. People put encouraging messages on the defaced door about welcoming neighbors and love conquering hate. A couple hundred people also joined members of the Toledo Symphony to sing outside the home. Deputy Chief Jim Rettig said detectives acted on a tip that led them to the suspect. "It was a good old-fashioned police work with very limited resources, very limited evidence," Rettig said. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 A South Carolina woman who spent two months chained inside a large metal container says her captor raped her daily and bragged that he was good at killing, claiming that his victims tallied nearly 100. BODIES FOUND IN INDIANA ARE MISSING GIRLS, POLICE SAY Kala Brown says she did what she had to do to survive. "He told me as long as I served my purpose, I was safe," Brown told Phillip McGraw, the host of the television show "Dr. Phil." EX-COP KILLS MAN IN BAR, CALLS 911 ON HIMSELF, DEPUTIES SAY It was the first time she has talked publicly since her Nov. 3 rescue, which authorities say helped them solve seven killings in the area dating back 13 years. Police said Todd Kohlhepp, a real estate agent with his own firm until his arrest, killed Brown's boyfriend, a couple who had been missing nearly a year and four people at a motorcycle shop in 2003. Brown said she and her boyfriend had gone to Kohlhepp's rural property Aug. 31 to help him clear some underbrush. She'd cleaned houses for him previously to prepare them for sale. After the couple followed him to a two-story garage on the 95-acre property in Spartanburg County, Kohlhepp handed them hedge clippers and bottles of water. He said he needed to get something inside and came out shooting, Brown said. He shot Charles Carver three times in the chest, she said. He gagged Brown and handcuffed her ankles and wrists. Kohlhepp took her to a "pitch black," 30-foot-long storage container nearby, chained her by the neck in a back corner and raped her, she said. He "let me know that if I tried to run, he'd kill me. If I tried to hurt him, he'd kill me. If I fought back, he would kill me. And then he raped me," Brown said in episodes that aired this week. "He would rape me twice a day, every day." The days evolved into a pattern, she said. He took her to the garage twice a day, where she ate, used the bathroom and was allowed to bathe every other day using a washcloth and a small plastic bowl of water. But she was never unchained, she said. "He would put more chains on before he took other chains off," she said. Kohlhepp, 45, faces murder, kidnapping and weapons charges. He is not charged with sexual assault. Spokesmen for the sheriff and prosecutor declined to address the rape allegations or whether more charges are forthcoming. His attorney did not return messages. The Associated Press normally does not identify victims of sexual assault but is naming Brown after she publicly identified herself. The day after her rescue, investigators found Carver's body in a shallow grave on Kohlhepp's property. Brought to the site in handcuffs, Kohlhepp showed authorities the graves of the couple missing since December 2015. Kohlhepp told Brown he held that woman captive, too, before killing her. Police said Kohlhepp acknowledged the grisly 2003 cold case after authorities granted him several requests, including letting him speak to his mother. Brown said Kohlhepp told her he killed Carver because "it was easier to control someone if you took someone they loved." She thought Kohlhepp was infatuated with her and didn't want to kill her, even saying he would let her go and give her money "if he ever got old and sick," she said. He explained Stockholm syndrome, in which a hostage starts feeling sympathetic toward their captor, and said "it would kick in and we'd be happy together." He twice let her see parts of the property beyond the garage and container, including once chained to a four-wheeler. "I had been in a dark, small, enclosed space and couldn't move more than a few feet. I was thrilled to be outdoors," she said. When Brown heard people talking outside the container the morning of Nov. 3, she panicked, thinking maybe he had brought someone else. When she realized help had come, "I started screaming and hitting the walls," she said. "I knew my family would never stop looking, but he was so careful, I couldn't see how I could be found so soon. I was scared it really wasn't happening," she said. "And when they finally got the door open and I saw the police uniforms, I was relieved." For Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. As much he'll tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO, he also is expected to visit Europe with a hand out, hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments and greater assistance in military campaigns in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Mattis also will field questions on national security adviser Michael Flynn's resignation over his pre-inauguration discussions with Russia, and what the change means for U.S. policy on Moscow. Speaking to reporters on the way to a NATO defense ministers' meeting, Mattis said Flynn's departure "has no effect at all" on him. "Frankly, this has no impact," he said. "I haven't changed what I'm heading there for. It doesn't change my message at all. Who is on the president's staff is who I will work with. And so, you know, it's full speed ahead." Mattis also reinforced earlier comments he's made on NATO's importance. Calling it "the most successful military alliance in history," he told reporters on the plane that "our commitment remains to NATO." But he said allies need to discuss increasing their military funding to the benchmark goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product. After spending his first official trip telling America's Asian allies they wouldn't be abandoned, Mattis is on a similar journey in Brussels and Munich this week, where he will have to address the mixed messages from President Donald Trump on the value of NATO before and after he took office. "I think there will be a lot of reassuring words spoken over the next week," said Derek Chollet, a former senior defense official who is now senior adviser at the German Marshall Fund. Nations want Mattis to maintain the U.S. commitment to providing military support and troops to bolster Poland and the Baltics, who feel threatened by Russia, he said. While Mattis' words may provide some comfort, Chollet said: "It will leave the question: What does the president think? If anything, the sum total of all of this will just perpetuate the confusion." Wednesday marks Mattis' first NATO meeting as defense secretary. During his Senate confirmation hearing last month, the retired Marine general said he wanted the U.S. to "maintain the strongest possible relationship with NATO." With remarks such as those, Mattis has distanced himself from Trump's criticism of the military alliance and threats that the U.S. might not defend allies that don't fulfill their financial obligations as NATO members. Mattis, however, is aligned with Trump's call for the 27 NATO members to meet the defense spending requirement. Only a few are currently hitting the 2 percent mark, while the U.S. spends more on its armed forces than all the others combined. Washington also foots more than 22 percent of NATO's commonly funded budget. The U.S. also would like to see an increased NATO commitment in Afghanistan, where forces have been fighting the Taliban for more than 15 years, since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Washington wants more trainers in Afghanistan, where about 8,400 American troops are still deployed. There also will be discussions about how to accelerate the newer, U.S.-led campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Europe's leaders will first be looking for clarity from Mattis. They're still rattled by Trump's declarations that NATO is "obsolete" and his repeated praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Such comments have triggered fears Trump will ease sanctions imposed on Moscow after it annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and supported an insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Another concern: lessened U.S. military support for eastern European allies near Russia's border who worry about being the next target. During his confirmation hearing, Mattis told senators that he has discussed NATO with the president and that Trump was "open" to changing his position. Among Mattis' first calls after Trump's inauguration was one to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. In recent weeks, Trump's public statements on NATO have softened somewhat. After meeting Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May told reporters that he assured her he was "100 percent" behind NATO. A joint statement issued after Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone said the two agreed on the "fundamental importance that the NATO alliance has for trans-Atlantic relations" and the need for all members to pay their fair share. Trump made similar comments in a call with French President Francois Hollande. Only four countries other than the U.S. Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland are meeting NATO's spending target. Many are increasing their budgets in response to Russia's actions. A shadowy Iranian general responsible for the deaths of nearly 500 Americans traveled to Moscow Wednesday to meet with high-ranking Russian officials -- a trip that violated multiple United Nations resolutions forbidding him from leaving his country, multiple western intelligence officials with direct knowledge of the visit told Fox News. SLIDESHOW: RUSSIA'S MILITARY POWER IN PHOTOS Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani arrived in Terminal A of Vnukovo airport outside Moscow on Feb. 14 on Mahan Air WD084 at 12:13 p.m. local time and was scheduled to remain in Russia for a few days for meetings, officials said. Soleimani is visiting Moscow to express his displeasure with the Russian government over their relationship with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states, mainly regarding weapons deals and strengthening economic ties, sources told Fox News. RUSSIAN SPY SHIP SPOTTED CLOSER TO USA, NEAR NAVY SUBMARINE BASE "These are two countries that want to cause trouble for the United States, and theyre talking together which means even more trouble for the United States, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, told Fox News' "Happening Now." He added, "If there are no consequences to violating sanctions, then theyll just do more of it." The CIA would not immediately answer a request for comment. A State Department spokesman said he was unaware of the visit. This is Soleimanis third trip to Moscow following visits in April and July 2015. Soleimani is thought to be the mastermind behind Irans proxy war in Syria in order to prop up the Assad regime. Soleimani met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu days after the Iranian nuclear deal was agreed to in Vienna. Iran has been a key ally along with Russia in Syria, working together to shore up support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against opposition fighters, some of whom are backed by the United States. The Quds Force, which Soleimani heads, is the special operations wing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, responsible for supporting terrorist proxy forces across the Middle East. Soleimani reports directly to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Soleimani was first designated a terrorist and sanctioned by the U.S. in 2005 for his role as a supporter of terrorism. In October 2011, the U.S. Treasury Department tied Soleimani to the failed Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States at a popular restaurant in Washington, D.C. Testifying before Congress last year, former Secretary of State John Kerry said Soleimani and the Quds Force would continue to face sanctions even after some UN sanctions were lifted on Iran following the landmark nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers, including the United States. UN Resolution 1747 prohibits Soleimani to travel, and any country that lets him transit or travel is also defying sanctions. Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and would be a aware of the restrictions against meeting him. During his confirmation hearing before Congress in 2015, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford said many Americans were killed by Iranian-backed forces under the command of Soleimani. "The number has been recently quoted as about 500. We weren't always able to attribute the casualties we had to Iranian activity, although many times we suspected it was Iranian activity even though we didn't necessarily have the forensics to support that," Dunford told lawmakers. Former Secretary of State John Kerry said five days after Soleimanis Moscow visit that he would never receive sanctions relief. "Under the United States's initiative, Qassem Soleimani will never be relieved of any sanctions," Kerry said. Fox News' Jenna Lee contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 The Trump Administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. The idea of two states in the Holy Land a Jewish Israel and an Arab Palestine rests on a particular logic: There are two quite different peoples of roughly equal size living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River; each wants their own nation-state to control and dominate numerically; each has shown tenacity toward this goal. This would require Israel to let go of most and maybe all of the territory it captured in the 1967 war, when it completed its takeover of all the land that British colonizers abandoned in 1948. That includes the West Bank, where there are now islands of Palestinian autonomy, scattered Jewish settlements and overriding Israeli military control; the eastern part of Jerusalem, which Israel has fully annexed and populated with Jews; and the coastal Gaza Strip, which was actually evacuated in 2005 and is now blockaded and controlled by the Islamic militants of Hamas. Over the years many and probably most Israelis have come around to the idea of a partition largely because they want to be considered a democracy and do not want all the Palestinian future citizens that would come along with the territory. For almost two decades, U.S. policy has been to advocate a two-state solution. But over two decades of peace talks have failed to produce agreement on the details, and many on both sides consider it impossible without a major change in circumstances massive global pressure on Israel, more upheaval in the Arab neighborhoods, perhaps tectonic shifts in the prevailing world order. Ahead of Wednesday's White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Netanyahu, a senior U.S. official suggested a two-state solution was optional, bringing condemnation from Palestinian officials. But many of them have for years been quietly preparing for an alternative strategy of a single bi-national state in the Holy Land. Here's a look at that option, and other scenarios that might arise: ONE STATE For years this was the goal of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and for many Palestinians it is indeed the preferred option: a single democratic state, not defined as specifically Jewish or Arab, in the area of British colonial Palestine. Many prefer it anyway to the two-state notion whereby even if Israel gives up all the land it captured in 1967 it retains almost 80% of Palestine. The problem is that almost no one in Israel is arguing for the true extension of full rights to Palestinians in the currently occupied territories because even with Gaza excluded it would leave Arabs constituting close to half the country's population and that is clearly the end of the Zionist dream of a Jewish state. This is why Israel has never annexed the West Bank and why the more sophisticated nationalists profess to support a partition, albeit on terms the Palestinians have not accepted and are not likely to. If the Palestinians formally drop the two-state strategy and demand incorporation into Israel it will put Israel in the awkward position of refusing to annex territories where it has been settling Jews for decades. Down this path lie coercion efforts in the form of international sanctions on Israel, or Palestinian violence. INTERIM AGREEMENT Many Israelis have concluded that a final peace agreement with the Palestinians is simply not possible because the Palestinians are asking for the moon as a result of a feeling that they hold the demographic cards. It is not just about territory: the Palestinians still in theory demand a "right of return" to Israel proper for millions of descendants of Palestinian refugees living around the region and the world, which the vast majority of Jewish Israelis reject. But perhaps a partial deal is possible whereby the Palestinians would not have to forego future claims but for now get their state on, say, 80% of the West Bank, with some sort of preferred access of new regime in the Old City of Jerusalem? Even the current nationalist Netanyahu government would probably accept such a thing, but the Palestinians have ruled it out, fearing the temporary would become permanent. To get them to agree would require massive global and Arab world pressure, and risks huge internal conflict among the Palestinians. JORDANIAN OPTION Jordan took over the West Bank and east Jerusalem during the 1948-1949 Arab-Israel war that followed the British pullout, lost the areas to Israel in 1967 and then gave up all claims to them in favor of the Palestinians in the 1980s. But Jordan is a country with a majority Palestinian-descended population, and some Israelis still think that it can play a role in satisfying Palestinian national aspirations and resuming control over only a part of the West Bank. But this would probably require a collapse of Hashemite rule, founded on Jordan's Bedouin population, and as such is anathema to the Jordanian monarchy, which is beloved by many israelis for making peace with them in 1994. Adding to the awkwardness, the Palestinians reject it altogether as well. PARTIAL UNILATERAL PULLOUT Under these vexing circumstances many Israelis conclude no peace is possible, but they still want to be rid of the Palestinian population of the West Bank. In the mid-2000s the government of Ehud Olmert planned a unilateral pullout from most of the territory, to follow the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. But those plans were upended when Gaza was taken over by Hamas militants and became a launching pad for rocket attacks on Israel, leading to several mini-wars. Few want to see that scenario repeated with the West Bank, which is much larger and closer to Israel's main cities. Now talk grows of a pullout of settlers from some areas, to create a more convincing reality of partition, while the military stays for now, pending some future arrangement. NATO? A global or Arab peacekeeping force? Perpetual Israeli control? No one can say. STATUS QUO When the best that can be hoped for is the least bad solution, the status quo looks attractive to some. But Israel is constantly changing the landscape by adding settlers already there are some 350,000 Israelis in the West Bank and a quarter million in East Jerusalem. And the Palestinians do not have a history of acquiescing for long: There were multi-year uprisings in the late 1980s and early 2000s and a spate of violence in late 2015 and early 2016. Down this path lies the very strong likelihood of more. ___ Dan Perry is AP's Middle East editor leading text coverage in the region. German daily paper Bild has apologized to its readers for falsely reporting about a group of migrants allegedly assaulting women on New Year's Eve in the city of Frankfurt. The paper writes in a statement it regrets a report published earlier this month which quoted a waitress, a restaurant owner and his staff saying they witnessed "massive attacks by a mob of drunken foreigners." Bild says neither police reports of that night nor an investigation following the paper's report could confirm any of the allegations. The report came a year after New Year's Eve 2015, when hundreds of women reported being sexually attacked by migrants in the western city of Cologne, sparking a huge backlash against the 890,000 asylum seekers who arrived in Germany that year. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 The killing of the North Korean leader's outcast half brother adds to a long list of high-profile assassinations or attempts in which the country is suspected of targeting estranged relatives of the Kim clan, turncoats and South Korean public figures. King Jong Nam told medical workers he had been attacked with chemical spray at the Kuala Lumpur airport before he died, Malaysian officials have said. Leader Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials since taking power in late 2011, and experts believe he might have been trying to eliminate a potential challenger to his leadership. Others think he was enraged over recent news reports that his brother tried to defect to the South in 2012. North Korea has denied carrying out some of the killings and not commented on others. Some of the most notable assassinations or attempts it is suspected of doing: TRAITOR COUSIN Lee Han-young, a nephew of one of the former wives of the country's second leader Kim Jong Il, was found dead of gunshot wounds in front of a Seoul apartment in 1997. Lee had defected to South Korea through Switzerland in 1982, but Seoul kept his arrival secret until 1996, when his mother also fled the North. Lee had harshly criticized the country and his dictator uncle. The investigation into his death concluded Lee was killed by North Korean agents sent to deliver Pyongyang's payback and the assailants returned to North Korea before they could be captured. BLAST IN YANGON North Korean agents set off a bomb meant for South Korea's leader while he was visiting Burma in 1983. President Chun Doo-hwan narrowly escaped the attack, but more than 20 people were killed, including four of his Cabinet ministers, his ambassador to Yangon and several top aides. One North Korean agent was shot to death by police, a second was hanged in jail and a third reportedly died in prison in 2008. Burma, now known as Myanmar, cut diplomatic ties with North Korea following the blast, but they restored relations in 2007. SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT A team of 31 North Korean commandos slipped undetected into South Korea in 1968 and came within striking distance of the Seoul presidential palace. South Korean security forces managed to repel the assault at the last minute. The only commando that was captured said he had come to "slit the throat of (then-President) Park Chung-hee." A furious Park established a secret commando team tasked with demolishing the Pyongyang palace of North Korea's founder. Tensions later eased, but the South Korean commando team, incensed that the planned infiltration was aborted, mutinied in 1971, killing their trainers and marching on Seoul before being stopped. HIGH-PROFILE DEFECTOR In 2010, two agents posing as defectors were arrested in a plot to assassinate Hwang Jang-yop, a former Workers' Party secretary who remains the highest-level North Korean to seek asylum in the South. South Korean officials said both agents were majors in North Korea's main army intelligence agency and were under orders to slit Hwang's throat. Hwang, who once tutored Kim Jong Il, bitterly criticized the North Korean government after his 1997 defection. North Korea called him a traitor and "human scum." He died six months after the assassination attempt at the age of 87. Malaysian police said on Thursday that a third person has been arrested in connection with the apparent poisoning death of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. A police official said officers detained a Malaysian man on Wednesday evening. He is believed to be the boyfriend of the second suspect. The official said the man provided information that led to the arrest of the woman who was using Indonesian travel documents. On Wednesday, police arrested the first suspect in the case, a woman carrying Vietnamese travel documents identifying her as 28-year-old Doan Thi Houng. A Malaysian police statement said a second woman was arrested carrying an Indonesian passport identifying her as 25-year-old Siti Aishah. It was not immediately clear whether either woman's identification was genuine. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry has requested consular access to Aishah. The ministry said Thursday the woman is an Indonesian citizen based on data provided by Malaysia and the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Both women were identified using CCTV footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, where Kim Jong Nam suddenly fell ill Monday morning as he waited to board a flight. His death set off waves of speculation over whether North Korea dispatched a hit squad to kill a man known for his drinking, gambling and complicated family life. DID A SOUTH KOREAN NEWS REPORT DOOM KIM JONG UN'S BROTHER? Also Wednesday, medical workers completed an autopsy on Kim Jong Nam, but it was not immediately clear if or when the findings would be made public. North Korea had objected to the autopsy and asked for Kim Jong Nam's body to be returned; Malaysia went ahead with the procedure anyway as the North did not submit a formal protest, said Abdul Samah Mat, a senior Malaysian police official. Kim Jong Nam, who was 45 or 46, was estranged from his younger brother, Kim Jong Un, and had been living abroad for years. He reportedly fell out of favor when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. According to two senior Malaysian government officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case involves sensitive diplomacy, the elder Kim died en route to a hospital on Monday after suddenly falling ill at the airport's budget terminal. EXCLUSIVE: SHADOWY IRANIAN GENERAL VISITS MOSCOW, VIOLATING SANCTIONS He told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray at the airport, the Malaysian officials said. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said two women believed to be North Korean agents killed him with some kind of poison before fleeing in a taxi. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a number of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror." South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said Wednesday that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim Jong Nam. The NIS did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to lawmakers who briefed reporters about the closed-door meeting with the spy officials. The NIS also cited a "genuine" attempt by North Korea to kill Kim Jong Nam in 2012, the lawmakers said. The NIS told them that Kim Jong Nam sent a letter to Kim Jong Un in April 2012, after the assassination attempt, begging for the lives of himself and his family. The letter said: "I hope you cancel the order for the punishment of me and my family. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and we know that the only way to escape is committing suicide." Although Kim Jong Nam had been originally tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau. He also frequented casinos, five-star hotels and traveled around Asia, with little say in North Korean affairs. But his attempt to visit Tokyo Disneyland reportedly soured North Korea's leadership on his potential as a successor. Kim Jong Nam had said he had no political ambitions, although he was publicly critical of the North Korean regime and his half brother's legitimacy in the past. In 2010, he was quoted in Japanese media as saying he opposed dynastic succession in North Korea. Among Kim Jong Un's executions and purges, the most spectacular was the 2013 execution of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered the country's second-most powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The U.S. pledged more support to Operation Euphrates Shield late Wednesday as Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Ishik held a meeting with his American counterpart James Mattis in Brussels, DailySabah reported. The two officials agreed on setting up a dialog mechanism between US and Turkey. Turkey launched Operation Euphrates Shield on Aug. 24, 2016, declaring that it was exercising its right of self-defense codified under United Nations Charter Article 51. A National Security Council press release on Nov. 30, 2016 stated that the operation's objectives are to maintain border security and confront Daesh terrorism within the framework of the U.N. Charter. It also emphasized not allowing the PKK terrorist organization, or its Syrian affiliates the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing the People's Protection Units (YPG), to establish a corridor of terror on Turkey's doorstep. Moldova's intelligence agency says it has broken up a suspected extremist Islamic group that was spreading propaganda online and whose members had illegal weapons. The Intelligence and Security Service said Wednesday that agents had searched the homes of a number of Moldovan citizens in the northeastern town of Soroca, and found pistols, semi-automatic rifles and other weapons. It says members are accused of "propagating radical Islamic ideology," on social media and elsewhere and illegally possessing firearms. The agency did not provide details about the number of suspects or whether they had been detained. If found guilty, suspects face up to seven years in prison. Pope Francis insisted Wednesday that indigenous groups must give prior consent to any economic activity affecting their ancestral lands, a view that conflicts with the Trump administration, which is pushing to build a $3.8 billion oil pipeline over opposition from American Indians. Francis met with representatives of indigenous peoples attending a U.N. agricultural meeting and said the key issue facing them is how to reconcile the right to economic development with protecting their cultures and territories. JUDGE REJECTS TRIBES' REQUEST TO TEMPORARILY HALT CONSTRUCTION OF DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE "In this regard, the right to prior and informed consent should always prevail," he said. "Only then is it possible to guarantee peaceful cooperation between governing authorities and indigenous peoples, overcoming confrontation and conflict." The Cheyenne River and the Standing Rock Sioux tribes have sued to stop construction on the final stretch of the Dakota Access pipeline, which would bring oil from North Dakota's rich Bakken fields across four states to a shipping point in Illinois. The tribes say the pipeline threatens their drinking water, cultural sites and ability to practice their religion, which depends on pure water. The last piece of the pipeline is to pass under a reservoir on the Missouri River, which marks the eastern border of both tribes' reservations. The company building the pipeline, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, has insisted the water supply will be safe. JUDGE TO HEAR ARGUMENTS ON DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE WORK Francis didn't cite the Dakota pipeline dispute by name and the Vatican press office said he was not making a direct reference to it. But history's first Latin American pope has been a consistent backer of indigenous rights and has frequently spoken out about the plight of Indians in resisting economic development that threatens their lands. "For governments, this means recognizing that indigenous communities are a part of the population to be appreciated and consulted, and whose full participation should be promoted at the local and national level," Francis told the indigenous leaders Wednesday. In the waning days of the Obama administration, amid protests over construction that led to some 700 arrests, federal agencies that have authority over the reservoir said they would not give permission for pipe to be laid until an environmental study was done. U.S. President Donald Trump reversed course and last month instructed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with building the pipeline. Francis' reference to prior consent is enshrined in the U.N. Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, which was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2007 over the opposition of the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Francis' strong backing for indigenous groups and refugees, his climate change concerns and criticism of the global economy's profit-at-all-cost mentality highlight the policy differences with the Trump administration that may come out if the U.S. president meets with Francis while in Italy for a G-7 summit in May. There has been no confirmation of any meeting to date, however. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a major defender of Western democratic values in Europe, has become the target of a Russian campaign to derail her bid for re-election this year. Merkel is up for re-election in September for her fourth term. Russian media is mounting a fierce campaign to defeat Merkel because it apparently sees her as a threat. The main aim of the Russians is to get rid of Angela Merkel, who is making the last stand in Europe to maintain the sanctions against Russia for its seizure of Crimea, and because of its war in Ukraine, said Richard Herzinger, an opinion writer for the German conservative newspaper, Die Welt. Germany's spy agencies, however, have not found any proof that Russia is meddling with the German presidential election. Merkels conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister Christian Social Union (CSU) govern in coalition with the left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD). Both the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD), a fiercely anti-Muslim nationalist party, and the far-left Die Linke, or Left Party, oppose maintaining the sanctions against Russia. Putin would like to break up the EU and NATO and sees Merkel as standing in his way, experts say. Dr. Stephen Szabo, a director of the German Marshall Fund, a Washington-based think tank intended to foster trans-Atlantic cooperation, said both NATO and the EU are blocking Russian expansion into Europe itself. In an effort to undermine the Merkel government, Russian broadcasts and social media churn out stories designed to generate doubt about the German chancellors leadership. This Russian effort also plays upon fears generated by the influx of Muslim refugees and blames Merkel for endangering the German people by mishandling the migrant situation. Moscow has distributed many false stories blaming Merkel for chaos and terrorism in Germany in the wake of her controversial admission of more than 800,000 Muslim refugees in 2015. These stories appear on social media, RT, Sputik television and radio broadcasts, beamed from Moscow to Germany. A fake news story about a Russian-German girl who was allegedly raped by Muslim migrants in Germany ignited a media frenzy last year that spanned two weeks. GERMANY'S MERKEL FACES HARSH NEW REALITY IN THE ERA OF TRUMP The teenager was affectionately called our Lisa, by protesters who alleged a police cover-up and demanded speedy arrests. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made two public comments chastising the German police for not solving the crime. That was just one glaring example of how Russian disinformation is designed to influence public opinion and sow distrust about Germanys justice system. Another example is a false story about Ukraine that was broadcast last month. The host of a popular Russian news program said that Germany wanted to seize Ukraine, but Moscow intervened to foil the plan, according to Peter Kreko, an expert on Russian propaganda and disinformation. German authorities believe the Russian government hacked the Bundestag computer system in 2015 for information that may be used in the current national election campaign. They also hacked the computer of Marieluise Beck, a Bundestag member from the liberal Green Party, and critic of Russias authoritarian government. She was an election observer in Russia. I have worked hard for human rights and freedom of the press, Beck said in a phone interview. She believes her computer was hacked because Russia was interested in her Russian and German contacts. Truth-based debate has suffered because of Russian propaganda, said Jurgen Hardt, a Christian Democratic Union member of the Bundestag and a foreign policy expert. What worries me the most about the Russian influence is the introduction of doubt and the belief that there are alternative facts, he said during a phone interview. A belief in good arguments and the acceptance of truth is being undermined by the Russians. An appellate court in Sweden has upheld a life sentence for a man from Rwanda who faced charges related to his role in the 1994 genocide in the East African country. Claver Berinkindi, a Swedish citizen, had been found guilty of genocide and gross violation of international law in May 2015. He appealed the ruling, saying he was innocent. Berinkindi came to Sweden as a refugee in 2002 and became a Swedish citizen 10 years later. Rwandan authorities initially wanted to prosecute him in Rwanda but since he's a Swedish citizen he couldn't be extradited. Some 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were killed by Hutu extremists during the genocide, according to the U.N. The drug trafficking allegations made by the U.S. against Venezuelas vice president and an alleged Miami-based associate are the toughest test to Chavismo in its 18 years in power, analysts here say. It also signals a hardening U.S. stance toward President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government the Obama administration was always careful not to call for Maduro's removal, choosing instead to support a Vatican-sponsored dialogue. But while Maduro and the entire Chavista leadership were busy denying the allegations, calling the resulting sanctions an act of aggression, 24 hours after the announcement ordinary Venezuelans seemed apathetic and hardly surprised with the news out of Washington. VENEZUELANS LEAD IN US ASYLUM REQUESTS AS CRISIS DEEPENS "The United States has sanctioned several people, other governments condemn the government, the American States Organization as well, but nothing happens here, said Jose Blanco, a clerk at a Caracas hardware store. This will only change if an election is ever allowed. Similarly, 70-year-old housewife Ivonne Alfonzo told Fox News she was barely surprised with the allegations that the countrys second-in-command is involved in an international drug trafficking ring. Nothing ever happens in the end, they remain in their posts and that's it. This doesnt help," she said. But some political analysts are perceiving the sanctions, which freeze all of El Aissamis and his alleged front man Samark Lopezs assets in the U.S., as a strong blow to the Chavista power structure. VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT SAYS HE WANTS CNN OUT OF THE COUNTRY According to political scientist Luis Salamanca, it will test the partys real level of cohesion and could unleash an internal struggle. "The career of El Aissami toward a possible presidential candidacy is eclipsed, he said. I dont think it's enough for him to carry the flags of anti-imperialism, because there seems to be solid evidence that could be used in a judicial action. The analyst also pointed out to the fact that President Maduro didnt directly attack President Trump for the sanctions, as he did when seven top government officials were sanctioned in a similar way two years ago. This time Maduro blamed it on the Venezuelan extreme right and to CNN network, which he said want to antagonize him with the new U.S. president. He doesnt want a direct confrontation because he knows that Trump will react strongly, Salamanca said. In remarks carried on state television Tuesday, President Maduro said he hoped the new U.S. administration would not go down "the same path of defeat and failure" as the previous two U.S. presidential administrations in relations with Venezuela. The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010. El Aissami, 42, has been the target of U.S. law enforcement investigations for years, stemming from his days as interior minister when dozens of fraudulent Venezuelan passports ended up in the hands of people from the Middle East, including alleged members of Hezbollah. El Aissami also worked with prominent drug traffickers in Mexico and Colombia to oversee multiple U.S.-bound cocaine shipments from Venezuela, according to the allegations. The action Monday made no mention of any ties to Hezbollah. The AP contributed to this report. U.S. Navy picture shows what appears to be a Russian Sukhoi SU-24 attack aircraft making a very low pass close to the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea in this picture taken April 12, 2016 and released April 13, 2016. Two Russian warplanes with no visible weaponry flew near the destroyer in what one U.S. official described as one of the most aggressive interactions in recent memory. Ben & Jerrys New 2017 Pints Dig Deep into Indulgence Non-Dairy Fans Rejoice Over Three New flavors; Bourbon Makes a Splash February 15, 2017 // Franchising.com // Burlington, VT - Ben & Jerrys fans looking for the latest in daring flavors will be delighted to discover six new tasty treats developed by the companys outrageous Flavor Gurus. Whether dairy-less or dairy-full, these new, incredibly indulgent ice cream and Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert flavors are full of the chunks and swirls fans have come to expect. The new lineup includes three traditional ice cream pint flavors and three Vegan Certified, Non-Dairy flavors made with almond milk. Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts After last years successful introduction of Non-Dairy flavors, fans clamored for more. Emails and tweets, phone calls and posts all implored the company to expand its selection of decadent flavors boldly loaded with everything but the cow. Ben & Jerrys said We hear ya! and is happy to introduce three new additions to its line of Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts: Caramel Almond Brittle: Almond with Salted Caramel Swirls and pieces of Almond Brittle Almond with Salted Caramel Swirls and pieces of Almond Brittle Cherry Garcia: Cherry with Cherries and Fudge Flakes Cherry with Cherries and Fudge Flakes Coconut Seven Layer Bar: Coconut with Fudge Chunks, Walnuts and swirls of Graham Cracker and Caramel The companys R&D team worked for years to recreate the luscious flavors and satisfying creaminess that mark Ben & Jerrys dairy collection. Our Non-Dairy fans will never miss whats missing, said Ben & Jerrys Flavor Guru, Kirsten Schmioler. These flavors deliver it all - from caramel swirls to chunks of almond brittle. Youll get Ben & Jerrys euphoria in every bite. Cherry Garcia and Coconut Seven Layer Bar are classic Ben & Jerrys flavors, while Caramel Almond Brittle was designed exclusively for Non-Dairy fans. Traditional Pints The companys three new traditional ice cream flavors were influenced by recent food trends like bold burnt flavors, salted twists on fan favorites, and nostalgic eating experiences. Urban Bourbon is a Burnt Caramel Ice Cream with Almonds, Fudge Flakes, and a Bourbon Caramel Swirl. Deep brown liquors are enjoying a renaissance right now, said Flavor Guru Eric Fredette. Millennials are embracing classic cocktails like Manhattans, and bartenders are being super creative with bourbon. Dessert was the obvious next step - the caramel swirl in this ice cream complements the sweet caramel notes in the whiskey. Truffle Kerfuffle is Vanilla Ice Cream with Roasted Pecans, Fudge Chips and a Salted Chocolate Ganache Swirl. The salty-sweet combination is a hard one to resist, said Fredette, especially in desserts. Salted caramel burst on the scene a few years ago, and now salted chocolate is getting some well-deserved attention. Oat of this Swirled has a Buttery Brown Sugar Ice Cream with Fudge Flakes and Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookie Swirls. Its a blatant homage to the companys iconic Oatmeal Cookie Chunk flavor, which still gets piles of fan mail years after being relegated to the companys flavor graveyard. Oatmeal, cinnamon and brown sugar are all about nostalgia, said Fredette. Its like being in your grandmothers kitchen. This one should satisfy people who yearn for that kind of homeyness. Ben & Jerrys fans can find the new pints in grocery stores nationwide in mid-February, 2017 (MSRP $4.99 for ice cream, $5.99 for Non-Dairy). Truffle Kerfuffle and Non-Dairy Caramel Almond Brittle will also be available in Scoop Shops. To learn more or to find a store near you, visit http://www.benjerry.com About Ben & Jerrys As an aspiring social justice company, Ben & Jerrys believes in a greater calling than simply making a profit for selling its goods. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream, yogurt and sorbet using high-quality ingredients. Ben & Jerrys incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices in a number of ways including a focus on values-led sourcing. In 2015 the company completed its transition to using entirely non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients by source as well as to fully source Fairtrade-certified ingredients wherever possible, which benefits farmers in developing countries. Ben & Jerrys products are distributed in 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerrys Scoop Shops, restaurants and other venues. Ben & Jerrys, a Vermont corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, economic reward and a commitment to the community. Ben & Jerrys became a certified B Corp (Benefit Corporation) in 2012. The Ben & Jerrys Foundations employee-led grant programs totaled $2.5MM in 2016 to support economic and social justice, environmental restoration, and peace through understanding. For the inside scoop on Ben & Jerrys visit www.benjerry.com. Contact: Laura Peterson Public Elations Manager Ben & Jerrys 802 923-2679 Laura.peterson@benjerry.com SOURCE Ben & Jerrys ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Watches are not rocket science. Or are they? Watches are not rocket... 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,... ADS ADS Throughout his incomparable career, Abraham-Louis Breguet viewed the finishing of his movements through the lens of functionality. Yes, they are wondrous to behold, but the motifs he employed were chosen for purpose. For most of his finishes, the principal criterion was impeding oxidation and corrosion. Thus, for his brass plates and bridges, his consistent style featured fine graining (grenaillage). Striking in its understatement and purity, the grenaillage finish served not only Breguets anti-oxidation goals, but fit his distaste for artificial decoration. For similar anti-oxidation reasons, he chose a highly polished mirror finish (poli miroir) for the steel hammers of his repeaters. The bluing of screws, at first blush seemingly mere decorative color design (which regrettably is the case with some present day manufacturers who blue screws with paint), actually was completely functional as the color was the result of heat treatment done to harden the steel. The aesthetic finishing flourishes that today are the mark of a timepiece of distinction were simply not within the umbrella of his philosophy. There has been an evolution in the thinking of watchmakers in the nearly two hundred years that have followed Breguets lifetime. Strict adherence to an ethic of applying only finishes that have functional properties has been broadened by notions that the beauty of the movement represents a substantial part of the value of fine watch. In turn, the grenaillage finish employed by Breguet in his workshops two centuries ago has been largely displaced by a rich palate of aesthetic finishes that display the talent and craft of the watchmakers who create them. Both business and technical reasons underlie the change in philosophy that has transpired. During the 1800s and well into the 1900s there was a great divide in the way many watches were built. The Vallee de Joux, seen by most as cradle of Swiss watch making, was dominated by movement builders. The end product of their labors was most often largely undecorated movements containing all the principal plates, wheels and bridge, and, as well, the complications, but lacking the balance and escapement. These were then sold to watch companies in Geneva who added the escapement, and in order to distinguish their offerings, lavished newly created aesthetic forms of decoration on the components. At the same time, the genaillage finish favored by Breguet fell into disfavor because of its reliance on mercury. In order to produce the finish, Breguet brushed the surface with aluminum powder which reacted with the brass of the part transforming the previously smooth surface into one with a finely powdered mat appearance. Therefollowing, mercury was mixed with gold transforming the gold into a slurry that could be used for coating the component. Finally, the part would be heated to evaporate the mercury, leaving the gold coating on the surface. Although the results were unusually robust watches able to resist corrosion for well over a hundred yearsthe reliance on mercury gave abundant incentive to migrate to other finishing approaches. The transition to new finishes did not happen all at once. There was a period during which watch companies proposed different grades of finishes to their clients. A given timepiece was, thus, offered with normal finish, which addressed all of the functional needs or, at a higher price, you saw that coming, a fine finish (termed soignee) which added a full range of motifs to enhance the appearance of the movement. Indeed, in some cases, a third grade, extra soignee was offered. While this would you like an economy ticket or would you like to fly first class approach to marketing may have had a certain appeal during an era when watches were largely bespoke, today not only would it clash with the sensibilities of collectors, but it would corrode the standing of a grand marque. Who today would lust for an haute horlogerie timepiece lacking aesthetic finishes on the movement, done in the name of economy? Todays ethic of a full range of finishes bestowed upon the movement, some done for functional reasons, some purely for beauty, is not only thoroughly and inextricably interwoven with quality and value, but has become a celebrated part of watchmaking tradition. For each one of the finish motifs, historically well rooted rules now govern the particular components upon which it may be used, the techniques and tools for creation, and the notions of what is and is not an acceptable final appearance. Let us examine some of the many motifs now a part of Breguets finishing palate. GRENAILLAGE This is a motif that links modern Breguet with Abraham-Louis Breguet. The finely grained surface treatment of plates and bridges follows that used two hundred years ago and is reserved for Breguets La Tradition Collection. Of course, today modern Breguet has developed methods for producing grenaillage that do not rely upon mercury evaporation. COTES DE GENEVE Cotes de Geneve (Geneva ribs) is actually known by several additional names, including vagues de Geneve (Geneva waves) and cotes droites (straight ribs). It consists of ribs or stripes placed upon a flat surface, separated by lightly brushed areas. Strikingly beautiful, cotes de Geneve is a purely decorative finish which is suitable generally for bridges. It is seldom applied to components upon which other parts are mounted as the surface treatment can be slightly uneven, risking a reduction in the precision of the placement of any added components. On the other hand, as it is an embellishment meant to be seen, why should it be hidden under other components? At Breguet, cotes de Geneve are applied by pulling a wooden burnisher multiple times across the top surface of the bridge component. Each pass with the burnisher creates a stripe. The sharpness of the stripe and the width, angle, depth, and fineness of the brushed areas are all determined by the wood which is used, the abrasive material applied to the burnisher, and, of course, the skill of the watchmaker hand applying the finish. GUILLOCHAGE Breguet is known for its hand guilloche dials. Indeed, it was Abraham-Louis Breguet who was the first to introduce guilloche decoration to watch dials. Today, Breguet produces its dials as they were done historically, hand turning the gold dials on rose engine. All of Breguets guilloche dials, without exception, are created in this fashion respecting the finest hand craft traditions. The identical hand technique is used to bring guilloche motifs to Breguets movements. The majority of the gold winding rotors on Breguets automatic calibers are hand guilloched following the same artisanal methods as the dials. PERLAGE Perlage consists of the small swirls or circles seen on the flat surfaces of plates and bridges. Of course it is decorative as there is great artistry in the placing of swirls, but perlage is also functional as it does help to prevent any corrosion. Indeed, it is Breguets practice to apply perlage not only to areas which are open to view through a clear case back, but as well to surfaces that the owner will never see such as the dial side of the main plate or the recessed areas of the plate which are covered by other parts, such as the barrel. Great fineness and artistic talent are required to pro duce a perlage finish. Each swirl must be precisely placed so that the pattern is harmonious with the surface. A small rotating stem treated with a fine abrasive is manually placed over each location for the swirl. Enormous skill and a practiced eye are required to get each placement just right for the pattern to fit the surface. Close examination of fine perlage decoration shows that not only is placement critical, so is the size of the swirl. Certain components or areas call for extremely fine swirls, others for larger diameters. CISELAGE AND GRAVAGE Ciselage and Gravage (carving and "engraving) are both art forms unto themselves. They consist of hand carving designs or engraving script, in the micro dimensions of a watch. Using different forms of awls and viewing the component through a microscope, the carvers or engravers work is painstaking and exacting. The carving of designs, of course, is limited only by the imagination of the engraver. But in both cases unlike, for example, a painter, there is no possibility of painting over an error or expressing a change of heart with pentimenti. Every gesture applied to the metal must be perfect the first time. If an error is made, the component is discarded. It is not an exaggeration to say that Breguets carvers and engravers are artists working on metallic canvas. Ciselage carving is reserved for Breguets rarest timepieces. This decoration can be seen on the back of the main plate of many tourbillons, on the bridges and winding rotors of certain complicated watches such as the minute repeater and the perpetual calendar, and selected other watches. Gravage engraving is widely found on many movements with the name Breguet engraved, by hand, onto the plate of the movement. POLI MIROIR This is a surface treatment of steel components, which according to watchmaking tradition, is reserved for the rarest and finest haut de gamme timepieces. There are actually several names in use to describe this surface treatment: poli miroir, poli noir, poli bloc. It is interesting that two of the names are descriptions of the appearance and the third of the method for achieving it. Poli miroir captures the look of the surface when light is reflected off it at an angle, for the component shines much like a mirror. Poli noir, or black polish accurately describes the appearance when the surface is viewed from a directly perpendicular position, as the absence of reflected light from that angle transforms the look to that of highly polished black onyx. The name poli bloc connects with the traditional method of achieving the finish, which is painstaking hand polishing upon a zinc surface, lightly coated with fine abrasive. At Breguet, poli miroir is the finish treatment for the hammers of sonneries such as the minute repeaters, the Reveil du Tsar and the bridges of the tourbillons. In order to achieve the perfect optical effects, mirror shine or black onyx, depending on the angle of light, a poli miroir finish requires a radiantly smooth, completely flat surface, utterly free of the slightest trace of blemishes or scratches. BROSSAGE Brossage, or brushing, is a finish that Breguet applies to the flat surfaces of steel arms, levers and cams within the movement. Applied with a rotating wheel, an extremely fine and clean brushing is given to the surface. The direction of the lines depends upon the shape of component. Of course, the edges are given an anglage finish. COLIMACONNAGE This is a brushed design which is commonly applied to the cover of the winding barrel. The pattern is that of a fine spiral, radiating out from the center of the cover. It is applied by means of rotating buffing wheel that gently grinds the curved spiral onto the surface. SOLEILLAGE Soleillage is somewhat similar to colimaconnage in that it is buffed onto flat surface by means of a rotating wheel. However, instead of producing a fine spiral radiating outwards, the finisher alters technique to achieve straight radial lines originating at the center. The soleillage motif is used at Breguet for decoration of certain bridges and the plate of the equation of time movement. ANGLAGE This is one of the most exacting and demanding finishes to apply. The description sounds simple: anglage consists of a rounding and polishing of the edge of a movement bridge or other component. There are multiple purposes that underlie application of anglage. First and foremost is the elimination of smudges and burs remaining after a part has been machined. Not only are these left overs from the cutting of the component unappealing in appearance, they are prime sites for corrosion to begin. The challenges in creating a perfect anglage finish are many, even with the simplest of forms, but increase geometrically as the shape of the component becomes more complex. Consider for a moment the panoply of shapes at the disposal of watchmakers as they craft the bridges, plates, cams and levers of different movements: straight edges, sharp exterior corners, rounded bombee edges, sharp interior corners. The palate is essentially endless, limited only by the imaginations of the movement designers. And it is this boundless variety that calls up a broad repertoire of skills and talents for the watchmakers who practice the craft of anglage. Take, for example, an interior angle (angle rentrant). This is an interior corner or intersection, a shape found on many bridges. It is essentially impossible to form an interior corner perfectly when a part is machined. Careful hand filing with a parade of different metallic files (some coarse, some fine, different widths, etc.), followed by even finer polishing with diamond paste impregnated peg wood, are required to achieve a perfect form with gleaming rounded angles coming together cleanly at the interior intersection. The requirements for finely done anglage are strict. Notwithstanding the variance in possible outside edge shapes of the component, the rounding should be even throughout. Irregularities, flat spots, distortion of curves are all unacceptable. Most of all the edges should display a clean bright polish, done in a way to maximize brilliance. Lidl will launch its North American experiment ahead of schedule this summer, with at least one of the three Fredericksburg-area grocery stores to be among the first to open in the United States, according to spokesman Will Harwood. Lidl, a German company, operates about 10,000 stores in 27 countries throughout Europe. Although the companys original projected opening date was early 2018, a company official said the discount grocers first 20 U.S. stores will open this summer. The stores are located in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to a press release from Harwood. Lidl has completed one store at the corner of Gordon Road and State Route 3 in Spotsylvania County. The store, with a glass and brick facade, is the companys prototype, meaning it has been used to test layouts, signs and products that may appeal to U.S. customers. Lidl is also working on a second Spotsylvania store, in Southpoint II, and a Stafford County store on U.S. 17. Though at least one store in the region will be among the first to open, Harwood said he could not comment on which store it would be. Lidl isnt the first European grocery chain in the area. Aldi is based in Germany, and Ahold Delhazie, which owns Food Lion and Giant, is based in the Netherlands. In the release, president and CEO of Lidl US, Brendan Proctor, promised to shake up the grocery industry along the East Coast. Grocery shopping involves too much compromise, he said. Customers are being forced to choose between quality, price and convenience, and this is a compromise they shouldnt have to make ... We are carefully curating our selection to ensure every choice in our stores is a great choice for our customers. Within one year of opening, Lidl officials said they would establish up to 100 stores along the East Coast. It is estimated the openings will create approximately 4,000 new jobs, according to the press release. Lidl announced its entrance into the U.S. market in 2015, when it purchased the property for its Spotsylvania County distribution center. The company also established a headquarters in Arlington and other distribution centers in Alamance County, N.C., and Cecil County, Md. Eleven men ranging in age from 20 to 63 have been arrested as the result of a five-month online sting operation aimed at child predators. All of the men are accused of having explicit online conversations with people they believed to be 13-year-old girls. The girls were actually members of the Spotsylvania Sheriffs Office acting like they were vulnerable children. Sheriffs Capt. Liz Scott said nine of the suspects were arrested when they showed up at various locations in Spotsylvania County where they expected to meet the girls. Eight of the 11 have addresses in Spotsylvania, Stafford or Caroline counties; one has no fixed address. Sheriff Roger Harris, members of his staff and Commonwealths Attorney Travis Bird held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to announce the arrests. Harris said the undercover online operation took place between October and this month and was funded in part by a $12,000 grant the Sheriffs Office received from the Virginia State Police. The grant paid for overtime used by the Sheriffs Offices Child Exploitation Unit in conducting the investigation and recently ran out. Harris said his office will seek similar grant funds during the next fiscal year. Scott said the number of predators is so plentiful that police could easily make many more arrests if they had the resources to dedicate to it. These people are right in our back yard, Scott said. Thats why its so important that parents pay attention to what their children are doing online. Arrested were: Colin Wade Clayton, 22, Mohammed Wail Nuri, 21, Thomas Wayne Petry, 28, and Michael Wade Miller, 62, all of Spotsylvania; Gabriel Allen Hester, 33, Howard Daniel Dowden, 32, and Jon-Paul Patterson Snyder, 31, all of Caroline; Austin Thomas Fowler, 26, of Stafford; Stephen Lewis Redford, 27, of Amelia County; Reginal Linwood Johnson, 63, of Henrico; and Michael Allen Silver, 20, of no fixed address. Dowden and Johnson are the only two who did not show up for meetings with a child that were arranged online, police said. All 11 men are charged with indecent liberties and electronic solicitation of a minor, and some have other charges as well. Ten of the 11 are in the Rappahannock Regional Jail, court records show. Petry is not currently listed as being incarcerated, according to state court records. A Stafford man picked up a felony charge Monday as the result of a brief chase that began after a deputy spotted a minor infraction on his vehicle, police said. Sheriff's spokeswoman M.C. Morris Moncure said Deputy R.T. Kulbeth was driving north on U.S. 1 when a black Toyota passed him heading south with an expired inspection sticker. Kulbeth turned on his emergency lights and made a U-turn, Moncure said. As he tried to stop the driver, the driver accelerated through the Stafford Wayside at speeds of more than 80 mph. The chase ended after about a mile when the Toyota ran off the road and landed in a ditch near the intersection of U.S. 1 and Carnaby Street, Moncure said. The driver got out of the vehicle and was ordered to show his hands, Moncure said. The driver, who police said had a strong odor of alcohol, was taken into custody without further incident. Douglas Edward Howard, 59, was charged with felony eluding, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with an expired inspection sticker. He was placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail under a $2,000 bond. Last years budget season in Spotsylvania County became contentious when some residents accused the School Board of trying to give its employees a raise on the backs of taxpayers. The School Board voted Monday night to send a $246.8 million operating budget with a $4.8 million deficit on to county supervisors, saying that since the schools are the countys largest employer, and 70 percent of school employees are county residents, the county should not refuse to fund about $3.9 million in mandatory cost increases in Virginia Retirement System payments and health care premiums. We dont want to balance the budget on the backs of our employees, Courtland District board member James Meyer said. Were taking care of our own employees, and our own citizens, and our own families. The countys proposed budget, announced Tuesday evening, does not close the gap. It does include about $286,000 in additional funding for debt service. As county revenues have risen this century, the piece of the countys budget given to schools has shrunk, although the amount of money has more than doubled. The percentage of the county budget spent on schools has declined steadily over the last 10 years, from almost 61 percent in 2000 to just under 50 percent in the current fiscal year. Between 2003 and this year, the countys enrollment has grown from 22,075 students to 23,597 students. Enrollment peaked in 2007 with 24,304, and has typically dropped by about 100 students each year since then, although in some years it increased. A 2 percent cost-of-living pay increase for employees would cost $2.4 million, most of which is covered within a balanced budget, according to schools staff. The budget also includes pilot programs to "return" the athletic and activity buses and cafeteria aides that were cut after the Great Recession, and covers lowering athletic fees. State budgets might give some funding for the pay increase, but nothing has been definite enough to plan on the money yet, administrators said. The schools total proposed budget is about $316.7 million for the next fiscal year, including debt serviceoften incorporated in the operating budget line itemand other items like food service, the detention center, the governors school, fleet service and more. Were finding it more and more difficult to employ teachers. As time goes ahead, if that does not get reversed, were going to have some real problems, board member Bill Blaine, the Salem District representative, said. We have to be able to have a reputation in Spotsylvania that we are a solid division, good financing and good pay for our teachers. Were there, were working at it and its been going in that direction, but as you look down the road, thats going to become a more and more difficult thing to accomplish. Every resident of the county has an obligation to fund public schools, whether they have children there or not, if they want a strong economy in the future, Blaine saidbecause todays public school students are tomorrows employee base, entrepreneurs and well-informed voting citizens. The countys average income of around $78,000 is higher than the state average of $65,000, he said, but its per-pupil spending is lower, at about $10,149 to the states $11,523. In other words, Blaine said, the county can afford to support rising costs, rather than passing them on to employees who are its own residents. To compare to the cost of college, on average, the state pays $7,000 per student towards a four-year degree at a public state college or university - in addition to tuition, which averaged $12,137 at four-year institutions this year, according to information from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, or SCHEV. That makes the total cost per student at a four-year public institution close to $20,000. In an American democracy as we have, public education is a cornerstone. Its a basic building block, and this society absolutely depends on it, Blaine said. Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy has entered the race for the 2nd District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. Foy is the second Democrat to launch a bid for the seat, which represents Stafford and Prince William counties. She will face Democrat Josh King, who narrowly lost to two-term Republican Del. Mark Dudenhefer in 2015, in the June primary. Many issues important to me and the constituents in second district are not being advocated for in Richmond, she said. There are a lot of national, broad picture issues and not enough focus on the things affecting people on a daily basis. Foy lives with her husband, Jeff, in Woodbridge. She works as a public defender, and is also an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College. She is running on a platform that emphasizes education, womens rights and transportation. As a daily commuter to Arlington, she has experienced first-hand the effects of traffic congestion and long commute times on families and businesses. She said traffic issues should not be tolerated as a consequence of living in Northern Virginia, and that the situation demands a solution. Whether it is fighting to get the Metro down to Potomac Mills or using Virginia Department of Transportation dollars to extend HOV lanes past Stafford, there has to be a solution to traffic congestion in Northern Virginia, she said. In addition, she advocates the availability of early childhood education for everyone, and supports pay increases for teachers as a key mechanism to attract and retain top talent. She also champions a womans right to make choices regarding her education, career and health. Foy has tried to lead by example. She attended Virginia Military Institute, and became one of the first female African Americans to graduate from the historically all-male college. She went on to receive her masters degree in English from Virginia State University and later attended law school in San Diego. After graduation, she spent several years teaching and then worked in Los Angeles as a litigation associate. Eventually, she moved back to Virginia and opened up a private practice, which focused on criminal defense. She also served in Richmond as a magistrate judge for several years. Outside of work, Foy has been a foster parent for past eight years. She is very passionate about fostering and assisting children. I have dedicated my life to public service and fought for the rights of the most vulnerable people in our society, whether it is children or the mentally ill or indigent, she said. I have campaigned for national and local leaders who have promoted issues important to us as a community. Now I want to campaign for myselfI want to be that voice and advocate. I have the ability to effectuate change. A 16-year-old Culpeper youth was charged with failing to keep his vehicle on the right side of the road after he lost control and collided with a Culpeper County school bus Wednesday morning, state police said. According to Sgt. Les Tyler of the Virginia State Police, the teen was driving a 1999 Honda Accord east on Black Hill Road in the Jeffersonton area (State Route 626) when he ran off the road, over-corrected, came back onto the road and struck the bus, which was heading west. The accident involving bus No. 71 occurred around 7 a.m. about one-tenth of a mile west of State Route 229, according to the school system. The driver of the Honda was transported to Fauquier Hospital. The extent of his injuries was not available. The bus driver and the 29 students on board were not injured, Tyler said. No students needed medical attention at the scene, according to the school system. Students were loaded on another bus and taken to school, where they were checked by the nurses and parents were notified. Trooper I.R. Ewing investigated the accident and was assisted by the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office and the Little Fork Fire and Rescue. A 16-year-old Culpeper youth was charged with failing to keep his vehicle on the right side of the road after he lost control and struck a Culpeper County school bus about 7 a.m. Wednesday. According to Sgt. Les Tyler of the Virginia State Police, the teen was driving a 1999 Honda Accord east on Black Hill Road (State Route 626) in the Jeffersonton area when he ran off the road, over-corrected, came back onto the road and struck the bus, which was heading west. The accident occurred about one-tenth of a mile west of State Route 229. The driver of the Honda was transported to Fauquier Hospital. The extent of his injuries was not available. The bus driver and the 30 students on board were not injured, Tyler said. Trooper I.R. Ewing investigated the accident and was assisted by the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office and the Little Fork Fire and Rescue. Pope Francis calls for abolition of death penalty throughout the world. (Photo : YouTube/ Quartz) China and Vatican recently made significant progress under the leadership of Pope Francis. Recent events revealed that Beijing and the Holy See might have already come to a consensus concerning a crucial Church matter, suggesting a brighter future for both States. Although not official, it has been widely recognized that the Beijing government broke ties with the Holy See in 1951 following a complicated incident. In order to mend the People's Republic of China- Vatican relations, certain demands were set by the PRC. One of the requirements was that for the Holy See not to interfere in religious matters in PRC. Advertisement As time progresses, the rift between the two States became even wider. A testament to this was the persecution of some members of the underground Catholic churches in PRC. However, such division may soon be amended as talks between two parties gained a significant progress. A consensus has been made between Beijing and the Vatican according to Cardinal John Tong Hon, head of the church in Hong Kong. "The core problem to be resolved is the appointment of bishops... According to Catholic doctrine, the pope remains the last and highest authority in appointing a bishop. If the Pope has the final word about the worthiness and suitability of an episcopal candidate, the elections of local Churches and the recommendations of the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China will simply be a way to express recommendations," The Diplomat quoted Cardinal Tong as saying. Despite the initial consensus of adherence to the canonical rule in term of appointing bishops, other matters under the PRC and Holy See relationship are still unclear. However, other indicators of a much friendlier milieu have been recently observed. Chinese former deputy health minister, Huang Jiefu, was recently invited for a to a two-day conference in Rome on organ trafficking and transplant tourism, according to Quartz. Such gesture does not only showcase the eagerness of the Holy See to reconnect with Beijing, but it also marked a significant development concerning the two entities' relationship. Watch here below life as a Catholic in PRC: Black Coal, Thin Ice (Photo : abudhabifilmfestival/YouTube) Chinese moviegoers would have an opportunity to watch 18 movies that were shown at the recent 67th Berlin International Film Festival at the French Institute of China in Beijing. The Eyes on Berlin movie showcase is the result of an arrangement made by The Goethe-Institute China, French Institute of China and Ullens Center for Contemporary Art to highlight cinematic pieces from France, Germany and China, Global Times reported. The first movie in the showcase exhibited on Friday was Black Coal, Thin Ice, a suspense movie from China that won an award at the 2014 Gold Bear Awards. Advertisement A Sneak Peek at Eyes on Berlin From Germany, the films to be shown include Victoria (2015), Coming Out (1989), Fisterworld (2013) and I Feel Like Disco (2013). Movies from France or in collaboration with another country include On My Way (2013), Fire at Sea (2016, Italy-France), Things to Come (2016, France-Germany), Today (2012, France-Senegal) and In the Courtyard (2014). Movies from China include Apart Together (2010), My Land (2016) and Crosscurrent (2016). The Berlin International Film Festival is known for exhibiting movies that have a critical look at society, politics and current events. The focus is on strong and important stories which could open the eyes of the audience and learn something about the world, Clemens Treter, Goethe-Institute China director, said on Friday at the opening of the Eyes on Berlin showcase. China-Europe Dialogue The objective of the showcase is to open a dialogue between China and Europe. Treter explained that the Eyes on Berlin included films from the three nations because French cinema has made some vital contributions to the film festivals success and it is a good stage for Chinese movies. The 18 movies selected for the showcase focus on issues such as religious fanaticism, mental health, immigration and accelerating capital. The 67th Berlinale started on Feb. 9 and runs until Feb. 19. During the 10-day period, 400 movies are being shown, Deutsche Welle reported. One night in the summer of 2016, a man whose property borders Grayson Highlands State Park saw a flash of light at a nearby power pole. He watched his lights flicker and dim, but the power never went out. The next morning, he found an explanation for the momentary electrical malfunction in his back yard: A large black bear with scorched hair was lying dead at the base of the pole, Appalachian Power spokeswoman Teresa Hamilton Hall said. He started connecting the dots and thought, Oh, thats what happened, Hall said. Its unclear what electrocuted the bear. Department of Game and Inland Fisheries officials told the homeowner that the bear might have come in contact with something on the pole, though an Appalachian employee couldnt determine what exactly the bear touched, Hall said. None of the equipment on the pole was damaged. That bear was one of two found dead after interacting with Appalachian equipment, to Halls knowledge. The other was found in 2015, after a customer lost power to a cabin he owns in Meadows of Dan in Patrick County. But in remote areas of Southwest Virginia like Whitetop Mountain and Glade Spring in Washington County workers have been finding bears handiwork for years. In those regions, employees have found gnawed and clawed-up power poles, some damaged so severely that the poles are nearly in two by the time theyre discovered. Appalachian power spent $9.34 million, or $2,750 per pole, to replace 3,400 damaged poles throughout its coverage area in 2016. The company doesnt currently track poles damaged by bears, so its unclear how much of that replacement cost can be attributed to ursine wildlife. Employees have taken pictures of equipment damaged in both Virginia and West Virginia, but no damaged poles have been reported in the Roanoke or New River valleys yet. Last summer, the company announced a new initiative to inspect and maintain the 600,000 power poles in its service area over the next 10 years. In addition to helping the company better maintain its electrical equipment, it could also help explain unexpected power outages in areas where bear populations are growing, Hall said. So many times when we have power outages, its a squirrel, or its a hawk, or its a black snake, she said. But with more bears in urban areas, it could one day be, Oh, its a bear. Jaime Sajecki, head of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Black Bear Project, said she hears about bears being electrocuted only occasionally. Its unclear why the bears might choose to climb the poles, some of which rise 35 feet in the air. But Sajecki said the bears could be attempting to reach the poles transformers, tricked by their instincts into thinking the equipments buzzing indicates insects. That might have been what led a 100-pound cub to scale a power pole near the Meadows of Dan cabin in October 2015, Appalachian line crew supervisor Steven Montgomery said. In that case, the bears curiosity not only led to its death, but also shorted out the transformer. The dead cub was still on top of the pole when the cabin owner called the company to report that his power was out. Since the owner lives in West Virginia and only returns to the cabin for deer hunting season, its unclear how long the bear had been dead, Montgomery said. If you have a transformer on your pole, if you put your ear to it, you hear it humming, Montgomery said. The transformer makes the pole vibrate some, so the bear thinks that the pole is more like a tree and has bugs in it. Sajecki said its far more common for electrical workers to find scratches and bite marks on poles, as they provide bears with a way to mark their territory and send messages to other bears. When youre a bear, the higher you make the mark on a tree or a pole or whatever, that shows other bears that youre that big, Sajecki said. Theres bears that overlap home ranges, so theyre constantly leaving messages on whos there, whos dominant. Theyre a really good way to broadcast your message. In the past, Sajecki said shes told power companies to use heavy-duty plastic the kind used to line dump trucks or metal flashing to keep bears away from the poles. Thats what the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro uses to provide an extra barrier between the centers bears and the electrical fence surrounding the area, she said. Some companies have also had luck with leaving a damaged pole standing and putting the new one next to it. Bears will usually continue to use the old pole as their scratching post, Sajecki said. Then the new pole they can wrap something around it so they cant climb it or bite it, she said. Appalachian Power senior utility forester Kevin Sigmon said the utility has found its own method for protecting poles from bear damage: drain pipe. The company fits corrugated plastic piping, cut in a spiral, around the pole and then fits the spiral pieces together to make a solid covering. The company first used drain piping as a bear guard about six years ago, when Sigmon and other employees found about two dozen damaged power poles between Konnarock and Skulls Gap in Smyth County. In that case, the poles were in an area that could only be reached on foot. Rather than drag heavy pipes through miles of forest, Appalachian hired a company to airlift the pipes to the site where they would need to be installed. After a couple of years, distribution system supervisor Tony Miller said some employees were sent to check the bear guards. Sure enough, they had been scratched a little bit, and there was some mud on them, but they werent broken or damaged enough that they got to the poles, Miller said. That was one of the first times the company has found a batch of damaged poles clumped together, Sigmon said. And although the bear guards worked, it wouldnt be cost effective to put similar protections on every pole. Sigmon said hes hoping that the new inspection initiative will give the company more insight into where bear guard installations would be most effective. [The bears will] hit a pole over here and nothing else, and then miles away theyll hit another pole, Sigmon said. You cant put bear guards on every pole. That would be a little overkill and very expensive. Its just in this area where we saw lots of damage on a lot of poles we realized there was something special happening. ONE of Secretary of State Rex Tillersons most crucial missions is to ensure that the State Department he leads becomes an integral and influential part of the Trump administration and not an outpost of opposition to a White House set on radically altering U.S. foreign policy priorities. That strategy is playing out in his selection of key officials to manage the agency, including his new chief of staff. The State Department workforce has good reason to be concerned about its relevance in Trumps world. The executive order on immigration was crafted without significant State Department input, and Tillerson was reportedly baffled about not being consulted. When more than 900 department employees signed a dissent cable about the order, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said they should either get with the program or they can go. Enter Margaret Peterlin, who State Department officials confirmed is Tillersons new chief of staff. Peterlin was with Trump before Tillerson came on to the scene. She helped guide Tillerson through his confirmation process, and the two developed a rapport. Now she will have the most important job at the State Department when it comes to managing the relationship between the secretary and the thousands of bureaucrats he leads. Peterlin has a wealth of government and private-sector experience. After distinguished service as a naval officer, she graduated from the University of Chicago Law School and clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. She then went to work for House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, just days before the 9/11 attacks. Afterward, she helped negotiate and draft key pieces of national security legislation, including the authorization for the use of force in Afghanistan, the Patriot Act and the legislation that established the Department of Homeland Security. Shes very substance- and policy-focused. Shes not necessarily a political person, said Brian Gunderson, a State Department chief of staff for Condoleezza Rice who worked with Peterlin in the House. Following a stint as legislative counsel and national security adviser for then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Peterlin moved over to the Commerce Department, where she served as the No. 2 official in the Patent and Trademark Office. There, she led delegations representing the U.S. government to countries all over the world. After she left government, Peterlin worked in the private sector, most recently for XLP Capital, a technology-focused investment firm. The chief of staff at the State Department is the secretarys ambassador to the institution, said David Wade, who was chief of staff to Secretary of State John F. Kerry. Tillersons selection of Peterlin sends a serious and reassuring signal to the building, he said. That reassurance is badly needed. Most of the senior leadership team of the State Department was asked to resign during the transition before replacements were found, leaving large vacuums in administration. The Trump administration has made a series of missteps with the State Department, said Nick Burns, a former undersecretary of state for political affairs. Our foreign and civil service are professional and loyal. All they want to do is serve, but the White House has to show them respect. Tillersons first remarks to his employees this month acknowledged the problem at hand. I know this was a hotly contested election and we do not all feel the same way about the outcome, he said. Each of us is entitled to the expression of our political beliefs, but we cannot let our personal convictions overwhelm our ability to work as one team. Now all eyes in Foggy Bottom are focused on who Trump will nominate for the other crucial role, deputy secretary of state. Last week, Trump rejected the candidate Tillerson was reportedly pushing for the job, former State Department and White House official Elliott Abrams. They both met with Trump at the White House last week, but Trump reportedly couldnt forgive Abrams for speaking out against him during the campaign. Abrams would have entered the State Department with a range of policy and management experience and would have found a workforce that would mostly welcome him with open arms. Now, Tillersons effort to build a team that can bridge the gap between the diplomatic corps and the White House leadership is delayed. Tillerson has the experience to know he must heal the wounds between the professionals he leads and the president he serves. The White House should let Tillerson bring in people who can help him bring Foggy Bottom into the fold, rather than allow it to become another part of the opposition. Josh Rogin, a columnist for The Washington Post, writes about foreign policy and national security. Obama deserved a proper farewell My family, friends, co-workers and my church have questioned why there was no front-page article bidding farewell to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden after all their accomplishments over the last eight years. Half of this country is upset. No, half of the world is upset about Obama leaving office. I read The Free LanceStar everyday because I believe it is a well-written paper that is fair and just. We the people are disappointed. Brenda Carter Falmouth 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. Vietnamese fishermen continue to operate in the South China Sea amid the conflict between their government and China. (Photo : Getty Images) China claims that many islands found in the South China Sea are Chinese territories, but historians claim that the country is stretching the fact too far. The Chinese foreign ministry corrected the U.S., but the American government claimed that the Beijing official has an incorrect interpretation of history. Advertisement Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last week that Japan should return the islets found in the waters in dispute because there was an agreement made after World War II. These islets are now found in the 3.5-million-square-kilometer span of the ocean and are all being contested by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Experts said that China's historical recall is questionable. Yun Sun, East Asia Program senior associate at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, said: "I think there is some truth to the historical facts, quote quote, that he referred to in his talk, but it's not the whole truth and I believe that they were stretching the scope and the depth of the historical records, as well." As for the Philippines, the claim on the Spratly Islands was already made firm by a United Nations declaration last year in a world court arbitration. Vietnam is also contesting the claims from Beijing and stands firmly with their claim because the 1943 Cairo Declaration and 1945 Potsdam Declaration do not apply to former French colonies. The two declarations are used as the reference by China in claiming the Spratly Islands. Taiwan is having a difficult time defending its claim over Itu Aba, an island that is also found in the South China Sea. Taiwan is not a member of the U.N., and they are not the priority of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The tribunal eventually rejected Taiwan's claim. "We absolutely will not accept [the tribunal's decision] and we maintain that the ruling is not legally binding on the ROC," said a statement from Taiwan's president. Fabrizio Bozzato, an associate researcher specializing in international affairs at Tamkang University in Taiwan, said, "China's claim to sovereignty over the South China Sea is grounded in diplomatic history and on specific international treaties and documents." "This, of course, does not mean that Chinese claims are non-debatable or uncontested," he added. The bird flu is spreading across Taiwan as well as Europe. (Photo : Getty Images) Taiwan's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine confirmed that the avian flu has spread in three cities and counties. The director of the bureau expressed concern that the virus will spread more and lead to the culling of more birds. Huang Tze-Chung, the bureau's director general, said, "We are very concerned with H5N6, not of the bird-to-human transmission, but that it will become like South Korea where they had to cull around 33 million birds within three months resulting in significant damage to their industry." Advertisement The virus was predominantly existent in Chiayi, Tainan, and Hualien on the eastern coast, according to the bureau's press briefing. After his travel from Southern China, a 69-year-old man was found infected with the bird flu. He is still being treated at a hospital. The avian virus is a global concern and has affected many poultry farms across the globe. In the United Kingdom, 23,000 chickens were slaughtered due to the outbreak. The farm is located on the Suffolk/Norfolk border and a 6-mile control zone has been established around the Banham Poultry. The chief executive of the British Poultry Council, Nigel Griffiths, said, "It is the most extensive series of outbreaks we've had for many years." He added, "There is a concern but there's also a determination to work with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to stamp out bird flu." A spokesperson from the farm said that the poultry will be killed according to the humane standards of the EU. He said, "The birds will now be humanely culled by the authorities in accordance with EU legislation." The spokesperson noted that the farm has safety controls in place to ensure sanitized culling and disposal. "All of our staff are trained in biosecurity management and we are ensuring that the controls that are in place are rigorously followed," he noted. "We will continue to cooperate with the authorities to ensure that the situation remains under control." Dairy farmers are being warned they must continue to aim for the lowest cost of production and make sure any money they do spend is delivering them a return. Farm business consultancy Andersons said that although recent increases in farmgate prices had improved farmers prospects, the medium-term outlook contained a number of potential problems. The firm has updated the figures on its Friesian Farm model farm, which is a notional 150-cow business in the Midlands on a non-aligned liquid milk contract. See also: Dairy farms warned to prepare for dairy downturn in 2020 The farms position has improved significantly since the figures were last run in July 2016, when the company was suggesting a business surplus, after subsidies, of 0.4p/litre in 2016/17 and 2.3p/litre in 2017/18. With milk prices on the rise, the farm is now forecast to make a business surplus of 1.7p/litre in 2016/17, which is estimated to rise to 5.4p/litre in 2017/18. But Andersons has warned that while the sharp upturn in milk prices means that budgeted returns are once again at sustainable levels, it may be short-lived. One reason is that producers will be facing inflationary cost increases, which will affect labour, commodities and any products they buy. Inflationary increases in costs may well be one of the key features of 2017, it said. Some of the shifts seen are a result of market factors, such as the rising oil price, but the fall in the pound against the dollar has also been a major factor. Many cost items, being products rather than commodities, do not react immediately to inflationary factors. However, while slower to react, they will eventually be affected as price lists are readjusted. Other potential problems include the impact of a hard Brexit, which could see prices fall for many commodities because of the effect on trade flows. There is also expected to be a fall in subsidies because support is likely to be lower under a British Agricultural Policy than under the CAP. Global dairy markets may also have risen significantly from their lows, but another downturn will arrive at some point perhaps as soon as late this year or early 2018, it said. All this means that dairy farms need to use the current period of better profits to prepare for the future, Andersons said. They must continue to strive for the lowest costs of production as this simply means they remain profitable at a wider range of market process and subsidy levels. Friesian farm forecasts p/litre 2014/15 (result) 2015/16 (result) 2016/17 (estimate) 2017/18 (forecast) Milk 29.4 22.6 23.2 28.0 Output 32.1 25.2 25.8 30.6 Variable costs 13.2 12.0 11.5 12.2 Overheads 11.0 9.7 9.5 9.5 Rent, finance and drawings 4.7 4.8 4.9 5.3 Cost of production 28.9 26.5 25.9 26.9 Margin from production 3.2 (1.3) (0.1) 3.6 BPS/SPS (And ELS*) 1.9 1.6 1.8 1.8 Business surplus 5.1 0.3 1.7 5.4 *ELS 2014/15 only The government has commissioned no research in the past six months to inform agricultural policy once the UK leaves the European Union, it has emerged. Defra minister George Eustice confirmed the lack of research in a parliamentary written answer to a question tabled by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas. Ms Lucas had asked what research the government had commissioned in the past six months to inform the development of post-Brexit agricultural and environmental policy. See also: Agri-environment payments limited after Brexit Mr Eustice replied by saying Defra invested a significant amount in agricultural and environmental research to underpin policy development and implementation. Much of this is relevant to the development of future policy in the context of EU exit, he said. However, research specifically to inform agricultural and environmental policy once the UK leaves the EU which is distinct from the departments ongoing research programmes has not been commissioned in the past six months. The exchange comes in a week during which peers warned that the UKs withdrawal from the EU will have a significant impact on the environment. Key environmental policies at EU level include environmental aspects of the CAP, said the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee. The committee has been investigating the actions needed to ensure environmental protections are not eroded as a result of Brexit. These include cross compliance, environmental standards and biodiversity, said a committee report published on Tuesday (14 February). Regardless of the shape of the future EU-UK relationship, the UK will need to replace all environment legislation that is currently embodied in EU fisheries and agriculture policy, it said. Long-term approach Although equivalent policies could be carried over as a temporary measure, alongside other EU environmental legislation, the report recommends a different approach longer term. The committee said the government should set out its plans to implement new domestic policies that build on the progress in environmental protection achieved during EU membership. It should do this in advance of the completion of withdrawal from the EU, said the report. A Defra spokeswoman said the parliamentary question had outlined that Defra does invest in agricultural and environmental research to underpin the development of policy. Much of this is highly relevant to the development of future policy outside the EU, the spokeswoman told Farmers Weekly. We are committed to creating a productive and sustainable food and farming industry and will shortly be consulting widely on the future of farming policy as we leave the EU. Story Highlights Just over seven in 10 Americans have a favorable opinion of Israel About one in four view Israel unfavorably Netanyahu's ratings tilt positive, 49% to 30% WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump meet in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, 71% of Americans have a favorable view of Israel and 27% an unfavorable view. That represents the fourth straight year that Israel's favorable rating has been 70% or higher. From 2005 through 2012, Israel's favorable score varied between 63% and 71%, but with most readings below 70%. Before that, it was more volatile, surging to 79% during the 1991 Gulf War but registering below 60% at times in 1989, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2002 and 2004. Gallup asks Americans to give their impression of Israel and numerous other countries each year as part of its annual February World Affairs survey. This year's survey was conducted Feb. 1-5 and found 29% viewing Israel very favorably, 42% mostly favorably, 21% mostly unfavorably and 6% very unfavorably. Just 8% have no opinion of the Jewish state. Israel enjoys a positive image among all major U.S. demographic and political groups, but scores particularly well with Republicans (81% view it favorably) and adults 65 and older (77%). While a majority of Democrats view Israel favorably, the 61% doing so is the lowest of any major subgroup. Americans' Overall Opinions of Israel Total favorable Total unfavorable % % U.S. adults 71 27 Republicans 81 18 Independents 70 27 Democrats 61 36 Men 73 26 Women 69 29 18 to 29 63 33 30 to 49 70 29 50 to 64 72 26 65 and older 77 21 Postgraduate 71 27 College graduate only 72 25 Some college 69 27 No college 70 27 Gallup, Feb. 1-5, 2017 Netanyahu's Image Generally Positive Although Netanyahu himself receives more positive than negative reviews from Americans, his 49% favorable rating from U.S. adults is significantly lower than the rating of the country he governs. Another 30% view him unfavorably, while 21% -- higher than the 8% for Israel -- have no opinion of him. Seventy-three percent of Republicans view Netanyahu favorably and only 11% unfavorably. At the same time, he sparks net-negative reviews from Democrats -- 32% favorable and 41% unfavorable -- a pattern that emerged after Netanyahu took on President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran in 2015. Netanyahu's image is also slightly negative among adults aged 18 to 29, but that may be partly attributable to their greater unfamiliarity with him. Americans' Overall Opinion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Favorable Unfavorable No opinion % % % U.S. adults 49 30 21 Republicans 73 11 16 Independents 43 36 22 Democrats 32 41 26 Men 50 32 18 Women 48 28 25 18 to 29 26 32 41 30 to 49 51 27 21 50 to 64 56 29 14 65+ 58 33 9 Postgraduate 45 48 6 College graduate only 49 36 15 Some college 53 26 21 No college 47 23 30 No opinion includes % never heard of Gallup, Feb. 1-5, 2017 Bottom Line Israel is broadly liked in the U.S., with a favorable rating hovering near 70% in recent years. At 49%, Netanyahu's U.S. favorable rating falls well short of this but is net positive. Meanwhile, Trump is struggling with low job approval ratings, including an especially weak rating on foreign affairs. Wednesday's meeting with Netanyahu thus presents an opportunity for Trump to boost those ratings by engaging in friendly diplomacy. While Americans sympathize more with the Israelis than the Palestinians in the regional dispute, they have long considered the conflict a threat to U.S. interests. Given this, Trump could also benefit in Americans' eyes if he is seen actively working toward a solution -- what he has called the "ultimate deal." Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics. Story Highlights Houston led largest U.S. metro areas in 2012-2013; tied for last in 2016 Salt Lake City had the highest score on Job Creation Index in 2016 Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Austin, Texas, in top five for third straight year WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Houston and Hartford, Connecticut, rank last among the 50 largest U.S. metro areas on Gallup's Job Creation Index. That marks a swift reversal for Houston, which had topped the list in the 2012-2013 report. Salt Lake City is first in the rankings, based on 2016 data, with a score of +45. Gallup's Job Creation Index is based on employees' reports of hiring activity at their place of work. As part of its daily tracking survey, Gallup asks working Americans whether their employer is hiring workers and expanding its workforce, letting workers go and reducing the size of its workforce, or not changing its employee base. Nationally, in 2016, 43% of workers said their employer was hiring and 11% said theirs was letting workers go, resulting in a +32 score on Gallup's Job Creation Index. That represents steady improvement from a -1 score in 2009 and +20 in 2013. Large cities and their surrounding cities and suburbs are usually major hubs of business and economic activity and thus employment. As a result, the 50 most populous metro areas have Job Creation Index scores that tend to exceed the national average. In fact, 37 of the 50 metro areas scored +33 or better in 2016. Not only is Houston among the 12 metro areas whose job creation lags the national average, but it is also one of only two metro areas, along with Oklahoma City, whose score has not improved since 2012-2013. When Houston ranked first for job creation in 2012-2013, its score was +32; now it is +24. Oklahoma City, which ranked first in 2011 with a score of +25, had a +26 score in 2012-2013 and still does. Houston and Oklahoma City, whose economies rely to a large degree on the energy industry, likely benefited from higher energy prices in the earlier part of the decade but may have been harmed by sustained lower prices in recent years. Hartford, Pittsburgh and Birmingham, Alabama, join Oklahoma City and Houston in the bottom five. Hartford has been in the bottom five each of the past three years. Although these five major metro areas trail most others in job creation, they still have relatively healthy job markets in an absolute sense, with many more workers in those areas reporting job gains than job losses where they work. Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Austin, Texas, Among Strongest Job Markets The highest-ranking metro areas had Job Creation Index scores of +41 or greater. These include Salt Lake City; Louisville, Kentucky; Columbus, Ohio; Atlanta; San Francisco; Austin; and Nashville, Tennessee. Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Austin have ranked in the top five each of the past three years. All three have a significant presence in the technology industry. Orlando, Florida, was the top metro area for job creation in 2015 and consistently ranked near the top before that. In 2016, it fell just outside the top-ranking areas, at +39. Las Vegas also did not make the top tier of large metro areas in job creation but has shown the most improvement in recent years. In 2014, Las Vegas ranked near the bottom with a score of +21; it surged to +40 in 2016. Las Vegas' improvement has helped propel Nevada to the top of Gallup's state job creation rankings. Complete data for each of the 50 largest metro areas appear at the end of this article. Implications Although the hiring situation, as assessed by front-line workers, is healthy in all major U.S. metro areas, some areas are stronger than others. Salt Lake City, Austin and San Francisco have consistently ranked among the healthiest job markets in recent years, with Hartford consistently ranking among the weakest. A metro area's relative strength can change rapidly as the economy and job market change, which is evident in Houston's and Oklahoma City's tumbles in the rankings and Las Vegas' recent surge. Areas that hold a strong job presence in certain economic sectors, such as energy in the case of Houston and Oklahoma City and tourism in the case of Las Vegas, may be especially susceptible to volatility in the job market, and thus show departures from the broader trends observed in the rest of the country. These data are available in Gallup Analytics. Gallup.com reports results from these indexes in daily, weekly and monthly averages and in Gallup.com stories. Complete trend data are always available to view in the following charts: Daily: Employment, Economic Confidence, Consumer Spending Weekly: Employment, Economic Confidence, Job Creation, Consumer Spending Read more about Gallup's economic measures. View our economic release schedule. A customer shops near a display of Ferrero Rocher chocolates inside a supermarket. (Photo : Getty Images) According to the National Business Daily, chocolates that are made domestically have suffered a crushing defeat against foreign brands ahead of the Valentine season. The newspaper cited that domestic brands were seldom seen on display shelves of several supermarkets in Beijing. Advertisement "Most domestic brands are waiting for foreign brands to step into the market and educate consumers then reap the spoils by simply copying what they do," said Zhu Danpeng, a researcher at the China Brand Research Institute. Zhu also noted that after China's most popular domestic brand, Le Conte, suffered market share slumps and temporarily shut down for a new buyout, China-made chocolate almost lost its self-owned brands. Zhu added: "Although chocolates shaped by domestic makers as gold bars, gold coins or any other characters that are popular among Chinese customers raised a certain (portion) of market share during the Chinese New Year period, deficiency of brand awareness still resist domestic brands' business expansions in the first and second tier cities. "Most of the domestic brands have to slip into tier-three or tier-four cities to overcome market share losses by competing with western brands." As most online shoppers are keen on purchasing well-known western brands that have a more favorable reputation, online sales for domestic vendors remain dim. The statistics data of China Merchant Securities indicated that the western brand Ferrero Rocher stood out from the crowd as it has accounted for 17.8 percent of the market share. Other leading brands reached 39.8 percent in total, including Dove Chocolate, Snickers and M&Ms, among others. To add to the sluggish sales of Chinese brands, fake commodities have also continued to damage the growth of domestic brands. According to Zhu, domestic brands that have achieved a position in the low-end market may develop more authorized cartoon-featured products in order to solve certain rigid demands in third-tier cities, fourth-tier cities and the rural market. Jeremy Meeks (Photo : Inside Edition/YouTube) Because of the lifestyle in the modeling industry, some models end up in trouble with the law when they use drugs. In July 2016, top Chinese model Ge Huijie was arrested for narcotics use when she sought treatment for inflamed cholecyst at the Civil Aviation General Hospital in Beijing. From Prison to Catwalk Advertisement It is the other way around for 33-year-old Jeremy Meeks who debuted on Monday as a model for designer Philipp Plein. He was discovered when his mug was posted in 2014 by the Stockton Police department on its Facebook page, but because of his handsome face, even before Meeks could serve his sentence, he got offers to model. Meeks strutted the designs of Plein on the fifth day of the bi-annual fashion show, the New York Daily News reported. He wore a futuristic all-black outfit from pants to boots to jacket and puffer coat with fur hood. Famous Mug Shot He was also photographed backstage shirtless which displayed his muscular chest and tattoos, while giving a peek of his black underwear bearing the brand of Philipp Plein, Daily Mail reported. His mug shot, featuring Meeks chiseled cheekbones and piercing blue eyes, became the former convicts ticket to a modeling job which the 6 1 hunk showed at the fashion show. Among the celebrities who watched Meeks strut on the catwalk were Madonna, Paris Hilton, Olivia Culpo, Kylie Jenner and Tyga. He was meted in 2015 a 27-month prison sentence for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm in public and criminal street gang activity. After Meeks served the sentence and he was released from prison in March 2016, the White Cross Management talent agency signed him up for modeling jobs. Jim Jordan, a modeling agent at White Cross, said that after Meeks debut at the New York Fashion Week, the agency got calls from the top five designers in the world to inquire about the ex-convict, The Wrap reported. Readers, we need your help to prove a merry Christmas for victims of domestic violence. Representatives of Oregon State University, the Corvallis School District and the city of Corvallis reaffirmed their commitments to provide sanctuary for immigrants and foreign visitors at Tuesdays meeting of the Corvallis City Club but they also heard calls for even stronger action from some of those in attendance. All three along with the Benton County Board of Commissioners have pledged not to assist in federal immigration enforcement actions in the wake of President Donald Trumps promises to deport illegal aliens and executive orders temporarily banning entry to the U.S. by residents of seven Muslim-majority nations. But its not entirely clear how far those protections would go if the new administration follows through on its threat to withhold federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions. Attorney Scott Vignos, director of strategic initiatives for the OSU Office of Institutional Diversity, appeared to acknowledge some of that uncertainty at Tuesdays meeting. Sanctuary as a concept is not static. It evolves over time, he said. How we think about sanctuary as a university, how we think about our policies around sanctuary is changing in this evolving political environment. Vignos noted that OSU provides free legal assistance to its students, including advice regarding immigration law, and said university officials are attempting to provide clear and accurate information on immigration issues to the campus community. And while the university is committed to complying with federal law, he added, it does not collect information on the immigration status of individuals. We have said very clearly it is not our role and it is not our job to be immigration enforcers, he said. Corvallis School Board Chair Alexis McQuillan said the local school district is taking a similar approach, providing information to families and attempting to reassure them that their kids wont be turned over to immigration officials. The Corvallis School District is committed to the safety and success of every student who walks through our doors every day, she said. We know that all children in the United States, regardless of whether they are undocumented or have family members who are undocumented, have a constitutional right to equal access to education. Both McQuillan and Corvallis Schools Superintendent Ryan Noss acknowledged that the fear of deportation is a significant issue for some students and their families, but they stressed that the district does not collect information on students immigration status. Our goal hasnt changed, Noss said. It continues to be that we have kids in school that feel safe, that feel protected and are ready to learn. Mayor Biff Traber pointed out that the Corvallis has a history of protecting the rights of noncitizens, Muslims and other minority groups that predates its recent sanctuary declaration by many years. The Corvallis 2020 Vision Statement, adopted in the 1990s, lays out the citys aspiration to be a community that honors diversity and is free of prejudice, bigotry and hate, Traber said. In 2006, he added, the city charter was amended to guarantee equal protection to all persons, regardless of citizenship status, country of origin or religion, among other characteristics. Similar protections are provided by the citys civil rights and anti-discrimination ordinances. To put it simply, we have a framework that should be reassuring to the community population, Traber said. We already were a sanctuary city, and we will continue to be that. He also noted that Oregon is a sanctuary state, with laws that bar local law enforcement agencies from arresting or detaining anyone based solely on an immigration offense. You wont find the Corvallis Police Department going out on immigration sweeps and collecting information about immigration status, Traber said. Still, those statements did not seem to satisfy all of the more than 60 people in the audience, some of whom expressed their concerns during a question-and-answer period. Among the questions they raised were these: Is there any legal precedent that allows a state to defy federal immigration policy? What are school and city officials doing to combat bullying and harassment? Where do the county sheriff and district attorney stand on sanctuary? What happens to undocumented immigrants who get pulled over for traffic violations? Can people in the country illegally expect help from the police in an emergency? Why havent there been more Spanish-language presentations on immigrants rights? Despite all the sanctuary declarations that have been made in Corvallis and Benton County, several people made the point some of them through tears that the local immigrant community continues to live in a climate of fear. Among the last to speak was a woman who said anti-immigrant rhetoric at the national level has led to a rise in racism throughout the country, even in nice cities such as Corvallis. She called on everybody in the room to do more than just talk about sanctuary. I just ask you, do not stand by, she said. If you see somebody being harassed, I ask you to stand up because its here, its not going away. Thekla Inc. introduces their latest puzzle video game, "The Witness." (Photo : YouTube/PlayStation) The Humble Freedom Bundle is one of the best deals a PC gamer can get on the Internet for just $30. What makes it better is that all of the proceeds will directly go to several organizations that help out people who are affected by United States President Donald Trump's immigration ban. Advertisement To get the whole pack, Humble Bundle only asks for a minimum of $30. All of the proceeds will go to the International Rescue Committee, Doctors Without Borders and the American Civil Liberties Union. Humble Bundle will also be matching the contributions for up to $300,000, The Verge has learned. The Humble Freedom Bundle contains several games that, when combined, are worth more than $30. "The Witness" alone already costs $40. Other games included in the bundle are "Stardew Valley," "Invisible Inc.," "The Stanley Parable," "Super Hexagon," "Song of the Deep," "Mini Metro," "Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP" and many more. All in all, the Humble Freedom Bundle has more than $600 worth of value inside. Humble Bundle will still be adding more games and content to the mix as the fundraiser goes on. Unfortunately, the additions have not been announced yet. Jeffrey Rosen from Humble Bundle told Ars Technica that all of their employees and customers come from across the globe. Humble Bundle's team stands up against Trump's immigration ban and they also see it as damaging to both consumers and businesses alike. "We humbly united lots of people with similar feelings," said Rosen. "Every team at Humble Bundle worked tirelessly to put this together in less than a week." The Humble Freedom Bundle is available to interested customers until Feb. 20. To unlock the whole bundle, customers need to donate at least $30 but they can pay as much as they want to support the cause. Learn more about the bundle below: Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards attend the 'Arrow' Special Video Presentation and Q&A during Comic-Con International 2016 held on July 23, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Matt Winkelmeyer) "Arrow" Season 5 episode 13 will reveal Rene's, also known as Wild Dog, origin, and backstory. The upcoming segment is titled "Spectre of the Gun" and it will see a tragedy strikes Star City when City Hall comes under attack. Here are a few spoilers for the next chapter of the series. Read on to find out what happens next. Also, find out where to watch episode 5x13 online via live stream. Advertisement [Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for "Arrow" Season 5 episode 13 "Spectre of the Gun." Do not read further if you don't wish to know more about it.] Fans first met Rene Ramirez in episode 1 of Season 5. Now, the show will shed more light on the mysterious character and explore his background. The network has released a brief synopsis for "Arrow" Season 5 episode 13. According to the Spoiler TV's description, City Hall will come under a traumatic attack. This incident will reportedly bring back some painful memories for Rene, revealing more about his family. "Arrow" Season 5 episode 13 will feature flashbacks and reveal what led to a transformation in Rene, who was once a family man leading a simple life. And now he is a superhero named Wild Dog. It is certain that he has a painful past and it will be unveiled this week. As for Oliver Queen, he will not be donning his Green Arrow costume this week. He decides to deal with the perpetrator of the attack as the mayor of the city and not as Green Arrow. Meanwhile, clashes and conflicts occur in the Arrow bunker. The latest promo video for "Arrow" Season 5 teases the events of episode 15. It gives a glimpse at how Mayor Queen will decide to deal with the gun-runners. Scroll down to watch the promo online. In an interview with TV Line, the executive producer Marc Guggenheim revealed that in the upcoming episode Mayor Queen will be dealing with gun-related crimes. Also, he revealed what to expect from "Arrow" Season 5 episode 13. "...I think you can see that in the second half, it's about guns and gun violence, but it's also about the state of discourse in our country," Guggenheim said. "Arrow" Season 5 episode 13 airs Feb. 15 at 8:00 pm on The CW. Fans can also watch episode 5X13 online via live stream on cwtv.com after the television broadcast of "Spectre of the Gun." Spoilers and promo for episode 14 are expected soon. G20 meeting in Bonn : A59 could be temporarily closed BONN The airport autobahn A59 may see some temporary closures on Friday when foreign ministers make their way to the airport. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be staying in Bad Neuenahr, which could also lead to some traffic congestion there. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken More information has become known surrounding the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bonn on Thursday and Friday. Responding to a GA inquiry, police confirmed that they may need to close off the A59 autobahn at times on Friday while foreign ministers make their way to the airport. The conference is scheduled to end between 2 and 5 pm. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be staying in Bad Neuenahr at the Steigenberger Hotel so there may also be street closures and congestion there. Two floors of the hotel have been booked for the 70-person U.S. delegation. During their arrival and departure times, one can expect traffic disruptions. Police have set up a phone line for citizens: (0228) 15 30 30 / Wed. from 8 am - 5 pm, Thurs, Fri. from 7 am - 8 pm. Worldwide initiative : Dancing protest at Munsterplatz Around 100 women participated in the One Billion Rising demonstration on Tuesday. Bonn One Billion Rising participants danced at Munsterplatz in Bonn city center on Tuesday. They were part of a mass action to end violence against women across the world. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken They danced as part of a worldwide initiative. Around 100 participants gathered at Munsterplatz in Bonn city center on Tuesday to be part of One Billion Rising. This year, the women joined forces to express outrage at sexual violence against women and the oppression and discrimination aimed at women. Dance therapist Marita Hoscheidt founded the Bonn chapter of One Billion Rising and this was the fifth time she has organized the dance protest initiative. It was done in conjunction with many other similar protests held around the world. The initiative first came to life in 1998 through the efforts of New York artist Eve Ensler. In 2012, the first global event was held. Foreign ministers meeting : Details surrounding the G20 in Bonn Bonn Security inspections, closed roads and traffic hindrances: Bonn is getting ready to host the big G20 meeting at the WCCB. Here is what you need to know. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken After a lengthy hiatus, Bonn will once again play host to politicians from all over the world. The foreign ministers of the G20 states and their delegations meet at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB) this Thursday and Friday. Preparations are running full steam ahead. Conference venue: 70 employees of the WCCBs management team have been ready to go for days, says WCCB Managing Director Michael Kleine-Hartlage. The existing offices could not accommodate the approximate 250 delegates so other halls in the WCCB have been converted into office space. Officers from the Federal Criminal Police Bureau (BKA) are on duty throughout the building. Catering: With 250 delegates and 350 accredited journalists from the G20 countries, catering plays an important role. According to the Foreign Ministry, the G20 Foreign Ministers will be served lunch at the Nairobi Hall, and they will meet in the evening for dinner at the Villa Hammerschmidt. Other delegates and journalists will be provided catering by the WCCB. We have stored around 5.5 tons of food and 1,500 cases of non-alcoholic beverages in our kitchens and pantries, said Kleine-Hartlage. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said they would not be commenting on the menu. Accommodation: Most of the delegates will stay in the Marriott Hotel adjacent to the WCCB. Security teams have been inspecting the hotel for weeks already. Hotel manager Sebastian Leifgen said diplomatic advance parties have provided detailed information so they can ensure the foreign ministers have everything they need. Its about secure telephone lines, fax connections and food wishes, said Leifgen. Some menu wishes could be extended, for example a chick pea dish for Oriental guests but due to technical reasons, the kitchen could not provide halal or kosher food. Despite good preparation, there continue to be booking changes at the hotels. Some are reporting additional bookings while others report cancellations. Security measures: Police have blocked off an area within a one kilometer radius of the WCCB. Around 500 protesters are expected to hold a demonstration on Thursday between 5 pm and 7 pm. One cannot rule out that other demonstrators may join in. According to police, there will be road closures at the intersections of Welckerstrae/B9 and Heusallee/B9. Entry will only be possible for residents and registered vehicles. A wider security perimeter will be established between Zweiter Fahrgasse, Sudbrucke, Rhine riverbanks, and the B9. The Rhine promenade at the river will be closed during the conference. Anyone in the secure areas must be prepared for ID checks and have identification available. Visitors at the GOP Theater have been informed that there is not parking available directly in the vicinity. The WCCB parking garage is available only to conference participants. Parking garages for the Deutsche Welle and Deutsche Post remain open and accessible. Road and airline traffic: Traffic could be hindered on Reuterstrae but police cannot give exact times because the delegations break into single groups during the day. Roads from the Cologne/Bonn and Dusseldorf airports will be affected. On Friday, security authorities assume that when the conference ends between 2 pm and 5 pm, there will be a bottleneck on the A59 to the Cologne/Bonn Airport. The airport itself does not expect any impairments as a result of the 16 extra flights. The Federal Ministry of Transport has established a no-fly area around the WCCB. Model planes or unmanned aerial systems are prohibited between Thursday, 5 pm and Friday, 10 pm. Foundation stone laid : GIZ invests 256 million euros in Bonn From left to right: Cornelia Richter, Franz-Josef Lersch-Mense, Tanja Gonner, Hans-Joachim Preu, Christoph Beier, Albert ten Brinke, Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan. Foto: Barbara Frommann Bonn A foundation stone was laid at the GIZ campus in Bonn. It is expected that 850 employees will move into the new building in 2019. Leaders say it strengthens Bonns international role. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken The German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) laid the foundation stone on Tuesday for a new office building at their campus on Friedrich-Ebert-Allee in Bonn. With 28,000 square meters, it will offer work space for 850 staff. The cost of the new building is estimated at 158 million euros. Added to a new GIZ training center in Bonn-Rottgen and a first building phase, this means GIZ has invested a total of 256 million euros in Bonn, offering 1,300 jobs. The investment underscores GIZs commitment to its registered office in Bonn, said Tanja Gonner, Chair of the GIZ Management Board. The new building is the largest investment ever for GIZ. And its not without justification, there are many ties to neighboring organizations in Bonn. Says Gonner, As GIZ we are delighted to be part of Bonn, the global capital for sustainability and climate protection. Dorothee Fielder, Director-General at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), gave reference to the many challenges requiring international cooperation, including climate protection and the UN Agenda 2030. She noted that development policy was an important topic which will continue to play a big role in the future. Their work was not about quick success but rather about achievement in the long run. Franz-Josef Lersch-Mense, Minister of Federal Affairs, Europe and Media as well as Head of the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, said this was an important building block for establishing Bonns international role. Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan saw it similarly and said that the presence of GIZ was a big win for Bonn. GIZ Managing Director Hans-Joachim Preu explained how sustainability played a role in the building design. The roof of the building will be equipped with a photovoltaic system, solar thermal energy will be gained, and rain water will be used as a coolant. Salary dispute : Lufthansa reaches settlement with pilots' union Lufthansa pilots during a November 30 demonstration regarding pay. The airline and the pilots agreed Wednesday to a settlement worked out in mediation. Foto: dpa Frankfurt German airline Lufthansa and pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit have agreed to a settlement proposed in mediation, ending a long-running and bitter dispute over salaries. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Von dpa Lufthansa said that 5,400 pilots who fly for Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings would receive salary increases of 8.7 per cent in four phases as well as a one-off payment of between 5,000 and 6,000 euros (5,280 and 6,335 dollars) per person. The mediation, led by Gunter Pleuger, started in December. Vereinigung Cockpit had sought a 22-per-cent wage increase over a period of five years for its members. A general view of the LG logo at the 2013 International CES at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 8, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo : Getty Images/David Becker) LG G6's newest teaser claims that the new flagship smartphone will be reliable. The South Korean tech company might be taking a jab at the recent Galaxy Note 7 fiasco by Samsung. The new LG G6 teaser sent to Android Central has a copy of "Reliability. Check, Check, Check." It is followed by the unveiling date which is set for Feb. 26. Advertisement LG has been vocal in their previous announcements that the G6 will be a reliable smartphone in terms of features and quality. The LG G6 is expected to have the same military certification the LG V20 has and more. In fact, earlier reports claim that the flagship smartphone will have water resistance as well. The new flagship smartphone from LG will not have the modular features that made the G5 fail in the first place. Instead, the company is focusing on quality and performance. LG G6 models have already been shipped to lucky users under the Pre-release Strategy Recruiting program designed to collect early feedback before the launch, NDTV reported. There are no reviewers yet that have posted their take on the new flagship smartphone. With reliability being a keyword in the marketing strategy, the smartphone may have additional safeguards against drops and falls. The Corning Gorilla Glass 5 may be the screen protector for the device's QHD display. Another similarity of the LG G6 with the LG V20 is the 32-bit Quad DAC. The digital-to-analog converter helps improve sound quality which is a must for audiophiles. It has been one of the highlights for the LG V20's marketing and now it is just one of the many features of the new flagship smartphone. The LG G6 is expected to be unveiled soon as the teaser has shown. More specs and features are expected to be revealed at the said event. Learn more about the upcoming device below: The content you are looking for has either been removed or requires you to login to view Please login below or register for an account With Naijapals.com WONDERFUL! After 9yrs Of Marriage With An Outcast, Nigeria Man Welcomes A Baby. PHOTOS felicilin at 15-02-2017 05:11 PM (5 years ago) (f) A Nigerian man based in South Africa has shared his story after welcoming his first baby after 9 years of marriage. The man who revealed he , he got married late at the age of 39 and his wife 35 -said that they did not marry as early as they would both want to due to errors caused by circumstances, including ignorance. The man also revealed how he refused to marry a lady due to her educational qualifications. He later married an 'Osu' (an outcast/ a set of people "forbidden" in Igbo land in Nigeria) 10 years after the lady he loved so much but never told her -married another man. According to him, he discovered his wife was an 'outcast' after many years of childlessness as they began asking themselves questions. Finally, they did their restitution with intense prayer and fasting before the miracle came. A Nigerian man based in South Africa has shared his story after welcoming his first baby after 9 years of marriage. The man who revealed he , he got married late at the age of 39 and his wife 35 -said that they did not marry as early as they would both want to due to errors caused by circumstances, including ignorance.The man also revealed how he refused to marry a lady due to her educational qualifications. He later married an 'Osu' (an outcast/ a set of people "forbidden" in Igbo land in Nigeria) 10 years after the lady he loved so much but never told her -married another man.According to him, he discovered his wife was an 'outcast' after many years of childlessness as they began asking themselves questions. Finally, they did their restitution with intense prayer and fasting before the miracle came. Post Reply Posted: at 15-02-2017 05:11 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Afriqueenn at 15-02-2017 05:16 PM (5 years ago) (f) Nawao...Africans that are hated the world over are also casting some people out.. SMH Posted: at 15-02-2017 05:16 PM (5 years ago) | Upcoming Nawao...Africans that are hated the world over are also casting some people out.. SMH Reply deboalabi262 at 15-02-2017 05:21 PM (5 years ago) (m) Congratulation...... Who Jah Blessed, No Man Cursed...... Posted: at 15-02-2017 05:21 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Congratulation...... Reply Mykie010 at 15-02-2017 05:31 PM (5 years ago) (m) They should abolish that OSU thing,even though me I no go marry one. Posted: at 15-02-2017 05:31 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac They should abolish that OSU thing,even though me I no go marry one. Reply schmit at 15-02-2017 05:33 PM (5 years ago) (f) Dis osu still dey reign? Posted: at 15-02-2017 05:33 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Dis osu still dey reign? Reply cocoeni at 15-02-2017 06:07 PM (5 years ago) (f) congrats 2 both of them Posted: at 15-02-2017 06:07 PM (5 years ago) | Hero congrats 2 both of them Reply akinmanchy at 15-02-2017 06:43 PM (5 years ago) (m) Nice one, congrats Life na jeje so just try to take am softly Posted: at 15-02-2017 06:43 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Nice one, congrats Reply beneno at 15-02-2017 07:27 PM (5 years ago) (m) So this old man when I dey see here no 39years old .the way people dey old pass age en Posted: at 15-02-2017 07:27 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero So this old man when I dey see here no 39years old .the way people dey old pass age en Reply kacylee at 15-02-2017 07:44 PM (5 years ago) (f) and the baby is so cute... i tank God on una behalf ooo I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 15-02-2017 07:44 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero and the baby is so cute... i tank God on una behalf ooo Reply gogoman at 15-02-2017 07:58 PM (5 years ago) (m) IGBO TRIBE ALWAYS HATE OTHER TRIBE! WHY IF NA OYINBO NOW U GO MARRY AM Posted: at 15-02-2017 07:58 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero IGBO TRIBE ALWAYS HATE OTHER TRIBE! WHY IF NA OYINBO NOW U GO MARRY AM Reply jeroba1 at 15-02-2017 08:03 PM (5 years ago) (m) congrats. Posted: at 15-02-2017 08:03 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac congrats. Reply AmazingMarie at 15-02-2017 08:03 PM (5 years ago) (f) thank God for His mercy and miracle Posted: at 15-02-2017 08:03 PM (5 years ago) | Hero thank God for His mercy and miracle Reply Otikadinje at 15-02-2017 08:08 PM (5 years ago) (m) Hearty congratulations, what a cute baby Oscardeejay Posted: at 15-02-2017 08:08 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Hearty congratulations, what a cute baby Reply proly at 15-02-2017 08:12 PM (5 years ago) (f) Congrats Posted: at 15-02-2017 08:12 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Congrats Reply waffibabe at 15-02-2017 08:21 PM (5 years ago) (f) In this modern word some people are still considered outcasts? God forbid bad thing Posted: at 15-02-2017 08:21 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac In this modern word some people are still considered outcasts? God forbid bad thing Reply LewugaO at 16-02-2017 02:56 AM (5 years ago) (f) Congratulation to this beautiful family. The husband is an example true love to real life. I pray that Africa will change our marriages into such a miraculous man like you like. Posted: at 16-02-2017 02:56 AM (5 years ago) | Newbie Congratulation to this beautiful family. The husband is an example true love to real life. I pray that Africa will change our marriages into such a miraculous man like you like. Reply james987 at 16-02-2017 05:17 AM (5 years ago) (m) God answers prayers Posted: at 16-02-2017 05:17 AM (5 years ago) | Hero God answers prayers Reply geowise at 16-02-2017 08:32 AM (5 years ago) (m) this osu of a thing, even if we pretend as if it dose not exist or is not real, the truth is that it's real and exist, if your not an Osu and you get married to one, the implication can be calamitous, which will need a serious fasting and prayer to be set free, in a case were the victims are not christains or don't know, christ,hmmm, na hot soup matter be that oo, even if we try to ignore it' can the Spiritual implications of problems upon problems be ignored, before the Igbos consider this as a very serious issue it has occured over and over again, thats why up to date they dont joke with the matter. Posted: at 16-02-2017 08:32 AM (5 years ago) | Newbie this osu of a thing, even if we pretend as if it dose not exist or is not real, the truth is that it's real and exist, if your not an Osu and you get married to one, the implication can be calamitous, which will need a serious fasting and prayer to be set free, in a case were the victims are not christains or don't know, christ,hmmm, na hot soup matter be that oo, even if we try to ignore it' can the Spiritual implications of problems upon problems be ignored, before the Igbos consider this as a very serious issue it has occured over and over again, thats why up to date they dont joke with the matter. Reply morolayo at 16-02-2017 11:16 AM (5 years ago) (f) Congrats Posted: at 16-02-2017 11:16 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Congrats Reply Modern Nokia 3310 may be launched at the MWC 2017: Competition alert for feature phones Features oi -Harish Kumar Nokia 3310 is creating the buzz. Nokia is leaving no stone unturned towards it with the numerous launches it has lined up for the MWC 2017 tech show later this month. While many other manufacturers will also uncover their flagship phones, Nokia could be the center of attraction due to the high anticipation that people have for the brand. Meanwhile, there are reports that a modern Nokia 3310 feature phone might be launched along with the Android powered smartphones such as Nokia 5, Nokia 3 and more. Nokia Is Back: These smartphones are screaming to come out of the box at the MWC 2017 Being an iconic phone of the Nokia brand, the Nokia 3310 had carved a niche for itself. Even in the smartphone arena, this feature might have its own fan base who might still want to buy and use it. Nokia 3310 is said to arrive with better specifications and a long lasting battery life. Also, the device is said to be priced around Rs. 4,000. Apart from these details, nothing much about the upcoming handset is known. Now, we have come up with the potential competition that the Nokia 3310 might give for the feature phones. Samsung Guru Music 2 Buy At price of Rs 1,660 Complete specs of Samsung Guru Music 2 Key Specs 2 Inch Display 208 MHz CPU Dual SIM microSD, up to 16 GB (dedicated slot) Removable Li-Ion 800 mAh battery Intex Turbo S5 Buy At price of Rs 1,542 Complete specs of Intex Turbo S5 Key Specs 2.4 Inch Display Dual SIM Bluetooth Digital Rear Camera WAP/GPRS FM Radio 32GB Expandable Memory 1500 MAh Battery Micromax X715 Dual Sim Buy At price of Rs 1,285 Complete specs of Micromax X715 Dual Sim Key Specs 2.4 in (6 cm) QVGA TFT Display Dual SIM (GSM + GSM) VGA Camera With Video Recording Bluetooth & GPRS Connectivity FM Radio & Music Player 1500 mAh Li-ion Battery Lava KKT Ultra+ Union Buy At price of Rs 1,259 Complete specs of Lava KKT Ultra+ Union Key Specs 2.4-inch (6.09 centimeters) QVGA display with 240 x 320 pixels resolution 0.3MP primary camera Expandable memory up to 32GB dual SIM (GSM+GSM) 1750mAH lithium-ion battery iBall Leader Buy At price of Rs 2,500 Complete specs of iBall Leader Key Specs 2.8 inch QVGA display for rendering decent view sports a 4 way navigation key with Hindi and English keypad for easy messaging extendable SD card option upto 16GB phonebook/SMS support at 500 and 100 entries respectively 1.3MP enhanced camera with LED flash GPRS / WAP, Bluetooth, USB mass storage Powered by 1200mAh Li-ion battery Samsung Guru Plus B110E Buy At price of Rs 1,374 Complete specs of Samsung Guru Plus B110E Key Specs 1.5 inches TFT Screen Dual SIM, (Mini-SIM) 208 MHz CPU 4 MB RAM Removable Li-Ion 800 mAh battery Best Mobiles in India Samsung Galaxy S8's first shipment doubles, sales target set for 60 million units News oi -Sneha Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus to be unveiled on March 29. There's not second thought that Samsung Galaxy S8 is perhaps the most-awaited smartphone on this year. However, looks like the Samsung lovers have to wait a while, as Samsung confirms not to unveil the flagship at the MWC event 2017. The South Korean techie, as rumor suggest will be announcing both the flagships - Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus on March 29. Further reports show that the flagship devices will be up for sale only by late April after the latest Snapdragon 835 processor is released. Talking about the sale of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, looks like Samsung surely has really high hopes after the Note 7 debacle. SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S8 fresh renders highlights no physical home button and more Fresh reports show that the South Korean giant may double the first shipment of the Galaxy S8 as compared to the previously announce Galaxy S7 series. Which means that the smartphone vendor has further claimed to increase 40 percent shipment. By increasing the sale, other reports show that Samsung has a sales target of 60 million units for the Galaxy S8. To recall, for the Galaxy S7 and S6 the sales target was around 48 million and 45 million respectively. About the specs, there have been several rumors about the Samsung flagship surfacing the webosphere for quite some time now. However, the South Korean tech giant hasn't confirmed any of it for now. For further updates on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, stay tuned to GizBot. Source Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S2 spotted, launch set for MWC 2017 News oi -Sneha Samsung to unveil a number of tablets at the Mobile World Congress 2017. Alongside announcing the most-rumored flagship Samsung Galaxy S8 looks like the South Korean giant is prepping up to unveil several other devices as well. Most likely, Samsung is trying to concentrate more on its tablet line-up. Today, an anonymous Samsung tablet was spotted on the Wi-Fi Alliance website, and it's not the Samsung Tab S3 and S2 this time. As per the listing, the document reveals the model number to be SM-W727. Most probably, the device could be the 4G variant of the Windows 10-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S2. Well, this should be taken with a pinch of salt as the smartphone vendor hasn't confirmed any of such rumors as of yet. SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Xcover 4 running Android Nougat shows up on Geekbench As per the specifications, rumors suggests that the Galaxy Tab Pro S2 may come packed with a 12-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display and will be further powered by a 3.1GHZ Intel Core i5 7200U 7th Gen Kaby Lake CPU. In terms of the memory unit, the tablet may feature 4GB of RAM coupled with 128GB of storage capacity. On the camera front, the device will further feature a 13MP rear camera eligible for capturing 4K video, while on the front fits a 5MP selfie shooter. The listed Samsung tablet will be backed by a 5,070mAh battery and is expected to ship with an integrated S Pen and a detachable keyboard cover as well. Samsung Galaxy S8 launch date to be revealed at MWC 2017 Well, about when the newly spotted tablet will make its first public appearance still remains a mystery. However, predictions are such that the South Korean giant might unveil the Galaxy Tab Pro S2, alongside Tab S3 at the Mobile World Congress this year. 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 aunched on the 1st September 2000, the Nokia 3310 featured advanced messaging, personalisation with Xpress-on covers and screensavers, vibra feature, time management functions, voice dialling, picture messaging, predictive text input and games. It also in (Photo : GETTY IMAGES/ Science & Society Picture Library) Nokia 3, 5, and 6 release is now pegged at the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2017 following HMD Global's announcement that Nokia would introduce the handsets in line with its comeback. On top of the tree phones, a revamped version of the Nokia 3310 is also creating buzz. According to Venture Beat, HMD Global will bring the four new Nokia phones to the MWC event later this February. The Nokia 6 handset was already released in China recently but its official debut will be held at the congress. Advertisement BGR reported that Nokia 6 costs less than $250 and features a metal body made of 6000 series aluminum. It borrows some of its looks from the iPhone, with its 2.5D Gorilla Grass screen and its antenna that lines on its back. It also boasts of its 5.5-inch screen and Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and runs on Android 7.0 Nougat. As for the features of Nokia 5 and Nokia 3, everything is just a rumor as of now. There are rumors that Nokia 5 will have downgraded specifications, with a 5.2-inch display at 720p. It is also rumored to have an internal memory of 2GB and a 12-megapixel camera. While Nokia sells at 249, Nokia 5 is said to cost just 199. The specifications of Nokia 3 have also yet to be revealed, but it is expected to be less powerful compared with the other two handsets. This handset will allegedly be sold at 149 upon its launch. What creates the biggest buzz about Nokia's comeback is the launch of the revamped version of Nokia 3310, which will be sold at 59. Mobile enthusiasts are all excited for the modern version of this classic workhorse, which is best known for its long battery life and durability. The original handset was first released more than a decade ago to succeed Nokia 3210. MCW 2017 is set to happen on Feb. 26. Know more about Nokia 6 by watching the video below: People in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region observe a Muslim holiday. (Photo : Getty Images) Seven individuals were arrested in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region for spreading extremist and illegal content online. The arrested individuals were apprehended after information was obtained by the local police. The activity was done as part of the region's efforts on counterterrorism through the Xinjiang cyberspace administration office. Advertisement The office aims to stop the dissemination of material related to terrorism, misinformation, and religious extremism and separatism. All seven people were found guilty of propagating content that promoted terrorism and anti-government sentiments. The content was aimed to destabilize the government. The arrested individuals started online activity since December last year. Their ages varied from 21 years old to 34 years old. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is adopting its own version of China's anti-terrorism law and has implemented rules on handling cases of terrorist nature. Xinjiang's anti-terrorism drive calls for coordination of agencies in the provincial, prefecture and city levels. Coordination will be done among the police, local militia, health and telecommunication departments. China passed its anti-terrorism law to dissolve all acts that will lead to the destabilization of the government and activities that are precipitated by religious beliefs which threaten to harm people's rights. "To fight terrorism, China will deploy necessary means for law enforcement, but at the same time, the law enforcement process will be regulated, so as to prevent it from hurting citizens' and organizations' legal rights," said Li Shouwei, a deputy director of the criminal law department under the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee legislative affairs commission. The director clarified that the law is non-discriminatory and does not tolerate the abuse of power, as what the anti-terrorism law stated. According to the law, "No discrimination based on regional, ethnic or religious affiliation shall be allowed." Since many of anti-terrorism propaganda is spread online, the director clarified that the law will not hamper people's right to free speech. He said that the law will not "install backdoors to infringe intellectual property rights or citizens freedom of speech on the Internet and their religious freedom." Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, Feb. 14, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft, as well as rocket artillery, conducted 18 strikes consisting of 21 engagements in Syria: -- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an oil pump jack. -- Near Raqqa, 15 strikes engaged nine ISIS tactical units; destroyed 13 fighting positions, a tactical vehicle and an ISIS headquarters; damaged three supply routes and a bridge; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit. -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed nine oil tanker trucks and two oil pump jacks and damaged on oil wellhead. Strikes in Iraq Fighter and rotary aircraft, as well as artillery, conducted eight strikes consisting of 27 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government: -- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units; destroyed four watercraft, three front-end loaders and a mortar system; damaged nine supply routes; and suppressed eight ISIS mortar teams. -- Near Rawah, three strikes damaged three supply routes. -- Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed an ISIS fighting position. -- Near Tal Afar, a strike destroyed a front-end loader. 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 ISIS 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 ISIS 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 ISIS terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIS' ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Annual 'Cobra Gold' Exercise Commences In Thailand By Lisa Ferdinando DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2017 Kicking off the annual, multinational Cobra Gold military training exercise in Thailand, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command hailed the event as a way to strengthen regional partnerships and improve readiness and responsiveness among exercise participants. Now in its 36th iteration, Cobra Gold is the largest theater security cooperation exercise in Asia, Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. told attendees at the opening ceremony today in Sattahip, Thailand. Nearly 30 nations are taking part in the Thailand-hosted exercise, which runs until Feb. 24, Harris said. Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea are among the nations joining the United States and Thailand in the training. Military Interoperability "This high-level participation demonstrates a growing commitment to do the hard work and increase interoperability among our militaries now so that we know what works when crisis strikes," Harris said. Cobra Gold includes a staff exercise with a senior leader seminar, a field training exercise, and humanitarian civic assistance projects, Harris explained. Approximately 3,600 U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines are involved in the activities, which include shore and afloat training. "This exercise will test us in realistic and complex ways," Harris said. "Earnest collaboration with open minds throughout our entire time together will allow us to learn with each other and from each other." Multiple Events Highlighted events, he said, include an amphibious assault demonstration, noncombatant evacuation operation, humanitarian civic action project site dedication and combined arms live fire exercise. Harris praised the nations and service members, saying they will learn from each other, improve interoperability, and advance and strengthen relationship that can be called upon in times of crises. "Your contributions support stability, prosperity and peace in this region and throughout the world," the admiral said. The exercise, he said is a place to "think creatively" and even make mistakes. "Learn from those mistakes, and take your training to the next level," he said, adding, "This is how you grow and prosper for future crises. Together we will ensure that our training matches our expectations." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Helicopters Arrive in Europe for Atlantic Resolve Duty From a U.S. European Command News Release STUTTGART, Germany, Feb. 14, 2017 Forty-nine U.S. Army helicopters, as well as trucks and other support equipment from the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, arrived in Europe this week to begin a nine-month rotation in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. OAR was designed to reassure European allies in light of Russia's invasion in Ukraine. The equipment arriving by ship in the Port of Bremerhaven, Germany, Feb. 11, included UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47F Chinook helicopters. An additional 20 helicopters are scheduled to arrive next week, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Steven DiGeorgio, command sergeant major of the 10th CAB. The battalion departed from Fort Drum, New York in January. Soldiers who arrived with the equipment prepared it for delivery to staging bases throughout Eastern Europe for a nine-month rotation to train with NATO partners. "A large proportion of this brigade will go to Katterbach and Illesheim, Germany," said Army Maj. Gen. Duane Gamble, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command commander. Advance teams arrived in Illesheim Feb. 8, and about 2,000 soldiers are scheduled to be stationed there and in nearby Ansbach. Strengthening Strategic Partnerships "The arrival of the 10th Combat [Aviation] Brigade adds to our highly capable joint team," said Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. European Command. "This deployment is another great opportunity to strengthen strategic partnerships with our NATO allies and to build together our capacity, capability and interoperability." After the brigade's arrival, helicopters will fly to various areas across Europe, while equipment is moved via rail and road. "Through a logistics effort unseen in decades, OAR deployments continue to exceed all expectations," said Navy Rear Adm. Paul Verrastro, Eucom's director of logistics. "The rapid and responsive effort by ships, rail, strategic airlift and all those involved continue to highlight the speed at which we can deploy to Europe." The soldiers will perform medical transport and aviation operations to improve interoperability and strengthen relationships with allies and partner nations. Eucom is one of the United States' two forward-deployed geographical combatant commands whose area of focus covers almost one-fifth of the planet, including all of Europe, large portions of Asia, parts of the Middle East and the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. The command is responsible for military relations with NATO and 51 countries with a total population of close to a billion people. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Secretary General Previews Alliance Defense Ministerial By Jim Garamone DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2017 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg today previewed the meeting of defense ministers that starts tomorrow, saying the leaders will sharpen the alliance's response to a more challenging security environment. Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO headquarters in Belgium that the security challenges are real and complicated, but the alliance is responding and he noted an increase in defense spending by NATO allies. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis leaves today for the meeting in Brussels. "NATO is founded on the bond between North America and Europe, and in good times and bad, that bond has been unbreakable," Stoltenberg said. "We stand together. We defend each other. And that is good both for Europe, and for North America. I'm confident that defense ministers at our meeting tomorrow and the day after tomorrow once again are going to reconfirm the enduring importance of the transatlantic bond." Infrastructure The alliance is putting in place the infrastructure to implement the decisions made at last year's NATO Summit in Warsaw. This includes deploying four multinational battle groups to Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. "We are also stepping up our ability to anticipate and respond to crises in the south in order to project stability in our neighborhood," Stoltenberg said. NATO nations have pledged to invest 2 percent of gross domestic product in defense capabilities. The United States, Britain, Poland, Estonia and Greece are the only countries at or above this monetary goal now, defense officials have said, but other countries have reversed the downward trend and have increased defense expenditures. "NATO's continuous adaptation requires responsibilities to be shared fairly among allies," Stoltenberg said. "Fair burden-sharing and increased defense spending underpins the transatlantic Alliance." Responding to Threats The alliance nations have responded to the threats from Russia to the east and the transnational threats of terrorism emanating from the Middle East. "After many years with steep cuts in defense spending, we have turned a corner," the secretary general said. "Today, I can present to you new, updated figures for 2016. Defense spending in real terms has increased by 3.8 percent among European allies and Canada." The jump is "significantly higher than what we had originally foreseen" and is indicative of the seriousness of the situation. "It amounts to roughly 10 billion dollars more for our defense," he said. "This makes a difference but it is absolutely vital that we keep up the momentum." The ministers will focus on the fight against extremist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and other threats stemming from the Middle East and North Africa. NATO is providing support to the Counter-ISIS coalition and working to train partners like Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia, Stoltenberg said. "But we can and should do more," he added. The ministers will also launch a review of NATO's command structure, and will examine further steps to resist hybrid warfare, hybrid threats and strengthening cyber defenses, the secretary general said. The ministerial will end after a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission. Defense ministers will discuss the security situation in the country, the reforms Georgia is making and what still needs to happen to bring the country closer to the alliance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mattis: U.S. Remains Committed to NATO as Alliance Transforms By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2017 The United States remains committed to NATO, history's most successful military alliance, as it transforms to match the changing character of war, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters traveling with him to this week's NATO defense ministers conference in Brussels. In addition to attending the conference and meeting with counterparts from other NATO member nations, Mattis also will host a meeting of ministers from the coalition to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria during his second international trip as defense secretary. "Our commitment remains to NATO, [which is] in the midst of transformation. Why? You've watched as the character of war over this last dozen years has changed itself, and as the character of war changes, so must the character of the militaries that address them," Mattis said. To underscore the alliance's commitment to change, the secretary noted that the only NATO command with a headquarters in the United States is Allied Command Transformation. Transformation Must Continue "The whole point of that command is to transform NATO, so we go to Brussels where we all get together, we talk about that transformation, [and] we guide it. NATO has transformed over these last 20 years, and it must continue to transform," Mattis said. As secretary, he added, his approach to NATO is "full-speed ahead and listen, learn, help and lead." Listening is first, he said. "Learn what other people face, help them wherever I can, because they've been allies. They stood by us after New York was attacked and so many decades before that. And many of them have lost boys, lost women in fighting the enemy that attacked America. And then lead, [because] America has a leadership role." On Feb. 17, Mattis will attend the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where he will hold a series of meetings with key international counterparts. The trip will underscore the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance and to defeating ISIS, according to a Feb. 10 DoD news release announcing the secretary's trip. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Department of Defense Press Operations News Transcript Presenter: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis February 14, 2017 Media Availability with Secretary Mattis en route to Brussels, Belgium STAFF: Here you go, sir. SEC. MATTIS: I get to hold this? STAFF: Yes, sir. There's a speaker right there. They can -- so they can hear you in the back. So if you could speak into that -- (inaudible). SEC. MATTIS: Okay. (CROSSTALK) (Laughter.) SEC. MATTIS: They all burnt me now. (Laughter.) Can you hear me okay? Okay. So we're on our way to NATO, and you know what NATO means to us and has for how many decades. Like as young as you all are, for your entire lives. This has been the most successful military alliance in history, one that was set up to protect Western Europe. And the first time it went to war was when America was attacked, so if anyone had any questions about the value, you have to look at that. But more importantly, it prevented war in Europe following two destructive wars and we clearly see the value in deterring war. So this is a historic, as you know, it's also a very important meeting. MINDEFs, the ministers of defense get together and that's where some of the civilian work is done to chart the course for their democracies, militaries. So I wouldn't miss it, obviously. You know, it's important. You all know that. It would have been a surprise if I hadn't gone. So our commitment remains to NATO, and in terms of NATO's life, it's in the midst of transformation. Why? You've watched as the character of war over this last dozen years has changed itself, and as the character of war changes, so must the character of the militaries that address them. To show NATO's commitment to this, you'll notice the only NATO command headquartered in the United States is Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation. The whole point of that command is to transform NATO, so it's right -- we go to Brussels where we all get together. We talk about that transformation, we guide it. NATO has transformed over these last 20 years and it must continue to transform. But in that regard, it's clearly in NATO's best interest that it adapt to what happened in 2014. 2014 was a watershed year. It was a year when many of our hopes for some kind of partnership with Russia were finally shown to be unavailing. So what we have to do -- we've got to adapt and make certain that the transatlantic bond remains strong. And I think in going there, what we're doing is also proving that once again, we can react to those changing circumstances. So that's basically why I'm going there now. I'm gonna do a lot of listening because I need to listen. I've been gone from active duty for three and a half years. I'm coming back in, I need to see where everyone's thinking is at out there. So quite a lot of listening, that sort of thing, while at the same time pointing out what several European ministers of defense have said, that it's a fair question about the level of commitment and meeting the 2.0. And the European ministers' points who've been engaging with me -- it's a fair question, it's an issue that's got to be addressed. A number of European nations already meet the 2.0. A number of others are clearly on a trajectory to get there and we have to have an open conversation among friends and allies about where we're going and turn to that level of commitment. So that kind of gives you an idea of why I'm going out to Brussels right now. I'll go on to Munich for a day and a half and we'll just -- you know, that'll be the message that I'm going there with. Mostly listening, but also the things I just mentioned. So who's got a question? STAFF: (Off mic) Q: Thanks, Mr. Secretary. Lita Baldor with AP. As you're probably very aware, there's a lot of concerns and questions at NATO right now about what's been going in the United States and -- and with Mr. Flynn leaving office and being forced out because of inappropriate communications with Russia. So as you're heading to them and you're talking about reassurance, what do you say to the allies about -- about this particular issue? And what do you say to them about potential Russian influence on the U.S.? And are you concerned about Russian -- (CROSSTALK) Q: And does this concern you, potential Russian influence? SEC. MATTIS: Now, I understand the -- the gist of all three -- interconnected. Here's the bottom line, ladies and gentlemen. I'm brought in to be the secretary of defense. I give the president advice on the use of military force. I maintain good relations, strong relations -- some of you were out with me in the Pacific -- and so military-to-military relations with other ministries of defense around the world. And frankly, this has no impact. Obviously, I haven't changed what I'm heading there for. It doesn't change my message at all. And who's on the president's staff is who I will work with. And so it's, you know, full speed ahead and listen, learn, help and lead. That's kind of the method I take -- listen first, learn what other people face, help them wherever I can because they've been allies. They stood by us after New York was attacked and so many decades before that and since. And many of them have lost boys, lads, women in fighting the enemy that attacked America. And then lead. You know, America's got a leadership role. Every nation has a role. Every nation's role is slightly different, unique to that nation. So listen, learn, help, lead, and no effect at all. http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1083368/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint press point with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Saulius Skvernelis NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 14 Feb. 2017 Prime Minister Skvernelis, welcome to NATO headquarters. It has been a great pleasure to receive you here today and to address all the different ways that Lithuania is contributing to our shared security, so I really appreciate this meeting and also this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment as Prime Minister. Lithuania makes important contributions to NATO. Your troops serve with distinction in Afghanistan and in Kosovo. You host assets for NATO's Baltic Air Policing. And you host one of our new small headquarters. Lithuania stands with NATO and NATO stands with Lithuania. In response to Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine, NATO is deploying four robust multinational battle groups to Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland. German and Belgian troops are already arriving in Lithuania. Sending a clear message: NATO Allies stand united and an attack on any of us would be met by forces from across the Alliance. We discussed the progress of the deployment and I expect all four battalions to be fully operational by June. Our plans are defensive in nature. They are proportionate to the scale of the challenge. And they are fully in line with our international commitments. We also agreed on the importance of NATO's two-track approach to Russia: strong defence combined with meaningful dialogue. Finally, Prime Minister, I want to commend your government for your leadership on defence spending. And your plan to reach NATO's 2% benchmark 2% of GDP by 2018. Fairer burden-sharing is essential to the long-term strength of our Alliance and the security of our people, and Lithuania is setting an example for other Allies to follow. On Thursday, Lithuania will celebrate the 99th anniversary of its Act of Independence. With NATO, you will never lose that independence again. Prime Minister, thank you for your strong support for our Alliance. And welcome to NATO Headquarters. OANA LUNGESCU (NATO Spokesperson): Okay, BNS. Q: Good afternoon, [inaudible] Baltic News Service. I will switch to Lithuanian for my Prime Minister. [Interpreted]. Good afternoon Prime Minister. I have a question with regard to defence funding. Could you please confirm that the parties are going to find an agreement and to allocate 2.5 % of GDP to defence? And also speaking about the calls from the new U.S. administration to fight more efficiently with terrorism, is Lithuania going to more efficiently engage in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq? SAULIUS SKVERNELIS (Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania): [Interpreted]. Yes I can reaffirm that 2 % is going to be reached in 2018. Then there are no discussions neither among the political parties nor the society in Lithuania, all of us agree that we have to contribute 2 % of GDP to defence. This is not a declaration, this is a decision by the government to allocate as much as is needed for the national defence. Now with regards to participation in international operations even today Lithuanian military personal takes place and participates in various operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We're going to allocate our resources including military resources in taking place in all the international missions as equal partners and there can no be any discussions, we don't have any doubts whatsoever with regards to this. We understand our contributions in defending our security and fight against terrorism. OANA LUNGESCU: Okay. Kiev Post. Q: Brian Bonner from the Kiev Post in Ukraine. Mr. Secretary General do you think that Russia has compromising information on President Donald Trump? If yes what can be done about it? If no how do you explain his pro-Putin positions and his continued misunderstanding of Russia's war against Ukraine? JENS STOLTENBERG (NATO Secretary General): I am absolutely certain that the United States will stay committed to NATO, to the transatlantic bond but also to the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all European states including Ukraine. And I'm looking forward to welcoming the Secretary of Defense, Secretary Mattis, here tomorrow and the reason why NATO now is increasing its military presence in the eastern part of the alliance is the aggressive actions against Ukraine by Russia, illegally annexing Crimea and destabilizing eastern Ukraine. And also, I have also seen that in the United Nations the United States has expressed strong support for Ukraine and also support for the economic sanctions. I have spoken to President Trump twice and the message has been that he is very committed to NATO, that he would like to see more defence spending but also that he is supportive of the NATO dual track approach to Russia. Meaning that as long as we are strong, as long as we invest in our defence and our deterrence we can also engage in a political dialogue with Russia. So I don't see any contradiction between being in favour of dialogue with Russia, having open channels with Russia, meeting Russians and exploring how we can avoid tensions to increase and exploring how we can strive for a more cooperative relationship and at the same time being committed to NATO and to our collective security. That's the NATO position and that's also the position that President Trump has conveyed to me in my conversations with him. OANA LUNGESCU: Okay. Wall Street Journal. Q: First to the Prime Minister, do you think that Mr. Trump's promise of a more cooperative relationship with Russia could bolster security in your country or are you do you want to hear more explanation from the United States, worried that the new attitude could embolden Russia? And to the Secretary General, to expand upon your last answer, do you anticipate discussing how to either rebalance deterrence and dialogue or how do tweak the strategy in your conversations with Mr. Mattis here this week? SAULIUS SKVERNELIS: [Interpreted]. Yes first of all with regard to United States, we trust United States and we don't see any basis for having doubts on that. Now with regards to dialogue with Russia, yes every dialogue is needed, it improves cooperation, it encourages cooperation but again the forms of dialogues and the positions of the start of this dialogue, what conditions are there for this dialogue, if we are engaging in this dialogue on the basis of international standards, international freedoms and rights, yes then yes this dialogue is possible. But speaking about the form of this dialogue I believe that this dialogue has to be of equal partners. I hope that there would never be a case where interests of one state would be sacrificed for the benefit of other states. Lithuania has always trusted the United States and we don't have any grounds for having doubts with this long term standing cooperation and trust. JENS STOLTENBERG: Russia is not on the agenda for this meeting but of course NATO's approach to Russia is always part of the dialogue, ongoing dialogue between NATO allies. And we always have to assess how can we find the right way to pursue this dual track approach. We are now delivering on important elements regarding the strength part of it with the enhanced forward presence and then we are constantly looking into how can we then strive for a more constructive relationship with Russia but without compromising on fundamental principles for the alliance which includes of course the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all nations in Europe including Ukraine. And I think that for instance now we have some attention on military exercises including the ZAPAD exercise and for me that illustrates the importance of the dialogue with Russia and to keep the channels open and also try to develop the military lines of communications. To have more transparency, more predictability related to for instance military exercises like the ZAPAD exercise and one of the issues we have discussed in the NATO Russia Council is how can we improve and how can we use the council to have briefings on exercises on a reciprocal basis, for instance on exercises like ZAPAD. So exactly what I'm going to discuss with Secretary Mattis is a bit too early to say but these issues, military transparency, predictability, adherence to the Vienna Document regarding observation, notification of exercises is constantly on our agenda and is part of our dual track approach to Russia. OANA LUNGESCU: Very quick question please. Q: Aivars Ozolins, Weekly "lr" Latvia. I have question to the Prime Minister dwelling on what Secretary General right now said about the ZAPAD exercises. Your country's security department has recently warned that these exercises will be threat, major threat to your country's security. What are the worse scenarios your and the other Baltic countries should be prepared in this case? And probably a follow up to Mr. Stoltenberg, is NATO ready to deter any provocations or whatever would come after these exercises? SAULIUS SKVERNELIS: [Interpreted]. I believe that we don't discuss the worst case scenarios. Our presence here today and our meeting today in the NATO headquarters and actions that were taken speaking about the deployment of the Enhanced Forward Presence and cooperation within the alliance enable us to state and expect that the worst case scenario would never occur. That's why the alliance is for, that's why we have our commitments for and Lithuania and all the Baltic states and the entire alliance is getting ready for that. So let us speak about as to how we will maintain the balance and our priority and let us not discuss the worst case scenarios. I believe that we are doing everything we can so that we prevented that. JENS STOLTENBERG: We don't see any imminent threat against any NATO ally and NATO of course always stands ready to defend all allies against any threat. And that's the reason why we are also adapting our military posture, increasing the readiness and preparedness of our forces and also increasing the forward presence of our troops to respond to a more dangerous and demanding security environment. We have seen more military activity close to our borders and it is important to avoid incidents, accidents and again that's the reason why we are working for transparency, predictability and why we also expect Russia to adhere to the Vienna Document which is regulating how to conduct military exercises in a transparent and predictable way avoiding incidents and accidents. And all nations have the right to exercise their forces but of course this should be done in a responsible way and in full compliance with international agreements like for instance the OSCE Vienna Document which requires notification and international observation according to a specific set of requirements. OANA LUNGESCU: Thank you very much that's all we have time for. JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The deal could help Sinochem gain inroads into the global petrochemical market. (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese state-owned oil and chemical producer Sinochem Corporation is reportedly in early talks to acquire Noble Group, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday, in a move that would help it gain access to the embattled commodity trader's global supply chain. Advertisement Having a stake in an internationally active trading house like Noble would help Sinochem, one of China's biggest oil, gas, and petrochemical producers, in its ambitions to become a more active global player as well as develop China's gas sector, Reuters said in its report. The discussions come as the Singapore-listed Noble looks to reign in its business units, reduce debt, and boost liquidity amidst a long-term downtrend in commodity prices. In November, the Hong Kong-based trader said it has reached its capital raising target of $2 billion as it sold assets, completed a rights issue and restructured its operations. The sources, who declined to be identified as they were unauthorized to speak to the media, told Reuters that the talks are still ongoing and there is no assurance that a deal will be finalized. Senior Noble executives visited China in recent months to meet with Sinochem's management, and both sides also held talks at Noble's U.S. regional office in Stamford, Connecticut, they added. Sinochem did not immediately return a request for comment. In response to the Reuters report, Noble told the Singapore Stock Exchange on Tuesday that it was holding talks but did not provide additional details. "The board wishes to advise that Noble Group is currently engaged in discussions regarding a possible strategic investment in Noble Group," the company said in a statement. "However, no binding arrangements have as yet been entered into with respect to this possible transaction and, accordingly, there can be no assurance that this transaction will be concluded." The size of the planned stake or the amount to be invested by Sinochem has not yet been finalized, and any deal will face intense scrutiny in China as authorities there try to control capital outflows, sources said. A Sinochem source told Reuters that the company is still reviewing its deal with Noble, which could take up to a year. The company is looking at Noble's North America energy trading business, which could boost Sinochem's existing portfolio, he added. Noble specializes in shipping and storage logistics, rather than owning refineries and other large production assets, and has also been a major player in the gasoline blending sector in the U.S. Noble is also eyeing Asia's emerging liquefied natural gas (LNG) market for its core growth and trading potential, while Sinochem is expected to play a key role in China's plans to expand its natural gas sector and reduce its share of coal in its energy portfolio, Reuters reported. Pre-ministerial press conference by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 14 Feb. 2017 (As delivered) Good morning. Over the next two days, NATO Defence Ministers will address the Alliance's response to a more challenging security environment. This is a pivotal time for NATO. We face great security challenges. But the strength and the unity of our Alliance are greater. NATO is founded on the bond between North America and Europe, and in good times and bad, that bond has been unbreakable. We stand together. We defend each other. And that is good both for Europe, and for North America. I'm confident that Defence Ministers at our meeting tomorrow and the day after tomorrow once again are going to reconfirm the enduring importance of the Transatlantic bond. NATO has responded to global challenges by adapting to meet them. We are now delivering on the decisions we took at the Warsaw Summit in July. We are in the process of deploying four multinational battlegroups to the eastern part of our Alliance to strengthen our deterrence and our defence. We are also stepping up our ability to anticipate and respond to crises in the South in order to project stability in our neighbourhood. NATO's continuous adaptation requires responsibilities to be shared fairly among Allies. Fair burden-sharing and increased defence spending underpins the transatlantic Alliance. So we will at our meeting stress the importance of fair burden-sharing and higher defence spending for the Alliance. After many years with steep cuts in defence spending, we have turned a corner. Today, I can present to you new updated figures for 2016. Defence spending in real terms has increased by 3.8% among European Allies and Canada. This is significantly higher than what we had originally foreseen. And it amounts to roughly 10 billion dollars more for our defence. This makes a difference but it is absolutely vital that we keep up the momentum. During this ministerial, we will also focus on the fight against terrorism, and threats stemming from the Middle East and North Africa. NATO is providing support to the Counter-ISIL Coalition and working to train partners like Iraq, Jordan and Tunisia. But we can and should do more. We will also launch a review of the NATO Command Structure, to ensure we have the right tools to deal with the challenges we face. And we will agree further steps to resist hybrid warfare, hybrid threats, including with strengthened cyber defences. We will conclude the ministerial with a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission, where we will discuss the security situation in the region and Georgia's reforms, which are bringing the country closer to NATO. And with that, I'm ready to take your questions. OANA LUNGESCU (NATO Spokesperson): Please put up your hands and mention your name and affiliation. We'll start with AP, over there. Q: Lorne Cook from, from Associated Press. Just a question on the 2 % figure. When it comes to spending issues at this ministerial are you convinced that we're just talking about 2 % defence spending, that there's no appetite anywhere to open up common funding or any other kind of money? JENS STOLTENBERG (NATO Secretary General): I'm absolutely certain that defence spending will be an important issue at the defence ministerial meeting and it'll be one of the main topics we will address at the summit later on this year in Brussels. And the reason why I believe so is that there is such a strong commitment from all 28 allies that we need to respond to a more challenging security environment, to a more dangerous world. And most NATO allies reduced defence spending after the end of the Cold War and I think it's possible to understand that when tensions are going down as they did during the 1990s after the end of the Cold War also defence spending is going down. But if we are going to , but when we do reduce defence spending in times when tensions are going down we have to be able to increase defence spending when tensions are going up as they are now. And that's the reason why we made this very clear commitment back in 2014 to stop the cuts, to gradually increase defence spending towards the aim of 2 % of GDP for defence. And this has been my top priority since I became Secretary General; I have raised it in all my meetings with foreign ministers, with defence ministers, but perhaps even more important with the ministers of finance and of course with the heads of state and government. And the good thing is that since 2014 we have actually made two important steps. In 2015 we stopped the cuts for the first time after many years of decline and 2016 the numbers I just told you about confirms that in 2016 we made the first significant step towards increased defence spending with 3.8 % increase in the defence spending in new terms. That's around $10 billion U.S. dollars which is much more than the total Norwegian defence budget. And Norway contributes with many important capabilities to the alliance and just the increase in 2016 is much more than the total Norwegian defence budget. So it illustrates that we are making a significant step forward but we have a long way to go, much remains and the common funding of the NATO is funded by the 2 %. So there's actually there's not either 2 % or common funding, the 2 % is the aim for total defence spending in all NATO allied countries and that's used for financing national defence capabilities but also to finance NATO budgets and the common funding. So that's two sides of the same coin. OANA LUNGESCU: Financial Times. Q: Hi Arthur Beesley from the Financial Times. Is the 2024 deadline which is a good many years away, is that sufficient for President Trump judging from your own conversations with the President? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: In my two phone calls with President Trump defence spending has been a main topic and he has strongly expressed his strong commitment to NATO, to the transatlantic bond but at the same time President Trump has in both the phone calls also underlined the importance of a fairer burden sharing. And that those countries that spends less than 2 % have to meet the 2 % target. And I agree with him. And that's the reason why I welcome that we are now are making progress but also the reason why I'm stressing and underlining so much that we still have a long way to go. It's not enough. We will discuss at the defence ministerial meeting what more we can do to make sure that we are delivering, that we are implementing as soon as possible and I also look forward to have President Trump here in Brussels together with other NATO leaders sitting around the table and discussing how can we deliver on fairer burden sharing. More details about exactly how we will make sure that we continue to deliver, make sure that we continue to move towards fair burden sharing, I think we have to wait and see after the different meetings where decisions are going to be discussed. OANA LUNGESCU: Wall Street Journal. Q: Julian Barnes, Wall Street Journal. Is there an appetite or is there demand to change the Wales language on the 2 % to make it instead of moving to a goal to a much harder figure, a much stronger demand for 2 %? And secondly what have allies told you they want to hear from Mr. Mattis when he makes his appearance here? What sort of reassurance are they looking for? JENS STOLTENBERG: We are all looking forward to receive Secretary Mattis here at NATO tomorrow and to be able to sit down with him and to discuss many different topics including burden sharing but also NATO's role in fighting terrorism. And I think that all the other NATO defence ministers are looking forward to listening to him and to meet him in person to discuss how NATO in the best possible way can continue to adapt to a more challenging security environment which includes then defence spending and the fight against terrorism. Again defence spending, burden sharing is on the top of our agenda, it will be one of the main items discussed at the defence ministerial meeting. It is strongly conveyed from the new U.S. administration, the new U.S. president that this is important for them and it will be one of the issues we will discuss at the summit in, later on this year in May. But exact what kind of language, exactly what kind of proposals I think we have to wait and to address at the different meetings before I'm able to report anything back to you. What I can say is that regardless of language the most important thing is that we deliver, regardless of language the most important thing is that we increase defence spending and that's exactly what we are doing. $10 million more for defence in 2016 across Europe and Canada is an important step in the right direction but it's not enough, we have to do more and my main responsibility is to make sure that we continue to deliver as 28 heads of state and government promised back in 2014. OANA LUNGESCU: Washington Post. Q: Hi Michael Birnbaum, the Washington Post. Have you heard any concrete proposals yet or concrete demands from the Trump administration beyond the need to spend 2 %? But have they made proposals about counter terrorism for example or specifics about what they'd like to see that spending on? And secondly just looking at defence spending across the alliance, of course it is increasing now but it's been a political challenge over many years, do you see that with the new Trump administration and concerns about Trump's attitudes towards NATO that you really turned a corner, that countries are willing to step up and significantly change their policies because they're worried that the United States won't back them if they don't? JENS STOLTENBERG: The meeting we will have tomorrow is the first meeting with the new Secretary of Defence Mattis. So I think that's when we can sit down and discuss more in detail what the United States wants. When the United States is for instance highlighting the importance of using NATO as a tool to fight terrorism and when it comes to defence spending I think it's obvious, defence spending is about that those allies who spend less than 2 % have to spend more. And, as I said we are now moving in the right direction, some allies, we have five allies already meeting the 2 % target but we have also for instance the two Baltic countries of Latvia and Lithuania now moving very fast towards the 2 % target. Romania is also moving towards the 2 %, so there are also other countries which are now approaching the 2 % target. So again defence spending is important because we have to invest in our security when the world has become more dangerous and that is of course a strong message from President Trump and from the new U.S. administration but it's actually also the message from 28 allies because they all have agreed and therefore I expect them also to deliver. OANA LUNGESCU: NTV. Q: Secretary General you're going to Munich later this week, so is the Russian Foreign Minister. Will you meeting him and if you do what will you talk about? JENS STOLTENBERG: I will meet Foreign Minister Lavrov when I go to Munich and we have met before on the margins of the Munich Security Conference and I think that provides a useful platform to continue the dialogue with Russia. And I look forward to the meeting because NATO pursue a dual track towards Russia. We need to be firm and predictable and we are increasing our presence in the eastern part of the alliance to deliver the necessary credible deterrence but at the same time we are underlining the importance of keeping channels for political dialogue open, especially in difficult times as these; we need open political dialogue with Russia and we have been able to convene three meetings of the NATO Russia Council last year. We I have met with Foreign Minister Lavrov several times and I'm looking forward to meet him again. We will I expect that we will discuss a wide range of issues including the situation in Ukraine but of course also how we can avoid increased tensions, how we can avoid misunderstandings, how we can improve transparency, predictability. Because with more military presence in Europe, with more exercises and with increased tensions there is always a risk that incidents, accidents may happen and that they can spiral out of control. So to prevent that from happening we are constantly working on how can we improve transparency, predictability in our relationship with Russia and I expect also that to be one of the issues we will discuss when Minister Lavrov and I meet in Munich. OANA LUNGESCU: UNIAN, front row. Q: [Inaudible], Agency UNIAN from Ukraine. As far as I know Ukrainian authorities are looking forward to host the North Atlantic Council in Ukraine and in this regard NATO got an invitation from Ukrainian side to visit Ukraine. Is there any decision by the time taken that North Atlantic can visit Ukraine? And if it is when it going to happen and if it is not do you think that assertive action of Russia on the eastern part of Ukraine could be kind of threat to that idea, to hold this council in Ukraine? Thanks. JENS STOLTENBERG: Ukraine is a very close partner of NATO and there has been many different visits both from NATO to Ukraine but also from Ukrainian officials to NATO. We have had regular meetings of the NATO Ukraine Commission. We just received the invitation to go to Ukraine, that the whole North Atlantic Council could visit Ukraine. We are grateful for the invitation, we are looking into when our schedules and how we can try to facilitate that. So there's no final decision made but we are looking into the possibilities of having such a visit. What I can say is that NATO will continue to support Ukraine. We provide strong political support for Ukraine, sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine and also practical support, we help Ukraine to modernize its armed forces, to implement reforms and many NATO allies also provide different kinds of support for Ukraine. And I meet regularly with President Poroshenko, with Foreign Minister Klimkin and others and I will continue to meet them in Brussels, in Kiev and in other places in the world. So we will continue our close partnership with Ukraine. OANA LUNGESCU: Digi 24, second row. Q: Secretary General I am Douglas [inaudible] from Digi 24 Romania. I would like to ask you if the NATO presence in the Black Sea issue will be on this ministerial agenda? Thank you very much. JENS STOLTENBERG: NATO has already increased our presence in the southeast of our alliance including in Romania and we have made decisions to further increase and we are now in the process of establishing a [inaudible] around a Romanian brigade to increase our presence in a multinational brigade framework hosted by Romania and we're also looking into other elements of increased presence in the Black Sea region and Romania. We have increased the number of port visits and we are working closely with Romania and the other countries in the southeast of the alliance on how we can further increase our presence. OANA LUNGESCU: ANSA. Q: Good morning. About defence spending, you know very well that there are some country, Italy in front, that are struggling with the budget. How can Italy meet the 2 % target having the constraint, the European budget constraint, in your opinion? JENS STOLTENBERG: We are aware of that several NATO allies are struggling with the budgets, with deficits and with challenges related to how to increase defence spending. Having said that this is always a question of how to prioritize defence and when 28 allies agreed I expect all 28 allies to deliver. But as you know what we agreed was actually three steps, to stop the cuts, gradually move, gradually increase defence spending and then move towards the 2 % and therefore we don't expect all allies to meet the 2 % target immediately but we expect all allies to stop the cuts and to start to increase defence spending. And that's also the case for Italy. I think what what you point at is that the picture is still mixed, some allies are really struggling with defence spending, others are now either at 2 % or close to 2 % and I will continue to underline that all allies have to meet the commitments. OANA LUNGESCU: German Radio, just behind, behind here. Q: Kai Kuestner, German Radio. Back to the U.S., is it from your point of view worrying that the new Trump administration now has to find already a new security advisor? And a follow up if I may on the administration question, is it from your point a view also worrying that the whole team seems to be still in the process of finding itself and trying to find a common position on NATO which doesn't seem to be the case so far? JENS STOLTENBERG: It's not for me to comment on the resignation of the security advisor in the United States. Different allies appoint their different advisors and it happens that they also change people in different security positions. The important thing for me and for NATO is that the president, the secretary of defence, the secretary of state, they have all conveyed the same strong message about NATO. I have spoken to all three of them and they have all stated clearly that United States stays strongly committed to NATO, stays strongly committed to the transatlantic bond and that the United States fully see the strength of NATO both for European Security but also for the United States. We have to remember that a strong NATO is not only good for Europe but is also good for the United States because that provides the United States with allies, with friends which is of great importance for the United States. We saw that after the 911 terrorist attack, the only time NATO has invoked Article Five. So there is a common message from the President, from his security team, the secretary of state, the secretary of defence, that they stay strongly committed to NATO and I look forward to welcoming Defense Secretary Mattis and then later on President Trump and to hear that message from them in person here in Brussels later on. OANA LUNGESCU: Gentleman in the fourth row there. Q: David Herszenhorn with Politico. In light of the resignation in Washington overnight, commenting specifically about NATO, are you concerned at all about the consistency and reliability of information that you're hearing from the Trump administration, especially when it comes to conversations with Russia? JENS STOLTENBERG: The message from the United States has been the same in all the meetings, all the phone calls I and other NATO leaders have had with different leaders in United States since election. And that is that United States stays committed to NATO and this is not only words but it's also something that we see in deeds because in these days the United States is increasing its military presence in Europe for the first time in many years. We have a new brigade, a new armoured brigade of the United States being deployed, we have more training, more supplies, more pre-positioned equipment. So all of this is taking place now and it has a strong bipartisan support both from the Democrats and from the Republicans. So when the United States, the leadership there says that they are strongly say that they are strongly in favour of NATO, strongly committed to NATO it's also something we see not only words but also deeds with the increased U.S. military presence in Europe which is taking place now. Then when it comes to Russia, well the message has been in the phone calls I have had with the President and secretary of state and secretary of defense is that they fully support the dual track approach which is about defence and dialogue, not either defence or dialogue but as long as we are strong, as long as we are united, as long as we are predictable then we can also engage in a political dialogue with Russia. So I welcome a dialogue between NATO and Russia but also of course between NATO allies including the United States and Russia. OANA LUNGESCU: Al Arabiya. Q: [Inaudible starts speaking without microphone] ... concerning that they don't seem to be telling each other the truth, within the administration? JENS STOLTENBERG: As I said it's nothing it's nothing new that NATO allies change people responsible for security issues, that has happened before, I will not comment on why that happened. The important thing for me is that those responsible, the president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, they have clearly conveyed the message about support for NATO, support for the transatlantic partnership and support for the NATO approach to Russia, defence and dialogue, being united but also engaging with Russia. OANA LUNGESCU: Al Arabiya. Q: Good morning Secretary General. Noureddine Fridhi from Al Arabiya. NATO is providing the AWACS assets, etc, supporting the coalition, anti-DAESH coalition, is NATO intending to increase its involvement in the war against DAESH in Syria and Iraq and more specifically in Libya? France for example, United Kingdome called for the participation or to deal with Mr. Haftar, General Haftar seems to be one of the main military actor, you received last week the Prime Minister of Libya, do you intend to deal with him as Russia did and as some member states are intending or are doing already? JENS STOLTENBERG: Earlier this month I met with Prime Minister al-Sarraj of Libya and we discussed how we could provide support for Libya, how NATO could provide support and help Libya and NATO stands ready to assist Libya and if requested by the Government of National Accord we are ready to help them, especially when it comes to building defence institutions, implementing reforms and building the structures they need to stabilize the country. We are now in the process of discussing how we can do this with the Government of National Accord and a team around Prime Minister Sarraj. At the same time we are present in the Mediterranean with our Operation Sea Guardian which is also providing help to the Operation Sophia, the EU Operation Sophia in the central Mediterranean. So it's a bit too early to say what more NATO will do but we are actually in dialogue close dialogue with Libya on these issues now and also with the EU. When it comes to Iraq we have just we have trained Iraqi officers in Jordan for some time but now we are in January we started to also train Iraqi officers inside Iraq. It's a modest start but it's scalable and one of the issues we will discuss is whether we will then based on the experience of training inside Iraq not only in Jordan, whether we will expand and scale that up. That's something we will be discussing later on. OANA LUNGESCU: Europa Press. Q: Thank you. Anna Pisonero from the Spanish News Agency Europa Press. It's a quick follow up to an audience question. Do you see a combat role for NATO in the fight against ISIS? Especially after the new U.S. administration kicks in? And my second question is if you could give us any detail on the hub in Naples that will be created, it's just I understand for now mainly just analysing the terrorist threat from Northern Africa and the Middle East but I guess some countries later down the line would like for the Naples headquarter to be able to command ops if necessary to fend off threats from the south. Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: We're working on the establishment of a hub for the south at our Joint Force Command in Naples. The final decision has not yet been taken but we're working on this concept and it'll be addressed at the defence ministerial meeting which starts tomorrow. The idea with a hub is to increase our ability to coordinate, to get a better understanding, situational awareness of the threats and the challenges emanating from the south, from North Africa and the Middle East. Having said that I would like to underline that of course NATO and NATO capabilities, they are 360 degree available. So if there is a real threat, if there is a need for instance NATO Response Force or the NATO Spearhead Force in the south we will deploy to the south. So we have to remember that it's not only the hub for the south that is relevant for the south, we have a wide range of capabilities that if needed can be used also in the south. But the hub will add some specific understanding, some specific tools to address the challenges we see emanating from the south and it will be located together with a Joint Force Command in Naples. OANA LUNGESCU: Gentleman over there, seventh row. Q: Marko Vukajlovic, TV PRVA Montenegro. What are the latest updates on Montenegro notification protocol and can we talk about the final date of full membership? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: We signed the accession protocol with Montenegro last spring and since then we have been working hard on the ratification process. The accession protocol for Montenegro has to be ratified by 28 parliaments. So far it has been ratified by 24 because yesterday I spoke with President Hollande, and yesterday the French Parliament made the decision to ratify the accession protocol for I think actually it was the day before yesterday, but at least the French Parliament has now ratified the accession protocol for Montenegro making it 24 nations that have ratified, so there are four more to go. I am not able to tell you exactly when that's going to happen, I hope it can happen as soon as possible but parliaments are sovereign so they decide themselves when they make the decisions. But I think we're on a good track to have a membership of Montenegro relatively soon. OANA LUNGESCU: Gentleman over there in white. Q: Milos Rudovic from Montenegrin Daily Vijesti. You talked to President Trump twice, did you mention Montenegro? And did he formally say that he will sign and deposit accession protocol? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: It's of course the senate that has to make the to ratify the accession protocol but there has been no sign that the U.S. administration is not supporting the ratification and it has a strong bipartisan support in the senate and the Foreign Nation Committee has supported it. So I think this is also a good track in the U.S. but I cannot speak on behalf of the U.S. Senate, you have to ask them because they are a sovereign parliament or a national assembly as all other national assemblies in NATO allied countries are. OANA LUNGESCU: KUNA. Q: Nawab Kahn from the Kuwait News Agency KUNA. Sir following your recent visit to Kuwait to inaugurate the regional training centre of the ICI, Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and NATO, how do you see now the cooperation between NATO and the Gulf countries progressing in the fight against terrorism and against regional threats? Thank you sir. JENS STOLTENBERG: NATO has played a key role in the fight against terrorism for many years. I think we have to remember that our biggest military operation ever, the operation in Afghanistan, the purpose of that operation is to fight terrorism. The reason why we are in Afghanistan is to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for international terrorists. And there are many different international terrorist groups today in Afghanistan and the reason why we have decided to continue to stay in Afghanistan with 13,000 troops to train, assist and advise the Afghan National Army and Security Forces is to enable them to fight terrorism, is to enable them to stabilize their own country and I strongly believe that the best weapon we have in the fight against terrorism is to train local forces enabling them to fight terrorism. Of course NATO has to be ready to once again deploy our own troops in combat operations but in the long term I think it's much better and much more viable and effective tool to enable local forces to fight terrorism. And that's what we are doing in Afghanistan as part of the global effort to fight terrorism. That's the reason why we train Iraqi officers, to help them to fight terrorism. And that's also the reason why we are working closely with countries in the Gulf region, both in addressing for instance the challenges between Afghanistan and Iraq but also in the region itself and therefore I very much welcome that we just established this new regional centre which provides an excellent platform for enhanced cooperation but also support, capacity building for different partner countries in the region which is an important tool to fight terrorism. OANA LUNGESCU: Le Soir. Q: Philip [inaudible] Le Soir, thank you. Precisely on Afghanistan, do you expect a discussion on this because of recent U.S. military worries that the level of troops, of foreign troops, is no more sufficient taking into account of the, the deterioration of the situation there? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: We are firmly committed to our Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and the heads of state and government made last year a decision to continue our military presence in Afghanistan, to continue to provide funding for the Afghan National Army and Security Forces and to develop the political partnership with Afghanistan. And thanks to this support from NATO and NATO partners over a long period of years we have been able to build up a national army and security force which is now responsible for security in Afghanistan themselves. And I think if there's any lesson learned from Afghanistan we should perhaps have started even earlier to train the Afghans enabling them to take over responsibility for the security of Afghanistan themselves. We have ended the combat mission, what we what NATO is doing is to train, assist and advise and I for instance met with some pilots in the Afghan Air Force and it was great to see them being trained by NATO trainers enabling them to develop their own air force. Our mission has some shortfalls; General Nicholson has pointed at some of them and we will constantly address and follow the situation closely and I discuss this regularly with General Nicholson and this spring we will begin to discuss the future of Resolute Support Mission based on a review and assessment of the mission, the challenges and the need for NATO forces in Afghanistan. OANA LUNGESCU: Thank you very much, that's all we have time for right now but of course there will be opportunities tomorrow and the day after so we're looking forward to seeing you at the defence ministerial. Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address VP-45 'Pelicans' Respond to Clyde Challenger Search and Rescue Efforts Navy News Service Story Number: NNS170214-01 Release Date: 2/14/2017 8:37:00 AM By Lt. Caroline Sabatt, Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 Public Affairs ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Her Majesty's coastguard received an emergency beacon from Clyde Challenger, a 60-foot sailboat transiting from the Azores back to the UK, Feb. 10. The sailboat took on a rogue wave which snapped its mast, leaving it stranded in severe sea state and weather conditions. A nearby ship, UK tanker CPO Ferdinand, responded to the distress signal and shielded and monitored the vessel until further relief could arrive. Sailors from Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 responded to the call, and dispatched two crews and two P-8A Poseidon aircraft to provide aerial coverage while waiting for Royal navy destroyer HMS Dragon (D35) to arrive on station. "P-8 presence on station provided continuous, rescue scene condition updates to Her Majesty's coastguard and facilitated a communications relay between the Clyde Challenger crew and the HMS Dragon," said Lt. Rodrigo Cunha, VP-45 P-8A tactical coordinator. Lt. Lindianna Steffan, mission commander, and her P-8 crew arrived on station and established a 30-minute communications window with Clyde Challenger, maintaining updates on the crew's status and overall health of the vessel. "It was a privilege to be the communications relay and provide the crew with any updates to the status of their rescue," said Lt. Caroline Sabatt, VP-45 P-8A tactical coordinator. "We were thrilled to be able to inform them when the HMS Dragon was inbound and provide their instructions for rescue. You could hear the relief in their voices knowing that help was on the way and the rescue would commence soon." Dragon was conducting routine operations when the ship was diverted to assist in the rescue operations. The second P-8A crew, led by Lt. Cmdr. Michael Winters remained on station and assisted vectoring Dragon to intercept Clyde Challenger. The crew was able to maintain eyes on Clyde Challenger and witnessed four of the crew members' safe transfer from the sailboat to Dragon. All 14 personnel on Clyde Challenger were safely rescued. "Supporting this mission highlights the P-8A's ability to respond quickly to a crisis situation, in this case 1,500 nautical miles from home base," said Capt. Bill Ellis, commander, Task Force 67. "While on scene, our crews were able to monitor and provide updates of the Clyde Challenger through the night, and help coordinate the arrival and rescue efforts of the HMS Dragon. For the crew of the Clyde Challenger and their worried family members at home, it's reassuring to know that someone is watching over them while help is on the way. I'm very proud of the VP-45 'Pelicans' for their rapid response and role in this rescue at sea." VP-45 is in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operation in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa. The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. As the Navy's replacement platform for the P-3C Orion, the P-8A is capable of broad-area maritime and littoral operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. National Security Adviser Flynn resigns over controversial Russian contacts People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:55, February 14, 2017 U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned Monday night after days of reports over whether he discussed American sanctions against Russia in phone calls with a Russian diplomat before President Donald Trump's inauguration. Flynn is the first senior government official to leave the Trump administration since the new leader took office in January. Retired Army General Keith Kellogg, a top policy adviser for Trump's presidential campaign, was appointed acting national security adviser, according to local media reports. A possible replacement for Flynn was retired General David Petraeus, also a former CIA director, who was scheduled to meet Trump on Tuesday, according to a Politico report. Other options for the post include Stephen Hadley, who served as national security adviser to former President George W. Bush; Tom Bossert, who now oversees cyber security under the Trump administration; retired Admiral James Stavridis, a former NATO supreme commander; and John Kelly, head of Department of Homeland Security, said the report. Flynn spent the weekend with Trump in Florida at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort and was part of the delegation welcoming Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the White House earlier on Monday. Flynn's resignation came amid rampant reports that he lied about improperly discussing U.S. sanctions on Russia by the Obama administration with the Russian ambassador to the United States in December, weeks before Trump's inauguration. Flynn acknowledged speaking to the ambassador then but denied discussing the sanctions. Vice President Mike Pence was reportedly misled and went on television to back up Flynn. Earlier on Monday, it was revealed that the Justice Department had informed the White House that Flynn was not fully forthright about his conversations with the Russian ambassador and could be vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow. Flynn, a retired three-star general, was forced out as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. He was one of the first and most active military officers to back Trump during his presidential campaign. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump accused of endangering US national security Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 5:45PM The administration of US President Donald Trump is being accused of endangering American national security following a series of high-profile controversies over its handling of sensitive information. Democratic lawmakers and independent experts say Trump has made a series of security missteps, including working on national security issues in plain public view of guests, Politico reported Monday. Furor peaked Saturday when the new president took a phone call about a North Korean missile test while sitting in full view of guests at his private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. "This is mind-bogglingly irresponsible," said Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon and a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "Trump threatens national security by letting anyone who pays to get into his club photograph sensitive deliberations." Security experts have raised red flags over Trump tweeting via an unsecured Android mobile phone, a habit that could potentially expose the president to personal tracking or give hackers an entry point into other parts of his phone. "It's against best practices of operational security," said Jonathan Wackrow, a former Secret Service agent who now runs a private security consulting firm. "The people he surrounds himself with should know better. I don't see that voice of reason anywhere." "Think about the impact an attacker could have if they could access POTUS's phone microphone, or that of his aides, during key briefings such as the meeting in Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night," said Mike Murray, a vice president at the mobile security company Lookout. Experts say foreign intelligence agencies are examining every clip and photo for possible insight into the inner workings of the White House, including a video that Trump's social media director Dan Scavino posted to Twitter on Saturday that features the president's entourage, including a US military officer carrying the country's nuclear codes. "As much scrutiny as you're giving those videos, foreign intelligence is doing the exact same thing just to gain a little bit of understanding of this administration," Wackrow said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gambia announces reversed plan to remain in ICC Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 3:20PM The Gambia's new government has asked the United Nations to halt the country's process of withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), reversing the previous administration's plan to pull out of the tribunal. A statement issued by the government of President Adama Barrow late on Monday said the Gambia would remain in the ICC. The statement added that Foreign Minister Ousainou Darboe had notified UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres of the decision in a letter last month. "The government of Gambia has notified Antonio Guterres in his capacity as depository of the Rome Statue of its decision to discontinue the withdrawal notice," the statement read. Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh announced in October 2016 that he would pull the Gambia out of the ICC. In the same month, the West African country's former Information Minister Sheriff Bojang accused the ICC of being biased against Africa. Bojang said the court, set up to pursue some of the world's worst crimes, had been used "for the persecution of Africans and especially their leaders" while ignoring crimes committed by the West. The former Gambian information minister singled out the case of Tony Blair, Britain's former prime minister, whom the ICC failed to indict over the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He said the tribunal was an "international Caucasian court for the persecution and humiliation of people of color, especially Africans." Ironically, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda, is a former Gambian justice minister. The Gambia had followed in the footsteps of Burundi and South Africa by declaring its intention to withdraw from the ICC. Only Africans have been charged in the six ICC cases that are ongoing or about to begin, though preliminary investigations have opened elsewhere, too. The ICC has opened probes involving Kenya, the Ivory Coast, Libya, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Uganda and Mali. The International Criminal Court was set up in 2002 to try war criminals and the perpetrators of genocide. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China slams US support for Japan's territorial claims Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 8:18AM Beijing has once again emphasized its sovereignty over a group of disputed islands in the South and East China Seas, blasting US President Donald Trump over his recent pledge of support for Japan's overlapping territorial claims with China. "China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters. China is firmly committed to upholding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang in a Monday press briefing. The development came after Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a joint statement following a meeting last week, in which they affirmed that "Article V of the US-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security covers the [disputed] Senkaku Islands," referred to in China as Diaoyu. The joint statement further added, "They oppose any unilateral action that seeks to undermine Japan's administration of these islands. The United States and Japan will deepen cooperation to safeguard the peace and stability of the East China Sea." The Chinese spokesman, however, expressed Beijing's "grave" concern over and "firm" opposition to the joint Trump-Abe statement, underlining that the islands are part of China's "inherent territory." "No rhetoric or actions, from whomsoever, will change the fact that Diaoyu Dao belongs to China or waver China's resolve and determination to uphold its national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Shuang added. He also called on Tokyo and Washington to "exercise prudence" and stop making "wrong remarks" to avoid causing a negative impact on regional peace and stability. "We urge the US and Japan to view the South China Sea issue in an objective and rational light and do more things that are conducive to peace and stability in the South China Sea rather than the opposite." The islands in question were transferred by the US to Japan's administrative control in 1971, triggering a territorial dispute with China, which claims the discovery and ownership of the islands from the 14th century. Tokyo insists it had ownership of the islands from 1895 until its surrender at the end of World War II. During Monday's briefing, the Chinese official defended construction on the disputed islets and reefs, rejecting US claims that Beijing is "militarizing" the area. Beijing, he said, has the right to construction on its own islands and reefs, adding that such activities have "nothing to do with militarization." He also criticized Washington for interfering in the region's affairs and provoking militarization in Southeast Asia. "Certain countries either send vessels and aircraft to the South China Sea to flex muscles or sow discord. This is exactly the largest contributor to militarization in the South China Sea," Shuang stated. He was referring to the US military's naval and aerial patrols in the disputed waters, which Beijing has repeatedly slammed as provocative. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Montenegrin PM Warns Russia To 'Keep Hands Off' NATO Bid RFE/RL's Balkan Service February 14, 2017 Montenegro's prime minister, Dusko Markovic, has told Russia and its allies within Montenegro to stop destabilizing the country as part of their opposition to Podgorica's NATO membership bid. Speaking on February 14, Markovic said that those warning of unrest "in Montenegro or outside of it should keep their hands off Montenegro." His remarks came after pro-Russian parties denounced a call by Montenegro's special prosecutor for parliament to lift the immunity of two senior opposition leaders. The pro-Kremlin opposition Democratic Front leaders, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, were allegedly involved in a pro-Russian plot in October 2016 to kill the then-prime minister and take over power to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO. Prosecutor Milivoje Katnic wants their immunity lifted so they can be detained and put on trial for criminal conspiracy and inciting "acts against constitutional order and the security of Montenegro." Parliament is due to vote on their immunity on February 15. Pro-Russian opposition parties have called for demonstrations outside of the national assembly in Podgorica during the February 15 vote. Mandic and Knezevic have dismissed the plot allegations as "fiction." Mandic has made several recent visits to Moscow, where he received support from the Kremlin for his anti-NATO position. He has warned of civil war in Montenegro over the issue of NATO membership. But Markovic's government remains committed to forging ties with the West. Montenegro in October arrested about 20 people -- including two Russian citizens -- in connection with the alleged coup plot. Most of the others arrested in October are pro-Russian Serbian nationals. The Kremlin has denied involvement, but has actively supported local groups that oppose Montenegro becoming a NATO member. NATO Awaits Approval, Including U.S. Twenty-four of NATO's 28 members have approved Montenegrin membership, which was endorsed by NATO leaders at a Warsaw summit in July 2016. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on February 14, a day before a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, that he couldn't say exactly when the remaining four NATO members will ratify the accession protocol for Montenegro, but added that "we are on a good track to have the membership of Montenegro relatively soon." The United States is one of the four countries yet to formally approve Podgorica's NATO bid. But Stoltenberg said on February 14 that "there has been no sign that the U.S. administration is not supporting the ratification." "It has a strong bipartisan support in the Senate and the [Senate] Foreign Relations Committee has supported it, so I think it is also on a good track in the U.S.," Stoltenberg said. However, U.S. President Donald Trump's description of NATO as an "obsolete" organization and his calls for improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin have worried many in Montenegro that Trump may try to block Podgorica's membership bid. With reporting by AP and AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/montenegro- markovic-warns-russia-hands-off -nato-bid/28309701.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 NATO Chief Urges Allies To 'Keep Up The Momentum' On Defense Spending Rikard Jozwiak February 14, 2017 BRUSSELS -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has urged member-states to step up defense spending, speaking on the eve of U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis's first meeting with his 27 counterparts in Brussels. "After many years with steep cuts in defense spending, we have turned a corner," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on February 14, adding that spending by European NATO allies and Canada increased by 3.8 percent in 2016. "This is significantly higher than what we had originally foreseen. And it amounts to roughly 10 billion dollars more for our defense," Stoltenberg said. "This makes a difference but it is absolutely vital that we keep up the momentum." The NATO chief said that "defense spending has been the main topic" in his two telephone conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump. "He has strongly expressed his strong commitment to NATO, to the transatlantic bond, but at the same time...underlined the importance of fairer burden sharing," Stoltenberg said. In 2014, the year Russia seized Crimea and backed separatists in a war in eastern Ukraine, NATO leaders committed to halt defense spending cuts and move to raise their military budgets to 2 percent of gross domestic product within a decade. Twenty-four of the 28 members have stopped cutting defense spending. Stoltenberg said the United States, Britain, Poland, Greece, and Estonia are "already meeting the 2 percent target," while Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania are getting close. With reporting by AP and Reuters Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/nato- chief-stoltenberg-defense -spending/28309256.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 Moldovan President: Planned NATO Office In Chisinau 'Provocation' RFE/RL's Moldovan Service February 14, 2017 CHISINAU -- Moldova's pro-Russian President Igor Dodon has told RFE/RL he thinks the planned opening of a permanent NATO liaison office in Moldova would amount to a provocation. Moldova's pro-Western government signed an agreement with NATO on the opening of the civilian-staffed liaison bureau in November, before Dodon assumed office. Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip has urged his Foreign Ministry to accelerate the opening of a NATO liaison office in Chisinau, and the ministry has said it hopes to do so in April. But in an interview in Chisinau on February 14, Dodon told RFE/RL that he wanted Moldova to remain neutral rather than joining any military alliance. He said Moldova and NATO had been collaborating well so far. But when asked about plans for the liaison office, he said: "What do we need a NATO office for? A NATO office in Chisinau, in a neutral country, is a provocation." "I do not want this. I want neither NATO nor this Russia-led [military] alliance as far as armed forces are concerned," Dodon said in an apparent reference to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military organization grouping Russia and five other former Soviet republics -- Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The Moldovan presidency is a largely symbolic position, but Dodon's position has been strengthened by the fact that he was elected in a direct popular vote -- the first president of the country to win office through such an election since 1997. On February 7, Dodon said after talks in Brussels with NATO Deputy Secretary-General Rose Gottemoeller that the Moldovan people did not "welcome" the opening of a NATO liaison office -- despite the request for the office made by the center-right-controlled parliament and government. The Moldovan government is made up of officials from pro-Western parties while Dodon previously headed the pro-Russian Socialist Party, which wants closer ties with Moscow rather than closer integration with European institutions. Dodon said he had recommended to Moldova's current parliament and government that they "not rush it." "If they do rush it, the next parliament and government will cancel this agreement, NATO will close down the office and will run away from Moldova. Why do we need such a thing," he told RFE/RL. Dodon also had argued in Brussels that the NATO liaison bureau would "create impediments in regard to negotiations in the Transdniester issue." Transdniester, a Russian-speaking region in Moldova's east, declared independence from Chisinau in 1990 amid concerns among separatists there of a possible unification of Romania and majority Romanian-speaking Moldova. A war broke out between Moldova and Transdniester in 1992, which resulted in hundreds of deaths. Russian troops quelled the fighting, but the conflict remains unresolved, and some 1,200 Russian soldiers are still deployed in Transdniester. Russia says those troops act as peacekeepers, despite repeated calls for their withdrawal by both Chisinau and the international community. Asked by RFE/RL to explain his stance on Transdniester, Dodon said he wanted "very much" to see Russian troops leave Transdniester. "I am quite optimistic about resolving this problem, maybe by the end of my term, maybe even earlier," he said without elaborating. Dodon's first visit abroad as president was to Moscow, followed by a trip to Brussels. He told RFE/RL that he planned to continue visiting former Soviet republics as well as some European Union member countries. "I believe I will visit CIS members Azerbaijan and Belarus, and probably Armenia, EU member Hungary, and [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan will probably come to Moldova in May." An official visit to Moldova by Erdogan has so far not been confirmed by Turkey. Written by Eugen Tomiuc based on an interview conducted by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/moldova-president-dodon- nato-office-provocation/28309487.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 Russian MoD Denies Incidents With Russian Planes Near US Destroyer in Black Sea Sputnik News 23:59 14.02.2017(updated 00:07 15.02.2017) There were no incidents involving Russian military planes flying near a US destroyer in the Black Sea on February 10, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) US Defense Department spokesperson Michelle Baldanza said earlier on Tuesday that the United States was concerned about the incidents with Russian aircraft flying near the US destroyer in the Black Sea earlier in February. Baldanza said that several incidents involving the destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) occurred on February 10, when the ship was on a patrol in the Black Sea following the Sea Shield trials. She stressed that the US destroyer queried all Russian aircraft, but did not receive any answer. "There were no incidents related to a flyby of Russian military aircraft near the USS Porter destroyer in the Black Sea on February 10," Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. The Sea Shield 2017 maritime drills with the participation of seven NATO member states and Ukraine kicked off in the Black Sea in early February. The drills take place on the territory of 80,000 square kilometers (49,700 square miles). Approximately 2,800 personnel from Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, the United States, Canada, Spain and Ukraine, 16 warships and 10 warplanes will participate in the 10-day exercises. NATO's military presence in Eastern Europe has been increasing since April 2014 after conflict broke out in Ukraine, responding to what NATO considers an aggressive Russian foreign policy. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards attend the 'Arrow' Special Video Presentation and Q&A during Comic-Con International 2016 held on July 23, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Matt Winkelmeyer) "Arrow" Season 5 episode 14 will see the return of villains. The upcoming episode is titled "The Sin-Eater" wherein China White, Cupid and Liz Warner, aka Lady Cop will seek revenge from their enemy Oliver Queen. Here are a few spoilers for the next chapter of the series. Read on to find out what happens next. Advertisement [Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for "Arrow" Season 5 episode 14 "The Sin-Eater." Do not read further if you don't wish to know more about it.] "Arrow" Season 5 episode 14 will see Mayor Queen get arrested for the murder of Detective Malone. The network has released a synopsis for the upcoming segment teasing some shockers and surprises for Green Arrow. According to Spoiler TV's description for "Arrow" Season 5 episode 14, China White, Cupid and Lady Cop break out of the prison. They manage to escape Iron Heights where they were locked up by Oliver. The trip heads to Star City for revenge from their archenemy Oliver Queen, who is responsible for their confinement. The three female villains will join hands to bring Arrow down. The mayor springs into action and tries to take the three lady villains in custody. However, things take an unexpected turn when ACU intervenes. Apparently, ACU arrests Oliver for murdering Detective Malone. Meanwhile, Lance feels he is responsible for the prison break when he realizes that Warner may have heard him working Damien Darhk. A promo video for "Arrow" Season 5 episode 14 is highly anticipated. It is expected to be out after the broadcast of episode 13 airing on Feb. 13. Stay tuned it will be updated here. "Arrow" Season 5 episode 14 airs Feb. 22 at 8:00 pm on The CW. More spoilers and promos are expected soon. UPDATE A promo video for "Arrow" Season 5 episode 14 is released. Scroll down to watch it. White House: Flynn Wasn't Instructed by Trump to Discuss Anti-Russian Sanctions Sputnik News 23:59 14.02.2017(updated 00:00 15.02.2017) President Donald Trump did not direct his National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to discuss sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a briefing on Tuesday. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Flynn resigned on Monday night from his role as the Trump administration's National Security Advisor following a massive media campaign accusing him of contacting Russia's ambassador to the US, and misleading the White House about his conversations. On Tuesday White House spokesman Sean Spicer confirmed that President Trump requested Michael Flynn's resignation over "eroding trust." Even though Spicer repeated that the national Security Adviser hasn't done anything illegal and moreover it was his job to communicate with America's foreign counterparts, the president didn't feel comfortable working with Flynn, after it became known that the retired general hasn't disclosed all details of conversations that he had. When asked whether Trump instructed Flynn to speak with Kislyak about the existing sanctions imposed on Russia, Spicer stated "absolutely not." "I think the president had no problem with the fact that he [Flynn] acted in accord with what his job was," Spicer noted. Spicer added that Trump was not aware of Flynn's discussions with Kislyak at the time when he served as Trump's National Security Agency-designate. Trump was notified about Flynn's conversations with the Russian ambassador once the White House counsel briefed the president on concerns by the Justice Department on the matter, Spicer explained. On Monday night, Flynn announced his decision to leave the National Security Adviser post amid the growing controversy surrounding information leaked to the media about his conversations with Kislyak prior to Trump's inauguration. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon Accuses Russia of 'Unsafe, Unprofessional' Actions Near US Destroyer Sputnik News 23:00 14.02.2017(updated 23:21 14.02.2017) The United States is concerned about the incidents with Russian aircraft flying near the US destroyer in the Black Sea earlier in February, and considers them unprofessional, Defense Department spokesperson Michelle Baldanza told Sputnik on Tuesday. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) Baldanza said that a number of incidents involving USS Porter occurred on February 10, while the ship was patrolling international waters in the Black Sea following the Sea Shield trials. "Several incidents by multiple Russian aircraft in the Black Sea near the destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) on Feb. 10 were assessed by the ship's commanding officer as unsafe and unprofessional," Baldanza said. "Such incidents are concerning because they can result in accident or miscalculation." Baldanza explained that the US destroyer queried all Russian aircraft, but did not receive any answer. "The Russian aircraft did not have their transponders on," Baldanza added. The spokesperson also pointed out that the US destroyer was conducting routine maritime operations in international waters in the Black Sea after it concluded Exercise Sea Shield. The Sea Shield 2017 maritime drills with the participation of seven NATO member states and Ukraine kicked off in the Black Sea in earlry February. The drills take place on the territory of 80,000 square kilometers (49,700 square miles). Approximately 2,800 personnel from Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, the United States, Canada, Spain and Ukraine, 16 warships and 10 warplanes will participate in the 10-day exercises. NATO's military presence in Eastern Europe has been increasing since April 2014 after conflict broke out in Ukraine, responding to what NATO considers an aggressive Russian foreign policy. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Did Not Instruct Flynn to Discuss Sanctions With Russian Ambassador Sputnik News 21:46 14.02.2017(updated 22:04 14.02.2017) White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer stated that US President Donald Trump did not instruct his National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to discuss sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) US President Donald Trump did not direct his National Security Advisor Michael Flynn to discuss sanctions with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a briefing on Tuesday. "No, absolutely not," Spicer stated when asked whether Trump instructed Flynn to speak with Kislyak about sanctions. "I think the president had no problem with the fact that he [Flynn] acted in accord with what his job was." White House Counsel probed the situation involving Flynn and found no legal violations. "He asked the White House Counsel to review the situation. We had to review whether there was a legal issue, which the White House Counsel concluded that there was not," Spicer stated. "There is nothing that the General did that was a violation of any sort." Spicer added that the resignation of Flynn was "a matter of trust." Flynn announced his resignation on Monday night amid a growing controversy surrounding his conversation with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak before Trump's inauguration. In his resignation letter, Flynn noted he had not given Vice President Mike Pence complete information about his conversations with Kislyak. Flynn's phone talks with Kislyak have raised questions about whether the he broke a law forbidding private US citizens from engaging with foreign nations about diplomatic disputes. Retired Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr. has been named acting US national security adviser following Flynn's resignation. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Did Not Instruct Flynn to Discuss Sanctions With Russian Flynn's Resignation Internal US Matter, Merits No Further Comment - Kremlin Sputnik News 14:29 14.02.2017 The resignation of US national security adviser Michael Flynn is a domestic matter in the United States that merits no further comment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Flynn said in his resignation letter on Tuesday that he had not provided US President Donald Trump with full information about his contacts with Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak. "We in no way want to comment on it. These are the internal affairs of the Trump presidential administration. This is not our topic," Peskov told reporters. Pressed twice on the subject, Peskov stressed that "there is nothing we would like to add to what has been said." On Monday, Peskov denied media allegations that Flynn had privately discussed anti-Russia sanctions with Kislyak. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In Oman, UN chief Guterres seeks ways to help bring peace to Middle East 14 February 2017 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today expressed his support for the countries like Oman that are in the forefront of mediation efforts to resolve conflict. "This is my first visit to the region and the objective is to be able to consult the Government of Oman to see how I can be useful, recognizing that it's Member States and the people that have the leadership in bringing peace to the region," Mr. Guterres told the press, following a meeting with Oman's foreign minister, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah. "How I can be useful in supporting all those like Oman, who has always been in the first line of mediation trying to bring together the parties to the conflict and trying to make sure that peace is possible?" the UN chief said. On the conflict in Yemen, Mr. Guterres said that, known the Yemeni people for a long time, he wishes to be able to serve and support the efforts of all those who want peace to be re-established in Yemen. "They are a generous people who are suffering so much," he said. The Secretary-General is on his first major trip, which took him to Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). From Oman, he will travel to Qatar, Egypt and Germany. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Guinea-Bissau: Sustaining economic growth requires political stability, says UN envoy 14 February 2017 In the face of continued political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, a more sustained and well-coordinated approach is required to sustain economic gains, said the United Nations envoy for the country, calling for "faithful" implementation of a regionally-brokered road-map. "Any breakthrough in the political dialogue would remain short-lived if the structural causes of the instability are not addressed," Modibo Toure, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Guinea Bissau, told the UN Security Council today. "It will therefore be critical for national actors to implement the provisions in the Conakry Agreement related to the review of the Constitution in order to clarify the provisions that have given rise to inter-institutional conflicts in the past," he added in his briefing, parts of which were in French. The Conakry Agreement was signed in October last year following talks between political leaders, civil society and religious leaders of Guinea-Bissau. The talks were hosted by the regional bloc Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS) in Guinea's capital Conakry. However, the implementation of the Agreement and the ECOWAS roadmap has been challenging, Mr. Toure outlined. Urging authorities of Guinea-Bissau to focus on revising the electoral law and the laws governing political parties, as envisaged in the Conakry Agreement, in preparation for legislative elections scheduled in 2018, the UN official also underlined that "at the same time, it is important not to lose sight of the critical reforms in the judicial, human rights, security and economic sectors." Despite political crisis, country's economic performance has been remarkable Further in the briefing, Mr. Toure highlighted that the national economy was estimated to have expanded by five per cent in 2016, on the back of very good cashew harvests and favourable terms of trade. The growth last year follows favourable growth rates in 2015 and 2014. He, however, added that sustaining the economic growth would require stability. Furthermore, the Government successfully paid salary arrears of several months particularly in the health and education sectors. There was also progress in fostering national reconciliation and social cohesion, as evidenced in a recent symposium organized at the premises of the National Assembly and attended by the country's President. Mr. Toure also pointed out that in the absence of a fully functioning Government, the UN and international financial institutions must continue to coordinate efforts towards mitigating risks, reducing socioeconomic vulnerabilities, including through business for peace initiatives. In pursuit of this objective, he said that the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), that he heads, is currently working to take forward a partnership initiative with the UNCT, the World Bank, and other interested bilateral and multilateral partners to effectively strengthen local resilience and promote peace in Guinea-Bissau, in line with relevant the Security Council resolution on a more integrated political, security and developmental approach to sustaining peace. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Defense Ministers Focus on Spending Boost By VOA News February 14, 2017 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday a meeting of the alliance's defense ministers will focus on the need for members to increase the amount of money they spend on defense. He told reporters in Brussels ahead of the meeting that countries boosted defense spending by $10 billion last year, but that only five of the 28 NATO members are meeting the target of allocating 2 percent of their GDP to defense. U.S. President Donald Trump criticized NATO members during his campaign, saying not enough were fully supporting the alliance financially. At one point, he suggested those who did not pay their fair share would not be automatically defended by the United States. During his campaign for the presidency, Trump also questioned the efficacy of NATO's role in the 21st century, on several occasions calling the alliance's mission "obsolete" for what he said was an insufficient focus on terrorism. But Stoltenberg noted that since taking office, Trump has voiced support for the alliance, both publicly and in two phone calls with him. "President Trump has in both the phone calls also underlined the importance of fair burden sharing, and that those countries that spend less than 2 percent have to meet the 2 percent target. And I agree with him," Stoltenberg said. New U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is traveling Tuesday to Brussels to join the NATO talks. Stoltenberg said the alliance is looking forward to "be able to sit down with him and to discuss many different topics, including burden sharing, but also NATO's role in fighting terrorism." The NATO chief noted that some members are struggling with economic challenges, but he said the goal is to begin to with stopping cuts in defense spending and eventually shift to meeting the full target amount. NATO heads of state are due to meet later this year, and Stoltenberg said exactly what kind of language or proposals may emerge in order to help boost defense spending remain to be seen from that meeting and the one this week. Stoltenberg also said he was looking forward to an upcoming meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and that NATO needs to be both firm in presenting a credible defense while also keeping diplomatic lines open. "Especially in difficult times as these we need open political dialogue with Russia," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More Than 100 People Killed in DRC Army and Militia Clashes By Lisa Schlein February 14, 2017 The U.N. human rights office says more than 100 people have been killed over the past few days in clashes between the army and a local militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Kasai-Central province. The fighting took place between February 9 and 13 in the territory of Dibaya. Tensions in the area of persistent conflict had been growing since April with the emerging friction between the customary tribal chief and authorities. The situation reached a fever pitch in August when the chief was killed by Congolese armed forces. U.N. human rights spokeswoman Liz Throssell tells VOA that since then, the local militia has become radicalized, attacking institutions viewed as symbols of the state. "A lot of the people fighting with the militia, they are children," she said. "They have been recruited by the militia leaders and that is something that we strongly condemnI cannot say exactly who the victims were, but we are given to understand that the majority of the people who have been killed were militia members." Throssell says the armed forces reportedly opened fire indiscriminately with machine guns last week when they saw the militia fighters, who were armed mainly with machetes and spears. "One of the incidents did take place in the 9th of February when we understand there was an incident in the market and that may account for the fact that about 39 women were killed. They were caught in the fire," she said. The U.N. human rights office says it is deeply concerned about the high number of deaths, adding it suggests an excessive and disproportionate use of force by the soldiers. The agency is urging restraint to minimize damage and injury. The agency says it has documented atrocities committed by both sides since August. It is calling for an independent investigation into human rights violations and abuses committed by the Congolese army and militia in the ongoing conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address General Accuses S. Sudan's Kiir of Using Army for Ethnic Cleansing By Waakhe Simon Wudu February 14, 2017 A top South Sudanese general has resigned, accusing President Salva Kiir of turning the national army into a tribal force for his own Dinka ethnic group. Lieutenant General Thomas Cirillo said the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) now works under the influence of the pro-Dinka Jieng Council of Elders rather than serving the interest of the nation. In his six-page resignation letter, delivered to Kiir on Saturday from Addis Ababa, Cirillo accuses Kiir of all but ignoring the 2015 peace agreement between the government and opposition forces led by former South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar. He said Kiir and the SPLA have pursued the Jieng Council of Elders' agenda of ethnic cleansing and the forceful displacement of people from their ancestral lands. The general also said the violence that erupted in December 2013, which triggered South Sudan's ongoing conflict, was planned and orchestrated by the government. He called the conflict a "tribally engineered war" that has killed thousands of innocent people. Speaking Monday with VOA's South Sudan in Focus, presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny denied the general's accusations, while noting that Cirillo was a longtime commander of the SPLA. "And he was there for a number of years, from 1991 until some few weeks ago; he was the commander of those armies," Ateny said. "This is uncalled for because he was part of the decision making within the SPLA and therefore he also bears the consequences of what the SPLA as an army has actually done." According to the United Nations, more than three million South Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes since 2013, with 1.4 million now living as refugees in other countries. The lieutenant general's resignation comes amid continued deadly violence between government troops and unidentified militias, as well as massive displacement of civilians, mainly in the greater Equatoria and Upper Nile regions. Aid agencies say fighting in recent weeks between government forces and rebel forces loyal to Machar have prompted thousands of civilians to flee to Uganda. Cirillo is the second SPLA general to resign in protest of Kiir's actions. Lieutenant General Bapinyi Monytuil resigned in October 2016, accusing Kiir of hindering the implementation of the peace agreement. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Lawmakers: Flynn Had to Go By Michael Bowman, Katherine Gypson February 14, 2017 U.S. lawmakers of both political parties said they approved of Michael Flynn's resignation as national security adviser and urged President Donald Trump to bring order to his fledgling White House on national security matters and beyond. "That was a decision that was certainly warranted," Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona told reporters Tuesday. "The vice president was misinformed [by Flynn]." In his resignation letter, Flynn said he gave Vice President Mike Pence incomplete information about his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States. Pence went on national television to deny that U.S. sanctions had been discussed with the Russian envoy, but Flynn later conceded that the issue may have come up. U.S. law bars unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments. Independent Senator Angus King of Maine noted that Flynn spoke with the Russian ambassador during the waning days of the Obama administration. "Private citizens, which is what general Flynn was at that point, are not supposed to be negotiating with foreign countries," King said. "We can only have one president at a time." Overarching concerns Lawmakers said their concerns go beyond Flynn's actions. "He [Trump] has to have a proper decision-making process," McCain said. "There are various centers of influence in the White House that lead to a degree of disarray and disorganization, the likes of which we have never seen. Our [congressional] oversight responsibilities are increased now because it's pretty clear that this administration is incoherent on national security," he added. "He [Trump] has to select a national security adviser," said Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island. "That's step one. Step two, he has to, I think, conduct a very thorough review of his relationship with his associates and the Russians. And there are many suggestions that those associations are more than just casual." Flynn's resignation adds to a slew of controversies concerning Russia and underscores the need for thorough congressional probes, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said. "This is very alarming," Manchin told VOA. "We will find out the depth of that [Russian influence] and where it goes, wherever the facts take us. You want a conclusion to this, if it goes any further, any deeper. I think the public wants to know and has a right to know, and we're going to look at it." Further investigation? But just hours after Flynn resigned, House Republicans showed limited interest in opening up new investigative avenues to pursue lingering questions about the Trump administration's links with Russia. "I'm not going to pre-judge any of the circumstances until we have all the information," House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters in his weekly press briefing Tuesday morning. Ryan said he would leave it up to the Trump administration to describe the circumstances leading to Flynn's resignation. "National security is perhaps the most important function or responsibility of a president and I think the president made the right decision to ask for his resignation. You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the vice president," Ryan said. "I think that the situation is taking care of itself," House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz told reporters after the weekly Republican conference meeting. Chaffetz said the matter was better handled in the ongoing House and Senate Intelligence Committee investigations on Russian election interference rather than in his own oversight committee. "It's not something that the oversight committee can actually look at because sources and methods are the exclusive purview of the intel committee," Chaffetz said. Earlier in the day, Congressman Devin Nunes, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said his committee would focus on investigating the leaks that revealed Flynn's discussions with the Russian ambassador. Independent investigation But House Democrats demanded answers to the questions they say were raised not resolved by Flynn's resignation, calling for an independent body to examine what Trump knew about Flynn's contact with Russia and when he knew it. Ranking Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff said Americans should be deeply concerned the Trump administration asked for Flynn's resignation only after the news of his calls had leaked to the public and called for a thorough investigation into links between the Trump campaign and Russia. "The administration was OK with the fact that the American people were laboring under the falsehood that they had not discussed the sanctions with the Russians," Schiff said. "If the speaker won't commit to a Congressional probe, he should allow for an independent commission and get out of the way," he continued. And while many House Democrats used language recalling the threatened impeachment and eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon more than 40 years, they said the calls for investigation into the Trump administration were about more than partisan politics. "We are in a fight for the soul of our democracy," said ranking member of the House Oversight Committee Congressman Elijah Cummings. "Republicans need to join us. It's not a Democratic issue, a Republican issue, it's not an independent issue. It's an American issue." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Actors Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder 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) It has long been rumored that Nina Dobrev and Nikki Reed are feuding about Ian Somerhalder, but the two ladies have finally put the controversy to rest in a series of pictures taken during Dobrev's return to "The Vampire Diaries" Season 8. It has been confirmed that Dobrev will reprise his role as Elena Gilbert in "The Vampire Diaries" Season 8. Executive producer Kevin Williamson shared a photo of Dobrev, together with actor Paul Wesley, on the set of the show. Advertisement Executive producer Julie Plec also confirmed Dobrev's highly awaited comeback. "I'm thrilled to bring this show to an end the way we always intended - with Nina back to help us say goodbye," TVLine quoted the producer as saying. Dobrev's return to the show raised a lot of question about how she'll be working with co-star and ex-boyfriend Somerhalder, especially with rumors swirling that Somerhalder's wife, Nikki Reed, does not approve of their onscreen reunion. Dobrev and Reed slammed the rumors by posting a photo of them together with Somerhalder. "For the last few years we thought addressing any baseless rumors with silence was the best way. Besides, who wants to respond to made up stories about 'friends backstabbing friends,' 'cheating exes,' or 'cast members exiting shows,'" Reed wrote on her Instagram. "So here's to putting an end to all those fake stories of on set jealousy, betrayal, made-up-friendships lost & women hating women." It has not been revealed how Dobrev's character, Elena, will return to the show. The last the viewers saw her she was stuck in a sleep state after getting cursed by Kai. The latest "The Vampire Diaries" Season 8 trailer suggests, however, that Kai would be willing to break the curse and revive Elena as long as Damon agrees to do something in return. As to Damon and Elena's reunion, the cast and crew have been mum about any potential spoilers. Somerhalder, however, believes a happily ever after is unlikely to happen. "These guys [Damon and Stefan] have ruined her life, yet everybody wants her to end up with one of them." "The Vampire Diaries" Season 8 has four more episodes left. Dobrev's last episode as Elena will air on March 10. Questions, Answers Regarding Flynn Resignation By William Gallo February 14, 2017 White House national security adviser Michael Flynn has abruptly resigned, following reports of contacts he had with a Russian diplomat that may have violated federal law. The resignation of the three-star general, an early supporter of President Donald Trump's campaign, amounts to an extraordinary shake-up within the top ranks of the White House, less than a month into Trump's time in office. Why did Flynn resign? In late December, before the Trump administration had taken office, Flynn spoke over the phone with Sergei Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the United States. Flynn insisted the conversation was not substantive, but it was later revealed that he had misled senior administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about the discussions. What was discussed in the call? Flynn originally said the conversations were aimed at setting up a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. But the discussions were much more substantive, according to transcripts of the calls, which were recorded by U.S. spies. Flynn had in fact discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia that were put in place by the Obama administration in response to Moscow's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election. When did Trump learn Flynn misled him? According to news reports, the Justice Department informed the White House last month that Flynn had not been truthful about the conversation. Acting Attorney General Sally Yates expressed concerns that Flynn had opened himself up to blackmail, since the Russians could pressure him by threatening to reveal the true nature of the phone call. Trump later fired Yates after she refused to defend his controversial travel ban in court. Was a law broken? Flynn's phone call could be a violation of the Logan Act, which bars private citizens from conducting foreign affairs without the permission of the U.S. government. However, many view the statute as unenforceable. In over 200 years of the statute's existence, not a single person has been prosecuted under the act. Will there be investigations? Following the resignation, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have called for more inquiries into Flynn's dealings with Russia. Texas' John Cornyn, the Senate's second-ranking Republican, and Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt of the Intelligence Committee said Flynn's actions need to be investigated. Blunt said the Intelligence Committee should talk to Flynn "very soon." But Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who chairs the House panel that heads such investigations, has said he does not intend to look into the issue. Both houses of Congress have already opened investigations into alleged Russian hacking that top spy chiefs say was intended to help Trump win the election. If there is an investigation into Flynn, much will revolve around who knew what and when, and whether Flynn was directed to discuss U.S. sanctions with the Russian ambassador. It could also focus on why the White House continued to employ Flynn for several weeks, despite being told he had been untruthful about his communications and was possibly open to blackmail. Why is this important? The Flynn incident is notable because it involves a top White House security official resigning over contact with a foreign government. The incident could also revive concerns about Trump's connections to Russia and further complicate his attempts to ally U.S. foreign policy with Moscow. In addition, there are also wider concerns about the Trump administration's handling of sensitive intelligence. These concerns were heightened after Trump and his top aides were photographed coordinating their response to North Korea's recent missile test in full view of diners at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Flynn's resignation could also alter dynamics within the White House, where senior officials are said to be jockeying over influence. It could also further strain Trump's relations with U.S. spy agencies, which he has repeatedly accused of politicizing intelligence in order to damage him. How has Russia responded? Putin's spokesman told reporters that Flynn's resignation was an "internal affair" of the U.S. and had "nothing to do" with Russia. How has Flynn responded? In his resignation letter, Flynn said he had "inadvertently" briefed Pence and other administration officials with "incomplete information" because of "the fast pace of events." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address White House: Trump Knew of Flynn's Contact With Top Russian for 'Weeks' By VOA News February 14, 2017 The White House says President Donald Trump was advised nearly three weeks ago that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled his vice president about controversial pre-inauguration contacts with a top Russian diplomat. White House spokesman Sean Spicer, speaking Tuesday, said the president and his close advisers had been "reviewing and evaluating" that information on a "daily basis for a few weeks" before Flynn was forced to resign late Monday. Spicer also told reporters that Trump was "immediately" informed on January 26 of the pre-inauguration contact between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Ahead of Trump's January 20 inauguration, now-Vice President Mike Pence told CBS News' Face the Nation that Flynn and Kislyak did not discuss current U.S. sanctions against Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis. Pence also said Flynn and Kislyak "did not discuss anything having to do" with the decision in late December by the administration of former President Barack Obama to expel dozens of Russian diplomats. The Russians were sent home in response to allegations of Russian cyberspying against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. Responding Tuesday to reporters' questions about the 18-day gap between the January 26 Trump briefing and Flynn's departure on Monday, Spicer said, "The president concluded he no longer had trust in his national security adviser." Spicer also said Trump was pleased that Flynn had talked with the Russian diplomat, and said the president concluded there was nothing legally wrong with their discussions, even though Flynn was a private citizen at the time. Misled vice president Flynn acknowledged in his resignation letter that he had "inadvertently briefed" Pence and others with "incomplete information" regarding his phone calls with Kislyak in the weeks before Trump assumed power. Even as the White House drama played out, Trump attempted to downplay its significance on Tuesday. He wrote on his Twitter account, "The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N. Korea etc?" Key opposition Democratic lawmakers called for expanded investigations into links between Russia and Flynn and other key Trump aides, extending beyond the conclusion reached by the U.S. intelligence community last year that Russia interfered in the U.S. election. "This. Is. Not. Normal," said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, a vocal Trump critic. After Flynn's resignation, Trump quickly named another retired Army general, Keith Kellogg, as his acting national security adviser, but also could pick former Central Intelligence Agency chief David Petraeus or former Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward to fill the strategic position on a permanent basis. Flynn and Kislyak, according to widespread U.S. news accounts, discussed the sanctions Obama imposed late last year. Pence and Trump aides, relying on information from Flynn, said publicly that Flynn had not discussed lifting the sanctions, which are still in place, once Trump was inaugurated January 20. Flynn later acknowledged the issue may have come up. Conversations such as those between Flynn and Kislyak possibly could have been a violation of a U.S. law that prohibits private citizens from conducting diplomatic affairs with a foreign government, because Trump had yet to take office. Spicer said the White House concluded it was not a legal issue involving Flynn's contacts with Russia, but rather his misleading assertions to Pence. Spicer said trust in Flynn "eroded to a point that we felt we had to make a change." The U.S. Justice Department, according to The Washington Post, warned the White House last month that Flynn had so misrepresented his conversations with the Russian envoy that he might be vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow, as a result of the contradictions between the public descriptions of the calls and what intelligence officials knew based on their routine monitoring of communications by foreign officials in the United States. Flynn, in his resignation letter, said he had apologized to both Trump and Pence, and that they had accepted his apology. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Tuesday that Flynn's resignation "is the internal business of the Americans, it is the internal business of President Trump's administration. This is not our business." But Russian lawmakers said Flynn's quick departure amounted to an attack on attempts to improve relations between Moscow and Washington. Leonid Slutsky, who heads the Duma's foreign affairs committee, said Flynn's resignation was a "negative signal." A member of the Duma, Konstantin Kosachev, who is chair of Russia's Foreign Affairs Committee, said, "Even a readiness to have a dialogue with Russians is seen by the hawks in Washington as a thought crime. Forcing the resignation of the national security adviser for contacts with the Russian ambassador, which is normal diplomatic practice, is not just paranoia but something immeasurably worse." Democrats take issue As a string of U.S. news accounts about Flynn's conversations were published, several Democratic senators called for an investigation of Flynn, while others urged Trump to fire him and for intelligence officials to review his security clearance. Nine anonymous people described as current and former U.S. officials told the Post that Flynn and Kislyak explicitly discussed the sanctions placed on Russia by Obama after revelations that Russia had hacked into the computers of John Podesta, the campaign chief for Clinton. The anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks released thousands of Podesta's emails in the weeks leading up to the election, many of them showing embarrassing, behind-the-scenes details of how Democratic operatives worked to ease Clinton's path to the Democratic presidential nomination. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Small Supersonic Airliner The supersonic passenger jet appears to be one of the very few areas of technology where aviation has taken a step backward. Inevitably, questions arise concerning the need for and feasibility of passenger travel faster than the speed of sound. Bringing supersonic travel to commercial aviation has been a goal for many decades. The current target is to have the Small Supersonic Airliner in the air soon after 2020, with cruise speed of Mach 1.6-1.8, range of 4000 nm, payload of 35-70 passengers, sonic boom no higher than 65-70 PLdB, reduced airport noise, and improved fuel efficiency. Accomplishing this goal involves solving a number of technological and regulatory challenges. The shape of an environmentally friendly airframe is quite distinct from that of an economical airframe. The end of the airframe should be preferably be round to reduce the sonic boom, yet also sharp to obtain a low-drag, fuel efficient airframe. Because the airframe shapes suitable for each type of performance are contrary to each other, the technologies to develop the two shapes are incompatible. Software can help design and analyze optimum shapes which meet both requirements. Researchers can verify its CFD-based design technology by developing a demonstrator aircraft and conducting flight experiments. With NASAs High-Speed Research program having once again revealed how difficult it would be to design and produce a full-size airliner with a sonic boom quiet enough to fly over land, the alternative of small- or medium-size supersonic aircraft for civilian passengers began attracting more attention. Although no company had yet to begin actual development of an SSBJ, the idea itself was not new. Fairchild Swearingen, McDonnell Douglass, Lockheed- California, and British Aerospace had all seriously looked at the possibility in the mid-1980s, and the fractional-ownership company NetJets had come to believe that an SSBJ would fit well with its business model.4 Because smaller supersonic aircraft would inherently have a weaker sonic boom, Seebass was among those who became most interested in pursuing this concept. Of the business jet players, Dassault had the most skills and technologies to lead an SSBJ project, but in March 1999 the company shelved its SSBJ project (though in 2004 it confirmed that it was still studying the idea). A SSBJ would have been great way to crush the G500/Global Express market segment, from which Dassault found itself largely excluded. In June 1998, Boeing announced that it was considering an SSBJ, and was talking with former Gulfstream associate Sukhoi. This sounded like a good opportunity for a trans-Atlantic joint venture with Dassault, but the French company showed few signs of interest. NASA's N+2 program issued contracts to Boeing and Lockheed Martin for low-boom demonstrator concepts. Outline targets called for a manned aircraft capable of day-and-night flight and designed to cruise at or above Mach 1.4 and 50,000 ft. It also called for an optimal sonic boom level of around 75 PLdB (perceived decibel level) under the aircrafts track and 70-75 PLdB off-track. Both levels are considerably lower than the Concordes noise level of 105 PLdB. A vision of the Small Supersonic Aircraft pays particular attention to the critical issues of improving supersonic cruise efficiency, reducing sonic boom and airport noise, integrating the systems, minimizing high altitude emissions, assimilating into the air transportation system of the future, and possibly a new regulatory framework to permit overland supersonic passenger flight. The Concorde, the only supersonic passenger airliner ever in actual practical use, made its final flight in 2003 never to return to the skies. Even though it was a remarkable technological achievement, from the economic point of view the Concorde was an utter failure. This experience turned aircraft manufacturers toward simpler subsonic jets and away from the more challenging supersonic projects. The introduction of supersonic commercial aircraft has the potential to bring revolutionary changes to U.S. competitiveness as well as provide broad economic benefits to the global economy. As the world is becoming flatter and air travel more and more common, the availability of faster means of transportation could become a catalyst of growth. The benefits of supersonic passenger travel include reduced travel time for business leading to increased productivity, shortened travel time for leisure, the ability to provide rapid response in disaster situations, and faster delivery of time-critical goods. The value of time has been growing, resulting in a premium being placed on the ability to get to the destination faster. Quicker delivery of time-critical cargo could save lives, as in the case of organ transplants. Cutting the time of travel in half could expedite diplomatic negotiations, which also saves lives. The benefits are numerous. If supersonic travel becomes available at a reasonable cost, the effect could be as great as that experienced by society when subsonic passenger jets were first introduced. The United States has the chance to boost its technological leadership and in the process provide enormous economic benefits both domestically and globally. Economic benefits to the country and companies first to market with supersonic passenger jets fully justify the development cost. With any technology, the first products are relatively expensive and target an upper tier of the market. Supersonic travel is no exception; the logical first customers are business people who would require supersonic business jets. Improved propulsion efficiency is critical to the vision of the Small Supersonic Airliner primarily because otherwise supersonic travel will be prohibitively expensive. Efficiency goals need to be addressed in conjunction with the environmental issues. The lift/drag ratio of a supersonic jet is much lower than that of a subsonic aircraft. Reducing the drag could in part be accomplished by reducing the weight of the aircraft. The use of new light weight materials could be part of the solutions. As shown by repeated studies, generating sufficient passenger loads to justify the expense of a supersonic airliner would most likely require overland supersonic routes from a large number of airports. This meant solving the acoustic issues of jet noise, especially when taking off, and the sonic boom when accelerating and cruising. The sonic boom due to lift cannot be avoided. The aircrafts weight must be transmitted to the ground. The problem of overcoming noise pollution created by the sonic boom is arguably the most challenging in creating the Small Supersonic Airliner. At supersonic speeds, pressure waves from the nose and the tail of the aircraft coalesce into two shock waves that propagate in a cone behind the aircraft, and at the ground level are perceived as a loud sound (or two loud sounds heard in rapid succession) usually called sonic boom. At long distances from the aircraft (far field) such as at the ground level, the pressure waves are more pronounces as two shocks from the nose and the tail of the aircraft because all the other pressure waves end up being combined into them. The resulting acoustic disturbance is an environmental concern and a violation of FAA regulations. In a technical paper entitled "Sonic-Boom Minimization" published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Vol. 51, No. 2, Pt. 3, February 1972, pp. 686-694, the authors A. R. George and Richard Seebass developed the theory for tailoring the area and lift distribution versus aircraft length to minimize the shock strength at the ground given parameters of aircraft weight, flight altitude and Mach number. To minimize the shock strength, the sum of the area and lift must exactly follow the George and Seebass distribution. In a publication entitled "Sonic-Boom Minimization with Nose Bluntness Relaxation," published as NASA TP-1348, 1979, Darden added a shape for a relaxed bluntness nose that reduced bluntness drag greatly with a slight increase in boom. In contrast with intuition, the near-field pressure distribution requires a strong leading edge compression that quickly reduces in magnitude, followed by a gradually increasing weak compression that rapidly inverts into a weak expansion, followed by a stronger trailing edge expansion that gradually recompresses to ambient. Aircraft configured according to George-Seebass-Darden's theory for shock minimized distributions are impractical designs because the distributions require: 1. either blunt noses or relaxed bluntness noses whose shapes result in higher drag than minimum drag shapes, which lead to reduced performance; 2. smooth distributions through the engine nacelle region, which is not possible with existing engine designs; 3. a one-dimensional simplifying assumption so the distributions are only calculated directly under the vehicle, which means that non-planar and azimuthally varying effects are not considered; and 4. an expansion behind the aft end of the vehicle to keep the aft shock from coalescing, contrary to a minimum wave drag shape which compresses the flow field for about the last quarter of the vehicle's length. Additional techniques are therefore desired to reduce sonic boom disturbances generated by a realistic vehicle. The shaping of the sonic boom involves constructing the frame of the aircraft to create shock and expansion zones in such a way that they partly cancel each other. For example, the fuselage could be intentionally shaped to create shock and expansion zones that will compensate for the shock and expansion zones produced by the wings of the aircraft and its engine nacelles.13,15 A number of other approaches have also been proposed and could be utilized for shaping the sonic boom. A blunt-nosed spike extended from the front of the aircraft, or extendable on a boom, could deflect air pressure and to some degree disrupt the air flow patterns that contribute to the sonic boom. These aircraft can have a business class product with higher density because they can pack more seats into an aircraft, compared to lie-flat seats. They they need the lie-flat business class seat because the flight time is more like a trip from DC to Chicago. Results shown exclusively in October 2016 to Aviation Week of an independent study into market prospects for the supersonic transport by forecaster Boyd Group International suggests as many as 1,300 aircraft worth $260 billion will be needed over a 10-year period. The biggest potential market sector is predicted to be North America, with an estimated requirement for 377 aircraft, while European carriers would be the second-biggest user group with a requirement for more than 360. The Middle East and Africa region could be the third-biggest customer group with about 250 aircraft, while the Asia-Pacific and China sectors could potentially take up to 128 and about 100, respectively. Boyd Group International, an aviation consulting firm in Evergreen, was hired by Boom to look at the viability of supersonic flights for a wider audience. The report says the ability of the aircraft to slash flight times for the important premium passenger could result in it becoming a necessary part of global airline fleets in order to remain competitive. It also states that while the projected costs of the Boom airliner indicate full ability to accommodate fares charged on current-generation airliners, the enormous advantage of reduced travel time could allow carriers to charge a premium over service on conventional airliners. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Security Council urges joint measures to protect "critical infrastructure" from terrorist attacks People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 10:45, February 14, 2017 UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted resolution 2341 (2017), calling upon member states to consider developing or further improving their strategies for reducing risks to critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks. The 15-member Council reiterated "the need to strengthen efforts to improve security and protection of particularly vulnerable targets, such as infrastructure and public places, according to a UN press release posted on its website. Attacks against objects and sectors such as banking and finance, telecommunications, emergency services, air, maritime and rail transportation, and energy and water supply -- perceived as "attractive targets" for terrorist groups -- can result not only in civilian casualties, but also damage property on a large scale, disrupt proper functioning of public services, and create chaos in societies, says the press release. Further in the resolution, the Security Council -- the UN body with the responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security -- also underscored the importance of partnerships at all levels and with public and private stakeholders, it says. The resolution was adopted at an open Security Council debate on vulnerabilities, interdependencies and capabilities and the cascading impacts of terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure, as well as measures to prevent them. Noting that international counter-terrorism cooperation -- especially in the area of critical infrastructure -- has been limited, Maria Luiza Viotti, Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, called on all international community to unite in a coordinated response and outlined the importance of a coordinated response comprising all actors and stakeholders. Also cautioning that the consequences of an attack in today's interconnected world could be far reaching, Jurgen Stock, the Secretary-General of the International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO-INTERPOL) said: "one attack on a single point of failure could lead to the disruption or destruction of multiple vital systems in the country directly affected, and a ripple effect worldwide." "In an interconnected world, we will not succeed in protecting national infrastructure in isolation. This is why initiatives ... and the steps ... by the international community are essential," he underlined. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuela's vice president slams Washington's 'miserable, vile attack' Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 3:5PM Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami has slammed Washington for imposing sanctions against him and a close ally over alleged mass shipment of illicit drugs into the United States. "I take this miserable and vile attack as recognition of my status as an anti-imperialist revolutionary," Aissami said in a message posted on his official Twitter account on Tuesday. The post came a day after the US Department of Treasury decided to sanction the Venezuelan vice president and his associate, Samark Jose Lopez Bello, ordering their assets frozen in the United States. The allegation of drug trafficking against the two Venezuelans is the first such move against the socialist government of Venezuela by the administration of new US President Donald Trump. Venezuela and the United States have had strained relations over the past years and Caracas has repeatedly accused Washington of using allegations of drug trafficking, corruption and human rights abuses as pretexts to interfere in the internal affairs of the South American country. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's narrow win in the 2013 elections allowed Washington to heap more pressure on Caracas as the former bus driver had less popularity compared to his mentor and predecessor Hugo Chavez. Aissami, who is believed to be Maduro's heir apparent, said the sanctions were part of a broader US policy to undermine the Venezuelan government. "Let's not let these vile provocations distract us. Our main job is to accompany Nicolas Maduro in (Venezuela's) economic recovery," Aissami said in the post, adding, "We must concentrate on the revolutionary government's priorities: economic recovery and growth and guaranteeing peace and social happiness." Late on Monday, Lopez also blasted the sanctions and said the decision was in line with Washington's hostile policies toward the Venezuelan government. "Mr. Lopez is not a government official and has not engaged in drug trafficking," said a statement posted on his website. "Samark Lopez will seek all legal, administrative, and judicial remedies possible," the statement added, denying that Lopez had directly been involved in government affairs. He is just "a businessman who has known Tareck El Aissami for a number of years," it said. Aissami has previously been accused by Venezuela's opposition of involvement in drug trafficking. The former lawmaker and state governor is of Syrian-Lebanese extraction and has served as vice president since last month. Venezuela's government has yet to make an official statement on Washington's move. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US imposes sanctions on Venezuelan VP in latest move against Caracas Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:57AM The US has imposed sanctions against Venezuelan Vice-President Tareck El Aissami over his alleged involvement in drug trafficking, in yet another hostile measure that could spark fresh tensions between the two countries. Late on Monday, the US Treasury Department blacklisted El Assiami and his associate, Venezuelan businessman Samark Lopez, over allegations of having a role in global drug trafficking. As part of the sanctions effort, 13 companies owned or controlled by Lopez -- including five based in the US state of Florida -- will be blocked and both men will be banned from entering the United States. Lopez stands accused of serving as El Aissami's "key front-man" to launder drug proceeds and purchase assets. El Aissami, who has long denied any criminal ties, did not immediately react to Washington's move. Since his days as interior minister, El Aissami has been the target of US law enforcement investigation over allegations of having links with the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement. The sanctions were imposed a week after "a bipartisan group of 34 American politicians sent a letter to [US President] Donald Trump urging him to step up pressure" on Caracas "by immediately sanctioning top officials" of President Nicolas Maduro for "human rights abuses," according a report by the Associated Press. Following the outbreak of anti-government protests in Venezuela in 2014, the US Congress passed legislation authorizing the president to freeze the assets and ban visas "for anyone accused of carrying out acts of violence" against Venezuela's US-backed opposition elements. Relations between Washington and Caracas have been deteriorating over the past years. The two governments have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010. This is the first hostile move by the new US administration against Venezuela, Washington's main critic in Latin America. Trump mentioned Venezuela only briefly during his election campaign and amid uncertainty on whether he would break from the Obama administration's policy of relative restraint. In March 2016, the former US administration renewed an executive order that declares Venezuela a threat to the US, extending sanctions against the South American country for one more year. Caracas condemned the measure back then as a sign of Washington's perpetual hostility towards the Latin American nation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Xi orders leading officials to fight special privilege People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:25, February 14, 2017 President Xi Jinping on Monday told leading officials to practice strict self-discipline and eliminate special privileges. Xi made the remarks when addressing the opening session of a workshop on the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The workshop at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee was attended by senior provincial and ministerial officials. The opening session was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang. Other leaders including Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli were also present. Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said implementing the decisions of the plenum would have far-reaching and profound significance for both the Party and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Xi urged leading cadres to "build a fence" against special privileges to prevent themselves and those around them from abusing power. Leading officials should use their power "impartially, cautiously and legally," Xi said in his speech. The CPC Central Committee held the workshop to help senior provincial and ministerial officials understand two documents, one on the norms of political life within the Party in the new era, and a regulation on intra-Party supervision, which were approved by last year's plenum. "Leading officials should strengthen their political capability, firm their political ideals, uphold political direction, be steadfast in their stance and strictly observe political rules," Xi said, stressing they should enrich their political experience and match their political capability with the positions they were holding. Xi said upholding the authority of the CPC Central Committee with strict observance of orders and rules was related to the future and fate of the Party and the nation as well as the fundamental interests of all people across the nation. Xi called on all Party members to become more aware of the need to uphold political integrity, keep in mind the bigger picture, follow the CPC as the core of the Chinese leadership, and act consistently with CPC Central Committee policy. Safeguarding the authority of the CPC Central Committee and the centralized and unified leadership chimed with democratic centralism, Xi stressed. The Party sets great store by intra-Party democracy, as all major decisions follow strict processes, and are informed by wide opinions and suggestions, Xi said. Strengthening and regulating political life within the Party requires the correct political direction, and advancing with the times, said Xi, who also stressed principles of political life and its spirit of holding firmly to the truth and rectifying errors. Self-development is the most distinctive characteristic of the Party, and its biggest advantage, because the CPC has no interests of its own except for the interests of the country, the nation and the people, according to Xi. Xi said leading officials, especially those in senior roles, must strengthen their self-discipline, be discreet when being alone and on small matters. They should ensure their words and deeds are in line with the Party constitution, and embody the Party spirit in all that they do. Xi called for thorough study of the two documents adopted at the key CPC session, which were designed to address outstanding contradictions and problems within the Party. While addressing the workshop, Xi stressed that Party organizations at all levels must improve inspections and ensure accountability. He also underscored that high-raking cadres should take the lead in complying with the Party's code of conduct. Li Keqiang called on leading officials to uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee, improve intra-Party political life and work to build a cleaner political environment. Li said leading cadres must unite closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, boost reform and development, work hard, and greet the 19th National Congress of the CPC with achievements across the board. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN strongly condemns DPR Korea's ballistic missile launch 13 February 2017 Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the United Nations Security Council today voiced strong opposition to the latest ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, calling on Pyongyang to fully comply with its international obligations to denuclearize. "The Secretary-General strongly condemns the launch of another ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 12 February," his spokesperson said in a statement. The launch "is a further troubling violation" of Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2321 (2016) which strengthened sanctions against the regime. The Secretary-General urged the DPRK leadership to return "to the path of denuclearization;" while appealing to the international community to continue addressing the in a united manner. In a statement to the press issued after urgent closed-door talks this afternoon, the Security Council also strongly condemned the most recent ballistic missile launches conducted by the DPRK on 11 February 2017, as well as 19 October 2016. Denouncing the launches as grave violations of the country's international obligations, the Council also noted that such activities contribute to the DPRK's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension. The members of the Security Council further regretted that the DPRK is diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles while the country's citizens "have great unmet needs." Expressing serious concern that the DPRK conducted these ballistic missile launches after the 15 April, 23 April, 27 April, 28 April, 31 May, 21 June, 9 July, 18 July, 2 August, 23 August, 5 September, and 14 October launches, as well as the nuclear test of 9 September, in flagrant disregard of its repeated statements, the Council reiterated that the country shall refrain from further such actions. The Council reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in north-east Asia at large and welcomed efforts by Council members, as well as other States, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue. It also stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond. The members of the Council agreed to continue close monitoring of the situation and to take further significant measures, in line with the Council's previously expressed determination. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPRK leader's half-brother killed in Malaysia: media People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 20:59, February 14, 2017 The half-brother of top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un has been killed in Malaysia, South Korean cable news channel TV Chosun reported on Tuesday citing multiple government sources. Kim Jong Nam, the older half-brother of the DRPK leader and the eldest son of late leader Kim Jong Il, has been found dead in Kuala Lumpur early Monday, the Chosun TV said. He has been based outside the DPRK since he was caught trying to enter Japan on a fake passport in 2001. Multiple South Korean government sources were quoted as saying that the half brother seemed to have killed at a Kuala Lumpur airport at about 9 a.m. Malaysian time (0100 GMT) Monday. Yonhap news agency reported that South Korea's foreign and unification ministries declined to confirm the killing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. President Trump vows to deal with DPRK "very strongly" after Pyongyang's missile launch People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:15, February 14, 2017 U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to deal with Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) "very strongly", calling the Asian country a "big, big problem." Trump made the remark at a joint press conference with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after the DPRK launched its ballistic missile on Sunday. But the U.S. president did not elaborate on what actions he planned to take in relation to the DPRK. "We have problems all over the Middle East. We have problems just about every corner of the globe no matter where you look," Trump said when asked about the most important national security issues facing the United States. Trump on Saturday vowed U.S. support to Japanin a hastily called joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abein Florida. "I just want everybody to understand and fully know that the United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100 percent," Trump said. The DPRK claimed on Monday it had successfully test-fired Pukguksong-2, a surface-to-surface medium- and long-range ballistic missile, and its top leader Kim Jong Unguided the test firing, according to the state news agency KCNA. On Monday, China said it is opposed to the DPRK's test-launch of the ballistic missile, which is in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. China calls for all parties concerned to exercise restraint and jointly maintain stability in the region, Geng Shuang, a spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a routine press briefing. Earlier Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement issued by his spokesman, strongly condemned the latest move by Pyongyang, saying "this action is a further troubling violation of (UN) Security Council resolutions." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Lebanese President's visit to the papal seat at Cairo's Saint Mark's Cathedral shortly followed his meeting with Egypt's President Sisi Egypt is a model of religious moderation and coexistence, Lebanons President Michel Aoun told Egypt's Coptic Pope Tawadros II Monday during a meeting in Cairo. In an official statement, a spokesperson from the Coptic Orthodox Church's said Aoun gave a short speech during his visit with an official delegation to the papal seat at Cairo's Saint Mark's Cathedral, expressing his happiness to visit Egypt. We live in difficult times, especially with the world around us aggravated by a sectarianism that was able to destroy many areas. Our visit is an emphasis on the spirit of fairness and love, Aoun said in a speech. Aoun added that despite the internal divisions Lebanon still faces, the country preserves relationships between various sects. He described the small Levantine state as a model for the global civilisation. Pope Tawadros praised strong relations between Egypt and Lebanon, welcoming Aoun to his second country: Egypt. We pray for the stability of Lebanon, the Lebanon that is mentioned in the bible. All the arts, literature, poetry, and beautiful aspects of humanity we remember in Lebanon, the Pope said. Tawadros added that he hoped Aouns visit would strengthen ties between Egypt and Lebanon, saying that cooperation between the two countries enriches diversity, unification, and interdependence. The Coptic Pope told Aoun he maintained good relations with Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb of Egypt's Muslim institution Al-Azhar, adding that love and respect for the other is what builds nations. Tawadros said he also enjoys good relations with Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the cabinet and its Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, as well as other Christian sects in Egypt. We are building a new Egypt; the country is developing right now in terms of stability. You might have noticed mega projects like the new administrative capital, land cultivation, and other projects, Pope Tawadros II said, speaking about the government's ongoing efforts on development. Search Keywords: Short link: Half-brother of North Korea's leader reportedly assassinated in Malaysia Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 5:40PM The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly been assassinated in Malaysia, South Korean media and Malaysian police say. The announcement was first made by the Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's largest news agency, on Tuesday, which said 45-year-old Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of late former leader Kim Jong-il, was "killed" in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. It added, citing an unnamed South Korean government source, that he lost his life after being attacked by two unidentified female agents with "poisoned needles." Shortly after Yonhop's report, South Korea's TV Chosun, a cable television network, citing multiple unnamed government sources, confirmed the assassination of Jong-nam by female assailants, adding that they had fled the crime scene and were still at large. On Tuesday evening, Malaysian police confirmed the death of Jong-nam, saying he had planned to travel to the autonomous region of Macau, which lies on the south coast of China, on Monday morning. Earlier in the day, the police chief in charge of the airport, Assistant Commissioner Abdul Aziz Ali, had reported that Jong-nam, then unidentified, had died en route to hospital from the airport. South Korea's Foreign Ministry, however, said it still could not confirm the reports. North Korea has not commented on the issue so far. Jong-nam, who studied in Russia and Switzerland, was a computer enthusiast and fluent Japanese speaker. After completing his overseas studies, he monitored his country's information technology policy. In 2001, however, he fell from grace after a spectacular blunder. Since 2003, he had been living in exile in Malaysia, Singapore and Macau till his death. Jong-nam was reportedly an occasional critic of his family's regime, advocating reform. His death could be considered as the most high-profile death during the reign of his younger brother, Kim Jong-un, since the execution of Jang Song-thaek, the brothers' once powerful uncle, in December 2013. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNSC urges strict implementation of bans on Pyongyang after missile test Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 7:11AM The UN Security Council (UNSC) has denounced North Korea's recent missile launch, calling on its 15 members to "redouble efforts" to implement the sanctions already slapped on Pyongyang over its missile work. "The members of the Security Council deplore all the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ballistic missile activities, including these launches," the UNSC said in a statement on Monday, referring to an earlier such test by Pyongyang last October. The council "called upon all member states to redouble their efforts to implement fully the measures imposed on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by the Security Council," according to the statement. The statement was issued following a UNSC emergency meeting, which was held on Monday at the request of the US, South Korea and Japan a day after North Korea launched the missile near the western city of Kusong.. The outcome of Tuesday's session pleased Japan, with Tokyo's ambassador to the world body, Koro Bessho, saying "there was unanimity in condemning the launch and an expression of concern about the situation." The US envoy to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, also said in a statement after the Security Council meeting on Monday that "it is time to hold North Korea accountable not with our words, but with our actions." Haley's tough statement echoes President Donald Trump's remarks who said on Monday, "Obviously North Korea is a big, big problem and we will deal with that very strongly." North Korea's missile flew east about 500 kilometers after the launch before falling into the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry. Pyongyang later described the test as successful. On Tuesday, the South's Yonhap News Agency cited the country's intelligence agency as saying that the new type of ballistic missile put to test by Pyongyang has a range of over 2,000 kilometers. Pyongyang says it is developing its missile and nuclear programs as deterrence against the United States, stressing that it will not abandon the programs unless the US ends hostilities toward the country. North Korea also regards all such sanctions as a violation of its sovereignty and right to self-defense. The North's latest missile test came weeks before the start of annual Washington-Seoul war games. The joint large-scale drills, which are held in South Korea every year, are slammed by Pyongyang as rehearsals for war. In another development on Tuesday, South Korea's Defense Ministry submitted a report to a parliamentary committee, saying the US had agreed to deploy strategic assets for the upcoming military maneuvers. Media quoted the report as saying that the strategic weapons could include F-22 stealth aircraft and a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The two neighbors remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kim Jong Un's Half-Brother Assassinated in Malaysia Sputnik News 17:05 14.02.2017 Half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un was killed by two unidentified women with poisoned needles at an airport in Malaysia, according to media reports. TOKYO (Sputnik) Half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un was assassinated on Tuesday at a Malaysian airport, media reported, citing a source in the South Korean government. According to the Yonhap news agency, the Chosun broadcaster said earlier in the day that Kim Jong Nam was killed by two unidentified women with poisoned needles at an airport in Malaysia. The police reportedly suspect the killers of having links to North Korea. Kim Jong Nam is the eldest son of North Korea's late leader Kim Jong Il and actress Sung Hae Rim, who passed away in 2002. Kim left the country long ago and resided in Macau, where he had business. Before leaving the country he was considered as the main candidate for succeeding Kim Jong Il. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korean Leader Believed to Have Ordered Assassination of Half-brother By Steve Herman February 14, 2017 It's no real mystery. That's the assessment of North Korea watchers and members of the U.S. intelligence community following the apparent assassination of the eldest son of the totalitarian state's former leader, Kim Jong Il. According to authorities in Malaysia, 46-year-old Kim Jong Nam traveling with a passport under the name of Kim Chol died en route to a hospital after seeking medical help at the budget-flight terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Kim, who is the half-brother of North Korea's current leader, Kim Jong Un, apparently was jabbed with a poisonous needle or a cloth by two women, according to South Korean media reports quoting intelligence sources in Seoul. Intelligence sources in Washington say there is a strong belief the killing was ordered by Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. "We are aware of reports" about the death of Kim, a State Department spokesperson said on condition of not being named. "We refer you to the Malaysian authorities." The National Intelligence Service in Seoul told VOA's Korean Service it could neither confirm nor deny that scenario. Living in exile The jovial and portly Kim Jong Nam had lived in exile for many years in Macau, a gambling enclave under China's control. The Chinese had calculated that the North Korean exile, to whom it had long agreed to host, "would have been preferable as a leader to North Korea," said Georgetown University visiting professor Balbina Hwang. "That in itself is a direct threat to Kim Jong Un and, of course, must be eliminated at any costs, even fratricide." The two half-brothers apparently had never met (they were born to different mothers, but both shared a father and grandfather North Korea's revered founder Kim Il Sung). And there had been previous assassination threats against Kim Jong Nam, who was once considered heir apparent. But he fell from grace with his father after he tried to enter Japan on a forged passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland. During Korea's traditional Chosun dynasty "a brother or an uncle in a royal household is a potential rival to get rid of, including killing," explained Tara O, adjunct fellow of the Pacific Forum Center for Strategic and International Studies. Kim Jong Un put to death a powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, in 2013, according to several defectors from the regime. Consistent defiance Assassinating a rival sibling also would be in line with Kim's defiance of international norms, according to Hwang, a former senior adviser on Asian Affairs to the State Department. His death comes just days after Kim Jong Un again defied international sanctions and fired off a new type of solid-fuel land-based ballistic missile. "That is actually part and parcel of the message he is trying to send, not just to the United States and Japan, South Korea and others, but also to China, frankly, and also to inside his own regime," Hwang told VOA. Kim Jong Nam "favored reform, a position China also shares," O told VOA. Authorities in Malaysia say a dizzy Kim sought help at an airport counter Monday morning after he felt someone grab his face from behind. He was taken to an airport clinic and was referred to a nearby hospital. An ambulance was called. "Upon arrival at the hospital, the doctor found that he is already dead," Sepang police chief Abdul Aziz Ali. Two female assailants fled the airport in a taxi, according to South Korean media reports quoting sources. Pending autopsy Abdul Aziz says authorities are treating it "as a sudden death case" pending an autopsy that is expected to be performed Wednesday morning at a hospital. "Only then can we ascertain the cause of death," said the police chief. "Probably we'll refer blood samples and contents of the stomach to the chemistry department to find out what actually caused his death." Until then, he added, authorities will be unable to say whether the death will be classified "as a murder or not." Kim Jong Nam's birth resulted from his father's relationship with Sung Hye Rim, a popular actress who died in Moscow in 2002. Kim Jong Nam had stated he had no desire to lead his country and had criticized, in a 2010 Japanese TV interview, what he termed "third-generation succession." He said he hoped, though, "my younger brother will do his best for the sake of North Koreans' prosperous lives." The Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea, under the leadership of a third-generation Kim, is one of the world's poorest countries. One question being discussed now among analysts is why Kim Jong Un would want his elder half-brother killed at this particular juncture. The North Korean leader may have been watching the protests in Seoul and "saw how easily the president can be brought down, and thus is feeling insecure," O speculated. "Perhaps he knows loyalty based on fear is fleeting. Perhaps the system is crumbling more than people realize. Time will tell." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Denies Meddling In French Presidential Candidate's Campaign February 14, 2017 Russia has denied carrying out media and Internet attacks against French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on February 14 that any such accusations against Russian authorities are "simply absurd." Opinion polls show Macron running second to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, but indicate he has a good chance of beating her in a potential May 7 runoff between the two top candidates. Le Pen is a critic of the European Union and supports Russian policy on Ukraine. Richard Ferrand, the secretary-general of Macron's party, said on February 12 that state-backed Russian media such as RT and Sputnik are targeting Macron with "fake news" because of his pro-EU stance. Ferrand said that Moscow favors the policies of Le Pen and center-right candidate Francois Fillon. He has urged the French government to take steps to ensure there was no "foreign meddling" in the election on April 23. "We didn't have and do not have any intention of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, or in their electoral processes in particular," Peskov told reporters in a daily conference call. U.S. intelligence agencies in a report released last month said Russia orchestrated a hacking and propaganda campaign to meddle in the November 2016 presidential election with the aim of undermining the U.S. electoral system, discrediting Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton, and helping her rival, Donald Trump, who won the election. Based on reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia- denies-meddling-macron-french-presidential -election/28308938.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 India Becomes Fourth Country to Have Home Made Eye in The Sky Sputnik News 17:54 14.02.2017 However, Indian system is inferior in comparison to Israeli system as it can monitor only 270 degrees while IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft-mounted AWACS system can carry out 360 degree surveillance at a time. New Delhi (Sputnik) Indian Air Force has received indigenous Airborne Warning and Control (AEW&C) Systems mounted on Brazilian planes developed by Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on Tuesday. So far only United States, Russia and Israel possess AEW&C technology. Sources told Sputnik that aircraft will be based at Indian Air Force base near Pakistan border. At present Indian security services keep a vigil over its skies with a unique India-Russia-Israel partnership for Airborne Warning and Control (AEW&C) Systems. "Our western adversary Pakistan has a Swedish design plane. This system of ours is exactly like that and its elevation scan is advantageous. It has air to air refueling which Pakistan does not have. It has many more features and yet it costs only half the price of the Pakistan plane does and I am including the cost of production and development," Director General of DRDO, Dr S Christopher said. DRDO promised better coverage with longer range in next upgraded version of the system. "There are many areas we need to work in when it comes to Electronic Warfare like handling multiple frequencies. We also need to miniaturize our system and make it agile," said Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Defense Minister. $359 million project has been developed with complex tactical software for fusion of information from the sensors, to provide the air situation picture along with intelligence to handle identification/classification threat assessment. Battle management functions are built in house to work as a network centric system of Integrated Air Command & Control System (IACCS) node. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Extends India's T-90S Tank Production License, Ready for New Orders Sputnik News 12:07 14.02.2017(updated 12:08 14.02.2017) Russia is ready to supply more T-90S battle tanks to India at New Delhi's request. BENGALURU (India), (Sputnik) Russia has extended India's license to manufacture T-90S third-generation tanks and is ready for more orders, Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Deputy Director Vladimir Drozhzhov told Sputnik "Russia has agreed to extend the validity of the license for the production of the tanks, and we are ready to satisfy our Indian partners' request on increasing the production or the supply of T-90S tanks," Drozhzhov said Tuesday. India's Defense Acquisition Council had cleared a proposal in December to acquire 464 T-90s for $2.1 billion amid a delay in the development of domestically-manufactured main battle tanks. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran launches 1st oceanographic research vessel IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Bandar Abbas, Hormuzgan Prov, Feb 14, IRNA -- The first Iranian oceanographic research vessel (RV) was commissioned here Tuesday in the presence of Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi. The oceanographic research vessel named 'Persian Gulf Explorer' is to start its research mission as of today, head of the Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS) Naser Hajizadeh said. The modern RV which is 50 m long, 10 m wide, and 12 m high is capable of doing research in the Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and north of the Indian Ocean waters for 45 days, Hajizadeh noted. 1483**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's IR-8 centrifuge to raise enrichment capacity 20-fold: AEOI Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 2:50PM Iran's new domestically-manufactured IR-8 centrifuge machines will increase the country's capacity to enrich uranium 20 times more than the existing IR-1 machines, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says. "The enrichment capacity of IR-8 centrifuge is 20 SWU per year and the [country's] enrichment capacity will increase 20 times after the mass production of this machine," Behrouz Kamalvandi said at a Tuesday conference in the northeastern city of Mashhad. This is while the enrichment capacity of the existing IR-1 centrifuges is one SWU per year, he noted. The official pointed out that the IR-8 centrifuges are currently being tested with enriched uranium gas and it will be mass produced eight years after the implementation date of Iran's nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of countries, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China plus Germany - started implementing the JCPOA on January 16, 2016. Under the nuclear agreement, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran. "The production of this machine, which is a significant development in the nuclear and enrichment industry, is one of the issues envisaged in the JCPOA and it does not run counter to the JCPOA," Kamalvandi said. The AEOI spokesman also pointed to Iran's plans to unveil 20 new achievements with regard to the production of nuclear medicine in the March-April period and noted that the country is constantly producing different types of nuclear medicine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Defense Minister Calls for Developing Nuclear Naval Propulsion Systems Sputnik News 19:37 14.02.2017 Iran's defense minister said Tehran needed to keep pace in maritime industries with other countries. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan called on Tuesday for leveraging nuclear technology in the maritime sphere. "We should begin to use nuclear energy in manufacturing naval propulsion systems," Dehghan said, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency, adding that steps should be taken to reduce associated environmental issues. The defense minister expressed the need to accelerate Iran's development in the maritime industries and keep pace with other countries. Dehghan's remarks came after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a directive on nuclear propulsion devices in December 2016. The document orders the Iranian Foreign Ministry as well as the country's Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) to elaborate plans for the development and manufacture of nuclear power units for ships and fuel required for them. The measures are fueled by the new US sanctions against Iran, the previous round of which had been lifted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The JCPOA which came into force in January 2016, is an international agreement between Iran, the P5+1 countries (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, United States plus Germany), aimed at preventing nuclear weapons development by Iran in exchange for the gradual sanctions relief. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Naguib Sawiris, the Egyptian business tycoon and founder of the Free Egyptians Party, called on Tuesday for new elections inside his party as he takes his dispute with the current leadership to court. In a press conference, Sawiris said he rejected the general assembly's recent decision to change its bylaws. He said he regretted putting his trust in the current party's president Essam Khalil, adding that he has turned the party into a "private business that includes his friends and relatives." Last week, Sawiris mounted a legal challenge against the legality of the general assembly's action and its decision eliminate the party's board of trustees. "Whoever doesn't see that Egypt deserves a real democracy is the one who doesn't want strong parties with influence in the state," Sawiris said. The Tuesday press conference was held in solidarity with party members who have recently been expelled for disagreeing with the current leadership. A statement last week by the partys board of trustees, which revealed Sawiris plans, called on all current and former members who were prevented from renewing their membership to participate in the conference. "We have to take responsibility for ourselves and our country and admit that the press conference which was held by expelled members from the party was a mistake," Sawiris said on Tuesday, referring to an older press conference that took place in December held by ousted members, where they first announced strife within the party. "We respect the judiciary and acknowledge that this will be a long and tiring path [legal path] to take, but we won't be despaired," Sawiris said. He also affirmed his confidence in the Egyptian judiciary which won't accept ongoing divisions inside the party because it would lead to violations of the party's liberalism and freedom values. On Monday, a member of the party's political bureau, Nasr El-Qafas, said to Al Ahram Arabic that the party filed an official complaint to general prosecutor Nabil Sadek, informing him that the party has no relation with the Tuesday press conference held by Sawiris. "We stressed in our complaint our repudiation of anything that could take place during the press conference," El-Qafas , who also handles the post of the secretary of the media office in the party said. "We will issue a statement to the public to elaborate the truth and that we are not to be held responsible for everything that would harm the party and the country," he said. The Free Egyptians Party is the largest political party in the 596-member House of Representatives, with a total of 65 seats. Search Keywords: Short link: Trump, Netanyahu Align on Tough Iran Stance Before Talks By Nike Ching February 14, 2017 As President Donald Trump prepares for his first meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since entering the White House, analysts say the Israeli leader hopes to forge common ground on Iran and regional issues. Netanyahu will be the fourth foreign leader to meet with Trump face-to-face at the White House, after British Prime Minister Theresa May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Middle East analysts say Trump and Netanyahu want to set in motion a chain of events that could block Iran, redefine Israel's relationship with the Arab world, and create Israeli-Palestinian peace. A senior Israeli Cabinet minister said Monday Netanyahu no longer supports a Palestinian state, but stopped short of confirming whether the prime minister will make his stance public during Wednesday's talks with Trump. Netanyahu declined to elaborate on his position on the Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution as he departed for the United States. "Come with me, you will hear very clear answers, very clear answers," said Netanyahu, when asked by a reporter if he still stands by the two-state solution. "The Palestinians will be watching this very closely and will be looking for any hints that the U.S. policy has substantially changed," said retired Ambassador Richard Lebaron, who served as deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv from 2001 to 2004. Two questions David Makovsky, director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Project on the Middle East Peace Process, points to two big questions that will likely be the focal point of talks: "How to work with Arab states? How to constrain Iran's influence in the region?" Makovsky, who recently visited Israel, said the Iran nuclear deal and sanctions are among the main issues on the agenda for the Trump-Netanyahu meeting. In July of 2015, Iran and six world powers reached a comprehensive agreement, the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which curbed Tehran's ability to produce nuclear weapons in exchange for lifting stringent economic sanctions. Trump and Netanyahu are strong critics of this deal. They have also advocated for the termination of JCPOA, which was backed by the Obama administration. But many see an evolving approach of the Trump administration, shifting from dismantling the deal to tightening its enforcement, while increasing pressure on Iran for its recent ballistic missile test. "I was reassured by what I heard in the meetings on the intention to stick to the full implementation of the agreement," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Friday, after talks at the White House and State Department. Enforcement "I think the debate about ripping up the agreement has essentially been settled and there are very few prominent voices [advocating that]," said Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, "The debate is within the how do you enforce the hell out of it." Career diplomat Lebaron told VOA he does not sense "an immediate need on either side to dismantle the agreement per se." Instead the former ambassador to Kuwait says he expects "robust" discussion on how to continue the pressure on Iran over its behavior, including its actions in Syria, Lebanon and other countries in the region. "Keeping in mind also that this agreement involves several other major powers," Lebaron added. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said Tehran will "strongly confront any war-mongering policies" amid increased tensions with the United States following Trump's election. Israel-Palestinian negotiation President Trump has made promises that were viewed as veering sharply from longstanding U.S. policy regarding the Israel-Palestine dispute. He has pledged to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, an approach that would break decades of U.S policy, which calls for the city's disputed status to be resolved through negotiations. Trump has also signaled that he would take a much softer approach to the settlements. Last December, he criticized the Obama administration's decision to abstain on a U.N. Security Council resolution that condemned Israel's settlement construction in the West Bank. "I expect the president to find a way to implement and fulfill these promises," said Satloff. He added those promises have a role to play in whether Netanyahu can return home with enough political gains "to enable him to withstand the pressure" from Israel's right-wing. But others said the meeting could be primarily symbolic. "There is no doubt that in a certain way there's a lower expectation because, indeed, President Trump doesn't have a team in place," said Washington Institute's Makovsky. "It's easier for him to say, 'I'm in a listening mode". Though Trump has expressed an intention to facilitate peace between Israel and the Palestinians, he has not indicated much sympathy with the aspirations of the latter. The Palestinians are "already seeing that in the way the president refers to settlements and so there will be some apprehension about how this may unfold," said Ambassador Lebaron. Before flying home Thursday, Netanyahu plans to meet U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Republican and Democratic Congressional leaders. Secretary Tillerson will host a working dinner with Netanyahu Tuesday at the State Department. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sadr supporters hold fresh demo in Iraqi capital Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 3:43PM Supporters of influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have one again taken to the streets of the capital, Baghdad, a few days after a similar demonstration turned violent and left dozens of casualties. Iraq's al-Sumariah television network reported that Tuesday's rally was held in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, with the participants demanding the resignation of a commission that oversees elections, ahead of a provincial poll due in September. The protest led to the closure of government offices and many pathways in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses embassies, international organizations and government buildings. Demonstrators further held a symbolic funeral ceremony for those who lost their lives in Saturday's clashes between police and Sadr supporters in central Baghdad. The scuffles erupted as the protesters attempted to cross a bridge linking Tahrir Square to the Green Zone. Sadr said his followers wanted to get close to the Green Zone to make their voices heard by Iraqi decision-makers. Different sources provided conflicting casualty figures. An unidentified Iraqi Interior Ministry official said six people, including five demonstrators and one policeman, were killed while at least 174 other protesters were injured in Saturday's violence. However, an unnamed police colonel told AFP that seven people lost their lives, among them two security forces. He further put the number of people wounded in the chaos at over 200. Sadr has accused the Iraqi elections commission, which is said to favor former premier Nuri al-Maliki, of corruption. In a statement, Maliki's Islamic Dawa Party implicitly accused the cleric of trying to "distract the Iraqi people in sedition in order to prevent the efforts to get rid of Daesh" terrorists. Sadr's supporters held a string of mass rallies last year to pressure Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to fulfill his promise of cabinet reshuffle. The protests were halted largely due to the Mosul liberation operation, which was launched by the Iraqi army soldiers and allied fighters in October last year. However, they were resumed recently following the Iraqi government's announcement of provincial elections. Probe launched into Baghdad violence: Abadi In a relevant development on Tuesday, Abadi said that an investigation had been launched into the firing of rockets at Baghdad's Green Zone during Saturday's clashes. He further said that some Iraqi youths had been incited to engage in clashes with the security forces. Abadi also warned of the threat of internal conflicts in Iraq and underlined the need to focus on the main objective of countering terrorism. The government is not against peaceful protests, but there are some groups that are seeking to take advantage of such events, he added. Clashes with security forces will adversely affect the Iraqi forces' fight against terrorism, the premier pointed out. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Car bomb leaves 18 casualties in Iraqi capital Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:2AM The explosion of a car bomb has killed four Iraqi civilians and injured 14 others in the southwest of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. The Tuesday attack targeted the al-Sana'ei neighborhood of the city's al-Baya' district, which lies along the Baghdad Airport Road. Separately, an armed drone operated by Daesh killed four civilians and wounded seven others in the northern city of Mosul's al-Masaref neighborhood, Iraq's al-Sumariah television network reported. The Takfiri terrorist group also staged rocket attacks against a northeastern area in Mosul, killing a child and injuring two other civilians. Daesh named Mosul as its so-called headquarters in Iraq in 2014, when it unleashed its campaign of terror in the Arab country. The city has been under its control since then, but an offensive has been going on by the Iraqi armed forces since October last year to dislodge the terrorists there. The forces have driven the terrorists out of Mosul's eastern half and are now pushing to liberate the remainder of the city. On Monday, Iraq's War Media said army warplanes had slain as many as 60 Daesh terrorists in Mosul's Ayn al-Hessan and South Sharia neighborhoods. The aerial operations also destroyed 18 of the outfit's vehicles, some bomb-laden and some used to carry equipment around. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Malaysian ship carrying aid for Rohingya arrives in Bangladesh Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 7:5PM A Malaysian ship has arrived in Bangladesh, carrying humanitarian aid for thousands of Rohingya Muslims who have escaped persecution in neighboring Myanmar. The ship, which transported about 1,500 tonnes of food, clothing and medical items docked in Chittagong port in southeastern Bangladesh on Tuesday. Senior Bangladeshi officials and Malaysian diplomats gathered in the port's container terminal in a brief handover ceremony. The shipment was also received by local officials of the Red Crescent and the International Organization of Migration in the port city. Abdul Aziz Mohd Abdur Rahim, a representative of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and a member of parliament who traveled with the ship, handed over the aid cargo. He called for a "long-standing solution" to the Rohingya crisis. "Thirty million Malaysians are with you (Rohingya)," media outlets quoted Rahim as saying. Bangladesh also allowed dozens of Malaysian volunteers out of 183 people who came with the aid ship. Malaysian volunteer Azmi, who uses one name, said, "We hope our humanitarian efforts will pave the way to resolve the Rohingya issue and awaken the international community." Trucks will transport aid cargo for distribution to the Rohingya refugees in the southern district of Cox's Bazar, which is located about 200 kilometers south of Chittagong. Some 232,000 Rohingya refugees have already sought refuge in Bangladesh after Myanmar's military forced more than 65,000 of them to flee. On February 9, another Malaysian aid ship arrived at Myanmar's port in Yangon. The Rohingya are already facing abuse, including torture, murder, and rape, in Myanmar, with the government laying a siege to Rakhine state, where they are concentrated. Myanmar's military began a harsh crackdown against the Rohingya in Rakhine after an attack by unidentified elements on the country's border guards on October 9 last year left nine police officers dead. The government blamed the attack on the Rohingya. Persecution of Rohingya Muslims in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar has been going on for years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US spots Russian intelligence-gathering ship off East Coast: Officials Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 4:21PM American officials say a Russian intelligence-gathering ship has been spotted patrolling off the East Coast of the United States, the first such operation since President Donald Trump took office, according to a report. The vessel was 70 miles off the coast of Delaware on Tuesday, heading north at 10 knots, an official told Fox News on condition of anonymity. The US territorial sea extends 12 nautical miles from the baseline, and that means the Russian ship was patrolling in international waters, the network said. The destination of the ship was not immediately known. The ship, the SSV-175 Viktor Leonov, last sailed near the US in April 2015, an official said. The Leonov, which is outfitted with high-tech electronic spying gear, is capable of intercepting signals, known as SIGINT, as well as measuring US Navy sonar capability, another official said. The ship is also armed with surface-to-air missiles. "It's not a huge concern, but we are keeping our eyes on it," one official said. In the past, Russian surveillance ships have sailed off the coast of Kings Bay, Georgia, which is home to the US Navy Fleet ballistic missile submarines armed with Trident missile nuclear weapons. In September 2015, another Russian intelligence-gathering ship was seen operating outside the submarine base in Kings Bay. Around the same time, a senior Pentagon official acknowledged that American "oceanographic ships" operating in waters off the coast of Russia, were actually gathering intelligence on the country. There have been several close encounters between Russian jets and US warships patrolling near Russian territorial waters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In Flynn Saga, Kremlin Allies See Effort To Thwart Improved U.S. Ties Robert Coalson February 14, 2017 Officially, the Kremlin has said the resignation of U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn over allegations of improper contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States is an "internal matter" for Washington. Unofficially, however, leading Kremlin-connected politicians and analysts have been nearly unanimous in attributing the resignation to nefarious efforts by U.S. "hawks" to derail a possible improvement in U.S.-Russian relations. They attribute the efforts variously to the "mainstream media," the Democrats stung by freshly inaugurated President Donald Trump and his Republican Party's electoral victories, the U.S. intelligence community, and Republicans they label as "Russophobes." Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on February 14 that "we are not going to comment on this in any way.... It is not our business." The Foreign Ministry issued a similar statement. But top figures in Russia's foreign-policy establishment outside the executive branch were actively commenting on the development, nearly unanimously arguing that the pressure on Flynn was really aimed at preventing warmer relations between Moscow and Washington. Federation Council member Aleksei Pushkov, who was formerly the chairman of the State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee, posted on Twitter a photograph of the front page of the New York Daily Mail with the blaring headline: Russian For The Exit. He said it was a telling example of the "aggressive campaign by U.S. mainstream media" targeting "not Flynn, but relations with Russia." Pushkov's successor heading the lower house's Foreign Affairs Committee, Leonid Slutsky, told Interfax the same thing. "A pretext was selected -- [Flynn's] contacts with the Russian ambassador, although this is a normal diplomatic practice," Slutsky said. "In these circumstances, one comes to the conclusion that the target was Russia-American relations and undermining confidence in the American administration." Sergei Kislitsyn, a specialist in North American affairs with the Russian Academy of Sciences, also said contacts such as those between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak were "normal." "If Flynn had been speaking with the British ambassador or the French, or whomever, there would not be so much attention," he said. Flynn, Kislitsyn said, "is just a victim of a struggle going on between Trump's supporters and his opponents." In general, he said, "anti-Russian rhetoric" is "a major problem" in the United States and will hamper any efforts to improve bilateral relations. Federation Council member Konstantin Kosachyov, chairman of the upper house's International Relations Committee, charged that in the United States "even a willingness to engage in dialogue with Russians is seen by the hawks in Washington as a thought crime (in the words of the immortal George Orwell)." The pressure against Flynn, Kosachyov said, "is more than just paranoia, but something immeasurably worse." Flynn's willingness to engage in dialogue with Moscow, Kosachyov said, "is definitely better than whatever is being pushed about Russia by [Republican Senator John] McCain and Republicans like him." McCain has been vocal in his warnings that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted and staunch in his public defense of Russian neighbors like Georgia and Ukraine, each of which has territory outside its control due to Russian military invasion. Vladimir Batyuk, an expert with the Institute of the United States and Canada, described the Flynn incident as "a very serious blow to Moscow's trust in the new [U.S.] administration." "When Kislyak was communicating with Flynn, he was absolutely convinced he was communicating with a representative of Trump," Batyuk said. "Now it turns out that this was not the case." He argued that the loss of trust "will have negative consequences for the future of the Russian-American dialogue." The WikiLeaks website, which has been accused of being a tool of alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election in favor of Trump, tweeted an argument similar to that put forward by the Russian experts, saying Flynn resigned because of a "destabilization campaign by US spies, Democrats, press." The popular daily Moskovsky Komsomolets said the key issue in Flynn's downfall was not his conversations with Kislyak but his participation in a gala celebration of Russian state broadcaster RT's 10th anniversary in Moscow in 2015, sitting at the same table with Putin. "It is hard not to remember the famous words of [18th-century] French Foreign Minister Talleyrand, who said of a similar situation in his day: 'It was worse than a crime. It was a mistake.'" Relations between Washington and Moscow have been particularly strained since Russia's 2014 seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region and its alleged active political and military support for separatists in eastern Ukraine. Moscow was also irked after Washington adopted individual sanctions targeting Russian officials believed to have been involved in human rights abuses, the so-called Magnitsky List -- named after whistle-blowing Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in police custody. Trump campaigned on pledges to try to improve bilateral relations and work with Moscow to combat the threat from "radical Islamic terrorism." Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia- reaction-us-trump-adviser-flynn- resignation/28309629.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 Russian Aerospace Forces to Receive First MiG-35 Multirole Jets in 2017-18 Sputnik News 15:44 14.02.2017 The Russian Aerospace Forces will start receiving advanced MiG-35 fighter jets in 2017 and 2018. BENGALURU (India), (Sputnik) The Russian Armed Forces will receive the first two MiG-35 multirole fighters for tests this year and the next, President of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yury Slyusar said Tuesday. "We have a contract signed with the Defense Ministry, a UAC contract. As part of this, we transfer two aircraft, [the contract] will be carried out in 2017-2018," Slyusar told reporters. The Russian MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum-F) is a 4++ generation jet, which has been created with the use of technical decisions used in the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-29K/KUB aircraft and new advanced technologies. According to open sources, MiG-35 is capable of carrying up to seven tonnes of payload and reach a speed of 2,700 mph. The MiG-35 fighter can participate in high-intensity conflicts, amid conditions where the enemy is engaged in aggressive air defense, and is capable of striking aerial and surface targets. The Russian Aerospace Forces will replace all light fighter aircraft with the new planes. The MiG-35 will master the use of laser weapons. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Observers See Flynn's Exit as Setback for Trump White House By Victor Vladimirov February 14, 2017 Russian experts weighed in Tuesday on the resignation of Michael Flynn as White House national security adviser and its potential impact on U.S.-Russian relations. Boris Makarenko, chairman of the board of the Center for Political Technologies, a Moscow think tank, told VOA's Russian service that Flynn's resignation would negatively affect the reputation of President Donald Trump and his administration. "It's his personal appointee who violated several written and unwritten rules of American politics," he said. "Above all, it is that Flynn in a public statement lied to his immediate supervisor, and thereby set him up." Naturally, the new administration's detractors were carefully watching all of this, Makarenko said, adding that Flynn always had a very mixed reputation within the American establishment. "Judging by what is written in the press, the resignation of the adviser of the president was not entirely voluntary," said Makarenko. "And when he made a mistake call it what you will he committed an impermissible deed, thus setting a record for the shortest stay in a high-level post in the White House." Larger factors Still, Makarenko said he thought the Russian-American dialogue depended to a much greater degree on the nations' top leaders, the long-term interests of both countries, and how these interests are interpreted by the top leadership, rather than on one specific person. The head of the State Duma's international affairs committee, Leonid Slutsky, gave a similar assessment. "Flynn's resignation cannot, in a global sense, affect relations between Russia and the United States, although all things considered, it looks negative," he said. Alexander Domrin, an expert on U.S. affairs with Moscow's Higher School of Economics, told VOA that he thought Flynn's resignation would have elicited more of a response from the Russian media and expert community. "When I saw the news in the morning, I thought that the response would be much wider," he said. "I fully expected, for example, that they would interrupt regular programming on Russian television [to discuss the Flynn resignation]. Thus far, I haven't seen any especially meaningful discussion." President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, limited his statement on Flynn's resignation to saying that it was an "internal matter of the U.S. administration," adding that it was premature to speculate on what direction Russia's relations with the U.S. would take. Domrin, who is also a lawyer, said the events surrounding Flynn's resignation raised many questions. Questions on 'legal side' "I would like to know how the bugging was set up," he said. "Then the question arises: How was the content of the phone conversations of Michael Flynn [with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak] leaked to CNN? Who authorized the wiretap?" "In short, I have more questions about the legal side of things than about the resignation itself," said Domrin. "I still don't fully understand what happened," he added. "As for the resignation, it is unfortunate that it happened, because Flynn did not even work for one month in the post of adviser to the president on national security." According to Domrin, the blow to the Trump administration from Flynn's resignation "is significantly more severe than all the [protest] speeches and marches" that have occurred across the country, he said. "It is, of course, a victory for the Democrats, who have a grudge against Trump. And it is a victory for the American media." Domrin added: "If the resignation occurred because of contacts with the Russian ambassador, it is, of course, a very strong blow to the normalization of Russian-American relations." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Saudi deports 40k Pakistani workers amid troubled economy Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:56AM Saudi Arabia has expelled nearly 40,000 Pakistani migrant workers over the past four months amid widespread international criticism of the Riyadh regime's mistreatment of foreign workers in the kingdom. Local media recently cited unnamed Interior Ministry officials as saying that more than 39,000 people have been deported from Saudi Arabia since October 2016 over visa violations, security concerns and crimes. According to a report by the Saudi Gazette, an unknown number of those deported were suspected of having links to terror groups, including Daesh. The news comes as Saudi Arabia has been hit by a year of strikes and protests over unpaid wages as the plunge in global oil prices and the kingdom's multi-billion-dollar military campaign in Yemen have struck a direct blow to the country's economy. Millions of poor Asians are working in the Persian Gulf states. Human rights groups say many of the workers suffer exploitation and abuses, including non-payment of wages. A court in Mecca in January sentenced dozens of foreign construction workers to lashes and jail for a protest held several months ago over unpaid wages. Foreigners account for nearly 30 percent of Saudi Arabia's 27-million-strong population, according to 2010 census figures. Official statistics in Saudi Arabia indicate that 243,000 Pakistanis had been expelled between 2012-2015. According to a 2014 report by the European University Institute, there are around 900,000 Pakistani nationals currently working in the kingdom's low-paid jobs, particularly the construction industry. Human Rights Watch and other rights organizations had slammed mass deportations of migrant workers, which are fairly common in the kingdom, saying they often involve physical abuse and detention in poor conditions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Infighting between two terrorist groups leaves dozens dead in Syria Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 3:15PM Nearly 70 foreign-backed militants have been killed during a fresh wave of infighting that erupted between two rival Takfiri terrorist groups over influence in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, says a UK-based monitoring group. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Tuesday that the clashes broke out between the two previously allied groups of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, and Jund al-Aqsa, suspected of having links to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, during the previous 24 hours. It further said the fighting flared when Jund al-Aqsa's militants carried out a bomb attack against a Fateh al-Sham headquarters in the provincial capital, Idlib, killing at least nine terrorists, adding that the ensuing heavy clashes as well as executions killed 60 terrorists from both sides. "There are battles between warlords, it's a war for influence," said the observatory's director, Rami Abdel Rahman, adding that the infighting was spreading to the neighboring Hama province. The Saudi-backed militant alliance of Jaish al-Fatah, led by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, has almost been entirely in control of Idlib province for the past year. Last month, Fateh al-Sham terrorists engaged in another fighting with other militant factions in the province during 10 days of clashes, which killed dozens of militants. Battles among terrorist groups in Idlib province reflect growing deterioration in their mutual relations and straying from their once sole goal of war against Damascus. For nearly six years, Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated in August last year that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the crisis until then. The UN stopped its official casualty count in the war-torn country, citing its inability to verify the figures it received from various sources. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nine new ministers were appointed, although the sovereign ministries of defence, foreign affairs, interior and justice were not affected Egypt's parliament has voted in favour of a long-touted cabinet reshuffle, approving the appointment of nine new cabinet ministers, mainly in ministries related to public services and the economy. The reshuffle includes new ministers for the portfolios of agriculture, parliamentary affairs, local development, planning and administrative reform, education, higher education, and transport. The ministries of supply and of internal trade and industry were also merged, as were the ministries of investment and international cooperation. Parliamentary speaker Ali Abdel-Aal told MPs in a plenary session on Tuesday afternoon that he had received a letter from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi informing him that a limited cabinet reshuffle had been introduced and that parliament should vote on this reshuffle in line with Article 147 of the constitution. Abdel-Aal indicated during the session that the reshuffle represents the first application of Egytpt's new mixed presidential-parliamentary system. The speaker also said the approval vote was in line with Article 147 of the constitution, which stipulates that the reshuffle must be approved by a third of MPs, or at least 200 MPs. Prime Minister Sherif Ismail was also in attendance during the vote session. New faces Abdel-Aal read out the list of the new cabinet ministers during the session, along with details from their curricula vitae. Hesham El-Sherif, a former head of the Cabinet's Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) thinktank, was appointed minister of local development, replacing Ahmed Zaki Badr. Hala El-Said, an MP and professor of economics at Cairo University, became minister of planning, follow-up and administrative reform in place of Ashraf El-Arabi. Abdel-Moneim El-Banna, head of the Agricultural Research Centre, was appointed minister of agriculture in place of Essam Fayed. Former judge Omar Marawan was appointed minister of parliamentary affairs in place of Magdi El-Agati. MP and Mubarak-era minister of social solidarity, Ali El-Moselhi, was named minister of supply and internal trade in place of Mohamed Ali El-Moselhi (no relation), former minister of supply. After the merge of the internal trade portfolio with the supply ministry and Tarek Qabil, remains the minister of industry and external trade. Khaled Atef Abdel-Ghaffar, the head of Menoufiya University, was appointed minister of higher education in place of Ashraf Shiha. Tarek Galal Shawki became minister of education in place of El-Hilali El-Sherbini. Hesham Arafat was appointed minister of transport in place of Galal Saeed. Contrary to media expectations and parliamentary demands, the cabinet reshuffle did not see the departure of Minister of Health Ahmed Emadeddin, Minister of Culture Helmi El-Namnam, and Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa. The four "sovereign" cabinet ministers Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi, Minister of Interior Magdi Abdel-Ghaffar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, and Minister of Justice Hossam Abdel-Reheim kept their posts. The reshuffle also saw the appointment of three ministerial deputies Mohamed Abdel-Tawab, Mona Mehrez, Safwat Abdel-Hamid for the minister of agriculture and one ministerial deputy Salah Abdel-Rahman for the minister of planning. The new ministers are: Sahar Nasr - minister of investment and international cooperation (a merger of two separate ministries) Abdel-Moneim El-Banna minister of agriculture, replacing Essam Fayed Omar El-Khattab Arafa minister of parliamentary affairs, replacing Magdy El-Agati Ali El-Sayed Mosselhi minister of supply and trade (a merger of two separate ministries) Mohamed Hesham Zein El-Abdein El-Sherif minister of local development, replacing Ahmed Zaki Badri Hala Helmy El-Saeed Younis minister of planning and administrative reform, replacing Ashraf El-Arabi Khaled Atef Abdel-Ghaffar minister of higher education and scientific research, replacing Ashraf El-Sheehy Tarek Galal Shawki Ahmed Shawki minister of education, replacing El-Hilali El-Sherbeeni Hesham Arafat Mahdi Ahmed minister of transportation, replacing Galal El-Said Search Keywords: Short link: 60 Syrian civilians killed in Turkish shelling of Syrian city: Group Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:40AM A monitoring group says at least 60 civilians been killed in shelling by the Turkish military in Syria's northern border town of al-Bab over the past few days. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Monday that 13 children had been among those killed in the Turkish shelling on the town, which lies 40 kilometers northeast of Aleppo. The UK-based group said dozens of others had also been injured in the shelling. It said that intense battles were going on between Turkish forces and allied militants on the one side and the Daesh extremists on the other. The Observatory said Daesh militants are still in control of major areas in al-Bab, even though Turkish forces and their allies have captured a string of areas in the western flank of the town. On August 24, 2016, the Turkish Air Force and special ground forces kicked off Operation Euphrates Shield inside Syria in a declared bid to rid the border area of Daesh terrorists and fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Democratic Union Party (PYD). The operation was not coordinated with the Syrian government, which has described it as a violation of Syria's sovereignty. Syrian army troops recapture oil field Meanwhile, Syrian government forces have managed to wrest full control over an oil field from foreign-sponsored terrorists in the country's central province of Homs. An unnamed military source said Syrian forces liberated the Hayan oil field in the desert region of Palmyra, located 215 kilometers northeast of the capital, Damascus, on Tuesday, killing scores of terrorists in the process. Separately, Syrian Justice Minister Najm Hamad Ahmad has announced the establishment of a special commission to investigate crimes perpetrated by foreign-backed Takfiri militants in the country's northern province of Aleppo. The pro-government and Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper reported that the commission will look into some 10,000 pages of documents to establish their authenticity and provide compelling evidence concerning states sponsoring the terrorist groups in Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kurds Determined to Fully Liberate Syria's Raqqa From Daesh Sputnik News 21:39 14.02.2017 Anwar Muslim, the chairman of the Kobani provincial government, said that a goal of Syrian Kurds is to liberate not only Raqqa, but all territories seized by the Daesh. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Syrian Kurds are conducting a successful offensive, coming close to Syria's northern city of Raqqa, a stronghold of the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group, and planning to fully liberate the city from Daesh militants, Anwar Muslim, the chairman of the Kobani provincial government, told Sputnik on Tuesday. "We are carrying out a successful offensive, nearing Raqqa, we are coming closer to the city We will fully liberate it soon Our goal is to liberate not only Raqqa, but all territories seized by the IS," Muslim said. The success of the offensive is ensured by the support of many local residents, including from the Arabic tribes, with dozens and hundreds of people joining the Kurdish forces every day, the official said. According to Muslim, Kurds are planning to create an autonomy of local residents in Raqqa similar to "what was created in the Syrian city of Manbij after it was cleared from the IS." The Wrath of Euphrates operation, aimed at liberating Raqqa from the Daesh, was launched in November 2016 by Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the second stage of the operation began on December 10, 2016. On Monday, representative to Russia of Northern Syria's Rojava Kurdish region Rodi Osman told Sputnik that the Syrian Kurds were capable of liberating Raqqa on their own without Turkey's participation. In response, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said that seizure of Raqqa by the Kurdish forces such as the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Popular Defense Units (YPG) after the city's liberation from the Islamic State was a threat to Turkey. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian Army, Militias Liberate Gas Field Close to Palmyra Sputnik News 12:53 14.02.2017(updated 15:08 14.02.2017) Syrian government troops and allied militias have liberated a gas field near the Daesh-held city of Palmyra. BEIRUT (Sputnik) The Syrian army, supported by the air force and militias, liberated the Hiyan gas field close to Syria's Palmyra in the province of Homs, a militia source told Sputnik. "The Syrian army supported by the Syrian militia and air force established full control over the Hiyan gas field west of Palmyra," the source close to the Desert Falcons militia said. Tens of militants were killed and a number of armored combat vehicles were destroyed as a result of the offensive, the source added. Several groups of terrorists withdrew toward Palmyra. According to another source familiar with the details of the operation, the engineering units of the Syrian army have started to clear the territory of mines and explosives left by Daesh militants. The source noted that Daesh militants had completely destroyed the Hiyan gas processing plant and its pipeline a few days before the withdrawal in January. Daesh seized Palmyra, which was the capital of the Palmyrene Empire and one of the richest cities of the Roman Empire, in May 2015. Terrorists destroyed a number of historic sights designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Arch of Triumph, the Temple of Baalshamin and the Temple of Bel. Jihadists also looted the national museum and the famous Palmyra's necropolis. Less than a year after that the Syrian army supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces managed to liberate Palmyra. Russian specialists demined the historic center as well as residential areas of the city. Russian historians and renovators visited Palmyra in early July 2016 and prepared a report assessing the condition of the damaged sites and costs of the renovation works. However, in December 2016, the city was retaken by jihadists. Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the Daesh offensive on Palmyra. According to the Russian leader, the situation in Palmyra was a result of discordant actions of different players in Syria. On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry published a video that showed some of the most precious relics of Syria's ancient Palmyra devastated by the Daesh terror group, outlawed in Russia and a number of other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Tsai reiterates Taiwan's goodwill toward China ROC Central News Agency 2017/02/14 20:41:24 Taipei, Feb. 14 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () reiterated Tuesday that her administration will promote amicable interaction with China with the highest level of goodwill. There is room for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, which share common interests in economics, trade and regional development, Tsai said at a Lunar New Year gathering of business leaders. As long as the two sides put aside unnecessary prejudice against each other, they should be able to open negotiations on issues regarding regional economic development, she said. Relations between Taiwan and China have been at a virtual standstill since Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party came to power in May 2016. Beijing has frozen official talks between the two sides because Tsai's government has not endorsed the "1992 consensus," which essentially implies that China and Taiwan are part of one China, something many Taiwanese do not agree with. Also during Tuesday's gathering, Tsai said her government is well prepared to deal with the looming problem of water and electricity shortages in Taiwan. She promised that the government will work to create a stable water supply system through measures such as enhancing the sustainability of reservoirs and developing new water resources. On the issue of a possible power shortage, she said the Ministry of Economic Affairs is working on a mid- to long-term plan on energy transformation as part an effort to phase out nuclear power. Under the plan, the government is aiming to see 20 percent of Taiwan's electricity generated by renewables, 50 percent by natural gas and 30 percent by coal by 2025, to ensure a stable electricity supply, according to the president. By 2025, the state-run Taiwan Power Company and the private sector are expected to invest NT$3 trillion in energy-related infrastructure, she said. On Taiwan's economic outlook, Tsai noted that the domestic economy monitoring indicator has been flashing a green light for six consecutive months, signaling stable growth, which she said was an indication that the economy was emerging from a tunnel onto a brighter road ahead. She also said the government's plan to promote "five plus two" innovative industries has entered the implementation phase and is expected to help speed up the recovery and structural transformation of the economy. (By Huang Ya-chuan, Lu Hsin-hui and Y.F. Low) ENDITEM/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey arrests 600 over alleged PKK links ahead of referendum Iran Press TV Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:19AM Turkey has arrested more than 600 people for alleged links to Kurdish militants ahead of a referendum on constitutional amendments that would give the president sweeping executive powers. The state-run Anadolu agency reported that counter-terror police detained 86 people suspected of being connected to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group in dawn raids on Tuesday in several areas across the country, in addition to 544 detained a day earlier. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said in a statement issued prior to the arrests that Turkish authorities arrested more than 300 of its members and executives on Monday, bringing those held this year to about 1,200. A dozen of its lawmakers and scores of Kurdish mayors from a sister party have been jailed pending trial, according to the statement. The party's executive committee said in the statement that "the basic goal of these operations... is to hold the referendum without the HDP." "We will never bow down faced with this persecution and pressure," the party said, adding "What they are trying to prevent with the detentions and arrests is a 'No' (vote in the referendum)." Turkey will hold a referendum in mid-April on replacing the current parliamentary system with the executive presidency long sought by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The vote will be held under a state of emergency following last July's botched coup against the Erdogan government. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Turkey on suspicions of having links to US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for having been behind the coup attempt. Turkey accuses the HDP of being the political arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group. A shaky ceasefire between the PKK, which has been calling for an autonomous Kurdish region since 1984, and the Turkish government collapsed in July 2015. Attacks on Turkish security forces have soared ever since. Over the past few months, Turkish ground and air forces have been carrying out operations against the PKK positions in the country's troubled southeastern border region as well as Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and northern Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish PM Says Referendum to Amend 'Coup-Produced Constitution' Sputnik News 16:28 14.02.2017 Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stated that Turkish citizens will go to ballot boxes and change "coup-produced constitution" during referendum on April 16. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Turkish referendum on constitutional changes, envisaging transition to a presidential form of governance, will allow voters to change the unlawful constitution that had been introduced after the overthrow of the government, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tuesday. "On April 16, citizens will go to ballot boxes and change this coup-produced constitution," Yildirim said during a meeting of Justice and Development (AK) Party lawmakers in the parliament, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency. The current constitution of 1982 was ratified by popular referendum during the military junta of 1980-1983 and substantially changed by now, including through referenda of 2007 and 2010. The referendum on handing wide-ranging executive powers to the president is supposed to take place on April 16. The proposed constitutional amendments, greenlighted by parliament in January and signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in February, are regarded by Turkish opposition as an attempt of the president to boost his powers, although Yildirim expects them to put more power into the hands of ordinary voters who elect their government and president. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address London Refutes IISS Report on UK Spending Not Meeting NATO Requirements Sputnik News 18:51 14.02.2017(updated 18:52 14.02.2017) The UK Defense Ministry refuted a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) which said the United Kingdom failed to meet the NATO requirements concerning defense spending. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Earlier in the day, the IISS presented an annual analysis of the world's military capabilities, which revealed that only Greece and Estonia met the NATO criteria of spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense, while the United Kingdom's spending dropped to 1.98 percent. "These figures are wrong: Nato's own figures clearly show that the UK spends over 2 per cent of its GDP on defence," the Defense Ministry's spokesman said, as quoted by The Telegraph newspaper. The spokesman noted the the UK defense budget was considered to be the second largest in NATO and is growing every year, "as we invest 178 billion [almost $222 billion] in new equipment and the UK steps up globally, with new ships, submarines and aircraft over the next decade." In November 2016, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May that Britain was playing a leading role in NATO by meeting the alliance's commitment to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense, "contributing troops to deterrence measures in Eastern Europe." The parties agreed to encourage NATO allies to meet the two-percent level and increase defense spending. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address White House: Trump Made It Clear Russia Must 'Return Crimea' To Ukraine RFE/RL February 14, 2017 WASHINGTON -- The White House has said that President Donald Trump fully expects Russia to return control of Crimea to Ukraine. Spokesman Sean Spicer made the remarks at a contentious February 14 news conference that focused largely on the abrupt departure of Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Flynn resigned less than 24 hours earlier, following news reports that said phone calls he held with Russia's ambassador prior to Trump's inauguration included discussions of sanctions imposed by then-President Barack Obama. The Obama administration hit Russia with several waves of sanctions following Russia's March 2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent war in eastern Ukraine between Kyiv's forces and Russia-backed separatists. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly said he wants better relations with Russia and that he would consider lifting sanctions against Moscow. Multiple news reports in the past week have said Flynn specifically mentioned the issue of sanctions in phone calls with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak weeks before Trump's inauguration on January 20. Spicer defended Trump's approach to Russia, telling reporters on February 14 that the president "has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate the violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea." "The irony of this entire situation is that the president has been incredibly tough on Russia. He continues to raise the issue of Crimea, which the previous administration allowed to be seized by Russia," Spicer said. Spicer also pointed to remarks made by Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, in her first appearance before the Security Council on February 3, in which she forcefully condemned Russia, saying that "Crimea is a part of Ukraine." Haley said in her remarks that "Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine." It was not clear whether Haley was also referring to sanctions imposed on Russia for its backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine. One of the phone calls that Flynn had with Kislyak reportedly occurred on December 26. That was the same day that Obama announced a new set of sanctions against Russia in retaliation for what U.S. intelligence concluded was a systematic effort using computer hacking and propaganda to influence the presidential election. Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton to the win the election. With reporting by Reuters and AP Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/us-ukraine-russia- trump-must-return-crimea/28309743.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 UN Official Fears Shaky Ukraine Cease-fire Will Not Hold By Lisa Schlein February 14, 2017 A senior U.N. official said Tuesday that he feared the fragile cease-fire between the Ukrainian government and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine would not hold. Neal Walker, the U.N. resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, said that although calm had returned, the situation in eastern Ukraine remained very serious. The rebels' renewed siege of the airport at Donetsk, which began January 21, lasted until February 3. Walker said the fighting between January 29 and February 3 was extremely intense. Walker said there were more than 40,000 violations of the cease-fire during a 10-day period, which is more violations than normally would occur during a whole month. This was not a simple exchange of fire, he added; it was an engagement of men in direct combat and that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported the distance separating the rebels and government had narrowed considerably. More heavy weapons "You also have an increased presence of heavy weapons, directly in violation of the Minsk accords," Walker said. "So in this situation, it is, of course, very tense and it is very easy to imagine that the fighting could easily scale up again, even if now we have a slight return to a lull. And we think that this is good, but we are not confident that it will hold." Walker said the United Nations supported the OSCE's call for the parties to respect the cease-fire and the terms of the Minsk agreement. He noted that compliance would require the withdrawal of heavy weapons and re-creation of safe zones between the troops. Since the conflict began nearly three years ago, the United Nations said, about 10,000 people have been killed and more than 20,000 have been wounded. Walker described those numbers as very conservative estimates. He added that deaths and injuries were on the rise again and would continue to climb if fighting continued and the warring parties did not honor the Minsk cease-fire agreement. 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. Under the title Multiple Authorities for Oppression, the Egyptian Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) issued on Tuesday their annual report covering violations of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in Egypt. The report covered the legislative and legal climate in Egypt in 2016, which it said saw discussions in parliament that were against creative expression and the right to organise. The report cited parliaments rejection of a draft law banning imprisonment in publishing cases, while approving the controversial anti-protest law. The report stated that parliament, which was formed in 2015 after a three-year parliamentary vacuum, was required to discuss all laws passed since the new constitution was drafted in January 2014. AFTE says that parliament approved all 340 laws passed in its absence with the exception of the civil service law, and that the laws were passed without serious or in-depth discussion and without community input. Thousands have been arrested under the protest law which bans protests organised without prior notification to authorities and several people have been prosecuted for publishing-related offences, including writers Ahmed Naji and Fatma Naout and TV presenter Islam El-Beheiry. On the legal level, the report states that prosecutors are referring cases to the courts without conducting adequate investigations. The report also mentions the increased use of conditional release for defendants awaiting trial, which can involve travel bans, house arrest, regular check-ins at police stations, or being barred from going to certain places. Defendants subjected to conditional release include 6 April Movement activists Ahmed Maher, Mohamed Adel and Zizo Abdo. On the journalism and media level, the AFTE report cites the unprecedented police raid on the Journalists Syndicate headquarters in Cairo in May 2016, where police arrested two journalists for inciting against the regime. Three syndicate leaders, including syndicate head Yehia Kalash, are facing criminal charges for harbouring the two journalists,a case many local and international rights watchdogs have called an attack on press freedom in Egypt. Kalash is currently appealing a two-year sentence issued in November for harbouring the two journalists. The report also cites the issuing of a controversial law regulating media and journalism, which mandates the creation of regulatory bodies headed by appointees put in place by the executive branch. The law also requires media outlets to function in accordance with national security requirements, which the AFTE report says is worded in a vague and restrictive manner. AFTE documented 438 cases of what it described as violations against media and journalists, including obstructing journalists from doing their job, arrests and police detention, physical assaults, and the confiscating or breaking of journalists equipment. The Egyptian government has repeatedly denied it imprisons journalists or reporters for doing their job, arguing that all those jailed have been charged with or convicted of criminal offences. The report also said that 2016 saw 78 violations against of artists, including the arrest of members of the Atfal Shawarea band and a number of graffiti artists, as well as censoring or outright banning artworks for reasons related to religion, morality or politics. Regarding freedom of information, the report noted the absence of any laws allowing citizens right to access information as guaranteed by the constitution. AFTE says that the governments Red Sea border demarcation deal with Saudi Arabia shows that authorities consider a lack of transparency in foreign policy to be a necessity of national security. The report also mentioned the imprisoning of the head of the Central Auditing Agency Hisham Geneina for publishing false news after he alleged massive losses in state funds due to corruption in state institutions. The top auditor, who was sacked shortly after making his allegation and is currently out on bail and appealing a one-year prison sentence, says that his estimation of theft of state funds refers to the three years after 2012. The AFTE says Geneinas case shows that the executive branch fears showing public audit reports to the people. Regarding economic reforms such as the floating of the local currency by the central bank in November, the AFTE report said that these policies are implemented without adequately stating reasons or conducting studies. Regarding academic freedoms, the report states that there is increased restriction on academic content by university administrators, and that security officials are restricting work by foreign researchers and communication between Egyptian researchers and foreign universities. The report also noted a lack of academic independence and guarantees of freedom of research and publishing. Regarding internet freedom, the report says that the cyber crime draft law presented in parliament involves a limiting of digital rights, with harsh penalties that violate the rights to privacy and freedom of expression. The report documented 57 violations involving arrests for running social media pages and expressing opinions on social media; increased internet surveillance and the blocking of online applications and websites; and the hacking of the emails of activists and human rights defenders. Search Keywords: Short link: The Egyptian committee mediating between rival political factions in Libya issued a statement Tuesday night saying it found common ground between the various parties during current talks in Cairo which could form the foundation of a political settlement to end the country's civil war. In a statement issued by the Egyptian army shortly following the end of meeting on Tuesday, army spokesman Tamer El-Refai said the Egyptian committee mediating the Libyan crisis headed by Army Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry identified areas of agreement between the rival Libyan forces. The talks, which took place Monday and Tuesday, were attended by the Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council Fayaz Al-Sarraj, who is based in the capital Tripoli in the west of the country and is recognised by the UN as the country's president, and Field Marshall Khalifa Hifter and Parliament Speaker Aguila Saleh, who both represent House of Representatives in Tobrouk in the east of the country in Tabrouk. El-Refai said the "common ground sensed" could be translated into several steps towards reaching a resolution, including preparations for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2018. This is the first time that the two opponents have met in Cairo. It remains unclear whether or not they held direct talks. According to El-Refai's statement, the talks covered issues of significant disagreement between the factions, including the formation and powers of the presidential council, Hifter's position as commander of the armed forces, and the expansion of membership in the High State Council based in Tripoli. The army's statement outlined four steps that could help in resolving the on-going crisis. First, the factions would form a joint committee comprised of up to 15 members each from the parliament and the High State Council to discuss the distribution of power in a unified state. Second, the parliament would propose constitutional amendments necessary to implement the 2015 UN-brokered Libyan Political Agreement -- also known as the Skhirat Agreement -- brokered by the UN in December 2015. These would include amendments proposed by a conference hosted in Cairo in December last year. The parliament would then issue a declaration of these amendments, to be approved by the aforementioned committee. Third, the parties would organise parliamentary and presidential elections, to be held no later than February 2018. Fourth, the factions would work together to determine interim leadership until elections are held. There are no reports that the parties signed any agreement. Egypt has played an active role in mediating a solution to Libya's protracted civil war and political crisis. Over the past months, Cairo has held meetings with different Libyan political factions through its Army Chief of Staff Hegazi, in which Egypt has stressed the need for a political consensus to end the war. In December, Egyptian officials and representatives from multiple Libyan factions issued a declaration of principles and five proposed amendments to the Skhirat agreement, at the conclusion of a meeting in Cairo. The December conference concluded by underscoring four main principles to be respected in Libya's transition: the preservation of a united Libyan territory, support for national institutions, non-interference by foreign bodies, and the maintenance of a civil state. Search Keywords: Short link: "The city and the county disagreed on the casino," Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Vic Ingram said. "Based on that, the city moved forward, we got left behind and I do not blame the city for that." VANCOUVER, Feb. 14, 2017 /CNW/ - Eco Oro Minerals Corp. ("Eco Oro" or the "Company") (TSX: EOM) announces that it has received a shareholder meeting requisition dated February 10, 2017 (the "Requisition") on behalf of Courtenay Wolfe and Harrington Global Opportunities Fund Ltd. The Requisition requests the convening of a meeting of shareholders of the Company at which the shareholders will be asked to vote on a resolution to replace the current directors of the Company. The Company is in the process of reviewing the Requisition and will issue a further press release in due course. Company Profile Eco Oro Minerals Corp. is a publicly-traded precious metals exploration and development company with a portfolio of projects in Colombia. Eco Oro has been focused on its wholly-owned, multi-million ounce Angostura gold-silver deposit, located in northeastern Colombia. The Toronto Stock Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking" within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Requisition and a potential shareholder meeting. Forward-looking statements are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "in the event", "if", "believes", "asserts", "position", "intends", "envisages", "assumes", "recommends", "estimates", "approximate", "projects", "potential", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon the current belief, opinions and expectations of management that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant litigation, business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and other contingencies. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, uncertainties related to the Requisition and the calling of a shareholder meeting, as well as other risk factors set out under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Annual Information Form dated March 11, 2016, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. SOURCE Eco Oro Minerals Corp. TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 15, 2017) - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Fortune Minerals Ltd. (TSX:FT)(OTCQX:FTMDF) ("Fortune" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Cormark Securities Inc. (the "Underwriters"), which has agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, 20 million units of Fortune (the "Units") at a purchase price of $0.25 per Unit (the "Offering Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds in the amount of approximately $5 million (the "Offering"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of Fortune (a "Unit Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole purchase warrant a "Warrant"), each Warrant being exercisable to acquire one common share of Fortune at a purchase price of $0.35 for a period of 24 months following the closing date. In addition, the Company has granted the Underwriters an option to purchase additional Units at the Offering Price to raise additional gross proceeds of up to 15% of the Offering, for a period of 30 days after and including the Closing Date to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes. The offering is scheduled to close on or about March 8, 2017. Closing is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the securities regulatory authorities. The net proceeds from the offering will be used to fund an updated feasibility study for the NICO Cobalt-Gold-Bismuth-Copper project and for general corporate purposes. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities will not be and have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements. About NICO: The NICO deposit contains Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves totaling more than 33 million tonnes that will support a 21-year mine life at a planned mill throughput rate of 4,650 metric tonnes of ore per day. Approximately 180 wet tonnes per day of bulk concentrate will be produced by flotation in the mill containing the recoverable metals and will be trucked from the site on the new road to the rail head at Hay River for railway delivery to the refinery in Saskatchewan and downstream processing to value-added metals and chemicals. Life of mine average annual production is projected to be 41,300 ounces of gold, 1,615 tonnes of cobalt contained in a battery grade cobalt sulphate, 1,750 tonnes of bismuth contained in metal ingots and oxide powder, and 265 tonnes of copper. The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Robin Goad, M.Sc., P.Geo., President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortune, who is a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101. The technical report on the feasibility study referred to above, entitled "Technical Report on the Feasibility Study for the NICO-Gold-Cobalt-Bismuth-Copper Project, Northwest Territories, Canada", dated April 2, 2014 and prepared by Micon International Limited, from which certain information in this press release has been extracted, has been filed on SEDAR and is available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. About Fortune Minerals Fortune is a Canadian development stage mining company focused on advancing the vertically integrated NICO gold-cobalt-bismuth-copper project in the Northwest Territories and a related refinery the Company plans to construct in Saskatchewan. Fortune also owns the Sue-Dianne copper-silver-gold deposit located 25 km north of NICO and a potential future source of incremental mill feed to extend the life of the NICO mill. The Company also maintains the right to repurchase the Arctos anthracite coal deposits in northwest British Columbia that were recently purchased by a provincial Crown corporation. This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. This forward-looking information includes statements with respect to, among other things, the Company's plans to develop the NICO project (including the Company's plans to secure off-take agreements and project financing to start construction), estimated future production, anticipated growth in the demand for cobalt, anticipated constraints on the supply of cobalt and plans for the construction of an all-season road needed for operations at the NICO Project. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management as well as certain assumptions at the date the information is given (including, in respect of the forward-looking information contained in this press release, assumptions regarding the Company's ability to arrange the necessary financing to continue operations and develop the NICO project, growth in the demand for cobalt, restrictions on the supply of cobalt and the proposed construction of the all-season road, the economic environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of gold, cobalt and other by-product metals, anticipated costs and the volumes of metals to be produced at the NICO Project). However, such forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. These factors include the risks that the Company may not be able to finance and develop NICO on favourable terms or at all, the market for rechargeable batteries and the use of stationary storage cells may not grow to the extent anticipated, the future supply of cobalt may not be as limited as anticipated, the Company's production of cobalt and other metals may be less than anticipated and other operational and development risks, market risks and regulatory risks. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information because it is possible that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forms of forward-looking information will not be achieved by the Company. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise it to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb 15, 2017) - Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:PEX) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is providing an update on drilling plans for its Poker Brown gold project, Nevada and its TL Zinc project, British Columbia. Poker Brown - Drill Program Plans The Company is planning a four hole, 1,000 m RC drill program to take place in late March or early April at its road accessible Poker Brown gold project, located near Lovelock, Nevada. The target is two recently defined IP chargeability anomalies that underlie the main area of historical surface workings and gold showings on the property, including vein, breccia and stockwork mineralization, and the area of most intense alteration on the property (see News Release dated November 10, 2016). The chargeability anomalies are interpreted to be caused by disseminated pyrite mineralization, which is associated with the gold and silver mineralization at Poker Brown. The planned drill program is fully permitted. TL Zinc - Plans for Resumed Drilling The TL Zinc drill program was suspended in December, 2016, due to severe winter weather conditions after the completion of two holes (see News Release dated December 19, 2016). Both holes intersected several zones of graphitic schist with disseminated sulphide mineralization that appear to be the cause of the eastern portion of the large HELITEM electromagnetic anomaly. Anomalous zinc values are associated with the graphitic intervals. The Company plans to resume drilling after snow has left the property, in late May or June. The target will be coincident gravity and electromagnetic anomalies on the western side of the property associated with the known zinc mineralization defined by trenching and shallow drill holes from 2011 and 2012. Of 56 grab samples of float and bedrock collected in this area to date, 40 have assayed +1% Zn with a range of 1.08% to 18.87% and an average of 4.96% Zn. Trenching in the initial discovery area identified semi-massive to massive sulfide over an open-ended zone 10 to 35 m wide and 50 m long. Channel sampling in this zone returned zinc values up to 7.18% over 4 m. Drilling under the trenches in 2012 encountered a 10 to 13 m thick sulphide zone with zinc values ranging from less than 1% to 5%. About Pacific Ridge Pacific Ridge is a mineral exploration company with a successful history of over 30 years. The Company is fully funded for the planned drill programs announced above. The Company's Fyre Lake Cu-Au-Co massive sulphide deposit is under option to BMC Minerals (No. 1) Ltd. ("BMC"). BMC has been granted two options effective as of the Closing (January 16, 2017); the first, a one year option whereby, in order to maintain and exercise the option, in addition to the $375,000 in payments already made, it must pay the Company $2,200,000 one year after Closing, or the second, a two year option whereby, in order to maintain and exercise the option, it must pay the Company $300,000 one year after Closing and $2,420,000 two years after Closing. In addition, BMC has agreed to make a bonus payment of $1,000,000 if and when BMC's Kudz Ze Kayah property has reached commercial production for one year. The Company's TL Zinc project is a 6,420 hectare, road accessible zinc-lead-silver property located 80 km northeast of Vernon, British Columbia, ideally situated with nearby highways, electrical power grid and rail. The target at TL is a large Broken Hill type or SEDEX (Sedimentary Exhalative) Zn-Pb-Ag massive sulfide deposit. The Company's Poker Brown gold-silver project is located 190 km from Reno, Nevada. The target is a large, bulk tonnage, heap leachable gold deposit. Numerous gold mines and advanced projects are located within an 80 km radius of the property. The Company holds a well-located project portfolio in Yukon's White Gold District, including Mariposa, Eureka Dome and Gold Cap, in the same geological environment as Goldcorp's Coffee Gold Project (acquired from Kaminak Gold in 2016) and Kinross Gold's White Gold deposit. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Gerald G. Carlson, President & CEO Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Gerald G. Carlson, Ph.D., P.Eng., President and CEO of Pacific Ridge and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy. Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the exercise of options and future exploration plans and expenditures. Although Pacific Ridge 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 forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, that one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb 15, 2017) - Riverside Resources Inc. ("Riverside" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:RRI)(OTC PINK:RVSDF)(FRANKFURT:R99), is pleased to report on the progress of the partner-funded exploration program being conducted with Centerra Gold Inc. ("Centerra") at the Glor Gold Project (the "Project"), located approximately 8 km west of Alamos Gold's El Chanate Mine in Sonora, Mexico. Between August 2016 and the end of last year, a number of programs of geophysical and geochemical surveying were completed along with geological mapping. Expenditures on these exploration programs amounted to approximately US$400,000 and were entirely funded by Centerra as part of its earn-in requirements (see Riverside press release dated July 28, 2016). The results of the 2016 soil and rock sampling programs are very encouraging, having defined multiple gold targets in the north-eastern, central and western parts of the Glor property. The 2016 exploration programs included geological mapping at a 1:5,000 scale, a 37.7 line- kilometre induced polarization survey and a 136 line-kilometre ground magnetics survey. In addition, 926 soil samples, 341 rock chip samples and 1,468 saw-cut channel samples were collected and analysed. Shallow trenches with a combined length of more than 1,200 metres were excavated with a small backhoe machine as part of the rock sampling program (34 of 430 channel-cut samples (8%) collected from shallow trenches returned gold assays greater than 0.150 g/t Au, with the highest value being 2.241 g/t Au). The geochemical anomalies for gold, arsenic and to lesser extent silver, lead and zinc that were outlined in the north-eastern sector of the property are particularly significant because they are broadly coincident with zones of anomalous geophysical responses detected by the induced polarization survey and with bedrock exposures of hydrothermally altered and sheared Mesozoic sedimentary rocks (see Riverside press release dated November 14, 2016). Geochemical results for gold are shown on the map figure at the bottom of this press release. Highlighted Exploration Results: 2200 metre by 900 metre Au-As soil anomaly defined in northeastern sector of the property where mapping has identified extensive area of strongly altered and foliated metasedimentary rocks Induced polarization chargeability anomalies that are broadly coincident with Au-As soil anomalies identified in northeastern and central sectors of the property. 52 of 341 rock chip samples (16%) show anomalous concentrations of gold, ranging from 0.152 up to 21.0 g/t Au; mineralized rocks typically display quartz-sericite-Fe oxide alteration Semi-continuous series of channel-cut samples gave unweighted average gold content of 0.606 g/t Au across 42 metres (individual 3 metre long samples returned assays ranging from a low of 0.09 g/t to a high of 2.442 g/t Au) Trench sampling results included of 9 metres @ 0.421 g/t Au; 27 metres @ 0.368 g/t Au; 12 metres @ 0.506 g/t Au Riverside's President and CEO, John-Mark Staude, stated: "We continue to be encouraged by the results of the geochemical and geophysical surveys completed to date at the Glor Project, which show positive indications of an orogenic gold system. The quartz-sericite alteration, veining and deformation styles are similar to such features commonly seen at Sonoran orogenic gold deposits, including the nearby Chanate Gold Mine. We now look forward to further results from the current trenching and structural mapping program, with plans in place to drill in 2017." To view the map associated with this release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/215rri_map.jpg Figure Above: IP Chargeability Anomalies, Soils & Gold Geochemistry Additional Exploration Work Now Underway: Exploration has resumed at Glor and is focusing on the gold targets that were defined by the above-described work programs. Centerra will also be funding this year's field programs which will involve additional mechanical trenching, channel rock sampling and detailed geological mapping of rock alteration, structural features and lithologies deemed to be the preferred hosts of the gold mineralization found on the property. A heavy-duty excavator (Hyundai 220) is currently digging trenches to further test the Pitaya Target. A number of other zones of gold mineralization that were identified in 2016 will also be trenched and sampled this quarter. Trenches will generally be 50 to 100 metres in length and will be dug up to 3 metres into bedrock. Presently, the planned exploration program and budget for 2017 calls for two months of trenching and channel sampling. The goal of this work will be to clearly define high-potential gold targets for drilling which is expected to take place in the second half of the year. A drilling program will be planned after the results of the ongoing trenching have been received and evaluated. Additional information about the Glor Project can be found at the Glor Project Page on Riverside's website. Qualified Person and QA/QC: The scientific and technical data contained in this news release pertaining to the Glor Project was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Locke Goldsmith, P. Eng., P. Geo., a non-independent qualified person to Riverside Resources who is responsible for ensuring that the geologic information provided in this news release is accurate and acts as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Soil and rock samples are being taken to the Bureau Veritas Laboratories in Hermosillo, Mexico for fire assaying for gold and ICP analysis for 45 common and trace elements. A QA/QC program has been implemented as part of the rock sampling program at Glor, with 199 blank and standard samples being analysed along with the 1,809 rock samples that were collected from the field. About Riverside Resources Inc.: Riverside is a well-funded prospect generation team of focused, proactive gold discoverers. The Company currently has approximately $3,300,000 in the treasury and approximately 37,550,000 shares outstanding. The Company's model of growth through partnerships and exploration uses the prospect generation business approach to own resources, while partners share in de-risking projects on route to discovery. Riverside has additional properties available for option with more information available on the Company's website at www.rivres.com. ON BEHALF OF Riverside Resources Inc. Dr. John-Mark Staude, President & CEO Certain statements in this press release may be considered forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology (e.g., "expect"," estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "plans"). Such information involves known and unknown risks -- including the availability of funds, the results of financing and exploration activities, the interpretation of exploration results and other geological data, or unanticipated costs and expenses and other risks identified by Riverside in its public securities filings that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. VANCOUVER, Feb. 15, 2017 /CNW/ - Rock Tech Lithium Inc. (the "Company" or "Rock Tech") (TSX-V: RCK; Frankfurt: RJIB), is pleased to announced that it expects to disclose the first set of assay results from its channel sampling program in the coming days. Rock Tech started a prospecting and channel sampling program in the third quarter of 2016. The prospecting portion of the program resulted in a brand new discovery, highlighting the inherent organic growth potential of the Georgia Lake lithium property. This new discovery was announced in a press release on January 11, 2017. "Due to the significant investments already made in the Georgia Lake lithium property, including the publication of the first-ever NI 43-101 resource estimate, people often underappreciate its expansion potential," stated Martin Stephan, Rock Tech's CEO. "The recent new discovery reminds us of the project's growth potential." The Company conducted the channel sampling program to collect valuable surface information of the various lithium-bearing pegmatites on the Georgia Lake property which adds value by confirming the location and surface extent of the pegmatite dykes and helping guide a future drill program. Rock Tech will communicate the assay results once they have been received by the lab and compiled by the Company's geological team. All scientific and technical information in this news release concerning the Georgia Lake lithium property was reviewed and prepared under the supervision of Locke Goldsmith, P. Eng., P. Geo., an independent Qualified Person to Rock Tech. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, "Martin Stephan" Martin Stephan Director, Chief Executive Officer 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. Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward?looking statements". Forward?looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward?looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward?looking statements. SOURCE Rock Tech Lithium Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 15, 2017) - Opawica Explorations Inc. (TSXV: OPW) (the "Company") announces that further to the Company's January 30, 2017 news release, drilling will commence on February 20, 2017 on the Company's 100% owned Bazooka (East) property located near Rouyn Noranda, Quebec. At the request of IIROC, Opawica confirms that there are no other material changes in the affairs of the Company that would account for the recent increase in market activity. The Company owns or has under option approximately seven kilometres of the Cadillac Larder Lake Break ("CLLB") which makes up the contiguous block of ground referred to as the Bazooka West and East properties (the "Bazooka Properties"). The Bazooka Properties are situated between and contiguous to the Wassamac gold property and deposit owned by Richmont Mines Inc. to the west north west, and Yorbeau Resources Inc.'s Rouyn property that has been optioned by Kinross Gold Corp. ("Kinross"), whereby Kinross has the option to acquire a 100% interest in Yorbeau's Rouyn property for consideration that includes exploration expenditures of C$12 million; cash payments of USD $25,000,000; and other considerations (see Yorbeau press release dated October 25, 2016). The Bazooka Property drilling of an untested fold nose feature and drilling to depth of up to about 400 metres targeted on historical underground high grade gold mineralization, previously explored by shaft and drifting (Eldona Mines Ltd. - 1952), will commence with the drill collar situated immediately west of the Augmitto gold resources and related mineralization situated on the Kinross-Yorbeau Rouyn property. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Kiernicki President and Chief Executive Officer Opawica Explorations Inc. Telephone: 604-681-3170 Fax: 604-681-3552 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements in this press release relating to the Company's exploration activities, project expenditures and business plans are approximate and are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of securities legislation. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements represent management's best judgment based on current facts and assumptions that management considers reasonable, including that operating and capital plans will not be disrupted by issues such as adverse market conditions, mechanical failure, unavailability of parts, labor disturbances, interruption in transportation or utilities, or adverse weather conditions, that there are no material unanticipated variations in budgeted costs, that contractors will complete projects according to schedule, and that actual mineralization on properties may not achieve any category of resource(s). The Company makes no representation that reasonable business people in possession of the same information would reach the same conclusions. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, fluctuations in the price of gold, equity markets or in currency markets could prevent the Company from achieving its targets. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. There is no guarantee that drill results reported in this news release or future releases will lead to the identification of a deposit that can be mined economically, and further work is required to identify resources and reserves. We seek safe harbour. Egypt's 25-30 parliamentary bloc has rejected what it referred to as a marginal and nominal cabinet reshuffle approved by parliament on Tuesday, which the bloc said would not lead to substantive change. Parliament approved in a majority vote a cabinet reshuffle that appointed nine new ministers, mainly in ministries related to public services and the economy. The reshuffle included new ministers for the portfolios of agriculture, parliamentary affairs, local development, planning and administrative reform, education, higher education, and transport. The 25-30 bloc, which consists of a group of independent opposition MPs, said in a statement on Wednesday that it was surprised by the cabinet reshuffle, which it said merely involved the replacing of ministers without announcing real plans, policies or a timeframe for ending to the countrys social and economic crisis. The ministers were chosen according to the same policies that caused the crisis in the first place, the statement said. Our MPs are sworn to respect the constitution and protect the interests of the common and poor people of Egypt, which is why we announce our rejection of these changes. On the other hand, the cabinet reshuffle was hailed by the majority parliamentary bloc Support Egypt, which called on all its members in a meeting on Monday to vote in favour of the reshuffle. The Support Egypt bloc was formed and officially recognised in parliament in May 2016 as the majority coalition, including 317 MPs (52 percent). It comprises 216 independents and 101 MPs affiliated with seven political parties. Forty British companies showcased their portfolios at an oil and gas event in Cairo this week The UK is committed to deepening cooperation and supporting Egypt's economic growth, the British Embassy in Cairo said in a statement following a visit by the country's ambassador and a trade envoy to an oil and gas industry event on Tuesday and Wednesday in Cairo. "Energy investment is what will revive Egypt's economy in 2017," Ambassador John Casson was quoted as saying, following the visit. Forty British companies showcased their portfolios in the event, Casson said, including two of Britain's four biggest companies in the oil and gas sector. UK's Head of Department for International Trade for Egypt said the British companies at the event were "visiting Egypt for the first time to witness for themselves the market potential." Egypts natural gas production is currently estimated at around 4.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd), and is expected to increase by 1.5 bcfd by the end of 2017. In May 2016, the country's petroleum ministry predicted that production would rise to a range of 5.5 to 6 bcfd by the end of 2019. Search Keywords: Short link: Federal emergency officials approved California Gov. Jerry Brown's requests to pay for winter storm damages and to support California's unfolding response to the emergency at the crumbling Oroville Dam, the White House announced Tuesday"I want to thank FEMA for moving quickly to approve our requests," Brown said, a day after expressing optimism that the Trump administration would come to his state's assistance. "This federal aid will get money and resources where it's needed most."Brown had indicated there were increasingly positive signs that the Republican president might agree to financial assistance for the storm-ravaged state even with the lingering animosity between the president and a state he called "out of control." The White House said in a statement that the president's action authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.White House press secretary Sean Spicer said earlier Tuesday that Trump was keeping a "close eye" on the crisis at California's Oroville dam. Nearly 200,000 people were initially evacuated out of fear of a catastrophic flood following damage to the emergency spillway at the dam. They have been allowed to return."We hope everyone remains safe as the evacuations continue and we will be working alongside with FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and appropriate government entities to make sure that we are doing everything we can to attend to this matter," Spicer told reporters at the White House.There had been intense speculation in California over what Trump might do. A website created a month ago, called The Sacramento Dispatch, helped increase concern with a fake news story claiming that Trump had denied the federal assistance for California.California has been in deep conflict with Trump since the election over immigration, health care, and other issues.The president this month threatened to deny federal funds to California over the state's proposal to restrict state and local law enforcement from using resources to assist federal authorities with immigration enforcement.Still, Brown, appearing at his Office of Emergency Services on Monday, said he remained encouraged the state and federal government can work together on the Oroville dam crisis. Brown said he'd spoken personally with a recently confirmed member of Trump's Cabinet, who he would not name, about the possibility of receiving federal assistance."There will be different points of view," he said. "But we're all one America, and we all have challenges that we share in common. And as we defend America, we defend California, and vice versa."On Friday, Brown had asked Trump to declare a major disaster in the state to make it eligible for federal assistance to help with damage from powerful storms last month. The governor estimated that public assistance expenses will be more than $162 million.He followed up Monday with a letter to the White House requesting direct federal assistance with the ongoing Oroville dam crisis and the evacuees. FEMA, which makes recommendations to the president on disaster declarations, is reviewing the requests.California senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, both Democrats, wrote Trump a letter Tuesday urging him to agree."This federal assistance is needed because of the potential failure of Lake Oroville dam emergency spillway, and the resulting catastrophic damage it would likely cause," the senators wrote. "If the emergency spillway were to fail, it would send a wall of water downstream, causing serious damage and catastrophic losses." State Rep. Bill Lant was accused of "unprofessional and racist behavior" by a House colleague after he cut off testimony by the president of the Missouri state conference of the NAACP during a hearing Monday night. The president of the NAACP conference also asked Tuesday for Lant, R-Pineville, to be removed as chairman of the House Special Committee on Litigation Reform.The accusation followed testimony Monday night about a bill affecting the rights of employees to sue employers for workplace discrimination.During the hearing, Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel was cut off by Lant after testifying for less than two minutes.Lant said Tuesday that he was holding to the rules he laid out in his committee and insisted Chapel wasn't staying on topic, and he disputed the allegation of racism."I'm the furthest thing from racist in the House there is," Lant said.According to House Speaker Todd Richardson's staff, and Lant, an invitation to Chapel to speak again on the bill and take questions from committee members will be reissued before the committee votes on the matter. Richardson also said in a statement Tuesday, "I am disappointed with the confrontational nature of yesterday's hearing in the litigation reform committee. The bill being heard is a controversial and difficult issue and needs to be handled in an open and transparent manner."Lant added that he will not issue an apology to Chapel, but has said he will hold a second public hearing on the bill. As chairman, he also said he did not know when that might be.Chapel said Tuesday that he was open to speaking on the bill again. However, during a press conference, he asked for a meeting with the governor, the Speaker of the House and called for Lant's removal as committee chairman.Attempts to reach the governor Tuesday for comment were unsuccessful."We as Missourians need some reassurance that what happened to me, what happened to the NAACP, will not happen to them, other individuals or groups that seek redress here at the state capitol," Chapel said during the press conference.He said he wouldn't comment on whether he is personally seeking an apology. More importantly, he said he was looking for reform on how committees are run, giving more time and notice for people around the state to testify.During Monday's hearing, testimony on the bill went for more than two hours, and each witness was allowed five minutes to speak, followed by questions from committee members."I'm against it," Chapel said, even before he had taken his seat in the witness chair."I appreciate you coming back this evening to give people an opportunity to be heard," Chapel said after he sat down in the witness chair. "I think that's important."Chapel then said he was dismayed that previous witnesses supported the bill, adding that they were in favor of "expanding discrimination.""Can you please contain your speech to speaking on the bill, sir?" Lant said during the hearing after Chapel had spoken for a minute."Oh, but I am," Chapel replied. "Because this is nothing but Jim Crow, this is nothing but Jim Crow. You cannot legalize discrimination on an individual basis and call it anything else."Chapel spoke for about 30 more seconds, claiming that Missouri was a "laughing stock," and referencing incidents in Ferguson and the University of Missouri, before Lant cut him off, thanking him for his testimony.State Rep. Gina Mitten, D-St. Louis, who is the assistant House minority leader, immediately protested, saying that each witness had five minutes and Chapel didn't get his allotted time. Chapel also that he wasn't finished."I asked the man to speak on the subject," Lant said. "He's not speaking on the subject."Mitten spoke up again, at which point Lant cut her off, and said, "If there isn't another witness that would like to speak, I will cancel this hearing."Chapel got up and walked away. Mitten asked if she could ask questions of Chapel. Lant replied, "No, you may not."Mitten asked Lant if Chapel could return to the witness chair and noted "the only person of color to speak on this bill basically had his mic cut off."Lant replied by saying that as the chair, he had not recognized her to speak.In a statement released after the committee hearing on Monday, Mitten said Lant "engaged in unprofessional and racist behavior by silencing Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel as he attempted to testify on legislation that seeks to gut Missouri's anti-discrimination laws.""Jim Crow is alive and well in Missouri, and Rep. Lant just proved it," Mitten's statement concluded.Chapel said he agreed with Mitten's characterization of the event."I'm the only one that he did that to, I don't know any other way to take it," Chapel said. He said he waited to speak with Lant after the public hearing to see if he was cut short because of "a hot temper or (he) had some issue," but didn't see any indication that Lant wanted to talk.Mitten later said in an interview that she found Lant's behavior chilling to those who want to participate in government. She said that not all witnesses can come back to Jefferson City easily to testify."Putting water on the fire after the house is burned down doesn't help," Mitten said, referring to the invitation to Chapel to return to testify.She added that as the only woman on the committee, she was "silenced" as well.A video of the exchange was posted online by the advocacy group Progress Missouri. On Tuesday, in the afternoon, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC received His Excellency Mr Mohamed Khairat Mahmoud Khairat, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Australia. In the evening, at the Sofitel Hotel, Brisbane, the Governor attended the Australia China Business Council Chinese New Year Dinner and addressed guests. Description GIS - 15 February, 2017: The Nine Year Schooling, the long awaited reform of the education sector, encompasses all sub sectors of education and in this aspect 2017 has become a crucial year for the primary subsector and 2018 will be called upon to be the watershed year for the secondary sub sector. This statement was made on 13 February 2017 by the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun , at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute during the launching of the National Curriculum Framework for Grade 7-9. The ceremony was attended by heads of schools, rectors, deputy rectors and other stakeholders of the education sector. Minister Dookun-Luchoomun highlighted that the objective of this reform is to bring change and innovation for students to see their schooling time as a life changing experience. She underlined that the education system is a dynamic sector and hence the need to bring in innovation. The Minister underscored that the products of our education system should experience a wholesome development so that they are capable of thinking on their own, be creative, innovative , grow up as people with right values and become responsible citizens. She pointed out that the reform places the interest of students, at the heart of the system. She invited the stakeholders, the rectors and deputy rectors who reckon years of experience, to actively engage themselves in the realisation of this project and collaborate with the government to achieve and sustain the vision for change and transformation. The Minister stressed that this project will only succeed if all stakeholders are committed to drive this reform. Mrs Dookun-Luchoomun announced that resource materials will be prepared by the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) for grade 7 and the 12 academies will admit the first batch of students as from 2021. She added that there will be a reduction of class size, a system of support for students providing early support to reduce learning deficits and the offering a free support mechanism in the system itself for secondary students. She added that a Teachers Academy as well as Resources centres will be set up. The Director of the MIE, Mr O.M Varma, on his part, underscored that this reform is much needed so as to uplift the education sector and improve the achievement rate of local students. He stressed that the reform correlates with sustainable goal four, which is to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning . He concluded that this endeavour which started in the early grades will certainly promote lifelong learning for all. The National Curriculum Framework for Grade 7-9 outlines in detail what government has mapped out through this reform. It elaborates the accompanying measures of the reform, among which : revisiting the curricula, bringing forth new assessment methods, introduction of the Primary School Achievement Certificate , setting up of academies, transforming learning environments and pedagogies, inclusion of a remedial education and transforming Teacher Education and Professional Development of Educators and School Leaders. Description GIS - 15 February, 2017: The Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, called for a stronger collaboration between the Private sector and the Public sector so as to achieve a new era of development. The Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, called for a stronger collaboration between the Private sector and the Public sector so as to achieve a new era of development. He was speaking at the l aunching of the Corporate Identity and New Strategic Organisation of Business Mauritius at the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry Building in Ebene on 13 February 2017. Prime Minister Jugnauth lauded the role of Business Mauritius which has emanated following the merging of two private sector institutions namely the Joint Economic Council and the Mauritius Employers Federation. According to him, both institutions have left an inedible imprint on the economic history of our country owing to their contribution into shaping the appropriate landscape for the development of the economy and country as a whole in addition to building a strong foundation for structured public/private sector dialogue. He recalled one of the core strengths of our development process which is that of a strong private sector institution that works closely with Government on a number of national issues which he said, is an asset that we have to preserve and build on. In this context, he enumerated various fronts upon which the private and public sector are strongly committed in helping to shape and implement national policies in the perspective of an inclusive and sustainable development which he said is very positive and encouraging for the country. Such a spirit of cooperation, he stressed, remains crucial for the years ahead as Mauritius will have to face increasingly tough challenges to achieve our development goals and to realise our vision that we have set out especially with the resurgence of protectionism, one of the most imminent risks that Mauritius will have to face in the very near future. On this score, he pointed out that Mauritius has to remain vigilant and must not fall to the temptations of protectionist pressures but instead be doubly concerned about the rise of protectionism as it impacts on our trade and may also hold back our industrialisation process. Prime Minister Jugnauth also expressed concerns regarding the trade and industrialisation policies, as well as our labour market and macroeconomic policies which will be driven by the need for our country to be globally competitive across all sectors, including the domestic-oriented industries. Another area where Government and Business Mauritius are working together which is that of the ease of doing business so as to help Mauritius climb to a higher ranking on the ease of doing business, he added. He also dwelt on the seamless processing of applications, which he said would become a reality this year, with the presentation of the Business Facilitation Bill in the National Assembly in April that will set the necessary regulatory amendments to make our country more business friendly and give a boost to investment both domestic and foreign. He concluded by reiterating that he will ensure a greater policy coherence among the various ministries and departments so as to have faster and more effective implementation of some of our key projects while encouraging more dialogue among the various stakeholders towards a modern Mauritius. It seems like a given that the public should have easy access to any laws that govern it. But as digital technology has redefined what constitutes access and ease, the idea has become increasingly complicated.This debate was at the center of a recent court ruling that questioned whether technical standards created by private entities and incorporated into law can be copyrighted. The answer, as passed down by a U.S. District Court, was indeed they can, and anyone who subsequently posts them online is committing a copyright violation. This ruling was issued Thursday, Feb. 2 by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of Washington, D.C., in a lawsuit brought against Public.Resource.Org , a site dedicated to the promotion of free municipal, state and federal legal codes. The plaintiffs in the case were a group of standard development organizations responsible for underwriting technical standards about building safety, product specifications and other consumer interests.The standards in question were written by these organizations and incorporated into law in Georgia. They were then made available in reading rooms and libraries for viewing in person, or for purchase from the standard organizations. Public.Resource.Org bought a copy and posted the content online, where anyone could view it for free. This is what the court determined to be a violation of copyright.In a post-decision statement , the defendants camp argued that everyone should be able to read the law, discuss it, and share it with others, without having to pay a toll, and that the ruling interfered with due process rights. Conversely, the plaintiffs camp released a statement praising the decision and painting the upheld copyrights as financially vital to the development of standards at the highest level of excellence and at minimal cost to government.While the judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, the resulting opinion questioned whether copyright law as it relates to this issue was in the interest of the public, going so far as to suggest that changes be made in Congress.This conclusion does not dismiss or diminish the valid public policy concern that citizens benefit from greater access to statutes, regulations, and all materials they must reference in fulfilling their legal obligations, the judge wrote. The ability to know, understand, and communicate the law as a broad concept is of paramount importance to the continued success of our democracy. However, changes to the statutory or regulatory framework that reconsider the balancing of interests underlying modern copyright law and incorporation by reference must be made by Congress, not this court.In the recent past there has, in fact, been bi-partisan congressional support for such changes. In January 2014, at a hearing of the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, members of Congress discussed copyright restrictions on legal codes, laws and standards. The need for change was broached by Rep. Zoe Lofgren , D-CA, and Rep. Darrell Issa , R-CA, who agreed the issue should be addressed in any future copyright reform legislation.It seems to me very clear that you cannot have secret law, Lofgren said. If youre going to require people to adhere to a standard, that has to be in public domain. Im sympathetic I understand that theres a business model set up but you cant allow the business model to trump the rule of law.To date, no action has been taken.Part of the plaintiffs argument, though, is that the technical codes are available online for free, which is true. There is, however, debate over whether the formatting is sufficiently accessible. The standards in the Georgia case are online in read-only format, which means they appear as images and may not be downloaded, making them hard to disseminate or search through.Carl Malamud, president and founder of Public.Resource.Org, refrained from commenting on the ruling against his site, deferring to his camps statement. In the past, however, Malamud advocated that any legal code should be free, online, searchable, linkable, downloadable in bulk, and privately or commercially reproducible by citizens similar to open data standards set by governments. The counterpoint is that developing, maintaining and publishing technical codes is expensive, which is why the current copyright system should remain in place.While Congress would most certainly have to make a decision to change the financial model to make no-cost access realistic, there seems to be no shortage of civic technologists and nonprofit groups eager to work on facilitating a transition to a system in which these standards, as well as other laws and information that is public record, are published online in searchable and free formats.For example, on Tuesday, Feb. 14, Congress held its first hearings in more than a decade to examine a system called Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), which enables the public to get case and docket info from federal district courts for $.10 a page. In advance of that hearing, The Internet Archive offered to host PACERs data for no cost with a system that provides more detailed metadata. The Internet Archives digital librarian and founder, Brewster Kahle, made this offer in a letter. In todays world, public access means access on the Internet, Kahle wrote. Public access also means that people can work with big data without having to pass a cash register for each document. (TNS) -- As San Diego races into a tech-heavy future, business and civic leaders say public buy-in is still necessary to success.If people arent brought in within the organization or the community, then we will have resistance and we wont be able to deploy as much as fast or as broadly, said David Graham, deputy chief operating officer of the city of San Diego. If we forget about people when it comes to smart cities, then we will have forgotten about why we did all this.Graham was a panel member at a local Urban Land Institute breakfast forum Tuesday that touched on robots in hospitals, sensors at recreation centers and perfectly coordinated traffic signals.But things are changing so fast that that even those in the know are worried about keeping up.Its harder and harder, particularly for those of us looking into the future, to have a clue whats going to happen, said Nancy Johnson Sanquist, vice president of global strategic planning for Planon, a facility management company. What scares me most is what I dont know.A member of the audience asked if residents movements and personal information will be tracked on city streets.Jason Anderson, president and CEO of Cleantech San Diego, a clean-energy industry group, said people already share personal information online with supermarkets and other retailers to get a few cents off on a product.Graham said such user data information could help manage city assets. As an example, he said park planners could schedule recreational center classes better if they knew that only three people were going to show up at a pilates class or 10 for a weaving class.On the other hand, he acknowledged that sometimes experts plans and customers preferences conflict. That was the case with the confusing bike lane design on Fourth Avenue from Bankers Hill to downtown, said one attendee at the breakfast forum.In the big picture, the panelists said San Diego local governments are trying out new technologies even as Silicon Valley software engineers attract attention for state-of-the-art products. Anderson said San Diego and Chula Vistas efforts will be showcased at a May smart cities conference in Santa Clara.Anderson said he may be scared by the discourse at the national level, but he said he sleeps better having moved from Texas to California.Were not losing here, were winning here, he said, citing the Golden States global reach and economic power.However, San Diego innovators still need to pay attention to trends around the world. When asked about robots, Sanquist cited a new hospital in Scotland, where robots are deployed to deliver supplies from the basement to upper floors via elevators.Its not a question that robots are necessarily taking over, but that we have to work with robots, she said.Graham said planners and traffic engineers also dont have to fear for their careers because of great quantities of data available.Its just going to be much more data is available to use in a real-time way, Graham said.For example, he said, new sensors in traffic lights will be able to make adjustments automatic rather than wait for a city worker to physically adjust times on red and green lights.Other sensors will make it easier to find parking spaces, he said, and new transportation services, such as bus rapid transit, extended trolley lines and free shuttles will give workers an alternative to driving to work. Neither Austin or Denver won last years federal Smart City Challenge. But top officials in both cities say they are already reaping the rewards for competing, anyway.Columbus, Ohio, ultimately walked away with bragging rights and $50 million in federal and private money. But transportation officials in many of the cities that didn't win say they're still moving ahead with some of the ideas they proposed for the contest.Crissy Fanganello, Denvers director of transportation and mobility, said the competition energized city staff and brought people together who normally don't work side by side. In some ways, we might be better off not having won," she says. "We dont have quite the lens on us. We have some freedom and flexibility to do some really interesting and good work, and still have some good partnerships with the private sector.Denver is using its own money, along with a $6 million federal grant , to work on several of projects it proposed for the Smart City Challenge, which was hosted by the U.S. Department of Transportation.For example, the money will help Denver develop technology to detect pedestrians at crossings using video and lidar (which works much the same way that radar does, only using lasers instead of radio waves). Most pedestrian crossing systems rely on the walker to press a button, which activates lights for a set period of time based on the assumption that pedestrians move at 3.5 feet a second. But Denver wants to use technology to extend the time the lights flash if the pedestrian moves more slowly. The city will use the data gathered at those crossings to see whether the assumptions it uses when building pedestrian crossings elsewhere are correct.The federal grant money will also go toward keeping 18-wheel trucks off neighborhood streets where children walk to school in North Denver. Between 12 and 14 percent of all traffic on arterial roads are trucks, and right now its pretty much a free-for-all, especially when the trucks leave congested through streets to try to find alternative routes through the neighborhoods, said Michael Finochio, one of the leaders on the project.So Denver will work with one of the freight companies in the area to install wireless transmitters in the cabs that will communicate with traffic signals and give trucks priority at intersections on freight routes. If they stay on a certain route of our choosing, at a certain time of day of our choosing, then we will give them priority, Finochio said.The truck prioritization project addresses some of the major emphases of the Smart City Challenge, too, by working with private industry and by using technology to address problems faced by low-income and minority communities.Austin, too, plans to use other funding sources and new partnerships to roll out ideas they pitched during the contest.One of the first improvements to come out of the citys Smart City Challenge plan will be a new center where transportation officials from the city, state, toll roads and transit agencies can coordinate their day-to-day operations with each other. The Regional Operations Management Center will likely open within the next year, said Robert Spillar, the director of the Austin Transportation Department.Putting all those people under the same roof could actually improve traffic in the notoriously congested city, Spillar said. Right now, if an accident causes major backups on a freeway, theres no easy way to adjust the timing of traffic lights on major arterial roads that are likely to get more crowded as frustrated drivers leave the highways. Thats because the freeways are run by the state, and the arterials are managed by the city.Ultimately, I dont care if its a state engineer that hits the button that automatically gets more green time on city arterials, or if its a city traffic engineering saying, Theres an accident over there on the freeway, so I better put up information signs up and down the freeway so that people know what to expect, Spillar said. That seems simple, but I will tell you its like trying to jump over the Grand Canyon.Another major component of Austins Smart City application will be put into place thanks to a voter-approved bond measure from November that included $482 million for up to nine smart corridors in the city. The improvements along those arterial roads will include a mix of old and new technology: turn lanes, bus bays and sidewalks will go in along with traffic and weather sensors and connected traffic lights.The sensors will help traffic engineers better respond to changing conditions, as well help motorists and improve road networks. Texas universities, for instance, will use the information to improve traffic projections and troubleshoot the road network. The city has already done something similar using Bluetooth signals, which led officials to change a downtown street from one-way to two-way during major events to reduce traffic.Many of the other projects Austin is still working on deal with broader societal problems. The city is exploring the idea of installing refrigerated food lockers at transit stops in food deserts, so grocery stores can drop off items for their customers to pick up on the way home from work. It is also looking into vanpools to help low-income and elderly residents get to medical services.When you start thinking of how technology might be used to answer [those problems], you get some really inventive solutions, Spillar said. The one thing that the general public is very good at is taking risks. Most of us seem to think we are invincible and that bad things only happen to other people. With the evacuation of almost 200,000 people from below the Orville Dam, near Sacramento, it won't be long before elected officials start to get hounded by some of those people who want to get back to their property. There are lessons that can be learned from not a dam, but a volcano.It was May 1980 and people had been evacuated out of an area they called the Red Zone Surrounding Mt. St. Helen's in Washington state where the majority of danger from an eruption was expected to come from. Here is an excerpt from a Wikipedia listing on the St. Helen's situation:"Visible eruptions ceased on May 16, reducing public interest and consequently the number of spectators in the area.[18] Mounting public pressure then forced officials to allow 50 carloads of property owners to enter the danger zone on May 17 to gather whatever property they could carry.[18] Another trip was scheduled for 10 a.m. the next day.[18] Because that next day was Sunday, more than 300 loggers would not be working in the area. By the time of the climactic eruption, dacite magma intruding into the volcano had forced the north flank outward nearly 500 feet (150 m) and heated the volcano's groundwater system, causing many steam-driven explosions (phreatic eruptions)."Well, May 18 was the eventful day of the eruption. If the officials thought that the eruption was coming on May 18, would they have let property owners in to collect their things? No, not ever they didn't perceive the level of danger and events that were about to befall them.Dams can be dynamic structures and the decision-makers better "dam well" know what they are dealing with before letting the public back into a danger area. El-Sisi awarded Bokova the First Order of Egypt Award in appreciation for her recent efforts in facilitating several projects by the UNESCO in Egypt Egypt aims to establish more museums in order to preserve its diverse heritage, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova at a Wednesday meeting in Cairo, according to presidency spokesman Alaa Youssef. Youssef said that the plans are part of the country's programme for comprehensive cultural development. El-Sisi also awarded Bokova the First Order of Egypt Award in appreciation for her recent efforts in facilitating several projects by the UNESCO in Egypt. The UNESCO director-general expressed her gratitude for the award, which she said is a major honour for the organisation and reflects the special relationship between Egypt and UNESCO. She also praised El-Sisi's statements on the UNESCO at the UN General Assembly last year in New York, where he affirmed Egypt's appreciation for the role the UNESCO plays worldwide. El-Sisi said that Egypt also aims to amend religious discourse in order to uphold the principles of coexistence, tolerance, and the acceptance of others, which would combat terrorism and extremism on an intellectual level. El-Sisi said that terrorism has nothing to do with the core of religion and its benevolent principles, adding that terrorism is built on rotten ideas that aim to instigate divisions and destroy humanitys common heritage. Bokova said she recognises Egypt's role in fighting extremism and terrorism on all levels, particularly in educating youth which is needed to accomplish security, stability, and development. She also mentioned several projects to which UNESCO is contributing, including resurrecting Cairo's Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), contributing to building the Nubian Museum in Upper Egypt's Aswan, and re-establishing Fustat's National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC). The Islamic Museum was re-inaugurated by El-Sisi in January 2016 following a two year closure after the museum was damaged in a 2014 car bombing targeting the nearby Cairo Security Directorate building. The blast destroyed the facade of the building, several columns, display cases and artefacts, as well as the nearby Egyptian National Library and Archives building. Egypt has received grants by foreign allies, including EGP 50 million from the United Arab Emirates to restore the museum, in collaboration with Egyptian and foreign experts from Italy, Germany and the United States. UNESCO donated $100,000 for the restoration of the museums laboratories, while the Italian government contributed 800,000 for the purchase of new display cases and training courses for the museums curators. Bokova is set to inaugurate the NMEC on Wednesday. According to UNESCO, the NMEC is the first museum in the Arab world and the only museum in Egypt that gives an overview of Egypts history from ancient times until today. The project is directed by Egypt with the technical support from UNESCO. Search Keywords: Short link: The District Department of Transportation (DDOT), which oversees local transportation issues for Washington, D.C., has released a new Web tool to help frustrated commuters understand where and when traffic congestion is at its worst. On Monday, Feb. 13, the DDOT released its District Mobility Project in order to create an open communication between the residents and transportation officials.The site tracks all types of surface mobility, including personal vehicles, city buses, bicyclists and more. Statistics are shown on congestion, reliability and accessibility in the district in a graphic way to better understand problematic areas, which helps narrow down where the most amount of help is needed. By creating a full picture of the situation, transportation officials hope to derive insights into individual parts of overall system mobility.The goal of the District Mobility Project is to better quantify and qualify the state of the districts transportation system performance from a holistic, multimodal perspective, said DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo in a release . The interactive, data-rich design of District Mobility provides an innovative platform for sharing the state of mobility and DDOTs progress toward reducing congestion on our roads.The maps break down where certain forms of transportation are available, and provides layers on race, income level and age. The interactive maps allow users to see and understand how transportation demand changes throughout the day and on weekends.While the data available currently is only being used to help understand where (not why) congestion occurs, the DDOT is expected to use this data to help guide short- and long-term investment strategies. (TNS) -- WASHINGTON Major airlines and their trade associations are pushing hard to overhaul the nations air traffic control system, urging the Trump administration to take it out of government hands for the first time in nearly 60 years.They have taken their effort to the White House, meeting last week with President Donald Trump.His administration has not yet said whether it will back the plan to transfer the system from the Federal Aviation Administration, where its been since the agencys beginnings in 1958, to a private entity.In her Senate confirmation hearing last month, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was noncommittal.Obviously this is an issue of great importance, she told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. This is a huge issue that needs to have national consensus.Theyre facing opposition from Democrats and a few congressional Republicans, including Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran and groups representing general-aviation manufacturers. They said privatization could hurt small airports and companies that make business and personal aircraft. Theyre concerned that the new board governing the system would raise fees for smaller planes to use the airspace.The issue could tie up a long-term reauthorization of the FAA, which lawmakers must pass by Sept. 30. The failure of Congress to pass a similar bill in the summer of 2011 nearly brought the countrys aviation system to a halt.I know that will continue to be a major piece of contention, Moran said in an interview. It divides the aviation industry.The industry wants to accelerate the rollout of NextGen, a satellite-based control system that would replace ground-based radar technology. Privatization supporters believe that a nongovernment organization could finish NextGen more quickly and efficiently than the FAA.Moran, a member of the commerce committee, wants the FAA to use available technology to finish the job. He called the privatization plan a step further than necessary.He rejects comparisons to U.S. neighbor Canada, which overhauled its aviation system in 1996.Our air traffic control system is considered the best, Moran said, citing its safety record and passenger volume.Privatizations chief proponent is Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. It isnt clear where other key Republicans stand on the issue.Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, opposed it last year, but his successor in the post, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., hasnt taken a position.Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Senate commerce committee, set the idea aside last year but in recent months has hinted at a willingness to give it a fresh look.Nick Calio, the president and CEO of Airlines for America, a trade group representing the largest U.S. carriers, testified in support of the privatization proposal in the House of Representatives last year.Delivering a more efficient system with proper governance, funding and accountability will bolster our nations first-rate safety record and make flying better, Calio told the transportation committee in February 2015, and at no additional cost to travelers.Calio, a former congressional liaison for Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, pushed the plan in the meeting with Trump last week.The House committee approved the bill last February, but it never moved to a floor vote.Congress scrapped the privatization proposal when it approved a 14-month extension of the FAA authorization in July. Lawmakers have yet to reintroduce the privatization plan.The National Business Aviation Association said in a statement Monday that it could not support any plan to privatize the nations air traffic control system.The U.S. has the worlds safest, most complex and most diverse aviation system, and significant progress is being made on implementation of NextGen, it said. We want to continue that progress, and not have the debate get distracted by a decades-old push by the airlines to take over the nations aviation system.Work on NextGen has been going on for about a decade, and last year the FAA estimated that it will cost more than $35 billion to complete by 2030. Critics say the agency moves too slowly and is too beholden to the parochial interests of members of Congress to complete an ambitious project such as NextGen in a cost-effective and timely fashion.Theres a conflict of interest when you have the same entity operating as overseeing, said Chris Edwards, director of tax policy at the libertarian Cato Institute.Edwards said these problems could be solved by removing air traffic control from federal hands, as dozens of other countries already have.There is a lot of momentum toward this, Edwards said. Theres increasing concern were falling behind, and we need to do something.Edwards cited Canada as a successful example of privatization. In 1996, it created a separate entity, Nav Canada, to manage the countrys airspace. Though there was concern at first that fees would rise, Edwards said that didnt happen.Their fees have fallen pretty dramatically, he said.Moran, however, remains skeptical that Canadas model would work for U.S. airspace.Its a whole different ballgame, he said. The size and scope are so much greater.Moran is more concerned that privatization of air traffic control would leave behind smaller airports and general aviation. Kansas is home to numerous general-aviation manufacturers, and small airports dot its landscape.It is detrimental in a significant way to rural areas in the country, he said. (TNS) -- A bill that circulated Tuesday in the state Legislature would allocate millions in broadband internet funding to rural areas, which for area rural students and their families might mean easier access to online homework.Weve tried to make more time in the school day for them to get their work done here, said Paul Schley, superintendent and principal of Cornell Elementary School, who estimates that 40 percent of Cornell school district students have no internet access at home. Rather than have more instruction, they have more time to get their work done. Id like to see that reversed.Rep. Romaine Quinn, R-Rice Lake, and Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, announced the $15.5 million bill after Gov. Scott Walker formally proposed his two-year budget last week, which included $35 million for broadband. The bill, Quinn said, is a continuation of last years call for broadband funding and better defines allocation priorities.Quinn said potential broadband projects would be measured by their ability to promote growth or retention in a rural area, whether they duplicate existing infrastructure or increase home access to health care and education.With these considerations in place, Quinn said Tuesday via Facebook Live, we will ensure that we are responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and that we are maximizing our investment.For Cornell school district students, that investment could mean the technology they use at school would better transfer to their home life.All middle and high school students have access to computers and Chromebooks at school, Schley said, and they spend most of their day using technology for learning purposes. Most of their homework requires internet access, he said. Upper elementary school students spend about 45 minutes a day on computers, he said.Schley said he cant be sure how much this bill would help his students access to internet until more specific details such as funding per student are released.Andrea Hakes, an administrative assistant in the Cornell school district, has no internet connection at home and one daughter enrolled in high school. To get around the internet access barrier at home, she said, her daughter either uses a mobile hotspot or returns to school for the connection.It would take the bills down a little bit for cellphones, Hakes said of a potential increase in internet access. I think a lot of families in rural areas are making choices between their phones and internet, if youre looking at costs and being able to afford one for your student and for yourself. (TNS) -- SAN JOSE, Calif. Its no wonder titans of tech are locked in an epic battle of the bots, racing furiously to produce the best virtual assistant.Their respective help-bots Apples Siri, Googles Assistant, Amazons Alexa and Microsofts Cortana promise consumers one of the most valuable commodities in the world: free time.Thanks to the sudden acceleration of artificial intelligence and advancements in speech recognition and big-data storage, the technology behind virtual assistants is rapidly spreading from phones to cars and homes, and the truly useful helper is approaching fast. The four giants are fighting for the biggest share of a market expected to grow to $12 billion by 2024.Theres a tremendous amount of promise for these agents to help and assist with many different tasks that we face every day, said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research. The more the agent can help you with, the more value it holds.The ultimate goal is our own personal genie in a bottle that awakens with a word or touch to liberate us from all our mundane tasks, organize our days and nights, and free us from the stress of lives that have become so terribly busy. But thats not going to happen quite yet.Today, the aid these virtual assistants provide remains limited. Most users of Google Home and Amazon Echo devices which host Assistant and Alexa, respectively stream music, play audio books, and control smart-home devices, according to surveys by San Francisco analytics firm VoiceLabs.Still, the virtual agents foundation in AI means the more it learns about a users preferences and behaviors, the better job it can do. So while experts predict a handful of firms will dominate in this field most agree Apple, Google and Amazon will be major players, with Microsoft in a lesser role theyre split on whether consumers will be served best by one bot, or more.People want one assistant, they dont want two, said Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research in San Jose. You want one assistant, to be very readily available wherever you are.However, the various assistants will likely end up somewhat specialized in their expertise, with Googles Assistant, for example, excelling in providing knowledge and managing schedules, and Microsofts Cortana leading on gaming, said VoiceLabs CEO Adam Marchick. In a few years, many people will use two or three different assistants, Marchick predicted.The industry stands at a critical moment, because the first highly effective help-bot to get a foothold in a consumers home, phone or car will likely stay, creating a barrier to competitors, Marchick said.In order for a virtual helpmate to run your life, it needs to engage with the providers of all the services you rely on, from your calendar app to your Uber ride. Those providers must either partner with the company operating the assistant, or design their app to integrate with the assistant. So Spotify will stream music upon request via Alexa, and Honeywells smart-home thermostat, via Assistant, will bump up the temperature 15 minutes before Grandmas expected arrival.For providers, if there is a competitive advantage to be gained, then absolutely they will do it, said Brett Sappington, senior director of research at market research firm Parks Associates.For all the major players, virtual assistants provide important data that fuels the AI that powers and improves them, making both the assistants and the products they live in ever more marketable. For Amazon, Alexa is an enthusiastic purchasing agent for the e-commerce that drives the firm. For Google, Assistant is a turbocharged vacuum for the data the company collects to sell ads targeted directly at users.Underlying the projected expansion of virtual assistants is the voice first approach to personal technology, said Brian Roemmele, a Los Angeles tech entrepreneur and expert in voice computing. Voice operation keeps hands free and its faster, he noted, because speaking conveys information more quickly than typing.So far, both Google and Amazon have focused largely on home-based assistants. Googles new Pixel phones host Assistant, but it has an uphill battle because Apple has far more phones equipped with Siri on the market, said Tim Bajarin, an analyst with San Jose market research firm Creative Strategies.The popularity of Amazons Echo and Alexa notwithstanding the company has sold more than 8 million Echo devices since rolling them out in late 2014, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners most people want their virtual assistant on their phones, Bajarin said.When youre driving, thats critical, or if your hands are busy, Bajarin said. The phone will continue to dominate as the vehicle for delivering the virtual assistant.Putting these robo-helpers into cars onboard systems has become a priority for major firms, including Microsoft, which seeks to extend the reach of its PC-based Cortana through the connected-vehicle platform it announced this year.In January, Nissan announced it would integrate Microsofts platform into its cars. Siri already can be used in a car via a phone or Apples CarPlay system, or in cars sold with Siri integration built in. Hyundai is bringing Alexa and Googles Assistant into some of its cars so, for example, an owner could start their car from their living room.While building the supreme help-bot is clearly a priority for many major tech firms, experts say the software today lacks the knowledge base to take the next big leap: to enable virtual assistants that can predict our needs to serve us better.Some of it is just raw amounts of data and understanding about how the world works and what humans expect, Reticles Rubin said.Which companies rise to dominance depends both on the capability of their bots and the draw of the gadgets that house them.The story has not been written on what success is going to be in this space, Sappington said. The Move From Video-Only Visits Staying in Touch Maintaining Family Ties The jailhouse scene from 2014 remains vivid in Rebecca Shlafers mind.A 3-year-old girl came to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater, Minnesota, to see her dad. She ran down the hall, jumped up in a chair and put her hand on the Plexiglas and her father did the same, said Shlafer, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesotas pediatrics department who has studied jail visitation.Hand to hand, they talked. She was truly connecting with her parent, Shlafer said. Its hard to describe.Jailhouse visits like this one between family members and inmates are starting to make a comeback, replacing a decadeslong trend of requiring families to use Skype-like video technology in which families dial in from a computer at home, a public library or inside the jail itself to talk to a loved one who is incarcerated.The reason: Video technology companies came under criticism for charging high fees and for providing poor quality video connections. And evidence is growing that in-person visits help cut the likelihood that inmates will return to jail once they get out.Counties in Texas and Mississippi as well as the District of Columbia are reinstating face-to-face visits. A few states, like New Jersey, are considering legislation to allow in-person visits again.Advocates for prisoners praise the moves.Nothing can replace sitting with a parent and hugging a parent, said Ann Adalist-Estrin, director of the National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated at Rutgers University.Although in-person visits remain the most common form of interaction between inmates and family members, the trend toward video visitation has been growing since the late 1990s. More than 500 jails and state prisons in 43 states have some sort of video visitation system, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. About 12 percent of jails have it, according to a study by PPI, which advocates for prisoners and their families.And as video visitation has increased, face-to-face visitation has declined. The PPI found in a 2015 study that 74 percent of jails dropped in-person visits when they started video visits. Often the private companies that provide video visitation services require governments to drop in-person visits.A study of prisons in Minnesota published in the, a quarterly academic publication, found that inmates who had visits from their family, friends or counselors were much less likely to be convicted of another crime once they got out of jail. Of 16,420 inmates studied, recidivism rates for those who had visits of any kind from their families were 13 percent lower for subsequent felonies and 25 percent lower for technical violations, such as breaking parole.Psychology and common sense tells you that its better for the prisoners and families to sit across from each other and see each other, rather than talking through an iPad, said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. (In Texas, a county judge is the chief executive of the county and its top elected official.)Jenkins helped push Dallas County away from requiring only video visits. In September 2015, in-person visits returned and inmates are now guaranteed two visits a week as long as they are in good standing.In April, the Adams County Jail in Natchez, Mississippi, dropped video visitation altogether and went back to in-person visits.And in 2015, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Browser said the Districts jails would return to using in-person visits in addition to video visits. Now, the daily average of 1,200 inmates in the Districts jails can earn in-person visits for good behavior. The jail has 400 daily video visits and 140 in-person visits a month, according to Rodney Mitchell of the D.C. Corrections Department.Video and in-person visits both allow inmates to maintain family and community ties and promote rehabilitation, Mitchell said.Jails usually have in-person visits for inmates in rooms with a clear plastic barrier, like Plexiglas, that separates the visitor and the inmate, and a telephone for talking. Some allow children to hug their parents or sit on their laps. Some have family friendly rooms with kid-sized chairs and books and toys; others just have tables and chairs in concrete rooms.Staying in touch in person or by video can be costly.More than one in three families go into debt to cover the costs of staying in touch with people who are incarcerated, including paying for video calls, telephone calls and travel expenses for trips to jails and especially prisons, which can be hundreds of miles away, according to a survey of families by the Ella Baker Center , a nonprofit that advocates against mass incarceration. Eighty-seven percent of the family members who pay for visitation costs are women, the survey also found.The cost of a video call can be as much as $1 a minute, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.Those fees have come under criticism for being a kickback for governments, too. Private companies contract with county jails and prisons for exclusive rights to provide video services, and a portion of the fees paid by families goes directly to the counties. Companies often bid against each other by offering governments a bigger cut, Dallas Countys Jenkins said.People are paying exorbitant costs for the video visits, Jenkins said. Its a kickback to local governments.The controversy over the cost of video visitation calls is part of a larger debate over the high cost of regular telephone calls for inmates. In October, the Federal Communications Commission set new limits on the cost of phone calls in prisons at 11 cents a minute and up to 22 cents a minute in jails. Rates had been as high as 30 cents a minute, so a 15-minute telephone call could cost $4.50.But those limits are now in limbo with the election of President Donald Trump.A week after Trump appointed Ajit Pai as chairman of the FCC, attorneys for the agency said they would no longer defend the telephone fee limits in a lawsuit brought by telephone companies that was heard this month in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.,reported.Last year under the Obama administration, the FCC had said it also was considering limits to the cost of video calls. Those limits are unlikely now.In December, then-U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, proposed federal legislation to limit the fees on video visitation calls and to ensure that in-person visits still occurred. The legislation did not pass, and Duckworth was elected to the U.S. Senate.Ben Garmisa, Duckworths communications director, said the FCC move was disappointing and should be reconsidered.We know that most of the people who are incarcerated will be released, and that those who maintain contact with their families have better outcomes, Garmisa said. We should be doing everything we can to ensure that we reduce the likelihood of recidivism.Keeping regular ties with children is particularly important for the children of inmates, said Shlafer, who was part of the study of prisons in Minnesota. The overwhelming majority of people who are incarcerated are getting out one day and most have children, she said.The U.S. had about 2.2 million people incarcerated in 2015, the latest numbers available, according to the U.S. Justice Department. And more than half of them are parents. According to a Pew Charitable Trusts study at the start of the decade, 54 percent of inmates have children age 17 or younger. One in every 28 children in America (4 percent) has a parent who is incarcerated, according to the study. (Pew also funds.) Thats 2.7 million children with a jailed parent.The rates are higher for some minorities, according to the study. One in nine African-American children (11 percent) and one in 28 Hispanic children (4 percent) have a parent in jail compared to one in 57 for white children (2 percent).Most of these parents and children do not connect regularly. For parents in state and federal prisons, thats often because the prisons are so far away from where children and families live that visiting costs too much and takes too much time. Most people in state prison, 63 percent, are locked up over 100 miles from their families Prisons tend to be out in the middle of nowhere, and its hard to get there, said Elizabeth Gaynes, president of the Osborne Association, which provides video visitation locations for families in New York state. For instance, Albion womens prison in northwestern New York state is about a six-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City, where many of its inmates are from.Because of distances like that, only 41 percent of parents in state facilities and 55 percent of parents in federal facilities got visits from their adult or minor children in 2004, the Sentencing Project found in assessing U.S. Justice Department data.Even advocates of in-person visits say video visits can play an important role in strengthening family bonds.A daughter can try on her different prom dresses for her dad [in prison] to see which one he likes. You can introduce your mom or dad to your best friend or see the family pet, Adalist-Estrin of Rutgers said. Video can increase the parental identity that maintains the role of the parent, even when theyre in prison.But jails and prisons should offer families both options, and not dictate what means of communication is better, Adalist-Estrin said.Everyone deserves a choice about how they get to see their loved ones. The families arent incarcerated, and they shouldnt be punished, said Adalist-Estrin. I dont believe the incarcerated person should be punished either. Theyre already doing their time. But to deprive them of time with their families to me feels cruel and inhuman. SAN FRANCISCO On Feb. 14, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe told 2017 RSA Conference attendees that among the many challenges facing state government today, cooperation from the federal government was a frustrating endeavor. Partisan politics in Washington, D.C., he said, has impeded progress and left the states to do much of the heavy lifting on their own.The state's 72nd governor also said states face a unique threat in that they manage massive amounts of constituent data, more so than the data stores at the federal level, he said.One suggestion McAuliffe raised was that of a unified national cybersecurity framework that encompass what he called basic protocols. Efforts to organize at the state level through the National Governors Association have resulted in constructive conversations and good progress, but he warned that the collective partnership is only as strong as its weakest link.If we have a great system in Virginia today, it really doesnt matter if we keep folks out if we have the same health-care provider as some state out west, hypothetically, a smaller state that isnt doing anything," McAuliffe said. "I dont have to tell you folks, they will come in through a back door He said that although 10 to 15 of the state partners have leaned in to meet cybersecurity challenges head on, others have not been as aggressive in their efforts. Whats more, he said, is that the federal government has not been as engaged as he or others in his position would like.Were trying to get all the states up to do what we need to do. I wish the federal government could do this, but its very hard due to partisan politics, they havent been able to take the lead on this.Though he said cooperation from the federal level has been slow to come, he is hopeful the Trump administration will work toward common goals.The larger security challenge extends to the local level as well. With state-to-state and state-to-federal cooperation evolving, McAuliffe said states also must look internally at their local-level partners to improve network security.But the need for better education around cyber throughout all levels of schooling, the Trump administrations immigration policies and the role of the private sector in these efforts also played into McAuliffes remarks.The governor has been an advocate for more cyber-related school initiatives, and openly says he is in need of trained individuals to take the states more than 30,000 open technology jobs. He compares the educational shift toward more technology-heavy curriculum to being like moving an aircraft carrier.Sure, we should have done this 10 years ago, but now we are really turbocharging it, he said. I think our schools need to do a better job about thinking about our students and what they are going to be doing in the future. I dont think enough institutions of higher education put enough emphasis on their graduating students, whats the field they're going into and are they getting jobs when they get out.One such initiative the governor mentioned was state employment for scholarship funds.When broaching the recent controversy surrounding President Trump's executive order limiting immigration from seven predominately Muslim nations, the Virginia governor said that it's not about politics. "Its about how we move ahead as a nation.McAuliffe added that the executive order was nonsense that must stop. And from the technology industry's perspective, it has collectively spoken out about the immigration ban and the stifling effect it would have on talent coming into the country. Obituary Clara L Horton, 92, passed away Saturday, February 4, 2017. She was born on February 15, 1924, in Tekoa, Washington, to Sara and Everett Harper. Her early years were spent in the Wallace, Idaho, area and was the place she really loved a lot. She could entertain us for hours on end, telling us of her time spent living at the Jack Waite Mine, high in the hills above Eagle, at a place call Duthie, Idaho. After moving to Pomeroy, Washington, her father, Everett was in a bad car accident and passed away on August 29, 1929. Her mother was badly injured also, and spent many months in the hospital. Clara was put in a Catholic Academy for quite some time while her mother was healing. When Clara's mother was better, they all went back to the Jack Waite Mine, where her mother met Meryl Drewer. They eventually married and Meryl adopted the kids. That was the beginning of the Drewer family. In October of 1932, Clara, her mom, sisters, and brother Jack, moved to Mullan, Idaho. There were too many snow slides up at the Mine site, so Meryl stayed there at the mine, and came down for visits when he could. When the weather broke in the spring, it was back to the Jack Waite Mine. Clara finally moved to Jackson Street in Electric City, Washington, January of 1939. The "boy next door" happened to be Herb Horton, and after a time they were married June 13, 1942. While Herb was in the Navy, during WWII, Clara worked as a nurse at the Mason City Hospital. Over time they had four children: Sharon, Ben, Billy and Cheryl. Clara was a loving mother and will be missed by us all. She was preceded in death by her father, Everett Harper; mother, Sara; stepfather, Meryl; brother, Jack; sisters: Lois and Marie; son, Billy; daughter, Sharon; and husband of 70 years, Herb. She is survived by her sister, June; daughter, Cheryl; and son, Ben. Please feel free to join us at Strate Funeral Home in Grand Coulee on Saturday, February 18, 2017, at 1 p.m., for a celebration of Clara's life. Please sign the online guestbook at http://www.stratefuneralhome.com. Strate Funeral Home, Grand Coulee,Washington, is caring for the Horton family. Mikel Porter Cunningham, 64, of Grand Coulee, Washington, passed away Thursday, January 26, 2017, in Yakima, Washington. He was born October 26, 1952, in Sandpoint, Idaho, to Loren and Imogene Cunningham, and moved to Grand Coulee as an infant, where he lived most of his life at the family ranch. He graduated in 1971, from the last graduating class at Grand Coulee High School. He worked for the labor union for 10 years and owned his own excavation business for several years. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He will be remembered for his great sense of humor and quick wit. He is survived by his brothers: Mark Baughman, of Electric City, Washington; Patrick (Kathy) Cunningham, of Grand Coulee; his sister, Christie (Tom) Bruno of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, as well as several nieces, nephews and good friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Susan Porter. Rest in peace, Mike. You were a good brother, uncle and friend. You will be missed. A memorial service will be held Friday, February 17, at 11 a.m. at St. Henrys Catholic Church in Grand Coulee, with a reception to follow at the Eagles Lodge. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Oman and Kuwait on Wednesday for talks to improve relations with Gulf neighbours, strained by the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. He was welcomed by Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, where the two discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the region, Oman's official ONA news agency reported. "Tehran has always been in favour of resolving problems and disputes through dialogue," Rouhani said, according to Iranian media. "Iran's military power is only defensive". "There are now good conditions for developing and consolidating relations between Iran and Oman," he added, calling for stronger economic ties. Iran traditionally maintains good relations with the sultanate, with which it shares control of the key Strait of Hormuz shipping lane. Rouhani was later set to meet Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who last month launched a dialogue with the Islamic republic to normalise Iran-Gulf ties. Before leaving Tehran, Rouhani had expressed support for Kuwait-led efforts to "resolve misunderstandings and boost relations" with Gulf countries, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported. "In this trip, there will be discussions about the region, the situation in Iraq, Syria and in particular in Yemen," he said. The two-nation tour does not include regional kingpin Saudi Arabia, Iran's key rival. Tehran's ties with other Gulf states have been strained over its support for the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad and alleged backing of Yemen's Houthi rebels. In Oman, he appealed for a ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid and political dialogue to resolve the Yemen conflict. "Today, the Yemenis are in a particularly disastrous situation and we all have to act as Muslim countries to help this people," he said. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah visited Tehran last month, calling for a "normalisation of ties and opening dialogue". Kuwait's deputy foreign minister Khaled al-Jarallah said in remarks published Wednesday that he hopes Rouhani visit to open a dialogue between the Gulf states and Iran. The elements needed for the dialogue, which were included in the emir's letter, call for non-interference in the internal affairs of the Gulf states, respecting their sovereignty and establishing good neighbouring relations, Jarallah said in the comments published in Kuwait's Al-Qabas newspaper. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in Manama in December asked Kuwait to initiate contacts with Tehran to start a dialogue to improve ties. Kuwait, where 30 percent of native citizens are Shias, has maintained normal relations with Tehran despite taking part in the Saudi-led military campaign on Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels. Iran has had no diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia since January 2016, when demonstrators stormed the kingdom's missions in Tehran and Mashhad in protest at the execution of a Saudi Shia Muslim cleric. Ties were already strained between the region's leading Shia and Sunni powers, which have taken opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Oman, which has a significant Shia minority, has historically had good ties with Iran, with which it shares control of the Strait of Hormuz. The sultanate is the only one of the six Gulf Arab states not taking part in the Saudi-led military intervention against the Houthis in Yemen. Search Keywords: Short link: Esteban Gutierrez admits a personal mistake meant he had to look outside of F1 for 2017 to continue his racing career. After a year out to be Ferrari's reserve driver, the 25-year-old Mexican made his return to the grid in 2016 with the new American team Haas. But Gutierrez is now looking to establish a career in Formula E, after being replaced for 2017 by Kevin Magnussen. "I really don't blame them - I don't blame anybody - because I was the one to be too confident," he told CNN. Gutierrez admits to taking his eye off the ball when it came to securing his Haas seat for 2017, because he assumed he would get a second year at the new team. "That was originally the plan," he said. "I was too confident of it and that was my mistake, to be too confident that things were taken care of. "I was focusing on the results and being confident that the project was going to continue forward in the way it was initially spoken of or planned. In the end I realised the commitment from the other side wasn't there and by the time I realised, the timing wasn't great." Now, he is hoping to launch a career in Formula E but for now only has a deal for his home race in Mexico. CNN said Gutierrez confirmed rumours that he is looking for a F1 reserve driver role for 2017 as well. "I never close doors," he insisted. "Never, never. I really love formula one. It was four very tough years, but I learned a lot. "I don't see myself as unlucky," said the recently-married Mexican. "Formula E is a fresh start, a new opportunity and I've found the love of my life." (GMM) US President Donald Trump's break with decades of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is irresponsible and does not advance peace, a senior Palestinian official said on Wednesday. "This does not make sense," Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told AFP. "This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace. "They cannot just say that without an alternative," she added. On Tuesday, a senior White House official said the United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement by insisting on a Palestinian state alongside Israel, but would support whatever the two sides agree together. The comments came ahead of White House talks between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Wednesday. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said on condition of anonymity. "Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else if that's what the parties want." For the better part of half a century, successive US governments -- both Republican and Democrat -- have backed a two-state solution. PLO secretary-general Saeb Erekat said the organisation remained committed to two states and would oppose any system that discriminated against Palestinians. "Israel refuses one democratic secular state where Jews, Muslims and Christians can be equal and those in government in Israel want to destroy the two-state solution," he told a press conference. "The alternative will not and cannot be one state, two systems." Trump has not spoken directly to the Palestinian leadership since taking office last month. A spokesman for Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that controls Gaza, said the announcement was "confirmation that the so-called peace process is an illusion." Unlike the PLO, Hamas does not recognise Israel, and calls on the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank to drop its openness to negotiations. Netanyahu's visit comes amid pressure from many of his allies to use Trump's election as an opportunity to kill off the two-state solution. It is the first time in four terms that Netanyahu's leadership has coincided with a Republican in the White House. Gilad Erdan, the internal security minister from Netanyahu's Likud Party, said Monday that not one government minister supports a Palestinian state. Ashrawi accused Trump of bowing to Netanyahu's rightwingers. "The US administration is trying to accommodate Netanyahu's extremist coalition," she said. Sallai Meridor, Israeli ambassador to the US under the previous government, said the announcement may make it harder to get meaningful negotiations. "It is difficult to see the Palestinians coming to the table today without the formula of the Palestinian state," he told reporters. "Nor is it likely to see the Arab countries feel comfortable joining any process if the issue of a Palestinian state is not on the table." Search Keywords: Short link: A suicide bombing targeted the administrative headquarters of a tribal region in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing three policemen and two passers-by, officials said. The explosion went off at the main gate of the tribal headquarters in Ghalanai in the Mohmand tribal region, just as the workday was about to start, said Hameedullah Khan, a local government official. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Khan, whose office is inside the compound, said the grounds are home to residences, offices and training facilities for the local administration and police employees. Hundreds of local residents come daily on business to the tribal headquarters, located 45 kilometers (28 miles) outside Peshawar, the provincial capital. The bombing was followed by gunshots, Khan added. The Pakistani army said the bomber was accompanied by another militant, who tried to force his way into the compound after the explosion went off but that security guards opened fire and killed him. The army statement said there was a higher level of vigilance among the local security forces following intelligence that would-be attackers had infiltrated the area from neighboring Afghanistan. Wednesday's attack, and another suicide bombing that killed 13 in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Monday, reflect an uptick in militant attacks after almost a three-month lull. A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar or Freedom Movement claimed the Lahore attack. Seven police officers died in that bombing, including a former chief of the province's counter-terrorism department. The breakaway Taliban faction is based in the Mohmand area part of rugged, lawless regions along the Afghan border which have long served as safe havens for local and al-Qaida-linked foreign militants, who have killed tens of thousands of people in over a decade. Pakistan has waged several offensives against militants in recent years. Search Keywords: Short link: Support for Romania's ruling Social Democrats has dropped since the party won a parliamentary election two months ago, an opinion poll showed on Tuesday, as it grapples with the fallout from an embarrassing U-turn over an unpopular graft decree. The crowd-funded ISSPOL survey showed voter backing for the leftist party had sunk to 31 percent from 46 percent at the Dec. 11 election, and that more than half of all Romanians feel the country is headed in the wrong direction. The decree would have decriminalised some graft offences and turned back the clock on the fight against corruption in the European Union state. At a time the new government might have hoped to be enjoying a political honeymoon, the decree unleashed a wave of mass street protests. While Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu's government survived a vote of no-confidence in parliament last week, voters are angry. "Normally, immediately after an election, the number of those saying things are moving in a good direction rises sharply," said sociologist Mircea Kivu. "The government succeeded in getting people out into the streets just a month after the election." The survey showed support for the centre-right opposition National Liberal Party and the anti-graft Save Romania Union at 17 and 7 percent respectively, slightly below their own election results. In a sign of voter disaffection towards the political class, the survey indicated that two in every five voters either did not know if they would vote or how they would vote if there were a new election. A majority of respondents said they supported President Klaus Iohannis's plans for a referendum over anti-corruption reforms. Anti-government protests persist outside government headquarters in the capital, Bucharest, although turnout has fallen dramatically from a week ago. The demonstrators say they cannot trust the cabinet to rule responsibly. The poll on Tuesday was commissioned by Geeks for Democracy and financed by crowd funding. It was conducted between Feb. 7 to 11 and has a margin of error of 3.2 percent. Search Keywords: Short link: Our rapid and successful establishment of commercial relationships in China over the past year necessitates an in-country operations team. Last year we built out our sales and service teams and we expect to expand our China team to almost 20 people by year-end 2017 to support planned customer growth. This staff will fulfill a number of key roles, including business development, account management, applications engineering, after-sales support, quality assurance and supply chain management. Randy MacEwen, Ballard President and CEO The electric truck is based on a three-axle truck, with the entire conventional drivetrain replaced by an electrically driven rear axle with electric motors directly adjacent to the wheel hubs. Maximum output is 2 x 125 kW, while the peak torque is 2 x 500 Nm. In combination with the gearing, the torque at the wheel reaches 11,000 Nm. Mercedes-Benz Trucks is bringing its all-electric heavy-duty truck ( earlier post ) to market in a small series this year. Following the presentation of the Urban eTruck with 25 t perm. GVW and a range of up to 200 km at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in 2016, the first vehicles will be delivered to customers this year. The power is supplied by a battery pack consisting of three modules of lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 212 kWh. This results in a range of up to 200 km (124 miles)normally enough for a typical day's delivery round. Depending on the desired range, the modular battery pack can be customized by adding or removing batteries. The Urban eTruck is connected to the charging station using the Europe-wide standardized Combined Charging System (CCS) Type 2 connector. With a charging power of 100 kW, the fully discharged batteries are charged to 100% in two to three hours. (The system will support up to 150 kW.) Following the world premiere in September 2016 at the International Commercial Vehicle Show, the customer reaction was outstanding. We are currently talking to around 20 potential customers from the disposal, foodstuffs and logistics sector. With the small series we are now rapidly taking the next step towards a series product. By 2020 we want to be on the market with the series generation. Stefan Buchner, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks worldwide The vehicle will initially go in a low two-figure number of units to customers in Germany, and later in Europe too, Buchner said. The aim is to use actual application scenarios and requirement profiles together with the customer to further optimize the vehicle concept and the system configurations of the electric truck. The tests will include use in shift operation, charging times plus battery and range management. Stefan Buchner In order to be able to depict the various application possibilities, 18- and 25-tonne models will be equipped with a refrigerated body, as a dry box body and as a platform vehicle. Together with a special charger which takes into account the increased demands on a truck, the vehicles will be handed over to the customers to use for a period of twelve months and supported by Mercedes-Benz Trucks road testing department. During this time the use profiles and areas of application will be recorded and the knowledge gained and expectations compared. The Urban eTruck is part of a comprehensive electric initiative from Daimler Trucks. The light-duty electric truck Fuso eCanter will be in use in a global small series in 2017. Around 150 vehicles will be handed over to selected customers in Europe, Japan and the US. Daimler Trucks is thus covering a wide application portfolio of electric trucks all over the world. Daimler Trucks is expecting the costs for the batteries of an all-electric truck to fall by a factor of 2.5 from 1997 to 2025 from 500/kWh to 200/kWh. At the same time the energy density of the available batteries in this period will rise by the same factor from 80 Wh/kg to 200 Wh/kg. U.S. President Donald Trump's defence secretary warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not "moderate" support for the alliance. Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Brussels as Pentagon chief, also accused some nations of ignoring threats, including from Russia. "America cannot care more for your children's future security than you do," Mattis said in closed-door remarks to NATO defence ministers, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters. The comments represented some of the strongest criticism in memory of allies who have failed to reach defence spending goals. Mattis said investing in common defence was vital, given the challenges that have emerged since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and Islamic State emerged as a threat on NATO member Turkey's southern border. Trump was sharply critical of NATO during his election campaign, making European allies nervous by calling the alliance obsolete and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. But Trump has since said he strongly supported NATO, comments echoed by Mattis at NATO headquarters. Mattis called NATO "the most successful and powerful military alliance in modern history". Mattis, however, suggested U.S. support should not be seen as a given. "I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms," Mattis said. "America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this Alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence." Mattis stopped short of issuing an explicit ultimatum or say how the United States might moderate its support. The United States for years has called for European allies to spend 2 percent of economic output on defence, he said. But he added that NATO allies must show progress in 2017 and adopt a plan, with target dates, toward defence spending goals. Italy and Spain, two of Europe's larger economies, spend barely 1 percent a year on defence as they seek to curtail budget deficits that swelled during the boom that preceded the 2008/2009 global financial crisis. Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, three other wealthy European nations are among the smallest spenders on defence, as their budgets are locked in to multi-year cycles and centre-left parties do not support higher defence spending, preferring to prioritise welfare and education. But the Baltic states of Latvia and Lithuania, who fear a repeat of Crimea, are on course to meet the 2 percent goal, while Romania is also heading towards that level. After Mattis' address, Britain's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Mattis had explained that "the impatience of the American taxpayer is a reality". Fallon said he called on all allies at the meeting to at least increase defence spending annually, even if they cannot meet the 2 percent target. "We are asking them to commit to an annual increase, which would at least demonstrate good faith," he said. "Nineteen members of the alliance don't reach 1.5 percent and five of those 19 don't reach 1 percent." Search Keywords: Short link: Members of the Supreme Courts conservative majority are questioning the continued use of affirmative action in higher education. In lengthy arguments Monday, the justices wrestled with persistent, difficult questions of race. The justices heard from six different lawyers in challenges to policies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard. Those policies consider race among many factors in evaluating applications for admission. One conservative justice likened affirmative action to giving some college applicants a head start in a footrace. But a liberal justice said universities are the pipelines to leadership in our society and suggested that without affirmative action minority enrollment will drop. France said on Wednesday it would not accept interference by Russia or any other state in its presidential election, and would retaliate if necessary. The pledge by Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault followed complaints by the party of election frontrunner Emmanuel Macron that his campaign was the target of 'fake news' put out by Russian media, as well as internet attacks on its databases. "We will not accept any interference whatsoever in our electoral process, no more from Russia by the way than from any other state. This is a question of our democracy, our sovereignty, our national independence," Ayrault told parliament. He said France would set clear limits, "including retaliatory measures when that is necessary, because no foreign state can influence the choice of the French, no foreign state can choose the future president of the Republic." The Kremlin said on Tuesday that allegations made by Macron's En Marche (Onwards!) movement were absurd. The centrist is currently favourite for the April/May election, ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in an assessment in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered an effort to help Republican Donald Trump's election chances by discrediting his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton during last year's presidential campaign, including by hacking emails from the Democratic National Committee. While Russia denies involvement, the U.S. experience has prompted security agencies to step up their guard against cyberattacks as Europe faces major elections this year in Germany and the Netherlands, as well as France. French President Francois Hollande has called a meeting of national defence chiefs next week to discuss cyber security, demanding to see "specific monitoring and protection measures" to be taken during the election campaign, a statement from his office said. The meeting is set for Feb. 23. Search Keywords: Short link: GREENSBORO Michael Romano is well-suited to run Greensboro Parks and Recreations Eco Bus and its assorted animal education programs. He studied exotic veterinary science in college and logged years running nature centers and working in zoos across the southeast before he joined the city staff a few years ago. But beyond his qualifications, Romano brought something special to the job: his personal menagerie of hand-reared, rescued and rehabbed critters snakes, tortoises, birds and more. Youll see some of his favorites the friendly boa constrictor Austin, the cantankerous Amazon parrot Cookie, the snippy snapping turtle Delia out on the Eco Bus, where they help Romano teach adults and children about different species and conservation. I love them, Romano said. They are family. Romano, the citys environmental education and lakes supervisor, was raised in New York City without pets. I grew up in an apartment and my parents werent having it, he said. He came to North Carolina to attend St. Andrews University, determined to become the next Steve Irwin. Throughout his studies, he became known as the kid who would take in illicit and abandoned dorm pets. By his senior year, he had a dozen or so creatures, including a pair of prairie dogs, Felicity and Rufus. When he graduated, they moved with him to his first full-time job, setting up a nature center in Sofia at the Keyauwee Program Center. Theyve followed him from job to job ever since. Romanos pack has grown over the years, as he developed a reputation for being a rehab expert. Hannah Belle the potbelly pig. Bruce the hungry tortoise. Chinchillas Josie and Dexter. Norman the bottle-raised steer. He has picked up many animals when their owners discovered they cant or dont want to care for them anymore. I get them in, I fix them up, and find them good homes, Romano said. Or I keep them for education. Through trial and error, hes figured out what kind of tunnels keep a prairie dog entertained and how to introduce a cranky teenage Muscovy to his new girl companion. (In case you wondered, the ducks Marty and Clara have bonded and are doing quite well.) Romano buys his animal feed and produce in bulk. Hes got a regular rotation of cleaning cages and doling out snacks and toys and switching on heat lamps to keep them all comfortable and happy. And hes lucky enough to work with a great network of people who help him care for and house the animals. To save an animal, you have to be pretty committed to it, Romano said. Lately, hes busy bonding with and taming a pair of sugar gliders Australias version of flying squirrels named Stuart and Lucy. He plans to add them into the Eco Bus rotation later this year. Theyll make their debut at the Earth Day Celebration at Katherine Clay Edwards Library on April 1. Every real city in the world has a real downtown, Easa Hanhan says. And we want to be part of that. We want to take part in Greensboros renaissance. Hanhan and his brother, Omar, are after their own rebirth. Theyve just opened Jerusalem Market on Elm, a Middle Eastern restaurant, tucked in the bottom floor of a historic building on South Elm Street in downtown Greensboro. Jerusalem Market on Elm will play host to Ethnosh NoshUp, the international food adventurers, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Feb. 28. At this NoshUp you can meet owners Easa and Omar Hanhan, along with their legendary father, Saliba. For $8, you get a plate of signature samplers. Craft sodas, hibiscus tea, beer and wine are available at an additional cost. Electronic reservations are required to attend. The 300 block of Elm Street offers just about everything you could ask for. Its got a bakery, a brewery, bookstore, bistro, bodega and billiards. Its got great coffee, cheesecake and shepherds pie. Patrons, workers and residents slip in and out of historic buildings constructed during architectures golden age. If there is an absolute middle of your city, this is it. And the Hanhan brothers have added one of Greensboros most esteemed international food businesses to this list. With this restaurant, the brothers are trying something new from the Old City. For nearly 30 years, Saliba Hanhan, Easa and Omars father, has owned and operated the universally revered Jerusalem Market, a grocery and deli on High Point Road in Greensboro near Jamestown. Imagine large glass jars of dry goods with little stainless steel scoops, candies from the former Yugoslavia, shelves stocked with bottles of oil and vinegar, figurines and framed photos from the old world. All of these lead back to the deli counter where Saliba and his sons have served exquisite Middle Eastern food with a strict adherence to the traditions and recipes of Salibas mother and grandmother. Falafel, hummus, tabouleh, baba ghanouj, stuffed grape leaves, all of the items you would expect from a Middle Eastern deli. And all of it prepared with the consistency and precision of a scientist. Saliba, a trained chemist, came to the United States in 1967, fleeing the violence of the Arab-Israeli War. After earning a graduate degree from Miami University in Ohio, he worked as a chemist in upstate New York before relocating to Greensboro and opening Jerusalem Market. If youve ever had the privilege of meeting Saliba Hanhan many, by now, have this abrupt turn in his story becomes more plausible. The chemistry lab couldnt hold him. Saliba is warmth. New and old, the relationships with his customers are his passion. If his food werent so good, you might wonder if he opened Jerusalem Market solely to build these relationships. On Elm Street, youll often find Easa in conversation in the front of house or giving quick waves to familiar passersby through the large front window. Omar, having trained as a chef in Hong Kong and New York City, is the art and the science, the passionate creator in the kitchen. Ive got the easy job; Im the business guy, Easa says. Omar is the artist. Hes had to develop his vision and then teach his staff to execute it at such a high level. To do both of those things well, you have to give your life to it. The restaurant on Elm carries all the favorites patrons have come to love from Jerusalem Market. But Omar is going further with his food. Weve maintained Dads original recipes, Easa says. But Omar learned some amazing things in New York. Our specials are adventurous. We might do a Spanish-style, paella-inspired dish one day. The next day, we might have an Italian-style, pasta dish on special. Thats something Dad would never ever do. But because we have such a strong core from what Dad has done all these years, it gives us the freedom to play and be more adventurous with our food. The brothers have even incorporated an in-house baker, giving him the freedom to take risks. Hell do some tarts, Easa says. Hell do chocolate chip cookies, even desserts with Fruit Loops. But we also have the baklava and Middle Eastern pastries. That duality is what were all about. As the brothers set out together on this new venture, they are, at once, resisting and embracing their fathers great legacy. The thing about Dad that sticks with us most is his commitment to making things their very best, Easa says. Why would you go to school and only go halfway? Why would you make this dish with mediocre ingredients? Always giving the very best to the food, to this business, to this community, thats what hes left with us. Feb. 15, 1942 One hundred and fourteen Tar Heels are enrolled as aviation cadets or flying sergeants in the Southeast Air Corps Training center, which has its headquarters at Maxwell field near Montgomery, Ala. Asheville led all cities in the state with 12 youths from that city now training at the replacement center at Maxwell field. Six youths from Greensboro have recently enlisted as cadets while Charlotte has contributed five men. Raleigh and Salisbury gave four men each to the pilot training program. WINSTON-SALEM A Greensboro man says the Affordable Care Act saved his life. On Tuesday, John Thompson joined supporters of the ACA, President Barack Obamas signature health-care overhaul, as they gathered outside U.S. Sen. Richard Burrs Winston-Salem office to demand he have a heart. Im not a moocher or a deadbeat or a freeloader, Thompson, 59, said. For 40 years, I paid my taxes but in my hour of need, when my back was against the wall, in the richest country in the history of the universe, Sen. Burr, where were you and your GOP for me? In 2013, Thompson, a father of three, lost his job and was told it would cost him thousands of dollars to continue with his former employers health insurance. Within a couple of months, he received a diagnosis of cancer. It was a scary period and one that could become the reality for others if the ACA is repealed, Thompson said. We were praying to God we wouldnt get rushed to the emergency room or have to go under the surgeons knife, because if we did, our goose was cooked, he said. Thank God for Obamacare. It was my lifeline. For Martha Chaires, dismantling the ACA means she would likely not be able to find a health-insurance plan come next year for her 21-month-old son, Javier, who has Down syndrome, she said. Well have to figure out a way to pay for our pretty medically fragile childs health insurance out of pocket, which is pretty daunting, Chaires said. Its like two ants looking at a mountain and trying to figure out how to move it before it crushes their child. The ACA has been the target for partial or full repeal by Republican congressional leaders since it debuted in 2010. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January to begin defunding certain elements of the law. The law requires health insurers to accept all applicants, regardless of age, race or pre-existing conditions, and charge the same rates. In Tuesdays Valentines Day-themed protest, activists called for lawmakers to have a heart and delivered thousands of individually signed valentines to the offices of Burr and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolinas two Republican senators. Protests were also held at their offices in Raleigh, Asheville, Wilmington and Charlotte calling for an expansion of Medicaid and a strengthening of the ACA. A call to Burrs spokesman for comment about the ACA and the protest was not immediately returned. I cant tell you how scary the past few weeks have been, Chaires said. When you play political games with people in health care, we are the collateral damage. Protesters called for a town hall meeting with Burr regarding health care reform. GREENSBORO The toddler mauled in a pit bull attack Tuesday morning is the son of Syrian refugees who moved here in August. A male and female pit bull on Valley View Street attacked the 19-month-old boy about 9:10 a.m. Tuesday, police said. A responding Greensboro police officer shot the male pit bull. Animal control captured the female dog, which was euthanized later that day. Both dogs are being tested for rabies. The injured child is the youngest of five boys, ages 19 months to 11 years old. He was taken to Brenner Childrens Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition Wednesday. The Syrian family came to Greensboro in mid-August, said Alice Stewart. Shes a member of College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro, which began helping the family in December. The family farmed in Syria, Stewart said, but had to flee when the bombing started several years ago. The father and the oldest son, who was 7 at the time, suffered head injuries in the bombing, she said. They went to Jordan, where they lived for four years before they were approved to come to the United States. Stewart said the toddler is a sweet kid. His mom calls him Little Monkey because he climbs on everything, Stewart said. Hes a little rascal. Hes just the cutest thing. Hes very active, bouncing off the walls, has a sunny smile, hes a child thats full of light. Stewart and Pastor Michael Usey said the church has been working to get the family to a place with people that speak their language. The church confirmed Monday, a day before the attack, an apartment was available for the family to move into Saturday, Usey said. Stewart said the mother, who she texts using Google translator, was so happy Monday night when she learned the news. The mood changed rapidly Tuesday morning. Stewart said the mother was preparing to go to the Newcomers School with some of the younger children for English classes. The second-youngest child was on the front porch, putting on his shoes and left the door open when a pit bull ran into the house, Stewart said. The other pit bull was in the backyard. Details of how, exactly, the one pit bull got the toddler arent exactly clear. Usey said the mother tried to get the dog off her youngest child, while still protecting her two other children who were at the house. Her husband was at work at Grandover Resort when the attack happened. Its just a horror, Usey said. They survived bombing and wars, and they came over here to have this happen is awful. Stewart said the boy underwent eight hours of surgery, but by the end of the evening Tuesday, he was resting comfortably. It will be a long-term process for him to recover from his injuries, she said. He was seriously mangled by the dogs. A GoFundMe account has been created to help with medical expenses. The page details the childs injuries as wounds to his ear, face, arm and leg. It has a goal of $20,000. The parents have been staying at the hospital with the toddler. Stewart said the other children have been staying with friends. She said the goal is for College Park Baptist Church to have their new apartment set up for the family so they dont have to return to the house on Valley View Street. Their oldest child was injured in Syria and their youngest child was injured here, Stewart said. It was a random, terrible thing, and its sad that it happened to them. The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff will meet with his Russian counterpart Thursday, the Pentagon said. The meeting in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan comes amid reports that aides to Donald Trump had repeated contact with Russian intelligence during the US presidential campaign. But the United States insisted Wednesday that the meeting between General Joe Dunford and the Russian military chief, General Valery Gerasimov, was not political in nature and had been planned for months. The two men will talk about US-Russian military ties and "the importance of consistent and clear military-to-military communication to prevent miscalculation and potential crises," the Pentagon said. The meeting comes with the White House in crisis mode after the resignation Monday of national security adviser Michael Flynn. His resignation followed revelations that he did not give the White House a complete account of conversations he had with the Russian ambassador about US sanctions against Moscow before Trump took office in January. Flynn, like Trump, has supported warmer ties with Russia. Dunford said last year he was eager to meet with Gerasimov. Search Keywords: Short link: Now again to these pages comes Bill Bankovich, bemoaning the N&R as an overly liberal, lefty rag unfit for human hands (letter, Feb. 5). It seems Mr. Bankovich is unaware that 54 percent of 2016 voters do not support his president and moreover, that the policies of said president are more than overtly hypocritical to his bloviating, self-congratulatory inaugural and post-inaugural style. The Blunderer-in-Chief bragged about returning governance to You, the People, even as he set about forming a Cabinet team perfectly fit to man any pirate ship dedicated to pillage and plunder. The people want clean air/water; the prohibition of coal waste dumping in fresh water was struck down. My 200-word limit fails to allow mention of the other Cabinet atrocities, but you already know them. The N&R is not in business to spew conservative cooing to Bankovichs ilk; they have Fox News for that. Rather, the N&R reports on the bizarre and currently unconstitutional workings of a government now led by the biggest huckster ever to sit in the Oval Office. If Bill cancels his subscription, I will purchase a second to be delivered to my local Starbucks. Joseph Saldarini Greensboro The Department of Homeland Security called it routine enforcement. The president called it a crackdown. I said at the beginning we are going to get the bad ones, the really bad ones, we are going to get them out, President Donald Trump said Monday. Arrests across the country focused on illegal immigrants with a tremendous track record of abuse and problems and we are getting them out. Sweeps in several states, including North Carolina, could be justified if they were narrowly targeted. Dangerous people with no legal right to be in this country should be deported. The Obama administration threw out plenty, earning then-President Barack Obama the derisive nickname of Deporter-in-Chief from immigration advocates. But authorities generally did not deport people who posed no threat and were integrated into American society and the economy. Now its uncertain such people are safe and some may have been caught in the net over the last two weeks. Among those who are unsettled are the Dreamers young people given temporary legal status under Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump has not said whether hell continue DACA. He should. If he doesnt, the government has records that could be used to find and expel Dreamers. Immigrant communities upset about the enforcement actions may not mind seeing criminals removed. Law-abiding, employed, taxpaying people who have broken the law simply by their presence in the country are different. Many have U.S.-born children, so the prospect of families being broken apart is real. Americans of Hispanic heritage might be wise to carry papers, just in case of arbitrary arrest. Probably not many Americans could prove their citizenship on the spot, if challenged. With an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country, or more, targets for deportation arent hard to find. But resources are limited, so it doesnt make sense to cast a wide net. If authorities concentrate on dangerous people, they wont have time or money to arrest anyone else. If they shift to the wrong priorities, they wont make anyone safer but will be more likely to remove good employees from the workforce and disrupt families. Smart, comprehensive immigration policy isnt based on crackdowns. It takes leaders, such as Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), willing to find sensible solutions, but they wont get far in a climate of fear-mongering. Gang members, drug dealers & others are being removed! the president tweeted Sunday. Removing gang members and drug dealers is welcomed. The others could be a problem. During his campaign, Trump extolled a 1950s crackdown called Operation Wetback, although he didnt use that offensive name. It was not a success, sweeping up and deporting U.S. citizens of Mexican descent along with illegal immigrants. A better approach is needed now. The Trump administration has offered the job of White House national security adviser, vacated by former U.S. intelligence official Michael Flynn, to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, said two U.S. officials familiar with the matter on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command who has Navy SEAL combat experience, had accepted the offer, according to sources. A White House spokesperson had no immediate comment. Flynn resigned on Monday after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before President Donald Trump took office. Losing his national security adviser so soon after taking office is an embarrassment for the new Republican president, who has made national security a top priority. Harward, a Rhode Island native who went to school in Tehran before the Shah was toppled in 1979, did a tour on the National Security Council under former Republican President George W. Bush, working on counterterrorism. He also has combat experience on SEAL teams and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Harward now works as an executive for defense contractor Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), with responsibility for its business in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East. Search Keywords: Short link: Saddle Up, Pardner Deregulation, anyone? Previous financial deregulation created "Wild West" conditions at banks, according to Senator Elizabeth Warren. Congress and the Obama administration addressed those conditions in 2010 with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Dodd-Frank regulations were designed to both protect consumers and control risky financial behaviors of financial institutions that contributed to the housing crisis and Great Recession (not to mention taxpayer bailouts). We now have a new sheriff in town, with a different interpretation of financial regulations (and the need for them at all). We may or may not be returning to the Wild West of Banking, but one thing is certain: changes are coming. CFPB in the Crosshairs President Trump has a Republican Congress willing to partially, if not completely, dismantle Dodd-Frank. Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, created the blueprint through his Financial Choice Act proposed last year. The Washington Post reports that Hensarling released a memo outlining revisions to the Act, with an increased emphasis on weakening the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) created by Dodd-Frank. Hensarling may have solid ground in that the DC Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that CFPB's unique structure is unconstitutional. The President appoints the CFPB director for five-year terms while CFPB funding comes from the Federal Reserve, bypassing Congress. Thus, CFPB director Richard Cordray operates outside the usual checks and balances by design. Hensarling's objections are likely more practical than constitutional, but the effect will be the same: a diminished CFPB with limited ability to issue penalties to financial institutions. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve will change significantly during the Trump administration. There are currently two openings on the seven-member Federal Reserve Board of Governors for Trump to fill, and one of the most dovish remaining members, Daniel Tarullo, has announced his upcoming retirement. Tarullo is known for the "stress tests" applied to banks to verify that they have sufficient capital to handle potential financial shocks. Banks consider this policy along with the Volcker Rule that requires banks to use their own money (not customer deposits) for speculative investments to be a serious restriction on their ability to use funds to create greater growth and maximize profit. Banks are sending a mixed message. While they may be happy to be rid of Dodd-Frank/CFPB regulations, banks have spent millions adhering to it and may prefer tweaking as opposed to complete overhaul. Either way, banks will again have to adapt to a new set of rules as will financial consumers. In Your Best Interests? Maybe, Maybe Not On February 3, Trump signed an Executive Order ordering the Secretary of Labor to review the fiduciary rule (issued under the Obama administration and set to take effect in April) and rescind the rule if it is found to produce harm to investors/retirees. The fiduciary rule holds all givers of financial advice to the fiduciary standard of acting in their client's best interest above their own. You may be surprised that isn't already the case, but some brokers and advisors may apply the suitability standard meaning that advice must be suitable to your situation, but not necessarily your best option. Such advisors and brokers can steer clients toward investments that meet client needs but disproportionately benefit themselves. Why wouldn't we want the fiduciary rule to apply to all? Republicans argue that consumer choices become limited, and that removing the suitability standard prices low-income consumers out of the market given the costs (i.e. potential losses of income) involved in meeting the fiduciary standard. Trump's action could potentially preserve the status quo regarding financial advisors. While that's not his M.O. in many areas, the term applies here. The Takeaway Trump's actions are designed to stimulate economic growth. However, increased growth typically comes with increased risk. Understand that as you consider your finances and investments. With the possible loss of the fiduciary rule and loosening of consumer protection rules, you must take matters into your own hands. Verify the standard to which your financial advisor is held, as well as how that advisor is compensated. Educate yourself on the finer points of your investments, and learn how to evaluate risk and spot investment vehicles that fit the financial institution's/broker's needs more than yours. We suggest applying the same rules as in the Wild West: look out for yourself, apply common sense, and don't put too much trust in any one individual or institution. Let the free MoneyTips Retirement Planner help you calculate when you can retire without jeopardizing your lifestyle. GREENWICH Two Sacred Heart Greenwich freshman took first and second place in a recent school essay contest dedicated to change through journalism. Last year, Andrew Freirich, executive director and producer at Fit Global and father of a Sacred Heart Greenwich fifth grader, created and funded an essay competition amongst the schools broadcast journalism students. "I want each student to dream big, and open their eyes to relevant issues that need exposure, change and assistance in the world we live in today, he said. In December, students were given the prompt: "If you could produce any documentary to change the world, using the skills you have used in broadcast journalism, what would it be?" Freshman Georgia Ferguson of Old Greenwich won first place for her essay on producing a documentary to advocate for educational opportunities for girls in third world countries. The first place winner wrote eloquently about how to make change throughout the world through educating those who are either uneducated or are lacking the fundamental resources to receive an education, said Freirich. At a pizza party lunch he hosted for the broadcast class, he presented Georgia with her award, a GoPro camera and a $500 check, which will go the charity of Georgias choice: the Society of the Sacred Hearts fund to educate girls in Uganda. Head of School Pamela Juan Hayes accepted the check from Freirich. Freshman Kathleen Murray of Wilton won second place for her essay about how she would educate viewers about air pollution in India through her documentary. Air pollution is the third leading cause of death in India (and) asthma is the leading cause of death in India, Murray wrote. If I had the opportunity to film any documentary to change the world, I would choose air pollution in India. Pollution within our developed and industrial world is affecting our world in lasting ways, and on such a drastic scale. As a result of overwhelming interest in the essay contest last year, the contest was expanded this year to offer additional awards and prizes. This was the first year that a $500 charity donation was offered to the first place winner and that a second place winner was chosen and given a prize. Freirich said he would like to see a fund created to give the future winners an opportunity to produce their documentaries. He has mentored the schools beginner broadcast journalism classes for two years. emunson@greenwichtime.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Being an entrepreneur can be a very rewarding occupation. But its not necessarily all about the money. It can also be rewarding if you also devote some of your time to charitable causes. If youre in a position to do some good in the world, then you should. Of course we know some of the really big high-profile business names who do charitable work - Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Warren Buffett are just three that instantly spring to mind. With more money than they will ever be able to spend, they see philanthropy as an obligation, not an option. But you dont have to be a multi-billionaire to want to give back to the world, or even just to your local community. The following 3 entrepreneurs are also making a difference in their own way. Let their initiatives, big and small, inspire you to find a way to give back that fits your mission and market. Anik Singal (For All Our Good) Anik Singal is the CEO of Lurn, a community and resource to help entrepreneurs turn their passions into profits through digital publishing. But he has also created a non-profit called For All Our Good. Said Singal, I avidly believe that education is a right and I also believe that education can solve the problems of the world. A few years ago, Anik found a pastoral couple who moved to India to build schools in some of the poorest slums. In these neighborhoods, children as young as 3 or 4 were not going to schools but were employed instead. Today, in partnership with this pastoral couple, Anik has built six, first-class schools in Mumbai, servicing around 700 children in total. Krish Himmatranka (Do Amore) When you think wedding rings, you dont automatically also think of water wells in developing countries. But Krish Himmatranka is effectively leveraging the two, ensuring that people in need have access to clean drinking water. Himmatranka is the founder & CEO of Do Amore. When they sell an engagement or wedding ring, a donation is made to Charity: Water so two people in a developing country get access to clean water. This partnership has been going on now for nearly 2 years, during which they have sponsored 13 water wells, in 4 countries, bringing safe water to over 2,000 people. At first, I thought about starting my own water organization said Himmatranka, but I quickly learned that many already existed. I realized it would be more fruitful to help one of these organizations by bringing them a new source of capital for water access, rather than creating my own organizations and battling for donations. Customers who buy these rings often tell their friends how their new rings have benefited other people, helping with sales as well as water access. Says Himmatranka, his rings, "don't hurt the world, they actually help the world. Jon Loew (TroopTree) While fighting in the U.S. military, veteran Jon Loew was concerned over what might happen to his kids if he was killed in the line of duty. He and his friend master sergeant Terry Schappert, host of Dude, Youre Screwed on the Discovery Channel, decided to help other soldiers in the same situation. They created a private video messaging platform called TroopTree.com which enables military families to keep in touch with their deployed loved ones for free. Videos can be sent immediately, or to be delivered anytime in the next 99 years. Additionally, families can save the videos of their loved ones forever. So if anything was to happen to them, they would always have the memories. The public can also send thank you videos to the troops, and this has earned TroopTree some high-profile celebrity endorsements from the likes of actress Halle Berry, WWE wrestler John Cena and television personality Nick Cannon. I have always felt that none of us can make it through this life without the help of others at one time or another said Loew. If someone falls down, you offer a hand to help them get up. There is something special and pure about working for something other than money he added. It really helps us learn who we are and whats truly important to us. Related: 3 Internet Entrepreneurs Finding Ways to Give Back 8 Ways to Change Your Thinking From Employee to Owner Gerard Adams, 'Mr. Flawless' and Photo Shoots in the Middle of Manhattan Traffic Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Taco Bell If youre feeling pretty secure in your relationship post-Valentines Day, heres an idea of how to take the next step. It involves a potentially regret-filled trip to Las Vegas, but hear us out. This week, Taco Bell announced that it is opening a wedding chapel in its flagship Las Vegas Cantina restaurant. You could win the very first Taco Bell wedding by entering its Love and Tacos Contest. LOS ANGELESNothing compares to flying five space missions and summiting Mount Everestunless youre running a business. Turns out, the worlds most avid adventure seekers and entrepreneurs have more in common than we might think. I had the chance to interview Dr. Scott Parazynski at the City Gala, an event thats all about entrepreneurship and creating a brighter future through charity. Between climbing Everest, going to space five times and starting his own virtual reality hardware enterprise, Parazynski has had to face his fears in every situation imaginable. Here are four things Parazynski does to overcome fear and achieve success despite insurmountable odds. 1. Take that first, bold step. No one has ever achieved greatness for themselves or for others by sitting idly by. Whether youre on an African Safari, deep sea diving or starting a passion project, Parazynski reminds us that the only way to find success is by simply trying. If the ship doesnt ever leave the port, he says, youll never know what you can discover. Related: Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy to Take Center Stage at Star-Studded Gala 2. Push past failure. There is only one way to find success, and that is through failure. For every path that exists to achieve our goals, there are a dozen other ways we can mess it up. But it is through these failures that we learn and growand succeed. Arianna Huffington was rejected by 36 publishers. Bill Gates watched his first company crumble. Steve Jobs was booted from his own company. These successful entrepreneurs didnt let failure stop them, and neither should we. Pick yourself up, dust off and keep trying, Parazynski says. 3. Learn how to mitigate risk. Parazynski, surprisingly, says that he is not a risk taker and that he is most definitely not fearless. Instead, he prefers the title of risk manager, meaning he takes into account all the possibilities and outcomes that can happen and plans accordingly to ensure the highest chance of success. As entrepreneurs, we accept many risks, from sacrificing personal capital and giving up a steady paycheck to trusting employees and betting on deadlines. Arm yourself with knowledge about the situation, be honest about your limitations, and explore any other unknowns to manage inevitable bumps along the way. 4. Look for opportunities to innovate. Parazynskis excursions are more than just adventuresthey are also opportunities to innovate. Simply by existing in these extreme environments, Parazynski is inspired to think outside the box and imagine new ways that he can invent better technologies for society. Related: Actress Halle Berry's Lessons for Succeeding-No Matter the Odds Dont look at where the problem is now, he says. Instead, look ahead and see where the problem might exist. Of course, you dont need to have a SCUBA suit or a spaceship to unveil ways to find inspirationinnovation is all around you. With his unmatched experience, Parazynski is the kind of person who can offer real-world advice in literally any circumstance. But, as he states, he does experience fearhe just manages it. As we brave our entrepreneurial frontiers, we can also take that first bold step, push through failure, mitigate risk, look for opportunities to innovate and break barriers in the process. Related: This Adventure-Seeking Astronaut Shares 4 Tips for Overcoming Fear Procrastination, Resistance, Fear? Join the Club. How to Win Your Emotional Enemies At Work ? Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved An international mediator on Wednesday said Ukraine's warring sides had agreed to withdraw heavy weapons from the volatile frontline by February 20 in line with a tattered peace plan. Martin Sajdik, the lead negotiator from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the crisis, said Ukraine, Russia and the eastern rebels agreed to the move after a fresh round of talks in Minsk, Russian and Belarussian news agencies reported. The agreement comes after a surge in violence earlier this month saw several dozen people left dead around the flashpoint town of Avdiivka and both sides shift heavy weaponry forward. Under the Minsk plan -- agreed in the Belarussian capital in 2015 -- the warring parties are meant to withdraw their big guns to create a buffer zone along the frontline. The Minsk agreement has been repeatedly violated by both sides as no progress has been made towards a political resolution of the conflict. The war in eastern Ukraine has cost some 10,000 lives since 2014, with Kiev and the West accusing Russia of arming rebels and pouring its troops over the border. Search Keywords: Short link: Ahram Online speaks to Egyptian director Hala El-Koussys about her debut feature film Cactus Flower which premiered at the 46th Rotterdam International Film Festival last month and was nominated in two competitions In four sold-out screenings at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), which took place between 25 January and 4 February, Cactus Flower earned positive reviews from audiences and critics. Ahram Online spoke with the film's director Hala El-Koussy on her first feature film, which highlights the exquisite richness that can be found in the borderline area between the visual arts and film. Coming from a visual arts background, El-Koussy reflected on obligations and opportunities to experiment in the art of cinema, her crowdfunding experience, and her vision of the film. Debut feature Cactus Flowers first cut, written and masterminded by El-Koussy, was finished in 2010. After the 2011 revolution, she reworked the script to have a more optimistic end. She presented the script again to the Hubert Bals Fund Project Development Fund in July 2011. And then things started to become more dark, leading me to stop for a while. However, I had a moral obligation towards the fund, so I had to either kill it or inform them about stopping, El-Koussy told Ahram Online. El-Koussy committed to the script again in 2014, explaining that she did not care to make a film that dealt with only a certain short-lived event the revolution and its aftermath. Films that deal with hot topics are often quickly forgotten. If I had left this optimistic end, it would have been irrelevant to current events, she elaborated. To make drama or fiction that deals with current events is risky. My approach was to transfer my characters into a period that I believe we will stay in for a while. This is not to say that El-Koussys film is an upfront pessimistic view of post-2011 Egypt. The storytelling process in Cactus Flower is classic, El-Koussy explains. It follows two Egyptian women from the fading middle class: a former bourgeois, but now impoverished aging woman, Sameha (Menha El-Batrawy), and a young wannabe actress Aida (Salma Sami), struggling to find shelter in an ever tense Cairo after being evicted from their home. However, the centre of attention in the 100-minute film can be easily spotted. El-Koussy held auditions for Cactus Flower for six months, seeking the needed talent for the film, and indeed casting is a praise-worthy aspect of the film. Despite casting two lead female characters, the director rejects the oversimplified categorisation of a feminist filmmaker. I believe in the cause of feminism; however, I am dealing with a cause of a whole society with no divisions. I care about marginalised individuals in general. The weakest are overwhelmed. So I have old people, women living on their own. I wouldnt call it a feminist approach, but rather a feminine approach, El-Koussy added. "This is the way cultural hegemony works; it creates categories to sort the other and reduces it into a sub-culture." Aidas struggle to find a place in the field of acting and arts is not approached from the perspective of seeking fame, but rather as a tool to break from several different restrictions: family, carreer, a cold relationship, others morals, or life in Cairo. One of the "dream sequences" that El-Koussy used as a technique to shift back and forth between reality and fantasy shows young Aida forced to pose for a picture by her mom, and failing. The sequence shifts back to reality with her auditioning for posh products and gated communities TV commercials. She also fails, with the producer saying she is not classy enough for the role. The first half of the film shifts back and forth between reality and El-Koussys artistic representations of Aidas inner voice, which is theatrically and colorfully crafted, mixing dance, music, and monologues. The very tender and sincere performance of actress Salma Sami, in addition to her natural appearance and clothing, made her character Aida the spearhead of El-Koussys script. On the other hand, there is the interesting and compelling character of Sameha, whose dialogues reveals she lived a wild life in her youth. Her background is not known, but her attitude towards the status quo gives us some hints. She praises what Cairo used to be, gets nostalgic about her love life, and rebels against the current situation despite being poor and homeless. The chemistry and solidarity between the two characters, as well as the richness of their personal details, are brilliantly tailored in the script. In their journey to find a temporary or permanent home, they meet a young male neighbour, Yassin (Marwan Alazab). Yassins character can superficially be critiqued, for lack of development and cold acting. However, when his angelic role is interpreted we can understand why the character remains mysterious and robot-like, as he may signify the ability of young people to create and challenge. Between mediums During a road trip, Aida and Sameha come across other characters: poor homeless women who died in the street, a former dancer turned into a veiled and religious housewife, and a depressed artist. The encounters reveal more about the fears and aspirations of our characters. The films music, composed by Ahmed Sawi, follows this emotional rollercoaster. Sawi was able to go outside the orthodox in film soundtracks, El-Koussy said. The director-writer believes that films are cooperative projects, where several talented individuals are under the management of the director. However, I am not going to work with people to force my vision on them concerning music, photography, etc. There should be cooperation, she says. One of the challenges that El-Koussy faced was finding a consensus between the visual arts, a field she is a veteran in, and cinema, a medium she is experimenting in. One of the cinema funds that I presented my script to didn't understand it. That is when I had to decide whether I was to make a film or visual art, El-Koussy remembers. You make films, so more people can see it. Visual artists do work and dont care about who understands. We are taught that when you think of the audience, you lose your edge. In cinema, you are nothing without the audience. El-Koussy takes credit for the visually magnificent elements of the film, ranging from clothes to details in the composition, colours, or accessories, as well as the script. When it came to photography and music, El-Koussy sought assistance from other, also talented, personnel. I was making a film without the experience of filmmaking. This gave me freedom to experiment and create, without the pressure of being categorised. However, this freedom should be accompanied by respect for the mediums definitions, she said. Abdelsalam Moussa was responsible for the films cinematography which captured El-Koussys vision; to present some understanding to the current reality in Cairo amid the social developments throughout the past six years leaving youth in alienation, despair, or solidarity. Ive worked with Moussa since 2010. He didn't come from a visual arts background which made our work experience really great. He is really skilled and successful in TV series. However, our meeting point between cinema and the visual arts is interesting to him, and urged him to innovate. He had space to be the director of photography and space for experimenting, El-Koussy explains. Concerning crowdfunding for the film, El-Koussy wanted to go through the experience even though she knew that it was not going to be very rewarding financially. I thought that my chances were going to be higher than someone who is 25 years old, as someone who has credibility and who has been working in the field for years. I was excited that I can go in and make way for other people to repeat the experience, El-Koussy said. The film collected around EGP 100,000, not only from the online campaign but also from personal networks. Cactus Flower was screened at IFFR alongside 15 other films in the Bright Future Award section. When asked whether funding obliges artists to delete or add scenes, El-Koussy radically answers, No! I wouldn't have left that scene with a character cooking Molokhia. I wont delete it and I wont explain it. Not understanding it might colour the whole experience, along with other aspects the viewers related to. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: You may have heard of the Right to Repair legislation in the US, but if passed it will require manufacturers to sell original parts and disclose service and diagnostic manuals to third party repair shops and consumers. This should allow those shops to service electronics that they weren't able to before and help make it more accessible. The legislation has been proposed in eight US states so far and has seen heavy opposition from the likes of Apple, which alongside IBM successfully lobbied against Right to Repair in New York City. The proposed Right to Repair bill will be up for discussion in the state of Nebraska at a hearing on March 9 and Apple will be represented, along with AT&T, to oppose its passing. According to a source Apple (or AT&T) is planning to cite that "consumers who repair their own phones could cause lithium batteries to catch fire" as a reason to overturn the bill. According to Gay Gordon-Byrne, Executive Director of Repair.org, a trade organization made up of independent repair shops, industry lobbyists have used the argument that "broken glass could cut the fingers of consumers who try to repair their screens" in the past and expects safety reasons to be the main argument from opposition during the Nebraska hearing. Third-party repair shops and the people behind the proposed bill are hoping that if at least one state passes the bill more will follow and make Right of Repair a nation-wide standard benefiting consumers throughout the US. Image credit to iFixit.com. Source | Via The Sony SmartWatch 3 was not on the Android Wear 2.0 update list and the reason was easy to guess. Now you can hear it from the horses mouth - Sonys latest (or should that be last?) smartwatch will remain on version 1.5. *** SmartWatch 3 SWR50 supports up to Android Wear 1.5. Android Wear 2.0 and onwards are not supported. Yep, always read the fine print. To be fair, the watch launched in early 2014, while all the watches on the update list are from 2015. This also means that Sony hasnt released a smartwatch in three years, it seems like it has given up on the segment. Source | Via Samsung Gear Fit 2 again drops to under $130 in US Lenovo's sub-brand took the wraps off the ZUK Edge in December, on the 20th to be precise. But even though two months from that day haven't passed yet, it looks like the company is almost ready to launch a successor to that device. That seems especially odd, so do take the following with a pinch of salt. As you can see from the leaked images below, a special edition ZUK Edge II is on its way. This specific model is dedicated to Luo Tianyi, a Vocaloid character that's popular in China. The special edition has a distinctive blue hue, but the ZUK Edge II will also be offered in black. ZUK Edge II Unlike the original ZUK Edge, the Edge II appears to sport an actual curved screen, and it will also employ a dual rear camera arrangement. Unfortunately, specs for the new device haven't been leaked, so it's impossible to know how it will be different from the Edge on the inside. ZUK Edge II That said, some people may prefer the Edge II to the original simply for the dual cameras on the back and curved display, even if there's nothing else to differentiate the two. Hopefully more leaks about the ZUK Edge II are on the way to tell us more. Source (in Chinese) | Via UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova visited the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Tuesday evening, to tour the newly restored and re-opened facility. Accompanied by Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany, Bokova extended her 45-minute planned tour to 90 minutes to see the work which went into restoring the museum, which was badly damaged by a car bomb explosion in 2014 that targetted the adjacent Cairo Governorate Police Security Directorate. El-Enany said that Bokovas visit to Egypt and the MIA serves as a message to the world that it's time to visit Egypt, which he said has stood firm in the fight against terrorism. The reopening of MIA embodies Egypts success in opposing terrorism and violence, the minister said. Bokova described the restoration work as great and said it "succeeded in returning the MIA to its original allure." The work also shows dedicated international cooperation to rescue one of Egypts distinguished monuments, Bokova added. UNESCO, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Switzerland as well as other international museums, institutes and NGOs contributed to the museum's restoration. The MIA is an emblem of Islam and its contributions to history, culture, science, art and medicine, Bokova said. Bokova gifted the MIA library with a series of seven books about the history of Islam and its historical contributions. The series, published in English, was compiled by UNESCO over the last 40 years. Bokova and El-Enany are set to open Wednesday evening the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). Search Keywords: Short link: Haiti - Politics : Jovenel Moise at the 21st Anniversary of CIMO Tuesday in Delmas, President Jovenel Moise, accompanied by the President of the Senate, Youri Latortue and the Director General of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), Michel-Ange Gedeon, took part in the ceremony commemorating the 21st anniversary of the creation of the "Body of Intervention and Maintenance of Order" (CIMO) in the presence among others the Mayor of Delmas, Wilson Jeudy and the deputyfor the constituency Gary Bodeau. During his speech, the Head of State, while promising to Commissioner Vladimir Cherubin the CIMO Command, his full support to fulfill his mission, has reaffirmed his will to accompany the police institution in its professionalization process so that it can continue to protect lives and property under better conditions. HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help Next Match: at Lindenwood 2/15/2017 | 3:00 p.m. HT Next Match Full Schedule Feb. 15 (Wed) / 3:00 p.m. HT at Lindenwood History #HawaiiMVB LEBANON, Ill. The fourth-ranked University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team continued its weeklong road trip with its third straight 3-0 victory, defeating McKendree, 25-16, 25-19, 25-18 for its eighth-consecutive win Tuesday at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.In the first-ever meeting between the schools, the Rainbow Warriors (13-2) displayed their dominance at the net with 10.5 total blocks, including five by freshman. Sophomore oppositeled all attackers with 17 kills, hitting .667 with only one error in 24 attempts.The Bearcats (5-11) were led by Wyatt Patterson's eight kills, hitting .429UH hit .329 for the match while holding McKendree to .045. The Warriors also recorded four service aces. Van Tilburg was the only UH player in double figures with the next closest with five kills (and). Rosenmeier andeach had eight digs.The Warriors scored four straight points, including a kill and block by van Tilburg, for a 14-11 lead. UH pushed its lead to 21-14 after another four-point spurt capped by a van Tilburg ace. Two Gasman blocks got Hawai'i to set point as the Warriors took the opening set 25-16. UH tallied six blocks in the frame holding the Bearcats to -.094 hitting.With a slim 9-8 lead in Set 2, the Warriors scored five straight with the help of a pair of Bearcat miscues and an overpass smash byfor a 14-8 lead. McKendree closed to within three but UH responded with three straight including van Tilburg's seventh kill of the set pushing the lead to 21-15 as the Warriors rolled to a 25-19 win and 2-0 lead in the match.The Warriors built a 9-4 lead in Set 3 following a kill by Rosenmeier and block by Mol. It was all Hawai'i from there. UH reeled off five straight, including three van Tilburg kills, for a 14-6 lead and the Warriors cruised to the straight-set win.UH concludes its four-match road trip with another non-conference match at Lindenwood in St. Charles, Mo., Tuesday, Feb. 15. Match time is 3:00 p.m. HT. How to give teachers a pay raise without raising taxes by Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute, Feb 14, 2017 When I was a new teacher in Hawaii, I made over $45,000 per year. But each year, thousands of dollars of my hard-earned paycheck were taken away from me, never to be seen again. Every year, about $2,700 was taken from me and put aside for my eventual retirement. But since I didnt stay with the department long enough to be vested in the pension plan, leaving for a private-sector job instead all that retirement money just vanished at least for me. In addition, the state of Hawaii also contributed money into the retirement fund on my behalf, worth over $6,750 annually. If that money had been given to me directly as my take-home pay each year, it wouldve boosted my starting teaching salary to over $54,000 a year. In Hawaiis current legislative session, the public teachers union is asking for raises for its 13,000+ members, and no surprise union leaders want a tax increase to pay for it. But theres a better way to give all teachers a pay raise, and incentivize new teachers: Let them keep more of their paychecks. New teachers probably would appreciate the $9,000 salary increase, and smart teachers could shop for retirement plans that best suit them not just the state-sponsored one that currently is forced on them. They could still join the public plan if they elected to, or they could opt for a portable, private plan. These private retirement plans allow individuals to take their retirement savings with them even if they leave the job, meaning everything they contributed to them remains in their names no matter where they work in the future, and they can add to their totals for years to come. If teachers had more control over their paychecks, they could choose how much they wanted to contribute to their plans. This would give new school teachers more choices over their futures, and provide more options for them to deal with Hawaiis high cost of living. As an additional bonus, this would also help resolve Hawaiis massive unfunded-liabilities problem, by allowing more young people to opt out of the system. Young people already are wary of the states public pension and health-benefits systems for retirees; contributing money to a plan that has $23 billion in unfunded liabilities doesnt seem very sound. State employees who have already been contributing to the existing government plans would not be affected by such reforms except by ensuring that the pension system actually has enough funds to fund their retirement plans. But the switch would give Hawaii teachers a starting salary higher than those in the state of California, or in New York and Washington, D.C., all of which have costs of living similar to Hawaii. This could be done by modeling Hawaii pension plans after other states self-managed pension plans for government workers. This switch has helped a dozen states, such as Michigan and Oklahoma, roll back their pension debts, ultimately allowing taxpayers in those jurisdictions to keep more money in their pockets. Giving teachers more take-home pay in this way could help them deal with Hawaiis high cost of living, while also giving them more power and choice over their retirement plans all without raising taxes by even a single penny. Ultimately, this could inspire more good teachers to remain in the islands and go a long way toward helping Hawaiis keiki. Amy Robinson is claiming $548,000 in damages after she was allegedly bullied about her weight by her manager at Lorna Jane sportswear, a Brisbane court has heard. HC contacted Lorna Jane for comment and a spokesperson said the brand stands for the empowerment of women and does not tolerate bullying of any kind. The company strongly refutes the allegations that have been made. The court also heard Robinson was called demeaning names by the area manager, Megan McCarthy. This included being told she looked cheap, needed to lose weight and to skip lunch, get coffee and eat (at) home later. The manager also allegedly called Robinson an oxygen thief and a generator. The claim stated McCarthy bullied Robinson via social media and assigned inappropriate work hours in addition to her childcare responsibilities. Her lawyers claim she suffered a major depressive episode and was hospitalised due to a haemorrhoid injury due to lack of action by the employer and understaffing. The single mother has also not been able to work since leaving Lorna Jane in December 2012, the court heard. Robinsons lawyer Kimberly Allen said outside the court that what happened to her was quite simply unacceptable". "Bullying and harassment, understaffing and poor working conditions are neither reasonable nor appropriate in any Australian workplace, said Allen. "People need to be aware of what their rights are when they turn up to their jobs each and every day and what Amy's experienced at Lorna Jane should never have happened. "Amy is here today for her day in court and she's prepared to stand up and be a voice for employees' wellbeing and safety all across Australia." Aryzta chairman Gary McGann started the long journey of restoring investor confidence in the troubled Swiss-Irish food group yesterday, announcing the departure of long-serving, embattled chief executive Owen Killian. Chief financial officer Patrick McEniff and the boss of Aryzta's business in the Americas, John Yamin, will also be leaving the company at the end of its financial year in July. Warning Shares in the company rocketed more than 21pc at one stage yesterday, a reflection of how eager investors were for change at Aryzta, whose shares plummeted by a third last month after it issued a profit warning. That slump knocked about 1.4bn off its market capitalisation. At its peak, the surge yesterday added as much as 577m Swiss francs (542m) to the Cuisine de France owner's market cap. However, with the search for new top brass set to begin, Aryzta is now effectively operating within a power vacuum. Mr McGann - the former chief executive of Smurfit Kappa - is not taking on any interim executive responsibilities. Investec analyst Ian Hunter said that such a move would have provided some comfort to investors. Aryzta an nounced three new insider chief operating officer appointments yesterday: Dermot Murphy, Europe; Ronan Minahan, Americas; and Robert O'Boyle for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Mr Hunter said he remains optimistic about Aryzta's long-term , but warned that it faces big challenges. "This is proactive, the board has taken control and we can expect things to move on from there," he said, adding that the changes should have been made earlier. Under FOI legislation, we know that between 2011 and 2014 we spent a staggering 705,000 on Paddy's Day ministerial trips to just about every far-flung place. Believe or not, our modest Taoiseach Enda Kenny forked out 142,000 during his visit to the Oval Office in 2013. In 2015, more than 20 ministers were dispatched across the globe. Governments down the years have always staunchly defended the value of these goodwill tours. I agree that it is a powerful opportunity every year to showcase our little country and highlight the advantages of bringing foreign investment here, and of course to advertise the tourist attraction that is our beautiful island. Envy The traditional annual visit of the Taoiseach to the White House to present the crystal bowl of shamrock is the cause of envy that we have access to the most powerful man in the world every March. However, I think this year the Government should take a stand against US president Donald Trump and refuse the invitation. That aside, it was with much interest and not without a great deal of cynicism that I read of the advice being offered by mandarins in the Department of Finance to this year's crop of ambassadors. They were advised in a memo to go handy on expenses. They were told not to book themselves or their entourage into five-star hotels and to use economy class flights for their travels. So this year it would seem that our roving envoys will be forced to say no to flying first-class and the culinary experience of Michelin-starred restaurants. Poor souls. Happy couple Carol Dignam and Tim Boylan at the Shrine of St Valentine Social media and technology addiction is wreaking havoc on the marriages of more than a third of couples who sought help through Catholic counselling service Accord last year. Nearly a quarter of the 5,523 couples who attended marriage counselling sessions last year cited the overuse of mobile phones and texting as a problem in their relationships. Nineteen per cent said internet use in general presented a problem in their intimate relationships. Bishop of Kildare Denis Nulty, who is the president of Accord, said society's growing obsession with technology and devices is causing huge problems in the lives of couples. "It is a huge issue. It continues to really surface in marriage as a serious problem because the couple is not sure exactly what the relationship is," he told the Herald. "Years ago, the text, the tweet, the Snapchap app, Instagram, Whatsapp were not even considerations in counselling. "Today they contribute hugely to the fractured narrative that unfolds in many counselling sessions. "What was said in that tweet, the picture that was shared on social media, the reactive response on Snapchat can do enormous damage to a relationship, to trust and to the individual themselves." It is not only couples who are allowing technology to take over their lives. Entire families are no longer engaging with each other face to face in the real world, Dr Nulty added. Engaged "I saw four people at a meal recently. All four were on their smart phones," he said. "By the time the main course was served, no one was talking to each other. We need to talk more." The bishop made his comments as he blessed the engagement rings of a recently-engaged couple at the shrine to St Valentine in the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Whitefriar Street in Dublin. In keeping with the spirit of St Valentine's day, the church handed out a series of free tokens of affection, including one that offers the bearer a "technology-free evening to do an activity of your choice". For restaurant manager Tim Boylan (30), from Foxrock, who recently proposed to his fiancee Carol Dignam (31), from Kilcock, Co Kildare, at a Dublin restaurant, that particular token will not be needed. Unlike many of their generation, the couple are not glued to their mobile devices 24/7. "We never have any computers on in the house when we're at home" said Tim. "We're not on Facebook or anything like that." Carol added: "We're not real 'millennials' at all." It's difficult to know where to begin in this twisted tale of treachery, lies and deceit. After all, the Sgt Maurice McCabe 'Whistlegate' saga has rumbled on now for nearly 10 years. Shortly before 2008, Sgt McCabe outed corruption in An Garda Siochana. As a result, an inquiry was set up to examine his complaints. The commission, chaired by Judge Kevin O'Higgins, and the subsequent inquiries upheld Sgt McCabe's claims. Sgt McCabe has always claimed he was motivated to act to draw attention to what he saw as practices of corruption and malpractice and, to quote him, "to ensure that An Garda Siochana adheres to decent and appropriate standards of policing in its dealings with the Irish people". Disgraceful Since Sgt McCabe went public, he and his family have been to hell and back. It is alleged that a disgraceful and shameful campaign led by a cohort of senior officers at Garda HQ attempted to vilify and destroy the sergeant's reputation. If the public inquiries that will now investigate all aspects of this sorry case find truth in these damning allegations, it will reflect so badly on An Garda Siochana. Last Wednesday, Labour leader Brendan Howlin stated, under Dail privilege, that a journalist who had direct knowledge informed him that Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan had orchestrated a smear campaign to blacken the name of Sgt McCabe. The existence of a deliberate smear campaign against Sgt McCabe was given further credence by the disclosure by Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness of a meeting with former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan on January 24, 2014. At that meeting, Mr McGuinness has since confirmed, he was told of vile allegations against Sgt McCabe. On last Thursday's RTE Prime Time programme, it was disclosed that Tusla made an error when it accused Sgt McCabe of child sex abuse. It is clear to everyone now that these must be the very same false allegations that were whispered by Mr Callinan into Mr McGuinness's ear. To add another twist, Supt David Taylor, who had been arrested on suspicion of unlawful disclosure to the press, was cleared of all wrongdoing by the DPP and reinstated to his post on Monday. Innocence This is the officer-turned- whistleblower who has alleged that, when he was in the Garda Press Office, he was directed by Ms O'Sullivan to focus the media on the wrongdoings of Sgt McCabe. Ms O'Sullivan is entitled, as are all citizens, to the presumption of innocence. She has continually denied any involvement in a smear campaign. Despite calls from many quarters, she has refused to stand aside while the inquiry is carried out. This affair has escalated into a huge scandal. In a poll of 1,000 people conducted on Monday, the vast majority said Ms O'Sullivan should stand aside. In the interests of justice for Sgt McCabe and his family, I agree with them. Employees from three Tesco stores across Dublin warned of an "indefinite strike" as they took to the picket line. Pickets formed outside branches in Ballyfermot, Finglas and Baggot Street yesterday - staff also picketed another five stores outside of Dublin. The dispute between management and trade union Mandate centres on a company plan to move long-serving staff - workers who were hired before 1996 - onto a lower-paid contract. The largest strike was in Finglas, north Dublin, with more than 180 staff taking part according to a Mandate Trade Union spokesperson. Brian Barrett (47), who grew up in Finglas, has worked in the Finglas branch for 28 years. Mr Barrett will be getting married next month to his partner, who also works in Tesco. Married "We're getting married on March 25, the two of us will be really hit if this escalates, but we're willing to bite the bullet now at this stage. If we have to get married on the picket, we'll do it," he said. Colleague Gerard Mahady (52), also from Finglas, has worked there for 30 years with his wife, who has been employed there for 26 years. "We were told that our contracts are going to be ripped up, and we're being offered new ones. There will be a loss of income for me personally of 15pc," he said. "I wouldn't be able to afford my mortgage and bills. I don't know how to make ends meet. They employ 14,500 people - how are 200 people affecting them? Just leave us alone, we've done nothing wrong and we shouldn't be treated like this." He added that most of his peers in work earn 14.30 an hour. Mandate Trade Union is currently looking for clarification regarding a Labour Court recommendation. Escalation "It looks like an escalation of the dispute is where we're heading, there doesn't seem to be any desire by Tesco to sit down and engage. They don't want to seek clarification from the Labour Court," said union representative Brendan O'Hanlon. Another eight stores are set to join them this Friday, and five of them are in Dublin. Tesco released a statement describing the strike as "unnecessary" and "unjustified". "Tesco and our colleagues remain shocked that Mandate is still going ahead with this strike and that the union has advised customers to shop in non-unionised competitor stores," it said. "Despite the actions of Mandate, the company has not made any changes to the pre-1996 terms and conditions of the 250 workers at the centre of the dispute." Cllr Andrew Keegan, attending the strike, said: "If you think about the profits a company like Tesco makes, it could easily pay a decent wage to staff. It's a race to the bottom." This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalize ads and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. 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No one under 18 can enter our giveaways. No purchase is necessary. All winners have one week to claim their prize. USA shipping only. Offer void where prohibited. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. "Swiri," the film about a female North Korean spy, was so popular when it was screened in 1999 that it attracted as 2.45 million viewers. Won Jeong-hwa, who has been arrested for posing as a defector while spying for the North, was doing so just when the film was being shown. Had she seen it? Trained as an agent by the North's Ministry of Public Security and the State Security Department, Won was dispatched to China in 1998. She allegedly helped abduct 100-odd North Korean refugees and seven South Koreans and dispatch them to the North. Infiltrating South Korea in 2001 posing as a defector, she transmitted to the North information on some 100 military officers and attempted to induce an army major, identified as Kim, to defect to the North. The woman was also alleged to have been told to find out the whereabouts of Hwang Jang-yop, a former secretary of the North Korean Workers' Party who fled to the South in 1997, and of South Korean intelligence agents engaged in espionage operations, and to assassinate some of them. The spy incident is shocking in two respects. To begin with, North Korea has not given up terrorism despite its endeavors to get removed from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. Pyongyang killed Choi Duck-keun, a consul at the South Korean Consulate-General in Vladivostok, in 1996, and assassinated Ri Han-yong, a nephew of Kim Jong-il's wife in broad daylight in 1997. As the latest incident, the North is still abducting South Koreans in China and has not given up attempts to assassinate figures like Hwang. I urge the government to demand that the U.S. administration put off removing North Korea from the list of states sponsoring terrorism until the North apologizes for the abductions and assassinations. The U.S. now links the delisting issue to the nuclear problem. The spy incident calls for delaying the delisting until it is ascertained the North has no intent of resorting to terror. What is equally shocking is how seriously our security consciousness with regard to the North has been slipping in the past 10 years under the Sunshine Policy. Military information and education officers in the military constitute the frontline of ideological warfare against the North. It's appalling that such officers gave the green light to a woman who was spying for the North. Won allegedly delivered 52 security lectures to active officers and enlisted men for the year and a half from November 2006. In these so-called security lectures, she told them the Korean War was started by the U.S. and Japan, and that North Korea's nuclear weapons are for self-defense. No wonder that some of our soldiers hold the view that our main enemy is not the Kim Jong-il regime but the U.S. and Japan. But our government should not give up on North Korean refugees because of the spy incident. The U.S., despite the infiltration of some spies, did not stop accommodating Cuban refugees. Until the Kim Jong-il regime is replaced, the North's strategy of communizing the South will remain intact and espionage agents will continue infiltrating here. We must not waiver in our principles because of the minor risks involved. North Korean refugees in the South will play a major role in reconstructing North Korean society after Kim Jong-il era and will be a catalyst in Korea's unification. Instead, we should increase security education and a drive to know North Korea for what it is. Won Jeong-hwa did not die a heroic death like the heroine of "Swiri." She underwent a psychological change while living in the South, taking a more objective view of the North and is said to have recently intended to surrender to police. The problem lies inside us. Having lived for too long under governments that are ignorant of the realities in North Korea and that do not teach the public of these realities, our security consciousness has slipped. The Lee Myung-bak administration should re-start public education on the real North Korea. A series of executions and unexplained deaths since North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son Jong-un was anointed heir to the throne in January 2009 were apparently meant to remove obstacles to the transition. Kim senior instituted several bloody purges to ensure his iron grip on power since he officially took over from his own father in 1994. The most prominent example is perhaps the death of Ri Je-gang, a former senior deputy director of the Organization and Guidance Department and a close aide to Kim Jong-il who oversaw key military appointments for more than two decades. Ri was a bitter rival of Jang Song-taek, Kim Jong-il's brother-in-law and guardian to Jong-un, and was killed in a mysterious car crash in late May 2010, just a few days before Jang was promoted to vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, the North's highest leadership organ. Ri Yong-chol, the second-in-command at the Organization and Guidance Department, also died of a heart attack in April of last year. "Ri Je-gang was the central figure of the old guard," a knowledgeable source in China said. "He seems to have been eliminated to boost the power of Kim Jong-un's supporters." Economic officials have also purged. Pak Nam-gi, director of the Planning and Finance Department in the Workers Party, and Moon Il-bong, head of finance, were executed by firing squad in April and June last year. Hong Sok-hyong, who succeeded Pak, was relieved of all of his duties in June and his whereabouts are unknown. Ex-minister of railways Kim Yong-sam was executed in June of last year after being linked to a massive explosion in Ryongchon in 2004 that is believed to have been a botched attack on Kim Jong-il's armored train. Key intelligence and public security officials have also disappeared while the succession was being assured. Ryu Kyong, the deputy director of the State Security Department, was shot early this year as he was considered a rival to Jang. Ju Sang-song, the minister of People's Security, was fired in March of this year. "Those considered as obstacles to Kim Jong-un are being removed," a source said. "Another bloody purge is likely after the period of mourning for Kim Jong-il ends." The crosshairs are expected to be aimed at elderly military and party officials who could consider Kim Jong-un a lightweight. O Kuk-ryol (80), who was the central military figure during the Kim Jong-il regime is on top of the bucket list, according to experts. O was not appointed to any position within the Politburo or Central Military Commission during an extraordinary party congress in September last year. The North's espionage operations against South Korea, which O had headed over the past 20 years, are now headed by Kim Yong-chol, who has emerged as a key aide to Kim Jong-un. Secretaries to Kim Jong-il and other elderly party officials also represent obstacles to Kim Jong-un. Kim Jong-il in turn got rid of his own father's secretaries when he took over. There are views that Kim Jong-un's "reign of terror" has already begun. According to a government source, there were 60 public executions in North Korea last year, a three-fold increase from 2009. The North Korean government set up special riot police in each part of the country. A year after Kim Jong-il was appointed North Korea's top military commander, in October 1992, he purged 20 military officers who were educated in the Soviet Union and had gained control of the North's troops. In April 1995, just after his father's death, he executed hundreds of soldiers when suspicious developments in the Sixth Army Corps stationed in North Hamgyong Province were detected. In 1997, when millions of North Koreans were starving to death, Kim Jong-il executed his then agriculture secretary So Kwan-hui in Pyongyang after accusing him of being a U.S. spy. HICKORY Hickory Police swore in three new officers, and Hickory Fire hired two experienced firefighters Feb. 10, according to press releases from the departments. All three of the new HPD officers have begun their careers in law enforcement with the HPD. Its always exciting to see new officers answer the call to enter the policing profession, as I believe there is no greater way to serve and give back to their community, HPD Police Chief Thurman Whisnant said via the release. The new officers are Bradley Beach, of Lenoir; Binh P. Dang, of Vietnam; and Joshua D. Reuscher, of Granite Falls. They have been assigned to the Patrol Division. These three officers have met the high standards of the Hickory Police Department, and we look forward to watching them grow throughout their careers here, Whisnant said. The new firefighters have worked at other departments previously, according to a release. The N.C. Fire & Rescue Commission has certified both men as level two firefighters, EMTs, technical rescuers and with hazardous materials operations. J. Clay Barber served as a captain with Bandys Fire Department and has more than seven years of experience. Spencer Carpenter, with five years of experience, last served at the Union Volunteer Fire Department. 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/ When I heard that Elon Musks Tesla was likely to come to India this summer, my first response was that this is not going to work. Okay, thats not exactly true. My first response was a very happy this cannot be true! jig. My second more sobering thought was but this is not going to work. I have since changed my mind about all of that. The reasons for why Tesla doesnt really work in an Indian context are simple. Elon Musks larger project across his almost science fictional repertoire of companies SpaceX, OpenAI, SolarCity are about saving humanity. Running electric cars, charged on electricity generated through renewable energy, reducing humanitys dependence on fossil fuels, reducing pollution, creating fast transport that is also clean, side-stepping the end-of-oil apocalypse, not to mention space exploration; these are the dreams that this prophet of Generation Geek stands for. Read: Owning a Tesla in India: A summer 2017 dream shown by Musk and Modi And India still works largely on coal-based energy. Besides, large parts of India still dont have electricity in their homes. How are we going to get Supercharger Stations? Also, what about the state of Indian roads? Not just the bad roads in most of India, but also the bad driving that is a hallmark of our chaotic road systems, where traffic rules are usually like the Pirate Code more guidelines than actual laws. Self-driving cars in India is a distant dream, I argued to my friends, just like clean public toilets and the eradication of caste discrimination. And then one of them said, forget the self drive, but in Gurgaon, it is easy to install charging points in those peoples garages who can afford to buy a Tesla. And then it struck me that he was absolutely right. Even if self-driven cars wont work in India, Tesla still can. If Tesla doesnt care where the cars electricity comes from, there wont be much of a problem. And for globe-trotting, brand conscious, upper class, urban Indians driving around in Porsches and Ferraris, Tesla is the Next Big Thing. It was then pointed out to me that the Tesla Model X has a great suspension system and a ground clearance that is better than many luxury cars that are currently selling in India (Model X has a ground clearance of 183mm, Mahindra Scorpio 180mm, Toyota Corolla Altis 175mm, Volkswagen Jetta 159mm), which will make it easier to drive along the potholed roads of the country. As for charging points, a single charge is expected to be able to give the Model 3 215 miles (thats 346km). That should be enough to get from office to home and back for a few days; or to do the odd weekend drive from Mumbai to Panchgani or Delhi to Jaipur. Read: Tesla CEO Elon Musk hints at India launch this summer Teslas cars are intended for the luxury car market, given the most inexpensive Model 3 is priced at $35,000 or a little more than Rs 23 lakh without taxes; and the car may draw massive customs duty on completely built electric cars in India, unless they plan to manufacture or at least assemble the car here for a tax break. Other than simply selling because of its brand value or the near-religious fan following that Elon Musk commands, there is a possibility that Tesla and Musk may be able to bring about some much needed changes in the way that we look at off-grid electricity and electric and hybrid vehicles in India. Tesla brings with it the possibility of its subsidiary company SolarCity also coming to India, which (in the USA) sells renewable energy commercially at prices below utility rates, making it possible to go completely off-grid. As the Indian automobile market continues to grow, Elon Musk and Tesla may be simply making a sound business decision to bring their cutting edge cars to India, without necessarily hoping to achieve the ideals of it. There has also been talk of Tesla setting up a manufacturing plant in India, which might be able to bring down costs a bit more. My initial enthusiasm at Teslas coming to India may have been tempered with the realisation Musks project of clean energy and driverless cars will not sell here. But knowing that the brands of both Tesla the company and Elon Musk the person have become big enough to be able to sell simply on the basis of themselves, I no longer think that Tesla is setting up to fail in India. While I dont think I will be able to buy a Tesla car any time soon, I am hopeful that Elon Musk and his famous cars will be able to bring a new turn to the conversation about electric cars and inexpensive renewable energy in India. Well, fingers crossed. @stillnotadoc SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Known for giving unexpected results every time it goes to polls, the Lucknows Sarojini Nagar constituency is often referred to as a surprise constituency. Barring the BJP, candidates of all prominent parties (Janata Dal, Janata Party, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party) and also Independents have represented the seat in last 13 assembly polls since 1967. However, the delimitation in 2011 has changed the voter dynamics in the constituency with upper caste share increasing to 32%, making the BJP prospects brighter. While the Muslim and Dalit voters have decreased considerably after delimitation, many feel it wont be an easy sail for the BJP candidate Swati Singh this time. She is facing the challenge from party rebel leader Rudra Daman Singh, who is now contesting as independent candidate. He had got an impressive 41,000 votes in 2012 polls. BJP candidate, Swati Singh, campaigning in her constituency. (HT Photo) Making the contest interesting is Anurag Yadav, who is chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs cousin and is the SP-Congress alliance joint candidate. Interesting, the hurdle in Anurags way is sitting SP MLA Sharda Pratap Shukla who has rebelled and is contesting as Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate this time. Shukla has won the seat thrice, as an independent, Janta Dal, and SP candidate in 1985, 1989 and 2012 respectively. The Samajwadi Party (SP) is banking on Yadavs and other backward castes which together form 52.5 % of strong vote bank. Similarly, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too is banking on 22 % Brahmins, 8 % Kashtariya and 2 % of Vaish voters (total 32 % of general category voters). Read more: Its Yadav familys chhoti bahu vs veteran Bahuguna in Lucknow Cantt seat The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded Shiv Shankar Singh Chauhan alias Shankari Singh to garner 28 % SC/ST and 8 % Kshatriyas (total 36 % vote) votes. The experts insist the addition of youths votes of around 44,000 would also play a crucial role. The people in the constituency say it is difficult to guess the mood of youths and feel that the contest would be very close between all five main candidates. Tracing the history Sharda Pratap Shukla is a three time MLA from the constituency. While in 1985 he won as an independent candidate banking on general category voters, in 1989 and 2012 he got elected as Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party candidates. In 1991, Vijay Kumar Tripathi popularly known as Raja Saheb from Congress grabbed the seat banking on the Congress sympathy vote. The SPs Shyam Kishore Yadav won the elections twice in 1993 and 1996 courtesy the high percentage of Yadav voters. Later, BSPs Mohd Irshad Khan won elections twice in 2002 and 2007 grabbing major portion of Dalit and Muslim voters added after the then delimitation. Since 1967, Congress had won the seat five times, SP won the seat thrice and BSP won the seat twice. Janata Dal, Janata Party and independent candidate has grabbed the seat one time each. Constituency profile Sarojininagar constituency is a mix of rural and urban areas including 80 Gram Sabhas and 9 Lucknow Municipal Corporation wards. It includes around 2, 55,000 urban voters and 1, 40,000 rural voters. The constituency covers localities of Banthra, Krishna Nagar, Para, PGI, Sarojininagar and Ashiana, Cant, Gosaiganj and a part of Mohanlalganj. All want infrastructure, better law & order Youngsters insist they want to rise above caste and religion this election and vote for the best candidate. (HT Photo) Bad roads, choked drains, underdeveloped residential colonies and spurt in crime graph are main issues that will be in the mind of voters of Sarojini Nagar constituency. Almost all of the voters Hindustan Times approached unanimously agreed to vote for development, better civic facilities, employment opportunities, better law and order situation and uprooting corruption. We will vote for the candidate who will ensure better roads and other infrastructure in the area, said a group of youngsters caught discussing politics at a prominent eatery near Power House crossing in Aashiana. Constituency has been continuously neglected by the politicians as they always talk of areas caste ratios but this time the youngsters has decided to vote for the better candidate cutting across the caste and religion, said Satyendra, 28, a private firm executive. Another youth, Zeeshan, 25, said he and his friends will vote for the candidate who will ensure development and employment for youngsters. Unlike youngsters, Varsha Singh, 36, a house wife said she will vote for candidate who will ensure better civic facilities in the area and safe atmosphere for women. She pointed out that nobody has done anything to address the sewage and water supply issues in her colony (and resident of New Defence Colony alongside Saheed Path on Rae Bareli road) for the past 20 years. She also raised an issue of women safety in the area. Another housewife Sonaki, 34, a resident of Eldeco Udyan II colony, too insisted that spurt in crime was the major issue the constituency faces. The biggest issue of the area is frequent crime incidents like house thefts, chain and purse snatchings. Moreover, Ashiana, which is the constituencys biggest residential colony, is infamous for crime against women like rape and eve teasing she said and added, For voters, it is time to decide the fate of the area for next five years and vote for better candidate. Vikas Singh Barthwal, 39, a resident of South City colony, said the water logging due to choked drains in the biggest issue for his colony. He said he will vote for person who will focus on improving basic civic amenities. Read more: Lucknow East constituency, citys business hub, wants political parties to create jobs Polling is being held on Wednesday in 67 assembly constituencies of western Uttar Pradesh in the second of seven phases and in 69 assembly seats in Uttarakhand. The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pardesh had in 2012 won 34 of these seats spread across 11 districts. It has tied-up with Congress this time in the contest against BJP and BSP. 720 candidates are in the fray in this phase in UP with a maximum of 22 from Barhapur (Bijnor) and a minimum of four nominees from Dhanaura (Amroha). 2.28 crore people are eligible to vote, including over 1.04 crore women. 14,771 polling centres and 23,693 polling stations have been set up in the districts of Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun and elaborate security arrangements made to ensure free amd fair polling, election officials said. Prominent contestants include controversial SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar seats respectively, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha. BSP had bagged 18 seats last time, BJP 10, Congress three and others two. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah led the party campaign, intensifying their attack on Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his ally Congress. BJP is hoping to replicate its 2014 general election performance when it swept the politically crucial state. The SP-Congress alliances charge was spearheaded by Akhilesh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. BSP supremo Mayawati reached out to minority voters and said she will prove pollsters wrong as she did in 2012, when they had predicted her defeat. In the hill state of Uttarakhand, around 74.20 lakh voters will decide the fate of 628 candidates as 69 out of 70 assembly constituencies spread over 13 districts go to polls. Polling in Karnaprayag seat has been put off to March 9 following the death of BSP candidate Kuldeep Singh Kanwasi in a road accident on Sunday. Congress and BJP are locked in a straight contest in most of the seats but the presence of about a dozen rebel candidates in the fray as independents and the saffron party fielding former Congressmen may upset the calculations. Rahul held two public meetings in Rishikesh and Someshwar besides a 75-km roadshow in Haridwar district which has the maximum number of 11 constituencies in Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Harish Rawat has gone all out to woo voters by holding several public meetings and roadshows on daily basis in perhaps the most crucial election of his career. A total of 30,000 security personnel including 105 companies of central armed police force, 25 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary, Uttarakhand police and the homeguards have been deployed. For the first time voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines will be used in these elections in Uttarakhand. The BJP has been attacking the ruling parties in both the states over corruption. Modi raised the issue of demonetisation and surgical strikes repeatedly at his rallies. Congress and Samajwadi Party have in turn accused Modi of failing to deliver on his promises and causing suffering to the common man with note ban. The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Akhilesh Yadav government of releasing hundreds of criminals on parole to influence the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in its favour. To capitalize on the release of criminals on parole, the BJP announced in its manifesto that if the party is voted to power, it will put all those prisoners who jumped parole behind bars within 45 days. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures are misleading. After we form the government we will dig out the actual numbers of those who jumped parole, says BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi. But the BJP itself is not completely clean. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) analysis of affidavits for the first two phases of polling shows that all parties have people with criminal records in the fray with the BSP topping the list followed by the BJP and Samajwadi Party. Despite the BJPs claim, Indias prison statistics suggest 262 prisoners in UP jumped parole in 10 years from 2006 to 2015 against the all India figure of 6,902. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajiv Rai dared BJP to first sack its state president Keshav Maurya who is facing criminal charges and also those with criminal records who joined the BJP from BSP if it really wants to raise the issue of parole violations. UPs additional inspector general of jails, Akhtar Niyaz says they had sent a list of prisoners who were granted parole in the past few months, to the Election Commission of India. But many say that ganglords in UP wield so much influence that they dont need to get out of jail to influence elections. Criminals feel safe inside the jail instead of outside while exercising their power to manipulate elections. They dont need parole. And it is not only mobile phones the ganglords also execute their plans through visitors too, says Congress spokesperson Satyadev Tripathi. Dons like Mukhtar Ansari, Amarmani Tripathi, Munna Bajrangi, Brijesh Singh and Atiq Ahmad are lodged in different jails but they have the capabilities of influencing any election in any part of the state, say police sources. Ironically, UP has been one of the toughest states in granting parole to prisoners in the last 10 years. From 2006 to 2015, 2,80,566 prisoners were granted parole in the country including 1389 from UP which translates to a percentage of 0.49. But when it comes to prisoners release on bail, UP has the highest figures in the country. In 2015, 2,01,474 undertrials were released on bail, a whopping 97.38 % of the total undertrials released. The number of convicts released on bail was more than 9600. Former political science professor of Lucknow University SK Dwivedi says criminals in jails enjoy all facilities, thanks to political patronage. Jail is a heaven for them and they are operating their business smoothly from the jail. The ouster of North Korean eminence grise Jang Song-taek throws into relief the fate of leader Kim Jong-un's older half-brother Jong-nam, who was raised by Jang and his wife. Kim Jong-nam is the eldest son of former leader Kim Jong-il and was thought to be the designated heir until he fell from grace in 2001. Since then he has lived in lavishly funded exile in Macau and Beijing and has had practically no contact with his younger half-brother. Kim Jong-nam has not been seen in Macau for over a year. "He seems to be living a quiet life traveling between Singapore and China," a source based in Beijing said Tuesday. "He's probably lying low now that Jang, to whom he was close, has been purged." Kim Jong-nam has been critical of the dynastic succession of power in the North, talking freely to a Japanese journalist about the need for reform in the North. But lately he has been more quiet. There is speculation that China is grooming Jong-nam to take over if the regime of Kim Jong-un were to collapse. "Rumor has it that China is protecting Kim Jong-nam," the source added. As steam starts oozing out of the kettle at a tea stall in Bhootnath market, people waiting for a cup utilise their time by evaluating the decision they took in 2012 for Lucknow East constituency. The contest is tough this time, remarks Devendra Gupta, senior vice-president of Lucknow Vyapaar Mandal during a chat with traders Amitabh Srivastava, Sohail Haider and Paramjeet Singh. In 2012, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalraj Mishra won the seat by securing 68,726 votes, defeating Juhi Singh of the Samajwadi Party (47,908 votes). The by-election in 2014 also went in favour of the BJP. Gupta feels SP-Congress joint candidate Anurag Singh Bhadauria and Saroj Kumar Shukla of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) may make BJPs task tougher. BJP has been winning the seat since 1991. Lucknow East is one of the most happening constituencies of the district. Abuzz with trade activity, it also has the maximum number of job aspirants and business establishments. It used to be a matter of pride for those who resided in Indira Nagar. However, the planned colony has failed to meet the challenges of growing population. Once touted as Asias biggest colony, the area hardly has any good road with footpaths, says Subodh Shukla, a resident of Indira Nagar. Bhootnath market, also known as mini-Hazratganj, is struggling to keep pace with the changing times. Markets have no public toilets and the ones that exist are not enough to cater to the crowd. A few shop owners had to get toilets constructed, as unclean ones kept customers at bay. Traders want conducive business environment but there is no space. It has become difficult to walk through Bhootnath due to encroachments. Similar situation prevails at Amrapali, Munshipulia, Nishatganj and other markets where traders suffer losses, says Gupta. Main roads are full of potholes and lanes are in a bad shape. The entire constituency is well connected with public transport but commuting is still not easy. Unplanned stoppages give a tough time to people. The issue of unemployment can be addressed if the potential of individuals is linked to the work they can do best, says Anurag Singh Bhadauria. Security of women and senior citizens is a major poll issue. Women think twice before going out alone after 7 pm, says Ekta Shukla, a housewife. The issue of womens security issue can be addressed by Mahila Raksha Dal, a quick response team, says Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Rohit Agrawal. Heaps of garbage spoil the look of the roads. We pay taxes but do not get basic facilities. There is no one to solve our problems, says Priyanka, a housewife. People in Harihar Nagar have put up bamboo poles to get electricity while construction of roads is a major demand in Kalyanpur. Roads are in bad shape in many areas of the Lucknow East constituency. (Ashok Dutta/HT Photo) Residents of Patel Nagar and Rajiv Nagar say basic problems are not addressed by public representatives. Notwithstanding the politics between an MLA and the state government, at least our representative can raise our problems, even if solution is not possible, says a voter. Lucknow East has schools, hotels, parks and offices of multinational companies but people want their requirement of bijli, sadak and paani (electricity, road and water) be met. Brahmin, Thakur and Muslim voters hold the key to Vidhan Sabha. The constituency has 10% residents who are from other cities, especially from Purvanchal (east UP), and are settled in Indira Nagar and Gomti Nagar. Looking back From former UP chief minister Chandra Bhanu Gupta to BJP heavyweight Kalraj Mishra, the constituency has elected politicians from various parties since 1951. Voters have given opportunity to a number of candidates and parties but repeated only a few. Lucknow East has been BJPs bastion ever since 1991 when Bhagwati Prasad Shukla defeated Congresss Swaroop Rani Bakshi by 24,412 votes. Shukla retained the seat in 1993. After delimitation, parts of Mahona constituency were included in Lucknow East. Prominent MLAs from Lucknow East include former chief minister Chandra Bhanu Gupta, Swaroop Rani Bakshi, and Kalraj Mishra. In 2012 assembly elections, Lucknow East was the only seat in the state capital that was retained by the BJP. Areas that come under the constituency include Mahanagar, Badshahnagar, Gomti Nagar, Rabindrapalli, Indira Nagar, Ismailganj, Kamta and Kalyanpur. Read more: Its Yadav familys chhoti bahu vs veteran Bahuguna in Lucknow Cantt seat SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BJPs leader and a member of Parliament Varun Gandhi, who is among the saffron partys 40 star campaigners for the third and fourth phases of polling in Uttar Pradesh, is conspicuous by his absence in not only his own constituency Sultanpur but in the state as well, workers have alleged. The Bharatiya Janata Party workers wonder whether Gandhi himself has decided to keep away from his parliamentary constituency or has been kept away by the party leadership deliberately. Omprakash Pandey Bajrangi, his representative in the district, is also desperately waiting for the parliamentarian to come and spur his prospects in the ongoing assembly elections. Bajrangi is contesting as the BJP candidate from Isauli assembly constituency. Workers are agitated (over Gandhis absence). They come and pour out their anger at us. We have to listen to them, Satyaprakash Pandey, a BJP leader and Bajrangis brother, said. Read| Behind BJPs UP poll campaign: Young, tech and media-savvy team manning the war room However, Bajrangi sought to play down the issue while campaigning in his constituency. He is a national leader. Its the party which decides his programmes. He cannot decide it on his own. His presence will definitely give a boost to the morale of the party workers, Bajrangi told Hindustan Times. Five of the assembly constituencies in Sultanpur go to polls on February 27 in the fifth of the seven-phased elections. A picture from Varun Gandhis constituency of Sultanpur. (Ranjan/HT Photo) Gandhi, a two-time young MP, has been out of favour with the party leadership, but his influence in seats going to poll in the third and fourth phases of polling in the state forced the party to bring him back for campaigning. When contacted Gandhi said, Lets see, there is a lot of time still left and I think these things will be worked out in the next couple of days. BJP workers say the MP is yet to meet the aspirations of the district as far as its development is concerned. Vallipur village, just on the outskirts of the city, that has been adopted by the member of Parliament stands a testimony to the allegations. Dirt, filth and garbage can be seen strewn around the village with many thatched houses. Read| UP election: How BJP changes its narrative within 50 kms, from Hindutva to secularism Villagers said the absence of a proper drainage system leads to water logging and certain low-lying areas turn into ponds, which poses a threat to the health of people as it becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. During rains, one of the segments of the village is cut off from others as there is no pucca road. The villagers said they collected Rs 5,000 and got the drains cleaned. However, sanitation workers from the civic body have not been coming to the locality since the past two months. When the villagers complained, authorities said the workers would be able to come to the village only after the elections. Unemployment is another major problem in the village and a training centre run under Jan Shikshan Sansthan has not been functioning for the past two months. There is no other employment scheme for the villagers. The trainer at the centre, Sunita Vishwakarma, said she has not received her remuneration of Rs 2000 per month for about a year now from the NGO which runs the centre. Villagers also complained that the toilets built for them were of substandard quality. They said they cannot use them as the floors of many of the toilets have caved in. This is the quality. We cannot use it and are forced to go outside to respond to the call of nature, Vanshraj Nishad, a rickshaw puller, said while pointing at the set of toilets built outside his thatched house. Dropout of children from schools is another issue, villagers said. Village pradhan Usha Devi defended Gandhi, saying it was because of his efforts that 80 houses could be built and 30 more are yet to be built. A water tank too would be constructed soon, she added. A villager said they came to know that Vallipur was adopted as adarsh or model village for one only a year and added it could be the reason that the MP has not been able to help them further. Read| UP elections: BJP needs poll victory for NDA candidate to become next President Rizwan Khan, 30, had returned from Saudi Arabia in 2013 hoping to find a job in his hometown Etawah, 250 km from Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow. Its been four years now and Khan is still jobless. He visits the employment office thrice a week looking for updates on his application for a drivers job. The Samajwadi Party (SP) had promised jobs when it came to power in 2012. I am still waiting for a call, says Khan, an arts graduate and a trained driver, as he waits outside the district employment office in Etawah. This pocket borough of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his extended family will vote in the third phase of the ongoing assembly polls on February 19. I was happy earning 2,100 Saudi Riyals (about Rs 37,000), I would send half that money home. Now I have nothing to earn. I will go back now, he says. Every time he visits the office, he is told he will get a call when selected. In Etawah and its neighbourhood there are several unemployed youth like Khan who are disenchanted with the ruling party. Their aspirational hopes dashed more so because they belong to the Yadav family stronghold. If we want to go for higher studies, we have to go to Lucknow or Delhi. We do not have educational facilities, forget about jobs, says Shivam Kumar, son of a government employee, who is looking at a non-SP option this time. There are 75 employment exchanges across Uttar Pradesh with 15.5 Lakh unemployed youths registered with them officially. On an average 50,000 people are employed through job fairs annually, says PK Pundir, assistant director, employment. There has been no direct recruitment in the past five years, he adds. Read | UP election: In a Rae Bareli beauty parlour, women say safety is an election issue As on January 31 this year, 94,407 unemployed were registered with the Etawah exchange. The numbers have come down from 1,36,000 in May 2015 after the system went online. Officials says not a single applicant registered at this exchange could make it to any government job in the last five years. The unemployed figures came down after duplications were removed in the online system, says Arshad Ali, district employment exchange officer. In the last job fair held in 2016, 223 people were employed in private firms across UP from among 1,392 applicants. Unemployment is a big concern, but what vexes voters here more is the nepotism in government recruitments and lack of higher education avenues. Diploma-holder Shivam Dubey, 28, another job aspirant, submitted his application in 2014. A year later, he was told to file the same application online. Kumar has given up now. First they gave us unemployment allowance in 2012 which was stopped two years later. Then they asked us to register at employment exchanges but they have no jobs to offer, says Dubey. We do not need laptops or smart phones. Why cant they give us jobs, we can buy these gadgets once we are employed. Read | UP polls: In Bijnors Kanshi Ram colony, votes split between Akhilesh, Mayawati The SP gave free laptops to Class 12 pass outs as part of its poll promise in 2012. This time, it has promised free smart phones to youths if it is elected again. Not everyone is unhappy, though. Abhishek Yadav, an undergraduate resident Bichpura Khera village in Jaswant Nagar is a fan of young chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Who would have thought that we would reach Lucknow in two and a half hours? asks Yadav, referring to the new Lucknow-Agra Expressway. Etawah is among the many districts impacted by the SP family-feud in ticket distribution. While on two reserved seats the sitting MLAs, both Mulayam loyalists, were replaced by candidates chosen by Akhilesh, the only clear result is expected from Jaswant Nagar seat, which Mulayams brother Shivpal Yadav has been winning since 1996. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As election frenzy peaks up pace in Uttarakhand, spurt in illegal mining across Ganga is visible with tractors carrying sand and stones jostling on kacha (temporary) roads along the 15km dry bank, symbolising politician-mining mafia nexus. Although both the Congress and the BJP have promised ban on mining within 5km radius of river Ganga, none have implemented it, claim locals. This election, they are not even talking about it, as the mining mafia is a major poll funder and have stake in all political parties. Both Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi skipped the issue during their public functions in Haridwar. There is not even a single legislator or prominent leader in Haridwar who does not own or have a stake in stone crusher. Of course, it is all benami, said a senior police official, who was not willing to be quoted. Dushyant Mainali, who has been fighting legal battles in Haldwani against the pollution generated by the quarry business, said, Many ministers are involved in running quarry business through proxy. As per those in the mining associations, around 150-200 crore is what they have provided directly or indirectly to political parties this season. Bhumesh Agarwal, former president of the Stone Crushers Association, said that some quarrying businessmen might be giving funds to the political parties, but the association is not involved. Mining (mostly illegal) is said to be the second biggest money grosser in Uttarakhand after tourism with an annual turnover of over 2,000 crore. Ground Report Bhogpur village in Haridwar rural, from where Harish Rawat is contesting, is epicentre of rampant illegal mining in the region with sand and stones been lifted from close to the river even two days before polling. Farm land has been dug up 10 times of the permissible limit up to 30 feet, sand and stone have been removed from the river bed and strong voice of crushers creates ripple effect in air. There is demand for money (for polls) and miners have got a free hand, said Sandeep Saini who runs a shop in the village. But all this mining happens in six hours between 10 and 4 in the night when the vigil is low in connivance with the authorities, he added. Locals say the spurt in mining, mostly illegal, happened during Harish Rawats tenure as he allowed leasing of farm land to remove stones and sand claiming that it would improve agriculture productivity and reduce chances of flooding. A letter of agreement from the farm owner was more than enough to get mining permission resulting in hundreds of approvals given in the last two years of the Rawat government. No science can support such a fallacious argument, said Swami Shivanand Saraswati, who has been running a campaign for last 20 years to end mining in Haridwar saying it has destroyed the river. The pollution levels are higher, satellite imagery shows the green cover has gone because of mining and entire ecological water flow of the river has changed, he said. But, those at villages in Bhopur, Ajitpur and Laksar oppose Swami saying mining has created a new economy in the region that provides employment to young and money to the poor, but are against rampant illegal mining mostly by outsiders. Not even a single stone crusher here is owned by a local. People from Noida, Lucknow and Haryana have set up crushers. We have been turned slaves in our own land, said Gangar Ram of Bhogpur village, demanding crackdown on illegal mining and people-centric plan to save Ganga. District magistrate S Murugasan, who was posted in Haridwar by Election Commission a fortnight ago, was not available for comments. His office said he was busy making arrangements for the polling day, February 15. Politics-Mining Nexus In an alleged sting operation that rocked the state a few months ago, Congress legislator from Dwarahat was heard saying how the quarry lobby from the states Terai region allegedly provided money to protect the Harish Rawat-led Congress government. For me, both Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishak (BJP chief minister) and Harish Rawat (present CM) are same. They promote mining lobby, Saraswati said in a choked voice. The BJP has also looted the Ganga in name of cleaning it as the Congress did. We need to save Ganga for future generations. Workers of the Congress and the BJP, the two political parties in fray in Uttarakhand, admit of politicians having stake in mining but claim that it was for benefit of locals as it provides employment in this poor belt. Only those sitting in air-conditioned offices oppose mining. Ask anywhere here, they will support mining, said Amar Singh Saini, chief campaign manager of BJP candidate from Haridwar rural Swami Yatishwar Anand. Subhash Chaudhary, a mining baron and a BSP candidate from neighbouring Lakshar assembly segment, said mining had been allowed on demand of locals. It (mining) provides income cushion as earning from agriculture is falling, the businessman from Noida said. Mainali said the guidelines on the crushers were changed seven times in recent past due to pressure from the influential lobby showing money power and clout they enjoy. And in campaign, apart from money, they also provide the muscle power through their strongmen. (With inputs from MS Nawaz in Haridwar) For BJP 1. Losing Uttarakhand would mean allowing Congress to retain the state, which has seen the BJP and Congress rule alternately since its formation in 2000 2. Winning would help BJP strengthen its numbers in Rajya Sabha. Being in minority in the Upper House of Parliament has restricted the BJP-led Centre from enacting crucial laws 3. Since BJP is on a sticky wicket in Utttar Pradesh, where it has been hoping to get the numbers from, Uttarakhand becomes all the more crucial for the party 4. For BJP, Uttarakhand is a key Hindu bastion, as the holy river Ganga originates from the region, which also happens to be the base of the fabled Char dham shrines and it will make all efforts to win over the mass base 5. The party also wants to have its political sway over the state as it shares its borders with China and Nepal For Congress 1. A win could boost the morale of Congress, whose presence is diminishing across the country 2. Besides retaining the state, it would also show that its popularity was on the rise since complete decimation in 2014 Lok Sabha polls at the hands of Narendra Modi-led BJP 3. Uttarakhand is one of the few northern states in the country where Congress is in power. Himachal Pradesh is the other state. A loss could help the BJP unseat it Himachal which goes to polls later in the year 4. The Congress leadership backed chief minister Harish Rawat when senior leaders revolted against him. It again reposed faith in him to lead the polls. A loss could dampen its calculations 5. At 69, Harish Rawats political career hinges on the polls. His claims of bringing development to the state and out of the crisis post 2013 disaster, will be put to test Even after jailbreak by eight SIMI suspects in November, Madhya Pradesh, which has countrys third highest number of jails, doesnt seem to have learnt any lessons. The jail break by two under-trials accused of rape and loot in Morena district jail on Monday after making a hole in the jail wall and many more such escapes over the years has put a question mark on the safety in the jails and put spotlight on issues related to the infrastructure and manpower across 122 jails in the state. At present there are 39,024 inmates in MPs 122 jails against a capacity of 27,677, said sources in the jail department. After SIMI jailbreak, state jail department had conducted an internal assessment- about what the states 122 jails lacks in terms of the manpower and infrastructure. According to this assessment, MP needs 568 additional barracks at a cost of Rs 284 crore to accommodate over 11,347 jail inmates, which are beyond the carrying capacity of the jails at present. After the jail break in Morena on Monday, the authorities have announced a cash reward of Rs 10,000 each on the two jail inmates who escaped, ordered an inquiry by constituting three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) and given directions for shooting any jail inmate trying to escape from a jail. Earlier HT had raised the question whether the outdated 118-year-old Prisons Act was responsible for security lapses, as the 1894-enacted law barred guards from carrying arms inside the jail. The crowding of the jails is one of the major issues in MP jails. Such overcrowding also contributes in compromising the security aspect according to experts. Against an authorized capacity for 100 inmates, MP jails are housing 140 prisoners, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. MP has 122 jails including 11 central jails, 39 district jails and 72 sub-jails. Also, every year there is an average addition of around 4.1 % inmates in the jails, which requires creation of 375 additional barracks, said sources in the jail department. Jails in MP are also suffering due to lack of upgraded technology and surveillance systems. The Performance Audit on Management of Jails in MP covering 2007 to 2012 period, also talked about shortages of weapons and modern security equipment such as CCTV, Siren, Intercom, Generators etc mainly in district jails and subjails of MP. According to the recent assessment, MP jails also need 46 watch towers, 49 night vision equipment, 42 baggage scanners, 32 CCTVs , six motor cycles per central jail, 2 motor cycles per district jail and one motor cycle for every sub jail. The lapses in structural and manpower security are responsible for jail break incidents, said jail authorities. Director General (Jail) Sanjay Chaudhary said, Most of the jails are more than 70 year old and maintenance is a major issue. In the name of structural security, 122 MP jails, 3rd highest number of jails in India, dont have proper security arrangements. Every jail must have two out walls of good height. But 60% jails in MP dont have any outer wall. In the district jails, the facilities like siren and CCTV cameras are not available Chaudhary said jail guards dont have canes, arms and ammunition to deal with dreaded criminals in case of emergency. The electric fencing is another thing which is necessary for security of the jails. We have given a proposal to Chief Minster and he has accepted it. According to budget, the facilities will be improved in the jails in the coming time, said Chaudhary. Post jailbreak by SIMI suspects, the state government also directed Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis, an autonomous Institution of MP government in Bhopal to suggest amendments required in MP Prison Rules 1968 after thoroughly going through the new Model Prison Manual 2016. The amendments will then be sent for approval by the jail department to the state government. Jails have been set up in the state under the Prison Act, 1894 and the Prisoners Act, 1900 . Based on these Acts, jails are governed here by the Madhya Pradesh Prisons Rules, 1968. The Model Prison Manual introduced by Central government in December 2003 was partially adopted by MP in February 2008. However in January 2016 a new Model Prison Manual 2016 was approved by the union home ministry. Box: Hole in jail security Omprakash Jat, 36, and Anil Rathore, 26, facing trials in rape and loot cases, escaped from Morena district jail on Monday by making a hole in one of the jail walls. Surprisingly jail authorities came to know about the incident, when relatives of one the escaped inmates, came to meet him on Monday. After the escape bid, ADG GR Meena inspected the jail and ordered the authorities to shoot at site, if an inmate made any attempt to escape the jail. The Morena police has also announced a cash reward of Rs 10,000 each on both inmates. Timeline of jail breaks and related incidents in MP January 20, 2016: A suspected militant Syed Ahmed in custody escapes by jumping off a moving train near Itarsi railway station in Hoshangabad District. February 2016: Four SIMI suspects who had escaped from Khandwa jail in 2013, arrested in Rourkela Odisha after a three-hour-long operation. July 6, 2016: Five members of an inter-state vehicle lifters gang escape from a police lock-up in Gwalior by digging a hole in the toilet wall. December 2015: An inmate serving jail term for murder escapes from Satna central jail. June 26, 2015: Three prisoners escape from district jail in Mandla district after scaling a 20-feet high wall July 23, 2015: A 22-year-old murder convict, who escaped from central jail in Narsinghpur district by scaling the high boundary wall, arrested in Chhindwara within 24 hours. February 2014: Sarman Shivhare, accused of 17 murders and considered a psychopath , tries to escape from Gwalior central jail with the help of a rope. He fails as a fellow prisoner shouts while he tries to escape and cops catch him. October 1, 2013: Seven SIMI suspects escape from Khandwa jail. Police arrest one of them on the same day. December 24, 2013: MPs Anti-Terror Squad arrests three SIMI suspects who had escaped from Khandwa jail from Sendhwa in Barwani district. December end, 2015: An under trial prisoner escapes from Ambah sub jail in Morena district by scaling its wall with the help of a rope. November 2011: Nine jail inmates accused of dacoity and murder escape from Dabra sub-jail near Gwalior after offering tea missed with some intoxicants to the jail guards Hello Mummy. Dont miss me. I am doing some special work at the India-Pakistan border. After hearing these words from his missing son over phone, Sunita Kushwaha, 49, a resident of Gwalior, was shocked and rushed to the Madhoganj police, pleading with them to get her son Vishal Kushwaha, 26, back. Sunita was perturbed because one of the five persons arrested from Gwalior for their alleged involvement in a ISI spy ring that was busted recently, lived in her area. She feared that her son too might have got involved in such activities, police sources said. Superintendent of police (SP), Gwalior Dr Ashish said, Sunita Kushwaha has lodged complaint with police and has provided her sons mobile number. We are tracking him down. As of now, we have not found any connection with Pakistan espionage racket. A police source said, This could be a family dispute. We found that Vishal shifted to his in-laws house with his wife three months ago after a fight with Sunita. Later the couple started living separately without informing his mother. BHOPAL: The temple priests and sants of Madhya Pradesh plan to campaign against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh if the State government decides on passing an ordinance taking over all temple land in the state. Over 100 sants and temple priests performed havan and other religious ceremonies at the Kamla Park Road in Bhopal and blocked one side of the road to register their protest. Mahamandleshwar Computer Baba said that they have given two days time to the state government and if they fail to respond, all the sadhus will go to Uttar Pradesh and campaign against BJP. We will tell the UP voters that the BJP comes to power with support of Hindu religious leaders but they have no respect for the sants. They are taking away land which was donated to temples by kings and nawabs. Shivraj Singh Chouhans rule is worse that the Mughal rule. So the voters of UP should think twice before voting for BJP. The Vishwa Brahman Samaj Sangh president Yogendra Mahant said they the sants and priests formed MP Sant Evam Pujari Mahasangh at a meeting held in Indore a fortnight back where they decided this course of action. A temple priest and one of the organizers of this protest Chandrashekhar Tiwari said that the State government has been trying to bring an ordinance to take over temple land for the past few years. The sant samaj has been opposing it consistently, but this time we want an order from the chief minister saying that there is no such plan to take over temple land. Traditionally temple land is transferred from one priest-mahant to his successor, who is usually his son or close relative. However, if this ordinance is passed, the collector will become the owner of the land. Deepika Padukone is known to have a huge fan following. The actor often makes it a point to acknowledge and appreciate their love for her. Sources close to Deepika say that she is quite connected to her fans, who often write to her on social media sites. Apparently, Deepika tries her best to take time out of her busy schedule and keep in touch with them. Aparna Iyer, a collegiate from Bangalore which happens to be Deepikas hometown is one such fan who is in touch with Deepika and her team. #Repost @loewe with @repostapp @deepikapadukone in #LOEWESS17 for @instylemagazine A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Jan 21, 2017 at 6:27pm PST An insider says, Deepika has, on several occasions, professed her love for South Indian food, especially, the home-made rasam. As fans keep tabs on their stars favourites, Aparna too, knows the actors preferred dishes. She has met Deepika four times in the past two years, and always makes sure to bring her delicious dishes, including rasam. Aparna is in touch with Deepikas team to make sure she doesnt lose out on any opportunity to meet the actor in the future too. #Repost @ralphlauren with @repostapp @DeepikaPadukone wore a Ralph Lauren Collection one-of-a-kind yellow silk one shoulder evening gown to last nights 2017 @InstyleMagazine and Warner Brothers Annual Golden Globe Awards After Party. #GoldenGlobes A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Jan 18, 2017 at 7:47pm PST SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The whereabouts of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother Jong-nam and his son Han-sol were unclear after the execution of Kim's uncle Jang Song-taek. There have been rumors that they fear for their lives and that a hit squad has been set on them, but reports are contradictory and hard facts are difficult to come by. Kim Jong-nam, the oldest son of former leader Kim Jong-il, disappeared from the radar when rumors of Jang's ouster surfaced. More recently, Han-sol has been reported to be lying low in France, where he studies, but reports on Tuesday said he is safe and staying in student accommodation. Kim Jong-nam had been close to Jang, and there were rumors that the North Korean leader caught a crony of Jangs sending money to Jong-nam. This raises fears that Jong-un took steps to purge his half-brother and nephew as well. Kim Jong-nam has been a vocal critic of the hereditary transfer of power from his father to his half brother Jong-un, warning that the Kim Jong-un regime "will not last long" and calling the dynastic succession "a joke to the outside world." Han-sol has referred to his uncle as a "dictator." North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun daily on Dec. 14 said a "true revolutionary" is one who remains steadfast enough to punish "even his own blood." Some speculated that the reference was aimed at Jong-nam, who according to rumor is being groomed to take over if the North Korean regime were to collapse. She can be seen doing daredevil fighting scenes and breaking bones in films, but actress Taapsee Pannu says in real life, she cant even slap a person. Taapsee showcased her fighting skills in Baby alongside Akshay Kumar. She will next be seen fighting her way in The Ghazi Attack and Naam Shabana. This week, she will be seen with Amit Sadh in Runningshaadi.com. Taapsee said, Till now, whatever you have seen, like even though I can identify myself as Meenal Arora (character from Pink) in a lot of ways... I cannot even slap a person in real life, forget about fighting the way I do in films. Taapsee, who is currently busy promoting her forthcoming film Runningshaadi.com, says this is the first film where she is totally in her comfort zone. This is my domain and have total control over it. I was chosen because I had to just come as myself on screen. Its a blessing for an actor to portray a character that is everything like herself. I didnt have to put in any kind of efforts in terms of accent, body language or style, said Taapsee, whose character exudes a carefree attitude. There were a lot of things that I spontaneously added in the film, which were retained in the end. It was the most comfortable character that I could portray on screen, she added. Directed by Amit Roy, Running Shaadi is slated to release on Friday. A semi-fictional feature film Modi Ka Gaon, based on the PMs rural development scheme, faces objection from the Censor Board of Film Certification, which has asked the makers of the film to get an NOC from the Prime Ministers Office. Meanwhile, the actor playing the Prime Ministers part has also come into the spotlight for his uncanny resemblance to Modi. Hailing from Mumbais Malad locality, Vikas Mahante is a happy man and has every reason to be so. Being a dead ringer for Prime Minister Narendra Modi is quite remarkable, and 52-year-old Mahante is enjoying his newfound fame. Recounting his first ever encounter with the premier, Mahante shares how Modi checked him out from head to toe and kept laughing non-stop. Though he is not a member of any political party at present, he has been campaigning for Shiv Sena and BJP in Mumbai for quite a while now; he just accompanies the candidates and waves at the crowd. Clearly, the political parties are cashing in on the fact that Mahante has become a crowdpuller. We got up close and personal with Mahante and how fame has impacted his life. 52-year-old Vikas Mahante is a regular at Shiv Sena and BJP rallies in Mumbai. (Vikas Mahante Facebook) How has life changed ever since you have been recognised and acknowledged as PM Modis lookalike? Of course, theres a celebrity touch thats there now. Whenever I step out, people crowd around me. Some want to take a selfie; others want an autograph with Modis signature. So you experience these pleasant things, but it becomes a bit difficult when I am out campaigning. Still, its fine. However, its not a great thing to carry someones identity with you all through your life. At times, it looks cheap as well. Have you ever met Modi in person? How was it? It was in 2014 before the Lok Sabha election when I got to meet him in Gandhinagar. He was the CM [of Gujarat] and had a huge clout even then and was much talked about. The public was as excited as they are today to see him and hear him talk. Actually, for the 2012 Vidhan Sabha elections in Gujarat, I campaigned for Ramanbhai Patkar in Umbergaon town of Gujarats Valsad district. After he was elected with 28,000 votes, he told Modiji, Theres someone who looks like you and he campaigned for me. Later, I got a call from Patkar that hes fixed a date, time and an appointment for me to meet Modiji. I went along with five friends from the BJP. After Patrkar introduced me to Modiji, he looked at me from head to toe and started laughing. He rarely smiles, but he gave me his biggest smile. He asked me, Lok Sabha elections hain, kuch planning kiya hai prachar ka? I said, Zarur kiya hai. Zor shor se kaam karenge. I also remember giving Modiji a shawl. Do you wish to meet him again? Unfortunately, that was the first and last time I met Modiji. I couldnt meet him after he became the Prime Minister. I really want to meet him again, and I think he should meet me I am sure he would feel equally great to see and meet me again. Vikas Mahante with choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan on the set of Happy New Year (2014). (Vikas Mahante Facebook) Is there anything special you do to maintain your looks and weight and continue looking like Modi? My weight is slightly less than that of Modiji, so I am trying to maintain that. Also, whenever I am watching TV and if I see Modiji, I stop right there and study his way of talking, facial expressions and body language. I try hard to imitate him in the best possible ways. Whenever I give a speech, I start in Hindi, though I am from Maharashtra. I often give speeches in his style and Ive crammed it fully. I try and use some couplets and poetry and sometimes, I talk in Gujarati also. Once, while campaigning in Gujarat, I went to a large Gujarati society and all the elderly people there came to see me and they thought Modiji has arrived. They touched my feet and one even asked me to give a speech in Gujarati, and I did so, though only for a few minutes. Being Modis doppelganger, have you ever pulled a prank on friends or relatives? I often get invites from people whom I dont even know, to attend a wedding in their family. To oblige, I have been to a few of them. Once I went to such a wedding and they had kept special bodyguards for me. The moment I entered, people gathered to click pictures, shake hands and meet me. The funniest thing was that there was barely anyone on the stage with the bride and the groom and all the crowd was around me. Interestingly, for half an hour, the hosts didnt say anything to their guests that I was not Modiji. Only much later, they announced that I was his lookalike Vikas Mahante. Is Modi Ka Gaon your first film or have you faced the camera before? I did a cameo in Farah Khans movie Happy New Year (2014). I was approached by her assistant and got to meet actors Anupam Kher and Jackie Shroff on the sets. Also, I have done a couple of reality shows such as Indias Got Talent where the promo with me was aired for almost two weeks on TV. Director Tushar Amrish Goel with Vikas Mahante in a still from Modi Ka Gaon. (Tushar Amrish Goel Facebook) How did you bag this role in Modi Ka Gaon? Were there any apprehensions? The director, Tushar Amrish Goel, got my number from somewhere and called me and told me about this film. And I instantly agreed. Picture mein koi role milta hai toh koi naa nahi bolta hai. So I said yes. I have a full-fledged role in the film. I was in Dharbhanga district in Bihar for five days for shooting and we also shot in Madh Island and Malad, in Mumbai. So was there always an urge to act on screen? (Laughs) In school, I used to act a bit. So thoda sa keeda toh tha. And after Happy New Year and reality shows on TV, I got more confident. How long have you been campaigning for Shiv Sena and the BJP and participating in their rallies? At the time of Lok Sabha elections, both Shiv Sena and the BJP were working together, so I got to work for both. I campaigned for almost all the candidates and I used to conduct some five-six rallies each day. Id leave early in the morning and come back only late at night. One thing is that whoever I have campaigned for be it a candidate from Shiv Sena or from the BJP they have always been elected and won the seat. Suddenly, theres a lot of demand that I should be a part of rallies because of my face. So are there any aspirations to join politics eventually? I dont work for money. I have done so much campaigning and put in all my hard work, but I have never taken a single penny from any political party or candidates. I worked during Lok Sabha elections with the vision that Modiji should become the PM. Who ensures your security and safety at crowded rallies? Once, I was called to attend a function Chai Pe Charcha in Dharavi and people started pelting stones at me. The moment I entered, went up to the stage, gave the speech and inaugurated the event, the mob got out of control. The person who threw the stone ran away, but party workers shielded me and brought me back to the car safely. The problem is when you get hit or you bleed in public, it becomes national news. Otherwise, whenever I get a call from a party to come for their campaigning, I make sure to do everything in a systematic way and take everything in writing, like whether theyll provide me with security or should I bring along my own. I follow these rules and remain strict about them. Also, I do have my own bodyguard with me all the time; he doesnt let the public come close to me. And somehow its required because Modiji is on the hit-list even today, so I take proper measures to ensure that nothing goes wrong with me just because of the resemblance. One best moment that youd like to share with us? When I share the same platform with so many big leaders and ministers during rallies, the public gets so excited to see me, thinking I am the real Narendra Modi. It feels great to see such love. Bolna nahi chahiye, but I get so many flying kisses [from the women] that you cannot imagine. And any really scary experience? Once I was chased by a gang of men around midnight, while I was returning from a rally and was driving home alone. They shouted and asked me to stop and I could make out from their attitude that something was wrong. So without thinking, I stepped on the accelerator, jumped all signals and didnt stop anywhere. Follow @htshowbiz for more Campus hirings have cooled at Indias top business and engineering schools and some are yet to conclude the final placements which were to be completed by mid-January, officials at several placement cells said. Demonetization that sapped demand and hit consumer-facing companies, and rising protectionism in the US and UK which threaten Indias technology companies are likely reasons for the development, these officials said. It also threatens to get worse. Human resources (HR) outsourcing and technology firm PeopleStrong says campus hiring numbers may fall 20-25% from current levels by the end of 2020. Campus hiring will see a gradual decrease in the next one year, said Pankaj Bansal, co-founder and CEO, PeopleStrong. There are various reasons for this gradual decrease: some of them include: reduction in hiring numbers of IT giants due to global economy slowdown, automation of transaction-heavy jobs through Artificial Intelligence and lack of job-readiness in the campus pass-outs. Though the number of companies visiting campuses has gone up, the net total number of offers has remained constant, said Kaustubha Mohanty, convener, All IITs Placement Committee, the panel responsible for campus hiring across all Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Total offers being rolled out by a company has seen a drop. The exact numbers will be available only after the end of ongoing placements, he said. Abhishek Totawar, chairperson, placement and external relations, at Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Tiruchirappalli said, Placements did slow down this year, compared to previous years. The number of offers being made by consistent top recruiters has gone down. We will know if the average package has been impacted once placements are over. The India Hiring Intent survey conducted by PeopleStrong in November 2016 revealed that 40% of the employers showed preference towards hiring candidates with one-year experience. Though packaged consumer goods companies held back on campus hiring after the government withdrew high-value notes, some had already made pre-placement offers (PPO) by then. At Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, information technology (IT) giants Infosys Ltd and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd that hired graduates for consulting roles previous year stayed away from the campus, said Kanwal Kapil, professor in charge of placements at MDI Gurgaon.. Since FMCG and banking firms hired through the PPO route, we were spared from the woes of demonetisation, said Kapil added. FMCG is short for fast-moving consumer goods, marketing jargon for packaged consumer goods that include soaps, shampoos and toothpastes. The hiring slowdown also points to the need for institutes to make their training programmes relevant for the industry, as low-skill jobs will be increasingly automated and phased out. However, as reforms from the government are kicking in, we may see new-age companies growing and generating employment, PeopleStrongs Bansal said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro 3 underground route is finally ready, it may revolutionise travel in the commuter city but the process of constructing it is throwing up challenges. The indiscriminate axing of thousands of trees along the route, the proposed clearing of the ecologically-rich Aarey forest, and unbearably high noise levels at construction sites are the latest. Different groups of Mumbaiites have agitated on these issues to drive home the point that while Metro 3 is a much-needed addition to the citys north-south travel corridor, it cannot be constructed at the cost of all else including, literally, their few hours of sleep at night. From displacement of Mumbaiites in Girgaum and other sites in south Mumbai to these issues, what comes across from the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited is its unpreparedness or unwillingness to anticipate citizens concerns and offer resolutions. The ruckus over the MMRCL and private contractors rock drilling machines typifies this. The last month brought a sea change in the SEEPZ and surrounding areas which have mixed commercial and residential zones. Large lush green trees were hacked to bare trunks, streets were reduced to a single lane, and the largely peaceful area overwhelmed with the thudding and eardrum-splitting noise of rock drilling machines. On decibel meter apps, the noise recorded from these is 95dB to 100dB spanning at least 12 hours a day, on occasion even 15 hours, merrily violating the provisions of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. Often, the crashing and clunking noise can be heard in the wee hours of the morning. But neither the MMRCL nor the private contractor has so far offered anti-noises devices that ought to be used at such construction sites. The mere thought of the noise and dust pollution suffered by men working at the site is over-whelming. The residents at Marol village, a stones throw from SEEPZ where too drilling and piling work led to noise levels of around 95dB for 18 hours a day, took the MMRCL to the local magistrates court last month for violating the Noise Rules. Their vigilance paid off. After weeks, the MMRCL agreed to provide sound-proof windows and noise barriers for the worst-affected homes. These could cut down the noise by 75%. The Noise Rules do not permit noise levels beyond 55dB and 50dB during the day and 45dB and 40dB during the night in residential and silence zones respectively. Importantly, noise from construction activities and use of public address systems are banned between 10pm and 6am; the latter can be relaxed for 15 days a year with prior notice from the government. Construction noise and dust have turned out to be silent slayers of peoples health in Mumbai in the last decade. The government and independent authorities have shown little determination to regulate this source of pollution. Instead, last year, construction work was permitted from 6am to 10pm. Now, a state agency shows scant regard for even these norms. In fact, reports are that various authorities involved in the Metro construction want to extend the deadline beyond 10pm so that work can be wrapped up sooner. That a total of 5,012 trees will face the axe for Metro 3 has received less attention that it should have. The MMRCL has promised to replant about 3,600 of them but the less said about this, the better. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has apparently called for a report on the massive felling of trees. The clearing of a section of the Aarey forest ear-marked for the Metro car shed is, of course, beyond discussion now. Noise standards and safety precautions for public were similarly violated during the construction of the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro but pleas had fallen on deaf ears. With Mumbai witnessing a slew of large-scale infrastructure projects, it is imperative that the state government and civic body establish and enforce comprehensive rules to avoid certainly minimise harassment to citizens. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Trump administrations noises about tightening the H1B visa programme have rattled the IT industry both in the United States and India. Given the direction in which the administration is pushing wider immigration policy, there is every reason to expect it to press ahead on the H1B front as well. Much of the ongoing debate has been framed in terms of whether and to what extent IT firms will be hurt by the proposals that are doing in the rounds in Washington. But it is equally important to see these in the longer historical context of Indian immigration to the US. In their recent, timely book, The Other One Percent, Sanjoy Chakravorty, Devesh Kapur and Nirvikar Singh offer a remarkable analysis of why Indians turned out to be the most successful immigrant group in contemporary American history. Their account is particularly valuable because they emphasise what an extraordinary departure this was from the fate of the Indians who moved to the US in the early twentieth century a history that still awaits its chronicler. Read | Trump faces doubts over who controls White House as travel ban mess continues In the year 1900, a mere 2,031 Indians had legal permanent resident status in the US. Over the following the decade, the Indian population in America rose to 4,664. This was largely the fallout of tightening immigration policies of Canada from 1908. Denied entry into Canada, many Indians turned south to the US and began working in the lumber industry of Washington state. Then they branched out to other parts of the West Coast, especially California, working predominantly in agriculture and construction. Soon, the Indians faced the wrath of white American workers who feared the competition of Asian labourers allegedly willing to work on the cheap. In September 1907, hundreds of white workers descended on the living quarters of the Hindus as all Indians were labelled in Bellingham and forced some 700 hundred of them to flee across the border. Later that year nearly 500 workers in Everett turfed the Hindus out of the city. When an Indian attempted to buy property in Port Angeles in 1913, the real estate agents published a formal agreement not sell to Hindoos or Negroes as they were generally considered as undesirable. Such incidents stemmed from a combustible cocktail of economic and racial anxieties. But they also fed on the prevalent, unsympathetic cultural images of India purveyed by seafarers, missionaries and travellers over the past century. Read | The Trump administration wants Americans to feel terrified of the Muslim other The xenophobic antipathy towards Indians was part of a larger nativist backlash against Asian immigrants, especially from China and Japan. Leading this campaign was the Asiatic Exclusion League of San Francisco. The leagues first reports on the Hindoo question portrayed the Indian as dirty and untrustworthy, insolent and lustful. In another report of 1910, the league vented its spleen: We the people of the United States are asked to receive these members of a degraded race on terms of equality what would be the condition in California if this horde of fanatics should be received in our midst. The government began to take note. In February 1914, the US Congress House Committee on Immigration and Naturalization held Hindu Immigration Hearings. In his testimony, the commissioner general of immigration insisted the Hindu immigration was a menace to the country, and particularly to California. Representative Denver Church of Fresno, California claimed, those of us who come into contact with the Hindus, and I think it is universal, regard them as a menace. The committee did not go with the demand for exclusion owing to the small and dropping numbers of Indian immigrants. Church kept up his tirade, warning the House that a large per-cent of Indias 350 million people were anxious to bring their superstitious and backward culture to America. Although Churchs aims were not initially accomplished, the exclusion of Hindus was eventually achieved in the immigration law of February 1917, passed over the veto of President Woodrow Wilson. Read | H-1B debate reflects a larger change in US party politics A US Supreme Court ruling in 1923 further squeezed the Indians in America. The court ruled in United States v Bhagat Singh Thind that immigrants from India settled in the US were not eligible for naturalisation as US citizens. The court ruled on the grounds that an Indian could not count as a free white person. The immigration act of 1924 banned the admission of all groups that could not legally be naturalised in the US. The door was firmly shut in the face of immigrants from India. Faced with implacable racism and diminishing opportunities, many Indians chose to return home. The plight of the Indian in the US was dramatised in 1929, when Rabindranath Tagore abruptly pulled out of a lecture tour in America owing to discourteous treatment by immigration officials behaviour that he felt reflected the anti-Indian bias of the act of 1924. By 1940, there were only over 2,000 Indians immigrant left. The striking success of Indians who immigrated in recent decades is also testimony to the extraordinary changes in America since the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Without the delegitimisation of the older, brisk racism and overt xenophobia Indians could not have scaled such heights in the US. Read | Trumps national security advisor in trouble over Russia links As much as the technicalities of the immigration regime, we should worry about the subtle re-emergence of such attitudes in the policy discourse of the Trump administration. When a white supremacist like Steven Bannon publicly grumbles about South Asians heading Silicon Valley corporations, the echoes of Church are unmistakable. Srinath Raghavan is senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Haridwar / Dehradun: The division among minority votes in the plains of Uttarakhand can upset the ruling Congress suggests polling trends in those seats where they play a decisive role. Chief Minister Harish Rawat is contesting from Haridwar (rural) and Kichha. Both these seats have a sizeable number of minority voters, which the ruling party sees as an advantage. Voters in the minority-dominated areas came out in large numbers to cast vote. Haridwar rural reported more than 68% polling till 4PM. Similarly, Bhagwanpur reported 68%, Piran Kaliyar 70%, Mangalore 67% and Laksar 70%. In US Nagar district, Gadarpur reported 64% voting by 4 PM, Jaspur 63%, Sitargang 60% and Kiccha 58%. Haridwar and US Nagar districts together have 20 seats, with the former having 11 and the latter 9.But the presence of more than one minority candidate in some crucial seats and polarization among voters left candidates perplexed. In Haridwar (rural) though minority voters were seen in a large number at Congress tables outside polling booths but doubts were raised after a rush was seen at BSP counters too. BSP fielded Mukkaram Ansari who is said to have a grip on 20,000-odd Ansari voters. BJPs Yateshwaranand remained focused on the cadre voters. A clear division among Muslim vote bank was noticeable in Haridwar rural seat. Congress is slightly better than BSP though the latter also attracted eyeballs, says Intzar Ali, a local voter of Sarai village that falls in Haridwar rural seat. In other seats of Haridwar, minority voters remained divided. For instance at Peeran Kaliyar that has 60% minority voters, three Muslim candidates are slugging it out and, possibly, giving advantage to the BJP candidate. The minority votes got divided among Congress, BSP and Independent contestants at Jwalapur. We support the Independent candidate as Congress didnt come to us demanding vote, Manwar a local leader of Jawalpur seat, says. BSP fielded 9 Muslim candidates in the polls. In US Nagar district, Kichha apparently proved a safe bet for Harish Rawat where he faced no formidable minority face. We are comfortable and the winning margin of Rawatji will prove our claim, Ganesh Upadhyay, a senior Congress leader from Kichha, says. In Dehraduns Sahaspur which has nearly 34,000 minority voters, Congress candidate Kishore Upadhyay faces a fierce challenge from Aryendra Sharma, who is contesting as an Independent candidate. A 65-year-old man, who had forced out his house five years ago, was arrested by Delhi Police on Wednesday for drugging people and then stealing their belongings. Police said chronic illness, coupled with differences with family members, had forced accused Chander Mohan Gupta out of his house and turned him into an alleged criminal. Gupta stole money so that he could provide for his temporary accommodation in guest houses, food and medicines, mostly. Last week, a team of crime branch of Delhi Police arrested Gupta from Chandni Chowk while he was looking for a potential victim to drug and loot. Read more| Beware! Drug-and-loot gangs targeting Delhi Metro passengers Police said they were on the lookout for a gang that stole cash and belongings of people mostly from government hospitals after drugging them. Gupta, an investigator said, was suffering from sleep disorder for over a decade. His doctor had prescribed him Lorazepam tablets. As Gupta knew that Lorazepam was a potent sleeping pill, he started using it to drug unsuspecting victims. A single dose of the tablet mixed in juice or soft drink could knock a person out in 4-5 minutes, an officer said. He added that Gupta then sold the belongings of his victims to make money. Read more| Petrol pump looted, salesman killed in Bihar His arrests came following information received by the crime branch that an elderly man suspected to be involved in similar crimes, would come near fawara chowk in Chandni Chowk. Accordingly, a trap was laid and Gupta was caught as he was trying to befriend a victim, police said. Two stolen mobile phones, an ATM card and 30 sleeping pills were recovered from Guptas possession. His interrogation has helped police connect three cases of drugging and theft reported under Hauz Khas and Safdarjung Enclave police stations in south Delhi, said Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner of police (crime). Read more| Manappuram gold heist: Police arrest two more accused According to the police, two of the crimes were reported from AIIMS, while one took place at Safdarjung Hospital. During interrogation, Gupta disclosed that in January 2017, he went to AIIMS where befriended his first vuictim. After talking to the man for a bit, Gupta offered him a bottle of flavoured milk spiked with sleeping pills. The man consumed the drink and fell unconscious. Gupta later made away with his belongings, including two mobile phones, two ATM cards and Rs 40,000 in cash, said Yadav. Further interrogation of Gupta revealed that he had committed a similar crime in September 2015 when he had targeted a man, after offering him a spiked juice. In that case, he had made away with the mans two mobile phones along with some cash. Gupta was arrested in 2011 by the Safdarjung Enclave police. In 2013, a city court declared him a proclaimed offender as he had jumped bail and failed to turn up for court proceedings, the officer added. Read more| Holes in security of MP jails: No lessons learnt The sector 2 office of Webwork Trade Links Pvt Limited an online social trading company that is being investigated for allegedly duping thousands of investors was sealed on Wednesday by a cyber crime team of Noida police. Police suspect that the company worked on the lines of Ablaze Info Solutions Private Limited and paid people Rs 6 per like on published advertising content on social media. Superintendent of police (city) Dinesh Yadav, who is also the head of cyber crimes division, said a team sealed the premises of the Webwork in sector 2. Besides sealing the office, the team was asked to collect and evidence to help investigate the matter further, he said. According to an official in the cyber crimes team, the main building of the office was sealed while the campus remained under guard by private watchmen. There were no employees present in the office on Wednesday. Nearly 20 people were found standing outside the Webwork building when the team stormed into the office of the online social trading company. However, none of them protested the police action, said an officer. Police sources said the addresses of two directors Anurag Garg and Sandesh Verma and some senior officials in the human resources department were obtained from the Webwork office before sealing it. The residential addresses of the Webwork directors and officials are in Delhi and Meerut. The phone numbers active at those locations are being put under surveillance to trace the two directors, said Yadav. The lid was blown off the alleged ponzi scheme when AK Jain, an insurance agent from Ghaziabad, complained to the police about the alleged cheating by Webwork. The complainant had come to us on February 9. Since poll parties were leaving on February 10 and the polling was held on February 11, we were all busy with that. The FIR was lodged on February 12. But in the meantime, Jain went to town about it and gave interviews to some TV channels. This alerted the accused and they went into hiding. Otherwise, we would have had them by now, said Yadav. Meanwhile, HT found that the website of Webwork had put up a public notice in Hindi on its website assuring advertisers that their licences were secured. Post change in the banking system, there has been disruption in the online working of the company. As a result, the company is compelled to suspend its permanent work till April 20. The advertisers are assured that their licences, payments made by them and their returns are safe and the company is committed to that, the notice read. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The strike by drivers of app-based cab aggregators turned violent late on Tuesday night as some unidentified protesters set a cab afire near Green Valley in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. The cab driver, Rahul Kumar, said that he operated for Uber and has lodged a police complaint. Kumar, who is from Vijay Nagar, said that the protesters allegedly stopped the cab returning from Vaishali and poured some inflammable substance before setting it afire. There were nearly 15-20 protesting drivers who were hovering around on bikes. They hurled stones and I had to stop before they poured inflammable substance and set my car afire. They took away one mobile while two mobile got burnt inside the car. I have been driving for Uber for past 3-4 months, Rahul said. The strike by Ola and Uber drivers, meanwhile, worsened on Wednesday morning, as agitating drivers turned violent. Office-goers had to once again resort to alternative ways to reach their workplace while the autos reportedly refused to go by the meter. Instances of drivers, who returned to work, being assaulted and their cars getting vandalised were reported from across the Capital, though no police complaint was made. After a meeting with representatives of Rajdhani Tourist Driver Union and managements of Ola and Uber, the government said, It was firmly conveyed to the companies to look into the problems faced by drivers Majority of the drivers are not in favour of any strike but some external anti-social elements are illegally preventing the app-based drivers from plying their vehicles. Transport minister Satyendra Jain also directed his department to inform Delhi Police about locations where groups leading the protest are attacking drivers and ensure criminal complaints are lodged. Travel woes On Wednesday morning, very few cabs were available to commuters. The waiting time for each being more than 15 minutes and high surge rates being applied. Commuters said that the auto drivers also took advantage of the situation and charged enormous amounts for rides. To get to CGO complex from my house in CR park, I had to pay the auto Rs 300 as I had no other option. Instead of cooperating, the auto drivers are having a gala time. People will have to pay when they have no option, Nikhil Singh, a commuter, said. One auto driver also told me that it is payback time as these cab aggregators had taken away their business from them. He said that all their customers had shifted to Ola and Uber and they had incurred losses. So, now they have a chance to recover the loss. Amidst all this, it is the commuters who suffer. How do we get to work? These cabs made commuting so convenient that we have now grown used to them and depend on them, Shelly Malhotra, another commuter said. Strike turns violent Meanwhile, Rahul Kumar, whose cab was burnt on Tuesday night said that he tried to plead with the protesters that its was his brothers car. My car got stolen last year and I had roped in my brothers car. They did not heed to my request and set the car afire by pouring kerosene, Kumar said. The police said that they are trying to trace the culprits involved in the incident. We have registered an FIR against the culprits who set the cab afire. Investigation is on and police deployed to check activities of protesters, said Anil Kumar Yadav, circle officer (Indirapuram). Rahul had dropped a passenger at Vaishali Sector-5 and was returning home when his car was stopped by several bike borne men near Green Valley Road in Indirapuram. We got a call from the control room about the incident. By the time we reached the spot, the cab was already in flames. The driver had de-boarded and did not sustain any injuries. He told us that the car was set afire by protesters, said Ajay Sharma, fire safety officer, Vaishali. During past several days, there have been small protests by the agitated cab drivers near Vaishali, Kaushambi Metro stations in Ghaziabad and also close to Delhi-border areas. Two days back, they also stopped the operating cabs and broke windscreens, punctured car tyres near Vaishali metro station. Tuesday, more than a dozen drivers also staged a sit in outside Vaishali metro station and fled the spot after police was informed. Around 1.5 lakh such cabs ply in Delhi-NCR on a daily basis. The strike situation could have been worse but, the kaali-peeli taxi and a section of auto-rickshaw unions pulled out of the strike on Sunday after a meeting with transport minister Satyendra Jain. On Tuesday, the Delhi government also convened a meeting between representatives of Rajdhani Tourist Driver Union and managements of Ola and Uber. The meeting, however, did not include anybody from the union. The Prime Ministers Office has released Rs 2 lakh for a portable ventilator and related accessories needed by a 14-year-old boy from Bihar to finally get discharged from AIIMS. Rohit Kumar, who hails from Bihars Siwan district, has been occupying bed 19 in the neurosurgery-3 ward at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for more than a year though he should have been discharged by January 1, 2016 after a spine surgery. He couldnt leave because his family was unable to afford a portable ventilator that costs around Rs 1 lakh. We are farmers and earn Rs 6,000-7,000 a month, we cant afford a machine worth a lakh, says Munni Devi, Kumars mother. She has rented a room near Badarpur on the Delhi-Haryana border to be with her son. Read: In AIIMS for a year, Rs 1 lakh for ventilator will send boy from Bihar home Two years ago, Kumar fell down and damaged his spinal cord. The surgery saved his life but Kumar is paralysed waist down and sometimes need ventilator support to breathe, especially when he is sleeping. After HT reported the story, AIIMS was inundated with requests for monetary donations for Rohit. On reading the story, Jitendra Singh, the MoS PMO, spoke to the boys treating doctor to get an estimate of how much money would be needed to rehabilitate Kumar and took up the matter with the Prime Minister. The money was promptly sanctioned from the Prime Ministers Relief Fund and a letter for the same was issued on February 13. His family was poor and he deserved to be helped. The PM maintains that whatever possible should be done in such cases, said Singh, who was himself a practising doctor in Kashmir. We are waiting for the ventilator and to see whether he tolerates it well. He can be discharged immediately after that, maybe within a week, said Dr Deepak Agarwal, professor, neurosurgery department, AIIMS. Lack of coordination among office bearers of the Delhi BJPs executive committee has irked RSS. Sources in the party said Siddharthan, general secretary (organisation) has conveyed his displeasure over the issue to Manoj Tiwari, state unit chief in the last weekly meeting of the party on February 8. The trigger was a workers meet held at Civic Centre on January 30 as part of the year-long birth centenary celebrations of Pundit Deendayal Upadhyay. Party insiders say the organisation was not unhappy with the poor attendance at the function. The capacity of the auditorium is about 1,000 but a noticeable numbers of seats were vacant. It was embarrassing as workers started leaving while the last speaker was still addressing attendees, a party leader said. A senior party functionary privy to the development said the weak attendence was due to communication gap. A system is being developed for better coordination among office bearers to avoid embarrassment in future. The issue will be resolved, he said requesting anonymity. However, Ravinder Gupta, general secretary, Delhi BJP denied any differences or mismanagement. There is no problem at any level. The programme was well organised and successful, he said. Sources further added that a group of leaders, especially from the womens wing, is also unhappy with senior office bearers because of their style of functioning. Senior women leaders recently complained that the Mahila Morcha is not informed about party events such as dharna or march. Manoj Tiwari along with other leaders visited Asha Kiran, home for mentally challenged following the report of 11 deaths. However, no woman leader was asked to join the delegation though the issue was related to women, a party insider said. He said no representation from Mahila Morcha in realty check campaign by the state unit to expose the failure of AAP government, has caused further resentment in a section of party leaders. The party leaders from minority wing are upset too because of the delay in the appointment of heads of Minority Morcha in 13 districts. The Delhi BJP has not even nominated president of the Delhi Minority Morcha, he said. Gupta said, We are looking for capable and active leaders. The process is on. We dont want to stereotype these posts. We will appoint leaders who will further strengthen the party. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday sought a CBI probe in the alleged collusion between education department officials and officials of Mirambika Free Progress Schools managing committee Shri Aurobindo Education Society (SAES) regarding a number of discrepancies. The case dates back to 2015 when a group of parents had moved court against the Mirambika school managements decision to shift children out from premises, for which recognition was given in 1988, to Aurobindo Ashram area. The SAES had shifted the school saying that the land was allotted to build an engineering college and not a school. But the government said that the Delhi Development Authority was aware that instead of a college, a free progress school was started. Last week, Sisodia had ordered the suspension of concerned education officials for submitting false affidavit in the high court in the schools case. The government withdrew the affidavit and conducted a fresh inspection after which they found that SAES did not have the ownership papers of the area where the school is now housed. Sisodia, who is also the state education minister, sought a CBI investigation after some parents complained to him Mirambika school refused to comment on the incident. As pointed out by parents, the minister questioned why DOE did not raise safety, security concern about the building from where the school is operating at present. The complaint also states that without conducting an inspection of the school on May 1, 2015, a report was submitted to the High Court. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two 19-year-old cousins were chased and stabbed to death by a group of men in Rohinis Japanese Park, where dozens of young couples had gathered to celebrate Valentines Day on Tuesday evening. The deceased were identified as cousins, Ankush and Ashu. The brutal murder happened despite police presence outside the park and patrolling by more than six private security guards inside. The Japanese Park is a favourite haunt for young lovers and criminals, when it is not being used for political rallies. Read more| Key witness in Bharat Singhs murder chased, shot dead Police sources said they were investigating the possibility of a love triangle behind the murders, though MN Tiwari, DCP (Rohini) remained unavailable for a comment. Police said three youths had been detained and a pair of female slippers had been recovered from the spot of crime adding fuel to the love triangle angle. The detained youths included the victims neighbour and friend who had allegedly lured the two brothers out of their homes in Karala village to the park. Read more| Sting on Modis Rohini rally Ankushs brother, Sahil, alleged that the cousins were called out of their homes around 6pm on Tuesday by their neighbour, who was also their friend. Ankush told me that he was going to Begumpur, but he was tricked into visiting Japanese Park instead, Sahil said. A senior police officer said the incident came to light when someone from the park called up the police control room to inform about two youths being stabbed by a group. The policemen deployed outside the park immediately rushed to the spot and saw the brothers lying in pools of blood, a few metres from each other. It appears as if the victims were stabbed while they were running. Since the victims were well-built, it must have required more than one person to kill them, said an investigator. Read more| All hands on deck! BJP pulls out all stops for Modi rally A pair of sandals was found next to the bodies. We suspect this was the sandals belonged to a woman who was at the center of the incident, the investigator added. The recovery of a mobile phone, apart from those belonging to the victims, has also helped the police in cementing this theory. The victims were rushed to the nearby Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital where they were declared brought dead. The victims had five stab wounds each. The nature of the wounds indicated that the men were stabbed out of hatred, the officer added. Japanese Park is not new to crimes and sees little police presence, locals alleged. The park is a hotbed for people who harass women and blackmail couples who come there to spend some alone time, they added. A security guard said he was thrashed by a group of men a few days ago when he objected to a man harassing some women. BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav, who posted videos on social media last month complaining of poor quality of food, is now being served fruits, delicious vegetables and salads in every meal, his wife Sharmila Yadavs counsel told the Delhi high court on Wednesday. Sharmila who had recently spent some time with Tej Bahadur at 88th Battalion in Samba after the Delhi high court granted her appeal to meet her husband, returned on Tuesday. Her counsel told the told the court on Wednesday that Sharmila was satisfied about her husbands well being and did not want to press further her habeas corpus plea. It was amazing to see other troopers coming to him to tell how his video has helped them get good food now. I spent two days with him at the camp. He was served fruits, delicious paneer, vegetables and salad with every meal. I had gone to meet him in June last year at his previous battalion and the food that time was abysmal compared to what they are getting now, she told HT. Sharmila said she faced tough days at home when she could not contact Tej Bahadur for several days to know his whereabouts. But the BSF had rubbished her claims, maintaining that the two were in regular touch. She said she gifted Tej Bahadur a new mobile phone and the two can now talk regularly. He told me he was tortured at his previous battalion. His bosses there pressurised him to take back his complaint. But now, his seniors were helpful here. We want BSF to grant him voluntary retirement so he can come back home..but everything is not in our hand. We will have to go by their procedure, she said, adding that she was relieved seeing her husband for the time being. I will think of everything else later. Right now I just am relieved and happy that he is safe. Last month, Tej Bahadurs videos on social media where he had also accused his officers of illegally selling ration to outsiders, triggered a row and embarrassed the BSF and the government. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Students passing the Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) will no longer have an edge over others, fear experts. Complaining that in the last couple of months, CBSE has done away with all the new academic reforms that had set it apart from other school boards and has brought back rote-learning and exam-oriented studying, schools in Mumbai said they will continue with the reforms till Class 8. The board recently scrapped the open text based assessment (OTBA) for classes 9 and 11. This is close on heels of discontinuing the international curriculum, erasing the continuous comprehensive evaluation that focused on all-round assessments, and making Class 10 board exams compulsory again. Many of the academicians in Mumbai fear that these changes have turned back the clock on the progress made by students. These are regressive steps, undoing all the innovative assessments and evaluations brought in over the last decade, said Avnita Bir, principal, RN Podar School, Santacruz. These assessments were on par with foreign universities and higher education institutes. The OTBA, for instance, which was scrapped earlier this month for classes 9 and 11, was aimed at developing thinking and analytical skills of students. It involved pouring over case-studies and answering open-ended questions, instead of merely copying down mugged up answers. We were so impressed with OTBAs that we had introduced them for our lower classes as well and we dont want to change that, said Bir. Refusing to do away with the reforms completely, many of the schools have decided to continue with them for primary and middle school. CBSE policies are politically driven but we cannot keep changing the assessment pattern. It will affect our students, said Deepshikha Srivastava, principal, Rajhans Vidyalaya, Andheri. Adding that the school had painstakingly developed our present curriculum, Srivastava added, We will take the good practices from all the various assessments and stick to it for classes 1 to 8. Schools said that they were not consulted before any of these changes were done, leaving them anxious about what the future holds. It was unfair for the board to just scrap it without even giving us any reason. We are now worried whether they will do away with the new subjects, added Bir. Some of the principals said that while the assessments were good, they were not implemented properly by the board. They were hastily introduced, without proper planning. None of the actual stakeholders were involved in the discussions while implementing them, said Ganesh Parmeswaran, Bal Bharti Public School, Navi Mumbai. Parmeswaran said that the board needs to closely monitor the implementation of the reforms. The assessment of speaking and listening skills too, is not being done properly. The results are fudged by many schools. He said that some of these reforms were not suited to rural areas. CBSE has schools in urban and rural areas. They have to think about reforms which can be adopted by all the schools, he said. What are the reforms that were brought in and later scrapped: OTBA: It was introduced two years ago on March 2014 for Class 9 in Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science and in a few subjects in Class 11 such as Economics, Biology and Geography. CBSE-I: Owing to unavailability of quality reading material of global standards and other technical difficulties, CBSEs international curriculum started in 2010-11 as a pilot, will be discontinued from the coming academic year, 2017-18. Optional board exams: The Class 10 board exams will be compulsory for students once again from 2017-18. In 2011, the board exams were made optional. Instead, students could appear for school-based exams. This was an attempt to reduce the fear of exams. CCE: Schools will no longer follow the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) policy that emphasized on all-round assessments introduced in 2009. The board has revised the assessment pattern for schools, bringing back the focus on end of the year exams. The board exams will carry 80 marks and school-based tests only 20 marks. Problem solving assessments: In 2015, the CBSE cancelled its problem solving assessment (PSA) component abruptly in the middle of the academic year for classes 9 and 11. The exams were aimed at testing students higher order thinking and problem solving skills. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Gurgaon police arrested two more persons accused of the Manappuram daylight heist from Kanpur and Farrukhnagar on Wednesday. One of the arrested Asif is suspected of conducting a recce of the Mannapuram branch at New Railway road from where armed men had looted 33 kg gold worth 10 crore on February 9. Police said the second man arrested, Navin, from Farukhnagar had received 2 kg gold from the prime accused Devender alias Deva for selling it in the market, police said. The police had earlier arrested eight accused who carried out the heist. Police had on Monday arrested four men from Kanpur and recovered 2.5 kg gold from them. On February 11, police had arrested three accused from the city and one from Ahmedabad, and recovered 30kg gold and some of the cash looted from the branch of the financer. Also, two pistols, four rounds of ammunition, two motorcycles, and a car were recovered from them. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 20th Century Fox, the studio behind the new Wolverine film Logan, starring Hugh Jackman, was concerned about its intensity of tone and that it would be too dark. Inside, there was real consternation about the intensity of the tone of the film, Fox film chairman Stacey Snider said in a Q&A at the Recode Media conference Tuesday in Laguna Niguel, California, reports Variety. Its more of an elegy about life and death. The paradigm for it was a Western, and my colleagues were up in arms. Its not a wise-cracking cigar-chomping mutton-sporting Wolverine, and the debate internally became, isnt that freakin boring? Isnt it exciting to imagine Wolverine as a real guy and hes world-weary and he doesnt want to fight anymore until a little girl needs him? she said. Logan, which is rated R (similar to CBFCs A rating) is directed by James Mangold (who also directed The Wolverine in 2013). It is said to be Hugh Jackmans final time as the character, which he debuted back in 2000 in the first X-Men movie. Jackman has played the character in nine films. Follow @htshowbiz for more Two Special Task Force (STF) personnel, including an assistant platoon commander, were killed in an encounter in insurgency-hit Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, police said. The encounter took place in the Tumdiwal jungles, a region under Mardapal police station. DM Awasthi, special director general of police (anti-naxal operations), said, Assistant platoon commander Krishna Kindo, and a constable, Jitendra Dwivedi, belonging to the STF were martyred in the incident. Awasthi said a joint team of the STF and district force launched the operation on Wednesday morning in the jungles, around 50 km from the Kondagaon district headquarters. Reports said Maoists were also killed in the encounter but no bodies have been recovered till now. We have information that some Maoists were also killed but their bodies are yet to be recovered, Awasthi told Hindustan Times. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A five-year-old Pakistani girl has got a new lease of life after undergoing liver transplant operation in India. Fortis Hospital, Noida and Fortis Foundation supported a lifesaving liver transplant surgery on the girl, Anabiya, who was suffering from Hyperoxaluria Type-1 -- a rare condition among children, which requires transplant of liver. The surgery was conducted by a team of clinicians led by Dr Vivek Vij, director of the liver transplant programme at Fortis Hospital in Noida. The patient came to consult Vij with complains of recurrent abdominal pain during an outpatient department (OPD) programme. After investigation, Hyperoxaluria Type-1 was detected. This is a condition when bilateral renal stones are formed and oxalate deposition takes place in other parts of the body. I assessed Anabiyas health at an outstation OPD in Pakistan. Lack of awareness, incorrect diagnosis and various factors had prevented her care givers from accessing the right treatment. We were able to diagnose the problem, a rare problem in children, for which a liver transplant is the only treatment. ... the surgery was successful and the patient responded well to the treatment and has been discharged, said Vij. Anabiya belongs to an underprivileged section of the society and they requested for financial support for her treatment. The surgery was successfully conducted after her father, Mansoor Hussain, donated a portion of his liver and Anabiya is now ready to go back home. Her father runs a small general store and mother Shaista Mansoor is a homemaker. Jasbir Grewal, head of Fortis Foundation, said, Many children are deprived of the opportunity to access proper medical aid at an early stage due to lack of resources and knowledge on the part of their care givers. Timely and correct detection can enable a child to live a healthy and full life. We, at FF, support those children by increasing the level of health awareness, running preventive and detection programmes and help them to get back the healthy life, Grewal added. Expressing gratitude, Hussain said, We are thankful to Dr Vij for giving our daughter a new lease of life. We remain grateful for the support provided by the hospital. Amid the power tussle in Tamil Nadu for the chief ministers chair, Supreme Court convicted VK Sasikala in a disproportionate assets and sentenced her to prison for four years on Tuesday. The apex court also barred her from holding public office or contesting elections for 10 years. In fact, her mentor and late chief minister Jayalalithaa, was also convicted in the DA case by the trial court but acquitted by Karnataka High Court in August 2016. Read| Sasikala DA case: A timeline However, this is not the first instance where politicians have been convicted of criminal offences. HT takes a look at a list of other politicians who have been convicted under different charges: SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Britain's new National Cyber Security Center invited private sector companies to train and collaborate with it on cyber defense, as Queen Elizabeth formally opened its London hub on Tuesday. The NCSC started last October and is moving into a new operations center in Victoria, central London. The "NCSC Industry 100" initiative will look to embed people from industry to identify threats, vulnerabilities, and develop advice to combat cyberattacks. NCSC head Ciaran Martin said Britain had been the target of 188 cyberattacks in the last three months and warned a major attack was likely in the future. The environment ministry has suggested blacklisting of a BBC producer for grossly erroneous reporting after its documentary projected the governments anti-poaching strategy at the Kaziranga tiger reserve as a shoot-to-kill policy. An Office Memorandum (OM) issued by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has taken strong objection to the documentary for portraying Indias wildlife conservation efforts at the reserve in negative light. BBC news South Asia Bureau and the producer of the documentary-- Killing For Conservation-- Justin Rowlatt has been issued a showcause notice asking them as to why their permissions should not be revoked. The documentary examines the governments anti-poaching policy and seeks to find out if the communities in the areas near the reserve have been affected. The NTCA in its showcause has also asked the documentary to be removed from online portals with immediate effect and directed the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom to take action. As per (powers) vested by section 38 0(k) of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, this authority hearby directs the BBC News South Asia Bureau and Justin Rowlatt to showcause as to why their permissions should not be revoked for violating clauses of the no-objection and clearances given by this authority within seven days, the OM said. If the BBC fails to comply, its filming permission in all the tiger reserves of the country stands revoked, it said. Further, the said documentary uploaded on various online portals be removed with immediate effect by parties concerned. The Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom is requested to take action as appropriate in the matter, the OM said, adding it was a breach of trust by the producer. A BBC spokesperson, when contacted said the film makes clear the successes achieved by Indias conservation policies in preserving the countrys most iconic wildlife. However, the film also expressly set out to explore the challenges of Indias conservation drive and during production it became clear that one of those challenges was the impact on communities living next to the park. Our audiences expect us to bring them the full picture, while adhering to our editorial standards and this piece is no different, the spokesperson said in a statement. The statement further said, The issues raised in the film are part of an important international debate on the appropriate way to combat poaching. We did approach the relevant government authorities to make sure their position was fully reflected but they declined to take part. The BJP is cheering AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikalas conviction in a corruption case, which brings to an abrupt end her bid to be the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. Sasikala, a confidante of late chief minister J Jayalaithaa for more than 30 years, was perceived to be close to the Congress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah suspected that her husband M Natarajan was working at the behest of the Congress, sources said. They didnt want the state, which is vital to its calculation in Parliament, to be led by a person close to the main opposition party especially after their cordial ties with Jayalalithaa. It is a serious blow to Sasikala. It is also introspection time for the AIADMK, BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, also party incharge for Tamil Nadu, told HT. After Jayalalithaas death on December 5, O Panneerselvam, who was named her successor, suspected that Sasikala would try to usurp the party as well as the government. He spoke about it to some top BJP leaders, sources said. The fears were not unfounded. Sasikala, a former video parlour who wielded immense clout due to her close ties with Jayalalithaa, was made the AIADMK general secretary on December 29. On February 5, she was named the legislature party leader that cleared her way to the states top job, forcing Panneerselvam to rise in revolt two days later. But much to Saiskalas dismay, governor C Vidyasagar Rao was in no rush to invite her to form the government. The governor was right in waiting for the judgment, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said on Tuesday after the Supreme Court ordered Sasikalas arrest in the disproportionate assets case. Irrespective of what happens next in Tamil Nadu, the BJP is sensing a few opportunities. As a parting shot, Saiskala expelled Panneerselvam and made a Jayalalithaa loyalist, Edappadi K Palaniswami, the CM nominee. But, the BJP remains hopeful of a positive outcome during a floor test. If Sasikala faction is going to form the government, they will not be on good terms with the Centre. The NDA will lose favour with the Sasikala faction. They see the present turmoil in Tamil Nadu as the doing of the Centre, said Dr R Manivannan, who heads the department of politics and public administration at University of Madras. The BJP as well as the Modi government see immediate gains in Panneerselvam. The BJP doesnt have the numbers to get its nominee elected the president when Pranab Mukherjees term runs out in July. AIADMK support will be crucial. The AIADMK has 13 members in the Rajya Sabha, where the ruling coalition is in a minority. The lack of numbers has hurt Prime Minister Narendra Modis economic agenda, with several bills failing to make a headway. Politically, a weak Dravidian party suits the BJP, which is trying to gain a toehold in the state. There will be no AIADMK leader who has the political strengthen or moral conviction to stand up against the BJP at the Centre. In Tamil Nadu, no party that wants to win will have an alliance with the BJP. Only a weak party will have an alliance with the BJP, said AR Venkatachalapathy, a professor at Chennai-based Madras Institute of Development Studies. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Bihar State Staff Selection Commission (BSSC) question paper leak case may go in for polygraph tests of some of the arrested persons. Investigators believe that some of the accused have been hiding crucial facts in the answer keys leak case. If required, the secretary may also be put through polygraph tests, said a senior police officer. However, before approaching the court for permission to conduct polygraph tests, the SIT would explore all other options, including interrogation by making make the suspects sit face to face. The biggest challenge for the SIT is to track the genesis of the question leak, which it has not been able to do so far. But we have collected some vital leads and are working on them. Soon we should be able to get to the bottom of the matter. We will also send mobile phones and other hand-written answer keys to forensic science laboratory (FSL) for examination, said the officer. Meanwhile, Patna SSP Manu Maharaj said he did not receive any letter of the BSSC chairman, written on January 31 to home secretary, regarding suspension of internet services around the examination centres. All the four phases of intermediate-level examination were cancelled on the basis of SIT report following question leak. Fresh dates would be announced later. Over 18-lakh candidates had applied for the exam, which was advertised in 2014. The exams were to fill posts of 17,000 panchayat secretary, revenue worker and clerks in government departments across the state. STRAP UNRAVELLING FACTS Cops say if required, the secretary may also be put through polygraph tests SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The court hall where AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala will surrender on Wednesday was shifted to the central jail at Parapppana Agrahara due to security reasons. The Karnataka high court registrar accepted a request by Bengaluru City Police to shift the court hall, citing security and other considerations, official sources said. The Parappana Agrahara jail is located close to Hosur, the entry point on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. Despite the bevy of journalists waiting near the access road to the Bengaluru Central Prison, vendors near the jail said they hadnt procured extra stock as they didnt expect a huge jump in business. Kaleshappa, who sells tender coconuts near the prison, said: There is a difference between Jayalalithaa and Sasikala. I didnt want to risk facing a loss because I dont think there will be as many people here as there were back then. There are few though who prepared to cater to the crowd. I prepared a lot of extra rice, I hope it wont go to waste, says a vendor, Rasathi. Late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and her relatives VN Sudhakaran and J Ilavarasi had spent three weeks in jail after they were convicted by the trial court in a disproportionate assets case in September 2014 before being let out on bail by the Supreme Court. The top court earlier on Wednesday refused to entertain Sasikalas plea seeking more time to surrender for for imprisonment. The Supreme Court had on Tuesday upheld Sasikalas conviction in the DA case, awarding four years jail term to the AIADMK leader and her relatives, besides imposing a fine of Rs 10 crore each. The trial court also imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore on the late Jayalalithaa. (With inputs from PTI) French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation on Wednesday said the Indian order for 36 Rafale fighters was a bit small, hoping it would swell to around 200 warplanes over the next decade. The firm has factored in an upcoming naval aviation programme to arrive at the figure. Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier said a bigger order would ensure that transfer of technology was meatier and also position the country as a high-end manufacturing hub under the Make in India initiative. India plans to induct some 400 warplanes during the next 10 years to sharpen its military edge. Thirty six is a good number to start with but we need to build on that foundation. It is not big enough for transfer of technology, Trappier told a select group of journalists at Aero India-2017. We are pushing for more orders. We are aware of the Indian militarys requirements and additional orders could come. Read | IAF chief says 36 Rafale warplanes not enough, India needs at least 200 jets India and France signed the $8.7-billion Rafale deal on September 23, 2016. The jets, equipped with latest weapons and tailored for Indian needs, will be delivered between 2019 and 2022. Indian Air Force fighter pilots and technicians will head to France in 2018 to train on the Rafale. The IAF has also cautioned that the 36 fighters are not enough to check the erosion of its IAFs strength. Trappier said Rafale was a strong competitor for an Indian programme to build twin-engine fighters in the country. He said Dassault would also compete with global rivals for an order to supply 57 carrier-borne fighters to Indian Navy. It makes better sense to equip the IAF and the navy with the same platform as it means good logistics, maintenance and industrial support, he said. US aerospace giant Boeing will also compete for the naval programme with its F-18 Super Hornet. Read | Rafale triggers political dogfight, Cong wants contract to be made public The IAFs Rafale fighters will be equipped with European missile maker MBDAs Meteor beyond visual range missiles. MBDA CEO Antoine Bouvier told HT the missiles no-escape zone was three to four times greater than other missiles. MBDA has formed a joint venture with Larsen & Toubro to take part in upcoming missile programmes under the Make in India plan. This is MBDAs first JV outside Europe. We are willing to transfer most sensitive missile technologies, Bouvier said. Dassault Aviation has forged a joint venture with billionaire Anil Ambanis Reliance Defence for carrying out its offset obligations bundled with the Rafale deal. Ambani flew in a Rafale fighter at the airshow, pulling 6G (experiencing six times the force of gravity) during the 35-minute sortie. Despite preparations for Aero India 2017 in full swing for over two months, passengers were made to suffer delays at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) here on Wednesday. The airport authorities had officially communicated in January that the runway of the airport here would be partially closed from February 8 to 18 for the Aero Show and from February 19 to April 30 to build rapid exit taxiways. The closure schedule it had circulated said the runway would be closed from 10 am to 1.30 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm between February 13 and 18, and it would be closed from 10.30 am to 5 pm from February 19 to April 30. S Singh, one of those who had suffer had tweeted saying: Very bad situation for passengers at Bangalore airport, please intervene. A spokesperson for KIAL said airport authorities had informed the airlines about this last month and had also asked them to inform passengers. There is nothing we can do if airlines have not informed their passengers, the spokesperson said. However, there was fog today in the morning, which meant that flights had to be delayed, which made matters worse in light of the runway closure, the spokesperson added. IndiGo, whose flights were also delayed, did not comment on the matter. Officials at SpiceJet said lapses in communication might have occurred with those passengers who had booked tickets through travel portals. Besides, there are other problems with rescheduling, an official said. We need to get permission from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and also the airports where these flights have to go. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Foreign tourists availing e-visas will now get pre-activated free SIM cards as they arrive in India, a move hailed by tour operators body IATO. Launching the much awaited service, Union tourism minister Mahesh Sharma said the talk time to the tune of Rs 50 will be available on the BSNL SIM card which will also have 50 MB data. Initially, the service will be provided at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi but will be later extended to 15 other airports in the country where e-visa facility is available, he added. The initiative will help the tourists to immediately communicate with their relatives at home, hotels, tour operators and so on. I got this idea when I had got a similar card when I had visited Sri Lanka, Sharma said. The minister said the facility will provide ease to the tourists who have to spend about two hours to get their SIM cards activated after they land in India. Tourism secretary Vinod Zutshi said over 10 lakh tourists had arrived in India on e-visa facility last year. Launched on November 27, 2014, the facility is currently available for 161 countries. To a query about the expenditure on the initiative, Zutshi said the expenses on SIM cards will be borne out of the tourism promotion budget of the ministry which he said is well within the budget. Tour operators body IATO hailed the initiative, saying its a great gesture. I think we are the first country to give free SIM cards to the tourists. Its a great gesture and will make the arrival experience better for the travellers, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) senior vice president Rajeev Kohli said. Sharma said the SIM card, with 30 days validity, will also help the travellers to contact the 24-hour tourist helpline number available in 12 languages, including Russian, German and Japanese. To a query as to why the facility is available only to e-visa tourists, he said the complete information about the travellers on such visa is readily available in advance which could be immediately synced with the data of concerned authorities for providing the SIMs. Meanwhile, the minister said there was no impact of demonetisation on tourist arrivals and foreign exchange earnings as these segments recorded a robust growth. The tourists arriving in India on e-visa could get the SIM cards, a part of welcome kit, from India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) counters at the airports. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorisation. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then stamp the entry into the country. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized three high quality fake Rs 2,000 banknotes from a fugitive from West Bengal, who is accused of operating a counterfeit Indian money racket. The anti-terrorism agency arrested Umar Faruq, who is from Malda in West Bengal, on Tuesday when he was on his way to deliver samples of the note to a fellow smuggler of fake currency. He was on the run since he was implicated for smuggling fake currency notes two years ago. This is first such seizure of fake notes by the central agency. Before Tuesdays recovery by the NIA, the Border Security Force (BSF) had also seized 40 fake currency notes in the denomination of Rs 2,000 on February 8 in Malda district, which is on India-Bangladesh border. The case is being probed by state police. NIA officials said the seized notes looked identical to the original. A detailed forensic analysis is on to check how many security features of the genuine currency have been found to be replicated in them, they added. The NIA has been mandated by the government to look into only those cases where recovered Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) are of high quality and involvement of organised gangs from across the border is suspected. Tuesdays recovery triggered concerns that forgers are getting better at replicating security features of the new high-value notes, introduced after the Centre demonetised Rs 500 and 1,000 bills in November last year to fight corruption, counterfeiting and terrorist funding. There have been around half-a-dozen cases in which fake Rs 2,000 notes were recovered after the demonetisation exercise. But they were of inferior quality, mostly printouts of scanned copies of the note. But the recovery on Tuesday by our investigators appear to be of high quality. Thats why we have sought their detailed forensic examination, a senior NIA official said. Counterfeiting has been reportedly rampant with rackets suspected to be based in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan pushing huge sums of fake money into the Indian economy. It was one of the reasons the government gave when it recalled the two high-value notes, draining out 86% of the cash in circulation. At the time of introducing the new bills of Rs 2000, the Reserve Bank of India listed out their security features that included a latent image with the denominational numeral 2,000, which can be seen when it is held at a 45 degree angle at the eye level, a colour-shifting windowed security thread with the inscription , RBI and 2,000 and a see-through register with the denominational numeral 2,000 which can be seen when the note is held up to light. We want to see how far the forgers, most likely sitting in Pakistan, have managed to replicate these features of new bills, said the NIA official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Terming anti-microbial resistance (AMR) as a big challenge which cannot be tackled by the health ministry alone, the Union health minister JP Nadda said that several ministries would work together to solve the problem. Caused by misuse and overuse of antibiotics in the medical and livestock industry where it is used to make animals gain weight, AMR makes microbes resistant to the drugs that treat them. The ministries of agriculture, animal husbandry, pharmaceuticals and environment will jointly launch a campaign against AMR on February 22. The ministries will also jointly strategize policies to reduce AMR together. We will also have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with all ministries together. We will also develop an action plan and policies will be directed in that direction, said Union Health Minister J P Nadda. The Health Ministry has already circulated a concept note to each of the ministries. Auditing prescriptions would be one of the steps the government would take to ensure that antibiotics are used judiciously. Auditing prescriptions will help us understand where we are headed when it comes to resistance. However, it is easy to enforce this in public sector, but not that easy in the private sector, said CK Mishra, health secretary. The health minister praised the 22.77% increase and said, This is a sign that the finance ministry trusts that we are capable of spending this money. Talking about the central government hospitals and teaching institutes he informed that the government has been unable to identify land to set up four AIIMS two in Bihar, one in Tamil Nadu and one in Himachal Pradesh. He also said that the government has not taken decision on making aadhar card mandatory at the time of registration for patients coming to AIIMS, Delhi. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON If things go according to plan, trains on the Delhi-Chandigarh route may run at a top speed of 220 km per hour. French Railways has come forward to assist its Indian counterpart in upgrading the track between Delhi and Chandigarh to facilitate running of trains at a maximum speed of 220 km per hour. French National Railways (or SNCF), which has carried out a technical study to upgrade the speed of passenger trains on the 245-km-long existing rail corridor between Delhi and Chandigarh, presented on Wednesday its report to the railways ministry offering possibilities of track upgrade for running trains at higher speed. According to the report, SNCF has suggested higher speed ranging between 160 km and 220 km per hour for Shatabdi trains in the Delhi-Chandigarh corridor to reduce travel time between the two cities. The French team has offered three options to us. First is to upgrade the track for running trains at 160 km per hour speed at an estimated cost of Rs 17 crore per km, said a senior railway ministry official involved in the project. The second option is to run trains at 180 km per hour speed and the third is for a speed of 220 km per hour. While it would cost Railways about Rs 27 crore per km for upgrading the track for 180 km speed, the cost will go up to Rs 46 crore per km for strengthening the track for 220 km per hour speed. The report has suggested the possibilities of running as many as 12 Shatabdi trains between Delhi and Chandigarh by 2030 by taking the ridership and future growth into account, said the official. Currently, there are only three Shatabdi trains between two cities. French Railways will offer its expertise on upgrading the track, signalling system and rolling stock to run trains at higher speed, as per the MoU signed between Railways and SNCF on December 9, 2015 for technical cooperation in the rail sector. Valentine's Day celebrations on Tuesday were banned by authorities in parts of Indonesia and Pakistan, home to Asia's largest Muslim populations, saying the romantic tradition encouraged casual sex and ran counter to cultural norms. In Indonesia, officials from the country's second largest city, Surabaya, ordered schools to prohibit students from celebrating Valentine's Day, while in Makassar, police raided minimarts and seized condoms in a bid to prevent teenagers from having sex. "These raids were done after we received reports from residents that the minimarts were selling condoms in an unregulated way, especially on Valentine's Day," Makassar police official Jufri was quoted as saying in a media report. Indonesia's highest Islamic clerical council declared Valentine's Day forbidden by Islamic law in 2012, saying it was contradictory to Muslim culture and teachings. But the vast majority of Indonesia's more than 220 million Muslims follow a moderate form of Islam in a country with sizeable Christian and Hindu minorities. Indonesia is a secular country whose state ideology enshrines religious diversity. In Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, and other parts of the country, Valentine's Day has grown in popularity with companies, like national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, looking to cash in by offering special discounts and promotions. In Pakistan, an Islamic republic, a court banned public Valentine's Day celebrations in its capital. The Islamabad High Court also ordered the media to "ensure that nothing about the celebration of Valentine's Day and its promotion is spread". That hurt some businesses in the city of 2 million people. "I've sold at least 50 percent less flowers today than in past years. People just haven't come out to buy them," said Haider Ali, who works at the F7 flower market in Islamabad. The Modi government is all set to initiate independent Indias greatest military reforms with the creation of Integrated Theatre Commands based on geographical areas of operation or functionality and a single-point military advisor designated as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). The post of CDS, who will be responsible for acquisition and logistics, was recommended by the Kargil Review Committee headed by K Subrahmanyam after the war of 1999. South Block sources told Hindustan Times that a discussion on the subject has already taken place between Prime Minister Modi and Defence minister Manohar Parrikar. Another meeting is expected after the ongoing round of Assembly elections to fine-tune the structured proposal. In the meantime, the Ministry of Defence is preparing a note on the envisaged structure of the integrated commands which are broadly based on the US military command structure, and proposed division of assets. Once cleared by Parrikar, the comprehensive note will be put up to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final approval and implementation. The US has seven geographical and two functional commands, China has seven military area commands with Lanzhou and Chengdu MACs looking after the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India. The Indian military structure is largely derived from the colonial past with the Army and Air Force having seven commands each and Navy three commands apart from the Andamans and Nicobar Command that was created last decade. Although the theatre command concept is still work in progress, there are strong indications that each command with dedicated military resources will have a geographical area of responsibility with the commander reporting to the defence minister and ultimately the prime minister. For instance, Western Command facing Pakistan will stretch from Karakoram pass in Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari with complements of Army, Air Force and Navy meshed together and military objectives defined. On the anvil is a Northern Command that will take care of the military duties on LAC with Nepal and Bhutan. Similarly, Eastern Command will look after the border with Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Strategic Command and Transport Command could be based on functionality with pooled resources. South Block sources said the defence ministry is toying with the idea of creating an Indian Ocean Command, responsible for the western, eastern and southern seaboards as well protecting Indian influence from Gulf of Aden to Malacca Straits at the mouth of the South China Sea. As each theatre command headed by a four-star general or admiral will have dedicated rather than shared assets, India would have to go in for serious materiel purchases through the Make in India route to equip the geographical formations. Even though there is a green signal for the proposal, the implementation will take some years before it starts functioning on ground, said a senior official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday directed police in Anand district to take a pregnant girl to the family of her alleged rapist, after she told the court that she loved him and wanted to give birth to his child. The court also asked the social welfare officer of Mahisagar district, where the mans family lives, to ensure that the baby is delivered safely and directed the government hospital authorities to take care of the babys health. The girl had moved the high court against a lower court order refusing permission for termination of her 24-week-old pregnancy. The lower court had said abortion cannot be allowed post-20th week as per the law. When Justice J B Pardiwala summoned the victim, she said she loved the accused, and would like to live in his house and deliver the baby. The accused was also called by the court. He assured that he will take care of her and the child. The court noted that in her statement to the police the girl had said she was in a relationship with the accused, who is now in jail on charges of kidnapping and raping her. While the petition suggested that she was a rape survivor who wanted to abort her foetus, the fact was something else, as her mother was more worried about the society rather than her daughter, the judge said. The girls mother had filed a missing person complaint about her daughter at Bhalej on May 17, 2016, following which police traced the girl who was living with a person named Ashwin. Ashwin was arrested on charges of rape and kidnapping as well as under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, because the girl was then a minor. She is now above 18. India on Wednesday dismissed Chinese protest against the visit of a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation in New Delhi, saying that there is nothing unusual and no political meanings should be read into these trips. We understand that a group of Taiwanese academics and business persons, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. Such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them, external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. Indias reaction came after Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang in Bejing said his government has lodged a diplomatic protest with India for hosting a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation and asked New Delhi to deal prudently with Taiwan-related issues to maintain sound Sino-India ties. Read | India playing with fire over Taiwan stand and one-China policy: State media A three-member womens parliamentary delegation from Taiwan visited India earlier this week amid signals of increasing engagement between the two sides. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre is located in New Delhi. Indias office in Taiwan is called the India-Taipei Association. China has been objecting to Taiwanese visits to India, maintaining that countries that have diplomatic relations with it should fulfil their commitment to the One China principle. India is among nine countries that will be part of a global health network focused on improving the quality of care for new mothers and babies and strengthen national efforts to end preventable deaths of pregnant women and newborns by 2030. The nine countries are India, Bangladesh, A Cote dIvoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. Through the new Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, supported by World Health Organisation (WHO), UN International Childrens Fund (Unicef) and other partners, the countries will work to improve the quality of care mothers and babies receive in their health facilities, a statement from WHO said. The Network aims to strengthen national efforts to end preventable deaths by 2030, as envisioned by the Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Womens, Childrens and Adolescents Health. Countries will do that by strengthening capacity and motivation of health professional to plan and manage quality improvement, improving data collection and increasing access to medicines, supplies, equipment and clean water. Every mother and infant deserves to receive the highest quality of care when they access health facilities in their communities, WHO department of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health director Anthony Costello said. The first nine countries in the network have committed to identifying the actions they will take to improve quality of care and will work with partners to deliver the vision of quality that encompasses values of equity and dignity. In order to achieve this, governments will build and strengthen their national institutions, identify quality of care focal points at all levels of the health system, accelerate and sustain the implementation of quality-of-care improvement packages for mothers, newborns and children Through a global learning platform, the Network will build a community of health practitioners from the facility level and develop evidence-based strategies to improve quality of care, harvest implementation ideas, and collect information and experiences about what is working. WHO said the period around childbirth is the most critical for saving mothers and newborns, and preventing stillbirths. Every year, worldwide, 303 000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth, 2.7 million babies die during the first 28 days of life and 2.6 million babies are stillborn. Most of these deaths could be prevented with quality care during pregnancy and childbirth. Births in health facilities have increased in the past decade, Costello said. Attention is now shifting from access to care to improving the quality of care so that countries can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals targets to end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths by 2030. Utilising WHOs Standards for improving quality of maternal and newborn care in health facilities, published in 2016, countries within the Network will work to improve both the provision of, and patients experience of health care. The eight new standards provide a quality of care framework which will help countries ensure their services are safe, effective, timely, efficient, equitable and people-centred. India is playing with fire and will suffer losses by challenging the one-China policy and increasing engagement with Taiwan, the nationalistic tabloid Global Times said on Wednesday. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province which could be reunited by force if necessary. India doesnt maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, an island off the southeastern coast of China, that follows democracy and has a free press. A rare womens parliamentary delegation from Taiwan began an India visit on Monday, a possible sign that both countries are attempting to increase political engagement without New Delhi changing its one-China policy. It did not go unnoticed by China and its state-run media. At a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the one-China policy, India stands out as a provocateur, it said. Some Indians view the Taiwan question as an Achilles Heel of the mainland. India has long wanted to use the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China, writer Yu Ning wrote in an opinion piece for the newspaper, known to publish critical pieces on India and its policies. By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire, Yu wrote. Why is India doing this? Yu argued that one reason was Indias unease with President Xi Jinpings belt and road initiative (BRI). With the advancement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in recent years, Indias strategic suspicions about China have been growing. It stubbornly misinterprets the flagship project of the One Belt, One Road Initiative that will benefit countries along the route, including India, Yu wrote. As the corridor passes through the disputed Kashmir, some Indian strategists have advised the Modi government to play the Taiwan card, using the commitment of the One-China policy as leverage in exchange for Chinas endorsement of One India, the article said. The newspaper also blamed Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen for inciting India. Tsai is exploiting Indias vigilance and strategic suspicions against China. The pro-independence leader came up with the new southbound policy to ramp up trade and economic interactions in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, in which India is considered not one of the, but the most important countryTsai hopes to put pressure on the mainland by tying India and Taiwan closer. Yu argued that India wants to benefit from trade with and investment from Taiwan but should be wary about Tsais political intentions and avoid being used to confront the mainland. The best way for India, Yu said was to join the BRI to attract more investment from China. Or suffer. The best way for India to develop is by participating in the BRI and attract more investments from the mainland. Pro-independence forces in Taiwan have become more isolated in the world. Those who want to use the Taiwan question to contain the mainland will have to suffer losses. India is catching up fast with China in terms of deaths linked to foul air; and could go past its northern neighbour if pollution counter-measures stay as it is. Almost 1.1 million people died in India two years ago because of air pollution, according to the 2017 State of Global Air report by the Health Effects Institute (HEI) and Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at University of Washington and University of British Columbia. The alarming number is a few thousand shy of Chinas air-related deaths in 2015. The report drawing from the IHMEs Global Burden of Disease data and released on Tuesday says the two Asian giants account for more than half the air pollution-related deaths globally. The primary killer is PM2.5 micro dust particles that stick to peoples lungs and air passage, causing serious health problems and even death. Until 2010, India and China were on the same plain. But China has a comprehensive plan now that looks at both local and regional causes of pollution. In India, there is no significant policy to reduce pollution at the source level or clean up the air, said Sunil Dahiya, a Greenpeace India campaigner. In 2015, more than a quarter of global air-related deaths happened in India. That was slightly below Chinas record but could surpass the neighbour. The report suggests PM2.5 levels are rising in India, but it appears to have stabilised in China. The data show the global average annual population-weighted PM2.5 was 44 microgrammes for each cubic metre in 2015. The level in India was 74 much higher than the threshold of 60. Experts blamed lack of proactive policies for the rising air pollution. Air quality is not mainstream in India. Even in our Swacch Bharat schemes...do not see air mentioned, said Prarthana Borah, the country director of Clean Air Asia. New Delhi, which is on a WHO list of cities with the foulest air, has been grappling with crippling air pollution, prompting the government to initiate emergency measures such as an odd-even road rationing formula for cars. On Tuesday, the PM2.5 level was recorded poor at 208 by the government monitoring agency SAFAR. Other than kneejerk reactions, long-term measures were hardly taken, experts alleged. The air pollution data call for a national emergency, according to the Centre for Science and Environment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India is in talks to sell short range surface-to-air missiles to Vietnam, the head of Indias defence research agency said on Wednesday, in what would be its first transfer of such weapons to the Southeast Asian country. India has been helping the Vietnamese military with training and patrol vessels, but a further deepening of ties with missile sales could draw criticism from China that has been locked in a territorial dispute with Hanoi in the South China Sea. New Delhi is currently talking to a number of countries for sales of its surface-to-air Akash missiles, said S Christopher, chairman of state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis push to establish India as an arms exporter. We are talking to countries, one of them is none other than Vietnam, he told a news conference on the sidelines of an air show where the DRDO is showcasing its missile programmes and other key projects, including a home-grown light combat fighter. Christopher did not provide any details of how many Akash missile batteries the government planned to supply Vietnam. Vietnam is in the midst of a quiet military buildup that analysts say is designed as a deterrent, to secure its 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone as China grows more assertive in staking its claims in the South China Sea. Experts say Vietnam is in the market for fighter jets and more advanced missile systems, in addition to the kilo-class submarines it has bought from Russia. India, which is also sparring with China over a border dispute, has in the past considered the sale of its Brahmos supersonic missile with a range of 290 kms to Vietnam and has been steadily helping Hanoi beef up its defences. Last year, Modi announced a $500 million credit line to Vietnam to buy defence equipment, on top of a $100 million given previously to help it buy patrol boats. The two sides have also agreed for training of Vietnamese air force pilots to operate Su-30 Russian fighter planes. A day after four soldiers were killed in two separate encounters in the Valley, the army paid rich tributes to its martyrs. Among the dead was Major Satish Dahiya who succumbed to injuries in an encounter in which three militants were gunned down, in north Kashmirs Handwara on Tuesday evening. Rifleman Ravi Kumar, paratrooper Dharmender Kumar and gunner Astosh Kumar were killed on Tuesday morning in an encounter in which one militant was gunned down, in Bandipora district. In a ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, the Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen JS Sandhu and senior officials from other security forces, paid homage to the slain soldiers. They chose the Valentines Day to seal their love for their country. To these bravehearts, no price was too high for her safety. To weed out terror from their motherland, they would not think twice even to put their lives on the line They lived for the country and they died fighting for her, said an army statement. The statement added that the mortal remains of the martyrs will be taken to their native places for last rites with full military honours. The Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and remains committed to their dignity and wellbeing, the statement said. Major Satish Dahiya The army statement said that Major Dahiya (31) was a native of Mahendergarh, Haryana and is survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter. Maj Dahiya had lead the operation launched by Army in Handwara yesterday which eventually resulted in the elimination of three terrorists thus delivering a major blow to the terror network in North Kashmir, an army spokesman said. A gallantry award winner, the officer had been part of several counter terror operations, he added. Gunner Astosh Kumar Kumar (25) was a native of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh and is survived by his mother, Shila Devi. His father, Havildar Lal Sahib, was killed during the Kargil war in 1999. His fathers sacrifice only strengthened his resolve to join the Army which he did at the tender age of 19 years, the army statement said. Paratrooper Dharmender Kumar Kumar (26) was a native of Nainital in Uttarakhand. The young paratrooper, who defied his 26 years of age and had established himself, amongst his comrades, as a spirited and daring soldier, is survived by his parents, the army statement said. Rifleman Ravi Kumar Rifleman Kumar (33) was a son of the soil, hailing from Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. He is survived by his wife and a three-year-old daughter. Daughter of martyr Ravi Kumar, who was killed in an encounter with militants in Bandipora district on Tuesday, looks at his picture on mobile phone in Samba district on Wednesday. (PTI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON People interfering with anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir will be considered anti-nationals and will face action, army chief Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday, acknowledging adding that the hostile conduct of locals was causing higher casualties in the Valley. General Rawats message came a day after three soldiers faced heavy stone-pelting at Parray Mohalla of Bandipore in northern Kashmir when they were about to launch an operation against militants holed up there. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rawat paid their last respects to three of four soldiers, including a major, who were killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir on Tuesday. If they become a problem in our operation and if that causes losses to our soldiers, we will not hesitate to use weapons, Rawat said in no uncertain terms. Alerted by stone-pelters, militants got an opportunity to lob hand grenades and empty a few magazines from rifles into advancing troopers, leaving three soldiers dead and some others, including a commanding officer of the CRPF, injured. General Rawat said security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were facing higher casualties due to the manner in which locals were preventing them from conducting the operations and at times even supporting the terrorists to escape. We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with these acts of terrorism, displaying flags of ISIS (Islamic State) and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them, he told reporters in New Delhi. They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue, the army chief added. General Rawat said those supporting terror activities were being given an opportunity, but only for so long. ...Should they continue to (disrupt army operations) then, we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures. And that is the way to continue. The Supreme Court has ordered the Bihar government to move gangster-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin to Delhis Tihar jail for a free and fair trial. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said no special treatment will be given to the RJD leader. The four-time RJD MP from Siwan is currently lodged in Bihars Siwan jail after the Supreme Court cancelled his bail granted by the Patna high court last year in connection with the killing of the prime witness in the murder of two brothers by pouring acid on them. The 50-year-old has 45 criminal cases filed against him. The top court order came on petitions filed by Asha Ranjan, wife of slain journalist Rajdeo Ranjan and Chandrakeshwar Prasad whose three sons were allegedly murdered. Asha Ranjan has accused Shahabuddin of conspiring her husbands murder in May last year. The case is being investigated by the CBI. Shahabuddin is convicted for masterminding the killing of Prasads two sons. He is currently facing trial in the murder case of Prasads third son who was a witness to his brothers deaths. The Supreme Court said the trial will take place through video-conferencing and the cases in which trial was put on hold by the high court should be decided in four months. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON But neither the government here nor Malaysian police have confirmed the tale. Intelligence officers here briefed the media that Kim, who lived in gilded exile in Macau after falling out of favor with his father Kim Jong-il, was killed with a poison needle or spray by two female North Korean agents. Kim Jong-nam died on the way to hospital after he told airport officials he had been attacked by unknown assailants. Kim had publicly criticized his younger half-brother's ascension to the North Korean thrown and was apparently a focal figure for defectors hoping to overthrow the regime. Reuters quoted a Malaysian police official as saying, "The deceased... felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind. He felt dizzy, so he asked for help" at the airport's budget terminal. He was traveling under a false passport in the name of Kim Chol. An autopsy is under way to determine the cause of death. People's Party leader Park Jie-won claimed the U.S. checked with the Malaysian government and two women captured on surveillance cameras appear to be Korean. South Korean officials are working on the assumption that Kim Jong-un had his brother assassinated to rid himself of a potential rival, but the Foreign Ministry officially declined to confirm this. In 2013, Kim ordered the public execution of his uncle Jang Song-taek, who had become powerful by arrogating most of the trade with China to himself and funded Kim Jong-nam's exile. Kim Jong-nam was born in 1971, the son of Kim Jong-il and the movie actress Song Hye-rim. He was the oldest son and once tipped as the successor to the North Korean throne. But father and son grew apart when Kim senior married Koh Young-hee, who gave birth to Kim Jong-un. He later fell from grace when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport and has lived in exile ever since, drifting from mainland China to Macau and Hong Kong, where he lived a playboy lifestyle. More recently, he has often been spotted in Singapore and Malaysia. The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday arrested Mouinudheen Parakadavath, a Kerala resident, in connection with its probe regarding an alleged Islamic State module. Mouinudheen, wanted by the NIA, arrived at the IGI Airport in Delhi on February 14 from Abu Dhabi, the agency said in a statement. The 25-year-old, a resident of Kasaragod, was summoned for questioning at the agencys headquarters on Tuesday, the NIA said. During his examination, he admitted to his involvement in the conspiracy and therefore, he has been arrested at NIA headquarters, it said The NIA said the case relates to a terror module in which a group of youngsters from Kerala including some members based in the Middle-East hatched a conspiracy under the instructions from their online ISIS handlers. It said on October 2, 2016, based on the intelligence inputs, five accused associated with this terror module, were arrested from Kanakmala Hill in Kannur district, Kerala and another associate was arrested from Calicut the same day. Based on their revelation, it was established that Mouinudheen was a key figure in the module, which was actively planning various aspects of terrorist plot, on a Telegram group, NIA said. It alleged Mouinudheen was using the online identity Abu-Al-Indonesi as well as Ibn Abdullah on the telegram group. It was also revealed by the arrested persons that Mouinudheen had sent funds from Abu Dhabi to members of the terrorist module in Kerala, through Western Union Money Transfer last year, it said. Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa recently advised top officers to read an American academics book on Indias success in keeping the military out of politics to drive home his point about the military staying out of governance. The civilian-military imbalance has always been a tricky issue in Pakistan, which has been ruled by the powerful army for almost half its history. But Steven I Wilkinsons Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy since Independence, the book referred to by Bajwa, isnt the only tome that could help the Pakistan Armys officers gain a better understanding of the civil-military balance. Here are some other books, written by Indians and Pakistanis, that could be essential reading for the officers: 1. Indias Military Conflicts and Diplomacy: An Inside View of Decision-Making by Gen (retired) VP Malik. This book by the man who led the Indian Army during the Kargil War of 1999 provides a glimpse of the role played by the military in decisions on key security issues. It narrates the role of the armed forces in successes such as ending the move by rebels to oust President Abdul Gayoom of the Maldives in 1988 and in failures such as Operation Pawan, Indias disastrous intervention against the LTTE in Sri Lanka. 2. Indian Army After Independence by Maj KC Praval. Written in the 1980s, the book covers the period from Indias independence in 1947 to the India-Pakistan war of 1971. It tracks the evolution of the army from the time of Partition, through the debacle of the 1962 war with China and the careful preparations by the military and civilian leadership that led to the victory in 1971. Praval emphasises the role that professionalism in the military has played in its successes. 3. Defending India by Jaswant Singh. A former Indian Army officer who went on to serve as defence minister, Singh analyses Indias management of conflicts and security challenges. It also tracks the evolution of the military and emphasises that economic development is key to national security. Singh also looked at the need for an overhaul of the defence ministry and higher management of the armed forces, including a bigger role for the military in decision-making. 4. Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within by Shuja Nawaz. This book written by the brother of a former Pakistan Army chief, Gen Asif Nawaz, takes a long hard look at the role of the military in Pakistan and its politics, the conflict between the army and jihadi groups bent on imposing Shariah or Islamic law and sectarian conflict. Experts have described it as one of the most authoritative looks at the internal workings of the Pakistan Army, including the factors that led to its dominance over the political establishment and the influence of serving and retired officers in business and bureaucracy. 5. Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military by Husain Haqqani. This book by Pakistans former envoy to the US, who many say was forced out of the post by the military, traces the relationship between the army and militant groups. It also looks at how the military has cosied up to the US by portraying itself as the only solution to security problems, such as the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, while continuing to use militant groups as proxies against countries such as India. Haqqani also argues that Islamisation, often blamed for many of Pakistans ills, was the cornerstone of efforts to consolidate the countrys identity long before it was embraced by military dictator Zia-ul-Haq. When he addressed his officers after taking over as Pakistans army chief last year, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa asked them to read a book on Indian democracy. He told them that an army had no business running a government, and asked the officers to read author Steven I Wilkinsons book, Army and Nation: The Military and Indian Democracy since Independence. Many Pakistani officers and soldiers are now busy in anti-terrorist operations in the country. So, heres a cheat-sheet from HT that lists five takeaways from Wilkinsons book: * The Indian civilian establishment has successfully managed to keep its soldiers in the barracks, which is where they belong. The army has to be an apolitical organisation and not the one dictating politics. * Successive Indian governments have taken steps to ensure that the army doesnt have a free run of the country. The army doesnt decide the countrys defence policy thats a job for the government. It is the government again which decides on the money the force will spend. * Indian officers dont make speeches. Its military chiefs are encouraged not to dabble in realpolitik. In the early days of Independence, the government even kept a close watch on senior officers and not the other way round. * The Indian Army is diversified and not dominated by one ethnic group. *India also has the worlds largest paramilitary force, which includes the Border Security Force that guards, as is obvious, the borders, and the Central Reserve Police Force that maintains law and order and also fights insurgency. The Election Commission has directed the cabinet secretary to ensure that photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and housing minister M Venkaiah Naidu are removed from the website of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The scheme is currently being implemented in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and the Commission received a complaint about the pictures being used on the website. In a letter to the cabinet secretary, the EC noted that use of photos of the PM and the minister concerned on the website pmaymis.gov.in was a violation of the model code of conduct. It is also in contravention of the ECs instruction asking for withdrawal of all references to ministers, politicians and political parties available on central and state government websites. The Commission desires to know the reason as to why this was not done before, when the model code was in force (since January 4), EC wrote to cabinet secretary PK Sinha. In January, the Commission had written to cabinet secretary, asking for the removal of PM Modis photographs from hoardings at petrol pumps in Goa that went to polls on February 4 and gas consumer certificates in the poll-bound state of Uttarakhand. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A week-long political drama in Tamil Nadu appeared headed for a climax on Wednesday as two rival contenders for the chief ministers position met the governor and sources indicated Raj Bhavan would take more time before a decision. AIADMK chief VK Sasikalas loyalist Edappadi K Palaniswami met governor C Vidyasagar Rao first, insisting that he was elected legislature party leader unanimously and had the support of 124 MLAs. We are leaving here with the belief that the governor will safeguard democracy and will invite Palanaswami, said state fisheries minister D Jayakumar. An hour later, caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam drove into Raj Bhavan and told the governor that AIADMK legislators were still held captive at a resort near Chennai, where they were taken last week when the political crisis erupted. If given a chance, I will prove majority on the floor of the house, he said. But party sources said the numbers were with Palaniswami -- who was elected the legislature party chief after Sasikala was convicted in a corruption case on Tuesday and he could be invited by Raj Bhavan in a day or two after Sasikalas camp managed to hold all of its lawmakers together. This dashed the hopes of Panneerselvam, who appeared crestfallen after his strategy of turning a trickle of MLAs to his side into a torrent failed. Sources indicated with no mass defections, his side remained woefully short of the majority mark of 118 in a 234-member assembly. All the 124 MLAs are staying at the resort of their own free will, asserted A Navaneethakrishnan, AIADMK parliamentarian. This also meant Sasikala, 61, appeared to trounce her rival Panneerselvam by scoring twin victories: Getting her proxy Edappadi K Palaniswami as the leading CM candidate and consolidating her hold on the AIADMK by appointing her nephew as her deputy. Rao was taking time to announce his decision, sources said, as he was still consulting legal luminaries and might insist on a fresh letter of support signed by all MLAs supposedly backing Palaniswami, which may delay the formal invite. According to sources in the Palaniswami camp, the party will send another letter to the governor with signatures. The evening meetings culminated a day of drama as Sasikala a former video cassette saleswoman who became former chief minister J Jayalalithaas most-trusted aide travelled to Benglauru to surrender, after the Supreme Court convicted her in a two-decade-old disproportionate assets case. Read: Sasikala conviction: The possible scenarios for Tamil Nadu and AIADMK She is going to be lodged in Bengalurus Parippana Agrahara jail for the next four years and is effectively out of electoral politics for six years thereafter. In the morning, Sasikala visited Jayalalithaas memorial in Chennai to vow to defeat her enemies and then left for Bengaluru by road, trailed by hundreds of distraught supporters. But her jail term failed to enthuse the Panneerselvam camp after no new batch of MLAs switched sides. An effort to use force by sending police to a sea-side resort where the MLAs were camping failed to uncover even a single legislator who was illegally confined. An MLA inside the resort, Dr Sandhya, said police came and disturbed them but asserted that we all are living here of our own free will. We will do only what Chinnamma has told us to do. All other MLAs who interacted with the media backed Sandhya and said OPS was a traitor and that he must be taught a lesson. Read: What were witnessing now is the beginning of the AIADMKs end Sasikala a long-time confidante of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had been anointed as the late CMs successor by the states ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and was due to be sworn in last week. But she was pulled into a bitter struggle last week by Panneerselvam, who alleged he was forced to resign. Since then, he has been backed by several MPs and MLAs but a majority of the party is said to be behind Sasikala. Earlier in the day, she tightened her grip on the party by appointing her trusted nephew TTV Dinakaran as deputy general secretary, a decision that was greeted with shock and anger across Tamil Nadu. Dinakaran was expelled from the party by Jayalalithaa in 2011 after allegations of corruption. Party organising secretary K Pandian resigned in protest. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Reserve Bank of India was opposed to the recall of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and conveyed its reservations to the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) two months before the decision was announced, former finance minister P Chidambaram has suggested. In an interview with Hindustan Times on Tuesday, he said the central bank, then headed by Raghuram Rajan, had sent a five-page note to the PMO, saying that demonetisation was not a wise move. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, announced the decision on November 8 last year. Its fairly reliable that about the time Dr Raghuram Rajan demitted office, on behalf of the RBI, a five-page note was sent to the PMO on demonetisation. Now whether its correct or not, its for the government to confirm or deny. If such a paper exists, the government must make it public so that we could have an informed debate on demonetisation. I dont know what the note contains but the conclusion I believe was that demonetisation is not a wise step, Chidambaram told HT. Read| Note ban was reason Raghuram Rajan left the RBI, claims Chidambaram The central bank refused to comment on the matter. The former finance minister enjoyed a good rapport with Rajan, who demitted office as the RBI governor on September 4. In his foreword to Chidambarams recently released book, Fearless in Opposition: Power and Accountability, Rajan writes: Even though as RBI Governor through much of last year I was part of the governing establishment, and therefore bear responsibility to some of Mr Chidambarams concerns, I have no hesitation in saying that we need people of Mr Chidambarams caliber to point out not just what he believes is going wrong, but what can be done to set it right. Asked if his opposition to demonetisation could have been a reason for the NDA government not to give another term to the then RBI governor, Chidambaram said, In retrospect, that could be one of the reasons but I think there were other reasons also. Read| Demonetisation is immoral, theft of peoples property: Steve Forbes Dr Rajan is a man of international stature. He is not going to do the bidding of this government. He will take independent positions. He will speak freely. He will comment on whats happening. I think this government was more afraid of his ability to speak on many issues and therefore, decided to create a situation where he could not continue. The former finance minister said that the RBIs stature got diminished considerably after November 8. It was among the most respected central banks of the world. Now I think its stature has been severely compromised. Chidambaram said that practically, all the money has already come back (into the banking system) post-demonetisation, if one were to take into account money in Nepal and Bhutan, with NRIs and with money-changers in different countries. Practically, every rupee has come back. So, why did you do this? You first demonetize the currency and then you say I am going to re-monetize the economy. What for? Its a completely wasteful exercise. Therefore, I said khoda pahar, nikli chuhiya. You move a mountain and get a rat. Read| Note ban not enough: Corruption in India is like water, it finds a way He said he was absolutely certain that the shadow of demonetisation would fall entirely through 2017-18 and might spill over to 2018-19. To recover from the devastation of demonetisation, it will take at least 18 months. SMEs (small and medium enterprises) have to re-open and revive; people who have migrated back to their homes have to go back to their workplaces; people whose accounts were performing and which have now become NPAs (non-performing assets) have to recover from that and go back to performing accounts. Above all, people must have confidence in the system to spend their money. Today, people have no confidence, they are not spending. They are hoarding whatever cash they have. It will take a minimum of 18 months. He slammed the RBI for not responding to an application under the Right to Information Act, seeking to know how much currency was there with it on November 8 and how much was printed between November 8 and December 30. And the RBI replies that it is concerning security and therefore, will not reveal the information. How absurd is this! Why should the RBI not reveal how much currency it is printing and how much it has printed and how much has been put into the market? Why cant these matters be revealed? Read|Demonetisation has been monumental management failure, says Manmohan Chidambaram castigated Modi for quoting from Madhav Godboles book in which the former bureaucrat claimed that former PM Indira Gandhi had rejected the idea of demonetisation telling then finance minister YB Chavan about electoral compulsions. Thats hearsay. Godbole writes about that in his book. There is no way to verify it. Indira Gandhi is no more. YB Chavan is no more. Mr Godbole has made that statement but how can the Prime Minister of India pick that statement and say in Parliament that this was authentic? He flayed Modi for his caustic bathing-in-a-raincoat remarks against former PM Manmohan Singh. It was in poor taste. The Prime Minister must respect his own office and those who held the office before him. He must remember he is speaking from a seat where Jawaharlal Nehru sat and where Atal Bihari Vajpayee sat. I ask myself would a Nehru, a Vajpayee, a Lal Bahadur Shastri or even a Morarji Desai have made such a statement? I dont think so. Chidambaram said Modi made those remarks because that is his nature. He is always in campaign mode. He doesnt keep the distinction between a Prime Minister speaking in Parliament and a leader of a party on a political campaign. He gets carried away and he tends to believe that thats the way one should speak whatever be the occasion. Read| Manmohan Singh slams Modi govt over demonetisation, says worst is yet to come SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala reinducted on Wednesday her close relatives T T V Dinkaran and S Venkatesh into the party, five years after their expulsion by J Jayalalithaa. In a significant move a day after her conviction in disproportionate assets case, Sasikala announced that Dinakaran, her nephew and a former Rajya Sabha member, was being appointed as the partys deputy general secretary and urged the cadres to extend their cooperation to him. The two were being reinducted following their apology issued to her in person and through letter, Sasikala said. Dinakaran and Venkatesh are allowed to join the party after they expressed regret for their acts in person and through letter and requested that they be allowed to join the party (again), she said in a statement in Chennai. Dinakaran and Venkatesh, besides Sasikala and her husband M Natarajan were expelled from AIADMK in 2011 by late chief minister Jayalalithaa amidst reports then that they interfered in party and government administration. Although she withdrew the disciplinary action against her close aide, after Sasikala expressed regret, Jayalalithaa had however said that the others expulsion would continue. Sasikala was convicted on Tuesday in the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case, with the Supreme Court upholding a lower court verdict sentencing her to four years prison term along with two of her relatives. Dinakaran was part of the 12-member AIADMK team led by its newly elected legislature party leader Edappadi K Palaniswami which met the state governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and staked claim to form government. Sasikala had sacked on Tuesday rebel leaders including chief minister O Panneerselvam from the party, but they have questioned her right to do so, contending that she does not have powers to appoint and remove anyone. PATNA: Barely five months ago, amid celebration in Siwan over the release of former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, there was one man completely crestfallen. He was Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chanda Babu, 79, the man who lost his three sons all murdered allegedly at the behest of Shahabuddin, currently lodged in Siwan jail. Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chanda Babu and his wife, who lost their three sons all murdered allegedly at the behest of Shahabuddin. (HT photo) Though Shahabuddin was later sent back to jail following cancellation of his bail by the Supreme Court, Prasads trauma did not diminish a wee bit. My sons were murdered and now people say it could be my turn. Any day, you can find me, my wife and our only surviving son killed here, he had said, demanding to shift Shahabuddin out of Siwan. On Wednesday, Chanda Babu appeared relieved. It is a big respite for people of Siwan. Witnesses will now be able to depose before the court without fear, which was not possible as long as he stayed in Siwan, he said. The enhanced security outside Chanda Babus house is a testimony that his apprehensions were not out of place. The administration has provided security on its own in view of the threat perception to him. He said ever since the top court took up the matter, it is the first time that he had not received any threat. I have full faith in the Supreme Court. I am also indebted to senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, who felt my pain and fought for me, he added. Talking to HT, Chanda Babu said the ongoing trial in his son Rajiv Raushans murder case, two of the witnesses had turned hostile before the special court in Siwan due to the terror, which Shahabuddin represented. Asha Ranjan, wife of slain Hindustan journalist Rajdeo Ranjan. (HT photo) Asha Ranjan, wife of slain Hindustan journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, was also happy with the SC order, saying: It is important that Shahabuddin is shifted from Siwan, or else, we will never get justice. It is all because of the top court that we can expect justice, she added. Shahabuddin is the second RJD leader who will be shifted from Bihar to New Delhis high security Tihar jail and it is a coincidence that the top courts order against both came in February. A bench of justices N Santosh Hegde and S B Sinha had on February 14, 2005 ordered shifting of Ajit Sarkar murder accused and then RJD MP from Purnia, Pappu Yadav. The bench had then warned the Bihar officials not to extend any special privileges to Yadav during his shifting from Beur jail in Patna to Tihar and to scrupulously follow the jail manual. Shahabuddin can expect similar treatment. PACKAGE HEAD Siwan breathes easy as Shahabuddin shifts SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Suspected Pakistan spy Haji Khan had been passing on defence-related information to the ISI and two other agencies for the past three years, his interrogators on Tuesday said. According to intelligence sources, Khan, who was caught in a joint operation of Army Intelligence and the CID from Kishangarh on Saturday, had also visited Pakistan by Thar Express five times during the same time. Khans wife has been living in Pakistans Rahimyarkhan and in return of providing important strategic information to the ISI and other agencies, her account was credited with Rs 15 lakh during this period, a source said. He told the agencies his brother Jumme Khan, who also lives in Rahimyarkhan, had been caught by the ISI and in return of his release, the ISI forced him to make the defence-related information available to it. According to the sources, for the past three years of his activity, Khan has shared various information pertaining to border activities of the army, air force and the BSF in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Barmers Utarlai air base and Gandhinagar. Khan had been using four SIM cards from Pakistan to pass on the information to his handlers there but during apprehension by the intelligence agencies, he managed to erase all the data from his cell phone, which the agencies have been trying to recover, they said. Senior AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami is set to take over as Tamil Nadus new chief minister in a couple of days after sources confirmed on Wednesday that he would likely be called by the governor to form the next government. Palaniswami the state minister for highways, public works and minor ports might be called by governor C Vidyasagar Rao late on Wednesday. The 62-year-old has claimed the support of 123 MLAs, more than the majority mark in the 234-member assembly. Palaniswami was elected leader of the AIADMK legislature party on Tuesday soon after party chief VK Sasikala was convicted by the Supreme Court in a two-decade-old corruption case. He is a staunch loyalist of Chinnamma and was groomed by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, whose death last December set off a furious power struggle between Sasikala and caretaker chief minister O Panneerselvam. The governor called Palaniswami at 7.30 pm and Panneerselvam an hour later. Sources said Palaniswami emerged as the clear winner in the numbers game as Panneerselvam , failed to muster enough support, even 24 hours after Sasikala was knocked out of the race by her conviction. Sources said legal advisers told the governor that in the present circumstances, there was no alternative but to invite Palaniswami to form the next government and prove his majority on the floor of the assembly. Though Palaniswami has claimed the support of 123 MLAs, the exact number would be known on the floor of the House, they said. The Panneerselvam camp celebrated the conviction of Sasikala on Tuesday with the hope of large-scale defections from her camp, allegedly held captive at Golden Bay Resorts near Chennai. But nothing of that sort had happened and except for one MLA, S Saravanan representing Madurai South, who filed a kidnap case against Sasikala, no other MLA from her camp shifted their loyalty to Panneerselvam. Though Panneerselvam was planning to go to Raj Bhavan to meet the governor Tuesday evening to claim that he had enough numbers, he only deputed his supporters AIADMK MP V Maitreyan and senior leader P H Pandian -- to Raj Bhavan to request Rao not to invite Palaniswami to form the government. The two leaders, however, could not substantiate their allegation that the MLAs were forcibly confined in the resort and that they actually owed allegiance to Panneerselvam. Till Wednesday evening, Pannerselvam group could not get enough numbers. As a result, the legal advisers to the governor are learnt to have suggested that it would be appropriate to give an opportunity to Palaniswami to form the next government and prove his majority in the House. Read | Sasikala vs Panneerselvam: Who are the key leaders in warring AIADMK factions SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON His ties to North Korea's elite were apparently severed completely once his uncle Jang Song-taek was executed in 2013 and his aunt Kyong-hui lost power within the Workers Party. Kim Jong-nam drifted from Singapore to Macau, China and Malaysia, at once haunted by fears of assassination and the compulsions of his playboy lifestyle. Kim Jong-nam, the estranged eldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, lived a restless, peripatetic life in exile since his half brother Kim Jong-un was earmarked to succeed their father in 2009. Jong-nam was sent to school in Moscow in 1980, when he was just nine years old, and the next year started international school in Switzerland, only to leave again two years later. In the 1990s, he was responsible for selling North Korean missiles overseas, but that role more or less ended when the U.S. froze any revenues he made. In 2001, he was caught trying to enter Japan on a forged passport, apparently to visit the local Disneyland, and fell out of his father's favor. One source said, "When Kim Jong-il was alive, Kim Jong-nam used to get a significant amount of money to cover his living expenses, but any support died with his father." There were rumors that Jong-nam felt his life was threatened when Kim Jong-un took power in 2012, prompting him to move to Singapore. He became a virtual recluse after his uncle was brutally executed in December 2013 and there were rumors that he sought asylum in South Korea at that time. But there were also rumors of a short visit to North Korea in 2012. According to some sources, Jong-nam met Jang in Pyongyang in 2012 where he was told to refrain from criticizing the succession. In interviews with a Japanese journalist, Jong-nam roundly criticized the regime, and there were intelligence reports that state security raided the homes and offices of officials in Pyongyang who were loyal to Jong-nam. A Republican Senator has said he does not expect President Donald Trump to weaken the H-1B visa scheme, sought-after by Indian IT professionals, as the programme benefits Americans and the US economy. Senator Orion Hatch, Senate Finance Committee Chairman, said that in his several meetings with Trump he had discussed the economic benefits of preserving and expanding H-1B visas programme, which is popular among Indian IT professionals. Hatch told Morning Consult, a media technology company, that his time with Trump has convinced him that the President will take a pragmatic approach to H-1Bs. Anything that creates jobs, anything that moves this economy forward. And I think he can put political feelings aside. And I expect him to, and Ill make sure he does, the Republican Senator from Utah said on Tuesday. H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows American firms to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The tech companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. A legislation was introduced in the US House of Representatives last month which among other things calls for more than doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to $130,000, making it difficult for firms to use the programme to replace American employees with foreign workers, including from India. The High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017 introduced by California Congressman Zoe Lofgren prioritises market based allocation of visas to those companies willing to pay 200% of a wage calculated by survey, eliminates the category of lowest pay, and raises the salary level at which H-1B dependent employer are exempt from non displacement and recruitment attestation requirements to greater than $ 130,000. This is more than double of the current H-1B minimum wage of $ 60,000 which was established in 1989 and since then has remained unchanged. Hatch is expected to roll out a tech-focused Innovation Agenda for the 115th Congress, in which he is likely to push for an increase in H-1B visa number. He had made a similar effort in 2015 when he introduced a bill to raise the annual cap of H-1B visas to between 115,000 to 195,000, based on market conditions. While some have expressed some reservations about the impact of high-skilled immigration on American jobs, I believe we can and will be able to make a convincing case for reform. The data is on our side, said Hatch who met Trump some two weeks ago. He said Trump appears to recognise the importance of the high-skilled guest worker programme for overall job growth and economic productivity. Hatch exuded confidence that he can convince the President that the data on H-1B visas shows how the programme benefits American workers and the US economy, the report said. India is one of the top sources for international workers in the American tech industry, accounting for a major chunk of all H-1B visas. And any move by Trump, who has vowed to put an America First policy, will have an adverse impact in India. Worlds heaviest woman, Eman Ahmed of Egypt, who weighs nearly 500kg, has thanked doctors and the governments of India and her country for making efforts for her weight loss treatment. Eman, who hails from Alexandria in Egypt, is reportedly the worlds heaviest woman at 480kg approximately, and is set to undergo weight loss surgery over a period of three years at Mumbais Saifee hospital. The journey of Eman from Eygpt to India Emans sister Shaimaa, a former engineer left her job to take care of her sister, and has a two-year-old daughter who is currently staying with her grandmother in Alexandria. While Eman lost her father six months back, her mother runs the house by stitching clothes. Every organisation, involved in her transportation and treatment is working on pro-bono basis to help the family, which is not economically strong, bear the burden of the extensive costs. Emans air-transport alone cost about Rs 83 lakhs, which was paid by Saifee Hospital trust. In a video message from her special 1,000 sqft medical facility, the 36-year-old, who is not able to speak coherently, expressed her gratitude, saying she feels the difference between India and Egypt and she feels much better here. Read| Eman Ahmed, the worlds heaviest woman, will have to lose 200kg in six months Special arrangements were made by governments of both the countries, police officials and others to bring Eman to India at a cost of Rs 83 lakh, which was borne by the Saifee Hospital trust. The video was recorded at the first floor medical facility of Saifee Hospital, which was previously an accounts office and was renovated, considering Emans special needs. Lying in her bed, beside her sister Shaimaa, Eman waved and thanked the 13-member medical team led by of Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, her treating doctor and chairman of Institute of Minimal Access Surgical Sciences and Research Centre at Saifee Hospital, the hospital trust and government of India for their support and care. Read| 10 things about Eman Ahmed, the 500kg Egyptian woman in Mumbai for surgery Aashrita Dass has been named the new principal of La Martiniere Girls College, Lucknow. Peter Fanthome, member of the governing body of the institution, made a formal announcement to this effect on Wednesday morning. The prestigious all-girl institution got a principal after nearly one year. The post fell vacant after the death of Farida Abraham on February 12 last year. Dass had been working as vice-principal of the institution. La Martiniere Girls College is among the top 10 schools of India. My vision for this institution is to take it to greater heights by providing an atmosphere that enables girls to be independent, self-sufficient and empathetic citizens, said Dass who is associated with LMGC for 27 years, as a student and then as a member of staff. I began my teaching career in the prep dept and worked in all departments of LMGC taught English and Geography to middle and senior school students and prepared students for the ICSE examination, she said. Dass also headed the middle school for nine years and has been an examiner for ICSE English. Dasss facebook account was full of congratulatory messages by principals of other schools and former students of LMGC. The college is seeing a number of development works these days. The new 1,000-seater auditorium at LMGC has been named as Farida Abraham Memorial Auditorium. It is a beautiful tribute to the lady who believed in the overall development of the girl child and laid great emphasis on co-curricular activities. Work continues and we hope to see the auditorium completed soon, reads one of the recent posts by Dass. On Tuesday evening, the seven-member governing board of the college met and decided on the name of the principal. Aashrita Dass was their choice. Board members made it public in the morning assembly on Wednesday in the presence of students and staff. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a first for the city, a student who identifies herself as transgender is enrolled in the University of Mumbai (MU). An interior designer and make-up artist by profession, 32-year-old Sridevi (her adopted name) is pursuing a BA (psychology) at the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL). While she has been a student at IDOL for the past one-and-a-half years, her decision to enrol herself as a transgender was revealed only recently. The development comes three years after the University Grants Commission (UGC), the higher education regulator, directed universities and colleges to treat transgenders as third gender for the purpose of admission and various scholarship schemes and programmes. MU had introduced a separate 'transgender' column separately, in addition to traditional "male and female columns in 2015-16 the same year Sridevi registered at IDOL. There may be other such students at MU, but Sridevi is the first to officially enrol as a transgender. Sitting in her small cosmetics shop in the city, Sridevi recounts the painfully familiar story of growing up as someone confused about her gender identity. Brought up in a poor South Indian family residing in a city slum, she found no support from her own family, faced abuse in her all-boys school and college and even sexual harassment in her locality. "Since an early age, I figured that I am a woman trapped in a mans body and have lived as a woman ever since. When my parents discovered my "abnormal" behaviour, they took me to a priest in the city with the hopes of "curing" me. I kept visiting the temple where I was brought up in the devdasi tradition," she said. But what sets Sridevi apart from most other members of the transgender community is her desire to continue educating herself and finding new opportunities in life, despite the odds being stacked against her. She began tutoring children to pay for her education when she was in Class 9. "My father earned a meagre salary, much of which was wasted thanks to his drinking habit," she said. After passing out of school, Sridevi enrolled herself in a junior college in the city, with an aim to pursue medicine. Bruised by her traumatic experience in school, she maintained a low profile and kept to herself during the two-year period, which proved to be much calmer compared to her school days. However, her dreams of being a doctor crashed after she failed the Class 12 examination. "I was very tense because of the uncertainty about my gender coupled with my family's money woes," she said. After doing odd jobs for a couple of years, she enrolled herself in a Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) course, but couldnt complete it because she was unable to pay the fees. Later, she completed a three-year interior designing course at a college in the western suburbs. Sridevi said she continued facing harassment at college. "I would be teased by boys, but the girls were supportive," she said. While working as an interior designer, she got herself trained as a make-up artist and began her career as a beautician. Anxious to stand on her own feet and break way from her non-supportive family her father and siblings barely speak to her even though they live in the same house a month ago, she set up her small cosmetics shop, with the help of her mother and some friends. A trained Bharatnatyam dancer, she also earns some money by dancing at social gatherings. Sridevi said she decided to enrol at IDOL because she was eager to continue her education. "I chose psychology because I am very interested in it. I wanted to be a full-time student at one of the colleges, but it wasn't an easy option," she said, adding that she has plans to pursue a Masters degree as well. She is hopeful that her example will motivate similar other students to pursue higher education. "Unless you study, how will you get what you want. Education gives you an ability to think better and helps you adjust better in society," she said. She also asked colleges and schools to do their bit to support transgender students. She suggests sensitisation of the students and counselling of parents as some of the ways to help the third gender. The motto of IDOL is to provide opportunities to those who have discontinued education. We will continue to support disadvantaged groups such as girls who form a majority of the distance learning students senior citizen and transgenders, in their pursuit of education, said Vinod Malale, public relations officer (PRO) at IDOL. READ MORE Anjali Lama, first transgender model at LFW, moves to Mumbai: Never been so busy When girls from Mumbais red-light area took the stage at Lakme Fashion Week SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Soon, a corner of Azad Maidan could be set aside as a space for public speaking and protests, on the lines of the historic Speakers Corner at Londons Hyde Park. The Mumbai police is considering the idea in a bid to ensure public and political rallies in south Mumbai do not spill over on to arterial roads leading up to the venue, and causing traffic snarls. Last week, the Bombay high court heard a public interest litigation filed by the Nariman Point-Churchgate Citizens Association and others, asking for the state to be directed to regulate morchas, or protests, organised by political parties and citizens groups. The court directed the state to come up with a comprehensive policy within four weeks to regulate them. Top sources in the Mumbai police told HT a 10,000sqm area on the west flank of Azad Maidan around 100 metres from the spot currently earmarked for public protests is being considered to create facilities similar to the Speakers Corner in Hyde Park. Firstly, the place is bigger than the current venue. Provisions like a stage with a public address system, drinking water and toilets can be made for people participating in the rally, a source said. And, if the protestors want to meet authorities, the police could facilitate meetings in an organised manner, sources said. Free parking space near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus platform 18 has also been proposed. During the hearing, a high court division bench comprising justice VM Kanade and justice PR Vora observed that while public rallies and protest marches were an inherent part of a democracy, they should not cause inconvenience to citizens. The petitioners submitted that while a previous high court order mandated such morchas should not be organised along arterial roads and that they should culminate at Azad Maidan, opposite CST, many protests, while they culminate at Azad Maidan, begin from the suburbs and end up blocking traffic on main roads. The state told the court it had held a meeting with a court-appointed committee comprising Additional Chief Secretary (Home), the police commissioner, and the BMC commissioner, to look into traffic woes in the Churchgate and CST area. Meanwhile, sources said the polices suggestions, prepared after taking into account ideas and objections from the public and experts, would be given to the committee for consideration. ABOUT LONDONS SPEAKERS CORNER At the Speakers Corner in the northeast corner of Hyde Park in London, speakers may talk lawfully on any subject. The police intervene only when they receive a complaint about the speech Also read: Police rescue five-year-old girl forced into to begging, arrest 2 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 43-year-old businessman travelling on an Indigo flight from Kolkata to Mumbai was arrested by the airport police for allegedly watching porn in front of an air hostess twice. The air hostess as well as her woman supervisor caught him and complained of obscenity in a public place. According to the airport police, the incident took place at 10pm on Saturday when the accused, who runs a small business of selling marble and granite, was travelling on a 8.20pm flight from Kolkata, which was to land in Mumbai at 11pm. The accused was travelling in the economy class and the passengers sitting next to him were asleep. He first asked a 26-year-old woman crew member to bring him water, the police said. When she brought it to him, she saw him watching porn on his mobile phone, the police said. He then allegedly asked her to bring hot water. When she returned, she saw he was still watching porn on the mobile phone with the screen turned towards her, the police said. She ascertained he was deliberately showing it to her, the police said. She alerted her woman supervisor, who went up to him and allegedly also saw him watching the clips. The supervisor alerted the pilot after which their Delhi office was informed, the police said. Their internal security detained him and alerted the airport police, which comes under the Mumbai police. The accused deleted all the videos before he was formally arrested because of which the police have charged him with evidence tampering. The 26-year-old woman lodged an FIR on Sunday under section 354 A (3) (showing pornography against the will of a woman), 294 (obscene act in public place) and 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence) of the IPC. The accused told the police he did not commit the crime on purpose. The cops have seized his mobile phone and have sent it to the FSL to retrieve the clips. He was arrested and produced before a magistrate court that sent him to judicial custody. Read Man arrested for shooting video of air-hostesses on IndiGo flight SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Its a poll season of change. The Shiv Sena, traditionally known as a party for Maharashtrians has worn a cosmopolitan garb, giving space to Gujarati, north Indian and Muslim candidates, organising Chhat Pujas and projecting warm ties with Gujarats Patidar leader Hardik Patel. The BJP, which has derived its strength from Gujaratis and the upper middle-class Maharashtrians, is aggressively wooing north Indians, also organising Baati-Chokhas, Kajari, Chhat Pujas and chaupals. The Congress, once popular with north Indian and minority communities, is looking to consolidate itself in Marathi wards. The MNS too, which until now played solely on the Marathi ethos, has at least four Muslim candidates, several Gujarati, north Indian and Tamilian candidates. The February 21 civic polls, a multi-cornered contest with all parties contesting without an alliance or reliance on each others strength, has got them all waking up to the importance of appealing to a diverse demography and reaching out to people beyond their traditional voter base. But, you the voter, is far from being spoilt for choice. Snapping of traditional ties and changes in predefined political agendas have left voters confused. Few options for Maharashtrians Their percentage may have reduced in the overall mix, but the Maharashtrian vote still comprises the largest chunk in Mumbai. This is reflected in how parties have fielded many Maharashtrians. The Sena has 201 across 227 seats, the BJP has 122 Maharashtrians of the 195 seats it is contesting, Congress has picked 111 in its list of 227. The Maharashtrian vote traditionally went to Sena-BJP alliance, with Sena considering areas like Girgaum, Dadar, Prabhadevi, Parel, Lalbaug, Vile Parle, Bandra (East), Jogeshwari, Bhandup as its bastions. This time too, the urban poor and aspirational middle-class vote may go to Sena, but there is also one section of Maharashtrians tired of incumbency and looking for options. It is, however, in need of credible alternatives, experts say. If you see the behaviour of the Sena, between two elections it doesnt exhibit any pro-Maharashtrian activity. Most beneficiaries of BMCs work are non-Maharashtrians, and when we say the Marathi population is moving out of the city, it is not just builders who are responsible. The civic administration is also accountable, said Deepak Pawar, a faculty in department of politics in Mumbai University. So is Sena really the party Maharashtrians feel will protect their aspirations and sentiments? The answer is that the BJP is not. The Congress is in a tough situation. So, Marathi people dont have credible options. Anti-incumbency may push Marathi votes to BJP, which carries interests of Gujaratis on its sleeves, and a section of Maharashtrians resents the community for its affluence, Pawar said. For the aspirational lower middle-class Marathi voter, though their electoral franchise may end up in Senas favour, the lack of options that they can identify with is frustrating, said Datta Iswalkar, leader of Mumbais erstwhile mill workers. On the development front, all parties have left us dejected. Within them all, Maharashtrians identify with the Sena better than others. It is not a perfect choice, but it seems like the only one, Iswalkar said. The BJP has managed to catch the attention of a section of Maharashtrians, as CM Devendra Fadnavis is the face of party. Gujarati voters may rally with BJP The Sena has tried, but the BJP has been strongest in Mumbais Gujarati pocketsGhatkopar, Malad, Kalbadevi, Borivli and Kandivli. Within the Sena-BJP alliance, all these wards were left for BJP candidates. But with the split in the saffron alliance, the Sena is aggressively trying to make inroads, having poached Gujarati cell heads of various parties, including Mangal Bhanushali, from BJP. The Sena has strongly opposed demonetisation, which hurt Gujarati businessmen. Leaders from the community say while Senas efforts may eat away a few votes in places where there are strong Gujarati candidates, overall, the vote will continue to go to BJP. The anti-Gujarati image Sena has developed over the years, and Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays recent criticism of PM Modis policies may mean fewer votes from the community. Ghatkopar-based Lalitkumar Shah, trustee of Kathyawad Seva Samaj, said Gujarati voters will consider putting in a non-BJP vote only if the candidate is strong. In my ward, Congress Pravin Chedda is a credible face. Gujaratis will not vote for the Sena unless the candidate is well known, like Bhanushali is. But the general feeling is the party has been against the community. Also, Gujaratis are soft. We dont identify with Sena;s aggressive style. Some Gujarati Jains also took to Twitter a few days ago, dissuading their community from voting for Sena, using a quote from the Senas mouthpiece Saamana from 2015. Demonetisation has upset some Gujarati traders and businessmen, Shah said, and they may look for stronger candidates from other parties. Most feel while there may be scope for criticism, 70% of Modis work was good. Mulund-based Lalji Katira, associated with a bunch of Gujarati community organisations, said, the community has a lot of respect for Modi, and Senas constant criticism may turn several against the party. It is human psychology. If we have a lot of respect for a person and he is unnecessarily criticised, it will not go down well. North Indian votes to candidates While Mumbais North Indians were for years a loyal Congress vote-bank, a large number moved in favour of BJP last election, as part of the Modi wave. The Congress presence weakened among the community owing to internal squabbles and dwindling political relevance of four of its senior faces that used to attract the north Indian votes Kripashankar Singh, Rajhans Singh, Ramesh Thakur (who jumped to the BJP), and Naseem Khan. North Indians, especially those in the urban poor and lower middle-class sections, have given significance to sentiments such as identity and respect for them in a cosmopolitan city while voting, leaders say. That is a reason Sena and Raj Thackeray-led MNS historically never captured the communitys imagination. But in this election, all parties, including Sena, have accepted North Indians are substantial. My community is confused as they take part in baati chokha and chhat pujas organised by different political parties. They are likely to vote for candidates instead of the party, as no single party is completely advantageous. The Congress is mired in factionalism, Sena and BJP are incumbents, said Dr Rajendra Singh, trustee at Jhunjhunwala College. He said the Sena may get a decent vote share from the community with its aggression towards North Indians nearly vanished. Muslims to stick with secular forces Mumbais Muslim votes have mostly been aligned with Congress, NCP and Samajwadi Party. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) got a foothold with the election of Waris Pathan from Byculla during the state legislative Assembly polls. Contesting 54 seats, AIMIM may now be a threat again. Interestingly, with AIMIMs impending threat, Congress and NCP have fielded an unusually high number of Muslim candidates NCP pitched 43, the Congress, 38. The ruling Sena and BJP have fielded five Muslim candidates each, the MNS, four. Shahid Lateef, senior journalist and editor of Urdu daily Inquilab, said, People may consider giving AIMIM an opportunity, as it is a new player. But it is also a fact that two legislators of the party in the state have failed to leave a good impression. Maulana Mehmood Dariyabadi, general secretary, All India Ulema Council, a body of Muslim scholars, said without naming a party that Muslims need to unite against fascist and non-secular forces. We will try to keep such people at bay. We are with people who are in favour of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, Dariyabadi said. The Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb he is referring to is used to denote the culture of the central plains of northern India, regarded as a fusion of Hindu and Muslim culture. Raw deal for Mumbais oldest? For the Kolis, Agris, Bhandari, Kunbis and East Indians (native Christians), this election, like every election, is about the fight for their rights. Of 227 wards, 20-25 have a strong presence from these communities spread across areas such as Versova, Juhu, Colaba, Madh, Worli, Khar Danda. Both Sena and BJP talk about Hindutva, sons of soil, rights of citizen, but none of them has anything in their manifesto that will improve the condition of Mumbais original inhabitants, said Jagdish Bhikru, a fisherman from the Juhu koliwada. These communities fear all showpiece projects of Sena and BJP will do exactly the opposite of what they have been striving for preservation of their culture, livelihoods. These projects include increasing construction rights in gaothans, a coastal road, a mid-sea Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial, among others. What is for us (Kolis) in all these projects? What they have is the potential to snatch our livelihoods. The coastal road is for merely 2% of the population, the monument will be a showpiece and the reclamation will disturb the environment. They (political parties) have created selfie points in areas meant for our fishing industries, how will that increase my catch (fish)?asked the Ujjwala Patil, Machhimar Kruti Samiti, president (women). According to the civic body, there are only 88 Gaothans remaining, but the numbers are rigorously debated by members, who claim there are still 224 gaothans that must be preserved. That the DP viewed these villages as slums has irked them. The Sena and BJP have been in power for 20 years, but nothing was done for us, who they claim to protect in their slogans. We will support the party that comes up with a plan to preserve our culture, said Alphi Dsouza, spokesperson, Mumbai Gaothan Panchayat. READ MORE Shiv Sena leaders involved with shell firms, says BJP MP Kirit Somaiya With the Shiv Sena threatening to pull out of the government and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) claiming to prefer a mid-term poll, doubts are being raised over the stability of the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in Maharashtra. Pawars remarks are being seen as an indication the party is in no mood to bail out the BJP government for the second time. However, amidst the bitter war of words among the two saffron allies, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has also carved an escape route to continue an alliance with the BJP by saying he will support the BJP government if farmers loans in the state are waived off. Thackeray also expressed distrust in Pawar questioning his credibility. The NCP is ready to face mid-term polls in Maharashtra if such a situation emerges after February 23 (the day results of the Mumbai civic polls are declared). There wont be any loss for Maharashtra if elections are held within two-and-a-half years, Pawar tweeted on Monday. Less than a week before the crucial civic polls in the state, Pawar added fuel to the speculation doing rounds about the BJP governments future after Sena leaders last week hinted at pulling out from the government. Now the question is what will happen if the Sena decides to withdraw support. The Fadnavis government, which has been enjoying smooth sailing so far, will have to prove its majority during the Assembly floor test if the Sena decides to withdraw its support. The current strength of the BJP is 121 seats, and it will need another 24 seats to claim majority in the 288-seat Assembly if the Sena quits the government. The Sena has 63 MLAs. Speaking with a Marathi news channel (IBN Lokmat) on Tuesday, the NCP chief reiterated he would prefer fresh elections in Maharashtra in case the Sena quits the government. His remarks assume significance in the context of his support to the BJP government immediately after the 2014 Assembly elections. Then he had said two back-to-back Assembly elections were not affordable to the state and as such he was supporting the BJP to prevent instability in the state. On Tuesday, he also pointed out the Congress-NCP candidates defeated the BJP with huge margins in the recent elections to five seats of the Legislative Council. The elections were held for teachers and graduates constituencies, he added. Significantly, while Pawar talked tough, Thackeray said they will support the BJP government if it waives off loans of the farmers in the state. He cited the example of Uttar Pradesh where the BJP has promised a farm loan waiver if voted to power. Interestingly, Thackeray further chose to repeat the remarks at more than one occasion and the move is being seen as escape route to continue with the BJP. Later in the evening, Thackeray said he doesnt trust Pawar. We dont trust Pawar. What is the guarantee he [Sharad Pawar] will not support the BJP if we withdraw from the government, he remarked, while addressing a campaign rally at Dahisar at western suburbs. Political analyst Prakash Bal said he doesnt believe the Sena would pull out of the BJP-led government. Thackerays fresh statement shows he has come down a step by saying this as no one wants elections in two-and-a-half years. As of today, it doesnt seem the Sena will withdraw its support. However, things depend more on the outcome of Mumbai civic body polls and Uttar Pradesh elections later next month after which parties will decide their line of action, Bal told HT. On the other hand, the BJP is confident they will complete its full five-year term. Party spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said there is no danger for the BJP government. Hinting correlation, he asked why Pawar and Thackeray are saying similar things. While the Congress believes that a verbal war of words between the Sena and the BJP is an attempt to occupy space of the Congress and both may come together post elections. In case, it is true and the NCP sticks to its stand, then mid-term elections are inevitable and the Congress is ready for that because we have already completed our exercise while preparing for local bodies poll, state Congress president Ashok Chavan said. Read After Shiv Sena chief walks out of alliance, all eyes on chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to set the stage for BJPs BMC battle on Saturday SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday kicked off his election campaign by accusing both the BJP and Shiv Sena of indulging in corruption in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Raj did not spare chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and estranged cousin and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, accusing them of misleading the people. Addressing his first election rallies in Vikhroli and Vile Parle, Raj asked how the BJP could accuse the Sena of corruption in the BMC. There is no doubt Shiv Sena is corrupt, but even the BJP has enjoyed power over the past 25 years. Only this year, you (BJP) realised about the corruption. He said his campaigning started late as his son, Amit, was in hospital. In a direct attack on Uddhav, Raj said, The Sena is using Balasahebs poster to ask for votes. If you have guts, put your (Uddhav) picture and seek votes. Uddhav feels bad about people who died during demonetisation, but what of those who died due to potholed roads in Mumbai and Thane? He also accused Uddhav of trying to usurp the Mayors bungalow on the grounds of constructing a memorial for the late Sena founder Bal Thackeray. He mocked the Sena over the report of the Union government that ranked BMC number one for transparency. I wonder what kind of transparency this is, where roads get potholes every year. There are no proper footpaths to walk. Raj said the Marathi-medium BMC schools were shutting down, while the number of Urdu schools continued to flourish. In the start of his speech, he compared the verbal duel between Fadnavis and Thackeray as a cock fight. Today, they will fight and after elections come together again, he said. The topics they are discussing have nothing to do with the BMC polls, he added. In the end, he appealed to the electorate, saying based on MNS performance in the Nashik Municipal Corporation, he should be given one chance to rule BMC. Currently the MNS is a pale shadow of itself compared to 2009, as it is faced with large-scale defections as well as low morale among party workers. READ MORE Its Aaditya vs Amit: GenNext Thackerays to woo BMC voters . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 53-year-old Congress corporator from Bhiwandi, on the outskirts of Mumbai, was brutally killed by eight masked men on Tuesday night. At the time of going to press, no one has been arrested. Manoj Mhatre, a resident of Oswalwadi and Congress leader in Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation, reached his house at 9.30pm after attending a meeting. He got out of his car and his driver was parking the vehicle when around eight men carrying weapons and swords attacked him, said the police. Two of the men caught hold of his driver and threatened him. The rest assaulted Mhatre with weapons. Deputy commissioner, Bhiwandi zone, Manoj Patil, said, The assailants fired three rounds and one bullet hit Mhatre. His hand was also cut off. Mhatre was first taken to a nearby private hospital. But when his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Jupiter Hospital in Thane. He died during treatment. The Narpoli police are investigating the case. They suspect more than eight men attacked Mhatre. Patil said, We are yet to register a case. Mhatre may have been attacked over a property issue or past rivalry. We will record the drivers statement and then register a case. A police officer said Mhatre was attacked a year ago too. He used to live in Kalwar village, but moved to Oswalwadi after the attack. He is survived by his wife and son. READ Thane civic body to revise TMT bus fare every six months SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Japanese government on its website Tuesday published revised guidelines requiring all elementary and middle schools to teach that Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo are Japanese territory. The guidelines set out the content and amount of lessons that Japanese students must learn for each subject. This is the first time Tokyo has made it mandatory to teach the colonial claim, which even many Japanese historians consider bogus. So far such guidelines have only been recommendations, so for elementary school textbooks they have been reflected in three out of four textbooks used by fifth and sixth graders. Nam Sang-koo at the Northeast Asia History Foundation here said, "The measure reflects the Abe administration's firm resolve to strengthen education stressing Japan's territorial claims." Dokdo consists of a couple of uninhabited rocky islets that are inaccessible for part of the year but surrounded by rich fishing grounds and underwater resources. arvind.walmiki@hindustantimes.com A day after the gruesome murder of Bhiwandi Congress corporator Manoj Mhatre, 53, police have identified five out of the eight assailants who executed the crime on Tuesday night. While the police have formed teams to arrest the assailants, the Thane crime branch has launched a parallel investigation in this case. Deputy commissioner of police (Bhiwandi zone) Manoj Patil said Eyewitnesses have identified the accused. We suspect them to be from Bhiwandi,and have launched a manhunt to arrest them. The police, however, are yet to recover the gun and the sword used in the crime. Patil said, The assailants fired three bullets at Mhatre, one of which struck him in the back. They also chopped off one of his arms. Though Mhatre was first rushed to a nearby private medical facility, he was shifted to Jupiter Hospital in Thane after his condition deteriorated. He died during treatment. The incident Mhatre, a resident of Oswalwadi and a Congress corporator in Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation, was attacked by eight men around 9.30pm while his driver was parking car. Mhatra had returned home after attending a meeting. While six of them attacked Mhatre, the remaining caught the driver and threatened him of dire consequences if he tried to save the corporator. The Narpoli police have booked all the assailants under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Also read: Congress corporator killed by eight masked assailants on the outskirts of Mumbai SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The pre-development work for construction of state-of-the-art Greenfield airport at Navi Mumbai will itself take period of more than one year, CIDCO informed the Bombay high court on Tuesday. CIDCOs counsel, advocate GS Hegde told the division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Girish Kulkarni that seven villages are required to be rehabilitated and one river is required to be diverted as part of the pre-development work. He said the pre-development work has already started and majority of villagers have given consent to be relocated elsewhere and many of them have already been shifted. Besides, a river is required to be diverted for the purpose of the Greenfield airport, and in all the work of pre-development itself will take more than one year. As regards, the bidding process for the main work of development of the second airport for the city, Hegde said that it will take at least six months to finalize the bid by the state cabinet. He said the He was responding to a public interest litigation filed by Ratnagiri resident Mangesh Chavan raising suspicion about the entire bidding process and urging the court to stay which took place on January 25. According to the 46-year-old progressive farmer, CIDCO has divided the entire development of the Greenfield airport in four parts and has thereby separated the pre-development work from the main work of development of the airport. He alleged that as CIDCO granted the contract for the pre-development work to associates of one of the four qualifying bidders, other three withdrew from the bidding process citing conflict of interest. According to him, the three bidders claimed that the timeliness and quality of their work will be dependent on the timeliness and quality of work done by one of their competitors the contractor appointed for doing the pre-development work and in the process public interest was at stake. Chavan had approached high court in the wake of newspaper reports suggesting serious irregularities in the bidding process. The court, however, allowed the PIL to be withdrawn after noticing that CIDCO has taken adequate precautions and decided to link the pre-development work with the main development work and thus remove the conflict of interest apprehended by some of the bidders. On February 13, CIDCO opened the financial bids of two remaining bidders in the fray - M/s. GMR Company and M/s. MIAL, which outbidded GMR by offering to share 12.60 % of the revenue with CIDCO as against 10.44 % of that of GMR. According to Hegde, the Evaluation Committee will now prepare a report on qualified bids and send it to Project Management and Implementation Committee, which will in turn forward it to the State cabinet for its approval. State Cabinet will take final decision about selection of the bidder. CIDCO has proposed to construct a state-of-the-art green-field airport in Navi Mumbai offering world class facilities. Spread over an area of 1140 hectares, it is planned to accommodate two parallel runways for independent operations with provision of full length taxi ways on either side and is expected to cater to 40 million passengers by 2030. Read A long and torturous flight ahead for the Navi Mumbai airport It is a battle between a newbie from a political family and a seasoned political activist who switched parties to fight dynastic politics in his ward. The civic polls will see a tough fight between BJP MLA Raj Purohits son Aakash Purohit, and former BJP senior leader and corporator Janak Sanghvi, who defected to Congress after he was asked to make way for Aakash in ward 221. Sanghvis deflection was seen as a jolt to the BJP in south Mumbai, as he was an aide of the Colaba MLA. Under the Congress, his contesting from the same ward is expected to split the Gujarati and trader voter in ward 221 Bhuleshwar, Zaveri Bazar. Sanghvi is leaving no stone unturned to win back his old ward. He said people were angry with the BJPs demonetisation move and the dynastic policy that PM Modi has been attacking all throught his tenure. I have worked in the area and was elected from the same administrative ward in 2007. His (Aakash) identity as an MLAs son will hardly impact me, on the other hand people are irked with the decision, said Sanghvi. The Shiv Sena has fielded a Gujarati candidate, Kanhaiyalal Rawal, too. Aakash will be fighting his first civic election, but his nomination irked quite a few in the party. Raj Purohit has been insisting his sons nomination shouldnt be seen as a case of dynastic politics as he had worked with the BJPs youth wing, which is what got him the ticket. In 2012, a similar controversy had erupted after, Aakash was nominated as a BEST committee member, surpassing two veteran former BJP corporators. Both candidates are vying for the Gujarati and Marwari vote in the area. Singhvi is also trying to take advantage of the Gujarati versus Marwari undercurrent in the ward and is banking on the effect of demonetisation on the trading community. Purohit, on the other hand, is harping on the BJPs appeal among the voters. The area is seen as BJP stronghold. Ward 221 is mostly dotted with the old jewellery making units and shops. It is also one of the many areas in South Mumbai that witnesses heavy floating population. Read more: Ahead of BMC polls, Sena inducts Gujarati leaders from all parties SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A day after he addressed two rallies rally in Mumbai, during which he lambasted Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief continued his tirade against the saffron parties. After ridiculing Sena for using late party supremo Bal Thackerays legacy to gain brownie points before the BMC elections, the MNS chief trained his gun on chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Raj took a dig at Fadnavis by comparing him to a class monitor who is favourite of his teacher [Modi], but disliked by other students, and is good at dishing out figures. People who have occupied their chair on merit should make promises. Has Devendra Fadnavis taken Modis permission while making promises? the MNS chief said, adding, BJP shared power with Shiv Sena for 25 years and shared the spoils. Only this year, they realised that the Sena is corrupt. BJP is truly the party with a difference only they have the money and others dont have. Also read: BMC polls: Raj Thackeray kicks off campaign in Mumbai with attack on Shiv Sena, BJP SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON While in the rest of the city, the Mumbai civic polls are a high-decibel fight between the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for the Marathi-dominated Dadar-Mahim belt, it is a fight between the Thackerays Sena chief Uddhav trying to win back control from his cousin Rajs Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Marathi-speaking population comprises 60% of the population in Dadar and Mahim, which falls under the G-north ward. The business community of Gujaratis, Jains and Marwaris contribute to 20% of the population, while the rest are Muslims, Christians and others. The ward is considered prestigious by both the parties that were founded here. The Senas head office, Shiv Sena Bhavan, Rajs residence and the head office of the MNS, Rajgad, are located here. At least four of the Sena mayors have been from this belt. The Dadar-Mahim belt was traditionally a Shiv Sena fortress, till the emergence of the MNS. In the 2012 civic polls, the Sena was shocked, when almost all electoral wards in this area were won by the MNS, giving a boost to Raj in his fight against Uddhav. The Sena, however, recovered soon. In the 2014 Assembly elections, the Sena won the Mahim constituency. Now, the Senas focus is on wresting the civic wards. To better its chances, the Sena has fielded two former mayorsVishakha Raut (also a former legislator of the area) and Milind Vaidya. While the MNS is trying to woo voters on the basis of development work carried out by them in the past five years, the BJP is banking on a section of Marathi and Gujarati voters. It has also poached former Sena legislator Suresh Gambhir. One of the keenly contested wards in the city will be ward no. 191 (Shivaji Park). In 2012, the MNS snatched this seat from the Sena, as its nominee Sandeep Deshpande shocked the Sena rank and file by winning this seat. This time, the ward has been reserved for women. Desphandes wife Swapna who quit her government job to contest on MNS ticket is pitted against Senas Vishakha Raut. In a bid to woo affluent Maharashtrians here, the BJP has fielded Tejasvini Jadhav, a doctor. Raut said, It was not because the MNS did some great work that they won in 2012. Our laidback attitude cost us. Now all our workers are geared up and are working on ground. We are confident of winning back our bastion. Another important fight will be seen at ward no. 182, which covers Mahim Koliwada. The Sena has fielded former mayor Milind Vaidya to contest against MNS nominee Rajan Parkar. The BJP has fielded Vilas Ambekar who lost to Senas Sada Sarvankar during the 2014 Assembly polls. Along with Marathi-speaking population, Muslims and Christians, too, form the vote bank of electoral ward no. 190, which has areas such as Navjivan society and Wanaj wadi. The ward is likely to witness a triangular fight between the Sena, MNS and BJP. The MNS has fielded Bharti Tandel, wife of sitting corporator Virendra Tandel, whereas the BJP has given a ticket to former MLA Gambhirs daughter, Sheetal. Sena is banking on its local leader Rajesh Patankars wife Vaishali Patankar. Gambhir may make a dent in Sena votes here. After local MNS leader Prakash Patankar returned to the Sena, his wife has been given a ticket to contest from ward no. 192, which includes Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar. The MNS is counting on Snehal Jadhav, a two-time former Sena corporator and wife of MNS sitting corporator Sudhir Jadhav. With just a week away from the polling day, except for Raj Thackerays three rallies in Mumbai, no strong campaigns have been carried out by the MNS across the city so far. The contenders, however, have started aggressive social media campaign, and have been flooding citizens with messages and videos on work done by the MNS in their ward. Even the Senas door-to door campaign has been getting good response from the citizens. Sandeep Deshpande said, We are reaching out to voters of all electoral wards in Mahim/Dadar Assembly by answering public queries through Facebook Live and sending Whatsapp videos on our work in the past five years. We are confident that people will vote for us. Read more: Mumbai civic polls: Delimitation plays spoilsport for parties this BMC election Is Maharashtra heading for mid-term poll? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 21-year-old man was allegedly murdered by his 24-year-old friend after he refused to shake a leg during the birthday party they had organised for a common friend. The incident occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday in Andheri (East). The accused has been arrested and will be produced in a magistrates court today. According to the Andheri police, the incident took place around 4am outside a lottery shop in Gundavali. The deceased and the accused were identified as Ankush Jadhav and Ketan Shirvadkar, respectively. While Jadhav worked and lived inside the shop, Shirvadkar was unemployed. Former residents of Andheri pump house, the Shirvadkars had recently shifted to Thane. On Tuesday, a group of five friends, including Jadhav and Shirvadkar, decided to celebrate their friends birthday following which a party was organised. As the party progressed, Jadhav and Shirvadkar downed a few glasses of beer. It was here that Shirvadkar asked Jadhav to dance, but the latter denied. Livid at Jadhavs denial, Shirvadkar started arguing with him and it snowballed into a fight during which he hit a wooden plank on Jadhavs head. Though Jadhav was rushed to Trauma Care hospital, he scummed to the injuries at 6am following which the Andheri police were informed. Based on the prima facie investigation, Shirvadkar was arrested and booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Jadhav is survived by his elder sister, who is married. Also read: 3 dead, 8 serious after consuming alcohol at party organised by Sena leader in Maharashtra With just a week to go before Mumbai votes, Hamara Shehar Mumbai Abhiyaan (HSMA), a group of 40 non-governmental organisations released a Peoples manifesto on Tuesday, which includes demands in sectors such as health, education, housing, urban development and governance. HSMA has demanded proper implementation of Area Sabhas. The Sabhas are defined as the body of electors from an area consisting one to three polling booths in a ward who have regular meetings with their representatives every six months. This will ensure inclusive governance. The BMC must also share a periodic performance appraisal by a third-party of the elected representatives . This will ensure accountability, said Sitaram Shelar from HSMA. The group wants a participatory budget to ensure government funds are utilised effectively. It has also demanded an upgradation of Mumbais transport system, and encouraging carpooling and pedestrian-friendly streets. The group, which has also been working towards an inclusive Development Plan (DP) 2034 for the city, has recommended measures to make the city safe for women and child and to bring in measures to make it disabled-friendly. This can be done, the group said, by setting up a child protection committee in every ward, with corporators responsible for undertaking child development programmes. The organisation includes the Homeless collective, which has demanded 100 shelters to accommodate 500 people each, to provide shelter to the 56,000 homeless people living on Mumbais streets. More than 2,000 candidates are contesting for 227 electoral wards in the election, set to be held on February 21. The results will be declared on February 23. Read more: BMC polls 2017: Citizen group launches #DidYouKnow Twitter campaign against political parties claims . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nearly two weeks after an Air India pilots union reported a serious safety lapse by the airlines chief of flight operations, Indias aviation regulator barred Captain Arvind Kathpalia from flying for three months. On Monday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an order that found the senior pilot guilty of evading a pre-flight breathe check-up last month. Such preventive checks are mandatory before and after each flight to ensure that on-duty pilots and cabin crew duty are sober. However, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) that brought the lapse to light accused the regulator of being lenient with Captain Kathpalia. On Monday, hours after the order was issued, the pilots body sent a note to Lalit Gupta, joint director general of the DGCA. It contained details of flights operated by Captain Kathpalia, which indicated that the senior pilot had evaded such checks more than once. DGCA rules state that repeat offenders flying permits should be suspended for three years. According to ICPAs note on January 19, Captain Kathpalia skipped the breathalyser test before operating Delhi-Bengaluru flight AI 174. It added that after reaching Bengaluru, the airlines flight dispatch department alerted him about the lapse. Despite that, he allegedly skipped the check again while operating the return flight (AI 173) to Delhi. While the DGCA order found him guilty of evading the test before AI 174, it did not take into account the subsequent return flight, the ICPA note added. Gupta did not respond to HTs calls. The unions note added that the senior pilot allegedly evaded the check for the third time after landing in Delhi. The DGCA has chosen to ignore two back-to-back violations, said a senior ICPA member requesting anonymity. The ICPA also allegedly that Captain Kathpalia had also forged entries in the pre-flight medical check register in Delhi. You should take stringent action against Captain A. Khatpalia as he holds a reputable post. He had held the senior-most post of chief of flight operations inspector in the DGCA in the past and is well-versed with the rules of Indian aviation. His acts are criminal offences and his forgery is demeaning, the note concluded. The AI spokesperson did not comment on the matter. Read Breathalyser test at Mumbai airport: DGCA catches pilot off guard SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a bid to draw the attention of people who have put their vintage cars in cold storage towards motoring tourism, 21 Gun Salute Heritage and Cultural Trust will hold a 3,500km rally of vintage cars from Greater Noida to Udaipur in February 2019. The organisers said that the rally will create awareness among the people regarding motoring tourism and safeguarding cars that are no more in production. The rally will pass Agra, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Kutch, Bhuj and Udaipur. The chairman and managing trustee of 21 Gun Salute Heritage and Cultural Trust, Madan Mohan, said, All these areas have been chosen because of the Maharajas, who used to have such vintage cars. We believe the rally will inspire them and they will remove the cars from the cold storage. They have to understand the importance of motoring tourism. Madan, who owns around 350 vintage cars, collected the vehicles by buying them from residents of various states in India. He said that it is a challenge to convince people to let go of their cars. It is a sad affair; some people dont maintain the vintage cars but are not ready to sell them. It becomes difficult to convince them. He said he will follow the same tradition of holding the car rally, in which vintage cars would be displayed at India Gate, from where the rally will proceed to Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida. The 3,500km rally will begin from Greater Noida. This February 17 to 19, 21 Gun Salute is all set to take people down the memory lane by holding the 7th edition of the 21 Gun Salute Vintage Car Rally and Concours show. The 7th edition of the show will showcase rare national and international vintage cars. On February 19, the legendary 1912 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, 1967 Phantom 5, 1922 Moon, 1927 Lanchester and 1933 Cadillac V12, 7-passenger Limousine along with other finest handpicked vintage cars will race on the Buddh International Formula 1 track in Greater Noida. This is the first time in the history of India that the Phantom will be seen on track, Madan said. Confirming the participation of car owners from USA, France, Germany, Italy and UK, Madan said, The 7th edition of 21 Gun Salute International Vintage Car Rally and Concours show is probably the only event in which cars will be coming from beyond the boundaries of the Indian subcontinent. The rally will be flagged off at 9.30am on February 19 from August Kranti Park at India Gate and pass through Rashtrapati Bhavan, Purana Qila Road and then towards Greater Noida. Owners of around 100 vintage cars will participate in a 2-lap ceremonial drive after which exciting races, in the pre-war, post-war, Edwardian and Classic vintage car categories, will be held on the Formula-1 track. Besides the race, several cultural dance forms, showcasing the diversity of India, will also be displayed on the racing track. The vintage and classic cars will be accompanied by around 20 bikes from across the world and the exclusive Maharaja cars. Besides showcasing the rich automotive heritage to the world, the rally is also aimed at helping spastic children. The concept of 21 Gun Salute is based on prosperity and dignity in the eyes of the sovereign and it was the highest level of honour in five princely states Jammu & Kashmir, Hyderabad, Mysore, Baroda and Gwalior. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In 100 days following the demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 notes, there has been no relief from the cash crunch for residents of Gautam Budh Nagar. Bank officials said they are able to fill ATMs only up to one-fifths of their capacity. An increase in the withdrawal limit has also resulted in cash getting exhausted soon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the demonetisation of high denomination banknotes on November 8. Following the move, banks and ATMs ran out of cash across the country with long queues of people waiting to withdraw their money. Most of the ATMs still do not have adequate cash to meet customers demand. Officials are busy conducting elections in the state while people have been suffering, Vipin Chauhan of Sector 49 said. Lead bank manager for Gautam Budh Nagar, AK Singh, said that normalcy in ATMs will return only post-Holi (in March) when cash supply will be increased. At present, 5 lakh is being provided to each ATM against the requirement of 20-25 lakh. However, the situation is much better than that in November and December of 2016. Normalcy in ATMs will be resumed when we start filling each ATM to its capacity, Singh said. He blamed the cash shortage on the non-availability of police for transporting cash. The district magistrate and the senior superintendent of police in Ghaziabad refused to provide police force for transferring cash from the currency chest in Ghaziabad. Cash could have been transferred from Ghaziabad to Gautam Budh Nagar, Hapur and Bulandshahr districts, but the DM and SSP said their hands were tied due to ongoing elections. Though polling is over in these districts, the police force has been sent to other districts on poll duty, Singh said. The Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate (DM) NP Singh on Wednesday discussed the issue of lack of cash in ATMs with the bank managers in a meeting at his Sector 27 camp office. The DM is likely to write to the Reserve Bank of India to address the security issue faced by banks for the transportation of money from currency chest to banks in Noida and Greater Noida. AK Singh, the lead bank manager, said, Almost all ATMs in the district have enough cash to serve public. But few ATMs may have some issues of cash or technical glitch. As the currency chests for Gautam Budh Nagar are located in Ghaziabad and Meerut, we face problems of security in bringing cash daily. The lead bank manager is hopeful that the situation will improve after the elections. Most ATMs are running short of cash because the withdrawal limit has been increased to 24,000 per week. There is a gap between the demand and supply. It is going to be 50,000 per week from February 20 and unlimited from March 13. However, the situation will improve by then as the elections will be over on March 11 and we will be getting adequate security for transporting cash, the lead bank manager said. The DM also directed banks to open accounts of 5-6 lakh industrial and construction workers at the earliest. Gangeshwar Sharma, a leader of the workers union, was also present. Since demonetisation, banks have been able to open fresh accounts of only 40,000 workers. The Noida Entrepreneurs Associations president, Vipin Malhan, said that the industrialists are not facing any problem in disbursing wages to their workers. Nearly 2.5 lakh employees, including workers in various factories of Noida were already holding bank accounts. Some of them are being issued bearer cheques and with the government ending restriction on cash withdrawal from the current account, some industrialists are withdrawing cash from the bank to pay their employees, he said. However, the DM emphasised on the opening of bank accounts for workers at the meeting. Since the government is encouraging cashless transactions and discouraging the use of cash, we need to open bank accounts of labourers immediately. I have decided to reward branch managers who help construction workers and other poor people in opening bank accounts, the DM said. The administration is planning to link each workers bank account with their Aadhaar number as the Central government is pushing digital transactions, officials said. The Centre also made it mandatory for the salary of workers to be paid digitally. However, the opening of bank accounts for 5-6 lakh workers is not an easy task for the already overburdened banks. Once bank accounts are opened and linked with Aadhaar, labourers will start using digital wallets and other modes of cashless transactions, which will also reduce the burden on banks. Therefore, the banks should make an effort to open the account of each worker and educate them to go digital, the DM said. North Korea has a long history of using female operatives, not just as honey traps but also as fanatical assassins who often prove tougher than men. One was Won Jeong-hwa, an agent who came to South Korea posing as a defector and was arrested in July of 2008, having wheedled military secrets out of a number of officials here. She came from a good family and was chosen to join the elite Socialist Youth League and later joined a special commando unit to be trained as a secret agent. There she learned to use lethal weapons like poison-tipped needles, trained in martial arts and mountain warfare, and received ideological indoctrination. Once in South Korea, Won approached senior military officers and stole sensitive information. Family members of 12-year-old Archie Yadav who went missing from her house in Indirapuram have now resorted to pasting posters in nearby areas in a bid to trace their missing daughter. They alleged police laxity in finding the girl who went missing on Monday afternoon. The mother of the class 6 student had locked the girl inside the house as she had to pick up her other daughter. When she returned after 20 minutes, the girl was not at home and the keys of the house were found on the staircase. The girl was later spotted running out of the house in a CCTV camera footage. This is total laxity on the part of the police despite approaching senior police officials and bringing the issue to their notice. Instead of relying on the police, I have got 1,000 posters printed and am pasting them myself across the city. Nearly 50 relatives and friends are helping me in the search, Subhash Yadav, the girls father who works as a tax consultant in Noida, said. The family also said that the entire incident could have been staged by an acquaintance of the family. We are telling the police to conduct an intensive search in Ghaziabad but no serious efforts have been made. We have provided every detail to the police about missed calls and even SMSs received on our phones. We have also been approached by residents over social media and they offered to help. I believe that it is not any professional person but someone who is known to the family. So far, we have not received any ransom call, Yadav said. According to the initial police investigation, the girl opened the main door with a key available inside the house and placed the keys on the stairs while going out. A CCTV camera in the vicinity had spotted her running alone. The police said that they have roped in several teams and even the crime branch to search the entire NCR. Our teams are on a search in Faridabad, Delhi, Noida, Bulandshahr and other required places. Still, there is no progress. However, teams are continuing their search and investigation. There has been no ransom call so far, Salmantaj Patil, the superintendent of police (city), Ghaziabad, said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The electoral process in Ghaziabad in Delhis neighbourhood is potentially under threat from an unlikely enemy rats. The electronic voting machines (EVMs), which contain the fortunes of 53 candidates from the five assembly constituencies of Ghaziabad district, are currently stored at the Govindpuram grain market after the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on February 11. The grain market is spread over nearly 35 acres and has thick bushes and isolated tracts, providing a safe haven for rats. Traders here say rodents in the market can cause major damage to grains and other food items. The EVMs are stored inside nearly 20-22 shops . Officials have ordered for rat-kill medicines and pest control to keep the rats at bay and secure the 2,494 EVMs stored at the grain market. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo) The rats here are fearless and roam about freely. They are huge in size just like those found at old railway stations. They are capable of nibbling through the plaster of walls and even through the flooring to find a way into the shops where grains are kept. Their burrows are found in areas which are not concreted, said Mohammad Shahzad, a trader at the market. We require huge quantities of rat poison and even pesticides to ward off rats and termites. Since a number of grains and pulses are stored there, the market is a major source of food for these pests, he said. UP polls: Low turnout in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad affected overall polling percentage Keeping the threat from rodents in mind, the district administration has added an extra layer of security for the EVMs. The officials have ordered for rat-kill medicine and pest control to keep the rats at bay and secure the 2,494 EVMs stored at the grain market. Apart from the pest-control layer of security, the district administration has deployed a standard three-layer security cover of paramilitary forces and the civil police. The district election officer has written to different agencies to make sure arrangements are made to procure rat-kill medicines and pesticides. This is to prevent any damage to EVMs stored at the grain market. Our security personnel and officials are also keeping an eye on the rodents, said Gynendra Singh, additional district election officer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Information Technology (IT) major Infosys is all set to begin construction of its largest campus in the northern region in Noida by February-end. A team from Infosys on Tuesday met with Deepak Agarwal, chief executive officer of the Noida authority, which had on June 5, 2014 allotted 1,11,610 square metres of land in Sector 85. Infosys has submitted the layout plan of its building that will have three state-of-the-art towers, an official said. We will approve the building layout map very soon. Earlier, they had wanted to build only one 100-storey tower. Now, they have submitted a fresh map as the IT major wants to build three towers instead of one. They are likely to begin construction by February-end, Agarwal said. Infosys has decided to make an incubation centre functional by March-end at its Sector 85 campus, an official said. The team from Infosys said the building will be constructed in the next two to three years without any delay as they want to start operations in the Noida campus as soon as possible. I have instructed my staff to support Infosys as and when required because the project will create jobs for youth and it is very important for Noida, Agarwal said. The Uttar Pradesh government has waived the entire registry fee for Infosys under an IT policy that does not levy any such fee to encourage industrial development in state. The company is expected to employ about 35, 000 IT professionals and other staff once this campus becomes operational. Infosys invested Rs1, 354 crore in purchasing land for its unit. Co-founder of Infosys Narayana Murthy had on February 23, 2014 visited this one lakh sqm plot (25 acres) in Sector 85 off the Noida Expressway. It will be the biggest Infosys Campus in the north and Noida can feel proud about it, an official of the Noida authority said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Stating that it does not have the expertise to probe complicated cyber crime cases, the Noida police has written to the police headquarters in Lucknow asking that the probe into an online social trading company, Webwork Trade Link Private Limited, be handed over to a special investigation team. The company is accused of cheating thousands of people in the name of likes, the police said on Wednesday. Noida police has said a special investigation team has more powers and expertise to deal with such internet fraud cases. We have requested the Dharmendra Singh Yadav, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Gautam Budh Nagar, to ask for a SIT probe into the Web Work case. The SSP has further written to top officials in Lucknow. Our investigating officer is not an expert to deal with such complicated cyber cases, said Gaurav Grover, additional superintendent of police, Gautam Budh Nagar, said. Noida police, has so far seized the companys four bank accounts with private banks. These four accounts are owned by Web Work directors Anurag Garg and Sandesh Verma. However, police are unaware of the exact amount in these accounts. We are investigating how much money these four accounts have, said Grover. The SIT or other central agencies have the necessary expertise to deal with the case, he said. The Uttar Pradesh police on February 12 lodged an FIR against Web Work Trade Link Private Limited, located in Sector 2 Noida. The company is suspected to be working on the lines of Ablaze Info Solutions Private Limited, which is currently being investigated for fraud by state and central agencies. Web Work Trade Link Private Limited asks people to invest anywhere between 11,000 and 57,500 to become a publisher in the company. The company subsequently sends links of websites, which should be liked by a publisher to make a profit. The company promises to pay 6 per like. A username and a password are also provided to investors to access the website. The office of Web Work has been shut since the FIR was lodged and promoters of the company have switched off their mobile phones. However, one of the directors, Anurag Garg, in a video message posted on YouTube, has refuted the allegations. Ours is a legitimate business. Many people do not understand it. Investors need not worry because we will soon begin payments as promised, Garg said in a video message. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An Assamese surname translates to a Hindi profanity. And for years, students from the north-eastern state, studying or working in Delhi, have been subject to ridicule, and even abuse, over this. So imagine the horrors an Assamese student faces when he arrives in Delhi with a surname Chutiya. The surname, however, is just one small part of the racism that northeasterners face in north India. But then, this write-up is not about Assam or the northeast. But there is a connection. The present story is essentially from that part of India beyond the Vindhyas and collectively often derisively referred to as South India. All the people in that part are South Indians. Many prefer the word Madrasis, a word which describes the residents of Madras, as Chennai was known as earlier. Over the past couple of months, Tamil Nadu has dominated the headlines like no other state, starting with former chief minister Jayalalithaas hospitalisation and death, the debate and controversy over the bull-taming sport Jallikattu and then the political battle between acting chief minister O Panneerselvam and AIADMK leader VK Sasikala. Dravidian names, truth be told, is alien to most in the rest of the country. And it does not help that we have never tried to pronounce them correctly or even learn what they mean. So it is easy to compare a chief minister with a popular north Indian food and churn out jokes and memes on social media. The shares and retweets prove how clever and funny we can be. And when the sane voices point out that Panneerselvam means rose water, they are conveniently ignored. Cottage cheese is so much better. Someone wrote an entire piece on the political crisis, using South Indian dishes as metaphors and descriptors. But she did not realise that the tiny, irritating bones of the Hilsa simply cannot be used to describe Mamata Banerjee. Tamils protested against the write-up and pointed out why she was wrong. In fact, they said, you north Indians are always wrong about us. A fellow-journalist, naturally angry, took on the expert. The turmoil in Tamil Nadu has once again thrust the North-South divide into the spotlight. Its an ugly debate but it is real, as pointed out by Telugu actor-turned politician Pawan Kalyan who said recently that Delhi-based politicians were unable to grasp the sentiments of the people in southern states. Many see the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu which led to massive protests in Tamil Nadu as an affront to the states culture and heritage and the judiciarys failure to honour the sentiments of the people. It is the same anger directed at political leaders over alleged attempts to impose Hindi, a language seen as a symbol of North Indian dominance. South India is angry. The Panneerselvam-Sasikala episode has only deepened it. And it is simply because of an overbearing and condescending attitude of the rest of the country, or a section of it. It is the same anger many in the northeast have for North Indians, viewed by many as a land of boorish and snobbish people who allegedly look down on all those who are not native to this part of the country. Names and surnames have a meaning and also a matter of pride for individuals. And TV anchors mess it up all when they cannot pronounce the name of Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal correctly. By the way, the Hindi word for banana kela is an Assamese profanity. You see, it is all about languages. And not the people. Next time you hear Panneerselvam, imagine a rose. And watch this wonderful video. (Opinions expressed are personal. The writer tweets as @asomputra) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India has got used to clear verdicts. Narendra Modi won an outright majority in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the first time in 30 years that voters gave a party an unambiguous mandate to run the country. Indias biggest state, Uttar Pradesh, has picked a clear winner in the last two elections. Mayawati-led Bhaujan Samaj Party won an absolute majority in 2007. She was ousted by the Samajwadi Party in 2012 that won 225 seats in the 403-member House. In neighbouring Bihar, the JD(U)-RJD-Congress grand alliance won a majority in 2015. The JD(U)-BJP alliance had done the same five years earlier. Stable governments may be the new normal. But it was not too long ago that hung assemblies were the norm, with governments failing to last the five-year term. India saw three general elections between 1996 and 1999. Uttar Pradesh, which is voting for the second phase on Wednesday, too, saw frequent changes. It is impossible to know who got the lead in the first phase on February 8 when 73 seats went to the polls but the initial assessment is there is no clear winner. Read| Assembly polls 2017: It will be a fight for every vote in battlefield UP Social groups have voted differently in the region where Jat and Muslim voters have a big presence. The contest is multipolar and a fragmentation is highly likely. Things may change in the remaining six phases but a possibility of a hung House when results are declared on March 11 is worth looking at. Narrative, leader, wide coalitions work A single big poll issue, a personality-centred contest and wide caste coalitions lead to decisive outcomes. As a sense builds up that a particular party is winning, floating voters join in because they want stability and also because of peculiar Indian voter behaviour -- the vote must go to the winner otherwise it is wasted. Read| Uttar Pradeshs Muslim vote-bank: A myth or reality? In 2007, Mayawati promised an end to SPs goondaraj, or lawlessness, positioned herself as a firm leader who would enforce law of the land and came up with her version of social engineering as she reached out to upper castes. She not only got the votes of Dalits, her support base, but also those of Brahmins and non-Yadav other backward classes. In 2012, young Akhilesh Yadav presented himself as the new face of the SP and successfully tapped into the resentment against the alleged corruption and indulgences of Mayawati. While Yadavs and Muslims, as expected, voted for the SP, upper castes, who were tired of Mayawatis shenanigans, chose Akhilesh as well. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP MP and wife Dimple Yadav at an election rally in Lucknow. (PTI Photo) It was a mix of Hindutva and Vikas that saw the BJP sweep Uttar Pradesh in 2014 winning 71 of the states 80 Lok Sabha seats. The Modi wave swept away caste and identity calculations, as Jats, Yadavs, non-Yadav OBCs and Dalits voted the BJP along with upper castes, the partys traditional vote bank. Local, narrow politics is back But, things are different this time. There is no overarching narrative or a one leader setting the poll agenda. Read| Why UP matters: Can Indias most populous state decide the fate of Delhi? Society is deeply fragmented and these divisions are getting reflected in electoral politics. Unlike the largely bipolar contests of the last two times, the state is seeing three-horse race, with the BJP, otherwise on the margins of the state politics, keen to repeat its Lok Sabha success. All the three players the SP-Congress, BSP and BJP have a robust set-up and a loyal social base. Akhilesh Yadav, president of Samajwadi Party President and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Rahul Gandhi, vice-president of Congress Party, pose as they release a common minimum programme at a joint news conference in Lucknow on February 11. (Reuters) Yes, Akhilesh has made this election about himself and is showcasing vikas (development works done by his government). And, it is true that he is well-liked. But, every region has its own interpretation of the message. In central UP, especially in the Yadav belt, and among Muslims, there is an overwhelming support for the young chief minister. But this narrative has not caught up, at least not yet, across castes and geographies. Read| Uttar Pradesh elections: All you need to know about Indias political heartland The reasons could be many -- delay in ticket distribution, last-minute alliance with the Congress but the biggest of them all is the late start to the campaign as party battled a bitter power struggle. While there is no anti-incumbency mood, many of Akhileshs MLAs are unpopular and are likely to incur voters wrath. For a clear win, the SP needs an Akhilesh wave to override local arithmetic but it is not visible, especially in west Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati has again tried to make this election about herself and law and order. The state has seen riots, communal violence and several crimes against women but the anger is not as palpable as it was in 2007. Goondaraj, a term that has come to be associated with the SP, is not the biggest poll issue this time. In terms of social groups too, Mayawati, is the first choice of only her core base, the Jatavs, while other groups such as Muslims or upper castes may vote for her tactically, depending on candidates. The 2017 elections is an opportunity to Mayawati to re-establish the BSP in UP, as a party which may be down but not out. (PTI Photo) The BJP has Modi to ride on and the PMs popularity has not diminished but it neither has a popular local face nor an agenda. Read| Politics of compulsion: Why SP and Congress want a poll tie-up in Uttar Pradesh Its demonetisation move is not paying electoral dividends. It is no longer seen as a party of vikas as it was in 2014. It is because of these reasons that it has to rely on religious polarisation, particularly in west UP. The morale of the cadre is low and by all accounts, ticket distribution has been faulty. The party continues to be the first choice of Brahmins and a substantial number of non-Yadav OBCs -- and these are important constituencies. But, here, too, there are variations. In west UP, the Jats appear to have voted against the BJP in large numbers, Thakurs have not consolidated completely and turnout may be lower among Banias. Add it all up and what does it saw? It suggests that politics is being driven by local considerations, the dynamic is changing in every constituency and there is no state-wide hawa, or wave. It also says social fragmentation is visible -- and each group has found a political outlet. And that is why it is possible that the result will be a mixed bag with no clear winner. This is not a prediction, for it would be foolish to foretell the outcome in a state with 200 million people. The situation is also rapidly evolving as social groups and individuals make fresh choices and as campaigning momentum shifts. There is a good chance that after the second or the third phase, there may be a greater clarity on who is leading and voters may push that party or formation over the finish line. But, it is time to remain open to the possibility that after a stable decade, UP may be going back to the turbulent 1990s. Read| For Mayawati, a UP setback goes beyond the polls; it could affect the Dalit cause SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad has asked party legislators to refrain from making provocative and unwarranted statements in the media. Why speak baseless things and without approval of top leaders, said Prasad, apparently peeved at the recent exchange of barbs with Janata Dal (United), an RJD ally, over the Bihar State Service Commission (BSSC) paper leak episode. Such provocations encourage rival parties to speak of a rift among the Grand Alliance (GA) constituents, which is not good, he said in Patna on Tuesday. Trashing speculations of growing rift between the two major partners in the ruling Grand Alliance in Bihar, Prasad said, Our alliance is intact. If MLAs have any grievance, they have a forum to sort it out. The chief minister had been listening to legislators on a fixed day to elicit their feedback on governance, Prasad said. The RJD chiefs gag order has, however, failed to silence senior party leader and former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who continued to go hammer and tongs against the JD(U)-led Grand Alliance government over series of irregularities .in conduct of competitive examinations. The administration has failed to put the right person in the right place. This is why, such scams surface in conduct of competitive examinations. This is not right, Singh said, adding that the administration must be toned up immediately. Singhs censure of the government came a day after RJD and JD(U) leaders exchanged barbs over demand for a CBI inquiry into irregularities in BSSC examination to recruit clerks. RJDs Bhai Birendra had said the government should hand over the probe to the CBI as there was possibility of a big scam in the recruitment process. JD(U) leaders were quick to counter the RJD MLA, saying that he should have faith in the state government, instead of questioning its decision. If the RJD MLA is not satisfied with the probe by the special investigating team into the alleged question leak, he is free to go to court, JD(U) spokesman Neeraj Kumar said. RJD leaders were embarrassing the government by making frivolous statements, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Police on Tuesday questioned Sher Singh alias Shera and Deep Sidhu in the alleged murder case of Himachal Pradesh chief ministers wifes nephew Akansh Sen. Sources said both of them have denied witnessing the murder in which a BMW ran over Sen and claimed that they were inside Sidhus house. Their final statements are yet to be recorded, sources said. They were called to the Sector-3 police station at 1.30 pm, but had to return since the SHO Poonam Dilawri was at the district court. They were again called at 3pm and were questioned till late evening. Shera is reported to have told the police that after Sen left Sidhus residence to go to Rajans place in Sector 18, he slept in Sidhus room and claimed to be unaware of the happenings outside. He also told the police that he woke up after hearing noises outside and when he got out of the house, he saw Adamya Singh Rathore and Rajan Pupneja, Sens cousins, making someone sit inside a car. He added that he couldnt understand the scene and tried to chase them in his car, but lost the vehicle. I eventually went back and slept inside the house, he claimed. Also Read | Himachal CM nephews murder: Accused, Harmehtab Singh Farid, seeks bail, calls it accident Sidhus statement Sources said Sidhu claimed that he was inside the home and did not see anything. Sidhu is a national shot gun shooter and is son of Raja KS Sidhu, ex-international skeet shooter. Before the incident, the group had gathered at his house in Sector 9. Sidhus Tuesday statement contradicts records which show that he had called the PCR twice on Thursday early morning the first at 4.30am, claiming that unidentified people were quarrelling outside his house. He also made a second call to the PCR after the incident, claiming that he heard loud noises outside his house. However, according to his submission before the police on Tuesday, he did not witness the incident as he was inside his residence. Senior police officials, including DIG Alok Kumar questioned the duo. There were indications, said sources, that the duo could turn approvers in the case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Chandigarh bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has directed the Punjab government to prepare a fresh panel of eligible officers of the state civil service, on the basis of annual confidentil reports and other records, for possible promotion to the Indian Administrative Services (IAS). The CAT was acting on an application filed in September last year by Sanjay Popli, a Punjab Civil Services (PCS) officer, seeking promotion to IAS. Claiming that he was eligible for IAS against vacancies from the state services quota, he complained that the state had not empanelled him, on the basis of records produced by him. The officer had said the government had not submitted his original ACR to the UPSC, thus he could not be promoted. While he got the original ACR through a Right to Information (RTI) and it showed he was marked very good. He had claimed that, on the other hand, there were seven PCS officers who had cases against them but were promoted to the IAS cadre. The state, through the chief secretary, had denied the allegations and prayed for the pleas dismissal. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which convened the departmental promotion committee for the IAS vacancies, had filed a separate statement wherein it was pleaded that the review selection committee meeting (RSCM) was held, and that the name of the applicant (Popli) was considered. But he was found unfit due to his average-grading ACRs for 2007-08, it said. The CAT, in its order, observed that what cannot possibly be disputed here is that the [Punjab government] has recorded No Report Certificate of the applicant for the year 2007-08, which was adversely considered by the UPSC. It was also stated that the penalty of censure was stated to have been converted into advisory warning by the competent authority. Accordingly, Popli claimed that no disqualification was attached to his candidature. Therefore, the CAT, in its order further stated that it had no option but to direct the state of Punjab to prepare a fresh panel of eligible officers, on the basis of the true reflection of their ACR/record and then to send the names of the eligible persons to the UPSC for convening a review DPC for induction of PCS officers into IAS cadre. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A team of the Election Commission (EC) of India has found that the Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) complaint of shifting of electronic voting machines (EVMs) from a strongroom at Patiala was baseless. The district administration has thus got a clean chit. The EC team comprising Narender Chauhan, chief electoral officer (CEO) of Himachal Pradesh, and Rajesh Kumar, additional CEO of National Capital Region, Delhi, on Wednesday inspected the strongroom at Government College of Physical Education, Patiala, where a video of alleged shifting of EVMs was made by an AAP leader that was tweeted by party boss and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday. The district administration had then too said the machines being shifted were those used in the 2015 municipal polls, not from the assembly polls held on February 4; and the intention was to make space for counting on March 11. But the AAP leadership met the chief election commissioner in Delhi on Tuesday about alleged violation of EVM security at many places in Punjab, after which the team was sent. The strongroom is intact. There is no violation. In fact, the administration has taken more measures than recommended by the EC to protect the strongroom, said Chauhan. AAPs Nabha candidate Gurdev Singh Dev Mann, who shot the video, was also present during inspection. The administration was creating more space for a computer room and the media for counting day. It was removing old EVMs as a routine exercise, Chauhan said, adding, At Patiala, deputy commissioner Ramvir Singh has ensure more precautions than recommended by the EC. Rather than two-tier security, the DC has ensured three-tier cover around the strongroom; candidates are allowed to put their own locks too. The team will visit Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Tarn Taran, too, from where complaints were filed by AAP leaders. We will submit a report to the EC on Friday, Chauhan said. Asked if there could be action against the AAP for the baseless complaint, he said, Our duty is limited to submitting a report on safety of the EVMs. Earlier, at a meeting of the team with political parties at Circuit House, only the AAP raised issues over EVMs safety, while the Congress, and the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP, among other parties, expressed full faith in the poll authorities. Kejriwal, in the tweet, had said: This is absolutely shocking. Punjab officials trying to remove EVM machines. In another tweet, he had even alleged that officers entered strongroom on the pretext of taking some papers but started removing EVMs. This, he had done before any verification or formal complaint to the poll authorities from him. It needs mention that the AAP has also filed a plea in the high court seeking directions for protection of EVMs. Read | EC asks Punjab CEO for compliance report on EVMs security SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Independent counsel Park Young-soo on Tuesday wrote to the National Assembly to say he needs an extension of the deadline for his probe into the crony scandal. Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the independent counsel, said, "We sent a reply to the National Assembly in answer to a request for our opinion about its ongoing efforts" to extend the period of the investigation. Currently the independent counsel has 70 days, which end on Feb. 28, and must then ask acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn to extend his tenure for another 30 days. But Hwang is ardently loyal to President Park Geun-hye, whose sole tactic in the investigation so far has been obstruction. If he refuses, opposition parties want to extend the deadline by 50 days and expand the scope of his mandate. Lee said one drawback of the time constraints is that investigators cannot probe the relationship of conglomerates other than Samsung with Cheong Wa Dae, which also donated vast sums to Parks crony Choi Soon-sil. "We aren't conducting any official investigation of other conglomerates yet," he admitted. Instead, the counsel has twice sought an arrest warrant for de facto Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong, since Samsung gave the biggest sums to Choi either directly or through the dodgy Mir and K-Sports foundations she controlled. Meanwhile, the counsel has resumed a tug-of-war with Park's lawyers to question her face to face. The two sides originally agreed on an interview with her on the Cheong Wa Dae compound on Feb. 9, but she backed out at the last minute. The court of sessions judge Balbir Singh, on Wednesday, dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Harmehtab Singh, alias Farid one of the accused, in the murder of Himachal Pradesh chief ministers wifes nephews murder. The sessions judge had heard the arguments on Tuesday morning, where counsel of the accused, Sukhdip Singh Brar, pleaded before the court that Farid had been falsely implicated in the matter. Brar had also said, I have requested the court to summon for the post-mortem report of the deceased. I understand that there was one injury to the head which led to his death. The sessions judge had issued notice to UT to file a reply and present all records before the court in the afternoon. However, in the afternoon, the matter was adjourned for hearing on Wednesday. Farid had filed the bail application saying that the accident may have been caused by his co-accused Balraj Singh and that he had nothing to do with it. A 60-year-old financier, native of Jalandhar, was shot dead in Manila, Philippines, on Monday morning when he was going to meet his friends, it is learnt. The victim has been identified as Bhagwant Rai Bansal, who was living in Manila for the past one decade. He was head of Khalsa Diwan Inc, an Indian organisation in the Philippines, in 2007. A pall of gloom descended on the Green Park locality in Jalandhar upon receiving the news of Bansals murder. His son, Simran,18, said they were informed by Bansals friends at 10 am that his father was on the busy street when unknown assailants opened fire on him. Also Read | 41-year-old man from Rupnagar killed in Philippines The family urged the Indian government to help them bring back the body. The family suspects that the murder could be the fallout of a moneylending dispute. There have been many attacks on Indians based in the Philippines in past as well, with the murder of a native of Rupnagar on February 3 being the latest. The Punjab government on Wednesday turned down Ludhiana-based Christian Medical Colleges request to allow it to conduct separate counselling for admission to its postgraduate (PG) courses. The department of medical education and research has asked the minority institute to fill its seats through joint counselling to be held for all private and government medical institutes in the state on the basis of National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET)-PG merit. Faridkot-based Baba Farid University of Health Sciences has already started the process on Tuesday, inviting applications from all qualified students by March 3. The CMC had requested for exemption from the departments latest instructions on certain premises. Responding to the college on Wednesday, the department has asked the college to go with the joint counselling only, said medical education secretary Vikas Pratap. Reiterating the department was firm on its stand to conduct the next sessions PG admissions through joint counselling, he said the move was aimed at bringing transparency in allotment of seats in medical institutes and ensuring hassle-free admissions for students. The medical education secretary said if students welfare was the prime concern for all private institutes, no one should have any problem with this transparent system, already adopted by most states on the Centres advisory. The CMC, meanwhile, has not called off its scheduled counselling yet. Its website still mentions that counselling for its minority quota seats will take place on February 17 while the open category candidates have been called on February 18. CMC director Dr Abraham G Thomas said the college was yet to receive the departments letter. We will take appropriate decision accordingly, he said. Dr Sujata Sharma, director, medical education and research, said the department will take requisite action if the CMC goes ahead with its own counselling. Following the departments Monday directive, Amritsar-based Sri Guru Ram Das (SGRD) Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, also a minority institute, had stopped its ongoing counselling on Tuesday. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The chief election commissioner (CEC) will send a team from Delhi to assess the security arrangements at strongrooms where electronic voting machines (EVMs) are kept in Punjab. The decision comes after a delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders met the CEC in Delhi on Tuesday and sought an inquiry into the alleged breach of security of EVMs at strongrooms in the state. The delegation led by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia submitted a memorandum to the CEC alleging that there were multiple instances of breach in EVMs safety in the state, where the party is hopeful of forming the government. We have submitted a memorandum to the chief election commissioner where we have pointed out there has been security breaches in strongrooms where the EVMs are kept. We have also mentioned that the May 2015 notification of the EC, which lists out instructions regarding the storage, physical verification and movements of EVMs is not being complied with, Sisodia said. Also Read | AAP leaders meet CEC, allege breach of EVMs security in Punjab The AAP had on Monday raised an alarm over an alleged shifting of EVMs from a strongroom in Patiala. The AAP made a video of the alleged shifting of EVMs which was spread by the partys top leaders through Twitter and Facebook. It was later found that EVMs were of 2015 municipal corporation elections which were being removed from an adjacent hall in building to create extra space for counting of votes on March 11. AAP state convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich also urged Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) to completely restrict any activity within the compounds of the buildings where the EVMs are stored. Waraich said after the Patiala incident, where district returning officer allowed shifting of old EVMs lying in same complex where assembly poll EVMs are stored, the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out. They said that even though the Election Commission has clarified that EVMs removed by district officials were those used in the MC elections, it was an unusual and suspected action. Earlier, AAPs Dakha candidate HS Phoolka had also raised an alarm about breach of security at the Ludhiana strongroom. However, a probe that followed found everything in order. (With agency inputs) Kin of martyr Sukhdev Thapar and some city residents are infuriated over the misinformation being spread on social media regarding the date of pronouncement of the death penalty to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. While the death penalty was pronounced on October 7, messages on social media claim the date to be February 14. Now the descendants of Sukhdev, who belonged to Ludhiana, have come out against the misinformation and rumours and shot off a letter to the director general of police, Punjab. They have asked the officer to take action against those who started the misinformation. The messages on social media including Facebook and WhatsApp claim that the death penalty to the trio who had fought against the British rule was pronounced on February 14, As a result, Indians should not celebrate this day but remember the three for their sacrifice on the day. The kin of Sukhdev Thapar under the umbrella of All India Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar Memorial Trust have stated that such misguiding messages should be stopped immediately. Ashok Thapar, national president of the trust stated, There is a rumour regarding the date of death sentence of the martyrs on social media. It states that February 14 is the date of pronouncement of death sentence to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. But in reality, the death sentence was announced on October 7, 1930 and the execution was carried out on March 23, 1931, said Thapar. He said that the rumour could cause confusion among the young generation who may believe the messages on internet blindly. Meanwhile, Sandeep Thapar, general secretary of the trust has asked the director general of police to investigate the origin of these messages and detect the persons who are behind the propagation of false information. There is an urgent need that factual information is propagated among the youth and such misinformation is removed from the social media, said Sandeep. The weight of investment proposals in the power sector is likely to shape the future of the state and its future development when the two day global investors summit takes off on February 16. With Ranchi the state capital included in the list of smart cities, power would play a pivotal role in growth, said chief minister Raghubar Das, who holds the energy portfolio as well. Das has also announced zero power cut by 2017-18 and power to all by 2019. Thus there is immense hope riding on the summit and the promise therein. The two day summit will have deliberations on investment opportunities in power distribution and supply, transmission and generation - focusing on solar and micro-hydroelectric plants. Guests and investors from foreign lands will come to know about Jharkhands development mission envisaged by the Raghubar Das government. Keen to make Jharkhand a power hub, Das said Jharkhand villages will be electrified by year end 2017 and all houses would have a power connection by December 2018. Union power minister Piyush Goyals too said the Centre wants to make Jharkhand power surplus by 2019 while attending a Vikas Parv in Dhanbad last year. In 2015, the Jharkhand Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (JUVNL) officials submitted a `7,000 crore augmentation plan to Das to strengthen the existing power system and network. The government has earmarked Rs 50 crore each for Atal Grameen Jyoti Yojana and Tilka Majhi Krishi Pump Yojana as well for villages. The state wants private players to join the power mission, said Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) managing director Rahul Purwar.Private participation is solicited in rural distribution network franchisee, he said. Purwar said, rebidding of Tilaiya ultra mega thermal power plant (UMPP) that was shelved by Reliance Power, 2x660 mw TVNL expansion plan, strengthening of transmission network and new solar power policy, are the key areas where private partnership is sought. The Adani group signed a MoU with the state to set up1600 MW plant in Godda. The project is mired in controversy however and the opposition has charged the government with making changes in the power purchase scheme. Solar plants: Both off grid and grid connected solar plant schemes have been framed along with 180 kwp grid connected roof-top plants. The government commissioned rooftop solar power plants installed on 14 state buildings in Ranchi this month. On October 2, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the countrys first district court--Khunti--which was illuminated by a rooftop power plant. Hydel: RFP approved 26 MW hydroelectric projects at 14 placesion PPP mode. Of these, two 17 MW projects are proposed on river Koel and three projects of 66 MW each will come up on river Sankh. Several micro-hydel projects too are in the pipeline. PUVNL: The old Patratu Thermal power station (PTPS) has been merged with Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (PVUNL), the joint venture company of the state owned Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) last year. The MoA was signed for 4000 MW power generation in Patratu, besides strengthening of the existing plant. First phase work for three units of 800 MW each (3x2400 MW) will begin soon after land transfer while the present units of PTPS will be modernised to produce 325 MW power. RAPDRP: Jharkhand is heading towards providing uninterrupted and quality power supply to the people banking on Centrally sponsored restructured accelerated power reforms development programme (RAPDRP).Plans have also been approved for 30 cities under RAPDRP Part-B scheme. Earlier, cities with more than 30,000 population was brought under the Rs 225 crore restructured accelerated power reforms development programme (RAPRDP) Part-A programme wherein power finance corporation had funded Rs 160 crore. DDUGJY: Rs 1260.92 crore allotted to complete the pending rural electrification works and provide power to each household in the villages under Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With only a day remaining for the Global Investors Summit (GIS), the states flagship event under Momentum Jharkhand, preparations are in full swing to ensure a foolproof event with no loopholes. The mineral-rich state, which boasts 40% of countrys mineral reserves, expects investment proposals worth Rs.3.5 lakh crore through the summit. The BJP-led Jharkhand government has been preparing for the summit on the lines of Vibrant Gujarat since it came to power in December 2014. The two-day summit will kick start at Ranchis Khelgaon on Thursday, and witness presence of finance minister Arun Jaitley, information technology minister Ravishankar Prasad, urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu, transport and shipping minister Nitin Gadkari, energy minister Piyush Goyal, Tata Steel Director TV Narendran, former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, former team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and many more. We have been working on the summit specifics for the past one year. The government first framed the necessary policies and then approached foreign investors. The response has been positive so far, said chief minister Raghubar Das. Entire Ranchi has been decked up with lights and posters to welcome the investors, many of whom would be flying down from foreign shores. In a bid to avoid any security lapse, around 2500 district police jawans and over 1200 traffic cops have already been deployed on the streets. The city has been divided into 17 zones and 28 sectors for smooth flow of traffic during the days of the summit. The Jharkhand Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which performed a mock drill at the Khelgaon stadium on February 5, too would remain on high alert, senior police officials said. Director General of Police DK Pandey on Monday met senior police officials in Ranchi and directed them to keep a tab on the security arrangements on the routes the investors take from airport to Khelgaon. Besides, he also directed for deployment of armed contingents at all important tourist spots in and around the city. At least 9527 foreign and domestic delegates had confirmed their availability for the summit by 10 am on Tuesday, and almost all the top hotels in the capital have been booked. According to sources in the industry department, all rooms in Radisson Blu, BNR Chanakya, Capitol Residency and the state guest house have been booked for the summit. The state government has also arranged for two choppers that would ferry designated state guests from airport to Khelgaon during the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too would be addressing the summit through video conferencing. The summit will also see presence of industry stalwarts such as Pawan Munjal, the director of Hero Morocorp, Naveen Jindal, chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Rajiv Dubey, and group president of Mahindra & Mahindra. Besides, chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), RS Sharma and chairman of Adani Group Gautam Adani too are likely to attend the summit.Jharkhand held five domestic and three international road shows to lure investors to the summit. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Amy Jackson on Monday said she is set to rejoin the shoot of superstar Rajinikanths upcoming Tamil science-fiction action-thriller 2.o, a sequel to 2010 Tamil blockbuster Enthiran. Thanks Kerala! Next stop Chennai for 2.o shoot, Amy tweeted on Monday. Amy was in Kerala to perform at the Vanitha Film Awards. Thanks Kerala! Next stop Chennai for Robot 2.0 shoot Amy Jackson (@iamAmyJackson) February 13, 2017 At the event, she performed to a song from her Tamil film Ai, which has music by AR Rahman. Last leg of #2point0 with Shankar and the team! Next stop Mumbai pic.twitter.com/Oq6QDEp0hO Amy Jackson (@iamAmyJackson) February 14, 2017 It was a privilege to dance to your magical music AR Rahman, she wrote. In 2.o, being directed by S Shankar, she is paired with Rajinikanth. Nearly 80 per cent of the film -- which also stars Akshay Kumar, Adil Hussain and Sudhanshu Pandey -- has already been completed and the makers are gearing up for its release this Diwali. The film marks the Tamil debut of Akshay, who will be seen playing the prime antagonist. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Actor Shruti Haasan has been signed on to play the leading lady in upcoming mega budget Tamil period drama Sanghamitra. The film will also star Jayam Ravi and Arya in the lead and will roll from April. Shruti had recently finished the paperwork and she is quite excited to be part of the project. The makers had several options but they eventually chose Shruti because they wanted someone who is popular but at the same time can perform, said a source from the films unit. The source further added that Shruti, who is basking in the success of Tamil actioner SI3, will commence shooting for Sanghamitra from May onwards. The film is made on a budget of Rs 150 crore. Actors Jayam Ravi and Arya are also part of Sanghamitra. It will be the biggest project of her career thus far. Shes very excited because her role will give her an opportunity to attempt something she hasnt done so far, the source added. To be helmed by Sundar C and produced by Sri Thenandal Films, the film will also be released in Telugu and Hindi. It will be simultaneously made in Telugu. In Hindi, however, it will be made with an entirely different cast and the process will take time, he said. The film will have music by AR Rahman. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Rana Daggubati, who is set to portray Lieutenant Commander Arjun Varma in upcoming flick The Ghazi Attack, has written a letter to the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. The film is inspired from true events, a classified mission conducted by the Indian Navy, against their Pakistani counterpart in 1971 that not many people know about. Daggubatis character is said to have remained underwater for 18 days during the war. During the course of working on the film, the actor met several naval officers. The actor was deeply moved on hearing about their experiences and decided to write a letter to the President for acknowledging the Indian armed forces and the immense contribution of these unsung heroes that the nation must know. The Ghazi Attack is touted as Indias first war-at-sea film. The Baahubali actor said, Post Ghazi, civilian like me have understood a lot about victorious battles that have been fought by all our armed forces on the borders so as to keep us safe. As a civilian, I did not know about these victorious tales and like me there are many others who did not know much about it, to us its a letter to acknowledge these heroes and make sure we know more about these unsung heroes and their tales of victory. The upcoming movie rekindles the mystery of what happened on the night of December 3 and what exactly caused the sinking of the PNS Ghazi. The trailer of the flick has already garnered huge appreciation. The film stars Rana Daggubati, Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Taapsee Pannu and the late actor Om Puri. Touted as Indias first war-at-sea film, The Ghazi Attack, will release on February 17, 2017. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam was probably assassinated in Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. Kim Jong-nam has lived a peripatetic and increasingly reclusive life in self-imposed exile since Kim Jong-un was anointed to succeed their father in 2009, and it is said he was afraid to return to the North to attend his father's funeral in 2011. Instead he has traveled restlessly between mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore. He was rumored several times to have been killed or to have defected to South Korea, and his whereabouts had become subject to international interest. The North Korean regime must have known that his assassination would make global headlines, but it seems to have felt that was a risk worth taking. Kim Jong-un had his own uncle Jang Song-taek executed in public in 2013, and pictures of Jang being dragged out of a courtroom by security guards before his execution were all over the state media. The human rights group North Korea Strategy Center puts the number of officials who were either executed or tortured at the time at a cool 1,000. Former defense minister Hyon Yong-chol and Kim Yong-jin, a vice premier, were among them. The incessant purges clearly show that the North Korean regime is unstable. According to Thae Yong-ho, a former deputy ambassador to the U.K. who defected last year, Kim's reign of terror has suppressed dissent but has also led to increasing disillusionment among the elite. If Kim Jong-nam's assassination has anything to do with an internal power struggle, a closer look at what may be going on is needed. There is no telling what could happen as the bloody purges intensify. Perhaps some kind of coup attempt is already in the works. It all bodes ill for South Korea. North Korea tested a new ballistic missile just three days ago to mark Kim Jong-il's birthday, and his son Kim Jong-nam was assassinated the next day. There is no telling what type of provocation North Korea will resort to next as South Korea and the U.S. prepare for massive joint military drills in March. South Korea needs to remind itself of just how brutal its neighbor is and take adequate steps to protect itself. It cannot simply hope that North Korea will not dare to fire a gun at fellow Koreans. Recently, presidential hopefuls from the opposition camp have been opposing the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. here and called for the resumption of inter-Korean economic projects. Minjoo Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in, who leads opinion polls, has even suggested that he wants to visit the North first if he is elected. Opposition candidates seriously need to reconsider the ramifications of such comments. Right now in the U.S., government officials are weighing the option of fomenting regime collapse in the North or launching a preemptive strike against its nuclear and missile facilities. Kim Jong-nam's assassination should only embolden proponents of these plans. If Kim Jong-un's hand is proven to have been behind Jong-nam's assassination, all possible steps must be taken to bring the North Korean dictator before the International Criminal Court. Actor-model Gauahar Khan, who hooked up with TV actor Kushal Tandon during her Bigg Boss stint in 2013, may face legal trouble, thanks to her former boyfriend Kushal. Kushal and Gauhar met on Bigg Boss 7 and struck a chord on the show itself. Gauahar and Kushal dated each other for some time after coming out of the Bigg Boss house but soon parted ways. The break up was mutual. However, recent social media activity on Kushal and Gauahars pages have triggered speculations of the duo getting back together. A post shared by Kushal Tandon (@therealkushaltandon) on Sep 25, 2016 at 12:40pm PDT However, when Kushal shared a picture showing Gauahar on the cover of Bollywood magazine Stardust on Tuesday, it triggered legal trouble. Soon, the magazine issued a press statement saying Gauahar does not feature on the latest issue. @haiderkhanhaider saw this picture ... click by my brother Haider khan ..... could not risisset my self to share this picture of this stunner .... @gauaharkhan lady with grace , panache, ooomp and style with a golden heart ...... A post shared by Kushal Tandon (@therealkushaltandon) on Feb 12, 2017 at 10:13am PST The statement said, Stardust would like to clarify that the post of Gauahar Khan on Instagram with the Stardust masthead has nothing to do with us. Ajay Devgn is gracing the cover of Stardust February issue. We have come across a few articles that state that Gauahar is on the cover, so we would like to clear the air by saying that the news is false. The statement also said Gauahar was contacted regarding the cover, Gauahar was also contacted for the same by us and unfortunately she cannot delete the post as she thinks the media will make news of the same and again question her reconciliation with Kushal Tandon. And Legal action will be taken against the one who has used the masthead without our permission, thus defying our Company Policy, the statement added. Follow @htshowbiz for more Seven people were killed by a string of suicide attacks in northwest Pakistan on Monday, prompting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to go into a huddle to forge a strategy to counter the sudden spike in violence. The latest terror attacks which targeted a judges vehicle in Peshawar and a government office in the troubled Mohmand tribal region came two days after a suicide bombing in the Punjab provincial capital of Lahore killed 13 people and injured dozens. Observers said there were fears of a fresh wave of attacks across the country as the government plans to crack down on terrorist groups. In Peshawar, two people were killed and 18 others injured when a bomber rammed his motorcycle into a van carrying several judges in Hayatabad area. The vans driver was killed while civil judge Asif Jadoon and three women judges were among the injured, police said. Police official Sajjad Khan told the media that the target of the attack was the van carrying the judges. The outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. A man injured during a suicide attack in Mohmand Agency receives treatment after he was brought to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, on February 15, 2017. (Reuters) In another incident, five people, including three paramilitary personnel, were killed in a suicide attack in Ghalanai area of Mohmand tribal region. Eight others were injured as two suicide bombers tried to storm a government compound. One of the attackers blew himself up outside the entrance while the other was shot dead. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the TTP, claimed the attack. Later, another suicide bomber blew himself up when security forces surrounded him during a search operation in the area. The Jamaat-ul-Ahrar also claimed Mondays attack in Lahore. The group last week said it would unleash a wave of assaults on government installations. Soon after Wednesdays attacks, Prime Minister Sharif met the army chief to discuss the situation. Gen Bajwa visited Lahore after Mondays attack and said the planners and financiers of such assaults would be hunted across the country. At least five people were killed by three attackers before they were shot dead by police in Xinjiang, the latest outbreak of violence in the restive region of northwestern China. According to information from the local government, three men armed with swords rushed into a housing complex in Pishan county and attacked residents on Tuesday. At least 10 more people were injured. They were taken to a nearby government hospital for treatment. Neither the victims nor the attackers have been identified by authorities. But the government usually blames violence and rioting in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) on extremists and separatists from the Uyghur community. Authorities also often blame violence on separatist forces that they say are trained outside China. Uyghur groups based abroad say the violence is a reaction to harsh government policies, which they claim have gradually alienated large sections of the community. They claim government policies are aimed at negating Uyghur identity and culture, besides being anti-Islam. Dolkun Isa, a Germany-based Uyghur activist who is wanted in China for alleged acts of terror told Hindustan Times on Wednesday that several young men from the community were arrested after Tuesday nights incident. Isa said the Chinese army had been mobilised following the violence. The attack, he said, was a reaction against the recent repression by the Chinese authority. Isa said thousands of mosques had been destroyed in the region, particularly in Hotan, Kashgar and Aksu, since October 2016. Dilxat Raxit, spokesperson of the World Uyghur Congress, said people in the region were resorting to radical protests because there is no avenue for peaceful protests. Independent verification of news is difficult because the government exercises tight control on the flow of information from Xinjiang. In another development, seven people were arrested in the region for allegedly spreading extremist content online. The Xinjiang cyberspace administration office said suspects spread information online relating to terrorism, violence, religious extremism and separatism, as well as rumours, fake news, insults and defamatory statements, the state media reported. Under Xinjiangs anti-terror law, people using cellphones, the internet, mobile storage devices or other media to disseminate terrorism or extremist thoughts will also be held accountable for terror crimes. The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who was murdered in Malaysia, had pleaded for his life after an assassination attempt in 2012, Seouls spy chief said Wednesday, illustrating the dangers of being born into a brutal dynasty. Kim Jong-Nam, eldest son of the late former leader Kim Jong-Il, died after reportedly being attacked by two women -- said by Seoul to be agents of North Korea -- at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. He was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched bid in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland. The Kim family has ruled the impoverished country since its creation in 1948 with an iron fist and a pervasive personality cult. But following his fall from grace Jong-Nam had lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau. Despite being the younger son, it was Jong-Un who took over the isolated and nuclear-armed state after the death of his father in December 2011. Read | North Korea assassination: Body of Kim Jong-Uns brother to undergo autopsy Although Jong-Nam kept his distance from domestic politics, the North in 2012 tried to assassinate him, Seoul lawmakers said, following a closed-door briefing by the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Lee Byung-Ho. According to (Lee)... there was one bid in 2012, and Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying Please spare me and my family, Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. It also said We have nowhere to go... we know that the only way to escape is suicide, he said, adding Jong-Nam had scant political support and posed little threat to Jong-Un. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il (sitting/left) with his son, Kim Jong-Nam (sitting/right), for a family portrait in Pyongyang. (AFP File Photo) His murder echoed the fate of his uncle Jang Song-Thaek, who was executed in Pyongyang in December 2013 for charges including treason and bribery. Jang, an advocate of economic reform known to be close to China, played a key role in Jong-Uns rise but his growing power was believed to have irritated the young ruler. In his final days, Jang -- once one of the most powerful men in the country -- was described by state media as despicable human scum. Rumours of his execution by anti-aircraft gun fuelled fears. The latest assassination, if confirmed as the Norths work, is more an indication of Jong-Uns paranoid personality than a calculated move to remove a political threat, the legislator quoted the spy chief as saying. Jong-Nam was the eldest son of Kim Jong-Il with his first wife, and in the deeply patriarchal North the first son is seen as the official heir of the family. The countrys founding father Kim Il-Sung passed on the helm to his first son Kim Jong-Il upon his death in 1994. Read | Assassi-nation: After Kim Jong-Nam, a look at N Koreas history of state killings But the succession instead went to Jong-Un, who was born to Jong-Ils third wife. Jong-Nam -- believed to have ties with Beijings elite -- was a relatively outspoken figure, publicly criticising Pyongyangs political system on a few occasions. The 45-year-old, who had once studied in Moscow and Geneva, said he personally opposed the hereditary power transfer in his own family, during an interview with Japans Asahi TV in 2010. One of his sons -- Han-Sol -- described his uncle Jong-Un as a dictator in a rare interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012 while he was studying in Europe. Combination image of Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un. (AP File Photo) Now he is holed up in Macau with his family, said Seoul lawmaker Lee Cheol-Woo, another intelligence committee member briefed by the Souths spy chief. They are under the protection of the Chinese authorities, Lee said. Some of those close to the Norths ruling family, fearful of an unpredictable future, chose to flee. An aunt and uncle of Jong-Un left for the US in 1998 and now live a normal existence as owners of a New York dry cleaning business. Others were less fortunate. Yi Han-Yong, a nephew of Jong-Nams mother Sung Hye-Rim, publicly criticised the ruling Kim family in his memoir and numerous media interviews after defecting to Seoul in 1982. He was shot dead outside his home in 1997 in what Seouls spy agency described as an assassination by North Korean agents. Yi reportedly muttered spies before dying. His attackers were never found. US President Donald Trump assailed US intelligence agencies on Wednesday for what he said were illegal information leaks, and dismissed reports of contacts between members of his presidential campaign and Russian intelligence officials. Trump went on the counter-offensive as his administration reeled from the abrupt dismissal of Michael Flynn as national security adviser on Monday. The New York Times reported late on Tuesday that phone call records and intercepted calls showed members of Trumps presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the November 8 election. Trump dismissed the report, firing back in a series of early morning tweets on Wednesday. This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign, the Republican President tweeted, citing his former Democratic rival in the 2016 presidential contest. In another tweet, Trump said: Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia, adding that the situation was very serious. The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! Trump wrote. He did not give evidence to back his charge that intelligence officials were supplying information to the news media. He did not say if he had ordered any investigation into leaks. Reuters could not immediately confirm the Times report, which the Kremlin dismissed on Wednesday. CNN also reported that Trump advisers were in constant contact with Russian officials during the campaign. Intercepted communications The Times, citing current and former US officials, said US law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time they discovered Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee. The officials had seen no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election, the Times said, but they were still alarmed by the intercepted communications. Flynn was forced out over conversations he had with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office on January 20, and his misrepresentations to vice-president Mike Pence over what he had discussed. The Times said the intercepted calls in its report were different from the wiretapped conversations between Flynn and the ambassador Sergei Kislyak. US lawmakers, including some leading Republicans, called on Tuesday for a deeper inquiry into not just Flynns actions but broader White House ties to Russia. Trump has long said that he would like improved relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Flynns conversations with the Russian ambassador took place around the time that then-President Barack Obama imposed new sanctions on Russia on December 29, charging that Moscow had used cyber attacks to try to influence the presidential election in Trumps favour. A US official familiar with the transcripts of the calls with the ambassador said Flynn indicated that if Russia did not retaliate, that could smooth the way toward a broader discussion of improving US-Russian relations once Trump took power. This was potentially illegal under a law barring unauthorised private citizens from interfering in disputes the United States has with other countries. If North Korean agents are responsible for the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Koreas leader, it would be the latest in a long line of targeted killings by the isolated state. Kim, whose younger brother Kim Jong-Un has ruled North Korea since the death of their father in December 2011, died after reportedly being poisoned by two female agents at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. Kim Jong Nam told medical workers he had been attacked with chemical spray at the airport before he died, Malaysian officials have said. Leader Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a slew of high-level government officials since taking power in late 2011, and experts believe he might have been trying to eliminate a potential challenger to his leadership. Others think he was enraged over recent news reports that his brother tried to defect to the South in 2012. North Korea has denied carrying out some of the killings and not commented on others. Some of the most notable assassinations or attempts it is suspected of doing: Read: Kim Jong-Nam assassinated: Body of North Korean leaders brother to undergo autopsy Here are some other fatal attacks carried out by North Korea on foreign territory. 1968 Blue House assault A team of 31 North Korean commandos slipped undetected into South Korea in 1968 and came within striking distance of the Seoul presidential palace. South Korean security forces managed to repel the assault at the last minute. The only commando that was captured said he had come to slit the throat of (then-President) Park Chung-hee. A furious Park established a secret commando team tasked with demolishing the Pyongyang palace of North Koreas founder. Tensions later eased, but the South Korean commando team, incensed that the planned infiltration was aborted, mutinied in 1971, killing their trainers and marching on Seoul before being stopped. 1974 presidential attempt In 1974, Park, late father of the current South Korean president Park Geun-Hye, survived another assassination attempt. A pro-Pyongyang Korean living in Japan, Mun Se-Gwang, opened fire with a revolver while Park was delivering a speech. He missed Park but killed Parks wife Yuk Young-Soo. Mun was executed that year. 1983 Myanmar North Korean agents set off a bomb meant for South Koreas leader while he was visiting Burma in 1983. President Chun Doo-hwan narrowly escaped the attack, but more than 20 people were killed, including four of his Cabinet ministers, his ambassador to Yangon and several top aides. One North Korean agent was shot to death by police, a second was executed and a third reportedly died in prison in 2008. Burma, now known as Myanmar, cut diplomatic ties with North Korea following the blast, but they restored relations in 2007. 1987 Korean Air A South Korean plane flying from Baghdad to Seoul exploded over the Andaman Sea. All 115 people on board were killed. The two bombers were traced to Bahrain where a male agent committed suicide by biting a cyanide capsule hidden in a cigarette as they were about to be taken into custody. The other agent, Kim Hyon-Hee, was captured and brought to Seoul. She later confessed her attack had been aimed to hamper the 1988 Seoul summer Olympics. She was sentenced to death but later pardoned. 1996 diplomat killing South Korean diplomat Choi Duk-Keun was found bludgeoned to death in Vladivostok in 1996 in what South Korean media said was revenge for the death of 25 North Korean submariners who died when their vessel ran aground in the South during an infiltration attempt. 1997 family affair Lee Han-young, a nephew of one of the former wives of the countrys second leader Kim Jong Il, was found dead of gunshot wounds in front of a Seoul apartment in 1997. Lee had defected to South Korea through Switzerland in 1982, but Seoul kept his arrival secret until 1996, when his mother also fled the North. Lee had harshly criticized the country and his dictator uncle. The investigation into his death concluded Lee was killed by North Korean agents sent to deliver Pyongyangs payback and the assailants returned to North Korea before they could be captured. 2010: A High-profile defector In 2010, two agents posing as defectors were arrested in a plot to assassinate Hwang Jang-yop, a former Workers Party secretary who remains the highest-level North Korean to seek asylum in the South. South Korean officials said both agents were majors in North Koreas main army intelligence agency and were under orders to slit Hwangs throat. Hwang, who once tutored Kim Jong Il, bitterly criticized the North Korean government after his 1997 defection. North Korea called him a traitor and human scum. He died six months after the arrests at the age of 87. China has lodged a strong complaint with India over a rare visit by a Taiwanese parliamentary delegation, warning New Delhi to follow the One-China policy and not have any official contact with Taipei. Beijings anger came within hours of the state media criticising India as a provocateur and accusing New Delhi of playing with fire by hosting the Taiwanese delegation. Sharply criticising the visit, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shung said Beijing had lodged a solemn representation with New Delhi to not have any official contact with Taiwan. Beijing was always opposed any kind of official contact between Taiwan and countries that have diplomatic ties with China, he said. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province, which could be reunited by force if necessary. We are always opposed to any form of official contacts and exchanges between countries that have diplomatic ties with China and Taiwan and we are also opposed to the establishment of any official institutions, Geng said at a regular foreign ministry news conference. We hope India would understand and respect Chinas core concerns and stick to the One-China principle and prudently deal with Taiwan-related issues and maintain sound and steady development of India-China relations. Geng described those visiting India as so-called legislators from Taiwan and said: The reason why China lodged the representation is because that we have been requiring countries that have diplomatic relations with China to fulfil their commitment to the One-China principle. Only a handful of countries have diplomatic ties with Taiwan and like the majority, India doesnt maintain formal relations with Taiwan, an island off the southeastern coast of China that has a democratically elected government and a free press. The de facto Indian embassy in Taipei is called the India-Taipei Association and the Taiwanese maintain the Taipei Economic Cultural Center in New Delhi. A delegation of three women MPs from Taiwan arrived in India on Monday for a three-day visit. The leader of the delegation, Kuan Bi-Ling, said Taiwan is "totally independent". It (the One-China policy) is a de facto reality...We suffered a lot because of the One-China policy. We have crafted a pragmatic approach in our diplomatic engagement with major countries, including India, despite these difficulties, Kuan told the Indian media. Hosting an official delegation from Taiwan appears to be a shift in Indian policy: In May last year, India had reportedly backtracked from sending representatives to the swearing-in ceremony of then Taiwanese president-elect Tsai Ing-wen. The visit of the Taiwanese delegation is a possible sign that both countries are attempting to increase political engagement without New Delhi moving away from the One-China policy. In September 2015, before she became Taiwans first woman president, Tsai spoke about the increasing importance of India in her countrys foreign policy. ASEAN and India are poised to become two of the worlds largest economic bodies. Strengthening our overall relations is a natural choice for Taiwan as we diversify our economic and trade ties. In the future, we will form a new task force to actively pursue this policy objective, Tsai had said in a key speech at the time. The New Southbound Policy Office (SBPO), which functions directly under the president, will focus on strengthening all-round ties with ASEAN and South Asia, particularly India, Taiwanese diplomats had then told Hindustan Times. Earlier on Wednesday, nationalistic tabloid Global Times said India is playing with fire and will suffer losses by challenging the One-China policy and increasing engagement with Taiwan. At a time when new US President Donald Trump has put the brakes on challenging China over the Taiwan question, agreeing to change course and respecting the One-China policy, India stands out as a provocateur, it said. Some Indians view the Taiwan question as an Achilles Heel of the mainland. India has long wanted to use the Taiwan question, the South China Sea and Dalai Lama issues as bargaining chips in dealing with China, writer Yu Ning wrote in an opinion piece for the newspaper, known to publish critical pieces on India and its policies. By challenging China over the Taiwan question, India is playing with fire, Yu wrote. The newspaper blamed President Tsai for inciting India. Tsai is exploiting Indias vigilance and strategic suspicions against China. The pro-independence leader came up with the new southbound policy to ramp up trade and economic interactions in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, in which India is considered not one of the, but the most important country...Tsai hopes to put pressure on the mainland by tying India and Taiwan closer. Chinas Foreign Ministry on Wednesday warned Washington against challenging its sovereignty, responding to reports the United States was planning fresh naval patrols in the disputed South China Sea. On Sunday, the Navy Times reported that U.S. Navy and Pacific Command leaders were considering freedom of navigation patrols in the busy waterway by the San Diego-based Carl Vinson carrier strike group, citing unnamed defence officials. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said tension in the South China Sea had stabilised due to the hard work between China and Southeast Asia countries, and urged foreign nations including the U.S. to respect this. We urge the U.S. not to take any actions that challenge Chinas sovereignty and security, Geng told a regular news briefing on Wednesday. The United States last conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the area in October, when it sailed the guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur near the Paracel Islands and within waters claimed by China. Dave Bennett, a spokesman for Carrier Strike Group One, said it did not discuss future operations of its units. The Carl Vinson Strike Group is on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet-led initiative to extend the command and control functions of the U.S. 3rd Fleet, he said. U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have patrolled the Indo-Asia-Pacific regularly and routinely for more than 70 years, he said. China lays claim to almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim parts of the waters that command strategic sea lanes and have rich fishing grounds, along with oil and gas deposits. The United States has criticised Beijings construction of man-made islands and build-up of military facilities in the sea, and expressed concern they could be used to restrict free movement. The Donald Trump administration on Wednesday proposed changes to the Obamacare individual insurance market that insurers have said are needed for them to keep selling the plans as Republicans work on a replacement programme. The changes to tighten enrolment and collect unpaid premium payments aim to cut down on signups from people after they are sick, which insurers say has created an unprofitable mix of healthy and sick customers. Humana Inc on Tuesday said it was pulling out of this market altogether for 2018 and Anthem Inc and Aetna Inc have said that without changes, they might not take part after 2017. President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans campaigned last year on a promise to scrap the 2010 healthcare law that is a key legacy of Democrat Barack Obamas presidency. But they are struggling to agree on a replacement for the law, which enabled up to 20 million previously uninsured Americans to obtain health coverage. The proposed new rule, issued by part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, sets out changes that are meant to shore up the system developed under Obamacare. It is unclear which elements of this system could survive in the Republican replacement. They come as the administration backed off implementing tougher oversight of the individual mandate, the requirement for all Americans to have health insurance or pay a fine, that was due to go into effect for 2016 taxes. That rule was supposed to help balance the pool of healthy and sick but some insurers say it has not worked as intended and Republicans have said they will overturn it. Shares of insurers were slightly higher on Wednesday morning with Aetna gaining 1.8% to $128.12, Cigna up less than 1% at $147.40 and Humana up 1.7% to $209.47. Anthem fell less than 1% to $162.98. The US Internal Revenue Service will not reject tax filings for the year 2016 that fail to indicate whether they had health coverage or paid the penalty set under Obamacare, the IRS said in a statement. This change is a result of Trumps executive order to reduce the regulatory burden of the law when possible and is a return to the policy that was in place for 2015 taxes, the IRS said. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, on Wednesday proposed the new rule that includes verifying the status of people enrolling in the plans. The rule also proposes insurers can collect unpaid premiums from members when they sign up with the same issuer again, with the goal of establishing an incentive for continuous coverage. These proposals would help stabilize the current individual market and are a good start toward improving the functioning of the marketplace, so that any longer-term reforms can begin on a better footing, said Alissa Fox, a senior vice president of Blue Cross Blue Shield, a major player on the exchanges. Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president at the healthcare consultancy Avalere Health, said the rule is meant to encourage plans to participate in 2018 but that it is unclear if these changes will be sufficient to ensure all regions of the country have an exchange operating in 2018. The rule proposes shortening the upcoming annual open enrollment period for the individual market to November 1 through December 15. The change will align the marketplaces with the employer-sponsored insurance market and Medicare. Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini on Wednesday said during a Wall Street Journal forum that the Obamacare exchanges had entered a death spiral in which rising premiums pushed out the healthiest customers, which in turn raises rates. India and Nepal have agreed to build new cross-border power transmission lines to help in the distribution of electricity from power projects being developed in Nepal. The new Butwal(Nepal)-Gorakhpur (India) and Lumki (Nepal) Bareilly ( India) transmission lines and new 400 kV sub-stations at Dhalkebar, Butwal and Hetauda, all in Nepal, were discussed during the fourth meeting of the Indo-Nepal joint working group and joint steering committee (JSC) on power cooperation, which concluded here on Tuesday. The modalities for building and funding the transmission lines will be discussed by the joint technical team. The Indian side expressed its readiness to consider new letters of credit (LOCs) for building infrastructure on the Nepalese side, said a statement from the Indian embassy in Kathmandu. During the meeting, India expressed its readiness to train Nepalese engineers in operational and commercial issues. Power Grid Corporation of India is willing to come up with special training courses to meet the requirements of the Nepalese side. While assessing progress in several India-funded hydropower projects, concern was expressed about delays in acquiring forest land for the Arun-III ( 900 MW) and Upper Karnali ( 900 MW) projects, which have led to delays and affected economic viability. The Nepalese side said these issues will be resolved in two months. The Nepalese side also expressed interest in acquisition of LED bulbs from India. India has installed more than 210 million LED bulbs, enhancing power efficiency and reducing costs. It plans to install 770 million LED bulbs in a few years. The Indian side said new guidelines issued by the government for cross-border trade of electricity were fair and liberal after Nepal raised some objections. The guidelines provide a lot of comfort and certainty to power developers interested in exporting electricity to India, the statement said. The Nepalese side appreciated efforts by the Indian government to supply more electricity to Nepal to overcome an energy shortage during the winter. The current import of 380 MW from India was made possible by the installation of an additional transformer at Muzaffarpur and technical improvements at Tanakpur. With the commissioning of two new lines - Raxaul-Parwanipur and Kataiya-Kusaha - the capacity for power exports to Nepal will increase by 100 MW to 120 MW by the end of February. Once a substation at Dhalkebar is completed, the capacity will further increase to 700 MW by mid-2017. A suicide bomber detonated a pick-up truck on Wednesday in Sadr City, a heavily populated poor Shia suburb of Baghdad, killing at least 15 and wounding 50, security sources said. The explosion, the deadliest in Baghdad so far this year, targeted a crowded street full of garages and used car dealers. Islamic has stepped up bombings in Iraq last year, in retaliation to a U.S.-backed campaign that dislodged the hardline Sunni group from most Iraqi cities it took over in 2014. The militants also control parts of neighbouring Syria. The only person convicted in the case related to the bombing of Air India flight 182 in 1985 has been released from a halfway house and allowed to return to his family home by the Parole Board of Canada. Inderjit Singh Reyat, sentenced to prison in 2011 on perjury charges, was released from incarceration last year but had to remain in the halfway house, according to special conditions imposed by the Parole Board. At that time, Reyat had been deemed eligible for release after completing two-thirds of his term. Now, on the basis of Correctional Service Canada, Reyat will return to his home in a suburb of Vancouver in the province of British Columbia. While making that decision, the Vancouver Sun quoted Parole Board member Laura Hall as writing that the possibility he would reoffend was low. She wrote in the decision: However if there were a threat to your Sikh cause, your risk for future based group violence is high. There is no information that indicates your political cause is under threat. The June 23, 1985 terrorist bombing of Air Indias Kanishka flight had claimed 329 lives. However, the prosecution could not substantiate a case against two of the principal accused, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri. The only person jailed was Reyat. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was prepared to accept any peace formula that was acceptable to Israel and Palestine, discarding decades-old US policy forged with bipartisan support advocating a two-state solution. Im looking at two-state and one-state and I like the one that both parties like, Trump said addressing a joint news briefing with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Im very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. A two-state solution, with a Jewish Israel and Arab Palestine co-existing side by side, has been the stated policy of the United States for almost two decades now, and is favored as the best possible solution by other powers and world bodies. Though Trump didnt detail his reasons, a senior White House officials had told reporters earlier the administration was looking at peace as the goal and not the peace formula to get there. A two-state solution that doesnt bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve, he had said, adding, Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if thats what the parties want or something else, if thats what the parties want... were going to help them. Netanyahu himself has publicly endorsed it, even while he has aggressively pushed for expanding Israeli settlements in occupied areas, which led to extremely frosty relations with Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama. Read | Kerry says 2-state solution can solve Israeli-Palestine conflict Trump also indicated he expected Israel to hold off on settlements. Id like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit, he said, adding it could be a deal that will be bigger and better than most people in the room can understand. The Israeli leader replied guardedly, Lets try it. But he pushed later in response to a direct questions: I believe that the issue of the settlements is not the core of the conflict, nor does it really drive the conflict. I think its an issue, it has to be resolved in the context of peace negotiations. And, mindful probably of his differences with Obama on the issue that had marred their relationship, Netanyahu said, And I think we also are going to speak about it, President Trump and I, so we can arrive at an understanding so we dont keep on bumping into each other all the time on this issue. Trump has promised to improve ties with Israel and has vowed to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv, where all countries including India have their missions, to Jerusalem, parts of which are claimed by Palestinians. He has said he plans to appoint his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a New York real-estate magnate, to drive his middle-east policy. Kushner, who has no foreign policy experience, is Jewish and, most importantly, has his father-in-laws ear. Read | US shift on two-state solution doesnt make sense: Palestinians And Trumps nominee for ambassador to Israel, David M Friedman, is a lawyer who identifies with hardliners in Israel, questions two-state solution, backs news settlements and has said he looks forward to working from the US embassy in Jerusalem. But when asked about his timeline for the relocation, Trump was evasive at the presser: Id love to see that happen. Were looking at it very, very strongly. Were looking at it with great care -- great care, believe me. And well see what happens. Palestinians alarmed Palestinians reacted with alarm to the possibility that Washington might ditch its support for an independent Palestinian nation. If the Trump administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad, Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in response to the US officials remarks. Accommodating the most extreme and irresponsible elements in Israel and in the White House is no way to make responsible foreign policy, she said in a statement. Read | Palestinians may reverse Israel recognition if Trump moves US embassy to Jerusalem Husam Zomlot, strategic adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinians had not received any official indication of a change in the US stance. For Netanyahu, the talks with Trump are an opportunity to reset ties after a frequently combative relationship with Democrat Barack Obama, Trumps predecessor. After speaking to reporters, the two leaders were due to hold talks in the Oval Office followed by a working lunch. The prime minister, under investigation at home over allegations of abuse of office, spent much of Tuesday huddled with advisers in Washington preparing for the talks. Officials said they wanted no gaps to emerge between US and Israeli thinking during the scheduled two-hour Oval Office meeting. Trump, who has been in office less than four weeks and has already been immersed in problems including the forced resignation of his national security adviser earlier this week, brings with him an unpredictability that Netanyahus staff hope will not impinge on the discussions. The two leaders, who seemed to strike up an emerging bromance in social media exchanges since the election, sought to demonstrate good personal chemistry face-to-face as well, both sporting smiles and exchanging asides. Meetings with Obama were at best cordial and businesslike, at worst tense and awkward. In one Oval Office encounter in 2011, Obama grimaced as Netanyahu lectured him in front of the cameras on the suffering of the Jewish people through the ages. Also read | US allows UN to condemn Israeli settlements, Netanyahu furious (With agency inputs) Pakistan on Wednesday appointed foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry as its new ambassador to the US. Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry will join his new assignment in Washington, DC next month, Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. He will replace outgoing ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani. Chaudhry, 58, is a career Foreign Service Officer with over 36 years of bilateral and multilateral experience in the field of diplomacy. He is presently serving as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan since December 2013. Earlier he had served as the Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chaudhry has served as Additional Foreign Secretary for UN and Disarmament Affairs, and Director General for relations with South Asian countries, in which capacity he has remained closely associated with the peace process with India. Chaudhry has also served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN in New York, Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary General of ECO in Tehran, and Pakistan Embassies in Washington, Doha and Cairo. Pakistan has decided to boycott a key meeting of South Asian Speakers to be held in India later this month. The two-day meet begins on February 18 at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. It will discuss poverty, development, environment and gender concerns in South Asia, home to more than 25% of the world population. Pakistan has decided to give it a slip in an apparent tit-for-tat over Indias refusal to attend a Saarc summit in Islamabad in November last year that got axed after many other member countries too pulled out. No delegation is coming from Pakistan, a source in Pakistans High Commission here told IANS. The source said Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had received an invite from India but it was decided not to participate because the atmosphere is not conducive between the two countries. In 2015, India boycotted a Commonwealth Parliamentary Union (CPU) meeting in Islamabad to protest against Pakistans decision not to invite the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly. Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after the September terror attack on an army base Uri in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army accused militants who crossed over from Pakistan for the strike that killed 19 soldiers. Days later, the Indian Army hit back and destroyed some terror launch pads in Pakistan, killing terrorists and their sympathizers. The two countries also expelled each others diplomats after accusing them of spying. Pakistan attended a conference on Afghanistan India hosted in December, triggering hopes of an end to their tensions and resumption of bilateral talks. But Pakistans decision to skip the Speakers conference indicates that the tensions between the two countries are yet to ease. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will inaugurate the Indore meeting on achieving sustainable development goals -- organised jointly by the Indian Parliament and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global organization for multilateral political and legislative discussions. An official of the Lok Sabha Speaker told IANS that the presiding officers of Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka have confirmed their participation. The Saarc also includes Bangladesh. Russia said on Wednesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine or discuss the matter with foreign partners after the White House said US President Donald Trump expected the annexed Black Sea peninsula to be returned. Moscow says an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kiev. Ukraine says the referendum was a sham held at gunpoint after Russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula, that Russia-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by people power, and that Moscow should return Crimea. We dont give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing on Wednesday. The 2014 annexation prompted the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the Cold War. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that Trump expected and wanted to get along with Russia, but was expecting Moscow to hand Crimea back. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about Spicers comments, said President Vladimir Putin had already explained why Crimeans had turned to Russia. The theme of returning Crimea will not be discussed ... Russia does not discuss its territorial integrity with foreign partners, Peskov told a conference call with reporters. Trump had not raised the Crimean issue in a Jan. 28 phone call with Putin, Peskov noted, saying the Kremlin would try to make contacts with the Trump administration to try to improve ties which he said were in a lamentable state. Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, told MPs any talk of Crimeas status amounted to a challenge to Russias territorial integrity. Volodin, a close Putin ally, told the Interfax news agency Trump had promised in his election campaign to work to improve relations with Russia. Lets wait for some first-hand words from the U.S. president, said Volodin. When people get elected by voters its not merely for warm words and the ability to speak, but for concrete promises ... that will be fulfilled. Multiple Russian military aircraft came close to a US Navy destroyer in the Black Sea on February 10, incidents considered unsafe and unprofessional, a US official said on Tuesday. The Russian defense ministry said no such incidents had occurred. There were no incidents of any kind on Feb. 10, related to flights by Russian military jets in the Black Sea near the US Navy destroyer Porter, Russian news agencies cited a spokesman for the Russian defense ministry, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, as saying. But Captain Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for US European Command, cited three separate incidents involving Russian aircraft and the USS Porter. One involved two Russian Su-24 jets, another a separate Su-24, and the third a larger IL-38. USS Porter queried all aircraft and received no response, Hernandez said. Such incidents are concerning because they can result in accident or miscalculation, he added. The incidents involving the Su-24 were considered to be unsafe and unprofessional by the commanding officer of the Porter because of their high speed and low altitude, while the IL-38 flew at an unusually low altitude, Hernandez said. Another US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the lone Su-24 came within 200 yards (meters) of the Porter at an altitude of 300 feet (90 meters). In April 2016 two Russian warplanes flew simulated attack passes near a US guided missile destroyer in the Baltic Sea so close that they created wake in the water. In view of the Trump administrations discriminatory immigration order, the Sikh Coalition a community-based organisation that defends Sikh civil rights has issued an advisory in the form of a Punjabi-language guide concerning a persons rights with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in USA. The ICE is one of the federal government agencies responsible for deporting people. Following are the points/instructions given in the guide: 1. If I know Im at risk, what can I do? Make a plan with your loved ones in case you are picked up by ICE! Avoid contact with Immigration dont apply to change your immigration status or to renew your greencard and dont travel outside of the United States without talking to a lawyer first! Avoid contact with the Criminal Justice System (the police share your fingerprints with Immigration)! 2. What should I do if ICE agents approach me on the street or in public? When ICE agents arrest someone in public, it typically happens quickly. They may call your name out loud and ask you to confirm your name and then detain you. Before you say your name or anything else, ask, AM I FREE TO GO? If they say YES: Say, I dont want to answer your questions or Id rather not speak with you right now. Walk away. If they say NO: Use your right to remain silent! Say, I want to use my right not to answer questions and then I want to speak to a lawyer. If ICE starts to search inside your pockets or belongings, say, I do not consent to a search. Dont lie or show false documents. Dont flee or resist arrest. Dont answer questions about your immigration status or where you were born. They will use any information you provide against you. Do not hand over any foreign documents such as a passport, consular IDs, or expired visas. If you are in Criminal Court for a court date, ask to speak to your defender before they take you away 3. What do I do if officers are at my door? Try to stay calm. Be polite. Dont lie. Say I dont want to talk to you right now. Politely ask to see a warrant signed by a judge and to slip it under the door. If they dont have one, decline to let them in. Tell them if there are children or other vulnerable residents at home. Ask them to step outside unless they have a warrant signed by a judge. If they came inside without your permission, tell them I do not consent to you being in my home. Please leave. If they start to search rooms or items in your home, tell them I do not consent to your search. If ICE is arresting you, tell them if you have medical issues or need to arrange for childcare. 4. What are my rights if I am being arrested by ICE? You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to speak to a lawyer. You do not have to share any information about where you were born, what your immigration status is, or your criminal record. Ask to speak to a lawyer instead of answering questions. You do not have to give them your consular documents or passport unless they have a warrant from a judge. You do not have to sign anything. A Taliban suicide bombing targeted the administrative headquarters of a tribal region in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing three policemen and two passers-by, according to officials. The explosion went off at the main gate of the tribal headquarters in Ghalanai in the Mohmand tribal region, just as the workday was about to start, said Hameedullah Khan, a local government official. A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban Jamaat-ul-Ahrar or Freedom Movement claimed the attack in a text message sent to The Associated Press. Khan, whose office is inside the compound, said the grounds are home to residences, offices and training facilities for the local administration and police employees. Hundreds of local residents come daily on business to the tribal headquarters, located 45 kilometers (28 miles) outside Peshawar, the provincial capital. The bombing was followed by gunshots, Khan added. The Pakistani army said the bomber was accompanied by another militant, who tried to force his way into the compound after the explosion went off but that security guards opened fire and killed him. The army statement said there was a higher level of vigilance among the local security forces following intelligence that would-be attackers had infiltrated the area from neighbouring Afghanistan. The same breakaway Taliban faction that said it was behind Wednesdays attack also had claimed another deadly suicide bombing, in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Monday an attack that also targeted policemen. The policemen were escorting a protest march in Lahore and that bombing killed 13 people, including seven policemen. A former chief of the provinces counter-terrorism department was also among those killed. The two suicide bombings reflect an uptick in militant attacks after an almost three-month lull. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is based in the Mohmand area part of rugged, lawless regions along the Afghan border which have long served as safe havens for local and al Qaeda-linked foreign militants, who have killed tens of thousands of people in over a decade. Pakistan has waged several offensives against militants in recent years, including a major operation that started in mid-2014 in the last key insurgent sanctuary of North Waziristan. The authorities declared the offensive a success, saying it uprooted militants, killed hundreds and forced many to flee across the border into Afghanistan. Others went into hiding in Pakistani urban areas where they have a vast support network of seminaries and religious groups. A U.S. drone campaign also helped the offensive by targeting the Taliban. In late 2014, a leadership crisis fractured the Pakistani Taliban movement which is separate from the Afghan Taliban and splintered it into various groups. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar last carried out a string of large-scale attacks in late 2016, after Washington declared it a terrorist organization. The group is led by militant known as Omar Khaled Khorasani, whose real name is Abdul Wali Khan. A former Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, is a key commander in Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which has links with several Pakistani militant and sectarian groups. It has also expressed support for Islamic State group. As the Trump administration was struggling to put behind itself the sacked national security Adviser Michael Flynns controversial dealings with Russia and lying about them, it was hit by fresh allegations that the presidents campaign aides and associates had been in constant contact with Russian intelligence for months ahead of the presidential election in 2016. Though the allegations, first reported by The New York Times and followed up by other media outlets such as CNN based on their own sources, did not go as far as to point to cooperation or coordination between Trump aides and Russians, they did add to the administrations growing Russia problem. The revelations, based on phone records and intercepts by US intelligence and law enforcement, were found alarming enough for some to acknowledge this was growing into the worst political scandal in US history, comparable to Watergate that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. The president responded to the reports in a string of tweets on Wednesday morning, just hours before he receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a much anticipated meeting at the White House, by denouncing them as an instance of fake news media going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign, he wrote, and followed that up with a few more tweets slamming the leaks as un-American and claiming President Barack Obama had been soft on Russia for letting it take Crimea from Ukraine and not him. The president seemed clearly troubled by the reports that come at a time when the administration is appearing to be in complete turmoil Senator John McCain has said nobody knows whos in charge and nobody knows whos setting policy hit by the Flynn controversy and a muddled response to it. White House press secretary Sean Spicer sought to draw a picture of an administration in control, telling reporters on Tuesday the president knew that Flynn had not told the truth about his calls to the Russian ambassador to the US, but fired him after a thorough review that found he had violated no laws, but only because he had lost his trust and that of Vice-President Mike Pence. Flynn had lied to Pence who, it turned out, was kept in the dark about it even after the president was told; he found out only from news reports that he had been misled by the NSA. The White House also struggled to speak with one voice on the issue, with a senior aide claiming on national television the president had full confidence in Flynn only to be contradicted by a colleague hours later. Less than a month old, the Trump presidency is in full crisis mode. And now allegations of Trump aides in touch with Russians, which has been widely reported before, but that those Russians were intelligence operatives adds a new edge to it. Paul Manafort, Trump campaign chairman for a few months, has been the only one named in these new reports. In denying contacts with Russian intelligence officers, he told The New York Times: Its not like these people wear badges that say, Im a Russian intelligence officer. These contacts with Russian intelligence were first noticed, according to reports, around the time US intelligence and law enforcement agencies were discovering Russian attempts to hack into the computer network of the Democratic National Committee headquarters. What was particularly alarming was the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president Vladimir V Putin, the New York Times said. But none of the media reports provided any evidence of Trump aides cooperating or coordinating with Russians on the hacking. The US has accused Russia of meddling in the presidential election to help Trump win the White House, and the Obama administration slapped a slew of sanctions against Russia in retaliation last December. The new developments were alarming enough for some, such as veteran journalist Dan Rather, to be reminded of Watergate. Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, until maybe now, he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday night. It was the closest we came to a debilitating Constitutional crisis, until maybe now. On a 10 scale of armageddon for our form of government, I would put Watergate at a 9. This Russia scandal is currently somewhere around a 5 or 6, in my opinion, but it is cascading in intensity seemingly by the hour. The Trump administration has offered the job of White House national security adviser, vacated by former U.S. intelligence official Michael Flynn, to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, said two U.S. officials familiar with the matter on Wednesday. It was not immediately clear if Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command who has Navy SEAL combat experience, had accepted the offer, according to sources. A White House spokesperson had no immediate comment. Flynn resigned on Monday after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before President Donald Trump took office The White House said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump had known for some time his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had not been truthful about his phone call with the Russian ambassador to the US, but asked him to resign on Monday after it became clear the senior aide had lost his trust and that of vice-president Mike Pence. The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation is what led the president to ask for General Flynns resignation, White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at his daily briefing, clarifying for the first time Trump had fired the NSA, who according to an earlier account from the administration had seemed to have resigned voluntarily. Flynn, who has admitted only to providing incomplete information and not lying, could be looking at more trouble as he is reported to have not been completely forthcoming when FBI agents interviewed him about the call in the early days of the Trump administration, which could pose him legal problems. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has indicated it was highly likely the intelligence committee of the chamber could investigate this episode as part of its larger probe of alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election. Flynn, a retired lieutenant general who was an early supporter of Trump, resigned on Monday night, admitting to providing incomplete information to senior White House officials, including Pence, about the phone conversation he had with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak on December 29, the day President Barack Obama announced sanctions against Russia for allegedly meddling in the election, including the eviction of 35 Russian diplomats from the US. After reports appeared of the conversation, which was recorded by US intelligence that routinely monitors high-level foreign targets, Flynn denied to Pence and Spicer that sanctions were discussed. Sanctions did indeed come up. He told The Daily Caller, a conservative news site, in an interview hours before he was fired, It wasnt about sanctions. It was about the 35 guys (Russian diplomats) who were thrown out. So thats what it turned out to be. It was basically, Look, I know this happened. Well review everything. I never said anything such as, Were going to review sanctions, or anything like that. The justice department, which knew exactly what had been discussed in the call, warned the White House on January 26 that the NSA could have left himself vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow as there was a difference between what he was admitting to and what actually happened. Trump was informed immediately and he ordered the legal team to look into the issue and they concluded after an extensive review there was no federal law had been violated in the call. But there was the issue of trust. We got to a point not based on a legal issue, but based on a trust issue, with the level of trust between the president and General Flynn had eroded to the point where he felt he had to make a change, Spicer said. The president was very concerned that General Flynn had misled the vice president and others. President Donald Trump slammed intelligence officials and the media Wednesday over what he called very, very unfair treatment of his ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and for illegally leaked information about reported contacts between his campaign advisers and Russian officials. Trumps comments come amid a new swirl of controversy over his ties to Russia. Flynn was forced to resign this week after misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other Trump aides about his contacts with Russias ambassador to the U.S. before the inauguration. In his first public comments on Flynns firing, Trump said it was really a sad thing that he was treated so badly. He spoke during a White House news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Late Tuesday, The New York Times reported that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Trumps 2016 campaign team. Current and former U.S. officials who spoke to the Times anonymously said they found no evidence that the Trump campaign was working with the Russians on hacking or other efforts to influence the election. Trump didnt directly address the veracity of the report, but lashed out at what he called the criminal act of leaking information. Earlier Wednesday, Trump tweeted that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! The White House has not commented on the report, though officials denied as recently as Tuesday afternoon that campaign advisers had communicated with Russia during the election. The White House said Flynn was fired not because of his communications with the Russian ambassador, but because he had not been truthful with Pence about the content of those discussions. Flynn maintained for weeks that he had not discussed sanctions in the calls, but later conceded that the topic may have come up. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynns interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Pence, who had vouched for Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. At the White House Tuesday, press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters: The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation. Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said Monday there were no lines crossed in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The explanation of the episode left many questions unanswered, including why Trump didnt alert Pence to the matter and why Trump allowed Flynn to keep accessing classified information and taking part in the presidents discussions with world leaders up until the day he was fired. White House officials also struggled to explain why Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway had declared the president retained full confidence in Flynn just hours before the adviser had to submit his letter of resignation. Flynns firing heightened questions about the presidents friendly posture toward Russia. Democrats called for investigations into Flynns contacts, and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Congress needed to know whether he had been acting with direction from the president or others. Trump initially thought Flynn could survive the controversy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the presidents views, but a pair of explosive stories in The Washington Post in recent days made the situation untenable. As early as last week, he and aides began making contingency plans for Flynns dismissal, a senior administration official said. While the president was said to be upset with Flynn, he also expressed anger with other aides for losing control of the story and making his young administration look bad. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence became aware that he had received incomplete information from Flynn only after the first Washington Post report Thursday night. Pence learned about the Justice Department warnings to the White House around the same time. The officials and others with knowledge of the situation were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity. Ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, Pence and other officials insisted publicly that Flynn had not discussed sanctions in his talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. On Jan. 26, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates contacted White House counsel Don McGahn to raise concerns about discrepancies between the public accounting and what intelligence officials knew to be true about the contacts based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the U.S. The Justice Department warned the White House that the inconsistencies would leave the presidents top national security aide vulnerable to blackmail from Russia, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. The president was informed of the warnings the same day, Spicer said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI around the same time, according to a U.S. official who was briefed on the investigation. McGahn, along with chief of staff Reince Priebus and strategist Steve Bannon, also questioned Flynn multiple times in the ensuing weeks, a White House official said. Top aides also reviewed transcripts of Flynns contacts with the ambassador, according to a person with knowledge of the review process. At the same time, the official said Trump aides began taking steps to put some distance between the president and Flynn. CIA Director Mike Pompeo and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a top Flynn aide, started taking part in Trumps daily security briefings. The ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Afghanistan died on Wednesday of wounds sustained in a bomb attack in Kandahar last month that also killed five Emirati aid workers, the UAEs ministry of presidential affairs announced. With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn the martyr of the nation and his duty, the righteous son Juma Mohammed Abdullah al-Kaabi, who gave his pure soul for the sake of humanity, the ministry said in a statement quoted by official news agency WAM. Even though Britains new 5 polymer note drew protests from Hindus, Sikhs, vegetarians and others who objected against the use of tallow, a substance derived from animal fat, the Bank of England said on Wednesday that the note would not be withdrawn. The note evoked memories among Hindu and Sikh organisations of the 1857 uprising in India. The National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) recalled the use of tallow in cartridges that sparked the revolt, and after the note was introduced, many temples across Britain refused to accept it as an offering. The bank said: An extremely small amount of tallow is used in an early stage of the production process of polymer pellets, which are then used to create the base substrate for the 5 note(The) Bank has now concluded that it would be appropriate to keep the 5 polymer note in circulation and to issue the 10 polymer note as planned, in September. It added that destroying the hundreds of millions of notes already printed would put availability of cash to the public at risk. The bank could not guarantee sufficient stocks of paper notes if the polymer notes were to be destroyed. Noting that it had spent 46 million to print the 5 polymer notes, the bank said reprinting them on a new substrate would mean incurring these costs again. It would also require a further 50,000 for the secure destruction of the existing stock. Given the public interest in banknotes, and the complex issues involved, the Bank is seeking further opinions on the use of animal-derived products and plant-based alternatives before making any decisions on the polymer used in future production runs of 5 and 10 polymer notes and the new 20 polymer note, the bank said. A petition to ban the use of tallow in the notes attracted more than 130,000 signatures. The polymer 5 note has been described by the bank as one that can survive a splash of Claret, a flick of cigar ash, the nip of a bulldog, and even a spin in the washing machine. It was introduced with the idea that it is cleaner, safer and stronger than the current cotton-paper generation of banknotes. Of the four denominations - 5, 10, 20 and 50 - the polymer fiver was the first, featuring an iconic image of Winston Churchill on one side and that of Queen Elizabeth on the other. Behind Churchills portrait is an illustration of the Houses of Parliament. The hands on Big Ben are set to the time on May 13, 1940 when Churchill made his inaugural speech to the House of Commons as Prime Minister. His declaration at the time I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat is quoted beneath the portrait. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Thousands of workers at Tata Steels sites in Wales, Scotland, south Yorkshire and Teeside on Wednesday overwhelmingly accepted its offer to move from a final salary pension to a less generous scheme, potentially saving their jobs and assuring the future of its plants. Tata had offered a package in December to retain its steel business in Britain instead of selling it, and the generous financial commitment in the pension scheme was seen as a major hurdle. Three unions Unite, Community and GMB balloted their members on the package offered, and result was 72% in favour. Responding to the results, Roy Rickhuss of Community, said: This result provides a mandate from our members to move forward in our discussions with Tata and find a sustainable solution for the British Steel Pension Scheme. We now expect Tata to make good on their promises and deliver the investment plan for the whole of their steel business. The UK government still has an important role to play and we fully expect them to deliver tangible support for steelmaking in the UK. Tatas December offer included a guaranteed, minimum five-year commitment to keeping two blast furnaces at the Port Talbot plant in Wales; a 10-year 1 billion investment plan to support steel making at the site; a commitment to seek to avoid compulsory redundancies for five years; and a consultation on replacing the current pension with a "defined contribution scheme" involving maximum contributions of 10% from the company and 6% from employees. Tony Brady of Unite said: Steelworkers have made great sacrifices to ensure the UKs world class steel industry has a future. Those sacrifices must be repaid by Tata Steel honouring its commitments on investment and job security. Nothing less would be a betrayal and add to the deep mistrust that steelworkers now have for the company. Dave Hulse of GMB said: Now that steelworkers have done their bit, it is time for the government to step up and do theirs. Thousands of skilled jobs rely on steelmaking and the industry supports the whole UK manufacturing sector. Instead of insulting steelworkers by classing their industry as a low priority, the government set out as strategy for steel that recognises it as a high priority for investment and innovation. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US President Donald Trumps break with decades of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is irresponsible and does not advance peace, a senior Palestinian said on Wednesday. This does not make sense, Palestine Liberation Organisation executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told AFP. This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace. They cannot just say that without an alternative, she added. On Tuesday, a senior White House official said the United States would no longer seek to dictate the terms of any eventual peace settlement by insisting on a Palestinian state alongside Israel, but would support whatever the two sides agree to together. The comments came on the eve of White House talks between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A two-state solution that doesnt bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve, the official said on condition of anonymity. Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if thats what the parties want, or something else if thats what the parties want. For the better part of half a century, successive US governments -- both Republican and Democrat -- have backed a two-state solution. Trump has yet to speak directly to the Palestinian leadership since taking office last month. The White House battled Tuesday to insulate Donald Trump from a scandal over his top aides contacts with Russia, as it emerged that the president was aware of the problem for weeks before acting. With calls for an independent investigation gathering pace, the White House admitted that Trump was told three weeks ago that national security advisor Michael Flynn may have misled colleagues about his Kremlin contacts. The retired three-star general and former head of US defense intelligence initially denied discussing sanctions strategy with Russias ambassador Sergey Kislyak before taking office. That may have breached US law on negotiating with foreign powers, and at minimum was a significant break with the norm that incoming administrations accept the US has one government at a time. Flynn was asked to resign on Monday, after what the White House said were weeks of internal investigation that turned up no evidence of wrongdoing but eroded trust. Law enforcement and intelligence agents intercepted calls and obtained phone records showing that members of Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and other aides had repeated contacts with top Russian intelligence officials in the year that preceded the November 8 presidential election, The New York Times reported. After finding evidence that Russia was seeking to disrupt the election, US intelligence agencies tried to determine whether the Trump campaign was cooperating with Moscow on hacking and other related efforts, according to the Times. However, the newspaper said, the current and former US officials it cited have not yet found evidence of such collusion. Paul Manafort, a former Trump advisor who was among those campaign officials picked up on the calls, dismissed the claims as absurd in an interview with the Times. Read| Trump faces calls for probe after National Security Adviser quits over Russia talks Misleading the vice president The White House had painted Trumps final decision as based on Flynn having misled Vice President Mike Pence. But it emerged Tuesday that Trump kept his deputy, who publicly defended Flynn and repeated his claims, in the dark for two weeks. Spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence only became aware of the issue on Thursday, in media reports. Flynn is the third Trump aide to step back amid questions about his ties to Russia since the mogul began his improbable White House bid. His departure follows those of Manafort and Carter Page, an early foreign policy advisor to the candidate. The unprecedented early resignation of a key member of staff has rocked an administration already buffeted by leaks, infighting and legal defeats. Amid the tumult, the White House denied that Trump had instructed Flynn to discuss the possibility that Obama-era sanctions would be rolled back. No, absolutely not. No, no, no, said White House spokesman Sean Spicer, when asked whether such a conversation took place. Read| Trump knew Michael Flynn misled Pence about Russia for a while, says White House Eroding trust When first informed, on January 26, that Flynn may have made misleading statements about his talks with Russias envoy, Spicer said the president instinctively thought that General Flynn did not do anything wrong. The White House counsels review corroborated that, Spicer said, and determined that there is not an illegal issue, but rather a trust issue. The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable instances is what led the president to ask for General Flynns resignation. Trump took to Twitter to insist that The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? The White House also insisted that Trump -- despite repeatedly professing admiration for Vladimir Putin and suggesting sanctions could be lifted -- has been incredibly tough on Russia. In a new hardening of the US line on Russia, Spicer added that President Trump has made it very clear he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea. The State Department, meanwhile, expressed concern that Russia is in breach of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, after reports that Moscow had deployed an operational ground-launched cruise missile unit. Read Michael Flynn resigns as US national security adviser after reports he misled Pence over Russian contacts Inquiries and missteps The White Houses efforts are likely to do little to assuage concerns on Capitol Hill about Russias influence in US politics. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have now called for an investigation into what occurred, although they differ sharply on the scope and powers. This. Is. Not. Normal. said Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, insisting Trump owes Americans a full account of his administrations dealings with Moscow before and after the 2016 election. The US Senates top Republican Mitch McConnell said it was highly likely that Flynn would have to testify before an intelligence panel, potentially heaping pressure on Trump. The New York Times also reported that the FBI had interviewed Flynn on his calls with the Russian diplomat days into his job. The CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies have already investigated Moscows influence over the 2016 vote, concluding the Kremlin tried to sway it in Trumps favor. Various committees in the Republican-controlled Congress are looking into Russias election-related hacking and the Trump campaigns links to Moscow. Potential permanent Flynn replacements reportedly include three retired military brass: lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, who is filling in temporarily; retired general and former CIA director David Petraeus; and former vice admiral Robert Harward. Spicer said Trump hoped to make the new appointment by the end of the week. Read| Russian MPs say anti-Kremlin agenda likely forced US security adviser Flynn to resign The Trump administration has signalled readiness to consider a new approach for achieving peace in the Middle East, one that doesnt hinge on a two-state solution that has long been the policy of the United States and leading players in the region. A two-state solution that doesnt bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve, a senior administration official told reporters, previewing President Donald Trumps meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if thats what the parties want, or something else, if thats what the parties want, were going to help them. Were not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be. A two-state solution is a peace formula, among many on the table, that enjoins the creation of a separate Jewish Israel and an Arab Palestine in the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River to solve the Middle East conflict. Even the governments in Israel has favoured a two-state solution. Trump has also promised to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv, where all other countries have their missions, to Jerusalem, a move that will signal the endorsement of Israels claim to the city, which is disputed by Palestinians. Many American politicians have made the promise before, specially while campaigning for office, but have always found it difficult to deliver, given the nature of the problem, when elected. President Trump has tapped son-in-law Jared Kushner and lawyer Jason Greenblatt to lead his peace drive in the Middle East, but questions remain about how he will achieve that goal. For the better part of half a century, successive US governments -- both Republican and Democrat -- have backed a two-state solution, the basis of peace talks at Oslo and Camp David. Netanyahu won re-election in 2015 by insisting he would not accept the creation of a Palestinian state, a vow that considerably soured relations of Israel with the Obama White House. Obama often warned that Israeli settlement construction could make a two-state solution impossible, and that a one state solution would put the future of the Jewish state in question. Trump has shied away from criticising Netanyahus settlement policies as an impediment to peace, instead offering Israel some scope to build on land already under development. The construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal, the White House said in a statement earlier this month. Saeb Erakat, a senior Palestinian official, said it was not enough for Trump to say settlements were unhelpful but he must order an end to new building. Friendly visit Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday, dined with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday and after his White House talks with Trump on Wednesday will meet lawmakers. Aside from winning support for policies that will help him at home, the Israeli leader will also want to get the measure of Trumps appetite for better relations with Russia. Trump has signalled his willingness to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria. That could de facto mean furthering the goals of Russian allies Bashar al-Assad and Iran. Israel sees Iran and its Lebanese ally the Hezbollah militia as its greatest existential threat, a view shared by the leaders of the main Sunni Arab states of the region. Dennis Ross, a US diplomat who worked on Middle East policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations, said Netanyahus diplomatic goals would at first be modest. Israel wouldnt oppose a rapprochement with Moscow in itself, but would urge Washington to use this as leverage to push Russia away from Iran. What hed like to see is a distancing of Russia from Iran within Syria, maybe more of a move towards Turkey and less towards Iran in Syria, Ross told reporters on Monday. Trump appears to have back-pedalled on a campaign threat to tear up Obamas Iran nuclear deal, which Israel bitterly opposed, but his administration has put Iran on notice. This appears to mean a more robust stance against military provocations and a determination to impose tough sanctions on Irans missile program and covert support for militants. Observers expect Trump and Netanyahu to get on well in public. Both have much to gain politically from marking a clean break from the Obama years. But, personal chemistry aside, the pair will only make the relationship a success if it overcomes the disagreement that poisoned ties under Obama. (With inputs from agencies) It looks like a perfectly staged assassination, straight out of the pages of a spy novel: Kim Jong Nam, the estranged, exiled half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, falls ill at a Malaysian airport, complains of being sprayed with some sort of chemical, and drops dead. But, as with many things about the motives of cloistered North Korea, the unknowns currently far outweigh the certainties. A look at what officials are trying to piece together as they work to reconstruct one of the most audacious, mysterious assassinations in recent Asian history: Why now? This is the big one: Motive. Kim Jong Nam, a jovial, overweight gambler and playboy, had embarrassed Pyongyang before he tried to sneak into Tokyo Disneyland; he criticised his half brother but hes been generally seen more as an annoyance than an existential threat to North Koreas stability. Why would Kim Jong Un go through the massive logistical trouble and potential embarrassment of staging the risky assassination of a blood relation on foreign soil? Without elaborating, South Koreas spy service told lawmakers Wednesday that the North had been trying to kill Kim Jong Nam for five years. Spy officials offered a single, shaky motive for the death: Kim Jong Uns paranoia over his estranged half brother. But the Souths National Intelligence Service has a long history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the Norths leadership as mentally unstable. Read | Assassinated brother of North Korean leader to undergo autopsy Some in Seoul wonder if Kim Jong Un might have become enraged when a South Korean newspaper reported last week that Kim Jong Nam tried to defect to the South in 2012. South Koreas spy service denied this, but its still an open question: Could public speculation that a member of the exalted Kim dynasty wanted to flee to the hated South have pushed Kim Jong Un to order his half brothers assassination? Why the airport in Malaysia? There would seem to be easier, less public places to kill such a high-profile target. A possible explanation might be found in another nugget provided by South Koreas spy agency: China had long protected Kim Jong Nam and his family in their home base of Macau. Analysts have seen Beijing as looking to Kim Jong Nam as a potential leader should North Koreas regime collapse. With security, presumably overseen by China, tight in Macau, could there have been a security gap in Malaysia that offered North Korean assassins an opportunity they couldnt have gotten elsewhere? Who are the mystery women? The details of the attack itself are a tangled mess. Kim told medical workers that hed been sprayed with a chemical, which brings to mind past attacks with poison-tipped pens linked to North Korean assassins. South Koreas spy agency says two women believed to be North Korean agents attacked Kim. They then reportedly fled. Japanese media quoted the government in Tokyo as saying those women may now be dead, but this has yet to be confirmed. To deepen the confusion, Malaysian police said Wednesday that they arrested a woman with Vietnamese travel documents at the airport in connection with Kims death. Her exact role wasnt immediately clear. Finding out who these women are and who hired them could go a long way to unlocking the mystery. What next? North Korea has said nothing officially about the death, but thats not unusual. The countrys propaganda specialists are masters at reporting only details that lionize the Kim family as paragons of virtue. This clearly doesnt do that. China may be angry at the killing of a close North Korean contact, so there could be some sort of reaction, possibly back-channel, from Beijing. But a more concrete punishment could come from Washington. Cheong Seong-Chang, a South Korean analyst, said the assassination might convince the US Congress to relist North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, further isolating the already widely shunned country. They said the Saratoga spent too much time at anchoruntil the old flattop roared to work. WITH A FACE WEATHERED BY decades at sea and framed by bushy salt-and-pepper eyebrows, Vice Admiral William F. Bull Halsey Jr.often looked nearer 80-somethingthan his actual 61 years. Late on November 4, 1943, lines creased the Bulls brow even more deeply. That afternoon, at his advance headquarters on Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides, northeast of Australia,Halsey had learned from the crew of a patrolling B-24 of a powerful enemy fleet moving in the Bismarck Sea. Bound from the Imperial Navys main Central Pacific base 1,900 miles northwest at Truk, seven heavy cruisers, four smaller warships, and a train of troopships were steaming toward Rabaul, Japans big South Pacific stronghold on New Britain. That islands position in the Bismarck Archipelago off New Guinea lent Rabaul enormous weight in the Pacific war. Even in the oppressive heat, the report sent a chill through the Allied commander of the South Pacific Area. Days before, Halsey had taken the last major step in his long campaign to neutralize the bastion at Rabaul by launching an invasion at Cape Torokina, Bougainville, only 250 miles southeast of the enemy stronghold. Dissecting the scout planes report, Halsey concluded that after a pause at Rabauls Simpson Harbor, the Japanese force intended to counterattack. Those seven heavy cruisers worried him. Presumably they would refuel, he recalled, then run down to Torokina the following night and sink our transports and bombard our precarious positions. The invasion at Cape Torokina, undertaken the morning of November 1, had caught the Japanese off-guard. From Rabaul the Japanese 11th Air Fleet sent three waves of land-based planes, but their bombs caused little harm. The strikes cost the Japanese 16 Zero fighters and three Aichi D3A Val dive bombers; two additional Vals with severe battle damage crash-landed back at Rabaul. The Japanese next sent a force of cruisers and destroyers that was bearing down on Torokina when American scout planes spotted them. At nearby Empress Augusta Bay, Rear Admiral Aaron S. Tip Merrill arrayed four light cruisers and eight destroyers. In a spectacle that unfolded in the early hours of November 2, Merrills ships traded dozens of torpedoes and thousands of shells with the attackers. American gunners won the night, their radar-controlled rounds sinking a light cruiser and a destroyer and scoring hits on a heavy cruisera solid victory for Merrill, whose own damage report was limited to a light cruiser and two destroyers. After fending off attacks by more than 100 Japanese planes later that morning, Merrill sailed southeast 400 miles to Purvis Bay to rendezvous with an oiler and refuel his vessels and rest his exhausted crews. The surviving Japanese ships withdrew to Rabaul, where the new force that sortied from Truk on November 3 was also apparently headedjustifiably putting Halsey on edge. Not only had his forces barely secured a beachhead on Bougainville, but an American convoy was en route there with 3,500 troops and 5,000 tons of supplies. A few destroyers guarded the convoy. Against so muscular an enemy, the supply ships would be naked. This was the most desperate emergency that confronted me in my entire term as Commander South Pacific, Halsey wrote later. Even if Tip Merrill had been within reach, and fresh, he would not have had a prayer of stopping such an armada. In such situations Halsey usually had powerful countervailing forces to deploy, but at the moment he saw no capital ships available to defend his holdings on Bougainvilles western side. As Halsey fretted about the Japanese cruisers, his staff studied charts. One of Halseys most gifted aides was Captain Harry R. Ray Thurber, his operations officer. The urbane Thurber, who seemed never to sleep and who had planned much of the Solomons campaign, observed that Halsey did have two ships to deploy. One was a newly fledged light carrier; the other a relic flattop with a reputation for absenteeism during big battles. But those ships, along with their supporting task force, were 500 miles from where they needed to be. THE CARRIERS IN QUESTION represented contrasting points on the continuum of naval aviation. The USS Princeton was a small and relatively untested light carrier of the new Independence class, an interim design intended to get American airpower to sea as quickly as possible. (See Hard-Charging Hybrid, September/October 2012.) The Princeton was decidedly junior in size and age to its companion, the USS Saratoga, a full-size flattop that dated to the first blush of naval aeronautics, when aircraft carriers were repurposed ships ranging from colliers to cruisers. The Saratoga originated on paper in 1916 as a fast battle cruiser, but before the U.S. Navy could commission it, a 1922 arms-control treaty limited production of big-gun capital ships. The navy, which had planned to build six battle cruisers, scrapped four. The two nearest completion were converted into carriers. Thanks to their hull design and four steam-fed turbines generating more than 200,000 horsepower, Sara and sister ship Lexington could hit nearly 35 knotsabout 40 miles per hour. The Saratoga numbered among its peacetime captains a former destroyerman named Halsey, who had been so eager to command a carrier that he completed pilot training at age 52, entitling him to take the carriers helm in 1935-37. The Saratogas war began fitfully. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the big carrier sailed from San Diego to Hawaii and then headed west as part of a task force intended to relieve besieged Wake Island. When reconnaissance revealed a more powerful Japanese force in that vicinity, the Saratoga and accompanying vessels were recalled to Pearl on December 23; Wake surrendered the same day. Off Hawaii less than a month later, in January 1942, a Japanese submarine torpedoed the carrier, which had to limp to back to the West Coast for three months of repairs and improvements at Bremerton, Washington, including an antiaircraft upgrade. That August the Saratoga supported the Guadalcanal landings and fought in the Battle of the Eastern Solomonsuntil another Japanese torpedo hit. Repaired at Pearl, Saratoga returned to the war zone in November 1942. In the next 11 months the aging carrier sortied sparingly from the American naval base at Noumea on New Caledonia. In mid- 1943, when the carrier Enterprise returned stateside for overhaul, the Saratoga became the only American flattop in the South Pacific, used for training runs but otherwise held in reserve. The ship had missed out on several major carrier-on-carrier battles and spent so much time in port that sailors conferred on it caustic nicknames like Pond Lily, Reluctant Dragon, and Sara Marumaru being Japanese for a civilian vessel. Life aboard the Saratoga quickened in late 1943. The energetic Rear Admiral Frederick C. Ted Sherman arrived to command Task Force 38, with the Saratoga as flagship and Princeton in support. The Saratoga got a new air group, led by Commander Henry H. Caldwell. Its fighter squadron, VF-12, was headed by one of the navys best-known pilots, Commander Joseph C. Jumpin Joe Clifton, a gridiron star at the Naval Academy. In August, Captain John H. Cassady, an aviator who had served aboard the Saratoga during peacetime, took the carriers helm. On November 1-2, in support of the Bougainville landings, Task Force 38 saw its first action. The Saratoga and Princeton air groups sent a total of four raids against Buka and Bonis airdromes at the northern end of Bougainville, causing moderate damage. Afterward, the task force sailed 500 miles southeast and joined with the oiler Kankakee waiting near Rennell Island, south of Guadalcanal, to refuel. The carriers and screening ships spent that day and most of the next siphoning oil from the huge tanker. Meanwhile, that enemy armada heading for Rabaul and presumably aimed at Bougainvillewas giving Halsey fits. AS THE ADMIRAL AND HIS STAFF pondered how to parry the Japanese cruiser force, some at the chart table urged a defensive stance. Thurber disagreed. It would be a stretch, the operations officer said, but if Task Force 38 could hotfoot it into range of Rabaul, planes from the Saratoga and the Princeton might be able to surprise the enemy cruisers as they refueled. Every ship in Task Force 38 was built for speed. Halseys aide, Lieutenant H. Douglas Moulton, ran the numbers with Thurbertwice. The two drafted a message to Sherman. Accompanied by Halseys chief of staff, Rear Admiral Robert B. Mick Carney, Thurber and Moulton walked the plan to the admirals quarters. Without a glance at their papers Halsey asked, Youre not going to send Merrill to Rabaul, are you? No, sir, they answered. This is Ted Sherman again. Halsey got their meaning: in February 1942 Sherman had captained the Lexington when that carrier made the first stab at an air strike on Rabaula raid shelved when enemy planes spotted the task force 400 miles out. This time, Sherman would have two flattopsand perhaps the advantage of surprise. Carney, who had known Halsey for decades, watched as the older man silently eyed the proposal. Besides committing the only two American carriers in the South Pacific to a dangerous fight, the plan would send Halseys only son into the dragons jaws. Poor eyesight had kept William F. Halsey III out of the Naval Academy, but under looser wartime requirements he qualified for restricted duty as the Saratogas aviation supply officer. Every one of us knew what was going through the admirals mind, Carney said. It showed in his face, which suddenly looked 150 years old. Halsey handed the papers back to Carney. Unless he could keep those cruisers away from Bougainville, his entire campaign might unravel. Let er go, Halsey said. Task Force 38 had just topped off its tanks when the orders arrived: move at all possible speed to a position south of Bougainville, where at first light Saratoga and Princeton were to launch a maximum-effort strike against Rabaul. Notifying Cassady, Sherman radioed Princeton and accompanying vessels. To get within range of Rabaul, they had to steam 500 miles. Sherman ordered a northwesterly course at flank speed, and soon the formation was running at 27 knots, a momentum the crews would maintain all night. As air group personnel scraped for intelligence on their target, Cassady briefed Caldwell and the squadron commanders. Boys, we are hitting Rabaul tomorrow morning, Cassady said. This is a hell of a tough assignment. If we are not successful tomorrow, the Japs will very probably force us to abandon our invasion at Empress Augusta Bay. He told the aviators to focus on the enemy cruisers, adding that Sherman promised to have the carriers within reach when they had finished the job. You have damn little time [to prepare], he said. God bless you, boys. BY DAYBREAK ON NOVEMBER 5, Task Force 38 was southwest of Empress Augusta Bay and about 220 miles from Rabaul. At 7 a.m. flight deck crews on the Saratoga began launching 33 F6F Hellcat fighters, 16 TBF Avenger torpedo planes, and 22 SBD Dauntless dive-bombers. The Princeton added 19 Hellcats and seven Avengers. The 97 aircraft climbed northwest toward Rabaul, and for the first half of the two-hour flight, Caldwell briefed squadron commanders by radio. Visibility was excellent as the formation, stacked above 13,000 feet, crossed the southern tip of New Ireland and followed Saint Georges Channel toward the target. Able to see the full 50 miles to Rabaul, the attackers realized they had hit the jackpot. Six of the heavy cruisers on their hit list were moored in Simpson Harbor (the seventh was escorting troopships back to Truk) and other targets abounded: three light cruisers, 11 destroyers, and dozens of freighters. The timing was equally excellent. Some cruisers were refueling; others rode at anchor. The American pilots were to swoop from the north for a fast strike and then bolt back to the carriers. Caldwell steered the formation to the tip of New Britain. In the seven minutes the pilots needed to wheel wide and straighten out over Simpson Harbor, the Japanese scrambled 70-some interceptors. Most were A6M Zeros from the Zuihos and Zuikakus carrier groups, recently deployed to Rabaul. The sight of so much enemy airpower startled Lieutenant Marvin Harper, flying close cover in a Hellcat. We looked up with utter astonishment. It was just mindboggling, Harper recalled. With the number of airplanes and the altitude advantage they had, they should have decimated us. Unfamiliar with the boxy blue Hellcats, the Japanese aviators held back. Zero pilots did try to draw Americans out of formation, which would have allowed other interceptor pilots to dive on them out of the sun, invisible in the glare. However, Clifton held his pilots close, and the Zeros kept a respectful distance. The Japanese flyers also had to watch out for their own antiaircraft fire. As the Americans neared, shore and ships batteries, even cruisers main guns, cut loose. The barrage brought down two Hellcats, but the formation stayed intact. Crossing Simpson Harbor, the SBDs descended to 10,000 feet. Pilots rolled into choreographed wingovers and began the twomile dive. Over the intercom a gunner reported that most antiaircraft fire was bursting behind his planeuntil enemy gunners sharpened their game. They are hitting on our left now! he called out. They are hitting on our right I give up; they are all around us. Seconds later a shell scored a direct hit on the diving plane and the intercom fell silent. The young airman was dead. One by one, the SBDs roared down on cruisers at anchor or slowly getting under way. The 668-foot cruiser Maya, of the heavy Takao class, had just cast off fueling lines when a bomb hit its portside scout plane deck. The explosion deformed Mayas hull and started a fire that engulfed an engine room, killing 70 men and wounding 60. Class namesake Takao caught a heavy bomb on its main deck that killed 23 men. Heavy cruiser Atago was refueling when three SBDs attacked and missedbut only by feet; blast effects and shrapnel killed 22 men, including the captain. A thousand-pounder hit heavy cruiser Mogami between its first two turrets. The bomb detonated below, badly damaging the hull and killing 19 men. To keep ammunition from exploding, the crew flooded the Mogamis forward magazines. The torpedo bombers were less successful. Of 22 fish dropped, Japanese records cite two hitsboth duds. One slightly bashed a light cruiser, the other punctured a destroyers fuel tank. Now came the most dangerous phase: getting away. Jinking, skidding, and occasionally hopping over a ship, the Avengers and Dauntlesses sped across Simpson Harbor through a curtain of enemy fire. I was face-to-face with the eight-inch guns of a Jap cruiser that was pushing out everything it had at me, remembered Lieutenant Commander Vincent W. Hathorn, an SBD division leader. The only thing I could think of doing was to pull my gun switch and give him return fire with my two fixed .50-caliber guns. I thought, This is pretty silly, me dueling with this joker. And then I got past him, and there were two destroyers, about twenty-four hundred tons each, doing the same thing to me. That made the battle a little more even. Zeros aggressively engaged Hellcats by the dozen in an aerial brawl, with no pair of foes able to hammer one another for long lest somebody else land a sucker punch. American pilots and gunners claimed 28 enemy planes shot down, including a twin-engine bomber. Actual losses, according to Japanese records, amounted to four single-engine planes; the bomber turned out to be a transport that crash-landed on Tobera airdrome, 15 miles southeast of Simpson Harbor. As the melee moved out to sea, several American planes fell or were ditched. The only members of the strike force maintaining position were Commander Caldwell in an Avenger and his escort of two Hellcats, observing the strike from 10,000 feet. Crammed in behind Caldwell, Photographers Mate Paul T. Barnett was documenting the Japanese ships attempts to escape. Suddenly eight Zeros jumped the three planes. The Hellcat piloted by Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Stanley K. Crockett veered out of the fight when a 20mm round severed his planes battery cable. Gunfire riddled Ensign Carlton W. Robertss Hellcat with almost 270 bullet and shrapnel holesbut the armored seat protected Roberts, who sustained only superficial wounds. Caldwells plane took a similar beating. His turret gunner and radioman returned fire until wounded, their weapons falling silent. A Zeros 7.7mm round caught Barnett in the head; he bled to death. Caldwell assumed he was the only man aboard alive until the radioman handed him a note saying the other two were out of commission. The Avenger had no radio, no hydraulics, no aileron controls, and only one main wheel would extend. Even so, Caldwell landed on the Saratoga on his first attempt. As carrier crews counted planes and airmen, they realized how well the sortie had paid off. Only six American aircraft were missing. Several damaged planes set down in the water, bringing the cost to nine aircraft and 14 men. For that price, the dive bombers had obtained phenomenal results. With only 22 bombs the Dauntlesses had damaged five of six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and two destroyers badly enough to eliminate the cruiser force as a threat to American forces at Bougainville. THE NEWS DELIGHTED HALSEY. He had preserved the Bougainville lodgment, and still had his two carriers along with most of their air strength. His boy was safe. I took a deep breath, he wrote. So did the men at Torokina; so did Ted Sherman. He sent the task force a glowing message: REPORT OF ATTACK IS REAL MUSIC TO ME. WHEN THE SARATOGA IS GIVEN A CHANCE SHE IS DEADLY. PRINCETON TOO TAKES A DEEP INITIAL BOW IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. MAY THE JAP CRIPPLES PERMANENTLY BE BURIED IN DAVY JONES LOCKER. A FUNERAL DIRGE HAS BEEN SOUNDED FOR TOJOS STRONGEST SOUTH PACIFIC BASE. Halseys words proved prophetic. After the Saratoga and the Princeton returned on November 11 with the carriers Bunker Hill, Independence, and Essex for another go at Simpson Harbor, the Imperial Navy promptly pulled its cruisers out of Rabaul and back to Truk, later sending most of them to Japan for repairs. The Combined Fleet never sent another cruiser to Simpson Harbor. Besides illustrating what fast carriers could accomplish under duress, the overnight raid by Saratoga and Princeton showed that a flattop as old as any afloat still could project a powerful striking force over a long distance in a remarkably short time. The Saratoga spent the second half of 1944 as a training vessel. On February 21, 1945, the warship was at Iwo Jima, carrying night fighters, when kamikaze damage sent it stateside for repairs. Used as a floating classroom until Japan surrendered, the vessel next served as a troopship, ferrying men home from the Pacific. Anchored at Bikini Atoll in 1946 as one of 95 test vessels, the Saratoga survived the blast from a nuclear bomb dropped from a B-29 and exploded midair. A second device, detonated underwater, finally sent the venerable warship to the bottom. Originally published in the August 2014 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. Films of the FBI Twelve OClock High, as Mark Grimsley noted in his insightful article (The Moral World of Twelve OClock High, March/ April 2014), is indeed used as a training tool by many, including the FBI. For years, and perhaps even today, the Bureau showed the movie to managers in classes devoted to the study of stress. The movie, and in particular Gregory Pecks portrayal of a man burdened with not only the responsibility of command, but the loneliness of command, vividly shows how any of us can be susceptible to reaching the breaking point. I still recall sitting through such a session at the FBI Academy and how, at the movies end, there was little of the usual frivolity associated the end of a class. Its that compelling. Ivian I.C. Smith Laneview, Va. Anzio Lives On Alex Kershaws gripping account of the German counterattack to reduce the Anzio beachhead (Highway to Hell, March/ April 2014) stirs memories of my service in the 91st Chemical Mortar Battalion. During our training in 1944 we were assigned Major Thomas Watsonwhom we soon dubbed Anzio Joe because of his lurid tales of fighting the Germans as a forward observer with the 84th Chemical Mortar Battalion at Anzio. Among his many instructions to us based on his Anzio experience were the virtue and necessity of digging our guns in before a fire mission, a pit roughly 10 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep, rather hard to do in the frozen ground of Luxembourg in 1944. Nonetheless, his advice proved invaluable, as it saved my life and those of others in my squad in the Battle of the Bulge. Arthur O. Spaulding Ojai, Calif. Soldiers Best Friend My good friend Sergeant George Huisken of the 33rd Statistical Control Unit, Headquarters Squadron of the Twentieth Air Force took this picture of a cemetery in Guam while serving his country in 1946 (A Few Good Marines, March/April 2014). The graves were dedicated to the 25 U.S. war dogs killed there in combat. Barbara A. Carter Tuscon, Ariz. Merchant Marines Forgotten? Thank you Kathryn Chambers Torpey and Gene Santoro for your piece in the March/April 2014 issue (Saved From the Depths). I was a volunteer in the Maritime Service during World War II. The young men who served in the Maritime Service were indeed the Forgotten Sailors. Kenneth L. Dietrich Harrisburg, Pa. The Merchant Marine of World War II was then as it is today never a part of the American military. It was and is an industrial organization. During World War II it did not suffer the highest death rate. Its death rate through combat causes was proportionately higher than the Navy, but was proportionately exceeded by that of the Army and the Marine Corps. In testimony I submitted to the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs in May 2008, I argued that there is a miscalculation of the merchant mariner battle death ratio due to an incorrect total of Merchant Marine deaths and a skewed count of total merchant mariners. The often-cited total number of enlisted merchant mariners from that time is low because, among other reasons, it excluded short-term employees and only counted oceangoing Merchant Marine personnel, not those inland or on the Great Lakes. The assertion that those in the Merchant Marine were not provided with proper military benefits is also slightly off the mark. Government-provided War Risk Insurance covered merchant mariners during the war; such coverage did, how ever, fall short of that provided members of the military. That shortfall was in some part remedied in 1988 through administrative action authorized under Public Law 95-202 allowing the World War II mariners access to current benefits allowed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Charles Dana Gibson Fort Pierce, Fla. Editors note: Joshua Smith, the director of the American Merchant Marine Museum, notes that the Merchant Marine did suffer horrific casualties higher than those of the military services for a brief period in early 1942. Once the United States began offensive ground operations with Guadalcanal, military losses overtook those of the Merchant Marine, which tapered by the second half of 1942. Mysterious Middle Name S is not Harry Trumans middle initial; it is his middle name (Ask WWII, March/ April 2014). There is no period after it. Walt Kimball Palo Alto, Calif. Harry S. Trumans middle name was indeed just the initial S, a compromise between the names of his two grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young. The middle name doesnt technically need a period after it, but Truman himself signed it Harry S. Truman, and included a period on his official letterhead. Both The Chicago Manual of Style and the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual state that a period should follow Trumans S. Originally published in the August 2014 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. Family History Revealed My father, Robert Leeson, and his brother, A. Dix Leeson, were featured in your article Wooden Boats at War (January/ February 2014). Although I tried many times to get my father to talk about battles along the New Guinea shore, he was always reluctant to really get into it with me. The article is most enlightening as to the details of the naval battle at Leyte Gulf. I attended a recent exhibition on PT boats at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, with Dix Leeson and three of this PT boat buddies. They, of course, reminisced among themselves about all that went on there. Because they were really talking more to each other than to me, they covered events they had witnessed but that I had not heard about. It was a wonderful and sad experience for them, and an education for me, as is your magazine article. Robert Leeson Jr. Wakefield, R.I. My father captained PT 490. In the photo on pages 36-37, Dads boat is in the center; he said this was the first time they realized that Japanese planes were flying deliberate kamikaze missions and not just crashing a crippled plane into an enemy vessel. Excerpts from a letter he wrote in 1962 exactly catch the tenor of all his stories: September 25, 1962 Dear Mr. Smith: Service in Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Morotai, Philippines, etc., was no comic opera, but it was good on the lighter side and there was more lighter side than otherwise. Also included was quite some time in such places as Miami, Newport, Brooklyn, and Panama. Some of those hangovers I remember still. We learned how it felt to want to die. However, the milk punch and pink gin of Kingston was half the cause. I wont even mention Panama. Mel Haines (PT 492) and myself each received a Silver Star for sinking the destroyer Uzuki. We picked up a Jap snooper plane and every time we would move the least bit fast our wake would just shine in that phosphorus water. Snoopers had a nasty habit of gliding down that wake and dropping bombs, so we were keeping track of him by radar. One of our navigational fixes was a rock a few hundred yards off shore below Palompon. The radar operator reported it. A few minutes later he reported another rock. There was only one rock. We decided to attack whatever it was, mufflers on, dead slow. There was the rock. Off we went to see what the other rock was. Same procedure, destroyer Uzuki unloading troops into barges. Two torpedoes and two survivors whom guerrillas brought in later to confirm the story. That ship just disappeared. Operating as we did in the dark and usually out of radio contact we worried more about navigation than action. If we couldnt out gun them we could out run them and no one had any illusions about that plywood. The food was good, quarters were excellent, a shower and a little sleep kept the jangled nerves at bay. We all pitied the infantry. Sincerely, J.M. McElfresh Wed have followed him into Tokyo Bay, one member of my dads crew told me. He died in 1991. Earl McElfresh Olean, N.Y. 21st-Century Deception Near the end of the article on Dennis Wheatley, Dirty Deeds Done Deceptively (January/February 2014), there was a comment about his novels being a thing of the past. Out of curiosity I went to Amazons Kindle and did a search. At least seven of Wheatleys Gregory Sallust novels are available in Kindle e-book format starting with Contraband, the first of the series. George Neack Brighton, Mich. Flak House Found I was interested to read Robert Heckers piece on the UK flak houses in your January/February issue. As he cannot remember the location of the one that he stayed at, I thought you would be interested to know that it was Furzedown House. A photo of the house (above) is in our book, Flak Houses Then and Now. Winston Ramsey Editor in Chief, After The Battle Essex, England They Also Served During the war my dad, Robert Jess Wyatt, was in the U.S. Navy Armed Guardpersonnel assigned to cargo ships in detachments of about 20 men to man guns, stand watch, fight, and die. He was first loader on a stern-mounted 5-inch gun when a round exploded in the breech, killing all but Dad and one other gun crewman. He was in Australia, at Iwo Jima, Tinian, and Peleliu. At Saipan, a sniper firing from the beach shot him in the leg. Off Okinawa he watched the gunfire with fleet Marines screening transports against kamikazes. Two ships lost, friends lost, both theaters of warjust a guy doing his job. Like the thousands of Armed Guardsmen, he had no fancy battleship, no glorious carrier, no fast destroyer, just a slow ugly old fat merchantman. When my folks visited the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., there was not a plaque or sign mentioning this branch of the U.S. Navy to be seen. Thanks, Armed Guard unsung heroes still. Garrett Wyatt Bend, Ore. The Not-So-Complex L-5 The January/February Weapons Manual feature attributed a little more complexity and performance to the Stinson L-5 than it actually had. The L-5s engine turned a fixed-pitch (not constant-speed) wood propeller that gave it a cruising speed of about 100 mph; the authoritative Janes guide cites a top speed of 129 mph. The 163 mph figure cited was probably the never exceed or red line speed, attainable only in a dive; any faster than that and an airplane might become self-disassembling. It is clear from the photo of Lieutenant Davis that the propeller was a typical laminated wood one-piece prop of the day, similar to those used in the smaller Taylorcraft L-2, Aeronca L-3, and Piper L-4 liaison airplanes, and was typical of the time when such airplanes had to be simple, light, and expendable. They were also durable, as the number of each still flying in civilian skies 70 years later can attest. Dave Shaw Penn Yan, N.Y. Originally published in the June 2014 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. A FLUKE OF TIMING brought us onto the battleship on December 7. The weekend my wife and I chose to beat the Christmas crunch included the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, from which the USS North Carolina would someday wage war. We had noticed the enormous ship from afar while traveling its namesake states coast. Moored across the Cape Fear River from Wilmingtons water front, the North Carolina is hard to miss, painted as it is in measure 32, a color scheme intended to confuse submarine crews. Here, the geometric pattern makes the 728-foot battlewagon pop out from the marsh where it is docked, serene but still formidable, bristling with more than100 guns. The North Carolina hosts about 200,000 paying visitors a year and battles a less obvious, more persistent enemy: the elements. Corrosion at the waterline is evidence of a hull badly needing repair. Our tour took us around and inside the North Carolina to see how the ship worked and how the more than 2,000 crewmen lived and fought, from sleeping and sanitary arrangements to loading the 16-inch guns and tracking enemy air craft while the vessel escorted carriers in the Pacific. Most of this was new to me. During the war my father skippered a PT boat in the Pacific, but he was not much for war stories. Once, with my young son and father-in-law, a retired navy pilot, I visited another vintage battleship, but we only made a circuit topside. As a reporter I spent a day aboard an aircraft carrier, a trip that showed me how far removed my life was from what men did in a war at sea. For the un- or semi-initiated, a day on the North Carolina is a tangible and compelling history lesson. That Saturday morning we caught up with Frank Glossl who, like other volunteers portraying crewmen, wore a seamans uniform. Glossl chairs the nonprofit Friends of the Battleship North Carolina, but also assumes the role of a radarman first class. Visitors can wander the ship unescorted, but we were fortunate to have Glossl as our guide to tell the story of this 35,000-ton war machine, a remarkable creation even by todays sophisticated technical standards. A tight stairway took us down to the first of the lower decks, the crews quarters. Chairs and tables in mess areas emphasize utility, not comfort, and the galleys have industrial-grade appliances. In a bunk area, narrow mattresses racked four and five high illustrate what close quarters actually means. Rudimentary toilets and showersa wartime sailor had 150 seconds maximum to scruboffer neither elbowroom nor privacy. This floating fortress had a laundry, a tailor and shoe shop, barbershop, post office, general store, and fully equipped dentists office and sickbay, including operating room and medical laboratory. With a machine shop, printing press, and darkroomnot to mention a soda fountain and ice cream parlorthe North Carolina was truly self-contained. A bomb or shell could penetrate the top deck, designed to explode ordnance before it reached the armor protecting the engines, magazines, fire-control computers, and communications gear. Besides factoids like those and the ships overall enormity, what is striking about the North Carolina is the heavy look and feel of its machinery, from the bulky analog computer that controlled the main guns to the elevators and conveyors that hauled shells as heavy as 2,700 pounds to turrets to be propelled as far as 23 miles by six 90-pound bags of gunpowder. Commissioned in 1941 as Americas first new dreadnought since the 1920s, the North Carolina acquired the nick name Showboat, steaming in and out of New York Harbor to undergo sea trials. On July 11, 1942, seven months after the Japanese attacked Hawaii, the battleship arrived at Pearl Harbor. The crowds of well-wishers lining the shore puzzled the crew. The bands were playing, the people were cheering, the fire boats were going off, Glossl said. As they came around the point, it hit them. Salvage operations were under way. Pearl Harbor was a battered junkyard. At that moment, the North Carolina constituted Americas heavy fleet in the Pacific, and the new fast battleship was a sign of hope. Near the end of our tour with Glossl we climbed to the bridge. During heavy fighting, the captain and his personnel there could take refuge in a conning tower with 16-inch armor. In the combat information center, on the right day, you might see volunteers reenacting how crewmen tracked aircraft and ships. The narrow passageways and water tight hatches inspire an intricate dance: duck head, raise knee, step over ledge, straightenbut not too enthusiastically. Some areas were open for browsing; others were behind Plexiglas. On my own, I made my way below to an engine room, where chemical engineer John Whitley was in character as a water tender first class. Four propellers, each with its own power plant, could push the ship to 28 knots, or 32 mph. Whitley recruited visi tors to demonstrate by voice and gesture and signal how orders traveled from the bridge to the battlewagons bowels, where crewmen dialed in the vessels speed. Throughout the ship, placards explain life aboard, often using vintage photos accompanied by accounts from the men of the North Carolina. Boatswains Mate First Class William Taylor described the scene on August 24, 1942, when, on a crew of a five-inch gun, he fought in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, the ships first action: A powder can was placed in the tray, then a shell and then rammed. The gun would fire and the hot case would be ejected and (sent out into) the scuttle. The powder came up through the deck with a primer protector on it. The powder man pulled the protec tor off, then loaded. This time he didnt remove the protector and when rammed, the breech didnt close. My job was to open the hatch, remove the powder can and get rid of it. My hot-case man had a tough job when the cases didnt go out. They would bounce and he would have to catch it and throw it out. Usually the first or second case would catch him under the nose and he would be a bloody mess. That day North Carolina gunners shot down seven planes and helped down seven others. Having participated in every major Pacific campaign and earning 15 battle starsin the process surviving a tor pedo strike and losing only 10 menthe North Carolina was decommissioned in 1947. Placed on inactive reserve, the old warrior was scrapyard-bound when state residents raised money to adopt it as a memorial to the more than 10,000 North Carolinians who died in the war. Now a National Historic Landmark, the North Carolina was transferred by the U.S. Navy to the state in 1961. The Friends underwrites upkeep and improvements with campaigns, like one under way now that will fund educational programs and extensive repairs to the hull. One option for that work was to tow the ship to Norfolk, which would have required dismantling part of the super structure so the vessel would fit under the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. Instead, the extensive dry-dock activities will take place on-site, inside a cofferdammore economical and practicable. Still, it would have been something to see that grand old battleship making its way up the Atlantic coast, even under tow. Originally published in the June 2014 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. At 44, Frank Capra was Hollywoods richest and most successful director and a three-time Academy Award winner. Even before the attack on Pearl Harbor, which came a week before he was to finish shooting Arsenic and Old Lace, he had been thinking of enlisting; within five days of finishing the shoot he was a major in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Capras first assignment was the propaganda series known collectively as Why We Fight, but he also conceived and commissioned what would turn out to be by far the most popular series of training films made for servicemen during the war. Soon after Capra arrived in Washington, he had commissioned one of the writers in his charge to draft a lighthearted script for a short called Hey, Soldier!, in which a complaining private would be made to understand the importance of various army rules and regulations. The movie was never made, but, inspired by the way draftees were responding to animation in the Why We Fight films he directed, Capra reconceived Hey, Soldier! as a series of cartoons. Capra came up with a character called Private SNAFU, a grumbling, naive, incompetent GI who would be featured in a run of short black-and-white cartoons in whichusually by catastrophically negative example that more than once ended with the GI being blown to bitshe would inform young enlistees about issues such as the importance of keeping secrets and the need for mail censorship, as well as the hazards of malaria, venereal disease, laziness, gossip, booby traps, and poison gas. To oversee the writing and production of the series, Capra recruited an editorial cartoonist from New York City who had been doing caustic satirical work for the left-wing newspaper PM. Theodor S. Geisellater famous as Dr. Seusshad first gotten Capras attention in early 1942, when he had depicted isolationist Senator Gerald Nye, one of his favorite targets, as a literal horses ass. Geisel was a strongly pro-Roosevelt German American who, in his single-panel sketches, had demonstrated an unerring ability to draw blood and get laughs at the same time. With a few strokes of Geisels remorseless pen, Hitler became a tantrum-throwing infant and isolationism was reduced to a scrawny bird being blown to kingdom come after Pearl Harbor. In several memorable drawings, famous aviator turned isolationist leader Charles Lindbergh was transmuted into an ostrich with his head in the sand and his buttsometimes emblazoned with a disparaging messagewaving in the breeze. Caprawho eventually moved his operation back to California where it was nicknamed Fort Foxsent one of his army writers, Leonard Spigelgass, to New York to recruit Geisel, and Spigelgass sent word back to his boss that he has a remarkably good brain, and seems to me useful infinitely beyond a cartoonist. Geisel, who had no animation or filmmaking experience, was sworn in as a captain in New York and brought west to Fort Fox, where Capra walked him through the animation studios. They ended up at the editing bays, outfitted with Moviola editing machines. He gave me the tour, Geisel said, and the last thing he said was, Here, Captain, are the Moviolas. I said, What is a Moviola? He looked at me rather suddenly and said, You will learn. Disney and Warner Bros. had both put in bids to produce the SNAFU shorts, but Disney had insisted on retaining rights to the characters and images. Warner did not, and won. In a historically felicitous pairing, Capra teamed Geisel with a 30-year- old animator named Chuck Jones. For the last few years, Jones had been developing a new character named Elmer Fudd in a handful of Merrie Melodies shorts. He refined Elmers appearance with each new cartoon and experimented with giving him different voices. Working with Geisel, he took some early character sketches and turned Fudd into Private SNAFU. With voice talent Mel Blanc providing voices for the characters, Geisel writing the early scripts, and a team that included not only Jones but top-flight Warner animation directors, the Private SNAFU shorts26 would be produced over the next 18 monthswere the funniest, most original, and unquestionably the raunchiest movies ever produced by the Signal Corps. Munro Leaf, a pacifist whose popular illustrated childrens story about Ferdinand the Bull had been widely viewed as an antiwar parable, also worked on the series, and Geisel and Jones took his great contributionthe advice that if they wanted GIs to pay attention they should make it racyand ran with it. That approach began with the explanation of the title in the very first cartoonSNAFU means Situation Normal AllFouled Up, says the narrator, inserting a droll pause before fouled that never would have passed muster with either the Production Code or Lowell Mellett, the liaison between the government and the movie industry. Geisel and Jones used the fact that the only audience for the cartoons would be adult men as a permission slip to break every barrier in the movies, and Capra gave them his blessing. The first SNAFU shorts, which introduced the main character, the private who was always wishing for things to be differentalong with his fairy godfather, Technical Fairy, First Class were made for about $2,500 ($38,000 today) each. Unfolding with proto-Seussian rhyming narration that played like an early draft of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, they included words like hell and damn, fleeting cartoon nudity, burlesque jokes, toilet humor, and sometimes lines that even the creators couldnt believe they were getting away with. Its so cold it would freeze the nuts off a jeep! Geisel wrote as a dare to Jones, who promptly storyboarded a cutaway to lug nuts falling off a shivering army vehicle. As soon as the SNAFU shorts made their 1943 appearance in the biweekly newsreels that Capras team also produced, they were a hit with GIs around the world. The shorts entertained the troops until late 1945, and while a second series starring Private SNAFUs brother, Seaman TARFU, was slated, the project ended with the war. Originally published in the August 2014 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. As they mustered for battle in the Valley of Elah, the armies of Israel knew disaster awaited. Their war against the Philistines was going badly, and no Israelite would stand up to the enemy champion, a mighty armored giant. Finally, a young shepherd answered the call. His brave action gave the world a new phrase to describe a fight against hopeless odds: David and Goliath. World War II generated a classic example: the Winter War. In November 1939, the Soviet Unionwith a Red Army numbering in the millions of men, tens of thousands of tanks, and thousands of aircraftinvaded tiny Finland, a third-rate power whose military force was less than a tenth as large. World War II was a deadly environment for smaller nations, with the Great Powers wiping them off the map at will. Finland was one small power that said no. The Finns fought back, leaving a legacy of heroism that persists to the present. Like David of old, Finland went up against a giant and stared death in the face. That fight showed what a determined people could achieve even in the most desperate circumstances. The Winter War reminded the world that it was better to go down swinging than to submit to injustice. The Finns stand is why the Winter War mattered in 1939, and why it always will. The Soviet-Finnish conflict began in that strange interlude during World War II known as the Phony War. The Germans had invaded and overrun Poland in September 1939, leading Britain and France to declare war on the Third Reich. And then, for six months, nada. The Germans were conflicted about how to proceed, with Hitler demanding an immediate offensive in the West and most of his officer corps demurring. Although the German army had beaten Poland with ease, it had been uncertain at times and unsteady under fire. That performance left German commanders underwhelmed, and destined the Wehrmacht for a winter spent in rigorous training, honing its edge and learning techniques for combined arms warfare. The Allies reverted to World War I mode, trying to strangle Germanys economy with a naval blockade, a tactic that would take years. The combination resulted in inaction on all fronts. Actually, not all. One great power was ready to march. In August 1939, the Soviet Union had signed an agreement with the Reich not to attack one another. The Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact had shocked the world, as mortal enemies embraced and drank hearty toasts to each others health. It was the factor that allowed Hitler to invade Poland the next month without having to worry about a prolonged war on two fronts. The pact also contained a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence. Here was a classic example of power politics, with the strong taking what they wanted and the weak having to pay the price. The Germans were to get primacy in Western Poland, in the event of a territorial and political rearrangement of the areas belonging to the Polish statethat is, once they had destroyed Poland. The Soviets got much more territory: the province of Bessarabia (then part of Romania, today independent Moldova); the eastern half of Poland (the Kresy, or borderlands region); the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia; and Finland. Essentially, the protocol reimposed the borders of the old Tsarist Empire, entitling Joseph Stalin to territories that had broken away from Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Finlands Marshal Carl Gustaf Mannerheim (foreground) came out of retirement in 1939 at age 72 to command all Finnish forces. He went on to become president of Finland in 1944. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) And now it was time to cash in. Through foreign minister and henchman Vyacheslav M. Molotov, Stalin began to put the screws to Finland, a sprawling but sparsely populated land Russia had controlled from 1809 to 1917. On the surface, the demands on the young nation seemed moderate enough. The Soviets wanted to lease the Hanko Peninsula on Finlands southern coast for use as a naval base. And they wanted to push back the border on the Karelian Isthmus, only 20 miles from the great Soviet metropolis of Leningrad. Molotov also declared Stalins willingness to cede lands in adjoining Soviet Karelia amounting to twice the territory demanded of Finland. In other words, the Soviets promised to give Finland more land than they were taking away. The Finns, however, saw not negotiation but ultimatum. This was the era, after all, of Hitler and Benito Mussolini and Imperial Japan, of lawlessness in the international arena, of the stronger preying on the weaker. The Finns knew that ceding any territory to their former imperial masters would threaten their independence. Soviet demands gave way to threats, and when the talks faltered, Molotov had the last word: Since we civilians dont seem to be making any progress, maybe its the soldiers turn to speak. And just like that, the world had another war on its hands. On November 30, 1939, the big guns roared, Soviet bombers screamed overhead, and the Red Army invaded Finland. What Finns called the Talvisota (Winter War) had begun. The Red Armys size and strength, on display at a 1940 commemoration of the Bolshevik Revolution dwarfed that of the Finnish army. ( AKG-Images/The Image Works) The Soviets must have been confident of a rapid, decisive victory. Only months earlier, German panzer columns had sliced through Polish defenders in multiple sectors, linking up far behind the lines and encircling virtually all of Polands million-man army. The Poles had fought bravely, even heroically in most cases, but were simply outclassed. It was a result typical of a clash between a strong power and a smaller, weaker neighbor, and no doubt what Stalin, Molotov, and Soviet commanders expected on the Finnish front. What they got was very different. The Soviets had numerical and material superiority on the groundeven greater in the airand their round-the-clock bombing of Helsinki and other targets had inflicted heavy civilian casualties, but the first month of the conflict defined the term military disaster. The Red Army got nowhere and suffered mass casualties in doing so. Some of it was Stalins fault. In response to the darkening international situation, he enlarged the Soviet militaryexpanding the Red Army between 1937 and 1939 from 1,500,000 men to around 3,000,000but he also simultaneously and bloodily purged the armys leadership, accusing some 75 percent of his army, corps, and divisional commanders of disloyalty. Many would wind up imprisoned or shot. The combination left masses of poorly trained soldiers serving under officers who were political hacks or scared to death of exercising initiative for fear of running afoul of Stalin and his secret police. Stalin had also not counted on the Finns to fightand fight well. Commanding the Finnish army was the wily Marshal Carl Gustaf Mannerheim. Tall, handsome, and refined, he was the scion of Swedish nobility who had settled in Finland in the late 1700s; though multilingual, Mannerheim never became particularly adept at speaking Finnish. Born a subject of the Tsar, he entered the Russian army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. After the Tsars overthrow in February 1917 and the Bolshevik Revolution that October, the Grand Duchy of Finland declared independence. In the almost four-month civil war that followed, Mannerheim successfully led the White faction against the pro-Bolshevik Reds. He served briefly as the new states regent, chaired Finlands Defense Council, and, at 72, came out of retirement to fight the Russians. Coolly sizing up the situation, Mannerheim recognized that he would have to wage two wars. He had no choice but to deploy most of the regular armysix of nine small divisionson the southern frontier opposite Leningrad. That 90-mile front spanned the Karelian Isthmus between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. There the marshal constructed an interlocking system of tank traps, trenches, machine-gun nests, and armored bunkers that became known as the Mannerheim Line and sat patiently, waiting for the Soviets. When the Soviet 7th Army, under theater commander General Kirill A. Meretskov, lumbered forward in clumsy frontal assaults, the Finns shot them to pieces. Soviet dead and captured reached shocking numbers in the battle at Suomussalmi, which claimed two full divisions. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Meretskov was one of those generals who had risen by virtue of the purges. While he would go on to a reasonably successful wartime career, in late 1939 he certainly wasnt ready for army command. He planned sloppily, hastily deploying assault divisions drawn from the relatively temperate Ukrainian Military District. These troops were neither conditioned nor equipped for the frigid north and its thick forests, and Meretskov knew little about the Finnish forces, their defensive preparations, or even the terrain over which he had to fight. The generals campaign was, one historian later wrote, an example of organizational incompetence from top to bottom. Haphazard planning led to battlefield disaster. After a perfunctory artillery bombardment, 7th Army assault troops charged. But their rounds had negligible effect. The Finns, hunkered in protected bunkers, managed to reach their machine guns in plenty of time to meetand slaughterthe attacking infantry. Soviet reinforcements were late getting to the front, and almost always went where the Finns were holding up the attack, rather than where the Red Army was making headway. Piling more soldiers into killing grounds of Finnish fire only multiplied Soviet casualties. Up north, Mannerheim had to conduct a very different kind of war. With nearly 600 miles of border and nowhere near enough regular divisions to cover them, he relied upon the Home Guard as the backbone of his defense. These were independent battalions of hardy citizen soldiers, dead shots who knew every inch of the land and were accustomed to the cold. Virtually all Finns could ski, but the Home Guard specialized in fighting on skis, gliding silently out of the forest, nearly invisible in long white parkas and hoods, to rake a ponderous Soviet column with fire from their viciously effective KP/-31 submachine guns, and then vanish back into the trees. The Guard preferred soft targets with high impact, like field kitchens and supply wagons, but guardsmen also fashioned crude gasoline bombs that worked well against Soviet tanks. First used in the Spanish Civil War, these Molotov cocktails, as the Finns called them, were a true poor mans weapon, and the forerunner of todays improvised explosive devices (IEDs). While that weaponry might have been primitive, the Finns made up for it with intestinal fortitude, bravery, and grim determination. They call it sisuguts. As badly as the Soviets drive against the Mannerheim Line had gone, they faced something much worse in the north. In the forests near Suomussalmi, a village astride the route through the narrow waist of central Finland, a reinforced brigade of Home Guardsmen ambushed, trapped, and largely destroyed two entire Soviet divisions, the 44th and 163rd. At the village of Tolvajarvi, north of Lake Ladoga, two more invading divisions, the 139th and 75th, suffered the same fate. In both battles, roadblocks stalled the attackers long enough for highly mobile ski formations to get around their flanks and into their rear. By Christmas, the defenders had broken invading columns into isolated, immobile fragments. The Finns called the starving, freezing, surrounded invaders mottisticks bundled for firewood and left to be picked up later. For the Soviets it was an operational debacle of the first magnitude, made worse by arctic weather. In their plight, Red Army men turned to a traditional remedy. They started giving us 100 grams of vodka a day, one of them wrote. It warmed and cheered us during frosts, and it made us not care in combat. Soviet soldiers fought unflinchingly, whether charging the Mannerheim Line or holding on grimly in their motti positions, but losses soon reached the hundreds of thousands. One Finnish sniper, Simo Hayha, was responsible for 505 of them. In civilian life a farmer and a prize-winning marksman, Hayha kept to himself and rarely said a word as he went about his grim business. The Russians nicknamed him White Deatha name that suited the entire Finnish army in this period of the war. By the end of December, the Finns seemed to have won the Winter War. They had stood tall and smashed the invaders. Global opinion rallied to their cause, especially in the democratic West, where the Finns had become world celebritiesgood democrats fighting with the heroic loyalty characteristic of a free people when its liberty is at stake, as the Times of London put it. The League of Nations had meanwhile expelled the Soviet Union on December 14. The British and French governments were actually considering sending aid to Finland, perhaps even an expeditionary force, to fight the Soviets. (They didnt, which was probably for the best. Such a move would have made the Soviet Union and Germany true brothers in arms, allied against Britain and Francewith almost unimaginable consequences.) In the United States, former president Herbert Hoover formed a Finnish Relief Fund to aid the beleaguered nations civilians and refugees. Within two months, the charity raised $2,000,000. Volunteers the world overfrom the United States and Canada, and from Hungary, Norway, Denmark, and Swedentried to book passage to Finland to fight in the war, much as others had flocked to Spain to fight just three years before. And yet, even amid Finlands seeming triumph, the military situation was eroding. In the Bible, David slew Goliath, but in this frozen Valley of Elah, Goliath was still standing. Mannerheims forces had no way to carry the war into Russia, and thus no sword to slay their enemy. The Finns had staggered the Red Army, but the Soviet Union remained an immense and wealthy country with impressive powers of recuperation. And in war, bigger battalions often find a way to reassert themselves no matter how serious their early defeats or how righteous the cause of the underdog. Most often David doesnt win. The first days of 1940 saw the tide turn quickly, when Stalin named one of his bright young officers, General Semyon K. Timoshenko, to command in the theater. The new supremo, 44, was a vigorous, hard-headed leader who took a sober view of things. Yes, the opening of the war had been a disaster, but Timoshenko knew the Red Army still had the reserves to beat Finland. All it needed was a firm hand and better planning. Stalin kicked Meretskov downstairs to command the 7th Army alone; another army, the 13th, under General Vladimir. D. Grondahl, arrived alongside him. Timoshenko spent January in careful preparation, weeding out inefficient or incompetent commanders, and drilling his troops in assault tactics. When he had tuned the army to his satisfaction, he chose what a military analyst might call the obvious solution. He suspended the fruitless fight in the north and launched a coordinated two-army assault against the Mannerheim Line, with the 7th Army on the left and the 13th on the right. The assault involved 600,000 men, arrayed in four echelons, with lavish air and artillery support. The Red Armyhere manning .30-caliber Maxim machine gunsrebounded in early 1940 under new command. The peaked budyonovka field caps saw use early in World War II. (RIA Novosti/The Image Works) The Soviets again endured stupendous losses, but the Finns could not match such numbers, and neither could the Mannerheim Line. Timoshenko also showed a great deal of finesse, launching elements of his XXVIII Rifle Corps across the frozen Gulf of Finland toward the key port at Finlands second-largest city, Viipuri. The appearance of major Soviet forces deep on the Finns right flank and rear did what had seemed impossible: it helped force the Finns out of the Mannerheim Line. The assault opened on February 1, 1940, and cracked the Line by the 11th. Three weeks later, Viipuri was in Soviet hands, as was the main road from Viipuri to Helsinki. By now, the defenders had suffered nearly 70,000 casualties: not a staggering figureunless your population is only four million. Blasted out of their one solid defensive position, the Finns had no choice but to ask for terms. The Soviets had won the Winter War and, in the subsequent Moscow Peace Treaty, took much more than they had originally demanded. Finland had to cede Viipuri and the northern port of Petsamo, along with the entire Karelian Isthmus. All told, Finland lost some 11 percent of its original territory. But victory had come at great cost to the Soviets. Nikita Khrushchev later placed the casualty figure at an even one million. All of us, he wrote, sensed in our victory a defeat by the Finns. Khrushchevs tally was almost certainly inflated, part of his effort as Soviet Premier to discredit the Stalinist regime, but the reality was bad enough: somewhere between 400,000 and 600,000 total casualties, with 120,000 to 200,000 killed in actionmany times the number of men in the entire Finnish army at the start of hostilities. Whatever the true figure, the Soviet Union paid a steep price for what was, in the end, a border rectification. The Winter War presented a dual face to the world. Phase one featured the Red Army carrying out some of the clumsiest, most inept frontal assaults imaginable. They chose to throw people chest first into the machine-gun and artillery fire of pillboxes, in bright sunny days, as one participant put it. Phase two offered a contrary image: youthful and gifted Soviet commanders with a solid grasp of high-intensity combined arms operations, skillfully employing a huge, well-supplied force and crushing an enemy that had, a few weeks earlier, seemed invulnerable. Only time would tell which was the real Red Army. Finnish ski troops retreat following the Soviets March 1940 capture of the city of Viipuri. Although Finlands army inflicted disproportionate damage on the invader, its mobility and agility were ultimately no match for the Red Armys sheer size. ( akg-images/The Image Works) Learning the lessons of a war has never been an exact science, and observers at the time drew contradictory conclusions. Many analysts saw their notions of Soviet military incompetence confirmed. Precisely because of its David-and-Goliath character, the Winter Wars opening phase drew worldwide attention. The image of those nimble ski troops slashing into a lumbering adversary was simply irresistible. Certainly Hitler and the German General Staff, imagining an invasion of the Soviet Union, looked at the Winter War and pictured a pushover. Perhaps they all should have paid more attention to the more conventional end of the fighting: to Goliaths rebound, to Timoshenkos war. The Soviets, too, had blind spots. To their credit, they realized that the war had been a fiasco. On the debit side, they made the common mistake of overreacting. In the 1930s, the Red Army had been at the forefront of experimentation with high-tempo mechanized warfare. In the wake of the Winter War, the Red Army returned to basics: reconnaissance, security and concealment of columns on the march, carefully phased attacks. Soviet military literature from just after the Winter War showed a force obsessed with the minutiae of battle in cold climates: which gear to use crossing deep snow in a tank, the importance of rapid first aid in extreme cold, preparation of ski trails. Soviet doctrine of that period no longer emphasized deep strikes utilizing masses of armor, but overcoming the enemys long term defenses and patiently gnawing through breaches in the enemys fortifications. According to one young commander, the new doctrine was more like engineering science than the art of operations or maneuver. But the spring of 1940 was the worst time to be thinking slow and small, as the German invasion in 1941 would prove. Finally, what of the Finns? They were the global heroes of 1939-40, and the savage fight they put up probably made the difference between losing border territories and being annexed and occupied by Soviet forces. Unfortunately for them, a desire to win back lost territories led to a classic wrong turn. The Finns rearmed as feverishly as their tiny economy would allow. They embarked on a policy of close military cooperation with Germanynever formally joining the Axis, but going so far as to allow Hitler to station troops on Finnish soil. On June 25, 1941, three days after the Germans launched Operation Barbarossa, Finnish forces invaded the Soviet Union. This was the Jatkosota, the Continuation Warfar less the stuff of epic, with minimal gains, heavy losses, and, after a massive Soviet offensive into Finland in June 1944, a hasty exit from the war. Finland was no longer a hero in the Westit now appeared to be just another one of Hitlers lackey states. Yet even in defeat the Finns managed to preserve their independence. They experienced neither a bloody Soviet-style liberation, nor the agony of Italy, first occupied by its erstwhile Axis ally, then destroyed in the course of heavy fighting. Still, the Winter War was a signal moment. The long-term aim of World War II was the defense of the weak against the strong: Poland versus Germany, China against Japan, Greece versus Italy. The eras dictators thought they could laugh at international law, but eventually they all learned to stop laughing. The Winter War was a David-and-Goliath tale that invited contempt for bullying and aggression. The Soviets won territory; the Finns, the admiration of the world. In that sense, the loser won. Originally published in the August 2014 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. SS Chieftains Private Letters Revealed I am off to Auschwitz. Kisses, your Heini. Heinrich Himmlers private correspondence, published in January by newspapers Die Welt in Germany and Yedioth Ahronoth in Israel, show the Gestapo and SS chief balancing family life with mass murder. The 700 letters, dated 1927 to 1945, document in eerie detail what political theorist Hannah Arendt famously called the banality of evil. In mid-1941, knowing her man is busy planning a war, Margarete Himmler leaves her Heinrich a note. There is a can of caviar in the ice box, she writes. Take it. In July, preoccupied with invading Russia, he apologizes for forgetting their anniversary. (In his letters to Margarete, Himmler sometimes used endearmentsI kiss your dear, good hands and your sweet mouththat he repurposed in mash notes to secretary and mistress Hedwig Potthast, who bore him a son and a daughter.) Himmler never gets specific about the Final Solution in letters home. But he and his wife are on the same page. All this Jew business, when will this pack leave us so that we can enjoy our lives? Margarete writes after Nazi thugs destroy Jewish businesses in the 1938 rampage known as Kristallnacht. The letters, authenticated by the German Federal Archives, spent decades hidden in Tel Aviv. No one knows how the collection got to Israel. One explanation has an aide to SS official Karl Wolff making off with the cache. Another has American soldiers filching the letters from Himmlers residence in Bavaria. Whatever the archives provenance, Israeli collector Chaim Rosenthal obtained the letters and eventually passed them to the family of a documentary film producer, Vanessa Lapa, who made a film based on the epistolary archive. The Berlin International Film Festival screened The Decent One in February. Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust museum, hopes to obtain the collection. These letters, which we understand and assume are authentic, have historical significance in that they open a window into the life and thinking of one of the key architects and implementers of the Holocaust, said Haim Gertner, director of the Yad Vashem archives. As humanity continues to grapple with the questions of how such an event could have happened, these types of documents provide important additional information to our understanding of the events. Awaiting trial at Nuremberg for crimes against humanity, Himmler killed himself on May 23, 1945. Japan Remembers a Mitzvah World War II might not seem the most promising tag for promoting Japan to visitors, but the Japan National Tourism Organization opened a March tourism fete at New Yorks Grand Central Terminal with a video about how a Japanese diplomat and a seasick tourism clerk helped thousands of Jews escape the Nazis. The 10-minute documentary, Transit to Freedom, was produced by faculty at the New York Film Academy. During the war, Chiune Sugihara, Japanese consul in Kaunas, Lithuania, deliberately issued transit visas to help thousands of Jews escape advancing German troops. About 6,000 of the refugees reached Vladivostok on Russias Pacific coast. There, after initial hesitation, the quasi-official Japan Tourist Bureau transported the travelers by ship to Tsuruga, Japan. Tourism clerk Tatsuo Osako escorted the passengers. When not battling seasickness, Osako collected photos of fellow passengers, often inscribed with thanks in languages ranging from Norwegian to Polish. He assembled the pictures in a scrapbook in which he also affixed a poem describing the people without nations he was helping. Though nominally allied with Germany, Japan allowed the Jews to stay after their temporary visas expired. Most made their way to third countries, usually the United States. Eventually Japan deported about 1,000 to Japanese-occupied Shanghai, where they stayed until the wars end. World War II remains touchy for Japan. Many of its Asian neighbors say the former Axis power has yet to accept responsibility for Imperial Army atrocities, including a 1937 massacre of tens of thousands of Chinese at Nanking and the practice of forcing Korean, Chinese, and other foreign women to serve as sex slaves. Smile, Youre on MI5s Candid Camera The British intelligence agent who inspired John le Carres master spy George Smiley fooled Nazi sympathizers in Britain into thinking he was a Gestapo agent and revealing their efforts to undermine the British government, newly released documents show. Working for intelligence agency MI5 under the pseudonym Jack King, John Bingham befriended Marita Perigoe, whose husband, a British fascist, was in prison. Perigoe told Bingham about hundreds of fifth columnists siding with Hitler and working to subvert Britains government. Bingham made contact with many of those individuals, persuading them to tell him what they were planning. Details of Binghams counterespionage coup appear in files Britains National Archives released in February. One extremist was trying to alert the Germans to secret British efforts to build a jet plane. Another offered Berlin details on an amphibious tank. Others wanted to help the Germans pick bombing sites. According to an intelligence report, one woman expressed great pleasure with the number of new graves in Hastings Cemetery, the result of the raid on the Silverhill district. She said the Germans had done a very good job on this raid. Many of Binghams contacts had belonged to the British Union of Fascists, founded by English politician Oswald Mosley, but lost faith in the group, thinking it insufficiently extreme. Despite the neo-Nazis seeming nuttiness, an MI5 agent warns in one document against dismissing them: It is dangerous to disregard extremists merely because they can be dubbed neurotics. The government did not prosecute the Nazi sympathizers Bingham rolled up. POWs Charleston Chimney Stirs Ruckus A brick fireplace and chimney, the last vestige of a POW camp in Charleston, South Carolina, are at the center of a bitter dispute that arrays city officials and historical preservationists against a prominent Charleston family. The Aberman-Pearlstine family is so eager for the structure, built during the war by German POWs, to be gone they have offered to help pay for its removal from their property in the West Ashley neighborhood. The Abermans and Pearlstines are Jews who see the brickwork artifact as a reminder of Nazi butchery. Charleston officials want to declare the POW campsite a landmark overlay zone protected under law, an effort making its way through municipal review channels. The West Ashley chimney, built by some of the 500 POWs held at the camp that stood in the district during the war, features a prisoner-cast concrete plaque reading, German Prisoners of War 19.1.1945. As the wars end neared, the West Ashley POWs were almost part of the community, playing softball against a local team and forming a country band. But some remained Nazis at heart, slicing swastikas into tomatoes they picked at area farms on work details, the New York Times reported. Family members say they dislike having to maintain a relic of a regime that murdered millions of Jews. Mickey Aberman, for instance, says the chimney reminds him of stories told by an older relative who described fleeing into the woods while German soldiers executed her parents and siblings. Charleston journalist Brian Hicks calls it lunacy for Charleston to insist that a Jewish family maintain a shrine associated with Nazidom. In his column in the Post & Courier, Hicks wrote that the Aberman-Pearlstine family would rather give up land than be forced to preserve a fireplace that used to provide comfort to a bunch of Nazis. And no one with any sense could blame them. Originally published in the August 2014 issue of World War II. To subscribe, click here. US National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, has resigned over allegations that he discussed US sanctions with Russia before Donald Trump became President. Michael Flynn is said to have misled officials about his call with Moscow's ambassador before his own appointment. It is not legal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy. Flynn declared that he had inadvertently briefed the vice-president-elect and other people with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador. The White House has named Lt Gen Joseph Keith Kellogg as his interim replacement. Mr Flynn initially denied having discussed sanctions with Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, Flynn will have serious problems if he had that type of conversation. More details emerged, violation of the Logan Act Flynn came under further pressure on Monday when details of his phone call emerged and the justice department had warned the White House about him misleading senior officials. According to the Washington Post, the message was delivered by then-Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who was subsequently dismissed by President Trump for opposing his travel ban. US officials had told the New York Times and Washington Post that Flynn explicitly talked about the sanctions and hinted that President Trump might be willing to lift them. According to Flynn, he never discussed about sanctions in his call with Kislyak. That kind of conversation could be a violation of a federal law, the Logan Act, which bans people outside the executive branch from making foreign policy on behalf of the US administration. No one has ever been prosecuted under the Logan Act, but Michael Flynn is facing a second and potentially more dangerous investigation. The FBI is probing his interactions with Kislyak, and resigning from his government post won't protect Flynn from potential future criminal prosecution. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A bakery in the morning, a fast-paced pita kiosk with a sit-down restaurant at lunchtime, and a buzzing restaurant by night, Bala Baya has all bases covered. The team behind it The first stand-alone project from Israeli-born head chef Eran Tibi, formerly of Ottolenghi, brings a taste of Tel Avivs all-day eateries to London in a sleek, Bauhaus-style restaurant in Southwarks Union Street arches. Interior spy Fizzing with energy, Bala Baya's interior is by designer Afroditi Krassa, whose projects include Dishoom and Heston Blumenthal restaurants and Curzon Cinemas. Steal the style: Eichholtz vintage five-light Bulb Holder, 145, Sweetpea & Willow On the menu The food is rooted in tradition but with a progressive, modern take. The menu is zesty and characterful with dishes including everything from blackened pink salmon and crumbled cauliflower to braised beef shoulder, crispy calamari and sticky bitter orange chicken. Kick off proceedings with a peach cocktail or finish with a coffee fusion. Its the ideal Friday night spot. Fusion food: Bala Baya's menu is traditional with a contemporary edge Book a table Call 020 8001 7015 to book a table or email bookings@balabaya.co.uk for tables of more than six people. S t Jamess Market is becoming a London destination thanks to places such as Veneta. The team behind it Simon Mullins and Ben Tish of the Salt Yard group are behind the opulent restaurant, which mixes classic bar-counter seating with banquette booths and intimate tables. Interior spy The main dining area has double-height ceilings with handcrafted ironwork chandeliers from Matt Livsey Hammond. Commissioned paintings and glasswork by Dutch artist Ramon Otting have a watery theme and there are aqua-coloured fish scale tiles on the wall. Steal the style: aqua blue fish scale tiles, 10.15 each, Zazzle An elegant stairway with intricate detailing leads to the mezzanine restaurant floor, and outside is a big terrace in pedestrianised St Jamess Market. On the menu The menu showcases a distinctive spin on classic Venetian dishes and cooking techniques, while a raw bar offers a delicious selection of British and Venetian seafood and artisan cheese from the region is served from a lovely handmade trolley. This will surely be an aperitivo hotspot once the weather warms up. Book a table Call 020 3874 9100 to book a table or email info@veneta-stjames.co.uk. Antigua, the largest island of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, is gaining increased presence as an icon of Caribbean tourism and recreation. The island's coastal geography makes it ideal for yachting and sailing, and its deep harbor accommodates massive cruise ships, as well. The opening of the state-of-the-art VC Bird International Airport in 2015 has allowed for even more passenger traffic to Antigua, helping to raise the island's profile among destination markets in the Caribbean. HVS Market Pulse: Antigua | By By Kristina M. D'Amico Photo by HVS The following article provides an overview of economic drivers and hotel market dynamics in Antigua, including an innovative route to financing the development of new luxury hotels. Gateway to Citizenship Provides Funds for Caribbean Hotel Development Traditional financing for hotel developments has always been more challenging to obtain in the Caribbean than in the United States. To overcome the hurdles, developers from several Caribbean islands have found a way of raising money toward their overall hotel capital stack through the Citizens by Investment Program (CIP). Five island nations in the Caribbean participate with the CIP, which has reportedly been substantial to the development of hospitality projects in St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, and most recently Antigua and Barbuda. The program allows investors to contribute to real estate developments by purchasing a passport. Foreign investors thereby gain citizenship in the respective nation and legal passage to travel visa-free to approximately 130 countries. HVS Market Pulse: Antigua | By By Kristina M. D'Amico Photo by HVS The investments from the CIP in turn assist the respective island nation with funding for infrastructure projects, private development, and tourism. The CIP also helps developers fund a portion of their capital stack for the construction of new hotels and major hotel renovations, directly spurring economic growth. This has been especially evident in Antigua. Growth as a Tourism Destination Antigua lies in the middle of the Leeward Islands, west of St. Kitts and Nevis and north of Guadeloupe. The island famously features 365 beaches, "one for each day of the year," and tourism is by far Antigua's biggest economic driver. Based on data available through November 2016 from the Antigua Hotel and Tourism Association, visitation has grown at a compounded annual average growth rate of 3.0% over the last seven years, with the vast majority of tourists arriving from the U.S. and Europe. The opening of the new $97-million VC Bird International airport, which was completed during the summer of 2015, increases the capacity for passenger traffic by 50% versus the previous airport. Number of Annual Visitors to Antigua Tops the 100,000 Mark in 2016 Photo by Antigua Hotel and Tourism Association (AHTA) When compared with the same period of 2015, tourist arrivals increased approximately 7.5% in the year-to-date November 2016 period, as shown in the following chart. This trend is expected to continue as increased tourist demand to Antigua prompts airlines to provide additional lift and developers to build new hotels. Visitation Rose Approximately 7.5% in 2016 Photo by Antigua Hotel and Tourism Association (AHTA) Antigua's Hotel Supply Antigua's hotel supply comprises a mix of luxury, upper-upscale, upscale, and midscale hotels in both the all-inclusive and traditional European Plan models. As of year-end 2016, Antigua had an estimated 33 hotels or 3,000 saleable hotel rooms, averaging fewer than 100 rooms per hotel. In terms of hospitality accommodations, Antigua is best known for its iconic, highly rated luxury hotels such as Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort; Curtain Bluff; and Carlisle Bay. These hotels, however, represent only a portion of a limited supply of luxury hotel rooms on the island, as illustrated in the following chart. Luxury-Class Hotels May Be Underrepresnted in Antigua Photo by HVS New Hotel Development Due to the increased airlift at VC Bird International Airport, access to the Citizens by Investment Program, and expansion in Antigua's tourism industry, developers are flocking to increase the available hotel inventory on the island. Though many projects are still under consideration or in the pre-development phase, many luxury hotel projects have broken ground or are close to that stage in Antigua. More than 50% of the newly planned hotel rooms are in the luxury segment. Notably, international hotel brands are gaining representation in Antigua, as exhibited by the following developments. Orange Limited is developing Pearns Point, a $300-million, mixed-use project on 137 acres along Antigua's west coast. The project's five-star signature luxury hotel will be branded as a Setai. Callaloo Cay is a marquis development in the Global Citizenship Industry, developed by an international team of world-class developers and investors in a unique partnership with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. It has been reported that the property will be operated by a globally recognized luxury brand of superior quality standards. The $200-million, 100-room Callaloo Cay hotel and residential project is reportedly on schedule to break ground in February 2017. Most recently, Marriott International broke ground on a 70-room Autograph Collection hotel on the site of the former Coconut Beach Club. The newly built resort will be the first Marriott hotel in Antigua and only the second internationally branded hotel on the island (the other being the Rosewood Jumby Bay). Looking Forward HVS Market Pulse: Antigua | By By Kristina M. D'Amico Photo by HVS The presence of several international hotel brands will only help raise Antigua's prominence as a tourism destination in the Caribbean. Notably, these developments come at a time when demand is increasing along with the capacity to bring visitors in by air through the new airport. The continued use of the Citizens by Investment Program should encourage additional hotel development in Antigua and help expand the island's tourism growth over the long term, leading to a cautiously optimistic outlook for Antigua's economy and hotels. View source More than 500 years ago, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, the famous Spanish explorer, shipwrecked on Texas's Galveston Island. De Vaca's subsequent trek across the area's marshes most likely took him through what is now Baytown, which was founded through the forging of three separate cities in 1948. Today, Baytown is one of the most important oil and gas centers in the U.S., as reflected in its motto: Where water and oil really do mix. HVS Market Pulse: Baytown, TX | By Austin LaPoten Photo by HVS The following article gives a brief overview of Baytown's economic drivers, hotel demand generators, and the recent dynamics of the local lodging market. The Oil Industry in Baytown In 1919, the Humble Oil and Refining Company built the Baytown Refinery, which is currently owned and operated by ExxonMobil. The refinery is part of the largest integrated refining and petrochemical complex in the United States. HVS Market Pulse: Baytown, TX | By Austin LaPoten Photo by HVS When the refinery first opened in 1920, it processed roughly 10,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Today, the ExxonMobil Baytown complex has the capability to process up to 584,000 barrels per day.[1] The Baytown plant is currently undergoing ExxonMobil's first major U.S chemical expansion since 2001. The $6-billion project, which will create 350 direct jobs and lead to the production of 1.5 million tons of ethylene, is slated for completion in 2017. Baytown is also home to the Chevron Phillips Chemical Cedar Bayou facility. The facility is located on 1,800 acres, with 33% devoted to petrochemical manufacturing.[2] The plant's expansion will reportedly expand the facility's normal alpha olefin (NAO) production by at least 20%. The $6.5-billion expansion, which began in April 2016, is scheduled for completion by mid-year 2017. Economic Outlook Despite the decline of the global oil and gas market over the past several years, which has resulted in a slight increase in unemployment throughout the area, Baytown continues to prosper, with growth underway in the residential and support-services sectors in the immediate area. According to the September 2016 CDS Market Research Baytown Analysis and Update, 22,000 skilled construction jobs are projected to be created in Baytown over the next five years. Furthermore, in 2016, IKEA announced plans to lease one million square feet of distribution space at the nearby Cedar Crossing Industrial Park. The area's distribution, shipping, and transportation industries, which are the prime drivers of the local Baytown economy, benefit from a proximate infrastructural network that includes Interstate 10 and the Port of Houston. Leisure Demand Generators The San Jacinto Mall was purchased by an affiliated acquisition partnership of Houston-based Fidelis in July 2016, and a $110-million redevelopment of the property has already begun. The plan for the mall, which was in decline and only 70% occupied as of July 2015, includes a one-million-square-foot open-air center on the property. HVS Market Pulse: Baytown, TX | By Austin LaPoten Photo by HVS The initial demolition phase began on April 28, 2016. According to B.J. Simon of the Baytown-West Chambers County Economic Development Foundation, a preliminary study estimated the regional economic impact related to the construction of the mall project to be from $70 million to $210 million, resulting in the creation of up to 845 direct jobs and up to almost 1,000 indirect jobs.[3] The City offered over $22 million in cash incentives and sales tax rebates, plus a ten-year tax abatement, if Fidelis can open the revamped mall by 2020 and create $50 million in property value.[4] Mr. Simon also noted that Super Bowl LI, which will take place on February 5, 2017, at NRG Stadium in Houston, should further boost leisure demand in the area, reaching as far as Baytown. Impact on Baytown Hotel Industry Despite the decline of the global oil and gas market in late 2014, limited-service hotels in Baytown reportedly did not experience a noticeable decline in hotel occupancy and RevPAR until 2016. The primary reason behind the downward trend was attributed to the reliance on turnover business from work at the nearby petrochemical facilities, which subsided in 2016. However, the billions of dollars in petrochemical projects, along with the aforementioned projects, should lead to a reversal of this negative trend, as growth is expected in 2017 and beyond. Conclusion The overall outlook, including prospects for leisure demand for area hotels, remains bright for Baytown. Local hotels will benefit from demand compression from the February 2017 Super Bowl in Houston, while major projects in the petrochemical industry and the redevelopment of the former San Jacinto Mall should support expanded economic growth in and around the city over the long term. [1] "Baytown." ExxonMobil's Careers. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2017. [2] Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, Corporate Communications. "Baytown." Baytown. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2017. [3] Aubespin, Eleska. "San Jacinto Mall Sale Final, Major Makeover next." The Vindicator. The Vindicator, 16 July 2015. Web. 16 Jan. 2017. [4] Collette, Mark, and Erin Mulvaney. "Booming Baytown Props up Houston's Economy, for Now." Houston Chronicle. Houston Chronicle, 12 Mar. 2016. Web. 16 Jan. 2017. View source It is human nature to always look for a better, more enhanced experience. Arguably, innovation is the key idea that is shaping corporate life, or even defining the actual corporate mission. Hospitality firms are not indifferent to the changes occurring at the level of their competitors, the fast-paced market, or emerging technology breakthroughs. Yet, as we have argued before in previous articles, the bulk of the hotel industry is somehow lagging behind. There is however a leading group of firms that not only keep up with the pace of innovation but are able to innovate the very way they provide customers with enhanced experiences. How do top hoteliers think, tinker with and discover a more innovative, personalized and memorable customer experience? We have analyzed several disruptively innovative approaches from leading hotels. Open versus closed innovation The one word answer to the question above is opening the innovation process to users and customers. The idea of using contests to stimulate innovation has a long history. Back in 1795, Napoleon offered an award of 12,000 francs to improve upon the prevailing food preservation methods. After 14 years of experimentation, Nicolas Appert claimed the prize when he devised the same basic technology that is still used to can food today. And yet, generating ideas for new services used to be the exclusive domain of top management, marketers, and/or designers. Not anymore. Many industries have been relying on open innovation as a source of strategic innovation to continue growing and to continue catering to ever-changing customer demand. Open innovation activities (co-design, co-creation, crowdsourcing and contests) are powerful instruments to stimulate innovations in diverse fields of application. These collaborative innovations engage a variety of external stakeholders, including users, designers, producers (management and coworkers) and suppliers. Employees are extremely knowledgeable about their business and their integration into the early phases of an innovation process brings in creativity while mitigating the not-invented here syndrome. Nevertheless, the average hospitality incumbent does not have proper training on the newest gadget/technology available. To be completely blatant, they do not know of certain existing technologies or how an application actually works. Using the same judgement, an IT person cannot understand the core of hospitality. What if they would be brought together and placed in a friendly, potentially unconventional, environment that fosters creativity, such as the suite of a hotel or a section of an art gallery/museum? Telling people to think outside the box won't actually make them do so, showing them how to think outside the box might. Best practices in open innovation Among hotels, some first movers have already started experimenting with crowdsourcing and open innovation. In this article, we document two of them. These innovation contests refer to the early stages of the innovation process. The Lopesan Group in Spain organizes a contest where employees come up with creative ideas, suppliers and companies from related service industries discuss the scope of the initiatives, students with different backgrounds help develop them, and top management evaluates the solutions. Every year since 2012, Lopesan Group has produced the 'Think in Innovation' Contest, bringing together colleagues from other companies, students from around the world, employees eager for innovative experiences and management deeply convinced of the value of service innovation. From IT apps to workplace design, from management practices to new service offering to operational solutions, each initiative takes advantage of an intensive twoday sort of hackathon initiative to bring ideas out into the real world. Each year, Thinking in Innovation generates a set of ideas, and each year, hundreds of participants gather in the Gran Canaria's Exhibition and Convention Center for a full weekend of fun and work. Take also the example of Park Inn by Radisson Manchester City Centre. Their management team arranges an open innovation contest where teams from several hotel management schools take part in a three-day kick-off event in Manchester. Students attend a set of conferences, exchange ideas with peers and, afterwards, develop innovative ideas that will help revolutionize the Park Inn by Radisson guest experience. These ideas are further submitted for consideration by the contest judges and the public votes. Driven by an open innovation spirit, a dedicated webpage allows the public to choose their favorite innovation. Two innovations move to the final stage of the contest where the judges select the final winner. Blending a mix of cutting-edge conference content with innovative experiences from leading creative teams, ParkInn Innovation is the one essential innovation event for Park Inn by Radisson Manchester City Centre seeking to harness the power of creativity and the dynamic interplay that is underway. All these ideas have as a purpose to foster change starting from the heart of the business: including customers, students and hotel employees. The belief that the employee interacts with the guest every day or that the hotel management student knows what the "new customer" wants is valid, but does not suffice. Innovation contests have the ability to create the conditions for innovation to thrive. Co-creation involves a bigger picture Just to clarify, these innovation initiatives are not driven by branding or marketing models. Surely, marketing strategies attempt to create memorable experiences, become trendsetters and enable a unique brand journey. Instead, the examples offered here are strategy-centered innovations driven by organizational needs for service, business model and process innovations. A quote often attributed to Albert Einstein states that insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again and to expect different results. Customers are now used to receiving a service that is adapted and customized to their own specific needs. The industry has caught on to the trend and is scrambling to innovate every aspect of its business. Today's hoteliers understand that innovation thrives on technology, new apps, social media, new services and service processes, as well as new management and organizational tools and techniques. "Service is a monologue, hospitality is a dialogue" Danny Meyer coined this phrase in his bestselling book, Setting the Table. Open innovation helps open up the dialogue. Hoteliers can unlock their innovation strategy by combining the key elements mentioned above: the perspective of the up-and-coming millennial student, the work and experience of the current employee, the educated view of the guest, and management's profound technological awareness. Carlos Martin-Rios Ecole htelire de Lausanne HES-SO // University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland +41 21 785 18 20 EHL 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 Halima Aden, a hijab-wearing Somali-American who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp and was just signed by IMG will make her New York Fashion Week debut today at 3pm as part of Kanye Wests Yeezy Season 5 show. Diversity has been a common theme of previous Yeezy Season fashion shows but featuring Halima Aden after President Trump attempted to pass a Muslim ban makes this more of a political statement by Kanye who has publicly endorsed Trump in the past. The 19-year old model first made headlines by wearing a hijab during Minnesotas Miss USA competition in November and then a burkini for the swimsuit portion. According to Cosmopolitan, Halima Aden told Business of Fashion; I wanted to spread a positive message about beauty and diversity, and to show other young Muslim women that there is room for them. Aden and the rest of the Yeezy Season 5 models will hit the runway soon, as Kanyes show is set to begin at 3pm EST. Halima Aden Stiff Little Fingers will be playing at Belsonic this summer, along with The Stranglers, The Ruts DC, The Outcasts & punk legend Terri Hooley. Legendary NI Punks STIFF LITTLE FINGERS play their largest ever Belfast headline show at Custom House Square in Belfast to celebrate their 40th Anniversary, alongside an all-star lineup of special guests & friends including THE STRANGLERS, THE RUTS DC, THE OUTCASTS & TERRI HOOLEY. Tickets, price 25 + Booking Fee, go on-sale Friday February 17th at 9am from Ticketmaster Outlets nationwide. Stiff Little Fingers were formed in 1977 in Belfast, Ireland. Along with the likes of the Clash, Sex Pistols, The Jam, Buzzcocks, Undertones, Sham 69, Stranglers, et al Stiff Little Fingers were at the forefront of the punk movement. They wrote initially about their own lives, growing up at the height of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, in songs like Suspect Device and Wasted Life. In November of 77, they released those two songs on their own Rigid Digits label, and sent a copy to BBC Radio One DJ John Peel, who started playing it every night. These were the first of what became SLFs signature style: lyrics that meld the personal and political, music that combines the energy of punk with infectious hooks, and delivery that rings of honesty and commitment. In 1979 they became the first band ever to hit the UK top 20 album charts on an independent label with their debut Inflammable Material. The album chronicles the bands anger and frustration at the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and calls on youth to create their own reality. Advertisement Over the years, their live shows continued to be special events of energy and power. Their studio albums demonstrate their passion and anger, each in its own way. In 94 they released the Get a Life LP. The album helped renew interest in SLF just as newer bands that sited them as a major influence, such as Bad Religion, Sugar, Rancid and Therapy, were coming to prominence. In August 2003, Stiff Little Fingers released their ninth studio album, Guitar and Drum, which includes a moving tribute to Joe Strummer, entitled Strummerville. Stiff Little Fingers will play at Custom House Square, Belfast, on August 26. Tickets are 25+ and on sale this Friday, February 17 at 9am from Ticketmaster Outlets nationwide. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Laptops out and coffee cups full, the young entrepreneurs busily took notes about medical device procurement, one of the topics in the newest accelerator program at the Texas Medical Center. Tuesday's class opened the fourth group in the program, called TMCx. It includes representatives of 24 digital health startups that, among other things, provide software to help obstetricians, automate waiting-room notifications about patients undergoing surgery and improve the reliability of patient information as it is transferred among caregivers. After a monthlong boot camp, the participants will get months of development leading up to a Demo Day presentation in June. This is the largest group since the accelerator launched in 2015, said Erik Halvorsen, director of the TMC Innovation Institute. "It speaks to how our name, brand and reputation has increased in recognition," he said, noting that applicants are citing conversations with accelerator alums and advice offered from investors and board members as their main reason for wanting to participate in TMCx. This is the second group to feature startups focused on digital health, be it software, applications or devices geared for consumers, hospital systems and more. Members of the AT&T Foundry for Connected Health located inside the TMC Innovation Institute helped in the startup selection process and will provide lectures for participants, Halvorsen said. On the first day, Eric Richardson and Farzad Soleimani, associate directors of biodesign for the Innovation Institute, walked class members through the process of identifying how their startup's product or service would meet market needs, how to reach the consumers or hospitals that comprise that market and how to analyze who their customers would be. In addition to interactive workshops, the first day included a panel discussion with TMC leaders. The new group brings people with a variety of backgrounds together. Diana Cabrales, director of operations for Houston-based ConsultLink, shared with her classmates how her company works to improve the way patient data are shared between medical professionals as patients are moved from, say, the emergency room to hospital care. Nate Pagel, CEO of Medifies, said he is looking forward to real-time feedback. San Francisco-based Medifies is a mobile website that offers quick updates to families of patients in surgery. It provides updates such as, "Anesthesia has started" or, "The surgeon has started operation." Pagel's background is in software design, not health care, so he's looking forward to learning from his classmates about processes like how to market to hospitals. Anish Sebastian, CEO of Babyscripts, has more experience in the field but said he could use a refresher on startup business fundamentals including making sure his product actually meets a market need. Washington, D.C.-based Babyscripts offers obstetricians software to monitor prenatal care outside of the hospital as well as "mommy kits" for patients that include blood pressure cups, weight scales and an app with pregnancy information. Sebastian said he was drawn to the program by the boot camp format as well as the networking opportunities within the Texas Medical Center. "It's an impressive package they've put together," Sebastian said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate What would happen if Houston had no immigrants? Organizers will try to give people a glimpse of that world Thursday with a civic demonstration called "A Day Without Immigrants." The plan, part of a national movement, is for immigrants not to go to work and not to buy or sell any products or services that day. Instead, immigrants are expected to demonstrate at a rally at 6 p.m. in Guadalupe Plaza. One out of every 3.5 people in Houston is foreign-born, versus 1 in 8 nationwide. For Harris County, one in every 3.9 are foreign-born, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. That amounts to about 1.6 million people. "This idea came from an organic movement that started online to show what it would mean to have a day without immigrants in this country and in our city," said Cesar Espinosa, the leader of FIEL Houston, an organization of immigrant families. FIEL is helping to organize the movement by "creating a space for people to express their frustrations and needs," Espinosa said. More Information Immigration facts about Houston One out of every 3.5 people in the City of Houston is foreign-born. For Harris County, the rate is 3.9, according to the Census Bureau. Immigrants in Houston metro contributed roughly $116.5 billion to the economy through consumption and tax contributions in 2014. Foreign-born households held $31.8 billion in spending power and paid almost $3 billion in state and local taxes in 2014. Immigrants make up 32 percent of Houston's labor force, and are the majority share of workers in some of the county's most important industries. n 2014, 103,056 immigrants worked for their own businesses in Houston, generating nearly $2.5 billion in business income. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and the New American Economy organization. See More Collapse Many families in Houston are feeling afraid and anxious since President Donald Trump signed immigration executive orders in January, he said. In addition to the controversial order that imposed a travel ban for nationals of seven Muslim countries, Trump signed an order that would retire federal funds from "sanctuary cities." The Texas House also is considering a sanctuary bill, SB4, which would have the same effect for state municipalities and local governments. "Sanctuary cities" is not a legal definition, but the term is associated with jurisdictions where local law enforcement agencies don't cooperate with immigration authorities to apprehend undocumented immigrants. Houston is in some lists of sanctuary cities and not in others. The Center for Immigration Studies, a right wing research organization, doesn't have it on its list. "We want to create awareness about the role immigrants play in our society," said community organizer Alain Cisneros. Xochitl Ramirez, an immigrant worker from Mexico, is planning to participate "I normally don't work on Thursdays, but my husband is not going to work," she said. "We are not going to buy anything, not even on the internet; and we are not leaving the house for anything until the rally." Ramirez wants "not only to send a message to (President) Trump but to everybody that we immigrants have come here to contribute and not to sack this country," she said. John Cisneros, an education consultant and a five-generation American, is going to go to the rally to show support. "I don't come from immigrant stock," he said, "but my life has been enriched by those who have come to the United States in hopes of a better future." Cisneros, who has lived in California and Texas, considers many immigrants he knows "stalwart contributors to the community, in many instances filling the jobs that others would prefer not to hold," he said. "As a scholar, I have been taught by, studied with, and worked alongside immigrants whose intellectual capacity has surpassed my own and whose knowledge and experience have added to the many facets of work that has brought our country to its current level of productivity." Not all immigrants are sympathetic to the demonstration. "You are not looking at a day without Latinos or Mexicans," said Marri Velazquez, one of the leaders of the Latino Trump Coalition, because not all of them are immigrants. "I have heard some business owners saying that if they are not going to work, the employers are going to put a sign that day saying that they are open for hire," Velazquez said. In spite of the demonstrations, she said, "at the end of the day what will prevail is the law of the land that they violated." Cisneros could not estimate the size of Thursday's rally. "Everything has happened so fast with this president that what we are seeing is that they are in shock and in denial, only now beginning to organize." Houston Police Department is searching of three persons of interest wanted for questioning in the fatal Sharpstown shooting of a 73-year-old male security guard on Oct. 15, 2016. Police say they want to speak with Xochitl Rangel, Daniel Terrazas and Kevin Rios and they are asking anyone with information on the whereabouts of the trio to contact HPD homicide at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. For the second time this week suspects rammed the entrance of a CVS pharmacy with a pickup truck, the most recent one happening early Wednesday morning. The suspects left behind the vehicle running idle in nearby bushes for police to find. The attempted smash-and-grab happened on the corner of West Fugua Street and Hiram Clarke Road in southwest Houston. The burglars smashed the gated door of the CVS with a truck, damaging the truck and door. There is no doubt that many thousands of Houstonians avoided downtown during Super Bowl week as if it were a plague-infested grizzly bear. Now that the congestion has waned, the east side of downtown should be a must-visit destination for everyone. The way the city remade the area around Discovery Green and the George R. Brown Convention Center is amazing. A walk around the area at dusk, soaking in the lights, hearing the hum of conversations from both out-of-towners and residents of the high-rises that gleam nearby should make anyone proud to be a Houstonian. It is precisely the sort of place that can renew one's belief that the collective attitude of our city is innovative, imaginative and can-do. And if there is one place and time in the history of our great city where that spirit shone the brightest, it was in the conception and construction of the Astrodome. That's what makes it even more disappointing that Senator John Whitmire is carrying the water on yet more obstructionism designed to ensure that we stick to cynical business as usual. The party line on Whitmire's bill -- and it is certainly not too tough to figure out who's throwing the party -- is don't spend on the Astrodome. NRG Stadium needs the money. Well, "need" is not really the word. It's clearly "want." Mihir Zaveri and Bobby Cervantes: Lawmaker's bill reopens debate over $105M Astrodome parking plan The senator has made a statement that he is concerned not only about NRG, but about Minute Maid, Toyota Center and BBVA Compass. But the simple fact is that Harris County is prohibited by law from spending money on those other facilities, and none would be covered under his bill. Sometimes motives are hard to discern. This is not one of those times. There is better misdirection to be found at a second-grader's magic show. The repurposed, reimagined Astrodome would not be a stadium. This is not apples-to-apples, it's more like apples-to-possums. The Astrodome is for all of us, all the time. There are many uses for this repurposed building, and almost all offer themselves to a complete cross-section of our citizens, making public use of a grand public space. Imagine some of the hundreds of local festivals, big and small, held under the beautiful Dome. Think of the educationally charged museums that could fit into 500,000 square feet of concourse space. There will be great convention displays, a magnificent rodeo carnival and food court, a special, second-to-none event venue and plenty of quiet days for families to stroll across the eight-acre lawn and be thankful for what we saved. Common sense should indeed be our guide. Houston has hosted the Final Four twice. We have had the Super Bowl three times in the last 40-plus years. Sinking hundreds of millions of dollars yet again to upgrade NRG Stadium will not increase that frequency one bit. Now, how many times has any one of us taken his kids to the park or attended a festival during those years? It is absurd to debate for an instant which facility would mean the most to the citizens of Houston and Harris County. Stephanie Stradley: Enough with Dome dreams. Let's put the money into NRG. Let's get some facts straight. The Astrodome has not been expensive to maintain. The county pays roughly $170,000 a year with the vast majority used to cover the electric bill. So, that is not a potential source of funding for NRG. The plan the Commissioners Court has in place uses existing money. One third comes from the hotel occupancy tax, one third from a fund created from parking lots owned by the county and one third from the general fund that could be offset, meaning repaid, by future leases and festival rents. The plan that has been put in place, and is now threatened by self-interest, is a plan for a vital, revenue-producing Astrodome. The Texas Historical Commission has named the Astrodome a State Antiquities Landmark. That means the building cannot be demolished or even altered unless THC signs off on the plan. So Senator Whitmire and those who are behind the ill-advised bill would tie the county's hands and have the Dome remain there, empty, for another decade and a half. The Astrodome is an asset, owned by the taxpayers of Harris County, that is completely debt-free. It is paid for. Demolishing it would cost at least $35 million, possibly much more, and at the end of that process, we would own nothing. Remove the hand-wringing and emotion, and then answer who in their right mind would simply throw away an asset worth more than $1 billion, the going rate to construct something similar from scratch. Now add the undeniable fact that the Astrodome is not just "something," but rather a unique engineering marvel that is recognized around the globe as Houston's icon, our best advertisement for this can-do city. The Chronicle's John McClain dismissed the idea of repurposing the Astrodome using the word "preposterous." Many of us might better apply that word to a concept that, instead of spending $100 million to improve the quality of life for all of us, hands that same amount of money to private businesses that are already making a gigantic profit in order to let them make even more. Surely, those elected officials at the state level have plenty of neglected problems on their plates without throwing a wrench into well-thought-out local plans. Mike Vance is the author of multiple books on Houston history and producer-director of almost 100 feature-length documentaries, short films and television programs on the history of Houston and Texas. Common sense should indeed be our guide. Bookmark Gray Matters. In the back of the standing-room only courtroom in northwest Harris County, a woman flips through a day-old newspaper, stopping on a story about a River Oaks home featuring Italian marble and gold-leaf glass tiles in the master bathroom. Others scan their phones or whisper to each other about the wait. Eviction court is packed today. One property manager holds a box full of manila folders, each representing a different tenant. When a woman who's been sitting for more than a hour in the court with her mother and young daughter appears before the judge, she's told there isn't much the court can do. There's a disagreement about whether she's been paying rent and how much and when. According to the landlord, it's been months since a payment was received. The tenant can pay the landlord what's owed, the Justice of the Peace explains, but "they don't have to accept it at that point," he tells her. "Hopefully, you can work it out." Judge Lincoln Goodwin, who presides over this particular court, repeats that phrase often over the course of the afternoon. "Generally speaking, if rent wasn't paid or paid on time," he says, addressing all the tenants in his courtroom at once, "a hearing is not going to go in your favor today." The back rents owed hover around $1,000 to $1,500, going as low as $509. But it doesn't matter how small the debt is. As soon as it's late, a Texas landlord can choose to evict. "If you did not pay, you cannot stay," is how Judge Goodwin, one of two Justices of the Peace in Precinct 4, puts it to the courtroom. A solo endeavor In Houston, aside from the overworked Lone Star Legal Aid and a handful of legal clinics, renters are often on their own. With rents steadily rising in the Houston metro area, agencies that offer aid like short-term rental assistance say they're seeing demand creep upward, even as federal funding has shifted away from homelessness prevention toward ending homelessness. It's an approach that is seen by some as more reactive than proactive. Job loss, medical costs, even car trouble can put someone behind on rent. And once that happens, there's little standing between them and an eviction that will have immediate and lasting negative consequences. The chaos of an eviction can send ripples through a person's life. And because of the insidious logic of the process, it typically serves as an additional, sometimes debilitating blow amid existing hardship. "How much are you seeking in back rent?" Judge Goodwin asks each landlord, one-by-one. "$1,598." "$1,778." "$975." Available data on evictions is limited. On a recent Tuesday in this court one of 16 JP courts across the county the day's docket had some 90 eviction cases. Requests to the individual courts for historical docket data went largely unanswered. One court referred the request to the county attorney, and another estimated the costs in fulfilling the request would exceed $800. Without that data, it's difficult to count the human tool of evictions in the Houston area. But those court numbers offer only an incomplete picture. Renters who fall behind on rent often don't wait around for a formal eviction notice before moving out. Meanwhile, landlords can pressure tenants to leave even without going through the eviction process. Those are known as "soft evictions." A 2013 survey of renters in the Houston area found that roughly 1 percent of renters had been threatened with eviction in the last three months, according to the American Housing Survey, produced by the U.S. Census Bureau. And more than 2.5 percent said it was likely they'd have to leave their home in the next two months due to eviction. When asked where they'd go, roughly a quarter said they'd find a new home. That's wishful thinking, said Jennifer Brock, a case manager at the Wesley Community Center in the Near Northside neighborhood just outside downtown Houston. She helps people who have received an eviction notice with short-term rental assistance for up to three months, depending on their case. While it's "nice in theory" to imagine you'd simply find a new apartment, she said, "that's a lot harder than it seems. Having a single eviction on your record limits you so dramatically." That's because landlords often require references from a potential tenant's previous residence. She keeps a list of places that work with her organization on a case-by-case basis, mostly apartment complexes well outside Houston's inner core that she said are as quick to accept someone with an eviction as they are to evict them after the first day of late rent. When possible, she said, private landlords are the best. "They say they'd be able to afford a new place, but they're not taking into account the amount of time it might take to do so," said Brock. "I see a lot of people who try to do a hotel or motel in the interim, and that just drains anything you had." "I lost everything" Cindy is certain that, without Brock's help, she'd be living in her car. Again. She met Brock in September 2016. Cindy, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, had been ill for months at that point. Complications from a pregnancy meant she couldn't work for roughly two months. She lost her job and the unborn children. Triplets. And then she got the eviction notice. She had been struggling to get on her feet for years, and this threatened to undo all that work. When Cindy thinks of home, it's always the same place: the three-bedroom house off Mesa Drive in northeast Houston. She lived in other homes growing up, but that was the one where she and her mother stayed after her seven older siblings had moved out and gone to college. There, it was just Cindy and her mom. The neighborhood is full of brick, mostly one-story homes. Two-car garages. Sidewalks. Trees. "I had a great childhood," she said. Her mother was a master barber and her father worked for the City of Houston. They never wanted for anything, she remembered. Then, her mother got sick with cancer. For 11 months, it fell to Cindy to care for her. In 2011, she died. "And 2012," said Cindy, "was when I lost everything." It started with her job. Cindy has a master's degree from Texas Southern University and had worked in education her whole career. Her mother even briefly ran a day care out of their home when she was younger. At the time her mother got sick, Cindy was working as an education consultant, marketing curricula and training teachers. But she quit to take care of her mom, who soon died. After that, Cindy said, everything just "slipped." She didn't have any money saved. She had a young daughter. Her ex-husband had died just two months before her mother. She felt alone. So Cindy did a short sale and sold the house she inherited from her mom. Initially, she stayed with siblings: First a sister, until one of her nephew's caught shingles, then a brother at his senior citizen home, hiding whenever staff came around. "The stress ... ," she remembers. "It was hard for me to immediately get back on my feet." In 2014, she had another baby, a girl. But she was sick a lot in the first few months, and Cindy missed work when she couldn't take her to daycare. Her daughter's father was not helpful, she said. That summer, during one of the staff sweeps through her brother's senior housing complex, Cindy and her daughters had to sleep in her Honda Civic for four days in a gas station parking lot to avoid getting caught. She'd run the air-conditioning as long as she could, the humid Houston air cloaking her car. And then they'd watch YouTube videos on her cell phone until her daughters fell asleep, first the oldest and then the baby. "I don't require much sleep," said Cindy. "I've always been like that." In August 2015, she was able to move into her own apartment. She was there for a little over a year. But then she got pregnant and the bleeding started. "He said we're even" There are many ways an eviction can play out, but it starts with a "notice to vacate" the landlord delivers to the tenant, whether for late or nonpayment, or a violation of the lease. The standard is three days to leave, unless the lease says otherwise. If the tenant departs, then that's the end. But they can stay, forcing the landlord to file the eviction in court. This additional step is thought to help prevent landlords from abusing their power. The process requires a landlord to present the case at the eviction hearing, which usually happens somewhere around a week or two after the suit is filed. Eviction court is an informal affair, with the process largely dependent on the judge running it. Most tenants don't show up. Landlords win those cases by default. But occasionally tenants and landlords will work something out at the bench, with the encouragement of the judge. "A lot of the judgments are default judgments," said Andy Teas, a vice president with the Houston Apartment Association. "The resident doesn't have anything to say really so a lot of times, they don't even show up. In others, they say, 'no, I didn't pay my rent, but I've got a good excuse, and here it is.'" "Some judges will let them go on, and some will cut them off, because it really doesn't matter." Medical emergencies, job losses, traffic accidents none of it matters to the final decision judges can make in eviction court if a landlord is unwilling to negotiate. "I don't envy those guys," said Teas. Even if the case is dismissed because the landlord worked something out with the tenant, it can still show up on the tenant's rental history. If the judgment goes against the tenant, there's a five-day window to appeal, which would send the case up to the county level. Otherwise, the constable will arrive and supervise the move out. That's the typical process, but there are variations and abuses. Landlords, can, for example, change the locks on a property. But the tenant is entitled to a new set of keys during the eviction process, something not all tenants know. Personal motivations can work their way into the case, said Brock, even though there are some protections for tenants against retaliation for reporting code violations, for example. And when threatened with something like a visit from the constable, many people believe the landlord's threats, without knowing how the process should work. Then there are the misconceptions and gray areas that often work against the tenant. "There are a lot of urban myths," said Brock, "these widespread ideas people have that just aren't true, like being able to withhold rent because the landlord isn't making repairs." Or tenants could have informal agreements with landlords to do the repair work themselves in exchange for a discount on rent, only to be given an eviction notice. "He said we're even," was what one tenant being evicted told Goodwin. "They want to be paid" Brock is able to start working with clients as soon as they receive that first eviction order from their landlords, that way she can guarantee there's a definite need, a requirement of her funding. Of course, that leaves a tight window, roughly a month, for her to intervene. And she's seen clients evicted before she was able to actually meet with them. Recently, she's noticed more landlords who are familiar with how short-term rental assistance works and who, she said, are comfortable working with tenants once they know they have some assistance coming. "They want to be paid," she said. For a landlord, it's sometimes more desirable to work with a tenant than go through with the eviction. "First, they're going to lose all the money the current tenant owes, they're going to have to pay to go to court, there's the whole eviction process and then there's the re-letting time," she explained. For a private landlord who may only own a property or two, that can be a huge loss. It's also no coincidence that more landlords seem to be familiar with the rental assistance process because demand for such programs has increased. The upturn in need in the past year mirrors the period immediately after the recession, said Sharon Zachary, who heads the Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries, which includes Wesley Community Center and serves a five-county area. The oil slump and flooding, as well as rising rents across the metro area, combined to increase the strain on families as well as the number of utility bill payments and rental assistance cases handled by the ministries in her organization, according to preliminary numbers. "A cascade of misery" All told, the city of Houston received more than $2 million in funding in 2016 in the form of federal Emergency Solutions Grants, about the same it got in 2015. Harris County, meanwhile, received an additional $1 million and change. That funding, which is distributed locally, goes toward shelters, rehousing efforts as well as homeless prevention like the work Brock does. That's in addition to private funding as well, which can come with fewer stipulations. Recently, thanks in part to new guidelines, there's been an increased focus on rehousing, rather than preventive measures like rental assistance. But people who work with both landlords and tenants know the often small costs that can stand between a person being housed and becoming homeless. "You know from sitting in eviction court, you have a person getting evicted because of an unexpected medical thing, an employment thing or something with a family member," said Teas. "Because they lose their job, they can't pay their rent, they get evicted. Because they don't have a place to live, they can't get a job. There's sort of a cascade of misery. If you could rewind the tape to before that eviction, for maybe $1,000 you could prevent this whole cascade of problems that ends up costing the system tens of thousands of dollars." "From a pure cost perspective," agreed Zachary, "you cost a lot less if you prevent homelessness, not to mention the trauma to children and families." Even when someone doesn't end up homeless, the impact of an eviction can last for years. Effects on health Looking at a national dataset, researchers found that one in two mothers who experienced eviction reported struggling with depression, and they also reported more health problems in their children as well. "The year following eviction is incredibly trying for low-income mothers," said Rachel Kimbro, an associate professor of sociology at Rice, associate director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research's Urban Health Program and the study's co-author, in a release about the report. "Eviction spares neither their material, physical nor mental well-being, thereby undermining efforts of social programs designed to help them." The study, co-authored by Matthew Desmond who later published his own book on the subject, also found that eviction upsets the lives of children as well, framing eviction not only as a product but a cause of poverty as well. Cindy knows the costs. After losing her mother and having to sell their home, she said the stress just piled on top of her, taking her years to recover from. She's still recovering. February will be her first month without rental assistance in her new place. Because of program guidelines, she has to wait a year before applying for more. "I appreciated the help," she said, "If I hadn't got those three months, I'd be back in the same boat." Looking ahead, she said she feels like she has what she needs to be self-sufficient. She's found good work as a substitute teacher and is living in a one-bedroom apartment with her daughters, planning ahead for the hard summer months when she won't be in the classroom. Her youngest daughter's father pays child support every week. And she washed and sold some of their old clothes online. Now, she's looking into becoming a driver with Uber. "I try to do little things to help myself out now," she said. The apartment is one of 12 on the east side of town in a neighborhood called Cloverleaf. She's happy with the schools but not as much with the apartment. First, she had trouble with the window unit that was supposed to heat their one-bedroom place. And the hot water heater stops working after a few minutes of warm water, so she sometimes has to heat water for her kids on the stove. Her older daughter is doing well in school but she wants her own room, especially on the nights when her two-year old sister refuses sleep. "I told her, it will be greater later," said Cindy. "I promised her that and she knows when I promise something, I work hard and I do just that." Right now, they don't go out much because Cindy said the area has a lot of prostitution and drugs. Her dream is to live in a home in Galena Park, so her daughter could stay in the same school district. "I can never get back the things I had," she said. "I can only move forward." Leah Binkovitz (@leahbink), formerly of the Houston Chronicle, is now a staff writer for Rice University's Kinder Institute. This story is part of the Housing of Houston series, a new project by the Kinder Institute's Urban Edge blog, highlighting the stories of people searching for housing in the country's most dynamic metropolitan area. New stories are posted the second Monday of each month to Housing of Houston. Bookmark Gray Matters. It knows the costs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A brownish drill rig barrels 20 feet into the earth behind River of Praise church off of Texas 249 and the intersection of the Grand Parkway and Boudeaux Estates Road, on a foggy Monday morning. Once the drill reaches the bottom, it begins to spin, gradually stripping caramel-colored clay from the planet's crust, carving the hole even deeper. In a matter of weeks, the posse of 16-wheel trucks and cranes in the church's parking lot will replace the 8-foot diameter hole with a soaring, white cross. Standing at 125 feet tall, the cross will be as much a local landmark as it is a manifestation of one couple's pain, love, and legacy. Honoring Paul Ryan Paul Whitaker was born in 1981. Described as a people-lover, Whitaker had "a heart as big as Texas" and the same honey-hazel eyes and downward-pointed nose as his mother, Paula. Having specialized in automotive technology, Ryan told his mother that he wanted to go back to school so he could study to become a nurse. In 2007, at 25, he opted for the early career shift because he said it would allow him to help people. Less than two weeks later, he died from medical complications while recovering from a work incident that left bulging disks in his vertebrae. "I miss him every day," Paula Whitaker said. "It felt like looking across the Grand Canyon with all your dreams for your grandchildren on the other side; Ryan was the bridge." Following his passing, Paula considered potential ideas for a memorial for her son. They felt his legacy would be best preserved doing the work he intended to do with his own life. They've cemented that legacy through a number of projects, utilizing what would've been his inheritance to support initiatives like the Shattered Lives Program, Kenya South Africa Missions, Salem Lutheran Ministries, Tomball Pregnancy Center, and the Tomball Rotary. The Ryan Paul Whitaker Nursing Scholarship Endowment was also created to provide nursing scholarships to two students, a program set to expand this year. TOMAGWA Health Care Ministries' medical center is also named in his honor. Still, that outreach felt incomplete for the couple. Southern cross While taking a road trip to the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee to relieve some of the grief and depression following Ryan's death, Paula said she spotted an enormous cross on a hill near her hometown, Chattanooga. Overcome with emotion, tears in her eyes, she persuaded Ken to turn around so they could better observe the structure. She and Ken stayed there for pictures and prayers for another hour or two. Paula said she felt the rush of the Holy Spirit uplift her during that visit. She'd see two more towering crosses on the way through North Carolina, a sign assuredly, she felt, that she'd eventually have to erect a similar one back home. Over the course of 10 years, Whitaker gradually researched the other crosses before reaching out and developing a relationship with the builder, James Potter, who's built 50 similar crosses throughout the country. She planned for the Tomball version to be crafted like the Groom cross in northwest Texas. Building a tribute Darrylinn Akerman and her husband, Mike, own M&D Industries, which is lending its services for the erection of the cross, free of charge. Akerman watches on with a mix of pride and attentiveness, as a crew of men empty what remains in the soon-to-be 35-foot-hole. For she and Mike - longtime friends of the Whitakers - working on this project was a no-brainer. For their employees, it was an opportunity to be a part of something special to their faith. It's also a bit extra-ordinary for the company, which typically does this type of work helping TxDOT to build bridges. "She called to ask if we knew anyone who could dig a hole," Akerman said, noting that she and Mike were excited to offer their help. "We feel honored to be a part of this." The cross was primarily funded by the Ryan Paul Whitaker Memorial Foundation. Its material, labor, and erection cost around $250,000-300,000 in sum. Upon completion, the cross will feature a quartz and limestone base with benches for prayer and meditation. It will also have a water baptistery in the front and LED lights that will reflect different colors upon the cross. It will officially be dedicated on Easter Sunday although it is now open to visitors. Whitaker said she wants the cross to be accessible to anyone, especially travelers who may spot the towering symbol and be inspired as she first was 10 years ago. Ostensibly, the cross is the capstone to Ryan's legacy, a symbol of everything Paula and Ken have poured into this world. If it serves to help and inspire others, as their son once did, it seems Ryan's legacy will last longer than the couple had hoped. Whitaker is standing about 30 feet away from the hole as the trucks slowly maneuver around it. She gently closes her eyes, remembering her son's face as the wind brushes past her cheeks. "This is something I've wanted more than anything else," she said. Marie D. De JesAs/Staff The city of Pasadena will not fight an appellate court ruling over its election system, a decision that will allow the upcoming May council elections to proceed with eight-single member district seats, according to the lead attorney for the city in the closely watched voting rights case. The elections will proceed under the district format and will not using six neighborhood council and two at-large seats, a system a district judge ruled was discriminatory against Latino voters. A dispute that started over a top-shelf hamburger has landed in federal court, with a Houston man accusing Ruth's Chris Steak House of denying him service and treating him rudely because he is African-American. A lawsuit filed in federal court in Houston says Walter Allen's favorite item at the high-end restaurant on Westheimer is the Prime Steak Burger, which he orders without mustard or lettuce because of food allergies but with extra cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms. Maria Katina Karos, attorney for Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc., declined to comment Wednesday on the lawsuit but said a statement from the company may be forthcoming. CONSEQUENCES: Texas could face problems if it passes 'bathroom bill' Allen visited the Westheimer location multiple times in 2015 and 2016, according to the lawsuit. During one visit in May 2015, the suit says, Allen was told he could not eat the burger in the restaurant's dining room, even though a white couple nearby was eating the same thing. When he questioned it, he said they agreed to make an exception. On another visit in 2016, he was told again that he could not eat the burger in the dining area, according to the suit. PROTESTS: Celebrities, artists tell Texas to drop anti-LGBTQ measures The lawsuit also accuses a waiter of using her bare hands to open his burger when he questioned whether there was extra cheese, and says a general manager publicly mocked him for questioning why he did not receive the "happy hour" price when ordering a burger to go. "Are you freaking stupid? What part do you not understand?" the manager asked, according to the lawsuit. On another occasion, when Allen found mustard on the burger, the staff merely wiped it off and gave it back to him, the suit said. Allen is seeking up to $100,000 in relief. >>>Scroll through the above gallery to see things Texas could have purchased instead of spending money on losing lawsuits This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN Mark Sheridan says he can't shake the scenario in his head: a student, anxious or angry, suddenly waving a gun in his office. "It's not a moment-to-moment terror, but there is a lingering cloud," said Sheridan, an English doctoral student who also teaches at the University of Texas at Austin. After Texas began allowing concealed carry license holders to bring handguns on campus last summer, Sheridan and several other UT graduate students moved their office hours with students to local bars including the Cactus Cafe, a quiet bar tucked in the university student center. The reason is simple: It's illegal to bring a concelaed firearm into a venue that primarily serves alcohol. Their decision was done quietly and with few objections. The same could be said about concealed carry at universities across Texas, where there have been few protests or incidents since the law went into effect in August a stark contrast to the strong emotions and demonstrations that punctuated debate before the legislation was approved in 2015. Many college leaders, faculty and students protested against law. They feared it would cause gun violence and intimidation, especially in the classroom. But universities across the state have seen nothing of the kind. More Information Gun discharge incidents on Texas college campuses, fall 2016 University of Houston: A student committed suicide at the Hilton hotel on campus. The death was discovered Nov. 14. Tarleton State University: A student licensed to carry a concealed firearm accidentally discharged a weapon in a dorm room on Sept. 14. No one was injured and property damage was minimal. Texas Tech University: Individual fired a gun three times on the campus' Memorial Circle early in the morning of Sept. 29, but there was no injury or property damage. See More Collapse In fact, six months under the law, there have been reports of only three firearm discharges on Texas public college campuses, according to interviews and a Houston Chronicle review of university records. Just one had a connection to the new campus carry law. "(It) was, for the most part, a non-event," said John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. "Why people thought eligible students who act responsibly in the community would act irresponsibly on campus was beyond me." Many college students have moved on to other issues, including the surprise election of President Donald Trump. Campus carry appears to have faded from the minds of Texas faculty and students. "I don't think, 'Does that guy have a gun in his backpack?'" said Nicholas Gonzales, a University of Houston junior studying mechanical engineering. "Now that it's a law, I don't think anyone puts too much thought in it." At UT, though, where a "cocks not glocks" demonstration in August drew campus carry opponents carrying sex toys, public opposition still remains. Some professors hang anti-gun posters in their windows. Others post their opposition on social media occasionally. There's a pending federal lawsuit brought by three UT professors who unsuccessfully tried to block the law from going into effect. And twice a week, in the Cactus Cafe, Sheridan meets with students in his spring class Rhetoric of U.S. Exceptionalism. "If I want to work at a place that bans guns," Sheridan said recently, "the bar seems like the safest bet for me." UT won't curtail academic meetings in bars Graduate students at UT share offices and cannot bar guns from those rooms, though faculty can keep guns out of their offices. University leaders say graduate students have long been permitted to hold office hours off campus. "The university did not track it then, and that did not change with the new law," UT spokesman J.B. Bird said. But gun advocates say the practice violates the spirit of campus carry. "You're usurping the intent of the legislature. You are a graduate teaching assistant, an employee of the state, and your work should be performed...on state property," said Michael Newbern, a spokesman for Students for Concealed Carry. Lynn Cowles, the events manager of local bar Hole in the Wall, brought the idea to the graduate student assembly. It's hard for students to seek academic help in a place like Hole in the Wall, which has a busy lunch hour and live music starting at 7 p.m., said Cowles, who earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from UT in December 2015. On a recent afternoon, rock music played behind the bar, and a few customers leaned over red stools held together by black duct tape to pay for refills of the beers on tap. To Cowles, the drawbacks of meeting with students in a bar pale in comparison to the prospect of a student carrying a concealed weapon into an instructor's office on campus. "It's not a professional space for academics, but this is the environment we're working with right now on campus," she said. Recruiting faculty, students challenged Texas college officials can't track how many students are carrying guns on campuses because gun license holders are only required to disclose that they have a license to a member of law enforcement or to a magistrate. Gonzales, the UH junior, said he knows two students with the permits, but neither often carries a gun. Still, some university leaders worry about the lingering negative effects on recruitment of top faculty and students. Former University of Houston faculty senate president Jonathan Snow said each of the roughly six candidates he interviewed for faculty or administrative positions in the fall asked him about the campus carry law. He explained to them that the state legislature forced this statute upon UH and the university has "written the best rules that we can" within state guidelines. "It's a tough one to respond to," Snow said. "I'm pretty sure that the faculty opinion hasn't really changed that much. Guns will never be an acceptable part of university life." At UT, Fritz Steiner, dean of the architecture school resigned last year, citing campus carry in his decision to take a job at the University of Pennsylvania. Ian Becker, 27, a UT grad student who studies community and regional planning, said he was aware of Steiner's decision to leave the school that oversees his program before he decided to enroll. Campus carry "fundamentally chills academic freedom of expression," Becker said, citing Steiner's departure. A&M displays gun-friendly culture Two Texas A&M University faculty members also named campus carry as reasons for leaving. Student attitudes in College Station, however, have been more friendly to the law. Several years before it was enacted, elected student leaders passed a "personal protection act" that urged university and state leaders to pass legislation or policy allowing concealed guns on campus. At A&M, the presence of the Corps of Cadets presence makes the campus more gun-friendly, said anthropology professor Michael Alvard, who realizes that he's in the minority as a liberal-leaning faculty member. Cody Nedbalek, an A&M graduate student studying biological and agricultural engineering, said he knows friends who carry a gun to class, and he plans to get his concealed carry license this summer. With the university's military-friendly culture, he said many students "aren't scared of guns. They're not uncomfortable if they see them." Students at UT said the law crosses their mind occasionally, like when they walk through campus at night or see someone wearing a hooded sweatshirt in hot weather. Freshman Maddy Moore, 18, said she initially sought to attend an East Coast college, partly because of the freedom to carry guns on Texas campuses. Moore, of San Antonio, said her parents were worried about it when she moved into her apartment off campus. Her father, a hunter, asked her many times if she wanted a gun in her apartment for self-defense. Moore has declined so far. For UT student Julie Potrykus, 19, of College Station, adapting to campus carry meant getting used to meeting Sheridan, one of her class instructors, at the Cactus Cafe for office hours. "It can seem different because it's not in a traditional office," Potrykus said, "but we were still focused on the content at hand." New scalp-cooling technology may prevent hair loss in patients undergoing chemotherapy, considered one of the traumatic side effects of cancer treatment. Two studies released Tuesday - one led by Houston scientists - provide the first U.S. evidence that tightly fitted caps kept chilled by an automated system helped breast cancer patients retain their hair. Such caps are fairly new to the United States but more established in other countries such as Sweden and England. "These are exciting results," said Dr. Julie Nangia, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine and the principal investigator of one of the studies. "With breast cancer care coming so far in the last decade - lots of new treatments, patients living longer - it's nice to have trials showing these devices can help women keep their hair and improve their quality of life." Nangia's study, under investigation at Baylor and six other sites since 2015, found that half of the patients who wore the caps kept all or most of their hair, compared to none of those who didn't receive the cooling therapy. Among the satisfied participants was Shawna Mayberry, 60, a recently retired schoolteacher in Arlington. She lost so little hair that people she knew would stop her to say, "I thought you were going through chemo; why aren't you losing hair?" Another multi-institution study, led by the University of California-San Francisco, found similar benefits from a competing cooling system for 66 percent of participants, though the higher number is likely because all received a type of chemotherapy more affected by cooling. The Baylor-led study results were similar when only that chemotherapy was considered. The studies were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and accompanied by an editorial headlined, "The time has come" for scalp cooling to prevent chemotherapy induced hair loss. Anticipating the new systems will help "ease the distress," it cited a previous survey that found 50 percent of respondents consider hair loss "the most traumatic aspect" of chemotherapy and 8 percent decline the treatment because of the concern. "The symbolism of losing your hair during cancer treatment is powerful, and can be devastating for young women in particular," said Jennifer Merschdorf, CEO of the advocacy group Young Survival Coalition and a breast cancer survivor. "It's cultural short-hand for 'being sick.' It makes it hard to escape being viewed as "the girl with cancer." Both of the systems reported on Tuesday use a mobile refrigeration unit that circulates a liquid coolant through the cap, worn 30 minutes before chemotherapy, during the sessions and for 90 minutes afterwards. The idea is that cold both constricts blood vessels so less chemotherapy is delivered to hair follicles and decreases enzyme activity that drives the attack on cells. Chemotherapy by nature attacks not just cancer cells but also healthy cells, particularly rapidly dividing ones such as those in hair roots. The subject of much recent buzz, scalp freezing actually has been around for more than 20 years. Early models, still sparingly used, involve low-tech frozen caps worn for 15 to 20 minutes, then continuously replaced with another. The high-tech systems were developed and initially tested in Europe; little study had previously been done in the U.S. Nangia said she expects Baylor will use the Orbis Paxman Hair Loss Prevention System, the one she tested, once it receives Food and Drug Administration clearance, likely in at least 90 days. The company submitted the Baylor study results as part of an application currently under review. Nangia added that she anticipates scalp freezing will roll out gradually, depending on demand and, ultimately, insurance coverage. Paxman will charge from $1,500 to $3,000 depending on the length of the treatment, Nangia said. She said she hopes insurers will ultimately cover the therapy, much as they do breast reconstruction, though it took the Women's Health and Cancer Right Act in 1998 to make such coverage mandatory. At MD Anderson Cancer Center, a top official said it's good to have hard evidence showing scalp cooling can help prevent hair loss, but said it is still too early to make either of the systems part of its breast cancer care. "This is a good start, but there are still a lot of issues to be worked out," said Dr. Carmen Escalante, chair of general internal medicine. "Who'll pay? Does it extrapolate to all patients and all types of chemotherapy? How does it affect scheduling in busy clinics? There needs to be further study." The Baylor-led study, the first to randomize participants into a group that got scalp cooling and a group that didn't, enrolled 182 women with either stage I or II breast cancer who received at least four cycles of either of two types of chemotherapy. Analysis of the first patients to complete treatment found 48 of 95 who wore caps had so little hair loss that they didn't need a wig or scarf, whereas all 47 of those in the other group did. There were no safety issues. The most common adverse events from the caps were headaches. The results caused Nangia's team to stop accruing patients and halt the trial to release the data. "It was a real blessing," Mayberry said. "I could go on with my life without my hair declaring I have cancer. I felt like I had some control over the craziness of cancer." Nangia said she hopes to conduct future scalp-freezing studies with colon, lung and ovarian cancers. The therapy is only safe in solid tumors, not blood cancers. About this story: The Texas Tribune generally does not publish the names of victims of sexual abuse or sex trafficking. Lena is identified by her middle name at her request. The details in Lena's story come from phone and in-person interviews with her, as well as from court documents and interviews with her lawyer, foster care caseworker, a family member, Harris County prosecutors, and other social workers and advocates familiar with her story. The Tribune also interviewed her pimp's lawyer and one of her pimp's associates. For three months in the fall of 2016, Lena was one of the youngest inmates in the Harris County Jail. The 17-year-old lived with two dozen women in a single room. She slept on a metal bunk and wore an oversized orange jumpsuit every day. She went to the bathroom with no privacy, using a toilet attached to the wall. Yet compared to what she'd endured, it didn't seem half bad. Lena had felt trapped her whole life. At home, by an abusive adoptive mother. At school, where she wore turtlenecks and baggy clothes to hide her bruises. In one facility for foster kids after another after her mother lost custody of her. And by a series of pimps who sold her for sex after she ran away. It was no surprise to Lena when she ended up behind bars for offering an undercover police officer oral sex in exchange for money. "I always wanted older men's attention ... I got addicted to it," Lena said. "And the only way I knew how to get it was to lay on my back." No one wanted Lena in jail not the Houston police who arrested her, not the district attorney who pursued the case. In their eyes, she was not a prostitute; she was a child who had been sexually exploited and needed protection and care. Lena and teenage victims like her end up in jail for one simple reason: There's nowhere else for them to go. Texas has just one facility devoted to child sex-trafficking victims, called Freedom Place in Spring, a Houston suburb. It can only afford to treat 20 girls at any given time, and it won't accept kids who've been picked up by police in the middle of the night. Other residential treatment centers in the state provide specialized care for foster kids who may have behavioral and emotional problems. But they aren't equipped to treat the type of trauma sex-trafficking victims have been through. They're also hesitant to take chronic runaways; Lena had fled such facilities several times before. So authorities in Harris County and other big Texas counties who encounter kids like Lena take a gamble they call "arrest and recovery": arrest them to get them off the street and drop the charges later. "What options do we have with these girls?" asked Ana Martinez, a prosecutor in Harris County who specializes in trafficking cases. "If I dismiss her case, she's just walking on the street that night." Lena agreed. She was fed up with foster care, fed up with running and fed up with the men who'd used her. Getting arrested, she said, might just be the best thing that ever happened to her. Callie Richmond/For the Texas Tribune From middle school to exploitation Lena was 13 when she ran away from her first residential treatment center outside Houston. She was restless. She'd been there for nearly a year with no sign of a more stable solution. Most foster families didn't want to take in a teenager with a checkered past. Lena bolted from the front lawn of her Houston middle school one morning. Minutes later, as she walked down the street, she ran into a friendly-looking stranger. He promised to take care of her if she made him a little money. His offer wasn't unthinkable. She'd had sex before, and had been sexually abused, a factor that makes kids far more likely to fall victim to pimps. He promised her Ecstasy so she could focus on something else while she was having sex with johns. Here was an adult who said he could protect her. "Every time a man told me, 'I love you, I'm gonna take care of you,' I listened," Lena said. "I did everything they wanted me to do." Lena stayed in the man's apartment in Greenspoint, a North Houston neighborhood, along with a few other women he also pimped out. One room was reserved for having sex with clients, whom the pimp solicited from truck stops and convenience stores. Lena said she made $100 or $150 for every trick. She gave all her money to the pimp. Over the next three years, Lena would have as many pimps. She'd stay with them for a few weeks or months, sometimes moving from motel to motel. Then she'd get scared or decide it was time to move, and return to foster care then run away again. Sometimes she felt free and wanted and independent. She took Facebook selfies in front of a bathroom mirror wearing a short black dress and big hoop earrings. She posted pictures of her pimps, shirtless and heavily tattooed, with captions like "I LOVE MY DADDY" and "My daddy loves me." Other times, she felt miserable. Not long after her 16th birthday, she posted another selfie, lying on a bed, her face expressionless. "F---ed up on Molly's," she wrote, referring to Ecstasy. "Makin' money." Later, she wrote: "My life is so f---ed up I don't know what to do anymore." Eventually, Lena's Facebook page went dark. Police had responded to an Internet post advertising sex with her and found her in a motel room. They arrested her pimp at the motel next door. With Lena's help, police ultimately charged two people with forcing a child into prostitution. But the question remained: What to do with Lena? Police knew she was a long-term foster kid and a chronic runaway. They also knew she needed serious help. A medical examination revealed she was pregnant and had three sexually transmitted diseases. She would need months of specialized psychological and medical care. But she couldn't get any of it if she didn't stay put. So Houston police charged the pregnant, 16-year-old sex-trafficking victim with a crime she says it was prostitution, though juvenile records are not public and sent her to juvenile detention. Callie Richmond/For the Texas Tribune No place for trafficked teens Sex-trafficking experts and victims' advocates agree that Lena didn't belong behind bars. "We're looking at this population in a different way," said Angela Goodwin, a top official at Texas' child welfare agency, the Department of Family and Protective Services. "We don't want to lock them up." But across the state, the agency is facing a crisis when it comes to finding beds for kids like Lena both when they're most susceptible to becoming trafficking victims and after they've escaped the hands of pimps. Texas relies on private contractors to build and run treatment facilities for kids and pays them very little money to do so. Those companies are then left to operate the facilities at a very low cost or raise money through donations. Few are willing to get into such a high-liability business, and many that do are reluctant to take kids with drug addictions or other particularly challenging behavioral problems. The average cost of housing a high-needs child in a residential treatment center in Texas is about $300 each day. Right now, the state will only pay $260. Running a facility that is licensed to treat sex-trafficking victims is even more expensive; Texas law requires additional services, but the state doesn't pay for them. Texas child welfare officials have told the Legislature it will take an additional $200 million to pay the full cost of housing children in the state's care. So far, state lawmakers have not committed to paying for any of it. Meanwhile, existing facilities meant for the most troubled foster kids are shutting their doors. In the last year and a half, Texas lost more than 300 of these beds and is scrambling to replace them. As a result, kids in the state's care are routinely stuck in psychiatric hospitals or sleep on cots in their caseworkers' offices. Some are even forced to overstay their sentences in juvenile detention which happened to 16-year-old Lena while she was pregnant, she said. State officials say they're trying to find better solutions, both for vulnerable kids in the state's long-term foster care system and for those who have already been trafficked. Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced that $8 million in federal grant money will soon become available to help some of the state's most troubled long-term foster kids. Officials in his office say they also have millions of dollars in federal criminal justice money that organizations that serve child victims of sexual exploitation can apply for. They said they still don't know how much of that money they will distribute. A year ago, Abbott's office formed a child sex-trafficking unit a year ago that will open offices in regions across Texas. The unit, designed to help with victim recovery, has a two-year budget of about $6 million in state money to distribute to organizations that provide victims' services. But none of those initiatives solve the capacity problem. Private-sector plans are in the works to build the kind of place that Lena needed. The Alamo Youth Center in San Antonio hopes to be the first-ever facility to take sex-trafficking victims in emergency situations, stabilizing them before they're ready for longer-term treatment. But it will require $30 million in fundraising. For now, the fact remains: While so many child sex-trafficking victims have some connection to the Texas child welfare system, that system has almost no resources to help them. Only the criminal justice system does and sparingly. In Harris County, for example, one innovative diversion court pays to house and care for juvenile trafficking victims. It has the funds to help about two dozen kids at any time, and a long waiting list. Angela Ellis, the judge who presides over the court, struggles with the fact that kids can only benefit from her program if they're charged with a crime and locked up. "How do you convince a kid that they're a victim when they're in a jumpsuit and they're shackled?" she asked. Callie Richmond/For the Texas Tribune A 'real life'? Lena was released from juvenile detention just a few weeks before giving birth to a baby boy. She was sent to a residential treatment center outside of Houston. Lena still had a lot of trauma to deal with, but she was excited to be a mother. Among the countless pictures she posted on Facebook over the past four years, the ones with her baby in the hospital are the few in which she's smiling. But soon after she delivered her son, the state took custody of him. Out of grief and frustration, Lena ran. "I completely gave up," she said. "My mind was still stuck in the streets. All I knew was the streets." When police arrested her for prostitution a few months later, in the fall of 2016, she had nothing to her name but $50 cash and the crop top and jeans she was wearing. She was now 17 old enough to be charged as an adult. At first, Lena was devastated. But her three-month stint at the Harris County Jail gave her time to think and a chance to participate in a county program for women facing prostitution charges. The women, most of them much older than Lena, shared stories of abuse at the hands of boyfriends, dads, grandfathers. They spoke of drug addiction and homelessness. They talked about how to live better lives on the outside. They became confidants for her; they braided her hair. She kept a journal. Kathy Griffin, the program's director, said she was amazed at how much progress Lena made in such a short time. Of all of the young girls she'd met through the program, she said, Lena had one of the best chances of making it. "She knows she's got a shot at having a real life," Griffin said. But there was a lingering question in Griffin's mind, one that had plagued Lena's care from the beginning: Where would she go next? Lena was still 17, still in the state's care, and with no place to go. No foster family or residential treatment center had a bed for her. Her caseworker was going to drive her from jail to a 24-hour intake center for foster kids in West Houston, where she'd spend the night on a cot. She had stayed at that intake center before, though, and she'd run away from it before. Lena vowed things would be different this time. She promised she would stay put until she turned 18, just a few weeks away. With Griffin's help, she'd get accepted to a private nonprofit shelter for young adults in need. She had a plan. She wanted to finish high school, go to Prairie View A&M University and study forensic science. "You've got to want to change," Lena said as she left the Harris County Jail on a rainy Friday afternoon. "The test starts when you walk outside. And this is my test." Lena's caseworker took her to Church's Chicken for dinner, then to the intake center. When they arrived, Lena went to take a shower and her caseworker left. At 9:50 p.m., Lena walked out. Griffin and her caseworker haven't heard from her since. Callie Richmond/For the Texas Tribune Finding missing teens Intake centers like the one in West Houston are a last resort for foster kids. All they have to offer are cots, showers and warm meals; had Lena stayed there, she would have had to sit in her caseworker's office during the day. Security staff can monitor who comes in, but they can't stop anyone from leaving. Texas child welfare officials know these intake centers are a terrible place for kids who have been through trauma. "We are working with what we have. I'm not trying to be flip; I don't know any other way to put that," said Goodwin, the official at Texas' child welfare agency. "Our workers can't handcuff them, they can't chain them, they can't tackle them." But even after Lena ran away, state caseworkers and investigators didn't appear to make much effort to find her. No one seemed to notice Lena's Facebook page, where she left a string of clues. Selfies in hotel rooms. Comments that named roads and neighborhoods. She even invited friends to come see her dance at a strip club in Houston, including the time of the show and the name of the club. Organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are experts at analyzing kids' online presence to help locate them. But Lena was never reported to the center after she went missing a violation of federal law. State officials say they reported 82 percent of all foster care runaways to the center in the last fiscal year. But investigators didn't properly record data for about half of all kids who ran away during that time, according to a spokesman for the Department of Family and Protective Services, so there is no way to confirm the percentage is actually that high. Goodwin said she's "pretty happy" with the state's performance so far, and added that it will improve as staffers get more experience and training. By state standards, Lena's caseworker was quite experienced: She'd worked for the agency for five years. In late December 2016, Lena turned 18 and aged out of foster care. She posted a selfie on Facebook wearing an elegant white dress, with blown-out hair and shiny red fingernails. Griffin still hopes that one day, she'll hear from her. In the meantime, she wishes child welfare workers had made a different plan for Lena's release from jail one that might have enticed her to stay put instead of making it so easy for her to walk away. "I just don't trust these people with these kids," Griffin said. "And that's been a problem for a very long time." This story was reported by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about statewide politics and policy issues. Learn more about Texas Tribune investigations at texastribune.org. One of the reporters, Neena Satija, also works for Reveal, a public radio show and podcast from The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX. WASHINGTON - Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to four current and former U.S. officials. U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time that they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election. The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation. But the intercepts alarmed U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. At one point last summer, Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clinton's emails and would make them public. The officials said the intercepted communications were not limited to Trump campaign officials, and included other associates of Trump. On the Russian side, the contacts also included members of the Russian government outside of the intelligence services, the officials said. All of the current and former officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the continuing investigation is classified. The officials said that one of the advisers picked up on the calls was Paul Manafort, who was Trump's campaign chairman for several months last year and had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine. The officials declined to identify the other Trump associates on the calls. The call logs and intercepted communications are part of a larger trove of information that the FBI is sifting through as it investigates the links between Trump's associates and the Russian government, as well as the DNC hack, according to federal law enforcement officials. As part of its inquiry, the FBI has obtained banking and travel records and conducted interviews, the officials said. Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, dismissed the accounts of the U.S. officials in a telephone interview on Tuesday. "This is absurd," he said. "I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today." Manafort added, "It's not like these people wear badges that say, 'I'm a Russian intelligence officer.'" Several of Trump's associates, like Manafort, have done business in Russia, and it is not unusual for American businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business. Officials would not disclose many details, including what was discussed on the calls, which Russian intelligence officials were on the calls, and how many of Trump's advisers were talking to the Russians. It is also unclear whether the conversations had anything to do with Trump himself. A published report from U.S. intelligence agencies that was made public in January concluded that the Russian government had intervened in the election in part to help Trump, but did not address whether any members of the Trump campaign had participated in the effort. The intercepted calls are different from the wiretapped conversations last year between Michael T. Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. During those calls, which led to Flynn's resignation on Monday night, the two men discussed sanctions that the Obama administration imposed on Russia in December. But the cases are part of the routine electronic surveillance of communications of foreign officials by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The FBI declined to comment. Two days after the election in November, Sergei A. Ryabkov, the deputy Russian foreign minister, said that "there were contacts" during the campaign between Russian officials and Trump's team. "Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage," Ryabkov said in an interview with the Russian Interfax news agency. The Trump transition team denied Ryabkov's statement. "This is not accurate," Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump, said at the time. The National Security Agency, which monitors the communications of foreign intelligence services, initially captured the communications between Trump's associates and Russians as part of routine foreign surveillance. After that, the FBI asked the NSA to collect as much information as possible about the Russian operatives on the phone calls, and to search through troves of previous intercepted communications that had not been analyzed. The FBI has closely examined at least four other people close to Trump, although it is unclear if their calls were intercepted. They are Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign; Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative; and Flynn. All of the men have strongly denied they had any improper contacts with Russian officials. As part of the inquiry, the FBI is also trying to assess the credibility of information contained in a dossier that was given to the bureau last year by a former British intelligence operative. The dossier contained a raft of salacious allegations about connections between Trump, his associates and the Russian government. It also included unsubstantiated claims that the Russians had embarrassing videos that could be used to blackmail Trump. The FBI has spent several months investigating the leads in the dossier, but has yet to confirm any of its most explosive allegations. Senior FBI officials believe that the former British intelligence officer who compiled the dossier, Christopher Steele, has a credible track record, and he briefed FBI investigators last year about how he obtained the information. One U.S. law enforcement official said that FBI agents had made contact with some of Steele's sources. The FBI's investigation into Manafort began last spring as an outgrowth of a criminal investigation into his work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine and for the country's former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych. The investigation has focused on why he was in such close contact with Russian and Ukrainian intelligence officials. The bureau did not have enough evidence to obtain a warrant for a wiretap of Manafort's communications, but it had the NSA closely scrutinize the communications of Ukrainian officials he had met. The FBI investigation is proceeding at the same time that separate investigations into Russian interference in the election are gaining momentum on Capitol Hill. Those investigations, by the House and Senate Intelligence committees, are examining not only the Russian hacking but also any contacts that Trump's team had with Russian officials during the campaign. On Tuesday, top Republican lawmakers said that Flynn should be one focus of the investigation, and that he should be called to testify before Congress. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that the news surrounding Flynn in recent days underscored "how many questions still remain unanswered to the American people more than three months after Election Day, including who was aware of what, and when." Warner said that Flynn's resignation would not stop the committee "from continuing to investigate Gen. Flynn, or any other campaign official who may have had inappropriate and improper contacts with Russian officials prior to the election." AUSTIN - A Democratic state lawmaker is looking to bolster high school sex education requirements in hopes that Texas can lower its teen birth rates. Rep. Mary Gonzalez, D-Clint, filed House Bill 1547 to require sex education classes to include "medically accurate, age-appropriate" human sexuality education. The bill would allow students to be excused from the course with the written request of a parent or guardian. "It's deeply troubling that Texas has one of the highest teen birth rates in the nation," Gonzalez said Tuesday. "Our young people deserve to have correct, accurate information." Teen birth rates in Texas are among the highest in the country. According to a 2014 report from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the teen birth rate among Texas women ages 15 to 19 was nearly 40 in 1,000 girls. The national birth rate in 2015 for teenagers of the same age was 22 births per 1,000 girls, according to the agency. Gonzalez filed the bill on the heels of the Texas Freedom Network's most recent report that found that more than 80 percent of the state's public school districts are not teaching sex education or exclusively teach abstinence-only birth control. The study found that the number of school districts that do not teach sex education has increased to more than 25 percent in 2016 from 2.3 percent in 2008. The group also found that another 58 percent of school districts took an abstinence-only approach to sex education last year. Those districts did not include information about condoms or other forms of contraceptives. "All of these findings make clear that policy makers need to create common-sense, very necessary solutions," Gonzalez said. Gonzalez filed similar legislation last session, but it did not make it out of committee. Currently, Texas high school students are not required to take a high school health class before graduation, but a school district may offer it as an elective. Texas law leaves it up to local school district advisory boards to determine health education instruction, but requires districts to "present abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior." Texas' sex education guidelines made national news in 2015 when a high school in Crane had an outbreak of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease. The school, which taught abstinence-only methods, attracted attention from critics who said the curriculum did not teach students about safe sex. In some parts of the state, researchers have found promise in pushing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in local school districts. Evidence-based programs are aimed at delaying a teen's first time having sex, decreasing teen birth rates and lowering the number of sexually transmitted diseases. Programs can include abstinence-only methods, but may gradually increase the amount of information a student receives as they get older. Kirsten Plastino leads UT Teen Health at UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, a program that works to provide medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education. Plastino said at least nine school districts in Bexar County have implemented evidence-based sex education programs into their curriculums, and the number of teen pregnancies has significantly decreased. "We need to make sure (students) have accurate information," Plastino said, giving the example that Texas teens should know that condoms are not 100 percent effective. "Kids need to know there's no 100 percent way to prevent pregnancy unless they don't have sex." David Wiley, a professor at Texas State University, authored Texas Freedom Network's 2009 report and the group's most recent report presented Tuesday. Wiley said he found that school districts often are afraid to address the issue of sex education in public schools. "Students learn pretty quickly they're not supposed to ask," he said. "We're creating generation, after generation after generation of sexually illiterate adults." The report was based on a survey of roughly 15 percent of the state's public school districts that have high schools. Information gathered from school districts under the Texas Public Information Act found that students are taught incorrect information about abortion, abstinence-only programs are littered with misinformation and few districts address health issues relevant to LGBTQ high schoolers. Texas Freedom Network recommended the State Board of Education adopt new health textbooks and lawmakers restore health education as a graduation requirement for high schoolers. WASHINGTON Amid mounting pressure to make good on President Donald Trump's promises to cut taxes and repeal Obamacare, The Woodland's Kevin Brady is a man caught in the middle. With Republicans in full control of Congress and the White House, GOP leaders already face restive conservative supporters who expected to see the Affordable Care Act dismantled in the first days of the Trump presidency, if not on Day One. At the same time, Republican lawmakers - including Brady - have squared off with testy Town Hall crowds alarmed at the prospect of losing health insurance gained under former President Barack Obama. The tensions come as GOP leaders have had to juggle the twin imperatives of tax reform and Obamacare - not just the promised repeal, but replacing it with a new health system developed almost entirely from scratch. Once seen as a policy wonk mired in the recesses of tax policy, Brady, now in his 20th year in Congress, has become a constant presence on cable news and has reporters following him everywhere. In back-to-back appearances Tuesday before a national business group and a Capitol Hill press conference on GOP priorities, Brady promised to deliver on both tax reform and an Obamacare replacement this year. Analysts say that will be a tall order. A year ago, Brady was fond of saying that all that was missing was a new president. "Since then," he said Tuesday, "a lot has happened in a positive way." As chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee - with significant jurisdiction over taxes, health care and trade - Brady increasingly is being squeezed between competing pressures to overhaul the entire U.S. tax system, repeal Obamacare and stave off a potential trade war with Mexico and other major U.S. trading partners. Amid doubts emanating from secretly-recorded discussions at a recent GOP retreat in Philadelphia, Brady made clear Tuesday that his party is not backsliding on the Affordable Care Act. "We are focused on repealing Obamacare," he said, "and replacing it with the types of reforms that work for patients, that return control to the states so they can tailor health care to their needs, and restore a free market so Americans just have more choices." At the same time, he has become the face of the Republican Party on major tax reform, particularly the House GOP's "Better Way" plan to lower rates and curb tax breaks. Despite his optimism, the project been mired in an imbroglio about a so-called border adjustment tax, which is opposed by major retailers and other business groups that rely on imports. The debate only got messier in recent weeks when the Trump administration pitched it as a way to pay for a new border wall, sparking fears of an all-out diplomatic and trade war. For Brady, 61, the risks are almost as great as the potential rewards. "Being in leadership is a double-edged sword. You have tremendous power to get things done. But if you don't, you've got a big target on your back," said University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus. "He's in a unique position to be bombarded from all sides on these issues." In conservative activist circles outside Washington, there has been a running debate about whether tax reform - as complicated as it is - should come before or after Obamacare repeal, and whether the repeal should wait on a still unformed replacement plan. With an upcoming congressional recess, some groups already have warned of Republicans retreating into talk of "repairing" rather than ending Obamacare. Managing expectations, House Speaker Paul Ryan has promised a "step-by-step approach" to a replacement plan. "Where is the bill that was supposed to be on the president's desk by Feb. 20?" said Twila Brase, head of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom, a national group that has been pressing for a full repeal of Obamacare. "Americans were told well before Inauguration Day that a repeal bill would be presented to Donald Trump by next week, yet, we have not heard the details of the bill, nor does it seem as though the bill is progressing as it should." Others are demanding speedier action on promised tax cuts. Tweeted Drudge Report founder Matt Drudge: "Republican party should be sued for fraud. NO discussion of tax cuts now. Just lots of crazy. Back to basics, guys!" Brady and other top Republicans in Congress have promised to get a tax reform bill to Trump in 2017. They also, however, have said their first priority is repealing and replacing Obamacare, which Trump said could slip into next year. Trump also has hinted that he may get out ahead of the Congress on tax reform, telling a group of business leaders from the Retail Industry Leaders Association Wednesday that a plan to cut corporate rates is imminent. "We're doing a massive tax plan that is coming along really well," he said. "It will be submitted in the not too distant future. It will be not only good and simpler, it will be, you're talking about big numbers of savings." Brady said the tax plan being formulated by House Republicans has about an "80 percent" similarity to the White House's. "I feel very positive about how much common ground there is," he said. One potential divergence is over Brady's 20 percent border tax, which Trump has called "too complicated," based as it is on how companies deduct the costs of goods sold overseas versus inside the U.S. Some Senate Republicans, including Texas' John Cornyn, have raised doubts about the import tax, which critics say could hurt consumers. As the tax is expected to help offset planned reductions in corporate tax rates, the clash could jeopardize the entire House GOP tax reform scheme. The European Union also has threatened to bring a massive case against the United States before the World Trade Organization. Brady said he is undeterred. "As predicted, we expect other countries to challenge this provision, because they have a pretty sweet deal right now," he said. "They all border adjust their taxes; America does not. As a result, made-in-America products are at a tax disadvantage here in America and abroad as well." As much as Brady wants to level the global playing field to retain American jobs and companies, some of the provisions of the Republican tax blueprint could draw flack at home. In order to lower rates and enable simplified "postcard" filing, one of the home-state benefits Brady may jettison is the federal deduction for state and local sales taxes, which is worth about $1 billion a year to Texas taxpayers. According to some recent studies, it is used by about a fifth of Texas tax filers, saving an average of about $383 a year for those who claim it. Texas, one of nine Republican-leaning states with little or no income tax, ranks third in the nation in the percentage of those who make use of the sales tax deduction, making it a sensitive issue for lawmakers in both parties. Though always contested, it generally has been renewed annually by successive Congresses over the past decade, something Brady himself has championed. Although Brady says no decisions have been made, he has started to make the case for a change of course. "Many Americans are surprised to learn that right now Washington raises their federal taxes so that some can try to get back part of their local sales and income taxes," he said. "What we're proposing is to lower tax rates for everybody." Let's cut to the point: What did the president know, and when did he know it? Those are the questions that Congress needs to start asking about former National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynn. Flynn resigned Monday evening after being caught in a lie about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, has said that Flynn left at Donald Trump's request. Kellyanne Conway, a White House adviser, has said that Flynn made his own decision. The nation is still waiting for the Oval Office to get its story straight. However, we do know that the Department of Justice told Trump on Jan. 26 that Flynn had misled federal officials about his interactions with the Russian ambassador, leaving him open to a blackmail risk. The acting attorney general who briefed Trump was fired on Jan. 30. Flynn maintained top-level information access until the moment he left his office on Monday, after his duplicitly became known to the public. Why the delay? The Trump administration has provided its own series of reasons, but in just a few weeks we've learned that White House officials are more than willing to lie on camera. Was Trump aware of Flynn's campaign season contacts? Did the president know that Flynn was lying? Did Flynn's short-lived access within the White House risk a compromise of national security. Congress needs to start digging. Flynn, a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency who was fired from the position under President Obama, already stands as the third member of the Trump campaign to be forced out after ties with Vladimir Putin's Russia were made public. Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, received millions in off-the-books payments from the campaign of exiled pro-Putin Ukrainian president Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych. Manafort is reportedly under active investigation by the CIA, NSA and FBI. Carter Page, a policy adviser to Trump, left the presidential campaign after he came under scrutiny for his connections with Russia. Since the first day of this administration, our allies have worried whether it is safe to share information with U.S. intelligence agencies under a White House that maintains such close ties with Russia, according to Politico reporter Nahal Toosi. That might even be a concern within our intelligence agencies themselves. Former National Security Agency analyst John R. Schindler has written that career agents simply don't trust the president's staff to keep secrets away from the Kremlin. Congress needs to see how far this goes. The man at the center, Trump himself, has questionable financial ties to Putin and his circle of loyal kleptocrats. The nation doesn't know the truth because, unlike every other president in the past 40 years, Trump never released his tax returns. Texas Sen. John Cornyn has called for the House and Senate intelligence committees to investigate Flynn. We're waiting for Sen. Ted Cruz and the rest of the Texas delegation to join the senior senator. Elected officials have to choose their sides: Expose the truth or cover it up. During the presidential campaign, Flynn riled up Trump's crowds with chants of "Lock her up." What did the president know, and when did he know it? Let's hope the answer doesn't put Flynn's election season slogan to the test. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Erosion of trust Regarding "Flynn quits under fire" (Page A1, Tuesday), National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has all but admitted to violating federal law in his contacts with Russia on behalf of the Trump administration, as well as lying about it to Vice President Mike Pence. If the Trump administration is sincere about ridding the country of "bad dudes," it will move promptly to seek an indictment and allow the courts to deal with the problem. Pushing Flynn out of the White House is not enough. Lock him up! Hugh S. Fullerton, Magnolia Strong political parallels Regarding "An 'inclination to evil'" (Page A29, Sunday), after reading the excerpt from the upcoming book "Ten Dollars to Hate," I began thinking about the parallels of the goals of the KKK and the current tea party and alt-right movements. These organizations have as their goal "to enforce their own standards of 'morality' and their own notions of proper allegiance to the nation" (quoted from the preface to the excerpt). The difference is that today's radical right organizations do not use violence as a means to accomplish their goals but the legislative process. The end results are the same: limiting access to legal abortion, denying equal protection under the law to the LGBTQ community and imposing impossible-to-meet requirements for voter ID. Bill Bentley, LaPorte A new Cruz? Regarding "Cruzing in the Trump era" (Page A1, Sunday) the most laughable part of your otherwise balanced cover article on the "new" Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was the claim by his 2016 campaign manager: "The Senator's main priority is representing 27 million Texans." The article reports that Cruz has been in contact with Trump or his team "literally every single day, and, in some instances, every hour." Yet Cruz has gone to great lengths to avoid contact with those 27 million Texans he claims to represent, according to the Burnt Orange Report blog. Many constituents cannot reach his office by phone. Those seeking a meeting with Cruz or his staff have been forced to leave the building housing his Houston office on threat of arrest. Don't buy any talk of a "new" Ted Cruz. His priority is representing Ted Cruz first, last and always. Ballard Burgher, Houston Weary bureaucrats Regarding "Trump administration inspires distrust, dread, resistance among federal workers" (Page A2, Sunday), in paragraph one of the article we read: "Trump's arrival in the White house has spread anxiety, frustration and resistance among many of the 2 million civil servants who say they work for the public, not a particular president." In paragraph 10 we read "they are struggling with the question of whether they want to work for a president with whom they so strongly disagree." Wait a minute, I thought they worked for the public, not a president? Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your perspective, the civil servants don't get to choose what the public receives; that is up to the administration currently running the government. And as in the business world, workers don't get to decide the work product. If they don't like the work product, they are free to find an alternative source of income. Kenneth Campbell, Cypress Social media and news Regarding "When facts become optional" (Page A29, Sunday), Tony Pederson is correct when he says those who rely on social media for news get what they deserve. But, as he points out, social media permeates every aspect of our lives. The problem is most of us are not willing to take the time to sort fact from fiction, or worse, don't care. They are perfectly happy to spread lies that influence opinions or bolster already-held beliefs. As one relative said to me, it's Facebook, not Factbook. And that attitude is scary. David Kelly, Spring I heard a TV news anchor say over the weekend that when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to Washington this week he will discuss a path to resolving the "Middle East conflict" with the new American president. That reminded me: I recently received a review copy of "The Israel-Arab Reader: A Documentary History of the Middle East Conflict." It looked like a fine book, but that subtitle vexed me. I literally pulled it out of the envelope as the news on TV described some horrible slaughter in Syria. But the Syrian civil war isn't called the "Middle East conflict." The term has always been a misnomer, making it sound like were it not for the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, the Middle East would be all peace and harmony. The Economist once ran "A Chronology of the Middle East Conflict" that was all about Israel and Palestine. It began in 1917 with the Balfour Declaration and ended with the election - apparently for life - of Mahmoud Abbas to the presidency of the Palestinian Authority in 2005. During that time there were dozens of conflicts in the region - cross-border wars, civil wars, rebellions, revolutions, massacres, etc. - that had nothing to do with Israel. The Islamic State is still in Syria, Libya and Iraq. The president of Syria, Bashar Assad, is finishing off the rebellion against his regime with the help of the Russians and Iranians. Amnesty International released a report last week accusing the Assad regime of executing some 13,000 people in a single prison. Approximately 4.8 million civilians have fled Syria and an estimated 400,000 have been killed. The Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan and Lebanon is straining those relatively moderate states beyond their capacities. The latest news in the Iran-Saudi Arabia proxy war in Yemen: The Saudis say Iran supplied the missiles Houthi rebels have been firing deep into Saudi territory. Turkey is rapidly transforming itself into an authoritarian state, and Egypt isn't far behind. The Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere always seem moments away from asserting their independence. And then, of course, there's al-Qaeda and all the other terrorist groups - which hate Israel to be sure but don't really focus on it. The Middle East has always had much bigger problems and, often, much bigger conflicts than those having to do with "the Zionist entity." Indeed, it is precisely because of those problems and conflicts that rulers in the region chose to magnify the Israel-Palestinian conflict into the Middle East conflict in the first place. Demonizing the Jews is always a useful distraction from domestic dysfunction and oppression. During the campaign, Donald Trump vowed to be the "most pro-Israel president ever." He followed the great American tradition of presidential candidates vowing to move our embassy to Jerusalem and then, upon taking office, discovering that more study was required. President Trump has said he'd love to make the greatest of all real-estate deals and settle the conflict once and for all. This, too, is an American presidential tradition. Republican State Department veteran Elliott Abrams (recently denied a job as the No. 2 guy at the State Department because he had criticized Trump during the campaign) writes in the Weekly Standard that the Trump administration may be going for an "outside-in" strategy rather than an "inside-out" one: "Instead of using an Israeli-Palestinian deal to improve Israel's relations with the Arab states, use Israel's relations with the Arab states to advance an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal," Abrams writes. One reason to follow this approach, Abrams notes, is that the Palestinians don't have much to offer Israel. But good relations (which have been improving) with her Arab neighbors and a more united front against terrorism and Iran is perhaps the core of Israel's national interest. If President Trump is determined to cut a deal, this sounds like the smartest way to go. If he's determined to be Israel's best friend, he might aim his sights a little lower and deflate the idea that the Israeli-Palestinian issue is the key to resolving the Middle East's many conflicts. Goldberg (@JonahNRO) is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. One large business operation in Houston thats in a class by itself with regard to success over the past several years is the Durham Co. Located in two separate buildings off of Industrial Drive on the west side of town, the Lebanon-based firms Houston plant primarily makes metal electrical boxes. For the second time in about three years, keeping up with demand has resulted in a significant expansion of the plants space, in the form of a 30,000 square foot addition to the original south building. Last year was a record year, said plant manager Richard Peterson, and I really dont know why this year wont be a record over that. The big new space was built by Gentry Construction. Peterson said the plants assembly and shipping departments are being moved into it, and the transition should be complete within a few weeks. Well also be adding some new assembly lines in the area, and it will allow us to spread out more in the existing space, Peterson said. The Durham Co. completed a 16,000 square foot expansion in Houston in late 2014, and enlarged the facilitys office space early last year. The plant produces product every day, with day and night shifts on weekdays and a weekend shift. Its not unusual for close to 10 semi-truckloads of product to be shipped out on a given day. I try to keep in tune with whats going on through the sales reps for the trucking firms, Peterson said. Theyll tell us its pretty slow everywhere else and you guys are just booming. The Durham Co. began operation in Houston with six employees in 1994. There were 30 employees when Peterson took on the role of plant manager in May 1997, and there are now 230. I really feel proud of what weve done here, Peterson said. The phone number at the Durham Co. is 417-967-5400. They are the stuff of legend, wielded by hit men and by James Bond. For decades, buying a silencer for a firearm has been as difficult as buying a machine gun, requiring a background check that can take close to a year. Now, emboldened by the election of Donald Trump as president, the industry has renewed a push in Congress to ease those restrictions, arguing that itll help preserve the hearing of gun users. We look at this as a Second Amendment issue. We look at it as a health issue, said Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America. The decibel level of a fired gun, even the lowly .22-caliber, can cause hearing damage. Since the 1930s silencers have been regulated under the National Firearms Act, facing the same paperwork, $200 tax and background checks required to buy a machine gun. A background check to buy most firearms must be completed within three days, or the sale automatically goes through. But the process for a silencer and weapons regulated under the NFA can take eight months or more. Each silencer carries a serial number that can be tracked. Eight states outlaw the sale or possession of silencers. Despite the barriers, silencers have gained in popularity. In 2008, when West Valley City, Utah, based SilencerCo was formed, about 18,000 silencers were being sold each year by the entire industry. These days the company, which has 70 percent of the market, sells that many each month. One of its founders, CEO Josh Waldron, said he suffers hearing loss and still deals with a ringing in his ears from when he went hunting for mule deer as a teen with his fathers .243 rifle. Waldron and other advocates say one of the biggest benefits is for hunters who need to be able to hear whats around them and detect the movements of prey something made more difficult if theyre wearing ear protection. You need your senses when youre hunting, Waldron said while attending this years gun industry SHOT Show convention in Las Vegas. What this is doing is taking the hearing protection that one would wear off your head and putting it on your gun. Rifle silencer Silencers, more technically called suppressors and nicknamed cans, were invented in the early 1900s by MIT-educated Hiram Percy Maxim, who also invented a muffler for gasoline engines. They were brought under NFA regulations after Depression-era game wardens were concerned hunters would use them to poach. Advocates say its misleading to call them silencers because they dont mute the noise a gunshot makes so much as muffle it. They cringe at the images fed by Hollywood that show them as a tool of assassins and others looking to kill people without detection. Its only in the movies where you put on a suppressor or as they call them in the movies, a silencer and all you hear is pfff. Thats not real life, Pratt said. U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, a Republican from South Carolina, is a sponsor of the Hearing Protection Act, the latest attempt to pass such legislation. Its previously been met with resistance, especially under President Barack Obama and among Democratic lawmakers who view it as a gun-promotion issue. It doesnt hurt now that Trumps son Donald met with SilencerCo and was videoed trying out their products. Im cautiously optimistic, Duncan said. Don Junior, who is an avid hunter himself, has come out in favor of this particular legislation. And so he gets it. That gives us a little bit of juice within the White House and the executive branch. And hopefully we can tap that energy and have it transfer over to the legislative branch. Suppressors generally lower the sound level by 20 to 35 decibels, leaving most guns still louder than your average ambulance siren. Critics say efforts to ease the restrictions will allow more criminals to use them and will make it difficult to detect when and where a shooting is taking place. There arent many cases to point to in which a silencer was used during a crime. Gun-control advocates say that shows that tightly regulating them is working, while the gun industry says its more an indication that criminals arent apt to use them even if restrictions are eased. Lindsay Nichols, senior attorney with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, scoffs at the idea that making it easier to buy a suppressor is motivated by protecting someones hearing. Theyre not about protecting peoples ears. In fact a good pair of ear plugs and ear muffs work just as well as a silencer and they dont pose a risk that a criminal is going to use them in a violent crime, she said, adding: This is clearly something that I think that a lot of people can see through. They can see this is really about profits for the gun industry. Ed Turner, a former police officer and the owner of Eds Public Safety, a gun shop in Stockbridge, Georgia, said hes scaled back the number of silencers he carries because of the hassle of buying one. To say that its going to enhance a criminal element, I think thats kind of ludicrous, Turner said. Criminals dont abide by laws anyway Theyre getting them off the street. Theyre stolen. ASSOCIATED PRESS A silencer is displayed at a gun shop in Stockbridge, Ga. An online exclusive is an article or story that does not run in the print edition of the Houston Herald. Typically 2-3 are posted online every Wednesday morning. Its another feature designed for users who purchase full web access from the Herald. Click here to subscribe for print, digital or both. About 10 years ago, Randy Beasley sold his feed store in Houston to owners of a feed store business based in Hartville. Beasley recently bought it back, and the stores name changed from Hartville Feed back to Beasley Feed and Farm Supply. A lifelong Houston resident and a graduate of Houston High School, Beasley first bought the store about 13 years ago before selling it. He continued running it before buying it back. The owner told me he was going in a different direction, Beasley said. He said he had three ideas: Closing it down, keeping it open only three days a week or selling it back to me. I told him if he kept it open only three days that hed be locking the doors in a few months. I would have hated to see this store not being here, so I had to do something. Located on Highway B just east of U.S. 63, the store has over the years also been a feed store under multiple other names. After being in the restaurant business, Beasley moved into the feed and farm supply field working at the same store when it was Bentleys. He then got back out of the field for a while and milked cows before buying the store the first time. Beasley has increased the stores inventory since he bought it back. Available items include everything from various types of livestock feed to nine varieties of dog food. I had been wanting to get back on my own, Beasley said, but with them still here, along with Orscheln and MFA, it was kind of out of the question for me to put in a store somewhere. Beasley Feed and Farm Supply is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. The phone number is 417-967-8909. The owner of another business called me the other day and said Houstons going to dry up and blow away one of these days if people dont keep the smaller businesses open, Beasley said. There used to be tons of stuff in this town, but most of its gone now. People need to start buying local more, or theres going to come a day when you wont have a choice but to go to Springfield. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Todays barn fire in Gatineau, Quebec that killed at least 60 cows is the fourth such fire within 16 days; two of the fires took the lives of more than 4,000 pigs in Plympton-Wyoming, Ontario, and 5,000 chickens in Abbotsford, British Columbia. This string of fires is part of a larger pattern in recent years, and indicative of a widespread problem in Canada. Humane Society International/Canada is again calling on provincial and federal governments to take urgent action to require safety measures such as smoke detectors and sprinklers to reduce ongoing risks to animals, first responders and farmers properties. Gabriel Wildgen, campaign manager for HSI/Canada, stated: The sheer frequency of these fires within such a short period of time should be a wake-up call for our governments. One can only imagine the terror and pain that each animal experiences, nor the immense danger that brave first responders must put themselves in each time one of these preventable incidences occurs. Authorities must work together to improve fire codes to ensure the safety of all animals kept in barns. Most barns in Canada some of which house tens of thousands of animals at a time are not even outfitted with the most basic smoke detection and sprinkler systems. Take action and donate to improve life for farm animals While it is important to acknowledge that these fires often cause millions of dollars in damage, the truly tragic losses are the lives of each sentient being in these facilities, all of whom have an intrinsic desire to live, and deserve to be protected from such a miserable death. Our leaders in government can and should prevent these tragedies with simple updates to fire protection codes. Facts: Media Contact: Christopher Pare, 514 395-2914, cell: 438 402-0643, cpare@hsi.org Scientists at the University of British Columbia have genetically engineered mice that can't be tempted by cocaine, or get addicted to it. The mice were created to have higher levels of a protein called cadherin, which helps strengthen synapses between neurons in the brain. Learning, or recalling memories, requires strong synapses. So to become addicted to cocaine, the brain needs certain synapses to be strong enough to remember that the drug feels good. Advertisement Shernaz Bamji, a professor at the school, thought adding extra cadherin would make mice more prone to becoming addicted. But the opposite ended up happening. Even after the genetically engineered mice were given the drug repeatedly, they showed no interest in it, unlike normal mice (who really seemed to enjoy the cocaine). The mice were placed in a cage so scientists could observe what area they preferred. The normal mice rushed to the room they associated with cocaine, while the genetically engineered mice wandered around. Advertisement By preventing the synapses from strengthening, we prevented the mutant mice from learning the memory of cocaine, and thus prevented them from becoming addicted," said graduate student Andrea Globa, one of the authors of the article, which was published Tuesday. The scientists say their findings could help predict which people are more vulnerable to drug addiction, allowing them to act on that knowledge. "Addiction is not just bad judgment, but really is more to do with our biology and our biochemistry," Bamji told NPR. Findings could help with opioid crisis: Bamji Bamji says the findings are key given the opioid crisis impacting Canada's western provinces. "It's very important that these studies come out to continually remind the public that addiction is a matter of biochemistry," she told CBC News. "If we look at it that particular way ... the way we design our policies and the way we deal with these people is going to be very different." Advertisement Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also on HuffPost A Liberal MP called out a few unnamed Conservatives for supposedly laughing at Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohis past as a public transit bus driver. Sohi, who immigrated to Canada from India as a teenager, worked as a bus driver for more than a decade before he was elected to Edmonton city council in 2007, according to The Toronto Star. Advertisement Sohi reflected briefly on that experience in question period Tuesday when a Liberal backbencher asked a softball question about how public transit supports the middle class. Mr. Speaker, as a former bus driver... Sohi began. The preamble sparked laughter across the aisle, which appeared to visibly upset other ministers and parliamentary secretaries seated near Sohi. Watch the moment below: Advertisement Whats the matter with that? a man could be heard asking. It wasnt an ideal time for a chuckle, as it turns out. Sohi was trying to share thoughts and prayers for a Winnipeg Transit bus driver who was stabbed while on duty. The driver, Irvine Fraser, later died of his injuries. Sohi attempted to elaborate on different transit projects the government is supporting but ran out of time and was cut off. On Wednesday, Toronto MP Adam Vaughan was peeved enough about the incident to rise on a point of order after question period to chastise members of the Opposition. "Words and actions carry weight," he said. "Laughing at the previous employment status of a member of this House is offensive, especially when that service was done in public service to the people of this country." Vaughan said he thought he spoke for many members of the House in saying that "laughing at the previous employment status of a member of this House is offensive, especially when that service was done in public service to the people of this country. Advertisement Every members diversity of employment adds to the richness of the House, Vaughan said. He asked for the laughter to be withdrawn. Tory House Leader Candice Bergen rose to say she agreed. Bergen said that while there is all kinds of laughter that occurs in the chamber, the very reason it is called a House of Commons is because MPs represent people from all walks of life. We absolutely respect and honour all of the jobs that we have done and the experiences that we bring to this House, Bergen said. Also on HuffPost Federal Liberals will support a backbenchers motion calling on the government to condemn Islamophobia and study the best ways to quell an increasing public climate of hate and fear. Motion 103, tabled by Liberal MP Iqra Khalid last December and set for debate Wednesday, has sparked divisions among Conservatives and raised the ire of those who argue its adoption could have a chilling effect on free speech. Advertisement The non-binding motion has also been the subject of rumours and innuendo from some right-wing blogs in Canada and the United States suggesting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seeking to somehow criminalize criticism of Islam. Khalid addressed some of those concerns Wednesday at a press conference with Heritage Minister Melanie Joly. The pair was surrounded by Liberal MPs in what Joly called a demonstration of solidarity. Joly said that the government was voicing strong and clear support for Khalids motion. She later said that while all Liberal MPs will be free to vote based on their own beliefs, there will be "very strong support" from caucus. Advertisement M-103 is about ensuring that, in Canada, we stand for free and respectful exchanges of ideas and opinions, Joly said. And there is no place for hatred and no tolerance of abuse. Thanks to my colleague @iamIqraKhalid for her great leadership in presenting #M103. Strong demonstration of support from our caucus #cdnpolipic.twitter.com/qJX0EDjqPc Melanie Joly (@melaniejoly) February 15, 2017 Khalid noted that the motion came on the heels of an e-petition tabled in the House in Commons, signed by nearly 70,000 Canadians, condemning Islamophobia. If M-103 passes, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage will be asked to develop a whole of government approach to combat systemic racism and contextualize hate crime reports so Canadians can understand what is happening on the ground," Khalid said. The Mississauga MP said that while the motion makes specific mention of Islamophobia, it is broad in scope to include all marginalized communities. Advertisement Khalid also noted that she and other colleagues have received hateful comments over the motion in recent weeks that only highlight the work that needs to be done. This strengthens my resolve to continue to combat this issue, she said. 'This is not legislation' Khalid denied the motion could in any way restrict the rights of Canadians to express their views on things such as sharia law or face-covering niqab veils. This is a motion, this is not legislation, Khalid said. And I would be the first person to oppose anything that infringes on our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This motion is about having a study on how we can tackle important issues like systemic racism and religious discrimination. But several Tory leadership hopefuls have already made it clear that they will not support M-103. Kellie Leitch tweeted last month that the motion does not treat all religions equally and suggested it grants special privileges to Islam. We should treat all religions equally. I am opposed to #m103. No religion should enjoy special privileges. -kkl #cpcldr#cdnpoli Kellie Leitch (@KellieLeitch) January 28, 2017 Advertisement In recent days, other rivals have joined Leitch in criticizing Khalids effort and announcing they too will not support the motion. Andrew Scheer released a statement saying M-103 is not inclusive. It singles out just one faith, Scheer said in a release. I believe that all religions deserve the same level of respect and protection. Maxime Bernier suggested that while M-103 is not a bill and lacks teeth, it could be a first step in restricting the fundamental right of Canadians to express their opinions on a specific religion. We should reaffirm everyones right to believe in and criticize whatever belief they want, whether it is Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, atheism, or any other, Bernier said in his release. Tory leadership contenders seek specifics Tory leadership Kevin O'Leary also told The National Post he wont support the motion. It is ill-conceived and it is a slap in the face to other religions and to other races, OLeary told The Post. Advertisement Both Scheer and Bernier took specific umbrage with the fact that the motion does not define Islamophobia. At the press conference Wednesday, Joly said Islamophobia is the discrimination of Muslim people and people who are of Muslim faith. A reporter noted that Tory MPs have said they approached Khalid with ideas for amendments and were shut down. Khalid said the wording of the motion, as it stands, has broad support from MPs, organizations, and Canadians at large. Watering down the words of this motion is not in the best interest of all these people, she said. Ambrose accuses Liberals of playing games Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose has also said she won't vote for the motion. Ambrose took to Facebook to explain that while M-103 won't bar free speech, she is concerned the term "Islamophobia" could be used to shut down legitimate debate and "to intimidate rather than to inform." "I do worry that some of my work trying to empower women and girls in Muslim communities could be branded as 'Islamophobic' if I criticize practices that I believe are oppressive," she wrote. Ambrose said two Tory critics tried to work with Khalid to change the language to reflect the need to fight discrimination against all religious communities, but were denied. Advertisement "This motion is simply being used by the Liberal Party and the Prime Minister to play partisan politics," Ambrose said. I know Motion M-103 has been top of mind for many Canadians. Its a motion introduced by Liberal MP Iqra Khalid. Here... Posted by Rona Ambrose on Wednesday, 15 February 2017 But at least one Tory leadership hopeful is prepared to support Khalid. Michael Chong released a lengthy statement saying he will vote in favour of M-103. Chongs statement said that, in light of the recent deadly attack on a Quebec City mosque, it is appropriate and important that Canadian Parliamentarians tackle the issue of anti-Islamic prejudice. Chong said it was untrue that the motion grants special treatment to Canadian Muslims, noting how the House has passed motions in recent years dealing with Jewish people, Yazidis, and Egyptian Coptic Christians. Advertisement Motion 103 does not set us down the path of sharia law in any way, shape, or form, Chong said. MP says she was told to 'go home' Khalid, who was born in Pakistan and immigrated to Canada from England, recounted the bigotry she faced as a young, brown Muslim Canadian woman when she tabled the motion in December. Khalid said she was told to go home, even though Canada was her country. I am a proud Canadian among hundreds and thousands of others who will not tolerate hate based on religion or skin colour, she said at the time. I rise today with my fellow Canadians to reject and condemn Islamophobia. Police-reported hate crimes against Muslim Canadians have more than doubled in the past three years, according to recent numbers from Statistics Canada. The full text of Khalids motion is below: Systemic racism and religious discrimination That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear; (b) condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination and take note of House of Commons petition e-411 and the issues raised by it; and (c) request that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage undertake a study on how the government could (i) develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia, in Canada, while ensuring a community-centered focus with a holistic response through evidence-based policy-making, (ii) collect data to contextualize hate crime reports and to conduct needs assessments for impacted communities, and that the Committee should present its findings and recommendations to the House no later than 240 calendar days from the adoption of this motion, provided that in its report, the Committee should make recommendations that the government may use to better reflect the enshrined rights and freedoms in the Constitution Acts, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. With a file from Emma Paling Also on HuffPost (Warning: The above video has strong language and is NSFW.) There's an old weather proverb in Canada "Big snow, little clothes." Actually, that's not a saying. We totally made that up. But it's an apt description of this New Brunswick man's snow removal shtick. Shane Spencer, of Minto, N.B., hopped on a friend's ATV Monday, clad in nothing but a teeny-tiny Speedo, bikini top, toque and boots, to deliver a weather report while plowing a huge amount of snow. Advertisement "As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, the government hasn't been doing their job," he jokes in his opening line. Spencer's been forecasting the weather in various states of undress for years, posting his hilarious reports to YouTube. (Caution: Strong language in this video) But this report, made ultra-ridiculous by adding one of his wife's bikini tops, has turned him into somewhat of a Canadian celebrity. Advertisement "Who wants to watch a chubby guy in a bikini on a four-wheeler pushing snow around? Apparently a lot of people do," he joked in an interview with The Huffington Post Canada. Spencer was first inspired to do weather reports after seeing the success of Cape Breton's amateur weatherman Frankie MacDonald. And when the snow started piling up in his small town on Monday afternoon, he saw the opportunity for an extra-funny forecast. "Who wants to watch a chubby guy in a bikini on a four-wheeler pushing snow around? Apparently a lot of people do." Spencer says while it was pretty cold around -20 C with the windchill he managed to remain outside for a half hour in his tiny attire. Advertisement "We shot the video, and I wanted to do another take. My friend was like 'I think we're good, man. I think you got it.'" New Brunswick continues to dig out of a blizzard that saw upwards of 70 centimetres fall in some parts of the province. Spencer said while he's managed to dig himself free, he doesn't expect it to last for long. The area is supposed to see another storm roll in tonight, bringing with it 25-30 centimetres of snow. And while some Atlantic Canadians may see more snow as a burden, Spencer says it's just another chance for him to entertain Canadians. Advertisement "I'll be making another video, and hopefully bring more smiles to more faces. That's what it's all about." Mission accomplished. Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also on HuffPost Stephanie Simpson knows the power of a photograph. The Edmonton photographer spends most of her time taking pictures, so she sees first-hand how touching they can be. And how devastating it is when theyre lost. Simpsons new project, This Is Not a Passport Photo, provides family photo sessions to newly arrived Syrian refugees in Edmonton. The idea struck when she saw a news story about a family fleeing Syria. They had to choose a handful of items to bring along and one of those items was a family photograph. Advertisement As a photographer, it just seemed like the logical place for me to try to chip in, she told The Huffington Post Canada in an interview. Simpson also won a grant from StoryHive to create a short documentary about the photos and the families in them. Its something that we all seem to inherently value, to have photographs of the people we care about, Simpson explained. It helps remind us who we are and how far weve come. One of the men Simpson photographed, 28-year-old Basel Abou Hamrah, said hell show the photos to his kids one day as a memory of his first year in Canada. Advertisement I was so excited when I got the pictures, he told The Huffington Post Canada in an interview. Simpsons portraits are the only physical photos he and his mother have of them together. Hamrahs family had lots of pictures in Syria before their home was hit by a bomb. They lost everything and fled to Lebanon with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Simpsons photos are a new album of our life, he said. And he hopes the film can help Canadians understand his people and culture. It can let them see how we are a normal family We are not different. Basel Abou Hamrah Its a good thing to introduce the Canadian people ... to a refugee family, Hamrah said. It can let them see how we are a normal family We are not different. Advertisement Its easy for there to be misunderstandings between groups of people who have never met, Hamrah said. Its a good thing to know about anyone, right? For me, when I came here, I didnt know many things about First Nations people. Now, Hamrah said hes making an effort to meet indigenous people and learn about their culture. When you dont know people face-to-face, you have already ideas and judgements about them. Its a good thing to go and see and explore the culture and how they think to know them more. Reading about people in a history textbook or in newspapers is not the same as meeting them in person, he said. Advertisement Go to the culture and speak to them so they can talk about what they are. Watch Simpsons short documentary, This Is Not a Passport Photo, above. Also on HuffPost Frizi via Getty Images Cuba, Cienfuegos As the number American-based airlines traveling to Cuba increase, the rumors circulate even faster. Stories of hoards of American tourists flocking to otherwise tranquil beaches and lavish resorts are butting bed and breakfasts out of the way and cruise ships are flocking there in droves from Miami. While most of the stories you hear are probably just tall tales, the following are five reasons why you shouldn't put off your bucket-list trip to Cuba. You Can Get There Before the Rest Advertisement Photo credit: Matias Garabedian It doesn't matter whether you're Canadian or American, interest in traveling to Cuba has been peaked by more lenient travel restrictions in the U.S., and you'll benefit from beating the crowds. While future tourists will probably be seeking more updated hotels, Cuba still sees a major lack of over-the-top resorts, especially when compared to other popular Caribbean and Latin American tourist destinations. Visit now, and you'll enjoy Cuba's authenticity while it's still alive and well. New Friends Await It's always difficult to leave Cuba, and that's not just because the average winter temperature is 25 degrees. It's the Cuban people and their unwavering hospitality that make it tough to say goodbye. You shouldn't be surprised if you're welcomed into a local's home for dinner after just a few moments of knowing them. Cubans have roots in countless cultures, and they're friends with people of all races and backgrounds. The ability to throw judgement out the window is a Cuban trait that many visitors decide to take home with them. Havana Is a Must Photo credit: Matias Garabedian There's no city in the world quite like Havana, Cuba. Following the communist revolution, Havana was frozen in time, and it remains there, despite a few slow advancements toward present day. While much of that age is shown through the neglect of streets, sidewalks, buildings and storefronts, it's also shown in the gleaming chrome mirrors of freshly-washed Fords and Chevys straight out of the 1950s. Dilapidation looks more like art in this historic city lingering in the past, and every traveler should feel a sense of urgency in seeing it before repairs are made. Advertisement The 300+ Beaches Can't Be Rivaled That's right, the largest island in the Caribbean is home to more than 300 beaches, which means you can find miles of sand without a single footprint. Divers will find natural wonders above and below the water's surface at Maria La Gorda Beach, while those seeking pure relaxation can throw a towel on the white sands of Playa Ancon and stay for hours. Cuba offers beaches for party-goers, snorkelers, beachcombers, families and travelers of all types. The Music Will Change You Many Caribbean and Latin American countries offer their own take on music. But Cuba's melting pot of cultures mean the music scene is unlike anywhere else. Combine European folk with African percussion, Spanish guitars and Chinese reeds, and you have a taste of just how diverse a Cuban band can be. Watch them play on the streets of Havana or in a night club well after hours, music radiates through all Cuban cities and towns at all hours of the day, and it's impossible not to get up and dance. By Ann Frost Promptly after being officially named president of the United States, Donald Trump summoned leaders of the Big Three automakers to a White House meeting. This wasn't a huge surprise to the managers of General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. After all, while campaigning for the Oval Office, Trump repeatedly promised to force U.S. manufacturers to stop expanding globally at the expense of American operations, and his infamous Twitter feed made it clear that the auto sector sat at the top of his corporate hit list. After watching pre-inauguration tweets repeatedly scold his company for investing in Mexican operations, Ford CEO Mark Fields wisely set out to better prepare himself to deal with Washington's new anti-offshoring agenda over the holidays, when he reread The Art of the Deal, an official Trump autobiography originally published in 1987. Advertisement Unfortunately, as the Detroit Metro Times recently pointed out, the book in question probably won't directly help anyone better negotiate with Trump because it doesn't really "dive into the psyche" of the man. As DMT writer Lee DeVito put it, "Fields should know that The Art of the Deal ghostwriter Tony Schwartz has since disowned the book, calling it a 'nonfiction work of fiction.'" And since Trump didn't write it, any insights into his personality supposedly gained by reading The Art of the Deal could very well do more harm than good. But Fields didn't totally waste his time rereading the best-selling book because Trump reportedly likes to pretend that it isn't a work of so-called "alternative non-fiction." As a result, anyone who treats it as the real deal stokes his ego, which doesn't hurt if you must negotiate with America's new leader. Business is all about deal-making. But as noted in the Ivey Business Journal article entitled "Beware the A-Hole Tax," nobody likes to negotiate with a jerk, which is why anyone who takes the Ivey Strategic Business Negotiations Program that I teach leaves knowing that a reputation for being a jerk can be seriously costly. That said, not everyone can see or understand how they are perceived by others. And because we often are forced to deal with egotistical people whether we like it or not, it pays to understand how to negotiate with a narcissist. Narcissists like an idea best when they think they developed it themselves. An ideal negotiation partner cares about your long-term interests. They want to listen to you and work with you to gain a positive outcome and maintain a mutually satisfying relationship. None of this tends to be true when dealing with narcissists. So, when dealing with one, it is extremely important to be very clear about what you need. This isn't easy because narcissists typically don't want to listen. They like to hear themselves talk, which is why you must really listen when they do (rather than planning what to say next in your head). This is your best opportunity to find out what a narcissist really wants, which may not actually be what you think or even what they are telling you they want. Advertisement Once you understand what the narcissist really needs, you can clearly explain how you can help provide it. Paying keen attention to what a narcissist says will also help you get them to come up with ideas that suit you. Narcissists like an idea best when they think they developed it themselves, so use probing questions to get them to reach conclusions that you favour. If possible, you should ensure that the negotiation process and outcome will make them look good. While narcissists don't typically care about what you want, they do care about what other people think. So, it pays to smile a lot as you appeal to their need to be seen as beautiful, influential, powerful, or intelligent, while framing your offer or proposal in a way that enhances how others see them or how they see themselves. Keep in mind that when forced to negotiate with a narcissist, there is nothing wrong with strategically sucking up to get their attention. Like everyone else, they tend to want to help people they like, so do what you can to feed them the constant positive reinforcement they need. The more positive feedback, acknowledgement, and/or praise you can offer while negotiating, the more potential you will have to be liked. The more you can do this honestly, of course, the better off you will be (you will at least feel better about yourself if you don't have to totally make stuff up). Simply put, narcissists love to win. As a result, you'll do better dealing with them if they leave the table believing that they won. Hopefully, you also will have won, but keep that to yourself. Letting a narcissist know you are happy with an outcome does not help. It is far more productive to get them to quickly act on commitments just made without noting that your interests are at stake. Narcissists often have short attention spans. And if you don't get the deal done fast, they might just move on to winning the next thing they want without a thought to the deal just made. Advertisement About the author: Ann C. Frost is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Ont. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: While we don't yet know the U.S. President Donald Trump administration's strategy for renegotiating NAFTA, so far all indications point to him attempting to pull as many factories back to America as possible. Even aside from the potentially disastrous effects that that could have on supply chains that are integrated across North America, it misses a big prize: research, innovation and technology. It's where experts say our economy is headed anyway, and Trump's disruption of the status quo might help us get there faster. Computers and iPhones may be manufactured in China, but the companies who design them and the apps they run are largely headquartered in the U.S. They are largely staffed by immigrants, many of whom came to the U.S. to further their education and were then recruited to the tech sector. President Trump's vilification of immigrants, including a restriction on their movements in the form of a travel ban for people from seven Muslim-majority nations, leaves many genius researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs feeling unwelcome in the U.S. even if they are allowed in. Advertisement The tech sector is the largest part of the American stock market, and while Canada's tech sector is not as large, it was still responsible for $117 billion in 2015, or 7.1 per cent of Canada's economy. Any opportunity to draw some of Silicon Valley's capital (and particularly, human capital) northward is positive. Canada competes with the United States in the tech sector, and we've just gained a major advantage. The question is, how much will we capitalize on it? Tech companies themselves, as well as governments at all levels, are trying to figure that out -- but they may be missing a big piece of the puzzle: education. The first thing we need to do is keep doing what we're doing. The post-secondary education sector amounted to 16 per cent of government expenditures in 2006, representing over $30 billion (not including tuition fees) to our economy. By investing in post-secondary education in order to further open it to international students, and target it to innovation in fields such as technology and environment, Canada stands to not only draw international talent to our education sector but also provide a more competitive environment for the tech industry. There are three crucial steps to bring together these crucial factors of immigration, innovation and education. The first thing we need to do is keep doing what we're doing. Canada's immigration policy is among the best in the world, encouraging immigrants who will be of high value to our economy while still being generous to refugees. While we have our own long history of racism, we are far from the xenophobia exhibited south of the border, and for the most part newcomers feel safe and welcome here. Advertisement The next step is a major investment in post-secondary education. Canada already has a few world-class universities, but we have many excellent institutions that would join the top global ranks with an influx of funding. The Green Party has long proposed free post-secondary education, the NDP is vowing to eliminate tuition, and there are several nations in Europe that offer free tuition for all, including international students. Memorial University in Newfoundland has cut application fees for international students in the wake of Trump's travel ban, and has had an enormous response; clearly, even modest action can have a big impact, and there is no shortage of international students looking to study in Canada. Investment in post-secondary education can have a greater impact if it is targeted at research and innovation in growing sectors. That Canada's tech sector is centred around Waterloo, Ont. is not an accident, and the University of Waterloo focuses on innovation, with many ties to the emerging industry there. The reality, particularly for international students, is that graduates tend to stay in the area in which they study -- whether that means getting hired out of their summer internship or co-op program, or collaborating with classmates to launch new businesses. Trent University in Peterborough, Ont. recognizes this and is in the process of building a research and innovation park to nurture emerging researchers and entrepreneurs, particularly in Trent's specialty area of environmental studies -- a field which has an estimated $30 trillion value worldwide as economies around the world transition off of fossil fuels. If tuition were no object, students would be more free to choose a university that specializes in a field of their choice, allowing universities to differentiate themselves on the domestic and global markets. Building our excellent international reputation will improve immigrant settlement and funnel new ideas into our economy - while America does the opposite. The third important point is that we need to recognize the skills and knowledge of Canadians. Immigration agencies often use Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to determine the skills and validate the credentials of new Canadians, but universities and colleges do not always recognize foreign credentials, much less informal or non-formal learning. We often hear that immigration drives our economy, but how many immigrant doctors are driving cabs even in the midst of a national doctor shortage? Tuition-free education must begin with programs to recognize informal learning and foreign credentials and update them to Canadian credential standards, to reduce the amount of under-employment in Canada. RPL can also help people laid off in the manufacturing sector to achieve credentials they already or nearly qualify for, softening the blow of any coming trade wars with the U.S. Building on our excellent immigration policies and international reputation by bolstering our education system will improve immigrant settlement, draw thousands of students from abroad, and funnel new ideas and perspectives into our economy -- while America does the opposite. Then whatever happens with NAFTA, we may come out ahead economically. But more than that, we will further fill the global leadership vacuum that is opening up as America shuns internationalism. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: Anna Bizon via Getty Images I like taking photos with my lovely family. Debica, Poland This Valentine's Day, why not spend time showing love to those who might need it the most? February 14 conjures up images of hearts, chocolates and little jewelry boxes presented over candlelit dinners. We think of partners and spouses. But the love we focus on this February can ignore other fulfilling relationships in our lives. Broadening your "love scope" this Valentine's Day to include parents and grandparents could be the most rewarding decision you make. Elderly parents and grandparents can often find the holiday depressing, especially if they are isolated from loved ones. Widowers are especially at risk and it's not hard to imagine why. Envision spending 50 years sharing your life with another and then all of a sudden you're alone. Advertisement A recent study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco identified loneliness as a major contributor in elder decline and was associated with a higher mortality rate. The study included 1,600 adults, averaging 71 years old. Nearly 23 per cent of lonely participants passed away within six years of the study, as opposed to only 14 per cent of those that reported adequate companionship. Going out of your way to make a loved one in your life feel extra special, especially our grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles that may be single living on their own, may be the greatest gift you can give them. And there are many easy things you can do this Valentine's Day to make it special for that exceptional senior in your Life. Activities: You cannot properly celebrate without some homemade treats! Now is the perfect opportunity to learn your family's secret cookie recipe, or to introduce them to your own specialty. Get family together to watch a favourite movie or have an afternoon tea party. Get some "love teas" from your local tea shop and throw on a classic to pleasantly pass an afternoon. Also a perfect chance to enjoy the freshly baked goodies you made earlier. Play some themed bingo! There are lots of Valentine's themed bingo sheets available online. Dust off your favourite dabber and connect those cupids and teddy bears. Gifts: Something as simple as ordering flowers or a gift box to a senior's home will go a long way to showing them you care. Photos are a great way to reminisce on the positives of the family's history. Get that family photo finally framed, or assemble a scrap book. These are easy for you but will be cherished by them. Take it one step further and capture a photo with them on Valentine's Day. Then, send them a framed copy of it in the following days. This is a great way to remind them of the love they felt in future years too. To add a modern spin on it, load family photos onto a digital picture frame. There's a greater volume of photos without taking up more space. When all else fails, give them a card. While homemade cards demonstrate a greater effort, it's the message inside that will touch their hearts. Sit down and write them a heartfelt note, describing just how much you care about them and love them. Check out these links for more ideas: So this February 14, be sure to enjoy your hearts, chocolates and little jewelry boxes presented over candlelit dinners. But also don't forget to spare some time for that senior who means the most. There are lots of fun, simple, and meaningful ways to show them you care! On Sunday, January 29, a young sympathizer of the racist far right burst into the Great Mosque in Quebec City. Just after the prayer, the place of worship was crowded and the terrorist killed six family fathers. The Muslim community in the province of Quebec, with more than 200,000 adherents, expressed its fears, its indignation and its sadness to the people of Quebec and Canada whose tributes of contrition and solidarity are unprecedented. Quebec is a Canadian province with a large majority of descendants of French settlers from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Conquered in 1760 and ceded by France to the British Crown in 1763, Nouvelle-France left in America a community known to be rather progressive, ecological, egalitarian and welcoming. In terms of promoting and defending its cultural and linguistic identity, however, its voices are much less harmonious. Although in Quebec French is spoken by a vast majority, the linguistic issue has been in the news for 50 years, and between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of voters say they are in favour of Quebec's independence. Advertisement Quebec counts 8 million people, and welcomes about 50,000 immigrants every year. Many of them are received as refugees or are simply misinformed, which poses challenges in terms of linguistic, cultural and economic integration, but Quebecers generally welcome them generously and cordially. As elsewhere, radical Islamic terrorism has stigmatized a community of Muslims who are better integrated than many others, particularly because many of them speak French. As with all immigration, the recognition of diplomas obtained abroad is an important issue. It should be noted that no Muslim immigrant ever exhibited a terrorist gesture in Quebec. How can each political party serve the common good without hurting the preferences of its electoral base? As elsewhere, a highly competitive media apparatus and partisan politics have exacerbated tensions between, in general, the Francophone majority of Catholic descent and some of the linguistic minorities of various denominations. How can we ensure the harmonious integration of immigrants into Quebec society? What part of the approach should be based on coercion and what part on incentives? How can each political party serve the common good without hurting the preferences of its electoral base? The secularism of the state; the wearing of religious symbols in the state space and the public space; prohibition of the wearing of religious clothing covering the face during certain civil activities and gestures; recognition of diplomas obtained abroad; teaching language; and religious accommodations in the workplace are some of the issues that are debated with, in the fight against radicalization and international terrorism. Advertisement Interculturalism, multicuralism and separatism We are already witnessing an ideological recovery of the Quebec drama, charges against Quebec nationalists and what they call "interculturalism." Interculturalism is not a very clear notion, but it can be defined as multiculturalism with a desire on the part of the host society to see immigrants adopt certain consensual values: French as a common language, primacy of law, secularism of the state, equality for gender, sexual orientations, religions and origins. Yet, the consensus in Quebec may not at all satisfy all of Canada, which is primarily multiculturalist and Anglophone. We read in the Washington Posta charge against Quebec in general which, according to the commentator and cartoonist J. J. McCullough of Vancouver, would conceal undern a progressive outlook a deep and dark racism. As proof: the number of attacks that are perpetrated in Quebec! While it is true that, in all proportion, there have been more of these acts of violence in Quebec than in Canada, there might have been much less, always in proportion, than in the United States. Modern Quebec knew its first terrorist trauma when the Front de liberation du Quebec (FLQ) kidnapped a British diplomat and killed a Quebec minister during the October Crisis in 1970. Mr. McCullough does not hesitate to speak of anti-Semitic and pro-fascist feelings, and to confuse hate crimes of a sexist nature in educational institutions, attacks perpetrated by "lone wolves" without terrorist and organized supervision, including that of Quebec City, and two attacks against sovereigntist leaders which failed but cost several lives: against the government of Rene Levesque in the National Assembly in 1984 and against Premier Pauline Marois in 2012. This tote serves his words: it is Quebec itself that, racist and intolerant -- separatist, moreover -- proves the melting pot of all the violence. In its defence, the debate on identity -- which many assimilate to ethnic nationalism -- has led to abuse of the language of progressive, yet soundly concerned leaders about integration issues. Add to it the spectacular and irresponsible diatribes of commentators in the media and the debauchery that has become habitual on social networks, and we cannot exclude conditions that are favorable to the emergence of a weak mind that takes action. Should the media and politicians be held accountable? This would seem much exaggerated even if the awareness of the excesses would have been welcome before the drama within an immigrant community among the most integrated and in a city notoriously peaceful (the last homicide in Quebec City goes back a year and a half). It would be false and irresponsible to claim that Quebec and the separatists within it are racist or Islamophobes. In this fiery discussion, and often in an interested manner, the notions of immigration, Islam, radicalization, terrorism, secularism of the state and gender equality are confused. In Quebec, this debate adds to the polarization that persists between the independents and the Canadian federalists. At the heart of this confrontation, immigration is heavily instrumentalized. Quebecers of immigrant background are not very familiar with the linguistic and constitutional debate in Quebec. It is in Canada, and even in Northern America, that they think they have come, so they adhere more to federalism. A significant number of them express a preference for integration into the English-speaking linguistic and economic community for similar reasons. Among nationalists and sovereigntists, immigration is therefore associated with the strengthening of federalism by the increasing force of numbers. Advertisement Important measures have been devised to positively welcome immigrants into Quebec society. However, the official language is French and the reception is accompanied by binding rules laid down by linguistic laws or, at the cultural and institutional level, a draft Charter of Values which, perhaps wrongly, and despite its failure, has contributed to Associating the sovereigntist movement with a certain ethnic nationalism. This ethnic nationalism does in fact exist. The author of the Quebec attack claimed it. It prospers, but only at the very fringes of society and does not nourish a far right comparable to what is seen in France, elsewhere in Europe and even in America. There are racists and Islamophobes in Quebec and even within the sovereigntist movement. However, it would be false and irresponsible to claim that Quebec and the separatists within it are racist or Islamophobes. No one seriously asserts that sovereigntist parties are racist or Islamophobic. Irreconcilable differences History explains the difference between multicultural Canada and interculturalism in Quebec. The United States, Canada and Quebec are immigration lands. However, at the time of its conquest by force, and still today, the French-Canadian nation, now the People of Quebec, is the only one in America where almost everybody speaks a language other than English and exhibits a common, homogeneous set of cultural and historical traits. In a more or less hostile way, it is normal for a majority to want recognition and adoption by minorities of its language, its institutions and often its religion. It was to assimilate them and dispose of their lands that the Acadians were deported to Louisiana. Lord Durham -- a British nobleman dispatched to Quebec, then Lower Canada, in 1839 by the British Parliament to understand the French and Catholic resilience and legendary fertility -- wholeheartedly wished French Canadians to assimilate to the Anglo-Saxon culture. Advertisement Ironically, it is the French Canadians who assimilated thousands of Irish and Scots. Quebecers of French descent are a minority in English Canada and a majority in French Quebec. More than one million of them migrated to the northeastern U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century and became fully integrated. Pierre Trudeau was the father of the current prime minister of Canada. During his flamboyant passage to the head of the country, he institutionalized Canadian multiculturalism in particular by adding a Charter of rights and freedoms to the Canadian Constitution. Thirty-five years later, Quebec still has not agreed to the terms of the Canadian Constitution. An actual effect of this doctrine is the passage of the Quebec nation from the status of Founding people to that of one minority among the others, destined to melt into the cultural mosaic of Canada. On the other hand, despite a strong cultural presence and a dynamic and cordial coexistence, the Anglophone community in Quebec could also be slowing down as any other minority among Quebecers. It appears that Canadian multiculturalism would cost the world cultural diversity a unique nation, rich in its own history, strongly mixed, indeed open and progressive, and carrying a language in decline in America. It is therefore understandable that, clumsily perhaps, these millions of people seek to reconcile their progressive and welcoming values with their desire for cultural and linguistic survival. Advertisement The text that the Washington Post published is an excellent reflection of the duality that makes Canada a historical collage of sometimes irreconcilable differences. This linguistic, ideological, religious, territorial, cultural and often political distinction is not unique to Canada. We find the same elements in the recent history of the United States, which are nevertheless an inspiration among the great democracies. In addition, by integrating the tremendous diversity of immigration within common institutions, patriotism and a common language, the American "Melting Pot" is far closer to interculturalism as promoted in Quebec than to Canadian multiculturalism. It is necessary to always and without complacency ask ourselves, each one of us and together, what we could have done to avoid such a tragedy. The events in Quebec City exposed the flank of sovereigntist and nationalist politicians. Nothing more was required for their adversaries to quickly take advantage of the extreme vulnerability of Quebec to describe it as a land of ethnic and racist nationalism at the heart of a virtuous Canada. What is fair to denounce is exclusion, ignorance and fear of difference. All Quebec leaders recognize that immigration is a cultural, demographic and economic contribution essential to the perpetuation of our nations. It is never the fault of the Other. In politics, it is useless to cast off on others the responsibility for failure, retreat or tragedy. On the contrary, it is necessary to always and without complacency ask ourselves, each one of us and together, what we could have done otherwise to avoid such a tragedy and what could be done to prevent it from happening again. Despite the author's critical gaze and harsh words, Canada will not impede the current reflection in Quebec. On the contrary, it will oblige it to be better, welcoming, understanding and creative without renouncing what makes it a nation rich in its common culture. Advertisement By avoiding to blame the Other, Quebec will only be more legitimate to choose whether to remain a Canadian province or to sit as a country at the Table of Nations. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this blog indicated Lord Durham arrive in Lower Canada in 1841 . He arrived in 1838. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: It is a well-known fact that there are just not enough cybersecurity professionals for businesses and governments to hire to protect against the ever-growing threat presented by professional cybercrime gangs around the world. Some estimates suggest the shortage will hit 1.5 million by 2019 as demand for cybersecurity professionals outstrips candidates by a huge margin. Indeed according to a leading recruitment website, the number of cybersecurity vacancies in the UK jumped by nearly a third (31.9%) between 2014 and 2016 but the number of new candidates looking for roles in the industry has failed to keep pace. Worst still given the geopolitical effect of the Brexit vote, there is a good chance the UK cybersecurity industry will also lose access to 500m EU workforce to recruit the necessary expertise for the future. Advertisement Clearly we as an industry need to do a better job to excite and encourage more young people to look to a career in cybersecurity and we need governments and educational establishments to promote cybersecurity as an exciting, and well paid career for youngsters going through schools, colleges and Universities. So I was very encouraged to see that the UK Government have started a five year trial to encourage 5,700 school children aged 14 and over to spend up to four hours a week on lessons in cybersecurity. The classroom and online teaching will focus on 'real-world challenges' and critically work experience will be made available from September. Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg and we need more of these sorts of initiatives in the UK and worldwide. Whilst last year's A-Level results showed an encouraging 16% increase in those taking computing, it seems as if too few go on to study the subject at university, and fewer still specialize in cybersecurity. Advertisement We need more people to realize cybersecurity is an interesting and exciting career so we can have the skills and expertise for the future that we need to protect people, governments and organisations from the menace of professional cybercriminality. It is not enough to wait for school leavers to come through the educational system to be available to work in the industry. We need good people now! Tetra Images via Getty Images I went to a Cuddle Club (CC) the other day. Yes you heard right. It's a two hour gathering where a group of gay men experience a series of activities that basically involve hugging, holding and, you guessed it, cuddling. And before you ask... it's fully clothed. What I found interesting was the different levels of need that I experienced from the men I 'worked' with. I liken it to a self serve buffet bar. Some people haven't eaten all day and pile their plate high while others are a tad more selective and reserved in what they pop on their plate: most go back for seconds. Advertisement I myself arrived reasonably satiated on the touch front due to the fact that I am staying with a particularly tactile friend with whom I have developed a very active cuddle routine. Although we have separate bedrooms we regularly join the other for early morning sessions and think nothing midday of retiring to the sofa for a spot of tactile touch should we have fifteen minutes to spare. In fact we have created a new word for our activity - we call it huddling - a cross between hugging and cuddling. So I noticed that my enthusiasm for cuddles at the aforementioned club was somewhat measured. If this is all sounding very Woodstock and 'out there' I would agree and several months ago I'd have said the same. But the thing is I've just returned from six weeks in Bali and Thailand where physical contact is like breathing and massage opportunities are more abundant than coffee outlets. My daily routine of massage, yoga, and swimming submerged my body into heavenly delirium being stretched, pummelled, soothed and awakened in a way I cannot remember since my nappy bound days. And everyday I wondered if I'd get to the point where I'd have enough, whether I'd retreat back to the levels of contact I had become accustomed to whilst living in London. But no, it just kept going. I just kept returning to the buffet table. This led me to the question: What amount of touching constitutes 'enough' ? What's a healthy amount? And critically - can I overdose on touch? Advertisement Back at CC I experienced just how hungry people were to be held and to hold. At times it was suffocating: if it were not for my domestic arrangement I'd be piling my plate in something resembling the Tower of Pisa too. Ironic that in a city that is being squeezed for space by the minute and where the number of people per square metre is getting to crowded tube train proportions that so many of us are managing to wander around 'touch deprived.' (One of the saddest things my 83 year old mother said to me recently was that she looked forward to her annual check up with the doctor for her throat cancer remission because he touched the back of her neck.) So I've come to the realisation that I need a lot of touching. I don't think I am anywhere close to meeting my needs and fear that my London life will not provide the opportunities required to do so. And all this half shoulder bro hugging doesn't even touch the sides. Years ago whilst working in Doha, Qatar I remember being mesmerised by the nightly sight of men gathered together in cafe bars, drinking coffee, holding hands and casually draping their arms around each other. Spoiler alert: I cannot see a franchise of cuddle clubs being much in demand here. Oxytocin, the hormone which makes us feel bonded to others has become known as the cuddle hormone and has proven to reduce stress, anxiety and blood pressure. Advertisement So, much like eating and sleeping I'm putting huddling into the same category of 'required daily' I've realised that my need for touch is greater than, and different to, my need for sex (I have merged them together in the past) I suspect that people in partnerships and who sleep together are getting a daily top up of what I have recently been experiencing with my 'huddle' flatmate. It makes me realise just how unhealthy and untouched I have been over the years and how I have sought to redress the absence with unfair demands on lovers and boyfriends. I believe that we need a huddle revolution. I believe that in troubled times human touch can calm and soothe our fractious fears. I believe it is an essential component of our daily life. shakzu via Getty Images Since the 1960s British politicians and policymakers have claimed that good race relations in Britain requires tough immigration policy. It's time to put this myth to bed. The US decision to ban entry to people from seven Muslim majority countries is obviously an extreme policy appealing to 'legitimate public concerns' but one that also shows why tough immigration policy can worsen attitudes about race. Advertisement The UK government has clearly, if belatedly, indicated it won't consider any such ban. However its own policies are clearly and deliberately harming migrants, as people explained to Runnymede in our 'This is Still About Us' report. And as the post-Brexit hate crime rise showed, it's unsurprising if anti-migrant rhetoric unbuckles people's hostility towards ethnic minorities as a result. The UK has explicitly adopted a 'hostile environment policy' on migration. Its defence of this policy is that it only applies to 'irregular migrants' and that the 'Go Home' vans had no wider effects on other migrants, British born ethnic minorities, or attitudes among white British people. That defence is looking even more disingenuous with the deliberate fostering of anxiety among EU citizens and the consequent hostility felt by those migrants. Advertisement 'Encouraging' people to leave by making their lives difficult is perhaps one way to respond to people's 'legitimate concerns' about immigration, though presumably the government will reject this increases public hostility against migrants. Immigration policy isn't only about visas or who the UK allows in or to work or study here. It's also about integration, notably including reducing barriers and discrimination in the labour market and supporting equal participation in British society. Recent government thinking on integration focuses more on the attitudes and behaviours of migrants, and on 'fundamental British values'. On this question it's hard to square the British government's hostile environment policies, or its weak response to the Trump administration Muslim ban, with a commitment to tolerance, liberty or equal rights. Those values are looking a bit less fundamental than securing a trade deal with the United States. Indeed, the very group government policy demands it show greater commitment to these values - British Muslims - were those whose rights the British government was slow to affirm. One wonders whether the Prime Minister or immigration officials could honestly swear the 'oath' to British values proposed in the Casey review on integration. Tough talking on integration and restrictive, hostile policy on immigration may make policymakers feel they are responding to 'genuine concerns'. But the effects on migrants, ethnic minorities and race relations are obviously negative. Advertisement It's worth remembering why and how British policymakers of the past interpreted the claim 'good race relations requires tough immigration policy'. First, they believe that many white British people would in fact be hostile to people arriving from the Caribbean and South Asia. Second, that this hostility would mean it would be impossible to pass non-discrimination legislation - which is why such legislation was passed alongside restrictive immigration acts. This sort of thinking may seem antiquated, and few Britons appear to support explicitly discriminatory immigration policy. But, as the Brexit slogan went, don't we need to show we understand the need to 'control' migration? Policymakers and politicians of all stripes are more than a little dishonest about the 'control' narrative, especially on non-EU migration numbers and policy. But taking them at their word, how must a post-Brexit immigration policy afford control, while not increasing harms against migrants, or indeed British-born black and minority ethnic people? First, whatever policy is adopted, it must be clear-eyed and up front about the effects on race relations. This isn't just about overt or covert fear mongering or 'othering', but about affirming the equal place of ethnic minorities, and protecting them from violence and discrimination. Advertisement Second, the policy must go further and avoid discrimination, especially on grounds of race or religion. Third, in terms of framing immigration policy, politicians must consciously resist an elision between 'control' and 'tough' or still less 'hostile' language. Post-Brexit our immigration policy may or may not be characterised as 'controlled', but it must not increase racial discrimination or ignore the rights of minorities, however popular that might be. British values of nondiscrimination, tolerance and equal liberty must underpin immigration, integration - and indeed all - policies. Connel_Design via Getty Images Upon taking a peek into the archives of our modern political history, it's easy to forget the significant progress our nation has made in overhauling discriminatory laws and policies towards the LGBT community and most importantly, shaping the views of society at large. It is no thanks to the campaigning trailblazers of the past; those who risked their safety for attending the first Pride marches, the placard wavers and those who refused to accept nothing less than equality before the law. During LGBT History Month, these are the people we must celebrate and never forget. Across the UK, there are hundreds of events taking place to reflect on what has been achieved but also what challenges remain for our community. In England and Wales it marks the 50th anniversary since the passing of the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which saw the partial decriminalisation of male homosexuality. Here in Scotland, it took until 1980 for this change in the law to take place. These did not happen as a result of a gesture of goodwill from law makers, these changes happened thanks to the tireless efforts of a generation that we owe an eternity of gratitude to. Advertisement In January, the UK Government announced a pardon for Britain's persecuted gay men. In 1945, 800 men were persecuted for homosexual activity, with this number surging to 2,500 by 1955. The rewriting of this historical wrong was an important moment in securing justice for people who did nothing more than fall in love. However, we should do more than simply excuse these people, as a community we must learn from their courage and strength. The theme of this year's LGBT History Month in Scotland is heritage, celebrating the personal, social and political milestones that tell Scotland's equality story. Such moments include the first gay disco organised in Edinburgh in 1970 and the first LGBT bookshop in the city opening its doors back in 1982. Historical figures such as Edwin Morgan, who was Scotland's first Poet Laureate and came out as gay in 1990 at the age of 70, and the activists who made history by forcing a Scottish Parliament in its infancy to abolish Section 28 in schools. Our modern day LGBT community is a melting pot of diversity, gender and ethnicity. Of all the structures within our society that best reflect this, our political institutions now find themselves painted the colours of the rainbow. The Scottish Parliament boasts no less than three party leaders who identify as gay or bisexual and Scotland has been ranked as the top place for LGBT equality across Europe for the past consecutive years. At the UK Parliament, this photograph taken outside the Palace of Westminster of the gay, lesbian and bisexual representatives who are responsible for making the laws of the land, is another indication of how far we've come. Politicians and other public figures can now come out on their own accord and are no longer subject to tabloid witch-hunts which would see regular 'outings' splash across front pages in order to generate revenue for newspaper proprietor's. Advertisement As we rightly celebrate these achievements, our community must never forget those campaigners of the past. As a 25 year old bisexual man, I have grown up with a backdrop of accelerated progression in equalities and such change has only been made possible due to those who attended the Pride marches long before they were awash with colour, media coverage and political endorsement. I can now go gay bars, tweet about LGBT culture and fall in love with whom I want without being treated any differently in the eyes of the law. The best thing about turning 50 is the amount of comedy material that generously lands in my lap. I've finally found my calling in life. Making people laugh by taking the piss out of myself. All those foibles and idiosyncrasies that Father Nature (Oh come on, it couldn't possibly be a woman, could it?) hands out by the bucket load. I've been on a bit of a roll writing about the menopause, middle age spread and heightened anxiety. Although something occurred to me the other day, what if I get better? I overcame a challenge with flying colours recently and I thought that that's one less thing to be funny about. I'll come to that one another time, but take my word for it, it was momentous. I know I'm a funny lady because my mum told me so. And I see the fruits of my labour on the face of the person I'm talking to as it contorts into the kind of expression reserved for private appearances only. That's when you know you ARE bloody funny. Advertisement As a child my family moved around a great deal. This was very hard for my brother and I. Always the new kids on the block. The first day of school was like groundhog day for us. I recall on one occasion praying at night that I would wake up paralysed so that I wouldn't have to endure being the new girl again. Northern Ireland (NI) 1978 was a very bad time to be an English resident. Everywhere we went there were slogans screaming 'Brits Out', even cut out of the high mounds of snow piled up on the sides of the roads. The people of NI wanted the British Army to leave; bombing was at a peak; cars left unattended were taken away and destroyed in controlled explosions; soldiers with big guns patrolled the streets and we were searched in every shop we entered. If we got lost in the wrong area we were right to be scared with our English Registration plate. My parents finally changed our car registration when my mother was the target of makeshift missiles as she drove along the Falls Road in Belfast when Bobby Sands, member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, died on hunger strike in HM Prison Maze in 1981. So, there I was, Little Miss English thrown into the lion's den. Not the fault of the children, they learned from their parents that we/I was the enemy. I was 13 years of age, I could forgive the children, but not the teachers. It didn't matter that I was of Irish descent, I was from the country that as far as they were concerned had stolen their land; I was an alien, an unwelcome immigrant. Advertisement This is when the humour really started to kick in. Not easy, but a necessity to survive. It's awfully hard to kick someone's head in when you are laughing so hard you almost wet your pants. I was talented and skilled at impersonations and accents. I knew the words and songs to every advertisement on the television. I could do all the voices, and Cilla Black was my piece de resistance. Being funny and smart saved me from years of bullying. I was saved from being bullied by the children, but not the teachers. I was in a school play just before we were about to make the move back to England. I played a Belfast woman, my accent was spot on. The next day the maths teacher commended me on my performance, the same teacher that would make me answer questions with the number eight in the answer because it sounded SO FUNNY. He said, "it's a shame you are leaving just as we're getting used to you". How do we respect the will of the people when the people have no say, no control, and the very tools of democracy are being perverted and used against them? We are told to be silent, to respect democracy, but how is democracy respected or enacted when all debate and dissent is silenced, and when the independence of the judiciary is attacked, branding judges 'traitors' in their defence of the constitution and rule of law? In the UK, Brexit is waved through, un-amended, unopposed. In the US, Sessions and Devos are sworn in to positions that they are uniquely unqualified to hold. The lies of the Leave and Trump campaigns are exposed daily, and then we find that both campaigns have been greatly engineered by the far right under the same man - Steve Bannon, and his company Cambridge Analytica. The UK is now seemingly set irrevocably on a road to its own self-destruction, the elected representatives saying repeatedly the will of the people must be respected. But last I looked we were a parliamentary democracy, not ruled by plebiscite. The cynical manipulation of the referendum vote - divorced from the checks and balances that parliamentary democracy delivers -cannot be described, even in the most fevered UKIP fantasy, as the will of the people. Advertisement Just as Corbyn says the real fight starts here, the fight is already over. The Article 50 bill cedes the power of parliament solely to Theresa May. The opportunity for debate, for opposition to the far-right nightmare of hard brexit has been completely squandered. We shouldn't forget that this opportunity, this defence of parliamentary sovereignty was delivered not by the Opposition but by a private citizen who took the government to court. We shouldn't think, however, that the Tories under May have in any way turned to populism to set their agenda. The populism that won the brexit vote is merely being used by May in order to build power for herself and her party, perhaps in perpetuity. Whatever is left of the UK after Brexit will be there for the exploitation of the Tories and their cronies, broken up into Tory feudal baronetcies (new metro-mayors), and asset-stripped by US carpet-baggers. The Conservative Party have remained true to their ideology throughout -in contrast to Labour who seem to have completely abandoned theirs. Orwell's 1984 is back in the best-seller list, and I'm one of the people who has inadvertently put it there. It was a set text on my English Literature O-level, and as I hated the book with a passion, I haven't picked it up since. But 35 years ago I was too young to appreciate the book, not having the knowledge or experience to even begin to understand it properly at any level (I still passed the exam though!). Now it seems horribly prescient, from the panopticon of the Internet to the newspeak it produces. We have a 'fake news' president who re-writes factual events or even creates massacres that never occurred in order to justify an ever-increasing authoritarian agenda. In the UK, far-right populism has changed the previous enemy (Russia) to Islamism. The EU is increasingly painted as the enemy so that we will inevitably have to forge closer links with the US - in effect becoming nothing less than Airstrip One. Refugees become migrants, simultaneously taking people's jobs and pushing down wages whilst taking houses and lazing on benefits. The NHS isn't in crisis due to government cuts, exploitative contracts, privatization and an aging population - it's because of lazy overpaid doctors and health tourists. Extending even the most basic humanitarian aid to child refugees becomes what is called a pull factor. Better to let the children die or be sold into slavery than to extend help when they flee the bombs (that we made and sold) that slaughtered their families. Advertisement In another fictional dystopia, the character V lays the blame for the fascist regime they live under on the shoulders of the voters. Driven by fear, concocted threats and austerity, the people voted for a charismatic authoritarian leader who promised them security and prosperity wrapped in a jingoistic, nationalist flag. But V for Vendetta and 1984 never envisioned the Internet. It seems odd that in a society where literally all of the world's knowledge is at the fingertips of its citizens, it becomes so easy to manipulate the so-called will of the people. But using the panopticon of ubiquitous surveillance it provides, people's behaviour and responses can be accurately monitored, to the point where it is possible to artificially limit their access to information to a bubble. Specially designed input can then be fed into that bubble that will reliably produce the required response. This is what Bannon's company Cambridge Analytica boasts. It unashamedly claims victory in the EU referendum and US election by following this methodology. It goes beyond campaigning to deliberate nudge manipulation. Facts and experts are threats to the methodology, and so one of the first things to be done is to attack their validity in such a way that the attack cannot be refuted. Experts are discredited by the simple virtue of being experts. Facts become not only alternative facts but meaningless, when the opinions being forced have been deliberately designed to be integrated into manufactured identities. Facts are dismissed and ignored due to the cognitive dissonance they create. The desired and assumed identity cannot be challenged. What has been lost in our democracies is debate. In both campaigns, how often were debates actually held? TV debates were simply Q&A where the answers were no more than pre-scripted soundbites. Where facts no longer matter, what basis for debate can there possibly be? And on the debating floors of our governments, there is no reasoned argument, only posturing and point-scoring. And where even that might be too dangerous, opposition is silenced by arcane points of order or filibustering. Advertisement In the press and media there was only polemic, not debate. To garner ratings, TV channels went after the most extreme grotesques, giving platforms to the most offensive views - and by so doing, legitimized them. The current affairs and discussion programmes I remember from my youth have been replaced by newstainment. "What offensive and outrageous thing will Trump/Farage say next?! Tune in at 11 to find out!" We can only restore, defend and perform democracy by opposing, by engaging, and challenging the popular (or populist) narrative. When we are told lies we must correct them. We must engage people with a will to explore the truth but do so in such a way as not to challenge their identities. But where their opinions are demonstrably wrong and damaging, we must not simply capitulate to them in order to win their vote and ultimately the power to change things through winning office. To do so would be just as exploitative as the tactics of those we hope to defeat. monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images A controversial ruling in America has given a convicted rapist the right to contact with his daughter, after raping his victim when she was only 14. And our British courts are heading in the same direction. Is there ever a justification for allowing this kind of contact? The starting point for any application for contact in the UK is that every child has the right to know his or her biological parents, and so the way in which a child is conceived is often ignored. It is incredibly difficult to make generalisations about rape as it can involve personal relationships, cultural and social expectations and the creation of legal responsibilities which can affect the way a rapist views his relationship with the child he accidentally fathered. And yet, looking at rape from a child's point of view makes the way forward much clearer. Advertisement The now infamous statistic that three out of four rapes are committed by someone the adult victim knows gives the impression, or suggests the existence of a close relationship, but in reality only 25% of rapes are committed by someone the victim has been or is, in an intimate relationship with. Knowing the name or face of your rapist does not in itself create familiarity or the kind of trust which automatically implies sexual consent. Neither does a family tie or friendship. Whilst courts around the world are quick to point out that these principles are understood, the kinds of contact orders being made today suggest that these principles are not understood well enough. The impact of rape lasts long after the physical event has taken place. Women who have been raped are more likely to commit suicide and are prone to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can include flashbacks, severe anxiety, recurring nightmares and depression. Allowing a rapist to have access to a child born out of a rape only enhances the trauma and forces the victim to relive that fear and anxiety on a regular basis. This directly impacts a child, who may find herself or himself without a mother if she is unable to cope with the added stress of seeing her attacker for prolonged periods of time and has to place her child in care if she can no longer parent through the pain. Whilst the starting position in our family courts is that every child should have the right to know their father, this sidesteps the difficult issue of whether a rapist can ever be fit to parent. It's a fundamental question no-one is asking: can a person who prioritises their agenda over others to such an extreme that they are willing to commit a violent crime to satisfy it, ever put a child first? There is also evidence to suggest that some men who father children through rape only ask for contact after they have been forced by a court to pay child maintenance. There are no figures available in the UK or the US to show the percentage of rapists who go on to ask for visitation rights after they have been forced to provide financially, but this trend is concerning enough that justice systems around the world should be looking to collect this information and analyse it. As rape is an act of control, seeking to enforce parental rights over a child after being asked to provide for that child could well fit into coercive patterns of behaviour which could lead to maltreatment of the child at worst, and at best lead to the child being used as a pawn to control the rape victim. Advertisement Charles Pragnell, an independent expert defence witness for child protection says he is deeply concerned by the rise in contact orders for rapists: "A rapist's intent to exercise power and control over the female stems from a misguided belief in male entitlement and rights. This can never be construed as being in the best interests of the child... Birth by such an act will cause permanent emotional and psychological harm to mother and child and for them to be forced to engage with the violator in any manner is unconscionable. " The US President has the authority to launch the US nuclear arsenal at any time and without reference to any other authority. During the Presidential election Democrats attempted to discredit Trump's ability to handle the grave responsibilities of office that come from control of the country's thousands of nuclear warheads. US nuclear posture and doctrine is now set to remain a high-profile, contentious issue in the first year of the Trump Administration. And not just because of the President's disdain for the landmark new START that limits Russian and American strategic warheads and launchers. Recent initiatives are in play to expand the American nuclear enterprise and its capabilities, and to restrict it. Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) 2017 President Trump has blown hot and cold on his policy approach to the nuclear arsenal, communicating his readiness to engage in an arms race, whilst at the same time offering hope of a nuclear arms control deal with Russia. Now, Trump has ordered a root-and-branch review 'to ensure that the United States nuclear deterrent is modern, robust, flexible, resilient, ready, and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies'. It is likely to consider the intersection with space and cyber capabilities. The timeline for the review is unclear, but could yet be published in the summer or even the spring. Advertisement The NPR will be led by the Defence Secretary, Gen. Jim Mattis. Like the President, Mattis may yet be a wild card in this process. In oral evidence to Congress in 2015, he questioned the need for a full Triad (land-based ICBMS, bombers and submarines), and spoke of the dangers associated with the ICBM leg in particular. During his confirmation hearings in January, he appears to have quietened his curious scepticism. The Trump narrative would have us believe that the Obama Administration allowed the nuclear infrastructure to atrophy; the truth is that plans have been underway since 2011 to spend up to $1 trillion over the next 30 years to upgrade warheads, platforms and delivery vehicles, a figure far greater than the rest of the world combined in the same period. In London last July Parliament agreed to the start of construction of the new fleet of Dreadnought submarines, due to enter into service in the early 2030s. This programme will be heavily dependent upon the parallel US programme to replace the Ohio-class submarines with the Columbia class. Even the massive US defense budget will come under severe cost pressure to accommodate these plans to replace the submarines and the rest of the Triad in the 2020s and beyond. Obama officials were already expressing their concerns in late 2016 that their recapitalisation plans were unaffordable. This could turn out to be the most effective brake on ambitions. Nevertheless, many commentators expect the Trump NPR to essentially endorse the Obama Administration's strategy, with some high profile amendments. Advertisement The review reopens opportunities for sections within the nuclear enterprise to propose new pet projects. One such, involving the design and production of more usable 'mini-nukes', was proposed by the Defense Science Board in December and reported this week. Such proposals have form. The 2001 Bush NPR contained ambitions for a variety of new missions for nuclear weapons, such as the bunker buster, partly as a way of offsetting what was seen as the declining salience of nuclear deterrence in the context of a growing taboo on nuclear use. Yet the Administration failed to convince Congress of the need for new missions, and the review ended up a paper exercise. It remains to be seen whether those with nuclear ambitions in this Administration can persuade a Congress likely to be in conflict with Trump on a number of fronts. Markey-Lieu Bill Meanwhile, initially in response to the possibility of a Trump victory in the election, Sen.Ed Markey and Rep. Ted Liu drew up a bill late in 2016 to constrain the authority of the US President to launch a nuclear first strike without a prior declaration of war by Congress. This would not affect any US response to a nuclear attack, but would prevent first use early on in any major conflict. This concern over the dangers of a single individual initiating a nuclear war ought to be independent of the particular individual in the White House, but Trump's personality and approach warrants added urgency. Campaign groups are busy mobilising around this bill, though its chances of passing appear slim. This begs a similar question of other nuclear-armed states. India and China have well-established no first use policies, but as in the US, most other heads of nuclear states are able to launch a first strike with minimal or no consultation. BASIC is considering similar Parliamentary action in the UK to contain the powers of the Prime Minister in launching a nuclear first strike without reference to Parliament. Advertisement This could be based upon recent precedent when Prime Ministers have sought authority from Parliament prior to military action in the Middle East over the last 15 years. It was David Cameron's failure in August 2013 to convince Parliament to support air strikes against Syria that led to a major shift in the US/UK approach. The British decision to enter into the nuclear club was originally made by secret Cabinet sub-committee, but we have come a long way since. Both the decisions to start the Trident renewal project in 2006 and to begin construction of the Trident submarines ten years later were confirmed by Parliamentary votes. Yet many Parliamentarians do not even realise the UK consciously leaves open the option for the Prime Minister to launch nuclear weapons first, even against a state that does not possess them (if they are not in compliance with their NPT obligations). Whichever way you voted on the 23rd of June, Brexit has left us all, particularly business-owners, with a string of unanswered questions. Will your business thrive with the pound fluctuating? Should you launch your startup in London, especially now? Will your company continue to receive government funding in these uncertain times? Many of the answers to these questions are still up in the air as the government continues to debate the process of leaving the European Union, but the effect of Brexit can already be felt. Here is how I see Brexit affecting the entrepreneurial scene, particularly on business development, finance, education and immigration. Business Development To begin with, I think it's important to note that while London is a pioneer city in technology, it's likely to begin to lose its exclusive status of "Tech Capital" as knowledge becomes decentralised. This has been a long time coming, and Brexit has only served to exacerbate it. It's my belief that as a result, Paris, Barcelona and Berlin will take over and become the next main tech hubs in the coming years. Advertisement In fact, according to the Financial Times, since the Brexit vote, five London-based companies have already moved to Berlin, and 39 are considering relocating. Moreover, outside of the entrepreneurship sphere, companies like Lloyd's of London have also begun to relocate. Whilst London's position as a hub for regimented capital is likely to remain strong in the near future, with companies continuing to see the positives of a financial hub with powerful connections and venture capitalists, this won't be enough to make all parts of a business stay. So what does this mean and how will it work? With Brexit putting overseas firms off UK commercial properties, companies are likely to want to move their developer teams to other European cities for a better quality of life and cheaper labour costs, saving them money and helping them overcome important bottlenecks. On the other hand, their C-level executive teams are likely to remain in London to make the most of the still-very-appealing networking opportunities, management schemes and tax advantages available. For companies that are already fully settled in the UK however, there will still be incentives to remain. London is a financial hub after all, with strong connections to the US, and which still attracts large amounts of capital. Moreover, particularly in the FinTech industry, it's highly regimented, making it easy for new companies to set up. Advertisement The UK government should focus on initiatives such as providing more grants, incentivising R&D and lowering taxes to make living easier, better and cheaper in the city to incentivise smaller businesses not to leave. With schemes already available such as Tech City UK, these should continue to operate and amplify their reach. For small companies after all, the cost of setting up in the UK can often be prohibitive. Finance Due to Brexit, it is now cheaper to raise money in euros and then spend it in the UK. The fluctuations in the pound sterling have made this possible. The problem I see is that no matter what the fluctuations are, salaries will adjust. If the pound goes down, engineers get paid more pounds, and vice versa. It's always going to be a unified challenge of euro versus pound. Right now, the euro is safer, and this currency will continue to be the focus of attention for entrepreneurs, it seems. With this in mind, start-ups will likely begin to search for institutional funding elsewhere other than the UK, with Barcelona, Paris and Berlin high up on the list. This could either be positive - the creation of a stronger start-up community in other leading European cities, or negative - demand for funding could become excessive. As with many things Brexit-related, it's difficult and too early to tell right now. Education & Immigration Until now, London has been particularly good at attracting the vast majority of prospective engineers, but I don't think people will necessarily choose the UK to study anymore. Whilst the educational focus on banking and finance students will remain strong in the city of London, engineering talent will become attracted to other top universities such as the Humboldt-Universitat in Berlin and the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris. Once again, decentralisation of knowledge will hit the UK hard in this area. Immigration on the other hand, is a massive concern for those in business, and with Brexit meaning more difficulties, the challenges are likely to heighten. Whilst people used to pick the UK and Europe as a whole because of freedom of movement, that's no longer a given. US companies buying into the UK market once only had to worry about getting EU visas and now they'll need to worry about much more. Advertisement As a result, US companies trying to set up European offices will no longer pick London as their hub and countries like Estonia will become an easy alternative. The reason? They make paperwork and hiring people easy, as everything is online. 2016 was a year of referendums. A year when politicians around the world put some of the biggest questions of our time to the people in a bid to settle them once and for all. But rather than heal divisions, many of last year's votes only further exposed our societies' rifts. In Demos' new report, Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself - which looks at political trends and public opinion across six European countries - we identified a new dividing line in Britain in the wake of the referendum, between 'open' and 'closed' attitudes. These two different ways of seeing the world, broadly speaking, coincided with the Remain or Leave camps: one group with broader social networks, recognising the gains a more inter-connected world has brought them, and another who largely still live, work and socialise in the towns where they grew up, struggling to see how globalisation has benefitted them. In contrast to the popular belief that the wave of right-wing populism sweeping the West is solely down to those who have been 'left behind' economically, our findings highlight the impact of feeling dislocated by social and cultural change, as well as by uneven economic development. In Britain, for instance, we found that Europhiles and Eurosceptics tended to be divided by their attitudes towards social issues - such as women in the workforce, same-sex marriage and ethnic diversity - as much as by their income or where they live. Advertisement The social factor was critical in shaping the political landscape in other countries we looked at too. In Poland - the only country in our report governed by an authoritarian populist party - concerns about immigration and Islamic terrorism drove people's fears more notably than economic worries. While in Spain, despite a toxic mix of economic stagnation, mass unemployment and high levels of immigration, a far-right political movement has failed to gather momentum, largely due to the resolutely liberal and outward-looking attitudes that have dominated the country following the fall of Franco. Our findings show, therefore, that while policies to ensure fair and sustainable economic growth are a much-needed part of any response, economic policy alone isn't sufficient to heal society's divides. For too long, liberal politicians have dodged debates about identity or values, and brushed off their citizens' concerns about the EU as the result of insufficient understanding. This has had a doubly negative effect, causing these politicians to be deeply mistrusted - seen as out of touch - and leaving these debates to be framed by insurgent political groups pushing a divisive and xenophobic agenda. In our German case study, for example, many of the politicians we spoke to chastised voters for using the EU as a scapegoat for their general feelings of panic in response to global crises. But our surveys found that, far from exhibiting a generalised state of fear, most Germans actually have one or two specific concerns about the European Union, the most common being its impact on social security in Germany and the cost of increasing EU payments. Politicians, therefore, desperately need to re-engage with their citizens through meaningful dialogue and debate to more effectively address their fears as individuals and as a society. To combat both the litany of dubious and divisive news sources, which seek to enflame rather than inform, while simultaneously addressing the genuine concerns of voters, there is a vital need to keep people engaged between election cycles. Increasing the representativeness of national institutions will be key, as will boosting accountability at the European level. Advertisement Do you care about other people's beliefs? What's the odd, differing political view between friends? Since we were asked to leave or remain, to back Clinton or Trump, these questions have taken on new significance. The 'special relationship' between the UK and US is not the only partnership currently under awkward strain. The EU referendum and the US election divided friends, families and political parties and the aftershocks of these recent, political earthquakes are still being felt. When the charity Relate surveyed 300 of their support practitioners, it found that around one fifth had worked with clients who argued over Brexit. The story of Gayle McCormick takes this to the next level. She and her husband of 22 years separated after he revealed his intention to vote for Trump. Love doesn't always conquer all. On reading the story, I found myself wondering how she had ended up marrying him in the first place. Even if they had never discussed voting preferences, were there no conversational clues leading to his fondness for Twitter obsessed demagogues? Couples discuss all manner of political issues - whether they label them this way or not - from the cost of petrol and childcare, to the availability of GP appointments and housing. Being with someone who's on a similar political page not only makes life a little easier, common ground means you are likely to enjoy each other's company. I don't share identical political opinions with my husband, but if he discriminated against others based on their religion or sexuality and thought that torturing human beings was fair game counter-terror policy, I doubt we'd have made it to the end of the first date, never mind to the end of the aisle. Advertisement Politicians, that notoriously tribal species, often go with their party whip even when they don't agree, to try and save the ship from sinking, while throwing the lifejackets overboard, if that's what their constituents demand. But like love and friendship, campaigning partnerships can be formed across political divides because people with very different party politics can still share common values. That's why, when it comes to policy making, cross-party support for issues can be successfully and effectively encouraged. The Dubs Amendment, a scheme to provide sanctuary to lone children fleeing war in Syria is one example of this. When it was introduced in April last year, it was supported by Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP and five Conservative MPs. Despite this cross-party support, in a shameful retreat from responsibility and basic human compassion, the scheme was brought to an end by the Government last week. When it comes to relationships, the absence of sexual attraction or unconditional love can make us less forgiving. In the days following the EU referendum, a particularly vomit-inducing Winnie the Pooh meme (involving Pooh and Piglet going to the pub for a cosy drink, despite being on opposite sides of the debate) did the social media rounds. An alternative version, brilliantly re-written by Jennie Stevenson, quickly went viral. When interviewed about why she wrote it, she explained that she wanted something that was more nuanced about how she was feeling, because people's politics aren't separate from who they are. That's exactly it. Some views and opinions speak volumes. They are a not so secret window to our soul, revealing how we treat others and how we choose to live our lives. So it's inevitable that they influence who we want to spend time with. Advertisement Like the question posed in the EU referendum, the question of whether relationships can survive political differences is multi-layered and complex, much more so than a binary choice allows for. Like so many things in life, the answer depends on the variables. Friends or family; love or like; lifelong or recent; the strength of feeling involved. But it's clear that some relationships will not survive political differences. And nor do I think they should have to. We shouldn't be afraid of disagreement and debate. Sometimes in life, we need to choose a side. Fence sitting or remaining silent isn't brave or diplomatic but it's usually the easier option, particularly when there's a 'brand' to protect. Gary Lineker could probably do without going to war with the might of the Daily Mail and I'm sure J.K. Rowling would rather not waste her wit and words on Piers Morgan. But they are, in my view, two shining celebrity examples (the odd one out is Piers, in case you're in any doubt...) choosing to speak out because they care and because they understand the influence and reach their words can have. They fight the good fight. Standing up for human rights, speaking out on behalf of those who are vulnerable, showing fellow human beings kindness and compassion - these are qualities I respect in others and those I am lucky enough to love and count as close friends fight the good fight too. Choosing friends who are like-minded doesn't mean protecting yourself in a bubble and refusing to listen to other perspectives. But I'm not surprised that all around me, I see people forming tribes, just as politicians do. Despite well worn talk of the dangers of echo-chambers, retreating to safe spaces to plan resistance is currently the preferred option for many. I believe that we need to get out of our comfort zones, to keep persuading others but right now, when the darkest of forces have won this round, it feels safer to stick with those who are on our side. There's a long road ahead and the stakes are higher than any of us imagined. When it comes to closeness, the hard truth is that some relationships can no longer be considered special. Sometimes, we need to let go of the other person's hand, or not take it in the first place, because integrity and self-respect are more important. Sometimes cracks were already there and sometimes, a relationship is toxic from the start. The Prime Minister shouldn't need a relationship counsellor to help her figure that one out and neither should we. Bastiaan Slabbers via Getty Images Donald Trump's election has sent progressives into a tailspin, and there have been numerous protests against the new president. But not everyone shares the sense of imminent catastrophe. Marches and demonstrations are viewed with cynicism by many, and if those opposed to Trump want to engage with people outside their activist groups, they need to address some critical problems in their movement. Violence I never expected to hear people sincerely asking if it's 'ok to punch a Nazi', but as this is happening now, here's the answer: it's ok if you're fighting in World War 2. But nobody's fighting in World War 2, and the people we've been advised to punch are not Nazis. Advertisement Look at Milo Yiannopolous' intended audience at UC Berkeley, where protests turned into riots. There's nothing to suggest that the people assaulted there have any connection with fascism, and, in my opinion, the same goes for Milo himself. Some of them stated they were present to show solidarity with the principle of free speech - a principle antithetical to fascism, which actual Nazis would trample under their boots. But the supporters of free speech were beaten unconscious. By anti-fascists, who then sent out a tweet boasting that they 'control the streets'. Controlling the streets being, of course, entirely normal and not at all oppressive and authoritarian, right? There is simply no grey area around the violence issue. If you believe in little details like human rights, democracy, and living in a civil society, then it's not acceptable to use violence for political ends. And yes, that includes toward actual racists like Richard Spencer. In fact, it especially includes the worst cases. It's easy to defend free speech when nobody is saying anything that bothers you, but to keep your cool when baited by truly extreme views shows conviction to your principles. Advertisement And as Maajid Nawaz said recently, "violence coupled with a sense of moral righteousness is precisely how terrorists emerge." Ignoring Democracy Liberal progressivism has been the dominant political ideology for as long as some voters can remember, and the trend toward globalism has seemed unstoppable. But it just stopped. Whether this is a positive or negative shift depends on your point of view. But here's the thing, the move toward globalism was a democratic one, and the move away from it is also a democratic one. Underpinning it all is democracy. It would be nonsensical to revolt against the core mechanism that allows us to live peacefully, just because it throws up results you don't like sometimes. After losing a vote, you pick yourself up, accept the decision (just as you would have accepted a win), and work out where you went wrong. Alternatively, you could sweepingly write off the opinions of everyone on the opposing side, and conclude that there's a problem with the system. But that would be myopic. After all, the system worked just fine when your candidate was winning, didn't it? Hyperbole This relates back to the first point about punching Nazis. Trump is not Hitler. The revolution will not be televised and neither will the alt-right propelled global apocalypse, because neither is happening any time soon. Advertisement People get sick of hearing exaggeration. They tune out. Keep at it with calling people fascists and Nazis, and the only change will be that the words become meaningless. Nobody will care and we'll be left with some very important language that doesn't work anymore, because it's been recklessly misused. So be precise. Be honest. State the facts as they are and people will keep listening. Contrary to the insults, Trump supporters are open to debate and perfectly willing to listen to opposing points of view. In fact, some Trump voters don't particularly like Trump either, but have perfectly coherent arguments as to why he got their support anyway. Talking to people who have differing political views can only be a good thing, so rather than demonizing people, try engaging with them. Double Standards Trump isn't judged by the same standards that Barack Obama was. Among progressives, the bar has been set preposterously low for Obama, who often receives only the gentlest of scrutiny for his time in office. For Trump, on the other hand, there is no bar, as everything he does is deemed inherently barbaric. Obviously, there's a point in the middle of these two extremes at which we should place a neutral marker. An example of this bias is when Trump's first military raid in Yemen was widely reported as having killed up to thirty civilians and a Navy SEAL. This is grueling news which we should all know about. But looking at some reactions to it, you'd have thought that US military action in Yemen had started on the day that Trump took office. Advertisement Obama was ordering drone strikes in Yemen for years, with predictably devastating consequences. Unsurprisingly, I don't remember this generating an uproar among progressives. And that's because of double standards. Moral Outrage You don't like a sexist remark Trump made ten years ago in private? That's understandable, but the reality is that a lot of people will never give it much thought. You think Trump gives odd, rambling speeches, and is liable to be crass and unprofessional? Ok, I agree. But his weirdness and general demeanor aren't cause for mass protest. These aspects of Trump's strange persona aren't worth discussing if the purpose is to gain wider support. Neither is it reasonable to simply protest 'against Trump'. People care about specific issues, such as the Executive Order on immigration, so be clear about defined grievances, and explain what the alternatives might be. Emotion is subjective and mutable, so avoid it and stick to concrete policies. Skip the moral outrage--a lot of people don't share it--and then we might have a meaningful exchange on our hands. Advertisement From 1984 to Black Mirror and The Matrix, it's a matter of time before we see a movie inspired by blockchain technology. Blockchain has become a real buzzword over the past year - not only in technology and business circles, but also in our everyday conversations. But what would life look like if blockchain underpinned our society, businesses, and government, in the same way the Internet transformed our lives? Blockchain is a sequential, ever-growing, timestamped set of records that are grouped in blocks and maintained by disparate participants. Each block is inter-dependent, making alterations of records uneconomical, if not impossible. So, imagine a world where everything we do, good, bad, or insignificant, becomes a permanent part of human history. Advertisement The scene is set. It's Chicago in 2077 and every ledger in the world has been replaced with blockchain technology. Introducing the "Master Ledger", a global network of blockchains and self-governing nodes which stores data and executes transactions on every aspect of our lives. Banks no longer hold money as they become a mere ledger access point. Cryptocurrency has replaced fiat currency. Our identities and daily lives are also now tracked in the all-mighty ledger. It's an efficient, prosperous society where financial and electoral fraud has been eliminated since any attempts are automatically spotted, rejected, and traced. Justice in this world is swift too - laws, regulations, and judgement have been reduced to code. There also hasn't been a single major terrorist attack in the past two decades. By tracing blood diamonds and laundered money on the ledger, terrorism groups have been throttled. Additionally, "people of interest" are heavily monitored and blocked from travelling outside their country. Businesses are virtually autonomous as trades are automatically priced and executed. Our heroine, Caroline, a primary school teacher, takes her class to the Immutable History Museum. Here, she teaches her class how the Master Ledger bought justice to individuals committing crimes against humanity. Advertisement She points out that in 2020, collating evidence was difficult as records were held in disparate locations. Evidence often followed refugees who became dispersed, and as they escaped these crimes, they also lost their identities. Murder did not exist without a body or evidence of an individual's existence. This was why high profile crimes against humanity took years to prove and convict. However, since the introduction of the Master Ledger in 2033, which brought together the worlds' distributed ledgers, authorities have been able to provide evidence of humanity and bring that evidence to convict criminals. Following the trip, Caroline walks home, when she witnesses the kidnapping of a girl who is bundled into a van. Despite her best efforts chasing the van down, she's unable to rescue the girl. Still shaking from what she has seen, she runs into her apartment and immediately reports the crime to the police, providing the vehicle registration, location, and description. Hours later, following an extensive investigation, she is told that there was no evidence of any crime. Since the vehicle and the identity of the woman didn't exist on the ledger, there was no evidence of a crime. Convinced with what she had witnessed, Caroline begins to investigate and finds a hidden side to this seemingly utopian society. She discovers a rise in suicides because individuals were unable to erase their social media histories. She also finds that forgiveness in the legal system and society has been lost. Former criminals are forever labelled as criminals thanks to the ledger. Ostracised from society, they struggle to find employment and are forced to go underground. Advertisement Some pursue "below the radar" roles in grey industries, while others resort to joining criminal gangs. Introducing "The Don James", the leader of "The Horns,". He gained notoriety after he successfully manipulated and hacked a global humanitarian aid fund based on blockchain technology quicker than the community could have prevented the attack. The vulnerability didn't lie in the blockchain's design. The culprit was merely two transposed, adjacent lines of code on top of the project, allowing The Don to drain funds. And before the community managing the fund could patch the bug, he drained $1bn from the fund's ledger in the space of hours. Accessing a restricted section of a library, Caroline reads about the Red Queen phenomena - where criminals are adopting technology faster than society to gain an advantage. Criminals are manipulating organisations from banks to pharmaceuticals by targeting the blockchain. She also reads about side chains at the upper echelons of society, where monopolies are shaping the development of blockchain technology to benefit the privileged few at the cost of others. Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. These are three examples of the "unalienable rights" America's Declaration of Independence specifically notes are given to all human beings by their Creator, and which governments are created to protect. These rights extend to all Americans, regardless of creed or color. And this is what the One America Registry, which we are introducing today, is all about. The One America Registry is a response to President Donald Trump's threat to establish a registry of all Muslims in the United States. Advertisement Sound Vision, along with our coalition of 50 other organizations, invites all Americans to register on One America Registry. The aim is to oppose policies and programs which seek to divide us. The proposed Muslim registry targets all American Muslims. It is similar to one that was created for Japanese-Americans during WWII. Seventy-five years ago this Sunday, an Executive Order was passed which made Japanese-Americans enemies of the state. They were shipped off to internment camps. They lost their livelihoods, their properties, and in a number of cases, their lives. The registry stripped these Americans of their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It was unconstitutional and unjust. This is something our nation acknowledged in 1988 under another Republican President, Ronald Reagan. He signed the Civil Liberties Act to compensate more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese descent who were incarcerated in the internment camps. The legislation also offered a formal apology and financial compensation to each surviving victim. Advertisement American Muslims are as concerned about the security of our nation as our neighbors. However, moves like the recent Muslim ban do not keep us safe. Such policies pave the way to a legal regime which not only harms our safety, interests, and stature globally, but undermines our values domestically. If the Muslim Ban was illogical, a Muslim registry is outright unconstitutional, and unAmerican. American Muslims are deeply grateful for the support from our neighbors and activists against the Muslim ban. We are specially thankful to the ACLU, the pro-bono lawyers, and elected leaders from the Democratic and Republican parties as well as mayors, governors, and the state attorney generals who stood up for American values. Now we are asking everyone to join the One America Registry and our 10 Minutes a day campaign to uphold American values. Once you register you will receive information about how to use your ten minutes a day to bring America together. Our first request is that you start calling your representative and senators demanding they pre-empt the threat of Muslim Registry. We are calling upon all Americans to meet their congressperson during a "National Congressional Meet up week" February 18 to 26. Advertisement Please ask your Congressperson to stand up for American values by prohibiting the creation of any registry that classifies people on the basis of religion, race, or national origin. When the leader of the free world is a badly coiffed vulgarian who lies about the size of his inauguration crowd and his administration simply dismisses this clash with reality as "alternative facts," one can't help but despair. After all, its not too far removed from George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984 where the ruling class insist that 2+2 is in actual fact 5. And, it's hard to know which is more worrying: the man in charge of America's nuclear arsenal is so deluded that he believes his own lies, or whether he is in fact a pathological liar. Advertisement So worrying are his actions, 37 psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers broke their code of silence on Monday by publishing a joint letter in the New York Times, branding the tycoon tweeter as unfit to be president. How on earth did we arrive here? According to Plato, we only have the excessive freedoms of democracy to blame. Writing in the Republic some two thousand years ago, he said that "tyranny is established out of no other regime than democracy." He believed that the longer a democracy lasted, the more democratic it would become and eventually its richly textured multiculturalism would create a country like "a many-colored cloak decorated in all hues." Inconceivable only a few decades earlier, the rise of Barack Obama, the first black president, marked the pinnacle of this era. But, the flip side of such liberalism is that as everyone becomes equal, there is no kowtowing to authority anymore and establishment values cede to popular ones. In this climate, the super wealthy are demonized as inequality becomes increasingly despised. And, it is in this moment that a disruptor lying in wait can seize power. Advertisement No doubt, the financial crisis of 2008 certainly bolstered Trump's case as loose monetary policy only elevated the Ivory tower class to even loftier heights. As Andrew Sullivan writes in New York Magazine "He is usually of the elite but has a nature in tune with the time. He makes his move by "taking over a particularly obedient mob" and attacking his wealthy peers as corrupt. He is a traitor to his class and rides a backlash to excess, offering himself as the personified answer to the internal conflicts of the democratic mess. He pledges, above all, to take on the increasingly despised elites. And as the people thrill to him as a kind of solution, a democracy willingly, even impetuously, repeals itself." Sound familiar? Trump rose to power with pledges to drain the swamp and make America Great Again. According to Sullivan, "in terms of our liberal democracy and constitutional order, Trump is an extinction-level event." And, to make matters worse, what if Donald Trump is the Manchurian Candidate, an unwitting Russian agent, taking orders from Moscow? These are the explosive allegations made by a dossier penned by a highly respected former British intelligence officer. According to the report, Vladimir Putin not only helped the property tycoon to win last year's presidential race, but he "has been actively cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least 5 years." His aim: to "disrupt, divide and discredit" the entire western democratic world order in favor of Moscow. Advertisement And, interestingly, the president has already championed the disintegration of the EU, descibed Nato, the centrepiece of Transatlantic security, as "obsolete" whilst saying that he is open to lifting sanctions on Moscow. Moreover, as Thomas Friedman writes in the New York Times: "Trump's willingness to attack allies like Australia, bluster at rivals like China, threaten enemies like Iran and North Korea and bully neighbors like Mexico -- while consistently blowing kisses to Russian President Vladimir Putin -- cannot be explained away by his mere desire to improve relations with Moscow to defeat the Islamic State. Putin was vetted by the F.B.I., C.I.A. and N.S.A., and they concluded that he attacked our country's most important institution -- and Trump has acted as if he could not care less. We need to know whom Trump owes and who might own him, and we need to know it now." Citing US intelligence officials, earlier this week CNN says that senior Trump campaign advisors were in constant communication with the Russians during Trump's run for the White House. Regardless of whether the dossier is true or not, imagine if you will that Trump continues his America first isolationist stance, and an emboldened Putin widens his aggressions beyond the Ukraine, into Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania in a bid to distract the public from Russia's continued economic woes. What happens next? Writing in Medium, Tobias Stone muses: "The Baltic States declare war on Russia and start to retaliate, as they have now been invaded so have no choice. Half of Europe sides with them, a few countries remain neutral, and a few side with Russia. Where does Turkey stand on this? How does ISIS respond to a new war in Europe? Who uses a nuclear weapon first?" Trump himself has said that there's no point in the US having nuclear weapons if it's not willing to use them. It's easy to see how things could spiral out of control. And, whilst this may all sound ridiculously far fetched, at the start of last year, few would have predicted Brexit, and even fewer Trump winning the White House. After all, as Stone points out: "A nuclear explosion is not caused by one atom splitting, but by the impact of the first atom that splits causing multiple other atoms near it to split, and they in turn causing multiple atoms to split. The exponential increase in atoms splitting, and their combined energy is the bomb. That is how World War One started and ironically how World War Two ended." City wants kids on bikes off roads From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-02-14 13:54 A father shows his daughter and son how to ride on Ofo bikes on Zhaozhou Road yesterday. Local authorities are reminding parents and bike rental companies that it is illegal for children under 12 to ride a bike on public roads. Wang Rongjiang Bike rental companies will put warning signs on their bikes after authorities expressed concern at under-age riders. They will also stop releasing bikes in areas where there are many children, such as schools. Major rental firms such as Mobike, Ofo and Xqchuxing were called in to meet traffic police and education commission officials over concerns about youngsters using rental bikes and e-bikes, the city government said. It is illegal for children under 12 to ride bicycles on roads and the minimum age for e-bikes is 16. Bike rentals or bike sharing are booming but are raising many traffic issues. Many riders are inexperienced and many park the bicycles illegally. Many under aged people sometimes even primary school students have been seen riding shared bikes on streets. The traffic authority said some children even rent a shared bike together to ride in turn for fun, which could be very dangerous on roads. After the meeting, the citys education authority, traffic police and bike sharing companies agreed to measures including improving the user registration scheme, adding a pop-up reminder and updating the smart locks on shared bikes to prevent under-age riding. The transportation authority will tighten control on illegal non-motor vehicle riding. Schools will also launch traffic safety education for students. Mobike, the citys largest bike sharing operator, said users have to register with their real name and identity card. Those under 12 are banned. The company also released a pop-up notification on its application yesterday, reminding parents of the minimum age rule. Our bikes are all using smart-locks which make it difficult for under-aged children to misuse the bikes, Mobike staffer Alanda Yang said. Beijing-based Ofo told Spring City Evening News that some adults might rent bikes but give them to children. The company has a real name registration scheme and said it will implement a dynamic password system to replace its mechanical locks. Last year, the city recorded 85 injuries and one death in 245 traffic accidents involving children under the age of 12 riding non-motorized vehicles. The cover of the New York Post newspaper is seen with other papers at a newsstand in New York U.S., November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton In his farewell speech, President Obama reminded us that "democracy needs you." This is not hyperbole, at its best, democracy is about the people. Democracy's roots are in highly participatory forms of government and the representative systems of today's nation states distance us from our governments, so we depend on the press to keep us informed. Attempts to mislead and deceive us have been around as long as there has been press and restricting free speech in an attempt to fix this just further damages democracy. That said, people who choose to be active and informed citizens face a daunting task navigating today's complex media ecosystem. How can you tell what's real, fake or just sloppy reporting? Advertisement Those of us who write and do research have to be very careful with our sources or risk our reputations. Not everyone has the time to research every new source, nor is it such a good idea to rely on just a few that we think are trustworthy. If you spend any time at all on Facebook, Twitter or other social media, you are bombarded with stories that come from all over the place. While it is nice to have so much information so readily available, not all of it is equally worthy of your trust and possibly a share. Newspaper editors and the like are no longer the only gatekeepers: we are. So, let's start by agreeing to stop sharing articles based on just a headline. Let's make a pledge to only share articles that we've read all the way through -- can we do that? So, go ahead and read the article, then take a deep breath and ask the following questions: 1. Who is the author? What qualifies this person to write about the given topic? Now, if there's no byline and you're not reading The Economist, then that should raise your eyebrows. More often, however, there will be a name and you should check them out. For example, do you know me? What makes me qualified to write this article? Being published in The Huffington Post means that it had to pass the muster with some very demanding editors. But had you come across this article on my personal website, how would you have known if you could trust it or me? A good place to start is the "about" page or biography (here's mine), which should explain the writer's qualifications. There are generally three ways people who write about politics become qualified to do so: by writing a lot, usually as a journalist; by collecting up a university degrees, usually becoming a professor; by working in the field professionally, usually in government or campaigns; or a combination of the three. There are also celebrities who get published just because they have a big name and an even bigger mouth--be wary of them. Advertisement Still feeling squeamish? Then Google them. You should find other publications, perhaps a LinkedIn page and Wikipedia might provide some insight as well. A strong Twitter following might indicate credibility, but not if they are following as many people as are following them. 2. Who is the publisher? This is pretty easy when it's a well-known media outlet, but even there, there are big difference in how the media is covering the news. But if it is indeed a well-known newspaper, then there are usually some editors and fact checkers looking over anything before it goes live. More problematic are the websites we just don't know anything about. This doesn't mean we have to write them off completely, in fact, you might just discover a fabulous news source. But again, let's start with their "about" page to find out who they are and who owns them. If that information isn't forthright, you can check who owns the domain here: http://www.whois.sc/. In fact, the domain suffix might give you a little more information as well. As with authors, if you're having trouble finding this information within the website, then Google them, take a look at their Wikipedia page if there is one. 3. How is this publication or website financed? In their classic 1988 book Manufacturing Consent, Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman built the argument that institutional structure effects outcomes. Their research was focused on the corporate news, which are businesses that make a profit from the news primarily through advertising, and their conclusion was that this has a profound effect on the content they produce. But besides corporate media, there are also state-run and independent (mostly not-for-profit) media, both with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Other sources of news and analysis include think tanks, non-governmental organizations and international institutions such as the UN. So, it is important to know who is funding this content and what their objectives are. Information about the transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP) within the European Commission Trade website looks quite different from what Greenpeace or Politico.eu are publishing, but they all have very different aims for this content and taken together, can give you a much bigger perspective on the topic. A few more basic questions about the look, feel and purpose of the content: 4. Who is the audience? This is going to give you a better idea of why they are reporting what the are reporting as well as how they are reporting it. Is this aimed at a certain age group, education level, professional sector or group of activists? 5. How well is it written? Is the text full of grammar and spelling errors? This indicates that it didn't go through a proper editorial process and if they can't get the language right, then it's difficult to believe they got the facts straight. 6. When was this information published? If there's no date, we have a serious problem since it's critical to know exactly when something was published. 7. Do they provide their sources? Links make this very easy and simple to do, so if an online publication or website isn't being transparent about where their information is coming from then that is good cause to question their work. And finally, the really big questions: 8. Is this information credible? This is, of course, the underlying question. Forget about objective or unbiassed--that doesn't exist. But was there an honest attempt to get the facts straight? Linking to sources is one way to do check up on this but if they don't do that, then what? Whether you are doubting the veracity of a story or you're just especially interested in the topic, there's nothing like taking a look at how it has been covered in the different press. In fact, political communication courses often assign a comparative content analysis where students follow the same story through two or more news organizations or follow two or more news organizations for a period time to see what they cover, what they don't and how. The results are eye-opening, yet not always consistent with what what you might expect. 9. Does it sound too good (or too horrible) to be true? This is where we all need to be completely honest with ourselves. You know what appeals to your own political leanings, so, trust your instinct and if this information supports your views or is a spectacular take down of all that you oppose, then proceed with caution. A lot of this click-bait has no regard for the truth, it's just someone trying to make a buck. The latest one I've caught on Facebook was a list titled "the federal week in review" with all the terrible things that President-elect Trump had done. It's very tempting to share this list to show my friends what a jerk he really is, but then number one caught my eye: "Trump fires all Ambassadors and Special Envoys, ordering them out by inauguration day." Well, I know full well that it's common for politically-appointed ambassadors to resign from their posts on Inauguration Day, so I checked the story out further and found that, of course, this assertion just wasn't true. A great place to check these sorts of stories is Snopes.com, which indeed has an entry that addresses the issue of Trump's supposed firing of all ambassadors. Another useful truth-finding website is Factcheck.org. Advertisement And don't think that this is just a U.S. phenomenon, fake news is spreading in Europe as well. In December, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called on the social media to do more to combat fake news. Also, an analysis by BuzzFeed news analysis showed that Angela Merkel has become the target of "hyperpartisan sites and Facebook pages" that are publishing fake news and conspiracy theories about her in both English and German, including yournewswire.com (in English), anonymousnews.ru (in German) and AWDNews.com (in English, French, German and Spanish). Democracy really does need you and if you care at all about democracy, then you will care about being truthfully informed. In the end, it all comes down to reading with a critical eye and a keeping steady hand with the share button. Just like democracy itself, being a a good citizen is hard and messy work. We can't be on top of every last detail and event. But we can make an honest effort to be informed. He's Marco Rubio , republican Senator for the state of Florida. Son of Cuban immigrants, he aspired for the presidency of the United States, but was defeated by Trump. At the time, he harshly attacked -- even with mockery (or jokes) -- the tycoon's intention to build a wall on the border with Mexico. But after months, and having Trump already become the 45th president of the United States, Rubio's positions have changed, and he is today one of the wall's strongest supporters. During one of the most heated debates of the Republican contest, back in February 2016, Rubio criticized Trump's wall, and even took the luxury of making mockery with it. "If you build a wall the same way you erected the Trump Towers, you will be using illegal immigrants to do so." But a year later, the senator of Cuban origin had changed his speech completely. At a press conference in January 2017, he became one of the first legislators to support the anti -- immigrant measure of the new U.S. president: " I have always believed that we need a physical barrier (...) It will work to canalize, not is it only due to people, it is also because of drugs and everything else", he said. Such discursive claudication confirms what Trump said about Rubio during the same republican internal: "He's a phony." Something that, in view of events, proved to be true, by finishing off the Florida senator, saying: "He is a specialist in crashing down when put under pressure." Of course, this can be displayed with the issue of the border wall. And so, who can believe a politician of such nature? Advertisement Marco Rubio, a professional politician, is the representation of what Karl -- not Karl Marx, but Groucho, the comedian -- said with such vehemence: " These are my principles, if you don't like them, I have others." A slogan that may very well represent the senator's upcoming electoral aspirations. One must doubt the mood (which, in this case, means: shamelessness) that the republican will assume while seeking the latino community's vote again, when one day he bashes the wall, and the next he fervently supports it. Such Latino community, much of which has settled in Florida, holds bonds of love with family and friends beyond the border of the United States, subjected to humiliation under the tightening of immigration policies of the trump regime. These policies imply suffering for Latinos due to their denied access to the U.S. and to the humiliations they would be exposed to at airports, or at the border in their intent to reach U.S. grounds ( o territory, como m[as the guste). Well, for this, they can thank senator Rubio, thus, a latino betraying latinos. This all reminds me of the Mexican revolutionary, Emiliano Zapata's words: "They, to please some tyrants for a bunch of pennies, or bribery, they are betraying and shedding the blood of their brothers." One hundred years after, at the north of Mexican land, over the wall, there is a Cuban-American senator who faithful represents that description. U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a parent-teacher conference listening session inside the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Michael Flynn's abrupt ouster from President Donald Trump's top national security post prompted a flurry of Republicans calling for a deeper look into the administration's relations with Russia and Moscow's alleged interference in U.S. politics. Photographer: Olivier Douliery/Pool via Bloomberg The first military operation President Trump authorized, over dinner, was a troubling failure. It killed 30 civilians, including 10 children and women. It cost the life of American Seal William Ryan Owens, injured three other Americans fighters, and the crew of an Osprey that crashed-landed. It pushed the local tribes -- including those that in the past supported the United States -- toward aligning themselves with Al Qaeda. And it showed, once again, the U.S.'s weakness in this kind of warfare. Before I proceed, I should note that I was trained for one year as a Special Forces combatant (though in my day, they were called commandos), and I was involved in close combat for two and a half years. (These include two short periods in which there was a ceasefire). I mention this because the following is not merely based on publically available information, but also on personal experience. Advertisement If the Democrats in Congress were not shell-shocked by the bombardment of executive orders, and if they were able to hold the kind of investigation and hearing the Obama Administration was subjected to over the loss of four American lives in Benghazi, here are the questions they should have raised about the recent Yemen raid. These questions call out for answers -- before we face more such operations. David Sanger, a highly regarded New York Times reporter, stated on public television that the decision to launch the strike in Yakla by the Trump team did not follow the usual procedure. There was no meeting in the situation room, in which (in the past) detailed reports about planned operations were submitted, followed by discussions about the goal of the operation, presentation of a risk assessment to American troops and to local civilians, and on the legal standing of the operation. Instead, the matter was decided during dinner conversations which included among others, Stephen Bannon, Trump's leading political consultant. (A few days later, when the news broke that North Korea tested a missile, the decision of how to respond was made in a similar way -- only this time, various other people in the area made videos of the documents presented and the informal presentations, and posted them online). Hence, the first of line of question that must be raised concerns who briefed the President and what did they state? Did they call his attention to the fact that, often, killing a few terrorists, especially when civilians are involved, only increases the number of terrorists the US and its allies must contend with? (As Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld put it, we must be sure we kill more terrorists than we create). What were the reasons given why drones were not used instead of Special Forces, which is a much less risky though one of less PR value? Was the President told that killing various Al Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan by similar raids and drones had helped suppress Al Qaeda (at least for a while) however, this was not achieved by a few sporadic raids -- but by many scores of raids, following one after the other. Advertisement One may even wish to know, given Trump's often reported limited attention span and distaste for intelligence briefings -- whether the president heard out the briefings, if any were made, or if he cut them short? Maybe future briefings should be made in the form of videos and presented on a TV screen? Did the President rely, as he often states, on his gut feeling and sense that he instinctively knows all one needs to know, better than all others? Al Qaeda combatants were forewarned about the attack. As a result, the all important element of surprise was lost. In most armed conflict situations, the conditions favor the defense because combat occurs in the territory it is familiar with, it is dug in, and it has short supply lines. The major factor that favors the attack is that the defense does not know when and how the position it defends will be attacked. This is especially true in commando raids, in which small forces attack a larger force, far away from the attackers' base. Here, loss of surprise is particularly detrimental. (Two operations in which I participated in were aborted once we lost the element of surprise). One needs to establish, regarding the raid in Yemen, how Al Qaeda found out about the looming operation. Was it due to the fact the US command decided to include some local troops? Or, because of the greatly heightened drone activities over the target, which served as a telltale sign that an attack was forthcoming? If this is true, surely one will want to know who made such an elementary mistake in executing the operation. Claiming that the raid was largely successful, Administration sources stressed the value of intelligence the US gleaned from material collected at the site. However, NPR reported that: "A terrorist video released on Friday by the Pentagon to show what it called intelligence gleaned by the recent raid in Yemen actually was made about 10 years ago, it acknowledged." Advertisement Speaking more generally, the US has small teams of Special Forces in at least thirty countries in Africa and the Middle East. There is a naive assumption that they can engage in "capacity building", in getting the locals to build up their military forces to the level that they will be able to fend for themselves. A Pentagon official explained to me that one of the most important missions of these teams is to curb corruption. This is much called for because a good part of the monies allotted to the various local military forces ends up in the pockets of the generals and lower ranking officers, to the point that troops are often sent to fight with little ammunition and even limited amounts of food. It is hard to imagine how an American Seal team, well-trained in the art of killing, will get the locals to curb corruption. The record of the 15 years of such efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, which entailed much large-scale American involvement, shows how futile such drives are. The raid in Yemen should serve as opportunity to ask the greater question: should the US engage in a small way in scores of nations, demonstrating weakness or -- either withdraw or engage on the level success requires? As far as Iran is concerned, which is helping the insecurity in Yemen, one must ask where the Yemen raid fits into a general strategy of dealing with this rising power. Tackle it in the various proxies wars in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen -- or confront the beast head on? Amitai Etzioni is a University Professor and Professor of International Relations at The George Washington University. His most recent position paper, "The China Options," has just been published at The George Washington University. My parents didn't play by the rules of the public education system. I'm so grateful they didn't. As immigrants from Colombia and Brazil, my father and mother recognized that education was the only way out for their children. They managed to scrape together enough money to send me and my sister to Catholic school. They believed it was my best chance at a quality education in our working class Southern California neighborhood. They were right. But I was a kid with an undiagnosed learning disability, and by the time I reached high school, I wasn't living up to that school's expectations. After failing several classes, I was kicked out. My poor mother almost had a heart attack. This was the 1980s. Although we lived on a "good" street, gangs ruled neighboring streets and drug sales were brisk business. My local high school was a gateway to crime and troubles that my parents desperately wanted me to avoid. Even with her limited English and her lack of sophistication about her adopted country, my mother feared that if I enrolled in the neighborhood traditional school, I would likely become victimized by the crime and violence that had engulfed so many other local kids. Advertisement My parents didn't play by the rules of the public education system. I'm so grateful they didn't. So, my mom did what any parent would do: she begged the principal at my all-girls Catholic high school to give me another chance. The principal, a nun, refused to give me another chance. My mom responded by doing what many parents are willing to do: she lied about our home address so I could attend a better, "white" school in a nearby city. Fortunately, we never got caught, and I graduated from high school. If my parents had played by the rules, I'm not sure where I would be today. While I understand the rules of the traditional public education system - go to the nearest school, no matter how bad it is, and no matter what kind of trouble it might lead to - I don't agree with them. I believe every parent should have the right to expect more and to seek out the right school for their children, just as mine did. And just as I would later do for my children. Years later, as a single mother, I found myself trying desperately to find exceptional schools for my kids in a world of sky high rents. When my job took me to a new city, I would once again begin the mad scramble to find the cheapest place to live within the boundaries of the nearest top-notch school district. It wasn't easy, but I did my research. And while I often lived beyond my means, I usually found a way to get by in the wealthy neighborhoods with the "right" zip codes - where schools were good. Advertisement How could I explain that to ensure they received a quality education, we needed to live among folks who were, in so many ways, unlike us? I did it for my kids, but it didn't come without a price. In a couple of cases, my kids were the outsiders at school and their playdates in mansions or beach houses often caused tension. They would come home with tales of lives lived extravagantly with bedrooms the size of our entire apartment and all the material things a child could ever want. How could I explain why our lives were different? How could I explain that to ensure they received a quality education, we needed to live among folks who were, in so many ways, unlike us? During my years as a Chicago Tribune education reporter, I found out how typical our problems were. I met countless parents who were in the exact same circumstances, doing everything they could to find a better school than the one that was assigned to them. Covering the third largest school district in the country showed me the brokenness and inequity of the traditional public school system. It was heartbreaking to walk into poorly run schools and classrooms and see how many children were getting shortchanged and not receiving the education they deserved. Of course, there were bright spots; some urban traditional schools were succeeding despite the odds. But they were the exception, not the rule. Most principals were still unwilling or unable to experiment, take risks, push boundaries and bet on their kids' capacity for success. Few educators were committed enough to tell every student within their school walls that each one of them deserved to attend college, and then to do everything necessary to help those students achieve that goal. In Chicago, seventh grade is a critical, "make-or-break-it" year. That's the year when a student's grades, attendance and standardized test scores determine whether he or she will get into the city's selective enrollment and magnet high schools. If you get one of these coveted spots, you basically just won the lottery in life. This is, of course, yet another glaring example of the system's lack of fairness: only some kids are "lucky" enough to go to the good schools. Advertisement I'm the first to admit that the charter school my daughter attended wasn't perfect ... But I have no doubt that my daughter received a better education at the charter than she would have at the school to which she would have been assigned. When it comes to my children, I'm not much of a gambler and as my daughter approached high school, I was already considering moving back to Southern California to live closer to my mother. I found a great, arts-focused, charter public school that wasn't exactly close to my new home, but worth the drive. We made the move and my daughter graduated from this high school. My son, on the other hand, graduated from the traditional public high school in my home district. They were both fortunate to receive an education that suited their individual needs, talents and personality. My youngest, in third grade, attends a traditional public school. I'm the first to admit that the charter school my daughter attended wasn't perfect. And we've all heard stories about charters that fall far short of the promise they make to their communities. But I have no doubt that my daughter received a better education at the charter than she would have at the school to which she would have been assigned. It was just a better fit for her. Last year I joined the California Charter Schools Association. Our mission is simple: to make sure that more parents have the right to choose a high quality public school for their kids. Advertisement Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time fighting political battles, just to protect parents' right to demand better. There is so much rhetoric out there demonizing the concept of school choice and the families who rely on it. I don't get too caught up in the rhetoric, probably because my personal experiences tell the real story of school choice: my mom lying to get me into a better school, my own desperate dash to find an affordable home in a strong school district, the struggling Chicago parents who prayed that their children would win the "lottery" and attend a great high school. Against this stark background, the politics and rhetoric are hollow and petty. After all, as many moms like me have found, what matters most is whether we can find the best schools for our kids. If the neighborhood public school is not delivering, why shouldn't we have another alternative? Why should they any parent be forced to sacrifice their children to a broken system? WASHINGTON, USA - FEBRUARY 8: Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos addresses department staff on her first day in office after her controversial confirmation by the Senate the day before in Washington, USA on February 8, 2017. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Advertisement Until it was made clear to DeVos during her hearing that IDEA was actually a federal law, she said its enforcement was 'a matter that is best left to the states.' DeVos' views on education, along with the role that individual states should take in providing education, are very similar to those of President Trump and other Republicans. She might even be called Trump's "avatar" when it comes to education policy. After initially threatening to eliminate or drastically cut federal funding to the Department of Education, Trump's September 2016 education plan proposed a popular remedy to what Republican legislators view as federal overreach in education policy and a stagnant public education marketplace lacking competition: the reallocation of a significant portion of federal funds for public schools into "block grants" that states could use at their own discretion to finance public, charter, private, or online learning. The 2016 GOP platform goes further by proposing an amendment to the US Constitution that would limit federal or state oversight of these programs. It's right up DeVos' alley. The Michigan billionaire and Republican fundraiser has spent her philanthropic career promoting so-called "school choice" designed to steer taxpayer money away from public schools toward private schools, parochial schools, and charter schools that were publicly funded but privately run. According to a year long investigation by The Detroit Free Press, over the last twenty years she was largely successful in complementing Detroit's own beleaguered public school system with "a second, privately managed failing system" that set no qualifications for charter applicants, received minimal ongoing oversight, and offered no consequences for poor performance. Advertisement Although what DeVos, Congress, and President Trump accomplish remains to be seen, allowing states to use federal funds to privatize large swaths of their education programs is unlikely to benefit the approximately 1-in-8 school children who are presently served under IDEA with some form of special education services. Public school special education programs, which currently receive less than half of the 40 percent of special education funding that was promised under the original IDEA mandate, would be further crippled in states with weak special education programs. Some private schools may fill this education gap, but for-profit schools that could play a prominent role in this free-market landscape are unlikely to do the same. State-run public school systems could simply ignore -- or at least practice far less compliance with -- the educational and procedural requirements of IDEA. The education of children with disabilities costs on average more than twice as much as that of typically developing children, representing a poor return-on-investment. In order to stay in business and run a profit, it's difficult to imagine most of these schools would be able to provide children with disabilities the free, high quality, individualized academic support they need and deserve. Nor would these schools be required to. As the "Council for Exceptional Children" (CEC), a prominent advocacy organization for special education has explained, families of students who receive vouchers for private schools discard rights to a free-publicly funded education (FAPE) afforded to them under IDEA. Either reduced oversight by the federal government, or a repealed, weakened, or simply unenforced IDEA would be very likely to exacerbate already depressed educational options within states with poor educational infrastructure. Alternatively, states not wishing to comply with IDEA could exercise their right to opt-out of this discretionary grant program, (although none currently do), just as some states exercised their right to opt-out of ObamaCare's Medicaid program against their own financial interest. In any of these scenarios, state-run public school systems could simply ignore -- or at least practice far less compliance with -- the educational and procedural requirements of IDEA. This likely wouldn't relegate special education back to the pre-IDEA era when a majority of children with special needs were entirely excluded from schools. Advertisement Today, I learned the word "charistry" - a charity wedding registry - thanks to Davinia James whose nuptials are a big "I do" for girls' education. Instead of gifts, Davinia and her fiance Nick are asking family and friends to support Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit that runs a K-12 girls' school and women's college in Afghanistan. I've been filming at the Zabuli Education Center in Deh'Subz, Afghanistan for the past 8 years to make the documentary "What Tomorrow Brings," and I can tell you who will benefit from Davinia's generosity: girls like Rihala Baraki and her three sisters who are just a few of the 128 girls Davinia is setting out to support this Valentine's Day. When I met Rihala in 2009, she was 18-years-old and entering 5th grade. She was the only student in the school old enough to remember what life had been like under Taliban rule, and it inspired her dream of becoming a police officer. Advertisement "It's the law that can protect people. Only the law," she said. Five years later, Rihala - now a 10th grader - was in the fight of her life. She was trying to stop her father from forcing her to marry a 70-year-old man and in the process faced extreme physical and emotional abuse. The experience strengthened her resolve and her belief in the law. "The injustice at home is a lesson for me. I want to be a lawyer," Rihala shared before a long absence from school. With help from her teachers, Rihala returned to finish 10th grade. Then 11th. Then 12th. "It was such a beautiful moment to give her that diploma... to know she had defied all the odds," said school founder Razia Jan after Rihala's graduation in December. Advertisement Respect for the Office. Dissatisfaction with the man. I am just bewildered at how the man elected to the Office of the President is conducting himself. He is acting more like a spoiled, mean-spirited child then an adult man with any sense of integrity or decency or maturity. Ah, yes, I know. The man in the office is courting his base. He was elected President of the United States because people wanted change, and want a man who "speaks his mind". Please know that my issue is not with the people who voted for this man; they exercised their right to vote, and they did elect this particular man. My issue is with the man's ignorance, self-serving behaviors, and apparent lack of intelligence. Where does one begin? Is it with his incessant and petty tweeting? Is it with his incompetent staff? Is it with his, overall, inexperienced Cabinet selections? Or, is it with his almost total disregard for another person's dignity? Doesn't the Office of the President of United States demand more from the man? Advertisement I am embarrassed, too, about how the man holding the Office of President is being ridiculed. And, let's be clear, he is being mocked as well as laughed at--incessantly. Table conversations, water coolers, daily news, late-night talk, Saturday Night Live, airport terminals, communities near and countries afar. People, as I experience them, are reviled and appalled. And, no, those who didn't vote for him are not sore losers; they are simply repulsed by his behavior, ego, and small-mindedness; and, it's only three weeks or so into this vital and valued role of the Office of the President. For the man holding the Office of President, authority is not leadership. I have an expectation that when others are elected to or advanced in a leadership role, that they will conduct themselves with nobility and civility as well as fair-mindedness and wisdom. Indeed, I expect that a man or woman holding the Office of President will exercise their authority responsibly and, for the most part, collaboratively. I expect that they will study and prepare for their role--and all accompanying responsibilities. My question for the man holding the Office of the President is "I want to know how you prepare? How long you prepare? What goes into your preparation?" Because, let's restate the obvious, the man holding the Office of the President has no government or military experience. And, thus, this lack of experience requires a diligent form of preparation let alone self-awareness. "Who am I?", one might ask? Well, I am a leadership development specialist who values the place of leadership in all walks of life. Indeed, I am flawed; but, I'd like to believe that I work on my flaws and limitations. But, equally important, I am a citizen of the United States of America who esteems the Office of the President. I am a constituent. And, quite frankly, the man holding the Office of President, owes me an explanation of how he prepares to make his decisions, and, then, creates responsible timelines for policy roll-outs and successful implementation? Yes, the man holding the Office of President is expected to engage in due diligence, and seek to understand the structures that are in place to support him as well as safeguard the country. Advertisement If the man holding the Office of President hasn't noticed, his decisions appear to be hasty and not truly vetted, and the roll-outs disastrous or poorly planned. So, I'd like to know, as well, how the man holding the Office of the President is preparing for and growing into this role? From my viewpoint, there is much work to be done here; and, any good leader knows that he or she always seeks proactive development opportunities to ensure success and effectiveness as they exercise their role competently and credibly. Oh, and let's name credibility as an essential quality of character that encompasses both the Office of President and the person elected to the Office. Defending poor decision making, or bad behavior, or weak judgment as the result of "fake news" is foolhardy. News coverage will continue to criticize or to question the judgment and temperament of the man holding the Office of President until he speaks with credibility and civility--as well as some degree of humility. Whatever problems the administration may have in bringing back good jobs for some of its supporters, we all have a challenge rearranging society to deal with automation. To what extent have jobs already gone not only to low-wage workers in foreign countries but also to robots? And is the administration attempting to bring back jobs only to see some of them being given to machines? Magical thinking makes for a good political rally based on "alternative facts," but reality strikes back. Some angry people are about to learn, painfully, some basic economics. Can the administration deliver on its promises to improve employment, provide lower-cost health care, or make the U.S. great by building a wall? Leave aside the expense of constructing a wall from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific and of charging U.S. citizens for it twice, once through taxes, then through higher prices for Mexican food and other imports as its suppliers have to pay a 20% tariff (or whatever is the eventual plan). Let us focus instead on the equally alluring promise to "bring back good jobs." Here, too, the administration's plan wallows in incoherence. Rather than paying wages higher than abroad, won't firms speed up the process of automation whenever it's cheaper than paying domestic workers? Meanwhile, isn't the administration's promise to bring back good jobs a perverse incentive to corporations to trade plans to offshore production for financial incentives from the public purse (delivered, for example, by tax relief, subsidies, contracts)? Unlike human workers, as the incoming secretary of labor has pointed out, machines don't take days off, require medical care, expect pensions, file suits for discrimination for sexual assault, or need to sleep. Consider the political situation faced by the new administration. Big pats of it own party, which controls Congress, has sought for decades to reduce government control over industry. How long will it stand for Federal manipulation of the economy? Apart from automation, somebody would have to pay for the higher compensation package, so firms would have to increase prices. This would reduce their exports, and also sales at home. In other words, domestic consumers would pay for the higher compensation packages. Given sloppiness of understanding, will a distinction be observed between (a) stopping some firms from exporting eve more jobs, and (b) inducing them to hire more domestic workers with higher compensation packages? Who will pay for any actions to manipulate the economy? domestic consumers? taxpayers? Does the administration here, as in healthcare, expect benefits to be free? Why? Will it try to sell the line that private firms are always more efficient than "government"? What is the evidence? It's hard not to think of the notorious Tea Party sign, "government keep your hands off my Medicare." Keeping the focus on employment, the administration appears to be trapped. To the extent that they succeed in manipulating the "free market," as noted above they would violate a basic GOP principle. To the extent they provide more good jobs, who pays, once people realize that benefits can't be conjured up by magic? Once U.S. officials start imposing tariffs, what happens when other countries strike back? The U.S. automation concern is old, going back in my own lifetimes at least to the 1960s. For example, the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions issued a report on "the triple revolution" in 1964. Like many visions of the future, it was ahead of its time, but that should make is praise the foresight, not chuckle complacently at the half century during which we have largely neglected the issue while seeking cheap labor abroad. Looking ahead, the report called for a guaranteed basic income detached from employment as a replacement for "welfare" and as a way of spreading some of the wealth to be generated by automation. If the economy increasingly fails to provide jobs for humans, but everyone needs the basics of life, what is the solution? A patchwork of so-called "safety net" arrangements? Usually a factory does not convert wholly from human labor to machines. The loss of jobs for people happens step by step, starting with the jobs easiest to automate. The process may progress slowly. Also, it's a mistake to think in terms of existing factories. What about entirely new facilities, such as Amazon warehouses? The effort to bring back good jobs will be less than satisfying, even to the extent it's not paid for by taxes on the rest of us or tax breaks for firms. Ultimately we face, if not a jobless future, then one with fewer jobs, at least of the types now available. We should be having a discussion not about restoring economic arrangements that are lost forever, but about how to support people displaced by machines. If this was debated during the recent Presidential campaign, I missed it, along with serious discussion of climate change and nuclear danger. We are often reassured that the system is working. But the system isn't working. Then major issues of our time are either denied or misunderstood or underestimated or left for later, whether it's nuclear danger or climate change or the welfare of citizens (such as basic income). Fore example, how is a good society to be arranged in which robots do an increasing share of the work? Shakespeare could not have been more correct when he observed, "desperate times breed desperate measures." There's a lot of desperation in the securities industry -- and for good reason. You're no longer a clueless victim and are abandoning active management in droves. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, for the 3-year period ending August 30, 2016, $1.3 trillion flowed into passive strategies. Active strategies lost almost 25% of their total assets under management over the same time period. You've figured out that investing in actively managed funds, stock picking and market timing enriches the securities industry at your expense. You understand you are paying for expensive funds that are likely to underperform a less expensive index fund and that performance of the "winning" funds is unlikely to persist. Advertisement You're now aware of the "low and declining odds that active management will outperform", as described by Larry Swedroe in this blog post. The ramification of your knowledge is seismic for the financial media, your broker and actively managed funds. They're fighting back with a series of desperate acts, designed to dissuade you from abandoning them. Here's a sampling: The financial media If intelligent and responsible investing becomes mainstream (as it appears to be headed), watching breathless reporting from the floor of the NYSE, and listening to discredited pundits pick stocks and predict the future of the markets, becomes a counter-productive, irrelevant activity. This means viewership will continue to decline and revenues will erode. The financial media is responding by largely ignoring the compelling data and doubling down on baseless stories that it hopes will keep you watching. Examples abound, but a recent blog on CNBC entitled: "Investors worried about President Trump should buy these stocks, Goldman Sachs says", is illustrative. Advertisement Responsible journalism would require disclosure of the track record of the "strategist" quoted in the article. The underlying premise is also flawed. If an investor is genuinely "worried" about President Trump, the investor shouldn't be picking stocks. Instead, he or she should have no stock market exposure. But that sage advice doesn't fit the false narrative that some "strategist" can predict which stocks will outperform in the future. Don't be fooled. Brokers When is the last time your broker recommended buying a globally diversified portfolio of low management fee index funds? That's not how they make money. They want you to believe they add value by selecting actively managed funds and outperforming stocks. Now that you've figured out this isn't true, you have no reason to use them. You can purchase index funds, including ETFs, directly from low cost providers like Vanguard, Fidelity and Schwab, or use cost-effective robo-advisors, like Wealthfront and Betterment. There is no reason to use a traditional broker or an advisor who claims the ability to "beat the market." Advertisement You can expect them to inundate you with "advice" like this gem from JP Morgan, in which it "upgrades" Praxair (NYSE: PX) "to overweight from neutral, citing greater demand ahead because of Donald Trump's economic policies." Since the information about Trump's economic policies is public, it's already factored in the share price of Praxair (and all other stocks). There's no logical reason to believe this stock is mispriced at present. Stating otherwise is a desperate act. Actively managed funds If everyone understood the low odds of actively managed funds outperforming a comparable index fund, many more funds would go out of business. Vanguard's chief, William McNabb, correctly observed "Over the decade ended in 2015, 82 percent of actively managed stock funds and 81 percent of active bond funds have either underperformed their benchmarks or shut down." The active fund industry will continue to obscure this data with the help of financial journalists who keep hope alive with silly articles like: "Why 2017 could be the year stock pickers regain their edge." Advertisement This article validates the view that active investing is "the triumph of hope over experience." Active managers dread the possibility you will learn that a comprehensive analysis of major fund families found almost all of them underperformed comparable index funds from Vanguard and passively managed funds from Dimensional Fund Advisors. This analysis reached this telling conclusion: "This data serves as strong evidence that, even though the markets may not be perfectly efficient, investors in most actively managed funds will not benefit from efforts to exploit supposed inefficiencies, especially once taxes are considered." Expect active managers to fight back with "advice" like "Active or passive investing? Try both." Here's what it won't disclose: The most likely result of "trying both" is that your returns will be less than if you had limited your investments to only index funds. You could get lucky, but the odds are against you. The views of the author are his alone. He is not affiliated with any broker, fund manager or advisory firm. Any data, information and content on this blog is for information purposes only and should not be construed as an offer of advisory services. I decided to go to the March on Washington, as a promise to myself that I would never let hopelessness define me again. This past Election Day I woke up, literally and figuratively, to the realization that as a 53-year-old woman, I've never truly believed I could be or do whatever I set my mind to-- that my insecurities and fears, which have followed me since childhood, were driving the train, not me. I woke up, and for one blue-skied, incredible day, I felt a giddy sense of hope, which had become foreign to me. By the end of the day, those feelings seemed crushed beneath the shocking outcome of an election that blindsided so many. For the record, I'd spent weeks believing Donald Trump would win-- not because I'm smarter than pollsters and experts, but because I sensed, on a very deep level, that this horrible man, in all of his offensive behavior and arrogant rhetoric, had tapped into something Hillary Clinton could not defeat, with all of the competence, grace and intellect she demonstrated. So many people told me I was wrong-- I didn't understand polls and stats, and it would be a landslide victory for Clinton. I allowed those voices to lull me into the incredible, but brief thrill, of believing she would win. Election day morning, I woke up, took a hard look in the mirror, and grabbed on to that hope. It was humbling; thrilling, and then hurt so much more, when it all came tumbling down, twelve hours later. Advertisement On November 9th, my hopelessness felt validated. It was tempting to give in to old feelings and believe hope was foolish; we will never really have equality in this country, and I was right to hold on tightly to my fears. Feminism is for other women, not me. If you learn as a young child that disappointment and loss are inevitable, it's hard to believe in miracles and possibility. However, I also felt empowered by those twelve amazing hours, when the most wondrous things seemed viable. I felt empowered by all of the incredible women around me, who had truly believed. While I'd been talking the talk, while (unknowingly) quietly holding on to my fears, they had boldly walked the walk. Within a week of the Election, I knew that I couldn't go back to these feeling I've had all of my life. I wanted to walk too, and when I saw a chance to March, I plugged in. A simple Facebook post reminded me that there were others who were reeling from this horrible wake-up call, and there was a place to funnel my passion, shock, and angst. The word angst is exactly what I've felt since November 8th, but that Facebook post, and talk about a March pulled me out of those dark feelings. I was excited, and inspired do more than just complain. I'd already booked a trip to Israel, to visit my daughter, son-in-law and grandson, so when the date for the March was announced for January 21st (halfway into my trip), I waited to see if it would pan out. I wasn't willing to leave the lights of my life, without certainty this would happen. But once the idea became reality, I changed my ticket, and put all my eggs in one incredible basket. I wasn't invested in this as a singular battle cry against Donald Trump alone, or because I think he's is a horrible person--I do, with no hesitation or doubt. Far more troubling has been the realization there are so many Americans who don't care about the vile and scary things he's says and does, and who have willingly added fuel to his fire. For months, each time Trump said something I believe crossed a clear and shocking line, that would require an accounting: suggesting all Mexicans are criminals and rapists, and more incredibly, we should build a wall to divide us; that women can be judged as fat, ugly, or there for the taking- grabbed, for his pleasure; that all of the brilliant scientists who have committed their lives to studying our fragile planet, are wrong, and this arrogant man knows better than them-- Each time I thought "well this will wake people up," things went back to usual, leaving another piece of my faith shaken. These things have made it hard to sleep since November. Advertisement I changed my tickets, and I began to anticipate Marching beside other people who stand for a different message. I wanted to be part of something bigger than that angst, and feel the power of people who are willing to stand and say: NO! This is not acceptable! This is not who we are, as people or a Nation! There were countless delays coming back from Israel; I missed flight connections, and several times it looked like I wouldn't make it at all. The entire flight from Israel I felt waves of grief wash over me-- knowing I'd left the people I love but would likely miss the March. Feeling the reality of Inauguration day sink in, as I sat on a plane full of people where no one said a word about what was happening, moving toward events in a time zone behind and ahead of us, was surreal and lonely. In Toronto I'd been rebooked for a flight Saturday-- too late. I dug in and battled the airlines, and finally got them to book me on a late flight to DC. I may have said: "I write for Huffington Post; I must be at that March--" two truths, that equal a white lie, but it worked. The two Canadian agents urged me help fight "that man," as they urged me to hurry. After a 12-hour flight, with no sleep, I had to run through customs, get my luggage and go back through departures; I was determined not to miss this one flight out. I tacked on 5.5 miles on my Fitbit, and arrived at the gate sweaty and exhausted. Then, at the waiting area, I saw a women wearing a pink pussy hat and knitting another, and I my heart swelled with the hope and excitement I'd been holding back for months. All around that departures lounge I recognized the faces of other women, headed to the same destination, with the same determination on their faces, and I began to believe that we could really make something of all this pain. Much has been written about the March already; it's taken me days to digest my thoughts, to process all of the incredible moments that came out of months of shock, then grief, anger, and planning. In the massive crowds, I was unable to reach my high school friends, who had driven from Boston to meet me. Texts failed, with cell towers strained to the limit, and it was obvious from the moment my group got off the train, and were crushed by the massive crowd trying to get out of the station, that this was going to be something much bigger than anyone had anticipated. But they carried a picture of me with them, and we reunited later. We're Boston strong; we carry on! Luckily I was with four fantastic, young people, who I love-- the children of old friends, who stayed with me all day. The sea of pink "pussy hats" as we came out of the station was staggering; the energy was electric. Becky made each of us a pink hat to wear, and I instantly felt a part of something enormous. We arrived very early, and were fortunate to get within three blocks of the stage, on Independence Avenue, and right beside a giant screen. Everywhere I looked were passionate faces, determined women and men, and an energy that seeped into us all. It's taken me days to get home, process all of this, and write something-- knowing, that no one can truly express what it was like to be there. The protest and March opened with stirring a Native American song and drumming by Norine Hill (Oneida Nation) in an Indigenous language. It was haunting, empowering and ran right through our bodies! Then, America Ferrera shared passionate words about the March. From then on it was one amazing moment after another: Gloria Steinem- eloquent, wry and brilliant as ever; Alicia Keys- with her anthem of fire; Scarlette Johannson- passionately defended Planned Parenthood and every woman's right to manage their own body; Michael Moore urged us to not stop with a March and to make phone calls; Ashley Judd electrified with her challenge to remain "Nasty" and her spotlight on President Obama's successor's hypocritically nasty behaviors; the iconic Dr. Angela Davis shared her wisdom on indigenous lands and people, women's rights, the environment and more; Madonna was Madonna and stirred things up, on a day we were all stirring things up; and so many other inspiring women spoke about things that matter. They spoke until the crowd began to chant "Let us March, let us March!" The two most electric moments for me, were when Janelle Monai brought the "Mothers of the Movement--" the mothers of slain Black men: Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Jordan Davis, Mohamed Bah, and Dontre Hamilton on stage. She had us all sing "Hell You Talmbout" and then shout "Say their names, say their names!" Each mother then shouted their dead child's name to the crowd, in what was by far one of the most powerful moments of the day. The March embraced the Black Lives Matter movement and this was one of many incredible moments, when the issues that Black Americans have painfully fought against, were finally embraced and supported by masses. It's long overdue. Hearing those mothers cry their baby's names, and the crowd call them back-- hundreds of thousands of voices joined in grief, will be with me forever. The other incredible moment was when six year-old Sophie Cruz stood on stage, faced a sea of faces, and with confidence and love spoke for the rights of immigrants. Her words were simple and sincere: "We are here today, creating a chain of love, to protect our families!" When she addressed the children, there was not a dry eye: "I want to tell the children, not to be afraid, because we are not a alone! There are still many people who have their hearts filled with love and tenders, to snuggle in this path of life." She then said the entire speech again in Spanish, without missing a beat. Advertisement Despite the fact that there were so many people that we filled the March route, making it slow and challenging, we finally Marched-- an endless sea of mostly women, but men and children as well. Our legs and feet hurt from standing for hours, and no one knew where to go, but we all felt so fired up; the energy was palpable, contagious and consistently positive! We moved slowly; it was disorganized for the challenging move to Constitution Avenue. Police and National Guard had blocked parts of our path, but were good natured and supportive. Four separate police officers told us, in very authoritative and firm tones that they "were dealing with 1.2 million people!" While we heard many other numbers later, and the familiar whining of Trump that the Inauguration crowds were bigger, that is not what we heard from so many DC natives, who saw both events. Storekeepers, restaurant people, bus drivers, and others told me over and over, that the March surpassed Friday's numbers by a huge gap. While I can't give numbers with authority, or even "alternative facts," I can say that I've never seen anything like this incredible sea of positivity! Whatever figure is finally settled on, there wasn't a single arrest! People wore their battle cries on their clothing, carried them in signs, and shouted them for miles through the city. There was a constant roar as we sang (for chills, watch this) out our messages in sing-song and syncopated rhythms: "Tell me what Democracy looks like- This is what Democracy looks like!" "My body, my choice; HER body Her choice!" "Black Lives Matter!" "We will not go away, welcome to your first day!" "We want a leader, not a creepy tweeter!" "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here!" "A movement united, will not be divided!" "Education, not deportation!" And the old standby "hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go!" We sang, "If I had a hammer," the Civil Rights song. The signs people carried were a true highlight of the March. They ranged from simple statements apparently thrown together last minute, on cardboard or paper, to spectacular works of art; they were every where! The next day, thousands of signs were left abandoned around the city-- lined up at the White House, around memorials, and walls of them left outside Trump's new hotel. On Monday, I won a golden ticket and gained entrance to the National Museum of African American History; it was one of my goals for this trip. I spent nearly five hours there, and didn't see the entire museum! It was a powerful reminder that Black Americans have been fighting this fight for 300+ years in America, and so many of the messages in the museum echoed the ones we shared in the March. Near closing, I met a dynamic woman, Sondra, who had traveled to the March alone. We got talking and decided to walk to the MLK, Jr. memorial together. Standing there, as dusk set, was sobering and powerful. Sondra said, "I think Dr. King would be really proud of what we all did this weekend," and I believe she's right. Sondra had been right up at the stage, and we compared notes on the energy and inspiration we both felt, her feelings as a Black woman, mine as a White one, and those that were universally shared in the experience. At dinner, we agreed that in the end, the energy and inspiration we both gained is what we are taking home. Advertisement I went to the March seeking renewal and healing, to move forward and hold onto the new hope I feel. I went there to March with other Americans who do not accept the America that Donald Trump has put forth. I went to be part of something bigger and bolder than I have known. I went there to own the word feminist, activist, and human with an open heart. I came home with everything I went for... and so much more. If you were unable to attend a March, but want to help, please get involved! These are important things you can do to fight discrimination, the attack on our environment, support women, fight for health care coverage for so many Americans who can't afford it, and much more: Follow Michael Moore's lead and call your Representative or Senator (just give your zip code) 202-225-3121. Support freedom of the press, by subscribing to paper or online news; more than ever, it's vital! Donate to Planned Parenthood and JOIN them. Donald Trump has already promised to defund them, and so many lives depend on their incredible services; it is not just about abortion rights! Donate money to the NAACP, ACLU, Souther Poverty Law Center, and the many environmental organizations who are under attack right now. Help these incredible organizations combat change that will impact us all. Any photos which are not my own are used with permission; thanks to: Becky Salomon, Emily Salomon, Kim Stoloski, Marjorie McGilvray & special thanks to Sondra Brown- a sassy woman, who I'm glad I met! All of the close-up photos of speakers/celebrities, are hers. Advertisement Were you at the March on Washington? Or did you March in another city? What was the best part? Why were you Marching? Please leave a comment; I'm listening. This weekend, I was flipping through the channels and happened to catch Bill Maher's show "Real Time" on HBO. The most heated part of the show came when British television host Piers Morgan got into it with Maher and Australian comedian Jim Jeffries. The most contentious part came when Morgan - who said he disagrees with the President's travel restrictions - pointed out that 87% of Muslims are unaffected by the EO and thus calling it a Muslim ban is inaccurate. In my most recent post, I called for civility and sanity from everybody. I guess Jim Jeffries didn't read that post, though I wish he would. Advertisement Jeffries retorted that it is a Muslim ban, told Morgan to "F- Off" and then extended his middle finger toward him. In both of these cases, love him or hate him, Morgan was factually correct, yet the audience went crazy on him and so did social media. All over the internet, people were talking about how Jeffries "Owned" Morgan. I'll admit, I'm a 60-year-old man, and maybe I'm not as in touch with the internet crowd as others who are younger than I am. However, I must say, I'm not sure I understand how Piers Morgan got "Owned." He stated a fact - that you can hate the policy and think it is wrong, but if 87% of Muslims can still enter the country, then it cannot be called a Muslim ban - and in response, Jeffries cursed at him and flipped him off. Jeffries didn't even attempt to make a coherent point, he simply resorted to name-calling. Yet, somehow, people on Twitter counted that as winning the argument. Advertisement If you haven't seen the exchange yet and think I'm making this up, you can watch it here. And if you have seen it, then you know that Jeffries didn't "Own" anybody. He simply made a nasty statement towards a person whom the audience did not like about a President they truly hate. The fact that any rational person mistakes that for winning an argument is mind-boggling. By the way, Jeffries also later responded to Morgan's assertion that people have become unhinged and need to stop comparing President Trump to Hitler by telling Morgan that we need to give it time, because Hitler didn't kill all the Jews on the first day. I don't care what your politics are, that comment is disgusting and Jeffries should be ashamed of himself. As a Jewish man, the fact that anybody could compare a man who was responsible for the ethnic cleansing of 6 million Jews and 11 million people overall to anything President Trump has said or done is beyond sick. As Morgan correctly pointed out, what Jim Jeffries and many others are doing in equating President Trump to Hitler is incredibly scary. Once you go all the way down that road, there's no coming back. Because when you're convinced somebody isn't just wrong, they are evil, then it is easy to talk yourself into doing literally ANYTHING to stop them. I mean, after all, what wouldn't you do to stop Hitler, right? That's how you convince yourself that hurting people like Milo Yiannopoulis and Gavin McInness for simply having views you deem hateful is ok. Or that bombing buildings is justified in the name of the greater good. Advertisement If you want to know where this leads, I suggest you read about the Weather Underground and Timothy McVeigh, two sides of a very dangerous coin. I don't care how much you hate President Trump, this has to stop right now. Taxis in Berlin always turn out to be a cinematic experience. First of all the city is breathtaking, taking on several completely different looks -- silvery and smoky during the day, while at night it turns into a grand dame of elegance, with its iconic landmarks gilded and all lit up. Plus, the drivers here have quirky taste in music, and always play the radio at a low enough volume to make it a subtle soundtrack for the ride, but high enough that you can silently sing along with the lyrics. Yes, I do mean sing along, because aside from that stray Bach or Brahms sonata played by the more intellectual ones, the tunes I've heard here while traveling across town range from Men at Work's "Down Under", to "Up Where We Belong" from An Officer and a Gentleman, with a bit of Turkish melodies thrown in. It's so wonderfully relaxing that at times I wonder how I would have turned out if my grandfather hadn't been forced to leave Germany before WWII and I'd been born, perhaps, in Berlin. Advertisement Food The Berlinale, not unlike the city which hosts the festival, is always a journey of discovery, and I dare to assume the experience is similar for all who come here. From the venues where films are screened, which help to discover different neighborhoods of this wondrous city, to the daily interaction with the security guards who, once they get to know you, are kind and welcoming. The press agents from the city have a wonderful hosting quality and the venues for interviews this year -- which include a city-top Nespresso lounge nestled where you can view the panorama of Berlin -- are exceptional. There is also great street food in Berlin. In fact I have discovered a real salty tooth (picture, like a sweet tooth but with an addiction for the savory) for Mexican vegetarian food here thanks to the Eddielicious food truck, parked right in front of the Hyatt Hotel. Eddie is charming with a handsome smile, which of course never hurts, and his authentic brand of south of the border food is both delicious and healthy. For Valentine's Day, the food truck handed out a short stemmed wild rose to everyone who ordered. Classy. Fun And there were parties of course. More parties than there are evenings here at Berlinale, with the award for best locations going to both the Edinburgh International Film Festival party inside the British Embassy and the Unifrance party for French cinema, at the Gropius Mirror Restaurant. So, the EIFF event was complete with the presence of the Ambassador Sir Sebastian Wood, who said a few words about the importance of cinema in and from the UK and was a kind and elegant host. Festival organizers, journalists, filmmakers and distinguished older couples all mingled drinking bubbly, while I tried to figure out the perfect way to attend the festival in Scotland later this summer. The Unifrance event was just a really cool party, loads of French men and women smoking nonchalantly in front of the venue, and its setting was perfectly unusual. The Gropius is a striking building from outside and inside is covered in red velvet and framed in gold, which makes it resemble a super elegant circus tent. Advertisement But now onto some films. Some beautiful films. Menashe by Joshua Z Weinstein I've been reading a few reviews and some insightful articles about Joshua Z Weinstein's film Menashe, which world premiered earlier this year at Sundance. But I have to disagree with the frequent comparisons to De Sica's Bicycle Thieves and the Dardenne brothers here because the true genius of Menashe lies exactly in how different the film is and how unique a perspective it offers the audience. Weinstein has used as inspiration his own fascination with the Hasidic Jews, which he describes by saying "I feel as though we share a kinship, yet it is one that is rooted in a certain lack of understanding that can easily be lost in translation." The tempo of Menashe is languid, the cinematography real and raw. And the story of the widowed clerk (played by the grandiose Menashe Lustig) who wants to retain custody of his child while laws, religion and society try to pry the son away from the father's imperfect lifestyle, is simply and utterly human. The greatest virtue of Weinstein's film is that the filmmaker manages to gift his audience with a new perspective, a new way of looking at humanity. He explains, in his director's notes, that the Hasidic community "is usually depicted according to the views of outsiders and frequently appears cold and generally without joy. Yet the Hasidic culture that I have experienced is one that is funny, beautiful, and deeply spiritual." And it's this playfulness, the they-are-just-like-us aspect of Menashe that appealed to me the most. It's like that infamous Shakespeare passage from The Merchant of Venice that ends with, "If you prick us, do we not bleed?" Menashe shows us that the same loving, protective, proud and humanly imperfect blood runs through all of our collective veins. Menashe screens in the Forum section and has secured US distribution through A24. Fernando Trueba's The Queen of Spain Give me a film starring Penelope Cruz and I'll watch it. Anytime, anywhere, telling any story. She has me at "hello" as they say. In The Queen of Spain Cruz returns to her role as beloved Spanish movie star Macarena Granada, who has conquered hearts in Hollywood before coming back to Madrid to work on a co-production fueled by the drain of talent in the US during the McCarthy witch hunt and a need to launder money in Franco's Spain. It's here that I felt as if I would have enjoyed the film more had I watched the first "installment" of the story, Trueba's A Girl of Your Dreams made in 1998. But the film also stands quite nicely on its own two feet -- I just felt left out of some of the inside jokes... Anyway, filled with quirky, even over the top characters, featuring fun old-Hollywood like sets, and dialogues that are both farcical and human, I felt like The Queen of Spain took me on a cinematic rollercoaster ride, and visually entertained me while also forcing me to think about an era gone by. Meeting Trueba in person was a highlight, since he's a kind, soft spoken and intelligent man. And his youngest star, the Argentinian hottie Chino Darin, looks like a gentler, more handsome and younger Adrian Grenier. That's him on the right (above with Cruz), so yeah, not a bad afternoon, right?! Advertisement I loved reading Trueba's notes where he points out what he does best through his film, which is "telling the history of our country through the history of our cinema, and its people." I think films are a grandiose, perhaps not fully tapped into, powerful way to change minds and educate lives. And movies that feature a film within the film are always audience favorites, regardless of the message they'll walk away with. The Queen of Spain is a Berlinale Special Gala. Donald Trump's election presents an opportunity for American institutions -- business, universities, governments, non-profits -- to reexamine their own policies towards globalization and determine whether these need to be "rebooted." For globalized U.S. citizens, the question is simple but the answer complex: "Even though I have thrived, the Trump election indicated scores of millions of fellow Americans have not." For globalized companies (think Apple), the question is more complex: "Can I be an American company under President Trump's emerging new rules?" Advertisement For the country's leading universities, who have accepted more and more (full-paying) foreign students and fewer Americans, do they still want to be "global" if there's an increasing cost associated with that in terms of separation from resurgent "nativism" (the ugly word) or patriotism (the noble word)? Will they tack back to wanting to be more focused on being great American universities? That's the American side of the story of disenchantment with globalization. There's also a lot of evidence for widespread worldwide disenchantment with globalization. The imposition of American culture, business, and politics has been resisted if not rejected by the representatives of the majority of the globe. Back in the early 1990s, when the Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union collapsed, political scientist Francis Fukuyama famously wrote that the end of the Cold War was "the end of history." It was a defining moment to be sure, but it was not the end of history. It's not unreasonable to say that the American model has been rejected by the Middle East, Russia and China. We are unwelcome neo-colonialists in many parts of Africa, Latin America and Asia. The rejection of globalism by a substantial percentage of the world has created new security risks. We appear headed for territorial conflict with a China to whom we opened our markets in the 1980s and 1990s, and where much of "our" high-tech industry is located. Our ill-planned invasion of Iraq has created a mess in the Middle East, where millions have been left without the economic and political assets that our intervention aimed to create. Our efforts to enroll the satellites of the former Soviet Union into our orbit have met with increasingly direct opposition from Russia. Meanwhile, it has become very clear, at least politically, that globalization has created a seam in American society. The seam was exposed by the results of the Electoral College vote that brought Trump the presidency. The most globalized parts of the United States voted mostly for Secretary Clinton, the least globalized -- and therefore most economically damaged -- parts voted for Trump. Compounding the economic schism was a cultural one reflected to some extent by the predominance of country music in Trump's world (and his inauguration!) and the eclectic mix of global music on the coasts. Advertisement Economists will continue to debate the costs and benefits of globalization for years to come. But for now the reality is that a minority of the American people, through the Electoral College process, elected a man whose inaugural address was startling in its declaration that the "carnage" created by the ruling elite of both parties over the last decades "stops now." That oath will have an echo effect abroad, with Brexit possibly starting a disintegration trend in Europe, as one election after another tests whether other countries decide to leave the EU. The way things are shaping up now, these elections are -- like America's -- referendums on whether European countries want to maintain their national identities or be submerged into the new identity of "globalized citizen." The effects of Donald Trump's election and his blunt inauguration speech are profound. The phrase "make America great again" is not just a reflection of chauvinism. It's an acknowledgement that the era of American policies to create a global order is ending. This era had empowered the global elite that recently met in Davos, created global companies (like Exxon and Apple and Siemens and Toyota), required the investment of trillions of American taxpayer dollars for failed invasions of the Middle East, and enabled first Japan and then China to become rich making and selling stuff for the American market. In his inaugural address, Trump made an historic pledge: "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." So, the Trump Doctrine. The full execution of that promise would change the world. It effectively brings to an end the security arrangements defined by our military alliances (NATO et al), our trade agreements (the WTO, NAFTA, et al), and the way we tax the businesses that both buy and sell goods abroad. His early executive actions indicate he intends to try and fulfill many of these promises and threats. What is a reasonable, summary way to imagine the consequences for the U.S. and global economies? Here is one approach: the imposition of the Trump Doctrine will push trade relations from multilateral to bilateral. The critical bilateral U.S. trade relations will be renegotiated, one by one. The most critical one for the world is the U.S.-China nexus. Equally critical for U.S. citizens are the deals with Mexico, Europe, and Saudi Arabia. The rest of the world - through the Trumpian economic prism - is marginal. That includes Russia. Advertisement Trade relations with China will be upended. By the time Trump is done with his first term, major manufacturers will have totally stopped building factories in China for the export of goods to the United States. That change will affect products like iPhones and solar panels the most. To avoid annoying U.S. consumers, the Trump team will have to be sure that U.S. energy costs remain the nation's competitive advantage, because labor costs clearly aren't. It's important, therefore, that manufacturers can find ways to rebuild factory capacity in places where energy prices are low and stable. The effect this change will have on China is very difficult to predict, but it can't be good. China will be unwilling, initially, to negotiate with Trump, so it's hard to see a way China can avoid this. It has little leverage. Even selling the U.S. Treasuries it holds is an empty threat. Trade relations with Mexico will be similarly upended. Trump has already used his bully pulpit to talk some companies out of building new factories there. That effort will now become systemic. Mexico initially will resist, and both its currency and GDP will continue to decline precipitously. In time, the Mexican government has to come to the table, and a deal of sorts will be struck whose outcome will be far less investment in Mexico by U.S. investors. Canadian trade will not be upended because it's mostly in energy. U.S.-Canadian energy trade is usually conducted on a fair and even playing field, hence Trump's early approvals of the Keystone pipeline, which essentially provides access to world markets for Canadian oil, since U.S. refiners generally don't need Canadian crude. Canadian-U.S. electricity trade can also thrive, as long as there are no implicit or explicit subsidies paid to Canadian hydro producers. Those producers would be well advised to team up with U.S. wind producers to create firm wind-and-hydro combinations that East and West Coast U.S. states so eagerly want. Europe and the Middle East will have to accommodate themselves to the changes the Trump trade team imposes. Other than the threat of an oil embargo, it's hard to see what leverage the Middle East has in the coming change in the rules of the international trade game. It is important for the leaders of other countries to try to understand the causes for Trump's election and the basis for President Trump's actions. Advertisement The inaugural address was eloquent on this point: "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 has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world." Photo: Hector Sharp - Idlib, 2013 In 1998, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was, "without any question a terrorist group" according to Robert Gelbard (then United States envoy to the Balkans). However, within a year, the West warmed to the KLA; in June 1999, NATO signed an agreement with KLA to demilitarize, stating at the time, "the international community should take due and full account of the contribution of the KLA during the Kosovo crisis and accordingly give due consideration to its proposals for current members to participate in the administration and police forces of Kosovo, enjoying special consideration in view of the expertise they have developed." The Syrian conflict's negotiating table is set once more for 23 February 2017. The United Nations' envoy Staffan de Mistura announced on Monday that efforts would continue to find a solution to the nearly six-year-old war in Syria that has killed more than 310,000 people. The new peace negotiations, backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey, aim to improve on the Astana meeting held last month. The resumption of negotiations was due to begin three days earlier - on the 20th, but the Syrian Opposition, made up of a number of key players in the fight against Bashar al-Assad, failed to agree on the makeup of its delegation to the fresh round of talks. The delay prompted de Mistura to warn the opposition that he would pick their delegates himself if they could not decide on time. The announcement of the opposition's 21-member delegation unsurprisingly left Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (better known by its former alias 'Jabhat al-Nusra') off the list of attendees. The Islamic State and al-Nusra are the only opposition groups banned from Syria's peace talks and are excluded from the cessation of hostilities while other groups (such as Faylaq al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham) who are ideologically and militarily aligned with al-Nusra, have been allowed to participate. As al-Nusra is one of the largest and most powerful groups fighting in Syria, their exclusion from any non-violent process to end the war does not give hope that these fresh talks will lead to a lasting peace agreement for the Syrian people. Advertisement While there is no doubt that there are certainly violent and anti-democratic segments within al-Nusra, there is also evidence suggesting fluidity to the groups ideology. Unlike ISIS, who opposes all who refuse to swear allegiance, al-Nusra has approached their fight against the Syrian Government pragmatically, often aligning themselves with Western-backed rebel groups where necessary. Equally, the Free Syrian Army - seen by many in the West to be moderate, has at times utilized al-Nusra's fighting power in their war with Bashar al-Assad. Participation by al-Nusra in the upcoming UN-coordinated talks is largely untenable because the United Nations Security Council designated the group a 'terrorist organization'. It is clear from discussions which took place in New York this week at the 7882nd meeting of the Security council that al-Nusra remains as a perceived threat to international stability - it was singled out by several country representatives for condemnation. Furthermore, it cannot be ignored that Amnesty International and other international human rights groups have accused al-Nusra of War Crimes, including suicide bombings, torture and summary executions. Seeing al-Nusra at the negotiating table would certainly be a hard pill to swallow for many in the international community. However, this does not mean that al-Nusra must sit on the sidelines of negotiations indefinitely - designated terrorist groups frequently make the transition to negotiating table. In 2001, the idea of talking to the Taliban was unthinkable but this slowly moved to the fringes of political acceptability before gradually seeping into official thinking and later being sanctioned and adopted by the highest level of government in many states. Similar evolutions in relations have occurred with the ANC in South Africa, FARC in Columbia, MILF in the Philippines, and the PLO in Lebanon. A 2006 study of 648 terrorist groups existing since 1968 found that most groups ended their conflicts by transitioning into the political process through a negotiated outcome - a far more common result than a military or policing outcome. Indeed, despite the decades-old rhetoric that the US "does not negotiate with terrorists," Nixon, Regan, G W Bush, and Obama all negotiated with groups accused of terrorist acts. Advertisement We may currently be witnessing a transformation by al-Nusra in an effort to join the political process. The rebranding of al-Nursa to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham is likely an attempt to distance them from the al-Qaeda leadership - to whom they swore allegiance to in 2013. In July 2016, al-Nusra's leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani vowed to have "no links whatsoever with foreign parties" in the hope that this will lead to a reduction in coalition airstrikes on their positions - which have put the group under a lot of pressure militarily. However, US officials are skeptical of the change, dismissing it as a "public relations move". Notably, further statements from the US did not rule out changing their future position on the group (Jabhat al-Nusra is currently listed as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US): "Whether or not they are actually separating from Al Qaeda, that remains to be seen...we judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves" State Department spokesman John Kirby said last year. Al-Nusra's rebranding may also be more than in name only as its goals have been narrowed in the five years since its formation. Al-Nusra now contends that its only goal is to "liberate the Syrian people" by overthrowing Bashar al-Assad, a goal shared by many Western governments, including the UK and US. The move by al-Nusra to distance itself from al-Qaeda's global outlook is calculated and not without precedent; in the past, the US has refrained from designating groups as Foreign Terrorist Organizations where their activities do not extend beyond their local arena and more importantly, do not threaten US interests. Headline: "ONE MILLION PEOPLE FIRED!" Oops, sorry, that's an alternative fact. But what if it wasn't? Unemployment would skyrocket, people would lose their homes, homeless families would flood the streets, the economy would falter and life as we know it would be over. We all know that anger at government has become a national pastime so, really, no one in government is going to throw more than a million people out of work overnight, right? Wrong! Just ask our new President. Just ask the Republican members of Congress. More than one million Americans work for the "not-for-profit" arts industry. Yet, Congress, once again, wants to shut down the NEA and now it has a President who agrees. (The Donald's not a big fan of the "arts" unless it's covered in gilt or has his face plastered somewhere. Sad.) Conservatives stubbornly cling to those tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and pledge to give them more, even though our new President pledged that the 1% would pay their fair share (we were so punked). OK, so why go after arts spending? Why not slash subsidies for big oil or big pharma? Well, here's the Republican reasoning: the arts don't help the economy... they don't create jobs (Duh? What about those million jobs? But I digress). Only rich people create jobs. Wrong on all accounts! History has proven countless times that the rich just want to get richer and don't relish the idea of sharing with the workers who made them rich. If they did we wouldn't have needed child labor laws, labor unions, workplace safety laws, or minimum wage laws. We wouldn't need regulatory agencies like the EPA, the FDA, the SEC, just a few of our "citizen" watchdog agencies that our new authoritarian President and Republican Congress want to disband or defund so they can divert that money into tax cuts to rich people. Sigh. Advertisement The truth is, though, we do need serious budget cutting, so why care if the NEA is shut down? NEA opponents say that they're not taking away "life threatening" services, though Trump and the Republican Congress are working on that as well, but I digress... again. Ballet and opera companies would shut down, community theaters would close their doors (theater alone contributes roughly $7.1 billon to the national economy), art exhibits would be canceled and small museums would disappear. But, hell, it's only some music, a little dancing, maybe paint, right? Wrong! The more than one million fired people would make unemployment skyrocket, make more families lose their homes, and add to the legions of homeless, making us all suffer. Without that music - that dance - that play - those books - those paintings, we'd lose our very soul. And without a soul, we aren't human. If we aren't human, we won't behave as humans. If we don't behave as humans... lord of the flies! Critics argue: "You get all that stuff on TV. Kids get it in school." Where do these critics live, alternative America? If the NEA is eliminated PBS, the only non-cable network that consistently highlights the arts, would soon be unable to fund those programs even if they managed to stay on the air. Goodbye NPR. And forget about school arts' programs unless you're in that favored 1% and can afford to send your kid to private school. Since most Congresspersons graduated high school, art and music programs have all but disappeared from our public school system in a flurry of budget cuts. So what's the bottom line? If we cut off funding to the arts, then art will truly become the property of the elite - not the cultural elite or the intellectual elite, but the moneyed elite - those tax break kids who are wealthy enough to subscribe to the opera or the symphony or who can afford expensive theater and ballet tickets. Advertisement The huge chasm between the haves and have nots, already escalating, will grow even wider and deeper. With more and more children denied the chance of being uplifted by the arts, challenged to think about the arts or soothed by the arts, hope will be lost for their future, crime will rise, membership in militias and gangs will go through the roof and the need to escape into a drugged stupor may become an American way of life. Just when I was starting to think that well, maybe religion gets a bad rap, I was jolted back into reality by reading three recent books on the theme of religion written by queer writers. The moniker "queer" embraces LGBT (what a friend calls the alphabet people) -- which stands for "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender." One thing we all have in common is that we are different -- from each other and from the rest of society. This fits with the original definition of the word "queer" which meant strange or odd -- "unusually different." An article in the Baptist News Global cites Pew Research Center's findings that 62 percent now say "homosexuality should be accepted by society ... 12 points higher than when the same question was asked in 2007, when acceptance of homosexuality stood at 50 percent." Advertisement That religion is changing -- and so rapidly -- is a good thing. But imagine for a moment that you are a parent and the church you are in -- and probably were raised in -- tends to still be in the non-accepting 38 percent. Then imagine that your teenage child comes out as gay or lesbian. Or that your young child insists that he or she is the opposite gender. Suddenly, your world is upside down. And the people in your congregation -- the ones you would ordinarily trust in a crisis -- have a good chance of being non accepting. You have the choice of leaving, of course. Or you could stay and help the people around you become more open minded -- but this might possible hurt your child. This may be part of the reason that young people -- who tend to be more open minded about sexuality -- are leaving religion in droves. According to The Christian Post, "a third of young adults in America say that they don't belong to any religion." The reason that I thought that religion might be getting a bad rap is that I've been having a good experience as a Unitarian Universalist (and as one of the lay ministers) for the past four years. Advertisement But my secular upbringing undoubtedly made me more open to exploring religion and I found a "Welcoming Congregation" which means acceptance of all its members, including those in the queer community. In the case of the congregation that I joined, most of the congregants are straight and they are genuinely non-homophobic. But the fact is that we're all different (and this is a good thing) so I would say that everyone is a little bit queer. And since, people are leaving religion in droves, perhaps religion itself is in danger of becoming queer in the original sense of the word. Yet, we're all spiritual people and religion does have something to offer. It can use its power to heal rather than to hurt. The first book I read was To Drink from the Silver Cup: From Faith Through Exile and Beyond (Terra Nova Books) by Anna Redsand. As an adult, Redsand explored many of the same alternative spiritual traditions that have fueled me such as yoga and the Gnostic Gospels. But since she was raised fundamentalist (and encountered discrimination early on) she eventually found a Christian congregation that embraced her whole self. Redsand, who was raised by missionary parents in the Navajo Nation, is particularly insightful in her analysis of oppression. Redsand writes movingly about the alternative reality that many, especially those from religious backgrounds, experience: "Twenty-one when Stonewall happened [in 1969], I was then grieving the end of a guilt-ridden, clandestine affair with one of the nurses at the mission hospital." In Straight Face (Green Bridge Press) author Brandon Wallace writes eloquently about the reality of living a dual existence as a gay person who had entered the ministry of a fundamentalist religion that denounced gays. He shows us how this is extremely unhealthy. But he also explores how he felt called to come out of the closet, become his authentic self, and help others. This came after he read about a gay teen who had died by suicide: "While I was reading, all of my past came screaming back at me. I thought about my own suicide attempts, and all the nights I Iay in bed and thought about doing the same thing." A Faithful Son is a novel by Michael Scott Garvin that explores the life of a young man growing up gay and fundamentalist in a small town in the South. "Boys like me grow up crooked..." he writes, and tells us the story of how and why the narrator had to leave the small town and move to Los Angeles. The narrator is devoted to his mother and writes movingly about her final days. Ultimately, he writes not about finding faith in the end -- but about the narrator finding himself -- and maybe in some ways that is the same thing These three books are a testament to difference. These three author may all have come from fundamentalist backgrounds, but their stories are all different. What they all have in common was that all three authors were raised in a strong faith that gave them something, but to preserve themselves, they had to leave. Advertisement Over the Christmas holidays I was privileged to perform with the Philadelphia Festival Orchestra on its first tour abroad and my first time playing with them. It was the best orchestra I ever performed with as well as one of the greatest French horn sections I have ever experienced. I have worked with our conductor, Jed Gaylin, before as a member of the Bay Atlantic Symphony. He was his usual energetic and precise self and provided us with inspiring leadership not just musically but spiritually as we endured a grueling schedule with ten concerts in twelve days with long travel on planes, trains, and buses. Every concert was excellent, even those at the end of the tour when half the orchestra members were suffering from flus and sore throats. Advertisement We experienced many enthusiastic sold out crowds that wanted two or three encores each time. There were also many children in the audiences that displayed exemplary behavior (not sure we would have experienced that here in the USA.) The condition of the venues we played in varied from Carnegie Hall-like to dusty and cold or poor acoustics. Most were high quality. The tour provided the string bassists, harpist, and percussion section with instruments from the hall or local orchestras. This provided quite an adventure for these musicians, especially our harpist. The cellists were also provided instruments when we arrived in Shanghai that they were responsible for lugging around for use on the whole tour. Kudos to these musicians for performing on such a high level on instruments they were unfamiliar with. We only had one rehearsal the day of our first concert and I could tell immediately that this was a special orchestra and it would be a joy to perform with them. There were some complications that first rehearsal like no conductor podium and not the right chair for the harpist and some music scores missing for the timpanist and a freezing, cold hall as well as not enough time for dinner. Our piccolo player had a nasty fall in an unlighted hallway. But by concert time all was sorted out and the concert went well, even though we all had jet lag having arrived the day before. This was on Christmas Day and to my surprise, China does celebrate the holiday (at least the commercial part of it) and there were many cute children with Santa hats in the audience. They were an appreciative group as we presented a New Year's Eve type program with Strauss Waltzes, "Sleigh Ride", "Star Wars Medley" (ironically Carrie Fisher passed away while we were on tour), "Oklahoma Medley", three popular Chinese works including "I Love You, China" which was sung beautifully in Chinese by our guest soprano from Poland, Maria Antkowiak. Maria also performed "Musetta's Waltz" from Puccini's "La Boheme." The moment she began singing in the rehearsal we all had our breaths taken away by the power of her pure, lyrical voice and we knew this would be a great two weeks musically. "I Love You, China" was very well received with the audiences often erupting into applause in the middle of the piece. I believe the work has a similar impact on the Chinese people as "God Bless America" has in the USA. Advertisement Congratulations also go out to Ping Liang, our principal bassoonist who contracted the orchestra and managed the tour. There were a dozen or so Chinese Americans in the orchestra that stepped up and translated for us as well as helped coordinate our travels. It was a total group effort. I also am grateful to Mr. Chen and others from China that arranged the trip. All of our hotel accommodations were first class and we were treated very well by the staffs and those hosting us at each concert. We felt like celebrities and I personally was heartened to see how the arts are respected and appreciated there. Often, Chinese women dressed in brightly colored, gorgeous long dresses would host the events. The food was great and organic. My stomach was happy. All was paid for including our hotels and plane and train tickets. My main regret is that our schedule did not allow for much sight seeing. I took many pictures from our bus including the Yellow River and a huge statue of Genghis Khan on the top of a mountain. The weather varied as we traveled far north to Wuhai and Harbin where we saw ice sculptures and snow and to the south to Nanning near Viet Nam where there were palm trees. Advertisement Before our last concert a woman and her husband came up to me and our bass trombonist as we were sitting outside near the entrance and asked me in English if she could get a picture with us. We obliged and I got one too. A little later an adorable young girl wearing a Snow White costume walked by with her father. I asked her if I could take her picture and it is a favorite when I share the photos on my cell. One of the negatives was the smog we experienced everywhere we went. I believe that contributed to many of us getting sore throats. Most of us ended up wearing face masks a lot. It makes me glad that President Obama got China to sign a climate change pact and that the Chinese government has a 10 year plan to deal with it. It also makes me sad and worried that our current president has promised to end climate regulations and shut down the EPA. Could this smog happen here in a decade if we do this? It seems we are going in the wrong direction. But overall, it was a very successful trip and a great musical adventure. I made a lot of new musician friends and was grateful that we were such a patient, inspiring, and cooperative group of people (reflecting our conductor's positive attitude) and we all made it a meaningful, uplifting experience. The forty seven member orchestra itself is made up of a very diverse group of young and middle aged, women and men, Asian, Jewish, Christian, Brazilian, and Russian from Philadelphia as well as NYC and New Jersey. We served as a good cross section of the world as music is the international language. I regret there were no African Americans but I know this was not intentional however I found it strange that I saw not one black person in China. Borders open, borders closed - it's the squeaky hinges of our immigration debate, our country's rusty door that just keeps up an unrelenting swinging. In the midst of our national debate about whether we should let folks in or keep them out, it's worth thinking about what the best conditions are for immigrants to assimilate into a new country. We've gone from the melting pot concept to a pot of stew, and it's time to rescue it before it burns on the hearth. With this in mind, I'd like to present to you a case study on the matter - my mother. Born in Bolivia, Mom says that she has an American heart. She arrived here legally under the Reagan administration, after conquering the lengthy paperwork meant to assess her ability to contribute towards our national effort at existing. Not that that was in question: she had worked at high levels of government in her own country. She still started low on the totem pole when she arrived. There was no densely populated, country-specific immigrant community to welcome my mother to the West Coast. These days, cities like Washington, D.C. have many neighborhoods that display earmarks of strong Hispanic demographics. The DMV is famous for its pupusa-making populations of Central Americans, communities that are sanctuaries for new arrivals who might be on the hunt for anything familiar. Mom's only Bolivians were her own family. And the lot of them had to deal with a bunch of Mexicans down the street and a whole boatload of white people that they'd read about and seen on TV. Advertisement According to her, that's how she learned to be American. She, and her brother, and her sister, and her sister, and her sister, and her brother, and (we have lots of cousins, folks) the many people arriving in America's little towns at the time, had what she thinks was the ultimate advantage of being submerged in the then-American culture. In a dizzying reversal of the heavily-touted language immersion classes we like to enroll our kids in, my uncles and aunts and mom dumped themselves into a country and had to learn on the run. English was hard, and you picked it up. Many places in the U.S. now are a far cry from Mom's experience: Miami, for example, is so saturated with Cuban culture that you might never learn English and live life quite easily. But here's the hard question: while the comfort of La Pequena Habana for incoming immigrants is certainly undeniable, as is the Ethiopian community in Silver Spring, Maryland, and many such other immigrant communities around the United States, is more immigration, and single-demographic-heavy communities, what we really need right now as a country? Much as immigration is valuable and adds immeasurably to our diversity of identity in America, schisms and shifts across the political and racial divide seem to indicate that this might be a good time to let the earth settle across the nation. Certainly where race is concerned, the opportunity to slow the influx of new immigrants might be worthwhile, and here's why - I've noticed that the children of new immigrants do well in this culture, but often their parents remain stuck in their original culture through the close-knit communities that have gathered here and settled down. As my mother once observed, the trick is to absorb the best parts of the new culture and retain the best parts of your own. It's hard to know what the best parts of a culture are if you're not very well immersed in it. Advertisement The formation of dense communities of immigrants throughout the U.S. is not unique to our time period - heck, I think everyone's got a Germantown or a Chinatown somewhere. From Revolutionary War times to present day, new arrivals tend to concentrate and stick together. But divisions of "English" or "German" or "Irish" or "Polish" or "Scottish" blended over time into America's "white" during a time of nationalism, when the country focused internally and not outwardly towards the worldwide stage. I wish it weren't true. But we're forever a divided nation. Still, you and I are fine. What I mean is I still love my family and friends who voted for him. Our relationship is bigger than any President. Even this President. Of course I'll still chat with the dry cleaner or cashier or neighbor next door who voted for Trump, but we will not talk of him, ever. And if you bring him up and try to convince me why I'm wrong, I will politely ask you to change the subject. Saying "Trump" has become our new "abortion." His name is a trigger that when uttered can only end badly for both parties. Advertisement You will not change my view of him. I won't change yours. So instead I'll do my activist work outside the dinner table or parties or lunch with friends. I'll post my views on Facebook because it's my page and my personal statement, and I'll join the Resistance. But I promise as a thinking engaged voting citizen I will do my best to listen to Trump on every issue. And when I agree, I'll go public on social media. This is the best I can do to "give him a chance." Because for a long list of reasons that divide us, he is not and will never be, my President. I'm sorry but we cannot "come together" about Trump. Because really, what does that look like? I won't suddenly agree with the Muslim ban or "alternative facts," or his claim about voter fraud or his inauguration crowd size or Steve Bannon or EPA Scott Pruitt or Betsy DeVos or pussy grabs or his "so-called judge" or tweeting about his daughter's treatment by Nordstrom. Advertisement I will, however, consider the merits of a wall and read more about the pros and cons of sanctuary cities and tariffs on businesses who ship jobs overseas. I will listen to each Trump official and thoughtfully consider where we agree. But know this: on Trump The Person we will never agree. He is a very bad person. I know he's not all bad because no one is, but Trump is bad enough he shouldn't be running our country. That was clear throughout the election and yet, you shrugged. And to your point that raising nice kids = a good guy, I don't know much about Trump's boys but I like and respect Ivanka. But so what? The good in Ivanka doesn't mean jack against the horrors of Trump. Ivanka isn't running our country. Neither is Bill. So please, drop the irrelevant arguments. I believe with every fiber of my being that Trump is temperamentally unfit to lead our nation. I believe given his words and behaviors thus far, he is a danger. You've probably noticed from the more than 65 million Hillary votes that I am not alone or irrational in my protest. Advertisement I am not some fringe element or lone wolf or sore loser or conspiracy nut. I am the majority who voted against the person who now sits in our Oval Office having a love affair with Putin. So if you can't see where I might have even a teensy point we have nothing to talk about. This hurts me too. I'd like to say something more encouraging. Because believe me I'm a Kumbaya let's-all-get-along kind of person, really I am, but I'm telling you this as much as I know anything, we can't come together on this one. So let's just face that ugly reality right now. Then maybe some of you can stop insisting we "get over it" or "stop whining" or in the words of the more gracious Trump voters, "all get along so we can heal." I understand. I also hate the fighting. But healing from Trump is not going to happen. He is the anti-thesis to nearly all I support in not just policy, but character. I can't heal from a wound that is not only a festering boil but has turned gangrene and is eating me from the inside out. Our nation's limbs of decency and progress and protections for the vulnerable are falling off one by one, tweet by tweet. Advertisement But I know in order to move forward we must listen to each other. Except I already know the reasons you voted for him. She was worse. The forgotten blue-collar voter. Another Obama. She had no real plan to bring jobs back and you'd like to pay your rent and eat thank you. He was refreshingly blunt and charismatic. The anti-elite politician determined to shake up Washington and protect the little guy. He promised jobs and a greater, whatever you think is great. And while plenty of his words made you twitch because I know you're a good person, somewhere in the back of your mind you figured he's not really that bad, or he didn't mean it, or he didn't say what people said he said. You thought the good Trump would do to unwind Obama's damage would outweigh his narcissistic thin-skinned ego-driven reality show bluster. And anyway, how much damage could he do in a nation of checks and balances? And maybe you know all the reasons I voted for her. Progressive. A fan since 2008. Another Obama. Experience. Experience. Experience. Pro-choice. Pro gay marriage. Healthcare. Women and children. And somewhere in the mix, while I swear this wasn't my main reason, yes, to hire the first woman President. Maybe you thought her support was wrapped up in convenient denial of her mistakes. But that wasn't the case for me. I looked at Hillary's screw-ups head on and determined her worst over three decades never came close to his in only a year and a half. Let's face it, we can't mention Trump without viscerally clenching all we hold dear. You know it's true. You felt it before the election. You feel it even more now. The second someone mentions his name we feel uncomfortable and exposed inside the great divide. Advertisement The cohesive nation we wished for, those days are over, if they ever existed the moment he implied Megyn Kelly was on her period, disrespected a war hero, mocked a disabled journalist and called Mexicans rapists and drug dealers. And maybe for you, coming together as a nation ended during chants of not another Obama, no more Clintons and Lock Her Up. We can't talk about Trump because our vote is tied to values we hold so deeply that to abandon them would mean we betray ourselves to ourselves. So yes, the divide is that big. I know why you want us to stop posting on Facebook. It's exhausting. Facebook is no longer filled with simpler times of happy quotes and puppy videos. The Resistance has overwhelmed your feed and the tribal warfare feels palpable. I love happy quotes and puppy videos as much as you do but my conscience calls me to speak up. Silence hurts more than the backlash against protest. When the Tea Party formed I disagreed with their platform but I never told anyone to stop whining. I never insisted they accept my President. I know you can't turn someone against the righteousness of their core beliefs. Our beliefs define us, so when I question yours, I question you. We're at a time of great pain and suffering in our nation. It feels tragic and ripped and dark. I know you feel beaten up and tired and defensive and mad. So do I. Once upon a time even when partisan battles got ugly they never got disgusting. Advertisement But we can't go back. Trump drew a clear line in the sand and he makes no apologies for the damage. I'm fighting for rights I thought were already won. I'm fighting to stop the alarming rise in hate crimes after the words and tone Trump used during the election implied hate was not only okay, but all American. And so I'm sorry we can't talk about Trump. But directly or indirectly this President has created a living nightmare for marginalized people all over our nation, some who are literally fighting for their lives. And so let's agree to keep politics off the table. I'll do my work inside my political meetings and you do your work inside yours. But please know this, that despite our differences I care about you in ways that have nothing to do with him. And I know you care about me in ways that have nothing to do with her. As states experience fiscal challenges, higher education institutions across the U.S. are facing reductions in publicly funded support. One of the ways to counter this loss of revenue is by winning grants from government and private entities. My school, Pima Community College, is actively competing for this source of funding. Currently, we have 45 active grants, totaling more than $50 million. The grants range in size from $5,000 to $15 million. The grants serve 12,000 students and employ 200 staff and faculty. They provide student support services, curriculum development, professional development for faculty, classroom redesign and other services. Our most recent grant award is a $3.1 million Hispanic-Serving Institutions Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (HSI-STEM) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant will expand student support services and tutoring, and establish specific transfer pathways to Arizona's four-year universities. The goal is to improve the academic and career success of Hispanic/low-income students by increase the number of students who receive certificates or degrees from PCC in STEM-related majors, and-or who transfer to STEM fields at Arizona's three four-year universities. Advertisement As Program Coordinator Lupe Waitherwerch told Tucson's NPR radio affiliate, the goal of the grant is really straightforward: "We want [students] to feel like they belong in college to begin with and ... be able to believe that they can succeed." It's important to put awards like these into context. First, PCC was in the running for the grant because we are viewed as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. More than 43 percent of our students are Hispanic, far exceeding the 25 percent threshold for an HSI designation from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. The College's HSI designation benefits not only Hispanic-Latino students, however. Low-income students of every ethnicity are eligible to take advantage of the grant's resources. As individuals, the students who achieve academic and career success through the program will become Pima County's taxpayers, homebuyers and entrepreneurs of the future. Additionally, they will enhance southern Arizona's reputation for producing employees capable of powering cutting-edge 21st-century industries. Everyone will benefit. It's also important to recognize the limitations of grants. While grants greatly enhance education of our students, they are not part of the operating budget; our fiscal hurdles remain. Additionally, grants pay for programs for a specific time. The HSI-STEM grant has a five-year life. It is a challenge for colleges and universities to find ways to institutionalize a promising initiative after the money runs out. Advertisement Time has shown us that corporations and their high profile executives usually remain neutral on political issues as it is in corporations' interest to represent all customers, no matter what their political affiliation is. Taking a stand on controversial issues might imply serious revenue loss for the company. We have occasionally heard about how a company took a stance on a social issue such as LGBT rights or racial justice. For instance, more than 200 corporations signed on to a letter by the Human Rights Campaign opposing North Carolina's law limiting transgender rights. However, these are historically notable exceptions with a limited scope. I think there is a difference between opposing a limited and local state regulation, and opposing a federal immigration policy that represents a newly elect president's view and agenda for the country, as we have seen many notable companies do in the past few days. Advertisement This trend has radically shifted since President Trump's order which bars people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. Corporate America is increasingly becoming a voice of political advocacy. Fortune 500 companies, representing diverse industries, have denounced President Trump's immigration order or have taken proactive measures against it. It seems that business leaders have decided that staying quiet could have a bigger impact on their reputation and bottom line than speaking out. How exactly are business leaders demonstrating their opposition? Some are denouncing the measure by taking actions aligned with their business. For instance, Ikea plans to roll out a new range of rugs and textiles made by Syrian refugees in 2019, Starbucks announced that it would hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years at its outlets across the globe while Airbnb offered free housing to anyone left stranded by the recent executive order on immigration. In other cases, companies are denouncing the immigration measures by highlighting how these go against the company values and purpose. For instance, Mark Parker, the CEO of Nike, denounced the order, characterizing it as a "threat" to the company's values. Even on Wall Street, where more than any other industry, companies have historically remained silent about political issues, executives were very vocal. For instance, Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein became the first major Wall Street leader to speak out: "This is not a policy we support." Many companies have expressed support for their affected employees, including Microsoft, which is "actively working to provide legal advice and assistance" to its employees from listed countries, pointing out that all of them were in the US legally. Advertisement Finally, a number of CEOs have shared their own immigration stories, linking personal backgrounds with business and immigration. That has been particularly common in the tech industry, where many executives are foreign born or from immigrant families. For instance, Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, expressed his views in an open letter to the Reddit community describing himself not only as the son of an undocumented German immigrant, but also "the great grandson of refugees who fled the Armenian Genocide." He added "without them, there's no me, and there's no Reddit. We are Americans. Let's not forget that we've thrived as a nation because we've been a beacon for the courageous--the tired, the poor, the tempest-tossed." Finally, it's hard to talk about Corporate America and politics without mentioning the Super Bowl advertisements. From Budweiser to Coca-Coca to 84 Lumber, my TV was screaming the words "inclusion", "diversity" and "acceptance". Zakany, Hungary - October 5, 2015: War refugees at Zakany Railway Station, Refugees are arriving constantly to Hungary on the way to Germany. 5 Octoberber 2015 in Zakany, Hungary. This week, President Donald Trump is expected to sign executive orders broadly banning refugee resettlement, and permanently targeting refugees from seven countries, including Syria. These executive orders threaten our national security, undermine the extensive vetting procedures we have in place to screen refugees, and discount the successes and contributions of refugees in America. They negate America's fundamental political and cultural values, and will have devastating impacts worldwide. Advertisement Here are four key reasons why the ban is misguided, harmful, and wrong. # 1: Resettling Refugees Keeps us Safer Safeguarding human rights is a critical component of national security. Closing our borders to individuals fleeing radical regimes and areas governed by terrorists makes the United States considerably less safe. Restricting refugee resettlement leaves thousands of dispossessed people stranded in refugee camp where they often lack basic needs like food and water. Historically, these conditions provide fertile grounds for radicalization and terrorist recruitment, putting an exceptionally vulnerable population at risk of succumbing to the influence and propaganda of terrorist organizations. Conversely, accepting refugees helps negate terrorist propaganda. Allowing individuals fleeing terrorism, radical regimes, and war to seek refuge and build new lives here for their families fosters patriotism and loyalty. What's more, it is not uncommon for these individuals to provide U.S. intelligence agencies with vital information that aid in the fight against terrorism. There is little to lose in accepting refugees, and much to gain. # 2: Aggressive Vetting Procedures Already Exist to Identify Potential Terrorists The national security rationale espoused as justification for these executive orders is feeble. National security experts, former White House officials, ambassadors, and leaders from the Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security signed a letter affirming that refugees are already the most aggressively vetted immigrant category in America, and that the U.S. should accept refugees to advance U.S. interests. Advertisement What's more, the refugee screening procedure isn't static; intelligence officials continually improve and adapt to new threats by employing cutting edge screening technologies. Refugees are victims of terrorism, not perpetrators of it--and the extremely rare cases of refugee extremism prove that. The history of the U.S. refugee program demonstrates that the lengthy and extensive vetting that all refugees must undergo is an effective deterrent for terrorists. Recent research finds that the chance of being killed by a refugee-perpetrated terror attack was 1 in 3.64 billion per year. This means you're more than 200 times times likely to be killed by lightning then a refugee terrorist. # 3: Refugees Have Positive Economic Impacts on the U.S. Economy Refugee resettlement has significant and demonstrable positive economic impacts in America. Refugees not only contribute to the economy by working at established companies; they also start new businesses, providing goods, services, and jobs to Americans. Moreover, refugees are uniquely successful in transforming once declining areas into thriving neighborhoods--in part because many refugees resettle during their prime working years. Cities like Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Oklahoma City, Detroit, St. Louis, Nashville, and Baltimore recruit and empower refugees to inject new life into once prosperous communities to great success. Resettling families displaced by war is compassionate, but it also helps revitalize once declining areas. The economic evidence is clear: refugees are an asset, not a burden. Advertisement # 4: Humanitarian Leadership Makes America Great The U.S. refugee resettlement system has resettled more than 3.2 million refugees since 1975. Enjoying bipartisan support for decades and providing safety to millions, refugee resettlement enriches our communities and makes this country--and the world--a better place. The need for resettlement is of heightened urgency today. There are more than 21 million refugees and 65 million displaced people worldwide--the highest numbers since World War II. President Trump seeks to undo our humanitarian tradition by implementing policies that ineffectively address national security concerns and have no logical basis. The ban directly targets some of the world's most vulnerable populations--refugees from nations that produced 43 percent of refugees last year--while abandoning fundamental American values. It actively undermines the international refugee protection system, unwinds decades of policy, and is an affront to basic decency. What's more, the U.S. resettlement program prioritizes children, rendering them the most blameless and helpless victims of Trump's executive action. Congress, at a bare minimum, should pass legislation that continues refugee resettlement for children from the seven affected nations: Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and Syria. Donald Trump coasted into power through a campaign fueled on xenophobia, populism, and blatant misinformation. Any hope that his alarming rhetoric and malleable approach to facts would subside once in power has now been dissolved. In claiming that refugees pose a threat and are not an asset to our communities, Mr. Trump is waging a war on reality. Advertisement He is also threatening to bring forward a new, sinister reality of America's standing in the world if his executive orders go unchallenged: that we are no longer a humanitarian leader and stronghold of freedom and opportunity for all, but a nation that thrives on xenophobia, propaganda, and exclusivity. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump talks to members of the media as retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn stands next to him at Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 21, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria We've said it before and we'll say it again: there MUST be an investigation by an independent, bipartisan commission of Russia's ties to Donald Trump and his associates and that nation's interference in our elections. Emphasize independent and bipartisan. That commission must have full subpoena power to call witnesses and make them testify under oath or risk prosecution. Hearings must be held out in the open, and televised live for the nation and the world to see. That's what a democracy is all about. The resignation of national security advisor Michael Flynn and Tuesday night's news of repeated contacts between Trump associates and Russian intelligence make such an inquiry even more imperative. On Friday, winging his way to Mar-a-Lago on Air Force One, Trump told the press he knew nothing about the previous night's Washington Post report that Flynn had secretly discussed lifting sanctions against Russia with Russia's ambassador to the United States. But on Tuesday, press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that Trump had known about Flynn's phone calls -- and his lies about it -- weeks ago. Advertisement Why was nothing done until the media broke the story? And why did Trump lie? As the National Lampoon joked back during the Watergate era, rephrasing the crucial questions aimed at Richard Nixon: "What did the president know and when did he STOP knowing it?" Is it possible Trump and Flynn had been talking all along and keeping it to themselves? Who authorized Flynn to speak with the Russian ambassador on Trump's behalf in the first place? The president himself or chief strategist Steve Bannon? Or someone else? Was Flynn a lone gun? Who can tell with all the lies? And another thing: if the White House has known what was going on for weeks, why was Flynn still attending intelligence briefings as late as Monday? That's what White House resident spin doctor Kellyanne Conway told the Today's show Matt Lauer on Tuesday. Otherwise, Conway -- who shortly before his resignation told the press that Flynn still had Trump's confidence -- was her usual duplicitous self. Why the media keep turning to her for answers no one can trust is yet another indignity inflicted on the American public in this unfolding saga. And where are the Republican patriots willing to come forward and place country and democracy over party and a venal lust for power? Other than John McCain, they've been mum or simply said ta-ta and thanked Flynn for his service. Late Tuesday, Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it's "highly likely" the Senate intelligence committee will investigate Flynn's discussions with the Russian ambassador, but does anyone really think a Republican-dominated inquiry, with strings pulled back stage by McConnell, will dig for the truth and let the facts fall where they will? Advertisement Jason Chaffetz, chair of the House Oversight Committee, says he won't investigate the Flynn affair -- "I think that situation has taken care of itself." How about that for respecting the public's need to know? And Rep. Chris Collins of upstate New York, the man with the dubious distinction of being the first member of Congress to endorse Trump's candidacy, told CNN's Chris Cuomo on Tuesday morning, "I think it's just time to move on." When asked why so many of his GOP colleagues were silent he suggested, "Well, [it's] Valentine's Day, and I guess they're having breakfasts with their wives." Takes your breath away, doesn't it? There is nothing as dangerous to democracy -- with its need for checks and balances of power to protect the integrity of our system -- as one-party rule. Unless there are responsible Republicans who will break ranks and join the Democrats in calling for an independent and bipartisan joint commission to investigate these astonishing developments in a fair and impartial way - with televised hearings - one of the greatest, perhaps the greatest, assaults on democracy in our 240-year history will go unpunished except for a few culprits like Flynn. Americans must know whether the candidate of one party worked with a foreign power to influence the election against his opponent. In a golden age of fake news (i. e., propaganda) we are becoming more accustomed to politicians spouting self-serving lies. We are also beginning to grasp the complicity of their preferred audience. There is an astonishing willingness to credit, and repeat, patent falsehoods, such as the claim that President Obama was not born in America and many other counter factuals spawned by political campaigns. It is tempting to imagine that such phenomena reveal a seamy side of political tribalism but obliviousness to the truth boasts a long lineage in human evolution: it precedes political campaigns, and transcends tribalism. Gossip in Evolutionary Perspective Malicious gossip is reported in all societies and the content of these false, or exaggerated, claims is drearily familiar. Victims are alleged to have been dishonest, to have cheated on their spouse, or to have manifested other personal problems such as ill health, greed, physical weakness, cowardice, excessive self-promotion, poor hygiene, or drug dependence. Advertisement The general motivation behind gossip is to bring the target down a peg, to blacken their reputation in the community, and to reduce their standing in the eyes of others. Gossip can be identified as the main psychological precursor of fake news. If the audience is sufficiently motivated in either case by a shared antipathy towards the target, whether the damaging information is true or false scarcely matters because believing it feels good and serves a social function. The Persistence of False Beliefs from Brand Loyalty to Religion The impact of false gossip is just one example of the human willingness to believe what others in the community are saying, regardless of its relationship to the truth, from religious belief systems that contradict everyday experiences to confidence in fashionable brand names that is not backed up by the quality of the product. The willingness to believe something merely because others believe it is illustrated by non religious fiction in addition to religion. Hero Types The phenomenon is illustrated by heroes such as Jason, Oedipus, and Hercules, legendary figures who conform to a stereotype of heroic nobility (or hero-type). The hero-type of a divine king was described by scholars Otto Rank and Lord Raglan (reflecting a predominance of male heroes in the legends they examined). These scholars established 22 distinctive features that range from virgin birth to death atop a hill and disappearance of the body. Advertisement No historical person provides a close match with the hero-type, a fact that was used to debunk the historicity of Jesus. Despite this, each of the heroes was considered to be historical and placed in history in stories written about them providing further evidence of a willingness to accept uncritically as truth what others are saying. When Fiction Feels Better than Truth? If fictitious characters are routinely accepted as truth, we should not be too surprised that fake news sometimes gets more attention than real news stories and is accepted as true by a gullible public. Of course, it is not just a matter of failed objectivity, or skepticism. The public are motivated to believe fiction when doing so feels better than believing the truth. Opponents of President Obama were pleased by the illusion that he was not American. Tribally-motivated false beliefs have fueled ethnic and political conflict since the dawn of history. Of course, in-group-outgroup thinking is the basis for all sorts of unmotivated group violence from witch hunts and ethnic cleansings to religious wars. Religious belief systems evolved in part because they help adherents to cope with pain, uncertainty, and loss in their daily lives. Collectively, such belief systems contradict each other even though most claim to be the one true religion. Statistically, most would have to be fakes. It is more comforting to believe that we shall be reunited with loved ones in an afterlife than to accept that we shall never see them again. Such false beliefs are readily accepted even when they are propagated by convicted con men like Mormon leader Joseph Smith who used used embarrassingly faked texts. Gullibility may have been a valuable trait that helped people to fit in with the beliefs and practices of their in-groups throughout history. Unfortunately it makes for bad citizenship in a democracy where political leaders are supposed to follow the guidance of the electorate. That is why freedom of expression in general, and a skeptical press in particular, are so important and the invariant targets of authoritarian regimes. It also helps if the electorate is schooled in scientific skepticism and logical rigor. Advertisement As a rabbi I've officiated at more bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah ceremonies than I can remember. Throughout all of those beautiful coming of age ceremonies, I enjoyed watching the beaming faces of the proud parents, but I couldn't yet relate to what they were feeling. Now I can. Earlier this month my own son became bar mitzvah. It was a special weekend for my family as we watched my eldest child chant from the Torah, lead the congregation in prayer and deliver beautiful words of Torah showing the community what he learned in preparation for this milestone. I pray that, despite the darkness that exists in our world, we all have the merit to experience the light that emanates from such moments of pride and joy. I took some time to reflect on the real message of the bar mitzvah ceremony. I realized that this milestone is as much a time for teens to enter maturity and and age of responsibility as it is a time for parents to articulate the course they hope their children will take as they become young adults. I presented this in the sermon I delivered at my son's bar mitzvah, focusing on the themes of leadership, questioning and continuity. Advertisement As parents, we often think about what type of adult we want our children to become. Which attributes should we favor? Are we content for our children to become good people or is it more important that they're successful? Many argue that so long as our children are happy, we are satisfied. I argue that happiness, success and goodness are all vital attributes we want and expect of our children, but we should focus more on leadership, questioning and continuity. As parents we model leadership to the next generation, eventually handing off the leadership of our own tribe -- our family -- to them. Will they be ready? Will they be able to lead? These are significant questions for us as parents. If we impart sound leadership examples to them, we can be confident in their future leadership. The second attribute we should want our children to possess is questioning. We should take great delight in our children's questioning. Rather than become annoyed that they sometimes ask so many questions, we should embrace their inquisitive minds. The third attribute we want our children to possess is continuity. Asking questions is just one way of ensuring the continuity of a just and righteous society. We also want our children to continue to value the democracy we enjoy as Americans and to preserve the customs we hold dear in our own families. As parents we take such pride in our children reaching these milestone events in the life cycle not only because it marks the passing of time, but because it ensures the continuity of our tradition. Advertisement Suruc, Turkey - April 3, 2015: Syrian people in refugee camp in Suruc. These people are refugees from Kobane and escaped because of Islamic state attack. January 25, 2017 Then, standing there in front of the place of worship, you must pray: My ancestor was a wandering Aramean who went to live in Egypt. There were only a few in his family then, but they became great and powerful, a nation of many people. Deuteronomy 26:5 Of all the descriptors God could have chosen for Abraham, and his descendants, why did God choose this one? Ironically, Abraham's homeland, the place God commanded him to leave, is the region now identified as Syria. Advertisement Why was it important for the Hebrews to remember that their story began with immigration? This passage of scripture has spiritual and contemporary relevance for me as President Trump prepares to sign executive orders this week related to a border wall, sanctuary cities, and restricted travel to the U.S. for refugees and some visa holders of the Middle Eastern countries of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. I am reminded that the descendants of Abraham, the father of all Abrahamic faiths, were at one time the Syrian refugees of Egypt. Why did they flee to Egypt? For many of the same reasons people from all over the world have fled to America. Facing dire consequences in their homeland, they sought a better life. Throughout the history of this nation millions of people have left their homelands and come to America. Over the past 400 years, people have come for many reasons. Some came by a capitalistic force so inhumane that its consequences still manifest in policies and practices today. The evil reality of slavery reminds us that not all came voluntarily. Many African people were brutally transported here against their will for the exploitation their labor without pay. Others came to escape the ravages of war in their native lands. Still others have come in search of freedom from religious, ethnic, gender, and sexual persecution. And some came seeking opportunities to escape poverty and make a better life for themselves and their families. Yet no matter why or how we came to America, any greatness realized within our borders is because we are all here. Advertisement The words of President Barack Obama ring resoundingly in my heart today, "We were strangers once, too," he said. "And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship." Hebrew scripture reminds us that the Egyptians grew in their disdain for the refugees in their midst. They treated them poorly and subjected them to unfair labor laws. The Egyptians Empire unfairly targeted the Hebrew refugees with propaganda campaigns designed to turn the Egyptian people against them by portraying the Hebrews as evil and a threat. Such narratives are always necessary to move the masses to act inhumanely. It is difficult to consciously oppress people we do not first detest. So God, in God's infinite wisdom, cautioned those preparing to come and offer the first fruits of their bounty to God in worship to always remember. To remember that though they became a powerful nation, their ancestor was a homeless Aramean, who sought refuge in a foreign land. My prayer today and always: "He who has ears, let him hear." Known the world over, Angkor Wat is now one of the most popular tourist spots in Asia. With 1.6 million square metres of temples, tundra and tourists, knowing where to start can be tricky. Armed with a tuk-tuk, map and pen, I spent a couple of days seeing the world's largest religious monument, and pulling together this guide on what to see - and what to skip - during your Cambodian adventure. Must-see Angkor Wat:The site's namesake, this temple alone covers over a kilometre with the central towers rising 65m into the sky. Go at the beginning or end of the day before it's too hot as there are a lot of stairs to reach that iconic view. Advertisement Banyan: The youngest state temple, over 200 giant Buddhas smile on visitors. As it passed between kings, it also changed religions serving as both a Buddhist and Hindu place of worship throughout its lifetime. Ta phrom: Get ready to embrace your inner Lara croft. Made famous by Tomb Raider, Ta Phrom will live up to your film set expectations. Be prepared to share it with the crowds though, and to wait in line if you want a picture with the snaking tree roots (I wasn't that patient). Pretty cool Baphuon: This temple was built to make an impression. Its symmetrical design and long bridge make it striking from a distance. If you're feeling energetic, you can climb the steep stairs to get a good view of the park - just make sure you save enough energy for the main temple stair climb though! Phimeanakas: This former royal place of meditation emerges through the trees. It's remarkably intact, though you can't venture inside like most of the other temples. Look out for the two swimming next to it - sorry guys, yours is the small one! Advertisement Give it a miss Elephant terrace and Terrace of the Leper King: Marked separately on the map, these two are actually one site and... easy to miss. Once grand viewing platforms, they're now reduced to raised mounds that I probably wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for my guide. The statue of the leper king is also a small replica rather than the original. Sra Srang (in hot season): Put it this way, we didn't know we'd passed the lake! In the rainy season I'm sure it looks beautiful, but be aware if you're there at a hot/dry time of year, it's pretty much non-existent. There are restaurants along the banks though, so it's a good place to head for lunch. On January 2, 2017, Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki scathingly criticized Saudi Arabia's Middle East policy and warned Iranian reporters that Riyadh was a breeding ground for terrorism. Maliki's strident rhetoric highlighted the marked deterioration in Iraq-Saudi Arabia relations in recent months. This upsurge in hostility has been triggered by a string of confrontations between the two countries, jeopardizing a fragile normalization that began with Saudi Arabia's 2012 decision to reopen a major Iraqi oil pipeline running through its soil. In early January 2016, Iraqi Shiite leaders organized mass protests against Riyadh's execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. This unrest occurred in tandem with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's calls for a suspension of Baghdad-Riyadh diplomatic relations. Even though Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi rejected al-Sadr's demands and offered to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iraq swiftly transitioned to an anti-Saudi foreign policy. Baghdad's confrontational approach towards Riyadh has been characterized by rhetorical condemnations of Saudi involvement in Iraqi politics and resistance to Saudi geopolitical aspirations in the Middle East. Many analysts have presented an economic explanation for this escalation of hostilities. In particular, numerous reports have drawn attention to the recently intensified competition for oil exports between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Advertisement This explanation, while compelling, is an incomplete assessment. It neglects the three crucial factors rooted in Iraq's domestic politics and broader foreign policy goals that have shaped Iraq's conduct towards Saudi Arabia. These factors relate to Iraq's desire to strengthen its alliance with Iran, Baghdad's opposition to Saudi Arabia's attempts to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Abadi's desire to unite Iraqi Shiites around his leadership. First, Iraq's increasingly confrontational rhetoric towards Saudi Arabia is motivated by Baghdad's desire to be viewed as an indispensable Iranian ally in the Arab world. As Iran and Saudi Arabia are embroiled in a rivalry for hegemony over large sections of the Middle East, Iraqi Shiite policymakers view their scathing criticisms of Saudi foreign policy as a tacit display of allegiance to Iran. The Iraqi government's disagreement with Saudi Arabia on Hezbollah's role in Middle East security demonstrates how criticizing Riyadh can strengthen Iraq-Iran ties. On March 11, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafaari made a public defense of Iran's Lebanese ally Hezbollah's contribution to the anti-ISIS struggle, which was met with disapproval from Saudi policymakers. Jafaari's description of Hezbollah as a "resistance" group dealt a blow to Riyadh's attempts to rally the Arab League around the idea that Hezbollah is a "terrorist" group. By endorsing Iran's position on the symbolically important issue of Hezbollah's status, Iraq demonstrated its willingness to defy Saudi Arabia's hegemony over the Arab League, and bolstered its credibility as an intelligence provider to Iran on Tehran's joint operations with Hezbollah in Syria. Advertisement The Iraqi government has also condemned Saudi Arabia's interferences in Iraq's domestic politics to win Iran's trust. Senior Iraqi officials have criticized Saudi Arabia's alliance-building efforts with Iraqi Sunni tribes, claiming that Riyadh's actions are inflaming sectarian tensions in Iraq. On June 30, the Iraqi government condemned the Saudi monarchy's "repeated interference Iraq's internal affairs," after Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir urged Abadi to disband Hashd al-Shaabi, a Shiite militia group. In late August, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry's also called for the removal of Saudi ambassador to Iraq Thamer al-Sabhan after al-Sabhan scathingly criticized Iranian military interference in Iraq. Iraq's unequivocal anti-Saudi foreign policy identity has underscored its importance as a strategic asset for Tehran. Iran has rewarded the Iraqi government with provisions of $100-200 million in annual aid, despite pervasive state corruption and the Iraqi military's long history of misappropriating foreign assistance. Second, Saudi Arabia's arms provisions to anti-Assad forces in Syria have contributed to the escalation of hostilities between Baghdad and Riyadh. Even though Syria's Baathist government contributed to sectarian violence in Iraq after the 2003 war by allowing free passage for Sunni militants, most Iraqi Shiite policymakers have concluded that Assad's retention of power in Syria is critical for the success of Iraq's struggle against the Islamic State (ISIS). Since late 2015, the Iranian military has recruited thousands of Iraqi Shiites to fight on Assad's behalf in Syria. Even though these Shiite troops are officially labeled as volunteers, the movement of Iraqi personnel to Syria has received tacit support from Abadi's government. Iraq has also assisted Assad by sharing intelligence with Damascus's principal allies, Iran and Russia, on ISIS's activities in Syria. Iraq's actions have antagonized Riyadh, because Iraqi military personnel have participated in missions, that have targeted the pro-Saudi Free Syrian Army, and Sunni rebels in northwestern Syria armed by Saudi Arabia. Opposing Saudi-backed rebel forces in Syria has helped Abadi strengthen Iraq's relations with nations that believe that Saudi Arabia is sponsoring terrorism in Syria. Russia has been particularly willing to reward Abadi for his loyalty to Assad's regime. In February 2016, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin visited Baghdad and pledged to increase Moscow's shipments of air defense technology to Iraq. Advertisement Since Rogozin's meeting, Russia has also increased its investment in the Iraqi economy, expressed openness to participation in a Syria-style anti-ISIS campaign in Iraq, and sided with Iraq in its oil production dispute with Saudi Arabia. Therefore, even though Iraq's involvement in Syria has indirectly placed it in a military conflict with Saudi Arabia, Abadi has gained critical international support for his government that will expedite Iraq's long-term economic development and bolster its political stability prospects. Third, Iraq's increasingly critical attitude towards Saudi foreign policy aims to uniting Iraqi Shiites around Abadi's government. As many Shiite Iraqi policymakers have criticized Abadi for his failure of his governance reforms, Abadi's adoption of a hardline anti-Saudi foreign policy is a populist concession to these disaffected Shiites. The Iraqi government's decision to push for the removal of al-Sabhan as Saudi ambassador was instigated, at least partially, by popular pressure. The hashtag "Thamer al-Sabhan is Iraq's enemy" went viral on Iraqi social media websites. Al-Sabhan's allegations that the Iranian government was plotting to assassinate him also stoked virulent anti-Saudi sentiments amongst Iraqi Shiites. Abadi has escalated his anti-Saudi foreign policy in tandem with these sentiments, despite the potential for backlash amongst Riyadh-aligned Iraqi Sunni groups like Mosul-based al-Shammar tribe. Anti-Saudi propaganda has also become a lot more mainstream in Baghdad in recent months. Anti-Saudi Shiite activists in Iraq have released posters comparing the Saudi flag design to the Israeli Star of David, described the Saudi royal family as "evil progeny," and accused the Saudi monarchy of state sponsorship of terrorism. As discontent with Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen and anti-Iranian foreign policy is widespread amongst Iraqi Shiites, Abadi's anti-Saudi foreign policy agenda could bolster his support amongst Iraqi Shiites heading into the 2018 Iraqi parliamentary elections. The recent escalation of hostilities between Iraq and Saudi Arabia has been triggered by disagreements over Syria, Iranian foreign policy and the classification of terrorist groups. The Iraqi government's willingness to confront Saudi Arabia has helped Baghdad forge an alliance with Russia, encouraged Iran to bolster aid to the Iraqi military and could strengthen Abadi's popular support amongst Shiites. Barring a massive upsurge in sectarian violence by Iraqi Sunnis or a Saudi military retaliation against Abadi's government, hostility towards Riyadh is likely to be a defining feature of Iraqi foreign policy for years to come. Advertisement If Senator Anthony Portantino gets his way, California will be the first state in the nation to ensure that teenagers can go to school without sacrificing a good night's sleep. This week he introduced SB328, a bill that would require California school districts to start middle and high school classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m. "Every year we discuss as parents, educators, and legislators, best practices and interests of the children and education," says Portantino. "Well, data is clear: starting the school day later improves the quality of education, health, and welfare of our children. So let's do it." The average school day for middle and high school students in California starts at 8:07 a.m., with commute times considerably earlier. These very-early hours were established largely to save money on bus costs before schools understood teen sleep needs and patterns. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 4 in 5 American secondary schools start the day before 8:30 a.m., with nearly 10% of high schools requiring attendance before 7:30 a.m. Advertisement The result is a public health and equity issue right up there with child labor , smoking, and seatbelts. According to the nonprofit advocacy organization Start School Later (which, full disclosure, I co-founded and now direct) restoring more traditional school start times -- as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Association (AMA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other medical and education experts -- is a practical and necessary solution with broad and immediate benefits for children of all ages. Start School Later has nearly 90 chapters across the U.S.A., including a statewide California chapter led by Irena Keller, PhD, adjunct professor of child and adolescent development at San Jose State University, and local chapters in Chico, Los Angeles, Redlands, and San Diego. LEGISLATION TO HELP LOCAL DISTRICTS If passed, Portantino's bill will ensure that the more than 3 million public middle and high students in California can go to school at times that allow them to get a healthy night's sleep, have time for breakfast, commute to school after sunrise, and arrive at school ready to learn. It would also be a model for many other states and municipalities around the country that have been unable to restore developmentally appropriate school hours on their own. Advertisement Local school districts must, of course, set their specific schedules. However, in many districts local resistance prevents school leaders from acting on the strong body of scientific evidence showing that sleep, and school hours that allow for healthy sleep, are critical to health, safety, and academic achievement. (Those who want help might also benefit from an upcoming national conference on teen sleep and school start times, which includes leaders from districts that have navigated this change successfully.) Parameters for developmentally appropriate school hours would be consistent with the many other state regulations for local districts, including requirements about the number of days and hours students must be in class. To date, however, no state has provided clear guidelines for safe, healthy school hours, although Maryland and New Jersey recently passed legislation to study or incentivize later school start times. Last year, Maryland passed the "Orange Ribbon for Healthy Schools" bill to create a no-cost incentive program to recognize districts moving to later bell times. At the federal level, California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren has also repeatedly introduced versions of a "ZZZ's to A's" Bill and Resolution to the U.S. Congress -- all unsuccessful to date -- proposing limits on the hours at which American high schools can begin required instruction. MORE SLEEP = MORE SUCCESS A large, broad, and consistent body of evidence shows that moving middle and high school bell times later gives more students more (and better) sleep and reduces rates of sleeping in class, mood swings, depression, stimulant and illegal drug use, and car crashes, as well as suspensions, tardies, absences, and drop-outs. Just this month a new study of 30,000 teenagers across 29 schools in 7 states showed that two years after moving bell times to 8:30 or later, the average graduation rate moved from 79% to 88%. According to study author Pamela McKeever, EdD, the study's findings linking later bell times to improved attendance and graduation rates raise questions for school officials about "whether later start times are a mechanism for closing the achievement gap." Advertisement In California, as in many states, improved attendance would also benefit districts financially because school funding is tied to attendance. By improving current attendance by just 1%, The Los Angeles Unified School District would gain an estimated $40 million per year, funds that could be re-invested in schools to benefit students. In the summer of 2003, the West African nation of Liberia was facing a humanitarian calamity. After 23 years of war, the regime of warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor was crumbling. Rebels in the south controlled the second-largest city and were creeping toward the capitals airport. Another rebel group, led by a fighter calling himself General Cobra, was advancing from the north and seized the capitals main port and the countrys lifeline. Displaced civilians crowded into the increasingly tight peninsula of Monrovia as stocks of fuel, food and medicine dwindled. The city waited for a rebel invasion. Peace talks in Ghana ended abruptly when a UN Special Court unsealed an indictment against Taylor for war crimes in Sierra Leone. Taylor returned to Liberia, cornered diplomatically and militarily. A tragedy loomed. Would Taylor make a bloody last stand? The international diplomatic corps and most humanitarian organizations had fled the country. The last remaining outpost was the U.S. Embassy, a compound at Mamba Point in the heart of the city. Ambassador John Blaney and a hardy band of embassy staff fought to keep the post running and to give diplomacy a final chance. Advertisement Blaney and Co. faced many foes. Taylors government was corrupt, venal, and delusional. He deployed militias of conscripted child soldiers, many too small to carry their weapons. The rebels were mysterious and unpredictable, often drugged and with unclear loyalty to their supposed political leaders. Even if a peace deal could be reached on paper, would anyone go along? But the most interesting battle was with Washington DC. With wars raging in Iraq and Afghanistan, the last thing the United States wanted was to deploy troops to West Africa or get dragged into another armed conflict. The Defense Department in particular didnt want to have to rescue the stubborn Ambassador and his staff. Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pushed hard to close the post and walk away. The Embassy: A Story of War and Diplomacy by Dante Paradiso tells the inside story of how Blaney and his team kept the embassy open, risked their lives to cross the front lines to meet with General Cobra, and played a crucial role in negotiating a complicated sequence that included Taylor being forced into exile, the rebels allowing ECOWAS peacekeepers to reopen the port, and getting peace negotiators back to the table. Paradiso, a foreign service officer who served in that embassy, skillfully tells the story through the eyes of several unsung heroes: the ambassador, a defense attache, a diplomatic security officer, a local Liberian staffer, and a humble and unnamed Political Officer that can only be the author. Although the book is nonfiction, it keeps pace like a thriller and includes just enough context to keep the reader well-informed without bogging down the story. The dialogue between the officials is authentic and at times jarringly human. The Embassy is a riveting quick read and a dramatic firsthand account of a fascinating and frightening series of events. Id recommend it alongside other recent books on Liberia, such as Helene Coopers The House at Sugar Beach, Ellen Johnson Sirleafs memoir, This Child Will Be Great, and Riva Levinsons Choosing the Hero (see my previous review of that terrific book). Advertisement As a policy analyst and former diplomat, several aspects of The Embassys tale especially caught my attention. First, is the unheralded courage of the embassy staff. The ambassador and his colleagues faced immense personal danger to represent their country and to save innocent lives. This is a must-read for anyone who thinks diplomacy is about fancy cocktail parties. Its also striking how the U.S. Embassy plays a unique role in some parts of the world. Liberia has a special history with the United States and American influence is unusually high. But the embassy grounds were a haven of stability and an outpost of hope, both physically and symbolically. If the post had been closed, it would have meant the likely death of tens of thousands of people and a disaster that we would still be dealing withand no doubt apologizing fortoday. Foreign policymaking is often messy, but Paradisos story is startling for how often the embassy is unaware of whats happening outside a narrow slice of central Monrovia or even back in Washington. At several points, the ambassador learns of U.S. policy decisions, including the imminent arrival of protective troops, via the media. The embassy staff appear to have only the vaguest outlines of the policy battles underway between the White House, State Department, and Pentagon. That partly explains why the story sheds no light on one of the decisive factors in the outcome: why did President George W. Bush take such an active and firm line on Liberia? In the midst of multiple foreign policy crises, the President repeatedly made the point of insisting publicly that Charles Taylor must go. I would have loved to know the full story of what happened behind the scenes and why Taylor eventually agreed to leave. Then national security advisor Condoleezza Rice and NSC senior Africa director Jendayi Frazer were obviously central, yet they barely get a mention. But I suppose thats partly the point of the book: the embassy was in many ways flying blind. Advertisement Finally, for developmentistas who worry about greater State Department control of aid programs, theres an amusing section (pages 219-220) where the ambassador cooks up a recovery plan on the spot. He wants a demobilization plan, cash for education, and a public works program. How much? One hundred million is his first answer. Nah, he thinks. Lets go for two hundred million! We now know that those tense and tenuous weeks back in June-August 2003 would eventually lay a foundation for democratic elections two years later that brought Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to power and the beginning of the countrys recovery. Today, Charles Taylor is in prison and Liberia is considered largely a post-conflict success. The Embassy shows how close the line between triumph and tragedy can beand how a few brave people can make the difference. Todd Moss is chief operating officer and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. Moss also serves as secretary of the board. His research focuses on U.S.-Africa relations, energy policy, and private investment. Moss is currently working on electrification in Africa, cash transfers in new oil economies, and ideas for upgrading US development policy. In the past he led the Center's work on Nigerian debt, Zimbabwe, the future of the World Bank's IDA, and the African Development Bank. Moss served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State 2007-2008 while on leave from CGD. He originally joined the Center in July 2003 from the World Bank where he served as an advisor to the Chief Economist in the Africa Region. Previously, he has been a Lecturer at the London School of Economics (LSE) and worked at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and the Overseas Development Council (ODC). Moss is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and the author of numerous articles and books, including Adventure Capitalism: Globalization and the Political Economy of Stock Markets in Africa (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), African Development: Making Sense of the Issues and Actors (Lynne Rienner, 2nd ed., 2011), and Oil to Cash: Fighting the Resource Curse with Cash Transfers (CGD, 2015). Have you ever dreamed of moving to an exotic locale and bumping into a handsome stranger with a charming foreign accent? Let's be honest -- we all have. If you are wondering where you would have the best chance at an international love affair, look no further. InterNations, the world's largest network for people who live and work abroad, has compiled a list of the best countries for romance with a local. Philippines According to the results of the latest Expat Insider survey, the Philippines is the destination with the largest percentage of expats in love with local residents. In fact, 79% of survey respondents in a relationship in the Philippines have a partner who is from their current country of residence. These couples appear to be generally happy: the Philippines ranks 6th worldwide when it comes to the places where expats are most satisfied with their relationship. Greece Perhaps I've read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants one time too many, but I've always thought of Greece as a romantic location. It would appear that I am not alone: 71% of expats in a relationship in Greece are involved with a local, and 61% of those even met in this beautiful Mediterranean country. Romance seems to be a major motivator for moving to Greece: 31% of expats give moving for love as their main reason for relocating, significantly higher than the global average of 11%. Advertisement Brazil Brazilians seem to be sambaing into the hearts of expats: 60% of survey respondents in Brazil who are in a committed relationship report that their significant other is a local. Indeed, a considerable number of these expats (52%) say that they met their Brazilian partner in the latter's home country. For some of them, this may have turned them into expats in the first place: a higher than average 20% of respondents in Brazil say that their main motivation for moving to Brazil was their wish to live in their partner's home country. Colombia Colombia should also be on your list if you are in search of a Latin lover: 59% of expats there have found romance with a local resident. Again, more than half of them (55%) met in Colombia as well. However, compared to Brazil, the most important reason for making the move was plain old work rather than a whirlwind romance: 18% of all respondents in Colombia report they were sent there on a foreign assignment. Thailand In the "Land of Smiles", 58% of those expats coupled up have found love with a local. Thailand also ranks among the top 10 countries where expats are happiest with their relationship, taking the 8th place worldwide. In fact, 55% of all expats in Thailand who are in a committed relationship describe themselves as completely happy, which is notably higher than the global average of 45%. Japan Japan seems to be another great choice for those looking for love. As it turns out, 57% of expats in a relationship have found a Japanese Valentine. And out of those 57%, another 57% also met in Japan. Well, what could be more romantic than a first date under cherry trees in bloom? Advertisement Italy Il bel paese does not disappoint when it comes to romance. Of all expats in Italy who report being in a relationship, 54% have fallen in love with an Italian. One in five respondents even says that love was their most important reason for relocating -- with foreign assignments coming a distant second at 11%. That's amore! Poland Love is also the main reason expats give for moving to Poland (18%). In this idyllic Central European country, 53% of the survey respondents in a committed relationship are paired up with a local; among those, nearly one in three (31%) got to know their significant other in Poland, and another 64% met their current partner before actually moving there. That leaves them plenty of time to practice a few Polish endearments. "You are the love of my life" is a bit of a tongue-twister: Jestes mioscia mojego zycia! Finland Northern Europeans tend to have a bit of a reputation for being cool and aloof, but Finns seem to be the exception to that rule, at least at first glance. Finland is indeed a popular spot for expat romance with locals -- 53% of the Expat Insider respondents in a relationship have found a Finnish partner to cuddle up with during the cold Nordic winters. Moving for love is the main reason expats give for relocating there, but unfortunately, Finland comes in 8th on the list of ten countries where expats are least satisfied with their relationship. Perhaps Finland isn't such a positive exception after all? Kenya's General Elections are approximately six months away and since the last election (in 2013), the country has seen the "best of times" AND the "worst of times" - depending on one's partisan lens. The country saw its president and deputy escape crimes-against-humanity conviction at The Hague. Kenyans then witnessed the "triumphant" return of its long-lost son and America's 44th president Barack H. Obama. Also making a trip to Kenya thereby adding more sheen to the country's international profile were Pope Francis, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Kenyans have seen implementation of major development projects including the highly-touted and high profile Standard Gauge Railroad (SGR) and not surprisingly, these mega-projects have all been mired in corruption and gross malfeasance. Advertisement The country has experience (annual) economic growth that ranks among the best in the world, certainly in Africa. However, the development has been funded by a level of borrowing, mainly from China, that the World Bank recently described as "unsustainable" -- given some of the terms of the loans. Unfortunately, Kenyans have also borne witness to a series of events that speak to a stark dearth of presidential leadership and accountability. It is this reality that prompts a paraphrased Donald Trump-esque-like question to Kenyan voters: WHAT THE HELL DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE VOTING FOR THE OPPOSITION? President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have failed Kenyans on many levels including in overseeing provision of the most basic requirements of any society and only the most rabid sycophants would say otherwise. While the opposition (as embodied by Raila Odinga) has not endeared itself to a critical mass of Kenyan voters, especially those in the voter-rich areas of Central Kenya and Rift Valley, the case against re-electing Mr. Kenyatta and Mr. Ruto is a compelling, indeed an open and shut one. Advertisement Simply put, Kenyans don't have much to lose by electing the opposition to the presidency in the upcoming elections. Consider the following: President Kenyatta, Deputy President Ruto and their family and friends epitomize the corruption that has seen Kenya become one of the world's most corrupt country, certainly in Africa, Kenyans are dying of starvation amidst a famine that could have AND should have been planned for - at a minimum, Kenyans are either held hostage (for outstanding hospital debts) or dying, some in foreign lands such as India, due to lack of the most basic medical services, Insecurity is rife throughout the country; partly exacerbated by a corrupt and politicized law enforcement and security apparatus who in turn, take their cue from the two leaders Mr. Kenyatta and Mr. Ruto, The country is as polarized - along tribal and ethnic fault lines - as it has ever been; this despite the president's commitment to "unify the country" and "be president to all Kenyans", The country's legislature that has been unable to authorize pay increases for two of society's most important professions - doctors and teachers - boasts some of the world's best-paid Members of Parliaments (MPs). Adding insult to injury is that the same parliamentarians had little difficulty finding billions for the pensions of all current and former MPs - backdated to 1963! Probably the most painful and disturbing failure of the country's leadership has been its failure to hold anyone accountable for the post-election violence of 2007/2008; a fact that fully underscores the impunity Kenya's leaders are notorious for. The fact is Kenyans are suffering through the miasma of incompetence, intolerance, and impunity even as their leaders, their friends and families: Cavort, selfie-fy and "dab" with celebrities (and I use the term "celebrity" very loosely and generously), Fly to South Africa, India or "abroad" for specialized medical treatment. This point is made even more aggravating because Mr. Kenyatta's own family has been implicated in siphoning off billions in government tenders meant to pay for healthcare services and facilities, Gloat about "eating meat" while ordinary Kenyans look on salivating, hungry and thirsty, Use the (corrupt) court system to delay, frustrate and eventually avoid prosecution against various crimes. Advertisement The coup de grace in the foregoing illustrations of incompetence, which in my opinion far outweigh the ruling party's accomplishments, is an apparently overwhelmed president (Uhuru Kenyatta) quickly shifting blame from his office (of the president) to the other branches of government including the equally corrupt and incompetent legislature, judiciary and law enforcement! In a vivid illustration of quod erat demonstrandum when explaining why corruption has gotten worse under his government, the hapless President Kenyatta could only offer the meek: "Jameni, mnataka nifanye nini?" (Surely people what do you want me to do?) In light of the foregoing illustration of utter defeat, I ask this of fellow Kenyans one more time: By Helaine Feldman, ZEALnyc Contributing Writer, February 15, 2017 Although he won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama along with many other awards, had five plays produced on Broadway during the 1950s--which were later successfully adapted for the screen, William Inge remains largely underappreciated. But happily, not by Off-Broadway's Transport Group. This award-winning theatre company is presenting two of Inge's finest plays--Picnic and Come Back, Little Sheba--in rotating repertory at The Gym at Judson, 243 Thompson Street, from Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, April 16. The cast includes Michele Pawk (featured in the Transport Group's 2007 revival of Inge's The Dark at the Top of the Stairs), Emily Skinner (Billy Elliot), Heather MacRae (I Remember Mama), Joseph Kolinski (Follies), John Cariani (Something Rotten) and Hannah Elless (Bright Star). Encouraged by Tennessee Williams, whom he met when he was a drama critic at the St. Louis Star-Times in 1943, Inge had his first play produced in Dallas in 1947. His first play to be produced on Broadway was Come Back, Little Sheba in 1950, which starred Shirley Booth and Sidney Blackmer, both receiving Tony Awards for their performances. The 1952 screen version starred Booth, who won an Oscar for her role, with Burt Lancaster. Advertisement Picnic ran on Broadway from February 19, 1953 to April 10, 1954 and brought Inge the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play also marked Paul Newman's Broadway debut. It, too, was adapted for the screen and the stage version has been revived several times over the years. This was followed in 1955 by Bus Stop, which was nominated for a Best Play Tony Award and was made into a film starring Marilyn Monroe. Next up was the Broadway production of The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, which was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Play, and was adapted into a film in 1960. Inge closed out the decade with his 1959 play, A Loss of Roses, which was not as well received as the earlier four plays, but is distinguished for featuring newcomer Warren Beatty in the cast. Advertisement William Inge may not be well remembered on Broadway, but he is celebrated annually in his home town of Independence, Kansas where, since 1982, Independence Community College's William Inge Center for the Arts has sponsored the William Inge Theatre Festival to honor playwrights. Inge also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame and a black box theatre named for him at the University of Kansas. Since its founding in 2001, Transport Group has produced 23 shows--13 new works and 12 revivals, including 12 plays and 13 musicals. For tickets, schedule and information on these not-to-be-missed revivals of Picnic and Come Back, Little Sheba, click here. Cover: William Inge; photo: courtesy of William Inge Center for the Arts _________________________________ Helaine Feldman, a Contributing Writer for ZEALnyc, writes about theater performance and related features. Advertisement For more features from ZEALnyc read: Tuesday's lengthy City Council meeting had a full audience, many of whom were there for the resolution discussion. North Adams Approves 'Safe & Inclusive' Resolution The City Council approved the resolution unanimously after another modification. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution declaring North Adams a safe and inclusive community. The vote was greeted with applause by a crowded City Council chamber. The resolution put forward by Councilors President Benjamin Lamb and Nancy Bullett in December went through a few modifications before Tuesday's final vote. It generated a great deal of discussion at its first appearance at council, which found it referred to the Community Development Committee. The committee took no action on the resolution, instead of allowing the discussion to inform further amendments. Lamb read the trimmed-down draft that has changed dramatically, he said, "to be more of a positive statement and less of a factual noting of the challenges that we're facing." The resolution states the "city of North Adams does not and shall not tolerate hate crimes and expressions of hate" and "recognizes pursuant to the 1st Amendment of the United State Constitution, whereby Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948, Article 3, everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person, and Article 5, no one shall be subjected to degrading treatment." The only objection came from Councilor Robert M. Moulton Jr., who felt that specifying anti-Semitism and Islamaphobia as redundant because of the reference to freedom of religion in the second graph. Others in the list the city was committed to protecting residents and visitors from included racist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-immigrant, misogynistic acts. "You can do that, why not have Christian? I mean they're probably the most persecuted religious group in the country," he said. I would like to see in paragraph five, taking out Islamaphobic and anti-Semitic because I think it's incorporated in 'any exercise of any religion' in the second paragraph." "It's an interesting point," responded Merrigan, however, she thought the reason for being explicit in this circumstance was because of the history and lack of power in the United States of the groups listed. "I can certainly understand people can make an argument for Christians being persecuted. I think the reason I would want to see these in here is these are groups ... that have less conventional, social and political systemic power. I think in our culture, people who identify as Christians tend to have a lot of historical and political and conventional and social power. ... "It's harder to discriminate against people with a little more power." Several councilors said they could support the resolution with or without the two words being included. Councilor Joshua Moran tended to agree with Moulton on their removal more because he felt the document needed to be broader and less contemporary. "We want to make this relevant for a very long period of time," he said, adding it could still be posted in a school 50 years down the road. "I think maybe that's exactly what we're dealing with now. ... it seems like it's covered elsewhere. But I'm in favor of the whole document as it is, but I tend to lean toward Councilor Moulton's recommendation." Councilor Ronald Boucher said he was fine with the document as is, feeling the term "protects" used the fifth graph was different than the statement of freedom of religion. "I think identifying folks is important," said Bullett, noting those designations were as pertinent 20 or 30 years ago as they are today. If it could be done in a broader way, she said she could support it, otherwise, she was fine with it as written. In trying to find a solution that continued to address faith groups without being specific, Merrigan offered a clause to replace the two words with "those targeting others on the basis of religious belief and practice." Lanesborough-Williamstown interim Superintendent Kim Grady reviews documents during Tuesday's school committee meeting. Lanesborough-Williamstown Superintendent: Districts 'Not Dysfunctional' Update: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the extent of communication between a school committee member and the district's business manager prior to her resignation. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The interim superintendent of the Lanesborough-Williamstown public schools sought Tuesday evening to allay concerns about the stability of the central administration. "Through this process, I do need everyone to recognize there have been some constants," Kim Grady told a special meeting of the school committees that govern the Tri-District. "Our administrative assists at the building level have been constant, I've been a constant." Grady spoke to the members of the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee and Superintendency Union 71, the joint committee of Williamstown's and Lanesborough's elementary school committees. Her comments came as the committees decided how to deal with the latest departure from the central office: this month's resignation of Business Manager Nancy Rauscher. Coming on the heels of November's departure of Superintendent Douglas Dias, Rauscher's resignation means the Tri-District will be looking for its fourth business manager in four years while employing four superintendents (counting interim appointments) in the same time frame. The school committee members opted for some stability on Tuesday by voting unanimously to extend Grady's interim tag through June 2018 while the districts undergo a search for a permanent replacement in the 2017-18 academic year. Grady said that despite the appearance of uncertainty at the top of the administration, the Tri-District is on solid ground. "It can be done if we scaffold correctly and work together and have this open communication that I'm hearing," she said. "It can be done. And we're not drowning. We're not dysfunctional. We're running our schools. Our kids are learning. "We're OK." In the near term, the school committees Tuesday authorized Grady to hire an interim business manager to replace Rauscher. She told the committee members that she had been in contact with the Massachusetts Association of School Business Officials, and there is a qualified candidate ready to step into the office as soon as Monday. She asked and received permission to hire the interim replacement at a per diem rate of $345 per day. In response to a question from LES Committee member P.J. Pannesco, Grady said that the per diem cost probably will end up costing the districts a little less money during the interim appointment. Rauscher, who resigned effective Friday, did not attend Tuesday's meeting, which included a regular Mount Greylock School Committee meeting in addition to the joint session with SU-71. LES Committee Chairwoman Regina DiLego did attend in her capacity as a member of the SU-71 Committee. It was DiLego's email to Rauscher over a budget mistake that the business manager cited as a reason for her resignation. After Tuesday's SU-71 meeting, DiLego said she had not had a chance to speak with Rauscher since her resignation. DiLego said her Feb. 4 email was not intended to be "threatening," and she was surprised to receive the emailed resignation letter. DiLego indicated that high turnover in the central administrative office is symptomatic of the complicated relationship between the three districts, an idea that also was discussed during the joint meeting of the school committees. "These are tough positions," DiLego said of the jobs shared by the three districts. "You have to do four of everything and three of everything. There are a million meetings and several different committees." WES Committee Chairman Joseph Bergeron, who chairs SU-71, made the same point during the meeting. "When I read this [business manager] job description, there are a lot of 's's' after various job descriptions," Bergeron said. "Three budgets, three sets of licensed schools and business filings associated with those with the state, three sets of accounting systems. "Nobody likes to have two bosses, and this is a job where your supervisor is the superintendent, but you're also beholden to four committees who have their own budgets." School committee members have said they want to hold off on searching for a permanent superintendent until the member towns of the regional junior-senior high school, Mount Greylock, decide whether they want to expand that district to include the towns' elementary schools a move that would substantially streamline administration. On Tuesday, the principals of those three schools sent the school committees a joint letter recommending that Grady be kept at the helm of the administration on an interim basis. That led the SU-71 and Mount Greylock committees to change direction after previously planning to employ Grady, the district's assistant superintendent, as an interim superintendent for six months and then bring in a different interim superintendent starting July 1. "The principals understand the strengths and the challenges of our structure better than anyone else," Mount Greylock School Committee member Carolyn Greene said. "I think that's a very strong message from the principals and not the first time they've gotten together to support Kim. "I was one of the supporters of the plan to hire her for six months and then bring in another person. But I think we've seen it works well, and as long as it's working well, it makes sense." Greene said a national search for a permanent superintendent, "will be a lot easier when we know what we're searching for." To that end, the committee members Tuesday discussed a timeline that will send the question of expanded regionalization to the two towns' voters in the fall. Previously, the Mount Greylock School Committee discussed bringing up the vote in the spring, but Greene said after talking with town officials, it was decided that the district should aim for a special meeting in the fall instead. Whether voters decide to join the three schools in a more permanent relationship or go their separate ways, it is increasingly clear to school committee members that the current arrangement is not sustainable. "I just want to say that these are really hard jobs, the central office positions," Greene said. "That's why we need the regionalization vote. It's only so long we can do this. We've gone past the natural life of this structure. "I have seen more in the last six months than ever the complexity of it. I appreciate [Grady's] willingness to continue on." The Selectmen aren't hopeful of the future of Cheshire School, but they do want to investigate whether the town can go its own way. Cheshire Not Confident School Will Be Chosen to Stay Open CHESHIRE, Mass. The Selectmen are pessimistic of the odds on keeping Cheshire School open, noting the town's outvoted on the regional school committee. It's a possible outcome, they say, that will leave the community "devastated." The Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee has been mulling the closure of one of the two elementary schools for more than a year as a way to ease its financial crunch. A recent report by an outside consultant laid out the numbers, and the case for Cheshire wasn't great. Even if chosen, it would require renovation and possibly an addition to accommodate children from Adams. The Selectmen at Tuesday's meeting said they do not have high hopes that the School Committee will choose to keep the school open because the majority of the members are from Adams. "There are four Adams school committee members and three Cheshire school committee members, Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said. "Unless one of the Adams school committee members goes rogue. .. "You would like to think they would vote on what's best for the education of the children but I have no idea." Selectman Robert Ciskowski said losing the school would be a huge hit to the town and would upset much of the planning they had set down for the future. "I know we all want the best for education and someone is going to lose but what a blow that would be to Cheshire," Ciskowski said. "Honesty, I have seen nothing like that ever happen in Cheshire in my lifetime, and if it that school closes, I think the community would be devastated." Francesconi said the town is still interested in reviewing the regional school district agreement to see what its options are. She said splitting up the elementary schools and the town funding its own school is still a possibility. "Would it be a good idea to have no school or to fund our own school?" she said. "It is going cost big bucks one way or the other ... but I think we have a lot of options to look at." She added that the school may attract more students who school choice in. The University of Massachusetts' Collins Center, which provided alternative models, listed splitting the district as an option but said it would cost Cheshire $800,000 more just to maintain the services it has now. Ciskowski also had concerns about winterizing the school if it is chosen to close. "I don't mean to downer but if that school is not going to be a school, we have to think about winterizing it, he said. "I don't know if we could afford to keep it heated and not use it." The Selectmen still had questions about the report and were concerned that many of the maintenance issues at Plunkett were not quantified. Over the years, the School Committee has applied to the Massachusetts School Building Authority to renovate Cheshire. Because of this, Cheshire's building issues have been well documented. Board members said they plan to ask Superintendent Robert Putnam about problems at C.T. Plunkett School when he meets with them in the near future. The board did agree that they had a lot of faith in the interim superintendent, who was recently asked to join the district permanently. "I am glad Dr. Putnam is here," Ciskowski said. "What kind of guy retires than takes on this burden and responsibility. We are so fortunate to have him at the helm." In other business, Ciskowski asked if the town had any regulations preventing ice fishermen from running their augers in the early morning. "I was cleaning my chimney Sunday morning and I heard one at 5:45 in the morning in my cellar, he said. "I am not trying to take away from sportsmen but I would never go out and start cutting firewood that early with my chainsaw because I know it would upset people ... I can't imagine what that sounds like to people who live on the lake. Francesconi said because town meeting refused to pass a noise bylaw last year, there is nothing they can do. She added that it still is a problem. Faces of The Fellowship: Igor The Fellowship | February 15, 2017 Faces of The Fellowship: Igor When the hostilities in Donetsk, Ukraine, started, Igors wife, Anna, was pregnant. The couple lived close to the Donetsk airport, which has been the site of a lot of violence during the conflict in the region. Because it is a strategic location, the battle for control of this site took several months and caused dozens of casualties. Early on in the fighting, Igor and Anna decided that they could not stay in the city. First they went to Berdiansk, a city in the neighboring region. They would go to Donetsk from time to time to check on their apartment and to see if the hostilities had ended. But they raged on. The couple changed cities a few more times before finally settling in Sloviansk, which wasnt far from Igors job as a lawyer and where Anna was going to school and could continue her studies. When Anna finished her university studies, the couple decided to move again this time to Israel. Almost all of our property had been damaged, Igor recalls. The shed and garage we had in Donetsk burned down in a fire. Our flat was partly damaged. It was situated not far from the fighting. It was quite difficult to live there. You couldnt renovate the flat it was almost impossible to bring building materials there. Almost nothing remained for them in Ukraine. Instead, they started to think about Israel, the land of their ancestors. They wanted to live near the sea and in a place that was affordable. The city of Rishon LeZion was a perfect fit. Igor is full of enthusiasm to continue his law practice in Israel. Anna, a child pathologist, was going to work with children in Donetsk, but the war interfered with this plan. She hopes she can finish classes in Israel and begin to work in her field. I spent almost six years working to buy a new flat and a new car in Donetsk. Now I have nothing, Igor says. I cant sell it the prices constantly change. But there is a whole new country where we can start from over from scratch. The couple was so excited to return to their true homeland on a Fellowship Freedom Flight and were grateful for all the help during the aliyah (immigration to Israel) process. They received all the necessary information from The Fellowship to make the transition smooth. They are so grateful for that help and for the material support The Fellowship provides. All of this assistance is helping them adapt quickly and become full, productive citizens of their spiritual homeland. Learn how you can help more Jewish people make aliyah on future Fellowship Freedom Flights. 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 }} Over the weekend, a clip featuring Australian comedian Jim Jefferies lashing out at broadcaster Piers Morgan for refusing to call President Donald Trump's travel ruling a Muslim ban was shared across the Internet. One of the many celebrities to comment on the incident was author JK Rowling, writing on social media: Yes, watching Piers Morgan being told to f**k off on live TV is *exactly* as satisfying as I'd always imagined. Morgan, of course, was not best pleased by Rowlings message, deciding to explain point out how hes never read a word of Harry Potter (despite his son having a Deathly Hallows tattoo). JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches Show all 7 1 /7 JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches Harry and the Dursleys, by J.K. Rowling JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches Quidditch, by JK Rowling JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches Peeves, by JK Rowling JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches Snape, by JK Rowling JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches Outside Privet Drive, by J.K. Rowling JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches MIrror of Erised, by J.K. Rowling JK Rowling's hidden Harry Potter sketches The Weasleys, by J.K. Rowling A battle of Tweets ensued, Rowling deciding to finish for the day after sending one last brutal take-down of the Daily Mail columnist. On Valentines Day, Rowling Tweeted out a screenshot of an article featuring a lengthy, flattering description of her detailing how she would hate to be called a celebrity. By encouraging children to read, feel inspired and be creative, she has had a greater impact on the world than most, the writer continues. Alongside the article, Rowling wrote: Just been sent this! Could the writer let me know who he is? I'd love to thank him! #Valentines. Deciding to continue his campaign against the writer, Morgan decided to call out the Tweet, writing: Priceless humblebrag BS. Nobody plays the celebrity game more abusively or ruthlessly than you, Ms 'Intensely Private Billionaire. Morgan had been duped! The writer of the article was indeed Morgan himself, who wrote the piece as part of the 100 British celebrities who really matter. Rowling came in at 97. One Buzzfeed reporter decided to call out the situation, claiming Morgan didnt realise that he was criticising himself. Always the eager Tweeter, The Daily Mail columnist decided to call the reporter a quarter-wit, saying: I knew what it was. Rowling has yet to comment on the current situation. Meanwhile, a bookshop has begun Tweeting Harry Potter line by line to Morgan. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Were so used to seeing Jack Daniels name emblazoned across bottles and merchandise from t-shirts to guitars, that its easy to forget that he was a real man who brewed whiskey in Lynchburg Tennessee. Or that seven generations of Bourbon-makers have been involved in the production of Jim Beam, made in Clermont, Kentucky. To forget the people behind some of the worlds best-selling drinks, but particularly those that have sunk into obscurity, is to miss out on the rich and oftentimes bizarre history of brewing in the US, as mapped out by New York City-based award-winning bourbon and whiskey-makers Colin Spoelman and David Haskell in their book Dead Distillers: A History of the Upstarts and Outlaws Who Made American Spirits. The pair chart the history with the tombstones of dead distillers as their starting point. Since Dutch businessmen Cornelis Melyn and Willem Kieft established the first distillery in the US four hundred years ago, hard liquor has been a part of the nations culture. As the book addresses, as well as Jim Beam and Jack Daniel, president George Washington was among those who dabbled in distilling. And during his tenure in 1791 the Whiskey Rebellion was a protest against the first ever tax on the drink by the relatively new federal government. Fast forward almost two centuries later and the Nationwide Prohibition introduced in 1920 banned the production, sale, and important of alcohol of 13 years. Now, the US is among nations witnessing a revival of craft spirits. As the title suggests, whether real or at least slightly romanticised, the work of these distillers conjures up notions of industrious and honest men and women working hard to make a few bucks out of intoxicating products, and in turn carving out their own versions of the American Dream. Below are some of their favourite stories from the book. Dead Distillers - in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Dead Distillers - in pictures Dead Distillers - in pictures Illegal stills in a Brookyn apartment, 1927 Dead Distillers - in pictures A talent show put on by the foremen at Bernheim Brothers distillery Dead Distillers - in pictures The Jonestown Flood Dead Distillers - in pictures A continuous copper column still at the O.F.C. distillery (Buffalo Trace) in Frankfort, Kentucky, around 1890 Dead Distillers - in pictures Jack Daniel promoted his whiskey with the Silver Cornet Band Dead Distillers - in pictures The bottling staff at Brown-Forman Distillery Dead Distillers - in pictures The Oscar Pepper Distillery (Woodford Reserve) in 1883 Dead Distillers - in pictures Stacking empty barrels at the J.T.S. Brown distillery (now Wild Turkey) Mark Wazeniak, Moonshiner (1890 - Unknown) Mary Wazeniak ran a speakeasy in Brookfield, Illinois, near Chicago. One evening, in 1923, George L. Rheaton, of LaGrange, Indiana, bought five or six shots of Marys moonshine. He staggered out of the bar, walked about two hundred feet, and fell dead. Chemical analysis during an autopsy indicated that Rheaton died of methanol poisoning. Moonshine Mary, as the press dubbed her, was thirty-four years old and a mother of three when she was sentenced to a year to life. This is what we know of Mary. Its not much. And to read this, you would think that it was Mary who poisoned Rheaton, but it wasnt. It was the federal government. By the mid-1920s, Prohibitions noble experiment was starting to show great wear on the people for whom it was meant to benefit. Still, alcohol was not that hard to find, as industrial alcohol is a necessary ingredient in after shave, antifreeze, felt hats, embalming fluid, and fuel. Recognising this temptation, and as a deterrence, the government routinely altered the chemical composition of the spirit to make it undrinkable. The added chemical was methanol, which in trace quantities is present in all fermented beverages and in most distilled spiritsits a simpler alcohol molecule, sometimes called wood alcoholbut in concentrated form is highly toxic. As little as thirty millilitres of methanol can blind a person; sixty millilitres is lethal. The federal government, in its wisdom, decided to add methanol to ethanol (the chemical we drink) so that it couldnt be consumed safely. And yet methanol has a slightly lower boiling point than ethanol, and some enterprising moonshiners reasoned that the two could be separated through distillation. This is technically true, but difficult in practice, especially at the scale of a bootlegger using copper pots as small as ten gallons. Inevitably, methanol contaminated the ethanol, and people frequently got sick. Over the Christmas holiday in 1926, for instance, twenty-three people died from methanol poisoning in New York City. The medical examiner, Charles Norris, spoke out against what he called a national experiment in extermination. Government officials at the timeand many historians todayexplain away such deaths as inevitable, given the countrys ravenous appetite for spirits. But most of the deaths were avoidable. Imagine todays government, in an effort to reduce drug use, spraying marijuana crops with poison. These days, people still fear homemade alcohol as something that might blind or kill the drinker. But if it is made from properly fermented sugars, theres no reason to expect moonshine to contain anything higher than ten parts per million of methanol. This is five to six times less than most commercial alcohol. You would have to drink north of thirty gallons of moonshine to get a harmful dose of methanol, and would die from the ethanol long before that became a possibility. John Daly, Fireman. Frank Trennor, Assistant Fireman. Joseph and Mrs Horaka, Shaving-Pushers. 'Sandy', Miller. Frank Podratz, Coal-Wheeler. Jacob Kakuska, Engineer. All died 1880 Under the massive headline BLOWN TO ETERNITY, the Chicago Tribune described the explosion of a steam cooker at Simon Powell & Sons Distillery in 1880, which was located at South Canalport Avenue and South Morgan Street. The engineer had built a pressure cooker for the mash, which was desired to improve efficiency at the distillery, though at the time of the accident, it had been used only a few times. The distiller on duty had a clog in the line and directed the engineer to increase the steam to blow the clog through. The boiler exploded. It was blown through the roof, and went almost straight up into the air, some say until it looked no larger than a flour-barrel. The main portion landed on the west side of Morgan Street, about 175 feet west and a little to the north of its original location . . . the jagged edge of the riven iron looked like a mammoth fruit can which had been chopped open with a dull instrument. Recommended How the Full English Breakfast became a national institution Six died in the explosion, including Sandy (his last name went unrecorded), a Scotsman who was mortally injured by the concussion and scalding, his body badly mangled and so horribly scalded that the skin and portions of the flesh peeled off to the touch. When fireman Dalys wife found her husbands body, her grief became uncontrollable, and it was with great difficulty that she was taken from the room to prevent her from throwing herself prostrate upon the disfigured remains. The saddest story of all was Joseph Horaka, whose wife was bringing him supper at the time of the explosion. Both were buried in the wreckage. In the mass of bricks and shavings a young man found a shawl and a piece of a dress. Heres the woman, he shouted, and immediately a crowd gathered about him. A few began digging into the shaving with their hands, and soon a slipper and a dinner-pail were brought out. But after several hours of digging the bodies could not be found. Their fifteen-year-old daughter came to the scene, crying as if her heart would break, whereupon she claimed the shawl and other articles. She identified them all at once. But even this did not add to her already strong conviction that both her parents were in the ruins. Thomas Lincoln, Whiskey Trader (1778-1851) Born in Virginia, Thomas Lincoln moved west with his father into Kentucky to a remote plot of frontier land at the suggestion of a distant relative, the pioneer Daniel Boone. At age eight, while he and his two older brothers were planting in a field a good distance from their house, they witnessed their fathers attack and murder by an Indian. His older brother, Mordecai, shot the Indian dead with a rifle moments later. His mother, Bathsheba, moved the family again to Nelson County, Kentucky. Generally unambitious and incompetent, Lincoln rarely found paying jobs in Kentucky, though he was known as a decent carpenter. He married in 1806 and, after a decade of hard luck, endeavoured to move north to Indiana, where land was reportedly inexpensive and fertile. When the time came, he traded his worldly goods for whiskey barrels he hoped would serve as the currency for a new life. His two young sons attended the casting off of the boat from the Rolling Fork River into the Ohio, but the boat capsized in an eddy, sending several barrels and a set of tools into the river. Some barrels were recovered, as were the tools, and Lincoln found an oxcart to bring them to the new land where he eventually settled. One of his sons, young Abraham, would never be much of a drinker, perhaps because he witnessed much of the family fortune floating down the river. In 1862, acting in his capacity as sixteenth president of the United States, he passed into law an emergency wartime revenue act, taxing sinful and luxurious goods such as tobacco, playing cards, pianos, yachts, feathers, and distilled spirits, thus creating in the United States the concept of the illicit distiller, or moonshiner. Lincolns excise tax, though designed as a stopgap measure to raise funds for the Union, remains to this day, and helped fund expansion of the federal government after the Civil War, until the income tax passed in 1913. Thomas Lincoln and his son stopped speaking in later years. They disagreed over the virtue of religion and education. The younger Lincoln did not attend his fathers funeral and would not pay for a headstone. Dead Distillers by Colin Spoelman, David Haskell and Kings County Distillery published by Abrams is out now. 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 UK has been given a final warning by the European Commission over its failure to address harmful levels of toxic air. Legal air pollution limits have continually been surpassed in 16 areas including London, Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow. If the Government cannot show it is taking action on nitrogen dioxide pollution within two months, it could face fines of millions of pounds or be taken to the European Court of Justice. Inhaling nitrogen dioxide, emitted by road traffic especially diesel engines and power plants, can cause lung damage and in some cases early death. Environmental campaigners said it was shameful that the UK could face legal action for failing to deal with dangerous levels of dirty air around the country. Germany, France, Italy and Spain also received the warning, with cities including Berlin, Lyon and Barcelona singled out for their unacceptably high pollution levels. Paris make public transport free because of air pollution The Commission called nitrogen dioxide pollution a "serious health risk" and said more than 400,000 people in the EU died prematurely as a result of toxic air. In 2013, there were three times as many deaths linked to persistently high pollution levels around 70,000 as deaths due to road traffic accidents, it said. Recommended Toxic air alert in London as pollution hits top level for first time Friends of the Earth called for the introduction of 'clean air zones' to tackle the issue after Brexit, when "we can no longer rely on European rules and courts to kick the UK government into action. Its shameful that the EU has to take legal action against the UK government to get it to deal with the dangerous levels of dirty air across the country," said Jenny Bates, who campaigns for the group on air pollution. Air pollution is responsible for tens of thousands of early deaths every year and is harming the health of an entire generation of children. Current government plans have been shown to be too little too late." A Government spokesperson said more than 2bn had been committed to improving the UK's air quality since 2011. The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Show all 10 1 /10 The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Ukraine The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Bulgaria Rex Features The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Belarus The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Russia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Armenia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Bosnia and Herzegovina REUTERS The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Georgia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Hungary DigitalGlobe The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths China The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Moldova They said this had been spent on "greener transport schemes", encouraging the use of ultra-low emissions vehicles, and the introduction of a 'clean air zones' programme. "In addition, in the Autumn Statement, we announced a further 290m to support electric vehicles, low emission buses and taxis, and alternative fuels," they said. We will update our air quality plans in the spring to further improve the nations air quality. EU members must abide by legal air quality regulations, but the Commission said more than 130 cities across Europe had breached these limits. A Commission spokesperson said: "For as long as the UK is a member of the European Union, rights and obligations apply". The Green Party said the UK's departure from the EU triggered "serious alarm bells" with regards to air pollution levels. With the Prime Minister about to yank us out of the EU this rings serious alarm bells the Governments current plans to tackle air pollution are so bad they are illegal," said Caroline Russell, the party's transport spokesperson. "We urgently need a new Clean Air Act fit for the 21st century and to ban diesel, especially if we are to clean up our air when we are no longer under EU protection." 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 }} Online retail giant Amazon will see its business levy slashed at most of its warehouses across the UK in the next financial, as nearly half a million other businesses across the country will be slapped with an increase in rates. The first overhaul of business rates, which take effect in April and represent the first change in nearly 10 years, will see companies paying rates which have been calculated to take into account the rise in property prices since 2008. According to an analysis by business rates specialists CVS, high street retailers in parts of the country are facing rises of up to 150 per cent and many smaller business fear being pushed out of business altogether. By, contrast, Amazon, which earlier this month reported $748m in profits for the final quarter of 2016 and is already under fire over allegations of tax avoidance, is expected to see business rates fall at six of its nine major distribution centres, according to CVS. Business rates for Amazon's London head office will increase, but the overall bill for Amazons nine UK warehouses is set to fall by more than 140,000. Other online retailers which may benefit from the rate change include Asos and Boohoo. Following the CVS analysis the Institute of Directors urged the Government to level the playing field to help smaller businesses. Mark Rigby, the chief executive of CVS, said the government made all the right noises back in 2015 but nothing materialised. He said: April will serve a hammer blow to small shops, and the consideration should now be to ensure that they are in fact paying fair and accurate rates. Biggest business scandals in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Biggest business scandals in pictures Biggest business scandals in pictures Volkswagen emissions scandal VW admitted to rigging its US emission tests so that diesel-powered cars would looks like they were emitting less nitrous oxide, which can damage the ozone layer and contribute to respiratory diseases. Around 11 million cars worldwide were affected. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals Martin Shkreli became known as the most hated man in the world after his drug company, Turing, increased the price of a 62-year-old drug that treated HIV patients by 5,000% to $750 a pill. He was charged with illegally taking stock from Retrophin, a biotechnology firm he started in 2011, and using it pay off debts from unrelated business dealings. Shkreli, who maintains he is innocent, and says there is little evidence of fraud because his investors didn't lose money. Biggest business scandals in pictures Panama Papers: Millions of leaked documents expose how worlds rich and powerful hid money - April 2016 Millions of confidential documents have been leaked from one of the worlds most secretive law firms, exposing how the rich and powerful have hidden their money. Dictators and other heads of state have been accused of laundering money, avoiding sanctions and evading tax, according to the unprecedented cache of papers that show the inner workings of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is based in Panama. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Google's tax avoidance Google reached a deal with the HM Revenue and Customs to pay back 130 million in so-called back-taxes that have been due since 2005. George Osborne championed the deal as a major success. But European MEPs have since called for the Chancellor to appear in front of the committee on tax rulings to explain the tax deal. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures UK to crack down on bank money laundering after reports of 65bn Russian scam, City minister says - March 2017 The Economic Secretary to the Treasury has vowed that the Government will crack down on money laundering practices, after several of the UK's biggest banks were accused of processing money from a Russian scam, believed to involve up to $80bn (65bn). Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former HBOS bankers convicted of bribery and fraud over 245m loan scam - February 2017 Two former HBOS bankers were among six people found guilty of bribery and fraud that cost customers and shareholders hundreds of millions of pounds, the BBC reports. Lynden Scourfield, 54, a manager at HBOS, forced struggling clients to use the services of his friends David Mills, 60, and Michael Bancroft, 73. In return, the two businessmen arranged sex parties, cash and lavish gifts. On Monday, the three were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on accounts including bribery, fraud and money laundering. Mark Dobson, another manager at HBOS, Alison Mills, and John Cartwright were also convicted. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Lloyds chief apologises for damage caused by affair allegations - August 2016 Antonio Horta-Osorio, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has broken his silence over allegations about his private life admitting he regrets any "damage done to the group's reputation". In a message sent to the bank's 75,000 employees, the banker said that anyone can make mistakes while insisting that staff had to maintain the highest professional standards. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Christine Lagarde faces court over 340m Bernard Tapie payment - July 2016 The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, must stand trial in France over a payment of 403 million (now 340m, then 290m) to tycoon Bernard Tapie, a France's highest appeals court has ruled. The court rejected Ms Lagarde's appeal against a judge's order in December for her to stand trial over allegations of negligence in her handling of the affair. Ms Lagarde could risk a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros if convicted. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures HSBC senior manager arrested in FX rigging investigation at JFK airport in New York - July 2016 A senior executive at HSBC has been arrested at New York's JFK airport for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to rig currency benchmarks, according to reports. Mark Johnson, global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday. He will appear before a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bloomberg said. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Former PwC employees found guilty in 'Luxleaks' tax scandal - June 2016 Two ex- PricewaterhouseCoopers staffers were found guilty in Luxembourg of stealing confidential tax files that helped unleash a global scandal over generous fiscal deals for hundreds of international companies. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet face suspended sentences of 12 months and 9 months and were ordered to pay fines of 1,500 (1,230) and 1,000 (822) for their role in the so-called LuxLeaks scandal. Despite the minimal sentences, the ruling was described by Deltours lawyer as shocking and a terrible anomaly. The ruling puts on guard future whistle-blowers, Deltour told reporters.The LuxLeaks revelations sped beyond Luxembourg, causing European Union regulators to expand a tax-subsidy probe and propose new laws to fight corporate tax dodging, while EU lawmakers created a special committee to probe fiscal deals across the 28-nation bloc. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Goldman Sachs dealmakers lavished Libyan officials with prostitutes to win contract - June 2016 A former Goldman Sachs dealmaker trying to persuade Gadaffi-era Libya to invest $1 billion with the investment bank procured prostitutes and invited Libyan officials to lavish parties in the hope of winning the business, the High Court heard on Monday June 13.The Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund is suing Goldman Sachs for inappropriately coercing its naive staff into giving its sovereign wealth fund cash to the bank to invest in products they did not understand. The products were designed to generate big profits for Goldman, the LIA claims.Goldman denies wrongdoing and says the LIA was treated as an arms-length customer Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former boss of BHS said his life was threatened - June 2016 Darren Topp, the former boss of BHS, has said former owner Dominic Chappell threatened to kill him when he challenged him over a 1.5 million transfer out of the business. MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee asked Mr Topp about a 1.5 million transfer Mr Chappell made from BHS to a company called BHS Sweden. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley admits paying workers below the minimum wage - June 2016 Mike Ashley admitted paying Sports Direct employees below the minimum wage at a hearing in front of MPs. The company founder said that workers were paid less than the statutory minimum because of bottlenecks at security in an admission that could result in sanctions from HMRC. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Mitsubishi admits improper fuel tests - April 2016 Mitsubishi has admitted to using false fuel methods dating back to 1991. The scale of the scandal is only just coming to light after it was revealed in April that data was falsified in the testing of four types of cars, including two Nissan cars. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Quindell, the scandal-ridden insurance firm Quindell was once a darling of AIM but its share price fell in April 2014 when its accounting practices were attacked in a stinging research note by US short seller Gotham City. In August the group was forced to disclose that the 107 million pre-tax profit it had reported for 2013 was incorrect, and it had in fact suffered a 64million loss. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Toshiba Accounting Scandal The boss of Toshiba, the Japanese technology giant, resigned in disgrace in the wake of one of the countrys biggest ever accounting scandals. His exit came two months after the company revealed that it was investigating accounting irregularities. An independent investigatory panel said that Toshibas management had inflated its reported profits by up to 152 billion yen (780m) between 2008 and 2014. Biggest business scandals in pictures FIFA Corruption Scandal Fifa, football's world governing body, has been engulfed by claims of widespread corruption since the summer of 2015, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives. It has now claimed the careers of two of the most powerful men in football, Fifa President Sepp Blatter and Uefa President Michel Platini, after they were banned for eight years from all football-related activities by Fifa's ethics committee. A Swiss criminal investigation into the pair is ongoing. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Libor fraudster City trader Tom Hayes, 35, has become the first person to be convicted of rigging Libor rates following a trial at London's Southwark Crown Court. Hayes worked as a trader in yen derivatives at UBS before joining the American bank Citigroup in Tokyo. He was fired from Citigroup following an investigation into his trading methods. He returned to the UK in December 2012 and was arrested following a two-and-a-half year criminal investigation by the SFO. Getty It will also be interesting to see how bricks and mortar shops will compete with agile, online retailers which arent battling against exorbitant rent and rates bills for the next five years. A government spokesman told The Times that the retail sector as a whole will see its business rates bill decrease by 6 per cent following the revaluation or a saving of 400 million and that from April, one third of all businesses will never pay rates again. 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 }} One in five UK start-ups is considering establishing a European outpost in the wake of last years Brexit vote, and some have already decided to move their headquarters out of the UK. According to a survey of over 940 companies conducted by Silicon Valley Bank, a global lender that specifically targets the start-up community, 62 per cent of UK start-ups have ruled out the possibility of opening a European office in response to the UKs decision to quit the trading bloc, but 21 per cent are considering it. The survey also shows that 1 per cent have firmly committed to moving their headquarters to Europe and that 16 per cent are thinking of relocating their headquarters out of the UKeither to Europe or elsewhere. When asked what their top concern in relation to Brexit is, 32 per cent cited non-British employees fears that their long-term opportunities to work in the UK could be at risk. Others said that they were worried that it may be more difficult to attract venture capital funding in a post-Brexit Britain and that the cost of running a business would rise. The report chimes with other evidence suggesting that workers across all sectors are bracing for the challenges Brexit might bring. According to a survey by professional networking site LinkedIn, based on data from more than 3 million people and published earlier this week, Britain saw a sharp dip in the number of university-educated international professionals seeking jobs in the UK immediately before and directly after the Brexit vote. The Silicon Valley Bank survey also shows that overall optimism among the UKs start-up community has taken a hit in the last 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 Only 48 per cent of the businesses questioned said that their outlook for business conditions was better now than this time last year, a ten percentage point fall from last years survey. But despite the uncertainty, appetite for hiring still seems to be intact. The survey shows that 89 per cent of UK start-ups plan to hire more staff this year and only 1 per cent plan to cut. Thats an even greater proportion than the 79 per cent share of US start-ups that say that they intend to expand, according to the bank. 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 projected increase in business rates faced by those occupying offices within Londons Square Mile could hamper the Citys bid to remain a banking hotspot after Brexit. According to data from property agent CVS, the business rates bill for offices in the City of London is set to increase by 1.37bn, or more than a third, within the next five years. Business rates which are sometimes referred to as non-domestic rates are levies that companies occupying commercial properties pay. That tax goes towards covering the cost of services provided by local authorities and the emergency services. Offices in the City currently pay 888m in rates between them annually. The additional cost will be footed by the banks, insurers, asset managers and law firms that occupy the buildings, with companies such as Goldman Sachs, Nomura, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and the Bank of England expecting to be hardest hit, according to CVS. Many of the UKs biggest financial service companies are already grappling with intense uncertainty in the wake of last years Brexit vote and some have already said that they are evaluating relocating jobs or parts of their operations abroad. The prospect of counting costs could also heap pressure on the Government to make changes to the business rates system in next months Budget. 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 Brussels-based research group Bruegel earlier this month warned that global banks might have to relocate 1.8 trillion (1.53 trillion) of assets from London to the continent after Brexit, putting as many as 30,000 UK jobs at risk. The assets which the think tank said would be affected represent 17 per cent of the entire UK banking system. 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 man tipped to be Donald Trumps ambassador to the European Union has said that Greece is contemplating leaving the euro in favour of the US dollar. According to the transcript of a translated interview with Greek local online news site ekathimerini.com, Professor Ted Malloch claimed Greek economists are looking into taking on the US banknotes if the country turns its back on the European single currency in a move that he said would freak out Germany. He said: I know some Greek economists who have even gone to leading think tanks in the US to discuss this topic and the question of dollarisation. Such a topic of course freaks out the Germans because they really don't want to hear such ideas. Mr Malloch added that a Grexit would be the best options for Greek people as the current situation is unsustainable. Mr Malloch, a strident Brexiteer, has indicated he is no fan of Brussels on several occasions. Earlier this month, in an interview with Bloomberg, Mr Malloch said that he didnt want to speak on behalf of the Greek people but I think there is probably from an economists perspective a very strong reason for Greece moving away from the euro. Last month, Mr Malloch said the euro could collapse in the next 18 months. "The one thing I would do in 2017 is short the euro," he said. I think it is a currency that is not only in demise but has a real problem and could in fact collapse in the coming year, year and a half, he added. Although not yet confirmed, Mr Malloch has been widely reported as being the President's choice for the Brussels role. What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Show all 5 1 /5 What's the European Parliament ever done for us? What's the European Parliament ever done for us? A cap on the amount of hours an employer can make you work The Working Time directive provides legal standards to ensure the health and safety of employees in Europe. Among the many rules are a working week of a maximum 48 hours, including overtime, a daily rest period of 11 hours in every 24, a break if a person works for six hours or more, and one day off in every seven. It also includes provisions for paid annual leave of at least four weeks every year Getty Images What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping the people of Britain to avoid smoking In 2014 MEPs passed the Tobacco Products Directive strengthening existing rules on the manufacture, production and presentation of tobacco products. This includes things like reduced branding, restrictions on products containing flavoured tobacco, health warnings on cigarette packets and provisions for e-cigarettes to ensure they are safe What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Helping you to make the right choices with your food Thanks to the European Parliament, UK consumers have access to more information than ever about their food and drink. This includes amount of fat, and how much of it is saturated, carbohydrates, sugars, protein and so on. It also includes portion sizes and guideline daily amount information so people can make informed choices about their diet. All facts must be clear and easy to understand What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Two year guarantees and 14-day returns policy for all products Consumers across the EU have access to a number of rights, from things which are potentially very useful, to things which used to be annoying. For example, shoppers in the UK receive a two-year guarantee on all products, and a 14-day period to change their minds and return a purchase, these things are useful www.PeopleImages.com-licence restrictions apply What's the European Parliament ever done for us? Keeping your air nice and fresh (and safe) Believe it or not, although the situation is improving, some areas of the UK have appalling air quality. A report by the Royal College of Physicians released on 23 February says 40,000 deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution in the UK every year. Air pollution is linked to a number of illnesses and conditions, from Asthma to diabetes and dementia. The report estimates the costs to British business and the health service add up to 20 billion every year He has drawn widespread condemnation from European leaders after comparing the EU to the Soviet Union and saying the bloc needs taming. Earlier this month, the European Parliaments conservative, socialist and liberal political parties wrote to the European commission and the European council to describe Mr Malloch as hostile and malevolent. 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 }} The worlds biggest investors are joining forces to unite against Donald Trump in the fight against climate change. The US President has repeatedly denounced climate change as a hoax peddled by China and has pledged to relax environmental regulations, spur investment in fracking and sack half of the staff at the US Environmental Protection Agency. But as G20 foreign ministers meet on Thursday to prepare for a climate change summit in Hamburg in July, managers of funds with assets totalling more than $2.8 trillion - more than the entire annual GDP of the UK - called for leading economies to phase out fossil fuel subsidies within the next three years to avert a catastrophe. The world must accelerate green investment and set a clear timeline "for the full and equitable phase-out by all G20 members of all fossil fuel subsidies by 2020," the 16 signatories wrote. "Global investors and insurers are sending a clear message that burning public money through fossil fuel subsidies is not just bad for the planet, but bad economic policy too," said Shelagh Whitley, head of the climate and energy research programme at the Overseas Development Institute, a think tank. Many members of the group, which includes Aegon Asset Management, Aviva Investors, Legal and General and Trillium, hold significant investments in fossil fuel companies but said a clear policy signal that clean energy will be backed would give them the confidence to shift their billions into renewables. But so far no clear signal has come from the newly inaugurated US President, who has unashamedly favoured the US fossil fuel industry. He also told the New York Times that he has an "open mind" about the Paris Agreement which pledged to phase out greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels between 2050 and 2100. The day after Mr Trumps January inauguration, he ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to delete all references to climate change from its website. 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. Governments handed the fossil fuel industry a shocking $5.2 trillion in subsidies in 2015 - more than the entire world spends on healthcare - the IMF estimated in 2015. The G20 countries have pledged every year since 2009 to end subsidies to prevent more heat waves, floods, droughts and rising ocean levels, but progress has been slow. Research launched earlier this week by the Global Subsidies Initiative and the Overseas Development Institute found that ending subsidies for global fossil fuel production would have the same impact as eliminating all aeroplanes from the skies. 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 office is fertile ground for intimate relationships, and thats hardly surprising when people spend a long time together. If youre lucky enough to get a bunch of flowers or a card from a work colleague on Valentines Day and love blossoms, in what circumstances could employers put a stop to the romance? The right to respect for private and family life Its difficult for employers to object to workplace relationships. Romantic ties are personal and any objections would likely to be inconsistent with the right to respect for private and family life under Human Rights law. The European Convention on Human Rights, which is incorporated into UK law, states that everyone has the right to respect for their private and family life subject to a few limited exceptions. Although only public bodies must expressly comply with this right, its relevant to all employers (including the private sector) as courts and tribunals must interpret, as far as possible, all legislation consistently with the right. Poor performance Should the relationship affect the work performance of either employee, including if the relationship turns sour, the employer could invoke their poor performance procedures. However, it would be hard to dismiss the employee unless, in spite of an improvement plan being put in place and warnings being issued, an acceptable level of performance had not been reached. Generally, employees who have two years continuous service have the right not to be unfairly dismissed. Employees could argue that their employer did not have a fair reason to dismiss, or that a fair process had not been followed. Line manager liaisons In the case of relationships between line managers and those staff that report to them, favouritism and perceived favouritism can be a tricky issue. In some situations it may be appropriate for employers to have policies requiring such a relationship to be disclosed, and that breaching such policies could result in disciplinary action being taken. However, imposing a general requirement on employees to disclose all personal relationships would again be likely to interfere with the right to respect for private and family life. Employers should apply relationship polices consistently, and our equality legislation prohibits employers discriminating against employees due to certain protected characteristics including age, sex and race, among others. Supposing, as an example, a male manager in their fifties was having a relationship with a much younger female receptionist and the receptionist was hauled up and not the manager? There could be grounds for age and sex discrimination. Pillow talk Confidential information being passed on by staff could also be a problem for employers. If an employee tells their partner about a confidential discussion with another employee this could breach confidentiality obligations. Disciplinary action might be appropriate. In another scenario where, for instance, two employees are having an intimate relationship and one leaves the organisation to work for a competitor, there could be a real risk that the remaining employee could disclose confidential information to their partner. If this information were then passed on to the competitor, this could have serious consequences. It would be hard though for the employer to take action disciplinary against the existing employee solely on the basis that there might be a chance of pillow talk. Usually, therefore, employers arent able to meddle with personal relationships at work. 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. Around 269 AD Valentine was sentenced to beating, stoning and decapitation for performing weddings for soldiers, who were forbidden to marry. If an employer frustrates your office romance and threatens to pass sentence, subject to any duty of disclosure, I would tell them politely to mind their own business. Banning relationships is bad. Love (and not just on the Feast of Saint Valentine) is good and makes the world go round. Matt Gingell is a partner at Gannons Solicitors, and specialises in employment law. Read all of his articles at www.mattgingell.com Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The family of a fifteen-year-old boy has released shocking photographs taken after he was attacked when he got off a bus in South Wales. The boy, who hasnt been named, was on his way home from school and suffered severe swelling and cuts to the face in the attack. He was taken to hospital with a suspected broken jaw. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred in North Cornelly in Bridgend, and have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the attack, who was released on bail. The photographs were published by a family friend who has appealed for witnesses and information. Sarah Davies said: Please, if anyone saw anything please tell the police. I'm sharing this with his mum's permission. The 15-year-old was left bloodied and with huge swelling to the right side of his face after the assault on his way home from school in Bridgend (Wales News Service) Her post has been widely shared on Facebook with local residents voicing their anger at the attack. One wrote: Just hope the scumbag that did this awful thing gets everything that's coming to him. Another said: Hoping this poor boy gets well soon and his injuries heal fully. Disgusting. What is this place coming to? Police have asked witnesses of the attack to come forward. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images 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 A South Wales Police spokesman said: Police in Bridgend are appealing for witnesses to an assault on a teenage boy in North Cornelly to come forward. The incident occurred as the 15 year-old victim got off a bus at Woodland Place, at approximately 4pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2017. He sustained serious facial injuries which required hospital treatment. A 17-year-old boy has been arrested and bailed in connection with the incident. 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 }} Half of Anglicans believe there is nothing wrong with same-sex relationships, a survey shows. Ahead of the Church of England General Synods debate on the issue of gay marriage on Wednesday, new data reveals that 50 per cent of Anglicans believe that same-sex relationships are not wrong at all. The findings, which come from NatCens British Social Attitudes survey, show that Anglican opinions towards same-sex relationships have been softening over time but acceptance is highest (73 per cent) among those with no religion. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images 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 The lowest levels of acceptance of same-sex relationships come from those belonging to non-Christian religions: 31 per cent of this group say that these relationships are not wrong at all. Meanwhile, 17 per cent of Anglicans think that same-sex relationships are always wrong, the lowest level since records began in 1983 when 51 per cent were of this view. In 2015, six per cent of those with no religion felt this way. When it comes to the key issue of gay marriage an earlier British Social Attitudes survey from 2014 showed that just under half (47 per cent) of Anglicans agreed or strongly agreed that gay and lesbian people should have the right to marry. This figure was 60 per cent among the public as a whole and 73 per cent among those with no religion. Although the proportion opposing this view was smaller26 per cent of Anglicans disagreed or strongly disagreed with same sex marriagea fifth neither agreed nor disagreed that gay and lesbian people should be able to marry. The Church of England is facing a fresh crisis over the issue of equal marriage after a group of retired bishops accused it of marginalising LGBT members. In an open letter published online, 14 leading retired bishops wrote that a recent report on same-sex marriage failed to include the authentic voice of the LGBT community and was instead focused on talking about them rather than to them. It said the report read as though bishops saw their task as managing rather than perhaps enabling or leading on the issue. The report, written by serving bishops, upholds the traditional teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman. In contrast, the Church of Scotland voted to allow members of the clergy to marry their same sex partners earlier this year, even if it did not overhaul its stance on marriage as between a man and a woman. The bishops wrote: Our perception is that, while the pain of LGBT people is spoken about in your report, we do not hear its authentic voice. Our experience would lead us to doubt whether there was an expectation around that canons and doctrinal statements would be changed within any reasonable timescale, and that focus seems to have taken far more time than it would have done if the authentic voices of lesbian and gay people had been allowed to express the major focus of their hopes. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Church of Englands General Synod has voted to reject a report which recommended the churchs continued opposition to same-sex marriage. The report by the House of Bishops, which was presented to the Synod meeting in London, called for the Church to adopt a fresh tone and culture of welcome and support towards gay people but retain its opposition to equal marriage. It also suggests gay and straight men and women training for the priesthood should face the same questions about their lifestyle a suggestion which has been likened to the Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy of the US military. Campaigners hailed the decision to throw out the report as "a victory for love and equality". Peter Tatchell, who has campaigned on the issue for 50 years, said: "This vote to, in effect, reject the Bishops' report is a victory for love and equality. "It is the biggest defeat for the Anglican leadership in many decades. Synod refused to endorse the anti-LGBT exclusion and discrimination enshrined in the Bishops' recommendations." Due to the controversial nature of the proposal the Synod which is made up of three houses the Bishops, the Clergy and the Laity was only asked to take note of the proposal, therefore the vote to reject it is not binding but means the Bishops must use it to inform future work. Under the rules of the Synod, if one section votes to reject the proposal it will fail. It is currently unclear which house voted to reject it. Current church doctrine states that while LGBT people are able to become members of the clergy they must be celibate and cannot get married or conduct same-sex wedding ceremonies. According to new data released by NatCens British Social Attitudes survey, half of Anglicans now believe there is nothing wrong with same sex relationships. This is much lower than the per cent of people with no religion, which was 73 per cent, but indicates a marked softening of attitudes in the last 20 years. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images 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 The survey found 17 per cent of Anglicans believed same sex relationships were always wrong compared to 53 per cent in 1983. The acceptance of gay marriage within the Anglican community is seen as one of the last major hurdles for equal marriage campaigners in the UK after it was legalised in Great Britain in 2014. But the Church has been accused of dragging its heels over the issue. In an open letter a group of 14 retired bishops accused the House of Bishops of seeing their task as managing rather than perhaps enabling or leading on the issue. Activists from the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement holding a vigil outside the General Synod to protest against the report (PA) (PA Wire/PA Images) The bishops said the report had failed to include the authentic voice of the LGBT community on the issue and was instead focused on talking about them rather than to them. The letter said: Our perception is that, while the pain of LGBT people is spoken about in your report, we do not hear its authentic voice. Our experience would lead us to doubt whether there was an expectation around that canons and doctrinal statements would be changed within any reasonable timescale, and that focus seems to have taken far more time than it would have done if the authentic voices of lesbian and gay people had been allowed to express the major focus of their hopes. But the bishops responsible for drafting the report stood by it when speaking to the Synod. Recommended Retired bishops accuse Church of England of betraying gay Christians The Right Rev Pete Broadbent told members: I dont want to spend time in explanation. I dont want to make excuses for the House of Bishops document. I do want to apologise to those members of Synod who found our report difficult, who didnt recognise themselves in it, who had expected more from us than we actually delivered, for the tone of the report. On behalf of the House, and without being trite or trivial, Im sorry. He said he regrets that some members of Synod do not want to take part after losing trust in the process, but the report, while a pretty conservative document, does not suppress the diversity of understanding and the range of views that exist among bishops. Additional reporting by PA Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Boris Johnson is set to have his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trumps Secretary of State Rex Tillerson amid disarray in the Presidents team over its links with Russia. Mr Johnson is due to see Mr Tillerson at a get-together of G20 foreign ministers on Thursday, The Independent understands. But the gathering in Bonn will also see former ExxonMobil CEO Mr Tillerson meeting his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Recommended Trump team faces treason accusations over new Russian allegations Foreign Secretary Mr Johnsons first sit-down with Mr Trumps top diplomat comes as the Presidents administration is struggling to cope with the fallout from the resignation of national security adviser Mike Flynn. Sources said discussions between Mr Johnson and Mr Tillerson will likely focus on counter-terrorism, Nato, Syria and Russia the latter at the centre of the furore surrounding Mr Flynns departure. He stepped down on Monday after it was revealed he had failed to admit that he held calls with the Russian ambassador to the US last year, reassuring them that US sanctions would be overturned. Since then law enforcement and intelligence officials have revealed how members of Mr Trumps campaign and other associates had repeated contact with Russian officials in the run-up to the US election. Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser over Russia row This occurred around the same time they discovered that Russia had carried out a campaign of influence, posting fake news to sabotage Hillary Clinton's candidacy, though the officials did not conclude there was evidence of collusion. Theresa May gave a speech on her trip to the US in January warning Mr Trump and other Republican politicians to beware of Vladimir Putin, urging the US and the UK to engage with the Kremlin from a position of strength. Relations between Russia and the UK have become increasingly strained as the Kremlin has accused Britain of seeking to drive a wedge between Moscow and Washington. The Russian Embassy in London has accused the Foreign Secretary of seeking to start a new Cold War after he claimed Moscow was up to all sorts of very dirty tricks, such as cyber warfare, amid claims the Kremlin holds compromising material on the President. 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 }} Nigel Farage has blamed Germany for creating the air pollution that is blighting British cities. The accusation comes after the European Commission sent a "final warning" to the UK for repeated breaches of legal limits in parts of the country. The warning was issued for persistent breaches of levels of nitrogen dioxide, which comes from sources including traffic, particularly diesel engines, in 16 areas including London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow. But the former Ukip leader said it was winds blowing in from continental Europe that were dumping the pollutants on conurbations in the UK, rather than locally-produced toxic gases. He suggested the UK Government should refuse to pay an impending fine that he claimed could reach 300 million. Smog descends on London during a bout of poor air quality (Getty) The Eurosceptic MEP told listeners of his LBC radio show: This has been rumbling on since 2010, and to be fair it is not just the UK that they are threatening. But we are facing the possibility of a 300 million fine because the air quality in our cities isnt good enough. Funny isnt it, we get a south-easterly wind and all the pollution from Germany comes to British cities and were told its our fault. I suggest we leave quickly and we dont pay the 300 million fine. The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Show all 10 1 /10 The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Ukraine The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Bulgaria Rex Features The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Belarus The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Russia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Armenia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Bosnia and Herzegovina REUTERS The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Georgia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Hungary DigitalGlobe The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths China The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Moldova His comments appear to relate to reports in January that a cloud of pollution had blown in from Germany. But Mr Farage failed to mention the effect of locally-produced nitrogen dioxide, much of which is created by diesel vehicles, which combined with the cloud to create a toxic smog blanket. His comments also fail to reflect that the prevailing winds in the UK come from the west or south-west. Four other countries received the warning for unacceptable levels of pollution. Each of them faces action in the European Court of Justice if they continue to breach levels of noxious gases. The Government has admitted it could be 2020 before air quality levels are within the rules for some areas and 2025 for London, where annual limits were broken on one road just five days into 2017. Jenny Bates, Friends Of The Earth air pollution campaigner, said: "Air pollution is responsible for tens of thousands of early deaths every year and is harming the health of an entire generation of children. "Current government plans have been shown to be too little too late." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Copeland constituency is among the largest in the country but the Prime Minister was in and out of it in barely 45 minutes. She came to Bootle the tiny Lake District village with one shop and no pub, not the sprawling Liverpool suburb to do her bit to deliver what she still very much hopes will be a historic win for her party, stealing a by-election seat from Labour whilst the Conservatives are in Government and not opposition. But it didnt go at all according to plan. Her two big national advantages hold firm up here. First, theyre avowed Brexiteers, and second, they dont exactly see Jeremy Corbyn as a Prime Minister in waiting. But on the every-bit-as-important local matters, she faltered. She couldn't even manage that most staple of political diets - the photo op, in which she grimaced and winced her way through a perfectly pleasant visit to a primary school to talk to Year Six pupils about a Lego competition. But that was just a distraction, because in Copeland in 2017 there are two questions that count. The first is the future of the nuclear industry, on which an estimated 12,000 jobs in the constituency directly depend. And when 12,000 jobs directly depend on something in a community, every other job indirectly does too. The second is the proposed closure of the maternity ward at West Cumberland Hospital, which would leave mums in labour an hours drive away from anything more specialised than a midwife. In a television interview, inside the Church of England Primary School in the local candidates home village, she was asked four times if she agreed with the local Conservative candidate, Trudy Harrison, that these changes should not go ahead. And four times, as is true to form for the Prime Minister, she dodged the answer. Ms May said only that there had been scaremongering about hospital services and the NHS by the Labour Party and denied that West Cumberland hospital is about to be closed. But she refused to say she herself was opposed to the proposals, saying only that What is important is that Trudy Harrison is a candidate who has made clear her views, not just to me but to health ministers. Secondly, the future of the long planned Moorside nuclear power plant was cast into significant doubt, when the Japanese conglomerate Toshiba posted 5bn losses in its nuclear energy businesses, costing its chief executive his job, and prompting an announcement that the company would withdraw from the nuclear industry outside Japan. Toshiba is 60 per cent owner of Nu-Gen, the conglomerate that was meant to be building Moorside, on which everybody you meet in Copeland freely admits their lives and their childrens futures depend. After weeks of obfuscation, Jeremy Corbyn did give his backing to the new plant two weeks ago, but it is his three decades of opposition to nuclear power that has cut through around here, and it is all but suicidal. Nevertheless, clear and meaningful backing from the government that it will step in to save Moorside was again not forthcoming from the Prime Minister. "The consortium involved in Moorside has been absolutely clear. They have reconfirmed their commitment to Moorside, Ms May said, but the consortium behind Moorside have for all intents and purposes very publicly walked away from nuclear. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images 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 It doesnt help either that the local Labour candidate, Gillian Troughton, is a doctor and a volunteer ambulance driver, who has, she says, bluelighted down every road in the constituency and understands better than almost anyone the dangers of the closures of the maternity ward and is not afraid to say so. With labour you know that things can go wrong in an instant, she told The Independent. [Under the proposals] they want to have midwives here that are highly trained medical professionals, delivering babies. But they will also be the ones saying, This baby needs to come out or this mother needs to see a doctor and that doctor is going to be an hour and a half away. Bed to theatre, or bed to bed, is an hour and a half, and we cannot allow that. In extreme circumstances babies needs to be got out and helped in minutes, not hours. Its not on. Will Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn and his very personal aversion to nuclear energy (a commitment to nuclear remains official party policy) be enough to kill off Labour in Copeland? It should be a simple question, but the answer and the result are as uncertain as ever. 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 }} Hundreds of doctors have demanded the Government remove diesel vehicles from the road because they are creating a "health emergency". The Doctors Against Diesel campaign group told the Prime Minister children were facing "irreversible lung damage" from diesel fumes and that cars and lorries using the fuel should be taken off Britain's streets as soon as possible, focusing on towns and cities first. The nearly 300 medical professionals and health experts reminded Theresa May that the Government's own chief medical officer had said the vehicles should be phased out, The Times reported. The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Show all 10 1 /10 The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Ukraine The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Bulgaria Rex Features The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Belarus The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Russia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Armenia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Bosnia and Herzegovina REUTERS The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Georgia The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Hungary DigitalGlobe The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths China The worst countries in the world for air pollution deaths Moldova They wrote: "A national diesel reduction initiative, led by Government, would represent a major public health advance." Jonathan Grigg, a founding member of the group, told the paper: "It is certainly grossly unfair that individuals who choose not to use their cars and travel by public transport suffer higher exposure to air pollution than those contributing to pollution." And Shirley Rodrigues, the deputy mayor of London for environment, said: "It's high time the Government acknowledged that our toxic air is polluting the lungs of millions of people across the UK; research shows that children living in cities with high levels of car fumes have reduced lung capacity." The UK has been given a "final warning" by the European Commission over its failure to address harmful levels of toxic air. Legal air pollution limits have continually been surpassed in 16 areas including London, Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow. Inhaling nitrogen dioxide, emitted by road traffic especially diesel engines and power plants, can cause lung damage and in some cases early death. A spokesman for the Government said ministers were "firmly committed" to improving UK air quality and cutting harmful emissions. "Thats why we have committed more than 2bn since 2011 to increase the uptake of ultra-low emissions vehicles and support greener transport schemes and set out how we will improve airquality through a new programme of clean air zones. "In addition, in the autumn statement, we announced a further 290m to support electric vehicles, low emission buses and taxis, and alternative fuels. We will update our air quality plans in the spring to further improve the nations air quality." 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 }} Ukip leader Paul Nuttall has claimed the officially recorded spike in racist attacks following the EU referendum was fabricated. Despite police figures showing a clear rise in the number of reported hate crimes in the wake of the vote, Mr Nuttall told The Independent that such incidents had been overblown in an attempt to tarnish the Leave campaigns victory. His claims, immediately slammed by anti-racism groups, are also contradicted by new statistics revealing a spike in post-referendum hate crimes. This includes Staffordshire, where Mr Nuttall is now fighting a by-election to become an MP. He is under intense pressure to prove Ukip can take on and beat Labour in its working-class heartlands by winning the crucial vote in Stoke-on-Trent next week. But his chances have suffered embarrassing blows, including on Tuesday when he was forced to admit he had not lost close personal friends in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster a claim previously made on his own website. Paul Nuttall admits his website claim of losing a 'close personal friend' at Hillsborough is false With election day just over a week away, Mr Nuttalls comments on hate crime are now likely to lead to further concern about an increasingly divisive style of British politics. Speaking to The Independent, he said: A lot of that [rise in hate crimes] is fabricated. In fact, weve got a paper coming out, specifically focused on London and the hate crime spike. What the police said is there tends to be a rise in these types of crime after any national event and then it tails off. Im not sure I buy into [the rise in hate crimes]. Within the last week, The Independent has exclusively revealed how police forces across the country are already gearing up for a fresh surge in hate crimes after Theresa May triggers Article 50 to officially launch Brexit talks. New data from police forces released today show rises in incidents across England and Wales between July and September, with a 6 per cent rise to 237 incidents in Staffordshire the highest quarterly figure since comparable records began in April 2012. Official statistics from the Home Office last year had already demonstrated that hate crime soared by 41 per cent in July 2016 compared to the same month of the previous year. Meanwhile, data from 31 police forces showed that 1,546 racially or religiously aggravated offences were recorded in the two weeks up to and including the day of the referendum, but in the fortnight immediately after the vote the number climbed to 2,241. Recorded incidents included F*** off to Poland letters in Tunbridge Wells, wealthy London diners refusing to be served by foreign waiters, dog excrement shoved through letter boxes in Rugby and racist abuse from children as young as 10. Mr Nuttall accepted there were some incidents, but said they had been overblown. Of course there will be individual instances and people should never be victims of hate crime at all, he added. Ive said this in the chamber in the European Parliament, my heart goes out to those people who have been victims, but I think a lot of this has been overblown specifically to try to rubbish Brexit. The Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election is being seen as his first big test as leader and a chance to show if Ukip can capitalise as a party on the shock referendum result it fought for in 2016. In theory a seat in the West Midlands city should be the perfect target. It voted for Brexit on a high turnout (by a margin of more than two to one), has a history of backing the British National Party, has a larger than average white population among whom Ukip normally win more votes and official data suggests it is the most working-class city in England. In addition, the by-election was triggered by the resignation of Tristram Hunt, a middle-class Labour figure parachuted into the area, who for some epitomised the kind of top down Westminster politics Ukip rages against. But despite the favourable circumstances, Mr Nuttalls bid to land a blow on Jeremy Corbyns Labour has faltered, with rivals claiming his party is too disorganised to convert its advantages into a win that would give Ukip its second MP. Hope Not Hate, an advocacy group that campaigns to counter racism and fascism, described Mr Nuttalls comments on hate crimes as crass in the extreme. A spokesperson said: Instead of denying reality, perhaps he should instead be listening to the Community Security Trust, or to Tell Mama, which recorded a 326 per cent rise in anti-Muslim incidents in its latest report, and the National Police Chiefs Council, which revealed a surge in hate crimes post-Brexit. We are living in sobering times, with police forces warning that they are preparing for another hate crime spike after Brexit is formally triggered this spring. We call on those such as Mr Nuttall to be part of the solution, rather than the problem, and halt the slew of anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant slurs coming out from his party and its representatives. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell Footage of an awkward incident in which Mr Nuttall was forced to admit he had not lost a close personal friends in the Hillsborough disaster was published yesterday. A post on his website had read: We will never get to the bottom of that appalling tragedy when 96 Liverpool fans including close personal friends of mine lost their lives. After being challenged during a radio interview, he said: Im sorry about that. I havent put that out. That is wrong. Mr Nuttall also faced police inquiries following reports of an allegation of election fraud, after it emerged that a Stoke home address was put down on his nomination papers before he had actually moved into the property. The Electoral Commissions guidance for candidates says those standing in Westminster elections must give their current home address. Ukip still has a considerable chance of winning the by-election, with a national poll earlier this week showing blue-collar voters are now less likely to vote Labour than they are for the Tories or Ukip for the first time in the partys history. Broad voting intentions in the poll, carried out for The Times, put the Tories on 40 per cent,16 points ahead of Labour on 24 per cent, with Ukip closing the gap to just 10 points behind Labour on 14 per cent. 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 wished his wife Michelle Obama a happy Valentines Day. Composing one of his first messages since leaving the White House last month, the former President shared a photo of himself and Michelle on Twitter. The outgoing President wished his wife a happy Valentines Day, saying that even though he had spent almost 28 years with her, every day still felt new. The former First Lady quickly replied, sharing a holiday photo of their bare legs on the sand. Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life and favourite island mate, she wrote. People commented on the images pleading for the couple to come back to the White House. "Please come back its all falling part," said one person, referring to the Trump administration. In one of their last public outings together, Obama gave a highly emotional and even tearful tribute to Michelle as part of his farewell address. Michelle, for the past 25 years, you have not only been my wife and mother of my children; you have been my best friend, he said while wiping tears from his cheeks. You took on a role you didnt ask for and you made it your own with grace and with grit and with style and good humour. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. The couple, both Chicago natives, met in the late 1980's at a local law firm called Sidley & Austin. At the age of just 25, Michelle was assigned as a mentor to an associate who was, you guessed it, Obama. 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 Michelle resisted when he first asked her out, once saying in an interview that she felt it would be tacky if they started going out because they were the only two black people at the company. But she did not put up a fight for long and they started dating later that summer and by 1991 they were engaged and 1992 married. Since bidding farewell to the White House after eight years there, they have been on holiday in the British Virgin Islands alongside Sir Richard Branson. While enjoying some downtime on the island, Obama condemned President Donald Trumps hard-line immigration order, which bans immigrants from seven Muslim-majority nations. The President fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion, Obama's spokesman said in a statement. Citizens exercising their Constitutional rights to assemble, organise and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake. 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 }} More than 1,000 advertisers have pulled out of advertising with far-right news outlet Breitbart, a campaign group has claimed. Kelloggs, BMW, Visa, T-Mobile, Nordstrom and Lufthansa have all severed ties with the company over the last few months, according to a database from Sleeping Giants. A petition for Amazon to cancel its relationship with the website has also reached almost half-a-million signatures. A total of 1,132 companies have so far pledged to remove the ultra-conservative site from their media plan, Sleeping Giants said. Emma Pullman, lead campaign strategist at separate campaign group SumOfUs, told The Independent that most of the companies were pre-existing advertisers. Some had put the website on their black list after accusations it writes misogynist and racist articles, she added. We are reaching fever pitch," she said. She added: "The idea behind the campaign is if we can convene enough people we can interrupt its ability to expand. "The campaign is symbolic. This is a really tangible way people can convince companies to not advertise and it's also a way to criticise the rise of the far-right and the hatred, xenophobia and racism that is coming out of Breitbart." Stephen Bannon, former executive chair of Breitbart and now Donald Trump's chief strategist, boasted last year that the website was a "platform for the alt-right. As Breitbart aims to expand around the world, people are buying up URLs like Breitbart.fr to make it more difficult. Milo Yiannopoulos defends Breitbart headlines as 'satire' Large German companies like BMW, restaurant chain Vapiano, Deutsche Telekom and Lufthansa have cut ties. Lufthansa said its decision was due to Breitbart's "violent, sexist, extremist and radical political content". The Independent contacted Breitbart for comment, but none had been received at the time of publication. 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 }} Law enforcement and intelligence agencies found that members of Donald Trumps campaign and other associates had repeated contact with Russian officials in the run-up to the election. Four current and former US officials told the New York Times that they had intercepted phone records and phone calls and had found evidence of the repeated communications last year, around the same time they discovered that Russia had carried out a "campaign of influence" upon the election, posting fake news to sabotage Hillary Clinton's candidacy. The officials did not conclude there was evidence of the Trump team colluding with the Russians to execute this campaign, but intelligence agencies had been worried by so much communication at a time when the future President was praising Vladimir Putin's leadership skills. Mr Trump also said Mr Putin had made a "great move" in December by not imposing retaliatory sanctions on the US . Recommended Trump knew for weeks that Flynn withheld truth on his call with Russia Intelligence agencies were also concerned by Mr Trump's remarks last summer at a campaign event where he encouraged the Russians to hack into Ms Clinton's account. Mr Trump later said he was being "sarcastic". The officials did not identify those within Mr Trump's circles who spoke with Russian officials, including government members. They only mentioned Paul Manafort, Mr Trump's former campaign manager who served a few months before he resigned due to revelations that he had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine. The FBI has also looked closely at consultant Roger Stone and former foreign policy adviser Carter Page. All the men have strongly denied wrongdoing. US intelligence officials also did not say how much of the communication with Russia was related to business. The FBI's discovery is just part of its quest to discover the extent to which the Trump team communicated with Russian officials last year. It has obtained bank records, travel documents and has conducted interviews. Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser over Russia row It comes the day after former national security adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign after it was revealed he had failed to admit that he held calls with the Russian ambassador to the US last year, reassuring them that Russian sanctions would be overturned. Mr Trump knew for almost three weeks, and Vice President Mike Pence was told 11 days after his boss. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said firing Mr Flynn was an issue of "trust" and not whether it was a legal problem. "The irony is President Trump has been very tough on Russia," he told reporters on Tuesday. The moment C-SPAN's online feed was interrupted by Russia Today The FBI is also trying to determine the accuracy of the so-called dossier, compiled by a former British intelligence operative Christopher Steele, which allegedly contains salacious details about Mr Trump and evidence of his and his associates' links to Russia, which the White House has strongly denied. The FBI investigation is now running parallel to similar undertakings on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers demand a thorough and transparent look into all ties with Russia. Republicans such as Arizona Senator John McCain and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham have also expressed concerns. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said the firing of Mr Flynn was "only the beginning" and that the American people "deserved the truth". Mr Spicer said on Monday said "there is nothing that would conclude me that anything has changed during that time period", answering a question about whether any Trump campaign members had talked to Russian operatives during the campaign. 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 }} David Petraeus is being considered as a replacement for Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign as Donald Trumps national security adviser over his liaison with the Russian ambassador to the US, in what is the shortest term anyone has ever served in that post. The fall of Lieutenant General Flynn highlights the fact that the American intelligence agencies were regularly tapping the telephone of Sergey Kislyak, the ambassador, as well as the extraordinary ineptitude of the General, a former head of the Defence Intelligence Agency, in failing to realise that, as a result, details of the conversations would come out. The rise of Gen Petraeus highlights how the new President, a Vietnam draft-dodger, is continuing with his rather unusual policy of having a large number of military figures around him. This is a good thing in the context of this presidency. General James Mad Dog Mattis, the Secretary of Defence, and Mr Petraeus, who spent a decade in the bloody conflicts of Iraq and Afghanistan will, if he does get his job, be among the sanest voices in this government. General John Kelly, the head of Homeland Security, is another former military man who stood up for moderation when he flatly refused the demand of Steve Bannon, Mr Trumps chief strategist and standard bearer of the hard-right , to include permanent residents of the US in the banning of people from seven Muslim countries. Mr Mattiss nickname of Mad Dog is an affectionate one from the Marines who like his toughness and also his penchant for saying things like: Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet. He is, however, a civilised and educated man who apparently surprised Mr Trump, who had vowed to reintroduce torture when he got to the White House, by saying he was adamantly against torture. But is Mr Petraeus a bit too sane for some of Mr Trumps supporters? He had been mooted in the past for the job of Secretary of State which eventually went to Rex Tillerson. There were major objections at the time to Mr Petraeus from the Republican right-wing, especially the gun lobby. He is a member of the Veterans for Common Sense, a group campaigning for stricter control on private ownership of assault weapons, which take such a toll of lives in Americas regular urban massacres. The organisation was co-founded by Captain Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut and the husband of Gabrielle Giffords, the congresswoman who was shot and severely wounded by a homicidal anti-abortion zealot. Six others, including a nine year old girl, were killed in the attack. Mr Petraeus is not the only military man to back the call for more gun control. Other members of the Coalition include General Stanley McChrystal, former US Air Force General Michael Hayden, and former chief of Nato forces General Wesley Clark. But the possibility of Mr Petraeus serving in the Trump administration made him a target. A typical attack was a petition organised by the Firearms Policy Coalition, part of the gun lobby, declaring that having a Secretary of State who openly advocates for more gun control and who has the ability to reinterpret regulations without Congressional oversight, would be disastrous for gun owners, hobbyist gunsmiths and manufacturers. Influential Conservative radio show host Dana Loesch, the author of such seminal works of the genre as Hands Off My Gun: Defeating the Plot to Disarm America weighed in saying that Mr Petraeuss stance on the issue was a deal-breaker. Some of us got to know Mr Petraeus while he was in Iraq and Afghanistan and found him to be a discerning commander who thought out of the box and tried to limit the scale of killings and destruction, insofar as it was possible in such wars. Mr Petraeuss subsequent career, however, has been anything but blemish free. He had to resign soon after being appointed CIA chief following revelations that he had shared classified information with his biographer and lover, Paula Broadwell, and faced subsequent legal proceedings, which ended with him being fined $100,000 (80,000) and sentenced to two years probation, in 2015. The probation runs out in April, But, in any event, Mr Petraeus will have to be confirmed by the Senate if Mr Trump chooses him as national security adviser. This may happen. He has already received support from a number of Republicans in Congress and even some Democrats, including Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey who said that the General is well qualified for the post with his security and intelligence background. But the question is, would Mr Petraeus want to do the job ? The Trump administration appears to be dysfunctional, divided by partisan poison, almost certain to suffer more damaging disclosures, and likely to face official investigations over alleged links with the Kremlin. Under these circumstances, General Petraeus may well think it wise to wait and see what more unfolds in the Trump show before beginning his rehabilitation back into public life with this particular administration. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An urgent investigation into whether the Trump administration has compromised the US and UK through its links with Russia has been demanded by a member of the Oversight Committee in the House of Representatives. Democrat congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said Michael Flynn's resignation as National Security Adviser following revelations he had discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the US before Donald Trump took office raised major concerns secrets may have been traded with the Kremlin. "There are several serious significant unanswered questions," Mr Krishnamoorthi told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "The biggest is quite simply was General Flynn, in Donald Trump's parlance, one bad hombre who went rogue, or was he directed by someone else to discuss sanctions with the Russian ambassador? What was discussed exactly, and why, and... what do the Russians know about our national secrets? Because at the end of the day we need to protect ourselves and of course our allies like the United Kingdom, and in order to do so we need to understand whether any of our secrets were compromised in the balance." Republican Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the powerful Oversight Committee, has said his panel won't investigate the circumstances that led to Mr Flynn's resignation, instead deferring to the House Intelligence Committee, which is already probing Russian links with the Trump campaign and administration. "I think that situation has taken care of itself. I know that the Intel committee is looking into the hacking issue," Mr Chaffetz told reporters on Tuesday. However, Mr Krishnamoorthi said cross-party momentum was building for greater transparency on all the dealings the Trump team has had with the Kremlin. Recommended Trump knew for weeks that Flynn withheld truth on his call with Russia "This is not a partisan issue. I'm very heartened that Republican senators such as John McCain, Lindsey Graham and others have also called for a full investigation within the US Senate. We need to do the exact same thing in Congress," he said. "Half the country at this point has serious questions about the relationship between the Government and the Russian Government. We need to have full and open proceedings in order to answer all the questions that the public has, because this revelation as regards Mr Flynn has added fuel to the fire with regard to all the various conspiracy theories that are out there right now. "This is unprecedented. I cannot recollect a time recently when a national security advisor lasted all of 25 days, who had discussions with the Russian government, one of our primary adversaries today in the world, with regard to lifting sanctions. Was there a quid pro quo? 'If Russia did X, we will lift sanctions'? What is that 'X'? That's what people are asking. "We must re-evaluate what the Russians know about our national secrets and how we protect ourselves, and then move on from there." Meanwhile fellow Democrat congressman Seth Moulton told CNN that if it were confirmed Trump's team had been "conspiring" with the Kremlin, "that's the very definition of treason". I mean, lets not lose perspective on exactly who were talking about here, he said in comments reported by The Hill. "Russia is the number one enemy of the United States of America. If members of the administration are essentially conspiring with Russia either through the [2016 presidential] campaign earlier or now in the administration itself I mean, look, Wolf, thats the very definition of treason, Mr Moulton told host Wolf Blitzer. This is a very, very serious affair. The definition of treason is putting our enemys interests ahead of our own. Thats what the definition is." 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 did not denounce the reported rise in anti-Semitism in the during his press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Instead, he took the opportunity to boast about his election win. In his first appearance with the Prime Minister since becoming President, Mr Trump blamed longstanding divisions amongst Americans for racialised tensions that grew through his campaign and in the aftermath of his unexpected rise to the White House. We are very honoured by the victory that we had, Mr Trump said in response to an Israeli reporters question. Three-hundred and six electoral college votes. We were not supposed to crack 220. And theres tremendous enthusiasm out there. Anti-extremist groups, including the Southern Poverty Law Centre and the Anti-Defamation League, have reported a dramatic increase in reported instances of hate crimes, as well as the rise in white supremacist groups over the past year. The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Despite the apparent rise and visibility of white supremacists, the Trump administration has rebranded an Obama-era effort to combat all violent extremism but focus solely on radical Islamists and not scrutinise dangerous white supremacist ideologues. Were going to do everything in our power to stop long-simmering racism and every other thing thats going on, because a lot of bad things have been taking place over a long period of time, Mr Trump said. He added: One of the reasons I won the election is we have a very, very divided nation very divided. And hopefully, Ill be able to do something about that. The Trump administration drew criticism from Jewish groups late last month when it released a statement to memorialise victims of the Holocaust, but failed to mention Jews 6 million of whom were killed by the Nazis. The administrations omission of the Jewish people in a Holocaust remembrance statement is a historical mistake, Republican Sen Susan Collins said in response. But Press Secretary Sean Spicer accused critics of nitpicking the President. I mean, the President went out of his way to recognise the Holocaust and the suffering that went through it and the people that were affected by it and the loss of life and to make sure that America never forgets what so many people went through, whether they were Jews or Gypsies, gays, disability, priests, he said. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} President Trump vowed to remove the "bad hombres" from the US, yet a Mexican official said he had not seen any increase of people being sent back across the border. Mexico's foreign relations secretary Luis Videgaray said he had heard of raids being carried out across the country by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) but he had not seen more people being deported since the Inauguration on 20 January. "[] as far as the numbers of deported people, we still have not seen any increase, he told the Televisa network. Raids have been carried out, he said, in California, North Carolina and South Carolina, and warned that Mexican citizens in the US should not let immigration authorities inside their homes without a warrant. He advised that they do not have to speak without a lawyer present. Mexico has set aside around $50 million to hire lawyers for migrants in the US who are facing deportation. Former President Barack Obama deported a record 400,000 people annually early on in his presidency, but narrowed the scope for deportation later to people who were convicted felons. The scope was widened again by Mr Trump to deport anyone who is undocumented, has an open deportation order or who returned to the US after being deported. ICE confirmed it had carried out more than 680 arrests across the US in the first full week in February. Of the total number, "approximately 75 per cent" had criminal convictions, which means around 170 people were deported without having committed any crime. "We're actually taking people that are criminals very, very hardened criminals in some cases, with a tremendous track record of abuse and problems and we're getting them out. And that's what I said I would do," Mr Trump told reporters at a press conference alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday. He added: "And I said at the beginning we are going to get the bad ones the really bad ones. We're getting them out. And that's exactly what we're doing." US wrestler brings a Donald Trump flag into Mexico City ring The raids have been criticised by civil rights organizations as being unconstitutional and discriminatory. The Council on American-Islamic Relations and CASA, a Latino advocacy group, both condemned recent raids in Baltimore as ICE operatives appeared to target Latino individuals based on their appearance. In 90 seconds: Trump and Trudeau differ over border control "As an organisation that defends and protects immigrants and people of colour we will not stand for unconstitutional attacks on our community," said CASAs executive director Gustavo Torres. Relations with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto have already gotten off to a frosty start after the latter cancelled his visit to the White House this month after saying he "rejected and regretted" Mr Trumps insistence that Mexico would reimburse the US to pay the border wall, which could cost up to $21 billion. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox said repeatedly that Mexico "would not pay for the f***ing wall". Mr Trump has also threatened to slap US companies and products with a 20 per cent import tax, a move which could harm US exporting companies if Mexico took retaliatory measures. On the day he announced his candidacy for the Presidency in June 2015, Mr Trump said Mexican immigrants were "drug dealers" and "rapists". 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 only took questions from right-wing news outlets for a third press conference in a row. The US President hosted a joint conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House on Wednesday. But after a speech that covered Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mr Trump only took questions from Christian Broadcasting Network and Townhall, two outlets widely considered to hold conservative views. In a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 13 February, Mr Trump again only took two questions; one from WJLA, a news channel found to have a strong tilt toward Trump during the 2016 election, and another from The Daily Caller, a conservative outlet. On 10 February, during a media conference with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the 70-year-old only took questions from the New York Post and Fox News. As Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahus press conference came to an end, a reporter could be heard asking the President if he was going to answer any questions on contacts with Russia, but the 70-year-old failed to respond. The absence of coverage given to left-leaning or centrist news organisations at recent press conferences has prompted accusations that the President is avoiding tough questions. Speaking after the press conference, Jim Acosta, senior White House correspondent for CNN, told the news channel the fix is in. This President does not want to answer critical questions about his associates, his aides contacts with the Russians during the course of that campaign, just as his national security adviser is being run out of this White House on a rail, he said. They may think this is being cute, or they think this is strategic in terms of trying to shield the President from questions, but those questions can only be shielded for so long. 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 }} Hillary Clintons election campaign manager has criticised the FBI following reports that the security organisation was aware of potential links between the Trump administration and Russian officials while it was investigating Ms Clintons use of a private email server. In a tweet on Tuesday, Robby Mook, who headed up Ms Clintons election campaign, wrote: I'd like the FBI to explain why they sent a letter about Clinton but not this, along with a New York Times article about the Trump administrations repeated contacts with Russian intelligence. Mr Mook was referring to a letter presented by FBI director James Comey prior to the election, which stated that new material was being studied in an investigation of Ms Clintons use of a private internet server for her emails a move the Clinton campaign team claim cost her crucial votes. By contrast, Mr Mook points out in his tweet, the Republican Mr Comey said nothing at the time about the newly emerged allegations of Mr Trump's Russian links, which were also being investigated. Hillary Clinton warned us about Russias interference with the US Shortly after posting the tweet, Mr Mook posted another one questioning Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, over whether the allegations would be heard in Congress, asking: "Will you protect USA or GOP (Republican Party)? Mr. Chaffetz, if Trump staff dialog with Russia while Russia hacks Dems doesn't get a Congress hearing, what does? Will you protect USA or GOP? the tweet read. Ms Clintons campaign spokesman, Brian Fallon, followed a similar line but went further to describe the situation as a collosal scandal". He wrote: Everything we suspected during the campaign is proving true. This is a colossal scandal." The New York Times reported on Tuesday that American law enforcement and intelligence agencies found repeated contacts between Mr Trumps campaign staff and associates and senior Russian intelligence operatives in the year leading up to the election actions prominent Democrats have since said could amount to treason. The communications were reportedly intercepted at the same time evidence of Russian involvement in the Democratic National Committee (DNC) hack was discovered, although officials said they found no evidence of the Trump team colluding with Russia on efforts to influence the result. The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters The claims surfaced following Michael Flynns resignation as national security advisor, after it emerged that in separate phone calls he had discussed sanctions with a Russian diplomat before Mr Trump took office, and indicated the relationship between the two countries would improve under a new administration. Mr Flynn had originally denied discussing sanctions, but when it emerged that US intelligence officials had been monitoring the call to the Russian Ambassador to Washington, he had to reverse course. The Russian government has meanwhile dismissed allegations that the countrys intelligence officials were in repeated contact with Mr Trumps team ahead of the US election. 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 accused his own intelligence agencies of illegally feeding conspiracy theories to the media over his teams alleged links with Russia. The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! the President wrote on Twitter. This Russian connection non-sense [sic] is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign. Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?). Just like Russia. He went on to claim: The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! Mr Trump also singled out a comment piece published by Bloomberg for praise, personally thanking the author for arguing that intelligence services should not interfere in politics. His remarks came as US news coverage was dominated by unconfirmed allegations members of Mr Trumps campaign team were in contact with Russian intelligence officials before the election. The President appeared to be suggesting his own intelligence agencies were illegally feeding classified information to journalists, deepening a dispute that started with accusations of Russian interference in the election last year. Mike Pence claims there was no contact between Russia and Trump campaign Mr Trump previously vented his fury at "illegal leaks" on Tuesday after his national security adviser was forced to resign. It came just four months after the then presidential candidate told supporters in Pennsylvania I love WikiLeaks, having previously "sarcastically" called on Russia to hack and publish Ms Clintons emails. Dismissing security concerns over the Democratic National Committee (DNC) leak at the time, he told Fox News: The real problem is what was said in those emails. Broadcasters CNN and MSNBC are two of the American outlets most frequently attacked by the President, along with The Washington Post and The New York Times, which published the fresh allegations of talks between Mr Trumps campaign team and Russia. The newspaper reported that American law enforcement and intelligence agencies found repeated contacts between Mr Trumps campaign staff and associates and senior Russian intelligence operatives in the year leading up to the election. The communications were reportedly intercepted at the same time evidence of Russian involvement in the DNC hack was discovered, although officials said they found no evidence of the Trump team colluding with Russia on efforts to influence the result. Seth Moulton, a former US Marine and Democratic member of the House of Representatives, said the unconfirmed allegations could amount to treason, as several senior Republicans called for a separate probe into Michael Flynns resignation. Mr Trumps former national security adviser stood down on Monday after admitting that he gave incomplete information to the Vice President over phone calls to the Russian ambassador in December. Trump speaks to Putin on the phone in the Oval Office (Getty) Mr Flynn maintained he did not violate the Logan Act, which bans civilians from interfering in US diplomatic relations, and had not told Russias ambassador to the US sanctions would be reviewed in December. It wasnt about sanctions, it was about the 35 guys who were thrown out, he told news website The Daily Caller, referring to an order by Barack Obama that removed Russian diplomats from the US over allegations of interference in the presidential election. Mr Flynn was reportedly questioned by the FBI on his conversations with the ambassador shortly after the new President took office. The day after his resignation, The New York Times published its report on alleged contact between members of Mr Trumps campaign team and Russian intelligence officials. Russia dismissed the allegations. Vladimir Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said: Lets not believe anonymous information. Its a newspaper report which is not based on any facts. The reported intercepts have alarmed US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact allegedly occurring while Mr Trump was speaking glowingly about Mr Putin. The pair have vowed to repair ties between the US and America and have spoken on the phone ahead of a meeting expected later this year. Several of Mr Trumps associates have had business dealings with Russia, including the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in his former role as chief executive of ExxonMobil. 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 Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, repeated denials of improper contact between Mr Trumps aides and Russia at a press briefing before the latest allegations emerged on Tuesday. Asked whether the Trump administration was undertaking efforts to examine contacts with Russia, he said there was no new information. When challenged specifically on discussions held during the campaign, Mr Spicer said: Theres nothing that would conclude me that anything different has changed with respect to that time period. Mike Pence, the Vice President, also denied contact had taken place with Russia before the election in a Fox News interview on Sunday. Of course not. Why would there be any contact between the campaign? he said. This is all a distraction, and it's all part of a narrative to delegitimise the election. In November, Russias deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said there had been communication between the Russian government and members of Mr Trumps political team. There were contacts, he told Russian newswire Interfax. We are doing this and have been doing this during the election campaign. But Hope Hicks, the spokesperson for the Presidents campaign, issued a denial at the time, saying members had no contact with Russian officials. 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 dealings with Russia could be a bigger political scandal than Watergate, according to one of Americas most experienced political journalists. Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, until maybe now, former CBS news anchor Dan Rather said, in a post on Facebook. It was the closest we came to a debilitating Constitutional crisis, until maybe now. His comments come after the White House admitted the President was told several weeks ago that National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had not told the truth about a telephone call with a Russian diplomatand chose not to fire him immediately. The news has fuelled broader concerns about Mr Trump's closeness to Vladimir Putin and the role Russia may have played in helping him get elected. On a 10 scale of Armageddon for our form of government, I would put Watergate at a 9, said Mr Rather, who won acclaim for his coverage, as a White House correspondent, of the scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974. This Russia scandal is currently somewhere around a 5 or 6, in my opinion, but it is cascading in intensity seemingly by the hour. Mr Flynn handed in his resignation amid mounting controversy over his interaction with Russian officials, and a false assurance he gave that he had not discussed the issue of sanctions. Meanwhile, law enforcement and intelligence agencies reportedly found that members of Mr Trumps campaign and other associates had repeated contact with Russian officials in the run-up to the election. Four current and former US officials told the New York Times that they had intercepted phone records and phone calls and had found evidence of the repeated communications last year, around the same time they discovered that Russia had carried out a campaign of influence upon the election, posting fake news to sabotage Hillary Clinton's candidacy. Mike Pence claims there was no contact between Russia and Trump campaign Mr Rather is just one of many voices now asking how much Mr Trump knew about Mr Flynn's actions, and why he did not act sooner. We are still less than a month into the Trump Presidency, and many are asking that question made famous by Tennessee Senator Howard Baker those many years ago: 'What did the President know, and when did he know it?'" Mr Rather said. He added that as a reporter he had a different perspective on the unfurling of the Watergate scandal and could already see similarities. When we look back at Watergate, we remember the end of the Nixon Presidency. It came with an avalanche," he said, "but for most of the time my fellow reporters and I were chasing down the story as it rumbled along with a low-grade intensity. We never were quite sure how much we would find out about what really happened. In the end, the truth emerged into the light, and President Nixon descended into infamy. The Trump administration has said it did not discipline Mr Flynn sooner because the President wanted to give the retired lieutenant general due process. The White House counsel has maintained that Mr Flynn did not violate the law, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday. Mr Trump ultimately demanded Mr Flynns resignation after he denied to Vice President Mike Pence discussing sanctions on the call, which led Mr Pence to repeat the lie on television, according to Mr Spicer. But the situation has bolstered concerns about the overly friendly nature of Mr Trumps relationship with Russia, and how this could impact US interests. As president, Mr Trump has refused to criticise the Russian President and he has indicated that he would like to mend relations with the country. Special Report: Watergate - the untold story Show all 4 1 /4 Special Report: Watergate - the untold story Special Report: Watergate - the untold story pg-32-watergate-1-reuters.jpg Reuters Special Report: Watergate - the untold story pg-32-watergate-2-ap.jpg AP Special Report: Watergate - the untold story pg-32-watergate-3-ap.jpg AP Special Report: Watergate - the untold story pg-32-watergate-4-corbis.jpg Corbis Mr Rather called for an independent investigation into the matter, arguing that the administration and the Republican Congress have forfeited their right to be trusted on these matters. The White House has no credibility on this issue. Their spigot of lies - can't we finally all agree to call them lies - long ago lost them any semblance of credibility," he said. "I would also extend that to the Republican Congress, who has excused away the Trump Administration's assertions for far too long. "We need an independent investigation. Damn the lies, full throttle forward on the truth." He added that the scandal so far was too far-fetched for a plausible Hollywood film plot. "But this is not fiction. It is real and it is serious. Deadly serious. We deserve answers and those who are complicit in this scandal need to feel the full force of justice." He said: We may look back and see, in the end, that it is at least as big as Watergate. It may become the measure by which all future scandals are judged. It has all the necessary ingredients, and that is chilling. 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 is facing more grounds for impeachment or legal action following revelations about his teams ties to Russia during the election campaign, according to lawyers. Mr Trump reportedly knew for at least three weeks that Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser, called the Russian ambassador to the US last year to reassure them that sanctions would be overturned. He was forced to resign this week. Mr Flynn was interviewed by the FBI shortly after Mr Trump took office. The alleged misinformation he provided to intelligence agencies could be pursued in court, similar to the case of former General James Cartwright, who made false statements to FBI agents about cyberattacks on Irans nuclear programme and who was pardoned by former President Barack Obama. Recommended Bernie Sanders calls for investigation into Russian ties to Trump Norm Eisen, former ethics lawyer for Mr Obama, said that if Mr Flynn did lie to the FBI he wold be prosecuted. We have seen this movie before: he will then roll over on Trump and others. It wont be pretty, he wrote on Twitter. Mr Trumps aides and associates allegedly had frequent and repeated communication with Russian members of government and intelligence in the run-up to the election, according to travel, bank and phone records obtained by US intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Hillary Clinton warned us about Russias interference with the US This discovery raises questions over Mr Trumps denial that he has ties to Russia. Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters on Tuesday that he was not aware that any Trump aides had spoken to Russia during the campaign but he was clear that Mr Flynn had spoken to the Russian ambassador after the election. He insisted Mr Flynn was fired due to an erosion of trust, not because there was a legal issue. The US intelligence agencies did not identify the aides involved or say how much of the communications related to business, rather than politics. They also did not conclude that the communication was evidence of the Trump team colliding with Russians to influence the election, but were concerned that Mr Trump had openly praised Vladimir Putin at the same time that Russian operatives were allegedly hacking the Democratic National Committee servers. Mike Pence claims there was no contact between Russia and Trump campaign Democrats and some Republicans have called for a thorough and independent investigation into Mr Trumps ties to Russia. Congress must act now or talk of Reagan winning the Cold War will be a sad joke, warned Richard Painter, a former ethics counsel to George W. Bush. If it were proved that the President's aides or associates did work with Russia to sabotage Hillary Clintons chances, spread fake news and hack DNC computers, it could violate the 1799 Logan Act, a statute that bars private citizens from interfering with diplomatic relations between the US and foreign governments. It is not clear whether then President-elect Trump knew about Mr Flynns calls to Russia. If he did, he was a private citizen at the time. The caveat is that the Logan Act is essentially defunct and only two people, including a farmer from Kentucky, have been indicted under the law - in 1803 and 1852 respectively. Jennifer Laurin, a professor at the School of Law in Texas, told The Independent that for Mr Flynn to be charged under the Logan Act, it would have to be proved that he communicated with Russian officials with the intent to influence the measures of the Russian government. Lawyers would have to prove he had intent to influence the Russian governments conduct in some way, she said. It would not be enough for him to simply communicate with Russians as a private citizen, or even that he was communicating with Russian intelligence officials. Laurence Tribe, a Harvard law professor, argued on Twitter that the latest revelations about Russia contributed to building the case for the Presidents impeachment. Flynns departure from [the National Security Council] was necessary but far from sufficient, he added. Bumping [chief strategist Steve] Bannon from his legally dubious role there must follow. Then investigating what POTUS [Mr Trump] knew and when he knew it; then considering whether POTUS is unable to discharge the duties of his office within the meaning of Section 4 of the 25th Amendment; then starting a serious national conversation about possible impeachment. Ms Laurin added there was not enough evidence for impeachment to be considered. It remains an open and hotly contested question whether a sitting President can be criminally prosecuted, she said. The closest lawyers came to that was in the proceedings of Richard Nixon, but the court never decided the question. Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser over Russia row Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Mr Flynn both sat on the Trump campaigns National Security Council during the 2016 election. Given the use of the Logan Act as a vehicle for rhetoric by the Tea Party during Mr Obamas presidency, the odds are stacked against Mr Trump and his staff being prosecuted. Lawyers have also reportedly raised concerns around the Logan Act in terms of free speech and the right of the First Amendment. Mr Tribe said he was angered, saddened and disgusted by the number of potential ethical violations around the President, which resulted in people not being able to focus on one at a time. Several lawyers have already filed a suit challenging Mr Trumps alleged use of the White House as a personal and family profit centre, according to Mr Tribe, and in allegedly doing so Mr Trump has violated the Constitutions Emoluments Clause. The Department of Justice has 60 days to reply to the complaint, and a case schedule will then be negotiated. 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 team has been accused of possible treason as new allegations emerge of repeated contact with Russian intelligence officials during the US election campaign. The Presidents representatives have repeatedly denied any untoward contact with the Kremlin but fresh claims have emerged in the wake of a separate scandal that sparked the national security adviser's resignation. The New York Times reported that American law enforcement and intelligence agencies found repeated contacts between Mr Trumps campaign staff and associates and senior Russian intelligence operatives in the year leading up to the election. The communications were reportedly intercepted at the same time evidence of Russian involvement in the Democratic National Committee (DNC) hack was discovered, although officials said they found no evidence of the Trump team colluding with Russia on efforts to influence the result. Seth Moulton, a former US Marine and Democratic member of the House of Representatives, said the unconfirmed allegations could amount to treason. Russia is the number enemy of the US, he told CNN. If members of the administration are essentially conspiring with Russia - either through the campaign earlier or now in the administration itselfthats the very definition of treason. The claims emerged as senior Republicans called for an independent investigation into Michael Flynn's links with Russia, following his resignation as national security adviser. Senate Republican whip John Cornyn called for a probe, while John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Mr Flynn's resignation was a troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus and raised questions over Mr Trump's stance. Paul Manafort denied the allegations, which have not been confirmed (Getty) Other Republicans argued that as both the Senate and House intelligence committees are already examining alleged Russian interference in the election, there was no need for a separate probe. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent alleged contacts between Mr Trump's team and Russian intelligence may have been about business, the New York Times reported, and did not disclose details of what was discussed or how many people were involved. Several of Mr Trumps associates were implicated but the report named only one Paul Manafort what chaired the Presidents election campaign for several months last year. He previously worked as a political consultant for the former Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, before and after he fled to Russia during anti-government protests that preceded the countrys civil war. Mr Manafort dismissed the latest claims as absurd, saying he had never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers or been involved with the countrys government. Sean Spicer, the White House spokesman, repeated denials of improper contact between Trump aides and Russia at a press briefing before the New York Times report emerged on Tuesday. He described phone calls with the Russian ambassador that caused the resignation of Mr Flynn as an isolated incident, where he gave incomplete information to the Vice President over whether sanctions were discussed. Asked whether the Trump administration was undertaking efforts to examine contacts with Russia, Mr Spicer said there was no new information. 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 When challenged specifically on discussions held during the campaign, Mr Spicer said: Theres nothing that would conclude methat anything different has changed with respect to that time period. Mike Pence, the Vice President, also denied contact had taken place with Russia before the election in a Fox News interview on Sunday. Of course not. Why would there be any contact between the campaign? he said. This is all a distraction, and it's all part of a narrative to delegitimise the election. In November, Russias deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said there had been communication between the Russian government and members of Mr Trumps political team. There were contacts, he told Interfax. We are doing this and have been doing this during the election campaign. Obviously, we know most of the people from his entouragequite a few have been staying in touch with Russian representatives. But Hope Hicks, the spokesperson for the Presidents campaign, issued a denial saying members "had no contact with Russian officials". In a press conference in January, Mr Trump did not directly answer demands to state whether his aides had been in contact with Russia in during his run for office. On the same day, he tweeted: Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING! As controversy swirled over Mr Flynns resignation on Tuesday, the President said the real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington. President Donald Trump speaks on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Oval Office of the White House (Getty Images) (Getty) The intercepts have alarmed US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Mr Trump was speaking glowingly about Vladimir Putin. The pair have vowed to repair ties between the US and America and have spoken on the phone ahead of a meeting expected later this year. Several of Mr Trumps associates have had business dealings with Russia, including the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in his former role as CEO of Exxon Mobil. Vladimir Jabbarov, a Russian senator, told state media the revelations were part of an intelligence community conspiracy to have the President impeached. This is a common tactic to try to discredit a particular person, he added. Mr Spicer said the President has been incredibly tough on Russia, adding: President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea. At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to be able to get along with Russia, unlike previous administrations, so that we can solve many problems together facing the world, such as the threat of Isis and terrorism. The White House did not immediately respond to The Independents request 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 }} Nearly four decades after six-year-old Etan Patz disappeared on his way to school never to be seen again, a former store clerk has been found guilty of murdering the child in a New York City basement after enticing him there with a soft drink. The jury convicted 56-year-old Pedro Hernandez after nine days of deliberation. While the verdict elicited tears from some in the courtroom audience, Hernandez did not visibly react. The Patz family has waited a long time, but weve finally found some measure of justice for our wonderful little boy, Etan, Stanly Patz, Etans father, said. Pedro Hernandez was convicted of killing Etan Patz in 1979 (Reuters) Im really grateful that this jury finally came back with which I have known for a long time - that this man, Pedro Hernandez, is guilty of doing something really terrible so many years ago. I am truly relieved, and Ill tell you, its about time. It's about time, he added, according to the Associated Press. Pedro Hernandez abducted the boy four decades ago Hernandezs lawyers said that they planned to appeal the verdict and said their client was a mentally ill man who struggled to tell the difference between what was real and what was not. They said that his confession was the result of that struggle between fact and fiction. The May 1979 disappearance of Etan as he walked to his bus stop by himself for the first time became one of the highest profile crimes in New Yorks history, and led to parental anxiety nationwide about leaving children unattended. Etans image was one of the first to be affixed to a milk carton when the search for him and his abductor spread across the country. Etans body has never been found and he was declared formally dead in 2001 after years of investigation yielded few results. Prosecutors re-opened the case seven years ago and in 2012 Hernandez was arrested. A video-taped confession showed Hernandez telling investigators that he had kidnapped Etan and took him into the basement of the shop where he worked to strangle him. He said he then disposed of the child in a bag and box somewhere in New York and wasnt able to find the box when he went back later to look. 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 }} Right wing controversialist Milo Yiannopoulos has delayed his book launch by several months so he can write about the protests against him at university campuses. Pre-sale orders of his book, Dangerous, soared after protests erupted against his speech at the University of California, Berkeley, last month while he toured campuses around the US. The book was supposed to be published in March but will now appear on 13 June. In a statement Mr Yiannopoulos said: "It would be absurd for me to publish a book without some discussion of the insanity of the last few weeks." He joked to Fox News in early February that he was most upset that he did not get the chance to wear his customised outfit, a "Native American headdress" with his name embroidered on it. He also accused of protesters using slurs against him like "white supremacist", which he denied, "to legitimize violence" against him. Milo Yiannopoulos defends Breitbart headlines as 'satire' Publisher Simon & Schuster paid the right wing pundit $250,000 as an advance and has since been widely criticised for the deal, including another of its authors, feminist writer Roxane Gay, dropping her book deal as a result. "When my book was announced of course there was people saying they were going to burn it while calling me the fascist," he said. "This is the sort of irony the progressive left in America doesnt seem to appreciate." Simon & Schuster, the same company to publish Hillary Clintons forthcoming book of personal essays, wrote to authors to assure them that Mr Yiannopoulos book would not contain hate speech. It would be "a substantive examination" of free speech and political correctness, President and CEO Carolyn Reidy wrote. After the Berkeley protest, President Trump tweeted a threat that would pull federal funding from the University, which he would not be able to do. "Mr Trump has my back," Mr Yiannopoulos told Fox News. The writer's former boss, Steve Bannon, is now chief strategist to the President. He said last July that Breitbart was a "platform for the alt-right", the white supremacist movement. Mr Yiannopoulos, who wrote that feminism was comparable to "cancer", said he was writing a book about Gamergate in 2014 and a book called The Sociopaths of Silicon Valley in 2015, but neither appeared. The UK branch of his publisher also reportedly declined to offer him a deal as the writer was less well known in the UK, despite his British nationality. He was permanently banned from Twitter in 2016 after he allegedly incited his followers to troll Ghostbusters actor Leslie Jones. 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 }} Right wing controversialist Milo Yiannopoulos has delayed his book launch by several months so he can write about the protests against him at university campuses. Pre-sale orders of his book, Dangerous, soared after protests erupted against his planned speech at the University of California, Berkeley, last month while he toured campuses around the US. The book was supposed to be published in March but will now appear on 13 June. In a statement on Facebook the Breitbart News editor said: "It would be absurd for me to publish a book without some discussion of the insanity of the last few weeks." He joked to Fox News in early February that he was most upset about the university campus protests because he did not get to wear his customised outfit, a "Native American headdress" with his name embroidered on it. He also accused the protesters of using slurs against him like "white supremacist", which he denied, "to legitimise violence" against him. Publisher Simon & Schuster paid the right wing pundit $250,000 as an advance and has since been widely criticised for the deal, including another of its authors, feminist writer Roxane Gay, dropping her book deal as a result. "When my book was announced of course there was people saying they were going to burn it while calling me the fascist," said Mr Yiannopoulos. "This is the sort of irony the progressive left in America doesnt seem to appreciate." Milo Yiannopoulos defends Breitbart headlines as 'satire' Simon & Schuster, the same company to publish Hillary Clintons forthcoming book of personal essays, wrote to authors to assure them that Mr Yiannopoulos book would not contain hate speech. It would be "a substantive examination" of free speech and political correctness, President and CEO Carolyn Reidy wrote. After the Berkeley protest, President Trump threatened to pull federal funding from the university, which he would not be able to do. "[Mr Trump] has my back," Mr Yiannopoulos told Fox News. The writer's former boss, Steve Bannon, is now chief strategist to the President. Mr Bannon said last July that Breitbart was a "platform for the alt-right", the white supremacist movement. Mr Yiannopoulos, who wrote that feminism was comparable to "cancer", said he was writing a book about Gamergate in 2014 and a book called The Sociopaths of Silicon Valley in 2015, but neither appeared. The UK branch of his publisher also reportedly declined to offer him a book deal due to his relative obscurity in the UK, despite his British nationality. He was permanently banned from Twitter in 2016 after he allegedly incited his followers to troll Ghostbusters actor Leslie Jones. 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 man accused of plotting to to attack a New York mosque will escape terrorism charges - allegedly because federal laws focus almost entirely on foreign extremists. Robert Doggart was arrested in April 2015 after authorities discovered that he had been trying to recruit people to burn down a mosque in Islamberg, a self-named, predominantly Muslim community near Hancock, according to court records. The New York Daily News said Mr Doggart, who ran for Congress as an Independent in 2014, allegedly went on right-wing online forums and openly talked about using AR-15 assault rifles to attack Muslims because he believed the community was an extremist training camp. New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Show all 27 1 /27 New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People gather for evening prayer at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 02: Yemeni business owner Musa closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty But the authorities intercepted Mr Doggarts alleged plot before anyone was hurt. Now, the 65-year-old is facing one count of solicitation to commit arson, one count of solicitation to commit a civil rights violation and two counts of threat in interstate commerce. However, he is not facing any terrorism charges and has been under house arrest since his initial capture. Lawyers representing the Islamberg community, claim a loophole in federal law allows defendants such as Doggart to escape terrorism charges. Woman pleads guilty to assault after telling Muslim girl 'You don't have the right to f***ing be here' "There's a gap in the law, lawyer Tahirah Amatul-Wadud told the newspaper. Frankly, there is nothing on terrorism unless it's connected to a foreign element. You wont see the KKK charged with domestic terror even though that's what they do. According to the Patriot Act, which was passed in October 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, prosecutors can only charge a defendant with domestic terrorism if he or she had the intension to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, or influence the policy of a government to affect the conduct of government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. However, Ms matul-Wadud claimed, the requirements are less stringent for pursuing terrorism charges if the alleged act has a foreign element to it, for example ties to international terror networks such as Isis or Al-Qaeda. Mr Doggart was accused of plotting to burn down a mosque in Islamberg, a predominantly Muslim community in upstate New York. He did it to intimidate Muslims throughout the country - a civilian population - and acted as if he was going to be the world police, which is very anti-government, said Ms Amatul-Wadud. 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 }} Californians who were ordered to evacuate due to a threat from the tallest dam in the United States can now safely return to their homes and businesses may reopen, a county sheriff said on Tuesday. A previous evacuation order has been reduced to an evacuation warning, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told a news conference, after water management officials drained enough water from the Oroville Dam to relieve pressure and avert a catastrophe. The warning means that people can return home but should be prepared to evacuate again if necessary, Honea said. Officials had ordered 188,000 people living down river from the dam to evacuate. Both the primary and backup drainage channels of the dam, known as spillways, were damaged after a buildup of water that resulted from an extraordinarily wet winter in Northern California that followed years of severe drought. The greatest danger came from the emergency spillway, which allows water out of the reservoir when capacity is reached. Though damaged, the primary spillway was still useable, officials said. More rain was forecast for as early as Wednesday and through Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, but the state Department of Water Resources said the upcoming storms were unlikely to threaten the emergency spillway. Swift action by the department to shore up both spillways while also relieving pressure on the dam averted the immediate danger of a dam failure, Honea said. A building is seen submerged in flowing water at Riverbend Park as the Oroville Dam releases water down the spillway as an emergency measure in Oroville, California (Getty Images) A failure could have unleashed a wall of water three stories tall on towns below. State officials used 40 trucks carrying 30 tons of rock per hour to reinforce the eroded area while two helicopters dropped rock and other materials into the breach. "We're aggressively attacking the erosion concerns that have been identified," said William Croyle, acting director of the Department of Water Resources. Among those who had fled the danger zone were hundreds of families camped out in cars and tents at Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico, about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Oroville. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images 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 "I left everything in my house. I've got a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house and I don't know what's going to happen to it," said William Rigsbay, 53, of Thermalito. Storefronts and strip malls were shuttered and traffic was light along California's state highway 99 near Oroville, about 65 miles (105 km) north of Sacramento. The packed parking lot of a 7-Eleven convenience store in nearby Live Oak was one of the few signs of life along the route, other than emergency personnel. Water authorities had been relieving pressure on the dam through the concrete-lined primary spillway last week, but lake levels rose as storm water surged in and engineers moderated its use. Then the rising water topped over the earthen backup spillway, which has a concrete top, for the first time in the dam's 50-year history over the weekend. Crews work on a damaged section of the Oroville Dam in Oroville, California (Getty Images) When the emergency spillway showed signs of erosion, engineers feared a 30-foot-high section could fail, leading to the evacuation order on Sunday. Both spillways are next to the dam, which itself is sound, engineers say. California Governor Jerry Brown on Monday sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump asking him to issue an emergency declaration, which would open up federal assistance for the affected communities. White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Tuesday told reporters the administration would "make sure we are doing everything we can to attend to this matter" and "help people who have been impacted," adding that the dam was evidence that the United States needed to overhaul its infrastructure, one of Trump's domestic goals. Reuters Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An activist in Utah has sent an invoice to a senior Republican legislator who accused protesters of being paid to disrupt his event. Jason Chaffetz was heckled at an open meeting last week by hundreds of people who queued for hours to get inside, over what they see as his failure to investigate the President's business enterprises and the potential conflicts of interest they create. The protesters chanted do your job! at Mr Chaffetz, who is chair of the House Oversight Committee and therefore holds the power to curb any possible effort by Donald Trump or his family to leverage the White House for personal gain. But rather than listening to his constituents, Mr Chaffetz attempted to discredit their position by saying he believed the protesters were shipped in, and described the incident as a paid attempt to bully and intimidate. Following the example of his party leader, Donald Trump, he insisted the protesters had been paid to be there. You could see it online a couple days before, a concerted effort in part to just cause chaos, he said, according to local paper The Daily Kos. Protesters responded with a mixture of outrage and derision, and now a mock invoice is circulating on social media, addressed to Mr Chaffetz's office in Provo, Utah, and asking for $500 for an activist who thanked the politician for "bringing it to our attention that this was a paid event. The document lists a $400 charge for paid protest hours during Mr Chaffetzs meeting on 9 February at Brighton High School in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. It also lists two $50 fees for being callously dismissed by representative and being labelled out-of-state radical. The bill, with a due date of 1 March, additionally urges him to please stop dismissing your constituents. Mr Chaffetz is yet to respond to the invoice. After the protest, he said: [Ill] never satisfy their desire to bring down Donald Trump. People are asking me to use the power of Congress to do a full-on fishing expedition to investigate him personally on things that are not required by law. I think my doing that would be an abuse of power. In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Show all 32 1 /32 In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London An image of President Donald Trump is seen on a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A view of the skywriting word reading 'Trump' as thousands rally in support of equal rights in Sydney, New South Wales EPA In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome People shout and hold signs during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A protester holds a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille A placard ready 'Pussy grabs back' is attached to the handle bar of a bike during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A young Thai girl holds a "women's rights are human rights" sign at Roadhouse BBQ restaurant where many of the Bangkok Womens March participants gathered in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A Thai woman takes a photo of a "hate is not great" sign at the women's solidarity gathering in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok American expats and travellers gather with the international community in Bangkok at the Roadhouse BBQ restaurant to stand in solidarity in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protetesters gather outside The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Women's March at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Protestors hold placards reading 'My body my choice, my vote my voice' during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome A person holds a sign during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activist Sarah Annay Williamson holds a placard and shouts slogan during the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activists participate in the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A Women's March placards are rested on a bench outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A women carries her placard ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila Women protesters shout slogans while displaying placards during a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President Donald Trump, in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Protesters take part in the Melbourne rally to protest against the Trump Inauguration in Melbourne, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters take part in the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Womens march on Melbourne protestors marching during a rally where rights groups marched in solidarity with Americans to speak out against misogyny, bigotry and hatred Rex In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau, Macau. The Women's March originated in Washington DC but soon spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila A mother carries her son as they join a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States in suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney An infant is held up at a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman attends a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman expresses her Anti-Trump views in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydeney Protesters demonstrate against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia. The marches in Australia were organised to show solidarity with those marching on Washington DC and around the world in defense of women's rights and human rights Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters march from The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square towards Trafalgar Square during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters carrying banners take part in the Women's March on London, as they stand in Trafalgar Square, in central London Reuters Mr Trump also said demonstrators at his inauguration were paid a line which was then repeated by his aides and press secretary in an apparent attempt to delegitimise protests. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said on Fox News at the time: "I mean, protesting has become a profession now." He added: "They have every right to do that. Dont get me wrong, but I think that we need to call it what it is. Its not these organic uprisings that weve seen through the last several decades. You know, the Tea Party was a very organic movement. This has become a very paid, Astroturf-type movement. No evidence has been provided to support the assertions, which have been mocked online by people questioning why they have been "working" as anarchists and protesters for years without a salary, and where they can claim remuneration. 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 }} Republicans are overwhelmingly toeing the line of Donald Trumps party to push forward their agenda, scrapping abortion funding, Obamacare and consumer protections, as well as voting through Mr Trumps cabinet various controversies. Data from FiveThirtyEight shows that the vast majority of Republicans in the Senate and the House have voted in line with Mr Trump 100 per cent since the start of his administration. The lack of party dissent could be argued as normal, especially at the start of an administration, but Mr Trump has been described as an extremely unconventional Republican leader. Recommended Clinton campaign manager accuses FBI of favouring Trump team This includes repealing Obamacare, a permanent ban on federal funding for abortion or health coverage that includes abortion, voting through billionaire oil tycoon Rex Tillerson to become secretary of state and approving anti-LGBT lobbyist Betsy DeVos to become secretary of education. Mr Trump has also signed at least 20 executive actions since his Inauguration, which do not require consent from Congress. But Republicans have, generally speaking, remained mostly quiet on the controversies. Few of his party members have taken a stand against the President. Many of the dissenting voices during the campaign, such as Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney, have gone quiet. Only two Republicans - Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska - voted against the confirmation of Ms DeVos to lead the education department, but Vice President Mike Pences rare tie-breaking vote pushed her through. 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 Arizona Senator John McCain and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham also expressed concerns over Russias hacking of the Democratic National Committee servers last summer, warning that the Republicans could be targeted by Russia next. Both men, however, have toed the party line 100 per cent, FiveThirtyEight shows. So has House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said one month before the election that he could no longer defend Mr Trump after a leaked 2005 video showed the President bragging about grabbing about womens genitals. Mr Ryan is keen to repeal and replace Obamacare, a move which guarantees up to 30 million Americans health care insurance, but which he argues eliminates state-level competition. Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Committee of Oversight and Government Reform, who is spearheading investigations into potential security breaches at Mr Trumps Florida estate Mar-a-Lago as well as Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conways inappropriate advice to Fox News viewers to buy items from Ivanka Trumps fashion business, also voted with Mr Trump 100 per cent. Kellyanne Conway tells Americans to 'go buy Ivanka's stuff' Both investigations from the House Committee come shortly after Mr Chaffetz attended a Utah town hall, where he was booed and the audience chanted "Do your job!" House Republican Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania voted only 58.3 per cent of the time in line with the President, the lowest level of support in the study. He could not be reached for comment by The Independent. Republicans could fear consequences for not following their colleagues. Former acting attorney general Sally Yates was dismissed after she refused to defend Mr Trumps Muslim ban executive order in court. Mr Trump also threatened to destroy the career of an unnamed Texas state senator who was reported to be offering asset forfeiture legislation that a sheriff said he believed would help Mexican drug cartels. New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Show all 27 1 /27 New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People gather for evening prayer at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 02: Yemeni business owner Musa closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty Most recently, Mr Trump's administration has been accused by law enforcement and intelligence agencies of having frequent contact with Russian operatives throughout the election campaign, leading to the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn this week. The President was accused of not taking action on Mr Flynn until press exposed the truth - an accusation which he has denied. Mr Pence found out that Mr Flynn had lied 11 days after his boss became aware of the situation. Longtime Alabama senator Jeff Sessions was voted through as attorney general despite being deemed as too racist to serve as a federal judge in the 1980s. Mr Sessions is now in the spotlight for having sat on the same national security council as Mr Flynn during the election campaign, and questions have arisen over whether he also collaborated with any Russian operatives. Among the President's executive actions and memoranda - he has signed more than any of his predecessors during his first few weeks as President since Franklin Roosevelt - Mr Trump has rolled back regulations on banks and financial protections for the consumer, as well as scrapping climate change and transgender people protections. He has mandated that no foreign organisation get US aid if it even mentions abortion. Mr Trump also tried to temporarily ban immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, despite those countries only being responsible for a very small percentage of terrorist attacks on US soil. The executive order has been temporarily halted by a federal court judge after it spawned massive protests and confusion. Republicans have also mostly stayed silent on the appointment of unelected chief strategist Steve Bannon, who created Breitbart, a platform for white supremacy. Mr Bannon was reportedly the architect of the Muslim ban, entrapping green card and visa holders and making himself a permanent member of the National Security Council. There has been no drive from the Republican side for the President to finally reveal his tax returns, which could confirm that the billionaire paid no income tax for almost 20 years. Republicans most recently voted in Steve Mnuchin as secretary to the treasury, a former Goldman Sachs banker who was accused by a Democratic senator of having "cozy ties" to Wall Street. He is just one of several Goldman Sachs alumni in the cabinet. 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 }} Jeff Sessions is once again in the spotlight after it was revealed he sat on the same Trump campaign national security council as Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser who was forced to resign after admitting he called the Russian ambassador to reassure them that sanctions would be overturned. The Attorney General, who was sworn in last week despite opposition from Democrats and civil rights activists, is now being asked to recuse himself from his role at the nations highest office after speculation is swirling that he may also have been involved in the Russia-related scandal. That is despite revelations that Mr Sessions would lead the investigation against Mr Flynn. Recommended Trump knew for weeks that Flynn withheld truth on his call with Russia The Trump campaign said in a statement on 7 October 2016 last year that his national security council included Mr Flynn, Mr Sessions, Republican Senator Tom Cotton and former Fox News anchor KT McFarland. After earlier incorrect reports that she had also quit, Ms McFarland said she would remain in her role as the deputy national security adviser after Mr Flynn resigned. Mr Sessions was reportedly a key architect of Mr Trumps Muslim ban, which barred nearly all travellers from seven Muslim-majority countries for at least 90 days and indefinitely suspended Syrian refugees. The executive order was signed on 27 January, before Mr Sessions was sworn in to office. Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser over Russia row He has long been a supporter of the President, and acted as an adviser. During his senate confirmation hearing, he said he would recuse himself from any investigation into Hillary Clinton and her alleged misuse of her personal email server when she was secretary of state as he had spoken against her during the campaign. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that there needs to be "an independent and transparent investigation into General Flynns action and the Trumps administrations knowledge of them". "Gen Flynns resignation is not the end of the story, it is merely the beginning and the American people deserve to know the truth," he said. Cory Booker testifies that Jeff Sessions is not qualified to protect the rights of U.S. citizens The President reportedly knew about Mr Flynns calls with Russia to reassure Vladimir Putin that former President Barack Obamas sanctions would be overturned for at least three weeks. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer addressed the matter to reporters. "It was not a legal issue, it was a trust issue. General Flynn is a dedicated public servant, he has served this country admirably. I think the president has appreciated his service to the country." He added: "It was not a matter of law. It was a matter of trust." Mr Trump's administration has been dogged by allegations of close ties to Russia, including his cabinet members like Rex Tillerson having received awards from the country and conducting business there for decades. Mr Trump praised Mr Putin as being a "great leader" and his work to combat Isis in Syria, even though both countries have been accused of war crimes. Russia allegedly exerted a "campaign of influence" on the election by hacking Democratic computers and leaking information to WikiLeaks, as well as spreading fake news online, according to the FBI and CIA. 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 man has allegedly confessed to strangling his childhood friend and watching her die over half-an-hour. Liam McAtasney admitted to a friend that he killed 19-year-old Sarah Stern who has been missing for months from her New Jersey home, prosecutors said. A friend had secretly recorded their conversation, they added. He is allegedly heard saying he strangled Stern with such force her body was lifted off the ground, before timing how long it took her to die. Recommended Two radio journalists shot dead during Facebook Live broadcast Along with an accomplice, Preston Taylor, he then dumped her body off a bridge after hiding it in bushes for several hours, they added, although the teenager victim's body has never been found. He is also accused of robbing Ms Stern of thousands of dollars. Assistant Monmouth County prosecutor Meghan Doyle told the Superior Court in Freehold, New Jersey that he had planned the murder. "For the two months after that, this defendant spent the entire time calculating every one of his moves to continue to cover up the murder and death of Sarah Stern", she said. Mr McAtasney's lawyer, Charles Moriarty has maintained his client was innocent. "He didn't hurt her and wouldn't hurt her," he told reporters. 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 teenager has been sentenced to nine months in jail for livestreaming the rape of a 17-year-old girl Nineteen-year-old Marina Lonina was sentenced in Columbus, Ohio, after pleading guilty to one count of obstructing justice under a deal with prosecutors. She initially faced other charges, including rape and pandering sexual matter involving a minor after she filmed and broadcast the assault at a house in the city last year. Lonina, who was 18 at the time of the incident, used the social media app Periscope to share the attack online as it happened in February 2016. Initially, Lonina claimed she livestreamed the attack to help the victim. But Ron OBrien, the Franklin County Prosecutor, told the New York Times Lonina got caught up in the likes and was giggling and laughing. I have never seen a case such as this where you would actually live stream a sexual assault, he added to WNCN television. Based on the video that I saw it didnt appear for the most part of it that she was attempting to help the victim. Defence attorney Sam Shamansky told The Columbus Dispatch that Lonina admitted to failing to report the rape or turn over her evidence afterward. The 29-year-old rapist, Raymond Gates, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison. The victim alleged that Lonina set up the rape. But Mr Shamansky called that allegation unmitigated nonsense. 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 Authorities were contacted when a friend of the victim saw the images on the smartphone app. Ron O'Brien, the Franklin County prosecutor, said Lonina and the victim were socialising with Gates when he raped the as his alleged accomplice filmed. Lonina had also taken a picture of the victim nude on the previous evening, Mr O'Brien said. Before the trial, Mr O'Brien said: If Gates and Lonina are convicted for these charges, they each face a potential sentence in excess of forty years in prison." 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 Mexican man who was seven-years-old when he illegally moved to the US has been arrested and detained, despite holding a valid work permit. Now 23, Daniel Ramirez Medina, holds down a job, has no criminal record and his status is protected under a policy brought in by Barack Obama in 2012. But US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents nonetheless raided his home in Seattle last week, placing him under arrest. A spokeswoman for the agency said he had been taken into custody after being deemed a risk to public safety because he was a gang member. She declined to elaborate on how they had established this. Mark Rosenbaum, one of Mr Ramirez's lawyers, said he unequivocally denies being in a gang, but had been repeatedly pressured by customs agents to falsely admit to gang links while in custody. Mr Ramirez was granted temporary permission to live and work in the US under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which allows people brought to America at a young age to attend school and work without fear of deportation. He was first granted the rights in 2014 and his status was renewed in 2016, according to a document attached to the lawsuit. Mr Ramirez's legal team said this could be the first time under the Trump administration that a person covered by DACA had been taken into immigration custody. The lawsuit states: The agents who arrested and questioned Mr Ramirez were aware that he was a DACA recipient, yet they informed him that he would be arrested, detained and deported anyway, because he was not 'born in this country'. Mr Trump said he would scrap the DACA policy during his election campaign, but the fate of those it already covers thought to be around 740,000 people is not yet clear. The US President has previously said those people were here illegally but shouldn't be very worried, adding: I do have a big heart. We're going to take care of everybody. Despite his apparent reassurance, the arrest of Mr Ramirez has sparked concerns about the future of immigrants in the US. Protests about his arrest have taken place across several states and a number of prominent figures having urged for his release. New York Senator Chuck Schumer tweeted: DACA recipients should not be an ICE priority. They are young people working and contributing to this great country. ICE must provide answers and release Daniel immediately. This action does nothing to make our country safe. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, from Seattle, meanwhile released a statement that read: President Trumps deportation force has struck our community and taken one of our own. "Its unconscionable that Daniel, who trusted the government and registered under DACA, was picked up and sent to a detention centre. Its clear that these inhumane raids are anything but routine. The president is tearing apart families and striking fear into immigrant communities. People no longer feel safe in their own homes. Seattle stands with Daniel and we will not back down until he is free. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Some 200 people willingly sequestered themselves inside on a beautiful, sunny day in order to save reams of government climate data before it could be deleted by the Trump administration. Activists fear the new President's team may remove archives of valuable scientific information following his campaign declaration that "no one really knows" whether climate change is real, and his nomination for head of the Environmental Protection Agency of a man who describes himself as a "leading advocate" against the body. Coders descended on the University of California at Berkeley to download and store the information under the "data rescue" banner, writing programs that crawled the websites of Nasa and the Department of Energy before submitting the information to the Internet Archive for safekeeping. The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters The Environmental Data and Governance initiative, which organises similar events around the US, said 25GB of data was archived. For Eric Kansa, an anthropologist who works as a data archivist at research access group Open Context, it was his first organised data rescue event. He told The Independent: "We need these data for all sorts of reasons, reasons that impact everyone. Climate change data are critical, because without it, we don't understand the scale and the pace of the global-scale challenge. "But other data are critical for more local policy-making. You need to know about hydrology and watersheds if you want to protect national parks from harmful pollution. "I'm especially concerned about information about America's history and culture, since this is an area of focus for some 'culture war' dynamics. "We have a rich and very turbulent history and struggling to understand that and confront the good, the bad and the ugly parts is fundamental to understanding each other and building empathy for each other." Those tasked with retrieving data from more complicated pages featuring interactive elements and lots of links, are called "baggers". They write more complicated programs to deal with a patchwork of federal systems that does not always make the task easy. Participants have also built tools to monitor future changes to the departments' websites in order to track potential deletions. More than 8,000 web addresses were submitted to the Internet Archive, including Nasa earth sciences information and renewables research from the Department of Energy, the campaign said. Kyala Shea, an organiser at DataRescue SF Bay, said: "We catalogued all of the data sets associated with those URLs that will need to be manually archived, and archived over two dozen gigs of data from over a hundred public data sets previously identified. We took a step forward on Saturday toward the goal of meaningful preservation of all at-risk public data. "The current administration's antagonism toward science and its oversight of executive branch agencies working on science in the public interest, such as the EPA, NOAA, NASA, and DoE, is a major and pressing concern. The trove of taxpayer-funded datasets administered by these agencies is part of the public commons and should not be vulnerable to administration politics. "This effort, like so many important actions around the US right now, was a grassroots initiative enacted by a group of committed volunteers who gave up their mornings, evenings, lunch hours, and weekends to make it happen." More data rescue events are being organised in Boston, Seattle and elsewhere. "Something that seemed a little paranoid to me before all of a sudden seems potentially realistic, or at least something youd want to hedge against," said Nick Santos, an environmental researcher at the University of California at Davis, earlier this year. "Doing this can only be a good thing. Hopefully they leave everything in place. But if not, were planning for that." Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has expressed concern about a tremendous increase in autism rates an argument commonly made by anti-vaccine campaigners, but disputed by autism experts. At a White House meeting, the President asked the principal of a special education centre in Virginia whether she had seen an increase in autism cases at her school. Whats going on with autism? When you look at the tremendous increase, its really, its such an incredible its a really horrible thing to watch, the tremendous amount of increase. he said. Jane Quenneville, the principal, replied that one in 66 children are diagnosed with autism, figures in line with the most recent government report on the matter. Its gotta be even lower than that, which is just amazing, said Mr Trump, adding: well, maybe we can do something. Mr Trump has previously indicated he believes vaccines can cause autism. He tweeted in 2014: Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes - AUTISM. Many such cases! However there is exhaustive scientific research that concludes that vaccines such as the MMR for measles, mumps, and rubella have no association with autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last March that about one in 68 school-aged children have autism or related disorders about the same as in 2014. While the rate does appear to have increased since the year 2000, when CDC figures show around one in 150 children had the disorder, experts say this is to do with better awareness of the disease and changes in the way it is diagnosed. Science writer Steve Silberman told New York Magazine the President was wrong to emphasise how tremendous and horrible the rise was. Some people claim that there are some environmental factors notably, not vaccines that may be contributing to a small increase. But the consensus is that there has been no huge, startling, horrible, as Trump said, increase in autism, he said. Mr Silberman, whose book about autism Neurotribes won the prestigious Samuel Johnson prize for best nonfiction writing, said studies had shown older parents were more likely to have children with autism. Social trends of waiting later to have children could therefore have contributed to a slight rise in autism cases, he said, as well as increased public awareness of the condition. The CDC estimate has been flat for a couple of years, just as they expected it to be, because the major source of the increase that started in the 1990s was broadened diagnostic criteria and much more public awareness of what autism looks like, Mr Silberman told the magazine. Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Show all 28 1 /28 Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Dave Brown Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Brian Adcock Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Christian Adams for Daily Telegraph Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Martin Rowson for The Guardian Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Christian Adams for Daily Telegraph Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Morten Morland for The Times Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Bob Moran for Daily Telegraph Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Christian Adams for Daily Telegraph Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Morten Morland for The Times Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' KAL for The Economist Trumped! The best cartoons on 'The Donald' Martin Rowson for The Guardian Mr Trump was speaking with parents and teachers alongside new education secretary Betsy DeVos. The MMR vaccine has been available in the US since 1963, and the country believed it had eliminated measles more than a decade ago, meaning any cases in the country were imported from abroad and there was no danger of domestic transmission. But in 1998 the British doctor Andrew Wakefield published a controversial and since-discredited study in The Lancet, which purported to show a link between the MMR jab and autism in children. The article was retracted and Dr Wakefield struck off, but it nonetheless gave a boost to the burgeoning anti-vaccination movement. A measles outbreak at Disneyland two years ago was said to be as a result of children not being properly vaccinated. Last month, Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has supported the theory that vaccines cause autism, said Mr Trump had planned to appoint him as a chair of a new vaccine safety commission. President-elect Trump... asked me to chair a commission on vaccine safety and scientific integrity, he said. Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos at a White House meeting with parents and teachers (Associated Press) President-elect Trump has some doubts about the current vaccine policies, and he has questions about it. He says his opinion doesnt matter, but the science does matter, and we ought to be reading the science, and we ought to be debating the science. And that everybody ought to be able to be assured that the vaccines that we have hes very pro-vaccine, as am I but theyre as safe as they possibly can be. A survey has suggested that one in three Trump supporters believe vaccines do cause autism. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The United States will not insist on a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict in the Middle East, a White House official has said. Speaking a day before Donald Trump holds a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the official said a number of options were on the table. "Whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else," the official said, on condition of anonymity. During the presidential campaign, Mr Trump regularly voiced pro-Israeli sentiments, including a promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Mr Netanyahu is meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday before he meets Mr Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday. While former Secretary of State John Kerry condemned Israel's plan to expand settlements, Mr Tillerson was unlikely to take the same path. He will also meet House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Barack Obama uses final interview as President to slam Israeli policy on settlements An aide to the Israeli Prime Minister said the aim of the talks was to forge ever closer links between the two right-wing leaders, a few weeks after they held a telephone call. "There isn't going to be any daylight, no gaps," the adviser said. Other subjects of discussion between the two leaders will include Iran and expanded Israeli settlements. The President caused controversy when he suggested in late January that the US embassy might move to Jerusalem, marking a big change from conventional US foreign policy. His frequent statements about the embassy in Jersusalem, a city claimed by both Jews and Palestinians as their capital, come despite warnings that it would violate international law and destroy the peace process. Netanyahu congratulates Trump Former President Barack Obama also said the status quo between Israel and Palestine was "unsustainable" but also warned that the moment for a two-state solution was "passing". Israel annexed east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War, a move that is not recognised by the international community. Newly-appointed US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is a supporter of Israeli settlements. Mr Trump once pointed to his Jewish son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as the man to broker a peace agreement. Despite apparent shared views between the US and Israeli leaders, Mr Netanyahu might be concerned that Steve Bannon, the US chief strategist, could provoke Iran via his "war on Islam" which would further unhinge relations in the Middle East. The US recently declared that Iran was "on notice" after it carried out a nuclear missile test. The man who announced the move, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, was forced to resign this week after failing to admit he had phoned the Russian ambassador to reassure them that sanctions would be overturned. The meeting of Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu also comes shortly after the President issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day which failed to mention the Jewish people, six million of whom were murdered by the Nazis. The Anti-Defamation League said the omission was "troubling". Vice President Mike Pence tweeted about the Holocaust shortly after the statement was released, which did mention the Jewish people. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has accused Russia of taking Crimea by force in a series of tweets seeking to distance himself from allegations his team has links with Russia. "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?" the US president tweeted. It comes as Russia insisted it did not intend to return Crimea to Ukraine after the White House said Mr Trump expected the annexed Black Sea peninsula to be returned. Moscow said an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kiev. However, Ukraine says the referendum was a sham held at gunpoint after Russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula, that Russia-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by people power, and that Moscow should return Crimea. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing on Wednesday. The 2014 annexation prompted the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the Cold War. Putin joins celebration marking takeover of Crimea White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Mr Trump expected and wanted to get along with Russia, but was expecting Moscow to hand Crimea back. Mr Trump's statements contradicts comments he made in an interview with ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos last year, when he said: The people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were." The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters His tweet about Crimea came amid a series of posts accusing US intelligence agencies of illegally giving information to the media over his team's alleged contact with Russian officials. He also accused the "fake news media" of going "crazy" with "conspiracy theories and blind hatred". Mr Trump went on to say to call intelligence agencies "very un-American!" and alleged they were giving out illegally giving out classified information "like candy". Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hope Hicks, 28, was born in Greenwich, a town of 60,000 on the southwest tip of Connecticut that's a favourite spot for hedge fund headquarters. She was a model, actress, and lacrosse player as a child, before getting her English degree at Southern Methodist University. Hicks didn't intend on playing such a large role in a presidential campaign, instead falling into the gig through a job at the Trump Organisation. But she now finds herself as one of President Donald Trump's youngest advisers, serving as assistant to the president and director of strategic communications in the White House. And Hicks has been with Trump to use his words "from the beginning." She stuck on his campaign through multiple staff revamps, including two high-profile changes at the campaign-chair position. Here's what we know about Hicks. Hicks and her sister, Mary Grace, were successful teen models. Hicks posed for Ralph Lauren and appeared on the cover of "It Girl," a spin-off of the best-selling "Gossip Girl" book and TV series. Hicks' first brush with the Trumps came in 2012 when she was at the public-relations firm Hiltzik Strategies working on Ivanka Trump's fashion line. Trump's eldest daughter hired Hicks away in 2014, and she became an employee of the Trump Organisation. Hicks met patriarch Donald Trump and quickly "earned his trust," Ivanka Trump told the New York Times for a June 2016 profile on the spokeswoman. In January 2015, Trump called Hicks into his office on the 26th floor of Trump Tower, and told her she was joining his presidential campaign. "I think its 'the year of the outsider.' It helps to have people with outsider perspective," Hicks said Trump told her. Hicks didn't have any political experience, but her public-relations roots run deep. Both grandfathers worked in PR and her father, Paul, was the NFL's executive vice president for communications and public relations. He was also a town selectman from 1987 to '91. Greenwich proclaimed April 23, 2016, as Paul B. Hicks III Day. Hicks started working on what would become Trump's campaign five months before Trump announced his presidency after famously riding a golden escalator down to the lobby of his tower on June 16, 2015. That makes Hicks the campaign staffer who has persisted in Trump's inner circle the longest. She outlasted his first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and several senior advisers. People close to her describe Hicks as a friendly, loyal fighter. Trump has called her a "natural" and "outstanding." While reporters who have worked with Hicks say she's polite, they have expressed frustration that she was often unreachable on the campaign trail, not responding to requests for comment, or denying access to the candidate. She said her mom, Caye, told her to write a book about her experience with Trump, like "Primary Colours," the fictional novel depicting President Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign. "You don't even know," she said she told her mother. During the campaign, Hicks spent most of her days fielding reporters' endless requests and questions even reportedly taking dictation from Trump to post his tweets. (left to right): White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, Senior Advisor Jared Kushner (2nd R) and Senior Counselor Stephen Bannon. (Picture: Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images) During the campaign, Hicks stayed in a free apartment in a Trump building, though she'd often go home to her parents' house in Connecticut when she could. These days, she's in DC. Trump named her his assistant to the president and director of strategic communications in December. She still flies below the radar, directing the spotlight back on Trump. The then president-elect called her up to the microphone to speak at a "Thank You" rally in December. It's been said she can act as a sort of Trump whisperer, understanding his many moods and professionally executing what needs to be done. She still only calls him "Sir" or "Mr. Trump." "If the acting thing doesnt work out, I could really see myself in politics," Hicks told Greenwich Magazine when she was 13. "Who knows." Some family members and friends have expressed concern that Hicks is so closely tied to a president whose policies and statements are unpopular with a significant number of Americans, but are confident that she'll come through unscathed. "There is just no way that a camera or an episode or a documentary could capture what has gone on. There is nothing like it," Hicks told Marie Claire in June 2016. "It is the most unbelievable, awe-inspiring thing." 18 life-saving facts that everyone should know 28 crazy pictures of micro-apartments around the world The 19 cheapest holiday destinations on earth in 2017 Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A former senior counter-terrorism official has called for an independent investigation - something akin to the 9/11 Commission - into Donald Trumps possible links to Russia. Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, who served as coordinator for counter-terrorism at the State Department between 2009-2012, said he believed much of the focus of the coverage of Michael Flynn's resignation had missed a key part - namely who told him to make the call to Russia. Mr Flynn resigned late on Monday, shortly after the Washington Post revealed that officials at the US Department of Justice may have left himself vulnerable to blackmail by misleading Trump officials about the nature of his conversation with a senior Russian diplomat. Kellyanne Conway tried to explain Flynn's resignation was told on national TV she 'made no sense' Other reports said Mr Flynn, who at the time was talking before Mr Trump assumed office, had talked about the sanctions the Obama administration had imposed for alleged interference in the US election, and suggested the relationship between the two countries would get better once Mr Trump entered the White House. The New Yorker reported that Mr Flynns call with Russias Ambassador to Washington was on the day after the US sanctions were announced. Russian leader Vladimir Putin surprised observers by not responding in tat-for-tat measures - something that Mr Trump praised on Twitter. The magazine suggested the conversation between Mr Flynn and Sergey Kislyak, and what was said that day, may have been a factor in Mr Putins decision. Now, Mr Benjamin has called for a full investigation into what links Mr Trump may or may not have to Russia. Writing in Politico, he said. To this day, we have no idea of Trumps business dealings with Russia- a gap in public understanding that is simply staggering for a US president. He added: The real story is not Flynn. But it isnt government leaks, either. No, the real story here is Trump himself- and the continuing mystery of his ties to Russia. "The key question is getting lost in the shuffle: Who told Flynn to call Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States? Because Im convinced Flynn didnt do it of his own accord. Flynn is a bit player in a much larger story regarding the presidents relationship with the Kremlin, and its this story the press needs to focus on. On Tuesday, Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary said that Mr Trump had known for several weeks that Mr Flynn had not been truthful about the nature of his conversation with Russia. He said that the decision to fire Mr Flynn - or accept his resignation - came after Mr Trump decided that trust between the men had irrevocably eroded. Mr Benjamin, Director for at the Centre for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, added: Its time to have a true, bipartisan investigation, outside of Congress and insulated from White House pressure. The 9/11 Commission provides a good model. Getting that set up will be a lot healthier for our democracy than getting lost in the minutiae of the Flynn affair. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has branded Donald Trump a Russian traitor and called for his impeachment as the scandal surrounding contact between the President's advisers and Moscow deepened. In the wake of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's resignation over his inappropriate contact with Moscow in recent weeks, now phone records and intercepted calls allegedly show members of the Trump campaign had repeated contact with senior Russian intelligence agents in the year running up to the election, four US officials told the New York Times. The claims, which have been reported by the New York Times and come from four unnamed US officials, have prompted the outspoken filmmaker to call on Mr Trump to step down. He tweeted: "Um, @realDonaldTrump -- It's now noontime in DC & it appears you are still squatting in our Oval Office. I gave u til this morning to leave." "What part of 'vacate you Russian traitor' don't you understand? We can do this the easy way (you resign), or the hard way (impeachment)," he later added. Mr Moore has been an outspoken critic of the Republican President, releasing a documentary shortly before the 2016 election about the then-Presidential candidate, and he has repeatedly questioned his ties to Russia. Reports of the Trump campaign's phone calls with Russia come the day after Mr Trumps national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was forced for resign over conversations with the Russian ambassador to Washington and subsequent misrepresentations he gave of those discussions. In a resignation letter, Mr Flynn said he gave Vice President Mike Pence and others "incomplete information" about his calls with Russia's ambassador to the US. Apparently relying on this information, Mr Pence initially said the national security adviser had not discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy, although Mr Flynn later conceded the issue may have come up. Michael Moore: Trump will 'break laws' The former lieutenant general's resignation letter said that he held numerous calls with "foreign counterparts, ministers, and ambassadors [...] to facilitate a smooth transition". It has emerged Mr Trump was told several weeks ago that Mr Flynn had not told the truth about a phone call with a Russian diplomat. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said firing Mr Flynn was an issue of "trust" and not whether it was a legal problem. "The irony is President Trump has been very tough on Russia," he told reporters on Tuesday. 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 Sources for The New York Times did not say which individuals Mr Trump's circles spoke with Russian officials, including government members. The only name mentioned was Paul Manafort's, Mr Trump's former campaign manager who resigned after a few months over revelations that he had worked as a political consultant in Russia and Ukraine. Mr Spicer said on Monday said "there is nothing that would conclude me that anything has changed during that time period", answering a question about whether any Trump campaign members had talked to Russian operatives during the campaign. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has said the firing of Mr Flynn was "only the beginning" and that the American people "deserved the truth". Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} President Donald Trump's defence secretary told Nato allies they must increase defence spending by the end of the year to ensure the US does not "moderate its commitment" to them. James Mattis also accused some nations of ignoring threats, including from Russia and Isis. "I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country's people in concrete terms," Mr Mattis said during closed-door talks in Brussels, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters. "America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this Alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence." James Mattis says Putin's threat to Nato is biggest threat since WWII He did not go into detail about how the US might lesson its commitment if Nato members fall short. Mr Mattis's demands echo those made repeatedly by Mr Trump. Mr Mattis noted Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and Isis's hold over parts of Iraq and Syria, and said that "some in this alliance have looked away in denial of what is happening." "Despite the threats from the east and south, we have failed to fill gaps in our Nato response force or to adapt," he added. His comments were strongly supported by UK Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, who said all member states needed to meet the Nato target of spending two per cent of GDP on defence. "There is no uncertainty about America's commitment to Nato. The president reassured our Prime Minister that he is 100 per cent committed to Nato," he said. "I am looking forward to working with US defence secretary James Mattis on the steps needed to modernise Nato, to make it more agile and more responsive and on how we can persuade other countries to meet their fair share of the burden by increasing their expenditure to 2%." The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Nato officials confirmed that the UK, along with the US, remained one of just five member states to meet the two per cent spending target. During the election campaign, Mr Trump rattled some Nato members by describing the alliance as "obsolete" and questioning US commitment to the defence of Europe. Since becoming president, however, he declared his support for Nato while insisting other member states must bear more of the burden of the collective defence. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Oprah Winfrey has submitted a tape to the Senate in which the ex-wife of one of Donald Trumps cabinet picks claims he physically beat her during an abusive relationship, it has been reported. Andrew Puzder was selected by President Trump for the position of Labour Secretary. He is still awaiting confirmation by the Senate. During a previously forgotten episode of the Oprah Winfrey show which aired in the 1990s, his ex-wife alleged that he had subjected her to domestic violence. The episode was called High-Class Battered Women and discussed abusive relationships among the elite social groups. It is understood Mr Puzders ex-wife appeared with her identity obscured in the video. Ms Winfrey has submitted the episode to senators, Politico reports. Democrat Patty Murray told the media outlet she was deeply troubled by the footage. She defended the decision of Senators to view it: It was important for us to know all of the information about any candidate that comes before us. However, Mr Puzders ex-wife has reportedly retracted elements of her comments during the footage, in a letter sent to the Senate committee. Republican politician Lamar Alexander said he still intends to vote in favour of confirming Mr Puzder to the role, telling Politico: That happened 27 years ago. His former wife has said it was all not true. She has reiterated that in a heartfelt letter to members of the committee and has been willing to talk to members of the committee so I dont think thats an issue. President Trumps choice of cabinet picks has been shrouded in controversy. A number of controversial nominees are still awaiting confirmation. In addition to Mr Puzder President Trumps pick for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has been subject to fierce criticism and protests, amid claims she lacks experience or interest in education policy. The billionaire philanthropist has never attended a public school or worked in one and is a strong advocate of controversial voucher schemes. In a highly unusual move, two Republican Senators refused to support her confirmation, however the party still had enough votes to pass it despite their dissent. The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Senator Jeff Sessions has also proved controversial since he was selected by President Trump to be Attorney General. Mr Sessions has been accused of racial bias against African Americans, which he has strongly denied. During confirmation hearings, protesters shouted slogans in a bid to disrupt proceedings, at times accusing him of harbouring fascist sympathies. However, Mr Sessions received sufficient backing from fellow senators for his nomination to be approved. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump may be a world-class narcissist, but he does not display signs of having narcissistic personality disorder, according to the psychiatrist who wrote the criteria that defines the disorder. Professor Allen Frances, the psychiatrist who wrote the defining clinical characteristics for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) said the President does not meet them, and warned against labelling Mr Trump as mentally ill. In a letter to the New York Times, Professor Frances said that such psychiatric name-calling is a stigmatising insult to the mentally ill (who are mostly well behaved and well meaning) to be lumped with Mr. Trump (who is neither). He may be a world-class narcissist, but this doesnt make him mentally ill, because he does not suffer from the distress and impairment required to diagnose mental disorder, he said. According to Psychology Today, to which Professor Frances contributes, NPD is indicated by five or more of the following symptoms: Exaggerates own importance Is preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence or ideal romance Believes he or she is special and can only be understood by other special people or institutions Requires constant attention and admiration from others Has unreasonable expectations of favourable treatment Takes advantage of others to reach his or her own goals Disregards the feelings of others, lacks empathy Is often envious of others or believes other people are envious of him or her Shows arrogant behaviours and attitudes Psychology Today notes that 50-75 per cent of the people diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder are male. It also warns that it is common for many adolescents to display the characteristics listed above but says this does not indicate that they will later develop narcissistic personality disorder. Professor Frances, who is currently professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Duke University Medical College, finished his letter with a withering verdict on Mr Trumps cognitive impetuses and indicated that challenging the Presidents mental health would be unproductive. The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters He wrote: His psychological motivations are too obvious to be interesting, and analysing them will not halt his headlong power grab. The antidote to a dystopic Trumpean dark age is political, not psychological. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Republicans have joined Democrats' calls for an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn's links with Russia. Mr Flynn resigned less than a month after taking office over revelations he had spoken to a Russian diplomat about US sanctions before Donald Trump took office. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said it is "highly likely" the Senate intelligence committee will investigate Mr Flynn's discussions. "I think the fundamental question for us is what is our involvement in it, and who ought to look at it," the Mr McConnell said, CNN reports. "And the intelligence committee is already looking at Russian involvement in our election. As Senator [Roy] Blunt has already indicated, it is highly likely they will want to take look at this episode as well. They have the broad jurisdiction to do it." Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser over Russia row Roy Blunt, a Republican member of the Senate intelligence committee, has pledged to investigate the issue "exhaustively". "I think everybody needs that investigation to happen," Mr Blunt told KTRS radio. He said the Senate intelligence committee had "been given the principal responsibility to look into this, and I think that we should look into it exhaustively so that at the end of this process, nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned, and shouldnt reach conclusions before you have the information that you need to have to make those conclusions. The Senate's second-ranking Republican, John Cornyn, who called for an investigation into Mr Trump's ties to Russia before Mr Flynn resigned, said Senate standing committees with intelligence oversight need to investigate Mr Flynn. Senator John McCain was also critical of the administration, calling Mr Flynn's resignation a "troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus". He added: General Flynns resignation also raises further questions about the Trump administrations intentions toward Vladimir Putins Russia, including statements by the president suggesting moral equivalence between the United States and Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, threats to our Nato allies, and attempted interference in American elections." The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Show all 9 1 /9 The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the media White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer takes questions during the daily press briefing Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Union leaders applaud US President Donald Trump for signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations during a meeting in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington DC. Mr Trump issued a presidential memorandum in January announcing that the US would withdraw from the trade deal Getty The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Mexico wall A US Border Patrol vehicle sits waiting for illegal immigrants at a fence opening near the US-Mexico border near McAllen, Texas. The number of incoming immigrants has surged ahead of the upcoming Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pledged to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. A signature campaign promise, Mr Trump outlined his intention to build a border wall on the US-Mexico border days after taking office Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and abortion US President Donald Trump signs an executive order as Chief of Staff Reince Priebus looks on in the Oval Office of the White House. Mr Trump reinstated a ban on American financial aide being granted to non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counseling, provide abortion referrals, or advocate for abortion access outside of the United States Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the Dakota Access pipeline Opponents of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines hold a rally as they protest US President Donald Trump's executive orders advancing their construction, at Columbus Circle in New York. US President Donald Trump signed executive orders reviving the construction of two controversial oil pipelines, but said the projects would be subject to renegotiation Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and 'Obamacare' Nancy Pelosi who is the minority leader of the House of Representatives speaks beside House Democrats at an event to protect the Affordable Care Act in Los Angeles, California. US President Donald Trump's effort to make good on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the healthcare law failed when Republicans failed to get enough votes. Mr Trump has promised to revisit the matter Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Donald Trump and 'sanctuary cities' US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January threatening to pull funding for so-called "sanctuary cities" if they do not comply with federal immigration law AP The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and the travel ban US President Donald Trump has attempted twice to restrict travel into the United States from several predominantly Muslim countries. The first attempt, in February, was met with swift opposition from protesters who flocked to airports around the country. That travel ban was later blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The second ban was blocked by a federal judge a day before it was scheduled to be implemented in mid-March SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images The controversial orders Donald Trump has already issued Trump and climate change US President Donald Trump sought to dismantle several of his predecessor's actions on climate change in March. His order instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to reevaluate the Clean Power Plan, which would cap power plant emissions Shannon Stapleton/Reuters However, many Republicans stopped short of calling for an independent investigation into their president or his administration. Several Senate Republicans insisted the Intelligence Committee could look into Mr Flynn's discussions as part of an existing probe into Russia's interference in the presidential election. The intelligence panel's chairman, Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, told reporters that "aggressive" oversight would continue "privately. We don't do that in public." Some House Republicans shrugged off Democrats' calls for an investigation entirely. Representative Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that the "real crime" is how Mr Flynn's phone conversations were leaked, echoing a complaint Mr Trump himself made on Twitter. Senator Rand Paul went so far as to counsel publicly against spending too much time investigating the White House. "I just don't think it's useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party," Mr Paul said in an appearance on Fox News Radio's Kilmeade and Friends. "We'll never even get started with doing the things we need to do like repealing Obamacare if we're spending our whole time having Republicans investigate Republicans. I think it makes no sense." 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 }} A US politician has said pregnant women are hosts whose bodies no longer belong to them once they are irresponsible enough to have sex. Justin Humphrey, an Oklahoma state legislator, has introduced a bill that would force women seeking an abortion to get written consent from the foetus' father. Justifying the proposed law change, the Republican said one of the breakdowns in our society is that men are excluded from these types of decisions. I understand that they feel like that is their body, he told The Intercept. I feel like it is a separate - what I call them is, is youre a host. And you know when you enter into a relationship youre going to be that host and so, you know, if you pre-know that then take all precautions and dont get pregnant. So thats where Im at. Im like, 'hey, your body is your body and be responsible with it. But after youre irresponsible then dont claim, well, I can just go and do this with another body, when youre the host and you invited that in.' The controversial bill states that no abortion shall be performed in this state without the written informed consent of the father of the foetus. Ohio legislator who wants to ban abortion has no idea why women would want to have abortions The only exceptions would be in cases where the father is already dead, the womans life is endangered, or the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. If it does become law, the bill would have very little chance of standing up in court after the US Supreme Court struck down a similar bill 20 years ago. Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Show all 23 1 /23 Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions An abortion rights activist holds placards outside of the US Supreme Court before the Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. The US Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Texas law placing a raft of restrictions on abortion clinics, handing a major victory to the "pro-choice" camp in the country's most important ruling on the divisive issue in a generation. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Pro-life activists pray on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Texas abortion provider Amy Hagstrom-Miller looks on as Nancy Northup, President of The Center for Reproductive Rights speaks to the media outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions An abortion rights activist holds placards outside of the US Supreme Court before the Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. The US Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Texas law placing a raft of restrictions on abortion clinics, handing a major victory to the "pro-choice" camp in the country's most important ruling on the divisive issue in a generation. Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Texas abortion provider Amy Hagstrom-Miller wipes a tear as she walks down the steps of the United States Supreme Court with Nancy Northup, President of The Center for Reproductive Rights on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Abortion rights activists Morgan Hopkins of Boston, left, and Alison Turkos of New York City, celebrate on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 27: Abortion rights activists Morgan Hopkins of Boston, left, and Alison Turkos of New York City, celebrate on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images) Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activist Morgan Hopkins of Boston, celebrates on the steps of the United States Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down one of the nation's toughest restrictions on abortion, a Texas law that women's groups said would have forced more than three-quarters of the state's clinics to close. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists embrace after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of a ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists embrace after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Pro-choice activist, Alissa Manzoeillo, of Washington, D.C. waits for rulings in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. A ruling is expected in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, a Texas case the places restrictions on abortion clinics, as well as rulings in the former Virginia Governor's corruption case and a gun rights case. Pete Marovich/Getty Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists cheer after the US Supreme Court struck down a Texas law placing restrictions on abortion clinics, outside of the Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. In a case with far-reaching implications for millions of women across the United States, the court ruled 5-3 to strike down measures which activists say have forced more than half of Texas's abortion clinics to close. Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. AFP/Getty Images Supreme Court strikes down abortion restrictions Abortion rights activists hold placards outside of the US Supreme Court ahead of an expected ruling on abortion clinic restrictions on June 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. AFP/Getty Images Mr Humphrey has since apologised to anyone who took offence to his comments, but stood by his description of pregnant women as hosts. Amanda Allen, senior state legislative counsel for the Center for Reproductive Rights, branded the proposed law change a new low for Oklahoma. 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 }} Nearly half of marriages in Japan are now sexless, according to a new survey. A record high of 47.2 per cent of married men and women told researchers from the Japan family planning association that they had not had sex for more than a month and did not expect that to change in the near future. The findings are likely to add to existing concerns in the east Asian country about long working hours and a low national birth rate. The association gathered responses from 655 married couples aged between 16 and 49 at the end of last year. The number of sexless marriages, using the group's definition, was up 2.6 percentage points from a previous poll in 2014, and had risen significantly from the 31.9 per cent recorded when it conducted its first survey of the nations bedroom habits in 2004. The tendency of being in a sexless marriage has increased further, Japanese media quoted the associations president, Kunio Kitamura, as saying. Among respondents, more than 22 per cent of women said they found sex troublesome. Japan has a worrying number of virgins Meanwhile, 35.2 per cent of men said that work left them too tired for intercourse a dramatic increase from 21.3 per cent in 2014. Smaller numbers said they had come to see their wives solely as family members rather than as sexual partners, or that their sex lives had fizzled out after the birth of a child. This is the first time over 30 per cent of men answered that they were too tired from work to have sex, Dr Kitamura said. Apart from improving working hours, there is also a need to review how people work. The implications of the study, however, are contentious. After a study by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research last year found a massive increase in the number of virgins in the country, some academics criticised the way the research was reported. Of 5,000 single people surveyed, the government department found 42 per cent of men and 44 per cent of women had never had sex. But Tomomi Yamaguchi, an associate professor of anthropology at Montana State University, questioned the claim that Japan was in the grip of a pathological loss of interest in sex in an interview with The Guardian last year, and pointed to similar trends in other countries, including Britain. While the British situation is largely blamed on unemployment, Japanese singletons are blamed for having a unique sometimes framed as exotic or pathological lack of interest in sex, marriage and procreation, she said, hinting that the way sociological trends in Japan were portrayed in the West could be influenced by racism. Instead of a unique societal quirk, experts suggest the levels of celibacy in Japan are likely to be caused by pressure to work long hours, leaving people exhausted and with little time for family or social lives. Japan has a serious problem with excessive overtime, to the extent that there is a term specifically for death from overwork usually by suicide or heart failure 'karoshi'. About 2,000 people every year die from karoshi suicides alone. Japan's female hunters Show all 16 1 /16 Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Fujiko Nagata carries her son Ryo as she removes the hide of a boar at her gutting station in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefectur Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Boar sausages are seen in a pan in the restaurant of hunter Fujiko Nagata in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Yasuyo Kitagawa drives into a forest to hunt for deer outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters A deer lies in a forest after being shot by a hunter outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Fujiko Nagata and her husband Izumi stand with their son Ryo in the kitchen of their restaurant in Hakusan, Ishikawa Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Fujiko Nagata and her husband Izumi walk in a forest looking for bear in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters A deer carcass hangs in a shed to drain in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunters Chiaki Kodama and Aoi Fukuno eat breakfast before their hunting trip in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunters Chiaki Kodama (R) and Aoi Fukuno drag a deer that Kodama shot through a forest outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Morning mist rises behind a hunting lodge in a forest outside Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Chiaki Kodama blows a deer whistle to attract animals in a forest outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Yasuyo Kitagawa holds her rifle as she waits for deer in a forest outside Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Yasuyo Kitagawa holds Chiro, the offspring of her hunting dog at her farm in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters The head of a boar lies in a bowl at hunter Fujiko Nagata's gutting station in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Chiaki Kodama guts a deer in a shed in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, Japan, Reuters Japan's female hunters Japan's female hunters Hunter Masami Hata shoots at a duck Reuters A lack of sex among married couples has been blamed for contributing to Japans low birth rate. Experts in the country have expressed concern over the prospect of long-term population decline and the potential economic fallout from a dwindling workforce. Given current trends, Japans fertility rate currently 1.4 children per woman is unlikely to rise to the 2.1 level needed to ensure the stability of its population. If things continue the way they are going, Japans population of 127 million is expected to drop to around 86 million by 2060. 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 }} CCTV images have emerged of a woman reported to be an alleged suspect in the "assassination" of Kim Jong-uns brother. The woman, who appears to be of Asian origin and wears a top with the letters "LOL" an acronym for "laugh out loud" printed across it, is suspected of being one of two female secret agents thought to have poisoned Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpula airport on Monday. Mr Kim was reportedly attacked by two women with poisoned needles as he waited to board a flight back to Macau, where he was living in exile. The CCTV images were released in local media following the arrest of a taxi driver who allegedly picked the two suspects up from the airport following the incident, prompting a search for the women, according to the Telegraph. An unnamed senior police official told the newspaper: We have already looked through the CCTV footage, hence we managed to arrest the taxi driver who had taken the two woman who carried out the assassination. The official reportedly added that the two women were believed to be Vietnamese, and that the taxi driver said they were thought to be agents of a foreign country, but would not speculate the validity of reports that they were hired by the North Korean leader to carry out the alleged murder. Malaysian police are now said to be searching for the two suspected Vietnamese agents, who are believed to still be in the country. Inside the daily life in North Korea Show all 19 1 /19 Inside the daily life in North Korea Inside the daily life in North Korea People reading a newspaper at the metro station Inside the daily life in North Korea Thoughts of the leaders on the tram. They have about a dozen of these on every tram, all with different thoughts Inside the daily life in North Korea Young people training for a big upcoming festival Inside the daily life in North Korea People at the Pyongyang's annual marathon Inside the daily life in North Korea Many stars on one of the trolleys in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea An intimidating poster in a primary school in North Korea. Inside the daily life in North Korea Solar panels installed on a street lamp. Inside the daily life in North Korea A poster on the window next to one of the venues we visited in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea Kids playing football next to the Arch of Triumph. After a while tourists were allowed to join, so some of us did Inside the daily life in North Korea Class in an educational center in Pyongyang (where people over 17 years old can attend any classes they choose after school, for free) Inside the daily life in North Korea People waving at me during the Pyongyang marathon Inside the daily life in North Korea People having a great time dancing at a public park Inside the daily life in North Korea A metro driver in a metro station in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea Fireworks to mark the birthday of the Eternal President Kim Il Sung on our last night in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea My wonderful tour guide at a public park Inside the daily life in North Korea One of the parks in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea A person rowing some boats for the day at a river in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea The National War Museum Inside the daily life in North Korea Public park in Pyongyang Several media reports have alleged that the two suspects may already be dead, but none appear to have specified the cause of their assumed death. The North Korean government has reportedly asked that a postmortem examination of the body does not take place a request that has been denied by Malaysian authorities. In the lead-up to his death, Mr Kim felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind, according to police official Fadzil Ahmat, and subsequently died in an ambulance on the way to hospital. 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 }} North Korea has demanded Malaysia immediately return the body of Kim Jong-nam - its leader Kim Jong-uns half-brother - following his apparent assassination. A post-mortem was reportedly performed at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, where Mr Kim was rushed after he collapsed in the Malaysian capital's International Airport en route to boarding a flight, police sources said. This took place despite North Korean objections about an autopsy taking place. However, the police sources added that, officials from the secretive communist state had been to the hospital and were coordinating with Malaysian authorities. CCTV shows woman arrested in connection with Kim Jong-nam murder wearing LOL t-shirt South Korea's National Assembly Intelligence Committee Chairman, Lee Cheol Woo, told a press briefing that Mr Kim was believed to have been poisoned, although the cause of death is yet to be confirmed. Mr Kim, who had not passed through airport security when he collapsed, was travelling to Macau, China. He was once thought of as the likely successor to his father Kim Jong-il, but after falling out of favour in 2001, he had been living in exile. He had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state. Instead, his half brother Kim Jong-un inherited the North Korean leadership on their father's passing 2011. Malaysian police have detained a woman holding Vietnamese travel papers in relation to the killing. Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch Show all 11 1 /11 Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch The North Korean leader inspects a missile launch from a safe distance Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch Kim Jong-un discusses plans with military leaders Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch A ballistic rocket of the type launched by the DPRK in defiance of UN sanctions Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch UN officials tracked two ballistic missile launches from North Korea on Friday 18 March Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch The Supreme Leader laughed with officials as the missiles were fired Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch Kim Jong-un was also pictured observing military exercises Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch Tanks fire missiles during military manoeuvres at an undisclosed location Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch The exercises are timed to coincide with military drills by the US and South Korea Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch As well as a tank-driving competition, amphibious craft carried out landing and anti-landing exercises Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch Including paramilitary reserves, the North Korean army is the largest in the world Kim Jong-un inspects military exercises and missile launch The Supreme Leader appeared pleased with the show of force Police said she was identified from CCTV footage at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. She was alone when she was apprehended. She was carrying documents bearing the name, Doan Thi Huong, Malaysian, officials said. It showed a May 1998 date of birth and birthplace of Nam Dinh, Vietnam, they added. Local media had earlier published a grainy CCTV image of a young woman wearing a white shirt with the letters "LOL" on the front. It is unclear whether this was the same woman. "Police are looking for a few others, all foreigners," Deputy Inspector-General Noor Rashid Ibrahim said, declining to give their nationalities or gender. 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 said he would "love" to see the US embassy move from its current home in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that critics say would destroy any hopes of a peace process. Relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem would represent a major break with US policy. The comments came as Mr Trump hosted the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Mr Trump has said repeatedly he supported the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem, despite warnings the move would violate international law. Earlier in January, US officials and Israeli Foreign Ministry sources said the incoming US ambassador to Israel could be based in Jerusalem, while the official embassy building remains in Tel Aviv. More follows... 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 }} Four out of five British expats fear they will have their automatic right to live abroad stripped from them after Brexit, a survey shows. The UK Government has consistently said it will not act unilaterally to guarantee the rights of three million EU citizens to remain in the UK until it has agreement that the EU 27 will do the same for the estimated 1.2 million Britons living elsewhere in Europe. But a poll of more than 5,000 UK nationals living in the EU showed that Theresa Mays policy of withholding guarantees to Europeans until reciprocal protections were provided for Britons was stoking fears in the expat community. More than a quarter of respondents listed retaining their right to reside in their adopted home country as their top concern. Brexit Bill backed: Theresa May allowed to start EU exit negotiations The survey follows last weeks Commons vote that gave the Government the green light to begin formal Brexit negotiations by triggering Article 50. The vast majority of the 5,170 Britons who responded to the survey, organised by the Brussels and Europe Lib Dems (Beld) group, resided in Spain and France. Melanie Marshall, who lives in Ireland but is British, said she feared her husband may be deported from Europe because of Brexit. She said: My husband is not an EU citizen. He is eligible to work here solely because I am an EU citizen. Non-EU spouses of non-EU citizens do not automatically get work permits here. Spouses of EU citizens are entitled to work regardless of their citizenship. Dave Chadwick, a 25-year-old British student in Paris, said he feared for his future employment prospects: I am studying for a masters degree in European history. Upon graduating I would like to work in either Belgium or Germany; I dont fancy spending over half my salary on renting a bedroom in London. 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 I fear that the future loss of my rights as an EU citizen may put off prospective employers. Catherine Bearder, Liberal Democrat MEP, said: The Conservative Brexit Government is playing fast and loose with the lives and families of Brits living elsewhere in the EU. It denied many of them a vote in the EU Referendum and now it is using them as bargaining chips. The survey recorded the responses of 5,170 British citizens, the vast majority of whom were not Liberal Democrat members, living in the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, between 7 and 22 January, 2017. 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 European Parliament has approved a landmark free trade deal with Canada. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) has been seven years in the making and its ratification is set to eliminate almost all trade tariffs between the European Union and Canada. But the deal has been mired in controversy over concerns it will undermine the EUs environmental, labour and consumer standards, with campaigners warning it will empower big business and destroy equality. MEPs overwhelmingly backed the deal with 408 in favour and 254 against. The EU has said that existing trade with Canada, which currently amounts to more than 60bn a year (51bn), will be boosted by 20 per cent. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the European Parliament building in Strasbourg ahead of the vote arguing the legislation will only benefit large multinational firms. But EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom moved to assure EU citizens the deal would not compromise the EUs decision making. She said approving the deal will not change food safety standards or any other EU requirements, only the EU institutions can do that. The EU has hailed the deal as a sign of international cooperation amid a creeping return of isolationist rhetoric. The agreement follows Donald Trumps pointed withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership on his first day in office, and has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on imports. With President Trump in the White House we see a clear change in US policy, said Marietje Schaake of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats who backed the deal in the European Parliament. Leadership for open economies and societies must come from us in Europe. We cannot imagine a better partner than Canada, the most European country outside the union. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who urged MEPs to ratify the deal, will address the European Parliament on Thursday. Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, described it as an important milestone and said EU companies and citizens will start to reap the benefits the agreement offers as soon as possible. Conservative MEPs also welcomed the result of the vote. Emma McClarkin, MEP for the East Midlands said the deal sets a standard the UK can follow post Bexit, and claimed it would benefit small businesses. She said: This is a great deal in terms of reducing barriers, improving access to markets, delivering for jobs and growth and making it easier for small businesses to trade in the Canadian market. But Mark Dearn, senior trade campaigner at anti-poverty charity War on Want, said though the deal had been approved, its future was far from certain due to legal hurdles and opposition from some EU countries. He also warned the deal leaves the UK with much to worry about in any future trade deals. He said: As a key EU committee has ruled, Ceta will worsen inequality and increase social tensions across the continent. Its secret negotiation process was used to bring tar sands oil into Europe for the first time, and it sets a new precedent for locking in the privatisation of public services like the NHS. Worse still, Cetas corporate court process destroys equality before the law and will give big business new powers to sue our government. The role of the UK Government on Ceta has been nothing short of appalling. It bypassed parliamentary scrutiny to sign us up to Ceta and has presented, at best, questionable claims on Cetas impacts on the UK which no one has ever seen. This leaves us with much to worry about in any future trade deals the Government negotiates, in particular with Donald Trumps USA. Laurens Ankersmit, a lawyer for environmental law organisation ClientEarth, warned the European Parliament had placed a greater value in business interests than a commitment to the rule of law. He added: Unfortunately, Ceta is not a progressive agreement. It offers businesses a great deal, including the ability to sue governments without any strings attached. There are no obligations for investors, the commitments in the environmental chapter are not enforceable and the exceptions clauses necessary to safeguard decision-making in the public interest are completely outdated. Why we should all go to Canada Show all 8 1 /8 Why we should all go to Canada Why we should all go to Canada The great outdoors You might spot a moose, for goodness' sake Mark Rowland/Flickr Why we should all go to Canada Road trips You can drive through some of the most incredible scenery MaxGag/Flickr Why we should all go to Canada Maple syrup It's available in almost any form, including maple taffy - heated syrup that's been dropped on to ice to cool and turned into a kind of chewy lollypop Marcio Cabral de Moura/Flickr Why we should all go to Canada Friendly Cities The likes of Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto are not only cool, but welcoming too Getty Images Why we should all go to Canada Arctic cruises You can float between icebergs - enough said Shutterstock Why we should all go to Canada Skiing and snowboarding Resorts such as Whistler are world class Getty Images Why we should all go to Canada Real winter Canada really embraces the cold, with everything from igloo raves to husky rides EveryDamnNameIsInUse/Flickr Why we should all go to Canada Wine They make a pretty good tipple here Nomade Moderne/Flickr Despite the conclusive vote, Ceta is not yet a done deal. The Netherlands still has the power to block the plan if it decides to hold an advisory national referendum on the agreement, and the country votes against it. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Prosecutors are investigating two people for allegedly fabricating an account of a mass sex attack by Arab migrants in Frankfurt. Claims that a sex rioting mob of around 50 men assaulted a group of women over the new year were reported by German tabloid Bild earlier this month. The report, which suggested the attackers lived at a refugee shelter in central Hasse, was widely re-circulated by right-wing news sites. In an article since taken down from its website, Bild interviewed a chef who runs a restaurant in Fressgass, a busy shopping district, as well as a 27-year-old woman. The chef alleged that dozens of Arab men came into his restaurant in, stole his customers' jackets and sexually assaulted multiple women. The 27-year-old female told the paper: They grabbed me under my skirt, between the legs and on my breast everywhere. Yet, police said on Tuesday they believed the allegations were completely baseless. One of the purported victims of the alleged attack was not in Frankfurt at the time of the purported crime, they said. Interviews with alleged witnesses, guests and employees led to major doubts with the version of events that had been presented, police told German daily Frankfurter Rundschau. One of the alleged victims was not even in Frankfurt at the time the allegations are said to have taken place. They concluded: Masses of refugees were not responsible for any sexual assaults in the Fressgass over New Year. The accusations are completely baseless. 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 No sexual assaults were reported to police from the the area over New Year before the Bild report, they said. Investigators were looking into whether the pair had made up the story. Bild's editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt issued an apology on behalf of the tabloid, writing in a tweet: We apologise for our own work. Ill shortly announce what Bild will do about it." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A German politician is under investigation for allegedly circulating a photo of Adolf Hitler and pleading for the Nazi leaders return. Elena Roon, the Alternative for Germanys (AfD) regional chair and parliamentary candidate in Nuremberg, is accused of sharing the image with fellow members of the populist party in a WhatsApp chat. Missed since 1945, the caption reportedly read. Adolf please get in touch! Germany needs you! The German people! Germany's AfD says Islam is not welcome Another image in the chat, seen by the Munchner Merkur newspaper, showed a cartoon of Hitler thinking: Islamists I forgot them! Party officials said they were treating the allegations very seriously, forming a panel to investigate Ms Roon, although it was unclear whether she would be removed as an election candidate. In a statement, she said she didnt want Hitler to return under any circumstances, admitting she posted the images but insisting she did not condone them. I distance myself from right-wing extremism and anti-Semitism, Ms Roon added. The controversy comes as the AfD moves to expel its leader in the region of Thuringia, after he provoked outrage in Germany for calling the Berlin Holocaust memorial a monument of shame. Bjorn Hocke called on Germans to take a more positive attitude towards their history in a speech last month, calling them a brutally defeated people who should stop attempts to atone for Nazi crimes. Party leaders voted by the necessary two-thirds majority to open expulsion proceedings against Mr Hocke on Monday. Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Show all 13 1 /13 Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Women protest against sexism outside Cologne Cathedral on 5 January after the assaults Oliver Berg/EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Women protest against sexism in Cologne following the rash of sex attacks on New Year's Eve Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police initially failed to mention the assaults in report the following morning EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police officers patrol in front of the main station of Cologne, Germany AP Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks German far-right supporters demonstrate at Cologne`s train station (Reuters) Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016. Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police used pepper spray to control supporters of Pegida, Hogesa (Hooligans against Salafists) and other right-wing populist groups as they protested against the New Year's Eve sex attacks on 9 January, 2016 in Cologne, Germany Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police use a water cannon during a protest march by supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016 Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Police use pepper spray against supporters of anti-immigration right-wing movement Pegida, in Cologne, Germany, January 9, 2016. Reuters Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Artist Mira Moire protests naked in Cologne against the mass sex attacks on New Year's Eve AP Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks A demonstrator holds a sign in German that reads 'No violence against women' during a demonstration in the wake of the sexual assaults on New Year's Eve, outside the cathedeal in Cologne, Germany, 09 January 2016. EPA Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Counter demonstrators hold up a sign reading "Against sexism, against racism" as they protest against a demonstration of the islamophobic movement PEGIDA at the train station in Cologne, Germany, on January 9, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Germany reacts to Cologne New Year's Eve attacks Demonstration by a womens group on Saturday (AP) AP This is the conclusion of a process that has been going on for some time, Frauke Petry, the partys national co-leader said, accusing her rival of overstepping the mark of what is democratically tolerable. We think that this step was necessary because, in such an important election year, the party must be united. Mr Hocke said he regretted the leaderships decision but was confident about the proceedings. I am convinced that I violated neither the statute nor the principles of the party, he added. The move to expel him is being seen as an attempt at damage control as the AfD campaigns for Germanys national election in September, where it hopes to enter the Bundestag for the first time. In its short four-year history, the nationalist party has swung right from its original Eurosceptic ambitions to become known for its vehemently anti-immigration stance during the refugee crisis. Immigration concerns and fears following a string of Isis-inspired terror attacks in Germany have stoked the partys popularity, seeing it make unprecedented gains in last years local elections. Critics have highlighted individual AfD members alleged connections the far-right and xenophobic, Islamophobic and homophobic statements. Its rise comes as Angela Merkel faces her toughest battle yet to be re-elected as Chancellor for a fourth term amid criticism of her decision to open Germanys borders to refugees in 2015 and security failings. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Nato's chief has said the military alliance would be concerned if reports that Russia has violated a Cold War-era treaty by deploying a cruise missile prove true. US intelligence agencies have assessed that the ground-launched cruise missile became operational late last year, possibly violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty on the development and testing of cruise missiles. The treaty bans American and Russian intermediate-range missiles based on land. 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 Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said "compliance with arms control agreements is of great importance and especially when it comes to treaties covering nuclear weapons." He said "any non-compliance of Russia with the INF Treaty would be a serious concern for the alliance." His remarks in Brussels came before chairing the first meeting of Nato defence ministers with US Defence Secretary James Mattis. On Tuesday, the New York Times said US officials had said the Russians have two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile. One is still located at Russias missile test site at Kapustin Yar in the countrys southeast, the paper reported. Trump said he does have a relationship with Putin in 2013 The latest report came as the Trump administration is dealing with the impact of the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn. The former general was obliged to stand down after he misled officials about the details of a telephone conversation he had with the Russian Ambassador to the US before Mr Trump took office. A month ago, the acting attorney general told Mr Trumps senior officials that Mr Flynn may be vulnerable to blackmail as a result of the conversation. 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 }} Four Russian warplanes have buzzed a US Navy ship in an unsafe and unprofessional manner in the Black Sea, the Pentagon has said. The flybys happened on 10 February as the USS Porter was returning from an exercise with the Romanian navy. An armed Russian Su-24, a supersonic attack aircraft, flew within 200 yards of the ship last week, reports NBC News. The jet was travelling at more than 575mph, at an altitude of just 300 feet. In a separate incident, two further unarmed SU-24s came to within 300 yards of the destroyer. A Russian IL-38, an anti-submarine aircraft, also flew close at an unusually low altitude. The US Navy tried to contact the planes by radio, but there was no response, two defence officials told the news channel. US Navy video shows close pass by Russian warplane All the Russian warplanes were flying without their responders, the officials said, making it harder to identify them and increasing the risk of an accident. Lt Col David Faggard, a US European Command spokesman, said: Incidents like this are concerning because a miscommunication could turn into an accident or miscalculation. In 2016, asked about a Russian fighter jet barrel-rolling next to a US ship, Donald Trump suggested the Navy has gotta shoot if Vladimir Putin ignored calls to stop. A Russian spy ship has also been spotted patrolling off the east coast of the US on 14 February. The boat stopped at Cuba, before making its way north in international waters. It is expected to head back to the Caribbean island, reports CBS News. 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 Italian police officers hailed as heroes after they shot dead Berlin market attacker Anis Amri have been exposed as having fascist tendencies and will no longer be honoured for their actions. Luca Scata shot and killed Isis-inspired Amri, then Europes most wanted man, in December together with his colleague Christian Movio, leading to instant global acclaim for both. Both mens Facebook profiles suggest far-right leanings, with Mr Scata posing in an apparent Nazi salute and Mr Movio posting a picture of Hitler with the words, thanks Bro! beneath it. Der Bild carried the headline Doubtful heroes in its article about the posts, which have since been deleted from both men's profiles. Tunisian-born bogus asylum-seeker Amri hijacked a lorry which he ploughed into a crowded Christmas market, killing 12 including the truck driver and injuring dozens more. After German police initially arrested the wrong man, the killer is believed to have fled to Italy via the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Amri opened fire when the two policemen apprehended him in Milan, wounding Mr Movio,29, before Mr Scata, 36, gunned him down. Mr Scata had only just joined the police force as a trainee at the time, and his Facebook page was flooded with praise for his actions, while the Milanese force hailed them as extraordinary young men. According to the Bild both police officers were set to be honoured with the federal Cross of Merit the highest civilian award for bravery but plans have been shelved following the expose of their political views. On April 25 last year, the anniversary of the liberation of Italys liberation from fascist dictator and Hitler ally Mussolini, Mr Scata posted an obituary notice on his site which said: Not all have committed treason. Many decided to stay true to the flag and to give their lives for it. I belong to this Italy, to those Italians who have not committed treason and who have not surrendered. He made other posts praising Italian fascism as a movement while Mr Movio also reportedly posted racist comments, saying he was delighted to have received a Coke bottle with Adolf inscribed on it. Stephan Mayer of the Christian Social Union party, which governs Germany in coalition with Angelka Merkel's CDU, told Der Bild: The Federal Government's decision to give no medals these two police officers is absolutely right because of their apparent neo-fascist attitudes. 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 said he would "love" to see the US embassy move from its current home in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that critics say would destroy any hopes of a peace process in the region. The comments came as Mr Trump hosted the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. He told reporters during a joint news conference: I'd love to see that happen, we're looking at that very, very strongly, we're looking at that with great care, and we'll see what happens. Relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem would represent a major break with US policy. Mr Trump has said repeatedly he supported the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem, despite warnings the move would violate international law. Earlier in January, US officials and Israeli Foreign Ministry sources said the incoming US ambassador to Israel could be based in Jerusalem, while the official embassy building remains in Tel Aviv. Relocating the embassy to Jerusalem would be seen as a provocative move by Mr Trump's critics as the city is claimed by both the Israelis and Palestinians as their capital. The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child Israel annexed east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War. The move has not been recognised by the international community. Mr Trump also used the audience with reporters at the White House today to say he was open to a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Asked whether the US would continue its policy of support for a Jewish and Palestinian state, he said: "I'm looking at two state and one state and I like the one that both parties like." 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 14-year-old girl has been beaten and detained for wearing ripped jeans in Iran in the latest incident of police brutality against women and girls. Zahra*, who The Independent is not identifying for fear she may suffer reprisals, was celebrating her birthday with friends last week when a patrol of morality police pulled up. The teenager said officers tried to force her and her friends into their car in the city of Shiraz, beating them when they resisted. Photos of injuries suffered by a 14-year-old girl at the hands of morality police in Iran There were two women and two men in a huge van and they pushed us into it with the force of their beatings, she recalled. Their objection was to the ripped jeans that we were wearing. There were really no other issues concerning my friends and I. Zahra and the other girls were released after being made to sign written pledges that they would not wear the trousers again and adhere to Irans strict interpretation of modest dress codes in the future. I still carry the bruises sustained from their beatings on my face, she said. I still feel their pressure on my arm and my ribs still hurt. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, her mother described the ordeal as the worst day of my life, as if the world has ended for me. I know my daughter feels the same, she added, recalling how she helplessly followed the morality police car to the station. Zahras mother, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, said male officers had threatened the girls with pepper spray to get them into the car, while female officers hit them and pulled their hair. An Iranian policewoman (left) warns a woman about her clothing and hair during a crackdown to enforce Islamic dress code in Tehran (Getty) (Getty Images) It was unbelievable, she added. When I entered the room, they were saying that these girls are not children any more and should wear proper clothes. Signs of bruises are still visible all over her body. My daughter and her friends were wearing ordinary clothes, it was just that they were wearing ripped jeans. Masih Alinejad, who runs the My Stealthy Freedom rights campaign for Iranian women, said many others had gone through similar experiences. In the 21st century it is shameful to hear that a government makes decisions on how women should dress, she added. There are many women sharing stories showing that they got lashes just because of attending a mixed party with men or dancing with men at a birthday party. Ms Alinejad, who left Iran in 2009 and now works as a journalist in New York, called on female politicians in her home country to fight discriminatory laws on Islamic dress codes. Rules are enforced by thousands of visible and undercover religious or morality police, who patrol the streets to check for violations. Women found to have their hair or bodies inadequately covered can be publicly admonished, warned, fined or even arrested, while vigilantes are also active. The countries with anti-women laws Show all 5 1 /5 The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws The countries with anti-women laws Iranians attempting to resist the draconian enforcement patrols started a phone app called Gershad to report their locations last year, but authorities in Tehran went on to deploy a new unit of 7,000 officers. The internet has increasingly moved into the firing line for the countrys government, which claims to base its legal code on Islamic sharia law. There have also been frequent crackdowns on social media, with several women arrested last year for sharing vulgar photos on Instagram, including one who was made to issue a public apology on state television. Travel advice issued to British citizens by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office urges visitors to respect Irans traditions and laws, while ensuring actions do not offend. It recommends that women wear headscarves in public places, along with trousers or full-length skirts and long-sleeved tunics and coats. Relationships between non-Muslim men and Muslim women are also illegal in Iran and punishable by whipping (for the women), although few Westerners have been prosecuted. Homosexuality, adultery and sex outside of marriage are also against Iranian law and can carry the death penalty, while access to Western womens magazines and films is strictly controlled. Alcohol is also strictly forbidden, with exceptions covering religious minorities but not foreigners, although secret drinking is relatively widespread. The Iranian embassy in London could not be reached for comment. *not her real name 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 Iraqi armed forces will eventually capture west Mosul, which is still held by Isis fighters, but the city itself will be destroyed in the fighting, a senior Iraqi politician has told The Independent in an interview. Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurdish leader who until last year was the Iraqi finance minister and prior to that the countrys long-serving foreign minister, says that Isis will fight to the last man in the densely-packed urban districts it still holds. I think west Mosul will be destroyed, says Mr Zebari, pointing to the high level of destruction in east Mosul just taken by government forces. He explains that Isis is able to put up such stiff resistance by skilful tactics using networks of tunnels, sniper teams and suicide bombers in great numbers. He adds that no date has yet been set for the resumption of the Iraqi government offensive into west Mosul, but he expects the fighting to be even tougher than before. A further reason for fanatical resistance by Isis is that Mr Zebari is certain that the Isis leader and self-declared Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is still in west Mosul and reports of him being killed or injured in an air strike elsewhere in Iraq are incorrect. He says that Isis sector commanders in the city are experienced professional soldiers, all of whom were once officers in Saddam Husseins Republican Guard or Special Forces, and will fight effectively to defend their remaining stronghold in the larger part of the city that is to the west of the Tigris River. The elite Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Services, led by the 10,000-strong Golden Division, had expected to take the whole of Mosul, once a city of two million people, by the end of 2016. But ferocious resistance by some 3,000 Isis fighters on the east bank of the Tigris meant that this part of the city was only captured after three months of fighting with heavy loss of life on all sides, especially among civilians. Air strikes destroy Islamic State drone base in Mosul Mr Zebari, who originally comes from Mosul, describes the present situation in the city as horrible and a shambles, even in those parts of it that Iraqi government forces have captured, though not fully occupied and secured. There are Isis sleeper cells with maybe 16 to 24 men in each district which come out of hiding and kill people who are cooperating with the government, he says. They target restaurants which have reopened and serve soldiers. There has also been a complete failure by the government to restore basic services like electricity and water supply. Asked about casualties, Mr Zebari said those on the Iraqi security forces side had been heavy, but the government in Baghdad has refused to produce exact figures. US reports say that some units of the Golden Division, which is a sort of highly trained army within the army, had suffered up to 50 per cent losses. He discounts official Iraqi claims that 16,000 Isis fighters had been killed, saying that the real figure was probably between 1,500 and 2,000 Isis dead out of a total of 6,000 in Mosul. He thought that they had brought in reinforcements and there were probably 4,000 Isis fighters left who would defend west Mosul, which is home to about 750,000 people. This account is borne out by other reports from in and around east Mosul where this week two suicide bombers attacked a market, killing twelve and wounding 33 people. Mortars and rockets fired by Isis are still exploding and the main water system was destroyed in fighting in January. Pictures show cavernous craters reportedly caused by bombs dropped by US Air Force B-52s to aid the Iraqi army advance. People who fled Mosul at the height of the fighting and have been returning to it are often leaving again. The UN says that it is worried by arbitrary arrests of displaced people as possible Isis sympathisers and records that on 8 and 9 February some 1,442 came back to east Mosul, but 791 left for displacement camps. Despite the Iraqi security forces focus on weeding out Isis supporters and sleeper cells, Mr Zebari says that this does not provide real security because travel documents can be bought from corrupt security officers for 25,000 Iraqi dinars (17). Drivers on Iraqi roads have confirmed to The Independent that the main concern of checkpoints is not security, but to extract bribes from passing vehicles. This would explain how Isis suicide bombers driving vehicles packed with explosives are able to pass through multiple checkpoints before detonating explosives in civilian areas in Baghdad or other cities. In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty Mr Zebari notes that rivalry between the US and Iran in Iraq is increasing under President Donald Trump, with the latter slow to call the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and making US help conditional on a reduction in Iranian influence. During the US presidential election campaign, Mr Trump claimed that Iran had taken over Iraq. There is also growing friction between the different Shia parties and movements that Mr Zebari says makes inter-Shia fighting imminent. Mr Zebaris prediction that Mosul will be destroyed as a city by the next wave of fighting is all too likely because the last three years in Iraq and Syria have seen deepening sectarian and ethnic hatred. This was greatly fostered by Isis massacres, primarily of Shia and Yazidis but also of its other opponents. There is an ominous precedent for what may happen in Mosul because other Sunni cities and towns up and down Iraq have been wrecked or rendered uninhabitable by government counter-offensives since 2014. Some 70 per cent of the houses in Ramadi, the capital of the overwhelmingly Sunni Anbar province, are in ruins or are badly damaged. Even where many houses are still standing, as in Fallujah 40 miles west of Baghdad, the people who come back to them have to live without electricity, water, jobs or medical care. In practice, the Shia-dominated Iraqi government wants to break the back of Sunni resistance to its rule so it will never be capable of rising again. 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 United Arab Emirates has announced an ambitious new project to create livable environments on Mars within the next 100 years. The Mars 2117 Project was unveiled earlier this week in Dubai by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who rules the emirate. The landing of people on other planets has been a longtime dream for humans. Our aim is that the UAE will spearhead international efforts to make this dream a reality, he said. India launched 104 satellites into space on one mission The new project is a seed that we plant today, and we expect future generations to reap the benefits, driven by its passion to learn to unveil a new knowledge, Sheikh Mohammed added. The country has already invested $5.4 billion (4.3 billion) it its space agency, created in 2014, which was originally proposed as a Pan-Arab Space Agency similar to Europes. What will a home on Mars look like? It works in partnership with the National Centre of Space Studies of France and the UK Space Agency. The Red Planet is one of its focus areas: the UAEs first mission to the planet, Mars Hope, is due to launch in 2021. If successful it will be the first Arab probe sent into space. Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures The MAVEN spacecraft orbiting Mars EPA Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures Nasa finds flowing water on Mars - in pictures The Mars 2117 project will begin with an Emirati team of scientists before expanding internationally, a statement said. Over the coming decades it will explore how to travel to the planet faster, as well as how to meet human needs for food, transport and energy on Earths neighbour. The ambitious project announcement was made at Dubais fifth annual World Government Summit, which brings together prominent leaders from the public and private sectors, as well as international thought leaders and pioneers. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At least 18 civilians have been killed in US-led air strikes in Afghanistans restive Helmand province, a UN inquiry has found. A statement said that strikes targeting the Taliban last Thursday and Friday near Sanjin had been conducted by international military forces, but only US aircraft have been involved in recent coalition strikes, according to military officials. Family members of victims at the regional hospital in Helmand's capital, Lashkar Gah, demanded explanations for the deaths - the first reported civilian casualties caused by US forces in Afghanistan since US President Donald Trump took office last month. Afghanistan: Fifteen years since US-led invasion How could women and children be Taliban? Majnoon, a resident of Sangin, who said 11 people were killed in his brother's house in a strike on Thursday, told Reuters news agency. [The UN] reiterates the need for all parties to the conflict to strictly adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law to take all feasible measures to protect civilians from harm, a statement said. Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Show all 16 1 /16 Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2001 Afghans at the Killi Faizo refugee camp desperately reach for bags of rice being handed out to the thousands who escaped the bombardment in southern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. (Chaman, Pakistan, December 4, 2001) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2002 Mahbooba stands against a bullet-ridden wall, waiting to be seen at a medical clinic. The seven-year-old girl suffers from leishmaniasis, a parasitical infection. (Kabul, March 1, 2002) All photos Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2003 A mother and her two children look out from their cave dwelling. Many families who, fleeing the Taliban, took refuge inside caves adjacent to Bamiyans destroyed ancient Buddha statues now have nowhere else to live. (Bamiyan, November 19, 2003) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Students recite prayers in a makeshift outdoor classroom in the Wakhan Corridor, a mountainous region in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from India and Pakistan. (Northeastern Afghanistan, September 2, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Bodybuilders in the 55-60 kg category square off during a regional bodybuilding competition. Many Afghan men, like others around the world, feel that a macho image of physical strength is important. (Kabul, August 6, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2008 A woman in a white burqa enjoys an afternoon with her family feeding the white pigeons at the Blue Mosque. (Mazar-e-Sharif, March 8, 2008) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Addicts inject heroin while trying to keep warm inside the abandoned Russian Cultural Center, which the capital citys addicts use as a common gathering point. Heroin is readily available, costing about one dollar a hit. (Kabul, February 9, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 An elderly man holds his granddaughter in their tent at a refugee camp after they were forced to flee their village, which US and NATO forces had bombed because, they claimed, it was a Taliban hideout. (Surobi, Nangarhar Province, February 7, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Seven-year-old Attiullah, a patient at Mirwais Hospital, stands alongside an X ray showing the bullet that entered his back, nearly killing him. Attiullah was shot by US forces when he was caught in a crossfire as he was herding sheep. (Kandahar, October 13, 2009). Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 US Army Sargeant Jay Kenney (right), with Task Force Destiny, helps wounded Afghan National Army soldiers exit a Blackhawk helicopter after they have been rescued in an air mission. (Kandahar, December 12, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 An Afghan National Army battalion marches back to barracks at the Kabul Military Training Center. (Kabul, October 4, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Eid Muhammad, seventy, lives in a house with a view overlooking the hills of Kabul. He and millions of other Afghans occupy land and housing without possessing formal deeds to them. (Kabul, November 21, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Razima holds her two-year-old son, Malik, while waiting for medical attention at the Boost Hospital emergency room. (Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, June 23, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Young women cheer as they attend a rally for the Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. (Kabul, April 1, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Burqa-clad women wait to vote after a polling station runs out of ballots. (Kabul, April 5, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2015 Relatives, friends, and womens rights activists grieve at the home of Farkhunda Malikzada, who was killed by a mob in the center of Kabul. Farkhunda was violently beaten and set on fire after a local cleric accused her of burning a Quran. (Kabul, March 22, 2015) Paula Bronstein Civilian casualties from both US and Afghan air strikes increased dramatically last year, according to the UNs most recent report on threats to civilians. 2016 was the bloodiest year in the last 15 for Afghan civilians, leaving 11,418 dead, largely due to an increase in Taliban and Isis activity. Seven civilians died in a suicide bomb attack carried out by the Taliban in Lashkar Gar on Saturday. US Brigadier General Charles Cleveland said that around 30 strikes had been carried out in Afghanistan in the last seven days. The US has opened an investigation into the alleged deaths. Hundreds of Nato-led troops are present in Helmand to assist Afghan security forces in their war against Taliban insurgents. American aircraft and special forces have also provided combat support. Reuters 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 }} The US' apparent shift in stance on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "doesn't make sense," Palestinian leaders have said. "If the Trump administration rejects this policy it would be destroying the chances for peace and undermining American interests, standing and credibility abroad," Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said on Wednesday. The remarks come after an official in US President Donald Trump's administration said that the new president was keen to broker a peace deal in the intractable conflict, but that peace may not come in the form of a two-state solution. A two-state solution that doesnt bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve. Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution, if thats what the parties want, or something else," a senior official told reporters on condition of anonymity. Barack Obama uses final interview as President to slam Israeli policy on settlements If thats what the parties want, were going to help them. Were not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be. The Palestinian Authority said it has not received any official notification that US policy has changed. Nonetheless, the apparent shift, on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first official visit to the Trump White House, marks a dramatic change from the views of Mr Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama. Mr Obama's administration believed there was no alternative path forward in the Middle East peace process, and was critical of steps it believed endangered a two-state solution, such as Israeli settlement building over the 1967 Green Line. Successive US administrations have for decades supported a two state solution. Mr Trump, however, positioned himself as an unwavering ally of Israel on the campaign trail, and has not swayed from that stance since entering office. Mr Netanyahu will visit the White House for talks with the president before meeting both Republican and Democrat lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Mr Trump's election was by and large welcomed in Israel. One senior politician said the country once again "had a friend in the White House". Several bold moves from the Israeli government, including the announcement of more than 11,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and legislation retroactively legalising 'outpost' Jewish homes built on private Palestinian land, are thought to have been encouraged by Mr Trump's entry into the White House. 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 shadow of Donald Trump hung over Natos summit in Brussels, taking place in one of the most uncertain and turbulent times faced by the alliance in recent decades and amid deep anxiety over the new US Presidents commitment to his Western partners and the nature of his links with Vladimir Putin. With Mr Trumps past dismissal of Nato as obsolete and the fresh revelation that his national security adviser, Lt Gen Michael Flynn, had held clandestine talks with the Russian ambassador to the US, the alliance was seeking reassurance from Mr Trumps Defence Secretary, Gen James Mattis, about the future. The General initially provided this, saying the right things publicly upon his arrival in Brussels. Nato, he said remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community ... It is the most successful military alliance in history. But then, in a meeting behind closed doors, he issued a stark warning that the US will moderate its commitment to Nato unless member states put more money into defence. The message was meant to be loud and clear: in a highly unusual move, American officials circulated Gen Mattiss intervention to the international media. The Defence Secretary bluntly stated: I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States and to state the fair demand from my countrys people in concrete terms. America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to the alliance, each of your capitals needs to show its support for our common defence. No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defence of Western values. Americans cannot care more for your childrens security than you do. Disregard for military readiness demonstrates a lack of respect for ourselves, for the alliance and for the freedoms we inherited, which are now clearly threatened. Previous US administrations had repeatedly asked the rest of Nato to put more resources into defence, but under President Trump there is more menace about the repercussions of failing to do so. He had said during the election campaign: Nato is costing us a fortune and, yes, were spending a lot of money ... Many countries have not fulfilled their obligations to us. He intended, he stated, to change all that. Only four Nato member states UK, Estonia, Poland and Greece spend the minimum of 2 per cent of the GDP on defence that Nato had set as its benchmark. But the figure is open to contentious interpretation. The prestigious London based think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) claimed on Wednesday that the UK has actually fallen behind the 2 per cent figure. This was refuted by the British Government, which enlisted Natos figures in its defence. But it is not just numbers that were of concern to the assembled of Nato. They are aware that Mr Flynns secret conversations with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, had involved lifting sanctions imposed on Russia over the annexation of Crimea and intervention in Ukraines civil war the only real punitive action available to the alliance without resorting to arms. They are also aware that Mr Trump had known about this for while without doing anything about it. Today on Twitter, the US President quoted from a news article that Mr Flynn had been a victim of a political assassination. Gen Mattis responded testily to questions about Mr Flynn: Heres the bottom line, ladies and gentlemen. Im brought in to be the Secretary of Defence. I give the President advice on the use of military force. I maintain good relations, strong relations ... and so military-to-military relations with other ministries of defence around the world. And frankly, this has no impact. Obviously, I havent changed what Im heading there for. It doesn't change my message at all. And whos on the Presidents staff is who I will work with. The two men have history. Gen Mattis had led an investigation for three years into unauthorised disclosures of classified information allegedly made by Lt Gen Flynn. It found that Mr Flynn had shared classified information with various foreign military officers and, or officials in Afghanistan without proper authorisation. It is believed that the information was about CIA operations. Mr Flynn was not disciplined for the incident, however, as it was decided the disclosures were made unknowingly and had not damaged national security. He later became head of the Defence Intelligence Agency but was sacked by Barack Obama due to alleged mismanagement. Last November, Mr Flynn was reported to have personally crossed Gen Mattiss name off a list of candidates for national security posts in the Trump administration. Mr Mattis got the job as Defence Secretary and Mr Flynn has now been forced to resign after his Russian liaison became known. Nato ministers do not know, however, what will happen next in President Trumps court and how it will impact on the defence of the West. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wanted to stress: At no time since the end of the Cold War have we faced greater challenges to our security. Neither Europe nor North America can effectively deal with this on their own; our alliance is as much needed as ever, Nato is good for Europe, and it is good for North America. We are all safer when we stand together. The feeling among diplomats and ministers here is that Gen Mattis may agree with this, but no one knows what President Trump will do: the future vista from this landmark summit is one shrouded in uncertainty and trepidation. 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 }} Drinking was encouraged on the job, says Paige Hall, recalling her summer as a hostess on the notorious Magaluf strip. I guess it made us more confident and flirtatious with tourists. Hall was 19 when she and her friend Alex Serruys, both from Norwich, flew to the controversial Spanish resort for a season working in its Brit-packed bars. Synonymous with binge-drinking, package holidays and sex, they found Magaluf more than lived up to its reputation. Theres just so much going on, says Serruys, now 23. Drugs, alcohol, the atmosphere. Hundreds of girls with their boobs and bums out. Brits abroad - Magaluf Show all 10 1 /10 Brits abroad - Magaluf Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Brits abroad - Magaluf Magaluf Getty Drugs, mainly cocaine and ecstasy, were passed around like sweets, says Hall, stressing that she and Serruys never took any themselves. The vodka tasted so cheap, says Serruys, it was like glass in your throat. Their uniforms were as basic as youd expect: crop tops and hot pants for girls working inside bars, and bikinis for those working at the outdoor bars. Guys wore shorts. Hall worked briefly as a PR ferrying punters from the streets into venues before getting fired for failing to attract enough people. She was expected to get dozens of potential customers through the doors, something she admits she was terrible at and absolutely hated. She then joined Serruys as a hostess, which involved making sure drinkers who entered their club went straight to the bar. Paige Hall and Alex Serruys in Magaluf four years ago (Hall/Serruys) (Alex Serruys/Page Hall) The job of hostess also meant getting up on the bar to dance in front of everyone something Serruys did not enjoy. I got fed up. I told my employers, Im not into the whole getting up on stage thing and I dont appreciate that sort of sleazy, unnecessary attention. Guys would take photos of you and think they could have you. There were mostly young lads and groups on stag dos, but some of the guys were old enough to be my dad. Tabloid stories about sex acts in Magaluf clubs are not sensationalised either, both Hall and Surruys confirm. The most shocking yet entertaining thing I saw was a competition where four girls were performing a sex act on four boys, says Surruys, adding this was part of an organised bar crawl. The host of the bar crawl announced the competition and called up contestants. Whoever won first got free shots or a fish bowl. It was cringeworthy to watch, she says. But this sort of thing wasnt rare. I remember once seeing a completely naked guy on the bar playing a drinking game where he had to get into sexual positions, says Hall. Customers would get shots for the best contortions. But the lifestyle was exhausting, says Hall. They would wake up around lunchtime, head to the beach to sunbathe, shower, then head to work for 10pm before returning at around 6am. Then do it all again. They would make around 40 to 50 per night, giving them enough to pay the rent in their tiny, albeit cute flat above a bar, buy clothes and save a little. Four of them shared two beds and two pull-out sofas. There is no luxury when you work a summer in Magaluf, Serruys says. Recommended Confessions of an airport baggage handler But, she adds, they made incredible memories and friends for life. After getting to know gig promoters, they met big acts from Calvin Harris to David Guetta, and Serruys says she now counts Tinie Tempah as a friend. Hall says that, all things considered, she had a blast. I absolutely loved the bar work, despite being told we had to wear bikinis even on the night shifts, she says. Don't get me wrong, there is a real dark side to working a season. Recommended Airline pilot reveals what frightens him most about flying Its very tiring work and you can get sacked at the drop of a hat. Maybe they dont think youre right for the bar, either because of your looks or your personality, or that youre too drunk on the job, or not drunk enough. I was also surprised by the amount of drugs, but they werent shoved in my face and I wasnt pressured to do them. I think it all boils down to the type of person you are and how youre influenced. Still, at the end of that summer, she was happy to leave. By the end, I was homesick, says Hall. I just wanted to wear a jumper and walk on carpet again." 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 }} Seems to me there is only one response to Michael Flynns transgression that Donald Trump would think appropriate. Lock him up! G Forward Stirling President Trumps Twitter reaction to the resignation of Lt Gen Michael Flynn is to blame his own FBI and National Security Agency for leaking to newspapers. Trump does not seem to realise that he is alienating very powerful forces. When the penny drops paranoia may follow, for example one can easily imagine the President becoming convinced he is being bugged by his own security services. Nixons White House may come to be seen as a beacon of calm and reason in comparison to what might be about to unfold. John Gemmell Birmingham The will of the people is sovereign, but only when it suits Theresa May On reading Jon Stones article (Trump means Trump, 15 February), I couldnt help thinking about the hypocrisy of Theresa May and her colleagues. They continually lecture us about the importance of the will of the people when it comes to Brexit, no matter what format that may eventually take. The moment almost two million of the same people object to something she disagrees, compared with only 100,000 who support the Trump state visit it is dismissed out of hand. So much for the will of the people. Graham Fogelman Nottingham No end in sight No one expects the Trump administration to halt the unrelenting violence and perpetual occupation, conflict and agonising pain in the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel remains bound to the incremental annexation of Arab lands, to the construction of illegal Jewish settlements, and to the absolute denial of Palestinian rights and statehood. It has also become clear that the crises in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya have dwarfed in their sheer humanitarian magnitude their Palestinian counterpart, making it more difficult to forge a comprehensive settlement to the Arab-Israeli imbroglio. Last but not least, Why should we rely on the US to solve our own problems? Only we Arabs and Muslims can heal our divisions, unite and navigate the treacherous path to peace and liberty. Munjed Farid Al Qutob London NW2 Another perspective With the increase in reported hate crimes, many blame the success of the Brexit vote. Lets assume they are right: we need to assess how such crime would have changed, had Remain won; haters of foreigners may have acted out their feelings all the more. Peter Cave London A clear giveaway Paul Nuttall, Ukips leader and candidate in the forthcoming Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election, had a website that previously claimed that he had lost close personal friends among Hillsboroughs 96 dead. On Monday he admitted: I havent lost anyone who was a close personal friend. There was an obvious flaw in this fabrication that should have alerted people to the fact that it was untrue: the idea that Paul Nuttall has a close personal friend. Sasha Simic London Bus workers' unions say the roots of the strike go beyond a simple employer versus employee dispute Union leaders have warned that a bus strike planned for next Monday may spread to the railways. Transport services are under threat in towns and cities such as Limerick, Sligo, Galway, Waterford and Tralee where Bus Eireann shares depots with Irish Rail. Dermot O'Leary, general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union, told the Oireachtas Transport Committee that the country was unfortunately facing mass travel disruption when the all -out, indefinite strike kicked in. "It's already been pointed out that some Bus Eireann depots are shared with Iarnrod Eireann," he said. "Even though we in the trade union group are not in dispute with Iarnrod Eireann and advised our members accordingly, there's absolutely no guarantee that Irish Rail staff will attend at work in locations such as Limerick, Tralee, Waterford, Galway, Sligo etc." The warning was issued just hours before Mr O'Leary was to join leaders from Unite, Siptu and the Transport Salaried Staffs Assocoiation (TSSA) and Bus Eireann manage ment for talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The committee said it would write to Transport Minister Shane Ross and the acting chief executive of Bus Eireann Ray Hernan calling for threatened pay cuts of up to 30% to be lifted ahead of talks. Mr O'Leary told the committee that the dispute was not an industrial relations issue or standard employee versus employer issue but a wider one involving government policy, competition and saturation of the market, particularly on inter-city routes and motorways. He claimed that " several private operators" did not accept the free travel pass for older people and he warned that when rural areas lost a Bus Eireann service it would be replaced with a less frequent minibus. Mr O'Leary said Bus Eireann staff did not cause the financial and existential crisis which meant the company lost between 8 and 9 million euro last year. Unless a radical survival plan was put in place 2,600 jobs - and the future of rural transport - were at risk, Mr O'Leary said,. Siptu, which represents about 1,000 workers in Bus Eireann, said rural and inter-city bus services could come to a grinding halt and the risk of contagion across other CIE companies was "unfortunately growing by the day". Union representative Greg Ennis said the Government could look at the possibility of putting tariffs on private operators for running quicker and more popular inter-city services on the motorways. The Unite trade union told the committee that subsidies in other European countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland were about 50% of earnings compared with 12% in Ireland. Bus Eireann got about 40 million euro last year. Mr Ennis said: "We either want a public transport system or we don't. If so, we need to fund it appropriately." Unite also told the committee that if the state was paying full price for Bus Eireann to carry free travel pass holders it would have got 28.5 million euro compared with 11.4 million euro. The Transport Minister has declined to intervene in the dispute directly but he said the WRC negotiations were an "important first step" and he urged all sides to engage constructively. "The situation will only be resolved through such discussions," Mr Ross said. An inquiry's primary focus is an allegation that Sgt Maurice McCabe was the subject of a smear campaign Taoiseach Enda Kenny has offered a full apology to whistleblower Sergeant Maurice McCabe. As he faced down an attempt to collapse the Government over the handling of allegations of a smear campaign against the respected officer, Mr Kenny said the unfounded child sex abuse slur was appalling. "I therefore offer a full apology to Maurice McCabe and his family for the treatment that was meted out to them," the Taoiseach said. A judge-led tribunal is to be held into allegations that the top brass of the Garda orchestrated a black propaganda campaign against Sgt McCabe among journalists and politicians. Hearings are to be held in public, with the inquiry expected to be extended to cover other Garda whistleblowers who have alleged victimisation. Also, an independent, international policing expert is to be brought into the country to carry out a "root and branch" audit of the Garda, focusing on the administration, ethos and culture of the force. The Independent Alliance said it had secured agreement for the oversight reform, despite the existence of the Garda Inspectorate. Mr Kenny defended his minority coalition's handling of allegations of a sex abuse smear campaign following days of obfuscation over who knew the detail of the unfounded slur faced by the McCabe family. "The Government's sole objective in responding to the recent protected disclosures has been and remains to get to the full truth," he said. "The false allegations against Sgt McCabe are simply appalling. Sex abuse is the worst crime a person can be accused of." Judge Peter Charleton, of the Supreme Court, is expected to lead the tribunal into the McCabe affair. He previously worked as senior counsel to the Morris Tribunal, which spent years examining corruption and negligence among some gardai in Donegal in the 1990s. Superintendent Dave Taylor made the allegation of a smear campaign in a protected disclosure last year. He returned to work on Tuesday after being suspended for almost two years while a separate investigation ran into the alleged leaking of information to the media about the identities of Roma children taken into care over a suspected but unfounded kidnap concern. Garda Keith Harrison is a second whistleblower who wants his case examined by Judge Charleton. He has been on extended sick leave. He claims he and his girlfriend endured covert and overt Garda surveillance, referrals to Tusla - the Child and Family Agency - and that they were the victim of rumour, innuendo and malicious falsehoods. Mr Harrison, who was previously nominated for a Scott Medal for bravery, was stationed in Athlone when he stopped a colleague on suspicion of drink-driving in 2009. He also raised concerns about drug-dealing investigations. In a statement through his solicitor, he claimed there is an "orchestrated system and culture" among senior management of the force that dictates the treatment of whistleblowers. Mr Kenny also defended the handling allegations of bad policing made by Sgt McCabe which have been largely vindicated, including abuse of the penalty points system and negligence in the Cavan-Monaghan district. The Taoiseach acknowledged mistakes over his recollection of what he knew and when about the McCabes bringing the file on the unfounded sex abuse report to Government. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, who was approached three years ago by Sgt McCabe about bad policing issues, said the Government's approach to setting up an inquiry into the affair had been appalling. The opposition leader said the handling of the scandal had been "casual and incompetent" but his party would continue to prop up the minority government. "The Taoiseach and his ministers failed to react with appropriate concern when deeply disturbing information was brought to their attention concerning the possible use of a state agency to terrorise an honourable servant of the state," Mr Martin said. Mr Kenny was forced to call for a vote of confidence in his government after moves by Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams to bring down the coalition. "The latest scandal to engulf the government results from Fine Gael's perpetual disgraceful handling of the campaign of vilification against Maurice McCabe and other Garda whistleblowers," Mr Adams said. The Sinn Fein leader added: "Maurice McCabe's appalling treatment illustrates the absolute need for a culture of openness, transparency and accountability within our policing and justice systems and our political system." Leo Varadkar, Minister for Social Protection, backed a full and unequivocal apology for Mr McCabe for his treatment by the Garda, state agencies and government departments. "Maurice McCabe's family are the latest and perhaps the most grievous example of a society where so often truth, justice and accountability are denied," he said. Mr Varadkar, tipped as one of two senior Fine Gael figures to take over from Mr Kenny, said the sergeant's actions had been more than distinguished but were heroic. He did not use his speech to voice support for the Taoiseach but called on individual officers with knowledge of the smear campaign to come forward to the public inquiry Mr Varadkar also said the McCabes should get answers to questions - including information about garda activity related to the false and unfounded report of sex abuse - before the tribunal sits. Nilammel NKP House V Vijith, the brother of Vismaya who committed suicide owing to dowry harassment in Kollam, is among the detained sailors. Livestock owners in Mayo and Donegal are being alerted to low-flying aircraft activity in there area which may starle their stock. The activity is on the back of the next phase of Tellus a geological mapping project which collects geophysical and geochemical data on rocks, soil and water across Ireland is set to take off Donegal in early March. Involving a low-flying plane equipped with state-of-the-art geophysical technology, the aircraft will be based at Sligo airport and traverse the skies of Mayo and Donegal into the autumn months (weather permitting). Survey activity will assist in understanding the local environment, soil management and natural resource potential for these counties. To gather data, the Tellus project has commissioned an aircraft equipped with the latest geophysical technology, which surveys rural areas at a height of 60m approximately eight times the height of a two storey house. The aircraft is a white twin propeller plane operated by the specialist survey company, Sander Geophysics Ltd, and is easily identified by its red tail, black stripe and registration number C-GSGF. The airborne survey will operate safely within Irish Aviation Authority permits, however, the sound of the plane flying overhead is similar to that of a passing lorry and could startle young animals and sensitive livestock, such as horses, pedigree cattle and poultry flocks. Communicating with the local community is a priority for Tellus, said Aoife Brady, Project Manager who said Tellus operates an extensive communications programme to inform the public of survey operations. We are in close contact with the local community in the area to make sure that people and animals on the ground are not disturbed by survey operations. We would like anyone who has concerns about the low-flying aircraft in relation to sensitive animals to get in touch through our information line on Freephone 1800 303 516. The number of Irish dairy farmers due payment under the EU Voluntary Supply Management Scheme is understood to have fallen to in the region of 3,500. It was announced last year that some 4,800 farmers had initially applied for the first tranche of the scheme, however numbers due for payment this spring are understood to be substantially lower. According to industry sources, 3,500 farmers have fully complied with the scheme's conditions reducing their production by 55m litres. It is also understood that farm organisations have as yet been given no commitment on when payments under the scheme will issue. Under the EU regulations governing the scheme farmers must be paid before the end of March. ICMSA Dairy Spokesman, Gerald Quain has said that Minister for Agriculture must ensure payments issue to farmers before the end of February. February is an extremely tight cashflow period on farms and this money would go along way to alleviate pressures on farmers at this time. There is no reason the Department cant make payment before the end of the month. The EU Voluntary Supply Management Scheme for dairy was a short term market stabilisation mechanism introduced by the EU Commission last year, as part of a range of tools to mitigate price volatility in the Dairy sector. In phase 1 of the scheme, applicants were required to reduce milk production in the period October 2016 to December 2016, compared to the same period in 2015. Payment will be on the basis of the actual reduction rather than that predicted in the application, subject to the certain terms and condition. The Department will process the applications and payment will be made to qualifying participants following EU approval. Payments must be made within 90 days of the final date of the reduction period for phase 1, that is December 31, 2016, as laid out under the terms of the scheme. Phase II of the scheme required applicants to reduce production in the period November 2016 to January 2017. The closing date for applications to co-ops under phase II has not yet been finalised, but is expected to be early March. The Department of Agriculture has said new rules on live exports by authorities in the Netherlands has not damaged Irelands crucial trade with the country. Out of overall Dutch imports of approximately 750,000 calves last year, Ireland supplied 27,000 head, well behind Germany (550,000) and Belgium (50,000). According to the Department of Agriculture, the issues arising in relation to exports of live cattle to the Netherlands derive from the Dutch interpretation of the European Union rules on animal transport. The Netherlands has been applying a particular interpretation to EU rules in relation to the approval of trucks carrying unweaned calves which is proving difficult to comply with. Dutch authorities implemented a new directive in spring 2016 which requires Irish transporters to make an additional feeding stop within 9 hours of departing the resting station in France. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other Member States are continuing to work with industry and the Dutch Authorities to come up with a workable technical or other solution to the issue. However, it said it should be noted, that this has not impeded the export of calves from Ireland to the Netherlands. At present Ireland has authorised four dedicated ships for live cattle exports. There are also four roll on - roll off ferries which have been authorised to carry live animals for export. One of these roll on-roll off vessels is restricted to carrying live animals between Ireland and the UK while the remaining three can transport live animals to France. Good news has been a scarce commodity in the agricultural sector in recent months but the announcement that the European Investment Bank, along with others, is to support a 200m investment in Irish forestry confirms that the industry here has finally come of age. This is a marvellous endorsement of timber- growing as a sound additional farm enterprise as well as a solid investment. To receive such a substantial boost and have it promoted by some serious money men - along with our Minister, Andrew Doyle - must give anyone who planted over the past 20 years or so great confidence in the worth of their own woodland. It was also good to see that Coillte are planning to replant more than 35,000 hectares and construct and upgrade over 1,600km of forest roads. They will also improve maintenance of 1,000km of publicly accessible walking routes and mountain bike trails. To read that Coillte are aiming to resume planting and put money back onto their forest estate is a further injection of confidence and good news for rural Ireland in general. So, what will it all mean to the majority of woodland owners in Ireland who own an average of 8.5ha? Probably not a lot for the moment, as it appears the fund is only interested in larger areas of coniferous woods as well as bare land suitable for planting. Confidence, however, is the driver of all markets and whether it is in housing, commercial building, farmland or forests, optimism will boost values and increase prices. Those who have condemned forestry in the past should by now realise that they were criticising an exciting and viable land use option, with international appeal, that brings prosperity to rural areas and enables farmers, especially those with marginal land, to increase their income and provide security for the future. If you have bare land that is suitable for planting, this new competition can only boost its value, but then perhaps you should ask yourself: should you lease, sell or just plant it yourself? If you have coniferous woodland that has drawn its full 20-year premiums, should you sell the harvesting rights or continue to manage it and wait for the big pay day when it reaches maturity at approximately year 35? Dasos Capital, the Finnish firm who are part-funding this initiative, are to be represented in Ireland by SWS Forestry, a long-established business that is highly regarded in the Irish forest sector. The EIB has already invested 4.5bn in forestry- related projects over the past five years, so the combined financial weight and experience in woodland management that is backing this scheme is impressive. The aim is to build a portfolio of approximately 18,000 hectares. This is substantial when viewed in the context of the average Irish farm size. Recently it has become difficult to purchase land for planting, as prices have surged and there are only limited areas being advertised for sale. Traditionally, Irish farmers have been reluctant to sell land and only a tiny percentage of the national estate reaches the market in any one year. Land mobility has been slowed further by the presence of the various attractive EU-funded farm schemes and the entitlements that go with land ownership. The EU, however, is not a limitless source of money and there are noises emanating from Brussels that give cause for fear that there are changes in the pipeline. Reductions in direct payments may well begin to occur in the near future. Were this to happen, more land would quickly become available, especially in areas that are marginal for mainstream farming but ideal for growing trees. If existing farm subsidies in the livestock and tillage sectors were slashed, then forestry would become the clear alternative. Alternative crop Given the fact that Ireland grows trees better and faster than almost anywhere else in Europe, farm forestry, which is simply the production of an alternative crop, would be an obvious choice. The finer points of what is proposed are as yet unclear but it appears that if you own either bare land or semi-mature woodland, then the backers of this scheme will be interested in purchasing or leasing it. We don't yet know but can only assume that the options will include harvesting rights as an additional choice. On reading the information at hand, it struck me that much of what is contained in the proposals may be similar to, perhaps, leasing land for windfarm or solar electricity generation, with the benefits and potential pitfalls that this brings. With that in mind, any forest owner looking to sell or lease would need to ensure they take forestry, legal and taxation guidance, as well as taking account of family considerations and farm structure. Leasing might also prevent the granting of a site to a family member. Landowners who lease property for afforestation or harvesting might no longer be in occupation of the property but, as the owner, they could still have liabilities for replanting. Due to the absence of subsidies and the long-term nature of timber production, such land is usually valued at zero for accountancy purposes. This is because of the cost and relatively long wait for the next pay day. The promoters of this scheme have deep pockets and will no doubt have heavyweight legal support, whereas most farmers will be relying on a local solicitor. Getting advice on complex issues such as this is always costly and one should never sign anything without having first received the protection of an informed legal opinion. As always, the devil is in the detail. Aer Lingus is understood to be close to finalising a deal that would add seven long-range versions of the Airbus A321neo to its fleet. Aer Lingus, part of the IAG airline group that also owns British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, has been eyeing the aircraft for some time. If the deal is sealed, the jets would join the Aer Lingus fleet beginning in 2019. They would be used to help Aer Lingus expand operations to the US, initially replacing leased Boeing 757s that the carrier has used both on thinner routes to the US, and to boost frequencies on others. Aer Lingus declined to comment on whether a deal has been finalised. It issued a request for tender for the jets last year. The long-range A321neo could also be used on the Aer Lingus European network, ceo Stephen Kavanagh told the Irish Independent in a recent interview. The new jets would most likely be leased. "We remain confident that the aircraft has the capacity to assist us in building out our ambition," he said. "And if we retain discipline with regard to cost, that aircraft opens up new opportunities. Expand Close An Airbus A321neo / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An Airbus A321neo "That's opportunities that are not necessarily unique to Aer Lingus, but there aren't too many other businesses that can exploit them across the Atlantic in a way that we're looking at," he added. The long-range version of the A321neo has a range equivalent of just beyond the UK to the east coast of the US. Mr Kavanagh said the Airbus could be configured to accommodate 16 business travellers and 172 economy seats. "It's perfect for those routes that are of thinner demand and perfect where you want to build frequency, which is important when you want to build out a hub," he said. "Because it has commonality with our existing A320 operations, there's the potential that we could use the time between transatlantic operations to supplement our European network," Mr Kavanagh said. Prior to finalising a contract for the new jets, Mr Kavanagh said senior bosses have to convince themselves they could retain the ability to operate them efficiently. "Where currently we have a single A330 operation on a route, that could increase to a double-daily operation with the A321, without compromising the aircraft-related cost per seat," said the chief executive. He said the A321 could also allow Aer Lingus to add routes that A330 aircraft are too big for, and for which the Boeing 757 "doesn't have the right economics". "It's potentially a very interesting and enabling aircraft for us," said Mr Kavanagh. "It's very much what our competitors in that space are going to be using. The number of choices that would be enabled by this new technology would increase. Given the relatively short, mid-haul nature of these [aircraft], an A321 is a very competitive product. "We would see that this type of aircraft will play an increasing role in the evolution of north Atlantic air travel." Aryzta started the long journey of restoring investor confidence in the troubled Swiss-Irish food group yesterday after announcing the departure of long-serving but embattled CEO Owen Killian. The company, best known for its Cuisine de France par-baked breads and pastries, is a massive global concern with its roots in the old farmer-owned IAWS (Irish Agricultural Welfare Society). Up to two years ago, Mr Killian was the country's best-paid CEO, earning 5.5m in 2014. But a profit warning that sparked a dramatic plunge in the company shares in recent weeks and wiped 1.4bn off the value of the business has made yesterday's exit all but inevitable. In a dramatic clear-out, chief financial officer Patrick McEniff and the boss of Aryzta's business in the Americas, John Yamin, will also be leaving the company at the end of its financial year in July. Shares in the company rocketed more than 21pc at one stage yesterday - a reflection of how eager investors were for change. With the search for new top brass set to begin, Aryzta is now effectively operating within a power vacuum. Chairman Gary McGann - the former CEO of Smurfit Kappa - is not taking on any interim executive responsibilities. He's still relatively new in the post. Analysts see Aryzta's 446m deal for a 49pc stake in French frozen food firm Picard as a key misstep by the company, which has ultimately led to the management clear-out. Aryzta yesterday all but signalled its intention to ditch its stake in Picard, announcing a review of its investment strategy in joint ventures. Aryzta chairman Gary McGann started the long journey of restoring investor confidence in the troubled Swiss-Irish food group yesterday, announcing the departure of long-serving, embattled ceo Owen Killian. Chief financial officer Patrick McEniff and the boss of Aryzta's business in the Americas, John Yamin, will also be leaving the company at the end of its financial year in July. Shares in the company rocketed more than 21pc at one stage yesterday - a reflection of how eager investors were for change at Aryzta, whose shares plummeted by a third last month after it issued a profit warning. That slump knocked about 1.4bn off its market capitalisation. At its peak, yesterday's surge added as much as 577m Swiss francs (542m) to the Cuisine de France owner's market cap. Aryzta's primary listing is in Zurich, with a secondary listing in Dublin. But, with the search for new top brass set to begin, Aryzta is now effectively operating within a power vacuum. Mr McGann - the former ceo of Smurfit Kappa - is not taking on any interim executive responsibilities. Investec analyst Ian Hunter said that such a move would have provided some comfort to investors. Aryzta announced three new insider executive management appointments yesterday: Dermot Murphy as chief operating officer, Europe; Ronan Minahan as coo Americas; and Robert O'Boyle as coo Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Read more: Mr Hunter said he remains optimistic about Aryzta's long-term future but warned that it faces big challenges. "This is proactive, the board has taken control and we can expect things to move on from there," he said, adding the changes should have been made earlier. Mr Hunter said that Aryzta's 1.7bn net debt pile remains a concern when the company is languishing. Aryzta said yesterday that it has increased the covenant headroom under its senior revolving credit facility, enabling its debt to EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) covenant to rise to four times from 3.5 times. Aryzta has additional, so-called hybrid debt of 800m that doesn't sit on the balance sheet and which isn't included in the net debt to EBITDA calculations. Included, and prior to the new covenant ceiling, it would bring Aryzta's net debt to EBITDA ratio from 3.4 times to 4.8 times. For more than two years, Aryzta - whose customers include McDonald's and Subway - has been struggling to maintain margins, retain customers and fix a model that up until 2014 had delivered for shareholders. In 2015, Aryzta paid 446m for a 49pc stake in French frozen food firm Picard - a move widely regarded by investors as a misstep for the company. It bought the stake from private equity group Lion Capital, with an option to buy the remainder. Aryzta yesterday all but signalled its intention to ditch its stake in Picard, announcing a review of its investment strategy in joint ventures. "As part of that review, Aryzta has commenced a process with Lion Capital to evaluate investment alternatives for the Picard business," it said. It added that, if it sells its Picard stake, proceeds will be used to strengthen its balance sheet. Irish goods exports reached a record last year of almost 117bn, according to official figures, but exports to Britain dropped by almost half a billion euro. Imports from Britain also fell back, dropping by 1.35bn to 15.55bn, preliminary data from the Central Statistics Office shows. It is the first official figures showing the impact of the Brexit referendum on Irish exports. The biggest increase in exports overall was seen in exports of electrical machinery, which jumped almost 150pc to 7.3bn. This was followed by exports of organic chemicals which increased by 2.17bn, or 10pc, to 23.66bn. Exports to Britain decreased by 496 million, or 4pc, to 13.31bn last year compared with 2015, while imports decreased by 1.35bn, or 8pc, to 15.5bn in the same period. Exports to the United States increased by 3.34bn, or 12pc, to 30.2bn in 2016. Exports to European Union countries fell by 193 million, or 0.3pc, to 59.65bn while exports to the rest of the world increased by 4.7bn, or 9pc, in 2016. Online recruitment firm Indeed is to double its Irish workforce with 500 new jobs in the capital. In an announcement this morning the company revealed expansion plans for its Dublin-based headquarters for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The new staff will be employed over the next two years. The company has already started recruiting for sales, client services, HR, business development, marketing, finance, strategy and operations roles, which it claims will help companies across EMEA to maximise the return on their recruitment spend. Indeed has sites in more than 60 countries and 28 languages. Every month over 200 million jobseekers visit Indeed to find and apply for jobs through a desktop, tablet, or smartphone with a simple search. Indeed has also revealed a list of employee perks and benefits that it hopes will attract and retain top talent: Open Paid Time Off (holiday can be taken throughout the year, without a cap); Catered meals, endless snacks & drink options and weekly happy hours; Wellness programmes, fitness classes and family fun days; Office leisure including ping pong and pool tables; Affinity groups for employees to connect over common interests; Healthcare for employees and families. Indeed opened its Dublin office in March 2012 and it currently employs a team of 530 people in its St Stephens Green office. Chris Hyams, President of Indeed said: "Todays announcement is a particularly important one for Indeed. Deciding where to recruit and hire the right people ultimately helps us to fulfil Indeeds mission to help people get jobs. "Having our EMEA hub in Dublin is the natural choice given the large pool of high-skilled talent both locally and from the rest of Europe. We now have 530 employees, representing 19 nationalities in our Dublin office. We look forward to growing our presence here in Dublin and continuing to work every day to help even more people get jobs all over the world. Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said: "I welcome today's announcement of 500 new jobs by Indeed. Their staggering growth since their establishment in Ireland in 2012 is a fantastic endorsement of our strengthening economy and is a reflection of the benefits of doing business in Ireland. The Government's Action Plan for Jobs 2017 aims to keep Ireland competitive to new investment by EMEA HQ's such as Indeed. "Ireland will remain a central and committed member of the EU and the Single Market and growing dynamic companies like Indeed can rest assured we will work continually to promote the opportunities of the European Single Market." Announcement of 500 jobs @indeedie today is a vote of confidence in our country & our people. We have come so far. pic.twitter.com/IhLjyRv0kM Enda Kenny (@EndaKennyTD) February 15, 2017 The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O'Connor TD said: "Indeed's operation in Ireland has been a tremendous success story and the announcement that they are doubling their staff numbers here is very welcome. An additional 500 jobs is a huge economic boost and vote of confidence in Ireland. We are very keen to support the new dynamic Internet-based services sector and Indeed has blazed a trail in this area. We are sure that we can provide the new skills required and create the right environment for the company's continued success." Martin Shanahan, CEO IDA Ireland, which supported Indeeds initial move into Ireland, said: Indeed first came to Ireland to internationalise its business and to serve its growing customer base. Ireland has proven to be a superb location for the company to source talent and to expand its footprint into the EMEA market. Indeeds drive and ambition has resulted in it being the worlds largest job site and the fact that Ireland plays a very important role in its global operations is a fantastic endorsement of the business environment here. Up to half of people living in rented accommodation have no insurance cover for their contents, a survey shows. Figures show many of the 700,000 people in 300,000 rented houses and apartments have no contents insurance cover. Landlords are supposed to insure the property in the event of it being damaged, but contents insurance for the renter's possessions is the responsibility of tenants. The research comes as rent costs have hit an all-time high. Jonathan Hehir, of InsureMyHouse.ie, said half of those renting had no contents cover, according to a survey his firm conducted. He said: "With a high proportion of tenants now classified as long-term, many have acquired substantially more possessions along the way, and could stand to lose an average of 25,000 or more in the event of a fire, flood or other major incident." Meanwhile, separate research indicates that while most people would hide if an intruder broke into their home, a small percentage would be willing to tackle the burglar. One in 12 people said they would be prepared to take on a thief breaking into their home and would attempt to restrain them until the gardai arrive, according to an AA Home Insurance survey. However, four out of 10 householders would hide, and make contact with gardai in the event of a burglary. Men are more willing to tackle a burglar directly, compared with a tiny percentage of women. Younger homeowners were slightly more likely than their older counterparts to say they would tackle the intruder in the event of a burglary. Conor Faughnan, of AA Ireland, warned: "When it comes to protecting your home and family, the urge to confront an intruder is a very understandable human response. "People get justifiably angry and scared. But it's a bad idea." He said householders do not know the mental state of an intruder, who might even be armed. Garda advice was that you should secure yourself as best you could and call for help, he said. Meanwhile, an insurance product for landlords to cover them against rental income default has been launched. The move is set to appeal to some of the estimated 300,000 landlords in this country. Irish insurance brokerage InsurePlus has launched RentAssured.ie, a specialist product for landlords to cover them against rent default. It is offering to cover against default of up to 11 months' rent, or 48,000, whichever is the lower figure, with average premiums of around 2pc of rental income. Anton Savage at the Dublin Tech Summit 2017 at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren A full size and functioning humanoid robot called Robothespian at the Dublin Tech Summit 2017 at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren The Dublin Tech Summit 2017 which got under way at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren The Dublin Tech Summit 2017 which got under way at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren A full size and functioning humanoid robot called Robothespian at the Dublin Tech Summit 2017 at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren Dublin's convention centre was packed with some of Ireland's most ambitious and innovative minds at the inaugural Dublin Tech Summit. Tech aficionados from across the country flocked in their hundreds to listen and engage with some of the brightest minds in cutting edge technology today. Speakers from across the tech spectrum discussed the challenges and possibilities brought about by the breakneck evolution of technology. Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin discussed the link between tech and the arts with Pixar veteran Matthew Luhn. Expand Close A full size and functioning humanoid robot called Robothespian at the Dublin Tech Summit 2017 at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A full size and functioning humanoid robot called Robothespian at the Dublin Tech Summit 2017 at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren Chamberlin has also moonlighted as CEO of LiveOne, a digital media company that focuses on audience engagement. Chamberlin was keen to stress the importance of how media is consumed, with a not-so-subtle jab at those keen to access sub-standard free content online. Expand Close The Dublin Tech Summit 2017 which got under way at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Dublin Tech Summit 2017 which got under way at the Convention Centre. Pic:Mark Condren "The environment in which content is consumed is every bit as important as the content itself," he said. Pixar's Luhn said that long-term thinking which embraced a specific set of values was the best recipe for success in the tech sector. "The best investors are the ones that are concerned with affecting things in positive ways for years to come. The people that want to leave something for their grandchildren are the one's that really make an impact in the long run." Accenture's global head of research and development, Marc Carrell-Billiard, introduced the audience to the world's first ever beer created by artificial intelligence. Mr Carrell-Billiard stressed that technology was offering people the capacity to tailor their business or social lives in ways that were previously unimaginable. He said that Accenture's approach was to embrace the possibilities provided by evolving technology. He added that the world was on the cusp on groundbreaking new business models that have the capacity to redefine traditional approaches to business. "Technology today is by people for people. We are poised to see amazing new business models where people are in control and can adapt technology to fit their needs." A new smart thermostat has come to the market that aims to beat off competition from other remote heating controllers by offering more functionality, and costing less. "If you're getting on to the plane in Spain and it's freezing back in Dublin you can tell your heating at home to turn on and it will be just as hot as it is in Madrid when you get home," Hub Controllers CTO Andrew McMillan told independent.ie. If you think this is something you've heard before - or indeed you're already using a similar product - it might be an idea not to switch off so quickly. "You can save money too while having it on holiday mode while you're away. Over time, we analyse the heating patterns that you have and offer you suggestions so you can change your heating to save money," he added. According to the firm's founder Ollie Hynes the company is striving to become the market leader in home energy controls. McMillan and his colleagues - Head of Software Stephen Reilly and Sonja Zaric - are lined up among the many other startups along the walls of the Dublin Tech Summit's Exhibition Hall. Hub Controls was identified by Enterprise Ireland as a High Potential Start-Up in 2015. Their product, the Hub Controller, has a general touchscreen interface that offers remote access to your heating system, and aims to help you manage your utility bills more effectively. "The Hub controller currently controls the heating but we'd like to expand that to other utility bills, even your mobile phone usage your landline usage, your electricity, etc. You could potentially even control your children's phone usage using the controller," Reilly said. "Other controllers in the market tend to focus on the simple control of their system, turning heating on and off and checking what temperature it is. "We're leaning more towards directly saving you money a particular budget for a time period rather than set a particular temperature. Over time, it will adjust your heating to match that. It's a different space." While the Dublin-based company are still focusing on "getting one product right first", this product is already receiving funding from the US and "getting fantastic feedback". One of the selling features of the controller is that the installation is a simple 5 minute process - but the firm advises that customers employ a professional tradesman to install, and installers are their primary customer base at present. The Hub Controller can be purchased on Amazon for 249. Ireland is undergoing a venture capital boom with 888m in funding recorded here last year. New figures from the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) claim that private finance companies pumped 70pc more cash into tech firms in 2016 than in 2015. The statistics also claim that seed funding for early-stage startups has reached its highest level here, exceeding 70m. However, the figures may be interpreted as lopsided, with 11 companies taking 38pc of the years VC haul. Of these, several are managed outside Ireland with small headquarters based here for regulatory or tax reasons. Innocoll, which is based in Athlone for tax purposes but is managed from the US and has a manufacturing facility in Germany, raised 37m in funding last year. Similarly, Circle Financial, a blockchain payments company largely run from Boston, raised 53m in funding last year. However, some of the biggest funding rounds were for indigenous Irish companies. Dublin-based oncology firm Carrick Therapeutics raised 84m while another Dublin-based life sciences firm, Genomics Medicine, raised 36m. Companies that straddle Ireland and the US also did well. Intercom, which operates its design in Dublin but its sales headquarters in San Francisco, raised 44.2m. The figures show that there has been a surge of international interest in the Irish venture funding scene with 548m of the 888m invested by international syndicate investors working with local Irish venture partners. This performance is particularly significant as venture capital activity in the US declined by 13pc in 2016 and by 4pc in the UK, said Michael Murphy, chairman of Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA). The figures demonstrate the continuing attraction of Irish tech firms by international investors. Life sciences companies continue to attract the biggest individual funding rounds. The life sciences sector was the star performer in 2016 with 52pc of funds raised, said Regina Breheny, director general of the IVCA. The life sciences sector in Ireland is showing signs of maturity and is benefiting from the States investment in research and development through Science Foundation Ireland. The IVCA figures claim that growth and expansion funding made up 92pc of total funds raised in Ireland last year. Mr Murphy said that since the onset of the credit crunch in 2008, in excess of 1,400 Irish small to medium-sized firms have raised venture capital of 3.5bn. He said that these funds attracted over 1.7bn of capital into Ireland and geared up the States investment through the seed and venture capital programmes by almost 16 times. The IVCA Venture Pulse survey, published in association with William Fry, is compiled using data from equity funds raised by Irish companies and other companies headquartered in Ireland from a variety of investors. This research is the result of information supplied internally by members of the Irish Venture Capital Association and from published information where IVCA members were not involved. The maker of Peugeot could take over the maker of Opel PSA Group, the maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars, is exploring an acquisition of General Motors' European business in a deal that would transform the region's automotive landscape. The French carmaker is in talks on numerous strategic initiatives, including the possible acquisition of Opel, a PSA spokesman said. PSA is considering the takeover to boost its scale, get access to Opel's engineering and electric-car technology as well as reap savings from joint purchasing and eventually cost cuts, according to one of the people. For GM, it would mark a clean exit from Europe, especially after the UK vote to leave the European Union weighed on the British pound and profits, said a source. GM is seeking a multi-billion dollar amount for its Opel brand because of the outlook for improved operations, according to a person familiar with the matter. Negotiations on valuations are ongoing. "I can see why GM may possibly seek to sell its European division, which hasn't made money in many years," said George Galliers, an analyst with Evercore ISI. "It is less clear why Peugeot would be interested in buying GM's assets. The purchase would give them capacity in Germany, one of the most expensive countries to produce cars and would lead to excess capacity." A combination would, however, create a manufacturer with about 16pc of the European car market, leapfrogging Renault to become the region's second-biggest auto group after Germany's Volkswagen. A deal would also be the second run at linking the two mass-market carmakers. GM, which has controlled Opel for nearly 90 years, sold a 7pc stake in its French counterpart in 2013 after savings from a cooperation fell short of expectations. Expand Close PSA chief executive Carlos Tavares has returned the car-maker to profit by focusing on fewer, more lucrative models. Photo: Bloomberg / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PSA chief executive Carlos Tavares has returned the car-maker to profit by focusing on fewer, more lucrative models. Photo: Bloomberg PSA shares rose 4.9pc to 18.81 each at one stage yesterday, valuing the company at 16.3bn. While an agreement could be reached in the coming weeks, negotiations are complex and could still fall apart, said people familiar with the matter. Both carmakers have gone through painful restructuring in recent years. GM, which has lost billions in Europe in the past two decades, closed a factory in Bochum, Germany, the first auto plant to close in the country since World War II, while PSA shut a facility near Paris. While those moves helped ease overcapacity concerns, the two manufacturers largely target similar customers in Europe's competitive and mature auto market. Those risks were evident in 2014, when PSA sought a bailout from the French government and China's Dongfeng Motor Corporation, which each hold 14pc stakes along with the Peugeot family. Chief executive Carlos Tavares has returned PSA to profit by focusing on fewer, more lucrative models. His counterpart Karl-Thomas Neumann, a German auto-industry veteran, has refreshed Opel's image with models like the stylish Adam city car. (Bloomberg) Swiss voters seem hell-bent on setting their own politicians on a collision course with their European Union neighbours. Earlier this month, they narrowly backed proposals to reintroduce immigration quotas with the EU, a decision that calls into question bilateral deals with the bloc and could irk multinational companies who rely on foreign workers, including German and French staff that commute into Switzerland. On Sunday, voters blocked a proposed tax system revamp, sending the Swiss government back to the drawing board as it tries to abolish ultra-low tax rates for multinationals without triggering a mass exodus by those companies. On Monday, the European Commission said it was disappointed that Swiss voters rejected plans to overhaul corporate taxes and will consult with EU governments on how to proceed. The tax vote again put non-member Switzerland on a collision course with the EU, as well as the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the club of rich countries. The Swiss had promised to meet international standards and, by 2019, end special low tax rates that benefit about 24,000 foreign companies. "The Commission is very disappointed by the results of a referendum in Switzerland," European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici told a news conference. "The rejection of the reform and referendum means we need to redouble our efforts when it comes to taxation. The Commission plans to consult the member states so we can decide together how to proceed," he said. The OECD said in reaction to the referendum result that Switzerland could still meet its international obligations, but must lose no time in finding a solution. "Switzerland's partners will expect it to implement its international commitments within a reasonable time period and this need not happen within the context of a wider reform, which could take longer than the two years originally foreseen for these changes," OECD tax director Pascal Saint-Amans said. Most Swiss voters recognise that the country needs reform to avoid being blacklisted as a low-tax pariah. However, new measures proposed to help companies offset the loss of their special tax status fuelled fears among voters that regular taxpayers would have to pay more. Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer warned in the vote's aftermath on Sunday that Switzerland could be blacklisted or that other countries could start double taxation of Swiss-based companies. It could take as long as a year for the federal government and cantons to come up with a new plan - and even longer for them to implement it. At the same time, competition on company tax rates could be ramped up by new US President Donald Trump's administration or by post-Brexit Britain. "There will certainly be other countries seeking to entice corporations away from Switzerland," Maurer told the Swiss broadcaster SRF. "That begins today." Business leaders warn that the vote has created uncertainty and left Switzerland in legal limbo while it works out a new tax plan. Meanwhile, policy makers are torn between the will of the electorate and the reality of the world outside. (Reuters) Sunset on water: One of the many images of Ireland from Stephen's short film The words tumble out, gather pace, ease back. They slap you in the face and get under your skin. They capture much of what it means to live in Ireland today. And if you thought a commission from the people behind Dublin's biggest festival would result in a liberal shot of sugar-coating, think again: this is verse to truly make you wonder what it means to be Irish. My Ireland is an epic new work from one of the country's foremost young poets, Stephen James Smith, who is also co-founder of the annual Lingo spoken word festival. The lengthy poem was commissioned for this year's St Patrick's Festival and Smith's passionate delivery has been put to music and film. Over the course of 12 minutes, My Ireland unfurls to footage shot by music video maker and documentarian Myles O'Reilly and to music specially recorded by Villagers' Conor O'Brien and Colm Mac Con Iomaire of The Frames. The film is launched today and - with the exception of its length - it has all the hallmarks of something that could go viral. "I spent the best part of six months on it," says Smith (34), from Tallaght, Dublin. "It's a labour of love, although it probably is flawed. It's my interpretation of what it means to be Irish today - a celebration of all that's good, but also pointing out all that's wrong... the unfairness that's become part and parcel of life today." It's an Ireland, Smith's poem insists, that is riven by contradictions: "My Ireland is reeling in the years and not watching what's happening now. While so many are reining in the tears and trying to cope somehow... My Ireland is terrified of leaving the immersion on and lamenting not having won the Eurovision Video of the Day in God only knows how long. My Ireland loves laughing at O Briain and Norton. Expand Close Labour of love: Irish poet Stephen James Smith / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Labour of love: Irish poet Stephen James Smith My Ireland is sending gifs and emojis while waiting for absolution." The poem was commissioned in August and Smith absorbed everything that was topical between then and now. He was especially moved by the campaign at Christmas to raise awareness of the country's homelessness crisis, one that was centred on the occupation of the NAMA-owned building in the heart of Dublin, Apollo House. "My Ireland saw Sinead rip up the Pope and isn't able to cope. So we've: Pieta House, Apollo House, Pelican House for our new age Blood Sacrifice and Ghost Estates. My Ireland doesn't know what a tracker mortgage is and is hoping it's not too late. My Ireland sees goodness, in the kindness of its people everyday. Which bonds us just enough to get by, My Ireland's sense of community isn't ready to die!" Community is still at the centre of what it means to be Irish, but it's constantly in flux. Ideas of Irishness have changed seismically in the past two decades and today's Ireland is a remarkably different one to the place that limped into the 1990s on the back of a savage recession. The country is increasingly defined by its multiculturalism and the 'new Irish' who have helped to forever change the complexion of its people. It's also a place where old ideas about sexuality and identity have, for many, been relegated to the footnotes of history. "My Ireland can be hard to take, asks, 'Did St Patrick banish all the snakes?' My Ireland is the Children of Lir, Tir na nOg a herd of deer and a Connacht brogue. My Ireland is singing, 'Oro se do bheatha abhaile', while the Eastern Europeans are coming, the Africans are coming, the Muslims are coming. Can we all just come together? My Ireland you are the National Stud. My Ireland you are: Four Green Fields and a clover, transgender, other, Othered, he, she, non defined, unexplained, yet to emerge, fluid queers. My Ireland may be drunk on 800 years." Like any poet, Smith hopes My Ireland will last the test of time. But, more than that, he hopes that in 30 or 40 years' time the verse will offer some truth about what the Ireland of 2017 was like. Future readers will be aware that this era of Trump and Brexit impacted heavily on Ireland and its disaspora. They, Smith says, will know just how great that impact can be. Now, we can merely guess. "My Ireland is the undocumented and 40 million worldwide. Failte them abhaile. Open your arms. Do you care about your diaspora? My Ireland is: West Brits, Expats, immigrants, Shane McGowan Tipp via London Town. Ireland you are: the Kilburn Road, Ellis Island, Boston, To Hell or Connacht, Dubai, Oz and Canada. Skyping to your Da & Ma And know I love you." Smith hopes his poem can kickstart a conversation about what Irishness means to each one of us. While his words cast a cold eye over the myriad problems - "social, cultural, you name it" - it's ultimately a celebration of people and a place, and a reminder that no country is set in aspic; it's constantly evolving, and often for the better. And, corny as it may sound, each of us can play our part in making it a better place to live. "My Ireland you are trying to be all encompassing and it's an impossible task. So I ask you, "what's your My Ireland?" Ireland are you evolving, Arising, an Aisling, Remembering, Ireland Arise! Ireland from what I've heard a great compassion is calling you. You have a teanga, so add your voice. Ireland from what I know a great courage is in you. So stand united rejoice. Go back to the source, the flow, forget mainstream. Let out a roar, I want to hear you scream: "This Ireland is my land. This Ireland is your land. This island is our land." Stephen James Smith is among those taking part at 'Young Blood - The Beat and Voices of Our Generation' at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on March 18. The Irish Independent is proud to be an official media partner of the St Patrick's Festival. For more details visit stpatricksfestival.ie The threat of strikes at Dublin Bus has lifted after the company agreed to honour a deal to count new pay rises towards its workers' pensions. In a letter to unions today, Dublin Bus confirmed that an agreement reached last year to halt strikes that meant an 11.25pc wage increase over three years should be pensionable would be honoured. Siptu said the pledge has averted a dispute at Dublin Bus that could have led to industrial action at the same time as an all-out strike threatened at Bus Eireann from next Monday. SIPTU Organiser, John Murphy, confirmed it had received written confirmation from the management of Dublin Bus that it intends to honour settlement terms, agreed at the Workplace Relations Commission in September last year to resolve a dispute on pay. He said Dublin Bus had sought a deferment of applying agreed increases in basic pay to members pension entitlements. He said the delay was agreed until the end of January 2017. Over the last number of weeks, SIPTU representatives had repeatedly sought assurances from the management of Dublin Bus that the company intended to honour the settlement terms and apply the increases in pay to pensions as of 1st February, 2017," he said. "Unfortunately, such assurances were not forthcoming. "It is disappointing that it was only when SIPTU representatives notified Dublin Bus of our members intention to commence balloting for industrial action, due to this breach of the agreement, that the company confirmed they would honour the settlement terms. A union has warned that train services in at least five areas will be under threat if an indefinite all-out strike at Bus Eireann goes ahead. The National Bus and Railworkers Union noted that some Bus Eireann depots are shared with Irish Rail. "Even though we in the trade union group are not in dispute with Iarnrod Eireann, and we have advised our members accordingly, there is absolutely no guarantee that rail staff will attend at work in locations such as Limerick, Tralee, Waterford, Galway, Sligo etc," said General Secretary Dermot O'Leary. Meanwhile, NBRU has also accused Bus Eireann of illegally breaching its members' contracts as it prepares for an indefinite all-out strike from Monday. General Secretary of the NBRU, Dermot O'Leary, urged the company to withdraw "unlawful" changes already imposed or planned next week in a letter to Acting Chief Executive Ray Hernan and Chairperson Aidan Murphy. Unions and the company are due to meet the Workplace Relations Commission this afternoon for exploratory talks in a bid to avert the industrial action. Acting Chief Executive Ray Hernan has warned that payroll cuts will be imposed as part of a 30m cost-cutting plan as the company faces the threat of going out of business within 11 months following 9m losses last year. "The current position is that the company has imposed changes to be implemented on 20 February next which will have serious implications for our members terms and conditions including their rate of pay," said Mr O'Leary in his letter. "This was done without negotiation and is blatant breach of our members rights, both contractual (and, in relation to pre-1986 employees, their statutory) entitlements." Among the changes already implemented, he said, are a ban on working rest days, and cuts to premium payments and allowances due to come into effect from Monday. Siptu told an Oireachtas committee that its members are "resolute in their position" to go on strike on Monday if the company slashes their wages. But Siptu Divisional Organiser Greg Ennis told the Transport Committee that strike action is "very much avoidable" if the company changes its decision to unilaterally cut members' pay and terms and conditions next week. He said government transport policy had brought them to a place "where regrettably our rural and inter-city transport bus service could come to a grinding halt and where the risk of contagion is unfortunately growing by the day across other CIE companies". Mr Ennis said many workers employed in other sections of the public transport sector rely on social welfare payments including Family Income Supplement and this "unfair competition" is hastening a "race to the bottom". He said a sectoral employment order that would set minimum pay and conditions for the sector is absolutely necessary for workers including drivers within the wider transport sector. "This approach would stimulate and ensure somewhat fairer competition," he said. He said a driver who earns 624 for a 39 hour week cannot be expected to "subside" the company by reducing their earnings by between 20pc and 30pc. "Workers in Bus Eireann cannot be expected to allow all conditions of employment to be set aside, accept pay cuts, agree that for four years they will do whatever the company wants and also accept that a large number of them may have to be compulsory made redundant," he said. He said the cuts were being imposed despite a recent motion passed by the Dail calling for the cuts to be withdrawn. Mr Ennis said Bus Eireann has introduced "very questionable measures" last month that had already had a negative effect on earnings and hours of work, while services had been lost on routes. He said workers on sick leave had returned to find their premium pay abolished for three weeks. The company has said it took this action because of a spike in sick leave in recent weeks. Mr Ennis said new senior management team's unprecedented approach meant there had been a "complete breakdown of the industrail relations architecture" in the company and wide CIE Group. He said it was becoming clear to Siptu members in these companies that the institutions of the state are "becoming obsolete" in resolving disputes as CIE companies are only adhering to Labour Court recommendations or agreements that they want. An unemployed hedge fund consultant and financial programmer told a judge he could not bring himself to sell his 500,000 Malahide home despite being unable to make any mortgage repayments. Judge Jacqueline Linnane directed that Justin Daly's home at The Warren, Malahide, Co Dublin, be returned to the Bank of Ireland on foot of a debt totalling 315,000, which includes almost 62,000 arrears. Barrister John Donnelly, for the bank, told the Circuit Civil Court that no money had been paid off the overall debt for five years. Granting the bank possession of the property, Judge Linnane said she would allow a stay of three months to allow Mr Daly to engage with the bank. He told the court he believed the house to be worth 500,000 in the current market and said: "I could not in my heart bring myself to sell it." Judge Linnane said that on his valuation alone there was up to 200,000 equity remaining in the property. "If you take the option of selling the house yourself you will get something out of it after clearing the mortgage," she said. Mr Daly, who represented himself in court, said he had been attempting to set up his own business but had run into a difficulty with another bank. He was finding both banks "intractable". A self-confessed Garda informant was jailed for 11 years over a shooting which left a woman fighting for her life with a bullet wound to the neck. Ciara Sheehan (21) admitted that the shooting left her fearing death. Judge Sean O'Donnabhain warned Gavin Sheehan (30) it was a miracle Ms Sheehan, who is no relation, hadn't been killed. "This man mercilessly and deliberately took a gun and fired it into a dwelling house that was lit and occupied," the judge said. Judge O'Donnabhain told Cork Circuit Criminal Court it was "reprehensible behaviour" that Mr Sheehan had later sent a Christmas card to his victim from prison. "There is not a shred of remorse. I have been looking for remorse [in him], but I do not find it," he said. CCTV camera footage at Mr Sheehan's own home showed him with a gun in his hand that night. "The level of criminality is shown not by Garda evidence, but from his own 'peacock' display on his own CCTV camera [footage]." Mr Sheehan posted a comment that evening by mobile phone that "I'm packing well" - slang for carrying a weapon. Judge O'Donnabhain imposed a 14-year sentence, but suspended the final three years. He backdated the sentence to May 15, 2016, when Mr Sheehan went into custody. Mr Sheehan has 72 previous convictions, 14 for violent crime. In defence submissions, it was claimed he was a Garda informer in Cork, supplying information about drugs, guns and general criminality. However, Det Sergeant Denis Lynch said he couldn't comment. "I am not in a position to answer that question," he said. Mr Sheehan, the father of a 10-month-old child, was convicted last November by a jury of the reckless discharge of a firearm and assault causing serious harm to Ms Sheehan at Hollywood Estate on May 15, 2016. He was also convicted of weapon and ammunition possession charges. Mr Sheehan, of Laurel Ridge, Shanakiel, Cork, denied all charges. The trial heard there was a long-running dispute between Mr Sheehan and members of the family of Ms Sheehan's boyfriend, Dillon Cunningham. "All that went through my head was that I was going to die. It was like something from a movie," Ms Sheehan said. "I felt my throat getting all tight and my face was burning. I put my hand up to my neck and it was covered in blood. I realised I was shot. "I am [now] completely broken. I am a different person. When I look in the mirror every morning, all I can see is that big ugly scar on the side of my neck. I am going through torture." One of Ireland's top celebrity chefs, who starred in the BBC's Great British Menu, has been given a suspended jail term for possessing cocaine, LSD and cannabis. Eddie Attwell (30), of Belfast Road, Antrim, appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court yesterday for sentencing on two counts of possessing class A drugs and one charge of possessing class B drugs. Head chef at St Kyrans Country House Hotel in Virginia, Co Cavan, he previously worked at Ardtara Country House in Co Londonderry. Attwell, who had a previous criminal record, was detected with the drugs in his car after being stopped at a police checkpoint at Dundrod Road, near Antrim town, on February 22 last year. A defence lawyer said Attwell had been taking drugs to cope with the pressures of being a chef, but that his employer was supporting him in getting counselling, which had seen him free of class A substances for four months. A prosecutor said Attwell was driving a car that was stopped at 12.30am in which co-accused, Janine Branagh (28), of Coolnasilla Park West, Belfast, was a front seat passenger. He said police smelled cannabis and subsequently searched the vehicle. Attwell told officers there were drugs in the back of the car. The defence lawyer said full admissions were made concerning the drugs, and those found included a small amount of cocaine, five squares of LSD worth 5 (5.89), and two ounces of cannabis for personal use. The lawyer said Attwell was employed as a chef in Cavan and had been working long hours that week, adding the drugs were "a coping mechanism for stress" connected with the "pressurised environment" in which he worked, but that Attwell's employer was supporting him and the defendant was getting weekly counselling. The defence lawyer said Branagh had a previously clear record and she was currently setting up an online business. Imposing two-month jail terms on each defendant, suspended for a year, District Judge Oonagh Mullan said they were both "educated people". She warned them that if drugs were a "lifestyle choice", they would have to "face the consequences". A completely innocent family had a lucky escape after two shots were fired into their north Dublin home in a terrifying gun attack, which gardai believe was carried out by thugs linked to the Kinahan cartel. The shocking incident happened at the property in Charlestown Park, Finglas, shortly after 9.15pm, when shots were fired from a handgun at a window and a door of the house. Two men were seen fleeing the scene on a motorbike, which has not yet been recovered by gardai. Senior sources say that it is believed that the shooting is linked to a personal dispute between a major local drug-dealing gang and a man who was not even in the house when it was targeted. Sources say the intended target is not involved in criminality and no arrests have been made so far in the case. The targeted house is in the corner of a quiet residential street near the Charlestown Shopping Centre. One of the bullets left a hole in the living room window frame at chest level. The occupants of the house, who were left shaken by the incident, did not wish to comment on the matter. It is lucky that this incident did not cause serious injury or worse. The occupants of that house are completely innocent people, a source said last night. It is only a matter of time before this crowd kill someone, the source added. The house was sealed off by gardai for a number of hours after Monday nights shooting, while ballistic and forensic examinations took place. It is understood the up-and-coming thug who ordered the shooting was not in the country when it happened. Gardai have become increasingly concerned about the activities of this man and his associates, who have become the suburbs biggest drug-dealing gang. This young man, who is in his 20s and has barely any previous convictions, was previously involved in a major public order and property damage incident in Finglas village with a number of his pals. He is closely aligned to a 24-year-old drug dealer who has become the new kingpin for the Kinahan cartel in a major patch of north Dublin. The man has taken over a drug-dealing patch belonging to one of his closest associates, who fled the country months ago. The on-the-run thugs home has been raided and he has been arrested and questioned about the murder of Eddie Hutch Snr on February 8 last year. He is now believed to be hiding out in Birmingham with two notorious brothers from the Cabra area. The 24-year-old thug has a core network of at least 20 loyal associates, all of whom are regularly stopped and searched by gardai including the young criminal who is suspected of ordering Monday nights attack. 'It was not intended that ERBE would replace existing religion teaching in religious-run schools, but the Catholic education interests were worried about the delivery of mixed messages to their pupils' Stock photo: Getty Integrating the teaching of world religions and ethics into primary schools is now being explored after a Catholic backlash against introducing it as a stand-alone subject. The plan is to weave such teaching and learning into a restructured primary curriculum, which the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is currently working on. The NCCA has formally published the report of its consultation on a proposed new subject, Education about Religions and Beliefs and Ethics (ERBE), which attracted some strong objections. The option of having ERBE as a separate subject was effectively ruled out after bishops and key figures within Catholic education said it would be "unworkable" and would confuse pupils in schools under their control. It was not intended that ERBE would replace existing religion teaching in religious-run schools, but the Catholic education interests were worried about the delivery of mixed messages to their pupils. Now the NCCA plans to work with a network of schools, both religious-run and multi-denominational, seeking examples of best practice on matters related to education about religious beliefs and ethics. This is with a view to incorporating teaching and learning of these themes into the new primary curriculum as part of a variety of subjects. The new curriculum, which could amount to a radical reshaping of the structure of the school day and the time allocated to different subjects, is expected to be introduced within three to five years. A report by the Economic and Social Research Institute on the NCCA consultation, which was also published yesterday, stated that clarity would be required about the potential overlap of ERBE topics with other subjects, in order to avoid duplication. The Catholic Primary School Management Association said they would "continue to engage in dialogue with the NCCA in an open and positive manner". The association expressed the view that ERBE "is in fact misnamed, and might more appropriately be called World Views Education". Meanwhile, a survey by the education lobby group Equate showed that 72pc of parents agree the law should be changed so that baptism can no longer be a requirement for school admission in state-funded schools, while 71pc say there should be a new subject about all religions and ethics in schools. THE European Commission is prosecuting Ireland for failing to stop raw sewage from being discharged into waters. Despite being warned in 2005 to tackle pollution and address the public health risks, the State has failed to provide waste water treatment facilities in 38 areas across the country. The move comes after the Government was warned in September 2015 and again in September last year that failure to put in place wastewater treatment facilities in areas including Arklow in Wicklow, Ringsend in Dublin and Cork and Waterford cities would result in prosecution. The European Court of Justice could impose steep fines it if rules in the commissions favour. It has previously fined Greece for failing to comply with a 2007 judgment on a similar matter, with a 10m fixed sum imposed and daily fines of up to 20,000. In a statement, the commission said it was taking Ireland to court for its failure to ensure that urban waste water in 38 areas was adequately collected and treated to prevent serious risks to human health and the environment. It also raises concerns about the failure to ensure that a correct operating licence has been issued for the treatment plants serving Arklow and Castlebridge. Member States had until the end of 2000 to ensure appropriate treatment of wastewater from large areas with populations of more than 15,000, and until the end of 2005 for other areas. According to a recent Commission report on the implementation of EU environmental policy and law in Member States, one of the main challenges Ireland faces is maintaining the important investments required for water services, given the urgent need to invest in water infrastructure, it added. Some works are already under way or in planning, including an upgrade of Ringsend and treatment plants in Clifden and Arklow. Irish Water said that works required to comply with the directive would cost in excess of 1bn. Since taking over responsibility for water services in 2014 Irish Water has put in place a prioritised range of projects to deal with historic deficits and lack of investment in wastewater treatment across the country," it said. "The utility has identified key projects in our current and recently approved future capital investment plans to address all non-compliances in our treatment plants by 2021 in each of the areas identified by the EU as part of this ECJ case. This element of our investment programme will exceed 1bn." Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the legal action should be focused upon by the Dail committee on the future funding of water services, which meets today. Its a critical issue for the Water Committee as it reaches the end of its deliberations. "The question is how are we going to fund this? We have to make sure it doesnt come out of housing, or education or our transport budgets. Weve forgotten about water for years, and we can no longer ignore it. Thinking of jetting to the US for the summer? The US State Department of State has allocated an extra 2,600 J1 summer visas. A statement from the US Embassy said that the 7,000 available visas will bring the number of J1 permits in line with 2015 figures. The "pre-placement policy" means that people travelling have to secure a job in advance, is still in place. Numbers dipped when the new stipulation was added in 2016. Anyone looking to secure a J1 visa is encouraged to begin the application process immediately. "The U.S. Embassy in Dublin is fully committed to the success of the J-1 programs in Ireland. In addition to the popular Summer Work and Travel program, Irish students can participate in the Camp Counselor, Au Pair, and Intern programs. The Embassy is working with Irish government representatives as well as U.S. and Irish program implementers to ensure Irish students continue to benefit from the J-1 programs," a statement from the Embassy said. The news will be welcome following concerns for the scheme after the election of Donald Trump. During the former reality star's campaign he appeared to indicate that the scheme would be scrapped, describing it as a scheme for "foreign youths" and said he would prefer to see the jobs given to inner city youths. However, last December the agreement between Ireland and the US in respect of the visas was signed for another three years. The J1 programme works in two ways, with both a 12 months visa and a four month summer work visa. The additional allocation refers only to the four months work visas. In the Dail tonight the Government won a confidence motion by 57 votes to 52, with 44 abstaining. The debate on confidence saw angry scenes in the Dail, following a week of controversy and political upheaval. Opposition parties were critical of the Government's handling of the garda whistleblower controversy, describing it in turn as "fumbling", "stumbling" and "casual". It came after a "calm" parliamentary party meeting saw two Fine Gael ministers warn the party to be election ready, while the Taoiseach avoided any direct criticism. In the chamber, after offering a full apology to whistleblower Maurice McCabe and his family Mr Kenny went on to say that the country needed "stability" in a time of international uncertainty. He noted Brexit negotiations will start in a few weeks and insisted "Ireland is very well prepared for this process but we do need to be ready to hit the ground running as soon as Article 50 is triggered." He argued that the government's plan to grow the economy and create jobs "is working" and that they continue to invest in the health service. "Bringing housing supply back to sustainable levels, and stabilising the rental sector has been a slow process but we have a clear plan and that plan will overcome this challenge," he added. Mr Kenny said what the country needs is the delivery of the programme for government "not political stunts by Sinn Fein" and called on TDs to support the government's motion of confidence. Fianna Fail, who see themselves as 'facilitating' the current Government, abstained from the vote on Wednesday. Micheal Martin argued that the government has handled the whistleblower issue "in a casual and incompetent manner". He also said that during the last government there was "evidence of efforts to bury this scandal". Mr Martin noted that Mr Kenny has confirmed that he is willing to support a Tribunal of the type Sgt. McCabe is calling for. But he said the question before the is now to get justice for Mr McCabe and other whistleblowers, not "should we collapse the government and Dail in order to have a general election in the next few weeks". He accused Sinn Fein of being motivated by "party politics" in tabling the motion of no confidence. Mr Martin argued that it's "not possible to accept that Sinn Fein tabled its motion of no confidence out of any sincere outrage at how information was handled." He said senior Sinn Fein members attacked him for raising "allegations about abuse within the Provisionals movement." He added "And we are still waiting for a single person to respond to their claim to call for witnesses to come forward to the Gardai." Mr Martin said Fianna Fail's position remains that every deputy in the Dail has a duty to do everything possible to make it work. He said his party tried to form an alternative government but eventually agreed to the confidence and supply arrangement. "We have played this agreement absolutely straight. We have been a constructive opposition in proposing alternatives and, on some occasions, having to allow through policies we disagree with," Mr Martin said. Strain He said the events of the week have put the agreement "under serious strain". "We do want a change of government, but we also believe that this Dail has not yet fulfilled its obligations to the people who we are elected to serve." He said Fianna Fail's priority is to address the current scandal and "help our country overcome the many challenges it faces. "There is no evidence that an immediate election would do this. We will abide by our agreement," he added. But he warned: "There is a point after which all good faith efforts to make this Dail work will have failed and there will be no alternative but to have an election." He said that point is closer now than it was last week. Fine Gael deputies also launched blistering attacks on the motion brought forward by Sinn Fein. Leading the charge was Public Expenditure minister Paschal Donohoe who described the move as "nakedly political". Mr Donohoe said the motion of no-confidence which Sinn Fein tabled over the handing of the controversy over the alleged smear campaign against Sgt Maurice McCabe was aimed only at destabilising a Government that is doing its best to make progress on behalf of those we are privileged to serve. However, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams accused the minority government of being "devoid of direction, stumbling from one crisis to the next. "Theyve lost any authority to govern and that authority of course derives from their guaridains in Fianna Fail. And the Fianna Fail position is we want to ensure this government survives," he added. Mr Adams claimed: "The latest scandal to engulf Fine Gael and the so-called independents is caused by Fine Gael's perpetual and disgraceful handling of the campaign of vilification agianst Maurice McCabe and other Garda whistleblowers." "Fine Gael have lurched from one justice and policing crisis to another. "Whistleblowers, brave citizens have been a target of campaigns of abuse and harrassment from within An Garda Siochana, enabled by this government's behaviour. In no other modern state would these actions be tollerated," Mr Adams said. Fumbling Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin said that he has had no confidence in the government since it was formed. "I didnt vote for this Government, and I have been dismayed by its performance over the last few months," he said. He repeated his claim that it's a "do-nothing government" but claimed that in the last week "From doing nothing, this Government has now begun to do actual harm." Fumbling He said the "fumbling" of the whistleblower issue has added to the agony "imposed on the McCabe family" and others. Mr Howlin also noted pressure on Mr Kenny's position. "There are many in this chamber, on your side of the house as well as mine, who have waited for your time as Taoiseach to come to an end. "Some of them share that front row with you," he said. "If this debate proves to be a tipping point that brings that end closer, know that you have made a significant contribution to this state," he said. But Mr Howlin added: "know too, that the events of the last week are not an acceptable way for a country to be governed." However, at the earlier meeting of the party it was clear that even those most likely to contest a leadership battle in event of the Taoiseach standing aside were focused on putting on a united front. But many will view the meeting as the moment the starting gun was fired in the leadership race, with both Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris warning the party to be 'election-ready'. One party source said: Its clear it wasnt the time to have a fight but by speaking up Leo and Simon showed that things are moving now. Three people including Leo Varadkar suggested that another meeting of the parliamentary party be scheduled for tomorrow. Id be happy to meet tomorrow or early next week, Mr Varadkar said, according to sources. The Taoiseach asked for patience because tonight was the night "to concentrate on the motion of confidence" and other issues would be dealt with later. Mr Varadkar was the first minister to address the floor, telling TDs that Maurice McCabe and other whistleblowers are heroes. He said the party needs to be ready for an election - a claim echoed by Housing Minister Simon Coveney who spoke immediately afterwards. The HSE counsellor whose "cut and paste" error alleged Sgt Maurice McCabe had committed serious sexual abuse of a young woman as a child has been placed under extra supervision. The counsellor in the National Counselling Service, who made the error in 2013 and discovered it in 2014, remains on the staff, as reported by the Irish Independent yesterday. However, a HSE spokeswoman said after the matter came to light, "additional supervisory procedures were put in place in relation to the staff member concerned". The counsellor, who was providing therapy to the young woman, reported the allegation to HSE social services before it was later passed on to Tusla. The HSE said an immediate internal review of guidelines, practices and protocols had been undertaken within the National Counselling Service to ensure that such a mistake would not reoccur. Tusla, which is facing serious questions over its handling of the McCabe file and how it was processed, told the Irish Independent that it once again apologises unreservedly to the McCabe family, and would welcome the opportunity to meet them to discuss and clarify any specific concerns. Regulation The Health Information and Quality Authority is to carry out an investigation of Tusla, which said: "We welcome the investigations that have been established and we will co-operate fully with them. We would like to reassure the public that the best interests of the children and families with whom we work are always at the heart of what we do." Meanwhile, asked about progress on the introduction of regulation for counsellors and psychotherapists, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health said officials were examining 84 submissions received on foot of the public consultation on the plan. "Subject to the outcome of the consultation process, the minister will make regulations later this year designating the professions of counsellor and psychotherapist under the 2005 act," she said. "This will be followed by establishment and appointment of the 13-person registration board. "Counsellors and psychotherapists are not currently regulated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. However, the act provides that the health minister may, by regulation, designate a health and social care profession not already designated if he or she considers that it is appropriate." Just 1,303 people from Ireland have availed of the EU cross-border scheme which allows for free medical treatment abroad. This is despite more than 630,000 people being on some form of waiting list, including high numbers needing surgery or a specialist appointment. The scheme enables treatment in another EU jurisdiction, including Northern Ireland. The patient pays the cost of treatment upfront and is later reimbursed by the HSE, although travel is not covered, which probably explains the low take-up. Ireland South MEP Deirdre Clune, who obtained the figures, said "for many, many people it means they could have the treatment in Belfast and the HSE will pay for it, but not the cost of travel. "The total number of people waiting on the in-patient and day-case waiting list as published by the NTPF on December 30, 2016, was 81,015." She said the HSE had spent more than 2.2m in 2016 on patients who had opted to have their procedures in another EU country. "That's an average payment of over 6,700 per in-patient treatment and 585 on average for each outpatient treatment." Ms Clune pointed out that under the Cross Border Healthcare Directive, any public patient with a referral letter from their GP or consultant may obtain treatment in another member state and claim reimbursement. The cross-border scheme, however, is not limited to patients on waiting lists and covers most areas of healthcare, including acute hospital procedures, dental care, speech and language therapy, as well as physiotherapy, disability and mental health services. The HSE said reimbursement to patients would be at the cost of the treatment abroad or the cost of the treatment in Ireland, whichever was the lesser. A consultation fee would be reimbursed at a maximum of 130. For other costs, the HSE uses Hospital In-Patient Enquiry costings for the purposes of reimbursement. It gave the example of a woman from Ireland who went to France to have a hip replacement. The cost in Ireland is 10,000, with a 75 per night hospital charge. If the cost in France is 11,000 and she was in hospital for five nights then the reimbursement rate would be 10,000, less 375, which is 9,625. Tesco workers have spoken of their resolve, saying they're willing to go "all the way". Brian Barrett, who lives in Ashbourne, Co Meath, has worked for Tesco for 28 years. He is getting married to his partner next month - who also works in Tesco. "If we have to get married on the picket, we'll do it...," he said. "We're willing to bite the bullet now at this stage." Read More Meanwhile, Gerard Mahady (52) is one of about 250 staff who have been with the company since before 1996, and has a contract that workers believe Tesco intends to amend. He has been with the company for 30 years, and his wife has been there for 26 years. Mr Mahady was one of more than 50 people protesting yesterday outside Tesco in Finglas, Dublin. "We were told that our contracts are going to be ripped up, and we're being offered new ones," he said. "There'll be a loss of income for me personally of 15pc. "As a long-term worker, the big issue for me would be loss of earnings, my wife also stands to lose 15pc of her wages. Read More "I wouldn't be able to afford my mortgage and my bills. I don't know how to make ends meet. "They employ 14,500 people, how are 200-odd people affecting them? We shouldn't be treated like this." TAOISEACH Enda Kenny got a brief respite from the swirling controversy over the Garda whistleblower scandal as he attended a jobs announcement in Dublin this morning. Amid questions over how long he'll remain in office, and facing a confidence motion in the Dail later today, Mr Kenny was on hand to welcome the news that 500 jobs will be created by tech firm Indeed. Read More Reporters were told by Mr Kenny's press office staff that he's not taking questions from the media at the event at Indeed's European headquarters in St Stephen's Green. But asked on the way out if he is considering his position in light of the ongoing controversy, Mr Kenny didn't address the question, instead replying: "Wonderful day to be here at Indeed." Mr Kenny hailed the new jobs in his speech to staff and, in an apparent reference to the ongoing political storm, quipped: "It's a lot of easier to talk to you than some of the other people I have to talk to these days" It was his first public appearance since it emerged in the Dail that he was aware that the Tusla file on Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe referenced allegations of sexual abuse. Children's Minister Katherine Zappone revealed in the Dail last night that she briefed the Taoiseach before a Cabinet meeting where the terms of reference on the proposed Commission of Investigation was discussed. "I told him that I had met with the McCabes, that we had discussed false allegations of sexual abuse made against Sgt McCabe to Tusla. "The Taoiseach said that this would be covered by the Commission of Investigation," she said. Later the Taoiseach acknowledged that while the minister didn't divulge details of the sexual abuse, she did mention it to him. The government has agreed to hold a public tribunal into the alleged smear campaign against Sgt McCabe, which is expected to have a deadline of around 12 months. During the heated Dail debate last night, Mr Kenny was asked on at least 10 occasions to reveal when he first learned of the false sex abuse allegations against Sgt McCabe. Mr Kenny repeatedly insisted that he was unaware of the details of the accusations until the 'Prime Time' programme relating to the Tusla file last Thursday night. Read More Mr Kenny will face leaders' questions in the Dail at noon and is set to deliver a major speech on Brexit later today. Mr Kenny was joined at the event in Dublin by Indeed President Chris Hyams and IDA Ireland chief executive Martin Shanahan for the jobs announcement. Indeed - a recruitment website - is expanding its European, Middle East and Africa headquarters in Dublin to capitalise on continuing rapid international growth. Indeed's services allow job seekers to to search millions of jobs on in more than 60 countries and 28 languages. Taoiseach Enda Kenny was aware that the Tusla file on Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe referenced allegations of sexual abuse, it has emerged. In the latest twist to the ongoing controversy, Children's Minister Katherine Zappone revealed that she briefed the Taoiseach before a Cabinet meeting where the terms of reference on the proposed Commission of Investigation was discussed. "I told him that I had met with the McCabes, that we had discussed false allegations of sexual abuse made against Sgt McCabe to Tusla. "The Taoiseach said that this would be covered by the Commission of Investigation," she told the Dail last night. Expand Close Taoiseach Enda Kenny Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taoiseach Enda Kenny Photo: Tony Gavin The statement called into question the series of events outlined by to the Dail by Mr Kenny just moments earlier. However, later the Taoiseach acknowledged that while the minister didn't divulge details of the sexual abuse, she did mention it to him. Ministers have agreed to hold a public tribunal into the alleged smear campaign against Sgt McCabe, which is expected to have a deadline of around 12 months. A special Cabinet meeting will be held today or tomorrow amid serious concern from Independent Alliance members about the controversy. The independent TDs have maintained a public silence in recent days, but behind the scenes are extremely frustrated at how the issue has been handled by Government colleagues. Sources confirmed to the Irish Independent they have major concerns about contradictions in the Taoiseach's version of events. They were due to release a statement last night, but will seek further clarifications today from Mr Kenny before guaranteeing they will back the Government in a confidence motion. During a heated Dail debate last night, Mr Kenny was asked on at least 10 occasions to reveal when he first learned of the false allegations that Sgt Maurice McCabe had molested a child. He repeatedly insisted that he was unaware of the accusations until the 'Prime Time' programme relating to the Tusla file last Thursday night. Dramatic However, in one of the more dramatic interventions, Fianna Fail's John McGuinness said the Taoiseach was aware long before last week. Mr McGuinness famously met former garda commissioner Martin Callinan in a hotel car park in 2014, when he says the ex-garda told him Maurice McCabe was "not to be trusted and there were serious issues about him". He told the Dail last night that "everybody in this House knew" about the allegations hanging over Sgt McCabe. "Efforts were made to derail Maurice McCabe and the story he was telling. Everyone knew. The fact of the matter is it was a deliberate attempt to undermine Maurice McCabe," Mr McGuinness said. "You did nothing about Maurice McCabe until now when you're put in the spotlight." In response, Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald questioned why the deputy did not alert people to his meeting with the former commissioner sooner. But Mr McGuinness said he had "followed legal advice" and like Minister Zappone "didn't want to give legs to something that was totally untrue". Ms Fitzgerald and Fianna Fail's justice spokesperson Jim O'Callaghan also continued to row last night over whether he had warned her during a Dail bar meeting last Wednesday of the Tusla link to the McCabe case. The Tanaiste questioned why "if he was so concerned about Tusla" didn't Mr O'Callaghan raise the issue during his Dail contribution last week. Mr O'Callaghan refused to back down, asking: "Is it credible that a Minister for Justice would agree to amend terms of reference of an important commission of investigation based on a television programme and not ask what the programme was about?" Bus Eireann will today be asked to withdraw the threat of cuts to its workers' pay from Monday in a bid to avert an indefinite all-out strike that threatens the entire transport network. The Workplace Relations Commission has invited unions and the company to "exploratory" talks this afternoon to find a resolution to the row. Bus Eireann has threatened to impose 12m cuts to its 2,600 workers' earnings by axing shift payments and slashing allowances next week. Unions will today tell an Oireachtas committee that there is massive travel disruption ahead and industrial action is likely to spread to Dublin Bus and Irish Rail. General Secretary of the National Bus and Railworkers Union, Dermot O'Leary, will also claim that taxpayers may be hit by a 5m bill to replace services if the company makes further cuts to routes. He will say the cost of replacing services to towns along routes between Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Galway and Clonmel, could top 3.34m. The figures are based on an analysis of the cost of the National Transport Authority having to tender for contractors to cover towns that were previously dropped on the route between Portlaoise and Cashel. Hopes were raised earlier yesterday that next week's strike could be averted when the Nbru, Siptu and the company accepted an invitation to discussions. But the Nbru warned that industrial action will go ahead without "buy in" by Transport Minister Shane Ross to resolve the dispute. Siptu Sector Organiser, Willie Noone, said the union will emphasise that the company must remove its threat to unilaterally implement changes to its members' terms and conditions of employment. Bus Eireann's Acting Chief Executive Ray Hernan has warned that it is in danger of going bust before the end of the year. 'Happy St Valentine's Day," said the Ceann Comhairle, in a tone that was part silk, part dry as the dust from the deserts of Arabia. As a opener to the day, his remark was up there with the very best in noir fiction page turners. Which could not be more appropriate given this unfolding, ever-shifting situation which has, at last, placed the victim centre stage and left everybody else scrambling in clod-footed fashion to get their stories straight. We felt a pang of deep compassion for the staff in the Dail restaurant who had gone to such painstaking efforts to have everything nice for the day. The gooey cushion on the chair on the way in, bearing the image of two puppies with the legend: "Pugs and kisses." The sugary pastel cupcakes. The lovingly scattered glass hearts. Even at breakfast, they'd gone to the trouble of cutting a heart out of the toast and replacing the hole with a fried egg. A sharp-eyed customer spotted that the bready inserts thriftily turned up later at lunch in the form of crispy-fried heart croutons. But neither sugar, "warm lovers' salads" nor yeasty sacrifice could cut it on a day like this, and the talk in lowered voices was of the empty war chests and how nobody can possibly afford an election right now. Priorities, after all. The simpering layer of romance only added a surreal undertone of gently simmering menace to a spiralling situation in which each jigsaw piece, laid down over the hours, seemed to lead to one sickening conclusion: Lies are being told here. As the day went on, it became frustratingly impossible to keep up. Was there even any point in trying when it was so patently clear that it is not possible to believe each of the parties individually because together, they do not form one coherent picture? Frankly, it was a dog's dinner. The deputies in the chamber knew this and the atmosphere became ever edgier, ever more restless. The eyes of the Fine Gael backbenchers shifted warily up to the press benches and swept the room, seeking out the verdict that they already knew. The Taoiseach was on the ropes. Enda's temper vented at a familiar target. "You're an absolute hypocrite," he hissed across at Gerry Adams, who had said: "As long as you hold office, there will be no truth or justice for Maurice McCabe." In the frontbench, the Tanaiste looked exhausted and on the brink, brittle in her answers, her expression almost pleading. Simon Harris was on hand for support, but at one point in the Shinner discourse, they smirked and all of a sudden, it seemed too much to bear. Fianna Fail was just as antsy. The only ones sitting in grim calm were Deputies Clare Daly and Mick Wallace, by this point unshockable. Of the Independent Alliance there wasn't a sign, having retreated to its bunker to formulate its plan of campaign. The earlier portion of the day had been deceptively civilised in the chamber. "The entire country has sympathy with Maurice McCabe and his family," declared the Taoiseach. What's required is a process to ascertain whether or not there had been a deliberate attempt to smear Maurice McCabe, he said. "There's nothing worse in this country than being called a sex abuser," he pointed out. That, at least, was the truth. He issued an apology for telling RTE radio that he had a conversation with Children's Minister Katherine Zappone before her meeting when in fact he had not. By evening, things were considerably less clear. "We're not in a court of law," said Catherine Murphy wearily, after three hours of heated debate. She wanted "the four people in question" to give every assistance to the tribunal to allow the McCabes to get on with their lives. This, surely, is the crux after all the mistruths, all the half-truths and all the bluster. Taoiseach Enda Kenny has launched an astonishing attack on the Sinn Fein leader, describing Gerry Adams as "an absolute hypocrite". After Mr Adams criticised the Government's handling of Sgt Maurice McCabe's case, Mr Kenny reacted furiously, saying the Louth TD was "playing politics with an issue that is so sensitive and so personal that it goes to the very heart of the public soul of Ireland". He accused the Sinn Fein leader of being an "absolute hypocrite after what you did and what you said to former senator Mairia Cahill". "And what you did and did not do in respect of safe houses, including on this side of the Border, where sexual abuse was conducted on young men by members of your organisation." During fraught Dail exchanges, junior minister Patrick O'Donovan shouted about "kangaroo courts" and later accused Sinn Fein of having a "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude. Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald said: "You want to convict before you hear the evidence." Sinn Fein TDs heckled back across the chamber, with deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald saying: "Shame on you, Taoiseach. It is a disgrace. You should resign." However, Mr Adams replied: "Well, Taoiseach, I am not going to rise to your bluster, to your diversions, to your distractions." Enda Kenny's trip to the White House for St Patrick's Day will be his final one as Taoiseach, senior party sources believe. After a week that has rocked Fine Gael, a growing number of TDs and ministers are now briefing against Mr Kenny. There is now a widely held belief in Leinster House that the party leader should be given a last chance to step down of his own volition. "He has been hinting at dates all the time. The last one was the Pope's visit in 2018, but a more realistic one is St Patrick's Day," said a well-placed source. The Irish Independent understands that Mr Kenny is currently planning to combine his visit to meet US President Donald Trump with a trade mission that will take him to several cities. It is expected to take between eight and 11 days. Over the past 48 hours, a number of Fine Gael backbenchers have discussed the prospect of launching a challenge to Mr Kenny at the parliamentary party meeting. Discussions have centred around a direct call for Mr Kenny to spell out his exit strategy and to lay out a time frame for a succession period. But such a move will not take place until the Garda whistleblower crisis is defused. "It's close - but it won't be this week," said one source involved in the plotting. The theory within the party is that Mr Kenny has lost a large chunk of the so-called 'middle ground' TDs and senators in recent weeks. These are members who, just a few months ago, would have rarely spoken out about the leadership issue. Contest Sources who want Mr Kenny to go quickly say a number of deputies formerly in this category now agree that the leadership issue is coming to a head. A key consideration is the fact the traditional trip Stateside will coincide with the British government's triggering of Brexit. As the self-appointed Brexit Minister, Mr Kenny is leading Ireland's response. Until now, this was seen as a reason to keep him in position, but some TDs now feel they should change leader before the two-year negotiations get under way. "There's a gap between St Patrick's Day and Easter in which a contest could take place, or in a worst case scenario from Easter until the summer recess," one TD said. Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar and Housing Minister Simon Coveney are now seen as the only credible candidates to replace Mr Kenny. In a sign of growing dissent within the ranks, two Fine Gael councillors openly debated Mr Kenny's leadership on national radio yesterday. Cllr Brian Murphy from Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown claimed Fine Gael was "constantly running to Fianna Fail for approval". He had earlier posted a message on Facebook in which he described Mr Kenny as "pure toxic". Defending her party leader on RTE's 'Liveline' Cllr Patricia Stewart, also from Mr Murphy's constituency, said Mr Kenny "will go down as one of the best Taoiseachs we've ever had". The programme conducted a text poll which found that 54pc of listeners believed Mr Kenny should resign. However, the Irish Independent has learned that Fine Gael representatives sought to manipulate the poll by alerting members via WhatsApp and asking them to back the Taoiseach. US tech firms have "hit the pause button" on any plans to hire staff here, according to a leading recruitment expert. Tracy Keevans, of recruitment firm Morgan McKinley, said that since Donald Trump's inauguration as US president, her company had identified a reticence among US technology companies to invest in Ireland. "A lot of the US tech companies that were thinking about expanding into Ireland have hit the pause button on their plans as a direct result of uncertainty related to President Trump," she said. She was speaking after the publication of the regular Morgan McKinley Monthly Employment Monitor which tracks trends in the jobs market month by month. While US companies are becoming more nervous, the report found that a large numbrs of job enquiries are now coming from the UK as a result of Brexit. There was also a rise in the number of Irish people abroad working in the financial services sector who are contemplating returning home to Ireland, having left the country during the financial crisis. Asian financial institutions in particular are showing more interest in Ireland, thought to be a sign of contingency planning for Britain's exit from the EU, it said. President Trump has repeatedly pledged to bring US companies home and has raised the spectre of punitive tariffs for companies operating offshore that do not provide employment or pay tax in the US. The view was supported by a senior Irish official, who confirmed that the uncertainty was having an effect. "In times of regulatory and political uncertainty like this, companies will tend to put off decision-making in the short term," they said. Ms Keevans said there has been a notable reluctance among technology firms that are scoping out Ireland as a possible base of operations to commit to firmer plans. The companies involved cited uncertainty surrounding what - if any - measures Mr Trump might impose on US companies that hold intellectual property overseas, or hire outside America. Ireland has become a major hub for US tech firms in recent years. Dublin is host to nine of the world's top 10 IT firms, with the industry thought to contribute around 36bn to the Irish economy annually. Ms Keevans stressed that her information related to prospective investment into Ireland, not companies already established here. However, the growing reticence of US companies will undoubtedly cause unease to Irish policy makers charged with facing off myriad threats to the economy in 2017 and beyond. Ms Keevans was speaking about the Morgan McKinley monthly report that showed there was a 10pc decline in the number of professional jobs available in the first month of this year compared with January 2016. A total of 11,850 professional roles were available in January compared to 13,173 a year previously, according to the Morgan McKinley report. However, the report also showed that the number of professional job vacancies in Ireland rose by a third last month compared to December's figure. In addition, the number of active professionals in the jobs market also increased by 56pc compared to December. Half of all professional positions that became available in January were outside Dublin, bucking the trend from January 2016, when opportunities were concentrated in the capital. The latest data shows increased demand for private equity and real estate experts. Demand for IT professionals was especially strong last month. The survey is based on new job vacancies and new candidates registered with Morgan McKinley's network in Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford. Jennifer Zamparelli (Maguire), Ray Coyne, CEO of Dublin Bus and a host of famous Dublin characters launch the DoDublin rebrand. Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography Dublin Bus has lifted the bonnet on its most unusual tourist requests ahead of the 2017 summer season. Ive had the remains of three lovers of Dublin City on my bus," says Martin Connolly, a Dublin Bus driver for 29 years. "Their families scattered their ashes in their favourite spots across the city the River Liffey is the most popular!" Other customers of the company's popular sightseeing, city and coastal tours have been known to take home earth from the Phoenix Park. These visitors - "mostly Americans," the company says - scoop up some of the earth to scatter on the graves of loved ones back home. That's just the start of the shenanigans. Expand Close Jennifer Zamparelli (Maguire) launches the DoDublin rebrand. Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jennifer Zamparelli (Maguire) launches the DoDublin rebrand. Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography Although questions on where to eat and drink are common, Dublin Bus staff continue to be asked where real-life leprechauns may be found, and for visitor info on Kelly's Book (or the Book of Kells, as you may know it). The queries were recently revealed as part of a rebrand of Dublin Bus's commercial services. Their new name? 'DoDublin Tours'. The fresh logo and livery aim to "cut through the brand noise created by other operators and attract visitors," Dublin Bus contends. Its tour buses remain green, of course - just different shades thereof. Expand Close Jennifer Zamparelli (Maguire), Ray Coyne, CEO of Dublin Bus and a host of famous Dublin characters launch the DoDublin rebrand. Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jennifer Zamparelli (Maguire), Ray Coyne, CEO of Dublin Bus and a host of famous Dublin characters launch the DoDublin rebrand. Photo Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography Tours are available in 10 languages, start from 22/10 per adult/child (three-day tickets offer unlimited travel including direct airport transfers from 33/16pp), and feature 63 Dublin natives as drivers schooled in the city's history and lore. Theyre an honest lot, too. One driver found a bag with 3,500 on his bus, it emerges. It was duly returned to a rather relieved tourist visiting Trinity College. Did you know... Dublin Mean Time was in place until 1916. The city was over 25 minutes ahead of GMT in London Dublin Zoo used to be home to the first MGM studio lion Napoleons toothbrush, snuff box and lancet are on display in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland The Irish harp faces to the left on government buildings, but to the right on Guinness products Dublin Bus runs the city's Hop On Hop Off Tour, Coastal Tours, Ghostbus Tour and The 1916: Beyond Barricades Tour. Its tours travel 275,000 miles across city and county each year. See dodublin.ie for more. Read more: In a new series on Independent.ie Style, we speak to Irish women who inspire us and find out how they got the job they're in today, what trials and tribulations they faced on their career path and what advice they have to give to working women in today's world. First up, we speak to Galway native Michaela O'Shaughnessy, Social Media Producer at Teen Vogue and the brains behind lifestyle and fashion blog Life Of A Lady Bear. Did you always want to work in social media/fashion? I have had an interest in fashion from a young age and was always eager to learn more about social media to help grow my fashion blog, Life of a Lady Bear, but I never actively thought about a career in fashion. Living in Ireland, it never seemed like a realistic expectation for me. Even though the Irish fashion industry has grown leaps and bounds over the past few years, growing up in Galway I was never exposed to that side of the industry. Growing up, what did you want to be? When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor. All throughout secondary school I loved everything to do with biology and chemistry, so I studied Biomedical Science in NUI Galway with the hopes of going on to study post-graduate medicine. However as time went by, I slowly started to become interested in business and particularly marketing, so once I graduated I decided that I would go back to college to pursue post-graduate studies in business. How did you find yourself on this career path? Truthfully, I ended up working in social media by accident. Initially when I moved to New York, I was looking for a marketing position so I uploaded my resume to several job posting websites and within a few days I was contacted by a recruiter about a social media role at MTV. Thankfully, I had a social presence of my own because of my blog, which they were impressed with, and I was offered the job soon after. Prior to that, I never thought that working in social media was a "thing" because it's such a relatively new industry. Video of the Day Did you face any challenges along your way to this career? If so, what are some notable obstacles you faced and how did you overcome them? I think the biggest obstacle I've had to face was actually figuring out what career path I wanted to pursue. Coming from a biomedical science background, I certainly felt the pressure to stay in that industry and thought it was quite a risky move to shift paths completely to study business, but on reflection it definitely was the best decision I ever made. And then of course, making the decision to move to New York was another big obstacle but thankfully it's going well out here, so it was worth overcoming. Are you a believer in having a five year plan? I'm definitely a huge believer in setting goals for yourself to achieve, but personally I don't have a five year plan. If you told me five years ago that one day I would be living in New York and that I would have worked with MTV and Teen Vogue, I would have never believed you! So instead of having a huge plan for the next five years, I take it year by year and ensure that I do everything in my power to achieve whatever goals I set for myself. What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in social media/fashion? From my own personal experience, I know for a fact that having a blog and a social presence was a huge factor in helping me land my first position in social media. One look at your blog or social accounts instantly tells a prospective employer that you're consistent, you're dedicated, you're knowledgeable about the industry and allows them to learn more about you than a quick glimpse at a resume ever could. Being active on Linkedin is also so important these days, connect with the hiring managers at brands you love and write them a quick note mentioning that you admire their brand and would love to be considered for any upcoming positions. If I've learned anything, it's that nothing will come to you. You need to actively pursue your dreams and put yourself out there. What women inspire you? I'm inspired by so many women on a daily basis, firstly my mom who has worked so hard her whole life while raising kids. Secondly I admire any woman who has an entrepreneurial spirit. There are so many Irish female entrepreneurs that inspire me, in particular milliner Jennifer Wrynne. She pursued something that she's passionate about and has been so successful at such a young age and I find her work ethic extremely admirable. Whats a typical day like? A typical day for me starts with either a Pilates class or a walk through Central Park. It's the one hour of the day where I allow myself to shut off completely. Once I arrive into the office, I usually start to plan what to post on Teen Vogue's social channels that day. The nice thing about my job is that every day brings something different, whether it's working behind the scenes at a photoshoot or shooting a Facebook Live with a celebrity guest, no day is ever the same. What has been the highlight of your career so far? Without a doubt my career highlight so far was when I got to work at the Video Music Awards in Los Angeles back when I worked with MTV. It was my first time working on a huge production and I had the most amazing opportunities to meet some musicians that I've always loved. Any time I get to work at a red carpet event with Teen Vogue is also a pinch me moment. What skills/traits do you think are necessary for your job? Working in social media is genuinely a 24/7 job, there is no such thing as only working 9-5 because the internet (just like New York), never sleeps. So it definitely requires a huge amount of dedication. I also think it's quite important to be creative when working in social media because you are always under pressure to constantly produce innovative content that people will relate to. That said, being analytical is also vital because you need to be able to read and understand the data to see how well that content is performing. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? That's a tough question! I would love to be living back in Ireland running my own social or digital marketing agency. I'd also love to eventually launch my own stationary line off of my blog, Life of a Lady Bear! Who knows what the future holds, but I live by the motto that if you work hard and are kind to people then good things will come your way! Follow Michaela on Instagram @lifeofaladybear and visit her blog, lifeofaladybear.com. People mourn the death of a family member who was killed in a bomb attack in Lahore, Pakistan, on Monday (AP Photo/KM Chaudary) A Taliban suicide bombing targeted the administrative headquarters of a tribal region in north-western Pakistan on Wednesday, killing three policemen and two passers-by, according to officials. The explosion happened at the main gate of the tribal headquarters in Ghalanai in the Mohmand tribal region, just as the working day was about to start, said Hameedullah Khan, a local government official. A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban - Jamaat-ul-Ahrar or Freedom Movement - claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message sent to the Associated Press. Mr Khan, whose office is inside the compound, said the grounds are home to residences, offices and training facilities for the local administration and police employees. Hundreds of local residents come daily on business to the tribal headquarters, which is 28 miles (45km) outside Peshawar, the provincial capital. The bombing was followed by gunshots, Mr Khan added. The Pakistani army said the bomber was accompanied by another militant, who tried to force his way into the compound after the blast but that security guards opened fire and killed him. The army statement said there was a higher level of vigilance among the local security forces following intelligence that would-be attackers had infiltrated the area from neighbouring Afghanistan. The same breakaway Taliban faction that said it was behind Wednesday's attack had also claimed responsibility for another deadly suicide bombing, in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Monday - an attack that also targeted policemen. The policemen were escorting a protest march in Lahore and that bombing killed 13 people, including seven police officers. A former chief of the province's counter-terrorism department was also among those killed. The two suicide bombings reflect an increase in militant attacks after an almost three-month lull. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar is based in the Mohmand area - part of rugged, lawless regions along the Afghan border which have long served as safe havens for local and al Qaida-linked foreign militants, who have killed tens of thousands of people in more than a decade. Pakistan has waged several offensives against militants in recent years, including a major operation that started in mid-2014 in the last key insurgent sanctuary of North Waziristan. The authorities declared the offensive a success, saying it uprooted militants, killed hundreds and forced many to flee across the border into Afghanistan. Others went into hiding in Pakistani urban areas where they have a vast support network of seminaries and religious groups. A US drone campaign also helped the offensive by targeting the Taliban. In late 2014, a leadership crisis fractured the Pakistani Taliban movement - which is separate from the Afghan Taliban - and splintered it into various groups. Jamaat-ul-Ahrar last carried out a string of large-scale attacks in late 2016, after Washington declared it a terrorist organisation. The group is led by militant known as Omar Khaled Khorasani, whose real name is Abdul Wali Khan. A former Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, is a key commander in Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which has links with several Pakistani militant and sectarian groups. It has also expressed support for the Islamic State group. AP Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of Kim Jong-un, was reportedly targeted by two female North Korean agents who sprayed a poisonous liquid in his face while he waited for a flight to Macau. Photo: AP IT HAS all the ingredients of an outlandish spy thriller: a secretive dictator, his playboy half-brother, and a supposed pair of female assassins. At the centre of the plot is Kim Jong-nam, the older half-brother of Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader. Last night the 46-year-old playboy was believed to have been murdered on the orders of his younger half-brother, who is said to live in fear of being overthrown by his family members. Kim Jong-nam, who has frequently spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state, was waiting to board a plane at Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia on Monday morning when his killers struck. He complained to staff at the airport that his face had been sprayed while he was in the shopping concourse before boarding a flight to take him to Macau. He was in "extreme pain", Abdul Samah Mat, the police chief of Malaysia's Selangor state said. "Kim Jong-nam told staff that his face was feeling extremely painful because of an unidentified liquid sprayed at him. He was then taken for treatment at KLIA [Kuala Lumpur international airport] clinic." Earlier reports in South Korea media claimed Kim Jong-nam died after being jabbed with a poisoned needle by two female spies at the airport. Shortly after he was attacked, Kim Jong-nam collapsed and was taken to a local hospital where he died. A passport found on his body identified him as "Kim Chol", according to Malaysian police. Kim Jong-nam is known to have used forged passports to travel abroad in the past. Mohmad Salleh, the Malaysian CID director, said: "Police have classified the death of Kim Jong-nam as sudden death and are waiting for the full postmortem report to decide further action." Kim Jong-nam was once considered the heir apparent to Kim Jong-il, but fell out of favour in 2001 after being arrested at Tokyo's Narita airport after trying to enter Japan on a forged Dominican Republic passport. He told police that he had wanted to visit Disneyland with his family. Exiled by his father, he lived in Macau, China, until Kim Jong-il died in late 2011. He subsequently went into hiding, apparently out of fear that his half-brother saw him as a threat to the legitimacy of his own regime. North Korean spies allegedly attempted to kill Kim Jong-nam in Macau in 2011. A bloody shootout with his bodyguards reportedly ensued, but he managed to escape. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] Kim Jong Nam, eldest son of then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, is surrounded by the media upon arrival from Macau at Beijing airport in Beijing (Kyodo News via AP, File) Malaysian authorities have detained a woman from Myanmar in connection with the investigation into the death of Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported on Wednesday. The woman was detained in the low-cost terminal of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Bernama reported, citing a deputy inspector general of police. Expand Close CCTV image of the suspect. Picture: YTN / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp CCTV image of the suspect. Picture: YTN The woman was carrying a Vietnamese travel document and was alone at the time of the arrest, Malaysian Police report. No other details were immediately available. South Korea's spy agency suspects two female North Korean agents assassinated the estranged half-brother of the North Korean leader on Tuesday, South Korean lawmakers in Seoul said earlier. Fresh CCTV images have emerged of a female assassin suspected of carrying out the astonishing assassination . We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference The 46-year-old was targeted on Monday in a shopping concourse at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He had not yet gone through security. Kim, who died on the way to a hospital, told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray, a senior government official said. Read More South Korea's spy service said on Wednesday that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill him, citing Kim Jong Un's "paranoia" about his estranged half-brother. Kim Jong Nam had been tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his dictator father, although others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Japan: Female spies suspected in Kim Jong-nam killing likely dead https://t.co/4YTMIUqFQu pic.twitter.com/u6DuSzO9bN Tokyo Reporter (@tokyoreporter) February 15, 2017 He reportedly fell further out of favour when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. Multiple South Korean media reports said he was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. They fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police. Malaysian police confirmed the death of a 46-year-old North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. "Investigation is in progress and a post-mortem examination request has been made to ascertain the cause of death," the police said. Ken Gause, of the CNA think tank in Washington who has studied North Korea's leadership for 30 years, said Kim Chol was a name that Kim Jong Nam has travelled under. He is believed to have been born on May 10 1971, although birthdays are always unclear for senior North Koreans, Mr Gause said. The killing came as North Korea celebrated its latest missile launch, which foreign experts were analysing for evidence of advancement in the country's missile capabilities. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged a series of high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror". The most spectacular was the 2013 execution by anti-aircraft fire of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, once considered the country's second-most-powerful man, for what the North alleged was treason. North Korean assassins reportedly tried to shoot Kim Jong Nam in Macau in 2011, though the details of the attempted killing are murky. South Korea also reportedly jailed a North Korean spy in 2012 who admitted to trying to organise a hit-and-run accident targeting Kim Jong Nam in China in 2010. Despite the attempts on his life, Kim Jong Nam had reportedly travelled to North Korea since then, so it was assumed he was no longer under threat. While the most likely explanation for the killing was that Kim Jong Un was removing a potential challenger to North Korean leadership within his own family, he could also be sending a warning to his officials. It follows the defection last year of a senior diplomat from the North Korean Embassy in London who has spoken of his despair at Kim's purges. Pictured in February 2007, a man believed to be Kim Jong Nam is surrounded by the media at Beijing airport (Kyodo News via AP) Malaysian police say they have arrested a woman in connection with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half- brother. The statement said that the woman was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. She was carrying Vietnamese travel documents. Kim Jong Un's half-brother died on Monday after suddenly falling ill at the airport. According to a Malaysian government official, Kim told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray. Malaysian officials have provided few other details. Police said an autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death. Since taking power in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has executed or purged several high-level government officials in what the South Korean government has described as a "reign of terror". South Korea's spy service said that North Korea had been trying for five years to kill Kim. But the National Intelligence Service did not definitively say that North Korea was behind the killing, just that it was presumed to be a North Korean operation, according to politicians who briefed reporters about the closed door meeting with the spy officials. The NIS cited Kim Jong Un's alleged "paranoia" about his half brother. Still, the agency has a history of botching intelligence on North Korea and has long sought to portray the country's leaders as mentally unstable. Multiple South Korean media reports, citing unidentified sources, said Kim Jong Nam was killed at the airport by two women believed to be North Korean agents. They fled in a taxi and were being sought by Malaysian police, the reports said. Police were searching for clues in the closed circuit television footage from the airport, said Selangor police chief Abdul Samah Mat. The airport is in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur. According to the Malaysian government official, Kim Jong Nam was in a shopping concourse and had not yet gone through security for a planned flight to Macau when the incident occurred. Kim was estranged from his half-brother, the North Korean leader. Although he had been originally tipped by some outsiders as a possible successor to his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il, others thought that was unlikely because he lived outside the country, including recently in Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. He reportedly fell further out of favour when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport in 2001, saying he wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. A Malaysian police statement confirmed the death of a North Korean man whom it identified from his travel document as Kim Chol, born in Pyongyang on June 10, 1970. AP China's far western Xinjiang region has been plagued by violence Eight people have been killed in China's far western Xinjiang region, including three knife-wielding assailants, in the latest outbreak of violence in the volatile territory. The attack occurred on Tuesday evening in Pishan county in southern Xinjiang, home to China's Uighur ethnic minority, the local government said. The three attackers also injured five others before being shot dead by police. Uighurs are predominantly Muslim, Turkic-speaking people distinct from the Chinese-speaking Han national majority. They have long resented the rule of Beijing, more than 1,800 miles away from the provincial capital of Urumqi. Xinjiang is one of China's five autonomous regions, but Uighur residents are often prevented from leaving the region and face other restrictions enacted by Beijing, which has increased security dramatically since deadly anti-government riots broke out in Urumqi in 2009. China says it is fighting separatists and the militant East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). But Uighur activists based abroad say Beijing is cracking down on peaceful religious and cultural expression in the name of fighting terrorism. The local government did not say whether Tuesday's assailants were linked to ETIM, which has carried out a string of attacks inside and outside China. It called the assailants "thugs" and said officials had restored "social order" while continuing to investigate the incident. The ethnic backgrounds of the attackers and their victims were not specified. Dilxat Raxit, an overseas spokesman for Uighurs, said local security forces have put Pishan under lockdown, with more armed officers guarding roads and residents barred from leaving the area. At least two Uighurs have been detained for sharing videos of the scene, he said. The a uthorities typically respond to violence or unrest in Xinjiang with lockdowns, raids on homes, and restrictions on phone and Internet communications. Pishan county is in the far south of Xinjiang, bordering Pakistan. While China has encouraged Han Chinese to move into Xinjiang as part of broader efforts to settle the region, Han Chinese comprise just 1% of Pishan's nearly 300,000 people. AP The Kremlin denied yesterday that it was behind media and internet attacks on the campaign of French presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron, though his camp renewed the charges against Russian media and a hackers group operating in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said charges made by Mr Macrons party chief, Richard Ferrand, were absurd. We didnt have, and do not have, any intention of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, or in their electoral processes in particular, Mr Peskov told reporters. That there is a hysterical anti-(President Vladimir) Putin campaign in certain countries abroad is an obvious fact. Mr Ferrand said on Monday that the French centrist politician, who is now seen by opinion polls as the favourite to win election in May, had become a fake news target of Russian media, and that his campaign was facing thousands of internet attacks. With the political air in France highly charged in the run-up to the May election, the French government has declined to point the finger at anyone, despite high-level concerns of external meddling in campaigning. An official French source said, however, that the question of cyber threats were being taken seriously and would be the focus of a defence council meeting of national security chiefs under President Francois Hollande. The source gave no date for this meeting, though the satirical weekly Canard Enchaine said yesterday that it had been fixed for late next week. Mr Ferrand said Moscow looked favourably on the policies of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centre-right candidate Francois Fillon both election rivals of Mr Macron and both had been mysteriously spared from Russian media criticism. Mr Macrons strong pro-Europe stance was not to Russias liking however, he said. Ms Le Pen, who heads the Front National and is Mr Macrons closest competitor in the race for the Elysee, wants to take France out of the European Union and supports Russian policy on Ukraine. Yesterday, Mr Ferrand renewed those charges, saying that the databases and email boxes of Mr Macrons En Marche (Onwards) party were under attack. If these attacks succeeded, the campaign of En Marche would become extremely difficult, if not impossible, Mr Ferrand said in Le Monde online. He said about half of these thousands of attacks came mainly from Ukraine, and had been organised and co-ordinated by a structured group, and not by lone hackers. We are in the presence of an orchestrated attempt by a foreign power to destabilise a presidential election candidate, Mr Ferrand said. He again pointed the finger at Russian state-controlled media Russia Today and Sputnik, saying they were spreading the most defamatory rumours about Mr Macron, including relating to his private life and the financing of his campaign. Both Russia Today and Sputnik have denied spreading fake news about Mr Macron. The Kremlin said on Wednesday an American media report, which said members of Donald Trump's presidential campaign had contacts with Russian intelligence officials, was not based on any facts. The New York Times, citing four current and former U.S. officials, reported on Tuesday that phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Trump's campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election. "Let's not believe anonymous information," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters, noting that the newspaper's sources were unnamed. "It's a newspaper report which is not based on any facts." The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 Peskov, responding to a White House statement saying Trump expected Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine, also said the Kremlin had no intention of discussing its territorial integrity with foreign partners. Meanwhile, President Trump also took to Twitter today to denounce some of the country's media outlets in relation to the reports of alleged US contact with Russian intelligence. He is understood to be responding also to reports of him knowing about his former security advisor Michael Flynn's talks with Russia. CNN are running two main stories on the reports this morning, headlined 'Trump knew of DOJ probe for weeks, Pence only days' and 'Trump aides were on constant touch with senior Russian officials during campaign'. Meanwhile, MSNBC have published stories headlined; 'Mike Pence told of DOJ warning on Flynn two weeks after White House' and 'Clinton Officials Denounce Alleged Trump Campaign Officials' Contacts with Russia'. Michael Flynn was forced to leave his post after less than one month in office following reports that he had failed to brief truthfully Mike Pence, the vice president, about conversations he had with Moscow's ambassador in Washington. Mr Flynn is accused of discussing the lifting of sanctions on Moscow with the Russian ambassador in Washington before Mr Trump had taken office, an act that prompted an FBI investigation into whether he had violated US law. Mr Trump finally asked for Mr Flynn's resignation on Monday, but Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, revealed yesterday that the president was briefed on January 26 that Mr Flynn's account was thought to have been misleading. The claims seem at odds with Mr Trump's assertion last week that he was unaware of a news report about Mr Flynn's actions. "The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred," he wrote online this morning, before he mentioned a couple of outlets in particular. "@MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great!," he added, with a compliment for the pro-Trump broadcaster. DONALD TRUMP was aware that his national security adviser had not told the truth about his interactions with Russia weeks before he was forced to resign, it emerged last night, as Republicans asked the president to explain his relationship with Moscow. Michael Flynn was forced to leave his post after less than one month in office following reports that he had failed to brief truthfully Mike Pence, the vice president, about conversations he had with Moscow's ambassador in Washington. Mr Flynn is accused of discussing the lifting of sanctions on Moscow with the Russian ambassador in Washington before Mr Trump had taken office, an act that prompted an FBI investigation into whether he had violated US law. Mr Trump finally asked for Mr Flynn's resignation on Monday, but Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, revealed yesterday that the president was briefed on January 26 that Mr Flynn's account was thought to have been misleading. The claims seem at odds with Mr Trump's assertion last week that he was unaware of a news report about Mr Flynn's actions. John McCain, the influential Republican senator and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has called for a fuller explanation from Mr Trump. "General Flynn's resignation also raises further questions about the Trump administration's intentions toward Vladimir Putin's Russia," he said. Expand Close President Donald Trump pulls out a chair for former principal Aimee Viana prior to a parent-teacher session in the White House yesterday. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump pulls out a chair for former principal Aimee Viana prior to a parent-teacher session in the White House yesterday. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images Leading Democrats demanded a special investigation into possible links between the administration and Russia, including whether Mr Trump had any knowledge of the discussions Mr Flynn had on US sanctions with the Kremlin's ambassador in Washington. The Flynn affair comes after US intelligence agencies gave consideration to a report by Christopher Steele, a British ex-spy, which suggested that the Kremlin may have information that could be used to blackmail Mr Trump. Senate intelligence committee leaders are already looking into allegations of links between Russia and the US presidential campaigns - including Mr Trump's - following reports that Moscow intervened in the 2016 election. Mr Flynn's contact with Russia has been described as "potentially illegal" due to the 1799 Logan Act, which bans US citizens from negotiating with countries with which the US is in dispute. Read more: Sally Yates, the then-acting US attorney general, told the White House late last month she believed Mr Flynn had misled them about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador, US officials told the 'Washington Post' on Monday. Ms Yates was later fired for opposing Mr Trump's temporary travel ban. The FBI interviewed Mr Flynn about the call around the same time, in a revelation that could expose him to criminal charges if it emerges he misled investigators. The Army has also been investigating whether Mr Flynn received money from the Kremlin during a trip to Moscow in 2015, defence officials told the 'New York Times'. In his resignation letter, Mr Flynn said he held numerous calls with the Russian ambassador to the US during the transition and gave "incomplete information" about them to Mr Pence. Mr Trump named retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg as acting national security adviser. Meanwhile, senior Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway upset a fair few people when she made a sales pitch for Ivanka Trump's line of products on live television. Not only did the White House rebuke her, she was also accused of violating federal ethics law. However, according to a report, Ms Conway also enraged the very person she sought to protect - Ms Trump herself. Ms Trump is reported to have reproached Ms Conway for endorsing her brand on air. A source close to the president told 'Politico' the First Daughter "scolded" Ms Conway for "dragging her brand into an ethics mess and told her not to mention it again on TV". According to the unnamed source, this was linked to a conversation that Ms Trump reportedly had with her father weeks before the saga about keeping her business out of politics - a chat Ms Conway is said to have been unaware of. Ms Conway, Mr Trump's former campaign manager, sparked controversy after she weighed in on Nordstrom department store's decision to stop selling Ivanka Trump-branded products. ( Daily Telegraph London) A man arrested inside the home of actress Sandra Bullock had his rights violated by police, a court has ruled (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) Los Angeles police violated the rights of a man arrested inside Sandra Bullock's house when they obtained his consent to search his home and recovered illegal automatic firearms, a court has ruled. A three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal unanimously ruled that detectives violated Joshua James Corbett's rights to remain silent during a police interrogation, and his right against an unlawful search of his home. Corbett was arrested in June 2014 inside Bullock's home, and he has been charged with stalking and burglary. Corbett remains in jail and is being held on 2.185 million dollar (1.75 million) bail. The Oscar winner was forced to hide in a closet while she guided police to her home. Corbett was clutching a black notebook with a two-page letter to Bullock and magazine photos of the actress when he was arrested. Corbett was unarmed, but police later found several automatic weapons and illegal tracer ammunition in his home. The illegal weapons were found while officers were trying to find eight legal firearms Corbett owned, but needed to surrender due to temporary restraining order issued against him. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge threw out evidence supporting the weapons charges last year after deciding Corbett did not give officers permission to search his home. The ruling came after Corbett's lawyers argued police had denied his right to make a phone call, ignored him after he said he did not want to be interviewed, and coerced him to sign a consent document to search his home by threatening to break down his parents' front door. "There is no dispute that Corbett's Fifth Amendment rights were violated here. The police ignored his repeated and unambiguous invocations of his right to remain silent and continued to interrogate him," the court wrote. Tuesday's ruling also cited a note a police detective sent to a prosecutor handling Corbett's case about the interrogation. "Upon reviewing the transcript of the interrogation approximately one year later, (Detective Christina) Carlozzi wrote to the prosecutor handling the case: 'Doesn't look good. I honestly hope this can be settled without a trial.'" Prosecutors had argued during the appeal that detectives would have inevitably found the illegal weapons, but the court disagreed. "We are in the process of reviewing the opinion and deciding on our options," district attorney's spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said. Corbett's lawyer Paul Takakjian said he was "extremely pleased and gratified" by the ruling. Corbett testified during a hearing last year that he was going through opiate withdrawal when detectives came to interview him about his guns and felt that he was being threatened. "He was threatening my family through me," Corbett said of a detective's statements that without permission to search his home, they would have to go to his parents' home with a battering ram. He also expressed remorse for going to Bullock's home. "I'd already hurt somebody that I didn't intend to," he said. "I did not want to affect my family with my actions." AP SALISBURY- A fire damaged a business in Salisbury early Wednesday morning. Our news partner WSOC-TV reported that crews were called to S&B Associates around 4:25 a.m. When firefighters arrived at the business, located at 610 Little Street, they found flames and smoke coming from the structure. Channel 9 reported that it took firefighters about 30 minutes to contain the fire and there were no injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. And Jesus answering, spake unto them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods. And they marveled at him. Mark 12:17 Such was Jesus answer to devious religious leaders of his day who sought to trick him into an erroneous answer. They presented a coin of the realm adorned with an image of Cesar and asked whether it was appropriate to pay taxes to Caesar rather than honor God. Methinks guest columnist Stanly Hauerwas attempts the same verbal (slight of hand) deception in the Friday, February 3rd Independent Tribune. Let us not be fooled. I urge every reader to review again, either on You Tube or from the internet, the full text of Donald Trumps historically brief Inaugural address. You will search in vain attempting to find a place where wherein the new President elevates national patriotism to a level that would even remotely be called idolatry. There is no sirens wail goading the American people toward patriotism, nationalism or idolatry. TO THE EXCLUSION Of Christianity or any other religious persuasion. American citizens need to function effectively in both the secular and religious realm. Stanly Hauerwas complains of the Presidents declaration of a national day of patriotic devotion to be against a devotion to God Poppycock! Rather it is a clear example of healthy patriotism on secular day of change in our secular governmental leadership. I particularly dispute the claim Christians do not believe in ourselves or our country. We better believe in ourselves and our country!! We must demand that we, as well as our country, perform at the highest level. A nation, a company, a family, a Church will only reach the level of achievement that the members collectively believe they can reach. One of the reasons Martin Luther King was so successful as an orator in calling for change was that he called upon the nation to reach its full potential as written in our Constitution. Again, I call upon my fellow citizens to a patriotic devotion in the secular realm as well a vehement devotion to their religious beliefs. Those two worlds are not in conflict. Healthy patriotism does not rise to the level of idolatry. No matter what any individual political persuasion or religious point of view, we all need to be devoted to the betterment of our nation. Our future depends on it. Steve L. Medlin Concord By Dezan Shira & Associates The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently notified the Medical Devices Rules, 2017. Many medical device businesses have welcomed the new regulations; the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 designed for the pharmaceutical industry had previously regulated the fast growing industry. Industry experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of the medical devices in India are imported, a significant share of a market that is valued at over US$10 billion. While this market has grown from a US$6.3 billion value in 2013, the industrys dependence on imports has gotten worse: India imported 70 percent of its medical devices in 2015. Indias dependence on imports represents a good opportunity for foreign manufacturers who would like to sell to customers in India. But foreign SMEs should consider the many government incentives for setting up in India, which also allows businesses to avoid import taxes and duties, such as the four percent additive tax for most devices or customs duties ranging from nine to 15 percent. Regardless of the location of your business, the governments decoupling of the medical devices industry from pharmaceutical regulations may finally stimulate growth in the domestic industry, which has been a goal for the government since it opened the industry up to 100 percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2015. RELATED: Market Entry Strategy Advisory Services from Dezan Shira & Associates New classification scheme Authorities previously regulated for only 15 categories of medical devices. In an attempt to streamline domestic regulations with best practices established by the Global Harmonisation Task Force (GHTF), a now defunct international advisory council, the health ministry will regulate medical devices across four risk-based classifications: Class A (low risk); Class B (low to moderate risk); Class C (moderate to high risk); and, Class D (high risk). Regulations for the manufacture, sale, or distribution of medical devices are now based on these classifications and are proportionate to the level of risk associated with the medical device. Under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, regulations for classes A and B are broadly similar, while classes C and D also enjoy some regulatory parity. Several industry experts have noted that this classification scheme is similar to classifications used by the EU. These experts note that the A and B classes are similar to the Class I and Class IIa groupings used to classify and assess risks associated with medical devices in the EU. Licensing and accreditation norms eased As part of an initiative to improve the ease of doing business, the new rules allow medical device manufacturers to apply for many licenses and accreditations through digital platforms. This is designed to limit the number of touch points between bureaucrats and businesspeople. Further, many licenses will now remain valid until the medical device manufacturer cancels the license. Some observers suggest that this measure will allow regulators and medical device manufacturers to focus on maintaining compliant operations, rather than routine licensing requirements. This interest in compliant operations will likely be further aided by another unique measure in the new rules: the government will notify third party bodies to audit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of medical devices for compliance to the new rules. Outsourcing compliance audits to government appointed institutes or firms might concern some medical device manufacturers, but the government only intends to outsource audits for low risk products, and third party auditors can be expected to be less reactionary than public sector officials. RELATED: Legal & Financial Due Diligence Services from Dezan Shira & Associates Clinical trials streamlined Medical device manufacturers previously submitted to a four-phase clinical trial process that is more common for pharmaceutical products. Indias new regulations have limited the clinical trial process for new medical devices to two-phases. According to industry observers, the first phase of the new clinical trial process will focus on safety and performance on a small number of subjects, while the second phase of the trial process expands to a larger number of subjects. However, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), which is primarily dependent on the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 for its authority, will continue to manage the trial process, including guidelines for medical management and compensation for clinical subjects. A big step forward The reforms underscore an already healthy ecosystem that the government has sought to nurture, including funding for medical device parks, effluent treatment plants, and test centers. Media reports state the facilities will be located in Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh states. Government and industry officials have reportedly begun discussing the need for a new government ministry to work with the industry. The domestic medical industry has also lobbied for an ethical marketing regime and dis-incentivizing imports that are re-labeled and sold as a domestic product. Still, these initiatives are unlikely to make as big an impact as the Medical Devices Rules, 2017. The reforms contained within the new rules streamline key industry reforms with best international practices, an important move given the healthcare industrys growth prospectus from US$100 billion in 2015 to US$280 billion in 2020. 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. Dezan Shira & Associates Brochure Dezan Shira & Associates is a pan-Asia, multi-disciplinary professional services firm, providing legal, tax and operational advisory to international corporate investors. Operational throughout China, ASEAN and India, our mission is to guide foreign companies through Asias complex regulatory environment and assist them with all aspects of establishing, maintaining and growing their business operations in the region. This brochure provides an overview of the services and expertise Dezan Shira & Associates can provide. An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2017 An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2017 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. El Nacional a leading newspaper of the Dominican Republic mistakenly put Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin`s photograph while carrying a news about the Amercian President Donald Trump and later apologized for the same. However the El Nacional cannot be blamed for the incident as Baldwin has been impersonating Trump in Saturday Night Live show for a record 17 times and this could be taken as a great compliment for his perfect act. 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 If you live near Keystone south of 38th Street and you want to grab a bite to eat, your options are often slim. There is a Churchs Chicken, a McDonalds and a serious lack of grocery stores with healthy or unique food options. Enter Chef Oya. With a culinary degree under her belt and a passion for both food and people, she started serving seafood out of her home in May 2016. Oya says she was inspired to create Florida-style seafood after her friend posted a delicious-looking meal on social media. One day I saw my friend from Jacksonville, Florida, post a picture of some seafood online, and I was like, I dont know what Im going to do, but I need to get some of that. It was not something I had ever seen here in Indianapolis, so I tried to re-create it and started selling it. Its been amazing. Her creations are a twist on Florida-style seafood. She uses Trap Buttah, a unique and tasty garlic butter, and a handmade specialty seasoning. She also uses local, fresh ingredients. Oya has recently opened a restaurant near 34th and Keystone. While the establishment might look unassuming from the outside, the quality of the food speaks for itself. In addition to selling deliciously dope seafood, Chef Oya is committed to bringing more healthy food options to the community. I literally live down the street, three minutes away from here. This area was one of the largest food deserts in the nation before the Save-A-Lot opened (last week), said Oya. I wanted to give the community a new food option. I did fresh, locally grown green beans. Now its broccoli until green beans come back in season. When it gets a little warmer outside, I am going to offer fresh fruits and vegetables and start a fruit and veggie co-op. When I tasted Chef Oyas food, I was hesitant due to my aversion to seafood, but her flavorful creations made me re-evaluate my bias. Oya says her most popular dish is the crab legs. I ordered the salmon and shrimp, which came loaded with steamed potatoes, broccoli and sweet corn. It was delicious and quite different from anything I have tasted at any local seafood restaurants. I will definitely be coming back for more. Chef Oyas The Trap 3355 N. Keystone Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46218 (317) 762-6172 chefoya.com Colleges and universities are committed to building partnerships that help shape students lives, and that includes community engagement. Such is the case with the Center for Leadership Development (CLD) and the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, which is located on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For the past five years, 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students have enrolled in the CLDs Business Orientation Project (BOP) and spent nearly a dozen Saturdays on the IUPUI campus to help shape their educational futures. The CLDs mission is to foster the advancement of minority youth in central Indiana as future professional, business and community leaders by providing experiences that encourage personal development and educational attainment. It started back in the mid-1970s when Indianapolis leaders identified a number of reasons African-American youth werent graduating from high school, entering college or finding rewarding careers. The centers leaders discovered that youth didnt value education as a goal, and they werent aware of the options available to them. Thus, the birth of the Center for Leadership Development, which worked to respond to the obstacles facing minority youth. BOP is among the centers many programs and events. During these students weeks on campus, local business leaders and educators guide them to help the students set business career goals. They learn about the business world, how to write business plans, how to communicate with third parties and to interview successfully. The program guides, encourages and empowers youth toward a college career. Because BOP is hosted on a college campus, participating youth get a glimpse of what their futures will look like. As the Kelley liaison to the program, I encourage participants to ask me questions and to talk with me along the way. I hope I am a role model for these youth and all youth by imparting my knowledge and showing them the route I took to be successful. I asked Kelley Indianapolis Executive Dean of Faculty and Research Ken Carow about the program and the benefits it provides these students. This program prepares students with life skills that are beneficial no matter what careers they seek, Carow told me. CLD specializes in college preparedness, and I am impressed each time I have attended a CLD event. Students are welcoming, articulate and professional. They ask very relevant questions that set them up for success in college. Most of all, you can see the students have a high level of self-confidence, he added. When students combine self-confidence with knowledge, the sky is the limit on their potential. The Kelley School is proud to work with and sponsor CLD. If you talk to those who work with the Center for Leadership Development, theyll tell you that learning directly from community business leaders makes a big impact on youth. Students are extremely excited to interact with and learn from central Indiana business leaders, said Jonathan Jones, program coordinator at CLD. Not only are students learning about various careers fields, but they are also recognizing the value of their own professional brands and how they are perceived by others. It is a valuable lesson in professionalism that will help students to pursue viable careers and have successful futures. Business is about creating the type of conditions and practices that are suitable for growth and profit. Learning how to do that and the impact industry decisions can have on people, communities and adjacent environments is incredibly important. This is why business is everything, and everything is business. The CLD and Kelley Indianapolis partnership is one example of the impact that emerges when universities and community organizations work together to boost student success and future business leaders in our community. The CLD has identified five principles for success values it says develop and prepare youth for academic achievement, career success and community service. Those five principles are character development, educational excellence, leadership effectiveness, community service and career achievement. Im encouraged about the future here in Indianapolis especially about these future business leaders of tomorrow. Darrell Brown, Ph.D., is a clinical associate professor of management and director of diversity at Indiana University Kelley School of Business Indianapolis. There are more than 500 historical markers speckled across the state of Indiana, many of which honor specific places, people and events significant in the history of African-American Hoosiers. Read on for more on five of these special sites. Lyles Station Lyles Station was settled in the late 1840s by Joshua and Sanford Lyles, former slaves from Tennessee. The African Methodist Episcopal Church (since 1860) and schools (1865-1958) played important roles in sustaining the community. On land donated by Joshua Lyles, railroad companies maintained a station circa 1870-1950s for passenger, freight and mail service. Though the community declined after widespread flooding in 1913, it remains one of the most intact African-American settlements in the state. Several current residents are descendants of the original settlers. Lyles Consolidated School, built in 1919, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, and in 2001, restoration began. Marker Location: County Road 500 West near County Road 100 North in front of the restored Lyles School, 5 miles west of Princeton, Indiana St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church Free Blacks and former slaves organized an African Methodist Episcopal congregation in Corydon by 1843. In 1851, church trustees purchased land in Corydon in order to build a facility for church and school purposes. In 1878, church trustees purchased land at this marker site and later built a frame church. In August of 1975, the congregation dedicated the brick church adjacent to the site. William Paul Quinn, who was appointed an A.M.E. missionary in 1840, established many congregations in frontier Indiana. Quinn was elected to the position of bishop in 1844. Many early churches served as schools and enriched Black social, cultural and political life. Marker Location: Southeast corner of Maple and High streets in Corydon, Indiana Senate Avenue YMCA African-American leaders formed the Young Mens Prayer Band in 1900, which became a branch of the city YMCA by 1910. Black and white leaders helped raise funds for a new building, which opened as the Senate Avenue YMCA in 1913. Booker T. Washington dedicated the building and Faburn DeFrantz led it from 1916 to 1951. It went on to become one of the largest Black YMCAs in the U.S. The Senate Avenue YMCA became a center of community life, social activism and education for African-Americans. For decades, it sponsored Monster Meetings with national leaders including Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. DuBois, George Washington Carver and Eleanor Roosevelt. The Indianapolis YMCA integrated in 1950 and the Senate Avenue YMCA moved to Fall Creek in 1959. Marker Location: 420 N. Senate Ave., at the southwest corner of Michigan Street and Senate Avenue in Indianapolis Porter (Rea) Cemetery This cemetery was officially created on Sept. 6, 1854, when Samuel Gard deeded land to trustees for a burial ground. Free African-American settlers from Huggart Settlement were buried there alongside their white neighbors, not segregated. Porter Cemetery Association was formed May 9, 1884, with both white and African-American charter members. The cemetery has always been a neighborhood burial ground for members from churches of various denominations. It has been called Porter Rea for decades, perhaps because both Porter and Rea families owned adjacent land. Although enclosed in Potato Creek State Park, it remains an active independent cemetery managed by Porter Cemetery Association. Marker Location: Potato Creek State Park in North Liberty, Indiana The Colored School By 1874, what had been known as the Colored School opened in Center School at Sixth and Washington streets to serve African-American elementary students of Bloomington. An 1869 law had mandated education of colored children, with a separate enumeration and separate schools supported with tax revenue within the common school system. Before 1869, education of African-Americans was generally not within the common school system. The school building on this site was used until 1915, when it was replaced by the Carnegie library. Students attended classes at another site until the new Benjamin Banneker School opened on the west side of the city in December of 1915. The school remained segregated until 1951. Marker Location: Sixth and Washington streets in Bloomington, Indiana Source: Indiana Historical Bureau African-Americans have helped shape the city of Indianapolis from the start, and their contributions have paved the way for local leaders of today. Despite the hate and prejudice many of these citizens faced, they opened doors that previous generations thought were impossible for Black Americans to step through. Here is a look back at some local leaders of the past: Dr. Samuel Elbert: First licensed Black doctor in Indiana Dr. Samuel Elbert was born in 1832 and attended The Medical College of Indiana to become a doctor. After he paid tuition and attended classes, the school refused to grant him a degree. He won a case against the school and became the first licensed African-American physician in Indiana. Elbert served one term as president of the Indianapolis Board of Health. In the late 1800s, he was asked by President Benjamin Harrison to serve as the local pension surgeon. He declined after being threatened by whites. James T. V. Hill: Prominent local Black attorney James T. V. Hill graduated from Central Law School and practiced law in Indiana from 1882 to 1928. During that time, injustices toward minorities were common, and Hill was enthusiastically engaging himself in civic affairs. Accounts of his life paint him as a valued member of the Indiana Bar. In 1890, he was appointed to a Marion County grand jury. Robert Brokenburr: First African-American elected to Indiana Senate Robert Brokenburr moved to Indianapolis in 1909 after receiving a law degree from Howard University. He is famous for his civil rights work as a lawyer and a legislator. He worked as a legal advisor for Madam C.J. Walker and was the first African-American admitted to the Indiana Bar Association. In 1940, he was elected to the Indiana Senate, where he supported many bills that protected the civil rights of Hoosiers. Charles Wiggins: Famous Black racecar driver and mechanic Charles Wiggins was born in 1897 in Evansville, Indiana. When white mechanics joined the army, he was hired at an auto repair shop. He opened his own shop in 1922 and became one of the citys most sought-after mechanics. In his spare time, he designed cars from parts he found at junk yards and gained an interest in racing. Though he was not allowed to take part in the Indianapolis 500 because of his ethnicity, he formed a racing league with African-American drivers called The Gold and Glory Sweepstakes. He fought for African-American participation in racing until his death in Indianapolis in 1979 at the age of 82. Emma Christi Baker: First female police officer in Indianapolis On June 15, 1918, 53-year-old Emma Baker became both the first woman and the first African-American woman to be a police officer for the City of Indianapolis. Before her job as officer, she was well known through Indianapolis as the owner of a laundry business, and she was recruited because of how respected she was in the Black community. During WWI, female officers were not allowed to patrol the streets, and she was one of the first women allowed to work outside the station patrolling public places downtown and arresting shoplifters. Jim Sears: First Black Indiana state trooper In 1962, Jim Sears became the first African-American Indiana state trooper. During his 30 years of service, troopers would often refuse to speak to him or offer backup. Despite the prejudice he faced, he remained a man of quiet strength and gentleness. In 1976, Sears and other Black troopers settled a racial discrimination lawsuit with the state police, causing them to agree to recruit and promote minorities. Sears retired in 1992 with the rank of captain. Z. Mae Jimison: First Black female judge in Marion County Z. Mae Jimison was the first Black woman to serve as a judge in Marion County and the first African-American nominated to run for mayor of Indianapolis. Though she did not win, her run for mayor in 1995 was the first time many Hoosiers contemplated the possibility of a Black person becoming mayor of our city, and she opened doors for future Black politicians. Rana Daggubati is all set for his upcoming release The Ghazi Attack and he seems to be deeply affected by the challenges faced by our defence personnel. rediff.com The trailer of the film was unveiled a few weeks ago and people have really been looking forward to this film. The film will highlight the classified mission conducted by the Indian Navy against their Pakistani counterpart in 1971. Youtube Screengrab The film is all set for its release and a report claims that Rana Daggubati met many former Navy officers who were part of the mission. After meeting the navy officers and hearing their challenges, Rana was really moved and therefore he decided to write a letter to the President of India. In his letter, Rana has requested that our armed forces personnel be acknowledged, as the nation must know about these unsung heroes and their immense contribution. We, the technology smitten souls, are so lost and engulfed in the upcoming trends, that a lot of us have forgotten the essence of limitations. In the past couple of months, we have seen a number of deaths, solely because of one's enchantment towards capturing a perfect selfie. But what I fail to understand is carelessness of these grown-ups, who think life is too feeble to be taken seriously. (Also read: Rajasthan Man Tries Taking A Selfie With A Python. You Can Guess What Happens Next) Case in point, a 22-year-old Russian model, who is being heavily criticised for her photo shoot, off a Dubai skyscraper, sans safety measures. Full video (link in bio)! @a_mavrin #MAVRINmodels #MAVRIN #VikiOdintcova #Dubai A post shared by Viki Odintcova (@viki_odintcova) on Feb 3, 2017 at 7:12am PST Viktoria Odintsova, the St. Petersburg-born model, has been posting snippets from her shoot on her Instagram account. , . @a_mavrin #VikiOdintcova #MAVRIN #MAVRINmodels #Dubai A post shared by Viki Odintcova (@viki_odintcova) on Dec 30, 2016 at 6:08am PST I still cant believe I did it. Every time I watch the video my palms go sweaty, Odintsova wrote in a recent post. Even though the video gained over one million views, it's being massively reprimanded. A very bad example for the youth, This is so dumb, i have no words for it. Seems like some 11-year-olds want to get attention at all costs, crazy! looks like god gave you beauty, but seems like he forgot to grace you with a brain someone wrote on the post. It's almost like this has become a fad amongst model these days, to perform such activities without forethoughts. Another Russian daredevil, the 23-year-old roofer Angela Nikolau, was making headlines a couple of days ago for attempting the worlds most dangerous selfie. (Also read: Trying To Take A Selfie, Girl Gets Her Scalp Ripped Off Completely By A Ferris Wheel) Remember when India launched Mars mission in 2013, The New York Times had made fun of India via cartoon showing an Indian knocking the door of elite space club with his cow? Though later, NYT had apologised for that gaffe, but today, when India launched 104 satellites in on go and majority of those satellites (93), belong to the US, Indians went berserk on twitter and took the US to the cleaners. Twitterati went gaga after ISRO's grand launch of 104 satellites. Here are a few tweets from Indians mocking and putting the publication in its place. Knock Knock !! @nytimes ISRO launched 104 satellites in a single mission & Pls note 96 out of 104 satellites launched by ISRO were of USA. pic.twitter.com/UoMAg5U9HN Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) February 15, 2017 Dear The New York Times, Take That. ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully launched 20... https://t.co/kSf7wnDW1b Rishi (@Cricview) June 22, 2016 2013: New York times publishes a cartoon mocking ISRO 2017: ISRO launches about 93 satellites of US #Karma#Admin: Srinivas Scintillations (@Scints) February 15, 2017 This is the seating diagram of an Indian Railways non-AC chair car. Congrats ISRO on transporting even more satellites in a single rocket. pic.twitter.com/8a2TY48ov0 Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) February 15, 2017 The government, it seems, is too much in love with the indigenous fighter plane Tejas. It has decided to carry on the production of the plane even after navy rejected it. The Navy didnt find the naval version of Tejas good enough, however, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said that India would open second production line for its light combat aircraft Tejas. Tejas was inducted into service last year, 33 years after it was decided India needs to develop a fully indigenous aircraft in order to decrease air forces dependence on foreign-made fighters, mostly the soviet era fighters. PTI But bottlenecks in India system here to marred its production and the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) - the company responsible for making Tejas - has only been able to give three Tejas fighters to the air force till now. The defence minister, however, said that government will invest the required amount of money in HAL to lay second production line for Tejas. "We are fully committed to the LCA. In another three months, work on the second line will start," he told Reuters on the sidelines of India's biggest air show, where the home-grown fighter was showcased. The minister informed that two production lines will together produce 16 Tejas fighters to meet the demand of air force, which eyes to replace the ageing Mig-21s with Tejas. The Indian navy, however, has rejected the naval version of the Tejas saying it is too heavy to fly from its aircraft carriers and has instead won government approval to buy 57 planes from abroad. Reuters Parrikar said navy wanted a twin engine fighter which can operate from the aircraft carriers and its needs will be taken care of. "They are supportive of the LCA programme, they have made a financial contribution to it." The government is pushing for the military to cut its dependence on foreign imports and insisting that even foreign manufacturers make their products in India in collaboration with an Indian partner. The Union environment ministry has come down heavily on BBC for airing a documentary film on the Kaziranga National Parks rhino conservation method and said its reporting is grossly erroneous. The documentary claims that the forest guards have been given the power to shoot and kill anyone who they think is a threat to the rhinos. Taking a serious note of the matter, the government is also thinking about blacklisting BBC's South Asia correspondent Justin Rowlatt. Reuters Rowlatt, travelled to the National Park to shoot a documentary on Kazirangas journey to saving rhinos. In the documentary, he claims that the method is controversial because rangers have been given authority to shoot and kill anybody who might be a threat to the rhino population in the park. Wikipedia Commons He wrote for the BBC, At one stage the park rangers were killing an average of two people every month - more than 20 people a year. In 2015 more people were shot dead by park guards than rhinos were killed by poachers. Meanwhile, according to the parks director, Dr Satyendra Singh, 50 people have been killed by guards in the past three years. Reuters Mr Singh, one of the people who was interviewed for the documentary, told the Indian Express that the BBC have misrepresented facts and quoted him selectively. He told The Indian Express, There is no shoot-on-sight policy, only legal immunity for poor forest guards who do a very difficult job. They (BBC) have misrepresented facts and selectively over-dramatised interviews and old footage. For example, I spoke for half an hour and they selectively used about a minute. They had a different agenda fuelled by certain foreign NGOs and local elements opposed to conservation. We are exploring all options including legal steps. Reuters The National Tiger Conservation Authority not only criticised the documentary but also Rowlatt, and the BBC by extension, for failing to submit the documentary to the Ministries of Environment and External Affairs for the obligatory process of previewing in order to remove any deviations, so as to achieve a balanced and accurate exposition of the theme. The Ministry claims that the documentary shall provide a fillip to wildlife offences, especially poaching. According to Kaziranga's official website, 17 rhino poaching deaths took place in 2015. While last year's (2016) data has not yet been made available, till October 2016, 16 rhinos had been killed in the park. World Wildlife Fund's Director, Amit Sharma told Mongabay that killings are fueled by an insatiable demand for rhino horns and said, "Poaching and the pressure is ever existing. And if we just slow down on our efforts, or if we lag in our efforts, the poachers always try to take an upper hand." Rhino horns are a lucrative business and fetch high prices in South-east Asian countries such as Vietnam and China where they are known for curing everything from cancer to erectile dysfunction. Kaziranga National Park, situated in Assam, has done a great job of saving its rhinos. When it was established in the early 1900s, its rhino population wasnt much to boast about with only a handful of the one-horned animals. Now there are more than 2,400 rhinos, accounting for two-thirds of the entire worlds rhino population. H-1B visas, sought-after by Indian IT professionals, help make US firms competitive globally and contribute to generating jobs locally, India's envoy to the US has said. Reuters/representational image "The H-1B scheme has been crucial in making US companies competitive globally in increasing their client base, in increasing their innovation. And it is the Indian tech industry, which has actually been creating jobs here (in the US)," ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna said. Also Read: Here Is Everything You Need To Know About The H1-B Visa And How The New Regulation Could Devastate The Indian IT Sector "There are reports and analysis by very respected houses, which say that over 400,000 jobs have been directly and indirectly supported in the US." He added that Indian tech companies have invested $2 billion in four years and paid $20 billion in taxes. H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows American firms to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The tech companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. "Out of every 100, H-1B visas have resulted in support to 183 jobs in the US... This is very important because the US companies - nine out of the 15 top tech companies in India are American companies." BCCL "This is a relationship, which is symbiotic and which has a potential of becoming even stronger for both countries," he added. Also Read: Sign Of Things To Come? IT Companies Should Stop Sending Indians On H-1B Visa, Start Hiring Americans: Narayana Murthy India is one of the top sources for international workers in the American tech industry, accounting for a major chunk of all H-1B visas. And any move by Trump, who has vowed to put an "America First" policy, will have an adverse impact in India. The Pakistani spy racket busted in Bhopal by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) last week might have serious implications than earlier expected. PTI The bogus telephone exchange which was used for parallel communication between the arrested men and their handlers in Pakistan was the medium to transfer information in indian military to across the border. Police is said to have recovered more than 300 ATM cards and fake documents that were used to obtain SIM cards for running illegal telephone exchanges. BCCL The 'Gateway' and SIM Box that was being used for running the illegal telephone exchanges. This is not the first time an illegal 'telephone exchange' used for spying has been busted. Last month the UP ATS had busted a similar facility in West Delhi's Uttam Nagar. There were also reports of similar operations in parts of UP including Lucknow. According to reports, the ATS is looking the possibility of the exchange, being used by Pakistani handlers to plan the Uri and Pathankot terror attacks. Two men were arrested in Jammu in November 16 for collecting and using information of strategic interests for espionage. They were being funded by a person in Satna. Five persons from Gwalior, three from Bhopal, two from Jabalpur and one from Satna arrested, MP ATS chief Sanjeev Shami said. BCCL The investigators said Balram Singh, the key accused in the case used to maintain details of every transaction he made. He maintained a register recording each payment received and made by him. BCCL Meanwhile, it is also reported that Singh is associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). According to News 18, ATS officials have recovered VHP posters featuring Singh. One of those arrested is the kin of a BJP leader, while another accused is said to be a member of the BJP's IT Cell. Major Satish Dahiyas eighteen-month-old son will not be able to play with his dad again. His hero, his brave father sacrificed his life, fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. Major Dahiyas picture with a young child has gone viral on the internet where people are saluting the supreme sacrifice of the soldiers and three others jawans. Facebook Major Dahiya and three valiant soldiers of Indian army lost their lives in two operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmirs Bandipura and Handwara yesterday. But before succumbing to injuries in hospital, Major Dahiya made sure that all four terrorists are neutralised. Major Dahiya had joined the army seven years back and was originally from 13 Rashtriya Rifles. Recently, he was attached with 30 Rashtriya Riffles posted in Kupwada. Facebook Major Dahiya originally belonged to Haryanas Narnaul area and is survived by a child, wife and parents. Dahiya had joined the army in 2008. Tuesday was a sad day for the country as it lost four of Indian Army's fine soldiers including Major Dahiya were martyred. The first encounter took place in the morning in Bandipura in which three soldiers got martyred while one terrorist was neutralised. In evening, the army got the information that terrorists are hiding. Major Dahiya was tasked to lead the operation. The joint operation of J&K police and army started around five in evening and while the team of the army was combing the area, terrorists opened fire from their hideout. Facebook Major Dahiya and three soldiers sustained serious injuries, but Major ensured that all four terrorists are neutralised before they take him to the hospital. Major Dahiya later succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Army Chief Bipin Rawat on Wednesday issued a strong warning to those who back terrorists during counter-insurgency operations. AFP "Those who obstruct our operations during encounters and aren't supportive will be treated as overground workers of terrorists," the Army chief said while paying tributes to the martyred soldiers in Delhi. He also said that those extending support to the terror organisation won't be spared. Those who obstruct our ops during encounters &are not supportive will be treated as overground workers of terrorists: Army Chief Bipin Rawat pic.twitter.com/amYjyrXyhQ ANI (@ANI_news) 15 February 2017 "If locals who want to continue with terror by displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan then we'll treat them as anti-nationals." This comes in wake of the growing trend of locals disrupting counter-insurgency operations and providing cover to terrorists during encounters in the Kashmir valley. If locals who want to continue with terror by displaying flags of ISIS&Pak then we'll treat them as anti nationals&will not spare them: COAS pic.twitter.com/2Bk0LNV08I ANI (@ANI_news) 15 February 2017 On Tuesday, a Pakistani terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba managed to escape in a similar circumstance even though another one was killed during a gunfight at Hajjin area of Bandipora district in north Kashmir causing heavy causalities to the army. Also, four soldiers including Major Satish Dahiya were martyred in two gunfights in Bandipora and Handwara areas. In the heart of New Haven, Connecticut stands one of Americas most respected and widely hailed educational institutes of all time- Yale. If education is the great pedestal on which great lives stand and futures are forged, then it wont be wrong to hail the prestigious Yale University as a tradition of sorts. Princeton Tory Knowledge and intellectual mentation, rich culture and diverse history- all of these make Yale more than just any other Ivy League college. And yet, over 400 years later, by doing something rather extraordinarily simple such as a name change to one of its colleges, Yale has managed to both strike off some history and generate massive news. Heres what happened thats creating buzz around Yale Yale University houses as many as 12 Residential Colleges in its all-encompassing spread. One of these is the famous and historic Calhoun College, formed in 1933. It is important to note that the college is named after a famous American, John C. Calhoun, an alumnus of the great American institution way back in 1804. wcvb-tv.com Real events, History books and, concurrently current media outlets brand Calhoun, a Yale graduate nearly 212 years before as a White supremacist and fierce defender of slavery. America has itself underlined the historic figure as a slavery proponent. For all intents and purposes, slavery, a botched evil is principally opposed to the fundamental human rights and liberties and dignities of a democracy. Therefore, is contrary to the spirit of magnanimous institutions like Yale that stand at the heart of a country known for being the land of the brave and home of the free. today.com So when Yale decided to strike off Calhoun from the said colleges name, in a bid to associate with a positive redevelopment, a lot of buzz was created. The news is that Yale is all set to rechristen the Calhoun College to Grace Murray Hopper College, the new name marking respect to celebrated math whiz who earned Yale degrees in the 1930s. Interestingly, the lady had also served in the American Navy as an Admiral. Also, Grace Hoppers legendary work in Math has contributed to the development of Computer Science. A history plied with slavery and an evocative response to better the future Determined to regard Yale and its history through ties with positive landmarks and people, Yales Board is ambitious and driven to mark respect to American heroes like Hopper and feels, rightly so, that anything associating itself with slavery is making Yales name obscure. yalenews.edu But truth be told, not everyone is so drawn to a bold but definitive move of Yales that speaks loudly in support of giving an ode to the ingenious American spirit. Detractors continue to cry foul, lamenting this decision. Going as far as calling it an underwhelming move of a sort, one of Fox News contributors, Geraldo Rivera immediately resigned from Yale Universitys Calhoun College as an Associate Fellow. Rivera called Yales decision a stand of political correctness and appeared sour over the ensuing action. fox61.com Interestingly, how historians treat this currently will be fascinating to see especially since John C. Calhoun served the United States as one of its Vice Presidents- 1825 to 1832 and even served as secretary of state, secretary of war and, as a US Senator. He passed away back in 1850. linkdn.com But, in response to the huge media outcry and the latest developments, Yales Peter Salovey has responded, saying, John C. Calhouns Principles, and work as a supporter of slavery are at odds with this university. It seems like the world has adapted to a certain rape-culture, where it is okay to walk over someone's dignity. In an event, that is responsible for the death of a 15-year-old, has a lot to do with the accused, but even more to do with those who let them walk freely, without any punishment. (Also read: This Rape Survivor Owes Her Life To A Wolf Pack That Saved Her From Dying After The Attack!) Cassidy Trevan was just 13 when she was raped by 2 teenage boys in 2014. Despite meeting with the police more than 20 times over a two-year period, the case was eventually dropped due to lack of evidence. Before taking her own life, however, Cassidy Trevan of Melbourne, Australia wrote this powerful and heartbreaking suicide note as a warning to other students at her school. My name is Cassidy Trevan, and I was raped, reads the letter. I was a student at (school name omitted) and I was raped by some of the students who still attend that school. "My aim is to warn other people (students mostly but also parents) about what happened because Im worried if they could do it to me they could do it to other kids like me, or at least try to. (Also read: Why Do Men Rape?) "If anyone even tries this on you trust me its worth fighting! Fight! If you dont youll regret it for the rest of your life like I do. You can do it. Be careful. Be warned. Be safe. After her death, when her mother found a powerful letter on her computer, she shared it on Facebook. She spread the word and her misery of two years with everyone. I hope the knowledge of what you did haunts you for the rest of your lives, wrote her mother Linda What you kids did I hope you never forgive yourselves and never forget the name Cassidy Trevan. You all have blood on your hands for as long as you live The internet too has been heartbroken with Cassidys shocking and tragic story. We wish peace for the family. (Also read: Here Is Inspiring Story Of Jitender Chhatar - A Haryana Farmer Who Married A Gang-Rape Survivor) At the start of this month, a huge portion of molten lava from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii fell into the Pacific. And standing just a few metres away was photographer Jon Cornforth who captured the amazing phenomenon on his lens. John Cornforth Cornforth showed immense bravery as the lava coursed through one side of the cliff and left in its wake exploding debris before falling into the waters below. The photos show the flaming bright lava - dubbed as 'firehose' - in exceptional detail. John Cornforth Cornforth literally risked his life to click the terrific phenomenon where the streaming lava shot out like water from a hose and went directly into the ocean in a stunning show of water and cliff explosions. John Cornforth According to the US Geological Survey, the lava was estimated as 1-2 metres in width that created 'hazardous conditions on land and at sea', reports Daily Mail. John Cornforth Aren't the pictures just mindblowing? Following the fears of the Oroville Dam collapsing in the Yuba City of Sacramento, several gurudwaras stepped up their game and came forward to provide food and shelter to thousands of evacuees. reuters Evacuees that also consist of a large number of Indian-Americans residing in the capital city of California. The Sacramento Bee Nearly 188,000 residents including 20,000 Indian-Americans were evacuated on Sunday, from their homes in the River Valley below the Lake Oroville Dam, when one of the two damaged spillways posed the danger of collapsing. The Sacramento Bee Around 13 percent of the Punjabi-American population resides in the Yuba City. The evacuation alarm was raised for Yuba County, Hallwood, Marysville, Olivehurst, Linda and Plumas Lake. Harjinder S Kukreja/Twitter Social activist Harjinder S Kukreja tweeted, Sikh Temples in Sacramento offering Food & Shelter. They are open for ALL people evacuated from Yuba City #OrovilleDam #OrovilleSpillway pic.twitter.com/AxiiijHBgM Harjinder S Kukreja (@SinghLions) February 13, 2017 Sacramento Mayor, Darrell Steinberg tweeted the contact information of all the Sikh temples in the vicinity, Sikh Temples in Sacramento region are open for people evacuated around #OrovilleDam. Am told they have food ready & all in need are welcome. pic.twitter.com/Vz2jYEte2w Darrell Steinberg (@Mayor_Steinberg) February 13, 2017 Gurdwara Sahib Sikh temple in West Sacramento brought together scores of people - teachers, farmers, security guards - after they were asked to move away from their homes. They only brought clothes with them but soon were given toiletries, bedding, and vegetarian meals served by the gurdwara staff that consisted of only 19 people, working tirelessly to serve the evacuees, reports The Sacramento Bee. The issue of accepting refugees is currently one of the most discussed topics in the US. With Donald Trump hardening the immigration rules, it is increasingly becoming difficult for people from seven predominantly Muslim countries to travel to the US, despite getting visas and green cards. The travel restrictions have inadvertently affected many Iraqis, who had risked themselves and the lives of their families by working with the US army, mostly as translators and informers during the "Operation Iraqi Freedom". Since the US Army left, a number of these young men were killed and in some cases, even their families had to pay the price. The US had offered asylum to many of these men, facing threats to their lives. But with the new restrictions in place, the future of a number of them looks bleak. It is at this backdrop, an Iraqi war veteran shared his story on Twitter. The soldier identified as Dylan was posted in Kirkuk, Iraq befriended an Iraqi teenager called Brahim. Dylan/ Twitter He was one among the many locals who had signed up to become interpreters to the US soldiers. By Dylan's own admission there were a lot Iraqi young men signing up for these jobs as there were always openings (meaning that they were killed in the line of duty very often) These men had signed up for the risky endeavour as the US had promised to grant them refugee status if they completed the tour (which most of the times did not happen). Dylan/ Twitter Brahim, who was 16 at the time had lost a number of family members in the conflict including brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles. Brahim also described the abject poor conditions he and his family lived in during the conflict, sharing a one bedroom house with 7 people. With no clean, power every other week because of the rolling blackouts. In one of the tweets, Dylan describes an incident when he bought toiletries for around $20 because he "didn't want dude to smell like shit". One day, I went down to the PX and bought him $20, maybe $30 worth of toiletries. Nbd really. Just didn't want dude to smell like shit. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 When I presented it to him, he cried. Literally bawled his eyes out and said he give his life for me. OVER SOAP. Completely sobering. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 Dylan left Iraq after completing his term there, knowing that he will never meet Brahim again in his life. At the end of my tour in Iraq, I knew I was leaving him to die. I knew I'd never see him again. Was just kinda like "take care kid." dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 The story then fast forwards five years to 2013 and the location is Phoenix Arizona. Dylan is on his way home after his younger brother was murdered during an attempted carjacking. He took a taxi from outside the airport, and while on their way the driver started to have a small chat with him. This is how it transferred. I tell him I just got out of the military and blah blah. He says "oh great. I love the military. You ever travel anywhere?" dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 Tell him, "Sure. Been to every corner of the globe. Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc." He says "Oh! I'm from Iraq! What part?" dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 I say "Kirkuk, mostly." And he says "Im from Kirkuk." And then gets really fucking quiet. Like awkwardly quiet. Making me nervous quiet. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 My first thought is I killed one of his family members and he recognizes me. And now im literally getting ready to bail out of the cab. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 I see him staring at me in the rear view. I can see the anguish in his eyes. And then he starts to PULL THE CAB TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 He stops, turns around and says, "Dylan, you remember me? It's me, Brahim." And I'm like wtffffff. And just start sobbing. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 We got out of that taxi off the I10 and Rural and hugged it out on a bridge in the rain on some Notebook shit. I didn't ever care, man. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 So I'm like WTF ARE YOU DOING IN FUCKING ARIZONA?! HOW? MAN WHAT? And he's like I did my 4 years and they gave me a visa. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 So how did Brahim end up in Arizona? They gave him some cash and a 1 way ticket to the States. Asked him where he wanted to go, and he said where the weather is like Iraq. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 So they sent him to Arizona. dylan (@dyllyp) January 28, 2017 In the Dominican Republic, two journalists were shot dead while a Facebook Live video was being recorded. EPA They were killed during a live radio broadcast in the Caribbean country. Three men have been arrested with regards to the killing. The Facebook Live video shows gunfire interrupting the broadcaster and a scared woman shouting, Shots! Shots! Shots! The police said the shooting happened on Tuesday in San Pedro de Macoris, which lies east of the capital Santo Domingo. EPA During the shootout, a woman was also injured and is undergoing surgery, according to local authorities. The two journalists who were killed were Leo Martinez and Luis Manuel Medina. Authorities have not yet been able to establish the motive behind the killings. Previously, journalist Blas Olivo was killed in the country in August 2015. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released a report criticising religious freedom in India. The report has alleged that religious minorities and dalits in India face discrimination and persecution in India while practising their religious freedom. The report also alleged that there are constitutional provisions in India, which dont protect the religious freedom of the communities like the international laws that protect freedom of religion and belief. Reuters The Hindu American Foundation (HAF), however, has condemned the report and cited bias since the report is written by a Pakistani-origin author. The HAF has alleged that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has put its credibility at stake by publishing report by author of Pakistani origin. HAF said with the report by Iqtidar Cheema, director for Institute for Leadership and Community Development, in Birmingham, England, the USCIRF has put its credibility at stake. Suhag Shukla, HAF executive director in a blog said that USCIRF simply allowed Cheema to write whatever he wanted to. "Cheema, a native of Pakistan, has been honoured by several Pakistani government bodies, and is true to Pakistan's foreign policy goals as well," Shukla wrote, and FirstPost quoted him alleging that the report was biased and motivated. Shukla alleged that Cheema's work provides cover to Pakistan's long-standing support of a proxy war to separate Jammu and Kashmir from India."Not surprisingly then, this report fails to mention the plight of over 300,000 Kashmiri Hindu Pandits cleansed from their ancestral homeland in the Valley at the hands of Islamist radicals. Previous commission reports have ignored the same," she said. "Cheema is also an oft-quoted source to support various organisations that endorse a separatist movement calling for a separate Sikh state, Khalistan a cause that the vast majority of Sikhs in India refuse to support," she said. Reuters "Khalistani terrorism led to an insurgency which left tens of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs dead in the Indian state of Punjab in the 1980s. This activism took its most bizarre and dangerous turn when Cheema addressed a crowd of Sikh separatists gathered in San Francisco calling for Khalistan and shouts supporting the Babbar Khalsa, a terrorist organisation banned by the UK and India," Shukla said. (With inputs from Firstpost) Blackwater Air Is Back, and Flying for U.S. Special Forces A corporate descendant of the notorious guns-for-hire firm just got a $204 million contract to support American troops in Africa. By David Axe A corporate descendant of the notorious guns-for-hire firm just got a $204 million contract to support American troops in Africa. A mercenary air force that became a symbol of the U.S. occupation of Iraq is back in actionthis time in Central Africa, supporting a shadowy American U.S. Special Forces commando operation targeting the Lords Resistance Army. In late January, a source on the ground in Central African Republic spotted a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter with the registry number N408RC carrying American Special Forces troops. The LRA, a cultish band of thieves and rapists led by warlord Joseph Kony, is most active in the forested region where Central African Republic, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo meet. In 2010, President Barack Obama deployed around 100 Green Berets and other personnel to Central Africa to help local forces hunt down Kony and the LRA. Seven years later, Operation Observant Compass continues, mostly unnoticed by the press. The Pentagon asked Congress for $23 million to extend the operation through 2017. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Sikorsky helicopter that The Daily Beasts source observed in Central African Republic belongs to Illinois-based EP Aviation, LLC. EP Aviation was once a subsidiary of Academi, the Virginia-based company that was formerly known as Blackwater. The EP stands for Erik Prince, Blackwaters founder and the younger brother of billionaire U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The copters appearance is a reminder of the tangled web of corporate relationships that support the Pentagons expansive shadow wars in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africaand some of the companies ties to wealthy, powerful American politicians. During the height of the Iraq War, Blackwater managed a for-profit army in Baghdad that included Little Bird helicopters and other aircraft. The U.S. State Department and Defense Department have awarded Blackwater and its successors contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In Iraq, Blackwater's diminutive Little Birds usually carried a crew of fourtwo pilots and two door gunners armed with assault rifles. With their very corporate-looking blue-and-silver paint schemes, the Blackwater copters became icons of a grinding, unpopular war. The Little Birds were also symbols of Blackwater's heavy-handed tactics. The company and its employees in Iraq were involved in several suspicious killings -- and worse. In September 2007, Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians at Baghdad's Nisour Square. Four of the mercenaries went to prison for the killings. Blackwater's aviation operations were also controversial. One Little Bird was shot down in Baghdad and its five-man crew was killed. Another Little Bird crashed in Iraq and the two pilots died. The company lost several other aircraft in fatal accidents in Iraq. Join with more than 100,000 people in over 140 countries, who place people before profit. Get Our Free Daily Newsletter In 2004, a Blackwater transport plane crashed in a mountain canyon in Afghanistan, killing the three crew and three U.S. troops who were passengers. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the pilots deliberately flew a risky flight path through the mountains. "I swear to God, they wouldn't pay me if they knew how much fun this was," the cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot saying shortly before the crash. Dogged by lawsuits, Prince sold Blackwater in 2010 and moved to the United Arab Emirates. He subsequently founded Frontier Resource Group, a company that reportedly provides pilots for the Emirates brutal air war in Libya. Princes new company also tried to skirt U.S. regulations in order to sell attack planes to Salva Kiir, one of two warring strongmen in South Sudan. Prince has reportedly advised President Donald Trump , who appointed DeVos as education secretary despite stiff opposition from Democrats and even some Republicans. DeVos contributed millions of dollars to the campaigns of senators who voted to approve her appointment. Following Princes departure, Blackwater changed its name several times and came under new ownership. In 2010 it sold EP Aviation and other aviation assets to Illinois-based AAR, also known as Airlift Group, a self-described provider of world-class expeditionary and conventional aviation solutions. Around 60 ex-Blackwater aircraft continue to be registered in EP Aviations name. AAR did not respond to The Daily Beast's request for comment. U.S. Special Operations Forces in Africa rely heavily on innocent-looking, civilian-style aircraft. Some are actually military aircraft that wear civilian paint schemes. Others are civilian aircraft operating under contract with the Pentagon. On Feb. 6, the Defense Department awarded AAR/Airlift Group a $204-million contract to support U.S. forces in Africa through January 2018. According to the military's official "Central Africa Task Order," dated November 2016, American troops in the region need at least two fixed-wing planes in Entebbe, Uganda; another two fixed-wing planes in Nzara, South Sudan; plus five helicopters in Obo, Central African Republic. U.S. Special Operations Command was not able to fulfill an interview request before this story's deadline. The civilian planes and copters transporting American commandos in their hunt for Kony and the LRA can expect to come under fire, according to the military's official work statement, dated October 2016. "In the event a contractor operating a mission is illuminated or 'spotlighted,' or is fired upon in the air or on the ground, the crew shall note the date, time and approximate area from which the event originated," the statement noted. Neocons and the Deep State Have Neutered the Trump Presidency, Its Over Folks! By The Saker See Update Below February 14, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Less than a month ago I warned that a color revolution was taking place in the USA . My first element of proof was the so-called investigation which the CIA, FBI, NSA and others were conducting against President Trumps candidate to become National Security Advisor, General Flynn. Tonight, the plot to get rid of Flynn has finally succeeded and General Flynn had to offer his resignation. Trump accepted it. Now lets immediately get one thing out of the way: Flynn was hardly a saint or a perfect wise man who would single handedly saved the world. That he was not. However, what Flynn was is the cornerstone of Trumps national security policy. For one thing, Flynn dared the unthinkable: he dared to declare that the bloated US intelligence community had to be reformed. Flynn also tried to subordinate the CIA and the Joint Chiefs to the President via the National Security Council. Put differently, Flynn tried to wrestle the ultimate power and authority from the CIA and the Pentagon and subordinate them back to the White House. Flynn also wanted to work with Russia. Not because he was a Russia lover, the notion of a Director of the DIA as a Putin-fan is ridiculous, but Flynn was rational, he understood that Russia was no threat to the USA or to Europe and that Russia had the West had common interests. That is another absolutely unforgivable crimethink in Washington DC. The Neocon run deep state has now forced Flynn to resign under the idiotic pretext that he had a telephone conversation, on an open, insecure and clearly monitored, line with the Russian ambassador. And Trump accepted this resignation. Ever since Trump made it to the White House, he has taken blow after blow from the Neocon-run Ziomedia, from Congress, from all the Hollywood doubleplusgoodthinking stars and even from European politicians. And Trump took each blow without ever fighting back. Nowhere was his famous you are fired! to be seen. But I still had hope. I wanted to hope. I felt that it was my duty to hope. But now Trump has betrayed us all. Join with more than 100,000 people in over 140 countries, who place people before profit Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Remember how Obama showed his true face when he hypocritically denounced his friend and pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.? Today, Trump has shown us his true face. Instead of refusing Flynns resignation and instead of firing those who dared cook up these ridiculous accusations against Flynn, Trump accepted the resignation. This is not only an act of abject cowardice, it is also an amazingly stupid and self-defeating betrayal because now Trump will be alone, completely alone, facing the likes of Mattis and Pence hard Cold Warrior types, ideological to the core, folks who want war and simply dont care about reality. Again, Flynn was not my hero. But he was, by all accounts, Trumps hero. And Trump betrayed him. The consequences of this will be immense. For one thing, Trump is now clearly broken. It took the deep state only weeks to castrate Trump and to make him bow to the powers that be. Those who would have stood behind Trump will now feel that he will not stand behind them and they will all move back away from him. The Neocons will feel elated by the elimination of their worst enemy and emboldened by this victory they will push on, doubling-down over and over and over again. Its over, folks, the deep state has won. From now on, Trump will become the proverbial shabbos-goy, the errand boy of the Israel lobby. Hassan Nasrallah was right when he called him an idiot. The Chinese and Iranian will openly laugh. The Russians wont they will be polite, they will smile, and try to see if some common sense policies can still be salvaged from this disaster. Some might. But any dream of a partnership between Russia and the United States has died tonight. The EU leaders will, of course, celebrate. Trump was nowhere the scary bogeyman they feared. Turns out that he is a doormat very good for the EU. Where does all this leave us the millions of anonymous deplorables who try as best we can to resist imperialism, war, violence and injustice? I think that we were right in our hopes because that is all we had hopes. No expectations, just hopes. But now we objectively have very little reasons left to hope. For one thing, the Washington swamp will not be drained. If anything, the swamp has triumphed. We can only find some degree of solace in two undeniable facts: Hillary would have been far worse than any version of a Trump Presidency. In order to defeat Trump, the US deep state has had to terribly weaken the US and the AngloZionist Empire. Just like Erdogan purges have left the Turkish military in shambles, the anti-Trump color revolution has inflicted terrible damage on the reputation, authority and even credibility of the USA. The first one is obvious. So let me clarify the second one. In their hate-filled rage against Trump and the American people (aka the basket of deplorables) the Neocons have had to show they true face. By their rejection of the outcome of the elections, by their riots, their demonization of Trump, the Neocons have shown two crucial things: first, that the US democracy is a sad joke and that they, the Neocons, are an occupation regime which rules against the will of the American people. In other words, just like Israel, the USA has no legitimacy left. And since, just like Israel, the USA are unable to frighten their enemies, they are basically left with nothing, no legitimacy, no ability to coerce. So yes, the Neocons have won. But their victory is removes the last chance for the US to avoid a collapse. Trump, for all his faults, did favor the US, as a country, over the global Empire. Trump was also acutely aware that more of the same was not an option. He wanted policies commensurate with the actual capabilities of the USA. With Flynn gone and the Neocons back in full control this is over. Now we are going to be right back to ideology over reality. Trump probably could have made America, well, maybe not great again, but at least stronger, a major world power which could negotiate and use its leverage to get the best deal possible from the others. Thats over now. With Trump broken, Russia and China will go right back to their pre-Trump stance: a firm resistance backed by a willingness and capability to confront and defeat the USA at any level. I am quite sure that nobody today is celebrating in the Kremlin. Putin, Lavrov and the others surely understand exactly what happened. It is as if Khodorkovsy would have succeeded in breaking Putin in 2003. In fact, I have to credit Russian analysts who for several weeks already have been comparing Trump to Yanukovich, who also was elected by a majority of the people and who failed to show the resolve needed to stop the color revolution started against him. But if Trump is the new Yanukovich, will the US become the next Ukraine? Flynn was very much the cornerstone of the hoped-for Trump foreign policy. There was a real chance that he would reign in the huge, bloated and all-powerful three letter agencies and that he would focus US power against the real enemy of the West: the Wahabis. With Flynn gone, this entire conceptual edifice has now come down. We are going to be left with the likes of Mattis and his anti-Iranian statements. Clowns who only impress other clowns. Today Neocon victory is a huge event and it will probably be completely misrepresented by the official media. Ironically, Trump supporters will also try minimize it all. But the reality is that barring a most unlikely last-minute miracle, its over for Trump and the hopes of millions of people in the USA and the rest of the world who had hoped that the Neocons could be booted out of power by means of a peaceful election. That is clearly not going to happen. I see very dark clouds on the horizon. The Saker UPDATE1 : Just to stress an important point: the disaster is not so much that Flynn is out but what Trumps caving in to the Neocon tells us about Trumps character (or lack thereof). Ask yourself after what happened to Flynn, would you stick your neck out for Trump? UPDATE2 : Just as predicted the Neocons are celebrating and, of course, doubling-down: The Anti-Flynn Deep State Coup Spelling it out in the clearest way possible Update By The Saker Okay, my sense is that a large number of commentators are misunderstanding the nature of what is going on. So, this time, rather than writing an analysis, I will spell it out, talking points style and, hopefully, do a better job about making my point. So, here we go. THIS IS NOT ABOUT FLYNN. Let me repeat that once more. THIS IS NOT ABOUT FLYNN!!! Please dont come and tell me that Flynn was wrong on Iran, on Islam or on China. I agree. But, ==>>THIS IS NOT ABOUT FLYNN!!!<<== THIS IS ABOUT POWER. As in, who is boss? Who is number one? Who is the alpha dog? The President or the deep state? That is what this is all about showing everybody who is in charge. FLYNN WAS A SYMBOL. He was the symbol of the entire notion of draining the Washington swamp, which is mostly the 3 letter agencies + Pentagon anyway. Flynn was the guy who dared defy the thought police and be friendly with the Russians. Flynn was the man who wanted to bring the CIA and JCS back under White House control. And Flynn was the guy with contacts with SOCOM and JSOC. Flynn had to be brought down. FLYNN WAS ALSO A CORNERSTONE. For better or for worse, it is absolutely evident that Flynn was the brain behind Trumps entire foreign policy. On some stuff Flynn was great (Russia), on some stuff he was okay (Takfiri terrorism), on some stuff he was ridiculous (China) and on some stuff he was terrible (Iran). But that is not what matters here. Listen to Kucinich who clearly says that this is not about Trump or Flynn, but about a coup against the Presidency by the US deep state. Now that Flynn has been brought down, there is no Trump foreign policy left. FLYNN IS ALSO A DOMINO. Okay, this is crucial, pay attention now. Putin has often been criticized for protecting his friends even when these friends are guilty of wrongdoings. Now let me ask you a simple question: would you rather stick your neck out for Trump or for Putin? Exactly. If Trump was a loyal kind of person he could have called Pence and Flynn to the Oval Office, told Flynn to apologize and told Pence to shut up. But he did nothing of the kind. By accepting Flynns resignation Trump showed that he does not protect those who fight for him. There will definitely be a domino-effect now as everybody who matters has now understood: Trump is weak, the Neocons got him by the balls, and Trump will leave you hanging when the shit hits the fan. FLYNNS DOWNFALL IS A MESSAGE. A message to all those who hate Trump and what Trump represents. And that message is simple: we are back in control and the party is on! Now that Trump has been humiliated and broken, now that he lost his only high-IQ and powerful ally in the White House, the Neocons are the deep state are smelling blood and they will double-down and resume their attack with increased intensity. The next highly symbolic sacrificial victim might be the much-hated Steve Bannon. The bottom line is simple: the hunt is on for anti-deep-state crimethinkers. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS ABOUT TRUMPS CHARACTER. That was the big unknown, right? Nobody really new what kind of President Trump would make. Everybody, including yours truly, enjoyed speculating about his ego, his lack of political experience, the fact that he owed nothing to anybody, that he was a deal maker, a common sense pragmatist. Well, we still dont know what kind of President Trump will be, but I am afraid that we now know what kind of President he will NOT be: he will NOT drain the swamp, he will NOT change the subordination of US national interests to the AngloZionist Empire, he will NOT forge a historical partnership with Russia and he will NOT send the Neocons down to the basement from which they crawled out 24 years ago. Whether Trump lacks brains, spine, or balls is anyones guess, but it is now painfully clear that he has much more in common with Yanukovich then with Putin . As I said, its over. Not because of Flynns views on Iran or Islam. But because Trump has caved in, he has been broken and now all thats left is a painful 4 year long agony. Thats assuming that the Neocons dont impeach him just to bask in their arrogance and sense of supremacy. Frankly, my heart goes out to all those who sincerely hoped that Trump will be the man to free the US from the Neocons and restore the power of the basket of deplorables over the many minorities and special interests. Some will now indulge in a lot of I told you so but they will be wrong. To hope for the best was the right thing to do. Those who voted for Trump did the only thing in their power to prevent Hillary from occupying the White House. That was the right decision, they did the right thing, both morally and pragmatically. But now we also need to gather our courage and accept the reality of what has taken place. Minimizing the implications of this deep state coup makes no sense whatsoever, neither morally nor pragmatically. And the reality is this: It took the Neocons and the US deep state less than a month to overturn the results of the Presidential election. Trump now declares that he expects Russia to return Crimea. Its over folks welcome (back) to the war between Russia and the Empire. The Saker PS: one more thing. Trump himself was always, of course, the candidate of one part of the US deep state. Trump did not appear ex nihilo, and neither did Flynn. It is taking place is one faction of the deep state fighting against another faction of the deep state. The US elites have been split for a while now. But since Trump now has legal authority and those trying to color revolution him do not, I speak of the deep state vs the Presidency. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Michael Flynn: Trump's national security adviser resigns : Mr Flynn is said to have misled officials about his call with Russia's ambassador before his own appointment. It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy. Contradicting White House, Ryan Claims Trump Asked For Flynn's Resignation : House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Tuesday that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was asked to resign from his position by the President Trump knew Flynn misled officials on Russia calls for weeks, White House says ; The comments contrast with the impression given by Trump on Friday aboard Air Force One that he was not familiar with a Washington Post report that revealed that Flynn had not told the truth about the calls. WikiLeaks: Flynn Leaving Due to 'Destabilization Campaign' by Dems : WikiLeaks on Tuesday blamed a destabilization campaign by the media and Democrats for national security adviser Michael Flynn's resignation. Justice Department warned White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail : The acting attorney general informed the Trump White House late last month that she believed Michael Flynn had misled senior administration officials about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States Pelosi Calls On FBI To 'Accelerate' Probe Into Connections Between WH, Russia : "The American people deserve to know the full extent of Russias financial, personal and political grip on President Trump." Mike Flynns resignation isnt the end of the Russia story. Its only the beginning: This goes well beyond whether Flynn misled the public and the president and vice president Russian lawmakers cry foul over resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn: Even a readiness for dialogue is perceived by the hawks in Washington as thought-crime, Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of Russias senate foreign affairs committee wrote. Trump expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine: White House ; U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear he expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine and reduce violence in Ukraine, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday. Edward Snowdens New Job: Protecting Reporters From Spies By Andy Greenberg February 14, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Wired " - When Edward Snowden leaked the biggest collection of classified National Security Agency documents in history, he wasnt just revealing the inner workings of a global surveillance machine. He was also scrambling to evade it. To communicate with the journalists who would publish his secrets, he had to route all his messages over the anonymity software Tor, teach reporters to use the encryption tool PGP by creating a YouTube tutorial that disguised his voice, and eventually ditch his comfortable life (and smartphone) in Hawaii to set up a cloak-and-dagger data handoff halfway around the world. Now, nearly four years later, Snowden has focused the next phase of his career on solving that very specific instance of the panopticon problem: how to protect reporters and the people who feed them information in an era of eroding privacywithout requiring them to have an NSA analysts expertise in encryption or to exile themselves to Moscow. Watch the journalists and youll find their sources, Snowden says. So how do we preserve that confidentiality in this new world, when its more important than ever? Since early last year, Snowden has quietly served as president of a small San Franciscobased nonprofit called the Freedom of the Press Foundation. Its mission: to equip the media to do its job at a time when state-sponsored hackers and government surveillance threaten investigative reporting in ways Woodward and Bernstein never imagined. Newsrooms dont have the budget, the sophistication, or the skills to defend themselves in the current environment, says Snowden, who spoke to WIRED via encrypted video-chat from his home in Moscow. Were trying to provide a few niche tools to make the game a little more fair. The groups 10 staffers and a handful of contract coders, with Snowdens remote guidance, are working to develop an armory of security upgrades for reporters. Snowden and renowned hacker Bunnie Huang have partnered to develop a hardware modification for the iPhone, designed to detect if malware on the device is secretly transmitting a reporters data, including location. Theyre developing a piece of software called Sunder that uses code written by Frederic Jacobs, one of the programmers for the popular encryption app Signal1; Sunder would allow journalists to encrypt a trove of secrets and then retrieve them only if several newsroom colleagues combine their passwords to access the data. And the foundations coders are building a plug-and-play version of Jitsi, the encrypted video-chat software Snowden himself uses for daily communication. They want newsrooms to be able to install it on their own servers with a few clicks. The idea is to make this all paint-by-numbers instead of teaching yourself to be Picasso, Snowden says. A brief guide to becoming an anonymous source. Web The anonymity network Tor obscures your identity by routing your online traffic through computers worldwide. Access it via the web-based Tor Browser to visit any site related to your planned contact with the press. Find a directory of the 35 or so news organizations that maintain SecureDrop portalsTor-enabled inboxes for anonymous tips. Then choose an outlet and leak away. Break Free From The Matrix Get Our Free Daily Newsletter Phone Buy a burnera cheap, prepaid Android phonewith cash from a nonchain store in an area youve never been to before. Dont carry your regular phone and the burner at the same time, and never turn on the burner at home or work. Create a Gmail and Google Play account from the burner, then install the encrypted calling and texting app Signal. When youre done, destroy the burner and ditch its corpse far from home. Snail mail Pick a distant mailbox, dont carry your phone on the trip, andduhdont include a real return address. But the foundations biggest coup has been SecureDrop, a Tor-based system for WikiLeaks-style uploads of leaked materials and news tips. The system has now been adopted by dozens of outlets, including The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. It works. I know, hinted a tweet from Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold the day after he published a leaked video of Donald Trump bragging about sexual assault. In early 2014, the Freedom of the Press Foundations founderswho include the first recipients of Snowdens leaks, journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitrasasked their 30-year-old source to join the groups board as a largely symbolic gesture. But Snowden surprised the board members by showing up to his first meeting with a list of detailed changes to its 40-plus pages of bylaws. The next year he was unanimously elected its president. No one has more practical expertise when it comes to whistleblower and journalist communications, says Trevor Timm, the groups executive director. It was the perfect fit. Snowden has refused a salary, instead giving the group more than $60,000 of his fees from speaking engagements over the past year. Snowdens own leaks have shown the dire need for the foundations work: In early 2015 he revealed that British spies had collected emails from practically every major newspaper and wire service. Other signs of encroaching state surveillance have also put journalists on guard. Late last year it emerged that Montreal police had tracked the phone calls and texts of a reporter in order to identify sources critical of the department. And in early January, before he had even taken office, Donald Trump called on Congress to investigate a leak to NBC newsone that gave the network a sneak peek at an intelligence report on Russias role in influencing the US election. In the months since Trumps victory, the Freedom of the Press Foundations phones have been ringing off the hook with requests from newsrooms for training sessions, says Timm. Snowden is quick to note it was the administration of President Obama, not Trump, that indicted him and at least seven others under the Espionage Act for leaking information to journalists. Thats more such indictments than all other presidents in history combined have issued. But Snowden and Timm worry that Trump, with his deep-seated disdain for the media and the full powers of the US Justice Department at his fingertips, will be only too happy to carry forward and expand that precedent. (As for recent rumors that Putin may send Snowden back to the US as a gift to Trump, the former NSA contractor remains sanguine: If personal safety was the only thing I was worried about, I would never have left Hawaii.) All of that makes the medias technical protections from spying more important than ever. We cant fix the surveillance problem overnight, Snowden says. But maybe we can build a shield that will protect anyone whos standing behind it. If the group succeeds, perhaps the next Snowden will be able to take refuge not in Moscow but in the encrypted corners of the internet. Andy Greenberg (@a_greenberg) wrote about Google subsidiary Jigsaw in issue 24.10. This article appears in the March issue. Subscribe now. UPDATED 02/14/17, 12:45PM, TO INCLUDE SNOWDENS RESPONSE TO REPORTS THAT RUSSIA MAY EXTRADITE HIM TO THE U.S. 1 Correction appended, 2/14/17, 2:45 pm EST: This story has been corrected to clarify Frederic Jacobs involvement in Sunder. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter Worst Joke Ever? U.S. Spy Chief Gives Saudi Prince Highest Award for Fighting Terrorism By Mike Whitney February 14, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " Counterpunch " - On Friday, the Director of the CIA, Mike Pompeo, used his first trip abroad to present Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef with the CIAs highest award for fighting terrorism, the George Tenet Medal. Although the ceremony wasnt covered by any of the major media, it was picked up on various blogsites where the news was greeted with predictable howls of outrage. Not surprisingly, most Americans still see Saudi Arabia as the epicenter of global terrorism, a point which was underlined in a recent article at The Atlantic titled Where Americas Terrorists Actually Come From. Heres an excerpt: after sifting through databases, media reports, court documents, and other sources, Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration expert at the libertarian Cato Institute, has arrived at a striking finding: Nationals of the seven countries singled out by Trump have killed zero people in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil between 1975 and 2015. Zero Nowrasteh has listed foreign-born individuals who committed or were convicted of attempting to commit a terrorist attack on U.S. soil by their country of origin and the number of people they killed. the countries at the top of the list, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, are not included in Trumps ban The 9/11 attacks were carried out by 19 menfrom Saudi Arabia (15), the United Arab Emirates (2), Egypt (1), and Lebanon (1). The incident remains influential in how Americans think about the nature of terrorism. (Where Americas Terrorists Actually Come From, The Atlantic) While its true that 9-11 has shaped the way that Americans think about terrorism, its also true that most people are unaware of the deeper operational relationship between the CIA and the Saudis that dates back to the funding of the Mujahidin in Afghanistan in the 1970s. This is where bin Laden and al Qaida first burst onto the scene, which is to say, that the sketchy CIA-Saudi connection created the seedbed for the War on Terror. Unfortunately, even now 16 years after the attacks of 9-11 the relationship between the notorious intel agency and its Middle East allies remains as foggy as ever. As a result, the Saudis are typically fingered as the main source of the problem while the CIAs role is conveniently swept under the rug. For example, take a look at this clip from an article in the Independent: Saudi Arabia is the single biggest contributor to the funding of Islamic extremism and is unwilling to cut off the money supply, according to a leaked note from Hillary Clinton. The US Secretary of State says in a secret memorandum that donors in the kingdom still constitute the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide and that it has been an ongoing challenge to persuade Saudi officials to treat terrorist financing emanating from Saudi Arabia as a strategic priority Saudi Arabia is accused, along with Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, of failing to prevent some of its richest citizens financing the insurgency against Nato troops in Afghanistan. Fund-raisers from the Taliban regularly travel to UAE to take advantage of its weak borders and financial regulation to launder money. Break Free From The Matrix Get Our Free Daily Newsletter However, it is Saudi Arabia that receives the harshest assessment. The country from which Osama bin Laden and most of the 9/11 terrorists originated, according to Mrs Clinton, a critical financial support base for al-Qaida, the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Toiba and other terrorist groups, including Hamas, which probably raise millions of dollars annually from Saudi sources, often during the Haj and Ramadan. (Saudi Arabia is biggest funder of terrorists, Independent) Then theres this gem from ex-Vice President Joe Biden: Biden said that our biggest problem is our allies who are engaged in a proxy Sunni-Shiite war against Syrian President Bashar Assad. He specifically named Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. What did they do? They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad except that the people who were being supplied were (Jabhat) Al-Nusra and al-Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world, Mr Biden said. (Joe Biden forced to apologize to UAE and Turkey over Syria remarks, Telegraph) The evidence against Saudi Arabia is overwhelming and damning, and thats what makes Pompeos performance in Riyadh so confusing. Why is the head of the CIA bestowing an award on a man who could undoubtedly identify some of the worlds biggest terrorist donors, unless, of course, the CIA derives some benefit from the arrangement? Is that it? Is there is a quid pro quo between Washington and the Saudis that no one knows about but from which Washington reaps tangible geopolitical benefits? Its certainly within the realm of possibility. Is it too far-fetched to think that the Saudis are actually a franchise that acts as Langleys primary subcontractor carrying out operations deemed too sensitive for its own agents while obscuring the Companys role behind a cloak of plausible deniability? Isnt that what Fridays freakishly Orwellian awards ceremony really suggests, that the skullduggery is much darker, deeper and more complicated than anyone would care to imagine? Washingtons support for the Mujahidin helped to push the Soviets out of Afghanistan which is why the Brzezinski crowd thought it was a success story. If thats the case, then isnt it logical to assume that subsequent administrations might have used the same model elsewhere, like Kosovo, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan? Isnt it at least worth investigating? And, another thing: Is it possible to uncover the root of terror by capturing and interrogating individual terrorists to find out what they know? No, its not possible, because the individual cogs have never revealed the source of the funding-streams which originate from within the deep state. Every effort has been made to distance the authors from their illicit handiwork, to remove the tracks and erase the fingerprints. Once again, its all about plausible deniability and preventing the public from identifying the real perpetrators. Which means the only way to end this madness is by shedding light on the shadowy goings on between the Intel agencies and their Middle East proxies. Theres no other way. One thing is certain, youre not going to win the war on terror by handing out medals to the prime suspects. Mike Whitney lives in Washington state. He is a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion (AK Press). Hopeless is also available in a Kindle edition. He can be reached at fergiewhitney@msn.com . The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Eavesdropping on Michael Flynn Did U.S. spooks have a court order to listen to his conversations? Why? By WSJ February 14, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - " WSJ " - A White House spokesman said Monday that President Trump is evaluating the situation regarding national security adviser Michael Flynn over his pre-inaugural contacts with Russian officials. (See the editorial nearby.) While the President is at it, how about asking if the spooks listening to Mr. Flynn obeyed the law? Mr. Flynn is a retired general who ran the Defense Intelligence Agency, so surely he knew that his Dec. 29 call to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak would be subject to electronic surveillance. U.S. intelligence services routinely get orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to monitor foreign officials. But under U.S. law, when they get those orders they are supposed to use minimization procedures that dont let them listen to the communications of Americans who may be caught in such eavesdropping. That is, they are supposed to protect the identity and speech of innocent Americans. Yet the Washington Post, which broke the story, says it spoke to multiple U.S. officials claiming to know what Mr. Flynn said on that call. The questions someone in the White House should ask the National Security Agency is why it didnt use minimization procedures to protect Mr. Flynn? Or did it also have a court order to listen to Mr. Flynn, and how did it justify that judicial request? If Mr. Flynn was under U.S. intelligence surveillance, then Mr. Trump should know why, and at this point so should the American public. Maybe theres an innocent explanation, but the Trump White House needs to know whats going on with Mr. Flynn and U.S. spies. Home Sign up for our FREE Daily Email Newsletter "Wake Up America" Video Dennis Kucinich Says Intel Community Making 'Unprecedented' Effort to Upend Trump Former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) discussing how the intelligence community is seeming to upend President Donald Trump in the wake of Michael Flynn's resignation as national security adviser. The former Democratic presidential candidate said the bigger issue here is that the phone conversations between Flynn and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were intercepted and leaked to the media. Posted February 15, 2017 Chuck Schumer says CIA is plotting REVENGE AGAINST President Trump Join with over 100,000 people in more than 140 countries, who place people before profit Get Our Free Daily Newsletter The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Former Head of States of Nigeria, Mr Atiku Abubakar said to the press after a closed door meeting he had with also former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), the meeting lasted for about two hours in Minna, the Niger State capital. He noted that any advice that needs to be given to the government would be given confidentially, describing the use of media to advice the government as a great disrespect to the country. Atiku said, If I have to advise (the) government, I will advise them in confidentially because I was in government before. My advice will not be on the pages of newspapers. The former vice president, however, noted on the state of the nation that was not the duty of an individual to restructure Nigeria, adding that It is up to Nigerians to decide on the restructuring of Nigeria. He explained to the press that his visit to the former head of states was strictly to pay him a visit on his return from his medical vacation abroad. I came to visit General Babangida and to wish him well since he returned from medical vacation abroad, he said. Mr Abubakar, who arrived at the Minna Airport in his private aircraft, were he was received by the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello. He then proceeded to the Uphill residence of the former military leader where the meeting took place. The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has taken over Odengene Air-Shuttle Services (OAS) Helicopters in Lagos following a court order. According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria, AMCON had on Tuesday sealed the company at Maryland in Lagos, indicating that the company had been taken over. The order on the companys office reads: POSSESSION TAKEN TODAY 14/2/17 BY AMCON COURT ORDER ON SUIT NO. FHC/4CS/1139/2016 It was unclear whether the company was indebted to banks. However, the company was among the airlines that received the Federal Government intervention fund during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan. OAS is one of the leading helicopter charter service companies in the country. AMCON had on Thursday February 9, taken over the Arik Air. AMCON said that the development would save Arik Airlines currently immersed in heavy financial debt burden that was threatening to permanently ground the airline. For some time now, the airline, which carries about 55 per cent of the load in the country, has been going through difficult times. AMCON had earlier taken over Aero Contractors in 2016, but the airline is currently not doing well after the take-over. Ekiti State State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described the failure of the Federal Government to pay the states January allocation and budget support fund as a deliberate attempt to fight him politically The governor who alleged that the move was targeted at giving All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state a soft landing in the 2018 gubernatorial poll also accused the federal government using the Economi and Financial Crimes commission (EFFC) to frustrate his on-going projects in the state through alleged frivolous petitions. Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday governor Fayose said: It is unavoidably necessary to bring to the public domain the current harrassment, oppression and intimidation of my office and the good people of Ekiti State by the Federal Government because of my stand on national issues. In the last three , four weeks, after the Federal Allocation Committee meeting, it is sad that Ekiti Federal Allocation for january has not been released. Secondly, the budget support, for which we signed an ISPO for all states in Nigeria, Ekiti remains the only state not paid for the month of January. And it seems this is deliberate because up till now, no excuse or explanation has been given. I have written to the Federal Ministry of finance, my Commissioner has been there, as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria, nobody is ready to talk to us. We contacted the Honourable minister, all the directors at the Ministry of finance everybody is shying away from talking to us for the last 10 days now. It is important to note that the allocation and budget support from Abuja is our legitimate right. We have done the needful on our part and nobody from their end has queried the process. I dont know why the average civil servant in Ekiti State should be made to suffer because of politics, it is not my salary, it is the salary of the Ekiti civil servants. Doing this in the name of politics and to destabilize this state is not in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Recalling that unpopular attempt to intimidate him politically by withholding allocation meant for the states civil servants as was done by former President Olusegun Obasanjo would end futility, he said: Im reminding them and speaking to Nigerians that the statutory allocation for Local governments in Lagos State was stopped then by the Federal Government under former President Olusegun Obasanjon and it was fought until the money was paid back. I think we have gone past that kind of episode, he retorted. While reterating his critical stance against the federal government in spite of the alleged political witchhunt, he appealed to the government to urgently release funds meant for the suffering workers in Ekiti: I want to appeal to the Federal Government, I want to appeal to the ministry of finance not to allow themselves to be used to oppress and suffer the civil servants in Ekiti. This state has been running peacefully well supporting Governor Fayose. If this is a political attempt to cause chaos in the state, it will not stand. I will not also be cowed from saying the truth. On the alleged intimmidation of contractors working on capital projects in the state by EFCC, he said: It is saddening that the EFCC wrote letters to all the contractors in Ekiti in an administration that is on-going, harrassing and intimmidating them all in an attempt to frustrate these key projects of my administration, knowing fully well that when all these projects are completed the APC led government at the centre and in the state would not be able to have an headway in 2018 election in the state. The states Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ade Adesanmi, urged the Federal Government and the state government to resolve the issues between them if there is any in order not to bring untold hardship to innocent civil servants who have families, children and sundry responsibilities to cater for. Source: Leadership The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) made a record N3.303 trillion in 2016, its chairman Babatunde Fowler disclosed in Lagos, shredding earlier reports of the revenue made for the Federal Government by the agency. Earlier reports had said the agency only raked in between N1.2 trillion and N2trillion for the year, as against N2.92trillion made in 2015. The new figure reported by Fowler shows that the agency beat 2015 figure, but failed to meet the N5 billion target set by the Federal Government for the 2016 budget. Mr Fowler disclosed the new figure, at a breakfast meeting of PEDABO, a tax, audit and advisory firm in Lagos. The event took place at the Civic Centre on Victoria Island in Lagos. He was the guest speaker. NAN.ng learnt from guests at the event that he gave the figure himself. Juxtaposed with the countrys GDP, the N3 trillion plus collected still falls short of the recommended 30 per cent. Nigerias tax collection is estimated at 6 per cent of GDP. At individual level, only 13.4 million people of tax paying status have been captured by state revenue agencies and many companies are also dodging payment. Fowler disclosed that FIRS added over 800,000 to FIRS corporate taxpayers list while States increased their taxpayers numbers by 3.4 million. Kano State added the highest numbers of taxpayers with 900,000 new taxpayers. The FIRS Executive Chairman said very soon taxpayers will be able to pay taxes online from the comfort of their bedroom. Also, evidence of payment of withholding taxes will be sent immediately after payment, to the email addresses of taxpayers. Fowlers disclosure in Lagos today came amidst some concerns over whether the Federal Government planned to increase the taxes paid by businesses. But Budget Minister, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma has debunked the speculation, saying that what government planned is the broadening of the tax collection in the country. The FIRS, under Fowler has been doing that since he came on board in 2015. At a meeting with South-South Professionals of Nigeria (SESSP) on 8 February, Fowler said the Federal Government will soon stop relying on oil revenue, even if there is a renewed boom in the sector. For the countrys sustainability, tax revenue is a now major source, he said. According to him, FIRS, Customs and FRSC are working together to serve the Nigerian populace better in the area of effective collection of tax. He called on the association, led by its President, Mr Denzil Kentebe to help the service advocate the importance of tax payment. Fowler said that there was need for the country to look inward to ensure that required taxes were being paid as at when due. FIRS is trying to generate enough revenue for Nigeria and this can be possible if all are paying the required amount of tax, he said. Source: NAN A former Olympic champion and 10-times world champion has been arrested in Australia. Australian long distance swimming great Grant Hackett was arrested and detained by police in the Gold Coast on Wednesday after a breakdown at his parents home, local media reported. The troubled triple Olympic champions father told local newspaper, the Gold Coast Bulletin, that he had called the police so his 36-year-old son could be given help. Grants got a medical problem and it manifested itself here this morning he was raving and ranting a bit, Neville Hackett told the paper. Hes been receiving treatment from a doctor. Hes big and powerful when hes not happy. We decided he needed some treatment but there was no way he was going to go and get treatment this morning, so we called the police. The only way the police can do anything under the law of the land is to arrest him for domestic violence. Neville Hackett said the swimmer had not made any threats but was not what you say is a normal person. Grant Hacketts agent was unavailable for comment. Hackett won 1,500 metres gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and at Athens in 2004 before retiring after the 2008 Games in Beijing, where he won silver in the event. The 10-time world champion returned to the pool last year to make an unsuccessful bid to qualify for the Rio Olympics. He was questioned by airport police in Melbourne last April after an altercation with a passenger on a flight. He said he had been binge drinking in the wake of his Olympic disappointment and publicly apologised. Hackett has previously struggled with prescription drug problems and admitted he became dependent on a sleep medication. The swimmer flew to the United States in 2014 to spend time in a rehab centre after he was spotted topless and disoriented in the lobby of a Melbourne casino. The House of Representatives on Wednesday lost one of its member, Hon Bello Mashi Sani, (APC), representing Mashi/Dvisi federal constituency of Katsina state. Announcing the death, the Speaker of the House, Hon Yakubu Dogara in a statement described the late Sani as humane, principled and a cosmopolitan who interacted freely with all members. With great sadness, I receive the news of the death of Hon. Bello Sani, who represented Mashi/Dvisi federal constituency of Katsina state, Dogara said in a statement. Our colleague was compassionate, principled, and interacted freely with all members. Our heartfelt condolences go to his immediate family, government and people of Katsina state. We pray that God gives all the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. Abubakar Adamu, a Special Assistant to the late lawmaker who confirmed his death said the 51-year-old had suffered protracted illness for several months leading to his death. He added that his illness became worse two weeks ago and he was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Kaduna. After spending days there without much improvement, he was moved to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital on Saturday evening where he remained until his death around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday. His remains were on the way to his hometown in Katsina State for burial, Mr Adamu stated. Popular stand up comedian, Ali Baba, has alleged that erstwhile President, Goodluck Jonathan was betrayed by many of his foot soldiers. He said those Jonathan entrusted with authority in his government strategically shielded him from people who had better advice. On his Instagram page @alibabagcfr, the rib cracker wrote: After going through all I could lay my hands on, Im further convinced that the people who President Jonathan entrusted with authority in different sectors of the economy and government did him in. And they did this smoothly & strategically. The crop of people Im talking about, were those one who were more concerned with their goals to enrich themselves, so they were going about doing everything they could to amass wealth. Then there was this other group who were building their political dreams will turning GEJs administration to a nightmare. They tactically made sure they alienated all those who had superior reason and better advice, away from him. They strategically put him on a war path with those who he should have had as his backbone in the unpredictable storms of Nigerian politics. They knew that if he listened to those people they (the vultures) would starve. Two examples After an event, ADC sent word to see GEJ. While waiting, at about 1:30am or later, 8 or more senators came to inform him of the plans by members of National Assembly to cross carpet with their Governors. Some leaders of PDP were there. They told GEJ to forget them. Good riddance! One of them said. The devil is in the detail. If governors who fund the party machinery cross carpet, it exposes your party. When they take their reps and senators, it endangers your President. So, 3 weeks after that meeting, there were mass defections. That was when PDP rushed to court to stop them. Another instance, this time it was a phone call, when I was in Abeokuta. Baba had just come back from a UN envoy trip. He told GEJ, to think very well & beyond the 16/19 elections of Govs Forum. That if 19 govs voted Amaechi, then you have enemies in your camp. Baba said accept the result; deal with it later because the world was watching. For wia? The advisers, said call his bluff. Now, it is clear, they were all fighting for themselves. Not GEJ. They all enriched themselves to the detriment of his administration. Bet he is shocked at some revelations. I have known him since Deputy GOV days and I can say, he was betrayed by many of his foot soldiers. If I be GEJ, everyone go answer him papa name, he added. The leader of the Biafra Zionist Federation (BZF), Barr. Benjamin Onwuka, who was reportedly released from prison 24hours ago, has vowed to restore the Republic of Biafra by March 15, 2017. Recall that the pro-Biafra leader had three years ago stormed the Enugu Broadcasting Service (ESBS) with intention to make a live broadcast, in order to declare Biafra, but midway, security operatives acting on a tip-off, stormed the broadcast station and rounded up 12 of the BZF members, including Onwuka. He was, later incarcerated for three years. Speaking with journalists at a press briefing in Enugu on Tuesday just few hours after regaining his freedom, Onwuka, who was exuding much confidence, said that there was no going back on Biafra. He stressed that the re-enactment of Biafra Independence stemmed from the diplomatic relations his group, the BZF, had establised with America, the Great Britain and some other world powers. The state of Biafra will be announced on March 15, 2017 by the Zionist Federation. I, Ikedi Benjamin Onwuka will be leading Biafra. I will be the President of Biafra. The work we have done underground permits that America will endorse the Independent state of Biafra in March 15, 2017; we expect that this will come with the endorsement of President Donald Trump, he stated. He further claimed that ex-President Barrack Obama of the United States of America, approved the policy for an independent state of Biafra on October 15, 2014 and also garnered support for Biafra from Great Britain, France, Israel, Russia and some other world powers. Onwuka added that it was incumbent on President Donald Trump to implement the action since a siting President in America usually do not ignore foreign policies established by their predecessors. My confidence on President Donald Trump endorsing the restoration of an Independent state of Biafra hinges on the fact that ex-President Barack Obama made the approval. Since 2015, Biafra has been accepted worldwide due to diplomatic groundwork. Without Americas support, there will be no Biafra. Now that we have gotten Americas support, Biafra Independence is realizable. He attributed the failure to realize the Biafra project in 1967 by the late Biafra leader, Dim Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, to lack of diplomatic relations with world powers. On the perceived friction among the various pro-Biafra groups, he said: There will never be a day when all the pro Biafra groups will agree on every issue but the Zionists have taken the upper hand because we established diplomatic ties with America, Great Britain and other world powers. The MASSOB, the IPOB and others are under the zionists; the IPOB for instance has never gone beyond River Niger. All that Nnamdi Kanu is doing is to be insulting everybody through his radio; he is not even sparing America and Britain. So, you can even see that his actions are inimical to the Biafra dream. The mistake our leaders made in 1967 was based on the fact that they failed to establish diplomatic relations with Russia, America and Great Britain. Nnamdi Kanu is still toeing the same line. Onwuka disclosed that the new Biafra territory stretched beyond South East zone and Niger Delta regions to include Kogi, Benue, Nasarrawa states and many tribes in the middle belt. Also the maligned and maltreated people of Southern Kaduna, several enclaves within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, including Seme Boarder in Lagos state to parts of Cameroon are part of us, he claimed. It is going to be a Biafra nation for all. The Igbo tribe will not dominate the Ijaw or Igala tribe. There will be no discrimination. It will be a government of all. No person or region will have an upper hand. There will be free press. It is the bedrock of democracy. All those who died in the struggle will not be forgotten. Those who laid down their lives in the Biafra struggle paid the highest price. We would look for their families and take care of them, Onwuka stated. Source: Naijaloaded A 25-year old year man, Israel Bassey has been arrested and charged before a Lagos court for allegedly attacking a lady, Azeezat Adigun and inflicted an injury on her head with a cutlass for refusing to befriend him. The incident happened at Olabisi Street off Liasu Road in Idimu, Lagos where both the victim and the suspect reside. Akwa Ibom State-born Bassey was arrested alongside 39-year old Mercy Edwin for her undisclosed role in the incident which left Azeezat badly injured. On 11 February, Police source said Bassey reportedly brought out cutlass during a disagreement with Azeezat and inflicted a deep cut on her head. She fell down and was rushed to a hospital where she was operated for several hours. P.M.EXPRESS gathered that both Bassey and Azeezat live in the same area and Bassey had made a move to build a relationship with her. However, he was rebuffed as Azeezat said she would not want to have anything to do with men living in the same area with her and besides, they were not from the same background. But on the day the incident happened, it was learnt the two had a disagreement and Bassey who had nursed anger over the rejection did not waste time to vent his anger on her. The suspect reportedly brought out the cutlass and attacked the victim on her head which gave her deep cut and affected her brain. The matter was reported to the police at Ikotun division and the suspects were arrested and charged to court with assault under the Criminal Code. They pleaded not guilty. The presiding Magistrate Mrs J.O.E Adeyemi granted them bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum. They were remanded in prison custody pending when they will perfect their bail condition. The matter was adjourned till 13 March 2017. Source: P.M.EXPRESS Nigerian newspaper headlines February 15, 2017. Punch The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has said the country lost as much as $100bn in revenue last year as attacks by militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta cut crude output to a record low. Guardian Barely 24 hours after the abducted secretary of Isheri North Landlord Association was released by his abductors, two members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and five farm workers of Eliasa Farm have been kidnapped in Igbodu area of Epe, Lagos State yesterday. Vanguard The Supreme Court, is yet to hear the appeal by Lagos State against Court of Appeal decision, which discharged and acquitted Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, over the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, as erroneously reported. The Nation Arik Air has suspended its international flight operations to the London and Johannesburg routes. Thisday The federal government has said that the massive demand for its $1 billion Eurobond, which was oversubscribed by 780 per cent, was a demonstration of the strong market appetite for Nigeria and indicative of the confidence by the international investment community in Nigerias economic reform agenda. The Sun The Libyan government, yesterday, brought back about 161 Nigerians who had migrated to the country illegally. Leadership The federal government has said that the Nigerian economy is already on its way out of recession. Premium Times Nigerians have been advised not to engage in panic buying of fuel as measures are being put in place to ensure constant adequate supply. July 4 8, 2017 has been announced as the dates for the 2017 edition of West Africas largest Conference and Trade Expo, TechPlus 2017. The 2017 theme, An Intelligent Future: from Connectivity to Digital Immersion, will be exploring advancements in some of the major technology trends of the future: Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Workforce Automation and Digital Disruption. This year, the event will have a one-day leg in Abuja. TechPlus 2017 brings companies and delegates from around the world to showcase and learn how technology is evolving to meet the needs of a digital generation and modern business, according to the Managing Director of Connect Marketing Service, Tunji Adeyinka. He went on further to say, Last year, we hosted over 11,000 delegates. This year even more products, conversations and experiences will be shared with thousands of consumers and key industry stakeholders. From start-ups to SMEs and Enterprise, everyone is welcome. TechPlus 2017 offers you an unrivalled platform for engagement, collaboration and business growth. We would also like to announce the appointment of Mr. Taiwo Oyewole as the General Manager for TechPlus. His appointment, which took effect from January 2017, is a strategic move by the board to ensure the next level growth objectives of TechPlus are met and that TechPlus continues to evolve in order to remain relevant in the Technology landscape. Taiwo is an industry analyst with over 10 years experience in Marketing and Technology space. About TechPlus Currently in its third year running, TechPlus is a platform for the convergence of ideas, access to the newest and most thought-provoking trends and the future of tech. Since inception in 2015, TechPlus has witnessed a rapid growth in participation from stakeholders and the public. Over 16000 delegates, 120 speakers and over 100 exhibitors have all participated in the success of TechPlus. TechPlus is the brainchild of Connect Marketing Services. Olusegun Obasanjo who has ruled Nigeria both as a military ruler and a civilian recently described the saddest day of his life. He said the saddest day of his life was when he appeared before the military tribunal that tried him for alleged complicity in a coup against late former military dictator, Sani Abacha. While leading a morning devotion to mark Valentines Day at his Presidential Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state on Tuesday, February 14, he said: My saddest day was when I sat in front of a military panel set up by late former Head of State, Sani Abacha to try me over a phantom coup, and sentenced to death and later commuted to 30 years imprisonment. While speaking, he also read from the Bible book of Isaiah 45:1-4 and spoke of how when the jail term was given, he had asked himself if he deserved the treatment meted to him, but that he left everything in the hand of God. God has always been giving me immense favour beyond my own expectations and what I deserve from Him. And I used to tell people that God has been partial to me from childhood, he said. He also revealed how following pressure from international community leaders including former American president, Jimmy Carter, the Abacha regime reduced his sentence to 15 years. However, when Abacha died, he spent only three years in prison. When he left prison, he said he met an agitation for him to contest for president, adding, but the rest is history. He also said: I was born in a village and anybody born in that village would have concluded that the popularity of those born there would not go beyond the next village. My parents were complete illiterates. He concluded by praying for longevity for his guests. Meanwhile, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, the governor of Ondo state, said Olusegun Obasanjo threatened him and also pleaded with him not to resign from his government as a minister. Mimiko, who was the Minister of Works under the regime of the former President, said Obasanjo said this in order to dissuade him from vying for the office of governor of Ondo state. Source: Naijaloaded A lady said to be in her 50s, identified simply as Vivian, has been killed on Adewale Kuku Street, Millennium Estate, Gbagada area of Lagos. It was learnt that the victim, whose relatives were unknown, suddenly appeared in the community more than a year ago. She was said to be sleeping in an abandoned white truck parked in a bush on the estate when she was killed on Monday. She had deep machete cuts in the head, neck and hand. Residents reported the matter to policemen at the Anthony division who removed the corpse.When Punch visited the scene of the incident on Tuesday, it was observed that Vivian had slept on the drivers seat. The assailant had smashed the glass of one of the side doors, with bloodstains beside the truck. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she was hacked to death. He said, The woman usually slept in the truck. But every morning, she would go to a house to get a bucket of water to take her bath. She was a loner. I once sighted an identity card with her, which indicated that she was a manager in a big company before things took a turn for the worse for her. I have known her for more than one year. She was intelligent and spoke good English. In fact, she attended one of the Pentecostal churches on this estate. The resident explained that Vivian, who hawked engine oil in jerrycans, was killed in the wee hours of Monday. A trader, who asked not to be identified, said the victim might have been killed by those she was dealing with in the trade or suspected r*pists. She said, She supplied engine oil to some people around here. She was a middleman between the suppliers and the receivers. It is possible that a deal went wrong and that was why she was killed. It is also possible some people had noticed that she always slept alone in the truck and had wanted to take advantage of her. She appeared to me to be mentally ill. The trader said Vivian sometime left the estate for an unknown place at intervals of three weeks. A welder on the estate, alleged to be Vivians boyfriend, was arrested by the police on Monday. A source told Punch that the police tricked the suspect to the scene after a resident told the police that he was Vivians boyfriend. He said, When the police came to remove the corpse, a woman told them she had a boyfriend. The police then called the man and said they had a job for him. When he got there, they arrested him. The man who owned the plot of land on which she died was also invited. Security men on the estate said the late Vivian always greeted them. She was respectful and rarely talked. She would just greet and go her way. I used to see her with jerrycans of oil. She was tall, dark and slim and should be about 50-year-old, a security man said. The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident. She said the police were investigating and seeking the relatives of the slain woman. Source: Punch Wakanow, Africas fast-rising tourism giant and Nigerias No.1 online travel company, has announced plans to formally launch commercial operations in the UK as part of her efforts for global expansion and in a bid to consolidate their foray into Europe. The announcement is coming barely months after it launched DestinationsAfrica(R), a global booking platform that aggregates the best of African packaged holidays from over 23 African countries. Wakanow, which already operates commercial offices in Nigeria and Ghana as well as service outlets in Dubai and the UK, will launch its office in the UK, showcasing a cutting-edge booking portal that will offer flights and hotel bookings and Transfers/Protocol services, for intra-Europe travel as well as for outbound travel into Africa. The office will make its debut in Surrey, London. The UK booking portal will ride on the crest of Wakanows well-tested innovative technologies and service excellence to extend the traditional African warm welcome to millions of travelers looking for efficient and well-priced travel packages into and around Africa and Europe. Speaking ahead of the launch which is slated for March this year, Founder and Group Managing Director of Wakanow, Mr. Obinna Ekezie, said the new addition to the fast-growing travel brand would allow the company to serve the European markets and demonstrate its capacity to compete favorably on the global stage. He explained that currently, a good number of bookings on the Wakanow Nigeria booking portal, were coming from the UK and other countries outside of Nigeria and it was therefore a natural progression for Wakanow to cater for this market. In his words, We are very delighted about the forthcoming launch of Wakanow UK, and this excitement stems from our conviction that this addition has the capacity to offer something different to the European market when it comes to travelling into Africa. Our protocol services into Africa is built on very strong relationships and will ensure our prospective customers get the most hitch-free and hassle-free movement in and out of the continent. Wakanow has horned her skills in African travel over the last 8 years and will bring that to bear in not only offering best priced deals but making sure that her interactions with these travelers will deliver a more positive narrative for African businesses. He further stated that Not only are we going to replicate the same excellent customer service for which the Wakanow brand is known for, but we are also going to take the lead in expanding the frontiers of travel and driving significant traffic to Africa through our broad mix of custom-fit and themed vacation offerings available on our DestinationsAfrica platform. We will leverage our vast knowledge of the African space and her wealth of untapped destinations to create exclusive travel products that offer fresh and incredible experiences for our customers. The Wakanow UK launch will herald the opening of several other Wakanow offices across Africa, with Wakanow Kenya and Wakanow South Africa already under way. Riding on the back of advanced technology, Wakanow will switch on her online booking portals in 6 other African countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Tanzania. Other countries include Dubai and the US. Wakanow is a rising star on the African Tourism scene and Nigerias No. 1 travel booking company. Wakanow has won many awards including the Tony Elumelus fastest rising company awards, a host of Industry led Awards and more recently, the CNBC Business Leader of the Year award which went to the Founder and Managing Director, Mr. Obinna Ekezie. Wakanow has strong affiliations with hundreds of Hotels and Airlines globally and has facilitated over 800,000 travel bookings since inception in 2008. Leveraging heavily on technology and accelerated customer service models, Wakanow is rapidly changing the face of travel in Africa. Youth leader of Dakwo community in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Joel Japheth has decried lack of fence in the only primary school located in the community. In an interview with LEADERSHIP at the weekend, Japheth noted that the absence of fencing facility in the school has turned the area into a place where people defecate, which according to him, is not conducive for learning. While calling on the authorities to give the project the needed attention, Japheth frowned that despite written complaints to the authorities to construct a fence for the school, no response has been received. He also described the roads in the community as deplorable; adding that the area lacks potable water, primary health care centre and junior secondary school, which he said makes life unbearable for residents of the community. The government borehole we have has been vandalized and we will need more boreholes along other social amenities. Our community has existed well over 100 years. There ought to have been basic development visible by now, he said. He urged the AMAC chairman, Adamu Candido to look into the primary school fencing and the building of secondary school in the community to inspire children of the community to education as it will go a long way in shaping the society for the better. Source: Leadership It wont be long now until the third major update of Windows 10 leaves the Windows Insider program and becomes the basis for the Current Branch release. Not long after, it should become the Current Branch for Business release, ready for wide-scale deployment on corporate hardware. Although many enterprises have yet to start rolling out Windows 10, were now at the point where its getting hard to find new PCs that run Windows 8.1 and earlier. The clock is ticking. Last week, Microsoft announced that its Windows 10 SDK is now feature-complete, and developers should start using the latest build of the SDK to develop software for the upcoming Windows 10 Creators Update 1703 release. Getting a feature-complete SDK out the door is important, especially because Microsoft isnt giving up on its Universal Windows Platform that relies on them. Move to UWP with Desktop Bridge Although UWP may share some elements of its WinRT predecessor, dont confuse it with Windows 8s development platform. What Microsoft is doing with UWP is less disruptive than WinRT was. UWP supports familiar ways of working while introducing new user interface concepts, and it provides APIs for new hardware like Microsofts Surface Dial rotary controller and for new security tools. UWP is the basis of Microsofts current generation of the Windows SDK, working alongside both Win32 and the .Net Framework, offering many of their features and adding support for new services and tools in the latest Windows releases. For example, if you want to take full advantage of the Windows Hello biometric security tools in your applications, youll have to use UWP. One persistent blocker for OS migrations is existing software, especially code thats been developed in-house. Moving applications completely to UWP will require significant development effort, but theres a method to ease migration. It gives you access to some parts of the UWP APIs without having to throw away everything youve done in the past. Microsoft introduced a series of tools called Bridges in 2015, providing routes from various platforms to Windows 10. One of these, code-named Project Centennial, now the Desktop Bridge, can help bring existing Win32 apps to Windows 10, wrapping them for use in the Windows Store and adding support for Windows 10s application-isolation features. With the Desktop Bridge, existing apps arent completely locked out of the UWP APIs; you get limited access to them through its conversion tools. (But this requires adding appropriate code to access APIs and services and recompiling before using the Desktop Bridge.) This approach makes sense as an option to bring apps to new hardware and to new avenues of software distribution, as well as improving software isolation and security. However, it shouldnt be seen as an end in its own right, only as part of a migration from older Windows APIs to a newer set as applications are rewritten and updated. Moving your code to UWP via the Desktop Bridge makes sense as part of any Windows 10 Enterprise rollout. It lets you take advantage of new Windows 10 features that arent likely to be available to other SDKs. Once imported, the resulting project files can be the basis of any UWP update to your code, bringing in new namespaces and features as required, and refactoring code to take advantage of UWPs cross-platform capabilities. Microsoft and Telerik open-source UWP controls If youve been worried about completely moving your applications to UWP because of a lack of controls, Microsoft and Telerik have released Teleriks core UWP controls under a permissive open source license, hosting them on GitHub. With community support on Stack Overflow, this set of 22 controls should give you most of the controls youll need for any enterprise client application, including grids, graphing, list views, and calendars. Of course, theres always the option to get a fully supported version of the controls directly from Telerik, but for most apps that shouldnt be necessary: The UWP controls are familiar examples of common control types that have been around since the 1990s and the early days of Visual Basic. However, they are designed for Windows 10 specifically, so dont expect code you write using them to work on older releases of Windows. Cross-platform, cross-device with Project Rome on Android If moving to UWP is not the enticement Microsoft wants it to be, there are other new capabilities in Windows 10 as a platform that should be attractive. One of these is the Project Rome workflow continuity feature that will eventually allow your users to hand tasks from a Windows PC to an Android tablet to an iOS phoneeven to a HoloLens. (Its similar to Apples Handoff technology.) Microsoft last week announced an Android SDK for Project Rome thats the first public code to take the platform beyond Windows, with Android and Xamarin libraries. Its designed to detect Windows devices that are associated with the same Microsoft account or are set up to work anonymously. There are interesting scenarios around using Project Rome with wall-based devices like the Surface Hub, for example: Its easy to imagine using a presentation tool on a personal device, pushing content to a Surface Hub for display and for collaborative editing. Its going to be a while before underlying technologies like Project Rome are widely available, but theyre an intriguing look at how we might be able to work in a multidevice, multi-OS enterprise, handing over content from one unit to another without interrupting workflow. The Android Project Rome SDK doesnt yet support all the planned interactions, but its worth investigating, if only to see how Microsoft expects cross-OS collaboration to work in future enterprise releases of Windows. With the Windows 10 Creators Update SDK now feature-complete, its clear that UWP is the future. That cross-platform business logic and device-specific user experiences is part of that future as well. With two major releases of Windows 10 planned for 2017, now is a good time to start looking at what can be done with a new enterprise development platform. Enterprises don't seem to be getting any better at figuring out Hadoop, but that hasn't stopped them from dumping ever-increasing mountains of cash into it. By Gartner's preliminary estimates, 2016 spend on Hadoop distributions reached $800 million, a 40 percent spike from 2015. Unfortunately, all that spending still only has 14 percent of enterprises actually reporting Hadoop deployments, hardly climbing from 2015's 10 percent. [ Docker, Amazon, TensorFlow, Windows 10, and more: See InfoWorld's 2017 Technology of the Year Award winners. | Cut to the key news in technology trends and IT breakthroughs with the InfoWorld Daily newsletter, our summary of the top tech happenings. ] One bright spot: Hadoop deployments are increasingly moving to the cloud, where they may have a better chance of success. Everybody's doing the Hadoop thing Before you take exception to the word "Hadoop," arguing that it has been displaced by Apache Spark or other big data infrastructure, you're right. And wrong. That is, in this case Gartner includes all "commercially packaged and supported editions of the open source Apache Hadoop-related projects" in its definition of "Hadoop." In other words, while the old-school HDFS and MapReduce are included in Gartner's definition, so are YARN, Pig, Hive, HBase, ZooKeeper, Avro, Flume, Kafka, Oozie, Parquet, Solr, Spark, and Sqoop. Indeed, as Gartner analyst Merv Adrian explains, "The survey is about big data projects." Given how mainstream big data has become in mainstream media, it would be tempting to think big data Hadoop projects had gone mainstream in adoption. It would also be wrong. As Gartner illustrates, enterprises seem stuck in a constant state of experimentation with Hadoop, never quite able to move into production: Not only did 2016 see only a small increase in Hadoop deployments, but the pipeline leading into deployment fell across the board. Even if we assume that somehow the word "Hadoop" is skewing the results and we need to delve into a more general big data definition, the historic numbers aren't much better: In sum, big data has yielded big hype, but not yet big success. To the cloud! Well, that's not quite true. Hortonworks, for example, recently had a strong quarter, growing revenue 39 percent year over year. In 2016, the company did nearly $200 million in revenue, $126 million of it derived from subscriptions to its Hadoop platform. Part of this success for Hortonworks, however, probably comes down to its increasing embrace of the cloud. As noted on its earnings call, roughly 25 percent of Hortonworks customers now run its software in the public cloud, up from approximately 0 percent two years ago. This is where developers want to run their software, and appeasing them is smart business. While this shift to the cloud likely favors Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure far more than it helps Hortonworks, Cloudera, or MapR, it's a rising tide that will tend to lift all boats. It also may save them from leaking. One of the big drivers for Hadoop deployments moving to the cloud is the sheer complexity of making Hadoop work. Every day there's a new Apache project to complement and accelerate innovation in Hadoop, and it's next to impossible for mainstream enterprises to keep up. For enterprises that aren't Google, keeping up with the latest and greatest in streaming analytics, for example, will "often require the use of immature, unsupported software," as Gartner notes. In response, Gartner says, "Cloud-based delivery models also allow organizations to better absorb the constant stream of changes to the components (typically Apache projects) in the Hadoop ecosystem." The heavy lifting of upgrading a constant stream of Hadoop components is left to the cloud provider, which also makes it easier to manage the separation of storage and compute. Frankly, this is where big data projects belong. As AWS product strategy chief Matt Wood told me, "Those that go out and buy expensive infrastructure find that the problem scope and domain shift really quickly. By the time they get around to answering the original question, the business has moved on." In other words, the cloud not only makes big data manageable, but it also makes it productive. What it may not do, as mentioned, is enrich the traditional Hadoop vendors over the long term. Given that data will increasingly live on public clouds from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, it's very possible that so-called data gravity will push enterprises to use the Hadoop services native to those platforms. Officials in Charleston, S.C., may tighten restrictions on self-storage, including banning the business use from its urban commercial district near downtown. The planning commission is expected to consider the action on Wednesday, along with reclassifying self-storage from a conditional use to a special exception in areas of the city zoned for general business, according to the source. The urban commercial district is a high-density residential area near the College of Charleston, which also includes some commercial development. "We don't want to see mini-warehouse facilities in or near our neighborhoods," planning director Jacob Lindsey told the source. If the reclassification is approved, self-storage applications would first be heard by the board of zoning appeals, similar to those for auto-repair shops, gas stations and veterinary clinics, the source reported. The change would apply to all areas of the city classified for general business use. City officials appear to be most concerned about self-storage encroaching on neighborhoods in West Ashley, an area Mayor John Tecklenburg has identified for revitalization, according to the source. "We are not targeting a specific property," Lindsey said. "It's more about West Ashley. We think you will see a lot more demand near neighborhoods, and we have seen an increase in interest in building mini-storage facilities across the city." The city wants to protect against projects similar to a four-story self-storage facility built in 2013 in West Ashley. The St. Andrews Boulevard property was built outside the city limits and received harsh criticism from local residents, the source reported. Update 3/16/17 The Roanoke Planning Commission approved the Cherney Development Co.s rezoning application for a second time on Monday, with Katz recusing herself from the 5-0 vote. If approved by the city council, the rezoning would allow the developer to move forward with its plan to build a three-story, 56,000-square-foot self-storage facility on 1.48 acres along Williamson Road, according to the source. The commission was down to five members because Paula Williams resigned her post last week to pursue a new job, the source reported. The council is expected to review the rezoning application on Monday. 2/27/17 The Roanoke City Council returned the Cherney Development Co. self-storage rezoning application to the planning commission last week after learning commissioner Lora Katz shouldnt have previously voted on the matter due to a conflict of interest. Katz, an architect, has a business relationship with Cherney on an unrelated project, according to the source. Though Katz disclosed the relationship prior to the planning vote, her participation was approved. However, city attorney Dan Callaghan didnt learn of the conflict until after the planning vote and notified the council, the source reported. Councilmember John Garland abstained from the vote to remand the application because he also has a business relationship with Cherney. The planning commission is scheduled to revisit the rezoning request on March 13. 2/15/17 The Roanoke, Va., Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a self-storage project at 1001 Williamson Road S.E. on Monday despite opposition from some community members. Developer Jim Cherney intends to replace the vacated Shepherds Auto Supply building with a three-story facility that would feature an overnight-delivery center on the first floor, according to the source. Though resident Duane Howard told the source he believes the property is wrong for self-storage, Cherneys attorney Maryellen Goodlatte told planners the facility would serve apartment dwellers and small businesses in the area who need to have convenient and frequent access to storage. Howard suggested the location is better suited for more housing, health care or bio-medical research. The proposal must still be reviewed by the city council. 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. Australian permanent residents and citizens with at least two years experience in the re/insurance industry now have the chance to attend a global reinsurance seminar with the launch of a leading industry scholarship. Aon Benfield and the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) has opened applications for the 13th Aon Benfield Scholarship, which recognises outstanding professionals who have the potential to become leaders in the local re/insurance industry. Applicants are required to write a 2500 word essay on the topic: Lifetime Insurance A revolution or a step too far? All full entries will also be awarded six ANZIIF Certified Insurance Professional (CIP) points for 2017. This year's winner will fly to London to attend the 52nd annual Aon Benfield Global Clients Reinsurance Seminar, which will be held from June 26 to July 06 this year. There, the winner will be able to learn about the principles and practices of arranging reinsurance on a a global scale. Want the latest insurance industry news first? Sign up for our completely free newsletter service now. We are very excited to once again open up the scholarship program to the industrys up and coming talent, said Robert De Souza, President APAC/CEO Australia and New Zealand Aon Benfield and chair of the judging panel. Aon Benfields annual gathering for global clients in London is regarded as an outstanding educational opportunity for insurance and reinsurance professionals. Its a forum to discuss issues that matter most to the industry, get up to speed with trends, and gain valuable insights and best practices from leaders across the globe, said De Souza. Prue Willsford, ANZIIF CEO and scholarship judge, said she is looking forward to reading this year's applications. Every year we get fantastic submissions for the Aon Benfield Scholarship and I am sure this year will be no different, she said. The opportunity to attend the Aon Benfield Seminar in London is one that cannot be beaten in terms of career development. I encourage everyone to apply. Applications close at 5:00 pm (AEST) on April 11, 2017. To get a copy of the application form and for more information, visit the ANZIIF website. Related stories: 2016 Aon Benfield scholarship winner announced Leading scholarship opens applications Despite its attempts to lure UK insurers, France is now reportedly off the list of contenders for the new Lloyds of London subsidiary to be set up in continental Europe post-Brexit. According to a report by Bloomberg, Lloyds of London CEO Inga Beale said in an interview that Frankfurt, Luxembourg and Dublin are under consideration, but France is probably off the table. Want the latest insurance industry news first? Sign up for our completely free newsletter service now. France has been making moves to attract businesses and people as UK prepares for Brexit. It was only reported last week that more than 80 bosses were gathered in central London where they were told that France could offer them stability and that Paris will be the only remaining global city once Britain leaves the EU. Anne Hildago, Mayor of Paris, also opened an invitation to the approximate 300,000 French nationals living in London to return to France. In September, it was also reported that Frances banking and insurance regulators introduced new measures to slash red tape for UK firms, in hopes of wooing businesses. In late January, Beale told Bloomberg TV that Lloyds would determine within the first quarter the location of its new hub, which is likely to be somewhere on the continent. Beale explained that Lloyds has decided to press ahead with its contingency plans following Prime Minister Theresa Mays pronouncements that staying in the single EU market will not be a priority in the Brexit negotiations. Risk Specialist publication. We want to be able to continue trading seamlessly with Europe and want our European customers to be able to do the same, Beale also told JLT spublication. But whatever the outcome of the Brexit talks, Beale believes that Lloyds will remain at the heart of the London market. Whatever happens about deploying capital, infrastructure and decision-making in other countries, the expertise is fundamentally going to be in London, she said. Related stories: Pierce County residents are in a tizzy as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) presented them with new maps drawn using high technology tools.Better modelling on top of the new topography maps revealed that 800 homes in the area are at high risk for flooding because they are sitting on top of an old creek channel, classifying them as a high risk flood plain zone.The report from KomoNews.com said that these residents face higher insurance, especially those properties with federally backed mortgages, which require flood insurance.Meanwhile, the new FEMA map also reclassified previously high risk properties to low risk status, among them a row of homes along the Diru Creek and properties lining Lake Tapps.These residents will have to call their brokers to negotiate for lower premiums, the report said.If Pierce Country approves the new maps, as is expected, new insurance rates are expected to apply in March. Related stories: Private sector involvement, risk-based rates vital for flood insurance reform, group says Experts forecast the future of flood A New York adult club says its insurer is responsible for covering legal costs as the club fights a lawsuit.TFS NY Inc. is a Long Island, N.Y. topless bar that does business as Sugardaddys Gentlemens Club. The club is currently being sued by models who accuse it of publishing sexually explicit photos of them in its advertising without their permission.The lawsuit was filed in January by eight models. They alleged that the club stole, altered and published photos of them without authorization in order to promote itself. The models lawsuit alleges that the clubs use of the photos is a violation of the Lanham trademark act as well as New York civil rights and trade law.The club claims that its liability insurer, Houston Specialty Insurance Co., must cover all damages it might be obligated to pay in the suit.Houston, however, has refused to assume the clubs defense or pay any judgment in the case. TFS responded to the refusal by taking the insurer to court.As a result of the refusal of Houston to assume the defense of TFS in the aforesaid action, TFS has been obliged to offer a defense of said action to avoid a default being taken against it, the company said in a lawsuit filed in New York state court. TFS wants to recover the $25,000 it has spent on defense against the models lawsuit to date, along with attorneys fees and expenses.But Houston has moved the suit to a federal court, arguing that the final payout would exceed $75,000 and that the dispute is interstate.While the complaint does not specifically quantify plaintiffs damages, it asserts a claim against a policy of insurance issued by Houston that provides a limit of $1 million coverage, as well as $25,000 in defense costs and attorneys fees incurred to date, Houston said in a court filing. It's critical to help clients make the most of the plans they have Hollywood actor William Shatner may have to trek to court if insurance broker Peter Sloan gets his day with the judiciary as he tries to determine whether the Star Trek mainstay is his father.Sloan, a resident of Florida, has filed a lawsuit alleging slander, libel, and defamation against the actor, whom he claims is his father based on the account of his mother, the late Kathy Burt.According to Sloan, Burt recounted that she had a one night stand with the actor while they were still young thespians in Toronto. Sloan went to an adoptive home after Burt gave birth to him and was raised in New York City. He reconnected with the actor in the 1980s and corresponded with her where she purportedly revealed that Shatner could be his father.Tampa Bay Times reported that the insurance broker filed the lawsuit over allegations that Shatners camp damaged his reputation by trying to pass him off as a liar and depicting him as crazy.Sloan hopes that the court will order Shatner to undergo a DNA test to determine his paternity. Officials say a fire destroyed a research building at Virginia Tech. Media outlets report it happened at the Prices Fork Research Station on Sunday night. Bob Schubert, the College of Architecture and Urban Studies associate dean for research, says the building housed a variety of projects, including FutureHAUS, a home that contained smart technologic features. He described the loss as devastating, saying it was a valuable site for research and many tools were kept there. School officials estimate the building and lost equipment were worth $800,000 to $1.3 million. Blacksburg Fire Department Chief Bobby Carner says firefighters faced high winds as they tried to contain the fire. He says no one was inside at the time. Carner says the cause is under investigation, but appears accidental so far. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics InsurTech Tech Virginia Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY), a commercial property/casualty and professional liability insurance company for niche markets based in Bala Cynwyd, Penn., has promoted five employees to vice president. Yvonne Burgess, Michael Ricca and Chris Rosecrans are now vice presidents in the marketing department. John Preston assumes the position of vice president in the compliance department, and Irene Varga is now a vice president in the claims department. Burgess joined PHLY in 2006 as regional sales manager and was promoted to assistant vice president in 2011. Prior to joining PHLY, she worked in the industry for 13 years serving in various roles within claims, underwriting, and sales. Burgess manages a team in the companys Rocky Mountain region and also participated in PHLYs Leadership Academy in 2016. Ricca joined PHLY in 1998. He spent two-and-a-half years as a claims examiner before becoming a marketing representative for PHLYs Metro Region. Ricca was promoted to regional sales manager in 2010 and assistant vice president in 2013. In addition to managing a team of marketing representatives, he has assisted many marketing trainees. Ricca also participated in the 2016 PHLY Leadership Academy. Rosecrans joined PHLY as a marketing representative in 2007. He has worked primarily out of PHLYs California Sunbelt Territory and developed relationships with agents throughout the region. Rosecrans manages a marketing team in Southern California. Preston has 30 years of industry experience, including nearly 25 years with PHLY. While with PHLY, Preston spent 11 years in the underwriting department holding various positions and more than nine years in the corporate underwriting and compliance departments, where he most recently served as assistant vice president. His current responsibilities include managing underwriting audit and compliance, agency licensing, legal notices, statistical reporting, DMV reporting and assigned risk management. Varga has more than 30 years of insurance claims experience including technical, operational and managerial positions. Varga joined PHLY in 2006 as a claims specialist handling general liability claims. She quickly moved into a management role as a supervisor and most recently as an assistant vice president. In addition to overseeing the technical quality of claims, Varga has contributed to the hiring and training process for GL claims professionals. Philadelphia Insurance Companies designs, markets and underwrites commercial property/casualty and professional liability insurance products incorporating value added coverages and services for select industries. In operation since 1962, the organization has 50 offices located across the U.S. Source: Philadelphia Insurance Companies Topics Carriers Claims Pennsylvania A British drone operator has won a contract to inspect rigs operated by one of the worlds largest oil producers. Sky Futures Ltd. will deploy drones at Eni S.p.A. facilities as part of a global three-year contract. The company expects airborne analysis and visualization technology to help improve safety by forecasting issues before they occur. Safety on Eni rigs came under focus last year when a worker was injured on the companys Goliat facility in the Barents Sea, shortly after unions had expressed concerns. That was followed by a fire on an Eni offshore platform in the Republic of Congo, which resulted in the death of a crane driver and injured five workers. The company said in July that injury frequency during the first half of 2016 fell 11 percent from the same period a year earlier. Sky Futures co-founder Chris Blackford declined to comment on the value of the contract, but said the Middlesex, U.K.-based company is in discussions with other oil producers. In addition to their safety benefits traditional methods of inspection can require workers to dangle from cables drones are also more efficient. Humans can take eight weeks to gather the same information that Sky Futures machines capture in as little as five days, Blackford previously said. With assistance from Angelina Rascouet. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Energy Oil Gas Ed, the London-based reinsurance, wholesale and specialty broker, has announced several appointments over the past few weeks in the areas of international property and casualty, marine and energy, finance, and underwriting. The company also announced one departure. Announced on Feb. 14, Namik Gulsun was named head of international property and casualty. Gulsun will work alongside James Venton, head of US property and casualty. He takes up his role with immediate effect and will report to Chris Bonard, CEO of Specialty at Ed. With almost two decades of experience in the insurance industry, Gulsun joins from Willis Towers Watson where as an executive director he had served as head of Central & Eastern Europe including Turkey & CIS in the direct & facultative (D&F) Europe team under the P/C Division. He began his broking career in 2003 at Aon Benfield. Chris Bonard, CEO, Ed Specialty, said: Namik is an excellent addition to our senior team and will play a key part in our international growth. Recognizing that individual markets require individual expertise and understanding is a key part of our strategy and central to the differentiation of Eds offering. Gulsun, said: Over the past year Ed has become viewed as a modernizing and disruptive force in the broking sector. I am delighted to be joining a business where there is a clear ambition and strategy to do things differently and the scope to make a genuine difference to both the company and perhaps our industry as a whole. I am delighted to have this opportunity. Marine & Energy Reinsurance On Feb. 8, Ed announced that Andy Wakefield was appointed managing director, Marine and Energy Reinsurance. He will take up his role later in the year and will report to Kieran Angelini-Hurll, CEO of Reinsurance. Wakefield brings over 25 years experience in the marine and energy sector to Ed, the company said. He joins from Willis Re where he served most recently as an executive director, where he focused on European and London market business, Prior to this, Wakefield served as a senior broker at Aon Benfield. He began his career at Tysers. Angelini-Hurll said: Andy is an excellent addition to our reinsurance team and the ideal candidate to spearhead the growth of our marine and energy reinsurance offering. This market is primed for a reinsurance broker with global reach which does not compete with its clients. The opportunities for significant and rapid expansion in this sector are clear. Chief Financial Officer On Feb. 1, Ed announced the appointment of Neil Perry as group CFO. He succeeds Russell Benzies who is leaving the group. Perry takes up his new role later in the year and will report to Steve Hearn, group CEO. With 30 years of financial management experience, Perry joins from Willis Towers Watson where he served as finance director for the retail, London market and reinsurance divisions for nearly a decade. Prior to this, he was finance director of RSAs Latin America division and RSAs head of financial planning an analysis. He also has held senior positions at AXA Insurance, Wit Capital, AT Kearney and Beerworth & Partners. He began his career at EY. Hearn commented that Perry has extensive experience across every continent and his M&A and strategic planning expertise will be invaluable in achieving our ambitions. CEO of Underwriting On Jan. 25, Ed announced the appointment of Gary Corke as CEO of Underwriting. He will be responsible for managing Eds managing general agents (MGAs) across the globe and developing an integrated global MGA business unit. Corke takes up his role in February and reports to Steve Hearn, Group CEO. With 36 years of experience, Corke joins from SHA Specialist Underwriters, the largest casualty MGA in Africa, where he was CEO for four years, said Ed in a statement. Prior to this, Corke co-founded Emerald Underwriting Managers and held the position of CEO for 14 years. MGAs are an essential part of Eds future and a key pillar in our growth strategy, said Andrew Wallin, Eds group commercial director. We will grow and develop an integrated global MGA business unit which will allow us to better deploy the expertise and experience across our underwriting businesses. The opportunity to build a truly global MGA business as part of the Ed Group was impossible to pass up, said Corke. There is a clear vision and ambition for what this business can become. And One Departure And finally, Ed announced on Jan. 24 that Peter Hacker, the group chief innovation officer, would leave the group to focus on his work and research at Distinction.Global. He joined the company in June 2016, when it was still known as Cooper Gay. Before he joined Ed, Hacker co-founded Distinction.Global, a specialist advisory unit of the Cyber Crime Institute, an independent global think tank dealing with aspects of cyber crime and cyber security. Hacker has decided to focus on insurtech developments (also known as crypto-technology), and will advise boards, risk stakeholders and risk associations, Ed said. Steve Hearn, Eds Group CEO, said: I am sad to see Peter leave, I thank him for his invaluable international expertise and wish him all the best for the future. Source: Ed Topics Cyber Europe Underwriting Reinsurance Insurance Wholesale Property Casualty London Human Resources An ammonia leak at a Detroit, Mich.-area beverage plant has left one worker hospitalized. A contractor struck an ammonia line at Sundance Beverage in Warren on Monday morning, causing a break that forced the buildings evacuation. The Macomb Daily reports one woman suffered severe eye irritation. Warren firefighters flushed her eyes before paramedics transported her to a hospital where she was reported in stable condition. No other injuries were reported. Fire crews allowed employees back inside the facility after the air was deemed safe. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Michigan Minnesota and Wisconsin are teaming up to tackle prescription painkiller abuse. The attorneys general from both states met at the Minnesota Capitol Monday to discuss their Dose of Reality campaign. Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson says prescription opioid deaths now outpace heroin overdoses nationwide. Their campaign includes a startling public service announcement featuring a mother who cant wake her son who has an open pill bottle nearby. Both officials are asking movie theaters, TV stations and more to air the video. Each states website has an interactive map so residents can find locations to safely dispose unused medication. The campaign is new to Minnesota. Wisconsin launched its own program in September 2015. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Wisconsin Minnesota A top public safety official in western Michigan has resigned while he faces a health insurance fraud charge. Greenville City Manager George Bosanic says Mark Reiss resigned on Feb. 13 as director of public safety. WZZM-TV reports Reiss had served in the position since 2013. Reiss and his ex-wife, Christine Reiss, both have pleaded not guilty and are awaiting trial on health insurance fraud charges. Reiss allegedly left his ex-wife on his insurance after they divorced in 2014. Court records say theyre accused of bilking an insurance company out of more than $100,000. Reiss and his ex-wife pled not guilty and are awaiting trial. The charge carries a a maximum four-year sentence upon conviction. Greenville is in Montcalm County, 35 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Fraud Michigan Andrew Fastow, former chief financial officer (CFO) of Enron Corp., a now-defunct energy trading company swept up in a massive fraud scandal in the early 2000s, warned a room full of directors and officers (D&O) underwriters that some companies today may be unknowingly following in Enrons footsteps. He was speaking at the Professional Liability Underwriting Societys 2017 D&O Symposium held last week at New Yorks Marriott Marquis. Its easy to justify unethical, materially misleading behavior by saying, Im following the rules,' he said. Since the rules are very gray in accounting, it gives you a lot of room to maneuver as a CFO or director to get to the answer you want. But if you can justify these transactions because there are rules that allow you to do it, when is it not okay to justify a transaction where the rules allow it? That was a trap I fell into. As he spoke, he held two props a trophy he received for being named CFO Magazines CFO of the year in 2000 and his prison identification card, which he received just two years later after Enrons downfall, which culminated in the firm declaring bankruptcy and Fastow spending six years in federal prison. I got both of these for doing the same deals, he said. How is it possible to be CFO of the year and go to federal prison doing the same deals? How is it possible to be CFO of the year and commit the greatest fraud in corporate American history doing the same deals? Very often, executives and directors dont see the problem with their decisions they rationalize. He stated that while they were ultimately materially misleading and fraudulent, the deals he carried out while at Enron were initially approved by Enron accountants, outside auditors, Enrons inside and outside attorneys and the board of directors without any information being withheld. If I could sum it up in one word, I would use the word loophole,' he said. Companies who underwrite can find a way to get from point A to point B by not necessarily breaking the rules, but by finding loopholes, by rationalizing. Very often, executives and directors dont see the problem with their decisions they rationalize. Fastow explained that he found it easy to rationalize deals at Enron by believing the transactions would benefit shareholders, save millions of dollars through off-balance sheet financing, increase stock prices and be awarded and recognized. Finally, I thought, [The deals have] been approved. I dont have to think about it,' he said. Thats how a lot of officers and directors think. The off-balance sheet financing and structured finance going on today is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than what was going on in the year 2000. People just dont talk about it and give public awards for it anymore. In the span of about four months, however, Fastow saw Enron move from being considered the 7th largest company in the U.S. by revenue to declaring bankruptcy in the wake of a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation. When I was at Enron, it never even dawned upon me that I might be committing fraud, he said. I thought that what I was doing was the right thing. The way I thought about it was everybody gets the rulebooks. Whoever can best exploit those rules and find the loophole gets an advantage. They called me CFO, but my job title should have been chief loophole officer. Thats all I did. Everyday. Looking for ways to get around the intent or purpose of the rules. After serving his prison sentence for securities fraud, Fastow now speaks and teaches classes on business ethics. He also provides consulting services for short sellers, in which he works to identify questionable items in a companys financials where the company may be technically complying with rules but is being materially misleading. This is because it is important to look beyond what is black and white in business ethics, he explained. He added that it is important for business executives to not only ask themselves if they are following the rules, but to also ask themselves if what they are doing is right in spite of the rules. Business executives, directors and officers tend to conflate those two questions and think theyre asking the same thing, he said. They think, If my attorney is signing off on it, and if my accountant is signing off on it, then its okay. In corporate America, when everything is going well, people only ask one question: Are you following the rules? When something goes wrong, however, the SEC and plaintiff attorneys come in and ask a different question: Is it right? Fastow said the main problem he sees today is that most directors have limited information and are only given a few metrics, such as earnings, credit ratings and information from the CEO. They dont know when they need to get involved, he said. Some directors might try to do too much, but most directors do too little because they just dont have the tools. He pointed to one solution as using artificial intelligence software to monitor emails and company communications and detect when tension levels among management spike. He added this can be a useful resource in offering valuable information to directors and significantly lowering risk for underwriters. People usually know when there are problems or feel uncomfortable when management is making bad decisions but dont raise their hands, he said. There was a big spike in tension levels at Enron in 1999 following one of the most controversial structured finance deals I did. I thought this deal was genius and so did the Chairman, CEO and directors. None of the top 150 executives at Enron raised their hands and objected to the deal, but they ran this anonymous software against Enrons database of emails, and it showed tension levels appeared almost as bad as on the day Enron declared bankruptcy. The data showed exactly what the board needed to see. This is the deal that eventually led to the SEC investigation, and the signals were there two years earlier. Topics Fraud Patrick Wraight has been named the director of the Insurance Journal Academy of Insurance, a leading property/casualty insurance learning center that is part of the Wells Media Group. Wraight, an Army veteran, comes to the Academy with more than 12 years of insurance industry training and underwriting experience. Wraight said he will be making some changes at the Academy but first he is surveying current Academy members and prospective students to get their feedback. (The online customer survey is open to anyone interested in insurance education.) I want the Academy to be the trusted educational partner for the insurance industry, said the new Academy director. My approach is simple. I want the Academy to be the trusted educational partner for the insurance industry. Wraight most recently spent five years as senior training specialist for Floridas largest property insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. At Citizens, Wraight spearheaded a company-wide insurance education program, created an underwriter assessment tool and expanded his role beyond trainer to learning consultant. He has also served as a part-time faculty member for the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research, creating and delivering a class on commercial general liability Before joining Citizens in 2005, Wraight worked at a Cortland, New York-based managing general agency, McNeil & Co. Inc., for seven years, first as an underwriter for specialty insurance programs and as a policy analyst. He then worked as an underwriter trainer and established a new underwriter training program. Wraight explained his philosophy and plans for the Academy in a recent interview: How has your experience prepared you for running the Academy? My background as a consumer of educational programs in the insurance industry has given me the perspective of the participant. I know what I am looking for in a course that provides me value for my time and money. However, I think that what has prepared me best for this role was that in my prior role as a trainer and training consultant for a property insurer I had the liberty to explore and assess the customers needs and develop a training plan that met their business objectives. This provided a way for them to measure the ROI in learning and tie learning to the success of their core business. What is your approach/philosophy on education and training? My approach is simple. I want the Academy to be the trusted educational partner for the insurance industry. We will provide relevant content that keeps our customers up to date on insurance topics. We will use innovative learning technologies and techniques to engage our partners in training. What can Academy users expect? Users can continue to expect relevant content presented in an engaging way by some great presenters. They can also expect to see some things change. They have to if were going to continue to innovate. People will always have limited time, money and attention and we are looking to respond to share in those resources in a way that maximizes the impact for the customer. Wraight also worked at Citigroup in Florida from 2002 to 2005, after he completed nine years of service in the U.S. Army as a training and retention non-commissioned officer (NCO). As an Army NCO, he worked in various locations helping soldiers in formulate career plans and determine eligibility for retention. He established a new junior retention NCO training program. Wraight is a graduate of Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, Fla. and holds several insurance designations including the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Associate in Commercial Underwriting (AU), Associate in General Insurance (AINS) and Certified Insurance Services Representative (CISR). Wraight succeeds Christopher J Boggs, who has pursued another opportunity. The Academy, founded in 2010, provides live online training and on-demand webinars and classes taught by more than 65 of the industrys leading educators, consultants, writers and executives. Its current library holds more than 600 different courses on coverages, management, sales and risk management. The Academy also offers books and insurance skills testing. The Academy is a division of San Diego-based Wells Media Group, which further serves the property/casualty insurance industry through its digital and print publications that include Insurance Journal, Carrier Management, Claims Journal, MyNewMarkets and InsuranceJournal TV. Take the Academy of Insurance survey. Topics Underwriting Property Market Training Development Louisianas lawmakers are trudging back to work after Gov. John Bel Edwards called them to the Capitol for a special deficit-reduction session that many of them didnt want to have. The 10-day session that began Monday, a day before Valentines Day, and ends shortly before Mardi Gras, will have little of the festive air that normally marks lawmakers return to Baton Rouge, when they arrive happy to visit with colleagues and brimming with ideas. Instead, theyre gathering for an unpleasant chore: rebalancing the states $27 billion operating budget for the financial year that ends June 30 and eliminating a $304 million deficit. Nobodys looking forward to going back Monday, I can tell you that, said Rep. Thomas Carmody, R-Shreveport. House Republican leaders questioned the need for the session at all, saying the Democratic governor and the Legislatures joint budget committee had the authority to make cuts on their own. But Edwards said that authority was too limited and the full Legislature could broaden the impact of the reductions to lessen the pain. The session was scheduled to open at 6:30 p.m. Edwards was to speak to a joint gathering of the House and Senate shortly thereafter. Unemployment has driven personal income, business and sales taxes below expectations, opening up the budget gap. Edwards proposal to rebalance the states spending plans would cut about $60 million from agencies and use $240 million in reserves and other financing to eliminate the remaining shortfall. Colleges, prisons, K-12 public schools, the TOPS college tuition program and the state child welfare agency would be shielded. Cuts would fall on the privatized charity hospital services, medical school training programs, roadwork, outreach services for the homeless, economic development marketing and the Office of Juvenile Justice. Dollars for supplies, travel and equipment would be reduced. Taxes cant be raised under the session parameters set by the governor, but lawmakers can consider fee hikes if they would prefer that to cuts. Democrats appear to be largely on board with the governors plan, but some GOP lawmakers say it contains too many short-term fixes. They want to see more permanent spending reductions, saying state government has grown too large. A central debate involves whether to tap into Louisianas Budget Stabilization Fund, known as the rainy day fund. Edwards proposes using nearly $120 million from the savings account to avoid deeper cuts, but House Republican leaders are reluctant. Were at a point in this state where were going to have to cut programs. Were going to have to have a discussion about that, said Rep. Lance Harris, leader of the House GOP delegation. I want to look at every single option, leave no stone unturned, before I look at voting for using rainy day. Tapping the fund requires support from two-thirds of House and Senate members, a vote that senators believe they can reach but that appears questionable in the House. If the Legislature does not want to use the rainy day fund, then they need to figure out where they want to impose these cuts, said Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, the governors chief budget adviser. Senators also will debate one nonfinancial issue: whether to oust one of their own. Sens. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, and Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell, were filing legislation on Monday to try to expel Sen. Troy Brown, D-Geismar, from the chamber. Brown has pleaded no contest twice to domestic abuse charges over the past year and served jail time last month. He has refused to resign. Claitor said he expects to have enough votes _ and enough time in the 10-day session _ to remove Brown from his seat. No one has been expelled from the Senate since 1981. Browns lawyer didnt respond to a phone call Monday. The senator has said he is in anger-management counseling and believes expulsion is too extreme a punishment. The session must end by Feb. 22. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Louisiana Floridas insurance industry will apply significant pressure on lawmakers to pass assignments of benefit (AOB) reform in the upcoming legislative session as consumers face rate increases and a looming coverage availability crisis due to serious and costly abuse of the policyholder benefit. While the industry seems to finally have reached a consensus on what is fueling the widespread AOB abuse and how to fix it, the question of whether the Florida Legislature will agree to act on the industrys recommendations remains to be seen. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) and Citizens Property Insurance Corp., as well as other stakeholders, are working together with Florida lawmakers to introduce a bill for the 2017 legislative session, which begins on March 7. The goal is to keep the assignment of benefits consumer protection in place, but take away the incentive that is driving the abuse by assignees, who have included attorney groups, unregulated water mitigation, remediation, and roofing contractors. The unanimous feeling is that Floridas one-way attorney fee statute is the main driver of the problem, and thats what the industry says needs to be addressed by legislation in the upcoming session. Under Floridas current law, policyholders suing their insurer over a claim dispute can recover their attorneys fees if the insurer is shown to have underpaid the claim, by any amount. The industry says third party contractors and attorneys have been abusing the policyholder benefit, particularly for water losses, to inflate claims and fees. Is there an incentive in the market currently that entices people to abuse the system. We think that the answer is yes, Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier said in an interview with Insurance Journal. The logical step, in our opinion, would be to take that incentive out of the marketplace. However, Altmaier emphasized that doesnt mean eliminating the one-way attorney fee statute altogether. That is a very good statute for an insured we think it should stay in place FOR insureds, Altmaier said. We think that it was not intended to apply to anybody other than insureds. So, we think that a good first step is to look at whether we can clarify the intent of that statute and make sure that it remains intact for insureds, but isnt able to be abused by folks that are not the insured. A recent draft bill from OIR would do just that, stipulating that attorney fees would not be awarded under the current statute (627.428) in favor of any person or entity seeking relief against the insurer pursuant to an assignment agreement. Other proposals being discussed include: establishing minimum standards for valid assignment agreements; limitations on assignee recovery from a policyholder; and requirements related to litigation that may include requiring the assignee to notify the policyholder and the insurer prior to initiating litigation. Requiring regulation of water and emergency mitigation providers, such as requiring them to be licensed, and expanding the criminal offense of aiding in solicitation of legal services to include water and emergency mitigation providers have also been considered. Altmaier said increasing frequency and severity of water claims underscores the importance of legislation getting passed this year. If you look at the trends of water claims over the last five years its alarming, said Altmaier. Absent any kind of reforms to address those trends, we could be seeing rate increases of 10 percent a year just to keep up with those trendsThat 10 percent is absent any other factor. If there is some other sort of market mechanism that would be a cost driver, then it could be worse. Altmaier said nearly 73 percent of insurance company rate filings requesting an increase were approved by OIR, largely because of AOB claims. I dont take that lightly, approving rate increases, he said. We spend a lot of time scrutinizing each filing that comes in and making sure that the numbers are supportive of the ultimate approved rates. When 73 percent of them are for rate increases and we have the data showing that those trends are continuing to go upwards, that is a pretty telling story, in our opinion. And insurers arent just raising rates to combat the abuse they are also pulling out of certain areas of the state, filing for policy wording changes, and accepting fewer take-out offers from Citizens, the state-run insurer of last resort. Citizens has reached its lowest policyholder count in more than 10 years, but there are concerns those efforts will be reversed if the AOB problem continues. This is what we have to fix, Barry Gilway, CEO and executive director of Citizens, told attendees at the recent Florida Chamber of Commerce Insurance Summit, saying the increase in litigation is what is causing increased costs for insurers and policyholders. In 2011, 12 percent of our total claims went into litigation last year, 45 percent of our claims went into litigation. We had 9,806 lawsuits last year and weve got 860 lawsuits per month coming in the front door, Gilway told attendees. Its trying to put your finger in a dike. Last year for the fourth year in a row, legislators failed to address the abuse because of lobbying from the trial bar and contractors who are taking advantage of the current system. But consumer advocates and the insurance industry are hopeful this year that lawmakers have finally gotten the message that this is a problem harming consumers, not insurers. Gilway said the issue with getting legislation passed in previous years was due in part to the industry being out-lobbied, but also the industry wasnt working together to fix the abuse. He says that is no longer the case. What I expect from the industry is exactly what is happening right now, Gilway said. Its a problem for everybody so the industry is getting behind [fixing] it. Altmaier said if another year goes by without reform, Florida consumers will face serious insurance affordability issues. At the end of the day that is the bottom line we want to make sure insurance products remain affordable for insurance consumers, Altmaier said. OIRs support has been crucial to getting the industry on the same page. Altmaier said OIR and the industry have worked closely to make sure that everyone agrees on the fix from an insurance standpoint. The goal now is to tell that story to the Florida Legislature. Were working very hard to make sure that we tell a very good and very data driven story. We want to rely as little as possible on anecdotal evidence of bad actors and things of that nature and just present a very fact based, data-driven story of what we believe is taking place in the marketplace, Altmaier said. Couple that with a solution that is very surgical in natureand makes sure that it keeps intact the ability for insureds to assign their benefits, for them to use third party contractorsThats the end game for us. Still, even with OIRs backing, it wont be easy. Its going to be a hard battle, Gilway said. Lets face it, the trial bar is extremely powerful and theres absolutely no question they are going to fight this hard. They are going to fight anything that in any way shape or form impacts their ability to take on vendors as clients and eliminates any possibility for them to get fees. Topics Lawsuits Carriers Florida Legislation Claims Contractors Authorities say as many as 7,700 Manatee County school employees are at risk of being victims of a data breach. School officials learned earlier this month that two payroll employees of the school district along Floridas Gulf Coast had fallen for an email phishing scam. The Bradenton Herald reports that a hacker posing as Superintendent Diana Greene sent an email to one of the employees, requesting all W-2 forms for district employees. The district has notified employees about the breach and purchased identity protection and credit monitoring for all employees. The district has cyber-security insurance, which covers any lawsuits stemming from the attack Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida Cyber Education Data Driven Environmental activists and local government officials warned more than a decade ago about the risk of catastrophic flooding below a major Northern California dam the very scenario that threatened to unfold over the weekend, prompting evacuation orders for nearly 200,000 people. State and federal regulators dismissed those fears at the time, saying they were confident the hillside that helps hold back hundreds of billions of gallons of water was stable and did not need to be reinforced with concrete. That decision has come under scrutiny now that the hillside or emergency spillway, as officials call it has been put to its first test in the Oroville Dams nearly 50-year history. Over the weekend, water from the storm-swollen lake behind the dam spilled down the unpaved slope for 38 hours, eroding it enough that authorities feared a huge breach could open and send a 30-foot-high surge of water down the Feather River below, devastating thousands of homes. The danger eased Monday as the water level behind the dam dropped, but more rain was in the forecast, and residents as far as several dozen miles downriver in Yuba City were advised to stay out of their homes because of flood danger. At 770-feet, Oroville Dam is the nations tallest. It stands about 70 miles north of Sacramento in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada. In 2005, at the start of the dams still-unfinished relicensing process, environmental groups asked federal regulators to require that the California Department of Water Resources armor the hillside or reinforce it, typically with concrete or boulders to prevent potentially catastrophic erosion from water escaping when the reservoir was cresting over full capacity. The groups said rocks and other debris could be swept into the river, damaging highway bridges and power plants downstream. In a worst case, they warned, a major breach would unleash floods that could take lives and destroy property. Also in 2005, officials with Sutter County, which the Feather River runs through several dozen miles downstream of the dam, asked federal regulators to investigate the adequacy and structural integrity of the hillside and how it would hold during extreme flood releases. I think that the warning that was given should have been taken with the utmost seriousness, said Bob Wright, an attorney at Friends of the River, which raised the issue along with the Sierra Club and South Yuba River Citizens League. Bill Croyle, acting head of the Department of Water Resources, refused to comment on the 2005 concerns, saying he was not familiar with them and would need to research the matter. Speaking late Monday at the states emergency-operations center in Sacramento, Gov. Jerry Brown also said he had not known of the warnings about the emergency spillway, and said public officials depend on the recommendations of their engineers. They tell us what we need and we do it, Brown said. But we live in a world of risk, Brown added. Stuff happens and we respond. Last week, officials tried to relieve pressure on the dam by releasing a torrent of water through an adjacent, concrete-lined primary channel designed to handle heavy flows. When the deluge gouged out hundreds of feet of the concrete bottom, dam managers eased off those controlled releases. Water then began spilling down the hillside. Back when environmentalists and local officials were raising their concerns, the water resources department dismissed the need to fortify the hillside, insisting it would not be in danger if water cascaded down it. The hillside was designed to handle the probable maximum flood, and annual dam inspections include a review of the spillways structural integrity, according to a May 2006 filing by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other water agencies in the state that could have been in line to help pay for the upgrades to the dam. The cost of reinforcing the hillside was not immediately clear. In the filing, the water agencies told federal regulators that environmentalists and local officials did not show that the emergency spillway posed a public risk. As part of the relicensing application, state water resources department officials wrote in a final environmental impact report dated June 2008 that no significant concerns about the hillsides stability had been raised in any government or independent review. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency that oversees the dams relicensing and received the request for armoring, agreed that paving was not needed. An agency spokeswoman said the original, 50-year license for the dam expired in January 2007, but it has been automatically renewed each year pending a full renewal We have just, in December 2016, received all the necessary permits and other documents we need before issuing a final decision on the application, spokeswoman Mary ODriscoll said. She would not answer other questions about the relicensing application. In a July 2006 memo to managers, first reported by The Mercury-News, a senior civil engineer with the agencys San Francisco office wrote that the agency determined dam safety would not be compromised in the rare event of an emergency spillway discharge. Engineer John Onderdonk also wrote that, it is acceptable for the emergency spillway to sustain significant damage. Knickmeyer reported from Sonoma, California, and Pritchard reported from Los Angeles. Contributing were John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan; Matthew Daly in Washington; Sophia Bollag in Sacramento and Angel Kastanis and John Antczak in Los Angeles. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics California Flood Pollution The Oregon city of Portland is asking for over $3.2 million in federal disaster aid to cover costs related to the citys record-setting snow and ice storms in January. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported the city gave Multnomah County an initial damage assessment which is used to determine if the city meets a federal threshold for disaster reimbursements. The assessment showed the Portland Bureau of Transportation spent more than $2.2 million, the most of any bureau, in response to the storms. About $1.6 million of that money went toward removing snow and ice from city streets. The water bureau spent about $635,000; the fire bureau spent about $151,000 and the parks department spent about $141,000. Portland Bureau of Emergency Management spokesman Dan Douthit says even if the city is above the threshold, federal aid isnt guaranteed. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Windstorm Oregon Californias Central Coast has been accounting for more of the states workers compensation claims recently, a new report issued today shows. The California Workers Compensation Institute has issued a new Regional Score Card, the sixth in its research series that looks at workers comp claims experience in eight regions of California. The CWCI Score Card provides detailed data from more than 127,000 claims for 2005 to 2015 injuries filed by residents of the Central Coast, which encompasses Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Santa Cruz counties, and compares the results to those from 1.7 million claims from the rest of the state. For the 11-year span covered by the report, claims by Central Coast workers represented 6.7 percent of all California workers comp claims and 6.3 percent of all claim payments. However, with a shift in the states population and job market in recent years, the proportion of claims from the region has increased. Central Coast workers accounted for 7.7 percent of all California job injury claims in accident year 2015, the report shows. Average payments on these claims almost a quarter of which involved agricultural workers have shown recent increases as well. For example, average 36-month paid losses on Central Coast claims rose from $26,194 for the years between 2005 to 2007 to $35,874 for 2011 and 2012 claims. Other findings in the report show: Time lags from the date of injury to employer notification, claims administrator notification and initial treatment are significantly less on the Central Coast than in other regions, and claim durations are shorter; At 24 months post injury, Central Coast claims average more medical visits for evaluation/management, physical therapy, and chiropractic care, while the biggest difference in medical payments is in surgery, where Central Coast claims at the two-year benchmark average 11.2 percent more than in the rest of the state; Four of the top 10 drugs prescribed to Central Coast injured workers are opioids based on 2014 payments. Vicodin, Oxycodone, Tramadol, and Fentanyl together account for 20 percent of the regions total drug spend. Recent CWCI Score Cards examined claims from Los Angeles County; the Inland Empire/Orange County; the Central Valley; the Bay Area; and San Diego County. All of the Score Cards and summary bulletins are available to CWCI members and research subscribers online. Related: Topics California Claims Workers' Compensation (Bloomberg) -- A senior Toyota Motor Corp. executive is urging the federal government to keep states from setting their own autonomous vehicle rules, something carmakers say could threaten the emerging industry with a patchwork of contradictory regulations. "A clear and unequivocal statutory or regulatory prohibition on states regulating vehicle performance of autonomous vehicle technology would help to halt or prevent the emergence of a patchwork of state laws," Gill Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute, said in testimony prepared for a House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday. Automakers and technology companies are racing to develop autonomous vehicles, spurring new partnerships between Detroit and Silicon Valley. General Motors Co. plans to deploy a fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolts operated by ride-share provider Lyft Inc. Ford Motor Co. has announced a $1 billion investment in Pittsburgh-based artificial intelligence company Argo AI to develop the "brain" for autonomous cars Ford plans to introduce in 2021. Pratt and executives from other companies developing autonomous cars including General Motors, Volvo Cars NV and Lyft plan to urge lawmakers to take steps to thwart a flood of inconsistent autonomous vehicle rules that they say will hinder work behind those investments. Twenty States Anders Karrberg, Volvos vice president of government affairs, said in prepared remarks that 48 autonomous vehicle bills have been introduced in 20 states in the last two months alone. He said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should add an "explicit request" to its autonomous vehicle policy released last September for states to refrain from taking up self-driving laws or rules. "Constrictive legislation and regulations" present "the greatest potential obstacle" to harnessing the benefits of autonomous vehicles, said Joseph Okpaku, Lyfts vice president of government relations. Mike Abelson, GMs vice president of global strategy, also plans to call for changes to federal auto safety standards, which they currently assume a human driver will be behind the wheel. "Without changes to those regulations, it may be years before the promise of todays technology can be realized and thousands of preventable deaths that could have been avoided will happen," Abelson said in prepared remarks. Those regulations will get a fresh look by Republican Senator John Thune and Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, who said Monday they plan to jointly examine legislation aimed at clearing roadblocks facing autonomous vehicles. "Left on its own, the slow pace of regulation could become a significant obstacle to the development of new and safer vehicle technology in the United States," the duo said in a joint statement. Thune chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the Department of Transportation. Peters is also sits on the committee. Inizia oggi la terza edizione del Business Tourism Management (Btm), lunica fiera in Puglia sul turismo che fino al 18 febbraio ritorna in una delle cornici deccellenza di Lecce, il Castello Carlo V. Un contenitore di eventi si legge nel comunicato stampa legati da un unico denominatore: il turismo, che riunira in tre giorni tutti i principali protagonisti del settore in cui domanda e offerta si confrontano per pianificare nuove strategie di marketing per la crescita del territorio. Ideato, organizzato e promosso dallagenzia di comunicazione Password Ad nellambito del progetto 365 giorni in Puglia, il Btm Puglia 2017 si apre stamattina, 16 febbraio, alle ore 9.30 con i saluti istituzionali e vedra la partecipazione di professionisti del settore, di alcuni tra i top brand dellindustria turistica nazionale ed internazionale e di big player del web. Levento questanno prevede la presenza di 120 espositori, circa 50 buyers internazionali selezionati, relatori e bloggers. Presenze aziendali forti del panorama turistico nazionale e internazionale come Alitalia, Turkish Airlines, Royal Caribbean International, Grimaldi Lines, Costa Crociere, Trenitalia, Alpitour, Francorosso, Booking.com, Airbnb, Trivago, Sky e tantissime altre, si alterneranno in una delle novita di questa edizione: il Travel Trade, una sezione speciale dedicata allincontro tra compagnie aeree e marittime, tour operator e agenzie viaggi. Particolarmente ricco il calendario del Btm Puglia 2017, suddiviso in interventi, seminari, incontri e conferenze, studiato in base alle esigenze degli operatori turistici. Albergatori, ristoratori, bloggers e influencers, agenzie di viaggio, di marketing e comunicazione potranno accedere allevento per partecipare a panel e speech per conoscere i trend e acquisire informazioni utili al fine di arricchire le proprie competenze. Unaltra importante novita di questa terza edizione sara la nuova sezione Turismo Enogastronomico, il Btm Gusto che ospitera nei tre giorni dellevento produttori, artisti e custodi del gusto. Attraverso una serie di attivita originali dedicate esclusivamente a esperti del settore, si avra la possibilita di far conoscere il prodotto della terra del Salento e della Puglia, inteso come strumento per un turismo emozionale deccellenza. Le attivita previste nei tre giorni per il Btm Gusto saranno: il tour in Corte, il percorso sensoriale enogastronomico, i momenti del Corner del Gusto, laboratori interattivi, Cooking Class e Showcooking. Anche per questa terza edizione e stato inserito un incontro B2b, unoccasione di networking e business matching che coinvolgera circa 50 buyers provenienti da tutto il mondo e che gia dal 12 febbraio saranno in Puglia per partecipare ad un Fam Trip. Accompagnati dallo staff del Btm Puglia e grazie alla collaborazione di strutture ricettive e ristoranti pugliesi di alto livello, gli ospiti internazionali visiteranno le bellezze del territorio pugliese, in un programma stabilito ad hoc, basato non solo sul vedere e scoprire, bensi sul vivere esperienze ed emozioni legate allautenticita dei luoghi. Btm Puglia 2017 e patrocinato dalla Regione Puglia, Puglia Promozione, Comune di Lecce, Provincia di Lecce, Camera di Commercio di Lecce, Aeroporti di Puglia, Universita del Salento, Gal Terra DOtranto, Comune di Melendugno, Comune di Vernole, Comune di Brindisi, Comune di Gallipoli, Comune di Novoli, Unione dei Comuni del Nord Salento, Confindustria e Area Marina Protetta Porto Cesareo. Possibile il collegamento live su tutti i social network dedicati con lhashtag #BTMPuglia2017. Update 8.10pm: Next week's Bus Eireann strike, which threatened to grind services across the country to the halt, has been postponed to allow for intensive talks. Following submissions to the Workplace Relations Commission yesterday, the commission requested management to postpone the introduction of cutbacks on February 20 which would have led unions to bring their members out on strike. The WRC asked the sides to come into three days of talks starting on Friday and running through Monday and Tuesday. In a shared statement last night, the unions said: "Whist we remain of the view that a multi-stakeholder involvement will ultimately be required to resolve this dispute, in deference to the WRC, we are prepared to engage in this process to establish if we can achieve some progress towards an overarching and sustainable resolution. Update 7.17pm: Unions at Bus Eireann have entered exploratory talks to see if they can find a way to avoid next weeks strike. They're planning an indefinite strike from Monday as the company seeks to impose pay cuts on workers from the 20th. Both the NBRU and SIPTU say that their members in Irish Rail wont cross pickets where Bus Eireann staff are striking. There are at least five joint depots which could be affected; Galway, Limerick, Sligo Tralee and Waterford. SIPTU organiser is Greg Ennis: "As far as this trade union is concerned we work within the 1990 trade union industrial act. "There will be scenarios where people will be working in the same location or the same station or the same area and it is being made clear to us by members of all the sister companies of Bus Eireann that they will not pass pickets, but that is a matter for themselves." Earlier: A number of Irish Rail depots could close as part of the Bus Eireann strike next week. The shared locations could close with Irish Rail staff refusing to cross picket lines. A strike at Bus Eireann is due to begin on Monday - with unions entering Workplace Relations Commission talks this afternoon. Dermot O'Leary of the National Bus and Rail Union says the strike could disrupt more than just Bus Eireann customers. Mr O'Leary said: "There are a number of shared locations in this country where Bus Eireann have depots that they share with irish Rail and a large number of people have been telling us that they are going to have extreme difficulty passing pickets to depots next Monday. "And that's a reality, it's unfortunate, but that's it. It's called a moral compass and people understand that when there's a picket on the gate, it's very difficult for any workers, certainly ours, to pass it." US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era arms control treaty, a Trump administration official said. The alleged violation complicates the outlook for US-Russia relations amid turmoil on President Donald Trump's national security team. Authorities have lifted an evacuation order for nearly 200,000 California residents who live below the crippled Oroville Dam that threatened to collapse and cause catastrophic flooding. But Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea warned on Tuesday that residents should stay prepared in case the situation changes. He said the water level at the lake behind Oroville Dam, the US's tallest dam, is now low enough to cope with a storm that is due over the next few days. The National Weather Service's Sacramento office said heavy rain will fall in the area on Wednesday and Thursday morning, with two to four inches in the foothills and mountains. But the storm is looking colder than first thought, meaning lower snow levels and less run-off into Sierra reservoirs than the storms last week. The Latest: Nearly 200,000 dam evacuees in California allowed to go home. https://t.co/ssSfrz6WZa The Associated Press (@AP) February 14, 2017 Crews have been working around the clock to repair the dam's damaged spillway. A California dam inspector said authorities may never know the exact cause of the earth and concrete blow-outs below the dam. Eric Holland, of the state Department of Water Resources' dam-safety division, said any of a number of different problems could have caused the spillway troubles. Holland said authorities often never discover in these cases what exactly happened, because flood water has washed out everything at the scene. Authorities ordered mass evacuations on Sunday for everyone living below the lake out of concern that the spillway could fail and send a 30ft wall of water downstream. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said President Donald Trump is keeping a "close eye" on the public safety crisis caused by the damaged dam. AP Results season is upon us and, over the next number of weeks, a long list of companies will release their financial data for calendar year 2016. While stock market investors tend to permanently look forward rather than back, there is one crucial element in these sets of results that has to be examined by any serious long-term investor, and that is dividends. Dividends play a huge role in providing long-term tangible returns for equity investors and over the past seventy years that have provided as much as 90% of total returns. It is a subject that receives cursory commentary in the financial media, yet it is the only channel by which companies actually hand over hard money to their investors on a regular basis. Full-year results allow analysts and investors to weigh up the actual dividend performance of an individual company over a full year and assess that against long-term metrics. A sweet spot for many investors is evidence that a company has the capacity and will to grow its dividend over an extended period. An example of this illustrates the benefits. Imagine a company with a profit of 1, a dividend of 50c and a share price of 10. That set of numbers implies a price-earnings ratio of 10x, a dividend yield of 5% and dividend cover of two times. Now imagine it grows that dividend by 10% a year and this matches its profit momentum which continues for 10 years. After 10 years, the dividend is 130c and profits are 2.6. Assuming the price-earnings ratio is maintained, which the profit and dividend performance would justify, then the share price should be around 26. If this scenario unfolds then an investor who spent 100 on shares in Year 1 will have garnered no less than 352 within a decade including dividends of almost 100. Of course, the share price will have oscillated over the intervening period but a management team and board that can hold course on dividends and financial performance will have rewarded their investors well. This example is simplistic, and subject to the usual caveats that equities are a high-risk asset class, but it nonetheless helps explain the power of dividends and compounding. In the next number of weeks, a range of Irish companies will announce results with accompanying decisions on dividends. Those cash payments will be made over the next three months and can be received by investors who have Prsa type investments on a tax-free basis. It is always worthwhile to review in early summer how much actual cash your portfolio of companies produced for the 2016 financial year. It is also of value to assess if your companies grew dividends year on year and also what if any comments were made about future dividend policy. Ideally, you want to see your dividends well covered by retained cash earnings as that suggests the underlying financial integrity of the company has not been eroded by excessive payments. If the dividend cover is, for example two times, it would imply that 50% of net profits have been kept inside the business and are available to either lower debt or fund investments by the business on acquisitions or internal projects. At a time of considerable geopolitical and financial market volatility, I find a focus on dividend strategies by individual companies is a soothing way to analyse any portfolio. It also helps eliminate the noise around daily movements in share prices and provides an annual check-list on how a savings or investment pot is delivering for its owner. Joe Gill is director of corporate broking with Goodbody Stockbrokers. His views are personal. Robert Montgomery has cerebral palsy, is visually impaired, cannot talk, and is a very unwell boy, Mr Justice Kevin Cross was told yesterday. He had sued the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin, over his care when he was admitted to the hospital on November 5, 2010, and later diagnosed as suffering from septicaemia and later neo natal meningitis. Denis McCullough, counsel for Robert, said his side would say the appropriate antibiotics were not given in time to Robert and the possibility of the meningitis being dealt with was missed. Mr McCullough said if the appropriate antibiotics had been given in time Roberts condition would be much less severe. Counsel told the court an expression of regret was being prepared by the hospital for Robert and his family, which was part of the settlement agreed after mediation talks. Robert Montgomery, of Upper Kilmacud Rd, Stillorgan, Dublin had through his mother Denise Montgomery sued the National Maternity Hosptial, Holles Street, over the circumstances of his care in 2010. The claims were denied. It was claimed the baby, who had woken up with a piercing cry, was very listless and not feeding was referred by a GP to the hospital. The baby attended the hospital at 12pm on November 5, 2010, with his parents and it is claimed there were told in the absence of an appointment they would have to wait in turn. Robert was admitted to the hospital two hours later and then admitted to the intensive care unit and diagnosed as suffering from septicaemia and later Group B Streptococcus neo natal meningitis. The medical records indicate intravenous antibiotics were commenced between 6pm and 6.30pm and the baby remained in hospital until mid-December, when he was admitted to another hospital with increasing head circumference secondary to hydrocephalus. Roberts mother, Denise Montgomery, told the court it was very hard to accept the 5.5m because of what her son suffered that day and continues to suffer and because it was not the full value of the case. She said while they accepted the offer, there was a worry whether it would last. Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Cross said the Montgomery family are to be congratulated by the court and society for the care they have given to their son and he hoped their burden would now be eased by the settlement. The shooter, Gavin Sheehan, chose his sentencing hearing yesterday as the moment to reveal that he was for a period of two years a garda informer tipping them off about drug dealers, gun dealers and criminals in general. Sheehan, aged 30, was sentenced by Judge Sean O Donnabhain at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. Judge O Donnabhain said: This was quite an extraordinary case where Ciara Sheehan, 21, was in the house with the light on when a shot came through the window. The girl suffered a very serious injury. She was lucky on two counts that the bullet did not interfere with a blood vessel; and secondly that she was attended to by extremely competent surgeons at the South Infirmary. The evidence was quite exceptional. The particular evidence which convicted him was CCTV garnered from his own surveillance at his home. He knew that was there. It was against the clear photographic evidence that he pleaded not guilty. The judge said CCTV showed him getting angry as he rummaged through a bin not finding the Smith and Wesson gun where he had left it and instead finding it in the next bin where someone else had placed it. Commenting on the accuseds appearance on his own security footage, the judge said: He was lording it, showing the level of his criminality by his own peacock display it is on his CCTV camera. The judge said that a lot was made by the defence of the fact the Garda evidence on times was inaccurate and would have had them arriving at the scene before the crime was committed but he said this evidence was not relevant in light of the extent of the CCTV. This man mercilessly and deliberately took the gun and fired it into a dwelling house he knew was lit and occupied. He did not co-operate. Since then he has not shown one shred of remorse. I have been looking for either remorse or some form of rehabilitation from the accused but I do not find it. In fact, in truth, it is thoroughly absent. He tried to blaggard the victim by sending her a Christmas card to add to her suffering. That is reprehensible behaviour, the judge said. The judge imposed a sentence of 14 years with the last three suspended. The judge did not refer to Sheehans revelation of being a garda informer. Vincent Heneghan SC, defending, made certain revelations during questioning of Det Sgt Denis Lynch yesterday. The detective said he was not in a position to answer the suggestions being made. Mr Heneghan said he had specific instructions to make them. He referred to a dispute between Sheehan and a named party after a martial arts exhibition in Cork, after which Sheehans parents home and car were subject to attacks, his mother to assault and his father to threats on his life. I have certain instructions that he was acting as an informer to An Garda Siochana for two years up to the Christmas of 2015, said Mr Heneghan. During that period of time he was an informer for [name] at Mayfield Garda Station, an informer who acted and gave information to gardai. He gave names of people involved in the drugs trade, gun trade and criminality in general. Mr Heneghan said the defendant was moved between three prisons since he was remanded in custody for this case. He said: That is for his own safety. Mr Heneghan said the accused has a partner and baby and was a great source of support to his parents. Det Sgt Lynch said that of Sheehans 72 previous convictions, 15 were serious enough to be dealt with at circuit court level. He had four for assault causing harm; three for assault; and seven for robbery. Unanimous guilty verdicts were delivered by the jury in November at the end of Sheehans trial for shooting a young woman in the neck through the front window of a house in Cork. Sheehan, aged 30, of 7 Laurel Ridge, Shanakiel, Cork, denied the four charges against him related to possessing and firing the gun and most significantly, seriously injuring the young woman. Ciara Sheehan addressed the jury directly in the trial, describing what it felt like to be shot in the neck. We were talking in the front room, she said. I was standing in front of the window. I heard a loud bang. We ran towards the kitchen. I felt my throat was getting all tight, my face was burning. I touched my neck, there was blood on my hands. That is when I realised I got shot in the neck. Dylan [her boyfriend, Dylan Cunningham] brought me to his mams car in the back and we drove to the CUH. I had surgery twice, the bullet was still stuck in neck. I was five or six days in hospital. The jury was told there was a dispute going on between Gavin Sheehan and members of the Cunningham family of 37 Hollywood estate. On Saturday, May 14, Dylan Cunningham was in Dinos chipper in Blackpool with Ms Sheehan, when Gavin Sheehan came in and punched Mr Cunningham. At around midnight there was a series of events including the smashing of windows at 37 Hollywood estate and 7 Laurel Ridge. It culminated in the shot being fired through the window of 37 Hollywood, seriously wounding Ms Sheehan. Gavin Sheehan was found guilty that at his home at Laurel Ridge on the May 15 he had a Smith and Wesson 60.96 semi-automatic firearm, discharging it being reckless as to whether any person was injured or not on Sunday, May 15, at Hollywood estate, assault causing serious harm to Ciara Sheehan, and the related charge of having ammunition. Before the trial commenced he pleaded guilty to two criminal damage charges where he caused criminal damage to the front windows of 57 Harbour View Road, and also damaged the windows of this householders car. Ciara: I am broken inside and inside my head Liam Heylin - Victim impact statement of Ciara Sheehan May 14, 2016 was the night my life changed for the worst. The night I got shot, all that went through my head was that I was going to die. I was lying on the floor and they were surrounding me, it was like something out of a movie. It was an experience I will never in my life forget. Since this has happened to me I am completely broken, I am a different person, Im not the happy Ciara I was this time last year. I have no confidence in myself anymore. When I look in the mirror every morning all I can see is the big ugly scar on the side of my neck. Sometimes when Im talking to people I can feel them looking at the scar and I get really uncomfortable. Some nights I cannot sleep at it all runs through my head. I get flashbacks. This has also affected my work because of no sleep. I have been suffering a lot of anxiety attacks. Last week I got three in one day and I had to leave work early. That has happened more than once. I miss days of work because of psychiatric appointments which I have to attend every month. I have been prescribed anti-depressant and relaxing tablets which I dont want to be taking but they sometimes help get over the panic attacks. I received a Christmas card from Gavin. Thats the last thing I wanted to see. That set me back a lot and I couldnt go to work that day because I was too upset. All I want to do is get back to the old me, the old Ciara. I am sick of being depressed all the time. I can never be happy and it comes between me and my friends and family. I have lost all trust since this happened. I feel people are looking at me and talking about me. Im so paranoid at times. If I hear loud bangs I get a fright. The last time I heard a loud bang it sounded like a gun and I instantly put my hand to my neck. I think no young girl should have to go through what I went through. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. I am going through torture, it feels like torture. My head feels like its going to explode sometimes. I am broken inside and inside my head. Even standing next to a window I never know what to expect. I hope this man Gavin Sheehan gets the help he really needs. Michael Lynch, aged 26, who was living at Tir na Spiteoga, Inchigeelagh, Co Cork, was put on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday before Judge Sean O Donnabhain and a jury. He faces a charge of falsely imprisoning Katie Nugent on November 19, 2015 at his rented home. Ms Nugent testified that she had been in a relationship with Mr Lynch for two or three weeks but the relationship was over on November 19, 2015. She said that on that night she was drinking with friends when Mr Lynch phoned and arranged to come up and go for a spin with her in his blue Passat. She said she asked him to drive her home but he started driving toward Macroom where he lived and kept her in the house until the following night. Ms Nugent said: I kept asking him to bring me home. He started hitting me. He got a knife and started running towards me with a knife, it was like a bread knife, a big long knife. He was running towards me laughing. Any time I put my hands up he would get the wall behind me. He got the belt and he tried to choke me with the belt, a red belt. I went to the bedroom I must have fallen asleep. Things started happening again in the morning. He started boiling water. He came in with a big dish and tried to throw the water at me. He had an aerosol can and he said he would light my face and hair and no one would look at me again. I was lying down crying. I wanted to go home. He came in with a machete and hit it off my hip. He hit me with the back of it not the sharp side of it. He ripped the picture with the machete, a Marilyn Monroe picture. He said that is what he would do to me. It was hanging in the bedroom. He was running at me with the knife. I thought I was never going to get out of the house. I just wanted to go home and see my kids. She said landlord Con OSullivan, who lived nearby, called to collect the rent and that the accused went to the door and spoke to him. She got out the window, ran to the landlords house and called gardai. Brendan Kelly, defence barrister, suggested there were many times when she could have left the house but did not. He also suggested that she had been addicted to heroin in the past, a suggestion which she totally denied. She said she had some problems with alcohol, for which she had attended rehabilitation, but did not have a drug problem at any time and never used heroin. Responding to Mr Kelly in cross-examination she said, Everything I have said - running to the landlord, all the evidence I have just said - is just crazy because I was smoking heroin? No. No I am sitting here (in the witness box) for the things he done to me that night. Mr Lynch was questioned by gardai and a memo of this was presented in evidence to the judge and jury yesterday. He said that the complainant Ms Nugent was in a relationship with him and that on the night in question she tried to commit suicide, trying to cut her wrists with a knife and threatening to cut her throat with the machete. He said that he was hiding the knives and the machete around the house to keep her safe. During questioning he said: I am a kind and considerate man, always helping people. Do you know what it is like living with the girl? She is a lunatic, a psychopath, she is not right, she gets medical help, I said I wanted to leave and she threatens to stab me as well. I took the knives off her and hid them. The jury will continue their deliberations today. The increased tensions within Government come as a public tribunal of inquiry is to replace the commission of investigation into two protected disclosures which alleged a smear campaign to destroy Sgt McCabe. The Irish Examiner has learned that Alliance members have demanded a Cabinet meeting today as well as a separate meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny to discuss their concerns. They are furious over Mr Kennys misleading of the public over a story about a conversation with Katherine Zappone, the childrens minister. Mr Kenny is under pressure after admitting he was guilty of telling the country about a phone call that never actually happened. The Irish Examiner has learned that the Alliance has grave reservations as to the Taoiseachs version of events. Following a meeting with Sgt McCabe, the Alliance is to call for a full independent review of the operations of An Garda Siochana as an immediate priority. The Alliances continued participation in Government is conditional on a comprehensive resolution [of] extremely worrying allegations of malpractice within the gardai, one senior Alliance source told the Irish Examiner. This clearly cannot be addressed by the gardai themselves. In the coming days, we will be discussing how this can be achieved. We will be looking for someone from outside. Alliance members are also particularly disturbed by serious allegations relating to the state agency Tusla. The Alliance twice delayed a press conference last night before postponing it until today, at which stage it is intending to release a media statement. READ MORE: Government struggles to survive one crisis as another appears A visibly vexed Shane Ross was seen ushering his Alliance colleagues through Leinster House minutes before their press conference was due to take place. In the Dail, Mr Kenny admitted that he was guilty of not giving accurate information of his meeting with Ms Zappone over Tusla links in the case of Sgt McCabe. There were pointed exchanges as Mr Kenny, amid loud heckling, answered questions over his inconsistencies surrounding the McCabe scandal. Mr Kenny said: I might say mea culpa, because I am guilty here of not giving accurate information. I understood from thinking myself that [Ms Zappone] had asked me about meeting Sgt McCabe in the first place. It actually was her office that consulted with my officials, who told me. She is very clear that she did not tell me that she intended to meet Sgt McCabe, but she did tell her official to tell my office, so I regret that. It has also emerged that Mr Kenny was rounded on by his Fine Gael ministers at a pre-Cabinet meeting where they demanded that he and Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald kill off the controversy today. Meanwhile, a second Garda whistleblower, Keith Harrison, released a statement yesterday demanding inclusion in the terms of reference for the tribunal. Garda Harrison was referred to Tusla on foot of an allegation which later turned out to be baseless. In the Dail last night, Ms Zappone said she was willing to meet Garda Harrison. Extra terms for the tribunal, obtained by the Irish Examiner, show that it will examine if senior gardai also used false claims to discredit Sgt McCabe during the previous OHiggins investigation. READ MORE: Paul Murphy TD: Commissioners husband had role It will investigate if false allegations of sexual abuse or any other unjustified grounds were inappropriately relied upon by Garda commissioner Noirin OSullivan to discredit Sgt McCabe during the previous OHiggins commission, which examined alleged Garda malpractice in the Cavan/Monaghan area. Garda whistleblower, Keith Harrison Government sources confirmed this draft was being worked on last night, but that additions were likely to be discussed today. The Garda commissioner has strenuously denied any involvement in any alleged campaign. The new terms will specifically examine contact between the gardai, the media, members of the Government, Tusla, and the HSE, said sources. These extra terms are in addition to already-agreed areas to be investigated which include claims by Supt Dave Taylor, formerly of the Garda Press Office, that he was instructed by Ms OSullivan and her predecessor Martin Callinan to negatively brief the media about Sgt McCabe. Doubts have emerged over whether Supreme Court judge Peter Charleton will lead the tribunal, while its timeline has yet to be agreed. READ MORE: Handling of abuse allegation a big concern for child protection groups READ MORE: Kenny and the gang cant quite turn the Cabinet table on scandal READ MORE: Q&A: Commission of inquiry or tribunal READ MORE: McCabe scandal leaves them bruised and battered READ MORE: Gardai and media set for rough ride as tribunals back in town READ MORE: The McCabe scandal - A criminal investigation is necessary So-called Donegal Tuesday in Galway generated such large crowds yesterday that hundreds of people were queueing from 11am to gain access to one of the citys most popular student haunts the Hole in the Wall pub. Rag week was once an official part of the student calendar in Galway, but both NUIG and GMIT withdrew their support in 2011 after antisocial behaviour created a storm of negative media attention. A report into the 1.6bn scandal has drawn the stark conclusion and raised serious concerns over how internal Nama conflicts of interest surrounding adviser Frank Cushnahan were tackled possibly paving the way for another state inquiry. Despite repeated insistence that the then coalition did nothing wrong during the April 2014 sale of Namas Northern Ireland portfolio, a draft version of the Dail public accounts committees 85-page report, seen by the Irish Examiner, has called into question the high- profile deal. One in five couples say technology is interfering with their relationship. Accord, the Catholic marriage counselling service, has found that the mobile phone is a major problem for 23% of couples, while 19% blame the internet. However, for most couples, the biggest problem is communication 60% rate not listening or ignoring as the most significant problem in the marriage and relationships. For 37% it is finance, and for 34% it is emotional abuse. However, alcohol (18%), drugs (5%), and gambling (4%) tend to be less prevalent among couples seen by Accord last year. Last year, Accord held 30,666 marriage and relationship counselling sessions, a fall of almost 10% on the 33,970 offered in 2015. The number of counselling sessions has fallen steadily from 42,467 delivered in 2013 a 27% decrease over the last four years. The president of Accord, Bishop Denis Nulty, said the demand for marriage preparation course continued to increase last year. Nationally, the demand for wedding preparation courses increased by 8%, with 17,108 people attending courses in 2016. Demand for courses in Dublin grew by 15%. Bishop Nulty said the team making preparations for next years World Meeting of Families had come up with a novel and romantic idea six gift tokens that couples can give to each other. The tokens suggest a technology-free evening; setting aside time for prayer; going for a hand-in-hand walk together; a special dinner cooked by one of the couples; loads of tender hugs, and a journey down memory lane. Bishop Nulty noted that the theme of the very first token was a technology-free evening to do an activity of your choice. Sadly, he said, technology could cause enormous damage in relationships. Years ago the text, the tweet, the Snapchat app, Instagram, Whatsapp, were not even a consideration in counselling, but today they contribute hugely to the fractured narrative that unfolds in many counselling sessions, he said. What was said in that tweet; the picture that was shared on social media; the immediate reactive response on Snapchat can do enormous damage to a relationship, to trust and to the individuals themselves. Accord was not there to judge but to gently move the relationship and conversation to a less dangerous and tense space, he said.. Bishop Nulty also said Accord and the State must work together to provide the supports to strengthen marriage and the family it was a social responsibility and made good economic sense. The voluntary nature of much of the work of Accord means that the Government grant aid provided to it can purchase a greater number of counselling sessions than if they were provided on a fully commercial basis or directly provide by the State, said Bishop Nulty. Irish Water managing director Jerry Grant said that the average leakage found under driveways amounted to six tonnes of wasted water a day, equal to amounts used by over 20 households. The committee also heard that some 5% of households were responsible for almost a third of water used, mainly due to leaks. TDs and senators on the Oireachtas Water Committee yesterday sought answers about the installing, use and practicality of water meters in Ireland. Members must agree recommendations for the future of water charges by the middle of next month, before a Dail vote follows. Mr Grant said only 50,000 out of an estimated 100,000 households had replied or agreed to repairs for water leaks. In some cases, two to three letters were sent to households to get access to fix leaks. Up to 28,000 of those properties have had leaks repaired to date. 6,500 or nearly 7,000 of those are under gardens and driveways, 21,000 in homes. The total amount of water that is no longer recorded by those 28,000 meters is 77 million litres per day, Mr Grant said. He told members that Irish Water repairs from its free first fix policy for households had saved this amount. This equated to the entire amount used by Galway City and county in a day. Up to 893,000 meters have now been installed in households. But the process of meter installation has been frozen while the pros and cons of the charging system are debated by the Oireachtas. Mr Grant said there were 4,407 district meters across the country, including 750 in Dublin, which assess usage for whole communities. The committee heard from Scottish Water last week which said most of its metering was through district charging, where a general charging system was applied. Irish Water has been given 118m over a ten-year period to address leaks, improve its metering system, part of which has gone to upgrading the district metering. However, Mr Grant admitted to TDs that the benefits of specific household meters without charges or ancillary conservation methods would be marginal when it came to cost saving. Fixing of leaks dwarfed all other conservation methods, he added. The committee, though, also heard that the fixing of broken water meters cost between 2m and 3m over two years. This is likely to increase in the coming years. Helena McDonnell was working at Tayto Park on June 11, 2012, and went down the 18m slide after her friends. She claimed her right ankle became trapped twice in the loops on the slide and she broke her ankle. In the past 24 hours, child protection and advocacy groups have been coming out one after another in response to the most recent McCabe scandal. However, their focus isnt on the political fallout, but the shambolic handling of a child protection allegation against the countrys most high-profile whistleblower by the child and family agency, Tusla. Tusla chief executive Fred McBride has confirmed he will appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs next Wednesday after its chairman, Fine Gael TD Jim Daly, urged people to realise that the relevant child protection issues to arise from this must now be prioritised. The Cork South West TD also called for an international expert to review the internal systems and practices within Tusla without delay. On Monday, Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone revealed that an independent statutory investigation, headed up by Hiqa, will be established to look at how Tusla manages child abuse allegations. That is a second investigation on top of the internal review the agency is already carrying out. Sinn Feins spokesman on children, Donnchadh O Laoighaire, said it was vital to know if the clerical error that created the accusation against Sgt McCabe was a local weakness or a national systemic weakness. Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay said it was inexcusable to leave cases unallocated and ignored. Childrens Rights Alliance CEO Tanya Ward said Tusla and the gardai have sweeping legal powers and must be held accountable. We need to know that when a complaint is made to Tusla about a child that it will be properly investigated and that families will be treated fairly, said Ms Ward. Just like the gardai, Tusla has sweeping legal powers that empower them to intervene to keep children safe from abuse. Hiqas inquiry must provide answers as to how many mistakes were made in this case. Why was the original complaint not effectively investigated? Why were fair procedures not applied to Maurice McCabe? What data protection procedures were in place? What oversight was in place? READ MORE: Q&A: Commission of inquiry or tribunal None of these groups or politicians think it is acceptable to wait for a public inquiry to provide answers. Also, if the McCabe file was a clerical error, how come a second garda whistleblower also suddenly found themselves facing social workers when a senior garda reported a domestic row to Tusla. After the family had assured social workers that there was no case to be answered and their children werent at risk, a home visit was suddenly organised by Tusla after a garda rang a social workers superior. Tusla chief executive Fred McBride is set to appear before Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs. Picture: Gareth Chaney Dozens of questions need to be answered about how the McCabe allegations were handled by the HSE via its counsellor, and then by Tusla (child protection services were looked after by the HSE until January 2014, when Tusla took them over): If a Tusla file with such grievous allegations was opened about the countrys most high-profile whistleblower, why wasnt Sgt McCabe contacted or interviewed? As Sgt McCabe himself questioned this week, who were the gardai who made/received the phonecalls concerning the allegations? Why did Tusla not assess if Sgt McCabe was any immediate risk to children? Tusla created files on the McCabe children. Why didnt they interview them? Did Tusla not query why Sgt McCabe hadnt been interviewed by the gardai? Also, in early 2014, articles were appearing in newspapers in relation to an unnamed garda and child sex abuse allegations. Why did nobody in Tusla seek an update on this investigation? How many people and of what rank in Tusla knew about the file? How exactly was the clerical error discovered eight months later, in May 2014? Why did they not tell Sgt McCabe about the error? Why didnt they destroy the file? When did Tusla tell the gardai about the error and who did they tell? A month after the error was found in June 2014, a Tusla memo says the superintendent in the jurisdiction referred to in the report was not yet aware of the clerical error and has been asked to a meeting with the commissioner in relation to the case; Why was the data commissioner not informed of the error? READ MORE: McCabe scandal leaves them bruised and battered Childrens right activist and senator Gillian Van Turnhout teaches child protection policy to the Girl Guides. She is astonished that the counsellor, who made the initial complaint to HSE Child Protection Services, appeared to be in direct contact with the gardai. Everything about this, to date, rings alarm bells for me, said Ms Van Turnhout. Under Children First, they would not be directly in contact with the gardai, beyond possibly giving a witness statement, as it can be seen to aggravate the situation. Under data protection legislation, Tusla cant even provide specific information on the status of the complaint to the counsellor, unless it is relevant to their professional care of the child. Who made the sexual abuse allegation to the gardai? Was it a duty social worker, who had been previously contacted by the counsellor, as it should have been, or was it the counsellor? READ MORE: Paul Murphy TD: Commissioners husband had role READ MORE: Government struggles to survive one crisis as another appears READ MORE: Kenny and the gang cant quite turn the Cabinet table on scandal READ MORE: Furious Alliance may see coalition collapse after Kennys contradictions READ MORE: Gardai and media set for rough ride as tribunals back in town READ MORE: The McCabe scandal - A criminal investigation is necessary Wednesday, February 15th, 2017 (9:20 am) - Score 498 The annual report from Ombudsman Services, which is one of Ofcoms Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) handlers for consumer broadband, phone and mobile complaints, has revealed that UK people made 55 million complaints during 2016 and 13% were telecoms related. According to the 2017 Consumer Action Monitor (CAM) report, consumers in the United Kingdom arent afraid to vote with their feet when they experience poor service. Last year 19% decided to take their business elsewhere due to poor service, while others (15%) made a conscious decision to spend less with a brand in future. All of this can be costly to businesses. The study claims that companies from across multiple sectors (energy, retail, telecoms etc.) missed out on an estimated total of 37 billion due to the impact of poor service in 2016, with complaints about telecoms services (broadband, phone and mobile) accounting for 2.98 billion of the total. Disillusionment is also said to be rife in sectors where consumers have limited choice in supplier, or have been tied into lengthy contracts, such as Rail, where people usually only have no choice in provider, and Telecommunications, where contracts are often long-term (up to a limit of 24 months). Some 18% of telecoms consumers said they were resigned to poor service. Report Extract Poor experiences of complaining to a company can leave many feeling helpless, and puts them off raising issues in future. One in seven (14%) said they feel disillusioned with business, and dont feel complaining will have any real impact, while 17 per cent of those who had an issue did nothing about it because they had complained previously and nothing improved. Overall the most common sectors for complaints were Retail (24% 13.1 million), Telecoms (13% 6.9 million), Energy (10% 5.5 million) and Public Transport (7% 4 million). However the good news is that telecoms related complaints have seen a sharp reduction from the 8.3 million reported during 2015, when the sector accounted for 16% of the total. The national UK telecoms regulator requires that all broadband ISPs become members of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. The schemes are designed to supplement (not replace) an ISPs own internal complaints procedures and are only used after a customer dispute has gone unresolved for 8 weeks (i.e. the Deadlock Letter stage). Wednesday, February 15th, 2017 (7:53 am) - Score 783 The Norfolk County Council and Openreach (BT) have announced that 11 million of new funding has been committed to help boost the coverage of high-speed broadband across the rural county to 95% of local homes and businesses by Spring 2020. Todays news means that the total investment in the related Better Broadband for Norfolk (BBfN) project has now reached 68 million, with the new deal marking the third major high-speed broadband (FTTC/P) extension contract for the county since 2012. The first (original) phase completed in November 2015 after extending network coverage to around 83% of premises (here). A second Superfast Extension Programme (SEP) contract is currently on-going (here), which aims to push the network footprint out to reach 90% of premises by the end of 2017 (this appears to reference superfast 24Mbps+ coverage, although the language used is often ambiguous). As it stands today more than 87%+ of local premises are claimed to be within reach of a superfast 24Mbps+ capable broadband connection and we expect the existing 90% target to be met as planned, although its worth noting that this is well behind the Governments national target of 95% for the end of 2017. However Norfolk is a particularly challenging rural county with lots of sparse communities, which slows the pace of roll-out. Under the new contract BBfN will finally hit the Governments 95% target, albeit not until Spring 2020. Five of Norfolks district councils Breckland, Broadland, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, North Norfolk and South Norfolk have committed over 3m, which has been match funded by the governments Broadband Delivery UK programme. On top of that BT has also returned 5.2m of public investment (gainshare / clawback) from the first contract due strong take-up in related areas, which has been combined with around 10 million of underspend from the same phase. All of this will be re-invested into the new contract in order to help hit the 95% target. Cliff Jordan, Leader of Norfolk County Council, said: In just a few years weve made a huge difference to tens of thousands of people living and working in the county. Bringing high-speed broadband to 95 per cent of homes and businesses will be a great achievement but we wont be satisfied until everyone in Norfolk can access a good broadband service. So we will continue to push for more investment and make the money we already have go as far as possible. Tim Whitley, BTs Regional Director for the East of England, said: The new funding from the district councils, when added to the gainshare success dividend of 5.2m based on good take-up of the service already deployed, will enable the Better Broadband for Norfolk programme to reach even more homes and businesses with high-speed broadband. BTs network now reaches more than 370,000 homes and businesses across the county when you combine it with our commercial rollout. Were aware theres more to do, and the roll-out continues into 2020. Coverage in Norfolk has certainly come a long way since the end of 2012 when the local reach of superfast broadband struggled to get much beyond the 40% mark and pushing it much further than that would have been very challenging without public investment. However the new contract is sure to face many challenges as it will have little choice but to focus on some increasingly sparse communities, although the 2020 date does at least look to be a realistic reflection of that problem. Meanwhile those in the final 5% will, at least for now, have to hope that the Governments forthcoming 10Mbps Universal Service Obligation (USO) can offer them something better than subsidised Satellite. In keeping with todays announcement the BBfN website has been given a new lick of paint and a new mapping tool that will help locals to check the coverage plan. Dogs are man's best furry friends, but apart from the known facts that they are very social and intelligent, dogs have constantly shown that they are very sentimental and even emotional. Now a new study has proven that dogs and monkeys react negatively when people around them are mean and antisocial in any given way. In a study published in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, a team of scientists from Kyoto University in Japan conducted a series of tests with dogs and monkeys to establish that animal pets have a sense of morality by which they judge their owners and others around them - a fact that has already been established in young human infants. Scientists conduct a social experiment with dogs and monkeys James Anderson, an animal behavior researcher at Kyoto University and the leader of the team asked his team to put on a show where the real owner of a dog is seen trying unsuccessfully to open a can, Yahoo reports. Frustrated, he then asks three passersby for help to open the can. In one scenario, one of the passersby gladly helps to open the can. In the second scenario, the second passerby refuses to help with the can. In the third scenario, the third passerby is just passive and neither helped nor refused. After the passersby had either helped with the can or refused, they turn to the dogs and offer a treat. The dogs accepted the treat offered by the passerby that helped their owners, but shunned and ignored the treat offered by the one that refused to help or remained passive. The same experiment was carried out on monkeys and the researchers observed the same proven pattern to show that pets get mean when people around them become jerks. Pets have a sense of right or wrong The comparative psychologists stated that the experiments showed dogs and monkeys among other pets possess a sense of what is morally right or wrong and respond appropriately to it. The study also shows that pets can become more sensitive to human behavior because of their long standing relationships with people - meaning that pets like to spend time with nice people but shun bad people things, Metro clarified. Frans de Waal of Emory University commended the study by stating that it proves the idea that people desire to do good on account of being watched or noticed by others, since "human morality is very much based on reputation building." In the world of technology, there are hardly any names that are as respected and as controversial as Elon Musk. The 45-year-old billionaire and future enthusiast has never been afraid of putting his ideas on the table, no matter how farfetched. His latest vision of the future is one where humans have merged with machines and drive fully autonomous vehicles. According to CNBC, the Tesla and Space X CEO went on the record earlier this week to say that humans will need to somehow merge with machines in order to stay relevant in the world where artificial intelligence continues to develop. Musk explained that over time, there is likely to be a merger between biological intelligence and digital intelligence. Its mostly about the bandwidth, the speed of the connection between your brain and the digital version of yourself particularly output, he said. He went on to explain that the human mind is, in terms of speed, much slower than machines. He confirmed that computers can communicate at a rate of one trillion bits per second, while humans are only capable of about 10 bits per second - particularly because the main means of communication is manual typing. With these numbers, Musk argued that AI might make it so that humans are no longer irrelevant. Musk then explained exactly how humans can stay relevant despite the prevalence of artificial intelligence. According to him, some high levels of bandwidth interface to the brain can help create an interdependence between human and machine intelligence. He finished by saying this type of technology can solve human inefficiency in the future. The tech exec also touched on the real danger of deep AI, which could reach a point which he called "artificial general intelligence." He described this as the point when AI is already smarter than any human on earth. Naturally, the idea is a dangerous one and Musk did claim that it is far off into the future but is nevertheless a possibility. The most imminent fear that Musk has, however, is that autonomous driving, which his own company develops, will lead to loss of jobs. He understands that millions of people might lose their jobs over autonomous driving. The solution, he said, is to find new roles for these individuals because a fully autonomous future is quickly becoming a reality. "I think we will see autonomy and artificial intelligence advance tremendously," Business Insider quoted Musk. He then went on to say that in as short as 10 years, it might be unusual for manual cars to be part of the road. Tesla's current sensor system can already be used for a fully autonomous vehicle and that it has plans to drive a unit across the United States completely in its self-driving mode. With other auto manufacturers roughly sharing the same timeline and already working or releasing their own take on autonomous driving, Musk's estimate is not off the bat. Within the next decade or so, autonomous cars might rule the road. Forget built-in GPA systems and automatic transmissions, a self-driving feature will be the standard of vehicles soon enough. Just when you believed everything was seminal, the DC's Extended Universe franchise's leading star Ben Affleck opened up that he will be getting into that suit as the director of solo "Batman" film. If that was upsetting for DC loyalists, here's another disaster. Buzz has it that the 44-year-old actor now plans to quit his superhero persona forever. Incongruously, this new changes comes after Affleck's directorial "Live By Night" proves to be unsuccessful to make it big at the box-office and lead to a $75-million loss for Warner Bros, as claimed by hearsays. Affleck Wanting To Get Out Of The Batman Suit On a recent chapter of Collider Movie Talk, host John Campea made the distressing revelation about Affleck wanting to give up the Batman role, which he starred in 2016 (Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice). While he desires fans to take the news with a pinch of salt, Campea also said that the piece of info came from three different DC/Warner Bros insiders. "Ben Affleck, make no mistake, he does want out," the show host claimed. "He doesn't want to be Batman anymore. I have been told that Affleck is talking with Warner Bros. to get out of being Batman." Not just Affleck allegedly is so tenacious on leaving the Dark Knight role in the Extended Universe that the solo Batman movie might turn out to be his last time televised as Batman. "If they do not let him out of being Batman, that the stand-alone Batman film that ultimately happens, will be the last time we see Affleck as Batman because he apparently wants out," Campea added. Batman Movie Sequel Is Yet To Confirm While the news is tear-jerking for DC fans, who have respected the Oscar winner in the superhero role, it shouldn't come as a total surprise either. A crisis was reported earlier as well when Affleck spoke doubts about taking on the plans during an interview. The standalone Batman movie "is not a setting and there's no script" the actor had told Guardian in a January conference. "If it doesn't come organized in a way I think is great, I'm not going to do it". By the end of the month, the DC actor had already resigned as the director of the movie, although he was still arranged to star in it. "Performing this role stresses focus, passion and the very best presentation I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they involve," he had said in a statement. Though sad news it might be, fans should wait for an official declaration to mourn over the end of Batman - Ben Affleck. It looks like Google is once again facing an investigation regarding anti-competitive practices. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) in South Korea is trying to probe if whether or not, Google prevented the development of Samsung's mobile operating system in any way. South Korea's FTC opened up an investigation into the Anti-Fragmentation Agreement in May of 2016. Samsung previously made an anti-fragmentation agreement (AFA) in 2011 with Google that the South Korean company will not develop an OS based on Google's algorithms. It was agreed that all of the devices must be equipped with Google apps, which include YouTube and Gmail. The two companies also reached an agreement, which specifies that Samsung is not allowed to develop its own mobile operating system based on Android. Since last year, the investigation that was already taking place managed to dig up that there are "suspicious circumstances" that suggest the search giant was keeping Samsung from developing their own operating system. Previously, Google was already accused of antitrust practices for several times now. The company was fined with a good $6.75 million as it was revealed that it had competition violations by the Russian government. It is expected that Google will also get massive fine if it ends up guilty in this situation. It seems Google really has their hands full as of the moment. On top of this investigation, a District Court in Texas ordered the company to shell out $20 million in damages for infringing four anti-malware patents with its Chrome browser. Of course, Google attempted to appeal the decision to the United States Supreme Court. In the end, the case was declined. In 2013, Alfonso Cioffi and Allen Rozman filed the lawsuit. The final verdict for the case was given on Friday after a jury trial that took place in the city of Marshall. A realism star is President of the United States, so a DJ may as well be a spy. Moby has posted a bombshell on Facebook, claiming that he has received inside data about the Donald Trump/Russia record that was leaked in January. But before you go crying "that is a fake news!" let's just hear him out. In the social media post by Moby, it says that over the weekend he talked to "friends who work in DC" and can "safely (well, 'accurately')" confirm quite a few rumors that have been spinning around the President. Mody Identifies Russian Records On Trump "The Russian dossier on Trump is real," he writes. "100 percent real. He's being extorted by the Russian government, not just for being peed on by Russian floozies, but for much more nefarious things." Moby is mentioning, of course, to the papers that sent the mimeo'ing forces into overdrive to expose every last golden shower joke the collective realization could turn out. What sort of "wicked things" you ask? Moby warns everyone that Trump is waiting for a reason to go to war with Iran, and that he's been in bed (so to speak) with Putin and the Russian regime "since his day one as President." "I'm writing these things so that when/if these things happen there will be a public record beforehand," Moby adds. "These are truly baffling and horrifying times, as we have an incompetent president who is essentially owned by a foreign power." Moby may not be the most important and reliable sources in political intrigue, but it's important to note that he isn't closely over the cuckoo's nest here. CNN reported last week that U.S. detectives have substantiated some of the details of conversations outlined in the Trump/Russia dossier. Today, the New York Times claimed Trump's National Security Council well-thought-out intercepting an Iranian ship and accompanying a search for weapons on board. And it's no secret that Trump makes many powerful players on the Right like the Koch brothers sore. Here's How The Post Looks On Facebook: after spending the weekend talking to friends who work in DC i can safely (well, 'accurately'...) post the following things: the Russian dossier on trump is real. 100 percent real. He's being blackmailed by the Russian government, not just for being peedon by Russian hookers, but for much more nefarious things., the Trump administration is in collusion with the Russian government, and has been since day one. The Trump administration needs a war, most likely with Iran. At present, they are putting U.S. warships off the coastof Iran in the hope that Iran will attack one of the ships and give the U.S. a pretense for invasion. There are right wing plans to get rid of Trump. he's a drain on their fundraising and their approval ratings, and the GOP and Kochbrothers and other U.S. right wing groups are planning to get rid of Trump. Intelligence agencies around the world, and here in the U.S., are horrified by the incompetence of the Trump administration, and are working to present information that will lead to high level firings and, ultimately, impeachment. I'm writing these things so that when/if these things happen there will be a public record beforehand. These are truly baffling and horrifying times, as we have an incompetent president who is essentially owned by a foreign power.- Moby Among the great deities of Hinduism, Lord Shiva has been well-regarded as the one who mostly personifies the practice of yoga. Dubbed as Yogeshwar - the great lord of yoga, he was known to have ruled the over all aspects of yoga relative to body, mind and consciousness. Apart from being the master of yoga, Shiva has also been noted for being the source of all mantras, thus, he is also said to be considered as Omkara, the primordial cosmic sound, and from his drum all the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet reverberate. Knowing Shiva According to reports by the American Institute Of Vedic Studies, Shiva has been most notable as someone who has three eyes or the so-called Tryambakam. It is said that Shiva's third eye is the inner eye of unitary awareness and higher perception. Furthermore, the Ganga that flows down from Shiva's head represents the immortal stream of higher yogic awareness. The Shiva Linga, known as his upward focused energy, is believed to represent the ascending power of yoga, the silent mind of Samadhi as well as the yogic state of transcendence. Yoga Traditions And The Maha Shivaratri 2017 On the other hand, in honor of the god Shiva, the Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival which is annually being celebrated. It was found that there is a Shivaratri in every luni-solar month of the Hindu calendar, on the month's 13th night /14th day but once a year in late winter that usually takes place in February or March and before the arrival of spring. This year, Time and Date Online has revealed that the Maha Shivaratri will start on Friday, February 24, 2017. Moreover, Shivaratri has also been considered as the most important day of the year to worship Lord Shiva. Enthusiasts have also explained that one stays up all night performing special rituals and mantras to Shiva as the supreme reality to awaken his power within us. Ultimately, it was also found that the Kumbha Mela, the world's largest religious gathering, provides a center stage to his worship extending to tens of millions of devotees. Toshiba is in danger of going bankrupt. This unfortunate turn of events is slowly becoming more and more evident after a series of announcements from the company's bigwigs. Toshiba is in trouble after its liaison with the nuclear industry put it at a major disadvantage. Speculations of the company's possible troubles first surfaced after it failed to release its third quarter results in time. When the company eventually revealed its figures, it was discovered that it lost around $6.3 billion due in large part to its investments on the proposed Moorside nuclear power station in Cumbria, England. As a result of the disastrous investment and the billions of dollars that were written off, Shigenori Shiga resigned as the chairman of the board. He will, however, stay on as an executive of the Japanese company. The Guardian reported that the company's shares swiftly fell by 8 percent in Tokyo after Shiga's resignation from the board. But even before that, there were signs that the Japanese conglomerate was going through a rough patch. A couple of weeks ago, the company unveiled its plans to sell most of the stakes in its memory chip and SSD businesses. The sale is supposed to make up for the company's losses from the nuclear deals. In June of 2016, Toshiba sold 80 percent of its stake in Toshiba Lifestyle. The company's shares in the domestic appliance business were acquired for $450 million by Midea. According to PC World, Toshiba will continue to produce laptop computers despite its ongoing troubles and the possibility of bankruptcy. As a matter of fact, it recently showed off its new convertible laptop, the Portege X20W, at the CES 2017. The company, which started off manufacturing electronic products such as televisions and other household appliances, grew to include other industries in its fold. Its latest foray into the world of nuclear energy, however, proved to be its undoing. We just heard that HMD Global Oy is planning to announce the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 (a re-launch) and a modern version of the Nokia 3310 at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) event. However, there was just too little information known about the Nokia 3 and people wanted to know more about the said smartphone. Speaking about smartphones, there is also the Galaxy S8, Samsung's flagship phone for this year and is quite a hot topic right now, thanks to the amounts of leaks that have been surfacing around the net. So, what do we know so far about these smartphones? The Price According to the reports, the Nokia 3 is expected to cost around 149, which translates roughly to $157. As for the Galaxy S8, it is said to cost $100 more than the Galaxy S7, making it around $900. The Launch Date Reports suggest that the Nokia 3 will be rolling-out either in March or April after its announcement event at the MWC. On the other hand, the Galaxy S8 is said to have its unpacking event in March 29 while its availability on the market will likely be on April 21. The Design Details about Nokia 3's are still kept under wraps. However, it is safe to say that it would be closer to Nokia 6's design. As for the Galaxy S8, recent leaks suggest that it will be 0.1-mm thicker than the Galaxy S7 and the measurement of its protruding lens at the back will be reduced to 0.2 mm. On the sides, it is said to have rounded corners with the power button underneath the volume button. At the front, it is expected to have fewer bezels, display aspect ratio of 18:9 and an iris scanner. Speaking about scanners, the fingerprint scanner could possibly be placed at the back right beside the rear camera. Aside from that, the phone will also have a Type-C USB port, a headphone jack and stereo speakers. The Display The Nokia 3 is rumored to either have a 5.2 or 5.3-inch display with a 720p screen resolution. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8 will have a QHD SAMOLED 5.8-inch display with a DCI-P3 color gamut, giving it more color range and a restructuring of the pixels for a much sharper and brighter display. The Platform The Nokia 3 is said to run on Android 7.0 Nougat and will be powered by a Snapdragon 425 chipset, clocked at 1.4 GHz. It will also have 308 graphics unit. As for the Galaxy S8, it will be packed with either a Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 processor, depending on where you buy it. It is also said to run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The Internal Memory The Nokia 3 is expected to feature a 16 GB internal memory with 2 GB of RAM. Whereas the Galaxy S8 will have 64 GB and 128 GB partnered with 4 GB of RAM. The Samsung phone is also reported to have a 128 GB expandable memory option. The Camera The Nokia 3 is rumored to have a 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front-facing camera. However, for the time being, there are no known reports yet about the Samsung Galaxy S8's camera specs. The Battery In regards to the Nokia 3's battery specification, there is no information about it yet. However, for the Galaxy S8, it is reported to house a 3,000 mAh battery. The Features Currently, there are no reports yet if the Nokia 3 will have any special features worth mentioning. As for the Galaxy S8, rumors suggest that it will have a PC-like interface, a voice assistant called Bixby and possibly a 3D Touch feature. When Mitsubishi released a teaser of its upcoming crossover SUV last month, the automaker hinted that it will carry the name of the iconic Eclipse. Now, Mitsubishi has confirmed that its next crossover SUV will bear the name Eclipse Cross. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: The Confirmation According to CNET, Mitsubishi confirmed that its next crossover SUV will bear the name of one of its most iconic cars that have been discontinued years ago, the Mitsubishi Eclipse. Accordingly, the Eclipse Cross is scheduled to make its debut at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, which is set to take place next month. It was also mentioned that after the debut, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross will also make its way to the North American market. Those who are looking to get their hands on it however, will have to wait a bit longer as the Mitsubishi Eclipse is expected to be delivered to North American shores in the beginning of the following year as a 2019 model. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: The Powertrain According to report, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will be even more powerful than the one found in the Outlander Sport, which cranks out 169 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque, will power the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. Official numbers regarding the engine specs however, have not yet been announced at this point but it is expected that Mitsubishi will reveal all the necessary information about the Eclipse Cross once it makes its debut. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: With An End Comes A New Beginning Despite many fans and enthusiasts saddened by the fact that the original Mitsubishi Eclipse was discontinued, others rejoice in the fact that with an end comes a new beginning, like in the case of the upcoming Eclipse Cross. It just goes to prove that all good things must come to an end since Mitsubishi's other iconic car Lancer is also bidding its farewell this year. The upcoming arrival of the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is just the automaker's way of answering the yearnings of the bigger market. 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. 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. Despite Israels 5th election in four years, it remains a beacon of democracy and freedom The Israeli elections are fast approaching. On November 1, Israelis go back to the polls for the fifth round of elections in less than four... What is a Jew? Israeli museum attempts an answer JERUSALEMI was on a short visit to Israel and spent time with a friend with whom I have been engaged in a 30-year argument. Elli... Royal Bank of Scotland has been hit with a series of regulatory challenges that had a negative impact on its financial results. The company's recent performance is making investors nervous, so something had to be done about it. When companies cannot achieve their financial goals, they usually reduce their expenses to right their balance sheet. The first workaround in order to reduce the outflow of money from the company would be to lay off employees. A person knowledgeable of the operations of RBS said that reducing its workforce by 15,000 employees is exactly what the company have in mind. The Telegraph reported that RBS might find it challenging to cut 15,000 jobs so quickly especially since the company just recently laid off 10,000 employees around the globe. Losing a significant number of its workforce could hamper the company's operations and could negatively impact customer service. RBS refused to acknowledge the rumored 15,000 job cuts, but recent reports suggest that it would be the first resort of the company in order to alleviate investor concerns over its financial results. The company has suffered 50 billion in losses since the financial crisis, and a series of regulatory issues could further dampen performance. The Independent reported that the jobs that will be affected by the workforce reduction will be those that are administrative in nature. People who are involved in opening bank accounts could also be hit. In the United States, RBS could potentially pay multibillion pound penalty for selling portfolios of toxic loans. The company is also facing issues with Williams & Glyn, a bank that it has been ordered to set up. RBS is reportedly looking into several ways to meet its profit targets. However, it refuses to confirm whether workforce reduction is part of the plan. On the other hand, President Donald Trump is working hard to make CEOs promise that they will create jobs in the United States, Jobs & Hire previously reported. Demand for wine is increasing as consumers from the United States and Canada seem to need it more than ever. Wine has been known as one of the pinnacles of having class, and people who know their wine are held in high regards. Good thing expanding your knowledge on wine and getting paid while doing it is a thing! Those who are serious in pursuing a career in the wine industry must, of course, consider taking some serious education around the matter first. While apprenticeship might be a huge thing in ancient times, modern era requires that humans present proof that they have studied a subject matter first. If you really want to have a job involving wine, you better achieve to be an expert on it. To start your wine education, you can head to New Zealand's Eastern Institute of Technology, according to a report by Study International. Eastern Institute of Technology is reportedly one of the best schools that offer courses on wine making. The school teaches potential wine experts how to grow the perfect grapes for making the perfect wine and how to market the product globally. Another school that offers a program around wine is Sonoma State University's School of Business and Economics. The Wine Business Institute within the school lets students study the wines of Sonoma and Napa Counties in California, Sonoma State Star reported. Attending a school will let you connect with wine enthusiasts. Expanding your network while still in school will help you market your wine in the future. It could also help you determine what available jobs in the wine industry you really want to target. With the flourishing industry, you will be sure to find a job that fits your temperament and ideals. In another liquor-related news, Jobs & Hire previously reported that tequila maker Jose Cuervo went public and received $900 million from the offering. https://www.johnnyfd.com/2017/02/digital-nomad-summit-review.html So I took a leap of faith and put a non-refundable $10,000US deposit on the biggest convention center I could find in the city, which happens to be the same place TEDx events are held. I also wanted to make sure we included lunch, coffee, water, juices, and snacks throughout the day as I knew that keeping people inside the venue would give people more time to get to know each other, network, and meet potential lifelong friends, travel buddies, business partners, or even their soulmates. I took a few big risks with speakers and topics this year, and really tried to curate a lineup that would benefit both people just starting out as well as those who were already making over six figures a year. Here is my full recap of what I learned from all 9 speakers, what I failed at, and what I envision for 2018. 2017 Nomad Summit If you don't know much about the Digital Nomad Summit, I founded in 2015 with the hopes to get digital nomads to connect and share what has been working for them. I've always known how important in person networking events are, and in 2017 when there is more and more negativity online, meeting each other in person has become more and more important. As much as I don't like to dig up the past and regret ever being a part of the scene, if it wasn't for speaking at and co-hosting the PUA Summit from 2007-2010 I never would have had the skills to be able to create the Nomad Summit today. It really shows that even poor life decisions can ultimately lead to good things in the world as long as you admit when you've messed up, learn your lessons and move on to better things. Here's a behind the scenes video that one of the attendees, Chris the Freelancer shot that really showcases what the event was like: If you don't know much about the Digital Nomad Summit, I founded in 2015 with the hopes to get digital nomads to connect and share what has been working for them. I've always known how important in person networking events are, and in 2017 when there is more and more negativity online, meeting each other in person has become more and more important.As much as I don't like to dig up the past and regret ever being a part of the scene, if it wasn't for speaking at and co-hosting the PUA Summit from 2007-2010 I never would have had the skills to be able to create the Nomad Summit today. It really shows that even poor life decisions can ultimately lead to good things in the world as long as you admit when you've messed up, learn your lessons and move on to better things.Here's a behind the scenes video that one of the attendees, Chris the Freelancer shot that really showcases what the event was like: Hanne Vervaeck - MVP vs. MMP The first talk of the day was Hanne who works for Thrive Themes a multi-million dollar wordpress themes and plugins company. She was there to represent the remote workers and show that there is an alternative way to being able to live the location independent lifestyle than starting your own business. I loved her topic this year as it went into why MVPs are no longer good enough which is ironic because my talk last year was all about creating a Minimal Viable Product. Here's my full length talk from the 2016 Nomad Summit. Hanne's video as well as the others from this year are still being edited and should be ready in 2-3 weeks. I'll be sure to share them here on the blog and through the email list when they're up. Overall, I really enjoyed Hanne's talk and took a ton away from it. Being just good enough is no longer a reason for someone to buy something from you in 2017 when there are so many alternatives out there. If you want someone to buy your product over an alternative, you really need to be better. This doesn't just apply to software as a service products, but literally everything. White labeling crappy products from China to sell on Amazon FBA, or scraping websites and uploading a bunch of crap to dropship may have worked a few years ago, but more and more people are expecting and demanding something better. Lesson Learned: I'm super glad we had Hanne on this year and plan on keeping the category of remote workers for the 2018 Nomad Summit as I know that the digital nomad movement is more than just people that want to work for themselves. The only thing I would have changed is having Hanne talk a little bit more about her personal story and what it's like working remotely for a big company. Overall, I really enjoyed Hanne's talk and took a ton away from it. Being just good enough is no longer a reason for someone to buy something from you in 2017 when there are so many alternatives out there. If you want someone to buy your product over an alternative, you really need to be better. This doesn't just apply to software as a service products, but literally everything.White labeling crappy products from China to sell on Amazon FBA, or scraping websites and uploading a bunch of crap to dropship may have worked a few years ago, but more and more people are expecting and demanding something better.Lesson Learned:I'm super glad we had Hanne on this year and plan on keeping the category of remote workers for the 2018 Nomad Summit as I know that the digital nomad movement is more than just people that want to work for themselves. The only thing I would have changed is having Hanne talk a little bit more about her personal story and what it's like working remotely for a big company. Leanne Beasley - Tools and Tricks I really loved Leanne's talk as did the majority of the audience voted Leanne's talk as one of their top 3 favorites. Leanne is the founder of Coworker.com which is like the Tripadvisor of coworking spaces which just got valued at $2.5 Million Dollars during their last round of funding. Her talk was how she was able to use online tools and templates to make her business look professional even though it was really just her and a tiny team bootstrapping while living as a digital nomad around the world. Thanks to her, we've learned how easy it is to use complicated tools like photoshop, adobe illustrator by using drag and drop templates and how even starting out as a freelancer can level up their income by being able to offer high end design services using these skills. Lesson Learned: I loved having Leanne here and realized how important it is to share the tools and tricks of the trade. I've added it to my speaker recommendations for 2018 to ask people to share theirs during presentations. David Dang Vu - Creating Courses My favorite thing about David's talk was the fact that he combined inspiration about how he grew up and developed the hungry immigrant mentality but also the exact steps he took to create the #1 business course on Udemy which makes him over $100,000 a year alone on top of all of the other businesses he has. David's talk was also voted as one of the top three talks for 2017 by attendees. Lesson Learned: Encourage 2018 speakers to have more of a 50/50 blend of inspiration and action. Watch this awesome behind the scenes video that David made at the Nomad Summit: I've gotten to know David as a close friend over these past few years and was super excited when he agreed to fly back out to Thailand just to speak at the Nomad Summit this year and help me out! The reason why I wanted him to speak so badly is because meeting him was what really opened my eyes to what's possible with online business. I went from thinking everything online was a scam and that nothing worked, to realizing that there are guys like David making over $100,000 a year from doing things like selling gift cards, ebay arbitrage, creating courses on Udemy and even arbitraging AirBnb rentals.My favorite thing about David's talk was the fact that he combined inspiration about how he grew up and developed the hungry immigrant mentality but also the exact steps he took to create the #1 business course on Udemy which makes him over $100,000 a year alone on top of all of the other businesses he has. David's talk was also voted as one of the top three talks for 2017 by attendees.Lesson Learned: Encourage 2018 speakers to have more of a 50/50 blend of inspiration and action.Watch this awesome behind the scenes video that David made at the Nomad Summit: Quinn Zeda - UX Design I loved having a designer as one of the speakers this year as she inspired both people who wanted to learn more about user experience for their own businesses but also the creatives out there that want to see what it takes to build a big design agency like she has. I also really liked the case study she did on one of her clients site's and the ROI they gained from it. It was also cool that in the spirit of leveling up, she included the UX (User Experience) Hierarchy of Needs. She was voted for one of people's top 3 favorite talks. Her slides were super well put together, she offered a ton of value, and I'm glad we had her come speak. Lesson Learned: I'm going to make it a priority to have more talks like hers in 2018 as according to the surveys a lot of people wanted more in depth talks like that showcase current trends and tools. Riley Bennett - Living the Life When I asked Riley to come speak at the Nomad Summit I knew that his personality and his talk wouldn't appeal to the vast majority of attendees. But the reason why I took the risk and invited him to speak was because that there's an entire generation of up and coming digital nomads that we don't understand and can't connect with. Riley was supposed to be our gateway into the Snapchat generation. Unfortunately, according to the post-summit surveys more than half of the attendees didn't like his talk. In retrospect I still would have had him on, but I would have had him talk more about how to use Snapchat, build an audience on there on top of what he talked about with Youtube and had him talk way less about living that life...which unlike people watching the videos at home, people in the audience have already made the leap and are already living abroad, traveling and living that life. I have a feeling that people watching the talks at home are actually going to love his talk as it'll inspire a lot of people to travel and get started, but agree and understand why the audience didn't like his talk. It was my fault for approving his talk and not focusing a topic change. In the future we will focus on presentations that help live attendees and not worry so much about people watching it at home. Lesson Learned: Have speakers focus a lot more on actionable tips, tricks, tools, and other actionable content in 2018 and less about travel and lifestyle. March Brenwall - From VA to Boss Probably the most inspiring speaker of the year, March shared her story on how she went from being a Filipino VA making $300 a month to being a successful entrepreneur today and now having employees of her own. Even people who otherwise came just for the actionable content loved her talk which reminds me how important it is to have a mix of both. I have a feeling that her video has the potential to inspire millions of Filipinos, women and minorities around the world and give them the hope, courage, and drive to create their own success. Lessons Learned: Her talk reminds me why having a mix of inspirational stories along with the technical how-tos is vital to have at next year's conference and every other year in the future. Emma McLaren - Happy Nomad I actually invited Emma to come speak on the topic of "Creating your Dream Job that doesn't yet exist." She's a sustainable seafood consultant which I thought was amazing as I'm a huge believer in saving our oceans from terrible commercial fishing practices. Probably the most inspiring speaker of the year, March shared her story on how she went from being a Filipino VA making $300 a month to being a successful entrepreneur today and now having employees of her own. Even people who otherwise came just for the actionable content loved her talk which reminds me how important it is to have a mix of both.I have a feeling that her video has the potential to inspire millions of Filipinos, women and minorities around the world and give them the hope, courage, and drive to create their own success.Lessons Learned: Her talk reminds me why having a mix of inspirational stories along with the technical how-tos is vital to have at next year's conference and every other year in the future.I actually invited Emma to come speak on the topic of "Creating your Dream Job that doesn't yet exist." She's a sustainable seafood consultant which I thought was amazing as I'm a huge believer in saving our oceans from terrible commercial fishing practices. But a few weeks before the Nomad Summit she insisted on changing her talk to "Happy, Healthy, Nomad" which I ended up approving because I knew how important it was for long term digital nomads to take care of themselves and not get burnt out. Unfortunately, along with Riley's, this was the only other talk that overwhelmingly got voted people's least favorite. I still think her topic had a ton of potential and is super important and so did a few of the attendees. But according to the feedback, the vast majority of people felt that she wasted her time slot bragging about herself and boosting her own ego instead of getting to her final slide which is where she had the tools and tricks for self care. Even with letting her go on longer than her time allotted I don't think she ever really got to her point and that's a shame because the topic was so vital. Some blamed it on her not having her notes, but in all honestly, it due to her lack of preparation not knowing her presentation by heart, missing rehearsal, skipping the AV test the day before, and not testing her slides during the 30 minute break directly before her time slot. Update: I wasn't going to be so publically harsh on her, but after talking to her privately, sharing the survey results with her I expected her to rationally say, "Sorry I messed up and dropped the ball." In which I would have just left it as everyone makes mistakes. But after reading her blog post about how her talk was "good enough no matter what" and that she got exactly what she needed, I really got annoyed, especially now that she's using the Nomad Summit to further her speaking career. I respect the need for self love, authenticity and empathy, but a truly authentic person would first admit when they messed up before moving on. Lessons Learned: Next year i'm going to have a dedicated tech person on staff to test all slides and have a stopwatch on stage. I'm also going to make rehearsals mandatory and cancel speaking slots if they come unprepared. Jubril Agoro - Think Outside the Box I was really excited to have Jubril come speak at the conference this year as he just happened to be in town and was a last minute bonus. His talk was on optimizing and targeting with facebook ads but also included a bit of inspiration on how he's traveling the world with a full time video crew so he can create his own Travel Channel quality content which is actually a channel that reached out to him to become one of their hosts. The only problem with having Jubril come on as a last minute speaker was trying to squeeze him into an already super tight schedule. I didn't want to cut the breaks shorter as I'm a huge believer that the true benefit of conferences like this is the in person networking, even more than the talks. So instead we cut out the Q&A sessions which allowed for another great talk while missing out on people getting to ask questions. Lesson Learned: Have a strict maximum of eight speakers next year to make room for some type of Q&A time. Johnny FD - Leveling Up It's a bit strange to review my own talk, yet alone my conference, but I can pretty easily see what areas I could have improved on. According to the surveys, even though most people got a lot of inspiration from my talk, it didn't have enough this is how you do it business advice. To be honest, I purposely didn't talk about dropshipping because even though it worked for me and I had great success with it, I know it's not for everyone. I wanted people to have the framework of each step and how to level up, while being able to think for themselves and plug in their own business model. But I've also realized that by holding back information just so you don't piss off the haters, you're also hurting the people who genuinely want that information. Lesson Learned: You can't please everyone, so focus on the positive people and ignore the negative ones as they'll never be happy no matter what you do. Overall Thoughts on the Summit Even though I have a massive list of things I want to implement for next year's event, overall 82% of attendees rated it an 8 or higher which is fantastic as I know how hard it is to please everyone. People appreciated the fact that no one on stage tried to sell them anything and that there was a wide variety of speakers. They also liked the networking both at the conference and the days before and after. However, I know there's still so much to improve on and that we have such a unique opportunity to really do amazing things. The mission of the Nomad Summit has always been to bring together digital nomads from around the world and give a platform to share and learn from people who have been successful. But I think more than ever, it's my responsibility to also give people a reality check that even though this lifestyle is 100% possible, that it also requires a ton of hard work to get it started. It's a difficult balance between lifestyle element of the 4-hour workweek which inspires people to get started in the first place or put in the effort to have it be a goal and the business aspects which are vital for making it actually happen. My commitment going forward and for the 2018 Nomad Summit is that we're going to start focusing a lot more on the business building aspects than the lifestyle. I think we've done our job these past three years convincing people that this life is possible, now it's time for us to focus on energy on showing people how to build and level up sustainable six figure businesses while continuing to live remotely and travel aboard. It's a bit strange to review my own talk, yet alone my conference, but I can pretty easily see what areas I could have improved on. According to the surveys, even though most people got a lot of inspiration from my talk, it didn't have enough this is how you do it business advice. To be honest, I purposely didn't talk about dropshipping because even though it worked for me and I had great success with it, I know it's not for everyone. I wanted people to have the framework of each step and how to level up, while being able to think for themselves and plug in their own business model.But I've also realized that by holding back information just so you don't piss off the haters, you're also hurting the people who genuinely want that information.Lesson Learned: You can't please everyone, so focus on the positive people and ignore the negative ones as they'll never be happy no matter what you do.Even though I have a massive list of things I want to implement for next year's event, overall 82% of attendees rated it an 8 or higher which is fantastic as I know how hard it is to please everyone. People appreciated the fact that no one on stage tried to sell them anything and that there was a wide variety of speakers. They also liked the networking both at the conference and the days before and after.However, I know there's still so much to improve on and that we have such a unique opportunity to really do amazing things. The mission of the Nomad Summit has always been to bring together digital nomads from around the world and give a platform to share and learn from people who have been successful. But I think more than ever, it's my responsibility to also give people a reality check that even though this lifestyle is 100% possible, that it also requires a ton of hard work to get it started. It's a difficult balance between lifestyle element of the 4-hour workweek which inspires people to get started in the first place or put in the effort to have it be a goal and the business aspects which are vital for making it actually happen.My commitment going forward and for the 2018 Nomad Summit is that we're going to start focusing a lot more on the business building aspects than the lifestyle. I think we've done our job these past three years convincing people that this life is possible, now it's time for us to focus on energy on showing people how to build and level up sustainable six figure businesses while continuing to live remotely and travel aboard. Big thanks to our sponsors Iglu and Empire Flippers. Stay subscribed to the email list below to get first access when they are out! Also I want to thank everyone who helped volunteer at the Nomad Summit this year as it really wouldn't have been possible without you. It's amazing to be in a community of like minded, generous and helpful people. I truly hope that the Digital Nomad Community continues to grow and prosper as it's truly something amazing to be part of and help lead. Here are the survey results from attendees of the 2017 Nomad Summit. Warm Regards, Johnny FD Like this Post? Share it! This is our 3rd year running the Nomad Summit, which is the largest digital nomad conference in Chiang Mai, and this year was completely different. The previous two years was actually pretty easy to organize, but this year, the theme was "leveling up" and I wanted to do the same with the conference. In 2015 the Nomad Summit was held in the cheapest seminar room I could find, with low ceilings, room for just 120 people and was completely donation based. In 2016 the Nomad Summit upgraded to a room that doubled in size, but I knew that this year we would outgrow that with ease. Email Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday. Cross-kidney transplant opens up opportunities for organ sourcing VietNamNet Bridge - The success of the first cross kidney transplant case has brought more hope to patients as the sources of organs for transplant will be expanded. The surgeons and two patients The Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC, one of the most prestigious hospitals in Vietnam, on February 7 announced it successfully carried out the first cross kidney transplant surgery in Vietnam. The two female patients were Le Thi Anh Hong, 31, from Kien Giang province and Vu Thi Hue, 32, from Dak Nong. Both of them suffered from end-stage chronic kidney failure and they had to have dialysis for a long time at Cho Ray before they underwent the transplant surgery. Hongs stepfather wanted to donate hid kidney to her, while Hue could receive kidney from her biological mother. However, tests showed that in both cases, recipients antibodies were against antigens of the donors, which meant high failure risks for the transplant. However, surgeons discovered that all the four recipients and donors had B group of blood. Therefore, they persuaded the relatives of the two patients to exchange donors. This means that the kidney donated by Hongs stepfather would be transplanted into Hue, and vice versa, Hues mothers kidney would be used for Hong. Because of the special characteristics of the cases, the transplant of both patients had to be carried out at the same time on January 11, 2017 by two teams of surgeons. Both of the kidneys began operation right after the blood vessel clamp was opened. Two days after the surgery, the kidney functions of the two patients were back to normal. The patients could leave the hospital after seven days. The success of the first cross kidney transplant case has brought more hope to patients as the sources of organs for transplant will be expanded. According to Thai Minh Sam, head of Urology Surgery Department at Cho Ray Hospital, cross kidney transplant is a method applied in specific cases when the recipient has antibodies against antigens of the donor. The first surgery of this kind in the world was carried out in 1991 in South Korea. Since then, the method has been applied by many kidney transplant centers in the world. Thousands of surgeries of this kind are carried out every year. Also according to Sam, it is not too difficult to conduct cross kidney transplant operation. In developed countries, surgeons can conduct intercontinental kidney transplant surgery. The kidneys donated by people in the US, for example, can be transplanted to the receivers in France. In Vietnam, tissues and organs for transplantation are very scarce. A report says 16,000 patients are waiting for transplant surgeries, but its unclear when they can find suitable organs. Many patients died because they had to wait too long. Sam said at Cho Ray, 95 percent of organs are donated by live people, while only 5 percent are from brain-dead people. Meanwhile, the figure is 40-60 percent in the world. Chi Mai Auction nets $500,000 for ZeekRewards claims The house of a convicted felon tied to ZeekRewards.com generated $500,000 in proceeds for the defunct Lexington companies receivership, according to a legal filing Tuesday. Jaymes Meyer of Napa, Calif., a top executive of Preferred Merchants LLC, was sentenced Aug. 24 to 15 months in prison for obstruction of justice. In August 2012, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused Rex Venture Group LLC, Zeekler, ZeekRewards and former owner Paul Burks of raising $939 million through unregistered securities. The Lexington companies were shut down and their assets frozen. Burks was sentenced Monday to three concurrent prison terms of 14 years and eight months. U.S. attorneys said Meyer and Preferred conducted the obstruction of cashiers checks sent by victims of ZeekRewards through a series of offshore accounts, domestic and foreign nominee accounts, a shell company, and related bank and brokerage accounts. Meyer admitted wiring $4.8 million from a Rex Venture trust account to a brokerage account under his control within an hour of learning about the SEC investigation. Part of that money was used to buy two houses he has agreed to forfeit, as well as $1.5 million spent on home improvements. He also withdrew $190,000 in cash. Meyer was ordered to pay a $4.8 million fine and forfeit houses he owns in Napa and in the Turks and Caicos Islands, which are southeast of the Bahamas. The house in Napa was the one that generated the $500,000. Boutique hotel planned for downtown Boone A three-story boutique hotel is being planned for downtown Boone in the 93-year-old H.W. Horton Building that used to be the home of the Art Walk gallery. The developers are Denise and Fulton Lovin of Boone. The Horton Hotel will be built on West King Street, across from Mast General Store. The hotel will feature 15 rooms with an upscale bar in the lobby. An elevator will take guests and visitors to an open-air rooftop cocktail lounge. The developers will hold a ground-breaking ceremony from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 23. Refreshments and light snacks will be served. Richard Craver Developers conference set for BioTech Place The third annual Triad Developers Conference, a full-day event, will be held March 10 at Wake Forest BioTech Place in downtown Winston-Salem. The conference will cover such technology trends as virtual reality, cybersecurity and machine intelligence, as well as what those advances mean for technology students, professional software developers and businesses in the Triad. It also provides a convenient opportunity for business leaders, entrepreneurs and government officials to learn about the areas growing technology sector and its potential for continued expansion and innovation. The conference features four tracks: executive, technical, trends and hand-on learning. Featured speakers at the conference include Phillip Oakley, the chief executive of Common Giant; Philip Powell from Out of Our Minds Studios; Gene Chorba of Ionic Security; Mark Fetherolf of Numinary Data Sciences; and Somya Mohanty of UNC Greensboro. To register or for more information, go to www.triad conference.com. Reports were circulating Tuesday of the closing of Bistro B in Kernersville. Those reports were untrue. An email from owner Tim Bocholis account went out Tuesday morning, saying that personal issues and issues with the Department of Health caused him to close the restaurant. The email was fake. My email was hacked, Bocholis said Tuesday afternoon. The email seemed somewhat believable because Bistro B did receive a low score of 73 on a recent health inspection. As most of his regular customers know, Bocholis shut down Bistro B on Jan. 23 to do extensive repairs and renovations. Most regulars also know the restaurant reopened Feb. 7. The Forsyth County Health Department had noted problems with the floors, ceiling and walls in the kitchen, Bocholis said. We gutted the whole kitchen, started with the ceiling and worked our way down, he said. While he was at it, he reworked the dining room and entrance. He also slightly enlarged the kitchen to add more refrigerator and freezer space. Everything got repaired that needed to be repaired, he said. He said that a member of the health department visited Friday and pointed out a couple small things that needed attention but told him that he was in good shape overall. He expects to be reinspected soon and said his score should be back in the 90s. The fake email came at an inopportune time. Valentines Day is a busy night for fine-dining restaurants. My phones been ringing off the hook, with questions about the supposed closing, he said, but hes mostly taking the hoax in stride. Yes, we are open tonight. So far, we have about 80 reservations. A panel of state Superior Court judges on Tuesday ended an order preventing N.C. Senate committees from holding confirmation hearings on Gov. Roy Coopers choices for 10 Cabinet secretaries. The panel approved a temporary restraining order on Feb. 8 and held a hearing Friday on Coopers request for a permanent injunction. The judges are Todd Burke of Forsyth County, Jesse Caldwell III of Gaston County and Jeffery Foster of Pitt County. The Cabinet-approval law, created under House Bill 17, was passed Dec. 19 by the Republican-controlled legislature during the 2016 special fourth session and signed by former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory. Part of the law formally requires Senate advice and consent of the governors secretaries. The advice and consent element is in the North Carolina Constitution, but previous governors have not been required to adhere to it. Cooper filed his initial complaint Jan. 11, calling the law an unprecedented legislative effort to interfere with his duties. He said it could have played a detrimental role in his potential Cabinet selections, eight of which have been appointed and are serving. What the judicial panel determined is that Cooper has not demonstrated (irreparable harm) that any of those eight appointees will be unable to continue serving in their current capacities. It is not clear whether a no vote during a confirmation hearing serves as a veto and eliminates a department secretary from continuing to serve. The panel noted that if the Senate adopts a simple resolution that specifically disapproves of any one of these eight persons appointed, Cooper could submit another irreparable-harm motion. A hearing on Coopers lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law is expected to begin March 7. Cooper has not submitted any Cabinet nominees to Senate leader Phil Berger. He has until May 15 to do so, under the law. Cooper spokesman Ford Porter said that we are satisfied with the ruling, including that the panel made clear that the advice-and-consent process cant begin until nominees are submitted. The governor plans to wait for the full hearing on the constitutionality of this law to go forward on March 7 before submitting his nominees, which he believes will not be necessary, Porter said. State Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, has said he doesnt expect any of Coopers nominees to be vetoed by a committee if they can meet the three stated criteria regarding their qualifications, potential conflicts of interest and willingness to obey the law. The judicial panels decision to end the temporary restraining order was praised by Berger, R-Rockingham, and N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, the lawsuits listed defendants. It is incredibly encouraging that this court has shown judicial restraint and rejected Gov. Coopers extraordinary request to stop the peoples elected representatives from conducting a fair, open and transparent hearing process, they said in a joint statement. However, last week Berger and Moore blasted the judges approval of the temporary restraining order as a gross misreading of the (state) Constitution and a blatant overstep of their Constitutional authority. Before submitting his request for the temporary restraining order, Cooper sent a letter Feb. 6 to Berger and Moore asking them to delay their confirmation timeline, which was scheduled to run through March 17. At least one Senate committee attempted on Feb. 8 to conduct a confirmation hearing for Larry Hall, Coopers secretary for the N.C. Department of Veterans and Military Affairs. Hall did not attend the meeting, which followed the issuance of the temporary restraining order. The Senate appears to have saved the two most potentially contentious candidates for last in Michael Regan for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and Dr. Mandy Cohen as state health secretary. Regan has drawn GOP criticism for serving as a long-time advocate for the Environmental Defense Fund. Mandy Cohen served as a top Medicaid and Medicare administrator of President Barack Obamas health-care overhaul. Coopers attorneys argue that statutory officers, such as Cabinet secretaries, are beyond the advice and consent edict. The attorneys say an amendment to the state constitution, which requires voter approval, is necessary to give that consent role to the Senate. In January 2016, the N.C. Supreme Court ruled that the General Assembly took powers away from the executive branch by permitting its leaders to appoint most of the statutory members on three environmental regulatory commissions. North Carolina legislators are looking for a new way to budget public school dollars. A bill filed in both chambers of the N.C. General Assembly would create a task force to study new ways to distribute money among the states 115 public school systems and 148 public charter schools. Should the bill pass, the task force would move the state toward a weighted student-funding model a concept being adopted by school districts and states around nationwide. Under that model, the task force would set a new base amount of money to be distributed per student, then identify characteristics of both students and school systems that would be considered for weighted funding. Characteristics could include such things as disability status, family income level and a school systems size. State Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, said the states current funding system is outdated and favors larger, wealthier school systems. Legislators are looking for a model that would distribute money more equitably, Horn said. Anytime youve been using the same formula or the same method for more than 30 years, you need to rethink it, he said. The state is not the same it was 30 years ago. Student needs are not the same as they were 30 years ago. House Bill 6 would create a task force of 18 members, nine each from the House and Senate. The bill tasks the group with studying various types of weighted-funding models, including those in other states. Pennsylvania, Florida and Rhode Island are among the states that have adopted such models. The changes could also affect the way in which money is distributed among schools within a school system and how those dollars flow into public charter schools. It would likely result in more money following students to whatever school they choose. Theres reason to believe charter school students are not receiving a fair level of funding support from the state, Horn said. But people make all kinds of claims and allegations. Lets hear the facts. The proposal stems from a report released last year by the General Assemblys program evaluation division that identified numerous problems with the current funding model. The report did not look at funding levels but instead the system for distributing money. An in-depth analysis of the current education funding system by a bipartisan committee found many flaws, said state Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, sponsor of the companion bill in the N.C. Senate. The report noted glaring disparities between rich and poor counties, stating there is illogical and uneven funding for students. Currently, school systems are given a number of teaching positions to fill based on their enrollments. The state covers the full cost of salary and benefits, no matter where those teachers fall on the states salary schedule. So two school systems allotted the same number of teaching positions could receive different dollar amounts if one hires more highly paid teachers. Teachers with more experience and more education those receiving higher salaries tend to land in more affluent school systems. Those systems then receive more state resources than systems with less experienced teachers. One solution the report suggested considering would be to allot money to school systems based on the average cost of a teacher. The report also found flaws with the way the state allocates money for English-language learners, students with disabilities and several other programs. Any change in the way money is distributed will likely result in some school systems receiving a larger share of state money than they do now, and others receiving less. Kerry Crutchfield, the budget director for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, said that if the state adopted suggestions from the PED report, the local school system would likely lose several million dollars in allotments to pay for teacher salaries but gain money in other areas. Preliminary indications are that the school system may only lose around $1 million, Crutchfield said. Should the bill pass, the task force will begin meeting by October and submit a final report including proposed legislation by July 2018. Understand this bill requires us to make a decision, not another plan, Horn said. The Houses committee on K-12 education considered the bill Tuesday and will continue studying it before possibly passing it on to the full House. Only five of NATO's 28 member countries last year met the alliance goal of spending at least 2 percent of their economy on defense. A breakdown, based on 2016 figures provided by NATO: WASHINGTON President Donald Trump slammed intelligence officials and the media Wednesday over what he called "very, very unfair" treatment of his ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and for "illegally leaked" information about reported contacts between his campaign advisers and Russian officials. Trump's comments come amid a new swirl of controversy over his ties to Russia. The White House said Flynn was forced to resign this week after misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other Trump aides about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. before the inauguration. In his first public comments on Flynn's firing, Trump said it was "really a sad thing that he was treated so badly." He spoke during a White House news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump is said to favor Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a former Navy SEAL, as his next national security adviser, according to a White House official. Harward met with top White House officials last week and has the backing of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Late Tuesday, The New York Times reported that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Trump's 2016 campaign team. Current and former U.S. officials who spoke to the Times anonymously said they found no evidence that the Trump campaign was working with the Russians on hacking or other efforts to influence the election. Trump didn't directly address the veracity of the report, but lashed out at what he called the "criminal act" of leaking information. Earlier Wednesday, Trump tweeted that "classified information is illegally given out by 'intelligence' like candy. Very un-American!" The White House has not commented on the report, though officials denied as recently as Tuesday afternoon that campaign advisers had communicated with Russia during the election. The White House said Flynn was fired not because of his communications with the Russian ambassador, but because he had not been truthful with Pence about the content of those discussions. Flynn maintained for weeks that he had not discussed sanctions in the calls, but later conceded that the topic may have come up. White House officials said they conducted a thorough review of Flynn's interactions, including transcripts of calls secretly recorded by U.S. intelligence officials, but found nothing illegal. Pence, who had vouched for Flynn in a televised interview, is said to have been angry and deeply frustrated. At the White House Tuesday, press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters: "The evolving and eroding level of trust as a result of this situation and a series of other questionable incidents is what led the president to ask General Flynn for his resignation." Flynn, in an interview with The Daily Caller News Foundation, said Monday "there were no lines crossed" in his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. The explanation of the episode left many questions unanswered, including why Trump didn't alert Pence to the matter and why Trump allowed Flynn to keep accessing classified information and taking part in the president's discussions with world leaders up until the day he was fired. White House officials also struggled to explain why Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway had declared the president retained "full confidence" in Flynn just hours before the adviser had to submit his letter of resignation. Flynn's firing heightened questions about the president's friendly posture toward Russia. Democrats called for investigations into Flynn's contacts, and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Congress needed to know whether he had been acting with direction from the president or others. Trump initially thought Flynn could survive the controversy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the president's views, but a pair of explosive stories in The Washington Post in recent days made the situation untenable. As early as last week, he and aides began making contingency plans for Flynn's dismissal, a senior administration official said. While the president was said to be upset with Flynn, he also expressed anger with other aides for "losing control" of the story and making his young administration look bad. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said Pence became aware that he had received "incomplete information" from Flynn only after the first Washington Post report Thursday night. Pence learned about the Justice Department warnings to the White House around the same time. The officials and others with knowledge of the situation were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and requested anonymity. Ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration, Pence and other officials insisted publicly that Flynn had not discussed sanctions in his talks with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. On Jan. 26, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates contacted White House counsel Don McGahn to raise concerns about discrepancies between the public accounting and what intelligence officials knew to be true about the contacts based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the U.S. The Justice Department warned the White House that the inconsistencies would leave the president's top national security aide vulnerable to blackmail from Russia, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. The president was informed of the warnings the same day, Spicer said. Flynn was interviewed by the FBI around the same time, according to a U.S. official who was briefed on the investigation. McGahn, along with chief of staff Reince Priebus and strategist Steve Bannon, also questioned Flynn multiple times in the ensuing weeks, a White House official said. Top aides also reviewed transcripts of Flynn's contacts with the ambassador, according to a person with knowledge of the review process. At the same time, the official said Trump aides began taking steps to put some distance between the president and Flynn. CIA Director Mike Pompeo and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a top Flynn aide, started taking part in Trump's daily security briefings. Roses are red, violets are blue. Without Obamacare, what do we do? It was a question many supporters of the federal Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obamas signature health-care overhaul, pondered as they gathered outside U.S. Sen. Richard Burrs Winston-Salem office Tuesday. For Martha Chaires, it means she would likely not be able to find a health-insurance plan come next year for her 21-month-old son, Javier, who has Down syndrome, she said. Well have to figure out a way to pay for our pretty medically fragile childs health insurance out of pocket, which is pretty daunting, Chaires said. Its like two ants looking at a mountain and trying to figure out how to move it before it crushes their child. The ACA, or Obamacare, has been the target for partial or full repeal by Republican congressional leaders since it debuted in 2010. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January that allowed for the process to begin defunding certain elements of the law. The law requires health insurers to accept all applicants, regardless of age, race or pre-existing conditions, and charge the same rates. In Tuesdays Valentines Day-themed protest, activists called for lawmakers to have a heart and delivered thousands of individually signed valentines to the offices of Burr and U.S. Thom Tillis, North Carolinas two Republican senators. Protests were also held at their offices in Raleigh, Asheville, Wilmington and Charlotte calling for an expansion of Medicaid and a strengthening of the ACA. A call to Burrs spokesman for comment about the ACA and the protest was not immediately returned. I cant tell you how scary the past few weeks have been, Chaires said. When you play political games with people in health care, we are the collateral damage. Protesters held a sea of signs at the rally which was coined Have A Heart: Dont Gut Health Care eliciting honks from passing cars. The chain of protests across the state were organized by Progress North Carolina Action, a nonprofit group that promotes public policies and advocates solutions to improve the health and lives of North Carolinians. Speakers at the rally called for lawmakers to consider people over party lines and also the repercussions of their actions on millions of constituents. For the last seven years, all weve heard from Congress is repeal and replace, repeal and replace, Lee Storrow told the crowd of about 100 people. But weve never seen a viable replacement plan. Repealing the ACA would cost thousands of jobs and up to 1 million North Carolinians their health care by 2019, Storrow said. and a loss of protection for people with pre-existing conditions would be devastating. Protesters called for a town hall meeting with Burr to hash out the needs of local constituents regarding health care reform, especially for those it directly affects. Greensboro resident John Thompson credits the ACA with saving his life. Im not a moocher or a deadbeat or a freeloader, Thompson, 59, said. For 40 years, I paid my taxes but in my hour of need, when my back was against the wall, in the richest country in the history of the universe, Sen. Burr, where were you and your GOP for me? In 2013, Thompson, father of three, lost his job and was told it would cost him thousands of dollars out of pocket to continue with his former employers health insurance. Within a couple of months, he received a diagnosis of cancer. It was a scary period and one that could become the reality for others if the ACA is repealed, Thompson said. We were praying to God, we wouldnt get rushed to the emergency room or have to go under the surgeons knife because if we did, our goose was cooked, he said. Thank God for Obamacare. It was my lifeline. RALEIGH The Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature can keep for now its authority to confirm Cabinet secretaries of the new Democratic governor, a state judicial panel has ruled. Three trial court judges rejected the request of Gov. Roy Cooper to extend a temporary block on the confirmation law the judges had issued last week. The law is among many approved just before Cooper took office and viewed by Democrats as undermining his authority. The law subjects Cooper's department heads to the "advice and consent" of a majority of senators. Cooper sued last month, saying confirmation doesn't apply to his picks. The judges' order, released Tuesday, rejected Cooper's argument he would suffer irreparable harm if Cabinet members that he's chosen had to go before Senate committees. The governor could return and seek an injunction again if a secretary fails to receive confirmation, the judges wrote, but for now, the harm is "speculative." Senators earlier laid out a plan to hold confirmation hearings on Cooper's eight current Cabinet picks through mid-March. The first hearing had been scheduled last week, but the judges' temporary block was released hours before that meeting. The judges heard more oral arguments last Friday on extending the delay. Republican legislative leaders say the state Constitution gives the Senate authority to scrutinize the Cabinet, but attorneys for Cooper's attorney say confirmation doesn't apply to his Cabinet and cuts into core powers. Tuesday's order doesn't address the constitutional issues raised in the litigation. A trial on those issues is scheduled for early next month. Republican Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore praised the judges' denial of Cooper's request. "It is incredibly encouraging that this court has shown judicial restraint and rejected Gov. Cooper's extraordinary request to stop the people's elected representatives from conducting a fair, open and transparent hearing process to determine whether his proposed Cabinet secretaries are qualified, without conflicts of interest, and willing to follow the law," they said in a release. Cooper's spokespeople didn't immediately provide Tuesday a comment on the judges' order. It wasn't immediately clear if Senate confirmation hearings would now begin. In the new order, dated late Monday, Superior Court Judges Jesse Caldwell, Todd Burke and Jeffrey Foster suggested the confirmation process could be held up because they wrote state law requires Cooper to submit his nominees before May 15. All eight announced Cabinet members have been sworn in and are performing their duties. The Cabinet appointees "can serve as acting officers pending the selection and qualification process and may appear before the General Assembly on matters related to their service," the judge wrote. The GOP-led General Assembly and the governor already have been fighting in court on other matters. The same three-judge panel blocked another new law that shifted oversight of elections away from the governor and toward the legislature. After several days of legal filings, the state Supreme Court preserved that ruling late Monday. In federal court, a judge agreed with Moore and Berger last month and blocked attempts by Cooper or President Barack Obama's administration to approve Medicaid expansion in the state. Several years ago I put a self-imposed moratorium on the term separation of church and state, resisting use of the phrase in my book Baptist Ways: A History, unless citing its utilization in the Baptist past. Rather, words like religious liberty, or religious freedom seem the more expansive and descriptive terms. Religious liberty compels dissent, since states and churches are ever tempted to cut deals with each other. Recently I accepted an invitation to participate in the American Values, American Religion project in which 100 academics wrote letters to be sent to the president, vice president, cabinet members and legislators, each day for the administrations first 100 days. Contributors addressed issues from our own particular faith traditions. My letter reads: The Baptist tradition that I claim and that claims me began in religious dissent. Thomas Helwys, Baptist founder, resisted all attempts by government or state-privileged religions to coerce individual faith. In A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity (1612), he advised King James I that governments should permit all persons to choose their religion themselves, seeing they only must stand themselves before the judgment seat of God ... when it shall be no excuse for them to say, We were commanded or compelled to be of this religion by the king or by them that had authority from him. In 1636, when the Puritan religious establishment exiled Roger Williams, Americas quintessential dissenter, into the howling wilderness of New England, he purchased land from the Narragansets, founding Providence (Rhode Island) the first colony to offer liberty to persons of differing religions or no religion at all. Williams called it a shelter for persons distressed of conscience communicating his purchase to loving friends ... who desired to take shelter here with me. Good citizenship, Williams said, was not limited to Christians, but Jews, Turks, Muslims or anti-Christians could be peaceable and quiet subjects, loving and helpful neighbours. Williams legacy continued with 18th century Virginia Baptist John Leland, who asserted that Bible Christians and Deists alike were free to resist self-named Christians, who tyrannized the consciences of others, under the specious garb of religion and good order. Across American history, such religious pluralism is often granted grudgingly, whether exiling Baptists, hanging Quakers, shooting Catholics and Mormons, jailing Jehovahs Witnesses, or burning churches, mosques, and synagogues along the way. Dissent remains perilous. I hope the U.S. endures as a shelter for persons distressed of conscience. Those who prefer otherwise can blame the early Baptists. No sooner was the letter released than President Trump told the National Prayer Breakfast that he would move quickly to destroy the Johnson Amendment, that 1954 law restricting tax-exempt churches and non-profits from endorsing specific candidates for public office. Many in Trumps 81-percent evangelical-voter base urge revocation of the law, believing it violates their religious liberty. Truth is, many churches, left and right, are politically active, voicing positions for conscience sake in the public square. Yet some insist on endorsing Christian candidates while bellying up to the governmental trough for tax exemption and the ministerial-housing-allowance-tax-break. Such tax benefits prompt my avoidance of the phrase separation of church and state, and my questions about overturning the Johnson Amendment. If church and state were really separate, then churches and ministers wouldnt be receiving government entitlements. So if the Johnson Law were annulled, shouldnt churches that endorse candidates relinquish their tax exemption for conscience sake; and a witness for religious and gospel liberty? But my greater concern regarding the proposed legal revision is not about government, but about church. Revocation of the Johnson ruling could split churches wide open. While some congregations reflect strong consensus on socio-political agendas, most include members with differing approaches to government and governing, but who celebrate shared worship and ministry nonetheless. Will we create an ecclesio-political situation that further divides already fragmented Christian communions and individuals? Will churches self-identify as First Baptist (Republican), or Mt. Pisgah (Democratic) Missionary Baptist? Will campaign contributions be included in stewardship appeals, i.e. feed the poor or help the party? Even now, some ministers are being warned/threatened to avoid politicization in the pulpit; others are chastised for failure to express political positions favored by congregational constituencies. Abolishing the Johnson Amendment could extend polarization, deepening possibilities for church and interpersonal dissonance. Conscience and gospel oblige us all to respond to the injustices we perceive in the nation and the world. But Christian conscience underwritten by tax favors from the state may dilute our witness and devalue the Gospel we claim to represent. In the second major blow to the Trump presidency in 3 1/2 weeks the first being the travel ban fiasco National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, whom many predicted would eventually step on a rake, was forced to resign hours after The Post broke the news that the Justice Department had warned the White House that Flynn, despite denials to Vice President Pence and other Trump officials, had spoken to the Russian ambassador about sanctions during the Trump transition. This was a spectacular, but not unexpected flame-out for someone whose temperament and preparation for the job was openly questioned. (He was previously fired for poor management skills from his post as director of the National Intelligence Agency.) For the Trump administration, the portrait of a presidency in a tailspin and a president overwhelmed by the demands of running the executive branch threatens to paralyze the administration. The Posts report that set off the chain of events leading to Flynns ouster uncovered that the acting attorney general informed the Trump White House late last month that she believed Michael Flynn had misled senior administration officials about the nature of his communications with the Russian ambassador to the United States, and warned that the national security adviser was potentially vulnerable to Russian blackmail, current and former U.S. officials said. The report continued, The message, delivered by Sally Q. Yates and a senior career national security official to the White House counsel, was prompted by concerns that Flynn, when asked about his calls and texts with the Russian diplomat, had told Vice-President-elect Mike Pence and others that he had not discussed the Obama administration sanctions on Russia for its interference in the 2016 election, the officials said. It is unclear what the White House counsel, Donald McGahn, did with the information. No one in the administration or GOP congressional leadership looks very good here. Trump never should have hired Flynn, whom many warned had peculiar ties to Russia and a penchant for conspiracy theories. Kellyanne Conway, whose interviews are peppered with wrong and misleading information, said in a TV appearance just hours before Flynn resigned that he had the full confidence of the president. Republicans have been negligent in their oversight responsibilities. And the man purportedly with the most power and influence over the president, Steve Bannon, who was given a seat at the NSC principals meetings, cannot escape blame either. Along with Flynn, Bannon has pushed a pro-Russia line and vetoed proposed candidates for office who have substantial experience, including most recently, Elliott Abrams, whom Bannon supposedly nixed as deputy secretary of state. Flynns departure and the fate of Abrams, whom Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson badly wanted for his deputy, are reminders that the administration needs more than a new national security adviser. Abrams, remarkably cheery and forthright for someone who was put through a public ordeal, in a CNN interview Monday night revealed Bannon was the only one in the administration who opposed Abrams, a seasoned and widely respected conservative foreign policy veteran. Abrams urged the president not to rule out qualified people because of harsh words said during a campaign. Its not just Trump, but Bannon, who would benefit from that counsel. But what decent and competent person at this point would walk into the West Wing, which seems more like the Star Wars bar scene with each passing day? There may still be public servants such as Abrams who are willing to help Cabinet secretaries succeed or to join Trumps West Wing. Perhaps, as is rumored, retired Gen. David Petraeus will replace Flynn, provided Bannon is kept out of the NSC and Petraeus is reassured Trump is not a Russian patsy. If Trump is to turn around his sinking presidency, he no longer has the luxury of excluding qualified people who may have uttered critical words about him during the campaign. He cannot allow multiple power centers, each headed by a cutthroat aide who lacks governing experience. And he may need to quarantine Bannon, keeping him far from issues with serious international implications. It is far from clear Trump is capable of accepting responsibility and changing his mode of operation. Hes relied on lies and chaos to get him where he is, but now that those fail him, he may find himself without the emotional and intellectual resources to succeed. In that case, we make not see any significant course correction until 2018, when voters have a chance to rethink their decision to put Trump and his cronies in the White House and spineless Republicans in the majority in both houses of Congress. Fans of the namaste bow or tree pose will soon have a new studio to practice their regular stretching and breathing techniques, as Essential Yoga recently held its soft opening at 140 West Richardson Street (upstairs from Katie Mae's) in Summerville's historic downtown area. Read moreEssential Yoga debuts in Summerville Lets talk about offbeat news: We humans get ourselves into some interesting situations, to put it mildly. The first one made me laugh out loud. I felt bad for the cop, but lol. Read moreSmith Says: Deputy uses taser on K9 unit that attacked cow Reddit Email 3 Shares TeleSur | We believe that the grave emotional instability indicated by Mr. Trumps speech and actions makes him incapable of serving safely as president. U.S. President Donald Trump suffers from grave emotional instability which makes him incapable of serving safely as president, 33 psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers warned in a letter to The New York Times Monday. Mr. Trumps speech and actions demonstrate an inability to tolerate views different from his own, leading to rage reactions, the mental health professionals explained in the letter. His words and behavior suggest a profound inability to empathize. Individuals with these traits distort reality to suit their psychological state, attacking facts and those who convey them (journalists, scientists). The letter further explained that mental health organizations in the U.S. have always maintained silence when it came to public figures and politicians as part of a self-imposed rule as part of the American Psychiatric Association. The rule says that mental health professionals should not comment on such figures because they have not been examined. But this silence has resulted in a failure to lend our expertise to worried journalists and members of Congress at this critical time. We fear that too much is at stake to be silent any longer, the letter said. The experts further warned that attacks on journalists and scientists are likely to increase by Trump as his personal myth of greatness appears to be confirmed. We believe that the grave emotional instability indicated by Mr. Trumps speech and actions makes him incapable of serving safely as president. The letter was posted by its main signatory Lance Dodes, a retired Harvard Medical School assistant clinical professor of psychiatry. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been expressing concern over Trumps mental health. Minnesota Democrat Senator Al Franken said in an interview Friday that some congresspersons think the president is not right mentally. He also said that Republican lawmakers say that Trump lies a lot and says things that arent true. Via TeleSur Related video added by Juan Cole: The Young Turks: Republicans Nervous About Trumps Emotional Stability? Reddit Email 0 Shares Michael T. Klare | ( Tomdispatch.com) | If theres a single consistent aspect to Donald Trumps strategic vision, its this: U.S. foreign policy should always be governed by the simple principle of America First, with this countrys vital interests placed above those of all others. We will always put Americas interests first, he declared in his victory speech in the early hours of November 9th. From this day forward, its going to be only America first, America first, he insisted in his Inaugural Address on January 20th. Since then, however, everything hes done in the international arena has, intentionally or not, placed Americas interests behind those of its arch-rivals, China and Russia. So to be accurate, his guiding policy formula should really be relabeled America Third. Given 19 months of bravado public rhetoric, there was no way to imagine a Trumpian presidency that would favor Americas leading competitors. Throughout the campaign, he castigated China for its predatory trade practices, insisting that it had exploited Americas weak enforcement policies to eviscerate our economy and kill millions of jobs. The money theyve drained out of the United States has rebuilt China, he told reporters from the New York Times in no uncertain terms last March. While he expressed admiration for the strong leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he decried that countrys buildup of advanced nuclear weapons. They have gone wild with their nuclear program, he stated during the second presidential debate. Not good! Judging by such comments, you might imagine that Donald Trump would have entered the Oval Office with a strategic blueprint for curbing the geopolitical sway of Americas two principal potential great power rivals. Presumably, this would have entailed a radical transformation of the strategy devised by the Obama administration for this purpose a two-pronged effort that involved the reinforcement of NATO forces in Eastern Europe and the rebalancing of U.S. military assets to the Asia-Pacific region. Obamas strategy also envisioned the use of economic pacts the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to buttress those military measures. But Trump had made known his disdain for NATO and the TPP, so it was reasonable to assume that he would arrive in Washington with an alternative plan to ensure Americas primacy on the global strategic chessboard. As President Trump has made clear in recent weeks, however, his primary strategic priorities do not include the advancement of Americas status in the race for global strategic preeminence. Instead, as indicated by the outline of his America First Foreign Policy posted on the White House website, his top objectives are the extermination of what he calls radical Islamic terrorism and the enhancement of Americas overseas trade balance. Just how vital these objectives may be in the larger scheme of things has been the subject of considerable debate, but few have noted that Trump has completely abandoned any notion that the U.S. is engaged in a global struggle for power and wealth with two potentially fierce competitors, each possessing its own plan for achieving greatness. And its not just that Trump seems to have abandoned the larger geopolitical playing field to Americas principal rivals. He appears to be doing everything in his power to facilitate their advance at the expense of the United States. In just the first few weeks of his presidency, he has already taken numerous steps that have put the wind in both Chinas and Russias sails, while leaving the U.S. adrift. Trumps China-First Foreign Policy In his approach to China, Donald Trump has been almost exclusively focused on the issue of trade, claiming that his primary goal is to combat the unfair practices that have allowed the Chinese to get rich at Americas expense. Its hardly surprising, then, that his nominee as U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, is an outspoken critic of that countrys trade behavior. It seems clear that the U.S. manufacturing crisis is related to our trade with China, he told Congress in 2010. But while trade may be an important part of the U.S.-China relationship, Trumps single-minded fixation on the issue leaves aside far more crucial political, economic, diplomatic, and military aspects of the Sino-American competition for world power and influence. By largely ignoring them, in just weeks in the Oval Office, President Trump has already enabled China to gain ground on many fronts. This was evident in January at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. While no senior representative of the soon-to-be installed Trump administration even put in an appearance, China was represented by no less than President Xi Jinping himself, a first appearance for a Chinese head of state. In a major address, denouncing (no names mentioned) those who seek to turn away from globalization, Xi portrayed China as the worlds new exemplar of free trade and internationalism. Say no to protectionism, he insisted. It is like locking yourself in a dark room. Wind and rain are kept out, but so are light and air. For many of the 1,250 CEOs, celebrities, and government officials in the audience, his appearance and remarks represented an almost mind-boggling shift in the global balance of political influence, as Washington ceded the pivotal position it had long occupied on the world stage. Six days later, on his first weekday in office, President Trump appeared to confirm the Chinese leaders derisory comments by announcing his intent to withdraw from negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, thereby abandoning U.S. leadership in efforts to vastly augment trade in the Asia-Pacific region. From Trumps perspective, the 12-nation trade deal (which included Australia, Malaysia, Japan, and Vietnam, while carefully excluding China) would harm American workers and manufacturers by facilitating exports to this country by the other participants (a view shared by some on the left). At the same time, however, many in Washington saw it as bolstering American efforts to limit Beijings influence by increasing trade among the prospective TPP member states at Chinas expense. Now, China has an unparalleled opportunity to reorganize and potentially reorient trade in the Asian region in its direction. Theres no doubt that this action will be seen as a huge, huge win for China, said Michael Froman, the trade representative who negotiated the TPP under President Obama. For the Trump administration, after all this talk about being tough on China, for their first action to basically hand the keys to China and say were withdrawing from our leadership position in this region is geo-strategically damaging. Among other things, China is expected to encourage Asian countries to join it in an alternative trade arrangement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Including the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and India (but not the United States), the RCEP aims to lower barriers to trade without the environmental and labor-rights provisions incorporated into the TPP. On January 28th, in a phone conversation that ended abruptly, President Trump further undermined Americas geopolitical stature in Asia by berating Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia, a country that has been a staunch American ally since World War II and which houses several U.S. military bases. According to press accounts, Trump responded angrily to Turnbulls plea to honor a promise made by President Obama to take in some 1,250 refugees many from Iraq being held by Australia in squalid conditions in offshore detention centers. I dont want these people, Trump is said to have shouted before hanging up on the Australian leader. The insulting tenor of the call has provoked widespread revulsion in Australia, with many people there reportedly questioning the value of that countrys close association with the United States. Above all, his rebuff of Turnbull is thought to be beneficial to China. Trump is needlessly damaging the deep trust that binds one of Americas closest alliances, said Professor Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University in Canberra. China and those wishing to weaken the strongest alliance in the Pacific will see opportunity in this moment. Trump, China, and the Global Climate Fight Perhaps the greatest gift Trump has bestowed on China, however, has been his drive to scuttle the Obama administrations clean energy initiatives and its commitment to the Paris climate agreement. By turning the clock back on climate action and putting in office a crew of climate-change deniers, Trump has opened the door for China to emerge both as the worlds leader in green technology (while creating millions of new jobs for Chinese workers) and in international efforts to slow global warming. Recall that in pursuing progress on clean energy, President Obama was driven not only by a concern for the future depredations of climate change, but also by a desire to ensure American preeminence in what he perceived as a global race to master the green technologies of the future, a race in which China was feared to be a likely winner. In 2013, he pointed out that, until recently, other countries had dominated the clean energy market and the jobs that came with it, [but] weve begun to change that As long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy, so must we. To assure American primacy in the clean-energy race, Obama channeled vast sums of money into the development and deployment of renewable technologies, including advanced solar power plants and electrical storage devices. He also assumed a leadership role in the diplomatic drive to gain approval of the Paris accord, meeting personally with Xi Jinping and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, among others. From an international perspective, this lent the United States the aura of an enlightened, forward-looking world power. Donald Trump aims to turn his back on all of this. More interested in pleasing his friends in the fossil fuel industry than saving the planet from ruin, he has repeatedly expressed his resolve to eviscerate Obamas clean energy plan and withdraw from the Paris agreement. The U.S. will clearly change its course on climate policy, said Myron Ebell, the climate-change denier who headed Trumps Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transition team. Trump has made it clear he will withdraw from the Paris Agreement. He could do it by executive order or he could do it as part of a larger package, Ebell told reporters on January 30th. Whether or not Trump and his prospective EPA director, former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, succeed in unraveling everything that Obama achieved, the new administration has already ceded leadership in the global climate fight to the Chinese, who have been all too happy to seize the limelight. In January, Beijings chief climate change negotiator, Xie Zhenhua, affirmed his countrys intention to be out front on climate issues. China is capable of taking a leadership role in combating global climate change, he told reporters from China Daily. While gaining international recognition as the new leader in this area, China is also moving swiftly to assume primacy in the development and deployment of new green technologies, assuring future domination of a global market expected to grow by leaps and bounds in the decades to come. On January 5th, the countrys National Energy Administration announced a plan to spend $360 billion on renewable energy systems between 2016 and 2020. This is expected to create perhaps 13 million new jobs. Although detailed spending plans were not disclosed, much of this largesse will undoubtedly be devoted to new wind and solar installations fields in which China already enjoys a substantial advantage over the rest of the world. From an economic perspective, the implications of this drive are hard to miss. Many energy experts believe that the demand for oil and other fossil fuels will begin to decline in the years ahead as consumers increasingly favor clean energy over carbon-emitting fuels. If so, the demand for renewables will skyrocket. According to the latest projections from the International Energy Agency in Paris, the demand for wind power in electricity generation will grow by 440% between 2014 and 2040, and that for solar power by over 1,100%. Given the worlds colossal thirst for energy, growth on this scale is bound to generate trillions of dollars in new business. In other words, the anti-green posture of the Trump administration offers the gift of the century to China: an extraordinary shift in global wealth. Trumps Russia-Second Foreign Policy If President Trump appears determined to make China the worlds leading power, he also seems strangely intent on elevating Russia to the number two spot. In his single-minded drive to enlist Moscows help in fighting ISIS, he appears willing to eliminate any barriers to Russian President Vladimir Putins undisguised campaign to establish a sphere of influence in the territory of the former Soviet Union and other areas once under Moscows sway. Ever since assuming the presidency in 2000, Vladimir Putin has made no secret of his determination to restore Russias former glory and to reverse what he and like-minded Russian analysts view as NATOs encroachment on Russias legitimate security zone in eastern and southeastern Europe. This led to the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea and the barely-disguised Russian intervention in eastern Ukraine. For the Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and other Eastern European countries once under Moscows thumb, this has, in turn, rekindled fears of a new Russian drive to subvert their independence. More recently, Putin has sought to reestablish the former Soviet Unions ties to the Middle East, most notably through his military intervention in Syria. In conjunction with Americas NATO allies, President Obama sought to curb Putins plans by imposing tough economic sanctions on Russia and by bolstering the defenses of NATOs front-line states. Last July, at a NATO summit in Warsaw, he and the leaders of Britain, Canada, and Germany agreed to deploy reinforced battalions to Poland and the three Baltic states as a deterrent to any future Russian attack on those countries. Had she been elected president, Hillary Clinton was expected to step up the pressure further on Moscow. For Trump, however, Putins transgressions in Europe and elsewhere seem to be of little consequence in comparison to his possible collaboration in fighting the Islamic State. I think it would be great if we got along with Russia because we could fight ISIS together, he declared during the second presidential debate last October. As for NATO and the Europeans, Trump has indicated little sympathy for their worries about Moscow and has shown little inclination to increase Americas contributions to their defense. Not only did he claim that NATO was obsolete last March, insisting that it wasnt doing enough to fight terrorism, but that it was unfair, economically, to us, because it really helps them more so than the United States, and we pay a disproportionate share. Since assuming the presidency, President Trump has behaved as if Russia were indeed a key ally-in-waiting and the NATO powers were former lovers who had lost their appeal. Yes, he met with British Prime Minister Theresa May before any other foreign leader, but he remained silent when she spoke of the need to maintain pressure on Moscow through sanctions, making her look at that moment like an unwelcome houseguest. Later, he spoke at length with Putin by telephone. From published accounts of their conversation, they avoided awkward topics like Crimea and the Russian hacking scandal of the election past, discussing instead increased collaboration in counterterrorism operations. While the Trump team had little to report on the specifics of what was said, Russian officials were effusive about the conversation. The two leaders emphasized that joining efforts in fighting the main threat international terrorism is a top priority, they indicated. According to the Russian media, Trump and Putin agreed in their January 28th phone call to arrange high-level meetings among their senior security staff to facilitate collaboration in the anti-ISIS war. Included in many of these reports was speculation that the two leaders were moving towards a conceptual understanding whereby Washington would grant Moscow a zone of influence in the former Soviet space in return for Russian cooperation in battling ISIS. Whether or not Trump agreed to any such plan, it appears that events are beginning to proceed as if he had, with Russia evidently playing a more aggressive role in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks. In this way, Trumps embrace of Russia as a legitimate partner in anti-ISIS operations has given Putin what he seeks more than anything else: recognition as an equal player on the world stage with the United States and China despite the fact that he presides over a rickety petro-state with a weakened economy the size of Italys. Choosing Number Three For all his talk of placing Americas interests first, Donald Trump appears to be advancing the interests of China and Russia, not as the result of conscious policy, but because hes driven by such a narrow view of Americas foreign policy priorities: counterterrorism against Islamic radicalism, the exclusion of Mexicans and Muslims from the U.S., and an improved balance of trade. The broader dimensions of international relations do not seem to register on his mental radar screen, such as it is. How does this affect us? The biggest danger: that China and Russia will feel emboldened by Trumps narrow-minded approach to seek geopolitical advantage in some area like the South China Sea or the Baltic Sea region that is either important to the United States or seen as bearing on its prestige and credibility. In that case, the president, feeling personally threatened or affronted on the issue of Americas presumed paramountcy, might respond forcefully, possibly igniting a major crisis with nuclear implications. Even if such a crisis is avoided, its likely that American influence in such areas as Eastern Europe and South Asia will diminish, resulting in fewer trade opportunities and possibly a rollback of rights and liberties (which could, of course, happen in the U.S. as well). Certainly, if his first weeks in office are indicative of what a Trumpian vision of an America First policy means, we are entering a period when the phrase multipolar world will gain new meaning. Most important of all, the abandonment of U.S. leadership in the struggle to slow global warming will mean both the surrender of technological preeminence in the fields most likely to dominate the world economy in the decades to come and a far greater chance of planetary catastrophe. This should be considered a betrayal of all Americans and especially of those who voted for him in the belief that he would ensure Americas political and economic primacy. Michael T. Klare, a TomDispatch regular, is a professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College and the author, most recently, of The Race for Whats Left. A documentary movie version of his book Blood and Oil is available from the Media Education Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @mklare1. 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 Michael T. Klare Via Tomdispatch.com Jenn McKinlay One of my very favorite places in my neighborhood is the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ When I moved to Arizona in 1992, it was one of the first places I visited and came to be the place I frequently brought out of town guests to visit, well, after a pop in at the iconic Sugar Bowl, which is right down the street. As an aspiring writer, I dreamed of one day signing at the Poisoned Pen. While I suffered years of rejection, the Pen was a place I would visit to be inspired. It's shelves are full to bursting with books, the staff always knows exactly what book you need to read when you need to read it, and hanging from the ceilings are dozens and dozens of portraits of visiting authors, smiling down at you in a most engaging way. The driving force behind the famous bookstore is Barbara Peters. Full disclosure, when I first met Barbara I was terrified of her. To begin with she holds a BA from Stanford, an MA from Northwestern and an MSLS from the University of Tennessee. She founded the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in 1989 and it is now, and has been for a long while, one of the world's largest mystery-centric bookstores. Together with her husband Rob Rosenwald, they have been recipients of the Raven Award from the Mystery Writer's of America and a Lifetime Achievement Award from Bouchercon, the annual mystery writers conference. She is charming and engaging, no question, but she is formidably brilliant (librarian!), reads voraciously, seriously, I think she reads over a hundred books per month or is that per week, and has traveled the world extensively, next stop Peru! Jenn reading her dedication to Barbara Luckily, since my first mystery published in 2009, I have signed at the Pen at least twenty-five times (I'm going for the record of person who has signed there the most) and Barbara has become a very dear friend. In fact, I dedicated my book At the Drop of a Hat to Barbara and the staff of the Pen, which, for all that they do, should really have been entitled --A Tip of the Brim. When I was invited to blog with Jungle Red (thank you, ladies) I knew that one of the very first posts I would do would be an interview with Barbara. Some might think it is revenge for all of the times she's had me in the hot seat. You would be right! Without further ado, I give you my QandA with Barbara Peters, Bookseller Extraordinaire. 1. What was the impetus for opening a mystery bookstore? On the fatal day when my new husband Robert Rosenwald (little did he know where it would lead) said to me, "Now that you can do whatever you want, what is it you are going to do?" I replied, I'd like to go back to books. To Rob that meant I'd return to the Library of Congress where I'd been a librarian in its fast track to the top Intern Program (now defunct) and he said, I am not moving to DC. So I said, "Ok, a little bookstore." Drawing from my law background I knew a specialty was the key in the face of the rise of BN and Borders, both huge in Phoenix, so I thought, a mystery bookstore would be fun. In truth I'm a romance history and biography reader as much as a mystery fan, but mystery was just too cool to resist. Besides in 1989 there was a whole community of mystery bookstores which, sadly, is now gone. The Pen has become a bookstore for fiction, and whatever else we like. 2. What advice would you offer a new author on their first book tour? Rhys and Barbara in hats! Assuming it's been arranged by the publisher, email ahead to offer information, a short statement about your book and why you wrote it. Ask what time you should arrive. Be on time. Dress appropriately (seriously, you'd be amazed how many do not). Prepare a short pitch for your book. Reply to questions cheerfully, not contentiously. It can get personal sometimes, you never know, but don't let it get to you. Bring a pen. Fans might like little promo items but most bookstores haven't got room to display them and don't want to keep track of them, so don't go crazy with bookmarks, etc. Leave your email address with the store and/or cell phone in case follow up is needed. If you have any serious complaints, tell your publicist but don't air them on social media. 3. You've seen a lot of authors break out. What similarities have you seen amongst them? Sadly it's often a function of whether your publisher is sold on your book (ie did your editor pitch it well to sales?) and thus devoted promo bucks to you. You can never discount the effect of serious publisher push. You can't discount the role of luck either: your topic got hot; someone influential liked your book. Series can gain momentum; a first book can make a small dent but then it builds. Perseverance and patience in building is a key. Another today is social media; how well can you use it? And how often is the author out and visible? Personality, the ability to perform, can propel careers. BUT for me, it's all about your voice, how well you tell your story, your enthusiasm for your work. If an author writes well and believes in the work, the odds rise. It's all very mysterious and a writer is both in charge of his destiny and at the mercy of factors beyond control and unforeseen (like the books that got dumped after 9/11 made them irrelevant). Hank at the Pen with CJ Box and Linwood Barclay A great example of an author with faith in his work is Craig Johnson. His first book got attention, but hey, it featured a Wyoming Sheriff in a small county. Viking sent Craig to The Poisoned Pen on a small tour. His second book, no tour so Craig asked if he could still come and he rode his motorcycle to Scottsdale. It took the two of us, him determined to showcase his work, me happy to cooperate. Book three might have been Viking, might have been The Pen paying. And then, here's the luck factor, TV came along and now he's a bestseller. 4. What do you see for the future of brick and mortar bookstores? Ingrid in the hot seat! Bright. Digital sales are dropping, print sales rising. 2016, more print books sold than digital. Recent Book of the Month club reporting said a significant percentage of its 70% women members were readers in their 20s and 30s. Bookstores are a place to experience, to browse and make serendipitous finds, and for community. It's a safe night or afternoon out to attend a function or just browse. It's a parent/child bonding place as well as a date place. Every bookstore is different, and reflects its location, its staff, and its community. Many of those that crashed in the wake of the now imperiled BN model were not businesses but hobbies so one positive of more competition online and brick and mortar is that bookstores have to be better run as a business. 5. And lastly because you own the Poisoned Pen Press, as well, what makes you buy a book from a new author? Voice. I can fix anything else but if you are boring, or offensive, I can't help you. JENN: And the answer to that last question is one of the many reasons, I adore Barbara. She cracks me up! Every month, the Poisoned Pen sends out a postcard of upcoming events (see picture) and note two of our very own Reds are coming to town -- Deborah on Feb 18 and Rhys on Mar 1. To sign up for their mailer or to order autographed books from your favorite authors, visit: https://poisonedpen.com And now, Reds, tell us what's your favorite bookstore? Do you go to author events? And if you have a question for Barbara, ask away! One lucky commenter will win this snazzy Poisoned Pen tote bag! Anthem [corporate website] filed a lawsuit [press release] on Wednesday in an attempt to block Cigna Corp [corporate website] from terminating their proposed $54 billion deal [merger agreement, PDF]. The deal in question would have created the largest membership of any US health insurer. Cigna ended the merger after a federal judge ruled against the merger [JURIST report] last week, stating it would further complicate an already concentrated market. Cigna has stated [Reuters report] that Anthem is required to pay $1.85 billion in break-ups fees and is seeking $13 billion in damages for its shareholders who did not receive the takeover premium. Anthem has stated that the actions by Cigna are a clear attempt at merger sabotage [Forbes report] and that nothing is owed to Cigna who repeatedly breached the Merger Agreement in an attempt to sabotage the deal. Anthem and Cigna both filed suits in the Delaware Chancery Court, and Anthem is seeking an appeal from the previous District Court ruling blocking the merger. Anthem hopes to get an extension for the merger agreement and a temporary restraining order against Cigna. Mergers between Health Insurance companies have come under fire in recent months. The Department of Justice sued to halt the merger between Anthem and Cigna in July on the grounds that the acquisition would substantially lessen [press release] the competition in the health insurance market. In the same month the DOJ also released a decision [complaint, PDF] that a merger between Aetna and Human would inhibit competition and hurt consumers. The lawsuit resulted in the merger being blocked [JURIST report] by a judge for the US District Court for the District of Columbia in January. Argentine prosecutor Juan Pedro Zoni asked a court on Tuesday to investigate [press release, in Spanish] President Mauricio Macri [official profile, in Spanish] and other government officials over a deal the national government made with a company owned by Macris family. Zoni is also seeking to investigate Communication Minister Oscar Aguad and the director of legal affairs for the Communication Ministry, Juan Manuel Mocoroa. Sociedad Macri (SOCMA) owned the national post office, Correo Argentino [official website, in Spanish], from 1997 until it went bankrupt and re-nationalized in 2003. SOCMA owed a debt of about 296 Argentinian pesos as a result of running the postal office, but the government entered into a deal [Guardian report] with the company last year, As part of the deal, SOCMA is to make yearly payments until the year 2033, paying close to double the amount owed. However, prosecutors allege that this agreement is not favorable [Clarin report, in Spanish] to the state because it does not account for interest on the debt and the majority of the payment would be made toward the end of the payment period. The prosecutor believes this agreement absolves the company of paying 98.2% of the total debt. The announcement of the investigation comes just one week after the general prosecutor of the national Commercial Apellate Court, Gabriela Boquin, urged [press release, in Spanish] the government to reject this deal. She stated that the government would lose over 70 billion Argentinian pesos from the debt by the year 2033. She further warned that there could be a conflict of interest in having the executive branch negotiate a deal that would directly or indirectly benefit members of the presidents family. Macris predecessor, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, has also experienced legal troubles. Kirchner was indicted [JURIST report] in December on allegations of corruption, accused of illicit association and fraudulent administration in connection with the use of funds meant for public works. In 2015 a judge in Argentina dismissed [JURIST report] criminal allegations against Fernandez that accused her of conspiring to shield Iranian officials from responsibility for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires. Fernandez was accused [JURIST report] of the cover up in January 2015. [JURIST] The US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit [official website] on Monday affirmed [opinion, PDF] a lower court ruling in favor of a pro-marijuana student group that was barred from using university trademarks. Iowa State University (ISU) [official website] allows student organizations to use its name and insignia on merchandise to raise awareness for causes. However, the schools chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws [advocacy website], or NORML ISU, was denied such trademarks after they were used on pro-marijuana clothing displaying cannabis leaves. The Eighth Circuit found that the school had created a limited public forum for speech upon offering its trademarks to organizations under certain conditions. In such cases, state universities may not discriminate against speech on the basis of its viewpoint. While ISU argued that its decision was not politically motivated, the court found that evidence proved the contrary. Due to the existence of a limited public forum, the court would also not grant ISU the defense of engaging in government speech. The court concluded by noting that since NORML ISU was only promoting reform to marijuana laws, and not illegal use, they did not violate ISUs trademark policies. The court therefore decided that NORML ISU was entitled to injunctive relief. Marijuana legalization has been gaining momentum in the US. Last month Maine Governor Paul LePage signed a marijuana moratorium bill [JURIST report] into law, just three days before recreational marijuana becomes legal in Maine. In December Massachusettss governor also signed a bill delaying [JURIST Report] portions of the states marijuana legalization initiative. In addition to Maine and Massachusetts, California and Nevada also voted [JURIST report] in November to legalize marijuana. In April Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill [JURIST report] legalizing medical marijuana. Last February the Utah Senate voted to advance a bill [JURIST report] that would legalize the use of medical marijuana in various forms such as vapor or edible form. In 2015 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed two bills [JURIST report] in order to expedite the distribution of medical marijuana to citizens with critical health conditions. Earlier that year New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed [JURIST report] a bill into law that would allow for the administering of edible medical marijuana to sick and disabled children on school grounds without triggering the arrests of parents or educators. The US House of Representatives Oversight Committee [official website] voted [materials] Monday to block Washington, DCs Death with Dignity legislation [text, PDF]. HJ Res 27 was voted out of committee by a 22-14 vote to begin the process of preventing physician assisted death after the city passed the measure [JURIST report] last year. The move is permitted under the Home Rule Act of 1973 [text, PDF], which allows Congress to intervene in the affairs of the District. The mayor of DC released a statement condemning [press release] the vote. The legislation will still need to be approved by Congress. The DC bill is similar to previously passed measures, beginning in 1997 with the Oregon Death with Dignity Act [official materials]. The Oregon law was upheld [JURIST report] by the US Supreme Court in 2006. In 2008 the Montana First Judicial District ruled [JURIST report] that physicians cannot be prosecuted under state statutes for providing prescriptions for lethal drugs to terminally ill patients. Washington state also approved a similar lethal prescription ballot initiative in 2008, and the Vermont legislature approved legislation [JURIST reports] in 2013. In August the California Superior Court rejected a challenge [JURIST report] to the states recently enacted aid in dying law [text]. Colorado also recently voted in Proposition 106 [JURIST report], which granted terminally ill adult patients to right to self-administer lethal drugs after receiving approval from two physicians. A judicial official on Tuesday ruled [report, PDF] in favor of Georgia in a water consumption dispute with Florida. The official urged [AJC report] the US Supreme Court [official website] to reject water consumption limits placed on Georgia, which the state argued would constitute billions of dollars in losses to Georgias economy [AJC report]. Ralph Lancaster, a special master appointed by the Supreme Court, found [AP report] that Florida failed to show that a consumption cap was necessary. The dispute arises from water flowing from Lake Lanier downstream through Alabama and to Floridas Apalachicola Bay. Florida and Alabama have argued that Georgia draws more than its share from the water supply, posing a serious threat to the ecological system. Florida blames Georgias use on the collapse of their oyster industry in Apalachicola Bay. Floridas lawsuit aimed to cap Georgias consumption by allowing the Atlanta area to consume the amounts of water at 1992 levels when Atlantas metro area consisted of 3 million people instead of the current 5.4 million populations consumption. This ruling is not final as the Supreme Court can reject the recommendation or choose to take a different approach. The dispute over the usage of the water between Georgia and Florida goes back almost 60 years. In 1956 the Army Corps of Engineers [official website] formed Lake Lanier after their construction of the Buford Damn thereby impounding the Chattahoochee River. They Corps released guidelines [text, PDF] on the usage of Lake Laniers water in 1959. In 1997 Georgia, Alabama and Florida formed a commission to determine an allocation formula, but the commission dissolved in 2003 after agreement could not be reached. Lawsuits and conflicts began to arise between the states after a 2007 drought [Drought profile] hit the Southeast. The matter before the Supreme Court [SCOTUSblog materials] arose in 2013 when Florida requested an order restricting Georgias water usage. Civil rights lawyers filed a lawsuit [text, PDF] Monday after immigration agents in Washington state detained [LAT report] a 23-year-old immigrant who was protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA is an executive order that prevents immigrants who were brought into the US as children from being deported and gives them the opportunity to legally obtain employment. Despite qualifying for DACA twice, Daniel Ramirez Medina was arrested when agents came to his fathers home with a warrant for his fathers arrest. According to the petition for writ of habeus corpus filed by civil rights lawyers on Ramirezs behalf, after agents arrested Mr. Ramirez senior, they entered the home and asked Ramirez, Are you legally here? to which he replied that he was. Later, he again informed agents that he was permitted to live and work in the US as a DACA recipient. Despite never being convicted of a crime, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Ramirez was a self-admitted gang member and was being detained because he is a risk to public safety. Ramirezs attorneys denied the claim. DACA has been a contentious issue in recent weeks. In January DACA-protected Mitzie Perez and the California League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) [advocacy website] filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against Wells Fargo alleging that the bank refused to extend Perez and other similarly situated students loans solely because of their immigration status. A Georgia state court refused last month to back down from its earlier ruling granting in-state tuition to Georgia university students protected by DACA. Also in January the US House of Representatives [official website] passed a funding bill [JURIST report] that included amendments designed to repeal key elements of DACA. A collection of mayors from major US cities, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, warned [JURIST report] then president-elect Donald Trump in December about potential negative economic consequences of repealing DACA. [JURIST] The Parliament of Montenegro [official website] on Monday provisionally approved a motion requesting that immunity be lifted for two officials possibly involved in an attempted coup last October. The motion, raised [TOL report] by Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnic, named parliament members Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic. They have been accused of creating a criminal organization and preparing an attempt on the constitutional order and security of Montenegro. Parliament is expected to move forward with removing their immunity. The two officials are opposition leaders of the Democratic Front (DF), a pro-Russian group that has firmly opposed the countrys plan to join NATO. DF members have been accused of being behind recent violent protests and the failed October coup, though they have continuously denied involvement. Despite the DFs objections, Montenegro is expected [AP report] to finalize the NATO membership process in May. On October 16, about 20 Serbian citizens were arrested [JURIST report] in Montenegro and accused of attempting a coup against the government on election day. The plan itself was to attack the police outside of Parliament, break into the Montenegro parliament, kill Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, and declare a pro-Russian coalition the party in power. Katnic later accused [Balkan Insight report] Russian nationalists of plotting against the government. Evidence has yet to show that Russia aided the coup in any way. In the months leading to the October election, Djukanovic stated that voters would be deciding whether Montenegro joins the West or becomes a Russian colony. Djukanovic expressed his belief that the thwarted, terrorist coup was intended to prevent further westernization of the Balkan country. While his party, the Democratic Party of Socialists, won the October election, their failure to win an overall majority may hinder plans to create further Western ties. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo [Official website] signed a bill [text] Tuesday that prohibits New York City from imposing a fee on plastic bags. New York City (NYC) was one day away from enacting [NYT report] a 5 cent fee on the use of plastic bags. The bill signed by Cuomo requires that no city with a population over 1 million or more shall impose any tax, fee or any other local charge on any carry out merchandise bag. Proponents of the NYC tax stated that it would have reduced the spread of plastic bags in the city and would reduce the pollution due to the creation of the plastic bags. Cuomo criticized the NYC fee because the 5 cents for every plastic bag would go to the merchants as profit. This would have resulted in an estimated $100 million of additional profits to these companies per year. Cuomo also stated that the fee would disproportionately affect poor consumers. Cuomo has promised to create a task force directed at the problem of plastic bags. The environmental effects of the use of plastic bags has been a concern in many areas around the country. In November, voters in California passed a measure to uphold a ban on the use of plastic bags. The implementation of Californias plastic bag ban [SB 270 text], which was set to go into effect in 2015, but was halted [JURIST report] in February 2015 by a successful referendum petition. The trade group American Progressive Bag Alliance (ACPA) [advocacy website] collected [LAT report] more than 800,000 signatures on their petition [petition form]. California Governor Jerry Brown [official website] signed [JURIST report] the bill in October 2014, making it the first law of its kind in the US. California Senator Alex Padilla [official website] introduced the bill in an effort to reduce the amount of litter caused in the state by plastic bags. Austin, Texas, banned [Earth Policy Institute report] plastic bags in 2013 and in January 2014, Los Angeles because the largest US city to ban the use of plastic bags. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper [official website] proposed a compromise [press release] on Tuesday to repeal HB2 [text, PDF], also known as the bathroom bill. The compromise strikes HB2 [USA Today report], imposes tougher penalties for crimes committed in restrooms and dressing rooms, and requires local governments to provide notice before adopting non-discrimination ordinances. HB2 provides that individuals must use the restroom based upon the sex indicated on their birth certificate in state or government buildings. Proponents have stated that this decreases crimes in these areas, while opponents are skeptical of such an impact. Cooper says that this compromise addresses the concerns of proponents for HB2 but details about the proposal have not been released. This is the second time an attempt to form a compromise has been announced after a deal collapsed in December [JURIST report]. North Carolinas bathroom bill has generated significant controversy. Last week, six Democrats in the North Carolina House of Representatives filed a bill [JURIST report] to repeal HB2. Last May, former governor Pat McCrory filed a complaint for declaratory judgment asking the federal court to weigh in on the legality of the bill, but withdrew [JURIST reports] from the lawsuit in September. In March 2016 Cooper, then-North Carolina Attorney General, stated during a press conference that he would not defend [JURIST report] HB2, which he considers to be discriminatory against the LGBT community. Earlier that week North Carolina individuals and civil rights groups filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against McCrory, claiming that the bill was unconstitutional and discriminatory. Earlier that month McCrory signed the bill into law [JURIST report], preventing local governments from enacting their own nondiscrimination ordinances and making them unable to pass laws allowing transgender people to use the public restroom or locker room that corresponds with their gender identity. In February of that year, McCrory issued an executive order [JURIST report] clarifying that the intention of the bill was to prevent crimes in bathrooms and similar places. A group of UN human rights experts urged Kenya on Tuesday to stop crackdowns on human rights groups to protect the integrity of the August elections. The experts warned the crackdown on the rights groups could delegitimize the election process and possibly trigger another uprising [JURIST report]. According to the UN experts, the country has begun to intervene in the work of NGOs and rights organizations by accusing the groups of being unlicensed and engaging in illegal activities such as money laundering and supporting terrorism: It appears that there is a systematic and deliberate pattern to crack down on civil society groups which challenge governmental policies, educate voters, investigate human rights abuses and uncover corruption. These issues are extremely important in a democracy, and attempting to shut down the debate taking place in the civic space threatens to irreparably taint the legitimacy of the upcoming elections. The government has also reportedly cracked down on the groups to limit foreign interference in the election process. Ahead of the election, Kenya is confronting multiple issues. A judge in Kenya recently sentenced [JURIST report] the leaders of the doctors union to one month in prison over an ongoing strike. The High Court of Kenya ruled [JURIST report] last week that a government order to close the worlds largest refugee camp is unconstitutional. The UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) last Thursday ruled [JURIST report] that it had the authority to adjudicate a dispute over a stretch of water in the Indian Ocean that is potentially laden with oil and gas. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta signed a controversial law [JURIST report ] in January that may impact the August election by enabling a paper recount of votes in the event that the electronic systems fail. NEWSLETTER Sign up Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive. Just Style Daily Update The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday. Just Style Weekly Update A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday. Just Style Magazine The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter. Boca Raton, FL, USA, 02/15/2017 /SubmitPressRelease123/ We want to be able to get to our destination quickly and safely on smooth roads that have little congestion. In order to reach such perfect conditions new roadways need to be built and existing ones repaired and improved. This means that construction crews will be on the scene with barriers, trucks and equipment. Lanes that may have gone one way may suddenly go a different way or be blocked off entirely. Add to the confusion poor visibility, darkness and bad weather, making construction zones very dangerous says Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne. A case in point occurred in Jacksonville in December. A 28 year old New Jersey resident, Hezekiah Griggs, III, was killed in the early morning when his parked car was struck by a tractor trailer reports WJXT.1 His car was parked in the safety zone of I-95 between the right lane of the interstate and the exit ramp to Old St. Augustine Road. The truck driver told state troopers he was in the exit lane but then tried to merge onto the interstate when he rear ended Griggs car. The area of the accident, the right lane of I-95 south, was under construction. The lane was recently extended. There was one lane for those going southbound and to exit to Old St. Augustine. The area is constantly changing with improvements, reports Boca Raton car accident attorney Osborne. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration2 (NHTSA) states that in 2008 Florida had the second highest number of motorist fatalities in work zones at 81 behind only Texas, which had 134 fatalities. NHTSA has these suggestions for drivers entering into contraction zones: Watch for cones, barrels, signs, large vehicles or workers in bright colored vests to warn you and direct you where to go. Lower your speed to reduce the risk of an accident. Be aware of traffic around you and be prepared to reduce your speed, obey signs and flaggers and increase the following distance with the vehicle in front of you. You may tend to ignore work zone signs in areas where a project has lasted weeks or months but traffic patterns can suddenly change including lane shifts or alternating lane closures. Be extremely careful when driving through a work zone at night whether you see workers or not. Try to travel in the lane farthest away from where workers and equipment are located. Be wary of mobile and moving work zones such as line painting, road patching or mowing beside the roadway. Expect delays, leave early to reach your destination on time so you wont feel the need to speed. Avoid work zones when possible and use alternate routes. If you or a family member have been injured in a vehicle accident in a construction zone in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach Counties and have any questions about accident law, contact Boca truck accident lawyer Joe Osborne at (561) 800-4011 or fill out this online contact form. We can talk about the situation, how the law could apply in your case and the best legal options to protect your rights and obtain compensation for your injuries. Media Contact Joe Osborne (561) 800-4011 Footnotes: 1 WJXT http://www.news4jax.com/traffic/crash-kills-one-on-interstate-95-and-old-st-augustine-road 2 NHTSA https://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/teen-drivers/pdf/workzones.pdf source: http://www.oa-lawfirm.com/construction-zones-endanger-drivers-warns-boca-car-accident-lawyer-joe-osborne/ Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print Sean Hillen Sean Hillen has been an international journalist and editor for over 30 years and published author. His contemporary novel, Pretty Ugly is an intriguing ride through the murky undercurrent of the lucrative cosmetic industry http://www.seanhillenauthor.com/ Seans writing experience spans several continents - in Ireland, for the national daily The Irish Times and in England, as foreig...(Read More) Photos Credit: Hotel At Six In early January of this year, the New York Times published a round-up of significant hotels that readers should take note of, and travel to. One was a new art and design hotel called At Six in Stockholm, Sweden, opening on March 23 of this year. The fact that At Six was included in this list showed growing popularity of the art and design hotel concept. There is much interest regarding At Six, as, in addition to it being the newest contemporary art and design hotel in the Preferred Hotel Collection, and the first in Stockholm, it is also in an historic location on Brunkenbergstorg Square. This area was built in the early 1800s, and was where many wealthy families lived in high end, Belle Epoque homes. It was also the place where art and high culture thrived. Though the original homes and families have gone, the legacy and reputation of Brunkenbergstorg being a hub for art and culture is still alive, as it is here that many significant art and cultural events are located. It was the natural choice that At Six be here, as this hotel will become the Swedish hub for contemporary art and culture of the 21st century. In its lobby, rooms, and gathering areas, At Six presents an art collection that includes commissioned art and furnishings from contemporary international artists and designers. Art work by Julian Opie, Olafur Eliasson and Dawid, to name a very few, have been selected by curator Sune Nordgren. He has been responsible for the art selections at Malmo Konsthall, the BALTIC Center for Contemporary Art in Gateshead UK, and The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo. And this is just the beginning: At Six is positioned to become the citys leading destination for allowing guests to experience the best of contemporary art and designand also great cuisine. The adjacent two-story rooftop restaurant, called TAK, serves cuisine created by award-winning local chef Frida Ronge. Her multi-awarded work, combines traditional Japanese cooking methods with traditional Scandinavian cuisine. She has been rewarded both in her own country and internationally. At Six, then, combines mutiple concepts of aesthetics and designallowing the guests to see, taste and savor various forms of contemporary art, food, and culture, all within the perimeter of an historic Stockholm square, where, as the song lyric goes, everything old is new again. This photo art piece is by Swedish artist, Dawid. It was originally commissioned to be on the front cover of the last edition of the Stockholm phone directory, but was rejected as it was considered to be too risque. It is in At Six now, as well as 18 other Dawid works in the lobby, hotel corridors and the Masterpiece Suite. This Julian Opie piece, Walking in the Rain London, is one of two (the other is Walking in the Rain Seoul) that At Six will be showing. They are both large screen prints, created in 2015. Olafur Eliassons piece, Color Spectrum, represents the many colors of Olafurs native Iceland. His wall-sized Colour Spectrumwas cretaed in 2005, and is part of the Color Spectrum Series. Richard Longs two pieces, Honky Tonk Woman (pictured, 2014), and the grey scale Mississippi River Blues (2014), will be featured in the restaurant called TAK. Richard Long is one of the founders of Earth and Land Art. Jaume Plensa is a Catalan artist whose sculptures are in Chicago, New York, London, Barcelona and Goteborg. Commissioned for At Six, he created a 2.5 meter high female head in white marble specifically for the grand lobby staircase. The sculpture is called Mar Asia. Another image from Dawid. Around the public areas of At Six is are his photos, all based on commissioned works for fashion and communication companies. Dawid's work is well-known, as he is based in Stockholm. Photos & Video Credit: Belmond Exploring Myanmar on Belmond's Luxury Cruise: the Road to Mandalay She is a grand dame. A daunting river castle that dominates as the largest river cruise ship in Myanmar at over 300 feet. The Road to Mandalay is the Belmonds luxury river cruise ship that takes an exclusive group of passengers on an adventure from Bagan to Mandalay on Myanmars Ayeyarwady River. Formerly known as Burma, Myanmar is still a pristine destination. For years, it was not a popular tourist destination due to an oppressive government and its human rights record. Enter Aung San Suu Kyiand, the revolution of 2011, and now more and more tourists are coming to know this wonderful and exotic country. Tourists to Myanmar have evolved from budget minded backpackers to the refined explorer who come to take in the countrys ubiquitous temples, rich culture and natural beauty. It is still not easy to get around Myanmar on land so air and the river are the best options to explore there. Travelers love to explore the country by the river as they experience one breathtaking vista after the next as you watch fishermen cast their nets and farmers tend to their lands. Scenes change from cities to villages to rice fields to untouched and natural lands. The pagodas are a central theme in Myanmar. They are Buddhist monuments build by families with many dating back 1,000 years. Some made of sandstone and others adorned with 24-karat gold foil. The people in Myanmar couldnt be friendlier from up close interactions or from afar. There is always a smile from locals, especially children who are excited to see foreigners and wave and shout hello as the ship passes by. A luxurious way to take in the beauty of Myanmar is on the Road to Mandalay. Belmond Cruises (Formerly Orient Express Trains and Cruises) has been operating on the river for more than 20 years. The colonial style ship is spacious and elegant with Burmese art and antiques, locally crafted rattan and teak furniture and beautiful fabrics. There are several common areas where guests congregate. The observation deck is the central gathering place for cocktails at the bar, dips in the pool and sun-bathing, or just marveling at the views of life on the river. The sunsets are breathtaking as the skies turn from blue to beautiful shades of oranges, reds and purples. The main salon is where various activities take place from lectures to yoga classes. There is a piano bar as well serving afternoon tea and evening cocktails. There are 56 spacious cabins on the Road to Mandalay. The deluxe cabin has modern teak furnishings, flat screen television with premium movie channels, and large windows giving panoramic views of the river and sights beyond. There are top of the line bathroom fixtures in the private bathroom with Bulgari amenities. As this is Belmond, dining is a fantastic gourmet experience. At every meal there are European and Asian dishes allowing guests to sample the delicious regional cuisine, including Burmese, Thai, Indonesian, Indian dishes. High tea is also a treat served with scones, pastries, sandwiches, and of course several options of tea. Guest come from around the world, from the U.K., Australia, Korea, and the U.S. It is a mixed group with some celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, and other seeking an exotic bucket list adventure. The group quickly gels with the staff who could not be more warm, welcoming, and professional. The ship manager is the French woman Celine who is a gracious host and ensures that each guest has a fantastic cruise. Each day there is something special to do. The cruise is crafted to allow guests to create memories from this amazing country with excursions and on board experiences in a luxurious environment. The trip begins in Bagan and includes a guided tour of the largest temples in the area and a pagoda. Guests climb the steep pagoda for panoramic views of the countryside all the way to the river. Each day there is another intriguing excursion exploring temples, pagodas, local villages and the sights and culture of the area. One highlight was the early morning visit to a village where guests provided alms to monks. Alms are a donation of food as the procession of over 100 monks pass by to collect their meal for the day. One particularly amazing experience was the visit to the Taungthaman Lake and U Bein Bridge. Guests arrived at a boat pier and were taken for a sunset cruise on the lake. As the sunset across the lake, the small wooden boat for two meandered under the power of the sailors oars. In true Belmond style, guests were treated to a Champagne and canapes. It just simply could not have been more romantic. Belmond really goes above and beyond to wow their guest. Each day there are lectures or performances by local entertainers including a juggling act or the Burmese traditional puppet show. One other memorable experience was the lovely cocktail party as chamber music which set a very romantic ambiance. Guests were instructed to look up the river as 1500 floating candles lit up the river and floated by engulfing ship in a sea of twinkling lights. These are the unforgettable experiences that make the Road to Mandalay cruise so special. After the cruise, many guests will return to Yangon and stay a night or two at the Belmonds luxury boutique hotel, the Governors Residence. Once the Governor of Burmas private home, the residence has been turned into an exceptional boutique hotel with period furnishings and amenities as well as fine dining for which the Belmond brand is known. The Road to Mandalay is a wonderful way to experience the rich natural beauty, landmarks and culture of Myanmar. Cruises options are for two, three and four nights with packages starting at $1,500 per person. LINCOLN Clarence Christensen Jr., 94, of Lincoln died Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Lincoln. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at American Lutheran Church in Lincoln. Burial will be in Valparaiso. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. today at Wyuka Funeral Home in Lincoln. He was born Oct. 20, 1922, on a farm at Hooper to Clarence Sr. and Ranatta (Eidam) Christensen and helped his father with the farm until the Depression when his family moved to Fremont. There, he helped support the family by delivering newspapers. When he was in his teens, they moved to Dwight, where Clarence helped his father in the familys machinery repair shop. During high school, they moved to Valparaiso and he attended Valparaiso High School. As a teenager, he built a ham radio, secured a license and communicated with ham radio operators around the country, even serving as an operator for the Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Clarence survived scarlet fever as a child, causing him to graduate a year later. Clarence worked with his family at Christensen Implement in Valparaiso where they repaired and sold farm equipment. There, he was able to purchase a ride with a barnstormer pilot, which launched his love for flying. He volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps to train as a B-24 pilot. At age 22, he flew 35 combat missions over Europe during World War II and brought his nine-member crew home safely to conclude their tour. Clarence earned two distinguished Flying Crosses for his bravery. After the war, he joined the Nebraska Air National Guard where he not only served as an aircraft instructor, but also worked as an aircraft maintenance officer earning and honoring the respect of the aircraft mechanics. He finished his career with the military as a director of operations. Clarence bridged the gap between propeller airplanes of the 1940s such as the B-24 (and his favorite, the P-51). He finished his career in the supersonic RF-4. None of his personal achievements surpassed his winning the prestigious Ricks Trophy Race. Representing the 173rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Chris Christensen flew his F-86D Sabre jet over the 850-mile course between Jacksonville, Fla., and Dallas in one hour, 48 minutes and 20 seconds. He was inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame in 1993. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth; daughter, Jeanne Schneider; and grandson, Anders Ukinski. He is survived by his son, Dan of Holdrege and family; daughter, Cynthia of Louisville, Ky., and family; and son, John of Ceresco. His family includes six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Memorials are suggested to the Village of Valparaiso Park Fund. Visit www.wyuka.com to offer condolences online. Have Americans really become a nation of gullible cowards? Sometimes it looks that way. Take President Trumps executive order banning travel from seven Middle Eastern and North African countries. If you think it has anything whatsoever to do with protecting against terrorist attacks, then you havent been paying attention. The administrations policies are designed not to deal with real problems in the visible world, but to rile up partisan ignoranuses (sic) here in the USA. Poorly thought out and incompetently drafted, to the extent that Trumps order has anything to do with ISIS or al-Qaida terrorists, it will help them. New York Times reporter David Zucchino spoke with Iraqi soldiers barricaded inside the city of Mosul, where they are fighting a brutal house-to-house battle against ISIS fighters for control of the countrys second-biggest city. Its outcome is crucial to breaking the terrorist insurrection for good. If America doesnt want Iraqis because we are all terrorists, then America should send its sons back to Iraq to fight the terrorists themselves, Capt. Ahmed Adnan al-Musawe said. Officers and enlisted men interviewed in Mosul unanimously described Trumps order as a grave insult to their honor and their fallen comrades. Meanwhile, ISIS propagandists couldnt have been happier. They crowed that America had declared war on Islam. Even Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Khameni a resolute foe of Sunni Arab extremism found something to like in Trumps bungling. We actually thank this new president because he made it easier for us to reveal the real face of the United States, he said. Trump handed the Iranian leader a big propaganda gift even as he tried to close the door on Persian refugees from the Ayatollahs oppressive regime. Should it matter that Iran has never been implicated in a terrorist act in the United States? Of course it should, but to Trumps henchmen it didnt. Here in Arkansas, one of the states most beloved citizens, former Gov. and Sen. David Pryor, is probably alive today due to the emergency intervention of two brilliant Iranian neurosurgeons immigrant brothers at a Fayetteville hospital. For my money, the U.S. cant admit enough Persian immigrants, heirs to one of the worlds oldest civilizations. And for pretty much the same reasons all eight of my Irish great-grandparents were welcomed to America more than a century ago: poverty and oppression. A lot of people were suspicious of their religion, too. But that was back when, whatever their shortcomings, Americans tended to be a brave, self-confident people. Today, millions of timid ignoranuses cower behind TV screens listening to a preposterous blowhard vow to protect them from a scary threat few can even define. So should it matter that there have been zero U.S. fatalities at the hands of terrorists from any of the seven countries Trump named? Well, youd think so. So thats out of the question. Anyway, vetting of immigrants from Middle Eastern countries is already strong, and has been ever since 9/11. The process can take years. Thats part of the reason why more Americans by far (22) were killed by cows in 2016 than by foreign terrorists (zero). But then, as I say, this entire exercise in folly has nothing to do with resisting ISIS. Its about atavistic fears, racial contempt and misplaced zeal for our preposterous comic-opera president. So: Delusional or a pathological liar? We report, you decide. Arkansas Times columnist Gene Lyons is a National Magazine Award winner and co-author of The Hunting of the President. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form In this photo taken Feb. 2, 2017, the White House in Washington as seen from the South Lawn. Public White House tours that had been temporarily suspended, which is typical when there's a new president will resume on March 7. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) 1 rail worker killed, another injured while working One railway worker was killed and another injured after being struck by a cargo train in Uiwang, just southwest of Seoul, officials said Sunday. The accident occurred at 8:20 p.... A helicopter dumps water on a wild fire in the Port Hills near Christchurch, New Zealand, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Up to 15 helicopters, and over a 100 firefighters have been battling two massive wildfires that have burnt over 700 hectares since erupting on Monday evening. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) 161 Nigerians yesterday returned voluntarily from Libya. They wereassisted back home by the International Organization for Migration (IOM)after many months in Libyan detention facilities. They arrived singing songs of praise and beaming with smiles, thanking their creator for bringing them safely home. Our people are dying, they said as they arrived aboard a chartered Nouvel Air Airbus 330 aircraft which landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) cargo terminal in Lagos around 3:30 p.m. They were received on arrival by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) alongside the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), among other agencies at the airport before they were moved to Hajj camp where they did their profiling. Among them were nursing mothers those heavily pregnant while others were seriously ill due to surgeries reportedly carried out on them in the North African country. The returnees comprised 60 males including 51 adults, two children and seven infants while females were 101 consisting of 92 adults, seven children and two infants. Head of Sub office of IOM in Lagos, Nahashon Thuo disclosed that the returnees decided to voluntarily return home because of the hostile conditions in Libya. The importance of voting cannot be understated On Tuesday, Nov. 8, voters will head to the polls to choose who will serve as governor, lieutenant governor, state comptroller, attorney general, state Assembly... Spindle Items ..CRASH DETECTION The much-touted crash detection feature of the new iPhone 14 automatically dials 911 if it calculates that the vehicle has been in... Out of the Past 25 Years AgoNov. 5, 1997 The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Board of Education began the planning stages of hiring a new superintendent Monday. Dr. Donald Ogilvie... Community engagement through ThoughtExchange The Sweet Home Central School District is in the early stages of building and implementing a new strategic plan designed to ensure relevancy in our... 636 Shares Share One of the topics I write most about and have also done a considerable amount of consulting work on is improving and optimizing health care information technology. I hate to say it, but after a few years of doing this, Im starting to despair a little from what Im seeing. Its a question I never thought Id ask: But will health care IT ever really get to where it should be? Improvement is desperately needed even small tweaks can be made to our electronic medical record (EMR) systems to help improve workflow for doctors. Information technology in its current format is the number one frustration for doctors and nurses across the United States. And its responsible for much misery on the front lines of medicine as an unacceptably large amount of time is spent navigating them. Here are three reasons why improvement is uniquely difficult: 1. Wrong customer: administrator not end-user. After attending many events and networking meetings in health care IT, one thing has become abundantly clear to me: We (meaning doctors) are not the people that health care IT folks are catering to. Its the hospital administrations. Can you imagine if great companies like Apple totally disregarded the end-user experience like that? This is one of the prime reasons we find ourselves in this absurd situation. As an example, I recently used the latest version of Siri on an Apple device. And how brilliant it was far, far superior to any voice recognition software Ive used in health care and designed with the user in mind. 2. Its a monopoly once installed. Once health care organizations have spent millions of dollars on a particular EMR, the IT vendor is truly in. The organization is stuck with it no matter what and cant just switch to another one if they dont like it. Therefore, what incentive is there for the IT system to really get better? 3. Lack of strong voice. I was talking to a very intelligent doctor who was bemoaning how he was spending the vast majority of his day at a computer screen. Certainly not why he went to medical school. He said something very thought-provoking: Im surprised that the medical profession has allowed themselves to be so quickly turned into data-entry clerks without making a fuss. So true. What happened to the public perception of a doctor the fierce patient advocate who always stood up for good medicine? Why is there not a strong national movement to improve health care IT? Even the most hardened technophobe doctor would acknowledge that technology represents the future in all aspects of our lives. But we want good technology that is fast, efficient and seamless enabling us to be doctors. We dont want reams of garbled data that transform our patients stories into tick boxes. We want fast, mobile order-entry systems. We also want an acknowledgment that the medical profession has to remain a social and personable professionnot one where the frontline heroes are turned into type-and-click bots. When I meet health care IT folk, it often seems that we are in two separate worlds. Im quite an optimist by nature and hope Im proved wrong about this never improving. Suneel Dhand is an internal medicine physician and author of three books, including Thomas Jefferson: Lessons from a Secret Buddha. He is the founder and director, HealthITImprove, and blogs at his self-titled site, Suneel Dhand. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Congressman Henry Cuellar's Office is putting together a free educational series in order to assist South Texas nonprofit organizations. The session will cover how to apply for federal grants and other ways of finding funding. It will take place on Thursday from 9:30 am - 10:45 am, at TAMIU's Killiam Library, Room 420. Organizations or individuals who wish to participate must RSVP via Juan Sanchez at . Zinc was the second-best performing commodity in 2016, with a staggering 65.7% return. The greyish metal primarily used in galvanizing steel is off to a hot start in 2017, up another 12.5% to $1.30/lb. For us zinc is still the most exciting story out there Don Lindsay, President and CEO, Teck (January 26, 2017) The reason for the zinc price rise is one of the basic principles of economics - supply and demand. Zinc inventories (supply) have been falling like a rock. Inventories last February on the LME were ~500,000 tonnes and are now down to ~380,000 tonnes. Two of the largest zinc mines in the world have closed in the last few years (Century and Lisheen) due to ore depletion, removing ~4 % of world supply. The worlds largest mining company, Glencore, significantly helped the zinc market as well cutting production by 500,000 tonnes in late 2015. The cuts were made because of the low price of zinc at the time. Glencore has yet to restart production at these mines and this will be a major factor for investors in zinc to keep an eye on. Zinc demand has steadily increased throughout the last several years and and is expected to increase by 2.1% to 13.85 million tonnes in 2017. The zinc price is now at a 5 year high of $1.30 per pound as inventories are also near a 5 year low at ~380,000 tonnes (LME). Shanghai Futures Exchange stocks have also declined substantially in the last 3 years. How high can zinc go in 2017? As inventories continue to decrease along with no new mine supply expected, a pinch point appears to be coming for the zinc price. The next two years, 2016 and 2017, represent the pinch point of concentrate supply, with mine-closure related cuts expected to outweigh new output from projects. Wood Mackenzie Analyst, Jonathan Leng. Zinc price forecasts Scotiabank is forecasting zinc prices to average $1.35/lb in 2017 and $1.55/lb in 2018. Wood Mackenzie, a leading research firm has a peak price target of $4000 US/tonne ($1.80 per lb) in 2018. Bank of Montreal has forecasted an average price of $1.50 per lb from 2017-2019. If these forecasts are anywhere near correct, the zinc price still has tremendous upside from current levels. The best way for investors to play a zinc price move would be to invest in zinc equities. I definitely think it is the right time to do so [invest in the zinc market]. About the only way to do so is through zinc equities, whether youre looking at the major producers or some of the junior explorers there are not a lot of options out there for zinc. Brien Lundin, editor of the Gold Newsletter Investors have three different ways to play an investment in zinc stocks - producers, developers, and explorers. Here are 3 companies on my radar. Producers Investors looking for a large cap company in the zinc space would have to have Teck (TCK.B:TSX) on the top of their list. Teck is the worlds third largest zinc producer and receives approximately ? of its revenue from zinc. Taking a step down and looking for a cheaper option in the mid-cap range would be Trevali Mining (TV:TSX). Trevali is a pure-play zinc producer with two operating mines. Trevali produced ~98 million pounds of zinc in 2016, along with lead and silver. Analyst Joseph Gallucci of Dundee Capital Markets has TV rated as a top pick on leverage to zinc and based on current production, as well as short-term organic growth. Bank of Montreal has just initiated coverage with analyst Alex Terentiew putting a $2 target price on Trevali shares. Zinc developer The team at Darnley Bay (DBL:TSX.V) realized that the zinc market was heading for a supply/demand deficit and started looking for development stage projects. The team acquired two of the most advanced stage development projects in the world - Pine Point and Clear Lake. Kerry Knoll, Executive Chairman and director has had his eye on the Point Project for years and was excited to acquire a development stage project with resources in the ground. When Cominco left in the late 1980s, they left a number of deposits behind that they considered too low grade, and they had other projects to mine instead. says Knoll. Leaving them behind gives us a really great head start towards building a mine. The acquisition of Pine Point was significant, as it is a past producing zinc district in Yellowknife. President and CEO of Darnley Bay, Jamie Levy had this to say on the acquisition, Pine Point has historic size, its got grade - which we think is economic at todays prices - its got phenomenal infrastructure, a good jurisdiction in Canada, willing aboriginal partners and exploration upside. Pine Point was the most profitable lead-zinc mine in Canadian history and was shut down in 1987 due to low zinc ($0.35/lb) and lead ($0.27/lb) prices. Between 1965-1987, Cominco mined 64 million tonnes of 7% zinc and 3.1% lead from 52 ore deposits. Current zinc resources at Pine Point are 4.2 billion pounds in 46 deposits left by Cominco. Zinc primary deposits are formed in the three different deposit models. 1. Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) 2. Sedimentary Exhalative Deposits (SEDEX) 3. Carbonate Replacement Deposit (CRD) The Pine Point property hosts Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposit(s) which is important for investors to note. MVT deposits are important sources of lead-zinc that account for ~24% of global lead-zinc resources. MVT deposits are valuable, typically high grade with non-complex metallurgy. The systems typically have less iron than SEDEX and CRD deposits. This is fetches a premium as when the ore goes to the smelter, it will be less penalized. Darnley Bay Pine Point Project Map (click to enlarge) Darnley Bays zinc land package consists of 46 deposits that contain 48 million tonnes of historical resources. Excellent potential remains to increase these resources. Greenfield exploration is also exciting with 34 geophysical anomalies that require further work. It is important for investors to note the size of the Darnley land package (~62 kilometers) as MVT type deposits tend to be smaller (sub 8 million tonnes), but they occur in districts where there can be hundreds of them. It is likely that more deposits are to be found on this land package. The R-190 deposit is fully permitted with Cluster and N-204 expected to take 2 years to permit. Darnley has raised over $10 million from investors in the last couple months. Recent shareholders include Rob McEwen, Lukas Lundin, Pat DiCapo, and Fabrice Taylor. Fabrice Taylor of The Presidents Club newsletter discusses Darnley Bay on BNN (Dec 1st,2016) 2017 is expected to be a busy year for Darnley Bay, with an updated technical report, near mine drilling, regional exploration drilling, and a updated PFS study all on the agenda. If all goes according to plan, production could commence in 2019. The bottom line is that Pine Point is a brownfield opportunity for investors with excellent greenfield exploration potential. By James Fraser Co-author Mining Stocks Guide james@miningstocksguide.com Feb 14 (Reuters) - Highlights of the day for U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday: FLYNN RESIGNATION Trump knew for weeks that national security adviser Michael Flynn had misled the White House about his contacts with Russia but did not immediately force him out, an administration spokesman says. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is playing down any impact that Flynn's resignation might have on Mattis' debut trip this week to Europe to meet NATO allies. MIDDLE EAST Trump supports the goal of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, even if it does not involve the two-state solution, a senior White House official says. RUSSIA-UKRAINE Trump has said he expects Russia to return Crimea to Ukraine and reduce violence in Ukraine, White House spokesman Sean Spicer says. Russia's prospects for better relations with Washington appear to have suffered another setback, with the resignation of Trump's national security adviser being the biggest blow yet. TRAVEL BAN CHALLENGE The most consequential legal challenge to Trump's travel ban will proceed on two tracks in the next few days. CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS Trump's handling of U.S. security information at his Florida resort comes under congressional scrutiny as a watchdog panel asks the White House to explain reports that Trump dealt with a sensitive foreign policy issue in view of club guests. TRUMP TAXES Congressional Democrats fail to pressure Republicans into seeking Trump's tax returns after saying the Flynn scandal made it imperative to find out whether the president has business ties to Russia. CABINET AND ADMINISTRATION The Office of Government Ethics says the White House should investigate a public endorsement of Ivanka Trump products by Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway and consider disciplinary action. FED Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, in response to a warning from a congressman to halt international negotiations in the early stages of Trump's presidency, says the U.S. central bank has the authority to consult with foreign counterparts and does so to benefit the United States. TRADE Canadian officials and trade experts say that although Trump says he only wants to tweak trade ties with Canada, his pledge to renegotiate NAFTA to focus on Mexico is almost impossible. BUSINESS Trump will meet on Wednesday with the chief executive officers of eight large retailers, including Target Corp , Best Buy Co Inc and J.C. Penney Company Inc , to discuss tax reform and infrastructure improvements, sources say. (Compiled by Bill Trott and Peter Cooney; Editing by Paul Simao and Leslie Adler) HANOI, Feb 15 (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 0403 GMT. Feb 15 Feb 14 USD/VND mid-point 22,236 22,235 USD/VND interbank 22,720/22,790 22,725/22,735 USD/VND unofficial 22,800/22,820 22,780/22,800 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.67/36.99 36.63/36.95 Interbank offered rates Overnight 3.3-4.7 3.0-3.9 1 week 3.3-4.7 3.2-3.9 1 month 3.7-4.9 3.6-4.1 3 months 4.2-4.9 4.2-4.6 NOTE: 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) * Trump toned down criticism of Japan during summit * BOJ is pursuing a large monetary easing programme * Japan trying to develop friendly relations with Trump (Adds direct quote) By Stanley White TOKYO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump shared his view at last week's summit that Japan's monetary policy was not currency manipulation but to end deflation. Abe's comments about the Feb. 10 summit suggest Trump may be softening his criticism that Japan was manipulating its currency to gain a trade advantage. "I think Trump shared the view that our monetary policy is not for currency manipulation but for ending deflation," Abe said in the upper house of parliament. Abe also said he explained how Japanese automakers with factories in the United States contributed to job creation in the world's largest economy. Trump did not make any demands for Japan to further open its economy to imports, Abe added. Trump has questioned the small number of U.S. auto exports to Japan, raising concerns he could pursue protectionist trade policies to lower the U.S. trade deficit. Trump won the presidency with promises to put America first by renegotiating bilateral trade agreements to bring jobs back to the United States, which has raised concerns that global trade could suffer as a result. However, when Abe visited the United States last week, his summit meeting with Trump proceeded in a fairly cooperative manner. Not only did Abe avoid criticism of his economic policies, he also held a joint press conference with Trump in response to a sudden missile launch from North Korea, which demonstrated the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance. (Editing by Randy Fabi) MOSCOW, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Belarus's Bel Oil has bought 80,000 tonnes of Iranian Light and Heavy crude oil from National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) for loading in February, four sources told Reuters. It is the first time Belarus has bought Iranian crude oil. The country is looking for alternative crude oil supplies after Russia cut exports to Belarus in the second half of 2016 and is threatening further cuts this year over a row about gas pricing between Minsk and Moscow. Bel Oil declined to comment on the matter. NIOC did not respond to query from Reuters. NIOC allocated 600,000 barrels (equals 80,000 tonnes) to Bel Oil's subsidiary in Poland Bel Oil Polska, according to a new loading schedule for Iranian crude in February, seen by Reuters. Bel Oil will ship the Iranian crude oil to either the Black Sea port of Odessa or the Baltic port of Ventspils for rail transportation to Belarus, with the logistics yet to be agreed, two trading sources told Reuters. It was not possible to immediately identify a vessel that will carry Iranian barrels for Bel Oil, but traders that it will be loaded around Feb. 20 from Kharg Island. Belarus imported a total of 560,000 tonnes of sweet Azeri Light and CPC Blend crude oil via the port of Odessa supplied by Azerbaijan's SOCAR in 2016 to cope with lower Urals supplies, Reuters trade flow system shows. But these shipments stopped in January as Belarus looked for a sour grade to replace Urals. Russia cut crude oil exports to Belarus to 18 million tonnes in 2016 from an initial planned 24 million. In January-March 2017 Russian crude oil exports schedule from Belarus was set at 4 million tonnes, which equals 18 million per year, but Russia is threatening to cut crude supplies to 12 million tonnes per year, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said. Belarus has complained that a gas price of $132 per 1,000 cubic metres set by Russian gas group Gazprom in the past few months is too high and has been paying less for gas deliveries since the start of last year. Russia has said Belarus owes around $300 million in gas payments. (Reporting by Olga Yagova, additional reporting by Andrei Makhovsky and Parisa Hafezi, editing by David Evans) By Nidhi Verma NEW DELHI, Feb 15 (Reuters) - India's Iran oil imports rose marginally in January compared to the previous month as Indian refiners received full volumes from the key OPEC producers Saudi Arabia and Iraq, shipping data showed on Wednesday. Iran used to be India's second-biggest oil supplier, a position which now belongs to regional-rival Iraq after tough Western sanctions over its nuclear development programme limited Tehran's exports and access to finance. In January, Iran was the third biggest oil supplier to India after Saudi Arabia and Iraq. India's oil imports from Iran have risen sharply after those sanctions were lifted a year ago. In January, Iranian oil imports more than trebled compared with the same month last year, rising to 554,600 barrels per day (bpd), according to ship tracking data and a report compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecasts. In the first 10 months of this fiscal year, between April and January, India imported 532,800 bpd from Iran, compared to about 228,600 bpd for the same period a year ago. Average oil volumes supplied by Iran in April-January are highest so far. Indian refiners including Reliance Industries Ltd , operator of the world's biggest refinery complex at Jamnagar, that had stopped imports from Iran during the sanctions period, have also returned as buyers of Iranian oil. During January India's oil imports from Brazil surged to its highest level since April 2015, while imports from Venezuela plunged, almost matching the supplies received in August 2016. Nigerian oil supplies, hit by militant attack on the African nation's major Trans Forcados Pipeline, to India fell by 54 percent last month from a year ago. That forced key Indian clients of Nigeria, mostly state-run companies, to turn to Angola. Imports from Angola rose nearly 70 percent. (Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Editing by Michael Perry) BRATISLAVA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Slovakia's government is considering a change in law to give the state an automatic right of first refusal to buy into companies deemed to be of national importance when private owners want to sell their interests, Economy Minister Peter Ziga said on Wednesday. A new law on "strategic" companies, whose importance would be defined by their industry, region where they are based or the number of employees, will be discussed by leaders of the country's three ruling parties on Thursday. Prime Minister Robert Fico has been a strong critic of past privatisations. "If a foreign investor decides to sell its share ... it could be an opportunity for the state to say it has an automatic pre-purchase right even if it's not part of the shareholders' agreement," Ziga told reporters after a regular government meeting. In 2015 the previous government, also led by Fico, secured an option that may eventually boost the government's 34 percent stake in the country's main electricity producer Slovenske Elektrarne to 51 percent under Italian utility Enel's deal to gradually sell its 66 percent stake in Slovenske to Czech group EPH. Tighter controls may also apply to private companies such as United States Steel Corp's Slovak subsidiary. Slovak media have reported that the U.S. firm has been in talks with Hesteel Group of China to sell the US Steel Kosice plant, one of the country's biggest employers. Ziga said last year the government may seek to buy a stake in the plant, employing some 12,000 people, to prevent its closure by a new owner. The coalition on Thursday will also discuss the possibility of creating an energy industry holding company that would house the state's shares in Slovenske Elektrarne, gas company Eustream and electricity and gas distribution companies. Coalition leaders have repeatedly called for better management and more transparent control of state-owned shares by placing them under one roof. (Reporting By Tatiana Jancarikova; Editing by Greg Mahlich) Slovakia raises 2017-2019 tax revenue forecasts due to stronger economy BRATISLAVA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Slovakia's Finance Ministry said on Wednesday it had raised its tax revenue forecast for this year by 176 million euros ($185.91 million) thanks to a stronger economy and labour market. The ministry also raised the revenue forecasts for 2018 by 129 million euros and by 93 million euros for 2019. It also cut its 2016 revenue expectations by 72 million euros because of weaker than expected corporate tax collection. ($1 = 0.9467 euros) (Reporting By Tatiana Jancarikova; Editing by Jason Hovet) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in 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 JOHANNESBURG, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Anglo American Platinum , the world's No. 1 producer of the precious metal, swung into profit in 2016 from a restated loss and said on Wednesday it had sold off its Union mine, the last major asset it wanted to dispose of. * "As part of the group's divesture initiatives, a binding sale and purchase agreement with Siyanda Resources (Siyanda) was signed on 14 February 2017 for the Group's interest in Union Mine, for an initial purchase price of 400 million rand ($30.6 million)," the company said. Further settlements are tied to cash flow. * Amplats, which reduced its net debt to 7.3 billion rand from almost 12.8 billion rand, said because of its net debt position and "uncertain macroeconomic environment, the board has decided not to declare a dividend in 2016." * Amplats, a unit of Anglo American, has not declared a dividend since 2011, but the market had not widely expected one. Sister company Kumba Iron Ore on Tuesday also said it was not declaring a final dividend, disappointing investors and sending its shares lower. * Headline earnings increased to 1.9 billion rand in 2016 from the restated loss of 126 million rand in 2015. "This reflected favourable foreign exchange movements, operating and overhead cost reduction, lower restructuring costs and the impact of impairments in the comparative period." ($1 = 13.0640 rand) (Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Tiisetso Motsoeneng) You can now donate to Kiwiblog Glenn Reynolds writes: They told me if Donald Trump were elected, voices of dissent would be shut down by fascist mobs. And they were right! At the University of California, Berkeley campus, for example, gay conservative speaker Milo Yiannopoulos had to be evacuated, and his speech cancelled, because masked rioters beat people, smashed windows, and started fires. Protesters threw commercial fireworks at police. According to CNN: The violent protesters tore down metal barriers, set fires near the campus bookstore and damaged the construction site of a new dorm. One woman wearing a red Trump hat was pepper sprayed in the face while being interviewed by CNN affiliate KGO . . . . As police dispersed the crowd from campus, a remaining group of protesters moved into downtown Berkeley and smashed windows at several local banks. No arrests were made throughout the night. According to CNN, the protests caused over $100,000 in damage. Yiannopoulous wasnt the only victim of silencing efforts. At Marquette University, conservative speaker Ben Shapiro faced efforts by Marquette university employees to silence him. The Young Americas Foundation obtained Facebook comments by Chrissy Nelson, a program assistant for Marquettes Center for Gender and Sexuality Studies, encouraging people at the behest of one of the directors of diversity to reserve all the seats for the hall and then not show up. The purpose of this was to take a seat away from someone who actually would go. So students who wanted to hear a speaker with alternative views would find themselves unable to get a seat, because a university employee had made fake reservations. All, apparently, in the name of diversity. Likewise, when conservative Gavin MacInnes (a founder of Vice.com) appeared to speak at New York University, he was met by an angry mob that forced him to cut his talk short, while a woman who identified herself as an NYU professor urged police, whom she said were protecting the Nazis by keeping the crowd away from MacInnes and his entourage, to kick their ass instead of protecting them. Church treasurer arrested for stealing $500,000 from church FEBRUARY 14, 2017 at 5:09 p.m. Former church treasurer, Connie Parker, after arrest today. NASHVILLE Special Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have obtained an indictment for a Clarksville woman accused of stealing approximately half a million dollars from the church for which she worked. TBI Special Agents began investigating 71 year old Connie Parker on August 18, 2016. During the course of the investigation, Agents developed information that Parker stole approximately $498,000, while serving as Treasurer for First Presbyterian Church in Clarksville from 2010 to 2016. The investigation further revealed Parker manipulated accounting reports to the churchs board in an attempt to mask the crime. The church no longer employs Parker. On February 6, the Montgomery County Grand Jury returned an indictment, charging Parker with one count of Theft over $250,000. Today, authorities arrested her and booked her into the Montgomery County Jail on $50,000 bond. Published February 14, 2017 By James Gerard Conley The Trump administration's expressed intentions on international commerce, immigration and other matters have caused uncertainty among traditional U.S. trading partners. While this posturing may benefit the U.S. in trade negotiations with most nations, Korea is unlike most nations. Korea, its technology firms, its universities and its independent inventors have an intangible advantage that is not well understood. Now may be a good time to take stock of the related assets. Over the last 20 years, Korean firms, universities and inventors have invested in product innovation, process automation and overall productivity. Beyond the success that these investments have earned for Korean firms in market share and revenue gains, these investments have secured a mostly hidden advantage. This hidden advantage is not typically discussed at the highest levels of government (U.S. or Korea) or at the top levels of private firms. While its meaning has been ascending over time, the significance of this hidden Korean advantage relative to U.S.-based firms remains in the shadows. This advantage is embodied in the growing portfolio of Korean-owned intellectual property. Yes, Korean firms have excellent intellectual property. And more importantly, much of the associated intangible value is based on patents granted by the government of the United States. The high quality of Korean intellectual property is significant because of the contemporary media narrative about claims of Samsung illegally copying Apple, Hyundai and Kia copying a hybrid vehicle inventor, LG copying AMD, etc. Such media narratives, independent of their validity, ignore important facts about Korea based innovations as objectively measured through patent data. The supporters of Trump reading such narratives may be inclined to react to these legal claims, hence their backing for currency- and/or trade-related policies that may mitigate any advantage to be realized through copying. But are Korean firms succeeding only by copying and cost-based competition? Not according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In calendar year 2015 Samsung Electronics generated more patent documents (applications plus grants) in the USPTO than any other applicant, according to sources. This was the first time in many decades where a non-U.S. based firm actually had more USPTO activity than domestic entities such as IBM, Apple, Qualcomm, Intel, Microsoft and Google. Another objective measure of native Korean inventiveness is the number of U.S. patent grants to Korea-based universities. USPTO data indicates KAIST and Yonsei University earned more U.S. patent grants than many top-tiered global research institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania and Yale from the Ivy League, Northwestern University (my own institution) and the University of Tokyo. Overall, four Korea-based universities were amongst the top 30 academic recipients of U.S. patent grants in 2015. While counting U.S. patent activity is an approach to measure inventiveness, more scientific, objective measures of patent quality have emerged over the past 10 years. By aggregating multinational patent statistics, firms like PatentSight in Germany are generating robust, global measures of invention quality. The uniqueness of their approach leverages the judgment of patent examiners, unaligned third parties who make assessments regarding the relevance of patents. The PatentSight approach also measures the size of markets covered by patent families. This objective methodology, vetted in the scientific literature, facilitates the indexing of individual inventions through measures such as Competitive Impact. The overall relative value of patent portfolios may be benchmarked through measures such as the Patent Asset Index. R&D-intensive multinational firms such as BASF, Siemens, Phillips, Caterpillar, Dow, Novartis and Sumitomo Chemical are already using the power of such patent analytics to improve their internal decision-making and, importantly, to advance their standing in the capital markets. Government authorities such as the European Competition Commission are also adopting these analysis tools to better understand competitive advantage in their own markets. So how do Korean inventors stack up against those from other nations? Since 2006 the average Competitive Impact for inventors residing in Korea has improved 94 percent, outgrowing its Asian neighbors. Interestingly, U.S.- and German-based inventors have seen a decline in average quality of their inventions over the same period. Overall, however, the U.S. and Germany remain powerhouses of innovation in terms of high-quality patent portfolios. Back to the storyline about Korea's intangible advantage. High-quality patents like those being granted to Koreans as per above have strong litigation power. That means they do well in court. An excellent place to bring competitive pressures to bear against U.S. firms is the U.S. legal system. Note that the Mexican government is considering how they may use the U.S. immigration courts to confound current U.S. immigration enforcement plans. If Koreans so decided, they could use the U.S. legal system (judicial infrastructure paid for by U.S. taxpayer) to add competitive pressures to U.S. firms both large and small. As the quality of Korean patent activities across the world improves, the negotiating power associated with owning such U.S.-based intellectual property rights may enter into currency- and trade-related conversations and bring the inventiveness of Koreans out of the shadows. James Conley serves on the faculty of both the Kellogg School of Management and the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He is a faculty contributor in the Kellogg Center for Research in Technology and Innovation and serves as a Faculty Fellow at the Segal Design Institute (NU IDEA). He can be reached via j-conleya@kellogg.northwestern.edu The apparent assassination of the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raises questions about the stability of the young leader's grip on power, U.S. experts said Tuesday. Kim Jong-nam, the 45-year-old eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, who has a different mother from the current leader, was killed after being attacked with poison at a Kuala Lumpur airport Monday. A source familiar with the case said agents of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's spy agency, have carried out the assassination by taking advantage of a security loophole created between Kim's body guards and Malaysian police at the Malaysian airport. The killing is the latest in a series of purges leader Kim has carried out since taking office five years ago. "I think it speaks to the question of how much resistance there is inside the country," Victor Cha, a Georgetown University professor and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Yonhap News Agency. "I know that there's a lot of people who say five years in, the transition is stable. But he sacks the minister of state security last month and now kills the elder brother. Doesn't look so stable to me," Cha said. A woman in circle is strongly believed to be one of two suspects who assassinated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's older half-brother Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on Feb. 13, 2017. / Yonhap By Ko Dong-hwan Speculation is rife over who assassinated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's older half-brother Jong-nam in Malaysia, but two women are the main suspects. Security camera footage at Kuala Lumpur International Airport shows a woman who is strongly believed to be one of two. In the video taken at 9:26 a.m. on Feb. 13, local time a short-haired woman in a white top and gray shorts, with a bag slung across her shoulder, is seen at a public transportation platform outside the airport building. Based on the time, she was filmed after the assassination. Kim Jong-un, left, and Kim Jong-nam Malaysian police believe the women, suspected of being North Korean agents, fled in a taxi. But a Japanese government official said he has intelligence indicating that the suspects have died in Malaysia. By Lee Han-soo The apparent assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, by the North has sharpened the edge of fading memories of the regime's brutal terrorist attacks on South Korea. Here is a list of major assassinations and terrorist attacks the North has engineered since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War to get rid of important figures or organizations in the South. Kim Shin-jo being arrested by South Korean Military Police. / Korea Times file 1. Cheong Wa Dae raid On Jan. 21, 1968, 31 elite North Korean commandos infiltrated the South in an attempt to assassinate then South Korean President Park Chung-hee. The plot failed after the commandos came across four civilians while travelling to Seoul but let them go after a simple verbal warning. The civilians reported the infiltration to police. Twenty-nine North Korean commandos were killed in a bloody exchange of fire with South Korean troops near the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, with one (Kim Shin-jo) captured and the other (Park Jae-kyung) fleeing to the North. 2. Rangoon bombing On Oct. 9, 1983, three North Korean agents set up a bomb to assassinate then South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan.The bomb exploded moments before Chun's arrival. The fact he was running late due to traffic saved his life.Seventeen South Korean officials and four Myanmar (then Burma) nationals were killed in the blast. Two agents were killed and one captured.Kang Min-chul confessed to the terror plot and his links to North Korea. Kang served the rest of his life in a Myanmar prison, dying of cancer on May 18, 2008. Kim Hyon-hui lands in South Korea after being extradited. / Korea Times file 3. Bombing of Korean Air flight 858 On Nov. 29, 1987, Korean Air flight 858 left Baghdad for Seoul. But the plane exploded over the Andaman Sea, killing all 115 passengers and crew. Two North Korea agents placed the bomb in an overhead compartment before leaving the aircraft at its first stop, Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. The two bombers tried to commit suicide after realizing they were close to being arrested. One succeeded, while the other, Kim Hyon-hui, confessed to the bombing. The United States branded North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism until 2008 because of the blast. Russian FSB official leaves the Office of the Prosecutor General during the investigation into Choi Duk-kuen's assassination. / Korea Times file 4. Assassination of Korean consular official in Russia On Oct. 1, 1996, Choi Duk-keun, the Korean consular official for the Russian Far East, was assassinated while coming home from work.Though bludgeoning was listed as the official cause of Choi's death, it was proven that he had two small holes on his torso that later were identified as injection sites for the poison that killed him. The poison had the same properties as that carried by North Korean soldiers who infiltrated South Korea in a submarine earlier that year. 5. Assassination of North Korean defectors Yi Han-yong North Korea has made several assassination attempts on North Korean defectors. Of these, the assassination of Yi Han-yong is widely known. Yi, the nephew of leader Kim Jong-il's second wife, was assassinated on Feb. 15, 1997. He was shot near his home in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, by two assailants who were never caught. The shooting was linked to North Korea after the bullet that killed Yi was traced to a pistol North Korean Special Forces used. Yi was taken to hospital and kept on life-support, but succumbed to his wounds. By YI Whan-woo North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reign of terror is gaining attention again as South Korean intelligence reports claim that he was behind the murder of his elder brother Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia, Monday. The young dictator, who is believed to be aged 33, has killed at least 100 officials since he seized power in December 2011 following the sudden death of his father Kim Jong-il. The victims vary from senior members of the Workers' Party and key bureaucrats to top military officers. They also include Kim's uncle Jang Song-thaek, who was once the second-most powerful man in North Korea. He was killed in December 2013. Kim's bloody rule has exceeded that of Kim Jong-il, according to Seoul government officials, Wednesday. They cited that the number of North Koreans executed during the first three-and-a-half years of his rule was about 70, while Kim Jong-il killed about 10 people over the same time period after he became the country's leader. They also cited that the young despot, who has sought to consolidate his leadership, has been executing his aides for "petty reasons." For instance, former North Korean Defense Minister Hyon Yong-chol was convicted of treason and killed in April 2015 for falling asleep during an event attended by Kim. Former North Korean officials who have defected to South Korea testified that the young despot has been developing brutal forms of executions, such as shooting the victims to death with an anti-aircraft machine gun and bulldozing their dead bodies, which were already torn apart into many pieces. Kim Han-sol at dormitory of the Le Havre Campus of France's Sciences Po University in 2013 / Korea Times file By Ko Dong-hwan Kim Han-sol, the son of the assassinated older half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is in Macau, the South Korean spy agency confirmed Wednesday. The National Intelligence Service said Han-sol, 22, son of Jong-nam, 46, is living in the special administrative region of China. It was uncertain over the past year whether he was on the mainland or in the city after graduating from the Le Havre campus of France's Sciences Po University. With Jong-nam's death, Han-sol is believed to be the last surviving male member carrying the "baekdu" lineage amid the complicated family tree flowing from North Korean state founder Kim Il-sung to Kim Jong-il and to Jong-nam. Kim Jong-chol visits London's Royal Albert Hall to watch an Eric Clapton concert in 2015. Tae Yong-ho, deputy North Korean ambassador to London, escorts Kim. / Korea Times file Jong-nam's wife, Lee Hye-kyong, and daughter Kim Sol-hui are believed to be living in an apartment building in Taipa, Macau. The skyscraper is close to an international school that Sol-hui attends. But there has been no sign of the family since Jong-nam's death. 1 female suspect detained By Kim Rahn The mysterious death of Kim Jong-nam, the older half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is spawning a lot of speculation. Intelligence agencies and local police are scrambling to reconstruct the details, gathering testimony from witnesses, analyzing surveillance camera footage, and questioning a suspect whom they detained Wednesday. The 46-year-old victim, who had been in Malaysia since Feb. 6, was about to take a flight to Macau, Monday. He was using a self check-in kiosk at a terminal for low-cost carriers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at around 9 a.m. Two unidentified women then approached him. One grabbed him from behind while the other sprayed a liquid into his face, and he collapsed immediately, criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat told local media, citing surveillance tapes and witnesses. Kim called for help from a staffer at the departure hall and was escorted to a clinic within the airport. "At this point, he was experiencing a headache and was on the verge of passing out," Ahmat told the Malaysian media. Kim died in an ambulance while being transferred to Putrajaya Hospital. By Kim Rahn Assassins hired by North Korea have been in South Korea to kill high-profile North Korean defectors here, according to Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the minor conservative Bareun Party, Wednesday. His remark came two days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam was poisoned to death in Malaysia presumably by two female North Korean agents. In a party meeting, Ha said he obtained intelligence last year that two male agents had infiltrated into the South. He said he is not sure whether they are North Koreans who came via Southeast Asia, or if they are nationals of a third country such as China or a Southeast Asian country. "The agents' targets are high-profile North Korean defectors and defector-turned-activists who work against the Kim Jong-un regime," he said. Thae Yong-ho, former North Korean diplomat He said Thae Yong-ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador to Britain who fled to the South last August, could be the No. 1 target as he is one of the highest-ranking North Korean officials to escape from the country and he knows a lot of recent information about the repressive state. This combination of file photos shows Kim Jong-nam, left, exiled half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, in Narita, Japan, May 4, 2001, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, May 9, 2016, in Pyongyang. / AP-Yonhap Murder of half-brother shows NK leader's cruelty, characteristics By Jun Ji-hye The apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's elder half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, will test the North's critical ties with China because the victim had long been protected by Beijing, sources said Wednesday. South Korea's spy agency confirmed that Kim Jong-nam, the 45-year-old eldest son of the late leader Kim Jong-il, was murdered Monday with poison in Malaysia by two women who are presumed to be North Korean agents, both of women whom are still at large. Cheong Seong-chang, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute, said if Pyongyang is confirmed to have been involved in the murder, the North's relations with China, its one and only powerful ally, could worsen, given that Jong-nam had close ties with people in Beijing. "The North will face fierce criticism and pressure from the international community over its act of terrorism," he said. South Korean intelligence officials said that China had been protecting the elder brother in preparation for a sudden change in North Korea such as a coup. Sources cited as an example that Beijing provided him with bodyguards when he was in the country. When Kim Jong-nam barely survived an assassination attempt in 2010 in Beijing, China also reportedly urged the North to behave "prudently." Pyongyang-Beijing relations have been going downhill since Kim Jong-un executed his uncle and former No. 2 man, Jang Song-thaek, in December 2013. Jang was mentioned as the leader's mentor who played a key role in the North's diplomatic and economic cooperation with China. Pyongyang attempted to recover the relationship by sending a high-ranking official to Beijing. But the relationship has shown no notable improvement due to the North's continuous provocations such as nuclear tests and missile launches, which led to China's participation in U.N. Security Council resolutions. South Korea's decision to deploy a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile battery here last year despite China's protests was expected to push Beijing closer to the North. But this assassination could stop any reconciliation between the two, experts noted. China's state media criticized the killing. The Global Times said the assassination to further consolidate the North Korean leader's power was unacceptable, calling it a "cruel and political act." The car of the ambassador of North Korea to Malaysia leaves the forensic department of a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday. Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed in Malaysia, Monday, in what appeared to be an assassination carried out by female agents. / AP-Yonhap 5 years of assassination plots Seoul's National Intelligence Service Director Lee Byung-ho told lawmakers that for the past five years Pyongyang has been attempting to assassinate Jong-nam based on Kim Jong-un's "delusional disorder." Asked why the dictator would have killed his half-brother at the expense of Pyongyang-Beijing relations, Lee said, "That might be because of his personal traits." Experts said the incident, which followed the North's surprise launch of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, Sunday, is likely to be a major issue during the upcoming G20 foreign ministers meeting beginning today in Germany. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se plans to hold talks with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the meeting. "I think the recent incidents involving the North will draw keen attention," Yun told reporters before departing Korea. By Jun Ji-hye After North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, Jong-nam, was confirmed to have been killed in Malaysia, the safety of his family members including his son, Han-sol, is drawing keen attention. South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Lee Byong-ho told lawmakers, Wednesday, that Kim Jong-nam's wife is currently staying in Beijing with a son, while his second wife is living in Macao with a son and a daughter. All of them are currently under the protection of Chinese authorities, Lee said. Jong-nam is the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. By Park Si-soo This image, captured from Malay Mail, shows a CCTV image of a female suspect linked to the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, Jong-nam, at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday. Malaysian authorities have detained a woman in connection with the investigation into the death of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to local media. Local police are tracking down on "several" others involved in the case. Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported on Wednesday the woman was caught in the low-cost terminal of the Kuala. No other details were immediately available. UCR president seeks exchanges in technology, science By Chung Hyun-chae The University of Costa Rica Rector Henning Jensen Pennington, right, talks with Korea University President Yeom Jae-ho at the Korean university's campus in northern Seoul, Feb. 10, when Jensen Pennington visited there to discuss ways of expanding cooperation between the two schools. / Courtesy of Korea University The University of Costa Rica (UCR) has been stepping up its efforts to expand cooperation with Korean universities and institutions, especially in the sciences, said Henning Jensen Pennington, rector of the university. "In recent years, Costa Rica's universities have been providing new programs in technology, science, engineering and research and development, all areas in which Korea has excelled," Jensen Pennington said. "The UCR is looking to further strengthen cooperation in these fields with Korean universities and institutions." Jensen Pennington visited Seoul from Jan. 30 to Feb. 11 to meet the presidents of partner universities and institutions in order to strengthen academic cooperation. The university has formed relationships with more than 100 universities worldwide, 10 of which are in Korea. "Costa Rica is on the verge of becoming a developed country, but it has, as yet, not been successful in sufficiently linking knowledge and production, although our scientific institutions have an adequate potential for contributing in that direction," Jensen Pennington said. "In this sense, there is a structural gap that we have to fill. We have a well-defined road map, but we still have to work on the conditions of a more productive convergence." He added that Costa Rica has made much effort to improve the infrastructure of their schools to strengthen their teaching of science and foreign languages. Founded as a public university in Costa Rica, Central America, in 1940, UCR is among the top 10 universities in Latin America. Having six campuses and diverse experimental farms and biological reserves, the UCR has hosted a lot of international scientific conferences. The university ranked 18th among Latin American universities in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings in 2016. "It is without a doubt that UCR is the most important institution of higher education in Central America and the Caribbean. Its reputation is outstanding due to the fact that it is responsible for the highest number of scientific publications and academic citations in its region," Jensen Pennington said. According to the rector, UCR conducts approximately 60 percent of the scientific projects in Costa Rica, as well as publishing 25 percent of all scientific papers published in Central America. About 42,000 students are enrolled in more than 250 programs from the humanities to medicine, computing and engineering. "Our students actively participate in community outreach activities, which altogether amount to one million hours per year of volunteer work," the rector said. Expansion of Korean and East Asian studies programs The university launched the Chair of Korean Studies in 2012 after Laura Chinchilla, former president of UCR, visited Korea. The Korea Foundation and the Academy of Korean Studies have funded the program. The purpose of creating the program is to teach the Korean language and to organize conferences and lectures with visiting Korean scholars on culture, politics, economics and the arts. "Korea is a major world player in many different aspects, and it evolved to this position in a relatively short period of time. This pertains not only to its economic development, but also to its democratic system," Jensen Pennington said. He stressed that the program has been in high demand, which is why UCR is seeking to restructure itself into a more ample program. "We plan to establish a master's program in Korean studies," Jensen Pennington said. According to him, the university also plans to expand the existing program to Central America and the Caribbean and to foster cooperation in high-tech fields. "Our academic diplomacy also aims at being a sound basis to promote economic relations." UCR's other plan is to publish an academic journal about Korean and East Asian studies in Spanish. "The journal will be the first of its kind in the Spanish speaking world," the rector said. By Lyman McLallen Young Koreans eager to improve their English watch and listen to native speakers of the language every chance they get. They look closely to see how the native speakers move their mouths and the muscles of their jaws and throats. At the same time, the students move their mouths and the muscles of their jaws and throats, trying as best they can to mimic the moves and sounds of the native speakers -- if only in whispers. I remember seeing students in the classroom moving their mouths, whispering the words I was saying. The students call this shadowing. Many of them say that shadowing helps them become fluent speakers of English. They also say it works even better for them if they are dedicated readers of the language. I knew students who in the short time they took classes with me improved their English to the point that if I hadn't known them, I would have guessed they had lived in America as children because they could speak English with beauty and grace. I can't take credit for their improvement, other than to say I encouraged and praised them for their efforts in striving to speak English well -- and they could speak English well, if not yet at the level they were working toward. To practice and refine their English, they frequently met with other students and had discussions where they only spoke in English. Sometimes native speakers attended their meetings, which was nice when they did. At these meetings, the students were speaking and trying to think in English on their own, working to raise their fluency, not merely trying to finagle a high test score. Many students I worked with were nearly fluent English speakers before they enrolled in my classes. Even if they had never lived a day outside of Korea, they amazed me with how well they spoke and wrote in English. They were good enough with English, that they could and did study Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Thai, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Farsi and others languages through English. (I knew many students who studied Latin with the same textbook -- Wheelock's Latin -- I used when I was in college.) I was surprised to listen to students speak English almost as well as erudite native speakers of the language. Well, the students studied to become erudite speakers of English so it shouldn't have been a surprise. Several of the students I worked with had lived as children in countries where English is the major language or where there are superb international schools in which the language of instruction is English. But whether they lived abroad or not, those who studied English earnestly succeeded at becoming critical readers of the language and could write passages in English that were informative, interesting and a joy to read, which helped them become excellent speakers. From years of struggle trying to teach myself to write readable prose, I know that learning to write didn't come easy for them. I figure it must be much more difficult for Korean students to write well in English than it is for me because of all the difficulties they continue to have trying to master a foreign language. I could see, however, that students who were habitual readers gained a sublime understanding of English not possible for those who don't read, native speaker or not. What didn't surprise me about many of the students is that their parents and often their grandparents had also studied English. Obviously, their parents expected much from them, which is why many of these students found themselves studying at demanding universities. But beyond what their parents wanted from them, the students inspired themselves to go further. The parents of most of the students I taught, though, couldn't speak English well. Regardless of this, their children demanded a lot from themselves and had studied and practiced English on their own since they were small. They watched Hollywood movies again and again while studying the scripts, mimicking the pronunciation and speech of the actors and playing the roles of the characters as if they were members of the cast. They read out loud to themselves to get the feel of English in their mouths and voices. They habitually read English language daily newspapers such as this one you are reading now and surely they struggled for a long time trying to write even readable simple sentences. It had to be frustrating. But they persisted. McLallen taught at Korea University and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He is a copy editor at The Korea Times. By Yun Suh-young Kim Seong-kon President Kim Seong-kon of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) will be receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the State University of New York (SUNY). The degree is conferred on a select number of individuals of "extraordinary merit and achievement in their fields upon recommendation of campus presidents, faculties, and a statewide committee on honorary degrees," according to the university. In a letter to Kim, the university's President, Satish Tripathi, on behalf of SUNY chancellor Nancy Zimpher, said the school was "inspired by the profound impact (Kim) had as a cultural and literary bridge between Korea and the United States through (his) work as an interpreter of American literary culture for Korean readers" and the university would like to honor Kim "with the highest accolade accorded by the State University of New York in recognition of vision and leadership as an ambassador to Korea for American literature and literary studies." Kim was invited to make a speech at the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences' Graduate Commencement on May 19. When asked how he felt about this recognition, Kim said, "The State University of New York at Buffalo is where I spent the best years of my life and met my mentor and academic advisor, Leslie A. Fiedler, and learned about literary postmodernism and cultural studies." Kim received his Ph.D. in English at the SUNY/Buffalo's Department of English in 1984. In 2012, he received the SUNY/Buffalo International Distinguished Alumni Award and served as the president of SUNY/Buffalo Alumni Association Korea Chapter from 2013 to 2015. "I know that American colleges go through a strict evaluation procedure when giving honorary degrees so I'm very honored to be receiving it. All my life, I have tried to become a person like the Bosphorous Bridge in Turkey, connecting Europe and Asia. I will continue to act as a cultural ambassador between the U.S. and Korea," he said. By Kim Se-jeong Almost four out of 10 children in Seoul with multicultural family backgrounds don't fully understand what they learn at school, according to the Seoul Institute. The institute's recent study shows only 61.9 percent of respondents from elementary to high schools answered they "fully comprehend" what they learn at school, while 36.2 percent said they understood only half or less. The study result emphasizes the challenges facing Korean society which is becoming culturally more diverse. The number of students with multicultural family backgrounds in Seoul was 11,642 in 2015 (latest figure available at the moment), 1.14 percent of all students enrolled. The researchers interviewed 688 students for the study. The study also showed 14 percent of these students considered quitting school because of academic incompetence, and 1.44 percent _ 168 _ actually did it, higher than the city average at 1.16 percent. Even bigger academic challenges were felt among children who joined Korea's school system in the middle of the year than those who were there from the beginning, said the study. Seventeen percent of these students said they considered quitting school, while it was only 10 percent among those who started the school from the beginning. As a remedy, the author, Lee Hye-sook, recommended placing more coordinators at schools dedicated to assisting these students. "Coordinators are expected to help these children integrate into the school system faster." By Kim Bo-eun The Seoul Central District Court will review issuing an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong after holding a hearing today. The court is expected to make the decision late today or early Friday. The independent counsel team sought a second arrest warrant for Lee, Tuesday, about a month after it was denied court approval in its first attempt to arrest Lee. The court had rejected the warrant, citing that the team lacked evidence in proving that Samsung had provided President Park Geun-hye's confidant Choi Soon-sil with funds in return for Cheong Wa Dae facilitating a merger of its affiliates. "After the court denied the request for the arrest warrant, we conducted further investigations over three weeks and secured various additional evidence for the allegations Lee faces, which we believe is sufficient for us to seek an arrest warrant again," team spokesman Lee Kyu-chul said in a briefing, Wednesday. The investigation documents submitted to the court this time have been beefed up to a considerable extent, according to reports. They include the content of newly secured evidence 39 notepads belonging to former presidential aide An Chong-bum, which were recently submitted to the team. The notepads reportedly contain records of President Park's meeting with Lee which raise suspicions that the two had made requests of each other. After the team was denied the arrest warrant, it also launched a probe into the Fair Trade Commission's involvement in granting business favors to Samsung Group. Moreover, the team found that the group had provided financial benefits to Choi's family by purchasing a horse for them, even after the scandal surrounding Choi erupted. By Kim Hyo-jin Late Kim Jong-nam Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, was once considered a natural heir of North Korea's family dynasty. After his half-brother Kim Jong-un took power following the sudden death of their father in 2011, however, he and his family had to live abroad to avoid possible persecution. He had long been considered a potential threat to his brother's dictatorship until his death, Monday. He was born in 1971 as the eldest son of Kim Jong-il and actress Song Hye-rim. He is an older half-brother of Kim Jong-un, born between the same father and his third wife Ko Yong-hui. His upbringing was largely in secret due to what is believed to be Kim Il-sung's disapproval of his son's relationship with Song, who was then a married woman. When he was young, Jong-nam was tutored at home by Song Hye-rang, his aunt who received asylum in the U.S. later in 1996, which weakened his positioning as a natural heir to Kim Jong-il. He left the country at the age of nine to Russia and attended international schools there and in Switzerland. Though he studied political science and diplomacy at the University of Geneva, he reportedly had a keen interest in information technology too. It led him to assume the chair position of North Korea's computer committee, a body tasked with devising the country's information technology policies in 1998. With the onset of Kim Jong-il's era since 1994, the assumption grew that Jong-nam, the eldest son of Kim Jong-il, will be his natural heir. But things turned sour after Jong-nam was caught and expelled by the Japanese authorities following an attempt to enter the country illegally with a fake Dominican Republic passport in 2001. He then told authorities that he was trying to go to Disneyland in Tokyo. The incident hugely embarrassed his home country as it was unveiled that key North Korean figures travel with fake identification. It is viewed as one of the main reasons why he fell out of his father's favor, according to North Korea experts. After he was cast aside from the center of power, Jong-nam had long been in de facto exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau. He was believed to have been under China's protection. Kim was viewed as critical of the North Korean regime. He publicly was opposed to "hereditary transfer of power of three generations" during an interview with Asahi Shimbun in 2010, a move seen as a challenge to the then soon-to-be top leader Kim Jong-un. Amid high speculation that Kim Jong-nam was assassinated on the order of his half-brother Kim Jong-un, who intended to consolidate his leadership, Cheong Seong-chang, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute and a North Korea expert, raised the possibility that a recent report that Jong-nam tried to seek asylum might have infuriated Kim Jong-un. Weekly Kyunghyang reported last Saturday that the South Korean government was helping Kim Jong-nam to exile in 2012. The National Intelligence Service (NIS), the country's spy agency, intended to escort him to South Korea but he wanted to go to either the U.S. or a European country. But the negotiation between the U.S. and Kim fell through because the U.S. did not view him as an asset in intelligence while he asked for overly special treatment, the magazine said. "It was the first time that Kim Jong-nam's attempt at exile was unveiled. It could have angered Kim Jong-un," Cheong said. But some say the killing of Kim Jong-nam has long been a mission for the Kim Jong-un regime. Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and a member of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, quoted the NIS head, Wednesday saying, "It has been a standing order since Kim Jong-un took power." He added, "The head of the NIS said there was an attempt in 2012 and afterwards, Kim Jong-nam sent a letter to Jong-un, begging for his and his family's lives." Veterinarians conduct an autopsy on a dolphin at Kyungpook National University in Daegu, Wednesday. /Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong Prompted by the death of a dolphin at an Ulsan aquarium, animal rights activists are calling for a complete ban on imports of the aquatic mammals to Korea. On Tuesday, a district government in Ulsan announced the death of a bottlenose dolphin. It was one of five in an aquarium at the Jangsaengpo Special Whale Culture Zone and had been imported from Japan only five days earlier. Bottlenose dolphins are on the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), but their trade is allowed internationally. In Korea, import is possible with permission from the Ministry of Environment. Whale-watching is a major tourist attraction for Ulsan, and the aquarium was built to attract more tourists to the coastal city. The cause of the death is unclear, according to the local government. The initial autopsy found a hematothorax and hemorrhaging in the dolphin's lungs, and the local government is awaiting the final autopsy results. Hotpinkdolphines, a domestic NGO for protecting dolphins, accused the local government of poorly handling the dolphins during transport. "The dolphin must have died of stress," the NGO said. "We have found that the dolphin was put in a small aquatic cage during the 1,000-kilometer journey and was left vulnerable to stress." After arriving at a port in Busan, the dolphin was driven to the aquarium. The government issued instructions on how to maintain the cage during transport, but the NGO claimed such instructions are often not followed in reality. The NGO called on the local government to dismiss those who initiated the import and to release the four remaining animals at the aquarium into the wild. Furthermore, the activists insisted the central government enact a law to ban dolphins' import completely. "The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment should ban dolphin imports, which is a growing trend in other countries like India, Hungary, Chile, the United States and Costa Rica," the NGO said. An anonymous official at the environment ministry acknowledged the issue. "We can consider banning as a future policy direction, but we need consultation first with the fisheries ministry," he added. The fisheries ministry represents the interests of aquarium businesses. Big aquariums with dolphins are scattered around Geoje Island, Seoul, Ulsan and Jeju Island, and they import dolphins mainly from Japan. Many say a ban should go hand in hand with pressuring the export country. Japan, known for hunting dolphins, has been a major export country. The Taiji dolphin drive hunt there has died down over the years due to international pressure, but it still continues on a smaller scale, with captured dolphins sold to Korea. By Park Yoon-bae The present political turbulence bears a resemblance to that of 1987 when people staged the pro-democracy movement to call for the end of harsh military rule. One of most striking similarities between the two episodes is the people power that led to the downfall of the Chun Doo-hwan regime in 1987 and the parliamentary impeachment of President Park Geun-hye in 2016. Thirty years ago, people could no longer tolerate the iron-fisted rule of Chun who seized power through a military coup after the 1979 assassination of then-President Park Chung-hee, a longtime dictator and the father of current President Park. Now, most people want to see President Park's ouster and the termination of an outdated political system which has been mired in rampant corruption, cronyism and factionalism. Hundreds of thousands of Koreans have poured into the streets to hold candles and demand the President's resignation since a massive corruption scandal engulfing Park and her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil erupted last October. Pundits describe the mass weekly protests as a "Candlelight Revolution" which has drawn about 15 million people since Oct. 29. It is a manifestation of their anger and frustration against the corrupt and incompetent President as well as their strong will to topple what they see as an ancient regime. However, this kind of revolution does not automatically translate into a more politically democratic, economic and social system as there could be resistance to cataclysmic changes following the turbulence, as seen in the Arab Spring in the early 2010s. The 1987 movement has been hailed as a milestone in turning Korea, which was still a military dictatorship despite its brilliant economic success, into a democracy. Fearing an immediate collapse of his regime in the face of massive anti-government protests in June 1987, former President Chun let his right-hand man, Roh Tae-woo, make the June 29 Declaration to accept the people's demand for the amendment of the Constitution to have a popularly elected president. However, the declaration was nothing but Chun's attempt to extend the military rule. Roh, then chief of the ruling Democratic Justice Party, was elected president in December 1987 after the constitutional revision. His election was possible because the opposition was divided with the "Three Kims" Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil running for president against him. As a result, Korea had to suffer a setback in ushering in a genuine democracy until Kim Young-sam became Korea's first civilian president in 1993 after three decades of military rulers. Then, the country managed to firmly establish a functioning democracy when Kim Dae-jung, a lifetime fighter for democracy, took power in 1998. Now, we have to learn a lesson from the pro-democracy movement as the embattled President Park and her loyalists are trying to launch a counterattack against the people to revive their conservative rule. They are also encouraging their right-wing supporters to hold pro-Park rallies to pressure the Constitutional Court to reject her impeachment. Such a reactionary move goes against the people's aspiration for clean politics and a fairer and more democratic society. But we cannot categorically rule out the possibility that the Park regime may succeed in prolonging its rule. What's somewhat worrisome is the country's opposition parties are divided, as in 1987, over how to deal with the political turmoil although they are standing firm against Park and her administration. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and its leading presidential hopeful Moon Jae-in appear to be lukewarm over revising the Constitution, while the smaller People's Party is adamant for a constitutional amendment to prevent a president from again monopolizing political power. Against this backdrop, each opposition party is expected to field its own candidate against the ruling camp's contender in the next presidential poll. This division may work to the advantage of the governing party even though its candidate has a slim chance of winning the election. Thus, it is necessary for the opposition parties and their presidential contenders to overcome partisan interests and take a united front against the ruling camp. Is it possible for the opposition to field a single candidate to avoid a repetition of the mistake during the 1987 presidential campaign? It is doubtful if they can do so. I want to remind them that it is the people who have sown the seeds of democracy as seen in the April 1960 student revolution, the 1980 Gwangju uprising, the 1987 pro-democracy movement and the ongoing candlelit rallies. By Robert Kelly The election of Donald Trump as American president is likely a loss for South Korea, or at best a neutral event. The next four years will probably bring a U.S. strategic disinterest in South Korea, and possibly a serious trade dispute. The U.S.-South Korea alliance is unlikely to fracture. But sensitive issues, such as Korean defense contributions under the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), and South Korean compliance with the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) are likely to divide the partners once again. This will incentivize Korean conservatives to improve relations with Japan, as occurred in the 1970s when U.S. President Jimmy Carter and South Korean dictator Park Chung Hee fell out. One caveat to this prediction of course is Trump's volatile personality and affinity for unpredictability. It is simply unclear how Trump will respond when North Korea inevitably insults him. That said, I doubt Trump will wander into the North Korean policy morass. Trump's narcissism and laziness strongly suggest he will avoid intractable issues with few public opinion benefits, such the Israel-Palestine conflict or North Korea. A consensus seems to be emerging that Trump "must" deal with North Korea. I doubt Trump sees it that way. The North Korean threat to the United States is a function of America's alignment with South Korea, and Trump has expressed much skepticism about U.S. alliances. Were there no U.S.-South Korea alliance, it is highly unlikely that small, poor, backward North Korea would have spent the enormous sums required to strike the continental United States (with an intercontinental or submarine-launched ballistic missile). Previous American presidents carried this risk because of a broad commitment to a global liberal order of which South Korea's evolution from dictatorship to democracy was an outstanding example. But Trump does not appear to care for such things. His speeches and Twitter comments evince little interest in U.S. leadership of the community of democratic states. Trump does not appear much motivated by political liberalism. It is easy to see him cutting deals, his preferred method of operation, with dictatorships without care for smaller states' fate or US alliance commitments. He has already thrown NATO into doubt, and during the campaign, he flippantly suggested he would meet with Kim Jong-un. Instead of a liberal community of friendly states, Trump seems to see U.S. allies as burdens. They are fleecing the U.S. by not paying Washington enough. Free-riding is indeed an old problem in the US alliance network. American allies spend significantly smaller proportions of their GDP on defense than the U.S. Washington has complained about this for years. Trump seems poised to make this a major issue. Although Trump's recent phone call with South Korea's acting president, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, confirmed the U.S.'s commitment to defend South Korea, Trump's initial response to North Korea is currently uncertain. One thing South Korea can depend on is its alliance with Japan. Since the comfort women deal, South Korea and Japan have worked closely together on the Northern threat. The recent General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) further enhanced this alliance. The agreement finally made sustained South Korea-Japan cooperation possible. Besides slacking allies, Trump's other favorite foreign policy hobbyhorse is trade and the ostensibly unfair trade deals the U.S. enters into. Trump has already signaled U.S. withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and a desire to renegotiate the North America Free Trade Agreement. If Trump holds this course, KORUS would be an obvious future target. It is one of the more important trade deals worked out under the Obama administration; it is new enough that it could be rolled back with only moderate difficulty; and it is with an Asian exporter. Trump has publicly criticized Asian mercantilism as trade cheating since the 1980s. So what might South Korea do? The emotionally satisfying, and therefore most likely, response is to hit back at Trump tit-for-tat. The South Korean government and media will likely assail Trump's free-rider and trade cheater critiques out of sheer nationalist pique. This is unwise. For although South Koreans dislike to hear it, their relationship with the US is asymmetric, which gives Trump enormous leverage. KORUS grants South Korean firms better access to the world's wealthiest market, while the alliance adds substantial firepower, plus intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, to South Korean defense at a very low cost. As North Korea is only a threat to the U.S. because the U.S. is in Korea, Trump could wield the obvious threat of a US withdrawal to extract concessions from Seoul. A more diplomatic South Korean answer for the Trump era might be to make reasonable concessions, such as greater SMA payments and more committed KORUS implementation, in low-profile negotiations, while ignoring Trump's public bluster. I imagine European leaders will do this as well. Much of the American establishment, including the military and business community, wish to retain the South Korean relationship. Also, Trump's many conflicts of interests and outrages mean he may well be impeached or fail to be re-elected. Best to wait out the four year orange storm, rather than provoking Trump's pride into a conflict where South Korea has much more to lose than the U.S. Robert Kelly (@Robert_E_Kelly) is an associate professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science at Pusan National University. More of his writing may be found at his website, Asian Security Blog. The team of independent counsel Park Young-soo has filed a request for a warrant to arrest Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong again. Lee is accused of offering bribes to President Park Geun-hye and her shadowy confidant Choi Soon-sil. The team also sought an arrest warrant for Park Sang-jin, a Samsung Electronics president who oversees the company's external relations. A Seoul court will hold a hearing Thursday before deciding whether to issue the warrants. Special prosecutors have raided the antitrust agency and a financial regulator to discover additional evidence after their attempt to arrest Lee was rejected by a court last month. Filing the second request, the independent counsel team added a new charge of hiding assets overseas. Samsung reiterated that it had never offered bribes to the President expecting any favors. Lee, Samsung's de facto leader, admitted that his company transferred funds to a company and foundations controlled by Choi under Park's pressure, but denied allegations that he expected to win any favors. Whether the team could arrest Lee is certainly a watershed event in its probe of the Choi scandal. So it's not wrong for it to reapply for the warrant, although doubts linger over the need to put the head of the nation's leading business empire behind bars in these difficult times. The question is whether the special prosecutors might have filed the warrant merely to prove the President's bribery charge without securing further compelling evidence. After all, whether Lee is arrested will be in the hands of the court. Given the axiom that all are equal before the law, the 48-year-old tycoon does not deserve special treatment. Nor does he deserve to be detained merely because of hostile public sentiment against Park, as displayed through months of candlelit protests. The court should make a judgment based only on the law and the evidence. Huawei Korea's new CEO Shawn Meng By Yoon Sung-won Huawei appointed Shawn Meng, a former chief operating officer (COO) at its Indonesian branch, as the new CEO of business in Korea, the company said Wednesday. The Chinese IT giant has pushed to boost its presence in the Korean market not only as a network equipment provider but also as a leading global smartphone maker. The company said it has high hopes the new CEO will play a key role in boosting business in Korea as the conglomerate marks its 30th anniversary this year. "I am very happy to be appointed as the new CEO of Huawei Korea," Meng said. "Huawei is focusing on creating customer value through advancement of information and communications technology infrastructure. We will also seek open cooperation and mutual growth with local partners." While working as COO of Huawei's subsidiary in Indonesia, Meng successfully managed a $1.8 billion business. Meng joined Huawei in 2007 and has since worked in wireless network engineering and sales operations. "Meng will contribute to solidifying the company's leadership in the information and communications technology ecosystem here and foster stable development," a Huawei Korea official said. Before Huawei, the new CEO worked at the Shenzhen branch of China Telecom in core network design and wireless system sectors. He acquired his bachelor's degree in electronic engineering at Wuhan University. As of last year, Huawei Korea had over 300 employees, up from a dozen workers when it opened its operation here in 2005. It opened its first official service center in Seoul last year. Though it has not released its flagship smartphones here in time, expectations are that it may seek to provide new high-end handsets in Korea alongside China and other global markets in the future. North Korea feared to have planted logic bombs in networks By Yoon Sung-won Seoul should investigate its digital networks and infrastructure thoroughly for Pyongyang's "logic bombs," a type of malicious code planted in a software system in peacetime that can be set off under given conditions, analysts said Wednesday. Calling logic bombs "digital poisoning," Korea Defense Network head Shin In-kyun urged the government to take countermeasures. "We are so complacent about the risks to our software and network systems. It is especially the case for the military, which doesn't have enough experts to deal with this significant issue," Shin said. "North Korea has developed a formidable army of cyber warriors, who are suspected of having already planted many logic bombs in South Korea. In contrast, our cyber warfare command is so weak and undermanned. We don't have any sense of urgency on this crucial topic." Lim Jong-in, head of Korea University's center for cybersecurity policy, has also criticized the government's lack of investment in cybersecurity. "North Korea's cyber warfare command is run by around 6,000 workers. China has 100,000 at its cyber headquarters. But we only have 600," Lim said during a forum run by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) in December. "South Korea seriously needs basic capabilities in cybersecurity. The next administration will need to escalate cybersecurity as an important part of its policy." In March 2013, two South Korean news media companies and three banks were attacked by a logic bomb that wiped out hard drives and master boot records. Though the source of the logic bomb attack has not been identified, North Korea's cyber warfare command has been repeatedly considered the culprit as it has continued to pose persistent cyber threats to other countries in recent years. Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli historian famous for his bestseller "Sapiens," also recognized the imminent threats of Pyongyang's logic bombs in a recent interview with The Korea Times. Asked if it is safe to assume North Korea has installed many logic bombs in South Korea, he answered, "It is extremely likely." In his new book titled "Homo Deus," Harari articulated his warning on the perils of logic bombs. "In the future, though, countries such as North Korea and Iran could use logic bombs to shut down the power in California, blow up refineries in Texas and cause trains to collide in Michigan," he said. "It is highly likely that networks controlling vital infrastructure facilities in the United States and many other countries are already crammed with such code." Korea University Graduate School of Information Security professor Kim Seung-joo also said North Korea is highly likely to carry out cyber attacks. "After the North's latest missile test and the assassination of its leader's half-brother, the regime may escalate cyber threats, be it logic bombs or other types of cyberattacks, amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas," Kim said. "Accordingly, I understand South Korea's cyber warfare command has also tightened vigilance to such threats." By Lee Min-hyung Hancom has joined the toughening translation service competition against portal giants Google and Naver, combining its deep learning expertise with its own translation platform, the company said Wednesday. The nation's largest office software operator said it has upgraded its GenieTalk software by combining neural machine translation (NMT) technology with its existing rule-based machine translation (RBMT) service. NMT has stunned local users with its human-like and satisfactory translations. This is because the AI system translates entire sentences, whereas decades-old computerized statistics have so far taken a phrase-based translation approach. "The new GenieTalk service is different from the local competitors in that we offer the hybrid translation service which includes RBMT and NMT," a Hancom spokeswoman said. "The RBMT serves as the building block to check grammatical errors for potential outcomes, with the NMT keeping to compiling datasets to generate more natural translation output." Hancom is the third company here to tap into the NMT-based translation industry, following Naver and Google. Naver, the Seoul-based portal with the top market share domestically, unveiled its NMT translation app, Papago, last October, offering language translation services using Korean, Chinese, Japanese and English. The next month, the U.S.-based technology titan also launched an upgraded version of the globally renowned Google Translate service with its own AI algorithm. At that time, the company expressed confidence about the growth potential for the new service, backed by its big data and machine learning expertise. The accuracy of the NMT service is expected to reach much higher, as it automatically piles up more data over time. For this reason, conventional translation service operators are losing ground after their failure to embrace the data-driven technology shift. "We are going to differentiate our services by focusing on improving accuracy especially for less-frequently-used expressions through our hybrid translation service," the Hancom official said. "Hancom plans to add the NMT function into four languages Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese this month," she added. The company hopes to use the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a stepping stone to raise its global profile, as GenieTalk has been named the official translation service for the Olympic Games in Korea next February. The firm expects more than 40,000 athletes, members of the international press and other visitors from here and abroad to use the service at the weeks-long Olympics. Samsung Electronics' mobile chief Ko Dong-jin takes questions from reporters during a weekly meeting of Samsung affiliates' executives at the company's headquarters in Seocho, southern Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo Samsung Group is expected to shift to "crisis management" upon the independent counsel's request for an arrest warrant for its heir-apparent Lee Jae-yong again on charges of bribery in relation to the impeached President Park Geun-hye. The nation's top conglomerate is expected to devote itself to convincing the judicial authority of Lee's innocence, with executives of its affiliates handling pending group-related issues. In addition, its envisaged reform, investment and new business plans are inevitably likely to be put on the back burner amid growing concerns over a possible leadership vacuum. On Tuesday, the independent counsel team led by Park Young-soo once again requested an arrest warrant for Lee, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, following 15 hours of questioning earlier in the day. Lee is under suspicion of giving or promising 43 billion won ($37.6 million) to President Park's jailed friend Choi Soon-sil in exchange for the state-run pension fund's backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015. A month ago, the investigation team sought a similar request, but the court rejected it. The court will hold a hearing at 10:30 a.m. today to decide whether to grant the request. Lee has served as Samsung's de facto leader since his father Chairman Lee Kun-hee fell into a coma in May 2014. Samsung has been operating under a trilateral decision-making system: Lee, the group's Future Strategy Office and the affiliates' senior executives. By Kang Seung-woo Cho Ju-no, CEO of LG Electronics' mobile business Othman Al-Ghamdi, CEO of S-Oil Chief executives of the nation's major business groups are beginning to purchase shares in their own companies. Market watchers point out that such moves are intended to ensure responsible management and show confidence in growth potential of their firms. Cho Ju-no, CEO of LG Electronics' mobile business, purchased 2,000 stocks worth 117 million won ($101,790) last week and now owns 4,637 shares of the Seoul-based tech behemoth. "The stock purchase signals the CEO's determination to make its new smartphone a success and at the same time his confidence in the new device," an LG officialsaid. LG is scheduled to unveil its G6 flagship phone on Feb. 26 at the annual mobile show in Spain and Cho's future as captain of the smartphone division is likely to depend on how the handset will fare. Cho took office in December 2014. Under his leadership, LG launched two previous smartphones the G4 and G5, but failed to boost its presence in the world market where the duopoly of Samsung Electronics and Apple has continued for the last few years. As a result, the firm's mobile communications sector recorded seven consecutive quarters of operational losses by the end of last year. Along with the LG CEO, S-Oil CEO Othman Al-Ghamdi also bought 1,159 company shares worth 94 million won, according to the nation's third-largest oil refiner. Watchers point out that it carries more weight because Al-Ghamdi is the first incumbent CEO of S-Oil to buy back shares. Former CEO Samir Al-Tubayyeb, who was in office between September 2005 and April 2008, bought the company's shares when returning to Saudi Aramco, the top shareholder of S-Oil. Saudi Aramco, a Saudi Arabian state oil and natural gas company, is the largest shareholder in the Seoul-based refinery with a 63.4 percent stake. "The CEO purchased the shares out of his own pocket," said an S-Oil official. "It reflects on his confidence in the company's growth potential through large-scale projects." S-Oil is currently investing 4.8 trillion won to build a residue upgrading complex and an olefin downstream complex in Ulsan by 2018 with expectations they will increase its profitability. The oil refiner's operating profit for 2016 more than doubled to a record 1.69 trillion won from 817 billion won a year earlier. "Stock buybacks by CEOs are a positive sign toward boosting corporate credibility," said Sung Tae-yoon, an economics professor at Yonsei University. "It shows the CEO's intention for responsible management and confidence in the firms." Bo H. Kristensen, general manager of LEGO Korea, smiles as he stands with a transparent life-sized "mini" figure filled with LEGO bricks at teh company office in southern Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul LEGO Korea chief Kristensen promotes education through free play By Kim Ji-soo For LEGO fans, this winter may well feel like a treat. The LEGO Batman Movie has opened in theaters in Korea; while last December, the LEGO Store opened in Hyundai Department Store in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province. The store is the first and sole official LEGO store in Korea, giving customers a chance to buy limited edition products or "cherry-pick" blocks at the store's "Pick-a-Brick Zone." The store also allows anyone to experience the toymaker's allure. On a regular weekday in January, children were at the store to build various objects they could dream of out of colorful LEGO bricks on two tables inside the store. As this reporter watched one boy lay one brick after another in various forms, it was easy to see how it could be anything and everything to him. He kept looking at his mom to show what he has built. Two LEGO bricks can be combined in 24 different ways, and six blocks can be combined more than 915 million ways, according to LEGO. With the positive reception of the store, Asia's fifth following stores in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, the chief of LEGO Korea hopes to soon open another store the flagship store. "We have a lot of loyal and new consumers coming in," said Bo H. Kristensen, general manager of LEGO Korea, expressing satisfaction with the store. The opening of an official LEGO store means the company's expectation for the Korea market is high. New introductions are planned such as the LEGO Boost that will hit the Korean market in the second half of the year. The Boost, targeting kids aged 7 and up, is a lower-priced programmable LEGO robot combining the physical LEGO play with programming. But the growing toy market in Korea and the gradually changing social behavior of Koreans are other reasons LEGO Korea keeps its fingers crossed and hopes to open a larger flagship store in Korea. The LEGO Boost, a programmable LEGO robot, will be introduced to the Korean market this year. / Courtesy of LEGO Korea He attributed his optimism to the growing Korean toy market, which has been growing annually by around 7 percent since 2010. "If you look at the size of the toy market in Korea and the overall size of the Korean economy, the toy market's size should be bigger," Kristensen said, adding the market has room for growth. Asked whether Korean children, notoriously pressured for academic performance early on, pose a challenging target market for the company, Kristensen said no. He perceives that more Korean families are shifting behavior toward balancing their children's study and play. "We do see that Korean society is on a change journey ... change is happening, but it will take some time," he said. Many Koreans are changing their behaviors, and they want to give their children different life experiences. The Korean toy market is currently the third largest in Asia, on the heels of those of China and Japan, but Kristensen hopes it will grow further with this behavioral change. Although the so-called "kidults" or adult fans in Korea remain strong, the Danish toymaker's loyal consumers are comprised of children, who make up 80 percent of the company's sales. LEGO is an abbreviation of the Danish phrase "leg godt," which means "play well." The educational benefits of playing with LEGO are not hard to see. Given a pile of LEGO bricks to play with, children can enhance their motor skills, imagination and creativity. "We believe this helps children become independent problem solvers of the future," Kristensen said. "But it is important for parents to know that this only happens when it's free play, only when the child is having fun and not being told to do something ... only when you're having fun, it's free play and when you enjoy it, and it happens without you knowing it because you're doing something you like," he said. Kristensen himself grew up with LEGO bricks first with used ones his mother bought him, and then with a whole new LEGO Technic set. He believes his experience playing with the bricks has helped him become a successful global corporate executive. A graduate of the University of Southern Denmark, Kristensen joined LEGO Group in 2006 and worked in such countries as Poland before becoming the general manager of LEGO Korea in 2015. Asked if there were some cultural differences between the various LEGO offices he has worked in, he said there were and he had to familiarize himself with the local culture. Kristensen said Koreans are inclined to provide context, as they have learned in school. In contrast, Danish and Scandinavian employees go straight to the facts. "I was puzzled at first. I would think, Why are you telling me all this?' I need facts and results," he said. "I am also a little impatient. Let's get to the point and discuss what we need to do about it." LEGO Korea moved into a new office in southern Seoul last year; the office provides a bright and spacious working environment for the company's 60 or so employees. As a global company, Kristensen said, LEGO looks mostly at cultural fit when hiring, not at whether or not a candidate is a LEGO buff. "We find people who believe in the way we operate," he said, adding he aims to embed the so-called "LEGO DNA" into employees by empowering them. By "LEGO DNA," he refers to the values of creativity, imagination, fun, quality, learning and caring, values that come from the company's owner family, the Kristiansens. The company, founded in 1932, has had its ups and downs. But the group is well known for its successful turnaround after a crisis in the early 2000s. The company has made many changes, including a management shakeup in 2004 when Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the third generation owner, brought in a non-family member Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, in an attempt to bring the company back to its core values. In the process of following new developments in the toy industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the company forgot its core. "The core is in our LEGO bricks. Joy of Building. Pride of Creation," Kristensen said. "If you forget why you're here and forget your core values, companies are more likely to face challenges in the future." In addition to bringing in Knudstorp, the company also streamlined the product line, cutting down the total number of LEGO elements from 14,000 to 6,000, in an attempt to revive the company. "We saw that scarcity brought about more creativity," Kristensen said. The streamlining also improved the company's production, he added. The Asian market, including Korea, provides significant growth opportunities for the company. Last year's Brick Korea in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, brought in about 95,000 LEGO fans over nine days, he said. "If I could look five to 10 years in the future, I would like to see toy manufacturers in Korea grow the market, because it will be proof that we will see children in Korea get more time for free play. We believe play is an essential right for children across the world." Kristensen admits he still cannot help but put LEGO bricks together whenever he sees a box of them. "What you make (with the bricks) is right; you're never wrong," he said. "What you make will always be right." Police on patrol in Xianjiang, during a previous security crackdown on militants. Ten people were injured before police shot dead the three attackers By Teddy NG Eight people were killed in a violent attack in China's restive region of Xinjiang on Tuesday, mainland media reported. A news portal of the Hotan government reported on early Wednesday morning that three knife-wielding men attacked and stabbed multiple people in Pishan county. Police shot dead the three attackers. Ten people were injured in the attack. Among them, five were certified dead after being sent to hospital. Social order has been restored and an investigation is ongoing, the report said. The identity of the attackers were not disclosed. Xinjiang has been plagued by violent attacks over the years, which Beijing blamed on Uygur separatists. In December, a car carrying several "terrorists" crashed into the yard of the office building of the local Communist Party committee in Karakax county and set off explosives. One person was killed and four assailants were shot dead. It's only a matter of time for Song Joong Ki to finally reveals his true feeling about the bromance love triangle drama between him, Lee Kwang Soo, and Park Bo Gum. The revelation might not be a good news for Park Bo Gum. According to Allkpop, Park Bo Gum held a fan meeting in Thailand on February 11th on his Asia tour. To get fans more excited, he brought along a special guest, the one and only Song Joong Ki. The "Descendants of The Sun" actor was there to return the favor since Park Bo Gum attended his meet-and-greet event as a mystery guest. The two sweethearts are long known for their brotherly-close relationship and they have been sharing their supports and love to each other. During the fan meeting, Park Bo Gum had to give his thoughts about Song Joong Ki. Without any hesitation, he then began to list a lot of great qualities that Song has from his beautiful face to his sweet voice. It's obvious that Park Bo Gum really adores Song Joong Ki that he started to make the compliments sound a lot more romantic than it ought to be. "But If I was a girl, I would want to date Hyung. I wanted him to be with me, it's true, it's coming from my heart," added Park Bo Gum as cited in Korea Boo. However, Song Joong Ki got didn't have a pretty satisfying to respond to that. "I'm really sorry, but I got Kwang Soo already," Song Joong Ki said as he gave Bo Gum a tight hug to calm him. Fans have known that Song Joong Ki would choose Kwang Soo anytime over park Bo Gum since they are known to have an unbreakable bond. Kwang Soo and Joong Ki's friendship started since seven years ago, and they grew even a stronger bond ever since Joong Ki was in his military service. Kwang Soo had been the one to offer his endless supply of supports for his best friend. It seems that Park Seo Joon from the latest hit Korean drama 'Hwarang' has caught the eyes of international fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. On January 8th, the actor was whisked away to Los Angeles to attend the latest catwalk event held by the American designer Tommy Hilfiger, and model Gigi Hadid's brand 'TOMMYxGIGI'. It was an under the umbrella event with the title 'TommyLand Tommy Hilfiger Spring 2017 with international stars such as Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Kris Jenner and Ex-Girls Generation member Jessica in attendance. Not too long ago it was announced that Park Seo Joon would become the first male Asian face for the fashion brand, with a representative of Hilfigers stating: "Park Seo Joon fits well with the simple and dandy image that our brand desires. We look forward to the synergy that 'Tommy Hilfiger' will create with Park Seo Joon, who's a trending actor with great popularity and influence in the Asian market." W Korea joined Park Seo Joon to document his time in Los Angeles for their March issue, whilst giving his fans a little behind the scenes look at what it takes to be a representative of the Hilfiger brand. Showing off his chic and suave styling along with his bright smile and bubbly personality, it looks like the actor fitted in perfectly with his surroundings. What do you think about Park Seo Joon becoming the first Asian face of Tommy Hilfiger? Let us know in the comments below! ROME: The Italian coastguard sent help on Saturday to a rescue boat funded by British street artist Banksy after the vessel issued urgent calls for assistance, saying it was stranded in the Mediterranean and overloaded with migrants. The coastguard said a patrol boat dispatched from the southern Italian island of Lampedusa had taken on board 49 of "those considered most vulnerable" among the 219 migrants picked up by the ship since Thursday off the coast of Libya. Named after a French feminist anarchist, the Louise Michel started operating last week. Despite the help from Italy, it has still not found a safe port for the rest of the mainly African migrants on board. The 49 people who were transferred off the ship include 32 women and 13 children, the Italian coastguard said. The Louise Michel, a German boat manned by a crew of 10, issued a series of tweets overnight and on Saturday saying its situation was worsening, and appealing for help from authorities in Italy, Malta and Germany. "We are reaching a state of emergency. We need immediate assistance," said one tweet, adding that it was also carrying a body bag containing the corpse of one migrant who had died. Another tweet said the boat was unable to move and "no longer the master of her own destiny" due to her overcrowded deck and a life raft deployed at her side, "but above all due to Europe ignoring our emergency calls for immediate assistance."Reuters On February 16th, K.A.A Gent will host Tottenham at the Ghelamco Arena. After a disappointing loss away to Liverpool, Tottenham will travel again this time to Belgium in the Europa League round of 32. Gent currently sit eighth in the Belgian Pro League, 12 points off of leaders Anderlecht. Gent have won only two of their last 10 league matches, and havent won a league match while conceding a goal since September 24th. In the group stages of the Europa League the Belgian side lost both their matches against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, drew both their matches against Porteguese side S.C. Braga, and won both their matches against Turkish side Konyaspor. With a chance to close the gap at the top of the table on Chelsea, Tottenham suffered a deserved 2-0 loss to Liverpool. The north London side was totally outplayed on the night and blew their chance to stay in the Premier League title race. Now theyll go into the Europa League, a competition they hope they can avoid next season with a top four finish. Winning the competition does guarantee a spot in the Champions League though, so Tottenham will look to progress. Team News Spurs will still be without Erik Lamela, Jan Vertonghen, and Danny Rose through injury, according to Physioroom.com Key Players Gent: Jeremey Perbet Gent will need to go into the away leg with a lead to go through, so theyll be depending on one of their strikers to get them a goal or two. Jeremey Perbet will be hoping he can deliver on that. The 32 year old has six league goals in 10 starts for Gent this season. He was also able to grab a goal in Gents 5-3 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk. Hell hope this time he can grab a Europa League goal in a win. Tottenham: Vincent Janssen Vincent Janssen made a 17m move to Tottenham from AZ Alkmaar in the summer and it hasnt gone quite according to plan. He has scored four goals in all competitions, but all of them have been from the penalty spot. He was never meant to come in as the finished product, but he has failed to impress in his first six months in north London. Hell likely get a chance to start both legs of this tie and will look to take this chance to get a goal from open play and finally start showing some of his talent. Prediction Spurs will be heavy favourites in this tie and really should go through. Even if they rotate their lineup heavily, it will still be a big disappointment if they dont win pretty comfortably. Prediction: 3-0 Tottenham A group of La Jolla residents, who are fighting an increase in airplane noise in various neighborhoods in the community, were busy last week spreading information, taking the floor at community meetings, circulating a petition to stop commercial jetliner noise in La Jolla and drafting a document answering residents questions about the issue. La Jolla Light had access to one of the documents final drafts, which reports how arriving aircrafts flying over La Jolla Shores have, over time, followed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) procedure more closely. Flights used to enter the local airspace from different points up and down The Shores coast and now they are concentrated in one straight line. The long-term concentration of tracks over The Shores is clear, the document reads. However, the research didnt find an explanation for the noise experienced by Bird Rock neighbors from San Diego International Airport departures. The document references factors, such as the increase in airplane size, increase in the number of flights and the possibility of a change in the air traffic controllers operations that contribute to the overall feeling of living in an airport. It may be that we have reached a tipping point due to many of the above factors, the document states. Last week, protesters attended the meetings of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association (LJVMA), La Jolla Shores Association (LJSA) and La Jolla Town Council (LJTC). During the latter, they set up an information booth in front of Rec Center Room 1, where the meeting took place, and requested signatures for their petition. Bird Rock resident Beatriz Pardo said the petition has 500 signatures so far and they intended to reach 1,000 by Wednesday, Feb. 15 when the Airport Noise Advisory Committee meets. During the LJTC meeting, resident Len Gross encouraged attendees to sign the petition, adding that the goal is to make the FAA and the Airport Authority aware that we have an increasing noise issue in La Jolla and we would like them to help us understand why the noise is increasing and what the options are that the airport and the FAA may have for reducing the noise. Residents are dealing with the fact that the FAAs Southern California Metroplex Project changes (which will affect the area) wont kick in until March 2, while witnessing the uproar generated by those whove noticed an increase in airplane noise that began in the fall of 2016. At the LJTC meeting, resident Margo Schwab said, (People) have compared the airplane noise with a heavy metal band. If you like that kind of music, good for you, not me. Wait for summer when the windows are open. A factor for the increased noise, according to FAA personnel at past meetings, was the unusual overcast weather that magnifies the sounds produced by air traffic. Controversy continues At the LJSA meeting, disagreement arose when board member David Gordon gave a presentation that showed, according to his research and own experience, there have been no changes in flight paths or the levels of noise in La Jolla. There is one exception, the (FAA) changed a standard arrival route slightly, but thats 5 miles off the coast, he said. Gordon, who is a pilot, said that even though Shores neighbors swear they are constantly bothered by the airplanes arriving at San Diego International Airport from the east, he hasnt noticed any changes, nor is he disturbed by the passing flights. When its cloudy, youre going to hear the jet noise a lot more. When its sunny, the noise dissipates in all directions. From what Ive seen and the air traffic controllers tell me, there has been no significant change, he explained. Bird Rock resident and attorney Jan Chatten-Brown took the floor after Gordon. Ive been very anxious to hear what people are experiencing. Im four houses away from the ocean and I now must sleep with ear plugs. At 6 a.m., when (the airplanes) start, I put a pillow over my head, she said. Chatten-Brown told attendees that the increasing noises were a consequence of the FAAs Metroplex Project implementation, which started in November. However, FAA personnel have assured that changes in San Diego International Airport routes will be implemented starting in March 2. Any time a federal agency takes action that has a significant impact on the environment, they have to prepare an environmental analysis, Chatten-Brown continued, adding that the reports prepared for the Metroplex Project werent enough. Basically, they modeled what they were going to do, she said. In a press release, the FAA stated, During our environmental analysis for this project, we modeled noise at about 300,000 locations throughout Southern California. Our modeling found that some areas will experience slight noise decreases, some will experience slight noise increases, and some will experience no changes. Lawsuits pending Chatten-Brown said the deadline to file lawsuits against the Metroplex Project has passed. The period to sue the FAA is 60 days after the agency reveals its final decision, which happened Aug. 31, 2016. That made the last day for filing complaints Oct. 30, 2016, just before La Jolla residents started feeling a spike in airplane noise and long before they became organized. There is a very short statute of limitations, but we could conceivably intervene, although it would be difficult, she explained, adding that some options for jumping on the lawsuits, would be to file a Friend-of-the-Court brief or just have somebody coordinate with the three jurisdictions that have already filed suits. La Jolla Light spoke to attorney Steven Taber, who specializes in community representation on aviation and airport development cases, and who has filed a Petition for Review against the Southern California Metroplex Project on behalf of a Point Loma resident. Taber said the FAA noise calculation system is outdated and needs to be updated. (The FAA) needs to realize that their actions are having real effects on people on the ground especially in situations like this when their interest is the efficiency of aircraft in the sky without respect to the people they may be affecting, he stated. Does airplane noise affect health and well-being? International research has showed that air traffic noise isnt just an annoyance for residents, it can also be dangerous: Aircraft noise and cardiovascular disease near Heathrow Airport in London: Small area study, (2013, Imperial College London) investigated the association of aircraft noise with risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease and concluded: Hospital admissions showed statistically significant linear trends of increasing risk with higher levels of both day time (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.) and night time (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) aircraft noise. Residential exposure to aircraft noise and hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases: Multi-airport retrospective study, (2013, Francesca Dominic, Harvard)researched whether exposure to aircraft noise increases the risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases in older people (age 65 and up), and found a link between exposure to airplane noise and risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease. The skyrocketing cost of housing in San Diego has been an ongoing conversation in both political and non-political circles for the past 30 years. Now, the City Councils Smart Growth & Land Use (SGLU) committee has taken the lead to re-start the dialogue at the community planning groups level. During the SGLU meeting Jan. 25, the issue was long discussed by various stakeholders, including references to proposition memos City Council members on the committee sent out. The suggestions included in these documents could have great impacts on citywide policies and affect the future of La Jolla and its decision-making processes and organizations. Some of the most controversial came from City Council member Scott Sherman (District 7). One of his memo propositions is to reform community planning groups to achieve higher professionalism, with policy changes that include additional training, increased diversity among members and consolidating community planning groups into larger regional groups. David Moty, chair of the Community Planners Committee, spoke against merging community planning groups into larger organizations. Currently, community planning groups range in size from towns to mid-size cities, and their point is to provide local knowledge gained from direct daily experience in the neighborhoods, he explained. Matthew Adams, vice-president of the San Diego County Building Industry Association, advocated for making the construction process as timely as possible. He argued that development projects that conform with community and zoning plans should be moved forward, and you would think that they would, but if theres one little variance, if theres a setback thats smaller (then projects get delayed in the community process). Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) board member David Swarens also addressed the topic during public comment. He advocated for members of the community groups to be included in construction conversations. Theres the feeling that community groups, including community planning groups, are viewed as an obstructive impediment, Swarens said. La Jolla Light reached out to District 1 City Council member Barbara Bry (who is not a member of the SGLU committee) for her view on these policies. She replied in a statement: District 1 has unique communities and each planning group plays an important role. I do want to ensure that planning groups include voices from all parts of the community and encourage public participation. The proposition to shrink community input in construction projects has roots in a bigger policy direction: Stripping away the local building regulations and fees, which according to a study from Point Loma Nazarene University the most-cited document in the meeting make up 47 percent of the total cost. Housing affordability and building costs Council members and meeting attendees agreed that there are two problems to tackle in this discussion housing affordability (housing costs compared to medium salaries) and affordable housing (housing thats affordable to low-income families). The latter has traditionally been addressed with different forms of subsidized housing, and meeting attendees advocated for continuing in that direction. To achieve a production of market-rate homes that will level off the costs of housing for medium-income families and solve the home-affordability problem of the region, the suggestions heard involved reducing taxes, fees, contributions and time constraints for developers. La Jolla planning consultant Joe LaCava gave a heartfelt speech focused on the necessity of deeper changes than the ones proposed. With all due respect, the table has been set this afternoon not to tackle the crisis, but to nibble around the edges. Making little changes that will make us feel good might make a little bit of improvement, but will any of them jumpstart us to 9,000 units a year, our natural growth demands? he said, adding that re-writing the land development code is a necessity. SOHO director Bruce Coons told La Jolla Light, Most people seem to think that if we allow the development industry to build as many houses at market rate (as they want), it will balance out. The developers always move to the highest profit item; they keep claiming theyll drive housing prices down, but I dont think thats really possible anymore. However, Adams stated that rolling back buildings costs can be positive. Even with modest changes, you can have a significant impact in housing availability, affordability and economic activity, he said, adding that a 3 percent decrease in building regulations could sprout a $3 billion growth to the gross regional product. One of the proposed roll backs, included in the memos by City Council members Sherman and David Alvarez (District 8), is reducing parking requirements for residential developments, but Sherman goes further, asking for expanded self-certification programs on building projects, reducing the possibilities for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) appeals, the building of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) and taking away the historical preservation decision power of the Historical Resources Board (HRB) in favor of the City Council. Accessory Dwelling Units In September 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 1069 that allows accessory dwelling units in single- or multi-family residential zones. (ADU) provide additional rental housing stock, and these units are an essential component of housing supply in California, the bill reads. Under the law, which took effect in January, ADU (aka granny flats) should be easier to build. The SGLU committee intends to ease restrictions to facilitate the building of these extra units for San Diegans. According to Sherman, this would mean supplemental income for homeowners and affordable in-fill housing for residents. Sherman also proposes building Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (units less than 500 square feet within existing homes) that feature a kitchenette and a door to the exterior of the house and an amnesty to existing unpermitted ADU. Historical Preservation Shermans memo references a handful of policy changes in historical preservation policies. It reads, Specific reforms include: mandating Council approval on any new historic or potentially historic district, allowing an appeal of a historic designation on any grounds, bifurcating HRB hearings into two per month, separating the agendas of DSD referral and voluntary designation, increasing the designation to 75 years, amending the criteria used to designate (eliminate wildcard criteria and require two criteria be met), and capping the limit by which Mills Act tax credit recipients may receive such a credit once the threshold of property value is met, homeowners must pay taxes on the remaining value. However, Coons said, This is probably barking up the wrong tree especially because historical preservation is so small, less than 1 percent (of the existing homes in San Diego). He argued that most of Shermans suggestions were either pointless or come from a misunderstanding of how the HRB really works. If they were to enact these requirements and somehow get it through, we just go to the State and keep the City out, Coons continued, suggesting that a good way to help developers would be to run a countywide or citywide historical map. Whats more important for builders to know is where property that has potential constraints is, and identifying the historic resources is one of the greatest things we could do to speed things up, he said. Bry, who ran on a platform of maintaining the unique character of neighborhoods, wrote, La Jolla has many historic homes and buildings, and these structures are part of what makes our community so special. I will continue to support the Mills Act and historic preservation. Want to know more? Council members Scott Sherman and David Alvarez will discuss their plans for housing affordability moderated by Joe LaCava during the Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 breakfast dialogue, 7-9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 23 at The Loggia Room in the House of Hospitality, 1549 El Prado in Balboa Park, San Diego. $30 members, $40 non-members, continental breakfast included. c3sandiego.org/event-2458731 The expansion and renovation of the former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fisheries building on the north side of the Scripps campus aka Building D attracted the attention of the community during the La Jolla Shores Association (LJSA) meeting, Feb. 8. Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) Assistant Vice-Chancellor of Marine Sciences, Steven Gallagher, presented the project in front of an attentive room. We are hoping to get you a sensitive proposal here, get your feedback and move forward with construction in the facility in the fall, he said, adding that SIO personnel had been especially careful when planning the impacts on the view corridor from La Jolla Shores Drive. Everybody learned from the MESOM building experience, said La Jolla Community Planning Association (LJCPA) trustee Janie Emmerson, who was present at the meeting, referring to the controversy that followed the construction of a a laboratory just south of the projects site. In 2012, LJCPA requested SIO remove a story from the MESOM building when board members noticed the height of the construction was bigger than the project presented to the community. Gallagher went over several renderings, site plans and even offered a video to show that the expansion doesnt affect the view corridor. We wanted to spend a lot of time looking at the site impact, we drove down the site, walked down the site, so the impact on the views down the road was minimized. The project calls for the conversion of the NOAA fisheries building into laboratories for SIO students, and the building of a 100-student forum and classroom, plus a cafe on the northern side. The footprint of the cafe will be hidden behind plants and the existing facility is almost hidden, too, behind trees, Gallagher said. The design by local firm Safdie Rabines Architects, Gallagher continued, follows the line of the Scripps Forum for Science (8610 Kennel Way), created by the same company. As for the existing building, which features a Mid-Century Modern style, the only changes will be the installation of safety glass rails and new doors. The seafood-inspired cafe will be open to the community and, according to Gallagher, will have outside seating with the best view from the Scripps campus and probably this area of Blacks Beach. The rest of the site will also be open to the community, with a community science visualization facility where citizens can learn more about the ocean and the research conducted at SIO. Also, the venue will be available for weekend events, chiefly weddings, Gallagher explained. It will take some pressure off the Scripps Forum. I think this is going to be significant competition to the Forum because the view is stunning, he said, adding that having an outside source of revenue will help the institution pay for the buildings maintenance. Where a concrete parking lot stands now, the project will feature an elevated terrace with underground parking. Native plants will serve as landscaping, and benches and other amenities will be installed. The site includes a lookout that will be improved and connected to a coastal trail that runs through the Scripps campus. I live in La Jolla Shores, too, and I often walk up through campus with my wife. It would be lovely to go up (the coastal path) and continue through this site and then up to the top of the campus, Gallagher said. In other LJSA news: Walter Munk Way: Trustee Terry Kraszewski announced the boards intentions to designate the street that runs by the La Jolla Shores boardwalk as Walter Munk Way. The internationally known SIO scientist will celebrate his 100th birthday this year. Saying, Thank you for being such a remarkable person is a challenge. (We hope this is) a remarkable way, Kraszewski said. The sidewalk by Kellogg Park, which was recently discovered to be a public street, is currently known as La Vereda, Spanish for pathway. Short-term rentals, Cove Stench: District 1 City Council member Barbara Bry told the Shores board that shes working to move the short-term vacation rentals issue forward. Im fine if people rent a room in their house to make ends meet, as long as theyre onsite or the owner is on vacation. What Im against is houses in residential neighborhoods becoming mini-hotels, she said. Bry added that shes been collaborating with Council member Lorie Zapf (District 2) to bring local regulations, and counts on the support of the City Attorney Mara Elliott. Regarding the sea lion issues at La Jolla Cove, Bry told the board, The Mayor wants to see the Coastal Management Study by Doyle Hanan before the City takes steps toward dealing with the sea lions. Thats all I feel comfortable saying tonight. But you should know its a priority. I think about it almost every day. If we dont have an answer by April, I have some other ideas. The next LJSA meeting is 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 8 at at 8840 Biological Grade. ljsa.org It was his first visit to the nations capital. And what better time than during the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States? Avaish Pirzada is an honors student and athlete at Badger High School. And on Jan. 20, he was among the millions in Washington, D.C., to witness the inaugural ceremonies. In a Feb. 2 interview, Pirzada said the road to Washington, D.C. in January actually started last summer in Atlanta, Georgia. There, Pirzada, who wants to major in computer science, took part in an engineering and tech camp through the National Youth Leadership Forum at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). He said he wants to attend Georgia Tech and has applied there. After the Georgia Tech camp, Pirzada said he was invited to participate in a political science and public policy camp in Washington, D.C., also a part of the NYLF program. First time I hadnt been to D.C. before, Pirzada said. He said he isnt politically partisan. Im not big into politics, he said. But he is very interested in policy. The camp ran from Wednesday through Sunday, Jan. 18-22. Included in the trip were tickets to the inauguration. Students attending the camp, who were housed in several hotels in the D.C. area, heard lectures on politics and its affect on public policy from a diverse number of presenters, including former presidential candidates Carly Fiorina and Martin OMalley, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Paul Begala, a former Clinton Administration adviser. Students also heard from those outside politics, who nonetheless weighed in on policy issues, such as movie director Spike Lee, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and Malala Yousfazai, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who became famous as a young Pakistani school girl who the Taliban tried to assassinate because of her belief in education for all, and whose life was saved by a British medical team. While taking in the presentations, Pirzada said the students were also divided into teams. Each team was tasked with identifying a policy problem and coming up with a solution. Pirzada said he and his team chose funding public education and devised a funding method and a way to equitably disburse the funds through the education system. National Mall On Jan. 20, Pirzada and a group of his fellow students decided to use their tickets to the inaugural and headed to the National Mall. Pirzada said he and his 30 or so companions found themselves in the third section, close enough to see the inaugural stands but far enough away that they needed to look at a nearby video screen to actually see what was happening. He said when he first arrived in D.C., the weather was unseasonably warm in the 60s. But by the time of the inauguration the temperatures had cooled and it rained on the day of the inauguration. Asked what he noticed as he spent two and a half hours at the inauguration, he replied: The biggest thing was protesters. But, he said, he also noticed the military presence. Armored vehicles and soldiers seemed to be at every corner and helicopters were constantly overhead. The security was kind of intimidating, he said. After witnessing the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, Pirzada said he and his companions returned to their hotel to hear a few more speakers and then present their education funding proposal. He said their presentation came in second among those given at the camp. Pirzada said his parents own the Lake Geneva Hotel on Wells Street. His father is Zuber and his mother is Zakia Pirzada. He has a sister, Zarin, who is in eighth grade. Lake Geneva police used Facebook to find a theft suspect and, with the help of the Lake Geneva Fire Department, participated in the rescue of a dog from a burning car at Walmart. Officers also investigated a fire at The Cove of Lake Geneva hotel caused by chemicals used in the production of methamphetamines. Those incidents and others were Police Chief Michael Rasmussens top five picks of police cases for January reported to the Lake Geneva Police and Fire Commission on Thursday. Jan. 3, 10:31 a.m.: An officer was called to a business in the 300 block of North Edwards Boulevard to investigate a theft. The officer was provided security footage and still photos of the suspect. The footage and photos were posted to the Lake Geneva Police Departments Facebook page with a request for citizen help in identifying the suspect. The following day, the 28-year-old suspect was positively identified by a Facebook user and issued a citation for retail theft. Jan. 7, 2:15 a.m.: While on routine patrol, an officer saw a vehicle stopped in both southbound lanes of traffic on North Edwards Boulevard. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer saw that the driver, a 24-year-old Lake Geneva man, was slouched over the drivers seat with his cell phone in hand. An officer was able to open the car door and engage the parking brake to keep the vehicle from rolling into oncoming traffic. Officers eventually woke the driver. The driver was later arrested for operating while under the influence - first offense. His blood results later came back at 0.201. Jan. 9, 3:14 a.m.: Police were sent to The Cove of Lake Geneva hotel, 111 Center St. on a fire alarm call. While en route, officers received a second call about a woman yelling for help just north of the Cove, at the Mill Creek Hotel, 123 Center St. Officers determined the woman at the Mill Creek Hotel sustained burns inside of a room at the Cove and walked to the Mill Creek Hotel for help. The woman was later transported to St. Marys Hospital. Milwaukee, as a result of her injuries. At the Cove, investigation revealed that a methamphetamine mixture ignited within a room at the hotel. Charges against a 50-year-old Lake Geneva man for possession of methamphetamine waste product, possession of drug paraphernalia related to methamphetamine manufacturing and bail jumping were referred to the Walworth County District Attorneys Office. The man was confined in Walworth County Jail on those. Charges were also referred to the DAs office on a 35-year-old Williams Bay woman for possession of methamphetamine waste product and possession of drug paraphernalia related to methamphetamine manufacturing. Two City of Lake Geneva Police Department officers, two Walworth County deputies, one Lake Geneva firefighter and a security officer for The Cove were treated for smoke inhalation at Lakeland Medical Center and released. Jan. 18, 12:56 p.m.: Police were dispatched to Walmart, 201 N. Edwards Blvd., for a vehicle fire. Upon arrival, officers found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames that were spreading to adjacent vehicles. Officers also received a report that a dog was trapped in one of the vehicles. Lake Geneva firefighters arrived shortly after police and successfully removed the dog from the vehicle. Firefighters resuscitated the dog on scene and then transported it to the Lake Geneva Animal Hospital for care. The cause of the fire is under investigation but criminal activity is not suspected at this time. Two vehicles were a total loss and one sustained minor damage. Jan. 8, 1:21 p.m.: Officers were dispatched to the Wesley Inn, 625 Wells St., for a reported drug overdose. In a room at the inn, officers found items commonly used in methamphetamine production. The rooms two occupants, a 30-year-old Lake Geneva woman and a 23-year-old Lake Geneva man, were arrested and booked into the Walworth County Jail. Charges were referred to the Walworth County District Attorneys Office on both of the occupants. LAKE GENEVA The patrons of the Lake Geneva Public Library have spoken, and the general consensus seems to be, they want more. The library hosted an open house on Feb. 11 to give patrons a chance to meet new staff and share their ideas for improving the facility. Im hearing a lot of we just want more, Library Director Emily Kornak said. People love this place, which I think is really exciting. They want more programs, they want more materials, they want more resources and they want more services. And for Kornak, this is some of the best news she could have gotten. I think its really exciting, she said. It means whatever were doing, were doing well because people cant get enough of it. And though this is a good problem to have, Kornak said it could be tough to placate the masses. Its going to be a challenge going forward, Kornak said. We have limitations in terms of staffing and resources and how much more we can actually even handle at this point. Regardless, the prospect of numerous new ideas flooding in is promising for the librarys future. Theres a lot of really great ideas floating around out there, Kornak said excitedly. So thats fun to hear. The open house also gave patrons a chance to meet some of the newer members of the librarys team, including Kornak, who took over as library director in early January. Its also an opportunity for people to meet the staff, she said. Theres a few new faces in our staff. One of these new faces is Loretta Nussbaun, who works at the reference desk. Nussbaun, who has worked at the library since last May, said the open house gave her the opportunity to meet and talk with a lot of people. Though they want more, Nussbaun said that the people she had spoken with that day said the patrons love the services that are currently offered. And, in turn, Nussbaun loves working at the library and providing these services. Im having a great time, she said in response to a question about how she likes the job so far. Kornak had similar comments about her job. Though she said she is still learning the ropes, Kornak said she loves the new position. Its been really fun, she said. The Geneva Inn, N2009 S. Lake Shore Drive, is approaching Lake Geneva with a proposed pre-annexation agreement. And the neighbors are not happy. On Monday, the Lake Geneva City Council approved a request by City Administrator Blaine Oborn to allow him to seek outside counsel to review the agreement. The Inn is currently in the town of Linn. In a memo to the council, Oborn noted that two conditions the Inn is setting down for annexation is that the property be zoned for general business and that the Inns current liquor license follow it into the city. The agreement does not address the five years of local taxes, an estimated $66,438, that would be owed to the town of Linn if the Inn were to be annexed into the city. The payment is required by state law. The responsibility to pay the taxes is upon the city, but is usually borne by the annexing property owner, Oborn notes in his memo. Dick Malmin, N1991 South Lake Shore Drive, a town of Linn resident and near neighbor of the Inn, said he didnt want the council to even consider hiring the outside counsel. One of the arguments for annexation is that the Inn is connected to city sewer. Connection a drain But Malmin argued that the sewer line that connects to the city treatment plant is just a clear water drain only two inches in diameter. He said the Inn uses a septic system to treat the heavier wastes. Malmin argued that past covenants and agreements among lakefront owners was that the lakefront would never become commercial. He said he feared a precedent would be set if the Geneva Inn were allowed to rezone its lakefront property general business. The land the Geneva Inn now stands on is zoned for residential in the town of Linn. Attorney Nick Egert, Lake Geneva, representing Care for Lake Geneva, warned that the nonprofit group will watch the city councils actions regarding the preannexation agreement and threatened litigation if the city made a misstep. By law, municipalities can only annex properties that are contiguous. In fact, the city and the Inn property touch only at corners. Eggert said that it does not appear that the city and the Inn property are contiguous and that leap frog annexation is not allowed by state law. However, Oborn has said its unclear whether annexing the Inn would be considered leap frogging. Former alderwoman Mary Jo Fessenmaier also questioned why Oborns request was on the council agenda. She claimed that his request had not gone through a council committee. City Attorney Dan Draper said later that Oborn, as city administrator, has the right to request putting items on the agenda. The agenda item also does not authorize the expenditure of money. Before council again Approval of the outside counsel and setting aside funds for legal advice will have to come before the council for a vote, Draper said. The preannexation agreement first came before the city councils Finance, License and Regulation Committee on Jan. 7. Malmin and Egert were at that meeting, as well. Malmin told the committee that he feared a decision has already been made to annex the property. Attorney Richard Torhorst, representing Geneva Inn, said that the Inns owners have the right to ask the city to annex their property. In summer 2015, the Geneva Inn requested a zoning change from residential to business and a conditional use permit from the town of Linn. In documents filed with the town June 30, 2015, the owners of the property, Big Foot Holdings LLC, the plan was to raze two residential structures on a parcel adjacent to the hotel and restaurant to make room for an outdoor structure. Initially, the structure was to be a tent, which would have been replaced later by a permanent structure, about 60-by-40 feet. The conditional use permit was required to operate a proposed wedding and banquet facility. During an August 2015 hearing before the town plan commission, neighbors testified they feared that the banquet facility would house rowdy parties and would diminish the quality of life in the area. At first it looked as if the proposal would go on to the county zoning administration for approval. Request denied But the request was unanimously denied by the Linn Town Board in September 2015 because neighboring residents and municipalities werent notified correctly about the Inns request and the public hearing. The Geneva Inn has been in operation since 1990. According to the history posted on the Geneva Inn website, the Geneva Inn site was first occupied by a large summer estate called Gypsy Lodge, built in 1883. The house changed hands and names, being called Sunnycroft in 1912. In 1920, the estate was sold to a Chicago physician who turned the Sunnycroft Lodge into a restaurant and guest house. In the 1940s, the grounds were subdivided and the building was renamed The Shore Club. In 1987, the Shore Club changed hands and was renamed Buttons Bay Inn. Buttons Bay Inn lasted two years, the property was sold to the Schawk family. The 105-year-old building had too many structural and code problems and was taken down to make room for the Geneva Inn, which opened in June 1990. Sometimes, police officers need someone to talk to about what theyve seen or experienced on the job. To help, the Lake Geneva Police and Fire Commission on Feb. 9 voted to create a chaplain program for the Lake Geneva Police Department. The commission voted 3-0 to approve the program with two members absent and excused. The chaplains will provide counseling for officers and their families in need of professional guidance, or just a friendly ear. The chaplain program is to help deal with problems that uniquely face law enforcement officers. You see some horrific things, Police Chief Michael Rasmussen said. The volunteer chaplains, who will be on call, will personally counsel officers immediately after an incident. The chaplains wont wear uniforms, although they will be credentialed. Theres been some interest by members of clergy within the community with the proposed program, Rasmussen added. Permission to create the position of police chaplain was first formally requested in October 2016 by Sgt. Dan Derrick, Rasmussen and Police Lt. Ed Gritzner. Speaking in favor of creating the position at the meeting were Mark and Mary Ann Moller-Gunderson, former pastors of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Mark Moller-Gunderson is also a captain on the Lake Geneva Fire Department. Experienced chaplain Mark Moller-Gunderson said hes been an ordained minister for 40 years and has spent 21 of those years in Lake Geneva. He is the fire departments chaplain and also provides counseling and chaplain services to the police department when asked. Before coming to Lake Geneva, he helped set up chaplain programs for the Portland, Oregon, Fire Department and the Milwaukee Fire Department. Mary Ann Moller-Gunderson said that in just the past six months, they have provided chaplain services for the police department. This past summer, the police and fire department responded to a call of a young Minnesota man who died overnight in a city hotel. His wife, who discovered him in bed the next morning, was devastated. You can imagine the panic call I got. Can she come over to your house, Mary Ann Moller-Gunderson said. I said, absolutely. The young widow stayed at the Moller-Gunderson home until relatives in Minnesota could arrange transportation home for her and transportation for her two young sons who were staying in Duluth, Minnesota, with relatives, she said. In the second case, Moller-Gunderson said she was asked by Police Chief Michael Rasmussen to talk to a police officer who had responded to a tragedy, and was deeply affected by it. She said she went to the officers home and talked with him about the incident. Chaplains can be helpful, Mary Ann Moller-Gunderson said. Ready to help Mark Moller-Gunderson said the husband-wife team is ready to help the police department when needed. Also speaking on behalf of the program was Prof. Jenny Pagone, a clinical therapist at George Williams College, Aurora University, Williams Bay. Pagone said she spent eight years working with people suffering from trauma and from PTSD caused by violent crime. Ive treated police officers who were involved in things that they needed support for, she said. Pagone said she comes from a military family and has relatives in law enforcement. Commissioner Lynelle Gramm asked what the department can do be proactive and head off trauma. Education is the key, said Pagone. Officers and firefighters need to know whats involved in the job and how its affecting them. She said those who put on a uniform and serve the public are a hardy breed, but certain situations may catch them off guard. Sometimes, the individuals try to not talk about the situation. Not talking about a traumatic experience is like a thorn under the skin. When you dont talk about it, it festers until it becomes infected, she said. That can result in unhealthy behavior and self-medication, through drugs or alcohol, she said. The city has an employee assistance program (EAP) that is to help employees with emotional or financial distress. EAP is nice, said Pagone. But if you dont know what trauma is, its not helpful. You need someone to lead a support group who knows how healing occurs. What is more, EAP support comes after the fact, she said. Officers and firefighters need to know how to deal with trauma before it happens, she said. Pagone said she would be happy to help Lake Geneva police as a volunteer, and acting as a resource on mental and emotional health issues for police officers. A proposed ordinance to create a tourism commission was sent back to the city attorney for revisions by the Lake Geneva City Council on Monday. The proposed ordinance revamp appears to be in response to an email from Darien Schaefer, president and CEO of the Geneva Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, doing business as VISIT Lake Geneva. In an email to the city council members, Schaefer suggested two major changes, the first a revision of the composition of the five-member commission and the second a shortening of the commissions duties and powers. In the original ordinance, the commission membership would have consisted of one member representing the hotel-motel business, one a member of the Lake Geneva Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), the mayor and two city council members. Schaefer recommended a commission composition of two hotel representatives, one tourism industry representative and two elected officials being the mayor and a city council member. Members would be appointed by the mayor for one-year terms. Schaefer and City Administrator Blaine Oborn would serve as ex-officio members. This allows proper industry representation and flexibility for the mayor to make appointments from the best candidates, Schaefer said in his email. This is a composition the tourism industry can support. It was also the original composition proposed by Oborn, Schaefer added. Schaefer also shortened the ordinance language, which was taken from a similar ordinance adopted by Delavan. The language proposed for this section has been reduced to what is necessary to allow flexibility for the Commission, avoid statutory conflicts, and prevent future cumbersome ordinance changes, Schaefer said. Kevin Fleming, a representative of the BID, said he supports creation of the tourism commission. He said VISIT has room tax dollars and can promote successful events, such as Winterfest, which he described as a success for hotels, restaurants and retail. I would like to see money available to the BID when we put on Oktoberfest or Taste of Lake Geneva, Fleming said. He said he didnt want to take anything from VISIT, which currently receives about $100,000 per year from the city. But as additional dollars become available through the room tax for tourism-related promotions, the BID would like to get a share, he said. In December, the city council voted to have the city attorney draw up an ordinance establishing a five-member city tourism commission. The tourism commission would receive hotel/motel room tax money with the power to spend it on tourism promotion and tourism development. The city has traditionally directed between $90,000 and $100,000 plus 25 percent of the tax income over $450,000 to the Geneva Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, doing business as VISIT Lake Geneva. That wont change. However, changes in state law will require the city to devote more of its annual room tax income to tourism starting Jan. 1, 2017. According to a memo from city staff, that would result in another $77,000 per year in room tax money that the council would have to devote to tourism. A city tourist commission would ensure that the city council would have oversight of that money. Rancor, bitterness, anger, protest, millions marching and some even committing acts of violence. The inauguration of a new president has brought with it divisiveness and polarizing recriminations. Despite all, there may be a way out of this. From the example of a one-time resident. Her name was Elaine. She lived in Williams Bay during the 1950s and 60s. She was a divorcee, mother of five, holding down a full-time job to pay the mortgage, put food on the table and keep her children warm when winter came. Elaine could boast no advanced degrees or important titles. She certainly was not wealthy and to make things even more difficult, Elaine was shunned as often as not by a village that found it hard to accept a woman who did not have a husband. In the mid-point of the last century, this was commonly looked upon as sinful. To say that the lady had an uphill time of it would be to vastly understate the case. She had all she could handle and sometimes a good deal more. But Elaine never complained nor faltered. She simply endured and overcame. Taking into account all the things Elaine did not have was to overlook what she possessed in abundance: a native intelligence that made her extraordinary in many ways. She had insights and a grasp of the world around her that went far beyond that of her more distant and dismissive contemporaries. In 1960 a young senator from Massachusetts declared his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States. Elaine saw something remarkable in this contender and she made a decision. She would join the local Democratic Party and work to get John F. Kennedy elected. And work she did. Eighteen and sometimes 20 hours in the day, including the time she spent at her job. In fact, she got the attention of those around her, not only for her work ethic and determination, but because she got things done. She nearly always seemed to find solutions where others only saw problems. Party leaders soon came to rely on Elaine and count themselves very fortunate to have her on their side in the battle to win votes. I have friends who spend more time worrying about which car theyre thinking about buying, a winter get-away to Florida, or the next sojourn in their RV than they do about public affairs. Let alone actually taking any of their civic obligations seriously. Yet these are exactly the same people who have no shortage of energy or time when it comes to finger-pointing, name-blaming and scape-goating. If complaints were dollars, theyd long since been billionaires. John Kennedy had the likes of Elaine squarely in mind when he wrote in his Pulitzer winning Profiles in Courage: Every citizen, regardless of their interest in politics, holds office; every one of us is in a position of responsibility. And in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends upon how we fulfill those responsibilities We the people will get the kind of political leadership we demand and deserve. Elaine went to work, made a difference and put her hopes and wishes to good effect. That wasnt all of it. She became the only lady from Williams Bay ever invited to the White House for tea, along with fellow party members recognized for their special contributions. Here the group was met by Jacqueline Kennedy, who welcomed them along with their new president. A small but vocal contingent of the New York City's political class characterizes those of us who are alarmed by increasing crime and want more proactive policing, more effective prosecution and further refinement of state laws to ensure that lawbreakers face swift, sure consequences as nothing but reactionaries. The city remains historically safe, they say, so the order of the day should be more criminal justice reform. PRESS RELEASE British Use Flynn Ouster to Gear Up Oust Trump Operation: Impeachment, AssassinationWhatever It Takes Feb. 14, 2017 (EIRNS)Yes, such Obama operatives as former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and the Washington Post, among others, played their designated roles in orchestrating the ouster of Gen. Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor. However, as Lyndon LaRouche has repeatedly advised, look to the British to find who is directing this chorus, and to what end. Key British media today flaunted the intent that Flynns ouster not be the end, but the beginning of the drive to oust President Donald Trump from office, and to do so on the bandwagon that he has dared propose that the United States and Russia should cooperate for the greater good of all nations. Look at British Broadcasting Corp., whose lead story throughout the day has been Flynns ouster. Remember that BBC still operates under a Royal Charter as it has since its founding in the 1920s. BBCs target is Trump, with no less than six overlapping "news" stories to this effect. "Russia: The Scandal Trump Cant Shake," one story is headlined. Another trumpets that "the Flynn controversy may sharpen the focus on Donald Trumps past pro-Russia statements." It insists that "the really big question [is] what does this say about President Trumps relationship with Russia?" Why does Trump "stubbornly refuse to say a bad word about ... Vladimir Putin. Not ever"? BBC shamelessly revives the infamous dossier prepared by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele which circulated what were then admitted to be lies on Trump activities and ties in Russia, to imply that the American President is blackmailed by Russia. "Why the love-in with Putin? What is driving this? Even if the most lurid things in the dossier were untrue, are there other things that are? Does Putin have some kind of leverage over the new American president?," they write. The City of Londons Economist magazine joins BBC in dismissing Flynns ouster as but the sign of "some deeper infection." Both imply the Trump administration could be brought down most efficiently by entrapping it in alleged scenarios of covering-up such Trump White Houses ties to Russia as Obamas FBI was investigating in the transition period. Should such a Watergate impeachment scenario not work out, a contributing editor to the London Review of Books today raised another option: assassination of Trump: "There is no inherent harm in fantasising" about such a killing, Adam Shatz wrote on the LRB blog. Shatz repackaged in an only slightly nastier tone, what BBC D.C. correspondent Paul Wood suggested in his Jan. 21 article in Londons Spectator magazine, which asked, "Will Donald Trump Be Assassinated, Ousted in a Coup Or Just Impeached?" Woods assassination mootings followed on his Jan. 12 BBC article revealing his own role in coordinating with Obama CIA director John Brennan in fabricating the "Trump Russian agent" lies. In light of this, whose bidding do you think the Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders are doing as they dutifully line up to call for full-scale investigations into the Flynn affair? PRESS RELEASE Syria: Geneva, Astana Meetings Move Forward Feb. 14, 2017 (EIRNS)The various processes towards a political settlement in Syria are continuing to move forward, though not without difficulty, with meetings set for Astana, Kazakhstan on Feb. 15-16, and in Geneva next week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during a joint press conference with his counterpart from Mongolia, reported that the Astana meeting will convene with the participation of the three countries guaranteeing the ceasefireRussia, Iran and Turkeyas well as representatives from the armed opposition groups that are observing the ceasefire and from the Syrian government. In addition, UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura has been invited in his capacity as mediator of the Geneva peace talks, and the United States has been invited to participate as an observer. De Misturas office announced yesterday that he has sent out letters of invitation for the Geneva talks, now set to begin on Feb. 23, with initial consultations taking place on Feb. 20. "We can confirm that letters have been sent today, and also that consultations are continuing," his spokeswoman, Yara Sharif, said yesterday. Meanwhile, it appears that despite the announcements made over the weekend, the opposition delegation may not be all that solid. Jihad Makdissi, a representative of the Cairo Group of political opposition, told TASS his group will not participate as part of the HNC delegation. "No, we already told them we dont agree [with the initiative of Riyadh group or the High Negotiations Committee]. We dont want to be an accessory in their delegation." "We offered to create a delegation from three platforms instead: Moscow platform, Cairo platform, and Riyadh platform. Since they created their own delegation, it means the answer [to our proposal] is no," Makdissi said. According to the TASS report, the Moscow and Cairo groups were offered one seat each on the High Negotiations Committee delegation. No word from the Moscow group whether or not theyve accepted the HNC offer of one seat. What happens inside Teslas electric car factory in Fremont, Calif., this year will torque Tesla toward a sustainable future or send it on a road to ruin. Everything at Tesla depends on the success of the Model 3, a mid-priced electric car the company plans to churn out by the hundreds of thousands each year. The Model 3 needs to be a big hit to justify high stockholder expectations and billions of dollars in capital investment at Tesla, which now sells not only cars, but batteries and solar roofs. Mass producing high-quality, low-cost cars is a tough challenge, especially for a company thats never done it before. Chief Executive Elon Musk has his hands full. Advertisement As the Model 3 pressure builds to a critical state, the United Auto Workers union has arrived on the scene to try to organize workers at the nonunion plant. Whether the UAW enjoys solid support among the workforce of 6,200 or just a few chance-takers, a union drive will divert Musks attention at a time when he can least afford distraction. Unlike in many states, California laws and regulations make it relatively easy for union organizers to solicit converts inside the workplace without overt retribution from management. Musk, a South African immigrant whose rise in the business world occurred in union-thin Silicon Valley, is getting a taste of what most Californians take for granted. As Harley Shaiken, a labor professor at UC Berkeley puts it: California overall is a labor-friendly state. That fact struck a nerve with Musk last week when a worker at Teslas Fremont factory, Jose Moran, uploaded a critical post on Medium. It lambasted the electric car maker for alleged employee mistreatment: preventable injuries, long hours, bad ergonomics, few if any promotions, safety issues. Many of those complaints, he said, had been ignored. Not only that, he announced that he was talking with the United Auto Workers about organizing workers at the plant. Musk reacted with a flurry of tweets: The guy was paid by the UAW to join Tesla and agitate for a union, he tweeted to the website Gizmodo. He doesnt really work for us, he works for the UAW. Tesla is the last car company left in California, because costs are so high, came anther tweet. Morans piece, Musk continued, is morally outrageous. The intensity of his response suggests Musk is taking the latest attempt seriously, Shaiken said. The UAW, for the record, said its working with Moran but is not paying him. A Tesla spokesman declined an interview with Musk, and Moran did not respond to inquiries. The union tried to penetrate Tesla in the past, to no avail. Still strong at General Motors, Ford Motor and Fiat Chysler, the UAWs attempts to organize Japanese, Korean and German auto plants in Southern states over the decades have come to naught. Conceivably, a union would hold extra negotiating clout with Tesla given the importance of the Model 3 and the pressure on Tesla to turn it out. Tesla sells highly successful but niche-oriented luxury cars, the Models S and X, at a rate of about 80,000 a year. But the UAWs chances at Tesla are slim, according to a former UAW official who worked at the plant for 22 years, when it was jointly run by Toyota and GM, before Tesla bought it in 2010. To be honest with you, I think theyre going to have a hard time organizing workers, said Sergio U. Santos, who was president of UAW Local 2244 in Fremont. They want Tesla to succeed, he said. Half the people in there are just happy to have a job. There have also been political attempts to aid Tesla workers. Last month, five Assembly members wrote a letter to Musk to protest a confidentiality agreement that Tesla workers were asked to sign in November. The controversial agreement bars them from discussing everything you work on, learn or observe in your work unless its already public information. The broad language is a violation of federal labor law, the group said. Tesla lawyer Todd Maron responded with a letter explaining that the company legitimately sought to staunch leaks about product launches and vehicle features that Tesla would rather competitors not know. The politicians efforts are welcome, said Santos, but he doesnt think theyll do much to sway Tesla workers to the union side. Santos voted for Hillary Clinton, but he said the Democratic Party, both statewide and nationally, hasnt yet come to grips with the forces behind the popularity of Donald Trump. Not many [Tesla factory workers] would say they voted for Donald Trump, but out of every 10, Ill bet eight of them did, he said. The reason, he said, is that blue-collar workers in Fremont believe Democrats ignored them when Toyota shut the plant down seven years ago during the auto industrys financial turmoil. Meanwhile, they pumped federal money into new ventures that failed, notably solar power company Solyndra, which was located not far from the auto plant. Since closing its Fremont operations, Toyota built a new plant in Mississippi and is building another in Mexico. The workers at the shuttered factory felt abandoned, he said. Santos and Shaiken said Tesla could do more to address worker concerns. Silicon Valley and the auto industry are coming together at companies such as Tesla, and cultural differences will need to be addressed. Its one thing if youre working at a startup 18 hours a day and youre going to be sharing in the wealth, Shaiken said. Its different if youre making $17 an hour. There may be a lack of understanding about that at Tesla. Tesla does offer hourly workers what it calls restricted stock units but, Santos said, not enough to make anybody rich. russ.mitchell@latimes.com Twitter: @russ1mitchell Mark saw my recent column on moves by the pharmaceutical industry to expand direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription meds you know, the TV commercials that make medicine look fun and sexy but include all that rushed verbiage about how the side effects could possibly kill you. I like to think Im pretty well-informed about consumer issues, Mark says, but I never knew, or cant remember, just how exactly drug advertising got unleashed on TV. He added: It seems to have coincided directly with the era of runaway healthcare costs, but I dont know exactly when it started. Advertisement You came to the right guy, dude. I got your answers. Direct-to-consumer, or DTC, drug ads on TV became a thing in 1997, when the Food and Drug Administration greenlighted such marketing. Prior to that time, the thinking among policymakers was that consumers lacked the medical expertise to make informed decisions about prescription meds, and that such matters were best to left to doctors. Deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies argued that patients have a right to know all their options and that pitching prescription drugs on TV thus would benefit the public (and, coincidentally, boost sales). Regulators eventually bowed to industry pressure. The impact was immediate. Spending by drug companies on TV ads hit $664 million within a year. By 2005, the industry was spending more than $3 billion annually on televised DTC ads. The figure nowadays tops $5 billion. Is this a good thing? The pharmaceutical industry thinks so. DTC ads increase sales and steer patients away from cheaper generic alternatives. For patients and the the U.S. healthcare system, many experts say DTC ads do more harm than good. The American Medical Assn. has called for an end to the practice. Nevertheless, the drug industry is now seeking official approval to expand its DTC efforts by also promoting so-called off-label drug uses that is, uses for which a drug wasnt originally intended and for which it may not be fully tested. An FDA spokeswoman told me a policy change is under consideration. This is a bad idea. A study last year by Canadian and U.S. researchers found that patients using off-label drugs without strong scientific evidence of effectiveness were 54% more likely to experience adverse side effects, such as an allergic reaction or gastrointestinal or respiratory complications. Or worse. Only two countries permit DTC drug ads the U.S. and New Zealand. Every other nation has concluded that its unwise and irresponsible to pitch potentially dangerous meds to people lacking the medical training to make smart decisions. Better to have patients discuss such things directly with their physicians. Unfortunately, Mark, thats not going to change any time soon. If the FDA caves to the latest pressure from drug companies, which seems likely, things will only get worse. Got a question? Email me at AskLaz@latimes.com. And follow me on Twitter @Davidlaz. The troubled nomination of Southern California fast-food executive Andy Puzder to become President Trumps Labor secretary collapsed Wednesday amid growing Republican opposition. Puzder, chief executive of Carpinteria-based CKE Restaurants Inc., the parent company of the Carls Jr. and Hardees chains, abruptly withdrew just a day before he was to face a Senate confirmation hearing. He had faced aggressive attacks in recent weeks by Democrats, unions, workers rights advocates and fast-food employees over labor law violations at his companys restaurants and his opposition to a significant increase in the federal minimum wage. Advertisement But his decision to pull out was triggered by concerns from a growing number of Senate Republicans about decades-old allegations of spousal abuse and an admission that he had employed a housekeeper who was in the U.S. illegally. After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for secretary of Labor, Puzder said in a statement emailed by his spokesman. I am honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor and put Americas workers and businesses back on a path to sustainable prosperity. While I wont be serving in the administration, I fully support the president and his highly qualified team, Puzder said. Democrats rejoiced as they succeeded in helping knock out one of Trumps Cabinet nominees. His withdrawal from consideration is good news for hardworking Americans across the country, said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Its time for President Trump to stop looking out for his billionaire buddies and name a secretary of Labor who will stand up for workers. The collapse of Puzders nomination adds to what was already the toughest week of Trumps young presidency. After seeing his controversial travel ban blocked by federal courts last week, Trump lost one of his early key supporters with the forced resignation Monday night of Michael Flynn. The former national security advisor was pushed out over false statements he had made about his December contacts with a Russian diplomat. Waning GOP support for Puzder was also a sign that Republicans on Capitol Hill who had previously been reluctant to confront Trump over policy or Cabinet appointments are feeling emboldened to stand up to the new president. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was confirmed last week thanks only to a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence after two Republicans voted against her. White House officials appear to have concluded that it was not worth their political capital to fight for Puzders nomination. Trump issued no statement Wednesday regarding Puzders decision. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer blamed Senate Democrats for delaying and politicizing the confirmation process. Its just ridiculous. He was not given a hearing, he said. Puzder, 66, helped CKE Restaurants overcome severe financial difficulties in the 1990s before becoming chief executive in 2000. He raised the profile of Carls Jr. and Hardees with ads featuring scantily clad women eating oversized hamburgers. Puzder also was an outspoken opponent of increased government regulation, criticizing the Affordable Care Act and the Obama administrations attempt to expand the number of workers eligible for overtime pay. Just as with his burger ads, Puzder often opted to be provocative, including musing about the benefits of increased automation in his restaurants. In an interview last year with Fortune magazine, he noted that machines are always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, theres never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case. Democrats targeted Puzder who had served as an economic advisor to Trumps campaign for defeat. And opponents got extra time to build the case after several delays in his confirmation hearing as senators awaited his ethics and financial disclosure forms. Last week, Puzder admitted that he had employed a housekeeper for years who was in the U.S. illegally. Puzder paid back taxes related to the employee only after being selected by Trump in early December. Puzder also dealt with the fallout from his divorce in the 1980s. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and other Republicans expressed concern over a 1990 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show in which Puzders ex-wife, Lisa Fierstein, made allegations of abuse. Last month Fierstein wrote to the leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee saying she had retracted those accusations. She called Puzder a good, loving, kind man. But by Wednesday, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and John Thune (R-S.D.) had all expressed reservations. In addition to his personal issues, Puzder drew resistance from some on the right for views he once expressed in support of employing immigrant labor. That alarmed some conservative immigration groups that advocate limiting the influx of foreign workers so they wont compete with Americans for jobs. In an editorial Wednesday morning, the conservative National Review came out against Puzders nomination, saying he has been a reliable font of cliches in favor of higher levels of legal immigration. We have our disagreements with President Trumps economics, but the emphasis on the interests of lower-income workers who are in competition with immigrant labor is important, the editorial said. Trump should find a Labor secretary who agrees with it and can be trusted to try to vigorously effect policies reflecting it. Speculation swirled in recent days that Puzder would drop out rather than face a grueling fight, but he initially vowed through a spokesman that he was all in. By Wednesday, those close to him were publicly acknowledging he had grown weary of the negative publicity and criticism. Senior Senate Republican leaders informed the White House on Wednesday that Puzder did not have the votes, according to a GOP aide granted anonymity to discuss the private talks. The White House has not identified a replacement. One candidate could be Peter Kirsanow, a former member of the National Labor Relations Board with whom Trump met in November when he was considering Cabinet choices. Times staff writer Michael A. Memoli contributed to this report. jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com Follow @JimPuzzanghera on Twitter ALSO Trump backs down on U.S. support for two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians What you need to know about the firing of Michael Flynn and why it matters for Trump As GOP plows forward on Obamacare repeal, new data show the nations uninsured rate hit a record low last year UPDATES: 3:25 p.m.: This story was updated with reaction and background. This story was originally published at 12:55 p.m. Actor-director Mel Gibson, who is up for an Academy Award for his film Hacksaw Ridge, has sold a home in Sherman Oaks for $2.1 million. Gibson, through a blind trust, bought the house in 2009 for $2.405 million, records show. The property was previously occupied by his former romantic partner Oksana Grigorieva, with whom he has a child. Grigorieva had been allowed to remain in residence as part of a 2011 custody settlement, The Times previously reported. Built in 2006, the Prairie School-inspired house features such details as mahogany built-ins, stone accents and hardwood floors. Stained glass skylights and clerestory windows bring natural light into the roughly 3,500 square feet of living space. Advertisement Common rooms include a center-island kitchen, living and dining rooms and a library. The master suite has a fireplace and a custom dressing room for a total of four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. French doors open to a rear courtyard with a fountain. A covered patio with a stacked-stone fireplace, lawns and formal landscaping fill out the backyard. Joyce Blackburn of Realty Executives was the listing agent. Rayni and Branden Williams of Hilton & Hyland, an affiliate of Christies International Real Estate, represented the buyers. Gibson, 61, has credits that include the Mad Max and Lethal Weapon films, as well as The Expendables 3. He received a pair of Academy Awards for the 1995 epic Braveheart. More recently he directed Hacksaw Ridge, which has been nominated for six Oscars including best picture and best director. neal.leitereg@latimes.com Twitter: @NJLeitereg MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY: Billionaire David Duffield seeks $39 million for dog-friendly estate in Alamo Modern Familys Eric Stonestreet gets his price (and slightly more) for Studio City home Modern house gets a chic redo in hipster Silver Lake Soap star Katherine Kelly Lang puts hip Glassell Park home up for sale Randall Arney is stepping down as artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, the company said Tuesday. After 17 years with the company, Arney will leave when his contract ends in August, the Geffen said. A search has begun for his successor, the company said. In addition to serving as artistic director for the theater, Arney has directed many Geffen productions, including Outside Mullingar, The Night Alive, American Buffalo and Reasons to Be Pretty. Advertisement Randy Arneys contributions to the Geffen Playhouse are varied and numerous, Geffen Executive Director Gil Cates Jr. said in a statement. And we are supremely grateful for his inspired artistic leadership, unwavering commitment to our mission, and for leaving his indelible mark on our beloved institution. We wish him every success and happiness. Cates Jr., whose father, producer Gil Cates, helped found the theater in the mid-1990s, was named executive director in 2015 and has been co-steering the theater with Arney since. Arneys departure was prompted by the theaters desire to ensure it was well positioned for the future, a spokesperson said. Remaining true to its mission of staging the work of emerging playwrights and new interpretations of classics to inspire diverse audiences will be a priority, the spokesperson said. Arney was not available for comment. The Geffen will announce its 2017-18 season next week. A revival of Eugene ONeills Long Days Journey Into Night, starring Alfred Molina and Jane Kaczmarek, opened last week. deborah.vankin@latimes.com Twitter: @debvankin ALSO: Hollywood Bowls 2017 lineup: Harry Potter, Misty Copeland, Mamma Mia! and more Looking for Ryan Gosling and Emma Stones La La Land? Find James Deans crowbar, for starters Al Pacino and the role that pulled him to the Pasadena Playhouse stage How the Trump travel ban is already impacting L.A. arts institutions and artists Dress forms draped in soft white poly mesh material take up the floor in the center of designer Bradon McDonalds home studio, next to a vintage Juki sewing machine and another portable Kenmore in a plastic case tucked on a back shelf. It was the latter machine given to McDonald by his husband in 1996, before McDonald became a dancer touring with Mark Morris Dance Group that sparked his interest in sewing as an art form. That led him to get a degree from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, landed him as a finalist in Season 12 of Project Runway and eventually culminated in this: his role as the go-to costume designer for choreographer Jessica Lang and her dance company, which will perform this weekend at the Ahmanson Theatre as part of the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center series. Its like being in residence with artists where youre actually making something together, rather than working on each piece separately and hoping it fits. Bradon McDonald on collaborating with Jessica Lang Advertisement He has a true artistic sensibility that is genuine and intelligent, Lang says of McDonald, whom she first met in college when both were studying at the Juilliard School. As a dancer, he knows how to fit a garment, and he knows Im a small company that doesnt have a dry-cleaning line on my budget. Lang made a name for herself as a freelance choreographer long before she started her own company. She wanted total artistic control over every aspect of her vision. Her work blends contemporary dance and ballet to great modern effect, and she is meticulous: Everything onstage, from the lighting to the costumes, must have purpose. In McDonald she has found a kindred spirit. Both approach craft from a metaphysical vantage point, channeling the abstraction of feeling into dramatic, physical form. These results will be on full display at the Ahmanson, first in a piece called Thousand Yard Stare. The second, a West Coast premiere, is Tesseracts of Time. Thousand Yard Stare is about the psychological ravages of war in veterans. A member of Langs board asked her to tackle the subject, but she was hesitant. The potential to get it wrong seemed too great. Once she accepted the challenge, she and McDonald reached out to friends and family members who served in the military and slowly encouraged them to open up about their experiences. The culmination of this process was asking the veterans to listen to Beethovens String Quartet No. 15, Op. 132, third movement the same music used in Langs ballet in order to create a drawing of how it made them feel. The striking black-and-white images were taken by McDonald and turned into costumes. A single drawing is printed on the back of each dancers simple, fatigue-like shirt. We thought it was beautiful and poetic that all the dancers would be dressed the same, but when they turned around they would have these images that the veterans drew, in order to create their own camouflage, Lang says. The process had added layers of meaning for McDonald, who recruited his brother a veteran of three Army tours of Afghanistan to be a part of the group. McDonald had never really discussed his brothers experiences with him because his brother didnt seem to want to talk about them, and he respected that. All these years I didnt really ask, McDonald says. This holistic approach to art-making is what distinguishes Jessica Lang Dance, says Michael Solomon, the Music Centers vice president of presentations and education, who oversees the dance series. I find her work very emotionally accessible, he says, adding that the costumes take on a character of their own. Solomon booked Lang in her Music Center debut partly based on Thousand Yard Stare, which he said succeeded in making him understand what post-traumatic stress disorder might feel like based on movement alone. But he also speaks highly on the inventive nature of Tesseracts of Time, which he says is a great example of the novel ways that Lang directs her dancers to interact with space. Drawings and fabric swatches for Bradon McDonalds latest creations for Jessica Lang Dance. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Sixty costume pieces are used on nine dancers in the course of the 20-minute dance, which features projections of architecture by collaborator Steven Holl. McDonald personally measured and draped each dancer. It was a labor-intensive process. The costumes morph from black to white to white with sunrise-orange. Each dancer has three looks, all of which are managed quickly as dancers cycle on and offstage. We want to make good theater, McDonald says of the close work he does with Lang and the other members of her creative team, including lighting designer Nicole Pearce. McDonald says he and Lang are both formalists. We like a proscenium stage, we like lights, we like having a stage production. Taking these things away is not our aesthetic, together or apart. Increasingly Lang is focusing on creating immersive experiences for her audiences. Working with Holl opened her eyes to the endless possibilities of integrating other artistic disciplines into her work. Its the only way I can go, she says. I dont want to go back. McDonald doesnt want to go back either. He and his husband, Joshua Winograde, along with their 7-month-old son, are moving back to New York City from Los Angeles. Winograde got a job as associate artistic administrator at the Metropolitan Opera, but it will have the happy side effect of putting McDonald closer to Lang. The pair is already working on yet-to-be-disclosed projects for next year. This work will be interspersed with other commissions, of course, but McDonald holds a special place in his craftsmans heart for Lang. One of his favorite memories is of working on costumes in Langs studio while she listened to music on her computer, trying to decide on the right fit for Tesseracts. McDonald would casually call out suggestions and the pair discussed them. It was easy and engaging a true from-the-ground-up collaboration. Its like being in residence with artists where youre actually making something together, rather than working on each piece separately and hoping it fits together later, he says. Jessica Lang Dance Where: Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N Grand Ave., L.A. When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday Tickets: Starting at $31 Info: (213) 972-0711, www.musiccenter.org jessica.gelt@latimes.com @jessicagelt ALSO: Diego Riveras Cubist masterpiece arrives at LACMA At the Hammer Museum, Jimmie Durhams art throws some well-aimed stones This female photographers goal? To change perceptions of black men Life in Iran: Contemporary photography exhibit tries to build a cultural bridge Waitress and The Color Purple coming to the Hollywood Pantages No doubt about it, Katherine Heigl has had a rough go of it lately. Her departure from Greys Anatomy seven years ago earned Heigl a reputation for being difficult that, fair or not, she hasnt been able to shake. Her film career fizzled out and her would-be comeback vehicle, the Homeland wannabe State of Affairs, was canceled after just 13 episodes on NBC. Once the star of blockbuster romantic comedies like Knocked Up, Heigl has more recently appeared in ads for cold medication and kitty litter -- a fact that seems to delight her detractors in a way that seems at least a little sexist. Whether Doubt, premiering Wednesday on CBS, will revive Heigls career is difficult to predict, but sorry, haters it is a worthy, highly watchable effort. While a bit tonally uneven in early episodes and not especially groundbreaking it is, at its core, yet another legal procedural Doubt is elevated by witty banter and a stellar supporting cast. Advertisement Heigl stars as Sadie Ellis, a skilled and ambitious attorney at a famed New York City firm run by Isaiah Roth (Elliott Gould), a famed liberal lawyer seemingly inspired by William Kunstler, who represented the Black Panthers and members of the Weather Underground. Roths idealistic mission, laid out in a speech recited from memory by his employees, is to stand by his clients so that they dont have to stand alone. Like seemingly every dramatic heroine on the small screen these days, Sadie is an emotionally closed-off workaholic prone to romantic complications at the office. In this case, she falls hard for her client, Billy Brennan (Steven Pasquale), the son of a prominent politician and a hunky pediatric surgeon (swoon) who may or may not have killed his high school girlfriend. (Nobodys perfect, right?) Of course, their budding romance presents an ethical minefield, and there is something a wee bit stereotypical about a female lawyer falling for a hot, but possibly homicidal, client (see also: HBOs The Night Of). But hey, in 2017 does anyone really care about conflicts of interest anymore? Doubt weaves this soapy ongoing narrative in with cases of the week, loosely ripped from the headlines: a college student who wears a sandwich board denouncing the man who raped her; a schizophrenic young man who pushed a woman to her death on the subway tracks. Despite Heigls involvement, Doubt shouldnt be mistaken for a star vehicle. Its a well-cast ensemble piece that democratically spreads the drama among the supporting characters, including Dule Hill as Albert, Sadies colleague and close friend, and Laverne Cox as a transgender Ivy League graduate named Cameron. Coxs casting -- a first for a transgender actress in a series regular on broadcast television -- has gotten Doubt some early buzz. The series deals sensitively with Camerons gender identity while also treating her as a fully realized person, and marks a major step forward for CBS, a network that has been criticized for its lack of diversity. Though underused in early episodes, Gould is as appealingly avuncular as ever, while certified national treasure Judith Light is ferociously good in a few scenes as Sadies mother, a former radical activist imprisoned for killing a state trooper. (And yes, Sadie has a few mommy issues.) Created by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, former executive producers on Greys Anatomy and Madam Secretary, Doubt bears traces of both shows. But it seems more obviously influenced by The Good Wife, and not just because it shares with it numerous cast members, starting with Pasquale and Dreama Walker as a naive second-year associate. Heigl, who won an Emmy for her performance on Greys Anatomy, is particularly well-suited to this mix of melodrama and screwball comedy. Like The Good Wife, which ended its acclaimed run on CBS last year, Doubt attempts to blend high courtroom drama with moments of lighthearted comedy and sophisticated, rat-a-tat banter. Its a tricky tone to get just right, and there are some awkward attempts at irreverent humor early on, including a clunker of a joke about lupus. But there are also some genuinely funny one-liners. (After pulling an all-nighter at the office, Walkers character complains of smelling like Scotch and MSG.) Heigl, who won an Emmy for her performance on Greys Anatomy, is particularly well-suited to this mix of melodrama and screwball comedy. Doubt also delves into the moral ambiguity of the legal profession, particularly the ethical dilemmas faced by defense attorneys. In one episode, Albert struggles with whether to reveal information shared with him by a client convicted of killing a teenager, and finds his humanity at odds with his professional obligations. There are also knowing lines (This isnt TV, the DNAs not coming back overnight) that suggest the show is at least attempting to subvert the genres most glaring cliches. If anything, though, Doubt could do more to embrace this moral and narrative ambiguity, which was a hallmark of The Good Wife. Are Isaiah, Sadie et al idealistic crusaders, craven opportunists, or both? And how are they paying for their swank offices and designer wardrobes? Hopefully as the series progresses it will explore these fertile subjects with more depth. Similarly, the did-he-or-didnt-he cloud of suspicion surrounding Billy would be more convincing if the show really tapped into Pasquales proven ability to be both ridiculously handsome and deeply menacing (exhibit A: his turn as Mark Fuhrman in The People v. O.J. Simpson.) This Doubt ought to sow a little more doubt. Doubt Where: CBS When: 10 p.m. Wednesday Rating: TV-14-L (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14 with an advisory for coarse language) See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour meredith.blake@latimes.com Follow me @MeredithBlake Italian eyewear brand Carrera said Jared Leto is to front its latest advertising campaign. The Oscar-winning actor previously partnered with the brand for The Maverick project in 2016, which celebrated the 60th anniversary of the label. Leto has been a supporter of the brand ever since, considering Carrera always a bit different and praising the styles combination of strong identity and a classic, timeless look Shot by Terry Richardson, the campaign will debut worldwide later this month, concurrently to the launch of the new styles in stores. In the meantime, a series of behind-the-scenes images and a short clip have been released to tease the new collaboration and collection. In the shots and footage, Leto poses both with the brands sunglasses and optical frames, which include vintage pilot-shaped options in Havana color, both rounded and squared lightweight metal sunglasses and retro-inspired frames combining a thick brow-bar with thin rims, among others. The actor debuts a short haircut and wears different looks to match the eyewear offerings, such as black leather and denim jackets, white shirts, a gray sweatshirt and a navy trench. The campaign is the first step of the collaboration. In fact, Carrera announced that an Inspired by Jared Leto eyewear collection will be unveiled in September. Carrera is one of Safilo Groups proprietary brands. The Italian company also designs, produces and distributes eyewear collections for a range of brands, including Dior, Dior Homme, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Max Mara, Swatch and Tommy Hilfiger, among others. Jared Leto behind the scenes. ALSO Coach co-founder Miles Cahn dies at 95 Mandy Moore talks This Is Us at Lela Rose's New York Fashion Week show Alexander Wang accuses Philipp Plein of copying his runway show On an afternoon in February, Naga Reshi, the brewmaster at Dry River Brewing Co. in Boyle Heights, pilots a forklift laden with 250 gallons of his next batch of beer down the street to his brewery. Most brewers work in their own brewhouse they simply need to hook up a hose and pump liquid from the brewhouse to a stainless steel fermenter. Dry River Brewery does things a little differently. Tucked into the warehouses between the Los Angeles River and the 101 Freeway in Boyle Heights, Dry River Brewery lacks a production brewhouse the assembly of vats, kettles and plumbing where brewers typically begin the beer-making process. Instead, Reshi brews the wort the sweet liquid that becomes beer once yeast gets hold of it for his beer at another Boyle Heights craft brewery, Indie Brewing Co. The Indie Brewing Co. production facility and taproom is about 100 feet from Dry River, but its 100 feet strewn with potholes, unused railroad tracks and just enough commercial traffic to make the voyage stressful. Anything can happen out there, says Reshi, who has worked in breweries from Alaska to Brazil, making about every style of beer imaginable. Collaboration is commonplace in the craft beer industry, but every Dry River brew day takes cooperation. Reshi brews a batch at Indie Brewing Co. about once a month, and when the brewing is done, the wort is cooled to a yeast-friendly temperature (about 70 degrees) and pumped into a movable plastic vat enclosed in a metal cage, called a tote. Then, instead of fermenting the beer in the typical temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, all of Dry Rivers beers are fermented and conditioned in used wine barrels. Advertisement Reshi and James Mancuso, Indie Brewings head brewer, collaborated on a brew with Travis Tolson, who runs the Wicked Weed Brewery in Asheville, N.C. Tolson worked as cellarman (the low man in the hierarchy at a brewery) under Reshi at Alaskas Kodiak Island Brewery, and they became fast friends. The brewers collectively created a beer in Asheville in January called Calilina a portmanteau of California and Carolina. Its a farmhouse ale that pairs a variety of heritage grains with blueberries and lemongrass green tea. Tolson visited L.A. to brew another batch on the West Coast. The persimmon-hued Calilina deftly balances a robust yeast-driven aroma with a complex cereal character and just enough berry and lemongrass flavors. Tannins from the green tea and a dry finish underscore the thirst-quenching character of the brew. Come summer, I could crush this all day long, says Tolson. The West Coast version is nearly the same recipe, but the final product will differ greatly in flavor. At Dry River the brew was fermented in four oak wine barrels with the brewerys house blend of yeasts and bacteria before moving into different barrels, with blueberries added for a longer secondary fermentation. Now the waiting begins, and once the microbes have had their way with the brew, Reshi says that the Dry River version of Calilina should be softly tart and funky with some oak character. Reshis true passion is the complex and finicky world of mixed fermentation: beer that employs wild yeasts, bacteria and long fermentations, or what he calls slow beer. True to Dry Rivers mantra of slow beer, Calilina wont be ready until late fall, Reshi says. Maybe. Soon L.A.s beer fans will be able to taste some of the other Dry River beers on-site in Boyle Heights. Once the permits are approved, Dry River will be open to the public for tastings and bottle sales, but there are no plans to add more on-site brewing capability. Until then, you can find Dry River beers at craft beer bottle shops such as Sunset Beer Co. in Echo Park and Craft Beer Cellar in Eagle Rock, or at bars and restaurants such as Bestia in the Arts District, Bar Bandini in Echo Park and the Cannibal in Culver City. 671 S. Anderson St., Los Angeles, (213) 375-5235, www.dryriverbrewing.com. food@latimes.com @latimesfood ALSO: Defense Secretary James N. Mattis warned NATO allies Wednesday that European defenses are at risk due to low military budgets, and said the Trump administration may scale back support for joint defense if other governments do not contribute more. The stark warning put the 28-member alliance on notice that the White House has not backed down from Trumps demands that other NATO members pay more for the military alliance that has been a keystone of global security for nearly 70 years. If your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals need to show support for our common defense, Mattis told a meeting of defense ministers at North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters. Advertisement No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of Western values, Mattis said. Americans cannot care more for your childrens future security than you do. Mattis did not say how or how soon the United States would pull back if NATO members dont increase military spending. But he didnt suggest withdrawing from the alliance entirely or question its fundamental purpose, as Trump did in mid-January when he called NATO obsolete. Nor was it clear if other nations will pay heed to Mattis. Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky downplayed the warning, saying fellow ministers were not concerned. This is not the first time weve heard this from U.S. officials, he said after the meeting. The Obama administration also urged NATO members to boost spending, but didnt threaten to cut support unless its demands were met. NATO took part in the U.S.-led air war in Libya in 2011, and has stepped up operations in Afghanistan and in Europe since 2014. Indeed, ever since Russia seized Crimea and began backing armed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Pentagon has sent reinforcements to NATO nations in Eastern Europe to reassure allies and to deter Russia from potential aggression. Early last month, the Army sent 87 tanks, 144 armored vehicles and 3,500 troops to Poland in the biggest U.S. military deployment in Europe in decades. The Pentagon also plans to construct or refurbish facilities, airfields and training ranges in Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. Other NATO members also have boosted their forces in the region, including Canadian troops in Latvia, German troops in Lithuania, and British troops in Estonia. British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon backed Mattis, urging other NATO members to step up and share burdens on spending and help it become more agile in dealing with new threats, including cyber and terrorism. Only five countries the United States, Britain, Estonia, Greece and Poland meet the NATO goal of spending at least 2% of gross domestic product on defense. Perhaps anticipating Mattis warning, NATO released data Tuesday that said its members had increased military spending last year by 3.8%, or $10 billion. Total military spending by NATO governments now totals $890 million. The United States pays the largest share by far but it has the worlds largest military, and the largest defense budget, by far. Despite a series of Pentagon budget cuts, the Obama administration spent 3.61% of U.S. gross domestic product on the military last year, according to the data. The total, about $664 billion, was more than twice as much as the other NATO governments combined. Since taking office, Trump has vowed to rebuild the military, promising to increase the Army and Marine Corps, and to build more Navy ships and Air Force fighter aircraft. He also wants to modernize nuclear weapons and missile defense systems. Independent groups estimate that could cost $150 billion or more annually. The Trump administrations first budget plan is due to Congress by April. NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would need time to set new milestones for military spending. But he noted that demands on NATO forces are increasing, not decreasing. Trump and Stoltenberg spoke by phone earlier this month, and Trump agreed to attend the annual NATO alliance in May. Trump also backed off his previous criticism, saying he had strong support for NATO, according to the White House. On Wednesday, Mattis assured NATO members that Washington remains a steadfast partner, calling the alliance a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the trans-Atlantic community. A gulf of suspicion has opened between European allies and the Trump administration, which has alarmed U.S. allies by seeking warmer ties with Moscow. Fears were further stoked by news that Michael Flynn had spoken to a Russian diplomat about U.S. sanctions shortly before he became Trumps national security advisor. Flynn was forced to resign Monday night after the White House said he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about the calls. On the flight to Brussels, Mattis said Flynns ouster would have no effect at all on his role at the Pentagon or with the White House. He and Pence will attend a security conference in Munich, Germany, on Thursday. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be making his official international debut at an economic summit in Bonn, Germany. They all are expected to reassure allies of the U.S. commitment to Europe, and to argue that the young Trump administration is going through normal teething pains despite the constant turmoil in the White House. For each of our NATO allies, the relationship with the U.S. is their top national security relationship and they need positive and healthy interaction with the new administration, said Jorge Benitez, NATO expert at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. But the chaos and mixed messages coming out of the Trump team makes them very uncertain about how they can develop a positive relationship with a president that is so unpredictable, he added. william.hennigan@latimes.com Twitter: @wjhenn ALSO: Climate change is real: Just ask the Pentagon Why U.S. airstrikes are still killing Syrian civilians even with the most high-tech targeting technology Captured battlefield cellphones, computers are helping the U.S. target and kill Islamic States leaders UPDATES: 1:50 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional details about Defense Secretary James N. Mattis warning to NATO allies. This article was originally published at 3 a.m. On Monday, President Trump fired his national security advisor, Michael Flynn. On Wednesday, he said Flynn had been treated very, very unfairly by the media. Here are some questions and answers about why Flynn was dismissed and why the issue continues to dog Trump: What did Flynn do? Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Press Secretary Sean Spicer about conversations he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, allowing all three to make repeated false public statements. He did not tell Pence the truth until after the facts were revealed by the Washington Post last week. On Tuesday, Spicer said Trump had known about Flynns inaccurate statements for nearly three weeks and had fired him because of an eroding level of trust. Trump makes his first comments about Flynns dismissal, and he blames the media and leakers Advertisement Why does anyone care what Flynn said to the Russian ambassador? Two issues are at play here. On the day Flynn and Kislyak spoke, Dec. 29, President Obama had imposed sanctions on Russia to punish Vladimir Putins government for its interference in the presidential election. Some people who have read the transcript of Flynns conversation with Kislyak believe that he tried to undermine Obamas policy. More broadly, Democrats allege that people associated with Trump may have colluded with Russian officials to try to influence the election outcome. Flynns contacts with Kislyak have revived attention to those charges. Wait. Theres a transcript of Flynns conversation? Why? U.S. intelligence officials routinely conduct surveillance of Russian diplomats. The FBI found Flynns call in reviewing Kislyaks conversations. When did Trump decide to fire Flynn? As late as Monday morning, Flynn gave an interview to the Daily Caller, a conservative outlet, in which he said that Trump had expressed confidence in him and told him to go out and talk more. That afternoon, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Trump had full confidence in Flynn. A few hours later, Flynn was fired. The decision appears to have come only after the Post contacted the White House on Monday afternoon to seek comment on another article that detailed law enforcement officials attempt to warn Trump weeks earlier that Flynn might be vulnerable to blackmail by Russia because of his false statements. Timeline: What we know about the events leading to Michael Flynns resignation What does the timing indicate? Trumps statement Wednesday that the media had treated Flynn unfairly, combined with the timeline, indicates that the president felt he was pushed into firing Flynn, not because he had misled his colleagues, but because news organizations were making that fact public. Is anyone else in trouble or at risk? Some conservative media are accusing Priebus of having engineered Flynns departure. The Breitbart News website, for example, formerly headed by Stephen K. Bannon, Trumps strategist, accused Priebus of having tried to protect Democratic sleeper cells in the government. And Pence was damaged by the evidence that Trump and others kept him in the dark about the situation. As his spokesman said Tuesday, Pence learned that Flynn had misled him only after that fact was revealed in the media. Trump had known about it for two weeks by that point. Is the administration at war with itself? Bannon insists that he and Priebus are friends. But for more than three weeks, White House officials have been blaming each other for missteps, with different factions providing their conflicting accounts to reporters. That has contributed to what Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called dysfunction in the White House. Does Flynns firing end the matter? Probably not. FBI agents interviewed Flynn about his contacts with Kislyak. If agents conclude that he was untruthful, that could be a serious problem. Moreover, the bureau is conducting a wider inquiry into contacts between people close to Trump and Russian intelligence officials. In addition, two congressional committees are also investigating. SIGN UP for the free Essential Politics newsletter Whats the FBI looking at? No one outside the bureau really knows except in broad outline. FBI Director James B. Comey has declined to tell even senior members of Congress anything about the investigation. FBI agents have examined contacts that some people close to Trump had with Russian officials, but whether they have found anything improper is not publicly known. What about the congressional investigations? The House and Senate intelligence committees are each ginning up investigations into Russian actions during the presidential election. Democrats want a full investigation into any contacts that the Trump campaign may have had with Russian officials. Republicans have committed to a more limited investigation, but their resistance to the Democratic demands seems to be weakening. How much danger do these investigations pose to Trump? In the short run, the big danger is lost time and focus. The administration is already under pressure from Congress to come up with a plan to replace Obamacare, for example, or a tax reform proposal. Delay has made accomplishing either of those GOP goals harder as opponents mobilize. Most of the top positions in the government remain unfilled. Even the most smoothly functioning White House can only handle a few issues at a time, and this is not the most smoothly functioning White House. Longer term, a lot depends on what, if anything, the investigations turn up. So far, there is no public evidence that Trump or people around him did anything improper in connection with Russia. David.Lauter@latimes.com For more on Politics and Policy, follow me @DavidLauter ALSO Andy Puzder withdraws as Labor secretary nominee amid Republican opposition Trump backs down on U.S. support for two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians As GOP plows forward on Obamacare repeal, new data show the nations uninsured rate hit a record low last year When Barack Obama came into office, George W. Bush left him with two wars and an economy teetering on the brink of colossal disaster. Eight years later, Obama handed off to Donald Trump a country with challenges, but no immediate crises looming. Less than a month after taking office, though, Trump finds himself awash in catastrophes that are all of his own making. Trumps biggest mess results from his choice of retired Gen. Michael Flynn to be his national security advisor. In a steady stream of leaks from intelligence agencies, it has been revealed that Flynn had multiple meetings with Russian officials during the presidential campaign, including an encounter with Moscows ambassador to the United States in which Flynn signaled that the newly elected Republican president would be easier to deal with than Obama. On Monday, Flynn resigned his post after acknowledging that he lied to Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his chat with the Russian ambassador. On Tuesday, the news broke that other Trump campaign officials, including onetime campaign director Paul Manafort, were also in frequent communication with Russian intelligence agents at a time when the Russians were engaged in computer hacks and a disinformation campaign aimed at undermining Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton. The FBI is investigating and now several Republican senators are joining with Democrats to demand a bipartisan congressional probe into the links between Russia and the Trump team. Advertisement This is not a very auspicious way to begin a new presidency, and Russia is far from the only problem. Trumps plan to close the door on refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim nations was blocked by federal courts. The constitutionally dubious executive order that set the scheme in motion was hastily implemented with almost no input from anyone outside a tight circle of Trumps advisors in the West Wing. It met immediate resistance from demonstrators at airports and state attorneys general in the courts. With a little care, collaboration and caution, Trump might have been able to craft a policy that would have succeeded, but that is not how this president or his chief strategists, right-wing militants Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, roll. And Trump made things even worse by making personal attacks against the judges who ruled against him. The Muslim ban was just one of several ill-considered executive orders churned out by Trump (with Bannons and Millers close guidance). One edict from the Oval Office ordered that two regulations must be eliminated each time a government agency or department implements one new regulation. This gimmick is a simpletons version of regulatory reform that ignores all sorts of complicated issues. It will prove to be unworkable and, probably, illegal. Another order Trump signed, reportedly without reading it closely, put Bannon on the National Security Council, thus sending a shock wave through the ranks of foreign relations specialists. Then there was Trumps very first week in office in which he and his minions engaged in a war with the media and with reality insisting that the crowd at Trumps inauguration was bigger than the historic crowd at Obamas first swearing-in ceremony in 2009. It was an absurd exercise that demonstrated the two biggest weaknesses of the new White House: the presidents self-absorbed egotism and his willingness and the willingness of those around him to blatantly lie when the truth is inconvenient. 1 / 51 la-1491523602-y7ephyarj1-snap-image (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 51 la-1491368625-0bgh58ihw8-snap-image (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los angeles Times) 6 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 51 Trump inspires millions to take to the streets -- to oppose him. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 51 Top of the Ticket cartoon (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 51 Cartoon caption contest winner at the DENT conference in Sun Valley, Idaho: Jon Duval, executive director of the Ketchum Community Development Corporation. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 51 Old radicals and big media descend on Selma (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 51 Horsey imagined the creation of the Ann Coulter phenomenon in this cartoon from 2007. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 51 This David Horsey drawing is a reconfiguration of a cartoon he first published in 2006. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 51 Donald Sterling, owner of the L.A. Clippers, should give Cliven Bundy a call. After Sterling loses his NBA franchise and the deadbeat Nevada rancher loses his cattle, the two old racists will both need a buddy. Maybe they can team up together and open an all-white rodeo. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 51 Besides sending a chill up the spine of the international community, Vladimir Putin has accomplished one other thing by seizing Crimea and threatening the rest of Ukraine: Putin has brought back the bear. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 51 The right-wing insurrection at the Bundy ranch in Bunkerville, Nev., has taken another weird turn with new revelations about the family history of Cliven Bundy. (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 51 David Horsey / Los Angeles Times (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 51 See full story (David Horsey / Los Angeles Times) Trumps chief spokesman, Sean Spicer, became a figure of ridicule and a recurring character on Saturday Night Live at his very first news briefing when he angrily defended Trumps bogus claims about the size of the inaugural crowd. He made himself laughable again on Tuesday when he insisted no one has been tougher on Russia than his boss, thereby giving the TV news channels a good excuse to rerun the many news clips that show Trump fawning over Vladimir Putin. In that Tuesday briefing, Spicer also presented an official timeline purporting to show when the president learned about Flynns dealings with the Russians. According to Spicer, Trump was briefed in late January. Inconveniently, Trump, in a quick exchange with the traveling media on Air Force One last weekend, claimed that he knew nothing at all about the Flynn controversy. Obviously, Trump was lying and Spicers timeline confirmed it. In a similar failure to coordinate messages, senior Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway (who is being shunned by CNN and called out by a government ethics office for her lies and careless statements) said Flynn had the presidents full support, just hours before Flynn got the boot. Trump has a compliant, Republican-controlled Congress waiting to do his bidding. He has millions of supporters who dutifully give him the benefit of the doubt on any issue. He has inherited an economy that is chugging along nicely and an international scene without any immediate crisis. He could be enjoying a small honeymoon right now. Instead, because of bizarre personnel choices (Flynn, Bannon, Miller, Conway), policy proposals based on falsehoods (there is no flood of poorly vetted terrorists), dumb campaign promises (there is no simple way to get rid of the Affordable Care Act), childish vendettas (picking a fight with Nordstrom for dropping daughter Ivankas fashion products) and unrelenting lies (pick a day, any day), the Trump administration is mired in controversy and chaos. And Trump, who always finds someone to blame for everything, really has no one to blame but himself. David.Horsey@latimes.com Follow me at @davidhorsey on Twitter MORE TOP OF THE TICKET Trumps rationalization for killer Putin is ignorant and anti-American From cable TV to cattlemens websites, flood of Trump news swamps the media Americas fate is in the hands of Trumps bizarre inner circle of advisors Its almost impossible to get a rise from my favorite farmer, Joe Del Bosque, who grows almonds, melons and asparagus here on the perpetually water-challenged west side of the San Joaquin Valley. After years of drought, suddenly everything is green. Its raining like crazy, the infamous pumps of the Sacramento Delta are working overtime to fill reservoirs to the south and all over the state, dry fields have become muddy lakes. So what are you Westside farmers whining about now? I asked Del Bosque when I visited him Monday in his office, a modest double-wide trailer on the edge of an almond orchard off Interstate 5. Advertisement He chuckled. Farmers are always complaining about something. If they arent complaining, its because theyre too busy worrying. Del Bosque is, as usual, worried about water. But hes also worried about immigration, and about President Trumps vow to deport people who are here illegally. Del Bosque, and just about every grower he knows, depends on migrant labor for harvests. We need a workforce, he said. We cant have immigration come here and round everyone up and deport them. Coupled with building a wall, it will ruin us. It will ruin the whole fruit and vegetable industry. :: Del Bosques water comes from the Central Valley Project, run by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which provides much of the water consumed by farms and people in the Central Valley. In the past few years, he and other Westside farmers have gotten absolutely no water, or a tiny fraction of their normal, subsidized federal allocation. Even though this year has brought a record amount of rain and a boffo snowpack, he thinks he will get shorted again at the end of this month when the feds determine 2018 water allocations. His need for water will be pitted against the needs of endangered Delta fish like smelt and salmon. Usually, the fish prevail. But because nothing is simple when it comes to water, Del Bosque has to worry about too much water, as well. The place he stores his supply San Luis Reservoir will soon fill to capacity, putting him in the position of possibly losing expensive water he has already bought. (Federal water costs $220 per acre-foot. Last year, Del Bosque was able to find some water districts willing to part with water at a steep $1,000 to $1,300 per acre-foot.) He estimates he has more than a million dollars worth of water sitting in the San Luis right now. The reservoir is at 92% capacity, well above its historical average. If it fills to the brim, the Bureau of Reclamation will not be able to pump any more water in from the Delta. Due to the complexities of water law, the federal government then has the right to take ownership of the farmers expensive water. They say, Hey, your water is taking up space that we need. I knew this could happen, but after four straight years of drought, I wasnt expecting it, Del Bosque said. This is just the risk that we farmers have to assume. :: San Joaquin Valley growers tend to be politically conservative. Many were enchanted when Donald Trump came to Fresno last May and announced theres no drought, playing right into their favorite narrative: If the government (abetted by environmentalists) didnt insist on shutting off the Delta pumps, there would be plenty of water for agriculture. A lot of farmers liked that he said that, Del Bosque said. Of course weve been in a natural drought, but yeah, theres some regulations that are making it worse, and maybe thats what he was talking about. But even if they liked Trumps stance on water, his harsh immigration policies and vows to deport people in the country illegally could make harvesting the fields impossible. I think a lot of them thought he was just blowing smoke, Del Bosque said. And then, of course, Trump assumed office. California agriculture simply cannot work without migrant labor. For example, the main towns around Del Bosques 2,000 acres Dos Palos, Firebaugh, and Mendota have a combined population of about 20,000, children included. When I start harvesting my melons, Del Bosque said, I need 300 people. And theres like six other melon guys who need 300 people, and one probably needs 900. So we need around 3,000 people to harvest. Then, the tomato guys need people, the grape guys need people and the garlic guys need people. There are not enough people in these little towns for that seasonal surge in labor needs. Thats why were dependent on people who come from somewhere else. Like Mexico. In 2014, on a lark, Del Bosque, as @WestsideFarmer, tweeted an invitation at President Obama after learning that he planned to visit the Central Valley. President @BarackObama, I humbly invite you to Del Bosque Farms for a discussion on the effect of the drought on California and its people. A week later, Del Bosque and his wife, Maria, strode across a fallowed field with the president and Gov. Jerry Brown. Obama focused on climate change. Farmers were disappointed. That wont help us for 50 or even 100 years, Del Bosque said. How about relaxing the laws to get us a little more water? Now hes thinking about tweeting an invitation at @realDonaldTrump. But not about water. I would focus on immigration, Del Bosque said. I would wait till we have some people working in the fields, picking asparagus or melons, and invite him to come see what kind of work this is, and why we need these people. I dont know if he would get it. A billionaire guy who lives in a penthouse and the only place he goes to work is in these humongous buildings? To come out to the country to see a guy from Oaxaca working in the fields? I dont know if he could relate to it. Mexican laborers, after all, put fresh fruit and vegetables on all of our tables. I wonder if President Trump even knows where his food comes from. To read the article in Spanish, click here More columns robin.abcarian@latimes.com Twitter: @AbcarianLAT ALSO Listen up, city dwellers: A farmers straight talk on the drought How the honey bee crisis is affecting Californias almond growers Almonds are no longer villains or scapegoats of the drought More from Robin Abcarian USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias departure By Harriet Ryan USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post. Nikias, embattled over his administrations handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing patients, relinquished his duties after a meeting of USCs board. The trustees tapped one of their own, Wanda Austin, an alumna and former president of the Aerospace Corp., to temporarily run the university. The trustees also approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him By Richard Winton A former student sued the elite Brentwood School on Monday in the wake of a female teacher being charged with repeatedly having sex with the minor, alleging that other faculty members encouraged the unlawful behavior and failed to report it to authorities. The lawsuit accuses the private school, whose students include the children of many of Hollywoods elite and L.A.s powerful, of acting negligently and allowing Aimee Palmitessa to abuse and batter the teenager sexually. The suit alleges that the student was abused in summer 2017 after one of the schools counselors offered words of encouragement to the then-17-year-old, identified in the suit as only John Doe, to engage in an illegal relationship with the teacher. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Civil jury vindicates fired Montebello school executives in whistleblower case By Howard Blume The Montebello school district is in dire straits at risk of insolvency and under apparent criminal investigation. An outside audit in July found some teachers earning more than $200,000 a year, as well as improper raises, excess paid vacation time and inappropriate overtime, sick leave and car allowances. Fixing the district and pinpointing blame could take time. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns By Howard Blume After the mass shooting at Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe. California had tougher gun laws, after all, and the school district paid close attention to students mental health. But a new report issued Monday by a panel convened to take a close look offers some cause for concern, flagging inconsistent campus safety measures, thinly spread mental health staff and inadequate coordination between the school district and other public agencies. With the stakes this high, we must strive to do better, said L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, who assembled the panel. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement L.A. school district says more are graduating, but rate may not show it By Howard Blume The L.A. Unified School District has hopes of continuing its winning streak this year with another record graduation rate, but the official numbers may not show it. A senior district administrator warned the board Tuesday that graduation rates were likely to decline 2% to 3% across the state, even though L.A. Unified is likely doing better than ever in producing graduates, he said. The issue is that the state will now count high school students who transfer to adult school as dropouts, said Oscar Lafarga, who heads the districts office of data and accountability. Previously, schools treated these students as though they had simply enrolled in another high school, he said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Betsy DeVos to California: Not so fast on that federal education plan By Joy Resmovits In April, Californias top education officials breathed a sigh of relief. After months of debate and back-and-forth with Betsy DeVos staff, they had finalized a plan to satisfy a major education law that aims to make sure all students get a decent education. The state focused on aligning its plan to fulfill the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act with Californias Local Control Funding Formula, which gives extra money to districts to help students who come from low-income families, are in the foster system or are English learners. But this week, DeVos team said not so fast. Jason Botel, the U.S. Department of Educations principal deputy assistant secretary, sent California education officials a letter asking for more information in such areas as measuring student progress, graduation rates and English learners. In an unsigned statement, the California Department of Education declared itself surprised and disappointed because officials thought after a meeting with federal officials in Washington that they were on the right track to get approval. Now the Every Student Succeeds Act plan will be up for discussion once again at the July meeting of the State Board of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has already approved most state plans. Every Student Succeeds is the Obama administrations 2015 replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC By Sonali Kohli Last month, Los Angeles school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the states public four-year universities by 2023. By the time the L.A. Unified school board unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday, the original language had been watered down. The goal is no longer that in five years 100% of students meet the long list of benchmarks, which include not just college eligibility for graduates but first-grade reading proficiency and English fluency by sixth grade for all students who enter the district in kindergarten or first grade speaking another language. The original college-readiness goal, for example, called for 100% of all high school students to be eligible to apply to one of the states four-year universities. Now the goal seems to offer more wiggle room: Prepare all high school graduates to be eligible to apply to a California four-year university. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement We have been hurt. More women say they were mistreated by USC gynecologist By Richard Winton USC student Anika Narayanan says she vividly recalls her first appointment with Dr. George Tyndall at the campus health center, alleging that he made several explicit comments during an examination she felt was inappropriate and invasive. When she came back for a second visit in 2016 after a nonconsensual sexual encounter, he allegedly chastised her, she said in a civil lawsuit and at a press conference Tuesday. He asked me if I had forgotten to use a condom again, said Narayanan, 21. At one point, she said, Tyndall asked if I did a lot of doggy style, she said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. Unified gives inspector general brief contract extension By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday extended the contract of Ken Bramlett, its inspector general, by three months, though his job is far from secure and questions remain about the future direction of his watchdog office. Board members also unanimously promoted Vivian Ekchian, who had been the runner-up for the superintendents job, to deputy superintendent the districts No. 2 position. Both moves had elements of peacemaking between different factions on the board. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USCs handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government By Harriet Ryan The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USCs president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits. In revealing the inquiry by the departments Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for taking a less vigorous approach to examining sexual misconduct than predecessors, called for a systemic examination of USC and urged administrators to fully cooperate. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Judge to sentence woman and her boyfriend for the murder of an 8-year-old that led to L.A. child welfare reforms By Marisa Gerber A woman and her boyfriend are expected to be sentenced Thursday for the torture and murder of an 8-year-old boy whose killing in 2013 provoked public outrage, prompted sweeping reform of Los Angeles Countys child welfare system, and led to unprecedented criminal charges against social workers who handled the childs case. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the death of her son, Gabriel. A jury decided last year that her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, should be executed. When paramedics arrived at the boys Palmdale home in May 2013, Gabriel had slipped out of consciousness. He had a fractured skull, broken ribs, burned skin, missing teeth and BB pellets embedded in his groin. A paramedic would later testify that every inch of the boys small body had been abused. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. Unifieds spending out of step with similar school systems, task force says By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school district is out of step with similar school systems, spending more on teachers pay and health benefits and less on activities that could enhance student learning, according to a new report by an outside task force. The L.A. Unified School District Advisory Task Force did not make specific recommendations, but instead posed a series of questions it said the district needs to answer to make sure its funding is aimed at providing a full opportunity for all students to succeed. What were trying to say is: Lets put the data on the table. Lets look at the truth. Lets be transparent and here are the numbers, said task force member Renata Simril. This is not to say that we should cut teachers salaries. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Top USC medical school official feared dean was doing drugs and alerted administration, he testifies By Paul Pringle A former vice dean of USCs Keck School of Medicine testified Tuesday that he feared the schools then-dean, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, could be doing drugs and expressed concerns about his general well-being to the universitys No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016. Dr. Henri Fords testimony at a hearing of the state Medical Board marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafitos possible drug use before he stepped down. A Times investigation in 2017 found Puliafito led a secret second life of using illegal drugs with a circle of young criminals and addicts. Puliafito testified about his behavior at the hearing Tuesday, saying he took drugs with one young woman on a weekly basis. Ford said that he decided to alert USC Provost Michael Quick after receiving reports in early 2016 that Puliafito was partying in hotels with people of questionable reputation, and that he came to worry about his mental stability. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year By Jessica Calefati With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. Its a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if youre a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes. But budget documents show that todays $548-million surplus cannot be sustained and that even basic services face steep, seemingly unavoidable cuts because of massive problems barreling the districts way. Theres a disconnect between the rosy short-term picture and what we know is coming, said board member Kelly Gonez. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print We have failed: Top USC officials try to reassure students amid gynecologist scandal By Joy Resmovits Top administrators at USC are reaching out to students in the wake of misconduct allegations against the universitys longtime gynecologist, acknowledging failings and vowing reforms as they try to address growing outrage over the revelations. Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing. We have failed, wrote Jack H. Knott, dean of USCs Sol Price School of Public Policy, in a May 24 letter. What happened is antithetical to everything we know is right. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Rick Caruso is named chair of USCs trustees, vows swift investigation of gynecologist scandal By Thomas Curwen The University of Southern Californias board of trustees has elected mall magnate Rick Caruso to be the new chair of the board, giving fresh leadership as the university navigates a widening scandal involving a longtime campus gynecologist. The move marks the latest effort by USC to address the case, which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and dozens of civil lawsuits. More than 400 people have contacted a hotline that the university established for patients to make reports about their experience with Dr. George Tyndall. In his first act as chairman, Caruso announced that the white-shoe L.A. law firm OMelveny & Myers would conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the gynecologists conduct and reporting failures at the clinic. He set an ambitious timeline for the review, pledging it would conclude before students return for the fall semester. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC Berkeley students persistence helps win more liberal rules for in-state tuition By Teresa Watanabe Ifechukwu Okeke thought shed be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016. She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California drivers license, bank account and rental records as proof. UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement State medical board calls former County-USC doctor a sexual predator, suspends his license By Matt Hamilton A UCLA cardiologist has been temporarily stripped of his medical license after state regulators described him as a sexual predator who assaulted three female colleagues when he was working and training at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Global California 2030 aims to get more students learning more languages By Joy Resmovits Tom Torlakson (Andrew Seng / Associated Press) Outgoing state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday announced a new statewide effort to encourage students to learn more languages. Called Global California 2030, its goal is to help more students become fluent in multiple tongues. Torlakson said that by 2030, he wants half of the states 6.2 million K-12 students to participate in classes or programs that lead to proficiency in two or more languages. By 2040, he wants three out of four students to be proficient enough to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy. Torlakson announced the initiative at Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a dual-language immersion program in English and Korean. Californias public school students speak more than 60 languages at home, and 40% come to school with knowledge of a language other than English. Torlakson called his plan a call to action that invites parents, legislators, educators and community members to pool resources to expand language offerings in schools and get more bilingual teachers trained. He said the state already is working with Mexico and Spain to expand a teacher-exchange program. Fluency, the plan argues, can help students succeed economically and language acquisition can help their overall critical thinking. The initiative builds on Proposition 58, a ballot initiative passed in 2016 that undid an earlier requirement that English learners be taught in English-immersion classes unless their parents signed waivers. Torlakson recently visited Mexico and met with that countrys education secretary. They later signed a pact to increase collaboration, particularly in language education. This [Global California 2030] is great follow-through on Toms part and very important, Patricia Gandara, a UCLA education professor who hosted the Mexico meeting, said in an email. It hands over a plan to move forward in an area in which California has a unique advantage, but must seize the opportunity. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment By Marisa Gerber A jury on Tuesday convicted a man in the 2015 slaying of a UCLA student found dead inside her burning apartment a gruesome stabbing case that led to a fierce rebuke of the police response amid concerns that the killing could have been prevented. The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty. On Sept. 21, 2015, firefighters found the charred body of Andrea DelVesco inside her apartment after responding to the complex a block from campus. The 21-year-old student an Austin, Texas, native known to her sorority sisters as a fearless giver who befriended others with ease was stabbed at least 19 times, authorities said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print LAPD begins sweeping criminal probe of former USC gynecologist while urging patients to come forward By Adam Elmahrek The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USCs longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university. LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month. Tyndalls behavior and practices appear to go beyond the norms of the medical profession and gynecological examinations, said Asst. Chief Beatrice Girmala. We sincerely realize that victims may have difficulty recounting such details to investigators. We are empathetic and ready to listen. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print At L.A.'s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who speak the same language By Anna M. Phillips Ever since her son was 6 months old, Juliet Hidalgo has been bringing him to the Marlton School, a low-slung building in Baldwin Hills that for generations has been a second home for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Los Angeles. Marlton staff taught Hidalgos brother and sister, both of whom are deaf. The school was where her deaf son learned to make the signs for milk and food. Hidalgo had planned to enroll her daughter, taking advantage of a popular program that allows hearing children to learn American Sign Language alongside their deaf siblings. But after more than a decade of involvement, she and other family members are considering withdrawing their children. They are not alone. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor By Ryan Menezes An unprecedented amount of money from wealthy donors, unions and corporations is flowing into the California governors race, giving independent groups unrestricted by contribution limits a greater say in picking the states chief executive than ever before. The groups have already spent more than $26 million through Thursday, the most ever spent by noncandidate committees in a gubernatorial primary, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance reports. California elections have always been expensive, and the future is even more expensive, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former state Republican leader. The stakes are very real. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement 2 hurt in Indiana middle school shooting; suspect in custody, authorities say By Associated Press Authorities say two victims in a shooting at a suburban Indianapolis school are being taken to a hospital and the lone suspect is in custody. Bryant Orem, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, said in a news release that the victims in Friday mornings attack at Noblesville West Middle School are being taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and their families have been notified. He says no other information is available about the victims. Orem said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and was taken into custody. No additional information about the suspect was made public. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print For new L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner, some key unions are giving no honeymoon period By Howard Blume In the less than two weeks since Austin Beutner took charge of Los Angeles schools, unions representing teachers and administrators have staged a job action and a protest. Theyve made it clear that they will not give the new superintendent the traditional honeymoon period, and they are bashing him for his wealth and lack of experience running either a school or a school district. Beutner is a billionaire investment banker with zero qualifications, local teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl told members in a phone alert urging them to participate in a Thursday afternoon rally in Grand Park. The board is saying that billionaires who made their money blowing institutions up and making money off it know best not the education professionals who have dedicated our careers to working with students. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Pressure grows on Board of Trustees amid USC gynecologist scandal By Paul Pringle USCs large and powerful Board of Trustees is coming under growing pressure to provide a stronger hand as the university faces a crisis over misconduct allegations against the campus longtime gynecologist that has prompted calls for President C.L. Max Nikias to step down. Allegations that Dr. George Tyndall mistreated students during his nearly 30 years at USC have roiled the campus, with about 300 people coming forward to make reports to the university and the Los Angeles Police Department launching a criminal investigation. USC is already beginning to face what is expected to be costly litigation by women who say they were victimized by the physician. So far, the trustees to whom Nikias reports have expressed sympathy for the women who have come forward and launched an independent investigation while also publicly backing the president. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC regents approve leaner budget for Janet Napolitano By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents on Thursday unanimously approved a leaner, more transparent budget for President Janet Napolitano, moving to address political criticism over the systems central office operations. The $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 reflects spending cuts of 2%, including reductions in staffing, travel and such systemwide programs as public service law fellowships, carbon neutrality and food security. Napolitano shifted $30 million to campuses for housing needs and $10 million to UC Riverside to support its five-year-old medical school. She also permanently redirected $8.5 million annually to help enroll more California students, as required by the state. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USCs Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals By Matt Hamilton The body that represents USCs faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the universitys longtime gynecologist faced years of accusations of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus health clinic. The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees executive committee stood firmly behind Nikias, saying it has full confidence in his leadership, ethics and values. At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias public universities on the way to getting a big longed-for boost in funding By Teresa Watanabe The University of California and California State University systems are poised to get major funding boosts that will help them enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year. A key Assembly budget panel on Wednesday approved $117.5 million in new funds for the UC. A Senate panel approved a similar sum last week. The same committees recently approved even more funding for the Cal State system. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement UC regents to scrutinize Janet Napolitanos office budget in a step toward stronger oversight By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents this week plan to scrutinize the budget of President Janet Napolitano, whose office came under political fire last year for questionable spending and murky accounting. Regents will vote on the proposed $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 during their two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, at UC San Francisco. They also will discuss state funding, financial aid, online education and transfer student policies. Board Chairman George Kieffer said regents are stepping up to exert stronger oversight of the presidents office after a blistering state audit last year found financial problems including an unreported $175 million budget reserve. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print State legislative panels approve major funding boost for Cal State By Teresa Watanabe After months of intensive lobbying, Cal State University has convinced two key legislative panels to approve funding to enroll nearly 11,000 more students, hire more faculty and expand housing aid to those without shelter this fall. An Assembly budget panel on Tuesday approved $215.7 million more for Cal State, adding to Gov. Jerry Browns proposed $92.1 million general fund increase. A Senate budget panel approved a similar increase last week. The extra funding which went beyond Cal States own request to the Legislature of $171 million is still subject to final budget negotiations with Brown. But the actions by the Senate and Assembly panels amount to a demand from Democrats that the governor hike higher education spending. Cal State University is the workhorse undergraduate university serving hundreds of thousands of Californians, said Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who heads the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. We need more graduates for the California workforce and higher education is the ticket to the middle class. Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White hailed the actions, but said it was too soon to celebrate. The CSU has a singular focus on helping students earn high-quality degrees sooner, and the entire university community has rallied to reinforce that message to our states lawmakers, he said in a statement. The actions taken thus far by the Assembly and Senate are promising and show that our message is being received, but there is still work to be done. Funding for the University of California was not taken up Tuesday as originally scheduled. McCarty would not comment on sticking points but said he was confident that a resolution would be reached this week. Were looking to provide resources above whats in the governors budget, but negotiations are ongoing, he said in an interview. State per-student funding is not what it once was, leaving both Cal State and the UC in a tough financial squeeze. Both systems raised tuition last year after a six-year freeze on higher costs. For this year, Cal State had asked for funding to enroll an additional 3,621 students, but both the Senate and Assembly panels approved three times that amount. Cal State, the largest public university system in the nation, turned away 32,000 eligible students last year because its campuses werent able to accommodate them. The panels asked that at least $50 million of the extra funding be used to hire more tenure-track faculty to help boost graduation rates. The Assembly panel also approved one-time funding of $5 million to ease hunger on campuses and $14 million for rapid rehousing pilot projects at three campuses, offering needy students rental support and short-term case management. Other items approved include $5 million to support the CSU Long Beach Shark Labs research on sharks and beach safety and $2 million for equal employment opportunity practices. This post has been updated to include comments from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Faculty members call for USC president to step down: He has lost the moral authority to lead By Matt Hamilton Two hundred USC professors on Tuesday demanded the resignation of university President C. L. Max Nikias, saying he had lost the moral authority to lead in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of misconduct. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Gun battle, negotiations lasted 15 minutes before Texas school shooter was apprehended, sheriff says By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Minutes after a school shooter opened fire in an art class last week, killing 10 people and wounding 13, including a local police officer, fellow officers returned fire in a protracted gun battle before isolating the suspect, the local sheriff said Monday. Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset praised first responders as well as Santa Fe Police Officer John Barnes, who was working as a resource officer at the school the day of the shooting. Their actions, he said, prevented the attack from spreading to other classrooms and potentially claiming additional victims. As officials continue to probe last Fridays shooting at Santa Fe High School, students are worried about returning to the scene of the attack when classes resume next week. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 6 women sue USC, alleging they were victimized by campus gynecologist By Richard Winton Six women filed civil lawsuits Monday alleging that a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care and that USC failed to address complaints from clinic staff about the doctors behavior. One woman alleged Dr. George Tyndall forced his entire ungloved hand into her vagina during an appointment in 2003 while making vulgar remarks about her genitalia, according to one of the lawsuits. Another woman alleged that Tyndall groped her breasts in a 2008 visit and that later he falsely told her she likely had AIDS. A third woman accused the doctor of grazing his ungloved fingers over her nude body and leering at her during a purported skin exam, the lawsuit states. The wave of litigation comes as USC continues to grapple with the scandal, which legal experts said could prove costly to the university as scores of former patients come forward about their experiences with the gynecologist. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Fatalities reported in Texas high school shooting; suspect arrested, officials say By Associated Press Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning. Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports. The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldnt immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect has been arrested and secured. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print This student followed the new L.A. schools chief on his first-day tour Melissa Barales-Lopez, a senior at Garfield High School followed Supt. Austin Beutner on his first day on the job, as he toured a variety of programs around the Los Angeles Unified School District. Heres what she took from the experience. LAUSD students and staff alike are looking for a personal champion, someone who will address and improve the difficulties afflicting their education. What LAUSD students need is someone whos willing to listen and learn, someone who can understand the current issues affecting their schools and act to efficiently amend them, someone who can unlock the full potential of LAUSD students and enable them to reach their goals. During the entirety of his first day, superintendent Austin Beutner did indeed demonstrate a willingness to learn. Posing questions to teachers and students, Beutner engaged with the student communities he encountered to gain a better comprehension of the minutiae and nuances that distinguish each school inside an overwhelmingly large district. From inquiries about Grand View Boulevard Elementary Schools dual language program to questions regarding the services of LAUSDs after-school program, Beyond the Bell, Beutner revealed he has a lot to learn about the system. But, Beutner also showcased a willingness to tackle challenges head-on on his first day. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print USC let a gynecologist continue treating students despite years of misconduct allegations By Matt Hamilton For nearly 30 years, the University of Southern Californias student health clinic had one full-time gynecologist: Dr. George Tyndall. Tall and garrulous with distinctive jet black hair, he treated tens of thousands of female students, many of them teenagers seeing a gynecologist for the first time. Few who lay down on Tyndalls exam table at the Engemann Student Health Center knew that he had been accused repeatedly of misconduct toward young patients. The complaints began in the 1990s, when co-workers alleged he was improperly photographing students genitals. In the years that followed, patients and nursing staff accused him again and again of creepy behavior, including touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams and making sexually suggestive remarks about their bodies. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print On his first day as L.A. schools chief, Beutner plans a day of visits across the district By Howard Blume L.A. Unifieds new superintendent, Austin Beutner, will kick off his first day of work on Tuesday with a choreographed tour of the nations second-largest school district, from the San Fernando Valley to Carson. His day is scheduled to begin at 5:15 a.m. at a school bus depot and end more than 12 hours later at a parent meeting at Garfield High School. Along the way, Beutner is expected to be joined by school district administrators, L.A. Unified board members and the vice president of the union that represents school bus drivers. Though he will be covering a lot of ground, Beutners tour has him skipping Tuesdays school board meeting, when board members are expected to discuss labor negotiations in closed session. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Why a handful of rich charter school supporters are spending millions to elect Antonio Villaraigosa as governor By Ryan Menezes California voters have seen a barrage of sunny television ads in recent weeks touting former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas record on finances, crime and education, aired by Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018. But the group is, in fact, largely funded by a handful of wealthy charter-school supporters. Together they have spent more than $13 million in less than a month to boost Villaraigosas chances in the June 5 primary at a time when his fundraising and poll numbers are lagging. Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, jump-started the group with a $7-million check, by far the largest donation to support any candidate in the election. Their efforts are part of a broader proxy war among Democrats between teachers unions longtime stalwarts of the party and those who argue that the groups have failed low-income and minority schoolchildren. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Talking schools with L.A. Unifieds new superintendent By Anna M. Phillips Austin Beutner, who officially starts Tuesday as the new superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is taking on a famously difficult job at a particularly difficult time. The school board is divided and did not back him unanimously. The nations second-largest school district has deep-seated problems, including declining enrollment, lagging academic achievement and rising pension and healthcare costs that eat away at its budget. The 58-year-old former investment banker and former L.A. Times publisher has years of experience in the financial world but none as an educator. Earlier this week, he sat down with the Times education team to discuss the challenges facing the district, which has about 60,000 employees and 500,000 students in traditional public schools. He did not talk about his plans saying repeatedly, stay tuned but he spoke in broad terms about his mindset in approaching the tough decisions ahead. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Suspect detained, authorities search campus after reports of armed man at Palmdale high school By James Queally One person has been detained after a report of an armed man at a Palmdale high school sparked a massive law enforcement response Friday morning. The suspect was spotted at 7:05 a.m. on the campus of Highland High School in Palmdale, according to Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. The person was detained in a nearby parking lot, according to Nishida, who did not know whether that person was an adult or juvenile. Deputies at the scene are clearing the school methodically, and students will be transported home via school buses once the campus is deemed safe, Nishida said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement The education of Bertha Perez: How a UC Merced custodians disenchantment led to a political awakening By Robin Abcarian Its the third day of a three-day strike, and UC Merced custodian Bertha Perez is taking a break from a picket line at the universitys unremarkable entrance, an intersection with stop lights. Photos from other UC campuses this week have shown big crowds of striking service workers members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees marching and chanting pro-labor slogans as they try to force the University of California back to the negotiating table. But here, at UC Merced, whose handful of big buildings rise from a flat expanse of farmland, the picket line is tiny, maybe two dozen workers and a few students. Its not a big-city-style show of force. Then again, a union sympathizer is banging relentlessly on a snare drum, so its noisier than youd expect. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Ref Rodriguez resigns from teacher credentialing commission By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez appears during a court appearance. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez has resigned from the states Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which oversees the integrity and quality of Californias teachers. Rodriguez faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. Separately, his former employer, a charter school organization, has accused him of improperly authorizing checks to a nonprofit under his control. Rodriguez has denied wrongdoing. Rodriguezs resignation from the state body was effective May 4, days after he cast a crucial vote as part of a narrow majority that voted to authorize contract negotiations with Austin Beutner to become superintendent of the L.A. Unified School District. Beutners first official day on the job is Tuesday. Rodriguez remains in his $125,000-a-year position on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The mission of the state body is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of Californias teachers. Critics had questioned Rodriguezs continued service on the commission, given that teachers can be suspended from work if they face criminal charges. They also can lose their jobs for lapses in personal behavior, such as excessive drinking, with the potential to affect their performance. Police in Pasadena arrested Rodriguez on a Friday afternoon in March for public drunkenness. He was not charged in the incident and has apologized. The state commission reviews teacher discipline cases and can take action to remove a teachers credential to work in a California classroom. The commission has 15 members. Rodriguezs departure was disclosed in a one-sentence announcement on the agencys website. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print School board members request for restraining order against blogger is rejected By Priscella Vega An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a school board members petition for a permanent restraining order against a Huntington Beach blogger. Attorney Jeffrey W. Shields filed the petition on behalf of Ocean View School District trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, 46, who alleged in court documents that Charles Keeler Johnson, 56, has threatened her on social media and at school board meetings, causing her to fear for my own safety and for that of my immediate family members. Johnson, who goes by Chuck and publishes HBSledgehammer.com, said the trustee tried to stifle his freedom of speech. He also contended that Clayton-Tarvin took his blog posts and Facebook comments too seriously and out of context, saying anyone who is afraid of metaphors has serious issues. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Deal with workers averts one-day strike that could have shut down L.A. schools By Howard Blume Los Angeles school district and union officials announced a contract agreement Tuesday night that averted a one-day strike planned for next week. The pact, which runs through June 2020, removes one labor problem from the desk of incoming Supt. Austin Beutner whose first day on the job would have coincided with the strike. Plenty of other challenges remain. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC labor strike expands with show of support from more unions By Teresa Watanabe Fong Chuu is a registered nurse who has assisted with countless liver transplants, kidney surgeries and gastric bypasses during 34 years at UCLA. Working with her are scrub technicians who sterilize equipment, hand medical instruments to the surgeon and dress patient wounds. They are a team, Chuu says, which is why she walked off her job Tuesday in support of those technicians and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299. The 25,000 member AFSCME local, the University of Californias largest employee union, launched a three-day strike Monday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print We are humans too: Voices of UCLAs striking custodians, hospital aides and imaging technicians By Joy Resmovits Demonstrators parade in front of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) This week, thousands of UC employees are staging a three-day strike for better pay and working conditions. On Monday, more than 20,000 custodians, cooks, lab technicians, nurse aides and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 walked off their jobs. By Tuesday, two more unions joined in sympathy strikes. The union and UC reached a bargaining impasse last year. The university has said it wont meet the workers demands. The strikers said they wanted better pay, more equity in the allocation of work, stable healthcare premiums and an end to the universitys use of contract workers. These are their stories. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Massive UC workers strike disrupts dining, classes and medical services By Joy Resmovits A massive labor strike across the University of California on Monday forced medical centers to reschedule more than 12,000 surgeries, cancer treatments and appointments, and campuses to cancel some classes and limit dining services. More than 20,000 members of UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, walked off their jobs on the first day of a three-day strike. They include custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Two altercations involving protesters and people driving near the rallies were reported at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. At UCLA, police took a man into custody Monday after he drove his vehicle into a crowd, hitting three staff members. They were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, said Lt. Kevin Kilgore of the UCLA Police Department. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Sen. Kamala Harris to skip UC Berkeley commencement in support of striking workers By Teresa Watanabe California Sen. Kamala Harris has canceled plans to deliver UC Berkeleys commencement address this weekend in support of UC workers who are on strike over wages and health benefits. Due to the ongoing labor dispute, Sen. Harris regretfully cannot attend and speak at this years commencement ceremony at UC Berkeley, said a statement from Harris office issued Monday. She wishes the graduates and their families a joyous commencement weekend and success for the future. They are bright young leaders and our country is counting on them. UCs largest employee union, the 25,000-member American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees Local 3299, launched a three-day strike Monday and had earlier called for a speakers boycott. The union and university reached a bargaining impasse last year and subsequent mediation efforts have failed to produce an agreement. The union is asking for a multiyear contract with a 6% annual pay increase while the university is offering 3% annual increases over four years. UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ will deliver the keynote address instead, the university announced. About 5,800 students are expected to participate in the ceremony Saturday. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement School mural depicting Trumps bloody, severed head sparks controversy By Gary Warth A Chula Vista school mural that depicts the bloody, severed head of President Trump on a spear sparked a controversy that prompted officials to cover it and issue a response distancing themselves from the work. The statement also said the artist will alter the painting. We understand that there was a mural painted at the event this past weekend that does not align with our schools philosophy of non-violence, read the statement from MAAC Community Charter School director Tommy Ramirez. We have been in communication with the artist who has agreed to modify the artwork to better align with the schools philosophy. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New blackface incident at Cal Poly prompts calls for state investigation By Kim Christensen Cal Poly San Luis Obispo officials have asked the state attorney generals office to investigate after a new photo of a white student in blackface surfaced on a fraternity groups private Snapchat. I am outraged, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in a video address Friday to the campus. These vile and absolutely unacceptable acts cannot continue. We must not allow these acts to define us as an institution. Armstrong said the latest photo was intended to imitate an incident last month in which a white member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity was photographed at a party wearing blackface. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print More than 50,000 UC workers set to strike this week but campuses will remain open By Teresa Watanabe More than 50,000 workers across the University of California are set to strike this week, causing potential disruptions to surgery schedules, food preparation and campus maintenance. The systems 10 campuses and five medical centers are to remain open, with classes scheduled as planned. UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, plans to begin a three-day strike Monday involving 25,000 workers, including custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement New L.A. schools chief Beutner pledges to listen, learn and take action By Howard Blume New Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner proved Wednesday that hes a quick learner even without an education background. Like countless public officials before him, he appeared at an important event his first speech and news conference with a photogenic background of students. His message that he would put those students first seemed heartfelt if hardly original. Nor was it a huge surprise that he pledged to push cooperatively but unflinchingly to improve the districts academic performance and stabilize its finances. As an introduction, Beutner, a former investment banker who made a fortune on Wall Street, offered little flash, but that was partly the point. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print In a school lockdown, one student takes stock of the stressful scene At the beginning of lunch one day late last month, Duarte High School, Northview Middle School, and California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley were advised by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department to go into lockdown mode due to police activity in the immediate area. Phalaen Chang, a junior at the California School of the Arts, wrote a series of notes on her iPhone while she sat in a room with her classmates. By the time the lockdown ended an hour later, she wrote, she knew which of her friends would hold open the door for others, be the ones calming others down, be the ones barricading the doors. She knew that all of them have the potential to be such strong people. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Tale as old as time: L.A. Unified superintendent pick follows a historical pattern of outside-the-box choices By Joy Resmovits L.A. Unified has long gone back and forth between picking insiders and outsiders to run the nations second largest school district. The choice of Austin Beutner, announced Tuesday, places the district squarely back in the outsider camp months after a consummate insider, Supt. Michelle King, announced that she had cancer and would not return to the job. Check out this timeline of former L.A. superintendents to see how the school board members have changed their minds, sometimes favoring leaders who come from the world of education and sometimes executives from elsewhere, recruited to shock the system into change. At one point, the district hired someone from the military retired Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, who served as superintendent from 2006-2008. In hiring Brewer, board members had opted for a non-educator largely because they sought a fresh thinker, unwedded to the bureaucracy, unafraid to make bold, even unorthodox moves, reads a 2008 Times story. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Austin Beutner named superintendent of Los Angeles schools By Howard Blume Austin Beutner, a philanthropist and former investment banker, on Tuesday was named superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system. His selection was the biggest move yet by a Los Angeles school board majority elected with major support from charter school advocates. The decision came after lengthy public testimony, most of it in support of the other remaining finalist, interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who is well known within the school system. Beutner, 58, has no background leading a school or school district. Less than 2 years ago, a school board with a very different balance of power named Michelle King, a former teacher who rose through the district throughout her career, to L.A. Unifieds top job. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Hearing delay gives both sides more time in Ref Rodriguezs potential trial By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez and his attorneys will have more time to prepare their defense against charges of political money laundering, a judge ruled Monday. The preliminary hearing in the case had been scheduled to begin May 9, but that date will now be pushed back to July 23 per the ruling from L.A. Superior Court Judge Deborah S. Brazil. Rodriguez, 46, faces three felony charges of conspiracy, perjury and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement L.A. school board poised to name Beutner as superintendent By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is poised to select philanthropist and former investment banker Austin Beutner to be the next superintendent of the nations second-largest school system. Barring a last-minute development, the only mystery is whether Beutner emerges with four or five votes from the boards seven members. Terms of his contract already have been under discussion, according to sources close to the process who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak. The selection of Beutner, 58, who has no experience managing a school or a school district, would be a signal that the board majority that took control nearly a year ago wants to rely on business management skills instead of insider educational expertise. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Teacher walkouts in Arizona and Colorado continue national debate on money for schools By Michael Livingston Following the lead of teachers who walked off the job in other states in recent weeks, thousands of teachers and their supporters took to the streets in Arizona and Colorado for the second day in a row to demand better pay and more funding for education. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Three decades before the #MeToo movement, UC San Diego led the way against sexual assault By Teresa Watanabe When Nancy Wahlig first started her fight against sexual assault, one company was marketing a capsule for women to stash in their bras and then smash to release a vile odor. Because of the very nature of society, the only person who can prevent rape is the woman herself, read a 1981 advertisement for the Repulse rape deterrent. Ideas about how to prevent sexual violence have come a long way since then, and Wahlig has helped lead that evolution on college campuses. In 1988, she started UC San Diegos Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), the first stand-alone program at the University of California. Today, she remains the systems most senior specialist. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Andres Alonso withdraws from consideration for L.A. schools job By Howard Blume Andres Alonso, believed to be one of three remaining finalists to lead the Los Angeles school system, has withdrawn from consideration. The remaining known candidates in the confidential search are former investment banker Austin Beutner and interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian. Alonso, 60, announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday night, saying he had notified the L.A. Unified School District on Monday. The exit of Alonso, the former Baltimore schools chief, seems to solidify the front-runner status of Beutner, who also was a former L.A. Times publisher and a Los Angeles deputy mayor. He held each of those positions for about a year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Heres why the apparent increase in autism spectrum disorders may be good for U.S. children By Karen Kaplan The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing. Among 11 sites across the U.S. where records of 8-year-olds are scrutinized in detail, 1 in 59 kids was deemed to have ASD in 2014. Thats up from 1 in 68 in 2012. Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print UC shelves tuition increase for now, in hopes of getting more state funding By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents will not vote on a tuition increase next month, shelving the plan for now in hopes that state lawmakers will come through with more funding. Raising tuition is always a last resort and one we take very seriously, UC President Janet Napolitano said Thursday in a statement. We will continue to advocate with our students who are doing a tremendous job of educating legislators about the necessity of adequately funding the university to ensure UC remains a world-class institution and engine of economic growth for our state. Last week, Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White said the 23-campus system no longer would consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year. But unlike Cal State, UC officials have not taken a tuition increase off the table entirely. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement A chemical spill, unchecked eyewash stations, poor training: Audit details Cal States lax lab safety By Joy Resmovits In May 2016, two bottles tumbled off a poorly supported shelf and broke, leading to a chemical spill in a Sacramento State University lab. The liquid got onto one students legs and soaked anothers feet. Five employees cleaned up the mess, even though no one knew for sure what it was and whether it was dangerous. They called fellow employee Kim Harrington, their union representative, to let her know what happened. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print After blackface incident, minority students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo say they dont feel welcome By Hailey Branson-Potts Aaliyah Ramos was walking through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus last year when a prospective student approached her. Ramos was the only black person, the young woman said, that she and her mother had seen that day. They asked about the quality of education and the diversity of the student body. Ramos, a mechanical engineering student, didnt want to sugarcoat the truth: Cal Poly long has been predominantly white. But she told the young woman who also was black that she didnt want to discourage her from applying, because that wouldnt help with diversity at a school where only 0.7% of students are African American the lowest percentage of any university in the California State system. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills wins the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon By Carlos Lozano El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills has won the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon, officials said. The winner was announced early Saturday at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas. More than 600 students from the U.S., Canada, China and the United Kingdom gathered there over the last three days to compete in the 37th annual U.S. Academic Decathlon. Congratulations to El Camino Real Charter High School for another impressive victory, said Vivian Ekchian, interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Your academic stamina and competitive spirit to win is remarkable. The entire L.A. Unified family is so proud of you. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Anticipation mounts as L.A. school board meets over superintendent selection By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is reconvening in closed session Friday at noon as anticipation mounts about the choice of the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. The presumed front-runner is former investment banker and philanthropist Austin Beutner, but interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian and former Baltimore Supt. Andres Alonso also are in the running. Most district insiders appear to be rooting for Ekchian, who has spent her entire career in education within the school system. After her 10 years as a teacher, her roles have included head of human resources, chief labor negotiator and regional administrator for campuses in the west San Fernando Valley. Shes managed the district since September, when then-Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave and chose Ekchian to fill in for her. King, who is battling cancer, never returned and announced her retirement in January. Numerous influential civic leaders have urged and pressured the board to select Beutner. Also lending their weight have been advocates for charter schools, which are independently operated, growing in number and competing for students with district-operated campuses. Four of the seven board members enough to control the outcome were elected with major financial support from charter supporters. Beutner has two ongoing connections with the L.A. Unified School District. The first is his leadership of an outside task force that is making recommendations on how to improve the school system. The second is his charity, Vision to Learn, which supplies glasses to low-income students. The charity and the school system are in a dispute at the moment over who is responsible for delays in providing services to students as part of a $6 million contract, half of which is paid for by L.A. Unified. Unlike Ekchian and Buetner, Alonso, who currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has no deep-seated local constituency, but the prospect of his selection has generated some excitement. While in Baltimore, Alonso was recognized for pushing for progress at low-performing schools, and for being willing to take strong action. While in Baltimore, he also weathered a test-score cheating scandal and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union. But by the time he resigned, after six years, he and union leaders seemed to be working together without rancor. Leaders of some community groups have split from the pro-Beutner camp. They worry that Beutners approach to confronting the districts financial problems could shut out their voices or involve severe economic cutbacks that would undermine programs that are helping students. Some prefer Ekchian; some Alonso. Theyve been reluctant to speak out publicly because theyll have to work with whoever is selected, but they have tried to get the ear of board members. On Friday morning, one leader of a community group decided to come out in favor of Alonso. L.A. Unified has the opportunity to bring in an instructional leader of color with a history of success, said Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, which works on behalf of low-income students and families in South Los Angeles. If we have a shot at that, we should go for it because its in the best interests of our kids and of our community. Retana said his statement was not meant to criticize Beutner or Ekchian but to alert board members that there also is community support for Alonso. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Cal State leader shelves proposed tuition hike: Its the right thing to do, but its not without risk By Joy Resmovits Cal State, the nations largest public university system, will no longer consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year, Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Friday. The decision is a bet that Sacramento will come through in the end. If Cal State loses that bet, it could mean cuts to campus programs. White said in an interview that Californias economy is strong enough that families should not be shouldering the burden of higher college costs. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. students to participate in national walkout activities on Friday By Joy Resmovits Students are taking to the streets again Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Starting at 10 a.m., students at many schools will spend 13 seconds honoring the 13 people 12 students and one teacher killed on that day in Littleton, Colo. After that, theyll participate in a host of different activities. Within L.A. Unified, one school is having an open-mic event for students to talk about school violence, and lawmakers are visiting campuses to hear students thoughts. According to a central hub for organizing the protests written by the students of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut the walkouts are intended to drive the political change necessary to curb school violence. The day is also a time for students to interact on an elevated platform they have never had before, the site states. It is a day of discourse and thoughtful sharing. Bringing together communities and students to get a national discussion rolling. Organizers have suggested using the event to convey the importance of curbing gun violence to legislators. They are encouraging students to push legislation that would ban assault weapons and tighten up rules around who can buy guns and how. Over 2,500 schools nationwide are expected to participate. In L.A., some students at campuses including Eagle Rock High School, the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and Bravo Medical Magnet plan to walk out. Students from various schools expect to join area marches, including those in Santa Monica and Huntington Park. Other schools are hosting career days and voter registration drives. At 1 p.m., students plan to start a rally in front of L.A. Unified headquarters. For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that 12 teachers and one student were killed in the Columbine shooting. The opposite is true: twelve students and one teacher died. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Stabbing of popular student devastates South El Monte High School; teen friend suspected in slaying By Sonali Kohli When administrators at South El Monte High School called Jeremy Sanchezs parents to say he never showed up for class Wednesday, his father began to worry. It was unusual for the 17-year-old junior to miss school, so his father filed a missing persons report and assembled two of Jeremys close friends to look for the popular student-athlete. Their search took them to a scenic stretch of the San Gabriel River Trail, where one of the friends a 16-year-old boy made a tragic discovery. Among the bushes in the riverbed near Thienes Avenue and Parkway Drive was Jeremys body, punctured with stab wounds, according to Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Racist fliers spark outrage at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo By Alene Tchekmedyian Soon after Neal MacDougall arrived on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus Tuesday, the professor noticed university police standing outside a restroom near his office. A racial slur against African Americans had been scrawled in red marker on a stall wall. Later, he discovered a series of racist fliers pinned up next to his door. Someone had also slashed posters hed hung outside his office supporting students in the country illegally. The discovery was the latest controversy on the prestigious campus which the president said is less than 55% white that MacDougall said demonstrates a culture of racism at the university. Last week, photographs emerged of white fraternity members, including one in blackface, flashing gang signs. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement The superintendent waiting game, paying for L.A.'s College Promise, Princetons slave history: Whats new in education By Joy Resmovits Acting LAUSD superintendent Vivian Ekchian is a finalist for the permanent job. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) In and around Los Angeles: The L.A. Unified school board spent 10 hours interviewing and discussing candidates for superintendent. When they adjourned after 10 p.m., they said they would reconvene on Friday. Who is paying for Mayor Eric Garcettis much-touted College Promise, a program that promises two years of community college for LAUSD grads? In California: The Legislature is considering a proposal that would boost K-12 education funding for black students. When the cost of living is taken into account, California has the highest rate of child poverty. Nationwide: The families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School are suing Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never occurred. Princeton will name two spaces an arch and a garden after slaves who lived or worked on the campus. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board meets privately with finalists and debates choice for school district leader By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education adjourned late Tuesday after spending more than 10 hours interviewing candidates and trying to reach a decision on who would be the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. When the meeting finally recessed at 10:11 p.m., a spokesman announced only that the school board would reconvene Friday at noon. Going into the days meetings, there were apparently four finalists, according to sources who could not be named because they were unauthorized to speak. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Two Sandy Hook families sue Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never happened By David Altimari Families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School have filed lawsuits in Texas against controversial radio host Alex Jones for continually claiming the massacre never happened. Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, whose son Noah Pozner died in the massacre, filed separate lawsuits late Monday in Travis County, Texas. The lawsuits allege that Jones defamed the parents by constantly calling them crisis actors and insisting the shooting was a false flag operation; they also claim Jones accusations have led to death threats against the Sandy Hook families by Jones followers. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Beutner emerges as a top pick for L.A. schools superintendent amid last-minute jockeying By Howard Blume Austin Beutner has emerged as a leading contender to run the Los Angeles school district, with backers saying he is smart enough and tough enough to confront its financial and academic struggles. Though he does not have a background in education, the former investment banker has in the last year examined some of the districts intractable problems, serving as co-chair of an outside task force with the support of then-Supt. Michelle King. Sources inside and outside the school district said Beutner appears to have more support on the seven-member board than other finalists, and his name could come up for a vote as early as Tuesday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Challenge at Chicago school construction site: Watch for 38,000 unmarked graves By Nereida Moreno A 15-year effort to build a school in Chicagos Dunning neighborhood is underway with an unusual complication: Construction workers are taking careful steps to avoid disturbing human remains that may lie beneath the soil. The $70-million school is to be built on the grounds of a former Cook County Poor House, where an estimated 38,000 people were buried in unmarked graves. Among the dead are residents who were too poor to afford funeral costs, unclaimed bodies and patients from the countys insane asylum. There can be and there have been bodies found all over the place, said Barry Fleig, a genealogist and cemetery researcher who began investigating the site in 1989. Its a spooky, scary place. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Oklahoma teacher walkout winds down despite lawmakers failure to meet demands By Washington Post Oklahomas largest teachers union has announced an end to a walkout that has drawn thousands of educators out of classrooms and to the state Capitol demanding greater investment in the states schools, which have endured the nations steepest funding cuts. The announcement Thursday from the Oklahoma Education Assn. does not necessarily end the protests at the Capitol, as teachers not affiliated with the union vowed to stay longer. Instead of a walkout, the union and school districts across the state have said they plan to send delegations of teachers to Oklahoma City to keep the pressure on lawmakers. Teachers and their supporters have also promised to push education issues to the forefront of November elections, when the state chooses a new governor. As school districts begin to reopen, the protests may lose steam. The Legislature is not in session Friday, and observers are waiting to see what happens Monday, when lawmakers return. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Most Californians are worried about school shooting threats and oppose arming teachers, survey finds By Joy Resmovits Hamilton High School student Aiyana Dabriel holds a sign during a March 14 walkout in support of the Parkland shooting victims. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Most Californians are worried that a school shooting like the one that occurred in Parkland, Fla., in February could shed blood closer to home, a new survey found. Some 73% percent of adults and 82% of public school parents said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about school shootings. The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed 1,704 adults in the state by phone just after the March for Our Lives protest against gun violence. Latino and black respondents were significantly more likely to be concerned about school violence than white or Asian respondents, the institute found. Two-thirds of adults and public school parents said they opposed letting more educators carry weapons in school. The response differed across party lines, with 86% of Democrats and 69% of independents voicing their opposition, while 60% percent of Republicans said they would support a measure to arm educators. The poll, which had a margin of error of 3.2% in either direction, also asked Californians about school funding, educational issues in the governors race and the impact of immigration enforcement on students. You can find the full results here. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias largest virtual charter school network agrees to contract with its teachers By Anna M. Phillips Nearly four years after teachers at Californias largest online charter school voted to unionize, they have reached a deal to increase pay and create job protections, according to a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn. The contract, which is still tentative and subject to ratification, is a victory for the teachers union. Although charter schools are publicly funded, most are privately managed and their employees arent protected by labor contracts. Under the terms of the contract the result of years of negotiation and legal wrangling approximately 500 teachers working for California Virtual Academies will no longer be at-will employees who can be dismissed for almost any reason. Their average salary will rise to just over $45,000, according to union estimates, a figure that remains far below the norm for traditional public school teachers. Still, it is an improvement over the previous average of $38,000. The accord also places a limit on the number of students each teacher is responsible for monitoring in online homeroom classes. Were very satisfied with the gains we made, said teacher Brianna Carroll, president of California Virtual Educators United. I think were going to see some extraordinary changes in our schools. According to Carroll, teachers at California Virtual Academies better known as CAVA had grown frustrated with the organizations foot-dragging and were making preparations to go on strike when CAVAs leadership agreed to the deal. CAVA and K12, the Virginia-based for-profit company linked to its schools, did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday asking for comment. The network currently operates nine virtual charter schools across California. In 2016, the charter network agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle claims of false advertising, misleading parents and inadequate instruction. The state attorney generals office had also accused K12 of controlling the charters for its own financial benefit. Neither CAVA nor K12 admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement. A year later, the state imposed a $2-million fine on CAVA after an audit found that it had misspent public funds. The network disputed the findings. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement School board approves a new formula for funding high-need schools By Sonali Kohli L.A. schools will soon get more money if they are located in neighborhoods with such problems as high levels of gun violence and asthma. The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new formula to determine how to dole out some funding to schools, based not only on the characteristics of the student populations but on the traumas that affect the communities around campuses. The new formula will be applied to $25 million in funding next fiscal year and about $263 million annually in future years a small part of the districts $7.5 billion annual budget. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Protesters demand Ref Rodriguez resignation outside school board meeting By Sonali Kohli Students, parents, teachers and UTLA marching outside the board meeting chanting "Ref resign" pic.twitter.com/W0LRWZSIXY Sonali Kohli (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 A few dozen parents, students and teachers marched outside the Los Angeles Unified School Board meeting Tuesday, some calling for board member Ref Rodriguez to resign the week after news broke that he was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena bar and restaurant. Rodriguez was not cited or charged in that incident, but was held for more than five and a half hours before being released. The school board member faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. He is accused of getting more than two dozen people people to donate to his campaign for his school board seat with the understanding that he would reimburse them. He stepped down from his post as school board president after he was charged last fall, but he did not give up his seat on the board. He has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. He cant give his full focus to our students, said Rebecca LaFond, a Highland Park parent whose three children marched with her as she chanted, Ref resign. One daughter marched in front of her, using a drum stick to hit the bottom of a gallon-size empty water jug. Our kids deserve someone who has the utmost ethical standards representing them, LaFond said. The protests continued into the board meeting, where some addressed Rodriguez directly, calling on him to step down during public comment portions of the meeting. Rodriguez, through his chief of staff, declined to comment. Some parents outside the board meeting did not know about the charges against Rodriguez but came out to protest the possibility of sharing their school campuses with charter schools. Protesters also oppose colocation not all of the parents are here to ask Ref Rodriguez to step down pic.twitter.com/1Co8zQ9zSi Sonali Kohli (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 Cynthia Martinez said her son, who goes to Christopher Dena Elementary School in Boyle Heights, has been bullied in the past by students from a charter school sharing the campus. She said she didnt know who Rodriguez was. Some parents and teachers are worried about losing computer labs, robotics rooms and fitness centers if they are required to share their campus with charter schools, said Ilse Escobar, a parent community organizer for United Teachers Los Angeles. The issues of Rodriguez and colocation are related, Escobar said. Rodriguez is part of a majority on the school board elected with financial backing from charter school supporters, and many parents, she said, feel that the school board is compromised if he is a part of it. Staff reporter Howard Blume contributed to this post. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Delaine Eastin tries to gain momentum in the California governors race, one voter at a time By Seema Mehta Delaine Eastin was a sophomore in high school when a drama teacher urged her to try out for a part in The Man Who Came to Dinner. She hesitated until he told her: This is a metaphor for your whole life. If you never try out, you will never get the part. Eastin auditioned and won the role. Decades later, the advice sticks with the former state schools chief, this time in her unlikely run for governor. Despite calls for more women in leadership roles in state politics following sexual misconduct allegations in Sacramento, Eastin has been largely overlooked in the race, lagging far behind her Democratic rivals in fundraising and the polls. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Arizona high court rejects in-state tuition for DACA recipients By Associated Press Young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under a program started by President Obama are not eligible for lower in-state college tuition, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous ruling will affect at least 2,000 students attending the states largest community college district and hundreds more at other colleges and the states three public universities. The Maricopa County Community Colleges District and state universities said they would begin raising tuition immediately for the coming school year. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print New York high school students injured when bus strikes overpass By Associated Press A charter bus carrying teenagers returning from a spring break trip Sunday night struck a bridge overpass on Long Island, seriously injuring six passengers and mangling the entire length of the top of the bus. The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview, according to New York State Police. One of the six injured passengers had very serious injuries, said State Police Maj. David Candelaria. Thirty-seven other passengers suffered minor injuries. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Some good news for California in national student test scores By Joy Resmovits Every two years, the nations fourth- and eighth-graders are tested in math and reading and newly released results from last years tests give California at least a little reason to be pleased. The 2017 results out Monday night were mostly flat nationwide compared with 2015, though the average score in eighth-grade reading went up. But while that improvement largely came from the increased scores of the highest-performing students, California eighth-graders showed some reading progress from the lowest levels to the highest. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Under state control, Inglewood school districts financial picture worsened By Anna M. Phillips When Eugenio Villa agreed to return to the Inglewood schools for a second tour last summer, he knew the district remained one of Californias most troubled. Inglewood Unified had been nearly insolvent when it was taken over by the state Department of Education in 2012. Six years later, its enrollment was still declining. Its school buildings were tired some edging into decrepitude. Its test scores and graduation rates were still below the state average. And the public was out of patience. Still, Villa, who had signed back on as the districts chief business official, was shocked at what he found when he arrived in June 2017. Two years earlier, he had left the school system on what he thought was firm ground. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Charter school group drops two lawsuits against L.A. Unified By Howard Blume A charter schools advocacy group last week announced that it would end two long-running lawsuits in which it was seeking more classroom space and construction money from the Los Angeles school district. The decision, the California Charter Schools Assn. said, reflects better relations between charter schools and the L.A. Unified School District. But the move also suggests that the litigation, which already contributed to significant gains for area charters, was unlikely to produce much more. It takes time, money and effort to litigate, said Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the charter group. Maybe its better to see if we can find the time and opportunity for collaboration. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez is arrested on suspicion of public intoxication By Richard Winton Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez was arrested recently on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena restaurant, the latest trouble for an elected official who faces political money-laundering charges. Pasadena police took Rodriguez into custody on March 16, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. Officers arrested Rodriguez at about 4:30 p.m. at the Yard House restaurant and bar at the Paseo Mall and held him in jail for more than five-and-a-half hours. Rodriguez was ultimately released without being cited or charged, Derderian told The Times. Other details about the arrest were not available, she said. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Kentucky teachers rally at Capitol over state budget By Associated Press Thousands of Kentucky teachers filled the streets near the state Capitol in Frankfort on a cold, overcast Monday to rally for education funding. Teachers and other school employees gathered outside the Kentucky Education Assn. a couple of blocks from the Capitol chanting, Stop the war on public education and holding or posting signs that say, Weve Had Enough. Were madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today, said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy L Feb. 17, 2017, 3:04 p.m. During Oroville evacuations, authorities say these people tried to exploit the emergency Although Butte County sheriffs officials say there were no reports of looting during recent evacuations below Ororville Dam, there were a handful of burglaries and robberies that targeted fleeing residents, officials said. The incidents began Sunday night, hours after authorities ordered more than 100,000 people to flee to high ground, according to the Butte County Sheriffs Office. About 6:30 p.m., deputies said, Cody Bowles, 27, and Lucia Ripley, 31, carjacked the vehicle of an Oroville resident who was packing it to flee. The resident left the car running and was moving in and out of the house with items when the couple jumped into the vehicle, officials say. When the resident confronted the pair, they ran him over, seriously injuring him, officials say. Authorities are looking for the pair. About half an hour later, authorities said, Teran Washington 25, and a 16-year-old boy used a shotgun to blast through the front door of a local market and tried to ransack the business before they were confronted by neighbors. Though the two got away, deputies later searched their home and say they found the shotgun and arrested Washington and his young accomplice. The next morning, Michael Matlock, 31, was seen riding an ATV in Gridley and towing a gun safe, authorities say. Tailed by state Department of Water Resources employees who became suspicious, Matlock ran away when his vehicle got stuck on railroad tracks, investigators said. The ATV, the trailer and the gun safe had all been stolen, officials said. Matlock was identified as the ATV driver and arrested on suspicion of burglary, vehicle theft and looting during an emergency, officials said. Feb. 17, 2017, 1:51 p.m. 150,000 cubic yards of debris stand in the way of Oroville Dams hydroelectric plant restart Helicopters ferry sand and rocks from a staging area to the Oroville Dams emergency spillway repair project. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Officials at Lake Oroville reduced the rate of water release once again Friday as workers continued make repairs to a damaged spillway and clear debris from a hydroelectric plant. State Department of Water Resources engineers will decrease the flow of water in the Oroville Dams main spillway from 80,000 cubic feet per second to 60,000 by Saturday morning, giving crews space to dredge debris from a pool at the bottom of the spillway, said DWR acting director Bill Croyle. Engineers had been pumping water out of the lake at 100,000 cfs for several days to make room for incoming storm runoff and to keep the lake from overflowing like it did over the weekend. That overflow badly eroded an emergency spillway and sent debris flowing into a pool at the bottom, forcing the closure of an underground hydroelectric plant. This reduction in flow will allow us to work on the debris pile in the spillway, Croyle told reporters at a news conference. He estimated that 150,000 cubic yards of sediment and debris were in the pool. The other focus by workers at the dam is the eroded emergency spillway, Croyle said. Rain began falling again in the area on Thursday and its not expected to stop until the middle of next week at the earliest. The heaviest showers are expected Monday and could drop up to 10 inches of rain onto the mountains and foothills that drain into the reservoir, the National Weather Service said. The storms arent likely to produce enough runoff to exceed the lakes capacity, Croyle said. Hundreds of thousands of tons of rocks and concrete slurry have been dropped into four fissures that threatened a retaining wall of the emergency spillway on Sunday. They were 50%, 75%, 90% and 100% full, respectively, Croyle said. Rain falling onto the slurry and a small stream that had formed on the hillside Friday did not worry DWR engineers, he said. Feb. 16, 2017, 8:51 a.m. OROVILLE New worry for Oroville Dam: a storm next week that could dump a lot of rain Its raining in the Oroville Dam area, though officials have said they are confident their efforts will prevent any problem. But now another storm is set to hit Monday. Heres a look at whats to come: ca_state2 95e1612 0.01 0.1 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 1.75 2 2.5 3 4 5 7 Legend Source:NOAA Projected at 2 a.m. Thursday 0.1 1 2 3 4 5 7+ @latimesgraphics Projected peak 11.3 inches Lake Oroville Sacramento 5-day forecast Cumulative inches of precipitation Feb. 17, 2017, 7:19 a.m. Reporting from Sacramento The crisis at the Oroville Dam could become a catalyst for change Reconstruction continued Wednesday in a race to shore up the emergency spillway, left, at the Oroville Dam. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Jeffrey Mount, a leading expert on California water policy, remembers the last time a crisis at the Oroville Dam seemed likely to prompt reform. It was 1997 and the lake risked overflowing, while levees further downstream failed and several people died. If this doesnt galvanize action, I dont know what will, Mount said he thought at the time. But spring came, the waters receded and no changes came to pass. Now another threat looms in Oroville, where deteriorating spillways forced widespread evacuations, and more heavy rain is around the corner. State officials have remained focused on quick fixes at the dam needed to prevent catastrophic flooding, but some already are thinking about how the crisis could spur long-term shifts in policy. Its a conversation thats gaining momentum in think tanks and government offices from Sacramento to Washington, and it touches on climate change, infrastructure spending and statewide water policy. Wade Crowfoot, a former advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown who now leads the Water Foundation, a nonprofit research organization in Sacramento, compared the situation to the states years-long drought. This is a wake-up call, he said. The drought reminded us we need to use water more wisely. Oroville reminds us that we need to upgrade our infrastructure and our management to move water more wisely. Read more Feb. 16, 2017, 6:14 p.m. Flood warning for Oroville Dam lifted The National Weather Service has canceled the flash-flood warning issued Sunday, when officials worried the emergency spillway at Lake Oroville might collapse. Feb. 16, 2017, 1:35 p.m. As storm moves in, engineers reduce outflow from Lake Oroville to clean up debris Spillway repairs continue at Oroville Dam on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Confident that a series of incoming storms wont overwhelm the Oroville reservoir a second time, state officials said Thursday that they would slow drainage of the lake so they can do work on an adjacent power plant. The reservoir exceeded its capacity over the weekend, which sent water overflowing into an unlined, emergency spillway. That overflow sent soil, rock and forest debris into the Feather River below. With the reservoirs water level down more than 30 feet since Sunday and getting lower, state Department of Water Resources acting director Bill Croyle said at a news conference Thursday that engineers will slow the flow down the Oroville Dams damaged main spillway from 100,000 cubic feet of water per second to 80,000 cfs over a period of several hours. The reduction will allow crews to move into the concrete channel to clear out trees, branches and other debris that has clogged the spillway and forced the downstream hydroelectric plant to go offline, Croyle said. There was no estimate on when the power plant would be back up and running, but it will probably not be before Monday, Croyle said. Meanwhile, the Herculean effort to reinforce the emergency spillway before more rain arrived used a caravan of helicopters and trucks to fill three deep fissures in the dirt hillside with rocks and cement. As of Thursday, repairs on one erosion site was completed, the second was 25% filled and the third was 69% filled, Croyle said. As long as the lake doesnt reach capacity the emergency spillway wont be used, Croyle said. The incoming storm system is weaker than the one that overwhelmed the lake last week after the dams main spillway eroded to the point of fracture, Croyle said. More than 100,000 residents south of the dam remain under an evacuation advisory and should be prepared to flee to higher ground should the dam overflow and the spillways collapse, authorities said. Feb. 16, 2017, 11:14 a.m. Storm headed to Oroville Dam area could bring 10 inches of rain, revised forecast warns Friends Johnny Eroh, from left, Cody Balmer, Kristien Bravo and Jerel Bruhn hang out by the swollen Feather River in Oroville. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Spillway repairs at the troubled Oroville Dam will get their first major test this weekend after meteorologists revised their forecast and are now predicting a much wetter and warmer storm outlook for the region. Light to moderate rain began falling across Northern California early Thursday and will probably continue for several days, according to the National Weather Service. However, the situation will change substantially Sunday, when a larger storm arrives at Oroville and the Feather River basin. It looks like its going to be a pretty good rainmaker, said NWS meteorologist Mike Smith. Youre looking at 10 inches from Sunday night to Monday night. Read more Feb. 16, 2017, 10:40 a.m. Oroville Dam flooding risks keep schools closed McKenna Harvey, 9, left, Kylie Atteberry, 11, and Brooklyn Atteberry, 7, hold signs thanking workers for the repair efforts at the Oroville Dam. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Time) Several schools remain closed in communities affected by the Oroville Dam emergency. All school districts except for Chico and Paradise in Butte County will be closed through Friday. Wheatland High School, Yuba College and the Marysville Joint and Wheatland Elementary school districts in Yuba County also will be closed. We believe this gives our families and staff sufficient time to make longer-term plans, said Supt. Craig M. Guensler of the Wheatland Elementary School District. Most school districts in Butte County will resume classes Tuesday. Monday is a holiday. Guensler said the district could reassess school closures next week. The safety of our staff and students is our largest priority, and we will continue to make sure we keep our schools safe, he said. Feb. 16, 2017, 6:17 a.m. Oroville reservoir level continues to drop amid new rain storms In the hours since a series of storms in Northern California began dropping rain on the damaged Oroville reservoir, data shows that state water officials continue to drain the lake faster than the storms are filling it. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain has fallen in Oroville since the first of the storms arrived early Thursday, the National Weather Service reported. The area and surrounding foothills are expected to receive several inches of rain through the weekend. But that shouldnt be enough to fill Lake Oroville back up to capacity, when the lake reaches 900 feet, the Department of Water Resources said. The lake is draining water at 100,000 cubic feet per second, enough to drop the lake a foot every three hours. Meanwhile, runoff from the current and previous storms is sending water into the lake at only a fraction of that pace. The lake has dropped more than 30 feet since it overflowed during the weekend and damaged an emergency spillway that had never been used. If it drops another 30 feet by Sunday, officials hope, the reservoir should have enough space to catch water from rain and melting snow without overflowing the rest of the year. Feb. 15, 2017, 8:31 p.m. OROVILLE No looting but some burglaries during Oroville evacuation, sheriff says Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea repeated his insistence Wednesday that there had been no looting while Oroville was under mandatory evacuation orders, but he conceded that the town had seen burglaries. Certainly weve had burglaries, he said, adding that there are burglaries every day. Honea drew a firm distinction between the two forms of theft. Looting, he said, is a massive and organized stealing of everything within a structure, and is very rare. Honea urged residents returning to the area to be prepared to leave again if necessary. This is an ongoing situation. He said the state has agreed to post National Guard units in the region, part of what he called staging of resources should another emergency arise. Feb. 15, 2017, 3:49 p.m. Community puts on Valentines Day wedding for couple evacuated in Oroville emergency Leotta Litke and Henry Rueda had planned a romantic Valentines Day wedding at their community church in Olivehurst. But on Sunday, the couple was forced to evacuate their home after a hole developed in an emergency spillway at the Oroville Dam. The couple went to an evacuation center at the Placer County fairgrounds in Roseville and had been staying there through Tuesday. It appeared their dream of a Valentines Day wedding was crushed. That was until shelter workers found out about their wedding plans and decided to help them get hitched. So Placer County workers spread the word on Facebook, asking for help: We have one last, very special donation request for our Oroville emergency evacuees, workers wrote. This young couple, Leotta and Henry, planned to be getting married today at their home church in Olivehurst. Instead, theyll be honoring us today at our evacuation shelter. To help Leotta and Henry. To make this day as special as it should be, we need a wedding dress and suit ASAP! Message us if you can help, and please join us in wishing them congratulations! Soon after the call went out, donations from residents and area businesses began pouring into the fairground, according to workers. By the end of the day, the bride was given a beautiful white gown and the groom a black tux and a large tree was converted into a wedding altar. Surrounded by a large group of evacuees who remained at the shelter for the night, Litke walked down the grassy aisle to an acoustic version of the Elvis Presley hit Cant Help Falling In Love. The couple had been together 10-years before deciding to tie the knot, they said. I want to thank everybody, Litke told CBS Sacramento. I am happy to be Mrs. Rueda. To cap off the night, a limo and hotel room were also donated, KTXL-TV reported. Its hard to imagine a better way to celebrate Valentines Day than the surprise wedding we were honored to witness tonight at the Placer County shelter for Oroville spillway emergency evacuees, county workers wrote on Facebook. Feb. 15, 2017, 1:33 p.m. reporting from OROVILLE, Calif. Officials confident Oroville Dam will withstand new rainstorm: Its holding up really well Reconstruction continues in a race to shore up the emergency spillway, left, at Oroville Dam on Wednesday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Even as rain began to fall in Northern California on Wednesday, state officials said the storms forecast over the next few days will not be enough to test the integrity of the Oroville Dam or its two damaged spillways. Bill Croyle, acting director of the state Department of Water Resources, called the storms fairly small and said the public wont see a blip in the reservoir levels, now dropping about eight inches an hour. Croyle said it was not the weather he was concerned about so much as the damage done to the dams already compromised main spillway during days of sustained heavy releases of water. Its holding up really well, Croyle said, but continued mass water releases could be causing hidden damage to the rocky subsurface adjacent to the concrete chute. A swarm of trucks and helicopters dumped 1,200 tons of material per hour onto the eroded hillside that formed the dams emergency spillway. One quarry worked around the clock to mine boulders as heavy as 6 tons. An army of workers mixed concrete slurry to help seal the rocks in place. At the main spillway, a different and riskier operation was underway: Despite a large hole in the concrete chute, officials have been sending a massive amount of the swollen reservoirs water down the spillway to the Feather River in a desperate attempt to reduce the lakes level. The objective is to lower the level enough so that the lake can accept runoff from the upcoming storms without reaching capacity. If the reservoir filled up again, water would overflow into the emergency spillway, which on Sunday appeared to be nearing collapse, forcing the evacuation of more than 100,000 people downstream. Croyle said there were plans to begin to taper off the water discharges at the end of the week. Data from the Department of Water Resources shows Shasta Dam discharges began to be sharply increased on Feb. 10 and have increased substantially every day since that. Federal emergency officials and the Trump administration approved Gov. Jerry Browns requests for presidential disaster declarations for the Oroville Dam and for the 34 counties struck in January by major winter storms that caused mudslides and power outages. I want to thank FEMA for moving quickly to approve our requests, Brown said in a statement from his office. At a news briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said President Trump has been keeping a close eye on the situation at Oroville. The situation is a textbook example of why we need to pursue a major infrastructure package in Congress, Spicer said. Dams, bridges, roads and all ports around the country have fallen into disrepair. Feb. 15, 2017, 12:54 p.m. Rio Linda Sikhs opened their temple doors to Oroville Dam evacuees and strangers came pouring in Evacuees and Sikhs chat at Shri Guru Ravidass temple in Rio Linda, Calif., north of Sacramento. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Each morning before the break of dawn, Nirmal Singh makes his way to a small stage at the Shri Guru Ravidass Temple, adorned with roses and silk. There, the priest sits and reads prayers from a centuries-old Indian text to open the day. Its usually a quiet affair, with words spoken in Punjabi to an empty hall the size of a large backyard a solemn start at the small Sikh temple that sees few people outside of weekend services. But this week, Singh had company. Bodies shuffled under blankets in front of him. On Tuesday a Mexican couple and their kids woke up to his right, revealing the head scarves they wore in respect of Sikh traditions. In a nearby room, an African American man was also was getting up to the sounds of prayer. As tens of thousands fled low-lying regions on the Feather River this week amid warnings of flooding from the rapidly filling Lake Oroville, Sikh temples across in the Sacramento area opened their doors to evacuees. Read more Feb. 15, 2017, 2:05 p.m. As new storms approach Lake Oroville, authorities warn residents to remain vigilant Although officials say the risk of flooding below Oroville Dam has dropped substantially since the weekend, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea warned area residents Wednesday that they remained in an emergency situation. During an afternoon news conference, Honea urged residents to maintain vigilance as dam operators continued to drain Lake Oroville before a string of storms began soaking the region again Wednesday evening. They need to pay attention, Honea said of residents. Its important for people to be prepared. This is an opportunity for them to get things together, so that if the risk level increases and there is a need for us to issue an evacuation order, theyll have the things they need and theyll be able to do that quickly and efficiently. The sheriff also asked residents to start making travel plans should they need to evacuate. On Sunday, when erosion of the lakes emergency spillway triggered a sudden evacuation order, area roads quickly suffered gridlock. That was an incredibly chaotic situation, and I was aware of it, Honea said. Sundays emergency order was lifted Tuesday afternoon, allowing more than 100,000 residents and business owners to return to their communities. Honea said that during the evacuation order, Oroville had seen some thefts, but he insisted there was no widespread looting of properties. Certainly weve had burglaries, he said. Looting, the large-scale and organized theft of property from a structure, is very rare, the sheriff said. Honea also said that the state has agreed to post National Guard units in the region, part of what he called staging of resources should another emergency arise. Feb. 15, 2017, 11:54 a.m. Graphic: Lake Oroville water levels dropped dramatically After exceeding capacity this week, Lake Oroville has seen water levels drop significantly in the last three days. The charge above shows the story, as officials bumped massive amounts of water through the damaged main spillway. Feb. 15, 2017, 11:48 a.m. L.A. County dams to be inspected in wake of Oroville crisis The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has ordered inspections of all county dams, spillways and other flood control infrastructure. The move was sparked by the emergency at Lake Oroville in Northern California over the last week, when failures of two spillways used to lower the lakes water level prompted mandatory evacuations. Supervisor Kathryn Barger called for the inspections on Tuesday, and her motion was unanimously approved by the board. The supervisors have asked the countys Department of Public Works to provide a report on the condition of the dams within 30 days and to develop a list of priority flood-control infrastructure projects that need to be completed. The Oroville situation reminds us of the need to proactively evaluate our countys risk with regard to dams and other facilities which may be prone to failure from storms, earthquakes or other foreseeable events, Barger said in a statement. Read more Feb. 15, 2017, 11:01 a.m. Rep. Doug LaMalfa says Oroville Dam looks stable for now Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) said Wednesday that officials will investigate what went wrong at the Oroville Dam once the emergency situation is over. In a Facebook post, LaMalfa wrote that Oroville Dam looks stable for now. LaMalfa said officials are focused on providing support to residents who were evacuated Sunday night. Residents were allowed to return home Tuesday afternoon after officials said the risk of flooding had diminished. Speaking on the House floor Tuesday, LaMalfa said the soil in front of the emergency spillway must be stabilized with rock and concrete. It looks good, he said. I think things are stable for now. We also need prayer for no more rain for a while. After meeting privately with emergency officials on Tuesday, state Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) said he was told the repairs were temporary. This cannot be a case of put rocks in the spillway and it is taken care of, he said. Feb. 15, 2017, 10:20 a.m. Kangaroos, zebra and deer, oh my! Woman sheltered wild animals during evacuation Before evacuees returned home Tuesday afternoon, a woman cared for kangaroos, zebras and other animals left behind by residents. California Highway Patrol officers were checking on abandoned properties in the affected areas on Tuesday morning, when they came across the exotic animals at Tamara Archer Houstons family farm in Sutter County, said Officer Chad Hertzell, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol in North Sacramento. It was like Wow, a zebra, he said. Archer Houston and her family had been collecting animals left during the rush to evacuate, according to the CHP. We had fun, she said in a video on Facebook. It was good. Among the rescued animals were two kangaroos named Kenzie and Dottie, Archer Houston said in the video, filmed by CHP officers. Kenzie actually sleeps inside with her owner every night in her bed in her diaper, so this has to be a whole new deal for her, she said. The sight was a rare treat for officers. We are thankful for the random acts of kindness we find out in the community, the CHP wrote on Facebook. Everyone seems to be coming together to take care of each other. This is what makes California so special. More than 100,000 people were ordered to evacuate from communities downstream of Lake Oroville on Sunday night after the emergency spillway at the dam developed a hole, prompting fears it could collapse. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea lifted the mandatory evacuation order Tuesday and changed it to a warning. Although residents and business owners were allowed to return to their communities, he urged them to be prepared to evacuate again at a moments notice should new problems arise. Feb. 15, 2017, 9:59 a.m. Oroville Dam operators now hope to lower Lake Oroville by 60 feet in preparation for rain and snowmelt Even after Lake Orovilles water level is reduced by a targeted 50 feet, water managers intend to further drain the reservoir so that it can absorb major rain storms and spring snowmelt, according to state planning documents. The most recent 10-day forecast calls for water levels to be dropped 60 feet below the lakes maximum of 901 feet, which would give it the ability to hold nearly 1 million acre-feet of water before overtopping a damaged emergency spillway that is still undergoing temporary repairs. A joint plan created by the Department of Water Resources, Cal Fire and the Butte County Sheriffs Office calls for the reduction of water releases down the reservoirs main spillway later in the week. Water has been coursing down the damaged spillway at a rate of 100,000 cubic feet per second but will taper off to a third of that by late Friday, according to the plan. A new series of storms forecast to arrive late Wednesday is expected to last through the weekend. Likewise, a cooling trend will drop more snowfall in the Sierra. Officials hope to reduce the lake level to below 840 feet by next Wednesday. That level falls below what engineering documents show is normally required for flood control in wet weather. The biggest surge in water reaching the lake from the Feather Basin is forecast to arrive Tuesday, according to the planning documents. With the mandatory evacuation order for the Feather River lifted, life in Oroville is returning to normal. As a result, the Gold Country Casino and Hotel which has served as housing for emergency work crews is now asking contract workers to leave by Friday so the hotel can honor prior reservations. The workers can return Monday. The state also is operating a less luxurious emergency base camp nearby with meals provided by inmates on state firefighting crews. He had taken up a spot on the sidewalk near the end of the Womens March, not far from the White House, and held a sign overhead for marchers to see. Mock Me to My Face. The middle-aged man wore spectacles and a red jacket, and he was perched on the seat of a four-wheel walker. I took a photograph with my phone, and it was later published by The Times. Obviously, his sign was a response to what the man, and many others, believed was a case of Donald Trump mocking a disabled reporter on the campaign trail in November of 2015. I wanted to find out what the guys story was, but I was looking for a Los Angeles woman who marched with her two daughters, and we were texting each other our whereabouts. I hurried off in search of her, and never met the man whose photo I had taken on Jan. 21. Advertisement Then, on Monday, I got an email. My name is Rich Arenschieldt, it said. Im the guy shown in the picture you took. Arenschieldt is a Houston resident and contributor to OutSmart Magazine. Hed written a story on his trip to the march, not yet published, for the magazine. A friend of his had spotted my photo in the L.A. Times, and Arenschieldt wanted to know if his magazine could use it for his story. Arenschieldt sent me a copy of what he wrote and we later talked by phone. His story for the magazine begins with this line: We do not expect this child to survive reads my pediatricians medical note, written on Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania stationery dated July 10, 1960. Arenschieldt weighed 3 pounds at birth. He had severe cerebral palsy and endured surgeries, braces, casts and clinical trials. To everyones amazement, he wrote, I lived. Arenschieldt said that as a kid, he was mocked and bullied before there were anti-bullying programs. His parents had their reasons for not coming to his defense. My parents response was, Well, dont expect us to deal with this, you have to deal with this on your own. You have to figure out how to respond, Arenschieldt said. My mother had this famous quote: The world is going to be tough on Rich. I have to make Rich tougher. It seems to have worked. Arenschieldt studied at Baylor University, became a banker, then ran a mentoring program for students interested in medical careers. He retired from full-time work a year ago, but as a gay man, hes been a regular contributor to OutSmart for years. An editor there told me Arenschieldts Washington story will be published soon. Arenschieldt said he hadnt been a typical advocate for the rights of the disabled. Taking the cue from his parents, his approach has always been to live his life. But when he saw Trump single out a reporter with a physical disability, it awakened something in him. Trump has insisted he was not mocking the reporter and didnt know he was disabled. Its an assertion thats hard to buy if youve seen the video, in which Trump jerks his arms and twists as if hes having spasms, and says, Youve got to see this guy. The reporter has said he used to cover Trump regularly and they were on a first-name basis. Arenschieldt isnt swayed by Trumps claim. When you see this kind of mocking taking place, you know what it is, he said. This is something a schoolyard bully does. He can say what he wants, but those of us who have been on the receiving end of that kind of treatment knew exactly what it was. There is no doubt in my mind what that was, and its the hurtful intent, more than the mocking, thats really important. Meryl Streep singled out that incident in a scathing attack on Trump at the Golden Globes ceremony, and she was widely praised. But some people with disabilities criticized Streep for suggesting that Trump picked on people he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. As one California advocate told me, disabled people can fight their own battles, and they can also take the high road by refusing to dignify reprehensible comments. Arenschieldt said he understands those views, and no one can take Trump any lower than hes taken himself. But still, he was grateful to Streep. We still have a long way to go in terms of prejudice in this country, not just in terms of race, gender and sexual preference, but in terms of disabilities. Rich Arenschieldt My attitude is that we still have a long way to go in terms of prejudice in this country, not just in terms of race, gender and sexual preference, but in terms of disabilities, said Arenschieldt. Ill take allies wherever I can get them. Arenschieldt said he didnt know what to write on his sign at first, but his anger helped guide him. If Trump had done the same thing to him in his presence, he said, Id have gone after him physically. I thought, Okay, youre the worlds biggest coward. Come to my house and mock me. Arenschieldt got on a plane and went to Trumps house instead. He went to the march with a cousins wife, and was overwhelmed by a deluge of compassion. Hundreds of people approached or gave thumbs up as they marched by. One tearful woman told him she had adopted two girls with cerebral palsy, and felt as though Trump had mocked them. As a boy, Arenschieldt said in his story, I managed the cruelty of my classmates and others by creating a detente of humor infused with the fierceness of a lion. Interestingly, it took the Womens March on Washington to make me roar again. Hear me. Get more of Steve Lopezs work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopez ALSO Supreme Court likely to boost public schools responsibilities to children with disabilities Trump loathing unifies the diverse crowd at the massive L.A. womens march How the womens march came into being Trump should read about the Muslim foster father who cares for terminally ill kids A U.S. Navy submarine launched two unarmed missiles off the coast of California early Tuesday morning as part of a scheduled test, Navy Strategic Systems Programs spokesman John Daniels said. The two Trident II (D5) missiles were launched from an Ohio Class submarine off the coast of California, causing a bright light to streak across the California sky. The first test occurred at 3:30 a.m. and the other at 6:20 a.m. Advertisement Many Bay Area residents who saw the unusual light were left guessing at what it could have been. Saw a bright sparking light with a wide fantail to the west at 6:20 am. Meteor? Test missile? Satellite re-entry? Looking for news. David Dull (@ddull) February 14, 2017 Daniels said missile flight tests such as this this are kept hidden from the public until after they occur for security purposes, but that they are done as part of routine training and on a frequent basis to ensure reliability of the systems. If we said we are going to do a missile launch from such and such place at such and such time, that creates a vulnerability for some of our submarine and assets out there, Daniels said. Loren Thompson, a military analyst at Lexington Institute, said that the U.S. military needs to reconcile safety with secrecy because if a foreign country were to monitor a missile launch, they would be able to gather intelligence about how it operates and potentially use that knowledge in the future to defeat it. You have to let people endangered by the launch out of the area, but you dont want foreign countries, particularly Russia, to be able to monitor the missiles trajectory, he said. However, the Navy does notify some countries that it has treaties with that it will be conducting a missile exercise in order to avoid setting off alarm, Daniels said, and it also notifies aviation and sea personnel to stay clear for a certain period to ensure their safety. At no time did the missiles fly over land. They are tracked from multiple sources from launch until final impact in the ocean, Daniels said. The Trident II (D5) missile is the backbone of the U.S. militarys ability to deter a nuclear attack and was built by the space system business unit of Lockheed Martin. Its been in use since the late 1980s and has an impeccable track record, with over 100 consecutive launches without a single misfire, according to Thompson. The only mission the Trident II (D5) missile and submarine has is to deter a potential nuclear attack against the United States, Thompson said. melissa.etehad@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad ALSO L.A. area braces for what could be biggest storm of the season; flooding, mudslides possible Dam operators now hope to lower Lake Oroville by 60 feet in preparation for rain and snowmelt Santa Monica tentatively approves nations most extensive earthquake retrofit plan Los Angeles police conducted an illegal search of the home of the man accused of stalking and breaking into Sandra Bullocks mansion, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. The three-judge panel unanimously ruled that detectives violated Joshua Corbetts right to remain silent and thus did not obtain valid consent to enter his Montrose home, where detectives found a cache of illegal automatic weapons. As a result, the court said, evidence from the search could not be used in court. The courts opinion, written by Presiding Justice Laurie Zelon, upholds the finding of a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge and lands a major blow to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. Advertisement The ruling could result in 24 of the 26 felony charges against Corbett being tossed out gutting most of the case. Shiara Davila-Morales, a spokeswoman for the district attorneys office, said prosecutors are reviewing the opinion and weighing options on how to proceed. Capt. Andrew Neiman, a spokesman for the LAPD, declined to comment. Corbett was arrested inside Bullocks Hollywood Hills mansion on the morning of June 8, 2014, and he was later charged with stalking and burglary in addition to weapons violations. He remains housed in Los Angeles County jail on more than $2.1-million bail. Detectives determined that Corbett had scaled two gates of the home and managed to force open a sun rooms glass door that opened onto a rear patio. Authorities said Bullock, who was alone in the house, was awakened by a strange knocking sound coming from her third-floor workout room. She peeked out of her bedroom door, saw a man clad in black sneaking down the corridor and retreated to her bedroom closet, where she dialed 911. At the time of his arrest, Corbett had a notebook with a love letter addressed to the Academy Award-winning actress that said, You are my wife by law, the law of God and belong to me, authorities said. He also had a concealed weapons permit from Utah. Corbett did not have a gun on him at Bullocks home, but investigators linked him to eight firearms registered in his name. About 30 hours after he was arrested and before he was able to make a phone call detectives began questioning him. At the end of the interrogation, police said that he consented both verbally and in writing to a search of his home. He also provided investigators with the combination to a safe that contained more than 30 weapons. But Corbetts attorneys argued that the questioning was unlawful and pointed out that detectives ignored his requests not to be interviewed and pressured him to sign a consent form of the search by threatening to use a pry bar and battering ram to open his parents home. There is no dispute that Corbetts 5th Amendment rights were violated here, the ruling issued Tuesday said. The police ignored his repeated and unambiguous invocations of his right to remain silent and continued to interrogate him. The appellate court also noted what LAPD Det. Christina Carlozzi wrote to the prosecutor on the case after she reviewed a transcript of the interrogation: Doesnt look good. I honestly hope this can be settled without a trial. Prosecutors tried to argue that the guns and other evidence recovered in the warrantless search would have inevitably been discovered, but the appellate court rejected that argument. The ruling stated that police did not indicate they took steps that would have led them to illegal firearms, other than the unlawful interrogation. The judges also stated that the inevitable discovery exception does not apply when detectives could have obtained a search warrant but chose not to; the opinion said LAPD detectives had enough probable cause to seek a warrant but elected to rely on Corbetts purported consent. Paul Takakjian, one of the attorneys representing Corbett, said he was extremely gratified that the Court of Appeal tossed out evidence seized by the LAPD officers who ran roughshod over Mr. Corbetts 4th, 5th and 6th Amendment rights. Especially at a time when the independence of our courts is threatened, it is heartening when judges demonstrate fidelity to the rule of law and the courage to enforce it, Takakjian added. Defense attorney Stephen Sitkoff previously told The Times that his client needs mental health treatment, not incarceration, and that is why his legal team was vigorously trying to quash the gun charges. Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter Sitkoff said that once the majority of charges are dismissed, the legal team will seek a reduction in Corbetts $2-million bail. He has been held in the county jail since his 2014 arrest. During his interview with detectives, Corbett acknowledged that he had done something wrong but said he did not want to hurt Bullock: I dont think people protect her well enough. As he was arrested inside the actress home on property that is surrounded by a chain-link fence with barbed wire he repeatedly called out to Bullock, referring to her as Sandy, according to court papers. Sandy, Im sorry, he said. Please dont press charges. To read the article in Spanish, clic here. Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report. matt.hamilton@latimes.com Twitter: @MattHjourno MORE LOCAL NEWS 71-year-old staffer was hurt during protest, Rohrabacher says DAs office looking into Huntington Park councilwomans consulting business Woman charged with hate crimes after bacon is left at Davis mosque Friend who supplied rifles to San Bernardino terrorists agrees to plead guilty UPDATES: 9:40 a.m.: This article was updated with comment from attorney Paul Takakjian This article was originally published at 5 a.m. The Los Angeles County district attorneys office is looking into a Huntington Park councilwomans role as a political consultant in which she raised money from companies that sought to do business with the city, a spokeswoman for the D.A. said this week. The inquiry by the district attorneys public integrity division follows a Times article published Sunday detailing how Councilwoman Karina Macias raised money for a state Assembly campaign by parlaying her connections throughout the community. Some of the contributors were linked to companies that were awarded contracts by Macias and the council majority, including the citys bus service and dial-a-ride operator, its street sweeping and bus stop maintenance vendor and a towing company. Advertisement Macias said she raised about $25,000 for Efren Martinezs 2016 race for state assembly. She was paid nearly $6,800 in commission for her efforts, according to campaign records and financial disclosures. The commission was based on a percentage of the contributions she raised, she said. We are reviewing the matter, district attorney spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales wrote in an email to the Times. Government watchdogs said Macias fundraising business created at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. The question is are these people really giving to the candidate or are they giving to her? said Bob Stern, co-author of the 1974 Political Reform Act, one of the state laws that cover conflicts of interest. Macias said she couldnt recall all the donors from whom she raised money. When asked for an example of a contribution from somebody who was not associated with a city contractor, Macias couldnt come up with one. Macias and Martinez did not return calls for comment Tuesday. The Times has also learned that the council appointed Martinez to the planning commission while Macias was fundraising for his campaign committees. The commission pays a $75 monthly stipend, according to the city clerk. The revelations about Macias fundraising have figured into the March City Council elections. Macias is running for reelection, and her political opponents have called on labor groups and some elected officials to reconsider their endorsements of the councilwoman. Council candidate Laura Herrera, former Mayor Elba Guerrero, Councilman Valentin Amezquita and former Mayor Ric Loya put out a news release Sunday critical of Macias fundraising. This isnt the type of leadership that Huntington Park deserves, Herrera said. Adam.Elmahrek@latimes.com @adamelmahrek MORE LOCAL NEWS 71-year-old staffer was hurt during protest, Rohrabacher says In 2016, crime in San Diego drops to rates comparable to the late 1950s to early 1960s LAPD detectives illegally searched home of Sandra Bullocks accused stalker, court says Man, 92, arrested on suspicion of killing wife on Valentines Day A high-end restaurant in Santa Clara County agreed to a six-figure settlement with local prosecutors after an investigation revealed the restaurant was charging customers for expensive fish but serving them a cheaper species. The settlement requires that the Morgan Hill restaurant Odeum pay $30,000 in restitution by offering customers $30 gift cards as restitution, the Santa Clara district attorneys office announced Wednesday. Eligible customers must have ordered the seafood dish petrale sole between October 2014 and March 2016. It turns out those customers were actually served tilapia but charged for petrale sole, authorities say. Advertisement Customers can find claim forms in Bay Area newspapers or by writing directly to the restaurant in Morgan Hill, authorities said. Any leftover restitution money will go to the district attorneys Department of Environmental Health and Consumer Protection Division. The restaurant was also hit with $90,000 in civil penalties. The fishy food substitutions violate state health and safety codes prohibiting restaurants from mis-branding or falsely advertising food they serve. When you go out to a restaurant you should get the food you order and pay for, prosecutor Jennifer Deng said in a statement. The restaurants website says it specializes in artisinal Mediterranean cuisine. Its menu says that the Petrale sole is wild caught and is served with lemon, capers, dill, saffron, parmesan risotto and grilled asparagus. It costs $31.95. joseph.serna@latimes.com For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. ALSO Orange Coast College suspends student who recorded professors anti-Trump comments Fake rifle used by drill team triggers lockdown at Simi Valley schools Secret witness in Robert Durst murder case revealed to be a friend of victim Susan Berman The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has ordered inspections of all county dams, spillways and other flood control infrastructure, prompted by the emergency at Lake Oroville in Northern California over the past week, when failures of two spillways used to lower the lakes water level prompted mandatory evacuations. Supervisor Kathryn Barger called for the inspections on Tuesday, and her motion was unanimously approved by the board. The supervisors have asked the countys Department of Public Works to provide a report on the condition of the dams within 30 days and to develop a list of priority flood-control infrastructure projects that need to be completed. Advertisement The Oroville situation reminds us of the need to proactively evaluate our countys risk with regard to dams and other facilities which may be prone to failure from storms, earthquakes or other foreseeable events, Barger said in a statement. The county operates 14 dams and reservoirs. Thirteen of those are in Bargers district, which includes much of the San Gabriel Valley, foothill communities of the San Fernando Valley and the Antelope Valley. Many of the countys dams and related structures were built in the 1920s and 30s, said Tony Bell, Bargers spokesman. The county flood control district encompasses more than 3,000 square miles and includes 500 miles of open channel, 2,800 miles of underground storm drain and an estimated 120,000 catch basins, according to the county. The upcoming inspections will include debris basins that were overwhelmed by recent wildfires, Bell said. Inspectors will consider earthquake retrofitting issues with the flood control system and determine whether this is the right time to seek federal assistance, before a problem happens, Bell said. L.A. County has experienced catastrophic dam collapses in the past. In December 1963, the earthen edge of the Baldwin Hills Dam ruptured, sending a 50-foot wall of water cascading down Cloverdale Avenue. Five people were killed, 65 hillside homes were ripped apart, and more than 200 other homes and apartments were damaged. As many as 600 people died when the St. Francis Dam, near present-day Santa Clarita, collapsed just before midnight on March 12, 1928. The catastrophe sent 12 billion gallons of water carrying mud, boulders, trees and debris crashing down San Francisquito Canyon. Authorities on Tuesday lifted mandatory evacuation orders for more than 100,000 people in communities below the imperiled Oroville reservoir amid a lessened flood risk, but emphasized that an incoming storm system means that the danger is not over and residents may have to flee again. hailey.branson@latimes.com Twitter: @haileybranson ALSO Updates: Hundreds of workers rush repairs at Oroville Dam as storm approaches L.A. area braces for what could be biggest storm of the season; flooding, mudslides possible Trump approves FEMA disaster declaration for 34 California counties hit by storms Public affairs consultant Mitchell Schwartzs decision to jump into the Los Angeles mayors race last year brought surprise and intrigue. After all, Schwartz might be working alongside Eric Garcetti at City Hall if he werent fundraising to replace him. Both men are progressive Democrats who favor humanitarian and environmental causes, and they worked on various political campaigns to get Barack Obama into the White House. Advertisement As residents of Windsor Square, their social and professional lives also intersect. Former mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel, now one of Garcettis commissioners, attended Schwartzs engagement party and he considers her a close friend. Schwartz, a Queens native who hasnt lost his New York bluntness, isnt concerned about political or other similarities with Garcetti. His central campaign message is that the mayor has failed to reform the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power or address rising housing costs and other urgent issues. I think we talk the same talk, Schwartz said, but I just dont see him walking the walk. Garcetti spokesman Yusef Robb accused Schwartzs campaign of lacking any real ideas for Los Angeles and said the mayor has a proven track record on the issues, including the DWP. A political strategist whos worked for Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton, Schwartz has emerged as the top fundraiser of the 10 candidates challenging Garcetti in the March 7 election. With city matching funds, he hopes to have $350,000 to spend in the final weeks of the race, more than his rivals but far less than the mayors war chest of more than $2.4 million. Frustrated that hes been labeled a long shot by the news media, Schwartz cites Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as another political underdog who upended a race with a theme of economic inequality. Over a plate of baked ziti at a Larchmont restaurant, Schwartz asserted that L.A., like San Francisco and New York, was losing its middle class and families because of rising housing prices. Los Angeles is becoming more and more for the rich and poor, and the young and the old, Schwartz said. For a city to be truly great, you need all kinds of people. The 56-year-old cites a favorite Hebrew phrase tikkun olam or repair of the world, which he says translates into if things are good for you, you have to give back. Schwartz counts himself in that group. His three children go to private school, and he can afford to take a year off from his public affairs work to run for mayor. With no endorsements and lacking exposure, the question is whether Schwartzs low-profile campaign can affect Garcetti, who unrolled his own campaign TV spots last week. Its not even an uphill race, its a mountainous race for Schwartz, said Jaime Regalado, professor emeritus of political science at Cal State Los Angeles. The last time an L.A. mayor faced a challenge at the polls, Antonio Villaraigosa received 56% of the vote in the 2009 election in a field of 10 candidates. Independent Walter Moore garnered 26% of the vote. It was hardly a groundswell of support for Villaraigosa. Los Angeles is becoming more and more for the rich and poor, and the young and the old. Mitchell Schwartz, candidate for mayor Schwartz said his interest in running was sparked after a few friends, including public affairs consultant Matt Littman and Renewable Resources executive Cole Frates, urged him to challenge Garcetti. With a small campaign staff, Schwartz is swinging by farmers markets, neighborhood council meetings and Metro stops. He hosted a Facebook Live event from his living room earlier this month to talk about the citys Animal Services Department. Schwartz, who has never held public office, is usually behind the scenes of campaigns. (He can be seen in The War Room, a documentary about the 1992 Clinton campaign, where he discusses strategy.) Valley Glen resident Kristi Kane knew nothing about Schwartz when she heard him talk about gentrification at a Windsor Square event last summer, but now plans to vote for him. Its getting like New York, Kane said of L.A. It just feels like were in an endless mode of saying yes to development. Charles DAtri, who lives several blocks away from Schwartz, ticked off a list of complaints that included potholes on Beverly Boulevard and unkempt fields at Pan Pacific Park to explain his support for his friend. Mitchell didnt have to run for mayor, DAtri said. He could have kept working for the Obamas of the world. But he understands the dysfunction with the city. Robb, Garcettis spokesman, pointed to the mayors push for a tax credit to help the film and television industry and said the citys higher minimum wage another Garcetti initiative will trickle up to the middle class. More housing will ease home prices, Robb said, noting that Garcetti is halfway to his goal of adding 100,000 housing units. Schwartzs housing plan includes broad goals such as leveraging pension investments to pay for housing and reviewing the citys commercial and industrial-zoned areas. Hes not taking a position on Measure S, a ballot measure that would halt some development, calling it a distraction that doesnt address affordable housing. Standing outside DWPs downtown headquarters last month, Schwartz called for an elected board of commissioners and a citizens oversight committee to increase transparency and accountability. His criticism comes after he worked extensively with the DWP to develop a wind farm in Kern County and on a four-year green energy initiative. Ive always felt that the DWP could do more, Schwartz said, explaining his recent attacks on the department. I thought I was part of the process to help them become a greener utility. Weve had some successes, but not enough. With voter turnout expected to be low, broadening his support beyond those disaffected with City Hall and Garcetti remains a challenge for Schwartz. Appearing on stage at an Echo Park club for a fundraiser last month, the candidate sounded apologetic as he addressed the crowd waiting to see headliner Spencer Ludwig. I want to say to the young people, I know it may be nerdy or whatever, Schwartz said, but politics is a participatory sport, so please vote in every election. dakota.smith@latimes.com @dakotacdsmith ALSO Why this gay, disabled Texan went to the Womens March to tell Trump: Mock me to my face Santa Monica tentatively approves nations most extensive earthquake retrofit plan In the Central Valley, drought fears ease, but farmers contend with a new threat: Trump It was finally time for the secret witness. As two bodyguards escorted the man into the courtroom through a back entrance, New York real estate scion Robert Durst leaned forward slightly, tracing the mans steps with his eyes. It was Nathan Nick Chavin, his longtime friend and the man whose wedding he had attended as a groomsman. But on Wednesday, Chavin came to the Los Angeles County courtroom to testify for the prosecution in the murder case against the multimillionaire accused of killing their mutual friend. The 73-year-old Durst is charged in the execution-style slaying of Susan Berman, who introduced the two men to each other decades ago. Prosecutors say Durst shot her inside her Benedict Canyon home in 2000 because she knew too much about the 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathleen. Advertisement Durst has said that Berman who became his media spokeswoman after his wifes disappearance told him shortly before her death that detectives had reached out to her, asking questions about Kathleen. He has pleaded not guilty. Although a preliminary hearing in Dursts murder trial is not set to take place until October, prosecutors had sought to question Chavin, 72, in advance, saying they had uncovered evidence showing a possible danger to his life. While introducing himself in court Wednesday, Chavin spoke of both the defendant and the victim. Ive known Bob Durst for 25 or 30 years, he said. I met Bob Durst through a very dear friend of mine, Susan Berman. Chavin grew up in El Paso, worked for a while as a musician and received a masters degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University. He said he met Berman in the Bay Area in the late 1970s, soon before relocating to New York and getting work as a copywriter at an advertising agency. Before long, the witness said, Berman introduced him to Durst, and the trio became close friends. Chavin said he and Durst often visited clubs in New York together for boys night out, adding that Durst told him that he and Kathleen had an open marriage. The witness also testified that he had conversations with Kathleen, and that she described her husband as impossible and said she was afraid that he would hurt her physically. Chavin said Durst told him that he had once intentionally hit a police officer with his car while going 1 mph during a trip to the Bay Area, and also that he had once kicked a man in the head because he pissed him off. Chavin said Durst had been his best friend, adding that he had drastically changed the trajectory of his career by inviting him to do the advertising for some of the Durst Organizations holdings. That work became like a snowball, Chavin said, opening up the opportunity to add many other lucrative accounts. Durst, he said, had changed his life. Chavin often closed his eyes in court when speaking about Berman. He described her as an exceedingly generous person the type of friend, he said, who gave him a navy blazer worth about $400 after he moved to New York. She told him it was a must-have in work circles, knowing he was clueless about such things. Berman, whom he described as a second mother to his young daughter, had an air of eccentricity, he said. She liked her chicken cooked in a particular way, he said, and was utterly phobic about many things, including heights. The prosecutor said that the evidence would show that whoever killed Berman had knowledge of her phobias an indication, he said, that limits the potential pool of killers to a small group. Chavin, who will resume testifying Thursday, is the former boss of Susan Giordano, a close friend of Dursts. Giordano was also questioned by prosecutors Wednesday, saying she speaks with Durst at least once a week, even now that hes behind bars. Deputy Dist. Atty. John Lewin pressed Giordano about her relationship with the defendant, which she characterized as strictly platonic. Giordano said that over the years Durst had given her about $350,000. When pressed by the prosecutor, she said that she and Durst had spoken in the past of getting a love nest, where theyd live together for the rest of their lives. Durst stared at her, expressionless, as she testified, and as she walked off the witness stand, tears filled her eyes. FBI agents arrested Durst on March 14, 2015, at a hotel in New Orleans and found guns and stacks of cash. He was charged with Bermans murder two days later, but wasnt transferred to Los Angeles until November 2016, after being sentenced on federal gun charges. Bermans death and Kathleen Dursts disappearance were featured prominently in The Jinx, a six-part HBO documentary series about Robert Dursts life that aired in 2015. The series includes video from Dursts 2003 trial in Galveston, Texas, where he was accused of killing a neighbor, Morris Black. Durst admitted killing Black, saying hed shot him in self-defense before chopping up the mans body and tossing the pieces into Galveston Bay. He was ultimately acquitted of murder in Blacks death. marisa.gerber@latimes.com james.queally@latimes.com For more news from the Los Angeles County courts, follow me on Twitter: @marisagerber and @JamesQueallyLAT ALSO What Robert Durst said he meant when he told lawyers: I kill a lot Robert Durst said he was high on meth during some interviews for HBO series The Jinx Robert Durst murder case: Prosecutors can take early testimony from witnesses they say could die or be killed UPDATES: 8:30 p.m.: The story was updated with additional details from the days testimony. 4:25 p.m.: The story was updated with additional details from Chavins testimony. 4:10 p.m.: The story was updated with additional testimony from Chavin. The story was originally published at 3:10 p.m. Santa Monica is now poised to enter a new frontier in earthquake safety that could have implications for other cities looking at seismic retrofitting. The City Council on Tuesday tentatively approved the nations most extensive seismic retrofitting effort, which could require safety improvements to as many as 2,000 earthquake-vulnerable buildings. The vote was unanimous. Santa Monicas safety rules would go beyond what Los Angeles has done by requiring not only wood-frame apartments and concrete buildings to be retrofitted, but also steel-frame structures. Advertisement The ordinance would require the owners of more than 2,000 buildings identified by the city to conduct a seismic evaluation, and, if needed, have the buildings retrofitted. For the ordinance to be approved, the City Council will need to pass the law a second time in the next month. If the measure receives that affirmation, the proposal will become law 30 days later. In an interview before Tuesdays council vote, seismologist Lucy Jones said it was remarkable to see how the political winds have changed for elected officials to enthusiastically support strengthening buildings. Its great for Santa Monica theyre going to have safer buildings. It is also hopefully the start of a wave, said Jones, who is working with the Southern California Assn. of Governments to educate local governments about seismic retrofits. There are dozens of cities curious at looking at this, she said. People are starting to recognize how necessary this is. Check if your building is on Santa Monicas earthquake study list Hover over the dots to see the address and the suspected type of building. Plug in a full address such as 123 Spring Street, Santa Monica, CA to zoom in on this map. Under a proposed law, structures listed would be required to undergo a seismic evaluation and a retrofit if necessary. Other cities are also looking to strengthen their seismic safety laws. West Hollywood and Beverly Hills are both considering mandatory retrofit laws, and elected leaders are now casting the issue as not one of cost, but of public safety. When somebody walks into a building in the city of Beverly Hills, no matter when theyre there, I want them to feel totally safe, Councilwoman Nancy Krasne said at a meeting last year. I think everyone needs to feel safe when they go to sleep. The city of Los Angeles passed its own tough earthquake retrofit law in 2015, which could require as many as 15,000 buildings to be retrofitted. Los Angeles officials have already identified about 13,500 wood-frame buildings with a suspected weak first floor that officials suspect need repairs. The city has not yet released its list of suspected concrete buildings that would need an evaluation. As L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti took up the issue of seismic safety, structural engineers and seismologists recommended that the city focus first on wooden apartments and concrete buildings as the top priority, said Carl Marziali, a spokesman for the mayor. The 21-story office building at 100 Wilshire Blvd., listed by the city of Santa Monica as concrete, would be required to undergo a seismic evaluation under a new law the City Council tentatively approved Tuesday. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) As for whether steel buildings should be required to be evaluated and retrofitted in Los Angeles, Marziali said in an email that the approach to resilience continues to evolve, and the mayors resilience team will continue to study best practices and a range of building types, including steel moment frame buildings, for potential retrofits. Santa Monica is at a particular risk of earthquakes. The Santa Monica fault runs through the northern half of the city. Santa Monica was also hard-hit by the Northridge quake, which badly damaged several landmark buildings, including the St. Monica Catholic Church, and caused the loss of 1,500 apartments, or about 5% of the citys total stock. Santa Monica recently released its list of possibly vulnerable buildings, the result of a three-year process to identify them. Of the roughly 2,000 buildings, about 1,700 of them are suspected to be wooden apartment buildings with carports on the ground story and held up by flimsy columns that might snap in an earthquake. Known as soft-story buildings, one such complex collapsed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, killing 16 people on the ground floor in the predawn darkness. Wood-frame apartments with carports on the ground floor and supported by flimsy columns can collapse in an earthquake. So-called soft-story buildings in Santa Monica would have to undergo a seismic evaluation under a law tentatively approved Tuesday. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) About 150 are suspected vulnerable brick buildings, also known as unreinforced masonry, in which bricks can come spilling out of walls, striking occupants and passersby and triggering the collapse of the roof. This type of building construction has generally been outlawed in California since the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. Some possibly vulnerable brick buildings are located along the popular Third Street Promenade of shops. A three-story brick building on Broadway at the Third Street Promenade would have to undergo a seismic evaluation under a new law tentative approved by the Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) The tallest buildings on the list are steel and concrete buildings. About 80 were identified as steel buildings, with the tallest a 13-story condominium and two 12-story office buildings. A 13-story condominium at 101 California Ave., listed by the city as a steel moment-frame building, could be required to undergo a seismic evaluation under a proposed law. City records say there are 79 steel moment-frame buildings that could be vulnerable in an earthquake. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) About 60 suspected brittle concrete buildings were listed, holding residences, hotel rooms and office space. The tallest is a 21-story building on the western edge of Wilshire Boulevard overlooking the Pacific Ocean. So-called non-ductile concrete buildings lack enough steel reinforcing bars in the columns, and shaking can cause them to disintegrate. Fifty-two people died in the collapse of several concrete buildings in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. A 17-story hotel on 2nd Street in Santa Monica, identified by the city as a possible concrete building, will have to undergo a seismic evaluation. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) Officials also found about 30 possibly vulnerable concrete tilt-up buildings. The law would not require retrofits of single-family homes. Santa Monicas proposed law gives owners of steel buildings the most time to retrofit once an order is given to evaluate the structure 20 years. Brittle concrete buildings will have a deadline of 10 years; wooden apartment buildings, six years; tilt-ups, three years; and brick buildings, two years. The vote by the City Council comes more than three years after The Times reported that Santa Monica had quietly stopped enforcing its earthquake safety regulations. Santa Monica had actually passed laws in the 1990s requiring retrofits of these buildings. But the mandatory retrofit effort quietly faded in the early 2000s, amid the departure of key staff. By 2013, the city could not find its old list of possibly vulnerable buildings. Former city officials were stunned when told of the missing list, and the citys elected leaders vowed to take up the issue. Santa Monica building officer Ron Takiguchi pledged that the city was serious this time about enforcing a sweeping earthquake safety law. Its the right thing to do, he said. To read the article in Spanish, click here ron.lin@latimes.com | @ronlin raoul.ranoa@latimes.com | @ranoa jon.schleuss@latimes.com | @gaufre ALSO The obscure financial instrument that could save your life from a quake L.A. releases addresses of 13,500 apartments and condos likely to need earthquake retrofitting How strong is disaster culture in earthquake-prone L.A.? Two schools in Simi Valley were placed on lockdown for roughly four hours Wednesday after police received reports of a person possibly armed with a rifle on the campus of Royal High School. The lockdown was lifted shortly after noon without incident, when authorities discovered that the suspected rifle was not a firearm at all, but was actually a ceremonial imitation used by a drill team member. Simi Valley police received the initial report around 8:21 a.m. Both Royal High and nearby Saint Rose of Lima Catholic School were placed on lockdown as authorities searched the campus for a weapon. Advertisement At 12:19 p.m. Simi Valley police said in a statement the lockdown had been lifted, though officers were remaining on campus to assist with traffic related issues. Los Angeles Police Department air units assisted in the search, police said. During the search, police closed all traffic on Royal Avenue between Crocker and Pride streets. Students were released to lunch immediately following the lockdown and school will continue as scheduled, according to a statement from the Simi Valley Unified School District. melissa.etehad@latimes.com Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad ALSO Navy missile test creates bright light across California sky LAPD detectives illegally searched home of Sandra Bullocks accused stalker, court says L.A. area braces for what could be biggest storm of the season; flooding, mudslides possible UPDATES: 1:30 p.m.: This article was updated with details on the conclusion of the police search. This article was originally published at 10:50 a.m. Chen Man stands with his lawyer, Wang Wanqiong, following the quashing of his conviction for murder in February last year. [PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY] A lack of defense lawyers means many people are appearing in court without adequate legal representation. Cao Yin reports. Lawyers and legal experts are calling on the government to expand the provision of legal aid to a larger number of defendants and provide better funding to encourage more lawyers to accept criminal defense cases. The ongoing efforts to improve the rule of law have resulted in a number of wrongful convictions being overturned, including that of Chen Man, who was sentenced to 23 years for murder. In February last year, the appeals court ruled that the evidence brought against Chen was circumstantial and that his involvement in the murder could not be proved beyond doubt. The quashing of Chen's conviction was a boost for his lawyer, Wang Wanqiong. "My job is to play a bigger role in upholding justice," she said. Following Chen's release, Wang's phone rang continually as people called in the hope of obtaining legal advice or persuading her to defend them in court. "I could feel the trust the defendants and the judicial officers placed in me, which gave me a real sense of achievement," she said. On the downside, there is still a long way to go before all defendants have adequate legal representation in China's courts: "As an index of the rule of law and a safeguard against flawed convictions, the number of cases in which defendants have access to defense lawyers hasn't risen significantly, despite people paying more attention to criminal cases," she said. Disparity Zhang Qingsong, from the Shangquan Law Firm in Beijing, said there are no official national statistics, but some lawyers and justice bureaus estimate the number of cases in which defense lawyers are active is about 20 percent, which means a large number of people are being tried without being represented by a defense lawyer. The problem arises from the wide disparity between the number of criminal cases and the number of lawyers, the fact that many defendants lack the financial means to hire a lawyer and that the legal aid provided to defendants is insufficient, he added. A report published by the Supreme People's Court, the nation's top legal chamber, shows that the courts heard more than 1.10 million criminal cases in 2015. However, according to the All-China Lawyers Association, the number of lawyers available was just 297,000, and only about 10 percent of them were qualified to handle criminal cases. Very few lawyers are willing to work in criminal defense, Zhang said. "Sometimes, the rights of criminal lawyers cannot be protected to the same extent as those who tackle civil or commercial cases, and their safety may even be at risk," he added. The problem has been exacerbated by the poor rates of pay offered to defense lawyers, and neither the defendants nor the government are willing to pay more for their services. Under Chinese law, defendants who lack the means to hire an attorney can be offered the services of a designated lawyer. "However, legal aid doesn't cover all applicants," said Ji Xiangde, a researcher with the institute of law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Given the difficulty of raising the number of criminal lawyers and the quality of the services they provide, the government should move to ensure that legal aid covers a larger number of defendants and provide more subsidies for designated attorneys, he added. Insufficient protection According to Wang, it has been easier to talk with judges and prosecutors since 2013, when the central leadership ordered all judicial authorities and the police to safeguard the rights of defense lawyers. In most of the cases she deals with, her rights are protected, including those related to meeting with clients and examining relevant legal materials. "That demonstrates the progress made thanks to the promotion of the rule of law," she said. Problems remain, though. For example, access to court materials varies from province to province. In Sichuan province, Wang is allowed to take a computer to copy case documents, and the courts provide her with CDs containing the information if the volume of material is too great. But that isn't the case in Shanghai. When Wang worked on a blackmail case in the municipality, she was refused permission to copy documents to her own computer, and a computer provided by the court didn't work. Moreover, criminal lawyers are often threatened and harassed, sometimes by defendants' relatives, which means Wang is often anxious when she receives calls from numbers she doesn't recognize. Zhang has had the same experience. He has often been refused permission to examine records of police interrogations, despite having a legal right to do so. "The refusals mean that I enter court with insufficient material for cases. The lack of information, compared with the evidence put forward by the prosecution, the lack of information makes it harder to make a cogent case for the defense," he said. Ji, the researcher, recalled the case of a lawyer who was not allowed to talk with his client and was forced to spend a night waiting outside a detention center. In his opinion, basic protection of defense lawyers' rights would be a major step forward. "It would act as a guideline for judges and prosecutors. When lawyers' rights are not protected, it's unrealistic to ask them to improve the quality of the defense they put forward, let alone raise the number of lawyers willing to undertake such cases," he added. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) said a 71-year-old staff member was knocked to the ground Tuesday while protesters gathered at his Southern California office. Rohrabacher is a conservative who has voiced support for some of President Trumps actions. He released a statement that said his longtime district director, Kathleen Staunton, fell and hit her head when a protester yanked open the office door as she was leaving. They were jammed outside the door and the moment Kathleen cracked the door someone yanked it open, Rohrabacher spokesman Kenneth Grubbs said in an email. Advertisement Staunton was treated by paramedics and taken to a hospital after falling into unconsciousness, according to a statement from Grubbs. She had a 2-inch bump on her head, Grubbs said. A member of the protest group disputed that account. There have been protests around the country against Republicans who support such policies as repealing the Affordable Care Act. The protests have been amplified by activists modeling their opposition to Trump on the tea party groups that sprang up to oppose President Obama. Aaron McCall, a member of a group of Rohrabacher constituents called Indivisible 48, said theyve been trying for weeks to request a town hall meeting with Rohrabacher but received no reply. The 26-year-old from Costa Mesa said about 60 people went to Rohrabachers office for the fourth time on Tuesday. Some gathered in a narrow upstairs corridor of the downtown building to slip Valentines Day cards and notes under the closed office door. A 2-year-old girl had made a Valentine and was slipping it under the door when it suddenly opened and bumped her, McCall said. She started crying but appeared unhurt, McCall said. The woman who had opened the door then slipped on the cards and other papers and fell down. Another staffer came out and helped the woman up and back into the office, McCall said. She was completely conscious. She was fine, McCall said. McCall said police came and ushered everyone out of the private building. No arrests were made, police said. Rohrabacher, who was in Washington, D.C., at the time, said he was outraged beyond words. Deliberate or not, the incident came as part of a mob action and the protesters engaged in political thuggery, pure and simple, he said. UPDATES: 12:05 p.m., Feb. 15: This article was edited to reflect conflicting accounts of what happened at the Tuesday protest. This article was originally published at 10:15 p.m. on Feb. 14. A Long Beach woman has pleaded guilty to helping smuggle gun parts and thousands of rounds of ammunition to the Philippines. The Long Beach Press-Telegram says 61-year-old Marlou Mendoza entered the plea Monday and could face up to 15 years in federal prison. Her son, Mark, remains a fugitive. Federal prosecutors say that in 2011, Mendoza shipped tens of thousands of 22.-caliber rounds to her native country without providing the required written notice. She was arrested last year at Los Angeles International Airport as she returned from a trip to the Philippines. Advertisement An indictment alleges that her son used his company, Last Resort Armaments, to order more than $100,000 worth of firearms equipment and ammunition, including parts for M-16 and AR-15 rifles that require State Department licenses for shipping Immigration agents have detained and threatened to deport a 23-year-old immigrant in Washington state who came to the U.S. illegally as a 7-year-old and later received protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, a new lawsuit says. Daniel Ramirez Medina was arrested at his fathers home south of Seattle on Friday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to a lawsuit filed by civil rights lawyers in federal court in Seattle this week. Ramirez is being held at a federal immigration detention facility in Tacoma, Wash. ICE officials said Ramirez was a self-admitted gang member who was detained as a risk to public safety. Advertisement Ramirezs attorneys, who say Ramirez has never been convicted of a crime, denied the gang claim unequivocally and said he was repeatedly pressured by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to falsely admit affiliation. The arrest comes amid fears that the Trump administration may begin targeting hundreds of thousands of immigrants who had been considered low priorities for deportation under the Obama administration. The so-called DACA program, under which Ramirez was registered, is an executive action that provides a work permit and deportation reprieve to people who were brought to the U.S. as children and stayed illegally. An estimated 742,000 Dreamers those given protection under the program live in the U.S. About 1 in 3 lives in California. The agents who arrested and questioned Mr. Ramirez were aware that he was a DACA recipient, yet they informed him that he would be arrested, detained and deported anyway, because he was not born in this country, the lawsuit said. A hearing in the civil rights case was set for Friday, according to digital court records. An ICE spokeswoman said Ramirez faces deportation proceedings before a separate immigration judge. The case seems likely to receive widespread attention because of concerns that President Trump, who has repeatedly pledged to tighten controls on illegal immigration, is preparing to expand the nations deportation policies. During the campaign, Trump vowed to do away with DACA, but in an interview with ABC News after his inauguration, he said those registered under the program should not be alarmed. They shouldnt be very worried. They are here illegally. They shouldnt be very worried. I do have a big heart, Trump said. News of Ramirezs arrest brought denunciations from Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York. DACA recipients should not be an ICE priority. They are young people working & contributing to this great country, Schumer said in messages on Twitter. ICE must provide answers & release Daniel immediately. This action does nothing to make our country safe. Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California tweeted: A 23-year-old DREAMer. No criminal record. This is outrageous. The detention was also criticized by Democratic Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, who said she was looking into this troubling situation. It is unacceptable that these Dreamers, who were brought to the U.S. as children and have grown up and gone to school here, are being detained, Cantwell said in a statement. ICE officials said Ramirez was taken into custody Friday in a criminal case. Mr. Ramirez a self-admitted gang member was encountered at a residence in Des Moines, Washington, during an operation targeting a prior-deported felon, ICE spokeswoman Rose Richeson said in a statement. She added that ICE officers took Mr. Ramirez into custody based on his admitted gang affiliation and risk to public safety. Gang membership can be grounds for the government to deny or review an immigrants DACA status. Ramirez had recently moved to Washington from California, where he had attended school, and he has a 3-year-old son, a U.S. citizen, according to the lawsuit. Ramirez first obtained DACA protection in 2014 and renewed his protection in 2016, the complaint says. Ramirez was sleeping at his fathers home near Seattle when agents arrived and arrested his father, for whom they had an arrest warrant, the lawsuit says. After the arrest, according to the complaint, the agents asked Ramirez, Are you legally here? Yes, I have a work permit, he replied, and on his brothers advice, declined to answer further questions. At that point, the complaint says, agents took Ramirez to a processing center in Seattle, where he again informed authorities that he had a work permit. One of the agents stated: It doesnt matter, because you werent born in this country, the petition said. Ramirezs attorneys said his unprecedented and unjustified arrest was a clear broken promise by the federal government. In establishing DACA, the federal government created a clear and reasonable expectation among DACA recipients that they would be able to live and work in the United States without being subjected to arrest and deportation, Mark Rosenbaum, a member of Public Counsel, a pro-bono law firm, said in a statement. Bait and switch sullies the integrity of our nations core values. Frank Sharry, executive director of Americas Voice, an immigrant rights group based in Washington, D.C., said DACA is a discretionary policy, but he was highly critical of the decision to detain Ramirez. This is outrageous. A young man is detained by ICE for what, being in the wrong place at the wrong time? The fact that he has been granted status under DACA is ignored? And to add insult to injury, ICE releases a statement saying hes a threat to public safety? Sharry said in a statement. David Leopold, an immigration lawyer and former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Assn., said the arrest of Ramirez appears to be an arbitrary and capricious denial of his administrative and constitutional rights. In his first month in office Donald Trump has taken a sledgehammer to the Statue of Liberty by unconstitutionally denying entry to refugees and long-term green card holders based on nothing more than their religion, he said in an email. Tonight Trump is using his Deportation Force to make a mockery of the law, changing the rules on a young Dreamer who qualified, applied for and received deferred action. matt.pearce@latimes.com @mattdpearce ALSO Raids across the U.S. leave immigrant communities and activists on high alert This industry stands to benefit from Trumps crackdown on the border California members of Congress say they arent getting answers on immigration raids: My constituents are freaked out UPDATES: 7:30 p.m.: The story was updated with additional reaction to the arrest. The story was originally published at 5:30 p.m. A 2-year-old boy and a man in his 20s were killed and a pregnant woman was wounded Tuesday when a gunman opened fire as the trio drove in an alley in Chicago in an attack captured on Facebook Live, authorities said. Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said paramedics were able to revive the boy on the scene, but authorities say he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. A 26-year-old man in the car was shot in the head and died, police said. The boy was the mans nephew, family members of the woman said. Advertisement The 20-year-old woman identified by police as the mans girlfriend was shot in the abdomen and was in fair condition, police said. Family members said her unborn child was expected to survive. Police say a vehicle had passed the car the three were in, and a gunman got out and opened fire in an alley behind an auto electronics shop on the West Side. No one was in custody, but investigators suspect the man was the intended target. We have very promising leads; we have video. Theres no doubt in my mind that well find him, Johnson said. The attack was captured on Facebook Live because the woman was broadcasting as the couple drove. The video shows a woman driving with a man in the passengers seat and a young boy in the back seat. The boy doesnt appear to be in a car seat. The woman pulls into an alley and then looks to her left. The camera angle dips to face the windshield, and gunfire can be heard. The camera moves as the woman appears to jump from the car and start running along a fence line. The gunfire continues, and the woman begins screaming. The woman appears to run past a house and struggles to open a gate. She screams for someone as she opens the door, and the camera goes black once she enters the home. The woman yells to others about the shooting, saying she has been struck in the stomach. At the scene, a neighbor in his early 50s said he saw the aftermath of the shooting and that the child was bleeding from his abdomen and the man in the car was not moving. The young lady was just hollering about her baby; she had blood from her stomach, he said. At the scene, police surrounded a maroon four-door car in the alley. It had come to rest against an iron fence, its two front doors open. The three entrances to the alley were blocked off, as were streets around the scene. Neighbors poked their heads from their porches. The boy was the second child to die Tuesday from Chicago gunfire. Takiya Holmes, 11, died in the morning from wounds suffered in a shooting Saturday. A second girl wounded over the weekend, Kanari Gentry Bowers, 12, remained in critical condition and on life support Tuesday. Minutes after the triple shooting, police were sent to the nearby East Garfield Park area, where one man was fatally shot. Earlier Tuesday, a 30-year-old man was fatally shot in the chest, also on the West Side, around 9:30 a.m., according to police. The man was dead by the time he got to a hospital, according to police. Schroering, Nickeas and Gorner write for the Chicago Tribune. Tribune staff writer Liam Ford contributed to this report. ALSO White House says Trump knew three weeks ago that Flynn misled on contacts with Russia With Trump in the limelight, Congress has been quietly working to undo Obama-era regulations Poison needle suspected in death of North Korean leaders half brother and rival Andrew F. Puzder did the right thing in withdrawing Wednesday from consideration as President Trumps Labor secretary. He was the wrong person for the job. The chief executive of the Carls Jr. and Hardees fast-food chains, Puzders track record includes disparaging his own employees as the worst of the worst, opposing a higher minimum wage and paid sick leave, fighting expansion of overtime protections, and dissing the Affordable Care Act because it supposedly was reducing consumers disposable income and cutting into fast-food industry profits. None of those stances are in workers best interests. Puzder had political baggage, too. He faced broad criticism over reports that he failed to pay taxes on wages to an undocumented immigrant working in his home, that he defended sexually charged Carls Jr. ads as very American, and that his wife had lodged but later recanted an allegation that he had abused her. President Trump rode to victory in part by persuading working-class Americans that he was on their side. He then appointed a bunch of billionaires and Wall Street figures to key policy positions, raising doubts about his fealty to working-class America. Putting Puzder who made his wealth in an industry rife with labor-law violations in charge of enforcing labor laws was an even more egregious slap in the face to those who believed him. Advertisement Trump has a chance now to get it right. The Labor Departments mission is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. Nowhere in there does it call on the department to make it easier for businesses to exploit their workers, or to stymie efforts to increase wages and improve the lives of American labor. It made no more sense to put Puzder, with his history, in charge of the Labor Department than it would be to put Richard Trumka, head of the AFL-CIO, in charge of the Commerce Department. Their world views stand in stark contrast to the job at hand. (Granted, Trump made the same mistake when he picked Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency, whose authority he has been battling in court). No one expects Trump to nominate a Labor secretary who would get the thumbs up from unions and workers rights organizations. But he can be expected to scout around for someone who is at least sympathetic to the people who count on the Labor Department for protection. He owes his supporters, and American workers, at least that much. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook What is most surprising about the near-collapse of a spillway at Oroville Dam is that events like that have not happened more often. Located 75 miles north of Sacramento, Oroville is the nations tallest dam and holds back the states second-largest reservoir. Both its main spillway and an auxiliary one have experienced major erosion because of massive emergency releases of reservoir water during this winters heavy storms. On Sunday, engineers worried that the top 20 or 30 feet of the emergency spillway could give way, causing devastating flooding on the Feather River. State officials ordered the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people living downstream from the dam. This drama and danger could have been averted. Three environmental groups Friends of the River, the Sierra Club and the South Yuba Citizens League anticipated precisely the crisis that has unfolded this week. In response to the dams relicensing application in 2005, they filed a motion with federal officials to require that the earthen hillside that comprises the auxiliary spillway be covered with concrete to prevent erosion. Advertisement But according to the San Jose Mercury News, federal officials dismissed the request on the grounds that even if the emergency spillway suffered significant damage, it would not threaten control of reservoir water or endanger the dam itself. Instead, the officials sided with the California Department of Water Resources and the state water districts that probably would have had to pay for the new construction. In general, Southern California water users not only consume Northern California water but significantly underpay for it. Ron Stork, policy director of Friends of the River, said state water officials told him privately at the time that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other water contractors that buy Orovilles water did not want to pay the additional costs. I felt a little disrespected and damn disappointed that they didnt listen to me, particularly in the last week, Stork told me Monday. Metropolitan general manager Jeffrey Kightlinger, in the Los Angeles Times, claimed his agency did not say it was a cost issue. The water district deferred to state and federal officials, he said, who determined the emergency spillway met guidelines that talk about how you dont put a lot of funding and concrete, etc. into emergency spillways because presumably they will rarely if ever be used. The south-versus-north dynamic is an old one in the states water politics. In general, Southern California water users not only consume Northern California water but significantly underpay for it. Now, the people who live downstream from the Oroville Dam, who must continue to be prepared for evacuations at a moments notice, are paying dearly for what should have been covered by Southern California rate-payers a decade ago. On top of this, even if the dams spillways suffer no further damage, the cost of repairing the spillways will no doubt far exceed the expense of the preventive measure proposed in 2005. Even more disturbing, Oroville is far from unique among the nations nearly 100,000 dams in needing repair. Dams usually require significant maintenance between their 25th and 50th birthdays, and virtually all U.S. dams are at least 40 years old; some were built more than a century ago. (Oroville will be 50 years old next year.) Yet few dams are getting the repairs they need. The last time the American Society of Civil Engineers issued its Infrastructure Report Card was in 2013, when it gave U.S. dams a D grade and reported that more than 4,000 are deficient. The group will publish a new report card next month; while its contents havent been released, a spokesperson told me the conclusions of the 2013 report card are still fairly accurate. A 2016 survey by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimated the cost of repairing deficient dams that currently place downstream residents at risk at $22.91 billion. Carrying out that task would take many decades. Rather than fund that work, politicians prefer to be seen cutting ribbons while standing in front of new dams. Even now, California officials are considering construction of more dams while much of the existing stock needs repair. From time to time, legislation is introduced in Congress to begin dam repair, but it inevitably dies. President Trump has spoken of launching a massive plan to revitalize American infrastructure, but he has not issued a detailed proposal, and in any case, he seems to favor financing new construction with public-private partnerships that would work for, say, toll roads, but not dams. Without a major repair program, the passage of time will further compromise dam safety. As the human population grows, more people are living downstream from vulnerable dams, usually without any idea of the risk they are taking. Climate change is intensifying that risk by inducing intense precipitation events and runoff that dams were not designed to handle. Indeed, climate change probably caused or at least deepened the five-year drought that preceded this winters heavy rain in Northern California. The drought almost certainly lowered the capacity of soil in the Oroville watershed to absorb water and increased storm runoff into the reservoir. In 2005, I wrote that large dams are loaded weapons aimed down rivers, pointed at ourselves; theyre proof of the gambling nature of the societies that build them. A decade later, we have taken no significant steps toward disarming dams. Instead, our gamble has intensified. Jacques Leslie is a contributing writer to Opinion and the author of Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook UPDATES: 10:15 a.m.: This op ed was updated to reflect new information. His national security advisor had to resign after falsely denying secret talks with Russia. His White House aides splintered into warring factions. His courtiers gossiped publicly over whose head was next to fall. So what made President Trump angriest when he got out of bed Tuesday morning? Leaks. The real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? the president tweeted. Will these leaks be happening as I deal on N.Korea etc? The answer, Mr. President, is yes. The leaks are certain to continue and thank heaven for that. Advertisement The U.S. government is a notoriously leaky collection of institutions. Its been that way for decades. The ship of state is the only known vessel that leaks from the top, James Reston of the New York Times wrote in 1946. Leaks dont generally involve secrets that endanger national security. Instead, they fall into two relatively harmless categories: positive leaks to make politicians look wiser than they really are, and negative leaks designed to make rivals look bad. Trump knew for more than two weeks that Flynn had misled Pence and Spicer, but did nothing about it. More potent is the whistle-blower leak: the leak that happens when a government official believes something wrong is going on, but cant find a way to stop it through normal bureaucratic means. Thats what appears to have happened in the case of retired Gen. Michael Flynn. Flynn talked with the Russian ambassador in December, just after President Obama imposed sanctions on Russia to retaliate for the hacking of U.S. political organizations (including the Hillary Clinton campaign). David Ignatius of the Washington Post reported on the conversation in mid-January raising the question of whether Flynn had improperly negotiated over sanctions before Trumps inauguration. Flynn told Vice President-elect Mike Pence and Trump spokesman Sean Spicer that the sanctions never came up in his talks. Pence and Spicer repeated the denials in public. But that wasnt true. On Jan. 26, the Justice Department told Trumps White House counsel that Flynns version was untrue and that the apparent deception could make him vulnerable to blackmail from Russia. Still, Flynn continued to deny the report. Then, on Feb. 9, the Post reported that nine current and former officials said Flynns version was untrue. On Feb. 12, the Post added the possibility of Russian blackmail into the mix. On Feb. 13, Flynn resigned. Two items jump out from that timeline. One is that Trump knew for more than two weeks that Flynn had misled Pence and Spicer, but did nothing about it. The second is the unusual number of sources in the Posts Feb. 9 article: nine current and former officials who were in senior positions at the time of Flynns phone call. Thats not a leak; thats an insurrection. As Trump tries to remake Washington in his own image, it seems hes going to run into plenty of national security bureaucrats who wont merely be reluctant to cooperate; theyll be ready to blow the whistle if the administration does something they consider improper. Thats far from unprecedented. In the Watergate scandal that brought down President Nixon, many of the most important leaks came from Deep Throat, a source who turned out to be Mark Felt, an associate director of the FBI. His motive, it appears, was to stop Nixon from turning the bureau into a politicized arm of the White House. In the Iran-Contra scandal that entangled President Reagan, many of the leaks about illicit weapons deals came from the national security bureaucracy, too some from officials who thought Reagans secret arms sales to Iran were a bad idea, others from officials who thought the National Security Council staff had exceeded its authority. Trumps leaks havent only come from national security bureaucrats, however; his White House staffers are prone to gossip, too, sharing for example details from his telephone calls with foreign leaders. Those leaks indicate factional spats. One set of leaks charged that aide Stephen K. Bannon intervened to make sure the immigration ban was applied to permanent residents, an unpopular feature that was later reversed. Others charged that Trump was unhappy with White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus over the chaotic rollout. In the Flynn case, leaks have already had consequences beyond the generals resignation. Influential Senate Republicans have said they plan to insist on a full investigation of Russias activities during the presidential campaign. The FBI, moreover, is still considering whether Flynn broke any laws. And the Army is looking into whether he received money from the Russian government, which would violate military regulations. Trump is likely to order a leak investigation, and Republicans in the House say they want to investigate the leaks as well. But if history is any guide, theyll have a hard time finding a culprit or, if they find one, in proving a case. The leaks will continue. For some bureaucrats, theyre a matter of institutional survival. For a few, theyre a matter of honor. In a well-run, self-policing government, they wouldnt be necessary. But in the Trump administration, theyre likely to be more important than ever. doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com Twitter: @doylemcmanus Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Its name sounds like an artifact of the Cold War, but the Voice of America the international news source funded by the U.S. government has changed geography and technology. VOA just began a 24-hour Russian-language news channel on several platforms to reach Russian speakers throughout the old Soviet empire a clear pushback against Russian government-run programming. Yet its home-front happenings that have put VOA in the news: first, the 2013 repeal of a law restricting the use of VOA-produced news inside the U.S., and then, toward the end of the Obama administration, a law that pulled the plug on a bipartisan board supervising the Broadcasting Board of Governors and replaced it with a CEO whos selected by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Thats sounded alarm bells for people who worry that President Trump might want to convert VOA into his own megaphone. John F. Lansing, whos the head of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, told NPR that it would be illegal for the administration to tell VOA what to broadcast. And its director, journalist Amanda Bennett, details an operation that is government-funded, but, she says, not government-run. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS INTERVIEW ON THE PATT MORRISON ASKS PODCAST The Voice of America is celebrating its 75th anniversary. How has its mission changed over the years? Advertisement During the period immediately after the Cold War, there was a kind of loss of faith in the mission, that the world was all OK and everything had happened the way it was supposed to. But really, its mission never did change, and you can see that right now, with the world being much more stressful, much more tense. Our mission is exactly the same as it was back in the founding, and that is to bring objective news and information to countries that have no other access to it, and to tell Americas story overseas. And so the geography of listeners has changed then? Our very first broadcast was into Germany in the middle of World War II. Well, Germany is no longer a place where we broadcast into. The Voice of America broadcasts into large parts of Africa, into large parts of Asia, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, and large parts of Russia and the former Soviet republics. The VOAs mission came up in the news recently after a couple of Trump aides were sent to check out the VOA, and even though the Obama administration did essentially the same when it came in, it did raise some questions about whether President Trump would want to turn it into a President Trump channel. That ignores the fact that the law, the broadcast law which has been in place, still remains in place and wasnt the least bit affected by any of those things. And that really is where our firewall protection comes from: from this law that establishes us [as] an independent source of news and information separate from the U.S. government, separate from influence from the U.S. government. Separate from any government, frankly. That has not changed. Two VOA online postings created some controversy themselves. One was a tweet of the White Houses erroneous statement, posted without challenge, that the inauguration crowd was the largest for any inauguration ever. The other was a story about an ethics complaint against the Trump administration. You pulled the tweet, and took down the story until the VOA got a response from the White House. Thats very interesting because the two instances you describe have actually opposite ideas. Both of them were completely routine decisions but one of them was taken as a pro-Trump move; one of them was taken as an anti-Trump move, and they both were were kind of normal, routine things. One of them was during a live-tweeting session. The person who was live-tweeting it forgot to put quotation marks around [Press Secretary Sean] Spicers remarks, making it look like we were endorsing it. We caught that within the newsroom and corrected it almost immediately, but not before a bunch of people had tweeted out, Aha! Weve caught you! Youre now spreading the Trump administrations word! And of course it was just an honest mistake. The other one is something that I feel very strongly and very passionately about. According to our charter, according to our history, and journalistic principles, we do fair and we do balanced and we do honest reporting and that means you dont do a story that has a single source. You dont do a story that doesnt show the opposite viewpoint. If youre making a criticism of somebody, you allow the person or the institution youre criticizing to make a comment. And this was a story that was critical of things having to do with President Trump, and it went out without having any comment there. So I said, go put some comment in as Ive been saying since 1975 in every story Ive ever done. The idea that somehow journalists would take this to be an example of some kind of bias is really kind of horrifying to me. Over the years there has been criticism that its propaganda its American propaganda but that its propaganda nonetheless. Im always kind of curious as to why the same criticism isnt leveled at the BBC, which has exactly the same journalistic standards and missions that we do. So were doing exactly the same thing. We are legally separated from the government that is actually in law by something that we informally call the firewall. People take it very seriously on both sides of the equation, on the VOA side and on the rest of the government side. Your audience is no longer only a radio audience but digital, too. We broadcast I use the word broadcast meaning just send out in television, in radio, in digital, in various video means of transmission. Were working on mobile products. Essentially any way that somebody would get their news and information, thats the way we deliver it. This year, weve had the biggest audience growth in our history. Our audience went up by 50 million people and that brings us to 236 million people around the world, which is bigger than the audiences of three of the biggest cable providers in the United States by about a factor of 10. Where was most of that growth? The bulk of it was in Indonesia and Latin America, and it was for a couple of reasons. One is, in countries where were able to do that, we have an extremely robust series of partnerships with all the major networks in Indonesia, and we form a part of their newscasts. In Latin America, we have essentially evolved the model where the Voice of America is the Washington bureau for a very large number of Latin American stations. Are you surprised by that? Because were in the age of Twitter and Facebook, of social media, where ideally anybody anywhere in the world can read anything they want from any source. Remember that we are providing this news and information to people not just in English but in 47 different languages. So while a growing segment of the upper, educated population in virtually every country knows how to read and speak English, the vast majority of people in the places where we serve do not. Since most broadcasts coming out of this country providing information on the United States are done in English, we are often the only source of that news that they have. The Voice of America is part of the BBG [Broadcasting Board of Governors], as are Radio Free Europe and Radio Marti, broadcasting into Cuba. Are you in competition with elements within the BBG? That was one of the reasons that we kind of lost our way back in the other years, is that they began to see themselves as being competition. We are now knit together into a cooperative body. The VOA had been barred from its content being used inside the United States, and this changed in 2013. Why was that? Well, the Voice of America had its roots in the 1940s, in World War II, and there was concern about propagandizing inside the United States. But there was also another motivation. In 1941 the domestic broadcasting industry was still in its early stages, so I think there was an understandable desire not to have a big government-funded competitor. The reasons for the other change that allows us to broadcast in the United States was really aimed at the fact that we have a very large digital operation that we couldnt keep out of the United States, so if you said we cant be in the United States, you are sort of saying we cant be on the Internet. Its almost simply a recognition of the way the worlds working. How has your newsroom been reacting to this kind of scrutiny? The best thing we can do for the American public and the world is to put our heads down and double down on doing the best journalism we possibly can. We need to be the most accurate, we need to be the most factual, we need to be the most balanced. Weve got a number of [journalist employees] whove been in prison for a long time, people whove undergone torture in order to do their work. These are people who are serious and passionate about a full and free press. A guy down the hall from me came here after his house was blown up because he is a journalist and he was writing stories that made someone angry. I think that we need to think about that commitment to a free press and honor that commitment, and not trivialize that by saying that its going to be thrown away overnight. We feel like what were doing is exporting the 1st Amendment and the benefits of a free society overseas, and people are very serious about that. If indeed part of the mission is to promote American values, promote democracy, would your story be indistinguishable from a story in, say, USA Today? My feeling and I think everyones feeling is by doing great journalism, we are promoting values, because thats at the core of some of our democratic values the values of a free press. The only way it would be different from USA Today is that not everybody in every country knows exactly, for example, what a filibuster is, or knows what the electoral college is. So we spend a lot of time trying to think about how we can not only give them the news but contextualize it in ways that they can understand. We just did a very nice digital explainer piece on how a Supreme Court justice is selected and confirmed. I went through it and honestly, I had not remembered two or three of the steps in there. It was very good for me to look at. I think a lot of people could benefit from that. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook Its name sounds like an artifact of the Cold War, but the Voice of America the international news source funded by the U.S. government has changed geography and technology. VOA just began a 24-hour Russian-language news channel on several platforms to reach Russian speakers throughout the old Soviet empire a clear pushback against Russian government-run programming. Yet its home-front happenings that have put VOA in the news: first, the 2013 repeal of a law restricting the use of VOA-produced news inside the U.S., and then, toward the end of the Obama administration, a law that pulled the plug on a bipartisan board supervising the Broadcasting Board of Governors and replaced it with a CEO whos selected by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Thats sounded alarm bells for people who worry that President Trump might want to convert VOA into his own megaphone. John F. Lansing, whos the head of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, told NPR that it would be illegal for the administration to tell VOA what to broadcast. And its director, journalist Amanda Bennett, details an operation that is government-funded, but, she says, not government-run. Find the full archive of "Patt Morrison Asks" podcasts here or search for "Patt Morrison Asks" on iTunes. To read this weeks column, click here. Want unlimited digital access to the L.A. Times? Patt Morrison listeners can sign up here for eight free weeks. MORE PATT MORRISON ASKS Mike Judge: The election is over, but our idiocracy is here to stay The tweets that Donald Trump and other politicians don't want you to read Stanford linguistics professor John Rickford on the legacy of Ebonics Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook To the editor: The Trump administration continues to jeopardize our country with its inept and dangerous handling of our security. (Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn resigns over contacts with Russia, Feb. 13) Former national security advisor Michael Flynns contact with Russia during the transition period not only was potentially illegal but also made him susceptible to blackmail. Despite being given that information by the Justice Department in January, President Trump allowed Flynn to continue to serve until reports about his contacts with Russia came out last week. Advertisement Furthermore, just Saturday, Trumps Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was the scene for a candle-lit patio dinner with the Japanese prime minister when news broke of North Koreas missile lunch. Rather than retreat to a secure venue with his staff members, Trump held talks in full view of the other guests that night. Heaven help the United States. Cynthia Weitz, Laguna Niguel .. To the editor: During the first Cold War, there was consensus among Democrats and Republicans that we were good and godly while the communists were evil and atheist. The second Cold War, sprouting from NATOs expansion to Russian borders, had the same conformity, with one important exception: Donald Trump, who seemed ready to reconsider sanctions against Russia for its Ukrainian actions. Flynn supported this. Its likely both acted for selfish reasons; still, they took the appropriate position on Russia. Predictably, both Democrats and Republicans had it in for Russia. Flynns expulsion was nearly predictable. Cold Warriors regularly win out. Roger Carasso, Santa Fe, N.M. .. To the editor: Poor Flynn was whacked on the head by reality. In the beginning, its always exciting to hook your wagon to a powerful, authoritarian-type of politician. But those sorts of wealthy men frequently dance on the edge of whats legal and moral. When the chips start to fall (and they always do), they never land on the head guy. Instead, they pummel the subordinates. Just ask New Jersey Gov. Chris Christies staffers, two of whom will probably head to prison after being convicted in the Bridgegate scandal. Everyone in the White House who has hooked his or her career star to the new president better watch out. Cheryl Holt, Burbank .. To the editor: We can only hope the chaos in the White House will not lead to chaos in the country. Those people who believed having a non-politician in the White House would shake things up were correct. The problem is the administration doesnt know how to fix what it shook up. Debbie Cassettari, Chino Hills Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Former President George W. Bush says his recent remarks have been misconstrued as criticism of Trump (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Former President George W. Bush on Wednesday pushed back at the notion that his recent remarks about the media were criticisms of President Trump. Im asked the question, Do I believe in free press? and the answer is absolutely, I believe in free press because the press holds people to account, he said. Power is very addictive and its corrosive if it becomes central to your life and therefore there needs to be an independent group of people who hold you to account. And so I answered that question and of course the headlines were, Bush criticizes Trump. And so therefore I needed to say, There should be a free and independent press, but it ought to be accurate. Bush made the remarks at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley during an hourlong question-and-answer session promoting Portraits of Courage, his new book that features his paintings of veterans. While doing media interviews about the book in recent days, he has raised eyebrows by making comments about the media, immigrants and allegations of Russian interference in the November presidential election that were widely viewed as criticisms of the new president. He said that he decided once he left the office not to second-guess his successor, former President Obama, and that the same holds true for Trump. Doing so would undermine the office, Bush said, adding that he wants all of his successors to succeed because it is good for the nation. I dont want to make the presidents job worse, no matter what political party it is. Its a hard job, Bush said. Sometimes my remarks can be construed as criticism. Theyre certainly not meant to be, and after I finish this book tour you probably wont hear from me for a while. But he was willing to offer advice to those who follow him. Know what you dont know and find people who do know what you dont know and listen to them, he said. My advice is that the job is different once you get in. It looks one way and then you get in the Oval Office and it looks different. Trust me. Bush also made an implicit criticism of Obamas foreign policy when asked whether the world is more dangerous than it was four years ago. This may be taken as criticism of one of my successors and I dont really mean it to be. There is a lesson however when the United States decides not to take the lead and withdraw, he said. Vacuums can be created when U.S. presence recedes and that vacuum is generally filed with people who dont share the ideology, the same sense of human rights and human dignity and freedom that we do. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Aside from a handful of serious moments, Bush was jovial and self-effacing as he described how he became an oil painter after leaving the White House. Seeking ways to fill his time, he said he read an essay by Winston Churchill about painting. I basically said, What the hell, this guy can paint, I can paint, Bush said. He hired an instructor and started painting a cube and a watermelon before moving on to portraits. Former First Lady Laura Bush was not pleased with his depiction of her, so when he painted his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, he decided to depict her from behind. Barbara Bush and former President George H.W. Bush are doing well despite their recent hospitalizations, the younger Bush said. Theyre both great given their limitations. Dad cant walk, hes confined to a wheelchair and yet his spirit is joyful, Bush said. Moms doing fine. Shes shrinking, and as she does, her voice gets louder. But shes a, shes a piece of work is what she is. Bush has been reclusive since leaving office, but said he wrote the book and is publicizing it to raise money for veterans and to draw attention to the invisible wounds many of them suffer. I think when you read [their stories] youll be moved by stories of courage, injury, recovery willingness to help others, he said. Ive got a platform its not as big as it once was and I intend to use it to help our veterans for the rest of my life, and this is one way to do so. Humana Inc., one of the nations largest health insurers, will stop selling Obamacare health plans next year, the company announced Tuesday. The move threatens to rattle jittery insurance markets and further complicate Republicans push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The company attributed its action to mounting losses caused by sicker-than-expected consumers. It is the first major insurer to pull back completely amid the mounting uncertainty over the GOPs still undefined healthcare plans, though other leading health plans have exited marketplaces over the last year, citing losses. Humanas move will also probably mean that some 150,000 policy holders in 11 states where Humana sells Obamacare plans will have to switch carriers in 2018; some may be left without any alternative. Advertisement Humana, based in Louisville, Ky., is a relatively small player in the Obamacare marketplaces, which are expected to serve about 11 million people this year. They were never deeply committed to this market, said Gerald Kominski, director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, noting that Humanas decision was not unexpected. The company does not offer plans on Covered California, widely considered one of the most stable marketplaces in the country. And Humanas exit should not affect customers in most parts of the country. But the company is a leading source of coverage in some regions, including Tennessee, which has one of the shakiest markets. The pullout will leave no insurer in 16 Tennessee counties in 2018, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, which is tracking marketplace participation. The marketplaces, a pillar of the healthcare law, allow Americans who do not get coverage through an employer to shop for plans that must meet basic standards. They cannot turn away patients who are sick. Low- and moderate-income consumers can qualify for government subsidies to offset the cost of their premiums. There have been widespread concerns over the last year that the markets could collapse as insurers raised premiums sharply in the face of more costly than expected patients. Many experts, including leading insurance industry officials, do not believe such a collapse is inevitable. And enrollment for 2017 appears to be holding relatively steady compared with last year. But like other analysts, Kominski said Humanas decision will introduce another degree of uncertainty. There were already signs Tuesday that it was contributing to the escalating partisan firestorm over the future of the 2010 healthcare law. President Trump quickly cast Humanas exit as evidence the law is faltering, an argument he and other Republicans have been trying to make to bolster their struggling repeal campaign. Obamacare continues to fail. Humana to pull out in 2018. Will repeal, replace & save healthcare for ALL Americans, Trump wrote in a tweet posted Tuesday evening. Democrats countered that the Trump administration and its Republican allies on Capitol Hill were responsible for the rising instability in insurance markets. Congressional Republicans reckless and irresponsible plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act is already taking healthcare away from the American people and causing confusion and instability in the insurance market, said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). Anyone losing access to their insurance has only President Trump and congressional Republicans to blame. Humana Chief Executive Bruce Broussard in a conference call Tuesday with analysts said the company had made repeated changes to the policies it offered on the marketplaces including raising the price of premiums to try to make them a sustainable business. The company, which is recovering from a failed merger with fellow insurance giant Aetna, had found new problems with the recent sign-ups for 2017, he said. That included having too many enrollees who are older and sicker and are expected to have high claims. We are again seeing signs of an unbalanced risk pool based on the results of the 2017 open enrollment period, Broussard said. Therefore weve decided that we cant continue to offer this coverage in 2018. Humana executives said they expected to lose an estimated $45 million on the policies offered on the exchanges in 11 states this year. In 2015, the company reported overall profit of nearly $1.3 billion. Company officials said Tuesday that all customers who had signed up for a Humana policy for 2017 would have coverage the entire year. noam.levey@latimes.com @noamlevey With congressional Republicans struggling to develop an Obamacare alternative, the Trump administration is taking steps on its own to loosen government regulation of the nations health insurance markets, a longtime conservative goal. Administration officials said the moves which were detailed in proposed regulations released Wednesday are necessary to stabilize Obamacare marketplaces that have been shaken over the last year by rising premiums and insurer exits. But the Trump administrations moves to relax rules on insurers appear likely to shift additional medical costs onto patients by promoting higher-deductible health plans. Advertisement The proposed regulations also set the stage for potential reductions in government aid to low- and moderate-income consumers, another policy favored by GOP leaders, including Trumps new Health and Human Services secretary, Tom Price, a fierce advocate for reduced federal healthcare spending. The moves drew criticism from many consumer and patient advocates worried that the Trump administration is undermining key protections established by the Affordable Care Act. Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Societys advocacy arm, warned that the new rules could make essential medical care harder to find for many needy patients. While American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network appreciates efforts to strengthen the marketplace, those efforts need not weaken access to meaningful health insurance for cancer patients and survivors, he said. The Trump administration has proposed, among other things, to loosen rules that set minimum standards for the size of health plans provider networks and for how much of patients medical bills must be covered. Price, who took over the Health and Human Services Department last week, called the new regulations initial steps in advance of a broader effort to better serve the American people. Insurance industry groups cautiously praised the proposal, which the Blue Cross Blue Shield Assn. said would help stabilize the current individual market and are a good start toward improving the functioning of the marketplace. The Trump administration began working on the new regulations soon after the inauguration amid rising anxiety about the future of insurance marketplaces established by the 2010 healthcare law. The state-based marketplaces, a centerpiece of the law, allow Americans who dont get coverage through an employer to shop for plans that must meet basic standards. Insurers cannot turn away patients who are sick. And low- and moderate-income consumers can qualify for government subsidies to offset the cost of their premiums. About 11 million people current rely on the marketplaces. And surveys suggest that most consumers are happy with their coverage, even though some face very high premiums. But the high number of costly, sick customers who enrolled in coverage surprised many insurers, prompting some to dramatically raise premiums this year or exit the marketplaces altogether. That has prompted calls from industry officials for new rules to stabilize the marketplaces. The Obama administration was considering some, and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton indicated that she too wanted to take steps to get more young, healthy people to enroll in the marketplaces. Some of the Trump administrations proposals outlined in a highly technical, 71-page proposed regulation reflect ideas that have been under discussion since before the November election. These include tightening the rules for when people can sign up for coverage. Insurers have complained for years that too many consumers have been gaming the system and signing up for coverage only after they get sick. Under the proposed new rules, people will be allowed to sign up outside the annual enrollment period only if they can prove they qualify because of a life-changing event, such as a move or the loss of a job. Similar standards exist in most employer-provided health plans. The administration is also proposing to cut next years open-enrollment period from three months to six weeks. The Trump administration is pushing other proposals, many favored by the insurance industry, that loosen key standards that health plans must now meet. For example, under current regulations, insurers must offer plans that cover a minimum share of patients medical expenses. A silver plan one of four categories of plans available on marketplaces must currently cover between 68% and 72% of patients anticipated medical costs. But the Trump administration is proposing that these plans could cover as little as 66% of patients expenses. The administration said this change would allow insurers to design more affordable health plans. We anticipate that this flexibility could encourage healthier consumers to enroll, the proposed regulation states. But this change, though seemingly small, could allow larger deductibles that leave patients with a bigger share of their medical bills. The Trump administration acknowledged the looser rules could make patients pay more. The proposed change could reduce the value of coverage for consumers, which could lead to more consumers facing increases in out-of-pocket expenses, the rule notes. Loosening regulations has been a key goal of Price and other Republicans, who have argued that doing so will lead to lower premiums and more choices for consumers. Lower-cost health plans that cover less also could affect the value of government aid that is available to low- and moderate-income shoppers. That is because subsidies are pegged to the cost of less expensive plans available on the marketplaces. If those plans drop even further, the subsidies would be reduced as well. That prompted analysts at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning Washington think tank, to warn Tuesday that many consumers could soon face a difficult dilemma. The rule would force millions of families to choose between higher premiums and worse coverage, analysts concluded. noam.levey@latimes.com @noamlevey ALSO Republicans divided over whether millions of Americans should lose government-subsidized health coverage Trump and the GOP are charging forward with Obamacare repeal, but few are eager to follow Rolling out Obamacare was chaotic, but a repeal could be much worse Trashing the Paris Agreement made for a great campaign prop at Donald Trumps rallies, where the climate change accord was portrayed as a product of the out-of-touch, insufferable elites that Trump pledged to sweep from power. Now the landmark agreement, signed under President Obama, is fast becoming a nuisance for President Trumps White House. It is putting the president under increasing pressure from places he may not have expected. His own secretary of State appears to see little upside in the president following through on the signature campaign vow to scrap it. His ambassador to the United Nations is hedging. And titans of industries that Trump promised would be unleashed to create new jobs once freed from the agreements constraints are openly hostile to Trumps plan to put it through the shredder. Advertisement Even the American Coal Council has yet to muster a tepid cheer for Trumps denunciations of the United Nations-sponsored climate plan. As for the power companies Trump warned would be forced by Paris to raise their rates trillions of dollars? Their trade group, the Edison Electric Institute, doesnt even have a position on the agreement. The reticence toward Trumps tough talk about the nearly 200-nation accord reflects how much has changed in perceptions of the global warming threat since the White House was last occupied by a president disdainful of international efforts to contain it. CEOs have grown more panicked about the impact global warming will have on business stability than the cost of confronting it. And it is not just Ben and Jerrys types that have already invested a tremendous amount in redirecting their entire business model to account for climate. Outside the confines of Trump campaign rallies, the offices of a few free market think tanks and the tea party stalwarts in Congress, the broader consensus is that abandoning Paris wont save trillions of dollars, as Trump promised, but hurt the economy. Exxon Mobil is all in on Paris, which aims to contain global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial-age levels; so are DuPont, Unilever and Monsanto, the multinational genetically engineered food juggernaut that often tangles with the environmental movement. Half of the companies on the Fortune 500 already have greenhouse gas reduction plans in place. This is directly related to our business, said Gabriela Burian, director of global sustainable agriculture at Monsanto. We need to provide solutions while farmers are facing climate change. Monsanto is on track to be carbon neutral by 2021 and has long accepted as fact something the Trump administration has not: that absent swift action, human-induced climate change could be catastrophic for business. It was among the more than 745 companies and big investors that signed a post-election letter expressing full support for the accord. The signatories collectively employ more than 1.8 million Americans. Many Republican heavyweights are meanwhile sending a clear signal to the White House that their dislike of the Clean Power Plan the Obama administrations blueprint for meeting Americas obligations under the climate pact should not be confused with support for Trumps repudiation of all climate action. A group of GOP gurus that includes former Secretaries of State James A. Baker and George P. Shultz, former Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, and lead economic advisors for Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush visited the White House last week to implore the administration to approach climate policy the way it appears to be dealing with Obamacare. Repealing the Obama climate plan and replacing it with nothing, they warned, is a perilous path. The group lobbied for a tax on carbon, a climate change solution long championed by economists across political boundaries and one this particular group noted would enable the United States to meet the obligations laid out in Paris. The risks are too great to ignore, Baker, a longtime climate skeptic himself, said of climate change. We need some sort of insurance policy. The Paris accord doesnt set particularly onerous standards on U.S. emissions. The boom in natural gas production, plunging prices of wind and solar power and evolution of energy-efficient technologies along with the embrace of sustainability by American businesses has the U.S. well on its way to meeting its goals under the pact. Unlike Obamas Clean Power Plan, which sets very strict rules for how electric plants can operate, the accord is a broader pledge to take a leadership role in the climate fight. If we dont decide to participate, it is still moving forward, said Gina McCarthy, who ran the Environmental Protection Agency when Obama signed the accord. We are simply going to cede those opportunities to other countries. China has already made clear it is prepared to step into the breach, reaffirming its commitment last month at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where President Xi Jinping unveiled a plan to invest $360 billion in renewables and suspend production of 101 coal plants. Donald Trump is used to winning things, not walking away like a scalded dog, said Bob Inglis, a former GOP congressman from South Carolina. Leaving a very hard won international agreement on the table so China can lead the world would be a strange look. Trump may opt to leave the agreement in place and instead move to aggressively erase the federal emissions rules it inspired. But that approach is certain to generate more blowback than Trump may have anticipated. The reason the Paris accord got signed is because so many companies wanted this, said Andrew Hoffman, professor at University of Michigans Ross School of Business. They are moving on this stuff, and the policies of one administration are not going to radically shift their direction. The companies want to operate on a level playing field, with predictable rules. In some cases, major investors have threatened to pull their money out of firms that hedge on climate action; firms, in turn, are looking to government to guide them in their efforts. When Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich recently blocked his state legislatures plan to suspend green energy mandates, Nestle, Whirlpool and Gap sent a public thank-you note lauding his courage and conviction. Trump still may move to scrap the Paris agreement. Some in Washington suspect he is waiting until his nominee to lead the EPA, climate skeptic Scott Pruitt, gets confirmed. But it hasnt gone without notice that the frenetic new administration has waited this long. Maybe this isnt as big a bogeyman to them as other things are, said Mindy Lubber, president of Ceres, a large coalition of businesses and nonprofits engaged in climate advocacy. They know how to take immediate action. They arent taking it. Times Staff Writer Chris Megerian contributed to this report from Sacramento. evan.halper@latimes.com Follow me: @evanhalper Michael Flynns ouster as President Trumps national security advisor over his postelection conversations about sanctions with Russias ambassador did not unfold with the cold efficiency of typical Trump axings on reality TV. Trump was warned weeks ago that Flynn had misled White House officials about his phone calls with Russian envoy Sergey Kislyak, but the president took no action until an eroding level of trust and a series of other questionable incidents prompted him to act, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday. Nor did Flynns forced resignation late Monday night, after a weekend of conflicting signals from the White House, end the broader drama over Trump and Russia. Advertisement Instead, Trumps decision to jettison Flynn after only 24 days in office has deepened questions about current and former Trump aides dealings with Moscow and about Trumps often-stated pledge to forge closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, an autocrat most U.S. lawmakers consider an implacable foreign adversary. Almost since he launched his insurgent presidential campaign two years ago, Trump and several key advisors, including Flynn, have been dogged by allegations of murky ties to Putins government that seemed to produce favors for both sides. They included a push by Trumps campaign aides at the Republican National Convention last summer to water down GOP criticism of Russias armed intervention in Ukraine and revelations that Trumps former campaign chairman had lobbied for a pro-Russia strongman. More importantly, Moscow apparently tried to help Trump in return. Last month, before Trump took office, the top U.S. intelligence agencies publicly assessed that the Kremlins leaders had used hacked emails and other tactics in a deliberate effort to help Trump win in November. Trump has consistently denied getting any Russian help or of being in debt to Russian banks or oligarchs for his real estate empire. He also angrily denied unproven salacious allegations in a widely circulated dossier, produced by a former British intelligence officer, that said he could be blackmailed to do Moscows bidding. But Trump has lavishly praised Putin in speeches and on Twitter, and dismissed warnings even from other Republicans of getting too close to the Russian leader who has aligned with Iran in the war in Syria, seized Crimea at gunpoint and threatened NATO allies in Eastern and Central Europe. Flynns departure only worsened this split within Trumps party, as more Republicans joined Democrats on Tuesday in calling for a broad congressional inquiry into Moscows attempts to influence the 2016 presidential election as well as its relations with Flynn and other Trump advisors. I think that we should look into it exhaustively so that at the end of this process, nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday in an interview with KTRS, a St. Louis radio station. With Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, Trump can still count on GOP leaders running interference for him, at least for now. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) dismissed Democrats calls for an independent commission with broad powers to probe deeper into links between Russia and Trumps team. The congressional inquiries parallel a separate FBI investigation of possible contacts between Trump associates and Russia. It was this investigation that led FBI agents to question Flynn shortly after Trumps inauguration about his phone calls with Kislyak, on which the U.S. had eavesdropped as part of routine monitoring of the Russian diplomat. The multiple unfolding investigations will make it difficult for Trump to pivot away from questions about his links to Moscow, adding to the turmoil in a White House battling a series of self-inflicted errors on immigration, ethics and other issues. It will also be harder for Trump to fulfill his stated goal of joining forces with Putin to defeat Islamic State, a plan that the Pentagon and intelligence agencies already view with considerable skepticism given Moscows record in Syria, where Russian-backed forces have repeatedly bombed schools, hospitals and other civilian targets. What seems to be the case is that Russia for quite some time has invested in Donald Trump or the people around him, said Derek Chollet, a former Obama administration official who now is executive vice president of the German Marshall Fund, a Washington think tank. We just dont know the truth. As long as those questions are out there, it has a corrosive effect. For now, the turmoil has pushed the White House to finally do what Trump had previously declined to: harshly criticize Russias activities in Ukraine and demand that Russia withdraw from Crimea. President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea, Spicer told reporters Tuesday. At the same time, he fully expects to and wants to get along with Russia. The jettisoning of Flynn closely resembled Trumps decision last August to fire Paul Manafort, his first campaign chairman, after disclosures that Manaforts consulting firm had lobbied for former Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovichs ruling party. Although the Manafort firms work for Yanukovich, a Putin ally who took refuge in Russia after he was forced from office in 2014, was widely known, it wasnt until August that Trump removed him and elevated Stephen K. Bannon, a pugilistic conservative-media honcho who is now one of his closest White House aides. Trump last month appeared to deflect any more questions about his supposed ties to Russia after a 35-page dossier of supposedly compromising personal information was made public in January by BuzzFeed. Most of the material could not be proved. Trump angrily castigated the dossier as fake news and blamed U.S. intelligence agencies for leaking it an untrue accusation that heightened the already testy relationship between the president-elect and the intelligence community. But with the FBI and congressional committees still investigating any potentially improper ties to Moscow, the Trump White House now faces the possibility that other credible details like the transcripts of Flynns calls to the Russian diplomat will dribble out, keeping the young administration on the defensive. Democrats say they plan to press for more details about whether Flynn told Kislyak in December that Trump would review or even remove the economic sanctions that President Obama imposed on Moscow in retaliation for intervening in the U.S. election. A former senior intelligence official familiar with the transcripts said Flynn urged the ambassador not to overreact to the sanctions, warning that any Russian retaliation would make it harder for the Trump administration to ease the pressure when it took office in a few weeks. Rep. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in an interview that he was seeking transcripts of Flynns conversations with Kislyak, which were recorded by U.S. intelligence. Schiff said he hoped to learn whether Flynn was acting alone or possibly on behalf of Trump, which the White House has denied. I think Trump has a lot of explaining to do, Schiff said. david.cloud@latimes.com Twitter: @davidcloudLAT ALSO The view from Moscow: Flynn a victim of Russophobia Timeline: What we know about the events leading to Michael Flynns resignation Its Week 4 of Trumps presidency. Were keeping track of the major events Less than a month in to the new administration, President Trumps national security advisor, Gen. Michael Flynn, has resigned after admitting that he misled his White House colleagues, including Vice President Mike Pence, about conversations hed had with Russias ambassador to Washington. In those conversations, officials say, Flynn discussed sanctions that the Obama administration had imposed on Russia to punish Moscow for its interference in the U.S. election. Those conversations could have violated the Logan Act, which prevents unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign governments in relation to disputes or controversies. The law, however, which was enacted in the 1790s, has never been used to prosecute anyone. Heres the timeline of events leading up to Flynns resignation: Advertisement Nov. 18: Trump names Flynn as his choice for national security advisor. The decision was controversial from the start. Flynn had attended a lavish dinner in Moscow in 2015 at which he sat next to President Vladimir Putin and also received a speaking fee from a Russian television network that U.S. officials consider a propaganda outlet. Trump names Flynn as his choice for national security advisor. The decision was controversial from the start. Flynn had attended a lavish dinner in Moscow in 2015 at which he sat next to President Vladimir Putin and also received a speaking fee from a Russian television network that U.S. officials consider a propaganda outlet. Dec. 6: Trumps transition team cuts ties with Flynns son, who had spread false stories on Twitter. Trumps transition team cuts ties with Flynns son, who had spread false stories on Twitter. Dec. 29: The Obama administration imposes sanctions on Russia in retaliation for Russias hacking of the Democratic National Committee in the summer and other efforts to interfere with the U.S. election. Flynn contacts Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak several times that day, including more than one telephone call. (White House officials initially said the calls were made the previous day, but later corrected themselves.) The Obama administration imposes sanctions on Russia in retaliation for Russias hacking of the Democratic National Committee in the summer and other efforts to interfere with the U.S. election. Flynn contacts Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak several times that day, including more than one telephone call. (White House officials initially said the calls were made the previous day, but later corrected themselves.) Dec. 30: Putin says he will not retaliate against the U.S. sanctions, surprising the Obama administration. Trump praises Putin. Putin says he will not retaliate against the U.S. sanctions, surprising the Obama administration. Trump praises Putin. Early January: Intelligence officials, looking for clues to why Putin decided not to retaliate, discover Flynns conversations with Kislyak, whose communications the U.S. government routinely monitor. Intelligence officials, looking for clues to why Putin decided not to retaliate, discover Flynns conversations with Kislyak, whose communications the U.S. government routinely monitor. Jan. 11: At a news conference, Trump denies that he has ties with Russia. At a news conference, Trump denies that he has ties with Russia. Jan. 12: Washington Post columnist David Ignatius first reports on Flynns contacts with Kislyak. What did Flynn say, he asks, and did it undercut the U.S. sanctions? Washington Post columnist David Ignatius first reports on Flynns contacts with Kislyak. What did Flynn say, he asks, and did it undercut the U.S. sanctions? Jan. 13: Trump transition spokesman Sean Spicer denies that Flynn and Kislyak discussed sanctions. Trump transition spokesman Sean Spicer denies that Flynn and Kislyak discussed sanctions. Jan. 15: Vice President-elect Mike Pence, in an interview on CBS Face the Nation, denies that Flynn discussed sanctions with Kislyak. The timing was strictly coincidental, Pence said. What I can confirm, having spoken to him about it, is that those conversations ... had nothing whatsoever to do with those sanctions. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, in an interview on CBS Face the Nation, denies that Flynn discussed sanctions with Kislyak. The timing was strictly coincidental, Pence said. What I can confirm, having spoken to him about it, is that those conversations ... had nothing whatsoever to do with those sanctions. Jan. 20: Trump is inaugurated. Trump is inaugurated. Jan. 22: Flynn is sworn in as national security advisor. Flynn is sworn in as national security advisor. Between Jan. 22 and Jan. 26: The FBI interviews Flynn about his contacts with Kislyak. The FBI interviews Flynn about his contacts with Kislyak. Jan. 23: Spicer, now White House press secretary, tells reporters at the daily news briefing that he had talked with Flynn the night before about the calls with Kislyak and that there had been no discussion of sanctions. Spicer, now White House press secretary, tells reporters at the daily news briefing that he had talked with Flynn the night before about the calls with Kislyak and that there had been no discussion of sanctions. Jan. 26: Acting Atty. Gen. Sally Yates tells White House Counsel Donald McGahn that Flynn and Kislyak had discussed the sanctions and that Flynn, having misled Pence and others, might be subject to Russian blackmail. McGahn briefs Trump. Acting Atty. Gen. Sally Yates tells White House Counsel Donald McGahn that Flynn and Kislyak had discussed the sanctions and that Flynn, having misled Pence and others, might be subject to Russian blackmail. McGahn briefs Trump. Feb. 8: Flynn, responding to questions from the Washington Post, once again flatly denies any discussions with Kislyak about sanctions. Flynn, responding to questions from the Washington Post, once again flatly denies any discussions with Kislyak about sanctions. Feb. 9: A spokesperson for Flynn retracts that denial, saying he does not remember talking about the sanctions, but cant be 100% sure. A spokesperson for Flynn retracts that denial, saying he does not remember talking about the sanctions, but cant be 100% sure. Feb 9: Pence discovers for the first time, from a Washington Post article, that Flynn had misled him, his spokesman confirms. Pence subsequently learns that Trump had known about Flynns deception since Jan. 26, but hadnt told him. Pence discovers for the first time, from a Washington Post article, that Flynn had misled him, his spokesman confirms. Pence subsequently learns that Trump had known about Flynns deception since Jan. 26, but hadnt told him. Feb. 10: Trump, asked by reporters on Air Force One, says he is not familiar with the Post report. Trump, asked by reporters on Air Force One, says he is not familiar with the Post report. Feb 10: White House officials say Flynn has called Pence to apologize for misleading him. White House officials say Flynn has called Pence to apologize for misleading him. Feb. 12 : White House official Stephen Miller, dispatched by the administration to appear on several Sunday TV interview programs, declines to say whether Trump has confidence in Flynn. : White House official Stephen Miller, dispatched by the administration to appear on several Sunday TV interview programs, declines to say whether Trump has confidence in Flynn. Feb. 13, about 4 p.m. EST: Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway says Flynn has Trumps full confidence. Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway says Flynn has Trumps full confidence. Feb. 13, about 5 p.m. EST: Spicer says Trump is evaluating the situation. Spicer says Trump is evaluating the situation. Feb. 13, about 9:30 p.m. EST: The Post and the New York Times disclose that Yates had warned the White House about Flynns conversations. The Post and the New York Times disclose that Yates had warned the White House about Flynns conversations. Feb. 13, 11 p.m. EST: White House announces Flynns resignation. Officials say he chose to step down. White House announces Flynns resignation. Officials say he chose to step down. Feb. 14: Spicer says at the daily news briefing that the White House has been investigating Flynns conduct for more than two weeks and that he had been fired because of an eroding level of trust. Spicer says at the daily news briefing that the White House has been investigating Flynns conduct for more than two weeks and that he had been fired because of an eroding level of trust. Feb. 14: Several hours after Spicers briefing, Pence spokesman Marc Lotter says that the vice president became aware of incomplete information that hed received on February 9 last Thursday night based on media accounts. He did an inquiry based on those media accounts. colleen.shalby@latimes.com Twitter: @cshalby As the healthcare vote looms, Trump sees opposition from conservatives, both on Capitol Hill and in the media By Kurtis Lee Its a really important vote in President Trumps fledgling first term. Will House Republicans pass a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act a promise from Trump on the campaign trail or reject it? (House Speaker Paul D. Ryan rushed to the White House on Friday morning for a last-minute meeting with Trump as both attempted to corral enough votes.) Trump spent much of the week trying to win support from members of the Freedom Caucus, among the most conservative lawmakers, some of whom are holdouts because they believe the bill does not go far enough. After seven horrible years of ObamaCare (skyrocketing premiums & deductibles, bad healthcare), this is finally your chance for a great plan! Trump tweeted Friday. But even some in conservative media arent all that thrilled about the bill. Here are some of Fridays headlines: Polls: Ryancare even more unpopular than Obamacare and Hillarycare (Breitbart) So, its been clear in recent weeks that the right-wing website Breitbart does not like the new healthcare proposal. The news site has dubbed the current bill Obamacare-lite or Ryancare an homage of sorts to Ryan, who helped craft the legislation and argued it does not go far enough in its overhaul. Most conservatives want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, nicknamed Obamacare, they just differ on what the replacement should look like. For example, some on the far right want to see so-called essential health benefits, such as maternity and newborn care, stripped from the bill.) This piece highlights several of the dismal polls the legislation has received. Among them: A recent Fox News survey that showed 54% oppose the bill, compared with 34% who support it. The article also references an analysis of polling and data by FiveThirtyEight.com, which shows the GOP legislation is more unpopular than Obamacare and President Bill Clintons healthcare reform bill were when they were first introduced. A modest immigration proposal (Weekly Standard) Trumps recent immigration orders have left many immigrants on edge. Through social media and pop-up legal clinics, immigrant rights groups have doled out around-the-clock assistance, as families fear being separated. In this piece, Irwin Stelzer notes that at some point, our border will be secure, resistance to deporting felons will collapse, and we will have accepted the fact that Dreamers will be allowed to stay in this country, probably on a path to citizenship. He lays out his views of immigration reform, citing, among other things, setting an annual immigration limit and adopting a system that has the effect of enriching our citizens by filling that annual quota with immigrants who are likely to increase the well-being of the existing citizenry. Jeff Sessions is Rip Van Winkle on drug policy (American Conservative) Its clear from polls that most Republicans oppose marijuana legalization, while Democrats support it. However, libertarian-leaning Republicans often tend to support legalization. This piece highlights Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions recent comments in opposition to states legalizing pot. The attorney general regurgitates simplistic cliches right out of the 1970s and 1980s about marijuana use. I dont think America is going to be a better place when people of all ages, and particularly young people, are smoking pot, Sessions told reporters on February 26, the author, Ted Galen Carpenter, writes. He adds, Such comments confirm that critics may be right when they label him a drug war dinosaur. He seems either oblivious or scornful about the trend in public opinion regarding marijuana. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print FCC Chairman Pai wants to halt Internet privacy rules before they begin taking effect this week By Jim Puzzanghera (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) The nations new top telecommunications regulator wants to halt tough Internet privacy rules before they begin taking effect this week, arguing they would unfairly impose tougher requirements on broadband providers than on websites and social networks. Privacy advocates and a key Senate Democrat vowed Monday to fight the move as well as a separate effort in Congress to overturn the regulations, which were approved in October on a party-line vote by the Federal Communications Commission when it was controlled by Democrats under President Obama. Following President Trumps inauguration, control of the commission passed to Republicans and Ajit Pai took over as chairman. All actors in the online space should be subject to the same rules, and the federal government shouldnt favor one set of companies over another, a spokesman for Pai said Friday. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump says Hollywoods obsession with him led to best picture Oscar gaffe By Michael A. Memoli (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) President Trump is often loath to accept responsibility when things go wrong, but in the case of Sundays Oscars broadcast, he made an exception. As he explained it Monday, it was Hollywoods obsession with attacking him that contributed to the botched best picture announcement, calling the embarrassing episode sad, of course. Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has apologized for the mix-up that led Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway to announce La La Land as the winner of the top Academy Award prize, instead of Moonlight. But in Trumps eyes, the blame falls more broadly on an entertainment industry so preoccupied with politics that they didnt get the act together, he told Breitbart News. It took away from the glamour of the Oscars, Trump told a reporter from the website, which was once led by his chief White House strategist, Stephen K. Bannon. It didnt feel like a very glamorous evening. Ive been to the Oscars. There was something very special missing, and then to end that way was sad, he added. The ceremony did contain a number of slights at Trump during its telecast, some more subtle than others. Host Jimmy Kimmel openly at one point begged the president to weigh in by tweeting at him. Trump spent part of Sunday night hosting a black-tie dinner at the White House honoring the nations governors, who were visiting Washington for their annual winter meeting. But it appears from excerpts of the Breitbart interview that he may have spent at least part of the evening watching. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Justice Department shifts course in closely watched Texas voter ID case By Del Quentin Wilber The Trump administration has scaled back its assault on a strict Texas voter identification law that federal courts have ruled discriminated against minorities, portending a shift in how the Justice Department plans to pursue allegations of voter suppression. The government revealed its decision in court papers filed in federal court Monday, dealing a blow to civil rights advocates who have relied on federal support to help them knock down the controversial Texas statute. Its a very concerning signal to American voters about the Department of Justices commitment to enforcing the Voting Rights Act, said Danielle Lang, deputy director of the voting rights unit of the Campaign Legal Center, which is suing Texas in the case. The administrations partial retreat in the dispute highlights how Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, a conservative Republican who has championed voter identification measures, is expected to handle such cases. The Obama administration had joined civil rights groups in aggressively challenging the Texas law and other such measures around the country. At issue in the case was how the Justice Department would proceed in a federal lawsuit that alleged the Texas legislature discriminated against minority voters when it enacted the strict voter identification law in 2011. Known as SB 14, the measure requires voters to present a specific form of government-issued photo identification - such as a drivers license, military ID card, U.S. passport or citizenship certificate - to be permitted to cast a ballot. The Obama administration and civil rights groups argued the state pushed the law, in part, to suppress the power of the states minority voters, who frequently dont drive or have a passport. State officials and lawmakers countered that the law was aimed at preventing voter fraud, though there is scant evidence that the problem exists. The law was challenged in court by civil rights groups and the Justice Department under provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was intended to help overcome legal barriers erected at the local and state level to keep African-Americans from the polls. Last July, a federal appeals court ruled that the Texas law had a discriminatory impact on minority voters. It told U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos to craft a temporary remedy in time for the November elections. Ramos subsequently ordered Texas to permit voters to present other forms of documentation to verify their identities. The judges order is expected to remain in force until she imposes a permanent remedy or Texas addresses the judges concerns. According to the court papers filed Monday, the Justice Department will continue to work with civil rights groups to address those issues but will seek to withdraw from another important aspect of the suit. In the same decision that found the Texas law had a discriminatory impact, the appeals court reversed Ramos finding that Texas legislators had intended to harm minority voters. It ordered Ramos to reconsider the evidence of that finding. If the judge determines discriminatory intent in crafting the voter ID requirements, she could throw out the entire law. Civil rights groups will continue to press that claim. In its court filing, the Justice Department asked Ramos to permit it to withdraw its claim that Texas acted with intent, arguing that it is best to give the Texas legislature time to address the matter. With the loss of their key ally in court, civil rights groups will argue on their own in an effort to prove that Texas acted with a discriminatory purpose in passing the law. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. Voting advocates complained that the Trump administration was backing away from a key safeguard of voting rights. The Justice Department decision defies rationality and stands diametrically opposed to positions they have taken at every stage of this litigation, Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement. This reversal of position was taken despite years of work and effort that the government has invested in fighting the Texas Voter ID law, one of the most discriminatory voting restriction of its kind. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement House Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes warns against witch hunt over Trump-Russia ties By Sarah D. Wire House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) talks to reporters about his committees Russia investigation. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes said on Monday he has seen no evidence from the intelligence community that there was contact between Russia and the Trump campaign. I want to be very careful, we cant just go on a witch hunt against Americans because they appear in a news story, said Nunes (R-Tulare). We still dont have any evidence of them talking to Russia. He said the committee has been briefed on the highlights of what the intelligence community has found, but is still collecting evidence. The committees ranking Democrat, Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), quickly responded, saying the committees investigation is in its infancy and its too soon to reach conclusions about the evidence. We havent obtained any of the evidence yet, so its premature for us to be saying weve reached any conclusion about the issue of collusion, Schiff said. The most that weve had are private conversations, the chair and I with intelligence officials. Thats not a substitute for an investigation. The House and Senate Select Intelligence Committees are conducting separate investigations into Russias reported attempts to influence voters in 2016 in an effort to curtail Hillary Clintons chances and boost Donald Trumps. A leaked U.S. intelligence report on the attempts did not look at whether the effort succeeded. The House committee has expanded a previous ongoing investigation of Russia cyberhacking to include a look at efforts to interfere in the 2016 election, Nunes told reporters Monday. Though it is still in its early stages the leaders of the committee are still discussing the investigations scope Nunes said he expects the findings to be made public. Schiff and Nunes spoke separately to reporters Monday. Schiff said the two agreed privately that they would jointly address reporters about the investigation going forward. Nunes, who served as a member of Trumps transition team, said he continues to be concerned about leaks of classified and sensitive information from the White House and intelligence communities. The leaks one of which resulted in a report about the FBI investigating Trump campaign officials will be part of the committees investigation. A government cant function with massive leaks at the highest level, Nunes said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Appeals court denies Justice Department request to put appeal of travel ban on hold By Jaweed Kaleem (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the Justice Departments request to pause proceedings in an appeal of President Trumps travel ban. The court in a filing Monday said its schedule for the governments appeal of a lower courts halt on the travel ban will proceed, with the first brief due to the appeals court on March 10. In early February, the Justice Department appealed a Seattle-based federal district judges order blocking enforcement of Trumps executive action. which established a series of immigration and refugee restrictions aimed at preventing potential terrorists from entering the country. Last week, government lawyers asked the appeals court to stop proceedings in the case because the president planned to issue a new executive order and rescind the original one. A three-judge panel of the court previously denied a request from the government to reverse a nationwide stay on the travel ban. The same panel on Monday ruled that the appeal will proceed. Trump has said he will sign a new executive order tailored to deal with court decisions that have largely gone against him. On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said he expected the order to be issued mid-week. Spicer has said Trump wants to fight for the current order while also issuing a new one, but the Justice Department has said in multiple court filings that the the current order will be undone after a new one is issued. The states of Washington and Minnesota, which brought the case in Seattle now under review, have pushed for courts to move forward on a review of the constitutional issues. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print No random ICE stops on streets of America, Homeland Security chief tells governor By Lisa Mascaro Gov holds closing media briefing on Capitol Hill to wrap up @NatlGovsAssoc Winter Meeting. pic.twitter.com/3mZMBA4S0o Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) February 27, 2017 President Trump received some unsolicited advice at dinner with the nations governors when Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe told him he needs to do a better job explaining his policies regarding deportations. McAuliffe, a Democrat and chairman of the National Governors Assn., told the president that there has been a chilling effect going on as businesses stay away from his state and as immigrants fear being rounded up. If theyre not going to be deported, we need to hear that from the president, McAuliffe said, recounting his conversation from the governors Sunday night dinner with Trump. What I told the president is these actions are hurting us. McAuliffe, a longtime ally of Hillary Clinton, said Trump agreed in large part. McAuliffe also met privately with Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, and said the secretary assured him during an hourlong talk that Trumps enforcement actions were only targeting criminals -- despite widespread reports of otherwise law-abiding immigrants being detained for being in the U.S. illegally. He assured me there will be no random ICE stops on the streets of the United States of America, McAuliffe said, referring to the raids being conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. If thats the case, McAuliffe said, Trumps policy does not sound much different than the operations under former President Obama, whose administration deported more immigrants than its predecessors. Obama, however, explicitly put a priority on deportations of criminals, a distinction the Trump administration has done away with as part of the presidents executive action. My advice to him was he needs to let the American public know what theyre doing, McAuliffe said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump: I havent called Russia in 10 years By Brian Bennett President Trump rejected calls for an independent investigation of his ties to Russia, telling a group of business leaders Monday that he hasnt called Russia in a decade. At the start of a White House meeting with healthcare executives, a reporter asked Trump whether a special prosecutor should be assigned to investigate allegations of Russian meddling during the election. In response, Trump mouthed the word no to the executives. As reporters were led out of the room, Trump said: I havent called Russia in 10 years. Democratic lawmakers have ramped up their calls for additional investigations into allegations that Trump allies had been in contact with Russian officials during the election and inappropriately discussed U.S. sanctions against the Moscow regime during the transition. White House officials have denied reports that Trump associates were frequently in touch with senior Russian intelligence officials during the election. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had authorized an operation to damage Hillary Clintons campaign and tilt the 2016 election in Trumps favor. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump: Nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated By Michael A. Memoli View Twitter post President Trump promised the nations governors Monday that his yet-to-be-revealed replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act would give states greater flexibility and thanked some Republicans in the room who advised him on healthcare. Its an unbelievably complex subject, he said. Nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated. The remark likely surprised state leaders; spending on Medicaid alone was the second-biggest driver of increased state general fund spending, according to the 2016 Fiscal Survey of States conducted by the National Assn. of State Budget Officers. And it was just eight years ago that Washington dove head-first into a raging debate over healthcare reform under President Obama, which simmered long after his signature health law was enacted. But the finer points of healthcare policy are likely new to Trump, who is immersed in discussions with Republican leaders and his senior staff on that and other subjects ahead of his high-profile address Tuesday to a joint session of Congress. Trump offered no hint as to the details. Republicans have vowed to repeal and replace Obamacare, but their effort has stalled as they debate how to do so and await word from the White House on what Trump wants to do. The president seemed keenly aware of the political ramifications of whatever steps he takes. As soon as we touch it, if we do the most minute thing, just a tiny little change, whats going to happen? Theyre going to say its the Republicans problem, Trump said after telling the governors the easiest thing for him to do would be nothing, and, in his view, watch Obamacare collapse. But we have to do whats right because Obamacare is a failed disaster. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump wants to add $54 billion to defense budget while slashing domestic spending and foreign aid By Brian Bennett President Trump is proposing a massive increase in defense spending of $54 billion while cutting domestic spending and foreign aid by the same amount, the White House said Monday. Trumps spending blueprint previewed a major address that he will give Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress, laying out his vision for what he called a public safety and national security budget with a nearly 10% increase in defense spending. We never win a war. We never win. And we dont fight to win. We dont fight to win, Trump said Monday in remarks to the nations governors. So we either got to win or dont fight it at all. Trump noted that the U.S. has spent nearly $6 trillion on fighting wars since the Sept. 11 attacks but said that cutting military spending was not the answer. Instead, the increase he is proposing would be offset by cuts to unspecified domestic programs and to foreign aid, which would in turn be made up for in part by demanding that other countries pay more for security alliances that have historically been underwritten by the U.S. This budget expects the rest of the world to step up in some of the programs that this country has been so generous in funding in the past, an official from the Office of Management and Budget said, demanding anonymity to discuss the presidents spending plans. Foreign aid makes up about 1% of the budget. This budget speaks for itself, the official said. I dont think this budget has anything to do other than putting Americans first. Trumps call for deep cuts to spending at home is likely to set up major battles on Capitol Hill, where Democrats and even House Republicans will likely be reluctant to pass a spending bill that includes such major reductions in programs for their constituents. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump says businesses cant borrow because of Dodd-Frank. The numbers tell another story By Jim Puzzanghera President Trump was preparing the first step in a key campaign promise dismantling the 2010 DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act when he repeated a frequent criticism of the law. We expect to be cutting a lot out of Dodd-Frank because, frankly, I have so many people, friends of mine that had nice businesses, they cant borrow money, Trump told leading corporate chief executives, including Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Larry Fink of money management giant BlackRock Inc., meeting at the White House earlier this month They just cant get any money because the banks just wont let them borrow it because of the rules and regulations in Dodd-Frank, Trump said. Shortly afterward, he ordered a wholesale review of the landmark act, which was passed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. But a main reason for dismantling Dodd-Frank often cited by Trump and critics of the law that its slew of tougher financial regulations have significantly restricted bank lending isnt borne out by the data. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Another Trump nominee withdraws nomination to top national security post due to business interests By W.J. Hennigan Philip M. Bilden, President Trumps pick for Navy secretary, withdrew from consideration late Sunday, becoming the second White House nominee to bail on a top Pentagon position due to problems untangling his financial investments. After an extensive review process, I have determined that I will not be able to satisfy the Office of Government Ethics requirements without undue disruption and materially adverse divestment of my familys private financial interests, Bilden said in a statement. He did not detail the issues but he said he fully supported the presidents agenda to modernize and rebuild our Navy and Marine Corps. Bildens withdrawal comes after billionaire investor Vincent Viola dropped out from becoming Army secretary after he decided his extensive financial holdings would hamper his ability to win Senate confirmation. The White House shot down reports that surfaced two weeks ago that Bilden was considering stepping down. Just spoke with him and he is 100% commited [sic] to being the next SECNAV pending Senate confirm, White House spokesman Sean Spicer tweeted on Feb. 18. Bilden, a venture capitalist and Army veteran, was a surprise selection from Trump but had the backing of Defense Secretary James N. Mattis. This was a personal decision driven by privacy concerns and significant challenges he faced in separating himself from his business interests, Mattis said in a statement. While I am disappointed, I understand and his respect his decision, and know that he will continue to support our nation in other ways. Bilden served ten years in the U.S. Army Reserve as a military intelligence officer from 1986 to 1996. He then co-founded private equity firm HarbourVest Partners LLC and spent 25 years there, mainly in the companys Hong Kong headquarters. He also serves on the board of directors of the United States Naval Academy Foundation and the board of trustees of the Naval War College Foundation. Mattis said he intends on recommending a replacement nominee to Trump in the coming days. The withdrawal marks another setback for Trumps national security team, which has struggled to find its footing since the fledgling administration began. Earlier this month, National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was forced to resign after it became public that he held secret talks with a Russian ambassador and then misled Vice President Mike Pence about it. Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster took the job last week after Trumps first choice to replace Flynn, retired Navy Vice Adm. Robert Harward, passed on the opportunity. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement New DNC chairman Tom Perez ridicules Trump tweet over rigged vote By Laura King Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez was chosen to lead the Democratic Party over a congressman backed by the progressive wing. (Branden Camp / Associated Press) President Trump claimed Sunday that the race for Democratic National Committee chairman had been rigged -- drawing a quick riposte from Tom Perez, who narrowly won the partys leadership race. Trump insinuated that Perezs DNC victory on the second ballot at a party conference in Atlanta on Saturday was because Hillary Clinton had backed Perez, a former Labor secretary in the Obama administration who was seen as representing the partys establishment forces. Clinton did not make a formal endorsement, but Perezs rival, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the partys more liberal wing. Bernies guy, like Bernie himself, never had a chance, Trump tweeted early Sunday morning. Clinton demanded Perez! Perez, appearing on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, told host Jake Tapper that he and Ellison got a good kick out of that, adding: Donald Trump, up in the morning tweeting about us. Sanders, appearing on the same show, said Trump doesnt have a point about the DNC vote. Moments after Perez beat Ellison by 35 votes out of 435 cast, he named Ellison as the deputy chairman of the party, leading to widespread applause. Perez is the first Latino to lead the Democratic Party, and he faces the challenge of trying to rebuild a party that suffered devastating losses in the 2016 election. Republicans now control not only the White House and Congress, but 33 governorships and dozens of state legislatures. In his CNN interview, Perez sarcastically suggested that Trump should address questions about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign rather than concerning himself with the DNC leadership battle. Frankly, what we need to be looking at is whether this election was rigged by Donald Trump and his buddy Vladimir Putin, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House again bats away call for special prosecutor on Russia By Laura King A White House spokeswoman said Sunday that it was too soon to say whether a special prosecutor should look into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, while President Trump again inveighed against coverage of Russia-related queries as FAKE NEWS. Calls have grown louder from Democrats in Congress for U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from the issue because of his role as a prominent Trump supporter during the campaign, and to appoint an independent special prosecutor to carry out a Russia probe. A few Republicans have joined in that chorus some reluctantly. Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista, appearing on HBOs Real Time with Bill Maher, voiced support Friday for naming of a special prosecutor to probe the Russian connection, though he also said congressional intelligence committees should continue their work. He also said he considered Sessions a friend, but pointed to his role as a political appointee who had worked on the Trump campaign. Issa, who narrowly won reelection, was a vociferous critic of the Obama administration during his former tenure as head of the House Oversight Committee. In that post, he spearheaded an array of investigations on topics from Benghazi to bank bailouts. Some Republicans pushed back against the notion of Sessions needing to recuse himself. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on NBCs Meet the Press that he had seen no credible information about contacts between the Trump campaign and Russians and no allegations that rose to the level of criminal activity. If we get down that road, thats a decision that Attorney General Sessions can make at the time, said Cotton, who is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russian intelligence agencies hacked Democratic Party computers and used other tactics last year to interfere with the election. The FBI is separately investigating whether anyone on Trumps campaign had improper contacts with Russian authorities during the campaign. On Sunday, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said congressional investigations on Russia and the campaign should be allowed to go forward before a special prosecutor appointment was considered. I dont think were there yet, Sanders said on ABCs This Week. Lets work through this process. Echoing the previously stated White House stance, Sanders said the Trump campaign had not colluded in any Russian meddling. We had no involvement in this, she said. The president is known to keep a close eye on surrogates performances on the talk shows, and Sanders repeated a prime administration talking point: that questions about possible Trump campaign contacts with Russia amounted to Democratic excuses for losing the election. If Democrats want to continue to relive their loss every single day, by doing an investigation or review after review, thats fine by us, she said. We know why we won this race. Its because we had the better candidate with the better message. Trump himself underscored that notion with an afternoon tweet denouncing media coverage of the ongoing Russia investigations as FAKE NEWS put out by the Dems, and played up by the media, in order to mask the big election defeat and the illegal leaks! Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Whose news is fake? Heres the latest in Trumps war with the press By Kurtis Lee Every president since 1981 has attended the annual White House Correspondents Assn. dinner. That year, President Reagan missed out. The reason? He needed to recover after a would-be assassin fired a bullet into his chest a few weeks earlier. On Saturday, President Trump announced he will not be attending the annual dinner in April, long considered the premier social event of the Washington press corps and typically an evening of good-natured bantering between presidents and the Fourth Estate. Trumps announcement added to the ratcheting tensions between his administration and the media. Almost daily, in speeches or on Twitter, he calls particular news outlets fake, disgusting or dishonest and news organizations have responded by digging in, standing united and devoting more resources to covering a president who has branded the press the enemy. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Crucial group of Americans like Trumps stands, not him, poll finds By David Lauter Trump still gets dismal ratings on temperament but is above water on economy, decision-making, promises of change. pic.twitter.com/Md0H096n9m Carrie Dann (@CarrieNBCNews) February 26, 2017 With the public deeply split in its views of President Trump, one potentially key group stands out -- those who dislike the man, but approve of the direction in which hes moving. Thats a central finding of a new nationwide survey by NBC News and the Wall St. Journal. The new poll confirms what other major surveys have shown: Trump starts his administration with less support than any president in the seven decades of presidential polling. Asked if they approve or disapprove of the job Trump is doing, 44% approve, 48% disapprove. No previous president has begun his tenure with a net negative job approval. Trump has held onto the support of his ardent backers. At the other end of the spectrum, he gets almost no approval from Democrats. In the middle, the poll found, are many Americans -- just over a third of those polled -- who either voted for Trump with reservations, voted for a third party candidate or did not vote at all in 2016. Just over half of that group gives Trump positive marks, the poll found. Their support is enough, currently, to keep Trumps standing from collapsing, and holding them is likely key to his future. Just under one third of Americans say they like Trump and approve of his policies, the poll found. Another one in six approve of most of his policies even though they dislike him. Well over half, 59%, said they did not like him personally. On a separate question, only 43% of those surveyed have a positive view of Trump -- up from the low points of the campaign, but still far below the standing of most new presidents. By contrast, 86% agreed with one of the central lines of Trumps inaugural speech, that government insiders had reaped the rewards of government, while the people have borne the cost. On other issues, the public is more closely divided. The public splits evenly, for example, on Trumps proposed temporary ban on travel from seven mostly Muslim countries. Just over half of those surveyed, 52%, said that the problems Trump has encountered in his first month were unique to this administration and suggest real problems; 43% said they were growing pains similar to those other administrations have had. And by 51%-41%, the public thinks the press has been too hard on the new administration. The NBC/WSJ poll, run by a bipartisan team of two polling firms, was taken by phone, using cell phones and landlines, Feb. 18-22 among 1,000 American adults. It has a margin of error for the full sample of 3.1 percentage points in either direction. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump appears to think Perez at head of Democratic National Committee is good news for Republicans By Evan Halper Congratulations to Thomas Perez, who has just been named Chairman of the DNC. I could not be happier for him, or for the Republican Party! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2017 The Democratic Party put its faith in its old guard Saturday to guide it out of the political wilderness, choosing as its new leader an Obama-era Cabinet secretary over the charismatic congressman backed by the progressive wing of the party. Tom Perez, a former secretary of Labor with strong ties to unions, persuaded the spirited assembly of party delegates in Atlanta that he can best help harness a grass-roots outpouring of anti-Trump protest and anger into a Democratic resurgence at the ballot box. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump to Washington reporters: Not going to your dinner By Kurtis Lee I will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2017 The annual White House Correspondents Assn. dinner will be missing a key guest this year: President Trump. On Saturday, Trump tweeted he will not attend the April 29 dinner, considered the premier social event of the Washington press corps -- and typically an evening of good-natured bantering between presidents and reporters with a mix of celebrities watching. His announcement comes amid growing tensions between his administration and the media. Trump has decried stories he doesnt like as fake news, and described unnamed news groups as an enemy of the people. A day earlier, the White House barred reporters from several major news organizations, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, CNN and Politico, from attending an off-camera press briefing. In a sign of the growing rift, several media organizations that traditionally sponsor lavish parties around the black-tie dinner had announced they would not do so this year. At the annual dinner, the president usually delivers self-deprecating jokes and often is roasted by a high-profile comedian. The president also greets students who win journalism scholarships and awards, a major part of the evening. Trump has been a frequent guest of media organizations at the dinner in the past, but he always sat at a table in the crowded ballroom, not up at the front dias. President Obama singled Trump out during the dinner several years ago, mocking Trump for raising doubts about whether Obama was born in the United States. This year, as we do every year, we will celebrate the First Amendment and the role an independent press plays in a healthy republic, the White House Correspondents Assn. said in a statement earlier this month about the upcoming dinner. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez named Democratic Party leader By Evan Halper Newly elected Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez (Branden Camp/Associated Press) The Democratic Party put its faith in its old guard Saturday to guide it out of the political wilderness, choosing as its new leader an Obama-era Cabinet secretary over the charismatic congressman backed by the progressive wing of the party. Tom Perez, a former secretary of Labor with strong ties to labor unions, persuaded the spirited assembly of party delegates in Atlanta that he can best help harness a grass-roots outpouring of anti-Trump protest and anger into a Democratic resurgence at the ballot box. We are suffering from a crisis of confidence, a crisis of relevance, Perez told delegates before they chose him in a down-to-the-wire contest with Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, whom the Bernie Sanders wing of the party had rallied round. We need a chair who can not only take the fight to Donald Trump. We also need a chair who can lead a turnaround and change the culture of the Democratic Party, Perez said. The ascendance of an establishment liberal is certain to renew tension between veteran party stalwarts and the unruly progressive movement aligned with Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, both of whom backed Ellison. Some Ellison supporters erupted in protest as the final vote was announced. Perez quickly sought to unite the party by naming Ellison his deputy chair, a move unanimously approved by the 435 assembled delegates, who had supported Perez 235-200. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump chastises media for not reporting minor dip in national debt By Del Quentin Wilber President Trump took to Twitter on Saturday morning to blast the news media for not highlighting a minor dip in the national debt. The media has not reported that the National Debt in my first month went down by $12 billion vs a $200 billion increase in Obama first mo., he tweeted at 8:19 a.m. The media has not reported that the National Debt in my first month went down by $12 billion vs a $200 billion increase in Obama first mo. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2017 Trumps tweet came shortly after Herman Cain, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, made a similar comment on Fox News. While the numbers are accurate, Trumps tweet suggests he deserves credit for something that is largely beyond his control, especially since he hasnt yet given Congress any proposals to change tax laws or the financial industry. Considering that Trump hasnt enacted any fiscal legislation, its a bit of a stretch for him to take credit for any changes in debt levels, Dan Mitchell, a libertarian economist at the Cato Institute, told the fact-checking website Politifact. President Obamas first month in office in 2009 was largely taken up with spending bills aimed at easing the massive recession that he had inherited. Trump inherited an economy with low inflation, low unemployment and a booming stock market. The national debt, which stands at just under $20 trillion, is expected to rise by more than $500 billion in the fiscal year ending in September. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Mexico rejects U.S. plan to deport Central Americans to Mexico By Patrick J. McDonnell Mexico has informed the Trump administration that it cannot accept non-Mexican nationals whom U.S. authorities arrest along the border and seek to remove from U.S. territory, the nations internal security chief said Friday. Earlier this week, the Trump administration rolled out a broad immigration crackdown that included a proposal to send non-Mexican detainees apprehended along the U.S.-Mexico border back to Mexico while their immigration cases were pending in the United States. The vast majority of non-Mexican nationals detained along the U.S.-Mexico border are Central Americans. They often travel overland through Mexico to reach the United States. In a fact sheet released Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said that releasing detained, third-country nationals to the foreign contiguous territory from which they arrived would save on detention and adjudication resources. The idea would be to keep them out pending their hearings on deportation, the fact sheet said. However, Mexican authorities have reacted coolly from the outset to the notion. Now, they appear to have formally nixed the idea. On Friday, Mexicos interior secretary, Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, told a radio interviewer than Mexican authorities had informed a pair of visiting U.S. Cabinet officers Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly that Mexico could not oblige the U.S. request. We told them that our legal framework doesnt allow this, Osorio Chong told Radio Formula, referring to the visit this week of the two Trump Cabinet officials. We told them it is impossible. There is no way, legally, nor is there capacity. In recent years, non-Mexicans, mostly Central Americans, have become a larger proportion of illegal immigrants apprehended along the Southwest border as the relative number of Mexican nationals has declined. In fiscal year 2016, according to U.S. Border Patrol statistics, agents recorded apprehensions of almost 191,000 undocumented Mexican citizens along the Southwest frontier. In the same fiscal year, the Border Patrol said it registered 218,000 detentions of non-Mexican nationals, most of them Central Americans. Cecilia Sanchez of The Times Mexico City bureau contributed to this report. An earlier version of this blog post misspelled Miguel Angel Osorio Chongs name as Osorio Chung. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump blasts FBI over Russia leaks after a brief Twitter hiatus By Kurtis Lee (Alex Wong / Getty Images ) After several days of relative silence on Twitter, President Trumps feed came alive Friday with a direct attack on the FBI. Yes, hes done this before. But recent news reports that suggest his administration pressed the FBI to quell claims that members of his campaign had contact with Russians throughout the 2016 election appear to have inspired a response. The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security leakers that have permeated our government for a long time, he tweeted. And conservative news was all over it. Here are some of todays headlines: Trump blasts FBI leakers (Fox News) Trump has assailed everyone from Democrats to intelligence officials for the leaks which he often refers to as fake news about his ties to Russia. Reports from several news outlets this week, citing anonymous sources, claim Trumps chief of staff, Reince Priebus, asked FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to publicly dispute media reports that Trumps campaign advisors frequently were in touch with Russian intelligence agents during the election. While some reports made it appear Priebus had contacted McCabe, this piece disputes that. Fox News has learned that McCabe indeed had initiated the conversation, asking to speak with Priebus for a few minutes at the end of an intelligence meeting last week, their article reports. Ed Schultz at CPAC: Trump promised Americas heartland a deal (Daily Caller) He was once among the top liberal voices in the country. Now, Ed Schultz, the former MSNBC anchor, is speaking glowingly about President Trump. Between covering high-profile speeches at the Conservative Political Action Conference from Trump and his aides, the Daily Caller popped into a panel at which Schultz provided commentary. Shultz, who now works with the Russian government-funded RT television network, blasted the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, asserting that Trumps claim that it would cost U.S. jobs was a game changer in the 2016 election. Trump went into Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin and he took down the progressive firewall, because he talked to the American people about a deal, Schultz said. It was a Wall Street deal, it was not a Main Street deal, he said, referring to the TPP. Trump is about blowing up Washington as it exists (Rush Limbaugh) Remember when Trump talked about draining the swamp? Since he entered the White House, some conservatives have wondered if Trump means business. Many members of his cabinet including Priebus and Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions are the ultimate Washington insiders. Still, Rush Limbaugh, one of the firebrand conservatives out there, is certain the president will blow up traditional Washington. Whats Trumps No. 1 obstacle? I have concluded that the media is the No. 1 obstacle because of the success they have, he said on his radio show this week. The people in Washington, media is every bit as big a part of the establishment as anybody else is. He added: The media is creating this narrative, if you will, and this picture this series of pictures, this overall image that Trump is stalled, that everybodys opposing him, that his agenda is backlogged. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print After Trump calls media an enemy of the people, White House bars many news outlets from briefing By Noah Bierman Fridays White House press briefing, normally an on-camera affair open to all reporters with press credentials, was turned into an exclusive event for certain outlets hand-picked by the administration. The action came after President Trump on Friday described the media and what he terms fake news as the enemy of the people."On the list were Trump-friendly outlets such as Breitbart News, the Washington Times and OANN, a conservative television network that employs former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as a commentator. Off the list were some of Trumps favorite targets, including the New York Times and CNN. The Los Angeles Times was also excluded. The off-camera briefing with Sean Spicer, the press secretary, was not solely for conservative outlets. Several mainstream reporters were also allowed in, including the three major broadcast networks and wire services, such as Bloomberg News. Also allowed in were pool representatives who transmit news events to a far larger group of reporters. The Associated Press and Time magazine were also invited but declined to participate in solidarity with other news organizations that were denied entry. The White House Correspondents Assn. protested, as did editors at several of the organizations that were excluded. In a statement, Times editor Davan Maharaj said that it was unfortunate that the Los Angeles Times has been excluded from a White House press briefing today. The public has a right to know, and that means being informed by a variety of news sources, not just those filtered by the White House press office in hopes of getting friendly coverage, Maharaj said. Regardless of access, The Times will continue to report on the Trump administration without fear or favor, he added. 12:30 p.m.: This post was updated with a statement from Times editor Davan Maharaj. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Its a Russian flag! Trickster strikes CPAC before Trumps speech By Matt Pearce Crowd at CPAC waving these little pro-Trump flags that look exactly like the Russian flag. Staffers quickly come around to confiscate them. pic.twitter.com/YhPpkwFCNc Peter Hamby (@PeterHamby) February 24, 2017 As the crowd waited to hear President Trump speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, little red-white-and-blue flags appeared without warning, handed down the aisles by a man with a green bag, according to a witness. The flags said Trump. They also happened to be the flag of the Russian Federation. He was dressed like any one of us, said Tyler Dever, 20, a student at the University of South Florida in Tampa, who was wearing a suit. He passed them to me and was like, Pass them down, pass them down. Dever, caught up in the moment, passed them down, before someone sitting next to him said, Oh, its a Russian flag! CPAC staff quickly recollected the flags. If it was just a red-white-and-blue flag, I would have picked it out, Dever said. He said it was his first time attending an event like CPAC and was surprised to see a provocateur in the audience, especially beyond the cordon set up by the Secret Service. Someone tried to victimize me, Dever said. You have Secret Service out here, and Id expect it to be fully screened. ... Thank God someone noticed. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump still loves the USC/L.A. Times poll: What it got right and what it got wrong By David Lauter Throughout the fall campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump and his allies loved the USC/L.A. Times Daybreak poll -- the only major survey that consistently showed him winning. A couple polls got it right. I must say Los Angeles Times did a great job, shocking because, you know, they did a great job, Trump declared in his speech this morning at CPAC, the annual gathering of conservative activists. But did the poll get it right? In the simplest terms, no, and after considerble analysis, we know why. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print A celebration, and wake, for a campaign legend and a Republican Party that is no more By Mark Z. Barabak (Steve Lopez/Los Angeles Times) It was a cool and rainy day when elders of the Republican tribe recently gathered to honor one of their own. The honoree, Stuart K. Spencer, was unmistakable in his white duck pants and a lime-green sport coat so bright it almost hurt to see. A reformed chain-smoker, he snapped merrily away on a wad of chewing gum. The event marked Spencers 90th birthday, but the mood beneath the surface conviviality was unsettled and gray, like the clouds fringing the mountains outside. If the occasion was intended as a personal celebration, it also had the feel of a wake for a time in politics long passed. Along with former Vice President Dick Cheney and former California Gov. Pete Wilson, veterans of the Reagan years turned out in force. It was Spencer, more than anyone, who took a political long shot and washed-up B-movie actor and helped transform him into the Reagan of legend. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print CPACs reaction to President Trumps speech: Two thumbs up By Matt Pearce Supporters cheer President Trump as he speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., on Friday. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump loves CPAC, and CPAC loves Trump. As hundreds of Conservative Political Action Conference attendees spilled out into the hallways Friday after Trumps speech to the group, they had glowing reviews of the man who has been tormenting Democrats and the media and transforming the Republican Party. It was fantastic, unbelievable, absolute truth, said Shia L. Lome, 84, a retired Air Force colonel from Deerfield Beach, Fla., appraising Trumps remarks. If he carries through [his promises], this will be the greatest country ever. Lome added that there is no question about it, Trump is his own type of Republican. Whether its conservative or whatever you want to call it, Lome said he is happy as long as [Trump] causes the Democrats heartaches. Kayne Robinson, 73, a former chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, said Trump was simply taking the party in the direction that people want it to go. I think the party is every bit as united behind him as it was behind either of the Bushes, Robinson said. Trump led a revolution in the party, very much like Reagan. ... I think Trump is doing just fine. Frank March, a 50-year-old Army retiree from Fairfax County, Va., emerged from the ballroom at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center wearing a red Make America Great Again cap, which carried Trumps jagged signature on the bill. Marchs daughter had gotten the hat signed when she previously met Trump, and he proudly showed off photos of that event. I recognize the signature! a woman exclaimed as she saw the hat. March praised Trumps follow-through and his commitment to workers as incredible. Hes bringing in new people to the party, March said. The hope is, by his follow-through, doing what he said he was going to do, then the non-Republicans who voted for Trump will stick. Helping workers will be one of the ways Trump can make that happen, he said. In politics, youre supposed to help people, March said. Workers are the people. Theyre people who earn money to take care of their families. Republicans should support those people because theyre the ones who make America run. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Donald Trump shows up at conservatives most prominent gathering and defines a new GOP By Noah Bierman President Trump shows up at conservatives most prominent gathering and defines a new GOP. President Trump made one of his strongest pitches Friday to unite the Republican Party and the conservative movement behind a nationalist, anti-globalist ideology that until recently would have been unthinkable for many Republicans. There is no such thing as a global anthem, a global currency or a global flag, Trump said to great applause from thousands of conservatives. Im not representing the globe. Im representing your country. He echoed ideas he has espoused in the past -- denouncing trade deals as the antithesis of economic freedom, warning that the great cities of Europe have been ruined by mass immigration, denouncing intervention in the Middle East by both parties. But while many of the words were familiar, the venue and the passion made Fridays speech remarkable. The comments came at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, just outside of Washington, D.C., the most prominent gathering of right-leaning groups and activists in the country. Such a speech would have been shocking from a conservative, much less the president, at almost any other time in the conferences history. Trump has been popular at CPAC in the past. He credits a speech there with launching his political career. But he snubbed last years event amid a heated primary in which many conservatives rejected his tone and the direction he was trying to move the GOP. I would have come last year, but I was worried that I would be at that time too controversial, Trump said in his speech, which lasted nearly an hour. Trump, the first president since Ronald Reagan to address the group during his first year in office, made clear that he is moving those once controversial ideas to the movements center. In addition to his usual critiques of the media and frequent references to his electoral success, Trump spoke directly of his ambition for reshaping the Republican Party to attract blue-collar voters, the forgotten men and women who helped propel his electoral victory. Im here today to tell you what this movement means for the future of the Republican Party and for the future of America, Trump said. The core conviction of our movement is that we are a nation that [must] put and will put its own citizens first. Later, he added that the GOP will be from now on also the party of the American worker. While Trump tried to unite conservatives, the speech made little effort to bridge the countrys larger political divide. For example, Trump dismissed people who have shown up at town halls around the country to protest reversal of Obamacare. Theyre not you, he said. Theyre the side that lost. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Justice Department rescinds order phasing out use of private prisons By Del Quentin Wilber Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions has jettisoned an Obama administration order to phase out the use of private prisons to hold federal inmates. The new order reverses one issued by former Deputy Atty. Gen. Sally Yates in August that sought to eliminate the departments use of private for-profit prisons, which hold just over 10% of the current prison population. The Obama administration order changed long-standing policy and practice, and impaired the bureaus ability to meet the future needs of the federal correctional system, Sessions wrote Thursday to announce the reversal. Civil rights and prisoner rights groups decried the Sessions decision, saying private prisons are not as cost-effective or as safe as government-run facilities, citing numerous abuses in the past. The Bureau of Prisons houses about 21,000 of its 190,000 inmates in a dozen private prisons, including one near Bakersfield. Atty. Gen. Sessions has shown that he is not taking the mass incarceration crisis seriously, said Wade Henderson, who heads the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Continuing to rely on private prisons for federal inmates is neither humane nor budget conscious, Henderson added. We need a justice system that can work better for all people. Yates order did not affect facilities used to detain people in the country illegally. The use of private prisons is expected to surge under President Trumps promised crackdown on illegal immigration. Trump has signed an executive order calling for expansion of immigrant detention facilities and authorized the use of private contractors to construct, operate, or control facilities. Stocks in private prison companies have jumped on Wall Street since Trump won the presidential election, and they continued their rise on news of Sessions order. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print CPAC and conservative media prepare for Trump By Kurtis Lee The future path of the Republican Party is being debated in the halls of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland this week. Will it be the party of Donald Trump, an outsider of the GOP establishment, or House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, the definition of establishment? Or, perhaps, of Richard Spencer, a white nationalist leader of the so-called alt-right movement? (Spencer was kicked out of CPAC on Thursday.) Trump is set to address the conference on Friday, and the conservative media are ready for the much-anticipated address. Tomorrow it will be TPAC when hes here, Kellyanne Conway, a senior advisor to Trump told reporters Thursday. Here are some of todays headlines: Go Big, Go Bold: Walker, at CPAC, pushes GOP to carry out agenda as party controls Congress, White House (Fox News) Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, once a Trump foe, is urging conservatives to use the November election as a mandate. Do what you said you were going to do, Walker said to attendees. In the Fox News piece, which leads its website, it notes that leaders at the conference are hoping to use it to strategize about what they can accomplish and to better articulate their values at a time when the very definition of conservatism has seemed to waver. Sweden Democrats: Trump was right (Fox News) Remember last weekend when everyone including many Swedish politicians were really confused about Trumps comments at a recent rally? You look at whats happening last night in Sweden, Trump, at a rally in Florida on Saturday, said about the Scandinavian country that has accepted large numbers of refugees. Sweden. They took in large numbers. Theyre having problems like they never thought possible. Actually, not much happened in Sweden on Friday night. Trump said later that he had been referring to a broadcast on Fox News on that night. Still, recent riots in the country were covered extensively by conservative media. This post notes a recent op-ed penned by Jimmie Akesson and Mattias Karlsson, both leaders of the Sweden Democrats, in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday supporting Trumps characterization of a Muslim immigrant-led crime crisis in Sweden. In it they write, Trump did not exaggerate Swedens current problems. If anything, he understated them. Trump Is Letting DREAMers Stay, And Rush Is Fine With That (Daily Caller) Hes an immigration hard liner, and, apparently, hes OK with Trump allowing DREAMERs to remain in the country. This piece highlights comments by Rush Limbaugh this week. A lot of people think that Trumps caving because if you allow the DREAMers to stay, were talking 750,000 DREAMers, kids, who each have two parents who could come in. Look, this is a-no-win, Limbaugh said this week. Nobodys gonna win anything by deporting a bunch of kids that we let in. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump advisor Steve Bannon rails at corporatist, globalist media By Noah Bierman Steve Bannon to the #CPAC crowd: "If you think they're going to give you your country back without a fight, you're sadly mistaken" pic.twitter.com/ryw7iO0Snr POLITICO (@politico) February 23, 2017 The two men with the most heavily dissected relationship in President Trumps White House held a rare public appearance together Thursday and agreed on one common enemy: the media. Reince Priebus, the chief of staff who is often described as embattled, said he has grown conditioned to the media counting Trump out: during the presidential campaign, the transition and the first month of the presidency. The biggest misconception is everything that youre reading, Priebus said. Steve Bannon, Trumps chief strategist, framed his complaint as an ideological war. He consistently called the media the opposition party throughout a 20-minute joint interview on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference just outside of Washington. Its not only not going to get better, it gets worse every day, Bannon said. Theyre corporatist, globalist media that are adamantly opposed to an economic nationalist agenda like Donald Trump has. If you think theyre going to give you your country back without a fight, he added. You are sadly mistaken. Bannon, former executive chairman of the far-right Breitbart News, seldom speaks in public. His nationalist rendering of Republican ideology is often seen in contrast to Priebus, the former chairman of the GOP, who is viewed as the more mainstream conservative advocate within the White House. The two men said the tension between them portrayed in the media is inaccurate. But as they praised each other, the men made clear that Bannon sees his role as dominant in shaping Trumps policy. Bannon praised Priebus for doggedly keeping the trains running -- one of the toughest jobs Ive ever seen in my life. Bannon talked about being in the first inning of shaping a new political order and beginning the deconstruction of the administrative state. Priebus used more prosaic language and spoke of Bannon as the one who pushes Trump to maintain his bold vision. He is very dogged in making sure that every day the promises that President Trump made are the promises were working on, Priebus said of Bannon. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print In Mexico, Homeland Security chief says there will be no mass deportations of people in U.S. illegally By Patrick J. McDonnell Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, left, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Mexico City on Thursday. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP/Getty Images) Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, on a visit to Mexico, said Thursday that there will be no mass deportations of people living in the U.S. illegally. Kelly also said U.S. military forces would not be used in deportation efforts and that any deportation cases would go through the U.S. legal system. No. Repeat, no use of military force in immigration operations, Kelly said at a news conference at the Foreign Relations Ministry in Mexico City. None. Well approach this operation systematically, in an organized way, in a results-oriented way, in an operation and and in a human dignity way. Kelly and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are in Mexico City to discuss a wide variety of issues, including immigration and security, with Mexican government officials. Kellys remarks came the same day President Trump called recent raids in the U.S. an unprecedented enforcement effort. You see whats happening at the border. All of a sudden for the first time, were getting gang members out, he said. Were getting really bad dudes out of this country, and at a rate that nobodys ever seen before. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Mexico bracing for long battle with Trump administration, foreign minister tells lawmakers By Patrick J. McDonnell Mexico Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray (Brian Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) Mexico is preparing for a long battle with the administration of President Trump, its foreign minister reportedly told lawmakers in private comments, adding that the country was prepared to retaliate with new tariffs if necessary. We are here preparing for a battle that is going to be long, Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray told federal deputies Wednesday, according to the newspaper La Jornada, which said it had obtained a copy of the comments. This is not going to be resolved in three days. In the reported remarks, Videgaray said Mexico was prepared to retaliate with new tariffs on U.S.-made goods should the Trump administration follow up on its threats to slap an export tax of 20% or more of goods imported from Mexico to the United States. There was no official response from the Mexican Foreign Ministry on Videgarays reported remarks. Videgaray was among the Mexican officials, including President Enrique Pena Nieto, who met this week with a pair of visiting White House Cabinet members, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly. The private remarks were apparently made on Wednesday, when the two Trump envoys were scheduled to arrive in Mexico City. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Homeland Security tried to downplay immigration raids as routine. Now Trump says theyre unprecedented By Michael A. Memoli (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) After nationwide immigration raids this month in which more than 680 people were arrested, the Department of Homeland Security issued a nothing-to-see-here statement downplaying the sweeps as strictly ordinary. ICE conducts these kind of targeted enforcement operations regularly and has for many years, the agency said last week, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But President Trump had a different take Thursday, labeling the raids an unprecedented enforcement effort. You see whats happening at the border. All of a sudden for the first time, were getting gang members out, he said before a roundtable on manufacturing. Were getting really bad dudes out of this country, and at a rate that nobodys ever seen before. Under President Obama, deportations peaked at 400,000 people in 2012, touching off widespread criticism from immigration advocates, which prompted Homeland Security to scale back deportations. Last year, deportations fell to 240,000 as the Obama administration focused on targets similar to what Trump described in the raids conducted under his authority: criminals, repeat immigration violators and recent arrivals. Trump also called the sweeps this month a military operation, even though no military resources were involved and the White House has pushed back aggressively on reports that the administration was considering seeking National Guard forces to assist in deportations. Homeland Security said the raids were conducted by ICE agents, U.S. marshals and state and local law enforcement agencies. What has been allowed to come into our country, when you see gang violence that youve read about like never before, and all of the things much of that is people that are here illegally, Trump said. Theyre rough and theyre tough, but theyre not tough like our people. So were getting them out. Of the 680 arrests last week, 161 occurred in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. Three-quarters of those detained in the Los Angeles-area sweeps were from Mexico. Trump noted that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly traveled to Mexico this week on a tough trip. We have to be treated fairly by Mexico, Trump said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White nationalist leader Richard Spencer booted from Conservative Political Action Conference By Matt Pearce Reporters surround white supremacist Richard Spencer during the first day of the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 23, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) One of Americas most prominent white nationalists, Richard Spencer, was kicked out of the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday after conference organizers gave him credentials to attend and then wavered on whether to let him stay. Spencer, who coined the term alternative right to describe his far-right views on separating the races, came to CPAC to attend a speech that was critical of the alt-right. CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp took pains to distance CPAC from the fringe Spencer represents. The alt-right does not have a legitimate voice in the conservative movement, said Schlapp, adding that nobody from that movement is speaking at CPAC. Read More Just talked to CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp. Said he didn't endorse Richard Spencer's ideas but won't kick him out of the conference. Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) February 23, 2017 Basically their line on this is, if they actually agreed with his ideas, they'd put him on stage, but they don't, and it's a free country. Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) February 23, 2017 Change of plans. Richard Spencer just got kicked out of CPAC. Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) February 23, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Obamacare 101: Are health insurance marketplaces in a death spiral? By Noam N. Levey (Don Ryan / Associated Press) Its been a rocky few months for the health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act. Even if youre not one of the roughly 11 million Americans who rely on these online markets to get your health insurance, youve probably seen the headlines about rising premiums and insurance companies pulling out of the system. Last week, national insurance giant Humana announced it would stop selling plans on the marketplace. Aetnas chief executive claimed the marketplaces are in a death spiral. Republicans say the marketplaces are Exhibit A that Obamacare is collapsing. So whats the real story? Are these things really kaput or can they be fixed? Heres a rundown of where things stand. 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 wants tax reform done by August, Mnuchin says By Jim Puzzanghera The Trump administration wants to overhaul the tax code by August, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday, laying out an aggressive timetable in his first significant public comments since taking office last week. Our economic agenda, the No. 1 issue is growth, and the first most important thing that will impact growth is a tax plan, Mnuchin said in an interview with CNBC. So we are committed to pass tax reform, he said. We want to get this done by the August recess. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Loud and angry, protesters turn congressional town halls into must-see political TV By Mark Z. Barabak (Bill Pugliano / Getty Images) They came by the hundreds, in big cities and rural hamlets, to heckle, plead, badger and, in some instances, to protest the protests themselves. Congress is in recess this week, and a citizenry suddenly spurred to action used the opportunity to let their returning lawmakers know just how they feel about the tempestuous last month in Washington. Winners make policy and losers go home, a taunting Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, told an invitation-only gathering in his home state of Kentucky, as about 1,000 protesters gathered outside. Not exactly. The town hall meeting, a throwback to a time of more intimate connection, has become a political organizing tool in the social media age a piece of performance theater and a worldwide stage. Obamacare, immigration, environmental regulation, Social Security, Russian meddling in the 2016 election and Trump, Trump, Trump all poured forth this week in the form of questions, loudly and heatedly. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump administration rescinds guidelines on protections for transgender students By Michael A. Memoli The Trump administration rescinded an Obama-era directive Wednesday aimed at protecting transgender students rights, questioning its legal grounding. Under the guidelines, schools had been required to treat transgender students according to their stated gender identity, and either allow access to restrooms and locker rooms for the gender they identify with or provide private facilities if requested. The Obama administration had said that students gender identities were protected under Title IX requirements, which prohibit federally funded schools from discriminating on the basis of sex. But officials in the Education and Justice departments said that their predecessors failed to make their case, citing significant litigation spurred by the policy. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Americans in Mexico protest Trumps inflammatory rhetoric during Tillerson visit By Kate Linthicum A group of Americans living in Mexico is planning a protest Thursday to send a message to visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Their gripe? President Trumps inflammatory rhetoric. Thats according to a draft of a letter that several groups organizing the protest hope to deliver to Tillerson, who is in town along with Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly for talks with top Mexican officials. The letter, which will be cosigned by the Mexican chapter of Democrats Abroad, as well as other groups, complains about Trumps hostile attitude toward Mexico, which it says is engendering nationalistic sentiments in Mexico. Among Trumps hostile acts, the letter says, is Trumps vow to build a border wall and force Mexico to pay for it. The idea of building a wall ... frames Mexico and Mexicans as foreign invaders, the letter says. It also criticizes Trump for pledging to renegotiate NAFTA, saying, The U.S. and Mexico are deeply connected economies and it is in the interest of the United States to strengthen the regional production network to boost manufacturing employment in the U.S. and ensure the long-run competitiveness of manufacturing in the region. There are more than a million U.S. citizens living in Mexico, and many have been vocal since Trumps election. Last month, thousands turned out for a womens march outside the American Embassy that saw crowds chanting anti-Trump slogans. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Mexico will never accept unilateral American immigration rules, foreign secretary says By Patrick McDonnell Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray said defending the rights of Mexican immigrants is the first point in the agenda for talks with U.S. officials. (Christian Palma / Associated Press) Mexico will reject any unilateral effort from the United States to impose immigration or other policies on the Mexican government, the countrys foreign secretary said Wednesday. I want to make clear, in the most emphatic way, that the government of Mexico and the Mexican people do not have to accept measures that, in a unilateral way, one government wants to impose on another, Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray said in public comments. That we are not going to accept. He spoke a day after the Trump administration unveiled tough new measures to enforce immigration laws and deport people who are in the country illegally proposals that were widely portrayed in the Mexican media as a prelude to massive deportations. On Wednesday, two top Trump administration cabinet members Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly were arriving in Mexico for talks with that nations officials, including Videgaray. Immigration, trade and law enforcement issues were expected to be discussed at a tense moment in U.S.-Mexican relations. In his reported comments, the Mexican secretary did not single out any specific U.S. proposal as objectionable. Mexican officials have acknowledged there is little they can do to counter U.S. immigration policies. Among other things, the Trump administration has proposed sending non-Mexican citizens detained along the U.S.-Mexico border back to Mexico. Mexican officials would presumably have to sign off on such a plan. Mexico already detains and deports thousands of Central Americans annually who cross Mexican territory with the hope of entering the United States illegally via the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. authorities have worked with their Mexican counterparts to halt the Central American influx. The Mexican foreign secretary made it clear that immigration would be at the top of the list of items to be discussed during meetings with the U.S. Cabinet secretaries. Defending the rights of Mexican immigrants is the first point in the agenda, said Videgaray. He also said Mexico could take the issue of the rights of Mexican immigrants to the United Nations and other international agencies. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Both in power and in turmoil, conservatives head to Conservative Political Action Conference to see whats next By Matt Pearce Josh Platillero (Matt Pearce / Los Angeles Times) The eyes of men in crisp blazers darted toward passing faces and identification badges, looking for a familiar face, a famous name. As Fox News host Sean Hannity prepared to broadcast a live show from a ballroom, a brief chant burst out from the audience: U-S-A! U-S-A! Its that time of year again: Hundreds of Republicans began arriving Wednesday at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md., just south of Washington, for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. CPAC, as its best known, is a place for conservative political figures and activists to gather, schmooze, hammer out new ideas and audition for starring roles in the Republican Party. And this year, CPAC attendees have a lot to talk about. Their party is in control of Congress, the White House and dozens of state governments across America, and yet not at all at peace with itself. President Trump is expected to address the conference later in the week after winning on a platform of populist nationalism that some conservatives have accused of not being conservative at all. Breitbart News, the brash rising star of right-wing media, is one of the conferences top promoters, but one of its staffers, Milo Yiannopoulos, lost his speaking slot at CPAC and resigned from the news organization after video circulated showing him appearing to promote pedophilia. Some conservatives had backed Yiannopoulos and cried censorship when the provocateur offended liberals at college speaking events, but now they had become offended themselves. Still, as CPAC began on Wednesday, the mood was upbeat. This was a victorious movement, after all. Many new guests were greeted by the sight of Josh Platillero, 23, wearing a cartoonishly large stovepipe hat and a suit the colors of the American flag. I love networking, said Platillero, who recently lived in Knoxville, Tenn., before moving to the D.C. area to work with a conservative nonprofit, the Leadership Institute. Its his second year attending CPAC, and he was excited about the lineup of speakers, which include some of the White House staff. I think our new president is not perfect, but I think hes doing good things, he said. Ariel Kohane, 45, who came from the Upper West Side in Manhattan, stood in the lobby holding signs that read, Jews for Trump, in both English and Hebrew. I love the fact that I can get together with many of my fellow conservative friends and colleagues and we can all be very proud of ourselves with all our accomplishments and the fact that we get to strategize and plan ways to further expand conservatism across America and across the whole world, Kohane said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Pence condemns Jewish center bomb threats and visits desecrated cemetery in Missouri By Jaweed Kaleem (Michael Conroy / Associated Press) Visiting Fenton, Mo., on Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence condemned a string of bomb threats against Jewish community centers around the nation and the desecration of a St. Louis-area Jewish cemetery over the weekend. Speaking just yesterday, President Trump called this a horrible and painful act. And so it was. That along with other recent threats to the Jewish community centers around the country, said Pence, who was visiting the headquarters of the Fabick Cat machinery company. He declared it all a sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil. We condemn this vile act of vandalism and those who perpetuate it in the strongest possible terms. The vice president said it was inspiring how the people of Missouri have rallied around the Jewish community with compassion and support. Among those showing solidarity with the Jewish community is a group of Muslims who launched an online fundraising campaign to help repair the cemetery. Donors had pledged more than $90,000 by Wednesday afternoon. Pence later visited the Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery in University City, Mo., where nearly 200 tombstones had been toppled over the weekend. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trumps move on transgender bathroom access sparks interest By Kurtis Lee (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) For President Trump, commenting on social issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion has never seemed much of a priority. Indeed, throughout the campaign, Trump hardly discussed the topics. When asked about transgender bathroom access at a town hall in April 2016, Trump said people should be able to use whichever bathroom they choose. He then moved on from the question, offering little else. Now it appears his administration is set to wade into the controversy. Its a topic the conservative media loves to explore. Here are some of todays headlines: Return to normalcy: Trump readies reversal of transgender bathroom lunacy in public schools (Daily Caller) What will the Trump administration do about transgender bathroom access? The Caller highlights White House Press Secretary Sean Spicers pronouncement on the issue: This is a states rights issue and not one for the federal government, Spicer told reporters. The lunacy referred to is the federal guidance President Obama issued prior to leaving office directing schools that receive federal funding to allow transgender students to use restrooms and other facilities that match their gender identities. Several states filed suit to overturn the directive, and a federal judge issued a temporary injunction barring its enforcement, which remains in place. Several states, following the lead of North Carolina, are seeking to implement legislation that bans transgender people from using the bathrooms of the gender with which they identify. 66 percent of Trump voters change the channel when awards shows get too political (Daily Caller) When Meryl Streep criticized President Trump last month in her Golden Globes speech, he replied quickly. Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesnt know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes, Trump tweeted. Well, Trump can probably expect more barbs as actors (in overwhelmingly liberal Hollywood) take the stage at the Oscars on Sunday. Lots of Trump voters can be expected to change the channel, according to this piece, which highlights a new poll on the subject. The Hollywood Reporter says that 66% of Trump voters said they have stopped watching an awards show because a celebrity started talking about politics while accepting an award. By contrast, only 19% of Hillary Clintons supporters have done so. Trump talks tolerance, decries anti-Semitism, but media remain skeptical (Fox News) Well, Trump finally did say something to condemn the anti-Semitic vandalism and threats that have taken place since his presidential victory. Anti-Semitism is horrible, Trump said in an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday. In the Fox News piece, Howard Kurtz argues the media should give the president more credit for speaking out. I always think its unfair to blame a political leader for violence or vandalism carried out by people who support him, he writes. I felt the same way about critics who blamed Barack Obama for urban riots or shootings of police officers. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Among Republicans, Trump is more popular than congressional leaders By David Lauter Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) walk together. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) Amid strain between the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress, the White House holds the high ground, a new survey indicates. Among Republicans, President Trump has greater popularity than the partys congressional leaders. Asked specifically who they would trust if the two sides disagreed, most Republicans chose Trump over their partys leadership. The findings, from a new survey by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center underscore Trumps continued sway with the Republican congressional majority. Although the president has historically low job approval ratings among the public at large, he remains highly popular among Republican partisans and in Republican districts. As for Democrats, theyre strongly in an oppositional mood. Asked if they were more worried that Democrats in Congress would go too far in opposing Trump or not go far enough, more than 70% of Democrats said they feared their party would not go far enough. Only 20% said they worried the party would go too far. Republicans in Congress have eyed Trump warily on several fronts. His positions on trade and entitlement reform break with years of the partys positions. His reluctance to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin has generated tension. And the administrations lack of clarity on healthcare and tax policy have Republican leaders guessing which way to turn on major issues. But Republican partisans have fewer reservations than their elected representatives. Eighty-six percent to 13%, those who identify as Republicans or as independents who lean Republican have a favorable view of Trump, the Pew survey found. By comparison, 57% have a favorable view of Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, with 22% unfavorable and 21% having no opinion. House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin is slightly better known, with 65% of Republicans holding a favorable view, 23% an unfavorable view and 13% having no opinion. Asked who they would trust if the two sides disagreed, 52% of Republicans said they would side with Trump and 34% with the Republicans in Congress. Republicans younger than 40 were the only major exception; 52% to 36%, they said they would side with Congress. At the same time, Republican partisans now have a warmer opinion of their party leadership than they had during most of President Obamas tenure. Republicans' approval of their congressional leaders has more than doubled since 2015 https://t.co/KSo1hRMhJj pic.twitter.com/WHTHxCNEFq Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) February 22, 2017 During the Obama years, GOP partisans tended to be frustrated that their side could not reverse the presidents initiatives, even with a majority in the House, starting in 2010, and then in the Senate for Obamas last two years. Their view of the GOP leadership has rebounded strongly since the election. Democrats view of their congressional leadership has been more stable. And both sides widely dislike the other partys leaders. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Supreme Court rejects use of racial stereotypes in death penalty cases By David Savage The Supreme Court rejected the use of racial stereotypes in death penalty cases Wednesday, reopening the case of a black man in Texas who was sentenced to die after his jury was told African Americans are more likely than whites to commit crimes. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said this testimony had no place in a sentencing hearing and appealed to the racial stereotype that black men are prone to violence. Our laws punish people for what they do, not for who they are, the chief justice said in the courtroom. The 6-2 decision faults Texas authorities for refusing to give a new sentencing hearing to Duane Buck, a Houston man who was convicted of shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend and seriously injuring her new boyfriend in 1995. Buck was found guilty of murder, but when his jury was debating his fate, his court-appointed defense attorney put on the witness stand an expert who cited statistics showing blacks are more likely to commit future crimes than whites. After hearing this testimony, the jury decided to sentence Buck to death. Years later, Texas state attorneys set aside the death sentences for six other black defendants whose juries heard similar testimony, but they refused to reopen Bucks case. In Buck vs. Davis, the high court said that was a mistake. The jury was deciding the question of life or death, and this is no place for the introduction of a particularly noxious strain of racial prejudice, Roberts said. The court sent the case back to judges in Texas to reconsider the death sentence. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, along with Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Thomas said Buck was properly sentenced to die for a brutal murder, and he insisted the court should not have heard the case for procedural reasons. Having settled on a desired outcome, the court bulldozes procedural obstacles and misapplies settled law to justify it, he wrote. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print At Rep. Tony Cardenas town hall, Democrats worry about what Donald Trump may do By Kurtis Lee (Kurtis Lee/Los Angeles Times ) They arrived with soggy jackets, hats and umbrellas. The topic was supposed to be the Affordable Care Act. But many who attended Democratic Rep. Tony Cardenas town hall meeting Tuesday night in a crammed auditorium at the Cesar E. Chavez Learning Academies came with a question: What can we -- as Democrats -- do to help you? Show up and vote, said Cardenas, who represents a slice of the staunchly liberal San Fernando Valley. (Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump in this district by nearly 60-percentage points in the fall election.) Sign people up, get people involved, he said. At times the meeting had the feel of a therapy session for Democrats, wondering aloud how to function under a Trump administration. Where is the anger among Democrats? asked one man. I want to see more anger. Cardenas, standing at a lectern on an elevated stage, offered a stern look and nodded in agreement as rain could be heard splattering on the roof above. The complaints included Republicans efforts to repeal Obamacare and Trumps new immigration mandates. Trust me, Im pissed. Im upset, Cardenas said. But we have to act constructively. We have to be responsible. Last month, Trump signed executive orders directing the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize the removal of people in the U.S. illegally who have criminal convictions. In addition to speeding up the deportation of convicts, Trumps orders also call for quick removal of people in the country illegally who are charged with crimes and waiting for adjudication. And in recent days, a handful of people who have received protection under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents nationwide. Cardenas said that for him, the issue is personal. His parents were immigrants from Mexico, who lived in the San Fernando Valley for decades, raising 11 children, he said. Today his district is nearly 70% Latino. Im going to fight for you, he said. Im going to fight for the people who are my immigrant father. When a young man, a DACA recipient, asked him, via Twitter, if hell be safe in the weeks ahead, Cardenas seemed at a loss. I pray that [Trump] doesnt go after you, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Killing with kindness, GOPs McClintock faces down hostile questioners as town hall goes into overti Industrial pollution has reached even the most remote corners of Earth: the deepest part of the sea. Scientists have discovered extraordinary levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the Mariana and Kermadec trenches, two of the deepest ocean chasms on the planet. Trenches have been considered as pristine environments, but also (given their locations and topography) as likely sinks for contaminants that enter the marine environment, Alan Jamieson, a marine ecologist at Newcastle University in England, wrote this week in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Advertisement Banned in the 1970s, PCBs were once widely used as dielectric and coolant fluids in transformers, capacitors and other electrical devices. About 1.3 million tons of the chemical was produced, and an estimated 35% of that is now residing in coastal sediments, according to the study. Known as persistent organic pollutants, these contaminants do not degrade naturally and can stick around in the environment for decades. The chemicals bond with bits of plastic and other kinds of organic debris, and are transported in air, soil and coastal waters. Theyve even been found in the Arctic, far from industrialized areas. While exploring life in the oceans hadal zone, a region 3.7 to 6.8 miles deep, Jamieson and colleagues measured contaminants in tiny shrimp-like scavengers called amphipods. These crustaceans feed at the bottom of ocean trenches, ingesting any contaminants found in the environment. The pollutants are then stored in their in fat tissue. The contaminants spread through the food chain when the amphipods are eaten by bigger animals, such as fish. Using deep-sea landing vehicles equipped with baited traps, the scientists collected samples of three species of amphipod from the Mariana Trench, in the western Pacific, and the Kermadec Trench, off New Zealand. Each of the 12 animals they collected was contaminated. Regardless of depth, regardless of trench, regardless of species, Jamieson said, pollutants were present in all of them. The study found elevated concentrations of contaminants, including flame retardants, in the upper portions of the trenches, about 4.5 miles deep. But amphipods with the most pollutants came from the Mariana Trench, possibly because the chasm is located closer to industrialized regions and beneath the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Plastic debris and dead animals contaminated with industrial chemicals sink into the ocean, where theyre eaten by the amphipods. The PCBs and flame retardants found in the trenches can have devastating effects on the hormonal, immune and reproductive systems, wrote Katherine Dafforn, an ecotoxicologist at the University of New South Wales, in an article accompanying the study. In parts of the world considered relatively pollution-free, the concentration of PCBs is less than one nanogram per gram of material sampled. (There are 1 billion nanograms in a gram.) In polluted areas, that level can rise to several hundred nanograms per gram. PCB levels in the crustaceans from the Mariana Trench were up to 50 times greater than in crabs from the Liaohe River, one of the most polluted waterways in China, the study found. While not as common as PCB pollution, the level of flame retardants in the deep ocean was comparable to or higher than levels in coastal waters off New Zealand. The disturbing results show the deep ocean is much more connected to the surface than most people think, Dafforn wrote. Jamieson added that the deepest point in the ocean, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, is only about seven miles deep about half the length of Manhattan. Thats far from remote, he said. In future studies, Jamieson said he hopes to determine how these pollutants affect the physiology of deep-sea creatures and their surrounding ecosystem. sean.greene@latimes.com Twitter: @seangreene89 ALSO Concerned about Trump, scientists are leaning into politics As bee populations dwindle, robot bees may pick up some of their pollination slack Using science to see which countries are following through on Paris climate change goals There was plenty of love to go around over the Valentines weekend. New associate members of La Providencia Guild were given a preview about whats on the horizon during the traditional New Member High Tea at the home of Marcia Baroda last Saturday. Its the love they have for patients at Los Angeles Childrens Hospital that inspires guild members to keep up the momentum. A phenomenal year is ahead as the guild is preparing many activities to celebrate its 70th anniversary. It was founded on July 24, 1947. Members stay busy with their main fundraising venture the thrift shop at 3301 W. Burbank Blvd. The women work tirelessly keeping the space immaculate, organizing donations and enticing patrons with creative showcases in the storefront windows. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Welcoming all to the tea were Lynn White Shelby, the organizations president, sporting a red chapeau with netted veil, and Glenda Jones, membership chair. A table filled with delectable goodies including white and dark chocolate-dipped strawberries and assorted tea sandwiches tempted all. Many dressed in red appropriately for the romantic holiday. Tea hostesses were Doris Palmer and Gene Marie Watson. It was an exciting introduction for the new associates, just starting their first year with the guild. They are Juana Ballenger, Nannette Callo, Nancy Eggers, Diana Garcia, Janice Krattiger, Robin McCary, Linda Viebahn and Linda Wilson. New provisional members are Roxanne Gunther and Beth Bowles. New active members are Patricia Taylor and Shanna Warren. Mary Jo Hjelmstrom gave an overview of the guilds history followed by each chairwoman sharing their accomplishments over the past year. Sue Ann Gordon, last years fashion show chair, talked about the event, and Rosemarie Witten discussed the thrift shop. Then each member introduced herself to the group. Aside from raising funds, members can also participate in one of the guilds three social groups that gather to play bridge, bunco and even poker. This guild has cornered the market when it comes to having fun. Noon Lions bring bear hugs to rehab patients A handful of Burbank Noon Lions members made their annual stop at the Burbank Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center to share some love with patients there on Saturday afternoon. Treasurer Bud Alleman and his wife, co-secretary Cindi Alleman, joined publicity chair Marva Murphy and two others in presenting 200 cuddly, stuffed animals to residents, their families and staff. Were giving koala bears in honor of Cindi and I taking a trip to Australia and New Zealand in November, Bud Alleman said. The group is celebrating its 50th year. Founded in 1967, it continues to focus on preventing blindness and helping those less fortunate. To that end, the Lions offer free eye exams and glasses for low-income residents as well as free hearing aids for income-eligible Burbank residents. The groups latest project is KidSight, which provides a free eye screening for children 6 months to 6 years old. The club meets at noon on the second and fourth Thursday of the month at the Holiday Inn Burbank Media Center. -- JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com. Several city of Burbank departments as well as local residents are banding together to start developing ways to address homelessness in the city. Officials from the Community Development, Library Services, Parks and Recreation Department as well as the Burbank Police Department said they recognize that it is going to take more than one group to come up with a solution to the homeless issue in Burbank, surrounding cities and region. Understanding that, the City Council unanimously voted last week to have city staff start working on ways to address all the aspects of homelessness and to draft a Homeless Plan by September. Join the conversation on Facebook >> I think it is important for all of us to understand that this is the beginning of what will be an ongoing dialogue, said Judie Wilke, parks and recreation director. We cant rush to judgment or solutions or think we will have a quick fix. From the onset, I think its best to be honest and say that there is no single or easy answer that will fix homelessness in our community, because if there were, homelessness would have been solved by now. Wilke said the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported a 5.7% rise in the homeless population in L.A. County, from 44,439 in 2015 to 46,874 in 2016. There is also some indication that the homeless population in Burbank, which Wilke said is about 168 people on any given night, is increasing. In January, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and Burbank officials conducted a homeless count. The data from the outing will not be available until this spring. However, officials are predicting the population will have grown by about 20%, according to a city staff report. Some of the contributing factors in the homeless populations growth in Burbank and across the country are dwindling federal, state and city resources to address the issue, a shortage of housing, increasing rents and more people showing a lack of willingness to help, Wilke said. Burbank is an affluent city that does not have a lot of housing, and the housing we have is very expensive, she said. When it comes to homeless people sleeping in parks, Wilke said that if the city bans tents and canopies in public areas, then no one can use them because it would be discriminatory against the homeless. Additionally, if a city asks a homeless person to leave a location where he or she is sleeping and has nowhere else to stay, the city must provide that person with an alternate location to go, Wilke said. In the past, the city had a winter shelter and then later financially participated with a shelter in Glendale, she said. However, the city is not hosting or supporting a winter shelter this year, and the closest shelter is in Sylmar, which requires transportation to and from the facility. Burbank Police Capt. Denis Cremins said about 12% of the police departments calls for service are about homelessness around the city, mainly due to fear. Sometimes [a resident] will look at a homeless individual based upon their physical appearance, and it just evokes some type of inherent fear, he said. It may be due to their hygiene, they may be viewed as a lawbreaker or assume they are a lawbreaker or worse. Marcos Gonzales, grants coordinator for the citys Community Development Department, outlined the programs and funds to which the homeless have access to or can apply. Gonzales said the city recently received a $452,000 allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide 20 permanent, supportive housing units. That is something thats worth mentioning, due to the fact that we have a very long waiting list for Section 8 housing, he said. We have a lack of affordable housing in Burbank, and these funds can be targeted to the folks that are most vulnerable and in need of housing. -- Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com Twitter: @acocarpio Though they currently have the happy problem of choosing how to spend a budget surplus of more than $10 million, Costa Mesa City Council members likely will have to consider belt-tightening or moneymaking measures to stave off shortfalls in coming years, according to figures discussed this week. Thanks to a combination of revenues that came in above expectations and expenses that were lower than anticipated, Costa Mesa has a nearly $10.7-million surplus from fiscal 2015-16. The money can be used to build up reserves, pay down pension debt and fund software and capital improvements, according to Stephen Dunivent, the citys interim finance director. But during a City Council study session Tuesday evening, Dunivent unveiled an updated five-year financial plan showing that Costa Mesa could face growing annual budget deficits ranging from $2.5 million in fiscal 2018-19 to almost $7.8 million in 2021-22. Those shortfalls are forecast even though total revenues are expected to climb steadily in coming years from $117.4 million in the current budget to almost $134.8 million in fiscal 2021-22. Thats really concerning, Councilman Allan Mansoor said. A major force behind the potential deficits is increasing expenses related to city employees. In 2015, Costa Mesas pension debt totaled about $246 million. Annual retirement costs are expected to rise sharply over the next five years, from just under $21 million in the current budget to almost $37.4 million in 2021-22. Total budget expenditures are projected to rise from $117.4 million to about $142.5 million during that time frame, according to figures Dunivent presented to the council. Contributing to the rise in expected employee costs is a recent decision by the California Public Employees Retirement System to reduce the assumed annual rate of return on the systems investments from 7.5% to 7% over the next three years. That will pass on additional costs to cities, Dunivent said. Mayor Katrina Foley noted that the city is still in contract negotiations with some employee unions, so calculated costs could change. She also said Costa Mesa should work with other cities to find solutions to pension problems. It seems to me there have to be some options, because its not sustainable, Foley said. Even if we fired every single employee today, we dont get rid of our pension obligation, she added. So what can we do to work with other cities to address this at the state level? Councilman Jim Righeimer agreed that Costa Mesa should collaborate with others to seek a state-level solution but said the city also needs to work with employee unions to try to come up with ways to reduce the pension burden. He said he believes the current retirement system is unsustainable and will blow up, possibly leading some cities to bankruptcy. When those cities file bankruptcy, there will be a point when the employees do not get their pension checks, Righeimer said. At that point, the state will have to do something, and the discussion is going to be whose ox is going to be gored. Councilman John Stephens said he doesnt think its realistic to expect employees to pay for the underfunded pension liability. But given the magnitude of the issue, he said he too thinks the city should work toward some kind of cooperative solution with cities and bargaining groups. Honestly, I think people care more about fireworks than they do about pensions, and when you look at these numbers, thats a little ridiculous, because its going to cost our city a lot, he said. Council members are expected to consider tactics for addressing potential deficits during their regularly scheduled meeting next week. Some options staff presented Tuesday include examining ways to provide services more efficiently and exploring cost reductions for lower-priority items. I think we really need to be careful about whats a need and whats a want, Mayor Pro Tem Sandy Genis said. The council also could consider updating the amount the city charges for permit or licensing fees, or implementing new fees to help offset costs. Our general feeling is if you look at many of our fees compared to our neighbors or other cities in Orange County, theyre quite a bit lower, City Manager Tom Hatch said. Council members also are scheduled next week to decide how to spend the current surplus. If staffs recommendations are adopted, about $1.2 million of the surplus would go toward meeting the councils goal of having $55 million in reserve. An additional $500,000 would be used to pay down pension debt, and $1.9 million would be applied to improvements at local police and fire stations, a new trail system that will filter urban runoff along Arlington Drive between Fairview Road and Newport Boulevard, and protection, restoration and master plan implementation efforts at Fairview Park. luke.money@latimes.com Twitter: @LukeMMoney Police are seeking the publics help in identifying a man suspected of stealing mail and packages on four occasions from a Huntington Beach apartment complex. Huntington Beach police said the man used a wire to open the door to the community mail room at The Residences at Bella Terra, 7521 Edinger Ave., on Jan. 1, 11 and 25 and Feb. 2. Once inside, he used a key or tool to open residents mailboxes. He made off with mail he wanted and discarded the rest. He also used parcel keys that had been locked in the mailboxes to open the parcel locker and steal packages, police said. Images of the man were captured by a security camera in the apartment building. He was described as white, 5 feet 10, 25 to 30 years old with brown hair, a short beard and a medium build. The back of his hands are tattooed. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Huntington Beach Police Department at (714) 960-8811 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Plans for a new library and fire station in Corona del Mar, a new restaurant for the Newport Pier and new junior lifeguard headquarters could be heading off Newport Beachs immediate radar. That was one takeaway from Tuesdays wide-ranging City Council study session, where City Manager Dave Kiff raised the notion that those multimillion-dollar projects, while important to the community, may not be financially feasible, at least in the short term. The sobering news came after Kiff resurrected a financial specter that haunts the citys budgetary future: its unfunded pension liability, which has skyrocketed from almost nothing in 2002 to an estimated $315 million this year. Join the conversation on Facebook >> That figure may jump to nearly $500 million, Kiff said, if the California Public Employees Retirement System lowers the percentage it thinks its investments will earn. If CalPERS alters that percentage, Kiff said, the unfunded liability would rise even higher and cities like Newport would have to make up the difference by pumping more money into the fund. Because Newport has to address its employee pension costs, Kiff said, it likely will be unable to responsibly fund projects like the new CdM library and fire station, nicknamed the fibrary. Construction costs for the $8-million project, approved in 2015, came in last year $800,000 higher than city officials originally projected. Because of that, Kiff in December slated it to return to the council. But on Tuesday he suggested shelving it for perhaps five years. Regarding the Newport Pier restaurant, Kiff surmised that the cost of rehabilitating the pier and building a new two-story restaurant there as the council approved doing last month may be too expensive and, as an city investment, take too long to make its money back. City officials estimate that to demolish the aging building at the tip of the city-owned pier last used by Newport Pier Grill and Sushi, whose lease ended in 2012 and build a slightly larger two-story restaurant in its place would cost $3.58 million. The Bluewater Grill is the approved vendor for the new restaurant, which still requires a permit from the California Coastal Commission, if the city continues to move it forward. City staff suggested making a new junior lifeguard headquarters near the Balboa Pier the group has long relied on a large trailer a privately funded endeavor. The project is pegged at $3.5 million for a permanent space with roughly 5,000 square feet for administrative offices, lockers, restrooms, storage space and a meeting room. Some balked at Kiffs suggestions, particularly CdM library advocates who said that, at least in the immediate future, the old library needs better furniture, an air conditioning system and window fixes. Joy Brenner, one of the advocates, said she hated seeing the momentum for the fibrary project dwindle. It was a textbook example of how you really gather community input, she said. The future of the CdM library and fire station, junior lifeguard headquarters and Newport Pier restaurant are poised to go before the city Finance Committee at a later date. They may then head to the council for final votes. Mayor Kevin Muldoon, who has made addressing the pension debt one of his top priorities, lamented that it takes a piece of the citys heart and soul to come up with lists of projects to remove. -- Bradley Zint, bradley.zint@latimes.com Twitter: @BradleyZint Re. Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman pleads guilty to misdemeanors in connection with freeway crash, (Feb. 6): Is it just me, or is anyone else surprised that Dennis Rodman got off so lightly? The guy drove the wrong way on the freeway, caused an accident that could have killed someone, fled the scene, lied to the cops, and all he gets is probation, community service and some restitution. Give me a break. Mike Buettell Balboa Island .. Give Genis a do-over on vote Re. Council members mistake might oust newly appointed Costa Mesa planning commissioner, (Feb. 17): Many times at City Council meetings a council member has pressed the no or yes switch by mistake, and a re-vote is taken. It makes sense to do it over so the actual intent of the City Council prevails over a technical mistake. That, in essence, is what Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Sandy Genis is proposing the City Council do. She admitted to a mistake in marking her ballots, and she wants an opportunity to correct her mistake. Compounding the error, two different ballots were distributed to council members. Three got one kind of ballot, while two got a different ballot, which omitted the name of one of the applicants. This meant that three members were voting on a different option from the other two. Further, one of the persons appointed to the Planning Commission had not applied for that position until after all the interviews were completed. That name was omitted from two of the five ballots and was not made known to the public until the vote was taken, so that there was no opportunity for public comment on that candidate. There is ample reason to set aside the vote that was taken and do it over properly. However, after Genis discovered and reported her error, the newly selected planning commissioners were nevertheless sworn in and held their first meeting. Unfortunately, hurt feelings and anger may predictably result, but compliance with law, policy and common sense dictate that the multiple errors in the appointment process must be corrected. Eleanor and Tom Egan Costa Mesa Feral canines in our midst Coyotes are here to stay and increasing in numbers. Lynn Copeland Huntington Beach Join the conversation on Facebook >> Taxpayers shouldnt be billed for Holders actions Why are we, California taxpayers, paying for former Atty. Gen. Eric Holder to come up with strategies against President Trump? I get it. The left hates Trump. But is this seriously a good way to spend our taxpayer money? Trump is our president and not going anywhere, just because people dont like him. Lets just hope Hollywood, real estate and the Silicon Valley can continue to prop up California while it slides into bankruptcy. Juli Hayden Newport Beach .. Sickening Kent State comment causes concerns Re. Michigan GOP leader apologizes for tweeting: Time for another Kent State, Detroit Free Press, (Feb. 6): I am old enough to remember all the protests about the Vietnam War during President Nixons tenure in office. This most certainly includes the day nine were injured and four innocent people killed by the National Guard at Kent State in 1970. So imagine my reaction to the recent comments by Dan Adamini, a Michigan county Republican officer, when he tweeted, Violent protesters who shut down free speech? Time for another Kent State perhaps. One bullet stops a lot of thuggery. Besides feeling sick to my stomach, I also felt angry. Thats because Adamini spoke without really understanding what happened at Kent State. Its up to each of us to listen to our better angels, no matter how upset we are about todays demonstrations. Yes, the times have changed, but the feelings millions of us 60- and 70-somethings still have run deep. Denny Freidenrich Laguna Beach Ten Years Ago Ralph Nader, a former presidential candidate and Green Party member, paid a visit to La Canada Flintridge to address students at Flintridge Prep on the topic, What Students Should Know, What Students Can Do. Twenty Years Ago More than 40 community leaders, including then Mayor Jack Hastings, raised nearly $12,000 collectively after being jailed at the Keeler Dilbeck Realtors office in town to help raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Assn. Arriving by stretch limousines, the culprits were placed in lock-up until friends and family raised $750 to pay their bail. Thirty Years Ago The commercial district was on edge after three La Canada businesses Ralphs, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Kids Mart were successfully targeted by armed robbers, some of them masked, during a series of crimes over a period of less than a week in February 1987. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Forty Years Ago In an operation that took nearly four hours to complete, nine members of the Montrose Search and Rescue Team rescued a 15-year-old La Canada resident from a ledge after he hiked into Hall-Beckley Canyon and became stranded. Fifty Years Ago La Canada Country Club held its first Las Doncellas Debutante Ball in the winter of 1967, especially for daughters of its members. After the girls were presented and had waltzed with their fathers and escorts, Alfred Murphy, then president of the private club, proposed a toast to its first class of debs. Sixty Years Ago A server employed by the Yellow Jacket restaurant in La Canada (sited near where Hill Street Cafe is today) died at a Glendale hospital hours after she was shot four times by her estranged husband while standing behind the counter at the popular eatery on Feb. 13, 1957. Kenneth M. Skaggs, 32, told responding sheriffs deputies he had entered the business in hopes of reaching a reconciliation. When she refused, he pulled out a 7.65 -millimeter Mauser pistol and fired five shots at her point blank, with most of them hitting his victim. Oh my God, he shot me, his wife reportedly said while lying on the floor awaiting an ambulance. Skaggs remained seated at the restaurants counter until he was taken into custody. Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci. Residential break-ins, power outages and the looming threat of a 710 Freeway tunnel were up for discussion on the evening of Feb. 8, as three candidates running for two open seats on the La Canada Flintridge City Council squared off in a public forum. Longtime Councilman Dave Spence was joined on stage by fellow incumbent Mayor Jon Curtis and Keith Eich, a newcomer to La Canadas civic scene. Held at Flintridge Preparatory School and sponsored by the La Canada Flintridge Coordinating Council, the debate marked the first joint appearance of all three candidates before the March 7 election. Spence, 80, whos served on the council for 24 years, recounted benefits wrought by experienced leadership, including the installation of several stop signs throughout town, the use of federal grant money to rebuild the Jessen Drive bridge and the decision to use part of a residents bequeathment to the city to improve sidewalk and road conditions around Paradise Canyon Elementary School. Its humbling to think of all we still have to do, the six-time mayor said. Join the conversation on Facebook >> A former La Canada planning commissioner who joined the council in 2013, Curtis, 57, said his professional background as an attorney specializing in corporate real estate and land use, and his involvement on regional panels like the Southern California Assn. of Governments, has given him a solid understanding of issues affecting residents. He put promoting an open and transparent local government and partnering with local schools at the top of his list of accomplishments. We have accomplished many of our goals, but our work is not complete, Curtis said. Our city constantly faces new challenges. Eich, vice president of online tech company LegalZoom and the father of three young children he plans to enroll in La Canada Unified Schools when they are of age, said he would use data analysis and metrics to improve customer service and get results. He put safety, services and technology at the center of his campaign platform. I did not grow up in this great community, but I also feel that reflects a majority of the population here, said Eich, 37, who moved to La Canada from Sherman Oaks in 2014. Im looking at our future, not just the past. Forum moderator and Flintridge Prep Headmaster Peter Bachmann posed pointed queries crafted by audience members. No issue was off the table, and themes ranged from public works and education to transportation and public safety. The trio agreed on emphasizing the importance of seeing all properties connected to a sewer system, expressing support for the transfer of Sagebrush homes from Glendale Unified to La Canada Unified school district, stating their preference for a single trash hauler in La Canada and advocating against a potential 4.5-mile tunnel being considered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to connect the fragmented 710 Freeway. While all candidates advised residents to continue working with the sheriffs department to prevent burglaries by increasing education and security, each had different ideas about additional efforts the city could take. Curtis said some cities are using affordable, motion-activated wildlife cameras to help capture images in the event of a crime. They take pictures and focus only on streets, as opposed to peoples houses, he said. Then if something happens, you download the information. Eich wondered if the city might collaborate with independent businesses whose technology lets users see and interact with doorstep visitors from their smartphones. Homeowners associations are getting great deals with (manufacturers) to try and get a reduced price its technology to actually identify and report crime, he said. Spence said the city manager currently has funds at his disposal for crime prevention efforts and increased sheriffs patrols. The issue of crime in homes and businesses is going to depend on the people who are more closely reviewing how the neighborhood watch group works, Spence added. When asked what was the greatest issue or need in the city today, the candidates again distinguished themselves. Eich called the countys plans to remove 2.4 million cubic yards of sediment from Devils Gate Dam by truck along the 210 Freeway unacceptable, and said the city should support a slower, smaller and more environmentally friendly removal program. Spence settled on three issues identifying a single trash hauler, crime prevention and reduction and determining how to most effectively occupy and operate from the former Sport Chalet headquarters building purchased by the city for $11.23 million. Curtis said finding the funds necessary to address important infrastructure issues like the installation of sound walls and sewer connections is a constant uphill battle and would continue to be a priority. Voters will be asked to select two candidates on election day, March 7. -- Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com Twitter: @SaraCardine MORE FROM CITY HALL La Canada pizza shop owner serves up a new sign idea La Canada officials agree to buy former Sport Chalet headquarters Development prompts discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of public and private streets Since the publishing of my last article, I have had the great fortune of meeting more of my talented colleagues in the Assembly, more of the passionate organizations who fight daily for the causes they believe in, and more of you the dedicated, caring and well-informed individuals who make up our district. I want to personally thank those of you who responded to my last op-ed with your comments and suggestions. This is very exciting time to serve in the Assembly. We have a current stock of representatives ready to work together in Sacramento with energized and mobilized communities at home. I am confident that together we can tackle the challenges we face as we look to a better future ahead. One of those challenges I want to focus on today is transportation. Already there have been several proposals towards transportation infrastructure spending in both the Senate and Assembly this session. Gov. Jerry Brown proposed in his latest budget an additional $4.3 billion a year toward road repairs, road construction and additional public transportation options. While this may seem like a lot, last year Gov. Brown called a Special Session of the Legislature to focus on what is estimated to be a $130-billion backlog our state has in road maintenance and repairs. To try to cover this, last September, a $7.4-billion-a-year funding increase was proposed, but it failed to get any traction. Clearly numbers this size indicate a formidable challenge. Failing to properly maintain our infrastructure poses dire problems for the economy, way of life and safety of our communities. There is no alternative to fixing our roads. The structures themselves will not hold off on decay while we argue about when and to what extent we fix them. Our relationship with transportation is evolving rapidly. So should our solutions. Our focus should be on what we can do to move us toward having a more sustainable transportation system as a whole. The problem of mobility goes far beyond the piece-by-piece approach that is too often taken. It goes beyond adding just freeway lanes but looking at what we can add to improve the whole system. Then there is the way we go about accomplishing these projects; increasing our funding means that we will all be living with ongoing projects throughout our community. Our state agencies could work better to improve how they handle projects to ensure they are done in the least harmful and disruptive manner to the community during construction. Like many other communities, the 43rd Assembly District has seen this firsthand. Right now, were living with severe traffic jams, confusion and safety hazards caused by prolonged road work on the 210 Freeway in the La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Tujunga and Montrose area. While I value the work Caltrans does for our state, the way street and lane closures were executed has presented a major disruption to businesses and lifestyles of residents and also created very dangerous driving conditions. Many of these issues are the result of there being not enough dialogue between the agency and the community. Community involvement is crucial for the success of any major project. Transportation is an incredibly complex issue. It requires us to take a look at a wide range of factors to see both the big picture and the small. In order to make progress we will have to work together. Your representatives, your neighbors, your businesses, local governments and state agencies must be in a constant discussion about the amount of resources we devote, the way we distribute those resources and the ways that the whole process will impact our lives. I would love to hear from you about your solutions to help meet our transportation needs or your opinion on those needs themselves. You can share your ideas, thoughts or concerns at https://a43.asmdc.org. -- LAURA FRIEDMAN represents La Canada Flintridge and neighboring communities in the state Assembly. After a tense campaign marred by religious protests and phone-tapping allegations made by a former president, Indonesias capital will have to wait two more months to learn who will run the city of 10 million people. Incumbent Gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, will face a runoff election in April against a former education minister who was backed by Islamist protesters, turning the election into a test of religious tolerance in the worlds largest Muslim-majority country. Purnama, a Christian of Chinese descent and an ally of President Joko Widodo, won about 40% of the votes cast in Wednesdays municipal election, according to unofficial results. That was roughly the same as his rival, Anies Baswedan, a Muslim whose reformist credentials came under scrutiny when Islamist supporters sought to have the sitting governor jailed over a speech in which he purportedly insulted Islam. Advertisement The vote was widely seen as a preview of Widodos 2019 reelection chances and a test of how Indonesias Muslims, who make up nearly 90% of Indonesias population, regard ethnic and religious minorities in positions of authority. An man casts his ballot in the governors election at a polling station in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday. (Ed Wray / Getty Images) Purnama, who served as deputy governor when Widodo led Jakarta before becoming president in 2014, is known for a blunt and outspoken style. Although lauded for a can-do attitude and willingness to confront recalcitrant bureaucrats, his policy to clear the sprawling capitals slums and his minority status made him a target of controversy. Massive demonstrations in late 2016 jammed central Jakarta with hundreds of thousands of white-clad Islamists calling for Purnama to be jailed over remarks they saw as insulting the Koran. Purnama was shown in a video telling voters they were being deceived by people saying the Koran prohibited Muslims for voting for a non-Muslim. In the weeks leading up to Wednesdays vote, Baswedan appeared in public with some of protest leaders. Purnamas cause wasnt helped when Widodo who initially blamed political actors for the demonstrations joined the rallies from the nearby presidential palace and prayed with protest leaders. But Purnama rebounded in pre-election polls, a sign that the demonstrations were not a barometer for voter support in the capital because those rallies consisted of many people coming from outside Jakarta, said Titi Anggraini, head of Perludem, an election advocacy group. Responding to a question from The Times as he arrived at his campaign headquarters after voting, Baswedan was reluctant to predict victory in the run-off. So far, the campaign has gone well and we will have to wait to see what happens, he said. The next round of voting, on April 19, could be decided by the roughly 20% of voters who backed a third candidate, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, son of former two-term President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Yudhoyonos campaign was marred by allegations that his father tried to have a former head of Indonesias anti-corruption agency framed for murder. The former president rejected the allegations and accused Widodos government of eavesdropping on his communications. Many analysts contend that Yudhoyonos votes are likely to go to Baswedan in the next round. But others say that Purnamas strong showing suggested that he had support from many Muslim voters. Ethnic Chinese Indonesians make up an estimated 1% to 3% of the archipelago nations 250 million people. Christina Soelystio, a Chinese Indonesian who voted at the same polling station as the governor, said the campaign had caused concerns among her ethnic group. Some Chinese see it as change for the better, some for the worse, she said. Some are worried about the sensitive situation. But others are proud of [Purnama]. Speaking after casting his ballot at a green-hued mosque in southern Jakarta, Hadi Nasution said he voted for Baswedan because the Koran says to vote for Muslims and he was more experienced than Yudhoyono, the other Muslim candidate. Roughneen is a special correspondent. ALSO Woman is arrested in death of North Korean leaders half brother, Malaysian police say Romania is engulfed by protest in a political awakening of the young Ireland has become a mecca for U.S. tech companies. Can Trump lure them home? The news reached Mariupol Mayor Vadim Boychenko via a morning phone call from an assistant: A rocket attack damaged 11 houses on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city. There were no casualties, but a major concern had become a reality: The escalation of fighting elsewhere in the nation in recent weeks had reached the industrial city, a key component in southeast Ukraines struggling economy. Weve gotten used to a peaceful life, Boychenko said during a recent interview at his office. I really dont want to return to the problems we had started to forget. Advertisement Ukraines nearly three-year battle against Kremlin-backed separatists in the east erupted into the worst fighting in two years in late January. Exactly why the fighting intensified recently remains unclear, though such encounters have occurred with some frequency during unrest that included Russias annexation of Crimea in March 2014. The small city of Avdiivka, 90 miles north of Mariupol, became the epicenter of the recent violence. The fighting quickly spread along a 300-mile line separating the Ukrainian government-controlled lands and those claimed by separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Mariupol had seen only sporadic fighting over the last two years, primarily in the regions eastern villages. But as news trickled in about the bombardment of Avdiivka, Mariupol began again hearing the deep rumble of explosions and heavy artillery fire less than 10 miles away. The fighting halted vital shipments from Avdiivkas coal processing plant to Mariupols massive iron and steel works plants, jeopardizing production at one of the regions biggest employers. Many local residents said they feared the renewed violence could quash the growing sense of confidence in Mariupol after nearly two years of relative stability. One concern in the region is that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could strike a deal that would lift U.S. sanctions on Russia or force Ukraine to make painful compromises with Moscow. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has urged Western leaders to keep sanctions in place. Sanctions are the only way to get Putin to the table, he said last week in an interview with journalists and academics in Kiev, the capital. Nationally, there is little faith in the Minsk agreements, a road map to peace brokered in 2014 by European leaders between Ukraine, the Kremlin and the separatist rebel leaders. Poroshenko maintains that Ukraine is committed to its obligations to the agreements. Minsk is my plan. Putin accepted it. His signature is there, he said. Mariupol has gone through a noticeable transformation since war erupted in eastern Ukraine in the spring of 2014. Once the epitome of a run-down, Soviet industrial port city with two massive metallurgy plants puffing out pollution day and night, Mariupol in the last two years has emerged as a center of civic activism in Ukraines southeastern battlefront. The city was the center of several violent outbreaks in spring 2014, when Ukrainian forces and supporters of the pro-Russian separatist groups fought gun battles in the downtown streets. The charred former police headquarters and city council buildings still stand as reminders. On Jan. 24, 2015, a missile attack hit an eastern region of Mariupol dense with Soviet-era concrete housing blocks, killing at least 30 people. The previously politically passive, mostly Russian-speaking city created community groups that mobilized to gather whatever money they could to buy medical kits, food, and flak jackets and helmets for Ukraines ill-prepared military. The fighting displaced 1.75 million eastern Ukrainians, but locals opened their homes and about 56,000 newcomers settled in Mariupol. We dont call them refugees anymore, Boychenko said. They are new Mariupolites and have already become part of our city. Ukrainian troops leave the site of a battle in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, in June 2014. (Evgeniy Maloletka / Associated Press) Once-thriving Donetsk is now occupied by rebel forces, so Mariupol, the largest city in the Donetsk region under Ukrainian control, became the de facto cultural hub of the eastern industrial area along the Don River basin, known as the Donbas. Displaced activists from Donetsk opened an avant-garde theater and creative space that has hosted some of the countrys big names in modern talent. Small businesses grocery stores, small restaurants and mom-and-pop shops whose owners fled the fighting returned, and new cafes have opened. Ukraines most popular music group, Okean Elzy, gave a free concert in May attended by more than 30,000 people. Weve been working all year to create a positive mood in the city, Boychenko said. Alex Ryabchyn, a deputy in Ukraines parliament who was born in Mariupol, said the city is in the early stages of reinvention. The population is starting to think of themselves as being the center of southeastern Ukraine. Thats new, said Ryabchyn, who was an economics professor in Donetsk State University before fleeing to Kiev after the pro-Russia rebel takeover. Mariupol faces major challenges, particularly in the economic sphere. Ukraines economy has been battered since protests ousted a Moscow-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovich in 2014. The war ripped apart the countrys coal mining and steel processing industry, destroying many plants and severely curtailing production in those that survived. The aging steel plants need modernization and the economy needs diversification to revitalize the region. Highways linking Mariupol to other cities are so bad that drivers are forced to reroute to avoid the worst sections. Train rides from Kiev to Mariupol, about 500 miles, take 18 hours, and the airport cannot accept commercial flights because of its location near the front lines of fighting. Mariupol can feel like an isolated peninsula in Ukraine, an image many hoped was changing. You can see why [an increase in fighting] is a problem, Irina Chirkova, 24, a waitress in Mariupol, said as a series of explosions pierced the cold air. We have a lot of potential here a big port, an airport and nice beaches. But our infrastructure needs investment, and who is going to invest in us now with this war? Sabra Ayres is a special correspondent. ALSO Woman is arrested in death of North Korean leaders half brother, Malaysian police say Jakartas municipal election, a test of Muslim-Christian relations, goes to a runoff White House backs away from two-state solution in Israeli-Palestinian conflict Questions mounted Wednesday about the mysterious death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns half brother at a Malaysian airport, as police revealed that they had detained one woman, a Vietnamese passport holder, in connection with the case. Kim Jong Nam was waiting in the departure area of the Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday morning when two women approached him from behind. One of the women covered his face with a cloth, according to Malaysian police. He complained to airport staff that he felt dizzy, then died en route to a hospital. The 46-year-old Kim was once considered a potential successor to his father, Kim Jong Il, and South Korean officials quickly accused Pyongyang of ordering his assassination. Yet details about the killings circumstances and motivations remain hazy. Advertisement Security video from the airport, carried widely by Malaysian news websites, showed a woman believed to be the suspect waiting for a taxi at the airport. She wore pink tights and a white sweater, the letters LOL emblazoned across its front. Suspect was positively identified from the CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of arrest, said a statement by Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim, Malaysias deputy inspector general of police. Another Malaysian police official, Fadzil Ahmat, told the Malaysian media outlet Bernama that a woman had covered [Kims] face with a cloth laced with a liquid, and that Kims eyes suffered burns as a result of the liquid. An autopsy was expected on Wednesday. Earlier reports had said the woman used a poison needle, but that is apparently no longer believed to be true. South Korean intelligence officials were quick to point a finger at Pyongyang, which has a long history of using assassination to rid itself of those deemed to threaten the regime. The assassination was a standing order dating back to 2012, Lee Cheol-woo, chairman of the intelligence committee in South Koreas parliament, told reporters on Wednesday. We should take this as an action that reflects Jong Uns paranoia, Lee added, according to Bloomberg. Normal citizens in the North arent aware of Jong Nams existence, and it is only elite there who knows about him. The elite should have been shocked. Kim Jong Nam was traveling alone on Monday, preparing to return to the Chinese region Macau, where he had been living incognito for more than a decade. He was carrying a passport bearing the name Kim Chol. He is believed to have been the eldest of Kim Jong Ils children. His mother was the elder Kims mistress, actress Song Hye Rim. Kim Jong Nam, left, and his half brother, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Toshifumi Kitamura / AFP/Getty Images) Kim Jong Nam was caught attempting to enter Japan on falsified documents in 2001. He told Japanese authorities that he was trying to take his 4-year-old son to Tokyo Disneyland. Kim, whose substantial paunch and perennial stubble lent him an air of cavalier dishevelment, occasionally spoke out against his familys rule and spoke favorably of openness and globalism in interviews with Japanese media. His son, Kim Han Sol, is now 21, and his whereabouts and safety are unclear. Kim Han Sol has also expressed hope for reform in Pyongyang. I have always dreamed one day I will go back and make things better, make it easier for all the people there, he said in a 2012 interview with the Finnish broadcaster YLE. Analysts were divided over the killings significance for the North Korean regime. One of the reasons Im scratching my head now is that the [South Korean] intelligence director, he didnt give any explanation of the why now question, said John Delury, a professor at Yonsei University in Seoul. This is kind of out of the blue, for people watching North Korea. I dont know anyone out there who was saying, Oh, Kim Jong Nams days are numbered. Theres no obvious explanation for the timing. Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea expert and professor of international relations at Troy University, said that if Kim Jong Un perceived his half brother as a political threat, he may very well have ordered an assassination. In 2013, he oversaw the execution of his uncle and regent, Jang Song Taek. For autocracies and dictators, thats a prudent move, to stay in power to eliminate any possible sources of challengers, he said. To be a prudent dictator, you have to be willing to use deadly force. He added that Pyongyangs role in Kim Jong Nams killing remains uncertain. Does someone else have a motive to kill him? he said. Everyone points at Kim Jong Un. But they really need to look at other possibilities, if he had been involved in illicit activities there could be organized crime figures who have a motive to kill him as well. In China North Koreas most important ally, economic lifeline and primary source of humanitarian aid authorities appeared keen to deflect blame for the killing from Pyongyang. A commentary in the Communist Party mouthpiece Peoples Daily questioned, without evidence, whether South Korea may have been behind the killing. Who will benefit most from the death of King Jong Nam? The conservatives in South Korea, it said. If King Jong Nam dies, everyone will blame North Korea, from which South Korea stands to benefit. It will help South Korea to escape its current adversity by showing the world how cruel and inhumane North Korea is. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said that China is closely following the death of Kim Jong Nam. He gave no further details. jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com For more news from Asia, follow @JRKaiman on Twitter ALSO By testing a missile, North Korea was probably also testing Trump, experts say Senior North Korean defector says his sons were reason he fled Nuclear experts to Trump: More than tweets are needed to stop North Korea Is L.A. on North Koreas target list? UPDATES: 8 a.m.: Updated throughout with staff reporting.. 5:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the arrest, quotes from professionals and background on the relationship between Kim Jong Un and Kim Jong Nam. This article was originally published at 5:10 a.m. Shortly before Donald Trumps inauguration last month, Jerusalems mayor unveiled a video tribute to the incoming president for his much-touted campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. On Tuesday, on the eve of the first White House summit between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mayor Nir Barkat emphasized his support for the move during a conference in the city. Theres no more important symbol than the American Embassy, Barkat said. Relocating the embassy would be cheered by many Israelis and the government. But the move would be controversial because it would anger Palestinians, risk destabilizing Arab allies of the U.S., and upend decades of American diplomatic orthodoxy that has resisted moving the embassy absent a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Advertisement Control over Jerusalem and its holy sites in the Old City has been one of the most intractable disputes through failed rounds of Israeli-Palestinian talks, and has the potential to ignite violent clashes throughout the region. Though Israeli officials frequently refer to the entire city as Israels eternal capital, Palestinians claim the eastern sections of the city that were controlled by Jordan before the 1967 Arab-Israeli War as the capital of their future state. The U.S., like the rest of the international community, has kept its embassy to Israel in Tel Aviv for decades to avoid a move that would prejudge bilateral talks. For Palestinian leaders, moving the embassy even if to the citys western section would be tantamount to a de facto recognition of Israels annexation of East Jerusalem after the 1967 war. This would be the end of an era, probably the end of the two-state solution, or at least the end of any role for Washington in our region, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said in an interview this month with the online news service the EU Observer. It would be a total disaster. Trump, who is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Wednesday, recently told the Israel Hayom newspaper that he was still mulling over the idea of moving the embassy. I am studying the embassy [issue] and we will see what happens, Trump told the newspaper. It isnt an easy decision. Trump apparently is squaring his approach to Israel with the foreign policies of successive administrations before him. The White House recently issued a statement saying that building new Jewish settlements in the West Bank was liable to hurt prospects for peace. Daniel Shapiro, the ambassador to Israel under President Obama, said the Trump administration appears to be recognizing that unilateral moves would jeopardize a long-standing U.S. interest in promoting peace. If the embassy were moved to Jerusalem, the undertaking would need to involve coordination with U.S. allies and be part of a diplomatic process with Palestinians, Shapiro said. If they just announce it in a speech without consultation, without appropriate planning, it wouldnt be the smart way to do it, he said. Trump apparently cooled to the idea of moving the embassy following a meeting this month with King Abdullah II of Jordan, an ally in the U.S. fight against Islamic State extremists and other militants. Jordan, which holds the status of a custodian of the Muslim holy sites in the Old City, warned the administration that such a move could stir up protests in Arab countries and alienate Sunni-dominated allies. It could also trigger unrest in the Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem, where allegations of Israeli attempts to assert control over Muslim holy places have sparked protests and attacks. In Jerusalem, the U.S. Consulate annex a fortress-like building with security guards outside handles visas and passports and lies in an area controlled by Israel before the Arab-Israeli War. An adjacent plot of land with a hotel is also owned by the U.S. government. They will not move the embassy to Jerusalem. Its too difficult to move, said Mike Andrew, a Palestinian American who had taken a taxi from Ramallah in the West Bank to renew his childrens passports. So far its a lot of talk. Though Congress passed a law in 1995 calling for the move of the embassy, successive presidents have exercised a special waiver to delay the move every six months. Trump will have to decide in May whether to use the same waiver or allow the embassy to move. The presidents ambassador nominee, David Friedman, supports the move. He vowed at a Republican campaign event in Jerusalem in October that Trump would fire State Department officials who opposed the move. Friedman, a patron of West Bank settlements who owns a private residence in Jerusalem, reportedly said he would want to live and work in Jerusalem as ambassador. Friedmans confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected to start Thursday. Guy Avihod, an Israeli American who said he could see the consulates flag from his Jerusalem home, also expressed skepticism that Trump would overturn the policy, but said it would be a symbolic gesture to Israel. Jerusalem is such a consensus of always being part of Israel for 3,000 years, he said. So, when our biggest ally dismisses that and says, No, Tel Aviv is the capital, its dismissing Israel to the core. Ashraf Ajrami, a senior advisor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, told Israeli army radio that the Palestinians would demand that the U.S. open an embassy in East Jerusalem and recognize it as the capital of a Palestinian state in response to a move. Currently, the U.S. Consulate General on the western side of the city serves as the unofficial embassy to the Palestinians. Veteran diplomats on both sides of the divide warned against a hasty move. If the American government is making a decision on the core issues, this would be a terrible blow, said Alon Liel, a former director general of Israels Foreign Ministry. Everyone knows such a unilateral move is the end of two states. Mitnick is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report. On the eve of the first summit between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House late Tuesday appeared to back away from the long-standing U.S. advocacy of a so-called two-state solution for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. A two-state solution that doesnt bring peace is not our goal that anybody wants to achieve, a senior White House official said in briefing reporters ahead of the Netanyahu meeting. U.S. policy, and that of most international groups, for decades has considered a two-state solution, where Israel and a Palestinian nation live side-by-side, as the essential basis for peace in the troubled region. But the official, who spoke to reporters under rules that did not allow him to be identified by name, cast doubt on the Trump administrations commitment to such a policy. Advertisement Asked whether peace didnt equal a two-state solution, the official said, Maybe, maybe not. Its something the two sides have to agree to, the official added. Its not for us to impose that vision. Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution, if thats what the parties want, or something else. If thats what the parties want, were going to help them, the official said. The statements were the latest fluctuation in what seems to be an evolving Middle East policy for the new administration. Initially, Trump took hard-line positions regarding Israel, refusing to condemn the expansion of settlements in West Bank land claimed by the Palestinians and vowing to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Relocation of the embassy is controversial because both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem, or parts of it, as their capital. Trump also said he would turn over the Israeli-Palestinian portfolio to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a longtime supporter of Israel. He has nominated as his ambassador to Israel one of his lawyers, David Friedman, a passionate financial backer of settlements, which much of the world considers illegal and an impediment to peace. More recently, however, the administration dropped talk of moving the embassy, at least in the short term, and issued a statement that was critical, albeit mildly, of settlements. Trump has said he wants to make peace in the long conflict the ultimate deal. Administrations over the years have been stymied in similar goals. Peace talks have been at an impasse for three years, and there have been continuing calls from Israeli politicians to formally annex parts of the West Bank, which has been under Israeli military occupation since the 1967 Six-Day War. This month, Israels parliament approved a controversial bill giving the government authority to retroactively legalize thousands of homes in West Bank settlements and dozens of unauthorized hilltop outposts that sit on privately owned Palestinian land. Netanyahu, whose government has approved 6,000 new homes in existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since Trumps inauguration, has recently avoided reiterating support for a Palestinian state. Even some Palestinians have suggested that the only way out of the deadlock might be a one-state solution. The idea would be to try to force Israel to give Arab residents full voting rights, jeopardizing the Jewish identity upon which Israel was created in 1948, or risk being under permanent sanction by the rest of the world. If the choice is one state, Israel can either be Jewish or democratic it cannot be both and it wont ever really be at peace, former Secretary of State John F. Kerry warned in December. Both Trump and Netanyahu are eager to show an improved relationship following eight frosty years with the Obama presidency. But experts have also warned that Trump should be careful not to risk provoking Arab states, whom he needs in the fight against the Islamic State extremist group and as a counterweight to Iran. The White House official said Trump and Netanyahu, in their summit Wednesday, will discuss settlements, an embassy move and Iran. tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson alexandra.zavis@latimes.com Twitter: @alexzavis Times staff writers Wilkinson reported from Washington and Zavis from Los Angeles. ALSO Netanyahu may seek to reset U.S.-Israel relations in meeting with Trump Israels questioning of U.S. activist raises concerns of government pressure on groups White House says Trump knew three weeks ago that Flynn misled on contacts with Russia All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced. 19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc. Hugh Jackman revealed that he was recently treated for skin cancer on his nose again. This was his fifth treatment in four consecutive years. According to US Magazine, the 48-year old Hollywood prodigy took it to social media and shared a photograph with bandaged nose with his fans and explained what it looks to have a cancerous nose surgery. The Oscar-winning alum revealed that he was treated for his nose cancer again on February 13. Another basal cell carcinoma. Thanks to frequent checks & amazing doctors, all's well. Looks worse w the dressing on then off! WEARSUNSCREEN pic.twitter.com/IA7N6Ca3Oe Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) February 13, 2017 The actor appeared to be in high hopes as he mentioned that everything is sorted out well. According to him, frequent medical examinations and with the guidance of qualified medical examiners, he was able to post this selfie. "Another basal cell carcinoma. Thanks to frequent body checks and amazing doctors, all is well. Looks worse with the dressing on than off. I swear! #wearsunscreen," The Wolverine star revealed his first-time skin cancer case in 2013. He was diagnosed with skin cancer and posted a similar selfie at that time as well. Since then, the actor has undergone five surgeries and has made sure to stress how essential wearing sunblock is. He explained that his wife Debora Lee Furness had asked him to get the apparent "mark" on the nose get examined by the professionals. However, the results were a bit jaw-dropping as it turned out that he had basal cell carcinoma. He continued writing and suggested others get themselves checked to add Hugh is also advising people to wear sunscreen for direct exposure to the sun. Basal cell carcinoma, even though not fatal, but can cause a lot of skin damage if not treated on time. This can easily cause disfigurement of the skin or distortion of tissues surrounding the affected area. It is still considered to cause discomfort. Hugh had made sure to communicate with his fans regarding the case. He said that basal cell carcinomas are not life-threatening, but rather than assuming, it's foolishness to not visit a doctor, reports E! News. On May 2014, Hugh attended the red carpet premiere of X-Men: Days of Future Past just a couple of days after his nose surgery. While his nose bandage was still on, Hugh remained high-spirited and continued clicking photos with fans. It seems Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick may be getting back together despite Kourtney being seen together recently with Justin Bieber. The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star was reportedly spotted entering a West Hollywood building where her ex was seen going inside as well. According to Mail Online, Kourtney Kardashian was seen walking inside the said building while Scott Disick was spotted driving in his Rolls Royce before coming in. It is not known whether the two met up inside the building and reignited their romance.It is rumored that the two are working on some kind of reconciliation as former lovers and as parents to their three children together. The former couple's last reunion last month after a family trip outside the US did not end well as Scott left early to reportedly return to Bella Banos side. Additionally, Scott was photographed hanging out with several women in Miami. Meanwhile, Kourtney Kardashian and Justin Bieber were recently seen together attending church. According to ComicBook, they were in Rich Wilerson Jr's church in Los Angeles. Kourtney Kardashian and Justin Bieber were last seen together in public last month when they were going to a club in West Hollywood. It was rumored at the time that the two were breaking off their fling so Kourtney could focus on her relationship with Scott Disick and their children. Kourtney Kardashian and Justin Bieber have been a hot topic after the two were caught several times together in public. It is rumored that the two are engaged in a rebound romance, specifically for the reality star against her former lover, Scott Disick. Justin Bieber is said to have a good relationship with the Kardashian family but there was no confirmation if he and Kourtney Kardashian have something together. Do you think Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick will be getting back together soon? Tell us what you think in the comments below. While Google saw some terrible times with its fiber-optic gigabit internet connectivity, the company seems to add up some new plans to its Fiber centric initiative in some of the major cities of the United States. The company is about to relaunch the task of enforcing massive fiber connectivity in the country with certain major cities in its list for the next activity. As the latest insights are coming out Google Fiber 2.0 is sure to see some new extensions soon. According to TechRepublic, A number of new developments have been witnessed by many on the "new cities" section of the Google Fiber's official website recently. It seems that the authorities have moved Louisville, Kentucky from its list of "Potential" cities to the list of "Upcoming" cities. Which indicates that Google Fiber's upcoming reach would be these two cities, joining the list with San Antonio, Texas and Huntsville, Alabama. Among the three cities which have qualified to be on the 'Upcoming" cities list, Louisville, Kentucky are regarded to be the major beachheads for Google Fiber's next implementation program. If the chalked out plan are intensified properly, then Google Fiber will turn into the most potential rival to AT&T Fiber in the city of Louisville, as per a report by Digital Trends. However, the city's administration seems to support Google Fiber on its following initiative. Reports suggest that Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer helped Google by passing a "One Touch Make Ready" ordinance in Louisville which would allow the members and employees of Google Fiber to attach their cable and perform any kind of necessary checks and inspections. This has caused the city to engage in a direct conflict with AT&T, as the connectivity giant has sued the administration of Louisville. The issue is still in queue and left to be settled. To fuel this internet connectivity competition, the crew members of AT&T are now also taking up the task of wiring Lousiville with their fiber cables. Amanda Bynes is staying silent no more over a series of bizarre claims being made by an impersonator. The "Easy A" starlet went back to Twitter to deny claims over a Twitter user impersonating her saying that she is pregnant and getting married. In a series of tweets, Twitter user @persianla27 has reportedly been impersonating Amanda Bynes. The account even tweeted a photo of a woman that looks like the actress with a caption greeting its followers with a "Happy Valentine's Day." According to E! News, the Amanda Bynes impersonator even said that they are going to the doctor to confirm their pregnancy after testing positive on a home kit. Amanda Bynes took to Twitter again after 6 months of hiatus to shut down the rumors. The former child star wrote on her account and tagged the impersonator stating that she is not pregnant and getting married. It seems she has also reported the fraudulent account as she expressed her frustration over why Twitter has not taken it down. As of this writing, the account claiming to be Amanda Bynes is still in operation. Amanda Bynes was last active on August of last year. She has already asked Twitter to take down the fake account but no action has been done as it still lives to this day. According to People, Amanda Bynes was photographed for the first time in December 2016 after months of not being seen in the public. The "Sydney White" actress with the troubled past is trying to carve a new career in fashion when she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. It is not known if Amanda Bynes is still attending school there. What do you think of Amanda Bynes' impersonator on Twitter? Tell us what you think is happening in the comments below. A Bucks County woman accused of speeding and running a red light in Allentown, leading to a crash that killed a city woman and one of her grandchildren, is now facing trial on the charges. Maria Eiseman, 32, of Warminster, Pa., was in court Wednesday for her preliminary hearing on charges related to the Jan. 3 crash, including two counts each of homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter. Christina Watkins-Rivera and her 7-year-old granddaughter, Yaretzi Ramos, died following the collision and two other children, also Watkins-Rivera's grandchildren, were injured, authorities said. Following Wednesday's hearing, the charges against Eiseman were sent to Lehigh County Court, where she will face trial unless a plea is entered or the case is disposed of in another way. Eiseman remains in county jail in lieu of $300,000 bail. Prosecutors said Eiseman was northbound on South Fourth Street just after 10:30 p.m. and ran a red light at Fourth and Susquehanna streets. Eiseman's Ford Fiesta collided with the driver's side of an Infiniti driven by the 47-year-old Watkins-Rivera, according to police. Two witnesses testified they saw Eiseman's car before the crash, and she was speeding, traveling in the opposite lane of traffic, and had run a red light before the crash. Both drivers came up to the crash after it happened, and Luis Raul Melendez testified Watkins-Rivera's car was "destroyed." Melendez testified he used scissors to cut the seat belts of Watkins-Rivera and two of the kids in the back seat, and he pulled out the older woman and set her on the ground. Melendez, speaking through an interpreter, said he handed the two injured children to people standing outside the car. As for Ramos, Melendez said the little girl was in the corner of the crushed side of the car, and had severe injuries. Melendez said he waited for emergency personnel to extract the little girl. Watkins-Rivera and Ramos were taken to St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill and pronounced dead. The two other children, ages 7 and 8, were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. Eiseman was also injured. She was taken to St. Luke's University Hospital and eventually released. Police officer Craig Berger testified he spoke with Eiseman, who reported she was upset that night following an argument over child custody. Eiseman said she was traveling from Sellersville in Bucks County, and she had no idea where she was at the time, according to police. Eiseman reportedly told Berger that she didn't see the traffic light at the intersection, and the other car "came out of nowhere." A city traffic camera recorded the entire incident, and the video was shown to the district judge on Wednesday. The video shows that Eiseman had a red light on South Fourth Street, and that two vehicles on Susquehanna Street traveled through the intersection before Eiseman's car collided with the Infiniti. Melendez testified Eiseman appeared to be driving about 100 mph when she passed him on South Fourth Street before the crash. Eva Arocho-Cruz testified she saw a car later, identified as Eiseman's, pass her on the left, in the opposite late of traffic, and run a red traffic light at South Fourth and Brookdale streets. Allentown police Sgt. David McDonald testified that data taken from Eiseman's car showed she was traveling between 70 and 107 mph about four minutes before the crash, between 65 and 85 mph about five seconds before the crash and 65 mph in the 40 mph zone at impact. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Win Min Htut Htut Win Min Htut, of Bethlehem, is led to his preliminary hearing by Lehigh County deputies on charges he fatally shot his wife, Thida Myint. (Lehighvalleylive.com file photo) Win Min Htut knew exactly what he was doing when he pleaded guilty to killing his wife in front of their children in West Bethlehem, a state Superior Court ruling says. Htut, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for second-degree murder in 2014 in Lehigh County Court, gave up his rights to appeal the sentence as part of the plea deal. In exchange, prosecutors withdrew their pursuit of the death penalty in the case. The 40-year-old, who came to America in 2004 from Myanmar, claimed in court documents filed last year that he did not understand he was giving up his rights to appeal because English is not his native language. But the state Superior Court in a ruling filed Monday called Htut's English proficiency argument bogus, upholding a previous Lehigh County Court ruling. The lower court's ruling notes that Htut's attorney described his client as "well-versed in the English language, and throughout his representation of Htut, their dialogue was in English." Htut is currently serving his life sentence in the State Correctional Institution in Fayette. He is not eligible for parole. Htut fatally shot his wife, 37-year-old Thida Myint, on Dec. 17, 2013, in front of their home in the 300 block of Central Park Avenue. The shooting, witnessed by their three children, happened the same day Myint was granted a permanent protection-from-abuse order against Htut. The eldest child, a daughter who was 16 at the time, called 911 to report the shooting, saying, "My dad shot my mom and took my 3-year-old sister," according to court records. The 16-year-old daughter wrote a letter read in court during Htut's guilty plea that cast her father as controlling and abusive to such a degree that the family felt like prisoners in the home. The Superior Court, in its ruling issued Monday, also dismissed a claim that Htut had ineffective legal representation when he pleaded guilty. Nick Falsone may be reached at nfalsone@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. bethlehem oil spill On Tuesday afternoon fire crews evacuated 470-472 Main St. in Bethlehem, due to fumes from an oil spill in the building's basement. (Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com) ( ) A heating oil delivery turned messy Tuesday afternoon, leading to the evacuation of a downtown Bethlehem building. Fumes from the oil spill in the basement of 470-472 Main St., at the corner of West Market Street, led fire officials to evacuate the building. The ground floor houses Johnny's Bagels & Deli and The Snow Goose Gallery, and the upper floors are apartments. City fire Chief Warren Achey said employees with the oil company would be cleaning up the spill, and were waiting on crews to extract the oil. No one was injured in the incident, and the heat to the building was turned off, Achey said. Achey did not have the exact volume of oil that spilled, and said the length of time the building would be closed would depend on the cleanup efforts. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The Bethlehem Township woman accused of stealing the baby Jesus from Bethlehem's Nativity scene was ordered Tuesday to pay $254.50 in fines and costs, according to court staff. Jacqueline Ross, 50, of the 5200 block of Freemansburg Avenue, pleaded guilty before District Judge Roy Manwaring II to a non-traffic citation for defiant trespass. She had faced a felony charge of theft, in addition to misdemeanor institutional vandalism, in the Dec. 4 incident, but both those charges were dropped in favor of the citation. City police turned to the public in helping to identify the perpetrator. They circulated surveillance images that were determined to show Ross dropping off the statue, its leg and hand damaged, at St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem Township. She also left a note referencing "parents Joseph and Mary Christ" that police described as making no sense. A township police officer recognized Ross from the surveillance photos and caught up with her at her house, where she admitted to taking baby Jesus in what she called "a joke, a prank," according to police. She was arraigned Dec. 15 and initially sent to Northampton County Prison, before being released on $30,000 unsecured bail Dec. 21. Conditions of her bail included requiring that she undergo a mental health evaluation and follow any recommendations. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Almost 50 years ago, Richard Lee "Red" Whitteker disappeared into the jungles of Vietnam. His plane crashed March 27, 1968, and he was never heard from again. Local veterans took steps Wednesday to make sure the Wilson Borough native's legacy isn't lost. In the 2300 block of Forest Street, where he lived, they posted a street sign with his name and the date he went missing. It was a small but emotional and meaningful gesture for Wilson Borough resident Barry Willever, the vice president of the Pennsylvania Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America. "It's long overdue," he said. Willever knew Whitteker's mother from the neighborhood and church. She and her husband are deceased. Whitteker, who was 29 when he went missing, has adult children but they couldn't be reached to attend the ceremony, Willever said. He persuaded the Wilson Area School Board to fly a POW/MIA flag in Whitteker's honor a couple of years ago. He got the idea for the street sign when Phillipsburg erected signs in honor of two missing veterans in December. Willever said he grew up in Phillipsburg but moved to Wilson Borough in 1976. It's important to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, said Willever, who spent a year in Vietnam himself. "These people got to be recognized. All servicepeople have to be recognized. This is what we do," he said. The sign was donated by Rick Simmers of Reliable Sign & Striping, of Bushkill Township. The borough public works department brought the ladder and tools Willever needed to put the sign in place. A duplicate one went up at the other end of the block. WHO WAS RICHARD WHITTEKER? The captain in the U.S. Air Force reserves flew with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 366th Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force. He flew 105 combat missions, including one on Nov. 26, 1967, where he bombed a "strongly fortified hostile position" amid heavy anti-aircraft fire to rescue friendly troops in danger of being overrun. On March 27, 1968, he engaged an enemy convoy in North Vietnam when his aircraft crashed for an unknown reason. He was in the plane with James L. Badley. Their bodies were never recovered. He received a host of honors, including a posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart for wounds received in action. He graduated from Wilson Area High School in 1957 and from Penn State University in 1961. He completed pilot training in 1966 and was deployed in the fall of 1967. Source: Easton Vietnam Memorial website Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. When Billy Gruenewald was growing up in Bethlehem, he learned about the city's rich history during visits to its many landmarks. But he doesn't remember ever going to the Sun Inn. Everyone knows of the place, he said, but few have really experienced it. "I'd say it's one of the better kept secrets in Bethlehem," he said. The team behind the Tavern at the Sun Inn, where Gruenewald serves as chef, is hoping to give people a new reason to visit the the historic location. First built in 1758, the inn hosted the likes of George and Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Marquis de Lafayette and many others. The new Tavern, filling the two floors above and below the inn's first-floor museum, looks to pay homage to the building's revolutionary history in its approach to dining and decor. Opened in early December, the Tavern is a collaboration between Gruenewald, who also owns the People's Kitchen and Bolt & Key Cafe in Bethlehem, and Christmas City Spirits, which plans to open a micro-distillery in the inn. The distillery has been delayed as it seeks licensing, but the kitchen is up and running now, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday. The historic location, rather than limiting the vision for the Tavern, helped guide the team in choosing decor, said Christmas City Spirits co-owner Colin Anderson. They worked with the Sun Inn Preservation Association, which owns the building, to maintain the inn's integrity while renovating the space. "It gave us a clearer direction of where we wanted to be," Anderson said. The ambiance throughout is simple, clean and classic, with white walls, rich wood accents and plenty of red, white and blue. Images of revolutionary figures, antique firearms and patriotic flags fill the wallspace. Each of the two bars, now serving local beers, wines and ciders, is each made from a single, local ambrosia maple tree. In food and drink, too, the establishment looks to early colonial America for guidance. Philadelphia's Yards Brewing Company anchors the beer list, in particular the brewery's "Ales of the Revolution" series. Gruenewald's dishes are elevated tavern fare, hearty and locally sourced. The chef, who works with his People's Kitchen partner Holly Joyce, said he sought to use mostly ingredients that would have been available to 18th century Americans, but with modern twists. A venison sausage ($21) is served with sweet potato and parsnip hash and roasted Brussels sprouts; a bone-in pork chop ($24) is topped orange and apricot chutney and served over wild rice and green beans. Small plates, like a mini chicken pot pie ($9), and salads ($6-8) are also available. After finishing a meal in the second-floor dining area, customers can head down to the basement "rathskeller" to continue drinking. When the microdistillery opens, Anderson said, the rums, brandies and other liquors produced at the inn will be similarly influenced by Revolution-era methods and recipes. The distillery isn't the only plan on the horizon for the Tavern. They've landscaped the inn's courtyard to open it as Bethlehem's largest outdoor eating area once the weather warms up. The move would add at least 40 seats to more than 75 already inside. Plus, the courtyard is fenced in, avoiding some of nuisances that can come with outdoor dining along the main thoroughfare. For more information about the Tavern at the Sun Inn, head to its website. Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook. Sheila and Chris Mahon have won a High Court case against Laois County Council over flooding to their Rosenallis home, describing it as a horrendous strain. The family home was flooded twice after faulty drainage pipe work was carried out by the council on a nearby stream in 2007. It has been eight years of worry. The fear of flooding was huge, its a terrible thing. At night when we would hear rain, wed get out of bed to keep checking, Chris would even go out and check the drain if the rain was heavy, Sheila Mahon said. It put a terrible strain on us as a family, constantly waiting to be flooded again, it was horrendous, she said. They made requests to the councilbut to no avail. It was soul destroying. We couldnt fix it because we didnt have a right, yet it was flooding our home, she said. After the second flood in 2014, Mrs Mahon was hospitalised with 36 percent inflammation of her lungs, from exposure to allergans in the house, caused by damp. I had to move out for eight weeks, away from Chris and our four boys, to stay with my sister 40km away, she said. Court was daunting. It was the most pressurised, difficult situation Ive ever been in. We could have lost everything because of the cost, even our house, because the case was in both our names. We were literally putting our home on the line, Sheila said, adding that they had no other choice. We knew that what was happening was wrong. We couldnt keep living with the strain, she said. After day one in the High Court, they felt the judge could see they were genuine. We were not looking for a huge payout, just for the drain to be fixed, and compensation for the debts we got into to repair our home, she said. The family was without a kitchen for a year and half, and had to remove the plaster from downstairs walls, and pull out all units because they were mouldy, as well as carpets and wooden floors. Even now after winning their case, they are slow to believe the nightmare is over. They have 12 weeks to fix it, but its the same people fixing the same drain for the fourth time. We are worried it will rain heavily in those 12 weeks, and whether the drain will work properly once its fixed. We have to be hopeful, we are relieved the case is over, but we are still worried, Mrs Mahon said. She thanked her neighbours and friends. They were really fantastic, some were witnesses. A special thank you to our children, family and friends for their support and kindness to us and to our solicitor Richard Stapleton from Tullamore and his staff for their hard work, she said. See court report on page 6 Five new Laois schools have received DEIS status, meaning they are classed as being in educationally disadvantaged areas, and qualify for extra funding and staff. Three of the five are in Mountmellick; St Joseph's Girls NS and St Patrick's Boys NS, and Mountmellick community school. Two more are in Mountrath, Scoil Bhride Girls NS and St Fintan's Boys NS. Up to now there was only one DEIS category school in Laois, Scoil Bhride NS in Knockmay, which gets free school meals among other supports. It will continue to be a DEIS school. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan announced the funding on Monday February 13. "It is very good news for pupils, parents and teachers. I have been concerned for some time at the population changes and structure in Mountmellick, I am delighted that the children and young people attending school will now have that extra advantage which can be the difference in going to third level college, the Minister said. This means that students from disadvantaged backgrounds get added help and assistance. National and international studies show that education is the key to employment and job opportunities, he said. Fianna Fail Laois TD Sean Fleming welcomed it as excellent news. This scheme improves literacy and numeracy, school completion rates and progression to further education, he said, listing supports like extra funding, teachers, school meals, a psychological service, professional development and book schemes. The new scheme will be implemented in September. The schools were identified using information from the Central Statistics Office and Dept of Education data supplied by the schools. A Portlaoise man who put a garda in a headlock during a disturbance caused by his family at the local hospital has been put on six months probation. Kenneth Kelly, 69 OMoore Place, Portlaoise, was at last weeks district court for the finalisation of the case, which involved public order charges at the Midlands Regional Hospital, Portlaoise on January 28, 2014. States evidence outlined that gardai were called to a disturbance in the A&E department on the night. As they were arresting a woman, the gardai were approached by the accused. Kelly physically assaulted a garda by getting him in a headlock and pulling him to the ground. He also cursed and spat at the gardai, and pepper spray had to be used in his arrest. Kelly had 70 previous convictions. When the case came before Judge Staines last May, she adjourned the case for Kelly to pay compensation to both the garda he assaulted and the staff of the A&E. When the case returned to court last week, defence, Mr Declan Breen send there were two letters of apology, one for the gardai and one for the staff of the A&E. Mr Breen said that of the 400 compensation Kelly had been directed to have, he had 150 in court. Mr Breen said this was the best Kelly could do, as he was doing up his house at the moment. Judge Staines imposed six months probation. She put the matter back to March 16, for the accused to have 200 for the A&E staff. She directed that the 150 in court go to the gardai. More than three quarters of people who voted in a Leinster Express poll on drink driving are against relaxed laws for rural areas. While the sample size was small, 77% of those who voted in our online poll said no when asked the question: "Do you think drink-driving laws should be relaxed in rural areas of the country?". Just under a quarter agreed that the laws should be eased. There was a big response to the question on social media with more than 5,000 people reached on Facebook. Of the many people who commented, all felt that the rules should not be eased. "There should be no limit. If you are going to drink you don't drive. End of!!," posted Jane Walsh. "No, a drunk driver is a drunk driver regardless of rural or urban location," posted Caroline Dunlea. Jenny Weight posted: "If you can afford to go out drinking you can afford the taxi home. Maybe publicans should have to provide transport in rural areas for a small fee a mini bus could do a run after closing it's the least they could do. To my knowledge most if the drink driving fatalities are in rural not urban areas". It emerged this week that a doubling in drunk driving checkpoints in Laois has led to a sharp increase in the number of people caught driving over the limit in Laois. Portlaoise-based Garda Superintendent Joe Prendergast revealed that there were 47 drink driving offences detected in the last quarter of 2016, as compared to 36 for the last three months of 2015a 30% rise. Theres a very good chance if you are drinking and driving you are going to be caught, he warned at the Laois Joint Policing Committee meeting in Portlaoise. He said Gardai in Laois had manned 524 checkpoints in 2016. The number in 2015 was 276, The Minister for Transport Shane Ross announced in recent days that he will bring legislative proposals to Cabinet for all drivers convicted of drink-driving to receive a mandatory disqualification from driving. "Drivers under 44 accounted for 70% of intoxicated drivers in 2015 with 81% of all intoxicated drivers being male. We have not solved that problem," he told a Dail committee. Laois was the location for one of the most tragic deaths caused by drink driving in recent years. Ciaran Treacy, from Portarlington, was aged just 5 when he was killed on April 17 2014 as a result of drink driver. Thieves broke into a recently opened boutique in Mountmellick on the night before Valentines Day and made off with Valentine's gift hampers and much of the stock from the shop. It is understood that two people reportedly broke in to the business on 34 O'Moore Street on the night of February 13 and stole a large amount of stock, leaving some black bags of items behind when they were disturbed. Handbags, perfume, some clothes and make-up were among the items stolen. Proprietor Kristine Melne says she no longer feels safe since the incident. "Still shocked myself. Mad angry. Working hard and some people think they can get everything for free and get away with that. Don't feel safe at all anymore," she said on social media. She thanked local people who rallied in support for her on social media, condemning the theft and urging her to post photos of the stolen items so they can be recognised. "I'm very glad to be part of Mountmellick. Thanks for all support, means a lot," Ms Melne added. The boutique 'Christina World of Sparkles' had recently supported the Little Black Dress fundraiser for the local charity, the Ben and Jake Connolly Trust. "Kristine is such a lovely lady she single handedly provided all the goodies for the little black dress event last November to raise funds for our town's very own Ben and Jake Connolly Trust. Let's hope our town might be able to help her now when she needs us," said trust member Janet Stewart on social media. "She struggled and has built it up to be a great benefit to our town. Kristine works hard and like all us self employed puts in long hours to build up her business. Please help if you may have noticed anything suspicious," Ms Stewart appealed. Eleven year old Niamh Doyle is busy making her poster for a vigil in Portlaoise this Friday where she will join with other Cystic Fibrosis patients to plead for a potentially lifesaving drug to be purchased by the government. A fifth class student at Timahoe NS, and keen gymnast at Portlaoise Gymnastics Club, Niamh has been fairly well so far, but when she hits adolescence her illness is predicted to worsen. I want to get Orkambi before I have to get a lung transplant. Its an extra thing that could keep a lot of people alive, she told the Leinster Express. When I am not well Im not able to go to gymnastics because i feel really tired and sick. I hope the Minister buys Orkambi so i will have a better quality of life, and do more gymnastics because they are getting new equipment, she said. Niamhs mother Adrienne said they were in a bubble up to recently because her daughter was coping so well. Only when she got sick before Christmas, and had to go into the CF ward St Michaels in Crumlin, did I really get a fright. The other children that were a bit older than Niamh were really sick, some on food tubes, it was hugely upsetting. Then I realised the extent of the battle that other families were fighting to get Orkambi. CF can get worse during puberty, and every lung infection does increased damage, so we are trying to maintain what she has, she said. Niamh would be medically ideal for Orkambi once she turns 12 in six weeks, but so far negotiations between the government and Vertex, the American drug manufacturer, have been unsuccessful. They are putting money before life, its nearly a year down the line that they are assessing costs. Niamhs two week stay in hospital cost 12,000, it was paid by our health insurance, but typical hospital stays for CF can be up to six months. How much is all that costing? she said. This Friday from 8pm to 9pm, simultaneous candlit vigils to plead for Orkambi will be held in almost every county in Ireland, with the Laois event to be held outside Laois County Council offices in Portlaoise. Many from Timahoe National School will be there to support Niamh. "Niamh has been promoting the vigil to all the classes for a number of weeks so I would expect a large Timahoe NS turnout. Her entries to the Intel Mini scientist for the last two years have centred on CF, and have been noted by a respiratory expert from St Vincent's hospital," said teacher Martina Mulhall. Many other Laois CF patients and their families are expected to be at the vigil, and the community is also invited to come to support them. We will be remembering those who probably would be with us if we had the drug, and supporting those who still are fighting Cystic Fibrosis, said Adrienne. Portlaoises new secondary school has appointed its first principal, and she comes with plenty of experience and enthusiasm for the job. Dunamase College opens in September for first years at a temporary home on Railway Street, headed up by Aoife Elster, a Dublin native who lives in Laois. Taking up her post officially in March, Ms Elster is meeting parents at a public information meeting this Thursday February 16 at 7.30pm at Railway street. I am delighted to have been appointed, and very much looking forward to meeting everyone on Thursday, she said. She recently oversaw the set-up of a similar sized 1,000 pupil secondary school in Dublin, and before that, the Gael-Cholaiste Chill Dara in Naas in 2004. My experience will be very useful, the Balbriggan school is in its third year now, I recruited the teachers and organised a new 18m building, and I am looking forward to doing the same again in Laois. I am living here a long time, I know the area and the basics in setting up a new school, and I look forward to it, she said. The Portlaoise school will be multi-denominational, offering full lessons through Irish as well as English, in the first ever joint project between Foras Patrunachta and an ETB. Hopefully it will be a flagship model throughout the country. The multi-denominational aspect is very important because there was a cohort who didnt feel they had a choice. This will be a bit different, with the Irish aspect as well, and we will be very strong on technology and science and innovation, with the use of tablets, interactive and self directed learning, and flexible cloud based learning, she said. Her background is in science but she is involved in education for over two decades, in both Irish and English medium schools. She has postgraduate qualifications in Mathematics and Education from NUIM, and developed distance learning strategies, teaching physics in two counties simultaneously over the internet. Ms Elster also has a strong interest in culture and music and regularly walks in the Sliabh Bloom. Portlaoise will be an interesting challenge she said. It will have a mix of town and county students, and the Gaelcholaiste will attract students from all over the county. There is a very strong gaelscoil here, and an Educate Together, and then you have the GAA aspect and a lot of cultural activity. I hope that we will be very community focused, she said. There is already interest from teachers hoping to join Dunamase College. We are recruiting shortly, but emails are coming in now. A new school is very exciting to be involved in. I will be taking on as many teachers as I can, to offer as wide a subject choice as I can. There will be two sections, one all through Irish and one through English, with two to three groups of first years, depending on numbers, she said. The school will get a new building in coming years. The principal is married to Stephen Elster, with two adult children; Naomi, a cancer researcher and writer, and Ciaran, a musician and teacher, both working abroad. Chief Executive at Laois Offaly ETB is Joe Cunningham. The appointment of the new principal is another practical step in establishing Dunamase College as a significant provider of post primary education within Portlaoise. All of the necessary preparations will be in place before the school opens in September, he said. One wag last week commented, in the midst of the raging debate on the decline of Naas, that comparing the county town with Newbridge was like comparing Finglas to Foxrock. Im a proud, born, bred and buttered daughter of Ballymany, Scoil Mhuire reared and Moores through and through but Im not going to pretend for a minute that I thought he was equating the Bridge to the posh part of the Southside. So hold me drink, hold me coat, Im going in on that one If were talking county stereotypes, Naas has always been painted as Kildares genteel town of solicitors, accountants, lovely boutiques and well brought up young convent ladies. Newbridge, goes popular opinion, is rough and ready its a town of factories and the army and big housing estates, where you wouldnt want to pick a fight on Main Street after closing time. Thats rubbish, of course there have always been some rougher edges to parts of Naas just as Newbridge has eh, the College and the sparklier bits of the Silverware. Plus, the influx of Celtic Tiger blow-ins to both towns has changed their social make-up considerably over the past decade. These days, in fact, the main difference between the countys two biggest towns just eight miles apart, centre to centre, and of roughly equal populations is that Newbridge is now thriving, while Naas struggles. So what happened? What did Newbridge get right? Newbridge got lucky is what happened. But the town rode its luck and is now the countys liveliest, most bustling commercial hub. Its sad but true you could fire a shotgun from Naas Town Hall down towards the Fairgreen most weekday mornings, and youd be unlucky if you hit a sinner. Thats not true in Newbridge. The town is buzzing and bustling. Its a tale of two shopping centres, of course. Getting lucky Newbridge got lucky in that the Whitewater Shopping Centre, which was built on the site of the old Irish Ropes factory formerly a massive employer in the centre of the town opened in 2006, before the economic crash. For better and or for worse, and for all that outlets have shut there or the occasional rumours that footfall has gone quiet, it has pulled shoppers and browsers into the middle of the town. Compare that to the rotting hulk in the middle of Naas, which was scheduled to open just three years later, but was poleaxed by the downturn. Newbridge got very lucky indeed. Parking right in the centre of town is no problem in Newbridge, with the big GAA grounds car-park and the price-comparable Whitewater and town centre multi-storey facilities, along with onstreet parking and spaces in the retail parks. And on the subject of those retail parks and walking within Newbridge. The town, to outsiders, might look like an awfully long, linear strip. Yet the bulk of the towns shops and retailers are concentrated within an easy stroll of those central car parks or, indeed the towns well-serviced bus stops. Even the retail parks with their big supermarkets are accessible from the town centre, Great Wall of Dunnes Stores notwithstanding. You can walk from the Post Office to the Tescos in about ten minutes. In Naas, youd need an SUV explorer with a sat-nav to get from Main Street to the furthest reaches of Monread or Lidl. Nobody in Newbridge was thick enough to grant planning permission for a retail park out near Lumville or the racecourse roundabout, and expect shoppers not to desert the town centre. Its true that Newbridge has a fair whack of the big multinational retailers that have been accused of sucking the character out of local towns the Penneys, the Debenhams, the Zaras and New Looks and Nandos and Costa Coffees. But those sorts of places are where people like to shop these days, and the footfall they bring in also passes by The Mans Shop, and Terry Michael's and Michael Murphys and the Hoky Poky and Vanity Fair, to name but a few long-standing and proud Newbridge businesses. For shoppers, the town is a great mix of the old and the new, the independent and the chain, and theyre all together in one fairly compact town centre, unlike Naas where there seems to be an apartheid of independent strugglers in the centre and booming chains on the outskirts. Ive heard it said, though, that the town has gone to the dogs between the Bank of Ireland and the river. And true, its not the shiniest, poshest, chrome and glass side of the town. But its doing what it does very well. The left hand side of that street, as you face the bridge, is Newbridges equivalent of the Vegas Strip. Youve your nightclubs, pubs, chippers, take-aways and cab offices. Its not the prettiest part of town, but it gets the job its there for done. The right hand side, you might say, is our artistic and cultural quarter, with the Riverbank Theatre, the lovely, refurbished Town Hall and our field of dreams, St Conleths Park, all within a hundred yards. (Id count the legendary Farrell & Nephew bookshop in that too, even if it is across the way). Of course, youve also got the lovely quirkiness of characterful Georges Street and its shops and eateries nearby too. I dont think Im viewing Newbridge through rose-tinted glasses. There are a fair amount problems in the town, as there are everywhere. Theres anti-social troublespots where you wouldnt go at night, never mind open a business there. On a purely infrastructural basis, the traffic can be chronic, especially at school opening and closing hours, and the crazy bottleneck system of the entire town trying to cross the bridge in the one spot needs to be addressed, even if it means building another Liffey crossing. Parts of Eyre Street are eyesores and businesses on that back street could undoubtedly do with some assistance indeed, if helped to be redeveloped, that part of town has the potential to be a gem of a new quarter. Yet the characteristics of which Newbridge people have always been rightly proud, our grit, earthiness, and competitiveness weve even got two GAA clubs in the town, unlike Naas, so were not afraid of a bit of niggle coupled with good timing and a rub of great luck have combined to help us survive and thrive. No thanks, Foxrock. Well take our Finglas any day. The High Court has today set aside a 6.9m judgment order against a Co Kildare based stud farmer in favour of Bank of Scotland (BOS). In his decision, Mr Justice Max Barrett, in setting aside the judgement made over three years ago against Eugene McDermott, said the bank's application for judgment should now be reheard. The Judge said the judgment should be set aside because the applicant was in such a poor mental ill health at the time the bank applied for judgement that he had no recollection of ever having being served with the documents supporting the bank's claim. As a result, he was not present in court in July 2013 when Mr Justice Peter Kelly entered judgment for 6,971,856 against Mr McDermott, of Kennycourt Stud, Brannockstown, Co Kildare. Mr McDermott sought to have the judgment set aside on grounds including that in 2013 he was very unwell and with the pace of the proceedings was unable to get legal representation. He claimed he was denied basic procedures and had a good defence to the bank's application that went unheard by the court. In his ruling Mr Justice Barrett said Mr Justice Kelly was fully entitled to conclude on the evidence before him that Mr McDermott had been duly served with the documents. However the court was now appraised with facts concerning Mr McDermott's health which in 2013 were unknown to Mr Justice Kelly. In all the circumstances the Judge said he "could not persist with the view" that, despite the fact service of the documents was effected in a manner directed by the High Court, Mr McDermott had notice of the application for judgement heard by Mr Justice Kelly. The Judge said as Mr McDermott is now fully aware of the bank's application the requirements of justice demand the bank's application for summary judgment should proceed swiftly. The rehearing should be heard sometime later this year, Mr Justice Barrett concluded. BOS sought the judgment against Mr McDermott arising from loans dating back to 2005 advanced for purposes including refinancing other loans, to acquire bloodstock and for stud developments. In June 2012, the bank issued repayment demands under the various facilities, plus interest and fees. When repayment was not made, it appointed a receiver over certain lands of Mr McDermott at Kennycourt, Brannockstown, mortgaged to the bank under a 1996 mortgage. The Council is currently supporting the town of Mohill is a number of ways. The town was prioritised under the Town and Village Scheme with additional footpath works. The Lough Rinn rowing facility will continue to be developed and provides the basis for a continued increase in activity to the town. The Council rates incentivised scheme is available on an ongoing basis to eligible applicants for the reuse of vacant or unused business premises. The Local Enterprise Office has supported the set-up of the Mohill Business Association early in 2015 following a sustainability/green energy expo in the Canon Donohoe Hall where over 100 people attended in December 2014. Energy audits with approximately 12 businesses in Mohill were also carried out. The businesses, where interested, were assisted to carry out some of the cost saving measures with a small fund made available through the Local Enterprise Office. Start Your Own Business courses have been ran in Mohill along with information sessions during enterprise week on energy awareness. Work is currently ongoing in developing a Sustainable Energy Community in Mohill among businesses, community businesses, etc. Meetings with this group continue and are now working towards a better energy communities application in February 2017. Further initiatives include cookery classes for the youth cafe members ie: young people age 8-12 during February 2017, encompassing nutrition and healthy eating, ongoing engagement is happening between LEO and the Arts Office and the Old Convent in Mohill which is being developed as a creative centre. All of the business supports in relation to one to one meetings, business advice and business training and mentoring are available to businesses in Mohill and the county as a whole. Online Trading Vouchers Scheme, Micro Finance Ireland loans, etc are open to any eligible business wishing to avail of it. Richmond is now always going to be one of these words that brings a smile to Liberal Democrats, along with words like Dunfermline, Brent Central, Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles, Newbury and Christchurch, all great by-election wins. But theres another reason that Richmond features on our site today. Our very own Joe Otten takes to the stage in Sheffield for the next four nights as Richmond in a production of Shakespeares Richard III with a difference: In an alternate time-line the climax of the Wars of the Roses coincided with the nadir of trench warfare. The victorious Yorkist commander, the Duke of Gloucester decides that supporting her siblings claim to the throne is no longer good enough. She sets out to eliminate all her competition and wear the garland of the realm. However, her success awakens Lancastrian revanchism and the Earl of Richmond leads an invasion force to take back this noble isle. As Europe commemorates 100 years since WWI The Company transplants William Shakespeares biggest villain to 1917. Following the lead of a number of recent high profile Shakespeare productions Richard and a number of other parts have been gender-swapped. Any parallels with current events are entirely coincidental. You can find out more and buy tickets here. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings For the 1.3 million British migrants living in the EU, the past couple of weeks have been pretty eventful. Many of us have watched and listened (in horror) from afar whilst Brexit and Article 50 have been discussed in parliament. Weve heard that its the peoples will and that Parliament should not ignore the referendum vote. Yet many of us did not have the vote in the referendum, as we have lived for too long outside of the UK. We saw an attempt to guarantee the rights of European citizens living in the UK defeated, even by Labour MPs such as Gisela Stuart, who is on record as supporting their rights. An amendment to force the government to support British migrants, proposed by the Liberal Democrats, was not even taken. Many of us are starting to be seriously worried about the way forward. Recently I was told that it was the European Union that is blocking progress on recognising the situation of individuals and also that UK citizens were being used as bargaining chips. If anything, it is the frustration with the British governments lack of communication that has led to this situation. Many countries, except apparently France and Germany, are prepared to come to an agreement. The common Franco-German position, as well as that of the European Commission, is that there can be no discussions until PM Theresa May has formally invoked Article 50 and declared that the UK will withdraw from the EU. On the contrary, both countries are clear that they have no intention of expelling British nationals living in their countries, many of whom have jobs and families. So why should we be afraid? The real discussions will come in the next few months. What rights will British citizens be able to keep? Many of us have jobs, pay into local security systems and health care premiums. There are others who have retired. They rely on pensions being paid from the UK and access to local health care based on current reciprocal arrangements under which the local health care providers back charge the NHS. Will these payments continue after Brexit? If not, then most will have no access to health care unless they take out their own insurance (which may be unaffordable for pensioners). And what happens if someone wishes to bring their elderly parents from the UK to live with them? No problem at present, as I found out a few years ago. The parents could, as EU citizens, enrol into a public health scheme at local rates with any additional premiums being paid from the UK. Will this continue? British pensioners living in countries such as Australia or Canada know that their state pensions are frozen at the rate on the date on which they left the country. Those moving to EU countries continue to receive cost-of-living increases. Theres no justification for this difference and what will happen in two years time? The results of a survey of 5000 Brits living in the EU, to be released in the coming week from the Brussels and Europe Liberal Democrats (BELD), will show that the British community in Europe is not just made up of wealthy retirees, but reflects the British population at large. Many are economically active and most see themselves living in Europe for the foreseeable future. They are all looking for more certainty in their individual situations. The Liberal Democrats support for British migrants rights has not gone unnoticed and BELD membership has soared in the last few months to over 1000 (not bad for a local party). We are counting on the Lords support in the continuing debate. As for me, Im following many others by applying for German nationality. Ive passed the language test with flying colours and only got one question wrong in my citizenship test. I need to provide a one page biography, a certificate of good conduct, and the usual birth certificates. Und anschliessend bin ich Deutscher. Not every Brit in the EU has the option that I do. Its them that we must stand up for and make sure that they arent left unrepresented and in the dark. * Rob Harrison is a former Chair of the LibDems in Europe local party and is currently a member of the Federal Policy Committee. He is also Secretary of LDEG who will be encouraging their members to apply for membership of the Citizens Panel. He holds British, German and Australian nationalities. Tim Farron has been campaigning for our by-election candidates, Rebecca Hanson in Copeland and Dr Zulfiqar Ali in Stoke-on Trent Central. His day started in Keswick where he and Rebecca met a Flood Action Group: #CopelandByElection #LibDemFightback As an experienced flooding Councillor Id be proud to support Keswick Flood action group as MP pic.twitter.com/E6ZAIoS5VP Rebecca Hanson (@hanson4copeland) February 14, 2017 From the Times and Star reports: The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP believes that Mrs Hanson is an astonishingly good candidate for Copeland. He said: Her track record for campaigning on health service issues is known across the constituency and is known for being utterly authentic. This is not someone who is jumping on the bandwagon. What you get in Rebecca is someone who fights the corner of all the Copeland communities and makes clear that they may be beautiful places but they are also tough places where there is real need. We are also the only party fighting against a hard Brexit and the move out of the single market that wasnt on the ballot paper. The majority of British people wanted to be in the single market so to do that without consulting them is just wrong. Mrs Hanson expects the campaign to ramp up over the weekend ahead of the by-election next Thursday. She said: Ive loved every single second of it so far. I love building democracy, communicating with people and coming to people who are feeling disillusioned at politics and democracy because when I talk to people all that melts away. He then went to Stoke-on-Trent where, after a brief visit to HQ, he and Zulfiqar visited a local holiday company where he spoke of the risk Hard Brexit posed to jobs in the area as the Stoke Sentinel reports: But he claimed that the future prosperity of Stoke-on-Trent would be jeopardised by a hard Brexit. The Lib Dems are campaigning for Britain to stay in the Single Market. Mr Farron said: This is a great example of a local business run by local people in the heart of the country. It shows how Stoke-on-Trents industrial heritage is being turned into a really effective tourism offer that attracts people from around the country. We know that local businesses like this will make the best of whatever comes, but being outside the Single Market will mean higher prices for everyone, fewer jobs and Britain not being as prosperous as it would have been otherwise. Dr Ali said that despite 70 per cent of Stoke-on-Trent voters backing Leave in the referendum, there were many who now had concerns. He said: I have spoken to people on the doorstep, including those who have voted to leave, but when you ask them whether they got the right information, they say they didnt. Its very clear that it wasnt the right information. Id love it if our hospital was going to get some of the extra 350 million a week that was promised, but its not going to come. * Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary in print, on air or online. Nick Clegg has written an article in the Irish Times accusing the British government of not taking the impact of Brexit on Ireland seriously enough. David Davis didnt even mention maintaining the soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic: Instead, the government made a fleeting reference to the fact they will aim to minimise frictions and administrative burdens. This suggests that in one shape or form there will be an unwelcome return to checks at the Border. There is a pattern here the government doesnt appear to be taking seriously the negative impact Brexit will have on the people of Ireland, just as it dismisses other widespread concerns about Brexit. What would a hard border mean? A hard Border if we leave the customs union will mean new tariffs and paperwork that will slow down trade, adding costs to consumers and businesses. Vague reassurances from Whitehall about the ability of technology to seamlessly check goods and services at Britains new land border with the European Union have not so far been reassuring. One significant impact will be on cross-Border agri-food businesses. All the wheat that is grown in the Republic, for example, is sent to the North for milling, then re-imported south of the Border. Brexit also threatens the peace process, especially if the Government yanks us out of the European Court of Human Rights: One of the most important underlying issues in this whole journey is how we protect the peace process in the North. Hardening the soft Border could create troubling effects politically, economically and socially. As with many issues, the serious implications for the peace process were not given appropriate consideration during the EU referendum campaign. It is puzzling that the then Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers, one of the key figures in the Leave camp, allowed this issue to be left largely unaddressed. And a reminder of how he held the Tories back in coalition days: The ECHR is a vital building block of the agreement one of the many reason why I blocked Conservative attempts to undermine the ECHR when with them in the coalition government. You can read the whole article here. * Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary in print, on air or online. LIMERICK City could be added to the Wild Atlantic Way after a motion was passed by councillors. At this week's economic policy committee meeting, members passed a motion from Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary that they would lobby Tourism Minister Shane Ross to add the city to the tourist trail. Cllr Keary proposed that the route would come through Limerick from West Clare and stretch down the River Shannon to Foynes Port, which is already included in the Wild Atlantic Way. Labour councillor Joe Leddin said: So many tourists come to Shannon Airport and the next stop is Kerry, and Limerick is left bypassed. There is huge merit in collaborating with Clare to ensure Limerick is included. If some of these tourists stopped off in Limerick, we would benefit from an economic point of view. But he suggested that perhaps it might be better to market the Shannon estuary route separately. Cllr Noel Gleeson, Fianna Fail, who chairs the economic meeting, said there has already been dialogue with Clare county manager Pat Dowling, a former Limerick council official with this in mind. Glin-based Fine Gael councillor John Sheahan said his village has seen a huge economic uplift from being on the route the Wild Atlantic Way route. It has been hugely successful and some people are saying there has been an 80% increase in business activity as a consequence of the Wild Atlantic Way, he claimed, adding many out-of-use houses are now holiday lets as a result. AN elderly man with heart problems was set upon and robbed while walking in the city centre last year. One of the two culprits Rebecca McNamara, aged 21, of no fixed abode has pleaded guilty to robbing the man in a laneway off Davis Street on May 14, last. Detective Garda Gary Laide told Limerick Circuit Court the victim, whose aged in his earlys 60s, was walking shortly before 7pm when he was followed down the laneway. He was then struck on the back of his head and knocked to the ground by Ms McNamaras co-accused. Ms McNamara, who has a large number of previous convictions, then searched his pockets and removed his wallet which contained around 200 in cash and various cards. The stolen property was never recovered. While an ambulance was called, the injured man, who was conscious and alert, declined to go to hospital. Detective Garda Laide said CCTV footage from the area was obtained as part of the investigation and he told John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, that the two culprits can been seen entering and leaving the laneway around the time of the robbery. He told Judge Tom ODonnell the footage shows the culprits getting into a taxi at Parnell Street minutes later. When arrested a number of weeks later, the defendant admitted being present when the robbery happened but blamed her co-accused. I did nothing to him, she told gardai adding that she did not need to rob the man as she had her own money. John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, said it was State case that Ms McNamara and her co-accused had preyed upon the victim who was vulnerable given his heart condition. Pat Barriscale BL said his client was addicted to drugs around the time of the offence but that her life has changed significantly since as she has been in custody. He said she regrets her actions and is anxious to change her life when released. Judge Tom ODonnell reserved his judgment and remanded Ms McNamara in continuing custody until March 29, next. A SYRIAN refugee whose family has been resettled in Portlaoise is extending his free Arabic language classes to the public in Limerick to promote integration with the Irish community and foster greater understanding of his culture. Radwan Abouhajar, a 40 year-old agricultural engineer from northern Syria, moved to Ireland three years ago with his wife, and his daughter, now aged six, while his second daughter, now aged 15 months, was born here. He started free Arabic classes in Portlaoise last year, with a modest class size of just six Irish nationals, and they are now being extended to Limerick city, with the assistance of Doras Luimni, a human rights organisation which offers support to all migrants living in the Mid-West. The language classes are very basic the alphabet, phrases, short conversation. But people want to know more about our culture, our history and our language, said Mr Abouhajar, who was forced to leave his parents behind in Syria. Irish people want to build friendships with us. The reception has been very warm here. Its lovely. Everyone is so helpful. I have never suffered any abuse in Ireland. The course has been very successful in Portlaoise. After the language classes, Irish people have watched movies with us in Arabic, and we have introduced them to Syrian food too, he told the Limerick Leader. In addition to teaching Arabic to English speakers, he has also been teaching basic English through Arabic to recently resettled Syrian families in Portlaoise for the past year. His eldest daughter, who is in senior infants in primary school in Portlaoise, is helping him to improve this English, and also gain cupla focail as Gaeilge. Our children are doing brilliantly in Laois, he said. They are hopeful and that gives us hope. Leonie Kerins, director of Doras Luimni, which was founded 17 years ago, said that this is the first time they have offered the six-week basic Arabic language course, following its success in Portlaoise. It is their hope, she said, to continue the programme depending on demand, while spaces are capped at 12 for the initial course in Limerick. She added that while the Arabic speaking world extends to some 20 countries, and over 420 million people, the particular focus of the class is on connections with Syria through its volunteer teacher, who himself is a former client of Doras Luimni and now a member of its board. Forty-seven Syrian refugees were resettled in Limerick last year, a further 25 adults and children are due to arrive in Limerick in the coming weeks, and 54 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Portlaoise. Over 80 Syrian refugees are due to arrive to the county Roscommon town of Ballaghaderreen early next month. Limerick City and County Council said that its partnership with eleven other State agencies and local stakeholders has led to the successful resettlement of these families, in association with the Department of Justice, An Garda Siochana, Tusla, the HSE, the Department of Social Welfare, and others. Doras Luimni worked with almost 1,200 people from 86 countries last year, according to figures in their newly released annual report for 2016. Out of the 86 different nationalities whom they worked with, the predominant five countries of origin were Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Brazil and Somalia. The charitable organisation assisted a total of 1,126 people, including 597 new clients, and held 2,416 case meetings. They also supported 96 people in finding accommodation. The most prominent issues which arose were family reunification, asylum applications, social welfare issues, citizenship applications, and housing supports, including supporting people moving from direct provision to independent accommodation. A quarter of their workload relates to the increase in family reunification applications. The Arabic classes will begin on Thursday next, February 23, in Central Buildings, OConnell Street, Limerick, where their offices are based. The one and a half hour class starts at 5.30pm, and while there is no fee, donations are welcome. To book contact Brian at b.vandamme@dorasluimni.org or call 061 310328. LIMERICK poet Teri Murray, who sadly passed away this week, will be remembered at a special event in Brendan OBriens pub this Wednesday night. Darragh Roche, the organiser of Limericks poetry open mic session, has confirmed the event will go ahead as normal this evening in the Roches Street bar, from 8.30pm. So many of our regular readers are friends and admirers of Teri, we feel it is appropriate to provide them with this forum at this difficult time. Teri always encouraged local poetry and poets and read her works at many of our poetry meetings, he said. He called on everyone who knew Lord Edward Street poet Teri to come and share their memories and stories of her life, read her many published poems or just celebrate her life and contribution to Limerick's artistic life. Teri, whose funeral took place at St Josephs Church in OConnell Avenue yesterday, is sadly missed by her loving family, sons, daughters, grandchildren, sister Brenda, large extended family and friends. For a full obituary and tributes to Teri see the Limerick Leader weekend edition, out this Thursday morning. THE figure for overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick has reached the highest in the country this Wednesday but has actually seen a slight decline in the past 24 hours. The number of patients on trolleys today is 37, according to figures collated by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. This breaks down to 23 in A&E and a further 14 on trolleys in wards. However, the total figure is slightly less than Tuesdays figure of 40 which itself was a significant increase on Mondays total of 16. UHL has the unwanted honour of being top of the INMOs trolley and ward watch list for the country this Wednesday, slightly ahead of Cork University Hospital, which has 33 on trolleys. The overcrowding figure has been consistently high at UHL and the hospital is regularly the most overcrowded nationally. 27 beds that were opened between St Johns Hospital, Ennis and Nenagh hospitals to alleviate overcrowding have now reverted back to their original use. A state-of-the-art emergency department is expected to open this May, subject to a successful recruitment campaign and HSE funding. It will be three times the size of the current facility, and is expected to improve the patient and staff experience at the hospital, a spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group has said. A WITNESS has told a murder trial that Facebook messages he sent the deceased were delivered and opened, days after he was last seen alive. Monika Matracka (35), with an address at The Pines, Briarfield, Castletroy has pleaded not guilty to murdering Michal Rejmer at that address at a time unknown between 8pm on December 30 and midnight on December 31, 2015. Opening the prosecution case to a jury last week, Mr Paul Carroll SC told the court that Ms Matracka told gardai that she stabbed her housemate and former partner in self-defence. Mr Rejmer was reported missing on January 6, 2016 after colleagues became concerned when he had not turned up for work at MacDonald's in Castletroy for a number of days. He was last seen on December 30, 2015. Mr Rejmer's body was discovered by his friend and a local volunteer at the rear of his house in Castletroy under some plastic sheeting on January 8. The court heard that one of the areas the jury will have to consider is whether the defence of self-defence arises in this case. This Wednesday, prosecution counsel Mr Carroll called Mr Leszek Pajak to give evidence. Mr Pajak told Mr Carroll that he got to know Mr Rejmer when he worked at McDonalds and they occasionally went to the gym together. The witness testified that the last time he saw Mr Rejmer was on December 23, 2015. Mr Pajak said he then returned to Poland for Christmas. Mr Pajak said he kept in touch with Michal by text message and Facebook Messenger when he was away in Poland. The witness said Mr Rejmer messaged him on December 27 and then Mr Pajak rang him but was unsuccessful contacting him. The court heard that Mr Pajak got a Facebook message from Mr Rejmer at 1.43am on December 31 saying he would be working until 8pm that night. In the next couple of days I tried to contact him but didnt receive any response. However all the Facebook messages were delivered and opened until January 6, 2016. The application on Facebook shows whether the message was open, he said. The witness said that Mr Rejmer was using Facebook Messenger on his laptop as he did not have a smartphone just a regular mobile. The court heard that Mr Pajak sent a message to Michal at 9.56pm on January 1, 2016 wishing him a Happy New Year. Mr Pajak tried to call his friend but could not get through as his phone was off. Mr Pajak agreed with counsel that he sent Mr Rejmer a message at 7.25pm on January 4 saying: Do you still exist or are you alive. Mr Pajak heard that people were looking for his friend on January 6. The witness testified that he received a message from Ms Matracka at 5.10pm on January 6 saying: Hi. What the story. Did you have any contact with Michal? The witness said he replied to this message at 6.08pm saying: Since New Years he hasnt shown any sign. Mr Pajak agreed with counsel that Ms Matracka sent a message in reply saying she would often miss him as she worked mornings and evenings and that Michal had not been around for sometime. The witness agreed with counsel that he sent a message to Ms Matracka saying that the last time Mr Rejmer contacted him was at 1.43am on December 31. Mr Pajak also said he told Ms Matracka that Mr Rejmer was meant to be in work on New Years Eve until 8pm and he had tried to message him but his phone was off. Ms Matracka replied saying she saw Mr Rejmer on the evening of December 31. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury of six men and six women. Here is the funniest caption for a 1922 special delivery stamp May 3, 2021, 2 AM The winner of the nonphilatelic part of the January cartoon caption contest is William Greenawalt, of Dayton, Ohio, who has the motorcycle messenger shown on the 1922 special delivery stamp using a classic pickup line. The next cartoon caption contest wil By John M. Hotchner Pizzas! Thats what many Linns readers thought of when they looked at the delivery being made on the the cartoon contest stamp for January, the 1922 10 special delivery stamp. David DHondt of Sun City, Calif., represents this group with, I know Im late Thats why the pizza is free! Another group of entries focused on the motorcycle and its meaning in more recent times. Two of these stood out, though they went in quite different directions. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Took Fonzies motorcycle to deliver this. Hope he wont miss it! was sent by David Kiehn of Collierville, Tenn. The cartoon contest has been a monthly feature of Linns since December 1986. In that time, we have never had a three-caption entry. Jerry Login of New York, N.Y., crashed through that barrier with this: Motorcyclist: Special delivery letter for you Mrs. Angel. Mrs. Angel: The IRS, oh hell! Motorcyclist: Thats it! Hells Angels, the perfect name for the new motorcycle club Im forming! This months winner of the nonphilatelic part of the contest is William Greenawalt of Dayton, Ohio. On the philatelic side, Robert Fabian of Needville, Texas, takes the prize with: No maam, special delivery does not come with an extra song and dance. Both winners will receive Linns Stamp Identifier published by Amos Media Co., or a 13-week subscription to Linns (a new subscription or an extension). The book has a retail value of $12.99. Here are the best of the runners-up. Maam, there are only two reasons a lady receives a special delivery. Either you did something really good, or he did something really bad! from Walter Anderson of Sioux Falls, S.D. After 17 years, I got a bicycle. After another 20, I got a motorcycle. How much longer til I get a Curtiss Jenny? by Steve Kotler of San Francisco, Calif. I cant believe Im delivering to a building with a Special Delivery sign above the door! by Brian McClay of Magalia, Calif. Congratulations! Youve won the Publishers Clearing House prize of $100 a week for the rest of your life! from George Schaetzle of Sheboygan, Wis. I have an express mail for you Mr. Ambassador. Its a pink slip from President Trump, from David Vikan of Dickerson, N.D. No, I dont believe well ever see Forever stamps Not in a hundred years! by Dave Kohler of Flushing, N.Y. Thanks and a tip of the hat to all who entered. The next cartoon caption contest will be announced in the March 13 Linns. Apr 28, 2021, 7 PM Six post & go labels from Great Britains Royal Mail feature different aspects of mail being carried by trains. The labels were issued Feb. 15. By Denise McCarty Great Britains Royal Mail introduced new self-adhesive postage labels Feb. 15 featuring mail by rail. Royal Mail calls such labels post & go. The service inscriptions are printed at the time of purchase. The six new labels continue the Royal Mail Heritage series that was introduced in 2016. In previewing this set, the December 2016 issue of the British Philatelic Bulletin said: Mail by Rail celebrates the important role that the UKs railway system has played in moving the nations post for almost 200 years. This six-stamp Post & Go set features paintings and posters telling the story of mail trains from the first service on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway on 11 November 1830 to the night of 9 January 2004 when the last Travelling Post Offices rail service ran. Connect with Linns Stamp News: Sign up for our newsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter One new label is inscribed Travelling Post Office: bag exchange. This apparatus, which allowed for the exchange of mailbags without the train having to stop at a station, was first successfully used in 1838, according to Royal Mail. The second label represents Londons underground post office railway, which operated from 1927 to 2003. The Mail by Rail labels coincide with the 90th anniversary. A section of this railway is scheduled to reopen later this year as an attraction of Londons new Postal Museum. The museums website, http://postalmuseum.org, described the original system as a subterranean network of automated trains stretching from Paddington to Whitechapel, adding that millions of items of mail [were] delivered every day, round the clock, deep beneath the streets of London. The third label reproduces a 1939 Night Mail poster by Pat Keely, who was known for both his World War II and post office posters. According to Royal Mail, Keelys poster promoting the documentary film Night Mail was his most famous commission. A 1948 painting by Grace Golden showing the loading of mail at Londons Euston Station is pictured on the fourth label. This painting also was featured on a poster. Sorting mail aboard a traveling post office is depicted on the fourth label. Ian Cryer painted the scene shown on the stamp in 2003. The final label pictures a traveling post office on the move. Osborne Ross designed these labels, using illustrations by Andrew Davidson. International Security Printers produced them by gravure. Each label measures 56 millimeters by 25mm. The postage labels are available from terminals in post office branches throughout the United Kingdom. The terminals allow customers to weigh their letters and packages, pay the postage, and print the appropriate label. Royal Mail also is offering a first-day cover franked with all six of the Royal Mail Heritage: Mail by Rail post & go labels. For additional information, contact Royal Mail, Tallents House, 21 S. Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 9PB, Scotland; visit its online store, or Post & Go page. Pressemitteilung: Silvia Kuhn startet YouTube-Kanal Clever Money mit Silvi Die Tochter der Honorarberater und Stiftung Warentest Autoren Stefanie und Markus Kuhn startete Mitte Mai mit ihrem neuen YouTube Kanal Clever Money mit Silvi. Ziel ist es, jungen Menschen alles Wissenswerte rund um Geld und Finanzen auf einfache Art und Weise nahe zu bringen. Die Idee zu einem YouTube Kanal ist aus einem Schulerpraktikum in 2019 entstanden. Silvia Kuhn hat [mehr] Die Tochter der Honorarberater und Stiftung Warentest Autoren Stefanie und Markus Kuhn startete Mitte Mai mit ihrem neuen YouTube Kanal Clever Money mit Silvi. Ziel ist es, jungen Menschen alles Wissenswerte rund um Geld und Finanzen auf einfache Art und Weise nahe zu bringen. Die Idee zu einem YouTube Kanal ist aus einem Schulerpraktikum in 2019 entstanden. Silvia Kuhn hat Pressemitteilung: Buntes Wachstum: Ceresana untersucht den Markt fur Farben Farben und Lacke verschonern nicht nur, sie konnen auch schutzen. Die Wande von Krankenhausern zum Beispiel werden zunehmend mit antibakteriellen Eigenschaften versehen. Hauchdunne, aber sehr haltbare Lackschichten bewahren Fahrzeuge vor Rost. Ceresana hat bereits zum vierten Mal den gesamten europaischen Markt fur Farben und Lacke untersucht: Im Jahr 2019 wurden 9,1 Millionen Tonnen dieser Beschichtungen verbraucht. Farbenfrohe Hauser und Autos Bautenfarben sind [mehr] Farben und Lacke verschonern nicht nur, sie konnen auch schutzen. Die Wande von Krankenhausern zum Beispiel werden zunehmend mit antibakteriellen Eigenschaften versehen. Hauchdunne, aber sehr haltbare Lackschichten bewahren Fahrzeuge vor Rost. Ceresana hat bereits zum vierten Mal den gesamten europaischen Markt fur Farben und Lacke untersucht: Im Jahr 2019 wurden 9,1 Millionen Tonnen dieser Beschichtungen verbraucht. Farbenfrohe Hauser und Autos Bautenfarben sind Pressemitteilung: Altlasten 2.067 Mrd. Euro - Krisensubvention 1.000 Mrd. Euro Die Welt leidet unter der Corona-Pandemie, deren Kosten viele Staaten an den Rand der Exixtens bringen konnte. Wie konnte es in Deutschland dazu kommen? Die Welt leidet unter der Corona-Pandemie, deren Kosten viele Staaten an den Rand der Exixtens bringen konnte. Wie konnte es in Deutschland dazu kommen? Lehrte 29.05.2020 In Deutschland wurden in den letzten 50 Jahren 25 Steuerarten [mehr] Die Welt leidet unter der Corona-Pandemie, deren Kosten viele Staaten an den Rand der Exixtens bringen konnte. Wie konnte es in Deutschland dazu kommen? Die Welt leidet unter der Corona-Pandemie, deren Kosten viele Staaten an den Rand der Exixtens bringen konnte. Wie konnte es in Deutschland dazu kommen? Lehrte 29.05.2020 In Deutschland wurden in den letzten 50 Jahren 25 Steuerarten Pressemitteilung: 16. Juni und 18. Juni um 15 Uhr CEST europaischer Zeit Real-Time Innovations (RTI) organisiert zwei neue Webinare speziell fur den europaischen Markt. Hier geht es um die Themen Konnektivitat von Elektrofahrzeugen sowie Landfahrzeugplattformen in Kombination mit Software-Systemen und DDS. Sie finden zu europaischer Zeit um 15 Uhr CEST statt und sind im Anschluss on Demand verfugbar. Sunnyvale (USA)/Munchen, Mai 2020 - Real-Time Innovations (RTI) organisiert zwei neue Webinare speziell fur [mehr] Real-Time Innovations (RTI) organisiert zwei neue Webinare speziell fur den europaischen Markt. Hier geht es um die Themen Konnektivitat von Elektrofahrzeugen sowie Landfahrzeugplattformen in Kombination mit Software-Systemen und DDS. Sie finden zu europaischer Zeit um 15 Uhr CEST statt und sind im Anschluss on Demand verfugbar. Sunnyvale (USA)/Munchen, Mai 2020 - Real-Time Innovations (RTI) organisiert zwei neue Webinare speziell fur Pressemitteilung: [mehr] MCM Investor: Wohnen in Deutschland bis 2060 teuer Laut einer aktuellen Untersuchung der Universitat Freiburg wird das Wohnen bis 2060 vorrausichtlich. Magdeburg, 28.05.2020. In dieser Woche analysiert die MCM Investor Management AG aus Magdeburg eine aktuelle Untersuchung der Uni Freiburg uber die zukunftige Entwicklung des deutschen Immobilienmarktes. Demnach gehe die Bevolkerungszahl hierzulande zwar tendenziell zuruck, die Nachfrage nach Wohnraum steige aber weiter an. In der Studie geht Pressemitteilung: Latest in Electronic Test & Measurement Equipment MICHIGAN - May, 2020 - An international provider of electronic test and measurement equipment, AAATesters has announced that it now offers the INNO View 500 SM Fiber Optic OTDR w/ V20 Fiberscope (https://www.aaatesters.com/Inno_View_500_OTDR_Model_View500_Inno_500_1.html). This new addition to AAATesters expanding inventory of electronic test and measurement equipment, will assist consumers save time and money with greater testing proficiency and success. AAA [mehr] MICHIGAN - May, 2020 - An international provider of electronic test and measurement equipment, AAATesters has announced that it now offers the INNO View 500 SM Fiber Optic OTDR w/ V20 Fiberscope (https://www.aaatesters.com/Inno_View_500_OTDR_Model_View500_Inno_500_1.html). This new addition to AAATesters expanding inventory of electronic test and measurement equipment, will assist consumers save time and money with greater testing proficiency and success. AAA Pressemitteilung: Thomas May ist neuer Chefredakteur fur Perfect Eagle Thomas May ubernimmt mit 1. Juni 2020 die redaktionelle Leitung der fuhrenden multimedialen Golf-Lifestyle-Plattform im deutschsprachigen Raum. Bilder zur Meldung in der Mediendatenbank: Mato Johannik https://leisure-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/office_leisure_at/Es4aLP2m5bhHtlEPowWj1SEB5hhgDDEv96D9i9Z_Ok9ajA?e=Xi0L1x Wien (LCG) Perfect Eagle hat heuer allen Grund zum Feiern. Nachdem das Golf-Lifestyle-Magazin mit der Marz-Ausgabe seine erste Dekade feierte, begrut Herausgeber Thomas Wasserburger nun Thomas May als neuen Chefredakteur fur das multimediale Golf- [mehr] Thomas May ubernimmt mit 1. Juni 2020 die redaktionelle Leitung der fuhrenden multimedialen Golf-Lifestyle-Plattform im deutschsprachigen Raum. Bilder zur Meldung in der Mediendatenbank: Mato Johannik https://leisure-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/office_leisure_at/Es4aLP2m5bhHtlEPowWj1SEB5hhgDDEv96D9i9Z_Ok9ajA?e=Xi0L1x Wien (LCG) Perfect Eagle hat heuer allen Grund zum Feiern. Nachdem das Golf-Lifestyle-Magazin mit der Marz-Ausgabe seine erste Dekade feierte, begrut Herausgeber Thomas Wasserburger nun Thomas May als neuen Chefredakteur fur das multimediale Golf- Pressemitteilung: Frische fur den Sommer mit UNIKA Kalksandstein Frische fur den Sommer mit UNIKA KalksandsteinFur die einen ist es eine Wohltat, fur die anderen eine Herausforderung: sommerliche Warme. Keine Frage, Menschen lieben die Sonne. Aber nicht jeder mag hohe Temperaturen, schon gar nicht in den eigenen vier Wanden. ... Fur die einen ist es eine Wohltat, fur die anderen eine Herausforderung: sommerliche Warme. Keine Frage, Menschen lieben die [mehr] Frische fur den Sommer mit UNIKA KalksandsteinFur die einen ist es eine Wohltat, fur die anderen eine Herausforderung: sommerliche Warme. Keine Frage, Menschen lieben die Sonne. Aber nicht jeder mag hohe Temperaturen, schon gar nicht in den eigenen vier Wanden. ... Fur die einen ist es eine Wohltat, fur die anderen eine Herausforderung: sommerliche Warme. Keine Frage, Menschen lieben die Pressemitteilung: [mehr] Humor und Lachen - ein ernstes Thema Humor und Corona Rechtzeitig zu einer Zeit, in der vielen das Lachen vergangen ist, mit oder ohne Corona, erscheint das 14. Buch von Jurgen W. Goldfu. Wahrend sich die bisherigen Werke des Autors mit Themen der Fuhrung (von sich und anderen) sowie Wirtschaftsthemen beschaftigten, geht es nun ums Lachen, die Welt und sich selbst mit lachenden Augen zu betrachten. Auf Pressemitteilung: ...einfach, schnell und effizient ...einfach, schnell und effizientUberall da verkaufen, wo die Kunden sind, ist das Ziel aller Handler. plentymarkets bietet als Softwarehersteller eine E-Commerce-Losung, die genau diese Philosophie im Markenkern tragt. ... Uberall da verkaufen, wo die Kunden sind, ist das Ziel aller Handler. plentymarkets bietet als Softwarehersteller eine E-Commerce-Losung, die genau diese Philosophie im Markenkern tragt. Eine, die alle relevanten Marktplatze unterstutzt [mehr] ...einfach, schnell und effizientUberall da verkaufen, wo die Kunden sind, ist das Ziel aller Handler. plentymarkets bietet als Softwarehersteller eine E-Commerce-Losung, die genau diese Philosophie im Markenkern tragt. ... Uberall da verkaufen, wo die Kunden sind, ist das Ziel aller Handler. plentymarkets bietet als Softwarehersteller eine E-Commerce-Losung, die genau diese Philosophie im Markenkern tragt. Eine, die alle relevanten Marktplatze unterstutzt Pressemitteilung: [mehr] Neuer Corona-Mitarbeiterschutz - digitaler Abstandshalter Auch nach den Lockerungen beeinflusst die Corona-Pandemie die Weltwirtschaft tiefgreifend. Die Betriebe sollen wieder sicher anlaufen. Die Schlusselrolle spielen dabei die Einhaltung der Hygieneregeln und des Mindestabstands fur Mitarbeitende. Auch nach den Lockerungen beeinflusst die Corona-Pandemie die Weltwirtschaft tiefgreifend. Die Betriebe sollen wieder sicher anlaufen. Die Schlusselrolle spielen dabei die Einhaltung der Hygieneregeln und des Mindestabstands fur Mitarbeitende. Dazu Pressemitteilung: HUP aktiviert neuen Geschaftsbereich ready2boxx my-buddy-app die HUP Reminder App. Schutzt vor Verlust des iPhones. Mit den ersehnten Lockerungsmanahmen rund um die Coronavirus-Pandemie steigt ein ganz anderes Risiko: der Verlust des iPhones auf Geschaftsreise, beim Einkauf oder etwa dem Besuch von Oma und Opa. Einfach, weil man das mittlerweile nahezu unverzichtbare Device schlicht und einfach liegen lasst. Das Braunschweiger Software-Entwicklungsunternehmen HUP hat fur Apple [mehr] my-buddy-app die HUP Reminder App. Schutzt vor Verlust des iPhones. Mit den ersehnten Lockerungsmanahmen rund um die Coronavirus-Pandemie steigt ein ganz anderes Risiko: der Verlust des iPhones auf Geschaftsreise, beim Einkauf oder etwa dem Besuch von Oma und Opa. Einfach, weil man das mittlerweile nahezu unverzichtbare Device schlicht und einfach liegen lasst. Das Braunschweiger Software-Entwicklungsunternehmen HUP hat fur Apple Pressemitteilung: Das Lernen, wie wir es kennen, andert sich immer mehr. Online ist die neue Ara der Weiterbildung, die Freude macht und die viel leichter in den eigenen Lebens-Zyklus integrierbar ist! Ayurveda-Seminare und Ayurveda-Ausbildungen fordern ein gesundes Leben und geben viel Sinn-Erfullung. Viele Menschen sind wissbegieriger geworden und wollen ihr volles Potenzial durch Bewusstseinsveranderungen ausschopfen. Durch die digitale Welt ist es einfacher und schneller denn je geworden an Informationen zu kommen. Ich stelle [mehr] Online ist die neue Ara der Weiterbildung, die Freude macht und die viel leichter in den eigenen Lebens-Zyklus integrierbar ist! Ayurveda-Seminare und Ayurveda-Ausbildungen fordern ein gesundes Leben und geben viel Sinn-Erfullung. Viele Menschen sind wissbegieriger geworden und wollen ihr volles Potenzial durch Bewusstseinsveranderungen ausschopfen. Durch die digitale Welt ist es einfacher und schneller denn je geworden an Informationen zu kommen. Ich stelle Pressemitteilung: [mehr] Gasnetz Hamburg pruft monatlich 1.200 Hausanschlusse Arbeiten unter umfassenden Schutzmanahmen Haushalte erhalten detaillierte Informationen zum Corona-Schutz Sichere Gasanschlusse stehen im Mittelpunkt Hamburg. Ab sofort klingelt an vielen Hamburger Hausturen wieder der Gasanlagen-Prufer. Die turnusgemae Inspektion der Anschlusse in Kellern oder Wirtschaftsraumen von Ein- und Mehrfamilienhausern ist alle zwolf Jahre vorgeschrieben. Seit Marz hatte Gasnetz Hamburg die Hausbesuche unterbrochen. Nun schickt das Unternehmen wieder seine Fachleute zu den Anschlusskunden Pressemitteilung: Wie COVID-19 unsere Kommunikation verandert Sprachexpertin Tatjana Lackner von Die Schule des Sprechens analysiert, wie sich das Kommunikationsverhalten in der COVID-19-Zeit verandert und welche Kommunikations-Trends daraus entstehen. Bilder zur Meldung in der Mediendatenbank https://leisure-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/office_leisure_at/EuP2VeRtjsdPpxlLUzBimIsB-GcG-m5aFr4de0hEQ_WCPw?e=s2GwN1 Wien (LCG) Die Manahmen zur Eindammung der COVID-19-Verbreitung verandern durch Physical Distancing und zahlreiche neue Verhaltensregeln den personlichen Umgang miteinander. Korpersprache, Social Codes und Rituale bekommen eine wichtig Bedeutung in der neuen [mehr] Sprachexpertin Tatjana Lackner von Die Schule des Sprechens analysiert, wie sich das Kommunikationsverhalten in der COVID-19-Zeit verandert und welche Kommunikations-Trends daraus entstehen. Bilder zur Meldung in der Mediendatenbank https://leisure-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/office_leisure_at/EuP2VeRtjsdPpxlLUzBimIsB-GcG-m5aFr4de0hEQ_WCPw?e=s2GwN1 Wien (LCG) Die Manahmen zur Eindammung der COVID-19-Verbreitung verandern durch Physical Distancing und zahlreiche neue Verhaltensregeln den personlichen Umgang miteinander. Korpersprache, Social Codes und Rituale bekommen eine wichtig Bedeutung in der neuen Pressemitteilung: Facebook diskutiert Strategie in der COVID-19-Pandemie Beim Moving Forward-Round-Table sprechen Facebook-Manager uber die Zusammenarbeit mit der WHO, die Intensivnutzung in Italien und andere Strategien gegen Falschmeldungen. Bilder zur Meldung in der Mediendatenbank: JMC https://leisure-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/office_leisure_at/EsGAMdDUM2lNt4Jo2RfF_R4BhwzfZ8LXK305xeAAjGcAdw?e=EyC94A Video zur Meldung auf Facebook https://www.facebook.com/movingforwardconference/videos/973105823109354 Dublin/Wien (LCG) Die Verbreitungsgeschwindigkeit der sozialen Medien war in den letzten Wochen essenziell, um Informationen zu COVID-19 zu streuen. Auch Fake News fanden in diesem Umfeld einen fruchtbaren [mehr] Beim Moving Forward-Round-Table sprechen Facebook-Manager uber die Zusammenarbeit mit der WHO, die Intensivnutzung in Italien und andere Strategien gegen Falschmeldungen. Bilder zur Meldung in der Mediendatenbank: JMC https://leisure-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/office_leisure_at/EsGAMdDUM2lNt4Jo2RfF_R4BhwzfZ8LXK305xeAAjGcAdw?e=EyC94A Video zur Meldung auf Facebook https://www.facebook.com/movingforwardconference/videos/973105823109354 Dublin/Wien (LCG) Die Verbreitungsgeschwindigkeit der sozialen Medien war in den letzten Wochen essenziell, um Informationen zu COVID-19 zu streuen. Auch Fake News fanden in diesem Umfeld einen fruchtbaren Pressemitteilung: Musikfestival Steyr: Kulturgenuss trotz Pandemie Als kultureller Impulsgeber fur die Region ermoglicht das Musikfestival Steyr auch heuer Kulturgenuss und wartet mit einem neuen Programm auf. Bilder zur Meldung in der Mediendatenbank https://leisure-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/office_leisure_at/EnbiYHVH3KNOg_ZakCqco3wBz529TPFExmEgRThtSEHHQA?e=fAzk1G Steyr (LCG) In den vergangenen Wochen und Monaten haben die Manahmen der osterreichischen Bundesregierung zur Eindammung der COVID-19-Verbreitung die Kulturnation Osterreich in einen regelrechten Stillstand versetzt. Seit Anfang Mai 2020 setzt die neue Normalitat [mehr] Als kultureller Impulsgeber fur die Region ermoglicht das Musikfestival Steyr auch heuer Kulturgenuss und wartet mit einem neuen Programm auf. Bilder zur Meldung in der Mediendatenbank https://leisure-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/office_leisure_at/EnbiYHVH3KNOg_ZakCqco3wBz529TPFExmEgRThtSEHHQA?e=fAzk1G Steyr (LCG) In den vergangenen Wochen und Monaten haben die Manahmen der osterreichischen Bundesregierung zur Eindammung der COVID-19-Verbreitung die Kulturnation Osterreich in einen regelrechten Stillstand versetzt. Seit Anfang Mai 2020 setzt die neue Normalitat Pressemitteilung: OstseeResort Olpenitz bei Kappeln/ Schlei Private Vermietung von ausgefallenen Ferienobjekten an der Ostsee - "Nie mitten drin, aber immer ganz nah dran!" ist hierbei die Devise. Auch wenn die Corona-Pandemie Urlaub und Ferienvermietung weltweit lahm gelegt hat das Leben im OstseeResort Olpenitz ist trotzdem weitergegangen, und Ferienobjekte in diesem neuen Ferienresort bei Kappeln/ Schlei verkaufen sich weiterhin gut. Oder aber jetzt erst Recht? Das [mehr] Private Vermietung von ausgefallenen Ferienobjekten an der Ostsee - "Nie mitten drin, aber immer ganz nah dran!" ist hierbei die Devise. Auch wenn die Corona-Pandemie Urlaub und Ferienvermietung weltweit lahm gelegt hat das Leben im OstseeResort Olpenitz ist trotzdem weitergegangen, und Ferienobjekte in diesem neuen Ferienresort bei Kappeln/ Schlei verkaufen sich weiterhin gut. Oder aber jetzt erst Recht? Das Pressemitteilung: Gut vernetzt: Ceresana-Report zum Markt fur Kunststoff-Rohre Die Nachfrage nach Kunststoffrohren steigt in vielen europaischen Landern. Besonders in Ballungsraumen werden derzeit neue Wohnungen gebaut. Allerdings boomt die Bauwirtschaft nicht uberall: Ausgelastete Kapazitaten, steigende Preise, Fachkraftemangel, fehlendes Bauland und zunehmende wirtschaftliche Unsicherheit bremsen die Dynamik. Dabei konnen sich Hochbau, Tiefbau und Infrastrukturbau sehr unterschiedlich entwickeln: Die verschiedenen Bausegmente sind in hohem Mae von den offentlichen Investitionen im jeweiligen [mehr] Die Nachfrage nach Kunststoffrohren steigt in vielen europaischen Landern. Besonders in Ballungsraumen werden derzeit neue Wohnungen gebaut. Allerdings boomt die Bauwirtschaft nicht uberall: Ausgelastete Kapazitaten, steigende Preise, Fachkraftemangel, fehlendes Bauland und zunehmende wirtschaftliche Unsicherheit bremsen die Dynamik. Dabei konnen sich Hochbau, Tiefbau und Infrastrukturbau sehr unterschiedlich entwickeln: Die verschiedenen Bausegmente sind in hohem Mae von den offentlichen Investitionen im jeweiligen 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. North Korea has always talked the talk, and now it seems to be walking the walk as never before. The nuclear-armed rogue nation appears to be making progress on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which could conceivably allow the Hermit Kingdom to make good on its oft-repeated threat to turn major American cities into "seas of fire," experts say. "They've probably reached the point where they're going to need to start testing the missiles themselves the whole system," said Joel Wit, senior fellow at the U.S.-Korea Institute (USKI) at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. "Most people think that could come sometime this year." [Images: North Korea's Rocket Program] Last year's successful test-launch of a missile from a submarine suggests that a mobile-strike capability may be within North Korea's grasp soon as well, analysts have said. North Korean rocket and missile tech: A brief history The North Korean missile program got its start with the importation of Soviet Scuds, which made their way into the nation in the 1970s. North Korea reworked Scud technology into a number of variants over the years, apparently with the help of Soviet engineers (many of whom fled the USSR after its 1991 collapse). These versions include the Hwasong-5 and Hwasong-6, which are thought to have a range of a few hundred miles, and the Nodong, which experts believe can reach targets 620 miles to 800 miles (1,000 to 1,300 kilometers) away. (It's hard to know anything for sure about North Korea's missiles and rockets, because the nation's government is extremely secretive and works to keep much information from getting to the outside world.) North Korea has also developed longer-range missiles, including the Taepodong-1, Musudan and Taepodong-2, which have estimated maximum ranges of about 1,500 miles (2,500 km), 2,000 miles (3,200 km) and 3,000 miles to 5,400 miles (5,000 to 9,000 km), respectively. Taepodong-1 has just one known flight under its belt. In April 1998, a modified space-launch configuration of the vehicle lifted off with a small satellite onboard; Western observers concluded that the launch failed. The Taepodong-2 failed during a 2006 test flight, its only known liftoff. However, North Korea modified the missile into the Unha space launcher, which lofted satellites to orbit in December 2012 and February 2016. The Musudan has seen a lot more action. North Korea apparently tested the medium-range missile seven times last year, with just one success, said physicist and missile-technology expert David Wright, co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Global Security Program. Such flights flout United Nations resolutions, which prohibit North Korea from testing missiles and nuclear weapons. Pyongyang has also conducted five known nuclear tests, with the latest one coming in September 2016. [North Korea Looks Strangely Dark From Space In Asia Fly-Over (Video)] Working on an ICBM North Korea could conceivably combine several of these existing vehicles to build an ICBM, topping an Unha first stage with a second stage based on the Musudan and adding a third stage of some sort, Wright said. But there's no evidence that the nation is actually doing that, he added. "North Korea is probably reluctant to turn the Unha into a ballistic missile, because I think they want something that really is a civil space-launch program that they can point to and say, 'This is what countries do. We're launching satellites; it's not a threat,'" Wright told Space.com. "So my guess is, they won't go that route." The route that Pyongyang appears to be taking instead, experts say, centers on a missile called the KN-08, a likely Russian-derived vehicle that Western observers first spotted in North Korean military parades about five years ago. "It is much better suited as a militarily effective ICBM than the Unha is," Brian Weeden, a technical adviser for the nonprofit Secure World Foundation, told Space.com. He noted, for example, that the KN-08 can be launched from a truck, whereas the Unha requires a stationary facility. Work on the KN-08 has apparently been proceeding apace. For instance, in April 2016, Pyongyang ground-tested a large, liquid-fueled engine that could power the putative ICBM and/or a more muscular variant known as the KN-14. "Using this technology, North Korea's road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the KN-08 or the KN-14 modification, could deliver a nuclear warhead to targets at a distance of 10,000 to 13,000 kilometers [6,200 to 8,000 miles]," aerospace engineer and rocket-propulsion expert John Schilling wrote on 38North.org, a North Korea analysis site, shortly after the test. "That range, greater than had previously been expected, could allow Pyongyang to reach targets on the U.S. East Coast, including New York or Washington, D.C.," he added. And North Korea has also been working on a re-entry vehicle, which would protect the warhead during the ICBM's return to Earth's atmosphere from suborbital space. Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held an event during which he stood next to a re-entry vehicle, said Wit, who is also the co-founder of 38 North (a USKI program). "I think you can be almost 100 percent certain that they've done [re-entry vehicle] tests on the ground," Wit told Space.com. During a speech on New Year's Day, Kim announced that Pyongyang was in final preparations to test-launch its ICBM. Wit said such a flight could come soon possibly as early as next month, when the U.S. and South Korea hold their annual joint military exercises. "That could trigger a North Korean response," Wit said. If ICBM testing does indeed start this year, the missiles could potentially be ready for deployment by late 2019, he added. Pyongyang also conducted a successful test launch from a submarine in August 2016, sending one of its KN-11 (also known as Pukguksong-2) missiles about 300 miles (500 km) toward Japan. Developing this technology to the fullest extent would make North Korea more dangerous and capable, Wright said. "That's another thing that people are watching this combination of a missile and a submarine," he said. [North Korea's Rockets and Missiles: 5 Interesting Facts] The missile that North Korea fired on Sunday (Feb. 12), which traveled 300 miles (500 km) before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, was a land-based version of the KN-11, according to the North Korean news service. See more Don't panic North Korea is famously unpredictable, secretive and prone to outbursts of grandiose and threatening rhetoric; Kim and other officials have repeatedly vowed to wipe out South Korea, Japan and the United States, for example. But Pyongyang's development of a functional ICBM, if and when that does indeed happen, shouldn't incite panic across the United States, experts said. After all, North Korea has been capable of hitting South Korea and Japan for a while but has yet to do so probably because the nation knows that such an unprovoked strike would be suicidal, drawing a devastating response from the U.S. And the Kim regime is not suicidal; rather, it appears focused primarily on strengthening and perpetuating its rule, Weeden said. "It's very clear that they want to send a signal to the West that they can't be messed with," he said. "There's a rationality there." There are other reasons to doubt that North Korea will launch a nuclear ICBM attack on the U.S. anytime soon. For example, Pyongyang is thought to possess just a handful of nuclear weapons. A 2015 SAIS report co-authored by Wit pegged the nation's stockpile at 10 to 16 nukes. By 2020, this number could grow to 20 in a "best-case scenario," and to 100 in a "worst-case scenario," the report predicted. Each warhead is therefore quite valuable to North Korea, Wright said meaning the nation probably won't use its nukes lightly. "It might be the kind of thing you would like to have in your back pocket, to make people think, 'Well, gee, maybe in a bad situation, they might try a Hail Mary pass and see whether it works,'" Wright said. "But it's not the sort of thing that you're going to be able to rely on other than that." That's not to suggest that North Korea is all bluster, however. "I think the best bet is that they would use nuclear weapons if they felt the regime was threatened in a serious way," Wit said. "Of course, the main way that might happen is if there's a war on the Korean Peninsula, and U.S. and South Korean troops are moving north." Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com. Men who are expecting a child or whose partner has recently had a baby may experience depression just as women sometimes do, according to a new study. In recent years, much attention has been focused on recognizing and treating maternal depression, and this treatment has had positive effects on the health of moms and babies, the research team said. Yet identifying fathers who are at risk for paternal depression also can be beneficial to these men and their families, the researchers noted. The new study of fathers one of the largest studies on both prenatal and postnatal paternal depression included more than 3,500 men and was part of the ongoing "Growing Up in New Zealand" project. The results are published today (Feb. 15) in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. [7 Ways Depression Differs in Men and Women] Previous studies have shown that as many as 20 percent of women experience prenatal or postnatal depression, the researchers wrote in their article. The condition may result from hormonal changes during and after pregnancy or external factors such as an unplanned pregnancy, domestic violence, or a lack of social or relationship support. In the new study, the researchers found that 2.3 percent of the men in New Zealand had prenatal depression and 4.3 percent had postnatal depression. Although that rate is much lower than that of women, it can still have serious public health consequences, said Lisa Underwood, a research fellow at The University of Auckland in New Zealand, who led the study. Paternal depression could strain the family's relationships in a way that could cause financial hardships for the family or lead to poor cognitive development for the child, "including emotional and behavioral problems," Underwood said. "Given that around 4 million babies are born in the United States each year, these apparently small percentages translate to a large number of men, and consequently children, who are affected," Underwood told Live Science. "The antenatal [prenatal] and postnatal periods are critical times of fathers' influence on long-term child well-being [and] outcomes." [5 Ways Fatherhood Changes a Man's Brain] The new study also found that depression in the dads was seen across the population, and was not significantly associated with men's age, general socioeconomic status, marital status or whether the pregnancy was unplanned. However, prenatal depression in the dads was associated with experiencing stress or poor health during the pregnancy. Postnatal paternal depression was associated with stress, poor health, no longer being in a relationship with the mother, being unemployed, or having a history of depression. Underwood said she hopes that doctors can learn to identify the factors that may lead to depression, recognize the symptoms of depression itself, and recommend treatment options for fathers as they are increasingly doing for mothers. "Fathers, as well as mothers, have a significant impact on children's development," Underwood said. "Both parents' mental well-being affects their relationship, their parenting and their involvement with their children. Therefore, it is vital that we recognize and treat symptoms of mental ill health among fathers and mothers early." Follow Christopher Wanjek @wanjek for daily tweets on health and science with a humorous edge. Wanjek is the author of "Food at Work" and "Bad Medicine." His column, Bad Medicine, appears regularly on Live Science. The world's first fleet of fully self-driving cars may hit the streets a world away from where they were invented. The government of the United Arab Emirates has purchased 200 Tesla vehicles to add to the Dubai Taxi Corp. fleet, Gulf News reported. Though the combination of Model S sedans and Model X SUVs will initially be used in the "Autopilot" mode, which requires a human driver, they will come equipped with the hardware needed for complete self-driving capability, the news agency reported. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai plans to do a test run in the autonomous driving mode, with the goal of making Dubai the "smartest city" by 2020, Gulf News reported. The purchase is part of the "Dubai Smart Autonomous Mobility Strategy aimed at transforming 25 percent of total journeys in Dubai into autonomous journeys by 2030," Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the board of executive directors of the RTA, told Gulf News. In October 2016, Tesla founder Elon Musk announced that all future versions of the car will come equipped with hardware that will allow an upgrade to self-driving mode. Originally published on Live Science. Three people in New York City recently became sick with a rare bacterial disease called leptospirosis that they might have contracted from rats, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). All three cases occurred in a one-block section of a neighborhood in the Bronx called the Concourse over the past two months, the DOHMH said in a statement. Although New York City typically sees about one to three cases of leptospirosis per year, this is the first time that health officials have identified a cluster of leptospirosis cases (meaning more than a single case occurring in the same place around the same time) in the city, the DOHMH said. All three people were hospitalized with kidney and liver failure, and one person died as a result of their infection, DOHMH said. [10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species] Leptospirosis is caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium known as Leptospira, which can infect animals and people. Here are five important things to know about leptospirosis. How do people get leptospirosis? People can become infected with Leptospira bacteria when they come into contact with the urine of infected animals, or with an environment that's been contaminated with urine from infected animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacteria can enter the body through broken skin (such as a cut or scratch), or through the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose and mouth, the CDC said. People may contract leptospirosis when they swim in water that's been contaminated with infected animal urine, or if they have contact with contaminated food or soil, the CDC said. For the New York City cases, health officials suspect that the people became infected through contact with urine from rats, because most cases in New York City are linked with exposure to rats or rat-infested environments, the DOHMH said. How common is leptospirosis? Human cases of leptospirosis are rare in the United States. According to the CDC, only about 100 to 200 leptospirosis cases are reported each year in the United States. About 50 percent of all U.S. leptospirosis cases occur in Hawaii, the CDC said. The largest outbreak of leptospirosis ever recorded in the United States occurred in 1998, when more than 1,000 athletes participating in summer triathlons in Illinois and Wisconsin were potentially exposed to the bacteria, and 110 became infected, according to the CDC. [10 Bizarre Diseases You Can Get Outdoors] How severe are the symptoms? Some people infected with Leptospira bacteria may have no symptoms at all, according to the CDC. Others may experience a high fever, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea and photophobia (eye discomfort when exposed to bright light). In severe cases, the infection can lead to kidney damage, brain inflammation, liver failure and death, the CDC said. How is leptospirosis treated? Leptospirosis can be treated with antibiotics usually doxycycline or penicillin. Treatment should begin as early as possible to reduce the severity and duration of the disease, the DOHMH said. Can leptospirosis be prevented? To avoid becoming infected with the Leptospira bacteria that cause leptospirosis, people should wear protective clothing or footwear if they are exposed to water or soil that might have been contaminated with animal urine, the CDC said. For example, people should wear shoes when they take their garbage to a trash compactor room, and avoid contact with areas in which rats might have urinated, according to The New York Times. People should also avoid swimming or wadding in water that may be contaminated with animal urine, and avoid swallowing water in lakes and rivers, the CDC said. Taking measures to prevent rodent infestations (for example, by setting up rodent traps and sealing holes in your home) can also prevent some leptospirosis cases, the CDC said. Finally, pets should be vaccinated against leptospirosis, although the vaccine is not 100 percent effective at preventing the infection, the CDC noted. Original article on Live Science. Currently Reading 10 things we know about Kim Jong Un's mysterious brother Kim Jong Nam A father and his three children are sleeping on the streets of Longford tonight because they cannot secure appropriate accommodation. Carl OLeary and the children, aged one, three and 12 had been staying with Mr OLearys first cousin in Drumlish after the family left England in November to come to Longford. However, in the intervening weeks, the landlord of the property in Drumlish asked Mr OLeary to vacate the premises with his children on several occasions. The Englishman says that he has been in contact with Longford Co Council seven times in an effort to secure a house for the family, and says he has been told there is nothing the local authority can do for him and his only option is to return to England. I dont know what else to do, Mr OLeary told the Leader on Monday. He even tried to access the local mens hostel but was told that while he could be admitted, his children would not be allowed admittance. We arrived in Longford on November 7 and have been here since - I just dont understand what is going on, he continued. Upon arrival to Longford, the family was assigned a social worker and were being helped to adjust to their new lives here. The children hadnt started school in the area yet, but this was a temporary arrangement until the family had settled. This, added Mr OLeary who worked full time in England, has been great for the kids, but I cant get a house for us to live in. My aunt also lives in Drumlish, but she is in her 60s and recently suffered a heart attack, so there is no way that myself and three children could move in with her. I have tried everything; I just dont know what else to do. I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall. The Leader contacted Longford County Council in relation to Carl O'Leary's plight and they said they couldn't comment on individual cases. Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Health & Wellness, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events By Long Island News & PR Published: February 15 2017 DEC collected 660 pounds of pharmaceutical medications during the annual DEC Long Island Pharmaceutical Take Back, Region 1 Director Carrie Meek Gallagher announced today. Long Island, NY - February 14, 2017 - The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) collected 660 pounds of pharmaceutical medications during the annual DEC Long Island Pharmaceutical Take Back, Region 1 Director Carrie Meek Gallagher announced today. A total of twenty-four long-term healthcare facilities throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties participated in the program, which collects and responsibly destroys unused or expired pharmaceuticals. "Health care facilities such as nursing homes and other long-term care facilities normally have little choice but to "flush" unused medications," said Director Gallagher. "DEC will continue our efforts to reduce medications entering our waterways and we are grateful to all the facilities who chose to enthusiastically participate in this year's take-back day." In 2015, DEC received funding through a State Legislative Appropriation for $150,000 to collect unused and unwanted pharmaceuticals from medical facilities in Nassau and Suffolk counties. The program is designed to reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals that are "flushed" by facilities and can end up in Long Island's groundwater, bays and estuaries. Pharmaceuticals have been detected at low levels in New York State waterways and Long Island's shallow groundwater. Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment said, "Providing free, easy, convenient and safe disposal of pharmaceutical drug programs protects our water and public health. The old practice of flushing unused drugs must be stopped! We applaud DEC for continuing their program to safely collect unused and expired drugs from long term care facilities which are potentially significant contributors to pharmaceutical contamination in ground and surface waters. We encourage all long-term care facilities to participate in this annual program." Twenty-four facilities made up primarily of nursing, extended care and rehabilitation centers, agreed to participate in this year's collection. Each facility stored unused and expired medications until DEC Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) visited them at their facility on Monday, February 13. The stored medications were brought to the Covanta Waste-to-Energy Plant in Hempstead, which volunteered its services to incinerate the products. "Covanta is very proud to provide a program for the safe disposal of drugs allowing us to both assist in the prevention of drug abuse and in the protection of our waters," said John G. Waffenschmidt, Covanta Vice President of Environmental Science and Community Affairs. "We are also happy to join with the Department of Environmental Conservation and Citizens Campaign for the Environment in their important work to end the practice of flushing drugs by residents and institutions. Our Energy-from-Waste facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art combustion controls and air pollution control equipment to ensure the secure destruction of these drugs in an environmentally sound manner." Covanta's Energy-from-Waste facilities in Westbury, East Northport, West Babylon and Ronkonkoma serve the municipal solid waste management needs of thousands of Long Island households and businesses, converting nearly 5,000 tons of post-recycled municipal solid waste each day into clean energy to power over 100,000 homes. The facilities also recycle 50,000 tons of metal annually. Prescription drug take back efforts began in the last few years. Prior to these initiatives the normal disposal practice was to flush unwanted drugs. With technological advances in analytical techniques, it is now possible to detect very low levels of drugs in surface water and groundwater. Some drugs pass largely unaltered through wastewater treatment plants and enter rivers and other waterways. Drugs from heath care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities and farms can also find their way into the water. Flushed medications have been found in New York lakes, rivers and streams which can negatively affect the waterways. A nationwide study done in 1999 and 2000 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) found low levels of drugs such as antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives and steroids in 80 percent of rivers and streams tested. Medications adversely affect fish and other aquatic wildlife and increase the development of drug-resistant bacteria. School & Education, Local News, Religion, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: February 15 2017 Leg. Kara Hahn welcomed Chaplain Sanaa Nadim of Stony Brook Universitys Interfaith Center to the Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 to offer the customary invocation. Hauppauge, NY - February 14, 2017 - Legislator Kara Hahn welcomed Chaplain Sanaa Nadim of Stony Brook Universitys Interfaith Center to the Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 to offer the customary invocation delivered at the beginning of each general session of the governing body. Chaplain Nadim moved to Long Island after working as a foreign exchange trader on Park Avenue for several years. After relocating, Chaplain Nadim joined Stony Brook University, becoming its first female Muslim Chaplain. In her efforts to bring visibility to and enhance understanding of Muslims on campus, on Long Island and across the nation, Chaplain Nadim has participated in programing for WLIW, PBS, and BBC. In addition, she co-authored the book Women for Women of Afghanistan, which publicizes the conditions faced by Muslim women in Afghanistan. Chaplain Nadim currently sits on the advisory board for public television and has, in the past, represented the Muslim community to Congress on Capitol Hill. Chaplain Nadim has worked to mediate conflict between those divided by religious differences. Through such activities, she strives to dispel misconceptions regarding the Islamic faith and reinforce the shared values that unite Muslims and non-Muslims locally, nationally and throughout the world. In 2011, Chaplain Nadim received awards from both the Martin Luther King Foundation of America and from former Congressman Stephen Israel for her dedication to promoting religious and racial tolerance. In August 2012, her work was acknowledged by former President Barack Obama at the White House Iftar Dinner. Local News, Business & Finance, Home & Garden, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: February 15 2017 Long Island County Executives today endorsed Governor Cuomo's plan to reduce property taxes by empowering voters to approve locally-designed plans. Hauppauge, NY - February 15, 2017 - Long Island County Executives today endorsed Governor Cuomo's plan to reduce property taxes by empowering voters to approve locally-designed plans that deliver shared, coordinated services and lower the cost of local government. The Governors groundbreaking proposal would require county executives to convene local government to meetings to develop shared service plans that reduce duplicative spending and find real, recurring property tax savings. "The property tax remains the most burdensome tax in New York and by challenging local governments to collaborate and create a plan to streamline operations for voter approval, this game-changing initiative will empower communities, cut costs, and reduce property taxes on Long Island and across New York," Governor Cuomo said. "I commend these Long Island leaders for partnering with us and I look forward to working with them and local governments across the state to develop these plans, create efficiencies and provide real relief to New York residents." Photo by Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. The Governors proposal empowers municipalities to develop plans that eliminate duplicative services, lower the costs of local governments, and ease the burden on taxpayers. Plans should enhance purchasing power, such as jointly purchasing and coordinating the use of expensive transportation or emergency equipment. The Governor has also committed to match savings achieved by local governments in the first year. These shared service plans will not impact AIM funding included in the FY 2018 Executive Budget for towns, villages and cities. "We owe it to Long Islanders to do everything in our power to ensure that their hard-earned dollars are spent responsibly. Governor Cuomo's proposal is a common sense plan to promote fiscal responsibility and put more money back into hardworking Long Island taxpayers' pockets," said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. "Without conversations, you can't have consolidation. This plan presents County Executives across the state with a unique opportunity to forge consensus with local governments on the best ways to share services and find efficiencies that will reduce duplicative spending. By collaborating with our local partners and giving voters an opportunity to weigh in on our proposal, we can make local government smarter, stronger, and less costly to taxpayers -- while establishing New York as a national model for government efficiency." Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano said, "Governor Cuomo's property tax cap challenges government to do more with less property taxes. The Governor is now leading the way forward with a new plan to help municipalities come together to reduce waste, share services and find efficiencies. This proposal will find innovative ways to save taxpayer money, while empowering residents to vote on the proposed plan before it's implemented. I support Governor Cuomo for his leadership on this important issue and look forward to our continued partnership in establishing New York as a national model for government efficiency." Plans will be developed by county executives working together with local government: County executive convenes one or more meetings to obtain suggestions and hear comments on county shared service plan. Cities, towns and villages must provide plans to the counties. County executive submits his or her shared services plan to the legislature for comments. County executive shared services plan is then submitted to voters for their action in a referendum at the general election in November of 2017. If the plan is rejected, the county executive would prepare a new plan for submission to the electorate for a second vote in November of 2018. Reducing New Yorks burdensome property taxes has been a priority of Governor Cuomo and his administration, leading to actions such as the Property Tax Cap and Property Tax Freeze, saving taxpayers more than $17 billion through 2016. Mandate Relief for New York Municipalities Since 2011, Governor Cuomo has held state spending growth below 1.4 percent, the lowest spending of any Governor since before Nelson Rockefeller. Outstanding debt has also been lowered for the past four years, and the Governor has continued to provide significant mandate relief for counties, towns, villages and cities across the state. These efforts include: Saving local governments $3.2 billion in 2018 by capping the cost of Medicaid growth; Reforming the states pension system to save the State and local governments more than $80 billion over the next 30 years; Requiring arbitration panels consider a municipality's ability to pay certain local contracts; Authorizing local shared services, like allowing up to three school districts with fewer than 1,000 students each to share a school superintendent; and Providing local governments with expanded procurement options, such as the authority to "piggyback" on Federal General Services Administration contracts and county public works contracts as a way to reduce costs for local governments. The Property Tax Burden in New York Included in Governor Cuomo's FY 2018 Executive Budget, the shared services proposal will build on mandate relief and local government efficiency programs recently established by the Governor, including the Municipal Restructuring Fund and the Municipal Consolidation and Efficiency Competition. The property tax is the largest tax burden for New Yorkers across the state, with the typical taxpayer paying 2.5 times more in property taxes than in income taxes. Westchester, Nassau and Rockland rank among the five highest counties in the nation for the cost of property taxes, and in terms of property taxes paid as a share of home value, 13 of the 15 highest-taxed counties are in New York, primarily upstate, with Wayne, Monroe and Cattaraugus among the highest in the country. Though property taxes are controlled by local governments, the Governor has made it a priority to help reduce the burden property taxes for all New Yorkers. The Property Tax Cap is at the center of these efforts, and aided by more than $100 million in State efficiency programs, it has driven local governments to control costs and save the typical homeowner $2,100 through 2016. When combined with the Property Tax Freeze, the Property Tax Cap has saved taxpayers more than $17 billion through 2016. This initiative builds on local government efficiency programs established earlier by Governor Cuomo, including the Citizens Re-Organization and Empowerment Grant and the Citizens Empowerment Tax Credit. Together they aim to not only empower citizens, but also to give local governments the tools they need to remain compliant with the Property Tax Cap. Culture / Art Republik From February 15 to June 11, the Tate Modern will present an exhibition devoted to the work of German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans Feb 15, 2017 | By AFP Relaxnews In the 1990s, Wolfgang Tillmans rose to prominence with photos of everyday life and contemporary culture, providing an insight into society and its workings. The German Turner Prize winners exhibition will focus on works since his 2003 exhibition at the Tate Modern. The decision to limit the scope of this exhibition to works created after 2003 has its significance. 2003 marked a turning point after which social and political themes became an increasingly important aspect of the artists work. With Truth Study Center presented in 2005, he turned a spotlight on his interest in global events and the manner in which they are treated by the media. The exhibition also highlights how the artist has expressed his commitment with more abstract works, notably with Sendeschluss, which is composed of images of an analog television losing signal reception. It will also feature landscapes, still lives, and intimate portraits like Collum (2011), which focuses on the delicateness, fragility and beauty of the human body. The multidisciplinary aspect of Tillmans work will figure largely in the exhibition, which will feature the project Playback Room: a specifically designed space for listening to studio recorded music. The video installation Instrument 2015 shows Tillmans dancing to a soundtrack made by sampling his own footsteps. Born in 1968 in Remscheid, Germany, Wolfgang Tillmans studied at the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. In 2000, he became the first photographer and the first non-British artist to win the Turner Prize. His work has been the subject of exhibitions in such internationally renowned museums as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Museum of Art in Osaka, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Tate in London. Tillmans lives and works in Berlin and London. Wolfgang Tillmanns: 2017 will be on at the Tate Modern from 15 February 2017- 11 June 2017. 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 Jammu : BSF today said that terrorists are being staged in Pakistani villages along the International Border (IB) here as they are desperately looking to infiltrate into Indian territory to launch attacks. "There are inputs about the presence of terrorists in Pakistani border villages desperately looking for infiltration into Indian territory," said DIG BSF Dharmendra Pareek. He further said that BSF troops are extremely vigilant and prepared to foil any such emerging threat and nefarious designs from across the border. In view of the security scenario in recent months along the IB in Jammu region, BSF has taken various innovative measures to ensure foolproof security after the assessment of various threats from the Pakistani side, he said. PTI Sriharikota : Space agency ISRO today scripted history by successfully launching a record 104 satellites, including India's earth observation satellite, on a single rocket from the spaceport here.This is the highest number of satellites ever launched in a single mission. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37 blasted off at 9:28 AM from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and first injected Cartosat-2 series satellite into orbit followed by the other 103 nano satellites, including 96 from the U.S, in a gap of about 30 minutes. As the scientists at the Mission Control centre broke into cheers, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman A S Kiran Kumar announced: "All 104 satellites successfully placed in orbit. My hearty congratulations to the entire ISRO team for the wonderful job they have done." Earlier, the Russian Space Agency had launched 37 satellites in one go. ISRO had earlier launched 23 satellites in a single mission in June 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Team ISRO for the successful launch. In today's complex mission after the end of 28-hour countdown, the PSLV-C37 injected the 714 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite followed by ISRO's nano satellites INS-1A and INS-1B in an 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). This was followed by launch of the other 101 nano satellites of overseas customers in blocks in a series of separations. INS-1A and INS-1B will carry a total of four different payloads from Space Applications Centre (SAC) and Laboratory for Electro Optics Systems (LEOS) of ISRO for conducting various experiments, ISRO said Cartosat-2 series satellite, with a mission life of five years, will send images that would cater to coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, distribution of water, creation of land use maps among others. PTI Chennai: AIADMK General Secretary Sasikala on Wednesday paid floral tribute to Jayalalithaa at Chennai Marina Beach before heading to Bengaluru Jail. The move comes after the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to give more for Sasikala to surrender in the Disproportionate Asset (DA) case.. Though her lawyers appealed for more time, the court ordered her to surrender immediately. Meanwhile, Sasikala appointed nephew TTV Dinakaran as the Deputy General Secretary of AIADMK on Wednesday. The Stock Traders Actionable Guide to Trump There are aspects to Trumps public comments that concern me. He says stuff that makes me sit up and take notice, especially on the military front. Yet, rather than blindly accepting the news that best supports my biases, I try to view each new Trump event objectively. By contrast, the progressives/liberals unfailingly fall for every bit of click-bait that reinforces their view that Trump is a detestable, woman-hating, earth killer and the epitome of a capitalist pig. On the other side of the philosophical wall, there are an almost equal number of people who view Trump as a Knight Exemplar, come to smite the corrupt politicos and smash down the self-loathing, politically correct, climate-alarmist, and meddling-big-government, perfect-world socialists that have all but destroyed the American dream. The extreme distance between the two perspectives creates a tradeable opportunity. Actually, a series of tradeable opportunities, which I cover below. (For more trading ideas, subscribe to my free investment newsletter, The Passing Parade.) This is especially true because of the extraordinary media bias that takes every small thing Trump does or says and blows it way out of proportion. Any investor worth the moniker knows markets operate largely on emotion. And that gives rise to the Trump Trade. What Most People Are Missing and How to Profit from It A more nuanced view of Trumps various strong words has to take into account his deep experience negotiating hundred-million-dollar deals in the hardball world of New York and New Jersey real estate. Were talking about sitting across the table from dozens of the worlds highest-paid lawyers and hammering out deals that mollify not just the sellers of the prime real estate, but also the zoning boards, unions, owners of neighboring properties, etc. Succeeding in that world requires a level of focus, determination, and skill that is impossible for the average person to even imagine. It is as hardball as it comes. Anywhere. Now ask yourself, how would someone with Trumps negotiating credentials approach a counterparty ahead of a negotiation? Would they signal in advance what they wanted and all that they were willing to give up in order to get what they were after? Or would they come in hard with outsized threats and posturing, setting the stage to ultimately prevail on the points that count? Case in point, Trump has made much of the idea that hell make Mexico pay for a wall between the two countries. Among the many rejoinders to the idea, former Mexican President Fox said, Im not going to pay for that f#&#ing wall! And so, thanks to Trumps posturing, the negotiations began with arguing about who is going to pay for the wallnot even the wall itself. Getting the opposition to negotiate at the top of the range you set, in order to eventually settle for what you actually want, is Negotiation 101. And Trump is way, way past Negotiation 101. Viewed through that particular lensand I think I am at least directionally correct, as Trump would be hard pressed to forget all he has learned about negotiating just because hes been elected presidentwe can expect his administration to be something of a rollercoaster ride. Thats because he has a big agenda. And he has a lot of opposition to cut through in order to accomplish that agenda. As such, I suspect hardly a week will go by without Trump saying or doing somethingloudlythat seems outrageous, ill-advised, or bullying. And the media, as set against Trump as they are, can predictably be expected to scream as loud as they can about his latest outrage and all the dire consequences. Viewed from the negotiators perspective, they are playing right into his hands. Likewise, we need to look past the posturing and try to ascertain what Trumps end goals are. What does Trump want accomplished in each of these situations? In most cases, hell be trying to deliver on his America First promise. That was by far the most prominent plank in his platform and in his inauguration speech. To get it done, hell need to improve the competitiveness of American business by cutting taxes, slashing regulations, and directly negotiating more equitable trade agreements with important trading partners. In Trumps view, he is Americas negotiator-in-chief. Its in his blood. Its what he does best. Therefore, you can choose to get hung up on the optics, or you can take advantage of the situation by taking stock of whatever his next target may be and trading against all the easily frightened sheeple. To make the point, lets return to the situation with Mexico. Trade Idea #1: Mexico The chart here shows the six-month performance of the Mexican Bolsa, their stock market. Since the election, the Bolsa has traded like a yo-yo, based entirely on Trumps pre-negotiation rhetoric and the biased medias reaction to it. On this particular trade, which will likely be a buy of Mexican stocks, Im going to watch things a bit more closely before taking a position. The real money will be made by waiting until it seems Mexico and the US are on the verge of a total breakdown in trade. In fact, what will really be happening is Trump wearing the Mexican politicians down to ensure he gets exactly what he wants. And make no mistake, the US will come out on top. Thats because over 81% of all Mexican exportsabout $310 billion worthgo to the US. Mexicos second-largest trading partner is Canada at a miserly $10.5 billion. There are a number of ways to play volatility in the Mexican market. You can concentrate your investments in specific Mexican exporting companies who trade as ADRs on US exchanges. But for most investors, the best approach is likely buying a large and liquid diversified ETF such as the iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (EWW). Trade Idea #2: Pounding on Pharma Another recent example of the Trump Trade can be seen in the pharmaceutical sector. That Trump would take on the sector is understandable; his most ardent supporters skew toward the 50+ age demographics. These are the people most affected by the skyrocketing insurance costs triggered by Obamacare and by the indefensibly high cost of certain drugs required for the patient to live a normal life. A friend of mine is currently spending over $2,000 a month for a single drug, so I understand the angst on a personal level. During his campaign, Trump promised to bring those drug costs down, and now he is ramping up the negotiations to do just that. Heres a three-month chart of the price action in PowerShares Dynamic Pharmaceuticals (PJP), one of the more popular pharmaceutical ETFs. Like the Mexican stock market, you can see a sell-off after Trump won, and the subsequent gyrations as Trump began to use the bully pulpit of his presidency to set the stage for negotiating with the drug industry. The recent spike in the index came after Trump sat down with key industry executives and offered to trade them a big reduction in regulation if they play ball with him on the pricing. Thats whats called a win-win in the business world. Trump gets what hes after (or at least theres a good chance he does), and the drug companies get relief from the time and money regulatory regime that is the bane of their business. When the Media Sells, Well Buy Given Trumps background, you can expect the president to go in hard every single time. And the media will inadvertently help him by whipping certain members of the publicincluding the investment communityinto a frenzy of action. When they sell, well be looking to buy. And when they buy, well be looking to sell. In the end, successful investment speculationand make no mistake, this is speculationrequires volatility. If nothing else, Trump is volatile. Or is happy to seem that way if, in the end, it gets him what he wants. Subscribe to The Passing Parade A rousing weekly romp on economics and markets with a dose of politics and other follies, The Passing Parade is published every Friday by Garret/Galland Research. Click here to get your free copy sent straight to your inbox. David Galland Managing Editor, The Passing Parade http://www.garretgalland.com Garret/Galland Research provides private investors and financial service professionals with original research on compelling investments uncovered by our team. Sign up for one or both of our free weekly e-letters. The Passing Parade offers fast-paced, entertaining, and always interesting observations on the global economy, markets, and more. Sign up now its free! 2017 David Galland - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Heres How Germany Buys Time From China BY JACOB SHAPIRO : As weve written before, Germanys economy has avoided problems besetting most export-dependent countries in the last two years. In 2015, Germany accomplished this by compensating for decreased demand from China by substantially increasing its exports to the United States and the United Kingdom. In 2016, the situation was reversed. Exports to China increased while exports to the US and UK declined significantly. The most important geopolitical question in Europe this year is whether Germany can stave off a decline in its exports for a third consecutive year. We forecast that German exports will fall in 2017, and the most recent trade data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) both supports and challenges the thought process behind that forecast. Looking at the Numbers To understand the significance of the change in German trade patterns, lets go back a few years. 2015 was the first time in 54 years that a country other than France was the top destination for German exports. German exports to the US increased by 18.7 percent in 2015, representing 9.5 percent of total German exports. Meanwhile, German exports to the UKthe third largest destination for German goodsenjoyed a similarly meteoric rise. Those exports increased by 12.8 percent in 2015, approximately 10.1 billion euros. For the year, 7.5 percent of total German exports went to the UK. The growth in German exports to the US and the UK was under 40 percent of the total growth in value of German exports in 2015. This was important because Germany saw major declines in exports to two important trading partners in 2015: China and Russia. The decline in exports to China was somewhat modest, with a drop of 4.2 percent, or about 3.2 billion euros. The decline in exports to Russia was starker, declining 25.5 percent from the previous year, or roughly 7.4 billion euros. The increase in exports to the US and the UK absorbed the blow of the unexpected decline in demand from China and Russia. Germanys Problem The problem for Germany was not necessarily the absolute figures themselves. Even without the growth in exports to the UK and the US, German exports increased enough to cover the loss. This was due primarily to demand from other European countries. The deeper problem was that China and Russia were both important markets that German companies had bet would increase demand for German products. Exports to China had been steadily increasing since 2001, with a slight hiccup in 2012. Before the 2014 revolution in Ukraine and the 2015 drop in oil prices, Russia was considered one of the top potential growth markets for German products. Exports to the UK and US stabilized the situation, but a serious question remained: Could Germany depend on exporting to the US and UK at similar levels for a sustained period? The most recent available data from Destatis covers January to November 2016, but it still provides a clear answer to that question: The 2015 level of US and UK imports of German goods was unsustainable. German exports to the UK declined by 3.1 percent in the first 11 months of 2016. German exports to the US declined by double that figure, or 6.2 percent. Germany saw exports in the first 11 months of 2015 increase by an impressive 6.5 percent. In January to November 2016, growth in German exports was just 0.8 percent. There is one significant bright spot for Germany in the data. German exports to China rebounded in 2016, increasing by 3.6 billion euros, or 5.5 percent year-on-year. Changing of the Guard Myth This development recently has been trumpeted as a changing of the guard in both the German and Chinese press. But even with a 6.2 percent decline, the US remains the largest destination for German exports. German exports to the US in 2016 were worth 66.9 billion euros more than German exports to China. Considering that 46.8 percent of Germanys GDP comes from exports, the importance of the US to Germanys export machine should not be underestimated. The rise in Chinese demand for German exports is slightly surprising considering that Chinese imports have been decreasing steadily since 2011. And Chinese imports of German goods declined in 2015. This decline was in part due to the decline in global commodities prices. The volume of Chinese imports increased even as prices fell from 20112014. This, however, began to change in 2015. A study published last May by the International Monetary Fund noted that the volume of Chinese imports decreased by 0.7 percent in 2015, and that both commodity and non-commodity items contributed to this decline. The latter category is the important one from the German perspective. The bulk of German exports to China are not raw materials like iron ore, but finished products like cars and various machinery. Non-commodity imports declined by 8 percent in 2015, 35 percent of which was attributed to a fall in imports of the types of products Germany exports. More on China The most recent data available from Chinas General Administration of Customs showed that Chinese import growth in 2016 fell by 5.5 percent in terms of value. It was not just Chinese imports that fell, however. Chinese exports also decreased by 7.7 percent year-on-year. This is important because a significant portion of Chinese imports are not meant for Chinese consumption. They are parts that are used in goods that China assembles and then exports. Whether it is demand for the raw materials or parts involved in production, or just the financial health of the state-owned enterprises involved in exports, a decline in Chinese exports puts further pressure on Chinese imports. This in turn is bad news for a country like Germany hoping to increase exports to China. The other thing to keep in mind is that China relied once again on stimulus to meet its GDP growth targets for the year in 2016. Much of this economic growth was dependent on construction or investment in the real estate market, which has resulted in fears of a potential bubble in the housing market that China is now actively seeking to rein in. Meanwhile, corporate debt in China has increased to 169 percent of Chinas GDP, according to the Bank of International Settlements. And the specter of non-performing loans is casting a long shadow once more on Chinas books. The Real Picture Chinas solutions are ultimately stopgaps, and steady Chinese demand for German goods is unreliable at best. There are limits to how much Germany can increase its exports to the US and the UK. German trade data also emphasize just how dependent Germany is on the rest of Europe. It remains to be seen if GPFs forecast on German exports comes to fruition. But whatever the precise figure of export change ends up being is ultimately less important than understanding this key German weakness. The news that China has become Germanys largest trading partner should be read as nothing more than a story about the precarious economic situation in which Germany finds itself. Prepare Yourself for Tomorrow with George Friedmans This Week in Geopolitics This riveting weekly newsletter by global-intelligence guru George Friedman gives you an in-depth view of the hidden forces that drive world events and markets. Youll learn that economic trends, social upheaval, stock market cycles, and more are all connected to powerful geopolitical currents that most of us arent even aware of. Get This Week in Geopolitics free in your inbox every Monday. John Mauldin Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. was born in Chicago and wanted to be a writer since a very young age. His writing was inspired by. After reaching his 40th birthday he decided to give in to his passion and since then has released twelve novels in the last three years. He currently lives in Joliet, Illinois and loves visiting museums and libraries for inspiration.Nobody has ever escaped from the Iceberg. It's a privately-owned prison deep in the Mojave Desert, staffed by brutal guards and surrounded by desolate wasteland. Inside the walls, gangs and predators are constant threats; outside the walls, there's nothing but a sniper's bullet or a slow death in the desert heat.Framed for murder and snared in a deadly curse,lands behind bars with a target on his back. Worse, without of the picture, the Chicago mob is making its bid for control of Las Vegas. If he can't engineer his escape in time to stop them, none of his friends are safe. Then there's the matter of the warden's dark secret, the one that's filling up the prison morgue with body bags.has been caged, buried, cut off from his allies and his magic. His enemies think they've won. They're about to learn, the hard way, that this is one sorcerer who always has a trick up his sleeve. Nobody has ever escaped from the Iceberg. But the Iceberg has never had a prisoner likeispages long divided over forty-eight chapters with a prologue, an epilogue and an afterword. Narration is in the first-person, viasolely and similar third-person narratives for the prologue and epilogue. This is the fifth volume ofmarked the North American paperback and e-book publication ofand it was self-published by the author. Cover art and design is byof Bookfly Design Featuring a cast of anti-heroes and with a magician con-man as the protagonist,is'scrossed withand set in Las Vegas.was my favorite book of 2016 and possibly the best book in the(of the six I've read so far). This book while being such an awesome read, cannot be read as a standalone unfortunately. There will be mild spoilers as I cannot discus much of its blurb without mentioning certain events from. On a side note, I believe the events ofare set a little before the events showcased in(book 1 of the).The prologue affords us another look at theand his lackey, most readers will recognizefrom the events of the previous book wherein she hiredto steal an artifact in Chicago. Thetalk about their efforts and this is the first inkling we get of the grand plan that the author has only hinted at so far. In our world,wakes up disoriented and finds himself on way to the Eisenberg correctional facility (also called) in the Mojave desert. Confused as to why he's on way to prison without having a trial,finds out that he's already been tried and found guilty. Thoroughly befuddled by this rapid turn,soon learns that a grand sinister plan is underway and he's been targeted for reasons unknown.While in prison, he has to figure out the way of life in prison and also keep himself from being a target of a drug gang that has a branch in Las Vegas (as retribution for his alleged murder of one of their own). There's also bikers from a club to whom he owes money and lastly he will have to contend the inhumane conditions & odious guards in the private prison.learns soon that things are truly f***ed for him as he finds out more about the strange on-goings in prison, the way of life inside as well as he tries to figure out how he landed in prison. The author then gives us a breakneck storyline that's full of action, plot twists and some superb revelations that had me fall in love with this book.Going on to the positives, this book is one hell of an amalgamation of urban fantasy and a crime thriller. Thinkmixed with a tad bit ofas well asand you will get an inkling of what a crazy mix of a story this is. The story opens on a somber note but then quickly explodes as we get a fascinating look at private prisons and especially what a scenario might entail when a magician likeis thrown into the mix. The author isn't writing a polemic here so folks who want a detailed look at prisons and all the socio-economic factors that go into the prison populace won't find it here. What the readers will find is a story that will keep you excited, make you cringe and of course try to outguess the author. This is a perfect thriller if you ask me and one of the main reasons why this book was my top choice last year.Going to the characterization, with the story having a sole narrative voice, it all depends on the character anddoesn't disappoint. With this being the fifth book in the series, the author has had plenty of time to perfect the character and his voice.is a fascinating rascal of a character who doesn't shy away from the occasional violence but uses his brains, skills and talent to get what he wants. This story has him utilizing all three to survive in an environment which reminds him when he was helpless as a child. He swore never to have to experience those feelings but due to the actions of certain people, he finds himself a liar. The narrative never gets too bogged down with the character feeling dismayed asis a fighter and he's already thinking on an escape plan.The beauty of the plot twists is that while it might seem that this book is about a prison break, it's not that entirely. The story takes a lot of turns and in hands of another author might have been a simple story focussing on a singular plot thread.refuses to take the simple route as has been evidenced by his writing career so far. He combines at least three different plots into this storyline and makes them all coherent and flow smoothly. I loved how this book while sticking to the prison escape tropes, yet managed to make the story interesting by adding in newer twists. The author also explores the idea of magic existing but doesn't give the character a simple-get-out-of-jail trick/card. While there is one scene that simply exists to set up something about the character and for future story set-up, I doubt readers will find fault with it and like me, most will enjoy its creepy, oozy factor (I'm using oozy for a very particular reason and you will understand when you read it).The story just zooms with all of its twists and then ends on a fascinating climax and then we find that there's more to the book. There's a coda plot twist that might upset a few readers but I enjoyed it as it was another way to upend reader expectations. Overall this story was one where I enjoyed it from cover to cover. Going on to the drawbacks, this was one book where I honestly found none. After finishing my primary read I've re-read a few more times and the excitement held up each time. For me that's a sign of an excellent read.is a book that mixes various genre plots and leaves the readers bemused. For me this book was one of the best fictional reads that I've ever read in a long time. I would recommend most readers on this series just so they can enjoy this volume as much as I did. Do not miss this book and this series, as by the time it will be finished this will be considered a classic one. Maps That Show The US Strategy In Asia-Pacific BY GEORGE FRIEDMAN AND JACOB L. SHAPIRO : Secretary of Defense James Mattis recently wrapped up his first international trip whose purpose was to listen to the concerns of South Korean and Japanese leaders. The two countries are crucial US allies in Asia, and both face serious threats in their near abroad. Discussing security threats, though, wasnt the main goal of Mattiss trip. He was there to assure both countries that the Trump administration will not abandon the US alliance structure in the Pacific. In light of Mattiss visit, lets take a look at current US military and investment positions in the Asia-Pacific region. US Military Commitments in Asia-Pacific The map above shows that the US is using containment as its main strategy with China. US military assets stationed in Asia-Pacific countries have two purposes. First, they ensure US naval power projection in the Pacific Ocean. Second, they help keep Chinese ambitions in check. Besides Guam (which is US territory), the US has no sovereign soil in the Western Pacific Ocean. That means the US must have good relationships with strategically located countries in the Pacific where it can base ships and soldiers. Japan, South Korea, and Australia are the most important US allies in the region. The US also maintains varying degrees of cooperation with countries like the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore. The Philippines is a key part of US strategy, but it is also being courted by China. At present, China is the second-largest economy in the world. It is pouring money into its military. It is also trying to attract cooperation from other countries like the Philippines. The Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines remains in place, but the two sides only recently agreed on which Philippine bases the US can use. The US still hasnt been allowed to return to the much-coveted naval base at Subic Bay. And the Philippine president is full of anti-US rhetoric. As weve written before, the US wants naval control of the oceans. It has a strong navy, but a navy by itself isnt enough. Containing China is a major part of its Pacific strategy. Even if China could be contained by means other than the US, the US would still want Pacific partners to help project its naval power. Beneath all the noise is the simple fact that the US maintains an impressive military presence in the Pacific. Mattis will remind US allies how important they are to US interests. He will also convey that US intent can be measured in commitments, not headlines. US FDI in Asia-Pacific In addition to its military strategy, the US is using an economic strategy. It wants countries to see the economic benefits of cooperating with the US. As the largest economy in the world, the US used its economic power very effectively in the past. The first thing to note from the map above is that the largest destination for US foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Asia-Pacific region is China. Chinas economy is in the midst of a huge transition. The US-Chinese economic relationship is important to both sides, but even more so for China. The US is Chinas largest export market. This happened in part because US companies could profit by moving production to China. Now, Beijing needs to move up the value chain by attracting foreign investment and technology. The US is a major source for this. If China seriously challenges the US, it risks the loss of these economic benefits. The next five largest beneficiaries of US FDI in the region are crucial American allies and partners. Japan, South Korea, and Australia are at the top of the list. Singapore (located on the strategically important Strait of Malacca) is next. The map above is a contrast to the first, which shows military strategy. This map of US FDI distribution shows a strategy not of containment but of widespread US economic influence across Asia-Pacific. It should also be noted that some US FDI is directed to small countries, such as the Marshall Islands. The amount of FDI is lower because these are smaller economies, but the investments are arguably more important for the economic development of those countries. Being a US ally or partner means access to US investment. The price of being a US ally can be high, but it also comes with key benefits. Mattiss Message These two maps are snapshots of US power and US needs. The US imperative is to maintain its dominance of the worlds oceans. Ships need ports. Planes need bases. For these basic needs, the US must have good relations with strategically located countries in the Pacific. In turn, these countries rely on the US for protection and for preservation of the status quo. The Trump administration wants more from its allies not less. Mattiss job will be to convey that US security guarantees are reliable. He will also remind these countries that their relationships with the US exist because of shared interests. The US asking more of these countries does not mean US presence will decrease. admitting US presence will not solve all their problems. admitting US presence will not solve all their problems. Prepare Yourself for Tomorrow with George Friedmans This Week in Geopolitics This riveting weekly newsletter by global-intelligence guru George Friedman gives you an in-depth view of the hidden forces that drive world events and markets. Youll learn that economic trends, social upheaval, stock market cycles, and more are all connected to powerful geopolitical currents that most of us arent even aware of. Get This Week in Geopolitics free in your inbox every Monday. John Mauldin Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. MARTINSVILLE Students in the citys public schools will be graded differently in the coming academic year. In a unanimous vote, the Martinsville School Board on Monday adopted a 10-point grading scale that will be implemented when students return to school Aug. 9 following summer break. Under that scale, a test or assignment grade of 90 to 100 is an A, while 80 to 89 is a B, 70 to 79 is a C and 60 to 69 is a D. Anything under 60 is regarded as failing. Martinsville schools currently use a seven-point scale in which 93 to 100 is an A, 85 to 92 is a B, 77 to 84 is a C, 70 to 76 is a D and anything below 70 is considered failing. Other area school divisions, including the Henry County Public Schools; the Piedmont Governors School, which some city students also attend; and Patrick Henry Community College, through which dual-enrollment programs are provided, already use a 10-point scale, according to officials. Using the 10-point scale will put us in line with everyone else, and that should help students, said board Chairwoman Joan Montgomery, a retired principal and school division administrator. The board informally decided in November to switch to the 10-point scale. At that time, member Eric Hruza explained that, for instance, if a student gets a score of 92 on an exam, it would be a B in the citys schools but an A in the Henry County schools. The letter grade difference could affect students grade-point averages, he said, which influence whether students are accepted at colleges and universities. Student board members Sarah Bennett and Christian Gravely, who attend Martinsville High School, said they think the 10-point scale will help students. The student members participate in discussions of school issues but do not vote. There was no real discussion about the grading scale during Monday nights meeting. The issue was not on the agenda. It came up briefly after Bennett asked when it was going to be discussed again. She said she has been answering a lot of questions from students about it. Superintendent Zeb Talley said officials planned to bring it up again before the end of the current school year. But the board decided to go ahead and vote on it. Also Tuesday, the board tabled until its March session considering a proposed revision to a policy pertaining to the distribution of information or materials in schools. Under the revision, the superintendent or someone he or she designates, would have the discretion to approve, with or without restriction, materials from organizations deemed to be for-profit businesses in which the school division has a clear established partnership. Those partners, listed on the school divisions website, are American National Bank, the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, Martinsville Speedway, Memorial Hospital, Eastman Chemical, the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp., Alcoa, Solid Stone Fabrics, Mid-Atlantic Broadband and Autos by Nelson. Talley said Tuesday that those businesses and organizations support the division and/or individual schools in various ways, from donating books or other types of instructional items to sponsoring field trips and/or performing arts activities. Approval for the distribution of materials (by those entities) will not be construed as an endorsement or support for the activity of the business, but a recognition that stakeholders of the school division may find value and/or interest in the services offered by the business, the proposed revision states. Both the revision and the current policy show that approval would not be given to materials that: @ Are obscene, pornographic or defamatory. @ Could substantially disrupt or interfere with school activities. @ Endorse or encourage the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal substances or actions. @ Encourage or endorse a violation of the divisions Standards of Student Conduct. Talley told the board that the policy revision could, for example, enable the partners to send home with students literature about the businesses or organizations, advertising about their products and services or events being held by them for which they encourage teachers or students to attend. Montgomery voiced concern about advertising potentially being involved. Board member Victor Correa said he is concerned that if we say yes to one, we have to say yes to all of them. It seems like its a very touchy issue, Hruza said. I think its (the revision) fraught with problems. Correa agreed. Hruza suggested having City Attorney Eric Monday examine the policy before the March meeting. The board heard from local members of Omega Psi Phi, a nationwide, predominantly African-American fraternity of college-educated men, about their local QUE (Qualified, Understood, Educated) mentoring program for boys ages 8-18. The program is funded by the United Way through the Boys & Girls Clubs, according to fraternity member Greg Preston, About 40 students currently are being mentored, he said. Preston added that anyone wanting more information about the program can call him at 340-1030. City resident Patrick Wright encouraged educators to find a way to help students remember what they have learned by somehow connecting lessons with music that would jog pupils memories. The board will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 21 to receive and scrutinize a budget proposal for the schools for the new fiscal year that will start July 1. Public hearings on the spending plan will be held at that meeting as well as another meeting scheduled for the same time on Feb. 28. Both meetings will be held at the schools administrative offices in the former Druid Hills School on Indian Trail. STUART A Stuart man charged with attempted murder waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday in Patrick County General District Court, and a judge certified (or sent) the case to Circuit Court. Alvis McCray Foley Jr. is charged in an incident in the Fairystone area on Dec. 9, 2016. According to information released by the Patrick County Sheriffs Office in December, the incident started about 4:45 p.m., when Foley allegedly left his home and went to a residence next door . According to the sheriffs office, Foley then got into an argument with the homes resident. As the argument ensued, Foley allegedly dowsed the resident with gasoline from a cup and allegedly attempted unsuccessfully to ignite him with a cigarette lighter, according to the sheriffs office. The alleged victim wasnt injured in the incident. Deputies were called out and investigator Brian Hubbard arrested Foley, charging him with attempted murder. PATRICK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT According to online court records, following are some of the cases heard in Patrick County Circuit Court recently: Gary Wayne Tilley of Stuart pleaded no contest to felonious child abuse/neglect (on Dec. 1, 2015). A judge ordered a presentence report and set sentencing for May 10. Malik Thair Dorsey of Stuart pleaded guilty to larceny from a person (on June 5, 2016). A judge took the case under advisement for a year. Tommy Pauley of Patrick Springs, who pleaded no contest to and was found guilty of conspiracy to sell controlled substance (on May 29, 2014), received a sentence of five years in prison, all suspended on conditions including five years of supervised probation and a fine of $750. Pauley also pleaded no contest to sale of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance (on May 29, 2014), was found guilty and received a sentence of 10 years in prison, with nine years and six months suspended on conditions including five years of supervised probation, and other conditions. Laura Nicole Sutphin of Claudville was convicted of an amended charge of grand larceny (on Oct. 26, 2014) and sentenced to 10 years in prison, with nine years and six months suspended on conditions including five years of supervised probation and payment of restitution of $2,413.13 and a $200 fine. Benjamin Emanuel Manns of Spencer pleaded no contest to five counts of possess child pornography (on Oct. 28, Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 5, 2014). A judge ordered a presentence report and set sentencing for April 26. Raekwon Keyon Manns of Spencer pleaded guilty to larceny from person (on June 5, 2016) and received a sentence of 10 years in prison, all suspended on conditions including five years of supervised probation, payment of $484 restitution and a $250 fine, and other conditions. Also, Manns, who was charged with robbery (on June 5, 2016), pleaded guilty to an amended charge of grand larceny and received a sentence of 10 years in prison, all suspended, on conditions including five years of supervised probation. The prosecution dropped charges of statutory burglary and malicious wounding against Manns. Daniel Carmen Salinas of Spencer pleaded no contest to felonious shoplifting (on July 4, 2016). A judge ordered a presentence report and set sentencing for April 26. A charge of possess schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance (on July 4, 2016) against Salinas was dismissed. Isaiah Tyre Stokley of Stuart, who was charged with robbery (on June 5, 2016), pleaded guilty to an amended charge of grand larceny. He received a sentence of five years in prison, with four years and four months suspended on conditions including three years of supervised probation, and payment of $34 restitution and a $400 fine. The prosecution dropped charges of malicious wounding and armed burglary against Stokley. James Daniel Perdue of Stuart pleaded guilty to a charge of elude police (on March 29, 2016), and a judge took the case under advisement. A charge of threatening by letter against Wesley Wellons Burgess of Patrick Springs was dismissed. The case had been under advisement. The offense allegedly happened on May 22, 2015. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com KLM and Air Mauritius will suspend their joint venture operations between Mauritius and Amsterdam at the start of the 2019 IATA Winter season effective from 27 October 2019. The current joint operations on the 2 weekly Air Mauritius operated flights will continue throughout IATA Summer 2019 season ending on 26 October 2019. Passengers holding tickets beyond this date will be either rebooked to other flights or are eligible for a refund. The long established joint venture between Air France and Air Mauritius will not be affected by the suspension of the Amsterdam Mauritius route, thus providing guests the option to travel via Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Mauritius where both carriers will continue their operations with up to twice daily flights between Paris and Mauritius. 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As Republicans and Democrats alike press for an intensive investigation into ties between the Russian government and the nascent Trump administration, concern about the ability of the White House to manage a national security crisis has apparently spread into the highest ranks of the U.S. military. On Tuesday morning, speaking a conference on special operations and low intensity conflict near Washington, a prominent four-star general suggested that the chaos in the White House, which saw the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn late Monday night, could bleed into the militarys readiness. Related: With Flynn Out, Trump Faces Pressing Questions About National Security General Raymond A. Thomas, who leads the Pentagons Special Operations Command, told his audience, Our government continues to be in unbelievable turmoil, The New York Times reported. I hope they sort it out soon because were a nation at war. He said that his command has remained focused on its mission. However, he also told the Times, As a commander, Im concerned our government be as stable as possible. The announcement that Flynn had resigned came just hours after a top White House adviser said the retired Army general still enjoyed the full confidence of the president. It also followed the revelation, by The Washington Post, that the Department of Justice warned the White House weeks ago that Flynn appeared to have had illicit contact with Russian officials and might be susceptible to blackmail. Despite the warning from DOJ, Flynn was allowed to continue receiving briefings on the nations most sensitive secrets. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway confirmed Flynns continued participation in intelligence matters in an interview on ABC Tuesday morning. The revelation that Flynn was allowed to remain in the White House Situation Room has infuriated critics of the Trump administration, including Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. Story continues Related: National Insecurity: Intel Officials Increasingly Worried About Trump General Flynns resignation is a troubling indication of the dysfunction of the current national security apparatus, McCain said in a statement Tuesday. As our nation confronts the most complex and diverse array of global challenges since the end of World War II, it is imperative that the President select a new national security adviser who is empowered by clear lines of authority and responsibility and possesses the skills and experience necessary to organize the national security system across our government. He added, General Flynns resignation also raises further questions about the Trump administrations intentions toward Vladimir Putins Russia, including statements by the President suggesting moral equivalence between the United States and Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, threats to our NATO allies, and attempted interference in American elections. Other senior senators, including the Senates second-ranking Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, have called for an investigation into Flynn. Speaking on a radio program, Senate Intelligence Committee member Roy Blunt said that he believes an investigation is necessary and the Flynn ought to be called to testify before Congress. I think everybody needs that investigation to happen, he said. And the Senate Intelligence Committee, again that I serve on, has been given the principle responsibility to look into this, and I think that we should look into it exhaustively so that at the end of this process, nobody wonders whether there was a stone left unturned, and shouldnt reach conclusions before you have the information that you need to have to make those conclusions. Related: Trumps Tough Stance on Iran: Nothing to Gain, a Lot to Lose Democrats joined in, with top party leaders also calling for immediate investigations into any White House-Russia connections and the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee telling colleagues in a closed-door meeting that more revelations about Flynns connections to Russia are likely to come out in the next few days. However, Republicans continue to command all the levers of real power in Washington, and those in place to mount a serious investigation of the Trump administration were notably reluctant to do so on Tuesday morning. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, of California, told CNN on Tuesday that he would not be investigating the White Houses connections to Russia, suggesting that the president could be protected by executive privilege. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr said Tuesday morning that he had not made up his mind about calling on Flynn to appear before his panel. House Oversight and Investigations Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, of Utah, said Tuesday morning that he saw no need to investigate Flynn, saying I think that situation has taken care of itself. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Chinas stocks are making a blistering comeback this year after a dismal 2016. In fact, a cursory analysis indicates that the worlds second largest economys financial markets are outperforming all of their Asian peers. This is particularly true for ADRs, since the MSCI China index, a gauge of the countrys stocks listed in New York and Hong Kong, is up 10.6% year-to-date Such an increase compares favorably with the S&P 500s 4% increase and the MSCI Emerging Markets indexs 8.5% gain over the same period. Currently at its highest level since Oct 2016, the indexs success indicates that this may be a good time to pick up and profit from Chinas stocks. Encouraging Earnings Edges Out Concerns Over Protectionism Ever since President Trump took office, speculation has been rife that his administration will implement policies detrimental for China. Such concerns first emerged during his campaign, when Trump said he would impose stiff tariffs on the country and designate it as a currency manipulator. However, investors and fund managers have ignored such fears and chosen to focus on the improvement in corporate results. Companies included in the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index have experienced a decline in their EPS over the past two years. But most analysts and market watchers think earnings will rebound this year. One estimate puts the increase in earnings at 7.84%, with a similar gain projected for next year. Questions still remain about whether such growth will at all take place. However, stocks from the region still offer great value, given that the MSCIs forward price to earnings ratio for 2017 stands at 12.5, significantly lower than the S&P 500s reading of 17.8. Positive Economic Data Creates Optimism Meanwhile, recent economic data is also urging investors took take a fresh look at Chinas stocks. According to data released on Tuesday, the countrys PPI increased to its highest level since Aug 2011 in January, registering an annual increase of 6.9%. Several economists believe that reform measures being pursued on the supply side have begun to take effect. Story continues Many of these programs were aimed at reducing overcapacity in Chinas heavy industries. Their success was evident by last September itself, when a four year decline in factory input costs came to an end. Meanwhile, CPI increased at tis fastest rate in nearly two and a half years in January, by 2.5%, indicating that some of the rise in costs are being passed on to consumers. Our Choices Despite all this evidence, a section of investors remain apprehensive about the fortunes of emerging markets this year. But even though Credit Suisse Group AG CS announced on Monday that it was now tactically neutral on Asias equities, its preferred market in the area is still China. Also, Trumps promised protectionist policies could snap this rally. But such fears are being ignored by most market watchers and fund managers. After all, straining trade ties with China beyond a point would also hurt the U.S. This is why this may be a great time to add Chinas stocks to your portfolio. However, picking winning stocks may be difficult. This is where our VGM score comes in. Here V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum and the score is a weighted combination of these three scores. Such a score allows you to eliminate the negative aspects of stocks and select winners. However, it is important to keep in mind that each Style Score will carry a different weight while arriving at a VGM score. We have narrowed down our search to the following stocks based on a good Zacks Rank and VGM score. Yintech Investment Holdings Ltd. YIN is an online provider of spot commodity trading services primarily in China. Yintech Investment Holdings has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a VGM Score of A. The company has expected earnings growth of 10.6% for the current year. The forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio for the current financial year (F1) is 6.90, lower than the industry average of 17.39. The stock has returned 3.3% year-to-date, underperforming the Zacks Financial - Investment Bank Market sector, which has gained 4.8% over the same period. This provides a good opportunity to buy the stock given that there is significant upside potential Angang Steel Company Ltd. ANGGY is engaged in the production, processing, wholesale, and retail of steel and related products in China. Angang Steel Company has a Zacks Rank #1 and a VGM Score of A. The company has expected earnings growth of 8.6% for the current year. The stock has returned 29.7% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Steel - Producers Market sector, which has gained 14.8% over the same period. NetEase, Inc. NTES is the operator of an interactive online community targeted primarily at China. NetEase has a VGM Score of B. The company has expected earnings growth of 21.9% for the current year. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 0.8% over the last 30 days. The stock has returned 19% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Internet - Software and Services Market sector, which has gained 12.8% over the same period. The stock has a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. SNP or Sinopec, with its head office in Beijing, is one of the largest petroleum and petrochemical companies in Asia. Sinopec has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of A. The company has expected earnings growth of 44.9% for the current year. Its earnings estimate for the current year has improved by 75.5% over the last 30 days. The stock has returned 11.8% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Oil and Gas - Integrated - Emerging Markets Market sector, which has gained 8.4% over the same period. COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co., Ltd. CICOY is headquartered in Shanghai and is engaged in providing container shipping, dry bulk shipping, logistics services, terminal and container leasing for both international and domestic customers. COSCO SHIPPING has a Zacks Rank #2 and a VGM Score of B. The company has expected earnings growth of 82% for the current year. The stock has returned 40.9% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Transportation - Shipping Market sector, which has gained 9.9% over the same period. Now See Our Private Investment Ideas While the above ideas are being shared with the public, other trades are hidden from everyone but selected members. Would you like to peek behind the curtain and view them? Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from insider trades to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises (we've called them with 80%+ accuracy). You can even look inside portfolios so exclusive that they are normally closed to new investors. Click here for Zacks' secret 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 NetEase, Inc. (NTES): Free Stock Analysis Report China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (SNP): Free Stock Analysis Report Credit Suisse Group (CS): Free Stock Analysis Report Angang Steel Co. (ANGGY): Free Stock Analysis Report China Cosco Holdings Co. (CICOY): Free Stock Analysis Report Yintech Investment Holdings Limited (YIN): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research SC Magazine, Tuesday, February 14, 2017 10:36 AM An unnamed University was attacked by some 5,000 campus devices from its vending machines to light sensors, and all IOT devices according to the Verizon 2017 Data Breach Digest (DBD) being released this month. Talking to SCMediaUK.com, Laurance Dine leader of Verizon's digital forensics team in Europe, explained that a primary facilitating factor was that the University's administrative network was indvertently connected to its IoT device network. The attacker appears to have come in through the admin network and changed the default credentials on the devices, and given them new passwords. Read the whole story at SC Magazine YouTube has pulled PewDiePie from it subscription-based YouTube Red service and the Walt Disney Cos-owned Maker Studios has severed ties with the channel over anti-Semitic remarks that host Felix Kjellberg claims was a misunderstood joke and commentary. PewDiePie is by far the most popular YouTube channel, with 52 million subscribers worldwide and Kjellberg is probably the best-known influencer on the channel. The remarks and controversy about these vlogs shows the pitfalls advertisers face when they rely on influencers whose fame often is directly tied to their odd and sometimes raw sensibilities. Weve decided to cancel the release of 'Scare PewDiePie Season 2'[from YouTube Red] and were removing the PewDiePie channel from Google Preferred, said a YouTube spokesperson. Google Preferred is the advertising service for engaging and top-tiered brand-safe content. Although Felix has created a following by being provocative and irreverent, he clearly went too far in this case and the resulting videos are inappropriate, a spokesperson for Maker Studios told The Wall Street Journal. YouTube Red considered its PewDiePie content there as a major draw for paying subscribers. The PewDiePie videos are mainly viewed by teenage boys and young men. Ostensibly, they involve PewDiePies running commentary on egames, but over the years, episodes have evolved so that the content more often resembles the rambling discourses of FM radio shock jocks. In January, PewDiePie claimed to be amused by on online service called Fiverr where people can consent to requests to do odd tasks for $5. He said he never believed anyone would fulfill his request to hold up a banner reading Death to all Jews -- but two South Asian men who go by the name Funny Guys did, and PewDiePie showed the result. Several videos followed in which he tried to explain why he did it. It was not anti-Semitic, he argued, because the stunt was so stupid. But he also said that he was just the necessary part needed by news Web sites that could exploit his controversies. The problem with all my videos lately is that they take all the stuff I say out of context because thats what going to get clicks, the Swedish-born host said. A graphic on YouTube today for that video, called In My Defense, says The Uploader has not made this video available but MediaPost detailed it earlier. Kjellberg debuted PewDiePie in 2010. Since then, he has gathered over 14 billion views, and PewDiePie is the most viewed channel of all time. He is one of few YouTube personalities who seemed to have broken through to a wider audience via TV appearances. On several occasions he has threatened to quit -- either in fact or in jest -- frustrated by how he felt he was being treated by YouTube. He may have sensed the direction his latest controversy was taking. Now 2017 is the year its going to go bad for me, he says in the In My Defense video. by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, February 15, 2017 A series of interviews this week on The Today Show is reviving memories of the Golden Age of TV Talk Shows. Bet you never thought youd ever read the word golden in reference to the era in question -- basically, the 1980s into the 1990s, when syndicated talk shows in the daytime were not only numerous, but they frequently made headlines for their wretched excess. If the era wasnt exactly golden for the world at large, it was certainly golden for a journalist on the television beat. Riots, fights, controversial topics, at least one murder -- it was all grist for dozens of stories and columns. The underlying theme of them all: The end of the TV world as we knew it was at hand. It was a glorious time for the syndication business too. Sure, there were plenty of talk shows that lasted only a season or two. But there were enough successes to enrich everyone -- the syndicators, broadcast TV stations (when owning a broadcast TV license was still considered a license to print money) and the talk show hosts themselves. The daytime talk-show world is not nearly as robust today. You still have talk shows in daytime, of course -- Dr. Phil, Ellen DeGeneres, Steve Harvey, Rachael Ray, Live with Kelly, Wendy Williams, Maury, Jerry Springer, Steve Wilkos, Dr. Oz and possibly more. But theyre all splitting a viewership pie that is a lot smaller than it was 20-30 years ago (obviously). And just try to launch a new one. This has become one of the most difficult things to accomplish in all of television. Harry Connick was this seasons sole entry in national syndication, and opinions are divided on whether the show has the ratings or the financials to make it to a second season. If Harry were to be ranked according to its most recent ratings among the 10 talk shows listed above, it would be ranked 11th. The five Golden Age talk-show hosts that made it into the Today shows five-day series of interviews were Sally Jessy Raphael, 81 (seen on Monday), Montel Williams, 60 (Tuesday), Jerry Springer, 73 (Wednesday), Maury Povich, 78 (Thursday), and Geraldo Rivera, 73 (Friday). Of the five, only Springer and Povich are still on the air. They were likely easy to book too, since their shows are NBC Universal properties. It really is one big happy corporate family over there at Comcast-NBCU. In case you have missed the first three interviews, please rest easy. You havent missed anything. Theyre superficial fluff put together by people who seemed to have conducted the bare minimum when it came to researching these subjects. For example, in the Montel Williams segment, his interviewer, Sheinelle Jones, expressed her surprise at learning that Williams had been in the service (hes a graduate of the United States Naval Academy). Really? This is his story, and everyone has been aware of this for decades -- except this interviewer apparently. Conspicuously missing from the lineup was the host of the most notorious talk show of the era, Jenny Jones. Its not her fault that we remember her show this way, but thanks to the murder of one guest by another shortly after they appeared on the show, The Jenny Jones Show gets top prize in the 1990s talk-show infamy sweepstakes. The TV Blog tried to learn whether The Today Show tried to contact Jones and/or book her for an interview, but a spokesperson for Today couldnt be bothered to go and find out. Oh well, thats the news biz. For my own part, the interview that I have wanted the most, and that has eluded me the longest, is with the man at the center of Jenny Jones Show tragedy -- Jonathan Schmitz. Now 46, he was convicted in 1999 of murdering another Jones show guest in 1995 in a confrontation stemming from their appearance on the show. Schmitz is serving a 25- to-50-year sentence in a Michigan prison. Every couple of years, I write to him asking for an interview. And not unlike some TV publicists, he does not reply. by Philip Rosenstein , February 15, 2017 Video marketing platform Innovid announced on Wednesday the appointment of Matt Colebourne as managing director of EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). Colebournes focus will be to strengthen operations in Europe and drive strategic growth. Colebourne joins Innovid from Trinity Mirror, a multimedia content publisher in the UK, where he was director of new business. Prior to Trinity Mirror, Colebourne was at Googles DoubleClick, heading its technology product business in Europe. As a seasoned digital media executive with sharp business sense and local expertise, Matt will help us remain competitive on a global scale," stated Beth-Ann Eason, Innovid president. Colebourne will be based in London. According to older research from the Entomology Department at the University of Kentucky, these mites commonly attach where the skin is thin, wrinkled, or tender. They also commonly attach in areas where clothing is tight. Chiggers are the juvenile form of a species of mite that belongs to the Trombiculidae family. They attach themselves to humans and feed on skin cells, which can lead to itching. Chiggers are very small and almost impossible to see with the naked eye. At around 1/50th of an inch in size, most people need a magnifying glass to spot them. These mites resemble tiny spiders, are red in color, and tend to cluster in groups on a persons skin. They are usually only visible to the naked eye when in groups. Chiggers are most common in the spring and fall months. While chiggers live across the United States, they are more common in the warmer Southern and Midwestern states. Common places to find chiggers include: long and overgrown grass in fields and gardens forests grassy areas around lakes and rivers berry patches under rocks among weeds where large numbers of rodents are present areas of high humidity The easiest way to help avoid chigger bites is simply by avoiding walking in long grass, bushes, or other areas where chiggers may be present. But this is not an option for everyone. People who walk into contaminated areas should use bug sprays that contain DEET. They should spray the chemical on both their skin and clothing. People should not apply DEET to infants under 2 months of age or allow children to apply repellent to themselves. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an effective bug spray to use on clothing is permethrin. This kills chiggers as well as mosquitoes and ticks. If using permethrin, people should treat their clothing 12 days in advance to allow them to dry before being worn in the wild. People should be sure to follow the label instructions on all pesticides they may use. If venturing into long grass, people should wear tall boots. Under these, they should wear trousers and tuck the ends of them into their socks. Finally, people should wear a belt and long-sleeved shirts. This stops the chiggers from having direct access to skin. Once a person is out of the infested area, they should remove and wash their clothes with hot water immediately. They should then have a hot shower or bath, scrubbing the body with soap. The less time spent among the contaminated vegetation, the fewer chances chiggers have of getting onto a persons skin. A new study led by Saskia Hagenaars and David Hill of the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom explores the genetic basis for the condition. The findings were published in the journal PLOS Genetics. Additionally, some genetic studies have even associated MPB with negative clinical outcomes such as prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease . A lot of these men are seriously affected by the condition, which can have a negative effect on a persons self-image, as well as on their interpersonal relationships. According to the American Hair Loss Association, two thirds of U.S. adults will be affected by MPB to a certain degree by the age of 35, and around 85 percent of men will have experienced significant hair loss by the age of 50. Male baldness also referred to as androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness (MPB) affects a significant number of people in the United States, as the condition accounts for over 95 percent of all hair loss in men. Although common, male baldness can have negative psychological effects and some studies have even linked it to a handful of serious illnesses. New research identifies the genetic variants involved in the condition, which could eventually enable researchers to predict a persons chances of hair loss. Scientists analyzed the genomic and health data of more than 52,000 men enrolled in the UK Biobank an international health resource offering health information on more than 500,000 individuals. The team located more than 250 independent genetic regions linked to severe hair loss. The researchers split the 52,000 participants into two groups: a so-called discovery sample of 40,000 people and a target sample of 12,000 individuals. Based on the genetic variants that separated those with no hair loss from those with severe hair loss, the team designed an algorithm aimed to predict who would develop MPB. The algorithmic baldness predictor is based on a genetic score, and although accurate predictions are still a long way off, the results of this study might soon enable researchers to identify subgroups of the population that are particularly prone to hair loss. In the present study, researchers found that 14 percent of the participants with a submedian genetic score had severe MPB, and 39 percent had no hair loss. By contrast, 58 percent of those scoring in the top 10 percent on the polygenic score had moderate to severe MPB. Co-lead author Saskia Hagenaars a Ph.D. student at the University of Edinburghs Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology comments on the findings: We identified hundreds of new genetic signals, Hagenaars says. It was interesting to find that many of the genetics signals for male pattern baldness came from the X chromosome, which men inherit from their mothers. The studys other lead author, Dr. David Hill, notes that the study did not collect data on the age of baldness onset, but only on hair loss pattern. However, he adds that, we would expect to see an even stronger genetic signal if we were able to identify those with early-onset hair loss. To the authors knowledge, this is the largest genetic study of MPB to date. The studys principal investigator, Dr. Riccardo Marioni, from the University of Edinburghs Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, explains the significance of the findings: We are still a long way from making an accurate prediction for an individuals hair loss pattern. However, these results take us one step closer. The findings pave the way for an improved understanding of the genetic causes of hair loss. Learn how a drug promises robust new hair growth. Researchers have witnessed - for the first time - cancer cells being targeted and destroyed from the inside, by an organo-metal compound discovered by the University of Warwick. Professor Peter J. Sadler, and his group in the Department of Chemistry, have demonstrated that Organo-Osmium FY26 - which was first discovered at Warwick - kills cancer cells by locating and attacking their weakest part. This is the first time that an Osmium-based compound - which is fifty times more active than the current cancer drug cisplatin - has been seen to target the disease. Using the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), researchers analysed the effects of Organo-Osmium FY26 in ovarian cancer cells - detecting emissions of X-ray fluorescent light to track the activity of the compound inside the cells. Looking at sections of cancer cells under nano-focus, it was possible to see an unprecedented level of minute detail. Organelles like mitochondria, which are the 'powerhouses' of cells and generate their energy, were detectable. In cancer cells, there are errors and mutations in the DNA of mitochondria, making them very weak and susceptible to attack. FY26 was found to have positioned itself in the mitochondria - attacking and destroying the vital functions of cancer cells from within, at their weakest point. Researchers were also able to see natural metals which are produced by the body - such as zinc and calcium - moving around the cells. Calcium in particular is known to affect the function of cells, and it is thought that this naturally-produced metal helps FY26 to achieve an optimal position for attacking cancer. More than half of all cancer chemotherapy treatments currently use platinum compounds, which were introduced nearly 40 years ago, so there is a need to explore the benefits which other precious metals could bring. Although this research was conducted on ovarian cancer cells, the ground-breaking results are applicable to a wider range of cancers. FY26 has been shown to be more selective between normal cells and cancer cells than cisplatin - having a greater effect on cancer cells than on healthy ones. Professor Sadler comments that this research could lead to new cancer treatments: "Cancer drugs with new mechanisms of actions which can combat resistance and have fewer side-effects are urgently needed. "The advanced nano-focussed x-ray beam at ESRF has not only allowed us to locate the site of action of our novel Organo-Osmium FY26 candidate drug in cancer cells at unprecedented resolution, but also study the movement of natural metals such as zinc and calcium in cells. Such studies open up totally new approaches to drug discovery and treatment" Professor Sadler's group, including research fellows Dr Carlos Sanchez and Dr Isolda Romero Canelon, gained their results with Dr Peter Cloetens and colleagues at the ESRF in Grenoble, France - a powerful synchrotron source which emits extremely powerful X-ray beams. Dr Peter Cloetens comments on the process: "These kinds of experiments are normally performed using bigger doses than what would be done in real life or on a coarse scale that does not provide a clear picture of the processes that take place. On the new nano-imaging ID16A beamline, however, by combining a very tight focus and high flux, we could get a real picture of where the drug goes in a single cell using real-life pharmacological doses." The research, 'Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence Nanoprobe Reveals Target Sites for Organo-Osmium Complex in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells', is published in Chemistry - A European Journal. It is funded by grants from Cancer Research UK & Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, The Wellcome Trust, and the European Research Council. (Corrects penultimate paragraph to source quote to TV Asahi, not Asahi TV. This error also appeared in previous updates of this story) * Dead man's passport in name of Kim Chol -Malaysian police * Cause of death not yet known; reports of poisoning * Two women fled airport by taxi after attack -South Korean TV * Deceased fell ill at airport, died en route to hospital By Emily Chow and Ju-min Park KUALA LUMPUR/SEOUL, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. government strongly believes that North Korean agents murdered the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Malaysia, U.S. government sources said on Tuesday. American authorities have not yet determined exactly how Kim Jong Nam was killed, according to two sources, who did not provide specific evidence to support the U.S. government's view. A South Korean government source also had said that Kim Jong Nam had been murdered in Malaysia. He did not provide further details. South Korea's foreign ministry said it could not confirm the reports, and the country's intelligence agency could not immediately be reached for comment. In Washington, there was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Trump administration, which faces a stiff challenge from a defiant North Korea over its nuclear arms programme and the test of a ballistic missile last weekend. Kim Jong Nam was known to spend a significant amount of his time outside North Korea and had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated state. If confirmed as an assassination, it would the latest in a string of killings over the decades at home and abroad meant to silence those perceived by North Korea's leaders as threats to their authority, one of the U.S. sources said on condition of anonymity. In a statement, Malaysian police said the dead man, 46, held a passport under the name Kim Chol. Kim Jong Nam has been caught in the past using forged travel documents. Malaysian police official Fadzil Ahmat said the cause of Kim's death was not yet known, and that a post mortem would be carried out. Story continues "So far there are no suspects, but we have started investigations and are looking at a few possibilities to get leads," Fadzil told Reuters. According to Fadzil, Kim had been planning to travel to Macau on Monday when he fell ill at the low-cost terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). "The deceased ... felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind," Fadzil said. "He felt dizzy, so he asked for help at the ... counter of KLIA." Kim was taken to an airport clinic where he still felt unwell, and it was decided to take him to hospital. He died in the ambulance on the way to Putrajaya Hospital, Fadzil added. The U.S. government sources said it was possible that Kim Jong Nam had been poisoned. They said it could not be ruled out that assassins used some kind of "poison pen" device. South Korea's TV Chosun, a cable-TV network, reported that Kim had been poisoned with a needle by two women believed to be North Korean operatives who fled in a taxi and were at large, citing multiple South Korean government sources. Reuters could not independently confirm those details. SECRETIVE FAMILY Malaysia is one of a dwindling number of countries that has close relations with North Korea, which is under tightening global sanctions over its nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, the latest of which took place on Sunday. Malaysians and North Koreans can visit each other's country without visas. A phone call to the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur late on Tuesday went straight to an answering machine. Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Un are both sons of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who died in late 2011, but they had different mothers. Kim Jong Nam, the elder of the two, did not attend his father's funeral. His mother was an actress named Song Hye Rim, and Kim Jong Nam said his father kept his parents' relationship secret. The portly and easygoing Kim Jong Nam was believed to be close to his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who was North Korea's second most powerful man before being executed on Kim Jong Un's orders in 2013. In an embarrassing 2001 incident, Kim Jong Nam was caught at an airport in Japan traveling on a forged Dominican Republic passport, saying he had wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland. He was known to travel to Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Dongguk University in Seoul, said Kim Jong Nam had occasionally been the subject of speculation that he could replace his younger half-brother, the country's third-generation leader. "Loyalists may have wanted to get rid of him," he said. Kim Jong Nam said several times over the years that he had no interest in leading his country. "Personally, I am against third-generation succession," he told Japan's TV Asahi in 2010. "I hope my younger brother will do his best for the sake of North Koreans' prosperous lives." His cousin, Lee Han-young, who defected to South Korea through Switzerland in 1982, was shot and killed by North Korean agents in Seoul in 1997, according to South Korea. (Additional reporting by Se Young Lee in SEOUL, Joseph Sipalan, Rozanna Latiff, Praveen Menon and A.Ananthalakshmi in KUALA LUMPUR and Mark Hosenball and Matt Spetalnick in WASHINGTON; Writing by Tony Munroe and Praveen Menon; Editing by Mike Collett-White, Ian Geoghegan, Grant McCool and Richard Chang) The most common genetic cause of the brain diseases frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a mutation in the C9orf72 gene. Researchers from VIB and UAntwerp, headed by Prof. Christine Van Broeckhoven, have demonstrated that if an affected parent passes on this mutation, the children will be affected at a younger age (than the parent). There are no indications that the disease progresses more quickly. These results are published in the international scientific journal JAMA Neurology. Prof. Christine Van Broeckhoven (VIB-UAntwerp): "This research is based on our team's previous results, which showed that the same C9orf72 mutation leads to both FTD and ALS. As this mutation occurs in a substantial group of ALS and FTD patients, it is important to extract as much knowledge about this mutation and the disease process as possible." Brain diseases associated with neurodegeneration Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are two brain diseases associated with neurodegeneration, the abnormally rapid death of brain cells. In FTD, the frontal lobes and temporal lobes are affected first, causing changes in the patient's behavior and personality, or problems with language. Loss of memory functions occurs only later on in the disease. After Alzheimer's disease, FTD is the most common form of dementia in young patients. A fraction of the FTD patients show symptoms consistent with ALS, a disease in which the nerve cells that control the muscles, in the brain and spinal cord, are affected. This causes ALS patients to progressively lose muscle mass, resulting in loss of strength in the limbs and problems with speaking, swallowing, and breathing. ALS is more common without FTD symptoms. A common hereditary factor Previous research by Prof. Van Broeckhoven's group demonstrated a genetic link between FTD and ALS, namely a mutation in the same gene C9orf72. Prof. Christine Van Broeckhoven (VIB-UAntwerp): "The C9orf72 mutation is the most frequent mutation in FTD and ALS. In the Belgian population, 37% of patients with ALS and 25% of patients with FTD can be explained by the presence of this C9orf72 mutation. The C9orf72 mutation is present in 88% of patients with FTD plus ALS." These results dating from 2012 were published in The Lancet Neurology (Gijselinck et al.). The mutation in C9orf72 consists of a repetition of a short DNA sequence GGGGCC which can expand in patients up to several thousands of repetitions. It is not yet known why some patients get FTD and others ALS. The length of the C9orf72 repeat is determinative for the age of onset of the disease The age at first presentation of disease symptoms ranges in patients from 29 to 82 years, even in patients from the same family. Until recently, there was no explanation for this high variability. VIB-UAntwerp's researchers demonstrated in 2016 that the age of onset is determined by the number of GGGGCC repeats: the more repetitions, the earlier the age of onset. In C9orf72 families in which the affected parent had a late age of onset and their affected children an earlier age of onset, the researchers provided evidence that the GGGGCC repeat in the C9orf72 gene expanded from a short sequence of repeats (less than 200 repeats) to a long one (more than a thousand) (Gijselinck et al. Molecular Psychiatry 2016). Dr. Sara Van Mossevelde (VIB-UAntwerp): "In a new clinical study in 36 C9orf72 families, we analyzed the age of onset of the patients in 2 to 4 generations. We found that there was a significant difference in the ages of onset between successive generations. In most families, the children were affected by the disease at a younger age, but there were no indications that the disease was progressing more quickly. We also found that in families with both FTD and ALS patients, if the parent had FTD the child was more likely to have FTD, and a similar principle applied to ALS." This research was conducted by physician and PhD student Dr. Sara Van Mossevelde under the direction of Prof. Christine Van Broeckhoven in the Research Group Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases at VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology. The project was carried out in close collaboration with neurologists from the Hospital Network Antwerp (ZNA), Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), and the Belgian Neuroscience Consortium. The identification of the C9orf72 mutation in Belgian FTD and ALS patients was published in The Lancet Neurology (Gijselinck et al. A C9orf72 promoter repeat expansion in a Flanders-Belgian cohort with disorders of the frontotemporal lobar degeneration-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spectrum: a gene identification study, 2012). The molecular studies of the C9orf72 repeat expansions were published in Molecular Psychiatry (Gijselinck et al. The C9orf72 repeat size correlates with onset age of disease, DNA methylation and transcriptional downregulation of the promoter, 2016) This research was funded by VIB and the University of Antwerp Research Fund and through external national and international funding from IWT/VLAIO, FWO, FPS Science Policy, and the Foundation for Alzheimer's Research (SAO/FRMA). A new study about the overwhelming importance of "superspreaders" in some infectious disease epidemics has shown that in the catastrophic 2014-15 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, about 3 percent of the people infected were ultimately responsible for infecting 61 percent of all cases. The issue of superspreaders is so significant, scientists say, that it's important to put a better face on just who these people are. It might then be possible to better reach them with public health measures designed to control the spread of infectious disease during epidemics. Findings were reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers concluded that Ebola superspreaders often fit into certain age groups and were based more in the community than in health care facilities. They also continued to spread the disease after many of the people first infected had been placed in care facilities, where transmission was much better controlled. If superspreading had been completely controlled, almost two thirds of the infections might have been prevented, scientists said in the study. The researchers also noted that their findings were conservative, since they only focused on people who had been buried safely. This suggests that the role of superspreaders may have been even more profound than this research indicates. The research was led by Princeton University, in collaboration with scientists from Oregon State University, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Imperial College London, and the National Institutes of Health. The concept of superspreaders is not new, researchers say, and it has evolved during the 2000s as scientists increasingly appreciate that not all individuals play an equal role in spreading an infectious disease. Superspreaders, for instance, have also been implicated in the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in 2003; and the more recent Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2012. But there's less understanding of who and how important these superspreaders are. "In the recent Ebola outbreak it's now clear that superspreaders were an important component in driving the epidemic," said Benjamin Dalziel, an assistant professor of population biology in two departments of the College of Science at Oregon State University, and co-author of the study. "We now see the role of superspreaders as larger than initially suspected. There wasn't a lot of transmission once people reached hospitals and care centers. Because case counts during the epidemic relied heavily on hospital data, those hospitalized cases tended to be the cases we 'saw.' "However, it was the cases you didn't see that really drove the epidemic, particularly people who died at home, without making it to a care center. In our analysis we were able to see a web of transmission that would often track back to a community-based superspreader." Superspreading has already been cited in many first-hand narratives of Ebola transmission. This study, however, created a new statistical framework that allowed scientists to measure how important the phenomenon was in driving the epidemic. It also allowed them to measure how superspreading changed over time, as the epidemic progressed, and as control measures were implemented. The outbreak size of the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Africa was unprecedented, and early control measures failed. Scientists believe that a better understanding of superspreading might allow more targeted and effective interventions instead of focusing on whole populations. "As we can learn more about these infection pathways, we should be better able to focus on the types of individual behavior and demographics that are at highest risk for becoming infected, and transmitting infection," Dalziel said. Researchers pointed out, for instance, that millions of dollars were spent implementing message strategies about Ebola prevention and control across entire countries. They suggest that messages tailored to individuals with higher risk and certain types of behavior may have been more successful, and prevented the epidemic from being so persistent. Lead author on the study was Max Lau, a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University focused on applying statistical methodology in epidemiological and ecological modelling. at Princeton University. Support and funding was provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the UK Medical Research Council. Article: Spatial and temporal dynamics of superspreading events in the 2014-2015 West Africa Ebola epidemic, Benjamin Douglas Dalziel et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1614595114, published online 13 February 2017. People with hemophilia require regular infusions of clotting factor to prevent them from experiencing uncontrolled bleeding. But a significant fraction develop antibodies against the clotting factor, essentially experiencing an allergic reaction to the very treatment that can prolong their lives. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and University of Florida have worked to develop a therapy to prevent these antibodies from developing, using a protein drug produced in plant cells to teach the body to tolerate rather than block the clotting factor. Successful results from a new study of the treatment in dogs give hope for an eventual human treatment. Henry Daniell a professor in Penn Dental Medicine's Department of Biochemistry and director of translational research, was the senior author on the study, collaborating on the work with his former advisee, Roland W. Herzog, a professor at the University of Florida and lead author on the paper. The work was published in the journal Molecular Therapy. "The results were quite dramatic," Daniell said. "We corrected blood clotting time in each of the dogs and were able to suppress antibody formation as well. All signs point to this material being ready for the clinic." The study made use of Daniell's patented plant-based drug-production platform, in which genetic modifications enable the growth of plants that have specified human proteins in their leaves. In the case of hemophilia, the researchers' aim was to prevent individuals with hemophilia from developing antibodies that would cause a rejection of life-saving clotting-factor infusions. The researchers had the idea that ingesting a material containing the clotting factor, such as the transformed plant leaves, could promote oral tolerance to the factor protein, just as children fed peanuts early in life are less likely to develop an allergic reaction. This technique had shown promise in previous experiments, in which the researchers demonstrated that feeding hemophilia A plant material containing the clotting factor VIII to mice greatly reduced the formation of inhibitors against that factor. In the new work, the team focused on hemophilia B, a rarer form of disease in which patients have deficiencies in clotting factor IX. The researchers produced lettuce that had been modified to produce a fusion protein containing human clotting factor IX and the cholera non-toxin B subunit. The latter component helps the fused protein cross the intestinal lining as the lettuce cells are digested by gut microbes while the plant cell walls protect the clotting factor from digestion in the stomach. The lettuce plants were grown in a hydroponic facility. Because the researchers also wanted to ensure that the therapy would work in an animal model closer to humans, they pursued their trials in dogs with hemophilia B. The researchers began with a pilot study of two dogs, headed by co-author Timothy Nichols of the University of North Carolina. Twice a week for 10 months, the dogs consumed the freeze-dried lettuce material, which was spiked with bacon flavor and sprinkled on their food. Observing no negative effects of the treatment, the team went on to a more robust study, including four dogs that were fed the lettuce material and four others that served as controls. The four dogs in the experimental group were fed the lettuce material for four weeks. At that point, they also began receiving weekly injections of factor IX, which continued for eight weeks. The control dogs only received the injections. All four of the dogs in the control group developed significant levels of antibodies aginst factor IX, and two had visible anaphylactic reactions that required the administration of antihistamine. In contrast, three of the four dogs in the experimental group had only minimal levels of one type of antibody, IgG2, and no detectable levels of IgG1 or IgE. The fourth dog in the experimental group had only a partial response to the treatment, which the researchers believe to be due to a pre-existing antibody to human factor IX. Overall, levels of IgG2 were 32 times lower in the treated dogs than in the controls. In addition, the dogs showed no negative side effects from the treatment, and blood samples taken throughout the experiment revealed no signs of toxicity from the treatment. Daniell said the results are encouraging. "Looking at the dogs that were fed the lettuce materials, you can see it's quite effective," he said. "They either developed no antibodies to factor IX, or their antibodies went up just a little bit and then came down." Though rarer than hemophilia A, more patients with hemophilia B develop antibodies against their treatment, thus making the need for a tolerance treatment all the more urgent. The next steps for the research team include additional toxicology and pharmacokinetics studies before applying for an Investigational New Drug application with the FDA, a step they hope to take before the end of the year. A National Institutes of Health grant called Science Moving Towards Research Translation and Therapy and which uses the acronym SMARTT, is supporting IND-enabling studies. SMARTT's mission is to accelerate the progress of therapies that have shown promise in animal models to the stage of pursuing clinical trials in humans. In addition to Daniell and Herzog, the study's coauthors were Penn Dental's Jin Su and Bei Zhang; the University of North Carolina's Nichols, Elizabeth P. Merrick and Robin Raymer; the University of Florida's Alexandra Sherman and George Q. Perrin; and Novo Nordisk's Mattias Hager and Bo Wiinberg. The research was supported by the NIH's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Novo Nordisk. How many patients die in the hospital as a result of preventable medical errors? While debate continues over estimates based on flawed data, the US healthcare system can and must implement effective strategies to reduce adverse events and deaths, according to a special perspective article in the March Journal of Patient Safety. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer. Three recent reports on deaths due to medical error in US hospitals have estimated the figure to be greater than 200,000 deaths per year, according to the commentary by Dr. Kevin T. Kavanagh of Health Watch USA in Somerset, Ky., and colleagues. Dr. Kavanagh commented: "Our utmost concern is that - despite having the knowledge to prevent adverse events - many health systems do not adequately invest in patient safety to put well-known safety improvement strategies in place." Estimates Vary, but Steps Needed to Reduce Deaths from Medical Errors The authors add their perspective as patient advocates to the ongoing debate over the number of in-hospital deaths due to medical errors. These deaths encompass a wide range of preventable causes, such as bed ulcers, hospital-acquired infections, blood clots (embolism), surgical errors, and misdiagnosis. In response to the recently reported figures, some in the healthcare industry have pointed out shortcomings of the measures used in the analyses. These critics have cited the difficulty of proving a specific cause of death; others argue that many causes can be traced back to patient's lifestyle choices and many patients are near death at the time of the incident. But Dr. Kavanagh and coauthors write, "Even if the unintended event only shortens life by a few days, it does not mitigate the severity of the event." Dr. Kavanagh added: "As a whole, concerns with data are unfounded since the data tend to underestimate, not overestimate, the number of preventable deaths. In addition, the context of the patient is irrelevant and must be dissociated from medical error." Other studies have reported lower estimates. One analysis extrapolated data from the UK National Health Service, estimating 25,000 preventable deaths per year in the United States. Dr. Kavanagh and colleagues reply: "Using studies derived from countries with an integrated nationalized healthcare system to estimate the quality of the US healthcare system is not valid, since the United States has a fragmented system with little centralized or national control." All agree that better-quality data are needed. Meanwhile, abundant evidence suggests that the currently available data - based on "voluntary and non-audited reporting mechanisms" - likely underestimate the true rate of preventable events. Dr. Kavanagh and others in the patient safety movement cite the example of the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates all aircraft accidents. "The United States healthcare system as a whole can substantially decrease the incidence of adverse events and associated deaths," Dr. Kavanagh and coauthors write. They note that there are known solutions to reduce the risk of adverse events - particularly investment in adequate nursing levels and a "culture of safety." Performing a critical analysis on available data, the authors estimated hospital-related preventable mortality to approximate 200,000 deaths per year. While acknowledging that the data are imperfect, they write, "The onus should not be on consumers but on the healthcare industry to generate comprehensive data to demonstrate that their product is safe." The researchers note that, even if the low estimate of 25,000 were correct, that would amount to about five potentially preventable deaths per year per US hospital. "In what other industry would such a record be tolerated, let alone defended?" Dr. Kavanagh and coauthors ask. "Would the airline industry and public ever tolerate even a single preventable airline crash? We can and must do better." Article: Estimating Hospital-Related Deaths Due to Medical Error: A Perspective From Patient Advocates, Kavanagh, Kevin T. MD, MS; Saman, Daniel M. DrPH, MPH; Bartel, Rosie BS, MS; Westerman, Kim EdD, MFA, Journal of Patient Safety, doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000364, published 9 February 2017. In the first successful randomized trial of its kind, researchers have provided preliminary evidence that telephone-based smoking cessation counseling given to smokers shortly after undergoing lung cancer screening can be effective at helping people stop smoking. "We found that at this teachable moment - a time when smokers are thinking about their health and may be ready to make a change - offering help makes a difference, and may help save lives," says the study's lead researcher, Kathryn L. Taylor, PhD, a behavioral scientist and a professor of oncology at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. The study published in the journal Lung Cancer, was led by researchers at Georgetown Lombardi and conducted with 92 participants at three centers - MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, and Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Massachusetts. "Millions of current smokers are now eligible for lung cancer screening, so this setting represents an important opportunity to exert a large public health impact on cessation among smokers who are at very high risk for multiple tobacco-related disorders," she says. "This is a great way to engage smokers who have not sought out cessation help." These study findings were so promising that investigators have been funded through NIH to conduct a much larger study of telephone-based cessation counseling. It will enroll 1,300 patients at five medical centers nationwide. Lung cancer screening recommendations issued in 2013 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest that people who have smoked long enough to have accumulated a minimum of 30 pack-years (i.e., one pack per day for 30 years, or two packs per day for 15 years, etc.) should have an annual low-dose CT lung cancer screening test. The idea is to intervene early enough that disease spotted on the screening can be effectively treated. In the U.S., lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women - almost 160,000 Americans were expected to die from lung cancer in 2016, according to the American Lung Association. Taylor points out that the NIH has said that effective smoking cessation programs should be a part of screening programs, and has funded several groups of researchers to develop effective strategies. In this preliminary study, 92 people about to undergo lung cancer screening agreed to receive either telephone counseling or standard of care (a list of free and low-cost cessation resources). Once participants received their screening results, they were randomized to one of the two groups, each with 46 participants. Each group had an equal number of participants with abnormal screening findings, indicating possible precancerous lesions or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Each group also contained an equal number of participants with minor abnormalities on their screen, as well as those with normal results. None of the participants were diagnosed with lung cancer. Participants in the telephone-counseling group were given their first session after finding out their screening results. Over the next three months, six 10-15 minute sessions were conducted. At the end of the study, a nicotine saliva test was given to participants who said they had quit in order to confirm their abstinence. Researchers found that eight (17 percent) people in the telephone counseling group had verifiably quit, compared to two (4 percent) in the other group. "If this preliminary study is replicated, telephone counseling has the potential to improve cessation in a setting that reaches a large number of hard-to-reach, long-term smokers who are at very high risk for multiple tobacco-related diseases," Taylor says. Charlotte Hagerman, who along with Taylor, offered the telephone counseling to participants, describes the counseling as "a motivational intervention. Everyone acknowledged that smoking is very harmful to their health, but some people thought it was too late to change their fate. Counseling helped them understand that it is not too late." Population-based studies have shown that older smokers who quit can have an increased life expectancy, Taylor says. Hagerman says there were also a number of participants who "were ready to quit, and were very excited to receive the help we were offering. I found this very gratifying, and felt that what we were doing was important and mattered to people," says Hagerman, who was trained as a tobacco treatment specialist for the study. "More than 50 percent of participants said in their first interview that they were not ready to quit, yet some of these people did quit. This finding indicates that it is important to offer the cessation intervention to everyone who undergoes lung cancer screening, and not only those who are already considering quitting. This is exactly what we hope for - to be able to reach the people who are not already planning to quit on their own," says Taylor. In addition to Taylor and Hagerman, co-authors from Georgetown University Medical Center include George Luta, PhD; Paula G. Bellini, MA; and Cassandra Stanton, PhD. David B. Abrams, PhD, and Ray Niaura, PhD, are Georgetown faculty and also affiliated with the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies. Jenna A. Kramer, NP and Eric D. Anderson, MD are from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC; Shawn Regis, PhD, Andrea McKee, MD, and Brady McKee, MD, are from Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, MA; and Harry Harper, MD and Michael Ramsaier, BS are from Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ. The authors report having no personal financial interests related to the study. The study was supported by the Prevent Cancer Foundation and Georgetown Lombardi's NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA051008. OTTAWA Feb. 15, 2017 Canada's Canada Johny Van Aerde Canada Van Aerde British Columbia Alberta Canada University of Manitoba Many physicians take on a leadership role with no compensation or only a minimal stipend Only 54% of physicians in formal leadership roles are compensated for pursuing leadership training or education Only 39% said they were involved in innovative projects in their organization Van Aerde Explore and challenge their personal mental models and the world views that restrict them from engaging in the health care system and realizing their potential as leaders. Be willing personally to participate in and champion efforts by colleagues to understand the reform agenda within their provincial health care system and the implications for their own area of responsibility. Take steps to negotiate appropriate working conditions for physicians in a reformed health care system. Make changes in organizational structure and design, jointly advocated by the organization and physician representatives, to alter policies and practices toward involving physicians in informal and formal leadership roles. Use informal and formal communications approaches to ensure that physicians are aware of organizational issues and priorities and are able to respond and provide feedback on such issues. Initiate negotiations to formalize and support regional and organizational efforts to realize effective physician leadership and engagement. Work with universities and health research agencies, both provincially and nationally, to identify best practices; either conduct or gather research on the impact of various models of physician leadership and engagement; and share that knowledge widely with potential partners. Provide financial support for physician leadership development and remuneration for physicians in leadership roles. Canada The Government of Canada and Health Canada are encouraged to endorse the recommendations of the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation and, in the spirit of human resource development, instill in the national innovation hub strong support for physician leadership development and engagement. and Health Canada are encouraged to endorse the recommendations of the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation and, in the spirit of human resource development, instill in the national innovation hub strong support for physician leadership development and engagement. The Canadian Medical Association should develop a policy statement that recognizes the importance of physician leadership in health care reform and, through its subsidiary, Joule, reform and expand its existing efforts to increase physician leadership. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada , the College of Family Physicians of Canada , provincial colleges, and medical schools across the country should expand their efforts to embed leadership development in formal medical education and professional development. Becky Temple Canada Andrew Padmos Francine Lemire Canada Canada /CNW/ - Effective reform of the Canadian health care system cannot occur without the involvement and leadership of physicians.That's the main conclusion of "Accepting our responsibility: a blueprint for physician leadership in transforminghealth care system", a white paper prepared by the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders (CSPL).The document outlines actions that must be undertaken by individual physicians, the medical profession as a whole, health care organizations, and governments to bolster the role of physicians as leaders to help change the system."The current framework for creating and supporting physician leaders intoday is disorganized, episodic, and limited in scope," said CSPL past-president and study co-author, Dr."While there are examples of physicians being meaningfully involved in helping shape health care transformation and innovation in, these examples are limited," said Dr., who is also clinical professor of pediatrics at the universities ofandFindings in the paper are based in part on the first-ever survey of physician leaders inconducted by the CSPL, in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the Centre for Health Innovation at theAmong the findings from the survey of 689 physician leaders:"Organizational policies often exclude physicians from meaningful leadership roles, but the culture of medicine must change to acknowledge the responsibility of physicians to the system as a whole," said Dr.The white paper contains a number of recommendations to enhance physician leadership and improve physician participation in health care reforms, including the following:"This paper is the first step toward improved physician engagement and leadership in the Canadian health care system," said Dr., president-elect of the CSPL. "We are asking all stakeholders to initiate a dialogue and take action to support physician engagement and leadership in the context of their own organization or setting.""The thoughtful and encompassing white paper from the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders is a valuable document, showing the way to the overdue health care reform urgently required in Canada. The paper acknowledges the essential leadership of physicians in health system design and management at all levels, while also focusing on the required collaborative approach to system improvement. Only by working in partnership with all stakeholders in the health care system may we expect to develop sustainable and high quality care," said Canadian Medical Association president Dr. Granger Avery."The document acknowledges the important step taken by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons ofin changing its basic framework for medical education (CanMEDS 2015) to acknowledge the role of physician as 'leader'," said Dr., president and CEO of the Royal College. "We agree with the CSPL that every physician is a leader and leaders can and should be found at all levels.""Family physicians can be leaders, both in their local communities and at the national level," said Dr., executive director and CEO of the College of Family Physicians of. "This white paper provides the rationale for all family physicians to consider taking leadership roles."The Canadian Society of Physicians Leaders is the "go to" organization for physician leaders. Since 1998, it has been providing support and development opportunities for Canadian physicians to help them succeed in their leadership and management roles in health care. The CSPL, with Joule (a CMA company), hosts the only annual meeting indedicated specifically to physician leadership.SOURCE Canadian Society of Physician Leaders SINGAPORE Feb. 15, 2017 $3B Asia $4.2B the United States Asia $55M $25M Asia e a Asia's Asia's Asia China India Indonesia Asia Asia Southeast Asia China Danny Yeung Hong Kong's said . Asia Asia Asia's Asia Asia Asia's Asia /PRNewswire/ -- Having roared into 2nd place in 2016, Asia HealthTech is off to a promising start in 2017. With a reportedinvested in HealthTech in 2016 in, compared toinas announced by Rock Health,ranks number two globally. The recent announcements of Practo'sSeries D and ConnexionsAsia'sseries B funding rounds, continues to demonstrate investors growing appetite for HealthTech's value proposition inat Galen Growth Asibelieve that HealthTech represents an unprecedented opportunity to addressgrowing healthcare challenges. To realize this outcome will necessitate better and stronger collaboration between the ecosystem's key stakeholder groups. AsHealthTech catalyst, Galen Growth Asia hosted the Asia HealthTech CEO Summit which brought together leading HealthTech CEOs acrosswith over 150 key healthcare influencers.The Asia HealthTech CEO Summit 2016 report offers its readers rich insights and points of view as seen through the eyes of the Asia HealthTech founders and CEOs as well as other ecosystem operators who are all leading the transformation of healthcare from, toall the way tobringing together the perspective of HealthTech CEOs from 12 countries in"I do find a tremendous opportunity here inin HealthTech given we are so early. There are over 600M people alone inand 1.3B people in. With a rising middle class, health and wellness is now becoming a major topic for individuals and their families.", CEO of Prenetics --serial entrepreneurThe Asia HealthTech CEO Summit Report reflects a gloves-off, open discussion of savvy healthcare entrepreneurs with the unparalleled opportunity to meet in one place to deliberate some of the shared challenges in bringing products-to-market, especially in a region where advanced healthcare infrastructures in high-GDP nations exist alongside developing markets with remarkably different needs. The report unveils their points of view on this promising landscape, its opportunities and challenges. No theory, only real-world application!You will also learn from the experiences of entrepreneurs across. The report features Q&A sessions with start-up founders and CEOs, who discuss the demand drivers for their products and share their thoughts on why a vibrant HealthTech ecosystem is imperative to the future of healthcare in. It addresses shared insights on scaling operations into new territories, adhering to government policy and regulations, and ensuring IP protection for certain types of technologies amongst many others.The Asia HealthTech CEO Summit report highlights startups funding rounds, business models and future business strategies. This compelling document also provides a quantitative and qualitative preview of the HealthTech landscape in the region such asHealthTech categories and geographical maps. In addition to showcasing the top 15 HealthTech funding rounds inin the past two years, it offers a comprehensive review of all the featured start-ups to illustrate the evolution of Asia HealthTech solutions and founding teams.For more in depth insights into HealthTech in, we recommend reading our complete report at https://www.galengrowth.asia/research/reports-and-research/.: Galen Growth Asia, the Asia HealthTech Connector founded in 2015, exists to act as a catalyst at the intersection of the healthcare and technology convergence to enableHealthTech ecosystem. Our mission is to develop a sustainable and vibrant HealthTech scene across-- fostered through collaboration between corporations, investors, new ventures, hospitals, governments and other stakeholders.Galen Growth Asiainfo@galengrowth.asiawww.galengrowth.asia To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/with-a-reported-3b-invested-in-healthtech-in-2016-asia-currently-ranks-number-two-globally-300406977.html SOURCE Galen Growth Asia Advertisement Saskia P. Hagenaars et al., Genetic prediction of male pattern baldness, Plos Genetics (2017) http:dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1006594. "The findings pave the way for an improved understanding of the genetic causes of hair loss," Marioni said.In the study, the researchers analyzed information from more than 52,000 men ages 40 to 69 years in the United Kingdom. Of these men, about 32 percent said they had no hair loss, 23 percent said they had slight hair loss, 27 percent said they had moderate hair loss and 18 percent said they had severe hair loss.The researchers then analyzed participants' genomes, looking for genetic variations, known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, that were linked with severe hair loss. That search revealed 287 genetic variations, located on more than 100 genes, that were linked with severe hair loss.Many of the genetic variations were located on or near genes that have previously been linked with hair growth, hair graying or the biological structures involved in making hair, the researchers said.Forty of the genetic variations were located on the X chromosome, which men inherit from their mothers, the researchers said. One of the genes on the X chromosome the gene for the androgen receptor, which binds to the hormone testosterone was strongly linked with severe hair loss. Previous studies have also pinpointed this gene as tied to male pattern baldness.The researchers then created a formula, which resulted in a genetic "risk score," to try to predict the chances of severe hair loss in the men.Among those men with a below-average score, 39 percent had no hair loss and 14 percent had severe hair loss. In contrast, among those with a high score that put them in the top 10 percent of those in the study, 58 percent had moderate-to-severe hair loss.The researchers noted that in the study, they did not collect information on the age at which the men started losing their hair. The scientists said they would expect to see even stronger genetic associations with hair loss if they were able to include information about which men experienced early onset hair loss.As more information from these participants becomes available, the researchers may be able to further refine their predictions, they said.Source: Medindia Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. The Phoenix, Arizona Based Business is Looking to Hire 100 More Employees this Month PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / February 15, 2016 / Alpha Connect is pleased to announce that the firm is growing once again and is quickly on its way to being named one of the fastest growing private companies in Arizona. "We are rapidly expanding to take over more space and are hiring another 100 team members over this next month. We are expanding on our Broadway Rd. location in Phoenix, Arizona. We're at approximately 550 employees and looking to hire 100 more this month," noted a spokesperson for Alpha Connect. The news that Alpha Connect is in the process of expanding again will not surprise the many satisfied clients who have worked with the company. Since Alpha Connect has earned a well-deserved reputation for their outstanding services and dedication to their clients. "Our highly effective and experienced customer service representatives offer their knowledge, skills, compassion and understanding to work with your customers to address any issue they may have" noted the spokesperson, adding that the caring and talented team fully understands and appreciates the value of building long lasting customer relationships and doing so in a seamless and cost-effective manner. In addition to their experience working with service providers like credit card processing providers and fulfillment centers, Alpha Connect has the experience and knowledge along with the flexibility that is needed to easily integrate with many more providers in the industry. The company can also coordinate easily with other customer service providers on an overflow basis, if needed. About Alpha Connect: Alpha Connect specializes in providing world class domestic customer support and business services for a variety of businesses. For more information about Alpha Connect, the services that they offer or employment opportunities, please visit http://www.alphaconnect.com/. Alpha Connect 4502 E. University Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85034 Story continues Contact: Nicole de Vera admin@rocketfactor.com 602-586-1368 SOURCE: Alpha Connect Opposition summons Envoy to Russia By Messenger Staff The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party is summoning Zurab Abashidze, the Prime Minister's special representative for relations with Russia, to Parliament after his planned meeting with Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.UNM member Salome Samadashvili appealed to Parliaments Foreign Relations Committee to summon Abashidze to the session."We need to respond to the statement that was made a few days ago by Zurab Abashidze, who said that the visa-free regime with Europe was achieved due to our limited dialogue with Russia.This is a direct attempt to mislead our society, as if we must first develop our relationship with Russia in order to have success in terms of our Euro-Atlantic integration, Samadashvili stated.She said that in fact the opposite is true, and the irreversible European path of Georgia would help the country regulate relations with Russia.One of the factors of the success of our European project was our dialogue with Russia, Abashidze said several days ago. He called the European Parliament's decision historic and added that "this is clear evidence that the country has a reasonable foreign policy.Abashidze is very likely to make an additional explanation over his statements.He is very likely to say that he meant the peace ensured by the current Georgian government, i.e. the Governments current relations with Russia, helped the country to carry out the reforms that were essential for Georgia to be granted visa liberalisation with the EU.From this point of view, if he really means this, Abashidze is right, because if Georgia was at war with Russia neither visa liberalisation nor any other success would be possible for Georgia. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. The protection and promotion of Democracy, Human Rights (HR), and civil liberties constitute the basic principles of the Greek Constitution and are an integral part of our national legislation. Our country attaches primary importance to the defence of human rights and basic freedoms, the safeguarding of democratic institutions, and the functioning of the rule of law. It supports universality, indivisibility, and interdependence between personal and civil rights on the one hand, and economic, social and cultural rights on the other. Greece believes that respecting Human Rights and promoting Democracy and the Rule of Law are interwoven with peace, justice, security, stability, elimination of hunger, and cohesive socio-economic development. Our countrys foreign policy in the area of promoting HR is based on a philosophy of synergy and cooperation. We believe that a policy based on confidence-building strengthens, in a realistic fashion, the ability of UN Member States to directly and effectively fulfil their obligations as regards HR. It is the goal of Greece to work in the spirit of collaboration and constructive dialogue, bilaterally as well as in the capacity of an EU member state, with all of the UN bodies and member states. We strongly believe that a policy based on a consensual approach is undoubtedly more realistic and leads to tangible results. In the field of multilateral diplomacy, within the system of the United Nations, our country displays a firm interest in issues pertaining to Human Rights. It participates actively and constructively in the principal United Nations multilateral fora and successfully cooperates with the entire United Nations security and control apparatus. It is worth noting that, over the past one and a half years, Greece has successfully undergone three periodic evaluations carried out by UN International Convention Committees, which make up the implementation control apparatus of the International Conventions. Namely: a) the Committee on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in October 2015, b) the Committee on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in October 2015, c) the Committee for the elimination of racial discrimination in April 2016, as well as d) the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), for which our country was examined, in May 2016, before the Human Rights Council. The Universal Periodic Review constitutes one of the Human Rights Councils (HRC) main initiatives for the equal evaluation of nations by other UN states regarding the policies they follow pertaining to the enjoyment and protection of Human Rights, based on their international obligations and commitments. It is worth mentioning that, during its last Universal Periodic Review, in May 2016, Greece received a total of 207 Recommendations, accepted 175, and rejected 32. At this point, however, I would like to stress the especially demanding and extremely important nature of the evaluation process. During the course of the six-hour oral examinations, our country had to achieve a dual goal: On the one hand to present the most important developments and optimal practices that it has displayed, in recent years, in the protection of Human Rights, and on the other to honestly admit to the difficulties and challenges that it faces, the most fundamental and resonant of these being challenges related to the economic and refugee/immigrant crises. A difficult undertaking in self-criticism that we achieved thanks not only to the thorough preparation and presentation on the part of the Head of the Greek Delegation, but also to the high-level representation of our country executed by personnel from all of the co-competent Ministries who, through their thorough and horizontal knowledge of the issues, as well as their great passion and personal effort, contributed to our country's successful presentation. However, the aforementioned success is expected to be completed, to a large extent, with the review of the next four years, in the days before the next evaluations on the part of the UN International Regulatory Bodies, when it is shown that our country proceeded, with determination and diligence, in implementing the majority of the Recommendations which arose as much from the Periodic evaluations conducted by the International Convention Committees as from the Universal Periodic Review. Consequently, today's Conference is of great importance because it provides the spark for disseminating the Recommendations, for awareness, but also for the desire on the part of the Greek State to implement further measures which will contribute to the protection and enjoyment of Human Rights. I wish you great success in your endeavours and thank you for your attention. This Email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it We express our profound grief at the loss of our dear colleague Polyxeni Mastroperrou, who passed away this morning, after a months-long battle with cancer. Having graduated from the National School of Public Administration, Polyxeni -- an exceptional friend and colleague and a highly capable civil servant -- joined the staff of the Secretariat General for Information and Communication and served in Sofia, Stockholm, and New York, where she headed the Press Office. On returning to Athens, she served as webmaster for the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the EU (2014) and, subsequently, worked at the Foreign Ministry's Information and Public Diplomacy Department, where she skilfully managed social network accounts, successfully promoting the country and the Ministry's activities. Polyxeni was a model, exceptional Public Servant. Whatever task she undertook, she performed it in an exemplary manner. She always served Greece with selflessness, responsibility, ingenuity and professionalism, contributing decisively to the enhancement of Greek public diplomacy. The Foreign Ministry and all of her colleagues at the Information and Public Diplomacy Department express sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. ADHC to Focus on the $1.7 Billion California Cannabis Market DEL MAR, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 15, 2017 / American Diversified Holdings Corporation (OTC PINK: ADHC) today announced that the management team is targeting opportunities in the cannabis industry. The company is in active negotiations with operating businesses in the cannabis area focused on media, growing, distribution, and retail sectors. "Our team has met with operating businesses in Washington, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, and California in order to gain insight into this exploding sector. California voters legalized recreational marijuana by passing Prop 64 in November of 2016, opening a floodgate of business opportunities in California," commented Management. "Shareholders are encouraged to stay tuned to the upcoming press releases, where a detailed plan for ADHC's entrance into this sector will be outlined. Current revenue estimates for the California cannabis industry are projected to increase from $1.5 billion in 2015 to over $6.5 billion in 2020, creating a compelling opportunity for ADHC's shareholders," concluded the company. For more information on California Cannabis law see: http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/en/propositions/64/ ABOUT THE US AND CALIFORNIA CANNABIS INDUSTRY Approximately 24 states have legalized Medical Cannabis use and 8 states have legalized recreational use. California's legal marijuana sales likely will climb to $1.6 billion within the first year, according to an Arcview report. California medical and recreational industry is projected to reach $6.5 billion in revenue by 2020, up from $2.8 billion in 2015, according to the report. The nation's legal cannabis industry is expected to climb to $23 billion in 2020, up from $5.7 billion in 2015. The state of Colorado recently reported 2016 revenues of $1.3 billion and tax revenues of $200 million. Recently, 27 US congressmen, both Republican and Democrat, have introduced a new law known as, "Respect the State Marijuana Laws Act," prohibiting federal prosecution for business in compliance with state law. This bill will formally legislate the current US policy. Story continues For more information see: https://www.mpp.org/news/press/republican-congressman-introduces-bill-resolve-conflict-state-federal-marijuana-laws-allow-states-determine-policies/ ABOUT AMERICAN DIVERSIFIED HOLDINGS American Diversified Holdings is a holding company that provides executive management, corporate governance, administrative support, financial advice, and introductions to capital sources to various micro-cap private and public companies that have proven revenues and business models. Safe Harbor This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's plans to change and are in no way intended to guarantee that the Company will be successful in executing its plans. American Diversified Holdings common stock currently trades on the over-the-counter "Pink Sheets" under the symbol ADHC. This press release in no way constitutes any recommendation regarding the securities of ADHC or its affiliates. Any person reading this press release is advised that this release should be considered in the light of all facts and circumstances regarding the business and financial condition and prospects of ADHC, and no reference has been made that this release contains all such information. Investor Contact: ADHCInvestor@gmail.com SOURCE: American Diversified Holdings Corporation HURON COUNTY An extraordinary mom with ties to Huron County may prompt many to realize not only how precious life is, but that one persons giving spirit can change the lives of many. Gale Worrell, daughter of Vern and Martha Krug, was born and raised on her parents farm near Bad Axe before heading off to college. There she met and later married her husband, Cal. Together the couple had three children, CK, Erica and Jon. The family moved from Michigan, spending time in places all over the U.S. for Cals job as a hotelier. They made their most recent home in the neighboring state of Wisconsin. For Gale and her three children the hardest day they thought theyd ever face was in 2005 when Cal died from cancer. The Worrell children, 31, 28 and 22, would go on to face yet another tragedy, losing their mom on Jan. 18. Gale died from a brain aneurysm, and now her children are learning to live life without her. Most of us say we cant imagine what it would be like to lose our mom. And thats what both CK and Erica say they experienced following their mothers death and dealing with the emotions that go along with organ donation. All three children say they have very fond memories of their parents and feel lucky to have had a close family growing up. First, to say my family is close would be an understatement. I never realized it when I was young. Everyone always said the same thing, your family is so cool and my mom, she loved her family above and beyond her own well being, CK wrote to the Tribune. To know death as well as I do sucks plain and simple. But you have to understand that we watched my father battle with cancer for over three years. Cancer is an awful drawn out disease. It robs a person of everything. What it does give to the family is time to be with their loved one. When my Dad died I felt he was truly at peace with his death. My mother never got over his death. I dont know if it was because she was so close through everything, or the fact that she had to give him the chemotherapy shots. So one parent we watched die slowly before our eyes and the other parent was snatched away from us almost instantly. CK said while at the hospital in January of this year he and his sister and brother were brought into a waiting room where they were met by neurosurgeons to discuss their mothers condition. The diagnosis was that she had a severe brain aneurysm and there was absolutely nothing they could do. It was like being hit with a powerful wave and then being stuck in the water drowning, he said about the news. After meeting with the doctors we got to see her. I knew as soon as I saw her body she was dead, no hope for a miracle, no recovery. Whatever you believe in, her soul, energy, life force, her spirit it was gone. Maybe it was my experience seeing my father die or the fact that I couldnt feel her presence, but I accepted that she was gone almost instantly. Now with both parents gone, the three would go through the process together, left to deal with their mothers death and everything else that would follow. In keeping with Gale Worrells wishes to become an organ donor, the process was under way. A little over a year ago one of my mom's friends, Cindy Herbst, decided that she wanted to open a transplant house, a home away from home for those in need of an organ, bone marrow or other transplants. Even though we had just lost our father to cancer my mom wanted to be involved with this project and help to get the doors open, Erica said. She felt it was such a worthwhile and important crusade. Even though the three of us had to make that final decision on whether or not to donate her organs, she had really made that decision long ago to give a perfect stranger the gift of life. We merely fulfilled her wishes. CK said even though it was his mothers wish, the organ donation process was an extremely difficult experience for him. He wants people to understand its not just making the decision thats hard the process is hard, too. Because of the way my mom died she was an ideal candidate for organ harvesting, he said. The doctors started talking to us about it almost instantly. Like my sister said, it wasnt even a question in our minds (whether they would do it or not). She wanted to be an organ donor, even before her work with the local transplant house. He said after the decision was made, over the next 60 hours the doctors kept her body alive and did numerous tests to determine potential candidates for her organs. What I needed from a doctor was a timeline of what, when and how everything was going to unfold, said CK about the process. Instead we just sat around watching doctors run around the room hardly acknowledging us. Dont get me wrong, some of them were very kind, but they didnt care about us, they were concerned about the lives they were going to save. I felt my moms body was trapped in some kind of machine purgatory that was keeping her body alive even though she was dead. It was awful I just selfishly want my parents back. This seems like the dark side of organ transplant, but I think people should know what they are getting into to when they make that decision. And Im hoping a doctor will realize they need to step back and help the family of donors understand the process before it even starts. These days CK said hes still dealing with the loss of his mom, and he believes in the future he will find joy in the gift his mom gave. But for now I have to go through whatever I have to go through, he said. For Erica, she said she has realized that life is so incredibly precious and no one but God knows how long we have on this earth. It is truly a gift to be able to give someone a renewed sense of life, and there is no greater gift that one human can give to another. Some days when I think that someone received her kidney or another organ it puts a small smile on my face. Even in her death she is still giving. Because of Gale Worrells gift of life through organ donation, another former Bad Axe woman, Sue Kay (Krug) Willett, will be able to spend Mothers Day with her two children, Cory and Tara. While Willett and Worrell share the same maiden name of Krug and both attended Bad Axe High School, the two did not know each other and are only distantly related. Willett received a kidney from Worrell, not only saving her life but allowing her to live a normal life after spending the past year and a half going to Ann Arbor for dialysis three times a week. This kidney transplant is Willetts second. Her first transplant was in 1980 when her youngest brother Jim Krug was her donor. Willett said the reason for the first transplant was due to an illness as a child. It wasnt until she was pregnant with her second child that doctors realized the condition of her kidney and that she needed a transplant. The kidney supported Willetts body longer than expected, leaving her needing another transplant a year and a half ago. I had been on the (transplant) list for a year and a half. I had no idea that it (a donor kidney) would come from someone from the same town and would have the same last name. It was quite a shock when the call came, Willett said. The first call was from my dad (Harold Krug) telling me that Paul Lerash (Worrells brother-in-law) called. I learned that Sue Craven told them about me, that I needed a kidney. I gave them my information, and I thought it would be a couple days before anything happened. I got a call right away from my hospital. I went in on the 18th (of January) at 5 a.m. for the transplant. God was looking down on me. The hardest thing I did is write Gales family. How do you say thank you to her children who lost so much, and through this gift Ive gained so much. Willetts son, Cory, was at one time going to be his mothers donor, but after going through the screening process and getting a clean bill of health his mother developed an anti-body and he was no longer an acceptable donor. That was hard, he said. Knowing my mom needed a kidney and there was nothing I could do. My heart goes out to the family (of Gale Worrell). She sounds like she was a great woman. Worells sister Cathy Lerash said her sister was an incredible woman and an unbelievably good mother. She loved life, her kids and her husband, Lerash said. According to the U.S. government information on organ and tissue donation and transplantation, there are 99,134 people on the donor waiting list as of May 1, in need of a transplant. For information about being an organ donor, go to www.organdonor.gov. Stacy Langley (989) 269-6461 slangley@hearstnp.com BAD AXE Huron County officials discussed whether or not the press is allowed at Huron County Board of Commissioner committee meetings Tuesday morning. Commissioner David G. Peruski had a series of questions for Corporate Counsel Steve Allen, mostly pertaining to possible action by the Personnel Committee. "Not all of government is conducted pursuant to the Open Meetings Act (OMA), and much of government cannot be subject to the Open Meetings Act," Allen said, while giving background of how the OMA and Freedom of Information Act apply to the board. Allen presented information based on a 1996 Michigan Attorney Opinion No. 6935, which says a subcommittee only makes recommendations to a public body, and are not subject to the OMA. Commissioner John Bodis suggested that Allen look at the 1998 Attorney General Opinion No. 7000, which states that committee meetings are subject to the same criteria as full board meetings under the OMA. "A meeting of a standing committee of a county board of commissioners, composed of less than a quorum of the full board, is subject to the Open Meetings Act when the committee is effectively authorized to determine whether items of county business will or will not be referred for action by the full board," the opinion states. The issue came about when a Personnel Committee meeting came to a halt last month because a Huron Daily Tribune reporter was present, and the meeting was not held. Robin Luce Herrmann, general counsel of the Michigan Press Association, told the Tribune that if the personnel committee is making public policy, it is subject to the OMA. She added that if a committee makes recommendations that are often "rubber stamped" by the full board, the committee can be subject to the OMA. Peruski asked Allen the following questions: Do committee meetings have to be announced ahead of time? Allen: "No." Other than committee members, and ... other involved parties, who must be notified of a committee meeting?" "You're not required to notify anybody," Allen said. If a person asks to be notified of any future meetings and they are not involved in those meetings, and are not a member, are we obligated to notify that person? Allen: "No." Can a non-involved person ask to be present at collective bargaining agreement negotiations? "They can ask, but you can bar them from the negotiations," Allen answered. If potential solutions are discussed at a meeting ... and there are multiple resolutions proposed, must the committee avoid a recommendation and discuss all the resolutions at a meeting of the (full board)? "It's my opinion that you have to make the board of commissioners aware of all of the potential resolutions, but you can recommend only the resolutions that the committee deems appropriate ..., " Allen said. At what point is the privacy of an employee broached? Peruski presented the following instances: Are the wages of an employee a private issue or not? "In our culture ...," Allen answered, "People are always sensitive about their compensation ... governmental employees are sensitive about those personal issues, including wages ... Technically, we get public money. The public's allowed to know that, but at the committee level ... you can bar people from being involved at that committee." Is disciplinary consideration of an employee a privacy issue? "Well, that's specifically named in the Open Meetings Act," Allen answered. "And it's up to the employee as to whether they want it open or closed, but that's at the Board of Commissioner level. Certainly at the committee level, my advice would be to keep it private ..." Are potential promotions, demotions, job changes and job reviews of an employee privacy issues? "Again, I would recommend that the Personnel Committee treat them as private," Allen said. Should the board send a notice to all the employees that the committee must discuss them or their circumstances in an open meeting? "I would recommend against that," Allen answered. Should all committee meetings be publicly announced in advance with public agenda and public minutes? "... You don't have to do it, but that creates added burdens on pulling that committee together," Allen said. If an employee is to be reprimanded or disciplined at a committee meeting, should it be discussed in the open, or is that a privacy issue? "I would treat it as a privacy issue at the Personnel Committee level," Allen said. Should discussions regarding a person's eligibility of post-employment benefits be private? "Again, in the committee level, I would suggest that you keep it private," Allen said. Should discussions regarding the creation or dissolution of a position be done in the open or private? "I would say in private," Allen said. Should discussions about propriety information of a vendor or a contractor when it involves an employee be private? "Personnel Committee, or committee level, again, it's private," Allen said, adding that FOIA allows exemption of proprietary information of a vendor or contractor if they request it. Should lawsuits involving employees be discussed in the open? "No, as a practical matter that it could inhibit the ultimate resolution of the lawsuit," Allen said. Can a department head, or an elected official, request a meeting where only the Personnel Committee is present when the meeting occurs? "Yes," Allen said. Can an employee request a meeting where only the Personnel Committee is present when the meeting occurs? "Yes," Allen said. Can a Personnel Committee have members that are not board of commissioner members? "I would say yes," Allen said. Can the Personnel Committee discuss an employee's health condition in an open meeting? "I would say no," Allen said. Can a Personnel Committee discuss the status of a worker's compensation situation with an employee in an open meeting? "No," Allen said. Can the Personnel Committee discuss an employee's Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan benefits, post-employment benefits other retirement benefits in an open meeting? "My advice would be not to," Allen said. Can an employee send a written notice to the Personnel Committee to not discuss them in an open meeting? "They can send it. It would depend on the facts of the particular case. If you're talking about just the Personnel Committee, I would advise that you don't discuss it in open. If it's the board of commissioners, it depends on the facts of that request." Allen, who has been the board's lawyer since 1999, said the commissioners he has worked with "do their level best" at being transparent. "We catch this bad press on these issues, but I think that overall, the Board of Commissioners and the various people that run Huron County deserve an 'A' for their efforts over the years in trying to stay compliant with the transparency laws." Commissioner Ron Wruble expressed concern about news from committee meetings reaching the press and public before it reaches the remainder of the board. BAD AXE Four years in the running, Huron County Courts once again received high marks from the public regarding their experiences with the court system. Using a survey that was administered in courts statewide, Huron County Circuit, District and Probate courts asked its users questions about whether the courts were accessible, timely, and fair, and if they were treated with courtesy and respect by judges and court staff. "Our courts serve the people, so their views are critically important in helping us make decisions on how to improve court operations," said Huron County Chief Judge David Herrington. "I, and Judge (Gerald M.) Prill and Judge (David L.) Clabuesch are very proud of the hard work put in by our staff, and we are committed to being even more efficient and focused on improving service to the public." "Whether you're a party in a case, a witness, juror, lawyer, or visitor, we use the data from this survey to make management decisions that help better serve the public," added Herrington, who sits on the Huron County District Court bench. "Our goal is for every person who comes through the courthouse doors to be satisfied and treated fairly." Public satisfaction is measured by the court user rating statements about his or her experience. The statements include: I was able to get my business done in a reasonable amount of time today. I was treated with courtesy and respect by court staff. The way the case was handled was fair. The judge/magistrate/referee treated everyone with courtesy and respect. The outcome in my case was favorable to me. As I leave the court, I understand what happened in my case. For each statement, the court user indicates one of the following: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree, or not applicable. The responses are then totaled so the court can use the data to determine if it is meeting the needs of its users. Highlights from the survey include: Ninety-seven percent of court users said they were treated with courtesy and respect by court staff. Eighty-eight percent of court users said the way the judge or magistrate handled their case was fair. Ninety-two percent of courts users were able to get their business done in a reasonable amount of time. "We're very pleased with the results," Prill told the Tribune, noting the results show the courts' commitment to the people. " ... We're hoping it's saying the county has judges and staff that truly care for those that come before the court." "We take pride in that," Prill added. Developed with input from judges and court administrators statewide and tabulated by the State Court Administrative Office to ensure accuracy, the survey enables courts to identify strengths, provide positive feedback to employees, and target areas for improvement. A wide range of court users including parties to cases, attorneys, jurors and others completed the survey. The public satisfaction survey is part of a statewide initiative of the Michigan Supreme Court and the State Court Administrative Office to measure and report on court performance. From 2013 to 2016, nearly 100,000 surveys were completed in courts throughout Michigan. SEBEWAING One by one, the long vacant storefronts in downtown Sebewaing are being bought because of a grassroots movement to revitalize the community. Last February, a group of concerned citizens met to brainstorm ways to enhance the downtown. A lot has been accomplished since then, and a meeting 7 p.m. Thursday in the Sebewaing Library will recap those efforts. "It's been a year and we felt we should meet to look at what has happened since then and where we go from here," said Sebewaing Chamber member Chris Deming. In the past year, Melissa and Aaron Eurich bought the building at 47 N. Center, next to the U.S. Post Office. She is a licensed beautician, and opened the Hair Loft there (and there are three apartments above the salon). Eurich worked for nine years as a CAT technician at McLaren Bay Region. She quit her hospital job to open her business. "There is a lot of opportunity here. I've wanted to have my own shop for a long time, and now this is my opportunity," said Eurich, a 2006 graduate of Howard's Beauty Academy, Caro. "Ken's Barber Shop closed last year and the other beauty shop closed." The Hair Loft is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and by appointment on Saturday. To make an appointment, call 989-529-4999. A big boost for the community came in January when Scott Romain selected the community to locate his $600,000 rum micro-distillery in Sebewaing. At this time, he has not decided exactly where his business will be, just that it will be Sebewaing. The village of Sebewaing got Romain's attention when leaders hosted an open house last November to showcase the various vacant businesses available for sale or rent. Carl Osentoski, the director for the economic development corporation offices in Huron and Sanilac counties, praised the community's open-house approach as an excellent way to show off several businesses at one time. Also over the last year, Julie Epperson bought the property at 36 N. Center. One of the former businesses at that location was the Snack Shack restaurant. Some of her ideas for the facility is hosting painting classes, home decor and taking advantage of the Sebewaing River by renting paddle boards, aqua bikes and canoes. Also, Sebewaing Light and Water Superintendent Melanie McCoy bought the building at 1 N. Center, which used to be a bank and then doctor offices. "I'm renovating the downstairs. I'm not sure what will be in it yet. I thinking about maybe a gym or Michigan made store ... kind of like a farmers market, but for locally-made crafts," said McCoy. "There is an apartment upstairs." Chris and Jason Eberlein bought the building at 18 N. Center, which has been in his family for over 100 years to keep it out of tax foreclosure. They are working on restoring the building and deciding on the type of business venture they want to pursue. State Rep. Edward Canfield bought the former Lincoln Theater building. He recently had the roof replaced, and is still deciding on a business venture. Chris Deming and her husband, Doug, bought the former Meyer and Reithel building at the corner of Center and Main streets. They store was built in the late 1880s needs a lot of work. They also are deciding on a business venture for the store. Besides stores being bought, the community also hosted lawn-chair movies during the summer, and did a fire on the river with bonfires to spark interest in the Moonlight Madness sales in the fall, which were both well received. The village of Sebewaing's revitalization efforts are helped from being an associate member of the Michigan Main Street program offered through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, said McCoy. Saudi Arabian coalition jets bombing Houthi rebel sites in Yemen increasingly turn to U.S. Air Force tankers for refueling support almost two years after the conflict began. Since April 2015, the Air Force has logged 1,778 tanker sorties for the operation, Air Forces Central Command spokeswoman Capt. Kathleen Atanasoff told Military.com on Tuesday. That includes 1,069 over the past year, an increase of 360, or 50 percent, from the 709 in the previous period. "These operations are ongoing, with aircraft refueling occurring daily," Atanasoff said in an email. The service's tankers such as KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders participated in 7,564 refueling "events" with coalition aircraft, with "about 54 million pounds of fuel off-loaded in support of Saudi operations in Yemen," Atanasoff said. Refueling numbers are tracked by the command but, unlike statistics on strikes and sorties against the Islamic State and the Taliban, aren't publicly released via the command's airpower summary factsheets. The Air Force's involvement with Saudi airstrikes in Yemen drew scrutiny in October after one hit a funeral hall packed with mourners in Sanaa, killing more than 150 people and wounding hundreds, according to The New York Times. The incident prompted the U.S. to launch an immediate review of its support operations for the Saudi-led coalition, the Times reported. U.S. Central Command officials have said the U.S. provides only refueling support to Saudi coalition aircraft. "We have not provided any kind of intel to carry out strikes," Maj. Josh Jacques, media chief at CentCom, told Military.com at the time. According to The Yemen Data Project, an independent body of researchers, academics and human rights advocates, more than 8,600 air attacks occurred between March 2015 and August 2016 in Yemen -- with more than 3,150 hitting non-military locations, as cited by The Guardian. Saudi Arabia disputes the claims as "vastly exaggerated," The Guardian reported in September. The war first made headlines in spring 2015, when Houthi rebels -- anti-government fighters aligned with ousted former president Ali Abdullah Saleh -- were dislodged from their position near the port city of Aden by the coalition, which includes the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar and Kuwait. Despite the U.S.'s quiet role in the war, it has become a target of critics, according to William Picard, executive director of The Yemen Peace Project, a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 in response to the growing humanitarian crisis. "U.S. refueling missions have become a focal point for those who oppose America's involvement in this war," Picard said Tuesday in a statement to Military.com. "The Yemen Peace Project is part of a large coalition of U.S.-based and international advocacy organizations calling for an end to U.S. logistical and material support for the Saudi-led intervention," he said. "The U.S. has been, and continues to be, a crucial participant in the U.N.-sponsored peace process," Picard said. "Its military role in the conflict undermines that process and perpetuates hostilities. This war is driving one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in the world." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. The U.S. Army's senior enlisted soldier said Tuesday he hopes programs that translate training into future civilian employment credentials and college credits will help the service attract the soldiers it needs to grow its ranks. Army leaders are scrambling to ensure the service can achieve the guidance in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2017, which calls for it to have an active force end strength of 476,000 by Oct. 1. "I think what is monumental about this task is this is the largest increase the United States Army is going to do without the aid of tools like stop-loss or a draft," Sgt. Major of the Army Daniel Dailey told an audience at an Association of the United States Army Institute of Land Warfare Breakfast. In addition to the active force increasing by 16,000, the Army National Guard will grow by 4,000 and the Army Reserve by 8,000, Dailey said. The service is also offering bonuses and other incentives to ensure it meets the 6,000 increase to its retention mission, he said. But it's clear the effort will require more money in the upcoming budget for the service to bring in the additional troops, he said. "We are going to go back and ask for more money that is exactly what we intend to do because we have to," Dailey said. "The NDAA didn't come with a budget increase because that budget was worked years previously, so we are ... working the request for additional funds for 2017 so we can pay the bill. We are spending money that we don't have; we are just borrowing it from the end of the year." The educational benefits the Army offers will be a key part of its effort to attract additional soldiers, Dailey said. "The number one reason men and women join the military today is because of sacrifice and service, and the second one is because of our education benefits," he said. "And we will fight to sustain those benefits. ... We cannot erode benefits to our soldiers and their families or we will put the all-volunteer force at risk ... we have to continue to invest in the soldier because that is an investment in the future." The Army will continue to focus on finding ways to convert the training soldiers receive "to real jobs in America," Dailey said. "The NDAA this year gave us the authority to credential those soldiers who have the jobs that translate to skills in America," he said. "And that has value. Since 2008, we have dropped unemployment compensation from over $500 million a year, and it landed at around $172 million this year." The Army's Noncommissioned Officer Education System will also give soldiers an advantage that will directly transfer to universities the Army has partnered with to ensure courses transfer for college credit, Dailey said. This will begin when soldiers complete the Army's Basic Leader Course. "We have already linked all of the requirements, so the only thing you should be still needing is a math, a science, and an English, which would give you an associate's degree," Dailey said. As soldiers advance through the ranks and attend the Advanced Leader Course and the Senior Leader Course, they will earn many of the requirements for an undergraduate degree, he said. "That way, in the future, a senior noncommissioned officer should have an undergraduate degree before they go to the Sergeant Major Academy," Dailey said. "So I think that we have got tell America: One, we need your sons and daughters to continue to sacrifice and serve because it is the right thing to do for their nation, but two -- when we send them home, they are going to be better than when we received them, and that's our commitment to the American soldier." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. An advocacy group has filed a complaint with the Air Force Inspector General's Office seeking the removal of religious-themed posters at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said his organization opposes displaying the posters at Air Combat Command facilities on the installation because they're "sexist, offensive" and use male-dominated and faith-based speech. The foundation represents 16 officers, non-commissioned officers and civilian clients -- including nine women -- in its effort to remove the posters, he said. One poster, located in Building 602, depicts lights beaming upward where the Twin Towers once stood before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and reads: "Men cannot live without faith except for brief moments of anarchy or despair. Faith leads to convictions -- and convictions lead to action. It is only a man of deep convictions, a man of deep faith, who will make the sacrifices needed to save his manhood." The line is quoted from AF Manual 50-21, dated August 1955. The command, after reviewing one complaint over the posters, said officials have "decided to leave the display unaltered," spokesman Maj. AJ Schrag said in a statement to Military.com. "The posters do not officially endorse, disapprove of, or extend preferential treatment for any faith, belief, or absence of belief, which is the standard established by regulation that would warrant action," Schrag said in an email Tuesday. "The posters are historical, two in a series of seven quoting various sections of a 1955 Air Force Manual. Although we do not have a record of when the posters were first displayed, they have been there at least six years," he said. "The literal meaning of the two quotes identified in the complaint -- the importance of personal faith in a broad sense and the importance of an individual's rights and freedoms -- are appropriate and consistent with established traditions of using historical documents to promote reflection and inspiration," Schrag said. The incident snowballed last week after a female airman -- not identified by MRFF for fear of reprisal -- responded to an Air Force Times' article spotlighting the issue over two posters. "As a proud American woman and equally proud officer in the USAF, those posters from an AF Manual from the mid-1950s serve only as a hurtful reminder of the second class citizenship women had to suffer for generations prior to eventually being guaranteed equal status under the Constitution we all swear our oaths to support and defend," the female airman wrote Feb. 8. "It took decades of sacrifice and advocacy by strong women (and men who cared) to provide us a level playing field today. But not at ACC, it seems," she wrote. The command is headed by Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle. Weinstein cited Air Force Instruction 1-1, section 2.11 in "Air Force Culture," which states that airmen, especially commanders and supervisors, "must ensure that in exercising their right of religious free expression, they do not degrade morale, good order, and discipline in the Air Force or degrade the trust and confidence that the public has in the United States Air Force." "Clearly, this is having an adverse impact on unit cohesion, good order, morale and discipline," he said, noting that more questionable posters have been identified. "It is wrong in every possible way." Weinstein, who on Tuesday filed a third-party complaint with Brig. Gen Richard Coe, the inspector general of Air Combat Command, is demanding the complaint be turned over to the Air Force's IG office, headed by Lt. Gen. Anthony J. Rock, to avoid any conflict of interest of Coe's office investigating its own command. Weinstein said Carlisle "cannot have his own inspector general people look into this, because they report to him." In a letter last week to Carlisle, Weinstein said, "The message of male superiority is not only offensive, but violates Air Force Regulation 1-1, Sections 1.7.4.4-1.8," which outlines the Air Force zero-tolerance policy toward unlawful discrimination of any kind and the push for equal opportunity for all genders. Should the Air Force IG not act accordingly, Weinstein said he and his clients are considering taking the matter to federal district court in Virginia. This "is clearly despicable and dishonest," Weinstein said. "Why they've chosen to go back over 60 years, and celebrate something [from during] the Red Scare" is preposterous, he said. "And to try to argue that they meet the standard it's what we would call an ACC 'alternative fact,' " he said. "It's a lie." The National Organization for Women has joined the MRFF in its mission to have the posters removed. NOW President Terry O'Neill petitioned Carlisle with her own letter, stating, "What message does that send to young women who currently serve, or want to serve, in the military? What do you say to the women in your command who make the same sacrifices to protect their country as do men? Is the purpose of the U.S. armed forces really to assist 'only' men to make sacrifices necessary to save their 'manhood?'" O'Neill added, "This offensive propaganda must NOT be allowed to continue on display at ACC Headquarters." -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday that the dismissal of National Securing Adviser Michael Flynn would have "no effect at all" on his dealings with a White House in turmoil. "Frankly, this has no impact" on his own job as defense secretary, Mattis said in his first comments on the abrupt resignation late Monday night of Flynn. Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general and the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, left his post at the direction of President Donald Trump over allegations that he lied to Vice President Mike Pence on his Russian contacts. "Who's on the president's staff is who I will work with" in the aftermath of Flynn's departure, Mattis said in a video posted by the Pentagon of his remarks to defense reporters aboard his plane enroute to a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. Mattis spoke before Trump put out another series of Tweets dismissing charges that he was currying favor with Russian President Vladimir Putin as "nonsense" and blaming the media, the National Security Agency and the FBI for leaks that led to Flynn's downfall. "The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred," Trump said. "This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign." The president added, "Information is being illegally given to the failing N.Y. Times and Washington Post by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?). Just like Russia." In his briefing to defense reporters, Mattis said he would focus his talks with the defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on meeting Trump's demands that they spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic products on defense. "We need an open conversation on where we're going" on defense spending, Mattis said. At a news conference Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also focused on the two percent mark that only five members of the 28-nation alliance the U.S., Britain, Greece, Estonia, and Poland -- currently meet or exceed. "Fair burden sharing and increased defense spending underpins the trans-Atlantic alliance," Stoltenberg said. "So we will at our meeting stress the importance of fair burden-sharing and higher defense spending for the alliance." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go. Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune... DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 15, 2017 / I am a Dallas criminal defense attorney. I am not a Dallas immigration lawyer, but I often handle criminal immigration cases. Confusing? It is for many people who contact me. This article explains the difference. A criminal defense lawyer, like me, defends people who are accused of a crime. A crime is usually something that can result in jail time, or at least a fine. In order to prove someone guilty of a crime, the government has to prove that they are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. There are special rules and procedures for criminal cases. A criminal defense lawyer needs to know them in order to defend an accused person. On the other hand, an immigration lawyer helps people with immigration issues, which usually involve a person's citizenship status, whether a person can legally enter the country, for what purposes, and for how long. So, for example, if you want to become a U.S. citizen, or if you are not a citizen and want to be able to work in the U.S., or if you are seeking asylum in the U.S., you need an immigration lawyer. A violation of the U.S. immigration laws can result in deportation, which means that the government removes you from the U.S. and sends you back to your home country. If you are trying to avoid being deported, you need an immigration lawyer. Here is the confusing part: There are also immigration crimes. These are violations of laws relating to immigration that can result in jail time. Someone who is convicted of an immigration crime, and who is not a U.S. citizen, can be sentenced to jail first and then deported after serving their sentence. In these situations, a criminal defense lawyer tries to help the accused avoid a conviction for the crime or minimize the jail time after a conviction. Here are some examples of immigration crimes that I have handled: Illegal re-entry. It is a crime to come back to the United States after being deported. If you come back and are found in the United States, you can be sent to prison and then deported. Alien smuggling. It is a crime to take payment to help others get into the United States illegally. It does not matter whether the smuggler is a U.S. citizen or not. Passport fraud. It is a crime to apply for a U.S. passport using false information designed to trick the government into issuing a passport. It does not matter whether the person actually gets a passport or not. Visa fraud. It is a crime to apply for a visa to come to the United States or to bring someone to the United States using false information designed to trick the government. Recently, there have been criminal prosecutions of U.S. companies that apply for work visas to bring foreign workers to the U.S. for improper purposes, such as to pay them less than what U.S. citizens would receive. Harboring or employing undocumented workers. It is a crime for a person or company to employ undocumented workers knowing that they are not in the United States legally. Usually, it is U.S. citizens or companies who hire undocumented workers in order to pay them less and, therefore, reduce costs. Story continues There are also sometimes immigration consequences for a crime. In many cases, a conviction for a crime can result in a person being deported and never being allowed to return to the United States. This can be true even if the person was in the U.S. legally, such as on a visa or because the person had become a lawful permanent resident (green card holder). As a criminal defense lawyer, I have to find out my client's citizenship status in order to advise them of the possible immigration consequences if they are convicted of a particular crime. Sometimes, I know the answer, but sometimes I have to talk to colleagues who are immigration lawyers in order to be sure. The basic rules of thumb are: If you are trying to adjust your citizenship status, get into or stay in the United States, or avoid deportation, you need an immigration lawyer. If you are accused of a crime that involves a fine or jail time, you need a criminal defense lawyer. If you are accused of a crime, and if you want to fight the effect of a criminal conviction on your citizenship status or fight being deported after serving your sentence, you need both. Immigration crimes are serious business. No one wants to serve a long prison sentence IN ADDITION to being deported. If you or your loved one is accused of an immigration crime, you need to hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer. Contact John Helms at 214-666-8010. Picture courtesy of Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com, Wikimedia Commons. Source: http://johnhelms.attorney/dallas-criminal-lawyer-answers-question-kind-lawyer-need/ http://dallascrimenews.johnhelms.attorney/dallas-criminal-lawyer-answers-the-question-what-kind-of-lawyer-do-i-need_9927.html SOURCE: John Helms Law Firm via Submit Press Release 123 Dr. David Shulkin was sworn in Tuesday as secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department and immediately was urged to begin approving thousands of exemptions to President Donald Trump's federal hiring freeze. At Shulkin's swearing-in, Vice President Mike Pence said, "Few duties of government are as important as fulfilling what President [Abraham] Lincoln promised, which is that we as a nation shall care for him who has borne the battle." Trump "has now called on you to lead the department charged with that solemn and historic promise," Pence said. Shulkin, who was approved by the Senate in a 100-0 vote Monday night, said, "I think we have a system that's doing terrific things with very dedicated people, but we all know we have a lot of work to do. We all agree that our veterans deserve the very, very best that we can do." He said the bipartisan nature of the unanimous vote that approved him was reflected in the presence at the oath ceremony of the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees -- Sens. Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Jon Tester of Montana, and Reps. Phil Roe of Tennessee and Tim Walz of Minnesota. Earlier, Walz told Military.com that Shulkin should get busy signing off on public safety exemptions to Trump's across-the-board 90-day hiring freeze. "Let Dr. Shulkin make those decisions. I trust his take on this," said Walz, a retired command sergeant major in the Army National Guard and the highest-ranking enlisted service member ever to be elected to Congress. In his Senate confirmation hearing last month, Shulkin said there are about 45,000 vacancies at the VA and he is in favor of filling 37,000 of them, particularly for critical shortages for doctors and nurses. New Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is in a similar situation at the Pentagon. He also has the authority to make public safety exemptions to the hiring freeze for the civilian workforce. A Pentagon spokesman said Monday that there are about 67,000 vacancies at the Defense Department, but no exemptions have been approved yet. The initial guidance put out by the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the civil service, said exemptions to the hiring freeze would be "limited" but also said that the secretary of Veterans Affairs and the defense secretary would have wide discretion to approve exemptions for public safety and health reasons. Shortly after Trump issued the memo on the hiring freeze last month, then-acting VA Secretary Robert Snyder stated, "The Department of Veterans Affairs intends to exempt anyone it deems necessary for public health and safety, including frontline caregivers. The president and VA remain committed to seeing that our veterans receive the quality care and benefits they've earned. This is the right thing to do for our veterans." Snyder then issued his own memo listing the positions that could be exempted, ranging from medical officer and nurse to security guard and laundry worker. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Donald Trump Democrats are using the word "Watergate" to describe the latest developments in the Russia-related firestorm casting a cloud over the White House in the early days of President Donald Trump's administration. Elected officials and party operatives have used language related to the scandal that sank Richard Nixon's presidency, and even mentioned it outright. The statements came after Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser on Monday night after having misled the White House about the content of his communications with the Russian ambassador before Trump took office. In addition, The New York Times reported Tuesday that intercepted phone calls showed that members of Trump's campaign had multiple contacts with Russian intelligence officials before the US election. Trump and his administration had denied that such communication took place. "The parallels to Watergate here are eerie, I have to say," Robby Mook, who was Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, said on CNN on Wednesday. The Watergate scandal began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, in 1972, which Mook said was comparable to Russian intelligence hacking into the DNC's email system and releasing the emails through WikiLeaks. "Now, at every step, we're learning more and more, and it's getting closer and closer to the president himself," he said. The DNC itself went further than Mook, saying the ties between Trump and Russia had already eclipsed the Watergate scandal, which resulted in several Nixon aides being criminally convicted and serving sentences in either jail or prison. "This is already bigger than Watergate," DNC senior adviser Zac Petkanas, who formerly worked on the Clinton campaign, said in a statement. "The sanctity of our democracy demands an immediate, independent, transparent investigation into the connections between Donald Trump, his staff, and the Russian government." Story continues When speaking about Flynn's resignation zeroing in on a Washington Post report that said the acting attorney general had warned the White House weeks earlier that the national security adviser could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail elected Democrats including Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland and Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware repeated a phrase made famous during the Senate's Watergate hearings: "What did the president know, and when did he know it?" The comparison also made waves outside of the Democratic Party. Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather posted a Facebook status on the subject that was shared widely. "Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, until maybe now," he wrote. "It was the closest we came to a debilitating constitutional crisis, until maybe now. "On a 10 scale of Armageddon for our form of government, I would put Watergate at a 9," he continued. "This Russia scandal is currently somewhere around a 5 or 6, in my opinion, but it is cascading in intensity seemingly by the hour. And we may look back and see, in the end, that it is at least as big as Watergate. It may become the measure by which all future scandals are judged. It has all the necessary ingredients, and that is chilling." NOW WATCH: Trump's close friend of 40 years explains what he has in common with Richard Nixon More From Business Insider KALAMAZOO, Mich .- Western Michigan sophomore pitcher Jordan Kurth was named the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week Tuesday, Feb. 14. Kurth hurled three complete games and picked up two wins in the Broncos' opening games at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., this past week. She made three starts and one relief appearance. Kurth allowed just one earned run and two walks over 22.0 innings pitched for a minuscule 0.32 ERA. In total she had 11 strikeouts including five in the final game of the classic in a 9-1 victory over Seattle. She allowed just four hits, one walk and fanned two in a 5-1 complete-game win over San Jose State. Western Michigan (2-4) heads to Tennessee for five games at the Chattanooga Frost Classic, Feb. 24-26. The Broncos begin play against UT-Martin on Friday, Feb. 24 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com Top 12: Here are my picks for best 'diamonds in the rough' in Detroit real estate I started to look at Detroit real estate in February 2016. That's when I pulled residential coverage into my then-new beat covering Michigan business for MLive.com. As a business reporter, I'm drawn to commercial real estate. But in my spare time, I'm addicted to home listings. Houses in Detroit met both of those passions. Each house has a story that's part of a larger tale: What will happen to Detroit. A rehab lifts a block, which in turn lifts a neighborhood; a traditional sale affects values. Both the pace of sales and price increases are brisk; yet the prices still are depressed compared to other areas. -- Paula Gardner, MLive.com Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com The city's home sales numbers improved in 2016. Sales in 2016 grew 14 percent to 4,022 units. Prices climbed 12 percent to $50,308, or about the list price of the house in the photo. And today, there are 1,223 properties listed for sale in Detroit. That is the normalized aspect of the market. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com Many home sales in the city still are not 'normalized.' There are still 30,000-plus abandoned houses in the city, and tax foreclosures remains an issue. And in many areas of the city and for severely damaged homes, obtaining a traditional mortgage is not an option. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com A year ago, my story on this northwest house got a lot of attention. It's the first house that I wrote about in the city, and it may be my most-read article of all of 2016. Here is the link. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com This is why. I was stunned to see the interior of a fire-damaged home, and readers were, too. We journeyed together to look at the interior and envision what it could take to restore it. Don't Edit Don't Edit undefined In truth, listings for houses in Detroit run the gamut. I found this house on Lincolnshire in Palmer Woods last summer. It's delightful, and at the top of the market for pricing in the city. I've discovered a lovely stone house from the 1920s; a Corktown two-story that seemed 'too far gone' until auction buyers restored its utility; a rare midcentury home in Boston Edison; and 5 very basic homes in terrible condition on a single far-west street. In between are many houses in the type of condition found in any market. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com Here's what connects them for me: Imagination. Every time I visit one of these homes in the city - or look at one online - I get a feel for what it could become. I start to envision the first steps of renovation, then I start to consider what would make it special again. And I picture people living in it. With some properties, like this one on Minock, it's not hard. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com What really 'moves the needle' in Detroit is home rehab. It's important to preserve the housing stock in Michigan's largest city. That is how it will hold onto it tax base, and increase residents and tax income. And it's how the streets in the city will feel vital. So with that mindset, I looked at listings for homes that aren't at their maximum potential. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com Here are my picks for Detroit's Top 12 'Diamonds in the Rough' All are listed as of February 2017. And they're in no particular order. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 1. 4388 Courville This house is a Detroit Land Bank Authority auction property that will reach the market next week. It's on the edge of East English Village, so close to both I-94 and the Grosse Pointes. That's a brick arch over the driveway on the far right, and a big, front porch in this photo. And check out the upstairs windows! It was built in 1927. Don't Edit Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 2. 5284 Buckingham Here is another Cotswold-style house on the east side. The listing offers no interior photos, so it could be a really rough diamond. But consider: This house is just shy of 1,100 square feet - yet it has so much more character than the typical ranch that followed it a couple of decades later. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 3. 2690 Hazelwood I'm a big fan of Detroit's multi-family properties. They're part of the social mobility story of its history, and some - like this one - have a lot of character, like the brick walls and fireplaces. This one near Joy and Linwood on the west side is very rough, but also something that easily plays into a remodeler vision. I also like multifamily properties for owner-occupants. Detroit is still a city of low incomes, and using real estate to built wealth is smart. (Unless you're paying someone in a rent-to-own scenario. I'd never advise that.) Don't Edit undefined Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 4. 495 Lakewood This house was built in 1921 in the Jefferson Chalmers area of Detroit. It's heading to auction on March 1 through the Detroit land bank - and, on the surface, it's in good condition. My favorite part is the wide front porch. I also like the area, which is blocks from the Detroit River. A little closer is the business district, which was recently designated a "National Treasure." It has a number of rehab projects, but also a sense of vitality from the hardware store, coffee shop, boutique, bike shop and more. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 5. 16740 Stout This house is behind the one I grew up in on Kentfield, and I always look at houses in the old neighborhood. The listing photos are from before a tenant move-in, and they show some of the best of Detroit's older homes (the arched entry to living room and wonderful banister) and some of the remodeling opportunity (the pickled wood cabinets and paneling). Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 6. 19939 Lichfield This house just outside of Palmer Woods is so close. This isn't a gut and rebuild kind of project, as the price of $109,000 suggests. It's clean with nice floors and "good bones," from what you can see in the photos. And, as the listing notes, it needs some updating. The person choosing to do that will get their hands dirty, but some details - like the old subway tile in the bath - will be delightful to bring back. Don't Edit Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 7. 9129 Rathbone This house is another that isn't in terrible condition - and you can see the care the owners took in decorating some rooms. It has some nice updating, some great original details, and some remaining dated laminate - kind of a 'perfect storm' for a buyer who doesn't want to make a remodel a full-time job. The neighborhood is near the new Gordie Howe International Bridge site, and also a little east from Ford's Rouge complex. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 8. 100 Holbrooke Now I'll take another turn to "really rough." Maybe even ungodly rough, given the open air aspects of this house. But look at that staircase! Another image shows a wide open living room, with real pillars. A third shows an unfinished 3rd level. This is in the North End, between the New Center and Boston Edison - so it's one area of the city that should look dramatically different in a decade or two. If you've got the chops for it, this one could be a stunner. It heads to auction Feb. 25. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 9. 304 Erskine Brush Park is hot - at least today, now that Dan Gilbert plans development and redevelopment there, near the new Red Wings arena. The vacant lots illustrate how many once-wonderful homes were lost. This one is owned by the land bank, but listed for a high price due to its location - and opportunity for the buyer to create something special here. It's a 4,000 square foot shell of a grand home. Where does your imagination take you? Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 10. 10 Atkinson Boston-Edison district homes still have their historic cachet, despite some falling into severe disrepair. Those are going to be tough. This one interests me just as much. It's a block south of Edison at Woodward, and its potential is great to become a nice home again. The photo of the top floor is what pushed me into feeling affection for this house. Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 11. 235 Holbrook There are no additional photos of this house, but I don't need them to know this belongs on the list. It's in the North End, like the earlier house on Holbrook. It's large and distinctive looking. And the price is not even six figures. The only questions remaining for me: How extensive is the disrepair? And did someone put in bad laminate floors over the years? Don't Edit Don't Edit Paula Gardner | PaulaGardner@mlive.com 12. 6351 Evergreen One building type in the city that constantly gets my attention is the commercial property in a neighborhood. I like to consider what it was like when a property like this could host a business that served the surrounding neighborhood - and I remember a few from my childhood. The apartment above this seems comfortable. But it's the look and feel of the building, along with the challenge of remaking the ground level, that grabs my attention. Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 26 Michigan species in danger of disappearing By John Serba | jserba@mlive.com The gray wolf gets all the headlines, but it's not alone among Michigan's disappearing species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service categorizes species as either "endangered," which means it's at the brink of extinction, or "threatened," one step below endangered status, meaning it's likely to become endangered. Such species are protected from harm under federal law. (A third-tier risk classification lists "species of special concern," but offers no protections.) The USFWS currently lists 26 Michigan-native plant and animal species as endangered or threatened. They are as follows - with two additional animals that are often brought up during such discussions, but are not protected. Note: this list is limited to those species federally protected, not those considered by the state of Michigan to be endangered or threatened, which is a separate classification. Don't Edit Courtesy photo | Linda Swartz [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons American hart's tongue fern Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: It's naturally rare due to unique habitat, which is sensitive to logging, quarrying, development and recreation. Where in Michigan it's found: Chippewa and Mackinac Counties Fundamental facts: The fern can be found from Alabama to Canada, but populations are small and isolated. It requires a lot of shade and humidity. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Canada lynx Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Trapping, timber harvests, recreation. Where it's found in Michigan: A Canada lynx sighting was recently documented in the Upper Peninsula. Fundamental facts: Long legs and large feet render the lynx well-adapted for hunting in deep snow. They can be seen at Battle Creek's Binder Park Zoo. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Clubshell mussel Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: Watersheds due to agricultural and industrial pollution. The invasion of non-native zebra mussels also contributes to declining clubshell numbers. Where in Michigan it's found: Hillsdale County Fundamental facts: Like many mussels, clubshell larvae attach themselves to fish until they develop shells as juveniles. They then detach and settle into streambeds. The clubshell can live up to 50 years. Don't Edit Copperbelly water snake Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: The copperbelly's wetland habitats have been altered by humans for agriculture, housing and other development. The snake consistently travles to food sources and back to its hibernation site, and if areas are cleared due to development, it's increasingly vulnerable to predators. Additionally, illegal collection for the pet trade contributes to its small numbers. Where in Michigan it's found: Southwestern counties near the Indiana border Fundamental facts: This nonvenomous snake ranges between two and four feet long, with a black back and orange-red belly. It feeds primarily on frogs and tadpoles. It's threatened status applies to the population found in Michigan, northern Indiana and Ohio; a second population area in southern Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky is not protected. Don't Edit Don't Edit Photo courtesy Wikimedia commons Dwarf lake iris Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Shoreline development encroaches on its habitat. And collectors are drawn to its aesthetic beauty. Where in Michigan it's found: Northwestern Lower Peninsula and western Upper Peninsula Fundamental facts: This perennial - usually blue, sometimes white or lilac - thrives in cool and moist air by the lakeshore, on beach ridges or behind sand dunes. Don't Edit Courtesy photo | Dan Kennedy/Michigan Department of Natural Resources Eastern massasauga Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Loss and disruption of its wetland habitat is the biggest contributor to the 40 percent decline in numbers. It was officially listed as threatened in 2016. Where in Michigan it's found: Lower peninsula Fundamental facts: Known informally as the "Michigan rattler," the massasauga is the state's only venomous snake. It's the smallest rattlesnake in the U.S., and has the weakest venom. Milk snakes and eastern hognose snakes are often mistaken for the massasauga, which is docile, non-aggressive and only bites when provoked. "Live and let live" is a common piece of advice for those who encounter one - especially considering it's illegal to hurt one now. Don't Edit Photo courtesy Thomas G. Barnes/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Eastern prairie fringed orchid Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Wetland drainage and development is the current reason for its decline. Previously, changing its natural habitat to pasture or farmland affected its population. Where in Michigan it's found: Spread across the Lower Peninsula Fundamental facts: This tiny orchid with intricate blooms is pollinated by night flying hawkmoths, and grow in a wide variety of habitats ranging from prairies to bogs. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gray wolf Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: "Government-sponsored predator control programs and declines in prey" nearly caused its extinction in the lower 48 states, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The gray wolf's endangered classification history is long and complicated - it was delisted after a population rebound, but relisted in 2014, where it currently stands. Recent hunting bills proposed in Michigan could result in its delisting. Where it's found in Michigan: Upper Peninsula Fundamental facts: The only species more adaptable to climate extremes than the gray wolf? Humans. Wolf attacks on humans are extremely rare. Don't Edit Hine's emerald dragonfly Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: Pesticides, humans altering the ground water in which it breeds and wetland destruction due to urban and industrial development. Where in Michigan it's found: Northeastern Lower Peninsula and southeastern Upper Peninsula Fundamental facts: The insect was thought extinct in the early 1900s, but populations were discovered in the late 1980s in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri. The female lays eggs in shallow water, and hatched nymphs live two-to-four years before crawling out, shedding its skin and becoming an adult with a 2.5-inch-long body and 3.3-inch wingspan. Adults live only four or five weeks. Don't Edit Don't Edit Photo courtesy Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org [CC BY 3.0 (httpcreativecommons.orglicensesby3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Houghton's goldenrod Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Shoreline activity has resulted in loss of habitat. The flower is in danger of being trampled or run over by vehicles. Where in Michigan it's found: Upper Peninsula Fundamental facts: Contrary to popular belief, the goldenrod does not cause hay fever - the pollen is carried by insects, and too heavy to be carried by wind. It grows exclusively on the Great Lakes shoreline, primarily in Michigan, and stretching into Ontario. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hungerford's crawling water beetle Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: The beetle lives in cool, slightly alkaline streams - a rare habitat altered by beaver dams, fishery management, pollution and logging. Where it's found in Michigan: In only five streams in the northern Lower Peninsula, in Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle and Emmet counties. Fundamental facts: They're tiny - 3.7 millimeters long - which may be why so few have ever been discovered. They also have never been observed in flight, unusual for aquatic insects. Don't Edit Indiana bat Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: In the 1960s, the Indiana bat was listed due to humans disrupting their hibernation in the relatively few caves in which they dwell - some caves support as many as 50,000 bats. Pesticides, commercialization of caves and the disease white-nose syndrome have also contributed. Where it's found in Michigan: Roughly the southern half of the lower peninsula. Fundamental facts: These bats are tiny, weighing in at one-quarter of an ounce, but their wingspan can reach up to 11 inches mid-flight. In summer, they roost in the bark of dead trees. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Karner blue butterfly Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: Habitats are disrupted by land development and a lack of wildfires. Illegal human collection also contributes. Where in Michigan it's found: Central western Michigan Fundamental facts: The Karner caterpillar feeds exclusively on the leaves of the wild lupine plant, and the adult on flowering plants, restricting areas in which it can survive. The butterfly has two generations, per year, with the second set of eggs laid in July, and not hatching until the following spring. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Kirtland's warbler Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: This species' highly specific nesting requirements - on the ground near young jack pine trees, and one pair of these warblers requires 30 to 40 acres of these pines to raise their young - caused its numbers to drop. The heat from forest fires open jack pine cones so they can release seeds, and suppression of those fires in the 20th century has affected the trees' development, thus contributing to lower Kirtland's warbler numbers. Where in Michigan it's found: Northern lower peninsula Fundamental facts: Kirtland's warblers migrate to the Bahamas after raising their young. Controlled, prescribed fires are implemented to help the birds' recovery. Don't Edit Don't Edit Photo courtesy qmnonic [CC BY 2.0 (httpcreativecommons.orglicensesby2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Lakeside daisy Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Limestone quarrying is destroying its habitat. Where in Michigan it's found: Mackinac County Fundamental facts: A small population of this flower is found in Michigan, with more abundant numbers in Ontario. A group of daisies tends to bloom simultaneously, on barren limestone in full sunlight, creating postcard scenes. Don't Edit Michigan monkey flower Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Lakeside development is shrinking its natural habitat. Where in Michigan it's found: Southern Upper Peninsula and lower Northern Peninsula Fundamental facts: This aquatic and semi-aquatic flower lives in mucky soil in cold, flowing water. As of 2015, it survived at only 12 sites in Michigan, with two-thirds of them on private property. Don't Edit By Nate and Erin Fuller (http://bugguide.net/node/view/423995) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Mitchell's satyr Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: Elimination of its wetland habitat by development and invasion of exotic weeds, as well as pollution. Butterfly collectors are also believed to have eliminated some populations. Where in Michigan it's found: Southwestern Lower Peninsula Fundamental facts: The butterfly is so rare, little is known about its reproductive cycle. Adult Mitchell's satyrs live two weeks, and may not even eat or drink. Sarrett Nature Center in Benton Harbor features the fens (wetlands) where the satyr can be seen. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northern long-eared bat Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: White-nose syndrome, a fungus that clusters on the muzzles of bats. The disease has killed more than six million bats of numerous species since it was discovered in 2006. Where in Michigan it's found: Statewide Fundamental facts: This species ranges from the east coast all the way to Montana and Wyoming. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northern riffleshell Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: Disruption of its habitat by dams is the primary reason. Industry-related erosion an, poisonous pollution and zebra mussel invasions also contribute. Where in Michigan it's found: Southeastern Lower Peninsula, near Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie Fundamental facts: The riffleshell survives in less than five percent of its former habitat. Female riffleshells clamp onto a fish's head, holding it for 15 minutes, then releasing it with numerous larvae attached. Don't Edit Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Piping plover Status: Endangered. (It's habitat has also been designated as critical.) Why it's endangered: Habitats for this beach-dwelling species have been significantly degraded by commercialization and other human development. Predators and disturbance of nests by people also contribute. Where in Michigan it's found: On shorelines in the northern Lower Peninsula and southern Upper Peninsula Fundamental facts: Only 12 breeding pair of piping plover existed in 1985, but a conservation program boosted that to 63 in 2008. The majority of the birds are found in Michigan, but the recovery efforts resulted in nests being discovered in Illinois, Wisconsin and Canada. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pitcher's thistle Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Shoreline development and recreation, road construction. Where in Michigan it's found: Northern Lower Peninsula Fundamental facts: This spiny plant grows on lakeshore beaches and dunes, and has completely disappeared in Illinois. Thirty species of insects are known to pollinate it. Don't Edit Poweshiek skipperling Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: Only about four percent of its tallgrass prairie-fen habitat remains in the U.S. Where in Michigan it's found: Southeastern Lower Peninsula Fundamental facts: This tiny butterfly has a one-inch wingspan. It's believed to have disappeared from the Dakotas, Iowa and Minnesota, with its remaining population living in a few Michigan sites, and one site each in Wisconsin and Manitoba, Canada. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rayed bean Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: Dams, pollution, sedimentation and, yes, the nasty zebra mussel is getting it, too. Where in Michigan it's found: Oakland and St. Clair Counties Fundamental facts: The rayed bean is 1.5 inches long (or less). When listed as endangered in 201, it had lost 73 percent of its habitat. Like other mussels, it uses host fish to distribute its larvae. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rufa red knot Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Climate change, coastal development and overharvesting of the horseshoe crab have all contributed, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Where in Michigan it's found: Coastal and wetland areas statewide Fundamental facts: The rufa red knot breeds in the Arctic and migrates all the way to Tierra del Fuego in South America, stopping in many places in between. Their migratory window in Michigan is May 1 to Sept. 30. Don't Edit Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Small whorled pogonia Status: Threatened Why it's threatened: Urban expansion and forestry. Collecting is also a threat, as it is with most rare orchids. Where in Michigan it's found: Berrien County Fundamental facts: Classified among the orchid family, the pogonia exists in tiny populations of 20 or less plants. It appears to self-pollinate, as no insects have been observed pollinating it. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service J{}1 Status: Endangered Why it's endangered: Dams, pollution, sedimentation and the ever-pesky zebra mussel invasion. Where in Michigan it's found: Southern Lower Peninsula Fundamental facts: This triangular-shaped mussel was listed simultaneously with the previously mentioned rayed bean, and suffers from many of the same population threats. It's currently found in 14 states and Ontario, Canada, albeit in very small numbers, and was recently discovered in the Grand River. Don't Edit Photo courtesy Ryan Hagarty, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service John Serba | jserba@mlive.com What about... the moose? It's not officially listed as endangered or threatened - yet. The Michigan moose has a long and storied history in Michigan. It disappeared from the Lower Peninsula in the 19th century, and has been the subject of repopulation efforts in the Upper Peninsula, including shipping them from Isle Royale to the mainland in the 1930s, and airlifting them by helicopter from Canada in the '80s. The USFWS is currently undergoing a yearlong study to determine if a Midwestern subspecies of the moose should be upgraded from its current status on the "species of special concern" list. Climate change, predation and loss of habitat have contributed to the moose's dwindling population, which, per a DNR study, currently stands at about 423 animals in the Upper Peninsula. Don't Edit Photo courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service What about... the bald eagle? After its U.S. population was nearly wiped out in the 20th century, recovery efforts proved successful, prompting its removal from the USFWS endangered species list in 2007. At its lowest population in the 1950s, it was found only in Alaska and Florida, but habitat restoration and the banning of DDT resulted in flourishing populations across the continental U.S., including Michigan. However, the bald eagle is still protected by federal law under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Lacey Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, all of which prohibit taking of the animals without a permit. Don't Edit By Dakota L. (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons More on Michigan animal species The 17 snakes you might meet in Michigan 22 of the spiders you might find in Michigan (and one you likely won't) Don't Edit A new video titled "Rebirth: A Time-lapse of Detroit," shows stunning views of Detroit in time-lapse: from the top of the Penobscot Building to the shores of the Detroit River to a sunrise on Belle Isle. The video is the work of photographer and Wayne State University student Michael Tokarz, who shot the footage over the course of two years. "Basically every night when I watch the news I see something else bad about Detroit," he said. "I just wanted to show people that that's not what Detroit is all about." "There's these beautiful landscapes and incredible buildings. There's a lot to see." Tokarz said he shot more than 25,000 frames before whittling them down to the 5,000 frames that make up the short film. Scenes include the Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit skyline, Hart Plaza, Michigan Central Station, Wayne State, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and others. Shooting a single scene would take anywhere from 45 minutes to more than two hours, Tokarz said. One shot in particular -- the sweeping overhead view of downtown as dusk falls -- took three and a half hours. "I'll just stand by my camera, watching everything unfold, and try to stay warm," he said. Last summer, Tokarz released another time-lapse film titled "The Forest: A Tribute to Michigan's Wilderness," which was shot in iconic spots including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Isle Royal National Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the Porcupine Mountains. "It's just a very unique way of presenting a subject," he said. "It's just really neat to see how a couple of hours can unfold before your eyes within a couple of seconds. It's really surreal." Beyond Sacred 1 by Adam Nadel.jpg University Musical Society is presenting the production "Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity," at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, in the Power Center, 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor. (Photo provided l Adam Nadel) ANN ARBOR, MI - Theater producer Ping Chong has gained his reputation over the past 25 years for his series Undesirable Elements, an ongoing exploration of the experience of outsiders re-crafted for each city in which it is performed. One could argue his series that is coming to Ann Arbor this weekend, "Beyond Sacred: Voices of Muslim Identity," couldn't have been timed any better, University Musical Society Director of Programming Michael Kondziolka said. UMS, which is presenting the production at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, in the Power Center, 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor, had originally attempted to book Ping Chong + Company this past fall, leading up to the presidential election, Kondziolka said. Complications in scheduling, however, brought the theater company to Ann Arbor in the wake of a travel ban to seven countries with primarily Muslim-heavy populations. For now, the future of President Donald Trump's ban hangs in the balance as courts debate the constitutionality of the executive order, but the timing of the tension the ban has created, Konziolka said, is surprisingly fitting. "You can never predict the future in my business, so the timeliness of this presentation is undeniable," Kondziolka said. "Given the rhetoric we were hearing talked about a year ago at this time, we thought it would have made the conversations about what it means to be a Muslim in America, and to a larger degree the idea of Islamophobia, relevant (in November) because it was being used as a conversation on the campaign trail," he added. "Little did we know that we would be in a situation post-election where we would be in the middle of what is being framed as a Muslim ban and that the realities of these conversations are even more urgent." "Beyond Sacred" intends to illuminate daily experiences of Muslims, and work toward greater communication and understanding among Muslim and non-Muslim communities. The interview-based theater production explores the diverse experiences of five young Muslim New Yorkers who share the common experience of coming of age in a post-9/11 New York City. Participants come from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds and include men and women that reflect a wide range of Muslim identities, including those who have converted to Islam; those who were raised Muslim but have since left the faith; those who identify as "secular" or "culturally" Muslim; and those who are observant on a daily basis. In addition to the performance, UMS is hosting a number of related community events, including a lecture at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16 featuring Chong at the Michigan Theater, which is free and open to the public; an "Investigating Islam" community forum at 2 p.m. on Friday in the Hatcher Graduate Library, which is also free and open to the public; and a post-performance question and answer session on Saturday with members of the production. For more information on those events, visit the UMS website. Kondziolka said the additional events are intended to deepen the theater experience, bringing discussion about its subject matter to light in different settings. "Through all of these convenings, we're hoping to create a more elevated understanding of this major world religion and how it is a part of the fabric of our country and community," he said. Tickets for the performance start at $24 and can be purchased online. Steve Odom.jpg Steve Odom argues before Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Archie C. Brown on Feb. 15, asking for a lesser sentence. Brown imposed a sentence of 30 years to 60 years in prison for a 2011 bank robbery conviction. (Lindsay Knake | MLive.com) ANN ARBOR, MI - After a 54-year-old man appealed his prison sentence for a bank robbery conviction, a Washtenaw County Trial Court judge effectively doubled it. On Wednesday, Feb. 15, Judge Archie C. Brown re-sentenced Steve Aderrick Odom to 30 years to 60 years in prison after Odom appealed his 2011 sentence of 17 years to 35 years in prison. Steven A. Odom The Michigan Supreme Court had directed Brown to re-sentence Odom after eliminating Michigan's mandatory sentencing guidelines. The case dates back to 2010 when Odom was arrested and charged with robbing a Check n' Go in Ann Arbor and stealing nearly $3,000 in January 2009. A jury in March 2011 found Odom guilty of bank robbery and armed robbery. In April of that year, Brown sentenced Odom to 17 years, six months to 35 years in prison. Odom appealed the sentence. In his brief in the Michigan Court of Appeals, Odom made several claims, including that he was subjected to double jeopardy for bank robbery and armed robbery for the same incident, according to court documents. The Michigan Court of Appeals in May 2013 affirmed Brown's ruling, a decision Odom appealed. In 2015, the Michigan Supreme Court remanded the case to Washtenaw County Trial Court to determine whether Brown would have imposed a different sentence based on a new sentencing procedure. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in 2015 the Michigan sentencing guidelines were advisory rather than law and expanded judicial discretion. Wednesday in court, Odom made a case for a lesser sentence. At the time he committed the bank robbery, he was on parole for a first-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction from 1982, according to court records. Odom, who represented himself, argued he did not commit the bank robbery and his past conviction was irrelevant to the bank robbery sentencing because he was discharged from prison more than 10 years before. Michigan law mandates judges cannot use convictions discharged 10 years or more in determining a sentence. "I can't change my history. If my past is a predicate of my future, then no one will change," he said. "If I could take responsibility for this case, then I would." Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Brenda Taylor said Odom needs a sentence based on his nature and criminal history, which dates back to 1980. Odom served time in prison in the 1980s for larceny and two breaking and entering convictions, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records. In his ruling, Brown said it's reasonable to take Odom's past into account in the sentencing of the bank robbery conviction because he committed the act while on parole. The Michigan Supreme Court's opinion did not say Brown can only impose a lesser sentence, Brown said. The Michigan Department of Corrections will determine what credit for time served Odom is entitled to on the robbery charge, Brown said. In addition to the term in prison, Odom must pay $2,946 in restitution, Brown ruled. He has 42 days to appeal the sentencing. Tyler and Dorset map.png YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP, MI - A man was pistol whipped and robbed at gunpoint late Monday, Feb. 13, in Ypsilanti Township, police say. Police are looking for three suspects in the incident, which left the victim in the hospital. At 8:15 p.m. Monday, the victim was working on a friend's vehicle at Tyler Road and Dorset Avenue in the West Willow neighborhood, according to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office. An unknown person suddenly pushed the victim's face into the wheel well, causing him to lose consciousness for a moment. A suspect, who was holding a gun in his hand, then punched the victim in the face, police say. The victim tried to run away, but three suspects caught him, pistol whipped him and stole his wallet and cellphone, according to police. Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies spoke to the victim at 1 a.m. Tuesday at St. Joseph Mercy hospital. The suspects are two white men and one black man. All were wearing masks, the sheriff's office reports. One white man is approximately 5-feet, 9-inches tall, and the other is about 5-feet, 10-inches tall and 200 pounds. The black man is approximately 6-feet, 2-inches tall and 275 pounds. Police are investigating the incident. Anyone with information about the incident should call the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office confidential tip line at 734-973-7711 or 1-800-SPEAKUP. BAY CITY, MI -- After pleading no contest to a 10-year felony, a Bay City man has received less than a year in jail. Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran on Monday, Feb. 13, sentenced John S. Quintel, 51, to 183 days in jail with credit for two days already served. Upon release, Quintel is to be on probation for three years, during which he is to attend a domestic violence treatment course. The judge deferred an additional 182 days in jail, meaning Quintel won't have to serve them unless he violates his probation. Quintel in January pleaded no contest to one count of assault by strangulation, punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment. Police reports contained in court records state that on May 27, Michigan State Police troopers responded to a home in rural Gibson Township after Quintel's 15-year-old daughter called 911. Upon troopers' arrival, the girl told them she and her father had argued over her coming home late the previous day. The argument escalated to the point that Quintel said he was going to beat her and kill her, the teen told police. Quintel then shoved her onto her bed, sat on her chest, and choked her with both hands, she told troopers. Interviewed by police, Quintel said he smacked his daughter open-handed on her leg, but denied holding her down and choking her. He then told troopers he did sit on her at one point, court records show. Troopers had Quintel blow into a Breathalyzer, which yielded a result of 0.16 percent blood alcohol, court records show. In Michigan, a person is legally intoxicated when his or her blood alcohol level reaches 0.08 percent. They inspire awe with their aesthetics, engineering and sheer scale, but many dams from China's Three Gorges to Brazil and Paraguay's Itaipu are also playing crucial roles when it comes to global power generation. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has described hydropower as being "the largest single renewable electricity source today." But how does it work and why should you care? Ebbs and flows Put simply, the movement of water is crucial to hydropower. As the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) notes, both the change in elevation from one area to another and volume of water flow are crucial in determining "the amount of available energy in moving water." As such, a big, fast moving and powerful body of water has the potential to produce a significant amount of energy. Variety A river may be fast flowing and possess bundles of energy, but technology is needed to harness it. There are several types of hydropower systems, as noted by the International Hydropower Association: run-of-river hydropower, storage hydropower, pumped-storage hydropower and offshore hydropower. As the EIA explains, a run-of-river system uses the force of the river's current to put pressure on a turbine, while in a storage system, water is held back by a dam and then "released as needed to generate electricity." Impact There are drawbacks when it comes to hydropower. Hydropower facilities can impact local communities who sometimes have to be relocated the migration of fish and also, as the IHA notes, "significantly alter downstream flows." The impact of hydropower on carbon emissions has been significant, however. According to the World Bank, hydropower helps to cut "annual global emissions by some 2.8 billion tons of CO2 equivalent every year." you are here: business Cabinet gives nod to SBI merger with associates The Cabinet has given approval to the merger of State Bank of India with its five subsidiaries, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced on Wednesday. business Delhi Ola, Uber drivers' strike in a deadlock Mediated by the state government, the meeting between representatives of Rajdhani Tourist Driver Union and the managements of Ola and Uber saw no headway being made. However, the state has asked the companies to look into driver demands for reasonable compensation and other welfare measures. business French co Dassault Aviation inks JV with Reliance Defence Eric Trappier, CEO, Dassault Aviation is very upbeat of their joint venture with Reliance Defence giving them an opportunity to have a footprint in India. business Q3: When Jhunjhunwala grilled Tata Motors on its hedging policy Tata Motors declared a dismal set of quarterly numbers yesterday, with consolidated profit falling 96 percent year-on-year to Rs 112 crore. Furniture retailer Ikea recruits African designers to create a new product line Ikea has recruited some of Africas best designers to create a uniquely African line. The furniture giant said it is trying to tap into the creative explosion happening across the continent right now. More than a dozen designers from seven African countries will work on an exclusive range that hopes to tap into the creative pulse of contemporary urban Africa, Ikea spokeswoman Johanna Martin. We want to learn from the creative explosion which is taking place in several cities around Africa right now and spread it to the rest of the world by working with designers from several African countries that all have different takes on design, Martin told Quartz. Furniture retailer Ikea recruits African designers to create a new product line Going beyond prints. Judging from the designers CVs, the range is bound to go beyond just covering an ottoman in colorful African wax print textiles. Its being seen as an opportunity to experiment with what exactly African design means in 2017. Touristy flea markets from Nairobi to Johannesburg have begun to offer the same beaded jewelry and generic wax print handbags as African designs, a lazy interpretation of the continents unique design aesthetic. All the designers collaborating on the collection are in some way preoccupied with reimagining Africas urban spaces in cities as diverse as Cairo is to Luanda. Theyll all meet at the Design Indaba conference in Cape Town in March to bring together their ideas (after an initial meeting at Ikeas Democratic Design Center in Almhult, Sweden last year). Furniture retailer Ikea recruits African designers to create a new product line What would an African interpretation of Ikeas range look like? The team includes architects Christian Benimana from Rwanda, Issa Diabate from Cote dIvoire and Nairobi-based Bethan Rayner and Naeem Bivjiall of whom have a focus on sustainable design with a social conscience. Product designers Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck bring the innovation that drives their Dakar design studio to the project, joining fashion designers Selly Raby Kane, from Senegal, and South Africas Laduma Ngxokolo. Story continues The collection will launch in 2019 and its still too early to know what all these perspectives will lead to on the factory floor or whether it will be a repeat collection. But the range is unlikely to be easily available in the African cities that have inspired it. Ikeas only African outlets are in Morocco and Egypt but the company says it is constantly evaluating new markets. Perhaps Ikeas excitement about African designers will translate into optimism about African consumers. In the meantime, innovative African designers are filling that gap. In Nairobi, Quartz Africa Innovators honoree Ciiru Wawerus FunKidz has been described as an Ikea for Africa with a range of locally designed and manufactured flat-pack furniture. 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: business Trump policy causing uncertainity but IT demand robust: NASSCOM Despite uncertainties stemming of US President Donald Trump's visa policies. IT industry body NASSCOMM is confident of a strong demand for the sector. current-affairs-trends Jio row: Govt thinks TRAI's fine on telcos is on weak ground In October, the telecom regulator had recommended that a combined penalty of Rs 3,050 crore be imposed on Airtel, Vodafone and Idea for denying sufficient points of interconnect to new entrant Reliance Jio. business After subdued Q3, SH Kelkar hopes its export pain is over Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Kedar Vaze, Group CEO of SH Kelkar & Co, said that the international fragrance business had been facing headwinds and fell 2 percent in the third quarter. By Sanjeev Miglani BENGALURU, India (Reuters) - India is in talks to sell short range surface-to-air missiles to Vietnam, the head of India's defence research agency said on Wednesday, in what would be its first transfer of such weapons to the Southeast Asian country. India has been helping the Vietnamese military with training and patrol vessels, but a further deepening of ties with missile sales could draw criticism from China that has been locked in a territorial dispute with Hanoi in the South China Sea. New Delhi is currently talking to a number of countries for sales of its surface-to-air Akash missiles, said S. Christopher, chairman of state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The move is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to establish India as an arms exporter. "We are talking to countries, one of them is none other than Vietnam," he told a news conference on the sidelines of an air show where the DRDO is showcasing its missile programmes and other key projects, including a home-grown light combat fighter. Christopher did not provide any details of how many Akash missile batteries the government planned to supply Vietnam. Vietnam is in the midst of a quiet military buildup that analysts say is designed as a deterrent, to secure its 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone as China grows more assertive in staking its claims in the South China Sea. Experts say Vietnam is in the market for fighter jets and more advanced missile systems, in addition to the kilo-class submarines it has bought from Russia. India, which is also sparring with China over a border dispute, has in the past considered the sale of its Brahmos supersonic missile with a range of 290 kms to Vietnam and has been steadily helping Hanoi beef up its defences. Last year, Modi announced a $500 million credit line to Vietnam to buy defence equipment, on top of a $100 million given previously to help it buy patrol boats. The two sides have also agreed for training of Vietnamese air force pilots to operate Su-30 Russian fighter planes. (Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Himani Sarkar) Jakarta, one of the world's most populous metropolises, will choose a new governor on Wednesday in a fevered election marked by mass demonstrations , fake news and even the Islamic State . At stake is an expanding wave of Muslim radicalism, a slower pace of structural reforms, a hit to business confidence and political gridlock that may derail Indonesia Southeast Asia's largest economy and a favorite of emerging market investors . The facts 7.2 million registered voters will pick one of three candidates to a five-year term. Incumbent governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnamaknown as Ahokof the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle is running for a second stretch. He's facing Agus Harimurtri Yudhoyono, son of ex-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, of the Democratic Party and former minister of education and culture Anies Baswedan from the opposition Gerindra party. Indonesia's capital city is one of 101 regions holding city, provincial and district elections on Wednesday but its race is the most significant as the job of Jakarta governor is viewed as a stepping stone to the presidency. If nobody secures more than 50 percent of the vote on Wednesday, a run-off election between the top two candidates will be held in April. Official results are expected next week but early numbers will be out after polls close on Wednesday, according to Ho Woei Chen, senior economist at United Overseas Banking. The key issue Ahok, a Christian of Chinese ethnicity in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, was accused of insulting Islam in a speech last year, sparking a series of protests by hard-line groups. Ahok, an ally of President Joko Widodo, now faces blasphemy charges, with a trial verdict due in March. "Various reports suggest conviction for blasphemy, which comes with a jail term of up to five years, is likely. In that event, his hold to the office will be precarious even if he wins the election," said Ho. Still, Ahok's popularity remains intact. A survey conducted between Feb. 2 and Feb. 8 by Indikator Politik Indonesia revealed the 50-year old was in the lead, with 39 percent support, followed by Anies' 35.3 percent and Agus' 19.4 percent. Story continues Ahok is certain to clinch the most votes on Wednesday but he may be unable to secure 50 percent, making a run-off more than likely, Achmad Sukarsono, Indonesia analyst at Eurasia, said in a recent note. But it's not clear who can challenge Ahok in the run-off, Sukarsono continued. "Both Yudhoyono and Baswedan are American-educated, moderate Muslims who have little choice but to ride the wave of Islamic populism to compete with Ahok." Consequences Religious politics could distract lawmakers from implementing long-anticipated policies aimed at easing government bureaucracy and loosening investor regulations , experts fear. Widodo, also known as Jokowi, has worked hard to gain political support from powerful officials, such as retired army general Prabowo Subianto, but these relationships may change and impact the President's reform agenda, depending on the Jakarta election outcome, said Citi economist Helmi Arman. Business leaders and participants in Jokowi's tax amnesty program , are also becoming increasingly cautious, which could continue even after Ahok's trial verdict, Arman added. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. More From CNBC Having gone off the rails offensively, reality has bitten into the Phillies magical playoff ride. The streakiness that mostly defined the 2022 Phillies under Joe Girardi and occasionally reared its ugly head after Rob Thomson took over as manager has... Friends In Pink is still on the radar and growing every year Letter to editor: Voting is necessary to protect democracy 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, Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity * Trump toned down criticism of Japan during summit * BOJ is pursuing a large monetary easing programme * Japan trying to develop friendly relations with Trump * FX doesn't move by monetary policy alone - BOJ Kuroda (Adds BOJ Kuroda quotes) By Stanley White and Leika Kihara TOKYO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump shared his view at last week's summit that Japan's monetary policy was not currency manipulation but was intended to end deflation. Abe's comments about the Feb. 10 summit suggest Trump may be softening his criticism that Japan was manipulating its currency to gain a trade advantage. "I think Trump shared the view that our monetary policy is not for currency manipulation but for ending deflation," Abe said in the upper house of parliament. Abe also said he explained how Japanese automakers with factories in the United States contributed to job creation in the world's largest economy. Trump did not make any demands for Japan to further open its economy to imports, Abe added. Trump has questioned the small number of U.S. auto exports to Japan, raising concerns he could pursue protectionist trade policies to lower the U.S. trade deficit. Separately, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the central bank stood ready to cut interest rates if the economy took a turn for the worse, suggesting that any threats from Trump would not deter him from taking action necessary to spur growth. He also stressed that the BOJ's ultra-easy policy did not target exchange rates, and was solely aimed at achieving price stability, in line with agreements by members of the G7 and G20 groupings of nations. "Currency rates move on various factors," Kuroda told a separate parliamentary panel on Wednesday. "It's wrong to think currency rates move by monetary policy alone." Trump won the presidency with promises to put America first by renegotiating bilateral trade agreements to bring jobs back to the United States, which has raised concerns that global trade could suffer as a result. Story continues Policymakers in Tokyo were also shocked by an accusation by Trump that Japan was using "money supply" to weaken the yen to give its exports an unfair advantage. However, when Abe visited the United States last week, his summit meeting with Trump proceeded in a fairly cooperative manner. Not only did Abe avoid criticism of his economic policies, he also held a joint press conference with Trump in response to a sudden missile launch from North Korea, which demonstrated the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance. (Editing by Randy Fabi and Clarence Fernandez) February 15, 2017 The Dangerous Precedents Of The Hunt Against Flynn ... And Trump Kicking Flynn out of his office has hurt Trump. His standing is diminished. The efforts against Flynn, mainly by the "deep state" in the intelligence agencies, were designed to change Trump's declared foreign policy aims. They worked. Yesterday the White House spokesperson said: President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to deescalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea. Today Trump tweeted: Donald J. Trump Verified account @realDonaldTrump Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? 4:42 AM - 15 Feb 2017 That is a position Trump had not preciously taken. "Return Crimea" is a no-no to any current and future Russian government. If Trump insists on this the prospective detente is already dead. Several writers along the political spectrum point out that this show of raw power by the "intelligence community" is a great danger. Damon Linker in The Week: The whole episode is evidence of the precipitous and ongoing collapse of America's democratic institutions not a sign of their resiliency. Flynn's ouster was a soft coup (or political assassination) engineered by anonymous intelligence community bureaucrats. The results might be salutary, but this isn't the way a liberal democracy is supposed to function. ... In a liberal democracy, how things happen is often as important as what happens. Procedures matter. So do rules and public accountability. The chaotic, dysfunctional Trump White House is placing the entire system under enormous strain. That's bad. But the answer isn't to counter it with equally irregular acts of sabotage or with a disinformation campaign waged by nameless civil servants toiling away in the surveillance state. Robert Perry at Consortium News: Flynns real offense appears to be that he favors detente with Russia rather than escalation of a new and dangerous Cold War. Trumps idea of a rapprochement with Moscow and a search for areas of cooperation and compromise has been driving Official Washingtons foreign policy establishment crazy for months and the neocons, in particular, have been determined to block it. ... The neocons and liberal hawks also hated Flynn because as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency he oversaw a prescient 2012 analysis that foresaw that their support for the Syrian insurgency would give rise to a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in eastern Syria. ... Flynns resignation and its acceptance by Trump also prove that these tactics work and that tough-guy Trump is not immune to them. ... The so-called permanent government of Washington and its complicit mainstream media what some call the Deep State have taught Trump a lesson and have learned a lesson, too. They now can be expected to redouble their march toward war and more war, ironically with progressives and leftists in tow. Justin Raimondo at Antiwar: Flynn was in the crosshairs of the War Party because hes the most prominent of those around Trump who advocated for detente with Russia. Also, his somewhat loopy belief that Islam, per se, is a pernicious political ideology rather than a religion, made him a natural enemy of the pro-Saudi faction within the intelligence community, which had long worked with Riyadh to, among other things, overthrow the government of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad. ... The Flynn resignation is just the beginning. As one Politico writer put it, it wont stop there. Theyll move on to new targets, and they wont rest until theyve bagged their real target: the President of the United States Eli Lake for Bloomberg: [F]or a White House that has such a casual and opportunistic relationship with the truth, it's strange that Flynn's "lie" to Pence would get him fired. It doesn't add up. ... A better explanation here is that Flynn was just thrown under the bus. ... Normally intercepts of U.S. officials and citizens are some of the most tightly held government secrets. This is for good reason. Selectively disclosing details of private conversations monitored by the FBI or NSA gives the permanent state the power to destroy reputations from the cloak of anonymity. This is what police states do. ... In the end, it was Trump's decision to cut Flynn loose. In doing this he caved in to his political and bureaucratic opposition. Nunes told me Monday night that this will not end well. "First it's Flynn, next it will be Kellyanne Conway, then it will be Steve Bannon, then it will be Reince Priebus," he said. Put another way, Flynn is only the appetizer. Trump is the entree. Trump will now cave in on foreign policy: on Russia, on Syria and everywhere else the borg demands it. He has been put "on notice" and will either do as he is told to do or he will be the prey in an even bigger hunt. It is alarming that the so-called left part of the U.S. policy is lauding the "deep state" for this open attack on the elected government. They are now justifying the methods that will one day be turned against themselves. Why do they fail to see this? Posted by b on February 15, 2017 at 19:35 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page LINCOLN COUNTY Police in Lincoln County are asking for help to find a man who went missing Monday. The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office says Dillon Andrew Walker, 20, of 169 Cedar Ridge Lane, Vale, was last seen leaving his home Monday night. Detectives say he left around 10 p.m., heading to his mothers house on Dirty Ankle Road in Cleveland County, according to a release from the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. However, Walker never made it to his mothers house, according to the release. A missing person report was filed on Wednesday with the sheriffs office. Dillon is described as white with brown hair and blue eyes, 5-feet, 9-inches tall and weighing around 260 pounds. He drives a blue 1998 Saturn with North Carolina license plate EEK-2336, according to the release. Anyone with information about Dillon is asked to contact the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office at 704-732-9050, the Lincoln County Communications Center at 704-735-8202 or Lincolnton/Lincoln County Crime Stoppers at 704-736-8909. Jonathan Miller: Welcome to the Morningstar manager check-up, for the latest fund ratings from our analyst team. We start with the M&G Global High Yield Bond fund, which has been run by Stefan Isaacs since 2010 with James Tomlins serving as co-manager. We believe the duo complement each other, as Tomlins skill is on the bottom-up stock selection and Isaacs focuses on the top-down parts, including duration. Given the benchmark unconstrained approach, the deep analyst resource is of benefit. Plus, specialists can be called on to assess the broad range of high yield credits. At a sector level, theres been a preference for defensive sectors, although financials have been an overweight for the last few years. Given the strength of the team, implementation of the process and our faith in continued outperformance of the category, we maintain our Analyst Rating of Bronze Next, we have the Schroder European fund thats managed by Martin Skanberg. Weve reaffirmed the Silver Rating, seeing it as a compelling option for core Europe ex UK exposure. Skanberg takes a measured and balanced approach to constructing the portfolio, keeping a close eye on its positioning relative to the index. Hes style-agnostic, assessing each opportunity in terms of a potential inflection point. This can include a company's growth, margins, or market valuation. Over the past 12 to 18 months weve seen selective additions to value stocks where Skanbergs started to see opportunities. Given the funds core nature, we like this move, as the portfolios been showing more of a growth bias than the index and its peers. When it comes to the performance pattern, its in line with our expectations and the long term risk adjusted returns rank highly in the category. Finally, the Blackrock Frontiers (BRFI) investment trust. We have a high opinion of Sam Vecht's knowledge of frontier markets and his ability to consistently apply his process to the trust. This process is a combination of top-down views and bottom-up stock selection. Vecht decides on the country allocation, linked to a number of macro and political factors. Then, meeting companies is important and the team travel to see management before investing. They also look to meet suppliers and customers, to build a complete picture of the dynamics surrounding a business. The biggest overweights at a country level are Romania, Bangladesh and Ukraine. Risks are heightened due to the low liquidity in these small emerging markets. But we like the investment trust structure, where the manager doesnt have to worry about flows and can stay invested as he sees fit. We have a positive view on this trust and it keeps its Analyst Rating of Bronze. Shares of Toshiba (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6502.T-JP) tumbled on Wednesday after the electronics conglomerate said it would book a $6.3 billion hit to its U.S. nuclear unit, a write-down of more than shareholder equity with the company looking for finance options. Highlighting the scale of its financial concerns, Toshiba also ramped up plans to raise cash, announcing it would consider selling most, even all, of its stake in its prized flash-memory chips business. Shares traded down around 10.3 percent in late morning trade. The company has also launched a probe into whether there was potential inappropriate conduct during its 2015 acquisition of Westinghouse, Nikkei reported. Read the full report here. The developments came to light after Toshiba, due to release its third quarter earnings on Feb. 14, announced that the report has "not yet become available". Reports said the company would meet with bankers on Wednesday for further discussion. The company subsequently said it received approval to submit the report by March 14. "The era of the great industrial conglomerates is basically over. Do I think that Toshiba is going to survive? Personally I'm prepared to bet that they will but I think that in one or two years' time, it's going to be a completely different company," Jesper Koll, CEO of WisdomTree Japan KK, said on CNBC Squawk Box . Nomura suspended Toshiba's rating from its previous "buy" rating. Analyst Masaya Yamasaki wrote in a note that losses related to Toshiba's nuclear business could be more than the preliminary figures provided by the company. "These losses have not been confirmed and could be become bigger," Yamasaki wrote. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. More From CNBC Recently, a number of industry stakeholders including Ajay Soni, national president of the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association, Paul Taylor, president and CEO of Mortgage Professionals Canada, as well as a number of broker representatives attended a government meeting with the hopes of educating policymakers about the roadblocks recent mortgage rule changes have put in front of potential homebuyers. What were doing is were fighting regulator perception as to where we should go, Soni recently told CMP. My worry is that well get overregulated and that will work against some of the value proposition that is so inherent in mortgage broker and mortgage broker services. Since the launch of CMBA in April of 2015, a major focus has been government lobbying; an attempt by the industry to be taken seriously by policymakers and to have its voice heard. Its something the countrys other national association has always focused on and one it has ramped up its dedication to. Paul Taylor recently admitted on the Canadian Mortgage Hangout that he has visited Ottawa a number of times since the introduction of new mortgage rules last October. Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today Mostly cloudy. High around 80F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chitose Suzuki Whether youre a painting contractor, floor installer, renovation contractor or supervisor, you might encounter lead paint while on the job. The Midland College Workforce Continuing Education department is offering a certification course that meets the criteria for several government agencies, according to a press release. The lead paint initial certification course will take place 8:15 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Midland College Advanced Technology Center, 3200 W. Cuthbert Ave. The course fee is $365. BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK -- If it belonged to anyone, this expanse of high desert was first the domain of the nomadic Chisos Indians, who were killed off by the Apaches, who were defeated by the Spanish, who were run off by the Comanches -- until white settlers imported repeating rifles and put an end to all debate about who owned what. Six different flags have claimed the land that composes Big Bend National Park, but the arid Chihuahuan limestone soil resists most attempts at settlement. The Spanish called it El Despoblado, the uninhabited land. For most of its history, the 800,000 acres belonged to the wild. Now, many here are worried about what would be the most powerful territorial claim of all: A proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that, if extended as far as this remote national park, would form a permanent divide along the Rio Grande. No one knows how far beyond cities such a wall would extend, but conservationists here already are raising an alarm. Their chief fear is that such a barrier would threaten the slow but steady reintroduction of wildlife species killed off here during the 19th and 20th centuries, one of the Southwests most important environmental success stories. It would completely ruin the experience of one of the most beautiful natural places left in this country, said Rick LoBello, a former Big Bend park ranger and director of the conservation group Greater Big Bend Coalition. Taken in from nearly any direction, the parks scale is staggering. Unlike heavily forested mountainous areas, the shrubby yucca, agave and creosote provide uninterrupted views of soaring peaks, lush, high-elevation glens and the American piece of the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest in North America. Created by a rain shadow effect between two mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental, the desert here was once a rich font of biodiversity, hosting species from bighorn sheep to gray wolves. Settlers from the Eastern U.S. claimed the land, first for the Republic of Texas, then the United States, and held the area for more than half a century. They grazed their livestock on a fragile ecosystem that crumbled under the demands of raising cattle. Grass was planted over native shrubbery, destroying the feeding stock of the areas natural predators. Undesirable plants were dug up by the acre; bats were driven from caves; bears, jaguars and wolves were shot on sight. Then the great drought of the Dust Bowl years in the 1930s drove many ranchers into financial ruin, and on the same day U.S. forces were landing on the shores of Normandy in France, on June 6, 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Big Bend National Park into existence. The Mexican black bear, which once wandered freely through the Chisos Mountains, had been one of the casualties of the ranching era. The bears had largely disappeared on the American side of the border by the 1940s, wiped out by hunting and poisoning. But the open border proved to be a boon. The bear survived in the Maderas del Carmen on the Mexican side of the border, and by the late 1980s, park rangers made a remarkable discovery: A black bear mother and cub had migrated to the U.S. side. By 1999, there were 343 sightings of bears on the American side of the river. The recolonization of black bears in Big Bend is a remarkable natural event, the park service says now on its website. But what would happen if the bears free-range habitat, so crucial to its re-emergence, were to be split by a wall? The answer, wildlife advocates and park officials say, would depend on the location and construction of the wall. Placing it on the border itself would be difficult: According to the original agreement struck between Mexico and the United States, the border runs to the deepest part of the Rio Grandes channel as it ran in 1848, the year of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. I cant even begin to predict what the impact would be without knowing the specifics of the wall, said Big Bend Park Ranger Jeanette Juraldo. One potential concern, Juraldo said, would be the impact on plants along the Rio Grande. If it were to be in the river or along it, certainly we have several species of plants that would be affected, she said. As for the potential impact on the bears, its just basic science that a physical barrier would prevent the species from (mingling) genetics, Juraldo said. Isolating bears on either side of the wall, aside from the disruption to their foraging, could expose them to genetic weaknesses as the two separated bands began to inbreed. The disruption could extend beyond a physical barrier, LoBello said. Vegetation that gets in the way of construction would probably be cleared, reducing available food sources for the parks dozens of protected and endangered species, including the long-nosed bat, which relies on agave plants dense nutrient content on long migratory flights. Increased human activity on both sides of the border with construction and monitoring of a wall would drive species away from a natural point of intermingling, further isolating their genetics, conservationists fear. There are also worries that construction of a barrier would interfere with the very nature of the park, once envisioned as a binational free zone between Mexico and the U.S., though that plan never came to fruition. What will be the future relationship of these neighboring protected areas on the United States/Mexico border? the parks leadership asks rhetorically on its website. Only time will reveal the exact outcome. Jude Hickey has no such ambiguity. He has been coming to Big Bend from his home in Austin for a decade, and when considering the prospect of a wall dividing the river, he scoffed. I dont know that we could even undo that if it happened, Hickey said. Its really just natural once. Then its gone. --- Distributed by Tribune Content Agency Le Pen is on course to be France's next president, fund manager says from AI analysis Marine Le Pen is on course to be the next president of France, according to one fund manager's big-data analysis. Arun Kant, chief executive and chief investment officer at Singapore-based investing firm Leonie Hill Capital, told CNBC he expected the right-wing populist to prevail thanks to his firm's proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) system's analysis of troves of data. His analysis which he said incorporates inputs such as social and traditional media discussions, polling, economics and demographics predicts that Le Pen will "walk over" her opponents in the first electoral test and then prove most forecasters wrong and steal the lead in the second ballot, Kant said. The French vote is split into two phases, with the top two candidates from the April 23 round due to face each other in a second run-off on May 7. In the running alongside 48-year old Le Pen are former economy minister and independent candidate Emmanuel Macron , conservative ex-prime minister Francois Fillon and socialist Benoit Hamon. Kant's AI program predicts that Le Pen would take 28 percent of the vote in the first round, he said, which would best 16.4 percent for Fillon, and 19 to 20 percent for Macron. Current inputs are pointing to a Macron victory in the second round 52.3 percent to 47.7 for Le Pen Kant said, but he added that he expects the right-wing politician to gain considerable ground after a first round victory. "If she wins the first round, this dynamic will change," he said, noting the similarities between the populist appeal of Le Pen and President Donald Trump. And with this predicted momentum, Le Pen will likely win the presidency, Kant said. An IFOP poll published on Feb. 14 placed Le Pen in the lead for the April 23 ballot, with around 25.5 percent of the vote. Most election-watchers expect, however, that Le Pen would lose the second round of voting to Macron. In fact, Kant said his AI analysis predicted that the only way Macron could win is if some unexpected factor were to pull undecided voters in his favor. Story continues Le Pen, a former attorney, is leader of the French National Front (FN), a right-wing political party founded by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen. And this isn't the first time she's run for the country's top job. In the 2012 election, she won 17.9 percent of the vote in the first round, a record result for the FN, but failed to enter the second round. Her policies mirror those of Trump'sshe is a fierce critic of open borders and free trade . Like the White House chief, she also believes in nationalism and economic protectionism, having vowed to pull France out of the European Union. Announcing her candidacy for the French presidency in a strident speech earlier this month in Lyon, Le Pen told supporters that European "borders have been erased and our countries have become station concourses." "What is at stake in this election ... is whether France can still be a free nation," Le Pen said at that rally, according to Reuters. "The divide is not between the left and right any more but between patriots and globalists." Kant declined to share his investing plans around his Le Pen projection, but he did explain that he expected her victory to mean the beginning of the end of the European Union. And with that, he said, currencies around the world will see massive fluctuations and "it may lead to a financial crisis much sooner than anyone thinks." Still, Kant's prediction of a Le Pen victory is definitely not the consensus call. As of Tuesday, betting markets implied about a 30 percent chance of Le Pen winning the presidency. The bulk of strategists said they believe she can reach the second round, but will struggle to cross the 50 percent threshold needed to become president. Given the sheer unpredictability of recent political events like Brexit and Trump's rise to power, however, several experts told CNBC that anything was possible. There is a chance she could win the presidency, said Simon Baptist, global chief economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit. "Le Pen has taken care to present herself as a candidate with reasonable views, which has helped her to push the National Front from the fringes to the mainstream. Recent events, such as the refugee crisis , terrorist attacks , and the rise of populist leaders elsewhere , have also played into her hands." A poll by French newspaper Le Figaro indicated the French were more pessimistic about globalization than other countries sentiments that may play into Le Pen's hands. "The day before the U.S. election, pollsters gave Trump a 1.6 percent chance of victory, so while I wouldn't consider a Le Pen victory a baseline scenario, I wouldn't count her out," said Tony Nash, managing partner and chief economist of Complete Intelligence. While Le Pen's controversial views have only appealed to a minority of voters thus far, many have warned that her popularity could swell if rival parties fall prey to more scandals. Allegations emerged last month that Fllion's wife was paid for a fake job ; the 62-year old candidate has so far rejected the claims. Markets, analysts said, are acknowledging the chances of a victory for the French right-wing. "I think the market is telling us a clear message that investors are finally waking up to the risk of a Le Pen win," Callum Henderson, head of global markets research for the Eurasia Group, told CNBC in an email. He pointed to the the Bund-OAT spread's beginning to "widen out sharply," and France's CAC 40 index "significantly" underperforming Germany's DAX index. And then there are others who adamantly rule out the prospect of a Le Pen presidency. "Based on all the polls, as well as the polarization in France, she has virtually no chance," warned Cas Mudde, associate professor at the University of Georgia. "People argue she can win because they doubt the polls after Brexit and Trump. However, in both cases the margins were much smaller than between Le Pen and Macron or Fillon." If Le Pen were to win, Henderson said, "markets would riot" because of her comments on France leaving the European Union. Still, he added, her rhetoric might not accurately reflect what would happen in the country. "It is highly questionable whether she would be able to (initiate a French exit from the EU or the euro) if she did win because parliament would not likely pass much ideas, but the initial market reaction would be very volatile and very negative," Henderson said. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Benoit Hamon is the socialist candidate in the upcoming French presidential elections. More From CNBC Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today. Mattel (MAT) shares were higher in early trading after the Barbie maker announced a partnership with Alibaba (BABA) to sell products through the Chinese e-commerces giants online marketplace Tmall. Mattel will also be working with A.I. lab to develop new products for Chinese consumers. Yahoo (YHOO), the parent company of Yahoo Finance, owns a 15% stake in Alibaba. Aetna (AET) and Humana (HUM) have both agreed to end their $34 billion dollar merger agreement. The decision comes after a federal judge sided with the Justice Department and blocked the deal in late January citing antitrust concerns. Aetna will pay Humana a breakup fee of $1 billion dollars. General Motors (GM) stock rose in early trading following news that the US automaker is in talks with French carmaker PSA group over the potential sale of its European Opel division. The deal could be announced within days, according to Reuters. Apple (AAPL) remains on investors watch list this morning after the stock hit an all-time high yesterday amid optimism that the release of a 10th-anniversary iPhone will boost sales. That drove Apples market value back above $700 billion dollars for the first time in two years. This comes after Goldman Sachs raised the price target on the stock on Monday to $150 a share. Amazon (AMZN) is launching a new videoconferencing system called Chime. Chime will work on either a computer or smartphone. Amazon plans to compete with Microsofts (MSFT) Skype and Ciscos (CSCO) WebEx. Michael Flynn Michael Flynn abruptly resigned as national security adviser on Monday evening amid an uproar over conversations he had with a Russian diplomat and his broader dealings with Russia. President Donald Trump named retired Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellogg the acting national security adviser. The news came soon after a Washington Post report suggested some US officials believed Flynn could be susceptible to Russian blackmail and after he faced new scrutiny over a call with Russia's ambassador to the US during which the pair apparently discussed US sanctions. The report from The Washington Post on Monday night said Sally Yates, the acting attorney general at the time, in January warned the White House that Flynn had misled officials about his correspondence with Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the US. Trump fired Yates at the end of January after she refused to enforce his now-suspended travel ban. The Post cited an anonymous official as saying that both the director of national intelligence and the CIA director at the time, James Clapper and John Brennan, expressed concern that "Flynn had put himself in a compromising position" with Russia and agreed that Vice President Mike Pence deserved to know he had been misled. It remains unclear what White House counsel Donald McGahn did with that information. Flynn said he apologized to Pence on Monday, saying he may have discussed the Obama administration's sanctions with Kislyak before Trump was sworn in, which would've been a breach of protocol. Flynn had previously contended that US sanctions never came up during his conversations with Kislyak. "Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador," Flynn wrote in his resignation letter Monday night. "I have sincerely apologized to the president and vice president, and they have accepted my apology." Story continues President Barack Obama announced new sanctions on Russia in late December for that country's alleged role in election-related cyberattacks. Sally Yates Major fallout As the evidence of Flynn's discussions mounted, including transcripts of calls, a spokesman said Flynn "indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn't be certain that the topic never came up." The damage had already been done, however, as The New York Times reports that three administration officials familiar with the situation reportedly said Pence, who made several television appearances to defend Flynn, was incensed at the national security adviser for apparently withholding information. Earlier Monday, the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said in a statement that the White House was "evaluating the situation" with Flynn. A senior Trump administration official also said officials were aware of the matter and were "working on this for weeks." Mounting pressure Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers had urged Flynn to resign. On Monday, Republican Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado released this statement: "As national security advisor, Michael Flynn is responsible to the President, Vice President, and the American people. It is his duty to be fully transparent and forthright in his actions anything less is unacceptable. If in fact he purposely misled the President, he should step down immediately." Rumors of Flynn's removal were also fueled when sources close to the White House told Politico on Monday that Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was taking part in the search for potential replacements for Flynn. One of these replacements could be retired Gen. David Petraeus, according to Politico, which said he was scheduled to meet with Trump this week. "They are trying to figure out the solution to Flynn right now," one of Politico's sources said. "The problem is they don't have it yet. They need to get a solution." Here's the full text of Flynn's resignation letter: In the course of my duties as the incoming National Security Advisor, I held numerous phone calls with foreign counterparts, ministers, and ambassadors. These calls were to facilitate a smooth transition and begin to build the necessary relationships between the President, his advisors and foreign leaders. Such calls are standard practice in any transition of this magnitude. Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador. I have sincerely apologized to the President and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology. Throughout my over thirty three years of honorable military service, and my tenure as the National Security Advisor, I have always performed my duties with the utmost of integrity and honesty to those I have served, to include the President of the United States. I am tendering my resignation, honored to have served our nation and the American people in such a distinguished way. I am also extremely honored to have served President Trump, who in just three weeks, has reoriented American foreign policy in fundamental ways to restore America's leadership position in the world. As I step away once again from serving my nation in this current capacity, I wish to thank President Trump for his personal loyalty, the friendship of those who I worked with throughout the hard fought campaign, the challenging period of transition, and during the early days of his presidency. I know with the strong leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and the superb team they are assembling, this team will go down in history as one of the greatest presidencies in U.S. history, and I firmly believe the American people will be well served as they all work together to help Make America Great Again. Michael T. Flynn, LTG (Ret) Assistant to the President / National Security Advisor More From Business Insider New Melones Reservoir boat launch detail, taken Feb. 12, 2017. View Photos Sonora, CA The disastrous flooding at Lake Oroville dam is evoking comparisons between current conditions there and the sharply contrasting ones at New Melones. Tri-Dam Project partners the Oakdale (OID) and South San Joaquin (SSJID) irrigation districts, owners of Beardsley, Donnells and Tulloch lakes, which operate those facilities under a flow agreement through New Melones Dam under the water management auspices of the Bureau of Reclamation, this week are illuminating differences as well as what they see as a distinct positive in the relatively less turbulent but still distressing circumstances involving the water system stakeholders of the Stanislaus River. Certainly, after five years of drought combined with government-mandated water releases for fish flows there is still much more than ample inflow room in New Melones, which continues to come in at the bottom of the states lowest-level major reservoirs. Its levels, now at 93 percent of average for this time of year, are just 56 percent of its total 2.4 million AF storage capacity. District officials note that it began the winter with about 500,000 acre-feet (AF) of water. It currently measures at about 1.3 million AF. To view a video taken Sunday click here. Maybe 75 Percent Full By Spring? Even with one of the wettest winters on record, Tri-Dam estimates New Melones might peak at about 1.8 million AF later this spring, which would allow it to hit the mark of roughly three-quarters full. Last weeks inflow was measured at about 40,000 cubic feet (cf) per second. By yesterday inflow was coming in at 10,000 cfs, of which just about 200 cfs was scheduled for release. For the record, only once since it opened in 1978 has New Melones filled, according to Tri-Dam and that was back in the record-setting wet winter of 1983. However, at that time, it was already packing 1.3 million AF of water before any runoff arrived. According to OID General Manager Steve Knell it is possible that New Melones might end up somewhat closer to that point by this fall. Due to demands on Melones based off the annual watershed yield what it produces and demands downstream, average winters do not help Melones at all anymore, Knell maintains. Huge precipitation water-years in between the dry ones might bring short-term fixes, he admits. But over time, Melones gets worse and worse because the demands are greater than the inflow over the long-term. Haunted By Growing Demands, Creeping Losses Continuing, Knell points out, While this is a good yearsystemic problems with reservoir operations will creep backand we will be dealing with a reservoir that is on the decline and not being managed sustainably because of the fishand flow requirements. He adds that if the state is able to do what it presently wants conditions are likely to worsen. As reported here, state regulators are proposing to greatly increase spring fish flows down the Stanislaus River by diverting even more water from New Melones. The plan is currently under hot contest by Tri-Dam and other stakeholders; especially now as it would eat away at this winters hard-won storage gains. An 11-year study that focused on fall pulse flows, covered here, recently emphasized that fish species are doing well with water releases using less than half the previously prescribed amount. Public comments are still being accepted by the water board through March 17. Listed as Northern Californias fourth-largest reservoir, New Melones has, according to Knell, a much smaller by proportion watershed feeding it by design. The now brimming Don Pedro Reservoir, while about 20 percent smaller, drains a watershed that is 60 percent larger, which is why much more water is being released into the Tuolumne River. Don Pedro, now at 141 percent of its historic average, is sitting at 98 percent of its total capacity. As more precipitation melting conditions eke away at the Sierra snowpack, several reservoirs close to capacity will be conducting more spilling. Melones own emergency spillway, like Orovilles is also earthen, providing Tri-Dam and other water managers with a take-away, as Knell confides, that such essential infrastructure begs essential improvements. Lessons Learned, Moving Forward Expressing deep sympathy for the thousands of people who were temporarily displaced by the infrastructure failure at Oroville the states second largest reservoir and keystone to the California Water Project that now sits at 96 percent of its 3.5-plus million AF capacity Tri-Dam officials say the situation serves as a vivid reminder of waters enormous power as well as the importance of responsibly managing it. Knell evokes the massive collapse at Idahos Teton Dam as a somber example. Its failure 40 years ago, as it was initially being filled to capacity, sent 300,000 AF of water down the Snake River that demolished thousands of homes and businesses and took over a dozen lives. It also literally wiped a few small towns off the map and wreaked $1 billion in damage. I think Melones has a lot of protection to it, as far as uncontrolled spills. Orovillerequires a higher level of management to never use that emergency spillway, Knell states. For this year and winter, that capacity [at Oroville] was really reached, which really threw a wrench in their operations plans. It allowed the reservoir to fill up because they could not dump out as much water and because the emergency spillway has never been fully developed, it still has its problems, which they are now working hard to correct. In sharp contrast, New Melones, not only by design but because of what Tri-Dam officials term as disproportionately unfair water demands on it, Knell says not even during the states wettest winter in 35 years will New Melones come close to filling. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Sierra Nevada, from late tonight through Thursday afternoon. Total snow accumulations will range from half-a-foot to two feet above the 6,000 foot elevation. Chain controls will be likely. Poor visibility may make travel hazardous. There will be renewed concern for mudslides over the steeper terrain. A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet, or ice accumulations that may impact travel. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) lamented that the large segment of Californians clamoring to secede from the U.S. have no loyalty to this country whatsoever during an interview Tuesday on The Laura Ingraham Show. McClintock was Wednesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. McClintock recently endured a raucous town hall event in early February in which the attendance of hundreds of anti-Trump protesters led to police escorting McClintock out of the building. These protesters reflect the 32 percent of Californians who support secession from the union, according to McClintock. No conceivable act of God could do that much damage to a beautiful state like California, but acts of government can and they have. McClintock told Ingraham. When a third of a state hates our Constitution and our country so much that they would back a secession movement, thats a pretty powerful warning not to let that happen across the rest of the country, McClintock said. And I suspect that part of the reason for the popularity of the secession movement in California is the fact that you have a large portion of the population that has no loyalty to this country whatsoever. Both Ingraham and McClintock said the steep leftward shift of California can be attributed in large part to mass influxes of illegal and legal immigrants, as well as the mass exodus from the state that occurred as their state began going to hell. The Democrats know that the more immigrants, both legal and illegal, that come in, the bigger their piece of the electoral pie. And its worked out very well for them as a political matter, has it not? Ingraham asked. McClintock said thats part of the reason many people have fled California over the last several decades. Republicans are still winning the vote in California. The problem is people are now voting with their feet. And that is a serious problem, McClintock said. Noting that voters nationally acted to turn things around during the 2016 election in one of the most dramatic political realignments in the history of our country, McClintock bemoaned his states refusal to do the same. We havent seen that in California. And we have not seen much of that in states like Illinois and New York that are dominated by the Democrats, McClintock said. If your countrys going to hell, you dont renounce your citizenship and move to Belize. You stay and fight because, by God, this is your country. But if your states going to hell, there comes a time when its just a lot easier to move to another state. And Im afraid thats what many Californians are doing. McClintock said, however, that there are many reasons to hold on to hope for Californias future. Noting that there are a lot of Californians who are cheering the Trump administrations efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and secure the borders, McClintock said there is still significant Republican support in the state. Dont forget, its our schools that are being completely overwhelmed by illegal immigration. Our hospitals are being completely overwhelmed. Our jails and prisons. Its our economy, McClintock said. So, I think Trump will find an awful lot of people cheering him on in California as he restores the rule of law and the integrity of our borders and the sovereignty of our country. Theres even some hope that the president and the Republican Party can succeed in converting California liberals to their cause, McClintock suggested. If Donald Trump is successful in reviving our economy, and I am very confident he will be, states like California are going to be left in the dust. And I think thats going to be a very powerful message, McClintock said. And I think the example the Trump administration is going to show in reviving our economy, securing our borders, restoring our national security those are going to be powerful messages across the entire country and they will even permeate a place like California. Californians have done enough damage to themselves already, McClintock said, adding that the time is now for change to take root and flourish. Californias got everything in the world going for it except for wise government, McClintock said. You look at that beautiful state, most equitable climate in the hemisphere, most bountiful resources in the country. Were on the Pacific Rim in a position to dominate world trade for a century, and yet people are finding a better future out in the middle of Nevada, Arizona, and Texas deserts. No conceivable act of God could do that much damage to a beautiful state like California, but acts of government can and they have, McClintock added. And people are registering that by leaving. And thats a warning to the rest of the country. The Laura Ingraham show is heard every weekday afternoon from 3 to 6 PM on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on KVML. Written script from Laura Ingrahams Lifezette.com Washington, DC Californias senior U.S. Senator is requesting more information surrounding the resignation of President Donald Trumps National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Dianne Feinstein has released a statement through her office that the resignation is an important first step, but there are a growing number of questions that must be answered. Flynn resigned after it was revealed that he reportedly misled some White House officials about his conversations with a Russian Ambassador to the US. The California Senator is calling for an independent investigation into recent communications with Russia. Feinstein says she specifically wants answers to the following questions: -What else is there to know about contacts between Trumps advisors and Russian officials? -What actions did the White House take when the Justice Department warnedweeks agothat General Flynn posed a risk of blackmail by Russian officials? -Did the White House limit his access to classified documents and briefings and was he still advising the president on national security concerns? -Did General Flynn act alone or did others connected to Trump know about and authorize his communications with Russian officials, including his discussion of U.S. sanctions? President Donald Trump took to Twitter this morning in response concerns about communications with Russia. He stated, The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! Sonora, CA Congressman Tom McClintock will host a pair of town hall meetings in the region next week. On Tuesday, February 21, McClintock will meet with constituents at 6pm at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds in Building A. The following day, Wednesday, February 22, McClintock will hold a meeting at 6pm in the Sonora High School Auditorium. During town hall meetings, McClintock has traditionally given brief opening remarks about issues up for debate in Washington DC, and then opens it up for questions from the audience. Earlier this month McClintock received a police escort out of a town hall meeting in Roseville after things started to get out of hand with some of the audience. McClintock stated at the time that he would continue to host town hall meetings despite the disruption. Defense ministers from NATO are under pressure to raise thier contributions to the security group as conflicts grow across the world and as the new U.S. administration urges more compliance from member states. According to Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of NATO, the group faces "great security challenges" and as a result there needs to be "fair burden-sharing" and higher defense spending. "We do reduce defense spending in times when tensions are going down, we have to be able to increase defense spending when tensions are going up as they are now," Stoltenberg told reporters on Tuesday. NATO data confirmed Tuesday showed that last year spending increased in real terms by 3.8 percent among European allies and Canada. This boosted NATO's funds by about $10 billion. Even though such figures were slightly above expectations, Stolenberg told reporters the momentum has to continue. The new U.S. administration has repeatedly said that all 28 NATO members have to comply with their commitment to the spending target. At the moment, only five of them respect the 2 percent contribution: the U.S., Greece, the U.K., Estonia and Poland. President Donald Trump has described NATO as "obsolete" and has claimed that it has not been successful in "taking care of terror", adding that European countries need to increase their defense contributions. "We only ask that all of the NATO members make their full and proper financial contributions to the NATO alliance, which many of them have not been doing," Trump said in a speech last week. His remarks have not been well-received in Europe, but Stoltenberg agreed with Trump when it comes to members' contributions. "In my two phone calls with President Trump defense spending has been a main topic and he has strongly expressed his strong commitment to NATO, to the transatlantic bond but at the same time President Trump has in both the phone calls also underlined the importance of a fairer burden sharing And I agree with him," Stoltenberg told reporters. Story continues A 'fundamental bedrock' Stoltenberg received the U.S. defense secretary James Mattis, ahead of a ministers meeting this Wednesday in Brussels. They told reporters that the main purpose of the gathering is to work on the new security challenges that NATO faces and "burden-sharing" at a "crucial time" for the transatlantic alliance. "Neither Europe, nor North American can tackle (the new security challenges) alone," Stoltenberg told the press. Despite Trump's comments of NATO becoming "obsolete", Mattis reiterated the U.S.' commitment to NATO, describing the organization as a "fundamental bedrock for the United States." "(Trump) has strong support for NATO," Mattis told reporters in Brussels. Later this year, Trump is set to attend a NATO leaders' meeting where spending is set to remain a key topic. Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. More From CNBC A Lakeland Electric worker mauled by two dogs on Monday spoke to the media Tuesday. The attack left Linda Dionne with more than a dozen bite wounds. She had bandages on both legs and arms. Linda Dionne, 59, was doing her job Monday Lakeland Electric employee was mauled by two dogs PREVIOUS STORY: Lakeland Electric employee injured in dog attack, Polk detectives say Dionne said she pulled her work vehicle through an open gate at a home on Fish Hatchery Road so she could cut off power to the home. She said at first the two dogs were very friendly so she started walking towards the meter. "They didn't seem aggressive," said Dionne. She was wagging her tail and so I started walking to the meter and everything was fine." But then the dogs came after her. "All of a sudden she just lunged at me, said Dionne. Dionne then did something that may have saved her life. She pressed the orange emergency button on her Lakeland Electric radio, which took over all Lakeland Police channels so everyone could hear her cries for help. While waiting for help to arrive, the dogs continued to attack. Dionne said she was cornered on the porch and was using whatever she could grab to fend off the dogs. So I grabbed the saw and I started handing her that saw and the blood was starting to run down my arm so bad I was starting to lose the grip of the saw, she said. When Polk Sheriffs Master Deputy Matthew Dennis arrived the dogs were still attacking. "She was actively fighting and fighting what appeared to be two pit bulls off of her, said Dennis. She was actively being mauled." When the dogs came after Dennis he said he shot at them. A bullet struck one of the dogs in the head. The wounded dog and the other dog still kept trying to attack. "They kept actively trying to come around to Linda and I, said Dennis. He shot and killed the wounded dog. The other dog was captured by other deputies. Linda Dionne believes Matthew Dennis saved her life. "I felt like he was my savior. He was my lifeline." The owner of the dogs, Matthew Overton, was arrested for not having one of the dogs restrained. That dog, Sophie, had been declared dangerous last year because she attacked a Lakeland woman. As investigations into Russia's involvement in last year's election move forward, a new report says members of President Donald Trump's campaign were in contact with Russian intelligence officials during the White House race. Report claims Trump team in contact with Russians during campaign Conversations discovered through phone records, intercepted calls RELATED: Congress calls for investigation into Flynn resignation, Russian ties The New York Times said the conversations with Russian officials were discovered through phone records and intercepted calls. The paper said American investigators intercepted the calls as they were collecting evidence that Russia was hacking Democratic Party emails in an effort to disrupt the election. But intelligence officials interviewed by The Times said they have found no proof that the Trump campaign was cooperating with the Russians. The Times report comes as members of Congress from both parties are calling for an independent investigation following the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 At issue are concerns over Flynn's reported discussions about sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. before Trump took office. The White House said Trump did not instruct Flynn to discuss sanctions with the ambassador and asked him to step down over trust problems, not for legal reasons. Trump took to Twitter early Wednesday morning, again lashing out at media outlets over what he considers false and misleading reporting. Amid the controversy swirling around his administration, Trump is welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on Wednesday. Netanyahu is expected to have a warmer relationship with Trump than he had with former President Barack Obama. But the tone of the meeting is still unclear, since Trump seems to have softened the hard-line stance he had taken on some key issues during the presidential campaign. One of the biggest concerns facing the two men is the construction of new Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Since taking office, Trump has suggested that the settlements may not be helpful to the Middle East peace process. Trump is also expected to welcome Florida senator and former presidential candidate Marco Rubio for dinner at the White House on Wednesday night. The president famously referred to Rubio as "Little Marco" throughout the campaign. Gov. Rick Scott's $618 million tax cut package encountered bipartisan resistance in a Florida House panel Tuesday. It underscores the challenging political environment the governor finds himself in just three weeks before the start of the 2017 legislative session. $618 million tax cut package from Gov. Rick Scott Three-quarters benefit corporations, other cuts are sales tax holidays Lawmakers concerned plan too expensive, nothing for homeowners As one of Scott's economic policy aides detailed the governor's plan before the House Ways and Means Committee, members took aim at the size and scope of the cuts, three-quarters of which would benefit corporations. "I understand that a lot of these are smaller businesses, but nonetheless, it's an overall economic theory, and it's overt at this point, when you look at these numbers," remarked Rep. Evan Jenne (D-Hollywood). "Right now in the state of Florida, we have the fourth-largest wealth gap in the entire nation, and continuing percentages like these across the board, not just in this package but overall, in what we've moved to over the course of the last few years, only exacerbates that." The package also wouldn't slow increases in property taxes stemming from climbing valuations, an omission some of the governor's fellow Republicans find unacceptable. "I don't see anything here for homeowners," Rep. Bob Cortes (R-Altamonte Springs) said. For members who didn't take issue with the targeting of the cuts, there was another issue: affordability. State economists are projecting a slight budget deficit that House Speaker Richard Corcoran (R-Land O'Lakes) believes will be much more dire as the springtime legislative session hits its stride. "In my estimation, we are probably more between a half and a billion dollars in the hole," Corcoran told reporters in November. A deficit that large could crowd out funding for all but the state's most essential priorities, but Scott is continuing to insist that the gloomy budget outlook is out of step with the strength of Florida's economy. "There are always people who say we cannot afford to cut taxes," Scott said in January, "but they are absolutely wrong." Democratic leaders have charged that the state's slashing of billions of dollars in corporate taxes under Scott's leadership has failed to result in the kind of business expansion the governor promised would lead to increased state tax revenue, instead leaving behind looming deficits. But if the news from the House Office Building was disheartening Tuesday, Scott enjoyed a pep talk on another of his priorities -- saving Florida's economic development programs from extinction -- from two strange bedfellows: the Democratic mayors of Tampa and Orlando. "We support whoever helps our cities, and in this case, we happen to think the governor is right," said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who visited Scott's office with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. "We've seen the benefit because we're on the ground." Compared to the tax cuts, House Republicans are considerably more opposed to the incentive programs, with Corcoran leading a trailblazing effort to dismantle what he dismissively calls "corporate welfare." WASHINGTON - The Red River Gradient Boundary Survey Act, H.R. 428, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon), on Tuesday passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 250-171. The bill establishes a fair and balanced process to conduct an accurate survey of contested land along the Red River to find the proper boundary between public and private ownership. This bill essentially requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to do what they should have done all along. Its passage in the House is an important step toward providing these landowners with the legal certainty they deserve. I hope we can use this momentum to get the bill passed in the Senate and then signed into law by the President, Thornberry said. I will continue working with the landowners, local and state officials, and Senator Cornyn (R-TX) until this issue is resolved once and for all. For nearly a century, the BLM has failed to survey a small strip of federal land along the entire 116-mile stretch of the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas. The BLM has never actively managed the small strip of federal land, and its own estimates of how much they own have varied widely over the years. As a result, private landowners along the river are now unsure whether the land that they have held titles to and have paid taxes on, in some cases for generations, will remain in their families or be confiscated by the federal government. Since concern first arose in December 2013, Thornberrys office has held multiple meetings, phone calls, and other correspondence with landowners, as well as local and state officials, to coordinate action. The legislation will provide legal certainty to property owners along the Red River by: Commissioning a survey of the entire 116-mile stretch of contested area along the Red River using the gradient boundary survey method developed and backed by the Supreme Court to find the proper ownership boundary between public and private land. Ordering that the survey be conducted by licensed and qualified surveyors chosen by Texas and Oklahoma. Providing states the authority to oversee the surveyors and approve the final survey to ensure the Supreme Court instructions are properly followed. Requiring that a notice of survey approval, a copy of the survey, and any related field notes be provided to each individual land owner after the survey is completed. Ensuring that nothing in the bill alters the Red River Boundary Compact, modifies the interests of the states, or harms the rights of the impacted federally recognized Indian Tribes. Gillette razor Trian Fund Management, the activist hedge fund cofounded by billionaire Nelson Peltz, has taken a stake in Procter & Gamble, The Wall Street Journal reports. P&G's stock was up 4% in after-hours trading on the news. Trian is the second activist hedge fund to invest in P&G in recent years. In 2012, Bill Ackman's Pershing Square invested, leading then-CEO Robert McDonald to step down within a year, the Journal reported. P&G is the maker of everything from Gillette to Crest to Pantene to Tampax. Peltz said in December that he had taken a new position but did not disclose which company it was in. His firm raised a special fund in recent months exclusively for its P&G position, according to the Journal report. A number of other hedge funds disclosed new positions in 13-F filings on Tuesday. Read the full story in The Wall Street Journal NOW WATCH: The best and worst months to rent an apartment in major US cities More From Business Insider WALLINGFORD The Town Council voted this week to approve an appropriation of $520,000 for legal fees in the Electric Divisions ongoing arbitration with the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative. If the most recent appropriation is spent in its entirety, it would bring the towns total legal fees for dispute with CMEEC to about $2.1 million, according to a memorandum by Public Utilities Director George Adair to the Public Utilities Commission. Last week, Adair said the $520,000 request, approved by the Town Council on Tuesday, was based on an updated legal schedule and cost estimates provided by the towns outside legal counsel, McCarter & English LLP. The council voted unanimously to approve the request. Councilor Craig Fishbein was absent from the meeting. The legal fees are taken from the Electric Divisions retained earnings, PUC Chairman Bob Beaumont said. The PUC originally budgeted $360,000 for legal fees in this years budget, which the appropriation will augment. The $520,000 will be used for additional legal fees incurred through the fiscal year ending June 30. Adair and Beaumont met with the Town Council, Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. and Town Attorney Gerald Farrell Sr. in a closed door meeting Tuesday to discuss pending legal strategy before approving the costs in open session. The dispute revolves around how much the cooperative charged Wallingfords Electric Division through various agreements. Prior to the vote, Council Chairman Vincent Cervoni asked Adair to update the public on the status of the arbitration process. Adair said arbitration is moving into its final phases. He said the case involves Wallingfords claims that CMEEC is overcharging it through various contracts. Is there something we can talk about that gives us confidence that we are on the right track? Cervoni asked Adair. In response, Adair deferred to Farrell, who said the town has fared well to date. Beginning in September, arbitrator Eric Van Loon began making a series of interim rulings. Wallingford is seeking total damages of $18 million, the amount it claims CMEEC is overcharging the town through 2027. According to Adairs memorandum, Wallingford estimates that it will have been overcharged $6.5 million by the end of 2017. Wallingford estimates that CMEEC will continue to overcharge the town $1.15 million each subsequent year through 2017, totaling $11.5 million. We are in this together, Gov. Dannel Malloy said last month at the end of his State of the State address. The this that were in is a looming state budget deficit that keeps changing, but now looks to be around $3.6 billion over the next two years. One thing the governor plans to do about it is to cut state aid to towns based in part on their ability to pay, which has Wallingford on alert. The towns $29.2 million in financial reserves certainly factored into Malloys proposed $10.2 million cut in aid to the town for the upcoming fiscal year. In fact, more than 130 municipalities would lose aid under his plan including Cheshire ($4.7 million); Southington (just over $2 million); Berlin and North Haven ($4.9 million each); and Plainville ($1.6 million). Only a handful of the largest cities would gain, the top beneficiaries being Waterbury ($40.8 million); Hartford ($38.1 million); and New Britain ($24.2 million). Meriden would gain a bit ($1.4 million). Its outrageous, Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr., a Republican, said of Wallingfords proposed cut, which would amount to almost 40 percent. This is way beyond what I anticipated. It seems extremely unfair given the suddenness and size of it. This is a financial tsunami. Dickinson should keep in mind that Malloys proposed budget is just a starting point. It is unlikely that state aid to Wallingford will be cut by $10.2 million in the budget eventually passed by the state legislature. State Rep. Craig Fishbein, a Republican who is also a Wallingford town councilor, said he doesnt know of any legislator who would support the proposed budget. It appears that in his latest budget, the governor, after recognizing the state has been bankrupt for years, is saying to the legislature, You go figure it out, Fishbein said. Other things the governor is planning to do include sharing the pain of funding the state teachers pension fund with the municipalities by turning one-third of it over to them (around $407 million per year, which factors into the cuts mentioned above); introducing a state spending cap (although the General Assembly, which would have to enact such a cap, could just as easily do away with it later); and making the small towns pay for their resident state troopers. Another consideration that adds to the problem is that this state is one of just a few nationwide that are losing population, and some of that population consists of prosperous residents moving their taxable income to other states. What Malloy, or any other governor, can do about that is entirely unclear. Also troubling for Wallingford is the fact that its grand list of taxable property barely budged this year, up by only .33 percent, which could turn out to mean down by as much as 2 percent once all pending tax appeal lawsuits have been resolved. It has been suggested that Wallingford will need to get creative and think outside the box to offset the lost revenue. The entire state will have to do the same. We understand Wallingfords reaction to a 40 percent cut in state aid and hope that the legislature will restore some of that aid to the town. But we also understand the position Malloy is in. On one hand, he is blamed for the deficit. Yet each time he suggests spending reductions, he gets push back from the constituency involved. It seems that everyone thinks that their piece of the state pie is the most important and should not be cut. In the end, the best Malloy can do is spread the pain as evenly as possible. This means Wallingford and most other municipalities will have to do without some of the state aid they are used to receiving. (Adds details, background) ABUJA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Nigeria has not decided yet how much it wants to borrow from the World Bank, its budget minister said on Wednesday, to help pay for record spending of $24 billion this year. Diplomats and officials told Reuters last week the oil producer plans to present the required economic reform proposals to the World Bank this month to borrow at least $1 billion. "The figure will depend on the (2017) budget approved by the National Assembly," Udoma Udo Udoma, minister for budget and national planning, told reporters when asked about the application. "We are waiting for the passage of the budget by the National Assembly so that we will know the budget gap or the actual deficit before we can go to the World Bank for loan." Nigeria, which relies on oil revenue for most of its income, is struggling to drag itself out of its first recession for 25 years. It needs to plug a gap in its record 7.3 trillion naira 2017 budget aimed at stimulating the economy. It had planned to apply for a World Bank loan last year but the process ground to a halt because it failed to submit its economic recovery plans by the end of December as initially promised, sources told Reuters last month. The African Development Bank (AfDB) has been holding back the second, $400 million, tranche of a $1 billion loan because it is also awaiting a reform plan from the government. Nigeria will present its economic proposals to the AfDB at the same time as the World Bank, government officials said last week. (Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Louise Ireland) A customer who posted a Yelp review of a massage parlor in San Franciscos Financial District in December 2012 hinted that the code word is boom boom for a kinky massage that the business didnt advertise over the phone. More than four years later, City Attorney Dennis Herrera sued the alleged covert brothel, otherwise known as Queens Health Center in the 300 block of Kearny Street, for violating an egregious number of local laws and a state law against prostitution. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday, Herrera contended that the business has been operating as a brothel since at least April 2010, despite a slew of police investigations and city penalties designed to make its owner stop the illicit operations. The suit marked the first time in recent history that the city filed a civil action under a violation of a state antiprostitution law to stop the practice, Herrera said in a statement. This lawsuit sends a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated, Herrera said. It will also deter other would-be brothel owners from exploiting women. The suit, which also names a trustee who owned the property, claims Queens Health Service has since 2010 blatantly advertised its illegal sex services on sites such as backpage.com and Craigslist, depicting scantily clad women in provocative clothing and playing up the ethnicities of the women customers could choose from. In a May 2013 inspection, the city Department of Public Health found 10 masseuses wearing lingerie, and during separate undercover operations, workers offered police officers sex on at least three different occasions, the city attorney said. Queens Health Center also installed security cameras outside the building and a buzzer system for controlled entry to keep investigators away, as well as doorstops inside the massage room to delay inspectors entry, the city attorney said. The owner, Jie Qin Zhou, did not immediately return a call for comment. Herrera in his lawsuit is asking the court to close the business for a year, sell its property at auction and bring penalties against the property and business owner. In the summer of 2016, the Department of Public Health suspended the facilitys massage license for 60 days, but the business reopened and went right back to exploiting women, according to the city attorney. Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michael_bodley Richard Titus is a Bay Area native and lifelong British car lover. He retired from the Santa Clara County District Attorneys office in 2005, after prosecuting sexual assault and murder cases for 28 years. In retirement, Titus became a part-time bartender who also started a popular female impersonation revue called Fauxgirls!, which is still running at Encore Karaoke Lounge in San Francisco. My ride was love at first sight. It was the year 1968 when I first laid eyes on a friends 1965 Marcos. I thought that it was the most beautiful car I had ever seen, and I decided that I just had to have one. My girlfriend and I (she later became my wife) decided to go to England in 1970. I was a high school teacher at the time and a big English history buff. Vacation beckoned, and off we went. It was in the unlikely-named town of Leighton Buzzard that I found my 1967 Marcos at a dealership. We drove the car all over England and Europe for the next three months, camping as we went to save money. Since the Marcos has no luggage space, we put a large rack on the top. The car turned heads everywhere we went. I drove it to the Marcos factory at Westbury, where I got to see the cars being handmade. At the plant, I learned of Frank Costin, the cos in Marcos. Costin was the creative genius who worked on the celebrated Mosquito bomber during WWII. His use of marine plywood molded to a fiberglass body became a major part of Britains post-war racing scene. While getting used to the almost cockpit-like feeling of driving, I thought of the aeronautical design lineage. Unfortunately, because of the cars low profile combined with bad European roads, I tore the muffler off twice and wound up shipping the car home with no muffler or tailpipe. Back in California, I drove the car for eight years as my daily driver, always turning heads and getting questions from onlookers. After a mechanical breakdown and finding that parts were largely unavailable, I put the car in the garage. There it sat for the next 35 years, gathering dust and mice. After some serious prodding from a car enthusiast friend, I had it towed in 2014 to Union Jack in San Martin for a full restoration. They took a totally derelict car, stripped it down to body and frame and completely rebuilt it from the ground up. The engine is a 1500cc English Ford 4-cylinder Cortina, with a 4-speed English Ford manual transmission. The front end suspension and steering are from a Triumph Spitfire GT6. The car has a wood dashboard and steering wheel, just like a Jaguar, and of course, it has right-hand drive to take me back to those lovely rides through the English countryside. Austin Healey blue was chosen for the finishing touch. It was a major hit at the Saratoga Car Show this summer. A great many people stopped to look and ask questions about the Marcos, most having never even heard of this car. Due to production and logistical difficulties, the original Marcos company was short lived, and only 420 of this model were ever made. No other car means as much to me as this one does. The Marcos is a reminder of my youth, my marriage and my first trip to Europe, all tied up in one car. I am so happy that I finally choose to restore it. Its not just some car I found in a barn, it is a large part of my life and it represents the unbounded adventures of my youth. I hope to continue sharing my love for this little-known British gem with others for many years to come. Attention Bay Area drivers Were looking for submissions to the bi-weekly My Ride feature. We want to know what you drive and why. Send story ideas to cars@sfchronicle.com with the subject line My Ride. Police have identified the prime suspect in the Feb. 5, 2017 fatal shooting of a Louisiana man in south Houston. LaFredrick Johnson, 30, is charged with murder for his role in the shooting death of Alvin Reid, 37, Houston police said Tuesday. Dear Mr. Premack: I have been following various proposals from the Trump Administration, and am very concerned about the possibility that they will convert Medicaid to a Block Grant program as you mentioned in your January 16 column. Can you provide us with any of the pros- or cons-, and how such a change to this ultimate safety net could affect Seniors of modest means? PS Currently, Medicaid's nursing home program is a joint federal-state program. The federal government sets standards for patients to qualify for benefits, and standards for what benefits are provided. The states manage the application process and handle paying the nursing facilities, using funds provided mostly by the federal government. Texas Governor Abbott has encouraged Washington to enact Block Grants. A Block Grant, in general, means that federal funds are sent to the states without guidelines as to how the program is to be run. The states would be allowed to structure their own plan and decide who could qualify for assistance. According to a recent report issued by a non-profit organization called the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) with offices in Washington, DC., if Medicaid becomes a Block Grant program, nearly one million nursing home residents who rely on Medicaid nationwide could immediately lose coverage for their nursing home care. In addition, all of the federal standards that govern nursing home care today could be in jeopardy. The CMA says that States could change the income, resource, and medical need eligibility rules, making some current residents completely ineligible for any further Medicaid coverage. They acknowledge that states would likely continue Medicaid coverage of nursing home care subject to substantial changes in who would be covered, what type of care and services residents would receive, and how long coverage would continue. Block Grants would not require states to continue these current federal protections: 1.Nursing homes are now forbidden from requesting or requiring family members (like the children) to guarantee payment of the nursing home bill, or to bear any liability. Under a Block Grant, each state could decide that the children are liable for a parents' nursing home costs to some extent. 2.Nursing homes must now accept as payment-in-full the amount paid by Medicaid. The nursing home cannot claim they would be getting more if the patient was privately paying for care, nor can it demand the patient or family make up the difference. Under a Block grant, each state could remove this cap, increasing the cost of care dramatically. 3.The states are now forbidden from making a claim for recovery of costs if there is a surviving spouse, minor child or disabled child living in the home. Under a Block Grant, each state could expand its recovery program, taking away or putting a lien against the patient's homestead even if there is a spouse, minor child or disabled child living there. 4.Current federal law provides income and asset allowances to a well spouse still living at home. With a Block Grant, these protections could be eliminated. At-home spouses could be forced into total poverty before any Medicaid coverage is provided for the nursing home patient. Keep your eyes and ears open to any proposals that are introduced in Congress. If you feel the proposals would be harmful or would be beneficial, contact your Senators and Representatives to express your opinion. Paul Premack is a Certified Elder Law Attorney with offices in San Antonio and Seattle, handling Wills and Trusts, Probate, and Business Entity issues. View past legal columns or submit free questions on legal issues via www.TexasEstateandProbate.com or www.Premack.com. Texas, welcome to Bud Light house. Real estate company Property Primos featured one of their rental homes in a Facebook video and piles of several hundred Bud Light beer cans - most of which are empty - are seen piled high throughout the living room, bedroom, hallway and bathroom. "The only reason why it wasn't so horrible is because it was so funny," Gino Montalvo told Chron.com. He and his cousin, Chris Montalvo, are owners of Property Primos in Corpus Christi. "If you've been to college and a party in a motel, then that's what it smells like." TRANSFORMATION: The best local before and after kitchen renovations The Montalvo cousins buy, flip and sell homes in the Corpus Christi area, as well as manage a rental pool. This particular home is a rental property in Central City Corpus Christi and Montalvo evicted the tenants on Monday after about the year of occupancy. Montalvo guesses the Bud Light hoarding likely began after Bud Light announced their "Golden Can" promotion, where customers could be sent to the Super Bowl for life if they discover a gold can in their 18, 24 and 30-pack of Bud Light. He isn't sure if they found the can and bailed, but the tenants had been buying up Bud Light for a while since some of the cans on the floor had dust covering them. "It didn't feel dirty, it just felt like beer. You know what, through all of this, the toilet paper in the bathroom was on the holder still, surprisingly," Montalvo said. He expects the clean-up of the house to wrap up on Friday. BEFORE AND AFTER: Take inspiration from these remodels for your own renovation To see the drastic photos of the Bud Light house, click through the gallery above and continue clicking to see the most dramatic before-and-after renovations of homes. You can't rip off a rip off, but Houston sure is giving it a try, and they're more than a year late to the party. El Big Bad, a "gastro-cantina" in downtown Houston, now has its own version of San Antonio's "I love tacos so much" wall. The exterior says "I love you and tacos so much." HARTFORD An eastern Connecticut lawmaker thinks that its too easy for state employees to quit their jobs to become lobbyists and immediately cozy up to their former co-workers. Third-term Rep. Melissa H. Ziobron, R-East Haddam, asked the Government Administration & Elections Committee on Wednesday to create a one-year moratorium to prevent what she believes to be a proliferation of state workers, including legislative staff, from immediately cashing in on their connections. Ziobron, ranking member of the budget-setting Appropriations Committee, said that when she first started out in the General Assembly, she was horrified by the ease with which former staff members had access to committee staff, until she realized they used to work there. It appears the amount of former state employees who have become lobbyists has increased, Ziobron said during an afternoon-long public hearing. In fact they have more in-depth knowledge than most lawmakers. Under current ethics law, elected lawmakers are prohibited from becoming lobbyists for a year after the expiration of a term. Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chairman of the committee, asked Ziobron what made her think that former employees have better access. Ziobron replied that outside the Appropriations Committee offices in the Legislative Office Building, there are multiple signs telling visitors to stop and to wait for an escort. Former state workers, she said, ignore the sign an saunter right in. I find it very troubling when I watch people every day walking into the Appropriations room, she said. How would this change that? Winfield asked her. What substantially changes the relationship between staff members and lobbyists. It is about fairness and about perception, Ziobron replied. Its really dealing with what Ive seen happening year after year. kdixon@ctpost.com; BERNE -- A pair of Berne-Knox-Westerlo School retirees were recognized Wednesday for their work and dedication to the community during the Albany County Executive's Citizen of the Month ceremony. For nearly 20 years, retired teacher Judy Tambasco and retired nurse Roz Moser have helped maintain The 1000 Book Child program to give children an array of books to read in their early learning years. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY Two dozen city businesses will close Thursday as part of a nationwide protest called A Day Without Immigrants, intended to demonstrate the importance of immigrants documented or otherwise to the U.S. economy. The daylong strike stems from a loosely organized campaign that spread state to state this week on social media and Spanish-language TV. A flyer headed Todos somos inmigrantes We are all immigrants circulated in Danbury this week listing 24 Latino-owned businesses that have decided to close their doors in solidarity with recent immigrants who fear deportation under President Donald Trumps administration. We need to stand with these people, said Wilson Hernandez, owner of the Main Street restaurant Mitad Del Mundo. Were asking people not to shop tomorrow, not to work tomorrow, not to send their kids to school if that's possible. Whats happening in Washington, D.C,. is not right ... they want to deport criminals, they say, and they think crossing one border was criminal. Mayor Mark Boughton said Wednsday that hes glad residents are expressing their freedom of speech, but he said he cant condone children missing school. Anytime people express their First Amendment rights, thats America, Boughton said. Theres nothing more American than that. The strike drew strong support from the American Civil Liberties Union, which has also defended many of those affected by Trumps executive order last month freezing acceptance of refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries. Immigrants are our neighbors, coworkers, friends, classmates and family members, said Melvin Medina, outreach and advocacy director for the ACLU of Connecticut. They are us, and they are a vital part of our Connecticut communities. We are glad that businesses in Danbury are standing in solidarity with all community members by showing support for new Americans. Joel Peralta and two of his employees at Main Streets Hat City Market said hell lose money by closing his store, which serves about 200 customers a day, but he believes the principle is more important. Forget the profit, the revenue its about the big picture, Peralta said. Were part of this culture. I dont think a president of a very diverse country should be talking the way Trump is." During the presidential race Trump called Mexican immigrants rapists" and called for extreme vetting of all immigrants. Since his inauguration, immigration authorities have stepped up enforcement efforts in many states, including New York. I think our president doesnt respect minorities, Peralta added. But were all human beings. Thursdays strike does not appear to have originated with a single advocacy group, but word spread rapidly on social media via the Twitter hashtag #DayWithoutImmigrants The Washington Post reported Wednesday that many restaurants are closing, including a chain of 18 and three others owned by celebrity chef Jose Andres. More than 20 stores and a chain of 15 restaurants were to reported ready to close in Minneapolis, and rallies are planned for Houston and Des Moines, Iowa. blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton MONROE With state funding cuts looming after the governors proposed budget, local officials are trying to figure out how to pay for town expenses, First Selectman Steve Vavrek said. The amount of money that we got cut and the timing of this is horrendous, Vavrek said. Monroe is bracing for funding reductions to both the education and municipal budgets. The town could lose about $6.5 million if the proposed state budget cuts are approved. The scenario has sent officials scrambling because the town budget is scheduled to go before the Board of Finance at the end of the month, Vavrek said. Were going to be asking the department heads to go back and redo their budgets, Vavrek said. Were going to say, What would your budget look like at zero, 5 percent (less), and I think 10 percent (less)? Once the towns proposed budget is approved by the Board of Finance, it will go to a mandatory referendum in April. The state probably wont even have actual numbers then, Vavrek said. But by charter, we have to get a budget out. Neighboring Trumbull is also expecting to take a hit from the cuts in the proposed state budget, with education funding potentially dropping to zero from $3.4 million last year. More Information See More Collapse Vavrek and others have reached out to state officials to help reduce the proposed funding cuts. State Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, who represents Monroe and Newtown, is among them. For me, it was a priority this session to restore the nearly $20 million in cuts that have forced cities and towns to scramble to try to make up for the loss in the middle of the budget year and make impossible decisions about where to make these cuts, Sredzinski said in a statement. Despite that pledge of support, residents and officials are still uneasy about the possible loss of substantial state funding, Town Council Chairman Frank Lieto said. Thats a significant loss for the town, Lieto said. Everyone is very nervous. Cutting the state funding of smaller towns in favor of increasing the state funding to larger communities doesnt favor Monroes bottom line. Were very concerned, he said. We need our cities to flourish, but not at the expense of our municipalities. ajohnson@hearstmediact.com Donald Trump Michael Flynn Steve Bannon Reince Priebus Leon Panetta isn't mincing words following the resignation of President Donald Trump's national security adviser over contacts with Russian officials. "I've never been so nervous in my lifetime about what may or may not happen in Washington," Panetta, who served as President Barack Obama's defense secretary from 2011 to 2013, said in a Tuesday interview with The New York Times. Panetta, a Democrat, has served nine presidents Democrat and Republican in various high-profile positions, including as chief of staff, CIA director, and secretary of defense in a career spanning decades. "I don't know whether this White House is capable of responding in a thoughtful or careful way should a crisis erupt," Panetta told The Times. "You can do hit-and-miss stuff over a period of time. But at some point, I don't give a damn what your particular sense of change is all about, you cannot afford to have change become chaos." Leon Panetta Panetta's comments came a day after Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the contents of a December phone call with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak. Flynn reportedly discussed the Obama administration's sanctions on Russia with Kislyak during the call, giving the impression that the sanctions would be "revisited" at a later time. Sally Yates, the acting attorney general at the time, in January informed the White House that Flynn's conversation with Kislyak was "potentially illegal," though Trump took no immediate action. Yates was fired January 30 after refusing to enforce the Trump administration's temporary travel ban on people from seven majority-Muslim countries. Story continues The Trump campaign also had repeated contact with Russian officials before the general election in November, The Times reported on Tuesday evening, citing US intelligence sources. The head of US Special Operations Command, Gen. Raymond Thomas, echoed Panetta's sentiments, telling a military conference on Tuesday that the government was in "unbelievable turmoil." "I hope they sort it out soon because we're a nation at war," Thomas said. NOW WATCH: Here's how powerful an executive order is and how it could be reversed More From Business Insider The Houston Symphony will celebrate Mardi Gras family-style with performances of Mardi Gras Menagerie! at 10 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Jones Hall. The jazzy, fun-filled celebration will be led by Associate Conductor Robert Franz. The program will include Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals, including elephants, kangaroos and feathery friends vividly brought to life by the orchestra and duo pianists Scott Holshouser and Steven Dong. Holshouser, the Symphony's principal keyboardist, has been a member of the orchestra since 1980. Dong was the winner of the 2016 Houston Symphony League Concerto Competition. The concert will also include music from "Happy Feet," featuring Franz's penguin pal, Mumble. David Rainey, a resident artist at the Alley Theatre, will narrate the Carnival of the Animals poetry that was written (based on each movement) by second-grade students at Patterson Dual Language Literature Magnet School in Houston ISD. Audiences are encouraged to attend dressed as a favorite animal for the concert. The concert will take place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston's Theater District. For tickets and information, please call (713) 224-7575 or visit www.houstonsymphony.org. Ticket prices start at $25. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (MondaySaturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change. About Robert Franz As music director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Orchestra, and associate conductor of the Houston Symphony, Franz won acclaim from critics, composers and audiences as a first-rate conductor and enthusiastic award-winning educator. Maestro Franz is in increasing demand as a guest conductor whose recent engagements include appearances with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Baltimore and St. Louis Symphonies, and the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina in Italy. In his fourth season as the Windsor Symphony's Music Director, Franz has made a positive impact on the community resulting in the extension of the number of Windsor Symphony subscription weeks and has developed collaborations with the Windsor International Film Festival, the Art Gallery of Windsor, the Canadian Historical Aviation Association, The University of Windsor and St. Clair College. As Associate Conductor of the Houston Symphony Franz was recently honored as the first member of the Symphony conducting staff with the Raphael Fliegel Award for Visionary Leadership. He continues to lead the Symphony in a broad range of creative educational and family concerts, including its summer neighborhood concert series, an outreach program dedicated to bringing music to all of Houston's communities. Recent highlights include the world premiere of music from the iconic TV series School House Rock for orchestra. During his tenure, attendance at family and educational concerts has almost doubled. Marking his seventh year as Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Orchestra Music Director, Franz continues to direct the festival orchestra, and mentor aspiring conductors with his newly created "Art of Conducting" workshop. A champion of new music, this season Franz will lead the festival chorus in the world premiere of Emerson Eads' Mass for the Oppressed. The American Society of Composers has recognized Franz on two occasions for his advocacy in arts education. Under his direction, both the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Louisville Orchestra were awarded the Leonard Bernstein Award for Educational Programming. Franz's expertise in music education was recognized by the Idaho Legislature when he was invited to speak about its importance and he has also addressed the League of American Orchestra conference on the topic of New Music: Opportunities to Broaden Audiences. About the Houston Symphony During the 2016-17 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its third season with Music Director Andres Orozco- Estrada, and continues its second century as one of America's leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $33.9 million, the full-time ensemble of 87 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. High school students who are interested in pursuing a medical career will have two opportunities to see first-hand what it is like at Houston's Medical Center through the Faces of Innovation: Global Teen Medical Summit. The Faces of Innovation: Global Teen Medical Summit 2017 is open to all 9th through 12th grade students. This five-day event provides an opportunity to explore both the challenges and solutions facing modern day medicine with leading experts from the Texas Medical Center. The Summit provides real world experience to all students who could potentially be tomorrow's doctors, nurses, bioengineers and more. The summit is hosted by the Health Museum. This is the eighth year the Summit will take place. It is also the first year that two Summits will be held one March 13-18 and the second July 10-14. According to LaTanya Miles, Health Museum's director of education and public programs, the Summit was originally conceived for gifted and talented students, but it has changed and evolved over time, and now it is open to everyone. The theme of the Summit changes each year, and this year's theme is innovation. As a part of the Summit, participants will get a chance to learn about how 3D technologies help find solutions to medical challenges and be able to create their own 3D prototype. The participants will also get to see simulated surgical procedures, hands-on dissections, suturing techniques and much more. The Summit is a combination of in-house speakers at the Health Museum, and tours at the Medical Center. "They will get to go to labs that are not generally open to the public. They will visit with doctors and researchers. So if they are on the cusp of deciding what career field they want to be in, they can really get an inside look, and they can make those choices," Miles said. The participants will get to stay on Rice University's campus throughout the duration of the Summit, so they will also get a taste of the college experience as well. Many of the past participants have gone on to college in a medical related field. One participant is now a pre-dental student at Harvard, one is a nursing student at Texas Christian University, and another is studying biochemistry at Baylor University. Adrian Lankenau, a recent participant in the summit, spoke about his experience in a letter he sent to the Health Museum. "Thank you for this opportunity as it truly helped me construct a clear image of what it would be like to pursue a career in medicine. I came in somewhat knowing that I was willing to commit to the journey that is medicine, and left with a solidified answer to the question of whether or not this career path is right for me. The answer: yes," Lankenau wrote. "I learned everything from what professionals dedicate their time to in their respective fields, to what it is that I have to do to prepare myself and put myself in position of advantage in order to someday also achieve success in medicine. Not only did I discover how to place myself in an advantageous position but that I really already had, just by attending the conference and being exposed to so many inspiring people, places, and technology. It was an irreplaceable experience that I will carry with me for a long time." According to Miles, most of the speakers and presenters come back year after year and are most willing to continue participating. "A lot of the speakers are volunteers, and they participate year after year because they understand they are making a difference. They realize they are imparting knowledge on young students minds," Miles said. The Health Museum's President and CEO, Dr. Melanie Johnson, said, "We want to get the message across that the Health Museum is transforming and we are going beyond our community wall to spread our message of health all over the world. The Summit gives us the opportunity to do this. This is why it is called the 'Global' Summit." And the Summit truly is global. According to Johnson, the Health Museum is expecting about 150 students to attend the two Summits, and about half of those students will be from China, Taiwan, Mexico and Australia. The cost of the Summit, not including travel to and from Houston, is $1,295. For a local student who does not need to stay overnight, the cost is $895. Interested students can sign up for the Faces of Innovation: Global Teen Medical Summit 2017 online at thehealthmuseum.org. For more information about the Faces of Innovation: Global Teen Medical Summit 2017, email teensummit@thehealthmuseum.org. Toni: In January, I applied for my Medicare card and the card arrived yesterday, but I don't understand why my Medicare number is my Social Security number with a "T" at the end. What is the "T" for? Most of my friends have an "A" on their card. Now I'm concerned I have done something wrong. Please explain so that I can stop worrying. I never knew that retiring and applying for Medicare was so stressful. My mother never had these problems! Sandy from Spring area. Sandy: Do not stress yourself out! Everything is fine! You having a "T" at the end of your Social Security number informs me that you are not receiving your Social Security check yet. The "T" stands for temporary and when you receive your Social Security check, then your Medicare number will change from ending in a "T" to having "A" at the end. Therefore, your friends and co-workers have an "A" on their Medicare card because they are already receiving their Social Security check. There are more than 30 letter codes which can be attached to a Social Security number to make up a person's Medicare number with "A" being the most common. An "A" at the end of your Social Security number indicates that you receive Medicare benefits because you paid into the program while you were working. If your Medicare eligibility is based on someone else's work history, such as a current spouse, deceased spouse, or ex-spouse, yours will be a completely different Social Security number followed by a letter. For example, if you receive Medicare because you are the wife of the wage earner, and you are 62 years of age or older, your Medicare number will be your husband's Social Security number followed by the letter "B." If you are the spouse of a deceased spouse that is claiming that deceased spouse's Social Security benefits and now you are receiving Medicare benefits, then your Medicare number will be the deceased spouse's Social Security number ending in a "D." What if you are claiming your Social Security from an ex-spouse? There is an easy answer to this question. Your Medicare number will be their Social Security number with a "B6" if you are the divorced spouse and will be "D6" if you are the divorced surviving spouse. For those who are receiving Medicare benefits from retiring from with Railroad benefits, then your Medicare number begins with a letter such as A or B or T, etc. followed by the specific Social Security number. Concerned what your Medicare beneficiary code may be if your specific Medicare enrollment situation may be different than those mentioned in this article. Then email info@tonisays.com and Toni and her team will email you the complete list of BIC Medicare codes. Confused about Medicare Workshop for March: 2 p.m. March 8 at the new Toni Says Sugar Land office. 77 Sugar Creek Center Blvd, 5th floor conference room, Sugar Land, TX 77489. Seating is limited. Please RSVP 832/519-8664. Toni King, author of the Medicare Survival Guide offers a "Thank You, Houston" $5 discount available for Houston Chronicle/HCN readers at http://tonisays.com/reader-special. Medicare consultations are available at the Toni Says office or email questions to info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-TONI (8664). Visit Tonisays.com to receive your copy of the 2017 Medicare costs and to sign up for the latest Toni Says newsletter. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Created by a teen who only took art class because band wasn't working out, the watercolor caught the eye of La Porte High School teacher Mary Gagneaux. The work by junior Brittany McWhorter shows a cow skull surrounded by blooming plants with two sunflowers growing out of the eye sockets. Its title: "Beautiful Inevitability." Gagneaux, who teaches in the school's visual arts department, was a judge for this year's student rodeo art at the campus level. McWorter's work is one of two to represent La Porte ISD in the high school category in the student art show at this year's Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. "She has her own style, adds her own elements and really pulls a lot of own creativity into her work," Gagneaux said of McWhorter, 17. Before taking the class, McWhorter was used to putting pen to scraps of paper or painting Beatles murals on her bedroom wall. "I never really thought it was anything special," said McWhorter of her talent. "I just did stuff at home." McWhorter used her uncle's ranch and a skull as inspiration for her entry and took themes that resonated with her. The skull represents death, but by using various techniques, McWhorter wanted to show how something beautiful can come from loss or decay. "There is the inevitability of death ... but then in nature - when things are recycled or decomposition - it can make other things can grow," she said. "This is just showing how beautiful things can come from nature or death in nature." McWhorter is one of six La Porte ISD students whose work was selected to be on display to visitors at the livestock show at NRG Arena. Every year, students from Houston's surrounding area districts earn spots at the Houston show. Color, texture, line quality, originality, creativity, spacing, balance and subject matter - these are some of the aspects that separate the best from the rest, according to Gagneaux. "With Brittany, hers was so original because a lot of people will just take a picture of something and just copy the photograph," Gagneaux said. "We see a lot of the same themes, and this was something that had not been done." The selection process for the district's Rodeo Art Show began early in the school year, with Gagneaux and fellow teacher Christina Todaro selecting approximately 30 students out of both their classes. During the district's Rodeo Art Show on Jan. 12, the six, who also include La Porte High School freshman Fatima Adame, Lomax Middle School eighth-graders Perla Quintana and Edyamin Hinjosa, College Park Elementary School fourth-grader Tyler Harmon and La Porte Elementary School first-grader Valentina Suarez, made the cut to have their work displayed for the duration of the livestock show and rodeo. The students had a month to come up with their ideas and complete sketches, said Gagneaux. Teachers were not allowed to have any part of the pieces - even the slightest change or contribution by a teacher would be grounds for disqualification. "As a teacher we could give them feedback, but we were very adamant about not touching their work," she said. McWhorter and the other student winners will attend an awards show on Mar. 11 at NRG Center. "I don't see it as that much of a big deal yet," she said. Gagneaux, who studied art and made a living from it before coming to La Porte ISD to teach, predicts the experience will soon become a big deal. I think when she sees it there presented with all this other work (from other districts)," she said. "As an artist myself, that's exciting. When you hear people commenting on your work, you start getting the outside point of view. Artists never think their work is as good as it is." McWhorter is happy with her skull piece, but as with all her art, she's always trying to find new ways to make ideas come to life. "I got some new watercolors for Christmas and I would have used those, but it was too late," she said. A recent Spring Independent School District board work session presentation outlined the timetable for projects from the district's 2016 $330 million bond referendum. Last November, voters approved the bond, enabling the district to fund five new schools, a stadium and a police command center, and addresses maintenance and busing issues. "Our first priority is to expand transportation, beginning in August, to include students who live a mile or more from their school," said Karen Garrison, district spokeswoman. "We are in the process of purchasing 60 buses, which is included in the bond package. In addition, the board of trustees approved a transportation pay increase and the district is hiring bus drivers now for next year." The bond allocates $280 million to facilities, including $112 million for three ninth-grade academies to relieve district high schools, $80 million for two new middle schools, $40 million for district-wide maintenance projects, $5 million for expanding the full-day pre-Kindergarten program, $5 million for a new police command center and the $38 million for the new stadium. Another $32 million is designated for technology needs, including enhanced infrastructure, a new phone system and classroom technology. The remaining $18 million will go toward improving security and bus services. Projects that are expected to be undertaken this year also include pre-Kindergarten expansion, safety and security upgrades, and technology infrastructure. Spring ISD's current tax rate is $1.46 per $100 of assessed property value. The projected annual impact on the average Spring ISD homeowner would be $80.50 or $6.71 per month, an increase of $0.07 - although property taxes for citizens 65 years or older will not increase as a result of the school bond election. The district's last bond referendum was approved almost a decade ago, in May 2007. "The vote in favor of the bond was 71.73 percent, which I understand set a record for bond approval in Spring ISD," board president Deborah L. Jensen said, adding that projects related to academics, safety, and communication were most critical in her view. Academically, the district will use some of the bond money for pre-K centers at its elementary schools to better prepare Spring ISD's kindergarten students. For similar reasons, they have ninth grade centers planned too. "The decision to build the centers at our comprehensive high schools - Dekaney High School, Spring High School, and Westfield High School - was based on the experience of other school districts successfully using 9th grade centers to prepare students for high school work" Jensen said, noting that the bond committee spent extensive time on the subject. "Ninth grade is a time when most dropouts occur in Spring ISD. Some students arrive in high school with poor school literacy skills, which makes school work much harder," she said. "Ninth grade is also the time when students encounter STAAR tests which they must pass to graduate. The physical buildings are only a part of our district's effort to give high school students the best beginning to their high school years." In terms of safety and communication, she points to bond funds allotted to buy police up-to-date telecommunications equipment for their vehicles; a newer, larger facility; and the more reliable telephone system to replace their 20-year old system, necessary for both day-to-day operations and during dangerous situations, like hurricanes. "I deeply appreciated voter support for a bond package that our school district needs to continue to address the needs of our students," Jensen said. "The bond package will enable us to continue revitalizing our school district through badly needed upgrades." The Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center will host the first Houston Heart Failure Management Conference, an educational seminar for heart failure patients. The event takes place at 9 a.m., Saturday, March 4 at the Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner Ave. Attendance zone for Lindsey Elementary to be set Lamar CISD's Lindsey Elementary-located in Firethorne West-will open in August. On Feb. 16, the Attendance Boundary Committee (ABC)-made up of parents from the areas under consideration for rezoning-will recommend the attendance zone for Lindsey Elementary to the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District board of trustees. The ABC met Jan. 2 and Jan. 9 to form a recommendation. The ABC also held a public input meeting Jan. 23 at Leaman Junior High to listen to the thoughts and concerns of families living in the impacted areas. After that input, the ABC met Feb. 6. and reached consensus on a recommendation to present to the trustees. The zoning recommendation is based on the latest demographic projections, facility capacity, enrollment, optimizing existing facilities and public input. The ABC also looked closely at growth trends, trying to alleviate overcrowding while minimizing the movement of students to new schools. The committee will present its recommendation at the Feb. 16 meeting of the Board of Trustees. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and be held in the Board Room of the Brazos Crossing Administration Building, 3911 Ave. I, Rosenberg. Go to the district webpage, lcisd.org, for the proposed map and information on the rezoning process. Fort Bend ISD celebrates National School Counseling Week Fort Bend ISD joined other districts across the nation to recognize the hard work and efforts of counselors during National School Counseling Week, Feb. 6 10. FBISD's Counseling and Postsecondary Readiness Department works collaboratively to inspire and equip students for their futures. The Counseling Division provides opportunities and support for all students in their educational, career and social environments. Professional school counselors are available at all FBISD campuses to provide services for all students in the areas of: guidance curriculum, responsive services, individual planning and system support. The Postsecondary Readiness advisers work in conjunction with the counselors in order to prepare students for post-secondary success, by providing them with assistance in college and career exploration, career assessments, postsecondary planning and financial aid assistance. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, highlights the impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. This year's theme was "School Counseling: Helping Students Realize Their Potential." Counselors from throughout the Fort Bend ISD were asked what drives them to do what they do. "I can remember so many of the conversations I had with my elementary, middle, and high school counselor and their tremendous impact on my life. My high school counselor was really an extension of my family, partnering with my single-parent mother to ensure I didn't miss out on any good opportunities for my future. I take pride in the ability to pay this same work forward with another generation of students. This job is challenging, but knowing that I've imparted wisdom, knowledge, insight and compassion to a student makes it worth it." - Carlete Metoyer, counselor, Travis High School "Getting into counseling was more of a calling than a choice. As a classroom teacher, I noticed I spent a lot of time dealing with social and emotional issues. But as a teacher, I could only help 24 kids at a time. As a counselor, I can, with my amazing partner, positively impact the entire school." - Missy Masters, counselor, Cornerstone Elementary Stafford MSDsuperintendent cochairs committee Robert Bostic, Stafford Municipal School District superintendent, is the co-chair of the Microsoft Corporation K-12 Advisory Committee in Redmond, Washington. Currently, Bostic is the only superintendent on the committee. This is a considered to be a unique honor for Bostic, and it provides Stafford MSD with an opportunity to have an impact on the educational technology of the future. A 23-year-old Silsbee man attending Texas A&M University was killed on Wednesday in a high-speed crash in Bryan, according to TheEagle.com. Ross Travis Lightfoot was driving east on Villa Maria Road around 1:30 a.m. when his pickup truck crossed the center lane of traffic and struck another truck traveling in the opposite direction, the Bryan-College Station newspaper reported. Bowing to concerns from the Beaumont Catholic Diocese and Monsignor Kelly High School, Beaumont City Council on Tuesday refused to endorse a proposed senior-citizen residential development on the property occupied by a College Street driving range, which could affect the plan's chances for state approval. Two weeks ago, council gave its support to a similar development on Old Dowlen Road. That senior development, Cottages on Old Dowlen, will earn extra points on its application for housing tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs when it meets to consider tax credit applications in late July. Council members struggled to craft a resolution that would not discourage the ITEX Group, which has a contract to buy the 40 acres of Games People Play from owner Jeff Williams and his family, but would be sensitive to the concerns of the Diocese of Beaumont and its Monsignor Kelly High School, which is a neighbor. Council members said constituents flooded their emails and voice mails with comments on the proposal - mostly in opposition. Marcia Stevens, diocese superintendent of schools, read a statement opposing the approval of tax credits for ITEX on the grounds the development would hinder Kelly's ability to grow its campus and enrollment. "The (diocese) school board is currently considering a new master plan for the campus and this brings much excitement but will also require a great deal of work and funds," she said. "An investment in this project for Kelly would be an investment in the future of students and their families, but it could be hindered if the long term surroundings are not supportive of a school environment. "A similar housing project on the corner of Phelan and Major was not awarded points nor support from our city council for this same reason. The development would have been close to West Brook High School and threatened traffic, safety and growth," Stevens said. Clark Colvin, executive vice president of ITEX, said his company offered to include a wooded buffer zone of mature trees between Kelly and the housing development but received no response. He said the Williams family offered to sell the property to Kelly earlier, but received no response. Once the contract with ITEX expires, the Williams family is free to sell to any buyer who can develop the 40 acres for any land use appropriate for its zoning, either general commercial or light industrial with no review necessary by the city, said Mayor Pro Tem Robin Mouton. "A lot of things can go in there that don't need council approval," she said, noting that a strip club operates across College Street from the location. "ITEX is trying to put something in there to improve the area, not hinder Kelly." The only step the city took that could improve the development's chances was to acknowledge that Beaumont has more than twice the state's per-capita average of people eligible to live in tax credit-supported properties, a condition necessary for an applicant like ITEX or the developer of the Cottages on Old Dowlen to proceed. The tax credits would provide $1 million a year for 10 years for a developer to raise the capital needed to build a tax-credit property. Buyers of tax credits realize a benefit because they are able to reduce their own tax obligations. Last year, council did not approve any tax credit applications to send along to the state housing agency. The Cottages on Old Dowlen, for which Herman and Kittle Properties Inc. is seeking state approval, was among those applicants in 2016. In Stevens' statement, she said The Cottages on Old Dowlen, which council already supported, has 84 units, would be built on available land on Old Dowlen Road across from Walmart and offers needed services such as proximity to grocery shopping, clothing and pharmacy. It also is near Parkdale Mall, restaurants, the Folsom Road walking trail and the under-construction Northwest Parkway. College Street affords little access to retail or supermarkets, and Wendelin Drive, a two-lane street, is not a signal intersection. DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/dwallach Here are some central questions and answers about the damage to the Oroville Dam and the fight to prevent a catastrophe: What is the Oroville Dam? Construction on the Oroville Dam the tallest dam in the country at 770 feet started in 1957 and was completed in 1968, creating what is now the second-biggest reservoir in the state, sitting on the Feather River about 75 miles north of Sacramento in Butte County. The reservoir operated by the state Department of Water Resources can hold 3.5 million acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is the amount needed to cover an acre with a foot of water enough to supply one or two households for a year. What is the reservoir used for? Lake Oroville is the centerpiece of the California State Water Project, which supplies 29 urban and agricultural water agencies. The lake provides flood control and hydroelectric power while releasing water down the Feather River for recreation, wildlife protection and the controlling of salinity levels. How is water released? There are three main points at the Oroville Dam where water can be released downstream. Roughly 14,000 cubic feet of water per second can push through the hydroelectric plant at the base of the dam when operational. The main spillway a concrete chute that is now severely damaged can typically release up to 200,000 cubic feet per second, though the Feather River can handle only about 150,000 cubic feet per second without flooding. The emergency (or auxiliary) spillway was built to accommodate overflow when the lake approaches its brim. But it sends water down a bare hillside, and it was used Saturday for the first time. How did this become a crisis? Two months ago, the reservoir was at about 40 percent of capacity and coming off five years of drought. The wet winter pushed levels up, and last week a series of warm storms barreled through, melting snow and driving lake levels up faster than state officials could send water downstream. On Feb. 7, dam operators noticed that erosion had opened up a crater in the main spillway. Officials pared back releases but had to continue them, causing the crater to grow even as storm runoff pushed the reservoir toward capacity. On Saturday, water started to flow over the emergency spillway for the first time. While there is a concrete apron or weir at the top of the spillway, there is only a hillside below, and the water quickly chewed it up, creating gashes that threatened to extend back to the reservoir. Officials feared the erosion could cause the emergency spillway to fail, sending a catastrophic amount of water downstream, so they evacuated several communities. How were the evacuations handled? More than 180,000 people were urged to flee after the Butte County Sheriffs Office initiated evacuation orders at about 4:45 p.m. Sunday. Authorities initially said the emergency spillway could fail within an hour, but it held. By Monday, with the main spillway dumping out 100,000 cubic feet of water per second, the water level dropped and the flow over the emergency spillway stopped. On Tuesday afternoon, the sheriffs office changed the evacuation order to an evacuation warning, allowing residents to return and businesses to reopen. What happens now? With more winter storms headed toward California starting Wednesday, state officials were hoping to release as much water as possible out of the reservoir down the main spillway, maintaining an outflow of 100,000 cubic feet per second. That would bring the lake level down about 8 feet a day. The goal was to get the lake down to 850 feet above sea level 50 feet below the lip of the emergency spillway by Saturday or Sunday. The new storms were expected to be smaller than last weeks storms, producing a reservoir inflow of less than 100,000 cubic feet per second. At the same time, officials were shoring up the erosion below the emergency spillway with boulders and concrete brought in by trucks and helicopters, though they hoped to altogether avoid using the emergency spillway again. If dam operators can get through the immediate crisis, they still have big challenges ahead keeping the lake level down. There are two months left in the wet season, and the lake must cope with an unusually heavy snowmelt this year. In the long term, the damage to the spillways will be costly, with initial estimates for repairs to the main spillway alone coming in at $100 million to $200 million. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker Crews at Lake Oroville on Monday prepared bags of boulders they will use to shore up the reservoirs emergency spillway the morning after erosion on the overflow area threatened the nearly 200,000 residents downstream from the lake. The water level in the lake fell below the lip of the emergency spillway overnight, slowing rapid erosion on the hillside that appeared to be nearly collapsing. Officials hope to stabilize the emergency spillway in time for another round of winter storms that are forecast to sweep over the Sacramento Valley starting Wednesday. The rain and runoff from streams and rivers that feed Lake Oroville could push water back over the emergency overflow area, officials said. Obviously, we dont want to have to use it, said Bud England, a firefighter working at an emergency command center in Oroville. They want to prepare it to be used if necessary. This is part of the mitigation to prepare it for future use if necessary. An estimated 188,000 people in Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties were ordered to evacuate around 4:30 p.m. Sunday when water resource managers detected the trouble with the emergency spillway. A hole in the reservoirs primary concrete spillway that was first detected on Tuesday had forced officials to allow water on Saturday to cascade over the emergency spillway. The overflow area was used for the first time since the Oroville dam was put into operation in 1968. Water resource managers increased the volume of water flowing out of the primary spillway to 100,000 cubic feet per second to relieve the emergency spillway, despite erosion problems caused by the hole in the 3,000-foot concrete slide. The California National Guard was ready to deploy more than 20,000 soldiers and airmen should an emergency arise. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky Four people were arrested on Valentine's Day for allegedly possessing drugs and fake money, though more charges could be filed regarding the alleged abuse of a 77-year-old man. Garon Albert, Terri Ballard, Amanda Eggert and Todd Piper were all arrested Feb. 14 following a welfare check in the 2400 block of Ripplewood Drive in the Carriage Hills subdivision located in Conroe. Deputies with the Precinct 3 Constable's Office were initially responding to the welfare check to see if an elderly man, who had reportedly been abused, was OK. A 25-year-old Jasper man was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison this week for firearm violations. Floyd Michael Richardson pleaded guilty in October to being a felon in possession of a firearm. AUSTIN The Office of the Governor, The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and Texas Crime Stoppers on Wednesday announced a new reward program related to the Texas Ranger Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program. The new reward program, funded by the Governors Criminal Justice Division and administered by DPS, is designed to help generate investigative leads in unresolved or cold case homicides. Texas Crime Stoppers will now pay a reward up to $3,000 to any person who provides information that leads to the arrest of the person/persons responsible for a cold case listed on the DPS Unsolved Homicides website at http://www.dps.texas.gov/TexasRangers/UnsolvedHomicides/index.htm. It is a tremendous affront to society when a heinous crime like murder goes unsolved, and the state of Texas has an obligation to the victims and our communities to help ensure justice is ultimately served, said Gov. Abbott This new reward program was created to help identify the perpetrators of these crimes and provide overdue closure in these cases. In 2015, DPS launched a public awareness campaign featuring one unsolved case every month in an effort to generate new leads and bring attention to unresolved or cold cases across the state. Now as part of the new reward program, Crime Stoppers will offer an increased reward to up to $6,000 for each of these featured cases, if the tip comes in before the next case is featured in the following month. DPS is committed to the ongoing search for crucial evidence needed to close these cases no matter when the crime occurred, said DPS Director Steven McCraw. These victims and their loved ones deserve justice, and we urge anyone with information related to an unsolved case to come forward and take a stand against crime. To be eligible for the cash rewards, tipsters must provide information to authorities by calling the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). All tips can be offered anonymously, and tipsters will be provided a tip number instead of using a name. Since there is no statute of limitations on the offense of murder, the state has the moral and statutory obligation to pursue these cases to a successful resolution or until no other lead is viable. For decades paying rewards to anonymous tipsters has been a proven method in the apprehension of criminals in Texas, and this program builds on the success of the states existing tipster reward programs the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives and Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders programs. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Seventy-five years ago, after the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor and led America into World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a decree that many Americans may have deemed necessary to national security. With Executive Order 9066, more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent living on the West Coast - 62 percent of whom were U.S. citizens - were forcibly relocated to 10 detention camps across the country in 1942. They lived in barracks with minimal rations and curfews, some performing hard labor until the last camp was closed four years later. That chilling chapter of history, a flagrant violation of civil liberties, inspired Core Dance's "Life Interrupted," an hourlong show coming to the Asia Society Texas Center's theater Friday and Saturday. Artistic director Sue Schroeder said she and her dancers were initially concerned with "how not to appropriate" from a culture other than their own - none of them are Japanese or even lived during the World War II era. The idea surfaced nearly a decade ago during a break from another project at the University of Central Arkansas, where Core frequently collaborates. On their way to see the Crystal Bridges museum, Schroeder and professor Gayle Seymour passed near one of the former camps. "Life Interrupted" premiered in Arkansas in 2015 as "Gaman" - drawing its title from a Japanese word for accepting what happens to you with grace and dignity. It might have ended there, but the dance company was at the Little Rock airport that November when news broke that terrorists had attacked a concert hall, stadium and restaurants in Paris, adding fuel to their own era's wave of Islamaphobia. They realized all the ways their show, which incorporates visual art and a commissioned score, would resonate. More Information 'Life Interrupted' When: 8 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday Where: Asia Society Texas Center, 1370 Southmore Tickets: $20; 713-496-9901; asiasociety.org/texas See More Collapse "It has a broader message than the Japanese internment camps," Schroeder said. "And it's escalated. The urgency has changed." With visual art by Nancy Chikaraishi, an architecture professor at Drury University, a set by Scott Silvey, sound by German composer Christian Meyer, lighting by Gregory Catellier, and costumes and projections by D. Patton White, the show is also deeply researched. Schroeder hired dramaturg Erin Weller Dalton to mine archives for oral histories that would provide culturally sensitive anecdotes and suggest movement possibilities. Ultimately, "Life Interrupted" shares multiple points of view, through multiple artistic disciplines, to open a dialogue about how we define and treat the "other" in our society," Schroeder said. Core, founded in Houston in 1980, has free rehearsal space in Atlanta but still performs frequently at "home" and tours internationally. They head next to France to present their meditative outdoor show "walk," originally created for the Freedman's Town Labyrinth with Houston artist Reginald Adams and storyteller Jay Stailey. During the process of building that piece, the dancers created movement inspired by a text exercise involving the Pledge of Allegiance. The show "walk" invites participation from viewers, and it, too, now seems more overtly political. In the southern French city of St. Antonin Noble Val, Core will employ "walk" to help show other artists ways to work with refugees. Then, in Toulouse, Syrian refugees will participate. "We don't create in bubbles," Schroeder said. "Art has the possibility of igniting empathy. "We've finally hit a place where we don't have time to waste. We've been doing socially activated work a long time, and now it's like we have to do it." A trove of exotic animals, including an albino kangaroo, was discovered by California Highway Patrol officers checking on homes of people in Sutter County who were evacuated due to the Oroville Dam crisis, officials said on Tuesday. Our officers checked on some abandoned properties and came upon these animals including kangaroos, mini deers, and zebras, CHP officials said in a Facebook post. The animals included the albino kangaroo named Kenzie, a red kangaroo named Dottie and a Muntjac deer named Mary were turned over to Sutter resident Tamara Archer Houston and her family until the animals owners can return to their property. On Tuesday, officials lifted an evacuation order issued over the weekend when the damaged emergency spillway at the Oroville Dam was threatening to collapse. The evacuation order was lifted Tuesday, allowing people to return home. Kenzie, who is less than a year old, was having a tough time coping with the evacuation while she stayed with Archer Houston, who said the kangaroo is used to sleeping in bed with her owner. This has got to be a whole new deal for her, she said. Archer Houstons family has taken in abandoned animals for 20 years, she said on Facebook. The family has 40 exotic birds, two horses, three dogs, and two cats, she said. We are thankful for the random acts of kindness we find out in the community, CHP officers posted on Facebook. This is what makes California so special. Filipa A. Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Tuesday suggested he was not sold on the need for investigations into the mounting controversies roiling President Donald Trump's administration. Paul said in an interview on the "Kilmeade and Friends" radio program on Tuesday that he didn't think it was prudent to launch "investigation after investigation" on fellow members of the Republican Party. "I don't think it's useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party," he said. He continued: "We'll never even get started with doing the things we need to do like repealing Obamacare if were spending our whole time having Republicans investigate Republicans. I think it makes no sense. Several Republicans in Congress have called for a full inquiry into Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser to Trump. Statements Flynn made about conversations he had with a Russian ambassador before Trump's inauguration ultimately led to his resignation on Monday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said it was "highly likely" the Senate Intelligence Committee would dig deeper into Flynn. Other Republicans have echoed those sentiments, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. He asked on Tuesday: "Did Gen. Flynn do this by himself, or was he directed by somebody to do it?" Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, said a full investigation "wouldn't be out of the question." Democratic lawmakers overwhelmingly lambasted Flynn following his resignation and demanded answers about who else may be implicated in possible illicit communications with the Kremlin. NOW WATCH: 'That makes no sense!': Matt Lauer grills Kellyanne Conway over the timing of Michael Flynns resignation More From Business Insider Conroe community advocate Walter Milo Sr. turned himself in Monday night. He faces two felony assault charges stemming from separate incidents. Milo is charged with third-degree felony assault family strangulation and second-degree aggravated assault. Both can carry significant prison time, if convicted. The first charge came after Milo allegedly assaulted a woman during a heated argument in August 2016. According to a Conroe Police Department report, the woman told law enforcement that Milo picked her up and body-slammed her into the floor. He allegedly got on top of her and started to choke her, causing her to briefly lose consciousness, the report states. Milo allegedly walked to the front door and locked it, and the two began arguing again, according to court documents. That's when Milo allegedly shoved the woman into a wall before driving off, according to court documents. The woman was hospitalized, the report states. The aggravated assault charge came after Milo and another man had an argument over a Jan. 12 poker game. Milo and the complainant reportedly started fighting, court documents show. They exchanged punches, witnesses told police, although Milo allegedly kicked the other man in the face as he was stumbling to the ground. Court records state the man suffered an orbital fracture, which is a severe injury to the bone in the eye socket, that required surgery. Reginald McKamie, an attorney who has represented Milo many times before, declined comment. Milo declined comment as well. Milo's $200,000 bond on the second-degree felony charge will be contested in Judge Phil Grant's 9th state District Court Feb. 22, Assistant District Attorney Monica Cooper said. Milo has been a pastor and started Project Hope more than a decade ago. A program that enlisted adult probationers to fulfill their community service obligations by helping clean up and repair homes in certain areas of Conroe. Milo also has been a coordinator and facilitator of Conroe's annual Black History Parade and awards ceremony honoring leaders in the community. The event was held last weekend. Milo was convicted of felony theft in the late 1980s and sentenced to probation, although a judge ultimately revoked that probation and gave Milo a six-year prison sentence in 1989, court records show. Milo has been charged with other felonies since then, although the theft is his only conviction. Because of his criminal history, Milo faces up to 20 years in prison on the strangulation charge and up to life in prison on the aggravated assault charge. Both felonies can carry a fine up to $10,000. Montgomery County homeowners will get a break on their property taxes next year in the form of a homestead exemption, thanks to a unanimous vote by Montgomery County commissioners Tuesday. While the court approved a 10 percent exemption, commissioners agree they will work toward amending that action later this year to get to the maximum 20 percent exemption. An original motion by Precinct 3 Commissioners James Noack to implement a 20 percent residential exemption failed 3-2. Noack and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark voted for it. County Tax Assessor-Collector Tammy McRae provided data showing the impact the exemption could have on the county's budget. A 10 percent exemption, as approved by the court, would reduce the county's revenue by about $13.9 million. A 20 percent homestead exemption would be a $27.7 million loss in revenue for the county. The data, she added, is based on the 2016 average home value of $268,685. The county's property tax rate (46.67 cents per $100 valuation), McRae pointed out, is only about 16 percent of the bill homeowners receive. School districts make up almost 50 percent of the tax bill. She said that since the county sends a consolidated tax bill, which includes the school districts and other taxing entities, many people think that it is all county taxes. McRae said it is too early to give definite numbers regarding the impact of the county since appraisal protests are underway and pending legislation addresses property tax reform. She said closer to budget hearings this summer, she would be able to give a better outlook on the impact of the exemptions. However, she said the court needs to get information to her office about a possible exemption before April 1; and according to the Texas Property Code, the court would need to adopt an exemption by July 1. The court, she said, can amend its action approved before April 1 up to that July 1 date. "I would encourage the commissioners to do something," McRae said. "The taxpayers deserve it." Clark supports a 20 percent exemption but said it is too early to do that. "As much as I want to do a 20 percent, we don't have all the facts and figures," said Clark, noting he would support a 10 percent exemption now. County Judge Craig Doyal and Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Meador said they also support a 10 percent exemption. Noack, who motioned for the 20 percent exemption, said the court needs to go through the budget "line by line" to determine where cuts can be made. He is proposing a 5 percent budget cut for all departments. The county's budget is $352 million. Reducing it by 5 percent would necessitate around $17.6 million in budget cuts. "We need to do the budget differently," he said. "We need to go line by line. We have departments that have had positions open for more than a year. We need to close those positions and move the money out. "The state is looking at a 4 percent decrease, and we need to do the same thing." McRae said those who already have a homestead exemption through a school district would not need to apply to get the exemption from the county. Those who do not have an exemption will have to apply for the exemption. The court also approved a resolution supporting pending legislation for tax reform across Texas. However, the court agreed to add to the resolution language supporting tax reform for school districts as well. "The tax rate for the schools and the budgets for schools is the elephant in the room," Doyal said. Commissioners approved the resolution unanimously. NEW CANAAN Town mom and pop liquor stores are rejecting claims that by lower the price of booze people will buy more. As the state looks to make up some of its $1.3 billion deficit, proposed cuts and tax increases from Hartford are raising some eyebrows and reigniting ongoing debates. In his Fiscal Year 2018-2019 Biennial Budget, Gov. Daniel P. Malloy proposed modifying the states minimum bottle pricing law, which allows the state to assess fines to sellers of alcohol who dont adhere to the rule. According to Carroll Hughes, founder of the lobbying firm, Hughes and Cronin, this modification would eliminate the definition of minimum bottle cost, essentially eliminating the minimum bottle price. The hope is this decrease in alcohol prices would lead to more alcohol purchases and more excise tax. According to Malloys proposal, this modification would add $1.9 million in revenue in 2018 and $2.5 million in 2019. Some, however, dont agree. What hes proposing, quite honestly, is probably a revenue reduction more than anything else, Hughes said. Wed have to sell about 11 million bottles of vodka to equal 1.9 million in excise tax which is almost preposterous. Its making assumptions that people spend around $220 million in liquor sales. The law has been largely reviled by chain retailers, like Total Wine and More and Bevmax, who say it hurts their business. But owners of smaller, independent stores, have generally defended the rule. Malloy, for his part, has introduced legislation in the past to eliminate the rule, though it was never adopted. More Information Additional reporting contributed by Erin Kayata. See More Collapse Edward Cooper, head of public affairs for Total Wine and More, supported the potential change. We think that the current price system in Connecticut is unfair and unconstitutional, quite frankly. And it artificially inflates prices for customers. Thats not right. Customers deserve to get not only great selection and service but the best prices they can get, Cooper said. He added that modifying the current law might deter Connecticut customers from going over state lines, where prices are often lower, to purchase their alcohol. However, some liquor store owners in New Canaan are not particularly concerned about the potential elimination of the rule. Rick Franco, who co-owns with his brother Carl, Francos Wine Merchants on Elm Street, said that even in the event that the rule is changed and his competition was able to drop their prices, it would have no effect on the way in which he conducts his business. Its all about presentation. Its what you present to the consumer in the way of uniqueness. I think price is modestly second, Franco said. But service, the sort of wine you offer, understanding of the product that is what matters to a certain type of consumer, Franco said. All of New Canaans liquor stores are independently owned, so the threat of being undercut by a chain retailer like a Bevmax is not as legitimate as in many other parts of the state. When asked if New Canaans affluence might insulate stores like his from being heavily impacted by such a modification, Franco said he didnt believe it was a factor. As with other communities similar to New Canaan, we have an educated consumer and so we try to give them the answers to questions they may have. But not everyone is always interested in that, regardless of their socioeconomic stature. There are a number of wealthy people that just want a $10 bottle of wine on the table, Franco said. Jeff Barbour, the owner of New Canaan Wine Merchants on Pine Street, said he didnt think it Malloys proposal would have much of an effect on business. It if goes through, it goes through. What can you do? Barbour said. Ultimately, for sellers like Franco, who have an established customer base, the potential elimination of minimum bottom pricing doesnt, at this point, appear to be particularly consequential. This is the oldest store in Connecticut, we opened the first day of repeal. We know what were doing. The consumer will be fine, Franco said. justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1 An Orange County man who sustained five broken ribs during his January 2015 public intoxication arrest has filed suit against the county, sheriff and a former jailer. In his suit filed in a Beaumont federal court on Jan. 20, Jerry Carthel alleges former Orange County jailer Brian David Lee "slammed him into the concrete floor of the jail, driving his knees into (Carthel's) back" after Carthel "failed to respond to a question" on Jan. 26, 2015. Carthel was handcuffed at the time, according to the suit. Carthel said he was taken to the Baptist Orange Hospital emergency room with broken ribs, blood coming from his nose and several missing teeth. He was later transferred to the University of Texas Medical Hospital in Galveston, where he was admitted for pain control and respiratory monitoring, according to the lawsuit. Carthel is seeking payment for back and future medical bills associated with the incident as well as lost wages, court costs and "actual damages," according to the suit. He is represented by the Port Neches-based Gregory Law Firm. On Tuesday, the Orange County Commissioners Court met in a closed session on the case, which was filed less than a month after a federal appeals court upheld a verdict ordering the county to pay $3.1 million to the family of an inmate who died in jail custody in 2011. Lee, the jailer named in Carthel's civil suit, was sentenced last February to misdemeanor assault. An Orange County jury gave Lee 30 days in county lockup for assaulting Carthel. He could have faced a life sentence. The misdemeanor conviction prevents Lee from holding a law enforcement license. NKrebs@BeaumontEnterpirse.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area, covering more than 250,000 acres of land from Jefferson to Matagorda counties, could, after just one year of operation, draw a half-million visitors, support $46 million in local sales and 1,200 jobs, an organizer for the proposal told Jefferson County Commissioners Court this week. We're in, commissioners said in supporting a resolution for its creation. Of course, it isn't that easy. Creating a national recreation area requires an Act of Congress and organizers need the support from two members of Congress who represent the affected coastal districts, Reps. Randy Weber and Blake Farenthold. Victoria Herrin, representing the private non-profit National Parks Conservation Association, said Congress would have to approve creation of the national recreation area as a unit of the National Park Service and it would need a "limited budget." She said she didn't know how much or many National Park employees would be needed as staff. The plus side is a large public-private partnership with participation from the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, the Texas General Land Office and private landowners. "It would bring in visitors from around the world," Herrin said. The group is collecting resolutions from coastal jurisdictions like counties and cities. Comparison national recreation areas include C&O Canal National Historic Park, from Washington, D.C., into Maryland and West Virginia; Cuyahoga Valley National Park, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, along the Cuyahoga River and its Towpath Trail, and others. James A. Baker III, former secretary of state in the George H.W. Bush administration, serves as honorary chair of the Lone Star Coastal organization. "Creating and developing a national recreation area along the Upper Texas Gulf Coast would foster economic activity and growth and bring national and international recognition to our tremendous natural and cultural resources," Baker said in a pamphlet that Herrin provided on the proposal. For example, birding draws international visitors to the central flyway traversed by migratory birds. A campaign to help unite the region would connect visitors with opportunities. Local offerings such as the Tyrrell Park boardwalk into Cattail Marsh, the Big Thicket National Preserve, McFaddin and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuges and others along the Jefferson, Chambers and Galveston coastlines could help form part of a Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area, Herrin said. More: lonestarcoastal.org. DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/dwallach NORWALK The American Red Cross in Connecticut is partnering with communities across the state for the first ever Red Cross Install-A-Thon. The city of Norwalk will be participating in the Install-A-Thon on March 7. The Red Cross will be visiting homes to install free smoke alarms in Norwalk on March 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To make an appointment visit: www.redcross.org/ct/schedule-a-visit or call 1-877-287-3327 and choose option 1 on the menu to request a smoke alarm installation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BANGOR, Butte County They had arrived as strangers on Sunday and left like family on Tuesday. They had come from Oroville, Palermo and Honcut, small-town residents seeking refuge in an even smaller town on higher ground. And in Bangor, a town so tiny and remote that the Red Cross and Salvation Army never came, the 600 residents welcomed the 200 evacuees with open arms. Without the cots and cups of coffee provided by official shelter organizers, the community pulled together, setting up tents in the 10-acre community park and pulling blue mats from the school across the street. Mennonites from a nearby church had brought blankets, and ranchers had slaughtered their cattle to bring fresh steak. Other neighbors carried over citrus from the trees in their backyards and extra shoes and sweatshirts from their closets. But on Tuesday afternoon, it was clear the red velvet cupcakes volunteers had baked for the childrens Valentines Day party would see no frosting, and the leftover homemade tortillas and beans would have to be packed in to-go containers. And the Lady and Tramp movie night, with popcorn, was canceled. While those at other shelters across the region were jumping for joy, those in Bangor gathered around volunteer Theresa Brown in the town park. I want you to be happy going home, she said, not scared. Fear, however, was still present among the evacuees. They had fled their homes, literally running for their lives. They were still shaken. Its part of living by a dam and in the woods, Brown said later. You get fires, and you get floods. Though I never thought something like this would happen. Yet sometimes, she said, such crises just bring people together. Verna Chadwick, 24, rocked her 10-month-old son to sleep in the community centers cafeteria while her boyfriend loaded up the car. I miss my bed, Chadwick said, rubbing her four-month pregnant belly. My whole left side is bruised from sleeping on the floor. I honestly just want to go home. But she was heading north to another evacuation center in Chico. While the mandatory evacuation was lifted, there was still a warning in effect, and it had Chadwicks father spooked. He wasnt letting family return to Oroville just yet. This place has been nice, she said. Our neighbors were nice, and the food was good. But if I have to leave, I want to go home not to Chico. Others were also apprehensive. Jody Garcia, 50, packed up a silver tent while her familys nine chihuahuas scrambled around her feet. Days before, the evacuation had seemed unreal and scary. There was the rush to reach her hearing-impaired son, and to pack the sport utility vehicle. They had returned to their house in Oroville briefly Tuesday to gather more blankets for the cold night. Now they were going home. Its a relief, but theres still a warning, and we arent out of the red, Garcia said, smoothing a strand of unwashed hair. This place has been like a second home to me. Its a safe haven. We are returning to the unknown. Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @lizziejohnsonnn (Recasts, adds comments from Kremlin, parliament speaker, context) By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine or discuss the matter with foreign partners after the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump expected the annexed Black Sea peninsula to be returned. Moscow says an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kiev. Ukraine says the referendum was a sham held at gunpoint after Russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula, that Russia-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by people power, and that Moscow should return Crimea. "We don't give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation," Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told a news briefing on Wednesday. The 2014 annexation prompted the United States and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the Cold War. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Tuesday that Trump expected and wanted to get along with Russia, but was expecting Moscow to hand Crimea back. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about Spicer's comments, said President Vladimir Putin had already explained why Crimeans had turned to Russia. "The theme of returning Crimea will not be discussed ... Russia does not discuss its territorial integrity with foreign partners," Peskov told a conference call with reporters. Trump had not raised the Crimean issue in a Jan. 28 phone call with Putin, Peskov noted, saying the Kremlin would try to make contacts with the Trump administration to try to improve ties which he said were in "a lamentable state." Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, told MPs any talk of Crimea's status amounted to a challenge to Russia's territorial integrity. Volodin, a close Putin ally, told the Interfax news agency Trump had promised in his election campaign to work to improve relations with Russia. "Let's wait for some first-hand words from the U.S. president," said Volodin. "When people get elected by voters it's not merely for warm words and the ability to speak, but for concrete promises ... that will be fulfilled." (Additional reporting by Maria Tsvetkova/ Alessandra Prentice; editing by John Stonestreet) MISSION, Kan. -- For 16-year-old Noah Vittengl, who is just beginning to drive, being able to tell a red light from a green light is rather important. Its been difficult trying to figure out what light is what and what color is what, the Blue Springs high school student said (last week). A few minutes later, Vittengl was witnessing the world with colors a lot closer to what most people see, with the help of special eyeglass lenses that correct deficiencies that make some people colorblind. Its awesome, he said with a big grin. Everything just seems more vibrant and clear. Before, the colors were kind of like a blur and not necessarily big and bright. Now its like, whoa! Vittengl and two colorblind men got a more accurate picture of the everyday world when they were each given a free, promotional pair of the special eyeglasses at the Brill Eye Center in Mission. Brill has been offering the technology, known as EnChroma, for about six months and is the only practice in four states to do so. This is an innovation that is really making a difference in peoples lives, said Raymond J. Brill of the eye center. Whether its for safety, like with stoplights, or for aesthetics, like looking at flowers and artwork, or just for everyday life, like looking at food and being able to tell whether the steak is rare or not. The technology used by EnChroma, a company based in Berkeley, California, was developed in 2010 with funding from the National Institutes of Health. Eyeglasses with EnChroma cost about $269 to $349. They can also be made with prescription lenses. The lenses are effective for about 4 out of 5 people with red-green color vision deficiency. They are not a cure for colorblindness. Being colorblind is a hereditary condition that affects the cones in the eye that perceive color. It is far more common among men, affecting about 1 in 12. About one in 200 women is affected, but those women will pass the trait to their sons. It is estimated there are about 90,000 colorblind people in the Kansas City area. To them, the produce section of a supermarket, the arrangements in a flower shop and the magic of a rainbow are dull and drab. Theyre used to it because they were born with it. Its normal until they make the discovery, usually in childhood, that there is more to the world than what they perceive. Ryan January, a 37-year-old IT professional from Olathe, was in the third grade and was helping his mother decorate cupcakes for a class treat. His job was to sort candy bits by color. She kept getting more and more frustrated throughout the evening, January recalled. Soon afterward, they went to the optometrist. Austin Mitchell-Goering, a 22-year-old junior at the University of Kansas originally from Baltimore, was in middle school art class and drawing with crayons. Id always get the blue and purple confused, so I would always have to ask the person next to me, he said. I scratched a little mark into the purple one so I wouldnt use that for the sky anymore. Mitchell-Goering plays on the KU lacrosse team. Sometimes the boundary lines are red on a green surface. That can be a problem for someone who is colorblind. On (a recent) afternoon, Mitchell-Goering and January also got to see the world as most people do. I can see differences in the grass, Mitchell-Goering said. Theres, like, live grass and dead grass. Now I can differentiate everything. January looked around and described a slow, subtle effect, like someone turning up the color saturation knob. The painted yellow lines in the street, which looked faded before, now popped off the ground. The sky is a much more vibrant blue, he said. The (blue) building in the background here just keeps getting brighter and brighter. Its strange. It feels great. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A federal judge has ruled the Texas prison system and its top leaders must stand trial in a civil rights lawsuit over the heat-related death of an inmate, a sharp rebuke that focused new attention on the deaths of more than 20 other inmates in prison units that lack air-conditioning. The 83-page order by U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison - who personally visited a prison in the summer heat - cites the state's own records documenting a heat index of about 150 degrees inside the Hutchins State Jail near Dallas where inmate Larry Gene McCollum, 58, a cab driver from Bellmead near Waco, died during a heat wave in 2011. Evidence indicates the heat inside the facility was exacerbated by sealed prison windows, sparse fans, an insufficient supply of cool water and inadequate medical care, the judge ruled. "Larry McCollum's tragic death was not simply bad luck, but an entirely preventable consequence of inadequate policies," the judge wrote, in denying the state's request to dismiss the lawsuit or grant immunity to prison officials. "These policies contributed to the deaths of 11 men before McCollum and 10 men after him." Prison officials said Tuesday they will appeal the ruling to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The order was issued Feb. 3 and unsealed this week in federal court in Houston. The case - filed by McCollum's widow and two adult children - is the latest in a series of federal lawsuits filed over heat-related deaths inside Texas prisons and the dire conditions for disabled and medically vulnerable inmates who are particularly susceptible to hyperthermia. A separate class-action suit in Houston is challenging the state prison conditions in the Pack Unit near Navasota, which houses a number of elderly and disabled inmates. The order notes that 22 inmates have died in Texas prisons from the heat, including 10 who died during the 2011 heat wave. McCollum, who had been sentenced to one year in a state jail facility on a hot check conviction from McLennan County, was found having convulsions in his top bunk on July 28, 2011. He was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where his body temperature was recorded over 109 degrees. Austin attorney Jeff Edwards, who is representing the family, said the deaths represent only those attributed directly to the heat, and not those in which heat may have contributed. Ellison's ruling was particularly harsh on Brad Livingston, the former head of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and other top-tier officials, who argued they had no specific knowledge of McCollum's health or inadequacies in providing water, cool air and ventilation to inmates. Ellison ruled that Livingston and four others should not be shielded by immunity typically granted to state workers doing their jobs, though he dismissed the case against a correctional officer who was the first to find McCollum having difficulties. Ellison instead ordered that a jury consider evidence that officials allowed untenable and inhumane conditions at the Hutchins State Jail and other facilities in violation of the Eighth Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Prison officials said the state makes every effort to protect inmates and employees, though records indicate that hundreds of prison workers have also suffered heat-related illnesses in the facilities in the past decade. "The safety, security, health and overall well-being of offenders is of paramount importance to the TDCJ," said Jason Clark, the agency's director of public information. "The agency strives to mitigate the impact of temperature extremes. Again, TDCJ is committed to making sure that offenders and staff are safe during the extreme heat." Systemwide, 29 of the state's 108 prisons have air conditioning in the housing areas, including the medical, psychiatric and some geriatric units, Clark said. All prisons have some air-conditioning, however, particularly in the wardens' facilities, officials said. A recent study commissioned by TDCJ found that retrofitting older prisons with air conditioning would be costly - nearly $80 million at Hutchins, with an annual operating cost of more than $400,000. Ellison's ruling opens a new standard for inmates wishing to sue over extreme indoor heat, said Randall L. Kallinen, a Houston attorney who has filed numerous civil rights suits alleging jailers were deliberately indifferent to inmates' medical conditions at county facilities. He said TDCJ may act now with money on the line. "They knew people were dying but they weren't going to do anything about it. But now because of their monetary concerns, they might go the other way," he said. "It's going to cost too much not to do something." DEL RIO An Air Force flight surgeon here is helping astronauts go where theyve never gone before cracking a problem that has vexed NASA since Mercury astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. famously wet his pressure suit prior to becoming the first American in space. Dr. (Col.) Thatcher Thomas Cardon, working in a spare room of his house on Laughlin Air Force Base, developed a way to let Americas high flyers relieve themselves with no muss and no fuss: an adaptable hygiene spacesuit system that cleans up after itself. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Bexar County grand jury on Tuesday indicted the man held on a capital murder charge in the killing of a police detective in November . San Antonio Police Det. Benjamin Marconi was working patrol on an overtime shift on the Sunday morning of Nov. 20, had pulled over a motorist and was processing a citation in his patrol car outside San Antonio Public Safety Headquarters when he was shot twice, including in the head. Otis Tyrone McKane, 31, was seen on surveillance video hanging around headquarters that day, and again on video the next day entering the Bexar County Courthouse, where he was married. He was arrested 28 hours after the slaying. Officials believe McKane randomly target Marconi, a 20-year veteran of the force. He told reporters after his arrest that he was upset by a child custody dispute and lashed out at someone who didnt deserve it. Marconi, 50, was active in the community and beloved by family and friends. Thousands attended his funeral. McKane has remained in custody since his arrest. The indictment alleges he intentionally and knowingly caused Marconis death and that he knew Marconi was a police officer. Capital murder is punishable by life in prison without parole, or death by injection. Bexar County District Attorney Nicholas Nico LaHoods office said Tuesday he would comment once he has decided whether to seek the death penalty. In 2015, a jury sentenced convicted cop killer Mark Anthony Gonzalez to death for killing Bexar County Sheriffs Sgt. Kenneth Vann on May 28, 2011. Gonzalez pulled up next to Vanns patrol car at a stoplight and shot him 26 times, nearly decapitating him, on Rigsby Avenue and Loop 410 on the East Side. This report contains material from Express-News archives. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Seattle resident who first came to the U.S. as a child may have been the first person arrested under President Donald Trump of an immigrant protected by an Obama-era order. Reuters reported Tuesday afternoon that 23-year-old Daniel Ramirez Medina was arrested last week in his father's Seattle home by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. He had no criminal record, according to the report. Ramirez Medina had a work permit and protection from deportation under former President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, established in 2012, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court. RELATED: Federal agents conduct sweeping immigration enforcement raids in at least 6 states The officers gave no reason to Ramirez Medina upon his arrest, other than saying he wasn't born in this country, said Ethan Dettmer, a partner with law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and one of the attorneys representing Ramirez Medina. "We're sincerely hoping that this is a mistake and it's going to be rectified," Dettmer said. Ramirez Medina had been approved twice under DACA, according to the documents. Those protected under the program, often called Dreamers, gives them at least temporary rights to work in the U.S. and can help them eventually seek legal status. About 750,000 people in the U.S. are protected under DACA. RELATED: Immigrants wait in fear after raids; Trump takes credit In a statement issued Tuesday evening, ICE spokesperson Rose Richeson said Ramirez Medina was arrested for his "self-admitted" affiliation with a gang. "ICE officers took Mr. Ramirez into custody based on his admitted gang affiliation and risk to public safety," Richeson said in an emailed statement. Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney for Ramirez Medina, followed soon after with a statement saying otherwise. "Mr. Ramirez unequivocally denies being in a gang," Rosenbaum wrote. "While in custody, he was repeatedly pressured by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to falsely admit affiliation. The statement issued tonight by Ms. Richeson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is inaccurate." Ramirez Medina was being held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma as of Tuesday afternoon. RELATED: AP FACT CHECK: Are immigration raids result of Trump policy? The officers had arrived at the home to arrest Ramirez Medina's father, who was a previously deported felon, according to the ICE statement. Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., issued a statement Tuesday evening calling for Ramirez Medina's "immediate" release. "President Trump's deportation force has struck our community and taken one of our own," Jayapal said in the statement. "It's unconscionable that Daniel, who trusted the government and registered under DACA, was picked up and sent to a detention center. Seattle stands with Daniel and we will not back down until he is free." Ramirez Medina on Monday filed a challenge to his detention -- a writ of habeas corpus -- arguing the arrest was a violation of his constitutional rights. "The agents who arrested and questioned Mr. Ramirez were aware that he was a DACA recipient, yet they informed him that he would be arrested, detained, and deported anyway, because he was not 'born in this country,'" attorneys wrote in the petition, filed in U.S. District Court. A hearing is set for Friday at U.S. District Court in Seattle. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., tweeted about the case Tuesday afternoon: "It's unacceptable #DREAMERS who were brought to U.S. as kids & have grown up, gone to school here are being detained," she wrote. Trump has promised an end to the DACA program, created by executive order, but has only vaguely indicated that he might allow Dreamers to remain in the U.S. after the program is gone. Those who have obtained a work permit through the program have filed personal information with the federal government, including addresses and other information that could be used to find them. Obama had promised to use the information only for issuing work permits and Social Security cards. "But now, maybe Trump could use that information to track us down," said Dulce Siguenza, who works with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and is also protected by DACA, in a recent interview. A regional spokesperson for ICE did not immediately return requests for comment. Earlier Tuesday, the city of Seattle joined a broad coalition of 20 cities in opposition to detention of immigrants without due process. The 20 cities filed an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking that the court uphold constitutional protections for those held in prolonged mandatory immigration detention. The brief was filed in a case asking the court to reaffirm an allowance for a bond hearing every six months for immigrants who are held long-term during deportation proceedings. Seattlepi.com reporter Lynsi Burton contributed to this report. Daniel DeMay covers Seattle culture, business and transportation for seattlepi.com. He can be reached at 206-448-8362 or danieldemay@seattlepi.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Daniel_DeMay. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO National media is taking up the case of a 29-year-old San Antonio woman's strange disappearance in 2016, taking a closer look at the turmoil surrounding the woman's relationship with her husband. Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen recently aired an investigative piece on the disappearance of Bianca Carrasco, who was last seen on May 1 in San Antonio. Crime Watch Daily investigators spoke with members of Carrascos family and local police and attempted to speak with her husband, who the program revealed was at one point her uncle. RELATED: SAPD still looking for mother of three who disappeared 6 months ago Carrasco's sister, Jovanna Burney, told Crime Watch Daily that Bianca and her husband, Joe Daniel Carrasco, had a rocky relationship starting from when she married him at age 18. Joe Daniel was previously married to Biancas aunt, according to Barbara Talamantez, Bianca's mother. Talamantez described Biancas husband as a family wedge, and said she had not spoken to her daughter in years. Burney said Bianca had just graduated as a registered nurse the October before she disappeared. She had also asked for a divorce from her husband and had changed her status to divorced on Facebook. Bianca started seeing other men, nothing serious, but her husband may have found out about it by looking at her phone, Crime Watch Daily reported. RELATED: Disappearance of 29-year-old mother of three in San Antonio grabs national attention of Nancy Grace Carrasco later sent the following text to her sister: "Daniel emptied the account and opened another account without my name on it, so I have no access to money except my credit card which is almost at the limit." Carrasco said in the text message. "I will not be controlled by a man and money." Carrasco was last seen on May 1, when she reportedly got into an argument with her husband before leaving the home they shared in San Antonio. Burney finds the circumstances around Carrascos disappearance suspicious, and doesnt believe her sister would just leave her three children with her husband. The Crime Watch Daily team tried several times to get Joe Daniel Carrasco to speak on the record, but he refused to speak with them when they approached him in Odessa, where he now lives with his children. San Antonio police spokesman officer Douglas Greene spoke with Crime Watch Daily and said the husband cooperated with the case, but initially did not file a police report for the disappearance of Bianca because he thought she would come back. "Some people, they go missing, they're adults, they just don't want to be contacted," Greene said in an interview with the TV program. Joe Daniel Carrascos attorney, Joseph F. Hoelscher, released the following statement to the TV program: The Carrasco family is deeply grateful for the kind thoughts and prayers of so many people as they continue trying to adjust to their new lives. Joe and the children remain hopeful for Biancas safe return. Carrasco was last seen in the 16000 block of Walnut Creek Drive and was wearing a blue jean jacket, multi-colored leggings and wedge shoes. She also had a pink Prada purse and black Prada wallet. RELATED: San Antonio police searching for 29-year-old woman missing since May 1 The missing woman has shoulder-length brown hair, is right handed, has a large surgery scar on her abdomen and a tattoo of the letter B on her left hip, according to previous reports. Carrasco had been involved in an argument over marital issues with her husband, who may have removed money from her bank account and took her phone prior to her disappearance, according to a missing person report. The San Antonio Police Department said Friday they have no new leads in her disappearance, but anyone with information about her whereabouts should contacted the SAPD Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660. Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite SAN ANTONIO Police arrested a 30-year-old man Tuesday who allegedly shot a woman in the mouth earlier this week, according to court documents. Johnny Joe Castillo is being charged with a second-degree felony of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at $100,000. A man North Texas wanted by authorities should be fairly easy to identify thanks to a unique tattoo choice. The Denton County Sheriff's Office is looking for Michael Crawford, who also goes by "Quick," on multiple charges. In a Facebook post Tuesday, DCSO asked the public to look out for the fugitive, who appears to have the word "pimpish" tattooed across his neck. Brett Coomer/Staff AUSTIN -- Texas became the first state in the nation to back President Donald Trump's travel ban Wednesday, throwing the state's weight behind an executive order on immigration that is now tied up in court. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an amicus brief with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday in support of the U.S. Department of Justice. Mexican wrestler Sangre Chicana Jr. was tossed into fire during a match over the weekend, causing third- and second-degree burns on his body, local media reported. Sin Embargo reports that Chicana Jr. was thrown onto a flaming table Saturday at a fight in Monclova, Coahuila, which is close to the Texas-Mexico border near Laredo. By Geo Tharappel Feb 15 (Reuters) - Vietnam shares hit their highest since Feb 2008 on Wednesday, led by gains in financials, while most other Southeast Asian markets rose ahead of key U.S. economic data that could influence Federal Reserve's rate hike decision. The consumer price index is expected to have risen 0.3 percent in January after a similar gain in December, while retail sales are likely to have risen 0.1 percent in January after advancing 0.6 percent the previous month. Vietnam index rose for a fourth straight session to close 0.8 percent higher. Trading volumes were 1.5 times the 30-day average. "It looks like basket trading in a couple of key stocks ... we are seeing a return to favour of some of the banks," said Fiachra Mac Cana, head of research at Ho Chi Minh Securities. "We are sitting on top of a major resistance line right now ... we may see the markets consolidate at current levels," Mac Cana added. Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade added 3.5 percent to end at its highest in nearly 15 months. Vietcombank gained 0.8 percent. Vingroup JSC rose 4.6 percent to close at its highest since Sept. 30, 2016. The real estate company's stock traded heavily, clocking over four-times its 30-day average. Singapore rose 0.5 percent, lifted primarily by Thai Beverage PCL, up 6.8 percent at its highest in three months after reporting a 28 percent jump in its quarterly net profit. Index heavyweight Singapore Telecommunications Ltd rose 0.8 percent to close at its highest since Oct 2016. Philippines reversed early gains and fell 0.5 percent to its lowest in almost a month, weighed down by financial stocks. Conglomerate Ayala Corp and Bank of the Philippine Islands closed 1.8 percent lower. In contrast, International Container Terminal Services Inc gained 2.8 percent, recovering from the previous sessions heavy losses. The Indonesian stock market was closed for local elections. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS : Change on day Story continues Market Current prev close Pct Move Singapore 3088.48 3072.47 0.52 Bangkok 1573.37 1572.24 0.07 Manila 7174.3 7206.84 -0.45 Kuala Lumpur 1709.79 1708.9 0.05 Ho Chi Minh 711.57 706.26 0.75 Change this year Market Current End 2016 Pct Move Singapore 3088.48 2880.76 7.21 Bangkok 1573.37 1542.94 1.97 Manila 7174.3 6840.64 4.88 Kuala Lumpur 1709.79 1641.73 4.15 Ho Chi Minh 711.57 664.87 7.02 (Reporting by Geo Tharappel in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Sandhya Sampath; Editing by Vyas Mohan) When I travel to Asia, Im fairly often met at the airport by someone holding a sign reading Mr. Paul. Why? In much of Asia, names are given family first, personal second at home, the prime minister of Japan is referred to as Abe Shinzo. And the mistake is forgivable when its made by a taxi driver picking up a professor. Its not so forgivable, however, if the president of the United States makes the mistake when welcoming the leader of one of our most important economic and security partners. But there it was: Donald Trump referring to Abe as, yes, Prime Minister Shinzo. Abe did not, as far as we know, respond by calling his host President Donald. Trivial? Well, it would be if it were an isolated instance. But it isnt. What weve seen is an awesome display of raw ignorance on every front. Worse, theres no hint that the White House or its allies in Congress see this as a problem. They appear to believe that expertise, or even basic familiarity with a subject, is for wimps; ignorance is strength. We see this on legal matters: In a widely quoted analysis, legal expert Benjamin Wittes described the executive order on refugees as malevolence tempered by incompetence, and noted that the order reads as if it was not reviewed by competent counsel at all which is a good way to lose in court. We see it on education, where the hearings for Betsy DeVos, the education secretary, revealed her to be ignorant about even the most elementary issues. And on economics well, theres nobody home. The Council of Economic Advisers, which is supposed to provide technical expertise, has been demoted from Cabinet rank, but that hardly matters, since nobody has been nominated to serve. Or consider the GOP panic over health care. Many in the party seem shocked to learn that repealing any major part of Obamacare will cause tens of millions to lose insurance. Anyone who studied the issue could have told them years ago how the pieces of health reform fit together, and why. In fact, many of us did, repeatedly. But competent analysis wasnt wanted. And that is the point. Competent lawyers might tell you that your Muslim ban is unconstitutional; competent scientists that climate change is real; competent economists that tax cuts dont pay for themselves; competent voting experts that there werent millions of illegal ballots; competent diplomats that Putin is not your friend. So competence must be excluded. At this point, someone is bound to say, If theyre so dumb, how come they won? Part of the answer is that disdain for experts sorry, so-called experts resonates with an important part of the electorate. Bigotry wasnt the only dark force at work in the election; so was anti-intellectualism, hostility toward elites who claim that opinions should be based on careful study and thought. In some ways this cluelessness may be a good thing: Republican ignorance has turned what was supposed to be a blitzkrieg against Obamacare into a quagmire, to the benefit of millions. Crises happen, and we have an intellectual vacuum at the top. Be afraid, be very afraid. Paul Krugman writes for the New York Times. We all want to fight terrorism, but President Trump's misguided travel ban on seven Mideast nations is not the way to do it. It stops few, if any terrorists, yet it disrupts the lives of innocent people who are often contributing a great deal to our country and its colleges. Right here in Southeast Texas, students and teachers at Lamar University are suddenly branded as suspicious and gripped with fear about traveling to or from their native lands. Many of these people at Lamar spoke to one of our reporters recently about the anguish and turmoil that have overtaken their lives. Yet then they asked us not to use their names, so we didn't run the story. They have done nothing wrong, but they are afraid. Afraid for their future or that or their loved ones. That shouldn't happen in the world's greatest democracy. At least 18 faculty members and 21 students at Lamar come from the seven countries involved. Lamar has advised them not to travel to their homelands because they might not be able to return. The same sad story is playing out in other colleges and universities across America, which have 17,000 students from those countries. Some of these individuals at Lamar are highly respected researchers working on cutting-edge technology. Others are brilliant students with great careers ahead of them. They have been vetted thoroughly by our government. None has ever given anyone reason to suspect that they are terrorists. The story of their lives reveals ambitious people trying to use their skills to help themselves and others - usually in ways that are not possible in their home countries. They are achievers and strivers, the kind of people we should be welcoming. Many people affected by this ban chafe under their repressive home governments or lack of opportunities. Like millions of immigrants before them, they yearn to breathe free in this country and go as far as their minds and motivation will carry them. They want to make America greater, but their lives are on hold until this travel ban is resolved. For their sake and ours, that must happen as soon as possible. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In a series of tweets and statements Wednesday, President Trump railed about the real scandal, appearing to accuse U.S. intelligence officials of leaking information about intercepted phone calls between his aides including his onetime campaign manager and Russian operatives Trumps Twitter storm came after the New York Times reported Tuesday that the intercepted communications showed that his campaign advisers were in repeated contact with Russian intelligence officials during his presidential campaign. Those conversations came as Russians were attempting to disrupt the U.S. presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, according to U.S. intelligence officials. The unnamed officials quoted by the New York Times said that, so far, they had not found evidence Trump aides were cooperating in the hacking effort. The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by intelligence like candy. Very un-American! Trump tweeted. More for you Russian spy ship moves off Connecticut shore Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager, was among those who had phone conversations with Russian intelligence officials that were monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies, the Times reported. Manafort denied knowingly speaking with Russian intelligence officials. Trumps tweets come just days after his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned after he was caught on an intercepted call speaking with Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to the United States, about economic sanctions imposed by the Obama administration against Russia. White House officials said Flynns resignation stemmed from him being untruthful to Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Kislyak. During a White House news conference Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump called Flynn a wonderful man. I think hes been treated very, very unfairly by the media, as I call it the fake media, in many cases, and I think it is really a sad thing he was treated so badly, Trump said. In December, Obama imposed new sanctions against Russia and expelled 35 of the Kremlins diplomats from the United States, including several at the Russian Consulate in San Francisco, after they were accused of working to interfere with the U.S. presidential election. Here are some of Trumps other tweets on the leaked phone records: Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up many mistakes made in Hillary Clintons losing campaign. The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great! The Chronicle has reported several stories on the Russian involvement in the U.S. election. Here are some links: Russian consul general in SF calls expulsions not human Russian diplomats in San Francisco among those told to leave U.S. Obama rightly sanctions Russia The many conflicts of Trumps secretary of state pick Trumps way with words leads him into dicey situation Bill Hutchinson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bhutchinson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @bill_hutchinson Kim Jong-Nam fell out of favour with the North Korean hierarchy following a botched attempt in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport Kim Jong-Nam's death described as "brutal and inhuman" by South Korea. It is thought Kim Jong-Un's half-brother was stabbed with poison-tipped needles or had chemicals sprayed in his face. The assassination of the North Korean leader's half-brother illustrates the "brutal and inhuman" nature of the regime in Pyongyang, Seoul said Wednesday after Kim Jong-Nam was reportedly killed in Malaysia by female agents. Two women are believed to have used some kind of poison for the Cold War-style killing, with reports from Malaysia and South Korea suggesting Kim Jong-Nam had been stabbed with poison-tipped needles or had chemicals sprayed in his face. "He told the receptionist at the departure hall that someone had grabbed his face from behind and splashed some liquid on him," Selangor state's criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying by Malaysia's The Star newspaper. "He asked for help and was immediately sent to the airports clinic. At this point, he was experiencing headache and was on the verge of passing out," said Fadzil. "At the clinic, the victim experienced a mild seizure. He was put into an ambulance and was being taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when he was pronounced dead." South Korean reports had earlier suggested the two female assassins had used poison-tipped needles during the killing, before fleeing in a taxi. A post mortem will be carried out later in Malaysia. Kim had at one time been set to assume the leadership of his isolated country, but fell out of favour after an embarrassing attempt to get into Japan on a fake passport in 2001. He has since lived in exile, mostly in the gambling haven of Macau, but he has also been spotted in other Asian countries and there have been reports of his playboy lifestyle. Kim, 45, is believed to have been in Malaysia on a passport bearing the name Kim Chol, a known alias, according to South Korean media. Story continues But Seoul on Wednesday confirmed that the dead man was a member of the Kim dynasty. "Our government is certain that the murdered man is Kim Jong-Nam," said Chung Joon-Hee, a spokesman for Seoul's unification ministry that handles inter-Korea affairs. "If confirmed, the murder of Kim Jong-Nam would be an example that shows the brutality and inhumane nature of the North Korean regime," acting leader Hwang Kyo-Ahn told a meeting of top security officials earlier, according to his spokesman. "We're taking this incident very seriously and we're keeping close tabs on the North", Hwang said. Kim's killing is thought to be the highest-profile death under the Jong-Un regime since the execution of the leader's uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. Jong-Un has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his country's nuclear and missile programmes, and regular reports have emerged on purges and executions. Jong-Nam, known as an advocate of reform in the North, once told a Japanese newspaper that he opposed his country's dynastic system of power. Cheong Seong-Jang, senior researcher at Seoul's Sejong Institute think-tank, said Jong-Nam had been living in near-exile so it was unlikely that Jong-Un saw him as a potential competitor for power. "But if Jong-Nam committed an act to damage Jong-Un's authority, I think it's possible that the Reconnaissance General Bureau may have directly conducted the assassination under the orders of Jong-Un since it has been in charge of closely watching Jong-Nam," he said. More From Business Insider Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)s deputy commissioner-general (DCG) Innocent Matibiri has had his powers clipped. Matibiri, who is former president Robert Mugabes nephew, has been moved from the powerful post of being in charge of operations to human resources. Following his reassignment, Levy Sibanda who was in charge of human resources, has been assigned to take his place as ZRP DCG in charge of operations. Before Mugabes resignation on November 21, his nephew was among top police officers who were tipped to succeed police commissioner-general, Augustine Chihuri. The post of DCG (operations) allowed Matibiri to sit on the Joint Operations Command or Joc the supreme organ for the coordination of State security in Zimbabwe. Continuous efforts to get a comment from police spokesperson, Charity Charamba, hit a brick wall yesterday as she continually told the Daily News that I am in a meeting. By the time of going to print, Charamba had not responded to questions sent to her mobile phone. Security sources at the Police General Headquarters, however, told the Daily News yesterday that Matibiris re-assignment must be viewed within the context of recent developments in the country. He was moved when the military intervention took place. This has been advised internally, although strangely there has been no memo or radio (communication) sent out to stations to advise of the latest development, said a ZRP insider. This comes amid indications that there could be a major shake-up in the ZRP amid heightened pressure on Chihuri to resign. Chihuri, who was appointed police commissioner in 2008, is not popular with the majority of Zimbabweans. He is accused of presiding over a corrupt police force that protects criminals, is complicit in human rights abuses and suffers from political bias. Signs that Chihuris star could be waning were on public display on Friday last week when thousands of people who had gathered at the National Sports Stadium in Harare for the inauguration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa booed the commissioner-general as he was taking his oath of office and pledging his allegiance to the new Zanu PF leader. Unlike Chihuri, the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF), Constantino Chiwenga, received an overwhelming ovation. Chihuri may have put himself in an invidious position with the new leadership after the police tried to arrest Chiwenga when he arrived from China a few days after Mnangagwa had been dismissed from government and Zanu PF. It is believed that Chihuri and Matibiri had gathered a squad of police details and intelligence agents to wait for the arrival of Chiwenga with the intention to ambush and arrest him. However, the plot leaked and Chiwenga pulled together a counter-team that thwarted the police raid and ensured his safe arrival before the ZDF commander went on to lead the military intervention that forced Mugabe to resign after 37 years at the helm. Chiwenga had been targeted for arrest due to his alleged links with Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa, who made a stunning comeback in Zanu PF and government after his dismissal, was viewed as a threat to Mugabes plan to elevate his wife, Grace, to the presidium. Breaking News via Email THE Zimbabwe dollar has depreciated by 5,8% against the greenback on the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Foreign Exchange Auction. Market watchers believe the development is a positive step which is slowly moving to close the gap set by the parallel market rate. A trading update released at the close of the business Tuesday shows that the official exchange rate at the close of business was US$1:ZW$521,34 up from US$1:ZW$494,98 recorded last week to signify a 5,8% decrease. Market watchers contend that this weeks depreciation is a positive development, which goes a long way to close the gap created by the parallel market premium and in the process achieve exchange rate equilibrium. The parallel market rates currently stand at around US$1:ZW$800, prompting concerns by industry players for the gap between the two exchange rates to be closed in order to attain acceptability of the local currency. The trading update shows that allotments on the Main Auction sustained a productivity spurring priority, with raw materials being allotted US$7,3 million, machinery and equipment US$3,4 million, consumables US$1,3 million, services US$1,7 million, retail and distribution US$806 626, pharmaceuticals and chemicals US$199 333, paper and packaging US$304 084. The total allotted on the platform was US$15,1 million. A similar trend was followed on the SMEs Auction, where 415 bids were accepted, with raw materials, machinery and equipment remaining on top priority. NewZimbabwe Breaking News via Email President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched a diplomatic offensive in an effort to tell his side of the story in the face of global condemnation sparked by the deadly clampdown by the army in the aftermath of the January 14 protests against steep fuel price increases. On Friday, the United States and the United Nations added their weight to calls by the international community for Mnangagwa to rein in the army, which is accused of killing 12 people and shooting of over 78 civilians. According to his spokesperson George Charamba, the Zanu PF leader was forced to skip his so-called Thank You rally scheduled for Mt Darwin in order to apprise regional leaders about the situation in Zimbabwe ahead of an Africa Union Summit set for Ethiopia in a few days time. Charamba said Mnangagwa had also sent special envoys to neighbouring countries to brief their governments about the crisis. His Excellency the President, Cde ED Mnangagwa, today, Saturday, spent the day at his Munhumutapa offices from where he made contact with a number of heads of state and government from the region and continent, Charamba said in a statement. The prime objective was for him to brief his colleagues on the situation obtaining in the country following opposition-instigated violent demonstrations which affected the country two weeks ago. He also received reports from returning special envoys he had despatched to selected countries in the region and on the African continent for the same mission. US top diplomat for Africa Tibor Nagy said Washington was deeply concerned about the events in Zimbabwe and the UNs local office said it was worried about trails of destruction, looting, mass arrests and detentions that followed the protests. The US is deeply concerned about continued reports of human rights violations in Zimbabwe, Nagy tweeted. We call on the government to respect human rights, hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations and immediately end all violence by government forces. Mnangagwa had earlier in the week accused Western countries of fuelling the violence. Soldiers are accused of raping more than 12 women since the clampdown began and over 1 000 people were arrested for various offences allegedly committed during the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions-organised mass stayaway. The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa says its officials have become targets of abductions by soldiers who make regular raids at peoples homes in the dead of the night. Police and the army last week issued a statement claiming that impostors were behind the human rights violations. However, government officials, including Mnangagwa and Agriculture minister Perrance Shiri, have defended the clampdown claiming the opposition posed a security risk. While regional leaders have remained mum about the situation in Zimbabwe, South African opposition leader Mmusi Maimane has demanded a meeting with Mnangagwa this week to discuss the clampdown against the opposition. Maimane told The Standard in an exclusive interview that his party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and Southern African Partnership for Democratic Change, a coalition of opposition parties in the Southern African Development Community, which he leads, were filling a void left by regional leaders due to their refusal to intervene in Zimbabwe. The DA has threatened to take Mnangagwa to the International Criminal Court over the killings. The Standard Breaking News via Email WASHINGTON Is it any surprise that banks prefer a rigged market when it comes to processing debit and credit card purchases for merchants? Thats the question posed by Lyle Beckwith, NACS senior vice president for government relations, in an opinion piece in The Hill this week. The Dodd-Frank reforms mandated that retailers choose between two companies to process financial transactions. The banking community has objected, complaining that merchants are in charge of network selection. As Beckwith wrote, Thats the point of competition. Without it, banks gouge merchants as much as a 10,000% markup on fees for processing credit card purchases. And even after reform of the debit market, big banks still manage to mark up those fees a stunning 500%. Financial firms also think that they are in a better position to pick which network a merchant should use. [R]etailers happen to believe that in the free-market system that built the largest economy in the world, customers are entitled to pick where they shop, not be told where. How can anyone take seriously the argument that we should repeal reform, as Congress is considering now, so as not to inconvenience banks by making them compete? Beckwith asked. Banks have long gouged merchants for these processing services because Visa and MasterCard price-fix the swipe fees. The card companies and banks have long tried to [quash] other companies that dare to compete in this business, he concluded. And thats what they want to go back to, with the result of higher prices for consumers, unfairly heavy burdens on Main Street small businesses, fewer jobs and a slower economy. Dear readers, Thanks SO MUCH to you thoughtful Loyal, Thankful Readers who sent me the gorgeous red roses yesterday! It was a wonderful surprise and cheered me up. They are prominently displayed on a table near my desk, so I can see them while I am working. The cat seems to like them too, he took a nap next to them. Extraordinary pollution found in deep Mariana trench Financial Times An Enormous Exoplanet Is Having a Strange Influence on Its Star gizmodo (martha r) Iron Age Potters Carefully Recorded Earths Magnetic Field By Accident NPR (martha r) Source: Apple Will Fight Right to Repair Legislation Motherboard Dubai plans to introduce flying drone taxis as early as this summer TechCrunch (martha r) Merck Stops Alzheimers Study After `No Chance of Benefit Bloomberg China? Brother of North Koreas Supreme Leader murdered in Malaysia, officials confirm Christian Science Monitor (furzy) We have at most a year to defend American democracy, perhaps less International Suddeutsche Zeitung. EM: Yes, the author did in fact write Hillary Clinton did have actual policies that would have helped, that does not appear to be a typo. Brexit Tax cut for Amazon as high street shops suffer The Times Meanwhile, back in Ireland Angry Bear Syraqistan Syria: Scenarios of Dramatic Change CIA (guurst). A 1986 document. Remarkable how little has changed. Big Brother is Watching You Watch Trump Transition Obamacare The FBIs Secret Rules Intercept (martha r) Democrats bracing for town hall protests directed at them ask Bernie Sanders for help Washington Post (martha r). Hope he says no. They need to face the music for their actions all by themselves. But it is probably wiser to play the Japanese game of feigning cooperation and doing trivial things slowly. Chuck Schumer Tries to Silence Bernie Sanders on Behalf of Big Pharmas Corey Booker Medium (martha r). Notice how one unnamed Dem senator basically said Bernie had to toe the line because he was part of the leadership. Ahem, did they forget he returned to being an Independent? The Democratic party needs to own up to the fact that the dogs arent eating its dog food. McDowell County Community Hopes to Bring Back Bernie Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News (martha r) Young Democratic Socialists define socialism on the border The Prospector (martha r) Chuck Schumer Brokers Senate Democratic Peace Deal With Bernie Sanders Over Drug Bill Forward. Martha r: Im enjoying the stories about the dems in Crongress trying to own Sanders. Reminiscent of the way U.S. goes to war in foreign countriesdont bother to understand the people who live there. Doesnt end well usually. BREAKING: Federal Judge Rules Against Presidential Debate Commission IVN (martha r). From Feb 1 Dunno how we missed this Oroville Neighboring communities band together to help Oroville evacuees care for their animals Los Angeles Times The call for citizens to go local Christian Science Monitor (furzy) NoDAPL $20 Trillion Tuesday S&P 500s Mind-Blowing Valuation Phils Stock World Why Sub $50 Oil Is More Likely Than $70 Oil OilPrice The market may be behind the curve in judging how hawkish the Fed intends to be John Authers, Financial Times Report: Payless could shutter up to 1,000 stores Retail Dive (martha r) Antitrust Rulings Put Chill on Health-Insurance Mergers Wall Street Journal Aetna, Humana Abandon $37 Billion Merger Blocked by Judge Bloomberg (martha r) Class Warfare Antidote du jour (Robert H): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Guest post and photos by Jamie Rhein This past summer, a friend and I headed to Philadelphia for a quick two-day getaway with the aim to spend quality time with each other while playing tourists. Because of Philadelphias walk ability, we were able to cover a lot of ground on foot, traveling from the trendy to the historic and back again. Philadelphia is patriotic, affordable and fun. Our first nights stay at the Independent Hotel, a 24-guest room boutique style beauty in the Midtown Village section of the city, put us in a perfect location for exploring while our car stayed parked in the hotels lot during our one day of sight-seeing. First stop: Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Arch Streets. First opened February 23, 1892, Reading Terminal Market is a sprawling, bustling food lovers paradise. Think of a specialty food, and youll probably find one of the food stalls that sells it. The Sweet As Fudge Candy Shoppe caught my attention. Name a candy and youll find it. The specialty is homemade fudge and chocolate, although the other offerings are extensive. Chocolate by Mueller, however, has national fame thanks to Guilty Pleasures on the Food Network. Known for its novelties like chocolate ears and more, this is a fun shop to browse. (Freeunless you buy. I spent about $12) Second stop: Franklins Footsteps Walking Tour, from Independence Hall Visitors Center. Led by a tour guide decked out in Ben Franklin era attire, this 75-minute walking tour was a splendid way to learn about Philadelphias history and be entertained. The tour guide took us by iconic sites including: Betsy Rosss house, Christ Church, Ben Franklins grave and the site of his home. Along the way, the guide filled us in on the city of Brotherly Loves early beginnings and influences in American history. I highly recommend this tour. And, I found it as a deal on Groupon. The tour for two was $24. Third Stop: Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell: Because going through the line to see the Liberty Bell was way too long, we opted to look at it through the large windows and spend most of our time at the Seizing Freedom Exhibit part of the Independence National Historical Park (that includes Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell). The Seizing Freedom Exhibit highlights the history of the Underground Railroad in Philadelphia and how blacks and whites helped enslaved African Americans fight for their freedom. The park also has extensive signage about the how the history of the U.S. government, in particular, how it formed. Free. Fourth Stop: United States Mint The Philadelphia mint is one of six where coins are made. The self-guided tour takes about 45 minutes depending upon how much one reads the signage that covers the history and the process of coin making in the United States and watches coins being made. The exhibit about how coins are designed is particularly fascinating. One can buy a newly minted coin in the latest design as a souvenir. Free. Fifth Stop: Fork. 306 Market St. Touted as one of the best restaurants in Pennsylvania, Fork was a dining treat. We ended up here by happenstance. Because the restaurant looked interesting when we were looking for a place to eat, we wandered in. Unbeknownst to us, we wandered into a wonderfully creative gastronomical experience of a four-course meal. For $78 per person, we each picked a starter, pasta, a main course and a desert. Along with food that tasted as delicious as it was pretty, the service was remarkable. I counted at least eight people waiting on us over the course of the hour and a half we were there. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel feeling satisfied and fortunate to have had a most remarkable day in a city that honors its history, as well as its art. No matter where you are in the older section of Philadelphia, you cant miss a mural. The Mural Arts program is the worlds largest public art gallery. The murals are large enough they take up entire sides of buildings. The one shown here is a tribute to the Chinese that settled in Philadelphia and is located in Philadelphias Chinatown. Next time you visit Pennsylvania, consider a trip to Philadelphia. Perhaps youll agree that Philadelphia is patriotic, affordable and fun. Interface between insulators enables information transport by spin (Nanowerk News) Modern computer technology is based on the transport of electric charge in semiconductors. But this technologys potential will be reaching its limits in the near future, since the components deployed cannot be miniaturized further. But, there is another option: using an electrons spin, instead of its charge, to transmit information. A team of scientists from Munich and Kyoto is now demonstrating how this works ("Strong evidence for d-electron spin transport at room temperature at a LaAlO 3 /SrTiO 3 interface"). The spin of electrons transports information in this conducting layer between two isolators. (Image: Christoph Hohmann / NIM) Computers and mobile devices continue providing ever more functionality. The basis for this surge in performance has been progressively extended miniaturization. However, there are fundamental limits to the degree of miniaturization possible, meaning that arbitrary size reductions will not be possible with semiconductor technology. Researchers around the world are thus working on alternatives. A particularly promising approach involves so-called spin electronics. This takes advantage of the fact that electrons possess, in addition to charge, angular momentum the spin. The experts hope to use this property to increase the information density and at the same time the functionality of future electronics. Together with colleagues at the Kyoto University in Japan scientists at the Walther-Meiner-Institute (WMI) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Garching have now demonstrated the transport of spin information at room temperature in a remarkable material system. A unique boundary layer In their experiment, they demonstrated the production, transport and detection of electronic spins in the boundary layer between the materials lanthanum-aluminate (LaAlO 2 ) and strontium-titanate (SrTiO 3 ). What makes this material system unique is that an extremely thin, electrically conducting layer forms at the interface between the two non-conducting materials: a so-called two-dimensional electron gas. The German-Japanese team has now shown that this two-dimensional electron gas transports not only charge, but also spin. To achieve this we first had to surmount several technical hurdles, says Dr Hans Hubl, scientist at the Chair for Technical Physics at TUM and Deputy Director of the Walther-Meiner-Institute. The two key questions were: How can spin be transferred to the two-dimensional electron gas and how can the transport be proven? Information transport via spin The scientists solved the problem of spin transfer using a magnetic contact. Microwave radiation forces its electrons into a precession movement, analogous to the wobbling motion of a top. Just as in a top, this motion does not last forever, but rather, weakens in time in this case by imparting its spin onto the two-dimensional electron gas. The electron gas then transports the spin information to a non-magnetic contact located one micrometer next to the contact. The non-magnetic contact detects the spin transport by absorbing the spin, building up an electric potential in the process. Measuring this potential allowed the researchers to systematically investigate the transport of spin and demonstrate the feasibility of bridging distances up to one hundred times larger than the distance of todays transistors. MADRID, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Spanish dock workers on Wednesday called off a planned three-day strike next week after the government said it would delay plans to reform the sector and instead open talks with the unions. The standstill was due to take place every other hour on Feb. 20, 22 and 24 at dozens of Spanish ports which employ more than 6,000 stevedores and handle an estimated 500 million tonnes of merchandise a year. The strike was called after the Spanish government announced plans to overhaul the way ports are managed and allow companies to hire their own personnel instead of unionised staff. Export chains in Spain, especially the car industry, would face a major disruption if a strike of three days or more was to be held. (Reporting by Julien Toyer; Editing by Angus MacSwan) 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. Five primary schools in Tipperary town were left shocked this week as they were denied extra resources to tackle under privilege and social deprivation among their pupils. And an angry principal of one of the schools involved said they felt 'let down' by the county's five TDs. "We asked them to work collectively as a unit on our behalf but the result this week shows that they didn't," said St Joseph's principal Louise Tobin. The five schools - St. Michaels Junior Boys and Girls Schools, Monastery BNS, Gaelscoil Tiobraid Arann and St. Josephs Primary School - brought the Tipperary TDs, as well as Kilkenny's John Paul Phelan representing Fine Gael, to a special meeting in the town to lobby for DEIS funding to combat educational inequality. DEIS, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, is an action plan focused on addressing the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities; from pre-school through second-level education (3 to 18 years). But when fifteen schools around the country were included in a new plan announced on Monday - including one from Carrick-on-Suir - all five Tipperary town schools were excluded. "It absolutely beggars belief", said Ms Tobin, struggling to find the words to express her outrage. "We are devastated. It is shock, horror. We feel so let down because you cannot argue with the statistics. It's as if the authorities are saying that there's no disadvantage in Tipperary and yet four per cent of the school population is from the travelling community and twenty three per cent from non-nationals," she stated. TDs under fire And she reserved some of her sharpest criticism for the Tipperary TDs. "We didn't get the help we needed from our politicians. We had a very positive meeting in Tipperary and we were promised support from all of them. We had a great submission and we asked them to work collectively on our behalf. "But they didn't work collectively. They were not willing to do so. I have a file of the very same letters from all of the TDs", she added. The Tipperary Local Education Stakeholders Network, in association with RAPID Tipperary and LIT Tipperary, had compiled a document entitled Addressing Educational Inequality in Tipperary Town to support the DEIS application. The schools wanted a programme that would make a difference for disadvantaged families and families that fail in education. They campaigned to be included in the revised DEIS action plan which would see a better pupil/teacher ratio, additional supports for vulnerable groups, targeted measures to tackle literacy and numeracy and additional funding. Parents are irate Ms Tobin said parents in the town are irate at the exclusion. While happy for the Carrick-on-Suir school to be included, she didn't think that social disadvantage was any worse in Carrick than Tipp. "We have been struggling with resources for years. We are funded the same as a school in Foxrock in south Dublin. We are getting no extra resources for children with very challenging needs", she stated, adding that the five school principals will meet on Thursday to consider their next move. Fianna Fail TD Jackie Cahill said he was 'furious' that the schools were not designated. These schools all submitted detailed, and deep, reports on the challenges they face as a result of socio-economic conditions in their communities. There is a growing sense of anger and disappointment in the town that they are being forgotten about again. The closure of McDonald Mushrooms last year and other challenges mean that these five schools need extra support. I will be raising the case of the five schools in the Dail this week, and will be seeking answers and a commitment that their cases will be reviewed. The Minister needs to be transparent, provide each of the schools with a breakdown of the decision affecting them, and where suitable allow the schools to appeal the decision." Independent TD Mattie McGrath described the news as a 'hammer blow' and said the decision was the clearest indication yet that the criteria used to select schools for DEIS status are bordering on useless. The Department of Education itself acknowledges that the methodology used to assess the schools is flawed and incomplete and does not accurately represent the level of need that exists in certain educational communities. He added - "I can understand the enormous frustration that is being felt but I want to assure all the schools who were excluded that I will work, in conjunction with all my Tipperary colleagues to ensure that this situation is remedied at the earliest opportunity." Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen appeared Tuesday before an uncommonly collegial hearing of the Senate Banking Committee, but the lack of outward drama masked the fact that lawmakers from both parties were using her testimony to lay the groundwork for a broader battle over the future of regulatory reform. Yellen faced questions on scrapping the Fed's most important stress test, whether regulatory burden was truly keeping banks from lending, and whether she supported a recent Trump administration executive order calling for a sharp reduction in regulation. In what is historically true for any Fed chairman, Yellen provided plenty of ammunition for both sides, noting that lending appeared robust while also supporting the aims of President Trump's recent actions. Following is a guide to the key points at the hearing. Republicans Likely to Target CCAR Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who chaired the committee in the last Congress, asked whether, given the Fed's recent changes to its annual Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review stress testing regime, the central bank would be willing to make even greater alterations. "As a regulator, you will continue to monitor that, and if it needs to be tailored, you'll do whatever it takes?" Shelby asked. Yellen replied, "Yes, we believe very strongly in tailoring to make sure regulations fit the risk profiles of particular institutions, especially for smaller institutions." But Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., went further, saying that he had "big problems" with CCAR because he views it as costly and redundant. While the Dodd-Frank Act Stress Test is required by the Dodd-Frank Act, CCAR is not, he said, and since capital levels have risen substantially since the crisis, Toomey asked Yellen if she would consider discarding CCAR altogether. "Isn't CCAR at least somewhat duplicative, and since it is very costly and not mandated by statute, would you consider bringing it to an end at some point in the foreseeable future?" Toomey asked. Yellen defended the test as a "key part of the regulatory process." "It's been a cornerstone of our efforts to improve supervision, especially with the largest banking institutions," she said. Those questions came as House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, outlined potentially broad revisions to the Fed's stress testing regime in a memo suggesting changes to last year's Financial Choice Act, including rolling back the applicability of the qualitative aspects of the test and limiting the Fed's ability to require banks who fail the test to forgo paying dividends to their shareholders. Is Dodd-Frank Hurting Banks' Ability to Lend? Two of the top Democrats on the committee, ranking member Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, asked Yellen a series of questions about whether banks are making loans in an effort to disprove claims made by Trump that the Dodd-Frank Act has curbed credit availability. Yellen referenced a number of statistics, including a small-business survey that suggested that only 4% of small-business owners said they were unable to receive all of the loans they wanted. Yellen further added that commercial and industrial lending have rebounded to pre-2008 levels and overall lending on banks' portfolios has rebounded to pre-crisis levels. "So the data do not back the president up there," Warren said. Republicans on the committee did not concede the point. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said there is research suggesting that the slower rate of small-business creation and expansion that has accompanied the slow-growth post-crisis environment has led to lower demand for small-business loans. "Is it possible that the reason why 4% of people are saying they're not getting the loans they wanted is because there are far fewer people asking for loans for investing in their businesses?" Tillis asked. Yellen acknowledged the point. "We've had a slowly growing economy, and for small businesses, sales growth [doesn't] justify significant expansion plans." Yellen Broadly Agrees with the Aims of Trump Regulatory Orders Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, probed Yellen on Trump's recent executive order directing the Treasury secretary to convene the Financial Stability Oversight Council and have its members identify ways to streamline and simplify their rules. The noted goals laid out in the order include empowering consumers, preventing bailouts, fostering economic growth and "vibrant" markets, advancing U.S. interests in global regulatory discussions, and "restoring public accountability" at regulatory agencies. Yellen said she thought those goals were laudable, and said the Fed will do its part to further them. "I certainly do approve of the core principles; they enunciate very important goals," Yellen said. When Shelby asked her about the applicability of President Trump's two-for-one executive order requiring federal agencies to repeal two rules for every new one issued, Yellen said that, while the order does not to apply to the Fed or any other independent regulatory agency, the central bank shares its goals. "We are constantly looking for way to mitigate the regulatory burden," Yellen said. "That is an important goal and one we will striveto achieve." Senate More Likely to Play Nice in Dodd-Frank Reform As opposed to the marked animus in the House Financial Services Committee regarding Dodd-Frank reform, the tenor and focus of the questions in the Senate Banking Committee suggest that any legislative reform that ultimately makes its way to the upper chamber will likely not be as radical as the proposals roiling in the lower chamber. Both Brown and Crapo noted in their opening statements that they were open to and hoped for consensus solutions to shared problems when it comes to financial regulation. Crapo said his goal was to "identify some bipartisan bills we can quickly get signed into law," while Brown said that "everyone on this dais can agree there are parts of Wall Street reform that can be improved." There are major changes taking place in the housing market, and credit union mortgage-marketing efforts are evolving as a result. Many areas, including Dayton and Columbus, Ohio, are seeing sales up year over year, but there could be hurdles moving ahead. Tim Mislansky, who is SVP and chief lending officer for $3.4 billion Wright-Patt Credit Union and president of the myCUmortgage CUSO, both based in Beavercreek, Ohio, said while those markets are posting strong numbers, it's getting harder for homebuyers "There are some really strong numbers," he said. "Housing inventory is adequate at the high and low ends, but in the middle-price part of the market there is not as much supply. Our average loan size is closer to the middle, so the market is a little bit more sparse for those houses." Across the country and in a much different marketplace there are also changes afoot in the San Francisco Bay Area housing market, according to Vince Salinas, VP of home loans for $5.3 billion Patelco Credit Union, Pleasanton, Calif. "We saw the apex hit in November-December. Hopefully we will see more homes coming into the market as this year goes forward," he said. While it has been a sellers' market in recent years, Salinas estimated that things could level out as prices plateau. "We need more sellers, as there currently are more buyers than sellers. Prices seem to be reaching the limit of what most people can afford. In the second half of last year you saw many people asking for top dollar, with the expectation that if they got top dollar they would sell, but if they didn't they would stay." Mike Jennings, director of mortgage lending for $1.3 billion Advantis Credit Union, Clackamas, Ore., said there are two major factors that will continue to create "challenges" for lenders and borrowers alike: A lack of available inventory and appraisal completion times. A balanced market one where there are adequate available housing choices is defined as one which has approximately six months of available rolling inventory, Jennings said. For most of 2016, the available inventory in Advantis CU's service area was measured in weeks, not months. In January, there were 68 days of available inventory in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Ore.-Wash., market. "This is an improvement over summer 2016, when the available inventory was just 14 days," Jennings said. "While 68 days is an improvement from 14, it represents a market which is still, very much, a sellers' market. I predict that prices will continue to rise as long as available inventories remain at these current low levels." Most banks and CU have chosen, with very few exceptions, to employ the services of a third-party appraisal provider referred to as an appraisal management company, or AMC. Jennings said this was necessary in order to comply with the home valuation code of conduct, which states in part: "no employee, director, officer, or agent of the lendershall influence or attempt to influence the development, reporting, result, or review of an appraisal..." While the use of an AMC has solved the issue of compliance for lenders, Jennings said it has created another issue in a lack of available qualified real estate appraisers. This dearth of qualified appraisers, coupled with the very high demand for properties in Advantis CU's service area, has translated into average completion times of 45 days to 60 days, or more. "An appraisal taking up to 90 days is no longer considered an exception," Jennings lamented. As mortgage markets are shifting, however, so too are marketing strategies. After all, consumers use smartphones to deposit checks, so will mortgage lenders soon handle home loan applications via text? "I think Rocket Mortgage will come to the masses," predicted Patelco's Salinas, referencing the paperless mortgage application for mobile devices popularized by Quicken Loans. "There is an incredible amount of investment into all aspects of home loans. We will get to a point where someone can take a picture of a home for sale with their phone, and they will get the MLS listing information and get pre-approved for a home loan. We need to be innovative to stay in front of our members so we are there when they decide to buy. We are looking at ways to do that." Mislansky said his credit union is doing more digital advertising, meaning targeted website advertising. "On Expedia recently I saw a Wright-Patt ad. More money is being spent on marketing. Home ownership is not like car ownership. You constantly have to be telling your members you do mortgages, so when they are ready to buy they come to you and don't get steered by their Realtor to the Realtor's favorite lender. Our loan officers are going out and having meaningful conversations with Realtors, builders and others who influence home loans. Advantis Credit Union has not made any major changes to its marketing efforts related to real estate mortgages, Jennings said. "We will continue to utilize the marketing platforms that are able to reach the highest number of members and potential members without creating undue costs, which tend to drive up the price of products and services. Our goal is to provide the products and services traditionally associated with a much bigger bank but at a significantly reduced cost to our members and future members, while providing an exceptional member service experience." Today (15 February 2017), Defence Ministers from Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic signed arrangements to deepen defence ties. As part of this, the Czech Republics 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade and Romanias 81st Mechanized Brigade will work closely with Germanys 10 Armoured Division and Rapid Response Forces Division. Under NATOs Framework Nation Concept, smaller armies can integrate their capabilities into an organizational structure provided by a larger framework nation. With these two arrangements, the Czech Republic and Romania each agree to contribute a brigade to a German-led multinational division, said NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment Camille Grand during the formal signing ceremony. He added that the Framework Nations Concept brings a new dimension to the way NATO approaches multinational cooperation and capability development. The three Allies will begin their cooperation through joint training and exercises starting this year. The new initiative is part of a broader drive to expand European defence cooperation in the margins of the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels this week. Tuesday, February 14, 2017 by: Vicki Batts Tags: Air pollution , China , environment This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author (Natural News) Air pollution in China is nothing new; in late 2015, the country was even forced to issue a red alert for the high levels of pollution. You know the air quality is bad when you have to close schools and place a travel ban for half the cars in a city. An assessment of Beijings daily air quality index even showed that the air was unhealthy to breathe 49 percent of days, between the years 2008 and 2015. In those seven years, Beijings air was only rated as good for a dismal 2 percent of the time. Now, new research shows that the air in China is so bad that it is actually contributing to cardiovascular and respiratory disease-related deaths. The air is making people sick and killing them. In what is described by Science Daily as the largest epidemiological study conducted in the developing world, scientists have concluded that as citizens are increasingly exposed to small-sized particulate in the air across 272 of Chinas cities, the incidence of cardiovascular and respiratory disease-related mortality increases as well. The study was recently published online by the American Thoracic Societys American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, prior to the printed release. Shocking findings reveal immense pollution in China The studys senior author Maigeng Zhou, PhD, is also the Deputy Director of the National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Zhou explains, Fine particulate [PM2.5] air pollution is one of the key public health concerns in developing countries including China, but the epidemiological evidence about its health effects is scarce. Zhou says that a new monitoring network has allowed them to assess and evaluate short-term associations between PM2.5 and cause-specific deaths across China. The research team discovered that the national average of PM2.5 exposure in China was a devastating 56 micrograms per cubic liter (g/m3) more than five times higher than the World Health Organizations air quality guidelines of 10 g/m3 , annually. Their findings also revealed that for every 10 g/m3 increase in PM2.5, there was a 0.22 percent increase in all non-accident related death. The same increase in PM2.5 exposure was also associated with 0.29 percent increase in all respiratory death, and a 0.38 percent increase in mortality specifically from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is also known as COPD. The team also found that cities with higher average temperatures exhibited a stronger association between PM2.5 and mortality. The researchers believe that this may be because people living in warmer climates may spend more time outside and open their windows at home more often. Study co-author Haidong Kan, MD, a Professor of Public Health at Fudan University in China, believes that their findings may be helpful for forming new public health policies and ambient air quality standards in developing countries, and will hopefully help reduce PM2.5-related disease occurrence. Further massive investigations, especially looking at the long-term effect studies, are needed to confirm our results and to identify the most toxic components of PM2.5 in China, Kan added. Air pollution deaths in China may keep rising The United States-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) found that in 2015, there were some 4.2 million deaths attributable to air pollution across 195 different countries. Of those, half of the deaths occurred in China and India alone. China individually represented roughly 25 percent of global air pollution-related deaths in 2015, with 1.1 million instances of pollution-related mortality. In 2016, the Paris-based International Energy Agency released a report that estimated Chinas air pollution death toll will continue to increase. The report states that Chinese pollution will extend far into the future, and they expect that mortality attributable to air pollution in China will increase along with it, even in spite of the countries efforts to quell their environmental contamination. They expect that the air pollution-related death rate in China will reach 2.5 million deaths per year, by the year 2040. Its clear that China needs to take a more stringent approach to their environmental clean-up efforts if they want to make a difference. Countless scientific studies have shown that air pollution in China (and worldwide) is a growing problem that has substantial, negative health effects; something needs to be done, before its too late. Sources: ScienceDaily.com BBC.com CBC.ca WHO.int RFA.org Wednesday, February 15, 2017 by: Tracey Watson Tags: disease , endangered animals , outbreak , Saiga Antelopes This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author (Natural News) Millions of Saiga antelope, or Saiga tatarica, once took part in one of the worlds most spectacular migration displays when they headed south to their winter home each year. However, a combination of factors involving human greed and natural disaster have left the Saiga population decimated, and it is now considered to be critically endangered, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Saiga antelope have had three main enemies in recent years: Uncontrolled hunting for meat by humans, as well being hunted for their horns, which are highly sought after in Chinese medicine; Loss of habitat: Competing with other species for habitat, and with humans and their ever-increasing demand for greater agricultural land; and Several years of particularly severe winters followed by devastating summer droughts has severely weakened the herd. Just over 20 years ago, in the 1990s, there were over a million of these quirky looking creatures left in their natural habitat in Kazakhstan and, to a lesser extent, in Mongolia. Now, their population has dwindled to just 50,000. And the Mongolian subspecies, Saiga tatarica mongolica, is the most endangered of all. Until recently, experts estimated that there were about 10,000 of them left in the wild. Then a recent disease outbreak killed 2,500 more in one fell swoop, further reducing their numbers by a staggering 25 percent. (RELATED: What other outbreaks are affecting human and animal life? Stay informed at Outbreak.news) International Business Times is reporting that the livestock virus, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), was passed onto the Saiga by domestic sheep and goats that were initially infected. Though the worst of the outbreak seems to be over, animals are still dying, so the final number lost could be even more devastating. (RELATED: See what other species are under attack and threat of extinction at Collapse.news) Though the Mongolian National Emergency Committee is trying to do all it can to assist the stricken animals, the economic situation of the country is such that resources are severely limited, and help has been sought from international aid agencies. Dr. Amanda Fine, a veterinarian and associate director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Wildlife Health Program in Asia, described the situation as tragic and widespread. And conservationists are worried about the possible knock-on effect of the outbreak in terms of other animals. For example, the snow leopard, which is also endangered, with a population of only between 4,080 and 6,590, will be affected by the reduction in available prey. The WCS and a rapid response team are working together to deal with the outbreak, and are collecting samples of dead antelopes, performing necropsies (animal autopsies) and keeping an eye on sick animals. They hope that their analysis will help them to better protect these rare animals from the virus in future. Dr. Fine noted that to save the last few remaining Saiga, it is important to ensure that they are provided with a stress-free environment where they can recover, and where they have access to fresh food and water.(RELATED: Stay up-to-date with all the latest threats to our environment at Environ.news) Of course, the scientists are eager to start further immunization [sic] of livestock in not only saiga range areas but other affected species range areas. [Emphasis added] The use of the word further would seem to indicate that the animals had already been vaccinated, albeit unsuccessfully. As is so often the case with vaccines, the risks far outweigh the benefits, and they are never all that successful to begin with. We can only hope that scientists are able to turn the situation around for these odd-looking but truly special creatures. Sources: IBTimes.co.uk WWF.Panda.org WorldWildlife.org Wednesday, February 15, 2017 by: JD Heyes Tags: forced microchip , RFID , tracking This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author (Natural News) Its not beyond the realm of possibility, given todays technology and love for the nanny state among tens of millions of Americans, that someday we might all be required to be chipped that is, implanted with a tiny microchip under our skin so that we can be constantly tracked by government at all levels. And because of the potentiality, one lawmaker from Nevada is introducing preemptive legislation to prohibit the practice, at least in her state. As reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, state Sen. Becky Harris believes the day may not be far off when everyone would be forced to accept a microchip. And whether the reasons for the requirement would be law enforcement purposes, public safety or just a matter of convenience, she believes it comes dangerously close to infringing on our personal privacy. As I began to look into the issue, I was surprised with the merit that I believe the issue warrants, she told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in recent days. Her legislation, Senate Bill 109, would make it a Class C felony to force someone to accept a microchip that serves as an RFID radio frequency identifier, technology that has been around for some time now. (RELATED: Is your TV spying on you? Find out at Cyberwar.news) Harris further noted that sales of subcutaneous RFID microchips around the globe are increasing every year. She said that an Australian firm sold some 10,000 of them last year in kits where consumers are shown how to self-implant them. Each kit costs about $100 and includes a tag and an injection tool, she told her colleagues, adding that, according to a story she had read in The Wall Street Journal, anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 chips had been sold around the world. In fact, she noted further, there are some European companies that require their employees to be chipped, for security. Employees of some firms in Belgium and Sweden use chips to identify employees and grant them access to facilities. Its done under the idea to unlock doors or use copy machines or maybe pay for lunch, you could use your hand, she told her colleagues on the Judiciary Committee. Harris legislation was fashioned after other bills that have passed in at least 10 other states. She said it would not prevent voluntary chipping, just would not allow companies or institutions of government to require chipping. For at least 10 years, microchipping technology has been available to owners of pets, who have them chipped so that in case they run away or are stolen, they can be located. Also, some believe that people with certain medical conditions, like Alzheimers disease, might benefit from being chipped because they sometimes wander off and forget where they are. Dr. Katherine Albrecht, an anti-RFID advocate, privacy researcher, and co-author of the book, Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Purchase and Watch Your Every Move, notes that electronic tracking is practically everywhere now, and that includes on primary school campuses. Schools, of all places, should be teaching children how to participate in a free democratic society, not conditioning them to be tracked like cattle, Albrecht, who is also director of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering, said in a statement, as reported by Fox News. Districts planning to use RFID should brace themselves for a parent backlash, protests and lawsuits. (RELATED: See how independent journalists may someday be forcibly microchipped at NaturalNews.com) She was joined by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which also opposes tracking of students. In a paper published with Albrechts organization and others concerned about protecting privacy in the Digital Age, EPIC and the other groups urged that schools adopt robust privacy safeguards if they move forward with RFID tracking of students. Schools using tracking technology are not proposing that students be chipped. They are, however, required to carry electronic RFID-emitting cards so their locations can be tracked. Two things come to mind in all of this: 1) That subcutaneous tracking technology is actually making inroads in various societies voluntarily; and 2) That it has become so normalized in many ways that state and local governments actually have to write and pass legislation preventing the mandatory chipping of citizens in America, no less. This just goes to prove that some people are either born, or haplessly conditioned, to live as sheep. J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel. Sources: ReviewJournal.com BigGovernment.news NaturalNews.com Science.NaturalNews.com True Genius: The Life and Work of Richard Garwin, the Most Influential Scientist You've Never Heard Of Joel N. Shurkin Prometheus: 2017. 9781633882232 | ISBN: 978-1-6338-8223-2 The biographer who takes on the complexity that is Richard Garwin is brave. In the 1950s, Garwin did an experiment showing an anomaly in radioactive decay that is now standard particle physics. Since the middle of that decade, he has advised the US government on matters from spy satellites to nuclear proliferation, gravitational-wave experiments, the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and health-care records. Now, at 88, he holds 47 patents, ranging from a gaze-controlled computer to a mussel washer. The sheer number of difficult, unrelated subjects, each with its own history and context, complicates any understanding of the man. Richard Garwin with his equipment for studying solid helium-3 at IBM in the 1960s. Credit: IBM Research In True Genius, Joel Shurkin plunges into the maelstrom. The former Philadelphia Inquirer science reporter emerges with a mildly confusing synopsis of Garwin's life and little sense of his character. In 1949, as Shurkin notes, Garwin finished a doctorate in physics after only two years. He was working at the University of Chicago in Illinois with nuclear pioneer Enrico Fermi, who famously called Garwin the only true genius he had met (G. Farmelo Nature 538, 168169; 2016). Garwin's early career also included a stint at Columbia University in New York City with a Nobel-prizewinning team, led by Leon Lederman. They discovered that the radioactive decay of elementary particles called muons doesn't obey otherwise-universal rules. He left academia in the early 1950s, disliking his field's increasingly large teams and experiments, for what would be a long career at IBM in New York state. Here, he invented and advised on whatever they threw at him. Garwin's expansive skill set found other outlets, too. About the same time, he was a consultant on nuclear weapons at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Theoretical physicist Edward Teller, a key member of the Manhattan Project, was then grappling with the design for a hydrogen bomb. Garwin supplied him with a detailed and ultimately successful working diagram. Arguably, that coup set Garwin on another life-long career. He convinced IBM to pay him to use a third of his work time to advise the US government on the scientific aspects of national security, often as part of the elite and somewhat secretive JASON group, alongside physicist Freeman Dyson. He also twice served terms on the President's Science Advisory Committee. Garwin worked on several problems at any one time and on the same problems over time. Early in the cold war, in the 1950s, he advised on a computer system to process radar that detected Soviet bombers. In the Vietnam War, he helped to develop a computer-coordinated network of electronic sensors, meant to slow the supply of men and materials down the Ho Chi Minh trail between North and South Vietnam. From the 1960s, he was involved with highly classified surveillance satellites that sent photographs back first in capsules, and later digitally, by radio. From 1960 to the present, he has been involved in every treaty to limit or ban nuclear weapons. In the 1970s, Garwin testified against the supersonic transport, the US answer to the BritishFrench Concorde helping to cement its demise at the hands of Congress. In the 1980s, he was in the middle of arguments with the military about the best ways and places to house missiles. He was also opposed to ill-advised plans by Ronald Reagan's administration for a Strategic Defense Initiative to use missiles or laser beams to deflect enemy missiles mid-flight; in discussions, he tore every argument to shreds. In the 1990s, Garwin worked on protection against radiological weapons; in the 2000s, on protection against bioterror; in the 2010s, on solutions to the disasters at the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. From 1960 to the present, he has been involved one way or another in every treaty to limit or ban nuclear weapons. Shurkin concludes with a summary of Garwin's characteristics: his appearance (rumpled), whether he is religious (not very), his children (three, all with advanced education and interesting careers. His daughter Laura served as both Nature's chief physics editor and head of its North American office). Garwin's colleagues, such as fellow members of JASON and science advisers including the late Wolfgang Panofsky, supply adjectives and anecdotes. Garwin is seen as intimidating, impatient, brilliant. He remembers everything; sees solutions that are technological rather than personal; and is surprisingly happy not to take credit. This last characteristic, alluded to in the subtitle the most influential scientist you've never heard of, would seem to be the author's only assessment of Garwin, and it is dealt with in two and a half pages. Disregard for personal credit surely can't be the most important motivation for a man in his eighties who still regularly fills his backpack with documents to support his arguments, takes the train from upstate New York to Washington DC, and then takes the Metro to whatever white marble building currently houses the people who need his advice. Climate Change and the Health of Nations Anthony J. McMichael Oxford University Press (2017) 9780190262952 | ISBN: 978-0-1902-6295-2 The magnum opus of the late epidemiologist Anthony McMichael, this study lucidly, and at times lyrically, chronicles 200,000 years of human history through a climate lens. McMichael unpicks the intricate choreography of climatic shifts, disease outbreaks and resource conflict to show how climate change has become ingrained in our biology and culture. He shows how anthropogenic climate change is the ultimate Faustian pact, trading material advance for environmental degradation; yet he hopes that the integration of eight billion networked cerebral cortexes may yet find a way through. 9780297609230 The Telomere Effect Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel. Grand Central (2017) 9781455587971 Nobel-prizewinning biologist Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel distil reams of research for this smart, invigorating how-to book on maintaining cell longevity. Meshing Blackburn's work on telomeres the chromosomal 'caps' that are biological indicators of life experience with Epel's research on stress, the volume outlines a regime designed to boost telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres. Much will be familiar, from aerobic fitness to emotional balance. But as a clear, detailed line-up of key lifestyle changes and their biological implications, this is a winner. Radicalization: Why Some People Choose the Path of Violence Farhad Khosrokhavar (transl. Jane Marie Todd). The New Press (2017) 9781620972687 With security high on national agendas, the debate over radicalization and its roots rages on. Drawing on economics, anthropology and political science, sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar examines historical examples such as Italy's Red Brigades of the 1970s and 1980s, but focuses mainly on radical Islamism today, tracing paths to conversion step by step. Some European-born terrorists, he shows, are poverty-stricken victims of racism with a narcissistic attachment to their own pain, vulnerable to the sanctification of victimhood and groupthink; others are self-radicalized lone wolves. Cogent and timely. Quantum Fuzz: The Strange True Makeup of Everything Around Us Michael S. Walker Prometheus (2017) 9781633882393 | ISBN: 978-1-6338-8239-3 Physicist Michael Walker's foray into 'quantum weirdness' is firmly grounded in physics history notably the 1927 Solvay Conference in Brussels, at which Paul Dirac, Niels Bohr and others fomented a revolution. Walker attacks his subject with energy, examining experimental and theoretical results; implications such as entanglement; and the apparent disjunction between general relativity and quantum mechanics. The passages on applications, from quantum computing and encryption to nanotubes and graphene, are gripping, but the whole is a bit too episodic. Call of Nature: The Secret Life of Dung Richard Jones Pelagic (2017) 9781784271053 | ISBN: 978-1-7842-7105-3 Scientists may have finally cracked the code to restoring temperature sensing with the help of an unexpected guest: a pit viper. In a surprising twist, the new material appears to be something people have been encountering in their everyday life. Scientists and engineers at ETH Zurich and Caltech have used the same qualities helping pit vipers sense their pray to create a kind of artificial skin that is capable of detecting temperature changes. Caltech's Chiara Daraio and her team explained the process that uses the very same jellifying agent that makes our beloved jam. According to Science News Journal, Daraio and her team have created a new material called pectin (a long chain molecule found in plant cell walls) that shows visible electronic responses to temperature changes. Their original research was actually intended for synthetic wood. This new discovery opted Daraio and her colleagues to further test the molecule, and to surprising results. According to their Caltech study, the researchers were able to create a flexible and thin film of pectin with water. The resulting product is only 20 micrometers thick, which is almost as thick as human hair. The material is described to be "weakly-bonded" and has its own set of calcium ions. The magic happens when temperature changes. This is because by the time temperature rises, the bonds "unzip" the double strands and the calcium ions are released as positively charged. This prompts the material to give an electrical signal to the detector attached to it. Read: No More Scars: Researchers Crack Code to Regenerate Human Skin Unfortunately, the scientists are still not entirely sure about the full extent of the machinations of the artificial skin as this is not part of their original objective. However, they concluded that electrical resistance may be affected because of the calcium ions themselves or their mobility. They speculated this because of the similarities of how the skin of animals, such as the pit viper, detect heat. The study noted that vipers have the ability to detect radiated heat through their pit organs. Thir organs contain ion channels in the cell membrane of sensory nerve fibers, which expand as temperature increases. This helps vipers hunt for their prey regardless of how well they hide. If Daraio's discovery is improved upon, there is potential for the artificial skin to be used in the realm of prosthetics. People with disabilities can have their "sense" of temperature restored with the help of these artificial limbs. Aside from this, Daraio speculates that the artificial skin can be applied to the medical field as well, such as creating special temperature-sensitive bandages or other laboratory equipment. Artificial intelligence is slowly changing the world with the various developments it is ushering in fantastic ways. However, fans of the "Terminator" franchise understands that there are dangers present with advanced AI technologies. This is why industry giants and experts such as Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have advocated for humane and "safe" robotics. The two figures, along with hundreds of researchers and experts in the fields, have proposed 23 "guiding principles" that will ensure the development of AI for the benefit of mankind. This compilation is called the Asilomar AI Principles. These was developed during the Beneficial AI 2017 conference which, according to the Future of Life Institute, was the brainchild of various experts. According to Inverse, the experts that pitched in on the principles included at least 892 AI or robotics researchers and 1,445 other experts, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking. The Asilomar AI Principles includes, primarily, the creation of beneficial intelligence and not undirected intelligence. This means research should go not only to the improvement of AI, but the set of values aligned to it. It aims for a healthy exchange between scientists and policy makers, saying that a culture of trust and transparency should exist in the community. Safety, failure and judicial transparency should be able to exist between the parties. Designers and builders of advanced systems should also be held accountable for any misconduct by their machines. Privacy and shared benefits should also be present and that an AI "arms" race should be avoided. A result is a set of guidelines that is far more expansive than Isaac Asimov's Three Rules of Robotics. The various fields it covered is evidence that robotics affects numerous parts of humanity's life. The Future of Life website explained that what was left were 23 guiding principles that range from strategies, data rights to future issues that include potential super-intelligence. The collection "is by no means comprehensive and it's open to differing interpretations." There are chances that the 23 principles may be edited some time in the future. For now, it is best to assume they are there to guide AI development along the "right path." NASA's manned mission to the red planet, called the Journey to Mars, is slated to happen in 2030. Before that, various flights and landing will be performed starting next year. In line with the mission, three main landing sites were shortlisted for the 2020 rock retrieval mission on Mars. In an unexpected turn of events, NASA announced last Feb. 10 that the three main options for the landing sites on Mars are Jezero, Northeast, and Syrtis. Scientists expected that the agency would favor Eberswalde and Mawrth Vallis, but the Spirit rover's former playground, Columbia Hills, was chosen instead. The landing sites were chosen from 54 identified locations, according to a report. It was then trimmed down to eight before finally shortlisting the final three. "If we don't find a biomarker at Jezero, then we'll really be showing that a surface biosphere did not exist at Mars," Munir Humayun, a planetary scientist at Florida State University in Tallahassee and one of the mission's science board, said in a statement. Scientists were the ones responsible for nominating the Jezero crater for it to be considered as a landing site. A spacecraft is expected to land on the Martian regolith in 2020; thus, the identification of potential landing sites is vital. Jezero was chosen not only because it is a prominent region on the surface of Mars, but also because scientists believe that the former ancient river delta could be home to preserved organic molecules. The process to identify the three main options and the candidates took a grueling three-day meeting joined by 172 scientists. One of the main discussion points during the meeting is the argument about sampling ancient deltas as opposed to rocks that accumulated in what believed to be hot springs that could have catered to life. The northeast Syrtis area was chosen due to its carbonate-rich location. Water-associated clays found in the site could be linked to hydrothermal springs. The site is also near volcanic rocks. The mission aims to retrieve samples that could be brought back to Earth. Columbia Hills, on the other hand, was considered due to the opportunity it presented to explore the possibility of past Martian life. Nature says Matthew Golombek, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, supported this theory. NASA's 2020 Mars rover will be able to analyze rock compositions on the red planet better than the Spirit rover. India's space agency Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch an attempt for deeper space explorations by starting missions that would target Venus and Mars. ISRO plans to land a rover on Mars by 2021-2022. Before that, ISRO will launch 104 satellites to space by Feb. 15. The mission to Venus and Mars were mentioned in the agency's budget document this year. The payload of nanosatellites will be launched all at the same time, which will break Russia's record of launching 37 satellites in just a single launch, according to a report. India's space program will receive a 23 percent increase in its budget approved by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The programs are called "Mars Orbiter Mission II" and Mission to Venus." Mission to Mars The first mission to Mars was conducted in 2013 by a pure Indian workforce. However, the new Mars Orbiter Mission II will be launched with the help of France. The French will work with ISRO to build a Mars rover. NASA is also likely to assist India in putting telematics module so that NASA's rover, who is already on Mars, would be able to communicate with ISRO's soon-to-be rover. The first Mars Orbiter mission was conducted to test the ISRO's technology while the second one is expected to perform full scientific functions. Mission to Venus Meanwhile, the mission to Venus would focus on orbiting the planet first. ISRO deem it necessary to explore Venus since there is very little information known about the planet. NASA and ISRO are likely to collaborate in this Indian maiden mission to Venus. "India should be part of this global adventure and exploring Venus and Mars are very worthwhile since humans definitely need another habitation beyond Earth," K. Kasturirangan, former ISRO chairman, said in a statement. While some believe that ISRO's nanosatellites and other test missions contribute to space junk, a scientist from the Global Security Program said that responsible launches are beneficial to everyone. The danger at Oroville Dam, America's tallest dam, has not passed yet. Last week, the heavy rain has caused the level of Oroville Lake to rise, prompting officials to use an emergency spillway for the first time in almost 50 years on Saturday. Instead of solving the dilemma however, it became worst as the engineers found an eroded section of the spillway. The 200-foot long, 30-foot deep hole prompted the forced evacuation of hundreds of thousands county residents that might be affected if the structure of the emergency spillway collapses. It is estimated that if it collapses, repairs could take as long as 90 days, and cost upwards of $200 million, Science Alert reported. "It's complex and rapidly changing, so we are doing everything we can to support Butte County and the local authorities to be able to addrrss most folks who have been displaced" said Mark Ghilarducci, director of the state Office of Emergency Services, in an interview with Sacramento Bee." The erosion could result into an uncontrolled flood that could wash down to Oroville and other towns in Yuba, Sutter and Butte counties. Yuba City is the biggest city evacuated. To prevent the havoc, the officials used bags of rocks to cover the hole of the auxiliary spillway and continued to release waters at a rate of 100,000 cubic feet per second to lower the water level, LA Times reported. And while authorities have already announced that the situation steadied for a bit and the hole is starting to dry up, the danger is not over yet. A new storm is expected to land on the area this week and officials concluded that the repairs might not be able to withstand it. As such, the evacuees are still not allowed to go back to their homes. Meanwhile, as of Feb. 14, the Flood Warning continues for Sacramento Rivers at Vina Woodson Bridge, Tehama Bridge and Ord Ferry. Jacob Bernstein, son of famed Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein, stepped forward Tuesday and said he was the New York Times writer who was reprimanded for spreading unfounded rumors about first lady Melania Trump. This is a four part tweet. 1. I want to take ownership of a mistake I made. Jacob Bernstein (@BernsteinJacob) February 14, 2017 The allegations were made public by model/actress Emily Ratajkowski, who took to social media to blast Bernstein for the comments. Sat next to a journalist from the NYT last night who told me "Melania is a hooker." Whatever your politics it's crucial to call this out for Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) February 13, 2017 In response to the uproar, Melania Trump tagged Ratajkowski in a tweet in which she applauded all women "who speak up." w[[413744973, C]] Without naming Bernstein, a New York Times spokesman confirmed to NBC the incident occurred and that the reporter involved had been reprimanded. "At a party last night, a Times reporter who does not cover Washington or politics, referred to an unfounded rumor regarding Melania Trump. The comment was not intended to be public, but it was nonetheless completely inappropriate and should not have occurred. Editors have talked to the reporter in question about the lapse." Earlier this month a Maryland judge dismissed Trump's libel lawsuit against Britain's Daily Mail newspaper over an article that contained insinuations that she had worked as an escort. Trump refiled the lawsuit last week. [NATL] Melania Trump Statue Unveiled in Her Native Slovenia The Berkeley City Council voted to explore housing low-income and homeless people in prefab "micro-unit" assisted-living buildings run by non-profits and built by private developers. Panoramic Interests displayed one of these units, which the developer has branded "MicroPADs," near Civic Park last month, inspiring curiosity in passing Berkeley residents. The "Step Up Housing" initiative that passed Tuesday was sponsored by City Councilmember Ben Bartlett. It would require the city to find city land that could be used for modular buildings with below market rental units, expedite permitting and approvals for projects, select a developer to construct the building at no cost to the city, contract with a non-profit to manage the building, and establish criteria for selecting senior citizens, disabled people and currently homeless Berkeley natives. Panoramic designed the MicroPAD specifically for quickly constructing for housing the homeless. Each 160-square-foot studio comes furnished with an oven, bathroom, and sink. 360 Video: Peek inside the bathroom of a micro-apartment designed to house the homeless. http://nbcbay.com/8tGDEPf - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA The model is single room occupancy hotels but with better construction and supportive services for people who might be transitioning off the street, said Zac Shore, of Panoramic. "Throughout the history of our country, residential hotels have been a really effective way to provide affordable housing. Recently, we've stopped building them because construction costs are so high for small, compact units," Shore said. Panoramic's idea is to reinvent the residential hotel for a new generation with bigger units and more privacy, including an in-unit shower and toilet. Assembly line construction techniques means costs are lower. The steel units are assembled in China, shipped to the US, and stacked to make a building. Berkeley's initiative calls for a 4-story, 100-unit building. Panoramic's owner, Patrick Kennedy, said he wants to build 5,000 units across the East Bay and rent each micro-apartment for $1,000 per month. If Berkeley identified a lot or space above an existing city parking garage, Kennedy's firm could construct the first MicroPAD building for $20-25 million dollars. The exterior would be designed to fit in with the neighborhood. The city would hire a housing non-profit to manage the building and provide supportive services to tenants. Bartlett said he was inspired by Kennedy's model but the bidding process would be competitive. The furnishings are sleek, with curved glass separating a bathroom from the rest of the unit, two tiny closets, a small refrigerator with a separate freezer, a desk with space for a TV, a big window with shades, and a bed. But the MicroPADs were designed with some of the challenges of housing the homeless in mind. There's a blacklight underneath the bed to discourage bedbugs and drains in the floor in case a unit needs to be hosed down during a deep cleaning. Panoramic has two other developments under construction in Berkeley and two high-rises in San Francisco that house students. Modular construction is more common in Europe, Shore said, and it's high time that the US caught up. Joycelyn Golden, who runs a soup kitchen in Oakland, was impressed with the sample unit she saw on the street. "We've been trying to figure out anything to bring people out of the cold," she said. "We've been thinking of a tent city like Curry Village in Yosemite. But this would provide more safety and protection. There's people out there who have a small income and can pay a little rent. They just need somewhere to go." Others expressed enthusiasm for the model and hoped that Berkeley's leaders would take any sort of action to house low-income and homeless residents. One man peered inside, admired the kitchen cabinets, and asked how much the rent would be. He said he was homeless but wouldn't provide his name. When a Panoramic employee told him it would be free if he qualified, he shook his head and snorted. "The city's never going to pay for that. I doubt they'd ever get it done," he said. Mineta San Jose International is the first airport in the United States to provide citizenship services for its employees and their families in the country. That announcement was made Wednesday at SJC by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and leaders from the National Immigration Forums New American Workforce, the only worksite citizenship program in the country, according to Jennie Murray, director of the forum's integration programs. Airport spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said about 800 of the airports roughly 5,000 "badged" employees are possible candidates for the pioneering program. In a nutshell, airport employees who want to become citizens of the United States can now go to the HR office at work, and be guided by three accredited staff members working at the International Rescue Committee to complete the citizenship process. The fee: $725 that is paid to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a $90 additional price to pay the support staff. Employees' family members are eligible for the legal services help, too. The Washington, D.C.-based New American Workforce is in eight cities already, Murray said, and already partners with many hotels, retailers and manufacturing sites. After SJC, she said that Miami International Airport was also interested in possibly signing up for such services. Barnes acknowledged that while immigration certainly has been a hot topic across the country lately, the desire to streamline citizenship application process for the airport workers started way before the election. Still, she stressed, that "the current political climate may be a factor," and that employees who feel more stable where they live and work are happier and more productive. Of the large Bay Area cities that include Oakland, San Francisco and Berkeley, San Jose is notably not a formal sanctuary city. Still, San Jose has taken steps to make the heart of Silicon Valley a welcoming place for immigrants. In 2015, the city approved its first Office of Immigrant Affairs, following the lead of cities such as San Franciso and Los Angeles. At the time, the effort was launched as part of a push by the council to help the thousands of San Jose residents who would have been able to take advantage of the new executive actions by President Barack Obama to shield illegal immigrants from deportation. Liccardo did not address the sanctuary city status, perse, at the announcement of the new citizenship services. And a spokesman did not immediately return an email seeking comment. But the mayor did stress the importance of immigrants to San Jose. As a city where 40 percent of our residents are immigrants, San Jose serves as the quintessential melting pot where people from all around the world enrich our culture, spur our innovation and reinvigorate our collective passion for freedom, Liccardo said. "We remain committed to helping more of our immigrant residents pursue a path to citizenship because every new voice makes our community stronger. An East Bay man and his family were subjected to a harrowing journey from their homeland of Yemen last month because of President Donald Trump's travel ban. Ebrahim Almurisi along with his wife and five young children were on a plane headed to the United States as the ban went into effect Jan. 27 and were turned around the minute they hit American soil. Now Almurisi, an oral surgeon, is making a new home in El Sobrante. He recounted the long and disturbing trek he and his family were subjected to trying to get there, which included spending eight days in an Ethiopian airport with five young children. Through an interpreter, Almurisi explained that back home in Yemen, he had a master's degree and practiced oral surgery. But as that country's civil war intensified, he decided it was time to get his family out. "I needed to protect me and my family," he said. He sold everything he owned, spent months getting a green card, then got on a flight to the U.S. with his wife and five children. When they got about four hours away from Washington, D.C., Trump's executive order was signed and went into effect. When their plane landed, the Almurisi family was ordered back on a plane and out of the country. "I was begging them to leave us here because of the war in Yemen," he said. The family ended up in Ethiopia, where they lived in the airport for more than a week, he said. Last week, after a Seattle-area judge suspended the travel ban and nearly $9,000 was donated via an online crowdfunding to pay for another plane ticket, Almursi and his family got on a plane back to the Bay Area. "Knowing that the government is bigger and stronger than a president makes me feel safe, even safer, in America," he said. As Seen On Sen. Dick Durbin met with President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch in Washington D.C. Tuesday, crediting the judges "impressive resume" before criticizing the presidents first month in office. We are at the beginning of a long conversation about our Constitution, about the authority of the president and the bulwark for that Constitution to protect the values that are written into that document falls on the judicial branch and primarily on the Supreme Court, Durbin said. Durbin faulted Trump for a variety of decisions, namely his dismissal of former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, who refused to defend his contentious travel ban. The senator, who has now met with six Supreme Court nominees, also voiced concerns about the ouster of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who resigned Monday night amid allegations of improper communications with Russia's ambassador to the United States in December. Among the topics discussed were the sanctions imposed by former President Barack Obama for Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election. Thats why this selection of a nominee to fill the deciding seat on the court is historically so important in the context of what we have seen over the past 25 days of the Trump presidency, he added. We cannot dismiss the possibility that we are going to be facing some of the most critical Constitutional decisions of our time. Durbin, who criticized Gorsuch's ruling in the landmark Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, Inc. case, insisted that Trumps nominee be held to the same 60 vote threshold as past nominees, despite the presidents call for a rule change to force a simple majority vote. I think the 60 vote standard is the right standard, Durbin said. That is not a filibuster, as I see it. That is a standard that recognizes that if youre going to serve on the Supreme Court, lifetime appointment to the highest court of the land, you shouldnt get by the Senate by the skin of your teeth. You ought to show real bipartisan support, he added. In addition, Gorsuch told Durbin Tuesday that he called Federal Judge Merrick Garland after being nominated by Trump. Obama nominated Garland to the Supreme Court in March, but Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, blocked his confirmation, holding that Obamas successor should name the next nominee. I remember what happened to Merrick Garland, Durbin said. It was totally unfair and unjust and Senator McConnell should never forget it. Im gonna stand by the same Constitutional standard that I was insisting on for Garland when it comes to Judge Gorsuch." On Tuesday, Durbin also presented Gorsuch with a gift a biography of former Federal Judge Frank Johnson, who made landmark civil rights rulings that helped end segregation and disenfranchisement in the American South. Years ago, I thought, I want everyone aspiring to be a federal judge at every level to know what it takes to be courageous to make a difference in history, Durbin said. Former President Barack Obama returned to Chicago Wednesday for the first time since the end of his presidency, a source close to Obama confirmed. The source said Obama was in the city for meetings related to the Obama Presidential Library. The former president was also seen in photos on social media in the city. The source said Obama was staying in the city through Thursday, noting the "library is a priority." Check back for details on this developing story. [NATL] Obama Unwinds, Kiteboards in Virgin Islands With Richard Branson Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner will push for state funding to put more state troopers on Chicago-expressways in an effort to combat gun violence. Rauner's office confirms a Chicago Sun-Times report that during his planned budget speech Wednesday the governor will say he wants the state to pay for 200 state police cadets over the next two years. Last year in Chicago there were 762 homicides and more than 3,500 shooting incidents totals that far eclipsed those in 2015. At the same time, the number of shootings on Chicago-area expressways rose significantly. Authorities say that's because gang violence plaguing Chicago was spilling onto those highways. Rauner also said last month during his State of the State address that he was committed to hiring more troopers to patrol Chicago expressways. Police are searching for the driver of a van that struck two men, killing one, as they were crossing the street Tuesday morning in northwest suburban Des Plaines. The men got off a Pace bus about 6:15 a.m. and were crossing South Wolf Road westbound near Jarvis Avenue when they were struck by a white work van, according to Des Plaines Police Chief Bill Kushner. One of the men told investigators the pair looked both ways before they crossed. They were taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where 52-year-old Roman Polniak was pronounced dead at 7:11 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiners office. He lived on Chicagos Northwest Side. The other man was expected to survive. The van sped away north on Wolf after the crash, Kushner said. Police canvassed the area looking for surveillance videos from businesses or residences. Wolf was closed to traffic between Howard and Touhy Avenue for more than an hour after the crash. The Chicago Public Schools Board of Education, along with five parents of CPS students, filed a lawsuit Tuesday accusing the state of Illinois of violating students civil rights by perpetuating an unequal funding system. Chicago students, who are overwhelmingly students of color, are learning in a separate but unequal system, CPS CEO Forrest Claypool said in a release. The message from the State is that their educations matter less than children in the rest of Illinois, and that is both morally and legally indefensible. The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, names the State of Illinois, Governor Bruce Rauner, the Illinois State Board of Education, ISBE Chairman Reverend James Meeks, ISBE Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith and Comptroller Susana Mendoza as defendants. Citing the 1954 Supreme Court decision in the case of Brown vs. Board of Education, the complaint alleges that Illinois maintains two separate and demonstrably unequal systems for funding public education in the State: one for the City of Chicago, whose public school children are 90% children of color, and the other for the rest of the State, whose public school children are predominantly white. The lawsuit states that 38% of CPS students are African-American, 47% Hispanic and 6% other minorities while students at public schools in Illinois outside Chicago are just 12% African-American, 21% Hispanic and 9% other students of color. Despite educating nearly 20% of children in Illinois, the lawsuit claims that the Chicago Public Schools district received just 15% of the states more than $10.6 billion in funding over the course of Fiscal Year 2016. That total that breaks down to 74 cents spent on educating each child in Chicago for every dollar spent on children across the state, according to CPS. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Illinois imposes an unequal burden on CPS with regards to pension funding, saying that the state requires the district to spend $1891 per student on pensions in FY 2017 compared to $86 per student in districts outside Chicago, where Illinois picks up a larger share of the funding obligation. Because of these disparities, CPS maintains that the state is in violation of the Illinois Civil Rights Act of 2003, which prohibits the state from utilizing criteria or methods of administration that have the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination because of their race, color, [or] national origin. Since action has not been taken to end the separate and unequal education system in this State, Chicago is taking matters to the courts, Chicago Board of Education President Frank Clark said in a statement. The State has been underfunding Chicago students for far too long, and the students, parents and educators deserve better. We will ask the court to take swift action to end this discrimination. The lawsuit is the latest development in an ongoing battle between CPS and Rauner, who vetoed a bill in December that would have injected the district with an additional $215 million in state funding to meet its June 30 teacher pension payment. Based on that veto, CPS announced the institution of a spending freeze on $46 million of non-salary funds on Feb. 6. At the time of the cuts, a spokesperson for Rauner said financial assistance for CPS would be dependent on comprehensive pension reform. Twenty years of financial mismanagement by the city cannot be blamed on someone trying to put Illinois on the right fiscal path, the governors office said in a statement. Rather than cutting services and pointing fingers, we should all be working together to pass this comprehensive pension reform agreement immediately. We have just received the lawsuit and are reviewing it, Illinois Secretary of Education Beth Purvis said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. But it is important to remember that the bipartisan, bicameral school funding commission just issued its report, which recommends an equitable school funding formula that defines adequacy according to the needs of students within each school district. The Governor remains focused on moving forward these recommendations and hopes that CPS will be a partner in that endeavor. Two bodies found along a northern Indiana stream are those of two teenage girls who went missing Monday and their deaths are being investigated as homicides, authorities said on Wednesday. State Police Sgt. Kim Riley said autopsies performed Wednesday determined that the bodies are those of Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13, both of Delphi. Their bodies were found Tuesday afternoon along Deer Creek near Delphi, about 60 miles northwest of Indianapolis. Police said the girls' bodies were about three-quarters of a mile from an abandoned railroad bridge where they were dropped off Monday to go hiking. Riley said an FBI team remains at the crime scene collecting evidence. Riley said authorities are not yet releasing the girls' cause or manner of deaths, citing the ongoing double homicide investigation. "The investigation is still in its baby steps, so to speak, and we don't want to put that information out yet," he said during a news conference in Delphi. Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby said authorities do not yet have a suspect or suspects in the girls' slayings. Delphi is known for its historic courthouse square and a restored section of the historic Wabash & Erie Canal that offers trips on a replica 19th century canal boat. News of the girls' deaths shook the community of 3,000 residents, where the teens were both eighth-graders at Delphi Community Middle School. Greg Briles, the superintendent of Delphi Community School Corporation, called their deaths a "senseless tragedy" in a Wednesday afternoon tweet. "Our worst fears were confirmed today in the senseless loss of our 2 DCMS students," he wrote on Twitter. Delphi resident Richard Gardiner said Wednesday after the police announcement that the girls' killings had left him and other residents stunned. "I've lived around this town for 50-plus years and things like this are happening every day in bigger cities, like Chicago and Indianapolis and what not," he told WLFI-TV. "And in a small community when it happens, everybody goes berserk." A local publication, the Carroll County Comet, reported in January that German and Williams were both honor roll students in the fall semester. German's Facebook page includes several photos of her clowning around with friends, including one from November showing her and another girl flashing the peace sign, prompting one Facebook friend to comment, "You goofy girls." Leazenby and Riley urged the public, particularly people who were hiking Monday in the area where the girls went missing, to contact police with any tips they might have to help authorities in the investigation. Authorities also released two photos of a male who was seen on hiking trails around the time the girls were there and asked the public to help identify him so he could be questioned about what he might have seen. "We're going to get to the bottom of this. We feel confident. And we're going to do everything within our resources to reach justice in this situation," Leazenby said. Riley said the girls' bodies were found in a wooded area about 50 feet from the banks of Deer Creek in an area less than a mile upstream from the railroad bridge that's known locally as the Monon High Bridge. He thanked volunteers who helped search the base of the bridge and surrounding trails for the girls, whose bodies were found by one of those volunteers. The girls were reported missing Monday evening after they failed to appear at a predetermined meeting place. Riley said a relative of one of the girls dropped them off Monday near the bridge and another relative had agreed to pick them up later. He said the girls went hiking Monday because the school they attended did not have classes that day. Riley said the girls planned to hike a local trail, and authorities have received no information suggesting they planned to meet anyone else on that trail. He said authorities are urging local residents to use caution, keep track of their children and report anything unusual to authorities while the criminal investigation continues. "There's somebody out there, somewhere. We don't know if it's a person who came in and left, or if it's somebody in the neighborhood," Riley said. Two Chicago icons, Bulls star Jimmy Butler and popular hip hop artist Chance the Rapper, have a message for Donald Trump as the president continues to spotlight the citys violence. Chance, who recently made history while picking up three Grammy wins Sunday, said in a recent interview with The Undefeated that Trumps series of comments about the rappers hometown made it seem as though he was going to war with Chicago. Im tired of n-----s talkin about Chicago like its a Third World country, he told the publication. Like, that its not a place of booming business with a very successful downtown and all types of new development. He added that he hopes Trump will come to the city to do some type of federal overturn of our state and city budgets in terms of schooling and housing. Butler, who was also a part of the interview, echoed those sentiments saying its hard to relate to the people here if you cant relate to them. If you keep throwing them in a category that theyre violent, no matter if they change or not, theyre still going to be in that category, he said. You go down there and you change peoples lives. You make them want to do better for the next person. And thats when Chicago is going to be a beautiful place, and nobodys comin here talking about how bad it is like he said, like a Third World country. Cause thats not it. Chicagos violence and rising number of shootings have gained national attention, especially during Trumps presidency. Trump warned local authorities in January that he would send in the Feds if they cant get a handle on the carnage in Chicago. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel shot back earlier this month, urging Trump to just send them. Send more FBI, DEA, ATF agents, Emanuel said during a news conference. We dont have to talk about it anymore. Emanuel also met with Attorney General Jeff Sessions Monday in Washington, D.C. to discuss how the federal government can help address Chicagos spiking violence. Like Chance, Emanuel has noted that part of solving the citys violence involves investing in its youth. Speaking with the Becoming a Man youth group this month, which Butler is a part of, Emanuel promoted mentoring and summer jobs programs for at-risk youth as a way to keep children out of city gangs. "That gang out there is ready to be a summer and year round job," he said. "We have to decide whether these young men have a job in the summer. That gang out there is ready to be their family that they dont have or their community that they dont see. We as a city have to decide whether they are going to have a family, a community that believes in them. And for too long, and you guys know this, we collectively havent done it." Butler and Chance said they know they have a massive weight on their shoulders, being the faces of a city and an icon to so many youths. It comes with the good and the bad, Butler said. But with that being said, I think theres a lot more good that happens than bad. They look up to us. We give a lot of people hope. And I think thats all you can ask for. Thats all you can want to do. Charges have been filed in the shooting death of 11-year-old Takiya Holmes, police said. Antwan C. Jones, 19, was charged with first-degree murder after turning himself in late Tuesday evening, according to police. He was ordered held without bond Wednesday afternoon. Takiya was sitting in the backseat of her familys minivan Saturday around 7:40 p.m. on the citys South Side when she was shot in the head by a stray bullet, police said. According authorities, Jones lived in an apartment complex in the neighborhood and saw three people he thought "didn't belong in the area." He went outside with a handgun and opened fire but missed. One of those bullets pierced the van Takiya was riding in and struck her in the head, police said. The 11-year-old was with her mother, aunt and 3-year-old brother when the shooting occurred. They were parked outside her mother's work, waiting for a co-worker, when they suddenly heard gunfire. "Shots rang out, she told everybody to get down, and once they stopped, she asked was everybody ok and Takiya did not respond," her grandmother Patsy Holmes said. The van had only been in the area for less than one minute, authorities said. "I dont know if people think this is TV where you can shoot someone in the leg or shoot a handgun out of somebodys hand," said Area Central Commander Brendan Deenihan. "These are handguns. When the bullets start flying they go everywhere." Takiya was transported to Comer Childrens Hospital, where she remained on life support until passing away Tuesday morning. "Gang violence in Chicago, while senselessly tragic is something every police officer has faced at one time or another," Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said. "For the most part you learn how to process it so you can focus on the task at hand, but when this violence touches the innocent or the young, thats when its no longer part of your job -- it becomes a person. Beyond just shaking their heads at the tragic loss of life, officers begin asking themselves, 'What if that were my child? What would I do?'" The teen charged had "a lengthy juvenile history," police said at a press conference Wednesday. According to Johnson, Jones had been identified by the department previously for being at risk of becoming a victim or an offender of gun violence. Johnson continued his plea for stricter gun penalties, saying, "Theres no deterring to taking a life when you know youll likely be out of jail in a matter of months." "How many children do we need to lose before the promises that were made by certain legislators are kept?" Johnson said. "How many?" Police thanked community members and activist Andrew Holmes for helping in their investigation. They noted that several people in the community helped identify the shooter before he turned himself in. "In this case we were fortunate to bring this to a conclusion in a very timely manner," Deenihan said. Holmes, Takiya's cousin, said that while a reward was being offered for information leading to an arrest, those that came forward said it "wasn't about the money." "It was just about bringing a person to justice," he said. Holmes said that he intends to continue to encourage communities to come forward in shootings across the city, particularly those involving children. Takiya was one of three children shot since Saturday. A 12-year-old girl was also critically wounded in a shooting just minutes after Takiya was shot. On Tuesday, a 2-year-old boy was killed in a shooting on the city's West Side. For now, Holmes said he had just one message for the man charged in his cousin's shooting death. "For him now, my message is to help those that are behind him that are doing the same thing to not do it," he said. LIVE on NBC 5 NEWS: Watch NBC 5 until 7 a.m. as NBC 5's Susan Carlson reports from the scene with latest on this developing story. A man was shot and killed on Lake Shore Drive in Chicagos Lincoln Park neighborhood early Wednesday morning. The man was driving a silver Lexus sedan in the southbound lanes in the 2900 block of N. Lake Shore Drive when another car pulled up and opened fire, police said. The victim, in his 20s, then crashed his vehicle into the center median, police said. He was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center with fatal gunshot wounds to the body, police said. Man shot and killed on Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park. @SusanCarlson111 is on the scene, now on NBC 5 News https://t.co/Ksx75XcQQZ pic.twitter.com/fiAvqxReTw NBC Chicago (@nbcchicago) February 15, 2017 Another man and woman were also in the car at the time of the shooting, police said, but were uninjured. Southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive from Hollywood to Fullerton Avenue were closed for several hours as authorities investigated the scene. All lanes were reopened shortly before 7 a.m. Police confirmed the victim was a documented gang member. No one is in custody. Gov. Bruce Rauner delivered his third budget address Wednesday in Springfield, lauding the developing Senate "grand bargain" as a sign of progress amid the state's nearly two-year impasse. "For the first time, legislators from both parties are standing together to say that Illinois must have structural change to grow our economy and create good jobs in every part of our state," Rauner said. "That budgets must be truly balanced for the long term and that to achieve balanced budgets, changes must be made to fix our broken system. Rauner thanked Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno for their leadership, noting that he doesn't want to "disrupt the momentum" of their ongoing budget plan and has largely tried to stay out of negotiations. The Republican said he's open to raising Illinois' income tax and expanding the state's sales tax to get the Senate deal done, but claimed it's "not fair" to include a permanent income tax increase with only a temporary property tax freeze. Instead, he encouraged members of the General Assembly to pass a permanent property tax freeze, like the one the House passed last month. Despite his newfound flexibility, Rauner noted that he wouldn't support new taxes on food, medicine or retirement income. "The final result must be a good deal for taxpayers and job creators: a grand bargain that truly balances the budget once and for all, and really moves the needle when it comes to jobs creation," he said. Rauner also said the state's reliance on raising taxes and borrowing has driven job creators out of Illinois, further faulting the state's flawed workers' compensation system. He noted that Illinois has lost jobs, while neighboring states have added positions, pointing to an "exodus" of Illinoisans who have "voted with their feet" by leaving the state. "They're leaving for jobs, higher wages and lower costs of living," Rauner said. "If Illinois were more competitive, if we had just grown Illinois' economy like an average state, today, we would have 650,000 more jobs here," he added. He claimed that average growth would have resulted in budget surpluses, an empty bill backlog and $8.5 billion more in cash, despite the state's "historic spending." In response to the state's fiscal woes, Rauner proposed his latest budget Wednesday, which includes term limits, economic changes to grow jobs, pension reform, and workers' compensation reform that the governor claims will lead to lower property taxes. Some lawmakers openly laughed when Rauner claimed the package is in balance. Rauner's plan also includes record funding for schools, a proposal for a new VA home in Chicago, added state troopers for Chicago and the city's highways, and a new focus on combating the state's opioid crisis, among other measures. In addition, Rauner pushed a "hard cap" on state spending and reiterated his plan to sell Chicago's James R. Thompson Center, which he said could generate $200 million for the state. "Illinois faces incredible challenges," Rauner said, restating his message from last month's State of the State address. "But those challenges also provide unprecedented opportunity. We are at a crossroads. If we work together and make the right decisions now, the potential of our state is unlimited." Rauner's teleprompter briefly went down during his speech, at which point the governor jokingly ask members of the General Assembly if they had a story to tell. House Speaker Michael Madigan, Rauner's chief political foe, quipped that the Russians were responsible for the disruption, adding some levity to the governor's dire speech. In response to Rauner's speech, Madigan was sober and frank, noting that "it appears for the third straight year that Governor Rauner has failed to introduce a balanced budget." As the governor told a newspaper recently, his plan is to stay the course," Madigan said in a statement. "That means continuing to use the disabled, the elderly, school children, victims of abuse, and many others as negotiating tools in his effort to increase profits of big corporations at the expense of middle class and struggling families. Staying the course, as the Governor wishes, means billions of dollars in new debt, and lost services for tens of thousands of Illinois most vulnerable children, seniors and families." Madigan claimed Democrats in Springfield are "proposing a new path forward" and want to work with Rauner to pass a full-year balanced budget that addresses "the needs of middle class and struggling families, cares for the elderly, invests in our schools, and keeps our communities safe." We want solutions that address the challenges Illinois is facing right now," the speaker added. Although many vital state functions are still being funded through court orders and consent decrees, Illinois' health and human services and higher education continue to languish as a result of the impasse, leaving many of the most vulnerable Illinoisans in a precarious position. Additionally, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a group of 15 Chicagoland mayors urged the governor Wednesday to "stop the impasse and pass a balanced budget." "Fortunately, leaders in both chambers have taken steps toward a bipartisan budget. Today, we are calling on the governor to do the same and to personally engage in a budget solution that would end the gridlock and allow all Illinoisans to thrive," the group said. Gov. Bruce Rauner delivered his third budget address Wednesday in Springfield, lauding the developing Senate "grand bargain" as a sign of progress and pushing reforms from his agenda to grow the state's economy. "For the first time, legislators from both parties are standing together to say that Illinois must have structural change to grow our economy and create good jobs in every part of our state," Rauner That budgets must be truly balanced for the long term and that to achieve balanced budgets, changes must be made to fix our broken system. Russia has deployed a cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era arms control treaty, a Trump administration official said Tuesday. A Russian intelligence-collection ship has been operating off the U.S. east coast in international waters, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press. And NBC News reported that last week four Russian aircraft flew in an "unsafe and unprofessional" manner near a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea, according to the Pentagon. President Donald Trump, who has frequently praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has not publicly commented on these Russian actions. Instead, he used his Twitter account Wednesday to slam former President Barack Obama's foreign policy toward Russia and leaks to the media. In a series of tweets Tuesday, Trump attacked media reports that U.S. agencies intercepted phone calls last year between Russians and members of his presidential campaign team. "The fake news media is going crazy with their conspiracy theories and blind hatred. @MSNBC & @CNN are unwatchable. @foxandfriends is great!" Trump said. "This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign," Trump went on, adding that "Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia." He later added: "The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by 'intelligence' like candy. Very un-American!" The news of Russian missile deployment came the day after U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned following reports he misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia. Trump was informed Flynn had misled Pence but the president kept his No. 2 in the dark and waited nearly three weeks before ousting the aide. Asked why Trump kept Flynn, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Tuesday, "The irony of this entire situation is that the president has been incredibly tough on Russia. He continues to raise the issue of Crimea, which the previous administration allowed to be seized by Russia." Spicer continued, citing a statement from U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley before the U.N. Security Council on her first day denouncing the Russian occupation of Crimea: "As Ambassador Haley said at the time, 'The dire situation in eastern Ukraine is one that demands clear and strong condemnation of Russian actions.'" Trump tweeted Wednesday, "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?" He added, "The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American!" In his first public comments on Flynn's firing, Trump said during a White House news conference with Israel's prime minister Wednesday that it was "really a sad thing that he was treated so badly." Trump has been critical of numerous foreign leaders while on the campaign trial and after taking office, including U.S. allies Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Germany's leader Angela Merkel. He has refused to explicitly criticize Putin. Asked by Fox News's Bill O'Reilly earlier this month if he respects Putin, Trump said, "I do respect him, but I respect a lot of people. That doesn't mean I'm going to get along with him." Trump said he would appreciate any assistance from Russia in the fight against ISIS and would rather get along with Putin. "But, [Putin] is a killer," O'Reilly said. "There are a lot of killers," Trump responded, "We've got a lot of killers. What do you think? Our country's so innocent?" NBC has reached out to the White House for comment on Russia's deployment of a cruise missile and the Russian ship roaming off the U.S. east coast. The Russian spy ship Vicktor Leonov had made a port call in Cuba prior to moving north, where it has been monitored off the coast of Delaware Tuesday, the official told the AP. The ship was Wednesday spotted in international waters abut 30 miles south of Groton, Connecticut, Fox News reported, citing a U.S. official. Business Insider quoted a Defense Department spokeswoman as saying the Pentagon was aware of the vessel. "It has not entered U.S. territorial waters. We respect freedom of navigation exercised by all nations beyond the territorial sea of a coastal State consistent with international law," Lt. Col. Valerie Henderson told the news organization. According to the Military Times, the Pentagon said Gen. Joe Dunford will meet with his "Russian counterpart Thursday to discuss military relations & recent close encounters." The Obama administration three years ago accused the Russians of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by developing and testing the prohibited cruise missile, and officials had anticipated that Moscow eventually would deploy it. Russia denies that it has violated the INF treaty. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that the missile became operational late last year, said an administration official, who wasn't authorized to publicly discuss the matter and demanded anonymity. The deployment may not immediately change the security picture in Europe, but the alleged treaty violation may arise when Defense Secretary Jim Mattis attends his first NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that "compliance with arms control agreements is of great importance and especially when it comes to treaties covering nuclear weapons." He said that "any non-compliance of Russia with the INF Treaty would be a serious concern for the alliance." The deployment has also stirred concern on Capitol Hill, where Sen. John McCain, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, called on the Trump administration to ensure U.S. nuclear forces in Europe are ready. "Russia's deployment of nuclear-tipped ground-launched cruise missiles in violation of the INF treaty is a significant military threat to U.S. forces in Europe and our NATO allies," McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement Tuesday. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "testing" Trump. The New York Times, which was first to report the missile deployment, said the Russians have two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile. One is at a missile test site at Kapustin Yar and one was moved in December from the test site to an operational base elsewhere in the country. The State Department wouldn't confirm the report. It noted that last year it reported Russia was in violation of its treaty obligations not to possess, produce or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, or to possess or produce launchers for such missiles. "The administration is undertaking an extensive review of Russia's ongoing INF treaty violation in order to assess the potential security implications for the United States and its allies and partners," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. John Tierney, executive director of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said strategic stability on the European continent is at stake. "If true, Russia's deployment of an illegal ground-launched cruise missile represents a very troubling development and should be roundly condemned," Tierney said. Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy in a statement Wednesday tied reports about the spy ship, treaty violation, buzzing of the U.S. Navy destroyer and fighting in eastern Ukraine as all part of "a series of aggressive actions." "Putin clearly thinks the Trump administration has given him a permission slip to flex his muscles," he said. "President Trump and his administration must end their silence and immediately respond to these threats to our national security. The government's ethics watchdog said there is "strong reason to believe" that Kellyanne Conway violated federal ethics rules when she told TV viewers to "go buy" Ivanka Trump products, and is recommending that the White House consider disciplining President Donald Trump's counselor. In a letter made public Tuesday, Walter Schaub, director of the Office of Government Ethics, wrote that Conway's comments clearly violate ethics rules that bar federal employees from using their public office to endorse a product. Under the present circumstances, there is strong reason to believe that Ms. Conway has violated the Standards of Conduct Act and that disciplinary action is warranted, Schaub wrote to White House Deputy Counsel Stefan Passantino in a Feb. 13 letter. Conway urged viewers to "go buy Ivanka's stuff" during a Thursday morning interview with "Fox & Friends" and later said she was giving the brand a "free commercial." Conway conducted the interview from inside the White House briefing room. "As Ms. Conway made these statements, she appeared on screen in a tight frame between the official seal of the White House and the American flag," Schaub wrote to White House lawyer Stefan C. Passantino. "These facts, if true, would establish a clear violation of the prohibition against misuse of position." Schaub notes that OGE's regulations offers as an example of prohibited misuse of public office, a hypothetical case of a Presidential appointee appearing in a television commercial to promote a product. "Ms. Conway's actions track that example almost exactly," Schaub wrote. According to the letter, lawyers for the White House and OGE spoke on Feb. 9 the day of Conway's interview and that the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Oversight Committee asked OGE to follow up. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said last week that Conway has been "counseled," but the OGE said it has yet to receive any guidance on what if anything happened as a corrective action. The OGE is requesting that White House lawyers notify them in writing by Feb. 28 about the findings of their investigation and what disciplinary actions, if any, were taken. Conway's comments on the Fox News network followed the president's public attack on Nordstrom in response to the department store saying it planned to stop selling Ivanka Trump products, citing declining sales. The president alleged that Nordstrom was treating his daughter "unfairly," renewing concerns that he is using his position as president to affect his family's business interests. Cannabis Energy Drink is on sale right now in Connecticut and raising some eyebrows in Enfield. The Mobile on King Street is displaying a bright green Cannabis Energy Drink can sign at the station and some say it is the first they have ever seen or heard of the product. I didnt even know there was a Cannabis Energy Drink, Jamie Burnside of Enfield said. According to its website Cannabis Energy Drink contains hemp seed extract, caffeine, taurine and a bunch of B vitamins. It does not contain THC and causes no narcotics effect. Kyle Norris has tried the drink before and agrees. It doesn't give any effects or anything like that it is just an energy drink, said Norris. Despite his assessment, Norris says he isnt sold on the idea of his own daughter drinking it. You don't want 7 to 12 year olds running around drinking Cannabis (saying) try this man', Norris said. While Burnside believe the word Cannabis is a now a common place word, but says she would still want to look into the product. If my kids were younger I would definitely dig in and found out what its all about, she said. The Cannabis Energy Drink website tries to clear up any questions people might have. It reads: The confusion (and concern) can be attributed to the fact that hemp seeds/oil is derived from the Cannabis Sativa plant which is linked to marihuana. Marihuana contains large amounts of THC. The amounts of THC in hemp seeds and oil are so small they can be considered non-measurable. The product is 100 percent legal, but parents are not completely sold. Promote if you need to, but I think it's the parents choice to watch what they give their children, Norris said. NBC Connecticut has reached out to Cannabis Energy Drink headquarted in the Netherlands. It appears that another Chick-fil-A restaurant is coming to Connecticut. The fast-food chain leased the site of the former Ruby Tuesday restaurant on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, according to the minutes from the Newington Economic Development Commission meeting in January. The record from the meeting says there has been no announcement about when it will open or if the company will seek approval for a drive-through. NBC Connecticut reached out to media relations department of Chick-fll-A, but there was no response as of Wednesday afternoon. There are currently seven Chick-fil-A restaurants in Connecticut. Frightening images out of California amid the Oroville Dam crisis has Connecticut officials reassuring the public that our dam system is in good condition and that the state is at low-risk for that type of scenario. Nearly 200,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes after the Oroville Dam approached capacity and the spillway designed to deal with that developed a 200-foot sinkhole. Now, to prevent an even bigger catastrophe, officials are releasing water at a rate of nearly 750,000 gallons a second, which is more water than an Olympic size swimming pool. Those people have now been allowed back to their homes, but have been warned they could be evacuated again. According to Jennifer Perry, from Connecticuts Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, "Connecticut has nothing of that scale. We're talking about orders of magnitude smaller than what's out there." "We believe our dams are in good condition. We know what the condition of those dams are. We are able to direct where the resources need to go in order to keep those dams in good condition," she added. There are 4,500 dams in Connecticut, all regulated by the state. But following state legislation in 2013, all of those dams are now required to be inspected on a regular schedule and assessed a hazard level. "About 550 of them are considered to be a higher significant hazard, which means if the dam were to fail, then there is a potential for loss of life downstream," Perry said. That's concerning to those who live and work downstream in areas throughout the state, like near the Rainbow Dam in Windsor. "It's concerning because it really can affect us downstream here. It's a lot of water that can be released all at once if there is any kind of catastrophic failure," said Donald Trinks, owner of Bart's Drive In in Windsor. While Perry said the state isnt in danger of an Oroville situation, we could be in jeopardy if Connecticut doesnt keep up with our dam infrastructure. "Knowing that there is an enormous need for an investment in our own infrastructure to keep people safe, yeah it can make it tough to sleep sometimes," she said. A Rocky Hill mother have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation after her toddler was brought to the hospital with serious burns earlier this month. On Feb. 4, a two-year-old was brought to Connecticut Childrens Medical Center with serious burns, originally reported to as being caused by an electrical fire at an apartment on Cold Springs Road. According to police, during the investigation, detectives learned statements and evidence taken from witnesses, the apartment and the hospital were inconsistent. At that time, Michael Shamel Davis, 26, an acquaintance of the childs mother, was arrested. He is accused of setting the fire, reckless endangerment and lying to investigators. On Wednesday police arrested the childs mother, Shamique Martin, 26, of Rocky Hill. She is charged with falsely reporting an incident, false statement, risk of injury to a minor and cruelty to persons. Police said that Martin is a licensed practical nurse and would have been aware of the severity of the childs injury when the fire occurred. Investigators allege that despite her medical knowledge, Martin did not get her child help in a timely manner and lied to medical personnel and police detectives, putting the child in more danger. Martin was held on a $50,000 bond and scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. The child remains hospitalized, police said. The U.S. Navy is actively monitoring a Russian spy ship that has been operating in international waters along the East Coast of the United States, according to a senior United States official, and Connecticut lawmakers are responding to reports from several news outlets that the ship is loitering in the waters off the coast of Connecticut, near the submarine base. The senior U.S. official said the Navy is monitoring the ship on its radar systems. NBC Connecticut has not independently confirmed the reports of the ship being off the shores of Connecticut. A U.S. defense official told The Associated Press that a Russian intelligence-collection ship has been operating off the East Coast, in international waters. If the ship is in international waters, it is legal for them to be there. Gov. Dannel Malloy said "the fact that we know that it's there is probably a good thing and I suspect that we have some of our ships in delicate places as well." "I think its getting a lot of coverage because of the Presidents changed policy towards Russia, which is very different than has been sustained by other administrations. Its not that we shouldnt be talking to the Russians, but we shouldnt necessarily be embracing everything they are doing. And quite frankly, now that we understand that they have recently been active in our own elections, we should be wary of that. But that there are spy ships in the world we shouldnt be surprised, Malloy said. The reports that the ship is near the submarine base in Groton also brought a response from many Connecticut congressional representatives, who by and large called the action aggressive and concerning. NBC Connecticut reached out to officials at the base, who said they dont have a comment and referred inquiries to the U.S. Department of Defense. Officials from the DOD have not yet responded. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment. Groton is home the the Naval sub base, as well as Electric Boat, which designs and builds submarines. I think that clearly they like to track submarines. We know that they do," Malloy said about the ship's proximity to Groton. "This is not something that is brand new. Its getting a lot of coverage because, again, I think of other Russian stories related to the Trump administration. They seek to understand how we have the best submarines in the world. And theyre made here. U.S. Senator Chris Murphys office said that this is not unprecedented, but the senator is concerned this is part of a pattern of continued Russian boldness. Russia is acting like it has a permission slip to expand influence, test limits of reach, Murphy tweeted. Questions are obvious: does it, and if so, why? Russia is acting like it has a permission slip to expand influence, test limits of reach. Questions are obvious: does it, and if so, why? https://t.co/6Hsm7T2GO2 Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 15, 2017 "While this is not wholly unprecedented, its part of a series of aggressive actions by Russia that threaten U.S. national security and the security of our allies," Murphy said in a statement. "Just yesterday, news broke that Russia violated an Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Coupled with escalating fighting in eastern Ukraine and Russian jets buzzing a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea, Putin clearly thinks the Trump administration has given him a permission slip to flex his muscles. President Trump and his administration must end their silence and immediately respond to these threats to our national security. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said in a statement that the presence of the spy ship "has to be regarded very seriously because Russia is an increasingly aggressive adversary." "It reflects a clear need to harden our defenses against electronic surveillance and cyber espionage. I am personally monitoring this situation and remain in close contact with both the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard," Blumenthal said in the statement. "The return of a Russian vessel is particularly concerning in the context of escalating Russian aggression - within days of the Russian's buzzing a U.S. Navy ship in the Black Sea, as well as deploying a cruise missile in violation of our arms control treaty - which only underscores the need for an independent investigation into possible collusion between the Trump administration and Russian agents." U.S. Rep. Jim Himes issued a statement saying residents should know that the presence of the ship does not present "a direct threat to our physical safety." "Its appearance is troubling, however, viewed in conjunction with the ongoing stories of Russian ties and interference in the Trump Administration and the recent deployment of a Russian cruise missile in apparent violation of international agreements," Himes said in a statement. "In my opinion, Russia is making a show of strength and pushing established boundaries and norms to gauge the reaction of a new administration in disarray. U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro tweeted that Russia is flexing its muscles. U.S. Rep. John Larson responded to the reports with a tweet as well. "This is a stark reminder of why we need a full account of Russia's influence in the White House & meddling in our election," Larson tweeted. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney also responded to the reports in a statement. A Russian spy ship patrolling 30 miles from the Groton SUBASE underscores that the threats posed by a resurgent Russia are real, Courtney wrote. This unacceptable, aggressive action, combined with the buzzing of US Navy ships in the Red Sea yesterday are clearly testing the resolve of a new administration. While I have total confidence in our Navys vigilant, responsible readiness, the White House needs to move past their seeming infatuation with Putin and treat him like the serious threat to global peace and security that he has been for the last five years. Courtney also made a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives about this ship. U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty also responded with a statement. Russias escalating aggression is a serious national security threat," Esty wrote. "Yet again, the Kremlin is testing the resolve of the Trump administration. It is long past time for the White House to stop making excuses for Vladimir Putin and respond to his acts of thuggery with the toughness our security demands. Check back for updates on this developing story. Linda McMahon, former executive who started and helped grow the World Wrestling Entertment in Stamford, is officially confirmed as the new leader of the Small Business Administration. Now with a local in office, small businesses on the shoreline are hoping she'll have a local impact. Bodes well not for small businesses just like ours, but for everybody here in Connecticut, said Dave Quinn, president of Quinn & Hary Marketing in New London. Quinn's small business reached a level of success that he can expand into downtown New London. But he said businesses looking to relocate into downtown, urban environments could use guidance with landlocked buildings and permitting, which is something McMahon can take on in her new role. "Could be some streamlining of regulations that would be helpful to small business, Quinn said. Lester Fantauzzi owns Globe Spirit in New London and said he wants McMahon to assess taxes. Every time that they're trying to raise taxes on something, they shouldn't do it on the same businesses over and over again, Fantauzzi said, adding the government keeps upping the tax on liquor and cigarettes, which makes it hard for him to keep prices low for his customers. Sara Munro, owner of Studio 33 Art and Frame Gallery in New London, would also like to see some tax relief and more small business loans. Because we have to provide everything ourselves, Munro said. Our own health care insurance, we have to pay unemployment compensation, (workers) compensation, all of the payroll taxes, and so forth and so on. Tony Sheridan, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut wrote a statement via email to NBC Connecticut. It said, in part: It is also good to have someone as head of SBA who understands the unique Connecticut culture... Most of the small businesses want very little from the government. Mostly they want regulations streamlined and predictable. They want their representatives to understand their challenges and to essentially stand back and let them do what they are good at, run their business. Police have canceled a Silver Alert for a Willimantic woman who had been missing since Sunday night. Police have canceled the alert that had been been issued for 45-year-old Maria Bustamante-Fernandez. She was reported missing after 7:30 p.m. Sunday. The Trump administration appears to be easing away from longstanding U.S. support for Palestinian statehood as the preferred outcome of Middle East peace efforts, which may please some allies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel. But the alternatives are few, and each comes with daunting and combustible complications, including for Israel itself. The idea of two states in the Holy Land a Jewish Israel and an Arab Palestine rests on a particular logic: There are two quite different peoples of roughly equal size living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River; each wants their own nation-state to control and dominate numerically; each has shown tenacity toward this goal. This would require Israel to let go of most and maybe all of the territory it captured in the 1967 war, when it completed its takeover of all the land that British colonizers abandoned in 1948. That includes the highly strategic West Bank, where there are now islands of Palestinian autonomy, scattered Jewish settlements and overriding Israeli military control; the eastern part of Jerusalem, which Israel has fully annexed and populated with Jews; and the coastal Gaza Strip, which was actually evacuated in 2005 and is now controlled by the Islamic militants of Hamas and blockaded by Israel and Egypt. Over the years many and probably most Israelis have come around to the idea of a partition largely because they want to be considered a democracy and do not want all the Palestinian future citizens that would come along with the territory. For almost two decades, U.S. policy has been to advocate a two-state solution. But over two decades of peace talks have failed to produce agreement on the details, and many on both sides consider it impossible without a major change in circumstances massive global pressure on Israel, more upheaval in neighboring Arab countries, perhaps tectonic shifts in the prevailing world order. Ahead of Wednesday's White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Netanyahu, a senior U.S. official suggested a two-state solution was optional, bringing condemnation from Palestinian officials. But many of them have for years been quietly preparing for an alternative strategy of a single bi-national state in the Holy Land. In his White House news conference with Netanyahu, Trump said he was hoped for a deal but could live with two states or one state whichever the sides prefer. Here's a look at the scenarios: ONE STATE For years this was the goal of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and for many Palestinians it is indeed the preferred option: a single democratic state, not defined as specifically Jewish or Arab, in the area of British colonial Palestine. Many prefer it anyway to the two-state notion whereby even if Israel gives up all the land it captured in 1967 it retains almost 80% of Palestine. The problem is that almost no one in Israel is arguing for the true extension of full rights to Palestinians in the currently occupied territories because even with Gaza excluded it would leave Arabs constituting close to half the country's population and that is clearly the end of the Zionist dream of a Jewish state. This is why Israel never annexed the West Bank and why the more sophisticated nationalists profess to support a partition albeit on terms the Palestinians aren't likely to accept. If the Palestinians formally drop the two-state strategy and demand incorporation into Israel it will put Israel in the awkward position of refusing to annex territories where it has been settling Jews for decades. Or it might annex the areas but continue to deny the Palestinians there Israeli citizenship, leading to an uproar among liberal Israelis. Down this path lie coercion efforts in the form of international sanctions on Israel or Palestinian violence. INTERIM AGREEMENT Many Israelis have concluded that a final peace agreement with the Palestinians is simply not possible because the Palestinians are asking for the moon as a result of a feeling that they hold the demographic cards. It is not just about territory: the Palestinians still in theory demand a "right of return" to Israel proper for millions of descendants of Palestinian refugees living around the region and the world, which the vast majority of Jewish Israelis reject. But perhaps a partial deal is possible whereby the Palestinians would not have to forego future claims but for now get their state on, say, 80 percent of the West Bank, with some sort of preferred access or new regime in the Old City of Jerusalem? Even the current nationalist Netanyahu government would probably accept such a thing, but the Palestinians have ruled it out, fearing the temporary would become permanent. To get them to agree would require massive global and Arab world pressure, and risks huge internal conflict among the Palestinians. JORDANIAN OPTION Jordan took over the West Bank and east Jerusalem during the 1948-1949 Arab-Israel war that followed the British pullout, lost the areas to Israel in 1967 and then gave up all claims to them in favor of the Palestinians in the 1980s. But Jordan is a country with a majority Palestinian-descended population, and some Israelis still think that it can play a role in satisfying Palestinian national aspirations while resuming control over only a part of the West Bank. But this would probably require a collapse of Hashemite rule, founded on Jordan's Bedouin population, and as such is anathema to the Jordanian monarchy, which is beloved by many israelis for making peace with them in 1994. Adding to the difficulties, the Palestinians reject it altogether as well. PARTIAL UNILATERAL PULLOUT Under these vexing circumstances many Israelis conclude no peace is possible, but they still want to be rid of the Palestinian population of the West Bank. In the mid-2000s the government of Ehud Olmert planned a unilateral pullout from most of the territory, to follow the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. But those plans were upended when Gaza was taken over by Hamas militants and became a launching pad for rocket attacks on Israel, leading to several mini-wars. Few want to see that scenario repeated with the West Bank, which is much larger, very close to Israel's main cities and genuinely important for Israel's defense. Now talk grows of a pullout of settlers from some areas, to create a more convincing reality of partition, while the military stays for now, pending some future arrangement. NATO? A global or Arab peacekeeping force? Perpetual Israeli control? No one can say. STATUS QUO When the best that can be hoped for is the least bad option, the status quo looks attractive to some. But Israel is constantly changing the landscape by adding settlers already there are some 350,000 Israelis in the West Bank and a quarter million in East Jerusalem. This arrangement, brittle and loved by few, undermines Israel's democratic credentials by leaving millions of people without a vote for the government that has ultimate control over their fate. The Palestinians do not have a history of acquiescing for long: There were multi-year uprisings in the late 1980s and early 2000s and a spate of violence in late 2015 and early 2016. Down this path lies the very strong likelihood of more. Tuesday was day one of a new "Student Safety Action Plan put in place across Hartford Public Schools, which is being enacted after the Office of the Child Advocate found the district mishandled cases of child abuse claims for years. Hartford requested the OCA review its system after the resignation and arrest of former school administrator Eduardo Genao. The OCA found the district didn't regularly review its mandated reporting policy as required by law, and sometimes failed to complete a paper trail of suspected abuse among school staffers. The report stated that training wasn't up to speed and punishment was lacking. Community Advocate Dr. Aaron Lewis was criticized for how he responded a mother's concerns that Genao was sending her 13-year-old daughter graphic text messages. Genao has pleaded not guilty. Lewis said there were problems with the district, but he had no idea how magnified they were until the report came out. They need to make it clear to the parents and the teachers that when you come forward there aren't going to be any repercussions you aren't going to get in trouble a lot teachers are afraid to come forward, Lewis said. He also defended his actions in the Genao case. I did initiate the process of the investigation and it's interesting because people still continue to think I should've acted sooner. And I acted as soon - within that 12-hour period - that I was able to do with information that would actually get a conviction," Lewis told the NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters. The mother of the child in the Genao case brought a lawsuit against the district and said she is pleased to see progress come out of her familys situation. Im glad with me bringing this to light, and bringing a lawsuit against the district was not in vain, as much as I don't like the fact my daughter is going through this, we're going through this at least other children in the district hopefully will be helped, she told NBC Connecticut by phone on Tuesday. Acting Hartford Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez told NBC Connecticut she was upset by the findings in the report and was committed to changing the culture in the district to prevent future issues. The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters obtained the templates for two letters sent to staffers and students detailing the new action plan. School staff meetings were held Tuesday morning to implement the acting superintendent's new student safety action plan to make sure all employees understand they are mandated reporters. Administrators also shared hotline numbers, warning signs of abuse and contact info for specialized staff that can help children in need. That information must remain posted in all classrooms. While the schools change their practices, some parents say they'll continue to have tough conversations with their kids themselves. Social workers will be having meetings to further define spots for improvement and the district is working on scheduling community meetings for parents. Tesla Motors, Inc. TSLA signed a deal to sell about 200 electric vehicles to Dubai's Road & Transport Authority (RTA). Tesla will supply Model S sedans and Model X SUVs that will be used by the Dubai Taxi Corporation for the taxi services. Dubai is focused on becoming a leading player in the self-driven car space. The deal will support Dubai Future Foundation's goal of making 25% of its car trips autonomous by 2030. Recently, Tesla started selling its electric cars in Dubai, thus gaining market traction in the Middle East. Teslas vehicles feature second-generation hardware which improves Autopilot capabilities. Gulf States provide a wide market for luxury vehicles. However, some of the brands were affected by the drop in oil prices. Meanwhile, Tesla has started accepting online orders for its vehicles from customers in the United Arab Emirates. The electric automaker is also building a store at the Dubai Mall and a Tesla service center in Dubais Sheikh Zayed Road. This is expected to open in Jul 2017. Tesla will also launch a store and service center in Abu Dhabi in 2018. It also plans to expand to Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The company is aggressively working on expanding its product portfolio to boost sales. Teslas third-generation electric car, Model 3, which costs half as much as Model S, is expected to be delivered starting late 2017. The vehicle offers a range of 215 miles per charge and acceleration of 060 mph in less than 6 seconds. Tesla will start manufacturing production versions of its $35,000 Model 3 sedan in mid-2017. The automaker plans to fulfill the target of 373,000 pre-orders. Tesla Motors, Inc. Price Tesla Motors, Inc. Price | Tesla Motors, Inc. Quote Price Performance Tesla has been outperforming the Zacks categorized Auto Manufacturers-Domestic industry for over a year. In the past one year, Tesla gained 81.1% while the industry witnessed a 34.1% rise. The companys new Master Plan, rapid international expansion and continued investment in infrastructure development are major positives. The Gigafactory construction should also prove beneficial. Story continues Zacks Rank & Key Picks Tesla currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Better-ranked companies in the auto space include Honda Motor Co., Ltd. HMC, Fox Factory Holding Corp FOXF and General Motors Company GM. All the stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Fox Factory has an expected earnings growth rate of around 16.6% for the current year. Honda has an expected earnings growth rate of around 27% for the current year, while the same for General Motors is pegged at 9.4%. Zacks' Top Investment Ideas for Long-Term Profit How would you like to see our best recommendations to help you find todays most promising long-term stocks? Starting now, you can look inside our portfolios featuring stocks under $10, income stocks, value investments and more. These picks, which have double and triple-digit profit potential, are rarely available to the public. But you can see them now. Click here >> 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 Tesla Motors, Inc. (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report Honda Motor Company, Ltd. (HMC): Free Stock Analysis Report General Motors Company (GM): Free Stock Analysis Report Fox Factory Holding Corp. (FOXF): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research An 8-year-old boy who went missing in Dallas Tuesday afternoon has been found in good condition Wednesday.[[413808573,C]] Brandon Hernandez was reported missing Tuesday after being last seen in the 11600 block of Ferguson Road at about 3:30 p.m. At about 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, Dallas police confirmed the child had been found and was in good condition. Further details were not immediately available. Irving police are searching for four masked men who tied up an elderly couple in a home invasion early Wednesday morning.[[413837673,R]] The armed men threw a cinder block into a home in the 1000 block of Fouts Drive at about 3:30 a.m., according to Irving police spokesman James McLellan. After ransacking the home of Eason and Pat Wright, the men fled, and Pat was able to call 911 after freeing herself. "He didn't tie 'em tight, just enough so they were loose and then when he put that gag in my mouth, I opened so it wouldn't be tight," said 76-year-old Pat Wright. Her husband, 82-year-old Eason, was "severely beaten" with a pistol and had to be transported to a nearby hospital, McLellan said. It's hard to believe that Pat, who struggles with severe arthritis, was able to keep her wits about her as the men invaded her home. "One of them I thought he was going to rape me," she said. "I really did thought he was going to," Pat said. The men mostly spoke Spanish, but made it clear what they were looking for. "They were nosing around saying 'I want your money. I want your money,'" Pat said. "I thought I was having a nightmare. It was a nightmare," said Pat. Eason remains hospitalized in the ICU and is expected to recover. Police say the home invasion mirrors one in Dallas last week and think there might be a connection. In both home invasions, the suspects carried guns and a stun gun. Officers believe the men are targeting small business owners. "Definitely there is a concern that they are out, if this is a related group or not, that they're willing to do this to our elderly and citizens. Next time it may be worse," said McLellan. NBC 5's Ashleigh Barry contributed to this report. It's the primary water source for millions of people in North Texas and is also one of the most visited lakes in Texas. So keeping Lewisville Lake contained is crucial. "We do have some seepage, and what we're trying to do with the project is find a way to control and monitor that seepage more effectively," said Stacy Gray, project manager at the Fort Worth District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The term "seepage" sounds scary, but Gray said seepage is normal along an earthen embankment like the one at Lewisville Lake. "Seepage can happen anywhere," Gray said. "There are approximately three areas that we track routinely at Lewisville, but were constantly monitoring that entire embankment for any changes." The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing a report that includes suggested improvements to the Lewisville Lake Dam. That report is expected to be released this summer, then they'll move forward on getting funding for design and construction. In 2015, the Lewisville Lake Dam had a 161-foot embankment slide. "Slides are just a fact of life in the soils we have here in Texas," Gray said, adding that the damaged area is "perfectly restored to its pre-slide condition." So, what are the chances the Lewisville Lake Dam could break and flood everything downstream, which includes parts of the Metroplex? In the simplest terms, its unlikely. More technically, "It would require an extremely high pool what we call a 'probable maximum flood,' which is something that is statistically possible in terms of the modeling, but we've never actually seen a flood of that magnitude," Gray said. Gray said its important to note that when lake levels rise, the US Army Corps of Engineers monitors its dams more often. On Monday, a North Texas doctor convicted of botching surgeries on purpose has been sentenced to life in prison. A jury deliberated for just over an hour to reach their verdict for Christopher Duntsch. He was found guilty last week in Dallas. Duntsch practiced at hospitals in Dallas and Collin counties. He was found guilty of intentionally injuring Mary Efurd, 74, in a spinal surgery in 2012 that nearly killed her. Efurd now uses a wheelchair and says she has never been the same after that surgery. Duntsch is also accused of maiming and killing patients during other botched spinal surgeries. His medical license was revoked in 2013 and in 2015 he was arrested. Jurors in the case heard several patients testify about their physical limitations post Duntsch's surgical procedures. Duntsch did not testify in his own defense in the trial, which lasted more than two weeks. Efurd described the emotions she felt immediately before the verdict was read. "I was tense, very tense," she said. "We were hoping for a quick verdict, and actually I think this was a quick verdict. And I was thinking all those things going through my mind and everything happening to me and all the others." The penalty phase will resume first thing Wednesday morning and testimony is expected through Friday. Duntsch could face life in prison. Local The latest news from around North Texas. Drug smuggling attempts by car across the U.S.-Mexico border are a frequent occurrence, but in Arizona one group of smugglers recently got more creative, using a catapult system to launch bundles of drugs over a fence. On Feb. 10, border agents in Douglas, Arizona, were patrolling east of the Douglas Port of Entry when they noticed suspicious activity near a fence that separates Mexico from the United States, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. As agents approached the area, several people scurried off. The agents discovered a catapult system rigged onto the south side of the border fence. A search of the area revealed that two bundles of marijuana, weighing a combined 47 pounds, had been launched into the U.S. Tucson Sector Border Patrol Agent Vicente Paco said the device was very complex. This is the first mechanism that weve found related to systems like this to launch narcotics across the border, said Paco. Paco said devices used in previous smuggling attempts have included air pressure cannons and trebuchet-type launching mechanisms, but never a catapult quite like this one. In 2011, a similar catapult system was captured by National Guard troops using a remote video surveillance system in nearby Naco, Arizona. Border Patrol agents seized the marijuana and called Mexican authorities to investigate the contraption. The agents then dismantled it, and the pieces were seized by Mexican authorities. Early Wednesday, Paco said no arrests had been made in connection with the catapult and the launching of the marijuana bundles. It is unclear how long the catapult had been on the fence and whether it had previously been used to launch other drugs into the U.S. The investigation is ongoing; Paco said that, for now, agents can only confirm it was used in the Feb. 10 incident. Those who spot illegal activity near the borders can call CBP authorities at (877) 872-7435. Food truck operators who regularly park in illegal spots and "eat" the cost of the ticket as part their overhead may soon have to move on down the block under action taken Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council. Current city law only allows one ticket to be issued per day for a parking violation, but the council voted 10-0 to direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance creating a graduated system of fines or the possibility of issuing multiple tickets in a day. The motion to draw up the ordinance, first approved Jan. 11 by the Transportation Committee chaired by Councilman Mike Bonin, stemmed from complaints about food trucks in the Brentwood area. Bonin, whose district includes Brentwood, said food trucks that regularly park near the intersection of Bundy Drive and Shetland Lane have caused a public safety hazard and triggered several serious collisions, one of which injured a woman who was 8 1/2 months pregnant. She was trying to make a left turn and was unable to see around an illegally parked food truck, Bonin said. "We have a system now that hasn't been particularly effective at addressing the problem of some of these vehicles parking sometimes in very difficult places at key intersections that are creating a public safety problem. And part of the problem is that DOT's practice and habit is to issue one $73 dollar ticket," Bonin said. "And to most folks, these things are very profitable, particularly on the upper scale, and they just eat that $73 cost as part of doing business," he said. "And so we want to see if there can be a graduated system or if we can issue repeated citations throughout the day." But not everyone's on board with the council's vote. "It's another money grab," LA driver George Johnson told NBC4. "I know the cities need their money, but do they need it this badly?" The Southern California Food Truck Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Members of the Brentwood Homeowners Association and the Brentwood Neighborhood Council both appeared before the committee last month to advocate for a change in the law. "It was very dangerous, people were sent to the hospital because of not being able to see around the trucks," Nancy Freedman of the Brentwood Neighborhood Council told the committee. NBC4's Gordon Tokumatsu contributed to this report. A small group of pipeline protesters was blocking traffic near the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers office in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. The protesters were blocking Wilshire Boulevard between Francisco and Figueroa Streets just off the 110 Freeway around 5:30 p.m. The protest was organized by Gender Justice LA, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance and Mujeres de Maiz in opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. Aerial footage from NewsChopper 4 showed protesters standing in the street, holding a large sign that said "Army Corps of Engineers Break Up With DAPL." In light of the emergency in Oroville that forced 200,000 to evacuate as the emergency spillway was under threat of collapse, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is ordering safety inspections for all 14 dams in Southern California. Devil's Gate is the oldest flood control dam run by Los Angeles County, built in 1920, and it can withstand a crest height of 97 feet. It's one of the 14 managed by the LA County Department of Public Works. Officials said sediment stuck inside has lessened the amount of water it can hold. There is a solution in the works that's facing some legal action - and officials say it is just one of several fixes to dams like Devil's Gate that come with constant maintenance. Bob Spencer of the Department of Public Works discussed the dam just off the 210 Freeway near NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "This dam is not in danger. We will not see anything like they have seen in Oroville but once Mother Nature is doing what she wants to do, the risk is always heightened," he said. Risk of flooding could affect hundreds of homes along the Arroyo Seco. That is why Spencer said annual inspections and regular checks have led to fixes like new safety valves and floating booms to stop large debris. "It creates an issue for us if those safety valves clog, because we need those to take the pressure off the dam face and make sure the reservoir doesn't spill," he said. Some of LA County's 14 dams have had significant repairs. A seismic strengthening project is scheduled in the next year for the Santa Anita dam. Spencer said some 2.4 million cubic yards of dirt needs to be removed from Devil's Gate - it's all remnants of storms following the Station Fire in 2009. That is reportedly enough sediment to fill the Rose Bowl three times over. A clean-up plan from 2014 is also facing a legal challenge by environmental groups looking to minimize damage to wildlife. "It's been a joint process organizing task forces and groups of stakeholders to enable us to reach a balance," Spencer said. He said this is work that is long and involved and any upgrades need to go through much review. County property owners in part pay for all the repairs and upkeep through a property tax assessment. The Department of Public Works says it is a sustainable source of funding. In addition, the county also receives federal and state grants. Toyota Motor Corp. displays the company's Prius PHV Plug-in-Hybrid vehicle, also known as Prius Prime in the U.S., during an event to mark the launch of the car in Japan, in Tokyo, Japan February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato By Naomi Tajitsu TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp's chairman, who led the development of the Toyota Prius, expects the latest plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHVs) will catch on with consumers far more rapidly than the original Prius did. Known as the "father of the Prius" for his role in popularizing the world's best-selling hybrid car, Takeshi Uchiyamada said he expected to sell 1 million plug-in hybrids in less than 10 years, the time it took for sales of its conventional hybrid vehicles to hit that mark. "Environmental awareness has become a bigger issue today than it was 20 years ago, and demand for environmentally conscious products has increased," Uchiyamada told reporters at an event to launch the latest plug-in version of the Prius in Japan. While the technology for plug-ins has developed rapidly, lowering costs, Uchiyamada said he had "no idea" exactly when plug-in sales would hit the 1 million mark. Since launching the original Prius, in 1997, Toyota has developed hybrid versions for around 40 of its models, and has sold a total of 10 million hybrid vehicles globally. Launching the second generation of the Prius PHV in Japan on Wednesday, Toyota said it expects to sell up to 60,000 worldwide a year, with more than half of the sales coming from Japan. Toyota set a similar target for the first generation of its plug-in Prius, of which only around 75,000 have been sold since its launch in 2012, largely due to its limited electric range of 26.4 kilometers. The latest version has a range of 68.2 kilometers according to Japanese standards. Due to a different methodology in measuring a car's electric mode range, the vehicles' range is listed in the United States as around 25 miles (40.2 kms). Launched as the Prius Prime in North America late last year, the plug-in Prius will be introduced in Europe from March. Uchiyamada declined to comment on plans to offer plug-in versions of other models. The latest plug-in Prius sees Toyota widely endorsing lithium-ion batteries, marking a turning point for the company which for years had resisted the technology commonly used in all-battery electric vehicles, due to concerns over their cost, size and safety. Story continues While rivals including Nissan Motor Co and Tesla have marketed electric cars for nearly a decade, Toyota has promoted fuel cell-powered vehicles as the most sensible next-generation option to hybrids, although a lack of hydrogen fuelling stations remains a major hurdle for mass consumption. But as more automakers develop electric cars in response to tightening global emissions regulations, Toyota late last year set up a new division to speed up development of long-range electric cars. (With additional reporting by Maki Shiraki; Editing by Greg Mahlich) President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary abruptly withdrew his nomination Wednesday after Senate Republicans balked at supporting him, in part over taxes he belatedly paid on a former housekeeper not authorized to work in the United States. Fast-food executive Andrew Puzder issued a short statement abandoning the effort, saying he was "honored to have been considered by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Labor." White House spokesman Sean Spicer said he had no information on any possible replacement. Puzder's nomination became part of a streak of contentious confirmation battles and haphazard White House actions, including a botched rollout of Trump's executive order on refugees and the ouster of national security adviser Michael Flynn. Sen. Lamar Alexander, who would have chaired Puzder's confirmation hearing Thursday, issued a terse statement saying the nominee would have made an "excellent" labor secretary, but "I respect his decision" to quit pursuing the post. Puzder spokesman George Thompson said his boss was a victim of "an unprecedented smear campaign." What troubled majority Republicans most of all was Puzder's acknowledgement that he had not paid taxes on the housekeeper until after Trump nominated him to the Cabinet post Dec. 9 five years after he had fired the worker. Thompson said in an e-mail that Puzder informed the White House of the housekeeper matter "after the nomination." People interviewed during the transition period said they were not asked by Trump's team to provide vetting information, raising questions about the level of scrutiny. Ultimately, Republicans made it clear that Puzder did not have the votes for confirmation. Democrats and their allies welcomed Puzder's withdrawal, saying his corporate background and opposition to such proposals as a big hike in the minimum wage made him an unfit advocate for American workers at the top of an agency charged with enforcing protections. They had already made it clear that Puzder's statements about women and his own workers would be major issues at his confirmation hearing. Puzder was quoted in Entrepreneur magazine in 2015 as saying, "I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis." He said the racy commercials for Carl's Jr., one of his companies, were "very American." Democrats also said Puzder had disparaged workers at his restaurants by calling them "the best of the worst." He was quoted by Business Insider as saying he wanted to try robots at his restaurants, because "They're always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there's never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex or race discrimination case." A coalition led by the pro-labor National Employment Law Project and Jobs With Justice groups said Puzder's withdrawal represents the "first victory of the resistance against President Trump." "Workers and families across the country spoke up loud and clear that they want a true champion for all workers in the Labor Department," said Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the panel that was to handle the hearing. One GOP senator, speaking on condition of anonymity because the conversations were private, said six senators had asked the White House to call off Puzder's Thursday hearing because they couldn't see themselves voting for him. That would have put the nomination in jeopardy, since Senate Republicans have only a 52-48 majority and Democrats are solidly opposed. Puzder's spokesman said the nominee had paid the taxes as soon as he found out he owed them. But the discrepancy remained a growing political problem for Republicans and the Trump White House, which has taken a hard line on immigration and taxes. Before Puzder withdrew, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., had said, "I want to hear what he has to say about that," adding that he had moved from endorsing the nominee to joining the ranks of GOP senators who weren't committing to vote for Puzder before the scheduled hearing. A family's beloved pet was ripped from its home during a break-in last Thursday. Wilton Manors police said a young male broke into an apartment located on Northeast 26th Street and 9th Avenue. The suspect stole the victim's belongings and the victim's blue nose female Staffordshire Terrier puppy named Sophie. The suspect was captured on surveillance cameras walking the dog from the home toward Wilton Drive. Police said Sophie has a medical condition and needs medication. Sophie has four white paws, weighs about 43 lbs. and is said to be very friendly. Anyone with information is asked to call Wilton Manors Police at 954-390-2165 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. A Valentine's Day hook up landed a mother and daughter behind bars in Kissimmee. Osceola County Sheriff's Office arrested Tanja Gammon, 57, and her daughter 31-year-old Darcel Gammon for allegedly running a prostitution ring at a motel. According to The Smoking Gun, the mother had an ad on Backpage.com that described her as a "sexy" mother with an "awesome attitude". The Smoking Gun reports that Tanja's ad said she was 38, which is 19 years younger than her actual age. An undercover deputy responded to the ad and police said Gammon agreed to charge $100 for 30 minutes with her. According to an affidavit, the undercover deputy met Gammon at a Motel 6. When the suspect opened the door, police said she was only wearing lingerie. Gammon tried to seduce the deputy before the take-down team entered the room and handcuffed the 57-year-old, police said. Gammon's daughter, Darcel was found in the bathroom. Deputies said she was serving as a lookout. During the arrest, police said Gammon yelled, "I didn't take the money yet so it doesn't really matter." Both mom and daughter were booked into the Osceola County Jail. A Hillsborough County man is behind bars after he called the police asking for help to rescue him from a state park. According to NBC affiliate WFLA-TV, sheriffs deputies responded to the area northeast of Tampa after a hiker called saying he had been lost since the previous day and his cell phone was dying. Crews from HSCO, as well as Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and fire rescue crews began their search, eventually finding the man who was later identified as 38-year-old Rufus Buckner. Deputies say Buckner became uncooperative and gave false information including a different name when making the initial call. They eventually found a straw with residue of methamphetamine on it. Buckner, who has a lengthy record, was charged with two drug related counts and has been banned from all state parks. After serving as one of the top law enforcement officials in all of South Florida for the better part of a decade, Miami U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer is announcing he is stepping down. Ferrer, who has led the Southern District of Florida since being appointed by former President Obama in 2010, will leave his post on March 3rd after submitting his resignation to President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Leading the third largest district in the country, Ferrer has presided over one of the busiest groups of attorneys in the federal government conducting nearly 1,000 trials and handing down indictments in over 11,000 cases. There has been no greater honor than to serve and protect the same community that opened its arms to my parents when they immigrated to this country, Ferrer said in a statement. I am incredibly proud of all that we have been able to accomplish together, in and out of the courtroom, including building meaningful bonds of trust with the diverse community we serve. Unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Ferrer was appointed in 2014 by then Attorney General Eric Holder to serve on the Advisory Committee for that office, later being reappointed by Loretta Lynch in 2016. He was born in Hialeah and later graduated from the University of Miami before obtaining his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He spent time in private law before working for several different government agencies, including five years in the Department of Justice under former Attorney General and Miami native, the late Janet Reno. Neighbors living on a particular stretch of a New Jersey road are struggling with the idea of changing the name of their street to make it less confusing. The road in Clifton stretches only about three blocks; one part is called Ellsworth Street, but once a person crosses Howard Street, the rest of the road is Dick Street. City leaders have proposed changing the name of Ellsworth Street to Dick Street to make it easier to find in an emergency. But living on a street that's the butt of jokes isn't what Kenneth Roman wants. "People laugh when they think of Dick Street," said Roman, who lives on Ellsworth Avenue. "It's not exactly a good name for a street. They can name it anything they want except for Dick Street." Roman and five of his neighbors live on the one-block section of Ellsworth, about half a mile away from the rest of the street. "I don't like it. It's a change of address and I don't like the name," said neighbor Anil Rana. Rana worries that changing his home address on his driver's license and all of his paperwork will be a huge headache. Plus, he thinks switching his home address from Ellsworth Street to what he calls a less than flattering street name will make his property value go down. "I don't want to screw up my life," he said. Turns out people have had reservations about the street address for decades. Samantha Trella's grandfather Lou was the develor who built most of the homes in this neighborhood, but when it came time to build his own home at the corner of Howard and Dick in 1955, someone was not thrilled about it. "The story goes that my grandmother did not want a Dick Street address. So we have a Howard Avenue address," said Samantha Trella, who lives in Clifton. John Sedlak says living on Dick Street isn't as embarrassing as everyone thinks. "I know people who are named Dick, or their name is Richard and they're called Dick," said Sedlak with a shrug. A city council meeting in Clifton next Tuesday will include a vote to change the name. Meanwhile, NBC 4's own GPS navigation to get to Ellsworth worked just fine -- it guided to the proper section of the street. People living in immigrant communities in New York City say fear is taking a toll on daily life after last week's Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations sparked rumors and false information in their neighborhoods. In Woodside, Queens, the silence was deafening at El Mariachi restaurant at lunchtime Tuesday, normally a bustling hour for the eatery. Ashley Garcia, whose parents own restaurant, says there hasn't been much eat-in business since the weekend. "It's a different environment now, it's more scared, and you can definitely feel it," she said. "A lot of people used to come here all the time. We used to do 300 covers." The number of deliveries, on the other hand, have skyrocketed. Garcia believes many undocumented immigrants are scared to leave their homes. At Catholic Charities, where the organization has been hosting a weeklong telethon answering immigration questions, phones have been ringing nonstop. Monsignor Kevin Sullivan said in a climate of fear, truth is power, and Catholic Charities has been working to stop the spread of misinformation. "We have calls about people questioning whether they should go to school because they're afraid of the confusion and afraid of the atmosphere that is out there," said Sullivan, estimating they received 500 calls in a three- or four-hour block. "Even if they may not have all the correct documents, they have rights," he said. "And so they can act within the law to protect their rights to take advantage of all the court system, and the United States has to protect individuals." ICE officials tells NBC 4 New York that last weekend's roundup of undocumented immigrants was business as usual. There are no sweeps or checkpoints -- ICE conducts what it calls targeted enforcement of wanted criminals, not random stops of people on the street. Garcia hopes facts win over fear and people end up filling the seats of her parents' restaurant again. "They're limited to just staying home, they're trapped in their own cages," she said. ICE officials say if someone is approached by a person who identifies himself or herself as a federal immigration officer, the person should respectfully ask to see the person's badge and credentials. If the officer asks for money, call police immediately. Additionally, more information can be found on ICE policies on sensitive locations -- like schools, hospitals, churches and demonstrations -- here. The mother of a baby found decomposed after apparently being kept inside a refrigerator last August has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the child's death, prosecutors said Tuesday. Deasia Bartee, 27, admitted pummeling 15-month-old Samia Rose on the back after she was arrested last summer, prosecutors say. She faces up to 25 years in prison when she's sentenced March 21. Samia Rose's body was found at their Mount Vernon apartment on Aug. 5, 2016, when police responded to a 911 call for a report of a child who died in her sleep, authorities said. The toddler was found laying on her back in a playpen, her arms rigid and pointing toward the ceiling, prosecutors said. Her left eye appeared to be swollen shut, and she had no pulse and was lifeless. She was "extremely cold" to the touch. When she was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the doctor told police he thought the child was unusually cold and that she may have been refrigerated since she was in an advanced state of decomposition, prosecutors said. The mother ultimately admitted beating her child, and an autopsy found Samia Rose died of blunt force trauma, with a broken spine and internal bleeding. She was malnourished at the time, weighing just 14 pounds as a 15-month-old. Prosecutors previously said that Bartee has an extensive history with child protective services. Her other two children, ages 6 and 9 have been placed with the agency. A New York City resident has died of a bacterial disease commonly spread by contact with rat urine, and two more were recently diagnosed with the disease, city health officials say. The cluster of leptospirosis infections has been identified on the 700 block of Grand Concourse in the Bronx, officials say. The health department is working with the housing preservation and the building departments to reduce the rat population there and is in touch with tenants there. "This illness can be serious but it treatable with readily available antibiotics," the health department said in a statement, noting that it's very rarely spread from person to person. Two patients in the Bronx cluster were diagnosed in December, and one in February. One of them has died, while the other two have recovered. There are typically one to three cases of leptospirosis every year in New York City, health officials say. In cases of leptospirosis, bacteria enter the body through open wounds and cuts in the skin, or the eyes, nose or mouth. Some people who are infected may have no symptoms, while others may have mild illness with fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting or diarrhea. Rarely, infected people may develop a life-threatening illness that affects their kidneys and liver. Officials say precautions against the disease include avoiding contact with rats or with places where rats may have urinated, and washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after any contact with areas where rats may live. If you cannot avoid areas where rats have been seen, use a bleach solution to kill the bacteria in the aea, and protect yourself from contact with rat urine by using rubber gloves, boots, masks and some type of eyewear. donald trump President Donald Trump during a joint press conference on Wednesday managed to avoid questions related to reported revelations about contact between his campaign and Russian intelligence agencies. Following former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's resignation Monday evening amid questions about statements he made to Russia government officials, a flurry of reports revealed an FBI investigation into private communication between Trump's top campaign officials and Russian intelligence. Yet the president avoided questions during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, instead fielding questions from right-leaning media outlets about administration policies in the Middle East. Townhall's Katie Pavlich, a conservative commentator, asked Trump to lay out "compromises you have in mind" for a potential Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody alluded to the Trump campaign's connections with Russia, but did not attempt to dig further into Trump's knowledge of the communications or the ongoing investigation. Instead, he asked if "some of those events with those communications to Russia would hamper the nuclear deal." In an email to Business Insider, Pavlich noted that the press conference was billed as a discussion about relations between the US and Israel, dismissing criticism and snark about the unwillingness to ask about Russia. "The presser was about Israeli/U.S. relations, so I asked about Israeli/U.S. relations," Pavlich said. "I was there as a reporter doing my job and have no interest in becoming the story." Some reporters did attempt to ask Trump about Tuesday's revelations. CNN's Jim Acosta and other reporters shouted questions about the reports at Trump as he left the stage, but the president did not answer. Trump has managed to avoid difficult questions about his administration from American outlets during joint press conferences. Story continues During a press conference on Monday before Flynn's resignation, Trump selected reporters from The Daily Caller and Sinclair media, outlets generally considered sympathetic to Trump's presidency. Scott Thurman from ABC7 Sinclair asked about the "philosophical differences" between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, while the Caller's Kaitlan Collins asked Trump to name the biggest security threat to the US. The White House previously raised eyebrows after the president only took questions during his press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from outlets owned by Rupert Murdoch, who has longstanding personal and financial ties to Trump. The prominence of smaller outlets among the questioners comes as White House press secretary Sean Spicer has attempted to call on a more diverse range of media, including local outlets and even former Trump campaign supporters. NOW WATCH: Trump's Attorney General pick wants access to everyone's phones here's why that's a problem More From Business Insider Three men were arrested following a squabble in which one of them threatened to kill a 7-Eleven clerk over cigarettes and then took off in a vehicle driven by his mother, police said. The clerk of the 7-Eleven in Melville called police moments after he refused to sell cigarettes to Hector Gonzalez, 26, because he didnt have proper identification. Police say Gonzalez left the store but returned with two other men 18-year-old Oscar Madrid and 18-year-old Timothy Flythe and a gun in his waistband. Thats when Gonzalez allegedly threatened to kill the clerk for not selling him cigarettes. As the clerk was writing down the license plate number of the mens vehicle, Madrid pulled the note out of his hand, police said. The three men hopped back in the vehicle, according to police, who said Gonzalezs mom was behind the wheel when they took off. Police eventually located the vehicle and officers allegedly found two loaded, illegal handguns that belonged to Flythe. Gonzalez was charged with menacing, Flythe was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, and Madrid was charged with grand larceny. Thre three men were scheduled to be arraigned in Central Islip on Wednesday. It wasnt immediately clear if they had an attorney. Frustrated tenants lashed out at their landlord and at city officials during an emergency meeting to address a rare disease spread by rats that has killed one neighbor and sickened two others. The cluster of leptospirosis infections was identified at 750 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. One man who lives in the building was hospitalized with leptospirosis, and two others working at a business on the same block also got sick; one of the workers died. The health department said it was working with the housing preservation and the building departments to reduce the rat population there. Masked workers and rat traps were seen at the building during the day Wednesday. But at the meeting Wednesday night, residents blasted city officials, saying they knew about the problems at the building but failed to act. Rats have long been a problem there, they said, and before the meeting, one tenant showed NBC 4 New York the inside of his apartment where he said rats have eaten through the floor and walls. "I live on the sixth floor and I smell nothing but dead rat," one resident said at the meeting. "They sat there and watched these people's lives be endangered," said another. Roberto Lebron said he was so concerned about his 3-year-old daughter staying in the building that he sent her to live with his mother "until we figure out what's gonna happen." "We're just looking for affordable, suitable housing where at the end of the day we can come home with peace of mind," said another neighbor, Diane Manning. One of the people who attended the packed emergency meeting was the mother of the resident who was hospitalized with leptospirosis. The mayor's office released a statement Wednesday night supporting the tenants and promising action. "After deploying numerous tools to address persistent problems at this building, we are working with housing advocates and tenants to lodge an action against the landlord to take over operations," the statement read. The building at 750 Grand Concourse is listed under the city's "dirty dozen" for problem buildings: it has 80 open Department of Housing violations and 15 open Department of Buildings violations. The owner, Ved Parkash, is listed in Public Advocate Letitia James' list of worst landlords of 2016. Parkash said at the meeting he's owned the building for 30 years and always takes responsibility, and that he was working to correct the violations. "I work on the problem," he said, adding that exterminators come to the building every month and that he responds to tenants' complaints right away. "I am responsible if something happens in my building. I don't deny that, but I am here to correct the problem," said Parkash. City councilman Rafael Salamanca said at the meeting, "The reality is Mr. Parkash is a slumlord. The city needs to take this building away from him." James told residents at the meeting that the city failed them. She said she plans to introduce additional legislation mandating joint cooperation between the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the DOH on conditions involving rat infestation and rat-borne illnesses. City officials also said they'll work to get an administrator or overseer put in place at the building during the infestation mitigation. Health inspectors found active signs of rat infestation and garbage management problems in the building's basement Monday, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Mary T. Bassett said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. Health officials say eradicating the rat problem in an area known as the "rat reservoir" isn't easy but that they've managed cut the number of infected properties by nearly half since 2015. That's little comfort for residents left to live with the problem. "I cannot continue to pay rent and look for a new place," said one tenant. Residents say they want to organize a rent strike. They plan to meet again Friday. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said city officials needs to make more of an effort to mitigate its ongoing rodent problem and that the city's rodent control program "has not been effective." "It is unfathomable to me that in this day and age, in one of the most expensive cities in the world...the city cannot mitigate the rat problem nor does it have good ideas to do so," he said in a statement Wednesday. "This public health scourge requires a serious, comprehensive and immediate solution. WARNING: Video may be disturbing to some viewers. The NYPD says it's conducting an internal review over a video showing officers deploying a stun gun on a pregnant 17-year-old girl as they were arresting her in a Bronx apartment building last week. The video from the Feb. 10 incident shows several officers surrounding the teen, who cries, "Get off!" "I'm pregnant!" she screams as one officer attempts to handcuff her behind her back. She winds up on the floor, where an officer shoots a stun gun at her, prompting her to cry, "Oh, my God," as she continues to writhe on the floor, video shows. A man recording the scene is heard saying, "She's pregnant, she's pregnant." The video doesn't show what led to the fracas inside the building at 707 East 242nd St., but a criminal complaint released by the Bronx district attorney's office states that the teen, Dailene Rosario, hit officers as they tried to arrest her last Friday night. Rosario told NBC 4 New York Tuesday that the officers were responding to another incident inside the building when they caught wind of an argument between her boyfriend and her sister's boyfriend upstairs. Rosario, who was standing outside the apartment, allegedly shouted, "Why don't we all go to jail?" according to the complaint. When an NYPD officer asked what was going on inside the apartment, she told her, "Nothing, we don't need you." Rosario then ducked into her apartment. The officer went to leave but returned when she heard Rosario and another woman shouting and getting into a physical fight. As the officer approached, Rosario shouted at her, "I don't wanna talk to you, I just wanna leave," according to the complaint. The officer said she just wanted to speak to Rosario, and Rosario responded, "I just wanna go, I just wanna go," then shoved the officer into the doorframe of the apartment, the complaint states. Rosario told NBC 4 New York that she simply wanted to go back into her apartment but officers wouldn't let her in. The complaint says that when other officers tried to arrest Rosario, she "threw herself to the floor, flailed her arms, and sat on her hands, refusing to be handcuffed," as she yelled, "Yo, why are you cuffing me, I didn't do anything." The complaint made no mention of a stun gun being used to subdue Rosario, though video shows the electric prongs shooting from the gun toward the teen on the floor. "I was screaming I was pregnant -- the female officers when they came up, my sisters told the officers I was pregnant," she said. Rosario was arrested on charges of resisting arrest, harassment and disorderly conduct. Her doctor says her 14-week-old unborn girl is OK, but she's shaken up and wants answers from the NYPD. "What was the point? There was no need for it. You tell me a reason why you needed a Taser," she said. The argument between the two men that led to the scuffle was over a video game, Rosario said. Her sister's boyfriend was also arrested that night. "It led to both of us going to jail, me getting Tased. For what?" Rosario said. The NYPD had no further comment other than to say the video and incident are under review. A regional jet struck a deer when it was taking off in Charlotte, North Carolina, Wednesday, and subsequently was found leaking fuel, American Airlines said. There were 48 people aboard the CRJ-700, operated by PSA Airlines as American Airlines flight 5320, when it hit the deer at Charlotte Douglas International Airport about 12:15 p.m. ET. It immediately returned to the airport instead of continuing to Gulfport, Mississippi, according to an American Airlines statement. The crew found fuel leaking from the plane, so passengers were de-planed onto the runway and fire trucks hosed down the aircraft, the airline said. A new aircraft was being brought to take the 44 passengers to their destination. Deer strikes are not infrequent for planes in the U.S. There were over 1,100 deer-aircraft collisions reported to the Federal Aviation Administration between 1990 and 2015. A Minnesota judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss charges against a police officer who shot and killed a black man during a July traffic stop, saying it's fair and reasonable for the case to go to trial. Ramsey County District Court Judge William Leary III said St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez will enter a plea at a Feb. 27 hearing. His attorneys have indicated he will plead not guilty to manslaughter and other counts in the shooting death of Philando Castile. Castile was killed July 6 after he was pulled over in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights. The shooting's gruesome aftermath was streamed live on Facebook by his girlfriend, who was in the car along with her young daughter. Prosecutors said the 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker told Yanez he was armed and then was shot seven times. Authorities later discovered Castile had a permit to carry a weapon. Attorneys for Yanez, who is Latino, argued their client had no choice but to shoot Castile after he saw a gun and perceived a threat to his life. Defense attorneys have also argued that Castile was negligent in his own death, that he was impaired by marijuana, and that he had no right to be carrying a gun or driving while under the influence. Prosecutors argued the case should proceed because the defense raised several issues that prosecutors dispute including whether or not Yanez saw Castile's gun and whether Castile was impaired. Prosecutors said those issues should be decided by a jury. Leary said a victim's alleged unreasonable conduct does not, by itself, require that a charge be dismissed. Leary also wrote that, given the evidence disclosed by prosecutors, it is fair and reasonable for the case to proceed. He said both sides interpret the evidence differently, and if a jury accepts the state's interpretation, there is a chance it could prevail. Police arrested a woman accused of crashing into two vehicles as well as a pedestrian and then fleeing the scene in the Germantown section of Philadelphia Tuesday morning. The unidentified woman was driving a rental car near Germantown and Armat streets around 9:30 a.m. when she struck a Chevrolet Impala, police said. The woman allegedly continued driving and then struck a pedestrian as well as another vehicle. The woman fled the scene and drove back to the rental car building, according to investigators. When she arrived she was arrested by responding officers, police said. The pedestrian who was struck was taken to the hospital and is currently in stable condition. Officials say Shelly Yanoff, a longtime Philadelphia activist, and her husband were also inside one of the vehicles struck by the hit-and-run driver. Yanoff was not seriously injured however. Police have not yet released the suspect's identity. Merck & Co. Inc. said it is stopping mid-stage clinical testing of an experimental treatment for mild-to-moderate Alzheimers disease. The North Jersey pharmaceutical giant, which has a large research and manufacturing campus in West Point, Pennsylvania, said it was halting the study of verubecestat, following the recommendation of an external data monitoring committee. The committee, after conducting an interim safety analysis, determined there was virtually no chance of finding a positive clinical effect. Earlier this year another Big Pharma company, Eli Lilly and Co. of Indianapolis, stopped work on its new drug candidate for Alzheimers disease after the experimental therapy failed in clinical testing. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimers disease, a progressive degeneration of the brain and the most common form of dementia, according to the Alzheimers Association. To read the full article, click here. For more business news, visit Philadelphia Business Journal. A longtime suburban Philadelphia defense attorney was convicted of having raped an unconscious client at her apartment. Jurors in Montgomery County deliberated for more than six hours over two days before convicting 57-year-old Vincent Cirillo Jr. on Wednesday of rape of an unconscious person and related counts. Cirillo took that stand Monday in his own defense and said the August 2015 encounter with the 22-year-old woman was consensual. The woman told authorities that she believed she was drugged. Cirillo said he found the verdict "very unfortunate." Cirillo, the son of a late Superior Court judge, had withdrawn an earlier guilty plea in the case. He's also facing charges in another case in which he's accused of having impersonated his accuser's lawyer to obtain her confidential records. While most people were busy thinking about what gifts they were going to receive this holiday season, 12-year-old Charlotte Olson had another idea. She set the goal of collecting 1,000 books for the Read and Reach Out program in her local town of Vorhees, New Jersey. This week, after sorting through the boxes and boxes of donations, she fulfilled the goal and proudly delivered 1,303 books to Cooper University Health System. I've always wanted to do something like this and help others," she said. When I was little I dreamt of being on the news and collecting for people. Charlotte began her project through word of mouth. She started by telling family, friends, and neighbors about her goal and placed a large box for donations on her familys front porch. She then moved on to local businesses, like Cutting Times Salon in Berlin, New Jersey, Moozies Play Cafe in Turnersville, and Angels of God clothing closet in Pitman. Charlotte asked the business to place a donation box in their store. Through more efforts on social media, the word got out about Charlottes book drive, and even she didnt expect the outcome. My goal was 1000 but I didn't expect to get over that, Charlotte admitted. Luckily, she was proven wrong. Charlotte ended up taking in over 2,000 books between all her donation centers. She also raised $250 to purchase new books for the Read and Reach Out program. Pediatricians at the Childrens Regional Hospital said the donations are greatly appreciated. The more words kids hear before the age of three, the better their language is, better life course, said Dr. Mohammed Jawaad Hussain. I tell my patients it's a better chance for getting a college scholarship. The Read and Reach Out program was established at the hospital in 1998 and allows doctors to gift books to their patients to get them reading, both on their own and with parents. With 92 programs across the state, Read and Reach Out serves over 75,000 children annually. Charlotte is currently working towards her community service award for National American Miss Pre-teen New Jersey 2017, a pageant she has participated in for the past two years. Coincidence or not, Charlottes aspirations happen to lie right where her books have gone. I kind of want to be a doctor, an emergency room doctor." A Montgomery County Catholic school early education teacher remained behind bars Wednesday, suspended from his job, after being charged with multiple child sex assault counts stemming from an alleged incident with a 3-year-old girl. A judge arraigned Michael Barbee, 32, of Yeadon, Pennsylvania on Saturday with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor under 16 years old, aggravated indecent assault of a minor under 13 years old, unlawful contact with a minor and related charges. The charges date to Feb. 7, online court records said. Barbee teaches at Saint Francis of Assisi Schools Early Learning Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania. The school referred NBC10s calls to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Saint Francis Parish placed Barbee on administrative leave Friday after learning of the criminal investigation, archdiocesan spokesman Kenneth Gavin told NBC10. Over the course of the weekend, Mr. Barbee was subsequently arrested by the Norristown Police Department and charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor and other related charges, Gavin said. Police began investigating Barbee after a 3-year-old girl complained of pain, said Norristown police in a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10's Deanna Durante. Barbee initially denied having touched the girl but changed his story after taking a polygraph test, police said. Barbee told investigators he put his hand down the girl's pants during nap time after the girl called him "stupid" while he was alone in the room with the girl and her classmates, said police. The girl said "ouch" and the incident last about 10 seconds, Barbee told police. "Barbee admitted this contact was of a sexual nature," the criminal complaint said. "These charges are serious and disturbing," Gavin said. "The Archdiocese is cooperating fully with law enforcement regarding this matter and remains fervently committed to preventing child abuse as well as protecting the children and young people entrusted to its care." Barbee had no teaching duties at the actual parish school, only at the early education center, which is located in a separate building on the same grounds, Gavin said. In any case, the parish shared information on the arrest with early learning center families, parish school families and religious education families affiliated with the parish. Prior to be being hired in the fall of 2015, Barbee passed background checks and had no previous indications of abuse, Gavin said. The archdiocese referred questions about the nature of the abuse to Norristown police. Barbee remained jailed Wednesday on $750,000 bail. Online court records dont list an attorney who could comment on the allegations. The archdiocese urged anyone with information about sexual abuse allegations to contact the Victim Assistance Office of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at 1-888-800-8780 or philavac@archphila.org. Anyone with more information about Barbee is asked to contact Norristown police at 610-270-0977. donald trump Intercepted phone calls show that members of President Donald Trump's campaign had multiple communications with senior Russian intelligence officials before the US election, The New York Times reported on Tuesday night. Citing US law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, The Times said the contact between Trump associates and Russian officials was discovered during a concurrent FBI investigation into cyberattacks the US has said Russia carried out targeting Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. Three of the US sources interviewed by The Times said that despite the frequent contact, there was no evidence that the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia on the cyberattacks. What concerned the American officials, however, was how often Trump associates were apparently communicating with Russian officials during an election in which Trump repeatedly showered praise on Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. Trump even made a public appeal to Russia in July urging the Kremlin to dig up damaging information on Clinton. The Times' Michael Schmidt, Mark Mazzetti, and Matt Apuzzo reported that the communications between people in Trump's orbit and Russia ran deep on both sides. They were said to include other associates of Trump outside his campaign. And on the Russian side, people within the country's government in addition to intelligence officials were also involved, according to The Times' sources, who remained anonymous. Donald Trump Russia Putin Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort was the only one of Trump's associates to be named by The Times as being tied to the intercepted communications. Manafort once advised a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine. He left the Trump campaign in August. In an interview with The Times, Manafort denied allegations that he knowingly communicated with Russia during the campaign. Story continues "I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today," Manafort told the newspaper. He added: "It's not like these people wear badges that say, 'I'm a Russian intelligence officer.'" Paul Manafort Trump has previously denied his campaign had any contact with the Kremlin. When asked during a CBS interview in January whether anyone in the Trump campaign had contact with Russia, then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence said, "Of course not." Though Trump has often spoken highly of Putin and Russia, he has, in fits and starts, attempted to moderate his language on the subjects. He conceded in January to US intelligence findings that Russia had indeed tried to influence the election. That same month, he commented on his chances of getting along with Putin, saying there was "a good chance I won't." The White House has also hardened its public stance on Russian relations, with the administration rebuking the Kremlin on its seizure of the peninsula of Crimea, for example. Michael Flynn The report follows a litany of information leaked by anonymous sources within the US government since the November election that suggests untoward liaisons between Russia and Trump's associates, which culminated in the resignation of his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, on Monday evening. A classified dossier on Trump originally compiled as political opposition research, which had been making the rounds in Washington since last year, contained unverified details of supposed associations between Trump and Russia. US officials on Friday said some elements in the 35-page document had indeed proved accurate. Top congressional Republicans have called for further investigations into Flynn and any other possible connections between the Kremlin and the US president. NOW WATCH: Watch the ad John Oliver paid to run on cable networks so Trump would see it More From Business Insider UPDATE: With Melissa McCarthy set to host Saturday Night Live on May 13, she was spotted dressed as Sean Spicer riding a podium on New York City streets Friday morning. Saturday Night Live's latest run of political satire is being fueled by a Montgomery County company. When actress Melissa McCarthy returned to SNL to play White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer last weekend, she pummeled through the press corps behind a podium made by Monkey Boy Productions, a prop, puppet and costume shop based in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. Michael Latini, a graduate of Archbishop Wood High School and co-founder of Monkey Boy Productions, and fellow co-founder Marc Petrosino, were the brains behind the stage McCarthy first appeared on as Spicer. On February 1 they got a call from SNL asking them to create McCarthys podium by February 3. After the success of the first sketch, which tallied over 23 million views on YouTube, they got the call to up the ante. This time, the show needed a mobile unit that would allow McCarthy to barrel into the crowd. They had 36 hours to make it. We're running around in the snow trying to find an electric wheelchair. We get back here, we're pulling it apart, pulling the seat off, trying to make an extra platform, said Petrosino. They built the new rig out of isolation foam which is sturdy but also light. While McCarthy had a blast during the sketch, Petrosino says it took her a little while to get used to the mobile podium. In the first rehearsal, she got on it and was initially a little tentative and then she realized how fast it could go and was whipping around the rehearsal space, running people over for like 15, 20 minutes, just having a blast," he said. Petrosino and Latini started the production company with Scott Hitz and Russell Tucker in 2006 after meeting at the Eugene O'Neill National Puppetry Conference in Waterford, Connecticut. The company has made props for smaller scale productions, and even Broadway shows. While this is the first time one of their props has helped make a sketch go viral, this isnt their first time working for SNL. Two years ago, they crafted Little Shop of Horrors puppets for a sketch featuring Bobby Moynihan and host Scarlett Johansson. While the sketch didnt make it to air, their work caught the attention of the producers. Fast forward to Season 42, and theyre getting called in for almost every episode. Seeing their work used in front of millions of people has them in awe. Its amazing production," Petrosino said. "To hear the audience live in studio 8H is overpowering. They're so loud. A new initiative to protect and assist some of Philadelphias most vulnerable residents has formed with the support of The Philadelphia Bar Association. A number of non-profit legal aid organizations have joined the City of Philadelphia and the association to form Take Action Philly (TAP) -- an initiative bringing together local public and private sector lawyers and community members for discussions focusing on a range of issues facing residents of Philadelphia. The first TAP Meeting will bring up President Trumps executive order banning immigrants from seven countries as well as state and federal legislation to defund sanctuary cities. The meetings will help educate Philadelphias legal community about the anticipated impact of policy decisions, as well as discuss clear ways they can help the community. [[238427591, C]] The outpouring of calls and emails Ive received from Philadelphians asking how they can stand up for their immigrant neighbors has been incredibly heartening, Mayor Jim Kenney said. This convening will ensure we are coordinating our efforts to put up the best possible plan of action for the immigrants of Philadelphia, and I thank the Bar for taking the lead in organizing this group. The first meeting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the Millennium Hall at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. The event is open and free to everyone as there will be information on how residents without legal expertise can take action. Online registration is required. Acting together, we can design solutions that can truly make a difference in the lives of many, Philadelphia Chancellor Deborah R. Gross said. Join us and take action to be part of our communitys response to state and federal policy decisions. Some of the partnering organizations of TAP include the ACLU of Pennsylvania, American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the Mazzoni Center among others. For more information, visit PhiladelphiaBar.org. What to Know Sarah Stern was last seen at her Neptune City home Dec. 2; her body has never been found Two of Stern's longtime friends have been arrested in her death -- one accused of murder, another accused of helping him cover it up Stern, an aspiring artist, is a graduate of Neptune High School, where she played softball and was a member of the swim team The 19-year-old man accused of murder, conspiracy and other charges in the death of a young New Jersey woman told a friend he choked her and then watched for half an hour as she died in her home, prosecutors said at a court hearing Tuesday. Liam McAtasney, of Neptune City, was ordered to remain behind bars as he awaits trial in the slaying of his childhood friend Sarah Stern, who was considered a missing person for months after she vanished from her home in early December. Prosecutors say McAtasney robbed and strangled Stern, 19, at her home Dec. 2, then dumped her body off the Route 35 Bridge in Belmar with the help of an alleged accomplice who once had taken the victim to prom. At Tuesday's court hearing, prosecutors revealed McAtasney allegedly admitted the crime to a friend, and the friend, unbeknownst to the alleged killer, had videotaped the conversation. On the recording, McAtasney is allegedly heard saying he strangled Stern with such force her body was lifted off the ground -- and then he timed how long it took her to die, prosecutors said. Charles Moriarty, McAtasney's attorney, didn't fight the judge's decision to remand his client, but said after court the young man was innocent, according to NJ.com. McAtasney and his suspected accomplice, 19-year-old Preston Taylor, were arrested in the case earlier this month. The two allegedly dumped Stern's body off the bridge after hiding it in the bushes behind her home for eight hours. Prosecutors have said McAtasney was motivated by robbery in part and stole thousands of dollars from Stern. Cash was found in a safe buried at a park in Neptune. Stern's clothing was found in another safe buried on Sandy Hook. At a court hearing last week, prosecutors said Taylor, who took Stern to junior prom, told police McAtasney had planned Stern's slaying for six months. Meanwhile, the search for Stern's body continues. Divers and helicopter units first scoured the Shark River in early December after finding Stern's fully operational car parked on the shoulder of the southbound lanes of the bridge, the keys still in the ignition, Dec. 3. Investigators returned there several weeks ago to continue looking, acknowledging that currents and tides may have swept her body out to the Atlantic. Monmouth Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni said at the time, "We are hoping for a miracle." Stern's family has said they just want to bring her home. Stern, an aspiring artist, is a graduate of Neptune High School, where she played softball and was a member of the swim team. She went to Brookdale Community College for a year, where she studied art and TV production. Eight correctional officers have resigned and another seven filed for retirement from the Delaware prison where a deadly standoff involving hostages occurred this month, a prisons spokesman said Tuesday morning. The influx of voluntary resignations comes as Gov. Jim Carney's announced the launch of a special commission Tuesday to investigate the Feb. 1 riot that left a veteran officer dead at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC) in Smyrna. Carney appointed two retired Delaware judges to lead an "independent review" of the uprising. Former state Supreme Court Justice Henry duPont Ridgely and former Family Court Judge William Chapman Jr. will head the new commission. "We will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to find out exactly what happened inside James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, and what we can do to prevent this from happening," Carney said. The violence involved more than 100 inmates in a section of the state prison and lasted more than 18 hours before SWAT teams eventually stormed the cell block where the hostages, initially four, were held. Sgt. Steven Floyd, a 16-year Department of Correction veteran, died inside the prison. Many details remain unclear, including exactly what caused Floyd's death, why he was attacked and how many inmates were intimately involved in planning the disturbance. All of the inmates in the section of the prison where the violent outbreak occurred remain suspects in Floyd's death. Three other hostages survived. Funeral services for Floyd took place last week. The crisis began just after 10:30 a.m. when a correction officer radioed for help from inside the center's Building C. Throughout the day and evening, inmates tried negotiating with authorites, and also called a Delaware newspaper twice with demands and reasons for the prison takover. In the first call, a man said their reasons "for doing what we're doing" included "Donald Trump. Everything that he did. All the things that he's doing now. We know that the institution is going to change for the worse." A man on the second call said education for prisoners was the inmates' priority. They also said they want effective rehabilitation for all prisoners and information about how money is allocated to prisons. Three of the eight officers who resigned Feb. 1 left the job immediately, a Department of Correction spokesman said. All of the officers worked at JTVCC. Another nine correctional officers filed retirement paperwork, including one who retired immediately, DOC spokesman Jayme Gravell said in a email. A teacher also retired. Of those nine staff members, seven worked at JTVCC, Gravell said. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is splitting with other states and defending President Donald Trump's ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations. Paxton filed an amicus brief, a document filed in courts of appeal by non-litigants with interest in a case, with the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday asking the court to reconsider its decision not to immediately reinstate the ban. "The law makes it very clear that the president has discretion to protect the safety of the American people and our nation's institutions with respect to who can come into this country," Paxton said. "The safety of the American people and the security of our country are President Trump's major responsibilities under the law." Paxton said the ban is a legal exercise of presidential authority and cited 8 U.S. Code 1182, which states: "Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate." A three-judge panel last Thursday refused to block a lower court decision that suspended the ban. The panel rejected the Trump administration's claim of presidential authority and concluded that the order was unlikely to survive the legal challenge mounted by the states of Washington and Minnesota. The 9th Circuit will decide whether to have a larger panel of judges reconsider that decision. NBC 5 political reporter Julie Fine spoke to Paxton and asked why he decided to file this brief. Texas is the first state to file support of the president's executive order. "The reason I decided to do this, we are already struggling with this issue under the Obama administration, so we have been involved in this issue for the last year or year-and-a-half. So when I saw the president do this, when we saw the law, we wanted to support this effort, because this is the first real effort to stop these people from coming in that potentially cause great security risk to our state," said Paxton. Fine also asked Paxton if he thinks there is a direct threat in Texas from refugees coming into the state. "I think the risk is high, because we don't know who they are. If we are going to let them in from terrorist countries, we ought to know who they are," he said. Some California middle school and high school students may get a little more sleep under a bill introduced by California Senator Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge. Portantino introduced SB 328 on Monday, which would require middle schools and high schools in California school districts to start school days no earlier than 8:30 a.m. "Every year we discuss as parents, educators, and legislators, best practices and interests of the children and education? Well data is clear; starting the school day later improves the quality of education, health and welfare of our children. So lets do it," Portantino said in a statement. [2017 UPDATED 12/19] 2017 Southern California Images in the News In a statement Monday, Portantino referenced a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics from 2014, in which the organization advised school districts to change start times to 8:30 in the morning or later. The lead author of the statement, pediatrician Judith Owens, said students who get enough sleep are less likely to be overweight, suffer from depression, become involved in car accidents, and are also more likely to experience positive effects including better grades and standardized test scores. During multiple studies at schools that delayed start times, at least nine benefits were observed, according to the American Psychological Association. Portantino said his favorite benefit was "increase in quality of student-family interaction." Another one of the benefits observed was increased attendance at schools that made the shift. Stemming from that observation, Portantino believes later start times will improve attendance at schools, and thus funding for those schools. If the current attendance rate were improved by one percent, the district would gain an added $40 million a year, Portantino said, citing the Los Angeles Unified School District. Increasing attendance by 1% means $40 million more in funding. #onthemoveLAUSD L.A. Unified (@LASchools) August 9, 2016 It is unclear how the bill could affect zero period classes, classes that meet before a school's typical start time. Portantino said they have not come to a conclusion about zero period, and said it was left out of the bill on purpose because they would like to hear from educators and school districts in the state before a decision is made. It was a very special Valentine's Day for one San Diego couple, who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows on Valentine's Day in Escondido. Carol and Joe Allen first met more than 60 years ago on a blind date, set up through mutual friends. The couple hit it off and ended up tying the knot after six months. "We knew each other for six months when we got married, but you learn a lot about each other in six months," Carol said. The couple celebrated their anniversary late last week, and the staff at Felicita Vida Senior Living Center in Escondido decided to throw them a party so they could renew their vows. In just a few days, the team there put together a celebration with friends and family in the living center's courtyard. The special Valentine's Day ceremony makes all the Valentine's Day that much more special for the Iowa and Maine natives, Carol said. "Who wouldve thought 60 years ago, wed be sitting here today?" Carol said. "His health isnt that good, but were living with it." Carol said her husband is a wonderful father and husband. "I dont have any complaints," she said. "Im happy with my 60 years." And the secret to making a marriage last for 60 years? "Commitment," said Carol. "Commitment. Lots of give and take." In San Diego, the violent crime rate is the lowest in 47 years, according to a report released Tuesday by city leaders. The overall crime rate decreased by 2.3 percent in 2016 and violent crime was down by 4.5 percent. "Our city is safe because of the incredible partnership forged between our community and police department," San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said. Faulconer praised community outreach and communication as one of the reasons for the decline. Property crimes, burglary and theft also decreased. San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman credited community policing--a way of connecting law enforcement with neighborhoods--for the decrease in the overall crime rate. "We still go door to door, we still get on our bicycles and get out of our car but we use social media, we put out a community policing report...so many more ways we connect with our community that didn't exist five, 10, 20 years ago," Zimmerman said. Bishop George McKinney, of St. Stephen's Church in San Diego, said he believes the numbers indicate there is communication between the community and law enforcement but added that there are still issues to work on. "There are problems but we have to work on them together, we have to communicate," he said. The report also showed that although violent crimes was down, others did increase, including murder, rape and robbery. Homicides increased by 32.4 percent from 2015 to 2016, rape by 1.1 percent and robbery by 0.7 percent. Vehicle theft increased by 14.6 percent. "Although homicide was up for the third year in a row, San Diego has the lowest homicide per capita of any of the major cities--at least the ten largest cities," Zimmerman said. She added that although there were 49 murder cases in 2016, compared to the 37 in 2015, four of the homicides were released to the homeless killing spree. According to the report, after the deployment of body-worn cameras by San Diego police, there has been a "36 percent decrease in citizen complaints and allegations since 2013." You can read the report on body-worn cameras here. To see the full overall crime report, click here. Two schools in San Diegos Skyline area were placed on lockdown Wednesday morning after a group of men was reportedly spotted walking near the campuses one of whom was allegedly seen with a gun in his waistband. Shari Winet, communications director for the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), confirmed lockdowns had been issued for both Morse High School, located at 6905 Skyline Dr., and neighboring Fulton Elementary High School, located at 7055 Skyline Dr. Morse HS and Fulton K-8 are in a lockdown as a preventative safety measure. All are safe. Police are on site; please wait for more info. San Diego Unified (@sdschools) February 15, 2017 The district said all students and faculty were safe. School officers launched a search at both campuses and requested help from the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) to check the surrounding areas, including nearby canyons, by ground and helicopter. At 11 a.m., SDPD Officer Josh Hodge confirmed SDPD officers had been called to the scene to aid in the search for the alleged suspects. Hodge said police had detained some people, but it was unknown if they were the group of men reportedly spotted in the initial emergency call. Hodge said the police department's ABLE helicopter was assisting in the search by air and K-9 officers were helping on the ground. Aerial footage from a news helicopter showed multiple SDPD patrol vehicles lining the entrance of Morse High School, many surrounding the roundabout. By 11:44 a.m., the SDUSD said the lockdowns at both schools had been lifted. Lockdown has been lifted at Fulton and Morse. All are safe. San Diego Unified (@sdschools) February 15, 2017 Police determined the campuses were safe; Winet said no weapon was found and no arrests were made. Further details were not immediately released. The ordeal was very difficult for parents of students who attend those schools, including Lori Ramos. Ramos said she received a frantic text message from her daughter, a Morse High School student, saying a gang of men with guns had been walking near the school, possibly on school grounds. She was kind of scared. Shes like, Am I going to die? Thats just heart-wrenching, you know? Ramos told NBC 7, referring to the texts from her daughter. Ramos quickly went to the school. I tried to run here as fast as I could and just be by her side and pray that nothing went wrong, she explained. The worried mother said standing outside the school and wondering if her child was alright a horrible feeling. "Its terrifying. Theyre in high school and, you know, a lot of stuff is going on in high school. I always tell her, Tell a teacher if you see something, she added. Ramos said the last thing she heard was that the men ran into some bushes and fled the area. Mother Leka Talo, who has a daughter at Morse High School, a younger daughter at a nearby school and two teenage cousins who attend Skyline-area schools, was very concerned for her family. "Im scared. A lot of schools have been on lockdown I didnt think it was going to be my kids school," she told NBC 7. Talo said her oldest daughter texted her that her high school was on lockdown, but she dind't know why. She told Talo she was safe, but confused about what was happening. Talo immediately rushed to the area in hopes of reuniting with her kids. "The only thing running through my head is my kids being safe not just my kids, all of the kids. I just want to get my children out of school right now. I dont know what that person is capable of. [Im] just scared," the mother added. Talo said she heard police weren't sure if the alleged armed suspect was a student "or some random person." Both schools are located in the Skyline neighborhood and are part of the SDUSD. Morse serves students in grades nine through 12, while Fulton serves students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. Police have identified and interviewed a suspect in the case of a California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) student sexually assaulted in broad daylight last month. The incident happened on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at approximately 11 a.m. in Lot B on campus, according to an advisory sent to students. The suspect and victim met on a popular college student app, said Margaret Chantung, Interim Associate Vice President for Communications. The app had anonymity features, Chantung said, and the app does not have photos. After meeting on campus, the suspect drove the victim to Lot B, where he raped her, according to the advisory sent to students. The suspect then drove the victim back to Craven Circle, where he let her go. The victim notified University police shortly after. Chantung told NBC 7 that officials believe this was a targeted sexual assault because of previous social media contact, though it is too early to say if the suspect would use the application to target other female students. The suspect is a 28-year-old man not affiliated with the university, and police have not released his name yet, according to CSUSM officials. The man is not a San Diego County resident. Authorities say there is still pending forensic evidence in the case. The case has been sent to the San Diego County District Attorney's office to determine whether they will proceed with an arrest. University police are asking anyone with information to call them at (760) 750-4567, or use the Universitys SAFE hotline at (760) 750-SAFE. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Tensions continue to rise for San Diego's undocumented immigrants after President Donald Trump ordered a crackdown. Some children said they are afraid their parents may be taken away and deported back to Mexico. But others told NBC 7, the law should be obeyed. Now, some of the undocumented immigrants, including children, are seeking legal advice from immigration attorneys so they know their rights. Alexis is an American citizen but his parents are not. "My parents are undocumented. They could be separated," he told NBC 7. His last name was not revealed. On Tuesday, he brought his mother, Evertina to Border Angels for a free consultation with an immigration attorney. "They're concerned because he's deporting everyone right now," Alexis said in reference to President Donald Trump. Last week, 160 arrests were made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Southern California. ICE stated that most had a criminal history. On Sunday, President Trump tweeted out, "The crackdown on illegal criminals is merely the keeping of my campaign promise. Gang members, drug dealers & others are being removed!" Many are standing behind the effort, such as Coronado resident, John Boben. "If I made my way into a country illegally, I'd expect repercussions," he told NBC 7. An ICE spokesperson said, in a statement, there has not been increased enforcement in recent weeks. The California Highway Patrol, the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department also released statements to NBC 7, saying that their officers and deputies will not stop and arrest individuals based on immigration law. Charting a striking new course for the Middle East, President Donald Trump on Wednesday withheld clear support for an independent Palestine and declared he could endorse a one-nation solution to the long and deep dispute between Palestinians and Israel. The American president, signaling a new era of comity between the U.S. and Israel after rocky relations under President Barack Obama, said he was more interested in an agreement that leads to peace than in any particular path to get there. Standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump broke not only with recent U.S. presidents but also distanced the United States from the prevailing position of much of the world. While Trump urged Netanyahu to "hold off" on Jewish settlement construction in territory the Palestinians claim for their future state, he offered unwavering support for Israel, a pledge he appeared to substantiate with his vague comments about the shape of any agreement. While it once appeared that a two-state solution was the "easier of the two" options for the Palestinians and Israel, Trump said he'd be open to alternatives. "I'm looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like," he told reporters. "I can live with either one." The United States has formally backed the two-state solution as official policy since 2002, when President George W. Bush said in the White House Rose Garden that his vision was "two states, living side by side in peace and security." In practice, the U.S. already had embraced the policy informally. President Bill Clinton, who oversaw the Oslo Accords in the 1990s that were envisioned as a stepping stone to Palestinian statehood, said before leaving office that resolution to the conflict required a viable Palestinian state. Separately on Wednesday, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas called on Netanyahu to end settlement building and expressed "willingness to resume a credible peace process " Also on Wednesday, CIA chief Mike Pompeo secretly held talks in the West Bank with Abbas, the first high-level meeting between the Palestinian leader and a Trump administration official, senior Palestinian officials said. The White House wouldn't comment on the meeting All serious peace negotiations in recent decades have assumed the emergence of an independent Palestine. The alternatives appear to offer dimmer prospects for peace, given Palestinian demands for statehood. Dozens of countries, including the U.S., reaffirmed their support for a two-state accord at an international conference in Paris last month, before Trump's inauguration. In Cairo on Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "There is no Plan B to the situation between Palestinians and Israelis but a two-state solution. ... Everything must be done to preserve that possibility." At one point Wednesday, Trump noted the need for compromise in achieving any Mideast peace. Netanyahu interjected: "Both sides." On terrorism and other matters, there appeared little daylight between the leaders. Echoing language used by Trump over a need to combat "radical Islamic extremism," Netanyahu said that for peace to be sustainable, two "prerequisites" must be met: "Recognition of the Jewish state and Israel's security needs west of the Jordan" River. While a two-state solution would involve Israel ceding occupied territory that is strategically and religiously significant, many in the country believe a single binational state would be even more difficult to maintain. It would mean granting millions of Palestinians citizenship and voting rights, threatening Israel's Jewish majority and its Jewish character. Trump's campaign platform made no mention of a Palestinian state, and his inner circle included allies of the West Bank settler movement. A delegation of settlement leaders was invited to Trump's inauguration. But after weeks of dancing around the issue of expanded Israeli settlement construction, Trump asked Netanyahu to "hold back on settlements for a bit." In recent weeks, Netanyahu has approved construction of more than 6,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast War. He also allowed Parliament to pass a law retroactively legalizing some 4,000 settlement homes built on private Palestinian land. Still, Netanyahu indicated he was open to some sort of arrangement. "We'll work something out but I'd like to see a deal be made. I think a deal will be made," he said. And Naftali Bennet, the head of Israel's pro-settler Jewish Home Party, hailed the new atmosphere between Trump and Netanyahu, saying: "The Palestinian flag was today lowered from the mast and replaced with the Israeli flag." American presidents have long struck a delicate balance in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing the close U.S. friendship with Israel but also sometimes calling out Israel for actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements. Trump and Netanyahu also were to discuss Iran and the president's campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. On Wednesday, Trump said that he'd like to see the embassy move and said his administration is studying the issue closely. Palestinians and Arab governments have warned that such a move could be deeply destabilizing. After repeatedly clashing with Obama, including over a U.N. Security Council resolution in December condemning Israeli settlements, Netanyahu has seemed relieved by Trump's arrival. He even recounted his personal relationships with members of Trump's family, including son-in-law Jared Kushner, whom Trump has previously described as the man who could mediate a Middle East peace deal. "Can I reveal, Jared, how long we've known you?" Netanyahu said with a chuckle. "I've known the president and his family and his team for a long time and there is no greater supporter of the Jewish people and the Jewish state than President Donald Trump." A 27-year-old woman who disappeared last week has been found safe, Prince George's County Police said Wednesday afternoon. Rachel Bright was last seen Friday on Cedar Heights Drive in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, at 10:45 a.m. Police announced about 2 p.m. Wednesday that Bright was found safe. A 17-year-old girl who disappeared from her home for a month and the father of the child of another teen who also disappeared for a month are among the 10 people suspected in connection to the death of a 15-year-old girl, Fairfax County Police said. Nine people are in custody and police identified a tenth suspect in connection with the killing of 15-year-old Alexandra Reyes, police said. Cindy Blanco Hernandez, 18, of Reston; Wilmer A. Sanchez-Serrano, 21, of no fixed address; Aldair J. Miranda Carcamo, 18, of Springfield; Jose Castillo Rivas, 18, of Springfield; and six teenagers were involved in the homicide, police said. Five of the teens are in custody but a 16-year-old girl is not. All people have been charged with abduction and gang participation at this time, and we believe that there are no outstanding suspects, Fairfax County Police 2nd Lt. Brian Gaydos said. Police believe everyone involved is acquainted or affiliated with one gang, Gaydos said. "Somehow, someway the people are connected through acquaintances, through knowledge of the crimes or some other investigatory information that detectives have uncovered through speaking with a whole plethora of people, he said. Reyes' body was found Saturday near an industrial park in the 7100 block of Wimsatt Road in Springfield, Virginia. She had been missing from her Gaithersburg, Maryland, home for two months. Police believe she was held against her will, taken to Lake Accotink Park and assaulted before she was killed on or around Jan. 8, almost a month after she disappeared. Her devastated mother spoke about her daughter Tuesday at her home. "My daughter was a good person -- not because she was my daughter, but because she was truly good, sweet. She got along with everybody," she said in Spanish, asking that News4 withhold her name for her safety. She said her daughter told her MS-13 gang members began threatening her at school. In late November, just after she turned 15, she left home. She stayed in touch with her mom and eventually returned home. Then, on Dec. 10, she left again. "She told me, 'No, Mom, I want to see you, but I can't return,'" the teen's mother recalled. "'Why?' I asked her. "'No, Mom, I can't tell you.'" She heard from her daughter for the last time Jan 6. Two other teenage girls whom, police say, had contact with gang members also recently disappeared. Both teens returned home safe. Lizzy Colindres, 16, and her 5-month-old baby, Aiden, returned home to Springfield after they were missing for almost a month. Police had said they believed the teen mom and infant were in danger. They were seeking the child's father, Jose Castillo Rivas, who is in custody in Reyes' death. Reyes' body was found not far from the neighborhood where Colindres lives. Venus Romero Iraheta disappeared Jan. 15, a day after Colindres and her baby vanished. Iraheta returned home Tuesday, saying she had been with friends. She told News4 she left in fear after the suspected murder of her boyfriend in Prince William County. Im really sorry because I know she was very scared about what could happen to me, and I love you, Mama," she said. She told News4 she heard about Colindres and her baby disappearing. "Thats why I came, because I thought my mom would be so sad," she said. But police took her into custody a short time after her homecoming and said she's connected to Reyes' death. She is in custody," Gaydos said. "Were looking at the extent of her involvement, but I couldnt get into the details of that. Iraheta told News4 that the friends she had been with while she was gone are not connected to MS-13 and that she did not see Colindres or Reyes during that time. Stay with NBC4 and NBCWashington.com for details on this developing story. As the recent deaths of actors Carrie Fisher and Alan Thicke due to heart events remind us, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in this country, but heart attacks, cardiac arrest and congestive heart failure arent the only threats. A Maryland woman had no idea of a heart condition she had until it almost took her life. Karin Bertozzi of Bethesda seemed like the definition of healthy. Always been an athlete, always been fit, never had any high cholesterol, never any high blood pressure, she said. A 48-year-old mother of three, she taught 15 yoga classes per week. I had taught two yoga classes that morning and I was feeling great and I stopped in to a store to get some lunch and as soon as I walked into the store, I knew I didn't feel well, she said. I felt a little dizzy, maybe a little queasy, and I just knew I was going to faint and I remember getting down to the floor and then after that I really don't remember anything after that for the next four days. She was rushed to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. And I was diagnosed very, very quickly with an ascending aortic aneurysm with dissection, Bertozzi said. The aorta is the largest artery in the body, supplying blood to every single organ, including the spinal cord and the brain. During an aortic dissection, the three layers in the aorta tear. Dr. Phillip Corcoran operated on Bertozzi for 12 hours. Its an absolutely catastrophic and often fatal disease process in which the arteries which supply the blood flow to the organs can be occluded or be disrupted, he said. Since at any point that can lead to a rupture of the aorta, the surgery is a race against time. Bertozzi also had an aneurysm, which can occur with aortic dissection or sometimes lead to it. I was in disbelief, she said. Here I was younger and I thought I was fit and I thought I was healthy and I thought I had spent years doing all the right things for my body and I really initially thought I had been in a car accident. It took me awhile to wrap my head around the thought that I had even had emergency open heart surgery. Particularly it was shocking because she had no symptoms. Doctors told her the cause was genetic, and after looking into her family history, she discovered her grandfather had died at 52 from exactly what she had. We were able to see that there is a family thing going on, she said. I had my event in October, and two months late in, December my three older siblings all had had scans. Although aortic aneurysms are common, aortic dissection is rare, with roughly 20,000 cases occurring per year and usually in men. Karin eventually had to get a pacemaker. She does cardiac rehab every day and gives back through Suburbans Mended Hearts Program, where volunteers offer emotional support to patients in the cardiac ICU. She wants her use her experience to help others. We all know we shouldn't smoke, we all know we should watch our weight, we all know we need to exercise, but for me I feel like I had all those in check, she said. There was just this genetic thing. Bertozzi also is making sure her children get checked. She no longer does yoga because some positions may put too much pressure on her heart, but she runs, swims and does her cardiac rehab. When is it a good time for a city official to scurry in a back door to avoid reporters? Were asking for a friend. Not just to avoid them, but declining even to turn a head to acknowledge them standing a foot behind you, calling your name. New D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson did that Friday morning at the Jefferson Academy, a public middle school in Southwest near Arena Stage. But the drama was on the school parking lot and 7th Street SW. Wilson has been on the job just two weeks. His governing style and sensitivity to public relations remain unknown to the local media. But his cone-of-silence disappearing act was a surprise. Why he didnt take a a brief moment to pause was mystifying. In an interview Tuesday with NBC4, Wilson acknowledged ignoring the reporters, saying he was focused on going into the school. And surprisingly, he said hes kind of shy. I am an introvert and so it doesnt mean I dont love interacting with people, I do, he told us. But I gain energy from being able to reflect. Being an introvert can risk the danger of seeming cold and uncaring. Wilson insists that doesnt fit him. He misses his family, who wont join him from Oakland, Calif., until June. In our interview, he revealed he has many heroes and mentors, but his father is not one of them. Well, my father wasnt there. So my mother did a tremendous job of being a mother and a father in so many different ways, he said. Wilson says his background helps him understand young people distracted by their family lives. And last Friday, perhaps Wilson was distracted going into Jefferson because he was there to greet Betsy DeVos, the new U.S. education secretary, making her first public appearance after being narrowly confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Vice President Mike Pence had to cast a vote to break the 50-50 tie that nearly doomed her appointment. It was the first time a vice president has had to cast a vote for any cabinet nominee. Besides the press, a noisy crowd of parents, retired teachers and union officials along 7th Street was welcoming DeVos. She has a history of favoring private and charter schools, making critics wonder what shell do for traditional public schools other than undermine them. Democratic senators said during hearings she showed no understanding of public school law or policy. Republicans said shes perfect for shaking up federal education policies, challenging teachers unions and returning education issues to states as well as possibly dismantling the federal agency. The demonstrators blocked her from entering one Jefferson door, but she made it through another. After the demonstrators had left for their own jobs and family obligations, both DeVos and Wilson stepped outside and briefly spoke in generalities to the reporters still hanging around. But the lesson for the day is not the national fight over DeVos, but the path ahead for Wilson. Its good that he pledged to visit every school. On Friday he might have been yelled at by protesters had he stopped outside, but they werent there against him. He could have calmly said its important for the District to have contact with top federal officials, agree with the policies or not. But the lesson of Friday was that Wilson avoided his own constituents to huddle with DeVos. The news of the day, and the TV video, was of a chancellor who ducked his school community and the media. By the way. The DeVos visit the part about her being blocked by demonstrators made national news. So how did it even come about? The school system would not publicly comment, neither confirming the visit the night before nor publicly answering questions about it on Friday. The media did learn that DeVos aides had called the chancellors office, inquiring about visiting a city school. The same sources say Wilson was already scheduled to visit Jefferson on Friday and DeVos was invited to join him. Again, the school system hasnt officially commented, so we dont know officially if that, in fact, is what happened. Fortunately, a spokesperson for the federal Education Department confirmed that agency initiated the contact. Openness is always better. Our kids are not props. Thats what one of many signs read at Fridays demonstration. Unfortunately, the students are props. Every White House occupant has rounded up D.C. schoolchildren for this or that publicity stunt. Mayor Muriel Bowser has her own problems with DeVos, but she told NBC4 the students do get exposure to the larger world of the White House through those events. But what exposure would our children get if city officials, from the mayor and chancellor on down, took a stand? Our children, those officials might say, will be glad to stand behind you when you recognize them as real American citizens whose families deserve the right to be heard and represented in Congress. Those same children and families also would say they deserve to have Congress butt out of essentially local affairs in our city. Now, that would be a real-life lesson. Tom Sherwood, a Southwest resident, is a political reporter for News 4. Police are searching for three men who crashed into a gas station in Laurel, Maryland, and stole the ATM machine inside early Tuesday morning. It was one of two locations where people attempted to steal an ATM from a public location. Police were called to the Exxon station on Laurel Fort Meade Road shortly after 4 a.m. on Feb. 14. A clerk and a witness told police that a van backed into the side of the store, breaking the window. They said two men got out and grabbed the free-standing ATM, placed it in the van and drove off in the direction of Baltimore-Washington Parkway. The clerk and the witness told police that the men did not say anything while they took the ATM. Police said there were no injuries. The vehicle was described as a white Ford work-style van. Around 5 a.m., Prince Georges County police were called to Lanham, Maryland, after someone in a white work van tried to wrap a chain around an ATM on the outside of a building and pull it free. They were unsuccessful in moving the ATM but heavily damaged the machine. Police dont know if the two incidents are related. By Lesley Wroughton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rex Tillerson arrived in Bonn on Wednesday on his maiden foreign trip as U.S. secretary of state to attend a summit of G20 top economies at a time when many are wondering how far President Donald Trump's "America First" message will reshape U.S. foreign policy. From North Korean provocations and reports Russia has deployed a new cruise missile, to concerns about China's actions in the South China Sea and conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Ukraine, there is no shortage of global challenges. Tillerson did not make any remarks on his arrival in Bonn. Senior U.S. officials said Tillerson's two-day trip was mostly to listen to what G20 counterparts had to say, conceding that this might frustrate some. Tillerson will also participate in a series of sessions on a shifting global order, cooperation with Africa and conflict prevention. It will be a prelude to the G20 leaders summit in Hamburg, Germany in July, which Trump is due to attend. "I think he is mostly going on a listening tour," said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying that may disappoint U.S. allies. "If our (guy) says, 'well, I am just here to listen,' thats going to be dispiriting." U.S. allies worry about Trump's unpredictability. They wonder how far he will go in warning China and Iran about their behaviour, whether he will back out of long-standing treaties and trade deals, tear up the nuclear agreement with Iran, build a border wall with Mexico, or cozy up to Moscow. Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil CEO, has international business experience but none in government. State Department officials said he would meet with counterparts from Britain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Italy and Oman while in Bonn, and participate in larger meetings on Yemen and Syria. He also will hold his first meeting as secretary of state with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a time when Trump administration contacts with Moscow are under the spotlight with the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn had been the new administration's main contact for many foreign ambassadors to the United States. "The conversation with Mr. Lavrov will be a very important one," a senior State Department official said, speaking to reporters ahead of Tillerson's departure. During his meeting with Lavrov on Thursday, Tillerson will seek "pragmatic and constructive cooperation in areas where our interests overlap," the official said. "The obvious ones which have been discussed many times are counter-ISIS and counterterrorism would be areas that the Secretary would hope to develop some possible avenues for cooperation," the official said. He will also press Russia to fully implement the Minsk peace accords to end violence in eastern Ukraine. The G20 is made up of developed economies and emerging nations such as China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and Brazil. Jim Wilkinson, a senior adviser to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said it was vital for Tillerson to establish a relationship with fellow ministers during his first trip. "That chemistry with counterparts begins on the first trip," he said. "Secretary Tillerson and his counterparts will be working on some of the toughest issues around the world and that's going to require trust." While Tillerson has been on the job for just two weeks and may not be immersed in all subjects yet, Wilkinson said: "Foreign ministers will be understanding that in the early days he may not have all the answers, but they will want to know they have a conduit to someone who can speak for the U.S." (Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by David Gregorio and Andrew Hay) Organizers in cities across the U.S. are telling immigrants to miss class, miss work and not shop on Thursday as a way to show the country how important they are to America's economy and way of life. "A Day Without Immigrants" actions are planned in cities including Philadelphia, New York, Washington, Boston and Austin, Texas. The protest comes in response to President Donald Trump and his 1-month-old administration. The Republican president has pledged to increase deportation of immigrants living in the country illegally, build a wall along the Mexican border, and ban people from certain majority-Muslim countries from coming into the U.S. He also has blamed high unemployment on immigration. A similar protest took place in Wisconsin on Monday. Thousands marched in a "Day Without Latinos" in response to Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke's threat to crackdown on undocumented immigrants, NBC reported. Employers and institutions in some cities were already expressing solidarity Wednesday with immigrant workers. Washington restaurateur John Andrade said he would close his businesses Thursday, and David Suro, owner of Tequilas Restaurant in Philadelphia and a Mexican immigrant, said he also planned to participate. The Davis Museum at Wellesley College in Massachusetts said it would remove or shroud all artwork created by or given to the museum through Feb. 21. In New Mexico, the state with the largest percentage of Hispanic residents in the nation, school officials worried that hundreds of students may stay home on Thursday. "We respectfully ask all parents to acknowledge that students need to be in class every day to benefit from the education they are guaranteed and to avoid falling behind in school and life," principals with the Albuquerque Public Schools wrote in a letter to parents. Students who take part in the protest will receive an unexcused absence, Albuquerque school officials said. Organizers in Philadelphia said they expect hundreds of workers and families to participate. "Our goal is to highlight the need for Philadelphia to expand policies that stop criminalizing communities of color," said Erika Almiron, executive director of Juntos, a nonprofit group that works with the Latino immigrant community. "What would happen if massive raids did happen? What would the city look like?" Almiron said that while community groups have not seen an uptick in immigration raids in the city, residents are concerned about the possibility. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is among leaders in several cities nationwide who have vowed to maintain their "sanctuary city" status and decline to help federal law enforcement with deportation efforts. Many people who make the choice to skip work Thursday will not be paid in their absence, but social media posts encouraging participation stressed that the cause is worth the sacrifice. A protest group is asking Wegmans to pull Trump Winery products from its shelves. The group, Stop Trump Wines, is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, where the winery that bears President Donald Trump's surname is located and where the Gates, New York-based grocery store chain has just opened a new location that is also selling the winery's products. Stop Trump Wines has also asked consumers to boycott restaurants, retailers and others that do business with the winery, which USA Today reports was bought by President Trump in 2011, who then handed control of the winery to his son Eric several months later. "Events during Donald Trump's campaign made it clear that Eric Trump, the president of Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia, shares the views of his father," the group said on its website. Wegmans has more than 90 stores across six states, including four in Massachusetts. This isn't the first boycott against the Trump brand. The online campaign #GrabYourWallet claimed victory after Ivanka Trump's fashion line was dumped by retailers such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus after sales reportedly dropped, and Maine's L.L. Bean drew the ire of Trump critics after one of its board members donated $60,000 to a pro-Trump PAC. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is traveling to Quebec City for his first official meetings with his counterpart in Quebec, the state's largest trading partner. Scott's schedule Wednesday includes meetings with Premier Philippe Couillard and multiple members of his cabinet, as well as business and industry groups in the province. The two are planning to hold a news conference at 3 p.m. Scott also is giving a keynote address at a luncheon hosted by Quebec's Association for the Production of Renewable Energy, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Federation of Chambers of Commerce on Thursday. There's $5 billion generated in trade across the Vermont-Quebec border annually. Some officials joining Scott include Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Anderson, Transportation Secretary Joseph Flynn, Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore, and Commerce Secretary Michael Schirling. Pleasant reprieve from the storms, cold, and wind today. Melting was fast and furious over Southern New England, while Northern New England was a run-of-the-mill winter day. We're going to add snow back in the forecast with the next storm. Not a doozy, but still one that will get the plows and snowblowers out. Right now it's a weak storm rolling through the Great Lakes. This means that the rain will precede the storm and likely push all the way into Southern New Hampshire tomorrow afternoon. Relatively mild (near 40 degree air) will ride in on a southeast breeze. However, later tomorrow night - likely after midnight - the winds will switch to the northwest as the storm deepens in the Gulf of Maine. This will send the cold rushing back down into southern New England and the rain/snow line will follow suite. Where it stays all snow in Central and Northern New England, up to a foot or more of snow could fall. This is predominately in central Maine, but amounts could close to that amount in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire too. Snow amounts will taper in southern New England, but we could see up to 8" in Portsmouth, and 3-4 from Topsfield to Gloucester. Cold will follow in the short term, but we're still gaming for a major weekend warmup. A Cape Cod woman has sued radio personality Howard Stern and the federal government after her telephone conversation with an Internal Revenue Service agent was aired on Stern's show. The Boston Globe reports that Judith Barrigas says in her federal lawsuit filed in Boston on Tuesday that after her private conversation was aired she had difficulty sleeping and eating, sought treatment, and has had difficulty finding a job. The suit, alleging unlawful invasion of privacy and negligence, seeks unspecified damages. The Sandwich woman called the IRS in May 2015 for a question about her taxes, and was connected with an agent who was on hold with Stern's show. Somehow, her 45-minute call could be heard by Stern's producers. Neither Stern's production company nor the IRS has responded to newspaper requests for comment. The late, great pop-icon Prince lives on through his music, but in Amherst, New Hampshire, were seeing a side of the star weve never seen before. A collection of Princes personal items is up for auction online through a Boston-based company called RR Auction. The collection is at the companys New Hampshire warehouse. It includes a custom-made Versace walking cane that embodies Princes trademark flair. Its a rare look at the icons life behind the fame. Like grocery lists, and notes, send this here, get me this, dont disturb me, really neat stuff, explained RR Auction Executive Vice President Bobby Livingston. The company, known worldwide for selling pop culture memorabilia, got this collection from Princes assistants and tour managers. They have things you typically wouldnt be able to get, Livingston explained. Other items include handwritten notes penned in purple ink and Princes favorite polka dot vest. Look how small and thin he was, Livingston explained as he held the vest. Among the more sought after items are Princes lace, beaded blouse from his 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon and a custom made white wool jacket with traces of the stars stage makeup. The musical genius, famous for his flamboyant fashion and extravagant performances, is now leaving his mark in a more personal way. When someone has passed away and you can hold these things, it really to me is life, Livingston said. He wanted to be remembered for his work and this is part of his work. The highest bid right now is $10,500 for the cane, but there are hundreds of other items in the collection. Bidding ends Thursday. To see the entire collection, visit the RR Auction website. Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire that started in the kitchen of Mar Y Tierra restaurant in Hartford and caused smoke damage in adjacent storefronts Wednesday morning. A pedestrian notified firefighters about the fire at 693 Park St. around 4:48 a.m. The pedestrian had seen smoke and walked down to the fire department, which was just two buildings away, so crews were able to respond quickly. We had a pedestrian knock on the door and inform them that there was a fire. When they pulled out of the building they saw heavy smoke conditions, explained Capt. Raul Ortiz of the Hartford Fire Department. Ortiz said the fire started in the kitchen of Mar Y Tierra restaurant and the smoke spread to two other connected storefronts. As of 5:20 a.m., crews reported the fire was under control. The restaurant was empty at the time and no injuries were reported. The flames were contained to the Mar Y Tierra Kitchen, but two other stores sustained smoke damage. William Mercado, the son of the restaurant owner, said they were waiting for word from investigators on what caused the blaze. The restaurant has been open for about a year. Business just started moving up nice and smooth right now. Til now. This is a little heartbreak right now, Mercado said. Fire officials are investigating the cause. Park Street was closed, but it has reopened. Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is in jeopardy of losing two of its iconic outdoor newsstands. The family that owns Crimson Corner says it has to move out by the end of the month because the landlord wants to open a pizza shop. The city of Cambridge has yet to decide what it wants to do with the kiosk that houses Out of Town News, the other landmark newsstand in Harvard Square, as they plan a nearly $5 million redesign. Harvard Square is in jeoardy of losing two of its iconic outdoor newsstands. The family that owns Crimson Corner says they have to move out by the end of the month because the landlord wants to open a pizza shop. As for Out of Town News, the other landmark newsstand in Harvard square, the city of Cambridge has yet to decide what they want to do with the kiosk as they plan a nearly $5 million redesign. A New Hampshire man was arrested on Wednesday after he allegedly threatened to harm members of a local police department. Joshua Parda, 32, of Ashuelot, was arrested around 11 a.m. by New Hampshire State Police at the Hinsdale Police Department after he allegedly made threats to hurt members of the police force. He is being held at the Cheshire County House of Corrections pending arraignment on Thursday morning in Keene District Court. State police said the investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time. A group of parents in Stoughton, Massachusetts, are speaking out about the way a school district there handled several anti-Semitic incidents. Around Thanksgiving, a student at Stoughton High School made a swastika with tape in a hallway. Days later, another swastika was used in a group chat with about 30 students. At the Stoughton School Committee meeting on Tuesday night, dozens of parents showed up to voice their concerns saying they weren't notified of the incidents until late January. Parents like Stacey Soto wondered why they weren't notified earlier. "This happened Thanksgiving, we didn't receive any notification until the end of January," said Soto. "The number one problem with what's going on is transparency." Marguerite Rizzi, Superintendent of Schools, has cited personnel rules for her silence on the matter. After the incidents, one teacher was suspended and two others were reprimanded. The suspended teacher said she was punished for rescinding a college recommendation letter she wrote for the student punished for writing the swastika. Rizzi told the crowd Tuesday night, no one has ever been punished for doing that but wouldn't elaborate, again citing personnel issues. A cold front swings through New England on Wednesday ahead of another winter storm. Mostly cloudy skies are on tap, with highs ranging from the low 40s south to the mid 30s across the north. This storm will bring mostly rain for the Boston metro area, a mix of rain and snow to central areas and mainly snow across New Hampshire and Maine. The heaviest snowfall is expected around Conway, New Hampshire and Fryeburg and Bridgton, Maine. Portland could see another 6 to 8 inches after receiving 31 inches in a seven-day stretch. The onset of precipitation may fall as rain across coastal New Hampshire and southern Maine on wednesday afternoon before flipping over to all snow by Wednesday evening. Cold air wrapping around the back side of the storm will aid in switching rain over to snow across southern and eastern New England later Wednesday night. Not expecting much in the way of the snow accumulation in Boston - only about 1 to 2 inches. A concentrated band of precipitation, also known as an inverted trough (or Norlun trough), will develop across southeast Maine and northern New Hampshire on Wednesday afternoon, focusing a band of snow over these areas. Snowfall rates may reach 1 to 2 inches per hour. Were forecasting this band to swing into northeastern Massachusetts around midnight. Half a foot to a foot of snow will fall across the northern mountains, with a foot to 18 inches across the higher mountain ranges of the White Mountains into western Maine. Winds will increase Wednesday night in response to deepening low pressure east of Cape Ann in the Gulf of Maine, becoming sustained from 15 to 20 miles per hour across the region, gusting to near 40 mph at times across the Cape and Islands. Two to four inches of snow may accumulate across the Green Mountains and the east slopes of the Berkshires as cold air interacts with the terrain and remaining moisture across the region. Snow lingers into Thursday across New Hampshire and Maine, while the rest of New England dries out, with gusty winds whipping from the northwest. Wind chills in the teens and twenties will make it feel brisk outside. Wesminster police found a body lying on the ice on a local pond on Wednesday after receiving many concerned reports. Luckily, the "person" was never alive to begin with. The police department posted photos of the dummy on their Facebook page because many local onlookers believed that it was a real person in trouble on Round Meadow Pond. From a distance, it is easy to see how the dummy, dressed in full winter gear, might look like a living human. "We responded to the area and found this laying in the snow on the ice upon walking out on the ice to check on the 'person'[...] We absolutely thank those who called to report this potentially hazardous situation to us. We are also aware this was put on the pond by persons unknown sometime last week before the snowstorms," police said on social media. Police propped up the "person" back up, but asked the owner to either secure it or take it off the ice to prevent further calls from concerned onlookers. The department was soon notified that the dummy was part of a contest that the Westminster Historical Society is conducting as part of the Fishing Derby that was cancelled last weekend. Police said that they are working with a representative to find a safe resolution to their contest. Nine days after her brutal killing, police in Worcester, Massachusetts, are still looking for the person who strangled a teacher's aide. On Feb. 5, 49-year-old Sandra Hehir was found on the floor of her apartment on Congress Street, strangled to death. Information coming from police is limited. "I can't imagine why someone would do that to her," said Phil Magnusson, Hehir's neighbor. "If we were driving by the house or I was going by on by bicycle, it was always a friendly smile and a 'hello' and 'how are you.'" Hehir was a teacher's aide in the Worcester Public School Department, most recently working at Claremont Academy. "When I heard how she had passed, I was horrified," said Roger Nugent, president of the Education Association of Worcester. "People that do the role that she held in schools, they're right on the front lines with the teachers, working directly with kids, and it's not for everybody." Her neighbors say they didn't think a crime this gruesome could happen in the upscale, historical section of the city. "We don't think of having the problems that people that live in the city or the downtown part of the city have," said Jay Lavell, who lives across the street from Hehir's apartment. "Just reminds us that we're all sort of connected, and we're not that separate." Hehir's wake will be held Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. at Callahan/Fay/Caswell Funeral Home. Her funeral will be held Thursday at St. Andrew the Apostle Mission Church. The burial will be private in the spring. Police are investigating a case of vandalism in East Boston after a woman reported her tires were slashed over the weekend. The woman, who did not want to be identified, told police that she had parked her rental car on Marginal Street at about 7 p.m. on Sunday. When she went to retrieve it on Monday morning, the front passenger side and rear passenger side tires were flattened. The East Boston mom said she thinks the vandalism was revenge for taking a spot which may have been near a space saver. "We drove around for 20 minutes and finally I come to this spot that doesn't have a space saver in it, but there was one on the sidewalk. So I parked there," she explained. The woman said there was a gray trash can on the sidewalk but on Sunday, there wasn't a snow emergency so space savers are not allowed. "I'm walking away from it saying, 'I really hope that that person didn't mean to put their space saver in the space,'" she said. The woman is reportedly the only one in recent days to report this type of vandalism. "I wasn't surprised, I just know how the people in the city are with their spaces and it's ridiculous," she said. So far, no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to contact Boston Police. St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19 St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19 Community Chaplaincy Norfolk begins a new chapter Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) celebrated the beginning of a new chapter this week, as the new chair of trustees Chris Tomlinson led his first annual meeting. Read more Lowestoft Christians launch on-line bible helps app The Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth branch of Good News for Everyone (GNFE), formerly the Gideons, have introduced a new mobile phone app called On-line Bible Helps. Read more Addicts' rehabilitation centre plan for Drayton Hall Christian addiction charity Teen Challenge London is planning to turn Drayton Hall near Norwich into its headquarters and a rehabilitation centre for men, after it was gifted the freehold of the hall by its owner, the Lind Trust. Read more The power of positive protest Philip Young encourages us to take a stand for what we believe, and has just written to Therese Coffey regarding climate change and the forthcoming COP 27. He explains why we should be prepared to protest. Read more Norwich church celebrates with cribs and trees Rosebery Road Methodist Church in Norwich will be holding its annual Cribs and Trees Festival in December. Read more Transforming Norwich lunch offers ministry tips Ex-Brighton vicar, Rev Phil Moon, will offer tips on how to keep going in ministry to the Transforming Norwich leaders lunch on Wednesday November 16. Read more Quiet Waters in Bungay offers healing retreat Quiet Waters Christian Retreat in Bungay is holding a gentle day retreat exploring healing in the Kingdom of God. Read more Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more Norfolk ministry coaching duo are guest speakers Former church leaders and now freelance ministry coaches, Jonathan and Paige Squirrell, are the guest speakers at the next dinner of Norwich FGB on Monday, November 21. Read more Bringing light to Halloween Anna Price encourages Christians to engage positively with Halloween rather than hide away, on what many see as the darkest night of the year. Read more First service takes place at Norwich church site SOUL Church hosted around 400 people for a special service on the site of their new building on Heartsease Lane. Read more Dereham draws up list of warm places for winter As rising energy prices make it harder to heat homes, churches in Dereham are leading the way in creating warm spaces where people can go. Read more South Norfolk church scoops national award A medieval Anglican church in a tiny hamlet in South Norfolk has won a national award and a 10,000 boost. Read more Dereham churches help people to help themselves A group of churches in Dereham have launched an ambitious project which aims to meet needs in the town, including the provision of food and skills training. Read more Halloween light in Gorleston church On Halloween this year, St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston will be preparing to welcome around 200 families to experience their Light on a Dark Night event. Read more An opportunity for Norwich to pray for the nation Rev Nigel Fox, who has served as a Methodist Minister for 15 years in Norwich, shares an open invitation to pray for the nation at a crucial moment. Read more Norwich church seeks musicians Kingdom Ambassadors International Church is appealing for instrumentlists, keyboardists and guitarists to be part of their worship experience. Read more U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions call for a way to overcome cryptography met with scorn from a panel of elite cryptographers speaking at this weeks RSA Conference 2017 in San Francisco. Any one of my students will be capable of writing good crypto code, says Adi Shamir, the S in RSA and a professor at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. Sessions use of the term overcome during his confirmation hearings actually means installing backdoors, says Ronald Rivest, the R in RSA and a professor at MIT. He cited a joint Congressional study that concluded that weakening encryption works against the national interest, and that encryption is global anyway -- so the U.S. cant call all the shots. Shamir noted that the current, most respected encryption algorithm was devised by Belgians, and noted that other major crypto advances were made by Japanese, Israelis and others. Its not uniquely American, he says. Forcing backdoors in American crypto products would be shooting U.S. interests in the foot, he says. Other countries would be happy to step in with un-backdoored cryptography, he says. + MORE FROM RSA: Hot products at RSA 2017 + Susan Landau, another panelist and professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, says there are other ways to get around cryptography than backdoors, so the call for them is overblown. These include court-authorized, legal hacking of end devices. Landau notes that in the Apple v. FBI case last year, the problems of decrypting a terrorists iPhone were overblown by the FBI, which said it could only get in with Apples help. Later, the FBI hired a private firm to do the work, and a researcher demonstrated how to do it with about $150 worth of off-the-shelf gear. Shamir says that the Israeli company that purportedly helped the FBI was later hacked and its methods publicly disclosed by the attackers. You need to be careful about helping the FBI, he says with a smile. AI and quantum computings impact on cryptography The group was asked about the impact artificial intelligence will have on security and seemed unimpressed. Shamir says AI will be good for security defense because it can find anomalous behaviors and make associations quickly that humans would take longer to make or not make at all. But as an offensive weapon to devise zero-day attacks, AI is lacking. That requires ingenuity and originality, something only humans can contribute, he says. The group seemed unafraid of the advent of quantum computing and the threat it might pose to cryptography, but said that work is needed to create cryptography that can withstand quantum-backed cracking. Shamir says if RSA were to be broken, its more likely to be broken by advances in math that will make it possible to crack keys much faster than current brute-force techniques. Landau says there needs to be more math research into quantum-resistant cryptography. The current efforts lag behind what went into creating the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and should be stepped up. And about that election The security of the U.S. presidential elections should have been audited to erase doubts of their validity, Rivest says. Election officials had the ability to check the integrity of the hardware and software used, but didnt. Theres no proof now, he says. Auditing would have been good hygiene to determine whether the election technology was hacked. Rivest calls for 100% paper ballots which can be readily recounted and verified. + MORE ON THE ELECTION: Q&A: The myths and realities of hacking an election + Landau, who is a professor of cybersecurity policy, says the hack of Democratic National Committee emails was nothing new in terms of what was stolen and how. The way the information was used was new, she says. The drip, drip, drip of information, had a more powerful effect on public opinion than dumping it all at once would have. This story, "RSA: Elite cryptographers scoff at idea that law enforcement can overcome encryption" was originally published by Network World . My clients have started asking questions about a new industry catch phrase that they've started to hear coming from suppliers of cloud-based computing services. The phrase is "serverless" computing. They've also run into a related phrase, "Function as a Service." Is this really a new idea or a new implementation of an older one? In short, there is little new under the sun in the world of IT and this can be seen as yet another take at supporting a microservice in the context of a cloud computing service. What is serverless computing? The chosen catch phrase is somewhat unfortunate, however. Physical servers are still supporting the computing. The most significant change is that customers are billed only for the resources used when one of the functions that comprise one of their workloads actually executes. When this idea is boiled down to its essence, it simply is an additional approach for customers to request, consume and then pay for computing services offered by the suppliers of platform as a service (PaaS) or infrastructure as a service (IaaS) offerings. Rather than packaging and selling their systems resources by the server, by the VM or by the Container, the service providers are offering access to their systems "by the function." + ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: What you need to know about microservices + Clients are billed for the processing, memory and storage they're using only when a function executes rather than when an entire VM or container executes. The stated goal is to create a more fine-grain way for customers to consume and pay for computing services. If a workload is properly decomposed into functional units, the cost could be lower than if the same functions were packaged in VMs or in containers. It is possible, however, that badly segmented workloads could cost more to execute in one of these environments. Who is offering this type of service? There are a number of cloud service providers who are dipping their toe into this emerging market. The following is not a complete list of those offerings, however. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda This service offers support for node.js, Java and Python-based applications. A growing list of other AWS services can be accessed this way. Amazon has also added C# to the languages their Lambda service supports. Google Cloud Functions Google's offering currently supports workloads developed using node.js on its Google Compute Engine infrastructure. It is more limited than AWS Lambda at this stage, but is promising for companies that have selected Google Compute Engine as their platform. IBM OpenWhisk An open source alternative to AWS Lambda that supports node.js-based applications and snippets written in the Swift language. Microsoft Azure Web Jobs Although not a complete serverless computing framework, Azure Web Jobs offers many of the components necessary to support this approach to cloud computing. Is this really new? As is often the case in the world of IT, it is clear that this approach is an outgrowth of many other previous frameworks used to decompose applications into functions and then execute them in a computing environment. While interesting, serverless computing, joins a number of other catch phrases in the history of computing including service oriented architectures, microservices, and functions as a service. By segmenting computing services into finer and finer pieces, cloud service providers can more effectively allow customers to consume all available computing resources. By purchasing cloud computing services in smaller and smaller segments, customers can more effectively consume and pay for computing services. Everyone can win. As tens of thousands of the worlds top security pros gather at RSA Conference 2017 they are being called upon to watch out for a new threat: their own data. By corrupting data that is used for making decisions, attackers can cause all kinds of problems, says Chris Young, general manager of Intel Security. Now data is manipulated and used against us to affect the decisions we make, he says. He calls this corruption data landmines, which when factored into decision making, can result in bad choices, missed opportunities and economic losses. He says stolen and manipulated data combined to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, for example, and the consequences of similar manipulations could be high for businesses whose big-data analysis is undermined by altered small data that makes it up. With inaccurate input to draw on, the outcomes will be faulty, he says. We need to pay attention to small data used in models or it can be turned into a weapon, he says. Another new attack surface is home networks, he says. These largely insecure networks that include internet of things devices such as DVRs and security cameras can be compromised and used as weapons, as in the case of the gigantic Mirai botnet attack last year. + ALSO AT RSA: Hot products at RSA 2017 + But because more and more people work from home, these networks become a threat to the corporate networks employees connect to, Young says. Is the home taken into account when we design cyber security architectures? We need to make sure the internet of things doesnt become the internet of terrorism. He says the problems are large and cooperation among security pros is needed to address them. None of us can go it alone. Microsoft President Brad Smith, another RSAC keynoter, takes this one step further, calling on the technology community to band together as a digital Switzerland to protect civilian cyber assets from the acts of criminals and nations trying to exploit them. He says the community should commit to principles similar to those adopted by the International Committee of the Red Cross in its defense of civilians in war-torn areas. In the cyber realm, these should include: Focusing solely on defense; no offensive activities; Collaborating to respond to attacks; Assist and protect all customers everywhere; Refusing to attack civilians anywhere, regardless of who asks. A digital Geneva Conventions should pledge no attacks on the private sector and no attacks on civil infrastructure including power grids, water supplies and political institutions. Further, governments should not stockpile software vulnerabilities to use as weapons rather than disclosing them so they can be patched, Smith says. Countries should form an international agency similar to the International Committee of the Red Cross only for cyber issues. Made up of respected members of private, public and academic institutions, it should monitor nation-state attacks and seek to attribute them to the perpetrators. He says cooperation among all players is essential and that corporate pride shouldnt interfere. He cited cooperation last year among Microsoft, Google and Facebook to fight dissemination of terrorist propaganda online. Governments need national and global IT infrastructure it can trust, Smith says, and this tech organization needs to restore that trust. The burden should fall to private security practitioners, not governments, he says. Cyberspace is us. Its owned and operated by the private sector Nation-state hacking in times of war has evolved into attacks on civilians in times of peace, he says. When the internet is attacked by nation-sponsored actors, its almost always against private assets, he says. We are the worlds first responders. He also calls on governments to sign agreements about what is acceptable in cyber conflict, just as the 4th Geneva Convention in 1949 spelled out protection of civilians in times of physical war. He cited the U.S.-China agreement last fall that they would no longer use cyber espionage for gaining economic advantage through stolen corporate secrets. The agreement was later endorsed by the G20. Smith called for using the tech industry as an example of the good that can come of inclusive societies that tap the talents of everyone regardless of their nationality. He says Microsoft has employees from 151 countries. Lets use that inspiration and build on what we share with each other, he says, and show the world what we can be when we are our best. This story, "RSA: Watch out for a new weapon - your own data" was originally published by Network World . Residents hear that superfast roll-out is on track NORTH West Hampshire MP Kit Malthouse hosted a packed meeting in Kingsclere to discuss the roll-out of high-speed broadband across the county. Around 100 people attended the Friday February 3 meeting to hear from speakers including Patrick Blogg, assistant director of Hampshire County Council. Other speakers were Stacey King and Grant Munn from BT and Joshua Burton, project director of Broadband Delivery UK, (BDUK) the Government agency responsible for the broadband roll-out. Mr Blogg revealed that the roll-out of superfast broadband (24 megabits per second) was on track for 95 per cent of the county by the end of 2017, with coverage expected to be completed by 2018. Following the Governments autumn statement pledging 1bn to broadband delivery and with grant funding available from BT, Mr Malthouse said it was possible for a small community to club together, then obtain match-funding of 1,650 per household towards superfast broadband. In addition, a 150 betterband voucher is available for each household that has broadband speeds of less than 2Mpbs. Ms King and Mr Munn said any new housing development over 30 units would be entitled to free superfast broadband installation. A grant of up to 20,000 is also being made available to Ofsted registered schools. Chairman of Ashmansworth Parish Council, Alan Cox, said afterwards that villagers in the 83-household parish suffering low broadband speeds were looking instead at wireless solutions. Kingsclere parish councillor Ian Bowes afterwards said 50 houses were to be built in Kingsclere, as outlined in a draft Neighbourhood Plan. He said: We could end up with plots smaller than 30 houses and there is no guarantee that BT will put in communications. After the meeting, Hampshire county councillor, Warwick Lovegrove (Lib Dem, Tadley and Baughurst) said many of his ward members were suffering by being unable to connect to superfast broadband. Ramsdell villager and Tadley borough councillor Jonathan Richards (Con, Baughurst and Tadley North), afterwards said he lost his internet connection up to three times a day and that downloading large documents proved a big time factor. For more details, visit www.communityfibre.bt.com, www.hants.gov.uk/ broadband, email broadband@hants.gov.uk or Twitter@superfasthants. "It is hard to think of anywhere where the changes will be more far-reaching than agriculture" RICHARD Benyon has pledged to make sure British farmers have as much access as possible to European markets following the nations exit from the EU. The Newbury MP met with members of the National Farmers Union (NFU) recently and gave his backing to their plans for farming post-Brexit. Representatives from all farming sectors were keen to explain why the agricultural sector needs to be a priority for the Government throughout EU negotiations. Mr Benyon said: The UKs decision to leave the European Union will have an impact on every sector of our economy. But it is hard to think of anywhere where the changes will be more far-reaching than agriculture. Farming has always formed the bedrock of communities up and down the country and we must recognise its important contribution to the economy, both regionally and nationally. The NFU is urging the Government to work for the best possible access to the EU when the UK leaves the single market. NFU deputy president Minette Batters said leaving the EU would create a defining opportunity for British farming. She said: The country relies on the thousands of workers that come from EU countries and further afield to pick the nations fruit, flowers and vegetables. So, we need the best possible access to trade with Europe, and we need access to a reliable and competent workforce. Kaden Reddick, aged 10, "who enjoyed helping others" was killed at The Oracle TRIBUTES have been paid to a Burghfield schoolboy who died in what is being described as a tragic incident at The Oracle Shopping Centre in Reading on Monday. Kaden Reddick, aged 10 and a year six pupil at Garland Junior School, was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries after a display unit fell on top of him at the Topshop store. Thames Valley Police has launched an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding his death. Today (Wednesday), his family said: "Kaden was a loving, cheeky, energetic boy whose death will leave a huge empty hole in the lives of everybody that knew him. Our house feels empty without him. "Kaden loved family holidays, with swimming being his favourite pastime. He was always the first one in any pool or the sea. It didn't matter how cold it was, he would jump in, trying to get everyone to join him. "Kaden was a very creative boy, who loved school. He was going to be helping with making the props for the next school play, and he had set up his bedroom as a classroom to play with his siblings, labelling his room Strawberry class. He was also adventurous; loving to play outside on his bike, or with his friends in the woods. "For us the saddest part of Kaden's death is that he will never be able to fulfil his potential. He was looking forward to driving his older brothers moped, driving a car, becoming a teacher, or visiting impossibly distant countries to him such as China. It is so hard to comprehend he will never do these things. "Kaden will be forever remembered by us; with him looking down from the stars, and us looking up and smiling at all of our loving memories of him. He was much loved by all of his family and friends, and will be hugely missed by his siblings, and everyone else who was touched by his warmth and love." His school, Garland Junior, described him as an energetic young man who enjoyed helping others. In a tribute to the youngster, the school said: It is with deep sadness that we can confirm that one of our pupils, Kaden Reddick, died on Monday. Kadens death has come as a shock to the school community and his loss will be felt by all our pupils, teaching staff and governors. Kaden was a pupil in year six and an energetic young man who enjoyed helping others. Although the school is on half-term holiday we have contacted the pupils and parents to inform them of the sad news. When the new term starts on Monday pupils will be offered support by staff within the school and from other professionals. Today we send our heart-felt condolences to Kadens family and our thoughts will remain with them as they come to terms with his death. In time, we will discuss with them how our school can best pay tribute to Kaden. A date for a post-mortem has not yet been set. Det Supt Paul Hayles of Force CID based at Reading police station, said: "This is a tragic incident in which a boy has lost his life. We are supporting the boy's family to assist them at this very difficult time. "We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this death, a scene watch is in place at the Topshop store and is likely to be in place for some time. "Detectives are now working with the local authority and the store owners to gather all of the information on how this incident happened. Thames Valley Police were called to the The Oracle at 4.15pm on Monday. By PTI NEW DELHI: Acting tough, aviation regulator DGCA today suspended the flying licence of Air India operations head Capt A K Kathpalia for skipping mandatory pre-flight medical test repeatedly. The action comes within a week of the national carrier taking Kathpalia, a senior executive pilot, off flying duties. Interestingly, Kathpalia -- who is the Executive Director (Operations) -- has been selected for a board level position at Air India pending final approval. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now suspended the licence for failing to undertake breath analyser test, either before or after operating a domestic flight on January 19. In an order, the regulator said that in public interest, "the privileges of the pilot licence held by Captain A K Kathpalia ATPL No.1330" is being suspended for three months. The suspension "shall be endorsed on his licence", the order issued by DGCA Joint Director Lalit Gupta said. In this context, endorse refers to mentioning about the particular action in the personal records of the violator. The suspension would be effective from February 7 -- the day when he was taken off from flying duties by the airline after directions from the DGCA. There was no response from Air India to queries in this regard. Sources at the airline said the five-member committee, set up to probe allegations of violations against Kathpalia, has submitted its report to the DGCA. DGCA officials were not available for comments. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) had complained that Kathpalia had evaded pre-flight medical test on several occasions. Rule 24 of Aircraft Rules prohibits crew members from taking any alcoholic drink 12 hours prior to the commencement of a flight and it is mandatory for him or her to undergo an alcohol test both before and after operating a flight. Any crew member who tests positive in the pre-flight medical check or refuses to take a breath-analyser test is to be taken off flying duty for at least four weeks and the airline is required to initiate disciplinary proceedings. In the case of violation for the first time, the licence is suspended for three months and three years if the offence is repeated NEW DELHI: Acting tough, aviation regulator DGCA today suspended the flying licence of Air India operations head Capt A K Kathpalia for skipping mandatory pre-flight medical test repeatedly. The action comes within a week of the national carrier taking Kathpalia, a senior executive pilot, off flying duties. Interestingly, Kathpalia -- who is the Executive Director (Operations) -- has been selected for a board level position at Air India pending final approval. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now suspended the licence for failing to undertake breath analyser test, either before or after operating a domestic flight on January 19. In an order, the regulator said that in public interest, "the privileges of the pilot licence held by Captain A K Kathpalia ATPL No.1330" is being suspended for three months. The suspension "shall be endorsed on his licence", the order issued by DGCA Joint Director Lalit Gupta said. In this context, endorse refers to mentioning about the particular action in the personal records of the violator. The suspension would be effective from February 7 -- the day when he was taken off from flying duties by the airline after directions from the DGCA. There was no response from Air India to queries in this regard. Sources at the airline said the five-member committee, set up to probe allegations of violations against Kathpalia, has submitted its report to the DGCA. DGCA officials were not available for comments. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) had complained that Kathpalia had evaded pre-flight medical test on several occasions. Rule 24 of Aircraft Rules prohibits crew members from taking any alcoholic drink 12 hours prior to the commencement of a flight and it is mandatory for him or her to undergo an alcohol test both before and after operating a flight. Any crew member who tests positive in the pre-flight medical check or refuses to take a breath-analyser test is to be taken off flying duty for at least four weeks and the airline is required to initiate disciplinary proceedings. In the case of violation for the first time, the licence is suspended for three months and three years if the offence is repeated FILE PHOTO - A Verizon sign is seen at a retail store in San Diego, California, U.S. on April 21, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo By David Shepardson and Jessica Toonkel (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) is close to a revised deal to buy Yahoo Inc's (YHOO.O) core internet business for $250 million to $350 million less than the original agreed price of $4.83 billion, according to a source briefed on the matter. Since last year, Verizon had been trying to persuade Yahoo to amend the terms of the acquisition agreement to reflect the economic damage from two cyber attacks. A source told Reuters that the deal, which could come as soon as this week, will entail Verizon and Yahoo sharing the liability from potential lawsuits related to the data breaches. Another person familiar with the situation said the price cut was likely to be around $250 million, a figure that Bloomberg reported earlier on Wednesday. A representative from Verizon declined to comment. Yahoo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Maybe this isn't quite as much of a discount as initially thought, but it's at least something," said Dave Heger, senior equity analyst at Edward Jones. Verizon hopes to combine Yahoo's search, email and messenger assets, as well as advertising technology tools, with its AOL unit, which Verizon bought in 2015 for $4.4 billion. Verizon has been looking to mobile video and advertising for new sources of revenue outside an oversaturated wireless market. But Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo has been under scrutiny by federal investigators and lawmakers since disclosing the largest known data breach in history in December, months after disclosing a separate hack. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a probe into whether Yahoo should have disclosed the breaches, which occurred in 2013 and 2014, sooner, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal last month. On Wednesday, Yahoo sent a warning to users whose accounts may have been accessed by intruders between 2015 and 2016, as part of a data security issue related to the breach it disclosed in December. A person familiar with the matter said notifications have gone out to a mostly final list of users. Yahoo shares rose 1.5 percent to $45.69 in afternoon trading. Verizon shares fell 0.7 percent to $47.93. (Additional reporting by Anjali Athavaley and Tim Baysinger in New York; Editing by Tiffany Wu, Bernard Orr) By PTI NEW DELHI: Shares of realty major DLF plunged almost 7 per cent, eroding Rs 1,836 crore from its market valuation, after the company reported a 46 per cent decline in consolidated net profit for the quarter ended December. The stock dropped 6.98 per cent to settle at Rs 137.20 on BSE. Intra-day, it tanked 7.62 per cent to Rs 136.25. On NSE, shares of the company tumbled 6.98 per cent to end at Rs 137.15. Following the dip in the stock price, the company's market valuation plummeted by Rs 1,836.61 crore to Rs 24,476.39 crore. DLF yesterday reported a 46 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 98.14 crore for the quarter ended December on lower sales and higher finance cost. Its net profit stood at Rs 182.11 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a regulatory filing. Income from operations, or net sales, fell by 30 per cent to Rs 2,057.92 crore in the third quarter, from Rs 2,949.54 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. NEW DELHI: Shares of realty major DLF plunged almost 7 per cent, eroding Rs 1,836 crore from its market valuation, after the company reported a 46 per cent decline in consolidated net profit for the quarter ended December. The stock dropped 6.98 per cent to settle at Rs 137.20 on BSE. Intra-day, it tanked 7.62 per cent to Rs 136.25. On NSE, shares of the company tumbled 6.98 per cent to end at Rs 137.15. Following the dip in the stock price, the company's market valuation plummeted by Rs 1,836.61 crore to Rs 24,476.39 crore. DLF yesterday reported a 46 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 98.14 crore for the quarter ended December on lower sales and higher finance cost. Its net profit stood at Rs 182.11 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a regulatory filing. Income from operations, or net sales, fell by 30 per cent to Rs 2,057.92 crore in the third quarter, from Rs 2,949.54 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year. By ANI NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday issued a provisional attachment order attaching assets worth Rs. 17.17 crore under PMLA in Coal Block Allocation case against Govinddas Daga of Central Colieries Co. Ltd., Nagpur. Govinddas Daga was reportedly involved in cheating the govt. by submitting application to the Ministry of Coal requesting for allocation of Bellora Takli block II (Part of Takli Jena Bellora block) coal block in Chandrapur District for their proposed washing-cum-Sponge Iron Plant without incorporation of the said company. The application for the allocation of coal mine in the name of the company was submitted on January 5, 1998 followed by another application dated February 12, 1998 for setting up of 3*30 MW power plant-cum-washery. The said company was registered before the Registrar of Companies, Mumbai on January 5, 1999. Acting on the same a comprehensive investigation was conducted by the Enforcement Directorate under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The residential premise of the Directors and office premise of Central Collieries company Ltd. and its other group companies were searched by this Directorate. Investigation conducted by this Directorate revealed that Central Collieries Company Ltd., Nagpur entered into criminal conspiracy with unknown public servants and submitted false information to the concerned authority while applying for a Takli-Jena Bellora Coal Block, in the veil of Captive Power Plant consumption. The company did not install the said Captive Power Plant instead started selling the coal in open market to different coal traders which was against the policy of allocation of the aforesaid Coal Block. During the course of investigation by Directorate of Enforcement under the provisions of PMLA it was observed that Govinddas Daga has purchased movable and immovable properties worth Rs. 17.17 crore in the name of Govinddas Daga, Director of Central Colieries Co. Ltd. Nagpur, emanating from the proceeds of crime received on account of sale of coal. The same have been put under attachment now. Further investigation is under progress. NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday issued a provisional attachment order attaching assets worth Rs. 17.17 crore under PMLA in Coal Block Allocation case against Govinddas Daga of Central Colieries Co. Ltd., Nagpur. Govinddas Daga was reportedly involved in cheating the govt. by submitting application to the Ministry of Coal requesting for allocation of Bellora Takli block II (Part of Takli Jena Bellora block) coal block in Chandrapur District for their proposed washing-cum-Sponge Iron Plant without incorporation of the said company. The application for the allocation of coal mine in the name of the company was submitted on January 5, 1998 followed by another application dated February 12, 1998 for setting up of 3*30 MW power plant-cum-washery. The said company was registered before the Registrar of Companies, Mumbai on January 5, 1999. Acting on the same a comprehensive investigation was conducted by the Enforcement Directorate under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The residential premise of the Directors and office premise of Central Collieries company Ltd. and its other group companies were searched by this Directorate. Investigation conducted by this Directorate revealed that Central Collieries Company Ltd., Nagpur entered into criminal conspiracy with unknown public servants and submitted false information to the concerned authority while applying for a Takli-Jena Bellora Coal Block, in the veil of Captive Power Plant consumption. The company did not install the said Captive Power Plant instead started selling the coal in open market to different coal traders which was against the policy of allocation of the aforesaid Coal Block. During the course of investigation by Directorate of Enforcement under the provisions of PMLA it was observed that Govinddas Daga has purchased movable and immovable properties worth Rs. 17.17 crore in the name of Govinddas Daga, Director of Central Colieries Co. Ltd. Nagpur, emanating from the proceeds of crime received on account of sale of coal. The same have been put under attachment now. Further investigation is under progress. By Express News Service KOCHI ; Gail (India) Limited awarded the contract for laying 105-km pipeline in the Perole-Kodalamuguru- Mangaluru section to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services on Tuesday. With this, the project will progress simultaneously from both ends Kochi and Mangaluru and the completion of the project will be much faster. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board had on December 2016 given GAIL time till February 2019 to complete the 1,104-km Kochi-Koottanad-Bengaluru-Mangaluru section. The `4,493 crore project was originally scheduled to be completed in March 2013. GAIL is targeting to complete the 440-km KochiKoottanadMangaluru Pipeline by December 2018. The work on the 91-km KochiKoottanad section, which was awarded in September 2016, has been received positively by all stakeholders. The pipeline would serve as a green energy corridor and enable city gas distribution companies and gas-based industries to come up in the state. As a result, environment-friendly piped natural gas and compressed natural gas (CNG) would be supplied to households and vehicles, said B C Tripathi, chairman and managing director of GAIL, who met Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday to apprise him about the progress of the work on the pipeline project. The primary objective of the project is to supply LNG from Petronet LNGs plant at Puthuvype near Kochi to industries in south India. GAIL is to lay the pipeline in two phases a 44-km Phase-1 connecting Cochin port to FACT plant in the city and a 1,060-km Phase-II taking the line from there to Thrissur-Koottanand and Palakkad in Kerala and onward to Coimbatore and Salem in Tamil Nadu before reaching Bengaluru. KOCHI ; Gail (India) Limited awarded the contract for laying 105-km pipeline in the Perole-Kodalamuguru- Mangaluru section to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services on Tuesday. With this, the project will progress simultaneously from both ends Kochi and Mangaluru and the completion of the project will be much faster. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board had on December 2016 given GAIL time till February 2019 to complete the 1,104-km Kochi-Koottanad-Bengaluru-Mangaluru section. The `4,493 crore project was originally scheduled to be completed in March 2013. GAIL is targeting to complete the 440-km KochiKoottanadMangaluru Pipeline by December 2018. The work on the 91-km KochiKoottanad section, which was awarded in September 2016, has been received positively by all stakeholders. The pipeline would serve as a green energy corridor and enable city gas distribution companies and gas-based industries to come up in the state. As a result, environment-friendly piped natural gas and compressed natural gas (CNG) would be supplied to households and vehicles, said B C Tripathi, chairman and managing director of GAIL, who met Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday to apprise him about the progress of the work on the pipeline project. The primary objective of the project is to supply LNG from Petronet LNGs plant at Puthuvype near Kochi to industries in south India. GAIL is to lay the pipeline in two phases a 44-km Phase-1 connecting Cochin port to FACT plant in the city and a 1,060-km Phase-II taking the line from there to Thrissur-Koottanand and Palakkad in Kerala and onward to Coimbatore and Salem in Tamil Nadu before reaching Bengaluru. By PTI MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu government will issue on Monday bonds worth Rs 14,000 crore under UDAY, a bailout plan chalked out for the loss-making power distribution companies. "Tamil Nadu government proposes to issue special securities of Rs 14,000 crore, under the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna Scheme (UDAY)," the Reserve Bank said in a notification today. Eligible participants can subscribe to these special bonds between 10.30 AM to 12 Noon on February 20, 2017. The Power Ministry had made UDAY scheme operational in November 2015 for financial turnaround of power distribution companies (discoms). "Allotment of securities and settlement will take place on February 22, 2017," the RBI said. At minimum bid size of Rs 100 crore, the interest on bonds will be corresponding to yield on government securities as at the close of February 17. The RBI said it will have the sole discretion to accept or reject any/all bids. Earlier this month, Rajasthan government had informed about issuing bonds worth Rs 1,564 crore under UDAY. Eight states -- Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana -- had floated bonds worth Rs 98,959.97 crore in 2015-16 under the UDAY scheme. MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu government will issue on Monday bonds worth Rs 14,000 crore under UDAY, a bailout plan chalked out for the loss-making power distribution companies. "Tamil Nadu government proposes to issue special securities of Rs 14,000 crore, under the Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna Scheme (UDAY)," the Reserve Bank said in a notification today. Eligible participants can subscribe to these special bonds between 10.30 AM to 12 Noon on February 20, 2017. The Power Ministry had made UDAY scheme operational in November 2015 for financial turnaround of power distribution companies (discoms). "Allotment of securities and settlement will take place on February 22, 2017," the RBI said. At minimum bid size of Rs 100 crore, the interest on bonds will be corresponding to yield on government securities as at the close of February 17. The RBI said it will have the sole discretion to accept or reject any/all bids. Earlier this month, Rajasthan government had informed about issuing bonds worth Rs 1,564 crore under UDAY. Eight states -- Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana -- had floated bonds worth Rs 98,959.97 crore in 2015-16 under the UDAY scheme. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Homegrown auto major Tata Motors on Tuesday reported 96.22 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 111.57 crore for the December quarter, dragged down by losses in domestic operations and lower profit of its British arm JLR. It had posted net profit of Rs 2,952.67 crore in the same quarter of last fiscal, Tata Motors said. The bottom line was also dragged down by near 500 bps dip in margins at its British cash-cow JLR, which narrowed its profit by a hefty 62 per cent at 167 million pounds from 440 million pounds a year ago, Group Chief Financial Officer C Ramakrishnan said. Despite red-marks all over the business, managing director and chief executive Guenter Butschek sounded bullish about the future of the company and described Q3 as very good show, citing the revival of the its struggling passenger car business which has outgrown the industry by three times. We are on track with the best-ever product portfolio, which helped us do exceptionally well. We grew three times faster than the industry despite strong headwinds from note ban. We will remain agile and be faster to market going forward, Butschek, who has completed one year in office added. The company received payback worth 85 million pounds (over Rs 710 crore) from Chinese insurance companies for the Janjin blasts in 2015 which led to a loss of over 240 million pounds of inventory, Ramakrishnan said. In the same quarter last year, this was only 30 million pounds, he said, adding the company has only 20 million pounds to be recovered. NEW DELHI: Homegrown auto major Tata Motors on Tuesday reported 96.22 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 111.57 crore for the December quarter, dragged down by losses in domestic operations and lower profit of its British arm JLR. It had posted net profit of Rs 2,952.67 crore in the same quarter of last fiscal, Tata Motors said. The bottom line was also dragged down by near 500 bps dip in margins at its British cash-cow JLR, which narrowed its profit by a hefty 62 per cent at 167 million pounds from 440 million pounds a year ago, Group Chief Financial Officer C Ramakrishnan said. Despite red-marks all over the business, managing director and chief executive Guenter Butschek sounded bullish about the future of the company and described Q3 as very good show, citing the revival of the its struggling passenger car business which has outgrown the industry by three times. We are on track with the best-ever product portfolio, which helped us do exceptionally well. We grew three times faster than the industry despite strong headwinds from note ban. We will remain agile and be faster to market going forward, Butschek, who has completed one year in office added. The company received payback worth 85 million pounds (over Rs 710 crore) from Chinese insurance companies for the Janjin blasts in 2015 which led to a loss of over 240 million pounds of inventory, Ramakrishnan said. In the same quarter last year, this was only 30 million pounds, he said, adding the company has only 20 million pounds to be recovered. By PTI NEW DELHI: Shares of Tata Motors today plunged over 10 per cent, wiping out Rs 15,068 crore from its market valuation, after the company reported a 96.22 per cent decline in consolidated net profit for the December quarter. The stock tanked 10.32 per cent to end at Rs 436.55 on BSE. During the day, it nosedived 10.64 per cent to Rs 435. The stock was the worst performer among the 30-Sensex components. At NSE, shares of the company dived 9.45 per cent to close at Rs 436.45. Led by the sharp dip in the stock, the company's market valuation plummeted by Rs 15,067.81 crore to Rs 1,25,488.19 crore. In terms of volume, 36.29 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 3 crore shares changed hands at NSE during the day. The stock had lost 5 per cent in the previous session as well. "TAMO reported another weak quarter with both standalone business and JLR performance coming well below our/street expectation," Kotak Securities said in a report. Homegrown auto major Tata Motors yesterday reported a 96.22 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 111.57 crore for the December quarter, dragged down by losses in domestic operations and lower profit of its British arm JLR. It had posted net profit of Rs 2,952.67 crore in the same quarter of last fiscal, Tata Motors said in a BSE filing. The company's consolidated sales during the October- December quarter were down 2.2 per cent to Rs 67,864.95 crore as against Rs 69,398.07 crore in the year-ago period. On a standalone basis, Tata Motors' loss after tax widened to Rs 1,046 crore in the third quarter of 2016-17, from Rs 137 crore a year ago NEW DELHI: Shares of Tata Motors today plunged over 10 per cent, wiping out Rs 15,068 crore from its market valuation, after the company reported a 96.22 per cent decline in consolidated net profit for the December quarter. The stock tanked 10.32 per cent to end at Rs 436.55 on BSE. During the day, it nosedived 10.64 per cent to Rs 435. The stock was the worst performer among the 30-Sensex components. At NSE, shares of the company dived 9.45 per cent to close at Rs 436.45. Led by the sharp dip in the stock, the company's market valuation plummeted by Rs 15,067.81 crore to Rs 1,25,488.19 crore. In terms of volume, 36.29 lakh shares of the company were traded on BSE and over 3 crore shares changed hands at NSE during the day. The stock had lost 5 per cent in the previous session as well. "TAMO reported another weak quarter with both standalone business and JLR performance coming well below our/street expectation," Kotak Securities said in a report. Homegrown auto major Tata Motors yesterday reported a 96.22 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 111.57 crore for the December quarter, dragged down by losses in domestic operations and lower profit of its British arm JLR. It had posted net profit of Rs 2,952.67 crore in the same quarter of last fiscal, Tata Motors said in a BSE filing. The company's consolidated sales during the October- December quarter were down 2.2 per cent to Rs 67,864.95 crore as against Rs 69,398.07 crore in the year-ago period. On a standalone basis, Tata Motors' loss after tax widened to Rs 1,046 crore in the third quarter of 2016-17, from Rs 137 crore a year ago By Express News Service CHENNAI: Gateway Distriparks (GDL), a Mumbai-based company that operates container freight stations (CFS) near ports offering transportation, storage and warehousing services, on Wednesday announced the completion of the construction of the first phase its logistics park and CFS next to the Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal in Andhra Pradesh. GDL has invested Rs 90 crore in the first phase to develop 60,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in bonded container yard and 50,000 sq ft of bonded warehousing, as well as 100,000 TEUs in domestic container yard and 100,000 sq ft of domestic warehousing. The total land bank available is 48 acres, which can be further utilised to expand capacity in the future, says a company statement. The logistics park will offer supply chain solutions through CFS, bonded and domestic warehousing, temperature-controlled storage along with first- and last-mile transportation facilities to businesses in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu. Ishaan Gupta, joint managing director, GDL said, The company sees this region as playing a key role for its growth plans, and we are happy to announce our fourth CFS in this region to support the local trade. We will continue to invest here further, through both GDL and Snowman Logistics, to maintain a high quality offering and increase capacities in the future. The CFS at Krishnapatnam port, which is strategically located between Chennai and Visakhapatnam ports, is the companys seventh CFS in India. The GDL Logistics Park is the first of its kind in this region and drawing on its experience as a market leader in the industry, the company has developed the facility with world-class infrastructure tailored to the trades requirements and state-of-the-art technology to maximise efficiency. CHENNAI: Gateway Distriparks (GDL), a Mumbai-based company that operates container freight stations (CFS) near ports offering transportation, storage and warehousing services, on Wednesday announced the completion of the construction of the first phase its logistics park and CFS next to the Krishnapatnam Port Container Terminal in Andhra Pradesh. GDL has invested Rs 90 crore in the first phase to develop 60,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in bonded container yard and 50,000 sq ft of bonded warehousing, as well as 100,000 TEUs in domestic container yard and 100,000 sq ft of domestic warehousing. The total land bank available is 48 acres, which can be further utilised to expand capacity in the future, says a company statement. The logistics park will offer supply chain solutions through CFS, bonded and domestic warehousing, temperature-controlled storage along with first- and last-mile transportation facilities to businesses in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu. Ishaan Gupta, joint managing director, GDL said, The company sees this region as playing a key role for its growth plans, and we are happy to announce our fourth CFS in this region to support the local trade. We will continue to invest here further, through both GDL and Snowman Logistics, to maintain a high quality offering and increase capacities in the future. The CFS at Krishnapatnam port, which is strategically located between Chennai and Visakhapatnam ports, is the companys seventh CFS in India. The GDL Logistics Park is the first of its kind in this region and drawing on its experience as a market leader in the industry, the company has developed the facility with world-class infrastructure tailored to the trades requirements and state-of-the-art technology to maximise efficiency. Ramu Patil By Express News Service BENGALURU: After adding lethal edge to the Indian Armed Forces, BrahMos Corporation, an Indo-Russian joint venture, is now working on increasing the speed of the supersonic missile to get into hypersonic regime. We are trying to increase its speed from Mach 3 to Mach 5. With this, we will enter into the hypersonic regime, Sudhir Kumar Mishra, CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace told Express. Mishra, a scientist and Chief Controller R&D (BrahMos) at DRDO spoke about the missile capabilities and future plans. The process of integrating the missile on the aircraft is in progress. BrahMos Corporation intends to complete flight tests this year. A certain number of Sukhoi aircraft will have the missile. We have been reinventing ourselves every two to three years. BrahMos is a universal supersonic missile. We are trying to miniaturise the existing missile. We have named it BrahMos NG. It is still on the drawing board and we are talking to various users. We have not committed the funds to it yet. In BrahMos NG, we are trying to bring its weight to 1.4 tonne and the range will be smaller at 120-250 km, Mishra said. Many aircraft including LCA will be able to carry BrahMos NG. The idea is to mass produce the missile so that we can integrate it on a variety of platforms. It is a new business initiative and we see a huge market for it in India and abroad, he said. The missile cruises (at supersonic speed) at the land level, close to the surface and one gets around 20 seconds to react. In those 20 seconds, one cannot fire a missile against it. Just before hitting the target, the missile makes an S manoeuvre and it is impossible to engage it. These can take down a subsonic cruise missile, Mishra said. Efforts are on to improve warhead performance and accuracy of the missile. India is a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime. India is the only country to develop a supersonic cruise missile and when it makes a hypersonic cruise missile, it will again be the only country to do so. From BrahMos side, we are ready to increase the production rate. Our production rate, supply chain management and components manufacturers are ready, he said. BENGALURU: After adding lethal edge to the Indian Armed Forces, BrahMos Corporation, an Indo-Russian joint venture, is now working on increasing the speed of the supersonic missile to get into hypersonic regime. We are trying to increase its speed from Mach 3 to Mach 5. With this, we will enter into the hypersonic regime, Sudhir Kumar Mishra, CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace told Express. Mishra, a scientist and Chief Controller R&D (BrahMos) at DRDO spoke about the missile capabilities and future plans. The process of integrating the missile on the aircraft is in progress. BrahMos Corporation intends to complete flight tests this year. A certain number of Sukhoi aircraft will have the missile. We have been reinventing ourselves every two to three years. BrahMos is a universal supersonic missile. We are trying to miniaturise the existing missile. We have named it BrahMos NG. It is still on the drawing board and we are talking to various users. We have not committed the funds to it yet. In BrahMos NG, we are trying to bring its weight to 1.4 tonne and the range will be smaller at 120-250 km, Mishra said. Many aircraft including LCA will be able to carry BrahMos NG. The idea is to mass produce the missile so that we can integrate it on a variety of platforms. It is a new business initiative and we see a huge market for it in India and abroad, he said. The missile cruises (at supersonic speed) at the land level, close to the surface and one gets around 20 seconds to react. In those 20 seconds, one cannot fire a missile against it. Just before hitting the target, the missile makes an S manoeuvre and it is impossible to engage it. These can take down a subsonic cruise missile, Mishra said. Efforts are on to improve warhead performance and accuracy of the missile. India is a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime. India is the only country to develop a supersonic cruise missile and when it makes a hypersonic cruise missile, it will again be the only country to do so. From BrahMos side, we are ready to increase the production rate. Our production rate, supply chain management and components manufacturers are ready, he said. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Environment Ministry is likely to issue a show cause notice to the Kamarajar Port (Ennore port) in Chennai for "mishandling" the oil spill following a collision between two ships last month. Ministry sources said that the clearing of the oil is at an "advance" stage and a team of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also visited the port for monitoring the situation. "It is very likely that a show cause notice will be issued to them, asking as to why they should not be penalised for mishandling the situation," a source said. On January 28, two shipping vessels had collided outside the Kamarajar Port at Ennore, resulting in rupture of a ship and oil spill. With the incident raising environmental concerns, the Centre had recently said a total of 65 tonnes of sludge has been removed so far and over 90 per cent of the work completed. Another Environment Ministry official said that the CPCB team has also completed its visit to the port for monitoring the situation. "The team has issued directions under the Water Act and Environment Protection Act. Clearing (of the sludge) is at an advance stage," the official added. The mishap had occurred at around 4 AM on January 28 when M T BW Maple, with a flag of Isle of Man, was leaving the port after emptying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and M T Dawn Kanchipuram, loaded with petroleum oil lubricant (POL) was on its way to the berth at the Kamarajar Port at Ennore. The sea water had blackened and some turtles were found dead near the north Chennai shoreline following the incident. The government had said that all measures were being taken to manage the situation created by the oil spill even as a probe is underway to ascertain its causes and contributory factors. NEW DELHI: The Environment Ministry is likely to issue a show cause notice to the Kamarajar Port (Ennore port) in Chennai for "mishandling" the oil spill following a collision between two ships last month. Ministry sources said that the clearing of the oil is at an "advance" stage and a team of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also visited the port for monitoring the situation. "It is very likely that a show cause notice will be issued to them, asking as to why they should not be penalised for mishandling the situation," a source said. On January 28, two shipping vessels had collided outside the Kamarajar Port at Ennore, resulting in rupture of a ship and oil spill. With the incident raising environmental concerns, the Centre had recently said a total of 65 tonnes of sludge has been removed so far and over 90 per cent of the work completed. Another Environment Ministry official said that the CPCB team has also completed its visit to the port for monitoring the situation. "The team has issued directions under the Water Act and Environment Protection Act. Clearing (of the sludge) is at an advance stage," the official added. The mishap had occurred at around 4 AM on January 28 when M T BW Maple, with a flag of Isle of Man, was leaving the port after emptying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and M T Dawn Kanchipuram, loaded with petroleum oil lubricant (POL) was on its way to the berth at the Kamarajar Port at Ennore. The sea water had blackened and some turtles were found dead near the north Chennai shoreline following the incident. The government had said that all measures were being taken to manage the situation created by the oil spill even as a probe is underway to ascertain its causes and contributory factors. Gokul M Nair By Express News Service CHENNAI: The British Indian Army during the World Wars was the largest volunteer force from among all the other troops from the Commonwealth. Many young men who travelled into unknown territory to fight in the war lost their lives in Europes battlefields. And surprisingly, Europe remembers them better than Indians this was the point driven home by Air Marshal S Varthaman, who delivered a lecture on How Europe Remembers Indian Soldiers of the World Wars recently at Alliance Francaise. Every sixth British soldier who served in the World Wars was an Indian, with the sub-continent providing more than 2 lakh Indian troops in both the World Wars. The British Indian Army was larger than all the other troops from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Canada combined, said Varthaman, who served as Indias Air Attache in Paris. There are various memorials across Europe commemorating their deeds, and these include graves for Indian soldiers who are not remembered in India, but are done so in Europe. Sunish P Surendran The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, set up in 1919 after World War I, today maintains graves and cemeteries in 150 countries across the world to remember fallen soldiers of war, he said. These include over 2,000 acres at 23,000 locations. In India itself, apart from the first known war memorial which is India Gate (previously known as All India War Memorial), t maintains war cemeteries in Delhi, Madras, Kirkee and Kohima, explained Varthaman. These include 1.6 lakh Indians who died outside the country and were commemorated in graves, with those with no known graves inscribed on memorials dedicated to the campaigns they took part in. The CWGC runs by contributions in proportion to the number of war graves from each of the Commonwealth countries. Typically all the graves are in the same format the same tombstone, inscribed with the name of the soldier, the regiment he belonged to, with every tombstone having the regional flower. Everything is preserved in the manner stipulated by the CWGC, right down to the height of the grass and the time the trees are to be pruned. Apart from the war graves, Varthaman elaborated on memorials for fallen Indian soldiers in Europe. The Neuve Chapelle Indian Memorial in the commune of the same name in France is dedicated to nearly 4,700 Indian soldiers who died in the Battle of Neuve Chappelle in 1915 during World War I, and have no known graves, he said. This includes the posthumous awardee of the Victoria Cross, Gabar Singh Negi. Even today, there are multi-faith religious services for the fallen soldiers that are organised by different organisations in their memory, he explained, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited the memorial in 2015 and wrote in the visitor's book. He also detailed the important memorials in the UK such as the National Memorial Arboretum, which is a large woodland landscape with 30,000 trees and a vast collection of memorials nearly 300 in number, dedicated to separate classes starting from woodcutters to nurses and soldiers. All of them played a part in the British victory. The Arboretum has trees planted named after each of the Indian regiments that took part in the wars, said Varthaman. He also mentioned the Brookwood Cemetery (also known as the London Necropolis) in Surrey which houses the Brookwood Memorial 1914-1918, whose plaques had names of Indian soldiers whose records were not found anywhere else. One memorial of significance which also pays tribute to Indian soldiers is the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, he added. It also has a Gurkha Memorial alongside the memorial for the Assam military, Burma military, and Sikh regiments who fought in those wars, he said, while going on to regale the remarkable tale of violinist Hans Vermeesch, who plays the Rabindra Sangeet in honour of the fallen Indian soldiers on every Memorial Day. What these memorials show is that as far as honouring the dead goes, Europe does not differentiate between countries. They honour the soldier, and his spirit, he said. CHENNAI: The British Indian Army during the World Wars was the largest volunteer force from among all the other troops from the Commonwealth. Many young men who travelled into unknown territory to fight in the war lost their lives in Europes battlefields. And surprisingly, Europe remembers them better than Indians this was the point driven home by Air Marshal S Varthaman, who delivered a lecture on How Europe Remembers Indian Soldiers of the World Wars recently at Alliance Francaise. Every sixth British soldier who served in the World Wars was an Indian, with the sub-continent providing more than 2 lakh Indian troops in both the World Wars. The British Indian Army was larger than all the other troops from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Canada combined, said Varthaman, who served as Indias Air Attache in Paris. There are various memorials across Europe commemorating their deeds, and these include graves for Indian soldiers who are not remembered in India, but are done so in Europe. Sunish P SurendranThe Commonwealth War Graves Commission, set up in 1919 after World War I, today maintains graves and cemeteries in 150 countries across the world to remember fallen soldiers of war, he said. These include over 2,000 acres at 23,000 locations. In India itself, apart from the first known war memorial which is India Gate (previously known as All India War Memorial), t maintains war cemeteries in Delhi, Madras, Kirkee and Kohima, explained Varthaman. These include 1.6 lakh Indians who died outside the country and were commemorated in graves, with those with no known graves inscribed on memorials dedicated to the campaigns they took part in. The CWGC runs by contributions in proportion to the number of war graves from each of the Commonwealth countries. Typically all the graves are in the same format the same tombstone, inscribed with the name of the soldier, the regiment he belonged to, with every tombstone having the regional flower. Everything is preserved in the manner stipulated by the CWGC, right down to the height of the grass and the time the trees are to be pruned. Apart from the war graves, Varthaman elaborated on memorials for fallen Indian soldiers in Europe. The Neuve Chapelle Indian Memorial in the commune of the same name in France is dedicated to nearly 4,700 Indian soldiers who died in the Battle of Neuve Chappelle in 1915 during World War I, and have no known graves, he said. This includes the posthumous awardee of the Victoria Cross, Gabar Singh Negi. Even today, there are multi-faith religious services for the fallen soldiers that are organised by different organisations in their memory, he explained, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited the memorial in 2015 and wrote in the visitor's book. He also detailed the important memorials in the UK such as the National Memorial Arboretum, which is a large woodland landscape with 30,000 trees and a vast collection of memorials nearly 300 in number, dedicated to separate classes starting from woodcutters to nurses and soldiers. All of them played a part in the British victory. The Arboretum has trees planted named after each of the Indian regiments that took part in the wars, said Varthaman. He also mentioned the Brookwood Cemetery (also known as the London Necropolis) in Surrey which houses the Brookwood Memorial 1914-1918, whose plaques had names of Indian soldiers whose records were not found anywhere else. One memorial of significance which also pays tribute to Indian soldiers is the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, he added. It also has a Gurkha Memorial alongside the memorial for the Assam military, Burma military, and Sikh regiments who fought in those wars, he said, while going on to regale the remarkable tale of violinist Hans Vermeesch, who plays the Rabindra Sangeet in honour of the fallen Indian soldiers on every Memorial Day. What these memorials show is that as far as honouring the dead goes, Europe does not differentiate between countries. They honour the soldier, and his spirit, he said. Before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's first visit to the White House since President Trump has been in office, Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga takes a look at the heated debate surrounding whether to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to do this, but he has since backed away from the plan. As Golodryga explains, he is not the first president to do so. WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration suggested Tuesday that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solution a position that could represent a dramatic shift from what has been U.S. policy for more than 20 years. Speaking to reporters ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior White House official said Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hoping to bring them together soon. But the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the meeting beforehand, said it will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entail and that peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal. For decades, the U.S. position has been that Israelis and Palestinians must work through direct negotiations to establish two states living side by side, with Palestinians to ultimately create an independent state. All serious peace negotiations in that have time have assumed that the two-state solution was the basis for future peace. State Department officials expressed surprise at the comments and said Tuesday they were not aware of any policy shift on the desirability of a two-state solution. Three officials said the department was seeking clarification from the White House comments, which came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was having dinner with Netanyahu. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. During his final White House news conference, Obama warned that the moment for a two-state solution "may be passing" and said the "status quo is unsustainable." It was not clear if the White House had intended to declare a major shift in policy during the hastily arranged briefing Tuesday night. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House Wednesday. The two leaders will hold a joint press conference before convening for meetings and a working lunch. The prime minister will then head to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Story continues Trump takes pride in his deal-making skills and said during his campaign that he'd love the challenge of negotiating a Mideast agreement. He has appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to lead the effort. The official said the visit was meant to mark a new, closer relationship between Israel and the United States, which grew strained during the Obama years. Trump and Netanyahu are likely to discuss peace efforts as well as expanded Israeli settlements, Iran and Trump's campaign pledge to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The latter would signal U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would infuriate Palestinians. They claim the eastern sector of the city, captured by Israel in 1967, as their capital. American presidents have long struck a delicate balance addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stressing the close U.S. friendship and lavishing the Jewish state with aid. But recent presidents also have tried to negotiate, and they have called out Israel for actions seen as undermining peace efforts, such as expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank. Trump told The Associated Press during his campaign that he wanted to be "very neutral" and try to get both sides together. But his tone became decidedly more pro-Israel as the campaign progressed. He has spoken disparagingly of Palestinians, saying they have been "taken over" by or are condoning militant groups. Some of his top aides challenge the legitimacy of Palestinian demands for a state. After repeatedly clashing with Obama for eight years, capped by a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, Netanyahu seemed relieved by Trump's arrival. Trump slammed the U.S. decision to abstain from the U.N. vote, saying in December that Israel is being treated "very, very unfairly." Now in office, however, Trump has been forced to reevaluate and revisit his position on a number of issues including those relating to Israel. After initially greeting Israel's settlement announcements with a shrug, Trump appears to be having second thoughts. In an interview with a pro-Netanyahu Israeli daily Friday, Trump said, "I am not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace." While the meeting is expected to be much warmer than Netanyahu's famously tense encounters with Obama, the Israeli leader will still need to tread with caution on sensitive issues like Israeli settlement construction, Iran and the war in Syria. In dealing with such a divisive president, Netanyahu will also face some potential pitfalls. Key constituencies, including congressional Democrats and many American Jews, oppose Trump's policies, while at home Netanyahu is under pressure from his hard-line allies to push for policies that Trump may not support. "Netanyahu seeks to shift the discussion in the U.S.-Israel relationship away from settlements and peace and back to Iran so that he can put off the difficult political decisions that would roil his coalition and put his rule in jeopardy," said Yousef Munayyer, a political analyst and executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. "The challenge to Netanyahu is domestic," Munayyer added. "He spent so much time arguing that Obama was the problem that now that we are in the post-Obama era, his right-wing coalition partners want to exploit the moment and take huge steps that would further isolate Israel, trigger international condemnation from other corners, and potentially destabilize the land and Israeli politics." Ahead of the visit, Netanyahu said he would handle ties with the U.S. in a "prudent manner," but he steered clear of specifics. The Israeli prime minister is also scheduled to have breakfast Thursday with Vice President Mike Pence before departing back to Israel. __ Associated Press writer Josh Lederman contributed to this report. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday granted sanction to the CBI to prosecute senior IAS officer and former principal secretary of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Rajendra Kumar, in a corruption case. The Union Home Ministry also rejected Rajendra Kumars plea for voluntary retirement as the case is still pending against him. The CBI is probing corruption charges, relating to his earlier stint with the Delhi government, when he held multiple posts including that of secretary, Information Technology Department. Official sources said the decision to grant sanction comes after careful examination of the CBIs request to the effect. The Ministry also rejected his plea for availing Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), saying it cannot be allowed during the pendency of a corruption case against him. Rajendra Kumar was chargesheeted by the CBI in December. In its chargesheet, the CBI has alleged that the accused persons (including Rajendra Kumar) had entered into a criminal conspiracy to cause a loss of `12 crore to the Delhi government in award of contracts between 2007 and 2015. Rajendra Kumar, a 1989-batch IAS officer was booked by the CBI for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the IPC besides violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act. NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday granted sanction to the CBI to prosecute senior IAS officer and former principal secretary of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Rajendra Kumar, in a corruption case. The Union Home Ministry also rejected Rajendra Kumars plea for voluntary retirement as the case is still pending against him. The CBI is probing corruption charges, relating to his earlier stint with the Delhi government, when he held multiple posts including that of secretary, Information Technology Department. Official sources said the decision to grant sanction comes after careful examination of the CBIs request to the effect. The Ministry also rejected his plea for availing Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), saying it cannot be allowed during the pendency of a corruption case against him. Rajendra Kumar was chargesheeted by the CBI in December. In its chargesheet, the CBI has alleged that the accused persons (including Rajendra Kumar) had entered into a criminal conspiracy to cause a loss of `12 crore to the Delhi government in award of contracts between 2007 and 2015. Rajendra Kumar, a 1989-batch IAS officer was booked by the CBI for alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the IPC besides violation of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Rahul V Pisharody By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Savitri (name changed) is a 35-year-old woman who hails from a place somewhere near the Bihar-Nepal border. She has been languishing within the four walls of a closed female ward at the Institute of Mental Health at Erragadda here for nearly five years despite being fit enough to be reunited with her family. Reason: Her family could not be traced. There are 10 other such patients believed to be hailing from Bihar, Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh- housed in the closed ward of IMH for three to five years. That apart, close to 40 patients continue to live there in the fond hope that their families would accept them back sooner or later. And, some inmates are discharged on court orders. But the delay on the part of courts to issue orders of release, for reasons of an overload of work, is a major reason for so many patients getting stuck in the IMHs closed ward without release. Nearly 300 mentally-ill patients, including 70 women, are housed in the closed ward of IMH at any given point of time, it being the only hospital in the state with the facility. Further, 140 patients are treated in open wards where they are accompanied by their family members as attendants. They are usually discharged in 15 to 20 days. Admission of patients to the closed ward is based on a magisterial order in accordance with the Mental Health Act, 1987 and basing on a police report. Savitri too was found as a wandering lunatic near one of the railway stations. She remembers her husbands name. With the vague details she could recall, we have been trying our best to locate her relatives. We have also contacted the police at the locations she could remember, but without success, said Dr J Mayur Nath Reddy, deputy superintendent of the hospital. When a patient is discharged from the closed ward on receipt of court orders, his or her rehabilitation depends solely on the family. At this stage, our focus is only on treatment. There are no rehabilitation centres in the government sector and we are in the process of addressing the issue of skilled manpower first, said the deputy superintendent. Doctors hail the inter-personnel bonding in the Indian family structure as the best alternative in the absence of rehabilitation centres. Poverty, lack of enough support at home, smaller families are some of the reasons for patients not being taken back by their kin despite doctors certifying them to be fit enough to live in the community, added YSS Rao, another psychiatrist at the hospital. In foreign countries, the rehabilitation structures involve quarter-way and half-way homes. Rehab is certainly needed to impart social skills, communication skills and functional skills to someone with decreased cognitive functioning, he pointed out. A centre for excellence, sanctioned in 2008-09 by the Centre for Rs 30 crore, is yet to take shape at IMH. It was the only one such centre sanctioned for the erstwhile united AP for which officials plan to begin works soon. HYDERABAD: Savitri (name changed) is a 35-year-old woman who hails from a place somewhere near the Bihar-Nepal border. She has been languishing within the four walls of a closed female ward at the Institute of Mental Health at Erragadda here for nearly five years despite being fit enough to be reunited with her family. Reason: Her family could not be traced. There are 10 other such patients believed to be hailing from Bihar, Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh- housed in the closed ward of IMH for three to five years. That apart, close to 40 patients continue to live there in the fond hope that their families would accept them back sooner or later. And, some inmates are discharged on court orders. But the delay on the part of courts to issue orders of release, for reasons of an overload of work, is a major reason for so many patients getting stuck in the IMHs closed ward without release. Nearly 300 mentally-ill patients, including 70 women, are housed in the closed ward of IMH at any given point of time, it being the only hospital in the state with the facility. Further, 140 patients are treated in open wards where they are accompanied by their family members as attendants. They are usually discharged in 15 to 20 days. Admission of patients to the closed ward is based on a magisterial order in accordance with the Mental Health Act, 1987 and basing on a police report. Savitri too was found as a wandering lunatic near one of the railway stations. She remembers her husbands name. With the vague details she could recall, we have been trying our best to locate her relatives. We have also contacted the police at the locations she could remember, but without success, said Dr J Mayur Nath Reddy, deputy superintendent of the hospital. When a patient is discharged from the closed ward on receipt of court orders, his or her rehabilitation depends solely on the family. At this stage, our focus is only on treatment. There are no rehabilitation centres in the government sector and we are in the process of addressing the issue of skilled manpower first, said the deputy superintendent. Doctors hail the inter-personnel bonding in the Indian family structure as the best alternative in the absence of rehabilitation centres. Poverty, lack of enough support at home, smaller families are some of the reasons for patients not being taken back by their kin despite doctors certifying them to be fit enough to live in the community, added YSS Rao, another psychiatrist at the hospital. In foreign countries, the rehabilitation structures involve quarter-way and half-way homes. Rehab is certainly needed to impart social skills, communication skills and functional skills to someone with decreased cognitive functioning, he pointed out. A centre for excellence, sanctioned in 2008-09 by the Centre for Rs 30 crore, is yet to take shape at IMH. It was the only one such centre sanctioned for the erstwhile united AP for which officials plan to begin works soon. By BNS Priety Zinta is almost out of the acting race and she is blissfully settled into matrimony and setting up her own business. However, Zinta continues being part of the industry as she has several friends here and there are some commitments that shes still completing. Largely based in US, Zinta is right now in India and shes spending her time attending social events and parties. Recently while interacting with the media, she continued being her candid self. While talking about the new bunch of actors, she expressed surprise at the fact that actors depend on so many people to be around them. Comparing the situation today to when she was at the peak, she said that this was not the case when we entered the industry. The actors these days travel with an entourage everywhere. She later added that this is the reason why she particularly likes Khans because they have very few people on the sets with them. Its a pity that Preity didnt mention the name of the actors she was hinting at. Preity is currently completing her long in making film Bhaiyyaji Superhit with Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel and had stated in one of the interviews that she chose to stay away from films to concentrate on her business. Priety Zinta is almost out of the acting race and she is blissfully settled into matrimony and setting up her own business. However, Zinta continues being part of the industry as she has several friends here and there are some commitments that shes still completing. Largely based in US, Zinta is right now in India and shes spending her time attending social events and parties. Recently while interacting with the media, she continued being her candid self. While talking about the new bunch of actors, she expressed surprise at the fact that actors depend on so many people to be around them. Comparing the situation today to when she was at the peak, she said that this was not the case when we entered the industry. The actors these days travel with an entourage everywhere. She later added that this is the reason why she particularly likes Khans because they have very few people on the sets with them. Its a pity that Preity didnt mention the name of the actors she was hinting at. Preity is currently completing her long in making film Bhaiyyaji Superhit with Sunny Deol and Ameesha Patel and had stated in one of the interviews that she chose to stay away from films to concentrate on her business. By Express News Service From the word go, nothing has quite worked in the favour of Kamal Haasans Sabaash Naidu, the trilingual spin-off on the popular character Balram Naidu from Dasavatharam (2008). The shoot came to an abrupt halt in July last year, after Kamal fractured his leg at the office. After weeks of treatment and physiotherapy, it was believed that the shooting will resume from January. Unfortunately, theres still no official update on the shoot. However, our sources have said that the shoot will take much longer to resume than expected. Even if the team decides to resume shooting from next week, it would take a minimum of six-eight weeks to get visas for the American crew. Moreover, the dates of other actors should also be taken in to consideration. The rest of the actors have moved on to other commitments. Hence the shooting has been postponed indefinitely for now and the team might not get on floors anytime soon. Having successfully completed the first schedule in Los Angeles, the makers are planning to shoot in Hyderabad next, a source from the films unit told CE. The film also stars Ramya Krishnan, Shruti Haasan, Brahmanandam and Saurabh Shukla in pivotal roles. This is not the first time the film has faced a setback. It was originally launched with director TK Rajeev Kumar who, owing to ill health, had to be replaced. Left with no option, Haasan decided to take over the directorial reins. It was also rumoured that the films editor and cinematographer were replaced post the first schedule. But the news still remains a mystery. From the word go, nothing has quite worked in the favour of Kamal Haasans Sabaash Naidu, the trilingual spin-off on the popular character Balram Naidu from Dasavatharam (2008). The shoot came to an abrupt halt in July last year, after Kamal fractured his leg at the office. After weeks of treatment and physiotherapy, it was believed that the shooting will resume from January. Unfortunately, theres still no official update on the shoot. However, our sources have said that the shoot will take much longer to resume than expected. Even if the team decides to resume shooting from next week, it would take a minimum of six-eight weeks to get visas for the American crew. Moreover, the dates of other actors should also be taken in to consideration. The rest of the actors have moved on to other commitments. Hence the shooting has been postponed indefinitely for now and the team might not get on floors anytime soon. Having successfully completed the first schedule in Los Angeles, the makers are planning to shoot in Hyderabad next, a source from the films unit told CE. The film also stars Ramya Krishnan, Shruti Haasan, Brahmanandam and Saurabh Shukla in pivotal roles. This is not the first time the film has faced a setback. It was originally launched with director TK Rajeev Kumar who, owing to ill health, had to be replaced. Left with no option, Haasan decided to take over the directorial reins. It was also rumoured that the films editor and cinematographer were replaced post the first schedule. But the news still remains a mystery. Purnima Sriram By Express News Service Move over Mogambo khush hua and Kitne aadmi thhe! Its time, we drool over the sculpted and handsome bad boys, who are making the good girls go heads over heels for them. From time immemorial, films have often depicted stories which showcased the conflict between good and bad, and the battle between the hero and the villain. Based on this theme, the filmmakers have churned out innumerable stories and are continuing to do so. Earlier, in an attempt to glorify the heroes persona and looks, villains were often shown with scars on their faces spouting dialogues with menacing expressions. However, the current generation of filmmakers are giving a complete image makeover to the villains. From maintaining a chiseled body and sporting a rugged beard to wearing an Armani suit, the present day baddies are smart, suave and sexy. Be it Siddharth Abhimanyu in Dhruva, Agarwal in Khaidhi no 150 or Krishnamurthy in Nannaku Prematho, antagonists are also turning out to be style icons and giving the so-called heroes a run for their money. In fact, Boyapati Srinu, who styled Jagapathi Babu for Legend shared that he wanted his villain to look equally powerful and stylish in his movies. This new interest seems to have caught like fire. To our surprise, even protagonists are showing some inexplicable interest in portraying negative roles. Aadhi Pinisetty, who is already an established hero in Tamil Cinema played an antagonists role in Allu Arjun starrer Sarainodu. The latest buzz is that Neil Nitin Mukesh, who was previously seen in Katthi (Tamil Version of Khaidhi no 150) in a grey role is going to essay antagonist in NTR's next to be directed by Bobby. Heres a sneak peak of those villains who are making everyone drool over them with their classy looks. Rana Daggubati Blessed with a Towering personality, Rana Daggubati is undoubtedly the Greek god of Tollywood. With his daunting performance in Baahubali creating a rage among audience, he is leaving no stone unturned to woo the audience in a similar way in Baahubali 2. He is one of those actors, who is loved equally as a hero and as a villain. Let Ghazi do the rest of the talking. Jagapathi Babu Jagapathi Babu At 55, he is hailed as the George Clooney of Tollywood, Jagapathi Babus stylish makeover in films like Legend, Ism have earned him lot of accolades and gained him popularity like never before. The actor is currently busy paired opposite leading heroes in Telugu and Tamil films. Despite his presence in Tollywood for decades as a romantic hero, he won all the praises, when he wore the hat of a villain, thanks to his intense eyes and salt & pepper look. Neil Nitin Mukesh After featuring in critically acclaimed films like Jhonny Gaddaar and New York, he forayed into Tamil cinema with the Vijay starrer Katthhi. His urbane sophisticated looks were admired by everyone. Latest news is that he might soon enter the glam-villian club of Tollywood. Lets wait and watch, if the heartthrob is going to be Neil or NTR. Arvind Swamy Long back, his handsome looks in films like Roja and Bombay made him a household name everywhere. Now, he is back in the reckoning with a grey character in Dhruva, remake of Tamil blockbuster Thani Oruvan. His subtle performance and refined looks not only set the cash registers ringing but also tell us that he hasnt lost his charm. In an interview to a Tamil channel, he told how he battled his fat, flexed and ripped his muscles to make a comeback. Now, the millennial is wondering how the curd rice turned into biryani. His striking and debonair looks are currently most sought out in the southern film industries. After making a promising debut in Jil, this bearded badass claimed to success with Ajith starrer Vedalam and Ravi Tejas Kick 2. Despite his heavy Hindi accented Tamil and Telugu, his base voice is directly hitting the chord with the audience. Vidyut Jammwal His dashing looks and screen presence made everyone sit and take notice of him. Trained in Martial Arts, he catapulted to fame with films like Force with John Abraham and Thuppakki in Tamil with Vijay. His Goggle images redefine badass and hotness. Though he was initially called the new age action hero, his image later turned into hottest grey shade in tinsel town. Sonu Sood He is one of the handsome villains ruling the roost in film industries across different languages starring opposite all the leading stars. His well toned physique matching with his elegant persona has created him a huge fan base. Who can forget the Bommali.. expression that made us go red in anger. With his recent film, Kung Fu Yoga sinking at the box-office, we can make a cumulative assessment that he is a ruler as a villain, for girls love bad boys. Sudheer Babu One of the promising actors in Telugu industry, Sudheer Babu ventured into Bollywood, playing opposite Tiger Shroff in Baaghi. He was hailed for his attractive looks and pleasing demeanor. He is one of a kind to enter Bollywood from Tollywood, at the early stage of his career, as an antagonist. Move over Mogambo khush hua and Kitne aadmi thhe! Its time, we drool over the sculpted and handsome bad boys, who are making the good girls go heads over heels for them. From time immemorial, films have often depicted stories which showcased the conflict between good and bad, and the battle between the hero and the villain. Based on this theme, the filmmakers have churned out innumerable stories and are continuing to do so. Earlier, in an attempt to glorify the heroes persona and looks, villains were often shown with scars on their faces spouting dialogues with menacing expressions. However, the current generation of filmmakers are giving a complete image makeover to the villains. From maintaining a chiseled body and sporting a rugged beard to wearing an Armani suit, the present day baddies are smart, suave and sexy. Be it Siddharth Abhimanyu in Dhruva, Agarwal in Khaidhi no 150 or Krishnamurthy in Nannaku Prematho, antagonists are also turning out to be style icons and giving the so-called heroes a run for their money. In fact, Boyapati Srinu, who styled Jagapathi Babu for Legend shared that he wanted his villain to look equally powerful and stylish in his movies. This new interest seems to have caught like fire. To our surprise, even protagonists are showing some inexplicable interest in portraying negative roles. Aadhi Pinisetty, who is already an established hero in Tamil Cinema played an antagonists role in Allu Arjun starrer Sarainodu. The latest buzz is that Neil Nitin Mukesh, who was previously seen in Katthi (Tamil Version of Khaidhi no 150) in a grey role is going to essay antagonist in NTR's next to be directed by Bobby. Heres a sneak peak of those villains who are making everyone drool over them with their classy looks. Rana Daggubati Blessed with a Towering personality, Rana Daggubati is undoubtedly the Greek god of Tollywood. With his daunting performance in Baahubali creating a rage among audience, he is leaving no stone unturned to woo the audience in a similar way in Baahubali 2. He is one of those actors, who is loved equally as a hero and as a villain. Let Ghazi do the rest of the talking. Jagapathi BabuJagapathi Babu At 55, he is hailed as the George Clooney of Tollywood, Jagapathi Babus stylish makeover in films like Legend, Ism have earned him lot of accolades and gained him popularity like never before. The actor is currently busy paired opposite leading heroes in Telugu and Tamil films. Despite his presence in Tollywood for decades as a romantic hero, he won all the praises, when he wore the hat of a villain, thanks to his intense eyes and salt & pepper look. Neil Nitin Mukesh After featuring in critically acclaimed films like Jhonny Gaddaar and New York, he forayed into Tamil cinema with the Vijay starrer Katthhi. His urbane sophisticated looks were admired by everyone. Latest news is that he might soon enter the glam-villian club of Tollywood. Lets wait and watch, if the heartthrob is going to be Neil or NTR. Arvind Swamy Long back, his handsome looks in films like Roja and Bombay made him a household name everywhere. Now, he is back in the reckoning with a grey character in Dhruva, remake of Tamil blockbuster Thani Oruvan. His subtle performance and refined looks not only set the cash registers ringing but also tell us that he hasnt lost his charm. In an interview to a Tamil channel, he told how he battled his fat, flexed and ripped his muscles to make a comeback. Now, the millennial is wondering how the curd rice turned into biryani. His striking and debonair looks are currently most sought out in the southern film industries. After making a promising debut in Jil, this bearded badass claimed to success with Ajith starrer Vedalam and Ravi Tejas Kick 2. Despite his heavy Hindi accented Tamil and Telugu, his base voice is directly hitting the chord with the audience. Vidyut Jammwal His dashing looks and screen presence made everyone sit and take notice of him. Trained in Martial Arts, he catapulted to fame with films like Force with John Abraham and Thuppakki in Tamil with Vijay. His Goggle images redefine badass and hotness. Though he was initially called the new age action hero, his image later turned into hottest grey shade in tinsel town. Sonu Sood He is one of the handsome villains ruling the roost in film industries across different languages starring opposite all the leading stars. His well toned physique matching with his elegant persona has created him a huge fan base. Who can forget the Bommali.. expression that made us go red in anger. With his recent film, Kung Fu Yoga sinking at the box-office, we can make a cumulative assessment that he is a ruler as a villain, for girls love bad boys. Sudheer Babu One of the promising actors in Telugu industry, Sudheer Babu ventured into Bollywood, playing opposite Tiger Shroff in Baaghi. He was hailed for his attractive looks and pleasing demeanor. He is one of a kind to enter Bollywood from Tollywood, at the early stage of his career, as an antagonist. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRI NAGAR: Four Army men, including a Major, and an equal number of militants were on Tuesday killed while at least 11 other security personnel and a civilian were injured in two separate encounters in Kashmir. An officer said the police, the CRPF and the Army launched a combined combing and search operation in Parray Mohalla in Hajin area of North Kashmirs Bandipora district, acting on information about the presence of militants, in the wee hours. The militants hiding in a house fired towards the security personnel using automatic weapons before the forces could launch an assault on the house. In the initial militant firing, five Army men including an officer, Major Thapa, sustained injuries. He and other injured soldiers are undergoing treatment at a hospital. In the gunfight that ensued for over three hours, three more Army men, CRPF commandant Chetan Kumar Cheetah, and four policemen sustained injuries. A Lashkar militant was killed in the gunfight, the police officer said. He added that three of the injured Army men, identified as Dharmender Kumar of Nainital, Uttarakhand, rifleman Ravi Kumar of Samba, J&K, and gunner Ashutosh Kumar of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, later succumbed to injuries in the military hospital. The identity of the slain Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant is being ascertained, the officer added. Sources said two militants may have escaped from the area during the gunfight. According to a source, the CRPF commandant, who received multiple bullet injuries, has been flown to Delhi for specialised treatment. An Army official said security forces suffered casualties as they tried to avoid collateral damage. After the encounter started, people in the area took to the streets and clashed with the security personnel, who lobbed tear smoke shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse the agitating people. A youth sustained injuries in the melee. Six people also sustained injuries in security forces action on protestors during clashes at Saderkoot area of Bandipora. A youth, who had sustained pellet injuries on the face, was referred to Srinagar hospital for specialised treatment. Meanwhile, the police, Army and paramilitary forces launched a joint combing and search operation at Khan Mohalla in Hanjan Kralgund of Handwara in North Kashmirs Kupwara district. Major S Dahiya was injured in the encounter and later succumbed to his injuries. During the operation, militants fired on the search party. The troops fired in retaliation and in the gunfight, three militants were killed, said defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia. On Monday, four militants, two Army men and a civilian were killed during a gunfight in Kulgam area. Another civilian was killed when security forces fired at protestors during clashes near the encounter site. SRI NAGAR: Four Army men, including a Major, and an equal number of militants were on Tuesday killed while at least 11 other security personnel and a civilian were injured in two separate encounters in Kashmir. An officer said the police, the CRPF and the Army launched a combined combing and search operation in Parray Mohalla in Hajin area of North Kashmirs Bandipora district, acting on information about the presence of militants, in the wee hours. The militants hiding in a house fired towards the security personnel using automatic weapons before the forces could launch an assault on the house. In the initial militant firing, five Army men including an officer, Major Thapa, sustained injuries. He and other injured soldiers are undergoing treatment at a hospital. In the gunfight that ensued for over three hours, three more Army men, CRPF commandant Chetan Kumar Cheetah, and four policemen sustained injuries. A Lashkar militant was killed in the gunfight, the police officer said. He added that three of the injured Army men, identified as Dharmender Kumar of Nainital, Uttarakhand, rifleman Ravi Kumar of Samba, J&K, and gunner Ashutosh Kumar of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, later succumbed to injuries in the military hospital. The identity of the slain Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant is being ascertained, the officer added. Sources said two militants may have escaped from the area during the gunfight. According to a source, the CRPF commandant, who received multiple bullet injuries, has been flown to Delhi for specialised treatment. An Army official said security forces suffered casualties as they tried to avoid collateral damage. After the encounter started, people in the area took to the streets and clashed with the security personnel, who lobbed tear smoke shells and resorted to baton charge to disperse the agitating people. A youth sustained injuries in the melee. Six people also sustained injuries in security forces action on protestors during clashes at Saderkoot area of Bandipora. A youth, who had sustained pellet injuries on the face, was referred to Srinagar hospital for specialised treatment. Meanwhile, the police, Army and paramilitary forces launched a joint combing and search operation at Khan Mohalla in Hanjan Kralgund of Handwara in North Kashmirs Kupwara district. Major S Dahiya was injured in the encounter and later succumbed to his injuries. During the operation, militants fired on the search party. The troops fired in retaliation and in the gunfight, three militants were killed, said defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia. On Monday, four militants, two Army men and a civilian were killed during a gunfight in Kulgam area. Another civilian was killed when security forces fired at protestors during clashes near the encounter site. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Hectic politicking has begun in Nagaland to bring former chief minister Neiphiu Rio back into the limelight even as tribal organizations are going for chief minister T R Zeliangs jugular over his governments decision to hold civic polls with 33 per cent reservation for women. The tribes have been enforcing an indefinite statewide lockdown this week but on Tuesday they decided to exempt students sitting in the board exams. A three-time chief minister, Neiphiu Rio was suspended by the Naga Peoples Font (NPF) last year. On Tuesday, amid the clamour for Zeliangs resignation, four MLAs of the party ---- Noke Wangnao, C M Chang, Namri Nchang and Kropol Vitsu -- appealed to their leadership to revoke Rios suspension, describing him as the tallest and most acceptable leader of the Nagas. Four former MPs have also thrown their weight behind Rio. The three-time former chief minister, who is Nagalands lone MP, is currently camping in Delhi for an unknown purpose. There are reports that Rio is in Delhi to discuss formalities as to how he should take over the helms of affairs. The NPF is an ally of the BJP in the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland. But the NPF claimed that Rio was summoned to Delhi because there have been negative reports from various quarters about his involvement in worsening the ongoing social unrest. Zeliang has been alleging that the current unrest is purely political in nature. Hailing from the Zeliang Naga tribe, the chief minister started off as a minister in the state government and rose to be a Rajya Sabha member. In 2014, when the then chief minister Rio chose to go to Parliament and vacated the CMs position, Zeliang took over. When Rio wanted his chair back upon being denied a ministerial berth in Delhi, the doors were closed. Meanwhile, tribal protesters on Tuesday allowed class X students to appear in their board exams but would not allow government offices to function nor any movement of government vehicles. Offices have been closed for a fortnight GUWAHATI: Hectic politicking has begun in Nagaland to bring former chief minister Neiphiu Rio back into the limelight even as tribal organizations are going for chief minister T R Zeliangs jugular over his governments decision to hold civic polls with 33 per cent reservation for women. The tribes have been enforcing an indefinite statewide lockdown this week but on Tuesday they decided to exempt students sitting in the board exams. A three-time chief minister, Neiphiu Rio was suspended by the Naga Peoples Font (NPF) last year. On Tuesday, amid the clamour for Zeliangs resignation, four MLAs of the party ---- Noke Wangnao, C M Chang, Namri Nchang and Kropol Vitsu -- appealed to their leadership to revoke Rios suspension, describing him as the tallest and most acceptable leader of the Nagas. Four former MPs have also thrown their weight behind Rio. The three-time former chief minister, who is Nagalands lone MP, is currently camping in Delhi for an unknown purpose. There are reports that Rio is in Delhi to discuss formalities as to how he should take over the helms of affairs. The NPF is an ally of the BJP in the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland. But the NPF claimed that Rio was summoned to Delhi because there have been negative reports from various quarters about his involvement in worsening the ongoing social unrest. Zeliang has been alleging that the current unrest is purely political in nature. Hailing from the Zeliang Naga tribe, the chief minister started off as a minister in the state government and rose to be a Rajya Sabha member. In 2014, when the then chief minister Rio chose to go to Parliament and vacated the CMs position, Zeliang took over. When Rio wanted his chair back upon being denied a ministerial berth in Delhi, the doors were closed. Meanwhile, tribal protesters on Tuesday allowed class X students to appear in their board exams but would not allow government offices to function nor any movement of government vehicles. Offices have been closed for a fortnight Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: Bihars Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government of three parties - JD(U), RJD and Congress - had long moments of unease on Tuesday as some leaders of RJD pitched for deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav as the successor to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. JD(U) leaders were peeved by the impassioned call made by an RJD legislator for Tejaswi to be made chief minister after Kumar and the way the statement was publicly supported by several RJD leaders. As JD(U) leaders slammed such statements, the inner contradictions between the two major constituents of the one-year-old alliance came to the fore once again. Tejaswi Yadav, the 27-year-old younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, is a first-time MLA who was anointed deputy chief minister in November 2015 after RJD won the largest number of seats in the Assembly polls. He has no previous experience in politics just like his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who was anointed health minister in the government led by JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumar. In Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, a young leader, has been ruling successfully as chief minister for five years. The time has come now for a young leader, Tejaswi Yadav, to be made chief minister of Bihar, said Surendra Yadav, the MLA from Belaganj, in Gaya on Monday. The deputy chief minister, who was in Gaya to address a gathering, however, sought to belittle this demand as an individual opinion and stressed that he was still learning the ropes of politics. It is still unclear why Surendra Yadav, a long-time Lalu loyalist, made the statement, but sources in RJD said this is a part of the partys long-term strategy to pave the way for Tejaswi for 2019 in the event of Nitish Kumar becoming prime minister as the choice of a non-BJP grand alliance of parties. However, sources in RJD also said that a section of the party feels it is now the right time to elevate Tejaswi Yadav as the CM because Nitish Kumar has lost much of his shine in the past one year. This is not a good indication for the alliance, which came to power as the people of Bihar voted for it with Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate. Such statements must stop immediately, said JD(U) spokesperson and MLC Sanjay Singh. Has any JD(U) leader so far spoken anything about Lalu Prasad Yadav? RJD leaders are making irresponsible statements, and we are watching their words, said Niraj Kumar, another JD(U) spokesperson and MLC. Earlier, Bhagalpur MP and RJD youth wing national president Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal had spoken for Tejashwi being elevated as chief minister. PATNA: Bihars Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government of three parties - JD(U), RJD and Congress - had long moments of unease on Tuesday as some leaders of RJD pitched for deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav as the successor to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. JD(U) leaders were peeved by the impassioned call made by an RJD legislator for Tejaswi to be made chief minister after Kumar and the way the statement was publicly supported by several RJD leaders. As JD(U) leaders slammed such statements, the inner contradictions between the two major constituents of the one-year-old alliance came to the fore once again. Tejaswi Yadav, the 27-year-old younger son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, is a first-time MLA who was anointed deputy chief minister in November 2015 after RJD won the largest number of seats in the Assembly polls. He has no previous experience in politics just like his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav, who was anointed health minister in the government led by JD(U) stalwart Nitish Kumar. In Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, a young leader, has been ruling successfully as chief minister for five years. The time has come now for a young leader, Tejaswi Yadav, to be made chief minister of Bihar, said Surendra Yadav, the MLA from Belaganj, in Gaya on Monday. The deputy chief minister, who was in Gaya to address a gathering, however, sought to belittle this demand as an individual opinion and stressed that he was still learning the ropes of politics. It is still unclear why Surendra Yadav, a long-time Lalu loyalist, made the statement, but sources in RJD said this is a part of the partys long-term strategy to pave the way for Tejaswi for 2019 in the event of Nitish Kumar becoming prime minister as the choice of a non-BJP grand alliance of parties. However, sources in RJD also said that a section of the party feels it is now the right time to elevate Tejaswi Yadav as the CM because Nitish Kumar has lost much of his shine in the past one year. This is not a good indication for the alliance, which came to power as the people of Bihar voted for it with Nitish Kumar as the chief ministerial candidate. Such statements must stop immediately, said JD(U) spokesperson and MLC Sanjay Singh. Has any JD(U) leader so far spoken anything about Lalu Prasad Yadav? RJD leaders are making irresponsible statements, and we are watching their words, said Niraj Kumar, another JD(U) spokesperson and MLC. Earlier, Bhagalpur MP and RJD youth wing national president Shailesh Kumar alias Bulo Mandal had spoken for Tejashwi being elevated as chief minister. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Sending a strong message to local Kashmiri people creating hurdles by throwing stones at the security personnel during anti-terror operations, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said it will be dealt as anti-nationals and will face harsh actions by adding that if "they do not relent and create hurdle in our operations, then we will take tough action." Army Chiefs reaction came after his discussion with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed at Palam technical area to pay homage to three of the four soldiers including a Major killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir valley on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was landed at the Palam technical area in the evening after attending an election rally in Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, made a surprised visit at the airbase, where mortal remains of the soldiers were kept. PMs visit was not scheduled. After seeing the mortal remains of soldiers, he came and paid his homage to martyrs, a senior officer said. Three security force personnel were killed in an encounter in Parray Mohalla of Hajin area of Bandipora district yesterday while another armymen lost his life in north Kashmir's Kupwara district. Four militants were also killed in the operations. After paying homage, General Rawat briefed prime minister about prevailing situation in the Kashmir valley. General Rawat also informed the PM that security forces operating in the valley are facing higher casualties due to interference by the local population. Local population not only restricts movement of security personnel during operations and at time even support the terrorists to escape, General Rawat said. "We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. "They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue," said the Army Chief. General Rawat said those supporting terror activities are being given an opportunity but if they continue with their acts then security forces will come down hard on them. "We are giving them an opportunity, should they want to continue to then, we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures and that is the way to continue," he told reporters after laying wreath to the martyrs of Handwara and Bandipora operations. It has been observed, especially after the killing of Burhan Wani by security forces in July last year, security forces have faced opposition from local population in certain areas of Kashmir during anti-terror operations. NEW DELHI: Sending a strong message to local Kashmiri people creating hurdles by throwing stones at the security personnel during anti-terror operations, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said it will be dealt as anti-nationals and will face harsh actions by adding that if "they do not relent and create hurdle in our operations, then we will take tough action." Army Chiefs reaction came after his discussion with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who landed at Palam technical area to pay homage to three of the four soldiers including a Major killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir valley on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was landed at the Palam technical area in the evening after attending an election rally in Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, made a surprised visit at the airbase, where mortal remains of the soldiers were kept. PMs visit was not scheduled. After seeing the mortal remains of soldiers, he came and paid his homage to martyrs, a senior officer said. Three security force personnel were killed in an encounter in Parray Mohalla of Hajin area of Bandipora district yesterday while another armymen lost his life in north Kashmir's Kupwara district. Four militants were also killed in the operations. After paying homage, General Rawat briefed prime minister about prevailing situation in the Kashmir valley. General Rawat also informed the PM that security forces operating in the valley are facing higher casualties due to interference by the local population. Local population not only restricts movement of security personnel during operations and at time even support the terrorists to escape, General Rawat said. "We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. "They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue," said the Army Chief. General Rawat said those supporting terror activities are being given an opportunity but if they continue with their acts then security forces will come down hard on them. "We are giving them an opportunity, should they want to continue to then, we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures and that is the way to continue," he told reporters after laying wreath to the martyrs of Handwara and Bandipora operations. It has been observed, especially after the killing of Burhan Wani by security forces in July last year, security forces have faced opposition from local population in certain areas of Kashmir during anti-terror operations. By IANS KOLKATA: Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have recovered 350 grams of heroin like powder and arrested three persons during a joint raid with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Acting on a tip off, the BSF troopers of Astrosiya outpost in Murshidabad district conducted a joint operation with the NCB Kolkata officials and apprehended three suspects with 350 grams of light brown powder suspected to be heroin on Tuesday, a BSF official said. "Three suspects named Md. Khairul Islam, Obaidul Rahaman and Ajmer Seikh were apprehended from the platform no.1 of Bhagwangola Railway Station and 350 grams of light brown powder suspected to be heroin, was recovered from them," R.P.S. Jaiswal, DIG (Public Relations Officer) of BSF South Bengal Frontier, said in a release. The South Bengal Frontier of the BSF has already seized 9.45 kgs of Narcotics and apprehended eight smugglers in 2017, the official added. KOLKATA: Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have recovered 350 grams of heroin like powder and arrested three persons during a joint raid with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Acting on a tip off, the BSF troopers of Astrosiya outpost in Murshidabad district conducted a joint operation with the NCB Kolkata officials and apprehended three suspects with 350 grams of light brown powder suspected to be heroin on Tuesday, a BSF official said. "Three suspects named Md. Khairul Islam, Obaidul Rahaman and Ajmer Seikh were apprehended from the platform no.1 of Bhagwangola Railway Station and 350 grams of light brown powder suspected to be heroin, was recovered from them," R.P.S. Jaiswal, DIG (Public Relations Officer) of BSF South Bengal Frontier, said in a release. The South Bengal Frontier of the BSF has already seized 9.45 kgs of Narcotics and apprehended eight smugglers in 2017, the official added. Blockchain isnt just for criminals. According to a recent survey by the Post-Trade Distributed Ledger Group, nearly half of its membership will adopt blockchain technology in the next three to five years. Twenty-nine percent of PTDLG members expect blockchain adoption in this space to happen in the next year or two, according to a story by Global Banking & Finance Review. And, it says, 21 percent of them think it will take more than five years. For those who are unclear about just want blockchain is, its a digital ledger technology in which transactions made in Bitcoin or another cryptocurrencies are recorded chronologically and publicly. The Asset Servicing Times, meanwhile, notes that while distributed ledger technology underpinned Bitcoin, its role in capital markets has been unclear until recently. However, the article continues, global financial institutions such as HSBC are working with groups like PTDLG and R3 CEV to identify commercial opportunities for blockchain and to create standards around it. And, the article notes, last year these technologies were applied in several asset classes and even in the occasional market. The article pointed to the Australian Securities Exchanges deployment of DLT to attain near real-time equity trade settlement as one example. Rich Tehrani, CEO of tech media company TMC (News - Alert), in a January blog explained why 2017 will be the year of blockchain, Bitcoin, and fintech. In the piece he reminded us why Bitcoins are better than gold. But he also noted that when hackers started to steal Bitcoins, the idea of cryptocurrencies took a big hit. Although Bitcoin has had its highs and lows since its introduction in 2009, it has not disappeared. In fact, a November piece by Arstechnica says the blockchain technology on which Bitcoin is based is now in the limelight and could potentially be a massive disruptor. Sweden is trialling a new land registry that uses a blockchain, dozens of startups spanning numerous sectors are poking around at possible uses, and importantly policy makers such as the European Parliament have voted in favor of a more hands-off approach towards blockchain tech regulation, writes Alistain Dabbs for Arstechnica. Get the tools you need to navigate Blockchain terrain and opportunities during The Blockchain Event July 17-20 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV. Edited by Stefania Viscusi By Express News Service THANE: Manoj Mhatre, 53-year-old Congress corporator from Bhiwandi was brutally killed by eight masked men on Tuesday night. An FIR has been filed against Manojs cousin Prashant and seven others. However, no arrests have been made yet. The assailants fired three bullets at Mhatre, one of which struck him in the back. They also chopped off one of his arms. He was first rushed to Jupiter Hospital in Thane where he was declared brought dead. Eyewitnesses have identified the accused. We suspect them to be from Bhiwandi and have launched a manhunt to arrest them, Manoj Patil, deputy commissioner of police of Bhiwandi zone, told the Express. The police, however, are yet to recover the gun and the sword used in the crime, he added. Meanwhile, bone-chilling footage of the brutal incident has gone viral over social media. The CCTV footage of Mhatres parking lot shows two unidentified men attacking him with a gun and then a machete. Stunned by the sudden attack, Mhatre falls on the ground as one of the culprits shoots him in the chest, while the other hammers him with a machete. Mhatre, who resided at the Oswalwadi area, was attacked by eight men around 9.30PM while his driver was parking the car. He had returned home after attending a meeting. While six of them attacked Mhatre, the remaining caught the driver and threatened him of dire consequences if he tried to save the corporator, the police said. Mhatres political career began when he was elected to Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation in 2001. He was known as a close confident of senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane. THANE: Manoj Mhatre, 53-year-old Congress corporator from Bhiwandi was brutally killed by eight masked men on Tuesday night. An FIR has been filed against Manojs cousin Prashant and seven others. However, no arrests have been made yet. The assailants fired three bullets at Mhatre, one of which struck him in the back. They also chopped off one of his arms. He was first rushed to Jupiter Hospital in Thane where he was declared brought dead. Eyewitnesses have identified the accused. We suspect them to be from Bhiwandi and have launched a manhunt to arrest them, Manoj Patil, deputy commissioner of police of Bhiwandi zone, told the Express. The police, however, are yet to recover the gun and the sword used in the crime, he added. Meanwhile, bone-chilling footage of the brutal incident has gone viral over social media. The CCTV footage of Mhatres parking lot shows two unidentified men attacking him with a gun and then a machete. Stunned by the sudden attack, Mhatre falls on the ground as one of the culprits shoots him in the chest, while the other hammers him with a machete. Mhatre, who resided at the Oswalwadi area, was attacked by eight men around 9.30PM while his driver was parking the car. He had returned home after attending a meeting. While six of them attacked Mhatre, the remaining caught the driver and threatened him of dire consequences if he tried to save the corporator, the police said. Mhatres political career began when he was elected to Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation in 2001. He was known as a close confident of senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane. Aishik Chanda By Express News Service KOLKATA: Triple murder accused Udayan Das on Wednesday confessed at Bankura district court that he had killed his live-in partner Akansha Sharma in Bhopal. His confidential statement under Section 164 of CrPC would be recorded before third judicial magistrate Sangita Chatterjee on Thursday. The plea of Raipur police for transit remand of Udayan Das would also be heard the same day. After court hearing, Udayan was sent to one day judicial custody. Bankura court witnessed high drama on Wednesday when Udayan contradicted his own lawyer Arup Banerjee when the defence attorney attempted to prove to Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Arup Kumar Nandi that Udayan was innocent and his live-in partner Akansha Sharma had committed suicide. Udayan stopped him midway and said that he had killed Akansha Sharma alias Shweta in Bhopal. To this, both the lawyer and the judge were taken aback. He also refused to seek bail after confessing his crime in the court. Udayan also appealed that his entire property that includes his Bhopal house, mother's jewelleries and father's fixed deposit be taken care of by creating a trust in Akansha's name and Bankura Police be made the trustee. Meanwhile, Akansha's family alleged that Udayan is doing these 'gimmicks' to avoid the noose and get life imprisonment instead for the three murders that he had committed. "He knows that he will face the music. To avoid death sentence, he is trying to pretend that he is reformed now. All the Akansha trust drama and confessing crime in court is part of this fake guilt show that he is putting up," Akansha's brother Ayush said. Meanwhile, Bankura police has claimed that Akansha was killed as she came to know that Udayan had murdered his parents. "Akansha stumbled upon fake passports of Udayan's parents and fake death certificate of his mother while browsing his cupboard on June 29 last year. When confronted, Udayan confessed that he had murdered his parents. However, fearing that she might spill the beans, Udayan killed her," Bankura Superintendent of Police Sukhendu Hira said. Police sources revealed that coming to know about the double murder of Udayan's parents was the last nail in the coffin of Akansha's relationship with her social media friend-turned-live-in partner. Akansha had realised that she was duped by Udayan and the promise for job in the United Nations would never materialise. Accordingly, Akansha had booked a ticket to return home on July 23. However, she was murdered on July 14. KOLKATA: Triple murder accused Udayan Das on Wednesday confessed at Bankura district court that he had killed his live-in partner Akansha Sharma in Bhopal. His confidential statement under Section 164 of CrPC would be recorded before third judicial magistrate Sangita Chatterjee on Thursday. The plea of Raipur police for transit remand of Udayan Das would also be heard the same day. After court hearing, Udayan was sent to one day judicial custody. Bankura court witnessed high drama on Wednesday when Udayan contradicted his own lawyer Arup Banerjee when the defence attorney attempted to prove to Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Arup Kumar Nandi that Udayan was innocent and his live-in partner Akansha Sharma had committed suicide. Udayan stopped him midway and said that he had killed Akansha Sharma alias Shweta in Bhopal. To this, both the lawyer and the judge were taken aback. He also refused to seek bail after confessing his crime in the court. Udayan also appealed that his entire property that includes his Bhopal house, mother's jewelleries and father's fixed deposit be taken care of by creating a trust in Akansha's name and Bankura Police be made the trustee. Meanwhile, Akansha's family alleged that Udayan is doing these 'gimmicks' to avoid the noose and get life imprisonment instead for the three murders that he had committed. "He knows that he will face the music. To avoid death sentence, he is trying to pretend that he is reformed now. All the Akansha trust drama and confessing crime in court is part of this fake guilt show that he is putting up," Akansha's brother Ayush said. Meanwhile, Bankura police has claimed that Akansha was killed as she came to know that Udayan had murdered his parents. "Akansha stumbled upon fake passports of Udayan's parents and fake death certificate of his mother while browsing his cupboard on June 29 last year. When confronted, Udayan confessed that he had murdered his parents. However, fearing that she might spill the beans, Udayan killed her," Bankura Superintendent of Police Sukhendu Hira said. Police sources revealed that coming to know about the double murder of Udayan's parents was the last nail in the coffin of Akansha's relationship with her social media friend-turned-live-in partner. Akansha had realised that she was duped by Udayan and the promise for job in the United Nations would never materialise. Accordingly, Akansha had booked a ticket to return home on July 23. However, she was murdered on July 14. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: In a major departure from its acceptance of the 'One China Policy', India on Wednesday termed the one-of-a-kind visit of Taiwanese legislators here as "nothing unusual". The policy shift seems to be India's way at getting back at its eastern neighbour after failing to make China see reason on two key issues: its entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and banning Masood Azhar at the UN. The official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, downplayed the visit saying that a group of Taiwanese academics and businessmen, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. He insisted that such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them," Swarup said. India's response has come after a strong protest from China over the Taiwanese parliamentary delegation. Beijing warned New Delhi to stick to 'One China Policy' and asked it against maintaining official contact with Taipei, Taiwan's capital. The three-member Taiwanese parliamentary delegation arrived in India on Monday. During an interaction with the media, Taiwanese legislator Kuan Bi-Ling contended that his nation is "totally independent". India does not have diplomatic relation with Taiwan after China articulated its claim over the island and expressed the will to use force if the status was altered by any means. 'One China Policy' is the cornerstone of the diplomatic framework of the nation. Taiwan has a democratically-elected government, unlike the communist dispensation in China. The hosting of the Taiwanese delegation is signalling an assertive Indian foreign policy towards China. Off late, the government has not hesitated in hosting Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama, disregarding Chinese sensitivities. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar has on many occasions advised China that it ought to respect other countries' sensitivity and sovereignty, if it wants the same for itself. NEW DELHI: In a major departure from its acceptance of the 'One China Policy', India on Wednesday termed the one-of-a-kind visit of Taiwanese legislators here as "nothing unusual". The policy shift seems to be India's way at getting back at its eastern neighbour after failing to make China see reason on two key issues: its entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and banning Masood Azhar at the UN. The official spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, downplayed the visit saying that a group of Taiwanese academics and businessmen, including a couple of legislators, is visiting India. He insisted that such informal groups have visited India in the past as well for business, religious and tourist purposes. "I understand that they do so to China as well. There is nothing new or unusual about such visits and political meanings should not be read into them," Swarup said. India's response has come after a strong protest from China over the Taiwanese parliamentary delegation. Beijing warned New Delhi to stick to 'One China Policy' and asked it against maintaining official contact with Taipei, Taiwan's capital. The three-member Taiwanese parliamentary delegation arrived in India on Monday. During an interaction with the media, Taiwanese legislator Kuan Bi-Ling contended that his nation is "totally independent". India does not have diplomatic relation with Taiwan after China articulated its claim over the island and expressed the will to use force if the status was altered by any means. 'One China Policy' is the cornerstone of the diplomatic framework of the nation. Taiwan has a democratically-elected government, unlike the communist dispensation in China. The hosting of the Taiwanese delegation is signalling an assertive Indian foreign policy towards China. Off late, the government has not hesitated in hosting Tibetan Spiritual leader Dalai Lama, disregarding Chinese sensitivities. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar has on many occasions advised China that it ought to respect other countries' sensitivity and sovereignty, if it wants the same for itself. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW:Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been keeping himself away from party campaigns in the first two phases of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, stepped out in support of his chhoti bahu Aparna in the state capital Lucknow on Wednesday. Mulayam Singh, who has addressed only two rallies so far in Etawahfor his younger brother Shivpalstarted off his public meeting by touching the sensitive Ayodhya issue. The SP patriarch said he had to direct the police to fire on Kar Sewaks when the Ayodhya dispute broke in 1990. It was a threat to national integrity and there were no other options to save the mosque which otherwise would have been destroyed by them, he added. Though it was a painful decision, it was essential too. Or else, Muslims would have thought that they had no one to go to, said Mulayam. Delving into details on the welfare schemes of the SP government, including pension allowance to poor women, unemployment allowance to youth, financial assistance and scholarships to girl students, he said, We have always fulfilled all the promises we made to the public without faltering even once. Mulayam, who was sidelined in the party after son Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins as the new party chief following a fall out just ahead of Assembly polls in the state, cautiously ignored the SP-Congress alliance which he had been always opposed to. He also attacked the Centre over demonetisation. It is a government of braggers who only believe in slogans and not in deliverance,he said. Making a fervent appeal to the voters of Lucknow Cantt Constituency, he said, Whether SP government is voted back or not, if Aparna wins, she will get all your works done this is my personal promise to you. Later, in a bid to put up a united face of the family, SP Kannauj MP and Mulayams elder daughter-in-law, Dimple Yadav also addressed a public meeting in support of Aparna. LUCKNOW:Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been keeping himself away from party campaigns in the first two phases of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, stepped out in support of his chhoti bahu Aparna in the state capital Lucknow on Wednesday. Mulayam Singh, who has addressed only two rallies so far in Etawahfor his younger brother Shivpalstarted off his public meeting by touching the sensitive Ayodhya issue. The SP patriarch said he had to direct the police to fire on Kar Sewaks when the Ayodhya dispute broke in 1990. It was a threat to national integrity and there were no other options to save the mosque which otherwise would have been destroyed by them, he added. Though it was a painful decision, it was essential too. Or else, Muslims would have thought that they had no one to go to, said Mulayam. Delving into details on the welfare schemes of the SP government, including pension allowance to poor women, unemployment allowance to youth, financial assistance and scholarships to girl students, he said, We have always fulfilled all the promises we made to the public without faltering even once. Mulayam, who was sidelined in the party after son Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins as the new party chief following a fall out just ahead of Assembly polls in the state, cautiously ignored the SP-Congress alliance which he had been always opposed to. He also attacked the Centre over demonetisation. It is a government of braggers who only believe in slogans and not in deliverance,he said. Making a fervent appeal to the voters of Lucknow Cantt Constituency, he said, Whether SP government is voted back or not, if Aparna wins, she will get all your works done this is my personal promise to you. Later, in a bid to put up a united face of the family, SP Kannauj MP and Mulayams elder daughter-in-law, Dimple Yadav also addressed a public meeting in support of Aparna. Vikram Sharma By Express News Service KAIRANA: From the locked houses with for sale boards and the open drains from which a stench emanates, its hard to imagine that Kairana once nurtured a school of Hindustani music. This is the town in western UP that lends its name to the Kirana Gharana, whose prominent performers include Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal and Sawai Gandharva. This is where the founders of the gharana melded the Hindu dhrupad style with the Islamic khayal. The towns two major communities have lived by this warm metaphor of coexistence for centuries, even when communal riots rocked Muzaffarnagar, 40 km away, in 2013. But today the Muslim-majority town is known not for its artistes but for the so-called Kairana Hindu exodus and the politics surrounding it. The votes have been cast in Kairana in this election and a shadow of sadness comes over the faces of people as they speak about the choices they have had to make. BJP MP Hukum Singh would have you believe that there has been a flight of 350 Hindus families from here, but the people here say Muslims have gone too. Who wouldnt? New Delhi is 150 km away and whats left here? No law, no schools, no jobs. Who wouldnt flee if they had a choice? ''Youll be surprised to know there is not a single petrol bunk in Kairana, a town of 1.2 lakh people. Not a single factory!'' says Munawar Ali, a local leader. Hukum Singhs numbers tell a part of the truth. A total of 550 families have left Kairana. They include Muslims but a majority of them have been Hindus. Munawar Ali says its not true that Hindus were driven out by the townspeople. More likely it was the complete lawlessness unleashed by gangsters like Muqeem Kala, who enjoys the support of the Akhilesh Yadav government, he says. Muqeem Kala is a crime lord in the classical UP tradition. He faces 14 murder cases, and is accused of killing three Hindus and 10 Muslims, the local police say. He was arrested in October 2015 but manages his empire from jail. You hear a different story from the Hindus of Kairana. Saurab Singhal is a lala (trader) who has a business in the market area of Kairana, and he remembers the day his brother was shot dead. On the evening of August 16, 2014, Vinod Singhal was sitting in his kirana store when four men entered and one of them pulled out a pistol and shot him dead. Only one of them has been arrested, months later, and the remaining are still at large. ''Yahan khali goonda gardi hai. Sarkar bhi support karti hai criminals ko. Hum log nikaley jaa rahe hain'' (it is complete lawlessness here, the government supports criminals and our community is being driven out),'' Saurab Singhal says. Vindo Singhals was a classical extortion killing. The goons wanted Rs 5 lakh from him and he refused. But the dead mans brother draws a different inference. The real reason is something else. It was to terrorise the trader community and force them out of Kairana. Over the years, the population of the other community has crossed 85 per cent,'' Saurab Singhal says. Even as the lala speaks, two Muslims join the conversation. ''This is false. All of us are fed up with the gangs. Theyll kill anyone for money. It is not limited to one community,'' says Muhammed Sarib Khan, who runs a cloth shop in the same market. While opinion differ on the trigger for the exodus, communal relations in Kairana are at peace with each other. This, local residents say, is because both populations hail from the Gujjar community. ''We blame each other and we argue, but we never get into a fight, Sarib and Saurab seconds it. Thats charming but the young people of Kairana arent waiting to see if its true. I met Anand, a young man in his twenties, whose father runs a medical shop in the main street of Kairana. The elder man has no doubt that ''goonda gardi bahut badh gayi hai but for the young man its the lack of prospects that is the more galling. ''There are no hospitals, schools or colleges. If I want to go for an evening outing, there is no place. We are deciding to move to Delhi. Im persuading my father to move,'' the young man said. A town with no hope is always likely to lose its youngsters. In that respect Kairana may not be too different from the hundreds of hinterland towns that are being deserted by young people in search of a more exciting life. But in this doomscape, it is the shadow of Muqeem Kala looms largest. He hails from the village of Jaanpura, and he started his career in crime as an apprentice in the then kingpins gang. Jail terms punctuated 30 cases of looting, robbery, murder and extortion across Shamli, Dehradun, Panipat and Baghpat districts. Just the kind of career graph that tends to win goons a cult following in UP. It was BJP MP Hukum Singhs outcry about the Kairana exodus that brought national attention to this forgotten town. He released a list of 350 families who, he alleged, were driven out of Kairana. The subtext of the message was that the Muslim majority was forcing the exodus. Indeed, the population figures of Kairana as per the last census put the population at 89,300, with 80.74 per cent Muslim and 18.34 per cent Hindus. However, the non-BJP parties say the exodus is more due to Muqeem Kalas crime wave and the lack of opportunities here. As might be expected, the present election spins around axis of the exodus issue. And in this too Hukum Singh figures prominently. The political battle in Kairana is being fought by his daughter Mriganka on the BJPs side and his nephew Anil Chauhan, sporting RLD colours. The daughter naturally has Hukums heart but its the nephew who is popular. Chauhan used to be by uncles side and fought on the BJP ticket from Kairana in a bypoll last year. He lost by 1,100 votes to the Samajwadi Partys Nahid Hassan. This time around, Hukum dumped Chauhan for his daughter and the nephew switched over to the RLD in a replay of the Sharad Pawar story. Chauhan has the support of many BJP workers. ''When Hukum Singh came out with the exodus theory, Chauhan was by his side. Now in the RLD, he is dismissing it,'' says a BJP supporter of Mriganka. For the people of Kairana, exodus is on their mind. Many wait with yeh ghar bikau hai graffiti scribbled on the walls of their house. Who would buy a house in a town with no music? KAIRANA: From the locked houses with for sale boards and the open drains from which a stench emanates, its hard to imagine that Kairana once nurtured a school of Hindustani music. This is the town in western UP that lends its name to the Kirana Gharana, whose prominent performers include Bhimsen Joshi, Gangubai Hangal and Sawai Gandharva. This is where the founders of the gharana melded the Hindu dhrupad style with the Islamic khayal. The towns two major communities have lived by this warm metaphor of coexistence for centuries, even when communal riots rocked Muzaffarnagar, 40 km away, in 2013. But today the Muslim-majority town is known not for its artistes but for the so-called Kairana Hindu exodus and the politics surrounding it. The votes have been cast in Kairana in this election and a shadow of sadness comes over the faces of people as they speak about the choices they have had to make. BJP MP Hukum Singh would have you believe that there has been a flight of 350 Hindus families from here, but the people here say Muslims have gone too. Who wouldnt? New Delhi is 150 km away and whats left here? No law, no schools, no jobs. Who wouldnt flee if they had a choice? ''Youll be surprised to know there is not a single petrol bunk in Kairana, a town of 1.2 lakh people. Not a single factory!'' says Munawar Ali, a local leader. Hukum Singhs numbers tell a part of the truth. A total of 550 families have left Kairana. They include Muslims but a majority of them have been Hindus. Munawar Ali says its not true that Hindus were driven out by the townspeople. More likely it was the complete lawlessness unleashed by gangsters like Muqeem Kala, who enjoys the support of the Akhilesh Yadav government, he says. Muqeem Kala is a crime lord in the classical UP tradition. He faces 14 murder cases, and is accused of killing three Hindus and 10 Muslims, the local police say. He was arrested in October 2015 but manages his empire from jail. You hear a different story from the Hindus of Kairana. Saurab Singhal is a lala (trader) who has a business in the market area of Kairana, and he remembers the day his brother was shot dead. On the evening of August 16, 2014, Vinod Singhal was sitting in his kirana store when four men entered and one of them pulled out a pistol and shot him dead. Only one of them has been arrested, months later, and the remaining are still at large. ''Yahan khali goonda gardi hai. Sarkar bhi support karti hai criminals ko. Hum log nikaley jaa rahe hain'' (it is complete lawlessness here, the government supports criminals and our community is being driven out),'' Saurab Singhal says. Vindo Singhals was a classical extortion killing. The goons wanted Rs 5 lakh from him and he refused. But the dead mans brother draws a different inference. The real reason is something else. It was to terrorise the trader community and force them out of Kairana. Over the years, the population of the other community has crossed 85 per cent,'' Saurab Singhal says. Even as the lala speaks, two Muslims join the conversation. ''This is false. All of us are fed up with the gangs. Theyll kill anyone for money. It is not limited to one community,'' says Muhammed Sarib Khan, who runs a cloth shop in the same market. While opinion differ on the trigger for the exodus, communal relations in Kairana are at peace with each other. This, local residents say, is because both populations hail from the Gujjar community. ''We blame each other and we argue, but we never get into a fight, Sarib and Saurab seconds it. Thats charming but the young people of Kairana arent waiting to see if its true. I met Anand, a young man in his twenties, whose father runs a medical shop in the main street of Kairana. The elder man has no doubt that ''goonda gardi bahut badh gayi hai but for the young man its the lack of prospects that is the more galling. ''There are no hospitals, schools or colleges. If I want to go for an evening outing, there is no place. We are deciding to move to Delhi. Im persuading my father to move,'' the young man said. A town with no hope is always likely to lose its youngsters. In that respect Kairana may not be too different from the hundreds of hinterland towns that are being deserted by young people in search of a more exciting life. But in this doomscape, it is the shadow of Muqeem Kala looms largest. He hails from the village of Jaanpura, and he started his career in crime as an apprentice in the then kingpins gang. Jail terms punctuated 30 cases of looting, robbery, murder and extortion across Shamli, Dehradun, Panipat and Baghpat districts. Just the kind of career graph that tends to win goons a cult following in UP. It was BJP MP Hukum Singhs outcry about the Kairana exodus that brought national attention to this forgotten town. He released a list of 350 families who, he alleged, were driven out of Kairana. The subtext of the message was that the Muslim majority was forcing the exodus. Indeed, the population figures of Kairana as per the last census put the population at 89,300, with 80.74 per cent Muslim and 18.34 per cent Hindus. However, the non-BJP parties say the exodus is more due to Muqeem Kalas crime wave and the lack of opportunities here. As might be expected, the present election spins around axis of the exodus issue. And in this too Hukum Singh figures prominently. The political battle in Kairana is being fought by his daughter Mriganka on the BJPs side and his nephew Anil Chauhan, sporting RLD colours. The daughter naturally has Hukums heart but its the nephew who is popular. Chauhan used to be by uncles side and fought on the BJP ticket from Kairana in a bypoll last year. He lost by 1,100 votes to the Samajwadi Partys Nahid Hassan. This time around, Hukum dumped Chauhan for his daughter and the nephew switched over to the RLD in a replay of the Sharad Pawar story. Chauhan has the support of many BJP workers. ''When Hukum Singh came out with the exodus theory, Chauhan was by his side. Now in the RLD, he is dismissing it,'' says a BJP supporter of Mriganka. For the people of Kairana, exodus is on their mind. Many wait with yeh ghar bikau hai graffiti scribbled on the walls of their house. Who would buy a house in a town with no music? Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: The Supreme Courts order on Wednesday to shift criminal-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin to Tihar jail in Delhi from Bihars Siwan jail brought relief to the families who bore the brutal brunt of the former MPs anger. Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chandababu, a 70-year-old Siwan resident whose three sons were murdered allegedly by Shahabuddin and his men, welcomed the apex courts order. Asha Ranjan, the Siwan-based widow of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan who was shot dead in May 2016, said she felt relieved by the top courts order. She had lodged an FIR in December 2016 saying she had received phone calls with death threats from Dubai, allegedly at the behest of the former RJD parliamentarian, asking her to stop pursuing the prosecution case. The Supreme Court, which passed the order on a petition filed by Chandababu, asked Bihars Nitish Kumar-led alliance government to complete Shahabuddins transfer to Tihar jail in a week. Shahabuddin, who was convicted to life imprisonment in 2015 for killing two of Chandababus sons, had argued that shifting him out of Bihar would violate his fundamental rights, but the top court rejected that contention. This is a very good order by the Supreme Court. The people of Siwan will feel now free and as he will not be in the town, said Chandababu. This man (Shahabuddin) is such a person that he should be lodged in jail for his entire life. Asha Ranjan said, This order brings a lot of relief to me. I will feel safer than I do now. This verdict is in the best interest of free and fair trial. After spending 11 years behind the bars, Shahabuddin had come out of Siwan jail in September 2016 after Patna High Court granted him bail in a murder case on September 7, 2016, but the Supreme Court cancelled the bail on October 1, 2016 and he was put back in jail. The apex courts latest order, passed by Justices Dipak Misra and Amitabh Roy, said trial of the pending cases against him would be conducted via video conferencing. We have received a copy of the Supreme Courts order. Arrangements will be made to shift him to Tihar jail in a week, said Siwan superintendent of police Saurabh Kumar Shah. Meanwhile, police in the western Bihar town beefed up security at Chandababus house. Leaders of the three parties in Bihars ruling alliance JD (U), RJD and Congress declined to comment on the SC order, while the Opposition BJP leaders said the development was in recognition of the fact that fair trial was impossible in Bihar. Selfies taken by the four-time RJD MP with a mobile phone inside Siwan jail had gone viral last month, exposing his access to mobile phones and other luxuries not allowed to prisoners. An FIR was lodged against him in the case. Shahabuddin is already facing trial in more than 36 criminal cases involving murder, extortion and abduction. PATNA: The Supreme Courts order on Wednesday to shift criminal-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin to Tihar jail in Delhi from Bihars Siwan jail brought relief to the families who bore the brutal brunt of the former MPs anger. Chandrakeshwar Prasad alias Chandababu, a 70-year-old Siwan resident whose three sons were murdered allegedly by Shahabuddin and his men, welcomed the apex courts order. Asha Ranjan, the Siwan-based widow of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan who was shot dead in May 2016, said she felt relieved by the top courts order. She had lodged an FIR in December 2016 saying she had received phone calls with death threats from Dubai, allegedly at the behest of the former RJD parliamentarian, asking her to stop pursuing the prosecution case. The Supreme Court, which passed the order on a petition filed by Chandababu, asked Bihars Nitish Kumar-led alliance government to complete Shahabuddins transfer to Tihar jail in a week. Shahabuddin, who was convicted to life imprisonment in 2015 for killing two of Chandababus sons, had argued that shifting him out of Bihar would violate his fundamental rights, but the top court rejected that contention. This is a very good order by the Supreme Court. The people of Siwan will feel now free and as he will not be in the town, said Chandababu. This man (Shahabuddin) is such a person that he should be lodged in jail for his entire life. Asha Ranjan said, This order brings a lot of relief to me. I will feel safer than I do now. This verdict is in the best interest of free and fair trial. After spending 11 years behind the bars, Shahabuddin had come out of Siwan jail in September 2016 after Patna High Court granted him bail in a murder case on September 7, 2016, but the Supreme Court cancelled the bail on October 1, 2016 and he was put back in jail. The apex courts latest order, passed by Justices Dipak Misra and Amitabh Roy, said trial of the pending cases against him would be conducted via video conferencing. We have received a copy of the Supreme Courts order. Arrangements will be made to shift him to Tihar jail in a week, said Siwan superintendent of police Saurabh Kumar Shah. Meanwhile, police in the western Bihar town beefed up security at Chandababus house. Leaders of the three parties in Bihars ruling alliance JD (U), RJD and Congress declined to comment on the SC order, while the Opposition BJP leaders said the development was in recognition of the fact that fair trial was impossible in Bihar. Selfies taken by the four-time RJD MP with a mobile phone inside Siwan jail had gone viral last month, exposing his access to mobile phones and other luxuries not allowed to prisoners. An FIR was lodged against him in the case. Shahabuddin is already facing trial in more than 36 criminal cases involving murder, extortion and abduction. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRI NAGAR:The five months of violent unrest following the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in Jammu and Kashmir last year may not seem to be a distant memory if incidents of the last three days are anything to go by. For, there is an apparent increase in encounter incidents in the State in which at least eight militants, six soldiers, including a Major, and two civilians have been killed in the space of three days. About a dozen security personnel, including a CRPF commandant and a Major, have been injured. DIG North Kashmir Nitish Kumar said the surge in encounters cannot be linked to rise in militancy. We are seeking contact with the militants. It is not that the militants are attacking the security personnel, he said. Another police officer said there has been a surge in encounters because security forces have gone on the offensive by launching counter militancy operations. During the more than five-month long agitation in the Valley last year, the focus of the security forces was to maintain law and order and not counter militancy operations. Now the focus has again shifted to counter militancy operations, he said, adding that the security agencies have again made operational intelligence grid, which was rendered non-functional during the unrest. Now that counter militancy operations have resumed, the security forces are tracking militants and encounters are taking place, he said. The police officer termed the killing of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant Abu Darda and his two associates as a major jolt to the terror outfit. The militants were involved in a number of incidents, including an attack on an Army convoy, patrol party and BSF convoy in North Kashmir, he said. All the attacks, the police said, were planned by Lashkar terrorist Abu Darda, who was killed in one of the encounters. He was active in the Kupwara belt from 20082010. He had returned to Pakistan in 2010 and infiltrated back in 2015. After his second infiltration, he established a base in Handwara. He was the main coordinator of Lashkar and was responsible for the safe movement of newly arriving militants to other parts of the Valley, especially Central and South Kashmir, said the police officer. Meanwhile, the Army paid tributes to Major Satish Dahiya, rifleman Ravi Kumar, paratrooper Dharmender Kumar and gunner Ashutosh Kumar, who were killed in the twin encounters in North Kashmir. Dahiya (31), from Mahendergarh, Haryana, lead the operation against the militants in Handwara, said defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia. Dahiya, who was part of several counter militant operations, is survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter. SRI NAGAR:The five months of violent unrest following the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in Jammu and Kashmir last year may not seem to be a distant memory if incidents of the last three days are anything to go by. For, there is an apparent increase in encounter incidents in the State in which at least eight militants, six soldiers, including a Major, and two civilians have been killed in the space of three days. About a dozen security personnel, including a CRPF commandant and a Major, have been injured. DIG North Kashmir Nitish Kumar said the surge in encounters cannot be linked to rise in militancy. We are seeking contact with the militants. It is not that the militants are attacking the security personnel, he said. Another police officer said there has been a surge in encounters because security forces have gone on the offensive by launching counter militancy operations. During the more than five-month long agitation in the Valley last year, the focus of the security forces was to maintain law and order and not counter militancy operations. Now the focus has again shifted to counter militancy operations, he said, adding that the security agencies have again made operational intelligence grid, which was rendered non-functional during the unrest. Now that counter militancy operations have resumed, the security forces are tracking militants and encounters are taking place, he said. The police officer termed the killing of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant Abu Darda and his two associates as a major jolt to the terror outfit. The militants were involved in a number of incidents, including an attack on an Army convoy, patrol party and BSF convoy in North Kashmir, he said. All the attacks, the police said, were planned by Lashkar terrorist Abu Darda, who was killed in one of the encounters. He was active in the Kupwara belt from 20082010. He had returned to Pakistan in 2010 and infiltrated back in 2015. After his second infiltration, he established a base in Handwara. He was the main coordinator of Lashkar and was responsible for the safe movement of newly arriving militants to other parts of the Valley, especially Central and South Kashmir, said the police officer. Meanwhile, the Army paid tributes to Major Satish Dahiya, rifleman Ravi Kumar, paratrooper Dharmender Kumar and gunner Ashutosh Kumar, who were killed in the twin encounters in North Kashmir. Dahiya (31), from Mahendergarh, Haryana, lead the operation against the militants in Handwara, said defence spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia. Dahiya, who was part of several counter militant operations, is survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter. Vivek Gumaste By No sane Indian irrespective of his/her political affiliation, religious persuasion or ideological conviction would quibble with the utopian notion that the Kashmir imbroglio warrants a harmonious settlement, a speedy resolution that would once and for all upend the ugly discord. But the million-dollar question is how. The joint statement issued by some prominent personalities including Justice A P Shah, former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha, ex-Punjab DGP Julio Ribeiro, historian Ramachandra Guha and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta that seeks to address the Kashmir issue is a bizarre pronouncement; it reads like a naive essay penned by a 6-year-old, high on an emotional scale (only bonds of love and understanding will bind India together) but wanting in pragmatic reality; it conveys a narrow limited perspectivethat of the Kashmiri Muslim, marginalises the rights of other minorities and disregards the ramifications of gubernatorial responsibilities. It is too lopsided to be a roadmap to a successful outcome. It belongs to la-la land. On face value, it appears to be well-intentioned; a heartfelt outpouring for peace and goodwill. But a critical analysis unravels a deadly Pandoras boxa nuanced attempt laced with loaded innuendoes intent on embarrassing the current government, an unrealistic sermon that undercuts the basis of a constitutional democracy. The timing of this statement on the Mahatmas death anniversary is a skillful adjunct to exploit his aura. Unfortunately, it is an incongruous association: The violent turmoil they seek to highlight is the very antithesis of what Gandhi stood for. Would the apostle of non-violence have approved of Burhan Wani, the poster boy for this current spate of violence: A wayward lad who liked to flaunt an AK-47 as his signature weapon of protest? Would the Mahatma have endorsed this senseless stone pelting? The answer is a resounding no. By invoking Gandhi to lend credibility to a violent, fundamentalist movement, they have insulted his legacy. The statement avers: We have watched with grave foreboding as Kashmir has descended into turmoil Nearly 100 people have died ... Yet there has been no accountability thus far. Wrong. Accountability in a democracy is not a one-way street with the entire onus on the government; citizens too have a duty. By resorting to stone pelting at the drop of a hat, Kashmiri Muslims have demonstrated a dereliction of duty. Accountability also begets another question: Who is accountable for the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits? Blaming militants and Pakistan cannot absolve the majority community. What happened in Kashmir could not have occurred without the tacit compliance of the majority and so, despite their protestations, Muslims must bear the brunt of the blame. Prior to 1990, the Army presence was minimal. Only when there was a total collapse of law and order was it deployed. The Army stands in Kashmir not as a brute occupying force out to suppress dissent but as a legitimate arm of a democratic government mandated to enforce the rule of law in a terrorist-infested jungle. Overall, the Kashmiri Muslims have demonstrated a lack of accountability. Any government worth its name cannot allow crimes against humanity to go unanswered or rampant lawlessness to go unchallenged. The Kashmiri Muslims are totally responsible for a quagmire of their own making. The statement attempts to cast the government as a callous ogre by sympathising with families many of whose children have even lost vision. While I empathise with the parents, there is a serious ethical conundrum. What were 14-year-olds doing in a violent demonstration? Were they there on their own volition? If so, where were their parents? Or were they used by unscrupulous agitators as a shield to compromise the security forces? According to the UN, recruitment of children in combat is one of the six grave violations against children: Human rights law declares 18 as the minimum legal age for recruitment and use of children in hostilities. Recruiting and using children under the age of 15 is defined as a war crime by the International Criminal Court. So, here you have a movement that has no qualms exploiting children in violation of international law. Can we come to terms with such depravity? To confer martyrdom on militants like Wani and imbue violent protests with validity is to declare that violence is acceptable in dissent. In moral terms, the ethnic cleansing of the Pandits is so humongous that it reduces to irrelevance the little validity the separatists have and transcends the so-called Army atrocities. To ignore this moral crime and clamour for an unconditional compromise is to destroy the credibility of our secular democracy. Kashmiris are suffering from an identity crisis wherein a small but vocal group is inciting them to focus on their immediate past and align themselves with an upstart nation, Pakistan, forsaking age-old tradition that celebrates Kashmiryaat and binds them culturally to India. To make peace with separatists is to negate both the cultural integrity and constitutional sovereignty of India. What is at stake in Kashmir is a moral principle, our secular credentials, cultural integrity and constitutional sovereignty. These prominent personalities are saying we should sacrifice our values to appease a tantrum-throwing segment of our population; in other words, we should burn our Constitution, close down our Parliament, disband our Army and allow anarchy to set in to earn the goodwill of Kashmiri Muslims. That unfortunately is a choice we cannot entertain. No sane Indian irrespective of his/her political affiliation, religious persuasion or ideological conviction would quibble with the utopian notion that the Kashmir imbroglio warrants a harmonious settlement, a speedy resolution that would once and for all upend the ugly discord. But the million-dollar question is how. The joint statement issued by some prominent personalities including Justice A P Shah, former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha, ex-Punjab DGP Julio Ribeiro, historian Ramachandra Guha and senior journalist Shekhar Gupta that seeks to address the Kashmir issue is a bizarre pronouncement; it reads like a naive essay penned by a 6-year-old, high on an emotional scale (only bonds of love and understanding will bind India together) but wanting in pragmatic reality; it conveys a narrow limited perspectivethat of the Kashmiri Muslim, marginalises the rights of other minorities and disregards the ramifications of gubernatorial responsibilities. It is too lopsided to be a roadmap to a successful outcome. It belongs to la-la land. On face value, it appears to be well-intentioned; a heartfelt outpouring for peace and goodwill. But a critical analysis unravels a deadly Pandoras boxa nuanced attempt laced with loaded innuendoes intent on embarrassing the current government, an unrealistic sermon that undercuts the basis of a constitutional democracy. The timing of this statement on the Mahatmas death anniversary is a skillful adjunct to exploit his aura. Unfortunately, it is an incongruous association: The violent turmoil they seek to highlight is the very antithesis of what Gandhi stood for. Would the apostle of non-violence have approved of Burhan Wani, the poster boy for this current spate of violence: A wayward lad who liked to flaunt an AK-47 as his signature weapon of protest? Would the Mahatma have endorsed this senseless stone pelting? The answer is a resounding no. By invoking Gandhi to lend credibility to a violent, fundamentalist movement, they have insulted his legacy. The statement avers: We have watched with grave foreboding as Kashmir has descended into turmoil Nearly 100 people have died ... Yet there has been no accountability thus far. Wrong. Accountability in a democracy is not a one-way street with the entire onus on the government; citizens too have a duty. By resorting to stone pelting at the drop of a hat, Kashmiri Muslims have demonstrated a dereliction of duty. Accountability also begets another question: Who is accountable for the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits? Blaming militants and Pakistan cannot absolve the majority community. What happened in Kashmir could not have occurred without the tacit compliance of the majority and so, despite their protestations, Muslims must bear the brunt of the blame. Prior to 1990, the Army presence was minimal. Only when there was a total collapse of law and order was it deployed. The Army stands in Kashmir not as a brute occupying force out to suppress dissent but as a legitimate arm of a democratic government mandated to enforce the rule of law in a terrorist-infested jungle. Overall, the Kashmiri Muslims have demonstrated a lack of accountability. Any government worth its name cannot allow crimes against humanity to go unanswered or rampant lawlessness to go unchallenged. The Kashmiri Muslims are totally responsible for a quagmire of their own making. The statement attempts to cast the government as a callous ogre by sympathising with families many of whose children have even lost vision. While I empathise with the parents, there is a serious ethical conundrum. What were 14-year-olds doing in a violent demonstration? Were they there on their own volition? If so, where were their parents? Or were they used by unscrupulous agitators as a shield to compromise the security forces? According to the UN, recruitment of children in combat is one of the six grave violations against children: Human rights law declares 18 as the minimum legal age for recruitment and use of children in hostilities. Recruiting and using children under the age of 15 is defined as a war crime by the International Criminal Court. So, here you have a movement that has no qualms exploiting children in violation of international law. Can we come to terms with such depravity? To confer martyrdom on militants like Wani and imbue violent protests with validity is to declare that violence is acceptable in dissent. In moral terms, the ethnic cleansing of the Pandits is so humongous that it reduces to irrelevance the little validity the separatists have and transcends the so-called Army atrocities. To ignore this moral crime and clamour for an unconditional compromise is to destroy the credibility of our secular democracy. Kashmiris are suffering from an identity crisis wherein a small but vocal group is inciting them to focus on their immediate past and align themselves with an upstart nation, Pakistan, forsaking age-old tradition that celebrates Kashmiryaat and binds them culturally to India. To make peace with separatists is to negate both the cultural integrity and constitutional sovereignty of India. What is at stake in Kashmir is a moral principle, our secular credentials, cultural integrity and constitutional sovereignty. These prominent personalities are saying we should sacrifice our values to appease a tantrum-throwing segment of our population; in other words, we should burn our Constitution, close down our Parliament, disband our Army and allow anarchy to set in to earn the goodwill of Kashmiri Muslims. That unfortunately is a choice we cannot entertain. The mile-long traffic snarls. Office-goers angrily blowing their horns (and their tops), impatiently spewing abuse and exhaust smoke. This is an all too familiar daily routine for every working class hero in our metros as they commute to and from work. In Bengaluru, for instance, it sometimes takes over an hour to travel three kilometers during the ironically named rush hours. And in Delhi, there have been cases of people shooting commuters in what is described as road rage. While in Mumbai, even CEOs take the local train because driving would take three times the time. Every metro in the world probably has similar tales. But what distinguishes traffic intersections in our major cities is another thing: Noise. Not just from car horns and commuters, but also from the continuous construction as planners desperately build flyovers, bridges and metro tunnels to cope with the rush. This noise, according to a recent study, can be deadly. Jointly conducted by Swedens Road Safety and Engineering Institute and Delhi-based NGO CitizenforSafety, the study shows roads with loud ambient noises are more prone to accidents. For example, noise levels in New Delhis Mathura Road reach almost twice the safe levels of 55 dB. Apart from hearing loss, prolonged exposure to such levels of noise makes our muscles clench and breathing becomes faster than normal. Apart from good driving and strict enforcement of traffic rules, driving ambience plays a major role in controlling accidents, says the studys chief researcher. This seems like a tall order. While enforcement of traffic rules is mediocre at best, good driving is probably dangerous given the impatience on our roads. As for ambience, traffic signals with relax written on the red light in New Delhi probably provokes an opposite reaction, while Rabindrasangeet at Kolkatas intersections only adds to the din. Until better ideas come along, well just have to live with the noise. The mile-long traffic snarls. Office-goers angrily blowing their horns (and their tops), impatiently spewing abuse and exhaust smoke. This is an all too familiar daily routine for every working class hero in our metros as they commute to and from work. In Bengaluru, for instance, it sometimes takes over an hour to travel three kilometers during the ironically named rush hours. And in Delhi, there have been cases of people shooting commuters in what is described as road rage. While in Mumbai, even CEOs take the local train because driving would take three times the time. Every metro in the world probably has similar tales. But what distinguishes traffic intersections in our major cities is another thing: Noise. Not just from car horns and commuters, but also from the continuous construction as planners desperately build flyovers, bridges and metro tunnels to cope with the rush. This noise, according to a recent study, can be deadly. Jointly conducted by Swedens Road Safety and Engineering Institute and Delhi-based NGO CitizenforSafety, the study shows roads with loud ambient noises are more prone to accidents. For example, noise levels in New Delhis Mathura Road reach almost twice the safe levels of 55 dB. Apart from hearing loss, prolonged exposure to such levels of noise makes our muscles clench and breathing becomes faster than normal. Apart from good driving and strict enforcement of traffic rules, driving ambience plays a major role in controlling accidents, says the studys chief researcher. This seems like a tall order. While enforcement of traffic rules is mediocre at best, good driving is probably dangerous given the impatience on our roads. As for ambience, traffic signals with relax written on the red light in New Delhi probably provokes an opposite reaction, while Rabindrasangeet at Kolkatas intersections only adds to the din. Until better ideas come along, well just have to live with the noise. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: In a fresh step towards realising the Metro Railway project in the city, the officials of Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation (AMRC) on Tuesday met representatives of German and French development banks KfW and Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) and informed them about the land acquisition procedure for the project. A team from the KfW and the AFD had visited the city in the first week of November 2016 and studied the project feasibility, sources said. At that time, the state government submitted a proposal to sanction a loan of Rs 4,000 crore and banks agreed in principle to fund the project. However, the bank representatives did not reveal details of the individual contributions to the project. On Tuesday, District collector Babu A gave a power-point presentation to the KfW and AFD representatives regarding the procedure to be followed in acquiring land for the metro project. Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said that land acquisition for the project is being done only with the consent of landholders after holding public hearings. He informed the officials that proper rehabilitation and resettlement would be provided to the affected families and said that no landholder will incur a loss due to the project. Majority of the people who lose their housing lands as part of the project are seeking for alternative lands and we will look into it. Those who lose their livelihood will be granted Pradhan Mantri Mudra Loans and those who lose house will get the house under PM Awaz Yojana or NTR Housing Scheme, he explained. District joint collector Gandham Chandrudu has informed the delegations from AFD and KfW that a total of 76.9 acres is required for Mahatma Gandhi Road and Eluru Road corridors of the project out of which 68.4 acres is private land and 8.3 acres is government land. Through resettlement and rehabilitation, issues pertaining to the resistance from the public will be solved at the earliest and land acquisition process will be completed without any delay, he said. AMRC Managing Director N Ramakrishna Reddy, sub-collector Balaji and other officials present on the occasion. VIJAYAWADA: In a fresh step towards realising the Metro Railway project in the city, the officials of Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation (AMRC) on Tuesday met representatives of German and French development banks KfW and Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) and informed them about the land acquisition procedure for the project. A team from the KfW and the AFD had visited the city in the first week of November 2016 and studied the project feasibility, sources said. At that time, the state government submitted a proposal to sanction a loan of Rs 4,000 crore and banks agreed in principle to fund the project. However, the bank representatives did not reveal details of the individual contributions to the project. On Tuesday, District collector Babu A gave a power-point presentation to the KfW and AFD representatives regarding the procedure to be followed in acquiring land for the metro project. Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said that land acquisition for the project is being done only with the consent of landholders after holding public hearings. He informed the officials that proper rehabilitation and resettlement would be provided to the affected families and said that no landholder will incur a loss due to the project. Majority of the people who lose their housing lands as part of the project are seeking for alternative lands and we will look into it. Those who lose their livelihood will be granted Pradhan Mantri Mudra Loans and those who lose house will get the house under PM Awaz Yojana or NTR Housing Scheme, he explained. District joint collector Gandham Chandrudu has informed the delegations from AFD and KfW that a total of 76.9 acres is required for Mahatma Gandhi Road and Eluru Road corridors of the project out of which 68.4 acres is private land and 8.3 acres is government land. Through resettlement and rehabilitation, issues pertaining to the resistance from the public will be solved at the earliest and land acquisition process will be completed without any delay, he said. AMRC Managing Director N Ramakrishna Reddy, sub-collector Balaji and other officials present on the occasion. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA:In an interesting development, Supreme Court judgement against AIADMK chief VK Sasikala came up for discussion at the Telugu Desam Party Coordination Committee meeting chaired by AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at his residence in Undavalli near here on Tuesday. Naidu, referring to the apex court sentencing Sasikala to four years of imprisonment for corruption of `66 crore, wondered how many years should those who amassed illegal wealth of nearly `1 lakh crore should get, in an oblique reference to YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy even as TDP leaders held press conferences outside predicting Sasikalas fate for him. At the coordination committee meeting, members apprised the chief minister that this was a hot debate on social media now and Naidu in response said that one should be aware of the consequences of indulging in corruption, referring to the possibility of Sasikala being disqualified from contesting for public office for a period of six years. Naidu said the Supreme Courts verdict was changing political equations in Tamil Nadu and explained how seriously corruption charges are being dealt by courts. Naidu sets sights on 19 polls Naidu also dwelt at length with the partys organisational issues and said that he would be spending more time on party affairs, as elections were only two-and-a-half years away from now. At the party coordination committee meeting held at his residence at Undavalli, the Chief Minister is reported to have said that he would spend at least three to four hours, sorting out issues in the party so that it would be well oiled and cohesive organisation by the time polls arrive. The AP CM is understood to have been unhappy over lethargic attitude of some ministers in attending to issues that concern party in districts. You are not able to keep pace with me. You are too slow. I will henceforth make you also run, the Chief Minister is reported to have said. He wanted the minister or ministers in a district, minister in-charge of the district and president of the party district unit to form into committees and address the issues the party is facing at the ground level. VIJAYAWADA:In an interesting development, Supreme Court judgement against AIADMK chief VK Sasikala came up for discussion at the Telugu Desam Party Coordination Committee meeting chaired by AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at his residence in Undavalli near here on Tuesday. Naidu, referring to the apex court sentencing Sasikala to four years of imprisonment for corruption of `66 crore, wondered how many years should those who amassed illegal wealth of nearly `1 lakh crore should get, in an oblique reference to YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy even as TDP leaders held press conferences outside predicting Sasikalas fate for him. At the coordination committee meeting, members apprised the chief minister that this was a hot debate on social media now and Naidu in response said that one should be aware of the consequences of indulging in corruption, referring to the possibility of Sasikala being disqualified from contesting for public office for a period of six years. Naidu said the Supreme Courts verdict was changing political equations in Tamil Nadu and explained how seriously corruption charges are being dealt by courts. Naidu sets sights on 19 polls Naidu also dwelt at length with the partys organisational issues and said that he would be spending more time on party affairs, as elections were only two-and-a-half years away from now. At the party coordination committee meeting held at his residence at Undavalli, the Chief Minister is reported to have said that he would spend at least three to four hours, sorting out issues in the party so that it would be well oiled and cohesive organisation by the time polls arrive. The AP CM is understood to have been unhappy over lethargic attitude of some ministers in attending to issues that concern party in districts. You are not able to keep pace with me. You are too slow. I will henceforth make you also run, the Chief Minister is reported to have said. He wanted the minister or ministers in a district, minister in-charge of the district and president of the party district unit to form into committees and address the issues the party is facing at the ground level. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the chief secretary issuing him a show cause notice over his spat with MK Raghavan MP, Kozhikode Collector N Prasanth - popularly known as Collector Bro with his large following in social media- has been removed from the post. Wednesday's Cabinet meeting decided to replace him with tourism director UV Jose. Prasanth has not been given new posting. Though the reason for the transfer has not been stated, sources said the public fight between the Collector and the Kozhikode MP, must have cost him dearly. The open confrontation between the Collector and MP on spending the MP funds had created headlines. Last month, Chief Secretary SM Vijayanandan had served a notice to Collector N Prasanth stating that he had been charged with misconduct over his public confrontation with MK Raghavan MP. There were reports that the chief secretary issued the notice after Prasanth refused to join hands with other IAS officers in the strike as part of their fight against Vigilance director Jacob Thomas. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the chief secretary issuing him a show cause notice over his spat with MK Raghavan MP, Kozhikode Collector N Prasanth - popularly known as Collector Bro with his large following in social media- has been removed from the post. Wednesday's Cabinet meeting decided to replace him with tourism director UV Jose. Prasanth has not been given new posting. Though the reason for the transfer has not been stated, sources said the public fight between the Collector and the Kozhikode MP, must have cost him dearly. The open confrontation between the Collector and MP on spending the MP funds had created headlines. Last month, Chief Secretary SM Vijayanandan had served a notice to Collector N Prasanth stating that he had been charged with misconduct over his public confrontation with MK Raghavan MP. There were reports that the chief secretary issued the notice after Prasanth refused to join hands with other IAS officers in the strike as part of their fight against Vigilance director Jacob Thomas. By Express News Service ANGUL: Following detection of bird flu virus, Angul district authorities have started culling of chicken within 1 km radius of the affected zone in the town on Tuesday. According to district official source, a five-member team started the culling process and are destroying the remnants of the affected chickens at shops and houses to check the spread of the disease. Compensation will be paid to those persons whose chickens are culled during the drive, the source said. Around 1,500 chickens died in the government poultry here from January 30 to February 11. The district authorities sent the samples to a Phulnakhara-based laboratory which stated that the deaths occurred due to other reasons and started treatment on the farm. As the chickens continued to perish, the authorities sent the samples of suspected avian flu to National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, which confirmed the presence of an H5N1 virus on Monday. This prompted the district administration to take steps to eradicate the strain. According to DIPRO S C Sethi, a meeting was held on Tuesday in the presence of Collector Anil Kumar Samal. Officials of Health and Veterinary departments attended the meeting. Sethi said an area of 10 km has been identified as alert zone where tests on chicken will be conducted and precautionary measures are taken to check the spread of the disease. The people of the district have been asked to stop consuming chicken and eggs for a period of three months. A strict vigil is being maintained across the district to identify and kill the chickens affected by the virus, he added. ANGUL: Following detection of bird flu virus, Angul district authorities have started culling of chicken within 1 km radius of the affected zone in the town on Tuesday. According to district official source, a five-member team started the culling process and are destroying the remnants of the affected chickens at shops and houses to check the spread of the disease. Compensation will be paid to those persons whose chickens are culled during the drive, the source said. Around 1,500 chickens died in the government poultry here from January 30 to February 11. The district authorities sent the samples to a Phulnakhara-based laboratory which stated that the deaths occurred due to other reasons and started treatment on the farm. As the chickens continued to perish, the authorities sent the samples of suspected avian flu to National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), Bhopal, which confirmed the presence of an H5N1 virus on Monday. This prompted the district administration to take steps to eradicate the strain. According to DIPRO S C Sethi, a meeting was held on Tuesday in the presence of Collector Anil Kumar Samal. Officials of Health and Veterinary departments attended the meeting. Sethi said an area of 10 km has been identified as alert zone where tests on chicken will be conducted and precautionary measures are taken to check the spread of the disease. The people of the district have been asked to stop consuming chicken and eggs for a period of three months. A strict vigil is being maintained across the district to identify and kill the chickens affected by the virus, he added. By Express News Service BERHAMPUR: Olive Ridleys, the rare and endangered marine turtle species of the world, have started mass nesting at Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district. After sporadic nesting in the last week of January, over 8,000 turtles have laid eggs on the 5-km coastline from Gokharkuda to Podempeta since Monday night. Nesting continued till Tuesday morning, said Berhampur DFO Asish Behera. He added that this year, condition of the beach and weather is conducive for mass nesting of turtles. The Ridleys usually start mating every year in the sea near their preferred nesting coast. After the end of the mating season, most male turtles return leaving behind the females to lay their eggs. While the nesting starts sporadically from January-end, the peak period is February. Rushikulya is one of the most preferred nesting sites of Olive Ridleys. Forest department officials and wildlife experts are monitoring the mass nesting. The beach stretch has been fenced to prevent entry of stray dogs into the nesting site. Eggs would hatch in 40 to 50 days. BERHAMPUR: Olive Ridleys, the rare and endangered marine turtle species of the world, have started mass nesting at Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district. After sporadic nesting in the last week of January, over 8,000 turtles have laid eggs on the 5-km coastline from Gokharkuda to Podempeta since Monday night. Nesting continued till Tuesday morning, said Berhampur DFO Asish Behera. He added that this year, condition of the beach and weather is conducive for mass nesting of turtles. The Ridleys usually start mating every year in the sea near their preferred nesting coast. After the end of the mating season, most male turtles return leaving behind the females to lay their eggs. While the nesting starts sporadically from January-end, the peak period is February. Rushikulya is one of the most preferred nesting sites of Olive Ridleys. Forest department officials and wildlife experts are monitoring the mass nesting. The beach stretch has been fenced to prevent entry of stray dogs into the nesting site. Eggs would hatch in 40 to 50 days. By Express News Service CUTTACK: A BJD worker died and several others sustained injuries while four vehicles were torched in pre-poll violence at Podana village in Niali block of the district on Monday night. Sources said Surendra Nayak (54), a supporter of the ruling BJD of the village, succumbed to injuries at the SCB Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday morning after he was attacked allegedly by the activists of Congress. Nayak was returning home at about 10.30 pm when former Congress MLA Rabindra Mallik and his supporters attacked him. Later, Nayak was admitted to SCBMCH where he succumbed. In retaliation, local BJD activists torched four cars, a bike and three bicycles belonging to Mallik and his supporters. The irate BJD workers also barged into the house of Congress worker Sarat Mallik and damaged his household articles. Later, the angry mob set fire to the Gurukrupa Saraswati Sishu Mandir reportedly managed by some Congress supporters. The school records including question papers, answer sheets and furniture have turned into ashes. Being informed, Niali police rushed to the spot and conducted flag march in the village. As many as two platoons of police forces have been deployed in the village. Most of the male members of Podana have left the village in fear of police action. Nayaks son Soumyakanta has filed an FIR at Niali police station against the former MLA and his 42 associates accusing them of murdering his father. However, no FIR has been filed by Congress in connection with torching of cars and school, said Gajendra Behera, IIC of Niali police station. Meanwhile, the BJD, BJP and Congress have geared up their campaign in Niali block for the third phase of panchayat poll scheduled to be held on February 21. CUTTACK: A BJD worker died and several others sustained injuries while four vehicles were torched in pre-poll violence at Podana village in Niali block of the district on Monday night. Sources said Surendra Nayak (54), a supporter of the ruling BJD of the village, succumbed to injuries at the SCB Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday morning after he was attacked allegedly by the activists of Congress. Nayak was returning home at about 10.30 pm when former Congress MLA Rabindra Mallik and his supporters attacked him. Later, Nayak was admitted to SCBMCH where he succumbed. In retaliation, local BJD activists torched four cars, a bike and three bicycles belonging to Mallik and his supporters. The irate BJD workers also barged into the house of Congress worker Sarat Mallik and damaged his household articles. Later, the angry mob set fire to the Gurukrupa Saraswati Sishu Mandir reportedly managed by some Congress supporters. The school records including question papers, answer sheets and furniture have turned into ashes. Being informed, Niali police rushed to the spot and conducted flag march in the village. As many as two platoons of police forces have been deployed in the village. Most of the male members of Podana have left the village in fear of police action. Nayaks son Soumyakanta has filed an FIR at Niali police station against the former MLA and his 42 associates accusing them of murdering his father. However, no FIR has been filed by Congress in connection with torching of cars and school, said Gajendra Behera, IIC of Niali police station. Meanwhile, the BJD, BJP and Congress have geared up their campaign in Niali block for the third phase of panchayat poll scheduled to be held on February 21. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Caretaker Chief Minister O Paneerselvam on Tuesday got a big shot in the arm after Jayalalithaas niece Deepa joined his camp. This was in addition to two more lawmakers switching sides, taking the rebel MLAs count to nine. Supporters outside the house located at Greenways Road from morning erupted in ecstasy when the message of general secretary V K Sasikalas conviction appeared on a mega LED screen. Shortly after the verdict, the CM appeared before his supporters along with two new MLAs, S Semmalai and O K Chinnaraju, who jumped sides. Besides, the CM and his core team had a two-and-a-half hour meeting with new Inspector General of Intelligence Davidson Devasirvatham. They were believed to have discussed the law and order situation and security measures in view of the verdict. Meanwhile, buoyed by the SC verdict, the OPS camp devised a strategy to move into the private resort in Kuvathoor to rescue and retrieve the legislators detained by Sasikala. Led by Minister for School Education Ma Foi K Pandiarajan, rebel MLAs and MPs along with a large number of party leaders and cadre proceeded towards Kuvathoor in cars. However, they were blocked near Covelong by the police who turned them back saying they cannot be allowed since section 144 (prohibitory orders) had been clamped in Kuvathoor. The rebel group had to give up their operation and return. However, sources said it was a tactical retreat given the days developments. Meanwhile two key figures in the rebel camp Manoj K Pandian (former MP) and sitting Rajya Sabha MP V Maithreyan, rushed to Raj Bhavan in the evening following a meeting Edapadi K Palanisamy who replaced Sasikala as the groups legislature party leader had with the Governor where he staked his claim to for the new government. Later at night, Jayalalithaas niece Deepa marked her political debut by joining the rebel camp. CHENNAI: Caretaker Chief Minister O Paneerselvam on Tuesday got a big shot in the arm after Jayalalithaas niece Deepa joined his camp. This was in addition to two more lawmakers switching sides, taking the rebel MLAs count to nine. Supporters outside the house located at Greenways Road from morning erupted in ecstasy when the message of general secretary V K Sasikalas conviction appeared on a mega LED screen. Shortly after the verdict, the CM appeared before his supporters along with two new MLAs, S Semmalai and O K Chinnaraju, who jumped sides. Besides, the CM and his core team had a two-and-a-half hour meeting with new Inspector General of Intelligence Davidson Devasirvatham. They were believed to have discussed the law and order situation and security measures in view of the verdict. Meanwhile, buoyed by the SC verdict, the OPS camp devised a strategy to move into the private resort in Kuvathoor to rescue and retrieve the legislators detained by Sasikala. Led by Minister for School Education Ma Foi K Pandiarajan, rebel MLAs and MPs along with a large number of party leaders and cadre proceeded towards Kuvathoor in cars. However, they were blocked near Covelong by the police who turned them back saying they cannot be allowed since section 144 (prohibitory orders) had been clamped in Kuvathoor. The rebel group had to give up their operation and return. However, sources said it was a tactical retreat given the days developments. Meanwhile two key figures in the rebel camp Manoj K Pandian (former MP) and sitting Rajya Sabha MP V Maithreyan, rushed to Raj Bhavan in the evening following a meeting Edapadi K Palanisamy who replaced Sasikala as the groups legislature party leader had with the Governor where he staked his claim to for the new government. Later at night, Jayalalithaas niece Deepa marked her political debut by joining the rebel camp. Ram M Sundaram By Express News Service CHENNAI: Amid the current crisis in the AIADMK, its the core group of senior party leaders, referred in political circles as Naalvar Ani, that is now the anchor holding general secretary Sasikalas camp together. It comprises Edappadi K Palanisamy, P Thangamani, S P Velumani and Dindigul C Sreenivasan, along with senior leader K A Sengottaiyan. Alongside other AIADMK heavyweights, this core group is expected to play a major role in the coming days as they have been entrusted with the duty of keeping the flock together till Edappadi K Palanisamy is able to prove his majority if Governor in-charge Ch Vidyasagar Rao calls for a floor test. AIADMKs old hand Sengottaiyan came to the limelight after former praesidium chairman E Madhusudanan defected. Once sidelined by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Sengottaiyan was in the wilderness for long before Sasikala accommodated him, considering his seniority and organisational experience. Among the Naalvar Ani, Dindigul C Sreenivasan was not in active politics before the May 2016 Assembly elections. Party boss J Jayalalithaa revived his political fortunes by offering him a ticket. He won and was subsequently made the forest minister. Sreenivasan, who is said to have functioned as number three in Jayalalithaas cabinet, only next to O Pannerselvam, was considered number two in the post-Jaya phase. Though Sengottaiyan along with other powerful leaders maintained a stronghold in the western region, it is believed that Palanisamy, Thangamani and Velumani managed to suppress him take over control. While there has always been an ego clash and fight for supremacy among the top leaders of the western region, the trio ensured that Sengottaiyan did not come back to the mainline. The core group that backed Sasikala in the recent battle for the post of the chief minister is predominantly from the from the western region. Except for Sreenivasan who is a Thevar, the others are Gounders. It is learned that to strike a balance and retain their strength in southern districts, the team was likely to promote Thanga Tamilselvan from Theni who had vacated his MLA seat to enable Jayalalithaa contest from Andipatti in 2001. Despite uncertainties over MLAs switching sides, this group has been able to hold legislators in the Sasikala faction together by convincing them that switching sides would mean the loss of majority, and eventually power. Will the current equation hold if Sasikala goes to jail? Only time can tell. CHENNAI: Amid the current crisis in the AIADMK, its the core group of senior party leaders, referred in political circles as Naalvar Ani, that is now the anchor holding general secretary Sasikalas camp together. It comprises Edappadi K Palanisamy, P Thangamani, S P Velumani and Dindigul C Sreenivasan, along with senior leader K A Sengottaiyan. Alongside other AIADMK heavyweights, this core group is expected to play a major role in the coming days as they have been entrusted with the duty of keeping the flock together till Edappadi K Palanisamy is able to prove his majority if Governor in-charge Ch Vidyasagar Rao calls for a floor test. AIADMKs old hand Sengottaiyan came to the limelight after former praesidium chairman E Madhusudanan defected. Once sidelined by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Sengottaiyan was in the wilderness for long before Sasikala accommodated him, considering his seniority and organisational experience. Among the Naalvar Ani, Dindigul C Sreenivasan was not in active politics before the May 2016 Assembly elections. Party boss J Jayalalithaa revived his political fortunes by offering him a ticket. He won and was subsequently made the forest minister. Sreenivasan, who is said to have functioned as number three in Jayalalithaas cabinet, only next to O Pannerselvam, was considered number two in the post-Jaya phase. Though Sengottaiyan along with other powerful leaders maintained a stronghold in the western region, it is believed that Palanisamy, Thangamani and Velumani managed to suppress him take over control. While there has always been an ego clash and fight for supremacy among the top leaders of the western region, the trio ensured that Sengottaiyan did not come back to the mainline. The core group that backed Sasikala in the recent battle for the post of the chief minister is predominantly from the from the western region. Except for Sreenivasan who is a Thevar, the others are Gounders. It is learned that to strike a balance and retain their strength in southern districts, the team was likely to promote Thanga Tamilselvan from Theni who had vacated his MLA seat to enable Jayalalithaa contest from Andipatti in 2001. Despite uncertainties over MLAs switching sides, this group has been able to hold legislators in the Sasikala faction together by convincing them that switching sides would mean the loss of majority, and eventually power. Will the current equation hold if Sasikala goes to jail? Only time can tell. By Express News Service SALEM, CHENNAI: After long-time loyalist O Panneerselvam raised a banner of revolt and the Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday that debarred party general secretary V K Sasikala from contesting any elections in the near future, the search for an alternative within the party was rather easy. As an influential leader from the powerful Gounder community, K Palanisamy, the 62-year-old from Edappadi village in Salem district, was an almost automatic choice as the leader of Legislature Party. Hailing from an agrarian family, Palanisamy had his electoral debut in almost similar circumstances, when the AIADMK split into two factions headed by party founder M G Ramachandrans wife, Janaki Ramachandran, and the rebel, J Jayalalithaa. As a young man, Palanisamy sided with the fiery Jayalalithaa and successfully contested from Edappadi on the rooster symbol that was allotted to the faction in the 1989 Assembly election. He was given the ticket to contest from Edappadi in 1991, 1996, 2006, 2011 and 2016; he won thrice in 1991, 2011 and 2016. He also contested the 1998 Lok Sabha election from Thiruchengode and won, but lost in 1999 and 2004 from the same constituency. Compared to the rest of the Kongu belt in western Tamil Nadu like C Ponnaiyan, T M Selvaganapathy, K A Sengottaiyan and S Semmalai, Edappadi had a lower profile till the 2011 elections. As Palanisamy remained in the background as the Salem West district secretary between 1996 and 2011, it was the charismatic Selvaganapathy and the veteran Ponnaiyan who ruled the party apparatus from 1991 to 2001. Then Semmalai returned to prominence in the 2001-2006 period as a minister and Salem West district secretary. In the party, he was the Salem West district praesidium chairman from 1991 and was later elevated as the AIADMK propaganda secretary, deputy secretary, All India MGR Manram and AIADMK organisational secretary. At present, he is the Salem Unified rural district secretary and is also the partys disciplinary committee member. However, Palanisamy consolidated his position within the party after the 2011 victory. It did help that Selvaganapathy crossed over to the DMK, while Ponnaiyan, Semmalai, and Sengottaiyan were sidelined. Following this, he became part of the inner coterie that formed Jayas first lieutenants a gang of four led by the rebel chief minister Panneerselvam. He was made the minister of highways and minor ports. Party insiders say Palanisamy is credited with mopping up funds, often considered as the de facto treasurer Panneerselvam has been the treasurer for long. It was during this period that he is said to have got closer to Sasikala. Such was his clout in just one term that in the run-up to the May 2016 elections, he managed to sideline seniors in the district and ensured seats for new faces. In the polls, AIADMK won 10 of the 11 seats in Salem district, which put Palanisamy in good stead. The party performed spectacularly in the whole western region, where it won nine on 10 in Coimbatore district, 8 on 8 Erode, 6 on 8 in Tirupur, 5 on 6 in Namakkal, 3 on 5 in Dharmapuri, and 3 on 6 in Krishnagiri. In the State Cabinet headed by Panneerselvam, he was technically the third in hierarchy after Panneerselvam and Dindigul C Srinivasan. Palanisamy controls most of the party apparatus from union secretaries and district secretaries, and also most of the elected representatives of cooperative societies. His influence ensured that no sitting MLA or office bearers from the region moved to Panneerselvam except Semmalai who switched camps on Tuesday morning. SALEM, CHENNAI: After long-time loyalist O Panneerselvam raised a banner of revolt and the Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday that debarred party general secretary V K Sasikala from contesting any elections in the near future, the search for an alternative within the party was rather easy. As an influential leader from the powerful Gounder community, K Palanisamy, the 62-year-old from Edappadi village in Salem district, was an almost automatic choice as the leader of Legislature Party. Hailing from an agrarian family, Palanisamy had his electoral debut in almost similar circumstances, when the AIADMK split into two factions headed by party founder M G Ramachandrans wife, Janaki Ramachandran, and the rebel, J Jayalalithaa. As a young man, Palanisamy sided with the fiery Jayalalithaa and successfully contested from Edappadi on the rooster symbol that was allotted to the faction in the 1989 Assembly election. He was given the ticket to contest from Edappadi in 1991, 1996, 2006, 2011 and 2016; he won thrice in 1991, 2011 and 2016. He also contested the 1998 Lok Sabha election from Thiruchengode and won, but lost in 1999 and 2004 from the same constituency. Compared to the rest of the Kongu belt in western Tamil Nadu like C Ponnaiyan, T M Selvaganapathy, K A Sengottaiyan and S Semmalai, Edappadi had a lower profile till the 2011 elections. As Palanisamy remained in the background as the Salem West district secretary between 1996 and 2011, it was the charismatic Selvaganapathy and the veteran Ponnaiyan who ruled the party apparatus from 1991 to 2001. Then Semmalai returned to prominence in the 2001-2006 period as a minister and Salem West district secretary. In the party, he was the Salem West district praesidium chairman from 1991 and was later elevated as the AIADMK propaganda secretary, deputy secretary, All India MGR Manram and AIADMK organisational secretary. At present, he is the Salem Unified rural district secretary and is also the partys disciplinary committee member. However, Palanisamy consolidated his position within the party after the 2011 victory. It did help that Selvaganapathy crossed over to the DMK, while Ponnaiyan, Semmalai, and Sengottaiyan were sidelined. Following this, he became part of the inner coterie that formed Jayas first lieutenants a gang of four led by the rebel chief minister Panneerselvam. He was made the minister of highways and minor ports. Party insiders say Palanisamy is credited with mopping up funds, often considered as the de facto treasurer Panneerselvam has been the treasurer for long. It was during this period that he is said to have got closer to Sasikala. Such was his clout in just one term that in the run-up to the May 2016 elections, he managed to sideline seniors in the district and ensured seats for new faces. In the polls, AIADMK won 10 of the 11 seats in Salem district, which put Palanisamy in good stead. The party performed spectacularly in the whole western region, where it won nine on 10 in Coimbatore district, 8 on 8 Erode, 6 on 8 in Tirupur, 5 on 6 in Namakkal, 3 on 5 in Dharmapuri, and 3 on 6 in Krishnagiri. In the State Cabinet headed by Panneerselvam, he was technically the third in hierarchy after Panneerselvam and Dindigul C Srinivasan. Palanisamy controls most of the party apparatus from union secretaries and district secretaries, and also most of the elected representatives of cooperative societies. His influence ensured that no sitting MLA or office bearers from the region moved to Panneerselvam except Semmalai who switched camps on Tuesday morning. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Adding a twist to the ongoing battle for supremacy over the ruling AIADMK party, the Chennai police has registered an FIR against the party's general secretary V K Sasikala and its new legislative party leader Edappadi Palanisamy on charges of kidnapping the MLAs. Click here for the LIVE coverage. The Koovathur police, in whose limits the Golden Bay resort is located, had registered the FIR based on the complaint of MLA Saravanan, who is presently part of chief minister O Panneerselvam's camp. Saravanan had on Monday, at a press meet at Panneerselam's residence, claimed that he had managed to escape from the resort after disguising himself. Nearly 95 MLAs of the Sasikala camp have been staying at Golden Bay resort since Wednesday, a day after Chief Minister O Panneerselvam revolted against the party's leadership. Panneerselvam and his supporters had repeatedly said that the MLAs were being held in the resort under threat by Sasikala's supporters. However, an affidavit earlier filed by the police in the Madras high court had said that all the MLAs were in the resort on their own accord. The MLAs continued to stay in the resort even after Sasikala left the place last night to surrender before the trial court inBengaluru. On Tuesday, Kancheepuram district collector had also imposed restrictions on Koovathur village under CrPC section 144. Amidst talks of police forcing the MLAs to leave the resort, a large number of police personnel were posted inside and around the resort on Tuesday. While the police strength was withdrawn on Tuesday night, an FIR was filed against Sasikala and Edappadi Palanisamy on charges of kidnapping the MLAs, and a case registered under section IPC Sections 366 (kidnapping), 506 (1) (criminal intimidation). CHENNAI: Adding a twist to the ongoing battle for supremacy over the ruling AIADMK party, the Chennai police has registered an FIR against the party's general secretary V K Sasikala and its new legislative party leader Edappadi Palanisamy on charges of kidnapping the MLAs. Click here for the LIVE coverage. The Koovathur police, in whose limits the Golden Bay resort is located, had registered the FIR based on the complaint of MLA Saravanan, who is presently part of chief minister O Panneerselvam's camp. Saravanan had on Monday, at a press meet at Panneerselam's residence, claimed that he had managed to escape from the resort after disguising himself. Nearly 95 MLAs of the Sasikala camp have been staying at Golden Bay resort since Wednesday, a day after Chief Minister O Panneerselvam revolted against the party's leadership. Panneerselvam and his supporters had repeatedly said that the MLAs were being held in the resort under threat by Sasikala's supporters. However, an affidavit earlier filed by the police in the Madras high court had said that all the MLAs were in the resort on their own accord. The MLAs continued to stay in the resort even after Sasikala left the place last night to surrender before the trial court inBengaluru. On Tuesday, Kancheepuram district collector had also imposed restrictions on Koovathur village under CrPC section 144. Amidst talks of police forcing the MLAs to leave the resort, a large number of police personnel were posted inside and around the resort on Tuesday. While the police strength was withdrawn on Tuesday night, an FIR was filed against Sasikala and Edappadi Palanisamy on charges of kidnapping the MLAs, and a case registered under section IPC Sections 366 (kidnapping), 506 (1) (criminal intimidation). By AFP ATHENS: Top EU economic affairs official Pierre Moscovici met Greek leaders in Athens on Wednesday in a bid to break the deadlock between the cash-strapped country and its creditors. The visit by the former French finance minister comes after months of failed talks between Athens and its eurozone and International Monetary Fund (IMF) lenders, raising fears of a fresh debt crisis. The feuding has blocked new loans from Greece's 86 billion euro bailout that it needs for debt repayments of 7.0 billion euros ($7.44 billion) this summer. "We still have a long way to go before a final agreement," Moscovici was reported as saying by Greek media before his meetings. After talks with Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, the EU commissioner -- who is considered a Greek ally -- spoke of progress and hopes for a solution, saying: "Where there is a will, there is a way." His trip comes five days before a gathering of eurozone ministers in Brussels, which is seen as an unofficial deadline to end the stalemate ahead of important elections in Europe. - 'Austerity tunnel' - There has long been a split between the IMF and Europe over a demand by the eurozone that Greece deliver a primary balance, or budget surplus before debt repayments, of 3.5 percent of GDP. The IMF has said only 1.5 percent is feasible. The government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras refuses more pension cuts and tax hikes, which the IMF, quietly backed by Germany, insists are necessary for Greece to deliver on its targets. "The Greek people need to see a light at the end of the austerity tunnel. I am hopeful," Moscovici wrote on Twitter as he sat down with Tsipras. On Tuesday, the Greek government hailed figures showing the country had returned to annual growth in 2016, using it for a fresh assault on further austerity measures. Early estimates from the national statistics office and projections from Brussels showed growth of 0.3 percent last year. Ahead of his visit, Moscovici said he was ready to work to alleviate differences between Athens and its lenders, calling for a "balanced package". "I think that it's impossible to impose more austerity... but it is necessary and legitimate to have some more reform in order to have a more competitive and solid economic system in Greece," he told the Euronews channel on Monday. - 'Very pessimistic' - Talks in Brussels between Greece and its creditors on Friday ended with no breakthrough, although Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem said some progress was made. But Dijsselbloem warned on Tuesday warned that the standoff was likely to drag on. "The IMF has to come on board," he told Dutch broadcaster RTLZ. "It will take more time. People think that as there is a Eurogroup meeting next week we must have something worked out. But that has not been my planning." An IMF report obtained by AFP last week said Greece's debt "is highly unsustainable" and "will become explosive in the long run". European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis told German newspaper Handelsblatt on Wednesday that the IMF's Greek outlook was "very pessimistic". "That's why there is now a gap between our figures and those of the IMF" he said, expressing hope that the gap could be filled. ATHENS: Top EU economic affairs official Pierre Moscovici met Greek leaders in Athens on Wednesday in a bid to break the deadlock between the cash-strapped country and its creditors. The visit by the former French finance minister comes after months of failed talks between Athens and its eurozone and International Monetary Fund (IMF) lenders, raising fears of a fresh debt crisis. The feuding has blocked new loans from Greece's 86 billion euro bailout that it needs for debt repayments of 7.0 billion euros ($7.44 billion) this summer. "We still have a long way to go before a final agreement," Moscovici was reported as saying by Greek media before his meetings. After talks with Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, the EU commissioner -- who is considered a Greek ally -- spoke of progress and hopes for a solution, saying: "Where there is a will, there is a way." His trip comes five days before a gathering of eurozone ministers in Brussels, which is seen as an unofficial deadline to end the stalemate ahead of important elections in Europe. - 'Austerity tunnel' - There has long been a split between the IMF and Europe over a demand by the eurozone that Greece deliver a primary balance, or budget surplus before debt repayments, of 3.5 percent of GDP. The IMF has said only 1.5 percent is feasible. The government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras refuses more pension cuts and tax hikes, which the IMF, quietly backed by Germany, insists are necessary for Greece to deliver on its targets. "The Greek people need to see a light at the end of the austerity tunnel. I am hopeful," Moscovici wrote on Twitter as he sat down with Tsipras. On Tuesday, the Greek government hailed figures showing the country had returned to annual growth in 2016, using it for a fresh assault on further austerity measures. Early estimates from the national statistics office and projections from Brussels showed growth of 0.3 percent last year. Ahead of his visit, Moscovici said he was ready to work to alleviate differences between Athens and its lenders, calling for a "balanced package". "I think that it's impossible to impose more austerity... but it is necessary and legitimate to have some more reform in order to have a more competitive and solid economic system in Greece," he told the Euronews channel on Monday. - 'Very pessimistic' - Talks in Brussels between Greece and its creditors on Friday ended with no breakthrough, although Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem said some progress was made. But Dijsselbloem warned on Tuesday warned that the standoff was likely to drag on. "The IMF has to come on board," he told Dutch broadcaster RTLZ. "It will take more time. People think that as there is a Eurogroup meeting next week we must have something worked out. But that has not been my planning." An IMF report obtained by AFP last week said Greece's debt "is highly unsustainable" and "will become explosive in the long run". European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis told German newspaper Handelsblatt on Wednesday that the IMF's Greek outlook was "very pessimistic". "That's why there is now a gap between our figures and those of the IMF" he said, expressing hope that the gap could be filled. By AFP PARIS: Vogue Paris is to become the first French magazine to feature a transgender model on its cover, according the honour to Valentina Sampaio of Brazil for its March edition. Calling Sampaio the "glam standard-bearer of a cause that is on the march", the French edition of Vogue describes the 22-year-old as a "femme fatale" who happened to be born a boy. "Beyond her evident physical qualities and her sparkling personality, (Sampaio) embodies... a long and painful fight against being perceived as a 'gender exile'," Emmanuelle Alt, the magazine's editor-in-chief, writes in her editor's letter. A sultry Sampaio, bathed in dark purple and blue light, appears over the words "Transgender Beauty", with a subtitle reading "How they are shaking up the world," on the cover to appear on news-stands from February 23. Transgender people are increasingly emerging from the shadows. Caitlyn Jenner, a former male US decathlon star, made history by coming out with the June 2015 cover of Vanity Fair, prompting Glamour US magazine to name her woman of the year. "Vogue supports and chooses to celebrate" transgender people "in a post-gender world," Alt writes. She pays homage to other transgender figures who have preceded Sampaio and Jenner such as Lea T, the muse of Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci. She also recalls the trauma endured by supermodel Caroline Cossey, who was an extra in the 1981 film "For Your Eyes Only" and posed for Playboy that year before being outed by Britain's now-defunct News of the World tabloid in 1982. In December, the US magazine National Geographic's cover story was titled "Gender Revolution" and featured Avery Jackson, a nine-year-old transgender girl. Laverne Cox, who stars in the TV series "Orange Is the New Black", was on the cover of Time magazine in June 2014. Cosmetics group L'Oreal Paris has selected 24-year-old transgender model and actress Hari Nef to represent its latest foundation cream in a global ad campaign. Alt writes: "The day when a transsexual poses for a magazine cover and it will be no longer necessary to write an editorial on the subject, we will know that the fight has been won." PARIS: Vogue Paris is to become the first French magazine to feature a transgender model on its cover, according the honour to Valentina Sampaio of Brazil for its March edition. Calling Sampaio the "glam standard-bearer of a cause that is on the march", the French edition of Vogue describes the 22-year-old as a "femme fatale" who happened to be born a boy. "Beyond her evident physical qualities and her sparkling personality, (Sampaio) embodies... a long and painful fight against being perceived as a 'gender exile'," Emmanuelle Alt, the magazine's editor-in-chief, writes in her editor's letter. A sultry Sampaio, bathed in dark purple and blue light, appears over the words "Transgender Beauty", with a subtitle reading "How they are shaking up the world," on the cover to appear on news-stands from February 23. Transgender people are increasingly emerging from the shadows. Caitlyn Jenner, a former male US decathlon star, made history by coming out with the June 2015 cover of Vanity Fair, prompting Glamour US magazine to name her woman of the year. "Vogue supports and chooses to celebrate" transgender people "in a post-gender world," Alt writes. She pays homage to other transgender figures who have preceded Sampaio and Jenner such as Lea T, the muse of Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci. She also recalls the trauma endured by supermodel Caroline Cossey, who was an extra in the 1981 film "For Your Eyes Only" and posed for Playboy that year before being outed by Britain's now-defunct News of the World tabloid in 1982. In December, the US magazine National Geographic's cover story was titled "Gender Revolution" and featured Avery Jackson, a nine-year-old transgender girl. Laverne Cox, who stars in the TV series "Orange Is the New Black", was on the cover of Time magazine in June 2014. Cosmetics group L'Oreal Paris has selected 24-year-old transgender model and actress Hari Nef to represent its latest foundation cream in a global ad campaign. Alt writes: "The day when a transsexual poses for a magazine cover and it will be no longer necessary to write an editorial on the subject, we will know that the fight has been won." By PTI PESHAWAR: At least two people were killed and 18 others injured today when a motorcyle-borne suicide bomber struck a government vehicle in this restive northwestern Pakistani city. The blast occurred in Hayatabad area of Peshawar when a suicide bomber hit a government vehicle, police was quoted as saying by Geo News. At least two people were killed and 18 injured in the suicide attack. The blast happened as officials from the provincial government were expected to inaugurate the Out Patient Department (OPD) at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Dawn News reported. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other senior party leaders were expected to attend the ceremony. This was the third terrorist attack in Pakistan today. At least six persons, including four security personnel, were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked the Mohmand Agency headquarters in the northwest tribal region. Following this, another suicide bomber blew himself in Mosal Kor, Mohmand Agency, police said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, that killed 13 people. PESHAWAR: At least two people were killed and 18 others injured today when a motorcyle-borne suicide bomber struck a government vehicle in this restive northwestern Pakistani city. The blast occurred in Hayatabad area of Peshawar when a suicide bomber hit a government vehicle, police was quoted as saying by Geo News. At least two people were killed and 18 injured in the suicide attack. The blast happened as officials from the provincial government were expected to inaugurate the Out Patient Department (OPD) at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Dawn News reported. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other senior party leaders were expected to attend the ceremony. This was the third terrorist attack in Pakistan today. At least six persons, including four security personnel, were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked the Mohmand Agency headquarters in the northwest tribal region. Following this, another suicide bomber blew himself in Mosal Kor, Mohmand Agency, police said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, that killed 13 people. By PTI WASHINGTON: A record number of 27 US Congressmen will visit India later this month, reflecting the increased efforts by American lawmakers for strengthening ties with New Delhi. The top lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties are visiting India in two separate delegations. Describing this as an important development, Navtej Sarna, Indian Ambassador to the US, said such visit is reflective of the efforts on the part of the US to "strengthen and build" on the bipartisan support that they have in the US Congress for India-US relations. Congressional records indicate that this is the largest ever travel of US lawmakers to India. The largest delegation of 19 Congressmen, being organised by the prestigious Aspen Institute, would be in India from February 20 to 25 with stops in New Delhi and Hyderabad. During the visit, the lawmakers are scheduled to have a wide range of meetings from top government officials, politicians, members of the think-tank bodies and non-governmental organisations. Another bipartisan Congressional delegation (or Codel) of eight lawmakers, being led by Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of powerful House Judiciary Committee, would be in India from February 20 to 23, visiting New Delhi and Bangalore. The delegation includes Congressman George Holding, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Jason Smit and Dave Trott. All four are from the Republican party. The Democratic members The delegation includes Congressman George Holding, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Jason Smit and Dave Trott. All four are from the Republican party. The Democratic members to the delegations include Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressmen Hank Johnson, David Ciciline and Henry Cuellar. The visit, Sarna said would let these lawmakers first hand see for themselves, the political vibrancy of India, the economic reforms that are happening, and also for them to identify potential areas of engagement. "This is increasingly important as the new administration comes into," he said. "We are very fortunate that there are two delegations totalling 27 Congressmen are travelling to India this month, which is not a small figure," he said. Also a delegation of Congressional staffers who are critical in preparing the background information about India for their Congressmen are visiting India during the same time. Republican members to the Aspen delegation include Charlie Dent, Jeff Fortenberry, Andy Harris, Dave McKinley, and David Valadao. The Democratic party lawmakers travelling to India as part of the Aspen Institute delegation are Don Beyer, Earl Blumenauer, Jim Cooper, Suzan DelBene, Anna Eshoo, Elizabeth Esty, John Garamendi, Dan Kildee, Zoe Lofgren, Alan Lowenthal, Stephen Lynch, Kathleen Rice, Jan Schakowsky, Peter Welch. As per LegiStorm an unofficial site, which keeps track of foreign travel by lawmakers India currently is not the popular destination for US lawmakers. Israel is their top destination. As per Legistorm compilation, Israel appears to be the favourite destination for US lawmakers. India has never figured in its list of top 10 countries frequently visited by US lawmakers. As per an unofficial compilation, since 2000, US lawmakers have made 42 trips to India, which includes 22 by the Republican Party and 19 by those from the Democratic part. US India Business Council (USIBC) is also planning to take about 100 lawmakers to India in the next two years. "It is important that we convey a right story about India to the both to the House and the Senate. And the best way to convey that is for them to feel firsthand what is India all about its culture, its politics, its food. And I think, when they come back convinced that India is an important ally, its value systems are the same, the democracy, it has a press, which is as vibrant in bit countries," Mukesh Aghi, USIBC president had said last year. WASHINGTON: A record number of 27 US Congressmen will visit India later this month, reflecting the increased efforts by American lawmakers for strengthening ties with New Delhi. The top lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties are visiting India in two separate delegations. Describing this as an important development, Navtej Sarna, Indian Ambassador to the US, said such visit is reflective of the efforts on the part of the US to "strengthen and build" on the bipartisan support that they have in the US Congress for India-US relations. Congressional records indicate that this is the largest ever travel of US lawmakers to India. The largest delegation of 19 Congressmen, being organised by the prestigious Aspen Institute, would be in India from February 20 to 25 with stops in New Delhi and Hyderabad. During the visit, the lawmakers are scheduled to have a wide range of meetings from top government officials, politicians, members of the think-tank bodies and non-governmental organisations. Another bipartisan Congressional delegation (or Codel) of eight lawmakers, being led by Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of powerful House Judiciary Committee, would be in India from February 20 to 23, visiting New Delhi and Bangalore. The delegation includes Congressman George Holding, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Jason Smit and Dave Trott. All four are from the Republican party. The Democratic members The delegation includes Congressman George Holding, Co-Chair of the India Caucus, Jason Smit and Dave Trott. All four are from the Republican party. The Democratic members to the delegations include Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressmen Hank Johnson, David Ciciline and Henry Cuellar. The visit, Sarna said would let these lawmakers first hand see for themselves, the political vibrancy of India, the economic reforms that are happening, and also for them to identify potential areas of engagement. "This is increasingly important as the new administration comes into," he said. "We are very fortunate that there are two delegations totalling 27 Congressmen are travelling to India this month, which is not a small figure," he said. Also a delegation of Congressional staffers who are critical in preparing the background information about India for their Congressmen are visiting India during the same time. Republican members to the Aspen delegation include Charlie Dent, Jeff Fortenberry, Andy Harris, Dave McKinley, and David Valadao. The Democratic party lawmakers travelling to India as part of the Aspen Institute delegation are Don Beyer, Earl Blumenauer, Jim Cooper, Suzan DelBene, Anna Eshoo, Elizabeth Esty, John Garamendi, Dan Kildee, Zoe Lofgren, Alan Lowenthal, Stephen Lynch, Kathleen Rice, Jan Schakowsky, Peter Welch. As per LegiStorm an unofficial site, which keeps track of foreign travel by lawmakers India currently is not the popular destination for US lawmakers. Israel is their top destination. As per Legistorm compilation, Israel appears to be the favourite destination for US lawmakers. India has never figured in its list of top 10 countries frequently visited by US lawmakers. As per an unofficial compilation, since 2000, US lawmakers have made 42 trips to India, which includes 22 by the Republican Party and 19 by those from the Democratic part. US India Business Council (USIBC) is also planning to take about 100 lawmakers to India in the next two years. "It is important that we convey a right story about India to the both to the House and the Senate. And the best way to convey that is for them to feel firsthand what is India all about its culture, its politics, its food. And I think, when they come back convinced that India is an important ally, its value systems are the same, the democracy, it has a press, which is as vibrant in bit countries," Mukesh Aghi, USIBC president had said last year. By Associated Press WASHINGTON: Questions about the Trump administration's ties to Russia are hardly going to disappear with the firing of national security adviser Michael Flynn. Investigations are underway, and more are likely by the new administration and on Capitol Hill. U.S. agencies, including the FBI, have been probing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. And three congressional committees are conducting their own investigations that include looking at contacts between Russian officials and members of the Trump campaign and administration. This isn't the first time Trump has distanced himself from an adviser in light of a relationships with Moscow. In late August, Paul Manafort resigned as Trump's campaign chairman after disclosures by The Associated Press about his firm's covert lobbying on behalf of the former pro-Russian ruling political party in Ukraine. The New York Times reported late Tuesday that members of Trump's campaign, including Manafort, had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the year before the election. The U.S. knew about these contacts through phone records and intercepted calls, the Times said. Reached late Tuesday, Manafort told The Associated Press he has not been interviewed by the FBI about these alleged contacts. "I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today," Manafort said. Officials who spoke with the Times anonymously said they had not yet seen any evidence of the Trump campaign cooperating with the Russians on hacking or other attempts to influence the election. Trump's own ties to Russia have been questioned in light of his friendly posture toward the long-time U.S. adversary and reluctance to criticize President Vladimir Putin, even for Putin's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014. "This isn't simply about a change in policy toward Russia, as the administration would like to portray. It's what's behind that change in policy," said California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, one of the congressional bodies investigating. Schiff said there are continuing questions about the Trump campaign's ties to Russia and whether anyone assisted Moscow in hacking. "It's not just that an administration official was caught lying. It's that the national security adviser to the president was caught lying and on a matter of central importance. So this is big," Schiff said. The Obama administration said Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of electing Trump. Trump has acknowledged that Russia hacked Democratic emails but denies it was to help him win. The investigations and the unusual firing of the national security adviser just 24 days into his job have put Republicans in the awkward position of investigating the leader of their party. Senior GOP lawmakers continue to deny Democrats' requests that an independent panel be established to carry out the Russia investigation. So the congressional probes are ultimately in the hands of the Republican chairmen, and the executive branch's investigation has been overseen ultimately by Trump appointees. On Tuesday, Republican leaders focused on the idea that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his contacts with the Russian ambassador not on any questioning of the relationship between Flynn and the ambassador. Democrats say a key issue is whether Flynn broke diplomatic protocol and potentially the law by discussing U.S. sanctions with Moscow before Trump's inauguration. The Justice Department had warned the White House late last month that Flynn could be at risk for blackmail because of contradictions between his public depictions of the calls with the Russian ambassador and what intelligence officials knew about the conversations. "You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the vice president and others," said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Daniel Jones, a former lead investigator on the Senate intelligence committee, said it's important that Congress investigate Flynn's ties to Russia and make sure that doesn't get lost in a broader probe into Russia and the 2016 election. "This is a checks-and-balances issue," Jones said. "This shouldn't be a political issue." On the other hand, California Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said he was concerned Flynn's rights were violated in the interception of his conversations with the Russian ambassador. "I'm just shocked that nobody's covering the real crime here," Nunes said. "You have an American citizen who had his phone call recorded and then leaked to the media." Nunes said he intended to ask the FBI "what the hell's going on here." The FBI has wide legal authority to eavesdrop on the conversations of foreign intelligence targets, including diplomats, inside the U.S. Flynn did not concede any wrongdoing in his resignation letter, saying merely that he "inadvertently briefed the vice president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador." Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a member of the Senate intelligence committee which is already investigating Russia and the 2016 election, said Flynn's resignation raises more questions. For example, he said, there are open questions about how many conversations Flynn actually had with the Russians and whether other people knew he was having them. While North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said much of the panel's investigation will occur behind closed doors, Wyden said he planned to push to make the findings and hearings public. Republican Lindsey Graham, who is leading a Senate judiciary subcommittee investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, echoed Wyden's concerns about whether Flynn was acting alone and without direction in his contacts. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump did not direct Flynn to discuss U.S. sanctions with the Russians. "No, absolutely not," Spicer said. "I think most Americans have a right to know whether or not this was a General Flynn rogue maneuver, or was he basically speaking for somebody else in the White House," Graham told CNN Tuesday. WASHINGTON: Questions about the Trump administration's ties to Russia are hardly going to disappear with the firing of national security adviser Michael Flynn. Investigations are underway, and more are likely by the new administration and on Capitol Hill. U.S. agencies, including the FBI, have been probing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. And three congressional committees are conducting their own investigations that include looking at contacts between Russian officials and members of the Trump campaign and administration. This isn't the first time Trump has distanced himself from an adviser in light of a relationships with Moscow. In late August, Paul Manafort resigned as Trump's campaign chairman after disclosures by The Associated Press about his firm's covert lobbying on behalf of the former pro-Russian ruling political party in Ukraine. The New York Times reported late Tuesday that members of Trump's campaign, including Manafort, had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence officials during the year before the election. The U.S. knew about these contacts through phone records and intercepted calls, the Times said. Reached late Tuesday, Manafort told The Associated Press he has not been interviewed by the FBI about these alleged contacts. "I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today," Manafort said. Officials who spoke with the Times anonymously said they had not yet seen any evidence of the Trump campaign cooperating with the Russians on hacking or other attempts to influence the election. Trump's own ties to Russia have been questioned in light of his friendly posture toward the long-time U.S. adversary and reluctance to criticize President Vladimir Putin, even for Putin's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014. "This isn't simply about a change in policy toward Russia, as the administration would like to portray. It's what's behind that change in policy," said California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, one of the congressional bodies investigating. Schiff said there are continuing questions about the Trump campaign's ties to Russia and whether anyone assisted Moscow in hacking. "It's not just that an administration official was caught lying. It's that the national security adviser to the president was caught lying and on a matter of central importance. So this is big," Schiff said. The Obama administration said Russia interfered in the 2016 election with the goal of electing Trump. Trump has acknowledged that Russia hacked Democratic emails but denies it was to help him win. The investigations and the unusual firing of the national security adviser just 24 days into his job have put Republicans in the awkward position of investigating the leader of their party. Senior GOP lawmakers continue to deny Democrats' requests that an independent panel be established to carry out the Russia investigation. So the congressional probes are ultimately in the hands of the Republican chairmen, and the executive branch's investigation has been overseen ultimately by Trump appointees. On Tuesday, Republican leaders focused on the idea that Flynn misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his contacts with the Russian ambassador not on any questioning of the relationship between Flynn and the ambassador. Democrats say a key issue is whether Flynn broke diplomatic protocol and potentially the law by discussing U.S. sanctions with Moscow before Trump's inauguration. The Justice Department had warned the White House late last month that Flynn could be at risk for blackmail because of contradictions between his public depictions of the calls with the Russian ambassador and what intelligence officials knew about the conversations. "You cannot have a national security adviser misleading the vice president and others," said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Daniel Jones, a former lead investigator on the Senate intelligence committee, said it's important that Congress investigate Flynn's ties to Russia and make sure that doesn't get lost in a broader probe into Russia and the 2016 election. "This is a checks-and-balances issue," Jones said. "This shouldn't be a political issue." On the other hand, California Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said he was concerned Flynn's rights were violated in the interception of his conversations with the Russian ambassador. "I'm just shocked that nobody's covering the real crime here," Nunes said. "You have an American citizen who had his phone call recorded and then leaked to the media." Nunes said he intended to ask the FBI "what the hell's going on here." The FBI has wide legal authority to eavesdrop on the conversations of foreign intelligence targets, including diplomats, inside the U.S. Flynn did not concede any wrongdoing in his resignation letter, saying merely that he "inadvertently briefed the vice president elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador." Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a member of the Senate intelligence committee which is already investigating Russia and the 2016 election, said Flynn's resignation raises more questions. For example, he said, there are open questions about how many conversations Flynn actually had with the Russians and whether other people knew he was having them. While North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, said much of the panel's investigation will occur behind closed doors, Wyden said he planned to push to make the findings and hearings public. Republican Lindsey Graham, who is leading a Senate judiciary subcommittee investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, echoed Wyden's concerns about whether Flynn was acting alone and without direction in his contacts. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump did not direct Flynn to discuss U.S. sanctions with the Russians. "No, absolutely not," Spicer said. "I think most Americans have a right to know whether or not this was a General Flynn rogue maneuver, or was he basically speaking for somebody else in the White House," Graham told CNN Tuesday. By Associated Press BELGRADE: Several thousand people have joined renewed protests in Belgrade over the shady demolition last year in an area marked for a United Arab Emirates-financed real estate project. No one has been held responsible for the nighttime destruction last April of a block of houses by a group of masked men despite repeated promises to the contrary by the government. Carrying anti-government banners and blowing whistles, protesters marched Wednesday through central Belgrade blocking traffic. Participants have demanded the resignation of mayor Sinisa Mali. UAE investors have been building a Dubai-style business and residential complex in the run-down urban area by the Sava River. Some architects and citizens' groups have sharply criticized the Belgrade waterfront plan, alleging corruption and saying the development is unsuitable for the Serbian capital. BELGRADE: Several thousand people have joined renewed protests in Belgrade over the shady demolition last year in an area marked for a United Arab Emirates-financed real estate project. No one has been held responsible for the nighttime destruction last April of a block of houses by a group of masked men despite repeated promises to the contrary by the government. Carrying anti-government banners and blowing whistles, protesters marched Wednesday through central Belgrade blocking traffic. Participants have demanded the resignation of mayor Sinisa Mali. UAE investors have been building a Dubai-style business and residential complex in the run-down urban area by the Sava River. Some architects and citizens' groups have sharply criticized the Belgrade waterfront plan, alleging corruption and saying the development is unsuitable for the Serbian capital. By AFP WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed the US-Israel partnership Wednesday in defiance of international pressure for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Shortly before Trump was to welcome Netanyahu to the White House, a senior US official briefed reporters that Washington would no longer insist that any peace deal lead to a recognized Palestinian state. This will delight Netanyahu and his right-wing rivals in his own government who have been pushing for greater Israeli settlement building in east Jerusalem and on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. But the change in position enraged the Palestinians, already pessimistic about hopes for peace with Trump's arrival in the White House, and drew a stern warning from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Trump and Netanyahu were to address reporters later in the day but, on the eve of their White House talks, a senior official mapped out the US change in tack. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," he said, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity. "Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else if that's what the parties want." "That's going to be up to them, we are not going to dictate what the terms of peace are going to be." The new US message deliberately echoed the long-standing Israeli government position: No peace deal can be imposed from outside and the agenda for talks must reflect the reality on the ground. But it flew in the face of the international consensus that any final status agreement must be based on a return to Israel's 1967 border -- albeit with land swaps -- and on two states side-by-side. Just five days before Trump's January 20 inauguration, Barack Obama's outgoing US administration was among 70 countries -- including fellow major powers -- to endorse this vision at a peace conference in Paris. And just a month before that, Obama's ambassador to the United Nations had broken with longstanding US policy to allow a UN motion to pass that criticised Israeli settlement building as a threat to peace. Addressing a US-Israeli conference in December, the then secretary of state John Kerry called settlements a "barrier" to progress and accused members of Netanyahu's government of sabotaging the peace process. Under Trump, that vision appears dead, and Washington has aligned itself with Netanyahu's government and its supporters in the right-wing settler movement. - International isolation - The United States is Israel's key ally -- an outgoing Obama agreed the biggest military aid package in US history to defend it over the next decade -- but it finds itself facing broader international isolation. Speaking in Cairo after talks with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, UN chief Guterres warned that "everything must be done" to preserve the two-state solution. France, which organised the January peace conference, was also unimpressed. Its ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre told reporters "our commitment to the two-state solution is stronger than ever." In Ramallah, senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said the change in US policy "does not make sense." "This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace," Ashrawi told AFP. "They cannot just say that without an alternative." Trump has yet to speak directly to the Palestinian leadership since taking office. Despite international concern and doubt, Trump is expected to tell Netanyahu he hopes to help broker a solution to the conflict -- a challenge that has eluded his predecessors for four decades. He has already tapped son-in-law Jared Kushner and lawyer Jason Greenblatt to lead his peace drive. Kushner had dinner on Tuesday with Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. But major questions remain. Netanyahu won re-election in 2015 by insisting he would not accept the creation of a Palestinian state. He back-tracked later, but not before he had soured relations with the Obama White House. - Unruly region - Trump has not blamed Netanyahu's settlement policies for holding up peace talks, instead offering Israel some scope to build on land already under development. Aside from winning support for policies that will help him at home, Netanyahu will want to gauge Trump's appetite for better relations with Russia. Trump has signalled his willingness to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria. That could de facto mean furthering the goals of Russian allies Bashar al-Assad and Iran. Israel sees Iran and its Lebanese ally the Hezbollah militia as the greatest threats in an unruly region, a view shared by the leaders of the main Sunni Arab states of the region. WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed the US-Israel partnership Wednesday in defiance of international pressure for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Shortly before Trump was to welcome Netanyahu to the White House, a senior US official briefed reporters that Washington would no longer insist that any peace deal lead to a recognized Palestinian state. This will delight Netanyahu and his right-wing rivals in his own government who have been pushing for greater Israeli settlement building in east Jerusalem and on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. But the change in position enraged the Palestinians, already pessimistic about hopes for peace with Trump's arrival in the White House, and drew a stern warning from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Trump and Netanyahu were to address reporters later in the day but, on the eve of their White House talks, a senior official mapped out the US change in tack. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," he said, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity. "Peace is the goal, whether that comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want, or something else if that's what the parties want." "That's going to be up to them, we are not going to dictate what the terms of peace are going to be." The new US message deliberately echoed the long-standing Israeli government position: No peace deal can be imposed from outside and the agenda for talks must reflect the reality on the ground. But it flew in the face of the international consensus that any final status agreement must be based on a return to Israel's 1967 border -- albeit with land swaps -- and on two states side-by-side. Just five days before Trump's January 20 inauguration, Barack Obama's outgoing US administration was among 70 countries -- including fellow major powers -- to endorse this vision at a peace conference in Paris. And just a month before that, Obama's ambassador to the United Nations had broken with longstanding US policy to allow a UN motion to pass that criticised Israeli settlement building as a threat to peace. Addressing a US-Israeli conference in December, the then secretary of state John Kerry called settlements a "barrier" to progress and accused members of Netanyahu's government of sabotaging the peace process. Under Trump, that vision appears dead, and Washington has aligned itself with Netanyahu's government and its supporters in the right-wing settler movement. - International isolation - The United States is Israel's key ally -- an outgoing Obama agreed the biggest military aid package in US history to defend it over the next decade -- but it finds itself facing broader international isolation. Speaking in Cairo after talks with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, UN chief Guterres warned that "everything must be done" to preserve the two-state solution. France, which organised the January peace conference, was also unimpressed. Its ambassador to the UN, Francois Delattre told reporters "our commitment to the two-state solution is stronger than ever." In Ramallah, senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said the change in US policy "does not make sense." "This is not a responsible policy and it does not serve the cause of peace," Ashrawi told AFP. "They cannot just say that without an alternative." Trump has yet to speak directly to the Palestinian leadership since taking office. Despite international concern and doubt, Trump is expected to tell Netanyahu he hopes to help broker a solution to the conflict -- a challenge that has eluded his predecessors for four decades. He has already tapped son-in-law Jared Kushner and lawyer Jason Greenblatt to lead his peace drive. Kushner had dinner on Tuesday with Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. But major questions remain. Netanyahu won re-election in 2015 by insisting he would not accept the creation of a Palestinian state. He back-tracked later, but not before he had soured relations with the Obama White House. - Unruly region - Trump has not blamed Netanyahu's settlement policies for holding up peace talks, instead offering Israel some scope to build on land already under development. Aside from winning support for policies that will help him at home, Netanyahu will want to gauge Trump's appetite for better relations with Russia. Trump has signalled his willingness to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State group in Syria. That could de facto mean furthering the goals of Russian allies Bashar al-Assad and Iran. Israel sees Iran and its Lebanese ally the Hezbollah militia as the greatest threats in an unruly region, a view shared by the leaders of the main Sunni Arab states of the region. By AFP WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law a measure scrapping anticorruption regulations long opposed by the oil industry. Part of a blitz of recent White House maneuvers against regulation and perceived red tape, the move undoes the requirement for international oil, gas and mining companies to disclose payments to foreign governments. Created by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the rule, which had not yet taken effect, targeted an area long plagued by bribery and corruption. It was called for in the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation. Industry advocates had been trying to overturn the payments rule, saying it put US-traded companies at a competitive disadvantage, since they must reveal information other companies may not have to and because compliance was costly. However, similar rules currently are in effect in Canada, the European Union and Norway. Trump has touted his closeness to the oil industry, naming prominent oil industry figures and advocates to key positions in his administration, reviving pipeline projects rejected by the prior administration and signaling a marked shift away from climate policies. Jack Gerard, head of the American Petroleum Institute, an industry lobbying group, hailed the move to kill the payments rule as a "welcome step forward." He said the rule could have achieved its goal without placing an undue burden on US companies. Transparency campaigners condemned the action, but said the fight was far from over. "In the short term, we lost a tool that can help track the billions of dollars lost to corruption and tax evasion in the developing world," Eric LeCompte, executive director of the religious development organization Jubilee, said in a statement. Jana Morgan, director of Publish What You Pay US, told AFP the Dodd-Frank law requires the SEC to impose such a rule. "They are required to produce a new regulation. The statute requires them to do that within a year," said Morgan, noting that the US is now behind the curve on a policy where it had once led. "Norway I think has been disclosing for about three years. The EU is now in its second year and Canada is disclosing for the first time." Earlier this month, six Republican senators, including Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Corker, wrote to the SEC saying that while they planned to vote to junk the rule, they supported its underlying purpose and hoped to see a viable newer version. "We are of course strong supporters of policies to combat US companies' participation in corrupt financial practices abroad," they wrote. WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law a measure scrapping anticorruption regulations long opposed by the oil industry. Part of a blitz of recent White House maneuvers against regulation and perceived red tape, the move undoes the requirement for international oil, gas and mining companies to disclose payments to foreign governments. Created by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the rule, which had not yet taken effect, targeted an area long plagued by bribery and corruption. It was called for in the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation. Industry advocates had been trying to overturn the payments rule, saying it put US-traded companies at a competitive disadvantage, since they must reveal information other companies may not have to and because compliance was costly. However, similar rules currently are in effect in Canada, the European Union and Norway. Trump has touted his closeness to the oil industry, naming prominent oil industry figures and advocates to key positions in his administration, reviving pipeline projects rejected by the prior administration and signaling a marked shift away from climate policies. Jack Gerard, head of the American Petroleum Institute, an industry lobbying group, hailed the move to kill the payments rule as a "welcome step forward." He said the rule could have achieved its goal without placing an undue burden on US companies. Transparency campaigners condemned the action, but said the fight was far from over. "In the short term, we lost a tool that can help track the billions of dollars lost to corruption and tax evasion in the developing world," Eric LeCompte, executive director of the religious development organization Jubilee, said in a statement. Jana Morgan, director of Publish What You Pay US, told AFP the Dodd-Frank law requires the SEC to impose such a rule. "They are required to produce a new regulation. The statute requires them to do that within a year," said Morgan, noting that the US is now behind the curve on a policy where it had once led. "Norway I think has been disclosing for about three years. The EU is now in its second year and Canada is disclosing for the first time." Earlier this month, six Republican senators, including Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Corker, wrote to the SEC saying that while they planned to vote to junk the rule, they supported its underlying purpose and hoped to see a viable newer version. "We are of course strong supporters of policies to combat US companies' participation in corrupt financial practices abroad," they wrote. By PTI PESHAWAR: At least seven people were killed and several others, including judges, injured today in two separate suicide attacks in Pakistan's restive northwestern region, days after a bombing claimed 13 lives in Lahore. In the first attack, at least six persons, including four security persons, were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked a government compound in Mohmand tribal region. The explosion took place at the headquarters in Ghalanai when two suicide bombers tried to enter the colony and when signalled to stop -- one of them blew himself up while the other was killed from the firing of security forces, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. "Security agencies had the intelligence about intrusion of suicide bombers from Afghanistan inside Mohmand agency," the ISPR said. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the attack, media reports said. The security personnel and two civilians, including a school teacher were killed in the blast. At least eight others were wounded in the attack and three critically injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Dawn reported. In another attack, a driver was killed while four judges, including three women, were injured when a motorcyle-borne suicide bomber struck an official vehicle. The blast occurred in Hayatabad area of Peshawar, the police said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Pakistan Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore that killed 13 people. In September last year, a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in Mohmand Agency's Anbar tehsil during Friday prayers, leaving 36 people dead. That attack too was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Mohmand is one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, where the military has been battling al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade. PESHAWAR: At least seven people were killed and several others, including judges, injured today in two separate suicide attacks in Pakistan's restive northwestern region, days after a bombing claimed 13 lives in Lahore. In the first attack, at least six persons, including four security persons, were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked a government compound in Mohmand tribal region. The explosion took place at the headquarters in Ghalanai when two suicide bombers tried to enter the colony and when signalled to stop -- one of them blew himself up while the other was killed from the firing of security forces, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. "Security agencies had the intelligence about intrusion of suicide bombers from Afghanistan inside Mohmand agency," the ISPR said. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the attack, media reports said. The security personnel and two civilians, including a school teacher were killed in the blast. At least eight others were wounded in the attack and three critically injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Dawn reported. In another attack, a driver was killed while four judges, including three women, were injured when a motorcyle-borne suicide bomber struck an official vehicle. The blast occurred in Hayatabad area of Peshawar, the police said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Pakistan Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore that killed 13 people. In September last year, a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in Mohmand Agency's Anbar tehsil during Friday prayers, leaving 36 people dead. That attack too was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Mohmand is one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, where the military has been battling al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade. By AFP KHARTOUM: The UN children's agency on Wednesday launched a $110 million appeal to help two million acutely malnourished children across Sudan, including hundreds of thousands living in conflict areas. UNICEF said Sudan is home to around 13 percent of all children suffering from acute malnutrition across Africa. Their situation is exacerbated by conflict-related displacements, El Nino, epidemics, floods and droughts. "The United Nations Children's Fund in Sudan launches an appeal in response to children's needs across the country, for a provisional total of $110 million," UNICEF said in a statement. The agency said two million children under five in Sudan are acutely malnourished. And two million children have been displaced due to violence in Darfur, the regions of South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei, with many separated from their relatives and affected by grave violations, it said. Around three million children remain out of school, with half of them living in conflict-affected areas. Although Sudan has made progress across many life-saving sectors in recent years, around 24 million people still lack proper sanitation facilities while six million children have no access to clean drinking water, the agency said. UNICEF has spent about $500 million in Sudan over the past five years, and the agency increasingly aims to tap funds from inside Sudan. KHARTOUM: The UN children's agency on Wednesday launched a $110 million appeal to help two million acutely malnourished children across Sudan, including hundreds of thousands living in conflict areas. UNICEF said Sudan is home to around 13 percent of all children suffering from acute malnutrition across Africa. Their situation is exacerbated by conflict-related displacements, El Nino, epidemics, floods and droughts. "The United Nations Children's Fund in Sudan launches an appeal in response to children's needs across the country, for a provisional total of $110 million," UNICEF said in a statement. The agency said two million children under five in Sudan are acutely malnourished. And two million children have been displaced due to violence in Darfur, the regions of South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei, with many separated from their relatives and affected by grave violations, it said. Around three million children remain out of school, with half of them living in conflict-affected areas. Although Sudan has made progress across many life-saving sectors in recent years, around 24 million people still lack proper sanitation facilities while six million children have no access to clean drinking water, the agency said. UNICEF has spent about $500 million in Sudan over the past five years, and the agency increasingly aims to tap funds from inside Sudan. By AFP BRUSSELS: US Defence Secretary James Mattis hailed NATO as the "fundamental bedrock" of transatlantic security as he sought to reassure allies on Wednesday about President Donald Trump's commitment to the alliance. Mattis, who has been on the job less than a month, spoke as a scandal over White House officials' ties to Russia gripped the Trump presidency and claimed the job of the national security advisor. "The alliance remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community, bonded as we are together," Mattis said as he met his counterparts in Brussels for the first time. "As President Trump has stated, he has strong support for NATO," said Mattis, a former Marine general who has himself previously served with NATO. Mattis however stressed that the Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, expected NATO allies to boost their defence spending. "It's a fair demand that all who benefit from the best defence in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom," he added. The 28-member organisation is trying to portray unity after Trump's previous comments that the alliance was "obsolete." - 'Transatlantic unity' - Since his inauguration, Trump has taken a more orthodox stance on NATO and reaffirmed long-standing US commitment to the alliance. Mattis has consistently voiced support for NATO and has been tougher on Russia than his boss, whose views worry the alliance's eastern European member states in particular. But Mattis's visit has been overshadowed by the resignation of Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn over allegations he had discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador before taking office. NATO chief Stoltenberg insisted the Flynn scandal was not a further cause for concern for the alliance, which has underpinned transatlantic security since the aftermath of World War II. "I am absolutely certain that the message from this meeting will be a message of transatlantic unity," Stoltenberg said when asked about Flynn's resignation. Stoltenberg said the ministers will also stress "the importance that we stand together and protect each other and a very strong commitment of the United States to NATO." Mattis said on the flight to Brussels that Flynn's departure would have "no impact" on the US message to NATO. - Defence spending priority - Mattis meanwhile praised the alliance for its enduring help for the United States in Afghanistan. "This has been the most successful alliance in military history," he said. Also hanging over the meeting was a New York Times report that Moscow had deployed a new cruise missile, raising fears it would violate the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Like the US State Department, the NATO chief said he would not comment on intelligence matters but warned that "any non-compliance of Russia with the INF treaty would be of serious concern for the alliance." Despite the message of unity, Mattis is still set to push the rest of the 28-nation group to meet their increased military spending pledges, despite many in Europe facing hard economic times. In a sign that the Trump administration's pressure on the issue is bearing fruit, Stoltenberg said on the eve of the meeting that boosting spending was a top priority. "The most important thing is that we increase defence spending and that is exactly what we are doing," Stoltenberg told reporters at alliance headquarters. Stoltenberg said the alliance in 2015 had stopped military budget cuts and last year actually increased spending by 3.8 percent, or $10 billion, but still needs to do more. Washington has long insisted that NATO members should spend two percent of their GDP on defence, a goal that few meet despite agreeing on it at a summit in Wales in 2014. NATO leaders are expected to meet Trump for the first time at a summit in Brussels on May 25. BRUSSELS: US Defence Secretary James Mattis hailed NATO as the "fundamental bedrock" of transatlantic security as he sought to reassure allies on Wednesday about President Donald Trump's commitment to the alliance. Mattis, who has been on the job less than a month, spoke as a scandal over White House officials' ties to Russia gripped the Trump presidency and claimed the job of the national security advisor. "The alliance remains a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the transatlantic community, bonded as we are together," Mattis said as he met his counterparts in Brussels for the first time. "As President Trump has stated, he has strong support for NATO," said Mattis, a former Marine general who has himself previously served with NATO. Mattis however stressed that the Trump administration, like the Obama administration before it, expected NATO allies to boost their defence spending. "It's a fair demand that all who benefit from the best defence in the world carry their proportionate share of the necessary cost to defend freedom," he added. The 28-member organisation is trying to portray unity after Trump's previous comments that the alliance was "obsolete." - 'Transatlantic unity' - Since his inauguration, Trump has taken a more orthodox stance on NATO and reaffirmed long-standing US commitment to the alliance. Mattis has consistently voiced support for NATO and has been tougher on Russia than his boss, whose views worry the alliance's eastern European member states in particular. But Mattis's visit has been overshadowed by the resignation of Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn over allegations he had discussed US sanctions with Russia's ambassador before taking office. NATO chief Stoltenberg insisted the Flynn scandal was not a further cause for concern for the alliance, which has underpinned transatlantic security since the aftermath of World War II. "I am absolutely certain that the message from this meeting will be a message of transatlantic unity," Stoltenberg said when asked about Flynn's resignation. Stoltenberg said the ministers will also stress "the importance that we stand together and protect each other and a very strong commitment of the United States to NATO." Mattis said on the flight to Brussels that Flynn's departure would have "no impact" on the US message to NATO. - Defence spending priority - Mattis meanwhile praised the alliance for its enduring help for the United States in Afghanistan. "This has been the most successful alliance in military history," he said. Also hanging over the meeting was a New York Times report that Moscow had deployed a new cruise missile, raising fears it would violate the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Like the US State Department, the NATO chief said he would not comment on intelligence matters but warned that "any non-compliance of Russia with the INF treaty would be of serious concern for the alliance." Despite the message of unity, Mattis is still set to push the rest of the 28-nation group to meet their increased military spending pledges, despite many in Europe facing hard economic times. In a sign that the Trump administration's pressure on the issue is bearing fruit, Stoltenberg said on the eve of the meeting that boosting spending was a top priority. "The most important thing is that we increase defence spending and that is exactly what we are doing," Stoltenberg told reporters at alliance headquarters. Stoltenberg said the alliance in 2015 had stopped military budget cuts and last year actually increased spending by 3.8 percent, or $10 billion, but still needs to do more. Washington has long insisted that NATO members should spend two percent of their GDP on defence, a goal that few meet despite agreeing on it at a summit in Wales in 2014. NATO leaders are expected to meet Trump for the first time at a summit in Brussels on May 25. By AFP KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police probing the killing of the half-brother of North Korea's leader arrested a woman Wednesday as they tried to unravel a Cold War-style assassination the South said was carried out by Pyongyang's agents. As Seoul pointed the finger at poison-wielding female spies from North of their shared border, police in Kuala Lumpur said they were holding a woman with a Vietnamese passport. Her arrest came around 24 hours after news broke of the death of Kim Jong-Nam, the elder sibling of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, with reports saying female assassins had sprayed toxins in his face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. CCTV images that emerged in Malaysian media, purportedly of one of the suspects, showed an Asian woman wearing a white top with the letters "LOL" emblazoned on the front. Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said 28-year-old Doan Thi Huong was arrested at the airport on Wednesday morning -- two days after the killing. The suspect was "positively identified from the CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of arrest," Khalid said in a statement. Meanwhile, pathologists in the Malaysian capital examined the body for clues as to how he died, in a killing that has echoes of Soviet-era spycraft. If confirmed, the assassination, which analysts said could have been ordered over reports he was readying to defect, would be the highest-profile death on Kim Jong-Un's watch since the 2013 execution of his uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in a country with a long record of meting out brutal deaths. - Seizure - South Korea's spy chief Lee Byung-Ho said the two women struck on Monday morning as Kim was readying to board a flight to Macau where he has spent many years in exile. Malaysian police said Kim, a portly 45-year-old, was walking through the departure hall when he was attacked. "He told the receptionist... someone had grabbed his face from behind and splashed some liquid on him," Selangor state's criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying by Malaysia's The Star newspaper. "He asked for help and was immediately sent to the airports clinic. At this point, he was experiencing headache and was on the verge of passing out, said Fadzil. "At the clinic, the victim experienced a mild seizure. He was put into an ambulance and was being taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when he was pronounced dead." An autopsy at Kuala Lumpur Hospital's forensics department was completed by Wednesday evening, Selangor Police Chief Abdul Samah Mat told AFP, but said no results had yet been issued by the hospital. A black Jaguar sedan bearing the North Korean flag was seen outside the department, and four officials wearing flag pins were observed within the forensics compound. The officials left the department around 8pm (1200 GMT) without commenting to reporters. No party had yet laid claim to the body, Abdul Samah said. "As for now the body will be kept at the Kuala Lumpur morgue." - Fall from grace - Kim, 45, had at one time been set to assume the leadership of his isolated country, but fell out of favour after an embarrassing attempt to get into Japan on a fake passport in 2001. Kim has since lived in exile, gaining a reputation as something of a playboy with much of his time spent in the gambling enclave of Macau, where he was believed to have enjoyed some protection from Chinese security forces. Quizzed about the killing during a regular press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing was aware of the reports. "According to our understanding, the incident took place in Malaysia and the Malaysian side is investigating this issue. We are following the developments," he said. In Pyongyang, celebrations were under way for Thursday's anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong-Il, Jong-Nam's father, with an ice-skating gala that made no mention of the drama. Jong-Un has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his country's nuclear and missile programmes, and regular reports have emerged on purges and executions. Jong-Nam, known as an advocate of reform in the North, once told Japanese reporters that he opposed his country's dynastic system. In a 2012 interview from his school in Bosnia, a 17-year-old Kim Han-Sol, Jong-Nam's son, said his father had been passed over for succession because he "was not really interested in politics". "I don't really know why he became a dictator," Kim said of his uncle Kim Jong-Un. "It was between him and my grandfather." It emerged Wednesday that Jong-Nam had pleaded with his younger brother for his life to be spared after an earlier assassination attempt. "Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying 'Please spare me and my family,'" Kim Byung-Kee, a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. Cheong Seong-Chang of the independent Sejong Institute in Seoul said the assassination was "unthinkable without a direct order or approval from Kim Jong-Un himself". His killing was likely motivated by a recent news report that Kim Jong-Nam had sought to defect to the EU, the US or South Korea as far back as in 2012, he said. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police probing the killing of the half-brother of North Korea's leader arrested a woman Wednesday as they tried to unravel a Cold War-style assassination the South said was carried out by Pyongyang's agents. As Seoul pointed the finger at poison-wielding female spies from North of their shared border, police in Kuala Lumpur said they were holding a woman with a Vietnamese passport. Her arrest came around 24 hours after news broke of the death of Kim Jong-Nam, the elder sibling of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, with reports saying female assassins had sprayed toxins in his face at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. CCTV images that emerged in Malaysian media, purportedly of one of the suspects, showed an Asian woman wearing a white top with the letters "LOL" emblazoned on the front. Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said 28-year-old Doan Thi Huong was arrested at the airport on Wednesday morning -- two days after the killing. The suspect was "positively identified from the CCTV footage at the airport and was alone at the time of arrest," Khalid said in a statement. Meanwhile, pathologists in the Malaysian capital examined the body for clues as to how he died, in a killing that has echoes of Soviet-era spycraft. If confirmed, the assassination, which analysts said could have been ordered over reports he was readying to defect, would be the highest-profile death on Kim Jong-Un's watch since the 2013 execution of his uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in a country with a long record of meting out brutal deaths. - Seizure - South Korea's spy chief Lee Byung-Ho said the two women struck on Monday morning as Kim was readying to board a flight to Macau where he has spent many years in exile. Malaysian police said Kim, a portly 45-year-old, was walking through the departure hall when he was attacked. "He told the receptionist... someone had grabbed his face from behind and splashed some liquid on him," Selangor state's criminal investigation chief Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying by Malaysia's The Star newspaper. "He asked for help and was immediately sent to the airports clinic. At this point, he was experiencing headache and was on the verge of passing out, said Fadzil. "At the clinic, the victim experienced a mild seizure. He was put into an ambulance and was being taken to the Putrajaya Hospital when he was pronounced dead." An autopsy at Kuala Lumpur Hospital's forensics department was completed by Wednesday evening, Selangor Police Chief Abdul Samah Mat told AFP, but said no results had yet been issued by the hospital. A black Jaguar sedan bearing the North Korean flag was seen outside the department, and four officials wearing flag pins were observed within the forensics compound. The officials left the department around 8pm (1200 GMT) without commenting to reporters. No party had yet laid claim to the body, Abdul Samah said. "As for now the body will be kept at the Kuala Lumpur morgue." - Fall from grace - Kim, 45, had at one time been set to assume the leadership of his isolated country, but fell out of favour after an embarrassing attempt to get into Japan on a fake passport in 2001. Kim has since lived in exile, gaining a reputation as something of a playboy with much of his time spent in the gambling enclave of Macau, where he was believed to have enjoyed some protection from Chinese security forces. Quizzed about the killing during a regular press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing was aware of the reports. "According to our understanding, the incident took place in Malaysia and the Malaysian side is investigating this issue. We are following the developments," he said. In Pyongyang, celebrations were under way for Thursday's anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong-Il, Jong-Nam's father, with an ice-skating gala that made no mention of the drama. Jong-Un has been trying to strengthen his grip on power in the face of growing international pressure over his country's nuclear and missile programmes, and regular reports have emerged on purges and executions. Jong-Nam, known as an advocate of reform in the North, once told Japanese reporters that he opposed his country's dynastic system. In a 2012 interview from his school in Bosnia, a 17-year-old Kim Han-Sol, Jong-Nam's son, said his father had been passed over for succession because he "was not really interested in politics". "I don't really know why he became a dictator," Kim said of his uncle Kim Jong-Un. "It was between him and my grandfather." It emerged Wednesday that Jong-Nam had pleaded with his younger brother for his life to be spared after an earlier assassination attempt. "Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying 'Please spare me and my family,'" Kim Byung-Kee, a member of South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. Cheong Seong-Chang of the independent Sejong Institute in Seoul said the assassination was "unthinkable without a direct order or approval from Kim Jong-Un himself". His killing was likely motivated by a recent news report that Kim Jong-Nam had sought to defect to the EU, the US or South Korea as far back as in 2012, he said. Who are Newport's top taxpayers? Take a look at the top 50. Columnist Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich). Reporter Noelle McGee is a Danville-based reporter at The News-Gazette. Her email is nmcgee@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@n_mcgee). Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Constant infusion of a drug now used intermittently to "rescue" patients with Parkinson's from bouts of immobility may also help avoid these debilitating symptoms and smooth out their movement throughout the day, physician-scientists say. "As presently used, this therapy helps bridge a gap," said Dr. Kapil D. Sethi, neurologist at the Medical College of Georgia Department of Neurology and Movement Disorders Program at Augusta University. He's referencing debilitating in-between times when the oral Parkinson's medication levodopa stops working and patients may experience periods of slow or even no movement without warning. That's when they may reach for apomorphine, a dopamine receptor agonist currently available in a prefilled syringe, which quickly and directly activates dopamine receptors in the brain. Levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which typically enables the brain to control movement, are substantially reduced in Parkinson's disease as dopamine-producing cells inexplicably become damaged and die. The nearly 50-year-old standard treatment, levodopa, which is typically taken in tablet or capsule form and converts to dopamine when it reaches the brain, has a short half-life. Most patients must take it four times daily, but those with more advanced disease may need to take it up to eight or nine times, Sethi said. Over time, particularly young patients may experience more bouts of slowness even freezing of movement until their next levodopa dose kicks in. That in-between time is when some patients now reach for the injectable form of apomorphine as a rescue. "Anything that can get consistent levodopa levels in the brain or constantly stimulate dopamine receptors can really improve somebody's quality of life," Sethi said. MCG and the AU Movement Disorders Program are among up to 20 sites across the nation enrolling up to 60 patients in a study that will primarily assess the safety of constant subcutaneous infusion of the apomorphine over 18 hours daily. "We know it works," said Sethi. In fact, injectable apomorphine works quickly - in about 10 minutes - but effects last only about 30-40 minutes. By then, the oral medication, like levodopa, should have kicked in. "The new formulation will work constantly," said Sethi, ideally smoothing out these rough spots for patients. With the right patient and right amount, the MCG movement disorders specialists and their patients already have seen injectable apomorphine work. "It's really dramatic. We have seen patients come in wheelchair-bound, and you give them a shot, and within 10 or 15 minutes, they are walking almost normally again," Sethi said. "The problem is you can't take enough injections to keep your movement smoothly on, he said. And, despite its swift action, some patients just don't want to use an injectable drug. The infusion approach, which works much like a modern insulin pump, should also enable an eventual and significant reduction in doses of levodopa, Sethi said. The more uniform dosing also has the potential to decrease dyskinesia - uncontrolled movement, rather than just frozen movement - over time, since the peaks and valleys of drug action seem to contribute to it, he said. Researchers will be collecting data on whether this form of therapy reduces off time and increases on time for patients with advanced disease. Participants are keeping diaries of how well they could move for the three days prior to each of their 10 study visits. Eligible patients must have an average of at least three hours daily of off time despite their existing treatment strategy and be age 30 to 80. They can have used the injectable form of the drug but will need to be weaned off it for about a week before starting the study. Neuroscience eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Continuous apomorphine infusion was approved for use in the United Kingdom a dozen years ago. Unlike many clinical studies where some patients get the drug under investigation and others get placebo, all patients in this study will receive the drug for up to 52 weeks with the option of continuing to receive it until the Food and Drug Administration approves its usage in the United States or until the study is stopped. New participants will be brought to the clinic for about four hours so proper dosing can be established. Parkinson's disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Parkinson's is typically diagnosed at age 60 years or older, but about 5 to 10 percent of patients are diagnosed before age 50, according to the NINDS. The cause(s) of Parkinson's is essentially unknown although some individuals appear to have a genetic susceptibility in combination with likely multiple environmental factors, Sethi said. "It's ubiquitous; it's all over the world," he said. Patients who develop Parkinson's tend to be previously healthy nonsmokers who generally take good care of themselves. Symptoms can include hand tremors that decrease with movement, a slowness of movement that makes walking difficult so patients may develop a shuffling gait, and dementia may surface after several years. However, there may be subtle, seemingly nonspecific symptoms for 20 years prior that can include lack of the normal paralysis that occurs during REM, or rapid eye movement sleep, when you tend to dream so patients may quite literally act out their dreams. "They talk in their sleep, they kick in their sleep, they may fall out of bed because they were fighting some demons in the middle of the night while they were sleeping," Sethi said. Problems with constipation may be an early sign that muscle control is slipping, and a reduced sense of smell also is common in this neurological disorder. "Parkinson's is a very widespread disorder. Wherever the nerves go, they can be affected in multiple different types of systems," Sethi said. Most diagnoses are made from symptoms although sophisticated brain studies, including magnetic resonance imaging or the DaTscan, which helps determine the location and availability of dopamine in the brain, can be helpful particularly if there are any unusual symptoms. There is currently no injectable form of levodopa, but an infused form is under development. An inhalable and likely faster-acting form of the drug also is in the late stage of development and has already had some testing at some centers such as MCG and AU Health. A form of rescue apomorphine that can be placed under the tongue and won't require shots also is under development, along with other drug treatment options. Patients can also have deep brain stimulation, a surgical procedure that uses a pacemaker-like device to block electrical impulses that result in a wide range of abnormal movements. The procedure can also help smooth out patient movement. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to dementia via advanced neuronal dysfunction and death. A person with Alzheimer's disease suffers loss of control over thought, memory and language abilities. Additionally, the disease takes an emotional, social and economic toll on family members of individuals living with the disease. Alzheimer's disease is also a burden for health care system in the U.S., with as many as 5 million Americans living with the disease in 2013, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that number is expected to continue rising. Currently, the predominant theory behind Alzheimer's disease is the "amyloid hypothesis," which states that abnormally increased levels of amyloid beta (A) peptides outside of brain cells produce a variety of low molecular weight A aggregates that are toxic to the nervous system. These A aggregates interact directly with target cells and lead to cell death. Neuroscience eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today During the Biophysical Society's 61st Annual Meeting, being held Feb. 11-15, 2017, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Antonio De Maio, a professor of surgery and neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), will present his work hunting for the specific mechanisms behind A-induced toxicity to cells, or cytoxicity. Cells exposed to stressful conditions respond by expressing heat shock proteins (hsps), whose job is to preserve cell viability. Hsp70, in particular, is a molecular chaperone that plays a major role in protein folding and the solubilization of misfolded, aggregated polypeptide proteins inside cells. The researchers were interested in Hsp70 because, according to De Maio, it has also been found outside of cells, potentially coexisting with A peptides. His team observed that HsP70 did, in fact, reduce oligomerization of A peptides. Significantly, the researchers further inferred that the reduced oligomerization of A, where individual monomer molecules join to form a longer oligomer, might result in lower cellular toxicity, perhaps by blocking the assembly of A ion channels. And in fact this is what they found, demonstrating a substantial reduction -- approximately 70 percent -- of A peptide's toxicity upon co-exposure to Hsp70. "Based upon these observations, we predicted that inducing the extracellular release of Hsp70 might have a beneficial effect on Alzheimer's disease," said De Maio. "But it should be taken into consideration that we don't know any potential long-term side effects of extracellular Hsp70 for human health." While extremely promising at this stage, "more investigations of the interface between Hsp70 and A peptides are necessary for any further developments," De Maio said. Source: http://www.biophysics.org/ Why do some people get Type 2 diabetes, while others who live the same lifestyle never do? For decades, scientists have tried to solve this mystery - and have found more than 80 tiny DNA differences that seem to raise the risk of the disease in some people, or protect others from the damagingly high levels of blood sugar that are its hallmark. But no one "Type 2 diabetes signature" has emerged from this search. Now, a team of scientists has reported a discovery that might explain how multiple genetic flaws can lead to the same disease. They've identified something that some of those diabetes-linked genetic defects have in common: they seem to change the way certain cells in the pancreas "read" their genes. The discovery could eventually help lead to more personalized treatments for diabetes. But for now, it's the first demonstration that many Type 2 diabetes-linked DNA changes have to do with the same DNA-reading molecule. Called Regulatory Factor X, or RFX, it's a master regulator for a number of genes. The team reporting the findings in a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences comes from the University of Michigan, National Institutes of Health, Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, University of North Carolina, and the University of Southern California. They report that many diabetes-linked DNA changes affect the ability of RFX to bind to specific locations in the genomes of pancreas cell clusters called islets. And that in turn changes the cells' ability to carry out important functions. Islets contain the cells that make hormones, including insulin and glucagon, which keep blood sugar balanced in healthy people. In people with diabetes, that regulation goes awry - leading to a range of health problems that can develop over many years. "We have found that many of the subtle DNA spelling differences that increase risk of Type 2 diabetes appear to disrupt a common regulatory grammar in islet cells," says Stephen C.J. Parker, Ph.D., an assistant professor of computational medicine and bioinformatics, and of human genetics, at the U-M Medical School. "RFX is probably unable to read the misspelled words, and this disruption of regulatory grammar plays a significant role in the genetic risk of Type 2 diabetes." Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Parker is one of four co-senior authors on the paper, which also includes Michael Boehnke, Ph.D., of the U-M School of Public Health's Department of Biostatistics, Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institutes of Health, and Michael L. Stitzel, Ph.D. of the Jackson Laboratory. Prior to their current faculty positions Parker and Stitzel worked in Collins' lab at the National Human Genome Research Institute. Parker's graduate student, Arushi Varshney, is one of the paper's co-first authors with Laura Scott, Ph.D., and Ryan Welch, Ph.D., of the U-M School of Public Health's Department of Biostatistics and Michael Erdos, Ph.D., of the National Human Genome Research Institute. They performed an extensive examination of DNA from islet samples isolated from 112 people. They characterized differences not just in DNA sequences, but also in the way DNA was packaged and modified by epigenetic factors, and the levels of gene expression products that indicated how often the genes had been read and transcribed. This allowed them to track the "footprints" that RFX and other transcription factors leave on packaged DNA after they have done their job. RFX and other factors don't bind directly to the part of a gene that encodes a protein that does a cellular job. Rather, they bind to a stretch of DNA near the gene - a runway of sorts. But when genetic changes linked to Type 2 diabetes are present, that runway gets disrupted, and RFX can't bind as it should. Each DNA change might alter this binding in a different way, leading to a slightly different effect on Type 2 diabetes risk or blood sugar regulation. But the common factor for many of these changes was its effect on the area where RFX is predicted to bind, in the cells of pancreatic islets. So, says Parker, this shows how the genome - the actual sequence of DNA -- can influence the epigenome, or the factors that influence gene expression. The researchers note that a deadly form of diabetes seen in a handful of babies born each year may be related to RFX mutations. That condition, called Mitchell-Riley syndrome, involves neonatal diabetes and malformed pancreas, and is known to be caused by a rare autosomal recessive mutation of one form of RFX. Source: http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/24578-diabetes-in-your-dna-scientists-zero-in-on-the-genetic-signature-of-risk Thought Leaders Professor Alice Roberts Prof. of Public Engagement in Science, University of Birmingham An interview with Professor Alice Roberts, BSc MB BCh PhD Hon.FBAASc. conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, MA (Cantab) Why did you decide on a career in science and medicine? I was interested in a whole range of subjects, but the one that really grasped me from a young age was biology and, in particular, human biology. I was really fascinated with how the human body worked and I still am; that's something that has stayed with me. I had a fantastic pop-up book by Jonathan Miller and David Pelham, which was given to me when I was about eight or nine. I've still got that book on my bookshelf and it still excites me when I open it today! What have been the best moments in your career to date? That's really tricky because I've had such a varied career. I had a career briefly in medicine. I studied medicine at university and I qualified as a doctor. I really enjoyed the practice of medicine and particularly surgery, but then I ended up becoming an academic - because I followed my passion for anatomy. I had a strange fascination for old bones, which became the focus of my research. Finishing my PhD felt like a big achievement. Its a real rite of passage! Working in television, Ive had some amazing opportunities and experiences over the years. Coast was great fun to make, and I loved making The Incredible Human Journey for BBC2, about the ancient colonization of the world. Ive been lucky to spend time with a number of indigenous communities, including reindeer herders in Siberia and Hadza hunter-gatherers in Tanzania. More recently, making Digging for Britain is a great privilege, as I get to meet archaeologists working on exciting sites all over the UK. What challenges have you had to overcome in order to pursue your ambitions? I felt quite acutely at various points in my career that being a woman was not necessarily an advantage. I found that quite peculiar because when I was growing up, I went to an all-girls school and there was never any question that women shouldn't be equal in our society. There was no suggestion that some subjects were out of bounds or off limits just because of my gender. I studied Physics A level - why shouldnt girls study Physics? Once I got into the world of work, I started experiencing the fact that our society isnt quite as equal as we like to think it is - and that was quite a tricky thing to have to deal with! I once got passed over for promotion because I didnt have gravitas - I think that meant I couldnt grow a beard! I don't give up easily though. Yes, I'm a woman, why on earth shouldn't I be pursuing the career Im pursuing? But I hope its going to get easier and that we do solve this problem with equality - because it is still a problem. Were kidding ourselves if we think weve solved it. And thats a problem for society as a whole - it means were missing out on a huge amount of talent and potential. How varied can careers in science be and what advice would you give someone considering science as a career? I think the idea of a scientist can be very narrow. When you ask young children to draw a picture of a scientist, they can have a very stereotyped idea of what a scientist looks like - often a man in a white coat, with test tubes, in a lab. Lots of scientists (though not enough!) are female, and not all them work in a lab. There are scientists who spend a lot of time outside, doing field work - such as geologists, ecologists, environmental scientists and so on. Theres a huge range of different sciences and subject areas, and scientists themselves are a hugely diverse bunch. So I think trying to give children an idea of the huge diverse variety of careers in science is really important. Some surveys suggest that a perception of science as difficult can put people off studying it and aiming for a career as a scientist. Making sure that children get the opportunity to meet some real-life scientists might help them realize that it's not so daunting a prospect as they might think it is! What misconceptions and myths about careers in science would you like to dispel? The idea that science is a monolithic thing and that there's just one way of doing science and being a scientist, when actually there's a hugely diverse range of careers and a hugely diverse bunch of people doing it. I think that's the most important myth to dispel. In some ways, I think it's just the language that ties us up in knots. We seem to talk about science as though it is one thing. We should really be talking about sciences rather than creating this monolithic image for ourselves. We talk about the arts, yet we don't tend to talk about the sciences. Can you please give an overview of the GenerationeXt initiative? Drug Discovery eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today The whole point of the GenerationeXt initiative is to enthuse and engage young people about the diversity of careers in science and give them the opportunity to meet some people that are pursuing science. Children get fantastic advice from their career teachers in schools, but meeting real scientists may help to dispel some myths and provide a bit more detail of what those careers can actually mean. The people I've met at Roche today all really enjoy their work. Drug discovery is a wonderfully creative and exciting field to be working in - and can have such a positive impact. I think sometimes we forget that most scientists genuinely want to make the world a better place. How important is it to encourage young people to get involved in science and what more needs to be done to increase participation? I'm concerned about some of the rhetoric about encouraging children to consider careers in science and technology. I don't think that a career in science is the only fulfilling career you could ever have or that it is right for everybody. On the other hand, I dont want young people to feel that particular career choices are shut off to them. And they shouldnt feel that its such a dichotomy either - they don't have to decide whether they're going to be firmly allied to either the humanities or the sciences for the rest of their lives. People who end up pursuing careers in science can still engage with the rest of culture. And people who end up pursuing other careers can still be interested in and engaged by science. Its important that everyone has a certain level of scientific understanding by the time they leave school - a good foundation. Lots of the big decisions facing us as a society require a certain level of scientific literacy. So its incredibly important to bring out that relevance of science - to us individually, as a society, and to the planet as a whole. Why is this an exciting time to be a scientist? I think it's always an exciting time to be a scientist! It's about finding out new things about the world. I gave a talk to open the day today to a group of 150 students. I was talking about the history of biology and embryology - and the excitement of discovery - even of things we take we for granted today. On the one hand, its about the opportunity to change the world to be better for humans and the planet as a whole. But just that raw excitement of finding out something new is also fantastic. I've heard people say that they're not doing sciences to A-level, to the age of 18, because they think it's not creative and that's perhaps the biggest myth that I'd like to dispel. Do you think there is a problem with the genderization of science subjects? One of the things that really worries me is the genderization of science subjects and the idea that some subjects are for girls and some subjects are for boys. We know that's nothing to do with ability. Theres no real reason why only 1 in 5 A level Physics students is female! I think that's really dangerous because it restricts peoples options. People are turning away from subjects that they might really enjoy. They think a subject is closed off to them because it's not the subject you'd expect for their gender. That's really damaging and we need to get rid of that. How do you think we can overcome these issues? In all sorts of different ways. Schools are working really hard to tackle those perceptions. In Britain, 50% of physics A-level classes in our state secondary schools have no girls in them. I think that makes it a very difficult for girls that are coming up through the school. I think having role models is really important, as well as trying to tackle those negative perceptions in schools head on. Having role models is also important. We've got fantastic female physicists on the BBC. We have a couple of very prominent male physicists in the form of Brian Cox and Jim Al-Khalili, but we also have Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Helen Czerski, so I think broadcast media is helping to present a more balanced view of scientists. Then, it's a question of letting children or young people know a bit more about the careers that they could be getting into and helping them to realize that there's no reason for women not to be accessing certain careers. Equally, there is no reason for men not to be getting into certain careers. It is perfectly acceptable and natural for a woman to be studying physics and it's perfectly acceptable and natural for a man to be studying psychology. About Professor Alice Roberts Alice is an anatomist, anthropologist and Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham . She is also a broadcaster and has presented several landmark BBC series including The Incredible Human Journey, Origins of Us, Ice Age Giants and The Celts. She has also presented several Horizon programs, and occasionally presents Costing The Earth on Radio 4. She has written seven popular science and archaeology books. Her book about embryology and evolution, The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being, was shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize in 2015. A Florida State University researcher has drawn a link between the impact of climate change and untreated drinking water on the rate of gastrointestinal illness in children. Assistant Professor of Geography Chris Uejio has published a first-of-its-kind study, "Drinking-water treatment, climate change, and childhood gastrointestinal illness projections for northern Wisconsin (USA) communities drinking untreated groundwater," in the Hydrogeology Journal. The study explores the benefits of additional drinking water treatment compared to the risks created by climate change. "Most people may not realize this, but there are about 20 million people in the country who access drinking water that isn't treated," Uejio said. "These households are particularly vulnerable to rainfall events and contamination events where disease causing pathogens can get in their drinking water sources." Uejio's study is the first to examine how future rainfall may impact human health. He partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Health and the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to examine the rate in which children ages 5 and under are at risk for gastrointestinal illness (GI) 30-plus years into the future between 2046 to 2065 compared to the period between 1991 and 2010. "Wisconsin was chosen partly for its unique geography," Uejio said. "It has some underlying hydrogeology characteristics that make it a little more susceptible to ground water contamination. We also chose Wisconsin because there are some cities that do treat and do not treat their drinking water. It provided a natural comparison to see if rainfall is related to more people getting sick in these areas." Uejio and the research team considered three different scenarios covering five northern Wisconsin municipalities with minimally treated drinking water. The first scenario tested the amount of risk of childhood GI if climate change proceeds on its current trajectory. Uejio found that without additional drinking water treatment installation, increased rainfall from climate change could amount to an approximate 1.5 percent increase in childhood GI with a range as high as 3.6 percent. The gastrointestinal illnesses studied included a wide swath of sicknesses ranging from minor stomach pains to more severe symptoms that required up to 69 days of hospital care. Of the cases examined between 1991 and 2010, 7 percent of the children were admitted to a hospital. The second scenario considered climate change plus background levels of treatment, which is what has been done historically, and projecting that to the future. When those numbers were assessed, Uejio found some continued treatment would help alleviate the impacts of climate change moving forward, but there were still elevated rates of illness among the children in communities with untreated drinking water. The final scenario looked at a more aggressive rate of drinking water treatment in larger cities throughout the research area. "We found, intuitively, that the rate of illness correspondingly dropped dramatically," Uejio said. His results can inform public policy moving forward, he said. "Even though climate change is becoming a politicized issue, what is happening on the ground is not as political," Uejio said. "We have actual communities, many rural, many whose children are becoming sick because they are drinking water that is not filtered. We have the technologies to address this disparity, and really that's much bigger than the impact climate change will have going forward. We just need the political will and the funding to follow through on that." Uejio hopes his study will be a springboard for researchers to investigate these impacts in additional regions in the United States. Because the Northeastern and Midwestern portions of the United States are already observing more rainfall and intense rainfall events, those areas are ripe for study, he said. A new antibiotic, produced by bacteria found on a species of African ant, is very potent against antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs' like MRSA according to scientists. Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the John Innes Centre (JIC) discovered a new member of the Streptomyces bacteria family, isolated from the African fungus-growing plant-ant Tetraponera penzigi. They have named the new species Streptomyces formicae and the antibiotics formicamycins, after the Latin formica, meaning ant. Lab tests have shown these new antibiotics are effective against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE), bacteria which are resistant to a number of common antibiotics and can cause life-threatening infections. Almost all of the antibiotics currently in clinical use come from a group of bacteria called actinomycetes that were isolated from soil between 40-80 years ago, the 'golden age' of antibiotic discovery. Inappropriate use of these antibiotics since then has led to widespread antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where disease-causing bacteria and fungi have become resistant to one or more antibiotics. Prof Matt Hutchings from UEA said: "We have been exploring the chemical ecology of protective symbioses formed between antibiotic-producing bacteria and fungus-growing insects to better understand how these associations are formed and explore them as a new source of anti-infective drugs. "Kenyan plant-ants live in symbiosis with thorny acacia trees. They live and breed in domatia - which are hollowed out structures which the plant evolved to house them - and grow fungus in them for food. In return, they protect the plants from large herbivores including elephants, which won't eat plants covered in ants." The team isolated a number of actinomycete bacterial strains from the acacia plant housing the ants, selecting a number for genome sequencing. One particular strain caught their attention, and the antibiotic compounds produced from it showed promising activity in early tests against other disease-causing bacteria. Prof Hutchings said: "We tested formicamycins against clinical isolates of MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enteroccocus faecium (VRE) and found that they are very potent inhibitors of these organisms." To test this further, they repeated the tests by growing the strains for 20 generations in very low, sub-inhibitory concentrations of formicamycins and found no sign that the test strains acquired spontaneous higher level resistance to the new antibiotics. Prof Wilkinson from JIC said: "Our findings highlight the importance of searching as-yet under-explored environments, which, when combined with recent advances in genome sequencing and editing, enables the discovery of new species making natural product antibiotics which could prove invaluable in the fight against AMR." HANDHELD devices can scan the lower limbs of a patient and "listen" to the blood flow, providing vital early indication of problems that could lead to strokes or heart attacks. But inexperience or lack of training sometimes mean that clinicians do not properly interpret what they hear and therefore miss the warning signs. Now, a University of Huddersfield expert has been awarded a research grant that will enable him to build up a digital library of the different foot and leg artery sounds recorded during the Doppler ultrasound procedure. It will become an important, widely available aid, boosting and refreshing knowledge gained by clinicians during their training. Andrew Sharpe is a podiatrist who obtained his qualifications at the University, where he is now a Lecturer Practitioner. He is also an Advanced Podiatrist and Team Leader for Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust. Like others in his profession he uses Doppler ultrasound on a daily basis. He describes it as a portable, non-invasive, quick and relatively cheap way of assessing limb arterial disease, known to be a precursor to cardiovascular disease such as heart attack and stroke, of which the first symptoms could be leg pain. But a lack of accuracy, reliability or confidence on the part of the user can falsely reassure patients that there is no disease present, so that they miss out on potentially life-saving treatment. Mr Sharpe said that the clinician was listening for three basic sounds, known as tri-phasing, bi-phasing and mono-phasing. In a healthy artery there would be both backward and forward blood flow. As an artery reduces with age, there will be a forward flow with a slight back flow. But if a single flow is detected, then that signifies a real reduction and the possibility of cardio-vascular problems. "The issue that users face is the distinction between a clear double sound and a flat single sound. You are listening for that extra blip and it is down to whether you pick it up," said Mr Sharpe, adding that confidence came from experience and practice. Suppliers of Doppler ultrasound devices do supply audio examples, but now the Urgo Foundation, which funds innovative medical research, has granted Mr Sharpe 10,000 for a 12-month project which will seem him compile recordings of dozens of foot and leg scan sounds - plus sounds from the groin and behind the knee. He will then select the best and most representative sounds and hold discussions with expert clinicians on how to interpret them. Case histories accompanying each sound will form part of his digital library, which will be obtainable via the web. It is also planned to develop a smartphone app. Mr Sharpe stresses that the library is not intended as a tool for gaining initial competency. "Practitioners should already know what they are listening for. The library will give them increased exposure to sounds and help with their overall confidence. It will also be a self-teaching tool for an experienced clinician." Mr Sharpe will obtain the sounds from his NHS practice and will also work with the Royal Liverpool Vascular Laboratory. Optegra Eye Health Cares flagship Central London hospital, situated in the prestigious Harley Street district, has given the gift of improved vision back to hundreds of people since first opening its doors in January 2016. Optegra - Ground Floor The hospital, located on Queen Anne Street, is celebrating its first birthday after a successful opening which has seen the specialist unit attract over 50 Ophthalmic consultants. It has established its expert credentials as one of the few places in the UK to offer the innovative SMILE treatment; a non-invasive keyhole laser surgery that corrects vision in five minutes and reduces the after-effects associated with traditional laser treatments. With an initial investment of 13 million, Optegra has created a market leading, state-of-the-art hospital. Occupying six floors behind a stunning Edwardian stucco, the hospital offers a full laser suite, two integrated digital theatres, stunning outpatient facilities and the latest in Ophthalmic diagnostic equipment. Jonny Husband, Hospital Director for Optegra Central London Hospital, commented: It is fantastic to be celebrating our first anniversary, and to see the hospital become an integral part of the Harley Street district is incredibly rewarding. Our hospital has been designed to be at the forefront of the eye healthcare market, pioneering new procedures and the latest in Ophthalmic medical equipment. We strive to partner with world class surgeons who share our common objective to provide outstanding care for our patients. What makes Optegra unique is that we offer a consultant-led service, which means our patients receive expert help from some of the most renowned consultants in their field. We understand that the deterioration of eyesight for many people is unthinkable, so as an organisation we continue to invest in eye health research as well as the latest high-specification equipment to make procedures less invasive and help to speed up the recovery time. The average eye is just 24 millimeters wide, which makes ophthalmic procedures some of the most complex and intricate surgeries. We are therefore proud to have some of the best customer satisfaction rates in the country. Manzar Saeed, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Optegra Central London Hospital, was the first consultant to carry out a procedure at the new hospital. A specialist in Vitreoretinal and complex cataract surgery, he comments: What drew me to Optegra Eye Hospital Central London was its promise of cutting-edge equipment and procedure rooms, complemented with an extraordinary patient focused service that would offer the best treatment options and environment for my patients, and it has certainly delivered. My patients happily travel from as far as East Anglia for treatment at Optegra. We have enjoyed a successful first year and countless good news stories from patients delighted from the results of their surgeries. I look forward to the many years ahead. Bill Rogers, a patient who underwent eye surgery at the Queen Anne Street hospital, commented: Everything about Optegra has been brilliant. The London clinic that I visited was superb, modern and professional. So good to have such excellent after care as well. Thoroughly deserved 5 stars and I'm not easily impressed! Optegra Eye Hospital London enables consultants to treat the full A to Z of eye health care from vision correction options (laser eye surgery and lens replacement) through to medical treatments for conditions such as cataracts, AMD, floaters, corneal complications, retinal tears, glaucoma, and is currently developing stem cell transplant surgery. Source: https://www.optegra.com/ Nicotine -- the primary compound found within tobacco smoke -- is known to change the grouping of some subtypes of nicotinic receptors, but the mechanisms for nicotine addiction remain unclear. This inspired a group of University of Kentucky researchers to explore the role nicotine plays in the assembly of nicotinic receptors within the brain. During the Biophysical Society's 61st Annual Meeting, being held Feb. 11-15, 2017, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Faruk Moonschi, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky, will present the group's work, which centers on a fluorescence-based "single molecule" technique they developed. "Like many people in my country, Bangladesh, my father is a heavy smoker," Moonschi said, explaining his interest in studying nicotine addiction. "Despite the fact that my mother and siblings have encouraged him to quit, he has never been able to stop smoking. I've always been interested in what led to his addiction, so I joined a research group working within the area of addiction to study the underlying mechanisms of nicotine dependency." The group explored whether nicotine exposure increases the total number of nicotinic receptors on cell surfaces and if it changes the way the receptor is grouped. "To do this, we use custom-built microscopes to expose our samples to laser excitation while we detect the fluorescence signal given off from the labeled proteins," Moonschi said. Generally, a ligand -- which can be a small molecule or peptide -- binds with the corresponding receptor protein on its cell surface and causes an effect. "Contrary to this general process, some researchers hypothesized that nicotine actually gets inside the cells of smokers' brains and changes the assembly of nicotinic receptors by altering the ratio of nicotinic receptor subunits and potentially altering the trafficking of some subtypes of nicotinic receptors to the cell surface," Moonschi pointed out. So, Moonschi and colleagues developed a single molecule technique that allows them to separate freshly assembled nicotinic receptors -- from the endoplasmic reticulum of cells -- from those already assembled and transferred to the cell surface. "By doing this, we were able to show that nicotine changes the subunit ratio of nicotinic receptors in the endoplasmic reticulum. Further, we showed that one assembly is preferentially transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane," he added. These findings are an important contribution to understanding the mechanism of nicotine addiction. "Understanding how nicotine alters the assembly of receptors in the context of addiction should provide insight into therapeutic targets for smoking cessation compounds," Moonschi noted. Next, Moonschi and colleagues will "extend their research to in vivo studies, using genetically modified mice to determine whether similar changes in stoichiometry are seen in live animals due to nicotine exposure," he said. "We'll also study how smoking cessation compounds affect the stoichiometry of nicotinic receptors." In addition to the classic stress response in our bodies - an acute reaction that gradually abates when the threat passes - our bodies appear to have a separate mechanism that deals only with chronic stress. These Weizmann Institute of Science findings, which recently appeared in Nature Neuroscience, may lead to better diagnosis of and treatment for anxiety and depression. Dr. Assaf Ramot, a postdoctoral fellow in Prof. Alon Chen's group in the Institute's Department of Neurobiology, led the research pinpointing a small, previously unknown group of nerve cells in the paraventricular nucleus, or PVN, within the hypothalamus - a part of the brain involved in regulating many of the body's reactions. These cells' position in the PVN led the researchers to suppose that the nerve cells play a role in the stress response. Prof. Chen explains that in the well-known stress response, the neurotransmitter corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) is released from the PVN and goes to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland releases hormones that then cause the adrenal gland to flood the bloodstream with the "stress hormone" cortisol. The cortisol, along with the regular stress response, lowers the production of CRF, thus causing a negative feedback loop in which the mechanism slows down and stops. A positive-feedback loop The newly discovered nerve cells express a receptor, CRFR1, on their outer walls, which enables them to take in the message of the CRF neurotransmitter. The scientists' experiments showed that, in mice, the cortisol actually increases the number of CRFR1 receptors on these nerve cells, suggesting a positive feedback loop that could be self-renewing, rather than abating. Neuroscience eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Working with Prof. Nicholas Justice's group at the University of Texas, Houston, Prof. Chen, Dr. Ramot, and their group first characterized this special population of nerve cells, labeling them with fluorescent proteins in the brains of genetically engineered mice. When they removed the adrenal glands of these mice, thus preventing the production of cortisol, the receptors did not appear on the PVN nerve-cell walls, while injecting synthetic stress hormones caused them to appear and restart the chain reaction. Next, the researchers asked when and how the CRFR1 cycle is initiated. They compared mice genetically engineered to lack the receptor with a control group and exposed them to different kinds of stress, testing the hormones in their blood afterward. When the mice experienced acute stress, both groups reacted in a similar manner, and their hormone levels were also similar. But chronic stressors told a different story: The genetically engineered mice stayed calmer and had lower levels of the cortisol-like hormone. "In other words," says Dr. Ramot, "the CRFR1 system is a separate one that evolved to deal with chronic stress." Prof. Chen adds: "Some studies have shown that patients suffering from depression have more of this receptor than average, and this suggests further avenues of research and even ways to treat, in the future, disorders that arise from chronic stress." New Delhi: ALL roads in Tamil Nadu seems to be leading now towards the state Assembly and an inevitable floor test on if it is O Panneerselvam or Edapadi Palaniswami the nominee of the VK Sasikala faction who enjoys the confidence of the House. But what if the very idea of a floor test without swearing in a full government would be violative of the Constitution? A range of experts including former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, former Lok Sabha deputy speaker PD Thankappan Achary, and noted political scientist Sudha Pai told News18 that before he conducts a floor test and solves the crisis, the governor should first know the mind of the MLAs and install a new government. This runs contrary to the legal advice furnished by Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi who had said there is an elected Chief Minister in O Pannerselvam, and hence a floor test can be conducted. The three experts that News18 spoke to were united in that Panneerselvam, who is a caretaker CM, cannot be treated constitutionally as an elected chief minister lording over a council of ministers. Chatterjee, Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha, said Governor Vidyasagar Rao has to first appoint a Chief Minister and a council of ministers, which would fulfill the condition of an elected government being in place. It is only then that a floor test can be done. When there are doubts, claims and counter claims as to who holds the CM post then it would not be against the spirit of the Constitution if the governor in a bona fide manner appoints a person to be the CM and the council of ministers and then have a floor test conducted in the assembly to judge who enjoys the majority support. Chatterjee suggested that the right way to go about this would be to call the MLAs to the Raj Bhawan and ask their opinion individually to understand who enjoys their support. PD Thankappan Achary, former Secretary General of Lok Sabha and an expert on Indian Constitution, concurred with Chatterjees observation. It has to be seen whether the MLAs voluntary support Palaniswamy or not, which is highly unlikely according to me. In this case, the governor has to call all the MLAs to the Raj Bhawan and ask them individually if they support Palaniswamy or not. Only after this exercise, the governor can elect a Chief Minister and a Council of Ministers, said Achary. He dismissed Advocate General Rohatgis legal advice given to the governor to conduct a composite floor test. It is alien to the Constitution to have a floor test without having a government in place, he told News18. The AG has stated that a composite floor test has to be done, which was devised by the Supreme Court in 1998 during the power struggle between Charan Singh and Jagdambika Pal in Uttar Pradesh. But floor test without an elected government in place is alien to the constitution and to the rule of law. The government has to be in office and it has to move the confidence motion. This is the function of the government and not the governor. The governor, in this case, can act only on the aid and advice of the Chief Minister and the council of Ministers. But since in this case, there is confusion over CM and council of ministers, the governor should appoint them first and then move on to the option of a floor test, said Achary. Sudha Pai, Professor at Centre for Political Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, told News18 that a floor test cannot be an option unless there are two clear parties, one who is the government in power and the other who contends that the government does not enjoy the majority. Pai said that in the present circumstances, there is confusion amidst the government itself and hence a floor test just cannot be the immediate option as suggested by the AG. I do not recall a single instance when the floor test has been done without an elected government. The Governor needs to talk to the MLAs individually to assess their support and appoint the Chief Minister and Council of ministers. There exists an option of parading the MLAs but that only leads to more MLAs being horse-traded. After forming the government, a time limit can be set to prove majority on the floor of the house. There is no split in the party and it is only a fight for political power, said Pai. Achary dismissed Panneerselvams contention that he now wishes to withdraw his resignation under as the Chief Minster called such an act unconstitutional. Our Constitution has no provision which allows the withdrawal of such a resignation. He cannot even rake up the point of duress because that goes against him and qualifies him as unfit for the post of the CM. In this case the Governor should immediately allow the formation of an alternative government and in the meanwhile has asked Panneerselvam to continue as the caretaker CM, said Achary. New Delhi: Acknowledging that the hostile conduct of locals was causing higher casualties in the Kashmir Valley, Army chief Bipin Rawat on Wednesday warned those attacking security forces during anti-militancy operations of "tough action". The stern message from Rawat came a day after three soldiers faced heavy stone-pelting at Parray Mohalla of Bandipore in north Kashmir when they were about to launch an operation against militants holed up there. Alerted by the stone-pelters, the militants got an opportunity to fire hand grenades and empty a few magazines from AK-rifles into the advancing troopers, leaving three jawans dead and some others, including a Commanding officer of CRPF, injured. One terrorist managed to flee the area. General Rawat said security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were facing higher casualties due to the manner in which the local population was preventing them from conducting the operations and "at times even supporting the terrorists to escape". "We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism, displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them. "They may survive today but we will get them tomorrow. Our relentless operations will continue," the Army Chief told reporters here, sending out a stern message to those who support militants. Rawat's assertion came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he paid last respects here to three of the four soldiers, including a major, who were killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir on Tuesday. The Army chief said if "they do not relent and create hurdle in our operations, then we will take tough action." The Prime Minister, in a tweet, said, "Paid tributes to the brave men who lost their lives fighting terrorists in J&K. India will always remember their valour & sacrifice." General Rawat said those supporting terror activities are being given an opportunity to join the national mainstream but, if they continue with their acts, security forces will come down hard on them. "We are giving them an opportunity, should they want to continue to (do what they are doing now) then, we will continue with relentless operations may be with harsher measures. And that is the way to continue," he said . Four terrorists were gunned down in two separate encounters on Tuesday. Four army personnel, including a Major, were also killed in the encounters at Handwara and Bandipora. Ahmedabad: Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Tuesday claimed that Christians were "silently" converting maximum number of people, even as he batted for a law to control the countrys population. On being asked about his Cabinet colleague Kiren Rijiju's remarks about dwindling Hindu population, Singh that he completely agreed with him. "It is a fact that Hindu population is decreasing. In 1947, Hindus were almost 90 per cent of population. But as per a latest media survey, we are only 72 per cent at present," he said. He along with BJP patriarch L K Advani was in Gandhinagar to attend the pre-wedding ceremony of Gujarat Women and Child Development Minister Nirmala Wadhwani's daughter. Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had kicked up a controversy yesterday with his remarks that "population of Hindus in India is going down as they never convert people, while minorities are flourishing." During his interaction with media, Singh blamed Christians for converting people "silently". "It is Christians who are doing maximum number of religious conversions in the country, that too silently," the Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) said. He also sought cooperation from opposition parties to bring a law to curb population. "At present, Indian population is almost 17.5 per cent of the entire world. If opposition parties extend their cooperation, a law can be brought to control the population, which is the need of the hour," Singh added. PTI PJT PD KRK SRY Mumbai: Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Tuesday said US President Donald Trump, who is under attack over his controversial immigration policy, should not be "demonised". "Don't demonise Trump, analyse Trump. He represents a thought process. It's not a momentary expression," Jaishankar said during an interactive session at the Gateway House dialogue in Mumbai. Trump has been facing heat over his controversial immigration policy after he put a travel ban on citizens from seven Mulsim majority countries and some other decisions of his administration, including those relating to H1B visa which caused concern in India too. Jaishankar, who delivered an address on "Political change and economic uncertainties" at the event co-hosted by the MEA and Gateway House, also said India has to play a larger role on the global scene. "At a time when horizons of a lot of major countries are getting narrower...If the major (countries) are pulling back there is a space out there and it is in our interest to use that space. In my view, we should be looking at more powered position in international forum," he said. Ahmedabad: The industrial cluster around Tata Motors' Nano plant witnessed a major clash on Tuesday when a rally of farmers protesting against allocation of water to industries from a Narmada dam canal was dispersed by police using force. Police cane-charged the farmers and burst some 40 teargas shells to disperse the rally as well as roughed up some media persons covering the event following pelting of stones by a section of participants in the rally. At least seven men in uniform sustained injuries in the stone pelting. The incident occurred near Sanand on the outskirts of Ahmedabad when some 5,000 farmers from 38 villages in Viramgam, Bavla and Sanand talukas, under the banner of Khedut Adhikar Manch, took out the procession and headed state capital Gandhinagar to present a memorandum to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani demanding water for irrigation. They pointed out that while the industrial cluster around Sanand, including Tata Motors' Nano plant and units of other automobile giants, had been allowed to draw water from the Narmada canal, no irrigation facility had been provided to the agricultural fields close to the Narmada canal that takes water to the Saurashtra region. Police claimed that farmers were denied permission for the rally and were first politely informed. "But when they did not budge, we had to use force to disperse them," Ahmedabad Rural District Superintendent of Police R.V. Asari said. According to him, seven policemen, including him, sustained injuries in stone pelting by the farmers. "Police had denied them permission and so when the rally reached Sanand, we tried to convince their leaders not to go ahead. Even as talks were on, some persons started pelting stones. Several of my men, including me, were injured and we had to resort to mild lathicharge and fire teargas shells to disperse the mob," Asari said. Some media persons covering the event were beaten up by cops and camera chips and other photography equipment of two local television news channels were snatched the police. About 50 farmers were also arrested on charges of attacking government officials on duty. The lathicharge on unarmed farmers and media persons was widely condemned by the Congress and other political parties. State Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki said the issue would be taken up in the assembly beginning its budget session from February 20. "The BJP is not accustomed to face any opposition. Instead of giving justice to the farmers, they ordered lathicharge on them. I condemn the action," Leader of the Opposition in state assembly Shankersinh Vaghela said. "It is unfortunate that the farmers were beaten up for raising a legitimate demand. Such atrocities prove that this government is anti-farmer. It is their known method of remaining in power by terrorising people and suppressing every voice of dissent," Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convenor Hardik Patel asserted. Other Backward Classes Manch Convenor Alpesh Thakore said the OBCs would not allow the BJP leaders to move freely in Ahmedabad district if they continue with their high-handed attitude instead of meeting legitimate demand of the farmers. The Manch, with the support of PAAS, has given a call for "Sanand Bandh" on Wednesday to protest against the police action on farmers. The earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 series weighs 714 kg. By the 28th minute of the rocket's mission, all the 104 satellites would be put into orbit. Congratulations to @isro for the successful launch of PSLV-C37 and CARTOSAT satellite together with 103 nano satellites! Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 This remarkable feat by @isro is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India salutes our scientists. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 Spoke to the Secretary, Department of Space and congratulated him & the entire team of scientists on today's exceptional achievement. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 Indian rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on Wednesday morning lifted off successfully with a record 104 satellites, including the country's earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 series.The PSLV-XL variant rocket standing 44.4 metre tall and weighing 320 tonne tore into the morning skies at 9.28 a.m. with a deep throated growl breaking free of the earth's gravitational pull.The co-passenger satellites comprise 101 nanosatellites, one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Switzerland, the UAE and 96 from the US, as well as two nano satellites from India. Network18 creative (Courtesy: Judhajit Basu)The total weight of all the satellites carried on-board is about 1,378 kg.The PSLV rocket is a four stage/engine rocket powered by solid and liquid fuel alternatively."The Cartosat satellite is the fourth one in the Cartosat-2 series of earth observation satellites. Already three are in the orbit and two more will be launched. Once all the six Cartosat-2 series satellites are launched the Cartosat-3 series would begin," an ISRO official told IANS preferring anonymity.As the scientists at the Mission Control centre broke into cheers, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman A S Kiran Kumar announced: "All 104 satellitessuccessfully placed in orbit. My hearty congratulations to the entire ISRO team for the wonderful job they have done."Post the feat, PM Modi hailed the ISRO team for the successful launch of 104 satellites on board a single rocket and termed it as a remarkable feat that has made India proud.In today's complex mission after the end of 28-hour countdown, the PSLV-C37 injected the 714 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite followed by ISRO's nano satellites INS-1A and INS-1B in an 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).This was followed by launch of the other 101 nano satellites of overseas customers in blocks in a series of separations.INS-1A and INS-1B will carry a total of four different payloads from Space Applications Centre (SAC) and Laboratory for Electro Optics Systems (LEOS) of ISRO for conducting various experiments, ISRO said.Cartosat-2 series satellite, with a mission life of five years, will send images that would cater to coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, distribution of water, creation of land use maps among others.The nano-satellites belonging to international customers are being launched as part of the arrangement between international customers and Antrix Corporation Ltd (ANTRIX) the commercial arm of ISRO.Kiran Kumar also said that ISRO was enabling the MARS Orbiter Mission to survive a long eclipse duration after which it would function for at least 2-3 years unless "we encounter any more difficulties"."Now we are targeting GSLV MkII and then Mk III...a series of launch activities planned to ensure like last year this year also we have many exciting events coming," he added.PSLV-C37 Project Director B Jayakumar said it was a "great moment for each and everyone of us. It is confirmed all 104 satellites have been successfully deployed in the orbit.So far ISRO has launched 226 satellites out of which 179 are from foreign nations."He said launching 104 satellites onboard a single rocket was a complex mission. "But our teams came up with very good solutions. The integration part are also done very well by our team. it is enjoyable mission and excellent team work.."Satish Dhawan Space Centre Director P Kunhi Krishnan said the launch clearly reiterated ISRO's capability in handling complex missions very professionally.ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) Director K Sivan said it was a matter of national pride that the country had launched 104 satellites in one go using PSLV."It is one of the toughest missions we have handled," he added. Thiruvanathapuram : Controversial writer Kamal C Chavara, who was earlier booked under sedition for allegedly insulting national anthem, has been arrested by Thiruvanathapuram police for allegedly creating ruckus inside City Police Commissioners office under the influence of alcohol. The incident occurred around 6.30 pm on Tuesday. Kamal went with Asmitha Kabir and Surya Gayathri, two university college students, to meet Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar to complain about the alleged harassment by SFI inside the university college. "As the meeting progressed Kamal spoke in a provocative manner using abusive words. The commissioner asked him to leave the office but after getting out he vent his anger at the Commissioners gunman and also at senior police officials, including Cantonment Assistant Commissioner K E Baiju, who were there to attend a meeting," alleged police. The police have booked Kamal under sections 353 (obstruction of duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to public servant) of IPC. He was produced before the court in the on Tuesday night itself. New Delhi: A Malaysian official has said that police is looking for two women in connection with the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un's half brother. Kim Jong-Nam was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur airport on Tuesday. In an exclusive interview to CNN-News18, M. Nazri, Malaysia's tourism minister, said, "Our police are looking for two women who sprayed some liquid on him. They are still believed to be in Malaysia. We will get to the bottom of this." Nam was murdered at the Kuala Lumpur airport as he was waiting to board a flight to Macau. According to reports, he was sprayed with a poisonous substance. Some reports also said that a woman had put a bag on his head which led to his death. Nazri confirmed that the women had come from North Korea. He said, "We feel they have come from abroad. They are Koreans. The Malaysian police are coordinating with the Interpol also. When asked whether the North Korean government was behind this assassination the minister said, "We can't say, nothing is ruled out." He also said the Malaysian government was extremely upset that such a crime happened in their country and they will spare no efforts to find the killers. A private hospital was ransacked and staff threatened after a 16-year-old girl patient's death during treatment at Ekbalpore in Kolkata.Close to hundred relatives and friends of the patient Syeda Perveen, who died in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, attacked Calcutta Medical Research Institute alleging medical negligence on the part of doctors.The victim's relatives also blocked roads outside the hospital affecting traffic movement. Police had to be called in to control the situation.The hospital authorities asked us to pay Rs 1.5 lakh before the operation though the girl was already dead, alleged the family. Nearly 100 people vandalised the hospital and beat up a number of staff (Photo: Prema Rajaram)The victims father, a tea stall owner, managed to pay Rs 46,000. The girl was admitted from another nursing home with stomach pain due to perforations in bowel area. The girl, a student of class 11, was to undergo an operation which would be 90 percent successful.The girls brother Mohammad Zahir said, My sister asked me whether she would be fine, as she had her exams next week. We saw her suffering in front of us.The entrance to the hospital, the Out Patient Department (OPD) and the admission department were some of the portions affected due to the ransacking by the mob.In a statement issued by the hospital authorities, they are looking into claims of negligence on the doctors part.No police complaint has been by the hospital yet. The family of the victim, however, has filed an FIR with the Alipore Police station citing medical negligence on the doctors part. New Delhi: Two key accused have been arrested by the NIA for their alleged involvement in planting explosive devices in a railway station in Bihar's Motihari area. The accused --Rakesh Yadav and Gajendra Sharma-- were arrested on Monday, a press release issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday said. While Yadav was arrested from Motihari, Sharma surrendered in a court in Raxaul, it said. The NIA was looking for the duo for their suspected links to three other persons --already arrested by the agency for their alleged involvement in the case. The trio -- Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar and Mukesh Yadav -- were arrested last month by police from East Champaran district of Bihar. They had also claimed that the derailment of Indore-Patna express last year, in which at least 150 people were killed, was carried out at the behest of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). These three accused had claimed to have got Rs three lakh to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at Ghorasahan railway station in Motihari on October 1, 2015. Bihar Police has reportedly recovered the IEDs. This case was first registered by Bihar Police and later taken up for investigation by the NIA. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urges voters from Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand to participate in elections.PM Modi tweeted: "It is second phase elections in UP today. I urge the voters to come out in large numbers and participate in this celebration of democracy. It is the voting day in Uttarakhand. I urge all of the voters to come out in large numbers and vote."Polling began this morning in 67 Assembly constituencies spread over 11 districts. For Uttar Pradesh, this will be the second of its seven-phase polling.The stakes are high for the state's ruling Samajwadi Party, which holds 34 of the 67 seats. The districts going to polls form part of Uttar Pradesh's Rohilkhand region - a paddy and sugarcane belt, in which cane dues are expected to be a big issue.The fate of 721 candidates is to be sealed by balloting of 2.28 crore voters of which a sizable number (47.72 lakh) is of young voters, aged 18-19 years. Polling agents have been deployed in adequate numbers, an Election Commission official told IANS.Chief Electoral Officer T. said that 2,983 of the total 23,695 polling booths have been identified as sensitive and security scaled up there.Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, the BJP is hoping to unseat the ruling Congress government of Chief Minister Harish Rawat, which is battling corruption charges.Uttarakhand goes into voting for 69 constituencies.(With IANS inputs) Ahmedabad: An 18-year old rape victim, who filed a writ petition in the Gujarat High Court seeking termination of her foetus, has been directed by the high court to stay at the house of the rape accused and deliver the baby. As strange as it may sound, but this is exactly what happened in the Gujarat High Court on Wednesday afternoon. The judge spoke to the victim in his chamber in the presence of state government law officials. The girl, who is 27 weeks pregnant, was actually not willing to abort the foetus. She told Justice J B Pardiwala that she wasnt raped and wanted to live with the man accused of raping her. She further explained to the judge that she did not want to stay with her parents who allegedly put pressure on her to file a petition to get the foetus aborted. The girl and the boy met at a wedding and liked each other. Later, they eloped and the girls mother filed a missing persons complaint at the police station. The couple was then traced and arrested. The girl was reportedly 17 years and eight months old when she got pregnant, which technically qualifies as statutory rape. After the lower court denied permission to abort the foetus earlier this month, the girl approached the Gujarat High Court, seeking permission to abort the foetus. Justice J B Pardiwala spoke to the girl in his chamber in the presence of law officers and even called the accused who is presently in judicial custody on rape charges. The accused said he wanted to take care of the girl. Hardik Brahmbhatt, the petitioners advocate told News18 that the accused will be tried in the lower court. However, the girl has categorically expressed her wish to stay with the boy, he added. The judge has asked the district collector, social welfare department officials, and the local government hospital to ensure that the girl is checked regularly and she delivers the baby at the hospital. New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ordered Bihars don-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin to be shifted to Delhis Tihar jail from Siwan where he is currently imprisoned for multiple crimes including murder. The apex court move came in response to a petition filed by Asha Ranjan, widow of slain journalist Rajdev Ranjan. She had approached the SC last year saying that Shahabuddin should be moved out of Bihar because he is an influential person and would be able to influence the witnesses in the Rajdeo Ranjan murder case. The trial in the Rajdeo Ranjan case will now take place by video conference. The journalist was shot dead on May 13, 2016, in a busy market place near Station Road in Siwan district of Bihar. There was a public outrage after the two main accused in the case, Mohammad Kaif and Mohammad Javed, were spotted with Shahabuddin when he walked out on bail. Shahabuddin, facing criminal charges in around 50 cases, including political murders of former JNUSU chairperson Chandrashekhar Prasad and CPI(ML) activist Chhote Lal Gupta, had been lodged in Bhagalpur prison for over a decade until the Patna High Court granted him bail on September 7. But his bail was cancelled within days by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decision to cancel the bail came on the petition, among others, of senior advocate Prashant Bhushan who had argued before the apex court that Shahabuddin did not follow any rules and walked out of jail at will. Bhushan sought cancellation Shahabuddin's bail on the ground that if he is released on bail, then the life of the last witness, who is to testify in a case, would be in danger. Before his arrest in 2005, Shahabuddin was a Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP representing Siwan consecutively for four times from 1996 to 2009. For many, he symbolized the collapse of law and order during the RJD era in Patna, and his release had brought back fears of the state plunging into what Opposition called Jungle Raj. Immediately upon his release, Shahabuddin had sparked a political row when he said not the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who had sent him to jail in 2005 but RJD leader Laloo was his leader. Two terrorists who allegedly infiltrated into India with Lashkar operative Bahadur Ali have been reportedly killed in an encounter in Hajin Kralgund in Jammu and Kashmir.The state police have told the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that they suspect that two of the three terrorists killed in the encounter are Abu Saad and Abu Darda. The Indian Army had lost Major Satish Dahiya in the encounter.Major Satish Dhaiya of 30 RR succumbed to bullet injuries on Tuesday.The NIA believed that Abu Saad and Abu Darda had been killed in Wadar village just before Ali's arrest but in its chargesheet against Bahadur Ali, the NIA remained ambiguous about the status of the duo. Quoting Bahadur Ali's interrogation, the NIA chargesheet had said that Abu Saad and Abu Darda had gone to arrange food through a local contact to Wadar. Ali heard gun shots in the vicinity of the area where Saad and Darda had gone and fled from the area. He later contacted the Lashkar control room Alpha 3 and was told to reach a village further in the hinterland of Kashmir.According to the Jammu and Kashmir police, three terrorists Abu Saad, Abu Darda and Maviya were killed after a specific tip-off led them to their hideout on February 14. The police said that the group headed by Darda was active in the Qaziabad/Mawar area and had carried out a number of attacks, including the Langate terror attack, from their hideout. A BSF patrol party was attacked at Langate on November 27 last year. One BSF jawan had sustained bullet injuries in the attack.Kashmir police said Abu Darda was active in Handwara and Kupwara belt between 2008 and 2010, but had gone back to Pakistan after the police identified him. He managed to return in 2015 and was the main operative for Lashkar-e-Toiba in the region. He was the main coordinator for fresh LeT recruits who were crossing over to Kashmir from PoK.NIA sources said they will show the photograph of the dead terrorists to Bahadur Ali, who is currently in Tihar jail, to conclusively prove their identity.Police have recovered three AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, one matrix sheet and three maps from the dead terrorists. Similar matrix sheets marking out locations in Kashmir had also been recovered from Bahadur Ali after his arrest. Uttarakhand goes into voting for 69 constituencies on Wednesday. In Uttarakhand, the BJP is hoping to unseat the ruling Congress government of Chief Minister Harish Rawat, which is battling corruption charges. Stay tuned for Live updates Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. New Delhi: The fate of 721 candidates in the electoral fray were sealed on Tuesday as 2.28 crore voters in 11 districts of Uttar Pradesh voted in the second phase of the 2017 Assembly elections. Polling began at 7 am on Tuesday and lines were closed at 5 pm. The Election Commission, during a press conference, said that the turnout at 5 pm was recorded at 65.5%. The districts that went to polls in the second phase outperformed those from the first phase, which recorded a turnout of 64.4%. Over 23,000 polling booths were set up across Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun districts of UP. Drugs worth Rs. 1.16 crore and alcohol worth Rs 9 crore were seized. There were reports of EVMs malfunctioning in some parts of the state, which led to minor delays in voting. Several heavyweights were in the fray in the second phase and the most high-profile name on the list was that of UP cabinet minister and senior Samajwadi Party leader Mohammed Azam Khan, who is contesting from his bastion in Rampur. Khan, a three-time MLA from Rampur, also ensured that his son Mohammed Abdullah Khan received the SP ticket from Suar Tanda constituency in the same district, where he will take on three-time MLA Nawab Kazim Ali Khan. In Saharanpur district, the Congress will be hoping to pack a punch on the back of UP Congress Committee Vice-President Imran Masoods popularity. Masood, who had courted controversy in 2014 by making controversial remarks against then Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, is contesting from the Nakur Assembly seat. He had also contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and lost by a slim margin to BJPs Raghav Lakhanpal. Masood will take on Dharam Singh Saini, who quit the BJP last year and is contesting on a BJP ticket. Saharanpur district, given its high concentration of both Dalits and Muslims, will be a litmus test for the social engineering experiment of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Of all the districts that have gone to polls so far, Saharanpur has recorded the highest turnout at nearly 72%. Communal tensions in Bijnor cast their shadow on the polls in the district, where a 17-year-old was allegedly murdered by members of another community just five days before the polls. For the second time in less than six months, the twin villages of Peda and Nayagaon, both on the outskirts of Bijnor, were on the edge with communal tensions rising. Late on Friday, Sanjay Singh and his son had gone to water the fields when a dozen men, allegedly belonging to another community, attacked them with knives and guns. The son, 17-year-old Vishal Kumar, was killed in the attack while trying to protect his father. Most of the constituencies that went to polls on Tuesday are considered Samajwadi Party bastions. Analysts say the second phase was the SPs game to lose. Phase 2 was largely conducted in the Rohilkhand region, which is the SPs stronghold in terms of regional distribution of support base. So, high support for the SP shouldn't be very surprising. The next phase is important for the BJP as it needs to perform well on urban seats in Kanpur and Lucknow to remain in the contest, said Pranav Gupta of Lokniti-CSDS. He added that the BSPs social engineering experiment may not yield the results that the Mayawati-led party is hoping for. The Dalit-Muslim alliance of the BSP was non-starter if one goes by evidence from pre-poll surveys. Despite a string of endorsements from religious leaders, it is difficult to imagine why that would have changed. Some of the districts that recorded high turnouts also co-incidentally have a higher concentration of Muslim voters. Saharanpur district, for example, has around 42% Muslims. Amroha, which recorded around 69% turnout, has around 41% Muslims. Gupta, however, said it is impossible to tell from turnout figures alone which way voters will swing. Too much shouldn't be read into high turnout as research on electoral data doesn't show any clear relationship between incumbency and turnout. Pune: Stating that people with criminal background made a beeline to the BJP ahead of the upcoming polls, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday hit out at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alleging he accorded a "warm welcome" to such people. "If you see the qualifications of those who went to BJP, they are accused of murder, attempt to murder and various other grave offences and all these people with such criminal background made a beeline to one party which was BJP. "And none other than CM, who is responsible for law and order in the state, accorded a warm welcome to all these people," Pawar said addressing a public rally in the city ahead of civic election. Pawar also took a dig at both BJP and Shiv Sena who are accusing each other of sheltering criminal elements. "Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray accuses BJP of harbouring goons and criminals and CM Fadnavis calls Shiv Sena a party of extortionists," said Pawar. He said that even NCP and Congress had differences when they were in power. "Though we had differences, we never brought them outside but now because of their (Shiv Sena and BJP) rumbling, the growth of the state has stalled," he said. Expressing concerns about the law and order situation in the state, Pawar lambasted the state government for failing to reach to the real perpetrators behind the murders of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. He also criticised the Centre over demonetisation and said it was common man and poor people who faced real hardships. Asserting that NCP in last 10 years did a "phenomenal" job in Pune and accelerated the growth of the city in every section, Pawar appealed people to vote NCP again in the power. While the former is hoping that Governor Vidyasagar Rao will invite him to form the government, Panneerselvam, who is the caretaker CM, wants a floor test in the Assembly. Palaniswami, who was elected the AIADMKs legislature party leader following Sasikalas conviction, has claimed the support of 125 MLAs. As VK Sasikala settled in at the Parappana Agrahara central jail in Bengaluru day after her conviction in a corruption case, her loyalist Edappadi Palaniswami called on the Governor for the second time in as many days. His challenger to the post of the CM, O Panneerselvam, followed soon after.Sources told CNN-News18 that the Governor, who has been conspicuous by his silence so far, may call for a floor test on Friday. It was not immediately clear whether the floor test would be a composite one, as advised by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.Also Read: Sasikala, Qaidi No 9235, Will Make Candles in Bangalore Jail Panneerselvam, or OPS as he is known in political circles, says many of these legislators have been held captive at a luxury resort near Chennai. Sasikalas conviction, however, hasnt helped strengthen the numbers in his team. No AIADMK parliamentarian or MLA has crossed over to his side since Tuesday morning.Also Read: Sasikala's Nephew Dinakaran, Sacked by Jaya, Returns as AIADMK Dy Gen Secy The police on Tuesday had tried to enter the Golden Bay resort in Kuvathur near Chennai, but the MLAs reportedly refused to leave the premises, despite being offered security. Some of them threatened to go on indefinite hunger strike if evicted.Sasikala and her sister-in-law Ilavarsi, meanwhile, surrendered before a court in Bengaluru and were lodged at the Parappana Agrahara central jail to serve the remainder of their four-year jail term in a 20-year-old disproportionate case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. The Supreme Court had on Tuesday set aside the Karnataka High Courts order and restored a trial court verdict convicting them.As qaidi (prisoner) number 9235, Sasikala will not be given any VIP treatment, sources said. She, however, will be allowed the use of a TV set, mattress and table fan. Sources added that she would spend her time in prison making candles and incense sticks for Rs 50 a day. Lucknow: SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav hit the campaign trail for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on Wednesday, recalling his "extreme" action to safeguard the Babri mosque in 1990. "People got angry with what happened in Ayodhya but it was the priority of my government to stop the demolition of the Babri mosque," Mulayam told an election rally in Lucknow. "We could not have allowed the minority community and their interest to suffer," he said. Mulayams government had ordered firing on karsewaks in Ayodhya. His comments justifying the police firing is seen as an attempt to unite Muslim electorate in favour of the Samajwadi Party. Mulayam, who was the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, had ordered firing on karsewaks in Ayodhya in 1990 in which 16 people were killed. "We had to fire. When I tried to justify my action, the BJP called me the murderer of humanity. If we had not fired at them, imagine what the Muslim population would have thought. Then how would I justify my position as chief minister," he had said earlier. He had also said in the past the decision to order firing on karsevaks was "painful" and noted that he had had no other option. The jurisdictional police had started making security preparations nearly three hours before Sasikala reached. Her husband M Natarajan, a former government employee, and AIADMK MP M Thambidurai,too, were there ahead of her. Among other high-profile inmates, who have served their jail term or have been to the same jail, are former Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa and his ex-cabinet colleagues Gali Janardhana Reddy and Krishniah Setty who spent more than 20 days in October 2011 over a Lokayukta report on illegal mining. In fact, Sasikala sought to be housed in the same cell as Jaya was at the time, or the one next to it -- this request was denied. In all likelihood, she will be tasked in one of the prison units to make candles or incense sticks -- and paid Rs 50 a day for this labour. She has been convicted for having accumulated a wealth worth Rs 66 crore, which is disproportionate to her known sources of income. : A day after the Supreme Court restored her conviction in the 20-year-old disproportionate assets (DA) case, 'Chinnamma' Sasikala was sent to serve time at the Parappana Agrahara central jail in Bengaluru, minutes after she surrendered before a magistrate court.Before her surrender, Sasikala paid homage to late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa and party patriarch MG Ramachandran -- a scene that had its own dramatic moments. At the gravesite of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala folded her hands in prayer, then suddenly bent down to slap the grave in agitation, as if taking a pledge. She murmured to herself, but the video of her dusting her hands as she stood up again went viral and had people reading their own inferences to this.By 5 pm, Sasikala reached the Bangalore Central Jail, the largest and most crowded in Karnataka -- this jail is spread over an area of 40 acres and reportedly houses 4,400 inmates, twice its capacity. Established in 1997, it is located in a suburb called 'Parappana Agrahara' in south-east Bengaluru.On Wednesday, the magistrate court had shifted to the premises of the jail to hear the case so as to avoid any law and order or traffic hassles, considering the sensitivity of the case. The jail is just off the highway that connects Chennai to Bengaluru.Also read: TV, Mattress, Table Fan and 2 Cell Mates: What's in Store for Sasikala in Prison Soon after her surrender, Sasikala was then registered as qaidi number 9235, while Ilavarasi, her niece, was given the number 9236. 'Chinnamma,' who almost became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu last week, will be housed in cell number 2, which she will share with two other inmates.Male prisoners in the jail dress in white coarse cotton shirts and pyjamas, while the women wear sarees. Sasikala and Ilavarasi will be given three saris each.Yasin Bhatkal -- co-founder of terror group Indian Mujahideen -- is scheduled to be brought to the same jail in connection with the Chinnaswamy Stadium blast.This, however, is not the first time when Sasikala is lodged at this jail.Also Read: Sasikala's Nephew Dinakaran, Sacked by Jaya, Returns as AIADMK Dy Gen Secy In 2014, Sasikala, along with her nephew V N Sudhakaran and sister-in-law Ilavarasi, had spent 21 days in Parappana Agrahara central jail. Sudhakaran and Ilavarasi are the co-convicts in the DA case.At the time, the jail played host to J Jayalalithaa too, who was serving a term at the same place after being sentenced to four years by a special court that tried all four of them.Prison sources told CNN-News18 that no special treatment will be meted to Sasikala, Sudhakaran, and Ilavarasi. They will not be treated as political prisoners or VIPs. Her requests for an air-conditioner and home-cooked food were also denied.Also Read: My Thoughts With Party Even From Jail, Says Sasikala Hours Before Surrender She has been given a mattress, a table fan, and a bucket. Though her request for a television was initially not considered, prison officials decided to accord her restricted access to a television. Meal times are strict -- breakfast at 6.30am, lunch at 11.30am, and tea at 4 pm and dinner at 6.30pm.Whether she will really have the time to keep to her late Tuesday promise that "even if she is put in a cage, she will continue to work 24 hours for the party," is something to be seen.Amar Koria, a lawyer appearing for her, said they won't make any more appeals to the Supreme Court. "She has surrendered, and will serve her jail term," he told reporters. New Delhi: The Delhi government on Wednesday concluded its arguments in a case pertaining to the tug-of-war between the Lt Governor and the state government for the administrative control of the national capital. Following the hearing, all appeals in the case were referred to a Constitution bench of the apex court as requested by the Centre. The Supreme Court referred the legal dispute between the Centre and the AAP government to a Constitution bench stating that "important questions of law and Constitution are involved in the case and the dispute should be adjudicated by constitution bench." After the Delhi government concluded its arguments on Wednesday, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar started submitting arguments on behalf of the Centre. The court is now hearing the final leg of arguments in the case. However, advocate Rahul Mehra, the standing counsel for the AAP government, told News18 that it was not the state but the Centre that had asked for referring it to a Constitution bench and wondered why there was a delay of seven months in such a reference. "If this case had to be referred to a Constitution bench, it could have been done last February when the hearing started. Why now? In fact, the Attorney General had himself earlier stated that there was no need to refer the case to a Constitution bench. Now, the case has been posted to a five-judge Constitution bench," said Mehra. Mehra also said that as arguments were completed and queries were raised, the bench was uncomfortable and hence the suggestion to refer it to the Constitution bench was accepted, and this "sudden request by the Centre is a complete U-turn by the central government". A bench of Justices AK Sikri and R K Agarwal had earlier said that it is correct that the elected government should have some powers, but whether it will be as per the Delhi High Court verdict or as it is being perceived by the Delhi government is yet to be decided. "We need to first look into this issue. We have to analyse the powers of the L-G as to how much power he has and what his powers are," the bench said. Senior advocate Gopal Subramaniam, appearing for the AAP government had said that the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) except for public order, land and police, possesses exclusive powers in relation to all other entries in State and Concurrent lists and neither the central government nor the President or the L-G has any role or power with regard to all other matters. Senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan, who also appeared for the AAP government, had also submitted that "in case of any difference of opinion between the L-G and council of minister, L-G cannot overrule. "Constitution should be interpreted constructively, not literally. If any decision is taken unpredictable or antithesis to rule of law, then it is violation it must not arbitrary. Unless provisions made by law expressly to L-G to use discretion, it is subject to council of ministers," said Dhawan. He said that the council of ministers is 'subservient' to the Constitution, to the GNCTD ACT but certainly they are not subservient to the authority which is not contemplated in the Constitution. In January 2017, Arvind Kejriwal government told SC that it was not seeking full statehood for Delhi but more administrative powers. The ongoing case is a challenge to the Delhi High Court verdict in August, 2016, which gave all administrative powers to the Lieutenant Governor stating that a "democratically elected government can't be subservient to the L-G." Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday alleged that BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has links with the infamous National Stock Exchange Limited (NSEL) scam and that he "pressurised" the Prime Minister's Office to stop an inquiry against him. Sena's attack on Somaiya comes a day after he asked party president Uddhav Thackeray to make public his family assets and income. Meanwhile, Somaiya has dismissed the allegations saying it is a "diversionary tactic" of Shiv Sena. Sena MP Rahul Shewale while addressing reporters alleged, "Somaiya has links with NSEL scam and he brought pressure on Prime Minister's Office (PMO)." Somaiya's former CA Shekher Vaishnav, who was also present at the press meet alleged: "He (Somaiya) has links with investors, bankers and his main job is to settle price ranging in the market." He further said Somaiya's relation with an investment banker must be inquired. "I exposed Satyam scam but Somaiya kept mum at that time. I am working with Congress but a leader from that party told me not to speak against Somaiya," Vaishnav said. He challenged Somaiya to come in an open panel discussion with him over these issues. When contacted Somaiya told PTI, "I have made all my accounts public and have challenged Uddhav Thackeray to make his accounts public as well. He is scared and therefore using diversionary tactics. Before levelling allegations on me he should first reveal details of the seven shell companies which I had named in which he is involved." A television set, mattress, table fan, three sarees, Rs 50 per day and two cell mates this is what VK Sasikala will be given at the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail where she will serve the remainder of her four-year jail term after being convicted by the Supreme Court in a corruption case.Sources told CNN-News18 that Sasikala had requested to be lodged next to the cell where the late CM Jayalalithaa was briefly lodged in 2014. She had also reportedly requested for home-cooked food. Sources said her requests had been denied by the jail authorities.Instead, Sasikala would spend her days in jail making candles and incense sticks and would earn Rs 50 a day for the work. Sundays, too, would be working for Sasikala, who is now prisoner number 9435, sources said. She would be given three sarees to wear and would have to share her non-air conditioned cell with two other women inmates, sources said.She, however, has been allowed the use of a television set, a mattress and a table fan, they added.Sources said that Sasikala, whose hopes of becoming the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister were dashed by the SC verdict, would be served breakfast at 6.30am, lunch at 11.30am, tea at 4pm and dinner at 6.30pm.Back in Tamil Nadu, all eyes were on the Raj Bhavan. Rival factions led by Sasikala loyalist Edappadi Palaniswami and caretaker CM O Panneerselvam were scheduled to meet Governor Vidyasagar Rao on Wednesday evening. Ottawa: The only person convicted in the 1985 Air India-Kanishka-bombings that killed 331 people is now free, Canada's parole board said on Wednesday. Inderjit Singh Reyat had been ordered to live at a halfway house following his release from prison one year ago, after serving two decades behind bars. That condition has now been lifted and Reyat may return to a normal life, including "living in a private residence," parole board spokesman Patrick Storey told AFP in an email. The Sikh immigrant from India was convicted of making bombs that were stuffed into luggage and planted on two planes leaving Vancouver, and of lying in court to cover for his co-accused. One bomb tore apart Air India Flight 182 - Kanishka - as it neared the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people aboard, including entire families. The second exploded at Japan's Narita airport, killing two baggage handlers as they transferred cargo to another Air India plane. The blasts followed a crackdown on Sikhs militants, and those behind it were allegedly seeking revenge for the Golden Temple operation. Reyat was working as a mechanic in westernmost Canada and purchased the dynamite, batteries and detonators used to construct the bombs. Two alleged co-conspirators were acquitted due to a lack of evidence and, according to prosecutors, because of Reyat's perjury. Storey said Reyat's parole officer has assessed those with whom he will live "to ensure they will not have a negative influence on him." Conditions of his release from prison also still apply, including having no contact with the victims' families nor with extremists. Reyat must also shun all political activities and take counseling for violent tendencies, a lack of empathy and exaggerated beliefs. Police arrested a Springfield man in Lynchburg on Monday on abduction and other charges from Fairfax County. Lizzy Rivera Colindres, 16, was reported missing Jan. 15 along with her 5-month-old son Aidan, the Fairfax County Police Department stated in a Feb. 7 release. Detectives believed she left with Jose Ivan Castillo-Rivas the babys father voluntarily but may have done so out of fear. The release stated Colindres and Castillo-Rivas had ongoing issues in court, including a protective order against Castillo-Rivas. Law enforcement located Castillo-Rivas, 18, at the Extended Stay Hotel at 1910 University Blvd. at about 4:40 p.m. Monday, according to a release from the Lynchburg Police Department. Having received a request to help locate Castillo-Rivas, Lynchburg detectives found his green Nissan Armada at the hotel, the release states. Lynchburg Police Department spokesman Lt. David Gearhart said the departments SWAT team briefly was at the scene simply based on the seriousness of the warrants. Fairfax detectives arrived on scene shortly after the car was located, he said. Castillo-Rivas was charged with abduction, possession of a controlled substance, felony obstruction of justice, misdemeanor violation of a protective order and assault and battery, according to the release. Colindres returned home with Aidan on Feb. 11 just before midnight, an update from the Fairfax County Police Department stated. Both were reported to be in good health, and law enforcement was continuing assistance to the family as needed. Fairfax police have not yet returned a call requesting comment on Castillo-Rivas arrest. Its been just more than a year since the outbreak of a fire that destroyed the former Dan River textile plant in Brookneal, and lawsuits, criminal charges and violations have emerged in its wake. About 90 firefighters battled the blaze in below-freezing temperatures, which broke out Feb. 11, 2016. One longtime volunteer firefighter said it was the largest fire hed seen in town. The fire shut down local traffic for hours and took days to burn itself out. A year later, the company that owns the property still is clearing the fires rubble and debris from the site. Abandoned as a Dan River Inc. textile plant in 2006, the property on Puckett Road is owned by Brookneal-based Elite of Virginia LLC, which had contracted with Recycled Group LLC, a Florida-based company, in September 2014 to sell scraps from a building on that property. Officials with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industrys Southwest Regional Health office opened an inspection Feb. 12, a day after the fire broke out, and in May issued $4,920 in penalties to Recycled Group for three violations, according to information from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration website. Penalties arose from violations of regulations that require having a first aid provider at work sites (incurring a $720 penalty), a fire protection program ($2,100) and removing fire hazards from a work space ($2,100). Another violation of preparatory operations bears no financial penalties. The standard cited on that violation mandates an engineering survey come before demolition. Specific fire-prevention standards Recycled Group violated, according to information on the OSHA website, require fire-extinguishing equipment at a work area and that additional personnel shall be assigned to guard against fire when the situation demands it. The list of violation items states the hazards were abated June 1, but the penalties havent been paid, according to the OSHA website. Yaniv Amar, owner of Recycled Group, said he isnt guilty of the violations and thought the issue had been resolved. He said in January interviews he made contact with Virginia Occupational Safety and Health in June and hadnt heard back from anyone. A civil suit filed by Recycled Group in October against a Halifax-based masonry company claims it had contracted with the Halifax firm, Bailey Masonry Group, for demolition and deconstruction work at the former Dan River site. Both Elite of Virginia and Recycled Group have filed lawsuits in Campbell County against Bailey Masonry owner Joseph Bailey III and his corporation for $2 million for cleanup and $1 million in damages, respectively. Bailey Masonry is suing both parties in Halifax County Circuit Court for damages to his equipment, according to Bailey. Court records show that case is scheduled for a hearing April 25. Elite of Virginias civil complaint states Bailey used a forklift to lift another worker so the worker could cut steel beams with a torch, resulting in hot slag falling near a pile of debris deposited there by [Bailey]. The complaint also states Bailey had started a warming fire in the area. Recycled Groups complaint states Bailey failed to clean up a pile of debris, negligently started a fire and was negligently cutting steel beams. Bailey said in an interview he was the only worker with his company at the site and was only operating a forklift at the time. He said he and his business are being targeted since it was the only party involved with insurance. Were being sued wrongly because of insurance. Nobody had insurance on that building, nobody, he said. He maintained he wasnt at fault for the fire and has worked with large contractors without incident for years. After the fire burned itself out, Campbell County Fire Marshall Randall Johnson started an investigation to the fires cause and origin. In an arrest warrant filed in Campbell County, Johnson wrote the fire was accidental and caused by hot work performed close to combustibles. Johnsons arrest warrant was for Timothy Fisher, of Natalie, who performed hot work at the site and was charged with failure to protect combustibles from that work, a Class 1 misdemeanor violation of Virginia State Fire Prevention Code. Bailey was charged with the same offense, but court records state his charge was dropped in July. Fisher was found guilty of the fire code violation in General District Court on Nov. 22, according to court records. Hes scheduled for an appellate trial March 15 in Campbell County Circuit Court. Bailey said Fisher was not his employee, and Amar said none of the workers on site were Recycled Group employees. Fisher has not returned calls seeking comment. Monroe said Elite plans to put warehousing on the property and already has purchased a building. Cleaning up the site likely will take until the end of 2017, he said. Kyoungho Lee, a 25-year-old Korean national living in the United States on a student visa, was arrested by the Lynchburg Police Departments Forensic Unit after an investigation into the online sharing of child pornography within city limits. The investigation led to a search warrant being executed in the Fort Avenue area. It was during this time Lee was identified as a possible suspect. A business-friendly climate plan Lets level the playing field for competing sources of energy so that costs imposed on the community are borne by the sources of energy that create them, most particularly carbon dioxide. A carbon tax, starting small and escalating to a significant level on a legislated schedule, would do the trick. I would make it revenue-neutral, returning all net funds generated to the taxpayers so that no fiscal drag results and the revenue would not be available for politicians to spend on pet projects. George P. Schultz, Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan. Recent support from prominent conservatives for implementing a carbon tax to curb life threatening carbon emissions can be a game-changer in the fight to combat the harmful effects of climate change. While proposing such a tax has often been viewed as a political minefield, emerging conservative support could make it a winning position in an otherwise toxic political climate. What is being proposed is an elegant solution that addresses climate change, reducing carbon emissions 50 percent over 20 years while growing jobs and the economy and improving health. Carbon Fee and Dividend (CF&D) is an idea whose time has come. Whats not to like? If passed by Congress, such legislation would impose a $15 per ton fee on all fossil fuels as they are produced or imported, with the fee escalating over 10 years. All revenue raised would be returned as a monthly dividend to U.S. households. The beauty is that it will not grow government bureaucracy, it is transparent and it will stimulate investments in R&D and incentivize entrepreneurs to develop new, non-polluting energy technologies. Budget experts estimate CF&D would add an additional 2.8 million jobs over the next 20 years. Whats not to like, indeed! Implementing CF&D will position the U.S. as a world leader in addressing climate change, but we need to act soon. Other countries responsible for nearly half of global carbon emissions including China and India already have a carbon price mechanism planned or in place, and China is leading the charge developing new technologies. Our military and major energy companies have recognized the risks of climate change and factored it into their security and business plans. For example, Exxon says: The risk of climate change is clear and the risk warrants action. Additionally, Of the policy options being considered by governments, we believe a revenue-neutral carbon tax is the best. CF&D is a market-based solution to climate change that gets the government out of the way, one of the criteria demanded by my congressman, Bob Goodlatte, as he decides what type of climate legislation to support. He should also appreciate that this plan will encourage innovation and small business opportunities in the Sixth District and that the dividend will protect his constituents families from the rising prices of fossil fuel-based energy while we transition to a renewable energy economy. I urge you to call or write your members of Congress and tell them you are concerned about climate change and want Congress to act now. While there are many topics that divide us, leaving a livable world to our children and grandchildren should not be one of them. PAT BOWER Lynchburg Editors note: The writer is a member of the Lynchburg chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby. Time to go, Rep. Goodlatte Dear Congressman Bob Goodlatte, I am angry. In the midst of this Republican/Washington debacle, you have colluded in the obstruction of good government and have, in the mean time, been developing your skills in obstruction rather than skills in more excellent governing. It is time for you to bow to your own promise of term limits. It is time! EDWARD H. PARRISH III Lynchburg When will acceptance come? How long will it take the liberal left to accept our new president? Ever? He wasnt my favorite either, but now he is my president. The late George Bernard Shaw said, Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. And if they could change our way of thinking to match theirs, it would be like escaping from bondage only to find stronger chains. RAY WINGFIELD Appomattox In Alison Saars Backwater Blues currently on display at the Maier Museum of Art at Randolph College a black woman stands in water that stretches up to her calves, a broom in her hand. She looks over her shoulder with an expression thats hard to read. The piece is a commentary on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and feelings of abandonment among the people living in New Orleans, says Randolph art history professor Lesley Shipley, who curated the exhibition Investigating Identity: Race, Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Art. I think theres something empowering about it as well, says Shipley, who is teaching a course this semester covering the same topics as the exhibit. Shes very muscular. Shes getting to work. Shes not defeated. Theres strength in it, but [it] reminds us of the real hardship and feeling of abandonment. A piece by Saars mother, Betye Saar, is hung beside Backwater Blues. Nevermore, a mixed-media collage, features a black lace mourning dress affixed to paper cut in the shape of a tombstone, two ravens clutching the dress shoulders. What appears to be a swath of white lace detailing in the center of the dress is, upon closer inspection, revealed to be a birds-eye view of a slave ship rows of black bodies in a supine position and an illustrated plan for slave stowage on the infamous slaver, the Brookes, according to information released when the Maier acquired the piece in 2012. Nevermore, created in 2010, was the last piece to be hung for the exhibition. It returned to the Maier last week from Milan, where it was included in the first major retrospective of Saars work to be staged in Italy. Betye Saar was one of the first black female artists to gain mainstream recognition, says Martha Johnson, director of the Maier. She started her career in the 1960s as a printmaker but quickly became known for confronting race and gender issues in her work, employing racially charged black collectibles in her pieces, from mammy figures to thick-lipped pickaninnies eating watermelon images that distort and dehumanize the black figure, according to a 2015 commentary on her work in the Los Angeles Times. Now 90, Saar is still making art, Johnson says. The work on display in the exhibit, which opened Feb. 3 and runs through April, complements the course Shipley is teaching. She describes it as thematic and not a chronological, typical art history class. Topics she plans to cover include post-Colonial Native American work, art that arose in the 1980s around AIDS activism, and historical movements, including the black arts and feminist art movements. I try to get the students to really lead the class, she says. Im interested in what interests them. Its a chance for them to talk and grapple with the issues. Recently, they discussed the various womens marches and visual culture surrounding them. Its one of these courses [where] whenever you teach it, therell be a lot going on [in the world] that you can bring in, Shipley says. But it just seems to be really timely right now. The exhibit, she and Johnson say, explores both identities that artists embrace and those they reject the tension, Shipley writes in the exhibitions catalog, between a recognition of difference and the demand for equality. Shipley says thats most evident when studying the impact of gender on art made by women. Artists like Betye Saar and Elizabeth Murray, whose Heart with Bricks is on display, were open about the relationship between their work and their personal experiences as women, Shipley writes, while others, like Georgia OKeeffe, rejected the idea that their art expressed a particular gendered experience because they were women. African-American artist Sam Gilliam, whose mixed media piece In the Fog is included in the exhibit, has also pushed back at the idea that his race is significant to his work, according to a 2014 profile in W Magazine. Its not, he says in the story. Its important to me as a man, but to the work, no. Says Shipley: You would look at a Jackson Pollock and not talk about him being white. All of the work featured in Investigating Identity comes from the Maiers permanent collection. Other pieces on display include Jaune Quick-to-See Smiths All American, which depicts two faces, one asking the other, Can you tell me what All American means?; Toyin Odutolas The Casting of Oil and Water I, a mixed media portrait of a friend who is transgender; and Robert Rauschenbergs Autobiography (Broadside), three unframed prints that hang side by side. One features a photo of him roller-skating as part of a performance art piece called Pelican, another an X-ray of his body overlaid with images of his zodiac sign. A family photo from his childhood sits at the center of the middle print, with writing circling it his life story in one big run-on-sentence, Johnson explains. Its about himself and his life, Shipley adds. It shows all the different aspects of his life, his artistic life, his life with his family. Kukuli Velardes Letter to My Father, an oil painting on a steel plate, is a double self-portrait, featuring an adult Velarde holding her younger self. Theyre both wearing black to mourn the death of Velardes father, who encouraged her pursuit of art, Johnson says. The background of the painting is filled with sketches and doodles recreated from childhood drawings. Nancy Speros Goddess II also is included; in her work, Spero tended to use ancient iconography, Shipley says, as a celebration of female history, sort of the goddess focus that was part of the feminist art movement. In all, the exhibit features 21 works from 19 artists. Shipley says despite having a lot of art to choose from, the selection process came easier than expected. There are so many strong pieces in the collection that deal with identity, she says. It just seemed like all the pieces fell together in a beautiful way. A state senator spoke out Tuesday against what he said is an obvious conflict of interest as legislation intended to address the cost of higher education continues to stall in the General Assembly. Sen. J. Chapman Petersen, D-Fairfax City, objected when the Senate higher education subcommittee advanced a bill to the full committee with the understanding it then would be referred to the Senate Finance Committee, where a half-dozen other proposals related to tuition charges have died. The Finance Committee is co-chaired by Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr., a Republican from James City County who is on the faculty of the College of William & Mary. Thats an obvious conflict of interest if you have someone whos an employee of an institution who is going to sit in judgment on all these tuition bills, Petersen said after the meeting. Norment did not return a call seeking comment. Meanwhile, Senate-approved legislation to provide consumer protection to student borrowers was rejected by the House Commerce and Labor Committee. The legislation (SB1053), sponsored by Sen. Janet D. Howell, D-Fairfax, was known as the Student Loan Borrowers Bill of Rights. The bill would have required that student loan providers doing business in Virginia be licensed by the State Corporation Commissions Bureau of Financial Institutions. It was supported by Gov. Terry McAuliffes administration and by student advocacy groups, including Virginia21. Student debt is an issue that transcends politics and must be addressed, Tim Cywinski, Virginia21 communications director, said by email after the vote. He said the group will work with members from both parties to pass similar legislation next year. The bill before the Senate subcommittee, HB1410 by Del. David B. Albo, R-Fairfax, would require that schools with out-of-state enrollment exceeding 30 percent use a portion of that tuition revenue to lower the cost for in-state students. W&M and the University of Virginia are the targets of the bill. I dont know why its going to Finance, Petersen objected when the panels chairman, Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, said the bill was headed to the Finance Committee. Well, its going to Finance when you start messing around with out-of-state numbers, responded Saslaw, who said the General Assembly did not need to micromanage universities. Saslaw also is a member of the Finance Committee, which last month tabled proposals that were intended to put limits on tuition and on the autonomy of governing boards. Among them was a proposal by Petersen (SB1379) that would have required a portion of budget surpluses to be used to reduce in-state tuition. Also killed in Finance were several bills each by Sens. William R. DeSteph Jr., R-Virginia Beach, and Glen H. Sturtevant Jr., R-Richmond, that they had promoted at a news conference at the start of the session. We havent had a single, substantive bill on tuition reform come to the floor not one, Petersen said. Every single one goes to Senate Finance, and it dies. 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 Home News Sports Social Obituaries Events Letters Snowmaggedon '17 officially ends February 14, 2017 By Mike Weland Editor The state of emergency declared by Boundary County Commissioners a week earlier was quietly and gratefully allowed to expire Monday, and while the work made necessary by the heavy drop of February snow has by no means ended, the pace has slowed to a more tolerable level much less frenetic. Life in Boundary County is returning to normal; neighbors who took it upon themselves to let the little things on their own places slide so as to tackle the big things that threatened neighbors are able to once again turn their attention to their own tasks; people from miles away who raced in to lend a hand are going home, grateful they could help and knowing, if roles reverse, we'll return the favor. Some call what Boundary County just went through as a challenge, and it was ... but those who have long called this place home see how everything just fell into place as an affirmation of how wonderful this place is ... how this is one of those seemingly rare places anymore that still know that it's not the disaster that defines us, but how we pull together and respond. "Love thy neighbor" could have been written here. As a result of the declaration, 20 young men came into the community, prisoners who are serving time in Idaho State Prison in Orofino. While they were here, though, few if any local residents noticed their bright orange coats. They boarded transportation today for the trip back south, back to finish paying their debts to society. It's not likely they left Boundary County unchanged. While their work was limited to helping out on official government buildings only, not a person who saw their bright jackets questioned their hard work, especially those who worked most closely with them. "It was my great pleasure to feed the crew of 20 inmates and two staff from Orofino for the past six days ... even though it's been a lot of hard work," said Alison Ashworth-Henslee, the driving force behind Far North Deli. "I'll admit I was a little sad to take them their last "Mom" dinner tonight." She didn't have to do it, but like we all did, she did it anyway, BBQ chicken, baked beans, potato salad, rolls and hot chocolate chip cookies. In Boundary County the step from "above" to "above and beyond" is often too small to notice. "Usually, I just said 'hi' and asked them how they're doing," Alison said. "But tonight I stopped and had a few words with them. Told them thank you from all of us for their hard work and how very much we appreciated all of their help. Told them we hoped they only come for snow and not in the summer (they're a firefighting crew also!) They were kind and thoughtful and most appreciative of my cooking ... I'm hoping the taste of good Mom food will help them make better choices when they're back on our side of life." Laroy Dowd grew up in Bonners Ferry, but he's a successful man now living with his family in Rathdrum. When he heard of friends back home needing help, he launched, on the spur of the moment, the Unbury Bonners Ferry Work Party, set to meet Saturday morning and work all day. He was disappointed ... only about 10 people showed up ... but they worked hard and helped dig out eight households. "Thank the Lord," one lady said after the snow was off her roof and on the ground. There are many who don't know where the help came from, they are just grateful that it did. Firefighters from every department in Boundary County gave up training to get out and do the very thing they signed on to do. Our churches, none seeking credit, just did what neighbors do. Around 40 people from Mennonite Christian Disaster Relief, who came from Washington, Canada and southern Idaho, joined more than 40 people from the local church, and together helped nearly 100 people dig out. We took care of each other. That is what neighbors do. Questions or comments about this article? Click here to e-mail! One of the best defenses in the league, it will have two big losses to the planesOrchard Park, New York... Republic Bank Suriname programme launched Speaking at the February 7 launch, Managing director of Republic Bank (Suriname) NV Gloria Anthony spoke about the organisations dedication to building a successful society within Suriname even though it is still a new player in the market. For little more than a year, we have been proud to call Suriname our home. While we have built up a significant history of accomplishment, and especially teamwork, the fact remains that we are still new here. We are new, but most importantly, we have been welcomed and we are grateful. So it is a great privilege for me, representing Republic Bank, to share our greatest hopes as we work together. Here Are the Most Overrated Tourist Spots in the US In a Louisiana town with railroad tracks serving as a literal racial divide comes the story of a young black man who died after supposedly shooting himself on March 3, 2014a "Houdini suicide" that cops say he pulled off while handcuffed in the back of a police car. But in a longer look for the New York Times, Nathaniel Rich gets into the other side of Victor White III's fate, which his father, the Rev. Victor White, says was not a self-inflicted death at all, but murder at the hands of law enforcement. In the developments located south of the train tracks in New Iberia, mostly black communities, residents believe the senior White's assertion that his son was executed by the police. Meanwhile, on the northern side, the mostly white residents are sticking with the police account. Smack in the middle of the controversy is the town's sheriff, Louis Ackal, whom Rich describes as "a southern Louisiana politician in the old mold"meaning hostile to civil liberties groups and the press and tending toward "plain-spoken" language. Ackal had swept into office on the premise of cleaning up crime in New Iberia, as well as pledging to reform the relationship between cops and the community. But White says Ackal was "intimidating" and "arrogant" right from the start, and more importantly, he thinks the police under Ackal's charge were responsible for his son's death, prompting him to start investigating "Little Vic's" demise himself. He also fears his own history may have contributed to the tragedy. Read what White found out, and what he's tried to do regarding Ackal since, in the Times. (Did this Muslim Marine recruit really kill himself?) A faith ministry in Nebraska has started a fundraising campaign to buy out four stores that sell millions of cans of beer each year in a tiny village next to a South Dakota Indian reservation plagued by alcoholism. The Lakota Hope street ministry in Whiteclay, Neb., is looking to raise at least $6.3 million to close the stores, which are only about 200 yards from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The officially dry reservation is plagued by high rates of fetal alcohol syndrome and encompasses some of the nation's poorest counties. Whiteclay only has about a dozen residents, yet the four stores sold 3.5 million cans of beer in 2015. The beer stores have remained opened for decades despite state investigations into alleged liquor law violations, lawsuits, and protests that occasionally turned violent, reports the AP. Ministry founder Bruce BonFleur and his wife have lived in Whiteclay for nearly two decades, feeding people on the streets and launching programs designed to help members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. BonFleur said he has talked with the businesses, and "we believe that the beer store owners are ready to sell out." The stores have been facing increasing legal and political pressure, and the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission is set to meet March 7 to discuss the stores' liquor licenses amid complaints that the village lacks adequate law enforcement. Last month, the local county board with jurisdiction over Whiteclay recommended that the state renew the licenses, partially amid concerns that closing the stores would lead to an increase of intoxicated drivers in Nebraska. (Read more Indian reservation stories.) When research began to trickle out 10 years ago suggesting that what we do today can affect the health of our unborn children, it was largely "considered heretical," medical biochemistry professor Dr. Oliver Rando tells the Boston Herald. Not anymore. Habits like cigarette smoking have since been shown to negatively affect future generations, and now a new study, albeit on mice, suggests yet another side effect: When fathers smoke, their future children may be born with a higher tolerance of not just tobacco but drugs of all kindsthe danger being that life-saving ones such as antibiotics, chemo, and antidepressants could be less effective for them. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School describe it as inheriting "enhanced chemical tolerance and drug clearance abilities." The findings need to be replicated in humans and the ramifications are still unknown, but the implications could be broad. Drugs of both the illicit and life-saving variety are metabolized similarly in the liver, so while the study involved only nicotine and cocaine, "it would also be reasonable to think other drugs would be less effective," one of the researchers says. Reporting in the journal eLife, the team concludes that the changes appear to be genetic and influence the way the livers of the offspring with "multitoxin resistance" break down drugs. Next up they plan to study whether drugs like painkillers are also affected. "It's important to understand what information is specifically being passed down from father to offspring and how that impacts us. (Here's what happened to a boy whose mom doesn't believe in antibiotics.) When Tini Owens says she's trapped in a loveless marriage, she means it. Owens, 65, was denied a divorce from her millionaire husband of 39 years after he told a UK judge their "minor" disagreements are simply a part of married life, reports the Times. In a case last year, Owens had petitioned the court for a divorce, complaining of "continued beratement" from her husband following her affair in 2012. Hugh Owens, 78, admitted he often "teases" his wife "in a very loud voice," but said he'd forgiven her infidelity and believed the pair should remain married into old age, per the Mirror. The judge sided with the husband, noting Tini's complaints were "of the kind to be expected in marriage" and "an exercise in scraping the barrel." During an appeals court hearing on Tuesday, Tiniwho has slept apart from her husband for several years and now lives away from their Worcestershire homesaid she feels "unloved, isolated and alone." A judge responded that "it is not a ground for divorce if you find yourself in a wretchedly unhappy marriage." That provoked Tini's lawyer to call for the law to change to introduce "no-fault" divorces "in line with current thinking and social norms." He says it's unfair of a judge to ask his client to live separately from her husband for five years before again filing for divorce without his consent given their ages, per the Telegraph. It isn't clear when a decision is expected. (A man blames Uber for his divorce.) Sen. John McCain says Russia is "testing" President Trump by deploying an operational cruise missile in violation of a Cold War-era nuclear treaty. Officials tell the New York Times that Russia has two battalions of the cruise missile inside the countryone at an operational base and another at a test site at Kapustin Yarwhich is banned under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed by the US and Russia in 1987. Russiaaccused by the Obama administration of testing said missile in 2014has tried to escape the agreement in recent years, with Vladimir Putin claiming in 2013 that "nearly all of our neighbors are developing these kinds of weapons systems." However, it has denied any violations and accused the US of its own breaches. A NATO official says non-compliance with the treaty banning ground-launched intermediate-range and short-range missiles "is a serious concern for the alliance" but "NATO allies have the capabilities in place to ensure that Russia will not gain any military advantage." Still, someincluding McCainare calling for the US to take action by expanding missile defenses in Europe or deploying its own nuclear missiles, per the BBC. The State Department says Russia "remains in violation" of the treaty but has not said how it plans to respond. In recent days, Russia has also placed a spy ship in international waters off Delaware and flown aircraft within 1,000 yards of a US Navy warship in the Black Sea, reports CNN. Russia has denied that the flybys took place. (Read more Russia stories.) It turns out the northern lights can be hazardous to humans. Police in Iceland pulled over two different drivers near the airport in Keflavik because they were swerving between lanes, reports Iceland Magazine. Police thought for sure they'd made DWI stops until the drivers, both foreign tourists, explained: They'd looked up and been captivated by the aurora borealis. Police let both go with only warnings, and the magazine dubs the new offense "driving under the influence of the aurora." (Read more aurora borealis stories.) Apple is coming out with an original reality show ... about apps. The world got its first look at Planet of the Apps this week at Recode's Code media conference, Quartz reports. It's basically a combination of Shark Tank, the reality show in which would-be entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to business titans for possible investment, and basically any reality competition show you've ever seen. Developers pitch ideas for apps to four judges: musician will.i.am (who also judges on The Voice in the UK), actresses Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow (who both started their own lifestyle brands), and Vaynermedia founder Gary Vaynerchuk. In a twist on the classic elevator speech, competitors will have 60 seconds, while coming down an escalator, to give their pitch in an attempt to get one or more judges to agree to act as their adviser. Competitors then get to consult with experts from companies including Yelp and Uber as they work on their apps. In the end, they pitch again, this time to reps from a venture capital firm; if the firm agrees to fund an app, it ends up featured on Apple's app store. The trailer for the show, which attempts to make app developers seem like today's "rock stars," is getting panned by some who say it glosses over just how difficult it really is to be an app developer these days, CNBC reports, and Business Insider notes that even Apple fans and employees are saying the show looks "cringe-worthy." One Apple app developer went so far as to say, "Today, I am ashamed to work for Apple. This is embarrassing, and not what we work hard for." The show will premiere to Apple Music subscribers this spring. It will also, of course, have its own app. (Read more mobile application stories.) Two 13-year-old Indiana girls had Monday off from school and were dropped off at a popular hiking spot in Delphi, but didn't show up when it was time for them to be picked upand on Tuesday, their bodies were found. On Wednesday, police officially identified the bodies as Liberty German and Abigail Williams, the AP reports. Police say that foul play is suspected, the Indianapolis Star reports; their deaths are being investigated as homicides. The girls were dropped off around 1pm Monday and were supposed to be picked up later by family members, who searched the area when the girls didn't meet them as planned. They were reported missing at 5:30pm, and search parties set out; the bodies were found around 12:15pm the next day near Deer Creek, a half-mile or so upstream from Monon High Bridge, an abandoned railroad truss that spans the creek, where the girls had been dropped off. The bridge is a popular hiking spot"a lot of people go out there for a little hiking, a nice day in the woods, get a little exercise," a local tells the Lafayette Journal & Courierand Heavy notes that, even before her daughter went missing, Abigail's mother had a picture of it as her Facebook cover photo. The last known photo of the girls is a picture of Abigail walking along the bridge, which has no guard rails, that Liberty posted to her Snapchat account around 2:07pm Monday, the Indy Channel reports. Per the Logansport Pharos-Tribune, police say they suspect foul play "because of the nature of the bodies." The public information officer for the Indiana State Police says autopsies will be done Wednesday; authorities have not commented publicly on cause of death. The school district sent letters home with students Tuesday saying that counseling will be available. (Read more missing girls stories.) President Trump is again insisting that the leaks from the intelligence community that brought down Michael Flynn are a bigger story than the national security adviser's abrupt resignation. "Intelligence, papers are being leaked. Things are being leaked. It's a criminal actioncriminal actand it's been going on for a long time. Before me. But now it's really going on," Trump said during a Wednesday press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during which he also backed away from a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict; more on that here. Trump later added, per Flynn's resignation, that "documents and papers" were "illegallyI stress thatillegally leaked," per Fox News, and said people are attempting to cover up after the Democrats' "terrible loss" with Hillary Clinton, per the New York Times. He doubled down on those ideas in a string of tweets Wednesday. "This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign," he posted, adding, "The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by 'intelligence' like candy. Very un-American!" He blamed the "fake news media" for stirring up "conspiracy theories and blind hatred," and hypothesized that the FBI and the NSA might be leaking information to the "failing" New York Times and Washington Post. Julian Assange also weighed in on Twitter, noting, "Amazing battle for dominance is playing out between the elected US govt & the IC who consider themselves to be the 'permanent government'." (At least two columnists agree that the leaks from the intel community are a serious problem.) "Wikipedia" has banned their editors to use Daily Mail as the source of reporting. The online encyclopedia notes that Daily Mail is unreliable. According to a report, the decision from "Wikipedia" comes from years of debate for Daily Mail's unreliable reporting. The decision also came from the online publication's poor fact checking, sensationalisation and flat-out fabrication of reports. The result of the decision from editors of "Wikipedia" is to prohibit any reference to Daily Mail. There are other much reliable sources that can be used by the online encyclopedia for any information. The editors further suggest to writers to use an "edit filter" so to avoid getting unreliable sources. "Wikipedia's" editors that are opposed to using Daily Mail as a resource for information indicate that the debate started out way back 2015. This is rare for "Wikipedia" since anybody can edit an article. However, the decision comes from a majority of editors that Daily Mail is an unreliable source. The report indicates that "Wikipedia" prohibits the use of Daily Mail for getting factual information. There is no intention of outright blacklisting but appropriate measures should be done in order to disseminate relevant information. Meanwhile, a report indicates that Daily Mail has been a leading paper in the UK. The ratings for the publication rose higher when it comes to digital news. It also has been the largest news organization online. The online publication has a vast readership and is popular online. The decision that the Wikipedia editors came up to ban resourcing to Daily Mail has been open and deliberate. This also opens the idea for Wikipedia to look into other sources since there may be some that are giving out unreliable information. As of this time, there has been no comment from the Daily Mail that has been given. Wikipedia also has the list of reasons on why Daily Mail has been decided upon as unreliable. "YouTube" cancels PewDiePie's second season show. This has been caused by some videos of PewDiePie that contain anti-Semitic clips. The cancellation also came hours after Disney cut the ties with the artist because of the same reason. According to a report, "YouTube" canceled the second season of "Scare PewDiePie."This decision came after some of his videos contain anti-Semitic clips. One of the videos indicates men holding a sign that read "Death to All Jews." Aside from pulling the show from YouTube Red, it also has been taken away from the Google Preferred Ad Program. PewDiePie whose real name is Felix Kjellberg is well known for his videos. In fact, he already gained 50 million subscribers in 2016. The decision from "YouTube" comes after Disney decided to cancel the deal with PewDiePie. They have made a deal with the vlogger through Maker Studios. It has been announced in June that the "Scare PewDiePie has been renewed for a second season but no premiere date has been set yet. Kjellberg has mentioned that the videos were meant to be jokes. However "YouTube" already made a decision to cancel the shows moving forwards. Scare PewDiePie Season 1 is still available in Youtube Red with its 10 episodes. Meanwhile, it is reported that the Scare PewDiePie on YouTube Red is at $10-a month premium subscription. This cancellation of his videos may affect on how much he earns. PewDiePie is known for his weird videos and has been hits ever since he began. The latest videos that were said to contain anti-semitic clips were already taken out from the channel. PewDiePie also made a post on Tumblr that the videos indicated were not meant to be political. In fact, he was only showing on what extent people will do for the sake of money. However, YouTube already decided and so has Disney. New Delhi: AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala, who was convicted by Supreme Court in a DA case on Tuesday, removed caretaker Chief Minister O Panneerselvam from primary membership of the party. Sasikala appointed Edapadi K Palanisamy as the legislature leader and he is likely to meet Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao to stake claim to form government in Tamil Nadu. Live Coverage: Click here for all Live Updates from Tamil Nadu post Sasikala's conviction in DA case The political equations are changing fast in the state as Panneerselvam, chosen by Jayalalithaa as her proxy to take over as chief minister twice in the past, will have to fight another political battle against Palanisamy who has been elected as Sasikala's 'proxy' to become the legislature party leader. Panneerselvam had earlier been appointed the chief minister of Tamil Nadu when Jayalalithaa was convicted in the same disproportionate assets corruption case by a Bangalore Special Court. That was the second time Panneerselvam stepped into the shoes of Jayalalithaa since 2001, the year he made his debut in the Assembly. He was chosen by 'Amma' in 2001 as her replacement for the CMs chair when she had to step down because of the TANSI land scam conviction. Panneerselvam had to make way for his mentor Jayalalithaa a second time in May 2015, when she was acquitted by the Karnataka High Court in the disproportionate assets case. Also Read | OPS destiny's favourite child in Tamil Nadu! How things unfolded in favour of Panneerselvam in political battle against Sasikala SC verdict will keep Sasikala away from active politics for 10 years AIADMK chief VK Sasikala's hope of becoming chief minister of Tamil Nadu was on Tuesday dealt a body blow with the Supreme Court upholding her conviction in a corruption case, a verdict that bars her from contesting polls for nearly 10 years. A close aide of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, 60-year-old Sasikala, who is locked in a bitter struggle for power in the ruling AIADMK with acting Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, was ordered to surrender forthwith and serve the remaining part of her four-year jail term. The AIADMK general secretary has already served almost six months in jail. In a keenly awaited verdict in the 19-year-old disproportionate assets case that also involved Jayalalithaa which will have a direct bearing on the political uncertainty that has gripped the state for the last 10 days, the court restored in toto the judgement and the findings of the trial court in Bengaluru which held all the accused including Sasikala's two relatives, VN Sudhakaran and Elavarasi guilty. The two-judge bench comprising Justices PC Ghose and Amitava Roy directed Sasikala and the two relatives to surrender forthwith to the trial court in Bengaluru and serve the remaining part of four-year jail term. The verdict disqualifies Sasikala from becoming a legislator and consequentially she can't be chief minister either for six years from the date of release of prison under the Representation of the People Act. Verdict delivered in 8 minutes The pronouncement of the much-awaited verdict in the apex court was completed in about just eight minutes. The two judges, Justices PC Ghose and Amitava Roy, reached the dias at 10.32am in Court Number 6, which was jam-packed with a large number of advocates and mediapersons. After the seal of the voluminous judgement was opened by the court staff, the two judges held discussion for a few moments. Amid pin-drop silence, Justice Ghose, before pronouncing the judgement, said "You can understand (that it is) too much of a fatty judgement. We have taken the burden on us." The bench read the operative portion of the voluminous judgement saying that "according to the materials and evidence place on record, we set aside the judgement and the order of the high court and affirm in toto the judgement and order the trial court convicting the accused persons." The bench said since Jayalalithaa has expired, the proceeding against her is abated. She died on December 5. "Nevertheless, we reiterate that having regard to the facts, the charge framed against them by the trial court is restored," the bench said. "Since the charges framed by the trial court have been restored against all of them they will surrender forthwith before the trial court and serve the remaining part of the sentence," it said. Immediately thereafter, Justice Ghose began reading the operative part of the judgement. It was over by 10.40am. No sooner had Justice Ghose finished with reading the judgement, the silence of the courtroom turned into hustle and bustle with scribes and some advocates rushing out to give out the deliberation of the courtroom drama. Amidst this scenario, Justice Roy said he was making a supplementary judgement in concurrence with Justice Ghose. "We have expressed deep concern about escalating menace of corruption in the society," Justice Roy said. The trial court had sentenced Sasikala and her two relatives to four years imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10 crore each. Jayalalithaa was sentenced to four years with a fine of Rs 100 crore. Also Read | Sasikala convicted by SC in DA case: Here's who said what AIADMK defends Sasikala Minutes after the Supreme Court verdict, the AIADMK appeared to defend her, saying she had always carried the burden of the late Jayalalithaa. "Whenever there had been burden for Amma (Jayalalithaa) she (Sasikala) had taken it on her. She is doing the same now also. #Chinnamma," the party's official Twitter handle, @AIADMKOfficial said. The verdict came even as Panneerselvam won more support from party MPs and MLAs. Full Coverage: AIADMK crisis in Tamil Nadu What is the case On June 7 2015, the apex court had reserved its verdict in the case after hearing detailed arguments from all the parties including the Karnataka government. On July 27, 2015, the apex court had issued notices on Karnataka government's appeal seeking stay of the high court judgement to Jayalalithaa, Sasikala and her relatives. The Karnataka HC had on May 11, 2015 ruled that Jayalalithaa's conviction by special court suffered from infirmity and was not sustainable in law, clearing decks for her return as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. The special court had in 2014 held Jayalalithaa guilty of corruption and sentenced her to four years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100 crore. Jayalalithaa and three others were accused of allegedly amassing disproportionate asserts to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during her first term as Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996. Also Read | OPS vs Chinnamma: MLAs traumatised emotionally and mentally, says escaped AIADMK legislator Saravanan (With inputs from PTI) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Chennai: It is indeed a proud and historic moment for India as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched the record 104 satellites from Sriharikota. ISRO had commenced the 28-hour countdown for the single mission launch on Tuesday. With this launch, India is all set to script history by becoming the first country to launch more than 100 satellites at one go. ISRO said that the Mission Readiness Review committee and Launch Authorisation Board gave its go ahead for the launch following which countdown for the launch of PSLV-C37/Cartosat2 Series satellite mission kicked off at 5:28 am. The filling of the propellant for the rocket was also commenced by the scientists, it said. The 104 satellites will be carried by ISRO's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37, which will be going on its 39th mission. Also Read: Indian Space Research Organisation's next big mission is to Venus and Mars: ISRO chairman This launch is significant for India because if it turns out to be successful, it will be a record-breaking feat for the country. Also, ISRO is making second successful attempt after the launch of 23 satellites in one go in June 2015.PSLV will first launch the 714 kg CARTOSAT-2 Series satellite for earth observation, which will be followed by the injection of 103 co-passenger satellites, together weighing about 664 kg at lift-off into polar Sun Synchronous Orbit, about 520 km from Earth.The XL Variant, the most powerful rocket, which was used in the ambitious Chandrayaan and during the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has been used by ISRO scientists this time too.While 96 co-passenger satellites belong to USA, five from International customers of ISRO Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, respectively.Two other Indian nano satellites, together weighing about 1,378 kg, will also be carried by the rocked. Antrix Corporation Ltd (ANTRIX) the commercial arm of the ISRO has made arrangements for the nano-satellites belonging to international customers.Cartosat-2 Series, which is the primary satellite, will be similar to the earlier four satellites in Cartosat-2 Series. Cartosat-2 Series has a mission life of five years.It will provide remote sensing services after coming into operation. Images sent by it will be useful for coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, distribution of water and creation of land use maps, among others.The two Indian Nano-satellites INS-1A and INS-1B were developed as co-passenger satellites to accompany bigger satellites on PSLV.The primary objective of INS (ISRO Nano Satellite) is to provide an opportunity for ISRO technology demonstration payloads, provide a standard bus for launch on demand services.INS-1A carries Surface Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function Radiometer and INS-1B caries Earth Exosphere Lyman Alpha Analyser as payloads.ISRO will launch all the 104 satellites at one go on Wednesday, February 15 from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.The satellites will be blasted off at 9:28 hours IST from SDSC SHAR Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. How to watch live: The launch of PSLV-C37/Cartosat-2 Series along with 103 co-passenger satellite can be witnessed live from Sriharikota on Feb 15,2017, beginning at 9:00 hrs a.m (India time). The launch will be telecasted live on Doordarshan and webcast on ISRO's website from 09:00 hrs onwards. Some facts about ISRO's mega-launch: 1. ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C37) will carry 103 satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on February 15. 2. 100 out of the total 103 satellites are foreign, including the US and Germany, while 3 belong to India. 3. S Somnath, Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of ISRO, says the space agency is making a century by launching more than 100 satellites at one go. 4. Earlier, ISRO had plans to launch 83 satellites in the last week of January out of which 80 were foreign ones. But later, 20 more satellites belonging to foreign countries were added due to which the launch was postponed. 5. The 100 satellites will be micro-small satellites and will be launched using a PSLV-C37. The weight of the payload will be 1350 kgs, of which 500-600 kgs will be the satellite's weight. Previous record holders: ISRO had launched record 20 satellites under single mission in 2016. Russia holds a record of launching highest number of satellites at 37, followed by the US space agency NASA, which has launched 29. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet South Asian satellite project will be launched in March this year. The South Asian satellite will be a part of GSAT-9, which will be launched in March this year. The communication satellite was scheduled to be launched in December 2016, but was slightly delayed as some other satellites are to be launched before that. Sources said talks with Afghanistan to have the country on-board for the project is in its final stages. Envisaged as a gift to its neighbours, the project, earlier known as SAARC satellite, faced stiff resistance from Pakistan. The neighbouring country wanted it to be launched under the aegis of the South Asian regional forum. It later backed out of the project. Apart from India, the satellite will benefit Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday launched record number of 104 satellites at one go, in a historic moment for India. With this launch, India has scripted history by becoming the first country to launch more than 100 satellites under single mission. On Tuesday, the Mission Readiness Review committee and Launch Authorisation Board gave its go ahead for the launch. The 104 satellites were carried by ISRO's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37, which is on its 39th mission. As it happened: #10.06 AM PM Modi: This remarkable feat by @isro is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India salutes our scientists. 10.04 AM The launch countdown of 28 hours was the shortest so far in all PSLV missions, says an ISRO scientist 10.05 AM Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates ISRO in a series of tweets: Spoke to the Secretary, Department of Space and congratulated him & the entire team of scientists on today's exceptional achievement. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 This remarkable feat by @isro is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation. India salutes our scientists. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 Congratulations to @isro for the successful launch of PSLV-C37 and CARTOSAT satellite together with 103 nano satellites! Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 10:05 AM India successfully launches record 104 satellites, including CARTOSAT2 series weather observation satellite #10.00 AM ISRO puts 104 satellites in to orbit. A proud moment for India #10:00 AM PSLV-C37 / Cartosat -2 Series Mission Successfully Launched all 104 Satellites: ISRO #10:00 AM Separation of all 104 satellites confirmed, record success for ISRO #9.54 AM The flock of 88 Dove satellites, owned by San Francisco-based Planet, are currently being separated from the rocket. The satellites will be used to provide high-detailed imagery of the earths surface. #9:45 AM PSLV-C37 successfully places in orbit India's CARTOSAT2 series satellite and 4 other satellites #9.45 AM The rocket engine goes off. Orbit achieved. Cartostat-2 satellite ejected. Next, the nano satellites will be separated in sequence. The mission control applauds. #9.40 AM The C-37 rocket is currently over seven minutes into its flight and has attained an altitude of over 500 km. #9.36 AM: Fourth stage of the mission commences. Both engines performing as expected #9:29 AM PSLV-C37 / Cartosat-2 series Mission Lift off Normal as expected. ISRO (@isro) February 15, 2017 #9:28 AM ISRO launches record 104 satellites at one go on PSLV C37 rocket #FLASH: ISRO attempts a new world record by launching 104 satellites in a single flight of PSLVC 37 from Sriharikota(Andhra Pradesh) ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #9:26 AM Countdown - 3 minutes to go #9:00 AM Preparations underway for mega launch, watch here #8:35 AM Andhra: ISRO to attempt a new world record by launching 104 satellites in a single flight of #PSLVC37 from Sriharikota today at 9.28 am pic.twitter.com/IIex5qBATF ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #8:33 AM The launch of PSLV-C37/Cartosat-2 Series along with 103 co-passenger satellite can be witnessed live from Sriharikota on Feb 15,2017, beginning at 9:00 hrs a.m (India time). #8:32 AM The launch will be telecasted live on Doordarshan and webcast on ISRO's website from 09:00 hrs onwards. #8:31 AM The satellites will be blasted off from the SDSC SHAR Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 9:20am. This launch is significant for India because it is a record-breaking feat for the country. Also, ISRO has achieved this feat after the launch of 23 satellites in one go in June 2015. ALSO READ | ISRO's record-breaking 104 satellites launch: Why is it significant for India? PSLV first launched the 714 kg CARTOSAT-2 Series satellite for earth observation, be followed by the injection of 103 co-passenger satellites, together weighing about 664 kg at lift-off into polar Sun Synchronous Orbit, about 520 km from Earth. The XL Variant, the most powerful rocket, which was used in the ambitious Chandrayaan and during the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has been used by ISRO scientists this time too. While 96 co-passenger satellites belong to USA, five from International customers of ISRO Israel, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, respectively. ALSO READ | PM Modi hails successful test-firing of interceptor missile by ISRO Two other Indian nano satellites, together weighing about 1,378 kg, were also carried by the rocked. Antrix Corporation Ltd (ANTRIX) the commercial arm of the ISRO made arrangements for the nano-satellites belonging to international customers. Cartosat-2 Series, which is the primary satellite, is similar to the earlier four satellites in Cartosat-2 Series. Cartosat-2 Series has a mission life of five years. It will provide remote sensing services after coming into operation. Images sent by it will be useful for coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, distribution of water and creation of land use maps, among others. ALSO READ | ISRO chief says technology helps in tackling issues faced on our planet Earth The two Indian Nano-satellites INS-1A and INS-1B were developed as co-passenger satellites to accompany bigger satellites on PSLV. The primary objective of INS (ISRO Nano Satellite) is to provide an opportunity for ISRO technology demonstration payloads, provide a standard bus for launch on demand services. INS-1A carries Surface Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function Radiometer and INS-1B caries Earth Exosphere Lyman Alpha Analyser as payloads. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kancheepuram : Chennai Police on Wednesday booked AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala and its Legislature Party Leader Edappadi K Palaniswamy in connection with the alleged detention of party MLAs at a resort in this district. The two were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to abduction and wrongful confinement. The case was filed at Koovathur police station on a complaint from Madurai (South) MLA S S Saravanan, who has since joined the rebel O Panneerselvam camp. Read more | DA case: SC declines Sasikala's plea for time to surrender Last week, while extending his support to Chief Minister Panneerselvam, Saravanan claimed that he had managed to flee from the resort by changing into a t-shirt and bermuda shorts. On February 5, Sasikala was elected as the Legislature Party Leader. See live updates: Tamil Nadu political crisis However, two days later, Panneerselvam had raised a banner of revolt against her, alleging he was forced to step down for her. The AIADMK MLAs have been put up at the luxury resort for the past one week, and many of those who swear allegiance to Sasikala have been insisting they were staying on their own volition. Sasikala herself had visited the resort thrice to hold discussions with her party legislators. Also read: Sasikala reinducts two family members sacked by Jayalalithaa into AIADMK For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved merger of five subsidiaries of State Bank of India with the state-owned lender. The state owned banking giant has three listed associate banks State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Travancore (SBT) and two unlisted associate bank - State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Hyderabad. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had earlier said the government will go ahead with the merger of associates banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with SBI as the proposal has been approved at the highest level by the Union Cabinet. "All procedure will be followed. The government has already taken decision at the level of the Cabinet to fully support the proposal for the merger," Jaitley told reporters post the meeting with public sector banks for the first quarter performance review. The approval does not come as a surprise, given the governments stated intention of encouraging consolidation among state-owned banks (this came in this years Union budget) even as it looks to address the issues of rising bad debts in the banking system and, at the same time, ensure efficient utilization of capital. SBI has around 16,500 branches, including 191 foreign offices spread across 36 countries. Globally, SBI will come at the 45th position in terms of asset size after the merger. SBI had first merged State Bank of Saurashtra with itself in 2008. In 2010, State Bank of Indore was merged. New Delhi: Swedish gear maker Ericsson has bagged a contract worth $300 million (about Rs 2,040 crore) from Vodafone India to deploy 4G in UP West, Rajasthan, Odisha, North East and Assam telecom zones, report said on Wednesday. The deployment of 4G LTE network is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2017. Ericsson, under this contract, is deploying its full radio system portfolio that offers 50% improved energy efficiency, a source was quoted as saying by Economic Times. However, Ericsson and Vodafone have not made any official announcement in this regard. The domestic arm of the British telecom firm, Vodafone India is expanding its network and ramping up its capacities. Vodafone India had earlier given network rollout contracts for its 4G circles, including 4G LTE deployment and expansion deal worth 450-500 million (about Rs3,650 crore) to Nokia. It gave a similar contract to Huawei in Karnataka, Kerala and Delhi circles. Also, Vodafone awarded a multi-year managed services contract, worth 200 million (about Rs 1,420 crore) to Nokia, which covers several telecom circles. Last year, it had reportedly given a three-year managed services and network operations contract worth $180-220 million to Huawei in some circles. Vodafone India has already launched 4G services across all 17 circles planned. New Delhi: Chief of Army Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday that people who obstruct operations during encounters will be treated as overground workers of terrorists. Rawat's statement came a day after four army personnel, including a major, were killed during two separate encounters in Kashmir. Rawat's statement also reflected growing anger within the army against civilians who provide 'support' to terrorists in the militancy-hit region. "Those who obstruct our operations during encounters and are not supportive will be treated as overground workers of terrorists," ANI quoted Rawat as saying. Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the army had issued an advisory to the people asking them to stay away from encounter sites to ensure smooth counter-insurgency operations. Read | Four militants, Major S Dahiya among 4 soldiers killed in two separate encounters in J&K The security forces have to tackle jeering local Kashmiris who also throw stones at them during encounter with militants. In some cases, they even try to rescue trapped militants by attacking forces. Rawat also lashed out at protesters who display Pakistani or Islamic State flags. "If locals who want to continue with terror by displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, we'll treat them as anti-nationals and will not spare them, Rawat said. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rawat paid tribute to the martyred security personnel at Palam airport. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Srinagar : The Army on Wednesday paid homage to four soldiers, including an officer, who laid down their lives during two counter-insurgency operations in Bandipora and Kupwara districts of Kashmir. Joined by officials of other security forces operating in the Valley, Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen J S Sandhu paid rich tributes to Major Satish Dahiya, Rifleman Ravi Kumar, Paratrooper Dharmender Kumar and Gunner Ashutosh Kumar in a solemn ceremony at Badamaibagh Cantonment in Srinagar. Survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter, 31-year-old Maj Dahiya had led the operation launched by Army in Handwara on Tuesday which eventually resulted in the elimination of three terrorists, thus delivering a major blow to the terror network in North Kashmir, defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said. He said the officer, hailing from Mahendergarh in Haryana, had been a part of several counter-terrorist operations and had also been awarded for gallantry earlier. Also read: Army chief Bipin Rawat: Those who obstruct ops during encounters and are not supportive will be treated as overground workers of terrorists 33-year-old Rifleman Ravi Kumar hailed from Samba in Jammu and Kashmir and was part of another operation in Hajin, Bandipora on Tuesday in which one terrorist was killed. He is survived by his wife and a three-year-old daughter, the spokesman said. Also forming part of the same operation was Paratrooper Dharmender Kumar of Nainital, Uttarakhand. The young paratrooper, who defied his 26 years of age and had established himself amongst his comrades as a spirited and daring soldier, is survived by his parents, he said. Gunner Ashutosh Kumar hailed from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh and is survived by his mother Shila Devi. His father Havildar Lal Sahib had laid down his life during the Kargil War. The mortal remains of the martyrs will be taken to their native places for last rites with full military honours. The Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and remains committed to their dignity and well-being, the spokesman said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The last few days witnessed a lot of drama unfold in Tamil Nadu's political landscape. With the SC convicting Sasikala in the disproportionate assets case, it was Panneerselvam who came out as a winner of sorts in the slugfest between the two political heavyweights. Let us give it to him. The hour, at least in Tamil Nadu, belongs to Panneerselvam. The caretaker TN Chief Minister has finally staged the coup no one thought he was capable of. Certainly not Sasikala. In a party dominated by a sorority of heavyweights (Sasikala Pushpa, Sasikala Chinnamma Natarajan and the redoubtable Amma herself), Panneer has always made the picture of quiet subservience. The genial giant had donned the mantle of Chief Minister twice; each time his mentor had faced some problem or the other. On the last occasion in 2016, his oath taking was marked by such lachrymal overflow as to earn him the sobriquet Kanneerselvan - Kanneer being tears in Tamil. Both times, Panneerselvam had promptly relinquished the position once his mentor had been cleared off the charges and ready for the role. That is the kind of seat warming loyalty that had earned him Ammas trust who, in turn, had rewarded him with growth and recognition. Jayalalithaas blessings had paved his way from the backwaters of Bodinayakannur in Theni district to the plush corridors of Assembly in Chennai. Paneers rise within the ranks of AIADMK mirrors the topsy turvy nature of Tamilnadu politics. In the chaos that followed MGRs demise in 1988, as a war of succession broke out between his widow, Janaki Ramchandran and Jayalalithaa, Panneer had initially aligned his fortunes with the former camp. In the ensuing election he had supported his future mentors rival. The Janaki challenge however dissipated soon and in a stroke only fate could explain OPS found himself in the good books of the freshly anointed AIADMK supremo. The media is making much of their purported bonhomie these days, but it is generally forgotten that before they left for the headier brew of politics both Panneer and Modi had started their lives with that elixir of the common masses tea. With his friend Vijayan he had set up the PV Canteen in his home town. The canteen survives till this day and apparently enjoys an excellent local reputation for serving quality Theni tea. In a twist of fate that can only be turned ironic under the circumstances, his erstwhile partner now competes with him with a canteen of his own. Friends turning into rivals is not the exclusive preserve of the arena of politics. The event of last few days had revealed a new side of the Thevar leader. In the first week of February, the media went to a tizzy when it was revealed that Panneer was planning to hand over the reins of the state to Chinnamma. When asked by a reporter on TV, OPS responded with his trademark smile of mystery. The media speculation however turned out to be true when the caretaker CM tendered his resignation with the same air of submission which had come to characterize most of his actions. The Sasikala camp declared that Panneer had requested her to take over as the next CM. The intervening events are still unclear. But two days later the nation was watching with bated breath as Panneer took to a half an hour long meditation at the Jayalalitha memorial on Marina beach. And followed up with a bombshell. In a monologue that stunned the nation, OPS debunked Sasikalas claim and informed that he had indeed been coerced to resign from his post. And yes, he wanted to fight to retain his position. This was cowboy stuff. To use a metaphor from bull fighting (the memory of Jallikattu is still fresh); the reluctant matador had finally entered the ring. Only the bull had almost bolted. His resignation was already with the governor and Sasikala claimed the support of 130 of the 136 MLAs AIADMK had in the assembly. She wasted no time in calling him a betrayer. She also spirited away the precious MLAs to a Mahabalipuram resort. Help, however arrived from unexpected quarters. Luminaries of the film fraternity, a very influential group in Tamil politics have announced their support for the embattled warrior. As things stand today, the fracas in Tamil Nadu are showing no signs of quelling. The Supreme Court has found Sasikala guilty on a ten year old disproportionate asset case and has ordered her to serve a jail term. The lady has used her position as General Secretary to expel the challenger from the party. Probably she would place a confidante in the chair till she finishes her time in jail and is ready to assume power. That would mean she now has to find her own Panneer. As in Alice in Wonderland, the more things change, the more they remain the same. As per the original, one has to wait and see. Disclaimer: The article presents the personal views of the author on the recent events that engulfed the political landscape of Tamil Nadu For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered to shift Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Mohammad Shahabuddin from Bihar's Siwan jail to Tihar jail in the national capital for a free and fair trial in the murder case. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy asked the Bihar government to transfer Shahabuddin to Tihar Jail within a week, saying it is the obligation and duty of this court to ensure free and fair trial. The apex court said trial in the cases registered against Shahabuddin will be conducted through video conferencing from Tihar Jail. We direct the state of Bihar to transfer Mohammad Shahabuddin from district jail Siwan to Tihar jail Delhi, the bench said. The order came on the pleas by Siwan-based Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were killed in two separate incidents, and Asha Ranjan, the wife of scribe Rajdeo Ranjan who was murdered in Siwan, seeking shifting of the RJD leader from Siwan jail. The plea was filed by Asha Ranjan, wife of a journalist Rajdeo Ranjan, who was shot dead in July last year Phal Mandi near the Siwan Railway Station, barely half-a-kilometre from the police station. Asha Ranjan in plea said that free and fair trial against the RJD leader is affected and influenced if he remains in Bihar jail. Shahabuddin is facing trail in 45 criminal cases against him. A separate petition has also been filed by Chandrakeshwar Prasad, whose three sons were murdered at the command of the RJD leader. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Voting ended for the second phase of politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2017 on Wednesday. In this phase, SP will fight to save its majority, while a close second BSP maintains a steady threat. With an astounding performance by BJP in Lok Sabha elections, it may prove to be an underdog. The ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh had in 2012 won 34 of these seats spread across 11 districts. It has tied-up with Congress this time in the contest against BJP and BSP. 720 candidates are in the fray in this phase in UP with a maximum of 22 from Barhapur (Bijnor) and a minimum of four nominees from Dhanaura (Amroha). 2.28 crore people are eligible to vote, including over 1.04 crore women. 14,771 polling centres and 23,693 polling stations have been set up in the districts of Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun and elaborate security arrangements made to ensure free amid fair polling, election officials said. Prominent contestants include controversial SP minister Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam, who are contesting from Rampur and Swar seats respectively, Saif Ali Naqvi, son of former Congress MP Zafar Ali Naqvi, former central minister Jitin Prasada from Tilhar (Shahjahanpur), BJP Legislature Party leader Suresh Kumar Khanna from Shahjahanpur city and state minister Mehboob Ali from Amroha. BSP had bagged 18 seats last time, BJP 10, Congress three and others two. Here are the highlights #6.24pm 65.5% voter turnout recorded till 5pm #4.44pm Nearly 60% voting recorded till 4pm #4pm 54.27% voter turn out recorded till 3pm #3:20 PM Over 45 per cent voting recorded till 2 PM #14:05 PM Total 42.05% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in second phase of Uttar Pradesh Elections 2017 14:00 PM Voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in 2nd phase of Uttar Pradesh Polls 2017:Amroha-44.75%, Badaun-37.03%, Bareilly-39.06%, Moradabad-40.80% #11:50 AM #UPPolls2017: Drone camera being used at a polling booth in Budaun for surveillance. pic.twitter.com/kFb2bPvLkm ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 #UPPolls 2nd phase: 115-year-old Zurriyat Hussain Kazmi, maternal grandfather of Union Min Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, casts his vote in Bareilly. pic.twitter.com/AJ5Ys32lW2 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 24.14% voter turnout recorded till 11 am in second phase of UP Polls #11:40 AM BJP changes its Varanasi South candidate. Now Neelkanth Tiwari to contest instead of Shyamdev Rai Chaudhary #UttarPradesh: Urdu poet Wasim Barelvi casts his vote at polling booth no. 24 in Bareilly with his wife pic.twitter.com/8oPU1mAIf6 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 #UttarPradesh: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi standing in queue to cast his vote at polling booth no. 303 in Rampur. #uppolls pic.twitter.com/HABUxNihoW ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 #UttarakhandElection2017: Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi casts her vote at Government Girls Inter College in Dehradun's Kishanpur. pic.twitter.com/z4IYoNzdXk ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #09:50 AM 10.75% voter turnout recorded in Uttar Pradesh till 9 AM #UttarPradesh: MoS Finance Santosh Gangwar casts his vote at polling booth no. 60 in Bareilly with wife Saubhagya Gangwar pic.twitter.com/TIRZqe9Ikb ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 #UPelections2017: Polling underway at booth number 303 in Rampur; SP's Mohd Azam Khan, BJP's Shiv B Saxena & BSP's Dr TA Khan contesting. pic.twitter.com/lLy5vwxiMn ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 People line up outside polling booth no 223 in Amroha,Mehboob Ali of the Cong-SP alliance,BJP's Dr Kunwer Saini&BSP's Naushad Ali contesting pic.twitter.com/n8EHHDMwIf ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 Sirmaur (HP): Schoolchildren set a world record by flying 7,730 paper planes in 1 minute with messages to shun tobacco at Moginand. pic.twitter.com/bVjlJmm3AP ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #UttarPradesh: Former Union Min Jitin Prasada casts his vote at polling booth no. 162 at Shahjahanpur, Dr. Sudama Prasad Bal Vidya Mandir pic.twitter.com/XNrmtAnWx0 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 UP: People queue up to cast vote in Sambhal:AIMIM's Ziaur Rahman Barq,Iqbal Mehmood of Cong-SP,BJP's Dr. Arvind,BSP's Rafatullah contesting pic.twitter.com/YQ5NYF9HDN ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 #7:30 AM Glitch in EVM machine halts the voting process at Badaun Sadar constituency's S.K.Inter College-booth no. 183. Visuals from polling booth 128 in Bijnor, Ruchi Vira of the SP-Congress alliance, BJP's Suchi & BSP's Rashid Ahmed contesting from the seat pic.twitter.com/eopobB2bkP ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 #UttarPradeshpolls2017:Visuals from polling station 265-MH Degree College in Moradabad,people queue up to cast their votes as polling begins pic.twitter.com/IyMkTrfVnX ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 #7:02 AM Security arrangements in place at a polling booth in Moradabad as 67 assembly constituencies will to go polls today #7AM: Voting begins in 67 constituencies for Phase 2 of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections Important details about Uttar Pradesh Elections # Total Assembly Constituencies: 67 # Date of Polling: February 15 (Phase 2 out of 7 phases) # Total Electorate: 2.28 crore (including 1.04 crore women) # Number of Polling Stations: 23,693 # Major Parties & Alliance - SP (Samajwadi Party) + Indian National Congress - Bhartiya Janta Party - Bahujan Samaj Party # 2012 Assembly Election Results: - SP: 34 Seats - BSP: 18 Seats - BJP: 10 Seats - Congress: 3 Seats - Others: 2 Seat Three-cornered fight for 67 seats The 67 constituencies of Western UP going to polls in Phase 2 on Wednesday are witnessing a three-cornered contest between Samajwadi Party, in alliance with Congress, Mayawatis BSP and Modi-led BJP. While Akhilesh had registered a sweeping victory in 34 seats in 2012 assembly polls in the region, Mayawati won on 18 seats. But since 2012 BJP has increased its clout in the area, evident by vast improvement in votes during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The campaign Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah led the party campaign, intensifying their attack on Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his ally Congress. BJP is hoping to replicate its 2014 general election performance when it swept the politically crucial state. The SP-Congress alliances charge was spearheaded by Akhilesh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. BSP supremo Mayawati reached out to minority voters and said she will prove pollsters wrong as she did in 2012, when they had predicted her defeat. The BJP has been attacking the ruling parties in both the states over corruption. Modi raised the issue of demonetisation and surgical strikes repeatedly at his rallies. Congress and Samajwadi Party have in turn accused Modi of failing to deliver on his promises and causing suffering to the common man with note ban. With western Uttar Pradesh having vast tracts of agricultural land, Modi played the pro-poor and pro-farmers card and reiterated BJPs promise of waiving loans of small and marginal farmers and paying the dues of sugarcane growers within 14 days of coming to power. Interestingly, political bigwigs, including SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were conspicuous by their absence from the campaign trail in the first two phases of polling. At her rallies, Mayawati went all out against the SP, alleging that the Akhilesh government had let loose a reign of terror in Uttar Pradesh with hooligans committing utmost atrocities against women. The BSP supremo also accused the Modi government of interfering with the personal law of Muslims and ending reservations for backward communities in jobs and promised to extend quota benefits to the poor among the upper castes. Her refrain was that if Muslims wanted to defeat the BJP, they should not waste their votes by backing the SP-Congress alliance. No to vote-bank politics? The Election Commission has barred political parties and candidates from publishing advertisements in newspapers today and tomorrow without its approval. The EC has asked them to get the advertisements pre-certified from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee at the state and district levels before their publication. The poll body said the decision has been taken in view of past instances of advertisements of offending and misleading nature in print media on such occasions which vitiate the elections. The first phase of UP polls in 73 assembly seats in UP witnessed 64.22 per cent turnout on February 11. The other five phases will be held on February 19, 23 and 27 and on March 4 and 8. Manipur will vote on March 4 and 8. Goa and Punjab have voted on February 4. Counting of votes in all the states will be taken up on March 11, culminating the exercise. (With inputs from PTI) Assembly Elections 2017: Full Coverage Uttarakhand Assembly Elections 2017: Full Coverage Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017: Full Coverage For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Polling ended on on 69 out of 70 assembly constituencies spread over 13 districts in Uttarakhand, where around 74.20 lakh voters will decide the fate of 628 candidates. Polling in Karnaprayag seat has been put off to following the death of BSP candidate Kuldeep Singh Kanwasi in a road accident on . Congress and BJP are locked in a straight contest in most of the seats but the presence of about a dozen rebel candidates in the fray as independents and the saffron party fielding former Congressmen may upset the calculations. A total of 30,000 security personnel including 105 companies of central armed police force, 25 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary, Uttarakhand police and the homeguards have been deployed. For the first time voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines will be used in these elections in Uttarakhand. Here are the highlights: #6.40PM 68% voting recorded till 5pm #3.45pm 53% voter turnout recorded till 3pm #3:16 PM UkhandPolls: 40 per cent voting till 1 PM-PTI #14:15 PM Voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in 2nd phase of #UttarPradeshPolls2017: Bijnor-40.88%, Pilibhit-40.83%, Rampur-40.20%, Saharanpur-47.00%-ANI #14:15 PM Election Commission clarifies on voting percentage, Uttarakhand 1 pm voting percentage is 39% #14:00 PM 30.12% voting in Uttarakhand till 1 pm #UttarakhandElection2017: CM Harish Rawat casts his vote at booth no 45 in Dharampur, pic.twitter.com/8W3VzO8GWh ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #12:07 PM 22% voter turnout recorded in Uttarakhand till 11 AM.-ANI #11:45 AM 14 per cent polling recorded till 10 AM.-PTI #UttarakhandElection2017-Polling underway at booth no 108 in Haldwani; Cong's Indira Hridayesh, BSP's S Ahmad & BJP's JPS Rautela contesting pic.twitter.com/zD1vBY710T ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #Uttarakhand: Baba Ramdev casts his vote at polling booth no.106 in Haridwar,says 'Modiji poori pramanikta se apna rajdharm nibha rahe hain' pic.twitter.com/SV3nj5lAxV ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #UttarakhandElection: Cong's Indira Hridayesh casts her vote at booth no 17 in Haldwani;She's contesting agnst BSP's SAhmad&BJP's JPSRautela pic.twitter.com/T6UhqI2Six ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #UttarakhandElection2017: Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi casts her vote at Government Girls Inter College in Dehradun's Kishanpur. pic.twitter.com/z4IYoNzdXk ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #9:25 AM 6% polling percentage recorded in the first hour of the Uttarakhand polls.-ANI #UttarakhandElection2017: Polling underway at booth no 8 in Srinagar;BSP's Ganesh Prasad,BJP's Dr DS Rawat &INC's Ganesh Godiyal contesting. pic.twitter.com/vEhDMom5Rp ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #UttarakhandElection2017 BJP's Uttarakhand president Ajay Bhatt casts his vote at polling booth no. 130 in Ranikhet. pic.twitter.com/g8WqvW4MXK ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #UPelections2017: Polling underway at booth number 303 in Rampur; SP's Mohd Azam Khan, BJP's Shiv B Saxena & BSP's Dr TA Khan contesting. pic.twitter.com/lLy5vwxiMn ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 #UttarakhandElection2017-Ppl queue up to cast their votes at polling booths 54 & 55 in Bajpur;BSP's Ramavatar,BJP's Yashpal Arya contesting. pic.twitter.com/y3SVJoZ3i2 ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #UttarakhandElection2017 People show their inked finger after casting their vote at a polling booth in Dehradun. pic.twitter.com/pQao6tlOv2 ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #UttarakhandElection2017 People queue up to cast their vote in Dehradun's Hathi Barkala pic.twitter.com/3LiBpl97Jc ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 #8:02 AM Voting for 69 of a total of 70 assembly seats in Uttarakhand barring Karnaprayag begins.-ANI # 7:00 AM Voting to begin in 67 constituencies in Uttarakhand. #6:40 AM Voting in the Karnaprayag seat remains postponed, to be held on March 9 as the BSP candidate Kuldeep Kanvasi was killed in a road accident.-ANI #6:30 AM 69 of a total of 70 assembly seats barring Karnaprayag to go to polls in the single phase assembly elections in Uttarakhand today-ANI Important details about Uttarakhand Elections # Total Assembly Constituencies: 69 (Karnaprayag will got poll later) # Date of Polling: (Single Phase) # Total Electorate: 74.20 lakh # Major Parties & Alliance - Congress - BJP # 2012 Assembly Election Results: - Congress: 32 Seats - BJP: 31 Seats - Others: 7 Seats Congress and BJP face-off Uttarakhand is facing a direct battle between Congress and BJP. While incumbent Congress chief minister Harish Rawat holds a lot of political clout in the state, campaign for this election has been rough for him as many of his sitting MLAs revolted after they were not allotted seats or desired seats. To sway any chances of losing the state, Harish Rawat has gone all out to woo voters by holding several public meetings and roadshows on daily basis in perhaps the most crucial election of his career. Rahul held two public meetings in Rishikesh and Someshwar besides a 75-km roadshow in Haridwar district which has the maximum number of 11 constituencies in Uttarakhand. The BJP has been attacking the ruling parties in both the states over corruption. Modi raised the issue of demonetisation and surgical strikes repeatedly at his rallies. Congress and Samajwadi Party have in turn accused Modi of failing to deliver on his promises and causing suffering to the common man with note ban. All eyes on Haridwar Rural However, the most crucial fight in s UK Polls will be at Hardiwar rural seat, as CM Rawat will look to dethrone BJP legislator Swami Yatishwaranand. Rawat is banking on 30% Muslim voters and 15% Dalits in the constituency to defeat the sitting BJP MLA and swing the state in favour of Congress. The Haridwar Lok Sabha seat has 14 assembly segments, of which Congress won only three in the 2012 polls. The importance of Haridwar, bordering Uttar Pradesh, can be gauged from the fact that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi visited the religious city to galvanise voters. The chief minister is also contesting from Kicha, an assembly segment in his native Kumaon. Counting of votes will take place on . (With inputs from PTI) Assembly Elections 2017: Full Coverage Uttarakhand Assembly Elections 2017: Full Coverage Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017: Full Coverage Live | Assembly Elections 2017: Voting begins on 69 seats in Uttarakhand and 67 seats in UP Polls Phase 2; litmus test for Modi, Akhilesh and Rawat For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Sriharikota (AP): India is flying high, yet again. In a proud moment for the country, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday successfully launched a record number of 104 satellites under a single mission from the spaceport in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. With the launch of over 100 satellites, India has now broken the record of Russia, which previously accomplished the feat of launching record number of satellites at 37, followed by the US space agency NASA, which has launched 29. This is the highest number of satellites ever launched in single mission. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C37 left Earth sharp at 9:28 am from the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The rocket first injected Cartosat-2 series satellite into orbit and then placed 103 nano satellites in a gap of about 30 minutes. The 103 nano satellites included 96 from the US. Video | As it happened: ISRO breaks world record, successfully launches 104 satellites; 'proud moment', tweets PM Modi As the scientists at the Mission Control centre applauded, ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar announced: All 104 satellites successfully placed in orbit. My hearty congratulations to the entire ISRO team for the wonderful job they have done. In June 2015, ISRO had launched 23 satellites at a go. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Pranab Mukherjee and other top leaders took it to Twitter to hail and congratulate ISRO for the successful launch. ALSO READ | ISRO PSLV-C37 | 'Flying high': Who said what after the successful launch of 104 satellites In the complex mission, the PSLV-C37 placed the 714 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite into the orbit and then ISROs nano satellites INS-1A and INS-1B were injected in an 505 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). The launch of other 101 nano satellites belonging to foreign nations then took place. ALSO READ | ISRO's record-breaking 104 satellites launch: Why is it significant for India? INS-1A and INS-1B will carry a total of four different payloads from Space Applications Centre (SAC) and Laboratory for Electro Optics Systems (LEOS) of ISRO for conducting various experiments, ISRO said. Cartosat-2 series satellite, with a mission life of five years, will send images that would cater to coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, distribution of water, creation of land use maps among others. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Peshawar: At least two people were killed and 18 others injured on Wednesday when a motorcyle-borne suicide bomber struck a government vehicle in the restive northwestern Pakistani city. The blast occurred in Hayatabad area of Peshawar when a suicide bomber hit a government vehicle, police was quoted as saying by Geo News. At least two people were killed and 18 injured in the suicide attack. The blast happened as officials from the provincial government were expected to inaugurate the Out Patient Department (OPD) at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, Dawn News reported. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and other senior party leaders were expected to attend the ceremony. This was the third terrorist attack in Pakistan on Wednesday. At least six persons, including four security personnel, were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers attacked the Mohmand Agency headquarters in the northwest tribal region. Following this, another suicide bomber blew himself in Mosal Kor, Mohmand Agency, police said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore that killed 13 people. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Peshawar: Four security personnel were among at least six persons who were killed when two Taliban suicide bombers on Wednesday attacked a government compound in northwestern Pakistan's restive tribal region. The explosion took place at the headquarters in Ghalanaiin the Mohmand tribal region when two suicide bombers tried to enter the colony and when signaled to stop one blew himself up while the other was killed by firing of security forces, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. "Security agencies had the intelligence about intrusion of suicide bombers from Afghanistan inside Mohmand agency," the ISPR said. The Pakistani Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has claimed the attack, media reports said. The security personnel and two civilians including a school teacher were killed in the blast. At least eight otherswere wounded in the attack and three critically injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar, Dawn reported. Soon after the blast the areas was sealed and a thorough search operation was started, political administration sources said. The incident comes barely two days after a suicide blast claimed by the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the banned PakistanTehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) ripped through the camp of protesting chemists in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore, that killed 13 people. In September last year, a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in Mohmand Agency's Anbar tehsil during Friday prayers, leaving 36 people dead. That attack too was claimed by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Mohmand is one of Pakistan's seven semi-autonomous tribal districts near the Afghan border, where the military has been battling Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants for over a decade. The Operation 'Zarb-i-Azb' launched by army in June 2014in a bid to wipe out militant bases in the tribal areas and bring an end to the bloody insurgency has cost thousands of civilian lives since 2004. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Lahore: A Pakistani court has issued a bailable arrest warrant against a top jail official for failing to appear before it in connection with the 2013 murder case of Indian national Sarabjit Singh. The courts order came after the Deputy Superintendent of Kot Lakhpat jail, where Sarabjit was murdered by two inmates, did not appear before it despite repeated summons. An additional district and sessions judge here yesterday directed the Lahore police chief to ensure the appearance of Deputy Superintendent on February 17. The judge said there had been little progress in Sarabjits case. During the hearing, the judge admonished the jail authorities for not cooperating with the court and also issued bailable arrest warrant for the Deputy Superintendent. Two Pakistani death row prisoners - Amir Tamba and Mudassar - had allegedly attacked Sarabjit in the jail resulting in his death. One-man judicial commission of Justice Mazhar Ali Akbar Naqvi of Lahore High Court had initially investigated Sarabjits murder case before the trial kicked off in the sessions court. Naqvi recorded the statements of some 40 witnesses in the case and submitted its report to the government which is yet to make its findings public. The one-man commission had also issued notices to Sarabjits relatives through the foreign ministry to record their statements and produce any evidence they had regarding his death. However, Sarabjits family did not record their statements, the officials had said. ALSO READ | Sarabjit Singhs sister Dalbir Kaur joins BJP Tamba and Mudassar, in their statements to the commission, had confessed to the crime and said they killed Sarabjit as they wanted to avenge the killing of people in Lahore and Faisalabad in bomb blasts allegedly carried out by the Indian national. Sarabjit had been sentenced to death for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in 1990. Both Tamba and Mudassar have been indicted in the murder case in the court of additional district and sessions judge Lahore. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Beijing : Three knife-wielding suspected Uyghur militants killed five persons before being shot dead by police in Chinas western Xinjiang province, the latest terror attack in the restive Muslim-majority region. The attackers killed five persons and wounded five others in a residential compound in Pishan county last evening, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said on Wednesday. The attackers were shot dead by police, it said, quoting residents in the area. The county has issued the highest level of security alert after the authorities described it as a terror attack. The government did not identify the suspects and victims, but some residents said the attackers were Uygurs, the main Muslim ethnic group in Xinjiang, the Post said. Armed police in bullet proof vests were on patrol every 10 to 20 metres on the streets of the county. Xinjiang, bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Afghanistan, has been on the boil for several years over Uyghur protests against the large-scale settlements of Han Chinese from different parts of the country. China blames Uyghur separatists from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement for the attacks in the region, which has over 10 million Uyghur population of Turkik-origin Muslims. In December, four knife-wielding men attacked a Communist Party office in Xinjiangs Hotan region and set off an explosive device, killing one person. Four assailants were also shot dead. A hotel manager said she was still in shock after the recent violence. It is the worst attack in Pishan in recent years. We hope the victims find rest in heaven, she said. The attack took place at the entrance to a residential compound, which is in the west of the city, not far from the county government headquarters. A restaurant owner told the Post that most businesses and shops were open despite the huge security presence. My business has not been affected. I don?t smell fear in the air, the Uygur restaurant owner said. Pishan county has been dubbed by officials as a hotbed for terrorism, said an article in the state-run Global Times published following a suicide bomb attack three years ago. Four people from Pishan took part in the attack at a market in Xinjiangs regional capital Urumqi in May 2014. Forty three people including four of the attackers were killed in the assault. Nearly 100 were injured. The ETIM militants have been blamed for several terrorist attacks in China including a suicide attack at Forbidden city in Beijing in 2013. The Post said local officials have denied allegations by rights groups and exiled Uygurs that tensions have been inflamed by curbs on religion and ethnic minority culture and language in the region. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 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. Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the new rules on Sunday, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Calling it a clean-up of the countrys internet connections, the Ministry said the new rules would go live immediately and be in place until March 31st, 2018. VPNs are already subject to government scrutiny and interference in China. The most recent, large-scale crackdown on VPNs happened in March 2016, during the National Peoples Congress meeting in Beijing, SCMP says. As The Washington Post points out, Chinas new VPN and cable regulations are purposefully vague. Its unclear how the government will implement or enforce these rules, but the language in the announcement suggests Chinese officials are taking aim at companies who provide VPN services to individual citizens, rather than professionals working for multinational corporations in the country. Last week, in stark contrast to the Ministrys new VPN rules, Chinese leader Xi Jinping defended the tenets of globalization at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. We must redouble efforts to develop global connectivity to enable all countries to achieve inter-connected growth and share prosperity. Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. While wind and rain may be kept outside, that dark room will also block light and air, he said. China isnt the only country that censors internet access: Authorities in Egypt, Russia, Cuba, Bahrain, Turkey, Vietnam and other nations also routinely interrupt connections, particularly during times of political strife. In July, the United Nations Human Rights Council condemned the state-sponsored disruption of internet access and upheld online privacy as an essential facet of freedom of expression. Read more at: Engadget.com Russian spy ship spotted closer to US, near Navy submarine base The Russian spy ship Viktor Leonov on Wednesday morning was spotted 40 miles closer to the U.S. and not far from a Navy submarine base in Connecticut, a U.S. official told Fox News. (Article by Lucas Tomlinson from Foxnews.com) The ship was spotted 30 miles south of Groton, Conn., but it remained in international waters. The U.S. territorial boundary extends 12 miles from the coast. The Russian spy ship was currently loitering in the water, the U.S. official said. The spy ship is armed with surface-to-air missiles, but its main function is to intercept communications and collect data on U.S. Navy sonar capability. This was the furthest north the Viktor Leonov had ever traveled up the eastern seaboard. The Russian spy ship was last seen off the East Coast of the U.S. about two years ago, spending time near another U.S. submarine base in Kings Bay, Ga. In January 2015, the ship was seen in Havana, Cuba. The Pentagon expects the Russian spy ship to sail south along the East Coast and return to the Caribbean. The deployment of Viktor Leonov was months in the making, Fox News was told. The ship is part of Russias Northern Fleet based along the Barents Sea. The ship crossed the Atlantic and made a port call in Jamaica in the past few weeks, according to officials. Russia is acting like it has a permission slip to expand influence, test limits of reach. Questions are obvious: does it, and if so, why? https://t.co/6Hsm7T2GO2 Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 15, 2017 The Russian spy ships venture near the U.S. mainland follows other recent Russian provocations four Russian jets buzzed a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Black Sea on Friday, coming within 200 yards of USS Porter. The Russian jets had their identifying transponders turned off and ignored repeated radio calls from the American warship. It was the first time Russian jets buzzed a U.S. warship since President Trump assumed office. Russia was also deploying for the first time a ground-based nuke-capable cruise missile inside Russia, which violates a decades old arms treaty between Moscow and Washington. Read more at: Foxnews.com Submit a correction >> NEW MILFORD The Town Council on Monday night approved an agreement that gives a solar company and developer the financial ability to advance their proposal to install 20 megawatts of solar panels on Candlewood Mountain. The vote passed 5-2-1, with council members Katy Francis and Scott Chamberlain opposing and Paul Szymanski abstaining. The council approved the financial aspects of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement in a 5-4 vote last month for which Mayor David Gronbach had to break the tie. But the language in the agreement was deferred to Mondays meeting so the towns attorneys could review it. Under the proposal, Ameresco Solar would lease the land from Commercial Services Realty and install solar panels in an 80-acre parcel about 600 feet up on Candlewood Mountain, requiring the removal of about 60 acres of trees. The companies would pay the town a total of $2.7 million over 20 years, with amounts increasing from $75,000 the first year to about $200,000 the last year. If the agreement is extended another five years, the amount the company paid in the 20th year will increase by 5 percent for the 21st year and two percent from the previous years for the remaining four years of the extension. Gronbach said the town added the zoning change to the agreement to eliminate the possibility of a condominium project by reducing the scale of residential projects allowed there. It added bonds the developer or company would have to pay the town if parts of the agreement werent met, such as if the road was damaged during installation, the landscaping wasnt adequate, or there were problems with erosion. He added the town was able to negotiate hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the initial offer. The project still has to be approved by the Connecticut Siting Council. Some Town Council members maintain by approving the agreement, they dont necessarily approve the project, which has been criticized by the public for its location. No residents have spoken out against solar energy, just the proposed site. Gronbach reminded the public this isnt a town project and is on private land. He said the town is asked to look at its financial aspects as part of the tax agreement and not on the project itself. He said the public will have a chance to comment on the project before the Siting Council. Its not an endorsement of the project itself, just the ratification of what council approved last time, he said. Councilman Walter Bayer voted against the proposal last month, but approved the agreement this time because it essentially put in writing what council previously discussed. Councilwoman Mary Jane Lundgren, voted against it last month but for it Monday. I was never really happy about this project, but what came out of the last meeting made it a different story, Bayer said of his vote. Supporters of the project say solar is a good energy source that will help Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island meet their goals to have 20 percent of their energy come from alternative methods by 2020. Supporters added the solar array would not be visible from the road or surrounding properties, and it would add revenue for the town. Francis has been critical of the project for months, urging Ameresco to choose a different spot in town that wouldnt disrupt established forestland, animal habitats, or rural views. Members of the public have echoed these concerns, adding they were worried the project could hurt property values or increase erosion and pilots expressed fears about the panels creating a glare. Some local business owners have argued the agreement wasnt fair to other businesses in town that struggled when starting out and said the proposal could hurt businesses, such as Candlelight Farms Inn. Carl Dunham, the owner of Candlelight Farms, said he recently attended a conference on energy projects in the state where presenters said they are starting to scale back on these large solar projects to sizes of 10 or 4 megawatts. Gronbach said council kept the publics concerns in mind while negotiating the agreement. The burden is on the company going forward to develop this project in a way to not burden the community and were going to hold them to it, he said. If approved, construction would start this fall and the panels would be operational by fall 2018. kkoerting@newstimes.com; 203-731-3345 H John Voorhees III / H John Voorhees III Art in Common, a Ridgefield nonprofit, will host an evening of poetry at the Ridgefield Library Thursday at 7 p.m to celebrate Black History Month. The reading, entitled Expressions, will be led by local historian Dr. Hampton Carey and include poetry by Akbal Radjab and Aaron Fagan. Radjab is a Bridgeport resident originally from Tanzania and Fagan is a Rochester native who has written two poetry books. NEW MILFORD Mayor David Gronbach gave a quick overview of the $102.5 million budget town officials will discuss over the coming weeks prior to Mondays regular council meeting. The budget is about $2.7 million, or 2.7 percent, more than the current budget. Like many surrounding towns, one of the biggest increases is due to health insurance. New Milford is anticipating an increase of about $929,000 next year for town employees, which is required by contract. The town is implementing programs that promote healthy living to mitigate the costs of claims and medical treatment. Another challenge most towns are facing is proposed cuts in state funding. New Milford is slated to get $6 million less, with most of the cuts coming from education aid and a new proposed requirement that the town pay into the state pension plan, Gronbach said. Because of our healthy financial position, the state has targeted us and other towns to essentially take our hard-earned savings and distribute them to state liabilities and cities, Gronbach said. He said the states expectation is that the town will cover the shortfall by pulling from the significant fund balance, which Gronbach said was built up over the years, often because town departments did more with less. Gronbach said Monday that the town will not panic, and town officials will continue to work with elected state representatives and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities to oppose the cuts. We certainly will not accept this without a fight, he said. The new budget calls for an increase in salaries of $151,000, but Gronbach said the increase was reasonable and a result of negotiations with three unions that rewarded town employees while also recognizing the fiscal realities we face. Gronbach said he also increased the Public Works budget, but not as high as the $835,000 increase requested for the departments operating budget or the $3.2 million increase requested for the departments capital budget. We continue to work towards funding major infrastructure and road projects with financing, as has been done in the past, he said. Gronbach also highlighted some of the savings the town has achieved this year from various actions, such as leaving the executive secretary position in his office vacant, canceling cable and newspaper subscriptions, as well as not seeking mileage reimbursement. Some of the other savings were about $23,000 in utility costs and working on a bond package to consolidate the towns debt, which could result in at least $500,000 in savings. We are servants, and with this budget, I hope that we continue to earn the faith of the citizens of New Milford in the way that their tax dollars are spent, he said. While taxes and the state budget are important to the financial ability to raise families in Connecticut, legislators in Hartford have consistently failed to provide that stability. Subsequent revisions as well as the recent departure of General Electric and an announcement of Aetna are indicative that legislative leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Sen. Bob Duff are inept at their responsibilities to our state. Many legislators prefer to focus on fiscal policy and ignore the social issues. But when abortion is killing an unborn child, I must question the wisdom in cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to hospitals resulting in staff cuts and arguably delaying life-saving care while at the same time in 2015 providing a $404,763 grant to renovate the abortion clinic and headquarters of Planned Parenthood in New Haven. It is the so-called social issues that leave lasting marks on our lives. Women become pregnant all the time. They always remember whether they are supported or not supported during their pregnancy, regardless of whether their child was born, miscarried, or aborted. Our state has an interest in ensuring they have as many options and choices available. Those feelings and memories last much longer than their previous years tax burden. If legislators like state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg of Westport, who is chairman of the states Public Health Committee, truly cares about women why is he failing to allow public input to bills which aim to protect children and give them more information and choices? One measure would educate 16- and 17-year-old pregnant girls on their options, which is already a requirement for younger girls. Parental notification proposals ensure girls are not subject to the control of sexual abusers. In 2014, a Coventry fire chief impregnated a 15-year-old fire cadet during a two-year relationship, and paying for her abortion unbeknownst to her parents. It could also have short circuited sex traffickers Adam Gault of West Hartford, who forced another girl into child pornography, when he brought her for an abortion. In both cases, abortion clinic workers failed to report the incidents to authorities. The failure to do so prolonged the abuse of both girls and raises questions as to whose interest they are working on behalf. Perhaps requiring a parents or guardians signature on a piece of paper attesting that the child is theirs could give abortion clinic workers more evidence to report suspected abuse to the proper authorities than they do today. Connecticut is one of only seven states without these proposals. Yet, state Sen. Duff vowed on Jan. 23 to not allow any anti-choice, anti-women bills to be voted on and passed in the State Senate. He doesnt even want a debate. On Jan. 31, he further discussed his desire not to have a discussion: I will block any anti-women, anti-choice bill ... from coming up for a vote. He called these two bills extreme and radical. What can be so extreme as to provide more information, more choices, and ensure that children are not being abused? Sen. Duff is endorsing the status quo where children are sent back home to their abusers. His social policy mirrors his job-killing fiscal policies. Just who is he working for? Please tell Rep. Steinberg and Sen. Duff that public hearings must be held on these topics They are willfully ignoring their responsibilities to have the discussion women and children we care for deserve. Christopher OBrien is vice president of CT Right to Life. Journalists were baffled by President Trumps accusation that the news media had downplayed terror attacks. I, too, was baffled. And I bet many other news consumers, whatever their political persuasion, were, as well. Was the president correct? No, he was wrong. Speaking to the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, Trump said the news media failed to report terror attacks for reasons of their own. He provided no evidence for such a serious charge. Then, overnight, the White House produced a list of 78 attacks the media had supposedly ignored. It was obvious the list was hastily compiled. It contained many typos. Attackers was misspelled as attakers 27 times. The list included the massacre in San Bernardino, California, the nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, the massacre in Paris, the truck attack in Nice, France, the attack aboard a French train and the truck attack in Berlin. All received extensive coverage in the U.S. and around the world. If fact, some media watchers were worried that such events were over-covered and might encourage extremists and mentally deranged individuals to play copy-cat. Major news organizations such as The Associated Press, The New York Times, USA Today, NBC and CNN reviewed their coverage of the 78 events and confirmed that all or almost all had received complete and prominent coverage, including Page 1 in newspapers and hours on cable news. The list comprised only terror acts considered to be connected to or inspired by Islamic extremists. It excluded events such as the recent attack on a mosque in Quebec City and the racially-motivated shooting by Dylann Roof in Charleston, South Carolina. Maybe the president was making a case for his executive order restricting immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries and suspending the U.S. refugee program. But the ban would not have prevented any of the attacks on the list. The notion that terrorism is an under-covered subject is preposterous, David H. Schanzer, director of Duke Universitys Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, said in The APs review. Its highly over-covered compared to the amount of violence that we face in society. There seems to be a pattern here. Days before the president accused the news media of ignoring terror attacks, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway made reference in several interviews to the Bowling Green massacre, which she said had not received the news medias attention. There was no Bowling Green massacre. Two men had been arrested in Kentucky on a charge of plotting to send weapons and money to Al Qaeda in Iraq. Before that, Conway described a questionable statement by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer about the size of the inauguration crowd as alternative facts. Was the presidents denunciation of the news media another example of alternative facts? Seems that way to me. Paul Janensch, of Bridgeport, was a newspaper editor and taught journalism at Quinnipiac University. His weekly Memo on the Media can be heard on wqun.com. Email: paul.janensch@quinnipiac.edu. MARKHAM, ON, Feb. 9, 2017 /CNW/ - Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. will host the world premiere of the All-new 2018 Accent subcompact on February 16, at the Canadian International Auto Show. Ahead of the show, Hyundai Auto Canada released teaser images and video of its feature vehicle, suggesting a fresh, confident interpretation of the brand's signature design language. The new car features the cascading grille, a visual signature that is integral to Hyundai Motor's identity. It also hints at a slim and modern rear bumper, a sweeping roofline, and a sharp character line running the length of the car where it meets slim and sporty rear combination lamps. The teaser video can be viewed at: www.YouTube.com/HyundaiCanada. Further details about the all-new vehicle will be revealed during the Hyundai press conference scheduled for 9:35 am (ET) on February 16, in the North building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The company will also broadcast the debut live on its Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/HyundaiCanada. About Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout Canada by Hyundai Auto Canada and are sold and serviced through more than 210 dealerships nationwide. Hyundai is also the first to offer its zero-emissions Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle to Canadian customers. More information about Hyundai and its vehicles can be found at www.HyundaiCanada.com. SOURCE Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. For further information: For more information about Hyundai and its products, please contact: Chad Heard, Senior Manager of Public Relations, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Office: (905) 948-6712, Mobile: (416) 559-9640, Email: [email protected]; Jean-Francois Taylor, Public Relations Specialist, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp., Office: (905) 948-6754, Mobile: (416) 770-0842, Email: [email protected] Related Links http://www.hyundaicanada.com CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- Jurors have not yet decided whether to convict a man accused of planning to attack a mosque in upstate New York. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that the jury deliberated for seven hours Tuesday in the case of Robert Doggart. Deliberations are set to resume Wednesday morning. Doggart has pleaded not guilty to accusations that he planned to attack a Muslim community called Islamberg. Prosecutors have played a series of conversations Doggart had with a confidential informant in March 2015 and say the 65-year-old planned to use a rifle, a shotgun and thousands of rounds of ammunition in the attack. His defense attorneys have argued that Doggart never had a consistent plan in place, was entrapped by a confidential informant and only wanted to conduct reconnaissance on Islamberg. Phil Merkel of Bridgeport comes across the ice on his snowmobile onto Cooper's Landing in Bridgeport on the south of Oneida Lake Saturday afternoon. Jim Commentucci / The Post Standard In this 2010 photo, a lone snowmobiler rides on Oneida Lake. (Jim Commentucci) It's been a deadly year for Upstate New York snowmobilers - particularly for those riding over frozen bodies of water. "Clearly, there's something weird about this winter," said Dominic Jacangelo, executive director of the New York State Snowmobile Association. "So far, we've had a total of 18 (snow mobile-related) fatalities. Ten of them were on lakes and (of those) six were drownings." Just this past weekend there were five incidents that appear to be fatals, Jacangelo said. Two were on Lake Champlain, one on Black Lake and two on Conesus Lake. For the two riders in the later incident, their helmets were found, but not their bodies have not been recovered at this point. "The New York State Snowmobile Association is advising all snowmobilers to stay off frozen bodies of water. They are not safe this year," he said." What's up? "We've had cold nights, but overall it's been relatively warm this winter. The larger bodies of water have not frozen over," Jacangelo said. "You get some ice, but then you get snow cover, which ends of insulating the ice. The ice never ends up freezing solid. You end up getting a shallow ice cover. It may look fine, but it's not." "Remember those rains in January? Those rains were disastrous for lakes freezing over," he said. "They introduced more warm water into the lakes. As a result, it takes more time (for the ice) to freeze solid." Ted Decker, owner of Ted's Bait Shop at the northern end of Conesus Lake, said the past three years have been "kind of shady" for ice formation on that western Finger Lake. "This year, it's gone back and forth. We've never really gotten a good hard base. The anglers often can't get out over the deep water to fish for walleyes," he said. Decker said he knew one of the missing snowmobiler riders from the incident this weekend, which occurred during the night. "They went way out from the northern end (which is frozen over). They were right out to the cusp. It's pretty thin out there," he said. Told about the 10 lake-related fatals, Decker said some of it may be lack of education and knowledge about safe conditions for snowmobiling - or for some, a false sense of security about the thickness of the ice. According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, safe ice for snowmobilers and ATV riders is 5 inches or thicker. That's not the case this year. Saturday, two ice fisherman on Chaumont Bay had a section of 8-inch thick ice break away into Lake Ontario when they were fishing. One got off. The other was stranded on the ice with his snowmobile and had to be rescued by volunteers from the Clayton Volunteer Fire Department. (See video below shot by the stranded angler) The snowmobile the two anglers used to get out of the ice was left behind. Decker said this winter the ice keeps freezing, coming back and then melting again. "It's not really good black ice. It's punky, with soft spots -- air pockets. In most cases, it never really sets well," he said. Another factor, said James Rolf, statewide trail coordinator for the New York State Snowmobile Association is that drought-like conditions this past summer result in low water levels on a number of North Country Lakes. The result this winter on some waterways, he said, is that you have a lot more rocks or rock piles that above the water level than usual, creating dangerous hazards when covered with snow. Of the 10 fatals on lakes this winter, four of them involve sledders hitting rocks while driving along. Randy Jackson, senior research associate and associate director of the Cornell Biological Field Station at Shackelton Point, said typically Oneida Lake freezes over in early or mid-January and breaks up in early April. Not this year. "The amount of ice coverage this year is well below average," he said, adding on most days this winter there has been open water on the lake. "We've had a series of freezes, followed by breakups of the ice," he added. Factors include multiple warm fronts accompanied by winds, which prevent ice buildup. Jacangelo said the NYS Snowmobile Association issued a warming earlier this winter on its Facebook page to its members to stay off frozen waterways. "We plan to do it again this week," he said. See the lastest update on all the snowmobile-related fatalities in Upstate New York so far this winter. SIDNEY, N.Y. -- A Delaware County couple is facing felony charges after authorities said they sexually abused a child, State Police announced today. Authorities uncovered the abuse while investigating a child pornography complaint, they said. Justin D. Crandall Troopers in Binghamton received a complaint about child pornography on Saturday, officials said. An investigation soon led to Justin D. Crandall, 28, of Sidney. Crandall had sent sexually explicit pictures of a child to another person, state police said. He was charged with first-degree rape and promoting sexual performance of a child, both felonies, along with endangering the welfare of a child and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both misdemeanors. First-degree rape is brought against someone when one of the parties is younger than 11 years old, when one of the parties is younger than 13 and the other is over age 18, when one person is unconscious or otherwise physically helpless, or when physical force or threats are used, according to state law. Jessica L. Crandall A few days after Crandall's arrest, State Police arrested his wife, Jessica L. Crandall, 27. Authorities discovered Jessica Crandall had sexually abused a child younger than 11 years old, police said. Jessica Crandall was arrested Tuesday for first-degree criminal sex act, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. Authorities declined to say if the Crandalls abused the same child, give an exact age, or say how long the abuse is believed to have gone on for. Their goal is to try and minimize harm to and protect the privacy of children involved in sex abuse cases, said Nathan Riegal, a spokesman for the State Police. The two were arraigned in the Village of Sidney Court and are being held in Delaware County Jail. There are a few competing studies with recommendations for a larger US Navy. There is one from MITRE and another by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). The Navy needs a vastly larger fleet 414 warships to win a great-power war, well above todays 274 ships or even the Navys unfunded plan for 355, the think-tank MITRE calculates in a congressionally-chartered study. That ideal fleet would include: 14 aircraft carriers instead of todays 11; 160 cruisers and destroyers instead of 84; 72 attack submarines instead of todays 52; New classes ranging from a missile-packed magazine ship, to diesel-powered submarines, to a heavy frigate to replace the Littoral Combat Ship, which would be cancelled. The CSBA and an internal US Navy study recommend 12 aircraft carriers, but the CSBA also wants ten smaller aircraft carriers The CSBA wants 340 manned ships and 80 unmanned, MITRE says 414 manned ships, and the the Alternative Future Fleet wants 321 manned ships and 138 unmanned. The MITRE plan is even more radical than the competing plan submitted to Congress by the Center for Strategic & Budgetary Assessments. Although both studies would grow the fleet, upgrade the America-class amphibious assault ship into a conventionally powered light carrier, cancel LCS, and build a new frigate, MITRE calls for a larger force overall and more new types of ship. Building a 414-ship fleet is unrealistic, MITRE acknowledges, even assuming the Budget Control Act is repealed. So the study lays out what MITRE considers a good-enough plan to build and upgrade as many ships as possible for an additional $4.5 billion a year ($1.7 billion in shipbuilding funds and $2.8 billion for new weapons, mostly missiles). This good-enough plan includes many compromises. Most notably, it slows down the production of aircraft carriers in the near term even though MITRE believes we ultimately need more because the Navy doesnt have enough fighter jets to equip them all, and an aircraft carrier without aircraft is pretty pointless. To close the airpower gap, MITRE advocates buying more F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, since it believes accelerating F-35C (Joint Strike Fighter) production does not appear to be a viable option. MITRE argues against todays reliance on a small number of exquisitely expensive long-range missiles for anti-aircraft and missile defense. Instead MITRE advocates large barrages of precision-guided shells fired from conventional naval cannon known as the Hyper-Velocity Projectile and ultimately from electromagnetic railguns. Fielding HVP must be a top priority because it would turn the 5 guns on every Navy cruiser and destroyer into missile defense systems. Suggested style of ship to replace the LCS Findings The U.S. and its allies have maintained a decisive technological advantage for more than 40 years, but this advantage is rapidly disappearing as the guided missile age reaches full maturity. Missile speeds, elusiveness, and precision for example all continue to increase. Coastal defense missile batteries can cover a radius of 700 or 800 miles today, compared to 70 or 80 miles just a few years ago. Supersonic anti-ship missiles that currently travel at Mach 2 will be supplanted by hypersonic missiles that will travel at speeds well in excess of Mach 5. As the costs of these weapons become increasingly inexpensive, they will continue to proliferate and adversary inventories will continue to increase. Advances in sensor technology, including new passive and active methods, and its commercialization enable detection and targeting at extreme ranges. Weapons with extended ranges are not fully effective unless an adversary can also identify targets at these ranges. In the past, nations spent enormous resources to build sensing capabilities that are commercially available today. For example, BlackSky plans to launch a sixty satellite constellation by 2019 that will provide in excess of 40 re-visits per day in the equatorial region. The Navy should continue to invest in capabilities to prevent adversary targeting, but cannot rely on ships remaining hidden for extended periods in a 2030 environment. The Navys current force structure is essentially a scaled down version of the balanced force that exited World War II. This forces consists of attack submarines; aircraft carriers; large and small surface combatants; amphibious ships; and combat logistics. The only fundamentally new platform since World War II is the ballistic missile submarine, which is part of the nuclear triad Come and enjoy Read more [...] Power Africa, an initiative by the US government to light up Africa, on Tuesday said it was planning to invest about one billion dollars on the power sector in Nigeria, the programmes coordinator, Mr Andrew Herscowitz said.Herscowitz announced this in Abuja at a news conference on strengthening the power sector in Nigeria.The coordinator, who said U.S. was committed to strengthening the power sector in Nigeria, added that America has already committed billions of dollars in funding the nations energy projects.He said `Power Africa, launched by President Barack Obama in 2013 to increase electricity access, is aimed at adding more than 30,000 megawatts of cleaner, more efficient energy development in sub-Saharan Africa.Herscowitz said the project also targets unlocking the substantial wind, solar, hydro power, natural gas, biomass, and geothermal resources on the continent.Since Power Africa was launched, U.S. Trade Development Agency has committed approximately 6.5 million dollars in funding for 10 activities supporting Nigerias energy sector, which could leverage up to 2.7 billion dollars in investment.It has advanced 50 million dollars in financing from the Oversea Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to Lumos, a Nigeria-based solar energy company, to scale up its off grid solar power service to about 200,000 Nigerian homes and businesses.Power Africa has supported power companies in the country to the tune of 100 million dollars capital expenditure credit enhancement facility with a corresponding 6.5 million dollars in technical assistanceAnd (supported) another 1.5 million dollars for limited commodity to turn around the DISCOS, he said.He said that functional power distribution companies were critical to the development of the country.According to him, well functioning DISCOs are critical to the delivery of electricity in Nigeria.If the DISCOs do not work, the energy sector as a whole does not work.He said Nigeria, like any country, needed to see capital flowing through the entire energy value chain. Arik Air has suspended its international flight operations to the London and Johannesburg routes. The spokesman of the Asset Managemen... Arik Air has suspended its international flight operations to the London and Johannesburg routes.The spokesman of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, Jude Nwauzor, made the announcement in a statement issued on Tuesday in Lagos.The News Agency of Nigeria reports that AMCON had on February 9 taken over the airline following its huge indebtedness to the company and other creditors, both local and foreign.Mr. Nwauzor said the suspension would enable Arik Air to find permanent solution to problems facing its passengers and carry out a thorough assessment of its situation.He said :The strategic business decision is meant to realign our operations and refocus on satisfying our domestic and West Africa and other international passengers.It will also present Arik with excellent opportunity to engage and discuss with creditors who have become restive since the intervention and have also understandably exhausted their patience due to non-payment of accumulated debt and non-performance on services and contracts.Mr. Nwauzor said consequent upon this, arrangements were being made to refund all international passengers of the airline that were affected by this decision.To our international creditors, Arik is most grateful for your patience and understanding.We reassure them that all pending issues with the airline will be duly addressed as a matter of priority as we plan to engage them in this regard, he added.According to him, the international route is very critical for the strategic turn around, growth strategy and stability of the airline.Mr. Nwauzor said the airline intends to revisit the routes immediately it addresses all the problems inherited, which was affecting and creating more dissatisfied passenger base.We appeal to all passengers to kindly bear with us as the decision is to ensure that the airline adheres strictly to international aviation best practices, he said.(NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari is set to return from the United Kingdom where he is spending his vacation, Senior Special Assistant (Media) t... President Muhammadu Buhari is set to return from the United Kingdom where he is spending his vacation, Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the president Malam Garba Shehu, has said.In a television interview aired yesterday, Shehu said the president was no longer enjoying his stay outside the country.As a matter of fact, we should be getting ready to see the president in flesh and blood and that will be as soon as possible.The president (himself) is looking forward to being home to be with his people.I dont think he is enjoying any longer an extended vacation outside the country, Shehu said.Commenting on the presidents telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, the spokesman said it was undiplomatic for anyone to demand for the release of the audio recording of the conversation.No, I dont think so; I dont think it is permitted in international diplomacy. I think if we had recorded Mr Trump in this conversation it would have offended our diplomatic relations.I think the Americans themselves would not have recorded this conversation of president to president, he said.On the presidents medical test results being expected from doctors, Shehu said he had no information on whether the president had collected the results or not.No, we have no information on that (test results). If he had received them, he would have been on the plane back home.Shehu said there was not enough time for the two presidents to discuss other continental and international issues.He, however, expressed optimism that the conversation would boost bilateral relations between Nigeria and the U.S.Well, there wasnt enough time to talk about everything. I think the point at what will follow is in the invitation that President Trump has extended to our president (Buhari) to come over.That is the kind of opportunity that was presented to Nigeria to put all the issues on the desk.As for their immigration policy, I think our president has been clear about one thing the choices made by the Americans as to who to lead them, in this case, Mr Trump, is entirely their own choice.We have no business interfering with their domestic affairs.As to the countries that have been barred, it has been clearly specified and Nigeria did not feature in the list, he added. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, gave indications that President Buhari will seek for re-election in ... Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, gave indications that President Buhari will seek for re-election in 2019 and win, adding that those wishing the leader dead would die before him. He added that by the end of Buharis second term, he would have put the country on a sound economic footing that it would be difficult for anyone to return the country to the Dr Goodluck Jonathan era.Addressing hundreds of pro-Buhari protesters, who locked down a section of the Three Arms Zone in Abuja in demonstration against some partisans they accused of trying to derail the administration, the SGF said those fighting the Buhari administration benefited immensely from past proceeds of corruption.The protesters, who walked unmolested from the popular Unity Fountain in Maitama to the entrance of the Presidential Villa said, Nigeria can only change when we support the government and do our bit and not allow ourselves to be used as agents of destruction and political thuggery. Babachir David Lawal told the protesters that though some of Buharis critics wanted the President dead, they would instead die before him, adding that by the time Buhari finished his eight-year tenure of two terms, nobody would be able to take Nigeria back to 2015. Shamelessly, they accused the President of not performing. And, in fact, some of them wished him dead.But I can assure you that by the grace of God, he will outlive all of them, Lawal declared. While stating that government was on top of the current situation in the country, the SGF said, as much as we understand the challenges that we are facing, there is no cure without medicine.It is for no reason that quinine is very bitter, but after you have taken it, you get well. He, however, conceded that the President never envisaged the challenges that plagued the country in the last dispensation, promising an economic turn-around in the next one year. Baba Buhari did not anticipate the problem that we are in.I am sure you are all aware. The people who caused this problem are the ones challenging the government. I tell you that they will fail in the name of God. In fact, they have failed. You are aware of the economy that the President inherited, the economy in which revenue has virtually collapsed. The infrastructure is no where to be seen. The roads were dilapidated; the schools were dilapidated.The hospitals were abandoned. The people who caused it are not worried at all. I assure you that by the grace of God, in the next one year, Nigeria will have a booming economy. We know what they are doing to sabotage the activities of government to bring Nigeria back to economic prosperity but the President is also aware. They will fail, he said.Implying that the President would contest and win the 2019 presidential elections, the SGF said no one would be able to take Nigeria back to the days of ex-President Jonathan, at the completion of Buharis second term of office in 2023. He said: Nigeria will never go back to the position it was before 2015.The foundation being laid by the government is solid. And nobody, even after the President has finished his eight years, can ever take us back to the pre-2015 days. This, I can assure you. I assure Nigerians that the President is aware of the temporary suffering we are going through.It pains him, but the pains have to be borne this way for prosperity and goodness to return to our country. Also speaking, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, apologised for the initial obstruction by security agents at the main gate of the presidential villa. He said: There was a communication gap at the Villa gate because the police there did not know who was coming and I hope we will learn from this.You people put this government in place and you want to show support for what the government is doing, nobody has a problem with this. So, we welcome your demonstration; we welcome your support because this is what will keep the government strong. The war against corruption has enemies, very powerful enemies. Enemies who have resources; the kind of money that even the government does not have.So, we need popular support like your own otherwise the war against corruption would be defeated. Earlier, Convener of the Citizens Support for Good Governance in Nigeria, Comrade Moses Abdullahi, said the country was passing through a difficult phase as a result of bad governance. Nigeria is going through a difficult phase, a phase not of the making of this administration, but rather a consequence of decades of bad governance, decay and maladministration by a few, under a banner now synonymous with corruption. CNN has confirmed that Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari spoke to President Donald Trump from London on Monday. It was also confirmed that the American President also spoke with President Jacob Zuma about strengthening ties with South Africa.The Nigerian presidency had on Monday said Mr. Buhari had a telephone conversation with Mr. Trump at the request of the American President.Others also doubted because the president has not spoken directly to Nigerians since he left the country on January 19.According to Mr. Buharis aide, Femi Adesina, in a statement to CNN, Mr. Trump assured the Nigerian president that the U.S. is ready to help obtain a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism.Mr. Adesina also said, President Trump encouraged President Buhari to keep up the good work he is doing, and also commended him for the efforts made in rescuing 24 of the Chibok Girls and the strides being taken by the Nigerian military.President Donald Trump has been increasingly conversing with world leaders during his first weeks in office.On Monday he turned his attention to Africa.Mr. Trump called two of the continents most prominent leaders, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and South African President Jacob Zuma, to discuss combating terrorism, trade relations and other issues.The White House press Secretary and Communication Director, Sean Spicer, in his introduction of Tuesdays White House Press Briefing, also mentioned that Mr. Trump spoke with Messrs. Buhari and Zuma. The trial of former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja was aborted yesterday after Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lag... The trial of former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja was aborted yesterday after Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Lagos insisted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) must comply with the law.Eight years after he was first arraigned, EFCC re-arraigned Ladoja for allegedly converting N4.7billion from the state treasury to his personal use.He was charged along with Waheed Akanbi on eight counts of money laundering and unlawful conversion of public funds.Prosecution counsel Femi Olabisi called his first witness, an EFCC investigator, Abdullahi Lawal.As Lawal was about to begin his testimony, Ladojas lawyer Bolaji Onilenle and Akanbis lawyer Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika objected on the basis that he was not listed as a witness.Onilenle said: His name is not on the list of witnesses. We are surprised. Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 mandates the prosecution to make a list of witnesses available to defendants.Olumide-Fusika said he has no idea what the witness was going to say and was not prepared to cross-examine him.EFCC ought to be ready before bringing us to court. It must be ready before arraignment, he said.Olabisi apologised, saying the case was prepared before the ACJA came into effect.He sought for more time to put his house in order.The counsel asked that the dates previously fixed for the trial, including today and tomorrow, be vacated.Adebisi said some of his witnesses were in Abuja, Kaduna and Port Harcourt, so he would need time to prepare their statements.Although the defence counsel said Lawal could testify to save time, Justice Mohammed Idris said it would be better for the prosecution to comply with the law.He said: Section 379 is mandatory. Well go with speed but in accordance with the law. Lets do it within the ambit of the law. Lets not overlook the issue and proceed.The prosecution should ensure that a summary of the issues and list of witnesses are made available to the defence before trial commences.Ladoja was first arraigned before Justice A.R. Mohammed in 2008, but he objected to the charge.He obtained a stay of proceedings after filing an interlocutory appeal, which was dismissed by the Supreme Court.The EFCC accused Ladoja and Akanbi of converting N1,932,940,032.48 belonging to Oyo to their personal use through the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) account of a company, Heritage Apartments Limited.The prosecution said Ladoja removed 600,000 (about N240,219,945) from the state coffers in 2007 and sent it to Bimpe Ladoja in London.Ladoja also allegedly bought a N42million armoured Toyota Land Cruiser using public funds.EFCC said he converted N728,600,000 and another N77,850,000 in 2007, and allegedly transferred N77, 850,000 to Bistrum Investments, which he nominated to help him buy a property, Quarter 361, in Ibadan.Ladoja and Akanbi pleaded not guilty.Justice Idris adjourned till March 1 for trial. Akin Oyebode, professor of international law and jurisprudence at the University of Lagos, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to spe... Akin Oyebode, professor of international law and jurisprudence at the University of Lagos, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to speak to Nigerians.Oyebode said the need to address Nigerians has become more necessary after Buhari had a phone conversation with President Donald Trump.He said though the president had some difficulty that necessitated his vacation to London, that should not bar him from speaking to Nigerians.I have seen pictures in the papers and he looks okay, and the wife says pray for him and all that, to assure us that everything is okay, he said.But the pressure is on him now having spoken to Donald Trump.The least he can do for us is either to come back quickly or address Nigerians by teleconferencing or Skype or whatever.Oyebode said silence could lead to questioning of the presidents credibility, but that it would be soothing for him to speak to Nigerians.He should address Nigerians that its not as bad as you guys think. It will sooth the worried balms in Nigeria, he said.If the president can find the time to talk to Donald Trump, then he should be able to talk to us.Buhari embarked on a 10-day vacation on January 19, but on February 5, he wrote to the national assembly to extend his vacation indefinitely.He said his doctors advised him to complete and get the results of some medical tests.Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has since taken charge. Super Eagles forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, may have found a way back into Pep Guardiolas plans, with news that Gabriel Jesus will be out for two to three months.Gabriel was taken off in the 15th minute of Manchester Citys 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Monday and the club has confirmed that he suffered a fractured metatarsal bone in his right foot.In a statement on their official website, City said: He will undergo further examinations in the coming days to establish the extent of his layoff. We wish Gabriel a speedy recovery.The Brazilian has made an impressive start to his career in England, since he completed his 27 million move from Palmeiras in January, scoring three times in his last three Premier League clashes.The injury setback means Sergio Aguero will now become the first choice striker.Iheanacho is likely to return to the bench for their FA Cup clash this weekend against Huddersfield. The 20-year-old was missing from Guardiolas match day squad for the trip to the Vitality Stadium.It is the fifth consecutive game he sat out.Iheanacho was left out of the 4-0 victory over West Ham, the 3-0 win at Crystal Palace, the 2-2 draw at home with Tottenham Hotspurs and the 2-1 success over Swansea City. The Federal Government on Tuesday ordered all contractors who abandoned projects in the Niger Delta region to return to site immediately. The Federal Government on Tuesday ordered all contractors who abandoned projects in the Niger Delta region to return to site immediately.Acting President Yemi Osinbajo gave the order at a stakeholders meeting for sustainable development in the Niger Delta region held in Owerri, Imo State.Mr. Osinbajo said he was disturbed by the long list of projects owned by NNPC and the Niger Delta Development Commission in different parts of the state and said that such practice must stop.He also said that those contractors who collected money and diverted them would be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.I have today directed that all contractors whose projects have been abandoned must return to site forthwith.They must return and I want to say that all these contracts will be investigated thoroughly.We will investigate every one of the contracts and any one of them found to have diverted funds we will ensure that they are prosecuted and that they are brought to justice.It is not acceptable for anyone to take projects that are meant to offer succour to the people.Especially to the people in oil production communities and to abandon them and them come back and complain that work isnt being done, he said.According to the Acting President, the Federal Government will make sure that all of those projects are completed.I must say that it is shocking that over the years, several NNDC projects and the Ministry of Niger Delta have been abandoned by contractors.A long list of abandoned projects have been presented to me; one has almost 40 abandoned projects; projects where contracts have been awarded and in some cases money paid, he noted.Accordingly, he said that those involved in the shady deals must be made to account.He promised the people of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta, the main oil bearing communities in the state, that he would ensure that they got their due share of the oil wealth.He promised to work with the Niger Delta Power Holding Company to ensure that the abandoned Power plant in Egbema which could produce 300 megawatts of power was completed soon.Mr. Osinbajo also promised to present the request of the state for the conversion of the skills acquisition centre in the area to a Niger Delta University of Science and Technology to the Federal Executive Council.He said that the federal government had a new vision for all oil producing areas of the Niger Delta as a fresh commitment of all stakeholders to be involved in the development of the areas.He said the federal government would partner the states, local governments, oil majors and to facilitate the development of the region.Every stakeholder will be involved, he assured but added that oil exploitation alone could not ensure the provision of jobs for the teeming youth.Accordingly, he said it was the business of industrialists to develop industries especially in the petrochemical for more job creation.He said government would build modular refineries in the region which would engage those involved in building illegal refineries and polluting the environment.He also noted that it was the intention of the administration to site more power plants in the oil region to utilise the gas resources effectively.Mr. Osinbajo said there was the need to attract investments in the region but stressed the need for peace and secure environment as a precondition.Investments have a choice; they go to where they will find security, he said.He said the future has now arrived for the oil region but the stakeholders must address the concerns of the region by ensuring a peaceful environment.According to him, destroying oil facilities is not the solution but rather providing the facilities and protecting them.The acting president urged the people to hold contractors to account, adding that all federal projects meant for the communities must come to them.He told them that President Muhammadu Buhari took Imo as his home and had pledged that justice would be done to the people.Peace and justice go together, he advised while assuring the state of its fair share in the administrations social investment programmes.(NAN) Acting President Yemi Osinbajo explained yesterday that Nigerians are in pains today because of the misdeeds and corruption of yesterday. Acting President Yemi Osinbajo explained yesterday that Nigerians are in pains today because of the misdeeds and corruption of yesterday.He described the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party for today and the future.The acting president spoke yesterday at a critical stakeholders meeting of the APC at the Aztech Arcum Events Centre on Ken Saro-Wiwa (formerlyStadium) Road in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.Prof. Osinbajo was at a stakeholders engagement at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday, hosted by Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike.Many APC chieftains said they could not attend because they were not invited.Yesterdays meeting was attended by Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Pastor Usani Uguru Usani; former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva; Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside and Rivers APC Chairman Chief Davies Ikanya.Others are: Senator Magnus Abe and Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Nsima Ekere, among others.The Acting President said: The APC is a party of today and the future. It is easy for people to say times are hard. Yes, times are hard. One of the reasons for the hard times is the corruption that took place for so many years.We are investigating at the moment, the $15 billion of the defence contract award. If $15 billion dollars disappeared, when you have a reserve of $30 billion, there is no way there will not be hardship.The other thing is the destruction of pipelines and facilities. Oil prices fell by half, then we started losing one million barrels a day 60 per cent of revenue. There is no way there will be no recession. We are sure that because of the way we are approaching the business of governance, even with the little resources, things will change for the better.For the first time, we have bailed out the states of the federation. When we came, 22 states were not paying salaries at all. We had to bail them out twice. Despite the lean resources, we are still able to support the states. In the next few months, as things shape up, this country will improve and the exchange rate will improve.Osinbajo also expressed displeasure at the attitude of some Nigerians, who were involved in destructive criticisms and running down the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.He said: Some people have said when we came, the exchange rate was this; now it is that. What accounts for exchange rate is dollars. If you lose revenue, your exchange rate goes up. The exchange rate is not magic. It is just availability of dollars. With the cooperation of all of us, we will be able to bring the exchange rate down.Peace is very important. We (APC) are the government at the centre, for the first time. This is not the time to make war. This is the time to make peace to derive all the benefits that we ought to derive from the centre. Some of us think that the answer to violence is violence. It is not. Vengeance belongs to God, not man.I am very confident that given the calibre of people that we have in the leadership and followership of the APC, the future is so bright. Do not be involved in any form of destruction or violence. APC is going to achieve everything that we have said we would achieve.The Acting President stated that he was at the meeting of the critical stakeholders to visit the APC family, expressing gratitude on the way theparty members had conducted themselves.He said: For many of you who are here today, this is probably the first time in opposition. Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi is my very good friend andI always tell him that this is his first time this state is in opposition. We, who come from Lagos, were in opposition for 16 years.We know the pains, the suffering of those in opposition and I know what you have to go through in opposition. But the scripture says weeping may endure for a night, but surely, there will be joy in the morning. It is important that we must maintain peace.We will not be like those who made commitments for many years and could not fulfil their commitments. President Buhari is a man of his words and he will ensure that the Ogoni clean-up is pursued vigorously.On the East-West Road (from Oron in Akwa Ibom State to Ogoniland in Rivers State to Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Ogun states, terminating in Lagos), do not forget that it is six years old. What we have done in the last eighteen months is more than they did in the previous six to seven years.The Calabar-Lagos rail project is a very important project for this government. Already, we have set aside our own part of the counterpart fund. There is also a facility from China, to be able to do the project. It is in the budget for 2017. We would do what we said we would do.Peterside expressed shock that Wikes government was now calling for the return of Soku oil wells ceded to Bayelsa State, completion of East-West Road and the Port Harcourt International Airport, which were part of the reasons he (Wike) and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan fought Amaechi as governor.Abe called on the Buhari administration to take very clear and decisive steps to ensure peace in Rivers State.He condemned the incessant killings and beheading of many innocent persons in the state.The senator (Abe) expressed surprise that APCs banners to welcome the Acting President were pulled down and destroyed by known leaders of the PDP.The Rivers APC chairman described the Acting President as a true democrat, who remained committed to change. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Nigeria Police Force to reconsider the fate of the six police officers dismissed for alle... The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Nigeria Police Force to reconsider the fate of the six police officers dismissed for alleged unprofessional conduct during legislative rerun elections in Rivers.The Chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, made the call during chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.Makarfi described the dismissal of the officers who were hitherto attached to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, as politically motivated.He said the decision was biased and should be reconsidered for the sake of justice.The six police officers Insp. Eyong Victor, Sgt. Peter Ekpo, Sgt. Oguni Goodluck, Sgt. Orji Nwoke, Sgt. Okpe Ezekiel and Sgt. Tanko Akor were dismissed last month.Police authorities alleged that the officers violated clear instructions handed down to them during the December 10, 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers.They claimed the officers breached the forces rules to be of good conduct and desist from escorting politically exposed persons to polling units throughout the period of the election.The officers were also accused of misusing the firearms in their possession contrary to the provisions of Force Order 237 while in the convoy of Wike on the election day. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday said any decision on the restructuring of the country would be taken by the people and not... Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday said any decision on the restructuring of the country would be taken by the people and not by the politicians alone.Abubakar said this in Minna, Niger state capital, after visiting Ibrahim Babangida, former military president, who recently returned to the country after a medical vacation in Germany.He said he was at the residence of Babangida to know how the former president was faring after his medical trip abroad.The issue of restructuring the country is left to Nigerians to decide whether they want it or not, he said.On the issue of recession, he said he had been advising the federal government positively on how to tackle the problem, even outside the media.I have been in the corridors of power before, so it is not easy. Using the media always to advise government is a disservice, he said.I know I have been making positive contributions to the government aside the media to enable us come out of recession.Abubakar was accompanied by Abubakar Bello, governor of Niger and some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Senate president, Bukola Saraki and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara have departed for London to meet Presid... The Senate president, Bukola Saraki and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara have departed for London to meet President Muhammadu Buhari.Channels TV, citing a source at the National Assembly, reports that Saraki and Dogara travelled to London on Wednesday morning, February 15, to meet with President Buhari who is currently on holidays in the UK.Recall the president had on February 5, 2017 written to the National Assembly informing of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.President Buhari has also maintained that he would only return to Nigeria when his London doctors certify him well enough to do so. According to TMZ, renting the Leight Star yacht docked in Marina Del Rey, CA costs around $85k for a week and the drunk in love stars proved swapping spit with class is possible. See more photos after the cut. Meanwhile, TMZ also reports that Gomez picked up the $30,000 bill for her boyfriends birthday bash at Dave & Busters in Hollywood on Monday (Feb. 13). Abels guest list for the party included A$AP Rocky, French Montana, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Travis Scott, Migos, Quavo, and Bryson Tiller. However, Gomez was unable to join her beau because she was in New York for Fashion Week. But she made sure to leave her credit card to handle all charges. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says Saidu Afaka, President Muhammadu Buharis driver, who returned lost items during the... The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says Saidu Afaka, President Muhammadu Buharis driver, who returned lost items during the 2016 hajj in Saudi Arabia, will be rewarded for his honesty.Abdullahi Muhammad, executive chairman of NAHCON, made the disclosure on Tuesday while presenting the lost items to Shehu Barwa, executive secretary, Niger Pilgrims Welfare Board.Muhammad said Afaka found and returned to the commission, a bag containing $400, N60,370, 149 Saudi Riyals and a cell phone belonging to Adamu Umar, a Niger state pilgrim.He explained that Afaka, a pilgrim from Kaduna state, found a wallet or purse and he took it to the commissions office in Makkah.And I directed the audit department to keep and trace the owner, and from our records it showed that the owner is Umar Adamu, a pilgrim with passport Number A07432103 from Niger, he said.It is my pleasure to hand over the content of this lost and found item to the executive secretary, Niger State Pilgrims Welfare Board for onward conveyance to the owner, he said.Afaka, a staff sergeant in the Nigerian Army, is a senior driver to the President.Muhammed said the commission would honour Afaka with a slot to travel for the 2017 hajj.The commission will reward the pilgrim, who is a true Nigerian accordingly, and we will make sure he also join us in performing the 2017 hajj, he said. rubber-playground.jpg RubbeRecycle of Lakewood grinds up millions of tires a year, creating rubber mulch. Much of that mulch is used as matting in playgrounds. (Courtesy of RubbeRecycle) ( ) ENGLEWOOD - A church has sued the manufacturer of its cushioned playground floor, claiming the 12 tons of rubber matting contained hazardous materials, including lead, mercury and PCBs. In March 2013, members of Korean Community Church on Tenafly Road paid $6,260 for recycled rubber mulch that was colored green, which was installed 4-inches deep in the 50-by-52 foot playground area. The playground, known as King's Kids Learning Center, accommodates up to 222 children ages 2 1/2 to 13. The church hired RubbeRecycle of Lakewood to install the playground, according to the lawsuit filed last month in Bergen County Superior Court. According to its website, RubbeRecycle makes rubber mulch for playgrounds to lessen the impact of a child's fall during play. RubbeRecycle, which has been in business since 1997, collects used tires and recycles them into rubber mulch. Two years after the church playground rubber chips were installed, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection alerted church officials that hazardous substances had been found on the property and remediation was mandated under state law. "You have an affirmative obligation to remediate this discharge," the DEP wrote in a letter on June 24, 2015. The church hired an environmental consulting firm, which analyzed some of the rubber chips. PCBs, lead and mercury were detected at above levels deemed acceptable in New Jersey, according to the firm, Professional Environmental Associates of Rockaway. The church claims it spent $247,638.34 for cleanup, remediation, landscaping and replacement of playground equipment. The suit alleges three counts of breach of warranty and seeks $246,638.34 for each count, together with costs of suit, interest and attorney fees. RubbeRecyle Vice President Keith Sacks told NJ Advance Media the company's rubber mulch is safe and was even installed at a White House playground for former President Obama's children. "There has not been one study in the entire world that has shown a danger," Sacks said Wednesday. Sacks suggested the contaminants found at Korean Community Church may have been from soil beneath the playground and may have been there before the mulch was installed. "I would call the lawsuit frivolous," Sacks said. In the past, the media has tended to focus on the negative rather than the service that rubber mulch companies provide, Sacks said. "We recycle tires. This is a good thing that we do. We grind up millions of tires a year," Sacks said. "It's a good story. It's a nice environmental story." According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, limited studies on recycled rubber used in playgrounds have not shown an elevated health risk to children who play on those fields. However, the federal agency supports more testing of the materials to assess possible risks. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. RIVER VALE-- A local man convicted of assaulting fellow students at his Massachusetts college while under the influence of alcohol is suing the school for failing to uphold underage drinking laws. Dillon Destefano, now 22, pleaded guilty in 2014 to punching three classmates at Endicott College in Beverly, The Salem News reported. The victims suffered injuries including a split lip and a dislocated jaw. When he was sentenced, Destefano blamed the attacks on alcohol and on performance-enhancing drugs he'd also consumed. In his lawsuit, filed earlier this month, Destafano said the school and its president, Richard Wylie, are ultimately responsible for Destefano's behavior under Massachusetts's social host liability law. Destefano, who was 19 at the time of the assaults, also states his 21-year-old roommate was allowed to keep alcohol in their dorm room. Destefano, who according to the suit enjoyed an exemplary record before the attacks, is seeking damages for the loss to his reputation and for pain and suffering. Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook. MOUNT HOLLY TWP. -- Burlington County freeholder Director Bruce Garganio on Tuesday called for a state-level probe into the pro-Ku Klux Klan fliers found in three communities early this week. In his Feb. 14 letter addressed to state Attorney General Christopher Porrino, Garganio argues that this isn't the first time similar literature has been distributed in Burlington County. "No child should have to see this hateful bitterness on their way to school, no family should have to face it at their doorstep and no family should have to fear where it came from," Garganio wrote. After fliers soliciting enlistment in the Ku Klux Klan were found in Cinnaminson and Maple Shade on Sunday, officials in Moorestown later reported a similar discovery. "Love your race" and "Stop homosexuality and race mixing," were among the phrases found on the handful of pamphlets. "While I respect the sanctity of the right to free speech guaranteed by the Constitution, I am extremely concerned when free speech turns to hate speech," Garganio wrote, adding that the Burlington County communities of Tabernacle, Shamong and Lumberton have seen similar KKK pamphlets. "For these reasons, I am requesting that you launch an investigation into this hate-filled display and the individuals or groups responsible for it," he continued. Jeanetta Warren, vice president of the Southern Burlington County Chapter of the NAACP, said in a statement earlier this week that the leaflets have "absolutely no place in our community, or any community." Southern Poverty Law Center senior fellow Mark Potok told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday that the Klan today is a "very very pale shadow of its former self," with national ranks hovering around 4,000 at the very least. Potok said two Klan chapters exist in New Jersey; a state-wide group and one based in Toms River, Ocean County. Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find NJ.com on Facebook. CAPE MAY -- The U.S. Coast Guard recruit who collapsed following a training run in the summer died of a heat-related illness complicated by a pre-existing medical condition, officials said. Aaron Redd, 21, had a medical condition which officials didn't disclose, the Coast Guard said in announcing the results of a Major Incident Investigation (MII) Report. The pre-existing condition doesn't disqualify a person from enlisting. Redd, of Stafford, Va. died at a local hospital six days after he collapsed after completing the 1.5-mile run portion of his initial physical fitness assessment. The Coast Guard has changed safety measures at its Cape May facility since Redd's death. Redd attended West Virginia University before enlisting on June 28, 2016. His heart has been given to someone through the Gift of Life Foundation. Redd is just the second recruit from the Cape May facility to die in 30 years. A recruit drowned in Cape May Harbor in 2005. Obit for Colonial Forge grad Aaron Redd, Coast Guard recruit who died after training run https://t.co/zTkvszspMJ pic.twitter.com/xsMy6QxKDa fredericksburg.com (@NewsInTheBurg) July 11, 2016 Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook. BRIDGETON -- City leaders are debating how to go about bringing someone in to take over Angie's Diner, which has sat vacant since it was set on fire by its owners for insurance money in 2012. During Bridgeton City Council's work session meeting on Feb. 7, councilmembers debated including a resolution on its meeting agenda that would put out a request for proposals for some someone to take over the establishment -- located on Broad Street along the Cohansey River. The resolution was taken off the agenda before the meeting. According to two councilmen -- Mike Zapolski and Bill Spence -- the request for proposals was too vague and did not specify that they want the new owners to make it a diner again. "A diner is a diner is a diner," Spence said. "If it's to be made whole again make it a diner." According to Zapolski, his concern was that, once someone moves in, they wouldn't be able to make any changes because the building is on the national and state Register of Historic Places. Because of its historic designation, any changes to the diner would have to be approved by the city's Historic Commission -- which is missing a member to be at full strength. "I felt it was inappropriate to lead someone into the possibility to think they can do something with the building only to have someone come to the barrier that they can't move forward because there isn't a Historic Commission to take the application to," Zapolski said. According to Mayor Albert Kelly, the resolution could have gone forward while the city searched for Historical Commission members. "We are willing to work with anybody who wants to develop the property so we can have it back for some kind of official use," Kelly said. According to Business Administrator Stephanie Bush-Baskette, the resolution is expected to return to the agenda during an upcoming meeting and the mayor is actively searching for commission members. Bridgeton owns Angie's Bridgeton Grill, which is a Silk City-style diner that was built in 1939. Angelina "Angie" Perry was the longtime owner of the diner until Cedarville couple Andrew and Brenda Webster bought the diner in March 2012. On Oct. 24, 2012, the couple used newspapers, paper menus and and gasoline to set the diner on fire hoping to collect insurance money. Brenda Webster burned herself during the incident. The Websters pleaded guilty to the arson in 2015. Andrew Webster was sentenced to 20 months in prison and Brenda Webster was sentenced to three years of probation on Oct. 24, 2016. Don E. Woods may be reached at dwoods@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @donewoods1. Find NJ.com on Facebook. RED BANK -- A New Jersey charter school that has divided a community over the issues of school funding and segregation is now under federal investigation as a result of a civil rights complaint, one of several filed against local charter schools. The U.S. Department of Education last month began a probe of the Red Bank Charter School to determine whether its enrollment and recruitment practices discriminate against Hispanic students and students learning English as a second language, according to federal documents. The investigation stems from a complaint that the charter school, in comparison to the Red Bank School District, serves a disproportionately low percentage of students who are Hispanic, low-income or learning to speak English. The complaint asks for the school to be closed. "The concern is that they are using this school as a tool of segregation for a certain demographic in this town," said Lazaro Cardenas, deputy director for The Latino Coalition of New Jersey. "We find this unacceptable." The charter school dismissed the complaint, filed by the Latino Coalition and a local parent group, as meritless. "We are confident that when the U.S. Department of Education actually takes a closer look into these unsubstantiated allegations, they will find Red Bank Charter School to be a model for how districts can create an academically high-achieving integrated school in a racially diverse district," the school said in a statement. The Red Bank Charter School, which opened in 1998, serves 200 students from pre-K through eighth grade. In 2015-16, the makeup of its student body was significantly different than the student population in the school district, according to state data. About 39 percent of the charter school's students were Hispanic, compared to about 81 percent of students in the school district. About 50 percent of students at the charter school were white, compared to about 7 percent in the school district. The charter school had about 3 percent of students with limited English proficiency, whereas the school district had about 38 percent. The charter school had about 41 percent of students on free or reduced lunch, whereas the school district had about 89 percent. The charter school, however, has countered its demographics are more closely in line with census data for Red Bank, which shows that just 39 percent of school-age children are Hispanic, according to the school. Red Bank Charter School also recently began weighting its lottery to favor economically disadvantaged students. The complaint argues that Red Bank Charter School has had a similar enrollment pattern for years, despite promising to change its demographics. In doing so, the school violated state and federal law that the school most serve a cross-section of its community, the complaint said. Meanwhile, the charter school was able to spend more money per student than the school district because Gov. Chris Christie has refused to allow districts to lower payments to charter schools even if they reduced their own spending, the complaint adds. "Red Bank residents are powerless to reverse this segregation, and yet they are forced to subsidize it," the complaint says. Rodolfo Ramirez, a parent of two Hispanic children at the charter school, said he never felt that the school tried to discourage him from enrolling his sons. The school tries to recruit students from all parts of the Red Bank community, he said. "These allegations don't make any sense," Ramirez said. The civil rights complaint is one of four already field against New Jersey charter schools with more likely to come, said Frank Argote-Freyre, director of the Latino Coalition. The other complaints are filed against Central Jersey College Prep and the Thomas Edison Energy Smart Schools, both in Franklin, and the Unity Charter School in Morris Township. "There is a bigger picture here," Argote-Freyre said. "Red Bank is the tip of the iceberg." Staff writer Erin Petenko contributed to this report Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Danbones said: Not to mention jewish george soros, the guy who helped Hitlar put other jews on the trains, and who now funds the radical left( who calls everyone who disagrees with them a Nazi) with the money he made from doing that: IS(US) a NAZI Click to expand... That`s odd...................................... Wikipedia tells us that at age 14 - the JEW Soros......................................... was barred from attending school in Fascist Hungary under Admiral Horthy...................................... And that Nazis then ordered kids like Soros to go the "JudenRat" the Nazi appointed Jewish council............................and he and other kids were ORDERED to hand out Nazi notices to Jewish families...............................to report to the train station on specific days.............................to be deported!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Sounds to me like Soros was CAUGHT in the usual FASCIST MESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Work makes you free, the Nazis INSISTED..................................and the Nazis DID NOT FEED those who did not work...................................So how can we condemn Soros for MERELY DELIVERING MAIL as ordered??????????????????????????Nazis have a well documented history of abusing those who do not obey orders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!And that ABUSE took the most savage and diabolical forms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The Jewws were going to be deported anyway...............................so how does delivering some papers really matter in such a situation???????????????????????WE ALL KNOW what a NASTY PACK of boot licking Quislings the LIE-berals are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Would any LIE-beral be more brave or defiant than the boy Soros???????????????????????????Just LOOK at the level of hostility leveled at Wilson-Raybould for refusing to break the law on Lavalin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Now try to imagine what punishment Wilson-Raybould might face in a Nazi style dictatorship for refusing a direct order????????????Hypocrite LIE-berals are happy to CONDEMN those who are BRAVER THAN THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!And it seems LIE-berals are telling fabulous LIES about Soros!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!But then Cdn LIE-berals have a LONG HISTORY of telling lies about alleged Nazis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Such as Ivan Demyanjuk accused as a Nazi concentration camp guard.............................He was conscripted into the Russian army and then captured by Nazis.....................................The Nazis conscripted people of MANY nationalities into their military.....................................gave them the choice: SERVE US OR DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Cornelius Ryyan- author of the "Longest Day" - the definitive book on D-day.....................................quotes British soldiers who spotted a group of Nazi soldiers approaching and waving white flags....................................each of the men was carrying a little suitcase.......................................THEY WERE POLES conscripted into the German army..............................and they had their bags packed and white flags all ready for the invasion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Demyanjuk WAS NOT SO LUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Lost behind German lines- he was ordered to join a group of soldiers who were guarding the railway lines leading to concentration camps......................................It was the usual deal -obey immediately or be SHOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Demyanjuk bears some resemblance to an SS Nazi guard called "Ivan the Terrible"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!In 1977- apparently as a LIE-beral political move........................................Ivan was stripped of his Yankee citizenship- he had immigrated to USA after the war.................................and he was sent to ISRAEL for trial as Ivan the Terrible...........................the SS guard who murdered so many Jews in cold blood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!In 1977 there were still many survivors from the camps.....................................meaning EYE WITNESSES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Those Jews sitting in the court room in Tel Aviv studied Demyanjuk at leisure........................................And gave the verdict - LET HIM GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!He is not the villain we seek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The best eye witnesses available WOULD NOT CONVICT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This verdict by the people who were best eye witnesses DID NOT STOP Yankee and German LIE-berals from later staging THREEMORE TRIALS over the next 20 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!All based on HIGHLY SUSPECT allegations from a Soviet stooge........................................And of course with each trial.......................................the witnesses were OLDER.............................................memories growing dimmer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Witnesses dying off !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!yet in the last trial- with literally NO eye witness testimony available................................German LIE-berals did what the Jews of Tel Aviv COULD NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!German LIE-berals CONVICTED Demyanjuk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WAS Demyanjuk really the notorious guard Ivan the Terrible??????????????????????Who can say????????????????????????But of the Jews of Tel Aviv..................................who suffered MOST from it all.......................................could AND DID look at Demyanjuk and say "its not him- let him go"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Then WHO ARE WE to contradict THEM??????????????????????????????This is the heart of LIE-beral JUSTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nothing but SHAM SHOW TRIALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nothing but LIE-beral virtue signalling and who CARES about justice?????????????????????????????????Certainly NOT LIE-berals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Lavalin and Admiral Norman are merely LIE-beral business as usual!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned Monday amid controversy over his conversations with the Russian ambassador prior to the inauguration.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts. WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all. Air India bomb-maker released from halfway house; now considered 'low risk' by National Parole Boardhe only person convicted in the 1985 Air India bombing has been released from a halfway house and is now free to live where he chooses, according to a new decision from the Parole Board of Canada.Inderjit Singh Reyat is currently serving a seven-year sentence after being convicted of perjury in 2010 for repeatedly lying during his testimony at a trial into the bombing deaths of 331 people. The parole board says that resulted in his co-accused not being convicted in Canada's worst mass murder.In January 2016, Reyat was given statutory release after serving two-thirds of his sentence and was expected to be closely monitored at a halfway house at an undisclosed location for another 18 months."The fact that he is still holding back, it's absolutely ridiculous that the parole board will let him out," said Andre Gerolymatos, co-director of terrorism, risk and security studies at Simon Fraser University. "You have to wonder what the parole board is smoking."Reyat-1985Inderjit Singh Reyat, left, and Talwinder Singh Parmar are shown at the courthouse in Duncan, B.C., on Nov. 8, 1985. (Chuck Stoody/Canadian Press)Nearly 32 years ago, Reyat bought the dynamite, detonators and batteries that took the lives of 329 people aboard Air India Flight 182, which was ripped apart by a suitcase bomb off the coast of Ireland in 1985.A second bomb-laden suitcase, destined for another Air India flight, exploded prematurely and killed two baggage handlers at Tokyo's Narita airport.Reyat, a mechanic from Punjab, then living in Duncan, B.C., was a member of an extremist group fighting for a Sikh homeland. He was first convicted for building the Narita bomb and later pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Air India trial.His co-accused, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, were acquitted in March 2005 of murder and conspiracy charges in the two bombings.Reyat hasn't broken his silenceReyat has never told the court what he knew about the bomb plot and a 2013 psychologist's assessment said he presented a "relatively high risk" for future group-based violence and showed "a lack of true empathy and remorse," according to the parole board.At the time, the board imposed several conditions on his release, noting he had been "involved in terrorist activity that took the lives of 331 people."Reyat went from high risk to low riskBut a year later, the parole board paints of picture of a reformed extremist.Despite convictions for manslaughter, possession of restricted weapons and explosives, and bomb-making, his case-management team now considers him to low risk, with one caveat."If there were a threat to your Sikh cause, your risk for future group-based violence is high," the parole board decision reads.The board based its latest decision on the fact that Reyat appears to have disassociated himself from extremists and has denounced violence. It says he attends psychological counselling, is "highly accountable" in reporting his whereabouts and regularly spends time with his family. The Council Bluffs City Council has made an important step for the redevelopment of the Walnut Grove Elementary School property. With demolition of the vacant school nearing completion, the city council on Monday evening unanimously approved the final plat for the seven-lot housing subdivision in the 2900 block of Avenue J. This creates lots to be sold for single-family homes, said Rose Brown, planning coordinator for the Community Development Department. This is on the south side (of the block), which is all were doing. The school, 2920 Ave. J, closed its doors at the end of the 2013-14 academic year after the Council Bluffs Community School District decided repairs to the aging building were cost prohibitive. Students have since gone to other schools. Last September, the council approved the schools demolition and an agreement with a local organization, NeighborWorks Home Solutions, for construction of new homes once demolition is complete. Iowa Western Community College students will work on the homes via the nonprofit. The homes will have two- or three-bedroom models with at least 950 square feet of living space. Construction is set to begin this fall. With single-family housing, its going to be a good project for the neighborhood, Councilwoman Sharon White said after the vote. More than 100 people rallied Monday night at Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs against proposed changes to collective bargaining that could affect public employee union rights. Glenn Hurst of Minden organized the rally in conjunction with the political organization Indivisible Iowa to bring together those in the community that wanted to speak out against the controversial bill in the Iowa Legislature. I value the public workers in my life and the effects they have on my family, Hurst said after the rally. Reporter @ksidzyik is on the scene at Bayliss Park in Council Bluffs where a rally about #IALegis collective bargaining is underway #SWIowa pic.twitter.com/O352cXoBR1 Daily Nonpareil (@nonpareilonline) February 14, 2017 Under the proposed bill, public employees who are not engaged in public safety work would only be able to bargain on wages. The bill also would require unions to manually collect dues from members instead of automatic paycheck deductions. The current law, which began in 1974, requires benefits such as health insurance, vacation time and seniority perks as well as work conditions such as hours, overtime pay and evaluation procedures to be negotiated collectively. In addition, many of those items that currently must be bargained for would be explicitly banned from future negotiations, including insurance and seniority benefits and evaluation procedures. Republicans in the Legislature support the new bill, while Democrats overwhelmingly oppose it. Republicans, however, have control of both chambers of the legislative branch as well as the governors office. "Stay positive. They want to divide and conquer and we cannot allow that. Stay focused. Stay united." - Pat Shipley, @IowaSEA pic.twitter.com/eljH5Nhndb Nonpareil Education (@swiaed) February 14, 2017 Kindergarten teacher LoriAnn Brougham who teaches at Kreft Primary School in the Lewis Central Community School District and also serves as the president of the Lewis Central Education Association said she opposes the proposed legislation. I feel like, as a leader, its my responsibility to make sure Im leading my people, Brougham said. Our younger teachers, and theres lots of young teachers in the profession right now, I dont think they understand the impact this might have on us, so as a leader and an experienced teacher, its my responsibility to help educate them and become educated myself. The bill already saw some organized opposition Saturday when hundreds of people jammed Wilson Middle School for a regularly scheduled legislative coffee. Lawmakers both for and against the bill gave their views along with feedback from the crowd. We feel this is a fair bill, said Greg Forristall, a Republican House member who represents eastern Council Bluffs. This is the most mean-spirited legislation Ive ever seen, said Charles McConkey, a Democratic House member who represents Carter Lake and western Council Bluffs. More than 1,000 educators Monday also gathered at the state Capitol in Des Moines for a legislative hearing about the bill that would dramatically change Iowas collective bargaining law. The bill was first unveiled last week and is expected to quickly come up for a vote in the House and Senate. Reporter Tim Rowher and the AP contributed to this report. The Council Bluffs City Council on Monday evening gave the green light to a project laying the groundwork for a future Missouri Riverfront road, with one council member urging to stop the effort, citing cost factors. On a 4-1 vote, the council approved going forward on an agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation concerning the reconstruction of the Union Pacific Railroad bridge over Interstate 29. Iowa DOT must lengthen that bridge to allow room for a wider I-29 as part of the overall interstate rebuilding project around the city. Mondays council action calls for IDOT to lengthen that bridge even further to make way for a proposed two-lane riverfront road that would initially connect Ninth Avenue to Nebraska Avenue. The road could eventually extend further south to Veterans Memorial Highway. The cost for the extended bridge work is estimated at less than $3 million, and IDOT has agreed to a five-year repayment plan by the city for that work, which the department would pay up-front. Since the department has to move quickly on this project, an official agreement will come later, the city said. Greg Reeder, director of the citys Public Works Department, said the bridge extension for the proposed road would be about 45 feet in length. I think its imperative we take this offer, said Councilwoman Sharon White. Councilman Nate Watson said such a road would attract new development. We would do well to invest in our future, he said. Bob Mundt, president and CEO of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, said a riverfront road has been discussed as far back as the early 1990s. This doesnt come along in a hundred years, Mundt told the council members. Now we have an opportunity, an opportunity in the future. Councilman Al Ringgenberg, who voted in opposition, said the road isnt a bad idea, but there are no specific details about it in the citys future plans or what this formal agreement with IDOT would entail. We dont have anything down in our strategic planning documents about this road, he said. And were obligating $3 million without any details. The city is also committed to a number of expensive projects, he added. Councilman Roger Sandau also agreed its a high cost, but added the city could explore grants or other alternative funds. On Tuesday, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said Clancys departure provides an opportunity to put an outsider atop the Service. A fresh set of eyes and new perspective is needed to restore the prestige and status expected of such an elite agency, he said in a statement. Sources saying over 50 Obama moles still in White House.The Washington Post is reporting that the Director of the Secret Service has resigned. Joseph P. Clancy was brought back from the private sector in 2014 by former President Barack Obama.Clancy was brought on after the agency became bogged down with security breaches and employee misconduct.From the Washington Post The Daily Caller received the resignation letter that Clancy sent out to employees at the Secret Service. Legislative debate stretched several hours Tuesday night at the Iowa Capitol as Republican lawmakers tried to fast track votes on a bill that would eliminate most collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state. In the end, one key vote from the GOP-controlled Senate was put on hold until Wednesday, after Democrats led hours of discussion over an amendment to gut the bill. That attempt eventually failed. The Senate adjourned for the evening at around 8:30 p.m. Separately, the Republican-majority House began examining the bill Tuesday night amid procedural moves by the minority party, including dozens of amendments. That effort was expected to take several hours, although the floor debate ended shortly after 10:30 p.m. without action on the measure. Both chambers will reconvene Wednesday morning. Lawmakers had assembled in the legislative chambers to discuss identical versions of a bill that would prohibit workers like teachers, nurses and correctional officers from negotiating over issues such as health insurance, evaluation procedures and extra pay. The bill would specifically limit those workers to negotiating only base wages. Local opponents of the proposed changes concerning collective bargaining for public employees were trying to be hopeful Tuesday evening as they were following the debate on the bill in Des Moines. Yet, they seemed to sense the final outcome would be against them. Im an optimistic person, but they (supporters) have the votes, said Linda Nelson, chairwoman of the Pottawattamie County Democrats. I just dont have much hope that they will change their minds. Its terribly disappointing. Scott Punteney, a local labor union spokesman, echoed those thoughts. I sure hope we get some lawmakers to stand up to oppose this, but I have my doubts, he said. I hope they stand up for working people and teachers, but I dont think they will. On the other hand, a bill supporter had little doubt on the outcome. Changes are coming, said Jeff Jorgensen, chairman of the Pottawattamie County Republican Party. The legislation is similar to a 2011 Wisconsin law on collective bargaining. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said he spoke with Iowa Republicans as they prepared to vote on a bill that would eliminate most collective bargaining rights for public workers there. His signature achievement as governor was signing a similar bill into law in Wisconsin six years ago. Walker tweeted on Monday night that he had spoken via Skype with Iowa Republicans and offered encouragement. Walker on Tuesday said he told the Iowa Republicans that ultimately theyre going to face some of the same things we faced in terms of attention and potentially protests. Iowas collective bargaining law, passed in 1974, requires more than a dozen mandatory subjects of discussion for the states roughly 180,000 public sector employees. That would be reduced to base wages under the proposal, which was made public one week ago. Republicans moved quickly over several days to pass procedural votes in time for floor votes Tuesday. The legislation is expected to pass amid support from GOP legislative leaders, Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, the incoming governor. However, the timing of final votes remained unclear. Republicans argue the bill would give local employers more flexibility with their budgets and would allow them to reward top workers. The arguments are backed by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, a powerful lobbying group in the state. The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, which offers analyses on proposed legislation, said theres not enough information available to determine the total fiscal impact of the bill. GOP Sen. Jason Schultz of Schleswig said the bill will put taxpayers back in the drivers seat. It will allow state and local officials to develop employment contracts that make sense for taxpayers and employees, he said. Rep. Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, echoed arguments made by his Crawford County colleague in the other chamber. He said the legislation would result in a government in Iowa that is more responsive and more efficient. They are trying to allow for more responsible cost of government, Jorgensen said. Costs are expanding and we need to get it under control. Democrats and union organizers have continuously shot down that assessment. I dont get this bill, said Democratic Sen. Tony Bisignano of Des Moines. Its mean-spirited, and its ugly. Its an attack on workers. Its about having a voice at the table, Nelson said. Voices may be raised (during negotiations), but in the end, you have an agreement. That will be gone. Whats more, opponents are fearful that current language will be removed that requires proper cause must be stated concerning suspensions or firings of workers. That will be devastating in the classroom, said Nelson, a retired teacher and former Democratic representative in the Iowa House. Right now, we have due process rights, a process to follow. The bill wont just hurt public workers, Punteney added. It will hurt the whole economy, he said. It will have a big economic impact. Hundreds of people also challenged it during a public hearing Monday night at the Capitol. Spectators in the House gallery silently waved their hands Tuesday night to show support for criticism on the bill. Rep. Art Staed, a Cedar Rapids Democrat, said Iowans overwhelmingly opposed the bill. Dont sit here smugly and ignore them, he said. Public safety employees, like law enforcement officers and firefighters, would be exempt from some of the bargaining provisions in the bill, though they would still be subject to other proposals. Those proposal from the bill include a requirement that unions manually collect dues and that they hold more frequent elections on whether to dismantle. Both provisions were key aspects of the Wisconsin bill. Since its passage, union membership in Wisconsin has dropped 40 percent. Wisconsins legislation led to massive protests in that state, though such turnout is not expected in Iowa. Iowa has long been a right-to-work state, which means private-sector companies are prohibited from reaching labor agreements in which workers have to pay fees to the unions as a condition of employment. It generally means less union participation in the state. The public galleries in the Senate were filled during floor debate, though there was a considerably smaller turnout at the Capitol compared to the previous night. Mary Beth West, a kindergarten teacher in Des Moines, said she was in the building to support her brothers and sisters. I dont know whats going to become of this, but I need to be here every step of the way so I know Ive done everything I can, she said. Rodriguez of the Associated Press contributed reporting from Des Moines. A Council Bluffs mans trial has been set for April 25 on charges that he spent $260,000 of his fathers money while he had power of attorney, police said. Bradley Hunt, 64, is charged with ongoing criminal conduct a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison if convicted and first-degree theft, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. According to police records, a report of possible dependent adult abuse was made on Jan. 27, 2016. Police met with witnesses who told investigators the alleged victim used to have money in several banks and that money was missing. Reviewing bank statements, police found that $66,000 was spent and another $35,000 was withdrawn from an ATM from one account. A second bank account was drained completely of $28,000. A savings account in the alleged victims name also had a recorded withdrawal of more than $240,000. The witnesses said each bank account was closed after Hunt withdrew the money, police reported. On Feb. 25, 2016, police interviewed Hunt. Hunt said there had been a custodial fight over their father and added he had worked within the parameters of power of attorney, the report reads. Bradley stated he had power over everything, including financial and medical, the report reads. Hunt told investigators bills were paid and food was purchased for the house while he was taking care of his father. However, later in the interview, he said he would use the money for Christmas presents for family, a car and $4,000 for a child support thing. When police asked Hunt if using the money he had access to through power of attorney for child support was within his parameters, Hunt replied, I guess it might not be, according to the report. I asked Bradley what his dad would say if he was of sound mind. Bradley stated, He probably wouldnt be happy. Hunt reportedly told police he spent the money on two vehicles, a camper, child support, rent, cellphones, GoDaddy.com (a webhosting company), airline tickets to Florida, traffic tickets and tuition at Iowa Western Community College, among other expenses. However, police found additional purchases Hunt is accused of making, including Jamberry Nails (a fingernail fashion brand), Netflix, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Best Buy, Rosetta Stone and organic food delivery company Greenchef. Police said the amount taken was beyond the scope of the fiduciary duties of a power of attorney. Vouchers, ESAs are not same The recent letter Public schools protect poor and disabled Iowan students made several negative claims about private schools, school choice and Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). As president of a local Catholic school, I share the writers concerns about the future of education and respect the pivotal role schools play in communities. However, much of that letter was built on mischaracterizations. Vouchers and ESAs are not one and the same. While vouchers typically only allow funds to be spent at a brick-and-mortar school, an Education Savings Account provides the opportunity to create a custom-fit education for each individual child by choosing from a number of pre-approved education expenses, including: private school tuition, tutoring, textbooks, online learning, and even some therapies for special needs. A statewide ESA program would also go a long way in leveling the playing field for all Iowa parents by removing barriers, such as address and income level preventing them from making their ideal choice. In addition, ESAs encourage parents to become more engaged and invested in their childs education, which generally has a positive effect on student achievement. Finally, local funding for the child using the ESA grant would remain with the public school district in that community. There is no plan in place to reduce funding for public schools throughout Iowa because of ESAs. Parents are the first teachers of their children and understand their childs strengths and deficits better than anyone. Despite the writers claims, school choice is not a foe to Iowas public schools. - David Schweitzer, Council Bluffs President, St. Albert Catholic Schools Every third day, someone in Nebraska dies from a drug overdose, according to State Attorney General Doug Peterson. These deaths are a direct cause of the misuse of opioid and prescription drugs, the newest challenge in the war on drugs in America. Every day the headlines across America proclaim the affliction of the opioid and prescription drug crisis, Peterson writes in a column he released to the press Feb. 13. Common prescription drugs like oxycodone, hydrocodone and fentanyl can be very affective in addressing pain, but for some they have led to tragic addiction. The release of the Attorney Generals column kicked off the Dose of Reality campaign, initiated when several agencies hosted the Nebraska Opioid Summit at University of Nebraska Medical Center Oct. 14, 2016, to confront this growing drug abuse problem. The campaign is spearheaded by the U.S. Attorney Generals Office for the District of Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services and Nebraska Attorney Generals Office. These entities also forged partnerships with Nebraska Medical Association, Nebraska Pharmacy Association, Nebraska Hospital Association, Coalition RX and Nebraska MEDS Coalition. Nebraska Broadcasters and Nebraska Press Association are helping to spread the word about the campaign. These sponsoring partners have maintained their collaboration and have initiated the Nebraska Coalition to Prevent Opioid Abuse, according to a press release Peterson issued. The strategic purpose of this coalition is to substantially reduce the incidence of abuse of prescription and illicit opioid drugs in Nebraska through ongoing collaboration between practitioners, experts and leaders in prevention, treatment and law enforcement. On Nov. 17, the Surgeon General released a comprehensive report on the problem, Facing Addition in America: The Surgeon Generals Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health. The statistics released in the report are staggering. The increase in prescriptions of opioid pain relievers has been accompanied by dramatic increases in misuse and by more than a 200 percent increase in the number of emergency department visits from 2005 to 2011. In 2014, 47,055 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States and 61 percent of these deaths were a result of opioid use, including prescription opioids and heroin. Heroin overdoses have more than tripled from 2010 to 2014. Heroin overdoses were more than five times higher in 2014 than 10 years before. In 2014, there were 17,465 overdoses from illicit drugs and 25,760 overdoses from prescription drugs. In Nebraska, the adjusted rate of death from drug overdose has increased from 5.4 per 100,000 in 2005 to 8.0 per 100,000 in 2015 as published in the Nebraska Data and Prescription drug Monitoring Program Presentation at 2016 Charting the Road to Recovery: Nebraskas Response to Opioid Abuse Summit, 2005-2015 Nebraska Vital Records data. The increased production of the neurotransmitter, dopamine, when opioid drugs are administered can create substantial negative reinforcement upon withdrawal, the press release states. The physiological and psychological effects of decreased dopamine levels, in turn create additional barriers to treatment for opioid use disorder. The abuse of opioids also negatively impacts law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Law enforcement not only faces an increased need to be prepared to respond to opioid overdose but also the increased risk of transdermal exposure to dangerously potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanyl, the release states. To address the opioid problem, the coalition is undertaking steps this year guided by the three strategic plans/prongs of the summit: prevention, treatment and law enforcement. The prevention prong includes educating opioid prescribers and dispensers regarding best practices and requirements for Nebraskas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program; expanding public awareness of opportunities for prescription drug take back; promoting awareness of opioid abuse through the Dose of Reality advertising campaign, school presentations and other forums; and educating prescribers and dispensers on comprehensive pain management guidelines. The treatment prong includes expanding the number of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) providers for opioid use disorders; providing training for health profession students and providers on evidence-based diagnosis and treatment of pain and opioid use disorders, including the exploration of an addiction fellowship for physicians; and reducing barriers for treating opioid use disorders in primary care settings. Last, the law enforcement prong stresses partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration to develop a DEA 360 program in Nebraska, and expanding Naloxone availability and training for law enforcement. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Cass County Sheriff Bill Brueggemann said he attended a two-day training session in Quantico, Va., on the opioid and prescription drug abuses. We covered the impact of opioids. We havent seen it here yet but I know its coming. Its all around us and people are taking these opioids on top of meth, heroin, cocaine and other drugs. Training is planned because we need to know what to expect, Brueggemann said. One of the solutions is for law enforcement and Emergency Medical Services personnel to use Naloxone when someone is experiencing an opioid overdose. It works. When you squirt it up their nose, they get an immediate adrenalin rush and get very combative for a short time, he said. Yet if a person is having a heart attack, the only reaction other than helping them is that they get a runny nose. While it works, Naloxone is also very expensive and has to be kept at a certain temperature. It also has a shelf life, so there are some costs involved, Brueggemann said. So far, incidences in Cass County are rare. We havent seen much of it, but Im sure its here and Im sure its sneaking up on us. It will hit us like meth, and may take a while to get a handle on it. But its a real killer, he said. District 15 Senator Lynne Walz hasnt wasted any time getting into the thick of things in regard to introducing bills on the Legislative floor that she believes will benefit Nebraskans throughout the state. Walz recently introduced a series of bills in hopes to expand high-speed internet into rural areas of the state, information released from Walz office says. Legislative Bills (LB)522, LB523 and LB523 would look to make changes to the Nebraska Universal Service Fund and the Nebraska Internet Enhancement Fund. Both programs are intended to bring telecommunication services to unserved and underserved households and businesses throughout the state, released information says. Ive talked to local elected officials, business owners and other community leaders to discuss how we could grow our economy, Walz said through a released statement. Through those discussions, broadband access was consistently brought up as an area we need to improve. In our economy today, we cannot attract new businesses or expect young people to stay or move to our community with mediocre services. We need this in order for our communities to be a top destination to work and live. LB522 would change provisions to the Universal Service Fund. The proposed bill would strike an obsolete clause enabling funds to be transferred to the General Fund if funds went unused, released information says. This bill on the surface doesnt change a lot. I want it to carry the message that this money needs to be used how it was intended so our rural communities can grow, Walz said. Both LB523 and LB524 relate to the Nebraska Internet Enhancement Fund (NIEF), released information says. LB523 would strike a matching fund requirement for telecommunications providers to receive grant money through NIEF. LB524 would allocate $100,000 annually to NIEF, which would be spent in communities that are underserved.The Public Service Commission has not issued a grant through NIEF since 2012 and has only spent approximately $660,000 since the program was adopted in 2002. These two bills are designed to make it easier for small communities and providers to receiving funding to expand services in small communities, Walz said. A small community may not have the 25 percent of the funds needed readily available to improve services, but also cant come up with the money without bringing in new businesses that need the services. These proposed changes are expected to be the start of more extensive reforms in years to come. This legislation was designed to get the conversation started, she said. My office is working with communities, the telecommunications providers in the state and the Public Service Commission to find the best solutions moving forward for expanding services to Greater Nebraska. LB522 and LB523 were heard by the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee Monday, and LB524 will be heard by the Appropriations Committee with no hearing date scheduled. For more information people are encouraged to contact Walz office at 402-471-2625, or at lwalz@leg.ne.gov. Senator introduces bill aimed at preserving 3-tier crafting system On Cody Schmicks first trip to the Nebraska State Capitol, he saw standing room only at the Nebraska Legislature and a packed room full of overflow spectators. Schmick, an owner and manager of Kinkaider Brewing in Broken Bow, testified against Legislative Bill 632 at its hearing Monday. Introduced by Sen. Tyson Larson, the bill would have required brewers to make beer at all of their tasting rooms and ship all beer to a distributors site prior to selling. Under a law introduced by Larson last year, distributors trucks can take beer from the brewery to the retailer. Larson has said this years bill came after reports of brewers breaking the law or the spirit of the law. Lawmakers want to preserve the three-tier system of separation of brewers, distributors and retailers. After Mondays hearing, a spokesperson in Larsons office said the senator will propose that brewers not be required to make beer at all of their locations up to five of which are allowed under last years law. Larson will propose that and other changes at an undetermined executive session, likely within the next few weeks. Monday, senators on the Legislatures General Affairs Committee asked some fantastic questions, Schmick said. When the bill first drew attention earlier this month, he and others at Kinkaider worried. The microbrewery had just announced plans to build a tasting room in Grand Island, but producing beer there would cost too much to go through with those plans or any others in the future. Craft brewers accused distributors and proponents of trying to diminish job creation and kill expansion. A hashtag and campaign, #DontKillOurCraft, soon took off with events and social media awareness. Despite the proposed changes, the bill would continue to require that brewers ship to distributors instead of trucking directly from the brewer to retailers. Kinkaiders management worries that this will add costs to the business, as its distributor is located on the other side of the state. Larsons office and proponents of the bill say the shipping requirement would better honor the three-tier system. The checks and balances are already there, Schmick said. The trucks have been an extension since [after] Prohibition, and its worked. The executive director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, Hobart Rupe, has said the requirement would make tax auditing easier. Larson has said brewers can also choose distributors in Grand Island and North Platte; Kinkaiders management says this would still add 100 miles of fuel and time costs. Coors Distributing in North Platte checks in the craft brews it distributes at its warehouse, which works well, said Tad Haneborg, manager there. He said he hadnt heard of craft brewers breaking or bending laws, and he appreciates the relationship he has with craft brewers. Haneborg also spoke in favor of craft brewers tasting rooms, saying microbreweries need them to grow, he said. North Plattes other distributor, Sandhills Distributing, did not return requests for comment. Schmick remains hopeful for a compromise. In a Facebook post, the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild said, We will continue to work on provisions requiring distributors to take product all the way back to their warehouses. Other changes to be proposed by Larson include removing wording that would only allow an entity to obtain up to 12 special designated licenses per year. The licenses are sought by those that dont usually serve alcohol such as a churchs fish fry, legislative aides said. Another change would not require the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission to prove substantial need or undue hardship before waiving requirements for a special designated license. Currently, the commission can waive any requirement except age of alcohol consumption. The bill would still ban the commission from waiving the three-tier system. GPH offers new hyperbaric oxygen therapy to patients Mark Cropp had a sore that just wouldnt heal. Thanks to a new piece of equipment at Great Plains Healths Wound Healing Center, hes finally seeing progress. I have a hereditary blood disorder that causes blood clots in my legs, Cropp said. Sometimes, the clots lead to sores that usually take about six weeks to heal. This time, were going on a year, Cropp said. The sore is on Cropps ankle and is extremely painful, he said. Methods that healed previous sores just werent working, so doctors decided to take a new approach: hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Tara Harper, program director at the Wound Healing Center, said staff had wanted hyperbaric oxygen chambers since the center opened in 2013. The chambers were installed last year and the first patient underwent treatment in November. The next closest chambers are at Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings or North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colorado. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves placing the patient in a chamber and sealing it. One hundred percent oxygen is pumped into the chamber and atmospheric pressure is increased to a prescribed amount. Harper explained that red blood cells only carry about 7 percent oxygen, and patients with decreased blood flow to various parts of the body may not get the oxygen they need. Being in a pressurized chamber dissolves the oxygen into all of the bodys fluids. The oxygen is then carried throughout the body, including areas with poor circulation, allowing tissue to heal, enhancing the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria, reducing swelling and encouraging the regeneration of blood vessels. Harper said in general the treatment process isnt painful. Issues may occur with patients ears because the change in atmospheric pressure is similar to being in an airplane or changing altitudes, so theyre given various techniques to clear their ears. Most patients are able to tolerate the discomfort. Patients undergo treatment in three 30-minute increments back-to-back each day; from start to finish theyre at the wound care center for about two hours. Treatments are given five days a week for 28 days. Patients are prescribed hyperbaric oxygen therapy on a case-by-case basis. Some wounds may heal using other advanced therapy treatments, but in other cases nothing else seems to work. Some things we have to treat by cutting it off, Harper said. Finding a way to heal wounds that would otherwise result in amputation is a constant goal because amputations can be deadly. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 50 percent of patients with diabetic foot infections who have a below-the-knee amputation die within five years. The chambers can help with a number of medical conditions including diabetic wounds, radiation injuries, burns, crush injuries, infections and gangrene. Cropp just started his fourth week of treatments and said that it has worked wonders. Weve seen healing with Mark, since hes been in the chambers, that we could not achieve otherwise, Harper said. Thats such a relief for us, because thats why were here. NP program will bring together service members who need someone to talk to There is a large population of United States military veterans throughout west-central Nebraska, and Buddy Check 22 is an opportunity for them to get together and connect. Kristen and Doug Yonker, along with Josh Hanson and others, are hosting a social gathering from 8 to 10 p.m. Feb. 22 at Wild Bills Wings & Bowling, 1100 S. Jeffers St. They say no one knows what a veteran has experienced better than another veteran. Doug is an Army veteran, and his wife, Kristen, is a case manager for supportive services at Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership. Hanson, a Marine veteran, is a workforce coordinator specializing in veteran employment. This is a new program to North Platte, but it has been going on in Nebraska for a couple of years, Doug said. Eight locations are holding Buddy Check programs in the state. The point of the program is to bring in veterans who just need somebody to talk to or hang out with. Its kind of a transition period from military to civilian life that can be kind of difficult at times, he said. Multiple resources are available while a soldier and his family are still on a military base. The Yonkers were stationed in Colorado Springs, where they found a lot of support. Imagine coming to rural Nebraska where you dont know where those resources are, Kristen said. When we moved back, we didnt know anybody who had a military background, so that weight was extra on both of us. She said resources are available in this area, but they are not well known. The Buddy Check 22 program is intended to connect veterans with those resources. The number 22 comes from the average number of veterans who commit suicide every day, but Doug said thankfully that number has dropped to 20 a day in recent months. Kristen is involved with helping veterans who may be homeless or having problems finding a place to live. She said she works to alleviate the fears and struggles facing veterans. Some landlords worry about renting to veterans for various reasons, Kristen said. Hanson is tasked with connecting veterans with job opportunities and through the Buddy Check 22 gathering. I can explain my role on the employment side and how I actually go about helping them get employment, Hanson said. [I can say] what Im going to do for them, working with them, putting them on a case management and helping them overcome some of the severe barriers to employment. Currently, Hanson is working with 34 veterans from an area that covers most of west-central Nebraska. If a veteran has any service-related disability, low income, homelessness, there is a very large spectrum of how I can help them, Hanson said. And I can refer someone whos homeless or about to become homeless over to Support Services for Veteran Families so that they can help them. Hanson said veterans come out having been given a lot of responsibility while in the military, so finding a suitable job can be difficult. The Yonkers and Hanson all said there are resources out there, but sometimes veterans dont know how to access them, which makes it difficult during the transition period back into civilian life. Not only do the veterans struggle, but transition is difficult for family members as well, Doug said. The soldiers become close-knit while deployed, but once they return, everyone scatters and you have the sense like youre alone. They need to know we are here. Buddy Check 22 will continue on the 22nd of every month at Wild Bills. All veterans who want to be around other vets are welcome, said Kristen. For more information about Buddy Check 22, contact Hanson at 308-535-8023 or Doug at 719-648-0976. Kristen can be reached at the CNCAP office at 308-532-3250. Mary Lou Powell, of Golden, Colorado, will be the featured speaker at both North Platte Christian Womens Clubs on Monday and Tuesday. The Greatest Bargain Of All given away as a child, but God says, When your father and your mother forsake you, I will take you up. Powell uses a combination of humor and scripture to tell her story. Special feature for both meetings, Powell, the Second Hand Rose-Queen of the Thrift Shops will be doing a Trunk Show. After 5 Connection After 5 ladies will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, at the Parkview Community Church, 1802 N. Jeffers St. Cost is $7, which includes a full meal. Reservations are required by Friday, Feb. 17, and can be made by calling Kathy at 530-4655, or email her at govegang25@gmail.com or call Donna at 532-5252. Cancellations are essential and should be phoned to Kathy by 10 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 20. Tuesday Morning Brunch The Tuesday Brunch ladies will meet at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the First Christian Church, 220 N. Vine St., use the back door. Cost is $5, which includes brunch. Special music will be by Virgil French and Carol Scoggins. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Konnie at 532-4268, Darlene at 532-2971 or Bev at 539-0719 no later than Sunday, Feb. 19. Cancellations are needed by 9 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, to Darlene or Konnie. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump was told in late January that his top national security aide had misled his vice president, three weeks before Trump ousted adviser Michael Flynn amid a swirling public controversy over Flynns contacts with a Russian official, a White House spokesman said Tuesday. Press secretary Sean Spicer said Flynns firing on Monday was prompted by a gradual erosion of that trust and not any concern about the legality of the retired generals calls with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. Spicer said the president withheld judgment on Flynn until after the White House counsels office conducted a review of the legal issues raised by the calls. Flynns ouster appeared to be driven more by the idea that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials than by the content of his discussions with the Russian. Still, the matter deepened questions about Trumps friendly posture toward Russia. This was an act of trust whether or not he misled the vice president was the issue and that was ultimately what led to the president asking for and accepting the resignation of Gen. Flynn, Spicer said. Flynns resignation came after reports that the Justice Department had alerted the White House weeks ago that there were contradictions between Trump officials public accounting of the Russia contacts and what intelligence officials knew to be true based on routine recordings of communications with foreign officials who are in the U.S. The revelations were another destabilizing blow to an administration that has already suffered a major legal defeat on immigration, botched the implementation of a signature policy and stumbled through a string of embarrassing public relations missteps. White House officials havent said when Trump was told of the Justice Department warning or why Flynn had been allowed to stay on the job with access to a full range of intelligence materials. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a longtime Russia critic, said Congress needs to know what Flynn discussed with the ambassador and why. The idea that he did this on his own without any direction is a good question to ask, Graham added. Pence and others, apparently relying on information from Flynn, had said the national security adviser did not discuss U.S. economic sanctions against Russia with the Russian envoy during the American presidential transition. Flynn later told officials the sanctions may have been discussed, the latest change in his account of his pre-inauguration discussions with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Such conversations would breach diplomatic protocol and possibly violate the Logan Act, a law aimed at keeping private citizens from conducting U.S. diplomacy. The Justice Department had warned the White House late last month that Flynn could be at risk for blackmail because of contradictions between his public depictions of the calls and what intelligence officials. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Trump made the right decision in asking Flynn to step down. You cannot have the national security adviser misleading the vice president and others, Ryan said. Trump, who had been conspicuously quiet about Flynns standing for several days, took to Twitter Tuesday morning and said the real story here is why are there so many illegal leaks coming out of Washington? He ignored questions about Flynn from reporters during an education event at the White House Tuesday morning. Trump named retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as the acting national security adviser. Kellogg had previously been appointed the National Security Council chief of staff and advised Trump during the campaign. Trump is also considering former CIA Director David Petraeus and Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a U.S. Navy SEAL, for the post, according to a senior administration official. Kellogg convened a brief meeting of the National Security Council staff Tuesday morning and urged them to continue with business as usual. Staffers have been told that Flynns deputy, K.T. McFarland, a former Fox News analyst, is expected to stay at the White House. A U.S. official told The Associated Press that Flynn was in frequent contact with Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition. The officials and two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the Justice Department warnings on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. The Washington Post was the first to report the communication between former acting attorney general Sally Yates, a holdover from the Obama administration, and the Trump White House. The Post also first reported last week that Flynn had indeed spoken about sanctions with the Russian ambassador. Trump never voiced public support for Flynn after that initial report but continued to keep his national security adviser close. Flynn was part of Trumps daily briefing Monday and sat in on his calls with foreign leaders, as well as his discussions with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Kremlin had confirmed that Flynn was in contact with Kislyak but denied that they talked about lifting sanctions. On Tuesday, Russian lawmakers mounted a fierce defense of Flynn. INDIANAPOLIS A court has upheld the prison sentence for the driver of a church bus that crashed near Indianapolis, killing a 6-year-old boy and injuring 11 other people. The Indiana appeals court rejected arguments from 55-year-old Charles Goodman of Chicago that prosecutors were wrongly allowed to present a photograph of the boy's body to jurors during his trial. The appeals court decision issued Monday left in place Goodman's sentence of three years in prison and three years of probation for driving while intoxicated causing death. Blood tests showed Goodman had used cocaine. Goodman was driving a group from Gary's St. Jude Deliverance Center in July 2015 when the 15-passenger bus went out of control, left Interstate 70, struck some trees and overturned. The crash killed Jacob Williams of Gary. NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. Nearly 3,000 production workers at Boeing's South Carolina plant are deciding whether they want to unionize, writing the next chapter in efforts to organize labor in large manufacturing plants across the South. The first round of voting began early Wednesday. A second round was set for Wednesday afternoon to accommodate all employees. If successful, the balloting on whether employees should join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers would send a significant message to politicians in the region and Washington that workers here want the same protections and benefits as those in other areas. And, to leaders trying to recruit businesses by promoting their states' lack of union presence, it'd make their jobs more difficult. The vote will also have an impact on organized labor strongholds like Northwest Indiana, with union leaders maintaining the geographic footprint of unions must be widened for their movement to remain strong. In addition, Boeing has a presence in Northwest Indiana with its corporate jet fleet based at the Gary/Chicago International Airport. This most recent test of Southern acceptance of collective bargaining movements is an uphill battle for the union and its backers. The global aviation giant, which came to South Carolina in part because of the state's minuscule union presence, did so with the aid of millions of dollars in state assistance made possible by officials who spoke out frequently and glowingly with anti-union messages. "It is an economic development tool," Gov. Nikki Haley, now President Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, said in a 2012 address of how she sold companies on coming to the state. "We'll make the unions understand full well that they are not needed, not wanted and not welcome in the state of South Carolina." At least that part of the tactic has worked. Only about 52,000 South Carolina workers have union representation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2016 figures. Other major manufacturers in the state, including BMW and Michelin, aren't unionized or haven't experienced major campaigns to do so. The Machinists initially petitioned for a vote at Boeing in 2015 but withdrew the request because of what the union called a toxic atmosphere and political interference. Another facet of union opposition in this heavily Republican state is political, given the longstanding relationship between organized labor and Democratic politics. Any lenience toward unions could be seen as giving Democrats a toehold here. A "yes" vote could inspire others in the region to consider unions, said Daniel Cornfield, sociology professor and labor expert at Vanderbilt University. What strikes Cornfield about the Boeing case is the company's silence over consequences if its workers unionize. "The company has not been threatening to relocate its operations in the event of a unionization," he said. "It is often the case that companies try to relocate outside of the United States to find cheaper labor and avoid U.S. unions altogether." Boeing may have abstained from those threats because of its huge South Carolina plant investment and billions of dollars in federal defense contracts the company does not want to risk. Cornfield said Trump's pressure on business to keep jobs in the U.S. could be "defanging large corporations in their efforts to resist unionization ... giving workers a leg up and unions a leg up in the campaign period." The union vote also comes after Trump blasted Boeing for the cost of building a new Air Force One. "Costs are out of control," Trump tweeted in early December. "Cancel order!" Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg met with Trump two weeks later. On Monday, several hundred Boeing employees gathered in a hotel ballroom just a mile from the plant, hearing from activists and members of other unions urging them to vote "yes." "Suppressing working people is the old way of doing business in South Carolina," Machinists organizer Mike Evans said, to cheers. "It's not going to be this way anymore." A successful union vote at Boeing would have a greater regional impact than Volkswagen workers' efforts to unionize in Chattanooga, Tennessee, said Jeffrey Hirsch, a law professor who specializes in labor relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Anti-union advocates cited VW as an aberration since representatives of one of its key unions in Germany hold seats on the company's board of directors. "Boeing is very, very different," Hirsch said. "No one will ever accuse Boeing of being pro-union." Job seekers can get face time with employers at the upcoming Times Media Co. Spring Career Fair. The job fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Stardust Event Center at Blue Chip Casino at 777 Blue Chip Drive in Michigan City. The Times has been having career fairs for more than a decade, and this is the first ever at the Michigan City casino. Employers at the job fair will include Cintas, Franciscan Alliance, Horizon Bank, Help at Home, Aflac, All Phase Electric, Century 21 Affiliated, NIPSCO, FairLife, Franciscan Health, Franciscan Hospice, National Industrial Maintenance, Dungarvin, the United Way of Porter County, Dekker Vacuum, Aperion, Tradebe and the Boys & Girls Club of Northwest Indiana. Cintas is a national uniform rental and facilities services company with an office in Hammond that is looking for candidates with administrative, office, clerical and sales experience, Service Manager Tony Cocciolone said. The company is particularly interested in candidates with experience with business-to-business sales. "We really look for people that fit into our culture," he said. "Our corporate offices in Ohio put out books about our corporate character, how we value honesty, integrity and professionalism in our partners." The staffing agencies JMJ Talent and Staff Source will also be on hand at the Spring Career Fair to recruit candidates for temp positions. Attendees can additionally learn about educational opportunities at local colleges, including Purdue Northwest, DeVry, and Indiana Wesleyan. Anyone who goes should bring several copies of their resumes and dress professionally. Later in the year, The Times Media Co. will also host its annual Diversity Career Fair on June 22nd at Avalon Manor in Hobart and another job fair in September in Hammond. U.S. Steel is dropping cyber theft allegations from its Section 337 complaint that asks the U.S. International Trade Commission to bar all steel imports from China. However, the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, one of the Calumet Region's largest employers, is continuing to ask the federal government to block all Chinese-made steel on the grounds of price fixing and misrepresentations of where it originally came from in order to duck tariffs. Steelmakers say China dumped steel it couldn't sell at home elsewhere for a loss, triggering a global import crisis that caused thousands of steelworker layoffs in America. U.S. Steel, which was already pursuing several other trade cases, took the unusual step unprecedented in modern times of seeking a complete ban of all Chinese-made steel in the United States last year. We remain committed in our efforts to seek relief for each of the claims alleged in the Section 337 complaint, but today believe this was our best course of action," U.S. Steel said in a statement. "We continue to pursue a review before executive and judicial bodies of the inequities of the statutes that were enacted before the dawn of the Internet age and the substantial threats posed by cyber espionage." U.S. Steel accused China of stealing trade secrets, including proprietary methods of making lighter steel for cars. The steelmaker now says existing law does not protect American companies from that type of cyber theft. "We believe more cooperation and collaboration is needed between the federal government and the private sector to address the continued threat of malicious cyber crimes and to provide reasonable legal avenues available for corporate victims to seek remedies," U.S. Steel said in the statement. "When there is active movement in this direction, we will be able to evaluate the best next steps for our trade secrets claim. Steel imports from China into the United States dropped an estimated 63 percent last year as the result of a wave of new tariffs. Hunan Valin and other Chinese steel companies argued to the International Trade Commission that the case threatens "the economic and political relationship between the United States and China" and that the two-way trade between the nations now eclipses $560 billion a year. WHITING Calumet College of St. Joseph has selected Amy McCormack to lead the institution as its seventh president. McCormack hails from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, where she served as senior vice president for finance and administration, according to an announcement on the college's website Tuesday. She will begin her time as president July 1. "After many months of interviews, meetings and surveys that involved input from the board of trustees, administration, faculty and staff, and the student body, Dr. McCormack stood out as the leading candidate from a pool of over 80 applicants," Larry Meyers, chairman for the college's board of trustees, said in a news release. The college hired a search firm, RPA, Inc., to assist with the search for a new president. McCormack will be replacing Daniel Lowery, who has served as president since 2011 following the retirement of longtime leader Dennis C. Rittenmeyer. Authorities on Tuesday arrested A 17-year-old Gary teen wanted in connection with the Oct. 1 robbery and shooting death of a 43-year-old Gary man. Lacindo Luckett, of Gary, was arrested Monday in Lansing, Michigan, by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to a news release. Luckett and Christian E. Manning, 16, of Gary, each were charged in October in Lake Criminal Court in the shooting death of Samuel Moore, 43, of Gary, in the 1300 block of Harrison Street. Luckett faces charges of murder in perpetration of robbery, robbery and auto theft. Manning faces charges of murder in perpetration of robbery and robbery. The Lake County prosecutor's office also initially charged a 15-year-old Gary girl in connection with the case but later dropped the charges, saying she should be prosecuted in Lake Juvenile Court. Authorities received a tip that Luckett was in Michigan and on Monday conducted surveillance at a Lansing trailer park, the release said. After several hours, Luckett was seen leaving a residence and getting into a vehicle, authorities said. Michigan State Police helped the Marshals task force stop the vehicle, and Luckett was taken into custody, authorities said. Luckett is being held at the Ingham County Jail in Mason, Michigan, pending extradition proceedings, officials said. HAMMOND A 42-year-old Gary man was sentenced Tuesday to 40 months in prison for firearm possession as a felon. Ramos had previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a U.S. attorney's office news release. As part of his plea agreement, Ramos also will be required to serve two years under supervised release. According to court documents, in May and June of 2016, a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigation revealed that Ramos acquired and possessed firearms for the purpose of selling them for profit. The woman told police she went in and out of consciousness during the ordeal, awaking to find she was being raped or forced to drink an known liquid. CROWN POINT Gregory D. Rainer was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in the strangling of his girlfriend in June 2015 at a Hammond hotel. Rainer, 35, of St. Paul, Minnesota, pleaded guilty but mentally ill Dec. 9 to the killing of Shannon M. Morrison on June 6, 2015, at the Super 8 Hotel in the 4100 block of Calumet Avenue. The 38-year-old victim's mother, Lori Harper, wrote a letter to Judge Diane Boswell, which was read to the court Wednesday morning by prosecutor Judith Massa. Harper said her daughter was born premature near midnight in 1977 and she was pronounced dead near midnight in 2015. The mother said she is greeted every morning with the urn that held her daughter's ashes. She recorded the voicemail from Morrison's phone so she could continue to hear her voice. It hurts a mother's heart and soul to have a funeral for their child, she said in the letter. Morrison, also a St. Paul resident, was herself a mother of three daughters. She was a medical assistant who visited Indiana with Rainer to attend a relative's graduation from East Chicago Central High School. Hammond police were dispatched the afternoon of June 6, 2015, to the Super 8 Hotel after receiving reports from Rainer's mother that she received a disturbing phone call from her son, in which he said he was being followed, and he was afraid he hurt Morrison. Police entered the couple's hotel room and discovered Morrison strangled to death. Virtena Rainer told the court Wednesday her son was schizophrenic and had lost his insurance in February 2014. She said he continued to take an oral psychotropic medication, but she was uncertain whether he had taken his pills with him on the trip to Indiana. She said people believed she was an overbearing mother, but they did not understand the danger Rainer posed when his alter ego took control. Gregory Rainer told the judge he deserved punishment for killing Morrison, but he said his hallucinations caused him to act. I feel like the TV is talking to me, he said. I get subliminal messages from other people. Defense attorney Casey J. McCloskey said his client needed to be in a hospital, not in jail. Boswell included in the prison sentence a request that the Indiana Department of Correction place Rainer in a facility where he will receive mental health treatment. CROWN POINT Police allege a jilted man wounded his ex-girlfriend and killed her boyfriend Friday in a shooting at a Gary residence. Anthony H. Day was charged Saturday in Lake Criminal Court with murder, attempted murder and battery by means of a deadly weapon. Gary police Lt. Dawn Westerfield said Day surrendered Monday to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The Lake County Metro Homicide Unit was dispatched at 3:03 a.m. Friday to a home in the 300 block of McKinley Street after receiving reports of a shooting, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police found Ajohnte J. Griffin, 36, of East Chicago, dead on the porch of the residence, the affidavit states. A 29-year-old woman was also shot and transported to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus. The woman told police she was in the bath earlier that morning when she heard a commotion from the west bedroom of her home, the affidavit states. She said she went into the room and found Griffin and Day armed with guns and grappling, the affidavit states. Both men agreed to put down their firearms after Day allegedly said he just wanted to talk with his ex-girlfriend, but Day instead shot the couple, according to the affidavit. The woman said she believed Day was hiding in her closet and had waited for her to arrive home, according to the affidavit. Attorney Scott L. King said Tuesday he is representing Day on the allegations. He pointed out the charges were based on the statement of one person who did not witness the entire altercation. He said he expects Day will make an initial appearance in court Wednesday. GARY A teenage girl who police considered in extreme danger when she went missing early Monday was found safely Tuesday afternoon, but police are saying little else publicly about the ongoing investigation into her disappearance. "We will not be releasing much information at this point, just that she has been recovered, the Amber alert will be canceled, and the investigation is still ongoing," Lt. Dawn Westerfield said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference at the Gary Police Department. Fifteen-year-old Chastinea Reeves had last been seen about 2 a.m. Monday in the area of 2027 Maine St. in Gary, police said, which was about the same time a woman was found dead in a homicide. Reeves was found shortly before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday within the city of Gary, police said. Westerfield declined to offer further details about where the teen was found, if Reeves was with anyone, or if police have anyone in custody. Police found Jamie M. Garnett, 34, dead at her residence at about 2:10 a.m. Monday in the 4400 block of West 23rd Place in Gary. The death was ruled a homicide. Westerfield fielded questions from reporters Tuesday, but declined to release additional details. She also would not confirm whether the cases were related. "The integrity of both cases must be kept," Westerfield said. Asked if neighbors should be concerned about their safety, Westerfield said she believes there is no cause "for any widespread panic." An Amber alert issued Monday for the missing teen said Reeves might be in extreme danger. Under Indiana law, police can decide to request an Amber alert if a child is younger than 18 and believed to be abducted or in danger of serious bodily harm or death. The alert was cancelled at 3:31 p.m., shortly after the news conference concluded. Westerfield said she was not aware of what information may have led police to Reeves. Westerfield a day earlier during a Monday news conference made a plea for Reeves to contact police. "Chastinea, please call the police," she said. "We just need to make sure you're OK. Go somewhere where you're safe and please contact any police department via 911. We need to make sure you're safe." An autopsy on Garnett was completed Monday, said Scott Sefton, Lake County coroner's office chief deputy. As of Tuesday morning, the coroner's office was not disclosing what Garnett's injuries were because of an ongoing investigation, he said. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Kristopher Adams, of the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit, at 219-755-3855, central dispatch at 219-660-0000 or 911. CROWN POINT The Lake County Council voted to police the sheriff at least in fiscal matters. The council refused Tuesday to immediately pay about $180,000 in food, police uniforms and services vendors provided late last year. Instead, the council created an oversight committee to investigate the sheriff's costly overruns. Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, pleaded with fellow council members not to delay payments. He said it would be unfair to businesses that already have provided products and services to the county. "I would have to have the government turned over to a collection agency," Bilski said. Councilwomen Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, and Elsie Franklin, D-Gary, said it was unfair to single out the sheriff for overdue bills when others did the same. The council did agree Tuesday to pay 2016 bills totaling about $5,300 for the county fairgrounds director, recorder, elections board, coroner, juvenile court and the economic development department. The sheriff didn't appear before the council Tuesday, but did write a letter last week arguing his bills were emergencies due to a surge of additional jail inmates and unforeseen equipment and auto repairs. Council members Dan Dernulc, R-Highland; David Hamm, D-Hammond; Eldon Strong, R-Crown Point; and Jamal Washington, D-Merrillville, voted against any payment of the sheriff's late bills until the oversight committee look into them. Dernulc said they had given the sheriff all the money he requested last year. Washington said he sponsored the ordinance establishing a seven-member oversight committee that will have subpoena powers to "determine the cause of budget shortfalls and the lack of timely payment of invoices and related budgetary issues." Hamm, Strong and Washington will serve on the investigative body as would two from the Lake County Board of Commissioners, one from the county auditor as well as the sheriff's bookkeeper. The council also voted to give the Lake County Board of Commissioners permission to seek bids from private real estate firms to commercially develop about 6 acres of the Lake County Government Center's lawn at 93rd and Main (Taft) Street. The land has remained an open field since the county government center opened at this site 43 years ago. Commissioners attempted in 2015 to interest a developer in the site. Hawk Development of Crown Point offered to entice fast-food and service station tenants to locate on the Main Street frontage, but commissioners declined to act at that time. MICHIGAN CITY Mayor Ron Meer is providing a financial shot in the arm for a new program giving high school graduates $5,000 a year in college scholarships. Meer said proceeds from the annual mayor's ball on Feb. 4, attended by close to 700 people, are still being tallied, but the amount should come in at about $50,000. All net profits will go to the Promise Scholarship fund the City Council created in August with $2.5 million in casino proceeds. "We'll be around the $50,000 mark. Probably a little over," Meer said. In previous years, he earmarked those funds for some other charitable cause. Beginning in June, scholarships for any post-secondary endeavor will be given to Michigan City High School graduates. The high school grads must be living in a home owned, not rented, by the head of household somewhere within the city limits. According to city officials, the idea behind the eligibility restrictions is to stabilize the city's population by enticing people to move into the city and those considering going elsewhere to stay. Other goals are to promote home ownership and increase property valuation. Graduating with a minimum 2.0 grade point average is also required. Only students registered in the public schools since seventh grade will collect the full amount. Lesser amounts will be based on when students first enrolled into a public school here. The Promise Scholarship program is based on Hammond's College Bound scholarship template. City Controller Richard Murphy said proceeds from the mayor's ball and other donations will be kept in a separate account. Several corporations locally have pledged to donate annually, and some private individuals also have stepped forward as financial contributors, Murphy said. Murphy said the goal is to have enough donations to cover any costs the casino revenue might not and build up enough contributors so the casino can be replaced altogether as the funding mechanism. He said the push for private donations will pick up momentum in the weeks and months ahead. "We want this program to be around in 50 years. Going into the first stages of implementation, we're looking at all of the alternative funding sources," Murphy said. There was considerable talk at the beginning of making other students eligible. Murphy said the total number of graduates receiving scholarships is not known yet, so a harder look at the numbers will come later to see if that is a future possibility. INDIANAPOLIS The Republican-controlled Indiana Senate enacted into law Tuesday two measures that were vetoed last year by Republican former Gov. Mike Pence. House Enrolled Act 1082, sponsored by state Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, requires any state environmental regulations approved by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb that are more stringent than federal rules not take effect until after the next session of the General Assembly adjourns for the year. Charbonneau said the statute preserves the Legislature's oversight authority on environmental regulations that may be harmful to Hoosier businesses, without compromising the governor's power to respond to environmental disasters. The veto override was approved 49-1. Also winning approval by a 47-3 margin was House Enrolled Act 1022. It subjects most, but not all, records of private university police departments to disclosure under Indiana's open records law. Both Pence vetoes also were overwhelmingly overridden last week by the Republican-controlled House. SCHERERVILLE Love blossomed Tuesday as 15 couples from Indiana and Illinois exchanged vows during the Valentine's Day nuptials at Alberts Diamond Jewelers. Now in its 19th year, the tradition of Valentines Day weddings honors the Feb. 14, 1968, wedding of Fred and Donna Halpern and dates back to when the couple decided to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows at the Alberts store they owned, then in East Chicago. Their invitation for other couples to join them and get married that same day sparked the annual nuptials and renewal of vows, said Josh Halpern, the couples son and president of Alberts Diamond Jewelers. The love stories of couples who celebrated Tuesday included friends who met decades ago and those who renewed their original wedding vows. For Louise Chickie-Wolfe, 72, and Raleigh Wolfe, 78, Valentines Day already held special meaning. On Tuesday, the Munster couple renewed the wedding vows they pledged to each other exactly 20 years ago. Raleigh didnt know we were doing this until this morning, Louise chuckled as she held the original silk flower bouquet from their wedding on Feb. 14, 1997. Thats his original boutonniere. It just gets better every day. When Louise joined Raleigh at the front of the decorated chapel for the ceremony performed by Lake County Juvenile Court Magistrate Matt Gruett, she air-kissed her husband. Heres to another 20 years! How about that? she said to Raleigh as they toasted each other with champagne provided by Alberts. Lansing residents Celia Perez, 68, and Armando Ortiz, 69, first met 25 years ago. The idea of getting married at Alberts on Valentines Day began when Sue Snell of Alberts sold them their engagement ring. Then I sold them their wedding bands. I got to be part of all the fun. We thought why not finish it here, Snell said. She sprung this (the wedding at Alberts) on us last week, said Celias daughter, Judith Perez of St. John, who is married to Armandos nephew, John Perez. We knew they have been dating, going to the show together. She first surprised us with the engagement ring. John and Celias son, George Perez of Schererville, walked her down the aisle to the strains of Here Comes the Bride. After the ceremony, the newlyweds joined family, friends and Alberts employees for photos. Gruett officiated at weddings from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday while Lake County Juvenile Court Magistrate Jeffrey Miller performed the ceremonies from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Area businesses also helped make the day special for the couples. Monarch Florist of Schererville provided the floral decor as well as the rose bouquets for the brides and grooms boutonnieres. Two-layer cakes were baked fresh and donated by Ultra Foods of Highland. Videographer Dave Ervin, of Ervin Video Services in Schererville, and photographer Bernie Zemen, from Timeless Images Photography in Highland, volunteered again this year to capture the special day. The ceremonies were also streamed on Facebook Live for family and friends who couldnt attend. MERRILLVILLE The Town Council has delayed taking action on a resolution that would decrease its investment to the South Shore Lines West Lake Corridor project, but it looks like reducing its pledge isn't feasible. The council decided Tuesday to table voting on the resolution that would drop Merrillville's annual contribution of its County Economic Development Income Tax proceeds from 22 percent to 8 percent for the project. Multiple council members indicated additional discussion is needed about the matter. U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky traveled Tuesday to the Region specifically to attend the meeting, and he said an interlocal agreement Merrillville approved for its investment is binding and can't be legally changed. Visclosky said there has to be certainty for the project to gain all necessary approvals, and there have been actions moving the initiative forward. This is going to happen, he said. Visclosky explained that when he initially approached area elected officials about contributing CEDIT money for the project, he advised them to be comfortable with the amount they would be pledging. I want people to be confident in their decisions, he said. Visclosky said the funding local communities are contributing is a wise investment for the future of Northwest Indiana. He said the number of school-age children in the area that makes up the state's 1st Congressional District has declined by more than 74,000 students since 1970. Visclosky said the project will strengthen the area's economy in multiple ways, including improving access to high-paying jobs. We are going to build the economy for the children so they stay, Visclosky said. He said his office has had previous discussions with Merrillville officials about the town's contribution, but Monday was when he first became aware the proposed reduction was on the council's agenda. Visclosky said no other communities have inquired about decreasing their investments to the project. Councilman Shawn Pettit said he wants Merrillville leaders to personally meet with Visclosky to go through the issue. I think we need more time to discuss this, he said. Visclosky said he would be willing to sit with municipal officials to continue explaining the South Shore project. A meeting hasn't yet been scheduled for additional review of the matter, but the council indicated it would attempt to schedule a session in coming weeks. Financial matters are among the reasons Merrillville is considering reducing its investment to the project. On Monday, Council President Richard Hardaway said Merrillville can't afford the current pledge. Hardaway, who agrees more dialogue is needed about the issue, had said there isn't a specific economic development project that prompted Merrillville to pursue the contribution decrease, but the town doesn't want to drain its CEDIT funds. INDIANAPOLIS The Indiana General Assembly honored Brian Sadowski, of Michigan City, on Tuesday for saving four lives last summer. State Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, authored the resolution. Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, sponsored the resolution in the House of Representatives. Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 credits Sadowski with saving four lives two adults and two children in one afternoon in June 2016. Michele Sadowski first noticed a troubled young man in the water, and Brian jumped into (Lake Michigan) without hesitation to assist," Tallian said, "not knowing that this one individual would be a fraction of those relying on him that day." Anyone spending time along the lake knows how dangerous it can be, regardless of how tranquil the surface appears. Due to brave men and women like Brian, people are saved each year from Lake Michigan. Our traditional first responders should know they have backup in Northwest Indiana, Tallian said. United Way of Porter County and its partner, The Times Media Co., are searching for stories of remarkable, local volunteers for the inaugural Spirit Awards. Friday is the deadline for nominations. This new community award celebrates individuals who have displayed extraordinary service above self and served as an inspiration to others. Seven selected individuals will be featured in The Times and honored at the United Way of Porter County annual celebration on April 6 at The Spa Special Events Center in Porter, Indiana. Award nominations will be accepted from all Northwest Indiana counties. You may submit more than one nomination. Recipients will be selected by a committee of volunteers. To nominate an individual, go to nwi.com/uwpcspiritawards. NEW YORK President Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on the "fake media" Wednesday but the media was fighting back, objecting to a presidential news conference that avoided tough questions and, in the case of one MSNBC program, banning presidential aide Kellyanne Conway from the air. Trump tweeted and voiced complaints about the media's treatment of his ousted national security adviser Michael Flynn and the "criminal" leak of details on Flynn's discussion with Russians. Flynn is out after less than a month, with White House saying Trump lost confidence in him for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about talks with the Russian ambassador. The president held a news conference prior to meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As he did during the past week following meetings with leaders of Canada and Japan, Trump called on reporters from friendly news outlets. On Wednesday, he chose David Brody, a columnist for the Pat Robertson-founded Christian Broadcast Network, and Katie Pavlich, editor of the conservative web site townhall.com. Brody invoked Flynn, asking if the national security job vacancy would affect the administration's attitude toward the U.S. nuclear deal with Iran. Trump used that question to complain about unfair media treatment of Flynn. He blamed people upset with his victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton for being responsible for media leaks. Pavlich asked Trump about compromises he would seek from Israel and the Palestinians to achieve peace. The questions left other reporters frustrated by a lost opportunity to ask about reports that the Trump campaign had been in contact with Russian officials before his election. Trump smiled and walked away when one reporter shouted out if he could ask about Flynn. "I wanted to jump up and say, 'You fired him. Why did you fire him?'" said ABC News' Jonathan Karl. CNN's Jim Acosta said the administration was clearly trying to avoid questions, adding that Trump could "only be shielded for so long." Conway, meanwhile, won't be answering questions on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program, at least for a while. Show co-host Mika Brzezinski said Wednesday that Conway wouldn't be allowed on the three-hour public affairs program, which has had a love-hate relationship with Trump over the course of the campaign. Brzezinski said she won't book Conway, "because I don't believe in fake news or information that is not true. Every time I've seen her on television, something's askew, off or incorrect." It's been a rough stretch for the presidential counselor. She said on MSNBC Monday that Trump had "full confidence" in Flynn, hours before he lost his job. A government ethics panel urged the White House to discipline her for urging Fox News Channel viewers to buy Ivanka Trump's products. NBC's Matt Lauer admonished her, "Kellyanne, that makes no sense," during a "Today" show interview on Tuesday. Then there was Kate McKinnon's portrayal of an unhinged Conway on "Saturday Night Live." CNN said last week that it had turned down a chance to book her on Jake Tapper's Feb. 5 program because she had credibility issues; Conway has said she told them she was unavailable that day. Tapper then interviewed Conway on his weekday program two days later, although she hasn't been on the network since. The White House has banned its officials from appearing on the network. NBC News said Brzezinski's statement reflected the views of one program, not the network as a whole. The decision is potentially confusing for both viewers and NBC executives, said Mark Feldstein, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland. What are viewers to think if a source is deemed not credible enough to be on one show but appears on the same network three hours later? While she wasn't on "Morning Joe," she was on NBC News' higher-profile "Today" show on Tuesday. She's not the only Trump administration official who has clashed with the media over facts. Trump aide Stephen Miller was scolded by an angry George Stephanopoulos on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday for not giving evidence to support a claim of voter fraud. White House press secretary Sean Spicer was criticized after his first White House briefing for giving untrue statements about the inauguration. "Where do you stop?" Feldstein said. "Conway isn't the only member of the administration who has a truth-telling problem. It starts at the very top. Can you stop putting Donald Trump on the air if what he says is false? You can't. He's the president of the United States." CBS News "Face the Nation" host John Dickerson, while emphasizing he's not talking about the "Morning Joe" decision, said it's important to get the administration's views on the record, whether or not they prove accurate. "Part of my job is allowing the administration to explain itself to people and not interrupt them so much they can't ever get their point of view across," Dickerson said. "They say what they believe, and then you interrogate them." He said he wished he could ask questions that came with a dose of the truth serum sodium pentothal "to get the perfect, truth-filled answers, but that is not going to happen." DeAnna Wellsand knew from the beginning of her pregnancy that she wanted a natural birth. She was aware that when a woman has a medical intervention during labor, such as an induction or epidural, it increases her odds of having another one in the future. So she read birth stories and prepared herself for the fact that labor and delivery are unpredictable. "The woman's body is an amazing thing," says Wellsand, 31, of Chesterton. "I knew I could trust my body to do what it was supposed to do during labor. I figured if I could handle an unmedicated birth, I could do almost anything after that. I wanted to be completely in control of my body and just trusted that it would not fail me." She arrived at the hospital on the morning of Oct. 15 after experiencing contractions. Her doula helped her walk the halls and breathe. Her midwife encouraged her to listen to her body. Whenever she questioned the pain, the birthing staff asked her, "What does your body feel like doing?" Rowan Daniel Wellsand was born at 1:03 p.m. Says DeAnna: "I truly feel that I had a great birth experience and it wouldn't have been the same without Prima Bella Women's Health, my doula, my husband, nurses at Porter (Regional Hospital), my photographer, and my family supporting my wishes and the best outcome for my baby. We were all on the same page, and it was perfect. Not painless, but perfect." She is one of a growing number of Northwest Indiana women opting for natural childbirth. They say it helps them feel empowered and in control of their bodies, avoid side effects from medications, and their babies be born more alert and active. Region hospitals now offer water births, which are said to relieve the pain of natural deliveries, and have doulas and midwives on staff. "People are starting to move away from medicine," says Christine Riley, a nurse who teaches natural childbirth classes at LaPorte Hospital. "Back in the '60s, they did Lamaze. Then epidurals were introduced. Now I think we're swinging back." Riley says that over the past few years LaPorte Hospital has put bathtubs into birthing suites and started offering natural childbirth classes. In that time, the hospital has seen its epidural rate fall from three-fourths to three-fifths. Use of doulas spreading Amy Bauer, 45, of Cedar Lake, gave birth to all five of her children naturally. She did so to cut the risks from medical interventions and because she believes natural births have physical and emotional benefits for the kids. "I would do my children's births over again exactly the same if I had the opportunity because it was a very positive and empowering experience, and there were no complications," says Bauer, who works as a doula. About a third of American women get cesarean sections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. C-sections can cause babies to have breathing problems and leave mothers with surgical injuries or infections, and increase the risk of future birth complications. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists notes that there has been no improvement in birth outcomes with the rapid rise in C-sections, and has recommended that OB-GYN specialists perform fewer of them. Louise Albrecht-Mallinger, the doula program coordinator at Franciscan Health hospital in Crown Point, notes that ACOG says doulas, who are trained labor-support people, can be an important tool in decreasing the C-section rate. "If you hire a doula, statistics show you'll have a shorter labor and fewer interventions," she says. "Fewer moms ask for pain medications or epidurals because they feel more supported. The risk for C-section is reduced if you have a doula." She notes that women can be pressured out of making their own birthing decisions. "People like to judge, especially in a birthing situation," she says. "It's such a personal choice, and everyone is pointing fingers: 'You should just get the epidural. Why do you want to be a martyr?' We have to be supportive of each other." Some try medication first Jackie Sergeant, of St. John, had epidurals with her first two kids because that's what she thought she was supposed to do. With her second child, she says, her back hurt for about six months from the shot. Then she researched hypnobirthing, which uses self-hypnosis and relaxation to help mothers through natural deliveries. "I realized that birth is a mind-over-body experience," the 32-year-old says. "I feel physically better after birth without medical interventions. I like to be able to move around during labor. I also feel like baby is more alert." She gave birth to her last four children naturally, including her daughter, Juliet, who was born Dec. 14. "I do think natural childbirth is becoming more popular," Sergeant says. "There is more information out there to educate women on the benefits. I also believe there is more encouragement to empower women to believe that they are able to birth a baby all on their own." Lisa Wilder had nerve damage to her spine from the epidural from her first delivery. So she had to go the natural route for her second child. She labored in the shower and birthing tub for two hours, which she says relaxed her. The support of her family and her doula also helped. Her daughter, Kylie, was born Dec. 7, 2015. "I see a lot more women taking control of their bodies and their deliveries," says Wilder, 28, of Schererville. "There's nothing wrong with being medicated; I've done it, some prefer it. But with my traumatic experience, I wouldn't do that to myself." An adventurous birth Amanda Rossi, of Valparaiso, was preparing to have her third natural childbirth in August. She wanted to wait as long as possible before going to the hospital to deliver. "If labor stalls, interventions and medications are suggested, and unless a woman has a very strong support team such as a doula or midwife she is likely to succumb to pressure to move faster," the 32-year-old says. "Birth can be a slow process, and this is normal." On Aug. 27, after having labor symptoms for about a week, she went into active labor. She contacted her midwife and said she was on the way to the hospital. She got her bag ready. The contractions got closer together. She got in the family van, driven by her husband. The pain was intense. "I felt the baby descending and knew we were out of time. I just followed my body's lead, and when you have a drug-free birth it's honestly amazing how the hormone releases help you through the process," she says. "It's almost like a high that causes you to transcend the pain. My friend Jill later told me that I looked asleep at some points during the drive." By the time they pulled up to the emergency entrance, the baby's head was peeking through. She was giving birth in the van. Two ER doctors put her on a gurney and ran her to labor and delivery. One or two pushes later, Clementine Joy was born. "We all laughed when I commented on how nice it was that they had the tub ready for me," Rossi says. She believes the medical community should better educate women about the benefits and risks of medications offered during pregnancy. "America has extremely low outcomes for birth and outrageously high C-section rates," she says. "For a developed country of our size, this is not acceptable and women deserve better." Pros and cons to medical interventions Dr. Valentin Drezaliu, an OB-GYN specialist with Methodist Hospitals, asserts there are no medical benefits to natural childbirth for either the mother or the baby. He notes that medical interventions have decreased birth complications and infant deaths dramatically. "People are Googling lots of things. They're finding information online that is not verified," he says. "They hear that Pitocin will affect the baby's brain development, which is absolutely not true. They hear that epidurals cause severe headaches afterthat's a very rare side effect. It's mostly fear." Shannon Markle, a certified nurse midwife with Community Healthcare System, says pain medications sedate newborns, which can cause respiratory depression and make them too tired to breastfeed and bond immediately after birth. Epidurals can also lower a mother's blood pressure and increase her temperature, leading to additional lab work and medication after her delivery, she says. Inductions come with side effects too, she says. "If a woman is induced, we are trying to force her body to do something it is not quite ready to do, and that process can be longer, and bring more pain," Markle says. "With a spontaneous labor the hormone oxytocin crosses the blood-brain barrier and creates a sensation of well-being that helps women to cope with the pain of labor and promotes bonding with her infant. The artificial version of that hormone, Pitocin, that is used for labor induction does not cross the blood-brain barrier and women perceive these contractions as much more intense." Many women write birth plans so their OB-GYN provider and the hospital staff are aware of their wishes. "Women's bodies were built for birth and it can happen beautifully without intervention or interference, unless there is a condition or problem that requires an intervention," Markle says. "Ultimately, most women who choose natural childbirth report they are thrilled with their birth and proud of themselves." Jennifer Vanmeter, a certified nurse midwife at LaPorte Hospital, says that while natural childbirth is a hard topic to do randomized controlled studies on, it has been found to reduce labor time. "It hasn't been shown to cause any harmthat's the big thing," she says. 'An unmedicated, laid-back' birth Eileen Torres says she wanted to have a baby the same way she was born: "an unmedicated, laid-back child birth." She went into labor at her Chesterton home on March 10, 2016. She soaked in the bathtub a few times to slow down the contractions. She used a yoga ball, birthing stools and pillows to change positions. Twenty-five hours later, Ocean Dragana Torres was born. "Ocean was stuck in my pelvis so I had to do lunges and nearly upside down positions to get her to move," says Eileen, 32. "I used meditation to stay calm and quiet through the entire birth. It was beautiful." The show will go on for the Big Apple Circus. A judge approved a deal that will lift the circus out of bankruptcy by selling its tents, equipment and intellectual property. Big Top Works posted the winning bid of $1.3 million at an auction last week. Last July, organizers behind the show said they were packing up their tent and trampolines after a last-minute "Save the Circus" fundraiser failed to make enough money for the 2016-2017 season. The circus now hopes to make its return to Lincoln Center this fall. City health officials are monitoring an outbreak of a rare bacterial infection in the Bronx. The city says three people were infected in the Concourse neighborhood. One person died, but the other two recovered. Two of the patients were diagnosed in December, the third in February. The city says there are typically one to three cases of leptospirosis in New York City per year, and that this is the first cluster of cases ever identified in the city. Leptospirosis spreads from contact with rat urine. The Health Department is holding a tenants meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at 750 Grand Concourse, where one of the patients lived, to address the outbreak. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development says there are 79 open violations at the building, and the Department of Buildings says there are 25 open construction code violations on record for the building. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. says 1,500 complaints have been filed against the landlord of the building, where one of the victims lived. "I think that what we need to do is hold them accountable, in the courts, I think that we should find a way to protect the residents, where they can put even rent in escrow, and hit them in the pockets. Fine them even more," Diaz Jr. said. "Every time I walk around, at night, they come out the most. So yeah, they're big," said one tenant. "I'm really kinda upset, because with the urine this doesn't happen overnight. It's been a while. Somebody's at fault," said another tenant. The Health Department urges people to avoid rats and wash thoroughly if you do come in contact with them. February 13, 1922 - February 10, 2017 Legendary combat leader and New York Times Bestselling author, Lieutenant General Harold (Hal) Gregory Moore Jr, passed away peacefully at age 94 on February 10, 2017, at his home in Auburn, AL. He is survived by three sons and two daughters, Harold Gregory III (Evelyn), (LTC) Stephen (Donna), Julie Moore Orlowski (Leo), Cecile Moore Rainey (Terry), (COL) David (Teresa), and by his sister Betty Karp and brother Ballard Moore. He also leaves twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Julie Compton and by his brother William Moore. Hal was born on February 13, 1922, in Bardstown KY to Harold and Mary (Crume) Moore. Hal started a 32-year military career upon entry into the United States Military Academy in 1942, convincing a Congressman from Georgia to swap Hal's Kentucky appointment to the Naval Academy for one to West Point. Upon graduation in 1945, he served on occupation duty in Japan; he returned to Fort Bragg where he met and married the great love of his life, Julie Compton. He tested parachutes, surviving multiple malfunctions to include being hung up and towed behind a plane. Deployed to the Korean War in 1952, he commanded an Infantry rifle and heavy mortar company in the 7th Infantry Division and was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for Valor. Subsequent assign- ments included teaching tactics at West Point, developing airborne and air assault equipment in the Pentagon, and a tour of duty in Norway where he planned the ground defense of northern Germany, Denmark, and Scandinavia. Upon completion of the course of study at the Naval War College, Hal took command of the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry at Fort Benning, GA. Fourteen months later, the unit was designated the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry (Custer's old unit) and deployed to Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division in 1965. Hal is best known for his leadership in the first major battle between the US and the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) that occurred in the remote Ia Drang Valley of the Central Highlands in November 1965. Within 20 minutes of the first shot, the 7th Cavalry, vastly outnumbered, was assaulted by hundreds of enemy furiously determined to over-run it. After a three-day bloodbath, the enemy quit the field leaving over six hundred of their dead littering the battleground. Hal was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest award for valor, for his actions during the fight. Hal then assumed command of the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division and led it through several major campaigns in 1966 earning another Bronze Star Medal for Valor for carrying wounded to safety under "withering small and automatic weapons fire." In 1968, Hal pinned on his first star and led the planning for the Army's withdrawal from Vietnam. He returned to Korea in 1969 and was promoted to Major General and given command of the 7th Infantry Division to "straighten out that Division" after it was fractured with insubordination and riots. Over the next year, Hal rebuilt the Division back into an effective fighting force. In 1971, he took command of the Training Center and Fort Ord, CA in the era of the Vietnam antiwar demonstrations, associated drug problems, continuing racial tensions and the transition to the "modern volunteer Army." He applied lessons learned from the 7th Infantry to create another successful outcome. In 1974, Hal was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned to the Pentagon as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel for the Army where he was most proud of actions he took to rebuild an NCO Corps almost destroyed by the Vietnam War. Following retirement from active duty in 1977, he worked as the Executive Vice President of the Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado. In 1981, working with his co-author, Joe Galloway, he turned his attention to the research that underpinned their 1992 New York Times Bestselling book on the Ia Drang battles, We Were Soldiers Once and Young. In 2002, the book was the basis of the acclaimed movie, We Were Soldiers, where Mel Gibson portrayed Hal. After being devastated by the loss of his wife, Julie, in 2004, Hal withdrew from public life but worked with Joe Galloway to produce the 2008 sequel to the first book; We are Soldiers Still: A Journey Back to the Battlefields of Vietnam. Hal was a dedicated outdoorsman who loved to ski, hike, camp and fish and was most proud of the fact that he "infected" all his children with the same passion. In fact, since Julie was not close to labor, Hal was fishing in a local bass tournament in 1952 on the morning his son Steve was born. That Hal won a nice Shakespeare reel did nothing to mitigate the trouble he was in upon his return. Hal was known for his finely tuned sense of humor; earning the nickname of "Captain Fun" from his grandchildren. He would routinely send funny postcards of "jackalopes" and hide small toys around the house in anticipation of visits. Hal was personally modest with a deep love for soldiers. When his hometown announced it would celebrate his return from Vietnam in 1966 with an elaborate "Hal Moore Day," he refused to participate unless the event was refocused to be a "Vietnam Veteran's Day." Likewise, while his funeral and memorial service will necessarily center on him, he wishes to honor all Americans who have served. Hal was a devout Catholic. Viewing will take place from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM (Central Time) on Thursday, February 16 at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home, 1500 Frederick Road, Opelika, AL. A funeral Mass will be held at 8:30 AM (Central Time) on Friday, February 17 at St. Michaels Roman Catholic Church, 1100 N College Street, Auburn, AL, followed by a memorial service at 1:00 PM (Eastern Time) at the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning. GA, 1775 Legacy Way, Columbus, GA, with interment to follow at the Fort Benning Post Cemetery. The family will host a reception at the National Infantry Museum after the burial service. At Hal's request, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Ia Drang Scholarship Fund. Hal and Joe established the fund in 1994 using proceeds from the book and speaking engagements with the purpose of supporting the education of the children and grandchildren of the veterans of the Ia Drang battles. The fund has awarded over $430,000 in grants to date. Donations may be sent to the Ia Drang Scholarship Fund, c/o Executive Director, 1st Cavalry Division Association, 302 North Main, Copperas Cove, TX 76522. In celebration of its 20th year of showcasing new and returning writing talent, South Coast Repertory announced its Pacific Playwrights Festival lineup today, featuring three commissioned world premiere productions and four staged readings. Familiar names will include longtime SCR playwright Amy Freed (You, Nero, Safe in Hell) in the reading of her new play Shrew! on April 21. Also returning will be SCR collaborator Donald Margulies (Sight Unseen, Collected Stories, Brooklyn Boy) for the April 22 reading of his new play Long Lost. Fresh faces will present the world premiere full productions, including Michael Mitnick with his upcoming production The Siegel, which runs March 24-April 23 and tells a comedic story of a man who wants to ask his unavailable ex-girlfriends parents permission to marry her. In an interesting modern twist to a classic story, playwright Lucas Hnath will present A Dolls House, Part 2 on April 9-30, which presents a sequel to Henrik Ibsons story. Playwright Dipika Guha will present the world premiere of Yoga Play, a comedy that tells the story of the power of yoga, in the Nicholas Studio on April 19-30. New writers presenting staged readings on the Segerstrom Stage include Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm with his reading of Anacostia Street Lions on April 21 and Lauren Yee with Cambodian Rock Band on April 23. For two decades, the festival has been a special tradition for the theater and has resulted in various world premieres of productions, including The Parisian Women by Beau Willimon, Office Hour by Julia Cho and Vietgone by Qui Nguyen. Three of the seven plays have come from SCRs commissioning program and two from its commissioning and community program Crossroads, which yielded Nguyens play. Contact the writer: jmoe@ocregister.com Immigrants no drain Re: Enormous impact [News, Feb. 10]: One of the new administrations arguments for mass deportations is the contention that undocumented residents are a drain on our economy. However, the facts do not support this theory. The Register reports that our countrys highest concentration of undocumented residents is in Southern California. Consequently, based on the Trump administrations theory, California should be in dire straits. The reality is quite the contrary. According to a 2015 report by the California Department of Finance, if California were its own nation, it would be the 6th largest economy in the world, and according to federal research, Californias gross domestic product is by far the highest in the nation. Additionally, studies reveal that these residents contribute billions of dollars to that GDP. Mass deportations in our state would not only be inhumane for these mostly law-abiding residents, but would be devastating to Californias economy. Maryanne Rose, Laguna Niguel Take a hike Re: Reported immigration arrests prompt outcry in region [News, Feb. 10]: Apparently California State Senator Kevin de Leon is asking ICE to provide details about the number of people detained, as well as the agencys rationale for their arrest. This strikes me as galactically hypocritical, coming from a person who authored the bill to make California a sanctuary state, the central purpose of which is to be uncooperative with ICE. In response to de Leons request, ICE should simply say, hacer una caminata, or take a hike. Bill Hezzelwood, San Clemente Uncommon sense Re: Teachers unions hysterical over Betsy DeVos, school choice [Opinion, Feb. 12]: Sal Rodriguezs column on the hysteria of teachers unions on the selection of Betsy DeVos for secretary of education was well thought out. But, I literally spit out my morning coffee when I came to the sentence, Its the sort of rhetoric that only a far-left ideologue could appreciate and merely muddies the waters of what is a critical debate. Change the topic to illegal immigration or crime and his thoughts mirror those of the left. Be careful, Sal. Using common sense and facts to argue that the education of children should come ahead of politics will get you labeled racist. Harald G. Martin, Anaheim On a gray morning, a group of Haitian migrants chatted idly on a quiet corner in downtown Tijuana, near the U.S. border, speaking French and eating Creole and exchanging cellphone chargers to use later in a nearby Starbucks. Among them was Rene Raphael, a 28-year-old former medical student. Like most of the roughly 4,000 Haitians now staying in shelters in Tijuana, Raphael has spent the past few years as a nomad. First, he fled Haiti, which suffered a devastating earthquake in 2010, for Brazil, where the countrys construction boom provided work. When Brazils economy cratered last year, Raphael and his pregnant wife made a harrowing, two-continent trek north to the U.S.-Mexico border. Their goal? Asylum. Their hurdle? The same executive order that calls for building a big border wall. Legal or loophole? Little noticed in his flurry of immigration-related executive orders, President Donald Trump has pushed to change the way the United States handles asylum, a designation sought by a growing number of migrants looking to enter the U.S. Traditionally, asylum is granted (or not) to people who fear persecution in their home country based on things like religion, nationality and politics. But over the past two years, the asylum process has changed, with thousands of migrants seeking to gain asylum by turning themselves over to immigration agents at the U.S.-Mexico border. Last year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which deals with asylum claims, handled 94,048 cases, nearly double the 48,042 cases the agency handled in 2015 and more than 17 times the 5,523 cases in 2009. Many of those asylum seekers end up in Southern California, including in Los Angeles and Orange County, both before and after their claims are processed. Trump is moving to change the asylum rules. In the same executive order that calls for building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the president also declared his intent to speed up the process for handling asylum claims and build detention centers to house those attempting to cross the southern border. Critics say Trumps plans upend international norms, which include fair hearings for people seeking asylum. Supporters say it closes a loophole thats been abused. While the bulk of asylum seekers arriving at the border are from Mexico and Central America, a growing number have traveled longer distances. Nearly 19,000 immigrants from outside Latin America appeared at Californias border with Mexico last year up from 5,700 in 2015 including more than 6,000 people from Haiti, about 3,500 from India, 2,500 from China, 1,800 from Cuba, and hundreds from other countries in Asia and Africa. according to data provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Their arrival has overwhelmed American immigration officials and presented new security issues even as the Trump administration tries to beef up enforcement along the southern border. The challenges that were facing now, with respect to the flow of people crossing the border, are very different from the challenges that weve faced in the past, said David Aguilar, a former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol who served under presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Asylum seekers have very different needs, he said. The requirements for dealing with them are different, and therefore the workload is different. For the migrants, that workload means waiting. Though Raphaels wife eventually gained entry to stay with relatives in Miami, Raphael remains in Tijuana, with thousands of others, in limbo. To tell you the truth, I dont know what Im doing here, Raphael said. I dont have a future in Mexico. I have nothing. I dont have a job. I just stay alone, watching TV, buying food. Chaotic system Even before Trump issued his executive orders on immigration enforcement, the flood of asylum seekers was straining resources at the border in Tijuana. The result, according to migrant lawyers and advocates, is a system rife with abuses. The procedures, the policies have changed almost every other week, said Patrick Murphy, a priest who runs the Casa del Migrante Tijuana, a shelter that has housed more than 2,000 migrants from outside of Latin America since last May. You try to adapt, to set things up, and then boom, the policy changes again. So its been a challenging nine months. At the crossing between Tijuana and San Diego, where border patrol agents are equipped to process about 100 asylum cases each day, U.S. immigration officials responded to the flood of migrants last spring by referring new arrivals to Mexican authorities, who would schedule appointments with border agents. But Mexican immigration agents were ill-equipped to handle the influx, and often turned people down something theyre forbidden to do under international law according to migrant advocates. A complaint filed with the Department of Homeland Security last month by immigration rights groups protests what they say has been a systemic denial of entry to asylum seekers at southern border crossings, including the San Ysidro port of entry near San Diego. The main problem here is that border patrol agents have zero authority to make determinations about the validity of asylum claims,said Ian Philabaum of the Innovation Law Lab, which works with immigration lawyers. But border agents are telling people that they cant apply for asylum, that they have to go back to the Mexican authorities. With Trump in office, Philabaum said, migrant advocates are already seeing signs that his hardline immigration agenda is emboldening immigration officials to turn away additional asylum seekers at the border. CBP, which oversees U.S. Border Patrol, insists that its policies on asylum have not changed. CBP officers are not authorized to determine or evaluate the validity of the fear expressed, agency spokesperson Ralph DeSio said in a statement. The applicant does not have to specifically request asylum, they simply must express fear of being returned to their country. He added that we dont tolerate any kind of abuse in the asylum system. But it is clear that the influx in asylum seekers has strained the U.S. immigration system, stretching the resources of border patrol agents, asylum officers, immigration court judges, and detention facilities run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Unlike migrants caught crossing the border illegally, those who say they fear returning to their home countries are afforded an interview with immigration officials, who determine whether that fear is enough to warrant asylum in the U.S. If a migrants fear is deemed credible, his or her case then makes its way through U.S. immigration courts, a process that can take as long as three years. In recent years, that system has become swamped. It is a tremendous workload increase that takes away from enforcement efforts, said Aguilar, who now works as a principal for the Washington, D.C.-based security firm Global Security Innovation Strategies. The whole system gets impacted. As asylum claims are processed, migrants are detained by border agents in detention centers run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But because of the overwhelming number of claims, many have been turned out on parole, a practice that critics say encourages other migrants to declare asylum. Right now, the system is not working efficiently because it is so overwhelmed, Aguilar said. And unfortunately that creates an even greater draw for people seeking asylum and an even greater flow of people at the border. Cracking down Trump has promised to crack down on what he terms asylum fraud as part of his broad plans to stem both illegal and legal immigration into the U.S. His executive order calls on the Department of Homeland Security to build detention centers along the border and to relocate asylum officers and immigration judges to those facilities to speed up the processing of asylum claims. The order also directs the agency to review its policies for granting credible fear interviews and asylum claims. Many believe this suggests the administration will take a narrow view of what qualifies migrants for asylum. Proponents of stricter immigration enforcement welcome the shift. The order focuses a lot of attention on the broken border process, and it goes way beyond the wall, said Dan Cadman, a policy fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that supports restricting immigration. This is setting up multiple defenses to (reduce) the lure of declaring asylum at the border, Cadman added. It returns the asylum and refugee process back to what it was meant to be, which is a benefit of last resort. Some of the policies outlined in the executive order including the construction of detention facilities and the hiring of immigration judges will take time to implement and require funding from Congress. Already, though, border patrol agents have seen a shift in the way the agency operates under the new administration, including how it handles those seeking asylum, said Christopher Harris, legislative and political action coordinator for the National Border Patrol Council Local 1613, the union that represents border patrol agents in San Diego. Harris declined to provide details on any specific policy changes DHS has implemented, but said that morale among agents has increased since Trump signed the executive orders on immigration last month. Before, we were just letting people go, he said. Now, thats changing, and its changing for the better. People have hope that the system will run the way its meant to be run. Immigration advocates concur that additional resources are needed to process asylum claims at the border. But they also worry that quicker processing of asylum claims combined with a narrower view of what qualifies migrants to gain asylum could result in asylum seekers being denied access to due process. Expedited processing is good, in the sense that it makes the process more efficient. But it could also dramatically reduce the chances that an individual will actually win asylum, said Faye Hipsman, a policy analyst and California program director at the Migration Policy Institute. And in the absence of concrete policy changes and additional resources for asylum officers and immigration courts legal advocates fear that border patrol agents will take it upon themselves to interpret Trumps executive order. Theres a lack of guidance and clarity in between policy and implementation, of the executive orders, said Royce Murray, policy director at the American Immigration Council. Given the combination of that ambiguity and the sentiment conveyed in the executive orders, it makes sense that the situation at the border will be more chaotic. It could be a free-for-all, he added. In the meantime, migrants continue to arrive in Tijuana. Murphy said a group, mostly from North Africa, appeared at the Casa del Migrante last week. I think this is just the beginning, he said. I joke that they came here for the American dream, but they might have to settle for the Mexican dream. PLACENTIA A truism: Husbands mess things up. Even the best things. Even the most romantic things, the nicest things. Even the things that make wives fall in love with the big lugs in the first place. Bob Hoffmann, an operations manager at Ford in Long Beach, messed up last week so badly that he needed a team of people at the Goodwill Store in Placentia and a serious amount of prayer to bail him out. In the aftermath of Valentines Day, Bob may be the most romantic, nicest and luckiest man in Southern California. When you hear his story, you may feel like slamming your palm into your forehead. And then you might want to congratulate him for showing such heart. The whole thing started when Bob thought it would be a good idea to hide an envelope full of $8,000 in cash inside the pocket of an old orange shirt in the depths of his closet. I didnt think anybody would look in there, Bob said. What could possibly go wrong? Harley romance Bob, 65, and Linda, 68, met 15 years ago in a biker bar. They both rode Harleys. I told my friend, See that man standing over there? Linda said. Im going to get to know him. He had a Springer Softail bike, the kind where the seat rides low. I love the sound of Harleys, Linda said. I love the feel of them. They got married on Sept. 30, 2011. They dont have kids, but they do have a West Highland white terrier named Casper. Just after their wedding, Bob got an incredibly romantic idea. When he retired from Ford, sometime in 2018, he was going to give Linda the vacation of her dreams. Italy, Linda said. My plan was to save $10,000, Bob said. Then one day I was going to walk up to her and say, We dont have to wish anymore. Secret account Bob didnt tell Linda about the Italy plan, which, in hindsight, might have been where this whole thing went wrong. Secretly, Bob saved money for his wifes dream trip, building up $8,000 in his account. A couple of weeks ago, real life intervened. Bob got a call from a relative who had fallen on hard times. The relative, who had children, was about to get evicted from their apartment. They were desperate. So Bob, the big-hearted guy that he is, decided to give away the money he had been saving for six years. The orange shirt Bob took the money out of the bank Feb. 6 and intended to present it to the relative later in the week. But what do you do with $8,000 in cash from your secret account? You cant just leave it lying around the house. Bob put the money in an envelope, then stuffed the envelope in the pocket of an orange Van Heusen shirt that may once have been fashionable. He had outgrown it over the years. The shirt was on the bottom rod of his closet, among the shirts he doesnt wear anymore. This is where the palm and forehead come into play. Later that same night, Linda told Bob she was going to Goodwill in the morning to donate some old clothes. Big-hearted Bob offered to help. He grabbed a bunch of shirts out of his closet and loaded them into Lindas car. Yes, one of them was the cash-laden orange Van Heusen. Linda dropped off the shirts at Goodwill the next day. You dont want to know It took Bob two days to realize what he had done. He was driving home from work Thursday evening with another $100 to add to the total he would give his relative. Where did I put that envelope? When he got home, he tried to remain calm when he asked his wife, Did you happen to drop off those shirts at Goodwill? Of course she had. Wives are efficient. Thats when Bob told her about the secret account, about how he had intended to surprise her, and about how he was going to give the money to someone who needed it more. What a nice thing to do, Linda said. It was money I didnt even know about. He worked so hard to save that money. Linda had another thought. Do you want me to ask how much was in that envelope? she asked her husband. No, Bob said. She muted the television. How much was in the envelope? she asked. When he told her she remembers saying Oh, my God. The payoff They raced to Goodwill, which, thankfully, was still open. They and a team of people searched though the store for about an hour. They found other shirts that Bob had donated. But not the orange one. Bob is an extremely strong human being, Linda said. I dont want to hurt his male ego but he was crying. I havent seen him that distraught since his parents died. They drove home that night. They prayed. The phone rang at 7:30 a.m. Friday. A woman named Caitlin Mulvihill had been searching through the warehouse when she saw a bin full of mens dress shirts. One of them was orange. I was very relieved, Mulvihill said. I saw that envelope sticking out of the pocket. Linda called Bob at work. Thank you, Jesus, they said in unison on the phone. I cant believe I actually got the money back, Bob said. The honesty and integrity of the people at Goodwill are amazing. Someone easily could have slipped that into their pocket. Linda went back to Goodwill and claimed the envelope. She offered a huge reward. But Goodwill wouldnt take it. She had to give them something. So they agreed she would pay $400 for a pizza party for the Goodwill staff. When you have good intentions, sometimes karma works in your favor. Last weekend, Bob found out his relative no longer needed the money. So he put the money safely back into the bank. He didnt mess up that part. Contact the writer: ksharon@scng.com COSTA MESA An Orange Coast College student who secretly videotaped his instructor making anti-Trump statements was suspended from school and told to write a letter of apology as well as a three-page essay about the incident. The college suspended Caleb ONeil for the current semester and the summer term, saying he violated a Coast Community College District policy prohibiting recording someone on district property without that persons consent. It is my hope that this experience will lead you to truly think through your actions and the consequences of those actions when making decisions in the future, Victoria Lugo, interim dean of students, wrote in a Feb. 9 letter to ONeil, whose video clips of instructor Olga Perez Stable Cox in December went viral. William Becker, an attorney representing ONeil, said the sanctions are excessive and the students legal rights have been violated. ONeil, 19, plans to appeal and can continue to attend classes during that process, Becker said. This is an attack by leftists in academia to protect the expressive rights of their radical instructors at the expense of the expressive rights of conservative students on campus, said Becker, president of Freedom X, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving religious and conservative freedom of expression. ONeil, who campaigned for Trump, couldnt be reached for comment on Tuesday. RELATED: Why arent students allowed to videotape teachers? Caleb ONeil filed an appeal Wednesday and spoke publicly at a news conference OCC student gets support from across the country Orange Coast College President Dennis Harkins had previously said his administration would investigate whether Coxs comments were appropriate and within the context of what she teaches. Whether that has concluded is unclear. College spokesman Doug Bennett said this week that the school could not comment on personnel manners, and he declined to discuss investigations involving students, citing their privacy. Three other students, all leaders with the schools College Republicans, which posted the video clips, received letters saying there was insufficient evidence to proceed against them, said Joshua Recalde-Martinez, one of the three. Im disgusted that they imposed such excessive sanctions against (ONeil), especially when the student was just trying to document a case where he personally felt targeted by a faculty member and his student rights were violated, said Recalde-Martinez, who founded the OCC College Republicans and served as its president until recent weeks. To be allowed back in school, the letter says, ONeils essay is to be three pages and double-spaced and must discuss why he videotaped the professor. Also, the essay is to cover his thoughts and analysis on why he decided to share the videos, what he thought would happen to Cox and the impact of the video going viral and the ensuing damage to Orange Coast College students, faculty and staff. ONeil videotaped Cox as she called the election of Donald Trump an act of terrorism and declared that those leading the assault are among us. ONeil took the video to leaders from the schools College Republicans, who, joined by attorney Shawn Steel, complained to the campus administration. A week later, saying they were frustrated that the administration had not acted on their concerns of a teacher using her classroom as a bully pulpit, the campus Republicans posted video clips online, where they quickly became national news. The attention led Cox, 66, an instructor at the school for 42 years, to temporarily leave her home following an onslaught of angry, sometimes threatening mail. In an interview with the Register last month, Cox said her comments to students made in all of her three human sexuality classes were meant to comfort those who were upset about the election of Trump and offer resources should students feel discriminated against. As a gay Latina, Cox said she was frightened by Trumps election. Rob Schneiderman, president of the union that represents the districts faculty, said he is satisfied that there were some consequences and someone is being held responsible. Although, he added, in this type of situation, nobody wins. Contact the writer: rkopetman@scng.com and Twitter@roxanakopetman WASHINGTON Michael Flynns resignation as national security adviser 24 days into the Trump administration has foreign policy advisers scrambling to make sense of the nations rapidly shifting position in the world. Some saw it as likely to moderate the administrations zeal for allowing fighting radical Islamic extremism to become the driver of U.S. policy Flynn was a strident believer that the Islamic State and radical Islam are an existential threat to the West. But the impact on U.S. relations with Russia might be even greater, with Flynn becoming the third Trump official to depart over his Russia ties. Trump will be more inclined to regard Russia as a threat, said Mark F. Cancian, senior adviser at the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Flynn was one of Trumps closest and longest-tenured confidants, joining the campaign in the early days of 2016, two months after he famously attended the gala of Russian broadcaster RT and was seated next to President Vladimir Putin. Until Tuesday, he had the ear of the president every day, often multiple times a day. His job entailed both briefing the president and coordinating with other national security officials in the administration. Experts said his departure likely means more room to focus on other potential threats around the world, not just the Islamic State. Nora Bensahel, distinguished scholar-in-residence at American Universitys School of International Service, expects more attention on Iran, Russia and North Korea. The Islamic State will remain a very important national security issue, but, she said, it wont be the first one among equals. It will be more seen by whoever succeeds Flynn as an important problem, but as a practical problem to be solved rather than an ideology which must fundamentally be addressed for the very survival of the United States, Bensahel said. Flynn is the third Trump adviser forced out over links to the Russian government of President Vladimir Putin. Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager, was first. Carter Page, an early foreign policy adviser to the campaign, also left amid scrutiny over his Russian ties. But the Trump administrations strident views on Islam arent likely to go away. Other senior Trump advisers, such as Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller, are likely to continue to push an anti-Islam line. As for Russia, the former officials named as likely successors, retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, who also headed the CIA, or retired Vice Adm. Bob Harward, a former Navy SEAL, wouldnt be anyones candidate for being in the pocket of the Russians. They also dont share Flynns extreme views on Islam. Both recognize the issue is more complex than the phrase radical Islamic terrorism suggests, said Colin Kahl, a national security adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden and currently a professor at Georgetown University. But Kahl said it still remains to be seen if a new national security adviser can reassert the traditional authority of the National Security Council. Will they actually be able to push that line? Kahl said. Or are they going to be boxed out by Bannon? Especially since Trump is pretty all in on the radical Islamic terrorism thing. Congress is already looking into Russian meddling in the United States political system. Several top Republicans expect the investigation to expand to include the circumstances surrounding Flynns departure. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Senate Republican leadership, said he expected Flynn to testify before Congress. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, told reporters Tuesday that Flynns departure should be handled as part of a broader investigation into Russias involvement in U.S. affairs. I believe the scope of that would cover anything that has to do with Russia and its involvement in, before, during and after, the election, Rubio said. I have full confidence that the intelligence committee is going to do a good job. If they dont, Ill let everyone know that we didnt, but I believe that we can and I believe that we will. Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., hopes the experience will cause the administration to be more circumspect with both formal and informal communications between governments. When I talk to people back home, one of their concerns is theres been this Wild West, cowboy element in the way Trump will say anything to anybody at any time, Sanford said. And I think diplomacy is what the word suggests there should be a level of diplomacy. So I think its perhaps a learning moment for the administration to make sure all the Ts are crossed and all the Is are dotted in our engaging with foreign nations. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer dismissed any accusations that Trump was going easy on Russia. He emphasized that the president continues to raise the issue of Crimea, which the previous administration allowed to be seized by Russia. Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official and current resident scholar at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute, said Flynns departure will open up a greater perspective on a range of threats from Iran to Russia and, perhaps, a better understanding of how they interlock and affect each other. Were going to back into realm of reality with Russia, Rubin said. Every recent president, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, tried to have a reset with Russia. But love the policy or hate the policy, those policies were based on much more understood set of facts or parameters. The problem with Flynn is it seemed he was willing to believe all the sweet nothings that were whispered into his ear. WASHINGTON An influential science advisory group formed by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine on Tuesday lent its support to a once-unthinkable proposition: clinical efforts to engineer humans with inheritable genetic traits. In a report laden with caveats and notes of caution, the group endorsed the alteration of human eggs, sperm and embryos but only to prevent babies from being born with genes known to cause serious diseases and disability, only when no reasonable alternative exists, and only when a plan is in place to track the effects of the procedure through multiple generations. Human genetic engineering for any reason has long been seen as an ethical minefield. Many scientists fear that the techniques used to prevent genetic diseases might also be used to enhance intelligence or create humans physically suited to particular tasks, like soldiers. Just over a year ago, an international group of scientists declared that it would be irresponsible to proceed with making heritable changes to the human genome until the risks could be better assessed and until there was broad societal consensus about the appropriateness of any proposed change. Because any genetic changes in human eggs, sperm and embryos, also called the germ line, can be passed on to future generations, the recommendation crosses a line that many have viewed as ethically inviolable, the report acknowledges. But in the last year, the reports authors said, the techniques required to perform this sort of gene editing have passed crucial milestones that have forced ethical considerations to the fore. Previously, it was easy for people to say, This isnt possible, so we dont have to think about it much, said Richard Hynes, a cancer researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was one of the leaders of the committee that wrote the new report. Now we can see a path whereby we might be able to do it, so we have to think about how to make sure its used only for the right things and not for the wrong things, he said. A more pragmatic concern driving the committee was the likelihood that the technology would be adopted elsewhere, in countries like China, where some pioneering research on editing human embryos without the intent to gestate them has already taken place. If we have an absolute prohibition in the United States with this technology advancing, its not like it wont happen, said R. Alta Charo, a bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the committees other leader. We see an advantage of setting out a stringent regulation that guards against the uses that people are most fearing and signals to the rest of the world what it should look like when its done right. But opponents of human germ line editing say thats not a good enough reason for taking a crucial step toward what they fear will be the inevitable use of technology to engineer traits like strength, beauty and intelligence, perhaps eventually creating a dystopian social divide between those who can afford such enhancements and those who cannot. This opens the door to advertisements from fertility clinics of giving your child the best start in life with a gene-editing packet, said Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, a public interest group based in Berkeley, Calif. And whether these are real advantages or perceived advantages, they would accrue disproportionately to people who are already advantaged. But no one should expect to order up a designer baby anytime soon. It will most likely be several years before gene-editing techniques tested in mice can be shown to work in human sperm or eggs. And for the moment, the Food and Drug Administration is prohibited from using federal money to review research on inheritable embryo modification. Given the strict limitations recommended by the group, those who would qualify are likely to be a surpassingly small group: individuals who carry two copies of the genetic mutation that causes Huntingtons disease, for instance, and have no other way of having a genetically related child unaffected by the disease. But the fact that its a small number of people doesnt mean their concerns are any less real, Charo said. You have to really confront the people who could benefit from it and tell them why you wont let them use it. Enrique Marquez Jr. will admit in court this week that he illegally purchased the rifles used in the deadly San Bernardino terrorist siege for friend Syed Rizwan Farook and that he helped Farook form plans for attacks on the 91 Freeway and Riverside City College that were later scuttled, the U.S. Attorneys Office said Tuesday, Feb. 14. Marquez, a 25-year-old Riverside resident, has agreed to a deal that could imprison him for the statutory maximum sentence of 25 years to life in federal prison, a news release said. He faced up to 50 years in federal prison if convicted of all charges and if the maximum sentences were served consecutively. Marquez is scheduled to plead guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Riverside to providing material support and resources to terrorists and making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of firearms. He originally pleaded not guilty to additional charges involving to a fake-marriage scheme that was designed to help a Russian citizen related to Farook remain in the U.S. after long overstaying her visa. Marquezs trial had been set for Sept. 26. Marquez has not been charged with directly participating in the Dec. 2, 2015, San Bernardino attack. That morning, Farook, 28, and wife Tashfeen Malik, 27, opened fire in a conference room at the Inland Regional Center, where Farooks San Bernardino County Division of Environmental Health Services co-workers were enjoying a holiday party. The couple killed 14 people and wounded 22 others. Police killed them in a gunbattle hours later. The material support to terrorists involved the purchase of weapons and explosives for planned attacks in 2011 and 2012 that went unused until the San Bernardino attack. Over 2011 and 2012, Marquez purchased a Smith and Wesson M&P-15 Sport rifle and a DPMS model A-15 rifle for Farook, according to the Department of Justices affidavit written in support of the criminal complaint against Marquez. Each rifle cost approximately $750. According to the affidavit, Marquez told investigators that he agreed to purchase the weapons because his appearance was Caucasian, while Farook looked Middle-Eastern. Farook was born in Illinois. Marquez is a U.S. citizen. Marquez also purchased explosive material ultimately used to construct a pipe bomb found at the IRC. The day after the San Bernardino attack, Marquez called 911 and told the operator, My neighbor. He did the San Bernardino shooting. The (expletive) used my gun in the shooting, according to a transcript of the call contained in the FBI affidavit. Marquez then checked himself into a mental health facility. The FBI eventually arrested Marquez and questioned him for 10 days, during which, the affidavit said, Marquez admitted his role in the Riverside plots. NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBORS Marquez met Farook when Marquezs family moved in next door in Riverside in 2005. Both attended La Sierra High, a few years apart. The two shared interests in cars and guns. Marquez had worked since 2012 as a doorman at Morgans Tavern in Riverside, getting around by bicycle, but his California security guard license expired in 2014. Marquez worked as a guard at the Wal-Mart on McKinley Avenue in Corona for about two months, until about the time of the attack. Wal-Mart spokesman Brian Nick told the Associated Press that Marquez worked at the store since May but had been fired. Riverside musician Crystal Carrera in 2015 said she knew Marquez from Morgans, where she once worked security. On nights when she performed, Marquez would fill in for her at the door and took over the job when she left. Carrera was shocked to see his picture on TV. I thought it was a joke, she said. I keep trying to wrap my mind around it. Marquez was into punk music. When he started going to the bar, he hung out with whoever was there, but he started getting into the bands and becoming part of the Inland music scene, Carrera said. Tavern owner Jerry Morgan in 2015 called Marquez a cheery, efficient, easygoing doorman who was honest and never caused problems. Marquez struck Morgan as the sort of kid who didnt belong anywhere, and the owner said he tried to make him feel welcome. When Morgan and his wife learned of alleged involvement in a terrorist plot, he balked. Enrique? Marquez recalls telling her. That guy couldnt fight his way out of a paper bag.' Marquez was raised a Catholic, but Farook soon converted him to Islam, according to the affidavit. Several years later, Marquez began listening to lectures from a terrorist, Anwar al-Awlaki. In 2011, the affidavit said, Farook provided more radical Islamic material to Marquez. The pair began planning attacks on Riverside City College and on motorists on the 91 freeway, the affidavit said. And as part of those plans, the affidavit said Marquez told federal investigators, Marquez was now teaching Farook: In this case, how to build bombs and detonate them by using the filament from a Christmas light bulb to create a spark. The plans were halted in 2012 when FBI agents coincidentally arrested a group of Inland men who planned to join Al-Qaida overseas and attack American service personnel there, according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court. Malaysian police arrested a Vietnamese woman suspected of involvement in the murder of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Uns half-brother. Doan Thi Huong, 28, was arrested on Wednesday morning at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 carrying a Vietnam travel document, according to a statement by Malaysian police Inspector General Khalid Bin Abu Bakar. The suspect was positively identified from closed-circuit television footage and was alone at the time, he said. Earlier on Wednesday, a South Korean lawmaker said that two Asian women had approached Kim Jong Nam in the airport on Monday and later fled in a taxi. South Korean officials believe he was poisoned with either a needle or a spray, Lee Cheol-woo, chairman of the intelligence committee in South Koreas parliament, told reporters after meeting the nations intelligence chief. The murder has triggered questions about the stability of Kims regime as he accelerates plans to build nuclear weapons that threaten the U.S., South Korea and Japan. South Korean analysts and government officials have speculated that Kim was behind the killing of his half-brother, a critic of his leadership who lived outside the country for years. South Korea believes the deceased man was Kim Jong Nam based on closed-circuit television footage and the photo on his North Korean passport, Lee said. Malaysian authorities released a statement identifying him as Kim Chol, 46, who was born in Pyongyang. Abdul Samah Mat, the police chief of Selangor state which takes in the airport, said earlier that an autopsy is underway at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. He declined to give further details. Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of former dictator Kim Jong Il, fell out of favor with his father after he was caught trying to enter Japan using a fake Dominican Republic passport in 2001, according to Japanese reporter Yoji Gomi, who wrote a book about him. Kim Jong Nam had been critical of Kim Jong Un, reportedly saying in 2012 that he wont last long because of his youth and inexperience. The two brothers have different mothers. Kim Jong Un has had a standing order to kill Kim Jong Nam since he took power in 2011, Lee said. There was a previous attempt to kill him in 2012, according to Lee. He added that China had been protecting Kim Jong Nam, who has family members in Beijing and Macau, without saying how he knew that was the case. 2017 Bloomberg L.P. Contact the writer: kkong@bloomberg.net or ashukry2@bloomberg.net LAGUNA BEACH Ann Christoph, a local landscape architect, has always known that this art-inspired town known for its breathtaking ocean cliffs and sweeping canyons was special. But it was a meeting with Noelle Vernon, a professor at Cal Poly Pomona, that kick-started an idea to identify Laguna and its 22,000 acres of preserved open space as a Historic American Landscape. Vernon, a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, was in charge of locating areas in California that qualify for the distinction by the National Parks Service and the Library of Congress. She was thinking something more like Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, Christoph recalled. I said, Why not come up with something that includes all of Laguna Beach and its surrounding greenbelt and bluebelt? Eight years later, the idea has become reality. In December, Laguna Beach and its greenbelt were named a Historic American Landscape, one of 700 sites nationwide to get the recognition. Others include Yosemite National Park, the California missions and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. On Wednesday, a book titled Laguna Beach and the Greenbelt, Celebrating a Treasured Historic American Landscape will be released. Written and compiled by Christoph and eight other Laguna Beach activists, the book presents most of the documentation used to get the national designation. It includes historic homestead maps, photographs and history of the art colony and community activism. Its a reinforcement of the uniqueness and high esteem Laguna deserves, Christoph said. Sometimes when its your place, you take a lot for granted. It points out how the landscape is significant to the communitys development. Its the foundation of why we are, what we are. The book describes how Lagunas beauty and dramatic natural landscape are directly related to the community and its artistic traditions. It points to its geological formations, natural vegetation and coastal location and why that attracted artists even back in the early 1900s. It also shows how the artistic influence and the character of the landscape shaped the qualities of the city. Laguna Beach was spared from ranching because its canyons, steep cliffs and lack of vegetation didnt work for raising cattle, Christoph said. Homesteaders who started arriving in 1870 blocked out areas and planted rows of eucalyptus to show they had improved the land and to mark their spots. The parcels were rectangular. And that is reflected in the streets today Park Avenue and West Street both run diagonally, she said. Instead of one landowner, homesteads were given out in small pieces. Each homesteader did something different with road patterns, lot layouts and concepts. North Laguna was laid out in a more organized way with alleys, curbs and gutters because it was once part of the Irvine Ranch. But there was no master plan for the rest of Laguna. The hills, canyons and vegetation all led to a diverse village character and place, Christoph said. If we were all flat like Huntington Beach, the artists wouldnt have come here, she said. The coastal cliffs, the canyons and the ocean all inspired the plein air painters. William Wendts painting had a spiritual component. He was trying to capture the spiritual inspiration that comes from nature. Christoph said artists who came to Laguna were concerned that the town could be come less beautiful, so they started a garden club, planted trees to enhance the beauty. They were concerned the beach area could become a cheap fun zone, she said. Laguna Beach and its different beauty was its fame. They didnt want it to become Balboa Island. The Historic American Landscape Survey program was started in 2000. It records historic landscapes in the U.S. through drawings, written histories and large-format black and white photographs and color photographs, said Christopher Stevens, a landscape architect with the National Parks Service. Historical landscapes foster a sense of community and place, Stevens said. Historic landscapes are also fragile places. They are affected by the forces of nature and by commercial and residential development and vandalism. For these reasons and for the benefit of future generations, it is important to document these places. The program, like the Historic American Building Survey and the Historic American Engineering Record, is overseen by the National Park Service. It is done in consultation with the American Society of Landscape Architects. The archives are housed in the Library of Congress. Getting the designation wasnt easy. Once Christoph came up with the idea, it would take nearly five years before Ron Chilcote, a member of the Laguna Greenbelt group, formed the Committee for the Preservation of the Laguna Legacy. Lagunas greenbelt came about because of James Dilley, who in 1968 sought to conserve the coastal wilderness around the city. Chilcote selected other members who have played a role in preserving Lagunas character since the 1970s. They spent three years gathering the documentation that led to the designation. This distinction opens Laguna Beach to everyone throughout the country, Chilcote said. Its the legacy of the past and everything that has shaped Laguna Beach. In the book we recognize the past, celebrate the present and leave a legacy to the future. 714-796-2254 or eritchie@scng.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini A tear in a window screen might lead to a bigger insect problem, or a minor eyesore for passersby, but in Charlestown, Ind., it can also lead to the loss of your home. Within the small city of about 8,000 people, the working-class neighborhood of Pleasant Ridge, populated primarily by lower-income families and retirees, has been targeted by the city for redevelopment and it appears the city is willing to use any means necessary to get rid of the 357 homes there. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts infamous Kelo v. City of New London case, which sanctioned using eminent domain for economic development and private gain, Indiana adopted restrictions on such use of eminent domain, so the city had to get more creative to oust its unwanted residents. The Institute for Justice, a libertarian public-interest law firm representing 43 property owners in the neighborhood, explains how the city was able to force people from their homes. City inspectors started fining Pleasant Ridge homeowners for minor or trivial property code violations like a torn screen, chipped paint or a downed tree limb. The citations stated that the owner owed $50 per violation, per day, and multiple citations were issued per property, which means that a single home could accumulate hundreds of dollars in fines per day. In many cases, the fines began accruing the day a citation was issued, so by the time an owner received it in the mail, he or she was already on the hook for thousands of dollars in fines. This violates the citys own property maintenance code, IJ contends, which allows owners a reasonable period of time to correct issues before fines are imposed, as well as state law prohibiting immediate, accumulating fines for alleged unsafe buildings. The city program also violates the homeowners constitutional rights of due process, equal protection and free speech, as well as the Constitutions prohibition on excessive fines, IJ asserts. Keep in mind that Pleasant Ridges prefabricated homes, originally built during World War II for workers at a nearby (and long since closed) ammunition plant, only have a market value of between $25,000 to $40,000, and this is a relatively poor section of a city where the median household income is about $43,600 a year. The city then offers homeowners one out: Sell to real estate developer Neace Ventures, which has been buying up properties for $10,000, a fraction of the fair market value, and the city will waive the fines. To be sure, there are legitimate safety issues with some of the old homes, but many others are perfectly safe and well cared for. Nonetheless, the city wants them all gone. Fines are a tool cities sometimes use as a last resort to ensure that properties are safe, IJ attorney Anthony Sanders said in a statement. The city, however, has turned fines into weapons, using them to force homeowners to sell to a private developer at a steep discount. This is not the first time IJ has represented victims of nitpicky city fines. Shortly after the state of Missouri capped how much revenue cities could generate from traffic tickets in 2009, the city of Pagedale saw a 500 percent increase in non-traffic-related tickets. The towns ticketing orgy included fines for such minor offenses as having holes in window screens, displaying mismatched curtains, walking on the left-hand side of a crosswalk, wearing pants below the waist or having weeds in the yard higher than seven inches. The new wrinkle in the Charlestown, Ind., case is that a city is using code enforcement to circumvent eminent domain law, IJ attorney Jeff Rowes told the New York Times. The fear is that this may become a model for central planners and busybodies in local governments to do an end run around inconvenient property rights protections that stifle their agendas and grand designs. The great and chief end of men uniting into commonwealths, and putting themselves under government, is the preservation of their property, Enlightenment-era philosopher John Locke wrote in his Two Treatises of Government. In other words, what good is government if it not only fails its chief responsibility, but actively violates the rights of those it was established to protect? It is certainly easier for government officials to ignore and trample upon others interests to further their own aims, but that does not entitle them to toss property rights out the window, even if it has a torn screen. Adam B. Summers is a columnist with the Southern California News Group. WASHINGTON Russia has secretly deployed a new cruise missile despite complaints from U.S. officials that it violates a landmark arms control treaty that helped seal the end of the Cold War, administration officials say. The move presents a major challenge for President Donald Trump, who has vowed to improve relations with President Vladimir Putin of Russia and to pursue arms accords. The new Russian missile deployment also comes as the Trump administration is struggling to fill key policy positions at the State Department and the Pentagon and to settle on a permanent replacement for Michael T. Flynn, the national security adviser who resigned late Monday. Flynn stepped down after it was revealed that he had misled the vice president and other officials over conversations with Moscows ambassador to Washington. The ground-launched cruise missile at the center of U.S. concerns is one that the Obama administration said in 2014 had been tested in violation of a 1987 treaty that bans U.S. and Russian intermediate-range missiles based on land. The Obama administration had sought to persuade the Russians to correct the violation while the missile was still in the test phase. Instead the Russians have moved ahead with the system, deploying a fully operational unit. Administration officials said the Russians now have two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile. One is still located at Russias missile test site at Kapustin Yar in southern Russia near Volgograd. The other was shifted in December from that test site to an operational base elsewhere in the country, according to a senior official who did not provide further details and requested anonymity to discuss recent intelligence reports about the missile. U.S. officials had called the cruise missile the SSC-X-8. But the X has been removed from intelligence reports, indicating that U.S. intelligence officials consider the missile to be operational and no longer a system in development. The missile program has been a major concern for the Pentagon, which has developed options for how to respond, including deploying additional missile defenses in Europe or developing air-based or sea-based cruise missiles. Russias actions are politically significant, as well. It is very unlikely that the Senate, which is already skeptical of Putins intentions, would agree to ratify a new strategic arms control accord unless the alleged violation of the intermediate-range treaty is corrected. Trump has said the United States should strengthen and expand its nuclear capability. But at the same time, he has talked of reaching a new arms agreement with Moscow that would reduce arms very substantially. The deployment of the system could also substantially increase the military threat to NATO nations, depending on where the highly mobile system is based and how many more batteries are deployed in the future. Jim Mattis, the U.S. defense secretary, is scheduled to meet with allied defense ministers in Brussels on Wednesday. Before he left his post last year as the NATO commander and retired from the military, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove warned that deployment of the cruise missile would be a militarily significant development that cant go unanswered. Coming up with an arms control solution would not be easy. Each missile battalion is believed to have four mobile launchers with about half a dozen nuclear-tipped missiles allocated to each of the launchers. The mobile launcher for the cruise missile, however, closely resembles the mobile launcher used for the Iskander, a nuclear-tipped short-range system that is permitted under treaties. This will make location and verification really tough, Breedlove said in an interview. While senior Trump administration officials have not said where the new unit is based, there has been speculation in press reports that a missile system with similar characteristics is deployed in central Russia. U.S. and Russian relations were on a better footing in December 1987 when President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, signed an arms accord, formally known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and commonly called the INF treaty. As a result of the agreement, Russia and the United States destroyed 2,692 missiles. The missiles the Russians destroyed included the SS-20. The Americans destroyed their Pershing II ballistic missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles, which were based in Western Europe. We can only hope that this history-making agreement will not be an end in itself but the beginning of a working relationship that will enable us to tackle the other urgent issues before us, Reagan said at the time. But the Russians developed buyers remorse. During the George W. Bush administration, Sergei B. Ivanov, the Russian defense minister, suggested that the treaty be dropped because Russia still faced threats from nations on its periphery, including China. The Bush administration, however, was reluctant to terminate a treaty that NATO nations valued and whose abrogation would have enabled Russia to build up forces that could potentially be directed at the United States allies in Asia, as well. In June 2013, Putin complained that nearly all of our neighbors are developing these kinds of weapons systems and described the Soviet Unions decision to conclude the INF treaty as debatable to say the least. Russia began testing the cruise missile as early as 2008. Rose Gottemoeller, who was the State Departments top arms control official during the Obama administration and is now the deputy secretary-general of NATO, first raised the alleged violation with Russian officials in 2013. After years of frustration, the United States convened a November 2016 meeting in Geneva of a special verification commission established under the treaty to deal with compliance issues. It was the first meeting in 13 years of the commission, whose members include the United States, Russia and three former Soviet republics that are also party to the accord: Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. But Russia denied it had breached the treaty and responded with its own allegations of U.S. violations, which the Americans asserted were spurious. The Obama administration argued that it was in the United States interest to preserve the treaty. Having failed to persuade the Russians to fix the alleged violation, some military experts say, the United States needs to ratchet up the pressure by announcing plans to expand missile defenses in Europe and deploy sea-based or air-based nuclear missiles. We have strong tools like missile defense and counterstrike, and we should not take any of them off the table, Breedlove said. Franklin C. Miller, a longtime Pentagon official who served on the National Security Council under Bush, said the Russian military may see the cruise missile as a way to expand its target coverage in Europe and China so it can free its strategic nuclear forces to concentrate on targets in the United States. Clearly, the Russian military thinks this system is very important, important enough to break the treaty, Miller said. But he cautioned against responding in kind by seeking to deploy new U.S. intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe. The last thing NATO needs is a bruising debate as we had in the late 70s and early 80s about new missile deployments in Europe, Miller added. The United States should build up its missile defense in Europe. But if the United States wants to deploy a military response, it should be sea-based. Jon Wolfsthal, who served as a nuclear weapons expert on the National Security Council during the Obama administration, said the United States, its NATO allies, Japan and South Korea needed to work together to put pressure on Russia to correct the violation. The response, he wrote on Twitter, should be taken by the alliance as a whole. The Trump administration is in the beginning stages of reviewing nuclear policy and has not said how it plans to respond. We do not comment on intelligence matters, Mark Toner, the acting State Department spokesman, said. We have made very clear our concerns about Russias violation, the risks it poses to European and Asian security, and our strong interest in returning Russia to compliance with the treaty. Californias water regulators just cant give up their control of our lawn watering and shower times, despite a federal analysis showing that most of the state is no longer in drought. Even as Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for 50 counties last month due to flooding, erosion and mud flows, and the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is nearly twice average levels, the State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously last week to extend water conservation rules until at least May. In April 2015, Gov. Brown took the unprecedented step of imposing statewide water restrictions, ordering urban water agencies to reduce usage 25 percent below 2013 levels. Those rules were eased in May 2016, when the State Water Board lifted them for the 80 percent of water agencies able to show that they had three years of supply on hand. Those regulations had been set to expire at the end of the month. Statewide water use for December 2016 was 20.6 percent lower than December 2013 levels, and cumulative savings from June 2015 through December 2016 were 22.5 percent, according to the board. Just a couple of weeks ago, it was determined that, for the first time in three years, no part of the state was experiencing exceptional drought, the worst of four drought categories. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, less than 1 percent of the state is in extreme drought, concentrated in southern Santa Barbara County and central Ventura County, and 11 percent is in severe drought. Less than half the state is experiencing any drought at all, down from 95 percent a year ago. Aside from the states command-and-control tactics, and the question of whether restrictions are still necessary, the regulations also have other damaging effects. Many of the water agencies have voiced concerns that maintaining the restrictions while drought conditions have eased and reservoirs and snowpacks remain higher than normal could lead to a boy who cried wolf problem, damaging agencies credibility with consumers. We just encourage the state to go ahead and let the word emergency mean something, mean something serious, so that we can use it again, Dave Bolland, director of state regulatory relations for the Association of California Water Agencies, told the State Water Board at its meeting. Moreover, as the San Diego County Water Authority noted, the restrictions have made it more difficult to attract and retain businesses. Lest there be any doubt that control is a key factor at play here, Gov. Brown has directed the State Water Board to develop permanent conservation rules, including caps on indoor and outdoor water use, for implementation likely beginning next year. Taxpayers have authorized tens of billions of dollars in water bonds over the past couple of decades, but we have precious little to show for it besides unnecessary pork-barrel projects and programs unrelated to actual infrastructure, such as land conservancy purchases, funding for parks and nature education facilities like museums and aquariums and programs for sustainable communities. Rather than micromanaging our landscaping and car washing behaviors, the state should get serious about increasing water storage capacity and other needed infrastructure. BRUSSELS Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, echoing his boss in Washington, warned Wednesday that the amount of U.S. support for NATO could depend on whether other countries meet their own spending commitments. Americans cannot care more for your childrens future security than you do, Mattis said in his first speech to NATO allies since becoming defense secretary. I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my countrys people in concrete terms. America will meet its responsibilities, he said, but he made clear that U.S. support had its limits. In his speech to NATO defense ministers, Mattis repeated a call made by previous U.S. secretaries of defense, for European allies to spend more on their militaries. His comments Wednesday give teeth to President Donald Trumps expressed skepticism about the alliance. Whats more, Mattis went further than his predecessors in apparently linking U.S. contributions to the alliance to what other countries spend. If your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defense, he said. This meeting in Brussels was always going to be a tough European debut for the Trump administration, as Mattis also sought to convince NATO allies that the United States still values the alliance despite the presidents persistent critiques. The latest disclosures, that members of Trumps 2016 campaign and other confidantes had communicated with Russia intelligence officers, and the resignation of Trumps national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, for misleading statements about his telephone conversation with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, raised allies anxiety. Privately and publicly, a number of top NATO officials expressed concern about Russian meddling in elections in Europe and the United States. And they hung on Mattis every word Wednesday, listening for clues to understand what the complex entanglements between Trump administration officials and Russian intelligence officers might mean for the trans-Atlantic alliance as it tries to confront a menacing and more aggressive Moscow. Mattis sought to persuade Americas allies that nothing has changed when it comes to countering President Vladimir Putin and Russia. He said Flynns exit over his communications with Russias ambassador would not change his message to NATO. Frankly this has no impact, he said aboard his flight to Brussels. No effect at all. But Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Dutch minister of defense, was pointed. Theres no such thing as business as usual with Russia, she said Wednesday before the meeting. One NATO official characterized the mood in the heavily fortified compound as tense and said allies were waiting to see if the message Mattis presented Wednesday differed in tone from what Trump has said. In one important way, the defense secretary amplified the presidents previous statements. Though Mattis acknowledged concern in European capitals about Americas commitment to NATO and the security of Europe, he said allies must do more to reach their commitments to spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense. No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of western values, he said. Mattis also struck an assertive tone on Russia, saying the 2014 annexation of Crimea dashed any hopes that NATO could have a real partnership with Russia. Events of 2014 were sobering, he said in opening remarks made alongside the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg. He added: As President Trump has stated, he has strong support for NATO. But many officials here remained unconvinced, privately citing Trumps previous statements calling the alliance obsolete and complaining that it had not bothered about terrorism. Last year, he suggested that U.S. support for members of the alliance might be conditional on whether those members paid their financial share. Trumps remarks have deeply rattled NATOs Eastern European members in particular. But his comments may have spurred a new focus on the alliances spending. The U.S. has made clear that we need more defense spending and fairer burden-sharing, Stoltenberg said Wednesday. He pointed to numbers released a day earlier that showed that military spending among European NATO countries and Canada had increased 3.8 percent in 2016 around $10 billion. This is significant, but not enough, Stoltenberg said. We have to continue to increase military spending across Europe and Canada. Separately, Stoltenberg expressed concern over news that Russia had deployed a new cruise missile that U.S. officials say violates a landmark arms control treaty. The ground-launched cruise missile is one that the Obama administration said in 2014 had been tested in violation of a 1987 treaty that bans U.S. and Russian intermediate-range missiles based on land. The Obama administration tried to persuade the Russians to correct the violation while the missile was still in the test phase, but instead, the Russians have moved ahead with the system, deploying a fully operational unit. Any noncompliance of Russia with the INF treaty would be a serious concern for the alliance, Stoltenberg said. Viet Thanh Nguyen is on the kind of roll any author might envy. The Sympathizer, his 2015 debut novel, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Last year his nonfiction work, Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Now comes a short story collection titled The Refugees, which arrived last week to great anticipation, which makes Nguyen, who will be featured in the Register Book Clubs next forum on Tuesday, a very hot writer indeed, though he laughs as he explains that this seeming flurry of rapid activity actually has been gestating for years. Its an illusion because these books were written over 17 or 20 years, says Nguyen by phone from Washington, D.C., where he was attending a writers conference between stops on his book tour. They just happen to be coming out at the same time. Id have preferred it had been every five or six years, but there is something to be said for just throwing the books out there all at once to get peoples attention. Especially, we suppose, when the attention has been so uniformly positive on the manner in which Nguyen, 45, has artfully presented new stories about the Vietnamese experience, from the war years to the scattering of refugees when it ended in 1975 and tens of thousands including the 4-year-old future author and his family were resettled in the United States. Nguyens books touch on the kinds of common human experiences that any immigrant or refugee might go through, which with his own lifes story gives him a particular insight into the current debate over such matters. And their freshness to readers comes partly from the fact that Nguyens perspective on Vietnam, the war and the people, represents a shift in perspective from the American observer to the Vietnamese. Even before movies, the first thing that I saw that signaled to me that how I thought about Vietnamese people was not the same as how other Americans thought about Vietnamese people was in San Jose, when I was very young, says Nguyen, whose family after initially being resettled in Harrisburg, Pa., moved to Northern California. My parents had opened perhaps the second Vietnamese grocery store in the city, and one day I was walking near their store and in another store window I saw a sign that said, Another American driven out of business by the Vietnamese. I thought, Well, this is not my perception of things, he says. And that sense that there were Americans out there who thought we were a danger to them was reinforced when I began reading American accounts of the war and watching American movies. Nguyen, who is a professor of English and American studies and ethnicity at USC, describes how he first saw the movie Apocalypse Now when he was 10 or 11, and how alien it seemed to the stories that his parents and others in the Vietnamese American community told about the war. After watching I think just about every American movie ever made about the Vietnam War, and reading a lot of the important fictional accounts, I realized that in these accounts at best the Vietnamese were usually voiceless and there to be rescued or killed, and at worst they were gooks, he says. And I understood that it was this version of American images of the Vietnamese that led directly to seeing that sign in the storefront. So Ive always seen my writing as an attempt to both counterattack the stories that we see on page and on screen, and to counteract their manifestation in the real world in things like that racist sign. The Sympathizer, which tells the story of a North Vietnamese spy working with a South Vietnamese general, both during the war and after in California, grew directly out of that feeling that within many Vietnamese Americans there is a duality a double consciousness, as Nguyen says the African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois wrote years ago, by which a member of a minority group sees himself through his own eyes and then through the eyes of white people as well. So in my novel I set down that idea by Du Bois because I thought it was true of my own condition, and turned that into a statement for my character as a man who is divided in many, many different ways, Nguyen says. The short story collection The Refugees presents more of these kinds of moments, as its characters deal with the uncertain lives theyve found, lives for which they are grateful, often while struggling to reconcile present with past. In the story War Years, which Nguyen says is the only autobiographically inspired work hes ever written, that conflict is played out in ways familiar to any community with a large population of Vietnamese Americans, where some would just as soon forget the war while others simply cant. In many ways his books speak to the current controversies over banning immigrants and refugees from various countries or faiths, and connects it to similar tensions throughout American history. It is very American to welcome in immigrants and refugees, Nguyen says. We have a strong tradition of doing that. But at the same time we also have a very strong tradition of xenophobia and racism that is not an accident, not an aberration; its actually fundamental to American history and the American character. He mentions such moments in our history as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 or the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as well as the most recent examples of the ban on immigrants and refugees sought by President Donald Trump but for now halted by the courts. When California was actively against the Chinese in the 19th century, they thought the Chinese were an existential threat to American culture, Nguyen says. So its not new. Only now, 150 years later, and we think, Oh, the Chinese are actually very assimilable, and of course theyre a model minority. Weve almost totally forgotten that there was once this very strong hatred against the Chinese. To that end, Nguyen says Americans need to remember this past as well as the nations history of opening its arms to welcome the world, before more immigration is shut off. We have to recognize this for those of us who are in favor of immigration, in favor of letting in refugees, he says. To point out to people that this ban against Muslims is not simply going to stop with them. Its just the opening salvo. Contact the writer: 714-796-7787 or plarsen@scng.com Sonia Kelly and her history teacher, Judy Richonne, will spend the next four months doing research on an obscure American paratrooper who died on the first day of the Normandy invasion. In June, the University High School duo will visit Tony Burnett Jr.s grave in France to deliver a eulogy and honor the World War II soldier whose story hasnt been told. This person that weve chosen, we know nothing about him now, but in five months hes going to be someone that I could think of as a friend or someone that I know as well as people that are in my life, Kelly, 16, said. Kelly and Richonne are one of the 15 student-teacher pairs in the nation, and the only one from California, selected to participate in this years Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom Albert H. Small Student and Teacher Institute. The program, by Maryland-based nonprofit group National History Day, is intended to teach a new generation about the sacrifices and challenges faced during World War II. After taking an online class about the Normandy invasion, the participants will meet in Washington, D.C., in June to finish the research about their chosen silent heroes with help from historians and college professors. Then the groups will travel to France and walk in the footsteps of history. They will visit the D-Day beaches, museums and historic sites such as churches that were used as field hospitals. On the last day, the students will present eulogies at the graves of their heroes at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Teachers and students will also build a memorial web page about their fallen servicemen. Kelly, a junior, approached Richonne in September about applying together for the Normandy program. They were chosen out of 83 applicants, said Richonne, who applied to the nationwide program three years ago but didnt get in. Kelly said the program combines two things she loves: history and traveling. Kelly went to southern Spain last summer for a study program to learn about the history and culture there. I really like going out and seeing the world and exploring as much as I can, she said. Something that I think is so interesting about history is the fact that it encompasses all the other subjects. The Normandy invasion began June 6, 1944, when the Allies launched an attack off the northern coast of France in an effort to liberate Europe from Nazi control. It was the combined attempt by the Allied forces where they worked in concert as good as they ever did, which wasnt great, but they worked together in concert against a common foe, Richonne said. And for all the hiccups and problems, it worked, and that sense of accomplishment and confidence set the tone for the rest of the war. As her silent hero, Kelly selected Burnett, a U.S. Army private first class in the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Burnett, from Los Angeles County, was among the first to be killed in the Normandy invasion. Richonne said military parachuting was a new technology at the time, and paratroopers at Normandy were landing in the wrong places. Did they get enough training and have confidence to pull it off? How did Burnett die? How much education did he have? Was he aware of the larger geopolitical situation in Europe? These are the questions the pair want to find answers to through this program, Richonne said. Kelly said she learned the basics about the Normandy invasion in a U.S. history class. But I didnt know about the stories of the people who died there, and the sheer number of the people who made the ultimate sacrifice for people on different sides, so thats something that Im going to be taking away from this experience for sure, she said. UPDATED Feb. 17, 2017 to reflect information from the Huntington Beach Police Department regarding Kathleen Saunton, including that she was transported to the hospital by a friend after declining a trip with paramedics. A tussle between a staffer at Rep. Dana Rohrabachers Huntington Beach office and activists on Tuesday resulted in a 2-year-old girl being knocked in the head by a door and the congressmans 71-year-old district director being taken to a local hospital after falling to the ground. Just before the early-afternoon incident, about 100 constituents gathered on the street and sent a group of about a dozen to Republican Rohrabachers third floor office to deliver Valentines Day cards asking the congressman to hold a town hall meeting. The strategy also was used at at least two other Orange County Congress members local offices Monday and Tuesday. Finding the office doors locked, the activists shoved the cards under the door. The 2-year-old daughter of Megan Blash of Huntington Beach was adding a card when the door opened suddenly and the girl, who was bending over, was bumped and fell over. She began crying but was comforted by her mother and did not appear injured. She was just startled, mostly, Blash said several hours later. At least one of the activists then began tugging at the door while the woman on the other side, district director Kathleen Staunton, tried to close it. A male activist then grabbed the door and forcefully pulled it open. That caused Staunton, who was pulling from the other side, to fall. She was then helped to her feet and returned inside the office, while the door was closed and locked. Rohrabacher spokesman Ken Grubbs said Staunton later fell unconscious and was transported to a local hospital. Huntingon Beach Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Marlatt told the Register the Staunton fainted while talking to police. Paramedics were called but Staunton declined a ride with them to the hospital, instead make the trip with a friend, Marlatt said, citing the police report. In the report, the officers did not write that there was any complaint of pain or injury, Marlatt said. However, the report did note that Staunton hit her head and other body parts. Activist Blash said, I dont think anybody from either side was trying to hurt anybody. But Rohrabacher harshly condemned the activists. Deliberate or not, the incident came as part of a mob action that not only intimidates but coerces, he said in a statement. Though protesters think of themselves as idealists, they engaged in political thuggery, pure and simple. A large majority of those on hand were women, many of them senior citizens. They had planned to send people to Rohrabachers office in groups of 10 to avoid congesting the buildings hallways, although police asked all activists to leave after the tussle. A reporter accompanying the group up to the office heard one activist tell others in the group to be quiet. Try to keep it down in the hallways there are other businesses here, she said. After the incident, Aliso Viejo jeweler Patti Jo Kiraly, 56, said, Were all sorry that happened. That was very sad. We should all write apology letters. Activists belonging to a group called Indivisible have been calling on Republican Congress members nationwide to hold town hall meetings so they can express concerns with policies and appointments of President Donald Trump. It was the fourth visit the group has made to Rohrabachers office. None of Orange Countys four Republican Congress members has publicly scheduled any town hall meetings since Trump took office. Contact the writer: mwisckol@ocregister.com Prego Ristorante, a mainstay for three decades in Irvine, is closing at the end of the month, the owners announced Tuesday. Ruth Bedi, who bought the restaurant in 2009, said she and her husband Tony were unable to come to an agreement on the terms of a new lease with the landlord, the Irvine Company. Bedi said she and her husband are relocating Prego; its last day open in Irvine is Feb. 26. She did not reveal Pregos next location because a lease has not been signed. She hopes for a swift transition so she can keep most of the 55 restaurant employees. Executive Chef Ugo Allesina, she said, will be staying. He will be tweaking the menu by adding more seafood and dry-age steaks, she said. Were going to revitalize our brand and puts some new lipstick on, Ruth Bedi said. Irvine Co. said Davios, an East Coast Italian steakhouse, is replacing Prego. It will open in late 2017, according to a memo sent to tenants of Irvine Towers. As part of our ongoing efforts to bring new and innovative offerings to you, changes are on the way to the dining options here at Irvine Towers, Irvine Co. said in the memo. The landlord said it was grateful for Pregos more than 30 years of service to the local business community. The Bedis, who own a refrigeration manufacturer business in Cerritos, bought Prego in 2009. In 2012, the restaurant went through a remodel after a fire forced it to close for a few months. Its location next to Irvine Towers has made it one of Orange Countys best places to seal business deals at lunch. The Registers restaurant critic, Brad A. Johnson, called it one of the Top 10 power lunch restaurants in Orange County. Theres always a steady stream of Ubers, Escalades and limos pulling up to the front steps at lunchtime, although most of the daytime crowd just takes the elevator down from the bank towers that rise up directly behind this business-oriented Italian spot, he wrote. Ruth Bedi said the new Prego will still offer an express business lunch. The Bedis thanked their loyal diners for being the driving force to help Prego Ristorante experience such a long and successful existence. Shes excited about the changes to come. We feel this is the beginning of the next chapter of Prego. Contact the writer: nluna@scng.com Future engineers and scientists gathered Saturday at Orchard Hills School in Irvine to show off their impressive robot-designing skills. To the cheers of principals, teachers and parents, teams from nine Tustin Unified elementary schools faced off in the VEX IQ Challenge. The competition included objectives obstacle courses of sorts such as balancing a robot on a bridge. Students created their plastic athletes, and then trained them, in extracurricular robotics classes. The program is sponsored by Tustin Public Schools Foundation. DANA POINT The butterfly-shaped San Juan Rock has long been a navigation point around the Headlands for boat captains, stand-up paddle boarders and kayakers heading in and out of Dana Point Harbor. Its many clusters, reefs and outcroppings are known by fishermen as popular hiding spots for lobster, scallops and abalone. Richard Henry Dana, the towns namesake, discovered San Juan Rock as he sailed into the bay near the Headlands. The rocks were as large as those of Nahant or Newport, but, to my eye, more grand and broken. Beside, there was a grandeur in everything around, which gave almost a solemnity to the scene: a silence and solitariness which affected everything, Dana wrote in Two Years Before the Mast, his 1840s memoir of a two-year sea voyage from Boston to California. Not a human being but ourselves for miles, and no sound heard but the pulsations of the great Pacific; and the great steep hill rising like a wall, and cutting us off from all the world, but the world of waters! Now, nearly 200 years later, that world of waters has battered and transformed the Dana Point landmark. In the last week boat captains and fisherman have reported that San Juan Rock appears to be half its original size after powerful surf and wave surges from recent storms. That final blow to the rock formation followed last years unusually powerful El Nino. The weather pattern produced monster waves that took away record amounts of sand from West Coast beaches, according to a study in the journal Nature Communications released Tuesday. The study found that erosion at 29 beaches along the West Coast was the highest ever recorded. Todd Mansur, a boat captain for Dana Wharf Whale Watching and Sportfishing, notices the change in the rock every day when he heads out to sea. It was a landmark we navigated around, Mansur said. When you see a rock that big break into half it makes you respect the power of the ocean. Its gone from a 50-foot-long rock to a 25-foot-long rock. Mansur said he noticed the change about two weeks ago after seeing waves breaking in water 36 feet deep. Normally, waves break on the inland side of the rock in 15 to 18 feet of water, he said. The strong wave attack, Mansur said, is likely what chopped the rock. Before the rock broke in half, it was like a butterfly and had a crack down the middle, he said. Both of the sides were the same shape and size from the seaward view looking toward shore. Now, it looks like someone took the rock and cut it in half. The entire west-northwest-facing wing is gone. San Juan Rock is composed of sedimentary rock sandstone and breccia, said Brandon Boka, a coastal geologist in the Dana Point public works and engineering departments. It is likely the remnant of the prehistoric promontory known as the Headlands, which is approximately 9 million to 19 million years old, Boka said. The Headlands was formed by many years of waves and erosion of the bedrock along fractures of the rock. Boka said erosion of the San Juan Rock and the Headlands occurred less quickly than at other areas along the Orange County coastline because the bedrock there is stronger. But the more the rock is exposed to wave attacks, the faster the natural process of erosion, he said. Rodger Healy, a fisherman from Capistrano Beach, was pulling out lobster traps between recent storms when he realized something was different. He has fished and trapped at the rock and its surrounding reef system for 30 years. A wave hit it and it sounded different, he said. Im used to having my back to it and feeling safe. When I heard the different sound, I looked back and initially didnt recognize it. It took me a minute to prop up. Once I did, I recognized a huge chunk was missing. Healy dove around the rock to get a better look. He knew the crack that formerly split the rock was used as a gauge by sport fishermen to identify key fishing spots off the coast. They would line up their boats parallel to the slot in the rock to find their coveted spots. From many years of diving the rock, Healy recalled lots of uneven terrain and spire-like structures that came up from the ocean floor. Now, the newly created reef caused by the rock split will provide new habitat for fish, scallop and lobster, he said. Healy also noticed that the surviving side of the rock had a fresh crack. Other parts of it also looked unstable, he said. He wonders what will happen in the storm surges predicted this weekend. I love Mother Nature and her wrath, said Healy, who grew up in Laguna Beach. The Grand Canyon at one time was flat land. Changes in geology are not something we generally see in our lifetime. To see something change thats so static and unyielding is awe-inspiring. Longtime Dana Point resident and former mayor Carlos Olvera was saddened to learn of the rocks change. Loss of the San Juan Rock off of Dana Point would be tragic as it is a natural landmark referred to in Danas Two Years Before the Mast, Olvera said. To us locals at least, San Juan is the only romantic spot in California. Can nature change history? Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@scng.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini WASHINGTON South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott might be the decisive vote in determining whether fast-food executive Andrew Puzder becomes the next secretary of labor. And it could be a tough vote for Scott, a first-term senator. While Democrats assail Puzders record, noting that he has faced racial discrimination lawsuits over his Carls Jr. and Hardees restaurants, the issue of discrimination has long been an important one for Scott, the Senates only black Republican. President Donald Trump is in danger of losing his first Cabinet nominee in the U.S. Senate, with Scott among a handful of Republicans who so far have refused to line up behind Puzder. Four of them Scott, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Johnny Isakson of Georgia sit on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which is scheduled to grill Puzder on Thursday for the first time. Isakson has sent conflicting signals on how he will vote. His spokeswoman, Amanda Maddox, said the senator wouldnt take a position until after the hearing, but last week he called Puzder an outstanding appointee who would be a great leader of the U.S. Department of Labor, even though he said that questions remained about the nominees hiring of a housekeeper who was in the U.S. illegally. When the panel voted 12-11 to advance the nomination of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Collins and Murkowski sided with the majority. They then voted against DeVos in the final confirmation vote. Should they do that again, Scott could end up deciding whether the committee will sign off on Puzder. The nomination has to pass out of committee before the Senate has a chance to vote next month on one of the presidents most controversial appointments. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other top Republicans are rallying behind Puzder, Washington state Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the panel, said Puzder should withdraw to avoid a bruising embarrassment Thursday. I think a lot is going to come out, and every senator is going to have ask themselves: Is this the kind of person I want to refer my constituent to as overseeing the workplace policies in this country? Murray said in an interview. My message to Sen. Scott, or any senator at this point, is to really look at this mans record and the policies he has promoted in the workplace. In a brief interview at the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon, Scott said: I will make my decision known after Thursday. Asked about his biggest concerns, he said: All of the ones that weve heard publicly are the ones that Im most concerned with, but ultimately I want to hear what he has to say. Scotts spokeswoman, Michele Exner, said the senator regarded the hearing as an important process. She said his common practice, with few exceptions, had been to wait until after a confirmation hearing before deciding how to vote. State senators will have another chance this session to take some of the politics out of drawing boundaries for congressional and legislative districts. They should seize the opportunity. Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha has introduced one plan. Sen. John Murante of Gretna has introduced another. The Legislature almost got the job done in the last session by approving a plan to create an independent commission to draw up the boundaries, with final approval coming from the full Legislature. The bill was approved by a 29-vote majority, but it was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts, who said the new system would have put redistricting in control of party insiders who know how to draw districts to favor their friends and political allies. The governor got his wires crossed somewhere. Actually he described the current system. Its so open to manipulation by party insiders that in 1990 the redistricting plan for Nebraska was so messed up that the Nebraska Supreme Court tossed it out. After the Legislature revised the flawed plan two legislative candidates who ran in the spring on the Legislatures first plan found themselves on the other side of the line in the general election. The gold standard for redistricting is Iowa. Maps are drawn by the nonpartisan Legislative Service Agency without any political or election data, including the addresses of incumbents, striving to create districts that are compact and equal in population. Then, the Legislature votes to approve and the governor signs. No other state has adopted the Iowa plan, presumably because dominant political parties are reluctant to give up their power. Opponents of using an independent commission for redistricting rely on the argument that use of an independent commission would be unconstitutional. However the U.S. Supreme Court upheld such a system that was approved by Arizona voters. And last year the court unanimously upheld a legislative redistricting map drawn by Arizonas independent commission. Earlier this session Harr told the Legislatures executive committee that he had addressed the constitutional issues raised by Ricketts. He also offered to work with Murante in drawing up a compromise bill. That approach, if successful, would result in a bipartisan bill. Harr is a Democrat. Murante is a Republican. The bipartisan support might be particularly important this session. Partisan rivalry appears to be on the rise in the legislative body that is officially nonpartisan under the Nebraska Constitution. In the meantime Gov. Ricketts needs to work on getting his wires uncrossed. Police on Tuesday asked for the publics help identifying suspects in five burglaries of a Sprint store in Santa Ana. The store, near the corner of Bristol Street and MacArthur Boulevard, was broken into Tuesday morning making it the fifth burglary by what seems to be the same two suspects, Santa Ana police said in a bulletin. The first burglary was on Nov. 24. Each time, the crimes were recorded on the stores video surveillance system and happened between 4 and 6 a.m. Investigators released video footage from one of the break-ins showing one suspect smashing the glass entrance window, running into the store and fleeing with merchandise. One of the suspects is described as an approximately 18- to 25-year-old black man standing 5-feet 10-inches to six feet tall and weighing 160 to 175 pounds. He was seen carrying a skateboard during one of the crimes. The second suspect was described as an 18- to 25-year-old white or Hispanic man with a medium build. He was seen wearing a red beanie, black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and black shoes. He was seen riding a dark-colored beach cruiser bicycle. Anyone with information about the crimes or suspects is asked to call Santa Ana Police Detective A. Gonzalez at 714-245-8732 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS. Contact the writer: 714-796-7865 or afausto@scng.com Several businesses are vying for one of the most central spots in Old Towne Orange as the plazas beauty school prepares to move to Anaheim after more than 50 years in the city. Coba Cosmotology Academy will head seven miles north to Anaheim by early next month, a move several years in the making, said owner Carol Malkasian. Malkasian said the school has outgrown its Orange location. The new Anaheim building, nearly twice as large, will allow students to enroll in new aesthetician and barbering programs that arent feasible with their current space. Weve had clients who have been coming here for 30 years, Malkasian said. Well definitely miss our neighbors and the vibe of this whole town. With Coba preparing to move, the property is now up for lease. The location, a cornerstone of the plaza, has already caught the eye of several businesses. The Orange Grove Masonic Lodge, which owns the property, is determining who would be the best fit for the building, officials said. This is obviously a very prime piece of real estate overlooking the plaza, Masonic Temple Master Steve Craven said. I really dont think there are any other spaces that have that good of a view over the plaza. Craven said choosing the owner will be a balancing act between finances and finding an ideal fit for the surroundings, he did not give a time line. We want to make sure that whatever comes in is going to fit with the Old Towne community, Craven said. Everybody knows that the beauty college was a fixture there for years. Wed like to find something else that will be a fixture for years to come. Feasts from the Middle East Lena Quezada and Walid Alarja co-founded DVine, a Mediterranean restaurant with spots in Fullerton and Brea, four years ago. DVines two locations bring as much flavor from the old world to the west as possible, from the food itself to the Moroccan lanterns, Jerusalem-styled doors and traditional arches. The atmosphere is designed to evoke the feeling of being invited to a Mediterranean familys home for a party, Quezada said. Eating is not something they just do and be done with, Quezada said. Its an event. It isnt something you come, eat and leave. DVine offers a cigar lounge, hookah and belly dancers on Fridays and Saturdays. Hookah is part of any kind of partying in this culture, Alarja said. If you are inviting someone to your house for a meal, they have to have the hookah and either before, in between or after the meal. Alarja, born and raised in Bethlehem, runs the kitchen like one from his homeland. He honed his cooking skills in Alexandria, Egypt, and now serves up chicken shawarma, baba ghanoush and kebab cooked on the bone. Quezada said the restaurant is a chance to introduce Americans to a culture they may not be familiar with, while keeping things as authentic as possible to the old world parties that first inspired the eatery. True to the hospitality expected from hosts of those feasts, both Quezada and Alarja said they man the restaurant from opening to close, welcoming regulars and getting to know them personally. Customers like to talk. They like to know to go to places where the owners say Hey! Hi George, Jimmy, William, or whatever, Alarja said. They know you, and you know them. Contact the writer: jwinslow@scng.com PR Society of America, which spent $945 on ethics in 2015, said its a partner with the Ethisphere Institute in a bid to elevate business ethics. This is an odd couple if ever there was one. (1 reader comment) Agricultural News US Grains Council Signs Memorandum of Understanding Acknowledging Panama Canal's Importance More than 350 attendees had a firsthand look at the new Panama Canal expansion on Monday to kick off events at the U.S. Grains Council 14th International Marketing Conference & 57th Annual Membership Meeting in Panama City, Panama. The tour of the Agua Clara locks in Colon, Panama, was a unique opportunity to see trade in action, and an important reminder of the dynamic global trade environment for those who last visited the Canal shortly after construction on the new locks began. "When USGC last met in Panama, the canal expansion was only a construction site," said Chip Councell, USGC chairman and a grain farmer in Maryland. "Visiting the new locks reflects the long-term commitment of the Council and its members to enabling more and expanded trade opportunities for American agriculture." Before the tour, meeting attendees in a general session were welcomed to the region by USGC Western Hemisphere Regional Director Marri Carrow and Erik Hansen, agricultural counselor at the U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica. They also witnessed Councell and Manuel Benitez, Panama Canal deputy administrator, sign a formal memorandum of understanding between the two organizations on the importance of the Panama Canal to U.S. grain trade. Benitez offered the farmers, agribusiness representatives and others in the audience an extensive briefing on the Panama Canal expansion, which opened on June 30, 2016. Sixty-nine percent of all cargo traveling through the Panama Canal originates from or is destined for the United States, including roughly one-third of total U.S. grain exports, Benitez told the crowd. The new set of locks will open opportunities for larger and more efficient shipments of all products. Delegates and members continued meetings Tuesday to trade perspectives on the grain market and set strategy for the organization's work. USGC committees, known as Advisory Teams, had full-day meetings on Tuesday, and the organization's Board of Delegates will hold a business meeting on Wednesday. Delegates will also have the opportunity to visit the Miraflores locks, where ships cross below the Bridge of the Americas that connects North and South America. More from the meeting is available on social media using hashtag #grains17. Photos from these events are available on Flickr at this link. Source - US Grains Council WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News Agricultural News Missouri Extension Economist Testifies Before Ag Committee on Economic Outlook for Dairy Industry In preparation for the reauthorization of the next farm bill, the House Committee on Agriculture convened today to hear from a panel of economists testifying on the economic challenges currently facing rural America. Committee Chairman Michael Conaway noted in his opening remarks that net farm income, in the wake of the collapse of commodity prices, has fallen 45 percent from 2013 to 2016 in the largest 3-year percentage drop since the Great Depression. Dr. Scott Brown, University of Missouri assistant extension professor, spoke before the committee this morning, describing the current economic outlook for America's dairy and livestock producers. According to Brown, the lower cattle, milk and hog prices that caused financial stress on producers in 2016 will likely continue into 2017. Already at 50 percent below their 2015 value, Brown projects feeder cattle prices will continue to fall this year, leaving only dairy farmers with any positive outlooks. "At this point, the only livestock industry anticipating higher prices is the dairy industry as tighter global markets suggest milk prices can move higher from recent lows," Brown testified. Milk prices fell from $24 per cwt in 2014 to $16 in 2016, Brown says citing the failure of the 2014 Dairy Margin Protection Program to have worked as planned. He reports there is growing concern for the 2018 farm bill to provide a viable alternative to the dairy safety net program contained in the 2014 farm bill, while also taking into account the volatility of cash receipts in the dairy industry. "Identifying a safety net program for dairy producers that can moderate the billions of dollar change in dairy cash receipts that have occurred in the last few years and yet only show an average cost of $79 million to the federal government is a large challenge," he said. "It is important to remember that dairy farmers will always remain in a better financial situation when market conditions result in little to no government spending, as a safety net program hardly ever completely offsets lower market returns." Brown insists it is important to understand the most critical risks to cover for dairy farmers today, and suggests evenly distributing the weight of risk management, rather than pumping excessive resources into one program such as MPP that ensures nothing but uncertainty. "Given the inelastic nature of supply and demand of dairy products, the cost of a dairy program can go from zero to billions of dollars quickly," Brown surmised. "Finding ways to spread risk across federal policy and market risk tools may be the balance needed to provide a better safety net for producers." Click here to review Dr. Brown's complete written statement before the committee. To listen to Dr. Brown's full remarks at today's hearing before the House Agriculture Committee, click or tap on the LISTEN BAR below. Listen to Dr. Brown's full remarks on the challenges facing the dairy industry before the Ag Committee WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News Teri Martens bought the jeans from a shop in Omahas Benson neighborhood when she was a high school student in the early 1970s. She loved the jeans, which along with a peasant shirt from the same shop became her go-to outfit. Teens liked going barefoot in the 70s, and Martens loved walking with nothing between her feet and the ground. But restaurants and other businesses didnt like bare-footed teens padding around their places, which led to the No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service signs. Martens had an idea. If she made her jeans a little longer, her bare feet would be hidden. So she sewed flowery patches onto the bottom of the jeans, letting her walk barefoot into shops undetected by the manager. The patches were cut from leftover material her mom had used to make dresses and other clothes for her. For Martens the jeans are a reminder of her mom, whos still around, and a feeling thats hard to come by these days. They represent a time when I was more carefree. Evel Knievel T-shirt Denny Horner was a big fan of Evel Knievel, a daredevil motorcycle rider who became a huge national celebrity in the 70s. In September 1974, Knievel planned a big stunt: jumping over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho on a steam-powered rocket. So Horner and five buddies took a road trip from Council Bluffs to watch the spectacle. All the guys were in their early 20s and had known each other since they were kids. They piled into a pickup with a camper shell and spent a couple days in Colorado and Las Vegas before arriving in Idaho for the big jump. Horner bought the Evel Knievel T-shirt at a souvenir stand, along with a poster, button and commemorative coin. Tickets to watch the jump were $25 and spectators drove into an area near the canyons edge. The atmosphere was rowdy, like an outdoor rock concert. Knievels jump fizzled he landed at the bottom of the canyon with minor injuries after his parachute prematurely deployed partway across the canyon. But Horner said the trip was still a blast, and the T-shirt brings back great memories of an epic road trip. Whiskey barrel furniture Ruth and Ken Bahrs relatives bought the quirky furniture from Sears in 1974 for their Omaha home. When the relatives moved to another home about a decade ago, they sold it to the Bahrs, who live in Omahas Dundee neighborhood. The furniture is designed to look like it was made from old wooden whiskey barrels, and has imitation leather upholstery decorated with diamond-shape patterns in white, tan, teal and burgundy. Ruth Bahr has many wonderful memories of the furniture when it was at her relatives home, which was a regular spot for holiday parties and other family gatherings. The 10-piece set includes a round game table, four chairs and a couch. The Bahrs have the furniture in their basement family room and the pieces still get lots of use. Ruth Bahr said the couples four children love the unusual furniture, and plan to keep it in the family. Its just the cool factor, she said. ***** Searching for the Seventies: The Documerica Photography Project What: Exhibit exploring the 1970s using 90 color photos and donated items. Where: Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. Omaha When: Saturday through April 30 Cost: Exhibit is included with regular admission: $11 for adults; $8 for seniors; $7 for children ages 3 to 12; and free for members and children age 2 and younger. More information: durhammuseum.org michael.oconnor@owh.com, 402-444-1122 It was one of the biggest fires in years in the southeast Nebraska town of Syracuse. And when the January 2014 blaze was over, only a shell remained of the 104-year-old Syracuse United Methodist Church. Now a new church could begin rising as early as this spring, boosted by fundraising events in the town of 2,000. Pastor Gary Ganger said the congregation voted in early January to proceed with construction. The congregation has been holding services at a community meeting room in Syracuse, and church members are looking forward to a permanent home, he said. Bill Ritter, leader of a United Methodist district that includes Syracuse, said the congregation has shown perseverance and resilience. He said the United Methodist denomination has a long history in Syracuse, so its important to keep that tradition strong by building a new church. He also said new churches can attract new members, which can make an existing congregation even stronger. We are excited about the prospect, Ritter said. Bruce Neemann, chairman of the churchs building committee, said the congregation initially had hoped to start construction on a new church last fall. But preliminary construction estimates were higher than expected, he said. Adjustments were made to keep the estimate in line with the budget, such as covering a parking lot with rock instead of concrete. Insurance money, combined with fundraising and donations, has provided the church more than $900,000 toward the estimated $1.1 million cost of a new church, said Carolyn Gigstad, a church member who has helped coordinate the fundraising. The church plans to cover the remaining cost by taking out a loan that would be paid back through continued fundraising, she said. Variety and creativity have been keys to the fundraising, which has included everything from selling aprons and commemorative bricks from the old church to hosting ice cream socials. Neemann said that if construction starts this spring, the new church could open by late this year or early next year. With about 6,000 square feet, the new church will be smaller than the old one, he said. But the space will be more flexible. The new one-story church, for example, wont have pews. It will have padded chairs that can be stacked and moved aside, making it easier to use for gatherings of church groups and other activities. The church also will be equipped to handle video screens and other technologies that have become popular at churches. Even days after the blaze, stunned congregation members talked about rebuilding. Fighting fires is always tough and dangerous, but the church blaze was even rougher because it broke out on a January night when wind chills dipped to 30 degrees below zero amid wind gusts of up to 35 mph. Water from hoses formed ice 6 inches thick on nearby streets. A half-dozen fire departments helped. It was later determined that a problem with the churchs electrical system caused the fire, which began in the sanctuarys attic. Health insurer Cigna announced Tuesday that it will unilaterally terminate its $54 billion merger agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield carrier Anthem after the deal was rejected by a federal judge. The news came shortly after insurance giants Aetna and Humana announced a mutual decision to abandon their $37 billion merger agreement earlier in the day. An Anthem spokeswoman said the company is still committed to closing its deal with Cigna, signaling the breakup could be messy. In a press release, Cigna announced it had filed a lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court against Anthem seeking a judgment that the merger agreement had been terminated lawfully and seeking a $1.85 billion termination fee, along with an additional $13 billion in damages. These additional damages include the amount of premium that Cigna shareholders did not realize as a result of the failed merger process, the company said in its release. The company believes strongly in the merits of its case and hopes that this matter is rapidly resolved. Anthem spokeswoman Jill Becher said that Cignas action was invalid and said the company does not have a right to terminate the agreement. Anthem will continue to enforce its rights under the merger agreement, Becher wrote. The dissolution of the Aetna-Humana is proceeding more smoothly. Last month, a federal judge upheld the Justice Departments decision to block that deal. Aetna will pay Humana a $1 billion breakup fee, the companies said, which will amount to about $630 million after taxes. While we continue to believe that a combined company would create greater value for health care consumers through improved affordability and quality, the current environment makes it too challenging to continue pursuing the transaction, Aetna chief executive Mark Bertolini said in a statement. We are disappointed to take this course of action after 19 months of planning, but both companies need to move forward with their respective strategies in order to continue to meet member expectations. Thomas Noland, a spokesman for Humana, said in an email that the company had always known that the deal might not go through. We have therefore planned carefully for it, and are fully prepared to continue to go forward as an independent company, Noland said. The two sets of health mergers were first proposed in 2015 and could have reshaped the health insurance landscape in the United States by consolidating the four of the largest insurers into two companies. Both deals were blocked by the Justice Department on antitrust grounds, and two different federal judges upheld those decisions in the last few weeks. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the Anthem-Cigna deal would raise prices and eliminate competition between the two insurers for large national accounts employers buying health plans for more than 5,000 employees. U.S. District Judge John Bates said the Aetna-Humana deal would have been anticompetitive and raised prices for consumers, specifically in the business of selling private Medicare plans in hundreds of counties and in the health insurance exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act in three counties in Florida. Wells Fargo plans to close all five drive-thru lanes and its business deposit center at the corner of 20th and Farnam Streets on March 22. A pair of full-service ATMs also located across the street from the banks main branch in Omaha will stay put, bank spokeswoman Staci Schiller told The World-Herald. Schiller said customers can continue making deposits and doing other business at the main branch, at 20th and Douglas Streets, or at any of the banks 16 branches in the Omaha area. That will still be the case once the main branch building and lot containing the ATM and drive-thru lanes are sold both have been on the market for about a year, but no buyer has materialized. A provision in the sale terms stipulates that the propertys buyer lease back to the bank a portion of the 99,400-square-foot building that includes the current branch on the first floor and the pad with the ATMs and drive-thru. The building was built in 1969 and the industry has changed significantly since then, Schiller said. Now, we use the space differently since people bank differently. Our ownership of this large space downtown just wasnt the best financial decision for the company, Schiller said. Consider the closure another case of digital banking tools swamping more expensive brick-and-mortar facilities. A November 2016 study by management consultancy Bain & Co. pegged the unit costs of transactions done via mobile technology at 10 cents. Those done in a branch cost the bank $4. We continually evaluate our branch network and make adjustments based on customer use, market factors, economic trends and competitor actions, Schiller said. In this case, we identified that customer traffic had been decreasing over time. That trend is not unique to just one branch in Omaha. Bank of America in 2013 began closing down drive-thru teller lanes at branches across the country where traffic didnt justify the costs of operating them, for example. And banks of all sizes have pared back entire branches in recent years as advances in mobile banking technology have made it possible for customers to deposit checks via smartphones from the comfort of their offices or living rooms. That doesnt change the fact that Kathy Kelly for years has made business deposits and done other transactions for her familys downtown business at the drive-thru and business deposit center now on the chopping block. We used it all the time, said Kelly, who is part-owner and office manager for Automatic Printing. She thinks the printing companys banking relationship with Wells Fargo goes back about 60 years to the Packers National Bank of South Omaha. Automatic Printing stuck around through a series of acquisitions since then that eventually landed the business in the care of Wells Fargo. Kelly said the business has no intentions of severing ties with the bank once the drive-thru closes, but the news of the impending closure still smarts. Its just so handy for us, she said. The printing business is on 17th and Cuming Streets. How close is that! she said. The next-closest Wells Fargo drive-up location is about 3 miles away at 45th and Center Streets. Steven Reider said such a closure is atypical, especially considering that banks with drive-thru lanes in dense urban areas generally serve more small-business types than consumer account-holders. Small-business customers are six to eight times more profitable than their consumer counterparts on average, said Reider, the president of Birmingham, Alabama-based Bancography. The company advises financial institutions on matters including where to locate or re-locate branches. Kelly acknowledged that finding a parking space or navigating a parking garage only to have to hoof it into the downtown branch to keep doing business is inconvenient when compared with dropping deposits into pneumatic tubes. The 45th and Center drive-thru is even on her way home but shes retiring in May and figures shell let the downtown dwellers work out how to best adapt to the change. Reider with Bancography cautioned that other businesses might not be as understanding: These are the kind of service retrenchments and retractions that are allowing community banks across the country to capture (market) share at the expense of larger regional and national banks. Asked Wednesday by a judge if he had anything to say about killing a man in Miller Park, the short, slight 19-year-old muttered: Nah, Im good. With that, Jamar Milton leaned back in a courtroom chair, seemingly at ease with his fate. Others, not so much. His attorney, Stephanie Shearer, decried the family dysfunction that led the then-17-year-old to attempt a robbery during a marijuana deal on June 29, 2015. Wednesday, Douglas County District Judge Russell Bowie sentenced Milton to 58 to 82 years in prison for killing Jamymell Ray during the botched robbery at the park, near 30th Street and Redick Avenue. With mandatory terms for gun crimes, the sentence means Milton must serve 34 years in prison before he is eligible for parole; absent parole, hell serve 46 years in prison. Shearer and prosecutors said the crime was the spinoff of a tumultuous childhood. Miltons father has spent much of his sons childhood in a Minnesota prison for murder. And while Miltons mother is loving and supportive, Shearer said, she served an 18-month prison sentence for first-degree assault when Milton was 10 and 11 years old. Milton had his first contact with law enforcement when he was 13. The day of the June 29, 2015, shooting, Jamars little brother, Jarrell Milton, then 12, was right beside him. Shearer said no one who knew that family dynamic should have been shocked when Jamar, Jarrell and a friend, then-15-year-old Shuntayvious Primes-Willis, rode their bikes to Miller Park to try to rob two men. Jamar Milton and Primes-Willis pulled out guns and fired killing Ray, 31, and injuring Charles Fisher, 30. Im not surprised to find him sitting where hes sitting, Shearer told the judge. His father is serving a life sentence for murder. His mother was convicted of a felony assault. Although he refers to his childhood as cool, its clear that it was fraught with not only violence but people being placed in the system. In fact, Jamar Milton had just completed a juvenile probation term 10 days before this crime, Deputy Douglas County Attorney Jim Masteller said. After a jury convicted Jamar, Rays mother, Dorothy Ray, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, told The World-Herald she forgives the three teens and doesnt want to hold onto hate. Ray leaves behind seven children. My son is gone, and Im dealing with it to the best of my ability as a mother, Dorothy Ray said. But I dont feel good hearing that these kids are going to the penitentiary. There are three young children that have just messed up their lives. Jarrell Milton, now 13, was prosecuted in juvenile court and sent to Boys Town. Primes-Willis, now 16, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and weapon use and is serving the equivalent of 20 to 30 years in prison. Masteller noted the careless and callous way the youths shot the two men. All murders are senseless this one was particularly so, Masteller said. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine decried that these kids then ages 12, 15 and 17 had access to guns that day. And he lamented the lack of parenting in their childhood. He noted several juvenile court interventions in the Milton childrens lives. It takes more than the system, it takes a family to prevent these kinds of tragedies, Kleine said. Hed been in the juvenile court system before. Hed been taken from the home. Theres obviously a troubled history there. Now hes going to spend a long time in prison. Its very sad. Jamar Miltons mother, who erupted after the jury convicted her son in November, was defiant again Wednesday. She said she had a whole lot to say but said she wouldnt speak unless her entire remarks were broadcast live. She then left. Jamar Miltons father, meanwhile, has been reflective and full of regret. After his sons arrests, Javaris Milton spoke to The World-Herald from a Minnesota prison, where he is serving a life sentence for a 2010 murder in Minneapolis. Milton said he hadnt set the best example for his children. He was a Crips gang member and didnt hide his guns, dope or criminal activities from his boys, he said. When you go to prison, everyone wants to get on their knees and pray to God, Javaris Milton said then. You tell your kids dont be like me, dont go to prison, but the seed is already planted. If theres anybody to blame, it is me. Phi Kappa Psis national organization has temporarily suspended its Creighton University chapter while investigations continue into a former fraternity recruits alleged knife attack on a female student. The attorney for the former new member of the Creighton chapter contends his client was drugged and didnt know what he was doing. Phi Kappa Psis national organization said through a press release that it was disturbed to learn of an incident involving a former new member of the Creighton chapter. Immediately, the fraternity opened an investigation and has been working to review the situation. The Creighton chapter has been suspended temporarily during the investigation, Phi Kappa Psi said. Christopher Wheeler, 19, has been charged with second-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony. He is accused of cutting 18-year-old Teresa Spagna with a pocketknife while in a dorm room about 1 a.m. Saturday. Spagna was treated at the hospital and released the day of the incident. Wheeler no longer is enrolled at Creighton, is banned from campus and is not affiliated with the chapter anymore. The university also suspended the Creighton chapter of Phi Kappa Psi. Creighton University administrators met Wednesday with representatives of the national fraternity. Jim Berscheidt, a Creighton spokesman, said he couldnt reveal details of the meeting but called it a productive session. Creighton will continue its investigation into this incident, and my understanding is that the national fraternity will continue to do the same, Berscheidt said. The university is focused on its own investigation right now in cooperation with the Omaha Police Department. The national fraternity issued its statement after the meeting with Creighton officials. Wheeler had completed spring recruitment but hadnt been formally inducted, the national organization said. Wheelers attorney, Matthew Burns, said in court Monday that before the cutting, Wheeler may have been forced to take or unknowingly took drugs as part of a hazing incident because he had performed poorly on a fraternity test. Burns said Tuesday that Wheeler doesnt remember anything from that night, noting that he based the account he presented in court from people who were with Wheeler. Our investigator called a number of people, and they all said the same thing, Burns said. Bryan Mick, an Omaha attorney who is an alum and adviser of the Creighton fraternity, said on social media that the claim Wheeler was drugged by someone at the fraternity house is false. No hallucinogens in PKP house, he tweeted. Eating garbage from Wheeler atty. Mick declined to comment Wednesday afternoon. A friend of Wheelers said that less than an hour before he slashed Spagnas neck Wheeler was lying on the floor of a Creighton dorm room, babbling unintelligibly. The national fraternity said it takes this matter seriously and is committed to conducting a thorough investigation. It is the policy of Phi Kappa Psi not to coerce or require drug or alcohol use at any time. We remain focused on holding our chapters to high standards in promoting safe and healthy environments for our members and others in the campus community. World-Herald staff writer Alia Conley contributed to this report. An adviser to the Creighton University fraternity Phi Kappa Psi questioned an account that claimed a student was hazed and drugged before he cut another student early Saturday. Bryan Mick, an Omaha attorney and a Phi Kappa Psi alumnus, said Tuesday that the fraternity plans to release a detailed statement soon, giving its account of the events leading to the slashing in a Creighton dorm room. Christopher Wheeler, 19, has been charged with second-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony. He is accused of using a pocket knife to slash the neck of a female student. Wheelers attorney, Matthew Burns, said the hazing allegations didnt come from Wheeler but from people who were with the premed student that night. Burns said in court Monday that before the cutting, Wheeler may have been forced to take or unknowingly took drugs as part of a hazing incident because he had performed poorly on a fraternity test. Burns said that account was based on information from people who were with Wheeler that night. Wheeler himself doesnt remember anything, Burns said. Our investigator called a number of people, and they all said the same thing, Burns said. Burns said he hadnt talked to the witnesses. All their stories were substantially similar, he said. Wheeler was a new member of the fraternity, a Phi Kappa Psi spokesman said. Mick has said on Facebook and Twitter that the hazing account is false. No hallucinogens in PKP house, he tweeted. Eating garbage from Wheeler atty. Phi Psi statement soon. Creighton officials on Monday suspended Phi Kappa Psi, meaning the organization cannot participate in intramural contests, wear its letters on campus or conduct initiation activities. Both Creighton spokesman Jim Berscheidt and Mick confirmed that a meeting between Creighton officials and national fraternity representatives is scheduled for today. Mick said fraternity members had wanted to speak with Creighton on Tuesday to offer their account of what occurred Friday night into Saturday morning but had been stonewalled. Berscheidt denied that, adding that student life staff had asked the local Phi Kappa Psi leadership for a meeting on Sunday, a day before the university publicly announced the organizations suspension. Creighton wanted to notify the fraternity of the suspension before the public announcement, Berscheidt said. The fraternity declined the meeting, Berscheidt said. The university has not delayed any meeting requests that have come from official representatives of the fraternity, Berscheidt said. Berscheidt declined Tuesday to give the reasoning behind the decision to suspend the fraternity. Were not going to be able to share anything, he said. This is an ongoing investigation, and we wont comment any further. He said he doesnt know when the investigation would be finished and couldnt say whether officials would release their findings upon the conclusion. Wheeler posted 10 percent of his $100,000 bail Monday and was allowed to live in Kansas with his parents. He is not enrolled at Creighton and is banned from the campus. A prosecutor Monday said that Wheeler went to a Creighton dorm room about 1 a.m. Saturday, asked for Dana, but the woman there, Teresa Spagna, said he had the wrong room. He then sat on the bed and apologized for the interruption. As he left, the prosecutor said, he swung around and cut 18-year-old Spagna in the neck. She was released from a hospital Saturday. A Douglas County judge on Wednesday ordered four men to stand trial on a charge of conspiracy to kill or intimidate a key witness to a 2016 slaying. Tontavious Montgomery, 25, and Alphonso Hall III, 22, are charged with first-degree murder and use of a weapon to commit a felony in connection with the shooting death of Terrance Gunn. Montgomery and Hall are being held without bail at the Douglas County Corrections Center. Douglas County Judge Jeffrey Marcuzzo said he found enough evidence for Montgomery, Imhotep Davis, 19, Che Holloway, 23, and Aaron Thomas, 20, all of Omaha, to go to trial. They could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted. Holloway is being held without bail. Davis and Thomas are being held on $2 million bail each. They must pay 10 percent of that amount, $200,000, to be released. Sgt. Aaron Hanson of the Omaha Police Departments gang unit testified that Montgomery provided the location of a witness and a description of the witnesss vehicle to the other men. Hanson said recordings of jail telephone calls will show coded discussions about plans to harm the witness. Hanson said he first learned about the alleged conspiracy through a confidential informant. Police suspicions were corroborated, he said, by interviews with Montgomerys girlfriend, Darnisha Jones, 20. Jones also is charged with conspiracy and is free on her recognizance. She waived her right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday and also is scheduled to stand trial in Douglas County District Court. Hanson testified that Jones admitted to passing information about the witness to Davis, Holloway and Thomas. Defense attorneys argued that authorities couldnt prove their clients agreed to a conspiracy or had any hard evidence of overt acts being committed against the witness. Attorney William Gallup, who represents Davis, repeatedly asked Hanson for proof that Davis ever agreed to be part of a conspiracy. He also took exception to Hansons interpretation of slang used in phone conversations between Montgomery and Davis. Hanson said Montgomery told Davis in a phone call that he wanted him to make a move. Gang specialists interpreted that as a request to harm the witness, Hanson said. In my experience, making a move means to move drugs, Gallup said after the hearing. The sergeant also admitted that they had no evidence my client ever agreed to a conspiracy. Theyve also got to show an agreement to commit a felony, which they havent done, he said. You have to show an overt act. In his ruling, Marcuzzo said he based his decision on the totality of the prosecutions case. Im not basing this on one statement or word, he said. Police found Gunn, 22, fatally wounded about 7:15 p.m. May 15, 2016, near the Southside Terrace apartments, 2904 U Plaza. He had been shot multiple times. Gunn, who had a young daughter and worked two retail jobs, later died at the Nebraska Medical Center. Witnesses identified the shooters and described what they were wearing. Police have said Montgomery is a member of the South Family gang. Omaha police were called to the Islamic Center of Omaha on Tuesday to investigate what initially were described as suspicious packages. About 9:30 a.m., officers responded to the Islamic Center at 3511 N. 73rd St. after a man entered the building and left on foot, leaving two suitcases behind. The police bomb squad and the FBI were called to assist. During the investigation, police said, the owner of the suitcases returned to claim them. They had been searched and no explosive items were found. Streets in the area were blocked off for about three hours. The center has been vandalized four times in the past two years, including during an incident in which someone threw a large rock through a glass door. A 34-year-old pregnant Omaha woman who was not wearing a seat belt was seriously injured and ticketed Tuesday in connection with a four-vehicle crash at 90th and Blondo Streets, police said. Police said the crash around 4:10 p.m. sent April French to Nebraska Medical Center for treatment of neck pain. Tuesday night, the hospital told police that the conditions of French and her unborn baby had stabilized. Police said French was ticketed on suspicion of violating a traffic-control device, not having insurance and not having a drivers license. Investigators said Frenchs 2003 Chevrolet Malibu was turning from northbound 90th Street onto westbound Blondo Street on a red light. The Chevrolet was struck by a southbound 2006 Ford Explorer that had run the red light, police said. The Malibu then crashed into a stopped eastbound Kia Optima on Blondo Street, police said. The Ford also struck a Honda Civic that was stopped in traffic on eastbound Blondo, police said. The driver of the Explorer, Ayelen Quirino, 22, of Omaha, was not injured. Police said Quirino was ticketed on suspicion of violating a traffic-control device. The driver of the Honda, Roberto Magana, 31, of Omaha, also was not injured. Police said Magana was ticketed on suspicion of not having a drivers license. Police said the driver of the Kia was not injured and wasnt ticketed. Eastbound Blondo Street from 91st to 90th was closed for about two hours while the crash was investigated, investigators said. Alcohol and excessive speed were not factors in the crash, police said. An associate professor of music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was charged Tuesday with nine counts of possession of a controlled substance in Lancaster County Court. The faculty member, 43-year-old Jeffrey McCray, told police he used anabolic steroids to improve his performance in competitive bodybuilding. A Lincoln Police Department report indicated that officers have been developing a case against McCray since August. Steve Smith, a spokesman for UNL, said through an email: Were aware of Jeffrey McCrays arrest, and we are looking into the matter. We will take necessary action at the appropriate time. The police report said syringes and paperwork were found in a trash pull by officers in September. Later that month, in another inspection of his trash, officers found boxes and envelopes from China, Israel and Florida, and an empty bag that had contained syringes. McCray later allegedly admitted to having steroids in his home, then turned over about 40 vials of suspected steroids and hundreds of syringes used to inject steroids. Lab testing of some of the products confirmed that nine separate controlled substances were identified, the police report said. McCray turned over more vials and syringes Saturday night. He was taken to jail at that time, the report said. He was still in the Lancaster County Department of Corrections late Tuesday afternoon. His bail was set at $10,000. He would have to pay 10 percent of that to get out of jail. Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly said McCrays next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 28. COUNCIL BLUFFS Despite their common bond, it was a day filled with laughs and ice cream for two dozen widows on Valentines Day. The group came together at Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home in Council Bluffs for the business first event to make sure those who lost their wife or husband in the last year wouldnt spend the holiday of love alone. Steve Uhrlaub, pre-planning consultant at Hoy-Kilnoski, said hosting the gathering was another way to give back to the community. We just wanted to help those who have lost someone. They may feel alone now, but theyre not the only ones sharing in that experience, he said. We wanted to be there for them. The group chatted over coffee and tea before lunch, featuring meatballs from Meatball in Omaha and mashed potatoes, was served. Marjorie McIntosh of Council Bluffs said she was having a wonderful time at the event after the passing of her husband, Jerry, in July. They were married 14 years. Meeting others who didnt want to be alone on Valentines Day ended up being an happy occasion. I hope they do it every year, she said. Nearby, Donna Schnoor of Silver City, Iowa, talked to a group about her husband, Bernard, who passed away last January. After 66 years of marriage, Schnoor said she misses him every day but is blessed to have a supportive family. I like parties; I like making new friends, she said. (Hoy-Kilnoski) thinks of everything when you need help. Funeral Director Michael Hoy greeted the group and thanked them for coming. He said everyone there had affected his family in their own unique way and that the event was just one way to show appreciation. Each one of you, I could tell a story about. We appreciate you all, he said. After lunch, the group was treated to a dance show featuring Brian and Josephine Langbehn of Omaha. The dancers performed the evolution of swing dancing for the crowd after everyone was served ice cream from Coneflower in Omaha, which the Langbehns own. Uhrlaub said he asked the Langbehns to come entertain the crowd and the couple more than happily agreed. We knew the group would like seeing dancing from the '40s, around that era, Uhrlaub said. We really wanted to provide something for them to show life goes on, in a way. LINCOLN Hard feelings and heated debate over arcane legislative rules have spurred lots of talk but not much action inside the State Capitol this year. By this time in 2015, Nebraska lawmakers had passed nine pieces of legislation. During last years shorter 60-day session, senators had passed 26 bills. But this years 90-day session so far has resulted in just two bills advancing to the governors desk. The Nebraska Legislature reached the one-third mark of the session this week without the full body acting on most of the substantial issues before them, prompting questions about whats going on at the State Capitol. Lawmakers since early January have squabbled over how to govern themselves through legislative rules, particularly those regarding the opposition tactic known as the filibuster. And senators have declared the arrival of Washington, D.C.-style politics in Nebraska, despite often boasting about doing things the Nebraska way. The Legislatures temporary rules from last year have been extended a handful of times, including Wednesday, when lawmakers agreed to extend them another 20 legislative days until March 20. That 45-1 vote was the first sign in weeks that lawmakers have reached a truce, allowing senators to start debating bills today. Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer of Norfolk acknowledged that this session has been different, with little of the collegiality that used to prevail among senators, crossing party lines and other divisions. On Wednesday, he called on senators to step back and put aside the bitter feelings that have built up since the beginning of the session. We have to move on. We have to work with each other. The states dependent on that, he said. While most Nebraskans most likely dont have a position on the Legislatures internal rule-making, they do want their representatives to take action on issues, Scheer said. A rules logjam could make it difficult for all priority bills to be heard, he said. They expect us to have legislation to improve the State of Nebraska, whatever that means to the individual, Scheer said. This isnt. Among the proposals before state lawmakers this year are the governors proposal to change how ag land is valued and his plan to cut the states top income tax rate. Several of the lead combatants in the rules fight pledged Wednesday to change their behavior. But Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus warned that the cooperative spirit would not last and that senators would get angry at each other again in coming days. We are still on very, very thin ice in this body, he said. Longtime Clerk of the Legislature Patrick ODonnell said he cant recall another time that the body has not adopted permanent rules by this point in the session. At the center of the debate is an effort by conservative senators to make it easier to end a filibuster. After a specified number of hours, a bills sponsor can seek to cut off debate by invoking cloture. It takes the votes of 33 senators, or two-thirds of the Legislatures 49 senators, for a cloture motion to succeed. If cloture is reached, senators vote immediately on the bills advancement. If not, the bill effectively dies. Lawmakers have considered numerous proposals to change the rules, including some that would lower the threshold for invoking cloture and others that would put the burden on those maintaining the filibuster to find votes. Proponents have said their work is in response to threats from a group of mostly moderate and liberal senators to block bills as payback for the first day of the session when a group of roughly 27 senators voted together to elect mostly conservative lawmakers into leadership positions. It also was part of efforts to reach cloture more easily and to put senators on the record for their positions. I think people have had some hard feelings that carried over from last fall (during the elections) and the early part of the session, said Papillion Sen. Jim Smith, who has supported efforts to change the rules. Some say proposals to change the rules are an attempt to attack the Legislatures nonpartisan traditions and unwritten rules. Others believe that filibuster rules always have been subject to discussion and that the prolonged debate hasnt prevented lawmakers from getting to necessary business. Traditionally, lawmakers first obligation has been to preserve the institutions ability to function, said former State Sen. Steve Lathrop, who has continued to work with lawmakers on prison issues since he left office in 2015. Now, it appears theres a willingness to diminish the institution and make it a partisan body, he said. I think its a dangerous thing, he said. It should be difficult to pass bills. The minority should have a say in what happens. Gov. Pete Ricketts said the rules are the Legislatures business, not his. But he pointed out the body was able to pass his budget proposal for the current fiscal year to help narrow the budget gap. He signed that bill it into law Wednesday. That is one of the two bills passed by the Legislature so far this year. The other was a bill delaying the deadline for certifying state aid to schools, which allows time for budget-cutting changes in the aid formula. To Scheer, the fight boils down to whether lawmakers should have to vote. Half of the 10 proposals that failed last year died because the body was a few votes short of invoking cloture to end debate. In one case, as many as nine lawmakers were either present and not voting, or not present to vote. I think people running for elected office, whether Legislature or city council or school board, theyre elected to vote, Scheer said. Those who want to keep the current rules in place say they protect minority rights, whether thats the political minority in the Republican-majority Legislature, or a minority of rural senators that has gotten more pronounced as the population has shifted to Omaha and Lincoln. Though officially nonpartisan, the Legislature has 32 Republicans, 15 Democrats, one Libertarian and one independent. Last year saw a record 24 filibusters. Some fell mostly along partisan lines, such as a proposal to reinstate a winner-take-all system of awarding electoral votes in presidential elections. The current filibuster rule is the result of a deal made in the early 1990s, meaning that any change now could have a long lifespan, said veteran lobbyist Walt Radcliffe. While cloture has long been a subject of discussion, it hasnt had real movement until this year. I think that the results of the first day emboldened a group to come forward and try to change the cloture rule, Radcliffe said. But Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha said the current rule forces lawmakers to work together with opponents. It means minority views cannot be totally ignored. You cant just ramrod legislation through, Harr said. That was George Norris intention, and its worked, he said, referring to the founder of the one-house Legislature. If it aint broke, why fix it? LINCOLN The chairman of the Nebraska Republican Party called Wednesday for a member of the Public Service Commission to resign, a day after she was grilled by state senators on a controversy involving political robocalls. GOP Chairman Dan Welch said Commissioner Crystal Rhoades of Omaha should step down, accusing her of using her position to further her own partisan interests. Members of the Legislatures Transportation and Telecommunications Committee questioned Tuesday whether Rhoades was truthful with them during earlier testimony on a bill related to the PSC. They suggested the matter needs to be investigated by the Legislature and perhaps by the Accountability and Disclosure Commission or the Attorney Generals Office. The issue involves her decision to share copies of political robocall scripts to the campaign of a legislative candidate for whom Rhoades had volunteered. The law requires such robocall scripts to be submitted to the PSC within 24 hours of a call being used in a political race. Rhoades would have access to the scripts as a commissioner. In calling for her to resign, Welch said in a statement Wednesday that "she violated the public trust." Rhoades said Tuesday the records she emailed are public and she did nothing illegal. She will cooperate with any further inquiry, she added, but said she is being criticized because some committee members dont like the way she does her job as a regulator. The committee raised their concerns during public hearings on bills that would change the PSC, including one Tuesday that would make the five elected commissioners volunteers who would no longer be paid their $75,000 annual salaries. Rhoades called that measure, Legislative Bill 410, retribution aimed squarely at her. The other four members of the PSC are Republicans. Commissioner Rhoades needs to get over the idea that the world revolves around her, said State Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, the sponsor of the bill that would end PSC salaries. The controversy emerged Monday when Rhoades told committee members she has shared political robocall scripts filed on behalf of the opponents of State Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha, a first-year Democratic lawmaker for whom she campaigned. She emailed the script to Vargas' campaign staff as well as her husband, Ben Onkka. Rhoades is a registered Democrat who serves as chairwoman of the Douglas County Democratic Party. During Mondays hearing, Smith asked Rhoades to clarify whether her husband was involved with political campaigns. She said he was not. On Tuesday, Sen. John Murante of Gretna, a member of the committee, said Rhoades answer was categorically false. Murante said Onkka has been paid campaign worker. Murante said it would be a serious problem if an elected official were sharing information with a family member who stood to benefit politically from the information. The senator has a financial interest in Victory Enterprises, a political consulting company that produces robocalls and was fined in 2015 after the PSC filed a complaint saying the company had violated state regulations. Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango also said he considers Rhoades actions unprofessional and highly unethical. Sen. Mike Hilgers of Lincoln questioned whether her statements to the committee had been accurate. Smith, Hilgers, Murante and Hughes are all registered Republicans, as are the other four members of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee. On Tuesday, Rhoades said both she and her husband served as volunteers on the Vargas campaign. Neither she nor her husband were paid for their work, she added. Her husband previously did some paid consulting for the campaign of Douglas County Commissioner Mike Boyle, she added. A check of the final public campaign disclosure report filed by the Vargas campaign did not list Rhoades or her husband as receiving payment. On Tuesday Rhoades repeated that any robocall scripts filed with the PSC are public records and she is required by law to provide the records upon request. She also said she has shared similar robocall records with Republican candidates, mentioning former Sen. Al Davis of Hyannis as an example. This is a witch hunt, a political witch hunt, she said. Controversy over property tax valuations in neighboring Douglas County has Sarpy County officials questioning the valuations in their own backyard. At Tuesdays Sarpy County Board meeting, members questioned whether the county could adjust residential property valuations to get closer to those in Douglas County. Sarpy County property is assessed at 96 percent of market value. Douglas County Assessor Diane Battiato said Tuesday that in the wake of steep preliminary increases that have shocked some homeowners, she will adjust 2017 property tax valuations so the countys total will be at 93 percent of market value. That prompted questions from all five Sarpy County Board members, who want to know why the two counties arent aiming for the same target. Board member Jim Warren pointed to a letter that Ruth Sorensen, administrator of the Property Assessment Division in the Nebraska Department of Revenue, sent to Douglas County. That letter noted that state law requires county assessors to set property valuations at 92 to 100 percent of market value. The letter let Douglas County know it could reduce valuations and still comply with state law because the 2017 preliminary valuations put the county at 99 percent of actual value. My personal opinion on this matter is that if 92 percent wasnt good enough it wouldnt be the minimum, said Don Kelly, chairman of the Sarpy County Board. He said hed like to see values in Sarpy County sit at 92 percent. Kelly said hes concerned because there are several political subdivisions such as the Learning Community and Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District that collect taxes from both counties. He questioned why taxpayers in Sarpy County should be paying a greater share into those political subdivisions. Board member Brian Zuger said he has been hearing from constituents wondering if the same increases that have happened in Douglas County could happen in Sarpy County. With Sarpy County looking at valuations on a yearly basis, instead of waiting years between adjustments, Zuger said hes been able to tell them that its unlikely. But he still said it would be a good idea to at least look at valuing properties closer to 92 or 93 percent of market value. Sarpy County Assessor Dan Pittman noted that the 96 percent target is in the middle of the range of potential valuations. An assessor seeks a middle of the range because theyre in jeopardy if theyre at the high end or the low end, Pittman said. Theyre in jeopardy of having the state file their abstract, run their statistics and say you have market areas out of compliance. Last year, Douglas County had market areas out of compliance, prompting the states Tax Equalization Review Commission to mandate across-the-board increases in some parts of the county and reductions in other areas. Kelly said the County Board will revisit the issue in a few weeks. The families of two brothers killed amid a west Omaha standoff last year have informed Douglas County that they want millions in compensation. Lawyers for the families of John and Jason Edwards, as well as sister Julie Edwards, say that various county agencies were negligent in handling the incident, leading to the deaths of the Edwards brothers and continued harm to Julie Edwards. The three went to the home of Kenneth Clark at 2511 N. 140th St. in unincorporated northwest Omaha on the morning of Feb. 12, 2016, to get Julie Edwards belongings after she broke up with Clark. According to a claim filed on behalf of Julie Edwards, Clark confronted her shortly after she and her brothers arrived. Ms. Edwards calmly continued to remove her belongings and tried to avoid Clark, it states. As the siblings were attempting to leave, Clark shot the brothers and took Julie Edwards hostage. Jason Edwards didnt move or make a noise after being shot, the claim says, but John Edwards made it to the basement and dialed 911. Julie Edwards heard her brother trying to talk to the 911 operator and tried to distract Clark. In the meantime, Ms. Edwards was held hostage, wondering whether John was dead or alive, the claim states. It took about 40 minutes for dispatchers to find the house, during which there were seven 911 calls to and from John Edwards. Recordings of the 911 calls released in August showed a flawed system in which common mapping applications can pinpoint the location of a person with a mobile phone, but 911 call centers cannot. Police were initially sent more than a mile away, to 150th and Blondo, based on incorrect location information. As the calls continued, the dispatcher grew increasingly frustrated and the mortally wounded man increasingly despairing. Dispatchers eventually used information gleaned from the calls Clarks name to search county property records, determine the address and get first responders to the house. Julie Edwards was held hostage for about four hours before Clark released her, but a standoff with law enforcement continued into the night. The incident ended after Clark killed himself. There is a separate tort claim for each of the three siblings; the ones for each brother are nearly identical. The claims make a number of allegations, including that the dispatcher handling the calls failed to obtain basic information from the caller, that Douglas County 911 center personnel lacked training, that the call was handled callously and that once the house was located, emergency responders failed to intervene and enter the premises in a timely and appropriate fashion. Each cites a report by public safety consultant Mission Critical Partners, which the state Public Service Commission asked to look into the response to the calls. The report, released in July, detailed a number of ways in which Douglas Countys 911 call center could have gotten help to the scene sooner. Authorities have said that finding the people sooner would not necessarily have changed the outcome. The claims are made pursuant to the Nebraska Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act, which caps claims from any one incident at $5 million, and at $1 million per individual. Under Nebraska law, those seeking such compensation from a local government first must file a tort claim. If theyre not satisfied with the governments response, then they can file a lawsuit. The filing that we made is just a step in the process to proceed forward, said Ted Boecker, attorney for the families of John and Jason Edwards. A message left with Heather S. Voegele, who is representing Julie Edwards, was not returned late Tuesday afternoon. Edwards damages, including pain, suffering and emotional distress, continue to increase on a daily basis, according to her claim. The Douglas County Board referred the claim to its risk managers. At some point, a recommendation will be made to the board to approve or deny, said Douglas County Administrator Patrick Bloomingdale. He would not comment further. Each claim for the brothers was made by their widows and minor children. Had Douglas County and its agent and employees acted in a non-negligent manner and complied with the applicable standard of care it is reasonably likely that the damages suffered by claimants would have been reduced, emergency responders would have arrived at the scene more quickly, and efforts been employed to provide life-saving measures, the claims state. Two Omaha firefighters sued the city Tuesday over Mayor Jean Stotherts hiring of Fire Chief Dan Olsen, alleging she failed to follow the correct selection process. Battalion chiefs Robb Gottsch and Dan Stolinski, both finalists for the chief position, asked that a court declare Olsens promotion to be void. John Corrigan, their attorney, said the two feel like their time was wasted during a pre-ordained process (and) feel like the rules havent been followed. Deputy City Attorney Bernard in den Bosch said the city followed the correct procedure. The process worked the way it was supposed to and were sorry the two guys didnt get the job, he said. When Stothert announced her selection, she said she followed proper city code. She echoed that on Tuesday. We will defend the lawsuit, filed by two unsuccessful candidates for fire chief, and we are confident we will prevail in court, Stothert said in a statement. The process in question is how the mayor selected Olsen from the list of finalists. When the city hires or promotes someone, generally it follows a process set out in city ordinance and labor agreements. Applicants all take a test, and they are ranked based on how well they do. The hiring manager in this case the mayor can choose from a set number of finalists. After Chief Bernie Kanger retired in May, Stothert appointed Olsen as the interim chief. Ten people applied for the job of fire chief, and eight people completed testing. The top four names were forwarded to Stothert: Gottsch, Stolinski, retired Colorado Springs Fire Chief Christopher Riley and Spokane, Washington, Assistant Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer. In an October press release, Stothert said: Mayor Stothert will initially interview these four candidates. Others on the list could also be considered, including Interim Chief Dan Olsen. Schaeffer soon dropped out of the hiring process. The city sent Stothert the next name on the list: Assistant Chief Shane Hunter. Stothert announced in December that she had eliminated Riley and hired Olsen, who was sixth on the list. Fire Union President Steve LeClair raised concerns then and repeated them Tuesday, though the union is not an official party in the lawsuit. Local 385 demands transparency and fairness, in all promotional processes, department-wide, he said in a statement. With inconsistency in the interpretation of the rule of four, it is impossible for me to assure our members that the promotional processes in which they will one day participate are fair, transparent and impartial. This filing is necessary to maintain the integrity and validity of all promotions within the Omaha Fire Department. Stolinski and Gottsch are members of Local 385, and that union is their bargaining unit. The chief and assistant chiefs are part of a separate bargaining unit. There is a city policy that says the city can replace the name of a job candidate who cannot be reached, declines an appointment or isnt qualified, and the hiring manager can consider the next person on the list. In no event shall a name be replaced if, in the discretion of the personnel director, such a replacement would result in the merit system being manipulated for the purpose of getting to a certain individual on the list of eligibles, the policy says. The lawsuit alleges that city ordinance specifically excludes that policy from applying to police and fire promotions. And it further alleges that even if the policy did apply, the mayor violated the provision of the policy that says the hiring manager cant manipulate the system to hire a certain person who didnt rank high enough. In den Bosch disputed the interpretation in the suit, saying the ordinances are written so that the mayor has four candidates from which to choose. The rule of four is that the mayor has four people to choose from, he said. If the person withdraws on the first day, youre not talking about the rule of four, youre talking about the rule of three. Theyre trying to state in this petition that the mayor should follow the rule of two. Olsen was sworn in as chief earlier this month and he will remain chief as the lawsuit is resolved. When she hired him, Stothert cited what she called a wide range of experience in his nearly 24-year career that helped make him the most well-rounded candidate. She said Olsen had earned her trust because of his ability to manage the Fire Departments operations and its budget. The lawsuit does not suggest that Olsen is unfit for the position in any way. Its not about Dan Olsen, Corrigan said. The Omaha City Council gave its approval for a nonprofit group to open a residential re-entry center for federal prisoners in an Omaha industrial park after the group made some concessions to neighboring businesses. The council voted 7-0 on Tuesday to approve Dismas Charities Inc.s application for a special use permit for transitional living in an area zoned for industry. The council had delayed the vote by a week to facilitate discussions between the nonprofit and neighbors who had appeared in opposition. After a meeting with neighbors, the nonprofit agreed to make minor changes to its operating agreement, such as having a phone number that neighbors can call with issues and concerns. Councilwoman Aimee Melton, who attended the meeting, offered an amendment to the application that stipulates that Dismas and the business owners should try to work out any problems between themselves before coming back to the council. Dismas, based in Kentucky, proposes to build a center on a vacant lot at 506 Crown Point Ave. Thats near the Missouri River, north of downtown Omaha. The center would house 95 people who have almost completed their federal prison sentences and would help them prepare for life on the outside. Dismas officials say it has applied for a contract with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons to open and operate such a center. The contract wont be awarded for several months, but Dismas needs to demonstrate by March that it has local government approval. LINCOLN The City of Omaha took a stand Tuesday against a bill originally designed to help the city realize its riverfront development dreams. Cassie Paben, Mayor Jean Stotherts deputy chief of staff for economic development, said city officials have too many technical concerns about Legislative Bill 97 to support it. She also said there are other development tools available to help Omaha draw businesses, activities and people to the Missouri River. We feel pretty confident in our ability to do the riverfront development project without this, Paben said at a legislative hearing. But some other Nebraska communities that front rivers had no problem backing the bill introduced by State Sen. Sue Crawford of Bellevue. Norfolk, Plattsmouth, Bellevue, Beatrice and South Sioux City all supported the measure. Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning told the Urban Affairs Committee that LB 97 could be useful for efforts to redevelop areas along the North Fork of the Elkhorn River, which runs through the northeast Nebraska city. Community leaders want to develop housing, business and recreational areas along the waterfront. The bill would allow cities to create riverfront development districts, which could extend up to half a mile from the edge of a river. New entities, called riverfront development authorities, could coordinate and facilitate development efforts within the designated riverfront area. The new entities would have many of the same abilities as business development districts. They could issue bonds and fund projects with occupation taxes on businesses or special assessments on property in the riverfront district. Crawford said there are 52 Nebraska communities that could potentially use the proposed mechanism. Each city could make its own decision whether to do so. Its only something a city would do if there was the political will, she said. If the City of Omaha has other plans in place, nothing forces them to use this. Paben said Omaha may be interested in using the proposed tool if the citys concerns can be addressed. She said the city raised the same concerns about last years bill, which was introduced by then-Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha. The city testified neutral on that previous bill. Mello now is running against Stothert for mayor. Among the citys concerns, Paben said, were the possibility of tax increases, the uses of tax-exempt bonds and the process for handing liabilities if the district were dissolved. She said amendments made to last years proposal, which are incorporated into LB 97, did not do enough to address those concerns. The Urban Affairs Committee, however, advanced the bill on a 5-0 vote following Tuesdays hearing. Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, the committee chairman, said Omahas concerns could be handled through the local ordinance that would be required to create a riverfront development district. I think our job as legislators is to give communities as many tools as we can for development, he said. Omaha business and community leaders, working in collaboration with Council Bluffs, have undertaken a major push to redevelop the riverfront in recent years. Experts from the Urban Land Institute laid out a vision for the area in 2014 that calls for more riverfront events, along with more trails, better access and more open space. In support of that vision, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce created the Missouri River Commons initiative and hired a full-time director. She started this week. At the same time, business leaders have formed a committee to pursue development ideas for the riverfront. It looks like the city-county crime laboratory merger is falling apart before it ever came together. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer is preparing to withdraw from an agreement between the City of Omaha and Douglas County to share some crime lab services. That agreement, which took effect in January 2015, was seen as the first step toward a joint, independent crime lab at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Schmaderer said talks between the city and county were showing little progress toward such a merger. At the same time, Schmaderer said, the city has been unhappy with the service its receiving from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office crime lab on drug samples and DUI blood work. Schmaderer said the city is preparing to give notice to the county that its withdrawing from their five-year interlocal agreement to share lab services. I have made the decision that I will move my lab work over to UNMC, Schmaderer said. They have agreed to work with us toward that endeavor. Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said she supports Schmaderers decision. She said that after more than two years, the merger talks appeared to be going nowhere. She noted that at a meeting of a merger committee last week, officials of the Nebraska Organ Recovery System, which was going to be a tenant of a potential new crime lab building, said they couldnt wait any longer and were going another direction. I felt like the chief had no other options, Stothert said. Douglas County officials agreed that the merger had stalled, although they cited other reasons. I dont know if I would call it completely dead, but its done for right now, Douglas County Board Chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson said. She and Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning said the merger effort stalled because there was no money for a new crime lab, and no one had identified a source of funding. Ive said from the beginning, show me the money, Dunning said. It was too much money. And nobody had any money. He and Borgeson had said they were open to talks about a merger, but they were reluctant to scrap a $4.5 million crime lab that the Douglas County Sheriffs Office had recently created. Since the most recent merger talks reignited, the Sheriffs Office crime lab received accreditation. Borgeson said that resolved one of the key issues driving the desire for a merger. We have a duly accredited lab, she said. Were all strapped for dollars, and its not sensible for the county to go and start paying for new facilities when we have a fully functioning, accredited crime lab now. The county and Omaha have been discussing the possibility of merging their crime labs for about a decade. The matter became more urgent after former Douglas County crime lab director David Kofoed in 2010 was convicted of planting evidence in a murder case. Questions about problems with the citys in-house crime analysis have also been raised. The merger talks gained momentum again in 2016 because of the proposal to house a new, independent, merged lab at UNMC. Schmaderer said improving forensic services had been a goal of his since he became police chief in 2012. A full-scale merger creating an independent, one-stop shop crime lab at UNMC was his ideal. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine backed the concept, as did a Nebraska State Legislature study committee. City prosecutor Matt Kuhse backed the idea too. As a prosecutor, what I want is good, quality evidence that I can produce in court that is virtually unimpeachable, he said. Kuhse said he saw a merged crime lab run independently at UNMC as the best way for that to happen. That may be possible sometime in the future, but its not going to happen anytime soon, Kuhse said. He said he has a good working relationship with the Sheriffs Office. But Kuhse said he had no qualms with Schmaderers decision to move police lab services from the county to UNMC. Schmaderer said he appreciated the Sheriffs Office providing some crime lab services to the city as a stopgap. But he said those services have been delivered too slowly. He said the agreement between the city and county called for the county crime lab to strive to deliver results of drug sampling and toxicology tests regularly within 14 days. But Schmaderer said the testing routinely takes longer than that. In 2016, he said, it took the county more than 14 days to process 1,159 of 1,218 lab service requests. It took more than 30 days to receive results in 565 of those cases, according to police statistics. Schmaderer said multiple meetings with the Sheriffs Office had failed to resolve the issues. Dunning said 14 days is unrealistic. And he said the Sheriffs Office crime labs turnaround time is much faster than the states. Borgeson said service issues could be worked out. She said the merger talks stalling is not a bad thing. We sat down and discussed it, she said. It ended up not being feasible, and thats OK. Schmaderer said hes disappointed. He saw a merged, independent crime lab as the best option for law enforcement and the public. But thats not going to happen, Schmaderer said. The World Federation of Tourist Guides Associations has appointed a South African tourist guide as its new President. Alushca Ritchie, a registered tourist guide for the Western Cape, was appointed to head the internationally recognised body at the 17th biennial World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations Convention which took place in Tehran, Iran, recently. Ms Ritchie has been a Wine Specialist for the last 6 years. She owns and manages a tourism business and has served as the Chairperson of the Cape Tourist Guides Association, a director on the Cape Town Tourism Board and as the Western Cape Representative of the South African Travel Services Association. The WFTGA is a not-for-profit, non-political organisation comprising tourist guide associations, individual tourist guides, educational institutions and other members who have a direct or indirect association with tourist guides. It is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. The President of WFTGA serves for a two-year term and is supported by an Executive Board made up of delegates from Australia, Iran, USA, Canada and UK. For more information on the WFTGA and the Convention visit: www.wftga.org President Trump praised his new education secretary, Betsy DeVos, on Tuesday, saying she had endured "a very unfair trial" before her confirmation last week and pledging an effort to overhaul education. "We want every child to have an opportunity to climb the ladder to success," Trump said at the White House before a meeting with parents and teachers. "It all begins with education, and that's why we're here this morning." Trump criticized "failing schools," echoing language he used on the campaign trail. "Millions of poor, disadvantaged students are trapped in poor, failing schools," he said. "We're going to change it around, especially for the African American communities." DeVos, a major Republican donor and longtime advocate for vouchers and other alternatives to public schools, stumbled over basic policy questions at her Senate confirmation hearing, making her the target of late-night comics and helping to fuel a popular uprising against her nomination. She barely won confirmation Feb. 7 as all members of the Senate's Democratic caucus and two Republicans voted to oppose her, citing her lack of experience. Protesters briefly blocked DeVos from entering a D.C. middle school last week, her first visit to a K-12 public school since taking office. The parents gathered at the White House Tuesday were a friendlier crowd. "I'm really excited to be here today with parents and educators, representing traditional public schools, charter public schools, home schools, private schools a range of choices," said DeVos, who sat next to Trump during the event. Vice President Pence, who cast a historic tiebreaking vote to confirm DeVos last week, was also in attendance, as were aides Kellyanne Conway and Stephen Miller. About 10 parents, teachers and administrators participated in the session. Trump asked Jane Quenneville, principal of a Virginia school focused on special education, whether she had noticed a big increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism. Quenneville said she had. "So what's going on with autism, when we look at the tremendous increases, really, it's such an incredible it's really a horrible thing to watch," Trump said. "Maybe we can do something." Video: President Trump said he is committed to expanding access to charter schools, and school choice, during a meeting with teachers and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Feb. 14 at the White House. WASHINGTON Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, warned the Trump administration Tuesday to tread carefully as it seeks to negotiate better trade deals. In a meeting between administration officials and members of the Senate Finance Committee, Grassley highlighted the risk of retaliation to farmers and ranchers who depend on overseas markets to sell their products. If the president can negotiate better deals for the United States, Im all for it, but I dont want to see anything that hurts major sectors of the economy, like agriculture, Grassley said in a statement following the meeting. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump frequently denounced the countrys track record on trade deals. He vowed to renegotiate the longstanding North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, and to abandon the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership that was negotiated under President Barack Obama. Trump said his preference is for bilateral deals between the United States and one other country, because those are easier to exit if the U.S. feels unfairly treated. Since taking office, President Trump has made good on his pledge to ditch the TPP much to the dismay of those in farm country. Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson, for example, said he was disappointed at Trumps move on the Pacific trade agreement. Nelson said at the time that the pact would have increased agricultural cash receipts for Nebraska by more than $378 million annually benefiting pork producers as well as corn and soybean farmers. More recently, the Trump administration briefly floated the idea of a 20 percent import tax on Mexican products to help pay for a wall along the border between the two countries. While the White House quickly backed off that proposal, it caused alarm among ag groups who feared possible retaliation. Grassley sought to convey those concerns when he and other Finance Committee members met Tuesday with two top Trump advisers Peter Navarro of the newly created National Trade Council and Jason Greenblatt, special representative for international trade negotiations. I pointed out that U.S. agriculture is often the first target when countries retaliate against the United States on trade, Grassley said. He noted reports that a Mexican lawmaker is working on a bill directing his country to stop purchasing U.S. corn and instead buying from Brazil and Argentina apparently in response to Trumps trade talk. All of us looking at new trade deals or renegotiating prior trade deals need to have our eyes open and consider that U.S. agriculture is generally a major exporter, Grassley said. Anything that restricts export markets for U.S. farm products very likely means lost income for Iowa farmers and ag workers. Talking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Grassley noted that Mexico and Canada represent top markets for U.S. agricultural products such as row crops, ethanol, beef and pork. Grassley was asked about recent suggestions that Trump could attempt to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization. Such a move might wreck the countrys many existing trade agreements, and Grassley said that would be a disaster. If you did, youre back to where you were under Smoot-Hawley: shut down world trade, have a worldwide depression and have another world war and kill 60 million people, Grassley said. We dont want to go that direction again. We should have learned from the mistakes of protectionism of the 1930s. For years, Omahas police and fire pension plans sat in poor financial shape with limited prospects for improvement. Many Omahans, as well as this newspaper, expressed concern about the risk to taxpayers. In recent years, hard-won changes from serious, constructive negotiations between city leaders and the citys unions have turned the pension systems finances in a positive direction. Twice since 2010, the City of Omaha has negotiated with its police union to increase pension contributions, reduce pension benefits or eliminate abuses. Twice since 2012, Omaha has negotiated with its fire union to do the same. These changes should make the police and fire pension plan fully funded within 18 years, as Omaha fire union president Steve LeClair testified at a hearing before the Legislatures Retirement Systems Committee. Lincoln also is seeing progress. There, the city in 2016 stopped paying retirees an extra payment from unexpectedly high investment returns and reinvested the money in the pension fund. City officials expect police and fire pensions to eclipse the 80 percent funded mark this year. Its true that the Omaha and Lincoln pension funds today still fall short of the funding levels actuaries recommend. Omahas police and fire pension system is about 50 percent funded; Lincolns is about 79 percent funded. Still, given both cities positive momentum, Nebraska lawmakers should be wary of calls for state intervention in this local matter using Legislative Bill 30. LB 30, by State Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward, who heads the Retirement Systems Committee, is a well-intentioned proposal. Under the bill, newly hired Omaha and Lincoln police officers, firefighters and paramedics would receive cash-balance retirement plans instead of traditional, defined-benefit pensions. Cash-balance plans are a hybrid of traditional pensions and 401(k) retirement plans that offer no guarantees on investment returns. If investments fall short of pensioners expectations, taxpayers dont have to make up the difference. The state uses cash-balance plans with most employees, with exceptions that include Nebraska State Patrol troopers. Why does the state use a traditional pension approach for troopers? For the same reason Omaha maintains traditional pensions for public safety employees: Recruitment. Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has said LB 30 would make his job recruiting and retaining police officers more difficult. Omaha has already seen officer applications drop from 2,000 in 2010 to below 1,000 in 2015, the police union says. This issue alone should give state lawmakers pause. Local pension improvements in Omaha and Lincoln have received some help from the state. In recent years, lawmakers, along with concerned citizens, brought needed attention to the issue of unfunded public pension liabilities. But senators should consider the reaction from Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican fan of cash-balance retirement plans. She took no formal position on LB 30 and argued for local control. She has cited the progress Omaha and its unions are making on their own. If Omaha were failing to make major significant progress on pensions, state intervention might be justified. Yet progress is being made. Its too soon for the state to assert itself more forcefully. Nebraska, a proud, local-control state, should let mayors and city councils keep negotiating with local unions until those negotiations no longer bear fruit. In theory, if only occasionally in fact, Congress plays a role when a president wants to initiate military hostilities. Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah thinks Congress should also have a say when a president wants to initiate a trade war. Lee is a constitutional, meaning an actual, conservative who is eager for Congress to retrieve some of the power it has improvidently, and sometimes unconstitutionally, delegated to presidents. As a step toward correcting Congress self-marginalization, he proposes the Global Trade Accountability Act. It is analogous to the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, which has several times passed the House only to expire in a Democratic-controlled Senate. REINS, which the House again passed Jan. 5, would require Congress to approve any major (at least $100 million cost) regulation. The theory is that if legislators fingerprints, rather than just those of unaccountable and secure bureaucrats, are going to be on such regulations, they will receive more exacting cost-benefit analyses. REINS attempts to somewhat expand Congress governing role as todays sprawling administrative state churns on: Lee notes that last year Congress passed 2,966 pages of laws while federal agencies were churning out 32-times that many (97,110) pages of regulations. Lees proposed act pertaining to tariffs is part of the Article I Project, a bicameral collaboration among legislators interested in resuscitating Congress powers. It would provide for congressional review of the imposition of duties and other trade measures by the executive branch. No such measures could take effect until both houses of Congress pass a joint resolution of approval. Lees excellent proposal would, like REINS, leave Congress in a reactive posture, but at least able to react. Speaker Paul Ryan declares that were meaning Congress not going to be raising tariffs, but Congress has long since invested presidents with vast discretion regarding tariffs. Tariffs are taxes imposed at the border. The Constitution says Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises and to regulate commerce with foreign nations. Because the country came into existence insisting on no taxation without representation, the initiative in raising revenue was entrusted to the political institution composed of directly elected representatives proportionate to population: The Constitutions Origination Clause says, All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House. Although all tariffs raise revenues, not all are primarily for that purpose. Some are intended to protect from competition some industries that the government decides should be favored. So, by repeatedly over a century, beginning with the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act (TWEA), delegating to presidents the power to impose tariffs, Congress has empowered him to raise taxes. Lees proposal would require congressional complicity in this core government function. Without it, presidents can wield powers akin to those of a wartime commander in chief. Gary Clyde Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics notes that the TWEA is the mother of all presidential powers over international trade. In 1933, newly inaugurated President Franklin Roosevelts first act was to invoke a section of the TWEA never mind that the nation was not at war to declare a national emergency and order a bank holiday, actions which were, as Hufbauer says, at best remotely related to foreign commerce. Congress promptly extended the TWEA to cover national emergencies declared by presidents. In 1971, the national emergency invoked to justify President Richard Nixons 10 percent surcharge on imports was the Korean War. That war had never been declared and essentially had ended 18 years earlier, but the emergency that was declared when it began had never been formally ended. Although the TWEAs opening language says it pertains in time of war, the current president could use it with impunity to legitimize his imposition of tariffs, citing ongoing U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, like the TWEA, and six other statutes give presidents vast power to regulate international commerce during an unusual and extraordinary threat, which the current president thinks is the nations current condition. And courts defer to presidents about emergencies. Congress last passed a declaration of war many wars ago, on June 5, 1942, regarding Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Since then, Congress has explicitly authorized certain uses of military force, but its ability to inhibit presidential discretion regarding war-making has atrophied. If Congress passes Lees measure, and Trump signs it, it will limit presidential discretion regarding trade wars and will crimp the modern presidencys imperial swagger. Nebraska has a taxing problem As a small business owner, farmer and someone who works a third job to pay the bills, I can tell you that Nebraska has high taxes. My familys home for generations has provided us with many great opportunities over the years, but our high taxes are crushing my family and our ability to invest in and grow our business, our farm and our family. Last year, we had to take out a second mortgage on our house just to pay our income taxes. For us, this isnt a matter of working harder or smarter. Tax rates need to come down now for middle-class families like mine if we want Nebraska to continue to be a great place to live. I appreciate the governors leadership and advocacy for tax relief. If the state is going to make a difference for people like my family, we need the Legislature to act this year. I urge my fellow Nebraskans to take action. Call and email your senators to tell them to pass Legislative Bill 337. Roxie Kracl, Fremont, Neb. Ricketts insults Legislative District 2 It is disheartening to think that the 35 applicants from Legislative District 2 to replace Bill Kintner were not adequate enough to meet Gov. Pete Ricketts standards (Cass County banker chosen to replace Kintner, Feb. 7 World-Herald). Of course, there was a disclaimer stating that the governor reserves the right to seek out additional qualified candidates. Unlike Elmwood banker Robert K. Clements, the man Ricketts appointed, many of the applicants have had a long history of elected public service. They have served their communities and counties on school boards, city councils, natural resource district boards, fire and rescue boards and county boards. Some also have served our state and nation as members of reserve and active duty military. Ricketts insulted those applicants (of which I was one), telling them that their effort to submit resumes, letters of recommendations and calls of support from state, county and community officials meant nothing. Legislative District 2, the State of Nebraska and the Legislature have been saddled with the embarrassment of Bill Kintner the past four years. Its worth noting that he was financially supported by our past and present governors, state Republican Party and Clements. Ron Nolte, Plattsmouth, Neb. Groene represents his district well Nebraska State Sen. Mike Groene of North Platte writes a weekly column and calls the local radio station each Friday. His constituents know his conservative values and where he stands on issues, which is why he was elected. I hope he continues to bypass the mainstream media as much as possible. Im proud to support him as my senator. Donna Tryon, North Platte, Neb. Pick country over party It is time for the Nebraska congressional delegation to prove they represent the interests of their constituents and not just their party. The resignation of Gen. Michael Flynn over the Russian controversy begs for a bipartisan investigation (Thin ice gives way amid issues with Flynn, Feb. 14 World-Herald). Flynns actions may be illegal and definitely are deeply disturbing. If our representatives cannot see the risk to our nation this presents, they are valuing party loyalty over our republic. Mary Picken, Omaha They serve us We the People The Preamble to the Constitution starts out with seven important words We the People of the United States. It is time for our 535 elected people in Congress to act like grownups. It doesnt matter if they are Republicans or Democrats or independent. Grow up and treat We the People of the United States with respect. Stanley Tuton, Mills, Neb. It took government to save bald eagles Those of you who appreciated the Feb. 10 front-page article about bald eagles (Prime time for eagle sightings) and enjoy seeing this amazing bird should thank the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency for saving it when it was threatened with extinction. Susanne Hickey, Omaha Turn on the lights Lighting the Joslyn Castle is great (Feb. 1 World-Herald). It is a historic mansion, and the lighting will provide not only safety and security for a great part of our city, but something equally important beauty. In 2012 the Union Pacific Railroad celebrated 150 years of service to our country. Why not light the railroad bridge crossing the Missouri River linking Iowa and Nebraska? When you stop and think of the history that has crossed this railroad bridge, it truly makes this landmark significant. Lighting the bridge in LED bulbs or pillar floor lights using a Creighton Blue wash would be special. LED lighting is safe, with low maintenance and usage costs. New developments on both sides of the river would make the lighting of the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge a very positive statement for our communities and the nation. The lighting of the bridge would also help draw citizens to ongoing development on the riverfront something we want to encourage. Stan Lessmann, Omaha Amarinder seeks probe into AAP's 'nexus' with militants India oi-PTI Chandigarh, Feb 15: Reacting to the arrest of Nabha jailbreak mastermind from the alleged house of an AAP worker, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh on Wednesday sought a probe into what he called Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's "nexus" with militants and gangsters in the state. The Congress chief ministerial candidate flagged concern over the arrest of Gurpreet Singh Sekhon from the house of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) activist, just two weeks after Kejriwal had courted controversy by staying at a KLF militant's home in Punjab. There is apparently a "strong nexus between AAP and the militants as well as dreaded gangsters, posing a major threat to Punjab's security and safety", alleged Amarinder, demanding an independent investigation, preferably by a central agency, into the party's "dangerous" links. With the Maur bomb blast also being traced to KLF and occurring just a few days after Kejriwal's stay at KLF terrorist Gurwinder Singh's house during his Punjab visit ahead of the assembly polls, the situation warranted a detailed inquiry into what appeared to be "nefarious links" between AAP and anti-social elements, he said. Amarinder said while Kejriwal-led AAP had increasingly been exposing its "extremist ideology" in the run-up to the polls, things had now come to a head in the wake of the latest reports of Sekhon's arrest from the home of party activist Goldy Gill, an NRI who had been actively engaged in campaigning for his party. "It was no longer possible," he said, "to brush away controversial Kejriwal's stay as a mere coincidence, as the AAP leadership had been trying to project." PTI Cong workers protest outside residence of PM Modi's mother India oi-PTI Ahmedabad, Feb 15: Congress workers on Wednesday staged a demonstration outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nonagenarian mother Hiraba, seeking her intervention in the Naliya gangrape case in which four BJP leaders were allegedly involved. Around 35 Congress workers assembled unannounced in front of the house of Pankaj Modi, younger brother of the Prime Minister, where 97-year-old Hiraba lives in Raisan village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar city. Policemen rushed to the spot and detained the Congress workers, mostly women. These protesters were demanding Hiraba's intervention in the gangrape case, claiming that Modi would surely listen to his mother's call for punishment to the culprits. "We have briefly detained around 35 Congress workers, mostly women, as they sat on a dharna and shouted slogans outside Hiraba's home in Raisan village near Gandhinagar. No untoward incident took place during the demonstration," said Info City police inspector K M Priyadarshi. These Congress workers alleged that police were trying to shield the real culprits involved in the gangrape in Naliya town of Kutch district. "The entire nation and media took notice of your gesture of standing in a bank queue during demonetisation. Now, we urge you to stand with the victim, which will force the government and police to take action. "We also urge you to talk to your son on the issue so that many other victims can be saved," said a letter addressed to Hiraba which could not be handed over due to the detention. Till now, police have arrested eight persons who had allegedly gangraped a married women in Naliya town on several occasions. Those who were arrested included four local BJP leaders, who have been suspended from the party. In her FIR, the 24-year-old woman alleged that she was raped by at least nine persons on different occasions a year ago. The victim has alleged in her FIR that the accused have been running sex racket in Kutch district and forcing victims to have sex with numerous persons after blackmailing them by making video of the act. PTI Fake Rs 2,000 notes seized, more security features replicated India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Feb 15: On Tuesday, the National Investigation Agency arrested Umar Farooq alias Firoj, a 21-year-old resident of Malda in West Bengal in connection with a two-year-old fake currency case. From him, the police seized three fake notes of the new Rs 2,000 denomination. The three notes seized from him were of very high quality and the same has been sent for forensic analysis. This seizure comes close on the heels of another investigation that found that fake currency racketeers had replicated 11 out of the 17 security features in the new denomination Rs 2,000 notes. Farooq was on his way to hand over the notes to another person. These were sample notes, an NIA official informed. On the face of it, the notes appeared to be of very high quality. This has raised doubts that the racketeers may have now replicated more than the 11 security features. It may be recalled that the Government had on November 8, 2016 announced that one of the reasons behind demonetisation was taken to stop cross border trade of fake Indian currency which was being printed in the Rs 500 and 1,000 denomination. In the past two months there have been more than two seizures of Rs 2,000 fake notes. It was found that the racketeers had managed to replicate more than half of the security features. During the February 8 seizure at Murshidabad, security forces arrested Azizur Rehman, a 26-year-old youth hailing from Malda in West Bengal. He had on him 40 fake notes of the Rs 2,000 denomination. The notes were sent for forensic analysis and it was found that 11 out of the 17 features were replicated to perfection. The features replicated were the transparent area, watermark, Ashoka Pillar emblem, the letters 'Rs 2000' on the left, the guarantee clause with the RBI governor's signature and the denomination number in Devanagari on the front. In the earlier seizure, it was found that eight features had been replicated. They were a motif of the Chandrayan, the Swachh Bharat log, language panel and also the year of printing. Further, on the other side of the note, racketeers had managed to replicate the Devanagari numeral, the guarantee clause with the RBI governor's signature and the water mark. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 8:21 [IST] Geekologie has shut down. Thank you to everybody. Now go be happy. Glimpses from a 2005 courtroom: When I covered the Jaya case India oi-Vicky By Vicky The year was 2005, and for legal correspondents such as me, these were exciting times. A special court had been set up at the City Civil Complex in Bengaluru, (then Bangalore) to try former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case. I was working with a newspaper at that time and since I covered the high court, this assignment was bound to come to me. The Supreme Court had transferred the case to Bengaluru after the DMK complained that a fair trial would not take place in Tamil Nadu. The court was set up and all we knew was just that. One day at around 8.30 pm, after having filed the routine high court stories, I was able to set out when one of my colleagues called to tell me someone had called me on the landline -- yes the landline! A man with a gruff voice told me that he was one of the officers in the special court. He told me that the judge had issued summons to Jayalalithaa and this indicated that the trial was about to start. This was indeed big news, and in my excitement to pull off an 'exclusive' I asked the officer two questions: (1) Have you told anyone else? And (2) Why have you called me? He responded by saying thsat (a) No, he had not called anyone else and (b) He had called me because he is an ardent fan of the newspaper was I working for. After the mandatory cross verification of the news, it went to print. A week later, I was at the special court to cover the trial along with my friend, who I will call KP. I recollected that day on Tuesday before the Supreme Court was to deliver its final verdict in the case. My heart was in my mouth; my hands sweaty, I was excitement personified This was big and it was the trial of one of the most high-profile politicians in the country taking place in my city. When Jaya was paid 5,000 to perform Never before had I witnessed such frenzy in my life. To witness all this in a court hall was unheard of as we consider courts as temples of justice. I was nervous for another reason as a story on the fact that Jayalalithaa was not litigating for the first time in the state had not appeared in my newspaper. The period was around mid-70s, Jaya, then an actor, had been paid Rs 5,000 advance by Karnataka to perform at the Dasara celebrations at Mysuru. She however wanted to perform before Hema Malini, the reigning 'megastar' of the time, and when the organisers refused, she left and didn't returned the advance amount. This prompted the Karnataka government to file a case against her. The case was however settled amicably. I wrote the long-forgotten story, and her agitated lawyers even asked where they could find the author (of the original story) to which I said he has not yet arrived. Before the trial commenced, we saw a Tata Sumo packed with advocates. What amazed us was that the wind-shield had a gigantic photo of Amma which prompted us to ask, "How on earth did they drive from Chennai with the wind-shield covered 3/4th?" Dedication does a lot I suppose. Vakalath in blood: As the lawyers barged into the court, we noticed is that they had Amma rings, Amma pens, her photographs etc. We were told that some had even signed the vakalath (a document which authorises the lawyer on behalf of the client) in blood to show their dedication towards their beloved leader! The court was nothing short of chaotic. All of us including the staff, the special public prosecutor and the judge watched in disbelief and somewhat resembling disgust. Her supporters were pushy, noisy and to put in one word the meant "To hell with the decorum of the court!" The judiciary in Karnataka is by and large a peaceful one. Never in the history had such scenes been witnessed. The judge even asked on numerous occasions why there were so many advocates in the court when only three would argue. That did not deter them and kept coming back to the court in larger numbers. The chaos and commotion is something that a Karnataka court had never witnessed. Let us hope it never does in the future as well. OneIndia News Go to jail now, Supreme Court tells Sasikala India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Supreme Court has rejected Sasikala Natarajan's request for more time to surrender. The SC said that it had asked her to surrender immediately and it will not change that order. Senior counsel K T S Tulsi appearing for Sasikala Natarajan made repeated requests seeking time to surrender. The request made before the Bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy was however rejected. Justice Ghose emphatically rejected the request. We do not intend to change a word of our order, Justice Ghose also said. The court also did not allow Tulsi to complete his sentence. Justice Ghose said, " immediately means immediately." [Give me time; have personal work: Sasi to tell SC before surrendering] Karnataka's counsel Dushyanth Dave said that if Sasikala and others do not surrender immediately, they would be arrested. Tulsi once again requested the Bench to take up the plea at 3 pm. However Justice Ghose cut him short again and said, " we do not intend to pass any further orders after we have directed her to surrender immediately. With this order Sasikala and the two co-convicts Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran will also have to surrender immediately before the trial court in Bengaluru. Sasikala Natarajan moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking more time to surrender before the trial court in Bengaluru. She told the Bench that she has to make some personal arrangements before she can surrender before the court. The Bench while convicting her had directed her to surrender to serve out her four years sentence. She said that if more time is not granted to her to surrender then it would cause her irreparable loss. She has however not specified what the personal reasons are. A similar application is being filed by her co-convicts Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran. The matter is likely to mentioned before the Bench at 10.30 am. The same Bench had convicted her on Tuesday holding her guilty in the disproportionate assets case. She along with Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran were ordered to go to jail. OneIndia News Here is Sasikala's wish list before going to jail India oi-Vicky By Vicky Sasikala Natarajan has a list of demands when she is lodged in the central jail at Bengaluru. While she has every right to put forth her list of demands, the jail authorities have decided to give only what is allowed as per the jail manual. The list by Sasikala includes a western commode, home cooked food, walking space and 24 hours running water. The jail authorities however are ready to lodge her in a cell which will have a cot, television. She would also be provided with a helper. The jail authorities have however not considered the other demands as yet. Apart from this she would be given a plate similar to the one provided to all other jail inmates. She would also be given a blue saree which is the uniform for a convict and also a mug in which she has to drink water. Before entering prison she will undergo a medical test. She will also have to provide certificates in case she has any medical history. Since she is a VIP prisoner there would be round the clock security around her cell. The central jail in Bengaluru however does not have a VIP cell. It has a barrack in which her aide Jayalalithaa was lodged. The same barrack was also occupied by former chief minister of Karnataka, B S Yeddyurappa. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 15:25 [IST] In Pics: Crying images of Sasikala Natarajan are superhit India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer In the last few days, we have seen Sasikala Natarajan shedding copious amounts of tears in front of the camera. And, we must say these images of the convicted All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam interim general secretary have become extremely popular. Scan through any newspaper or social media sites, it is her crying images that don everywhere. Being a woman, crying comes naturally to Sasikala. We understand the fact well. But, we wonder whether people of Tamil Nadu also share her pain. Here we bring you a few images where Sasikala was seen crying... The Supreme Court verdict ruins Sasikalas political dream Right after the apex court convicted Sasikala and three of her accomplices, including Late J Jayalalithaa, in the disproportionate assets case, this image of Sasikala was widely used by almost all the news websites. In the image, Sasikala was seen as a lonely woman and tears rolling down her cheeks. Sasikalas emotional appeal to the AIADMK party workers After the SC judgement, Sasikala, who till Tuesday was staking her claim to the Chief Minister's post in Tamil Nadu, addressed her party workers. During the interaction, Sasikala got emotional and cried. She said wherever she goes she will think about the party. Political drama means some political tears In the last few days, after the caretaker CM of the state O Panneerselvam rebelled against Sasikala, the former long-time associate of Jayalalithaa addressed several meetings with the AIADMK workers. In most of these interactions, well-covered by the media, Sasikala never forgot to cry. When PM Modi blessed Sasikala After the demise of Jayalalithaa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tamil Nadu to pay his tributes to the former CM of TN. At that time, PM Modi was seen consoling Sasikala. Tears after becoming the AIADMK supremo After she was appointed as the legislative party leader of the AIADMK, Sasikala became overwhelmed with emotions and cried in front of all. Picture credit: Social Media 'Historic', says ISRO chief after heaviest rocket successfully places 36 OneWeb satellites into orbits LVM3 exemplifies Atmanirbharta, says PM Modi as he congratulates ISRO on successful launch of OneWeb First test flight of Gaganyaan mission in February, 2023: ISRO In Pics: ISRO launches 104 satellites at one go India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Sriharikota, Feb 15: In its thirty ninth flight PSLV-C37, ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle successfully launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite along with 103 co-passenger satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the thirty eighth consecutively successful mission of PSLV. The total weight of all the 104 satellites carried on-board PSLV-C37 was 1378 kg. PSLV-C37 lifted off at 9:28 am IST, as planned, from the First Launch Pad. The total number of Indian satellites launched by PSLV now stands at 46. After separation, the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed automatically and ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network at Bangalore took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration following which it will begin to provide remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras. Of the 103 co-passenger satellites carried by PSLV-C37, two - ISRO Nano Satellite-1 weighing 8.4 kg and INS-2 weighing 9.7 kg - are technology demonstration satellites from India. With today's successful launch, the total number of customer satellites from abroad launched by India's workhorse launch vehicle PSLV has reached 180. Here are some pics of ISRO and the satellite launch: In 1980s ISRO scientists used bullock carts to carry satellite In 1981 ISRO scientists carried India's First Communication APPLE Satellite on bullock cart. Image courtesy: @IndiaHistorypic The PSLV-C37 which carried 104 satellites, on the eve of its launch at the spaceport in Sriharikota. Image courtesy: PTI. The PSLV-C37 India's trusted workhorse, the PSLV-C37, which carried 104 satellites at the spaceport in Sriharikota. Image courtesy: PTI PSLV-C37 carried Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Cartosat-2 Series Satellite which was carried by PSLV-C37 has high resolution payloads with improved revisit capability. PSLV-C37 had 101 foreign co-passenger satellites The rocket's 101 co-passenger satellites were international customer satellites from USA (96), The Netherlands (1), Switzerland (1), Israel (1), Kazakhstan (1) and UAE (1). Launch mesmerises people People watch as as a rocket from Space agency Indian Space Research Organisation takes off successfully to launch a record 104 satellites, including India's earth observation satellite on-board PSLV-C37 from the spaceport of Sriharikota. Image courtesy: PTI. ISRO launches 104 satellites ISRO created history by successfully launching a world record 104 satellites into respective orbits. Image courtesy: @AkashvaniAIR OneIndia News Blow to Nitish Kumar as 5 of 6 MLAs from JD(U) join BJP in Manipur Manipur election- 215 candidates file nomination for first phase India oi-PTI Imphal, February 15: Altogether 215 candidates have filed nomination papers from 38 constituencies which go to polls in the first phase of assembly elections on March 4 to 60 seats in Manipur. Chief Electoral Officer, Manipur, Vivek Kumar Dewangan in a press release today said 83 candidates had filed their papers yesterday as nominations for the first phase ended. Scrutiny of papers for the first phase of elections will be held on February 16 and the last date of withdrawal is on February 18, the release added. It also said that 24 candidates have filed nomination papers so far for the second phase of elections for Manipur on March 8 to elect 22 MLAs. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 16:04 [IST] Parrikar not concerned with 'America First' call India ians-IANS By Ians English Bengaluru, Feb 14: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said the "America First" call of US President Donald Trump is not a concern for India or the Make in India programme. Asked if Trump's America First would come in the way of Make in India and stop US firms from participating in the programme, Parrikar said: "You should have put this question to Boeing, they are there at the exhibition... Boeing, Lockheed Martin, etc." "What I will say is what I want... I want you to Make in India. If someone wants to shift production to some other place, it is his choice. I am not concerned," Parrikar said at a press conference on the sidelines of "Aero India 2017". He also said that he has so far just heard of it, and there is no official communication from the US government. "As far as we are concerned, there is so far no issue, there is no letter. I am only hearing about it," he said. Explaining it further, the minister said: "An OEM (original equipment manufacturer) helping a strategic partner will need their government's approval. If they are proposing something, their government will give them in-principle approval, so that they can quote." Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that Boeing is already manufacturing beams in Nagpur, and the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) is making doors for Airbus. "Aviation manufacturing is going to a lot of countries, so it is better to ask the companies what their stand is," Raju said. Parrikar supplemented it by saying: "India is already part of a global supply chain." IANS Why PM Modi has urged everyone to visit Nadabet, the 'Wagah of Gujarat' PM pays homage to soldiers, says their valour will be remembered India oi-PTI New Delhi, Feb 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid homage to four army men, including a Major, who died fighting militants in two encounters in Kashmir and said the country will always remember their valour and sacrifice. He laid wreaths on the bodies of the soldiers at the Palam Airport here where the mortal remains were brought today from Srinagar. On the occasion, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat briefed the Prime Minister on the encounters in which the casualties took place. "Paid tributes to the brave men who lost their lives fighting terrorists in J&K. India will always remember their valour & sacrifice," Modi tweeted later. The Prime Minister was returning from Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh after addressing an election rally there when he paid his last respects to the bravehearts. Major S Dahiya and three other soldiers were killed yesterday in two encounters in Kashmir. Dahiya was killed in an encounter in Kralgund area of north Kashmir's Kupwara district where security forces gunned down three militants hiding in a residential house. Three other army men were killed in an encounter in Hajin area of Bandipora district after security forces cordoned off the area following information about presence of militants there. PTI Reliance partnership in Rafale deal offset: Not a threat, says HAL India oi-Anusha Bengaluru, Feb 15: HAL's Chairman and managing Director T Suvarna Raju on Wednesday said that Dassault aviation making Anil Ambani's reliance their offset partner in India did not come as a worry to HAL. The joint venture between the French company that manufactures Rafale fighter jets and Ambani's Reliance was announced in 2016 with contract being valued at a whopping Rs 30,000 crore. "I am not aware of such a joint venture or if government has made reliance a offset partner. Even if there were one, it doesn't come as a threat to HAL. We have showcased our capacity and capability in this very Aero show with the line up of indigenous aircrafts displays. It does not come as a worry to us and it is no threat," he said. Speaking further on India's push to only buy defence products from foreign firms where India will be made a strategic partner, HAL claimed that it may not be in the run. "HAL has been India's primary contributor as far as defence manufacturing is concerned for close to seven decades. The government may consider other player to become strategic partners in future deals with foreign firms," Raju said. France Dassault Aviation entered into partnership with Reliance group to execute offsets for the contract it signed up with India for 36 Rafale fighter jets in 2016. The joint venture called 'Dassault Reliance Aerospace' was jointly announced by the Chiefs of both companies. Reliance had termed it the largest offset contract to be executed by any defence company in India till date with the contract being valued upto Rs 30,000 crore. While the entire deal between India and France for 36 Rafale jets is worth Rs 59,000 crore, the deal comes with a rider of 50 percent offset clause that will extend for seven years to be executed by the French company and its partners in India. OneIndia News Why is the DMK continuing to oppose the imposition of Hindi? - 50 years of struggle and the truth! TN crisis: Governor in report to Home Ministry cites advise of 3 legal experts India oi-Vicky By Vicky Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi has once again said that a special session of the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly be convened and a floor test conducted. In his advise to the Governor of Tamil Nadu, the AG said that if there are rival claims then a composite floor test be conducted in accordance with the 1998 Jagadambika Pal vs Kalyan Singh case in Uttar Pradesh. The Governor has so far sought the legal advise of three legal experts. Two legal experts suggested convening a special session and a composite floor test. The AG, senior counsels Soli Sorabjee and Mohan Parasaran have advised the Governor on the matter. In a communication to the centre on February 12, the Governor had cited the legal advise given by the three experts and said that he would be relying on the recommendations. The Governor's report to the Home Ministry says that the AG and Parasaran had suggested conducting a composite floor test during a special session. Sorabjee had however said that the person with the largest number of MLAs must be sworn in. Raj Bhavan is expected to announce a date later on Wednesday. Sources say that the floor test is likely to be held before the end of this week. A source close to the Governor informed OneIndia that he wanted the political turmoil to end. There was no delay by the Governor. Instead he wanted a clearer picture to emerge before he could invite anyone to form the government. Had he given Sasikala Natarajan a chance to form the government, she would have had to step down following Tuesday's Supreme Court verdict that convicted her. This would have led to a full blown political crisis once again and all that the Governor wanted to do was to avoid such a situation. OneIndia News Iowa State Universitys 13 Research and Demonstration Farms around the state have served for decades as models of agricultural and scientific progress for Iowas farmers and landowners. For years, the universitys agricultural researchers have used the farms to study and demonstrate the effects of conservation practices to preserve water quality, keep soils productive and improve the environment, according to an Iowa State Extension news release. The ISU research farms strive to serve as models of stewardship now for the goals of Iowas Nutrient Reduction Strategy by implementing practices on fields, field edges and streamside borders. Cover crops Matt Schnabel, the superintendent at ISUs Northern Research Farm near Kanawha, said the farm serves as a model for neighboring farmers. The majority of our fields without trials are planted with cover crops. We also have planted milkweed for monarch butterfly conservation and for pollinator habitat, Schnabel, a 2010 graduate of ISU in agricultural systems technology, said in the news release. All these practices add benefits to the land, environment and cropping system. Installing and utilizing these practices on our research farm allows farmers to see things first-hand before implementing on their own farms. Schnabel said hed like to put more acres into habitat, reduce tillage and add saturated buffers. Saturated buffers reduce the movement of nutrients by diverting a portion of tile flow into shallow groundwater. This raises the water table of the buffer and allows organic matter to remove nitrate before the water enters an adjacent stream. Cover crops are one practice outlined in the Nutrient Reduction Strategy to reduce nitrate leaching from fields. Additionally, cover crops are beneficial to agricultural systems by increasing soil organic matter. Ames-area ISU farms have been using oats, radishes or winter rye as cover crops. Tim Goode, manager for ISU Research and Demonstration Farms, said that in the last year, 800 acres of cover crops were planted on research farms and other acres of cropland. Besides cover crops, the research farms use an array of 18 other nutrient management practices from the strategy, including wetlands, extended rotations and runoff retention. In the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, the Iowa State-led science assessment team lists many research-proven practices to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous losses, Goode said. Each of these practices have been studied and then implemented multiple times on ISU-managed farmland, either in the Ames area or on farms around the state. Long-term projects The ISU research farm near Nashua celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. The Nashua research farm has been the site of dozens water quality research projects and many field days to show off the results. The Nashua farm has implemented and maintained many conservation practices, including cover crops, buffers and bioreactors. Its water quality plots each drained by a separate tile drainage line in a long-term monitoring project was initiated in 1988 with funding from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The farm also installed an early version of a bioreactor, an edge-of-field conservation practice that removes tile flow nitrates by way of denitrification through a woodchip basin underground. The next generation of bioreactor research is closer to campus near Boone at the Agricultural Engineering/Agronomy Research Farm. At this site, scientists monitor nine experimental bioreactors which are being tested for various tile drainage volumes and fill materials with funding provided by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center. Many research and educational needs, demands, uses and decisions impact how ISU-managed land is used annually. But overall, ISU is strongly committed to managing farmland and implementing practices in a manner that supports land stewardship over the long term, Goode said. UP 2nd phase turnout betters first, highest ever in U'khand: EC India oi-PTI New Delhi, Feb 15: The second phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday saw 65.5 per cent voting while at 68 per cent, Uttarakhand recorded its highest ever turnout, Election Commission said. The poll panel said the "very sensitive" second phase in Uttar Pradesh, during which polling was held in 67 assembly constituencies, passed off peacefully and overall mood made it appear like a "festival of democracy". Rs 3.38 Cr cash& 147 illegal weapons seized. 1.01 lakh litres liquor& 81.20kg drug substances also seized: EC #UttarakhandElections2017 pic.twitter.com/KTnUX2HlnX ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 It said the figure registered till 5 PM was likely to go up in both the states, and that it may touch 70 per cent in Uttarakhand. Enforcement agencies seized Rs 16.52 crore in cash, 3.29 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 9 crore and drugs worth Rs 1.16 crore in Uttar Pradesh while 1.5 lakh weapons were deposited. Vijay Dev, Deputy Election Commissioner in charge of Uttar Pradesh, told a press conference that 117 electronic voting machines (EVMs) and 24 voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines had to be replaced during the polls. The corresponding figures were 20 and seven in case of Uttarakhand.There was one instance of paid news in Uttarakhand, EC said, adding that polling was free from any violence and largely uneventful. When asked about the Dainik Jagran case, Dev appealed to the media to go for "self-imposed implementaion" of the norms and refused to share any further details saying the matter was under probe. A polling party had to trek for two days to reach a height of 10,000 feet for conducting vote at the Reeh polling station, which has only 275 electors, located in the Tehri Garhwal district. "There were 479 polling station which were in snow-covered areas," Deputy Election Commissioner in charge Sandeep Saxena said. Around Rs 3.38 crore was seized in cash in the hill state along with 147 illegal weapons. Liquor worth Rs 3.1 crore was seized and drugs worth Rs 37.23 lakh. "The voting percentage had breached all records by 5 PM when it touched 68 per cent. Around 67.22 turnout was recorded in the 2012 assembly polls while 2014 Lok Sabha polls saw 62.15 per cent turnout," Saxena told reporters. In this phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh 82 women candidates were in the fray while the same was 60 in Uttarakhand. The number of third gender candidates were eight and two respectively. PTI P Chidambaram accuses BJP of using 7 phase poll in UP to polarise voters How the numbers add up in UP: This is what BJP's win percentage was UP election phase two, SP is hoping to repeat its 2012 India oi-IANS By Ians English Lucknow, Feb 15: As voting for 67 seats in 11 districts of Uttar Pradesh began on Wednesday, the ruling Samajwadi Party is hoping to repeat its 2012 performance in the region. The SP had won 34 of the 67 seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party had come a distant second with 17 seats in the last election. The Bharatiya Janata Party which is making a strong pitch to make inroads in the region had won 10 seats while the Congress, which is now contesting the polls in alliance with the SP, had barely managed 4 seats. Regional parties like the Ittehadul-E-Millat Council and the Peace Party had won one seat each. Muslim population is sizeable in 40 constituencies in the second phase and they could hold the key to victory. In all 721 candidates are in the fray. The key seats are Sambhal, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Shahjahanpur, Bijnore, Saharanpur and Budayun. IANS For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 10:14 [IST] UP is not up but down, PM Modi attacks Akhilesh government India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Lucknow, Feb 15: These days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is relentlessly campaigning for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. On Wednesday, he attended a poll rally in Kannauj, UP. Once again he trained his guns on the newly formed Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance. Attacking the ruling SP government in the state, PM Modi said that UP was 'down' everywhere. "English mei 'UP' ka matlab 'up' hota hai lekin aaj UP mei kahin up nazar nahi aata, sab down nazar aata hai (In English, 'UP' means 'up', but today, 'UP' is 'down' everywhere)," said the Prime Minister. He told people attending the rally that the state was suffering from massive corruption. "Earlier bribes used to be taken for class III and IV jobs. We've done away with interview processes and this has put a check on corruption." Commenting on the SP-Congress alliance, PM Modi said that Akhilesh Yadav has tied-up with the same party that once attacked his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. "Does Akhilesh ji even recall that the Congress attacked Mulayam Singh ji back in 1984? And he has allied with them only." "Akhilesh is not so experienced. The Congress is very cunning and Mulayam Ji knows it well," he added. He said there is a 'silent' pact between the SP, Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party. The PM said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is committed to the welfare of the farmers and poor in the state. "We are committed to the welfare of farmers in UP. Our government would waive-off loans of small farmers, if voted to power." He added that the Congress leaders during their election rallies promised to build potato factories. "But they don't know that potatoes grow in fields, not factories." The PM questioned the integrity of the SP government and their commitment towards empowering the poor. "Schools in UP do not have teachers in adequate numbers. Is this the way to empower the poor of India?" he asked. "I don't own a single car but these people who call themselves socialists, have many expensive cars." The PM asked the voters if the present government represents the poor of the state "Working for the poor, Dalits, marginalised and underprivileged is my government's first responsibility." Rubbishing the accusation of the Opposition that because of demonetisation people suffered a lot, the PM said post note ban the BJP has won elections in Odisha, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 15:40 [IST] UP polls: The curious case of 'missing' Mulayam Singh Yadav India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Lucknow, Feb 15: Over the years, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has established himself as a 'star campaigner' in almost all the elections held in Uttar Pradesh in the last 25 years. Wherever he addressed poll rallies, people flocked to have a glimpse of their Netaji (as Mulayam is popularly known). This election season, things have drastically changed for the veteran politician. As UP began polling for the second phase of assembly elections on Wednesday, everyone is curious about the whereabouts of the senior SP leader. Mulayam has so far attended rallies only for brother Shivpal Yadav at Jaswant Nagar in Etawah on February 11 and 13. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to attend a public meeting for daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, the wife of his second son Prateek, at Cantonment in Lucknow. Both seats go to polls in the third phase on February 19. Otherwise, he is almost missing from the hectic election campaign trail. Instead it is his son and chief minister of the state, Akhilesh Yadav, who is hogging the limelight. Poll pundits say the veteran politician has been totally sidelined by Akhilesh, after the latter got hold of the party's reins. In fact, an upset Mulayam had earlier said that he won't be campaigning this election season. However, he changed his mind only for his brother and daughter-in-law's sake. Mulayam has categorically said that he was against the newly forged alliance between the Congress and the SP. As the state elections are yet to get over and polling in due in five more phases, we have to wait and watch if Mulayam will be once again seen in the public attending election rallies. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 13:02 [IST] Power equation changes gears in UP P Chidambaram accuses BJP of using 7 phase poll in UP to polarise voters Highest number of women MLAs in UP since Independence How the numbers add up in UP: This is what BJP's win percentage was Raj Babbar offers to resign as UP Congress president Samajwadi Party, allies may cross 400 mark in UP election 2022: Akhilesh Yadav UP, Uttarakhand Elections 2017 Live: 60% voting recorded in Uttar Pradesh till 4 pm India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Dehraun/ Lucknow, Feb 15: Polling in Uttarakhand began on Wednesday whereas the second phase of Uttar Pradesh elections also took place. Voting is being carried out in 69 seats in Uttarakhand and in 67 constituencies in UP. For Uttarakhand chief minister this is a battle that will see whether or not he can bounce back from the sting-operation controversy. Rawat will be contesting from Haridwar rural. In UP, voting will be held in key seats like Samhal, Badaun, Rampur and more. Here are all the latest updates of the day: 5.00 pm: 60% voting recorded in Uttar Pradesh till 4 pm. 3.55 pm: 54.27 percent voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in second phase of polling Uttar Pradesh Polls 2017 3.48 pm: 53% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm in Uttarakhand Election 2017 2.00 pm: Voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in Uttar Pradesh: Amroha-44.75%, Badaun-37.03%, Bareilly-39.06%, Moradabad-40.80% 1.55 pm: 30.12 per cent voting recorded in Uttarakhand till 1 pm. 1.45 pm: Working for the poor, Dalits, marginalised and underprivileged is government's first responsibility: PM Narendra Modi in Kannauj. 1.20 pm: Drone camera being used at a polling booth in Budaun for surveillance. #UPPolls2017: Drone camera being used at a polling booth in Budaun for surveillance. pic.twitter.com/kFb2bPvLkm ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 12.42 pm: 115-year-old Zurriyat Hussain Kazmi, maternal grandfather of Union Min Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, casts his vote in Bareilly. 12.30 pm: Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat casts his vote at booth no 45 in Dharampur. #UttarakhandElection2017: CM Harish Rawat casts his vote at booth no 45 in Dharampur, pic.twitter.com/8W3VzO8GWh ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 11.52 am: 24% polling in registered in Uttarakhand till 11 am. 11.48 am: 24.14% voter turnout recorded till 11 am in Uttar Pradesh second phase of polling. 10.58 am: Bhagat Singh Koshiyari casts vote in Uttarakhand. 10.54 am: Baba Ramdev casts his vote at polling booth in Haridwar. #Uttarakhand: Baba Ramdev casts his vote at polling booth no.106 in Haridwar,says 'Modiji poori pramanikta se apna rajdharm nibha rahe hain' pic.twitter.com/SV3nj5lAxV ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 10.27 am: Congress's Indira Hridayesh casts her vote in Haldwani. #UttarakhandElection: Cong's Indira Hridayesh casts her vote at booth no 17 in Haldwani;She's contesting agnst BSP's SAhmad&BJP's JPSRautela pic.twitter.com/T6UhqI2Six ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 10.18 am: Urdu poet Wasim Barelvi casts his vote. #UttarPradesh: Urdu poet Wasim Barelvi casts his vote at polling booth no. 24 in Bareilly with his wife pic.twitter.com/8oPU1mAIf6 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 9.54 am: Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi casts her vote at Government Girls Inter College in Dehradun's Kishanpur. 9.50 am: 6% polling percentage recorded in the first hour of the Uttarakhand polls. 10.75% voter turnout recorded in Uttar Pradesh till 9 am. 9.45 am: MoS Finance Santosh Gangwar casts his vote. #UttarPradesh: MoS Finance Santosh Gangwar casts his vote at polling booth no. 60 in Bareilly with wife Saubhagya Gangwar pic.twitter.com/TIRZqe9Ikb ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 9.18 am: BJP's Uttarakhand president Ajay Bhatt casts his vote. #UttarakhandElection2017 BJP's Uttarakhand president Ajay Bhatt casts his vote at polling booth no. 130 in Ranikhet. pic.twitter.com/g8WqvW4MXK ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 9.03 am: People queue up to cast their votes at polling booths 54 & 55 in Bajpur. #UttarakhandElection2017-Ppl queue up to cast their votes at polling booths 54 & 55 in Bajpur;BSP's Ramavatar,BJP's Yashpal Arya contesting. pic.twitter.com/y3SVJoZ3i2 ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 8.38 am: Former minister and Congress candidate Tilakraj Behad casts his vote in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand. 8.30 am: #UttarakhandElection2017 People show their inked finger after casting their vote at a polling booth in Dehradun. pic.twitter.com/pQao6tlOv2 ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 8.23 am: People queue up to cast their vote in Dehradun. #UttarakhandElection2017 People queue up to cast their vote in Dehradun's Hathi Barkala pic.twitter.com/3LiBpl97Jc ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 8.03 am: Voting for 69 of a total of 70 assembly seats in Uttarakhand barring Karnaprayag begins. 8.00 am: Narendra Modi urges voters from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to come out in large numbers and vote. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2017 7.40 am: Glitch in EVM machine halts voting process at Badaun Sadar constituency's S.K.Inter College-booth no. 183. 7.10 am: People queue up outside polling booths to cast their vote. Visuals from polling booth 128 in Bijnor, Ruchi Vira of the SP-Congress alliance, BJP's Suchi & BSP's Rashid Ahmed contesting from the seat pic.twitter.com/eopobB2bkP ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 7.05 am: Polling begins for 67 Assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh in the second of seven phase. 6.43 am: Visuals from Moradabad: Polling for 67 assembly constituencies of #UttarPradesh in the second of seven phases, set to take place today. pic.twitter.com/sPfpxPKnDY ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 15, 2017 6.42 am: 69 of a total of 70 assembly seats barring Karnaprayag to go to polls in the single phase assembly elections in Uttarakhand today. Voting in the Karnaprayag seat has been postponed and will be held on March 9 as the BSP candidate Kuldeep Kanvasi was killed in a road accident. OneIndia News 'Gandhada Gudi' box office collection: Here's how much it collected in the US Watch Sasikala thump Amma's memorial thrice India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer AIADMK interim general secretary Sasikala Natarajan, who has been convicted by the Supreme Court in the DA case, took an oath at Jayalalitha's memorial in Chennai's Marina Beach before she left for Bengaluru to surrender. While offering floral tibutes the the late leader's memorial, an emotional Sasikala thumped her palm thrice on the memorial with a stern expression. She paused before the grave with wide eyes and an expression of resolve. She appeared to have vowed to come out stronger. #WATCH: #VKSasikala visits Jayalalithaa's memorial at Chennai's Marina Beach before heading to Bengaluru, pays floral tribute pic.twitter.com/1t8C150GKf ANI (@ANI_news) February 15, 2017 Sasikala Natarajan will surrender before a special court set up at the central jail presmises at Parapanaagrahara, Bengaluru. The Registrar of the Karnataka High Court issued an order to transfer the case to the central jail premises from the City Civil Court on Nrupathunga road in the city. Sasikala who has left Chennai after paying tributes at Jayalalithaa's memorial is expected to reach Bengaluru by Wednesday evening. She will head straight to the court and surrender herself. From there she will taken to prison. She is expected to file an application seeking more time to surrender on health grounds. Earlier a similar application filed by her was rejected by the Supreme Court. OneIndia News In a case of bad karma Taliban outs Pakistan on what India had always said on Azhar Afghanistan: Taliban abducts 52 civilians International oi-IANS By Ians English Kabul, Feb 15: At least 52 civilians have been abducted by Taliban militants in Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, an official said on Wednesday. "Armed militants abducted the civilians from some villages in Darzab district on Tuesday afternoon and took them to an unknown location," Xinhua news agency reported. According to the official, the local administration was making efforts to secure their safe release. Taliban militants have not made any comment in this regard so far. Afghan forces are fighting the Taliban insurgency for over a decade now. Since the start of 2006, Afghanistan has been facing a wave of attacks by improvised explosives and suicide bombers, particularly after NATO took command of the fight against insurgents in 2006 IANS Donald Trump administration wants peace between Israel and Palestine International oi-PTI Washington, Feb 15: The goal of Trump administration is to bring peace between Israel and Palestine whether it comes from two-State solution or something else, the White House has said. On the eve of the crucial meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said American can only lend a helping hand in resolving the decades-long conflict but cannot dictate the terms of peace. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve. Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want or something else, if that's what the parties want, we're going to help them," a Senior White House official told reporters during a background briefing. "May be, may be not, the official said on condition of anonymity when asked if peace equals two-State solution. "It's something the two sides have to agree to. It's not for us to impose that vision. But I think we'll find out more about that tomorrow," the official said yesterday. The official said the term "two-state solution" has not been particularly well defined. "If I ask five people what a two-state solution is, I get eight different answers. We're looking at the two sides to come together to make peace together and we'll be there to help them," the official said. Netanyahu arrived in the US yesterday. He met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Department. He is scheduled to meet Trump at the Oval Office today, following which the two leaders are expected to address a joint news conference, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said. "They will discuss ways to advance and strengthen the special relationship between our two countries and stability in the Middle East. They will consult on a range of regional issues, including addressing the threats posed by Iran and its proxies, the crisis in Syria, and countering ISIS and other terrorist groups," Spicer told reporters. "As the President has made clear, his administration will work to achieve comprehensive agreement that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security. The way forward toward that goal will also be discussed between the President and the Prime Minister," Spicer said. Later a senior White House official said that the Trump Administration does not want to dictate peace to either Israel and Palestine and it is for the two parties to arrive at a peaceful resolution to decades old conflict. "We're not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be. President Trump has very much indicated that he wants to achieve peace," the official said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 12:12 [IST] Kim Jong-Un's half-brother pleaded for his life, claim S.Korea leaders International oi-PTI Seoul, Feb 15: The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who was murdered in Malaysia, pleaded for his life to be spared after a failed assassination bid in 2012, lawmakers briefed by Seoul's spy chief said on Wednesday. Kim Jong-Nam died after reportedly being attacked by two women believed to be North Korean agents at a Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday. Jong-Nam, the eldest son of the late former leader Kim Jong-Il, was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched bid in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland. He has since lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau, while Jong-Un took over the isolated, nuclear-armed state after the death of his father in December 2011. The North in 2012 tried to assassinate Jong-Nam, known to be a supporter of reform in Pyongyang, Seoul lawmakers said following a closed-door briefing by the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Lee Byung-Ho. "According to (Lee)... there was one assassination bid in 2012, and Jong-Nam, in April 2012, sent a letter to Jong-Un saying 'Please spare me and my family,'" Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. "It also said 'We have nowhere to go... we know that the only way to escape is suicide'," he said, adding Jong-Nam had little political support at home and posed little threat to Jong-Un. Jong-Nam's family, his former and current wives and three children, are currently living in Beijing and Macau, said another committee member, Lee Cheol-Woo. "They are under the protection by the Chinese authorities," he said, adding Jong-Nam had entered Malaysia on February 6, a week before his death. Jong-Nam's murder is the highest-profile death under the Kim Jong-Un's regime since the execution of the leader's uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. Jang, known to be close to China and an advocate of economic reform in the North, was charged with treason. Jong-Nam, believed to have ties with Beijing's elite, was a relatively outspoken figure, publicly criticising Pyongyang's political system. The 45-year-old said he 'personally opposed' the hereditary power transfer in his own family, during an interview with Japan's Asahi TV in 2010. One of his sons, Han-Sol, also described his uncle, Jong-Un, as a 'dictator' in a rare interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012 while he was studying in Europe. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 12:05 [IST] New head for UN peacekeeping force International oi-PTI New York, Feb 14: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today announced the appointment of Jean-Pierre Lacroix of France to head UN peacekeeping for a year pending a review of the world body's functions and structure. The UN's political affairs chief, Jeffrey Feltman of the United States, will remain at this post, also for a year. The two positions of under-secretary-general are among the most high-profile at the United Nations. Lacroix, 56, will replace Herve Ladsous who steps down in March after six years in the top job. Currently director for the United Nations at the French foreign ministry, Lacroix will take over UN peacekeeping as it struggles to overcome a scandal over mounting cases of sexual abuse by troops serving in peace missions. The United States, the biggest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, is considering cuts to its contribution, currently at 29 per cent of the USD 7.9 billion budget for 2017. Guterres took over from Ban Ki-moon on January 1 with a pledge to reform the United Nations to improve its capacity to address global crises and prevent conflicts. The UN chief said in a statement he is setting up an internal review team to look at the world body's peace and security strategy, functioning and architecture. That team led by Tamrat Samuel of Eritrea will submit recommendations by June. The push for reform comes amid criticism from some UN member states over the appointment of nationals from Security Council permanent members to top posts at the United Nations. France, which strongly supported Guterres during his bid to become secretary-general, and the United States are permanent council members along with Britain, Russia and China. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 13:08 [IST] DES MOINES | A Republican whose support for Iowas collective bargaining law is frequently cited by Democrats has called on them to quit misquoting him. Dont speak for me. I can speak for myself, Jeff Kaufmann, a former state representative and now chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, said in an email read during House debate Wednesday by his son, Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton. The younger Kaufmann read the comments from his father during the second day of debate in the House and Senate on House File 291 and Senate File 213, respectively. The identical bills would take away public employees bargaining rights, according to opponents. Majority Republicans call the changes necessary to restore local control to local government elected officials. Rep. Bruce Hunter, D-Des Moines, and other Democrats have cited a comment Kaufmann made in a March 2008 newsletter to constituents in defense of Chapter 20, the current public employee collective bargaining law. Hunter, Kaufmann said, is deliberately misquoting me and he knows it. In 2008, the elder Kaufmann said the Iowa collective bargaining laws have always been a balance between employer and employee; management and labor. When legislation happens without any input from the minority political party or the affected citizens, bad things are bound to happen. Thats the argument Democrats, now in the minority, are making today about House File 291, which they say would take away most public employee bargaining rights. Democrats say the legislation was written without any input from them or representatives of public employee labor unions. Those comments were about the egregious steps of the Democrats in 2008, including Hunter, when they dropped a shell bill before Easter and only presented the strike after amendment which was the real bill the day of debate, Kaufmann said I wished the Democrats would have this passion then, Kaufmann said in his email. The process this year was a good one, thorough one and one in which all people got to speak, he wrote in his email. I am a public sector employee, added Kaufmann, a professor at Muscatine Community College and a member of the Cedar County Board of Supervisors. I am in bargaining unit. I am a teacher for over 25 years. Listen carefully: This is a good bill and one that is good for Iowa and good for Iowa students, Kaufmann said. Now you know what Jeff Kaufmann thinks, the younger Kaufmann said. Ukraine grain deal: UN says shipments are still going out Russia violates arms control treaty with US, deploys new cruise missile International oi-IANS By Ians English Washington, Feb 15: Russia has secretly deployed a new type of cruise missile in violation of an arms control treaty with the US, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The deployment of a fully operation unit of the SSC-8 ground-launched intermediate-range missiles presents a major challenge to US President Donald Trump and the US-Russia relations, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying. Quoting US government officials, the report claimed that Russia now has deployed two battalions of the prohibited cruise missile, one is still located at Russia's missile test site at Kapustin Yar in southern Russia near Volgograd, while the other was shifted in December from that site to an operational base elsewhere in the country. The previous Obama administration charged in 2014 that Russia had tested this type of missile in violation of a 1987 treaty. In 1987, former US President Ronald Reagan and then Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which bans intermediate-range ballistic missiles based on land. The Obama administration tried to persuade Moscow to correct the violation while the missile was still in the test phase, but the Russians have moved ahead with the system, the report added. Russia has so far not responded to the Times report. Despite the US intelligence reports that Russia intervened in the US presidential election with hacking activities, Trump has vowed to improve ties with Moscow so that they could cooperate on fighting terrorism. The report came as Trump's National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned on Monday over the controversy about his phone conversation with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak before Trump's inauguration in January. Flynn, who discussed the US sanctions imposed on Russia in late December by the Obama administration, reportedly indicated that the Trump administration would change its policies toward Moscow. IANS For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 10:27 [IST] Theresa May rejects petition against Trump's state visit to Britain International oi-IANS By Ians English London, Feb 15: British Prime Minister Theresa May formally rejected a petition on Monday signed by nearly 2 million people wanting the cancellation of the proposed state visit to Britain by US President Donald Trump. The petitioners said a state visit by Trump, which would involve a state banquet, would embarrass Queen Elizabeth, Xinhua news agency reported. Officials at Westminster have scheduled a debate about the petition by MPs (Members of Parliament) next week when the Houses of Parliament re-open after a recess. In its official response to the petition, May's government recognised the strong views of those who supported the petition, but added that the US President should be extended the full courtesy of a state visit. Even if MPs vote in support of the petitioners there is no requirement on May or her government to accept their decision. "We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalised," said an official statement. During May's visit to the United States on January 27, 2017, the British Prime Minister, on behalf of the Queen, invited Trump for a state visit to Britain later this year. The invitation was accepted. Media in London are reporting that Trump's state visit will take place before the end of this month. More than 200 MPs from across the political spectrum have signed a motion in the House of Commons saying they do not want permission to be granted to Trump to address politicians at the Houses of Parliament during his state visit. They cite Trump's recent actions, including his executive order on immigration and refugees, and his comments on torture and women, as the reason for their stand. IANS 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. DES MOINES - Iowans struggling with terminal illnesses and those with family members suffering in severe pain appealed to state legislators Wednesday to approve medical aid in dying for people voluntarily seeking end-of-life options. Currently, six U.S. states allow life-ending medical decisions and bills have been offered in both the Iowa House and Iowa Senate. They would allow a competent adult Iowa resident who is terminally ill with less than six months to live as verified by two doctors to voluntarily request medication that would end their life. "When facing the final stages of a terminal illness, Iowans should not be forced to relocate to another state to control how their lives end," said Rep. Brian Meyer, D-Des Moines, who has championed the concept since watching his mother suffer an agonizing death from lung cancer. Lori Gibbs, a Dubuque woman who is a member of the Compassion & Choices advocacy group, told of her six-year battle with a rare and difficult form of cancer that is recurring and advancing. "There is nothing left that will stop the progress of this awful disease," Gibbs told a Statehouse news conference. "I am determined to exhaust every option to live as long as I can, to watch my seven grandchildren grow up. But when there's nothing left but pain and suffering, I don't want to linger in and out of a coma while my family looks on helplessly. "I want the option to die peacefully and I deserve that," she added. "It is time for lawmakers to hear by plea. Access to a peaceful death on my own terms shouldn't be determined by where I live. We want the same freedoms as terminally ill people in six other states." John Tapscott, a former legislator and Indianola resident living with cardiac amyloidosis, said he first pushed this legislative concept in 1968 and now nearly 50 years later "here we are again." Tapscott urged advocates to raise the issue with their legislators, their neighbors, their family members and their communities, but he and others conceded that the proposed end-of-life options act probably won't get far in the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature. Sen. Mark Segebart, R-Vail, chairman of the Senate Human Resources Committee, said that probably is a correct assumption. "It's not something that I think we'll see come out this year," Segebart said. "It's not an issue that we're promoting at all. I actually ran on pro-life issues - life begins at conception and ends at natural death. We've all had family experiences with this issue. It's gut-wrenching at times but we always learn something from it." Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, said medical aid in dying legislation is a challenging issue that will require some convincing to get it enacted. Reach Rod Boshart at 515-243-7220 or rod.boshart@thegazette.com. DES MOINES | There was no divine intervention Tuesday at the Iowa Statehouse, but it came close as four Catholic bishops pressed the GOP-led Legislature and Gov. Terry Branstad to consider "the common good" in making collective bargaining changes that limit some rights public workers currently have. Iowa's diocesan bishops Archbishop Michael Jackels of Dubuque; Bishop R. Walker Nickless of Sioux City; Bishop Martin Amos of Davenport, and Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines walked a fine political line by declaring neutrality on House File 291 and Senate File 213 but making clear that Catholic social teaching supports the rights of workers and their ability to bargain collectively. "We're kind of in the middle because we can see good on both sides," said Nickless. The bishops made their annual sojourn to the Statehouse on the day the Iowa House and Iowa Senate began debate on like bills to revamp Iowa's 1974 collective bargaining law and used the occasion to push for moderation by both political parties to act in the best interests of Iowa families and communities. "What we are really looking for is the common good that benefits everybody," said Pates, noting that requires balancing the limitations on public finances with the rights of workers to form unions and negotiate recognizing "compensation is not only determined by what is in your pay envelope but other things like health care, vacations, retirement." Last week the Iowa Catholic Conference issued an official statement that was sent Gov. Terry Branstad, who is a Catholic, and every legislator expressing concern about provisions of the 68-page legislation which would limit the items that can be bargained as well as what an arbitrator can award for a pay raise. The bishops also affirmed the role of labor unions in helping workers receive fair pay and benefits and improved working conditions that can help set standards for workers in other situations. Pates, who offered the morning prayer at the start of House proceedings by referencing the teachings of St. Thomas of Aquinas that "in the middle stands virtue," said he did not get a lot of feedback from majority Republicans other than "they're listening. They haven't been too specific in their reactions." Jackels conceded there is "a lot of power" when both houses of the Legislature and the governor's office are held by one political party, but he noted there are "two other powers above that: God and the power of the people." The bishops said they have a good relationship with the governor on a personal level but they do not compromise their positions in talking with him and he understands that. "We're not Republican and we're not Democrat and we're very forthright with him about that," Pates noted. Jackels said he understands the political "drama in this building" and the external influences, but he added "I would hope the governor would be swayed by reason and by the common good and, if he were, I can't think how reason and the common good could lead you to support this bill." A Davenport woman has entered into a plea agreement in connection with the November 2014 death of an 18-month-old who was in her care. During a hearing Tuesday in Scott County District Court, Stephanie Leshanta Harris, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of felony child endangerment resulting in serious injury, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years. She also pleaded guilty to a charge of felony child endangerment resulting in bodily injury, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years. A count of felony child endangerment resulting in death will be dismissed at her sentencing hearing, according to the plea agreement. That charge carries a prison sentence of up to 50 years. Because she pleaded guilty to a forcible felony, Harris bond was revoked and she was booked Tuesday into the Scott County Jail to await sentencing. According to the plea agreement, incarceration in the Iowa Department of Corrections is mandatory under Iowa law for pleading guilty to the felony child endangerment resulting in serious injury. According to the arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police Detective Tim Murphy, on Nov. 6, 2014, medics and police were dispatched to Harris address, 811 W. 14th St., regarding a child having trouble breathing. The child, an 18-month-old girl, was taken to Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport, and then transported to University Hospitals, Iowa City. There was no brain activity and the child never regained consciousness. The child died Nov. 8. An autopsy showed the cause of death as bleeding on the brain, according to Murphys affidavit. There also were other marks and injuries to the childs body that indicated neglect. According to Murphys affidavit, Harris told officers she had left the 18-month-old at home with the child's 2-year-old brother. The girl fell down a flight of stairs in the home, but Harris could not specify a date. The child, who had swelling on her forehead and behind her ears, had trouble walking and had several seizures before paramedics were summoned, Murphys affidavit said. Harris never attempted to get medical attention for the child despite the symptoms, Murphys affidavit states. A sentencing date for Harris will be set after a pre-sentencing investigation is completed. Thomas Geyer writes for the Quad City Times, another Lee Enterprises newspaper. Reach him at tgeyer@qctimes.com. Veuer 11 Oct 2021 Former North Korean spy explains how every terrorist attack carried out by North Korea has the supreme leaders seal of approval... GlobeNewswire 06 Nov 2022 pune, Nov. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "Hand Soap Market" research report focus on overall information that can help to take.. Upworthy 21 Jun 2022 Lake Oroville, the largest reservoir in the State Water Project, was at "critically low" levels when it reached its peak last.. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Learn more Matthias Knab, Opalesque: Following the success of the inaugural Middle East Family Office Investment Summit (www.mefamilyofficesummit.com) held on 7-8 December 2016 at the Ritz Carlton DIFC Dubai, the organizing family offices have teamed up again to organize the second Middle East Family Office Investment Summit on 8-9 March 2017 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Jumeirah Beach in Dubai. This event is the world's largest & most exclusive gathering of GCC Family Office Decision Makers. Over 100+ Elite Family Offices, Business Owners, Sheikhs & Royal Family Members from across the GCC and also from around the world are scheduled to attend... over $1 trillion in investor wealth and an investor delegate ratio of 70:30 "The East Meets West" is the overarching theme and will act as a bridge between Middle East families and their Asian, European, American & Latin American counterparts to meet, network and exchange information and ideas to start the journey of discovery and venturing together between like minded peers in a safe-harbour environment. Only event organised by family offices for family offices The summit is a private forum exclusively organised by family offices for family offices and brings together the world's leading experts geared toward identifying actionable strategies for generating returns in a low-rate, high volatility market. Facilitated by family offices, the summit will pr...................... To view our full article Click here Opalesque Industry Update - Asian hedge funds topped the performance of volatile regional Asian equity market indices for both 4Q and FY 2016, led by strong gains across Event-Driven, Relative Value Arbitrage and Macro strategies. At the same time, total hedge fund capital invested in Asian hedge funds was steady to conclude 2016, posting a narrow quarterly decline of $1.4 billion to end the year at $110.4 billion USD (RMB, JPY), according to the latest HFR Asian Hedge Fund Industry Report, released today by HFR, the established global leader in the indexation, analysis and research of the global hedge fund industry. For FY 2016, total capital invested in the Asian hedge fund industry fell by $8.6 billion, though the majority of the decline occurred in the volatile 1Q16, when assets dropped by $7 billion. Chinese hedge funds surged to begin 2017 after experiencing high performance volatility throughout 2016. The HFRI China Index was up +4.3 percent in January 2017, topping the +1.8 percent gain of the Shanghai Composite Index. For 2016, the HFRI China Index fell -4.3 percent, significantly outperforming the -12.3 percent decline of the Shanghai Composite Index. The Index tracked a volatile path throughout the year, ranging from sharp declines to begin 2016, followed by a recovery period in the second and third quarters, and ending the year by falling -4.5 percent in 4Q16. Capital invested in China-focused hedge funds fell slightly in 2016 to $48.6 billion, down from $53 billion to end 2015. Japanese hedge funds also produced positive performance to begin 2017 after concluding 2016 with a gain in 4Q, as well as for the full year. The HFRI Japan Index added +4.3 percent in 4Q, bringing FY 2016 performance to +0.3 percent, in line with the +0.4 percent gain of the Nikkei 225; the Index returned +0.9 percent to begin 2017. Total capital managed by Japanese hedge funds increased by +1.2 billion in 4Q to $26.4 billion, though this represents a decline of $1.7 billion for FY 2016. Asian-located ED hedge funds, which include Distressed, Merger Arbitrage and Shareholder Activist strategies, led performance gains for 2016, mirroring the global hedge fund industry, with Asian Event-Driven hedge funds up +10.5 percent for the year, in line with the +10.7 percent return of the HFRI Event-Driven (Total) Index. Similarly, Asian-located, fixed income-based Asian Relative Value Arbitrage hedge funds returned +9.3 percent in 2016, topping the gain of +7.7 percent for the HFRI Relative Value (Total) Index. Asian Macro strategies posted a 2016 return of +6.4 percent, topping the HFRI Macro (Total) Index gain of +1.2 percent by 520 bps. "Asian hedge fund managers effectively navigated currency volatility and geopolitical uncertainty throughout 2016, with strong gains across Event Driven, Arbitrage and Macro strategies offsetting regional equity market declines," stated Kenneth J. Heinz, President of HFR. "2017 is off to a strong start for Asian hedge funds, as managers adjust exposures to new US trade policies and an improving global macroeconomic environment. Extension of these recent gains is likely to contribute to growth in Asian hedge fund capital through 1H17." Press release Bg Index table: Article source - Opalesque is not responsible for the content of external internet sites From Mike Malloy Website Any day now, Trump is going to be compelled to use those nuclear codes and launch ICBMs toward ... well, it depends. He and Steve Bannon and the too-young-to-drink Nazi, Steve Miller, and Reince and maybe even Pence will emerge from a secure room at Mar-a-Lago's gorgeous restaurant (the best ever built! truly!) with the name of the hapless, but necessarily disposable land mass. It might be a small country in Africa or maybe one of those stupidly redundant "stans" (Turkmenistan? Tajikistan? Kyrgyzstan?). But, the Trump Inner Party will produce "irrefutable evidence" that the small country is preparing to send "dirty" bombs via FedEx directly to our nation's heartland. And off go the nukes to "keep America safe!" The depending factor will be what sort of dossier on Trump they possess and whether or not it includes video. The missiles will also change everybody's focus from the lying, corrupt, deranged, unhinged day-to-day actions of this mob of skinny-tie usurpers who now use the White House for their hand-to-hand combat to see who eventually wins control of Trump's limited mind. (Bet on Bannon.) Forgotten instantly will be the backed-up sewer that is our nation's "leadership" and all this pissy media-generated nonsense that National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is really a Kremlin mole in addition to being a lunatic. Right? This, my fellow Americans, is called "wagging the dog" and it means to purposely divert attention from what would otherwise be of greater importance, to something else of lesser significance. And which is of the greater importance? "Dirty bombs" going off in the Heartland? Or this silly nonsense about Michael Flynn's deep involvement with the Rabid Russian Bear, Vlad Putin? No contest, actually. Forget about everything going on in the Fascist Trump's Inner Party. Think, instead, of the horror of "dirty bombs" in downtown Omaha. See? No contest. Happy Valentine's Day! MASON CITY | A man and woman police say took a saxophone from a Mason City school bus stop have been arrested. Donyale Jones, 28, and Keith Riser, 69, of Mason City, were charged Tuesday night with felony second-degree theft. They're accused of taking the instrument, which was in a black case, from a school bus stop at at First Street Northwest and Westview Drive at 6:55 a.m., Feb. 2, according to court documents. Mason City Police Capt. Mike McKelvey said the instrument disappeared when its owner ducked behind a building to get out of the wind. It was gone when the student returned to the bus stop. Police say Jones and Riser were caught when they tried to sell the stolen saxophone at a local music store. It was valued at $1,500. They remained jailed Wednesday afternoon. Molly Montag From To The Point Analyses Part I -- Dysfunction There is something both horrifying and fascinating about the behavior of President Trump, as we watch him fail to cope with -- or perhaps even recognize -- the differences between the no-holds-barred world he created for his campaign and the much more polite and temperate world expected of leaders of a constitutional government. As a result, the present White House appears to be a dysfunctional place. Apparently neither President Trump, nor most of his staff, have considered that there are real differences, different rules of behavior, between private and public life. Maintaining the model of the abusive boss, the know-it-all CEO (Trump's preferred modus operandi), has, in quick order, proved both inappropriate and self-defeating. Here then are some of the consequences: -- The president has refused to stop being the avaricious businessman and relinquish control of his assets. As a result he will soon be facing an increasing number of lawsuits brought by various ethics organizations charging that his refusal to place his holdings in a blind trust violates the "emoluments clause" of the Constitution. The contention is that this can only lead to "scandal, corruption and illegitimacy." -- The rush to impose a ban on immigration into the United States from seven predominantly Muslim countries -- imposed by executive order within 10 days of inauguration -- proved a sloppy piece of work. Trump simply assumed public opinion to be on his side and that that opinion could stand in for legal legitimacy. It didn't work. The ban caused chaos and hardship, and quickly the courts temporarily set it aside as unconstitutional. The Justice Department lawyers, who had largely been kept out of the loop by the White House, did not have evidence that there was any real danger, historically or immediate, from immigrants of the countries cited in the ban. Pending a "total rewrite" or an appeal to the Supreme Court, Trump's immigration ban is at a dead end. -- In the meantime, Trump has, in a manner that has become typical for him, attempted to delegitimize judicial opposition -- opposition that anyone who is constitutionally savvy knows is solidly lawful. Thus, his "so-called judge" statement. It may be an indication of the president's enduring immaturity that he believes that anyone who stands in his way is a target for bullying and slander. And, indeed, in the private sphere where Donald Trump has been able to use his money to make his own rules, this tactic, apparently, did sometimes work. So, as if by habit, he has carried it over to the public sphere, where it is completely out of place and only makes him look childish. Except to those adoring fans who were so visible on the campaign trail, his loose verbiage also makes Trump look like a "loser." Trump's own nominee for the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, has described the president's bad-mouthing the appeals court judge who suspended the immigration ban as "disheartening" and "discouraging." There is one other point that is to be made about this "so-called judge" episode. It has turned the judge involved, James Robart (who is himself a "mainstream" Republican), into a potential target for violence. Having used abusive language throughout his campaign and seen the emotions it aroused, Trump is very likely to be aware that he is risking incitement to violence. -- There are many other moments of Trumpian bluster, such as his yelling at the Australian Prime Minister during an official phone call, or his threatening to send troops across the Mexican border during a call to the president of Mexico. All of this might reinforce his image as a tough guy, but in the political and diplomatic world that now holds him in a spotlight, he starts to remind people of other past cases of bullies in power, most of whom happen to be fascists of the 1920s and '30s. Part II -- A Shift in Protest Personnel As a result of Trump's bravado, there has been a rapid shift in public activism from Right to what in the U.S. passes for the Left. Just as is the case with the populist Republicans, there is a segment of the Democratic Party base that feels disenfranchised. Some of them tried to do something about this by backing Bernie Sanders. But that was unsuccessful. However, with Trump's victory, right-wing populism abated, and almost immediately, it was replaced by the inchoate mass of "Left" populists you see hitting the streets today. It is the Sanders folks plus a whole array of special interest groups who feel very threatened by an empowered Right. There is no reason to believe that the anti-Trump array is going to be intimidated and give up. Indeed, the Left activists' challenge is to coalesce into a real united front. That should be made easier if Trump stays true to form, lurching from one outrageous move to another. And all the signs point down that road. The "so-called president" has ratcheted up his deportation efforts, allowing individual immigration officials discretion to go after any immigrant without proper documentation no matter of what age or the length of time they have been here. This is the equivalent of giving an army open-ended marching orders, and it is bound to result in abuses of power. He has begun his wall project for the southern border -- an effort modeled after Israel's infamous and illegal "separation (aka apartheid) wall." He has begun the gutting of environmental and consumer safety regulations, a move which will poison the air and water for the sake of greater corporate profit. He has started to deregulate the banks -- a strategy that, historically, has always eventually led to economic crisis. And, of course, attacking abortion and LGBT rights is also on his agenda. There is enough here to keep millions agitated for at least the next four years. Part III -- Opportunities and Risks Thus, even though we are still early in his administration, there is no sign that anyone can control the President's addiction to gaffes. He is an immature, thin-skinned egotist, and in the end, this may well cost the Republicans dearly. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) February 15, 2017: The conservative columnist Ross Douthat, a convert to Roman Catholicism, has published a column titled "The Trump Era's Catholic Mirror" in the New York Times (dated February 15, 2017), downplaying the connection between Stephen K. Bannon, President Donald J. Trump's influential adviser, and Cardinal Raymond L. Burke of the Roman Catholic Church. I do not think that the connection between the two men should concern liberals and progressives. The connection between the two men was reported by Jason Horowitz in "Steve Bannon Carries Battles to Another Influential Hub" in the New York Times (dated February 7, 2017), and commented on by the liberal columnist E. J. Dionne, a practicing Catholic, in the Washington Post (dated February 8, 2017). Birds of a feather flock together, right? Both Cardinal Burke and Steve Bannon come from an American Catholic background. When the thrice-divorced Bannon covered Pope Francis' canonization in 2014 of former Pope John-Paul II for Breitbart News, Bannon met Burke. (Burke is based at the Vatican.) JPII famously declared that ordained priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church is rightly restricted to males, and Pope Francis has not reversed JPII's ruling on this matter. So it is not surprising that Pope Francis rushed to canonize JPII. Moreover, Pope Francis has not reversed the church's anti-abortion zealotry, not even concerning legalized abortion in the first trimester in the United States. Basically, he is doctrinally conservative. Now, 60 percent of white Catholics voted for Trump, perhaps because Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic Party's 2016 presidential candidate, supports legalized abortion in the first trimester. Because conservative white Catholics read Breitbart News, it is not surprising that Breitbart News covered JPII's canonization. Now, Burke has emerged as an outspoken critic of Pope Francis' attempted modest reforms within the Roman Catholic Church. Within the context of the Roman Catholic Church, Burke can be described as conservative, just as Pope Francis can. Now, the Roman Catholic Church is officially committed to "conserving" Roman Catholic faith and practice, as the bishops define understand them. The shorthand way of referring to this "conserving" spirit is to refer to tradition. Now, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York says that for Catholics, Tradition is capitalized. Even though I do not plan to capitalize this term regularly, I mention this point to say that Roman Catholics tend to venerate the "conserving" spirit of their tradition of faith and practice, as defined and understood by the bishops. Perhaps an analogy will help OEN readers in the United States understand the tension between Pope Francis and Cardinal Burke. In the United States, certain Republicans like to accuse selected other Republicans of being Republicans in name only (RINOs). Now, in certain ways, Trump and Bannon can be described as conservative. Moreover, in the RINO-denouncing spirit of certain Republicans, many conservative American Catholics tend to vilify Pope Francis -- and some of them even admire Burke. In conclusion, progressives and liberals should worry about Trump and Bannon, and be concerned about conservative white American Catholics, some of whom admire Burke. Progressives and liberals should hope that the conservative white American Catholics who voted for Trump will soon regret their vote. From Consortium News Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn speaks at the Defense Intelligence Agency change of directorship at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, July 24, 2012. (Image by (DoD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo)) Details DMCA The neocon-dominated U.S. foreign policy establishment won an important victory in forcing the resignation of President Trump's National Security Adviser Michael Flynn over a flimsy complaint that he had talked to the Russian ambassador during the transition. The Washington Post, the neoconservatives' media flagship, led the assault on Flynn, an unorthodox thinker who shared the neocons' hostility toward Iran but broke with them in seeing no strategic reason to transform Russia into an implacable enemy. After Flynn's resignation on Monday evening, the Post gloated over its success in achieving the first major crack in Trump's resistance to Official Washington's establishment. The Post cited Flynn's "potentially illegal contacts" with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, a reference to the Logan Act, a 1799 never-enforced law that forbids private citizens from negotiating with a country in dispute with the U.S. government. Though no one has ever been prosecuted under the Logan Act, it has been cited in recent decades as an excuse to attack American citizens who disagree with U.S. government policies while traveling abroad and having contacts with foreign leaders. Often those accusations are aimed at Americans seeking to peacefully resolve disputes when a U.S. president is eager to escalate a conflict, such as President Ronald Reagan's denunciations of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson for visiting Cuba and House Speaker Jim Wright for exploring ways to end the Contra war in Nicaragua. In other words, the Logan Act is usually exploited in a McCarthyistic fashion to bait or discredit peace advocates, similarly to how it has now been used to destroy Flynn for daring to look for ways to reduce the dangerous tensions between Washington and Moscow. But the media-driven attacks on Flynn are particularly curious since he was the National Security Adviser-designate of an incoming administration at the time of the calls and -- as such -- he would be expected to make contacts with important foreign officials to begin laying the groundwork for relations with the new president. Whether U.S. sanctions against Russia were mentioned or not, the notion that an elected president or his designees -- during a transition -- can have no meaningful contact with diplomats whom they may need to deal with in a matter of weeks represents a particularly contentious interpretation of a law that has never been tested in a court of law and may well represent an unconstitutional infringement on free speech and dissent. An Expanding Hysteria Indeed, referencing the Logan Act appears to be an excuse to continue -- and expand -- Official Washington's hysteria over Russia, which has become the useful villain to blame for every U.S. foreign policy debacle and even Hillary Clinton's disastrous presidential run. Donald Trump and Governor Mike Pence of Indiana speaking to supporters at an immigration policy speech at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. August 31, 2016. (Image by (Flickr Gage Skidmore)) Details DMCA Flynn's more egregious offense in this case may have been to mislead Vice President Mike Pence on exactly what was discussed, but Trump's White House has not seemed previously overly concerned with the precise accuracy of its statements. Indeed, Trump and his team have tangled themselves up for weeks by promoting "alternative facts" -- that Donald Trump's inaugural crowd was bigger than Barack Obama's and that Trump would have won the popular vote if not for three million to five million illegal votes. Though these absurd claims pertain more to Trump's ego than to anything important, he and his representatives have continued fighting these fights on Twitter and TV appearances and show no signs of stopping. So, the ouster of Flynn for failing to provide a complete readout on some telephone conversations in December stands out as even more significant in the context of the deluge of falsehoods that have poured forth from Trump's White House. 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). Michael Flynn participated in mass murder and destruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, advocated for torture, and manufactured false cases for war against Iran. He and anyone who appointed him to office and kept him there should be removed from and disqualified for public service. (Though I still appreciate his blurting out the obvious regarding the counterproductive results of drone murders.) Many would say that prosecuting Al Capone for tax fraud was a good move if he couldn't be prosecuted for murder. But what if Al Capone had been funding an orphanage on the side, and the state had prosecuted him for that? Or what if the state hadn't prosecuted him, but a rival gang had taken him out? Are all take-downs of major criminals good ones? Do they all deter the right activities by up-and-coming criminals? Michael Flynn was not removed by public demand, by representative action in Congress, by public impeachment proceedings, or by criminal prosecution (though that may follow). He was removed by an unaccountable gang of spies and killers, and for the offense of seeking friendlier relations with the world's other major nuclear-armed government. Now, in a certain sense, he was taken down for other related offenses, just as Bill Clinton was not technically impeached for sex. Flynn lied. He may have committed perjury. He may have obstructed justice. He supposedly made himself susceptible to blackmail, although the logic of Russia wishing to reveal its own secret and punish those who help it seems weak. Flynn also dealt with a foreign government on behalf of an election campaign. Some of these are very serious charges. If you removed all liars from the U.S. government, you'd suddenly have room in their empty offices to house all the homeless, but even the selective punishment of lying has a certain merit. And electoral campaign dealings with foreign governments has a nasty history including Nixon's sabotaging of peace in Vietnam, Reagan's sabotaging of the release of U.S. hostages in Iran, etc. But what did Flynn supposedly talk about with the Russian ambassador, before or after the election? Nobody accuses him of trying to keep a war going or people locked up. He's accused of talking about removing sanctions, possibly including sanctions used to punish Russia for things it did not do. The notion that Russia was the aggressor in Ukraine or invaded Ukraine and conquered Crimea on the model of the U.S. invasion of Baghdad is simply false. The idea that Russia hacked Democratic Party emails and gave them to WikiLeaks is a claim for which we have not been shown credible, non-ludicrous evidence. Despite somebody leaking it every time Donald Trump blows his nose, nobody has yet leaked actual evidence of this supposed Russian crime. Then there's what members of the U.S. public tell you that it's obvious Flynn simply must also have talked about. Supposedly he must have arranged for Russia to steal the U.S. election for Trump, either by informing the U.S. public of the crimes and abuses of the Democratic Party in its members own words, which supposedly swayed huge numbers of voters -- though there's no evidence Russia did this or that it had this impact, and a better informed electorate is a stronger democracy, not one that has been "attacked" -- or by somehow directly altering vote counts or manipulating our minds or something. If anything along these lines were proven it would be serious indeed, although it would be one of a great many fatal flaws in the U.S. electoral system alongside legalized bribery, corporate media, the electoral college, gerrymandering, unverifiable counting, open intimidation, purging of rolls, etc. And then, finally, there's what journalists and members of the public will tell you Flynn's offense consists of, once it's been established that Russia is evil. He was friendly with Russia. His colleagues in the White House love Russia. They've visited Russia. They've met with other U.S. business tycoons in Russia. They're planning business deals with Russians. And so on. Now, I'm opposed to corrupt business deals, if they are corrupt, anywhere. And if Russian fossil fuels, like Canadian and U.S. fossil fuels, don't stay in the ground, we're all going to die. But the U.S. media treats U.S. business deals in other countries as ordinary respectable plundering. Any association with anything Russia has become a sign of high treason. Coincidentally or not, that is exactly what weapons profiteers say they want. Is what they want good for us? Is there a legitimate reason to be taking their route toward punishing people in power, when other routes stand wide open with plush red carpets unrolled from massive golden doorways? For those of you who haven't read the book or seen the film The Caine Mutiny, the story takes place during World War ll and is about a nutty ship's captain who rolls two steel ball bearings in his hand whenever he feels he is being disrespected or his authority is being challenged--which, unfortunately, happens on a daily basis. As a result, he is always unfairly berating his men, making poor judgments in moments of crises, and drawing illogical conclusions based on his own paranoia instead of the actual facts. Sound familiar? Eventually his ship, the USS Caine, is caught in a typhoon and Captain Queeg cracks up. His hands freeze on the tiller and he can no longer command the ship, which is about to capsize. His second in command, Lieutenant Steve Maryk, takes control of the ship, and with the help of Ensign Willis Keith, they prevent the ship from capsizing and steer it to safety. When they get back to port Captain Queeg denies he acted irrationally and files a charge of mutiny on Maryk and Keith, who in turn hire an attorney to defend them in court. It is up to their attorney to prove to the court that Queeg is mentally unbalanced and his defendants were left no choice but to take charge of the ship during the typhoon. If life often imitates art, we might want to start asking ourselves the question: Is President Trump following the same path as Captain Queeg? And what would happen to our country if it becomes clear to everyone that Trump is too nutty to handle the job as president, especially in a crisis? Well, it may turn out something like this: CHARGE: After declaring war on the press, President Trump has singled out news commentators Chuck Todd and Chris Matthews and charged them with treason during a turbulent news cycle of typhoon-like proportions. 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). 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 Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. From War Criminals Watch Torture -- America's Shame (Image by mariopiperni) Details DMCA President Trump declared during the Presidential campaign that he "would bring back" torture "because it works -- for intelligence gathering. He has repeated the threat upon taking office. Well, that is a position that has been extensively debunked over many years by many experts on intelligence gathering. Furthermore, in the United States presently, not only is the use of torture illegal under a variety of laws, it's also unconstitutional (an historical fact overlooked by many observers). It happens that the use of torture by any signatory to them is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention Against Torture. The United States is a party to both and both are signed and ratified U.S. international treaties. And then, under article VI of the U.S. Constitution, as treaties signed and ratified by the US government, both Conventions are part of "the supreme law of the land and [further] the judges of every state shall be bound by them." Not that the Trumpites have not already demonstrated that they clearly do not care what is, or is not, written in the Constitution, but I do think that for opponents of its use in the US, this is an important and potentially useful consideration. However, back to the "does torture work" argument. Well, it may not, for intelligence gathering, but it surely has a bunch of other functions where it has proved to be a most effective tool -- for government repression of dissent and opposition. Consider: The German Nazi Gestapo, the Iranian Savak under that great US ally the Shah, the Japanese fascist era Kempeitai, the Argentine and Brazilian Generals, the Pinochet Regime and the Spanish Francoists have proved over and over again that torture does have its uses. First and foremost, it is a major instrument of terror against one's own population: it is a really good repressor of dissent. Second, it is a very good tool for extra-judicial punishment, just as long as the regime using it makes sure that its details leak out, in a totally deniable way of course, to its own citizens. Third, it is a very useful tool for repression in militarily occupied territories. Just ask the Japanese Kempeitai that operated in Korea and Occupied China about that one. Fourth, it is very helpful when a regime is out to change the culture of its country and to wipe out historical memory of anything that went before it came to power. Once they had restored corporate-clerical control of the country, doing so was perhaps the principal long-term goal of the Spanish Francoists. Torture was one of their stocks-in-trade. Finally, in order to have this as a most useful instrument of national policy, one must have torturers. Until Bush/Cheney came to power, Americans didn't do such things, officially at least. So, there weren't very many, if any, trained torturers among our armed and intelligence forces. But some were trained then, and, it seems, the Trumpites want to train many more. And to train torturers, a government must torture. And so, it seems, since everyone knows that "torture doesn't work" (for intelligence gathering), training torturers must be to be able to implement one or more elements of the list above that the Trumpites have in mind, no? By Dave Lindorff NSC chief Michael Flynn was brought down by a monster he helped create (Image by ThisCantBeHappening!) Details DMCA There's a delicious irony in the downfall of Michael Flynn, President Trump's National Security Advisor, who resigned his post just 24 days after his appointment. A retired three-star Lt. General, Flynn had previously been director of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Obama administration. In that role since 2012, he was a key player in the leadership of the sprawling $50-billion US intelligence apparatus that has increasingly been spying not just on Americans but on US allies and, to the extent possible, on the entire world. Flynn, as DIA director, was the top guy in charge of the so-called "Five Eyes" group of intelligence agencies-- all English-speaking nations including the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada -- which has coordinated spying on citizens of those nations as well as on the citizens and leaders of such supposed NATO allies as Germany, France, Italy, Spain etc. Knowing all this, it's simply astounding to learn that Flynn himself was using apparently un-encripted email, phones and texting to communicate with, of all people, the Russian Ambassador to the US, discussing such issues as potentially lifting sanctions imposed on Russia by the sitting president of the United States, Barack Obama. His political implosion is doubly ironic because Flynn was one of those who was loudly condemning Trump's presidential opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for her use of a private server for her official State Department business, and for her general lax security standards (he actually led a "Lock her up!" chant at one Trump rally!). Because clearly Flynn was not using secure communications in his own conversations with the Russian ambassador -- communications that are now widely circulating in complete transcript form courtesy of US spy agencies like the National Security Agency. Talk about someone being hoist upon his own petard! You'd think that seeing the kind of trouble the NSA's "collect it all" motto can wreak even for the powerful and seemingly invincible, Washington's elite might rethink what the NSA is doing? But nah, I wouldn't count on that happening. There's more likely to be a lot of schadenfreude among those, both Democrats and traditional Cold War Republicans, who want to see Trump and his band of bozos go down, but hubristic to a fault, they're not going to go so far as to think, "Hey, this could as easily happen to me!" Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). OSAGE | An Osage woman is accused of gambling with her mother's money and not leaving enough for the older woman's care. Marilyn Jo Spartz, 58, was charged with felony second-degree theft. She's accused of gambling with her mother's money from July to December at Diamond Jo Casino in Northwood, according to court documents. Formal charges were filed last week by Assistant Mitchell County Attorney Aaron Murphy. Her next court appearance is Tuesday. Investigators say Spartz, who lived with her mother, also used the money to buy a bus ticket to bring her boyfriend to Iowa. They allege $2,315.50 was improperly spent. The theft was discovered when Spartz's mother's health insurance company declined to pay her medical bills from a recent hospitalization, according to the complaint. Police say the woman's health care plan had been canceled because there wasn't enough money in her checking account to pay for the insurance. Molly Montag For a long time, in fact for years, I got my news from alternative websites like this one, and from YouTube watching Amy Goodman and Tom Hartman. During the Bush years I wrote prolifically because I felt that the mainstream media was ignoring issues that I was very concerned about and I felt that the American people needed to know what the mainstream media wouldn't tell them. During the Obama administration I also wrote many articles about issues the mainstream media seem to ignore. By the end of this administration, and during Hillary Clinton's campaign when the DNC manipulated the primaries against Bernie Sanders, I wrote a few articles but by that time, I was convinced that the press in the United States was totally corrupt. Now I find the press has suddenly relearned what it is that they are supposed to do for the American people. For the first time in years I read the New York Times and actually read real news that exposed government corruption. I am amazed at the way the mainstream media is actually doing investigative journalism. Still, I am also wondering why they were silent during the Bush and Obama administrations. Where were the reporters and the editors when the Bush administration lied us into the Iraq war and Pres. Obama killed American citizens and innocent Muslim families with drone strikes? Where was the coverage of the NDAA that allowed the military to arrest American citizens without trial indefinitely? I can mention many things such as the coverage of the war between Georgia and Russia, and how Ukraine overthrew their elected government and installed an overtly fascist regime that alienated the Russian-speaking eastern provinces. Where are the investigative journalists when the United States colludes with Saudi Arabia to supply weapons to the rebels in Syria? Where were the investigative journalist when the United States accused Syria of using chemical weapons against its people and made preparations to launch cruise missiles against Damascus that was stopped by revelations from the UN that it was the rebels that were using the chemical weapons and American citizens finally rose up and wrote their elected representatives that they would not authorize the use of force? I could go on and on about everything the mainstream media turned a blind eye to. It was as if the press no longer cared or wanted to do any investigative journalism. Now, all the sudden, reporters are calling their sources and digging into everything that the Trump administration does. The White House press briefings now look like a combat zone. Pres. Trump and his people are under constant attack by the mainstream media. 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). The word Wagnerian as a synonym for operatic bombast may have fallen out of favor in recent years, as has the reputation of German composer Richard Wagner. He has been regarded as the most repugnant of musical nationalists, writes David P. Goldman at Tableta sentiment widely shared given Wagners permanent association with Nazism. His music has long been banned in Israel, though every so often a prominent musician makes a point of sneaking Wagner into a public concert. And just as philosophy departments across the world have struggled with Martin Heideggers Nazism, so the classical music and opera worlds have wrestled with Wagner. Whats odd, however, in this case, is that Wagner died in 1883. He towered over 19th-century German culture, a contemporary of Nietzsche rather than Hitler, who claimed him after the composers death. Yet those who know the story of Wagners turbulent friendship with Nietzsche know that the philosopher violently rejected his former idol and father figure in part because, as Robert Holub argues, Nietzsche was unequivocally antagonistic toward what he understood as anti-Semitism and anti-Semites. Nietzsche saw the writing on the wall in views Wagner expressed in essays like 1850s Judaism in Music. Wagnermusicologists and historians would sayalso saw the future, and helped design it through his unwitting posthumous influence on Hitler. The composers famed theory and practice of what he called Gesamtkunstwerk, the total work of art, anticipate the massive spectacles of 20th century totalitarian aesthetics and the mythological dimensions of 20th century fascism. Wagner called his work the Music of the Future, happily appropriating a term critics used to deride his Romantic nationalism. But Wagners cultural influence is much, much broader than its most damning association, including his formative influence on Nietzsche. Wagners greatest achievement, Der Ring des Nibelungenreferred to as the Ring Cycleinspired J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings and scored the Ride of the Valkyries scene in Apocalypse Now. Loony Tunes Kill the Wabbit spoofed the Ring Cycle, and became an entire generations first, and often only exposure to opera, as Ayun Halliday noted here recently. The Ring Cycles overwhelming demonstration of the Gesamtkunstwerk is a thing to behold, and you can see it here performed in full, all four parts, 15 hours of epic opera courtesy of BBC Arts and The Space. The film here, by Opera North, comes from live performances in Leeds in 2016. At the top, see Das Rheingold, below it Die Walkure, just above Siegfried, and below Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the Gods). So what should we make of Wagners music, given its unavoidable relationship to wars of domination (against even Wabbits)? If we are to heed some of his critics, we might think of him as a 19th century Michael Bay. Mark Twain is rumored to have called Wagners music better than it soundsthough it turns out the quote actually comes from humorist Edgar Wilson. Twain did write that he enjoyed the first act of everything Wagner created, but after two acts I have gone away physically exhausted. Samuel Beckett, in a gem of a paragraph, called Wagners work clouds on wheels. But Wagner is also incredibly powerful and often sublime, and his music does inspire the kind of awe that Tolkien and Francis Ford Coppola drew on for their own awe-inspiring work. < Appreciating Wagner may indeed be an endurance exercise. His booming tales of dwarfs and giants, gods and river-maidens, heroes and, yes, Valkyries, can seem to rumble along several miles above us. The exercise is not for the faint of heart. However, the technology of streaming video can save us from Twains fateyou can return here, or to the BBCs siteas many times as you like without having to take in the massive Der Ring des Nibelungen all in one sitting. And as is always helpful in opera of any length, you can peruse summarieslike this onewhen you feel a bit lost in the clouds. Or, for a truly surreal condensed Wagnerian experience, watch the video above of four and a half hours of opera in one minute. Related Content: New Web Site, The Opera Platform, Lets You Watch La Traviata and Other First-Class Operas Free Online Stephen Fry Hosts The Science of Opera, a Discussion of How Music Moves Us Physically to Tears Kill the Wabbit!: How the 1957 Bugs Bunny Cartoon, Whats Opera, Doc?, Inspired Todays Opera Singers to First Get Into Opera Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness School of Imagination Announces New ESDM-Based Training Program to Help Parents Integrate Early Intervention Learning Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder www.ESDM.us http://www.theventanagroup.com/ The School of Imagination the regions only inclusion preschool based on the Early State Denver Model (ESDM), a Time Magazine Top 10 Medical Breakthrough for the treatment of autism is pleased to announce its new ESDM-based Parent Training.DUBLIN, Calif., February 14, 2017 - The School of Imagination the regions only inclusion preschool based on the Early State Denver Model (ESDM), a Time Magazine Top 10 Medical Breakthrough for the treatment of autism is pleased to announce its new ESDM-based Parent Training. The ground-breaking program is designed to help parents integrate early intervention learning strategies and techniques for their children based on the 5 Key Parenting Principles for Bringing Out the Extraordinary in Your Child.The ESDM-based training program is the first-ever offering of its kind and will be facilitated by Charlene Sigman, a certified ESDM therapist, speech-language pathologist and founder of the School of Imagination and Happy Talkers in partnership with Dr. Sumit Sen, a board-certified pediatrician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics who has been taking care of children on the autism spectrum for over 10 years.Autism is treatable, but only if it is diagnosed very early, said Sumit Sen, M.D., FAAP and Autism & Child Development Specialist. The School of Imagination is the leader in early screening and diagnosis, as well as in early intervention and really is one-of-a-kind in the nation.The ESDM is a comprehensive early intervention program for toddlers and pre-schoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The program uses developmental and behavioral approaches, focusing on social learning and social-cognitive development, to increase communication, imitation, sharing, joint attention and play. Goals are based on the childs strengths and weaknesses.The new ESDM-based training program will provide parents with groundbreaking techniques and strategies that have yielded miraculous results with countless children at the School of Imagination and Happy Talkers over the last 15 years. Through this unique, collaborative curriculum, families are invited to participate in both individual and workshop sessions over the course of a 12-week program hosted at the School of Imagination in Dublin, CA. beginning on Thursday, February 16 May 6, 2017. For full program information, parents are encouraged to visit and register atAbout the School of ImaginationFounded in 2001, the School of Imagination and Happy Talkers in Dublin, Calif. has served thousands of families throughout Northern California with road maps to success from evaluation to diagnosis and implementation. The organization is committed to bringing out the extraordinary in every child by providing groundbreaking, collaborative and individualized educational, therapeutic and family support services. In addition to cuttingedge early intervention services, the program provides a full inclusion preschool. This model empowers special needs children to learn alongside their typical peers, giving them the greatest chance to become mainstreamed.ContactMitch Sigman925-829-9555 Ext. 718mitch@soi4kids.orgFounded in 2001, the School of Imagination and Happy Talkers in Dublin, Calif. has served thousands of families throughout Northern California with road maps to success from evaluation to diagnosis and implementation. The organization is committed to bringing out the extraordinary in every child by providing groundbreaking, collaborative and individualized educational, therapeutic and family support services. In addition to cuttingedge early intervention services, the program provides a full inclusion preschool. This model empowers special needs children to learn alongside their typical peers, giving them the greatest chance to become mainstreamed.Press Contact:Sabrina SanchezThe Ventana Group for The School of ImaginationChantilly, VA(925) 785-3014ssanchez@theventanagroup.com Automated DAQ & Control Cuts Costs on Well Stimulation Services www.DataLoggerInc.com Delphin Data Logger Automates Data Collection & Pump ShutdownMTS SolutionsRecently CAS DataLoggers provided the data acquisition solution for a custom application for MTS Solutions, a small oil field service company headquartered in Bakersfield, California. MTS has been servicing oil wells in California for over 30 years, maximizing production for clients using both traditional and green products. Data Acquisition Operations Engineer Kevin England explains, Were a small business 25-man crew, as opposed to a multi-national company, so we needed a cost-effective monitoring solution for our jobs that still had the functionality our customers require.After sourcing Delphin data acquisition systems, Kevin developed a program using ProfiSignal software for MTSs oil well stimulation operations. His program auto-transmits job data over WLAN in real time to well owners, documents the entire job, remotely shuts off pumps if necessary, and calculates productivity. In this way Delphin performs Data Acquisition, Monitoring, and Automationall in a single system at each job.Multi-Parameter Monitoring in Real TimeIn late 2016, MTS Solutions sourced three Delphin Expert Loggers from CAS DataLoggers. These Model 100 loggers have a 4GB internal memory to store data along with a WLAN interface. MTS also opted for the Klicks software option enabling automation capability along with runtime monitoring.In this application, the Expert Loggers are installed on different job sites, each monitoring multiple measurement values including Pump Pressure, Flow, Volume (in gallons), Runtime, and Productivity.To collect the data, users have connected the loggers universal analog inputs (mV mA, TC, RTD) with different sensor types such as 4-20mA pressure sensors and New-Flow flow meters. The Expert Loggers have been set up to sample data from each connected sensor once per second. Currently, the application involves 40 inputs.Mr. England explains, Essentially, I was looking for a data system I could program to take data from pressure sensors and flow meters and then trend that data over time. Earlier we had tried using another device, but Delphin is easy to use for everything we need. I developed this automated application myself using just the ProfiSignal Klicks software. Now our rig operators only have to push a few buttons on a laptop to start the job.Trending the DataMr. Englands custom program also trends Pump pressure over time, using data from sensors interfaced with two inputs and an input for another transducer positioned at the wellhead. This last sensor trends gallons pumped per meter over time. Operators can use either channel on the Expert Logger for these sensors since the inputs are universal.Wireless Data TransferData collection is performed automatically over Wireless local area network (WLAN). MTS uses WiFi hotspots for wireless connectivity and fast data transfer so that well Engineers, Field Operators and MTS management can all view data in real time, using their PCs or mobile devices. The Expert Logger retrieves the data every second to clear it from the logger.With their old data recorder, the pump operator would need to remember to bring a flash drive, save the local data to it, and turn it in at the end of the day. Now data collection is performed in a single event, automatically saved, then sent to a one-time Cloud account, and in 15 seconds its available for Mr. England to view from any location.He explains, I have the program set up for three different ways to talk to the rigs PLC. It looks for the IP address of one of three communication types: USB, Ethernet or WiFi connectivity. If it cant find an IP address, the program wont start, so this way we ensure that the rig wont operate unless its first able to transmit the data. This feature also prevents data tampering.Our customers love this: they can see all the data in real time. This wireless viewing technology blows one of our customers minds: he can even monitor us from any location while were working on his job.Electronic DocumentationOperators start and end their job with a button press that creates a datafile in CSV format containing an In/Out timestamp along with location name, well name, and operator name. During the shift, the ProfiSignal program automatically documents all operator actions taken, including pumping time and chemical switch-outs. This datafile is then exported as an ASCII2 file and timestamped.Operators also have an option to open TeamViewer software (available free online) where they can receive a temporary passkey. This is then given to customers and allows a temporary one-time viewing of the job. In this way, customers can view data remotely in real time instead of needing the Tool Pusher or Engineer in the danger zone during the job.Mr. England explains, By adding Delphin, our data collection routine went from a 13-step training program to a simple 4-step process with minimal effort. This way, the customer can correlate and filter the data so the Delphin program is a documentation solution for us too. The simplicity of Profisignal is definitely there. The CAS inside Engineering Dept. has been nothing but helpful. Once I got the hang of the software, it was all cut-and-dry, very easy to maneuver in.Alarm CapabilityThe program also has multiple two-tier alarms set. Four alarms provide over-watch on pump pressure and wellhead pressure. England explains, We have a preset maximum value set for well pressure, given to us by the customer and then set in the program on our side by the Operator. Operators also have a digital alarm set with their rig PLCs.The 2nd alarm tier causes an automatic truck shutdown, which is achieved by the software sending a command to the PLC, activating a relay which causes the truck to shut off. If the pressure exceeds this user-set max value, it only takes a second and a half to shut down the trucks valves and relieve all pump pressure. This guarantees that throughout operation, pressure never exceeds a few PSI over the set shutdown pressure.Kevin England again: This is definitely one of the biggest features that our customers request. We also have a way to automatically shut off the PLC via timer, which is nice because it prevents it from being accidentally left on indefinitely.Productivity MonitoringTheres a future application I plan to use with the Delphin loggers: a Volume calculator based on the well that the operator is at. We routinely get specs on the wells like casing diameter, displacement, etc. from engineers. I want to input this into ProfiSignal so that the operator can look at these numbers and match them up to the gallons pumped. This way, the customer can look at the productivity and see that its acceptable.BenefitsSumming up the benefits of the new solution, Mr. England comments, At MTS, our biggest buying point for Delphin was its cost-effectiveness given the large feature set which combined everything we wanted to do. Before this, we used to use hand-programmed PLCs, but the technicians were $240/hr to hire and werent available for weeks. If operations shut down, we had a BIG problem! Now we handle everything 100% in-house, without needing to wait or pay for support.As an example, one of our main customers in Long Beach recently required that all their contractors implement auto-shutdown capability during their jobs. Using our program, we were able to provide that requirement for them overnight. If we still had our old system, wed have been out of luck and lost the work opportunity!Part of the ROI also comes from our new data collection method: because we now we have immediate, reliable data collection, since job data is all auto-transmitted via wireless. Our operators are using HP laptops running Windows 7. ProfiSignal comes out crisp and clear on Win10; I would recommend it.Following the development of this program, MTS Solutions purchased two more Expert Loggers in early January of this year, putting the total number of units purchased at six.For more information on the new Delphin Expert Logger, or to find the ideal solution for your application-specific needs, contact a CAS DataLoggers Application Specialist at (800) 956-4437 or visit our website atComputer Aided Solutions, LLC. dba CAS Data Loggers is a distributor of data loggers, paperless recorders and data acquisition equipment.Computer Aided Solutions8437 Mayfield RoadChesterland, OH 44026(440) 729-2570 Global Composite Pin Insulator Market Analysis 2017 and Forecasts to 2022 Composite Pin Insulator https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/957060-global-composite-pin-insulator-sales-market-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/957060-global-composite-pin-insulator-sales-market-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=957060 www.wiseguyreports.com Composite Pin Insulator Market ReportThis report studies sales (consumption) of Composite Pin Insulator in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringCTCBeimco FRP ProductsWuhan Line Power Transmission EquipmentWortai ElectricGK Xianghe ElectricalsTry Sample Report @Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Composite Pin Insulator in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoFXBWFPQFZSWFSFCGWFQEFQJSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Composite Pin Insulator in each application, can be divided intoApplication 1Application 2Some Major Points from Table of content:Global Composite Pin Insulator Sales Market Report 20171 Composite Pin Insulator Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Composite Pin Insulator1.2 Classification of Composite Pin Insulator1.2.1 FXBW1.2.2 FPQ1.2.3 FZSW1.2.4 FS1.2.5 FCGW1.2.6 FQE1.2.7 FQJ1.3 Application of Composite Pin Insulator1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.4 Composite Pin Insulator Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Composite Pin Insulator (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Composite Pin Insulator Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Composite Pin Insulator Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)For Detailed Reading Please visit @2 Global Composite Pin Insulator Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Composite Pin Insulator Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Composite Pin Insulator Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Composite Pin Insulator Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Composite Pin Insulator (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Composite Pin Insulator Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Composite Pin Insulator Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Composite Pin Insulator (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global Composite Pin Insulator Sales and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global Composite Pin Insulator Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.4 Global Composite Pin Insulator (Volume) by Application..9 Global Composite Pin Insulator Manufacturers Analysis9.1 CTC9.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.1.2 Composite Pin Insulator Product Type, Application and Specification9.1.2.1 Product A9.1.2.2 Product B9.1.3 CTC Composite Pin Insulator Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview9.2 Beimco FRP Products9.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.2.2 Composite Pin Insulator Product Type, Application and Specification9.2.2.1 Product A9.2.2.2 Product B9.2.3 Beimco FRP Products Composite Pin Insulator Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview9.3 Wuhan Line Power Transmission Equipment9.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.3.2 Composite Pin Insulator Product Type, Application and Specification9.3.2.1 Product A9.3.2.2 Product B9.3.3 Wuhan Line Power Transmission Equipment Composite Pin Insulator Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview..ContinuedBuy now @Contact Us:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About UsWise 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 understand how essential statistical surveying information is for your organization or association. Therefore, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPh: +91 841 198 5042info@wiseguyreports.com F Magazine Luxury bets on mobile, with mobinteg www.mobinteg.com www.mobinteg.com www.fmagazineluxury.com Lisbon, February 14th, 2017: mobinteg, a Portuguese company specialized in the development of mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, presents another app in the area of publications. After the guide Estrelas e Ouricos and the magazine BIZMADEIRA, also F Magazine Luxury, publication of the premium segment with presence in Angola and Portugal, bet on mobile with a mobiSHOUT!.F Magazine Luxury has opened its pages for everyone to enjoy an interactive experience, providing more reading pleasure and experiences beyond the printed magazine. "An objective achieved with the support of mobinteg, an innovative company and specialist in successful applications", underlines Fatima Magalhaes, Owner of the publication.In the app you can find direct links to premium brands from the ads, with exclusive content, that is, the advertising pages give access to advertisers' web pages with just one click. A feature that makes the magazine app a plus, giving unique properties in the market.The user can also download the journal's numbers as they come out on newsstands, so that they can read the magazine offline, anytime, anywhere. At the same time you will receive a notification whenever a new F Magazine Luxury number is available on mobiSHOUT!."F Magazine Luxury hopes with this step that users will enjoy the new, interactive, portable and free experience so they can enjoy even more of the F Magazine Luxury universe", adds Fatima Magalhaes."This is yet another project that reinforces mobinteg's position in the publishing industry. We are very proud to take this step, especially in a new area Fashion and Lifestyle by joining a premium, very successful and innovative publication, which is also a reference in this sector, comments Pedro Geraldes, Co-Founder and Partner of mobinteg.The F Magazine Luxury app is available for download from the App Store and Google Play, for free.About mobinteg:Located in Lisbon, mobinteg () is a company specialized in the development of mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. mobinteg develops solutions in both the corporate and consumer segments, seeking to respond to the real needs of customers and valuing the speed, efficiency and safety in the relationship with the consumer.About F Magazine Luxury:Positioned in the "Premium" publishing segment, F Magazine Luxury seeks to highlight key elements of a sophisticated lifestyle, combining the quality of the most exclusive content with trends. In addition to direct sales in newstands, in Portugal and Angola, F Magazine Luxury is present in hotels, spas and business lounges.For more information, please contact:Raquel Santos (Communication & Marketing Executive of mobinteg)rsantos@mobinteg.com+351 211 384 856Rua Castilho, 39 - 8 C Edificio Castil, 1250-068 LisboaFatima Magalhaes (Owner of F Magazine Luxury)fatima@fmagazineluxury.com+351 210 149 077Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 101, 2750-374 Cascais Hybrid Stock Exchange Introduces Blockchain Technology www.hhpty.com HYBSE is exceptionally happy to announce the progress of the implementation of blockchain technology.Blockchain technology consists of data batches called blocks that use cryptographic validation to link themselves together. In other words, each block references and identifies the previous block by a hashing function (any function that can be used to map data of arbitrary size to data of fixed size), forming an unbroken chain, hence the name Blockchain. It is a digital database but unlike most databases, it is not stored in a single master location or managed by any particular body. Instead, it is decentralized and is replicated and synchronized via the internet and is visible to anyone within the network.There are many advantages and benefits of using blockchain technology in the financial sector, to name a few:Disintermediation two parties are able to make an exchange without the oversight or intermediation of a third party such as banks and governments, with the users having total control of all their information and transactions.Durability, Reliability and Longevity Due to decentralized networks, blockchain does not have a central point of failure and is better able to withstand malicious attacks.Transparency changes to public blockchains are publicly viewable by all parties creating transparency and therefore massively reducing the possibility of money laundering.Faster Transactions with Lower Transaction Costs By eliminating third party intermediaries and overhead costs, blockchain transactions can take minutes and are processed 24/7 at much lower transaction costs.At HYBSE, the customers are the most important visitor. They are not done a favour by providing their services, rather they are doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so. This is why our development thus far has been a critical process. Having said that, we are still in the process of perfecting and finalizing the finer details before we launch the blockchain technology. It should not be long until it is fully functional. We expect it to be fully operational by the end of March 2017.The wallet is offered free of charge, the only cost you will face is the EUR 1200.00 for the access through the depot-wallet to the Hybrid Stock Exchange. Orders can then be placed directly on to the Stock Market without any middlemen.Users will never experience trading as easy as with this new system!Kindly visit our websitefor more information.The Hybrid Stock Exchange is an innovative online trading platform for already well-off societies, as well as for SMEs and start-up companies, to increase capital finance. The success of the HYBSE is critically dependent on the confidence of the users of our platform; issuers, investors and employees. This confidence is based primarily on compliance with legal, regulatory, contractual and internal regulations and conformity with customary market standards and rules of conduct in the business activities of the Hybrid Stock Exchange.HYBSE is an online financial market with an unprecedented ease of use. Financial investors and entrepreneurs achieve the ideal platform for their desired goals, with access to the international capital markets. The traditional broker concept is bypassed because the transactions are always "User to User" (buyer to seller), hence unnecessary costs are avoided. The first-class, user-friendly and well-designed interface with its logical layout makes the site fun and easy to navigate.S.I.P BuildingPort VillaRue PasteurVanuatu0871513822 Blood Culture Test Global Market 2017 Examination and Forecast to 2022 Blood Culture Test Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/942669-global-blood-culture-test-sales-market-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/942669-global-blood-culture-test-sales-market-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=942669 www.wiseguyreports.com SAMPLE REQUEST@Notes:Sales, means the sales volume of Blood Culture TestRevenue, means the sales value of Blood Culture TestThis report studies sales (consumption) of Blood Culture Test in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringAbbottAlereBecton, Dickinson and CompanyBiomerieuxBruker CorporationCepheidF. Hoffmann-La RocheNanosphereSiemensThermo FisherMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Blood Culture Test in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoType IType IISplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Blood Culture Test in each application, can be divided intoApplication 1Application 2COMPLETE REPORT DETAILS @Table of ContentsGlobal Blood Culture Test Sales Market Report 20171 Blood Culture Test Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Blood Culture Test1.2 Classification of Blood Culture Test1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.3 Application of Blood Culture Test1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 22 Global Blood Culture Test Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Blood Culture Test Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Blood Culture Test Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Blood Culture Test Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Blood Culture Test (Volume and Value) by Type3 United States Blood Culture Test (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Blood Culture Test Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Blood Culture Test Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Blood Culture Test Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Blood Culture Test Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)...5 Europe Blood Culture Test (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe Blood Culture Test Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Europe Blood Culture Test Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Europe Blood Culture Test Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 Europe Blood Culture Test Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 Europe Blood Culture Test Sales and Market Share by Manufacturers5.3 Europe Blood Culture Test Sales and Market Share by Type5.4 Europe Blood Culture Test Sales and Market Share by ApplicationCONTINUEDBUY THIS REPORT @Contact Us :NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune 411028Maharashtra, India Global Wine Market Share, Trends, Growth, Forecast 2017-2025 http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-wine-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/ http://www.indexbox.co.uk/store/world-wine-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020/ http://www.slideshare.net/IndexBox_Marketing/world-wine-market-report-analysis-and-forecast-to-2020 www.indexbox.co.uk IndexBox has just published a new report "World: Wine - Market Report. Analysis And Forecast To 2025" ().This report provides an in-depth analysis of the global wine market. Within it, you will find the latest data on market trends and opportunities by country, consumption and production, food balance and price developments, as well as global trade (imports and exports). The forecast reveals market prospects to 2025.From 2007 to 2015, global exports in the wine market increased by +1.9% per year, amounting to 31,650 million USD in 2015. In physical terms, exports were 10,559 million liters in 2015, which figure remained relatively stable over the last four years.The category in containers holding 2 liters or less accounted for the largest share of exports, with 5,634 million liters (53% of total exports) in 2015. It grew with a CAGR of +1.0 % from 2007 to 2015. It was followed by sparkling wine, accounting for a 7% share in total exports, with a CAGR of +5.6%.In 2015, according to market research conducted by IndexBox, Spain (2,421 million liters), Italy (1,988 million liters) and France (1,454 million liters) were the main exporters of wine in the world, together comprising 56% of global exports. From 2007 to 2015, the average annual growth rates of wine exports from Spain stood at +6.3%, while the dynamics of other leader countries were less pronounced.While the share of Spain increased (+6 percentage points), the share of Italy (-2 percentage points) and France (-3 percentage points) displayed a negative dynamic. The shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period.TABLE OF CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION1.1 REPORT DESCRIPTION1.2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1 KEY FINDINGS2.2 MARKET TRENDS3. MARKET OVERVIEW3.1 MARKET VOLUME AND VALUE3.2 CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY3.3 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES BY COUNTRY3.4 MARKET FORECAST TO 20254. PRODUCTION4.1 PRODUCTION OF WINE, HARVESTED AREA AND YIELD OF GRAPES IN 2007-20154.2 PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY4.3 HARVESTED AREA AND YIELD BY COUNTRY5. IMPORTS5.1 IMPORTS IN 2007-20155.2 IMPORTS BY COUNTRY5.3 IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY6. EXPORTS6.1 EXPORTS IN 2007-20156.2 EXPORTS BY COUNTRY6.3 EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY7. PRICES AND PRICE DEVELOPMENT7.1 PRODUCER PRICES7.2 PRODUCER PRICES INDEX8. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERSDownload a free sample of the report now!You can also find a template on SlideShareIndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world. We conduct market research and publish reports.You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.We collect this data from hundreds of highly reliable sources, verify it and carry out market analysis, uncovering new business opportunities and empowering you with actionable insights.The structure of our reports is intuitive and clear. We do our best to allow you to make strategic decisions and take immediate action. If you want to go further and be a step ahead of the market, just tell us your goals and we will tailor a report to your needs.Company Name: IndexBoxContact Person: Kirill BezverhiEmail: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.ukPhone: +44 20 3239 3063Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QWWebsite: Luxury Furniture Market Synopsis and Highlights, Key Findings, Major Companies Analysis and Forecast to 2021 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1305 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/luxury-furniture-market Market ScenarioThe market for Luxury Furniture globally is driven by the growth of real-estate sector. The increased number of residential and commercial projects has led to the widening demand for luxury furniture. With the increased awareness about aesthetic values and innovative designs in furnishings the luxury furniture market has grown over the years. This is further backed by greater urbanization and change in lifestyles of people. The global Luxury Furniture market is expected reach US$ XX Million at the end of the forecasted period and is expected to grow at CAGR of X.X% from 2016 to 2021.SegmentsGlobal Luxury Furniture market is segmented on the basis of Raw material used, Retail formats, End-use and Region. On the basis of raw material it is segmented as Wood, Metal, Plastic and others. On the basis of Retail formats it is segmented as furniture retailers, departmental stores, online retailing, and others. On the basis of end-use it is segmented as residential and commercial. Additionally on the basis of region, it is segmented as North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Request a Sample Report @Regional Analysis of Global Luxury Furniture MarketAPAC dominates the global luxury furniture market with its fast growing market worldwide. It will expand at a CAGR XX% over the forecast period. The growth of real-estate sector is attributing to the share of APAC. The factors such as increasing real-estate projects, increased foreign investment in construction and innovations in the industry are driving the market for Luxury Furniture.It is followed by North America which is expected to grow rapidly over $XX million by 2021. Europe and Rest of the World are also expected to grow at CAGR of XX% respectively from 2016 to 2021.Key PlayersThe key players of Global Luxury Furniture Market report include- Duresta Upholstery Ltd., Valderamobili s.r.l., Giovanni Visentin s.r.l., Scavolini Spa, Laura Ashley Holding Plc, Iola Furniture Ltd., Henredon Furniture Industries Inc., Turri S.r.l. and Muebles Pico.The report for Global Luxury Furniture Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Access Report Details @Study Objectives of Global Luxury Furniture Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of various segments and sub-segments of the Global Luxury Furniture Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the global luxury furniture market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, APAC, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by raw material, retails formats, end-use and region. To provide strategic profiling of the key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global luxury furniture marketContact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.comAt 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.Market Research Future, Office No. 524/528, Amanora Chambers, Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar ST. ANSGAR | The former tenant of a St. Ansgar apartment building is accused of stripping wiring from the unit's appliances and leaving it filled with garbage. James Curtis, 35, of Stacyville, was charged with felony second-degree criminal mischief. Prosecutors filed formal charges Wednesday. Curtis is accused of causing about $2,000 in damage to his former residence, 204 N. School St., St. Ansgar. A police officer who toured the residence with the landlord on Feb. 1 saw garbage on the floor, two air conditioners that had been torn apart and a washer and dryer that had been stripped of copper wiring, according to a criminal complaint. The yard also was torn up by a vehicle. His next court apperance is set for Tuesday in District Court in Osage. Molly Montag Global Baby Food and Drinks Market Size, Share, Statistics, Trends, Strategy, Segmentation Analysis and Forecast to 2027 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1264 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/baby-food-drinks-market Market ScenarioGlobally, the market for Baby Food and Drinks has been increasing due to increase in demand from the downstream markets; the key drivers for the market are rise in disposable income and demand for high quality products. Hence, baby food and drinks market is expected to reach US XX Million at the end of the forecasted period and is expected to grow at CAGR of XX% from 2016 to 2027.SegmentsThe market for Global Baby Food and Drinks Market is segmented on the basis of type, and by ingredients. By type, the Global Baby Food and Drinks Market is segmented as baby milks, baby cereals & dry meals, baby meals, finger foods, baby drinks & other baby foods. On the basis of ingredients, the global baby food and drinks market is segmented as Dairy, fruits & vegetables, grains and meat. On basis of packaging, the global baby food and drinks market is segmented as Can, Box, Sachet, Mason Jar, Bottle & other packaging types.Regional Analysis of Global Baby Food and Drinks MarketNorth-America and Europe has dominated the market for Global Baby Food and Drinks Market with the largest market share, accounting for $XX million and is expected to grow over $XX million by 2027, Asia-Pacific and Middle East are the growing market for Global Baby Food and Drinks Market and are expected to grow at CAGR of XX% respectively from 2016 to 2027.Request a Sample Report @Study Objectives of Global Baby Food and Drinks Market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of various segments and sub-segments of the Global Baby Food and Drinks Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the Global Baby Food and Drinks Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by type and by application. To provide strategic profiling of the key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Baby Food and Drinks MarketKey PlayersThe key players profiled in Global Baby Food and Drinks Market report include- Abbot Nutrition, Heinz Nature, Hipp organic, Cow&Gate, Nestle, Danone, Mead Johnson Nutrition, and Danalac.Access Report Details @North America US Canada MexicoEurope Germany France Italy U.K Rest of EuropeAsia Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-PacificRoW Brazil Argentina Egypt South Africa OthersThe report for Global Baby Food and Drinks Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.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 Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.comMarket Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India Greenhouse Irrigation System Market: By Technology (Drip Irrigation, Sprinkler Irrigation, Boom Irrigation, Capillary Irrigation, Flood Irrigation) By Geography-Forecast (2016-2021) Greenhouse Irrigation System Market 2021 http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/FBR0111/greenhouse-irrigation-system-market-by-technology-drip-irrigation-sprinkler-irrigation-boom-irrigation-capillary-irrigation-flood-irrigation-crop-type-vegetables-flowers--ornamentals-fruit-plants-nursery-crops--by-geographyforecast-20162021 http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=fbr0111 http://www.marketintelreports.com/purchase.php?id=fbr0111 www.marketintelreports.com Greenhouse irrigation system involves various types of irrigation methods utilized within a greenhouse. Greenhouse technology provides protection and optimum growth conditions for plants. Inability of the farmers to cope up with the irregular climatic conditions gave rise to the development of greenhouse irrigation systems. The system ensures good agricultural growth and better yield by supplying adequate quantity of water at frequent intervals. Ability to cultivate crops round the year, increasing population and government support are major drivers for the growth of greenhouse irrigation system market.Check Complete Report @The global greenhouse irrigation system market has been segmented by technology, by crop type and by geography. On the basis of technology, the report is segmented into drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, boom irrigation, capillary irrigation and flood irrigation system. The greenhouse irrigation system is widely used to grow vegetables, flowers and ornamentals, fruit plants and nursery crops. However, high initial and maintenance cost of greenhouse irrigation system is restraining the market growth. Global greenhouse irrigation system market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of XX% during 2016-2021.Get Sample Brochure of the Report @On the basis of geography, the market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. Asia-Pacific is the dominant region owing to irregular climatic conditions. The global greenhouse irrigation system market is estimated to reach $XXm by 2021 from $XXm in 2015.Dominating companies for greenhouse irrigation system market in 2015 were Jain Irrigation Systems Limited (India), Rain Bird Corporation (U.S.), Netafim Ltd (Israel), Rivulis Irrigation Ltd (Israel) and Nelson Irrigation Corporation (U.S.). These companies have been continuously indulging in innovative marketing strategies, partnerships and expansion activities. Other players in this market include: The Toro Company (U.S.), Senninger Irrigation Inc. (U.S.), Eurodrip SA (Greece), Lindsay Corporation (U.S.) and others.Order a copy of Greenhouse Irrigation System Market Report now @About us:MarketIntelReports (MIR) aim to empower our clients to successfully manage and outperform in their business decisions, we do this by providing Premium Market Intelligence, Strategic Insights and Databases from a range of Global Publishers.A group of industry veterans who are well experienced in reputed international consulting firms after identifying the sourcing needs of MNCs for market intelligence, have together started this business savior MarketIntelReports.MIR intends to be a one-stop shop with an intuitive design, exhaustive database, expert assistance, secure cart checkout and data privacy integrated. It curates the list of reports, publishers and studies to ensure that the database is constantly updated to dynamically meet the targeted, specific needs of our clients.MarketIntelReports currently has more than 10,000 plus titles and 35+ publishers on our platform and growing consistently to fill the Global Intelligence Demand Supply Gap. We cover more than 15 industry verticals being: Automotive, Electronics, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Chemicals, Building & Construction, Agriculture, Food & Beverages, Banking & Finance, Media and Government, Public Sector Studies.Contact us:Mayur SSales Manager2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statespr@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343 Roll nip safety hazard Laboratory mixing mill with safety cage. http://www.deguma.com/en/services/safety Laboratory machines are used in elastomer processing companies for the testing of materials, development of new products or the production of small batches. One of the key laboratory machines is the laboratory mixing mill, which heats and mixes material between two counter-rotating rolls, and rolls out a rubber sheet. The nip between these rolls, however, represents a safety hazard.Hazards for laboratory mixing millsThe roll nip forms a point of constant intake and it is therefore difficult to safeguard. This problem has often led to serious accidents with laboratory mixing mills. Older machines in particular are equipped with safety devices that, however, do not safeguard access in a satisfactory manner. Safe solutions on the other hand, often make working sensibly and ergonomically more complicated. For small laboratory mixing mills, the rolling intake site can be easily accessed unless safety equipment is utilized. Shift rods do not provide adequate protection, as you can easily reach around it. Safety equipment used to date typically consists of a rocker switch in close proximity to the hazardous area or a knee switch plate which is mounted in the standing area of the operator and quickly stops the roll drives when accidentally actuated. What is needed is a solution that reduces the risk to a minimum and at the same time does not significantly impair work at the mixing mill.Solution: Safety cageIn coordination with the Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und chemische Industrie [Professional Association of Raw Materials and Chemical Industry] (BG RCI), the company DEGUMA has developed a custom protective device for all laboratory mixing mills that no longer meet todays safety requirements: The safety cage. This safety cage ensures that the operator is unable to access the roll nip when the machine is in operation without automatically triggering the rolls to stop. Nevertheless, the operator is still able to perform necessary work stops (roll and insert rolls into the nip; cut and turn sheets on the rotating rolls) without significant impairment. Once the safety cage is opened, the rolls can be cleaned without any problems or risk.For more information about how machines can be retrofitted with support from DEGUMA, please seeDEGUMA is a German machine building company that has specialized in overhauling and modernizing pre-owned machinery for the rubber processing and plastic processing industry. One of their main focuses is retrofitting of safety equipment.V. SchutzDEGUMA-SCHUTZ GmbHIndustriestr. 4-836419 GeisaGermanyEmail: deguma@deguma.comTelefon: 036967-761-0 The Southbourne Tax Group: BBB offers tips on filing taxes, avoiding fraud While all working citizens should have had their W-2 form delivered by now, its important for taxpayers to take time and use caution when selecting a tax preparer you can trust.Its important to avoid mistakes that could result in additional fees or even tax identity theft.Unfortunately, identity theft is not the only thing to watch out for when enlisting the help of a tax preparer or tax software to file your taxes. BBB receives thousands of complaints from consumers against tax preparers every year.In 2016, BBB received nearly 3,000 complaints against tax preparation businesses nationwide.Common complaints state that the tax preparer made errors in their return which resulted in fines and fees. Other complaints allege customer service, billing and contract issues.BBB offers the following advice when searching for a tax preparer:* Look for credentials. Ideally, your tax preparer should either be a certified public accountant, a tax attorney or an enrolled agent. All three can represent you before the IRS in all matters, including an audit.* Dont fall for the promise of a big refund. Be wary of any tax preparation service promising larger refunds than the competition. Avoid any tax preparer who bases their fee on a percentage of the refund.* Think about accessibility. Many tax preparation services only set up shop for the months leading up to the April 15 deadline. In case the IRS finds errors, or in case of an audit, make sure you are able to contact you tax preparer at any time of the year.* Read the contract carefully. Read tax preparation service contracts closely to ensure you understand issues such as how much it is going to cost for the service, how the cost will be affected if preparation is more complicated and time consuming than expected and whether the tax preparer will represent you in the case of an audit.* Ask around. Ask family, friends or co-workers for recommendations on filing your taxes, whether its through a CPA, tax preparation business or online tax service that allows you to file your own taxes. To find a BBB Accredited tax preparation business near you, go to bbb.org.Tax season is also a busy time for identity thieves. Tax identity theft occurs when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund, or a job.According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), tax identity thieves get your personal information in a number of ways, including: going through your trash or mailbox; through emails asking for information, which appear to come from the IRS; employees at hospitals, nursing homes, banks and other businesses stealing data; and phony or dishonest tax preparers misusing confidential information or passing it along to identity thieves.To lessen the chances of becoming a victim of tax identity theft, the FTC has the following advice, whether you choose to file your return yourself or use a tax preparer:* File your tax return early. And do it before identity thieves have a chance to steal your information. Also, make sure your address is up-to-date so your W-2 doesnt get lost in the mail or end up in the wrong hands.* Use a secure Internet connection. If you file your return electronically, dont use unsecure, publicly available Wi-Fi hotspots.* Shred documents. This includes copies of your tax return, drafts or calculation sheets you no longer need. The IRS recommends that most people keep three years worth of tax returns in case of an audit. Keep hard copies and electronic files in a secure location.* Check your credit report. To ensure your identity hasnt been stolen or compromised, go to annualcreditreport.com to get your free credit report.Adam Price is regional director of the Better Business Bureau serving the Greater Killeen area.We provide a wide selection of small enterprise accounting services, including tax services for businesses and individuals.The Southbourne Tax GroupWest Kowloon, 1 Austin Road, 82/F, International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong Lithium Hexafluorophosphate Market Set for Expansive Growth www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13231 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13231 Lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) is a non-flammable inorganic compound in the form of white crystalline powder, used in the preparation of lithium ion batteries. It is one of four critical component present in rechargeable lithium batteries. Lithium chloride, phosphorous pent chloride, and anhydrous hydrofluoric acid are the three most important raw materials used in the preparation of lithium hexafluorophosphate. X-ray mono chromate and prism spectrometer are the other areas where this moisture sensitive salt is in practice. Producers of lithium hexafluorophosphate are in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea region. Presently lithium hexafluorophosphate is a dominating lithium salt used in commercial rechargeable lithium ion batteries. These rechargeable batteries are in huge demand for various applications like consumer electrical products, automotive, electric vehicles, power plant, household electricity and much more. As compared to other batteries lithium ion batteries offers better efficiency, long life cycle and high storage capacity; therefore, it is much in demand in high energy consuming applications such as storage grid or HEV and EV.A sample of this report is available upon request @The factors which drive the market for lithium hexafluorophosphate market is the rapid fall in the cost of lithium ion battery as global battery manufacturer expand its production facilities. This cost reduction is making lithium ion battery first preference in the automotive sector as these lithium-ion batteries became superior in power, performance and cost. The USA, Canada are leading in the usage rate of Lithium hexafluorosulphate market as end users of this region prefer four wheeler vehicle, and secondly, these countries have many automotive industries. Rising demand for electric devices and government attention towards pollution control is another factor which increases demand of lithium hexafluorophosphate in the near future. An increase in the demand of its parent product like lithium ion battery will directly raise the demand of lithium hexafluorophosphate as it is used in its manufacturing. Lithium hexafluorophosphate supply market is comparatively small then its competitors which becomes primary restraint factor for the lithium hexafluorophosphate market. Slower take-up of electric vehicle market demand, new battery technologies developing, energy storage using alternatives of lithium fluorophosphates are some other restraints encountered that can affect hexafluorophosphate market.Based on the geographies, lithium hexafluorophosphate market is segmented into seven regions North America lithium hexafluorophosphate market, Latin America lithium hexafluorophosphate market, Eastern Europe lithium hexafluorophosphate market, Western Europe lithium hexafluorophosphate market, APEJ lithium hexafluorophosphate market, Japan lithium hexafluorophosphate market and the Middle East & Africa lithium hexafluorophosphate market. Due to a large number of automotive industries in the U.S and Canada, increases the demand of lithium hexafluorophosphate in the automotive sector made North America leading region in lithium hexafluorophosphate market. The second leading region is Western Europe in which countries such as Germany, France, Italy, and U.K practices hexafluorophosphates in their day to day life. Countries like China, India, and South Korea are becoming emerging market in automotive industry making Asia Pacific Excluding Japan developing region for lithium hexafluorophosphate market space, followed by Japan. The Middle East and Africa are anticipated to grow at a healthy growth rate.Request to view Table of content @Few of the market players accounting on lithium hexafluorophosphate market includes Arkema, Abtonsmart Chemicals (Group) Co., Ltd., Honeywell International, Kum Yang Co., Ltd., Otsuka Chemical, Weifang Yaxing Chemical Co.,Ltd., Ajanta Chemical Industries, JingJiang Hangsun Plastic Additives Co.,Ltd, Abtonsmart Chemicals(Group) Co., Ltd., Jiangxi Selon Industrial Stock, FPC, Do-fluoride Chemicals, Tianjin Jinniu, Jiujiujiu, Kanto Denka Kogyo, Tinci, Foosung, Stella Chemifa, Chuo-glass, MORITA, Formosa Plastics, Central Glass are among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Global Smart Grid Sensors Market 2017-2022 Tollgrade, QinetiQ, Sentient, Arteche, Cisco http://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/23702/request-sample www.fiormarkets.com www.9dimenreports.com Global Smart Grid Sensors Industry 2017 is a comprehensive, professional report delivering market research data that is relevant for new market entrants or established players. Key strategies of the companies operating in the market and their impact analysis have been included in the report. Furthermore, a business overview, revenue share, and SWOT analysis of the leading players in the Smart Grid Sensors market is available in the report.Combining the data integration and analysis capabilities with the relevant findings, the report has predicted strong future growth of the Smart Grid Sensors market in all its geographical and product segments. In addition to this, several significant variables that will shape the Smart Grid Sensors industry and regression models to determine the future direction of the market have been employed to create the report.The report begins with a market overview and moves on to cover the growth prospects of the Smart Grid Sensors market. The current environment of the global Smart Grid Sensors industry and the key trends shaping the market are presented in the report. Insightful predictions for the Smart Grid Sensors market for the coming few years have also been included in the report. These predictions feature important inputs from leading industry experts and take into account every statistical detail regarding the Smart Grid Sensors market.Download Free Sample Report @Statistical forecasts in the research study are available for the total Smart Grid Sensors market along with its key segments. The key segments, their growth prospects, and the new opportunities they present to market players have been mentioned in the report. Moreover, the impact analysis of the latest mergers and acquisition and joint ventures has been included in the report. The report also provides valuable proposals for new project development that can help companies optimize their operations and revenue structure.The competitive landscape of the market presented in the study profiles the most prominent players in the market. The business overview, recent developments, key strategies, and revenue share of key market players in the global Smart Grid Sensors market have been covered in the research report. Moreover, the latest events and their impact on the Global Smart Grid Sensors industry have been presented in the report. In addition to this, the report features strategic recommendations that will help new entrants or established players optimize their ROI.Fior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Fior Markets provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales Manager2566, Lincoln StreetPrinceton,New Jersey 08540USAPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog: Corrugated Boxes Market to witness increasing growth by, Globally 2024 https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/corrugated-boxes-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/corrugated-boxes-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/corrugated-boxes-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research has published a new market research report analyzing the latest trends and developments in the global Corrugated Boxes Market, titled Corrugated Boxes Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024.Global Corrugated Boxes Market: OverviewCorrugated box is a type of packaging which has three layers in its structure; inside liner, middle fluting, and outside liner. Corrugated boxes are generally made up of fibrous pulp extracted from the pine tree. The corrugated boxes are more durable than the cardboard boxes and they can easily handle the pressure in stacked up transportation. The size of the corrugated boxes can be easily manufactured due to its flexible properties.Request Free Sample Report @Global Corrugated Boxes Market: SegmentationThe global corrugated boxes market is broadly segmented on various factors such as technology, printing methods, material types and its end user applications. Based on types of corrugated boxes it is segmented as folder boxes, telescope boxes, rigid boxes, and slotted boxes. Moreover, based on the material it is bifurcated as liner board, medium, and other starch-based material. Further based on the type of ink used for printing, the global market is diversified as solvent-based ink, water-based ink, UV-curable based ink, and hot-melt-based ink. The corrugated boxes are highly demanded by the end users, these end users industries include electronic industry, food & beverage, chemicals, textile goods, paper industry, pharmaceuticals and so on.Global Corrugated Boxes Market: Growth FactorsThe constantly rising demand for corrugated boxes from various end users is the vital factor motivating the growth of the global corrugated boxes. Corrugated boxes can be recycled and are a reliable type of packaging due to highly considerable design, these specifications of the corrugated boxes are the reason due to which consumers highly prefer them. Rising industrialization and establishment of delivery as well retail startup has significantly augmented the growth of global corrugated boxes market. The Huge demand for corrugated boxes from food delivery industry is also impacting the growth of the global corrugated boxes market. Electronic industry is the dominating segment of corrugated boxes due to its high demand and reliable results. On the other side, growing raw material prices are restraining the growth of the global corrugated boxes market at some extent.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Corrugated Boxes Market: Regional AnalysisGeographically, North America is dominating the global corrugated boxes market due to a high number of manufacturer situated in the region. Europe is expected to grow rapidly owing to the existence of some major players. Asia Pacific region may show some growth due to growing industrialization and rising number of retail startups.Global Corrugated Boxes Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the major players contributing and leading the global corrugated boxes market to include Smurfit Kappa Group, DS Smith PLC, Packaging Corporation of America, Cascades Inc., International Paper Company, Rengo Co. Ltd., Westrock Company, Mondi PLC, Kapstone Paper and Packaging Corporation, Georgia-Pacific LLC, and DS Smith PLC.Browse detail report @Global Corrugated Boxes Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.For More Inquiry contact our sales Team @ sales@zionmarketresearch.comAbout UsZion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristically, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, a company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact US:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite: Europe Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Market is Expected to Reach $351.7 Million, by 2021 Continuous Glucose Monitoring Syatem https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/europe-continuous-glucose-monitoring-systems-market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/862 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Europe Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Market Report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the Europe market is expected to garner $351.7 million by 2021, registering a CAGR of 38.0% during the forecast period 2015 - 2021. Sensors segment is anticipated to generate the highest revenue in the European CGMS market during the forecast period.For more details:The European CGMS market is expected to witness dynamic growth, owing to increasing incidence rates of diabetes, growing per capita healthcare expenditure, and rising disposable income of individuals. In addition, CGMS offers various benefits over conventional glucose monitors such as higher precision, greater sensitivity, and periodic monitoring. CGMS technology is applicable in artificial/bionic pancreas; hence, several CGMS and insulin pump manufacturers focus on the development of novel and advanced CGMS. CGMS can be used across all age groups and various healthcare settings. However, unfavorable reimbursement policies for CGMS are expected to hamper the market growth.Germany is the leading revenue-generating country, owing to favorable guidelines about pricing and fixed reimbursement budget allocation for CGMs devices. In addition, the European CGMS market is estimated to exhibit significant growth in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark due to advanced diabetes care facilities and robust clinical guidelines and standards for diabetes management.Key findings of Europe Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Market: U.K. is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 40.9% during the forecast period. Germany generated one-fourth of the total market revenue in 2015 and are projected to be the maximum revenue generating country till 2021. Sensors segment accounted for about two third of the market revenue in 2015 and are projected to exhibit prominent growth during the forecast period. U.K., Germany and France contributed over half of the market share in 2015.For Customized Report:Renowned companies, such as Senseonics and Rubin Medical, have adopted the collaboration strategy to commercialize their CGMS products in Denmark and Sweden. An Increasing number of diabetic patients, well-structured diabetes management regime, and proactive initiatives taken by the government have encouraged several CGMS companies to invest in Europe. Medtronic Inc., Dexcom, Inc., Abbott Diabetic care, Senseonics Incorporated, Insulet Corporation, Echo Therapeutics, Glysens Inc. and Animas Corporation are some of the prominent players in the European CGMS market.About Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions". AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. The data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.ContactPankaj Kumar5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect: +1-503-894-6022Toll Free: +1 (800) 792-5285 (U.S. & Canada)Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975E-mail: sales@alliedmarketresearch.comWebsite: Smart Advisors Market, 2016-2024: Introduction, Drivers, Applications and Companies https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/smart-advisors-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/smart-advisors-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/smart-advisors-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research has published a new market research report analyzing the latest trends and developments in the global Smart Advisors Market, titled Smart Advisors Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024.Global Smart Advisors Market: OverviewSmart advisors are applications that act like artificial intelligence. They are, in fact, an AI. Using modern technology, smart advisors are able to analyze our daily needs and can give advice accordingly. This has indeed boosted the global market.Request Free Sample Report @Global Smart Advisors Market: Growth FactorsThe global smart advisors market is likely to have a huge elevation in coming future. Enhanced technological features in smart advisors software such as multilingual, natural language processor, metrics, interference engine, application programming interface, cloud-based deployment, analytics, multichannel, mobile platform compatibility, and single point of the search are the main reason that has driven the growth of the global market. Additionally, low-cost value for maintenance is also one of the significant reasons that are driving the global market. Further, the rise in the demand from the industry is also boosting the growth of the global smart advisors market. Moreover, increased application of smart advisors in websites, smartphone, call centers, and social media is also driving the global markets growth. Moving on, low cost for raw material is one of the main reasons that are elevating the growth of the global market. Besides this, the rise in the adoption of smart advisors is also powering the growth of the global smart advisors market. Additionally, cheap labor charge is also one of the significant reasons that are boosting the global market. Affordable charges for transportation are also one of the significant factors that are lowering the global market.On the other hand, the hefty cost of ownership of the smart advisors is the main reason hampering the growth of global smart advisors market.Global Smart Advisors Market: SegmentationBased on the type, the global smart advisors market is mainly classified as services, software, managed services, professional services, and others.Based on usage, the global market is bifurcated into contact centers, websites, mobile platform, social media, and others.On the basis of industrial verticals, the global market for smart advisors is divided into healthcare, financial services, retail, communication, government, travel and hospitality, utilities, education, and others.Based on deployment type, the global market is bifurcated into on-premises and on a cloud.On the basis of the end user, the global market for smart advisors is divided into small and medium enterprises and large enterprises.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Smart Advisors Market: Regional AnalysisRegionally, the global market for smart advisors is bifurcated into Asia Pacific, North America, and Rest of the World. Enhanced technological features in smart advisors software such as multilingual, natural language processor, metrics, interference engine, application programming interface, cloud-based deployment, analytics, multichannel, mobile platform compatibility, and single point of the search are boosting the global market in North America. Increased application of smart advisors in websites, smartphone, call centers, and social media has elevated the global market in Asia Pacific.Global Smart Advisors Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the key players in the global smart advisors market are IBM Watson, Artificial Solutions, eGain Corporation, Naunce Communications, Inc., Next IT Corporation, Creative Virtual Pvt. Ltd., Speaktoit, Inc., CX Company, Codebaby (Idavatars), Inc., and 24/7 Customer, Inc.Browse detail report @Global Smart Advisors Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.For More Inquiry contact our sales Team @ sales@zionmarketresearch.comAbout UsZion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristically, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, a company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact US:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite: Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Market is expected to reach USD ~1.2 Billion from 2017 to 2022 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2069 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cardiac-rehabilitation-devices-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/phototherapy-market Market research future has a half cooked research report on global cardiac rehabilitation devices market. The global market for cardiac rehabilitation devices is growing continuously and expected to reach USD ~1.2 Billion by the end of 2022.Market HighlightsThe global cardiac rehabilitation devices market has been evaluated as rapidly growing market and it is expected that the market will continue to grow similarly in the near future. Cardiac rehabilitation includes the techniques, therapies and exercises which are useful for the patients who as just been through cardiac disorders or heart related problems.Rise in the awareness about the cardiovascular diseases, exercises and rehab programs for the heart patients in the developing nations has boosted the growth of the cardiac rehabilitation devices market. Rise in the geriatric population, rise in the number of incidences of coronary diseases and number of deaths due to heart attacks, increase in fitness expenditure of people are some of the factors which boost the demand of the cardiac rehabilitation devices including the recumbent cross trainers, treadmills, and ellipticals. cardiac rehabilitation devices Market is growing continuously and expected to reach USD ~1.2 Billion by the end of 2022Request a Sample Copy @Key Players: Amer Sports, Ball Dynamics International, LLC, Core Health and Fitness LLC, Halma plc, Honeywell Life Care Solutions, Johnson Health Tech Co, Ltd, LifeWatch AG, LSI, Mortara Instrument, NuStep Inc., Omron Healthcare, Inc., Philips, SCIFIT Corporate, Smiths Group plc, TechnoGym, The ScottCare Corporation, Vonco Medical, Rehab & Fitness, others.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread over 80 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2022.According to our studies, more than 40 million Americans with heart disease are above age 65. As the age affects the body, traditional fitness regimes and equipment does not meet the requirements of the heart patients. While the cardiac rehabilitation devices provide patients with access to safe, full body cardiovascular exercise. Some of the equipment also assist people with limited mobility to work on their upper and lower body simultaneouslySegmentation:On the basis of type recumbent cross trainer treadmill elliptical stationary bicycle training balls heart rate monitors blood flow monitors others.On the basis of end user hospitals, clinic, cardiac care centers, rehab centers, others.Intended Audience Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Manufacturers and Suppliers Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government Research Laboratories Independent Research Laboratories Government and Independent Regulatory Authorities Market Research and Consulting Service Providers Academic Institutes and Universities.Browse full report @Table of Content1.Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope Of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.2.2.1 Assumptions1.2.2.2 Limitations1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process:2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.2 Restraints3.3 Opportunities3.4 Macroeconomic Indicators4 Market Factor Analysis4.1 Porters Five Forces Model4.2 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers4.3 Bargaining Power Of Buyers4.4 Threat Of New Entrants4.5 Threat Of Substitutes4.6 Intensity Of Rivalry5 Global Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Market, By TypeContinue..List of TablesTable 1 Global Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Market, By Type, 2013-2022 (Usd Million)Table 2 Global Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Market, By End User, 2013-2022 (Usd Million)Table 3 Global Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Market, By Region, 2013-2022 (Usd Million)Continue..List of FiguresFigure 1 Research ProcessFigure 2 Porters Five Forces ModelFigure 3 Global Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Market, By TypeFigure 4 Global Cardiac Rehabilitation Devices Market, By End UserContinue.Related ReportPhototherapy Market Information, by devices (firefly, fiber-optic blanket, fiber-optic band) by indication (jaundice, skin disease) by end users (hospitals, clinics, home care) - Forecast to 2022.Know more about this report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com MASON CITY | A Mason City man has been sentenced to up to five years in prison for assaulting and strangling a woman. Andrew J. Beland, 29, received that sentence this week in Cerro Gordo County District Court for felony domestic abuse assault (strangulation). A $750 fine was suspended but he was ordered to pay a $100 special surcharge for domestic assault. Beland was accused of entering a Mason City residence on Oct. 30 and assaulting and strangling a woman, causing bodily injury. The criminal complaint states Beland was forbidden to be in contact with the woman due to a protective order. Beland was originally charged with felony first-degree burglary in addition to domestic assault because he entered the residence to commit the assault. However, that charge was dismissed though a plea bargain. Beland also was ordered to spend up to two years in prison after his probation was revoked on a August conviction of misdemeanor domestic abuse assault (strangulation). Mary Pieper Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) Market Poised to Rake in US$ 9 Bn by 2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-429 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-429 www.futuremarketinsights.com Global demand for super absorbent polymers (SAP) is set to reach 2.37 Mn tonnes by 2016, up from 2.1 Mn tonnes in 2014. Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd., BASF SE, and Evonik Industries are the dominant players in the global super absorbent polymer market, with Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd. holding the largest revenue share in 2014. These findings are according to a research report, titled, Super Absorbent Polymer Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2020 by market research firm Future Market Insights (FMI).Key Players Focusing on Innovation to Gain Competitive EdgeKey stakeholders in the super absorbent polymer market are bolstering their research and development capabilities to launch innovative products in the market. For example, in November 2014, Sumitomo Seika launched Aqua Keep HP, a high-function SAP for making thin baby- and adult-diapers. BASE SE also made an announcement in November 2014 that it will invest nearly US$ 550 Mn in pioneering superabsorbent technology. Other key players including Evonik Industries and Nippon Shokubai are focusing on increasing SAP production.Disposable Diapers Largest Application Segment for Super Absorbent PolymersMajority of the global demand for super absorbent polymers is concentrated in three industries disposable diapers, adult incontinence products, and female hygiene products.Request Free Report Sample@Disposable diapers is the largest end-use application segment for super absorbent polymers, accounting for nearly one-thirds of overall demand. FMI estimates demand from disposable diapers industry to reach 1.79 Mn tonnes in 2016, up from 1.59 Mn tonnes in 2014. In terms of revenues, disposable diapers segment is expected to account for US$ 5.81 Bn in 2016.Sodium polyacrylate co-polymers Account for Highest DemandSodium polyacrylate-based super absorbent polymers are preferred over poly acrylamide, ethylene-maleic anhydride, and polyvinyl alcohol co-polymers. Of the total 2.24 Mn tonnes of super absorbent polymers consumed in 2015, sodium polyacrylate co-polymers accounted for 1.45 Mn tonnes. FMI expects demand for poly acrylamide co-polymers to witness an increase in the future owing to their high water retention and non-toxic properties.Asia Pacific Excluding Japan Most Lucrative RegionDemand for super absorbent polymers was highest in Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), followed by Europe and North America.Demand for super absorbent polymers in APEJ is anticipated to reach 705 Mn tonnes by 2016, up from 666 Mn tonnes in 2015. Rising awareness levels and increase in purchasing power are the macro-economic factors driving the super absorbent polymers market in APEJ.Send An Enquiry@Demand for super absorbent polymers in Europe -- the second largest market for super absorbent polymers globally is expected to reach 645 Mn tonnes in 2016. By 2020, the Europe super absorbent polymer market is anticipated to reach US$ 2.6 Bn in revenues.The North America super absorbent polymers market was valued at 493.6 Mn tonnes in terms of volume in 2015. FMI estimates this to increase to 518 Mn tonnes by 2016. Demand for disposable diapers and other incontinence products has remained constant in North America in the past, owing to which demand for super absorbent polymers is expected to grow at a steady rate. By 2020, demand for super absorbent polymers is expected to reach 612 Mn tonnes in North America.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.comWebsite: Global Smart Agriculture Market to generate huge revenue during 2016-2024 https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/smart-agriculture-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/smart-agriculture-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/smart-agriculture-market http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research has published a new market research report analyzing the latest trends and developments in the global Smart Agriculture Market, titled Smart Agriculture Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024.Global Smart Agriculture Market: OverviewSmart agriculture is practicing the agriculture with the use of modern technology while reducing the cost and harm to nature. The rising concern of pollution due to excess use of fertilizers has led the users to move towards the smart agriculture which has boosted the global market.Request Free Sample Report @Global Smart Agriculture Market: Growth FactorsThe global smart agriculture market is likely to have a huge elevation in coming future. Use of technological advancement in agriculture is the main reason that has driven the growth of the global market. Moreover, increased application of smart agriculture in different sectors for different purposes is also driving the global markets growth. Besides this, the rise in the adoption of smart agriculture is also powering the growth of the global smart agriculture market.On the other hand, a high cost of ownership of the smart agriculture is the main reason hampering the growth of global smart agriculture market. The high-cost value for maintenance is another factor that is hindering the global market. Moreover, the hefty cost of raw material is also one of the factors that are restraining the global smart agriculture market. In addition to this, high labor charge is also playing an important role in hampering the global market.Global Smart Agriculture Market: SegmentationBased on hardware and network platform, the global smart agriculture market is mainly classified as sensor monitoring systems, GPS/GNSS devices, network elements, smart detection systems, and others.Based on service, the global market is bifurcated into system integrators, connectivity services, hosting services, managed services, supply chain management services, climate information services, and others.On the basis of software, the global market for smart agriculture is divided into local/web software and cloud-based software.Based on applications, the global market is bifurcated into livestock monitoring, precision farming, smart greenhouse, fish farming, and others.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Smart Agriculture Market: Regional AnalysisRegionally, the global market for smart agriculture is bifurcated into Asia Pacific, North America, and Rest of the World. Use of technological advancement in agriculture is boosting the global market in Canada and the U.S. Rise in the adoption of smart agriculture has elevated the global market in Asia-Pacific countries such as Japan, India, and China. Amongst this, India is said to dominate the global market for most of the people has agriculture as their primary job. Increased application of smart agriculture in different sectors for different purposes is also driving the global market in European countries such as Germany and France.Global Smart Agriculture Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the key players in the global smart agriculture market are Cisco Systems Inc., Trimble AgJunction Inc., SST Development Group, Inc., Salt Mobile SA, AGCO Corporation, Vodafone Group, SemiosBio Technologies Inc., Deere & Company, Navigation Limited, and Raven Industries, Inc.Browse detail report @Global Smart Agriculture Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaWhat Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.For More Inquiry contact our sales Team @ sales@zionmarketresearch.comAbout UsZion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristically, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, a company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact US:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite: Current and Projected Conveyor Systems Market size in terms of volume and value 2014-2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-48 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-48 www.futuremarketinsights.com Automation in every industrial segment has become an integral part of industrial operations. Conveyor systems are mechanically-operated material handling equipment, which are used to transport material within premises. They provide a quick and effective transportation solution with a high degree of safety. Therefore, due to effectiveness of conveyance, a considerable amount of cycle time is reduced in the industrial process. The same factor helps in reducing the errors in handling manual material. Early commercialisation of the conveyor system took place for transportation of heavy materials in the industrial sector.On the basis of their end user applications, conveyor systems can broadly be categorised as automotive, airport, retail, mail logistics,and food and beverage.Assembly line, body shop, paint shop and few others are key application areas of conveyor systemsin the automotive sector. Nevertheless, the retail sector utilises these systems for distribution and warehousing, sorting, cross-docking, and distribution. Conveyor systems are an integral part of airport facilities for baggagehandling. Usage of the conveyer system in airport facilities is likely to increase due to growing air traffic across the globe, and the development of new airport locations. Moreover, the growing demand for food and beverage is propelling the adoption of conveyor systems to boost production rates.Request Free Report Sample@On the basis of their design modification, conveyor systems can be categorized as roller conveyor, belt conveyor, crescent conveyor, palletconveyor, overhead conveyor and others.In order to meet the needs and demands of customers, manufacturers provide highly customized products.Growing demand for cost-effective material handling systems and increasing automation in the industrial sector are two of the major driving factors of global conveyor systems market. It is expected that, global conveyor systems market will witness a steady CAGR of around 3%-4% for the period of 2014-2020. The developing automotive, retail, and food and beverage industriesare also likely to fuel the growth inAsia-Pacificconveyor systems market. Europe is dominating the overall conveyor systems market at present and has a large conveyor system supply network with broad distribution channel. Nevertheless, Europe is likely to hold its dominance over the global conveyor systems marketat the end of forecast period. Latin America region is expected to be the fastest growing conveyor systems marketespecially in the emerging economies such as Mexico and Brazil where the industrial sector is booming. Increasedsophistication of conveyor system along with advanced technology are major trends in this market.Request For TOC@A few of the most prominent market players in global conveyor systems market areDaifuku, Dematic Group, Emerson Electric, Siemens AG, Allied Conveyor Systems, Caterpillar, Dorner Conveyors, Dynamic Conveyors, Fives Group, FMC technologies, Interroll and Intelligrated. One of the key market strategies is the development of patented products with high customisations. In addition, acquisitions and strategic alliances to share technologies, can be seen in the market.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Cardiac Assist Devices Market Analysis, Segments, Growth and Value Chain 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-467 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-467 www.futuremarketinsights.com Heart Failure (HF) is a potentially life-threatening condition that weakens the heart muscle, reduces its ability to pump enough blood throughout the body. Even without a heart transplant, patients' lives can be extended and improved with the use of small, implantable devices called Cardiac Assist Devices.Cardiac Assist Devices (CAD) are type of mechanical pumps that work along with the heart to improve its pumping efficiency and maintain the optimum blood flow throughout the body. The devices are typically employed in patients suffering from End-Stage Congestive Heart Failure, where the chances of survival through oral medications alone become minimal. The scarcity of donor organs has led to the development of these devices.Globally, there are around 23 million cases of HF and around 5.8 million people in United States have HF. About half of the people who develop heart failure die within 5 years of diagnosis.Request Free Report Sample@Cardiac Assist Devices Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe Cardiac Assist Devices market is driven by aging population, increasing prevalence of HF, high adaptation rates of these devices, and new technology innovations.Increasing rates of cardiovascular diseases and aging population has boosted the cardiac assist devices market globally. The shortage of donor hearts for transplantation is also leading to an increase in adoption of cardiac assist devices in patients with end-stage heart failure.Cardiac assist devices are also being used as a Bridge-To-Transplantation (BTT), Bridge-To-Recovery (BTR) or Destination Therapy (DT), depending on the requirement of the patient and the severity of the disease. Technological advancements that make the devices more efficient and minimally invasive are expected to further drive the demand for cardiac assist devices in the future.Presence of alternative treatment like heart transplantation, pacemaker and etc. and the few risk which are associated with the device implantation, such as development of blood clots, respiratory failure and device failure and other surgical complications such as bleeding, kidney failure, stroke and infection. Such complication are acting as a barrier in the adoption of such treatment and devices.Cardiac Assist Devices Market: SegmentationThe global market of cardiac assist devices is segmented into following types:Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD)Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps (IABP)Total Artificial Heart (TAH)Further, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) are segmented into the following types based on the defect and placement of the device.Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD)Right Ventricular Assist Device (RVAD)Bi-Ventricular Assist Device (Bi-VAD)External Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)Cardiac Assist Devices Market: OverviewWith rapid technological advancement and wide acceptance of cardiac surgery procedures among patients with heart problem, the global cardiac assist devices market is expected to exhibit a double-digit growth in the forecast period (2015-2025).With FDA approving SynCardia Systems Total Artificial Heart to conduct clinical studies on destination therapy, more and more end stage heart failure patient will be benefit from this nature of therapy and the market is expected to expand significantly in the forecast period.Request For TOC@Cardiac Assist Devices Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic regions, global cardiac assist devices market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa.North America is the leading markets for cardiac assist devices with highest prevalent cases with heart failure, technological development, high patient awareness and reimbursement coverage for CAD implantation procedures. Europe is the second largest market followed by Asia Pacific and Japan.Cardiac Assist Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players in global cardiac assist devices market are Thoratec Corporation, MAQUET GmbH & Co., Teleflex Incorporated, Heart Ware International, Berlin Heart GmbH, ABIOMED and SynCardia Systems, Inc.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: Genetically Modified Foods Market Dynamics, Forecast, Analysis and Supply Demand 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-889 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-889 www.futuremarketinsights.com The global genetically modified food market has been significantly growing due to the rise in demand for healthy and nutritional food products by consumers of different age group. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods which are derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in such a way that it does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms). Foods produced from by using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods. The major advantages of genetically modified foods are better texture, flavor and high nutritional value along with longer shelf life. However, unusual taste over non-GM food and safety concerns as it might interfere with the body normal functioning are some of the disadvantages of genetically modified food.Genetically Modified Foods: Drivers and RestraintsThe major factors driving the genetically modified food market are high nutritional content in the food, high production quantity and less requirement of pesticides. However, damage to beneficial insects and soil fertility coupled with genetic pollution, absence of any centralized government regulation and lack of awareness about the benefits of GMO are factors which are restraining the market potential growth. Rising demand for healthy food products, year round and easy availability of genetically modified food are main trends in the genetically modified food market globally.Request Free Report Sample@Genetically Modified Foods: SegmentationGenetically modified food market is segmented on the basis of type and region. On the basis of type genetically modified food is segmented into crops, vegetables, fruits and animal products. Corn and Soya are widely cultivated in genetically modified form as compared to other crops in the US. Furthermore, on the basis of region the market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan and Middle East and Africa.Genetically Modified Foods: Key PlayersMajor players operating in this category are Monsanto US, DuPont US, Syngenta Switzerland, Bayer Crop Science Germany, Sakata Japan, BASF Gmbh, Group Limagrain France to name a few. The global players are focused on partnership and collaboration with other companies in order to increase its product portfolio, industry offering and global presence. The global giant in genetically modified food are actively involved in collaboration with the Advanced Research Institutes (ARIs) in the industrial countries such as Brazil, Argentina, China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines for significant R&D program in biotechnology and transgenic crops. Companies are also increasing their R&D in some of the African countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mali, Nigeria, Egypt and Uganda in order to cater the growing demand for genetically modified food in AfricaRequest For TOC@Genetically Modified Foods: Regional OutlookIn 2014, North America was the largest market for genetically modified food and likely to remain as market leader in terms of revenue during the forecast period. China and India are the major countries in Asia-Pacific which is expected to emerge as major market for genetically modified food market. Also, other developing countries such as Brazil is anticipated to growth at a robust CAGR over the forecast period. The US government is focused towards the safety of GM products. The industry is regulated by the Department of Agriculture, for farm biotechnology, and the Food and Drug Administration, which governs food and its ingredients. The developers of the genetically modified food products are intensely involved in certifying their safety. For instance, FDA depends on a consultative process with developers who voluntarily present their plans to the agency before marketing the productsFuture 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: Emerging Opportunities in Mechanical Seals Market with Current Trends Analysis 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1596 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1596 www.futuremarketinsights.com Increase in production of shale gas in developing and developed countries is a major factor driving the growth of the market. New oil and gas exploration activities, coupled with extensive investments in refineries and pipelines is escalating the growth of the global mechanical seals market. Moreover, introduction of new technologies is also a major element boosting the overall growth of the global mechanical seals market.Global Mechanical Seals Market: RestraintsIntroduction of alternate methods of sealing leakages like mechanical packaging eats into the revenue share of the mechanical seals market. Furthermore, use of electronic seals in automated manufacturing units can also impede growth during the forecast period 2016-2026.Request Free Report Sample@Global Mechanical Seals Market: Region-wise OutlookThe highest growth is expected to be witnessed in the Americas due to increase in adoption of mechanical seals to ensure precise and prefect sealing of pipelines. Demand for mechanical seals is anticipated to remain stable in Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is expected to offer growth opportunities to key players during the forecast period.Visit For TOC@Global Mechanical Seals Market: Key PlayersThe major players involved in the manufacturing of mechanical seals are AW Chesterton Company, EagleBurgmann India Private Limited, Flowserve Corporation, Flex-a-seal, John Crane Group, Bal Seal Engineering, Cooper-Standard, Federal-Mogul, Flexitallic Group, Garlock Sealing Technology, Henniges Automotive Sealing Systems, Hutchinson Sealing Systems, Timken AB, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies GmBH and Co. KG., Dana Corporation, Telleborg Industries 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.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: X-Band Radar Market Valued at US$ 7 Bn by 2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-879 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-879 www.futuremarketinsights.com According to a new market report published by Future Market Insights titled X-Band Radar Market - Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016 - 2026, the global X-band radar market was valued at US$ 4.6 Bn in 2015 and is expected to register a CAGR of 3.8% from 2016 to 2026 to reach US$ 6.9 Bn by 2026. Growth of the global X-band radar market is primarily driven by increasing need of advanced security and surveillance systems across the world.Increasing significance of weather and climate predictions, and aviation safety is propelling the demand for X-band radar market globally. X-band radars help improve aviation safety and increase the operational efficiency of the entire air transport industry. Besides, they also provide alerts on floods through continuous monitoring of rainfall. Vendors such as Saab Group and Northrop Grumman Corporation recently introduced weather monitoring radar.Inability to adjust quickly to track a stream of separate missiles is one of the factors restraining the growth of the market. Sea-based X-band radar can be supported by a land-based early warning radar in case of an event of an attack. These radars could help X-band radars by identifying a definite location for Sea-based X-band Radar (SBX) to focus on. However, aiming and re-aiming the giant radars beam is a clumsy process. This inhibits X-band radars ability to bend swiftly enough to track a range of different missiles.On the basis of type, the global X-band radar market is segmented as mobile X-band radar and sea based-X-band radar. The mobile X-band radar segment was valued US$ 3.1 Bn in 2015 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period 20162026. The sea-based X-band radar segment was valued US$ 1.5 Bn in 2015.Request Free Report Sample@X-Band Radar Market: Region-wise SegmentationNorth America, the largest market for X-Band radar, was valued US$ 1.5 Bn in 2015and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period of 2016-2026. In North America region, ARL-E long range radars developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation have witnessed traction in their adoption by the U.S. government. These radars have enhanced the U.S. Armys C4ISR capabilities.Western Europe region is expected be the second largest market of global X-band radar, followed by Eastern Europe. Ground Master 400 radar, developed by the Raytheon Company is very popular in this region.Key Players in X-Band Radar MarketKey players of the global X-band radar market include Northrop Grumman Corporation, Raytheon Company, Saab Group, Japan Radio Company Limited, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd, Furuno Electric Co.,Ltd, Terma A/S, Detect, Inc., Reutech Radar Systems, and ProSensing, Inc.Leading players in the global x-band radar market are focusing on the development of end-to-end products and services such as logistics, infrastructure and maintenance, and providing support to their clients. Companies such as Saab Group, Raytheon Corporation, DeTect, Inc. serve both domestic and international government customers as a prime contractor and subcontractor of defence and related programmes.Send An Enquiry@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 2-901ABOUT US:CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Smart Pulse Oximeters Market To Make Great Impact In Near Future by 2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1665 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1665 www.futuremarketinsights.com Smart pulse oximeter is one of the fastest growing product type in the vital sign monitoring devices segment. Smart pulse oximeter is a non-invasive medical device used to measure the oxygen saturation level and heart rate in human. Smart pulse oximeter is a clip like device also known as a probe and is placed on body parts such as fingertip or ear lobe to measure the heart rate and oxygen level. It uses infrared light to measure the oxygen level and heart rate. The measurement of oxygen level and heart rate are very important while performing surgeries and injecting the anaesthesia, because the changes in the oxygen level in such a conditions may cause life threatening effects. Smart pulse oximeter also used to check the human health with a conditions such as heart attack, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anaemia, lung cancer and asthma. However, the readings of smart pulse oximeter may not accurate in peripheral vascular diseases. Smart pulse oximeters products market is segmented into handheld pulse oximeters, finger pulse oximeters, paediatric pulse oximeters and wrist pulse oximeters.. Hand held smart pulse oximeters are useful for pilots to check the oxygen level when they are operating at above 10,000 feet. These devices are also useful to the mountaineers and athletes to check the oxygen level. Paediatric pulse oximeters mainly used in the hospitals and these devices are separately designed to measure the oxygen saturation level and heart rate in the infants.Smart pulse oximeter market has been segmented on the basis of product type, and end userRequest Free Report Sample@Smart Pulse Oximeter Market, by Product TypeFinger Pulse OximeterHandheld Pulse OximeterPaediatric Pulse OximeterWrist Pulse OximeterSmart Pulse Oximeter Market, by End UserHospitalAmbulatory surgical centresHome Care SettingThe use of pulse oximeter in the home care settings has expanded over the last few years and is expected to register a healthy growth rate during the forecast periodOver the past few years, leading players in the vital sign monitoring devices segment are manufacturing devices with new technology such as Bluetooth which displays the readings in the smartphone. Moreover, the availability of cost effective smart pulse oximeters are the factors driving growth of overall smart pulse oximeter market., World Health Organization (WHO) started safety pulse oximetry project to improve the health in middle-income countries also expected to boost the smart pulse oximeter market. Increasing incidence rates of trauma conditions and increasing prevalence of heart related diseases are also expected to drive the smart pulse oximeter market. However, availability of high end devices to measure the heart rate is expected to hamper the overall market.Depending on geographic region, Smart Pulse Oximeter Market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to contribute maximum revenue share in the global market of smart pulse oximeter followed by Europe. Asia Pacific regions are expected to grow at a higher growth rate owing to high occurrence of chronic disease. Middle East & Africa is expected to show a healthy growth rate during forecast period.Visit For TOC@Smart Pulse Oximeters Market: Key PlayersKey players of smart pulse oximeter market are Nonin Medical Inc, Shenzhen Creative Industry Co.,Ltd, iHealth Labs Inc. Indiegogo, Inc., Technocare Medisystems, Contec Medical Systems Co.,Ltd., and MasimoABOUT 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 trends616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Saffron Market Analysis and Segments 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1840 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1840 www.futuremarketinsights.com Saffron is derived from the flowers of saffron crocus and it is used in different sectors such as spice in food, for dyeing in textile industry and as an herbal medicine for health care treatment. In context to its characteristics, it is rich in color, essence, taste, aroma, fragrance and also has higher calories in terms of carbohydrates, protein and fiber. Due to its exotic nature it has higher demand from food and beverage sector as an ingredient where it has wide application in culinary food, dairy, confectionery, beverages etc. In global level market, saffron is one of the priciest food spice in world and also considered as an expensive as gold. This super premium product saffron has very hot demand in global level market and its demand is fulfill by the Iran as it is the largest saffron producer of in the world. On the other side in terms of consumption, U.S. lead the global saffron market.Market Dynamics of Global Saffron Market:There are certain drivers which are supporting the demand of saffron in global level. Demand from the food and beverage sector is one of the key driver which is making impact on global saffron market. Increasing demand of saffron especially in multi-cuisine food at global level has increased its demand as a key food ingredient in the culinary dishes for making it more pungent. In consideration to trend, its herbal nature and its demand from health conscious consumers due to its rich nutritional components, natural quality and the properties which enables to cure with various health diseases is expected further drive the market growth in the near future.Request Free Report Sample@Market Segmentation of Global Saffron Market:Global saffron market is segmented on basis of different aspects such as form, application. On the basis of form, it is segmented into threads and powder. Thread segment covers the maximum share in global saffron market in terms of value and volume. In context to application it includes food and beverages, pharmaceutical, textile and cosmetics. Further the market segment of application is sub-segmented as in food and beverage it has wide application as food ingredient in culinary food, dairy products, confectionery and beverages. In context to its application as herbal medicine in pharmaceutical sector as it is rich in nutritional components which help to fight with health issues related to digestion, blood pressure, cold, cough etc. In textile industry, it is used for coloring or dying purposes whereas in cosmetic products, saffron is used as herbal ingredient in skin care products. On assessing the market share of global saffron market on pie chart, it is assessed that figures will impel towards the saffron application in food and beverage segment followed by pharmaceutical. Reason behind outstrips performance of saffron in global level market is because of its widespread applications in food, dairy, confectionery, beverages etc. Such as in food it is used as spice to enhance the flavor, color and taste of the food recipes. Similarly in dairy it is used in ice-creams, yogurt, flavored milk etc. In addition to this it also gaining its demand from confectionery as it is used as key ingredient in sweets and desserts and in beverage segment it is has application in flavored drinks, liquors etc.Regional Segment of Global Saffron Market:In perspective to regional segment it is segmented into seven regions of the world which includes North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Middle East and Africa. More than 90% of the worlds saffron is produced by Iran followed by India and Spain. In terms of consumption, North America and European region accounts to highest share of consumption in global level market.Visit For TOC@Major Market Players in Global Saffron Market:Major market players of Saffron are Grandor Company, Gohar Nab Sara Co., Baby Brand Saffron, Great American Spice Company, Rowhani Saffron, Green Saffron, Royal Saffron Company, King Kesariya, Safrante Global Company and HEA & Co Spanish Saffron are some of the largest saffron sellers of the world.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: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Middle East Conveyor Belts Market Revenue to Reach US$ 242.7 Mn by 2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-eu-1412 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-eu-1412 www.futuremarketinsights.com Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the Middle East Conveyor Belts in its latest report titled, Conveyor Belts Market: Middle East Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026. Middle East conveyor belts market is projected to register a healthy CAGR of 4.3% in terms of value during the forecast period (20162026). This is attributed to various factors, regarding which FMI offers detailed insights in its report.On the basis of product type, the Middle East conveyor belts market has been segmented into metal-reinforced rubber conveyor belt, fabric-reinforced rubber conveyor belt and plastic conveyor belts.Metal-reinforced rubber conveyor belt segment has been estimated to account for 27.3% value share of the market in 2015 and is expected to register a CAGR of 4.6% over the forecast period.By cover type, Middle East conveyor belts market has been segmented into conductive conveyor belt, abrasion-resistant conveyor belt, heat- and flame- resistant and oil-resistant conveyor belt. Conductive conveyor belt segment has been estimated to account for 13.5% value share in 2015 and is expected to register a CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period. However, in terms of value, abrasion-resistant conveyor belt segment is projected to be dominant by 2026, accounting for market share of 37.8%, as compared to heat- and flame- resistant segment, with 28.0% share.On the basis of application, the Middle East conveyor belts market is segmented into mining, food production industry, commercial, construction industry, electricity generating stations, automotive industry, chemical & fertilisers and packaging industry among these, mining segment has been estimated to account for value share of 22.9% in 2015, which is projected to decrease to 22.5% by 2026. The commercial segment is projected to exhibit the highest CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period.Request Free Report Sample@By weight, Middle East conveyors belts market is segmented into lightweight, medium-weight and heavyweight among these, medium-weight segment has been estimated to account for a value share of 49% in 2015, which is projected to increase to 49.5% by 2026. The lightweight segment is projected to exhibit the highest CAGR of 5.0% over the forecast period.Factors Driving the Middle East Conveyor Belt MarketGrowth of the Middle East conveyors belts market is mainly driven by increasing adoption of automated production lines across various industries and rising number of construction sites in Middle East region. Other trends driving growth include improvement of belt materials in conveyor systems and government initiatives to encourage local food production in the Middle East. High dependence on raw material imports and low profit margins for manufacturers are certain factors restraining growth of conveyor belt market in the Middle East.Middle East Conveyor Belt Market: Country-wise AnalysisTurkey has been estimated to dominate the Middle East conveyors belts market, with over 35.0% market share in Middle East region in 2015 and is anticipated to remain dominant by 2026, followed by KSA (The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and UAE (United Arab Emirates). Among all the countries in Middle East, KSA market is anticipated to register the highest CAGR over 20162026, followed by UAE. This is mainly attributed to increasing demand from construction and mining industry in KSA and increase in number of mining projects such as limestone production in UAE.Key Players in Middle East Conveyor Belt MarketKey players in the Middle East conveyor belt market include Al Kuwaiti Industrial Solutions, Arabian Universal, Bridgestone Corporation, ContiTech AG (Continental AG), Derby Conveyor Belts Industry and Trade Inc., FaBa Commercial Services, Fenner Dunlop Conveyor Belting, Kale Conveyor, Phoenix Conveyor Belts Systems GmbH, Schieffer Magam Industries Ltd., Semperit AG Holding and Ziligen A.S.Send An Enquiry@Major participants are focusing on collaborations and partnerships with service providers to enter into new markets. These key players are also focusing on expanding their offerings and provide end-to-end solutions, which entails conveyor belt manufacturing, service, and maintenance.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.comWebsite: MASON CITY | The funeral for a 2007 Mason City High School graduate fatally shot in Colorado last week is scheduled for Saturday. Zack Henderson, 27, loved life and "lived it to the fullest," said his sister, Cassidy Schmidt of Rockwell. The family is still grieving the loss of Zack's father, Scott Henderson, who died of cancer in July, she said. Zack moved to Colorado in August to go to college in Denver to become an auto mechanic. Zackery Alan Henderson, Mason City MASON CITY Zackery Alan Henderson, of Mason City, passed away Feb. 6, 2017, in Denver, Colorado. "He always said, 'I'm going to make you proud, Dad,'" Schmidt said. Zack liked to work on cars. His black Chevy truck "was his baby," Schmidt said. He had lots of friends and loved his three young children, according to Schmidt. "I feel terrible for his kids that they won't grow up knowing him," she said. Zack was found fatally wounded around 3 a.m. Feb. 6 in Adams County, which is part of the Denver metropolitan area, after deputies responded to reports of a disturbance. He was pronounced dead at a Denver hospital. Schmidt said his death is considered an open homicide case and no arrest has been made yet. A GoFundMe page has been established to bring his body back to Mason City and to cover funeral expenses. So far $2,500 has been raised toward the $7,500 goal. Schmidt said bringing her brother home is complicated and expensive because permits are needed each time a state line is crossed. Coroner identifies Mason City man as victim in Denver shooting DENVER, Colo. | A 27-year-old Iowa man has been identified as the victim in an early Monday The family is still paying for their father's funeral, she noted. Her brother also did not have a life insurance policy. The family is still in shock, but "we'll feel better when we get him home," Schmidt said. Zack's funeral is 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel in Mason City. Visitation is 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Global Fingerprint Access Control Sales Market 2017 - Production, Growth, Share, Capacity, Region, Revenue, Trends, Demand http://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/29185/request-sample https://goo.gl/J9DOf2 www.fiormarkets.com Global Fingerprint Access Control Market 2017, presents a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Fingerprint Access Control market globally, providing basic overview of Fingerprint Access Control market including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure, Fingerprint Access Control Market report provides development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. Fingerprint Access Control market size, share and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.The Current global Fingerprint Access Control Analysis and opportunities are also taken into consideration in Fingerprint Access Control industry study. Fingerprint Access Control market report provides the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.This report studies sales (consumption) of Fingerprint Access Control in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe and Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regionsDownload Free Sample Report @Covering ManufacturersZKSHIRAL TektronixMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Fingerprint Access Control in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast)Split by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoType IType IIAccess Full Report @Split by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Fingerprint Access Control in each application, can be divided intoApplication 1Application 2Table of ContentsGlobal Fingerprint Access Control Sales Market Report 20171 Fingerprint Access Control Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Fingerprint Access Control1.2 Classification of Fingerprint Access Control1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.3 Application of Fingerprint Access Control1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.4 Fingerprint Access Control Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Korea Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Fingerprint Access Control (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Fingerprint Access Control Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Fingerprint Access Control Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global Fingerprint Access Control Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Fingerprint Access Control Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Fingerprint Access Control Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Fingerprint Access Control Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Fingerprint Access Control (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Fingerprint Access Control Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Fingerprint Access Control Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Fingerprint Access Control (Volume and Value) by Regions2.3.1 Global Fingerprint Access Control Sales and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.3.2 Global Fingerprint Access Control Revenue and Market Share by Regions (2012-2017)2.4 Global Fingerprint Access Control (Volume) by ApplicationFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Fior Markets provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb: Black Pepper Market Segments, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast By End-use Industry 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1274 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1274 www.futuremarketinsights.com Black Pepper is a pungent hot-tasting powder spice prepared from dried and ground peppercorns, used to flavor food. It is also known as king of spices because it contains rich anti-oxidants and other nutrients. The high demand for pepper presents an attractive market opportunity for new vendors to enter the market. In the present market scenario, it is estimated that the new crop of black pepper accounts for nearly 30% to 35% of the market. The high demand is expected to increase the price of black pepper, thereby increasing the profit margin of the vendors in this market.Apart from this, black pepper powder is also used to make medicines. It often used to cure stomach upset, bronchitis, and cancer. It is sometimes applied directly to the skin for treating nerve pain(neuralgia) and a skin disease called scabies. Black peppers are also used typically as a counterirritant for pain.Black Pepper Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe black pepper market is directly influenced by the growing processed food industry. The rise in consumption of bakery products, confectionery products, and ready-to-eat and ried food in the developed economies is driving the market for the spice. The recent trend of using natural flavor enhancer has also catalyzed the growth of the global market. In the year 2013-15, the global pepper consumption is estimated at around 400,000 tons and has been increasing steadily. Increasing demand from Far East countries, which have started using more pepper in cooking, has been quite significant in driving the global black pepper market. Growth in the cosmetics industry is also directly influencing the pepper market. Due to the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of black pepper, it is often included in skin care products.Request Free Report Sample@As stated earlier, that the market is experiencing a major year on year increase in demand for black pepper. But unfortunately, this demand is not backed by adequate supply, which has proved to be a major restraint in this market. This is majorly due to the intensive crop losses in various parts of the world, especially in India & Brazil. Sudden climatic changes and untimely rainfall has significantly led to the fall in the yield of black pepper.Black PepperMarket: SegmentationThe global black pepper market can be broadly segmented on the basis of; type, end use and application. On the basis of type, the market can be further segmented into organic and inorganic. Based on end use, the market can be segmented into bakery and confectionery products, frozen products, soups, sauces & dressing, beverages, meat & poultry products, snacks and convenience food, and others. Based of application, the black pepper market can be segmented into food & beverages, health care and personal care & cosmetics.Black PepperMarket: Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the global black peppermarket is segmented into seven regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan.Vietnam, followed by Brazil, India & Indonesia are the leading producer of black pepper in the year 2014 globally.India saw a fall in its average production in the same year. The leverage of large scale production and productivity helps Vietnam growers to offer world's lowest price tags.In terms of export, Vietnam leads the market globally. U.S. market continues to be the largest importer of black pepper from Vietnam. While most markets like India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Netherlands, Spain have seen an increase in their imports, except Germany. German market recorded a drop in imports from Vietnam. Thus, with a market share of approximately 50% per cent in the global market, Vietnam has been able dominate the market.Request For TOC@Black PepperMarket: Key PlayersSome of the major companies operating in global black peppermarket are Baria Pepper, British Pepper and Spice, Catch, Everest Spices, McCormick, MDH, Agri food Pacific, Akar Indo, Brazil Trade Business, DM AGRO, Gupta Trading, Pacific Production, PT AF, Silk Road Spices, The Spice House, Vietnam Spice Company, Visimex, and Webb James, Olam International Limited.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: Polyamide-6 Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2016-2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1291 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1291 www.futuremarketinsights.com Polyamide -6 (PA6) is a semi-crystalline polyamide commonly known as Nylon-6. Polyamide-6 is generally produced by polymerization of caprolacta. The strength, durability and elasticity which it offers is widely appreciated in industries. Properties such as ability to withstand high pressure, temperature and various chemical makes it a highly valued material. These physical and chemical properties makes Polyamide-6 suitable for various application sectors. Of all the Polyamides types produced, Polyamide-6 accounts for approximately more than 60% of worldwide production in terms of volume. The global capacity of Polyamide-6 in 2013 is anticipated to be approximately 6.6 million metric tons.Polyamide -6 Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe major drivers for the global polyamide-6 market is its usage is its wide application sectors such as automotive, electronics & electrical, engineering plastics, packaging, wires & cables, textiles, and films & coating and others. Therefore, increasing demand for the above application sectors is expected to have a positive impact on the market in the coming years. The numerous niche applications for PA6 such as its usage in healthcare & music instruments is expected to positively affect the demand for polyamide 6 (PA6) in the coming years.Request Free Report Sample@Though the polyamide-6 (PA6) is regarded as one of the ideal materials for its physical and chemical properties yet some properties such as high shrinkage in molded sections, reaction with strong acids and bases may hamper the selection of PA6. Over specification, such as in automotive industry regarding the safety reasons may drift towards alternative products such as reinforced polypropylene, thereby restraining the growth of PA6. The insufficient flame retardance and significant flammable dripping might affect the use of PA6.Polyamide -6 Market: SegmentationOn the basis of type, the global polyamide-6 market is segmented into:Polyamide-6 (PA6) FiberPolyamide-6 (PA6) ResinOn the basis of application, global Polyamide -6 Market is segmented into:TransportationElectrical and ElectronicsTextileIndustrial ApplicationOthers (includes music, healthcare, coating sector)Polyamide -6 Market: Region Wise OutlookThe consumption of Polyamide-6 is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of more than 5% during the forecast period, globally. Asia Pacific especially China, Japan, Taiwan and India are the major consumers of polyamide-6 since this region offers significant opportunities for Polyamide-6 in various application sectors such as transportation, electrical & electronics, textiles and others. It is estimated that by the end of 2015, China and Taiwan would account for approximately half of the worlds polyamide-6 production in terms of volume. Demand for polyamide-6 in regions such as North America and Latin America is forecasted to grow at a stagnant CAGR.Request For TOC@Polyamide -6 Market: Key PlayersSome of the market participants in the global polyamide-6 (PA6) market are BASF SE, Honeywell International Inc., DuPont, Royal DSM N.V., UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD., Invista, Formosa Plastics Corporation, Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals and others.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Soy Lecithin Market 10-Year Market Forecast and Trends Analysis Research Report 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.Request Free Report Sample@Soy Lecithin Market: SegmentationOn the basis of type, the global Soy Lecithin market is segmented into:Food GradeFeed GradePharmaceutical GradeIndustry GradeOtherOn 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)Request For TOC@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.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.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: Dental Services Market Expected to Expand at a Steady CAGR through 2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1440 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1440 www.futuremarketinsights.com Dental services is one of the fastest growing market in the healthcare industry. Dental services include diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases of oral cavity. Dental services include dental implants, root canal endodontic, cosmetic dentistry, oral surgery, laser dentistry, dentures and smile makeover.General oral cavity diseases include, dental caries also known as tooth decay and pyorrhea are expected to boost the Dental services market. Dental services treatments include, extraction or surgical removal of teeth, restoration of teeth, scaling and root planning and endodontic root canal treatment.In the U.S. around 90% of young population have dental caries, while out of all dentate adults almost 94% have evidence of coronal caries. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report 47.2% of the total population in the U.S. who are above 30 years suffers from periodontal disease.Request Free Report Sample@Dental Services Market: Drivers and RestraintsRising number of people suffering from periodontal disease, growing private health insurance coverageis and escalating demand for cosmetic and elective dentistry are factors driving the growth of dental services market.Factors contributing in the growth of dental services market are increased proportion of sugar based medication and existing life style factors. Additionally, the increasing population in the Asia Pacific region is also the major factor to drive the growth of global dental services market. However, according to WHO, it was observed that the cases with dental caries are declining due to the number of public health measures and improved self-care practices in the developed countries. These are the major restraints for the dental services market.Dental Services Market: SegmentationDental services market is segmented into following typesBy ServiceDental ImplantsOrthodonticsPeriodonticsRoot Canal EndodonticsCosmetic DentistryLaser DentistryDenturesOral and Maxillofacial SurgerySmile MakeoverEnd UserHospitalsDental ClinicsDental Services Market: OverviewIncreasing healthcare awareness among mass population along with rise in prevalence rate of oral cavity diseases expected to propel the overall demand for dental services worldwide. Increased focus on personal appearance and improvements in technology, materials, and methods are spurring demand for cosmetic and elective dental services. The market is expected to witness a healthy growth over the forecast period (2016-2026)Dental Services Market: Region- wise OutlookDepending on geographic regions, the global Dental services Market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.North America dominates the global market for dental services market due to high prevalence rate of dental caries, followed by Europe. According to WHO, 90% people are diagnosed with dental caries in North America. Asia & pacific regions is expected to record a healthy growth rate in a CAGR due to people adopting to smile makeover treatment.Request For TOC@Dental Services Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in this market areApollo White DentalDental Services GroupPacific Dental ServicesGreat Expressions Dental CentersGentle Dentistry, LLCCoast Dental Services, LLCFuture 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: E. Coli Testing Market to Record an Impressive Growth $2.0 Bn by 2021 http://bit.ly/2da00hc http://bit.ly/2cIPbCZ http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/e-coli-testing-market-z60568 http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/foot-orthotics-insole-market-z68173 http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/radiofrequency-ablation-market-z61429 http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/contract-research-organization-market-for-early-stage-development-services-36074 http://www.marketresearchstore.com Zion Research has published a new report titled E. Coli Testing (Membrane Filtration (MF), Enzyme-Substrate Methods, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Tests, And Others) Market for Diagnostic Laboratories, Hospitals, Waste Water Treatment Organizations, Bottle Water Suppliers And Other End-user: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2015 2021 According to the report, the global E. coli testing market was valued at around USD 1.2 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach approximately USD 2.0 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of around 6.5% between 2016 and 2020.E. Coli Testing Market: OverviewEscherichia coli (E. coli) are a large and diverse group of bacteria which are found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals. The membrane filtration technique is widely used for E. coli test. E. coli are used as indicator organisms to test the effectiveness of effluent disinfection in a wastewater treatment plant. While these organisms are generally harmless to human, that live under the same conditions that human pathogens live.Request Sample Report:E. Coli Testing Market: Growth FactorsThe major driving factor for the global E. coli testing market is increasing government support for E. coli tests and the rising occurrence and high morbidity of E. coli. The development of drug-resistant species is another key factor is anticipated to drive the market growth in the years to come. However, high cost of enzyme-substrate test is expected to curb the market growth in the near future. Nonetheless, technological advancement coupled with increasing use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for environment water testing is projected to open up new growth opportunities during the forecast period.E. Coli Testing Market: SegmentationBased on testing methods, the E. coli testing market can be segmented into membrane filtration (MF), enzyme-substrate methods, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, and others. Enzyme substrate tests accounted for largest share of the total market in 2015. Membrane filtration is another leading segment and expected to exhibit strong growth in the near future.Do Inquiry before buying:The E. coli testing market is segmented on the basis of different end-user such as diagnostic laboratories, hospitals, waste water treatment organizations, bottle water suppliers and others. Bottle water suppliers segment accounted for large chunk of the market share in the 2015. This growth is mainly attributed to increasing water pollution. Diagnostic laboratories segment is another key outlet and is expected to witness significant growth within the forecast period.E. Coli Testing Market: Regional AnalysisThe E. coli testing market was dominated by Europe with largest share of the total market in 2014. Europe is followed by Asia Pacific and North America in terms of revenue. This growth is mainly due to the occurrence of food borne infections within Germany in 2011 due to the E. coli bacteria.Furthermore, Asia Pacific was another leading regional market in 2015. With increased government support coupled with increasing population, Asia Pacific is expected to witness robust growth during 2015 to 2021. However, Latin America and Middle East & Africa are also expected to exhibit significant growth over the forecast period.Browse the full E. Coli Testing (Environmental Testing and Clinical Testing) Market for Diagnostic Laboratories, Hospitals, Waste Water Treatment Organizations, Bottle Water Suppliers And Other End-user: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2015 2021 report atE. Coli Testing Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the key players including in the E. coli testing market such as Abbott Laboratories, Danaher Corporation, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Enzo Life Sciences, Inc., and Hologic, Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Dickinson and Company among others.E. Coli Testing Market: Regional Segment AnalysisThis report segments the global E. coli testing market as follows:Global E. Coli Testing Market: Testing Segment AnalysisMembrane Filtration (MF)Enzyme-Substrate MethodsPolymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) TestsOthersGlobal E. Coli Testing Market: End-user Segment AnalysisDiagnostic LaboratoriesHospitalsWaste Water Treatment OrganizationsBottle Water SuppliersOthersGlobal E. Coli Testing Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificLatin AmericaMiddle East and AfricaSimilar Reports :-Browse the full Foot Orthotics Insole (Leather, Polypropylene and Others) Market by End-user (Sports, Medical and Others): Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2015 2021 report atBrowse the full Radiofrequency Ablation (Capital Equipment, Disposable Equipment and Reusable Equipment) Market: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2014 2020 report atBrowse the full Contract Research Organization (CRO) Market for Early-Stage Development Services and Last-Stage Development Services: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast 2014 2020 report atAbout 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:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@marketresearchstore.comWebsite: Car Air Purifier Industry is grow at a CAGR over 4% by 2022: Vendors- PHILIPS, SHARP and PANASONIC https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1867 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/car-air-purifier-market Key Findings Secondary data reveals that the car air purifier exports is projected to grow more than 3% annually post the year 2022 The top 5 importers of Car Air Purifiers are U.S., Germany, Spain, France and MexicoMarket HighlightsGlobal Car Air Purifier Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 3% to USD XX million by 2022.Companies are introducing air purifiers for car which operates on different air purification technologies at a time to fulfil the demand of highly efficient car air purifiers which is driving overall growth of the market. The health awareness about air pollution related to cars has become a major driver encouraging higher car air purifier sales. Rise in health problems among people mainly asthma and allergies due to polluted air is also supporting the growth of the market.Request a Sample Report@The key players profiled in car air purifier PHILIPS (Netherlands) SHARP (Japan) Panasonic (Japan) Agcen (Germany) VOSSON (China) Purafil (U.S.) Cixi Landsign Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. (China) Ionkini Technology (GZ) Co., Ltd. (China) Jingcheng Technology (GZ) Co., Ltd. (China) Huizhou Peak Points Technology Co., Ltd (China)Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 60 market data tables and figures spread in 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Car Air Purifier Market information from 2011 to 2022"Brief TOC of Car Air Purifier Market1 Executive Summary2 Market Introductions2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the study3 Research Methodologies3.1 Research process3.2 Secondary research3.3 Primary research4 MARKET DYNAMICS4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities5 MARKET TRENDS5.1 Trends in Supply/Production5.2 Trends in Demand/Consumption5.3 Emerging Markets (Supply & Demand)6 MARKET FACTOR ANALYSES6.1 Introduction6.2 Value chain analysis6.3 Porters five forcesContinuedAccess Full Report @LIST OF TABLESTable 1 Pestle Analysis - U.S.Table 2 Pestle Analysis- IndiaTable 3 Pestle Analysis- ChinaTable 4 Pestle Analysis- JapanTable 5 Pestle Analysis- GermanyTable 6 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials for Car Air Purifier ProductionTable 7 Global Car Air Purifier Market, By Type, (20112016), Usd MillionContinued.Study Objectives of Car Air Purifier Market Detailed analysis of segments and sub-segments of car air purifier To estimate market size by type, source, air purification technology and application Market dynamics including trend and factor analysis for supply and demand of car air purifier Region level market analysis and market projections for North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) and their countries Competition mapping and positioning of major market players, evaluation of key company strategies Company profiling of major players in the marketAbout 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.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Freight Trucking Market: Premium Truck Manufacturers Mercedes Benz, DAF, Volvo and Renault Driving Industry Demand & Opportunities For 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13250 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/freight-trucking-market.html Freight Trucking Market: OverviewFreight trucking is an extremely important activity in the supply chain market and transportation business. Effective working of freight trucks ensures proper communication between different business processes and brings them together. Freight trucks forms the nerve center of any manufacturing or industrial activities as freight trucks carries raw materials required for business from one place to another. Moreover, freight trucks also help in transportation of finished goods to the respective markets. The efficient movement of freight is acting as a driving factor in the growth of freight trucking market. Freight trucking service is providing more advanced freight solution for the industry due to increased use of modern technology and effective communication.Download Research Brochure PDF@Quality of service, reliability and timely delivery of goods along with proper freight management and logistics handling are the key factors on which the service of the freight trucks depends. There is a substantial growth in demand for heavy vehicles including trucks and trailers which acts as a driver for the freight trucking market. Moreover, adoption of latest technology in trucks such as use of hydraulics lifters and GPS navigation systems also drives the market for freight trucking. Moreover, safety in freight operations, reduction in cost and operational efficiency also increase the demand for freight trucks and thus drive the market.Freight Trucking Market: Region-wise InsightAsia-Pacific is the most attractive region for freight trucking market. Increase in infrastructural activities in the Asia-pacific region is mainly driving the freight trucking market as infrastructural development and construction activities requires transportation of equipments and goods from one place to another. In addition, the adoption of latest technology i.e. hydraulics lifters and automated doors used in freight trucks further also drives the freight trucking market in this region. Hydraulics lifters facilitate easy loading of goods in the freight trucks with less human effort. Automated doors act as a vacuum lock ensuring safety of goods and prevent unauthorized access to the valuable items in the trucks.Thus, increase in productivity and less time consumption without compromising on cost drives the market. Escalating demand of HCV (heavy commercial vehicle) in the emerging countries like India and China is also driving the freight trucking market. The North America and Europe market for freight trucking is expected to grow at a steady pace over the forecast period. Steady recovery from the recent economic meltdown is responsible for the growth of business activities and manufacturing operations in North America which is driving the market for freight trucking in the region.Presence of premium truck manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz, DAF, Volvo and Renault is driving the freight trucking market in Europe. The freight trucking market in Europe is mainly driven by quality of service and timely delivery. Thus the market is expected to continue its growth at a steady pace over the forecast period. Europe market faced steep challenge in the recent economic meltdown and is recovering at a steady pace which also in turn increased the demand for freight trucking market due to increase in industrial activities.Freight Trucking Market: Key PlayersGlobal key participants in the industry include UPS, Descartes System Group, DSV, DHL, CEVA Logistics, JDA Software, SNCF Geodis, Manhattan Associates, Kuehne+Nagel Inc, and DB Schenkerand.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 Ultra-low Alpha Metals - Global Industry Analysis 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19562 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com According to the research report, the global ultra-low alpha metal market is expected to be worth US$4.72 mn by the end of 2024 from US$2.53 in 2015. Between the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is expected to surge at a CAGR of 7.30%.Transparency Market Research states that the global ultra-low alpha (ULA) metal market is facing moderate competition. The leading players operating in the global market are Honeywell International Inc., Indium Corporation, Pure Technologies, and DUKSAN Hi-Metal Co., Ltd. Wide product portfolio of these companies has helped them gain an edge over the others in the coming years. The booming aviation and automotive industries are expected to offer players in the global market ample opportunities to grow in the coming years. Thus, several players are steering the development of their products to suit the requirements of these industries.Get Free PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Asia Pacific Leads the Pack with Flourishing Electrical and Electronics IndustryIn terms of geography, the global ultra-low alpha metal market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Of all these regions, Asia Pacific is expected to lead the global market as it is poised to acquire a share of 63.81% by 2024. The phenomenal contribution of Asia Pacific to the soaring revenue of the global ultra-low alpha metal market will be due to its flourishing electrical and electronics industry. The usage of lead-free alloys is expected to drive the demand for ultra-low alpha tin in Asia Pacific throughout the forecast period.The products available in the global market are ULA tin, ULA tin alloys, ULA lead alloys, and ULA lead-free alloys. The report indicates that ULA lead-free alloys segment held a dominant share in the global market in 2015 due to its widening applications. By the end of 2024, this segment is expected to acquire a share of 41.8% in the overall market, which will be larger than the rest. The demand for ULA lead-free alloys is expected to grow against the backdrop of restrictions pertaining to the usage of heavy meals in electronic products.Preference for Safer Alloys Augments Demand for ULA MetalsThe stern rules such as Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive that are dissuading the usage of hazardous substances in several electric and electronic equipment has augmented the demand for the ultra-low alpha metal in recent years. The European Union was the first region to accept this directive in 2003, while the world followed suit with a few changes in a few countries. Such directives have coaxed electronic equipment manufacturers to reduce the usage of hazardous materials and replace it with ultra-low alpha metals. Subsequently, it has augmented the demand for alternate alloys that contain lead for the purpose of soldering. Several alloys with silver are also being preferred for soldering despite their expensive pricing as they offer improved process results.Fluctuating Prices of Raw Materials to Hamper SalesThe fluctuating prices of raw materials that eventually impact the cost of alloys is expected to hamper the growth of the market. Furthermore, the volatile situation of supply and demand is also expected to restrain the market from achieving its true potential. The demand for the ultra-low alpha metal is determined by exceptionally specific demands of consumers. Therefore, the changing patterns of consumer demands are expected to have a direct impact on the global market.This review is based on Transparency Market Researchs report, titled Ultra-low Alpha Metals Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024.The global ultra-low alpha metal market has been segmented as follows:Ultra-low Alpha Metal Market - Product AnalysisULA TinULA Tin AlloysULA Lead AlloysULA Lead-free AlloysUltra-low Alpha Metal Market - End-user Industry AnalysisAviationAutomotiveElectronicsMedicalTelecommunicationOthersTransparency 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.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Electric Shavers Market Features a Complete Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment From Industry Analysts http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11642 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/electric-shavers-market.html Global Electric Shavers Market:Electric shavers are being increasingly preferred to manual razors across the world due to greater comfort these provide to the user. Electric shavers contain an assembly of one or multiple blades that are operated by a battery or a plug-in power source. These make the process of shaving more convenient as well as safer than manual razors due to their automated function and inclusion of safety components such as a guard plate to protect the chin from the device. The increasing attention paid by the modern man to personal grooming has driven the global electric shavers market and will continue to be an influential factor in the growth of the market in the next few years.Download Research Brochure PDF@The report on the global electric shavers market answers pertinent questions having a bearing on the markets performance. The major players in the electric shavers market are profiled in the report in order to brief the readers about the competitive landscape of the market. The major segments of the market are also examined in the report to provide a comprehensive overview of the market. The key trends observed in the market are also analyzed in the report to enable market participants to make decisions based on up-to-date intelligence about the expected trajectory of the market.Global Electric Shavers Market: Drivers and RestraintsIncreasing beauty consciousness among women and men across the world is the primary driver of the global electric shavers market. Women have always been the target population for manufacturers of various beauty and personal care products. However, men have also become increasingly interested in personal care and grooming. This has led to near-universal demand for various beauty products, shavers being one of the most important of them.The convenience of electric shavers over manual razors is another key driver of the global electric shavers market. Electric shavers are safer than manual razors due to the mechanized limits on how much of the blade can be exposed to the skin. This is effective in preventing cuts and scrapes, massively improving the overall performance of the shaver.Electric shavers also function faster than manual razors due to their mechanized action, and often do not require shaving gels or creams. This reduces the overall expenditure required by the user on personal care products. Many advanced electric shavers also require less maintenance than manual razors and last longer, which increases their appeal.Global Electric Shavers Market: Geographical DynamicsAmong the major regional segments of the global electric shavers market, Asia Pacific has emerged as a major market due to the increasing disposable income of consumers in the region. The personal care and beauty devices industries are experiencing robust growth in Asia Pacific due to the increasing interest of consumers. Electric shavers are among the most commonly used products in the personal care market. Large population in India and China and rapid rate of urbanization in these countries are the major drivers of the electric shavers market, with urban consumers increasingly starting to adopt Western fashion values, which includes regular shaving.Major companies operating in the global electric shavers market are Procter & Gamble, The Gillette Company, Conair Corporation, Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Braun GmbH, Remington Products Company, Wahl Clipper Corporation, and Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.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 CHARLES CITY Lolita Jean Handt, known to her family and friends as Lolly, went to be with her Lord on Feb. 13, 2017. A funeral service celebrating Lollys life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, at Cross Evangelical Lutheran at 312 First Ave. in Charles City with the Rev. Daniel Larson officiating. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Charles City. Friends may greet the family from 4-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, at Fullerton Hage Funeral Home at 401 Blunt St., Charles City. Lolita was born Jan. 3, 1925, in Lake Park, Iowa. She graduated from Nora Springs High School. On Aug. 23, she and Everett (Dick) Handt were united in marriage at St. Johns Lutheran Church near Osage, IA. They were married 62 years and were blessed with three daughters, Eileene, Linda, and Diann. Lolly worked at Sar Hybrids several years before spending 30 years working at Salsbury Laboratories/ Solvay in the shipping and receiving department. She was a charter member of Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church where she was an active member for 70 years. Lolly truly lived the life of a Christian woman. Lolly and Dick loved vacationing and enjoyed visiting various places throughout the United States. They made many trips to southern California to visit family. She always kept busy doing things. In past years she made beautiful quilts. She enjoyed doing things for others and especially liked keeping in touch with many through her special email machine. Lolly loved having her family and friends visit and truly enjoyed sharing her homemade cookies, cakes, and pies. She always made holidays very special for her family and treasured each one deeply. Lolly was a special lady who will be missed by all who knew her. Left behind to cherish to her memory are her three daughters, Eileene (Larry) Katcher of Cedar Falls, IA, Linda (Mike) Willert of Nashua, IA, and Diann (Steve) Lindeman of Maplewood, MN.; and grandchildren, James (Phyllis) Katcher, Joel Katcher, Michelle (Tony) Brunt and Libbie (Jesse Woltz) Willert; and great-grandchildren, Jackie (Collin) Howe, Sarah Katcher, Matthew Katcher, and Peter Brunt. She was preceded in death by her loving husband in 2004, her parents, and her brother Bruce Clifford. Online condolences may be left at www.fullertonfh.com. Fullerton Funeral Home, 401 Blunt St., Charles City, IA, 641-228-4211. Fire Protection Systems Market - Evolving Industry Trends and key Insights by 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2879 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global fire protection systems market will be defined by the upcoming mergers and acquisitions, as well as development of new products, according to a latest report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). For example, 3M recently acquired Polypores Separations Media. According to the report, this strategic decision will not only help the company extend its geographical outreach but also significantly add to their market shares. It has also been observed that companies are aiming to enhance their service to customers in order to maintain loyalty, which in turn will help them lure newer clients. The report estimates that global fire protection systems market had an opportunity worth US$5.08 bn in 2014, which is projected to reach a valuation of US$8.93 bn by the end of 2023, rising at a CAGR of 6.48% during the forecast period of 2015 to 2023.U.S. Remains Most Lucrative MarketGeographically, the report studies the regional markets for fire protection systems in the regions of North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and South and Central America. For each of these regions, the report studies the segments of fire detection systems and fire suppression systems for offshore platforms, drill ships, and offshore oil rigs. For each of these segments, existing opportunities and estimated valuation up to 2023 has been provided, based on an analysis of all the factors that are expected to influence the demand, positively or negatively. As per the report, the fire protection systems market includes products such as smoke detectors, gas detectors, flame detectors, alarms, and fire suppressing agents and equipment.Get Free PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:The fire management systems such as extinguishers and sprinklers are anticipated to experience increased demand due to extensively use in the commercial sector during the forecast period. Moreover, fire analysis software will also expand at a healthy CAGR due to the increasing need for sophisticated fire analysis, which aids in decision making and eventual fire prevention. However, passive fire protection systems market is projected for the best growth rate, gaining from the rapid construction of smart buildings across the globe, especially the emerging economies. Currently, North America serves the maximum demand for fire protection systems and will continue to be the most lucrative region during the forecast period, owing to high awareness rate pertaining to the installation of fire safety systems and stringent governmental fire safety regulations. Europe serves second most demand for fire protection systems, although Asia Pacific is projected for the most prominent growth rate, particularly served by the developing countries of India, China, South Korea, Japan, and Malaysia. In these countries, downstream activities such as construction and expansion of existing and new plants will add to the demand for fire detection and suppression systems.Stringent Government Regulations Escalating DemandGrowth of the oil and gas industry, wherein safety has become paramount after stringent regulations in several country, is the primary driver in the global fire protection systems market. Increase in the incidences of fire hazards, increase spending by several enterprises on fire-related equipment and systems, and technological advancements in this field are some of the other factors positively influencing the market. In the region of Europe, the emergence of midstream activities in order to meet the rising energy demands will also favor the market. However, high cost of these systems is expected to hinder the growth rate moderately during the forecast period.The information presented in this review is based on a Transparency Market Research report, titled, Fire Protection Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023.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. 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.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Solenoid Valve Market is to grow at a CAGR over 4.0% and valued at more than USD 4 Billion by 2027 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/864 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/solenoid-valve-market Market HighlightsGlobal Solenoid valve market has been growing rapidly from last couple of years and registered the CAGR of more than 4%. Currently this market has been valued at more than USD 4 billion which is growing rapidly as demand from industries like oil and gas, water and wastewaters, chemical and petrochemical among others are increasing. Solenoid valve are becoming more popular these days as it can be controlled electronically and gives more effective and efficient result.Regional Analysis of Solenoid Valve MarketIn the year 2015 the largest markets for Solenoid valve were North America followed by Europe region. The main factor which is driving the market is increase in the demand for solenoid valve in various industries. North America holds more than XX% of market share followed by Europe which accounts for more than XX% of market share. Asia Pacific has emerged as fastest growing market which accounts for XX% of market share and growing with the CAGR rate of XX%.Ask for your specific company profile and country level customization on report.Request a Sample Report @The Major Key Players of Solenoid Valve Market Curtiss-Wright Corporation Asco Valve Inc. Christian Burkert GmbH & Co. Kg GSR Ventiltechnik GmbH & Co. Kg Danfoss A/S Parker Hannifin Corporation IMI PLC Rotex Controls B.V. The Lee Company SMC CorporationMarket SegmentationThe Global Solenoid Valve market has been segmented on the basis of type, body material, operating type and end user industries. By type the market has been segmented as 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, and 5-way Solenoid Valves. On the basis of body material, the markets are- Brass Body, Stainless Steel, Aluminum Body and Plastic Body material. Operating type includes- Direct, Indirect and semi-direct. The end user industries for the solenoid valve are- Chemical & Petrochemical, Oil & Gas, Food & Beverages, Water & Wastewater, Power Generation, Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Medical and others.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 85 market data tables and figures spread in 145 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Solenoid valve Market Research Report- Forecast to 2027"Brief TOC of Global Solenoid Valve Market1 Executive Summary2 Scope of the Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market Landscape5 Industry Overview of Global Solenoid valve Market5.1 Introduction5.2 Growth Drivers5.3 Impact analysis5.4 Market ChallengesContinued.Browse full Solenoid Valve Market @Study Objective of Solenoid Valve market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Solenoid valve market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Solenoid valve market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by type, by body material, by operating type and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Solenoid valve marketAbout 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.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Atomic Layer Deposition Equipment Market - Increasing Demand for Advanced Fabrication Tools in Nanotechnology Accelerates Opportunities http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=8512 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The presence of a large number of international and local companies is boosting competition in the global atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment market. As per a new study by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the competition prevailing in the market is expected to intensify further between 2016 and 2024. As of 2015, ASM International N.V., Applied Materials, Inc., and Tokyo Electron Ltd. cumulatively held a share of 58.9% in the global market. Of these, ASM International N.V. emerged as the top player, accounting for over 28% of the global ALD equipment market in 2015. Rivalry among key players in terms of product development and technology and product upgrades is expected to intensify during the forecast period.Due to the recent advancements in the atomic layer deposition technology, the use of ALD equipment has considerably increased in the nanotechnology sector, says a lead analyst at TMR. TMR expects applications of ALD equipment as manipulation and fabrication tools in nanotechnology to rise further in the short term. Growing concerns pertaining to carbon emissions have accelerated investment in the R&D of photovoltaics. Due to the increasing research and development activities, the use of ALD as a PV manufacturing method has substantially expanded, adds the analyst. This rising demand for photovoltaic cells, combined with rapid advancements witnessed in PV technology, will subsequently augment sales of ALD equipment in the forthcoming years.Get More Information:Stringent Export Regulations to Limit Sales of ALD Equipment GloballyIn the forthcoming years, the market will also gain momentum from the increasing demand for copper deposition equipment in memory devices. On the flip side, stringent regulatory controls on exports and high initial investment required to procure ALD equipment will limit their sales globally. The absence of skilled human resource and the slow deposition rate of ALD equipment are also likely to curb growth to some extent.Nevertheless, with the proliferation of ALD across flexible electronics, hydrophobic coatings, and electronic textiles, ALD equipment manufacturers are expected to witness positive opportunities to sustain their growth-run. Furthermore, leading players are also expected to capitalize on the increasing application of ALD across power and energy storage devices.Application of ALD Equipment in Semiconductor Processing to Rise ConsiderablyBased on type, the aluminum oxide ALD segment accounted for 37% of the global ALD equipment market in 2015. Aluminum oxide, being a highly stable and robust material, is extensively used in research for a plethora of applications in micro and optoelectronics. By application, the semiconductors and electronics segment accounted for the largest share in the market. Demand for ALD equipment for semiconductor processing is high because of the increasing use of the technology in the manufacture of smartphones and other electronic gadgets.Rapid Industrialization in Asia Pacific Fuels Demand for ALD EquipmentRegionally, Asia Pacific emerged at the fore of the global atomic layer deposition equipment market, with a share of 57.2% in 2015. The region owes its dominance to the rapid expansion of its industrial sector, which has been translating into high sales prospects for ALD equipment. Furthermore, companies operating in APAC are also capitalizing on the easy availability of cheap skilled labor and favorable government subsidies.TMR says that the sales of ALD equipment in Asia Pacific will rise at an impressive CAGR of 29.9% between 2016 and 2024. According to the report, the global atomic layer deposition equipment market was valued at US$875.0 mn in 2015 and is anticipated to reach US$8.58 bn by 2024, at a CAGR of 29.4% from 2016 to 2024.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Cancer Diagnostics Market Analysis 2016-2022: Key Findings, Regional Analysis, Key Players Profiles and Future Prospects https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1962 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cancer-diagnostics-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1962 Market HighlightsCancer is a disease caused due to the abnormal cell division without any control. These abnormal cells have the ability to invade nearby tissues and cause harm to them. These cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. There are several main types of cancer which includes Carcinoma, Sarcoma, Leukemia, melanoma, lymphoma among others. Many cancers form solid tumors which are masses of tissue while some like cancer of the blood such as leukemia generally do not form solid tumors.Request a Sample Report @Key Players: Cancer Genetics Inc. (US), Inspirata (US), Genomic Health, Inc. (US), Cancer Diagnostics, Inc. (US), Myriad Genetics (Switzerland), Paradigm Diagnostics, Inc.(US), MEDITE Cancer Diagnostics, Inc. (US), MDxHealth (US), Biotheranostics (US), Pacific Edge (New Zealand),Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 60 market data tables and figures spread over 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Global Cancer Diagnostics Market Research Report - Forecast to 2022Intended Audience Cancer specific medical device manufacturers Cancer specific medical device suppliers Government Research Laboratory Private Research Laboratories Research and Development (R&D) Companies Market Research and Consulting Service Providers Medical Research LaboratoriesGlobal Cancer diagnostics Market:Global Cancer Diagnostics Market has been evaluated as a growing market and it is expected that the market will touch high growth figures in future. Factors such as growing acceptance of advanced technologies such as point of care treatment and personalized medicines will drive the growth of the market. The global cancer diagnostics market is expected to grow with CAGR of ~12% during the forecasted period.Access Report Details @Brief TOC of Global Cancer Diagnostics Market1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of Study1.3 Research Objective1.4 Assumptions & Limitations1.5 Market Structure:2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.2 Restraints3.3 Opportunities3.4 Challenges3.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4 Market Factor Analysis4.1 Porters five forces model4.1.1 Bargaining Power of suppliers4.1.2 Bargaining Power of Customer4.1.3 Intensity of Competitors4.1.4 Threat of New Entrants5 Global Cancer diagnostics Market, by TypeContinued..Make an Enquiry for Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Global Stearic Acid (Cas 57-11-4) Market 2017 : KLK, Taiko ,VVF, Dongma & Ruixing Stearic Acid (Cas 57-11-4) https://goo.gl/1oQz3O https://goo.gl/lRTXiU The survey report by Market Research Store is an overview of the global Stearic Acid (Cas 57-11-4) market. It covers all the recent trends including key developments in the global market in present and in future. Analyses of the global Stearic Acid (Cas 57-11-4) market trends along with the projections of CAGRs (compound annual growth rates) are provided in the research report.Further, an evaluation of the history of the global market and the basic information of the global market is included in the report. A developmental perspective of the industry is also documented in the report. Competitive profiles of the key players in the industry are also discussed.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The research report provides both an assessment of recent developments in the industry along with forecasts examining the industry from the perspective of major competitors, present players and prospective end users in the Stearic Acid (Cas 57-11-4) market.Forecasts are generated on the basis of region, type, product, supply, demand, and other vital factors of the global market. The research report analyzed the major factors driving the global Stearic Acid (Cas 57-11-4) market in various countries with a satisfactory and manufacturing and structure of the global market. Forecasts are also provided region-wise in the research report.The research report comprises several chapters, tables, figures, graphs, and various other presentations formats so as to provide a precise overview of the market. The sequence of the report is maintained in such a way that highlights the overall flow of the global market. Recent developments in the global market are further described in the research report. The report also summarizes latest trends along with abstracts of the Stearic Acid (Cas 57-11-4) market. Major competitors of the global market including commercial and non-commercial participants in the global market are also covered in the report.Inquiry For Bying Report @Thus, the research report provides in-depth analysis covering all the major regions, competitors, and vital aspects of the Stearic Acid (Cas 57-11-4) industry.About Us:MarketResearchStore.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact US:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803 Synthetic Biology Market revenue projected to go up by 2014-2020 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 Global Synthetic Biology Market: OverviewSyndicate Market Research published new report on Asia Pacific and Middle East to lead Synthetic Biology Market by 2014-2020 in its databaseSynthetic 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.Global Synthetic Biology Market: Growth FactorsThe 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.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.Request Sample Report @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.Global Synthetic Biology Market: SegmentationApplication 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.Global Synthetic Biology Market: Regional AnalysisMajor 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.Global Synthetic Biology Market: Competitive PlayersSome 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.Browse the full report @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 & AfricaFor More Inquiry contact our sales Team @ sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comAbout Us:Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with the one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8138Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite: 2017 Mixed Reality Market 2021 Forecast Research Report http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/196980 http://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-mixed-reality-market-research-report-and-forecast-to-2017-2021 http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/discount/196980 https://www.linkedin.com/company/orbis-research https://twitter.com/orbisresearch https://plus.google.com/+Orbisresearch/posts This market analysis includes a detailed segmentation of the Global Mixed Reality Market by development trend and by application.The report covers the present year 2017 scenario and the growth prospects of the Global Mixed Reality Market for 2017-2021.The report Global Mixed Reality Market 2017-2021 has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. The report also covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years.The Mixed Reality Market By Geography North America Asia-Pacific EuropeRequest a sample of Global Mixed Reality Market Research Report @The Global Mixed Reality Market research report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Global Mixed Reality Market key players are: Company A Company B Company C Company DBrowse the full Global Mixed Reality Market Research Report @The report provides an extensive analysis of current and future market status of the world Mixed Reality Market.Some of the points from table of content:Industry Overview Definition Classification Share Analysis Application AnalysisMarket Analysis Product Development History Process Development History Competitive Landscape AnalysisIndustry Development Trend Capacity Production Overview Production Market Share Analysis Demand OverviewMarket Status and Forecast Supply Demand and Shortage Import Export Consumption Cost Price Production Value Gross MarginReasons for Buying this Global Mixed Reality Market Research Report This report helps to analyzed the world's main region market conditions It provides product manufacturing processes It provides industry policies and plans It provides overview of product specification It provides cost structures & so on.The Report Contains: 163 Pages.Price of the report: 2850$ (single user license)Check discount @About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Us:Hector CostelloSenior Manager Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas - 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +912064101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:Follow us on Twitter:Follow us on G+ : Biomarker Technologies Market will generate new growth opportunities by 2020 http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/request-for-sample.html?flag=S&repid=60648 http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/market-analysis/biomarker-technologies-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share.html http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com Syndicate Market Research published new report on Global Biomarker Technologies Market, 2014-2020: Industry Size, Share, Analysis and Forecast Report in its databaseA biomarker is a diagnosis method that helps to know diseases and effects of treatment. Diagnosis, drug development and formulation for contact of definite unsafe chemical and prognostic treatments are done using biomarker technology. Due to its capability to diagnose at the early phase, it is widely used in the cancer analysis and treatment. Biomarkers are used as an indicator to compute and estimate pathogenic process, pharmacological reaction, and biological processes.Global Biomarker Technologies Market: Growth FactorsTechnological advancement in biomarkers and rising demand are factors driving growth for global biomarkers market. The practice of biomarkers by pharmaceuticals companies to prevail over failure rates for medicines in clinical trial phase, and growing drug progress rate is supporting the growth of global biomarker technologies market. Yet, high capital investment and cost of endorsement required for the application are some factors restraining the growth of global biomarkers market. Increasing consequence of diagnosis and rising demand of drugs are some of the opportunities for biomarkers market. However, moral and authoritarian issues and untimely and precise analysis for mortal diseases are challenges for biomarkers market. Government funds and initiatives for R&D of biomarkers are probable opportunities for growth of global biomarkers market.Request Sample Report @The report covers forecast and analysis for the biomarker technologies market on a global and regional level. The study provides significant data of 2014 along with estimated from 2014 to 2020 based on revenue (USD Million). The report also offers a detailed competitive landscape of the global biomarker technologies market. It includes company market share analysis, the product portfolio of the major industry participants. The report provides detailed segmentation of the biomarker technologies market based on product segment, technology segment, type segment, application segment, indication segments, and region.Global Biomarker Technologies Market: SegmentationThe market for biomarker technologies is segmented on the basis of products, technology, type, application, indications, and region. Based on product, the market is bifurcation into, services, consumables, and software. Out of all products, consumables is the leading segment and predicted to show the highest growth in the years to come. Different, imaging technologies involved in this market are, Omics technology (genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics), and bioinformatics. Omics technology was the major segment with a considerable share of the biomarker technologies market in 2014. Validation biomarkers, efficacy biomarkers (Predictive, Surrogate, Pharmacodynamics, Prognostic), and safety biomarkers are various types of biomarkers. Drug discovery, diagnostics, and personalized medicine are the applications of biomarker technologies market. Indication segments are incorporate neurological disorders, cancer, immunological disorders, and cardiovascular disorders among others.Global Biomarker Technologies Market: Regional AnalysisGeographically, biomarkers technologies market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Accountable advances in the healthcare infrastructure help to drive market growth in North America globally. Asia-Pacific is probable to appear as the high impending market in the near future. Increasing population of cancer and diabetes patients, budding economies of India and China, and civilizing healthcare infrastructure are factors that drive the market growth in this region.Browse the full report @Global Biomarker Technologies Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the key participants in the Biomarker technologies market include Becton, Affymetrix, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Gen-Probe, DiagnoCure Abbott Laboratories, Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Dickinson and Company, Siemens Healthcare, Agilent Technologies, and Danaher Corporation among others.The report segments the Biomarker technologies market into:Biomarker Technologies Market: Product Segment AnalysisServicesConsumablesSoftwareBiomarker Technologies Market: Technology Segment AnalysisBioinformatics.Omics technologyBiomarker Technologies Market: Application Segment AnalysisDrug discovery,Diagnostics andPersonalized medicineBiomarker Technologies Market: Type Segment AnalysisValidation biomarkers,Efficacy biomarkersSafety biomarkersBiomarker Technologies Market: Indication Segment AnalysisNeurological disordersCancerImmunological disordersCardiovascular disordersOthers.Biomarker Technologies Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East & AfricaFor More Inquiry contact our sales Team @ sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comAbout Us:Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with the one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8138Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite: Adaptive Optics Market - North America to Retain Dominance thanks to Increased Use in Defense http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3859 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global adaptive optics market features a highly fragmented competitive landscape, with a large number of multinationals and local companies vying, amid intense competition, for a larger share in the pie, observes a recent report by Transparency Market Research. The top four companies in the market, namely Northrop Grumman Corporation, Olympus Corp., Canon Inc., and Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, collectively held a mere 24% in the market in 2015.To stay ahead of the competition, product innovation and development is a key strategy adopted by most leading players in the market. The development of new product varieties and differentiation of products is crucial to deal with the stiff competition in the market. Increased focus on the development of advanced astronomical devices and research activities aimed at the improved use of adaptive optics in retinal microscopy and treatment of retinal disorders are expected to grant market players sustainable incremental growth opportunities in the next few years.Get More Information :North America to Retain Dominance thanks to Increased Use in DefenseAccording to Transparency Market Research, in terms of revenue, global adaptive optics market was valued at US$458.3 mn in 2015, and is expected to reach US$109,685.9 mn by 2024. Over this period, the market will exhibit a staggering 83.9% CAGR.From a geographical perspective, the North America market for adaptive optics dominated the global market in terms of revenue, holding a more than 40% share in 2015. The U.S. is projected to be the most attractive regional market adaptive optics in North America owing to the extensive utilization of this technology in astronomy, defense and security, ophthalmology and laser eye surgery. In terms of technology, the segment of wavefront sensor accounted for the dominant 45% share in the global adaptive optics market in 2015.Technological Advancements and Low-cost Components to Drive MarketThe vast rise in the use of adaptive optics in a continuously rising number of application areas is one of the key factors attributed to the excellent future growth prospects of the global adaptive optics market. Adaptive optics systems are gaining traction across several high-turnover industries such as defense and security, astronomy, and biomedicine, allowing the influx of vast funds for research and development of advanced technologies. Advancement of technology is, in turn, leading to the vast scope of developing various adaptive optics components at low cost, which is further fueling the overall demand for adaptive optics across several industries.Regulatory Issues could Hamper Market ExpansionThe adaptive optics technology involves aiming high frequency lasers into earths lower atmosphere for correcting atmospheric distortions. A number of regulatory issues pertaining to the use of powerful lasers have been established by a number of countries, chiefly for security purposes. For example, there has been an increase in number of restrictions imposed by the American Air Force on the use of lasers in order to protect approaching satellites and spacecrafts.The process of approval is at times quite lengthy, thereby limiting the ability of astronomers to respond to unexpected events, such as supernova or gamma ray bursts among others. Moreover, these regulations also act as a liability shield for observatories, in case of a satellite damage and other unlikely events. Considering this factor, these regulatory issues are likely to hinder the growth of adaptive optics market to a certain extent in the next few years.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Ferro Molybdenum Market- Climax Molybdenum Company, En+ Group and TAIYO KOKO Ferro Molybdenum http://bit.ly/2lPb3eS http://bit.ly/2kRRQve The market research report by QY Research provides detailed study on the overall Ferro Molybdenum market size, its financial positions, its unique selling points, key products, and key developments. This research report has segmented the Ferro Molybdenum market based on the segments covering all the domains in terms of type, country, region, forecasting revenues, and market share, along with analysis of latest trends in every sub-segment.Request for FREE SAMPLE Report @The qualitative segmentation of Ferro Molybdenum market covered in the report gives in-depth information of the overall market. Furthermore, the market size, share, forecast trends, analysis, sales, supply, production, demand, major manufacturers, end-users, and many other vital factors are comprised in the Market Research Ferro Molybdenum report by QY Research. By these comprehensive data, it is simple to take and make precise and accurate decisions taking into consideration the present market situation and the forecasts of the global market, which in turn may result into profitable step for our clients.A competitive landscape that identifies the major competitors of the global market and their market share are further highlighted in the research report. A deliberate profiling of major competitors of the Ferro Molybdenum market as well as a inclusive analysis of their current developments, core competencies, and investments in each segment are also elaborated in the research report.Browse Full Report at @The overall information of the Ferro Molybdenum market provided in the report helps our client to make precise and accurate decisions in order to gain maximum profit in this cutthroat competition in the global market. The report comprises various elements such as table, figure, charts, TOCs, chapters, and so on so as to provide a crystal clear data to the client giving a brief of the market and its trends. Thus, the report provides in-depth information of the Ferro Molybdenum market in terms of revenue, value, volume, region, and many more.About Us:QYResearch Group is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. QYResearch Group also carries the capability to assist you with your customized market research requirements including in-depth market surveys, primary interviews, competitive landscaping, and company profiles. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics. QYResearch Group is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air.Contact US:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442,United StatesTel: +1-386-310-3803GMT Tel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll Free No. 1-855-465-4651 MANLY Wallace Hubert Dahl, 93, of Manly, died Friday (Feb. 10, 2017) at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood, surrounded by family. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 428 West Walnut Street, Manly, with Rev. Linda Johnson Prestholt officiating. Burial will be in the Manly Cemetery following the service. Visitation will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at Bride Colonial Chapel, 110 East Spring Street, Manly. Wally was born on June 19, 1923, on the Danville Township family farm in Worth County, Iowa. He was the son of George and Bessie (Knowles) Dahl. He attended country school and graduated from Kensett High School in 1941. He was baptized at home in 1924 and confirmed in the Lutheran faith while stationed in the European Theater. On March 5, 1944, Wally was united in marriage to Doris Nystuen at Sliver Lake Lutheran Church in rural Northwood. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in November 1944. He received his basic training at Camp Walters in Mineral Wells, Texas, as an infantryman and was assigned to a battalion stressing rifle training. In May 1945, he was sent to the European Theater Signal Corps, promoted to T5 Corporal in Metz, France, and was honorably discharged in August, 1946. After returning home, he began farming and did so until retiring and moving to Manly in 1989. In 2014, Wally and Doris moved to Northwood Pine Assisted Living. Wally was an active member of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, having helped build the church and participating in the Bethlehem Mens group. He was a charter member and a past president of the Worth County Isaak Walton League and a life member of the VFW Post 733 in Mason City. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and motor home camping, including a memorable vacation to Alaska, and many trips to visit friends in Northern Minnesota. When he was not in his boat on a lake he loved to dance, play cards and work with wood. Wallys greatest joy was spending time with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Linda Kisner (1986), parents, brothers Maurice and Phillip, and sisters-in-law Edna and Floy. Wally will be greatly missed by his wife of 72 years, daughter LeAnne (Randee) Trebil, Manly; grandchildren Jason Kisner, Wendy (Kit) Alcorn, Kendra Ingles, and Kara (fiance Clifton Smith) Trebil; great-grandchildren Colton Kisner, Casey Kisner, Jared Bottjen, Kylie Bottjen, and James Ingles; as well as other relatives and friends. The family wishes to thank Pastor Linda and the Northwood Pines and Lutheran Retirement Home caregivers for their loving kindness and support. It was a great comfort knowing he was so well cared for. Bride Colonial Chapel, 110 East Spring Street, Manly, Iowa. 641-454-2242. ColonialChapels.com. Bispecific Antibodies Market expected to show steady growth by 2021 http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/request-for-sample.html?flag=S&repid=67198 http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/market-analysis/bispecific-antibodies-market-global-industry-perspective-comprehensive-analysis.html http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com Global Bispecific Antibodies Market: OverviewAccording to a new report, By 2024 Bispecific Antibodies Market to witness tremendous growth and demand in technology.Bispecific antibodies are one of the fastest developing markets in the field of immune response therapeutics, medications, and biologics... Bispecific antibodies are the combination of two antibodies which address distinctive antigens. Bispecific antibodies can recognize a single antigen target also they can identify two different targets at the same time. In recent years, antibody therapy has become a new treatment for various diseases. A bispecific antibody is an upgraded side of monoclonal antibody enhanced in structure and usefulness.Global Bispecific Antibodies Market: Growth FactorsBispecific antibodies are developing a most favored and helpful approach for treatment for the different disease, for example, lung, breast, and colon malignancy. With rising prevalence of various sorts of cancer, the worldwide market for bispecific antibodies treatment is essentially growing. However, complicated nature related with the treatment method of bispecific antibodies would disturb the worldwide market of bispecific antibodies treatment.Request Sample Report @Global Bispecific Antibodies Market: SegmentationPresently, bispecific antibody drugs are available in the market as well as in various stages of clinical trials. Numerous medications are in Phase I and II clinical trials while one medication, Removable, effectively got approval for marketing. Oncology rules the field of bispecific antibodies. There are various opportunities for the big pharmaceutical companies in this business sector. On account of the complex structure of bispecific antibodies, there are abundant open entryways for contract manufactures in this market. In particular, the modification of bispecific antibodies is an intense assignment, making this field more appealing for speculators.Global Bispecific Antibodies Market: Regional AnalysisThe report covers forecast and analysis for the bispecific antibodies 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). The report also offers a detailed competitive landscape of the global bispecific antibodies market. It includes company market share analysis, the product portfolio of the major industry participants. The report provides market opportunities for the upcoming years.North America and Europe were seen to be the biggest bispecific antibodies treatment market due to increasing incidences of diseases. Asia-Pacific is considered as fastest growing market for bispecific antibodies treatment due to developing healthcare access in this area.Browse the full report @Global Bispecific Antibodies Market: Competitive PlayersVarious pharmaceutical companies are actively involved in development and manufacture of bispecific antibodies. Some of the key players in this market are Amgen, Bayer, Dow Pharma, ImmunGene, Immunocore, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, and Roche among others.Global Bispecific Antibodies Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East & AfricaFor More Inquiry contact our sales Team @ sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comAbout Us:Syndicate Market Research provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Syndicate Market Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with the one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8138Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@syndicatemarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Education Testing and Assessment Market to grow at a CAGR of 4.65% during the period 2017-2021 http://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/199554 http://www.orbisresearch.com/contact/purchase/199554 https://www.linkedin.com/company/orbis-research SummaryOrbis Research Present's Global Education Testing and Assessment Market for Industrial Robots 2017-2021 enhances the decision making capabilities and helps to create an effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Education Testing and AssessmentTests and assessments form an essential part of the learning processes as they incorporate various metrics to help teachers quantify the performance of students. Periodic assessments of students against set benchmarks provide a limited scope of improvement for the students, which is why formative assessments that provide frequent feedback are preferred. This method continually guides the students and provides immense improvement opportunities by setting short-term targets.Orbis Researchs forecast the Global Education Testing and Assessment Market to grow at a CAGR of 4.65% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global education testing and assessment market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated only from for-profit third-party players that collaborate with educational institutions to conduct tests and assessments to evaluate the students' performance accordingly. The revenue sources considered involve fees, licenses, and subscriptions.Get a PDF Sample of Global Higher Education Testing and Assessment Market Report at:The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEAOrbis Researchs report, Global Education Testing and Assessment Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Place a Purchase Order for this Report at:Key vendorsEdutechIOTA360Pearson EducationScantronOther prominent vendorsLearningRxMindlogicx InfratecOxford Learning CentersSherwood Children's Assessment CenterWheeboxMarket driverGrowing focus on CBEFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeProper utilization of assessment toolsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendSurge in assessments through social media platformsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?You can request one free hour of our analysts time when you purchase this market report. Details are provided within the report.Companies Mentioned:Edutech, IOTA360, Pearson Education, Scantron, LearningRx, Mindlogicx Infratec, Oxford Learning Centers, Sherwood Children's Assessment Center, Wheebox.Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Hector CostelloSenior Manager Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas 75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn: Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Industry 2017, Global Market Size, Technology Review, Cost Analysis and Demand Overview 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=218 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=218 https://www.tmrresearch.com/advanced-energy-storage-technologies-market Global Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Market: OverviewAdvanced energy storage systems play a crucial role in the power industry. Maintenance of power quality, effective distribution, and proper energy management are some of their unique perceived benefits. They carry out the aforementioned tasks through frequency regulation, mitigating power congestion on grids, and supplying power uniformly in distributed generation. Advanced energy storage technologies first convert electricity into energy, store it, and then convert it back into usable electricity when the need arises. This is because while only a fixed amount of electricity can be generated at a time, the demand for electricity changes all the time.Request a Brochure of the Report @A report by Transparency Market Research furnishes valuable insights into the global advanced energy storage technologies market by analyzing the key trends and current competitive dynamics. It segments the market based on applications, technologies, and geography. In terms of technologies, for example, it classifies the market into super capacitors, pump hydro storage, batteries, flywheels, compressed air energy storage, and fuel cells. There are also more recent, upcoming technologies such as synthetic gas, super magnet, and hydrogen gas. Among all of these, pump hydro storage has been around for a very long time and dominates the market too. Application-wise, the report segments the market into transportation and grid storage.Global Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Market: Trends and OpportunitiesSpiking daily electricity consumption along with the yawning gap between energy supply and demand has necessitated substantial storage capacity additions. This has been the single-most important factor contributing to the global advanced energy storage technologies market. Other factors driving the market are the burgeoning renewable energy installations and the spurt in demand for hybrid and electric vehicles. Additionally, increasing concerns about greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions is also filliping the global advanced energy storage technologies market. This is because advanced energy storage technologies assist in effectively managing the flow of energy resources thus reducing the need for power generation, thereby bringing about energy conservation.Request for TOC of the Report @Advanced energy storage systems have also allowed consumers to manage their electricity needs by using the load shifting technique which helps to bring down costs. Furthermore, other factors including the growing need of smart grid installation and new transmission and distribution grid construction and upgrades has also bolstered the global market for advanced energy storage technologies market.Global Advanced Energy Storage Technologies Market: Regional OutlookDepending upon geography, the global market for advanced energy storage technologies can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World. North America, among them, is the leading market on account of the soaring popularity of electric vehicles and rising use of grid storage. North America is trailed by Asia Pacific and Europe. Going forward, Asia Pacific is predicted to outshine all other regions in terms of growth rate.Read Complete Report @Companies Mentioned in ReportTo present an insightful assessment of the competition prevailing in the global market for advanced energy storage technologies, the report profiles companies such as Sony, Nippo Chemi-Con Corp., A123 System LLC, Denso, Hitachi, and Toshiba.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Casing Market - Industry Demand, Segment, Worldwide Strategy and Forecasts 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=215 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=215 https://www.tmrresearch.com/casing-market Global Casing Market: Brief OverviewIn the oil and gas industry, casing is referred to a string of pipes which is accumulated and implanted into the borehole of a well. Casings are a very vital part of the well and are cemented in place with accordance to a desired set of requirements. Casings serve various purposes which includes preventing contamination of fresh water zones, avoiding unstable formations from caving-in, and checking sticking of the drilling string. Casings also deliver a strong foundation for the well to use high-density drilling fluid for drilling deeper. The quality of the cement plays a critical role in the hindrance of fluid movement from deep zones into groundwater resources. Casing and cementing programs is an important tool to protect the underwater quality and provide well control. Oil and gas operators are investing heavily to secure the future production potential of the existing wells.Request a Brochure of the Report @This industry research report is a brief review of the growth trail in terms of existing, past, and future scenarios of the global casing market. It deals with the 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 report offers references of the research and development activities, mergers and acquisitions, and specifics on licensing and collaborations. The report probes into the strategies related to publicity, shares, and product range of the key participants in the global casing market.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Casing Market: Key HighlightsCasing strings are considered as indispensable elements for well completion services as they provide protection to the groundwater resources. Casings are constructed for the separation of fresh water zones and groundwater from leaks occurring in the well. Countless states and environmental agencies have listed requirements of casing and cementing. Such environmental regulations and conditions imposed by countries is the chief driver of the growth of the global casing market. Increasing exploration and production activities in unconventional fields and deep water areas are expected to further lift the requirement of casing strings. A casing once mounted in a well cannot be removed later. These strings cannot be reused again and thus every new well drilled requires new casing strings.Stern environmental regulations and swelling production from alternative fields in oil producing nations provides an attractive market for casing strings. New unconventional fields discovered in South America and Caspian Sea region can act as large markets for casing strings. The growing demand for energy in the Asia pacific region has led to exploration of numerous hydrocarbons potential areas in deep-water locations. These deep water fields will provide an attractive opportunity for the substantial growth of the casing market.Read Complete Report @Global Casing Market: Competitive LandscapeThe prime participants in the market are Sandvik AB, Tenaris, Offshore Products Ltd., Crestwood Tubulars IncELS & Company, Benteler International AG,Southland Pipe & Supply Co., and St. Louis Pipe & Supply among others.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Non-Life Insurance in Switzerland Forecast Report to 2020 Industry Analysis Market Research Hub http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=970720 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=970720 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/non-life-insurance-in-switzerland-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2020-report.html#discount-form http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/non-life-insurance-in-switzerland-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2020-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ Albany, New York, February 15, 2017: Market Research Hub has recently announced the addition of a new report to it broad database titled as Non-Life Insurance in Switzerland, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020. The report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the Swiss non-life insurance segment, and a comparison of the Swiss insurance industry with its regional counterparts.Request for Sample Report:It provides values for key performance indicators such as written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, combined ratio, total assets, total investment income and retentions during the review period (20112015) and forecast period (20152020).The report also analyzes distribution channels operating in the segment, gives a comprehensive overview of the Swiss economy and demographics, explains the various types of natural and man-made hazards and their impact on the Swiss insurance industry, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country.The report brings together Timetrics research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations, and recent changes in the regulatory structure.SummaryTimetrics 'Non-Life Insurance in Switzerland Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Swiss non-life insurance segment, including:The Swiss non-life segments detailed outlook by product categoryA comprehensive overview of the Swiss economy and demographicsA comparison of the Swiss non-life insurance segment with its regional counterpartsThe various distribution channels in the Swiss non-life insurance segmentDetailed analysis of natural and man-made hazards and their impact on the Swiss insurance industryDetails of the competitive landscape in the non-life insurance segment in SwitzerlandDetails of regulatory policy applicable to the Swiss insurance industryMake an Enquiry:ScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the non-life insurance segment in Switzerland:It provides historical values for the Swiss non-life insurance segment for the reports 20112015 review period, and projected figures for the 20152020 forecast period.It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Swiss non-life insurance segment, and market forecasts to 2020.It provides a comparison of the Swiss non-life insurance segment with its regional counterparts.It analyzes the various distribution channels for non-life insurance products in Switzerland.It analyzes various natural and man-made hazards and their impact on the Swiss insurance industry.It profiles the top non-life insurance companies in Switzerland, and outlines the key regulations affecting them.Reasons To BuyMake strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Swiss non-life insurance segment, and each category within it.Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Swiss non-life insurance segment.Assess the competitive dynamics in the non-life insurance segment.Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories.Gain insights into key regulations governing the Swiss insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future.Ask For Discount :Key HighlightsThe Swiss non-life segment is concentrated, with the 10 leading non-life insurers accounting for 85.5% of gross written premium in 2015.Property insurance was the second-largest category during the review period, accounting for 38.5% of the non-life direct written premium.The insurance penetration of the non-life segment was 2.1% in 2015.The Insurance Supervision Ordinance 2005 was amended in 2015; the amendments came into force from July 1, 2015.Table of Contents1 KEY FACTS AND HIGHLIGHTS2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3 ECONOMY AND DEMOGRAPHICS4 SEGMENT OUTLOOK4.1 Regional Comparison4.2 Segment Indicators4.2.1 Gross written premium and penetration4.2.2 Claims4.2.3 Profitability4.2.4 Assets and investments5 OUTLOOK BY CATEGORY5.1 Property Insurance5.1.1 Product overviewCONTINUED@...Get Full Info. With TOC:About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite: Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity Market 2017 Industry Survey, Segment, Statistics Report 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=227 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=227 https://www.tmrresearch.com/pumped-storage-hydroelectricity-market Global Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity Market: Inclusive InsightPumped-storage hydroelectric (PSH) refers to a system of hydroelectric energy storage, which is utilized by the power industry for peak saving and load balancing. In this system, water is transferred from a lower elevation to a reservoir at higher elevation, and stored. Low cost off-peak electric power is used for this transfer, whereas during the peak demand, the stored water is utilized to run turbines and generate energy. As the cost of electric energy fluctuates, these pumped-storage hydroelectricity systems generated electricity is sold at premium prices and thereby balancing the load on conventional energy sources.Request a Brochure of the Report @Pumped storage hydropower plants can be exploited better when used alongside wind energy turbines. The wind turbines pump water back into the reservoir during lean demand times thus resulting in better utilization of excess generation. Pumped storage hydro is capable of supplying a large number of ancillary services ranging from load balancing to voltage control. These plants can also serve as ideal spinning reserves and are useful for black start services to utility grids. Overall, these plants are an integral part of any robust energy generation mix and satisfy the requirement of ample backup power in times of grid failures or other supply related emergencies.With the ever escalating demand for electric energy, the global market for pumped-storage hydroelectricity is projected for a healthy growth rate during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025. This report is a comprehensive analysis of the market for the same in current scenario, and based on several prominent factors that are expected to influence the growth rate, it presents figurative opportunities available. The report also profiles some of the key companies currently operational in the global pumped-storage hydroelectricity market, including their market share and strategic developments. By technology, the market can be segmented into single reversible pump turbine and separate pump and turbine generators. The end use application of pumped storage hydroelectricity can be segmented on the basis of the service they provide. Some of the services provided by pumped storage hydro are energy balancing, stability, storage capacity and ancillary grid services.Request for TOC of the Report @Global Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity Market: Prospects and InhibitorsThe increasing demand for energy storage systems and the emergence of ancillary services are two of the primary driving factors of the market. In the recent times, increased importance has been given to stable form of energy, and technological advancements has made pumped-storage hydroelectricity serve the demand efficiently. Other factors favoring the global pumped-storage hydroelectricity market include the need for alternative energy sources with black start capabilities, reactive power generation, and the assurance to operate as a spinning reserve. Conversely, the availability of large bodies of water along with a height variation between the two reservoirs are noted by the report as two primary restraining factors over the market. However, this barrier can be overcome via man-made alterations to the topography, which also helps in desired size and height measurements.Read Complete Report @Global Pumped-Storage Hydroelectricity Market: Prospects and InhibitorsEurope currently serves the maximum demand, especially from the country-wide markets of the U.K., Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. Asia Pacific market is driven by Japan while the U.S. contributes nearly 95% of the demand from the North American region.Alstom, First Hydro, Exelon, Voith and J-Power are some of the key players in this market.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Remote Terminal Units Market Deep Research Study & Investment Research and Forecast 2017 - 2025 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=230 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=230 https://www.tmrresearch.com/remote-terminal-units-market Remote Terminal Units Market: General OutlineA remote terminal unit is a microprocessor-based device, connected to process equipments, transmitters or sensors, for the purpose of remote telemetry and control. RTUs with the aid of appropriate sensors, monitor the status of the process via digital and analogue inputs. They provide control outputs to switch plant such as circuit breakers and tap changers. In the oil and gas industry, during the drilling process, RTUs are used to transmit drilling mechanics, and rock formation information up-hole, in real time. These services are known as logging while drilling and measurement while drilling, Schlumberger's Pulse Technology is a perfect example of this. During the process of drilling, tools use this methodology to send information acquired thousands of feet below the ground. The pressure wave is then translated into a useful information after DSP (Digital Signal Processing) and noise filters, and is later used for drilling optimization, formation evaluation, and geosteering.Request a Brochure of the Report @Remote Terminal Units Market: Comprehensive OverviewThe advent of improved technology for process monitoring and data transmission has dominated the market drivers for remote terminal units. With improved SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) regulations by various governments across the globe, and increased threat of data security, organizations are now looking at the latest technologies for remote terminal units.Developing markets and new drilling areas also contribute to the growth of the RTU market for oil and gas sectors. Despite the growth factors, the industry does face a few challenges. In the European and North American region, RTU system has been established since the 1970s, and there remains no scope for new installations, in other words, markets of these regions have reached a saturation point. Also, significant financial investment is required to lay down a network across regions and to establish RTUs at inaccessible locations. However, with new fields being discovered in the Asia Pacific region, there is a scope for growth.Request for TOC of the Report @Remote Terminal Units Market: Segment OverviewBased on the mode of application, the RTU industry is classified into: RTUs for Oil and Gas Wells and RTUs for Compressor, Pump or Valve Stations. A further classification can be made on the basis of the industry such as power, oil exploration or pipeline management. Also, based on the connectivity, RTUs may use telephone hard lines or wireless transmission systems.Geographically, the remote terminal units market is currently concentrated in the Asia Pacific region due to initiation of major oil exploration projects as well as power grid expansion in India, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In the Rest of the World, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America is also witnessing a similar trend. Whereas, the European and North American regions are expected to see a significant decline in the demand of RTUs, as the market already has a well-established SCADA network.Read Complete Report @Remote Terminal Units Market: Key Market PlayersSome of the major companies involved in the manufacture and integration of remote terminal units are: TopRank Corporation Sdn. Bhd., ABB Ltd., Schneider Electric SE, Siemens AG, General Electric Company, and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact :Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@tmrresearch.com Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) MBA Placements Update - 2017 Sonipat, Haryana | 15 February 2017Placement trends for the Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) MBA batch of 2015-17 is indicating yet another strong placement season. This season has already seen a 20% increase in number of recruiters with drives being conducted by a host of well-known recruiters.Axis Bank, Amazon, Decathlon, ICICI Bank, ITC Hotels, People Strong, and TeraReach are some of the prominent recruiters so far this year. In terms of sectoral representation, BFSI, Digital Marketing, and E-Commerce have registered a greater presence this year, while Hospitality is a new addition. As of now, the average CTC offered is Rs 7.42 lacs p.a., with Amazon and Axis Bank making some of the highest offers of ~Rs 8 lacs p.a. plus incentives.Placements are ongoing with nearly 50% of all participating students having been placed, including two students who have received PPOs from their 2016 Summer Internships. The School expects a strong close to the batchs placements well before graduation.About JGBS:JGBS offers a multidisciplinary global business education to foster academic excellence through industry partnerships and global collaborations. We seek to make an impact through our various degree programmes, executive education, research and consulting. The degree programmes we offer include: BBA, Integrated BBA-MBA, MBA and PhD.JGBS is backed by the rich legacy of Jindal Global University (JGU), a non-profit global university established by the Haryana Private Universities (Second Amendment) Act, 2009 in memory of Mr. O.P. Jindal, and recognised by The University Grants Commission. The vision of JGU is to promote global courses, global programmes, global curriculum, global research, global collaborations, and global interaction through a global faculty. JGU is situated on an 80-acre state-of-the art residential campus in the National Capital Region of Delhi. JGU has established six schools: Jindal Global Law School, Jindal Global Business School, Jindal School of International Affairs, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy and Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities, and the recently launched Jindal School of Journalism and CommunicationNews-pr.in is a self-made ocean of current news, press release and updates coming from varied nooks and corners of the global society. With the sheer assistance of numerous news suppliers, we serve our readers with hottest news and happenings.C 21 A Anand Vihar, Uttam NagarNew Delhi, Delhi, India 110059 2017 Fiber Optic Connectors Market Prediction Trends http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=2222 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Fiber Optic Connectors Market: Trends and OpportunitiesFiber optic connectors (FOC) are used to mechanically connect two optical fibers, thereby permitting light to transmit from the core of one fiber to the other fiber in order to link the fiber optic connection equipment.The factors which are primarily driving the growth of global fiber optic connectors market are increasing demand for high bandwidth in the telecommunication industry and increasing demand for transmission speed and data volume in the data centers. The key features of fiber optical connectors such as low power consumption, cost effectiveness, and high data throughput are expected to fuel the growth of these connectors in the next generation warehouse-scale data center networks. In addition, the increasing application of these connectors in several application areas of the medical sector is playing a significant role in the growth of the global fiber optic connectors market. Furthermore, large scale production and technological advancements of fiber optics is also driving the growth of the global market. The conjoint effect of all these drivers and trends is therefore set to bolster the growth of the global fiber optic connectors market during the forecast period from 2016 -2024.Get More Information :The rapid growth of the internet and cloud computing has resulted in bandwidth requirements for data center network. This is in turn expected to increase the demand for optical interconnects in the next-generation data center networks. Furthermore, advancements in fiber optic technology have led to the growth in requirement for optical sensors and data links in several applications including defense and aerospace.By deploying the advanced technologies in this field, the manufacturers can utilize this opportunity to increase production in a cost-effective manner as well as satiate the growing demand for fiber optic components among consumers. However, phenomenal growth in the wireless networking system is hampering the advancement of fiber optics. Moreover, the high cost and low level of automation of fiber optic connectors might also restrict the growth of the global market.Fiber Optic Connectors Market: Scope of the StudyThe global fiber optic connectors market has been segmented on the basis of types, applications and geography. A cross sectional analysis of the global fiber optic connectors market broadly across five geographical segments has also been covered under the scope this report.A comprehensive analysis of the market dynamics which include, market drivers, restraints and opportunities has been included under the scope of this report. Market dynamics are the factors which influence the growth of the market and thereby help to understand the current trends in the market. The market drivers have been analyzed from the economic, demand and supply side. Therefore, this reports offers an exhaustive study on the global fiber optic connectors market and also provides the forecast of the market from 2016 - 2024.The present market size in terms of revenue (USD Million) along with forecast from 2016 to 2024 is also provided in this report. To provide a detailed insight into the market dynamics of the global fiber optic connectors market, market attractiveness analysis has been provided in the report.Fiber Optic Connectors Market: Competitive LandscapeThe competitive profiling of the leading players in the global market and their respective market shares across the five major geographic segments namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa have been covered under the purview of this report. In addition, the distinct business strategies which have been adopted by the key players have been included in the report.Some of the major players in the fiber optic connectors market are Broadcom Limited (Singapore), 3M (The U.S.), Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd (Japan), Corning Cable Systems LLC (The U.S.), Alcatel-Lucent SA (France), Hirose Electric Co. Ltd (Japan), Hitachi Ltd. (Japan), Diamond SA (Switzerland), Arris Group Inc.(The U.S.), Sumitomo Electric Industries (Japan), Amphenol Corporation (The U.S.), Sterlite Optical Technologies Limited (India), TE Connectivity Ltd.(Switzerland), ZTE Corporation (China) and Ratioplast Electronics (Germany), among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Wave and Tidal Energy Market Analysis, Size and Forecast 2016 - 2024 | New Study http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=195849 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=195849 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Wave and Tidal Energy Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.Wave and tidal energy are methods of harnessing energy of oceans for power generation. Countries across the world are increasingly looking to utilize these forms of renewable energy as these provide a constant and steady source of clean energy. Abundance of ocean surface and significant potential of energy generation in several nations has induced governments to pursue ocean energy generation as an important part of their future renewable energy mix. Venture capital funding and government grant schemes are the vital aspects of this sector. Currently, technology development and commercial deployment of projects are in a nascent stage.This research is designed to estimate, analyze, and forecast the market volume and revenue for the wind and tidal power generation market. It provides an in-depth analysis of the market size of wave and tidal power in terms of volume (installed capacity) and revenue (investments in the sector for adding capacity). The report analyzes the wave and tidal energy sector in detail along with deep dive research spanning three regions and eight countries. It provides detailed analysis, historical data, and statistically refined forecast for wave and tidal energy plants regionally. Country wise markets for wave, tidal, or both forms of energy have been provided individually, depending upon the investment sentiment in the respective economies. The company market share in the sector for both wave and tidal energy plants has been provided separately for 2014.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market size for wave and tidal power generation has been estimated by studying the possible future technology trends in the market. Detailed research of countries and region-specific wave and tidal energy associations has been undertaken to estimate and forecast the installed capacity and investments in the wave and tidal energy sector. Regionally, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. An important aspect of this report is the upcoming project details for both wave and tidal energy. This provides a clear idea of country wise projects planned and the tentative timeline by which the industry would achieve commercial deployment of its technologies.Wave and tidal power plant technologies are likely to experience significant changes in terms of individual market share from 2014 to 2024. The technology development is still in the initial phase for both wave and tidal energy. This leaves ample scope for new players to enter the market by introducing new and advanced technologies. Detailed cost breakdown analysis of wave and tidal energy plants has been provided in the study. Cost projections of individual cost components have been done for the forecast period, supported by qualitative analysis. Major players in the wave and tidal energy business have been profiled in the study to identify market penetration strategies and winning imperatives for them.Key players in the global wave and tidal energy market include Pelamis Wave Power Ltd., Carnegie Wave Energy Ltd., Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., Ocean Renewable Power Company LLC, Tenax Energy, AquaGen Technologies, Atlantis Resources Ltd., S.D.E. Energy Ltd. (WERPO Wave Energy), Marine Current Turbines Ltd., and Aquamarine Power Ltd. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial revenues (on availability), business strategies, SWOT analysis, and recent developments. The global wave and tidal energy market has been segmented as follows:Wave and Tidal Energy Market: Type analysis- Wave energy- Tidal energyWave and Tidal Energy Market: Geography analysis- North America- U.S.- Canada- Mexico- Europe- U.K.- Scotland- France- Norway- Russia- Others- Asia Pacific- South Korea- Australia- China- Others- Rest of the World- South Africa- Ghana- OthersMake 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 @ Many advocates of traditional public education are aghast at President Donald Trumps choice of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. They see her as unqualified in that she has neither attended nor worked in a public school while spending much of her adult life championing alternative educational models. Results of the presidential election already established that relevant qualifications and experience are no longer prerequisites to holding public office. DeVos should fit right in. But seriously folks DeVos is an advocate for educational choice in the form of vouchers and charter schools. In a voucher system parents opting to forgo public schools for their children can instead use tax money to offset the costs at a private institution of their choice. Charter schools, meanwhile, are publicly funded but privately run non-traditional schools that are often exempt from some guidelines and requirements in place for normal public schools. Critics of public education appreciate these options. Yet public education supporters say they divert needed funds from traditional schools while removing accountability over taxpayer dollars. Where one falls on this debate comes down to his or her attitude about the relationship between the public and public education. Choice advocates seem to view education funding as almost directly transactional: taxpayers support schools in order to educate their own children, and if they dislike the public system, they should be able to use their share of the public education pot as they see fit. Others see education as a collective effort: society at large benefits from an educated workforce, so all taxpayers should contribute to traditional public education whether they use it or not. I have no children and thus depend on other peoples well-educated kids to provide the goods and services I need. As such, I dont mind supporting public schools even though I wont receive a direct personal benefit. If were going to start handing out vouchers, however, I want my share. Having no children, I also wont benefit directly from public funding of higher education. Im sure the parents of my nieces and nephews would appreciate me forwarding my higher education vouchers to the colleges or vocational schools theyll eventually attend. My wifes a pretty savvy investor. Id rather opt out of Social Security if you dont mind. Just forward my disability and retirement voucher to our Fidelity account. National parks are great, but theyre far away, often overcrowded and generally dont allow hunting. Id prefer to use my outdoor recreation voucher on a little piece of land for myself. Dont watch much public television. How about a TV voucher towards the Dish Network bill? Never used the Hancock County hospital or public health services either. Perhaps I could use my personal health voucher for a membership at the Y. Havent been to the public library in ages. I wonder if my books and periodicals voucher will be enough to buy a Kindle? The only things the police have given me are citations, which I deserved but didnt really want. Think Ill invest my personal protection voucher in a nice Glock. But once again seriously folks Many government services support the general welfare rather than a given individual or group of individuals. Public education is one such service. While some government oversight is likely needed to prevent abuse or neglect, parents should have wide latitude in determining the type of education thats best for their children. But those opting for private or home schooling should do so on their own dime, while public funding of charter schools should be limited to assure it compliments rather than undermines the traditional public system. Trump has chosen an education secretary who seems to feel differently. Thats his prerogative, and the time to oppose DeVos has now passed. Advocates for traditional education should, however, remain watchful and stand ready to oppose policy that undermines public schools in the name of choice. Global Travel Technologies Industry Will Grow Steadily At A CAGR Of 8.3% During The Period 2017-2021 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=964303 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=964303 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Travel Technologies Market 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Travel technologies are IT solutions used by airline companies, hotels, and OTAs to manage end-to-end travel solutions. IT solutions such as travel network management solution GDS, mobile solution, platform solutions, e-commerce software solution, data management solutions, and digital marketing solutions are primarily implemented in the travel industry.Technavios analysts forecast the global travel technologies market to grow at a CAGR of 8.3% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global travel technologies market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated in the form of incentive payments for air, car, and hotel segments processed through a GDS.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Technavio's report, Global Travel Technologies Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsAmadeusSabreTravelportOther prominent vendorsCRS TechnologiesDolphin Dynamicsecare Technology LabsExpert Travel ServicesFourth Dimension SoftwareLemaxmTripPCVoyages 2000Qtech SoftwareTechnoheaven ConsultancyToursys SolutionsTramada SystemsTravelCarmaTrip SolutionsWeb Booking ExpertMarket driverContinued emphasis on cost saving by travel suppliers.For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeIncreased complexity due to high volumes of data.For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendIncreasing adoption of biometrics and wearable technology.For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Tequila Market in Latin America 2015-2019: Market Trends, Demands, Growth, Survey and Forecast http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=502539 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=502539 http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Albany, NY, Feb 15, 2017: Tequila is a type of distilled spirit manufactured from the blue agave plant (native of Mexico). Tequila is either made from 51% agave or 100% agave, depending on the pricing and positioning. It usually contains 38-40% alcohol content depending on the varied government regulations and laws.The tequila market in Latin America has a tremendous consumer base. The rising exports to the US, Russia, and Germany are driving the market. The exports from Mexico of agave tequila rose by 16% in 2013. The rising disposable income in countries such as Mexico and Venezuela is expected to drive the market during the forecast period.The tequila market in Latin America to grow at a CAGR of 1.89% by volume and 2.62% by revenue during the period 2014-2019. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the tequila market for 2015-2019. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated through sales of tequila bottles in the Latin American market.Get a Sample Research PDF with TOC:Technavio's report, Tequila Market in Latin America 2015-2019, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors- 1800- Beam Suntory- Brown Forman- Cuervo International- Diageo- PatronOther prominent vendors- Aha Yeto- Camino Real Distillery- Casas Xalisco- Cia Tequilera Los Valores- Hacienda La Capilla- Juarez Tequila- Pernod Ricard- Proximo Spirits- Sazerac Company- Sierra Tequila- Tequila Cazadores- Tequila Corralejo- Tequila Quiote- The Blue Nectar- William Grant & Sons- World Food and Bev GroupEnquiry at:Key questions answered in the report include- What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2019- What are the key factors driving the vodka market in Europe- What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the vodka market in Europe- 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 vendors in the vodka market in Europe- What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the vodka market in EuropeResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at: United States Solar Micro Inverter Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2016 | Researchmoz http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=729864 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=729864 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "United States Solar Micro Inverter Industry 2016 Market Research Report" to its huge collection of research reports.The United States Solar Micro Inverter Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Solar Micro Inverter industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Solar Micro Inverter market analysis is provided for the United States 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 United States 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 Solar Micro Inverter industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 145 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 Solar Micro Inverter1.2 Classification of Solar Micro Inverter1.3 Applications of Solar Micro Inverter1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Solar Micro Inverter1.5 Industry Overview of Solar Micro Inverter1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter1.7 Industry News Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter2.1 Bill of Materials (BOM) of Solar Micro Inverter2.2 BOM Price Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter2.4 Depreciation Cost Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter2.7 United States Price, Cost and Gross of Solar Micro Inverter 2011-20163 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of United States Key Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of United States Key Solar Micro Inverter Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of United States Solar Micro Inverter Key Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of United States Solar Micro Inverter Key Manufacturers in 20154 Production Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter by Regions, Type, and Applications4.1 United States Production of Solar Micro Inverter by Regions 2011-20164.2 United States Production of Solar Micro Inverter by Type 2011-20164.3 United States Sales of Solar Micro Inverter by Applications 2011-20164.4 Price Analysis of United States Solar Micro Inverter Key Manufacturers in 20154.5 United States Capacity, Production, Import, Export, Sales, Price, Cost and Revenue of Solar Micro Inverter 2011-20165 Consumption Volume and Consumption Value Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter by Regions5.1 United States Consumption Volume of Solar Micro Inverter by Regions 2011-20165.2 United States Consumption Value of Solar Micro Inverter by Regions 2011-20165.3 United States Consumption Price Analysis of Solar Micro Inverter 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 @ Personal Protective Equipment Market - Turkey Industry Analysis 2020 http://bit.ly/2l7nKCH http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Transparency Market Research recently announced the publication of a new market research report. The 98-page research study, titled Personal Protective Equipment Market - Turkey Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020, presents a comprehensive analysis of the market. According to the research report, in 2013, the Turkey personal protective equipment market was worth US$0.8 bn and is expected to reach a value of US$1.3 bn by the end of 2020. The market is estimated to register a 7.20% CAGR between 2014 and 2020.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical industry insights atPersonal protection equipment refers to clothing and other products that are specially designed to protect the wearer from any kind of infection and injury when working in a hazardous environment. The Turkey government has effected numerous nationwide regulations concerning the safety of workers, encouraging them to use personal protective equipment. The growing application base of personal protective equipment across diverse industries is expected to drive the market in the coming few years.The rising concerns regarding the safety of workers and strict regulations for occupational safety are some of the key factors projected to bolster the growth of the personal protective equipment market in Turkey throughout the forecast period. In addition, the existing business enterprises are focusing on workplace safety, which is creating potential opportunities for the market players to expand their product horizon and strengthen their position in the market. However, automation of manufacturing and other operational processes are hampering the growth of the market.The personal protective equipment market in Turkey has been categorized on the basis of type into eye and face protection, respiratory protection, hearing protection, protective clothing, hand protection, fall protection, professional footwear, head protection, and others. In 2013, the professional footwear segment led the Turkey personal protection equipment market with a value of US$282.6 mn. This segment is estimated to reach a valuation of US$443.5 mn by the end of 2020.Furthermore, the head protection segment is another major segment, which is expected to reach a value of US$160 mn by the end of 2020. On the other hand, the hand protection segment is projected to grow rapidly, registering an 8% CAGR between 2014 and 2020.The prominent players operating in the Turkey personal protective equipment market have been analyzed in the research report. Detailed company profiles, product portfolio, financial status, business policies, and recent developments in the market. Some of the leading players included in the research report are Ansell Ltd., Oftenrich Holdings Company Limited, Elten GmbH, JAL Group, 3M Co., Honeywell Safety Products, COFRA Holding AG, Rahman Industries Ltd., and Avon Rubber plc.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.ContactMr.Sudip S90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: 2017 Control Valves Market Size Estimate http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=534 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Control Valves Market: Trends and OpportunitiesControl valves are types of valves which are used to control conditions such as temperature, flow, liquid level and pressure by fully or partially closing or opening in response to the signals received from the controllers. Control valves are used in various industries such as oil and gas, wastewater management, automotive, pharmaceuticals, mining, chemicals, and food and beverages, among others. In terms of product type, the control valves market has been segmented into manual control valves, pneumatic control valves, hydraulic control valves and electric control valves. The market for control valves is primarily driven by the increase in energy consumption, coupled with increasing demand from process industries such as oil and gas.The market for control valves is primarily driven by oil and gas industry due to their application throughout upstream, midstream and downstream activities. While demand for oil and gas products is increasing at significant rates, supply for the same industry is dwindling due to the global decrease in oil and gas reserves. Moreover, increasing application of control valves in the food and beverage industry is one of the major driving factors for the growth of the control valves market. In the food and beverages industry, control valves are used in verticals such as the dairy industry, oils and fats industry, and animal feed industry.Get More information:As per recent trends, it has been observed that there has been increasing demand for control valves from industries such as pharmaceuticals, power generation, and food and beverages. There has been increasing emphasis on designing and manufacturing control valves that do not need periodic maintenance. Due to recent developments in the area of electric control valves, demand for the same has increased drastically in the recent past. Electric control valves are more efficient and enable a greater level of control as compared to the other types of valves. Furthermore, it has also been observed that low cost control valves being produced by the Asian companies are penetrating existing control valves markets for established big players such as Metso, Flowserve and Velan among others. As the regulations regarding environment pollution are expected to become stringent, the demand for control valves that have low environmental impact is expected to be high in the near future.Control Valves Market: SegmentationThe report segments the market on the basis of geography into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), and Rest of the World (RoW), estimated in terms of revenue (USD billion). The report also segments the market based on actuation technology into manual control valves, pneumatic control valves, hydraulic control valves and electric control valves. Based on type, the control valves market is further segmented into ball valve, butterfly valve, cryogenic valve, globe valve and others. Moreover the global control valves market has been further segmented by end user industry, which includes: power generation, chemical, oil and gas, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, automotive, wastewater management and others. All these segments have also been estimated in terms of revenue (USD billion) and volume (Million Units).Control Valves Market: Scope of the StudyFor a better understanding of the control valves market, we have given detailed Porters five forces analysis. Furthermore, the study also comprises a market attractiveness analysis, where the end user industries are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.The report provides company market share analysis of various industry participants. In addition, the key players in the control valves market have also been profiled. The company profiles highlight the company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments in the field of control valves. Some of the leading players in the control valves market are Flowserve Corporation (U.S.), Pentair PLC (U.K.),Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.), General Electric (U.S.), Samson AG (Germany), and Crane & Co. (U.S.), VelanInc (Canada), Metso Corporation (Finland), and IMI Plc (U.K.) among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Ghana: The Launch Of 4G And Expansion Of Fiber Network Will Support Telecom Growth http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/961988 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/category/95 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketresearchreports-biz Worldwide Market studies the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Ghana: The Launch Of 4G And Expansion Of Fiber Network Will Support Telecom Growth"The telecom services revenue in Ghana is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% during 2016-2021, primarily driven by growth in mobile data revenue. Mobile voice will be the largest revenue-contributing segment until 2019. Mobile data will be the fastest-growing segment in the telecom market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 16.3% during 2016-2021, primarily driven by operators' investments in 3G and 4G network coverage and attractive data bundles offered by telcos. Going forward, operators look to invest in 3G/4G network upgradation, extend coverage and fiber-optic network deployments to improve and extend broadband connectivity in the country, which will provide significant opportunities for vendors and investors.Key FindingsThe overall telecom service revenue in Ghana will grow at a CAGR of 5.4% during 2016-2021, mainly driven by growth in the mobile data segment.Mobile revenue will account for 97.0% of the total telecom revenue in 2021; mobile data will be the fastest growing segment and will grow at a CAGR of 16.3% over the forecast period 2016-2021.2G will be the most adopted mobile technology through 2021. However, its share in overall mobile subscriber base will decline over the forecast period 2016-2021, owing to rising adoption of 3G and 4G services over the coming years.The top two operators, MTN Ghana and Vodafone Ghana, will account for 76.7% share of overall service revenue in 2016, owing to strong 3G and 4G network coverage. We expect competition to intensify further as operators focus on competitive pricing plans and service innovation to further increase their market share.Operators will continue to focus on investments in 3G network expansion and launch of 4G services, fiber deployments to increase connectivity and cater to the rising data demand.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:Synopsis"Ghana: Launch of 4G and Expansion of Fiber Network to Support Telecom Growth" is a new Country Intelligence Report by GlobalData, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Ghana 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, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Ghana compared with other countries in the region.Economic, demographic and political context in Ghana.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 markets.Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice, data and video 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 services: 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 Ghana telecommunications markets.Browse More Published Telecommunications Market Research Reports:ReasonsToBuyThis Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Ghanas telecommunications markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.Accompanying GlobalDatas Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Ghanas mobile communications, fixed telephony, 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 Ghanas telecommunications markets.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 Ghana.To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:Contact us90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizFollow us on LinkedIn:Thanks..!!!!!!!!!!!MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz 2017 Lithium-ion Battery Market Trends Prediction http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=251 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The global lithium-ion batteries market is consolidated in nature, with the top three players accounting for a share of over 57% in 2025. Panasonic Corporation, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., and LG Chem Power Inc. offer stiff competition to new entrants owing to the competitive advantage they possess in terms of the easy access to raw materials. Transparency Market Research predicts that the degree of rivalry in the lithium-ion battery market will remain high throughout the forecast period.Competitive pricing, offering dedicated services, and developing innovative application-specific performance materials are some of the key strategies adopted by leading companies. Recognizing the potential lithium-ion batteries present in the automotive sector, Panasonic Corporation collaborated with Tesla Motors in 2014 to set up a new lithium-ion battery manufacturing company in North America.Get More information :The opportunity in the global lithium-ion battery market is poised to rise from US$29.68 bn in 2015 to US$77.42 bn in 2024, registering a strong CAGR of 11.6% therein.Application of Lithium-ion Batteries in Automotive Segment to Gain Momentum by 2024By power capacity, the low power lithium-ion battery (5-25 Wh) segment held the lead in the global market, accounting for a 35% share in 2015. On the other hand, the 18-28 KWh segment is projected to witness significant growth in the coming years, registering a 16.7% CAGR by value from 2016 to 2024. Based on application, the consumer electronics segment accounted for the leading share in the lithium-ion battery market in terms of revenue. However, TMR predicts that market saturation in several countries will enable the automotive segment to gain much momentum, exhibiting the fastest growth during the forecast period.Geographically, Asia Pacific presently leads the global market for lithium-ion batteries, enjoying a share of over 48% in 2015. This region is also projected to expand at a significant pace in terms of demand and sales during the course of the forecast period. By value, the APAC lithium-ion battery market will register a 12.5% CAGR from 2016 to 2024.Need for Alternative Fuels Drives Demand for Lithium-ion BatteriesA growing shift toward sustainable clean fuels in the automotive sector is a key factor driving the lithium-ion battery market. TMR finds that the demand for high power capacity batteries for automobiles has gained precedence in recent years with the rising usage of these batteries in EVs, HEVs, and BEVs.The increasing level of awareness among consumers and automobile manufacturers alike regarding the benefits of clean fuel, the declining availability of natural resources, and the soaring prices of fossil fuels have warranted the need for alternate solutions and this has significantly driven the global lithium-ion battery market, the author of the report states.The market is also fueled by the rising demand for smartphones and other consumer electronics, TMR finds. A rise in the global population and a surge in consumer disposable income can be attributed to the growing demand for lithium-ion batteries.In contrast, the high prices of these batteries, safety concerns associated with the use of lithium-ion batteries, and the lack of appropriate charging infrastructure threaten the growth of the global 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: Global Breast Cancer Market Growth driven by introduction of several new drugs and biosimilars, Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021) http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/964493 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/category/56 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketresearchreports-biz Worldwide Market studies the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Global Breast Cancer Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021)"Breast cancer defines a malignant tumor that has developed from cells in the breast. Some breast cancers are called in situ as they are confined within the ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS) or lobules (lobular carcinoma in situ or LCIS) where they originated. Although, less commonly, breast cancer can also instigate in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast. In the early stages, breast cancer may not cause any symptoms. A lump may be too small to feel or to cause any unusual changes that could be noticed on own. Typically, an abnormal area shows up on a screening mammogram which leads to further testing. Several risk factors including smoking and alcohol consumption, exposure to estrogen, gender, age, radiation therapy, family history and personal history are linked to the growth of breast cancer.The global market for breast cancer has grown swiftly over the past few years driven by introduction of several new drugs and biosimilars. The overall breast cancer market remained mainly dominated by the generic drugs. The future market for breast cancer will grow in the coming years as there exist unmet need for new drugs that would overcome resistance and prevent recurrence of the disease.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:The global breast cancer market is likely to grow strongly in the coming years driven by rising healthcare expenditure, rising diabetic and obese population, increased spending on medicines, increasing consumption of alcohol and tobacco and rising female population above 65 years of age. Key trends of the market includes rising development of PARP inhibitors, clinical trials of CDK4/6 inhibitors and introduction of new imaging tests. However, growth of the market can be hindered by several factors including drug development challenges in developing countries, long term side effects of drugs and heavy costs associated with drug development.The report Global Breast Cancer Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021) by Koncept Analytics provides an extensive research and detailed analysis of the present market along with future outlook. The report discusses the major growth drivers and challenges of the market, covering the U.S., Europe and APAC regions along with the global market. The report profiles the key players of the market including Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, AstraZeneca and Roche.Table of Content1. Introduction1.1 Market Overview2. Global Breast Cancer Market2.1 Global Breast Cancer Market by Value2.2 Global Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value2.3 Global Breast Cancer Market by Region2.4 Global Breast Cancer Drug Development by StagesBrowse More Healthcare Market Research Reports:3. Regional Breast Cancer Market3.1 The U.S.3.1.1 The U.S. Breast Cancer Market by Value3.1.2 The U.S. Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value3.1.3 The U.S. Breast Cancer Market by Addressable Population3.1.4 The U.S. Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Addressable Population3.1.5 The U.S. Breast Cancer Population by Age3.2 Europe3.2.1 EU5 Breast Cancer Market by Value3.2.2 EU5 Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value3.3 APAC3.3.1 APAC Breast Cancer Market by Value3.3.2 APAC Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value3.3.3 APAC Breast Cancer Market by Countries3.3.4 Japans Breast Cancer Market by Value3.3.5 Japans Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value3.3.6 Chinas Breast Cancer Market by Value3.3.7 Chinas Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value3.3.8 Australias Breast Cancer Market by Value3.3.9 Australias Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.1.1 Rising Consumption of Tobacco and Alcohol4.1.2 Increasing Global Diabetic Population4.1.3 Increasing Obesity4.1.4 Increasing Healthcare Expenditure Per Capita4.1.5 Rising Female Population Aged 65 Years & Above4.1.6 Global Spending on Medicines4.2 Key Trends & Developments4.2.1 PARP Inhibitors under Development4.2.2 CDK4/6 Inhibitors Under Clinical Trials for Breast Cancer4.2.3 Introduction of Newer Imaging Tests4.3 Challenges4.3.1 Long Term Side Effects4.3.2 Drug Development Challenges in Developing Countries4.3.3 Heavy Drug Developmental Costs5. Competition5.1 Revenue Comparison5.2 Research & Development Expenditure Comparison5.3 Market Cap Comparison6. Company Profiles6.1 Johnson & Johnson6.1.1 Business Overview6.1.2 Financial Overview6.1.3 Business Strategies6.2 AstraZeneca6.2.1 Business Overview6.2.2 Financial Overview6.2.3 Business Strategies6.3 AbbVie6.3.1 Business Overview6.3.2 Financial Overview6.3.3 Business Strategies6.4 Roche6.4.1 Business Overview6.4.2 Financial Overview6.4.3 Business StrategiesN/ABreast Cancer by TypesStages of Breast CancerGlobal Breast Cancer Market by Value (2012-2016)Global Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value (2017-2021)Global Breast Cancer Market by Region (2016)Global Breast Cancer Drug Development by Stages (2016)The U.S. Breast Cancer Market by Value (2012-2016)The U.S. Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value (2017-2021)The U.S. Breast Cancer Market by Addressable Population (2012-2016)The U.S. Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Addressable Population (2017-2021)The U.S. Breast Cancer Population by Age & Type (2016)EU5 Breast Cancer Market by Value (2012-2016)EU5 Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value (2017-2021)APAC Breast Cancer Market by Value (2012-2016)APAC Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value (2017-2021)APAC Breast Cancer Market by Countries (2016)Japans Breast Cancer Market by Value (2012-2016)Japans Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value (2017-2021)Chinas Breast Cancer Market by Value (2012-2016)Chinas Breast Cancer Market Forecast by Value (2017-2021)Australia's Breast Cancer Market by Value (2012-2016)Australia's Breast Cancer Forecast Market by Value (2017-2021)Global Cigarette Consumption (1990-2016E)Global Diabetic Population (2012-2016E)Global Obese Population (2012-2016E)Global Healthcare Expenditure Per Capita (2012-2016E)Global Female Population Aged 65 Years and Above (2015-2050E)Global Spending on Medicines (2007-2017E)Key PARP Inhibitors under Development (2016)Key CDK4/6 Inhibitors Clinical Status for Breast Cancer (2016)Key Players Revenue Comparison (2015)Key Players R&D Expenditure (2015)Key Players Market Cap Comparison (2016)Johnson & Johnson Sales by Segments (2016*)J&J Revenue (2010-2015)AstraZeneca Product Sales by Region (2015)AstraZeneca Revenue and Profit (2012-2015)AstraZeneca Development Pipeline OverviewAbbVie Net Revenue by Product Segments (2015)AbbVie Net Revenues (2011-2015)Roche Sales by Segments (2015)Roche Sales and Net Income (2011-2015)To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:Contact us90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizFollow us on LinkedIn:Thanks..!!!!!!!!!!!MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Global Uterine Fibroids Market expected to experience robust growth post the launch of therapeutic drugs, Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2025) http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/964498 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/category/38 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketresearchreports-biz Worldwide Market studies the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Global Uterine Fibroids Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2025)"Fibroids are tumors in the uterus which can vary in sizes depending upon the condition and level. A woman may have one or many fibroids in reproductive organ. It is common for a woman to have multiple fibroid tumors which are non-cancerous in nature. Uterine fibroids are broadly classified into four categories i.e. Subserosal fibroids, Intramural fibroids, Submucosal fibroid, and Pedunculated submucosal fibroid.Currently, the uterine fibroid market has no definitive FDA approved agents for medical treatment of uterine leiomyomata or uterine fibroids. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa) agents are being used to reduce size of tumor, reduce blood loss and to correct the ensuing iron-deficiency anemia.The global uterine fibroids drugs market is expected to experience robust growth post the launch of therapeutic drugs, primarily due to increasing patient base, rise in female population, and increasing healthcare expenditure. However, the market growth is hindered by high R&D costs and regulatory warnings.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:The report Global Uterine Fibroids Drugs Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2025) analyzes the development of this market, with focus on the US and European markets. The major trends, growth drivers as well as issues being faced by the market are discussed in detail in this report. The four major players: AbbVie, Myovant Sciences, Astra Zeneca, and Neurocrine Biosciences are being profiled along with their key financials and strategies for growth. The report contains a comprehensive analysis of the global uterine fibroids market along with the study of the regional markets.Table of Content1. Market Overview1.1 Uterine Fibroids1.2 Types of Uterine Fibroids1.3 Symptom & Causes1.4 Treatment & Diagnosis2. Global Uterine Fibroids Therapeutic Market Analysis2.1 Global Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market Forecast by Value2.2 Global Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market Forecast by Region2.3 Global Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market Forecast by Drugs2.3.1 Global Lupron Market Forecast by Value2.3.2 Global Elagolix Market Forecast by Value2.3.3 Global Relugolix Market Forecast by ValueBrowse More Pharmaceutical Market Research Reports:3. Regional Uterine Fibroids Market Analysis3.1 The US3.1.1 The US Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market by Value3.1.2 The US Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market by Drugs3.1.3 The US Lupron Market Forecast by Value3.1.4 The US Elagolix Market Forecast by Value3.1.5 The US Relugolix Market Forecast by Value3.2 Europe3.2.1 Europes Uterine Fibroids Market Forecast by Value3.2.2 Europes Uterine Fibroids Market Forecast by Drugs3.2.3 Europes Lupron Market Forecast by Value3.2.4 Europes Elagolix Market Forecast by Value3.2.5 Europes Relugolix Market Forecast by Value4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.1.1 Increasing Female Population Worldwide4.1.2 Rising Spending on Public Health Programs for Female4.1.3 Growing Uterine Fibroids Market in Emerging Economies4.1.4 Increased Spending on Medicines4.1.5 Increasing Global Healthcare Expenditure4.2 Trends and Developments4.2.1 Development of New Drugs4.2.2 Increasing Demand for Minimally Invasive Surgeries4.2.3 Expansion of More Efficient and Advanced Technology4.3 Issues and Challenges4.3.1 FDAs Black Box Warnings4.3.2 High R&D Costs4.3.3 Drug Progress Challenges in Developing Countries5. Competitive Landscape5.1 Revenue and Market Cap6. Company Profiles6.1 AbbVie6.1.1 Business Overview6.1.2 Financial Overview6.1.3 Business Strategies6.2 AstraZeneca6.2.1 Business Overview6.2.2 Financial Overview6.2.3 Business Strategies6.3 Neurocrine Biosciences6.3.1 Business Overview6.3.2 Financial Overview6.3.3 Business Strategies6.4 Myovant Sciences Ltd. (Roivant Sciences, Ltd.)6.4.1 Business Overview6.4.2 Business StrategiesMajor Drugs for Uterine Fibroids in their Development Phases (2016)Market Cap & Revenue Comparison by Major Players (2016)AstraZenecas Approvals and Upcoming Drugs (2015)Clinical Pipeline of Neurocrine Biosciences (2016)Myovant Sciences Ltd. Product Pipeline (2016)Types and Location of Uterine FibroidsPotential Phase III Drug CandidatesGlobal Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market Forecast by Value (2016-2025)Global Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market Forecast by Region (2025)Global Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market Forecast by Drugs (2021)Global Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market Forecast by Drugs (2025)Global Lupron Market Forecast by Value (2016-2025)Global Elagolix Market Forecast by Value (2019-2025)Global Relugolix Market Forecast by Value (2021-2025)The US Uterine Fibroids Therapeutics Market by Value (2016-2025)The US Uterine Fibroid Therapeutics Market by Drugs (2021)The US Uterine Fibroid Therapeutics Market by Drugs (2025)The US Lupron Market Forecast by Value (2016-2025)The US Elagolix Market Forecast by Value (2019-2025)The US Relugolix Market Forecast by Value (2021-2025)Europes Uterine Fibroids Market Forecast by Value (2016-2025)Europes Uterine Fibroids Market Forecast by Drugs (2025)Europes Lupron Market Forecast by Value (2016-2025)Europes Elagolix Market Forecast by Value (2023-2025)Europes Relugolix Market Forecast by Value (2022-2025)Global Female Population (2012-2016)Global Spending on Medicines (2010-2020E)Total Spending on Medicines in the US (2012-2016)Global Healthcare Expenditure (2012-2016)Abbvie Revenue Share by Pharmaceutical Products (2015)Abbvie Revenue and Net Income (2012-2015)Abbvie Research and Development Expenditure (2015)AstraZeneca Revenue by Segment (2015)AstraZenecas Revenue (2012-2015)Neurocrine Biosciences Revenue and Net Loss (2011-2015)To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:Contact us90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizFollow us on LinkedIn:Thanks..!!!!!!!!!!!MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Media Carrier convinces also the ATLANTIC Hotel Group of the added service value of its Media Box Media Box of Atlantic Hotels www.media-carrier.com Guests at the exclusive four- and five-star hotels will now be able to use the comprehensive e-paper offering of the innovative, digital media library.(Munich, 15 February 2017) Continued success with the Media Box: Media Carrier, a subsidiary of the media and logistics company MELO Group, is delighted to welcome another renowned customer from the hotel industry. ATLANTIC Hotels, a hotel cooperation based in Bremen will now be relying on the infotainment offering of the Media Box. Guests of these top hotels in Germany and Austria can now conveniently download their favourite reading material from a range that comprises around 600 national and international newspapers and magazines free of charge.The Media Box is a web-based platform that can be used quickly and easily with any web-enabled device. In order to download their preferred business magazine or their usual breakfast newspaper, guests connect to the WiFi of the respective ATLANTIC Hotel. Via the "Free Media Box" menu option on the landing page they can indulge in their individual reading matter in XXL. The newspapers and magazines are presented unabridged and in the same layout used in the print versions, and can be browsed through easily and intuitively."We are very pleased to be able to expand our list of references with a further renowned hotel customer in ATLANTIC Hotels. More and more hotels are now discovering the outstanding added value they are able to offer their guests with our Media Box. For hotels to distinguish themselves from competitors on the one hand, and to score points with guests through innovative service tools on the other, it is extremely important that they also boast a convincing digital service offering. Only this way can they ultimately meet the continually growing requirements of a demanding, modern clientele. Our Media Box means they can effortlessly fulfil this task," says Christina Albert, Sales Manager at Media Carrier GmbH."Our guests at the four-star superior ATLANTIC Hotels are primarily business, conference and city travellers, whilst at our SEVERIN*S establishments guests can relax and let themselves be spoiled in an atmosphere of informal luxury. The guests' areas of interest in terms of information and reading are equally as varied. We are delighted to be able to offer our customers such a comprehensive, free-of-charge range of digital magazines and newspapers - over 600 titles - with this new service. Following a three-month test phase in one of our establishments, we were convinced by the service and have adopted this attractive offering for all the branches in our hotel group. The continual expansion of the titles, the numerous languages and the ongoing optimisation of the Media Box are further arguments that helped us to come to this decision, summarises Viktoria Rathjen, manager of the e-paper project at ATLANTIC Hotels.Established in 2011, the company is a subsidiary of the Munich-based MELO Group, whose central divisions are built on the two pillars: media and logistics. Media Carrier specializes in marketing and distributing digital content. It supplies the travel industry with e-papers through the Media Box. Meanwhile, the digital media library is now available on planes operated by Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and Oman Air as well as in over 1,000 hotels worldwide (such as Crowne Plaza, Dorint Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, Sofitel or Steigenberger).Media Carrier GmbHMuthmannstr. 180939 MunichJennifer BingmannMarketing and Communication+49 89 32471 4538jennifer.bingmann@media-carrier.comChristina AlbertSales Manager+49 89 32471 4541christina.albert@media-carrier.com George Washington was a role model when he said I cannot tell a lie. Furthermore, he portrayed honesty during eight years as our first president. Washington set the standard for presidents to come, including Honest Abe. However, half-truths and downright fabrications have recently invaded Americas presidency. Some presidents either lived in a bubble or were so narcissistic they believed the rules of candor didnt apply to them. Witness these faux pas moments: Dwight Eisenhower denied we had U2 spy planes flying over the Soviet Union; one was shot down provoking an international incident. John Kennedy stated in 1961The United States plans no military intervention in Cuba. We invaded Cuba, the Bay of Pigs debacle strengthened Castro, Soviet Union built bases in Cuba and a missile crisis occurred. Lyndon Johnson declared in August 1964 an unprovoked attack occurred in Vietmans Gulf of Tonkin. In 1965 Johnson admitted it was a lie. Richard Nixon: Watergate and I am not a crook says it all. Ronald Reagan: The Iran-Contra affair started in 1985. When details of missile exchanges leaked in 1986, Reagan said We did not, I repeat, did not trade weapons or anything else for hostages, nor will we. Later Reagan said: I lied. George H. W. Bush: Read my lips. No new taxes. Truth: new taxes. Bill Clintons I did not have sexual relations with that woman, which led to it was wrong. I misled people. George W. Bushs near treason statement that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction resulted in 6,845 deceased American soldiers and 900,000 injured. Barack Obama pushed the Affordable Healthcare Act and promised if you like the plan you have, you can keep it. Not true. Trumps significant presidential competitor, Hillary Clinton, claimed she landed in Bosnia under sniper fire in 1996; false. With our 45th president we now have, in his own words, truthful hyperbole, an innocent form of exaggeration (The art of the deal, 1987). Trump does not have onesie-twosie misstatements of fact. PolitiFact, an independent fact-checking organization, examined 356 claims by Mr. Trump, finding two-thirds of them were mostly false or false and 62 were pants on fire false. During our 45th presidents first week in office, The Washington Post documented 24 false or misleading statements. Steve Schmidt, manager of Sen. John McCains 2008 presidential campaign, reflected on the cascade of Mr. Trumps fabrications of truth by saying they were a direct assault on the very idea of representative democracy. Peggy Noonan, a conservative writer for The Wall Street Journal may have summarized the situation we are in with our 45th president the best: A friend called a new word to my attention. It speaks of the moment were in. It is kakistocracy, from the Greek. It means government by the worse persons, by the least qualified or most unprincipled. Were on our way there, arent we? Were going to have to make our way through it together. Mr. President: your post-truth, double talk, cover up and alternative fact statements have become a standard of your administration. They must come to an end. Americans and our allies deserve and demand an honest president; otherwise theres no credibility, integrity or trust. Please contemplate the words, so apropos today, of the novelist from your Mothers native Scotland, Walter Scott: Oh! What a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to deceive. Connected Workplace Market Worth USD 31 Billion by 2022: Industry Analysis and Forecast Connected Workplace Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2005 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/connected-workplace-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=2005 Synopsis of Connected Workplace MarketMarket ForecastConnected Workplace Market is expected to grow at CAGR of 11% during 2016 to 2022 and is expected to reach market size of USD 31 Billion by the end of 2022.Key Players in Market:The prominent players in the Connected Workplace Market are- Siemens AG (Germany) Koninklijke Philips N.V. (The Netherlands) ABB Ltd. (U.S.) Deloitte Pvt. Co. (U.S.) Schneider Electric SA (France) Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.) Crestron Electronics, Inc. (U.S.) Honeywell International, Inc. (U.S.) Johnson Controls Inc. (U.S.) United Technologies Corporation (U.S.)Request a Sample Report @Market Overview:Connected workplace connects all employees to their colleagues and interlinking all tasks by effectively using cloud based applications or mobile devices. This is also supports big data analytics in organization which increases the productivity, customer interaction, thereby generating huge revenue for the firm. The growth drivers for this market include widespread availability of interactive service in the organization which helps in providing information to all the stakeholders of organization, by utilization of tablets, smartphones and laptops and flexible working spaces which help in attracting new talent for the organization. A major challenge in connected workplace is protecting the intellectual property of an organization as the information can be assessed worldwide.Connected workplace facilitates an organization with free seating and open space arrangement which help a business in easily adopting the changing business needs. Connected workplace leverages technology which satisfies the employees of the organization, leading to high productivity and helps in maintaining quality standards. This also allows an organization to efficiently utilize their workplace investments.Access the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 110 numbers of pages of the project report Global Connected Workplace MarketBrowse Report Details @Connected Workplace Market SegmentationThe Global Connected Workplace Market has been segmented on the basis of components, types, deployment and applications. Component includes- security systems, smart lighting, HVAC control, and others. On the basis of type, the global Connected Workplace Market can be segmented into telecommuting, virtual team and hot desk among others. Connected workplace can be deployed by using on-premise, on-cloud and hybrid technology methods. The applications of connected workplace can be monitoring, building automation, energy management system, mobile device management and others.Market Research Analysis:Market Research Future Analysis shows that the major driver of growth of Connected Workplace Market is increasing adoption of digital innovation by employees of organization. The employees are greatly accepting the concept of bring-your own device (BYOD) which enables them to bring their own laptop or smartphone to work and connect them to the firms IT network. The increasing youth population in many regions which is technology savvy is also supporting in promoting the concept of connected workplace. This concept is being majorly adopted by industries such as software companies, educational institutes, consultancy providers, real estate and construction among others. Workspaces are increasingly taking advantage of intelligent building systems, allowing companies to reduce energy costs and personalizing the workspace experience for employees.Purchase Single User License Copy of Report @Market Research Future Analysis shows that North America is expected to dominate the global Connected Workplace Market owing to presence of many large companies like Deloitte Pvt. Co, Crestron Electronics, United Technologies Corporation, Honeywell International, Inc. and others in the region. The increase in number of OEM operators in North America region would also contribute to the market growth. APAC region is also expected to record a huge growth rate in the forecast period due to rapid industrialization in developing economies like India, and China and is expected to fuel the Connected Workplace Market in the upcoming future.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 Bi-axially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) Market - Industry Trends and Forecast 2013 - 2024 Bi-axially Oriented Polypropylene Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3525 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ The global bi-axially oriented polypropylene market is undeniably fragmented; so much so, that the top seven players accounted for less than 20% of the overall market in 2015. The low shares of these manufacturers, namely, Jindal Poly Films, Taghleef Indsutries, Oben Group, Vibac Group, Cosmos Films, and Vitopel, have resulted in intense competition. Transparency Market Research predicts that the rivalry among the players is likely to be intensified by the entry of several local players.The degree of competition will rise from medium to high during the forecast period as an increasing number of local manufacturers lower the cost of the final product by raising the production, the author of the study states. The offerings of economical BOPP films by local or new players will enable them to compete with existing companies.The expansion of production capacities and geographical expansions form a key part of the growth strategy of several companies. A case in point would be Jindal Poly Films Ltd. In November 2015, the company announced its global expansion plan, which includes an investment of over US$15 mn and the addition of three new BOPP production lines in various facilities across India, the U.S., and Europe.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Demand for Flexible Packaging Directly Impacting Demand for BOPPBOPP is increasingly employed in flexible packaging owing to its inherent advantages such as ease of printing, low cost, inertness to food packaging, and low moisture transmission.The demand for BOPP will be in line with that for flexible packaging in the near future, the author of the study predicts. The demand for flexible packaging has been on the rise thanks to the rapid growth in the pharmaceutical, food and beverages, electronics, and personal care industries and this growth is sure to impact the demand for BOPP in the coming years. The BOPP market is also fueled by the low cost and recyclability of BOPP films.BOPP Market to be Deterred by Fluctuating Prices of Raw MaterialsThe prices of BOPP are primarily dependent on the prices of polypropylene, which have a strong correlation with crude oil. As a result, any fluctuations in the prices of crude oil impact those of BOPP. This acts as a major impediment to the global BOPP market.On the other hand, a key opportunity for players in the BOPP market, as identified by TMRs team of analysts, is the growing need for unique packaging and specialty BOPP films. Manufacturers can focus on the development of new and innovative BOPP films that cater to specific requirements such as flavor and color retention, transparent, colored, or opaque films, and heat sealable films, an analyst states.Food Leading Application Segment by Demand and RevenueTMR predicts that the BOPP market will expand at a 5.8% CAGR from 2016 to 2024 in terms of revenue. The value of the market was pegged at US$12.7 bn in 2015 and this is projected to increase to US$20.9 bn by 2024. By volume, the market is likely to register a 6.3% CAGR during the forecast period.The food segment holds the lead position in the overall BOPP market by application in terms of volume as well as value. The segment is projected to touch US$14.4 bn in revenue the end of the forecast period. Geographically, Asia Pacific will continue leading the global BOPP market, accounting for a volume share of 63% by 2024.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: 2017 Prediction for Stand Up Pouches Market - Competitive Analysis, Trends, Forecast 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=9620 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com A pouch is a container used for carrying goods or products. A stand up pouch is one that has an ability to stand on its own. The base on which it stands is called a bottom guzzet (in a stand up pouch). Stand up pouches are the most popular and widely used form of flexible packaging. Stand up pouches come with market friendly features, such as zipper reclosure, tear notches, hang-hole features, and attractive billboards for label and graphics. They are mostly used in the food and beverages industry. However, these pouches are still gaining importance in other end use packaging applications, such as dry food packaging, baby food, pet food, and natural products.Download PDF Brochure:Major growth drivers for the stand up pouches market include: reduced cost of shipping and storage of products, aesthetically pleasant appearance resulting into better branding, and wide acceptability among consumers due to their lightweight and easy to handle features. In addition, these pouches are more cost effective as compared to glass or pet bottles, offer flexibility to print as per custom design, and ensure a better shelf visibility, thereby driving their market growth further. Surge in the number of end user industries of stand-up pouches has also been responsible for their increasing demand across the globe. However, high investment required for the purchase of stand-up pouches packaging line is considered to be a major threat for its market growth.Stand up pouches can be classified on the basis of material used, which include plastic, aluminum foil, kraft paper foil, or a combination of these. Secondly, the stand up pouches market is also segmented on the basis of shape into: round bottom, K seal, and corner sealed. Other pouch styles include: 3 side seal pouches, box pouches, and tap and gland fitment. Meanwhile, pouch closure options include spouts and fitments, press to close zippers, sliders, hooded sliders, etc. Manufacturers also offer additional options based on the product requirement. Additional pouch features include rounded corners, mitred corners, tear notches, clear windows, shiny or matter finishes, venting, handle holes, mechanical perforating, and laser perforating.Regionally, Asia Pacific is estimated to account for more than 50% share of the overall stand-up pouches market, owing to the increasing number of middle class customers in the region, which are more attracted toward the stand up pouch packaging type, especially in India and tier 3 cities of China. However, this can only be attributed to the high population in these countries, as per capita consumption of stand up pouches has been witnessed to be much higher in North America and Europe as compared to Asia Pacific. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to be followed by Europe and North America markets, respectively. The MENA and Latin America, together, are anticipated to account for less than 15% share of the global stand up pouches market over the forecast period.Major players in the stand up pouches market include: Amcor Ltd.(Australia), The DOW Chemical Company (U.S), Mondi Group (Austria), Berry Plastic Corporation (U.S), Smurfit Kappa Group (Dublin), Bemis Company Inc. (U.S), Essentra PLC (U.K), Bischof+Klein (Germany), Coating Excellence International (U.S), Hood Packaging (U.S), Printpack (U.S.), ProAmpac (Canada), Sealed Air (U.S.), Sonoco (U.S), and Winpak Ltd (Canada). Currently, the market is highly unorganized due to the presence of various small and medium level manufacturers.Product innovations and expansion are the key strategies adopted by major players in the global stand up pouches market. Recently, two major players, Prolamina (U.S) and Ampac (U.S) merged their packaging business and formed a new company called ProAmpac Intermediate Corp. ProAmpac includes four divisions, namely Prolamina, Ampac, Tulsack, and Business Deposits Plus. In addition to the new name, Prolaminas Terrebonne, Quebec (Canada) site will shift to the Ampac division, as its product offerings match with the adhesive laminated roll stock and pouching offered by Ampac.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: Furfural Market - Global Industry Analysis By 2023 Furfural Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1057 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ In the recent time, the demand for bio-based fuels and chemicals have reported a significant rise, thanks to the growing awareness regarding the renewable alternatives of fossil resources. Furfural, being a renewable platform molecule for the production of biofuels and biochemicals, is gaining significant impetus from this rising demand.The pharmaceutical industry is also presenting lucrative opportunities for the application of this organic compound. As furfural acts as a natural precursor to a varied range of furan-based chemicals and solvents, its application in the production of pharmaceutical intermediaries and mixtures is likely to increase considerably in the years to come.On the other hand, inefficient production processes and the lack of technical advancement may restrict the market from growing over the forthcoming years. However, the capability of this compound to renew itself is predicted to result in its increased adoption across a number of end-use industries in the near future. The global opportunity in furfural was worth US$450 mn in 2014. Expanding at a steady CAGR of 13.10% between 2015 and 2023, this opportunity is predicted to reach to US$1.35 bn by the end of the forecast period.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Increasing Application of Furfuryl Alcohol to Drive Demand for FurfuralFurfuryl alcohol, pharmaceuticals, solvents, and chemical intermediates are the prime application areas for furfural. Apart from this, this compound also finds widespread application in herbicides, pesticides, and flavors and fragrance.Currently, furfuryl alcohol is the key contributor to the overall consumption of furfural across the world. In 2014, the opportunity for furfural in furfuryl alcohol was worth US$394 mn. Increasing at a CAGR of 13.20% from 2015 to 2023, it is likely to increase to US$1.2 bn by the end of the forecast period. The increasing application of furfuryl alcohol as binders in resins and as solvents in pharmaceuticals is anticipated to drive the demand for furfural significantly over the next few years.Consumption of Furfural Projected to Remain High in Asia PacificNorth America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa are the key regional markets for furfural. Among these, Asia Pacific has emerged as the leading consumer of furfural. In 2014, the region accounted for a share of 78% in the overall demand for this compound. By 2023, this demand share is likely to witness a rise of 4.5%, owing to the growing demand for furfural-based agrochemicals as well as herbicides and pesticides. Asia Pacific is likely to present an opportunity of US$1.08 bn in the furfural market by 2023, increasing at a CAGR of 13.80% during the period of 2015-2023.China has emerged as the key contributor to the consumption of furfural in Asia Pacific. The demand for furfural is expected to rise at a CAGR of 11.50% in China during the forecast period. The leading players in the global furfural market are Xingtai Chunlei Furfuryl Alcohol Co. Ltd., Tieling North Furfural (Group) Co. Ltd., Tanin Sevnica d.d., Silvateam S.p.A., Penn A Kem LLC, Nutrafur S.A., Linzi Organic Chemicals Inc. Ltd., Lenzing AG, KRBL Ltd., Illovo Sugar Ltd., Hongye Holding Group Corp. Ltd., Central Romana Corp. Ltd., and Arcoy Biorefinery Pvt. Ltd.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Graphite Market With Focus On Lithium-Ion Batteries & Recarburisers: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021) http://bit.ly/2livZh6 http://bit.ly/2lgn1kX Graphite is a soft, crystalline form of elemental carbon. Graphite is a grey to black, opaque mineral with a metallic lustre. It occurs naturally in metamorphic rocks such as marble, schist, gneiss and phyllite. It is usually found as veins, lenses, and pockets and as thin laminae disseminated in metamorphic rocks. Depending on the mode of occurrence and origin, graphite is graded into three forms: flake, crystalline (lumpy) and cryptocrystalline (amorphous). Graphite is used in steel manufacturing, auto part fabrication, lubricants and batteries. Future demand drivers are likely to be green technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, fuel cells, construction materials and graphene based industrial products. The key graphite end uses are battery anodes, expandable graphite, composites, refractory and foundry, steel markets, gaskets, seals, brake linings and lubricants.The key factors driving the growth of graphite market are rapid growth in mining industry, advancements in automotive and electronic, growth in demand for batteries and decrease in lithium-ion battery costs. Some of the noteworthy trends and developments of this industry are improvement in the lithium-ion battery, lithium-ion batteries demand to accelerate with high investments, teslas entry into the lithium-ion market, synthetic graphite production rising, flake and vein exploration and rising demand for electric vehicles and other electronic devices. However, the expansion of the market is hindered by safety issues.Technology Insights and Sample Copy Of Report:The report Global Graphite Market provides an in-depth analysis of the graphite market on a global scale discussing its major segments along with the lithium-ion batteries and recarburisers market. The major trends, growth drivers as well as issues being faced by the industry are being presented in this report. The industry comprises few large players such as Northern Graphite Corporation, Alabama Graphite Corporation, Mason Graphite Inc. and Focus Graphite Inc. All these companies have been profiled in the present report highlighting their key financials and business strategies for growth.Table of Content1. Graphite Market - An Overview1.1 An Introduction1.2 Types of Graphite1.3 Key Product Markets Synthetic vs. Natural Graphite1.4 Key Properties of Graphite1.5 How is Graphite Mined and Processed?1.6 Graphite End Uses2. Global Market Analysis2.1 Global Graphite Market Forecast by Value2.2 Graphite Price2.3 Global Graphite Resources by Country2.4 Global Graphite Market by End Use2.5 Global Graphite Market by Types2.6 Synthetic Graphite Market Share by Application2.7 Synthetic Graphite Market Share by End Use2.8 Natural Graphite Demand Forecast by Volume2.9 Natural Graphite by Types2.10 Natural Graphite Demand Share by End UseGet More Metals Market Research Reports:3. Lithium-ion Batteries Market Analysis3.1 Global Lithium-ion Batteries Market by Value3.2 Global Lithium-ion Batteries Forecasted Market by Value3.3 Global Lithium-ion Batteries Market by Segment3.4 Global Lithium-ion Batteries Market Forecast by Segment3.5 Global Lithium-ion Batteries Demand by Volume3.6 Global Lithium-ion Batteries Forecasted Demand by Volume3.7 Global Graphite Demand for Lithium-ion Battery by Volume3.8 Natural Flake Demand Forecast for Li-ion Battery Market4. Recarburisers Market Analysis4.1 Global Recarburisers Market Breakdown4.2 Global Recarburisers Market by Carbon Source4.3 Global Recarburisers Demand Forecast by Volume4.4 Natural Graphite Supply to Recarburisers5. Market Dynamics5.1 Growth Drivers5.1.1 Rapid Growth in Mining Industry5.1.2 Advancements in Automotive and Electronic5.1.3 Growth in Demand for Batteries5.1.4 Decrease in Lithium-ion Battery Costs5.2 Market Trends5.2.1 Improvement in Lithium-ion Battery5.2.2 Lithium-ion Batteries Demand to Accelerate with High Investments5.2.3 Teslas Entry into the Lithium-ion Market5.2.4 Synthetic Graphite Production Rising5.2.5 Flake and Vein Exploration5.2.6 Rising Demand for Electric Vehicles and Other Electronic Devices5.3 Challenges5.3.1 Charging Time5.3.2 Safety Issues6. Competitive Landscape6.1 Financial Comparison of Key Players7. Company Profiles7.1 Northern Graphite Corporation7.1.1 Business Overview7.1.2 Financial Overview7.1.3 Business Strategies7.2 Alabama Graphite7.2.1 Business Overview7.2.2 Financial Overview7.2.3 Business Strategies7.3 Mason Graphite Inc.7.3.1 Business Overview7.3.2 Financial Overview7.3.3 Business Strategies7.4 Focus Graphite Inc.7.4.1 Business Overview7.4.2 Financial Overview7.4.3 Business StrategiesN/ATypes of GraphiteKey Product Markets Synthetic vs. Natural GraphiteGlobal Graphite Market Forecast by Value (2015-2021)Graphite Price (2007-2016)Global Graphite Resources by Country (2016)Global Graphite Market by End Use (2016)Global Graphite Market by Types (2015)Synthetic Graphite Market Share by Application (2015)Synthetic Graphite Market Share by End Use (2015)Natural Graphite Demand Forecast by Volume (2016-2021)Natural Graphite by Types (2015)Natural Graphite Demand Share by End Use (2016)Natural Graphite Demand Forecast Share by End Use (2021)Global Lithium-ion Batteries Market by Value (2013-2016)Global Lithium-ion Batteries Forecasted Market by Value (2017-2021)Global Lithium-ion Batteries Market by Segment (2013-2016)Global Lithium-ion Batteries Market Forecast by Segment (2017-2021)Global Lithium-ion Batteries Demand by Volume (2013-2016)Global Lithium-ion Batteries Forecasted Demand by Volume (2017-2021)Global Graphite Demand for Lithium-ion Battery by Volume (2015-2021)Natural Flake Demand Forecast for Li-ion Battery Market (2015-2021)Global Recarburisers Market Breakdown (2016)Global Recarburisers Market by Carbon Source (2016)Global Recarburisers Demand Forecast by Volume (2016-2021)Natural Graphite Supply to Recarburisers by Volume (2012-2016)Global Lithium-ion Battery Costs (2010-2020)Northern Graphite Corporation Net Income and Capital Expenditures (2011-2015)Alabama Graphite Net Income and Capital Expenditures (2013-2016)Mason Graphite Net Income and Capital Expenditures (2012-2016)Focus Graphite Net Income and Capital Expenditures (2012-2015)Financial Comparison of Key Players (2015)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 Growth Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics Market : 2017 - 2025 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13777 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13777 Advanced renal cell carcinoma is associated with a type of kidney cancer that appears in the covering of the proximal complex tubule. Convoluted tubule is a very small part of tubes in the kidney that helps in transportation of unwanted particles from the blood to the urine. Advance renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, that is represents nearly 2-3% of all cancer cases in adults. The disorder is asymptomatic in advanced renal cell carcinoma at initial stages that results with people often in the advanced stages of the disease by the time it is discovered. The initial symptoms of renal cell carcinoma are: a general feeling of being unwell, hypertension, flank pain, or flank, weight loss, fever, blood in the urine, night sweats, and a mass in the abdomen. Managing of renal cell carcinoma has made significant development in past few years, and new developing approaches are being established. Advanced renal cell carcinoma is a disease that is extremely unaffected to general therapy and is challenging to treat. Surgical removal of one or both kidneys should be considered in patients who exist with metastatic disease earlier to systemic therapy, and surgery rests a rational option in patients who present with decent metastasesA Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @Advance renal cell carcinoma therapeutics market can be segmented on the basis of therapies, drugs class, and distribution channel.On the basis of therapies used in advance renal cell carcinoma therapeutics market is segmented into:Radiation TherapyExternal Beam RadiationRadio SurgeryChemo TherapyHormone TherapyInvestigational TherapiesVaccine TherapyStem Cell TransplantOn the basis of drugs class advance renal cell carcinoma therapeutics market is segmented into:Fluorinated pyrimidine antimetaboliteTyrosine kinase inhibitorsRapamycin-derivative kinase inhibitorMultityrosine kinase inhibitorInterferonInterleukinOn the basis of distribution channel advance renal cell carcinoma therapeutics market is segmented into:Hospitals and Hospital PharmaciesCancer Research InstitutesAmbulatory Surgical CentersRetail PharmaciesOthersOn the basis of therapies used in advanced renal cell carcinoma, the market is segmented into radiation therapy, chemo therapy, hormone therapy, and investigational therapies. Radiation therapy might not considered for as primary form of therapy, radiation therapy is used to treat kidney cancer that has metastasized to the spine, brain or bone. There are several different types of radiation therapy like external beam radiation and radio surgery. Chemotherapy mechanism is based on the same ideologies as radiation therapy excluding that chemicals are used to slow their growth or destroy cancerous cells. The definite type of chemotherapy depends on the site of primary cancer development, and physical condition of the patient, and type and grade of tumor. Hormone therapy is a form of chemotherapy in hormone therapy synthetic and natural hormones are used in place of cytotoxic medicines. There are normally less side effects from hormone therapy. Investigational therapies are new therapies that are used in cancer treatment they are of two type vaccine therapy and stem cell therapies.On the basis of geographies, advanced renal cell carcinoma market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is dominating market in advanced renal cell carcinoma therapeutics, owing to factors such as rising awareness towards innovative drug therapies and an increasing geriatric population. Followed by North America the pattern of geriatric population and awareness related to innovative drugs is trailed in Western & Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Factors such as lack of acceptance and lack of facilities in disease diagnosis market may hamper the revenue generation in advanced renal cell carcinoma market. Japan will have a consistent rise owing to the stability amongst combinational therapies acceptance and increasing disease prevalence due to changes in routine in the advance renal cell carcinoma therapeutics market. There is opportunity for players in advanced renal cell carcinoma therapeutics market in Middle East and Africa region. Increasing expenditure by developed countries on healthcare will drive the advanced renal cell carcinoma therapeutics market in large available patient base population in the untapped region.Some of the major key players in advanced renal cell carcinoma therapeutics market are Acceleron Pharma, Argos Therapeutics, AVEO Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bayer AG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Chugai Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Exelixi, Inc. Genentech, Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Merck & Co. Inc, Novartis AG, Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Pfizer, Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. The increasing competition in key players will drive the market of bioelectric medicine in forecast period.Request to View Tables of Content @The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Advance Renal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics Market SegmentsAdvance Renal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics Market DynamicsHistorical Actual Market Size, 2013 - 2015Advance Renal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics Market Size & Forecast 2016 to 2024Advance Renal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics Market CurrentTrends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedAdvance Renal Cell Carcinoma Therapeutics Market Drivers and RestraintsAbout 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.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.com Cloud Services Market Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market By 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6667 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/6667 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ Cloud services are those services that are offered to users via the Internet from the server of cloud computing service provider. Such services provide scalable and easy access to various resources and applications, and are entirely managed by the cloud service providers. The examples of cloud services include web-based e-mail services, online backup solutions and data storage, document collaboration services, technical support services, and database processing among others. Cloud service providers supply the necessary software and hardware required for cloud service, thereby eliminating the need for organizations to deploy their own resources for managing networked services. The other advantage of cloud services over the traditional methods of providing infrastructure is faster deployment of services and reduction in in-house maintenance costs.A sample of this report is available upon request @On the basis of mode of delivery, the cloud services market is segmented into Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure as a service (IaaS). The SaaS mode of delivery is further segmented into SMB and mobile corporate SaaS cloud services, corporate SaaS cloud services, SMB SaaS cloud services and others. North America is the largest contributor to the cloud services market due to the high penetration of internet in this region. This region is followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW).Major benefits offered by cloud services are driving business organizations in implementing the use of cloud services. Cloud services maximize the effectiveness of shared resources and ensure the business organizations higher returns and faster paybacks. In addition, cloud services offer scalable solutions to growing business organizations at low cost of ownership. This drives business organizations to invest in such services that allow them to generate higher revenues by optimizing the available resources. However, the data security issues are the roadblocks that are adversely affecting the growth of this market. The increasing data hacking incidences using sophisticated tools result in loss of sensitive data, causing serious dents in the business revenues. Also, there are constant evolutions of new security threats that are affecting the quality of cloud services. Further, the small and medium businesses find it difficult to repeatedly invest in the customized solutions available for cloud services security. Due to such factors, the business organizations are reluctant in investing in the cloud services and prefer to carry on with conventional methods of network infrastructure.A TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major players in the market are improving their existing services by adding new and innovative features. This helps them in staying competitively ahead in the market. For instance, Akamai Technologies, Inc., one of the leading cloud services providers, recently added Zone Apex Mapping feature to its Ion network acceleration technology. This feature reduces DNS resolution time and avoids HTTP redirects. Other major players in the market include VMware, Inc., (U.S.), Taleo Corporation (Ireland), Oracle Corporation, (U.S.), NetSuite Inc., (U.S.), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), Joyent Inc., (U.S.), International Business Machines Corporation (U.S.), Hewlett-Packard (U.S.), Flexiant Limited (United Kingdom), ENKI Consulting (U.S.), Etelos Inc.,(U.S.), Citrix Systems Inc., (U.S.), Cisco Systems Inc., (U.S.), CA Technologies, Inc., (U.S.), and SAP AG (Germany).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 Network Configuration and Change Management Market Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market By 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/6697 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/6697 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ Network configuration and change management enhances control over crucial infrastructure data, reduces cost, saves time by increasing automation and eliminates manual tasks. Advanced network configuration and change management system ensures speedy performance by reducing network downturn time, thereby saving organizations IT resources and minimizes losses occurred during network outages.A sample of this report is available upon request @The Network Configuration and Change Management can be segmented into two major types, by applications and geography. The application segment into includes healthcare, government, BFSI, educational institutes, IT & Telecom, and energy sector, while the end users segment includes small and medium enterprises and enterprises. The network configuration and change management market can be further segmented geographically into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and RoW (Rest of the World).The Network Configuration and Change Management market across the globe is expected to show substantial growth with double digit increase in CAGR during forecast period, form 2013 to 2019. There is a significant increase in the Network Configuration and Change Management market because it prevents application performance degradation and network downtime.The key drivers of this market include increasing demand for network automation, network security and evolving infrastructure for network infrastructure, which are biggest revenue generators for this market, while the major restraints to this market are rigid standard procedures and budgetary constraints. Less number of software defined networking serves as opportunity in this market.A TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the key players in the Network Configuration and Change Management are BMC Software, Alterpoint, Ca Technologies, Dorado Software, Solarwinds, Cisco, EMC Corporation, Hewlett Packard and IBM.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 Diabetic Nephropathy Market to Reach an Estimated Value of US$ 3,145.9 Million by 2020 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3594 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/diabetic-nephropathy-market/toc http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/3594 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Diabetic Nephropathy Market Asia to Witness Highest Growth by 2020,.The global diabetic nephropathy market was valued at USD 2,262.2 million in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2014 to 2020, to reach an expected value of USD 3,145.9 million in 2020.Diabetic nephropathy is a disease of the kidney glomerulus and one of the most significant complications in terms of mortality and morbidity for patients with diabetes. Globally, the diabetic nephropathy market is witnessing significant growth due to increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity in different regions of the world. In addition, increasing R&D investments in drug discovery and development and raising awareness about diabetes and kidney-related disorders are also driving the growth of the market. However, stringent regulatory requirements and longer approval time for drugs as well as the lack of comprehensive therapeutic management for diabetic nephropathy are inhibiting the growth of diabetic nephropathy market. The global diabetic nephropathy market is estimated at USD 2,262.2 million in 2014. It is likely to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2014 to 2020 to reach USD 3,145.9 million in 2020.In North America, various government programs are spreading awareness about diabetes and related renal complications. For instance, the National Kidney Disease Education Program, one of the major programs organized by the U.S. government, for increasing awareness about the various kidney diseases. In addition, the number of diabetic patients are also increasing in the region; according to the SciELO Public Health, approximately 35 million people were affected with diabetes mellitus in 2000 and this number is expected to reach 64 million by 2025 in North America.In Europe, rise in healthcare expenditure for diabetes treatment and increasing prevalence of diabetes in the various part of Europe is boosting the growth of the European diabetic nephropathy market. According to IDF, approximately 55.4 million people had diabetes in 2010 and the number is expected to reach 66.5 million by 2030 in Europe. According to the IDF, healthcare expenditure for diabetes treatment was approximately USD 105.5 billion in 2010 and is expected to reach USD 124.6 billion by 2030 in Europe.A Sample of this report is available upon request @Asia represents the fastest growing region in the diabetic nephropathy market due to the rise in a diabetic population in various countries such as Japan and the Southeast Asian countries. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), developing countries, such as India and China, are expected to have the highest number of diabetes mellitus patients compared to developed countries, such as the U.S. and Germany.Request to view Table of content @Sanofi is one of the leading players in the diabetic nephropathy market. Other major players in diabetic nephropathy market include Eli Lilly and Company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Inc., Bayer AG, Merck & Co., Inc., Bayer AG and Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.To Buy Full Report for a Single User @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb: Automotive Transmission Engineering Services Outsourcing Market Fueled By Increasing Production Of Vehicles And Rising Demand For Hybrid Vehicles http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19529 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Two major types of automotive transmission are manual and automatic. Automotive transmission engineering is the most crucial process in the manufacturing of an automobile. Transmission in vehicles allows the flow of power from the engine to the wheels, thereby ensuring the movement of vehicle. Increasing production of vehicles and rising demand for hybrid vehicles are the major factors driving the growth of automotive transmission engineering services outsourcing market. There has been a rising concern regarding the safety of environment due to the huge pollution caused by the emission of gasoline and diesel vehicles. Increasing environmental concerns are driving the government of various countries to encourage automakers to develop eco-friendly vehicles. Government of various countries are motivating automobile companies with tax benefits and subsidies in order to ensure that all vehicles manufactured meet the stringent carbon emission norms. This is driving the demand for hybrid vehicles, which in turn is motivating the growth of automotive transmission engineering services market across the world. In addition, rising fuel prices is also a major reason driving the growth of hybrid vehicles. Therefore, automobile manufacturers are heavily focusing on their research and development capabilities in order to develop fuel efficient and environment friendly vehicles, which is consequently propelling the growth of automotive transmission engineering services market.One of the major restraints inhibiting the growth of this market is the high cost associated with hybrid transmission systems. The hybrid system technology in vehicles is no doubt sophisticated and advanced but however, the research and development expenditures and manufacturing cost to companies is extremely high as compared to the manufacturing of conventional vehicles. However, it is also to be considered that mild hybrids and other hybrids (except pure hybrid vehicles) with less sophisticated single motor and single clutch system are relatively low in price compared to pure hybrid vehicles. The high manufacturing and development cost is passed on to the end-users, which makes the vehicles expensive and less affordable to majority of the consumers. In addition to less affordability, there is also an issue of availability of hybrid vehicles in many parts of the world. Due to lack of high demand for hybrid vehicles, automakers are skeptical about establishing new hybrid vehicle manufacturing units into new areas. In numerous countries of Asia Pacific and Africa, there is very low demand for hybrid vehicles.PDF Sample For Latest Innovations And Advancements @The automotive transmission engineering services outsourcing market can be classified by transmission type, by powertrain type and by service type. The transmission type segment can be classified into manual and automatic. By powertrain type, the market can be segregated as conventional and hybrid. By service type, the market can be segmented into designing, prototyping, testing and, system engineering and integration.In the automotive transmission engineering services outsourcing market, Asia Pacific holds the largest market share in terms of revenue followed by North America, Europe, Latin America and, Middle East and Africa (MEA).In the Asia Pacific region, countries such as China and India has been witnessing heavy demand and production for passenger vehicles. This in turn is motivating the growth for automotive transmission engineering services outsourcing market in the region. The market in North America and Europe tends to be a bit saturated but the market is expected to remain stable during the forecast period. By the end of the forecast period, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America are expected to show significant growth, considering the growth in automotive sector and rising demand for passenger and commercial vehicles in the regions.The key players in the automotive transmission engineering services outsourcingmarket include AVL (Austria), FEV GmbH (Germany), IAV GmbH (Germany), Ricardo Plc (U.K.), Intertek Group Plc (U.K.), Porsche Engineering (Germany), Tata Consultancy Services Limited (India), Magna International Inc. (Canada), MagnetiMarelliS.p.A (Italy) and Horiba, Ltd. (Japan) among others.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Next Generation Data Storage Technology Market Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market by 2021 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/7169 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/7169 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ Next generation data storage technology is the need for the hour as everything today we use creates data. For instance our mobile phones, wearable electronics, smart battery, games, advertisements, movies, smart homes, smart city, smart homes i.e. almost everything creates data. The next generation data storage technology offers the storage and fast recovery of our data in an efficient manner. The conventional data storage technology cannot handle the large chunks of data that are being produced every day.A sample of this report is available upon request @The increasing input-output devices are driving the next generation data storage market. Now data is being produced in virtually every sector that is the major growth driver for next generation data storage market.The growing demand for time-saving is a major driver of next generation data storage market. An example of time-saving technologies or system: smart technologies, automated systems, internet of things, online shopping, etc. has taken the next generation data storage market to a next level.Companies working in next generation and data storage market are constantly investing in research and development. For instance: HP has developed affordable flash drives that work at high speed.The invention of new technologies is catering the needs of the data market and boosting the next generation data storage market. For instances: EMC has developed new technology to solve data storage problems in enterprises, also Intel and micron have developed 3D NAND technology to increase data processing speed in solid state drives.Data storage which is a major challenge for numerous industries is helping the next generation data storage technology market to expand its roots. There is a vast demand for data storage which is flourishing the next generation data storage market.With the need to constantly update till the time we find the ultimate data storage technology is biggest demand generator for next generation data storage market because the data generation is never going to end.Cloud computing is a new trend and there has been a significant increase in the number of cloud providers, NetApp and EMC are aggressively focusing on this market. For instance: Virtustream is acquired by EMC to expand its cloud services.The restrain of next generation data storage market is the lack of security in cloud and server based services.Next generation data storage technology market is segmented by technology, by applications, by region. Next generation data storage technology market segmentation by technology is done as cloud-based disaster recovery, all-flash storage arrays, hybrid array, holographic data storage and Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR). The growing technologies will help to store, secure and recover huge volume of data. Hybrid array and all-flash array are popular storage techniques.Next generation data storage technology market segmentation by an application is done into big data storage service, cloud-based storage service, enterprise based storage service and others. The growing data analytics for big data has created the requirement for next generation data storage system, which help in efficient storing and fast searching of necessary data.The global next generation data storage technology market is segmented into seven major regions, which include North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East & Africa.A TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the key players identified in the global next generation data storage technology market are Dell, EMC Corporation, IBM, VMware, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Development Company, Sandisk corporation, Micron Technology, Nutanix, NetApp, Inc. , Toshiba corporation, Quantum Corporation, Hitachi data systems, HGST, Inc., Drobo , Avago Technologies, SimpliVity Corporation, Tintri. Wherein HP, EMC and IBM are some of the leading players in global next generation data storage technology market. The increase in the cloud services for public and the smart technologies generated the need for new technologies for the enterprise storage industries.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as by technology, by application, by region.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 Semiconductor Fabrication Software Market - Technological Shift From The Planar Field Effect Transistor Designs To Finfet Architecture Design Is Fueling The Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19409 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Increasing technological advancements in different smart devices is boosting the market for semiconductor fabrication software. Increasing demand for smart semiconductor devices along with technological shift from the planar field effect transistor designs to FinFET architecture design is fueling the market. The market has been segmented into by software type which includes process control software, fab management software, IC physical design and verification and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software among others. The market for semiconductor fabrication software, by geography is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa and South America.The market for semiconductor fabrication software by software type is segmented into software type which includes process control software, IC physical design and verification, fab management software, and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software among others. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) software segment is holding the largest market share in terms of revenue in the semiconductor fabrication software market. Shift from the analog, discrete and logic devices to memory devices owing to growing high growth potential of semiconductor memory devices for example 3D DRAM and 3D NAND is also contributing in the positive development of the fabrication software market globally.The growing adoption of FinFET (fin-shaped field effect transistor) architecture is considered to be one of the prime drivers for the growth of global semiconductor fabrication software market. The increasing advent of smart electronic devices along with IoT (Internet of things) is also fueling the market for semiconductor fabrication software. In addition, shift from planar field effect transistor designs to FinFET architecture design is also one of the prime driving factors for the market. Moreover, increasing technological advancement and upgradation in terms of features among digital cameras, tablets, smartphones, PDAs, and PCs are some of the prime diving factors for the market.PDF Sample For Latest Innovations And Advancements @Asia Pacific and North America is holding the highest market share in terms of revenue in semiconductor fabrication software market globally. Increasing number of semiconductor manufacturing hubs is one of the prime factors driving the market across Asia Pacific. In addition, China, Japan, Taiwan and India are contributing a major share in the semiconductor fabrication software market across Asia Pacific. Moreover, The U.S. is leading the market share across North America, followed by Canada and Mexico. In Europe, Germany, U.K., France, Italy are holding a prominent position in the semiconductor fabrication software market. In Latin America, Brazil and Argentina are anticipated to register positive development over the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. Furthermore, UAE and Saudi Arabia are dominating the market across Middle East and Africa.The companies involved in this market are concentrating on research and development activities along with mergers and acquisitions to strengthen its foothold in this market. Product development and enhancing the features of existing product lines are major business strategies adopted by the companies in semiconductor fabrication software market. Geographical expansion is one of the key strategies that help the companies to expand its presence globally and eventually strengthen its position worldwide. Moreover, strategic partnership agreement with other firms is another key business strategies adopted by the semiconductor fabrication software companies across different regions globally. Furthermore, long term and short term agreements with different suppliers and distributors are also part of major business strategies. Applied Materials, Inc. (The U.S.), Aldec, Inc. (The U.S.), Ansoft Corporation (The U.S.), Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (The U.S.), AtopTech (The U.S.), FEI (The U.S.), KLA-Tencor Corporation (The U.S.), JEDA Technologies (The U.S.), Mentor Graphics, Inc (The U.S.), Synopsys, Inc. (The U.S.), Agnisys Inc. (The U.S.), Rudolph Technologies, Inc. (The U.S.), Mentor Graphics, Inc. (The U.S.), Xilinx, Inc. (The U.S.) and Zuken Inc. (Japan) among others are some of the key players operating in semiconductor fabrication software market.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Transparency Market Research90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: WebRTC Market Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market by 2021 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/7987 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/7987 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) is an internet browser interface which enables real-time communication between two internet browsers. WebRTC enables peer to peer audio, video and data communication between the browsers without plugins. This key functionality of WebRTC not only reduces the time required but also makes the process easy for a non-technical user since WebRTC requires no plugins, frameworks or applications. The browsers use Session Description Protocol (SDP) to establish a connection for data transfer. WebRTC is using JavaScript Application Programming Interface (APIs) and HTML5 for embedded communication within the browsers. However, WebRTC is an emerging platform that is anticipated to have significant impact on the communication between browsers in near future.A sample of this report is available upon request @WebRTC is available for free and is accessible worldwide which is the key growth driver of this market. Moreover, WebRTC is platform and device independent which would help to attract global audience. Further, it provides better video and voice quality with advanced security and other operational features. WebRTC can adapt to various network conditions and is interoperable with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Unified Communications (UC) solutions which is expected to help companies to easily integrate it with their existing infrastructure. WebRTC provides a bright solution for customer facing businesses. As this communication is real time, WebRTC provides audio visual solutions without any cost. Retail and healthcare are two industries with high demand for WebRTC as direct communication with end users or customers is of immense importance in these industries.One key restraint associated with the use of WebRTC is that it uses internet platform which is a public domain and thus, the quality of service cannot be guaranteed all the time. Use of Internet could result in privacy issues as it is still not clear how WebRTC manages the security and privacy. Further, integration is another key challenge associated with WebRTC. Organizations could face problems in integrating and adapting the WebRTC to their current system. WebRTC is currently not supported on Microsoft Internet Explorer. Thus, there are a number of complexities linked with WebRTC however, technological advancements are anticipated to eliminate these challenges in near future.With WebRTC nearing its completion, organizations especially the consumer facing entities are expected to use this technology in near future across all platforms. WebRTC is an emerging industry standard for audio and video communication through a web browser. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) decided that browser makers should implement VP8 and H.264 video codecs. WebRTC is of huge importance for call centers and customer care centers, where direct communication is happening between a company representative and the end user or customer. WebRTC can simplify this communication further and increase the level of customer satisfaction. Companies are integrating WebRTC into their websites to enhance the overall user experience.A TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major players in the global WebRTC market are Google Inc., Facebook, Inc., Citrix Systems, Inc., TokBox Inc., Sinch AB, Twilio, Inc., WIRE SWISS GmbH, Talko Inc., Screenhero, Inc., and Comcast Corporation etc.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 Contact Center Systems Market Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market By 2021 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/8086 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/8086 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ Market globalization have enforced businesses to expand their operations across multiple regions and thereby fulfil their consumer demand. Businesses have customer interaction centers where professionals interact with customers and address their enquires on daily basis. Thus, a huge amount of enquires are generated during the conversion of sales between the business and customers. Businesses are finding it difficult to manage these enquires in the form of information and storage of data. Further, due to technological advancement in contact channel, the interaction between the customer and contact center have increased through voice, email and messaging. A contact center system is software based system which enables automatic contact routing facility during high amount of customer enquiries. The contact center system also involves additional services such as voice portal, quality monitoring system, outbound dialers, workforce management, interactive voice response (IVR) and analytical services. This helps contact center professionals to address customer concerns within less time and thereby increase their satisfaction level.A sample of this report is available upon request @Services such as IVR and voice portal saves valuable time of contact center through interactive voice based recordings which helps in assisting the concerns of customers. Further, in sales or outbound call center, most of the services such as cross-selling, renewals, cross-selling and satisfaction surveys involves making outgoing calls to customers. Contact center system helps in providing a list of prospective customer contact and maintain them on a timely basis. It also helps in analyzing the quality of call through sending automatic messages to customers in order to scale customer satisfaction. Contact center system also involves recording of voice call and chat history in order to monitor the team performance. This helps to formulate a team strategy with the help of additional analytical insights on customer satisfaction provided by contact center system.Contact center system requires a huge amount of data storage space as the large amount of data is generated during the process. In order to address this concern, contact center system providers are providing on-premise data center, private cloud and cloud system packages based on the business requirement. The demand for cloud and private cloud system is expected to increase in coming years owing to the low installation cost compared to on-premise systems. These providers offer services on a subscription based model which helps to further decrease the operational cost for businesses. The application of contact center system is anticipated to increase in healthcare, financial services, telecommunication, retail, and government and transportation sector owing to the increasing demand for customer enquires in coming years. The market for contact center system is increasing due to its easy deployment and increase in business agility. However, the risk of loss of credible information due to lack of security features can hamper the market for cloud based contact center system. The demand for contact center system is expected to increase in Asia Pacific and Latin American region as most businesses outsource their operations to third party service providers situated in these regions.A TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the key contact center system providers are Cisco Systems Inc., 3CLogic. Inc., Aspect Software, Inc., Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc., Five9 Inc., Oracle Corp., IBM Corp. and inContact Inc.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 Nitrogen Market Estimated to Grow Worldwide by 2021 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4328 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4328 Nitrogen is an odorless, colorless chemical element which is a source of raw material in various important industrial compounds such as nitric acid, ammonia, and cyanides. It occurs in majority of the organisms, primarily amino acids such as proteins, and nucleic acids (RNA and DNA). Nitrogen is widely used as fertilizers where synthetically manufactured nitrates and ammonia are some of the vital industrial fertilizers used in the agrochemical industry. Other than fertilizers, nitrogen compounds are versatile organics used in industrial applications, developing Kevlar fabric and pharmaceutical drugs such as antibiotics.A sample of this report is available upon request @The global market for nitrogen has been witnessing noticeable growth mostly due to the development of the fertilizer industry. Moreover, long term leases of ammonia vessels at fixed prices have enabled large scale companies to manage transportation costs thereby providing economical delivery to the consumers in developed as well as developing regions. These companies also own manufacturing facilities as well as major supply contracts with certain region emerging economies such as China thereby gaining flexibility and logistics strength for the imports.Growing demand for fertilizers on account of increasing food grain production is anticipated to boost the demand for nitrogen over the forecast period. However, increasing health and environmental concern regarding the ill effects of nitrogen based chemical fertilizers are expected to slow down the growth of the market. Increasing focus towards developing bio based agrochemicals such as nitrogen fixation biofertilizers are anticipated to provide new opportunities for the growth of the market. North America remained the largest consumer for nitrogen. However, Asia Pacific is expected to lead the market over the forecast period on account of increasing use of agrochemicals and rising industrial activities in emerging economies such as China and India.Request to view Table of content @Agrium Inc., PotashCorp, ICL Fertilizers, K+S AG, Sinofert, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile(SQM), andThe Mosaic Company among others are some of the major manufacturers of nitrogen dominating the market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Global Kraft Paper Market 2017 : KapStone, WestRock, Mondi Group, French Paper Company, Georgia-Pacific Packaging Kraft Paper http://bit.ly/2liU1c6 http://bit.ly/2lOU11a The Kraft Paper market report covers forecast and analysis for the Kraft Paper market on a global and regional level. The Kraft Paper industry report provides historic data of 2015 along with a Kraft Paper market forecast from 2015 to 2021 based on Kraft Paper industry volume and Kraft Paper revenue (USD Million). The Kraft Paper includes Growth Drivers, Competitive Landscape for the Kraft Paper market with the impact they demand over the predict period of years. Additionally, the Kraft Paper market report includes the study of opportunities available in the Kraft Paper market on a global level.Get Sample Research Report :In Kraft Paper Market report, all the segments have been analysed based on present and Kraft Paper market future trends and the Kraft Paper market is estimated from 2015 to 2021. In this Kraft Paper report, regional segmentation covers the Kraft Paper industry current and forecast demand for North America, Africa, Europe, South America, China and the Asia-Pacific.This report segments the global Kraft Paper industry as follows:Global Kraft Paper Market: Manufacturers Segment AnalysisKapStoneWestRockMondi GroupFrench Paper CompanyGeorgia-Pacific PackagingGlobal Kraft Paper Market: Type Segment AnalysisType IType IIGlobal Kraft Paper Market: Applications Segment AnalysisApplication 1Application 2The Kraft Paper market report discusses in details about the vendor landscape of the Kraft Paper market. The Kraft Paper Industry has been analysed on the basis of Kraft Paper market attractiveness and investment feasibility. The Kraft Paper report lists the key players in the Kraft Paper market and provides crucial information about them such as overview of business, product offerings, revenue segmentation. As per the SWOT analysis, All above Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export, Company Profile, Capacity, Production & Consumption covered in Kraft Paper industry report.Do Enquiry Before Purchasing Report :Global Kraft Paper Market: Regional Segment Analysis1. North America (USA, Mexico and Canada)2. Europe (UK, Russia, Italy, Germany and France)3. Asia-Pacific (India, China, Japan, Korea and South-east Asia)4. South America, Middle East5. AfricaFinally, "Worldwide Kraft Paper Market" Analysis- is a professional and in-depth study on the current state are offered.About Us :Worldwide Industry 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 Industry, 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 IndustryUnited States Oleyl Alcohol Market Sizing with Competitive Analysis by 2021 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4329 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4329 Oleyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol which is usually found in fish oil and beef fat. It is unsaturated and non-ionic in nature which shares a wide scope in various application as well as end-user industries. Oleyl alcohol is used in an extensive range of applications such as lotions, thickener in skin creams, emulsifiers, surfactants, hair coatings, hair conditioners, and plasticizers for softening fabrics. The global market for oleyl alcohol has been witnessing significant growth on account of increasing demand from its application industries such as personal care. It is used in a variety of applications such as surfactants, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. One of the major opportunities for the surfactant industry is bio-based surfactants where rising awareness among consumers towards eco-friendly products has noticeably contributed towards the growing demand for oleyl alcohol in surfactants. Surfactants also share a broad application scope as foaming agents, emulsifiers, detergents, and wetting agents. Conditioning and detergency are some of the vital properties of surfactants due to which they share a wide application scope. Major applications of oleyl alcohol-based surfactants include personal care, textile, pharmaceutical, soap and detergent among others. Key manufacturers have entered into several collaborations and agreements with other companies for the marketing of new products as well as garnering a larger share in the market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Other applications of oleyl alcohol include plasticizer for use in fabrics. The market for oleyl alcohol in plasticizers has been witnessing noticeable growth due to changing lifestyles and emerging global economies in Asia Pacific and Latin America. Additionally, growing environmental awareness and rising legal provisions have been serving as a catalyst for the plasticizers market with developments in various emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, China and India. Matured regions such as Europe and North America accounted for the highest demand for oleyl alcohol due to the presence of vast hair care and skin care industries in these regions resulting in significant demand for the chemical. Moreover, emerging economies in Asia Pacific such as Japan, China and India are anticipated to witness the fastest growth rate over the forecast period on account of growing hair care, skin care and pharmaceutical industries in the region. Various factors such as rising awareness regarding healthy hair and skin among consumers as well as changing lifestyles is expected to boost the demand for personal care products which in turn is anticipated to contribute towards the demand for oleyl alcohol.Increasing demand for personal care products such as hair care and skin care on account of rising awareness for hair and skin is expected to be another major factor driving the demand for oleyl alcohol. Moreover, growing demand for pharmaceuticals is also expected to contribute towards the growing demand for oleyl alcohol in the production of various drugs and ointments within the forecast period. In addition, increasing consumption of oleyl alcohol in surfactants due to their low cost and ease of availability has also contributed significantly towards the growth of the market. However, fluctuating prices of key feedstock materials has been major concern for the manufacturers and is expected to limit the growth of the market. Focus on commercializing and developing cost-effective bio-based surfactants using oleyl alcohol is anticipated to provide new opportunities for the growth of the market.Request to view Table of content @AkzoNobel N.V., P&G Chemicals, Sigma Aldrich Corporation, Stepan Company, and The Lubrizol Corporation are some of the key manufacturers of oleyl alcohol present in the market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Specialty Silicas Market to Register a Robust Growth By 2020 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3424 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3424 Specialty silicas are chemical compounds that are made predominantly from silica or silicon dioxide (SiO2). Specialty silicas are found in shape of chunks, sawed or trimmed blocks, round pebbles, and other shapes. Specialty silicas are widely adopted in food and beverages industry, footwear manufacturing, rubbers and production of green tires.A sample of this report is available upon request @On the basis of silica type, the global silicas market can be segmented as precipitated silica sol, silica gel, and fumed silica. Precipitated silica sol is the largest market segment of specialty silicas market owing to the increase use of it in automotive tyres manufacturing. Based on the various end user applications, the market can be segmented in three different categories namely chemicals, rubber, and food and beverages. Rubber was the largest market segment of specialty silicas in 2013. It is expected that rubber will be also the fastest growing market segment in the forecasted period owing to the increase adoption of silica rubbers in environment friendly automotive tyres. The demand of Silica sol is mainly expected from growing end user industries such as paper coatings and semiconductor polishing market.Increasing global concern over environmental sustainability coupled with different labeling regulations by the government in different part of the world is the major driver of this industry. Moreover better performance specification of green tires made up of specialty silicas such as higher resistance, less rolling friction enhance vehicle fuel economy, and increasing consumption of processed food and beverage, are some of the dominant drivers of the global specialty silicas market.Asia Pacific is the largest market of the specialty silicas followed by Europe and North America. The growth is highest in Asia Pacific region owing to growth of the sizable Chinese market especially in automotive industry. China accounts for more than half of the total market share of specialty silicas in Asia Pacific. It is then followed by India and Japan. Middle East and Europe are the other two fasted growing market of specialty silicas attributed to growing export-oriented manufacturing industries in this region. North America specialty silicas market is heading towards maturity and a below average growth is expected from this region.Request to view Table of content @Some of the major companies operating in global specialty silicas market include, Akzo Nobel NV, Cabot Corporation, Ecolab Incorporated, Evonik Industries AG, Gujarat Multi Gas Base Chemicals Private Limited, Imerys SA, Oriental Silicas Corporation, Solvay SA, and Zhuzhou Xinglong Chemical Industry Company Limited.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Global Haying Machinery Market 2017 : Vermeer, Claas, Krone, Minos, Abbriata, Foton Lovol, Shanghai Star Haying Machinery http://bit.ly/2lgNS0b http://bit.ly/2kJaVgO The Haying Machinery market report covers forecast and analysis for the Haying Machinery market on a global and regional level. The Haying Machinery industry report provides historic data of 2015 along with a Haying Machinery market forecast from 2015 to 2021 based on Haying Machinery industry volume and Haying Machinery revenue (USD Million). The Haying Machinery includes Growth Drivers, Competitive Landscape for the Haying Machinery market with the impact they demand over the predict period of years. Additionally, the Haying Machinery market report includes the study of opportunities available in the Haying Machinery market on a global level.Get Sample Research Report :In Haying Machinery Market report, all the segments have been analysed based on present and Haying Machinery market future trends and the Haying Machinery market is estimated from 2015 to 2021. In this Haying Machinery report, regional segmentation covers the Haying Machinery industry current and forecast demand for North America, Africa, Europe, South America, China and the Asia-Pacific.This report segments the global Haying Machinery industry as follows:Global Haying Machinery Market: Manufacturers Segment AnalysisVermeerClaasKroneMinosAbbriataCase IHKuhnNew HollandFoton LovolShanghai StarYulong MachineryShen Yang Fang KeGlobal Haying Machinery Market: Type Segment AnalysisType IType IIGlobal Haying Machinery Market: Applications Segment AnalysisApplication 1Application 2The Haying Machinery market report discusses in details about the vendor landscape of the Haying Machinery market. The Haying Machinery Industry has been analysed on the basis of Haying Machinery market attractiveness and investment feasibility. The Haying Machinery report lists the key players in the Haying Machinery market and provides crucial information about them such as overview of business, product offerings, revenue segmentation. As per the SWOT analysis, All above Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export, Company Profile, Capacity, Production & Consumption covered in Haying Machinery industry report.Do Enquiry Before Purchasing Report :Global Haying Machinery Market: Regional Segment Analysis1. North America (USA, Mexico and Canada)2. Europe (UK, Russia, Italy, Germany and France)3. Asia-Pacific (India, China, Japan, Korea and South-east Asia)4. South America, Middle East5. AfricaFinally, "Worldwide Haying Machinery Market" Analysis- is a professional and in-depth study on the current state are offered.About Us :Worldwide Industry 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 Industry, 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 IndustryUnited States Three points need to be made about President Donald Trump's executive order barring entry to the United States by residents from seven countries regardless of whether they are travelers, students, guest workers or refugees. First, this board opposes the order for philosophical and factual reasons. Second, the process for determining the order's validity is a textbook example of the brilliance of a checks-and-balances system. And third, from spirited public discussions to civil disobedience (but not violent protests), this is the way the First Amendment works. Be thankful these are our rights. Biased, sloppy order Unless Trump was lying during his campaign, and unless adviser Rudy Giuliani has done the same, it's crystal clear the order is driven by religious bigotry. Trump said as much in his campaign, and Giuliani reiterated that in stating Trump asked him to craft a ban that would withstand legal challenges. The only bigger tragedy than trying to hide such a spirit of bigotry in an executive order would be for the courts to somehow justify it. Then, of course, there is the simple reality that the seven predominantly Muslim countries Trump listed Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are not considered serious terrorism threats. Note this information via FactCheck.org and several other sources: 154 foreign-born people were convicted of carrying out or attempting to carry out a terrorist attack from 1975 to 2015, most of them on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Only 17 of 154 foreign-born terrorists were from the countries Trump cited. None of those were responsible for fatal attacks. The seven countries combined represented almost 40 percent of all refugees accepted into the U.S. in the last 10 years. Trump's order cites the 9/11 attacks three times. But none of the 9/11 hijackers came from the seven countries subjected to the travel ban. The CIA reports 15 were from Saudi Arabia, two were from the United Arab Emirates; one was from Egypt, and one was from Lebanon all countries not impacted by the order. Ultimately, there certainly is merit in making sure America's vetting process of foreign nationals is solid. To be clear, though, invoking a ban without factual evidence that its targets pose threats does little to protect America from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals admitted to the United States which is the cornerstone of the order. Checks and balances The entire issue Trump issuing the order, states filing lawsuits to stop it, court rulings, appeals courts rulings and more appeals and rulings shows the brilliance of the checks and balances the founding fathers built by creating a government where power is spread among the executive, judicial and legislative branches. Yes, it can be frustrating to have to wait for ruling after ruling while hearing politician after politician chime in with their views, to say nothing of the emotional toll such a battle takes on families affected by the order and resulting appeals and rulings. Yet this checks-and-balances approach is invaluable because it keeps one branch from dominating government. Plus, don't forget that no matter which side wins in the courts, the other side(s) can continue their cause by involving the legislative branch in drafting and adopting new laws. See also Roe v Wade, Citizens United and countless other cases. Civil disobedience Finally, just as the founders implemented checks and balances, they also gave Americans the right to peaceably assemble, to voice their opinions and, yes, to protest. To be clear, there is no justification for violence and vandalism, and people must be held accountable for such actions. But civil disobedience whether in the form of blocked freeways, marches on Washington or local rallies requiring a police presence are as much a part of our democratic process as voting and fireworks on the Fourth of July. To even think about impugning such actions because of costs or inconvenience to others is to devalue the fundamental principles upon which this nation was built and for which countless fellow Americans have given their lives. This editorial appeared in the Feb. 11 edition of the St. Cloud (Minnesota) Times. Waterborne Coatings Market Is Expected To Give Huge Profits by 2020 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3460 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3460 Waterborne coatings are green substrates using water as solvent to dissolve a resin, making them environment friendly and easy to apply. These coatings usually contain approximately 80% of water with minimum quantities of other solvents such as glycol ethers. As per the U.S. and European regulations of waterborne coatings to have a VOC content less than 3.5 gallons of water, these are considered eco-friendly in nature. Various types of coatings such as water-soluble paints, water-dispersible paints, latex paints and water-based alkyds are used for a variety of applications including automotive, industrial, architectural, wood, and packaging.A sample of this report is available upon request @Significant investments from certain large scale companies such as BASF SE, AkzoNobel, and Valspar among others to expand in quite a few countries of Asia Pacific and Latin America have been witnessed. Demand for green coatings in these regions have still been in the development and are anticipated to have a huge potential in the near future. Moreover, focus on R&D activities in the green coatings industry coupled with product innovation has also contributed to the growth of the market.Growing demand for non-hazardous, eco-friendly, low VOC green coatings from the end-user industry are expected to boost the demand for waterborne coating over the next few years. In addition, growth of the automotive and construction industry has also been the current growth factors for waterborne coatings. However, increasing use of other better performing green substrates such as powder coatings is expected to hamper the growth of the waterborne coatings market.North America was the largest consumer for waterborne coatings. However, future market growth is expected to be from Asia Pacific. Green coatings are expected todominate the market over the next few years due to the expansions by the major manufacturers in emerging economies such as China and India in the region.Request to view Table of content @AkzoNobel, Asian Paints Limited, BASF SE, Hempel A/S, Jotun A/S, Masco Corporation, PPG Industries Inc., Rpm International Inc., The Valspar Corporation, and Tikkurila OYJ among others are some of the key players involved in the waterborne coatings industry.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Mass Notifications Systems Market Expected to Be Biggest Emerging Market By 2022 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/9161 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/9161 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/ A Mass Notification System (MNS) enables users to broadcast notifications to individuals or groups, such as customers, employees, citizens, and government officials, in order to keep everyone informed before/during/ after some specific events or disasters. These systems are extremely helpful in coordinating with masses during relief and rescue operations. Mass Notification systems facilitates robust analytics, distributed contact data, flexible group management, language localization, various options for contact data management, and a globalized approach to optimize voice and SMS routing.A sample of this report is available upon request @Mass Notification Systems (MNS) are vital systems in catastrophic natural disasters including earthquakes, hurricanes and floods along with other situations causing threat to human life, such as bomb explosions. The upsurge in the adoption of mass notification systems in both developed and developing countries is driven growing need for public security, increasing awareness for emergency communication systems, and trend towards mobility and business continuity.Mass notification systems offers front-line communication technology which notifies people about possible safety measures in case of danger and guides them accordingly. Over the next decade, the mass notification systems market is expected to be ubiquitous across its ecosystem, and is expected to witness traction in its adoption across all geographies.The Mass Notification Systems (MNS) for emergency communications are evolving smartly with the increasing demands of swift notification deliveries and message prioritization in the high prone earthquake and flood areas, such as Japan Mass notification systems are crucial for conveying the instructions to the panicked masses about right course of action during a case of emergency. In addition, Mass notification systems are instrumental in handling business messages and providing adequate timeframe for deploying and ensuring business continuity measures. Thus they are gaining popularity across enterprises for its usage due to their distinctive features of business continuity management in case of emergency and calamity.The market is also driven by the technological features offered by the mass notification systems such as powerful & scalable platform, which enables planning & policy enforcement. In addition to this, a message once composed on the MNS can be shared in multiple formats at the same time: SMS text, email, social media, web, RSS and more.Lack of regulations regarding mass notification systems in the verticals apart from defence and education sector are constraining the growth of market. Moreover, availability of sub-standardized solutions which do not comply with the latest NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signalling Code, are expected to hamper the growth of market in the near future.On the basis of type of product, the Mass Notifications Systems Market is segmented into hardware and software & services.On the basis of type of deployment model, the market is classified as on-premise and on-demand models.On the basis of type of solutions, the market is classified into in-building solutions, wide-area solutions and distributed recipient solutions. Among these, distributed recipient solutions are anticipated to expand with a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. The growth is expected to be mainly driven by increasing trend towards mobility and cloud computing.On the basis of applications, the market is segmented into interoperable emergency communication, integrated public alert and warning, business continuity (BC) & disaster recovery (DR), and business operations. Business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR) segment is gaining traction across various enterprises due to rising awareness about archiving their business processes in order to facilitate faster disaster recovery in case of emergencies.Various end-user industries of the market include commercial, education, energy and power, healthcare, defence, automotive, transportation and logistics, and government offices. The education and defence sectors are expected to account for the largest market share throughout the forecast period. The growth would be primarily driven by increasing demand for MNS in critical and sophisticated operations. However, the other sectors energy and power, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and government offices will also present potential revenue opportunities during the forecast period.Mass Notifications Systems Market is sub-segmented into 7 key regions- North America, Latin America, East Europe, West Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Presently, North America and Europe are the major regions witnessing the adoption of the mass notification systems. The primary factors attributing to the market growth in these regions are: high dissemination of mobile technologies, development and adoption of pioneering technologies, and the presence of major companies in this region.With increasing regulations and compliance policies, along with the growing need for rugged and uninterrupted communication solutions during emergencies, the emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa (BRICS) are expected to witness proliferation in the adoption mass notification systems during the period: 2015-2025.A TOC of this report is available upon request @Few of the prominent players in the mass notifications systems market include ATHOC, Eaton Corporation (Cooper Industries Pvt. Ltd.), Honeywell International, Inc., IBM Corporation, Siemens AG, Everbridge, Inc., Metis Secure Solutions, Mir3, Inc., Omnilert LLC, and Xmatters, Inc.The mass notification system market is highly competitive in nature, characterised with new product innovations and merger & acquisitions, which are the key strategies adopted by market participants to cement their position 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 The Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem: 2016 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/804872 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/publisher/45 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ The report analyzes and presents an overview on "The Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem: 2016 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts" worldwide.Given the increasing prevalence of expensive household goods, cars and consumer electronics, insurance has become an unavoidable and often necessary cost in modern life. Mobile phones, and smartphones in particular are no exception to this trend.Most major wireless carriers, insurance specialists, device OEMs, retailers and even banks now offer insurance plans that cover theft, loss, malfunctions and damage of mobile phones. Many policies now also integrate enhanced technical support and additional protection features such as data backup facilities, allowing users to securely backup their phone data online.SNS Research estimates that the global mobile phone insurance market is expected to account for nearly $20 Billion in revenue by the end of 2016. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 12% over the next four years, eventually accounting for over $30 Billion in revenue by the end of 2020.The "Mobile Phone Insurance Ecosystem: 2016 2030 Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts" report presents an in-depth assessment of the mobile phone insurance ecosystem including market drivers, challenges, opportunities, value chain, future roadmap, case studies, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also presents market size forecasts from 2016 through to 2030. The forecasts are segmented for 5 regional and 25 country level markets.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:Key Findings:The report has the following key findings:SNS Research estimates that the global mobile phone insurance market is expected to account for nearly $20 Billion in revenue by the end of 2016.The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 12% over the next four years, eventually accounting for over $30 Billion in revenue by the end of 2020.In an effort to boost the uptake of mobile phone insurance, wireless carriers and insurance providers have extensively enhanced their insurance offerings with the addition of location tracking, data protection/recovery features and integrated technical support.The success of mobile phone insurance plans has driven several wireless carriers, such as NTT DoCoMo and Orange, to invest in the sales of other insurance products through mobile phones and their retail outlets.New insurance models are also beginning to emerge, such as London-based So-Sures social insurance for mobile phones, which allows customers to get up to 80% of their money back, if they and their friends dont claim.Device OEMs are beginning to invest in tailored plans to suit the specific requirements of certain regional markets. A good example is Xiaomis Mi Protect plan in India, which covers accidental and liquid damage, for as little as $7 per year.Topics Covered:The report covers the following topics:Mobile phone insurance ecosystemMarket drivers and barriersInsurance policy structure, distribution channels and key trendsCase studies of mobile phone insurance initiativesIndustry roadmap and value chainProfiles and strategies of over 40 leading ecosystem playersStrategic recommendations for ecosystem playersMarket analysis and forecasts from 2016 till 2030Forecast Segmentation:Market forecasts are provided for the following regional and country level submarkets:Regional SegmentationAsia PacificEuropeLatin & Central AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaCountry Level SegmentationArgentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, UK & USAKey Questions Answered:The report provides answers to the following key questions:How big is the mobile phone insurance opportunity?What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?How is the ecosystem evolving by region?What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?Which countries will see the highest percentage of growth?Who are the key market players and what are their strategies?What risks are typically covered in mobile phone insurance offerings?How can insurance plans help wireless carriers in reducing churn?What strategies should wireless carriers, device OEMs and insurance providers adopt to remain competitive?Countries covered:ArgentinaAustraliaBrazilCanadaChinaColombiaFranceGermanyHong KongIndiaIsraelItalyJapanMexicoNetherlandsPolandRussiaSaudi ArabiaSingaporeSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainTaiwanUKUSABrowse More Signals And Systems Telecom Market Research Reports:List of Companies Mentioned:The following companies and organizations have been reviewed, discussed or mentioned in the report:A WirelessAIG (American International Group)Allianz InsuranceAllianz SE GroupAmerica MovilAmTrust International UnderwritersAonAppalachian WirelessAppleAssurantAsurionAT&TAT&T MobilityAvivaAXABarclaysBest BuyBouygues TelecomBrightstar CorporationBT GroupCellebriteChubbCWS (Connected World Services Distributions)Diamond WirelessDixons CarphoneDT (Deutsche Telekom)EEeSecuritelFonesureFortegraGeek SquadGoCareGroupamaHollard GroupHSBCInhance TechnologyiQmetrixLiberty Mutual Insurance GroupLifestyle Services GroupLookoutMarkerstudyMicrosoftMobi PCSMobile Rhino (Stuckey & Company)MTNNIA (New India Assurance)Nippon Life InsuranceNokiaNQ MobileNTT DoCoMoOptusOrangePier Insurance Managed ServicesProtectCELLSafewareSalt MobileSamsung ElectronicsSFRSingtel GroupSoftBank CorporationSo-SureSpark New ZealandSPBSprint CorporationSquareTradeSun CorporationSupercover InsuranceSwisscomTelefonica GroupTelefonica InsuranceTelstraT-Mobile USATokio MarineVerizon CommunicationsVerizon WirelessV-Key SolutionsVodacomVodafone GroupAbout 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 Air Conditioning Systems Market - Split ACs Witness Highest Demand http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=436 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The vendor landscape of the global air conditioning systems market is speckled with large and established companies such as Gree Electric Appliances, Inc., Daikin Industries Ltd., and Carrier Corporation; emerging players such as Panasonic Corporation, Mitsubishi Corporation, and The Midea Group; and promising vendors such as LG Electronics, Haier Electronics Group Co., Ltd., and Hitachi Ltd. Each of these players have been striving to strengthen their position in the air conditioning systems market and achieve sustainable growth.Get More Information :Transparency Market Research finds that in order to achieve these goals, companies are presently focused on integrating products so as to expand their customer base and reach out to newer audiences. Strategic partnerships and acquisitions have also been a core strategy for a number of players. A case in point would be Carrier, who, in 2011, joined hands with the Midea Group of China to manufacture as well as distribute HVAC systems in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. This joint venture not only helped Carrier form a strong distribution network in these promising countries but also established a strong foothold for the company at a global level, the lead analyst of the TMR study states.Energy-efficient Air Conditioning Systems Gain ProminenceThe growth of the air conditioning systems market can be largely attributed to the rapidly expanding construction and housing sector. Increasing construction permits, especially for commercial infrastructure, means a rising need for equipment such as air conditioning systems, a TMR analyst explains. The market for air conditioning systems is also driven by stringent government regulations, technological developments, rising consumer expectations, increased demand from the commercial sector, strong demand from Asia Pacific, and climate variations. The surge in awareness regarding the importance of indoor air quality has also generated an increased demand for advanced air-purifying technologies.In contrast, the air conditioning systems market faces a major roadblock increased energy consumption. However, TMR finds that this challenge can be easily addressed. The emergence of ongoing trends such as green technologies, smart homes, and energy-efficient systems are driving manufacturers of air conditioning systems to focus on innovation and come up with equipment that meet the rising energy requirements of consumers and governments alike. Thus, this obstacle also presents market players with several opportunities for growth over the coming years, the author of the study states.Split ACs Witness Highest DemandThe global market for air conditioning systems was pegged at a value of US$104.4 bn in 2015, which is projected to rise to US$167 by the end of the forecast period. Assuming these figures hold true, the market is likely to expand at a 5.1% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. The air conditioning systems market is projected to expand at a much faster pace in terms of volume, registering a 6.2% CAGR during the forecast period. Asia Pacific dominates the global air conditioning systems market by volume and value, with the Middle East and Africa witnessing the fastest growth. While split ACs enjoy the lead at present, the portable air conditioning systems segment is likely to expand at the highest CAGR by 2024.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: Ether Carboxylates Market Sizing with Competitive Analysis by 2021 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4292 www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4292 Ether carboxylate is one of the major sub-types of a carboxylate which is produced from the reaction of ethoxylated alcohols with sodium chloracetate. Its manufacturing process involves etherification where a carboxyl group-containing compound and a hydroxyl group-containing compound are reacted in an aqueous medium with the help of a rare earth element containing catalyst. The carboxyl group containing compound present in the reaction is one compound which is selected from carboxyl group containing epoxy compounds as well as unsaturated carboxyl group containing compounds. Ether carboxylates are widely used in personal care products, surfactants, admixtures applied in the construction as well as serve as the vital component of superplasticizers. As surfactants, ether carboxylate produces an ultralow interfacial tension (IFT) under high temperature and high salinity conditions. Their consumption in the textile industry is based on their electrolyte, alkali, and hard water stability as well as their good wetting and detergent properties. As compared to cold process soaps, ether carboxylates are less sensitive to hard water and more soluble in water. In addition, they impart good wetting and foam stabilizing properties as well as provide creaminess and mildness in the finished products. Owing to their property of being substantive to hair and skin, ether carboxylate exhibits a conditioned feeling to the human body. When combined with alkyl ether sulfates such as sodium laureth sulfate, they are used for manufacturing shampoos on account of their compatibility with cationic ingredients.A sample of this report is available upon request @The global market for ether carboxylate has been witnessing a significant increase on account of growth of its application industries such as personal care and surfactants. Ether carboxylate shares a wide application scope in various industries such as soaps, detergents, textiles, shampoos, and plasticizers among others. In addition, bio-based surfactants has emerged as one of the major opportunities for the growth of the surfactant industry due to growing awareness among consumers towards eco-friendly products which in turn has contributed towards the growing demand for ether carboxylate in surfactants. Major applications of ether carboxylate-based surfactants include detergents, pharmaceuticals, textile and personal care among others.Other applications of ether carboxylate include the manufacturing of plasticizers. The market for ether carboxylate in plasticizer has been witnessing significant growth on account of emerging economies and changing lifestyles. In addition, rising environmental awareness coupled with increasing legal provisions have been serving as catalysts for the plasticizers market in certain emerging economies such as India, China, Russia and Brazil. While matured regions such as North America and Europe accounted for the highest demand for ether carboxylate due to presence of vast and skin care and hair care industries, emerging regions such as Asia Pacific are anticipated to witness the fastest growth over the next few years on account of vast textile industries in economies such as China as well as growing demand for personal care products. Various factors such as rising awareness regarding healthy hair and skin among consumers as well as changing lifestyles are expected to boost the demand for personal care products which in turn is anticipated to contribute towards the demand for ether carboxylate. Growing demand for personal care products such as skin care and hair care on account of increasing awareness for healthy skin and hair is anticipated to be on the major factors driving the market for ether carboxylate. However, fluctuating prices of key feedstock materials has been major concern for the manufacturers and is expected to limit the growth of the market. Focus on commercializing and developing cost-effective bio-based surfactants using ether carboxylate is anticipated to provide new opportunities for the growth of the market.Request to view Table of content @BASF SE, Huntsman Corporation, KAO Corporation, and Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. are some of the key manufacturers of ether carboxylate present in the market.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com The 5G Wireless Ecosystem Emerging Evolution, Technology Advancement 2016 - 2030 - Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/804831 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/publisher/45 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ Latest Market studies the current scenario as well as future market potential of "The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2016 - 2030 - Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts"While LTE and LTE-Advanced deployments are still underway, mobile operators and vendors have already embarked on R&D initiatives to develop so-called 5G technology, with a vision of commercialization by 2020. 5G is essentially a revolutionary paradigm shift in wireless networking to support the throughput, latency and scalability requirements of future use cases such as extreme bandwidth augmented reality applications and connectivity management for Billions of M2M (Machine to Machine) devices.Although 5G is yet to be standardized, vendors are aggressively investing in 5G development efforts with a principal focus on new air interface transmission schemes, higher frequency bands and advanced antenna technologies such as Massive MIMO and beamforming. With large scale commercial deployments expected to begin in 2020, we estimate that 5G networks will generate nearly $250 Billion in annual service revenue by 2025.The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2016 2030 Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the emerging 5G ecosystem including key market drivers, challenges, enabling technologies, use cases, vertical market applications, spectrum assessment, mobile operator deployment commitments, case studies, standardization, research initiatives and vendor strategies. The report also presents forecasts for 5G investments and operator services.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:Key Findings:The report has the following key findings:Although 5G is yet to be standardized, vendors are aggressively investing in 5G development efforts with a principal focus on new air interface transmission schemes, higher frequency bands and advanced antenna technologies such as Massive MIMO and beamforming.Driven by regional, national government, mobile operator and vendor initiatives, we expect that over $6 Billion will be spent on 5G R&D and trial investments between 2015 and 2020.With large scale commercial deployments expected to begin in 2020, we estimate that 5G networks will generate nearly $250 Billion in annual service revenue by 2025.5G networks are expected to utilize a variety of spectrum bands for diverse applications, ranging from established sub-6 GHz cellular bands to millimeter wave frequencies.The report covers the following topics:5G requirements, use cases and vertical market applications5G market drivers and barriersAir interface and antenna technologies: new waveforms, millimeter wave radio access, MIMO, phased array antennas and beamformingSpectrum technologies: cognitive radio, spectrum sensing, aggregation and LSA (Licensed Shared Access)D2D (Device to Device) communications and self-backhauling networksComplimentary technologies for 5G: NFV (Network Functions Virtualization), SDN (Software Defined Networking), HetNet (Heterogeneous Networking), C-RAN (Centralized RAN), Cloud RAN, MEC (Mobile Edge Computing), drones and satellitesMobile operator commitments, case studies and 5G spectrum assessment5G Standardization and research initiativesCompetitive assessment of vendor strategiesR&D, commercial infrastructure and operator service forecasts till 2030Forecast Segmentation:Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:5G R&D InvestmentsNew Waveforms & Millimeter Wave Radio AccessMIMO, Beamforming & Antenna TechnologiesInterference & Spectrum ManagementC-RAN, Virtualization & Other Technologies5G Commercial Infrastructure InvestmentsTo Get More Signals And Systems Telecom Market Research Reports:Distributed Macrocell Base StationsSmall CellsRRHs (Remote Radio Heads)C-RAN BBUs (Baseband Units)Mobile CoreFronthaul & Backhaul Networking5G Operator ServicesSubscriptionsService RevenueRegional SegmentationAsia PacificEastern EuropeLatin & Central AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern EuropeKey Questions Answered:The report provides answers to the following key questions:How much will vendors and operators invest in 5G R&D commitments?What will be the number of 5G subscriptions in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?What will be the key applications of 5G networks?What trends, challenges and barriers will influence the development and adoption of 5G?Which regions and countries will be the first to adopt 5G?Will 5G networks utilize new spectrum bands?Who are the key 5G vendors and what are their strategies?Will 5G networks rely on C-RAN architecture?What are the prospects of millimeter wave technology for 5G radio access networking?What will be the impact of 5G on the M2M and IoT ecosystem?Will drone and satellite based communication platforms play a wider role in 5G networks?List of Companies Mentioned:The following companies and organizations have been reviewed, discussed or mentioned in the report:3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project)5G Americas5G Forum, South Korea5G Lab (TU Dresden)5G PPP (5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership)5GIC (5G Innovation Center, University of Surrey)5GMF (Fifth Generation Mobile Communications Promotion Forum, Japan)5GRUSAlcatel-LucentAlpental TechnologiesAmerica MovilARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses)AscentaAT&T MobilityAthena Wireless CommunicationsATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions)AVC Networks CompanyCableLabsChina MobileCisco SystemsCohere TechnologiesDT (Deutsche Telekom)du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company)EricssonEtisalatETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research)ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)FacebookFraunhofer FOKUSFraunhofer HHIFraunhofer-GesellschaftFujitsuFuture Forum, ChinaGoogleGSMAHiroshima UniversityHuaweiIEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)IMDEA Networks InstituteIMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group, ChinaIntel CorporationInterDigitalITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute)ITU (International Telecommunication Union)KDDIKeysight TechnologiesKT CorporationKumu NetworksLG UplusMegaFonMitsubishi ElectricMOEA (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan)MoogsoftMOST (Ministry of Science & Technology, China)MOST (Ministry of Science & Technology, Taiwan)MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, South Korea)MTS (Mobile TeleSystems)NEC CorporationNew Mexico Spaceport AuthorityNGMN (Next Generation Mobile Networks) AllianceNI (National Instruments)NokiaNTT DoCoMoNYU WIRELESS (New York University)OfcomOptusOrangePanasonicQualcommRF DSPRohde & SchwarzSamsungSESSiBEAMSingTelSK TelecomSmall Cell ForumSoftBankSwisscomTAICS (Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards)Telecom ItaliaTelefonicaTeliaSoneraTelstraTIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)Titan AerospaceT-Mobile USATokyo Institute of TechnologyU.S. Department of CommerceU.S. FCC (Federal Communications Commission)U.S. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)U.S. NSF (National Science Foundation)UN (United Nations)University of KaiserslauternUniversity of OuluVerizon WirelessViterbi School of Engineering (University of Southern California)Vodafone AustraliaVodafone GroupVTT Technical Research CenterWWRF (World Wireless Research Forum)XilinxZTEAbout UsMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:ContactTel: +1-518-621-2074E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizWebsite:MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz The Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market Size, Technology Advances, Innovation 2016 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/804859 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/publisher/45 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ Due to the bandwidth limitations of their traditional voice-centric LMR (Land Mobile Radio) networks, public safety agencies are keen to leverage commercial cellular network technology to support their growing broadband application needs. Considering its thriving ecosystem, spectrum flexibility and performance metrics, LTE has emerged as the leading candidate for public safety mobile broadband networks. In addition, with the recent approval of the MCPTT (Mission Critical Push to Talk) voice standard as part of 3GPP Release 13, LTE has also become an attractive substitute for providing LMR-like voice services.The Qatar Ministry of Interior made headlines when it deployed a private 800 MHz LTE network in 2012. Since then, numerous public safety LTE networks have sprung up across the globe, including the UAE, China, Laos, Turkey and Kenya. Several early adopter LTE deployments are also operational in the United States, as part of the planned FirstNet nationwide public safety broadband network. While most initial public safety LTE investments are limited to small-scale networks, nationwide rollouts in the United States and South Korea are expected to trigger significant large-scale investments throughout the globe.The European market is largely dominated by MVNO arrangements, such as the UK Home Offices ESN (Emergency Services Network) program that will use EEs commercial LTE network to deliver prioritized mission critical voice and data services for the UKs public safety agencies. As part of the program, EE is enhancing its existing network with additional sites, satellite backhaul and a dedicated mobile core for first responders, among other investments.Driven by the thriving ecosystem, SNS Research estimates that annual investments on public safety LTE infrastructure will reach $600 Million by the end of 2016. The market, which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport networking gear, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over the next four years. By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by over 4.4 Million LTE device shipments, including smartphones, rugged handheld terminals and vehicular routers.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:The Public Safety LTE & Mobile Broadband Market: 2016 2030 Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the global public safety LTE market, besides touching upon the wider LMR and mobile broadband industries. In addition to covering the business case, challenges, technology, spectrum allocation, industry roadmap, value chain, deployment case studies, vendor products, strategies, standardization initiatives and applications ecosystem for public safety LTE, the report also presents comprehensive forecasts for mobile broadband, LMR and public safety LTE subscriptions from 2016 till 2030. Also covered are public safety LTE service revenues, over both private and commercial networks. In addition, the report presents revenue forecasts for public safety LTE infrastructure, devices, integration services and management solutions.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report, as well as a list and associated details of over 90 global public safety LTE network commitments (as of Q22016).Key Findings:The report has the following key findings:SNS Research estimates that annual investments on public safety LTE infrastructure will reach $600 Million by the end of 2016. The market, which includes base stations (eNBs), mobile core and transport networking gear, is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over the next four years.By 2020, these infrastructure investments will be complemented by over 4.4 Million LTE device shipments, including smartphones, rugged handheld terminals and vehicular routers.Following the Qatar Ministry of Interiors private 800 MHz LTE network deployment in 2012, multiple private LTE rollouts are underway by security forces throughout the oil rich GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region, including the Abu Dhabi and Dubai police forces.Driven by nationwide public safety LTE network rollouts in the United States and South Korea, the North America and Asia Pacific regions will account for nearly 70% of all public safety LTE investments over the next four years.Almost all major LMR industry players are leveraging partnerships with established LTE infrastructure OEMs such as Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei and Samsung, to offer end-to-end LTE solutions.Consolidation efforts are continuing to take place throughout the industry, particularly among the largest LTE infrastructure OEMs and public safety system integrators.To Get More Signals And Systems Telecom Market Research Reports:Topics Covered:The report covers the following topics:Business case for public safety LTE and mobile broadband services, including key benefits and challengesTechnology, economics, trends, commercial commitments and deployment case studiesList of public safety LTE engagements worldwidePublic safety LTE infrastructure, devices and applicationsIndustry roadmap, value chain and standardization initiativesSpectrum allocation, deployment models and funding strategiesProfiles and strategies of over 260 ecosystem players including public safety system integrators and LTE infrastructure/device OEMsTCO analysis of private and commercial public safety LTE deploymentsMilitary and tactical LTE deploymentsPublic safety LTE base station (eNB) form factor analysisExclusive interview transcripts from 5 key ecosystem players: Ericsson, Airbus Defence and Space, Sepura, Aricent and Parallel WirelessStrategic recommendations for vendors, system integrators, public safety agencies and mobile operatorsMarket analysis and forecasts from 2016 till 2030Forecast Segmentation:Market forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Public Safety LTE InfrastructureSubmarketsRAN (Radio Access Network)EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and PolicyMobile Backhaul and TransportRAN Base Station (eNB) Mobility CategoriesFixed Base StationsTransportable Base StationsRAN Base Station (eNB) Cell Size CategoriesMacrocellsSmall CellsTransportable RAN Base Station (eNB) Form Factor CategoriesNIB (Network-in-a-Box)VNS (Vehicle Network System)SOW (System-on-Wheels)Airborne PlatformPublic Safety LTE Management & Integration SolutionsSubmarketsNetwork Integration & TestingDevice Management & User ServicesManaged Services, Operations & MaintenanceCybersecurityPublic Safety LTE DevicesSubmarketsPrivate LTECommercial LTEForm Factor CategoriesSmartphones & Handportable TerminalsVehicle Mount Routers & TerminalsTablets & Notebook PCsUSB Dongles & OthersPublic Safety LTE Subscriptions & Service RevenueSubmarketsPrivate LTECommercial LTEPublic Safety User Subscriptions over Private Mobile BroadbandSubmarketsPrivate LTEPrivate WiMAXPublic Safety User Subscriptions over Commercial Mobile BroadbandSubmarkets3GWiMAXLTE5G & BeyondLMR SubscriptionsSubmarketsAnalogDMRdPMR, NXDN & PDTP25TETRATetrapolOthersLMR Data SubscriptionsSubmarketsP25 - Phase 1P25 - Phase 2TETRATEDSTetrapolOthersPublic Safety LTE ApplicationsSubmarketsVideo ApplicationszGIS, AVLS and MappingMobile VPN Access & SecurityCAD (Computer Aided Dispatching)Remote Database AccessTelemetry and Remote DiagnosticsBulk Multimedia/Data TransfersPTT & Voice over LTESituational Awareness ApplicationsRegional SegmentationAsia PacificEastern EuropeLatin & Central AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern EuropeKey Questions Answered:The report provides answers to the following key questions:How big is the public safety LTE opportunity?What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?How is the ecosystem evolving by segment and region?What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?Which regions and submarkets will see the highest percentage of growth?How does standardization impact the adoption of LTE for public safety applications?When will MCPTT and proximity services see large scale proliferation?What is the status of private LTE rollouts and public safety MVNO offerings across the globe?What opportunities exist for commercial mobile operators and MVNOs in the public safety LTE market?Is there a market for 400 MHz LTE networks?What are the prospects of tactical, vehicle-mounted and airborne LTE eNB platforms?How can public safety agencies leverage unused spectrum resources to fund private LTE networks?What strategies should system integrators and vendors adopt to remain competitive?List of Companies Mentioned:The following companies and organizations have been reviewed, discussed or mentioned in the report:3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project)AaeonAbu Dhabi PoliceAccelleranAceAxisACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority)AculabAdaxADCOM911 (Adams County Communication Center)ADRF (Advanced RF Technologies)AdvantechAdvantech WirelessAeroflexAffarii TechnologiesAffirmed NetworksAgile NetworksAirbus Defence and SpaceAirbus GroupAir-LynxAirspan NetworksAirvanaAirwave SolutionsAjman PoliceAlcatel-LucentAltiostar NetworksAmdocsAniteAnritsu CorporationAPCO International (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials)AppleARASKOMArcadyanArgelaAricentARItelArqivaArtemis NetworksAselsanASOCSASTRI (Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute)ASTRIDASTRO SolutionsAsus (ASUSTeK Computer)AT&TAthena Wireless CommunicationsAthonetATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions)Atlas TelecomAvanti Communications GroupAvayaAVIAviat NetworksAvtecAxell WirelessAxis CommunicationsAxis TeknologiesAxxcelera Broadband WirelessBAE SystemsBandRichBarrett CommunicationsBASE (Belgium)Baylin TechnologiesBayRICS (Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications Systems Authority)BayWEB (Bay Area Wireless Enhanced Broadband system)BFDXBilbao MetroBird TechnologiesBittium CorporationBlack Box CorporationBlackhawk ImagingBlacknedBluebirdBoise Police DepartmentBosch Security SystemsBrazilian ArmyBridgewaterBroadcomBrocade Communications SystemsBT GroupBTI WirelessC4iCalAmp CorporationCalgary Police ServiceCamden County Public SafetyCanadian Advanced Technology AllianceCasio Computer CompanyCatalyst CommunicationsCaterpillarCaviumCCI (Communication Components Inc.)CCI (Competitive Companies, Inc.)CCI (Crown Castle International)CCSA (China Communications Standards Association)CCTI (Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc.)CellvineCeragonChina MobileCiena CorporationCisco SystemsCITIG (Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group)City of CharlotteCity of Fort WorthCity of IrvingCity of New OrleansCity of OaklandCity of Pembroke PineCobhamCobham WirelessCodan Radio CommunicationsColorado Parks and WildlifeComba Telecom Systems HoldingsCommAgilityCommandWear SystemsCommScopeComtech Telecommunications CorporationCONET TechnologiesConnectemContelaCore Network DynamicsCoriantCorningCovia LabsCPqD (Center for Research and Development in Telecommunications, Brazil)CradlepointCSI (Cellular Specialties, Inc.)Dali WirelessDAMM Cellular SystemsDAP TechnologiesDAPage NotificationsDataNet SoftwareDatang GroupDatang MobileDellDeltaNodeDish NetworkDNK (Norwegian Directorate for Emergency Communication)Dongwon T&IDragonWaveDSC (Digital Special Communication)Dubai PoliceDurabook (Twinhead International Corporation)Dutch PoliceEA Networks (Electricity Ashburton)EADSEastcomEchoStar CorporationEden Rock CommunicationsEEEENA (European Emergency Number Association)EF JohnsonElbit SystemsElta SystemsEMC CorporationEricssonEricsson LGETELMEtherstackEthertronicsETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, South Korea)ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute)EventideEXACOMExalt CommunicationsExelisEXFOExteNet SystemsFalu MunicipalityFederated WirelessFirstNet (First Responder Network Authority)FoxcomFraunhofer FokusFrench Armed ForcesFrench MOI (Ministry of Interior)FrequentisFujitsuGaltronicsGemtek Technology CompanyGENBANDGeneral Dynamics CorporationGeneral Dynamics Mission SystemsGenesis GroupGerman Armed Forces (Bundeswehr)Getac Technology CorporationGoodman NetworksGoodmill SystemsGoogleGovernor's OIT (Office of Information Technology), State of ColoradoGrant County Sheriffs OfficeGrenTech (China GrenTech Corporation)GWT (Global Wireless Technologies)Harris CorporationHarris CountyHFRS (Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service)HitachiHome Office, UKHoneywellHong Kong Police ForceHP (Hewlett-Packard Company)HQT RadioHTCHuaweiHughes CommunicationsHughes Network SystemsHytera Communications CompanyIAI (Israel Aerospace Industries)iBwave SolutionsiCOMIDF (Israel Defense Forces)ImtradexInmarsatInnerWirelessIntel CorporationIntel SecurityInterDigitalIntersecIntrepid Networksip.accessIPWirelessITELAZPIITU (International Telecommunication Union)JDI (JING DENG INDUSTRIAL)JMA WirelessJordanian Armed ForcesJRC (Japan Radio Company)Juni GlobalJuniper NetworksJVCKENWOOD CorporationKapsch CarrierComKathrein-Werke KGKBRKelrad SoftwareKenyan Police ServiceKeysight TechnologiesKirisun CommunicationsKisan TelecomKMWKodiak NetworksKPNKT CorporationKudelski GroupKyocera CommunicationsL-3 Communication Systems-WestL-3 Communications HoldingsLaos PoliceLA-RICS (Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System)Las Vegas Metropolitan Police DepartmentLemko CorporationLenovoLeonardo-FinmeccanicaLG CNSLG ElectronicsLG GroupLGS InnovationsLigado NetworksLijiang PoliceLiveViewGPSLockheed Martin CorporationLogic InstrumentMavenir SystemsMcWaneMegaFonMentura GroupMER-CellO Wireless SolutionsMetroPCSMiami Dade Police DepartmentMiami-Dade CountyMicrolabMilestone SystemsMIMOonMinistry of Industry and Information Technology, ChinaMitel Networks CorporationMitsubishi Electric CorporationMobileDemandMobilicomMobistarMODUCOM (MODULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS)Moscow PoliceMoseley AssociatesMotorola MobilityMotorola SolutionsMPS (Ministry of Public Security, China)MPSS (Ministry of Public Safety and Security, South Korea)MSB (Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency)MTI MobileMutualinkNational Rail, UKNATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)NCRIC (Northern California Regional Information Center)NEC CorporationNedaaNeptune MobileNet4MobilityNetasNetMotion WirelessNevada Department of TransportationNew Jersey ROIC (Regional Operations Intelligence Center)New Jersey State PoliceNew Jersey TransitNew Mexico DoIT (Department of Information Technology)New Postcom Equipment CompanyNew Zealand PoliceNewCore WirelessNexiusNextG NetworksNextNavNI (National Instruments) CorporationNokia CorporationNokia NetworksNorthrop Grumman CorporationnTerop CorporationNTT DoCoMoNuRAN WirelessNutaqO3b NetworksOceus NetworksOctasicOMA (Open Mobile Alliance)Oman Royal OfficeOntario Ministry of TransportationONTHEGODEVICESOpenSignalOptiwayPanasonic CorporationPanda Electronics (Nanjing Panda Electronics Company)Panorama AntennasParallel WirelessPennsylvania State PolicePeproPhiladelphia Police DepartmentPhonakPiciorgros (Funk-Electronic Piciorgros),Pikewerks CorporationPolaris NetworksPolice Federation of AustraliaPortalifyPotevio (China Potevio Company)PowerTrunkProductivity Commission, AustraliaProximusPryme Radio ProductsPSCR (Public Safety Communications Research)Public WirelessPureWave NetworksPuxing RadioPyramid CommunicationsQatar Armed ForcesQatar MOI (Ministry of Interior)Qigihar Municipal Public Security BureauQiqihar PoliceQualcommQuanta ComputerQucellQuortusRACOMRadio IPRadisys CorporationRADWINRAVEN Electronics CorporationRaytheon CompanyRCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)Reality MobileRedline CommunicationsRELM WirelessRF WindowRFS (Radio Frequency Systems)Rio de Janeiro Fire DepartmentRivada NetworksRohde & SchwarzRohillRoper IndustriesRosenbergerSafaricomSAIC (Science Applications International Corporation)Samji Electronics CompanySamsung ElectronicsSamsung GroupSANG (Saudi Arabian National Guard)Sao Paulo Military PoliceSapura Secured TechnologiesSaudi MOI (Ministry of Interior)Savox CommunicationsSelex ESSepuraSerComm CorporationSESSETARSevis SystemsSFRShanghai Police DepartmentSiemensSiemens Convergence CreatorsSierra WirelessSignalionSikluSimocoSiRRANSK TelecomSK TelesysSLA CorporationSLC (Secure Land Communications)Smith Micro SoftwareSOLiD (SOLiD Technologies)Sonic CommunicationsSonim TechnologiesSony CorporationSpace DataSpectra GroupSpiderCloud WirelessSpirent CommunicationsStar SolutionsState of LouisianaState of MinnesotaState of MississippiState of New JerseyState of New MexicoState of OklahomaState of TexasState Security Networks Group, FinlandStop NoiseSumitomo Electric IndustriesSunnada (Fujian Sunnada Communication Company)Surrey PoliceSwedish National PoliceSymantecTait CommunicationsTaquaTCCA (TETRA and Critical Communications Association)TCL CommunicationTCS (TeleCommunication Systems)TDIA (TD-Industry Alliance)TE ConnectivityTechosonic IndustriesTecoreTEKTELIC CommunicationsTelefonicaTelevateTELEXTelrad NetworksTelstraTeltronicTelumTESSCOTETRAtabThalesTI (Texas Instruments)TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)TITAN Communication SystemsT-MobileToshiba CorporationTropicoTurk TelekomTurkish National Police ForceTwisted Pair SolutionsU.S. ArmyU.S. CBP (Customs and Border Protection)U.S. CellularU.S. Coast GuardU.S. Department of CommerceU.S. Department of DefenseU.S. Department of Homeland SecurityU.S. Department of StateU.S. FCC (Federal Communications Commission)U.S. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)U.S. NavyU.S. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)U.S. NPSTC (National Public Safety Telecommunications Council)U.S. NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration)UAE MOI (Ministry of Interior)UbidyneUIC (International Union of Railways)UNIMO TechnologyUniversity of OttawaUppsala Ambulance ServicesUS Digital DeAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:ContactTel: +1-518-621-2074E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizWebsite:MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Cholesterol Screening/ Cholesterol Lab Testing Services Market Future Opportunities and Trends 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19430 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cholesterol-screening-cholesterol-lab-testing-services-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Global Cholesterol Lab Testing Services Market: OverviewThe prevalence of sedentary lifestyles of people is expected to boost the demand for cholesterol lab testing services worldwide. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance present in the bloodstream, nerve fibers, and bodily organs. A persons level of cholesterol is determined by factors such as heredity, consumption of food with high amounts of saturated fats (for example, animal products), and metabolic conditions such as diabetes, age, gender, and so on. In 2008, about 39% of adults aged 25 and above were diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).Get PDF Containing Future Market Opportunities for Cholesterol Screening/ Cholesterol Lab Testing Services at:The report incorporates complete information about the factors driving market growth as well as those restricting it. The key trends, opportunities, and leading segments of the present and projected periods have been studied. The major players in the global market for cholesterol lab testing services have been analyzed, wherein their market shares, key market strategies, recent developments, and product portfolios are discussed.Global Cholesterol Lab Testing Services Market: Drivers and RestraintsRaised cholesterol levels pose health hazards such as heightened risk of stroke and heart diseases, accounting for a large number of deaths. Cholesterol lab testing services enable early detection of problems, preventing complications and raising the survival chances of patients. This is expected to fuel the growth of the cholesterol lab testing services market.Some other major growth drivers of the market are gradual awareness about the dangers posed by cholesterol and education about the importance of these tests, rising incidence of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and other heart diseases, growing healthcare expenditure, government initiatives, increasing geriatric population, and technological advancements in the area of cholesterol lab testing services. Low fruit and vegetable intake, unhealthy eating habits such as preference for convenience foods and fast foods, and lack of physical inactivity have also been driving the growth of this market.As the deposits of cholesterol layer up the inner lining of arteries, atherosclerosis is developed. Obesity is another condition related to high cholesterol levels. As the number of such cholesterol-induced diseases increases, the need for these tests will also increase, thereby expanding the market for global cholesterol lab testing services.On the contrary, the presence of home or self-testing kits might hinder growth, apart from the restriction imposed by the introduction of non-invasive cholesterol testing procedures.Global Cholesterol Screening Market: Regional OutlookBased on geography, the global market for cholesterol lab testing services can be segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. North America is slated to emerge as a key market over the forecast period, with the U.S. at the lead. However, Europe also has a great potential for expansion, due to high number of people with high cholesterol.Asia Pacific is also expected to expand at a significant rate, displaying a promising CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this region can be attributed to the rising number of cholesterol lab testing services, ever-increasing population, higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases, and increase in healthcare expenditure.Read the Present Market Status of Cholesterol Screening/ Cholesterol Lab Testing Services at:Companies Mentioned in the ReportSome of the major companies operating in the market for cholesterol lab testing services are Eurofins Scientific, SYNLAB International GmbH, Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp), Spectra Laboratories Inc., and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated. A new service was introduced by Quest Diagnostics in November 2016. Under this service called QuestDirect, patients can manage their health more efficiently through self-tests, wherein a physician is not required to conduct tests.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: Excipients Market in Latin America to Cross US$ 626 Million Globally by 2023 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/excipients-market-latin-america https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/excipients-market-latin-america https://www.marketresearchengine.com/ New York, February 15: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Excipients Market By Product Segment Analysis, By Route of Administration Analysis and By Function Analysis - Latin America Industry Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2023How Big is the Latin America Excipients Market?The Latin America excipients market is expected to exceed more than US$ 626 million by 2023; Growing at a CAGR of more than 6% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report:The flourishing pharmaceutical trade in geographical area has been driving the excipients market within the region due its growing usage in producing medicines. Excipients area unit more and more are getting used by pharmaceutical corporations for coating, binding as diluents and filters, solvents and as colorants for creating tablets, capsules and alternative varieties of medication. Therefore the progress of the pharmaceutical trade is directly proportional to the success of the excipients market in geographical area The increasing expenditure on attention and also the up disposable incomes that enable customers to pay on medicines in geographical area is additionally chargeable for the increase of excipients within the region.The major driving factors of Latin America excipients market are as follows:Growing consumption of oral solid dosage drugsDevelopment in pharmaceutical market in Latin AmericaThe restraining factors of Latin America excipients market are as follows:Use of excipients in other end user industriesHigh manufacturing priceThe Latin America excipients market is segmented on the lines of its product, route of administration, function and country. Based on product segmentation the market covers gelatin, sugar and other, minerals, polymers and alcohols. Sugar and other is further divided into lactose, sucrose, maltitol, glucose and others. Under minerals segmentation it covers calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, clay, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide and others. Based on polymers segmentation it covers MCC, HPMC, ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, CMC, croscarmellose sodium, povidone(binders), crosspovidone(disintegrants), pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, polyethylene glycol, acrylic polymers and others. Under alcohol segmentation it covers glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, mannitol and others.The Latin America excipients market is based on route of administration segmentation covers tropical, parenteraloral and others. Under oral segmentation is further segmented into tablets, capsules (Hard & Soft) and liquids and semisolids. Based on function segmentation flavors & sweeteners, viscosity agents, film coating, controlled release, fillers & diluents, disintegrants, binders & adhesives, lubricants & glidants and others. Under country segmentation the Latin America covers Caribbean, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Argentina and rest of South America.Download Free Sample Report:This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Latin America excipients 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 2023.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Latin America excipients.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various Latin America excipients market 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 Ashland Inc., BASF SE, FMC Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, Merck KGaA, Evonik Industries AG, and Croda International Plc, CP Kelco, JRS Pharma, Roquette Pharma, Avantor Performance Materials Inc., Colorcon Inc., Innophos Holdings Inc., Cargill Inc., The Lubrizol Corporation, Eastman Chemical Company, Asahi-Kasei Corporation, Cabot Corporation, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company. 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 Latin America Excipients Market has been segmented as below:By Product Segment Analysis Gelatin Sugar & Othero Lactoseo Sucroseo Maltitolo Glucoseo Others Mineralso Calcium phosphateo Calcium carbonateo Clayo Silicon dioxideo Titanium dioxideo Others Polymerso MCCo HPMCo Ethyl celluloseo Methyl celluloseo CMCo CroscarmelloseSodiumo Povidone(binders)o Crosspovidone(disintegrants)o Pregelatinized starcho Sodium starch glycolateo Polyethylene glycolo Acrylic polymerso Others Alcoholo Glycerino Propylene glycolo Sorbitolo Mannitolo OthersBy Route of Administration Analysis Tropical Parenteral Oralo Tabletso Capsules (Hard & Soft)o Liquids and Semisolids OthersBy Function Analysis Flavors & Sweeteners Viscosity Agents Film Coating Controlled Release Fillers & Diluents Disintegrants Binders & Adhesives Lubricants & Glidants OthersBy Country Analysis Latin Americao Caribbeano Colombiao Chileo Mexicoo Central Americao Brazilo Argentinao Rest of South AmericaAbout 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 Wireless Chipsets Technology market explores new international markets Wireless Chipsets http://bit.ly/2kwr4Fl http://bit.ly/2kIZVjk http://www.bigmarketresearch.com bigmarketresearch.com include new market research report "Global Wireless Chipsets Market Status, 2011-2022 Market Historical and Forecasts, Professional Market Research ReportThis New Version Wireless Chipsets Market Research Report is a deep market research report in this market. This report focused on global and regional market, major manufacturers, as well as the segment market details on different classifications and applications. First, this report analyzed the basic scope of this industry like definition, specification, classification, application, industry policy and news in Chapter 1. Second, the analysis on industry chain is provided including the up and down stream industry also with the major market players. And the analysis on manufacturing including process, cost structure and major plants distribution is conducted in Chapter 2.Then the global and regional market is analyzed. In these chapters, this report analyzed major market data like capacity, production, capacity utilization rate, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, supply, import, export, consumption, market share, growth rate and etc. For regional market, this report analyzed major regions like Europe, North America, South America, Asia (Excluding China), China and ROW. These analysis are conducted in Chapter 3 and 4.In Chapter 5, the performance of major manufacturers are analyzed and then in Chapter 6 and 7 the analysis on major classification and application. Then the marketing channel analysis is provided including the major distributors in Chapter 8. Then this report analyzed the market forecast from 2017 to 2022 for global and regional market in Chapter 9 and the new project investment feasibility analysis in Chapter 10. At last, this report provided the conclusions of this research in Chapter 11. This report is a valuable source of guidance for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers, investors and individuals who have interest in this market.Request Sample Copy Here @Fundamentals Of Table Of Content :5 Major Manufacturers Analysis5.1 Altair Semiconductor, Inc. (Israel)5.1.1 Company Profile5.1.2 Product Specification5.1.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance5.1.4 2015 Regional Market Performance5.1.5 Contact Information5.2 Apple Inc. (US)5.2.1 Company Profile5.2.2 Product Specification5.2.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance5.2.4 2015 Regional Market Performance5.2.5 Contact Information5.3 Intel Corporation (US)5.3.1 Company Profile5.3.2 Product Specification5.3.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance5.3.4 2015 Regional Market Performance5.3.5 Contact Information5.4 Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (Bermuda)5.4.1 Company Profile5.4.2 Product Specification5.4.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance5.4.4 2015 Regional Market Performance5.4.5 Contact Information5.5 MediaTek Inc. (Taiwan)5.5.1 Company Profile5.5.2 Product Specification5.5.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance5.5.4 2015 Regional Market Performance5.5.5 Contact InformationAsk For Discount Here @About Company :Big Market Research uniqueness lies in its highly ethical reports at economical rates because we value your relationship and growth more than money. Your growth is our aim. With the arsenal of different search reports, we help you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency.Contact Us :5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesDirect :+ 1-503-894-6022Toll Free : + 1-800-910-6452Email: help@bigmarketresearch.comWeb: CLEVELAND, Feb. 14, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parker Hannifin Corporation (NYSE: PH), the global leader in motion and control technologies, today announced that it is scheduled to present at the Barclays Capital Industrial Select Conference in Miami Beach, Florida, February 23, 2017 at 9:45 a.m. Eastern time. Parker's scheduled presenter is Tom Williams, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. A live webcast of the presentation will be accessible on Parker's investor information website at www.phstock.com and will be archived on the site. Parker Hannifin is a Fortune 250 global leader in motion and control technologies. For 100 years the company has engineered the success of its customers in a wide range of diversified industrial and aerospace markets. Parker has increased its annual dividend per share paid to shareholders for 60 consecutive fiscal years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index. Learn more at www.parker.com or @parkerhannifin. ### Genome Editing Market - North America to Dominate the Market by 2021 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/upcommingreport/global-genome-editing-market-analysis-by-application-technology-and-end-user--forecast-2015-to-2021 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/ New York, February 15: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Global Genome Editing Market Analysis by Application, Technology and End User Forecast 2015 to 2021The global genome Editing market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 14.0% between 2015 and 2023. The global genome Editing market is estimated to cross US$ 7.0 billion by the end of 2023.Browse Full Report:The global genome editing market is rapidly increasing due to the increased government funding for genomics technology, rise in the production of genetically modified crops and technological advancements these all factors are driving the growth of this market.Recent developments across genome editing technologies have resulted in the creation of next generation nucleases that have higher levels of accuracy when correcting genetic mutations and defects. The classes under the genome editing technologies are the 4 broad families of nucleases: ZFNs, TALENs, CRISPR/Cas9, and Meganucleases.Gene editing technologies have an impact across multiple applications areas including plant and animal genetic engineering. However, the area of most disruption is across human cell line engineering, which enables the development of next generations therapies and drugs. However, the agricultural industry has seen more success with gene editing techniques largely due to the less stringent regulatory environment.Scope of the ReportThis market research report categorizes the genome editing market into the following segments:By Technology CRISPR/CAS9 TALENs ZFNs Antisense Technology Other TechnologiesBy Application Cell Line Engineering Animal Genetic Engineering Plant Genetic Engineering Other ApplicationsBy End User Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Companies Government and Academic Research Institutes Other Research OrganizationsBy Geographical Region North America Europe Asia Rest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States Growing Demand For Outdoor Furniture Market In US Over The Period 2017 - 2021 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=964305 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=964305 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Growing Demand For Outdoor Furniture Market In US Over The Period 2017 - 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.The demand for outdoor furniture has increased, driven by growth in the outdoor landscaping market in the US. Consumers' purchase decisions for outdoor furniture are largely influenced by their changing lifestyles and the equal emphasis on both interior and exterior dcor. The recovery of the US economy has also helped increase the purchase of outdoor furniture as people seek to expand their outdoor living areas. Outdoor furniture products that are made of natural, durable, and weather-resistant materials are in high demand, as they provide an aesthetic appeal to the outdoor space. Increasing construction activities and the availability of high-quality furniture are also favorable for the market's growth.Technavios analysts forecast the outdoor furniture market in US to grow at a CAGR of 3.95% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the outdoor furniture market in US for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the retail sales of outdoor furniture to individual customers and commercial users in the US.Technavio's report, Outdoor Furniture Market in US 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsBerkshire HathawayBrown Jordan InternationalCentury FurnitureForever PatioHomecrest Outdoor LivingIKEAWilliams-SonomaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Other prominent vendorsAmazonAMERICAN SIGNATURE FURNITUREATGStores.comCabela'sCostco WholesaleEthan Allen GlobalHaverty FurnitureHerman MillerJCPenneyKrogerMarket driverRise in demand for superior quality products from affordable-premium categories.For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeCriticality of inventory management, product sourcing, and supply chain management.For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendOutdoor furniture products with multifunctional features.For a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Consumption In Global Market For 2017 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=729867 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=729867 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG ResearchMoz presents this most up-to-date research on "Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Consumption In Global Market For 2017".The Global Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE) market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) 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 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE) market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Third, the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE) market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE) industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @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 Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.1 Definition and Specifications of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.1.1 Definition of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.1.2 Specifications of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.2 Classification of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.3 Applications of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.5.1 Industry Overview of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)1.7 Industry News Analysis of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment(EVSE)Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @ Market Size (Volume and Value) And Growth Rate Of Global Border Security System Consumption Market 2018 Market Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=729866 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=729866 http://www.researchmoz.us/ http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG ResearchMoz presents this most up-to-date research on "Market Size (Volume and Value) And Growth Rate Of Global Border Security System Consumption Market 2018".The Global Border Security System Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Border Security System market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Border Security System 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 Border Security System market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Third, the Border Security System market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Border Security System industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @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 Border Security System1.1 Definition and Specifications of Border Security System1.1.1 Definition of Border Security System1.1.2 Specifications of Border Security System1.2 Classification of Border Security System1.3 Applications of Border Security System1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Border Security System1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Border Security System1.5.1 Industry Overview of Border Security System1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Border Security System1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Border Security System1.7 Industry News Analysis of Border Security System2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Border Security System2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Border Security System2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Border Security System2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Border Security System2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Border Security System2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Border Security SystemMake 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 @ UV Coatings Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024 https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/uv-coatings-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/uv-coatings-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/uv-coatings-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/1043 http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research published new report on 'UV Coatings Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024' in it's databaseGlobal UV Coatings Market: OverviewUse of traditional methods to cure coatings and various product formulations is usually energy intensive and caused generate harmful emissions. UV curing refers to the energy or radiation curing in which the product formulations are instantly cured and there are no harmful results obtained. It is environment-friendly and hence use of the UV coatings is increasing rapidly. Its features include better gloss finish and better resistance. These features are also resulting in a higher demand for the UV coatings in the market. The largest demand is seen in Asia Pacific, mainly in China owing to the rising number of manufacturing companies and increasing end-uses in the electronic and industrial sector.Request Free Sample Report @Global UV Coatings Market: SegmentationThe global UV coatings market is segmented into its composition, type, end-user industry and geography. On the basis of composition, the market is divided into monomers, photoinitiators, oligomers, PU dispersions and others. Based on the type, the global market is segregated into plastic coatings, wood coatings, display coatings, conformal coatings, over print varnish and paper coatings. Based on end-user industry, the market is classified into electronics industry, industrial coatings, and graphic arts. Diversification of the global market based on region is seen into Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East and Africa.Global UV Coatings Market: Growth FactorsThe global UV coatings market is a growing market. Major factors such as increasing environmental awareness, the rise in coatings demand for industrial applications, decreasing operational cost, minimum volatile organic compounds emission, superior characteristics such as higher gloss finish and improved resistance, increased research and development activities and innovations such as bio-based UV coatings are driving the global UV coatings market. Growing electronics industry is the major end-user industry due to which the market is growing rapidly. Wood coatings and industrial coatings are the major segments showing significant growth in the market. However, growth may be hampered by factors such as low price competitiveness and niche applications.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global UV Coatings Market: Regional AnalysisThe largest share of the global UV coatings market is held by Asia Pacific. In this region, the major demand is seen in China, Taiwan, India, Japan and South Korea. Factors contributing towards this growth are increasing the number of manufacturing industries in this region and rising demand for UV coatings for electronics and industrial use. Growth in Asia Pacific is followed by North America, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa. In North America, countries such as the U.S. and Canada are contributing towards the market growth. There is the major demand for over print varnish coatings application in North American region. European region includes countries such as Germany, Sweden, the U.K., Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland, which provide an ample share in the market. Latin American region include Brazil and Mexico contributing to the market growth.Global UV Coatings Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the major companies in the global UV coatings market are DIC Corporation, Royal DSM N.V., BASF SE, Akzonobel N.V., The Valspar Corporation, Dymax Corporation, PPG Industries Inc. and Axalta Coatings Systems.Browse detail report @Global UV Coatings Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaAsk for a customized report @What Reports ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.For more inquiry contact our sales team @ sales@zionmarketresearch.comAbout Us:Zion 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: Vehicle Anti-Theft Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024 https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/vehicle-anti-theft-systems-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/vehicle-anti-theft-systems-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/vehicle-anti-theft-systems-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/1045C http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research published new report on 'Vehicle Anti-Theft Systems Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024' in it's databaseGlobal Vehicle Anti-Theft Systems Market: OverviewThere has been a rapid rise in the occurrences of vehicle theft. To combat this, there is a rise in the uptake of vehicle anti-theft systems globally. Factors affecting the uptake include ease of use and financial costs. Through these systems, tracking of the lost vehicle, detection of intrusion and sensing devices can be attached to the vehicle in order to secure them. Increasing production of automobiles of different kinds is boosting the vehicle anti-theft system market growth for vehicle anti-theft system market.Request Free Sample Report @Global Vehicle Anti-Theft Systems Market: SegmentationThe global vehicle anti-theft system market is segmented into its product type, technology, vehicle type, and geography. On the basis of product type, the market is divided into alarm, steering lock, immobilizer, biometric capture device, central locking and remote keyless entry. Based on technology, the market is segregated into the global system for communication (GSM), global positioning system (GPS), global radio frequency identification, face detection system, automotive biometric technology and real-time location system (RTLS). On the basis of vehicle type, the vehicle anti-theft system market is classified into the commercial vehicle, passenger car, off-highway vehicle. Diversification of the global market based on region is seen into North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa.Global Vehicle Anti-Theft Systems Market: Growth FactorsThe global vehicle anti-theft system market is a growing market. Major factors contributing towards this growth are a massive increase in the number of vehicles of different kinds, rising awareness about vehicle anti-theft devices, government regulations pertaining to vehicle safety and increasing development made in technology. In addition, increasing instances of theft in parking lots have necessitated the use of advanced anti-theft mechanisms for vehicle and passenger security and safety. The immobilizer system and the face detection system are the different sectors showing major growth in the vehicle anti-theft system market.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Vehicle Anti-Theft Systems Market: Regional AnalysisThe largest market share in the vehicle anti-theft system market is held by Asia Pacific. Major countries contributing towards this growth are India, China, Australia, Japan and New Zealand. The growth of Asia-Pacific can be contributed to reasons such as rising population and increasing production of automobiles in this region. Asia-Pacific will continue to dominate the global market in the coming periods as well. Following the growth in Asia Pacific will be regions such as North America, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and Africa. The growth in North America will be centered in countries such as the U.S. and Canada. An ample share of the market growth will be contributed by countries such as the U.K., Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Netherlands, and Russia in the European regions. Latin American countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and Chile will be contributing towards the increasing demand of the market. South Africa and North Africa will also show significant growth rate in the Middle East and African regions.Global Vehicle Anti-Theft Systems Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the major companies in the global vehicle anti-theft system market are Continental AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Lear Corporation, Tokai Rika Ltd., Delphi Automotive LLP, Johnson Electric, VOXX International Corp. and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.Browse detail report @Global Vehicle Anti-Theft Systems Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaAsk for a customized report @What Reports ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the marketFor more inquiry contact our sales team @ sales@zionmarketresearch.comAbout Us:Zion 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: Elastic Bonding Adhesive & Sealant Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024 https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/elastic-bonding-adhesive-sealant-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/elastic-bonding-adhesive-sealant-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/elastic-bonding-adhesive-sealant-market https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/custom/1074 http://www.zionmarketresearch.com Zion Market Research published new report on 'Elastic Bonding Adhesive & Sealant Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecasts 20162024' in it's databaseGlobal Elastic Bonding Adhesive & Sealant Market: OverviewElastic bonding is a modern fastening technique as compared to traditional fastening methods. It bonds two different materials together with a thin layer of permanent elastic adhesive and offers high peel strength, flexibility, and impact resistance to materials. Elastic bonding adhesive & sealant possess varied characteristics according to their end-use applications and products. They are significantly penetrating in the end-user industry markets. Elastic bonding adhesive & sealants are used in various applications such as automotive, glazing, sanitary, flooring, and others. They are eco-friendly in nature. Ongoing research and development in the elastic bonding adhesive & sealant industries for the better adhesion, emission, curing time, and method characteristics show favorable growth condition.Request Free Sample Report @Global Elastic Bonding Adhesive & Sealant Market: Growth FactorsSome of the growth factors of the global elastic bonding adhesive & sealant market are growing automotive sector in the developed region, high demand in the emerging economies for elastic bonding adhesive & sealant. In addition, reviving construction industries is also fuelling the demand for elastic bonding adhesive & sealant across the world. Manufacturers are focusing on the production of eco-friendly products in the highly regulated markets, which further propels the global market. Escalating demand for elastic bonding adhesive & sealant in industries, such as automotive, flooring, sanitary, glazing, and others may enhance overall elastic bonding adhesive & sealants consumption.Global Elastic Bonding Adhesive & Sealant Market: SegmentationThe global elastic bonding adhesive & sealant market is categorized based on applications as construction sealant, industrial sealant, construction adhesive, and industrial adhesive. On the basis of types, the global market is classified as silane modified polymers, polyurethane, silicone, and others. Furthermore, the global market is divided based on geography as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.Request Report TOC (Table of Contents) @Global Elastic Bonding Adhesive & Sealant Market: Regional AnalysisHigh demand in North America for elastic bonding adhesive & sealant may drive the global market in the coming years. Increasing development in this region is backed by increased manufacturing growth and the entrance of newer industrial applications is anticipated to foster the global elastic bonding adhesive & sealant market growth. Europe contributed for the largest market share in the global market. However, growth in developed economies in European countries is expected to fuel the global elastic bonding adhesive & sealant market in future.Global Elastic Bonding Adhesive & Sealant Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the major players in the global elastic bonding adhesive & sealant market are Threebond Group, Weicon GMBH & Co. KG, Cemedine Co., Ltd., H. B. Fuller, and Henkel Corporation. Other players in the market include Wacker Chemie AG, Dow Chemical Company, SIKA AG, 3M Company, and Bostik.Browse detail report @Global Elastic Bonding Adhesive & Sealant Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeUKFranceGermanyAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilThe Middle East and AfricaAsk for a customized report @What Report ProvidesFull in-depth analysis of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsSegmentation details of the marketFormer, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and valueAssessment of niche industry developmentsMarket share analysisKey strategies of major playersEmerging segments and regional marketsTestimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market.For more inquiry contact our sales team @ sales@zionmarketresearch.comAbout Us:Zion 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: By 2020, Petrochemical Market is Expected to register $890 Bn http://bit.ly/2du7hZJ http://bit.ly/2dvO6eQ http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-petrochemical-market-z37559 http://www.marketresearchstore.com Zion Research has published a new report titled Petrochemical (Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene, Benzene, Xylene, Toluene, Vinyl, Styrene and Methanol) Market: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2014 2020 According to the report, global demand for petrochemical market was valued at USD 550 billion in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 890 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of around 6.5% between 2015 and 2020.Petrochemicals are basically derived from hydrocarbons. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane. Petrochemical is mainly classified into two type such as olefin (including ethylene and propylene) and aromatics (including benzene, toluene and xylene isomers). Olefins and aromatics are produced in oil refineries by fluid catalytic cracking of petroleum fractions. Chemical plants produce olefins by steam cracking of natural gas liquids like ethane and propane. Aromatics are produced by catalytic reforming of naphtha. Olefins and aromatics are the building-blocks for a wide range of materials such as solvents, detergents, and adhesives. Olefins are the basis for polymers and oligomers used in plastics, resins, fibers, elastomers, lubricants, and gels.Request Sample Report:Growing demand from key end user inductees including construction, packaging, transportation, textile, plastics, healthcare etc., coupled with favorable operating conditions mainly in the Middle East and Asia Pacific is expected to drive the global market for petrochemicals over the next five years. Strong growth of these end-use industries is the major driving factor for global petrochemical market.However, manufacturers are expected to face major challenges such as growing environmental concerns. Owing rapidly growing pollution and global warming concerns, use of petrochemicals is expected to decline. Nevertheless, rapidly depleting crude oil reserves is expected to present major challenge to the manufacturers. Moreover, growing awareness about environment safety and shift towards use of bio-based chemicals is expected to hold the growth of this market.Do Inquiry before buying:On the basis of product segment petrochemicals market is segmented into ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, xylene, toluene, vinyl, styrene and methanol. Ethylene was the most dominating petrochemical product, accounting for about 25% of the global petrochemicals market in 2014. Ethylene is primarily used in the manufacture of polypropylene and propylene oxide. Methanol is projected to be the fastest growing segment from 2014 to 2020. Growth of methanol is directly related to its increasing usage in gasoline blending and methanol to olefins (MTO) processes. Other petrochemicals such as butadiene, benzene, xylene, toluene, vinyl and styrene accounted for a significant portion of the global petrochemicals market share in 2013.With around 50% share in total volume consumption in 2014, Asia Pacific has emerged as leading market for petrochemicals. Growing demand for polymers and solvent, dyes, adhesives, paints and coatings in Asia Pacific is expected to fuel the growth of petrochemicals in the region. Petrochemicals market in Asia Pacific is led by China. Asia Pacific was followed by North America and Europe.The manufacturing companies of petrochemicals have a significant impact on the value chain through a higher degree of forward integration. These companies manufacture raw materials as well as the final product and use it in various product types such as ethylene, propylene, butadiene, benzene, xylene, toluene, vinyl, styrene and methanol. BASF SE, ExxonMobil, The Dow Chemical Company, Shell Chemical Company, SABIC, Sinopec Limited, Lyondell Basell Industries, Total S.A., Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company are some important competitors in petrochemicals market. The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market.Browse the full "Global Petrochemical Market: Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast 2014 2020" report atGlobal Petrochemicals Market: Product Segment AnalysisEthylenePolyethyleneEthylene oxideEthylene dichlorideEthyl benzeneOther (Including alpha olefins and vinyl acetate)PropylenePolypropylenePropylene oxideAcrylonitrileCumeneAcrylic acidIsopropanolOther (Including polygas chemicals and oxo-chemicals)ButadieneStyrene-butadiene rubberButadiene rubberAcrylonitrile butadiene styreneStyrene-butadiene latexOther (Including nitrile rubber and mechanical belts)BenzeneEthyl benzeneCumeneCyclohexaneNitrobenzeneAlkyl benzeneOther (Including maleic anhydride)XyleneTolueneBenzeneXylenesSolventsToluene diisocyanateOther (Including pesticides, drugs and nitrotoluene)VinylStyrenePolystyreneExpandable polystyreneAcrylonitrile butadiene styreneStyrene-butadiene latexUnsaturated polyester resinsStyrene-butadiene rubberOther (Including copolymer resins)MethanolFormaldehydeGasolineAcetic acidMethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE)Dimethyl etherMethanol to olefins (MTO)Other (Including biodiesel, solvent and chloromethane)Global Petrochemicals Market: Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeGermanyFranceUKAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaContact US: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.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@marketresearchstore.comWebsite: Global Polyester Fiber Market is Expected to Cross USD 115.0 Billion in 2020 http://bit.ly/2dMvPZm http://bit.ly/2dMvPZm http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/polyester-fiber-market-for-carpet-z37560 http://www.marketresearchstore.com Zion Research has published a new report titled Polyester Fiber Market (Solid and Hollow) for Carpet & Rugs, Nonwoven Fabrics, Fiberfill and Other Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2014 2020. According to the report, global demand for polyester fibers was valued at USD 73.5 billion in 2014 and is expected to cross USD 115.0 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of slightly over 5% between 2015 and 2020. In terms of volume, the global polyester fiber market stood at 42 million tons in 2014.Request Sample Report:Polyester fibers are derived polymers. They are specially derived from the chemicals like napolyethylene terephthalate (PET) and monoethylene glycol. The nonwoven bonded fabrics provide frequent folding property to the product. The polyester fiber provides the features like good elasticity, wear and tear property, low humidity absorption, creases free, quick drying, abrasion free, and water resistance and low humidity absorption capability.Polyester fiber market on the basis of product is segmented as solid polyester fiber and hollow polyester fiber. The solid polyester fiber dominated the market and accounted for around 80% shares in total volume consumption in 2014. The polyester fiber market is mainly driven by rising demand for solid fibers. Owing to its unique characteristics, solid polyester fiber has been emerged as a potential substitute for traditional fibers such as cotton and nylon and expected to grow the market size for the years to come.Do Inquiry before buying:The polyester fiber on the basis of the application is segmented as carpets and rugs, nonwoven fabrics, fiberfill and others. Rising disposable incomes in addition to dynamic lifestyles is expected to drive the growth of home furnishings market. Thus, the carpets and rugs are accounted for a notable share of the home furnishings market. The rapid growth is expected in this application segment due to the growth of building and construction industry. In addition, the consumers focus on enhancing interiors, particularly in business and company environments, is probably going to boost the demand for wall-to-wall carpets and successively the polyester fiber market.Polyester fiber market is growing across different regions like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific dominated the global polyester fiber market in terms of volume as well as revenue. It accounted for around 80% in total volume consumption and revenue generated in 2014. Strong demand for polyester fiber from emerging economies such as China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. is expected to further trigger the growth of this industry in the region. North America, Latin America, Europe accounted for small share of the global polyester fiber market.Browse the full "Polyester Fiber Market for Carpet & Rugs, Nonwoven Fabrics, Fiberfill and Other Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, and Forecast, 2014 2020" report atThe key manufactures profiled within the report include Alpek S.A.B de C.V, Indorama Ventures Public Company Ltd., Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber Company Ltd., Far Eastern New Century Corporation, Jiangsu Sanfangxiang group, Reliance Industries limited, Mossi Ghisolfi group, Tongkun group, Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, Zhejiang Hengyi group Co. Ltd., and Zhejiang Hengsheng Chemical Fiber Co., Ltd.Polyester Fiber Market Product Segment AnalysisSolidHollowPolyester Fiber Market - Application Segment AnalysisCarpets & rugsNonwoven fabricsFiberfillOthers (Apparel, home textiles, industrial, etc.)Polyester Fiber Market - Regional Segment AnalysisNorth AmericaU.S.EuropeGermanyUKFranceAsia PacificChinaJapanIndiaLatin AmericaBrazilMiddle East and AfricaAbout 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:Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@marketresearchstore.comWebsite: Global Knife Gate Valves Market 2017 : Lined Valve, Vortex, Red Valve, Ebro Armaturen, Nor-Cal Products Knife Gate Valves http://bit.ly/2kJzGcF http://bit.ly/2lh3VLD The Knife Gate Valves market report covers forecast and analysis for the Knife Gate Valves market on a global and regional level. The Knife Gate Valves industry report provides historic data of 2015 along with a Knife Gate Valves market forecast from 2015 to 2021 based on Knife Gate Valves industry volume and Knife Gate Valves revenue (USD Million). The Knife Gate Valves includes Growth Drivers, Competitive Landscape for the Knife Gate Valves market with the impact they demand over the predict period of years. Additionally, the Knife Gate Valves market report includes the study of opportunities available in the Knife Gate Valves market on a global level.Get Sample Research Report :In Knife Gate Valves Market report, all the segments have been analysed based on present and Knife Gate Valves market future trends and the Knife Gate Valves market is estimated from 2015 to 2021. In this Knife Gate Valves report, regional segmentation covers the Knife Gate Valves industry current and forecast demand for North America, Africa, Europe, South America, China and the Asia-Pacific.This report segments the global Knife Gate Valves industry as follows:Global Knife Gate Valves Market: Manufacturers Segment AnalysisVAT VakuumventileVortexTalleres Mecanicos HerbeHighlight TechnologyJaudt Dosiertechnik MaschinenfabrikKempster EngineeringLined ValvePentair Valves & ControlsRed ValveGEFA ProcesstechnikEbro ArmaturenNor-Cal ProductsGlobal Knife Gate Valves Market: Type Segment AnalysisType IType IIGlobal Knife Gate Valves Market: Applications Segment AnalysisApplication 1Application 2The Knife Gate Valves market report discusses in details about the vendor landscape of the Knife Gate Valves market. The Knife Gate Valves Industry has been analysed on the basis of Knife Gate Valves market attractiveness and investment feasibility. The Knife Gate Valves report lists the key players in the Knife Gate Valves market and provides crucial information about them such as overview of business, product offerings, revenue segmentation. As per the SWOT analysis, All above Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export, Company Profile, Capacity, Production & Consumption covered in Knife Gate Valves industry report.Do Enquiry Before Purchasing Report :Global Knife Gate Valves Market: Regional Segment Analysis1. North America (USA, Mexico and Canada)2. Europe (UK, Russia, Italy, Germany and France)3. Asia-Pacific (India, China, Japan, Korea and South-east Asia)4. South America, Middle East5. AfricaFinally, "Worldwide Knife Gate Valves Market" Analysis- is a professional and in-depth study on the current state are offered.About Us :Worldwide Industry 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 Industry, 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 IndustryUnited States Chinese (Traditional) English NEW YORK, LONDON and HONG KONG, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hazeltree, the leading provider of integrated buy-side treasury management solutions, today announced that it has expanded its management team by hiring seasoned commodities trading and hedge fund consultant and software executive, Don Jefferis, as Managing Director of Strategic Accounts. Mr. Jefferis will focus on expanding and leading Hazeltrees business development into strategic markets such as insurance companies, endowments and pension plans. Mr. Jefferis brings to Hazeltree more than three decades of experience in professional services, software product management, business development and executive management in the consulting, energy, and software industries. We are consistently seeing increased interest in Hazeltrees treasury solutions across all areas of the investment management industry, driven by the increasing complexity resulting from regulatory shifts, investment diversification and escalating demands for transparency, said Sameer Shalaby, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hazeltree. Hazeltree has earned a strong reputation for success in the hedge fund and asset management industry, and with Dons leadership, we are well positioned to expand into a number of additional buy-side markets. Throughout his career, Mr. Jefferis has identified and driven the adoption of strategic opportunities to enable companies journeys towards greater financial, operational and risk management excellence leading to overall, bottom-line results. He most recently launched energy-focused consultancy Opportune LLPs Process & Technology practice, where he served as a strategic advisor and operations consultant to numerous energy producers, marketers and traders. Early in his career, Mr. Jefferis co-founded Arthur Andersens Energy Risk Management practice, where he advised and assisted electric power and natural gas producers and transporters on operational, risk management and control, and information management systems necessary to capture market opportunities in deregulating, competitive markets. Mr. Jefferis joined Mirant Corp. in the mid-1990s as Chief Information Officer, leading and supporting growth to a Top 5 global energy marketer with 1400 employees spanning 4 offices in 3 countries. In 1999, Mr. Jefferis joined TenFold Energy as president, where he led that start-up to over $60 million in bookings. Mr. Jefferis subsequently was appointed Chief Financial Officer of TenFold Energys parent company, publicly-traded TenFold Corp. After considerable due diligence, said Don Jefferis, Managing Director of Strategic Accounts for Hazeltree, I became unequivocally convinced that the operational pain that Hazeltree solves for its asset management clients has broader applicability across new markets. In Hazeltree terms active treasury management turns treasury operations on its head, from a cost center to a profit center, while reducing risk and facilitating regulatory compliance. Perhaps most importantly, active treasury management is also emerging as a due diligence topic among increasingly discerning institutional investors in search of greater transparency, systemic risk diversification and a commitment to best practices. Mr. Jefferis has a B.S. degree in Accounting from Michigan State University and is a CPA. He serves on the National Board of Advisors of the General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum. About Hazeltree Hazeltree is the leading Treasury Management solution provider, serving hedge funds, asset managers, fund administrators, insurance companies and pension funds with powerful, proactive performance enhancement and risk mitigation capabilities that generate operational alpha, reduce a range of risks and streamline operations. Hazeltrees integrated treasury management solution includes comprehensive cash management, securities financing, collateral management, counterparty management and margin management capabilities. Hazeltree is headquartered in New York with offices in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.hazeltree.com. Global Wireless Audio Transmission Module Consumption 2016 Market Research Report Analysis, Share, Drivers, Growth And Forecast http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=729871 http://www.researchmoz.us/semiconductors-market-reports-63.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://deep-research-report.blogspot.com/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Wireless Audio Transmission Module Consumption 2016 Market Research Report " to it's Large Report database.The Global Wireless Audio Transmission Module Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Wireless Audio Transmission Module market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Wireless Audio Transmission Module 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 Wireless Audio Transmission Module market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Third, the Wireless Audio Transmission Module market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Wireless Audio Transmission Module 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 Semiconductors Market Research Reports @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.1 Definition and Specifications of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.1.1 Definition of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.1.2 Specifications of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.2 Classification of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.3 Applications of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.5.1 Industry Overview of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module1.7 Industry News Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module3 3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales and Sale Price Analysis of Wireless Audio Transmission Module3.1 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Wireless Audio Transmission Module 2011-20163.2 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Wireless Audio Transmission Module by Regions 2011-20163.3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Wireless Audio Transmission Module by Types 2011-20163.4 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Wireless Audio Transmission Module by Applications 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: Global Canned Food Consumption 2016 Market Research Report Emerging Trends, Growth Drivers, Future Outlook and Opportunities http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=729872 http://www.researchmoz.us/food-market-reports-118.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://deep-research-report.blogspot.com/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Canned Food Consumption 2016 Market Research Report " to it's Large Report database.The Global Canned Food Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Canned Food market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Canned Food industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.Secondly, the report states the global Canned Food market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Third, the Canned Food market analysis is provided for major regions including USA, Europe, China and Japan, and other regions can be added. For each region, market size and end users are analyzed as well as segment markets by types, applications and companies.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Canned Food industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Read All Food Market Research Reports @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Canned Food1.1 Definition and Specifications of Canned Food1.1.1 Definition of Canned Food1.1.2 Specifications of Canned Food1.2 Classification of Canned Food1.3 Applications of Canned Food1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Canned Food1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Canned Food1.5.1 Industry Overview of Canned Food1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Canned Food1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Canned Food1.7 Industry News Analysis of Canned Food2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Canned Food2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Canned Food2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Canned Food2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Canned Food2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Canned Food2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Canned Food2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Canned Food3 3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales and Sale Price Analysis of Canned Food3.1 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Canned Food 2011-20163.2 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Canned Food by Regions 2011-20163.3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Canned Food by Types 2011-20163.4 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Canned Food by Applications 2011-20163.5 Global Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of Canned Food by Companies 2011-2016About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: Ferroelectric RAM Market Analysis | 2016 - 2021 http://www.marketintelreports.com/report/esr0234/ferroelectric-ram-market-analysis-by-application-access-control-energy-security-systems-sensor-networks--smart-cards-by-product-computer-desktops-laptops-energy-meters-mobile-devices-personal-digital-assistants--others-with-forecast-20162021 http://www.marketintelreports.com/pdfdownload.php?id=esr0234 http://www.marketintelreports.com/purchase.php?id=esr0234 www.marketintelreports.com Ferroelectric RAM Market Analysis: By Application (Access Control, Energy, Security Systems, Sensor Networks & Smart Cards); By Product (Computer Desktops, Laptops, Energy Meters, Mobile Devices, Personal Digital Assistants & Others) With Forecast (2016-2021)Browse Our Recent Research on Ferroelectric RAM Market @One of the key requirements for any storage technology is the ability of the technology to have density storage capabilities whilst allowing for the memory to be recovered or recalled. Power consumption by the technology is also vital as there is a common power source for the storage device as well as for the other components of the overall product. In this respect, there have been a number of storage technologies which have been developed and deployed across different electronic devices depending on the size of the device, the amount of memory that the device is expected to hold and the memory recall requirement. Ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) stands for random access memory. This memory combines the benefits of DRAM, ROM and flash memory. Faster read and write access is the key benefit FRAM. Higher memory retention is also a key advantage of FRAM over other storage technologies.As the term suggests FRAM uses a ferroelectric layer as against the standard dielectric layer as a result of which the benefits mentioned above ca be realized. The biggest advantage of FRAM however is the low power requirement for the storage device the makes it popular amongst many device manufacturers. Also, FRAM has the benefit of faster memory recall which is in line with the advantages associated with flash memory, but with higher memory retention. Security applications are expected to be a key driver for the FRAM market because of the higher memory and faster recall properties associated with the storage technology.In terms of technological development, vendors operating in the market have already invested heavily in R&D of storage technology especially in ferroelectric RAM technology. The technology is expected to be used widely in data centers as well as for wireless sensor operations where data recall will be done wirelessly and hence, speed would have to be of the essence.Avail more information from Sample Brochure, Get a copy @Ferroelectric RAM MarketThe Ferroelectric RAM market can be segmented on the basis of application: Access control Energy meters Security systems Sensor networks Smart cardsIn terms of product, the Ferroelectric RAM market has been segmented across the following: Computer desktops Laptops Meters Mobile devices Personal digital assistantsThe market has been segmented based on the following geographies: North America South America APAC Europe Middle East AfricaFollowing are just a few of the companies that are operating in the Ferroelectric RAM market: Cypress Semiconductor Fujitsu Ltd Infineon Technologies International Business Machines LAPIS Semiconductor Texas Instruments Toshiba CorporationProcure this report @About us:MarketIntelReports (MIR) aim to empower our clients to successfully manage and outperform in their business decisions, we do this by providing Premium Market Intelligence, Strategic Insights and Databases from a range of Global Publishers.A group of industry veterans who are well experienced in reputed international consulting firms after identifying the sourcing needs of MNCs for market intelligence, have together started this business savior MarketIntelReports.Contact us:Sales ManagerMayur S2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,Wilmington,Delaware,19808United Statespr@marketintelreports.comTelephone: 1-302-261-5343 Home Telemonitoring Systems Market Trends To 2022 https://marketreportscenter.com/request-sample/507754 https://marketreportscenter.com/reports/507754/global-home-telemonitoring-systems-market-research-report-2017 https://marketreportscenter.com/request-discount/507754 https://marketreportscenter.com Global Home Telemonitoring Systems Industry 2021 Market Research Report analyzed the current state in the definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The report also focuses on the development trends as well as history, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions etc in the international markets.Global Home Telemonitoring Systems Industry 2021 Market Research Report is a professionally prepared report comprising of in-depth information as well as knowledge which is helpful to the new entrants and the established players. Key statistics on the state of the industry and the complete demand analysis of the industry is showcased in the report.Download Sample Report @The development policies, plans as well as the bill of materials, cost structures are well studied and explained within the report for a better understanding. It also includes the study of the sales, import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. Also, the complete analysis of the prices, revenue share, growth rate etc.Through combining the well-integrated data with the deep analytical skills valid findings are detected. It gives out a strong prediction about the growth of the Home Telemonitoring Systems industry in the future years to come. Furthermore, each and every important variable which is responsible for shaping the Global Home Telemonitoring Systems Industry in the incorporated during the preparation process of the report.The report begins with the industry overview furnishing the details about the specifications, classification, applications, industry chain structure as well as gives out the policy analysis of the industry. It moves further on towards determining the manufacturing cost structure analysis, technical data as well as the manufacturing plant analysis. A lot of insightful predictions about the production, export/import, and consumption is provided in the report.Complete Report Details @Future Development Trends in the Global Home Telemonitoring Systems Company through the market share, SWOT analysis, revenue, gross margin is indicated through the report. Apart from it the report also provides great prospects of the new projects investments, SWOT analysis of the new projects, details about the key consumers with the complete contact details for the new entrants to engage in better opportunities.The competitive landscape of the market state showcases the study of the most renowned players in the China markets in the field of Global Home Telemonitoring Systems industry. A detailed and thorough analysis of the company profiles, production as well as consumption, traders, marketing distributors along with the impact is covered throughout the report. The overall research conclusions with the investment avenues are prevalent in the report. Through the report, the new entrants are able to get the complete overview of the current state of the Global Home Telemonitoring Systems which will be beneficial for them.....ContinuedDiscount On This Report @For more information, please visitMarket Reports Center is an e-commerce platform obliging the needs of knowledge workers, experts, professionals who are subject to market research information for their work, or to make strategic business decisions. Market Reports Centers team consistently works to update and extend our existing repository of market research reports by partnering with new publishers and adding their studies to our website.Sam Collins303, Astral Court,Aundh, Pune,MH - 411045, Indiainfo@marketreportscenter.com EMerging Evolution: Wireless Sensor Network Market to Achieve Significant Growth Fueled by Rise of Internet of Things http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/188291 MarketResearchReports.biz announces the addition of a new research report, titled Semiconductor Wireless Sensor Internet of Things (IoT): Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2014 to 2020. The 640-page publication, backed by 266 figures and tables, states that the global wireless sensor network market is anticipated to exhibit strong growth in the coming years thanks to the rising use of semiconductor wireless sensor networks in the implementation of the Internet of Things. These networks are also used to monitor oil wells, pipelines, and healthcare patients.Semiconductor wireless sensor networks are used to implement smart grids, to monitor bridges, for security implementation, and to implement the Internet of Things. Given that almost anything can be monitored with the use of sensors and tracked on a smartphone, semiconductor wireless sensor networks are ideal for energy savings in commercial as well as residential buildings.In 2014, the number of devices connected to the internet stood at 9 billion, which is likely to rise to 100 billion by 2020. This phenomenal growth in the number of internet-connected devices has resulted in the rise in business control devices, thereby fueling the demand for wireless sensor networks.There has been an increasing demand from the users of massive amounts of data to be able to collect, control, manage, and secure only the necessary information gathered from sensors. This information needs to be transmitted onto the network after a thorough analysis. So the challenge is not the lack of data. Rather, the issue is trying to control the big data explosion and sift through most of the data to get to what is required.For Sample Copy, click here:Thanks to advanced technologies in the field of wireless sensor networks, it is now possible to interconnect devices that have never before been connected. Players within the market are focused on the feasibility of the sensors to work independently in a group. Firms are also working on the development of advanced storage devices and energy harvesting devices that are feasible as well as economical.The wireless sensor networks market is projected to be driven by the proliferation of apps on smartphones. The sensors can directly work on the smartphones because they are installed with no additional labor or wiring. This renders the systems more convenient to install and run.The report includes a detailed evaluation of the competitive landscape of the wireless sensor networks market. It assesses the performance of some of the key players operating in the global market, such as LORD, Silicon Laboratories, Linear Technology / Dust Networks, Millennial Net, Renesas, Analog Devices, Semtech, Microsemi, and Texas Instruments / National Semi. Apart from this, the report also lists the key participants that contribute towards the growth of the wireless sensor networks market. These include Integrated Device Technology (IDT), Libelium, Dialog, Conexant Systems, Millennial Net, Texas Instruments, Mitsubishi Electric, Sensata Technologies, Rockwell Automation, Honeywell, Analog Devices, Semtech, Z-wave, Gemalto, Schneider Electric, IBM, Akamai, Zigbee, Invensys, Freescale Semiconductor, Fujitsu, Northrop Grumman, and OMRON.To order report Call Toll Free: 866-997-4948 or send an email on sales@marketresearchreports.bizMarketResearchReports.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 Income Property Organization Lists 67-Unit Southfield Apartment Complex for Sale http://www.incomepo.com Income Property Organization (IPO) is the listing brokerage for a 67-unit apartment complex in Southfield, Mich., the bidding for which is now open until March 15, 2017. The property, known as Wakefield Apartment Homes, is located in Michigans wealthiest county and the second most populated county in the state of Michigan.Current occupancy for Wakefield is 92.5 percent. The newly renovated complex is located on 1.62 acres of property and there is ample parking and carports, along with in-unit laundry hook ups.There are nine two-story buildings in the complex, which has a utility reimbursement and trash pickup fee negotiated with tenants.Wakefield Apartment Homes, which were built in 1976, are configured in what is being described as an "incredibly competitive" breakdown of unit styles, including one 1,000-square foot, one-bedroom unit, thirteen 1,400-square-foot stacked two-bedroom units, thirty three 1,400-square-foot three-bedroom units and nineteen 1,400-square-foot ranch-style three-bedroom units.Unit amenities include washer and dryer hook-ups, central air, individual entrances, and a balcony or patio.The property is equipped with a tenant-paid, gas-forced air heating systems, which offers considerable savings to an owner, especially when the cost associated with heating units of this size is factored into the analysis.Because the units have exterior entrances, an owner also incurs virtually no expense for common area utilities.The complex received a $1.3 million rehabilitation that was done to the property over the course of the last four years, including replacement of windows and door walls, entry doors, roofs, exterior painting, lighting, landscaping, parking lots, HVAC replacement, retention pond repairs and various unit upgrades.Income Property Organization in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. offers customized brokerage services that are designed to meet the specific needs of a wide range of clients -- private owners as well as institutional investors -- who want to buy or sell income property. To learn more or inquire about multifamily investment opportunities, visitor contact Greg Coulter at (248) 932-0300.PO Box 871346Canton, MI Automated External Defibrillator Market to Cross US$ 15 Billion by 2022 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/automated-external-defibrillator-market https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/automated-external-defibrillator-market https://www.marketresearchengine.com New York, February 15: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Automated External Defibrillator Market By Type Analysis (Semi automated external defibrillator, Fully automated external defibrillator); By End-user Analysis (Home based, Hospitals, Pre Hospitals) and By Regional Analysis Global Forecast by 2016 2022.How Big is the Global Automated External Defibrillator?The Global Automated External Defibrillator Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 15 billion by 2022 and will grow at a CAGR of more than 7% in the given forecast period.Browse Full Report:The major driving factors of Global Automated External Defibrillator Market are as follows: Huge investments by private players Increase in the incidence of cardiac disorders because of change in lifestyle Advancements in the field of defibrillatorsThe restraining factors of Global Automated External Defibrillator Market are as follows: Strict FDA regulations Difficulties regarding wearability of defibrillatorsThe Global Automated External Defibrillator Market is segmented on the lines of its type, end user and regional. Based on type segmentation it covers semi automated external defibrillator and fully automated external defibrillator. Under end user segmentation it covers home based, hospitals and pre hospitals. The global automated external defibrillator market on 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.Request A Sample Report:This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Global Automated External Defibrillator Market and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Global Automated External Defibrillator Market.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets, Global Automated External Defibrillator Market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Boston Scientific, Nihon Kohden, St. Jude Medical, Biotronik, Zoll Medical, Mindray, Cardiac Science, Physio Control and Primedic. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Global Automated External Defibrillator Market has been segmented as below:By Type Analysis Semi automated external defibrillator Fully automated external defibrillatorBy End-user Analysis Home based Hospitals Pre HospitalsBy Regional Analysis North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the WorldAbout MarketResearchEngineMarket 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 ContactContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States Jacksonville ENT Surgery welcomes new Medical Assistant Jacksonville, Fla., Feb. 15, 2017 Jacksonville ENT Surgery is pleased to welcome Lejla Juklo to their team as a certified medical assistant. Juklo will be responsible for taking a patients medical history, vital signs, preparing rooms for patient exams, assisting with allergy testing, CT scans and assisting the providers. She will be rotating between Jacksonville ENT Surgerys five locations in Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach and Lake City.Juklo is a graduate of Fortis College, where she made the Deans list with a 3.8 grade point average and received an award for perfect attendance. She previously worked at the Internal Medicine Association of Jacksonville where she also assisted providers, took patients vital signs and assisted with various patient testing.Juklo is originally from Bosnia and is fluent in both Bosnian and English. She has been a resident of Jacksonville for 13 years and currently lives on the Southside. When she is not working, Juklo enjoys spending time with her family, bowling and traveling.About Jacksonville ENT SurgeryJacksonville Ent Surgery specializes in the treatment of ear, nose, and throat conditions in both adults and children. They offer a broad range of options for quality medical and surgical treatment for problems related to the head and neck. Their areas of expertise include sinus and allergy, hearing and balance, snoring and sleep apnea, adult and pediatric ENT, thyroid and glandular, head and neck surgery, throat and voice, and tinnitus treatment. They also work closely with patients who may be considering a procedure for facial plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery in conjunction with an ENT surgery. Jacksonville ENT Surgery has five locations; three in Jacksonville, one in Jacksonville Beach and one in Lake City. For more information, visit jacksonvilleentsurgery.com.1611 San Marco BoulevardJacksonville, FL 32207904-232-3001 Tissue Diagnostics Market Research Report by Regional Analysis - North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa : forecast 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/tissue-diagnostics-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19607 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Tissue diagnostics is a technique used for diagnosis, monitoring, and management of diseases. It is one of the major techniques used in cancer diagnosis. Currently, there are various types of cancer including breast, colon, lung, prostate, liver, skin, stomach, and others. Globally, cancer is one the leading cause of death. According to the WHO, cancer accounted for 8.2 million deaths in 2012. According to the American Cancer Society, one million people are diagnosed with cancer every year. Tissue diagnostics plays an important role in diagnosis and detection of cancer. Tissue diagnostics is also useful in next generation sequencing, decoding cancer molecular profiles, and circulating cancer cells. Tissue diagnostics is experiencing significant growth due to increasing incidence of cancer, microbial infections, autoimmune diseases, and various other diseases. Tissue-based diagnostic testing comprises histopathology, which is the study of disease in tissue, and various other diagnostic tests such as immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, hematoxylin, and Eosin test. Tissue diagnostic test is performed using a fine needle aspiration cytology, open biopsy, and core biopsy. Tissue diagnostics also helps to detect the degree of healthy tissue been affected by cancer and the stage of cancer. Tissue diagnosis in biopsy helps to determine the course of treatment.The tissue diagnostics market is driven by increasing prevalence of cancer, technical advances in tissue diagnostic tests, increasing usage of immunohistochemistry products, research and development and increasing investment in diagnostic procedures of small tissues, and increasing investment by pharmaceutical companies. High cost of the test, stringent regulatory framework for approval of medical devices, and no proper reimbursement policy are the major restraints of the market. However, innovation in the diagnostic tests such as IHC, ISH, and FISH is likely to provide an opportunity in the global tissue diagnostic market.Browse full report on Tissue Diagnostics Market -The tissue diagnostics market has been segmented based on technology, application, end-user, and region. In terms of technology, the market has been categorized into flow cytometry, HPV test, hematology, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, circulating tumor cells, pap smears, microscopy, and digital or image cytometry. Based on application, the tissue diagnostics market has been segmented into hematology, oncology, microbiology, tissue transplant, prenatal testing, and cytology. In terms of end-user, the tissue diagnostics market has been segmented into pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, research laboratories, hospitals, and diagnostic centers.In terms of region, the tissue diagnostics market was segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the tissue diagnostics market due to increasing awareness regarding new diagnostic tests available, growing emphasis on early detection of cancer, improved reimbursement policy, and well developed health care facilities. The legislative reform of Affordable Care Act in the U.S. is also an important factor likely to drive the tissue diagnostics market in North America. Europe is the second largest market for tissue diagnostics due to improved health care facilities and economic condition. Moreover, medical innovation and increasing awareness are factors attributed to the growth of the tissue diagnostics market. Asia Pacific is expected to be the emerging market for tissue diagnostics, with India and China being major markets. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are expected to be other key markets for tissue diagnostics.Top players in the tissue diagnostics market are F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG., Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Abbott, BioGenex Laboratories, BioSB, Cell Signaling Technology, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Danaher Corporation, Agilent Technologies, GE Healthcare, and Siemens Healthineers, among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.Request for brochure of this report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Strong 15% CAGR to drive South Korea Medical Tourism Market to $2 Bn by 2022 https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/south-korea-medical-tourism-market-insights-opportunity-analysis-market-shares--forecast-2017--2022 https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=4924 ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title South Korea Medical Tourism Market Insights, Opportunity, Analysis, Market Shares & Forecast 2017 2022 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.Market growth can be attributed to factors such as technologically advanced treatments and medical procedures, pioneer in plastic/cosmetic surgery and dentistry, excellent medical practitioners & medical facilities, affordable medical costs and strong government support and initiatives.Chinese medical tourists play a significant role in contributing revenue to the South Korea economy. China contributed more than 35% share in 2016. China is likely to maintain dominance in South Korea Medical Tourism revenue share by the year end of 2022. United States spot at second position in the revenue share. Other countries such as Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan and UAE emerge as the largest revenue generators in the South Korea Medical Tourism Market.The research report titled "South Korea Medical Tourism Market Insights, Opportunity, Analysis, Market Shares & Forecast 2017 2022 provides detailed information on the South Korea Medical Tourism Market.This report analyzes market data and provides a better understanding of medical tourists flow and revenue to South Korea.Market outlook in value terms for the forecasted period for South Korea Medical Tourism Market has been detailed in the report.Key industry news and medical procedures cost comparision are analyzed with details.This report also entails a detailed description of growth drivers and inhibitors of the South Korea Medical Tourism Market.To view detailed description and Table of Contents of this report please visitKey Topics Covered in the Report South Korea Medical Tourism Market Environment & Trend (2009 2022) South Korea Medical Tourism Market Share & Forecast (2009 2022) South Korea Medical Tourism Market Countrywise Analysis Medical Procedures Cost Comparison Analysis Industry News from South Korea Medical Tourism Key Drivers and Inhibitors of the South Korea Medical Tourism MarketSouth Korea Medical Tourism Market 12 Countries Covered1) United States2) China3) Japan4) Russia5) Mongolia6) Vietnam7) Philippines8) Kazakhstan9) Saudi Arabia10) Uzbekistan11) Indonesia12) United Arab EmiratesTo Get Sample Copy of this report please visitAbout ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com LOS ANGELES, Feb. 14, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- M2 Compliance ("M2"), www.m2compliance.com, a world-leading SEC-registered EDGAR & XBRL Filing Agent, and full-service financial printer, announced today its participation as one of the sponsors of the 2017 Disruptive Growth & Healthcare Conference, an investment banking event taking place on February 15th and 16th in Manhattan, New York. M2 is known for their UNLIMITED EDGAR & XBRL ("UNLIMITED") program as well as for providing unparalleled 24/7 dedicated service and delivering faster turnaround times for EDGAR & XBRL. M2 launched their UNLIMITED program for an all-inclusive rate of $4,995 per year just over three years ago and today has saved public companies over $2,800,000 combined when compared to the fees they would have spent with their previous provider(s). M2's UNLIMITED program was created to serve public companies with a market cap less than 300M, and to bring the pricing down across the industry while providing the highest quality of work. "It was time that issuers that had a market less than 300M got what they deserved, an EDGAR & XBRL program that is specifically designed to support the direct requirements of market-cap specific companies. Issuers have different needs depending on their size, our UNLIMITED program and service offering understands time-sensitive regulatory requirements and provides full service dedicated solutions 24/7. Issuers that have a market cap less than 300M dont have infinite resources within their internal regulatory reporting departments and may need additional hand-holding during filings, as well as require complex registration work that may or may not include print production. We understand everything was needed yesterday and last minute edits during deadlines are always going to happen. "For years, public companies have been gouged by other filing agents by excessive charges for per page rates, changes, and other fees for any part of the production process. The cost reductions are important but not as important as the quality of service, thats why we hold a 99% retention rate with clients and represent 1/4 of all public companies with a market cap between 1M and 300M to date. It is our mission to provide an improved service offering and reduce reporting costs significantly," said David McGuire, Founder & CEO of M2. M2 is the only SEC-registered filing agent to offer a full-service and truly UNLIMITED program for EDGAR & XBRL. The UNLIMITED program translates into not just a package for regulatory filings, but rather an UNLIMITED structure which also includes authors alterations, images and graphics, exhibits, tabular pages, and everything else required for EDGAR & XBRL, all without any hidden fees and without any compromise on service. M2 does offer UNLIMITED programs for companies that have a market cap above 300M, but these are based on customized quotes. About M2 Compliance M2 Compliance is a full-service financial filing and printing firm and a leading partner for all your EDGAR & XBRL filing needs. With hundreds of public company clients, M2 is one of the fastest-growing regulatory compliance companies worldwide. M2 partners with customers to provide the knowledge and service necessary to meet the SEC's ever-changing filing regulations. M2 provides high-quality, cost-effective compliance filings and production services, including EDGAR Filings, typesetting, XBRL tagging, section 16 filings, investment management services, drafting sessions, compliance hosting and more. For more information visit: www.m2compliance.com. Neuroendoscopy Devices Market Research Report by Regional Analysis - North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa : forecast 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/neuroendoscopy-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/neuroendoscopy-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Endoscope is a medical device in which a small telescope-like instrument is equipped with high resolution video camera that allows the surgeon to navigate and access tumor. Endoscopy devices are utilized for the diagnosis of almost all kind of cancer. Neuroendoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure in which removal of tumor takes place through small hole in the skull or through nose. Neuroendoscopy is mostly preferred over traditional surgery due to the fact that it enables access in most parts of brain that cannot be done with traditional surgery. Moreover, it is able to remove the tumor without cutting or harming the other parts of skull. Some of the advantages of neuroendoscopy over tradition surgery include less pain than traditional surgery, minimal scarring and faster recovery than traditional surgery. Neuroendoscopy is widely utilized for the treatment of brain tumor that includes acoustic neuromas, skull base tumors, pituitary tumors and metastatic brain tumors.The global market for neuroendoscopy devices can be segmented as follows:By surgery typeIntra ventricular neuroendoscopyTranscranial neuroendoscopyTransnasal neuroendoscopyIntra ventricular neurosurgery is considered as the most promising segment in the global neuroendoscopy devices market. Currently, intra ventricular neuroendoscopy devices market constitutes the largest market share and highest CAGR among all the above mentioned segments. This dominance is witnessed due to large number of neurosurgical procedures performed with these devices, which consequently increases the demand of the devices globally.Browse full report on Neuroendoscopy Devices Market -With growing number of people undergoing neuroendoscopy procedures the demand of neuroendoscopy devices is also increasing significantly. Moreover, technological advancement in neuroendoscopy devices will further accentuate the global neuroendoscopy devices market. Introduction of innovative devices such as HD camera and sophisticated instrument have triggered the demand for advanced endoscopy devices and this will continue in future. Safety and efficacy during surgery is also a significant market deriving factor associated with neuroendoscopy devices is acknowledged worldwide. Moreover, due to extensive advancement of neuroendoscopy assisted minimally invasive surgical procedure the global market of neuroendoscopy devices witnessing a significant growth. In addition, increasing prevalence of brain tumor also derives the demand of neuroendoscopy devices in the global market. Moreover, high cost associated with neuroendoscopy devices could pose a threat for the growth of the global endoscopy devices market.North America and Europe contributed the largest market share in the global endoscopy devices market due to extensive technological advancement in neuroendoscopy devices in these regions. Moreover, strong demand of diagnostic tests accentuates the market growth in North American and European regions. Government initiatives are further expected to accentuate the market growth in these regions. Presently, Asia-Pacific and RoW are considered as untapped market due to lack of proper diagnostic facilities in some remote areas of Asian and African countries. However, Asia-Pacific is considered as an emerging market (forecast period) due to strong economic growth forecasted in some countries such as India, China, Japan and Malaysia which would increase the market share of neuroendoscopy devices in this region.Some of the major market players contributing in the global market share of neuroendoscopy devices include Boston Scientific Corporation, Fujifilm Holding Corporation, Hoya Corporation, Olympus Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, Karl Storz GMBH & CO. KG, Johnson & Johnson, Given Imaging Inc., Cook Medical Incorporated, Conmed Corporation, C.R. Bard Inc., Arthrex Inc., Aesculap Inc., Accellent Inc.Request for brochure of this report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market Research Report by Regional Analysis - North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa : forecast 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hemodynamic-monitoring-systems-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=10562 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Global Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market: OverviewA hemodynamic monitoring system is used in cases where a patients cardiovascular health needs to be assessed, especially among those patients that have undergone a cardiac surgery. The various parameters that tell doctors about how healthy a patients heart is are evaluated using photometric systems, pressure transducing equipment, electrical devices, and other types of invasive and noninvasive techniques. Intravascular catheters form an integral component during the use of a hemodynamic monitoring system.In recent years, the market for hemodynamic monitoring systems worldwide has exhibited steady growth mainly because of an alarming rise in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, health conditions induced by sedentary lifestyles, the growing need for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) screening, and the rising incidence of COPD and other respiratory disorders. The impact of all of these factors on the hemodynamic monitoring systems market has been amplified by the highly conducive regulatory scenario that currently exists. Moreover, a rapidly graying global population will lead to the increased adoption of hemodynamic monitoring systems in healthcare centers across the world.Neonatal care professionals reliance on hemodynamic monitoring systems has risen in recent years as CCHD has been identified as one among the seven most life-threatening congenital heart defects. Likewise, in adults, COPD has spiraled to unprecedented levels, especially in low- and middle-income countries.Browse full report on Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market -Global Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market: Key SegmentsThe report on the global hemodynamic monitoring system market offers a detailed market overview and then goes on to study the market in detail by segmenting it based on criteria such as device type, end use, application, and geography. Types of hemodynamic monitoring systems used worldwide include pulmonary artery catheters, pulse contours, monitoring sensors, and esophageal Doppler.Likewise, the applications of hemodynamic monitoring systems can be invasive, noninvasive, or minimally invasive. The most common end users of hemodynamic monitoring systems are hospitals, clinics, home healthcare, and ambulatory surgery centers. The key regional markets studied in the report are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.Global Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems Market: Key Regions and CompetitorsThe report states that the market for hemodynamic monitoring systems is the largest in North America. However, it is firmly on course to reporting strong growth in the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions as well over the forecast period of the report.North American countries, such as the U.S. and Canada hold massive opportunities for players in the hemodynamic monitoring system market on account of the dramatic rise in the number of cancer patients, cardiovascular patients, and aged individuals. While Europe is a major market for hemodynamic monitoring systems, it is expected that the region will not fare exceptionally well through the reports forecast period. Asia Pacific is a market where companies are recommended to expand their presence. The growth rate of the Asia Pacific region in the global hemodynamic monitoring systems market will be encouraging.However, competition is intensifying in the region; innovation and the launch of competitive priced products will help companies compete better. Among the companies that currently hold a leading position in the global hemodynamic monitoring systems market are ICU Medical, Inc., Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, LiDCO Group Plc, Teleflex Incorporated, and PULSION Medical Systems SE. Companies are recommended to focus on the emerging trend of minimally invasive and noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring.Request for brochure of this report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Global Milled Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete(SFRC) Industry In-Depth Investigation and Analysis Report 2017 https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/global-milled-steel-fiber-reinforced-concretesfrc-industry-in-depth-investigation-and-analysis-report-2017 https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=4367 ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Global Milled Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete(SFRC) Industry In-Depth Investigation and Analysis Report 2017 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.This report studies Milled Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete(SFRC) in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2011 to 2016, and forecast to 2020.The CAGR of Milled Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete(SFRC) industry is 3.5% for five years. Milled Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete(SFRC) industry of the United States, Europe, Japan, and China accounts for 59% of the global consumer market share. Meanwhile, as the market of Milled Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete(SFRC) industry tends to be saturated in economic developed regions and the consumer market in the region of emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, etc is on the rise, the demand for Milled Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete(SFRC) industry will increase unceasingly. Among them, the average output growth rate of Milled Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete(SFRC) industry in China is 3.2%. Besides, our analysts believe that it will increase rapidly with an average growth rate of 2.6% (5 years) in the next 5 years.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Key Topics Covered in this Report1 Overview2 External environment analysis3 Internal environment analysis4 OEM ,ODM & OBM market analysis5 Global Major Countries & Regions Supply Analysis 2011-20166 Global Major Countries & Regions Consumption Analysis 2011-20167 Price, Cost, Gross Margin Analysis 2011-20168 Competitive analysis 2011-20169 Major Manufacture Analysis 2011-201610 Industry chain structure Analysis11 Supply forecast Analysis 2016-202012 Consumption forecast Analysis 2016-202013 New Project SWOT Analysis14 ConclusionTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com Smart Parking Systems Market - Highly Flexible, Scalable, & Efficient way for Buildings & Locations of all Sizes & Types http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=5966 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The staggering amount of vehicles coming on to roads around the world calls for advanced methods for parking. Traffic and parking problems are on the rise and people are finding lesser space for either. This is creating a high level of discomfort, fuel wastage, and high levels of emissions.Urban and city parking has therefore become a major concern for both developed and emerging nations, forming the primary driver leading most entities towards seeking smart parking system solutions.Smart parking systems provide a highly flexible, scalable, and efficient way for buildings and locations of all sizes and types, thus ensuring a smoother flow of traffic and a considerable drop in emissions.The latter forms a high concern issue as the growing emission levels are creating multiple complications in climate change and human health. The leading employers of smart parking systems in most countries are their municipalities.Their interest and involvement allows for the development of better smart parking systems through an upwards scaling of parking fees that can directly be used for advancing smart parking technologies.The global market revenue for smart parking systems is therefore expected to show an exceptionally positive CAGR of 20.2% from 2015 to 2022. This revenue is expected to be valued at US$59.7 mn by the end of 2016 and reach US$177.1 mn by 2022.Request A Sample Of This Report:North America Shows High Demand for Smart Parking SystemsNorth America is expected to generate a revenue of US$34.6 mn for the global market for smart parking systems by 2022, due to the presence of dense traffic in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and others.These cities are also showing a higher level of awareness towards modern solutions for traffic control and parking, thereby becoming an optimized region for the large-scale adoption of smart parking systems.Various smart parking systems have already been implemented in North America, such as the SFpark program implemented in San Francisco. Areas in the city equipped with SFpark systems have sped up parking of vehicle by five minutes on average when compared to conventional parking methods.Programs such as these are proof that the smart parking systems can bring about a successful change in traffic and parking conditions across the world.Off-street Parking Demand SoarsIn terms of the site of parking, the smart parking systems can be classified into off-street and on-street parking solutions. At the moment, off-street smart parking systems are in high demand due to the ease with which they can be implemented and fine-tuned.Additionally, they can be privately owned, while almost all on-street parking spaces are owned by the government. Therefore, while the need for smart parking systems is extremely high in both sites, it is being implemented on a larger scale in off-street sites.Most off-street parking areas are made of commercial parking lots and garages. On the other hand, on-street smart parking systems have to prepare for permit timers, passenger zones, loading zones, bus and truck zones, and street cleaning vehicles.Off-street parking spots are the easier place to implement effective smart parking systems in tandem with robot-assisted or automated parking services. These systems help increase the comfort and safety of all passengers. On the other hand, on-street smart parking systems are gathering steam. This parking site segment is expected to progress at a CAGR of 23.6% from 2015 to 2022.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: English Latvian In February 2017, joint-stock company Reverta has made another regular interest payment to the State Treasury in the amount of EUR 3.7 m. Since 1 August 2010 Reverta has repaid the State Treasury EUR 430.1 m but the total of various payments to the State amount to EUR 690.3 m, including EUR 16 m in the form of tax payments. By the end of 2016 Reverta had recovered EUR 740.3 m which is 66 % of all distressed assets received from Parex Bank, thus exceeding the initial estimates of Revertas management. Currently there are only assets undergoing complicated and time consuming workout process left in Revertas loan portfolio. Other assets have been already disposed of and the recovered funds have been repaid to the State. In order to wind up economic activities of the company by the end of 2017, Reverta is looking for an investor to buy its remaining assets. Alongside the portfolio sales process, Reverta will continue workout of the portfolios until the closing of their sale. For additional information: In order to implement the EC approved Restructuring Plan which envisages completion of the workout of Revertas portfolio and closing of all operations by the end of 2017, Reverta has signed an agreement with KMPG Baltics for receiving experts advice on the sales process of Revertas loan portfolios. Of 65 contacted potential investors 15 signed confidentiality agreements and in November 2016 received access to the virtual data room. Upon examination of the provided data, in December 2016 seven potential investors submitted their non-binding offers. In line with the recommendation of the consultant KMPG Baltics, four best tenderers were invited to participate in a more thorough examination of Revertas loan portfolio. To learn more about Reverta, please visit our web page: www.reverta.lv. For more information contact: Marita Ozolina Head of Communication and Marketing Department Tel.: 67779142 or 29287169 E-mail: marita.ozolina@reverta.lv SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Basin Scientific, Inc. (OTCQB:GBSN), a molecular diagnostics company, today announced the Journal of Clinical Microbiology published results of a multicenter study that demonstrated the effectiveness of its Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel in rapidly identifying several species of Staphylococci and in accurately detecting the mecA gene directly from a positive blood culture. The results of the study, which was conducted across three clinical sites, demonstrated the performance and efficacy of the Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel compared to conventional methods, and concluded that the Companys panel provided decreased time to results at a lower price, helping physicians diagnose and deliver a timely, accurate and cost-effective course of treatment. Bloodstream infection-related sepsis, including those caused by MRSA and other pathogenic Staphylococcus species, is not only a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S., but is also associated with over $17 billion in rising healthcare costs annually. Traditional blood culture methods provide physicians with a diagnosis 48 to 72 hours after a positive sample is identified, delaying appropriate treatment and putting the patient at further risk, said Rob Jenison, chief technology officer and senior vice president of R&D at Great Basin Scientific. Great Basins Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel is proven to provide highly accurate and actionable results in under two hours. Our panel potentially eliminates 32 to 88 hours of inappropriate antibiotic therapy, thereby potentially reducing length of patient stay and improving patient care - creating time and cost efficiencies for hospitals and labs of all sizes. Led by Dr. Gerald A. Denys from the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at Indiana University, the study found that Great Basins Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel correctly identified positive results for Staphylococcus species 99.4 percent of the time and negative results were correctly identified 99.9 percent of the time. Also, the mecA gene, a major drug resistance marker conferring resistance to methicillin and other beta-lactams and creating the superbug MRSA, was detected accurately from positive samples 99.7 percent of the time and negative results were properly identified 99.2 percent of the time. The results of this study also revealed that the Great Basin molecular assay was more effective than conventional biochemical and cefoxitin disk methods performed at an independent laboratory, with performance estimates at 95 percent confidence intervals (CI) across all three sites. The Company believes the Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel is one of the most comprehensive Staphylococcus molecular tests currently on the market, in that it identifies Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus lugdunensis and other Staphylococcus species to the genus level and detects the mecA gene in all Staphylococcal species from positive blood cultures. Were so pleased by the positive findings of this study and are excited by the response from the market for our blood culture panel, said Sandra Nielsen, senior vice president, sales, marketing and HR at Great Basin. The results of this study illustrate our panels accuracy, cost-effectiveness and ability to deliver definitive and highly actionable information which we believe contribute to the increased adoption of our panel by a significant percentage of our installed customer base, as well as new and larger hospitals and labs. The Company announced the commercial launch of the Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel in U.S. and Europe in September 2016, and the test also has CE mark designation under the European Directive of In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices. Great Basins molecular diagnostics system offers low-plex (one to three analytes), mid-plex (four to six analytes) and multiplex (syndromic) testing, with commercial assays available for the detection of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Toxigenic Clostridium difficile (C. diff), and Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel. Continuing the Companys efforts to expand its menu of sample-to-result assays to diagnose infectious disease, Great Basin has five additional tests on their product roadmap, including a Stool Bacterial Pathogens Panel and a Bordetella Direct Test, both of which recently completed clinical trials and have been submitted to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for 510(k) clearance; and a Nasal S. aureus Pre-surgical Screen, Candida Blood Infections Panel, and CT/NG Test, which are currently in development. 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 events, trends and business prospects, which may affect our future operating results and financial position, including but not limited to statements regarding the anticipated current customer uptake of the Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel, the effectiveness and role of the Staph ID/R Blood Culture Panel in patient care decisions, anticipated FDA approval of current pending assays, commercialization of future approved assays, and the Companys general development plans of sample-to-result technology and products. 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: delay or denial in obtaining FDA approval of pending assays, uncertainty in the Companys ability to commercialize new assays, changes in customer needs, competition in the industry being greater than anticipated, 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 sufficient capital to continue as a going concern and implement our business plan; 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 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. TORONTO and BOSTON, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bionik Laboratories Corp. (OTCQX:BNKL) (Bionik or the "Company"), a global pioneering robotics company focused on providing rehabilitation and mobility solutions to individuals with neurological disorders, announced today its business and financial results for the third quarter of the 2017 fiscal year ended December 31, 2016. Highlights Development and commercialization strategy designed to provide leading-edge robotic rehabilitation and assistive product solutions from hospital to home, representing $11 billion addressable market. Bionik products tested in over 240 locations across 20 countries generating clinical data which management believes confirms strong foundation for commercialization success. Investment in commercialization efforts result in expectations of mid and long term continued growth in sales of existing commercial products. Focus on bringing new products to market and expanding global footprint to drive future revenue growth: - Advanced InMotion AnkleBot expected to be commercially available in first calendar quarter of 2018; - Launch of next generation upper body commercial product line planned in second calendar quarter of 2017; and - Negotiating with Tier-1 ODM to optimize manufacturing and distribute products in Asian markets. Peter Bloch, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, stated, Over the past quarter our strategic imperatives were to finalize the commercial strategy and begin building and executing on our plan for market expansion. We have expanded our sales and marketing team, developed a plan which focuses on moving our products into the next phases of their development as well as advanced discussions to secure strategic partners in key markets. Additionally, Bionik has strong clinical data demonstrating efficacy, economic viability and improvement to the human condition, generated through product testing in over 240 locations around the world. We believe this significantly builds upon our foundation for commercial success and will position Bionik to be a global leader in robotic rehabilitation. I am proud of the notable progress on the commercial, development and operational fronts, and while there is still work to do, including raising additional funding, I am confident we have begun to establish a strong foundation whereby we expect to see increased revenues over the course of 2017. I am extremely pleased with our recent accomplishments and believe we have now set the stage for many opportunities to unlock future stockholder value. Summary of Financial Results for the Third Quarter Ended December 31, 2016 of the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2017 For the third quarter ended December 31, 2016, the Company reported a comprehensive loss of $810,418 resulting in loss per share of $0.01, compared to a comprehensive income of $1,212,737 for the quarter ended December 31, 2015, resulting in an income per share of $0.02. The comprehensive loss for the third quarter ended December 31, 2016 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2015 is impacted by change in fair value of warrant derivative liability resulting in a non-cash gain of $771,341 in the third quarter ended December 31, 2016 (December 31, 2015 - $2,457,778). The Company recorded revenues of $372,426 and $553,900 for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2016 compared to $Nil for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2015. The 2015 revenues of Interactive Motion Technologies Inc. (IMT) were not consolidated into the Companys prior years results as this was prior to its acquisition. Although IMT revenues were $987,494 and $1,800,437 for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2015, such revenue reflects sales efforts commenced prior to the acquisition, and by 2016 when the Company purchased IMT, it was under-funded and had no commercial team, which significantly impacted Bioniks 2016 revenues. Since then, Bionik hired a Chief Commercialization Officer and other members of a sales and marketing team. Bionik has begun to see the initial results of these efforts and expects this to accelerate as it continues to invest in commercialization efforts. Based on the strong clinical data, new sales and marketing efforts, an expanded product range as well as expanding the Companys sales efforts geographically, Bionik expects revenues to grow significantly. Total operating expenses for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2016 were $1,609,954 and $5,450,290 compared to $1,066,482 and $4,675,810 for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2015 as further detailed below. Sales and marketing expenses for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2016 were $377,046 and $646,509 compared to $Nil in 2015; Research and development costs for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2016 were $571,671 and $1,803,234 compared to $593,686 and $1,971,809 for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2015. General and administrative costs for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2016 were $409,669 and $2,291,136 compared to $438,628 and $1,313,071 for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2015. The increase in general and administration costs in the nine months ended December 31, 2016 result from legal, accounting and other one-time costs associated with: - The acquisition of IMT; - The change in the Companys year end from December to March in order to prepare the Company for a proposed future NASDAQ uplist, and the Companys financial restatement; - The costs connected to the Companys contractual obligations to register investors' common shares; and - Investor relations and recruiting costs associated with these changes. The increase in general and administration costs in the nine months ended December 31, 2016 was also the result of increased expenses from the integration and operations of IMT. At December 31, 2016, Bionik had $580,952 of cash and cash equivalents and has a working capital deficit of $3,434,290. Excluding the non-cash warrant derivative liability, working capital would be $852,250. Bionik management is currently evaluating multiple financing options, including strategic partnerships, that are in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders in the near and long term to continue its business operations. Bionik Laboratories Corp. Condensed Consolidated Interim Balance Sheets (Amounts expressed in U.S. Dollars) As at Dec. 31, 2016 As at March 31, 2016 (Unaudited) (Audited) $ $ Assets Current Cash and cash equivalents 580,952 5,381,757 Accounts receivable 253,849 - Prepaid expenses and other receivables 153,010 231,733 Inventories 194,573 - Due from related parties 40,913 41,445 Short term advances - 125,153 Loan receivable - 379,908 Total Current Assets 1,223,297 6,159,996 Equipment 203,745 76,750 Intangible assets and goodwill 27,888,979 - Total Assets 29,316,021 6,236,746 Liabilities and Shareholders Deficiency Current Accounts payable 405,315 320,871 Accrued liabilities 738,863 515,979 Current portion of lease payable 4,603 - Promissory notes payable 231,781 - Convertible loans 483,333 - Customer deposits 114,487 - Deferred revenue 97,165 - Warrant derivative liability 2,582,040 5,135,990 4,657,587 5,972,840 Demand notes payable 328,361 - Lease payable 15,729 - Total Liabilities 5,001,677 5,972,840 Shareholders Equity Preferred Stock, par value $0.001; Authorized 9,999,999 (March 31, 2016 9,999,999) Issued and outstanding - nil (March 31, 2016 nil) - - Special Voting Preferred Stock, par value $0.001; Authorized, issued and outstanding 1 (March 31, 2016 1) - - Common Stock, par value $0.001; Authorized - 150,000,000 (March 31, 2016 150,000,000); Issued and outstanding 46,362,541 and 50,000,000 Exchangeable Shares (March 31, 2016 22,591,292 and 50,000,000 Exchangeable Shares) 96,362 72,591 Additional paid in capital 38,232,457 11,801,146 Deficit (14,056,624 ) (11,651,980 ) Accumulated other comprehensive income 42,149 42,149 Total Shareholders Equity 24,314,344 263,906 Total Liabilities and Shareholders Equity 29,316,021 6,236,746 Bionik Laboratories Corp. Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) For the three and nine month periods ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 (unaudited) (Amounts expressed in U.S. Dollars) Three months Nine months Three months Nine months ended Dec. 31, 2016 ended Dec. 31, 2016 ended Dec. 31, 2015 ended Dec. 31 2015 $ $ $ $ Sales 372,426 553,900 - - Cost of Sales 334,786 405,680 - - Gross Margin 37,640 148,220 - - Operating expenses Sales and marketing 377,046 646,509 - - Research and development 571,671 1,803,234 593,686 1,971,809 General and administrative 409,669 2,291,136 438,628 1,313,071 Share-based compensation expense 227,540 651,630 13,291 1,337,573 Depreciation 24,028 57,781 20,877 53,357 Total operating expenses 1,609,954 5,450,290 1,066,482 4,675,810 Other expenses (income) Interest expense 13,808 23,839 - - Other income (4,363 ) (410,877 ) (5,566 ) (28,578 ) Foreign exchange loss - - 184,125 184,125 Change in fair value of warrant derivative liability (771,341 ) (2,510,388 ) (2,457,778 ) (6,871,597 ) Total other expenses (income) (761,896 ) (2,897,426 ) (2,279,219 ) (6,716,050 ) Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) for the period (810,418 ) (2,404,644 ) 1,212,737 2,040,240 Income (loss) per share basic $ (0.01 ) $ (0.03 ) $ 0.02 $ 0.03 Income (loss) per share diluted $ (0.01 ) $ (0.03 ) $ 0.02 $ 0.03 Weighted average number of shares outstanding basic 96,362,541 90,286,864 72,412,532 67,210,266 Weighted average number of shares outstanding diluted 93,043,498 94,320,801 72,412,532 67,210,266 The financial information has been derived from the Companys unaudited financial statements, including noted thereto, found in the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2016 and should be read in conjunction with such unaudited financial statements and notes thereto. About Bionik Laboratories Bionik Laboratories (OTCQX:BNKL), is a global, pioneering robotics company focused on providing rehabilitation and mobility solutions to individuals with neurological disorders. The Company has a portfolio of products focused on upper and lower extremity rehabilitation for stroke and paraplegic patients, including three products on the market and four products in varying stages of development. The InMotion Systems - the InMotion ARM, InMotion Wrist, InMotion Hand and InMotion AnkleBot, are designed to provide intelligent, patient-adaptive therapy in a manner that has been clinically verified to maximize neuro-recovery. Bionik is also developing a lower-body exoskeleton, ARKE, designed to allow paraplegics as well as other wheelchair users the ability to rehabilitate through walking. ARKE is expected to be designed to continually adapt to a patient's ability and provide real time feedback to the physiotherapist. For more information, please visit www.bioniklabs.com and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding (i) the plans and objectives of management for future operations, including plans or objectives relating to the design, development and commercialization of human exoskeletons and other robotic rehabilitation products, (ii) a projection of income (including income/loss), earnings (including earnings/loss) per share, capital expenditures, dividends, capital structure or other financial items, (iii) the Company's future financial performance, and (iv) the assumptions underlying or relating to any statement described in points (i), (ii) or (iii) above. Such forward-looking statements are not meant to predict or guarantee actual results, performance, events or circumstances and may not be realized because they are based upon the Company's current projections, plans, objectives, beliefs, expectations, estimates and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and other influences, many of which the Company has no control over. Actual results and the timing of certain events and circumstances may differ materially from those described by the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties. Factors that may influence or contribute to the inaccuracy of the forward-looking statements or cause actual results to differ materially from expected or desired results may include, without limitation, the Company's inability to obtain additional financing, the significant length of time and resources associated with the development and sales of our products and related insufficient cash flows and resulting illiquidity, the Company's inability to expand the Company's business, significant government regulation of medical devices and the healthcare industry, lack of product diversification, volatility in the price of the Company's raw materials, and the Company's failure to implement the Company's business plans or strategies. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in the Company's filings with the SEC. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements. Fort Lauderdale, FL, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NuState Energy Holdings, Inc. (NSEH OTC US), a green technology holding company with strong emphasis on acquiring, developing, and commercializing green energy and technology companies, announces a new collaborative business model that will attract new acquisitions. NuState will become a holding company for technology and energy solutions providers. We have been evaluating small revenue businesses that fit our overall strategy in this space and are currently working on agreements to bring them in under a collaborative model. New acquisitions become standalone subsidiaries while gaining the advantage of the power of a public company without losing their independent management control. NuState will provide a unique diversified platform protecting both the investor and subsidiary. We provide for our acquisitions, the ability to raise capital and give our investors the assurance their investment is at low risk. NuState is in the process of interviewing new senior management positions to join the team and help lead the efforts moving forward. Kevin Yates added, We believe it is important to add new talent to the team that will bring experience and knowledge in this industry, as well as help lead NuStates growth. NuState has continued to support the growth of its Intellectual Property, GPSTrax. The management team, under the guidance of its consulting partner, has collectively decided to expand the capabilities of the software solution to a more diversified market. The transportation market for fleets remains the core of the business today. However, with emergence of low cost devices and our software capabilities, we have the ability to track any asset anywhere. NuState is very excited to launch our new GPSTrax solutions to new markets including corporate assets like tracking containers on cargo ships, marine applications and personal assets such as family members and their personal belongings. NuState is in the process of re-branding the company and putting its resources into successful Investor Relations and Press Release campaigns to assist in the launch of the new brand. A consulting firm has recently been hired to assist NSEH in developing this brand for the future growth of the company and to invest 250k to support the plan. They will be responsible for investor relations, marketing communication and social media to the global markets. The NuState Energy Holdings, Inc. management team has its shareholders best interest in mind, and we feel confident in the new plan and the resources behind it. About NuState Energy Holdings, Inc.: NuState Energy Holdings, Inc. is a true green technology holding company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. NuStates management has placed strong emphasis on acquiring, developing, and commercializing efficiency-bolstering software solutions in the automotive industry. For over 15 years, the company has managed a web-based collaborative marketplace for freight transportation and secure trucking. More recently, the company branched out to work on a telematics solution with consumers in mind. The result: GPSTrax, an innovative solution that can turn nearly any passenger vehicle into a smart car, capable of reducing fuel consumption and emissions by learning from and optimizing around driving patterns. The company is currently licensing its technologies abroad, with hopes to expand sales and decrease hazardous vehicular emissions across the globe. Going forward, NuState is committed to green energy and technological solutions. Our corporate goal is to make a global impact through strategic acquisitions and partnerships. Please visit our website today at www.nsehinc.com , while there sign up for our Company Newsletter. Connect with us on Social Media https://twitter.com/nsehinc https://www.facebook.com/NuStateEnergyHoldings/ http://investorshangout.com/NuState-Energy-Holdings-Inc-NSEH-91860/ Investors Hangout is the only authorized Investors blog page for NuState Energy Holdings, Inc. Safe-Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) the companys financing plans; (ii) trends affecting the companys financial condition or results of operations; (iii) the companys growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) the declaration and payment of dividends. The words may, would, will, expect, estimate, anticipate, believe, intend and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the companys ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, due to various factors including the risk disclosed in the companys Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with the SEC. MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vital Images, Inc. (Vital), a Minneapolis-based advanced medical imaging and informatics company is inviting guests to take a brief, tranquil break and immerse themselves in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony during the highly energetic pace of a major conference in February. Vital will present The Way of Tea on Monday, February 20, 3:00-4:00 p.m. at their exhibit during the annual conference of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) to be held February 19 23 in Orlando, Florida. HIMSS is a global, not-for-profit organization devoted to better health through information technology. This years conference at the Orange County Convention Centre will attract more than 40,000 health IT professionals, clinicians, executives, and vendors from around the world. Dating from the ninth century, the tea ceremony is elaborate and refined, and is meant to demonstrate respect through grace and good etiquette. It is a ritual that represents mindfulness, harmony and tranquility. Playing a vital role in the Japanese ceremony will be John Halamka, MD, MS, a medical information technology visionary and cultural enthusiast. Dr. Halamka is Chief Information Officer of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chairman of the New England Healthcare Exchange Network; Co-Chair of the HIT Standards Committee; Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; and a practicing Emergency Physician. Dr. Halamka will begin as part of the larger audience observing the ritual, which includes a series of precise hand movements and graceful choreography, in a serene "Tatami Room" within the Vital exhibit on the conference floor. Following the ceremony, Dr. Halamka will share some of his experiences with Japanese culture and health IT. Vital is a Toshiba Medical company, and we want to celebrate our Japanese heritage at a global tradeshow, says Paul Markham, PhD, Vice-President of Marketing for Vital. This event allows guests to enjoy a moment of peace at a unique ceremony. It will be a rare and special moment during the hectic pace of a major conference. Conference attendees can register for The Way of Tea here: http://www.vitalimages.com/himss-2017/. About Vital Images, Inc. Vital Images, Inc., a Toshiba Medical Systems Group company, is a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and enterprise informatics solutions to help healthcare organizations deliver exceptional care while optimizing resources across multi-facility organizations. The company's solutions are scalable to meet the unique needs of hospitals and imaging centers and are accessible throughout the enterprise anytime, anywhere. For more information, visit www.vitalimages.com or join the conversation on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. CUDAHY, Wis., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patrick Cudahy, The Home of Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Flavor, is bringing the best in bacon back to BACONFEST MILWAUKEE for the sixth straight year. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c4dcf6b7-3ef4-4390-9dba-bef8b7cfe360 Patrick Cudahy is returning as the presenting sponsor of 102.9 The HOG's BACONFEST MILWAUKEE. This year's celebration of all things bacon is happening Sunday, February 19th at the Event Center inside the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino from noon to 4 p.m. Bacon lovers can delight in bacon-inspired creations from Milwaukee's best chefs, including Patrick Cudahy Brand Ambassador and Lambeau Field Executive Chef Heath Barbato. He will create sizzling new bacon recipes featuring a variety of all natural, sweet apple-wood smoked bacon and the brands latest addition, All Natural Uncured Black Forest Thick Cut Bacon. You can't have a bacon festival without the sweet apple-wood smoked flavor of Patrick Cudahy," said Bud Matthews, senior vice president for Smithfield Foods. "Patrick Cudahy loves to celebrate traditions like BACONFEST MILWAUKEE with our fans because weve been a part of the community for more than 129 years. BACONFEST is what Patrick Cudahy is all about: family, friends, fun, and bacon. Patrick Cudahy will be sampling its delicious Original Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon, which is still smoked the old-fashioned way in Cudahy, Wis. All-Natural Sweet Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon, Thick Sliced Double Smoked Bacon, and Patrick Cudahy All Natural Uncured Black Forest Thick Cut Bacon are also on the sampling menu. Attendees will be able to snap their photos in the Patrick Cudahy photo booth and share their love of bacon with friends on social media. Everyone who stops by the Patrick Cudahy display will also be treated to bacon-inspired recipe cards, bacon hats, and coupons. For more information on BACONFEST MILWAUKEE 2017 or to purchase tickets, go to www.baconfestmke.com. For more information about Patrick Cudahy, please visit www.patrickcudahy.com or www.Facebook.com/PatrickCudahyMeats. Patrick Cudahy is a brand of Smithfield Foods. About Patrick Cudahy For more than 129 years, families throughout the Midwest have known the name Patrick Cudahy as one they can count on for quality, value and for the unmistakable flavor of Sweet Apple Wood. Our product line includes fully cooked and traditional bacon, bacon pieces and toppings, dry sausage, pepperoni, ham, deli, and sliced meats. 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. The creative director of Pilobolus says its distinctive Shadowland show adds another dimension to what already was known as a creative moving company. Shadowcasting and shadow play have been around forever, Mark Fucik said in a phone interview this week. We create composite images to twist and morph to create an image of an ostrich or a kangaroo It gives an Alice in Wonderland effect. Pilobolus will perform Shadowland at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Midland Center for the Arts auditorium. The multimedia show uses multiple moving screens of different sizes and shapes, with a blend of projected images and modern dance choreography in front of the screens, as well as music. Theres live modern dance thats happening in front of the screen, Fucik said, adding that most of the shadows are created by onstage performers with handheld lights. The show is described on the troupes website as both intensely dramatic and comedic a surreal experience of a young girls sensational world as she comes of age. Pilobolus was founded in the 1970s and has always been about creative movement. In the early 2000s, the troupe was given a challenge to make a car out of human bodies and a couple of years later appeared at the Academy Awards ceremony. The troupe was stacking bodies to create images. The use of shadows, screens and projected images provides another paintbrush for Pilobolus, Fucik said. We have a new way of creating stuff, he said. The creative director said Pilobolus said the troupe is always looking for well-rounded individuals who can break out of their molds and rise to the challenge of improvisation. The choreography of a show such as Shadowland is pretty set at the end of the creative process but troupe members have to be ready for whatever happens on a given night. Each live show is crazy, Fucik said. Somethings going to happen and theyre going to have to improv their way out of it. The show was created in collaboration with Steven Banks, lead writer for the animated TV series SpongeBog SquarePants, and it has an original musical score by musician, producer and composer David Poe. Shadowland has been so popular with more than 1 million people seeing the show in its more than 1,000 performances in 30 countries that Shadowland 2: The New Adventure was created. A Pilobolus company has been touring Europe with that show in recent months. Fucik said audience members should not rush for the doors after the story is told and the members of the company take their bows. There is something special for Midland that people should wait for, he said. Tickets for Shadowland are $40, $38 and $28 for adults and $40, $24 and $18 for students, and can be purchased online at www.mcfta.org a the MCFTA ticket office, 800-523-7640. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A $2 million to $4.5 million project that aims to conserve natural areas and create public recreation along the downtown riverfront got the go-ahead from Midland City Council on Monday. Tentatively named Poseyville Riverside Park, the project would give life to the former 4D concrete manufacturing site at 426 River Road, now a vacant lot on the east and west sides of the Poseyville Road bridge south of downtown. The land is strewn with some 97,000 cubic yards of underground rubble, and officials say its too costly for the city to rejuvenate on its own. We have some lemons there and were making lemonade, Mayor Maureen Donker said. But the sweetness will not be concerned with the citys dime, as investment group Momentum Midland plans to pick up the multi-million dollar tab while federal funding, if approved, would chip in about $342,000. The project would restore 14 acres of city property, and The Dow Chemical Co.s intent is to move a fence line back on its 23 acres, so it creates nearly a 40-acre contiguous site of a nature preserve quality right in downtown, Bo Brines, who serves on Momentums advisory panel, said last week at the citys Parks and Recreation Commission. Momentum Midland represents various local businesses and foundations. Its executive director, Paul Barbeau, told city council of the plan to redevelop the former 4D site. A footbridge, fishing platform, overlooks, trailways, outdoor classroom seating for nature instruction and other amenities are planned. Total renovation costs could top $4.5 million. The $342,000 remainder of $1 million in FEMA funds the city had received in 2013 to restore the site would be used, a decision that requires federal approval. City council voted 5-0 to accept Momentums donation. Council members liked the projects aim to turn the site into a green area and connect it to the East End across the river, the softball diamonds, trailways near the Tridge and the Chippewa Nature Center helping form what a member of Momentum Midlands advisory panel called an urban loop. Momentum Midland said it had worked with Los Angeles-based design firm AECOM, consultants, Little Forks Conservancy, Chippewa Nature Center and others to shape plans, which also include canoe and kayak launches, trailways, points of interest for bird watching and other passive recreational uses. Momentum plans to start work this summer. During the $2.2 million first phase, Momentum would seek approval from FEMA and state agencies to do ground work starting with excavation. Barbeau said Momentums funds wont cover excavation of all the rubble onsite. There will be rubble left on the site but were excavating enough so we can get a meadow environment to take hold and take root and sustain the flooding year after year, Barbeau said. Momentum says elements such as retention ponds and rubble mounds will protect against flooding, and that natural areas planned along the river also incorporate erosion control. The first phase also includes linking non-motorized pathways, building riverfront overlooks and canoe and kayak launches and restoring wetlands. The $2.2 million would come from the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation, Charles J. Strosacker Foundation, FEMA funds and in-kind support from Dow, Chippewa Nature Center and Little Forks Conservancy. The second phase would add a pedestrian bridge for a cost of $1.6 million. The funding source is to be determined as Momentum says it is in talks with several potential sources. A start date and cost for the third phase to update a parks and recreation building is also to be determined. Monday, during public comment at the city council meeting, Midland resident Donald Yopp introduced himself as a private citizen attempting in some small way to contribute positively to the direction of the city. He described himself as a voice in the wilderness not backed by interests, local foundations or former executives. In my mind, theres been adequate opportunity to present this information to the public and to get public comment; that simply hasnt occurred, Yopp said, noting it would have given a chance to pursue alternatives to the plan. I looked at the proposal from Momentum Midland, Yopp continued. Theres no public input. It was all done in a vacuum. We have consultants coming in, we have discussions going on behind the scenes. Yopp said the project does not address what he called items of higher priority namely the low availability of housing. He outlined possible solutions to building row housing in the floodplain near the proposed project area. Councilman Tom Adams said some of Yopps ideas go way, way beyond what were talking about here as far as funds and the millions of dollars to get any of that land ready for residential or pretty much anything else. Its been talked about and exposed in the paper, the purchase of the land and cleaning of the land, its been there for a couple of years. We dont have the money to do anything expansive with the property. Somebody has come forward with a proposal to take what has been described as an eyesore and make it into a real positive for one of the entrances into the city, Adams said, calling the project a real blessing to the city. Jeff Havens of Midland said he supports the project. I think its a very good idea, Havens told city council, noting he volunteers with the local community foundation and one of its initiatives is to incorporate more public art around town, and that the former 4D site, if developed, could support that. Brian Stark said he has lived in Midland for about two years. He thanked city council and local foundations for everything theyre doing downtown-wise. I think it kind of trends with everything else that other cities are doing, he said. He suggested project developers work with Central Michigan Universitys Institute for Great Lakes Research when dealing with the wetlands around the project area. Donker responded to Yopps notion that public input was excluded: The DDA, parks and rec and our master plan, all of those areas require public input. So weve had input. Now did we say it was going to be this? Maybe, no. But what we have is something that is certainly in line with those plans that we have. The mayor referenced New York City and Grand Rapids, saying the cities endeavor to have more parks. We have beautiful parks that are going to attract people. And when people come to them, then were going to get more building, were going to get more restaurants, were going to get more things downtown. And we already see that beginning to happen, Donker said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Howard Shaver served in World War II. He was married to Dot for almost 68 years, and they had two daughters, Maude and Barb. Shaver has experienced a great deal during his lifetime, including moments of joy, seasons of change and times of loss. Today he celebrates his 100th birthday. It was Nov. 21, 1941, when he entered the military. Shaver joined the Army in Pontiac and he served for four years. His honorable discharge reports that he served during Bronze Star Service Campaigns in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and the Ardennes, with the 740th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion. During that time he earned the Good Conduct Medal, the American Theater Campaign Medal, the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. While in the military, his main job was to do everything the officer told me to do, he said with a smile. He spent his time working in the mess hall, and he was also a rifle expert. I got to be the mess sergeant I had to feed all those guys. That was a job I tell you, he said. Shaver recalled leaving for his tour. We started out in the Atlantic Ocean, it took 12 days to get across there. I spent five days in the bottom bunk, seasick, he said. The next bad day was when we had these young guys, they were homesick, and I tell you homesick was worse than seasick You start thinking about things back home. His unit landed in England, then eventually went to France, Belgium and Germany. He landed in Omaha Beach at one point, and his younger brother, Stanley Uncle Ike to his nieces landed in Normandy later on. Shaver witnessed conflict in three or four battles. The Battle of St. Lo, in 1944, was the worst one. We lost a lot of people there, he said. During his time in active duty, companionship with fellow servicemen helped to pass the days. There wasnt any Skype, there wasnt any e-mail; the only thing you had was your brothers, they were your family, his daughter, Barb Shaver, of Midland, said. When he returned home from his military service, he spent time farming, in addition to working another job. After the war, he worked on the farm at Wheeler and he also worked at Dow, Barb said. Thats why I think they live so long: its a strong generation. At The Dow Chemical Co. Shaver worked in the service station and in maintenance for 34 years before retiring in June of 1980. I did a little of everything, he said. Shaver had five brothers and two sisters. Two of his siblings passed away fairly young and he lost his father when he was only 16. His wife, Dot, died in 2011. Growing up, he lived across the street from Goodyear School in Jasper Township, where he attended through eighth grade. I did a lot of chores before school, he said. My mother was a real good cook My mom was making pancakes as the five minute bell was ringing. I rolled it up and ate it on the way. He also remembers trapping muskrats and selling them for $2. Maude Gordert of Midland is Shavers other daughter. His grandson was born on his birthday, they always celebrate together, Gordert said. That grandson is Gregg Van Horn. Shaver has another grandson who was named after him, Howard Van Horn, and a granddaughter, Barbara Jo Van Horn. He also has six great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren. Hes healthier than I am, Gordert said, of her father. He and my mother would go out to Vegas, they were pretty active. Barb agrees that their father is doing well. Hes a miracle. Hes in good shape and he has a good memory, she said. Barb shared some stories about her father working on local farms. He worked for 50 cents a day and the lady made dinner and sent him home with an apple, she said. He was thrilled to get the apple. He and his brother, Barney, worked on another farm milking cows and hoeing corn for 75 cents a day. Gordert recalled when her father would babysit her children while she would take her mother bowling. He always made them chicken, she said. He was a big griller, he always grilled outside He used to cook a lot. He made potato soup all the time it was good soup. Both daughters said they enjoy spending time with their dad at the casino. Once we went over on a Tuesday night. We stayed there until 2:30 in the morning, Gordert said. We kept winning and kept losing... but it was just fun. He jokes with his daughters about two goals he has when he turns 100. He says, When Im 100 Im going to join the Army for three years, but they have to promise to keep me in the states, Barb said. And, Im going to go down to the Tigers and be the bat boy. There will be a party celebrating Shavers 100th birthday from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, at Shirlenes Cuisine, 1716 W. Wackerly St. Separate checks will be provided. PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diversified Search, one of the top ten executive search firms in the nation, announced today that Chris Berger, an executive recruiter with more than 25 years in human resources executive search and most recently the co-owner of the Connecticut-based boutique firm, RomanoBerger LLC, will rejoin the firm to co-lead the firms Human Resources Practice with Diversified Managing Director Judy Boreham. He will officially begin his new role on March 1. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/64364786-efe2-45c9-8132-0dd419439e2d After seven successful years as co-owner of a premier HR executive search boutique, I couldnt be more thrilled and excited to begin a new chapter, rejoining a firm that Ive continued to hold in the highest regard for many years, for the quality of its service to its clients and for its people, Berger said. Im excited to rejoin my former colleagues and work with new ones, and to continue the work of building one of the best HR executive search practices in the market. We are thrilled to welcome Chris back into the Diversified family, said Diversified Search Chairman Judith M. von Seldeneck. Judy Boreham has done an outstanding job of building our Human Resources Practice into one of the most thriving enterprises within the firm, and we know that she and Chris will be great partners growing this vital business over the next decade. Berger first joined Diversified Search in 2009, where he led the Human Resources Practice before departing to co-found RomanoBerger LLC. He entered the field of executive search in 1999, when he was recruited into Korn/Ferrys human resources practice and quickly became part of its leadership team. Berger subsequently went on to work in HR verticals at search firms, Highland Partners and CT Partners. He began his career in May Department Stores Executive Training Program, became an Assistant Buyer and eventually transitioned into a human resources career at May. He later went on to executive HR roles with Melville/CVS Corporation and Aetna. There are very few search professionals with the depth and breadth of experience of Chris Berger in human resources search, said Dale E. Jones, Diversifieds president and CEO. Companies want to attract and retain top-drawer talent, and that means being able to find dynamic executives who can excel in increasingly complex corporate human resources functions. Chris is a master at identifying, recruiting, and placing this highly-sought-after talent. Berger, 50, is a graduate of the University of Connecticut. He lives with his family in Old Lyme, where he is active in the community. About Diversified Search Headquartered in Philadelphia, Diversified Search is the largest U.S. female-owned and -founded firm in the industry. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the company has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Diversified is also the exclusive U.S partner of AltoPartners, an international alliance of 58 independent executive search firms that spans 35 countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. http://www.diversifiedsearch.com/ http://www.altopartners.com The Michigan State Police is hosting an informational recruiting seminar at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15, at the Alice and Jack Wirt Library, 500 Center Ave., in Bay City. The free seminar will acquaint interested candidates with the career opportunities available with the Michigan State Police. Troopers will provide insight on recruit training, the lifestyle of a trooper and opportunities available within the Michigan State Police. Information on the selection and hiring process will be offered, as well as one-on-one conversations with enlisted members of the department. To the editor: Ive seen articles about groups protesting about Black Lives, Blue Lives and White Lives Matter. There are constant demonstrations to stop violence against women, against children and the against the LGBTQ communities. Not to mention gatherings in support of Christians, Muslims, atheists and even the occasional Wiccan. Lately, its been pro-union/anti-union, for refugees and against refugees, and pro-Trump and anti-Trump. To the editor: The U.S. government has taken in refugees in past years by the tens of thousands with no discrimination of religion or ethnicity. There have been times such as in 1979 when Democratic President Jimmy Carter used a Constitutional law, the McCarran-Walter Immigration Law, to deport Shiite, Muslim Iranians for the safety of the American citizens and the safety of this nation, No Democrats or Republicans protested or stomped their little feet over Jimmy Carters decision to protect America. President Carter was not called a bigot, Islamophobe or a racist because he deported Muslims. What he did was accepted because first, he was a Democrat, and second, because he used common sense. There was no Muslim ban in 1979 by the president, just as there is no Muslim ban in 2017, but there is a ban on Islamic, radical terrorists. There is no Constitutional law that guarantees the right for everyone in the world the right of American citizenship or the right to work and live here as most Americans know, there is a war being waged against the United States and its citizens here and abroad. There are and have been for several years enemy operatives working and going to school here and then planning and carrying out attacks against our nation on our soil. Osama bin Laden went to school here and lived here for some time, but everyone would agree that he wouldnt have made a good citizen. The McCarran-Walter Immigration Law gives the president of the United States the constitutional legal right to deport aliens and refugees who are lawless, who have no regard for our laws (as do many of our citizens also), and who want to hurt and kill American citizens and disrupt our way of life, and until proper refugee vetting is carried out. Caution and common sense must rule. Thank God that we now have a president who has the guts and good sense to once again use the McCarran-Walter Immigration Law to remove any threat from radical Islamic terrorists that infiltrate the U.S. posing as refugees or workers and students. The left wing politicians apparently have no regard for the safety of American citizens. No religion that targets civilians, cuts off the heads of Christians and disregards the U.S. law should be expected to be protected under the umbrella of the First Amendment. If U.S. Christians should suddenly start a worldwide war of crusades you can bet your last dollar that they would not be protected by our First Amendment. Well over 3,000 American innocent, civilian citizens have been killed on U.S. soil. Left-wing progressives do not seem to want this to stop unless of course it was someone from their family. U.S. legal citizens who are members of world religions, who want to abide by our national laws and co-exist peacefully and equally with citizens of different religions, will have no problem; thousands of diverse religions have assimilated in the U.S. wanting to be equal with and not wanting to rule over other religions religion is one of the things that the First Amendment protects when it is equal in all aspects and not threatening or physically harmful to other citizens. U.S. citizenship is a privilege to obtain, not a right. DENNIS CLARK Midland Gen. Terrence OShaughnessy, the Pacific Air Forces commander, and his command team, made their initial visit to Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Feb. 8-9. During his visit, Gen. OShaughnessy learned about the 354th Fighter Wing mission, with emphasis on the future beddown of two squadrons of F-35A Lightning IIs. Additionally, he toured Eielsons Central Heat and Power Plant and visited with and thanked Airmen around the base. Beyond the gates of Eielson, OShaughnessy took time to visit Fort Greely and Clear Air Force Station. At a base-wide All Call, OShaughnessy shared his priorities for PACAF and how Eielson Airmen contribute to the commands warfighting mission. One of my top priorities is to maintain the capability and capacity to win, not only today, but tomorrow, said OShaughnessy. Eielson offers the ability to train our operational force at a high level with our professional aggressor team, which ensures our Airmen are ready to fight at a moments notice. OShaughnessy learned what makes Eielson unique including the premiere training Alaska offers the Air Force. Eielson brings the ability to train at a level that is unmatched anywhere else in the world, said OShaughnessy. Not only do we have the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex that is absolutely amazing and provides the aircrew unique training, but the F-22s at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson add a fifth generation element to provide a venue that is matchless for our joint partners and allies. With the arrival of the F-35s fast approaching, OShaughnessy offered insight on how it will contribute to the future mission at Eielson. The first thing is to get excited, said OShaughnessy. The arrival of the F-35 is an amazing opportunity. It's an evolution in combat power coming to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region over and above what we already have, and its the best the United States has to offer. The general offered insight to Airmen on how his previous assignments helped prepare him to be the commander of PACAF. Ive been very fortunate with the opportunities the Air Force has afforded me in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, said OShaughnessy. Ive had multiple assignments in this region so I have a good understanding of the challenges and opportunities PACAF Airmen are faced with. It helps me appreciate the tough conditions they have to work in. Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Johnson, the PACAF command chief, spoke with members of Eielsons enlisted force to gain a better understanding of the unique challenges Airmen in The Last Frontier encounter in the bases harsh conditions. I think readiness and development are very important, said Johnson. These goals fall succinctly in line with the commanders priorities for us as Airmen in this theater. The command chief also provided his perspective on enlisted development and leadership. I like to see the empowerment of our NCOs to be able to make pertinent decisions while doing the things they are expected to do with commanders intent, said the chief. For me, empowerment goes a long way to mission success and we should be able to tap and leverage that to make sure we are always ready to meet the needs and demands of this theater. Before departing, the general and chief expressed their gratitude to the Icemen Team for their professionalism and willingness to complete the mission. I just want to thank Eielsons Icemen, said OShaughnessy. Chief and I are incredibly impressed. You work in a challenging environment and not only survive, but thrive. BLOOMINGTON One of Bloomington's oldest restaurants, The Grand Cafe, will remain open but with new owners. Twin City Realtor Jimmy Mapugay and his wife, Kelly, are partnering with Adrian Daluz to purchase the Chinese-American restaurant from Ike Chiu, a fourth-generation family member that has operated the restaurant at 615 N. Main St. "Basically we're going to continue the 97-year legacy of The Grand Cafe," said Jimmy Mapugay while requesting a restaurant liquor license at the Bloomington Liquor Commission meeting Tuesday. "We want to be competitive by opening the bar and serving alcohol," he added. "A lot of the customers are asking to have a little bit of alcohol, like wine or beer, with their dinners." After holding a series of public hearings Tuesday, Mayor Tari Renner, as the city's sole liquor commissioner, said he will forward liquor license requests made by The Grand Cafe, Green Top Grocery and a second BraiZe restaurant to the City Council for action at its March 13 meeting. The Grand Cafe Jimmy Mapugay said the sale of the restaurant is scheduled to close on March 28. Once that happens, the restaurant will be closed for about 60 days for renovations. The new owners plan to keep the restaurant's current managers and staff as well as its menu. Jimmy Mapugay and Daluz are both from the Philippines and want to infuse the menu with Filipino dishes. The restaurant was started in 1921 in downtown Bloomington by Charlie B. Lum, a Hong Kong native who arrived in Chicago in 1918 and created a menu with Asian dishes that were modified to appeal to area residents. Since opening, the restaurant has moved locations numerous times and ownership passed through the family. Green Top Grocery Green Top Grocery requested a liquor license to sell packaged beer and wine. "We will have a beer and wine section in the store focusing on primarily locally produced beers and wines ... that we will sell at retail for consumption off premises," said Michael Pennington, the store's general manager. Construction on the 10,000-square-foot co-op store is underway at The Foundry in the 900 block of East Washington Street. The store is slated to open in May or June, Pennington said. At the hearing, Mahesh Patel, owner of the convenience store Franzetti's Pantry Plus at the corner of Washington and Clinton streets, objected to a liquor license for Green Top, saying competition from a large grocery store within a block of his store would significantly impact his business. "I am an independent owner, not a co-op," said Patel. "I've been at that location for 18 years." Patel said while he does not sell locally produced beers and wines, competition from Green Top "is going to make a difference to my business." "I suspect that you're probably right in that there may be some competition," said Renner, in response to Patel's concerns. "I don't know that it would be as much as you might think, partly because I see (Green Top) as a different business model than yours." BraiZe BraiZe requested a restaurant liquor license for a second location that is scheduled to open April 1 in the Parke Regency Hotel and Conference Center, 1413 Leslie Drive. The location will offer an expanded menu and full-service bar. PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Desert Resort Management, an Associa company, manages Sagewood condominiums and is proud to announce that its contemporary architecture and design will be featured among the many communities showcased during Modernism Week. Modernism Week in Palm Springs features midcentury modern homes highlighting preservation and sustainable living and takes place February 16-26. It includes tours, sales opportunities, lectures, social events and other exhibitions revolving around modern design communities such as Sagewood. The Sagewood condominium development consists of 108 units that embrace midcentury modernism architecture through sleek design and efficiency. Six of Sagewood's condos, which were designed by legendary modernist architect Donald Wexler, will be featured as part of a self-guided tour. "With our first Sagewood Modernism Week event, we're delighted to be part of Donald Wexler's Palm Springs architectural legacy," says tour captain and Sagewood resident Joseph Carman. "It's an honor to participate in this globally recognized celebration of modernism." "This is an exciting event and we're proud that Sagewood is one of the communities that will be among the dozens of locales featured throughout the week." says Desert Resort Management President Mark Dodge. "The HOA is very progressive and forward-thinking. We are fortunate to be able to partner with active members determined to preserve and promote their community." The Sagewood tour will be on February 24, with two showings: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here. The funds from the tour will go toward the Sagewood community's reserve fund for sustainability projects such as updated irrigation, desert landscaping and a solar power initiative. Delivering unsurpassed association management services to communities since 1979, Associa leads the industry operating more than 180 branch offices across North America and employing 10,000 team members dedicated to serving nearly five million residents who are part of the Associa family. With unrivaled industry expertise, safeguarded finances and trailblazing innovation, Associa provides solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more go to www.associaonline.com. Stay Connected: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/associa Twitter: https://twitter.com/associa LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/associa YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/associamarketing Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Associaonline/ A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=42183 BLOOMINGTON An Iowa man facing attempted murder charges in Iowa City has been taken into custody in Bloomington, police said. Darius Davison, 20, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was arrested around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday by members of the U.S. Marshal's Task Force and Bloomington Police Department's Street Crimes Unit in the 1900 block of Tracy Drive. He is being held at the McLean County Jail, awaiting extradition. Police in Iowa City responded to a report of shots fired and a man on the ground around 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 6. A witness told police the suspect had a handgun and fired at least four rounds, striking the victim, according to a news release from the Iowa City Police Department. Police there determined Davison and the victim were involved in a property dispute. On Feb. 8, officers issued an arrest warrant for Davison. Police did not release the connection between Davison and him being in Bloomington. The person who was shot remains in stable condition after being taken to University of Iowa Hospitals, authorities said. EUREKA The trial of a Bloomington woman accused of stabbing her husband to death last year is scheduled to begin in May. Sarah Mellor, 30, appeared Tuesday in Woodford County Court for a hearing on a motion to allow her statements to Woodford County detectives into evidence. Prior to first-degree murder charges being filed in the death of Mark Mellor, she gave statements to detectives James Shreffler and Robert Gillson at the Woodford County Sheriffs Department. Those statements were audio and video recorded, according to court documents. It is pretty standard to file a motion to admit that evidence, because the last thing we want is to get to trial and then have an objection from the defense, said Woodford County States Attorney Greg Minger. Mellors attorney, Stephanie Wong, said she had no problem with the motion and signed off on the agreement. Mellor, a former teacher at Bloomington High School, has pleaded not guilty to stabbing her husband in the chest at a rural Woodford County campsite near Carlock late in the evening on Oct. 15. He died at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Normal. Wong told Judge Michael Stroh that the defense should be ready for trial within 90 days. Stroh set the trial date for May 15. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for March 28. BLOOMINGTON The pediatrician who sounded the alarm about the Flint water crisis issued a challenge at Illinois Wesleyan University to speak out against injustices and to fight for the American dream. I challenge you to be unreasonable, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha said during her IWU Founders Day address. I challenge you to raise your voice loud when others urge you to be quiet. Hanna-Attisha initially came under fire from public officials when she called a news conference in 2015 to report that lead levels in the blood of Flint, Mich., children had doubled after the financially strapped city switched its water supply to the Flint River. Her findings were confirmed a little more than a week later. Every single number in my research was not a statistic it was a kid, said Hanna-Attisha, director for pediatric residency program at Hurley Children's Hospital in Flint. It's hard to raise your voice. It's scary, she told the packed house at Westbrook Auditorium in Presser Hall. Do not fear being the dissenter. Whether you are fighting big or small injustices, raise your voice. Introducing Hanna-Attisha, IWU Provost Jonathan Green said, Her courage and perseverance brought change by speaking for those without a voice. Chaplain Elyse Nelson Winger said the efforts of Hanna-Attisha reminds us of our mission to battle the persistent inequalities of our day. The Flint River water was not treated to prevent corrosion, which resulted in corroding pipes leaching lead into the water. Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that causes behavioral and developmental problems with multi-generational consequences, Hanna-Attisha explained. The problem isn't limited to Flint. Aging infrastructure in other locations also is resulting in lead getting into water, often in poor communities or lower-income areas without adequate resources to replace plumbing containing lead. There are towns like Flint everywhere, she said, referring not only to its lead problems but also to other environmental problems that disproportionately affect poor areas and to economic problems triggered by the departure of manufacturing and other well-paying jobs. There are Flints everywhere. There are injustices everywhere, said Hanna-Attisha. She said this is a risky time in the United States when the credibility of science is under attack, from climate change to vaccines. Hanna-Attisha also expressed concern that what's left of the American dream will be at risk unless people speak up against injustices and work to bring back living-wage jobs. Her family immigrated from Iraq to the United States when she was 4. Her mother taught English to immigrants; her father worked as an engineer for General Motors. The American dream became a reality, Hanna-Attisha said, and she felt welcome and driven to a life of service. But now that dream is threatened for many, she said. People are still running to America. They are trying to run to America, said Hanna-Attisha. It is important, she said, to rebuild the American dream. Quoting from Martin Luther King Jr., who twice spoke at IWU, Hanna-Attish said, We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now. BLOOMINGTON Breanna Hickey and Ann Wolfe extended helping hands to premature and critically ill infants and they did it by placing breast milk into a deep-freezer unit. "I'm very happy to help sick babies whose moms can't keep up with the milk supply," Wolfe said. Hickey and Wolfe on Tuesday were the first donors to the McLean County Milk Depot at the county health department, 200 W. Front St. in Bloomington. The milk depot opened at 4 p.m. Tuesday. "This is great," said Hickey. "It helps the population that can benefit the most from breast milk." Breast milk promotes growth of an infant's brain and retina, and enhances cognitive development, resistance to infections and reduction of allergies. Breast milk may also reduce a baby's risk of obesity and diabetes, and may reduce a mother's risk of diabetes and breast cancer, said Tammy Brooks, the health department's WIC (Women, Infants and Children Nutrition, Education and Supplemental Food Program) supervisor. Some prematurely born infants who are in hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and some critically ill infants aren't getting breast milk or enough breast milk from their mothers. Meanwhile, some lactating women produce more milk than their infants need, Brooks said. Some women whose infants die prematurely continue to pump breast milk and wish to donate it in memory of their child, Brooks said. The Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes links lactating women to infants who could benefit from their breast milk, she said. Sarah Berglund, health department breast feeding peer counselor and certified lactation consultant, proposed to Brooks that the health department have McLean County's first milk depot. Brooks worked with the Mothers' Milk Bank and health department administrators and the two agencies agreed to partner. Women interested in becoming milk donors can call Mothers' Milk Bank to begin a screening process that includes a phone interview, application, check of medical records for the woman and her infant, and a blood test, Brooks said. Women who are approved are assigned a donor number and may donate containers of their frozen, pumped breast milk to the deep-freezer unit at the health department. From there, it is shipped to the Mothers' Milk Bank, where it is tested and, if approved, then sent to NICUs in Illinois and Wisconsin, Brooks said. The McLean County Milk Depot joins 11 other sites in Illinois. The closest is in Macomb. "I was lucky enough to have the extra milk," said Hickey, 25, of Hudson, holding her 1-year-old son, Isaac. "I didn't want it to go to waste." "I'm making much more than my son could drink," said Wolfe, 37, of Normal, holding her 9-month-old son, Athanasius. "I didn't want it to go down the drain." "I'd like to have 30 donors within the first 90 days," Berglund said. "We've received questions for a long time from moms willing to donate milk," Lucinda Edgren-Gebhardt, an Advocate BroMenn Medical Center lactation consultant, said after the milk depot opened. "Having a local bank is just amazing." BLOOMINGTON The longtime assistant administrator of the McLean County Health Department has been named interim director as the county Board of Health searches for a long-term replacement for Director Walt Howe. Cathy Coverston Anderson, a health department employee since September 1988 and assistant administrator since May 2009, was announced to health department staff as interim director on Wednesday morning by Board of Health President Judy Buchanan. Buchanan said the Board of Health had confidence in Coverston Anderson to lead the department. "Cathy's knowledge and experience in the field of public health, together with her work with the department, will allow her to assume key administrative responsibilities during the interim," Buchanan said. Coverston Anderson, 59, of Bloomington, will become interim director on Feb. 25. "I am honored to be named interim administrator for the health department and thank the Board of Health for giving me the opportunity to serve the residents of McLean County in this way," said Coverston Anderson. Howe's last day with the health department will be Feb. 24. Howe, 60, said on Feb. 6 that is retiring and has accepted the new position of manager of preventive health services at the Illinois Public Health Association, a statewide advocate for public health. Howe has worked in public health for 38 years, has been with the county health department since 1991 and has been director since 2009. Coverston Anderson thanked Howe for leading the department "through budget crises, pandemics, collaborations and many other ventures in his eight years in the administrator's role." Buchanan also announced that four Board of Health members herself, Cory Tello, John Zeunik and Dr. Alan Ginzburg will make up the committee that will conduct a national search for a new director. "We anticipate six to eight months for the search," said health department spokeswoman Lisa Slater. Coverston Anderson's current salary is $80,265. It will increase to $88,291.50 during her time as interim director, Slater said. The health department has 90 full- and part-time employees and an $8.4 million budget. Responsibilities include restaurant inspections, communicable disease control and WIC (Women, Infants and Children Nutrition, Education and Supplemental Food Program). Fresh off the Yeezy press: Muslim model and best looking human to ever leave the womb, Halima Aden will make her NYFW debut on the Yeezy runway today wearing a hijab. The IMG-signed 19 year-old is set to be one of the highlights of Kanye West's fifth collection with Adidas, Business of Fashion reports. Aden, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp, will also feature in the March issue of the CR Fashion Book, as editor Carine Roitfeld finds the young model "inspiring." Aden gained national attention while competing in Minnesota's Miss USA pageant after she wore a burkini in the swimwear section. Ivan Bart, president of IMG, told Business of Fashion that he applauded Aden's commitment to the hijab. "I found that she was just so brave to stick to what she really believed in and yet go after the American dream of being in a beauty contest," Bart said. Yeezy Season 5 seems to be the show that keeps on giving. [h/t Harper's Bazaar] Image via Instagram Just in time for Yeezy Season 5, Kanye West has created a zine showcasing his last collection with Adidas likely to convince us it wasn't really as disastrous as we all remember. Shot by Jackie Nickerson and styled by A$AP mob member and VLONE designer A$AP Bari, the zine features Yeezy-favorites Teyana Taylor, Luka Sabbat and Playboi Carti, as well as Amsterdam stylist Golden Foufie all dressed in Yeezy Season 4. Like Yeezy Season 4, West's latest collaboration showing today at Pier 59 (a relatively chill destination compared to last year's Roosevelt Island) has not been without controversy. Originally, West angered the CFDA by scheduling his show at the same time as Marchesa and over the last 24 hours rumors emerged of industry boycott . Regardless, the Yeezy Season 4 zine is really something to behold. Privileging vulnerability rather than West's traditional bravado, the zine is probably exactly the kind of Yeezy the world could use right now. [h/t Dazed] A lawmaker in Arizona is proposing that its state's public schools, as well as charter schools, should have a handbook on dyslexia. Rep. Jill Norgaard has filed a bill to make this happen to give students with dyslexia a better chance to graduate from high school. Norgaard believes having the handbook on dyslexia, filed under HB 2202, would help with how schools can approach and satisfy the learning needs of its students. It would give schools a consistent and standardized process or help with dyslexia early intervention. Arizona school districts currently have different approaches in teaching learning-disabled students. Norgaard is hoping to follow similar guidelines from dyslexia handbooks already created in 14 American states, including Alabama, Ohio and Texas, according to Cronkite News. Meanwhile, a Dutch expert believes poor educators contributed to the increase in dyslexia diagnosis since 2007. Professor Anna Bosman noted that several kids might have been improperly diagnosed with the condition when they could not be learning-disabled at all. "We forget to check whether good education was provided," the professor said, according to NL Times. She believes educators aren't properly teaching and drilling the kids, thus they do not develop and improve as expected academically. A study published in the National Institutes of Health noted that students with dyslexia and reading disabilities have a higher dropout rate compared to other students. There is about 13 to 14 percent of students who are most likely challenged by this learning disorder, according to the Dyslexia Association. Part of the problem is because the approach and medium of instruction do not work for them. Students with dyslexia could also get easily discouraged in school or learning without the proper guidance from the teachers. Dyslexia affects students in different ways and depending on their condition. Some of the indicators include difficulty in reading, spelling and writing. When overlooked, it can not only lead to academic problems but also communication and self-image issues when the students become adults in the workplace. Veteran of Aruba Networks, Genesys and PayPal brings unique experience in leading cloud-based application development and infrastructure management PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intapp, a global leader in business applications for professional services firms, today announced that Wathik Labidi has joined Intapp as Vice President of Engineering. Wathik is responsible for product engineering and for expanding the scope and capabilities of Intapps SaaS (software as a service) solutions. Prior to joining Intapp, Wathik served as Vice President of Cloud Engineering for Aruba Networks, an HP company, where he led a team that successfully built a global cloud-based network management solution together with an extensive business applications ecosystem. Before that, he served as Vice President of R&D and Cloud Operations for Genesys, a customer experience platform provider, where he led the launch of the companys presence in the cloud, and as Vice President of Infrastructure Engineering at PayPal. He also served in engineering management positions at SurfControl and Sun Microsystems. Wathik Labidi holds a PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Pierre & Marie Curie - Paris, where he also worked as an Assistant Professor. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b2c001c1-a255-44fa-b9a4-f54062d8aa6c. Wathik brings valuable experience in both software development and infrastructure management to Intapp, with an impressive track record in building the infrastructure for cloud services delivery, said Dan Harsell, Senior Vice President of Technology and Co-Founder, Intapp. Im excited to work with Wathik to take the Intapp platform to the next level and work toward making our products available both in the cloud and on premises. Im impressed by the tremendous capability and talent of the Intapp team, the companys vision in building innovative business applications for the professional services market, and the level of investment the company has made in laying the groundwork for cloud-based services, said Wathik Labidi. In speaking to Intapp customers and partners, there is clearly a lot of interest in the cloud among legal, accounting, consulting and financial services firms, and Im pleased to be working with the Intapp engineering organization to build the architecture for the future. Intapps current portfolio of cloud applications include the Intapp Open new business intake and conflicts management system; the Intapp Open terms management system; and Intapp Time for time recording and total time management. In addition, many firms currently use Intapp Flow and Intapp Integrate to manage data across their cloud and on-premises systems. About Intapp Intapp provides software that enables law firms and other professional services firms to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace by improving operational efficiency and driving client success. Intapp's three practice groups (Risk, Workflow and Time) focus on understanding existing pressures and emerging trends, and translate this knowledge into products and best practices. Intapp products allow firms to align business operations with strategy and deliver on client expectations. They are recognized as the most advanced in their respective categories new business intake, conflicts management, confidentiality management, process automation, data integration and time recording. Serving more than 650 customers, including 91% of the Am Law 100 and 90% of the Global 100, Intapp has cultivated an unparalleled record of customer success and collaborative partner relationships. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, with business operations in New York, Atlanta, London, Manchester and Sydney, Intapp offers a unique combination of legal industry expertise, technical innovation, consumer-friendly design and customer-focused business philosophy. For more information, visit www.intapp.com. It's widely known that for a mom in her '40s or '50s, having a baby has its risk but the risk for older dads isn't widely talked about. With 55-year-old George Clooney becoming a dad for the first time, however, the spotlight is shining on older dads. Just how risky is it for men to become fathers in their '50s like Clooney, who is expecting twins in June with wife Amal? Experts say that like moms, dads have biological clocks and health risks as well, but the conditions are different. Fertility expert Dr. Mary Samplaski told CNN that with older dads, the issue isn't about the virility of the sperms because they can still father children in late-age without the help of science. The problem with aging sperms, however, is its DNA can likely result in babies developing mental problems. Samplaski supported this with a Swedish study published in the JAMA Psychiatry journal in 2014 that showed genes from aging sperms have a small percent of delivering offspring with autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Children born to older fathers could also risk achondroplasia or dwarfism. According to She Knows, even as the percentage of this risk is small, many dads are opting to bank their healthier sperms for future use. Aside from genetic reasons, however, older dads might also struggle with running after toddlers or late night feeding sessions that their body cannot manage. Ron Brounes, who became a dad in his '40s, wrote on Huffington Post the physical strains of keeping up with kids below 6-years-old are real but children also benefit from the wisdom of older parents better. Scientists said that if there could be one genetic benefit to being an older dad is that their next generation could have longer lifespans. This is because aging sperms have longer telomeres, which protect the DNA chromosomes from fraying, according to a study published in the PNAS journal. A lawmaker from South Dakota has blocked a bill that ensured job safety for breastfeeding or pregnant working moms. Rep. Wayne H. Steinhauer, a Republican from Minnehaha, was one of eight who voted to shelve the legislature meant to give working mothers with kids more accommodation at work. The deliberation on HB 1120 happened during the Feb. 8 session. Among other things, it sought employers to allow breastfeeding or pregnant working moms to have longer breaks or less physically demanding tasks while in their delicate condition or as their bodies are still recovering. It also sought for employers to provide job restructuring to these working moms, if necessary. Steinhauer, however, said that these accommodations to limit discrimination against the women are not necessary. He advised breastfeeding or pregnant working moms to quit their jobs as being employed is not like being in prison. "You've got a choice every day," Steinhauer said, according to Rewire. "You make a choice whether you come to work." Baby Center cites the statement is discriminatory. Companies are actually required by law to provide the same accommodations among breastfeeding or pregnant working moms as it would the disabled employees. This latest incident highlights how pregnancy discrimination is still happening in today's workplace. There are apparently over 250,000 breastfeeding or pregnant working mothers who are not being properly accommodated at work. Between 2010 and 2015, some 650 workplace discrimination cases against working moms were filed at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Partnership Organization reports. Other companies, however, are trying to change the working environment for its female employees. In fact, 18 states including Washington D.C. have enacted bills that cover breastfeeding or pregnant women's job security and situation, according to A Better Balance. Where do you stand on this issue regarding breastfeeding or pregnant moms in the workplace? Would you quit your job if you were the mom in this situation or would you stay with an employer who might not extend the accommodations you need? Share your thoughts in the comments! Right after Betsy DeVos was nominated for the post of Secretary of Education by President Donald Trump, she announced she was not a supporter of Common Core. The presumption was because she is against this, and her boss is against it as well, the standards will most likely be eliminated under her leadership. DeVos observers from both sides, however, need some convincing on how she will act on Common Core in America's education system since, despite her claims, she has worked and funded organizations that have interests in Common Core. On her official site, DeVos explained her stand, but what will she have to do convince the public she will decide what's right for the Department of Education and the students? Breitbart suggested six points for DeVos in reshaping her department and its problems with Common Core. One of this includes assuring states that would like to replace the standards there won't be any penalties. Apparently, some school officials have experienced threats and pressures should they do away with Common Core. "She should vow to remove those pressure points and make it clear to states that the feds won't penalize them in any way if they replace Common Core with good standards," Jane Robbins of the American Principles Project told the news outlet. DeVos could also issue a new guidance to clarify vague sections in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that regulates Common Core. It should also clarify that the secretary cannot coerce or mandate states to keep the specific standards. Federal involvement is supposedly off-limits when it comes to influencing states regarding Common Core. The debate over Common Core remains controversial. Some argue the students' achievements did not improve because of the standards and the process itself is complicated and frustrating for both students and parents, according to 74 Million. Those who support Common Core, however, believe it challenges students to sharpen their critical thinking, which is crucial for when they become employed. States that adopt the standards are given a federal grant, according to CBS News, which has also become an accountability issue. 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 MALVERN, Pa., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. (NYSE:VSH) today introduced a new series of 400 V and 450 V snap-in, four-terminal aluminum electrolytic capacitors with improved ripple current capability at an ambient temperature of 105C in 15 large case sizes. Designed for power supplies and industrial and home appliance inverters, the Vishay BCcomponents 299 PHL-4TSI series reduces component counts and lowers costs while increasing mechanical stability and end-product lifetimes. Featuring a cylindrical aluminum case with pressure relief, insulated with a blue sleeve, the devices released today offer high ripple current from 2.45 A to 6.77 A, allowing designers to utilize fewer components to meet the requirements of applications connected to a three-phase mains. The 299 PHL-4TSI capacitors have a high 105 C temperature capability and long useful life of 5000 h while still being able to withstand high ripple currents. The capacitors can replace banks of large screw terminal devices connected by a bus-bar with smaller parts connected by a PCB. This significantly lowers construction costs and enables soldering processing instead of manual mounting. With larger case sizes than standard two-terminal snap-in capacitors ranging from 35 mm by 50 mm to 45 mm by 100 mm the devices limit the number of components required. As polarized aluminum electrolytic capacitors with a non-solid electrolyte, 299 PHL-4TSI series devices are ideally suited for smoothing, filtering, and energy storage in pulsed power applications. The devices are RoHS-compliant; their four-terminal configuration provides increased mechanical stability and keyed polarity. Device Specification Table: Case size (D x L in mm) 35 x 50 to 45 x 100 Capacitance range 470 F to 2200 F Tolerance 20 % Ripple current at 100 Hz and +105 C 2.45 A to 6.77 A Rated voltage 400 V to 450 V Category temperature range -40 C to +105 C Useful life at +105 C 5,000 h Max. ESR at 100 Hz 60 m to 240 m Max. impedance at 10 kHz 50 m to 170 m Sectional specification IEC 60384-4/EN130300 Climatic category IEC 60038 40/105/56 Samples and production quantities of the 299 PHL-4TSI series capacitors are available now, with lead times of 10 to 12 weeks. Resources: Snap-in aluminum electrolytic capacitors from Vishay Check distributor stock on the Vishay website Weekly updates: sign up for Vishay Newsfeed Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., a Fortune 1000 Company listed on the NYSE (VSH), is one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors (diodes, MOSFETs, and infrared optoelectronics) and passive electronic components (resistors, inductors, and capacitors). These components are used in virtually all types of electronic devices and equipment, in the industrial, computing, automotive, consumer, telecommunications, military, aerospace, power supplies, and medical markets. Vishays product innovations, successful acquisition strategy, and "one-stop shop" service have made it a global industry leader. Vishay can be found on the Internet at www.vishay.com. Vishay on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VishayIntertechnology Vishay Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/vishayindust Share it on Twitter: http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=.@vishayindust 4-terminal snap-in aluminum electrolytic capacitors reduce component counts - https://goo.gl/I5gknj Link to datasheet: http://www.vishay.com/ppg?28432 (299 PHL-4TSI) Link to product photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vishay/32549494451/sizes/l It was only Monday that Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple Reportedly Signed a Second Deal with Samsung for Additional OLED Displays for Next Gen iPhone(s)." The two deals with Samsung would account for 160 million OLED displays. That in itself is staggering and yet today we're learning that Apple is in discussions with China's BOE Technology Group Co. to supply next-generation displays for future iPhones. So who is the BOE Technology Group? According to the company's literature, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., was founded in April 1993, is a supplier of internet of things technologies, products and services. BOE's three core businesses are Display Device, Smart System and Healthcare Service. BOE's products are widely used in a broad spectrum of applications such as mobile phone, tablet, notebook, monitor, TV, vehicle display, digital information display, healthcare, finance, and wearable devices. More specifically, the company notes that their OLED displays are underpinned by their proprietary advanced Super Dimension Switch technology and characterized by ultra-high definition, ultra-slim bezel, high contrast-ratio, ultra thinness, integrated touch solution, great energy efficiency, and environmental friendliness. Today Bloomberg reports that "Apple's been testing BOE's active-matrix organic light-emitting diode screens for months but hasn't decided if it'll add the Chinese company to its roster of suppliers, one of the people said, asking not to be named talking about private negotiations. BOE, one of the country's largest screen makers, is spending close to 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) building two AMOLED plants in the southwestern province of Sichuan in anticipation of future business. Talks are at an early stage and it's unlikely to supply the next iPhone, but BOE is banking on outfitting the one in 2018 or later, the person said. If BOE is selected for OLED, it will become the first known future supplier of the next-generation screens to Apple outside of South Korea and Japan -- a triumph for a Beijing-based company best known for computer and TV displays. The U.S. company is exploring alternatives to address a global shortage of OLED displays as it prepares to adopt the sharper, more power-efficient technology for its next iPhones, catching up with rivals such as Samsung and Huawei Technologies Co." For more on this, read the full Bloomberg report here. The fact that Apple is going to need more than 160 million OLED displays may be a hint that Apple is looking to bring OLED to either more iPhone models or that they planning to expand OLED displays to Macs. For now it's an open question. Other suppliers that are hoping to gain Apple orders for OLED displays in the future include LG and Foxconn/Sharp. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Moses and the Brazen Serpent (1640), by Adriaen van Nieulandt (c. 1586-1658) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (4-9-06) *** Is it true that in Old Testament times, the people were basically on their own vis-a-vis biblical interpretation, and application of the Mosaic Law. No! Theirs was not a sola Scriptura system. I offer examples below. ***** 1) Moses didnt just give the Law to the Hebrews; he also taught it: Exodus 18:15-20 (RSV) And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions. Moses father-in-law said to him, What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God, and bring their cases to God; and you shall teach them the statutes and the decisions, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 2) Aaron, Moses brother, is also commanded by God to teach: Leviticus 10:10-11 You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by Moses. 3) Levite priests were to teach Israel the ordinances and law: A) Deuteronomy 33:10 They shall teach Jacob thy ordinances, and Israel thy law; they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt offering upon thy altar. (see 33:8) B) 2 Chronicles 15:3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law; [which was, of course, not the normative situation] C) Malachi 2:4-8 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the LORD of hosts. My covenant with him was a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him, that he might fear; and he feared me, he stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, 4) Ezra read the Law of Moses to the people in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:3). In 8:7-8 we find 13 Levites who assisted Ezra, helped the people to understand the law and who gave the sense. Much earlier, in King Jehoshaphats reign, we find Levites exercising the same function (2 Chronicles 17:8-9). So the people did indeed understand the law (8:12), but not without much assistance not merely upon hearing: Nehemiah 8:1-9: 1: And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. 2: And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3: And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4: And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Ma-aseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Misha-el, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5: And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; and when he opened it all the people stood. 6: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7: Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Ma-aseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. 8: And they read from the book, from the law of God, clearly; and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. 9: And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Now, is this infallibility? No, we must admit that it doesnt say that; yet it is very strong. This is authoritative teaching from the Old Testament Church, so to speak. Moses doesnt just give a nice, wistful, pleasant sermons to ponder over a steak lunch. He says that I make them know the statutes of God and his decisions. Of the Levites it is said: For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. Ezra and his teaching assistants gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. This is authoritative teaching! Yet when the Catholic Church merely claims the same prerogative, somehow it is objectionable and some supposedly radical and new thing. Its exactly what was already happening before. The New Testament continues the same notions of guided understanding of the Scriptures. The Ethiopian eunuch says, How can I [understand the Scripture], unless some one guides me? Other passages concur: 2 Peter 1:20 First of all, you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of ones own interpretation. 2 Peter 3:15-17 . . . So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, beware lest you be carried away with the error of lawless men and lose your own stability. Jesus Himself even upholds the teaching authority of the Pharisees, of all people, and based on a Jewish tradition, not found in the Old Testament at all: Matthew 23:1-3 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. We see, then, that the Bible (both Old Testament and New Testament) teaches a notion of authority precisely like what we find in the Catholic Church: the three-legged stool of Scripture + Church + Tradition. It does not teach sola Scriptura. But Martin Luther started teaching something very different from this: But, that there are in the Scriptures some things abstruse, and that all things are not quite plain, is a report spread abroad by the impious Sophists; by whose mouth you speak here, Erasmus . . . This indeed I confess, that there are many places in the Scriptures obscure and abstruse; not from the majesty of the things, but from our ignorance of certain terms and grammatical particulars; but which do not prevent a knowledge of all the things in the Scriptures . . . All the things, therefore, contained in the Scriptures, are made manifest, although some places, from the words not being understood, are yet obscure . . . And, if the words are obscure in one place, yet they are clear in another . . . For Christ has opened our understanding to understand the Scriptures . . . Therefore come forward, you and all the Sophists together, and produce any one mystery which is still abstruse in the Scriptures. But, if many things still remain abstruse to many, this does not arise from obscurity in the Scriptures, but from their own blindness or want of understanding, who do not go the way to see the all-perfect clearness of the truth . . . Let, therefore, wretched men cease to impute, with blasphemous perverseness, the darkness and obscurity of their own heart to the all-clear scriptures of God . . . If you speak of the internal clearness, no man sees one iota in the Scriptures, but he that hath the Spirit of God . . . If you speak of the external clearness, nothing whatever is left obscure or ambiguous; but all things that are in the Scriptures, are by the Word brought forth into the clearest light, and proclaimed to the whole world. (The Bondage of the Will, from translation by Henry Cole, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1976, 25-27, 29) Bishop Dr. (?) James White tried to do a similar thing in his argument that I responded to in my book, The Catholic Verses ( p. 51). Here is that excerpt: White, however, writes: And who can forget the result of Josiahs discovery of the Book of the Covenant in 2 Chronicles 34? (White, 101) Indeed, this was a momentous occasion. But if the implication is that the Law was self-evident simply upon being read, per sola Scriptura, this is untrue to the Old Testament, for, again, we are informed in the same book that priests and Levites taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the LORD with them; they went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people (2 Chron. 17:9), and that the Levites taught all Israel (2 Chron. 35:3). They didnt just read, they taught, and that involved interpretation. And the people had no right of private judgment, to dissent from what was taught. Anyone can win an argument if they simply assume its conclusion and ignore all counter-evidences in the very Scripture which the argument purports to be self-evident in the main upon reading (i.e., without necessary need of an authoritative Church or interpreter to resolve various disputes on doctrine which incessantly plague Protestants because they have adopted this false, unbiblical principle). The choice is presented by many Protestant apologists as Law of Moses / Torah / Bible vs. tradition (in this case, a false tradition of men). Its presupposed for the purpose of this argument that all tradition is bad. But of course, this is not the New Testament position, which is that there can be such a thing as a good, apostolic, true tradition (many statements from Paul, as well as Jesus), as well as a corrupt (mere) tradition of men. So if we re-approach the question above, the answer is that the Torah combined with true oral tradition (which all Jews believed to have also been given to Moses at Mt. Sinai) gives one the truth. When Josiah rediscovered the Law, the true teaching was restored. But this doesnt prove that all tradition or authoritative teaching is therefore eliminated, simply because there had been a false tradition of worship that Josiah reformed. Doctrinal development in the Bible, between the testaments, is consistent: there was strong authority and tradition in the Old Testament and there continues to be in the New Testament. Both teach the three-legged stool notion of authority: not sola Scriptura. Mainstream Judaism accepted oral tradition right alongside the Torah and the rest of the Old Testament. It was only the liberal Sadducees who denied that (they also denied the afterlife). They were the liberals of the time, and also the sola Scripturists (just as the later heresies like Arians believed in Bible Alone because the apostolic tradition refuted them and they couldnt appeal to it). But the Sadducees are never called Christians in the New Testament, whereas Pharisees are (indeed, Paul calls himself one, and Jesus said to follow their teaching, despite their hypocrisy of action). Both the Old Testament and New Testament (within consistent development) conform far more closely to the Catholic model than any Protestant variant. The Chicago Public Schools, and its CEO Forrest Claypool, in a long-running battle to get more pension bail-out money from the state, has now filed a lawsuit, alleging unequal state funding and claiming that this is racial discrimination because of the disproportionate number of students who are of color (that is, black or Hispanic) in Chicago public schools. (See todays Tribune.) Whats going on here? Illinois Policy rebuts the claim that CPS children are being treated unfairly. In all of the school-funding allocations from the state, Chicago schools come out far, far ahead because the funding is weighted heavily to districts with high levels of poor, minority, special ed, and/or English-learning children. Whats Claypools case, then? He says that Chicago only gets 15% of state funds while it has 20% of students, because (though the Trib article doesnt explicitly say this) hes adding in the state contributions to the teachers pension plan for non-Chicago teachers. Illinois Policy provides a chart which (though it only covers the years to 2014) reports that this total percentage has varied from year to year depending on the level of pension contributions. in 2014, Chicago received 17.6% of funding, when considering pension contributions, but a decade ago, in 2006, (when presumably Illinois was taking another one of its repeated pension contribution holidays), Chicago received 24.0% of total funding; the numbers been steadily declining since then, so perhaps if the chart were extended two more years, this would match Claypools claim of 15%. Does Claypool have a case? Maybe. The Chicago Teachers Pension Fund was established in 1895, by the state legislature, to be a self-governing, self-funding entity. The Illinois Teachers Retirement System was first created in 1915, then re-established in 1939. So far as I can tell, the local employer contributions have always been modest, and, according to the TRS itself, From the beginning of TRS in 1939, teacher contributions were never intended to fund 100 percent of a members retirement annuity. As in all defined benefit retirement plans, the benefits have always been a shared responsibility of the members and the employers, which in the case of TRS are school districts and state government. TRS is responsible for investing these contributions and adding all investment returns to the trust fund to enhance its ability to pay member benefits. The state, by law, assumes the lions share of the employers cost because state government requires all active public school teachers outside of the city of Chicago to be TRS members. Also, all public school districts are creations of state government. Which seems like a pretty lousy rationale to me, especially when its the local school districts that are setting teacher pay. You want a fix for this disparity? Well, aside from the need for the state pension system to be wholly reformed, seems to me that it should come in the form of local school districts being responsible for the cost of annual accruals, based on appropriate actuarial assumptions. (Its fine for the state to manage the whole system, to provide continuity for teachers moving from one school district to another.) Or perhaps the Chicago teachers should begin to participate (again, for new accruals) in the statewide system. But fairness doesnt require that the State pick up the funding deficits that were due to irresponsibility by the city of Chicago in years past. Image: Forrest Claypool, from https://vimeo.com/146044058 Iranian Culture Minister confirms his role in cancellation of Tehran art show in Berlin 02/15/17 By Manijeh Rezapoor, Tehran Times TEHRAN - Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi-Amiri said on Tuesday that he was behind the cancellation of the exhibition of Western artworks from the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMCA) in Berlin. He made the remarks in his first press conference since last November when he was appointed to the position. Reza Salehi-Amiri, Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance "The exhibition was canceled due to the legal ambiguity hidden in the agreement, and I proposed the exhibit to be canceled pending further investigation," the minister said. The exhibition was set to open at the Gemaldegalerie in Berlin on December 4, but was postponed in November. "The Cultural Commission of the Government is currently studying the case to decide on the submission of the collection to Germany," he remarked. "The exhibition of the Western collection of TMCA in Belin will only be possible after the approval of the cabinet," he emphasized. He added that exhibition of artworks in other countries as well as exhibitions of works from other countries in Iran is part of the cultural diplomacy of Iran. He next elaborated on different cultural policies of his ministry in detail, adding that he believes dialogue is the only way to reach cultural solidarity and consensus. "We are living in a populous society and all the art and cultural attitudes in the realm of the Islamic Revolution must enjoy equal rights," he said. "We need to talk to find out more about our cultural commonalities and stay loyal to them. Dialogue helps us to better understand each other," he explained. "Cultural wisdom, cultural diversity, cultural honesty and cultural consensus are other characteristics we need to preserve to achieve cultural stability," he continued. He also noted that the ministry's new approach will be the fair distribution of cultural resources in other cities and regions across the country. "Tehran is not the whole country and the whole country is not Tehran," he remarked. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Purdue Aviation LLC has hit a milestone in its growth with Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, approval of Part 141 flight school certification, which allows it to offer a more structured flight training syllabus for future professional pilots. Part 141 certification is key to the future growth of Purdue Aviation, said Purdue alumnus Scott Niswonger, who co-owns the company with the Purdue Research Foundation. Receiving this certification is the next logical step as we add services to increase the profile of Purdue Aviation, allowing us to help fill the critical need for more commercial pilots. Niswonger and Purdue Research Foundation purchased the company, formerly called Lafayette Aviation, in 2015. The purchase occurred the same year the 980-acre Purdue Research Park Aerospace District was established in the area adjacent to the airport. Purdue Aviation offered flight training under the FAA Part 61 regulation before issue of the Part 141 certification, said Jeff Pittard, president of Purdue Aviation. According to Pittard, Part 141 requires a more stringent process involving FAA approval of pilot training curriculums, personnel, facilities and aircraft. The Part 141 designation allows students in the program to qualify for pilot certification in less time than Part 61. Company officials plan to soon begin offering flight classes based on the Part 141 certification and adding airline industry collaboration to the coursework. This designation by the FAA for Purdue Aviation opens the door for great new opportunities, said Dan Hasler, president of Purdue Research Foundation. With the upcoming March opening of the Purdue Technology Center Aerospace building that will house some of Rolls-Royces R&D activities, the Purdue Research Park Aerospace District is taking off. Purdue Aviation and Purdue Research Foundation recently partnered with Costruzioni Aeronautiche TECNAM, an aircraft company based in Italy, to create a U.S.-based sales, maintenance and training center for TECNAM aircraft. The agreement included the sale of a TECNAM P2006T twin-engine certified technologically advanced aircraft to Purdue Aviation, which the company now uses for training and for leasing. Purdue Aviations new Part 141 certification along with the TECNAM P2006T aircraft could also be beneficial to students in Purdues School of Aviation and Transportation Technology within the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. Purdue Aviations Part 141 training program helps our students as well, by providing those who have earned their flight instructor certificates the opportunity to serve as instructors in the new program, said John Mott, interim head of the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. In addition, the new TECNAM P2006T aircraft will allow our students to gain the multiengine flight experience they need in an economical manner. The Part 141 certification will provide greater pilot training opportunities in other ways as well. The certification will make a difference by appealing to prospective commercial pilots, Pittard said. Also, with the certification we will soon have approval from the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow veterans to use their benefits at our school. Purdue Aviation is a full-service fixed base operator (FBO) offering fuel service, aircraft rental, flight training and aircraft maintenance. More information about Purdue Aviation is available at www.purdueaviationllc.com. About Purdue Aviation Purdue Aviation LLC, located at the Purdue University Airport, KLAF, in West Lafayette, Indiana, offers premium flight support including hangar space, catering, and ground transportation and is a certified aircraft maintenance center. As one of the premier flight training providers and affiliated with Purdue University, Purdue Aviation provides pilot license training, fuel sales, aircraft maintenance, aircraft rental and aircraft sales. About Purdue Research Park Aerospace District Purdue Research Park Aerospace District is situated on the southwest corner of the internationally recognized Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The 980-acre aerospace district, under development by the Purdue Research Foundation, is a flagship for public and private aerospace research and development to advance aviation and aeronautics innovations. Plans for the aerospace district, which encompasses the Purdue University Airport, Purdue Aviation (formerly called Lafayette Aviation) and the Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories, include opportunities for aerospace companies that wish to collaborate with Purdue to build research and development facilities. The site has already been named an Indiana Certified Technology Park by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. About Purdue Research Foundation The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park and Purdue Technology Centers. The foundation received the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Innovation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org. 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. Email Insights, a new experimental app from the Microsoft Garage, is the answer to a problem Googles Gmail solved more than a decade ago: how to search Outlook and find exactly what you want. Googles Gmail gained enormous traction in part because it allowed a quick, convenient way to search emails. Today, you can search Outlook, but it arranges the results in order with no real preference given to what might be most relevant. Email Insights works with both your Microsoft Outlook desktop application as well as Gmail, and attempts to bring the three most relevant results to the top of your inbox via an intent pane. The tool also provides contextual autocomplete, spelling correction and a fuzzy name search that will pull up the name of a contact, even if youre not entirely sure how to spell it. Microsoft The intent pane within Email Insights brings up relevant search results to the top of your inbox. Users can open tabs within Email Insights to perform multiple searches. The search box can also be used to fire off a quick, one-line email to a contact, or even set up a quick meetingfunctions that are becoming more common in the notifications window within smartphones. If youd like, you can even detach the Email Insights toolbar from Outlook itself and drag it down to your taskbar, Microsoft said. Why this matters: Lets face it: Gmail is still easier to use than Outlook, at least where everyday email searches are concerned. If Email Insights proves as useful as it sounds, maybe Outlook will incorporate it into a future release. The problem, though, is that this app is being published via Microsoft Garage, Microsofts online home for app experiments. If you like Email Insights, encourage others to download it, too. Otherwise, Microsoft could kill it, as it recently did with Cache, its erstwhile Google Keep killer. How should the U.S. respond to cyber attacks? Thats been a major question at this years RSA security conference, following Russias suspected attempt to influence last years election. Clearly, the government should be doing more on cybersecurity, said U.S. lawmakers and officials at the show, but they admit that politics and policy conflicts have hampered the governments approach. I wish the federal government could do this, but its very hard, unfortunately, due to partisan politics, said Virginia State Governor Terry McAuliffe, during a speech at the show. They havent been able to take the lead on this issue as they should have. Instead, it might be up to the states to assume a larger role in promoting cybersecurity, given that divisive U.S. politics at the federal level have been stalling government action, McAuliffe said on Tuesday. Michael Kan The RSA conference 2017. Collectively, state governments store more data than the federal government, including residents tax returns, healthcare records and drivers licenses, he said. That can make them targets of hackers, so McAuliffe has been urging other states to make cybersecurity a priority. Its up to the governors of this country to lean in and take the lead, he said. At the RSA show, U.S. Representative Michael McCaul also spoke and said the U.S. is falling behind on cybersecurity, pointing to the numerous hacks from state-sponsored hackers. We are in the fight of our digital lives and we are not winning, he said. McCaul, who also chairs the House committee on Homeland Security, said Russias suspected involvement in influencing last years election was a wake up call. But he was disappointed with the responses from the administration of President Barack Obama and Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, to the Kremlins alleged meddling. If there are no consequences for bad behavior, the bad behavior will continue, he said. Unfortunately, we still do not have a clear proportionate response, policies for striking back. However, actually coming up with a U.S. doctrine on stopping serious cyber attacks is easier said than done. One of the big questions out there is what is an act of war in cyberspace? said Daniel Lerner, a staff member at the U.S. Senate committee on Armed Services, who also spoke at the show. Currently, the U.S. treats every serious cyberattack on a case-by-case basis, which does little to dissuade the state-sponsored hackers from attacking in the first place, he said. Thats no way to project deterrence. And it really undermines our overall security posture, if every instance is a crisis, Lerner said. It doesnt help that trying to accurately prove a foreign country was behind a cyberattack can be incredibly hard and might involve sensitive intelligence. For instance, U.S. intelligence agencies have declined to share publicly classified evidence showing why they suspect Russia was behind last years election-related hacks. In addition, the Kremlin has denied any involvement. Nevertheless, more officials in the U.S. government want to see the country take action in the event of another cyberattack, said Brendan Shields, staff director at the House committee of Homeland Security. The fuse is getting shorter and shorter, he said at a panel discussion at RSA. I think there is a growing desire for making sure deterrence is real. Michael Kan Virginia state governor Terry McAuliffe (left) speaking at the RSA conference. However, going after state-sponsored hackers is only one aspect of the problem. Much more of it has to do with defense, and protecting users from hacking threats that are coming over consumer-made products or websites. Its an area where the private sector also needs to play a crucial role, given that IT vendors have most of the cybersecurity talent, said the Virginia governor. We need your ideas. We need the private sector, McAuliffe said. We at the state government cannot drive this. The federal government cannot drive this. A contractor is beginning work this week on road maintenance and improvements at over 200 locations in the city of Banning, using the citys share of a transportation sales tax. The Banning City Council in December awarded a $944,900 contract to All American Asphalt of Corona for the work scheduled over the next four months. The work includes pothole repairs, asphalt overlays, slurry seal to extend pavement life, concrete repairs including sidewalks and curbs and replacement of access ramps to comply with disabled access requirements, according to a city news release. A list of the specific projects and the project timetable are available on the citys website. Road problems, including potholes, may be reported to 951-922-3286 at any time. The man who committed back-to-back burglaries at Corona restaurants, allegedly with his younger brothers help, then attempted to flee from police in a vehicle and later on foot was sentenced Tuesday, Feb. 14 to eight months in jail and three years probation. Rodney Lavon Shorter, 21, of Long Beach, pleaded guilty last month to evading arrest, burglary and receiving stolen property. In exchange for his admissions, the Riverside County District Attorneys Office dropped charges of burglary and receiving stolen property. Superior Court Judge Sam Diaz certified the plea agreement and imposed the sentence stipulated in the plea agreement. The defendants brother, 19-year-old Rodney Shorter III, is free on bond and slated to be arraigned March 17 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The brothers and a third man, whose identity remains unknown, allegedly broke into Chronic Tacos at 160 Ontario Ave. about 3:30 a.m. Dec. 28 and took property, then drove a half-mile to Grazianos Pizza at 333 Magnolia Ave. and forced their way inside the closed eatery, according to Corona police. The threesome stole a safe and cash drawers before fleeing the location, investigators alleged. A witness called 911, alerting police to the break-in and providing a description of the alleged getaway car a white Dodge Intrepid which a patrol unit spotted moments later, according to police. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver the elder Shorter accelerated away, triggering a roughly 3-mile pursuit that crossed underneath Interstate 15 into the 1600 block of Leeson Lane, where the vehicle struck a curb, flattening several tires, police said. The defendants bailed out of the disabled car and ran away. The Shorter brothers were captured less than an hour later, police said. The third mans whereabouts remain unknown. As tasting experiences go, this one was kind of surreal: listening to a Scotsman tell me all about his gin. Yet here I was, facing a knowledgeable and personable young man, Adam Hannett, born and raised on Islay, the Mecca of Scotch, with the brogue to prove it. And he wasnt just some random island boy, but the head distiller at Bruichladdich, one of Scotlands most famous makers of fine Scotch. A Scotsman making gin, Englands national spirit isnt that like a Canadian trying his hand at bourbon instead of sticking to rye? The Scots, like Canadians, take pride in distinguishing themselves from their larger, louder neighbors. Hannett chuckled at the thought. Look, if youre a Scotch drinker, you know about Bruichladdich. We recognize theres a rising market for gin, and we think we have an excellent product that reflects who we are. Hannett is talking about The Botanist, a premium gin that has been popular on bar shelves for a few years; its definitely one of the go-to gins for mixologists these days. And its reflective of a trend among new gin-makers to get local by capturing the scents and flavors of their place of origin. The Botanist began with an unlucky demise and a lucky find. Another Scottish distillery, Inverleven, shut down in 1991. Word got around in 2003 that it was slated for demolition. We were able to get some interesting things: pipework, heat exchanger, a mash tun, three stills, old pumps, Hannett said. Some of it dated back to the early 19th century, but it was all perfectly serviceable. Bruichladdich also grabbed something called a Lomond still. Invented in 1955 by Alistair Cunningham of Hiram Walker, it has three perforated plates that can be cooled independently, allowing the distiller to create different kinds of whisky simultaneously. Its quite an ugly thing, Hannett said. It looks like a huge (garbage can). At first, the Bruichladdich team didnt know quite what to do with the eyesore. But Jim McEwan, Bruichladdichs famous master distiller, came up with something ingenious. Jim started thinking it would be perfect for making gin. And Jim being Jim, while he was fixing it he was learning how to make gin and selecting his first botanicals. McEwan designed a basket for the neck of the still, a place where all the vapors pass through. Placed in a sack and inserted into the basket, the botanicals gently impart their flavors in a 17-hour process. The smell is stunning, Hannett said. One of The Botanists special properties is its unique botanicals the herbs, roots and flowers that are infused into the spirit and create its taste signature. When we decided to create a gin, we went to two botanists who live on the island, Hannett said. We wanted to do something unique and exciting. Hannett and his colleagues envisioned a gin that captured Islays spirit. When you walk on the beaches or in the hills of Islay, you get these amazing smells heather and other plants. Besides juniper and the other botanicals used by makers of London dry gin, the local botanists supplied 22 ingredients that are unique to Islay. Following McEwans instructions, they are abundant enough to be hand-picked sustainably. As the gins popularity grows, Hannett and his co-workers are keeping a close eye on that. Someone asked me, Well, how much gin can you make? We dont know yet, actually. We have to harvest the local botanicals responsibly and find out. What are they using from Islays hallowed soil? Thats a trade secret, said Hannett, with a Mona Lisa smile. Contact the writer: 714-796-7979 or phodgins@scng.com GLEN ELLYN, Ill., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When Ellee Crawford was in the seventh grade, she wanted an iPhone just like her friends had. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/015142b8-8212-4a88-a0f8-91ce1341318d Crawfords parents told her that she needed to earn the money to purchase one. So she decided to do just that. But instead of finding a part-time job, Crawford decided to launch her own business. Now the 16-year-old College of DuPage student from Wheaton has won the inaugural Pitch Contest sponsored by CODs Entrepreneurship Club and E2 business mentoring program. She is using the first prize of $1,000 to continue funding her business, Small Pets and Company, which she operates online through Etsy and has now expanded to Amazon Prime. In addition to Crawford, Stephen Schroeder of West Chicago finished second and received $500 while William Storm of Naperville finished third and received $250. Click here to watch the Pitch Contest. Peter James, Assistant Professor of Business at COD, said the Entrepreneurship Club helps students get excited about pursuing their own ventures. During the recent Pitch Contest, which was part of a business and career day funded through the College of DuPage Foundations Resource for Excellence program, participants had five minutes to describe their ideas to a panel of judges. The pitches included such information as target audiences, supply and demand, and how the prize money would be used if won. It didnt matter whether participants already had established a business or were planning something new. We just wanted them to be excited about their ideas and have the opportunity to explain them to a group of people, he said. The Entrepreneurship Club and E2 program are places where students can discover that they dont have to work for someone else the rest of their lives to be successful. As for Ellee, her pitch was excellent. She demonstrated a maturity and a detailed knowledge of her business and customer base. Crawford developed her entrepreneurial spirit at an early age and would read books about starting a business, daydreaming about what she would own someday. Her father, Bill, provided inspiration as he has begun several businesses, including his current enterprise, Rainmaker Internet Marketing. Click here to read more. Seven members, most of whom have been active community members, were appointed to Hemets Measure U Oversight committee Tuesday, Feb 14. Among those selected were a former fire captain, a local attorney and the husband of the co-chair of the committee that worked to get the tax measure passed. Measure U is a 1 percentage point sales tax increase approved by voters in November that city leaders vow will only used toward public safety. Named to the committee were Rich Biber, Rob Davis, Eric Gosch, Suzzanne Kozma, Marie McDonald, Jeff Retmier and Robin Rickert. Biber heads the Hemet hospital foundation, Davis is an attorney, Gosch, who oversees Gosch Auto dealerships in Hemet, is married to Gisela Gosch, who co-chaired the Measure E and U committees, Kozma is retired after working for the Hemet Police Department, Retmier is a retired Hemet fire captain and McDonald and Rickert are retirees who have been active in the community. Four are Hemet residents and three live in the citys sphere of influence. After both groups were interviewed, council members ranked their choices. Other finalists were Marion Allen, Dan Goodrich, Brad Hyman and Chuck Steadman. Three dozen people applied for the Measure U group. They were interviewed by an ad hoc committee last month and 11 were invited to be questioned again Tuesday. The advisory committee, which will meet quarterly, is charged with reviewing how the city spends the money generated from Measure U. While its a general tax that can be spent in any fashion, the council said proceeds will only be used for the police and fire departments. Consumers will start paying an extra penny for each dollar spent April 1. Contact the writer: 951-368-9086 or cshultz@scng.com An Inland Republican who ran for Congress in 2016 is thinking seriously about running again next year. Sean Flynn, who chairs the economics department at Scripps College, said Tuesday, Feb. 14 he is thinking very hard about running in Californias 31st Congressional District, which is represented by Redlands Democrat Pete Aguilar. He hopes to make a decision by April, he said. Flynn, who lives in Upland, ran for the San Bernardino County seat in 2014. He ended up placing fifth out of five candidates in the June primary for the 31st district, which includes all or parts of San Bernardino, Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Loma Linda, Colton, Rialto, Fontana, Upland and Grand Terrace. Aguilar and Republican Paul Chabot came in first and second, respectively, with Aguilar, a former Redlands mayor, defeating Chabot in the November general election in a rematch from 2014. Chabot has moved to Texas, and Flynn, author of Economics for Dummies, has shown the ability to generate a substantial amount of campaign cash. He loaned his 2016 campaign $490,000 and raised more than $134,000 in individual donations last year, according to reports on file with the Federal Election Commission. Still, Flynn faces several challenges were he to run again. For starters, 42 percent of the 31st districts voters are registered Democrats compared to 31 percent for Republicans. Aguilar, who received a prestigious appointment to the House Appropriations Committee this session, raised almost $3 million last election cycle and his campaign had almost $951,000 in the bank as of Dec. 31. Finally, Flynn may struggle to gain footing if a Republican who currently holds office decides to run. A man was arrested Sunday, Feb. 12 after authorities say he shot a family member in Jurupa Valley. The shooting was reported about 11:45 a.m. in the area of 56th and Dodd streets, said Deputy Michael Vasquez. The victim was hospitalized with non-life-threatening wounds, he said. Deputies learned the suspect was a family member of the victim and arrested 25-year-old Javier Contreras-Tapia about 3:25 p.m. on suspicion of attempted murder, according to jail records. Vasquez said he did not know how the Tapia is related to the victim. Tapia is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center. Bail is set at $1 million. President Donald Trump is asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold back on settlements for a bit. In a joint press conference with Netanyahu at the White House Wednesday, Trump responded to a question about his position on the expansion of Israeli settlements, asking Netanyahu to hold back on settlements for a little bit. He says that a two state looked like it will be the easier of the two, but says that if Israel and the Palestinians find an alternative that they like better, hell support them. Trump also says that hed like to see the U.S. Embassy in Israel moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but noted that were looking at it with great care. Netanyahu also says he believes reversing the rising tide of radical Islam is also possible with Trump leading the United States. In his opening statement at a joint news conference, Trump says Israel has no better ally than the United States and the United States has no better ally than Israel. Deputies arrested a 34-year-old Temecula man in connection with an early February vandalism that left the Old Town Temecula post office and nearby businesses damaged, sheriffs officials say. On Tuesday, Feb. 14, deputies from the Temecula stations Homeless Outreach Team found Chuck Stickles near Old Town Front Street and Moreno Road in the city and arrested him on suspicion of felony vandalism in the incident as well as for an outstanding felony warrant in another vandalism investigation, according to a Riverside County sheriffs news release. Stickles had been identified as a suspect in a vandalism spree that happened sometime around Friday, Feb. 3, according to officials. During that vandalism, someone threw rocks at the post office building and then dumped over trash cans in a couple different parking lots in that area. Damage to the post office included a busted front door and smashed windows. Contact the writer: 951-368-9693, agroves@scng.com or @AlexDGroves on Twitter. Despite a 20 percent increase in inventory since 2010, rent on Inland industrial space has grown 50 percent in the same period. Rates are now the fastest-growing in Southern California, according to real estate company JLL. JLLs data shows that Riverside and San Bernardino counties posted 15.9 percent, year-over-year growth in 2016, fueled by e-commerces lust to acquire warehouse space. Los Angeles and Orange counties saw 11.9 percent rent growth, and San Diego County grew 10.9 percent. The average asking price has reached 51 cents per square foot, triple net, meaning the renter picks up taxes, insurance and maintenance. Its going to be a renters market for the foreseeable future, according to Patrick Wood, a vice president with JLLs Ontario office. When we see significant amounts of annual, year-over-year rent growth, it typically begins leveling off over a period of time. But weve seen the same very healthy rent growth for the past four to five years. We think were going to continue to see this same type of rent growth moving forward, he said in a phone interview. The demand for land in increasingly built-out Southern California is driving up prices in other Inland real estate sectors, including residential. Earlier this month, Chapman University economist James Doti noted that the rate of Inland home prices is growing faster than the rate in Orange County. He said the lack of affordable housing has slowed growth of the Inland economy. As available space diminishes, communities will have to make decisions on what kind of growth to encourage and how to go about it. Those decisions could involve such issues as redevelopment, zoning and density. In the Inland Empire West submarket which primarily consists of Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, Fontana and Jurupa Valley we are quickly running out of the supply of land, large land parcels for the development of warehouse distribution facilities, Wood said. Star-Lord was here. Chris Pratt, star of Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy movies, recently choppered into the Perris area for a Mark Seliger photo shoot for Vanity Fair, a spread that included the cover of the February issue. The shoot which included a video segment included stops at the Lake Perris State Recreation Area and the Perris Auto Speedway, two locales that provided a mans man setting for photos that showed him camping, gutting a fish, drinking a beer while sitting on a rock and leaning against a race car. I think they wanted to show him being outdoorsy, said Don Kazarian, the speedways owner, chomping on a wad of chewing tobacco in his office near the southern curve of the track. To maintain an air of secrecy about the proceedings, and avoid any camera-toting paparazzi, the crew that set up the shoot didnt tell Kazarian or any of the other locals who was going to be the model. RELATED: Disney announces opening date for Guardians of the Galaxy ride, Summer of Heroes When Kazarian found out it was Pratt a popular character actor on NBCs Parks and Recreation who has become a big time Hollywood star following the Guardians and Jurassic World movies he had to ask around to find out who he was and wrote down his name on his phone so he wouldnt forget it. Hes since heard all about Pratt from his wife who pointed him out every time he popped up on screen during a viewing of 2016s The Magnificent Seven and his kids, who were a bit put out that they werent invited to the shoot. I told them this wasnt a public deal! he recalled, adding that photographers and movie producers value that sort of privacy while theyre working. Kazarian said the crew liked his track because it has a lived-in, authentically rustic charm. Its not all spit and polished, he said. They didnt change a thing. The black car Pratt leans on in one memorable photo is owned by Hemets Tony Lima, a 59-year-old racer who is known at the track as El Tigre. It was a great experience because of the people there, he said. You can tell these guys knew what they were doing. Like Kazarian, Lima said he wasnt familiar with Pratts filmography Im almost 60, he noted but he came away impressed with the actors ability to put people at ease and crack a joke. I told my fiance when we were leaving, I dont know who that model is, but hes very confident, he recalled. When the magazine came out, Lima was blown away by the response. I heard from cousins and relatives, he said. I didnt realize the magazine was as popular as it is. I was overwhelmed. John Rowe, state park superintendent for the Perris Sector, said the state film commission coordinates all video and still shoots within the recreation area. I would say in an average year we have roughly five to 10 film permit events, he said. We rarely know what actor or actress will be involved. The one with Mr. Pratt is probably the most famous. The recreation area also has hosted models from Ralph Lauren and Eddie Bauer and its been used in ads for Chevrolet, a wakeboarding company, boating companies and clothing ads. We also have a few student films that were shot here, Rowe added. Stephanie Stetham, a county film commissioner, said she hopes the Oct. 29 shoot helps put the western part of the county on the radar for location scouts and producers. The Palm Springs area and the surrounding deserts have long been popular locations, but she said there are numerous areas on the other side of the mountains that work well for a broad range of photographic or movie purposes. The word is starting to spread for sure, she said. So how did Pratt like the Perris area? The shoot went really well, wrote Allison Garman, a publicist for the actor. She noted, however, he didnt stay long. We were only in Lake Perris briefly for the photo shoot, she said. It was just a few hours. Contact the writer: 951-368-9698 or aclaverie@scng.com Southern California is on target for a violent storm that will blow through the region starting Thursday, Feb. 16 likely causing urban flooding and wind damage, according to the National Weather Service. Riverside County will get hit hard, but not quite as hard as Los Angeles County, Orange County and parts of the San Bernardino County mountains, which will bear the brunt of the anticipated rainfall. It feels really nice outside now, but thats deceiving because a big storm is coming, said Alex Tardy, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. Orange County and Los Angeles County are right in the bulls eye. Wednesday will be pleasant with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 70s. However, by mid-day Thursday ominous clouds will begin rolling into the region bringing 20 mph to 30 mph wind gusts from the south, with temperatures hitting the mid-60s. Then things turn nasty, Tardy said. Early Friday, at the peak of the morning commute, heavy rains are expected to pound Orange and Los Angeles counties and damaging winds could reach 60 mph along the coast throughout the day, Tardy said. This particular storm has a very strong jet stream, and we are going to take a direct hit in Southern California, he said. On Friday, driving may be a bit hazardous, with tree limbs falling and mud slides possible. The storm could bring as much as two inches of rain to Riverside, seven to the Santa Ana and San Gabriel mountains, and up to five inches in the San Bernardino mountain foothills, Tardy said. Ski resorts should receive at least one foot of snow. RELATED: The end of Californias drought is much closer after recent rain Orange and Los Angeles counties may be inundated with as much as three to five inches of rain, causing extreme runoff from already saturated soil. At this point it (flooding potential) is getting dangerous, Tardy said. Areas with the greatest risk for flooding include the Cajon Pass, the Blue Cut fire scar area and all of Orange County, including the Santa Ana Mountains, according to a National Weather Service hydrologic outlook. Saturday will remain partly cloudy with a chance of showers. The big thing Saturday will be cleaning up debris from Fridays flooding, Tardy figured. There will be a chance of light precipitation on Sunday and Monday. RELATED Rain and snow are easing California out of its drought Inland storms leave potholes behind Storm damage closes Ortega Highway between Lake Elsinore, San Juan Capistrano Staff writer Alex Groves contributed to this report. Contact the writer: 714-796-7767 sschwebke@scng.com Twitter: @thechalkoutline The Cesar E. Chavez Scholarship Committee at Moreno Valley College will hold an art exhibit as part of its annual scholarship breakfast in March honoring the late labor activist. The exhibit will be held March 23 at the Riverside Art Museum and will feature submissions from students at Moreno Valley College and high school students at Moreno Valley and Val Verde school districts. Students can submit art, photography, audio, or sculpture as it relates to Chavez. The winner will be announced at the scholarship breakfast March 24 where Corona artist John Zarate, who marched with Chavez, and Riverside artist Cynthia Huerta will speak. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Uniserve Communications Corporation (Uniserve) is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicholas Jeffery, a former Director of the Data Centre Solutions group at CBRE (the worlds largest commercial real estate services firm) as its new CEO effective March 1st, 2017. Mr. Jeffery will be moving from London to Vancouver, with his wife and young family joining him in the spring. At CBRE, Mr. Jeffery was responsible for client strategy, advising data center owners and multinational corporations on data center acquisitions, new product developments, cloud deployments and new geography strategies. Mr. Jeffery is also considered an authority on cognitive connected buildings and Smart City solutions, and led this portfolio for CBRE in Europe. With over 25 years of telecommunications, media and technology experience, Mr. Jeffery was previously the European Managing Director of PSINet Europe. He was part of the executive team that acquired PSINet for $15m and was sold two years later for $150m to Telstra and Interroute, having taken the business from a $30m loss to $15m profit in two years. Mr. Jeffery has also been a C-Level executive at data center and Internet service companies such as Hostmark, Worldport, and Digital Realty. Mr. Jeffery said: I am really excited to be able to combine the telecommunications and technology capabilities with smart building and smart city strategies in such a forward thinking city like Vancouver. Uniserve is perfectly placed to bring these capabilities together to take advantage of the IOT revolution throughout BC and Alberta. From a solid base, Uniserve intends to complete the build out of a portfolio of products and services in the B2C and B2B markets and further invest in core data center infrastructure. I also see excellent opportunities for growth in the Enterprise IT solutions sector, and we intend to strengthen the existing team to support clients' data security, sovereignty, storage and hybrid cloud requirements. Combined with Uniserves Canadian-based customer service capabilities and existing network provisioning, Uniserve is primed for significant growth. ABOUT UNISERVE Uniserve Communications Corporation (TSX-V:USS) is a leader in the integration and delivery of voice and data services over multiple IP networks directly and through wholesale partnerships to businesses and retail consumers throughout western Canada. Uniserve currently has over 13,000 active business, residential and wholesale customers combined, providing over 45,000 active services. Uniserve offers a comprehensive portfolio of managed services ranging from storage, disaster recovery firewalls, application hosting and a redundant resilient network, all backed by 24/7 local technical support. Michael C. Scholz Chairman of the Board For more information please contact Mr. Mark Stanton at 604-395-3908 or email us at mark.stanton@uniserveteam.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Management has prepared this release and no regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. The statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements. Such statements are based on managements estimates, assumptions and projections using available information. Uniserve cautions that actual financial results could differ materially from the current expectations due to a number of factors. Police were called to Diego Maradona's hotel room in Madrid on Wednesday morning over an incident with his girlfriend Rocio Oliva, according to reports in Spain. The couple are staying at the Eurostars Suites Mirasierra in the Spanish capital and ABC report that Ms. Oliva, 26, called to the hotel's reception at 8.30am on Wednesday morning claiming that she was being attacked. Police arrived at the hotel, located in the north of Madrid, at which point she is said to have described the incident as a 'strong argument' with her 56-year-old fiancee. 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 Supreme Court (SC) yesterday ordered the consolidation of the three separate suits challenging the constitutionality of former President Dramani Mahama granting amnesty to the Montie 3 radio panelists Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase aka Mugabe. In the view of the seven-member panel of judges presided over by Justice Sophia Adinyira, the issues raised in the various cases are identical. She stated that all the cases filed by the various plaintiffs were seeking an interpretation of Article 72 of the 1992 Constitution, a reason the court finds it expedient to consolidate the cases. The judges stated that the parties should also file their agreed memorandum of issues. Asante Nana Asante Bediatuo, Elekplem Agbameva and Alfred Tuah Yeboah had filed the suit at the apex court challenging the rightfulness of ex-president Mahama to free the three paddies. The court further directed the parties to contact the Court Registrar for a date to be fixed for definite hearing. The SC directive came after all the lawyers for the Plaintiffs, had agreed with the court to consolidate the cases. On January 12, this year, Justice Yaw Appau, a sole judge who sat over the case, revealed that there were three different suits challenging the constitutionality of the former presidents decision. The court noted that the Plaintiffs in the matter had filed similar suits. The Attorney General (AG), represented by Grace Oppong, Principal State Attorney, entered appearance and the court gave the AG seven days to file its statement of case in response to the matter. Jail It may be recalled that the apex court in July 2016 jailed Salifu Maase aka Mugabe, host of Pampaso a political programme on an Accra-based radio station, Montie FM, and two other panelists who threatened the judges with death. They were sentenced to an imprisonment term of 4 months each for contempt of court. The five-member panel of judges presided over by Justice Sophia Akuffo, had also ordered Mugabe and the other contemnors Godwin Ako Gunn, 39 and Alistair Tairo Nelson 41, both National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists, to pay a GH10,000 fine each or in default serve another one month in jail. Mugabe had told his panelists to open fire on the justices by attacking them with threats of death in addition to allowing a certain Nash of Mataheko in Accra to marry Chief Justice Georgina Wood. Pressure Even before the trio could serve a month in jail, a desk to gather signatures intended to mount pressure on President Mahama to invoke the Pardon Clause in (Article 72) of the 1992 Constitution had been mounted at the premises of Radio Gold a sister station to Montie FM, by key figures of the NDC. President Mahama eventually succumbed to the pressure, some of which came from government appointees and ministers, to free the three contemnors, popularly called Montie 3. In the case of Nana Badiatuo, the Plaintiffs, amongst other reliefs, are seeking a declaration that the presidents action at the time was unconstitutional and also a further order to have the Montie 3 serve their sentences in full. 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 Center for Progressive Governance (CenProG) welcomes Parliament's decision to constitute an adhoc committee to investigate the attempted bribery of members of the Appointment's Committee by Hon Boakye Agyarko using the chairman of the committee as a conduit. We had earlier made a call that for the sake of the integrity of the Appointment's Committee of Parliament, Hon. Joe Osei Owusu should have recused himself as chairman until such time an investigation is conducted to ascertain the authenticity or otherwise of the claims. CenProG therefore welcomes Parliament's decision for a committee to ascertain the veracity of the allegations eventhough the Chairman of the Appointment's Committee refused to recuse himself. We are however not enthused that the Ad hoc committee chaired by Hon. Joe Ghartey have decided to call just four witnesses eventhough there are several key actors in this allegation. CenProG believes the composition of the witness list is seemingly biased against those making the allegations since three of them (Hon Joe Osei Owusu, Hon Muntaka Mubarak and Hon Boakye Agyarko) who are key actors and against whom the allegations have been made are on record to have claimed innocence. This therefore leaves only Hon. Mahama Ayariga as a lone voice on the witness list and this we believe is against the law of natural justice. At the very least, two other Members of Parliament namely Hon. Alhassan Suhuyini and Hon. Okudjetu Ablakwa have been vocal in their defense of the fact that there was indeed an attempted bribery in which they rejected and these two MPs jointly signed the petition with Hon. Mahama Ayariga presented to the Rt. Hon. Speaker for the composition of the adhoc committee. CenProG is of the firm belief that to ensure a balanced and fair hearing, the Hon. Joe Ghartey committee should invite the two other MPs as witnesses to aid the process. Having three witnesses from the side that is alleging and having same number from the side that is defending will purge the committee of bias, mindful of the burden placed on this adhoc committee as to restoration and/or upholding of the integrity of the Legislative arm of Government. Bearing in mind the terms of reference and the timeline for the conclusion of this probe, we believe that calling an extra two witness will in no way derail the process or unnecessarily prolong its sittings but rather help to come to the bottom of the matter. CenProG therefore calls on the Ad hoc committee to as a matter of urgency invite Hon. Alhassan Suhuyini and Hon. Okudjeto Ablakwa to ensure a fair hearing. God Bless our homeland Ghana and make it GREAT and STRONG. Signed Sawadogo Mahmoud Executive Secretary, CenProG 0504607005 Mallam Yahya Mohammed Executive Director, CenProG 0243728659 Source: Sawadogo Mahmoud - Executive Secretary, CenProG Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Akufo-Addos nominee for Western regional minister Dr. Kwaku Afriyie has lamented the state of development in the region despite its unparalleled natural resource potential. The Western region is blessed and cursed he said during his vetting before the Appointments Committee of Parliament Tuesday. Profiling the resource base of the region, Dr. Afriyie who is also a former minister for Lands and Natural Resources said 60 percent of Ghanas chief foreign exchange earner cocoa farming goes on in the region. Virtually 100 percent of rubber estates and 40 percent of palm oil plantations are also in the region along with the only bauxite mines at Ayaso, he said. The Western region holds a significant forest reserve in addition to deposits of manganese and has also overtaken the Ashanti region as the leading gold producing region in Ghana. The country latest natural resource discovery, oil was also found in the Western region. Ghana, per the regions Jubilee partners struck oil in commercial quantities in 2007 in the Western Region. But three years after this discovery, the chiefs in the region decried marginalisation in the development of the country and complained that the region has nothing to show for despite its resource contribution. In a move which the regional House of Chiefs described as act of desperation, the chiefs petitioned parliament for 10 percent of oil revenue to be dedicated to the region. Although the demand was later withdrawn, it re-surfaced barely six years later with a call for 20 percent allocation. Taking this account into consideration, the nominee said there is a general feeling in the region that it is among the neglected in the country. While he wont back the call of an allocation of oil revenue, he said there can be other ways of ensuring the region gets its fair share of the national cake. Our roads are the worse in this country, he said explaining that because the region has the highest rainfall in the country, roads deteriorate much faster than in others. He said governments have often used the heavy rains the region experiences as an excuse to explain away the poor state of roads. He said at the peak of the spread of HIV/AIDS, the prevalence rate recorded in the mining areas was one of the worst in the country. Touching on the disruptive effect of illegal mining in the region, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie said he would need 24 hours to give you a whole lecture on environment degradation. The Western regional minister-designate said the call for development to match the regions resource contributions is not a jingoistic demand. If government does not invest in Western Region, Ghana will forever remain poor he warned. Dr. Kwaku Afriyie who is also a cocoa farmer said although Western region uses 1.6 hectares of land for cocoa farming, Ivory Coast which uses the same land size, exported more than 1.7 million tonnes of cocoa. Ghana did about 700,000 tonnes. He found this disparity regrettable noting that Ghana has all that it takes to do two or three times more than it currently exports for cocoa if the right investments are made in the Western region. With the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government plan to establish a factory in each of Ghana, 216 districts, the regional minister-designate wants to suggest a cocoa waste processing factory in Sefwi area. He said as a regional minister he will work to influence policies that affect his region. I will not be a static minister he vowed to get involved in tackling the regions problems. Source: myjoyonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A lot happened during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus official visit to the United States. The handshake that launched a thousand memes, for one. Ivanka Trump staring thirstily at his boyish good looks (same, girl, same). Press Secretary Sean Spicer calling him Joe Trudeau, because at this point he just has to be taking the piss, right? Right? Plus, yknow, a commitment to co-operate on major global challenges, etc. But in all of that noise, we *almost* missed what may be incontrovertible proof that President Donald Trumps iconic shade of putrid orange is the result of makeup and *not* a tanning bed. A rogue gust of wind whipped back his perfectly coiffured hair to reveal *gasp* makeup lines? On his forehead? (h/t Huffington Post) Like Dorothy ripping back the curtain at the end of The Wizard of Oz to find, not a great and powerful wizard, but a man talking into a megaphone-like contraption, the gust of wind has broken the facade. THATS NOT HIS NATURAL SKIN COLOUR. WE BLOODY KNEW IT. Hilarious wind reveals the full extent of Trump make-up! pic.twitter.com/0Vrv39Sl8w Steve Clark (@steveclarkuk) February 13, 2017 This, of course, has literally nothing to do with his presidency. But its extremely funny all the same. Photo: Getty / Mandel Ngan. News broke this morning that Kim Jong-Uns half-brother, Kim Jong-Nam, died on his way to hospital after an incident at Kuala Lumpur Airport on Monday. While details were unconfirmed some reports stated that he fell ill and suddenly died, and others say an attack happened in the departure lounge more information is now arising about the incident. It turns out that Jong-Nam did fall ill he felt dizzy, and asked for help at a desk: He felt dizzy, so he asked for help at the counter of KLIA, said police official Fadzil Ahmat. However, South Korean television station Chosun is now reporting that SK government sources say he felt dizzy *because* he was attacked, by two female operatives in a departure lounge. They allegedly poisoned him with two needled darts, then fled in a taxi. The deceased felt like someone grabbed or held his face from behind, said Ahmat. A government source has given information to Reuters, saying that the US government believes North Korean agents performed the assassination. There has been a previous confirmation of an assassination attempt; a North Korean agent admitted during interrogation that hed been tasked with murdering Jong-Nam in 2010. Read more about this story here: pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and-culture/kim-jong-uns-brother-dead-in-malaysian-airport Well update you as more information arises. Source: TND. Photo: Yamaguchi Haruyoshi / Getty. The novelty of Harry Potter will never get old. As part of the generation who grew up alongside the release of the books, its only natural that we have transcended the age and stage where we are still praying that our acceptance letter to Hogwarts is on its way (although Im sure some people would contest me on that). Now, all we wish for is a real solid piss-up at the Hogs Head with our mates Harry, Hermione and Ron, and Draco too because he got really emotional and was always super cool. Well, if you live in Melbourne, that can kind of definitely become a reality for you. The reliable folks at Good Things are bringing the best of the wizarding worlds booze to South Yarra in the form of a popup bar. Not Butterbeer thats weak as (though it seems to get Hermione tanked). Were talking about the nice, clean stuff, Firewhisky, which is worth trying because we must learn, once and for all, whether it tastes any more like fire than regular whisky does. Polyjuice Potion will also be on offer as either an alcoholic a non-alcoholic option if youre keen for a sober night which, again, is recommended, because who doesnt want to physically resemble their more attractive friend for a few hours? You can buy pretty fancy custom Firewhisky glasses online for eight bucks before Friday, or grab em on the night for a cool tenner, which will be yours to keep for eternity. The event will also be replete with an HP themed photobooth. Its all very exciting and is happening this Friday at 7pm. You can suss out more of the details here. Photo: Harry Potter / Warner Bros. Say what you will about Pauline Hanson, but at least she can cook you up a serve of fish and chips thats more than can currently be said for MKRs self-described seafood king Josh and his partner in crime Amy, whose instant restaurant was so bad that people straight-up ran from the table to have a spew. Okay, so one person did that, and that person was Alyse, who is actually, literally the worst and would do just about anything if it meant more screen time Still though, vomiting is not a great look. Speaking of vomit, Channel 7 really outdid themselves when assembling the current instant restaurant bracket, which contains the most vibrant and diverse array of dickheads weve seen on My Kitchen Rules in some time. To recap, so far in the hall of shame, we have: 1. Albert and Dave, who seemed like quite nice guys, until they drastically low-balled Duncan and Courts perfectly good instant restaurant with a score of three out of ten, such was their thirst to remain in the competition. 2. Matt, who called Amy ugly in front of the whole table, and then blamed feminism when people got upset. 3. Man of the hour Josh, who condescendingly told Tully that he doesnt consider her much of a threat in the competition because I dont know. Because shes a girl? Because shes blonde? Fucked if I know, but Tullys out for blood, and at this point, I dont blame her. In some ways, theyre an exciting bunch, because terrible people make for great reality TV, but having said that, if the elimination twist is that Albert, Dave, Matt and Josh all end up going home, Id be fine with that. As of last night, though, Amy and Josh are at the bottom of the leader board, and are actually staring defeat in the face. You might say that the seafood-loving couple from W.A. are really floundering in the competition, that theyve gotten in too deep and are sunk; you might say that they are kraken under the pressure, that they are small fish in a big pond or that their cooking is a load of carp and is so bad that it could krill. AQUATIC WORDPLAY. Okay, Im done. Actually, wait you could say that these two kids are cray. Now Im done. Point is, their instant restaurant is bad. You know things are not going swimmingly on MKR when they start flashing up a countdown clock on the screen to show you how long its been between meals, and oh boy, do we get some hot clock action tonight. Once the teams are seated, they have to wait an eye-watering two-and-a-quarter hours before the entree of chorizo-stuffed squid hits the table. Now, Im not saying that MKR sets its aspiring chefs up for failure by putting them in rented kitchens full of faulty equipment, but wait, actually, thats exactly what Im saying. Josh has just the one shitty induction cooktop to work with tonight, and of course, his squid wont char properly, which puts him on the back foot and sets the theme for the whole night. While the couples wait for their entrees, the producers circle the table and encourage them to come up with freestyle raps about how hungry and impatient they are. Duncan, to his credit, seems utterly bloody mortified by this whole experience, and is clearly wondering what the hell he signed up for: Spaghetti spaghetti spaghetti spaghetti When the entree finally arrives, its a disappointment. Joshs chorizo is not chunky enough which has to be some kind of Freudian thing while the tomato sauce tastes like it came straight out of a can. Pete says that its not worthy of this competition, which, for a cooking show that literally just had a freestyle rap battle around the table, seems like a pretty damning critique. With a further two-and-a-half hour wait between entree and main, Josh and Amys beer-battered fish and shoestring fries would have to be one seriously bloody impressive dish to turn things around. Not surprisingly, it turns out to be the low point of the evening. The induction cooktop strikes again, and the oil is way too hot then way too cold, meaning that the first batch of fries is burned to a crisp and that the second is gluggy and disgusting. Not only does this fuck-up mean that they have to forego the beer batter on the fish, but the tartar sauce tastes too much like gherkin, so their solution is to add a big wallop of sour cream. Now look, Im no expert on fine dining I actually had a fistful of Maccas gravy fries and an expired pickle for breakfast this morning but even Im pretty confident thats terrible idea. You used to call me on my shell phone Soooo at this point, we need to talk about Alyse. Alyse is a fashion stylist from Brisbane, and I would encourage you to read that sentence again and try not to laugh (look, before you lot fucken start with me, Im from Brisbane too, so Im allowed to say that). Aside from the fact that she has the most spectacularly mean look on her face every time the camera cuts to her, Alyses defining trait is that she doesnt like seafood, as it tends to make her vomit. Now, knowing this, the producers of MKR wouldnt go ahead and chuck her into an instant restaurant bracket where literally everybody serves up some kind of fish, and theres a guy who actually calls himself the seafood king, right ? Right. So yeah. When the main of fish and chips comes out to the table, its a bit too much for Alyse to handle, and in the most dramatic moment of the evening, she runs off to the bathroom to have a vom. Whether or not shes faking and far be it from me to accuse anybody on MKR of playing the drama up for the cameras its a pretty damning critique. Josh actually apologises for the fish, and at this point, I kinda just feel bad for him. Dessert is some kind of pudding situation I dont even remember or care what it is and I cant be arsed re-watching the episode to find out, because Im done. Manu somewhat likes it, Pete doesnt it probably doesnt have enough bone broth and liver in it or some fucken thing. Anyway, Josh and Amy end up on the bottom of the leader board, with a score of 43 out of 110 its the worst in the current bracket, although still somehow better than when poor Bek and Ash bottomed out last week. The one salvageable thing from this whole mess is the below video of Joshs former modelling portfolio that Channel 7 somehow conveniently found and released yesterday. Enjoy responsibly: That leaves Josh and Amy and Albert and David on the bottom, with two teams left to cook in this bracket, although paper of record The Daily Mail says that MKR is about to be ROCKED BY ITS BIGGEST CHEATING SCANDAL EVER thanks to Matt and Alyse, so well have to wait and see how that one turns out. Its been four days since J.K. Rowling and Piers Morgan went tit-for-tat on Twitter after Rowling laughed about Morgan being told to fuck off on television, and THEYRE STILL FIGHTING. ICYM that particular beef, the long-and-short of it is that Morgan a notorious but highly paid and influential troll continued to insult Rowling on the basis of the Harry Potter books. I write about Hogwarts, Squibs and Muggles, so anyone who doesnt agree with my politics can F**K OFF! @jk_rowling Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 11, 2017 .@piersmorgan If only youd read Harry Potter, youd know the downside of sucking up to the biggest bully in school is getting burned alive. J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) February 11, 2017 Its a weird one. I mean, the worst thing you could say about the franchise is that it keeps going, I guess? Those books not only encouraged an entire generation to read, but they have literally been shown to make you a better human. The films revitalised the British film industry. HARRY POTTER IS NOT VOLDEMORT, OKAY? But uh, the very weird fight continued. A bitter exchange of tweets was had, and Morgan continued the beef long after Rowling had packed it in and gone to bed, tweeting into the screaming abyss that he was right, actually. And yet, it turns out Rowling couldnt let the feud die, either. For Valentines Day (which it still is in the U.K.), she tweeted a screenshot of an old article of Morgans in which he sung her praises yet pointedly failed to mention the author. Just been sent this! Could the writer let me know who he is? Id love to thank him! #Valentines pic.twitter.com/OQtbxPD6AL J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) February 14, 2017 And Morgan, seeing an opportunity to slam his opponent, retweeted her tweet and literally argued against his own article. Priceless #humblebrag BS. Nobody plays the celebrity game more abusively or ruthlessly than you, Ms Intensely Private Billionaire. https://t.co/5ysnfefa3d Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 14, 2017 The article in question is from 2010, so not all that surprising he didnt recognise his own words in the heat of the moment. (Source: am writer, cannot remember what stories I wrote yesterday.) But after rightly getting called out for his self-own, Morgan claimed that he knew all along, actually. Relax, quarter-wit, I knew what it was. Just surprised I put her as high as 97th. https://t.co/HCzx4Ius4E Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 14, 2017 Yeah righto, mate. Photo: Real Time with Bill Maher / YouTube; Getty. Whoever convinced Keira McGuire to go to South Africa and stick her head in a bucket of chilis for national television should just get their end-of-year bonus right bloody now. The Bachelor Australia villain has become the Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! intruder (and villain), which are about as far away from each other as its possible to be, while still sticking in the reality show format. On one, you dress up in nice clothes and swill champagne; in the other, you sleep on a camping bed and eat cockroaches. You fukken idiots. Hours after Keira intruded on the Im A Celeb camp, and she was demanding medical attention after sticking her head in a box of chillies and claiming she was dying. This is not okay, this is not okay, she wailed into a towel. I cant believe you did that to me. You dont even know how much its burning. She and AFL legend Dane Swan had taken part in the Grim Gallery Tucker Trial, in which they stick their heads into boxes of gross shit in order to win food for the camp. While Keira cracked it, Swan stood nearby, quietly ignoring the thousands of ant bites all over his face. Hosts Julia Morris and Chris Brown, along with medical staff, attempted to calm Keira down. Yeah, but you dont know how this feels right now, Keira snapped back. When Julia assured her that the challenge had been tested by a number of people and in fact they did know what it felt like, she retorted: But theyre not on national TV, like, dying. Im not even over exaggerating this situation. And then Keira dropped my personal favourite: Just like, no one needs to talk right now. I have a very strong pain threshold. That was so bad, worse than any treatment Ive ever had on my face and that is fucking painful. Like burning my face so bad and no one even cared. NO ONE EVEN CARED. After a few more sobs, she asked: Is this really what its going to be like the whole time? Pretty much, said Dane. Like that was really bad, she replied. I got a couple of stings too, he said. I got a few bites. *sips water* The challenge was a success Keira and Dane collected 10 out of 12 stars, which meant the camp got extra food. A win! But you know who was really happy? The folks at home, ragging on them (her). Oh Keira. Isnt this what u signed up for??? The trials are EVIL. Keiras reaction is what we all do, inside #keiracracks #imacelebrityau Chrissie Swan (@ChrissieSwan) February 15, 2017 I guess Botox and chilli dont go well together #KeiraCracks Cosmerc (@rosacantstandya) February 15, 2017 Keira loses it and zero f*cks were given by Julia, Chris and Dane #ClassicMelt #KeiraCracks Kraken (@GoTheKraken) February 15, 2017 Watch the meltdown below: We threw everything at Keira but she pushed through to help grab a handy 10 stars for camp ?? #ImACelebrityAU #KeiraCracks pic.twitter.com/5KHno86zPZ #ImACelebrityAU (@ImACelebrityAU) February 15, 2017 Photo: Channel 10. WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. (OTCPX:NECB), today announced that its annual meeting of stockholders will be held at the Marriott Westchester Hotel, 670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, New York on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for NorthEast Community Bank. NorthEast Community Bank is a New York State chartered savings bank that operates four full-service branches in New York and four full-service branches in Massachusetts and loan production offices in White Plains, New York, New City, New York and Danvers, Massachusetts. Happy Yeezy Season 5 day, Ye stans! Kanye West presented his Yeezy Season 5 collection at New York Fashion Week this morning, and well be honest: he hasnt made it easy for us media folk in the slightest. Firstly there was a strict no phones, no photos, and no social media ban at the show. So, theres very few photos and videos of the actual show itself, and the people who have uploaded stuff were doing it on the sly, so the vids have a very tops of guests heads with blurry models far in the distance kinda vibe. Secondly, Ye legitimately kicked all the credentialed press outta the theatre moments before the presentation was set to begin. So, trying to find a clear image of the show at all through legit sources is damn near impossible. THAT BEING SAID: what we can see from the show is really, really, really fucking good. Were seeing mainly denim and heavy materials, and not-so-subtle inspiration from a globally diverse array of military uniforms. Straight lines, clean cuts; colour is bold and jewel tones, otherwise the collection relies on blacks and dark neutral shades. Motifs read Calabasas where Kanye and Kim Kardashian live in Los Angeles and Lost Hills, which is the text that was printed on his show invites this year (a sweater). Oh, and new Yeezy sneakers, o course. The collection a far cry from the body suits and nude shades of previous shows, for real. Heres what we can see: #YEEZYSEASON5 has started and is being live streamed by Kanyes friends on Instagram. chicagodonc heronpreston godsmessenger pic.twitter.com/fw2mdJcBRK TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) February 15, 2017 And thats a wrap. #yeezyseason5 show over in 13 minutes; Projections followed by IRL runway looks. #NoDrama pic.twitter.com/ZH3WcdMhg2 @Booth (@Booth) February 15, 2017 Its a #yeezyseasn5 fashion video full of LA map points: Calabasas, Lost Hills, more and damn cool sneakers #NYFW pic.twitter.com/3YFzGCcFlp @Booth (@Booth) February 15, 2017 Streetstyle de Luxe @yeezy #nyfw17 #ellegermany #kathrinseidel A post shared by ELLE Germany (@ellegermany) on Feb 15, 2017 at 12:39pm PST According to guests, there was spa music playing before the show, which invited an atmosphere of relaxation and rest. The track that played on repeat during the show was The-Dreams demo version of J. Holidays Bed (which Ye co-wrote). It had been rumoured that the Drake x Kanye collaboration music, or tracks from alleged new album TURBO GRAFX 16 would be debuted at Yeezy Season 5 (he debuted The Life of Pablo at his Season 3 show last year), but were sad to report that there was no new Ye music debuted at the show. The began with 360 projections on the curtains of the theatre, showing models dressed in outfits spinning around. Kanyes new shoes at Yeezy Season 5. (Via @highsnobiety) pic.twitter.com/owDiLbVcvj Only Hip Hop Facts (@OnlyHipHopFacts) February 15, 2017 Its being reported that models who walked in the runway presentation included Amina Blue, Playboi Carti, Luka Sabat, and more. Muslim model and Carine Roitfeld-favourite Halima Aden, who wears a hijab, also walked: HYPEBEAST seemed to have the only livestream from the show, which ran for 13 minutes: Kanye reportedly didnt come out at the end of the show, but Kim Kardashian posted this photo (along with other pics of the show) to her Snapchat story post-show: We will update this story as soon as we get our grubby mitts on clearer pix. Thank god for Yeezy Source: Twitter. Photo: Pierre Suu / Getty. US Vogue decided to make their current issue of the magazine The Diversity Issue, citing that they wanted to embrace women of all races, sizes, genders and sexualities. Unfortunately for them, they decided to make some pretty crucial errors: one of which being photoshopping Gigi Hadids hand on the cover to make plus-size (but not really) model Ashley Graham look slimmer. Another massively crucial error was posting an editorial in which supermodel Karlie Kloss impersonated a geisha. UH HUH. IN THE DIVERSITY ISSUE. Shes dressed in traditional hair and makeup. In one image, she stands in front of a traditional tea house wearing a kimono, and in another, is standing next to a sumo wrestler. You can see some of the images below, and the rest are still available to see on the blog Angry Asian Man: The backlash was swift: SHE DID YELLOW FACE IN THE DIVERSITY ISSUE ?????? https://t.co/E5J1isp4GF Ainee Athar (@AineeWrites) February 14, 2017 This is why Vogue is cancelled. Their idea of edgy is hiring white people to imitate other races instead of just hiring diverse models. https://t.co/29lUkHfjLn The Glossier (@theglossier) February 14, 2017 Apparently nobody sent the yellow face is in fact racism memo to Vogue. https://t.co/mPK8mDoNYu Amelia Brahan (@frglmasculinity) February 14, 2017 Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, and Tilda Swinton turn to Karlie Kloss. Your turn, girl. Karlie on phone: Hello, Vogue? Make me Asian. pic.twitter.com/zgUWIB022Q Ira Madison III (@ira) February 14, 2017 Vogue could haveTao Okamoto for their Japan spread. But no. The leggy blonde chick Karlie Kloss surely makes more sense. ???????? #yellowface pic.twitter.com/QnEmzXzsWd Trust No1 (@DieQualDerWahl) February 15, 2017 Overnight, it appears as thought Vogue has pulled the editorial from online editions and their website, and Karlie Kloss has issued a sincere apology: These images appropriate a culture that is not my own, and I am truly sorry for participating in a shoot that was not culturally sensitive. My goal is, and will always be, to empower and inspire women. I will ensure my future shoots and projects reflect that mission. Look, its a decent apology. No bollocks fauxpology rubbish like oh, sorry if I offended anyone; she owned up to what she did, acknowledged it was a mistake and why, and said her future shoots wont be culturally appropriative. So, while its entirely goddamn ridiculous that this kind of thing continues to happen (like, how has a magazine as big as Vogue not been educated on cultural appropriation in 2017? Honestly, its dumbfounding.) it does appear that Kloss has learned from the grievous error (we hope). Theres nothing of the same ilk promised from Vogue, but well soon see. The Diversity Issue, my butt. Source: Twitter / @karliekloss. Photos: Vogue. Wrapping your penile device in a protective sheath before inserting it in uncharted orifices is a good idea. respect le dinger If you practice safe sex, you go Glen Coco. The spread of STIs is a real problem (especially among under 25s), and by wrapping your bepis, youre protecting the community at large. One thing you might not have considered while rolling a rubber down your rude bit, though, is whether or not your condom is vegan. Australia is the third-fastest growing vegan market in the world, after the United Arab Emirates and China; we take veganism pretty seriously. But Id hazard a guess a fair few vegans are unaware that their condoms arent. The majority of condoms and lubricants on the market contain animal products. The latex variety of condoms are the biggest offenders with most containing casein the main protein present in milk and cheese bringing the fabled cheesy dick to very real life. But dont get too excited, folks. This isnt an excuse to forgo the condoms entirely. Vegan condoms exist. tfw u realise u can smang safely and not hurt the animals Former Cleo Bachelor of the Year finalist Dustin Leonard has created a line of plant-based, vegan-friendly jimmy hats and lubes. Theyre called HERO, and for good reason. For every product sold, the brand donates products to help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS in Botswana. A post shared by HERO (@herocondoms) on Oct 28, 2016 at 8:34pm PDT The rubbers contain no animal products (or byproducts), and havent been tested on animals. Yep, for real, some brands actually do test on animals. Because condoms are a medical device government organisations often require stringent testing and some companies test on animals to acquire the relevant certification, Leonard told The Huffington Post Australia. The lubricant consists of aloe vera thats pH balanced, petrochemical and paraben-free, making it a good alternative for sensitive skinned folk. While HERO arent the first vegan condoms to hit the market (this is a fairly exhaustive list), its a bloody brilliant social enterprise and one to get behind. Source: The Huffington Post Australia. Photo: Kris Connor / Getty. HOUSTON, Feb. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Franks International N.V. (NYSE:FI) (Franks or the Company) today announced that Jeffrey Bird, Franks Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer will leave the Company on March 1, 2017 for a position with another company. The Companys Board of Supervisory Directors has named Kyle McClure, the Companys Senior Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, as Interim Chief Financial Officer. The Company commented that Mr. Birds departure was not related to any disagreement with the Company or any matters relating to its operations, policies or practices. Douglas Stephens, Franks President and Chief Executive Officer commented, We thank Jeff for his extensive contributions to bringing increased financial discipline and cost management to our Company, and building a strong financial team. We wish Jeff well in the next step in his career. We have built a strong team of financial talent at Franks and I know Kyle will lead this financial organization to seamlessly continue to deliver the excellent performance we have come to expect. About Franks International Franks International N.V. is a global oil services company that provides a broad and comprehensive range of highly engineered tubular running services, tubular fabrication, and specialty well construction and well intervention solutions with a focus on complex and technically demanding wells. Founded in 1938, Franks has approximately 3,000 employees and provides services to leading exploration and production companies in both onshore and offshore environments in over 60 countries on six continents The Companys common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol FI. Additional information is available on the Companys website, www.franksinternational.com. Police in western Pennsylvania are actively looking for an armed suspect in a road rage incident in which shots were fired at the other vehicle, driven by a grandmother. As WPXI and KDKA in Pittsburgh report, the incident happened Saturday evening along Route 51 in Westmoreland County. The woman, who did not want her named released and is described only as a grandmother by media, told police the incident escalated from the suspect vehicle flashing high beams to pass her to the suspect then slamming on the brakes in front of her after having passed. From WPXI: "He was in a hurry. I don't know if he had a bad night or what happened," the woman told the news station in a video interview in which her identity was concealed. "He went around me and cut me off, did a check brake. I put my high beams on, like, 'Hey buddy, you almost hit me,'" the woman continued. 5 shocking sex cases that has DA saying, 'I do worry' The incident appeared to be over. But the suspect, in a white Buick sedan, pulled over and the woman saw him raising a hand that appeared to clutch a brick: "I thought, 'Oh no. He's going to hit my car,'" the woman told WPXI. As the woman passed by, the passenger window shattered. Initially, the woman said she thought the suspect had thrown a brick. Then, she found the bullet hole in her passenger door, just below the window. "If the bullet would have just been a few inches higher, it could very easily have struck our victim," Rostraver, Pa., Police Chief Greg Resetar told KDKA. Badly shaken by the incident, the woman told WPXI she required medical treatment: "I was really scared, upset. I had an anxiety attack. They had to take me by ambulance to the hospital," she told WPXI. The suspect is described as a white male with a tall build and dark hair. The investigation and search for the suspect continues. Pa. girl, 10, dies of the flu, raising questions - more Daily Buzz Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne takes part in the meeting of First Ministers in Ottawa on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. Wynne will visit the United States next month and head up a new committee on Ontario-U.S. economic and trade relations, as the province braces for protectionism south of the border. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick A memorial is seen set up in a neighborhood where near where Nashville Officer Josh Lippert on Friday shot Jocques Scott Clemmons in a Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. Clemmons died at the hospital Friday. Newly obtained surveillance video has caused Nashville police to revise their account of a traffic stop on Friday that ended with the white officer shooting and killing an armed African-American man. (AP Photo/Jonathan Mattise) In this image made from a video taken on Dec. 10, 2015 and made available on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, US President Donald Trump's former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, right, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow. Flynn, who resigned following reports that he misled White House officials about his contacts with Russia, was seen attending the 10th anniversary of the Russian television network RT in 2015 where Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech. A US official has told The Associated Press that Flynn was in frequent contact with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on the day the Obama administration imposed sanctions on Russia after US intelligence reported that Russia had interfered with the US elections. (Ruptly via AP) Doctor treats an injured security officer at a hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. A Taliban suicide bombing targeted the administrative headquarters of a tribal region in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing scores of policemen and two passers-by, according to officials. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad) Harbor Springs women reflect on Ukraine war after time with refugees Julie Bacon and Sujo Offield of Harbor Springs went to Poland in March to help refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Saudi Arabia is turning to wind and solar power OPEC's top producer investing in solar and wind will reduce need to use oil in power plants DUBAI Petroleumworld.com 02 15 2017 The nation most identified with its massive oil reserves is turning to wind and solar to generate power at home and help extend the life of its crucial crude franchise. Starting this year, Saudi Arabia plans to develop almost 10 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2023, starting with wind and solar plants in its vast northwestern desert. The effort could replace the equivalent of 80,000 barrels of oil a day now burned for power. Add in natural gas projects set to start later this decade, and the Saudis could quadruple that number, according to consultant Wood MacKenzie Ltd. That could supplant all the crude burned in the kingdom during its winter months. The effort goes hand-in-hand with a drive by the royal family to broaden the economy following two years of budget deficits tied to low oil prices. More industry, though, means more energy, with the amount of power used at peak times growing by 10 percent in the last year alone. Renewable energy is not a luxury anymore, said Mario Maratheftis, chief economist at Standard Chartered Plc. , in an interview. "If domestic use continues like this, eventually the Saudis won't have spare oil to export.'' In all, Saudi Arabia is seeking $30 billion to $50 billion worth of investment in renewables, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said this month. The ministry will set up a division to handle the tenders until the country establishes a new independent buyer for all power supplies. The terms on renewable contracts will be motivating so that the cost of generating power from these renewable sources will be the lowest in the world, Al-Falih said at a news conference in Riyadh. The kingdom will award its first tenders to build 700 megawatts of solar and wind energy in September, Al-Falih said. Energy Pricing The government has already raised domestic energy prices to slow demand growth and called for greater efficiency, according to the Riyadh-based King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center. Failing to tap more sources, including renewable energy, natural gas or even nuclear reactors could erode the oil exports still vital to the economy, the center wrote in an October report. Improving the country's energy efficiency by just 4 percent a year could save the equivalent of 1 million barrels a day of crude by 2030, according to the report. The cornerstone of an economic transformation plan championed by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a son of the king, is the sale of as much as 5 percent of Saudi Arabian Oil Co. With the company worth about $2 trillion , according to estimates from the prince, the share sale would be the worlds' largest initial public offering. The kingdom, OPEC's biggest member, is the linchpin of the group's effort to prop up crude prices by cutting output to reduce a global supply glut. Saudi Arabia said it pared production by 717,600 barrels a day last month, its biggest cut in more than eight years, to 9.748 million a day, according to a monthly report from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The cut was significantly larger than what the country pledged -- 486,000 barrels a day -- under the agreement OPEC reached in November. Aramco Plants Saudi Aramco, as the state energy producer is known, already earns most of the Persian Gulf kingdom's income by pumping 1 in every 10 barrels sold every day. It's also driving the country's first steps toward a renewable energy industry. At its sprawling campus of office buildings, control rooms and suburban-style residential compounds in Dhahran in the country's east, Saudi Aramco runs the country's biggest solar plant, a 10 megawatt facility mounted on a parking lot roof. In January, it started the kingdom's first commercial wind turbine to power a facility in the northwest. The solar panels atop the parking facility cut the need for the equivalent of about 30,000 barrels of oil and the wind turbines will eliminate demand for about 19,000 barrels, according to Aramco. As the kingdom strives to build industries and spread jobs, other state companies are expanding projects. The Saudi Arabian Mining Co. operates a phosphate plant and is building a new industrial city in the northwest. Power for sections of the vast area where those projects are located will partly come from renewables and new gas projects. Small projects are very important in helping diversify the country's energy sources, Stewart Williams, Wood Mackenzie's vice president for Middle East research said in a telephone interview. These are steps toward building up the country's energy base. Without alternative power sources, including gas and renewables, the kingdom would be forced to increase its crude burn. That can reach as high as 900,000 barrels a day during the kingdom's summer months, according to data from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative. Saudi Arabia has already taken steps to substitute natural gas for oil in power plants, a change that's had immense impact on the crude burn, OPEC said in its Monthly Oil Market Report released in January. The use of crude for domestic power has fallen by nearly a third since the Wasit gas plant began operations in March 2016, according to the OPEC report. 300,000 Barrels Saudi Aramco will bring online the similar-sized Fadhili gas project in the country's east by the end of the decade. That gas project and the renewable projects planned for completion by 2023 could save about 300,000 barrels of oil from being burnt for power, according to estimates based on IEA and OPEC data. Alternative energies are a key factor in the economic transformation,'' Fabio Scacciavillani, chief economist of the Oman Investment Fund , said in an interview. This region has a great competitive advantage in low-cost energy production and that will continue with renewables. That will create a big advantage particularly in energy intensive industries.'' 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 James Abram, president and founder of Pointman Soldiers Heart Ministry, left, speaks of his frustration with the city of Philadelphia. Read more Vietnam veteran Ari Merretazon was on a mission last week when he went to City Hall: Find the gravesites of his war buddies Carl Brabham, Tyrone Green, and Bobby Williams. At a first-floor office called the Veterans Advisory Commission, he was directed to a table covered by dusty shoeboxes crammed with scores of burial records dating back decades. Some of the faded index cards were alphabetized, some were not. Some were organized by year, others were in a jumble. No luck. Then he asked Scott Brown, the office's director, to look up the three fallen friends on a computer. Each search ended with Brown shaking his head and quietly announcing he'd found nothing. It's not the first time Merretazon has looked in vain for the resting place of Williams, a soldier he served with in 1967 and 1968. "I couldn't even find his gravesite to pay homage to him," Merretazon said. "My heart is broken. This guy saved my life on several occasions, as I did his." According to state law, each of Pennsylvania's 67 counties is required to account for the burial places of veterans it's called the Veterans' Grave Registration Record. The records are public and open to inspection during business hours, according to the law. Officials from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties said they maintain such public records as the law requires. The city has made strides to serve its veterans, says Jane Roh, spokeswoman for City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, whose office oversees and funds the advisory commission. When Clarke became Council president, he moved the commission to a first-floor office, and has increased its personnel and funding. Before 2012 it had a single staffer. But compliance with the records law remains a work in progress. "Dirty, raggedy boxes with cards in them, all scattered," Merretazon said, shaking his head in disgust after leaving Brown's office. "It's embarrassing to the city, it's totally disrespectful to the veterans who served this country." Brown, who has held his job since 2014, referred Merretazon and a reporter to Roh for comment. "If the records are incomplete, that happens. It is government," she said. But it's not supposed to happen, and it's not happening in neighboring counties. "I deserve this, my brothers deserve this," said Lawrence Davidson, Chester County director of veterans affairs. "I think it's a big deal." "We just want to have accountability of where these folks are," said Sean Halbom, director of veterans affairs for Montgomery County, which, like Chester County, is computerizing its burial records. A statement from Clarke's office said that he was aware of the grave registry backlog and had directed the commission to make complete recordkeeping a priority. "Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for city employees to discover misfiled or misplaced records of all kinds in offices throughout City Hall," the statement read, adding that the commission had enlisted the help of volunteer veterans and Project HOME. "Council President Clarke is deeply sympathetic to those who are personally affected by the city's incomplete record-keeping, and is committed to doing better by those who have served our country." For Merretazon, the spotty records speak to a lack of respect. He is 69, a leader of the Pointman Soldiers Heart Ministry, a religious-based veterans group. The Wyncote resident was born Haywood T. Kirkland in South Carolina and raised in Washington. He moved here in 1997. His experiences in the military and afterward partly inspired the 1995 movie Dead Presidents, about a group of black Vietnam veterans who steal worn-out federal currency from a mail truck. At Virginia's Lorton correctional facility, where he served 5 years for armed robbery and kidnapping, he became a leader of fellow inmates. Ultimately he would testify before Congress on the plight of incarcerated Vietnam vets and meet with former President Jimmy Carter. He and another member from his veterans group are suing City Council over the records and contending that the advisory commission falls short of a full-blown Office of Veterans Affairs, which state law requires each county to have. Merretazon had previously applied to lead veterans services for the city. The city says the suit is without merit. Joseph Butera, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said Philadelphia's Veterans Advisory Commission qualifies as a state-mandated department of veterans affairs. The Pointmen group, most of them Vietnam vets, seethe and tear up when speaking about their struggles with the city. They complained in an interview that the Veterans Advisory Commission is not effective in helping them get benefits from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. "We got families, we work, we've retired from jobs and done things for this country, and for Philadelphia to sit on their [behinds] like we don't exist...," said Vietnam veteran Reginald Strange, 71. "I'm almost ashamed to be a citizen here." Charles Levere Sr., 70, who served in the Army's 25th Infantry Division during the Vietnam War, said: "I remember when I first applied for my benefits. They told me I was dead. I got a letter: 'Fill out the death certificate and send it in and we'll see if he's entitled to benefits.' Damn!" Fellow Vietnam veteran Dwight James said that just two years ago, he started getting correspondence from the VA informing him that he did not serve in the Air Force. "I got back letters that I never existed. I said, this is unreal. This is when I came upon Mr. Abram," he said, referring to Pointman Soldiers president James Abram, 71, who served in Vietnam in 1966-67 but endured nearly 30 years trying to convince the VA that he served in combat. "Look, bro, I came home from Vietnam with a rash over my whole body and with a 10 percent profile disability. But yet, I wasn't in Vietnam," Abram said incredulously. Merretazon said these examples of shoddy VA service are evidence that the city's veterans office is not doing its job. Added James: "There are a lot of veterans who need help and we have been denied for so long. The city should be a liaison between the VA and the soldiers, but they are not. That's why so many veterans are dying. My brother was a veteran he's dead. My good friends are veterans they're dead. They never were served by the VA. Why is it that we served our country, protected our country, but come back here and fight the real war?" Goodbye Analog TV TV stations in the Philippines are projected to switch off analog broadcasts in 2023. This is the DICTs target year for the complete adoption of digital TV in the country. Secretary Rodolfo Salima of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) unveiled the governments Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting (DTTB) Migration Plan during the Digital TV Summit 2017 held on February 14-15. Hindrances The DTTB Migration Plan outlines the steps of transitioning from analog TV to digital TV technology. While ABS-CBN, GMA and TV5 have already switched-on their digital TV broadcasts, smaller stations are having a hard time since it takes around 50 million to acquire digital TV broadcasting equipment. Tele-viewers also have to invest in digital TV set-up boxes or buy a new TV compatible with ISDB-T digital TV technology. ABS-CBNs TV Plus and more recently, the Starcube are some low-cost solutions available for consumers. Emergency Warning Broadcast System Another advantage that the DICT pointed out with digital TV is the Emergency Warning Broadcast System (EWBS). This is the same as the disaster warning system used by Japan. When a disaster such as a typhoon is about to hit the Philippines, the government can automatically switch on digital TVs that are in standby mode. Warnings and instructions to safety can then be displayed. Senior Deputy and Field Training Officer Terry Faughtenbery (Photo: Harris County Sheriff) A Harris County (TX) Sheriff's Office deputy was found dead in his patrol vehicle in Crosby late Monday, reports KIAH. Senior Deputy and Field Training Officer Terry Faughtenbery, 51, was found unresponsive in the driver's seat of his patrol car in the parking lot of a gas station in the 6000 block of Highway 90. The engine was running and the doors were locked. A gas station employee and a customer tried to make contact with the deputy, but he did not respond. Emergency crews were called to the scene and tried to revive Faughtenbery, but he was pronounced dead. Fellow deputies formed a procession and escorted Faughtenbery's body to the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office. Faughtenbery is survived by his father and sister. He is preceded in death by his twin brother, Jerry Faughtenbery , who was also a Harris County Sheriff's deputy. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Officials inside the Trump campaign had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the run up to the 2016 president election, according to a damning new report in the New York Times. The Times reports that phone records and intercepts between Trumps campaign and Moscow alarmed American intelligence and law enforcement agencies because of how frequent the two parties were communicating, especially during a time in which then-GOP nominee Trump was repeatedly praising Putin. More from the troubling report: Phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald J. Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election, according to four current and former American officials. American law enforcement and intelligence agencies intercepted the communications around the same time that they were discovering evidence that Russia was trying to disrupt the presidential election by hacking into the Democratic National Committee, three of the officials said. The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election. But the intercepts alarmed American intelligence and law enforcement agencies, in part because of the amount of contact that was occurring while Mr. Trump was speaking glowingly about the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. At one point last summer, Mr. Trump said at a campaign event that he hoped Russian intelligence services had stolen Hillary Clintons emails and would make them public. Now that its been established that the Trump campaign beyond Michael Flynn had open communications with the Russian government at a time when Moscow was hacking the U.S. election, Id say an investigation is an order, wouldnt you? Its bad enough that the Trump team made repeated contacts with the Russian government while they were waging a cyberattack on our electoral process; its equally troubling that the FBI was sitting on this evidence in the midst of a presidential campaign. All of this information warrants an immediate and thorough investigation from an independent commission to answer the one remaining and most important question: Was Trump or his campaign in any way working together to tip the election in his favor? If the answer to that question follows the same troubling pattern thats been unfolding throughout the first three weeks of this new administration, the Trump presidency may be even shorter than we expected. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Dan Rather pulled no punches on Tuesday, slamming the Trump administrations credibility after Michael Flynn resigned in disgrace following revelations that he lied about his connections to Russia. In a Facebook post, Rather said the spigot of lies coming from the administration about its ties to Russia warrants an independent investigation. We deserve answers, Rather said. Those who are complicit in this scandal need to feel the full force of justice. The full post: Watergate is the biggest political scandal of my lifetime, until maybe now. It was the closest we came to a debilitating Constitutional crisis, until maybe now. On a 10 scale of armageddon for our form of government, I would put Watergate at a 9. This Russia scandal is currently somewhere around a 5 or 6, in my opinion, but it is cascading in intensity seemingly by the hour. And we may look back and see, in the end, that it is at least as big as Watergate. It may become the measure by which all future scandals are judged. It has all the necessary ingredients, and that is chilling. When we look back at Watergate, we remember the end of the Nixon Presidency. It came with an avalanche, but for most of the time my fellow reporters and I were chasing down the story as it rumbled along with a low-grade intensity. We never were quite sure how much we would find out about what really happened. In the end, the truth emerged into the light, and President Nixon descended into infamy. This Russia story started out with an avalanche and where we go from here no one really knows. Each piece of news demands new questions. We are still less than a month into the Trump Presidency, and many are asking that question made famous by Tennessee Senator Howard Baker those many years ago: What did the President know, and when did he know it? New reporting suggests that Mr. Trump knew for weeks. We can all remember the General Michael Flynns speech from the Republican National Convention Lock her up! in regards to Hillary Clinton. If Hillary Clinton had done one tenth of what Mr. Flynn had done, she likely would be in jail. And it isnt just Mr. Flynn, how far does this go? The White House has no credibility on this issue. Their spigot of lies cant we finally all agree to call them lies long ago lost them any semblance of credibility. I would also extend that to the Republican Congress, who has excused away the Trump Administrations assertions for far too long. We need an independent investigation. Damn the lies, full throttle forward on the truth. If a scriptwriter had approached Hollywood with what we are witnessing, he or she would probably have been told it was way too far-fetched for even a summer blockbuster. But this is not fiction. It is real and it is serious. Deadly serious. We deserve answers and those who are complicit in this scandal need to feel the full force of justice. While the Trump administration is trying to convince the American people that this was an isolated incident involving one man, Flynn, the questions surrounding Trumps ties to Moscow have been going on for months whether its the presidents foreign business entanglements, his public statements praising Vladimir Putin, or the fact that those around him seem to share his soft stance toward Moscow. The latest revelation that Trump knew about Flynns actions for weeks and publicly lied about it sets off even more alarms. As the New Yorker reported Monday: As recently as last Friday, speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump claimed not to have seen the reports that Flynn brought up sanctions in his conversations with [Russian Ambassador] Kislyak. We now know, however, that F.B.I. agents interviewed Flynn in late January, and that the Justice Department then warned the White House that Flynns accounts of his phone calls were misleading and could potentially open him up to blackmail by the Russians. The fact that Trump sat on this information and didnt do anything about it then only decided to act after it garnered enough media attention raises a whole separate layer of questions. And all of them, from top to bottom, need to be examined in a thorough and independent inquiry. As Rather said, Each piece of news demands new questions. Unfortunately, we now have a Republican Party who is largely willing to let the new president slide on this issue. Earlier in the day, in fact, GOP Sen. Rand Paul said the Trump administration shouldnt be investigated because its not useful for Republicans to investigate Republicans. But if there was ever a moment or an administration that demanded a thorough investigation, its this one. The White House has shown they will lie about anything and everything, big or small, even when there is photographic evidence disproving one of their claims. There should be no more giving the administration the benefit of the doubt when they have proven time and again that they are not to be trusted. Its time for Democrats, Republicans, and those in the media to follow Dan Rathers lead and put the country ahead of partisan politics. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print When it comes to whether the Trump administration has questionable ties to Russia, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul admitted Tuesday that hes not interested in finding out even as the controversy surrounding Michael Flynn continues to boil over. Why? Because its not useful for Republicans to investigate other Republicans. The Kentucky senator made the comments in a Fox News radio interview when he was asked about Sen. John McCains recent calls for an investigation into the Trump administrations ties to Moscow. His remarks: I think that might be excessive. I think it looks like the President has handled the situation and unless theres some kind of other evidence of malfeasance, this sounds like something that was internal White House politics and it looks like the Presidents handled it. I just dont think its useful to be doing investigation after investigation, particularly of your own party. Well never even get started with doing the things we need to do like repealing Obamacare if were spending our whole time having Republicans investigate Republicans. I think it makes no sense. Besides the fact that Paul essentially admitted that only Democrats should be subject to investigations, there are three things particularly troubling about his comments: 1. He thinks the President has handled the situation. First and foremost, Trump has known for weeks that Michael Flynn was lying about his interactions with Russia. If Pauls definition of handling a situation is to force Flynn to resign only after the story gets widespread media attention then, certainly, Trump has handled the situation. 2. He doesnt think its useful to be doing investigation after investigation. Really? Where was the Kentucky senator when Republicans in Congress were wasting taxpayer dollars doing investigation after investigation into the non-scandal surrounding Hillary Clinton and Benghazi? How about her emails? Now, after a legitimate scandal surfaces and prompts bipartisan outrage, hes grown tired of investigating things. 3. Investigating the Trump administrations ties to Russia is distracting the GOP from repealing Obamacare. Instead of being concerned that an incoming administration was working with a foreign state and undermining American national security prior to even taking office, Sen. Paul is concerned that this whole mess will distract Congress from taking health insurance away from more than 20 million Americans. For a Senator that has, at times, shown himself to be a refreshing and independent voice within the Republican Party, his comments on Tuesday were shameful. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print As any crisis worsens, Trumps desperation leads him to say foolish things, like blaming his problems this morning on Hillary Clinton, or now, President Barack Obama. Trump tweeted this morning that Obama was too soft on Russia: Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 The blatant dishonesty displayed here is appalling. Almost as appalling as his attempt at obfuscation of his own administrations crimes. Whatever Sean Spicer might claim, Donald Trump is not tough on Russia. It is Donald Trump, not Barack Obama, who is soft on Russia, as Sen. Chris Murphy explained today on MSNBC. Trump compounded his morning twitter madness by adding that, The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 This is what Jason Chaffetz and other congressional Republicans are also claiming. Somehow, Trumps ties to Russia will take care of themselves while leaks will not. As Paul Krugman said yesterday, Treason in the defense of tax cuts is no vice for Republicans. Obviously, whatever a desperate Donald Trump wants you to believe, the real scandal is Michael Flynns contact with Putin, Donald Trumps ties to Putin, and how much did Trump know and when did he know it? That is the scandal. Trump, through Sean Spicer yesterday, would have the American people believe that the real crime is not a crime at all, but that people talking about the crime is somehow the crime instead. As Chris Hayes said, Occasional reminder that this is all *insane* Winter is giving way to spring. Let it be a spring of hope and not a prelude to our last summer of freedom as a people. MakerBot, a Brooklyn-based 3D printing company that specializes in desktop 3D printers, announced Wednesday that it is laying off about 30 percent of its staff. The news comes less than a year after the company outsourced its manufacturing jobs to China and laid off the majority of its factory workers from its Sunset Park Industry City headquarters. The struggling startup saw its valuation dip by $100 million in 2015, as the desktop 3D-printer concept struggled to catch on. Last year's layoffs sucked the air out a triumphant 2015 ribbon cutting in Sunset Park, where MakerBot postured as a key tenant on a campus benefiting from millions of dollars in city investment. "The singlemost thing that we are very proud of is that it's happening in Brooklyn," then-CEO Jonathan Jaglom said at the time. MakerBot also laid off 20 percent of its workforce in April 2015, a few months before the ribbon cutting, and another 20 percent that October. MakerBot had about 500 employees as of October 2014, suggesting that the first two rounds of layoffs hit about 200 workers. A spokesman for MakerBot confirmed that the layoffs are starting today "across the board," but declined to comment on the exact number, or what departments workers are being cut from. He also would not confirm if layoffs are taking place in Industry City, where the company maintains a downsize production operation, and/or MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn. He added that the company has an "international presence." MakerBot was purchased by Stratasys, an international 3D-printing company based in Minnesota, for $403 million in 2013. "The leadership team and I have been working on a new organizational structure, and as part of this new plan we will reduce staff at MakerBot by 30%," said CEO Nadav Goshen in a statement Wednesday. He added that the company will focus on developing products for the "professional and education segments," rather than 3D printers for at-home use. Earlier this week, during his annual State of the City address, Mayor de Blasio focused his remarks on the importance of "good paying jobs," pledging to create 100,000 over the next decade. On Tuesday, the mayor held a press conference in Sunset Park to announce the city's $136 million investment in a new campus for fashion and film production at Bush Terminal. The Mayor's Office didn't immediately comment on the continued downsizing at MakerBot. "MakerBot will be providing severance pay and will be offering career services to parting staff," Goshen stated. [UPDATE 3:00]: "Our tech ecosystem is rapidly growing and hiring new workers at a steady clip," said Mayoral spokeswoman Melissa Grace. "Thats a trend line bigger than any one company." Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Addressing last nights New York Times report on Trump teams contacts with Russian intelligence personnel during the presidential campaign, former CIA analyst Nada Bakos told Joy Reid that an independent investigation would help determine whether or not Donald Trump himself should be a subject of the probe. We may or may not get such an investigation if Republicans like Jason Chaffetz have their way, but the lack of such an investigation does not mean things are not about to get much worse for the Trump administration according to Malcolm Nance. Watch courtesy of MSNBC: Nance, a former NSA employee and current MSNBC counterterrorism and intel analyst, warned that this is very, very, serious stuff and that because the FISA warrant authorized the NSA to turn on the full collection power of the United Statesthere is nothing that will escape that. Given what intelligence agencies know and this is in direct contradiction of Republican claims that no such evidence exists he said, These people need to start getting lawyers and cutting deals because when we have both sides of the conversation, you are gonna get caught. FISA stands for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and what Nance is talking about is the warrant granted at the FBIs request in October, which as Nance warns here, covers any US person connected to the investigation. In other words, there is no escape for those involved. Nance put Flynns conduct in making the damning calls to the Russian ambassador down to arrogance. It never entered into Flynns mind that his calls were being tapped. There seems to be a lot of arrogance in the White House lately, and none of it is doing Donald Trump any favors. Trump brags about how smart he is on a regular basis but from the beginning, he has seemed to be one step behind, as evidenced by the 17-day delay between learning of Flynns actions and asking for his resignation. As Senator Angus King (I-ME) said earlier today, the White House doesnt have a lot of credibility. And Trumps refusal to answer questions and his actions in having the offending reporters escorted out of the Oval Office will only fuel suspicions that he has something to hide. As Paul Krugman said today, Malevolence tempered by incompetence, at every level. From a tenacious press refusing to cower in fear before the power of the Oval Office to public outcry, and now the threat of evidence gathered by a FISA warrant, Trumps Putin nightmare is only just beginning. Things are going to get much worse for the Trump administration and its allies before they get better. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Now that we know thanks to The New York Times that the Trump team was in constant communication with Russia as it hacked the U.S. elections, we can all take a deep breath and say, as MSNBCs Chris Hayes puts it, Occasional reminder that this is all *insane* As is Trumps response to the growing scandal this morning. And yes, he blamed Hillary Clinton for his troubles, sending this tweet : This Russian connection non-sense is merely an attempt to cover-up the many mistakes made in Hillary Clinton's losing campaign. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017 That doesnt even make any sense, but then, this is Donald Trump we are talking about, finging mud desperately to save himself by blaming others. As we have been reminded by Greg Hogban, it needs to be said that we were warned by Hillary Clinton about Trump and Putin. She warned us. She persisted. She did not sit down and shut up: She warned. She gave an explanation. She persisted.pic.twitter.com/WqhFguDeDX Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) February 15, 2017 Second, having chanted three times We are not worthy, Republicans must agree to put a stop to all business of government until this matter is complete resolved to the satisfaction of a bipartisan commission. If the GOP can have 33 Benghazi hearings to investigate an attack on one embassy, they can investigate a possible Russian-backed takeover of our government. Until then, because of the risk of Putins influence coloring Trumps actions, everything ought to come to a complete standstill until the matter has been thorough investigated. Everything. Including especially any Trump executive orders but also bill signings like that of H.J. Resolution 41 last night. Guantanamo chief prosecutor Col. Morris Davis is right about that: There should be no more confirmations, or Exec orders, or bills until we figure out what the hell is going on. @POTUS @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/ruKDHQEzL2 Col. Morris Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) February 15, 2017 Such an investigation is critical because the likelihood now mounts that Michael Flynn is just the tip of a very rotten iceberg: This is now the key question: did the Trump camp collude w/Putin's regime as it mounted an op to subvert US election to help Trump? David Corn (@DavidCornDC) February 15, 2017 Now that the news is out, now that our worst fears are confirmed, there is, as Morris Davis reminds us, but once choice remaining to us, and this is a choice that affects us just as much as it affects Republicans in Congress: Courage is standing up when everyone else sits down. Either stand up for America or sit down with Russia. pic.twitter.com/9P7kWuqdCa Col. Morris Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) February 15, 2017 Hillary stood up and spoke out. She persisted. She did not sit down. Now it is our turn. Its true that so far no evidence that Trump colluded with Russian hacking efforts, but so far is why we have investigations: so that we can know for certain when reasonable doubt exists. As Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) says, Americans deserve a transparent, independent investigation into Russias involvement with the Trump camp. If Republicans wont give us that, its difficult to disagree with Rob Reiner that we can say goodbye to worlds oldest democracy. Thats the choice, America. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Donald Trump suffered the ultimate humiliation as his Labor Secretary nominee was forced to withdraw his name from consideration after he lacked enough votes for confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate. Multiple news networks reported that Trump Labor Secretary nominee Andrew Puzder would withdraw as Labor Secretary nominee after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell informed the White House that their nominee didnt have enough votes to be confirmed. NBC News reported: NBC News: Labor Secretary nominee Andy Puzder is expected to withdraw, sources tell @PeterAlexander Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 15, 2017 On the Puzder nomination, senior GOP source on Capitol Hill tells NBC's @kasie Hunt: "It's dead." Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 15, 2017 Puzder fit the Trump mode for nominees, as he hated minimum wage laws and labor regulations. Puzder also had a history of sexism and an allegation that he assaulted his ex-wife. Opponents of Puzder rejoiced at his withdrawal. Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a statement, I am glad Mr. Puzder will withdraw his name from consideration to be the next labor secretary. The simple truth is that given his relationship to employees at the companies he runs, he was not fit to lead a department responsible for defending workers rights. We need a secretary of labor who is going to fight to raise the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour and pay equity for women. We dont need a labor secretary who makes millions while his workers are paid starvation wages. The Puzder rebellion by Democrats and several Republicans is a massive defeat for Trump that comes at a time when there is growing momentum for a bipartisan investigation into the Trump/Russia scandal. A president who promised to win so much that America would be tired of winning has become one of the biggest losers in presidential history. Trump has lost every case related to his Muslim ban in court, his National Security Advisers resignation has accelerated a massive political scandal, and now his Labor Secretary nominee doesnt have the votes to be confirmed by a majority Republican Senate. As Laffittes case has moved toward trial, it has helped shed new light on Alex Murdaughs alleged financial crimes. His trial is poised to unpack them in the finest detail yet. Read moreEx-SC banker Russell Laffitte set to face trial in first Murdaugh case to be heard by jury An argument at a Queens subway station's MetroCard vending machine turned violent last month and left a man unconscious. Now police are looking for two suspects in the assault. The incident occurred on January 22nd, around 1:50 p.m. inside the Flushing - Main Street 7 train station. According to the NYPD, the victim, 43, "was standing in line at the subway station booth in order to add money to his MetroCard. The victim stepped off the line to check the balance using the self-service swipe balance checking device mounted on the outside of the booth. A dispute began between the victim and the unidentified males when the victim attempted to resume his position in line." The two men then "pushed the victim towards the station stairs where an assault that rendered the victim unconscious ensued," police say. The suspects fled while the victim, who had lacerations on his face, was taken to NY Presbyterian Queens Hospital. Police described one suspect as being in his 20s and the other in his 40s, and released surveillance footage of them walking on Main Street in the vicinity of Roosevelt Avenue: Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. The oft-told story of a frog perishing in a pot as the water slowly warms and then cooks him is not actually based in fact; the metaphor persists because it describes something that is true: We are less aware of change that occurs gradually than when it happens all at once. Read moreEditorial: Referendums based on slow evolution: Berkeley, Dorchester aren't so rural anymore 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 Climate change. To many people, these words evoke a series of controversies and debates. Actually, however, the great majority of scientists believe that Earth is becoming warmer due to anthropogenic activities, with NASA placing this figure at 97 percent. Compounding the effects of global warming are other destructive environmental practices. The impact of these phenomenons is clear: Elements of ecosystems all over the world, from fish to wolves to coral to ice, are being destroyed. Yet, even for those who accept the scientific consensus, climate change can have a distant feel. It is hard to appreciate the value of what we can't see, and especially difficult to convince our communities to delegate funds towards preserving "far-flung" areas of the world. Although I have always loved nature, it has been easy become complacent to environmental problems and worry about other issues instead. But this all changed when I experienced an epiphany on an expedition to one of the most remote areas on Earth: Antarctica. ADVERTISEMENT My journey began in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from where I flew to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. There, 140 other travelers and I embarked on the National Geographic Explorer , the ship that would take us to Earth's most unexplored continent. After a few days at sea, we piled into the Explorer's Zodiac boats to make landfall. Suddenly, snowy cliffs materialized out of the thick fog that surrounded the ship, and we were greeted by the sight and smell of hundreds of penguins. We had arrived in the dynamic and beautiful Antarctic. Over the next week, the wildlife I had only read about in storybooks came to life around me. I spent hours enthralled by the swimming and squabbling of Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Adelie penguins. After daily trips in the Zodiac boats, I became familiar with every type of seal. We also spotted several families of killer whales, and even witnessed humpback whales bubble feeding, a phenomenon only observed in the Antarctic a handful of times. But as our expedition leader quipped, Antarctica is really about ice. This is certainly true; as we traveled farther south, our views became dominated by massive icebergs that sparkled like aquamarines. Perhaps the most fascinating part of the trip occurred when the ship ventured south to Crystal Sound. We were greeted by a scene out of "Frozen": glaciers as big and intricate as ice castles towered out of the ocean, and the ship shook as it sliced through sea ice up to five feet thick. Besides leading expeditions throughout the Antarctic, the Explorer also promoted education through seminars on Antarctica's wildlife and management. I learned that Antarctica is managed through an international treaty that calls for its preservation and prevents its exploitation. While this is wonderful, the penguins and glaciers of Antarctica are incredibly lucky to be protected; many equally important and diverse environments are not. Climate change is a global phenomenon; protected or not, Antarctica will suffer, and research shows it already has. Antarctica needs to be preserved not only because it regulates the climate all around the globe, but also because its species and landscapes possess an intrinsic value. It would be a true tragedy to see the beauty of the Antarctic and other environments corrupted to serve selfish human needs. So what comes next? Government involvement and cooperation is key, yet this will undoubtedly be a huge challenge over the next four years. But the everyday citizen can have a huge impact on preventing harmful environmental practices outside of the voting booth, too. ADVERTISEMENT We can start by educating ourselves on the issues, donating money to organizations that promote conservation and preservation, and ultimately altering our lifestyles. But let's start now. Antarctica and countless other environments can't wait. Grab a warm drink, some field glasses and copy of "Midwestern Birds: Backyard Guide" or any other handy birding bible. It's time for the Great Backyard Bird Count , a combined effort of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology , the Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada to gather global data on bird populations. "A lot of our members do take part in it," said Sandy Hokanson, president of the Zumbro Valley Audubon . "You do it at your own house and enter the tallies online. It's kind of an interesting program." This year marks the 20th year of the GBBC, said Marshall Iliff, with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "The first years we were just testing the hypothesis on whether we could collect meaningful bird information on the Internet," he said. The project combined with eBird , a Cornell online tool for collecting bird data year-round, in 2012, and the GBBC has been growing around the world ever since. "There were some communities, and India is a great example, that took it as a great opportunity to engage birdwatchers," Iliff said. ADVERTISEMENT The idea is to get birdwatchers around the world to focus on one long weekend this year, the GBBC is Feb. 17-20 to get a snapshot of data at the same time each year and use that data not only to evaluate bird populations but also develop hypotheses on what the data might mean. "It really is a four-day period where we really, really focus on getting people involved," he said. "There can be interesting things revealed during that snapshot." Since birds are sensitive to the weather and are quite mobile, where the birds are can help show how weather patterns are changing. "There's a whole suite of species that have drastic patterns that change year to year," Iliff said. A good example, he said, is the number of ducks and geese that have stayed north due to open water that has not frozen this winter. "The general pattern is birds slowly wintering farther and farther north," he said. Hokanson said she plans to grab some hot chocolate and watch for bluejays, cardinals, chickadees, starlings, woodpeckers and sparrows. "If you're lucky, you get a hawk coming in to eat the sparrow in your feeder," she said. Climate change, she said, has obviously impacted the bird populations through winter. "Minnesota is getting bluebirds in winter," Hokanson said. "It's warm enough for them to stay. It's important to see what birds are missing, what birds are more prevalent at this day in time." ADVERTISEMENT Best of all, she said, she's proud to participate in one of the longest-running citizen science projects in the world, something she can do with a good view of the bird feeder right in her own backyard. "On a good day at a good feeder, you can see 20-25 different species," she said. "It sure is pretty simple to do. We encourage everybody to do it." WANAMINGO A Dodge Center woman was injured in a collision south of Wanamingo on Tuesday. A 2004 Chevrolet pickup was eastbound on Goodhue County Road 12 and had stopped for a stop sign at the intersection with Minnesota Highway 57. As the pickup began crossing the intersection it struck a 2013 Toyota car that was traveling northbound on Hwy. 57, according to a report from the Minnesota State Patrol. There was no stop sign for traffic northbound or southbound on Hwy. 57. Selmer Allen Syverson, 75, of Kenyon, the driver of the pickup, was uninjured in the crash, the state patrol reported. Kristy Lavonne Iverson, 44, of Dodge Center, the driver of the Toyota, was transported to Mayo Clinic Hospital - Saint Marys Campus, Rochester, with non-life threatening injuries. No updates of her condition were available. Goodhue County Sheriff's deputies also responded to the scene. PRESTON Fillmore County started discussion on law enforcement body cameras during Tuesday's regular board session. Sheriff Tom Kaase told commissioners his office planned to explore the possibility of implementing body camera usage for deputies in the future. Deputies carried similar devices in the past but do not currently use them. "We never had a policy for a procedure on them," Kaase said. "It's something we're looking at. It's not budgeted for this year and is something we may be looking at in the future, when there might be some state grants." Body cameras have been a subject of debate. While authorities would be able to document their interactions with the public, some argue the cameras could infringe on constituents' privacy. There also are questions of what data is public or private and whether officers should have the ability to see footage before investigation interviews when they are involved in a critical incident. ADVERTISEMENT "There are a number of benefits," Kaase said. "When our deputies interact with people, it (the body camera) starts to capture what's being said and what's not done. It increases transparency and accountability. It starts to record and retain that evidence. It can have an impact on complaints or refute some allegations made against staff." Even if Fillmore County wanted to start exploring the potential use of body cameras, there still needs to be a policy setting in place proper procedures. There also needs to be a public hearing for people to comment on the use of cameras and the policies governing them. This would take some time and would not be immediately implemented. In addition, there's usually a hefty price tag for the necessary equipment. Kaase emphasized that "before we can even get these or look at demoing them, we have to go through a process." County commissioners agreed the best course of action would be to send a draft policy to the county attorney and then eventually host a public hearing so community members can have a chance to express their concerns or raise questions about body cameras. Then, if approved, the sheriff's office could try out some body cameras as a demo. However, it'll be a lengthy timeline before any actions are taken. Where Southeast Minnesota stands with body camera programs: Not all counties in the region are in a position to pursue body cameras for their deputies, and some may be in the process of pursuing the program. Here's what your county law enforcement said on the subject: Dodge County ADVERTISEMENT Status:Interested, but not currently pursuing. "We are concerned that there are still some questions regarding video retention requirements, which can be very expensive. There is also concern about the lack of clarity yet on what is considered public versus private data. Finally, a body camera program is very expensive to roll out. We would have to do some planning to budget for a program like this." Sheriff Scott Rose Goodhue County Status:Interested, starting research. "We are considering them for use in the future. We are just starting to explore the options." Sheriff Scott McNurlin Mower County Status:Not pursuing until there's clear ruling on private vs. public data. "At this point, we are not going to them until there's a universal policy adopted on (body cameras), what they're going to do with the recordings and deciding whether it's public data. So that's what we're waiting on, some type of ruling on them." Deputy Sheriff Mark May ADVERTISEMENT Houston County Status:Unknown. Sheriff Mark Inglett did not respond to phone calls before press time. Olmsted County Status:Deputies and officers now wear body cameras; it took the county more than a year to work out a program. "I believe these systems and policies we have in place will show the public the good work and restore the honor of what our deputies are doing." Sheriff Kevin Torgerson (Jan. 4, 2014) Wabasha County Status:Not currently pursuing due to potential expense. "We are not looking at body cameras anytime soon. While the cost of the cameras is cheap, I believe that there are going to be hidden costs down the road that small agencies are not going to be able to bear." Sheriff Rodney Bartsh Winona County Status:In progress of updating technology for compatibility. "We have certainly looked into it. We are going through the process for technology that's compatible with our in-car cameras and to incorporate body cameras as one system instead of two. We don't have them yet; the technology isn't quite there to incorporate. It will be shortly, once they're budgeted. It's a matter of time and budget. I think it's on the horizon." Deputy Jeff Mueller Mayo Clinic announced a collaboration with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia this week to combat hypoplastic left heart syndrome , or HLHS. The rare and complex form of congenital heart disease affects about 1,000 babies per year and can be fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It typically results in difficulty breathing, a weak pulse and an ashen or blue skin color. Many babies require a feeding tube, and three separate surgeries often are required, with a heart transplant deemed a final resort. The new partnership between Mayo Clinic's Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia the nation's first pediatric hospital aims to accelerate innovation, discovery sciences and clinical expertise by investing local resources back into research, according to a release from Mayo. The program seeks to work with "five to seven regional centers across the U.S. to fund the development of cell-based innovative research opportunities to transform the lives of people living with hypoplastic left heart syndrome." "By entering into this collaboration, we are making it possible for all children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome to be able to participate in cell-based treatments, no matter their location," said Timothy Nelson, M.D., director of the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome . "This new hypoplastic left heart syndrome consortium significantly expands the reach of hypoplastic left heart syndrome research." The National Institutes of Health reports that HLHS had a 95 percent mortality rate before the 1980s. According to 2010 research from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, reconstructive heart surgery now affords infants an "excellent" chance of early survival among about two-thirds of recipients. ADVERTISEMENT Mayo created its HLHS program in 2010 before adding its expertise to the nation's oldest pediatric hospital. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is ranked third in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Children's Hospital for Pediatric Cardiology and Heart Surgery. "Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has a long-standing history of caring for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and this exciting collaboration with Mayo Clinic offers promising opportunities to develop new ways to give patients an even better quality of life," said Robert Shaddy, M.D., chief of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Lifesaving palliative surgery reroutes a child's blood flow, but patients may have significant health problems, as they grow up with a unique circulation. Cell-based therapy offers us another potential option beyond conventional medical treatments, ventricular assist devices or transplants for a child or young adult with a failing heart." ST. PAUL Minnesota Republican lawmakers see an opening this session to make deep reductions in state agency budgets and use the savings to pay for a long list of tax cuts. Despite a $1.4 billion state surplus, some GOP House and Senate members are interested in pulling back the reins on agency spending. Tying that to tax relief could make it more enticing, but union leaders warn it would put thousands of Minnesotans needlessly out of work. Republicans, though, say it's about setting funding priorities for each department. "We want to make sure that when we're funding them for things that are necessary, that we fund first of all the most important duties of their office," said Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee Chair Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake. She and House State Government Finance Committee Chair Sarah Anderson, R- Plymouth, sent a letter to commissioners before the session began asking them to identify spending reductions of up to 10 percent of their budgets. ADVERTISEMENT The financing of government operations, including employee salaries and benefits, represents just over 3 percent of general fund spending. Other committees deal with the bigger pieces, including school funding, health care and human services safety net programs. Anderson, though, said the requested operational budget exercise for commissioners is similar to what families and businesses do all the time. The discussion of potential reductions does not necessarily mean that cuts are coming, she added. "I think it's odd that really on a state government level, all we do is look at the increases in new programs," she said. "We never evaluate well: do we need the things that we've done in the past, or has that expended its usefulness? So, this is just a better way for us to get a better handle on how we're delivering goods and services to citizens, and hopefully we get a better product out of the deal." The head of one of the large state employee unions sees Anderson's evaluation plan as a threat, not a harmless exercise. "This is just another version of cut government until you can fit it in the bath tub, then drown it," said Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5. A 10 percent reduction in state agency operating budgets would translate into 3,500 employee layoffs, Seide said, adding that Minnesota's government workforce is already one of the leanest in the nation. "This just seems to be an arbitrary and capricious number just to cut government. It has nothing to do with delivering good services." Minnesota's executive branch, where the bulk of state government jobs lie, held about 34,354 positions in 78 agencies, according to a 2015 report. ADVERTISEMENT DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's two-year budget proposal has operating increases based on individual agency needs, not an across-the-board increase. Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans said salary costs, for example, can vary sharply among agencies, depending on the number of older, higher-paid employees. He said the proposed operating budget increases range from less than 1 percent to about 3 percent. In his written response to the two committee chairs, Frans chose not detail a 10 percent cut for his own department. He instead recommended adoption of the governor's budget. "If anyone thinks that we can reduce government spending, that's fine. They need to step forward and tell us exactly what programs, what services they don't think Minnesotans need anymore, because that is the crux of the matter," he said. "If they want to do that, that's certainly their prerogative. But just to give a blanket 10 percent is really not, I don't think, doing their job," he said. They need to specify what do they want us to cut and where." Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger said he will be making a case for a larger budget over the next few weeks. "Obviously one of our biggest expenses is personnel. But I always question what's the purpose of a cut?" he said. "Are we investing too much in public health? Are we doing things that really shouldn't be done, or are we not doing things appropriately? I would like to know what the premise is behind the request before I can really respond." ST. PAUL Rochester Sen. Dave Senjem is pushing for the state to invest $110 million into housing and supportive services for people with mental illness. Senjem, chairman of the Senate Capital Investment Committee, said it is time for lawmakers to be bold and make major investments in mental health care. "Let's not be bashful. This is a major societal problem that our state is facing, and it's time that we begin the journey of stepping up to it," the Republican said. Senjem is putting the final touches on legislation he plans to introduce soon at the Capitol. One of his proposals calls for $75 million in state bonding for permanent supportive housing for individuals with mental illness. He is also seeking $25 million in grant funding to help build several mental health triage centers across the state, including in Rochester. His plan also calls for $10 million in ongoing funding to help with the operational costs of running the supportive housing and triage centers. For Senjem, the push to invest in mental health services is a personal one. Both his mother and father struggled with mental illness. His father took his own life when Senjem was 12 years old. For years, Senjem said he was ashamed to talk about his family's history. But now the powerful senator said he wants to use his legislative position to make a difference. ADVERTISEMENT "We need to step up. This is a major, major problem," Senjem said. The need in Southeast Minnesota The Rochester lawmaker reached out to Olmsted County officials to help craft his proposals. Paul Fleissner, the county's director of community services, said several community groups have been working to identify the gaps in the mental health care system. One of the biggest issues is a lack of stable, supportive housing. After people receive inpatient treatment and are stabilized, they often have nowhere to go. Fleissner said that means low-income residents on public assistance programs often end up staying longer at inpatient facilities that can cost taxpayers up to $744 per day per person. Or patients are released and struggle without additional help, meaning they end up right back where they started. "There is a complete shortage of affordable housing for people," Fleissner said. Under Senjem's proposal, approximately $10 million would be earmarked for permanent supportive housing in Olmsted County. Fleissner said that would fund a 40-unit apartment that would serve residents across Southeast Minnesota. Another concern is the lack of resources for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Fleissner said people generally have two options go to the emergency room or, if things get bad enough, end up in jail. The county wants $5 million to establish a triage center, where children and adults could be assessed by mental health professionals and access short-term stabilization beds. Unlike a hectic emergency room, this facility would have a calm, "living room" atmosphere. Peer-support specialists would also be on hand to talk with patients. "A lot of people if they just have someone to listen to them can be de-escalated and maybe even go back home or some other service that isn't the emergency room," Fleissner said. ADVERTISEMENT He added that the $25 million in funding for triage centers would be flexible so that it could be used to fund facilities tailored to meet the needs of different parts of the state. Long waits in emergency rooms Dr. Bruce Sutor, clinical practice chair for Mayo Clinic's Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, said the shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds has a big impact on emergency rooms. It is not uncommon for patients experiencing a mental health crisis to spend days in the emergency room waiting for an inpatient psychiatric bed to open up at a state-run facility. "How many people are not seeking out services because of having to wait potentially days in the emergency department because they need something? How many people are dead because of that? As a psychiatrist, as a culture, we need to ask that," Sutor said. Making matters worse, he said the emergency room setting is not conducive to helping someone struggling with a mental illness stabilize. It is a hectic environment where the lights are kept on 24 hours a day. Staff can prescribe medications, but no behavior therapy work is done in the ER. Sutor said it would make more sense to have the type of triage facility being discussed in Olmsted County to help patients. "It's much more humane and it's much better at helping people than an emergency room department can do for certain patients," Sutor said. Are triage centers the best approach? But some mental health advocates question whether it makes sense for the state to invest in triage centers. National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota's Executive Director Sue Abderholden her organization would rather see hospitals take steps to improve their emergency rooms so they offer better care to psychiatric patients, including softer lighting and more mental health staffing. ADVERTISEMENT "Most people what do they do when they have an emergency? They call 9-1-1," Abderholden said. "They don't know what that (triage facility) number is unless they've used it before. If we keep setting up separate things, how are people going to know about them?" While Abderholden has concerns about funding triage facilities, she said NAMI wholeheartedly supports the idea of investing in permanent supportive housing. 'We can do better' Rochester resident Carrie Clark knows what it is like to struggle with a mental illness and be in need of emergency care. She received her first diagnosis at age 14 and has struggled with severe depression, requiring her to be hospitalized 15 times. The 56-year-old has learned to manage her mental illness and become a patient advocate in the community. She coordinates NAMI's WarmLine, which is staffed by volunteers who talk to anonymous callers struggling with a mental health issue. Clark said Rochester needs a triage center as an alternative to the emergency room. "That's critical, and I think a lot of people who are suffering and I mean suffering could go there because they don't want to go to the ER, because they don't want to wait and just do nothing for hours except be locked up in a room," Clark said. Senjem said he is optimistic that Republicans and Democrats can come together this session on a mental health funding package. He added that people who struggle with mental illness "are in some respects the forgotten people. We need to do better. I think we can. And hopefully, we will." In the coffee shop where I am typing, the Band is playing over the speakers (first "Atlantic City," then "The Weight"). On the wall across from me, there is a framed piece of muslin sackcloth printed with the words "Cafe de El Salvador." Baristas hand out wooden chips for customers to deposit in one of four jars, casting votes for which charity they'd have the shop donate money to this month; choices include a food bank and a center for mentally ill adults. Near the ceiling, there is a strip of black paint on which is chalked this quotation: "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America." William J. Clinton. This coffee shop is called Blue State Coffee. Independent coffee shops everywhere tend to have a liberal vibe, but Blue State, which began in 2004 with the location where I sit in New Haven, Conn., and has expanded to eight branches in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, makes its politics explicit. Conservatives can drink here, of course, but while their money is welcome, their politics are not. Blue State Coffee is a prime example of the politicization of commerce. Where once upon a time profit-minded entrepreneurs were terrified of being identified with one political camp or another, thus alienating potential customers from rival camps, today they're embracing partisanship as a strategy. ADVERTISEMENT What they lose in mass appeal, they seem to think, they gain in fierce loyalty. We saw this gamble two weeks ago, when, in response to President Trump's travel bans applying to seven Muslim-majority countries, Starbucks pledged to hire 10,000 refugees over the next 10 years. There was nothing subtle about CEO Howard Schultz's move; in his letter announcing the plan, Schultz praised trade with Mexico and seemed to express support for the Affordable Care Act. In effect, Schultz was saying that Starbucks had joined the resistance. The same week, Uber canceled surge pricing on rides to JFK Airport in New York City, a move that seemed to undercut a strike called by taxi drivers to protest the detention of foreigners denied entry to the U.S. Sensing an opportunity to stake out turf to Uber's left, rival car-share company Lyft announced a $1 million contribution to the American Civil Liberties Union. But Uber wouldn't let that stand. Faced with numerous deletions of its app, and a vente-sized cup of bad publicity, the company announced a $3 million legal fund for immigrant drivers. It also asked Trump to cancel his temporary travel ban. Commerce has, of course, always been political. Businesspeople, more often than not conservatives, have networked and lobbied to fight government regulation, unions and other perceived evils. All of this was largely invisible to most consumers. Now it sometimes seems as if every company in the strip mall has a political brand. I instinctively recoil every time I drive by the Hobby Lobby near me I can't disassociate it from its evangelical owners' successful Supreme Court fight, in 2014, to deny employees coverage for contraception in their healthcare plans. The new Chick-fil-A off Exit 9? Right wing, by virtue of its owners' anti-gay political donations. Self-satisfied as my shopping choices make me, I am not sure they are good for the country, even if they are better for the planet. "Third places" like coffee shops to use sociologist Ray Oldenburg's term for places that are neither home nor work are crucial for organizing social movements. But they also should function as sites of unexpected conversation, the kind that might change our lives as when we meet our soulmate over an extra-hot non-fat mocha or, perhaps, our political views. As a progressive, I am cheered by what Starbucks and other businesses tell us about the country: that people who agree with me have buying power, and thus clout. You have to believe that CEOs at Starbucks, Disney and elsewhere have run the numbers and concluded that our country resembles the popular vote, not the Electoral College. But if conservatives avoid Starbucks, then something is lost exchanging ideas, hearing other opinions and perhaps breaking down barriers. This news story probably wont get as much attention as it deserves, but it is interesting on several levels: Man to plead guilty to aiding San Bernardino attack. Enrique Marquez Jr., 25, of Riverside, admitted in a plea agreement that he bought the assault rifles [sic] used by Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, in the Dec. 2, 2015, attack at a public health agency gathering that left 14 people dead and injured nearly two dozen others. Farook and Malik were later killed in a gunfight with authorities. *** Prosecutors said Marquez acknowledged being a straw buyer when he purchased two AR-15 rifles from a sporting goods store that were used in the attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. Prosecutors have said Marquez agreed to buy the weapons because the attackers feared Farooks Middle Eastern appearance might arouse suspicion. Prosecutors said there is no evidence Marquez participated in the San Bernardino massacre or had advance knowledge of it. But Marquez was no innocent, and obviously knew why the Farooks wanted the rifles: Marquez also admitted to plotting with Farook in 2011 and 2012 to massacre college students and gun down motorists on a gridlocked California freeway, though those attacks never occurred. Federal officials said the duo had envisioned halting traffic on state Route 91 with explosives and then firing at trapped motorists, or tossing pipe bombs into a crowded cafeteria at Riverside City College. Nice. Marquez backed out of those plots when four men in the same area were arrested on terrorism charges in 2012. The obvious question is, why did Marquez do it? Marquez and Farook first met in 2005 after Marquez moved next door to Farooks family in Riverside, about 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, officials said. The then-teens would meet in Farooks garage and Farook, a Muslim, began educating his new friend about his religion. Marquez converted and became a Muslim in 2007. The FBI said the two began discussing extremist views shortly after Marquez converted. By late 2011, Marquez spent most of his time at Farooks home, where he read Inspire magazine, an official publication of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula; watched videos produced by al-Qaidas affiliate in Somalia; and studied radical material online, federal officials said. Rizwan Farook was an American citizen, born in Chicago. His wife, Tashfeen Malik, was an immigrant from Pakistan. I havent seen any information on Marquezs citizenship, but he moved to Riverside in 2005 and subsequently committed immigration fraud by entering into a sham marriage with a member of Farooks family. There is a lot of diversity here, but also a common denominator: Islam. The Democrats are trying to make a scandal out of the fact that one or more people associated with the Trump presidential campaign had telephone conversations with one or more representatives of the Russian government prior to Trumps inauguration. Is there anything wrong with that? Not as far as we know. The CIA/NSA leakers have declined to say anything about the content of the conversations, so they must have been benign. Lets release the tapes and eliminate all doubt, and then lets fire the leakers and, if appropriate, send them to prison. But in the meantime, lets not forget an infinitely bigger scandal: in 2008, while he was running for the presidency, Barack Obama deliberately undermined American foreign policy by secretly encouraging Irans mullahs to hold out until he became president, because he would be easier to deal with than President George Bush. I wrote about the Obama scandal here: HOW BARACK OBAMA UNDERCUT BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN. Check out the original post for links. Here it is: In 2008, the Bush administration, along with the six powers, was negotiating with Iran concerning that countrys nuclear arms program. The Bush administrations objective was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. On July 20, 2008, the New York Times headlined: Nuclear Talks With Iran End in a Deadlock. What caused the talks to founder? The Times explained: Iran responded with a written document that failed to address the main issue: international demands that it stop enriching uranium. And Iranian diplomats reiterated before the talks that they considered the issue nonnegotiable. The Iranians held firm to their position, perhaps because they knew that help was on the way, in the form of a new president. Barack Obama had clinched the Democratic nomination on June 3. At some point either before or after that date, but prior to the election, he secretly let the Iranians know that he would be much easier to bargain with than President Bush. Michael Ledeen reported the story last year: During his first presidential campaign in 2008, Mr. Obama used a secret back channel to Tehran to assure the mullahs that he was a friend of the Islamic Republic, and that they would be very happy with his policies. The secret channel was Ambassador William G. Miller, who served in Iran during the shahs rule, as chief of staff for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and as ambassador to Ukraine. Ambassador Miller has confirmed to me his conversations with Iranian leaders during the 2008 campaign. So Obama secretly told the mullahs not to make a deal until he assumed the presidency, when they would be able to make a better agreement. Which is exactly what happened: Obama abandoned the requirement that Iran stop enriching uranium, so that Irans nuclear program has sped ahead over the months and years that negotiations have dragged on. When an interim agreement in the form of a Joint Plan of Action was announced in late 2013, Irans leaders exulted in the fact that the West had acknowledged its right to continue its uranium enrichment program: The (nuclear) program will continue and all the sanctions and violations against the Iranian nation under the pretext of the nuclear program will be removed gradually, [Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif] added. Irans enrichment program has been recognized both in the first step and in the goals section and in the final step as well, Zarif said. The fact that all these pressures have failed to cease Irans enrichment program is a very important success for the Iranian nations resistance, he added. So Obama delivered the weak agreement that he had secretly promised the mullahs. That, readers, is what a real scandal looks like. I want to pick up on Johns point about media outrage over the questions President Trump fields from reporters, and in particular the ones he took yesterday during his session with Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister. John focused on AP, but of course this outlet was not alone in displaying chutzpah. On CNN, a media talking head expressed outrage that President Trump took no questions about Flynn, and no questions from any reporter with a major traditional American news outlet, during the brief question and answer session that followed his joint conference with Trudeau. Don Lemon, the left-winger who hosted the program, then sniffed that this helps us understand why people are now worried about authoritarianism in the U.S. I kid you not. To appreciate fully the lunacy of Lemons statement, lets begin by reminding ourselves of the context in which Trump took no questions about Flynn. First, the media wasnt lacking in opportunities to query the administration on this subject. Stephen Miller, a top Trump administration official, had taken questions about it on Sunday ABC. Kellyanne Conway discussed it on Monday (the same day as the session with Trudeau). Also on Monday, Sean Spicer, the official White House spokesman, informed the media that Trump was still evaluating the situation regarding Flynn, making it obvious that Flynn was in hot water. He thus fully and (from all that appears) accurately briefed the media on the Flynn situation. Second, the context of the questioning that outraged CNNs talking heads was Trumps session with the prime minister of Canada. In that context, it was entirely reasonable for questions to focus on U.S.-Canadian relations, not on Michael Flynn whose status was addressed by others in the administration (as noted above). Had Trump taken a question about Flynn, presumably his comment would have been the same as Spicers i.e., that the situation is being evaluated. Thus, taking such a question probably would have been a waste of everyones time, except to the extent that the media wanted another opportunity to remind people about Flynn. Any unwillingness by Trump to provide that opportunity would hardly be a sign of authoritarianism. Third, at the time of the joint appearance with Trudeau, I dont believe the blackmail story had been reported. When I started writing about Flynn last evening, I didnt see this story on the Washington Posts website. It popped up an hour or two later, after I had written the original post. Therefore, whatever one makes of the blackmail angle, it wasnt something new to ask Trump about at the time of his appearance with Trudeau. The angle apparently hadnt yet emerged. Now, lets consider the charge that Trump took softball questions. It is false. Here is the first question, asked by Scott Thurman of the local ABC outlet: You just spoke about the desire to build bridges, although there are some notable and philosophical differences between yourself and Prime Minister Trudeau. Im curious, as you move forward on issues from trade to terrorism, how do you see this relationship playing out? And are there any specific areas with which during your conversations today you each decided to perhaps alter or amend your stances already on those sensitive issues like terrorism and immigration? And Prime Minister Trudeau: while only in its infancy so far, how do you see this relationship compared to that under the Obama administration? Whats the beef with this question? Its perfectly reasonable, and no softball. Thurman raises the fact that there are notable differences between Trump and Trudeau and he attempts to get at those differences. A more sensible question in the context of their joint appearance is difficult to imagine. The second question was this one from a Canadian journalist: A little bit of a followup on my American colleagues question. President Trump, you seem to suggest that Syrian refugees are a Trojan horse for potential terrorism, while the prime minister hugs refugees and welcomes them with open arms. So Id like to know, are you confident the northern border is secure? Good question. Again, the reporter highlights an important difference between the two leaders and asks about a crucial matter the degree of security along the northern border. Heres the third question. It came from a reporter with the Daily Caller: President Trump, now that youve been in office and received intelligence briefings for nearly one month, what do you see as the most important national security matters facing us? And Prime Minister Trudeau, youve made it very clear that Canada has an open-door policy for Syrian refugees. Do you believe that President Trumps moratorium on immigration has merit on national security grounds? The first question is off-topic, but hardly without interest to anyone who takes Americas national security interests seriously. The second question is on topic and certainly no softball. It probes an important potential area of disagreement between the two leaders. AP, in its account of the question, omits the second part. It thus gives readers the misleading impression that the reporter lobbed only a softball. Thats not honest reporting. Its true that the second part wasnt addressed to Trump, but it had the potential to embarrass Trump. And addressing it to Trudeau was natural. There would have been no point in asking Trump whether his moratorium has merit. The final question was from another Canadian: Mr. President, again, during the last three months, you have denounced NAFTA. You have talked over and over about the Mexican portion of the agreement, very little about the Canadian one. My question is in two short parts: Is Canada a fair trader? And when you talk about changes to NAFTA concerning Canada, are you talking about big changes or small changes? Another fine question. NAFTA is at the heart of any potential disagreement between the U.S. and Canada. Its natural, then, to wonder whether Trump considers Canada a fair trader (he does, for the most part) and whether he wants big or small changes to NAFTA insofar as Canada is concerned (he wants tweaks). Do you see the specter authoritarianism lurking in the fact that Trump and Trudeau took these questions, and only these questions, during their joint appearance? I dont either. They took good, pointed questions about U.S.-Canada relations, which is exactly what they should have done. The media was able to ask three top-level administration officials, including the press secretary, about Flynns status. What it didnt get was the opportunity to harass the president about Flynn during a conference with a foreign leader about entirely different subjects. The horror! The real cause of big medias bellyaching is that its stalwarts didnt get to ask either of the two questions posed by American reporters. If Don Lemon truly believes that this presages authoritarian rule, hes an idiot. We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today Iranian President Hassan Rowhani on Wednesday arrived in Oman on a trip which also takes him to Kuwait, aimed at mending Tehrans strained ties with the Arab Gulf countries. According to the report, Mr. Rowhani flew into Omans capital Muscat for a one-day visit and met with Sultan Qaboos bin Said. It said that the two leaders reviewed close relations between Oman and Iran, and ways of further strengthening them. Unlike other partners in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Oman traditionally has warm ties with Iran. In addition to Oman, the GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The Iranian leader will fly to Kuwait from Oman. In January, Kuwait sent its foreign minister to Tehran with a message calling for improving links between Iran and Gulf countries, regional media reported at the time. Mr. Rowhani said before leaving for Oman that Tehran welcomed the message delivered by the Kuwaiti government. The president said he is to hold talks with officials of two members of the Gulf Cooperation Council on issues of mutual interest, the report said. The mostly Sunni Gulf countries have repeatedly accused Shiite Iran of inciting unrest in their territory, an accusation that Tehran denies. The Saudi-led GCC and Iran backs opposite sides in wars in Syria and Yemen. (dpa/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook U.S. President Donald Trump says Israel is going to have to show some flexibility in order to reach a deal with the Palestinians. But he said he could live with a one-state solution. He said it would be hard for Israel, but added that he believed Israel would very much like to make a deal. However, Mr. Trump said the Palestinians had to get rid of some of the hate they were taught from a very young age and must recognise Israel. I think they are going to be willing to do that, Mr. Trump said at a White House news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (dpa/NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook Some Nigerian returnees from Libya have narrated their experiences in the hands of Libyan officials. Scores of Nigerians travel to Libya daily with the hope of landing in Europe by boat through the Mediterranean. An average of 109 Nigerians arrived in Italy daily in 2016 travelling the risky route. A lot more are, however, still trapped in Libya. Some of the returnees appealed to federal and state governments to provide job opportunities for Nigerian youth to prevent them from endangering their lives looking for greener pasture abroad. They told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Lagos, that they decided to leave the country because they were jobless. They said that they travelled to Libya with the hope of crossing to Europe through the Mediterranean in search of jobs. The returnees were among the 161 Nigerians who returned voluntarily from Libya on February 14. They were assisted back home by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) after being detained for several months in Libyan detention facilities. They arrived in Lagos singing songs of praise and beaming with smiles, thanking their creator for bringing them safely home. One of the returnees, Bridget Akeama, an indigene of Anambra, said her parents decided to send her to Italy when all hope of securing job after her school proved abortive. Ms. Akeama, who said she left Nigeria in August last year, returned with four months pregnancy. Also Read: From Libya With Tears: Story of Trafficked Nigerian Woman She said she was arrested while trying to cross to Italy from Libya by immigration officials. Ms. Akeama said: Ever since then, I have been moved from one prison to another until I was taken to detention camp in Tripoli. We were subjected to inhuman treatment while in prison, from the food we eat to the water we drink. Most of the young ladies in detention camp were raped by Libyan officials and if you refused their advances, it will be hell for you. Thank God I am back in Nigeria, I know all hope is not lost but it is painful that I will begin from scratch again with my unborn child. Stanley Iduh, 34-year-old indigene of Delta, said that he was tricked by an agent popularly known as Burger, that he would facilitate his journey to Spain through Libya. He said that when his hope of crossing into Spain was dashed in Libya, he decided to stay back and work in the Arab country. I worked in Tile producing company and their salary was good but unfortunately I cannot save my money in the bank. I lived with other Nigerians. I dug a hole in the ground to save my money. Unfortunately, one day, some Libyans came, kidnapped us and inflicted punishment on us. They asked us to call our relations back in Nigeria and tell them to send N300,000 as our ransom. The $200,000 dollars that I saved, disappeared; they moved us to another place until we got to detention camp. Nigerians should be discouraged from travelling to Libya because they are not treating us like human beings. Our ladies were dehumanised by Libyan officials, it is very painful, he said. Mr. Iduh, who said he sold the house left by his late father before travelling to Libya, urged the federal and state governments as well as wealthy Nigerians to create job for the youths. It was because I was jobless for three years that I was cajoled to travel abroad to look for greener pasture. I am back in the country after eight months, devastated and humiliated. I have gone to look for greener pasture but here I am today; I have brought nothing green back home, he said with tears running in his cheek. Paul and Marvellous Isikhuemhen are twin brothers who travelled to Libya in March and May 2016 respectively in search for greener pasture. Marvellous told NAN that they regretted travelling out of the country because of the bitter encounter they had in Libya. He said that though they secured a good job in a publishing house in Libya, it was suffering and smiling until they were given the opportunity to return home through the IOM. Mr. Isikhuemhen urged the Nigerian government to stop young ladies from travelling to Libya, saying they were molested by Libyan immigration officials. He said that most Nigerian ladies bribe Nigerian Immigration Officers to secure travel documents to travel to Libya. Mr. Isikhuemhen added that most of the children brought back home by these ladies had no fathers. I can boldly tell you that the children you are seeing in their hands and those pregnant ladies are products of Libya immigration officers, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook Residents of Zaria Road, Sabon Tasha, a poor suburb of Kaduna, have no sympathy for their neighbour from whose house the staggering sum of $9.7million and 74,000 pounds was recovered last week. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, last Friday announced it recovered the money (about N3 billion in total) from a house in Sabon Tasha belonging to a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Andrew Yakubu. Mr. Yakubu, who reportedly admitted owning the money, has since been arrested and is in custody of the EFCC. The Federal High Court in Kano presided over by Justice Zainab Abubakar on Tuesday gave an interim order for the forfeiture of the money to the Nigerian government. When a PREMIUM TIMES reporter visited the area on Tuesday, the residents generally expressed shock and outrage over the discovery in their neglected community. Many of the interviewees spoke in a mixture of English and pidgin. Grace John, a private school teacher, first directed her anger at petty criminals she said daily terrorise ordinary residents of the area instead of going after the likes of the former NNPC boss. There is a street nicknamed Black Street in this community. There is no kind of crime that does not happen there. Why is it that they didnt discover that house where this money was hidden? Ms. John said. They should have gone there instead of breaking into the homes of innocent people who struggle everyday to survive the harsh economy caused by people like Andrew Yakubu. She could not restrain her disgust for the embattled former boss of the state oil firm. The man is wicked. I pray that nemesis will continue to catch up with his likes, she said, snapping her fingers. Blessing Luka, a fruit hawker, pointed morosely at the irony of the discovery in a neighbourhood she said is without water, good road and hospital, and has a large number of unemployed and vulnerable youth. Yet, the money that would have been used to solve these problems and many other social and economic problems were stolen by one corrupt person and hidden under our nose, she fumed. Ms. Blessing, a widowed mother of five, said she knew Mr. Yakubu and had made several attempts to get him to support her trade. His boys will tell me come today, come tomorrow. Asheh plenti dollar dey for the house. Na wah ooo, rich people wicked oo! Wetin pain me be say this man for give me N10,000 to use am sell orange take feed my children and pay for their school fees and house rent before government collect everything! Florence Udogu said she felt bad when she heard the news of the discovery. She said even though it was a stolen money, it should have been invested in establishing an industry. He even has the dirty mouth to say it is a gift or a donation. Who is he fooling? He brought all these stolen money and hid it within our reach and left us in poverty and illness. But our God is alive and will continue to expose these corrupt politicians and government officials, she said indignantly. We hear say the man dey save the money to contest Governor of Kaduna State, when even we wey dey stay near him house dey hungry. God catch am. Na for that prison him go die put Jacob Dominic, a commercial tricycle operator who took our reporter round the slump, said. Na so bad name go dey follow him family. Ole! That is why dem wan kill Baba make him no catch them go prison. Andrew Abdul, a private legal practitioner who resides in the area, said he was shocked at the the level of corruption in the society, even as he awarded a pass mark to the EFCC as a corruption fighting agency. He said all stolen money recovered should be invested in the economy and infrastructural development, especially in communities such as where Mr. Yakubus loot was discovered. The discovery of such huge amount of money hidden in an unexpected location has further exposed the level of selfishness, self-centredness, indifference and greed of some Nigerians, the lawyer stated. Whatever is the source of the money or reason for saving the money is questionable. As a public officer, any money collected as gift should be declared publicly at the point of collecting it, he said. He advised the National Assembly to enact a law setting a ceiling on amount a public office holder or an individual could keep in their accounts without investing it into an economic venture. If somebody has that kind of looted money or even if it is a gift as Mr. Yakubu claimed, why cant he help the poor community where he stashed the money?, said Idibia Gabriel, a journalist who resides in the area. Some people said that if they had known about the hidden loot, they would have struggled to get something for themselves before the long arm of the law caught up with the former GMD, he said, chuckling. Some said if they were Mr. Yakubu, they would have invested the money for people to benefit rather than keeping it, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday travelled to London to visit President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on medical check. The Special Adviser on Media to Mr. Saraki, Yusuph Olaniyonu, confirmed the trip to the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone on Wednesday in Abuja. Announcing the trip, he said what other confirmation do you need when it is everywhere in the media. Mr. Olaniyonu, who did not give details, added if you like, you can wait for the official statement. Mr. Saraki had, through his twitter handle on February 9, stated that he spoke with Buhari. He said the president was in good spirit contrary to insinuations in some quarters that he was in a critical condition. There have been speculations and insinuations on the state of health of the president since he proceeded on a 10-day vacation to the United Kingdom on January 19. In a letter to the Senate, he indicated that he would carry out routine medical check during the vacation. However, he failed to return at the expiration of the 10 days, but forwarded another letter to the upper legislative house requesting extension of time to complete the medical process. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook Senate President Bukola Saraki is leading a four-member delegation of National Assembly members to see President Muhammadu Buhari in London. Speaker Yakubu Dogara, his deputy, Yusuf Lasun, and Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, will meet the president who travelled to the UK for a 10-day vacation on January 19, but later extended the trip indefinitely. Wole Oladimeji, Mr. Lasuns spokesperson, told PREMIUM TIMES the leaders are off to see Mr. Buhari. Mr. Oladimeji, however, added that his principal will not be leaving until tomorrow due to an ongoing gathering of ECOWAS parliamentarians in Abuja. The Deputy Speaker is part of the delegation but he is going to meet them in London tomorrow, Mr. Oladimeji told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone. A meeting of ECOWAS parliament is going on now in Abuja and he had to be there. Although the motive of the trip has not been officially disclosed, there are strong indications that it has to do with Mr. Buharis health. It came exactly a week after the president called Mr. Dogara and Mr. Saraki, and both confirmed the president was in good spirit. He said he was pained by the suffering endured by most Nigerians last year and hes resolved not to let events of 2016 repeat themselves, Mr. Dogara had said. Mr. Buhari departed Nigeria on January 19 on a 10-day leave,. He transmitted a letter to the National Assembly to extend his vacation on February 5, fuelling speculations that his health had deteriorated. But top administration officials maintain the presidents health was sound. Let me first say the president is hale and hearty, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo told reporters in the State House last week Tuesday. I spoke to him just this afternoon and we had a fairly long conversation; he is in good shape and very chatty. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara, have met President Muhammadu Buhari who is on an extended medical vacation in the United Kingdom. The Presidency on Wednesday posted photos showing the three men together, hours after the National Assembly leaders, alongside the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, left Abuja to meet the president. One photograph shows Mr. Buhari seated, and another shows him greeting Mr. Lawan. Although the motive of the trip has not been officially disclosed, there are indications that it has to do with Mr. Buharis health. The trip is coming a week after the president called Messrs. Dogara and Saraki said they had spoken on phone with the president, and that he was in good spirit. Mr. Buhari departed Nigeria on January 19 on a 10-day leave. He transmitted a letter to the National Assembly to extend his vacation on February 5, fuelling speculations that his health had deteriorated. The images released Wednesday triggered another round of controversy online, with some Nigerians saying they were doctored. But in a swift response, the Special Adviser on Media to Senate President, Yusuph Olaniyonu, denied the claims. Writing on penpushing, a social media platform, he said The pictures are authentic. We sent them out from our office some minutes ago. There were only three of them at the meeting with President Buhari. Senate President Saraki, Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan and Speaker Yakubu Dogara. He later confirmed the post and photographs to PREMIUM TIMES. Share this: Twitter Facebook The spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has asked the Nigerian police to stop further harassment of the publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore. Mr. Sowore has been to the police station in Lagos twice after he was reportedly assaulted on January 9 by one Lekan Fatodu over a report by the newspaper detailing how Mr. Fatodu was allegedly used as a front by former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, to corner public funds. Mr Fani-Kayode, who is being prosecuted for corruption, has denied any wrongdoing and accused the anti-graft agency of witch-hunt. There was a twist in the case when the police instead of investigating the reported assault on Mr. Sowore, became more interested in the allegation of criminal defamation made by Mr. Fatodu against the SaharaReporters publisher. Mr. Sowore has been invited again for a meeting on Thursday with the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigations Department, SCID, in the state. The police did not disclose the purpose of the meeting. Mr. Sowore, who received the police invitation on Monday through a text message sent to him, said he would honour the invitation which falls on his birthday. Meanwhile, the APC spokesperson in Lagos, Mr. Igbokwe, thinks it would be better for the police to leave the publisher alone. I am begging the Nigeria police to allow Sowore to be, Mr. Igbokwe said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. This guy is a professional protester, a diehard activist and an international advocate of the peoples cause. PREMIUM TIMES spoke with Mr. Igbokwe who confirmed his authorship of the Facebook post. Mr. Igbokwe in the Facebook post extolled Mr. Sowores tenacity to fight for whatever he believes in, and described the publisher as being a rare gift to Nigeria at a time like this. All the money in the world cannot be used to buy this man. Let us celebrate this brave man, instead of harassing him. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria, AHUON, has rejected the call that hajj operations in Nigeria be returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The National President of the operators, Abdulfattah Abdulmajeed, gave this position on Wednesday in Abuja at a National Training Workshop for operators with the theme: Hajj, Umrah and the Policy Challenges: The Way Forward. The workshop was organised by AHOUN in conjunction with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON. The Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Khadija Abba-Ibrahim, had last week appealed to the National Assembly to return control of NAHCON to the ministry for proper coordination. The commission is presently under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF. Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim made the appeal when members of the House of Representatives committee on Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship and Hajj Affairs, led by its chairman, Abdulahi Balarabe-Salame, visited her. She explained that Hajj Commission used to be under the control of the ministry before it was taken to the presidency. Mrs. Abba-Ibrahim said: by tradition in diplomatic cycle, a country does not relate with sub-organ of government but the state through Foreign Affairs Ministry. However, AHOUN President on Wednesday argued that the emergence of NAHCON in 2007 sanitized hajj and umrah operations in the country. The suggestion that hajj and umrah industry be returned to the Foreign Affairs Ministry is not only out of tune, but totally unacceptable, Mr. Abdulmajeed said. He said the events leading to the establishment of NAHCON are well-known and fresh in operators memories, adding that pilgrims are no longer stranded and deadlines set are met. He said the workshop was put in place to update members of the association not only in hajj and umrah affairs, but also in the global travel and tourism industry. The Chairman of NAHCON, Abdullahi Muhammad, commended the association for cooperating with the commission, saying the achievements of the commission were due to such collaborations. He also said that the activities of the operators were being closely monitored and evaluated to ensure quality service delivery to the pilgrims. Mr. Muhammad urged them to key into the commissions breakthrough in accommodation, especially in Medina. He further urged the operators to honour PENCOM regulations, warning that the commission would not relate with any of them who fail to comply with the regulations. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Arewa Youth Leaders Forum has called on the federal government to expand the scope of operations of the military and other security agencies in the north-east. The scope should include the identification, investigation, arrest and prosecution of sponsors and beneficiaries of Boko Haram, the group said. The group, in a statement on Wednesday by its President, Adamu Adamu, urged stakeholders in the north-east who it accused of deliberately sabotaging the federal governments efforts at restoring peace to the region for personal gains to desist from doing so in the interest of peace. It also urged the stakeholders to recommit themselves to the war against Boko Haram and terrorism. It said once the remnants of the Boko Haram fighters and intellectual wing no longer get financial and political lifelines from sympathisers and backers, the war would end once and for all. Equally condemnable are those that are exploiting terrorism to further their political interests. People must be made to realise that it is better to make themselves politically acceptable to the electorate as opposed to sponsoring killers to destabilize an entire regions and wantonly waste human life. According to Mr. Adamu, the Federal Government must openly take on these sponsors of terrorism since they have shown that they are not likely to voluntarily have a change of heart and allow the country live in peace. Boko Haram, an extremist group based in north-eastern Nigeria, is also active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon and is responsible for the killing of thousands of people. The group had alleged links to al-Qaeda, but in March 2015, it announced its allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Boko Haram had seized 276 pupils from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok on the night of April 14, 2014. The kidnap has since become a hot political issue in Nigeria, with the government and military criticised for their handling of the incident and the failure to rescue all of the girls. About 2,000 persons have been reportedly abducted by Boko Haram since 2014, with many of the women used as sex slaves, fighters and even suicide bombers, according to Amnesty International, the London-based human rights organization. Negotiations between the federal government and the Boko Haram had led to the release of 21 of the girls while another three were freed by soldiers. Dozens of others had escaped on their own. Despite losing most of the territory they controlled at some point, including the dreaded Sambisa forest to Nigerian troops, the insurgents have kept hold of 195 of the Chibok schoolgirls. Share this: Twitter Facebook Once upon a time, when you got scammed in Times Square, it was from being taken in by three-card monte dealers. Now, crooks are using credit card readers! This week, police announced that a NJ man who dresses as Mickey Mouse in Times Square was arrested for overcharging a tourist from Tennessee for a photograph on Friday night. Police sources tell the Daily News that Lester Mengerson, 52, "somehow convinced the tourist to pay $190 for a photo." Only later, when the victim lost his credit card and checked his bank statements, did he realize that he'd been charged an outrageous $310 for a photo with Mickey Mouse, not the very reasonable $190 to which he had agreed. Mengerson was charged with petty larceny. He was previously an Elmo, but changed to the Disney character, telling Newsday, "I heard someone say stay away from this Elmo [or] Elmo, I heard you got out of jail.' Now, I bought this costume, Im not being affected at all." Knowing the real owners of companies in the oil and gas sector is critical to checking corruption, money laundering, drug and terrorism financing, tax avoidance and evasion, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Waziri Adio, has said. Mr. Adio, who was addressing a consultative forum on Open Government Partnership in Abuja on Tuesday, said although knowing how much companies paid, as well as how much government received in taxes, royalty, rents, etc. were important, they were not enough to check corruption. Identifying Nigerias membership of Open Government Partnership as a timely platform to push for disclosure of beneficial owners of companies in the extractive industries, Mr. Adio called on government to enact a special legislation to compel companies to make public the names and identities of their real owners. He urged the President to issue an Executive Order making beneficial ownership disclosure mandatory by extractive industries companies in Nigeria. Such legislation, the NEITI boss explained, could be made part of the Petroleum Industry and Governance Bill and should also constitute amendments to the Companies and Allied Matters Act. Mr. Adio announced that already nine countries, including Nigeria, have published EITI reports disclosing the beneficial owners of several companies operating in the industry. Besides, he said 43 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative-implementing countries have published roadmaps on beneficial ownership, with 20, including Nigeria, planning to establish public registers of beneficial owners by 2020. The Executive Secretary said NEITI published a road map on beneficial ownership disclosure which provided clear definition of who beneficial owners were, details to be disclosed and institutional framework required for effective implementation of beneficial ownership disclosure. The document also defined who politically exposed persons were and their reporting obligations, challenges around data collection, reliability, accessibility, timeliness, providing clear guidelines on them. He identified the absence of specific legal framework making beneficial ownership disclosure mandatory as a major challenge to the implementation of ownership transparency in Nigeria. Mr. Adio, however, acknowledged the existence of laws like the Companies and Allied Matters Act, Freedom of Information Act, Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act and Public Complaints Commission Act as relevant legislations for beneficial ownership. There are other policies of the Nigerian government that support efforts at ownership disclosures. They include the Financial Action Task Force, Bank Verification Number, Automation and Access to Corporate Affairs Commissions register, he said. Some challenges confronting NEITI, Mr. Adio pointed out, included delay and refusal to provide the real information on the audit templates, confusion over ownership structure (legal), conflict with existing confidentiality agreements, negative perception of beneficial ownership by covered entities (witch hunting), inconsistencies between beneficial ownership disclosures and information in CAC, use of surrogates by politically exposed persons and government officials. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who also spoke reiterated governments commitment to the implementation of beneficial ownership disclosure in Nigeria. More than ever before, government is determined to implement the legal basis on which beneficial ownership is founded from both an international and national perspectives, Mr. Malami said, pointing out that some business entities exist solely on paper without the requisite obligation to list the real people who actually own or control them. The EITI defines beneficial owner as the natural person(s) who directly or indirectly benefits from, owns or controls the corporate entity. EITI standard requires that countries must disclose their beneficial owners by January 2020 and recommends establishment of beneficial ownership register. The roadmap developed by NEITI on beneficial ownership envisaged the need for capacity building for all stakeholders that will be involved in the implementation of ownership transparency given the complexity of the extractive industries. Share this: Twitter Facebook Raji Oyewumi, an activist, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to disqualify Senate President Bukola Saraki, and 10 other senators from participating in the screening and confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as the substantive chairman of EFCC. Mr. Oyewumi, an anti-corruption crusader, in a suit filed in the court on Tuesday, alleged that Mr. Saraki and other senators joined in the suit would be biased if allowed to screen Magu. Joined in the suit dated February 13, are senators Godswill Akpabio, Jonah Jang, Aliyu Wammako, Stella Oduah, Theodore Orji and Rabiu Kwankwaso. Also joined in the suit are senators Ahmed Sani, Danjuma Goje, Joshua Dariye and Abdullahi Adamu. Others are the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Mr. Magu. According to Mr. Oyewumi, the senators cannot be fair in the screening and confirmation of Magu, since all of them have pending cases before the EFCC. According to him, Mr. Saraki and others are threatened by the leadership of Mr. Magu as EFCC chairman. He asked the court to determine whether the senate president and other senators would not violate the provisions of Section 56, 172 of paragraph 1 and 9 of the fifth schedule to the 1999 constitution if they participate in screening Magu. He prayed the court for an injunction restraining the senate president from presiding over or participating in the screening, deliberation and voting on the nomination of Magu as EFCC chairman. In the affidavit in support of the originating summons, the activist said that the senate president exhibited bias against the confirmation of Magu. He said the bias was shown when he failed or refused to read the Presidents letter on the floor of the Senate until three weeks after. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The White House has confirmed that the American President, Donald Trump, spoke on telephone with his Nigerian counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari. The Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, told journalists during a press briefing, Tuesday, in the White House, that the two leaders had a telephone conversation on Monday. Before I get into the Presidents schedule for today, a quick recap of the Presidents activity over the last few days, since we havent had the honour of spending so much time together, Mr. Spicer told reporters. He then went on to list who and who Mr. Trump met, where the president visited, and who he had spoken with. In addition to his in-person meetings with the prime ministers of Japan and Canada, the President also recently had phone calls with the presidents of Tunisia, Peru, Nigeria, Colombia and South Africa, Mr. Spicer said. He added that the Readouts are available on all of those calls. Back home in Nigeria, there were speculations, especially on social media, that the telephone conversation between Mr. Trump and Mr. Buhari did not happen. Mr. Buhari is on medical vacation in London. His absence in the country, coupled with the recent indefinite extension of his vacation, has fuelled speculations that he might be seriously sick. Femi Adesina, The Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity had in a series of tweets on Monday disclosed what both leaders discussed. Mr. Adesina said the conversation was cordial and that Mr. Buhari congratulated Mr. Trump on his election as the President of the United States. He said the two leaders discussed ways to improve cooperation in the fight against terrorism through the provision of necessary equipment. Mr. Trump assured the Nigerian leader of U.S. readiness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism, Mr. Adesina said. He commended Mr. Buhari for the efforts he made in rescuing 24 of the Chibok girls and the strides being taken by the Nigerian Army in combating Boko Haram. Mr. Trump also invited the Nigerian President to Washington at a mutually convenient date. Mr. Adesina added that, President Trump encouraged President Buhari to keep up the good work he is doing, and also commended him for the efforts made in rescuing 24 of the Chibok Girls and the strides being taken by the Nigerian military. That was the first time the two leaders communicated directly since Mr. Trumps inauguration as the 45th president of the United States. President Trump has been increasingly conversing with world leaders during his first weeks in office. On Monday he turned his attention to Africa. Mr. Trump called two of the continents most prominent leaders, Mr. Buhari and South African President, Jacob Zuma, to discuss combating terrorism, trade relations and other issues. EDITORS NOTE: This post has been updated, and above represents a new version. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to reconsider the fate of the six police officers dismissed over alleged unprofessional conduct during legislative rerun elections in Rivers. Ahmed Makarfi, the Chairman, PDP National Caretaker Committee, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja. Mr. Makarfi described the dismissal of the officers who were hitherto attached to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers as politically motivated. The Nigeria Police Force in January announced the dismissal of the six officers. It alleged that the officers, all aides of Governor Wike, violated clear instructions handed down to them during the December 10, 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers. According to the police, the officers breached the forces rules to be of good conduct and desist from escorting politically exposed persons to the polling units throughout the period of the election. The dismissed officers are Eyong Victor, Peter Ekpo, Oguni Goodluck, Orji Nwoke, Okpe Ezekiel and Tanko Akor. They were also accused of misusing the firearms in their possession contrary to the provisions of Force Order 237 while in the convoy of Mr. Wike on election day. Mr. Makarfi said that the decision was biased and should be reconsidered for the sake of justice. Share this: Twitter Facebook Speaker Yakubu Dogara on Wednesday mourned the passing of a lawmaker from Katsina State, Bello Sani. Mr. Sani, who until his death represented Mashi/Dvisi Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, died Wednesday morning. He was 51. Our late colleague was humane, principled and a cosmopolitan who interacted freely with all members, the Speaker said in a statement while condoling with his family. Mr. Sani is the second lawmaker to die in office within the last one year, coming months after Adewale Oluwatayo from Lagos State died in Abuja. Abubakar Adamu, an aide to the late lawmaker, told PREMIUM TIMES his principal had suffered protracted illness for several months leading to his death. Mr. Adamu said Mr. Bellos illness became worse two weeks ago and he was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Kaduna. After spending days there without much improvement, he was moved to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital on Saturday evening where he remained until his death around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday. His remains were on the way to his hometown in Katsina State for burial, his aide said. He died this morning few minutes after 11:00 and were now taking his body to Katsina, Mr. Adamu told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Bellos death came six months after he was kidnapped along Kaduna-Abuja Highway. Mr. Adamu said the deceased had barely returned to the country after spending weeks abroad for medical care when he was abducted. He was kidnapped in August 2016 which was just a few days after he returned from foreign trip to get medical attention, Mr. Adamu said. He had not been able to recover since then. Mr. Bello was first elected to the House in 2011 on the platform of Congress for Democratic Change. He switched to the All Progressives Congress in the run up to the 2015 elections and was re-elected for a second term in office. Mr. Bello, whom Mr. Dogara described as a hardworking, committed and patriotic legislator, was survived by his wife and children. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Gana, says the agency plans to recruit additional 3,500 personnel in 2017. Mr. Gana, who made this known on Wednesday while presenting NSCDCs 2017 budget of N61.4 billion before the House of Representatives Committee on Interior in Abuja, said this is to enable the corps meet the demands from some MDAs. The MDAs include the Ministries of Solid Minerals, Agriculture and Rural Development, Water Resources, Nigeria Railways Corporation and the protection of lives and property in the Northeast region. Mr. Gana said the recruitment would cost N2 billion and urged the committee to appropriate more fund to the organisation. He said the corps was facing operational as well as accommodation challenges which requires urgent attention. We have debts of only fuelling of operational vehicles of over N150 million; I have accumulated rents of over N400 million. I do not know where to get money to pay. You can see some state governors harassing our officers, I do not want to mention the states here, to the extent that they gave our staff one week to vacate. I have such cases in more than 25 states where we are living in rented apartments; our state commandants are living in rented apartments. The commander general, however, commended some states government that have been very supportive of the agencys effort of securing lives and property across the country. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The Nigeria Police on Wednesday said they have arrested the mastermind of high-profile abductions in Ogun and Lagos States. Police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said in a statement Wednesday night that Joseph Omoni, a 38-year-old native of Ondo State, was arrested around 4:00 a.m. Tuesday following relentless follow up by the police. Mr. Moshood said Mr. Omoni confessed to playing a critical role in the kidnapping of students and staff members of Turkish International College in Isheri, Ogun State, last month. Five students and three staff of the Turkish school were kidnapped on January 13. They regained freedom on January 24, nearly two weeks later. The statement also said Mr. Omoni disclosed his involvement in the abduction of a community leader in Isheri North Estate, Lagos, last week. Police also traced the kidnapping of a woman, identified as Aisha Ali-Balogun, in Mile 2 area of Lagos on December 19, 2016, an incident that left one dead. Two (2) houses built from the ransom money by the suspect and one other gang member Aka Chairman have been identified and sealed off by the Police at Century Village Ogijo in Ogun State, Mr. Jimoh said. Investigation is being intensified to arrest the remaining members of the gang who are still at large. The suspect will be arraigned in court on completion of the investigation. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved a new National Health Policy. This was revealed by the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, on Wednesday while speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council in Abuja. Mr. Adewole said the new policy is the third in the history of Nigeria, coming after those of 1988 and 2004. The title of the policy is promoting the health of Nigerians to accelerate socio-economic development, he said. He also said the process of getting the policy to the FEC took some time. We constituted a technical working group, chaired by former minister of health, Professor Eyitayo Lambo, to look into the countrys context, the challenges, what went wrong in the past and how we can reposition the health sector, he said. Mr. Adewole said the new policy will also provide direction necessary to support the achievement of significant progress in terms of improving the performance of the national health system. It also lays emphasis on primary healthcare as the bedrock of our national health system in addition to the provision of financial risk protection to all Nigerians particularly the poor and vulnerable population, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative, PCNI, on Wednesday said it had rehabilitated 19 police stations destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents in Yobe. Tijjani Tumsah, the Vice President of the committee, disclosed this in Potiskum while handing over one of the rehabilitated police stations to the Yobe Police Command. Mr. Tumsah said the committee had accorded priority to the reconstruction of police stations to restore civil authority in the state. Police stations in Yobe were among the worst hit public structure during the insurgency. The rehabilitation of these stations will improve maintenance of law and order in the society, he said. The vice chairman assured that the committee would assist in reconstructing and fencing police barracks in the state to enhance security. We will continue to encourage you to restore peace and normalcy in the state, Mr. Tumsah said. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Abdulmaliki Sunmonu, said the reconstruction of the 19 police stations would improve policing in the state. Musa Jidawa, Secretary of the State Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Committee, also said that the reconstruction of the structures would facilitate the resettlement of communities affected by the insurgency. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook The Zamfara State Government has confirmed the death of three students at the Government Arabic Boarding Secondary School, Maradun, following the outbreak of a mysterious disease. The state Commissioner for Education, Mukhtar Lugga, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Gusau on Wednesday that two other students were admitted at the General Hospital, Maradun. According to him, the disease manifested last Monday and the state government had mobilised a team of medical experts to control the situation. We established two emergency management centres, one in the school while the other one is at the Maradun General Hospital. We also established new hostels in the school to decongest the students to avoid further spread of the disease. We are waiting for the medical team to finish its work so as to know the cause of the outbreak, we cannot conclude now. But we are suspecting the outbreak to be gastroenteritis, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook Donald Trump has been president for almost a month, and the protests dont seem to be slowing down at all. This past week we witnessed protesters block Betsy DeVos from entering a public school in Washington, an anti-abortion demonstration overshadowed by a pro-choice rally in Manhattan, and a spontaneous direct action that brought national attention to an in-process deportation in Phoenix. We can't predict what the rest of this week will bring, but we can help you stay in the loop with this round-up of rallies, meetings, workshops, and fundraisers happening around the city. February SURJ NYC Chapter Meeting Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) is an increasingly popular group working to organize white people to dismantle white supremacy 700 people showed up to the first meeting after the election, far too many to fit in the original venue. Their monthly chapter meeting is this week, and new members are encouraged to show up 30 minutes early for an orientation. FREE, Wednesday, February 15th, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. // The Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist, 40 E 35th St, Manhattan Muslim Jewish Solidarity March Today President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for the first time since Trumps election. Tonight, protesters will gather in Midtown to convey their anger toward the border policies of both the United States and Israel. The march, organized by the Muslim Jewish Anti-Fascist Front, immediately follows a related event at Trump Tower, where others will build a wall of resistance to protest the meeting between the two world leaders. FREE, Wednesday, February 15th, 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. // Grand Central Terminal 87 E 42nd St, Manhattan Resistance Town Hall Want to get involved in fighting the Trump agenda but you're unsure where to start exactly? Hey no worries, not everyone went to school to major in remaking the world. If you want to learn what's up though, head to this town hall hosted by Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer and find out what your neighbors are doing, meet representatives from some good organizing groups and just get effective strategies about how to stay sane and strong while organizing. FREE, Wednesday, February 15th, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. // MoMA PS1, 22-25 Jackson Avenue, Queens Dirty Dancing For Planned Parenthood Hosted by the Lady Parts Justice League, this watch-party/sing-along/talk-back will celebrate both Planned Parenthood and the 30th anniversary of Dirty Dancing (the best abortion movie starring Patrick Swayze EVER MADE, the flyer notes). A conversation on abortion and intersectionality will follow the film, along with allotted time for attendees to write love letters to Planned Parenthood and call Congresspeople. $10, Wednesday, February 15th, 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. // The Bell House 149 7th St, Brooklyn Rally to #FreeDaniel and Stop #ICERaids ICE raids in the New York City area are a hot topic at the moment, thanks to the news that ICE agents arrested 40 people who they accused of immigration violations over the weekend. In addition to the New York raids, there was the arrest of Daniel Ramirez Medina, a Seattle man of Mexican descent who was covered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In response to both, immigrants' rights advocates will be rallying against more ICE raids and in favor of freedom for Medina outside of Homeland Security headquarters in New York. FREE, Thursday, February 16th, 5 p.m. // U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 201 Varick Street, Manhattan Sunset Park Rally For Immigrant Families While state Senator Jesse Hamilton hosts a town hall inside the Community Board 7 building, his Sunset Park constituents will rally outside to demand that the senator support legislation protecting immigrants. Back in November, Hamilton joined the Independent Democratic Conference, a group of eight rogue Democrats who caucus with Senate Republicans a maneuver that is drawing increasing scrutiny from protesters. One purpose of Thursdays rally will be to urge the senator to fight the Republicans he caucuses with over their votes on the NY Liberty Bill and the DREAM Act. FREE, Thursday, February 16th, 6 p.m. - 8p.m. // Brooklyn Community Board #7, 4201 4th Ave, Brooklyn Marshal Training Hoping to get involved on the organizational level? Head to Rise & Resists second marshal training session, where youll learn how to support actions and protect protesters rights, while serving as a sort of buffer between the police and demonstrators. As a marshal, your responsibilities may include setting up pickets, deciding whether or not protesters want to go into a pen, and stopping traffic. No experience necessary! FREE, Thursday, February 16th, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. // LGBT Center 208 W 13th St, Manhattan Brooklyn Stands Together: March & Rally There's been a lot of marching and chanting lately and you might be getting a little fatigued or wondering what the point is. Remember though, that there's a reason there was a huge swing from voters being in favor to against the Muslim and refugee ban: marches work and protests work. So join another march, this one from Borough Hall to the Eastern District of New York Federal Courthouse and back, to show solidarity with all the people of Brooklyn. Plus, this one ends with what organizers are calling The Brooklyn Pledge, which will maybe replace the Pledge of Allegiance in the irradiated wasteland of the Independent City of Brooklyn in the far off future of 2022. FREE, Thursday, February 16th, 5:30 p.m. // Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street General Strike Against Trump On this national day of action, Strike4Democracy plans to coordinate over 100 strike actions under the banner of #F17. Strikers in New York plan to gather at Washington Square Park at 1 p.m. to stand in solidarity with the General Strike. According to the event invite, Fridays action will preview an even larger mass strike planned for March 8th, which is being organized by International Womens Day and the Womens March. FREE, Friday, February 17th, 1 p.m. // Washington Square Park Activate: A Party & Fundraiser for Climate Action DJs For Climate Action are teaming up with beloved Crown Heights institution Friends and Lovers to host a party and fundraiser to benefit climate scientists. Theres a $10 suggested donation at the door, which will go directly to Natural Resources Defense Council, along with a portion of the money raised by the bar. $10 Suggested Donation, Friday, February 17th, 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. // Friends and Lovers, 641 Classon Ave, Brooklyn Mourning The Presidency: A Mock Funeral for President's Day This New Orleans-style mock funeral, hosted by Rise & Resist and Gag is Watching, will give young New Yorkers the chance to grieve, march, sing, wail, and ultimately demand the rebirth of a Presidency dedicated to the service of all peoples. Dont forget to wear black! FREE, Saturday, February 18th, noon // Washington Square Arch Black Lives Matter Teen Conference This day long teen conference will allow the youth (grades 5-12) to explore the impact and future of the Black Lives Matter movement through activist teach-ins, youth-led panel discussions, teen performances, and interactive arts and media workshops. The event is first come, first seated, so its recommended that you arrive 15 to 30 minutes before the start time. FREE, Saturday February 18th, 10 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. // Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture,515 Malcolm X Boulevard, Manhattan Today, I Am A Muslim Too: A Day of Solidarity! This day of solidarity honors Muslims, refugees and immigrants, and features appearances from community leaders like Russel Simmons and Linda Sarsour. Nearly 5,000 people are attending on Facebook, so expect Times Square to be even more packed than usual. FREE, Sunday February 19th, 12 p.m. - 4p.m. // Times Square Whats Next: A Fundraiser for Emilys List A new collective called Whats Next will be hosting their first ever event on Sunday night to raise money for EMILYS List, an organization working to put pro-choice women into office. Performances from Shaeera & James, Pussy Grabs Back, DJ Momo and more will go late into the night. $20, Sunday February 19th, 8:30 p.m. // Friends and Lovers, 641 Classon Ave, Brooklyn With Dave Colon. A peaceful protest embarked upon by a coalition of Ijaw interest groups in Yenagoa on Tuesday ended on a sad note as thugs allegedly attacked the protesters. Annkio Briggs, a Niger Delta rights activist, was reportedly among those rough handled during the protest against the donation of land to cattle grazers. The rally christened Love for Bayelsa, Love for Ijaw land, Love for Niger Delta, Love for Nigeria had barely began when the heavily armed thugs invaded the take off point of the rally at the Tombia junction, a witness said. Thugs reportedly beat up and inflicted bodily injuries on the protesters, mainly women and youth, including one of the conveners, Ankio Briggs. The presence of the police officers at the scene did not deter the thugs as they carried out the violence while the police looked on to the chagrin of the protesters. While others sustained minor injuries, one Christy Odiko, a member of Ijaw Women Connect, IWC, was reportedly hospitalised due to sustained injuries. Speaking to journalists shortly after the attack, Ms. Briggs who said she lost her phone in the cause of the melee, described the action of the police as unacceptable. All what we are saying is no to Ijaw land being ceded to Fulani people under any circumstance. At the rally, thugs came into the Tombia round about field, they invaded the place push me down, one particular boy collected my Samsung phone, my Identity Card was ripped off my neck and some people secured me and moved me away from the location. I told the police DPO that this rally was not against the Governor of Bayelsa, but against the decision he has made. It is unbelievable, I am an Ijaw person, I have fought for the Ijaw nation for as long as I can remember. I have been called a bigot because of my stand on Ijaw issues and if today I can come to Bayelsa, and Bayelsa children some of them are old enough to be my children, whether it is Gen Africa, and others; so if today they have appointments and positions and think that people like me no longer have the right to speak on Ijaw matters, that is a sad day for them and not for Ijaw nation. When contacted for comments, the spokesperson of the Bayelsa Police Command, Asinim Butswat, asked for more time and promised to call back. He did not call back before the report was published. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Supreme Court has reserved ruling on applications relating to the Abia State governorship tussle for May 12. A five-member panel of the apex court presided over by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, gave the date after hearing arguments from counsel on the matter. A businessman, Samson Ogah, had approached the Supreme Court to challenge the August 18, 2016 ruling of the Appeal Court. The appellate court reversed a previous judgement by the Abuja division of the Federal High Court that declared Mr. Ogah the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2015 governorship election, instead of Okezie Ikpeazu who ran and won the election. The judgement delivered by Justice Okon Abang on June 27, 2016 had sacked Mr. Ikpeazu from office as governor of Abia State, after the court found him guilty of tax offences. In another judgement on August 18, however, the appellate court described the ruling by Mr. Abang as a rape of democracy and ordered that Mr. Ikpeazu retains his office. Subsequently, Mr. Ogah approached the apex court to set aside the ruling of the appellate court. Mr. Ogahs lawyer, Alex Izinyon, said his client asked to be returned as the authentic candidate of the PDP in the said election because the incumbent governor was found guilty of falsifying tax documents. He added that Mr. Ogah had emerged runner-up to Mr. Ikpeazu which also formed the bases for his qualification as the authentic candidate in the election, given the indictment against Mr. Ikpeazu. Mr. Izinyon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, argued that according to law, issues bordering on falsification of such documents had adverse effect on the qualification or otherwise of the candidate in an election. He stressed that the offence for which Mr. Ikpeazu was accused was a pre-election matter which should determine his qualification or otherwise as a candidate in the election. But responding to Mr. Izinyons arguments, Mr. Ikpeazus lawyer, Wole Olanikpekun, said the appellate court took due consideration of the appropriate sections of the law and found that his client was duly qualified for the said election, as against the ruling of the FHC. Another member of the Peoples Democratic Party, Friday Nwosu, who had also taken part in the partys primaries ahead of the 2015 elections joined in the suit, both at the Appeal Court and at the Supreme Court. During Wednesdays hearing, Mr. Nwosu, whose application had in a previous sitting been struck out because it had been partially overtaken by events, approached the court with yet another application, forcing the presiding Justice Onnoghen to issue a fine of N200,000 to be paid personally by Mr. Nwosus lawyer, A.C. Ozioko. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has pledged to conduct credible elections in Ekiti and Osun in 2018. Adedeji Soyebi, the INEC National Commissioner for South West Zone, made the pledge while speaking with journalists on Wednesday at the Zonal Strategic Plan Retreat for field officers of the commission in Ibadan. Mr. Soyebi said the previous polls had been successful, adding that any election conducted this year or other time will not be an exception. It will based on the principle we have used in conducting elections. INEC will build on its various achievements in the conduct of free, fair and credible elections and make sure that there is tremendous improvement in the future elections, Mr. Soyebi said. The commissioner said the Zonal Strategic Plan was aimed at generating ideas and inputs from electoral officers on the field before embarking on any national plan in readiness for the 2019 elections. At the end of the retreat, a synthetic report will be ready which the commission will present at a national stakeholders meeting involving political parties, civil society organisations, security apparatus and other stakeholders in the conduct of elections, he said Mr. Soyebi urged the participants to make meaningful contributions that would play vital roles in assisting the commission to be more effective. Earlier in his address of welcome, Ariyo Ayoola, the Acting Administrative Secretary of INEC in Oyo State, said the commission would develop a new strategic plan. According to Mr. Ayoola, the plan is expected to lead the nation to another successful general election in 2019. He commended the commission for taking the retreat to the states to elicit local content, noting that the move was an attempt at ensuring collective ownership of the final copy of the strategic plan. Mr. Ariyo, who said the shared experiences of the participants would enrich the outcome of the 2017-2021 strategic Plan, urged participants to make rich inputs. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that participants were drawn from staff of INEC in all the South West states. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook A 40-year-old woman, Foluke Owolewa, has allegedly killed her day-old baby because she claimed her husband has no financial capacity to take care of the child. The police said the suspect committed the crime at 17 Ilupeju Street, Anishere Unity Estate, Ipamesan area of Sango-Ota town in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. Police spokesman in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES, said Mrs. Owolewa was arrested following a report at the divisional police headquarters in Sango by an official of the communitys development association. The suspect delivered the baby this morning but before anybody knew what happened, she had killed the baby girl, Mr. Oyeyemi said. He said the Divisional Police Officer, Sango Ota Division, Akinsola Ogunwale, led detectives to the scene where the woman was arrested. Mr. Oyeyemi added that the suspect told the detectives that she committed the crime because the baby would become a burden for the family as her husband has no financial capability to take care of a child. According to the police spokesman, Mrs. Owolewa further claimed that their two other children were not being taken care of by their father. On interrogation, the suspect claimed that her two other children are not being taken care of by her husband. Mr. Oyeyemi said further investigation revealed that it was not the first time the woman attempted killing her child at birth. He said she allegedly once threw one of her daughters into a pit latrine on delivery but the baby girl was rescued alive. He said the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, had directed that the suspect be transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department. Mr. Oyeyemi said the police boss also appealed to members of the public to always give useful information to the Police. Share this: Twitter Facebook Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, has cried out against what he termed an attempt by the Federal Government by victimise the people of the state by withholding the January allocation to the state. He said the action of the Federal Government was to get back at him over his consistent criticism of the President Muhammadu Buharis government. Mr. Fayose also alleged that the Federal Government was using the Economic and Financial Crimes commission, EFFC, to frustrate ongoing projects in the state through frivolous investigations. In the last three, four weeks, after the Federal Allocation Committee meeting, it is sad that Ekiti Federal Allocation for January has not been released, Mr. Fayose said, while briefing journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday. Secondly, the budget support, for which we signed an ISPO for all states in Nigeria, Ekiti remains the only state not paid for the month of January. And it seems this is deliberate because up till now, no excuse or explanation has been given. I have written to the Federal Ministry of Finance, my Commissioner has been there, as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria, nobody is ready to talk to us. Mr. Fayose said he had to bring to the notice of the people alleged efforts by the Federal Government to harass and intimidate the people and government of Ekiti. We contacted the Honourable minister, all the directors at the Ministry of Finance, everybody is shying away from talking to us for the last 10 days now, Mr. Fayose said. It is important to note that the allocation and budget support from Abuja is our legitimate right. We have done the needful on our part and nobody from their end has queried the process. I dont know why the average civil servant in Ekiti State should be made to suffer because of politics, it is not my salary, it is the salary of the Ekiti civil servants. Doing this in the name of politics and to destabilize this state is not in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He recalled that the statutory allocation for Local governments in Lagos State was stopped by the Federal Government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and it was fought until the money was paid back. I want to appeal to the Federal Government, I want to appeal to the Ministry of Finance not to allow themselves to be used to oppress and suffer the civil servants in Ekiti, he said. If this is a political attempt to cause chaos in the state, it will not stand. I will not also be cowed from saying the truth. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the governor stormed the headquarters of the Finance Ministry on Wednesday to further press for the release of the funds or get explain actions while the allocation was not released. It was also learnt that he was in Abuja for a banquet of governors at the presidential villa over the outgoing and incoming governors of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko and Rotimi Akeredolu, respectively, but used the occasion to pursue the release of the funds. Festus Akanbi, media aide to the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that he was not aware of such action by the ministry. He however confirmed that Governor Fayose visited the ministry earlier in the day, but did not meet the minister, Kemi Adeosun, who was attending the Federal Executive Council meeting. An official of the ministry attended to him when he came, but I am not aware that allocation to the state was withheld, Mr. Akanbi said. He however promised to get the full details of the matter on Thursday when the minister would be present in the office. Share this: Twitter Facebook VINELAND Cumberland County College has added another academic partner to provide easier access to higher education for county residents. The dual admission agreement allows the colleges graduates with associate degrees in social service to earn bachelors degrees in social work from Georgian Court University. Georgian Court will admit those students into the course of study in the fall semester as a junior, officials from both Georgian Court and the local college said. It provides excellence in undergraduate programs that Georgian Court University is known for with the convenience of staying local, CCC President Yves Salomon-Fernandez said. Georgian Court has experienced a large growth in new students through partnership programs, said Justin G. Roy, the universitys dean of admissions. The agreement with CCC allows Georgian Court to have a presence in South Jersey, he said. Georgian Court is a transfer-friendly institution, said Joseph R. Marbach, the universitys president. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1908, Georgian Court is a Catholic University located in Lakewood, Ocean County. The university has three schools arts and sciences, business and digital media, and education. The university has more than 1,500 undergraduate and about 600 graduate, students. Discussion that led up to Wednesdays signing of the agreement in CCCs Shirlee and Bernard Brown University Center began in October, Marbach and Salomon-Fernandez said. Part of the agreement includes a reduction in Georgian Courts tuition and the waiving of the application fee. Students who enroll full-time in the social work program will take courses that range from Intro to Social Work & Social Welfare to Human Behavior and Social Environment. The program also includes field work. The agreement was signed in CCCs Shirlee and Bernard Brown University Center. The center offers degree completion programs from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Montclair State University and Wilmington University. Seton Hall University offers post-graduate certificates for educators in kindergarten through 12th grade. The university center has filled more than 9,000 bachelors- and masters-level seats, according to CCC. CCC also has an academic agreement with Inter American University of Puerto Rico. Information about the bachelors degree in social work can be obtained by contacting Georgian Court Universitys Office of Graduate & Professional Studies at 732-987-2770 or gps@georgian.edu. News, analysis, and archives on the grassroots in Haiti. Nouvel, analiz, ak achiv sou baz yo an AYITI. Noticias, analisis y archivos sobre el pueblo de Haiti. PLEASANTVILLE Just as Barack Obama gave one final speech before leaving the White House, Doris B.H. Simmons decided to give the public one last glimpse of her President Obama memorabilia before she locks it away. Simmons has put her display of more than 250 pieces of Barack and Michelle Obama items in an exhibit Farewell President Obama & Family for Black History Month inside Mount Zion Baptist Church here. This is history. This cannot be reproduced, said Simmons, 74. I have been collecting this since he was elected. If something was created with the likeness of either the former president or first lady attached, Simmons probably has it magazines, dolls, stamps, puzzles, caps, plates, mints, pens, calendars, DVDs, magnets, T-shirts and more. An art teacher for 37 years in the city school district, Simmons grew up in Florida in the segregated South. She rode eight miles on a bus to an all-black high school even though another high school, which was all white, was within walking distance. I really didnt expect to see it in my lifetime, said Simmons, an Egg Harbor Township resident, about a black person being elected president. At her personal collection, visitors can see a photograph of Obama sitting in the same seat as the late civil rights activist Rosa Parks during her Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott during the 1950s. There are photos of Obama with Pope Francis and Bishop Desmond Tutu, among other images. Simmons had her collection on display last year. She was not planning on doing it again but was talked into it by her senior pastor, Willie Dwayne Francois III. For people who saw Simmons exhibit last year, she has more items in her display this year, some created to commemorate Obama leaving the White House. Also, the display has grown from just one room to include 24 framed photos in the hallway outside of the room. Mary G. Briggs, 93, who lives here, attends Mount Zion Baptist Church. Its so beautiful, Briggs said. I look at the exhibit, and I wonder how long it took to put it up I think its wonderful. Simmons had to make two trips from her home to bring the items to the church with assistance from her husband, Bill Simmons. She spent three days setting up the room. All the schools and churches in Atlantic City and Pleasantville were contacted to see her collection, she said. Simmons purchased 99 percent of her collection. She cried when a neighbor gave her a recent multi-page supplement from The New York Daily News titled The Obama Years. Magazines and newspapers make up a big part of Simmons collection. When Black History Month ends, Simmons memorabilia will return to her home. She said she would like to see it end up in a museum. Two of her children will be in charge of the collection in case she dies before she can donate it somewhere. The Obama Presidential Center at Jackson Park in Chicago is to be finished by 2021, according to the Chicago Tribune. A U.S. Coast Guard investigation into the July death of a 21-year-old recruit at the training center in Cape May concluded he died of a heat-related illness made worse by an existing medical condition. Aaron Redd, of Stafford, Virginia, collapsed during a 1.5-mile timed run that was part of his recruitment companys fitness assessment and died five days later at Cape Regional Medical Center in Middle Township. The Coast Guard on Tuesday released the results of a report commissioned in the aftermath of Redds death. The medical condition, which was not disclosed, is not disqualifying for military service, the Coast Guard said in a statement. In addition, the board that investigated the incident found the Coast Guard followed established policy in its response. Since Redds death, the Coast Guard said it has enhanced its safety practices and procedures at the training center in Cape May. Any loss of life is a cause for reflection, so we want to do whatever we can to increase the level of safety at our training facilities, said Rear Adm. David G. Throop, commander of the Coast Guards Force Readiness Command. The training center is the Coast Guards fifth-largest base and the military branchs only facility that trains recruits. Families trust us with the care of their loved ones while they are here, and we owe it to them to ensure we are providing the safest training environment possible, said Capt. Owen Gibbons, commanding officer of the training center. Redd was an organ donor whose heart helped save another person through the Gift of Life Foundation, his mother, Eileen Redd, told The Press of Atlantic City last year. He wanted to save lives, and now his incredibly strong, beautiful heart continues to beat on, the family wrote in his obituary. Redd graduated from high school in 2014 and attended West Virginia University before enlisting in the Coast Guard last year. Some fishermen are relieved Baltimore Canyon is not being considered as a national marine sanctuary, saying that designation could have restricted fishing in the rich area about 73 miles southeast of the Delaware Bay. Its in the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and that is what has always been a concern for us as users of the area, said John Depersenaire, fisheries researcher at the Recreation Fishing Alliance in New Gretna. It says unlawful acts include injuring or harming any sanctuary resource. The sanctuary program is set up to protect resources, said Reed Bohne, regional director of the sanctuary program for the Northeast and Great Lakes for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But when it comes to fish stocks, sanctuaries mainly rely on regional fishery councils to do the protecting in this case the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, he said. The same law cited by Depersenaire also specifies that regulations related to fishing are to be prepared by the appropriate regional council, said Bohne. And what the council proposes shall be accepted and issued by the secretary of commerce, who designates sanctuaries, he said. All the sanctuaries allow commercial and recreational fishing, and maybe there is about 2 percent of (the area of) all 13 sanctuaries where there is some reserve set aside, said Bohne. In fact, the sanctuaries hold their own recreational fishing tournaments, Bohne said. On Feb. 1, the National Aquarium in Baltimore withdrew its nomination of the canyon, saying it did not believe the timing was right. That set off concern among environmentalists that politics had killed the canyons chances, with the aquarium bowing to pressure from the Trump administration. The underwater canyon holds deep-sea corals and pools of bubbling methane gas, known as seeps, that create a nutrient-rich biodiversity hot spot and attract many species of fish and whales, along with other animals. The 149-square-mile area would have been protected from many kinds of exploitation, such as oil and gas exploration, had the nomination gone forward and the canyon passed the years-long dedication process. It also would have become a teaching resource for public schools and colleges in the Baltimore area. Sanctuary regulations in eight of the 13 existing sanctuaries do not address fishing at all, Bohne said, but leave oversight of that to the areas regional fishery council. Those that do address it mainly cover the type of gear to be used, he said. Fisheries in Baltimore Canyon are now managed by NOAAs National Marine Fisheries Service, along with the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. They already restricted the use of some gear in the Baltimore Canyon. But fishermen remain skeptical. Depersenaire said Baltimore Canyon is a popular fishing area for offshore fishing for tuna, marlin, swordfish, tilefish things on the bottom. Its important to Ocean City, Maryland, where they have a white marlin open tournament. They were extremely concerned, said Depersenaire. Its extremely lucrative and most of the boats fish the Baltimore or Wilmington canyon. He said there were many public meetings in Maryland, and fishermen showed up to express their concerns. While the aquarium staff was giving assurances they would not try to request recreational fishing be prohibited, what we have to do is ensure we get an exemption, said Depersenaire. MIDDLE TOWNSHIP A 92-year-old woman was airlifted to the hospital and a section of Route 47 was closed for about 12 hours following a crash Tuesday night, police said. Police responded about 6:45 p.m. to the scene near the Shannon Oaks development in the Rio Grande section of the township, according to a news release. South Dennis post office seriously damaged after hit-and-run crash DENNIS TOWNSHIP Police are searching for a driver who left the scene after crashing into t Frances Guinan, of the Villas section of Lower Township, was driving north when her vehicle left the road and collided with a utility pole, police said. She was airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center with multiple injuries, the news release said. The crash damaged a utility pole, creating a dangerous situation in which electrical wires dangled low over the road. Route 47 was shut down between Shunpike and Fulling Mill roads while crews worked to remedy the situation. The road was reopened about 7 a.m. Wednesday, police said. Cumberland County motorcyclist dies in Route 47 crash MIDDLE TOWNSHIP A Cumberland County man died after being ejected from his motorcycle on Ro Police said Wednesday they have been unable to determine the cause of the crash. Agencies that responded to the crash included the Rio Grande Volunteer Fire Company, Middle Township EMS and the State Police and Department of Transportation Traffic Unit, police said. New Jersey almost took a big step toward addressing its improper practices in law-enforcement seizures of property from people neither charged nor convicted of a crime. The Legislature unanimously in December passed a bill requiring transparency in the seizure and disposition of assets deemed to be related to a crime. For example, when police take a vehicle used by a drug dealer, they would have to report details about the seizure and the law-enforcement purpose for which they subsequently used the vehicle. This month, Gov. Chris Christie conditionally vetoed the bill. The changes hes requiring for signing it look good or at least acceptable. But transparency alone may or may not lead to fixing the serious problems of asset seizures by government in New Jersey, whose practices are among the worst in the 50 states. The original bill would require county prosecutors to report annually on the seizure of assets by law-enforcement agencies within the county. Christie recommends requiring quarterly reports, an improvement. The reports would be available to the public on the website of the Office of the Attorney General. Christie also was concerned that, as written, the amount of information reported might expose ongoing investigations and jeopardize law enforcers lives. He wants multiple changes in the bill to prevent that by focusing on the assets. That seems fine, as long as sufficient information is reported to show each asset is related to a criminal activity and will be used by the prosecuting agency for law-enforcement purposes. The value of property at stake, including money, is substantial. The Institute for Justice reported that from 2009 to 2013, New Jersey counties alone seized $72.6 million in assets, 80 percent of it in cash. Its survey of 14 states showed asset seizures doubling in a decade. Transparency would help avoid the misuse of seized money and assets. Infamous instances in other states have included spending on alcohol, drugs, prostitutes and equipment unrelated to law enforcement. But the other, more serious problems with civil asset seizures would only be helped indirectly, as cases were made public and journalists delved into and reported on whether the seizure was just, fair and appropriate. For example, in New Jersey an asset is determined to be crime-related under a very low standard of proof a preponderance of the evidence, or a little more evidence suggesting it is than evidence suggesting it is not. Twenty-seven other states set higher standards, from requiring clear and convincing evidence all the way up to beyond a reasonable doubt, the same standard for criminal convictions. New Jersey assumes seizures are proper unless the people whose property was seized can prove otherwise. That requires a near impossibility of proving they did not know about or consent to the illegal use of their property. A teenager who sells some marijuana while in the family car or in the basement of his home puts the vehicle or whole house at risk of seizure. Ten states and the District of Columbia require proof that the property owners did something wrong before they forfeit their property. But the worst aspect of property seizures in New Jersey is that the property goes to the law enforcers taking it. This creates a strong incentive to pursue cases on the basis of potential asset value so-called policing for profit. Thats too much of an invitation to abuse authority. The assets seized should become general budgetary revenue, or possibly used to compensate victims or to fund programs to reduce causes of crimes such as addiction. Civil forfeiture should be used to stop criminals from profiting, not to benefit or reward law enforcers. Flounder limits would devastate businesses Regarding the Jan. 25 editorial, Opposition to flounder cutbacks united, but will the fish cooperate?: Last years size limit for flounder was 18 inches, not 17 (which was only the size limit for Delaware Bay). The first time size limits went into effect was 1993, when it was legal to take a 14-inch fish. Over the years, this number has ballooned. What has been the result? Anglers have been required to take increasingly larger females, the ones that produce future fish. The wishy-washy editorial observation: Maybe marine biologists should consider that, or maybe they already have. To lessen the pressure on breeder fish, people should be allowed to catch fish of 15 or 16 inches in length. The flounder catch reduction would be devastating to the regional economy. Everyone from the guy who supplies my Duke O Fluke party boat with minnows, to the bait and tackle shops, the charter and party boats, and the rental-boat operators will suffer seriously. Few people will drive to the Jersey Shore in hope of catching an elusive 19-inch flounder. So dire are the prospects that many businesses will face closure. The bottom line is that the regulatory process is being influenced by an environmental community with an agenda thats hostile to both recreational and commercial fishing. Regulations should be based on objective and current science. Brook Koeneke Wildwood Carman was encouraged The local media covered the remarks of Freeholder John Carman concerning the womens marches throughout the country. After much criticism he did apologize. The tone of the new administration encourages politicians to show they believe women are secondary citizens. Ladies, pay attention. Eileen Risler Ventnor History wont be kind to Obama presidency Regarding the Jan. 22 Leonard Pitts Jr. column, Godspeed to a president with dignity and class: The skin color of anyone should have nothing to do with opinions. Lets base opinions on content of character and deeds. As the first president of African/English/Irish descent, Barack Obama did face an uphill battle. There are still forces of racism, but thankfully in ever-shrinking numbers. As a community activist and junior senator with little experience, Obama may have been unprepared. His lack of experience showed, as Pitts pointed out. However, to declare his presidency as without scandal is preposterous. From the hurtful and untrue statements that "we are no longer just a Christian nation" (he doesnt get to decide that), to the stimulus scandal with a trillion dollars that created nearly no jobs, Fast and Furious gun running and a border agents death, Obamacare untruths, spying on journalists, IRS targeting of conservative groups, Benghazi, NSA spying, the Iran nuclear deal, Solyndra ... the list goes on. The American people are now saddled with national debt that doubled during his tenure to $20 trillion. He created a racial divide with his action and inaction, demonized law enforcement by the action of a few bad apples etc. This is not a legacy to be proud of and though I wish him no ill will, Im afraid that history will not judge him as kindly as Pitts has. Tom Haes Egg Harbor City Smart meters would enable community solar I was delighted to learn from the Jan. 26 editorial, Post-merger electric utility bringing benefits, but probably not more savings, that Atlantic City Electric proposes to install smart meters in the region. Smart meters are capable of recording usage minute-by-minute, and would thus be able to distinguish between electric power supplied by nearby solar panels and that supplied by the PJM grid. Atlantic Electric has argued that the lack of such metering precludes its willingness to accept power from community solar and wind farms, owned by public agencies such as the ACUA, that would offer subscriptions to homeowners, school systems and businesses, reducing the cost of electricity and promoting renewable energy for those who for whatever reason are unable or unwilling to mount their own solar panels. New Jerseys Board of Public Utilities should adopt regulations that enable community solar projects, as have been successful in many other states. Dick Colby Egg Harbor City